SERIES 2 - First broadcast 1980

1. The New Farm Manager

Brabinger has fallen ill leaving Audrey on her own with a cookbook called 'Suppers for Simpletons.' Along with a new farm-manager from London who's going to "rationalise" the estate, Richard has plans to renovate the tied cottages and suggests that Ned take Brabinger's place: 'instant chaos' is the expression that springs to mind. Suspecting that Richard means to leave Ned with her permanently, Audrey takes steps. Which don't go quite according to plan.

First broadcast: 5th Oct 1980

2. The Spare Room

Audrey's old school friend is coming to stay, and since the Lodge roof leaks Audrey asks Richard to give 'Podge' a bed. Marjory's objection that this is like "handing Richard another woman on a plate" is cast aside: apparently Podge has "a face like a ship's boiler." Or at least she did when they were at school; the woman who actually arrives is slender, attractive and utterly stylish, much to Richard's pleasure and Audrey's horror. Something, anything, must be done in order to stop the two from being alone...

First broadcast: 12th Oct 1980

3. The Vanishing China

Marjory has gone away for a week to do a stage course, and tired of rearranging the furniture, Audrey calls in tradesmen to give her free estimates for basically every room in the house. Her sudden apparent wealth seems greatly suspicious to Richard, who has recently had a valuable Egyptian vase go missing from his china collection. Audrey is justifiably furious when she guesses his train of thought, but luckily the mystery is cleared up – Cleopatra had "put her asps in it".

First broadcast: 19th Oct 1980

4. Tramps And Poachers

Richard is looking into reports of pheasant poaching at Grantleigh and the neighbouring estates. He's discovered a pattern: it's every year at the same time. Strangely enough, it's also the usual time that Arthur Smith, a tramp, arrives to help with the slurry carting. Is there a connection? Well Arthur's character is certainly questionable; he manages to be employed by the owners of three estates at the same time, telling whichever one he is currently talking to that he is lucky if he gets "a pig's blister" out of the others.

First broadcast: 26th Oct 1980

5. The Honours List

Already having taken Richard to task for neglecting to attend a nature conservancy meeting, Audrey reads him the riot act when she discovers his plans to grub up a lot of the hedgerows for a fifty-acre field. Then she hears that someone local is going to be in the New Year's 'Honours List', and convinced it's Richard she promptly apologises for her behaviour, agrees to play hostess for the staff party and disassociates herself from the protest she'd organised. Well there is a vacancy for "Lady DeVere," although not, as it happens, this time.

First broadcast: 2nd Nov 1980

6. Vive Le Sport

Audrey's dismay when she puts her back out is somewhat lessened by Richard's solicitous attentions. She enjoys his daily visits and presents so much that she prolongs her illness for several days and continues to confine herself to the sofa, which poses a slight problem when Richard invites her to go on a skiing holiday with him. She effects a marvellous recovery but all in vain as Richard's pre-holiday skiing practice is not altogether successful: it seems he's not so professional as he pretended to be.

First broadcast: 9th Nov 1980