Week Beginning: Sunday 11th July, 2004
Sunday 11th July
Emotions run high.
Emma, Ed, Lynda, Roy, Adam, Ian
- Emma is increasingly desperate. Ed is still threatening to tell Will that she slept with him. She rings him, but he doesn't return the calls. Eventually she tracks him down, but he's hurt and angry, so won't give her the assurance she seeks. He thinks life's so awful that it couldn't get any worse if he did spill the beans.
- At Grey Gables, Lynda has noticed that a Mr Rhys Jones has booked in for two nights. She also knows that Griff Rhys Jones is due to give a lecture on Thursday, so putting two and two together, she realises that he will be free when it's her day off ... Roy is noticeably unhelpful when she asks him for details.
- The news that Debbie is coming back is unsettling Adam. While he's very fond of her, he's worried that it will cause difficulties if they are to work together, and Brian hasn't given him any clues as to what he's intending. He tries to explain this to Ian, but he just thinks Adam should be grateful for another pair of hands on the farm.
Summarised by Jo Saunders
Monday 12th July
Bad news for Alice.
Alistair, Eddie, Clarrie, Adam, Brian, Alice, William, George
- Poor Alice is distraught. Chandler has been eating ragwort, and has liver damage. Alistair tells the Aldridges that there is little he can do, it would probably be best to put Chandler down.
- Will's mind is on the birds he's rearing, which are pecking one another. George has some rather cruel remedies in mind, but Will would prefer something more up-to-date and humane. He'll have a word with Betty, who had the same problems with the hens.
- When Alistair calls round to talk to Eddie about the bushtucker challenge, he and Eddie eat most of the cakes Clarrie has baked for the fete. She's philosophical about it, though. Her mind is on Ed, who's been very miserable lately.
- Will returns, with George, to the flat, to find a note from Emma. She needs to talk to Susan about the wedding, so has gone back to the caravan. Will comments that he's hardly seen her recently.
Summarised by Jo Saunders
Tuesday 13th July
Tears and fears for Emma.
David, Bert, Nigel, Emma, Susan, William, Oliver
- At Brookfield, David is giving Bert his instructions for the week. Bert goes to some lengths to make sure David understands that he is more than capable of managing Brookfield while Sam and David go to a farm sale.
- When Susan picks Emma up from Jaxx to go for a wedding dress fitting, Emma is very edgy and unresponsive. She decides the dress is too tarty and that she looks cheap. Susan tries to reassure her, and prattles on about losing her job at the school. It's all too much for Emma, who breaks down and sobs. As far as she's concerned, the dress was a big mistake and a waste of money.
- Bert and David bring a trailer load of hay over to Lower Loxley, where Nigel is establishing a wild-flower meadow. There's some good-natured ribbing when Nigel tries - and fails - to use a pitchfork. They are joined by Oliver, who's a bit of an expert, and the hay is soon spread ready to seed on the meadow. Meanwhile Nigel opens the beer, and the workers enjoy a rest.
Summarised by Jo Saunders
Wednesday 14th July
Restoration comedy at Grey Gables.
Lynda, Roy, Neil, Susan, Robert, Ruth, Griff Rhys Jones
- Lynda arrives unusually early at Grey Gables, claiming to have left something. It's soon clear that she has come to waylay Grey Gables' famous guest. Brushing aside Roy's efforts at protecting his guest, Lynda insists on showing Griff in to breakfast. When Roy suggests Griff might prefer to eat on his own, Lynda ignores him and tells Griff all about her Cat and Fiddle project.
- It's a big day for the Carters, too. The crane is arriving to install the roof trusses at the new house. Susan is still concerned about Emma.
- Lynda's plan is working to perfection. Robert arrives with his camera and cue cards, so that Griff is forced to read Lynda's script and to take some very condescending instruction from her. When lookers-on appear, Lynda makes some sarcastic comments about their having no respect for others' privacy. No, says Griff with feeling.
- The building work at Willow Farm is interrupted by Lynda and party just as the roof trusses are lowered into place. Lynda orders them to be lifted off so that Robert can film the second attempt. In order to shut Lynda up, Neil agrees, but is affronted when he hears Griff read her script, pouring scorn on new houses. In a final effort to demonstrate her artistic know-how, Lynda offers to pay Griff's agent. No, he says with even more feeling, the experience has been payment enough.
Summarised by Jo Saunders
Thursday 15th July
Car kudos for Tom.
Ruth, David, Sam, Helen, Kirsty, Alistair, Pat
- It's a tense day at Brookfield, as Alistair comes to test the herd again for TB. Sam is in good spirits, though. His girlfriend is coming over, so he's cooking for her.
- In the shop, Helen seems to be in better spirits. She chats with Kirsty about Tom's new car, and encourages her to go out in it and have lunch with Tom. She even takes an interest in the stock Pat brings over, but stops short of tasting any of it. When Kirsty offers to bring her a sandwich. Helen refuses.
- One by one the cows are put through the crush and tested. After a heart-stopping moment, when it looks as though there might still be a reactor, Alistair pronounces the Brookfield herd clear at last. David opens a bottle of champagne.
- In his search for curry spices, Sam comes into Helen's shop and introduces himself. Later on, Helen tells Pat about him, and they enjoy a laugh together about men in general, and Tony's glasses in particular. Helen tells her mother that she's had an e-mail from Greg's girls, who liked the letter she sent them. But when Pat mentions supper, Helen freezes. She claims to have had a big lunch, so isn't hungry.
Summarised by Jo Saunders
Friday 16th July
A night in at the Dower House.
Emma, Tony, William, Adam, Brian, Lilian
- Tony calls in at Jaxx for a coffee before his optician's appointment. Emma is concerned that he doesn't seem able to read the menu, but she's a lot more concerned when she gets a call on her mobile from Will, but he's breaking up, and all she can make out is that he wants her to go round to the flat. She's sure that Ed has spilt the beans.
- Life at Home Farm is hectic, and Brian appears to be rather edgy with Adam, questioning his management of the fruit pickers. They are interrupted by Lilian, who has brought them one of Eddie's retro-chic gnomes as a present. Brian is lost for words; Adam is entranced by its sheer awfulness.
- As if one gnome wasn't enough, Lilian brings one for Pat and Tony, too. Then she helps Tony eat the meal Helen refused the previous evening. Tony's in grouchy mood at the greed of the opticians, who wanted to prescribe him varifocals. He's going to carry on wearing his old ones.
- As Adam works on at the combining, Brian seems to have recovered his temper and brings Adam a sandwich, telling him that Jenny says he's working Adam too hard. But Adam clearly wants Brian to be convinced that he can cope with it all, before Debbie comes back.
- A nervous Emma calls at Will's flat. He asks her is she's been avoiding him. No, says Emma, lamely, it's just that she's so busy with the wedding. When Will tells her she can forget the wedding, Emma is sure Ed's told him the truth. But what Will means is that she's to have a night off. He's cooked them a meal, bought wine and flowers. He tells Emma how much he loves her. I love you, too, she says, of course I do. But it doesn't sound terribly convincing.
Summarised by Jo Saunders
Credited scriptwriter: Keri Davies
