Week Beginning: Sunday 27th April, 2008
Sunday 27th April
Alan and Usha find themselves in the spotlight.
Alan, Usha, Clarrie, Eddie, William, Ed, Ross
- Alan and Usha encounter Clarrie as they clear up after the service and explain their wedding plans, in particular that the service will include Hindu prayers, something for everyone. Clarrie declares that she is very happy for them both.
- Over a beer, William explains to Eddie his problems with George - he is missing Jake. It has been a bad morning; when Ed arrives and suggests a game of football with George, William blows his top. The result is that Ed storms off to The Bull; he won't be in for lunch.
- Usha is a little concerned that Clarrie disapproves of their marriage but Alan does not share this concern. No one has mentioned it to him other than to congratulate him. Usha has work to do at home and misses a visit from Ross Adams, a reporter from The Echo. It is a bold step that Alan is taking and he wants to write a small human interest story about it. Alan sends him away with a flea in his ear; their marriage plans are part of their private lives.
- Clarrie soon discerns that something is amiss but William's explanation is quite unfair, attributing al of the blame for the incident to Ed and none to himself.
- Alan reports to Usha his encounter with the press. He doesn't think he will bother them again.
- Clarrie has persuaded William to bring George to the churchyard where she is tidying up the daffs. When the reporter comes by and asks her opinion of the wedding, she tells him that they are both lovely people and she wishes them well - and recommends that he has the decency to keep his nose out of other people's lives. Some hope!
Summarised by Brian Maskell
Monday 28th April
Kathy finds a new direction.
Hayley, Susan, Matt, Kathy, Roy, Ross
- Susan is getting it from Hayley, who got it from Mike, who got it from Bert, who got it, straight from the horses mouth so to speak, from David - Matt Crawford is now involved in the bio-digester project. Susan is even less happy about it than before.
- Kathy bumps into Matt at Grey Gables and he leaks the news that she has been offered the golf club job; the letter is in the post. Roy cannot help noticing Kathy's bright mood and is told the news - in strictest confidence of course.
- Susan does not have to wait long for a pop at Matt, and their conversation is witnessed by Ross, The Echo reporter. He is not really interested - and anyway Matt gave little away - but he wants to know Susan's opinion about the vicar's forthcoming marriage.
- Hayley and Roy are excited: Abbie continues to do well and they will be able to take her home on Friday. Of course, Roy cannot contain the news of Kathy's new job.
- Back in the shop, empty now but for Susan and Ross, pausing only to check that her anonymity will be preserved, Susan provides Ross with just what he wants: the views of a parishioner who has nothing against either of the couple but thinks that marriage to a Hindu is inappropriate. She does not think that Usha will make a good vicar's wife. Why bother with anonymity - these views have Susan Carter written all over them. Ross laps it up.
- Kathy calls on Hayley for a chat, principally about the new job, which Hayley has already heard from Roy. Kathy confesses that she is not looking forward to telling Nigel and Elizabeth and hopes they will be understanding.
Summarised by Brian Maskell
Tuesday 29th April
The Grundy rivalry resurfaces.
Nigel, Elizabeth, Kathy, Sid, David, William, Ed
- At Lower Loxley, Kathy finally catches up with Nigel and Elizabeth; she wants a word with them - both of them.
- Sid is bent on keeping fit and is running up Lakey Hill, via Brookfield. He takes the opportunity to enquire about the rumours - that Matt Crawford is involved in the bio-digester project; David assures him that Borchester Land have a minority interest only. Will's work also brings him to Brookfield and when Sid runs off just as he arrives he is quick to assume that they were talking Red Kites.
- Kathy explains that she had an interview for the Grey Gables Golf Club job and wants to take it. The decision was not easy; it's difficult to explain but she has to admit that it is to do with Taylor. She has had good times at Lower Loxley but also some of the worst moments of her life. Now she needs a change, a clean break.
- In The Bull a very grumpy Will has been putting it away for hours. He declines to drink with David, preferring to sit alone in a corner.
- Elizabeth mulls over what Kathy has said and despite her assurances she feels she will never be absolutely sure that it was not concerned with her giving evidence. But they must move on too: they have three months to find a replacement.
- There is much frivolity in the pub around Ed and Jazzer. Again, Will assumes they are laughing at his expense and decides it is time to give his brother a thrashing; Ed doesn't help by referring to Nic as a slag. Sid and David separate the warring siblings and David undertakes to get Will home.
Summarised by Brian Maskell
Wednesday 30th April
Will's paranoia comes to the fore.
Ruth, Phil, David, Eddie, William, Jill, Clarrie
- With no warning, Brookfield's water is cut off for emergency repairs to a pipe. That means David will have to drop everything and borrow Tom's bowser to keep his thirsty cows satisfied.
- Eddie tries to talk to William about last night's incident in The Bull. Will insists it was all down to Ed winding him up and is not at all receptive to Eddie's suggestion that it takes two - or that he should talk it over with Ed.
- Phil tells Jill that he was not very enamoured with the star party he went to - too much interest in the latest gadgets by people Pip would doubtless call anoraks. Though it was worthwhile because he had an offer for his old refracting telescope. They have an unfortunate encounter with Will when they stop to look at a bird that Phil thought might be a Red Kite but isn't.
- David is not best pleased to find that the water has been back on for half an hour; Ruth couldn't phone him because his mobile's battery is flat.
- Emerging from the village shop, Clarrie is incandescent: Derek Fletcher had asked about the fight between William and Ed, just to stir things. He also made remarks about William being accused of poisoning a Red Kite.
- Clarrie is disappointed to hear that William cannot be persuaded to make things up with Ed. She had thought they were at least starting to be civil to one another; now, it seems, they are right back where they started.
Summarised by Brian Maskell
Thursday 1st May
Ross strikes gold with Shula.
Brian, Mike, Ruth, Shula, Pat, Ross
- Phoebe's two grandfathers have little else in common, although with Tom and Brenda heading soon for No. 1 The Green, Brian makes the comment that it has been useful having Tom on the spot in a crisis; does he really not understand that is why they are moving? Mike has an idea to increase the usage of the Millennium Wood - a picnic area. Brian likes it and will put it to Jenny.
- As Shula exercises her horses via Brookfield, she has a warning for Ruth: a reporter is sniffing about. He rang The Stables but Alistair told him to get lost. Pat arrives desperate to talk about Matt's involvement in the bio-digester project; Ruth admits that Borchester Land have a minority interest but then finds an excuse to dash.
- Ross the reporter finds Mike at work but gets nothing from him: he is not a church-goer and thinks that both Alan and Usha are nice people. At least he is able to direct Ross to his next target - The Stables.
- Persistence pays: Pat tries talking to Brian and he lets slip that Borchester Land have a third share - approximately. Even that is too much for Pat, so she is going to be really disappointed when she learns what the share actually is. But Brian must dash: Mike has arrived and he has something important to discuss. Jenny approves of his idea: if Mike can find the labour, the Aldridges will provide picnic tables.
- Shula's initial reaction is to add nothing to what Alistair told him yesterday but Ross is persistent: he needs all shades of opinion. So Shula assures him that there has never been a problem with the congregation or the PCC and Shula herself supports the couple. Then an off the cuff remark triggers an off the cuff response and Shula finds that she has admitted there was a letter, anonymous and it's all in the past. Ross's persistence has paid off and Shula knows she is an idiot.
Summarised by Brian Maskell
Friday 2nd May
Will and Eddie bury the truth.
Mike, Brenda, William, Hayley, Roy, Eddie
- At Willow Farm here is a surprise party organised for Hayley's birthday and Abbie's home-coming. Mike and Brenda are just perusing the red kite report in The Echo when Will arrives with the key to No. 1 The Green. Will notices the newspaper and Mike, caught on the hop, opens his mouth and puts his foot in it.
- Hayley finds it strange that they will be walking out of the hospital for the last time. The staff have been so good to them but they are really not going to miss it.
- Eddie has time to spare so decides to keep William company for a couple of hours. He has seen the paper too.
- Back home, it seems quiet at first but Hayley soon discovers that the family are assembled under a "Welcome Home Abbie" banner, ready to toast their new member.
- Eddie is trying hard to make Will count his blessings and was doing quite well until they came across a dead buzzard, poisoned no doubt. Eddie's solution is to bury it and forget they ever found it. Will is convinced that this can't be just a coincidence; someone is behind it and his job is on the line. They have buried this bird but there may be more; it's not over yet.
Summarised by Brian Maskell
Credited scriptwriter: Nawal Gadalla
