SERIES 4 - First broadcast 1970

1. A Price On Your Head

Nellie has finally decided to do it, and tonight is the night! She's got the insurance man round to take out a policy on Eli, but Eli thinks she only in it for a windfall if the worst happens, so he decides to take revenge and take a policy out on her.

Soon, Nellie is wanting him to break his leg, or even both of them so they'd be rolling in the money! After Eli mends Nellie's old bike, which surprisingly falls to bits, they decide enough is enough and tear up their policies once and for all.

First broadcast: 14th May 1970

2. A Young Man's Fancy

Eli's brought a fur coat, not for him to wear (as Stan thinks he'll look a real bobby dazzler in it), but for his girlfriend Marlene. Nellie is disgusted as she thought it was for her and makes no bones about trying to stop Eli getting married, but Marlene soon makes it known that when they are married, Nellie is out the house!

So Nellie, Lily and Walter go round to check up on Eli's bride to be, and they find her in the house with a young man, later found to be her son. Now this doesn't bother Eli, but what does is the fact she lied about her dad owning his own pub. Eli is devastated so the wedding is off, and Nellie receives her fur coat at last.

First broadcast: 21st May 1970

3. When You've Got To Go

Eli's spent all night in the lavvy, locked out as punishment for coming home late again and Nellie's having no more of it: "It serves you rotten right, why don't you get home at a receptacle hour?"

She can't take any more of him coming home when he likes, so she's off, or to put it another way she "flipping flit in a flaming flash". Nellie moves into a Rising Damp-esque room and it's not long before the landlord (sorry, not Rigsby, although just think of the possibilities) accuses her of being a woman of ill repute and after Eli's attempts at getting her back home (the pots are piling up) she finally relents and moves back in, only to lock Eli out again for demanding his tea!

First broadcast: 28th May 1970

4. When Love Walks In

Eli's up to his old tricks again. This time, he's trying to sell the factory to Leonard Longbottom, a property developer who's going to flatten it, then build 100 offices on the ground space. The only problem is, as Nellie owns 50% of Pledges Purer Pickles, Mr Longbottom has to get her signature on the contract too.

Eli suggest that he tries to woo Nellie at Stan's daughters wedding, but soon, Leonard want more than just the factory and the house, he want Nellie thrown in too!

Nellie starts to get "a feeling" too, especially when he sings that song "Idleswine" and she starts to hear wedding bells in the air, but Leonard gets the jitters every time he thinks about popping the question so he takes her out to a fancy restaurant, with Eli hiding in the next booth to help the hapless Romeo along.

However, she soon finds out Leonard Longbottom's real reason for wanting to wed her, and he, along with Eli get a face full of trifle.

First broadcast: 4th June 1970

5. An Open And Shut Case

Everyone at the factory is off with a touch of "absenteeism" so Eli will have to forego his race meeting at Haydock Park and get in that pickling shed. They've got "gherkins over here, and red cabbage over there, the pickles must get through".

Anyway, all is not lost, as Nellie has recruited Lily and Walter to come and help. Soon, the shed is ringing to the sounds of "Pickles, jar, vinegar, lid!"

When they all break for lunch, Walter reveals that he has lost his teeth, and Eli thinks he's lost them in the factory, giving rise to a new "quality tested purer Pledges pickle product, Pickled Dentures!" They start searching the cabbages and beetroots, and if they aren't found, it won't be only Walter living on porridge; they'll all be doing porridge, in Strangeways.

The problem is, Stan has delivered all the jars pickled that morning, and Walter's false choppers could be in any of them. They manage to get all but two back, one is at the pub, one sold to Mrs Jones at number 16. Despite his best efforts, Nellie is the one going to the pub where she chomps here way through a whole jar of pickles, along with half a bottle of sweet sherry wine. Eli gets chatted up by Mrs Jones, only to be interrupted by her husband, who hits him with the jar!

All their troubles are in vain though, as it turns out the missing dentures were in Walter's pocket all the time.

First broadcast: 11th June 1970