PC Rowan responses to an anonymous emergency call and find archaeologist Professor Brigstocke dead in his library and the house broken into. The professor was said to hide a treasure and Greengrass decides to find it. Clues lead to the ruins of Saint Columba's Abbey on the Ashfordly estate. But also Mary Secker, who is writing a book on 12th century monasteries, is interested in the ruins. Lord Ashfordly is hosting a fishing party and is not pleased to find fishing net and no fish in his river. Blaketon suspects Greengrass is behind it and when the old scoundrel enters the abbey to look for the treasure, Blaketon is close behind him. They both get trapped and Blaketon breaks a leg when part of the ruins cave in, and Greengrass lights a fire to keep him warm.

When PC Rowan is on patrol one morning he notices Charles Carter who is camping on private land with his son Simon. But Carter has to permission from the owner of the land. Later Rowan notices man lurking around their caravan. The man introduces himself as Clive Loxton, a friend from London. Later Loxton turns up with a woman called Michelle Blanchard, who claims to be Simon's mother and that Carter has abducted him after they got divorced. By then Simon has been taken to hospital with polio. As president of the local Rugby association sergeant Blaketon is allowed to enter a team of his own. One of the players, Ken Fairbrother, is particularly good and Greengrass offers his services as his manager.

Alan Davies reports strange noises from his neighbour Adrian Shaw's house, but Shaw claims that there were no noises. The same night Davies is frightened out of his home by an intruder and when he returns with PC Rowan they find an envelope with a picture of a little girl. A copy of the same photo is sent to him at his workplace. Trying to make ends meet after Lord Ashfordly has increased the rent for the Aidensfield Arms George starts to serve food at the pub, and Greengrass suggests he adds pheasants to the menu. Pellet free guaranteed! Gina returns from a trip to Liverpool and brings back a new boyfriend Anton, who is a cook. Things are also developing between Nick Rowan and Jo Weston who have become very friendly lately.

A large quantity of fine wine has been stolen from a wholesaler's warehouse and the police think it is an inside job, because the burglar alarm was switched off. The prime suspect is the haulier Charlie Wallace. PC Rowan finds out that Alf Ventress has lost a lot of money at cards to Wallace and cannot settle his debts. Rowan decides to help his friend and colleague and trap Wallace at the same time. Lord Ashfordly has had intruders on his estate and when he catches Greengrass red-handed at poaching he hires the old scoundrel as a guard to keep off the intruders - unpaid of course.

Michael Harvey is mortally ill and his son Ronnie and his girlfriend Susan is preparing a surprise party to celebrate his birthday, which he knows will be his last. During the party Michael Harvey asks Susan to be his wife. Shocked the young woman rushes out of the house and rides away on her bicycle. On her way home she has an accident and nurse Bolton is suspected of causing it, but PC Rowan thinks that something is not quite right, and Susan's bike is missing. Greengrass buys a rare samovar from a family of Russian gypsies, but discovers that there are more "rare" Russian samovars around. PC Rowan is thinking of getting a promotion and wants to take his sergeant's exams.

A fire breaks out at Webster's Hotel. Fortunately the fire is discovered in time and damages are limited to a work shop. The manager Ralph Webster is not satisfied that it was caused by faulty wiring and asks PC Rowan to look into it and especially Brian Rogers. When Webster sacks Rogers he gets drunk and threatens a taxi driver. Rogers even points a gun at PC Rowan, who has come to investigate, and barricades himself in his flat. Posh fashion photographer Jansson is scouting for locations and also wants to hire both Gina and Greengrass in addition to his regular models Michelle and Sylvie. Nick Rowan and Jo Weston are planning on going away on a romantic weekend together.

Jeb Hunter is attacked and robbed in his own home and suspicion falls on Errol Jones, an old acquaintance of PC Rowan from London, when a ballpoint pen belonging to him is found on the scene of the crime. It does not do any good to Jones' case that he is black. The talk of the village is the annual cricket match between Aidensfield and Whitby, and Greengrass is of course accepting bets on the outcome in addition to selling pesticides and fertilizers. He gets a special interest in Jones when he learns that he is good at playing cricket. And he is not the only one, but for quite another reason. Nicks mother Ruby is back in Aidensfield much to the dismay of sergeant Blaketon.

It is time for the annual match for the coits championship between Aidensfield and Holinsby. Jack Abbott is playing for the Holinsby team and at the same time having an affair with his team captain's wife Annie. When his own pregnant wife Jean finds out by accident, she drives off in their car, and Jack has to go home on the team bus. Donald Smethwick loses control of the bus, which runs off the road and down a slope. Ruby has managed to patch up the relationship between Nick and Jo, and Jo has decided it is time to introduce him to her parents. Jo's mother is not pleased to learn that Nick is a village bobby and a widower with a daughter.

Sandra Croft gets drunk because her boyfriend has left her and accidentally sets fire to her apartment. Luckily she is saved without any injuries by PC Rowan. The incident makes Sandra fall in love with Nick, but she turns resentful and revengeful when he does not return her affection. Greengrass has a new scheme: guided tours and bird watching! But he soon finds out that there is more to it than just setting up a shelter as a hide, handing out copied old maps and then collect the money.

Joyce Jowett has just lost her husband when a stranger called Nigel Wheeler turns up in Aidensfield asking for him. He is a financial advisor and while he is in the area he might as well visit other potential customers. One of them is Jo Weston and PC Rowan decides to take a closer look at him. George Ward and other villagers have received malicious letters. The only lead is that they are all written on the same typewriter.

Christmas is near and there is the traditional nativity play at the village hall with PC Ventress as Santa Claus. Greengrass is supplying half the village with geese, but demand has been higher than expected and he is four birds short. He sends David to pick them up, but the snow causes him to drive off the road and he has to continue on foot to get help. David is not the only one in trouble because of the weather. A bus full of old people from Elsinby gets lost, and Phil Bellamy, who is giving Ventress a lift to Aidensfield, gets stuck in the snow. The falling snow also causes a small plane to crash not far from the police house and Nick and Jo go to see if they can be of any help. They find a very pregnant woman, Sophie, in the plane and tracks in the snow indicate that she was not alone.

Bag-snatchers are at large in Ashfordly and the police know that Ian 'Duster' Murray and Robert 'Red' Broadbent are the perpetrators, but cannot prove it. When they attack Phil Bellamy's grandmother he takes it personally and gets determined to see them behind bars at any cost. Greengrass is also in great demand. Mr. Braithwaite has died and his daughters Joan and Norma are convinced that he hid his will in his stuffed prize ram and that Greengrass knows where it is. Jo's mother has become ill and she does her best to make Jo feel bad about it, because she will not break up her engagement to Nick and Fiona Weston cannot keep up appearances when her daughter is married to a common village bobby.

Terry Ainsworth is more interested in train spotting than going to school, and he is happy when his father Eddie takes him on a train ride. Little does the boy know that his father, who is fresh out of jail, is planning to steal a lot of fur coats and he wants to check out the railway line for the best spot to do it. It does not matter to him that his wife Molly is working at the company which produces the fur coats. Greengrass is doing some gardening for Mr. and Mrs. Dobson when he finds some old, Roman coins. Convinced there are more where they came from he rents an excavator to do some serious digging for them while the Dobsons are away for a couple of days.

Sammy Maxton is found injured on Shafton Moor and witnesses heard a shot and saw Barry Rooksby running from the scene and driving away with is daughter Suzy. Rooksby has recently lost his job as game keeper and blames Maxton for telling lies about him to get the job himself. Alice Jessop is released from hospital after a stroke and hires the butler Alan Lester to look after her. A couple of days later Eileen discovers that a valuable clock is missing from Mrs. Jessop's home Gina is nervous because she has to appear in court to apply for the license to run the Aidensfield Arms. Steve tries to comfort her, but his mind is more occupied by the American pool match, which Greengrass is arranging. But his pool table is confiscated as evidence when it turns out that it was stolen, and Greengrass is under pressure to get a new one. He soon finds out that American pool tables are rare in North Riding. The preparations for Nick's and Jo's wedding are in full swing, and Phil is hoping that Nick will ask him to be the best man. A ghost from nurse Bolton's past arrives in Aidensfield. Her husband Neil who hopes they can back together again.

The day of Nick's and Jo's wedding has arrived. To calm his nerves Nick takes a ride in his car when he is flagged down by a woman because of an accident. Suddenly the woman drives away in his car and Nick is stuck miles away from everywhere on the moors with an injured man on his hands. He manages to get the man to hospital, but time is getting short if he has to make it to the church in time. Sergeant Blaketon's day of retirement is nearing and he has applied for a year's extension of service, but the news from his medical exam is not good. News is not all bad though because they will also get a new police constable in Ashfordly.

Nick and Jo Rowan return from their honeymoon in Spain. They find out that he has been made acting sergeant at the Ashfordly police station, while Blaketon has taken over the post office. A fair is visiting Aidensfield and one of its main attractions is the wall of death and its riders Dirk and Liam. Especially 15-year old Tracey Knight is fascinated by Dirk who has promised her a spot on the show. Dirk is seriously injured when he crashes off the wall during practice. The police soon find out it was not an accident. Another attraction is the mouse show, which Greengrass' lurcher Alfred decides by eating the favourite owned by the very unpopular Trevor Lammas. The next day Greengrass finds his dog lying on the floor with all signs of poisoning and accuses Lammas, who starts to have a series of small mishaps.

Greengrass buys a used police car at an auction, where Bernie Scripps recognizes the former racing driver Russell Palmer, who now works for his cousin Keith Hibbert. Hibbert and Palmer are arrested after a brawl at the Aidensfield Arms and have to spend the night in prison at the police station under the watchful eyes of PC Bradley, who has the night watch. During the night Palmer complains of head aches and early next morning he is found dead in his cell. Hibbert accuses PC Bradley of beating Palmer up and thus causing his death. Acting sergeant Rowan has no other option than to launch a full investigation and suspend Bradley. Meanwhile Greengrass has converted his police car into a taxi cab and happens to overhear a little too much on his radio.

The Upton family returns home only to find much of their furniture stolen and most of the rest smashed to pieces. John Upton suspects Harry Somers, who has been seeing his daughter Ruth a lot against his wishes. The Uptons move to the Aidensfield Arms while their home is repaired, but Ruth is attacked, when she returns to the house in the evening. The upcoming artist Moira Hamilton has rented a cottage in the village and is very interested in some of Greengrass' old car parts. She even paints a portrait of the old scoundrel - well sort of. Greengrass and Bernie Scripps decide also to try their luck in the world of modern art.

Oscar Blaketon gets into trouble when two young criminals steal his car and run away from an accident they have caused, because he will not account for his whereabouts at the time of the accident and did not report the car stolen. Meanwhile the two criminals, Joey Sharp and Frank Collins, supplies drugs to the schoolgirl Lizzie Tyler and her friend Babs. Greengrass overhears how PC Bradley talks to a friend about buying classic motorcycles and spots an opportunity to earn a quit or two. He even knows where hen can get his hands on some if he can get Bernie Scripps to assemble them.

The neighbours Clive Harris and Stuart Parsons are not the best of friends to put it mildly. When Oscar Blaketon tries to mediate between their families Parsons' wife Frances and his son-in-law John Nixon are rushed to hospital with signs of food poisoning. Naturally Harris comes under suspicion, but when Gina gets ill with the same symptoms PC Bradley is sure there is another reason. While Gina is in hospital her aunt Mary comes to Aidensfield to visit her. Bernie sells a car to Laslo Riles for Claude Greengrass, but when Riles goes bankrupt before he can pay Greengrass makes him pay in kind. Thus the old scoundrel suddenly becomes the proud owner of a snake.

Brian Rider buys his first car at Marsden Motor Co. and like all young men he likes it sporty and fast. When the proud new car owner takes his vehicle for a fast spin he loses control and collides with a stone wall. His mother blames Marsden for selling her son a defective car. But it is destroyed by fire before forensics can have a look at it. And that is not Marsden's only trouble. His wife has been caught shoplifting on several occasions and it turns out that she has been beaten as well. PC Bradley thinks Marsden is behind both incidents. Greengrass has bought a couple of racing pigeons and wants everybody to buy shares. But it appears that even Greengrass does not know everything about racing pigeons.

Somebody breaks in at Jenny and Tim McDonald's house, but nothing seems to be taken. The next morning Tim McDonald is two hours late at work at a bank, because the intruder put back their clocks. The intruder turns out to be an old friend of Tim McDonald, a really bad apple called Carl Southall, and he claims that McDonald owes him a favour. There is an open tournament at the local golf club, and Greengrass plans to make a killing by entering a B. Scripps in the tournament and bet on him. Only it is not Bernie Scripps as the club manager Trevor Snape thinks, but Bernie's nephew Barry, who is a professional golf player. Greengrass spots an opportunity to make an even bigger killing when he learns that outside investors want to buy the club and turn it into an upmarket country club. He only has to become a member of the golf club to get a share of the sales money. That is all - or is it?

Oscar Blaketon is on his way home late one night when he sees strange lights around St. Michael's Church, but he is knocked down before he can investigate any further. Nothing appears to be missing, but a few days later a grave is desecrated and a human skull has been removed from it. Are there witches and black masses in Aidensfield? It seems so, because the farmer Mr. Follet is just wasting away as if he is bewitched and a voodoo doll and other signs of witchcraft are found on his farm. Greengrass is doing some gardening for Dorothea Cliveden, who is a queen in the cosmetic world. He surprises her one day with her face all covered in mud and learns, that people will pay a lot of money for mud intended for beauty care. Of course he cannot resist an opportunity like that.

Stuart and Trevor Chivers are at it again. Stuart has got detention with a classmate, Bernie. In revenge Bernie smashes the windscreen of the teacher's car, but the teacher Mr. Powell thinks Stuart did it. When PC Bradley questions him about it, he runs away. He is found the next day with severe stomach pains. PC Bellamy's grandmother complains about lorries rumbling through the village at night. The police cannot do anything about it, so she promises to take action herself. Oscar Blaketon has become WPO of Aidensfield and as such he is responsible for putting the village on alert in case of a war and for the village fallout shelter. Greengrass knows the perfect place for such a shelter, and he and Bernie Scripps are selling accommodations in it for a token annual fee for maintenance with great success.

Elaine Aubrey is one of Dr. Bolton's newest, but most frequent patients. So frequent in fact, that the village gossip has it that they are having an affair. He gives her a lift home from a reception at the golf club when she feels ill. Later the same evening she accuses him of indecent assault after she has had a small accident with her car. He of course denies, but why should she make a false allegation against him? Gina nearly has an accident, because somebody is mucking about with the road signs, and Greengrass encounters a re-enactment society, who is lost for the same reason. Greengrass persuades their president Mr. Pym to they re-enact the battle of Aidensfield, which "coincidentally" took place on his land. But Pym refuses to have any his men play the royalist side of the "conflict", so Greengrass has to find some people to play the royalist army.

When Jane Hayes returns to her home one night she hears an intruder upstairs, but PCs Bradley and Bellamy find only her cat when the come to investigate. But Miss Barker, who worked for the previous owner of the house, can tell a story of a servant girl, who is said to haunt the manor listening for the cries of her baby. Jane Hayes is pregnant and due any day and the next night she hears a baby crying and sees a cradle rocking in the nursery. Penny Craddock is organizing the Christmas dance and persuades Jane's husband Graham to emcee the event. They will stage a dancing competition and Greengrass promises to provide them with a trophy for a small charge of course - besides taking bets on the outcome.

Shortly before her sudden death Mildred Crosby promises Maggie Bolton a painting, which Maggie likes very much and in her will she leaves Maggie quite a bit more. Her son-in-law Roy Thornton has counted on inheriting the money and accuses Maggie of gross medical negligence and abusing her position as district nurse to influence the old lady. And all of a sudden the painting is missing. Has it been stolen by the same person or persons who have staged a series of burglaries in the area? Claude Greengrass and Bernie Scripps find a tramp, Seamus O'Toole, sleeping in Greengrass' barn. They discover that he can pick horse race winners when he is dreaming. This is too good an opportunity for Greengrass to pass by.

Barry Dixon returns to Aidensfield to start a new life when he is released from prison. But he has company. By detective Ed Baxter employed by the insurance company who had to pay up for the bank robbery that Dixon committed. Baxter starts to follow Dixon everywhere he goes hoping he will lead him to money. Ron and Doreen Tidy are on a hiking trip when they are stopped by Lord Ashfordly's keepers, who say that they are trespassing although the path is marked as public right of way on all maps. Together with the Boltons they stage a public demonstration to get Lord Ashfordly to open the path again. When the old chimney sweep Jim Fiedler dies Greengrass decides to take over his business. Especially the lucrative part of blessing newlyweds. Speaking of newlyweds things are heating up romantically between Mike Bradley and Jackie Lambert.

Alan and Dennis open a new restaurant in Ashfordly, but they are victims of vandalism and somebody also hands out false free-meal coupons on their behalf. The primary suspect is Sid Wainwright, who was interested in buying the place too. Gina gets a visit by her old friend Debbie, but Aunt Mary believes that Debbie will only get Gina into trouble, but instead it is Debbie who lands in trouble. Professor Booth is searching for the burial site of Wulfstan the Wealthy, a mighty Anglo-Saxon chieftain and Greengrass is convinced that the burial site is on the lands of Terence Young, whom he has already relieved of some "surplus" rainbow trout, and tries to find it first and sell his finds to the professor.

Jackie's uncle and boss Henry Tomkinson has been in Aidensfield to take care of the testament of a client. On his way home he runs down a boy on a bicycle in the pouring rain, but instead of helping him he chooses to drive off and denies any knowledge of the accident and even makes his wife lie for him. David Stockwell saw the accident, but caught only part of the registration, and Tomkinson brings discredit to David and his testimony because he is somewhat backward. PC Bradley gets help with his investigations by an old friend from the Met, Rodney Marshall. Greengrass is commissioned with sorting out the ground for a new graveyard. He finds some lead pipe and decides to make an extra quid or two by selling it.

On his way home from the Aidensfield Arms one night Col. Clifford hits a boy on a bicycle. At his trial he gets a fine and is required to take a driving test. During the test it is discovered that he is night blind and he is only allowed to drive at daytime. Gina's old friend Terry Noble has gone AWOL after a fight with another soldier. She hides him although sergeant Craddock has asked his constables to be on the lookout for him. It turns into a murder hunt when the soldier he attacked dies, and Noble takes Col. Clifford hostage until he can get away during the night. Oscar Blaketon inherits a lot of money and has a business proposition for Lord Ashfordly, which Greengrass probably will not be too happy about. And speaking of Greengrass he is planning a French gourmet evening at the Aidensfield Arms.

There has been a series of break-ins at the homes of recently deceased persons and the clues lead to Cyril Fuller an old friend of Claude Greengrass. Greengrass is convinced that his friend is innocent and is persuaded to do something he would have thought he would never do - help the police! Blaketon has bought the Aidensfield Arms from Lord Ashfordly, and soon he drives both Gina and Aunt Mary crazy with all his demands. Maggie Bolton is enjoying motherhood so much she decides to quit her nursing job. But a serious outbreak of the flu may make her reconsider. Blaketon and Greengrass are both sure they will not catch the illness because they have ways to avoid it. Yeah and pigs might...

A group of young offenders has got permission to do some labouring work on PC Bradley's patch with only one guard, Blenkiron. Two of the boys, Varley and Sloper, wander off during a lunch break and break into a car. Varley returns as nothing has happened, while Sloper continues and befriends the famous writer Honor Gale, who has rented a cottage in Aidensfield to start a new book. Mrs. Gale also has a very soft spot for PC Bradley and uses every opportunity to call him. The election for the Ashfordly rural district council is getting nearer, and Claude Greengrass is helping Tom Drabble with his campaign with the reluctant aide of Bernie Scripps because he needs a planning permission for his latest scheme. Another reason is that Drabble's rival candidate is Oscar Blaketon.

The tailor Frank Hodgson wakes up when a red car smashes through the window of his shop at the middle of the night, but he only manages to see how it backs out again and disappears. Mike and Jackie are barely home from their honeymoon when Mike begins to suspect that she is seeing another man, Sean Banks, Banks is stopped for speeding in a car which matches the description of the one that smashed through Frank Hodgson's window and he mentions her as an alibi. Greengrass has lost his old friend Silas Moorcroft, who suddenly had a heart attack and had to be rushed to the hospital. But there will be no funeral because Moorcroft has donated his body to medical science. Of course Greengrass has a perfect solution to that.

Christmas time is near. Somebody has been decimating Lord Ashfordly's population of deer, and for once Greengrass is not a suspect. As a matter of fact he agrees to help the police by posing as a potential buyer to smoke the poachers out. He is also occupied by his latest idea, a driving school - using Bernie Scripps's hearse. Jackie is handling a divorce case for Julia Kendall and she wants the police to enforce a restraining order against her husband Frank. Her daughter Katie misses her father and still visits him almost every day hoping her parents will get back together again. Maggie is in charge of the annual Christmas concert and she wants Katie Kendall to sing at the concert. A good idea because the young girl has the voice of an angel.

Gina has brought young Sian along to help her behind the bar at a dance, but Sian is more interested in dancing with a young man called Ben Ealham and having fun. Gina scolds her and sends her home, but Sian runs out of petrol on her way home. The next morning Sian is found badly bruised and raped in her car. Before she is rushed to hospital Sian names Ealham as her assailant. Sergeant Nokes, who has temporarily switched places with Craddock, is certain she has an open and shut case, but Ealham's solicitor Jackie Bradley disagrees and gets him off on technicalities. This brings about a frigid distance between her and Mike.

The artist Joe Vaughan has rented a cottage from Lord Ashfordly to do some painting. He has had a bit of a clash with members of the local rugby club and they do what they can to annoy him. A Liverpool gangster, Boyd, is also interested in him and he has sent two goons to do the dirty job. His benefactor Rod Dundas organizes an exhibition at the cottage, but the night after the opening the cottage burns and all Vaughan's paintings are destroyed. Well not all of them, since one of them is missing. Greengrass gets a grant from the council for his new "romantic boarding house" and can soon greet his first guests. His old friend Betty persuades him to buy a share of the race horse Alnwick Flyer, which must be sold for tax reasons. There is something about Gina's boyfriend Andy that Oscar Blaketon does not like and he starts to follow Andy around like a shadow.

Gary Tyler visits his girlfriend Lyn, who works as a maid at Ashfordly Hall. When he sneaks out under the cover of darkness he is shot at and wounded by Lord Ashfordly's state manager Reed. Or so they say, but PC Bradley is not quite sure. Things do not look good for Tyler, because he has a suspended sentence, but he does not want to involve Lyn although she can clear his name. Greengrass helps a stranger, who has run out of petrol. The stranger, Bill Austin, works at a local newspaper and to show his gratitude he offers Greengrass a weekly column in the paper. The old scoundrel does not hesitate to make the best of it for himself and make full use of the situation.

Dr. Ian Peters is the new doctor in Aidensfield. His presence will soon be needed when a hit-and-run driver crashes into the car of Jackie's friend Sue. Both she and Jackie get only minor injuries. Or so it seems because it turns out that Sue has a severe, internal head injury when she collapses into a coma. David is a witness to the accident, and when he and Greengrass are picking up some old bicycles, which the old scoundrel has "borrowed" from Lord Ashfordly to hire out to the participants of a fun bike race, they find the hit-and-run car burning. Lord Ashfordly identifies the car as his old Bentley, and his nephew Charles testifies that he saw the chauffeur's son Eric sitting in the car shortly before the accident. Andy is trying to get back into Gina's good books, and he has some serious doubts about the new doctor's qualifications. But he might just be jealous because Gina likes Dr. Peters.

When young Lottie Turner returns from a horseback ride she finds her mother's employer Charlie Weller dead on the floor. According to a new will Charlie Weller leaves his whole estate to the Turners, while his nephew Martin inherits only some minor items of family interest. Martin Weller is unpleased with the terms of the will and he doubts his uncle's death was accidental. Greengrass has promised Charlie to look after Peggy Turner and her daughter, and he is not pleased when they are approached by Ray Walker, who wants to buy Charlie's upcoming racing horse Red Rover. When accidents start to happen at Weller's estate Greengrass is sure Walker is behind it. Samantha Neilson is a planner for the county council and she wants Oscar Blaketon's support in the council for a new industrial estate close to Aidensfield. Blaketon is in favour of the estate, but the old sleuth soon smells something fishy about the whole thing.

Roy Brooks receive a 6-month sentence for horse theft, but the sentence is suspended because he has to keep his family together after his wife's recent death. But it is an uphill struggle because he has a serious drinking problem. The following night the race horse Rio Boy is stolen from Lord Ashfordly's stables and Brooks gets under suspicion because his lorry matches the description of the one used by the thieves. Bernie Scripps accidentally tells Greengrass that he has psychic powers. When the old scoundrel has stopped laughing he gets the idea that they might as well cash in on it. Understandably Scripps does not agree. Phil Bellamy is babysitting Maggie Bolton's son Sam, but when he wakes up from a little nap to feed the baby Sam has gone missing.

The Mazzetti family is running a fish-and-chips restaurant and a number of chip vans all over North Riding, but when the head of the family, Franco Mazzetti, dies his eldest son Paolo wants to sell off the chip vans and serve pizzas in the restaurant instead. The night after the funeral one of the vans is vandalized and the Mazzettis blame one of their competitors Big Eddy. Greengrass has bought one of the surviving chip vans to get into the catering business himself and gets caught right in the middle of it. Emily Poole is the victim of a series of break-ins and every time PC Ventress is out there like a shot to investigate. Mostly because she serves him tea and cookies every time and Mrs. Ventress has put him on a diet.

Mike and Jackie have received anonymous phone calls every night for two weeks. One morning Mike finds a film wrapping in the garden and later he also finds a bouquet of flowers for Jackie from a fellow solicitor Anthony Smythe on the doorstep. Mike gets jealous and suspects Smythe to be behind the phone calls and confronts him, but Oscar Blaketon and PC Ventress go through some of Blaketon's old files and find a similar case. Smythe's father the old Colonel Smythe has died, and David promises that Bernie Scripps can handle the funeral even though the colonel wanted to be buried with all sorts of military pomp and circumstance and especially a horse driven carriage. Greengrass is dead set against it until he learns that it pays £150. They just need a carriage and of course a suitable, quiet horse.

Greengrass befriends a spry old gal at the Aidensfield Arms. She is called Enid and writes crime novels. She is there to celebrate her son's birthday, but does not mind betting a bit of the money for his birthday present on the horses providing Greengrass can come up with the right tip. He does, but suddenly he cannot find his shirt with the winning ticket, because David wrapped it around Alfred when he took the dog to the vet. Enid reports the assault of a woman, and a few hours later a woman matching her description is admitted to hospital. The woman is Rachel Osborne and she is living with friends together with her daughter Lucy. Earlier that day Rachel reported that her room was broken into and PC Bradley is sure the two crimes are connected. Sergeant Craddock is not too happy with Enid hanging around the police station all the time - even though she is his mother!

Bernie's old friend Stanley Leroy checks in at the Aidensfield Arms. Leroy is a producer and knows all the stars and they organize a s fan club tour, where people can meet their idols. Edna Bostwick reports an intruder at her neighbour Mrs. Carlton's house, but the house is empty when PC Ventress comes to investigate. The next day nurse Bolton surprises a young boy hiding in the house, but he runs away before she can stop him. He leaves behind a shirt with the logo of a nearby boarding school. PC Bradley checks out the school, but the headmaster is of no help except for the boy's name, Tom Bamber. Another guest at the Aidensfield Arms, John Wilson, is also very interested in the house and the boy claiming to be his house master. PC Bradley thinks something is wrong about Wilson - or Monks as he now introduces himself - and the school.

A motorist crashes at Valley Edge Road and is knocked unconscious. PC Bradley collects his property for safe keeping, but when the motorist Danny Reese is released from hospital a suitcase containing £18,000 is missing. Henry Todd refuses to pay his taxes until the Council meets his demands not to pull down the old pavilion of his old cricket team the original Aidensfield First Eleven. The members of the team all volunteered for military duty during the First World War and all died in the battle of the Somme except Mr. Todd. Just when the bailiffs are about to force entry to his house Todd's taxes are paid by Bernie Scripps, who has received the money anonymously by mail. It seems a modern day Robin Hood is at large when other villagers share the same fate. Meanwhile Oscar Blaketon overhears a suspicious conversation between Reese and his fiancée Jenny Preston.

Gordon Stringer is the new manager of the District Bank in Ashfordly and as a regular Uncle Scrooge he has tightened the reins on both the bank's customers and its employees. Even Greengrass has trouble getting paid for some gardening work he has been doing for Stringer. But he himself gets in need of a lot of money when his son Noel is kidnapped a few days before Christmas. It actually started as a prank of Noel's hiding in the caravan of Jack Dugdale, whose son Paul has provided him with the key. But then it gets serious when Noel disappears from the caravan too, and Jack Dugdale gets under suspicion because Stringer has refused to give him a postponement of his payments.

Detective Chief Superintendent Tatton asks PC Bradley to harbour Barry Ross, who has turned queen's evidence at the trial against crime boss Michael James Duggan. To keep Duggan from finding Ross the whole matter is to be kept secret and Bradley cannot even tell his friends and colleagues. Not even his superiors. When Ross needs medical attention Jackie sends for Dr. Tricia Summerbee, whom she knows can be trusted. Greengrass has moved to the West Indies to live with his sister, who has won a lot of money and wants to share it with him. Bernie Scripps' stepbrother Vernon arrives in Aidensfield and moves in with David at Greengrass' cottage. Vernon is quite an entrepreneur and he has lots of ideas on how to improve Bernie's business.

Sergeant Craddock attends dancing classes to keep up his dancing skills. He also has something of a soft spot for the dancing teacher Susan Finlay. That friendship is put to the test when her son Richard drives through Aidensfield like a regular Jackie Stewart and refuses to stop when the police want to give him a speeding ticket. Craddock lets him off with a warning, but the following night a little boy is run down by a hit-and-run driver, who may very well be Richard driving in her car. Lord Ashfordly is forced off the road by Richard's reckless driving. The petrol tank of his Bentley gets punctured in the incident and he takes it to Bernie's garage. But Bernie is out of town for a few days and Vernon becomes an instant expert on Bentleys when his lordship needs his car back badly.

Jackie's mother is visiting some friends, Joe and Shona Henderson, who live not far from Aidensfield. She still has not forgiven Jackie for marrying a mere village bobby, and their relationship does not improve when Jackie represents Jacob Fairbrother, who has been injured in an accident at Henderson's quarry. It almost reaches freezing when Shona Henderson is murdered and Fairbrother is suspected of the crime. David sees a flyer for a pop concert, and when Vernon Scripps discovers it is organized by Mickey Willis, the son of and old friend; he spots a business opportunity to cater the entire tour. Phil Bellamy and Gina have been seeing each other a lot lately. In fact they have been seeing each other so much that sergeant Craddock cannot turn a blind eye anymore since romantic relations between a police officer and a pub licensee are illegal.

Glenda Marriot wants her aunt Mrs. Barton to sell her farm and move to an old people's home, but the old lady says she can still manage together with her farmhand Jed Harrison. Glenda tries to take legal steps to make her sell, but somebody must be more intent on getting the old lady out and tries to scare her away. Vernon Scripps' latest idea is hot rods. He wants Bernie to build him one so that he can race it. PC Ventress is showing Special Constable Harold Emney around when he sees Gina leaving the maternal ward at Ashfordly Hospital. Of course he puts two and two together and gets five and before long everybody knows that she is pregnant - everybody that is except Gina and the assumed father Phil Bellamy.

Lord Ashfordly plays host to the Livonian Prince Nikolas and hires Vernon Scripps to bodyguard his distinguished guest. Not an easy task as it turns out because the prince is a great lover of liquor and will rather pay a visit to the Aidensfield Arms than to his lordship's wine cellar. Lord Ashfordly is not the only one awaiting guests. Mike Bradley is expecting his niece Anne and her friend Louise, but the two girls turn out to be very modern teenagers and not the cute little kids he imagined. They are more into parties than trips around the countryside. Dr. Summerbee has given up her job at the hospital in favour of Dr. Bolton's old practice in Aidensfield. Phil has a very special assignment for Bernie Scripps. He intends to propose to Gina and wants Bernie to drive her to a very romantic place. But Bernie has to help his brother and sends David instead. Only when you give directions to David you have to be _very_ specific!

During a dinner at Ashfordly Hall the county High Sheriff Andrew Parkin makes a pass at Susie Cope, who is serving at the dinner. On their way home from the dinner Parkin and his wife Sonia run down the farmer Colin Taylor. The Parkins claim that Mrs. Parkin was driving the car due to him having too much to drink, but PC Bradley is not sure because the driver's seat was too far back for her. Either way the accident may turn out to be a costly affair for the Parkins, because their insurance does not cover her driving the car. Furthermore Susie Cope tells Oscar Blaketon, who is acting as a private investigator on Taylor's behalf, that she is certain that it was the High Sheriff himself who was behind the wheel. Vernon Scripps revives an old idea of his, a marriage bureau.

Gareth North is the son of used car dealer Harry North and relies on his father's wealth to get him out of trouble. And trouble is something he gets into a lot of together with his girlfriend Gail and friend Vince. They attempt an armed robbery, but when PC Bellamy nearly catches them Gareth reports his car, which they used to get away, as stolen. The three of them even go as far as accusing Bellamy of beating up Gareth. Vernon Scripps wins a car in a poker game and decides to open a taxi service. But they do not get any customers, because they share a party line with Edith Fairley, who is always at the phone. She is hiding from her ex-husband Jack Fairley, who has just been released from prison. Bernie Scripps gets an unusual request. Minnie Bateson wants to make funeral arrangements for her husband Sydney. The unusual bit about it is that Sydney Bateson is still alive.

Renalto Pisconi is the manager of a gambling casino with distribution of counterfeit money on the side. Pisconi's father-in-law Reginald White, who owns the casino, is the leader of the counterfeiters with Denise as a third partner. The police get on their tracks through their former bartender John Garrick, who is arrested for using some of the counterfeit money at the Aidensfield Arms. Oscar Blaketon's car is broken beyond repair. Since he always wanted an MG Vernon Scripps gets the idea to sell classic sports car and he knows just the man to supply them. Soon Oscar Blaketon is the proud owner of his dream car, a red hot MG A - with the emphasis on "hot".

Jackie gets a visit from her old friend Caroline. She is surprised to learn that Caroline has a baby. Caroline needs a day off from motherhood and leaves the baby with Jackie and Mike while she goes to York to see some friends. Mike leaves the baby in a pram outside the police house, but when Jackie comes home from an errand the baby is gone. Jackie is not the only one who has a visitor. Lady Patricia visits her brother at Ashfordly Hall together with an old family friend Lord Hal Tadcaster. Well "together" may not be the proper word, because she would rather see him leave than stay. And with good reason since the CID suspects Tadcaster of being a drug dealer and asks the police in Ashfordly to keep an eye on him. The post office in Whitby goes on strike. Vernon Scripps gets the idea to start a courier service. And for once he does the dirty work himself.

Adrian Miller is giving lectures all over the country. After a lecture he is accused of trying to rape Lisa Preston in her room at the hotel where they both are staying. Jackie is appointed as his solicitor, but they do not get along at all - and that is putting it mildly. David is in charge of the household in Greengrass' cottage where both he and Vernon Scripps are staying, but he cannot cope with paying the bills and taxes and Vernon suggests that one of them (meaning David) gets a job. They take on a ploughing job for George Walker, but when they try to start his tractor David finds a body in Walker's car in the barn. The "body" turns out to be a bust which Walker has reported stolen together with some other items also found in the car. Once they have been found Walker has disappeared.

PC Bradley has been sent to investigate a break-in when he witnesses an explosion. It is the car of ambulance driver Frank Metcalfe which exploded when he turned on the ignition, and it looks like attempted murder because he has received anonymous phone calls and a threatening letter a couple of days earlier. The grocer Mr. Dale is attacked under similar circumstances. But they have nothing in common. The only lead is a blue Ford Transit van seen on both occasions and that the attacker has military training and access to the local arsenal. Pete Atkins fits these requirements, but he claims his innocence. Oscar Blaketon also receives anonymous phone calls. Is he the next victim? Rev. Meeks represents a foundation which offers Lord Ashfordly to finance the renovation St. Judes Church on his lands, and his lordship hires Vernon Scripps and David to do work for him. Meeks especially asks them to be on the lookout for a particular baptismal font from the church.

Dr. Summerbee helps 16-year old Debbie White to get on the pill, because she thinks the relation with her boyfriend Carl Lomax is serious enough for that, and her friend Jenny wants some too. But their parents and the parents of their peers think the good doctor has gone too far. Somebody throws a stone through a window of the police house in Aidensfield, but sergeant Craddock thinks there are more important matters to tend to than finding the culprit. A big inspection is on in a few days and he wants the police station to be in tiptop shape. He changes his mind however when his own police car gets vandalized with paint. And the vandal is just getting started. Vernon Scripps accuses David of eating too much, but they must soon realize that they have an unwanted visitor.

Carl Lomax is found guilty in vandalizing police property and he is persona absolutely non grata with Mr. and Mrs. White because their daughter Debbie got contraceptive pills for his sake. As a matter of fact the whole pill story is making quite a stir in Aidensfield. Dr. Summerbee has one strong support though. Mike Bradley has grown quite attracted to the beautiful doctor after his divorce from Jackie. He is with her when her surgery gets burgled and a lot of drugs are stolen. Things do not get any better when Carl Lomax escapes from custody and Debbie decides to run away with him. Vernon Scripps' latest venture is slot machines, but the sleazy character Charley Woods is the sole supplier in that field, and he does not like competition at all.

Betty Hargreaves runs the nursing home in Ashfordly. She gets under suspicion of influencing her patients to change their wills in favour of herself and the nursing home. She may even have helped one or two of them into the great hereafter too. A series of petty thefts also seem to centre on Betty Hargreaves and her patients. Oscar Blaketon does a little private investigating and finds some surprising and disturbing facts about her too. PPC Nicholson is let loose on patrol and causes a traffic jam when he gives Gina a friendly wave. David gets a job clearing estates of deceased persons for an auction house and accidentally clears the wrong house.

Ashfordly Hall opens its doors to the public with guided tours by Vernon Scripps. During one of the tours master art thief George Woodford sneaks away and hides in his lordship's wine cellar, where he makes himself comfortable until nightfall. Under the cover of darkness he then removes four valuable sketches by the famous English painter John Constable. Woodford is recognized on some press photos, but when the police want to question him, someone has beaten them to it, gagged the old man and knocks PPC Nicholson down. Of the sketches there is no trace. Not even in Woodford's hiding place. Somebody "accidentally" locks PPC Nicholson in one of the cells and then "forgets" all about it till next morning. A wise move because then he cannot make any mischief.

PPC Nicholson responds to a call about a break-in at the Shields Carpet Factory only to find the manager Trevor Shields "working late" with his secretary Maureen Felton. To get even Shields fires the works manager Neville Sawyer, and when an accident happens at the factory Shields blames Sawyer for that as well. But the safety records speak differently and the factory is closed. Vernon Scripps suggests to the local Women's Institute that they organize a beauty pageant, but is immediately opposed by Joyce Jowett who finds the idea revolting. When it is decided to go forward anyway Mrs. Jowett tries to stop it by notifying the police that the pageant is indecent. But Sergeant Craddock will not do anything because it is not illegal. That does not stop the virago however.

Meryl Johnson is the manager of the Ellerby Building Society. One day she gets two uninvited guests. They want to keep her and her son Toby as hostages for a couple of days and then make her pick up all the money of the society for them. Luckily she manages to get a warning off to PC Ventress without the villains noticing it, and the police put her cottage under surveillance. There have been a number of salmonella related deaths in Aidensfield. The only common denominator seems to be the homemade chicken pie of the Aidensfield Arms. When Toby Johnson gets ill PPC Nicholson, who is on surveillance duty, reports the good Dr. Summerbee leaving, but not arriving (because he was taking a nap). Speaking of Dr. Summerbee, she gets a secretary to help her at the surgery, Jenny Latimer.

Dr. Summerbee gets a visit from her old friend actress Heather Conway over Christmas. Her stay is not a courtesy call though. She is hiding from somebody and that somebody is close on her heels. Emma Turner is blind and very dependent on her guide dog Peggy. But one day Peggy has disappeared. The dog is Emma's only company over the holidays, but despite a thorough police search there is no trace of Peggy. Fortunately an article in the local news paper turns up a lead. Joyce Jowett has become the new chairman of the local finance committee. She is very interested in the old folks' Christmas party and Vernon Scripps promise her to supply a Christmas tree with lights and everything. Getting a tree is fairly easy, but David has a small mishap with the coloured lights.

Charlie Draper robs the jewellery shop in Ashfordly, but when he tries to escape he is hit by a car. While he lies unconscious on the street his partner grabs the loot and Draper's gun and drives off. Draper's old partner in crime is Jack Wetherby, but he has gone straight since he came out of prison - or so he says. Meanwhile Draper is recuperating at the hospital under the watchful eyes of Sleeping Beauty, sorry PPC Nicholson. Famous cricket player Vinny Sanders has a car breakdown just outside Aidensfield, and he moves in at the Aidensfield Arms while the car is fixed. His stay makes Oscar Blaketon is beside himself with joy and Blaketon organizes a match between The Aidensfield Arms and another pub with Sanders playing for the Arms. David is alone at the garage when a consignment of petrol is delivered and pours it into the garage tanks. If only he could remember what goes where. To top it all the fuel may be stolen.

Walter Ames collapses at the square of Aidensfield and dies. When the police search his cottage for names of relatives they find something much more interesting; complete plans for serious crimes. All crimes have all been committed except one, and they were all planned by someone known only as "The Bookman" by Scotland Yard. The remaining crime is a hit on the Bank in Ashfordly. To prevent the robbery the police keep an eye on all newcomers in the area. Vernon Scripps has a new venture. Scripps' Roaming Holidays, where tourists can rent a gipsy caravan and drive along given routes through the country. The horse is even very easy to handle as long as you keep it away from Ashfordly Hall - and a few other places.. PPC Nicholson gets very attentive when an attractive woman asks for Sergeant Craddock at the police station, but PC Ventress thinks he may better tend to Mrs. Craddock himself.

Jim Wainwright's barn burns down and although the fire was started deliberately Wainwright claims it was an accident and not worth any police attention. The next day the headlights of George Allsop's Land Rover are smashed and he too says it is not a police matter. PC Ventress and PC Bradley think otherwise because the Wainwrights and the Allsops have been in a feud with each other for many years although things have been quiet between them for a long time. But they may be starting up again. Vernon Scripps thinks Aidensfield and other villages need a cinema. He gets a projector from a closed-down sex club and plans to drive around and show pictures at the village halls. Joyce Jowett is against the idea and wants to have final approval of the films.

A valuable Ming vase has been stolen from Colonel Potter's mansion. The theft was discovered by his son Eric, but the colonel is little senile and sometimes does not remember even owning a Ming vase. Dr. Summerbee thinks Eric himself is behind it, because he cannot get his father into a retiring home fast enough so that he can get his hands on the family fortune, but a professional gang is operating in the area. A V.I.P. comes to Aidensfield and the police in Ashfordly are requested to guard the railway station and see to it that a motorcade can get through the area. Therefore he specifically forbids PC Bradley to question a young couple, who has moved into a holiday cottage about their relation to George East, who stays at the Aidensfield Arms in connection with the theft of the Ming vase. But he cannot stop Oscar Blaketon who has been hired by Eric Potter to find the vase.

When Helen Jones comes home from walking her dog she finds an intruder in her house. The intruder escapes, but not without Helen recognizing him as her long lost husband Alan, who disappeared with a lot of his employer's money. Only Alan does not look a day older than the day he disappeared. David and Vernon Scripps help a young Frenchman Anton Berail. Berail's father owns a large vineyard and Anton thinks, Vernon's cottage is suitable for growing wine. Sergeant Merton tells PC Bradley and PC Ventress, why he had to leave the CID and become a uniformed police officer. Oscar Blaketon organizes a treasure hunt to raise money for playgrounds and everybody spend a lot of time trying to solve the puzzles. Mike teams up with Tricia Summerbee and they make cupid work overtime.

PC Bradley investigates a break-in at Agnes Moorcroft's guest house, but the only thing missing is the last page of entries in her guest book. Somebody seems to be very interested in her guests Sue Dixon and her daughter Tracey. Bradley thinks it may be her estranged husband, but the attractive Mrs. Dixon also has a big, dark secret in her life. The new health food shop in Ashfordly is desperate for goat's milk and Vernon Scripps is just the man to supply it. Business is booming and soon there are customers - and goats - all over Aidensfield. Especially goats. They turn out to be regular four-legged Harry Houdinis.

The walking disaster area PPC Nicholson comes of age and the whole village is planning a surprise party for him. To keep him - and everybody else - out of harms way Sergeant Merton sends him out to check tax discs together with PC Bellamy. Jimmy Sutton is suspected to be involved in an armed robbery and the Ashfordly police are asked to check on his whereabouts, but neither his mother nor his wife Lesley have heard from him. PC Bellamy stumbles across the robbers hiding out in the woods, and when he is injured PPC Nicholson offers to be their hostage instead. A heroic action with tragic consequences for him. Lord Ashfordly is playing host to a party of American veterans from World War II. Vernon Scripps persuades him to let the local brass band to be responsible for the entertainment. This is a bad idea because the band leader George Sugden does not like Americans and especially not this lot.

Sergeant Merton is dating Vivienne Keen, but the morning after a date she accuses him of stealing her purse. Merton of course denies the allegation and is suspended pending investigation, but things do not look to good for him when the purse is found in his apartment. Furthermore a similar allegation was made against him ten years earlier, but the case was dropped. PC Bradley still thinks his superior is innocent and begins his own, private investigation at the risk of being suspended himself. Bernie Scripps is acting strangely. He has seen Dr. Summerbee a lot recently and Vernon is afraid he suffers from a serious depression.

Harvey Cottrell buys furniture at almost stealing prizes. He shows great interest in Alice Stanton's Greek figurine and the next day it is gone. The same thing happens to an old mirror belonging to John Salter, and Cottrell turned really nasty when she would not sell him that. The villagers of Aidensfield have to elect either Oscar Blaketon or Joyce Jowett as the parish representative for the counsel and the candidates do everything they can to outdo and discredit each other. Many villagers find it hard to get to the village hall to vote and Blaketon offers to take them there in David's taxi. Dr. Summerbee thinks that exercise will improve general health in Aidensfield and organizes a fitness class. But fitness may not be too good to herself because she collapses after the class.

Saul Arkwright walks his dog close to Lord Ashfordly's estate when the dog is shot by one of Lord Ashfordly's guests Oliver Langley. Since Langley just drives off nearly hitting Arkwright in the process the latter see no other alternative than to make a complaint to the police. When the police do not do enough in his opinion Arkwright takes matters in his own hand. Vernon Scripps has had a new "bright" idea. He has bought a surplus U.S. Army half-track tank to drive tourists around the countryside. But since he has a boil in a very private place David has to drive the half-track for him. David only flattens half the village trying to get the hang of it.

Alex Robinson stays at the Aidensfield Arms while he tries to purchase land. But Ian Sinclair has beaten him to it and closed the deal with a couple of potential sellers. Lord Ashfordly has invited Robinson to dinner and he asks Gina to accompany him. His car has a flat tire and they have to go in hers. Late in the evening she feels bad and has to go home. The next morning she wakes up in her car only a couple of hundred yards from Ashfordly Hall. The previous evening Sinclair is seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident, and everything suggests that Gina is responsible. Sylvia and Linda are singers in a band, and to ensure that nothing untoward happens their father hires Vernon Scripps to drive them to and fro when they have a gig. But the loud music soon gets too much for him and David has to take over. The two girls soon discover that David is a real push-over in the hands of young females.

Ellen Richards has a miscarriage, but both she and her son Anthony show signs of being beaten by her husband Ray. Ron Wiley has died and Bernie Scripps is in charge of the funeral arrangements. His brother Vernon gets the idea that they can do the catering as well together with his new partner Gloria Gray at the expense of Gina, who usually caters for special occasions. Not surprisingly he and the others suddenly find themselves banned from the Aidensfield Arms.. But Vernon may get more than he bargained for when Gloria's daughter Millicent turns up at his doorstep. Mike Bradley and Tricia Summerbee are very much in love with each other, but he is afraid to commit because of his failed marriage with Jackie.

Oscar Blaketon gets a major shock when he sees a man passing in a car. Blaketon is absolutely sure the man is Harry Bradshaw, who was one of the biggest villains in North Riding when Blaketon became sergeant at Ashfordly police station. The only trouble is that Bradshaw is dead and his death has been confirmed by two trusted police officers one of which is PC Ventress. PC Bradley is investigating a break-in at a renting cottage, but the only thing missing is the tenant John Baker. His body is later found in a quarry. He was murdered and it turns out he was an old accomplice of Bradshaw's. At the Woodside estates Geoff Atkins and his neighbour Syd Carter accuse each other of digging in each other's gardens at night. After his latest venture has gone badly wrong Vernon Scripps tries something completely new to him. He gets a regular job at a department store in Ashfordly. When the department store is closed down the old entrepreneur in him wakes up again.

Ralph Harrison gives his wife Penelope his late mother's diamond necklace as a wedding anniversary present and persuades .her to wear it to the fund raising disco at the Ashfordly Grammar School. During their absence their house is broken into, but only a set of teaspoons is taken. Sergeant Merton suspects that the thief was looking for something specific. He may be right because the following day the house is broken into again and the diamond necklace is taken. Gina is afraid of spiders. Vernon Scripps thinks that hypnosis may cure her and offers his services because he is an (instant) expert on hypnosis. When he is learning how to he accidentally hypnotizes David without noticing. Sergeant Merton continues to have dizzy spells and Dr. Summerbee finds out that he is diabetic. This may be bad for the good sergeant, but it most certainly causes warm feelings to develop between him and Dr. Summerbee's secretary Jenny.

Tommy Rawson breeds sheep dogs and he the favourite to win this year's trials as it has done two years previously with his dog Jess. His nearest competitor is George Harding, who is a close friend of Lord Ashfordly and used to have things his own way. When he cannot win fair and square he will stop at nothing to discredit Rawson and have his dog disqualified. Harding's wife Maureen is hardly any better. She has got severe anxiety and expects Dr. Summerbee to prescribe her pills for it at will. Vernon Scripps is providing lavatory facilities for the trials and he soon discovers that it involves more than just putting up a tent or two. Good news for Sergeant Merton. His diabetes will have no bearing on his position as sergeant at the Ashfordly police station as long as he gets his medication.

The bank has refused Richard Harvey a respite on his loan and will auction off his farm, but Harvey does not give up without a fight. It turns out to be a very mucky affair, literally, and that is just the beginning. Gina is smitten by Mark Jenkins, who hopes to make a good deal at the auction, but Oscar Blaketon has his doubts about him. Given Gina's previous experiences with men he is probably right. David makes horse radish sauce for Gina using his Auntie Beth's recipe. It is a very good sauce and Vernon Scripps thinks marketing it will turn a very good profit. He even promises David that he will have his name and picture on the labels.

Sergeant Merton gets a visit from his cousin singing star Deborah Vine. She likes Aidensfield so much she may even decide to settle down there. She is joined by her daughter Didi, an upcoming singer who has left her show because she is pregnant and does not want her father and manager Larry Prince to know. PC Bellamy spots the wanted criminal Scudamore while he is on patrol with PC Ventress. Scudamore is arrested, but manages to escape during transfer to Manchester. David gets a shock when he is supposed to unload Mr. Clough from his taxi and discovers that the old man has quietly passed away during the trip. Clough's daughter April needs a man (around her shop) after her father's death and takes an interest in David. Too much interest if you ask David.

Guy Foxton publishes and sells guide books. Unfortunately one of his guided tours crosses the private lands of Les Parnaby. When the police cannot do anything Parnaby decides to take care of the matter himself. It is not the first time Foxton has had a dispute about the right-of-way and PC Bradley kindly suggests that he removes the route from his guide and does not use it anymore, but Foxton is not forthcoming at all. David's and Vernon Scripps' lorry breaks down and PC Ventress gives Vernon a lift back to Aidensfield. On the way Vernon Scripps hits his head when Ventress has to avoid a sheep on the road. That bump changes his personality and makes him a kind, loving person. He even pays all his debts and gives David a two week holiday on his birthday.

Dirty Len Fairchild has died if of what seems to be tetanus, but turns out to be strychnine poisoning. Celia Beresford is in charge of the Ashfordly Rotary Club's annual old folks' outing to Whitby. She does not like that Vernon Scripps is away and David has to drive the old people and hijacks Oscar Blaketon to assist them. Shortly after she visits her father Fred Caldwell to "persuade" him to go on the outing her dog dies with the same symptoms as Dirty Len. It had been strolling on the Kirkby farm, where Len was a hired help. Sergeant Merton searches the Kirkby farm for the poison, but PC Ventress recalls another incident involving Fred Caldwell some years earlier. Caldwell claims he got rid of the strychnine then though. Then Celia's daughter Amanda gets ill on Caldwell's farm.

There has been a series of brand new tractor thefts in the area. They were all insured at the same company and stolen within days of delivery. Sergeant Merton reckons, Steve Calthrop will be the next victim and he tells his constables to watch Calthrop's tractor overnight. Calthrop sneaks out during the night to visit his mistress and while PC Bradley and PC Bellamy follow him his tractor is stolen. Vernon Scripps has a brand new idea. His latest venture is landscaping gardens beautiful enough to be the best of the village. The Naysmith-Jones's take advantage of his services, and since Vernon is not into the getting-your-hands-dirty part of the business as usual it is David's job to purchase the trees and plants for their garden - including a Greek statue that they want. He cannot afford the statue, but the garden centre salesman knows where he can get a cheap one second hand.

Cupid's little arrows hit everybody. Even Lord Ashfordly, who surprises everybody by introducing his new wife. On the first night in Aidensfield the newlyweds are held up by two masked and armed robbers. They especially seem to be targeting Lady Ashfordly, who is assaulted again the next day, and PC Bradley is assigned as her chauffeur and body guard. Joyce Jowett's sister has died and she needs Bernie Scripps' services as an undertaker. She is very demanding and as might be expected he cannot do well - or cheap - enough.

The Randalls were married in Aidensfield and they want their daughter to be wed at the same church. But Rev. Truscott is in dire need of bell ringers and asks Dr. Alway to help him out. The doctor enlists David and the Scripps's as his helpers, but bell ringing takes time to learn and not everybody in the village are that keen on the ringing of bells in and out of season. Lord Ashfordly is not satisfied with the income from his quarry. Therefore he hires Oscar Blaketon to keep an eye on the manager Mr. Briggs. Following an anonymous call the police discover that explosives are missing from the quarry. They also have to deal with the security in connection with the defence minister's visit to Fylingdales radar station. Oscar Blaketon has problems of his own. He has returned from a holiday in Spain with an accusation of violence hanging over his head.

Vernon Scripps and David are on their way in a tanker when they are forced off the road by an oncoming car. None of them get seriously hurt when the tanker overturns, but Vernon Scripps has a temporary loss of memory. Dr. Alway gets him admitted to his own hospital The Royal in Elsinby. The contents of the tanker ooze out on the ground and into a river and several people show signs of poisoning. Vernon Scripps is the only one, who knows what is in the tanker, and the hospital staff will not let anybody talk to him. Getting the tanker contents analyzed will take days and meanwhile nobody is allowed to use the tap water.

The vicar Harold Greaves grows marihuana in his greenhouse because it brings relief to his disabled wife Joyce. He takes on Jenny's brother Steve, who pays his sister a visit. But unlike his sister Steve is a nasty piece of work and when he finds out about the drug he does not hesitate to sell some of it to a group of mods from Whitby, who has been stirring up trouble in the village. When the vicar finds out Steve threatens to expose him if Greaves says anything or refuses to supply him. One of the mods, Kelley, takes a fancy to David and moves in with him and persuades him to become a mod himself.

There is a new bobby in Aidensfield. Steve Crane will replace PC Bradley, who has been transferred to CID. Crane is not the only newcomer in the village. Dr. Liz Merrick moves in at the surgery as the new GP in Aidensfield. She is concerned about the loss of patients since her predecessor died, but Vernon Scripps offers to deliver a letter from her to every potential patient in the village. Two neighbouring farms have been broken into, but the owners Jack Farrow and Walter Rawlins say the break-ins are mere trifles and not worth any police attention. PC Crane does not agree and suspects they cover something up. Gerald Dunphy is wanted for armed robbery and Mike's first case as a detective constable is to keep an eye on his girlfriend in case he shows up.

DC Bradley is tipped off by his informant Harry that Vic Hawking and Len Dowd have bribed the driver of a bullion van to make an unscheduled stop so that they can rob it of its shipment of gold. The police lay in wait for the robbers, but something goes wrong when the van stops at a different place than it was supposed to. Gina is not the only pretty face at the Aidensfield Arms anymore. Her niece Susie got in with a bad crowd and her mother wants her to get away for a while and stay with her aunt at the pub. But Susie is not that keen on getting away from anything and especially not from her boyfriend Jamie, who follows her to Aidensfield. He has escaped from custody and PC Crane gets more than his hands full keeping an eye on Susie in order to catch him. Dr. Merrick's waiting room needs redecorating and Vernon Scripps and his colleagues are more than happy to do it for her. Since Bernie is too busy the task goes to David.

Lesley Ford's father went missing in action during World War. A few days before her wedding to Barry Lee she finds a piece of a shot down Mosquito fighter on the moors. Following the visit to a fortune teller at an amusement park on her hen night she postpones the wedding until the plane's pilot has been found and given a proper burial. To save his upcoming marriage Barry tries to find the spot where the Mosquito hit the ground. But the crash site is considered a war grave and the Ministry of Defence do not take it lightly when someone messes around with war graves without authorization. and to top it off two more shady characters are caught lurking around the supposed crash site. A new, very officious bobby turns up out of nowhere in Aidensfield and Ashfordly But not even Sergeant Merton has heard of any new bobby being transferred to the area and the police must face the fact that the have a bogus bobby on their patch.

Dean and Alec Farley play Batman and Robin. They chase The Joker and his gang all over the village and one day they see how Lefty Bates and his pal Chuck break into a building at a farm, which has been empty for years. The new owner James Bexley does not want the police to snoop about and hires the caped crusaders to locate the burglars. But the police have more important things to keep them occupied. A gang of counterfeiters has been operating all over the north and some of their notes turn up in Aidensfield. Dr. Merrick is harassed by anonymous phone calls. At first she thinks it is her former boyfriend again, but it turns out to much more sinister than that. Vernon's Aunt Aggie is dead and the family has been invited to divide the inheritance. When he and David arrive only the house is left. The house and a seemingly worthless table.

Liz Merrick's former lover James Robson comes to Aidensfield to get her back. Before it comes to that he is killed by a single shot from a high powered rifle outside the Aidensfield Arms. But both DC Bradley and PC Bellamy were only yards away from him at the time, and one of them may have been the intended target. As if to prove the latter Bellamy is shot and wounded in the arm at the same spot the next evening. A likely suspect is Frank Clegghorn. He is a master marksman, has recently been dishonourably discharged from the army and dislikes the police just as much as his father Nathaniel does. Tim Barnet has had a break down with his classic Bentley limousine and checks in at the Aidensfield Arms while Bernie Scripps gets it repaired. He makes quite an impression on Gina and he finds her very attractive also.

Vernon Scripps has become a more or less permanent chauffeur for the unpopular business man Jim Pinder. Pinder even hires Vernon to haul a boat on a trailer for him. The lorries from Pinder's quarry are a nuisance to a lot of villagers in Aidensfield, but many of them also depend on the quarry to make a living. Things heat up when one of the lorries has braking trouble and almost hits some school children and protesters block the access to the quarry. Somebody has vandalized Lily Barton's boundary wall and two dozen sheep are missing. She is also ill and PC Crane asks Dr. Merrick to have a look at her. But the old lady does not want a doctor thank you very much. And she does not want to move to a home either.

Mr. and Mrs. Thornton have been burgled. Their house is for sale and there was a similar break-in earlier in the same week. Sergeant Merton thinks that the burglar poses as a potential buyer and breaks in later. PC Crane has been absent minded for a couple of days. He is expecting a visit from a woman. She is somewhat older than him and soon the village is booming with gossip. No blame on the villagers though. She failed to mention that she is his mother. A new guest, Lennie Beech, at the Aidensfield Arms flirts with Gina, but Oscar Blaketon does not trust him.

Andrew and Beth Jarvis have been to a party for all the children in Aidensfield, but after the party their mother Linda does not show up to collect them. As a matter of fact neither she nor her husband have been seen since she had the family Land Rover filled up and serviced at Bernie's garage. Till they are found Dr. Merrick and Jenny take care of the children while Nathaniel Clegghorn keeps Phil Bellamy and Gina on their toes looking after the livestock. But they cannot go on indefinitely and Sergeant Merton organizes a search. Their neighbour Norma Weld may have an important lead. Speaking of Bernie's garage Vernon Scripps has a lot of plans for its future and invites Bernie to an expensive dinner at a posh hotel to discuss them. But Bernie is very satisfied with the way things are and will much rather be at home.

Marek Starosta and his daughter Hannah are Lady Patricia's guests at Ashfordly Hall. They are world class violinists and shortly after their arrival they notice that a very valuable violin is missing. But Hannah is more interested in PC Crane, who is sent to investigate, than in playing the violin much to the annoyance of her father. And her feelings are returned. Marek Starosta also suffers from a form of arthritis which eventually will make it impossible for him to play. Big and Little Jim turn up in Aidensfield and ask for Vernon Scripps. They are his cousins from Liverpool. Big Jim suggests that they tear down the old Greengrass farm and build a mansion more suitable to Vernon's wealth instead.

Aidensfield has been invaded by a gang of bikers from Ashfordly. Their leader Jason is jealous because his girlfriend Lisa is more attracted to Billy Fletcher. Furthermore he has given Billy some amphetamine pills to sell, but Billy's mother finds them and turns them over to Dr. Merrick, who reports the matter to the police, but refuses to give any names. Sergeant Merton gets the information anyway by tricking his fiancée Jenny to show him the list of patients. Vernon Scripps hires a new chauffeur and insists on calling him by his surname. At least until he learns that the surname is Darling. They start looking for a more suitable housing for Scripps than the old Greengrass farm. Gina and Phil have decided to give their relationship another go and he invites her on a week's holiday to Scotland.

A fire breaks out at the warehouse of Pyke Textiles. It is arson and the owner Peter Pyke is not able to throw any light on the matter, but his ex-wife Beryl holds a grudge against him for giving evidence, when she was convicted of fraud against the company and she has recently been released from prison. On the other hand a witness, Rosie Compton, saw Pyke's car near the warehouse at the time of the fire Vernon Scripps has finally settled on a mansion for his future home and wants David as his butler and chauffeur, but David will much rather stay at the cottage. When he goes to tell Bernie he discovers that his brother has restored an old horse-drawn hearse and immediately sees a business opportunity and goes into business with his new neighbour Amanda Buxton.

Linda Rollins has developed a serious drinking problem since her husband Mal went to Aberdeen to work. She also pops pills to help her cope. She has two sons Barry and Michael. Michael is the brighter of the two, but will much rather hang out with Barry and his friend Frankie. That brings him into trouble with the law. Pete has lost a lot of money in gambling and when his sister Christine cannot help him out he kidnaps David and holds him to ransom. Gina and Phil have returned from their romantic holiday in Scotland. They bring back a little more than they brought with them. Gina is pregnant!

The big day has arrived for Sergeant Merton and Jenny. The day of their wedding. But as it is almost a tradition for police weddings in Aidensfield something puts a spoke in their wheel. A masked robber has assaulted an armoured car and gotten away with thousands of pounds in old, used notes. The modus operandi suggests that the robber is Ronnie "The Dogman" Brown and Merton's old friend DS Kenny Parker is in charge of the investigation. Not surprisingly Brown has made himself scarce when the police come to pick him up. Meanwhile everybody else is occupied with the preparations for the wedding. Vernon Scripps promises to get a freshly caught wild salmon. He counts on catching it himself and to an (instant) expert on fly fishing that should not be any problem, should it? Despite her pregnancy Gina still has second thoughts about marrying Phil Bellamy.

Joyce Carswell does not get along very well with her mother-in-law. The old lady dies under mysterious circumstances and it seems that Joyce has killed her. But her husband makes it look like the old woman's death was caused by a man, who has robbed several old people in Aidensfield by posing to be from the water board. Oscar Blaketon is making inquiries in a very serious matter. The Aidensfield Darts Trophy resides in the White Lion pub, but it rightfully belongs to the Aidensfield Arms. To settle the matter he and Angus Fergussson, the owner of the White Lion, agree on a final winner-takes-it-all match. David wants to play for the Arms, but when Blaketon will not let him try out for the team he joins the White Lion team instead.

A nasty surprise awaits PC Ventress, who is acting sergeant while Sergeant Merton is on his honeymoon. One morning an inspector of constabulary called Craig walks in and finds the police station in a mess and Ventress enjoying the homely comfort of the sergeant's chair, a sandwich and a newspaper. To his own misfortune Merton has returned early because Jenny was not feeling well, and he arrives just in time to bear the brunt of Craig's wrath. Craig's car has been stolen and his dissatisfaction only grows when Merton and his people do not drop everything else to search for it. Vernon Scripps' fortune has grown larger and larger and he is on the constant lookout for ways to increase it even further. A very promising way is shipping insurance and to make en even bigger kill he puts all his eggs in just one basket called the Torrey Canyon!

Dr. Merrick responds to a call from Katie Barnwell saying that her father is not feeling well, but Katie's big sister Meg insists that everything is OK and that there is no cause for alarm. But Dr. Merrick discovers that everything is far from OK when she finds the father dead in his bed and Meg trying to cope for herself and her two younger siblings in an attempt to keep the family together. Now it is up to the child welfare and they want to separate the children. Oscar Blaketon's attempt to prevent this is hampered by Robert Barnwell who is caught stealing some food. Robert is also the suspect in a number of break-ins in the village. Vernon Scripps has not been discouraged by the loss of his big fortune and a caravan site is a good a way as any to start a new one. But it takes more to make a successful caravan site than just finding a suitable field and putting up a few shacks.

Oscar Blaketon has organized for PC Crane to take a group of troubled youths on a hike across the moors for one day. At the last moment they get an additional participant Carl Laxton, who is the cousin of Geoff, one of the other participants on the trip. But Laxton may have an ulterior motive to go on the trip. Of course Steve Crane's mother chooses that moment to pay her son another and more permanent visit by the looks of it. She has even got a job as assistant librarian under the supervision of Joyce Jowett. Needless to say they do not hit it off. Mr. Shahrishi is the leader of a sect which has just lost the place they were staying in, and while he enjoys the comfort of the Aidensfield Arms his followers must make do with a clearing in the forest, and he does not get on with anybody. He is on the lookout for at new place to stay, which gives Vernon Scripps an idea. At first Lord Ashfordly turns him down, but then changes his mind. Not a wise move on his part.

Gina still has second thoughts about marrying Phil Bellamy, because it means she will have to give up the Aidensfield Arms due to an outdated police regulation, and she goes to back Liverpool to think things over. PC Crane is investigating a strange break-in at old William Barraclough's farm. Nothing was taken, but a statuette was left on a table, and a shop owner says he bought it himself. Barraclough also gets a shipment of cement he has not ordered. Is he getting senile or does somebody wish to make it appear so? Vernon Scripps has been summoned for jury service. He grows impatient when everybody else is chosen before him and leaves, because he has other important things to do as well. He has left David with a thorough list of what to do in his absence.

Miss Stanton complains about an obnoxious odour, a stench which pervades her cottage. It comes from the neighbouring ground, where Mr. Manley is building a new home for himself and his family. Vernon Scripps has bought some of the top soil from the building site for his latest venture, potting compost. It is delivered on the forecourt of Bernie's garage. He is told to remove it, but both Bernie and David are occupied so he has to do it himself. It gives him a severe rash and makes him very ill. Dead cows are found at the building site as well. Phil Bellamy is desperate, because he has not heard from Gina in days and she does not return his phone calls.

PC Crane and PC Bellamy give chase to a couple of hooligans in a car. When they pass the bus stop in Aidensfield Paul Dibley is teased by a school friend and runs right smack into the side of Bellamy's passing police car. He suffers only a broken leg and some bruises, but his father Don wants PC Bellamy prosecuted. Paul's sister Tracey has just started as a maid at Ashfordly Hall when it is discovered that she is pregnant. Understandably she is afraid to tell her father especially since the father of the baby is her cousin Lenny. To make things worse Tracey gets a crush on PC Crane and names him as the father instead when her parents find out about her pregnancy.

Eva Parker wants her dearly departed husband to be buried in the family grave in Aidensfield. But her brother-in-law Eli Parker will not allow his late brother to be buried in the family grave because of an old dispute. Jethro Woods was believed to have caused the death of Charlie Walker following a robbery against Walker's factory, but his guilt was never proven. Now he turns up in Aidensfield to Oscar Blaketon's great dissatisfaction. Walker's son Harry is not too happy about it either, and when Woods is the victim of vandalism and later gets killed in a hit-and-run accident Harry Walker is the most likely suspect. But Woods also claimed that he was framed and that he knew who really robbed the Walker factory, and he may have been killed to ensure his silence.

Lord Ashfordly has hired a new land agent Ben Norton, but not everybody is happy about the new man. Jake Clarke is convinced that Norton will tear down the tied cottages at the estate and fire all of the residents, and he organizes a protest against Norton. Norton is also opposed by Dr. Merrick, who is worried about the health of the workers. Lord Elsinby's estate including a popular fun park has to be sold to pay death duties. Vernon Scripps plans to buy some of it and sell it to Lord Ashfordly. But when he arrives only the miniature railway is left. Nat Wilmott is occasionally approached for some getaway work. He has turned straight - well straightish anyway - and he informs PC Bellamy that a gang from London is trying to hire him for a job in the Ashfordly area and they do not take no for an answer. But he disappears while Bellamy answers a call from Gina.

Gina gives birth to a beautiful baby boy. The baby is two months premature and there are complications. The nurse asks Gina and Phil to give their son a name just in case and they decide to call him Daniel. Before she goes to the hospital Gina breaks up a fight between two men at the pub. They are both thrown out and one of them knocks down the other one and drives off. Ben Norton identifies the assailant is as Ian Stamper, the new under gardener at Ashfordly Hall, but he manages to get away. His victim is Robert Flint and he is a known member of the Whitby drug scene.

The farmer Hugh Sanders discovers a crashed car in a ditch with the injured driver still inside. The car belongs to Martin Updike and it seems that he was robbed by his still missing passenger. Sanders' wife Kitty is involved in a savings and loans scheme. Jenny is one of her depositors. When she wants to take some money out, she is told that a George Harrow or Harlow has lent all the money. But no such person can be found. Vernon Scripps decides to enter a poetry competition, because it reminds him of all the times he beat Bernie in poetry competitions when they were young. Oddly enough Bernie remembers it the other way around and enters the competition too. And so does David although they both say he has not got a chance.

There is a big clay pigeon shooting competition at Ashfordly Hall. One of the contestants is the very arrogant Toby Fisher, who is very dissatisfied that Bernie has closed his garage for the day when his snobbyness is short of petrol late one evening. To correct that "oversight" he breaks up the lock and steals the petrol he needs. The theft is discovered immediately and Fisher only avoids arrest when he promises to pay the next day. Local man Robert Emerson is Fisher's biggest rival to win the shooting competition, and Fisher hates to lose. That is why Fisher becomes the prime suspect when Emerson is shot and wounded, but others carry a grudge against Emerson too. Among them Phil Bellamy who thinks that he was getting too friendly towards Gina. Normally Bellamy will not do a thing like that, but he is very depressed over Daniel's death and the prospect of losing Gina.

Former formula 1 driver Jack Maclean returns from a drive and collapses in his own hallway. He is diabetic and has gone into a coma, but Dr. Merrick soon get him back on his feet again. A car like Maclean's very distinctive Aston Martin was involved in an accident, but Maclean does not remember anything about any accident. Or so he claims. The next day PC Crane finds him dead of a massive overdose of insulin. Vernon Scripps is approached by a businessman and entrepreneur like himself, Leonard Parks. Parks has a proposition for him that will earn him a lot of money with a minimum of effort. He just has to recruit people for his organization to sell Parks' ShineFresh cleaning products. These recruits pay him a stake in return and may recruit more people who pays them a stake and so on. Just like a pyramid!

Dr. Merrick admits a mysterious man to the hospital. He has a few bruises and a nasty bump on his head. And he has lost his memory. To jog his memory PC Crane takes him to Aidensfield. Gina and Oscar remember that he has regularly visited the pub accompanied by an unknown woman. Dr. Merrick is also worried about one of her patients Mrs. Walker. She has some bruises, which she claims she got by falling over, but the beautiful doctor suspects they are due to domestic violence. When Dr. Merrick calls on her she finds her lying unconscious in a house smelling of gas. Her husband on the other hand is nowhere to be found. Vernon Scripps is afraid he has not accomplished enough and decides really make his mark on the world. At a seminar he gets in contact with Vince Edwards and Harry Blaine, who want to market e brand new kind of product. Plastic film to wrap around food and stuff. Who on earth has ever heard of a thing like that?

Sidney Baxter was the biggest rug manufacturer in the county and after his death the family factory has been run by his widow Shirley and their son Richard. Shirley has taken a fancy to Oscar Blaketon, and he manages to get Alf Ventress a rug at a discount for his upcoming wedding anniversary. But business is tight for the Baxter factory and Ventress suspects that Richard Baxter uses stolen fleeces in the production without his mother's knowledge. The fleeces come from a couple of nightly sheep-shearings which are puzzling the police. This case is PC Ventress' swan song as a police constable, because he has had one too many extensions on his retirement. Kevin Kelly has come all the way from Australia to attend his Uncle Charlie's funeral, but unfortunately Bernie Scripps has already buried him thinking that no one would come. Things do not get any better when Kevin finds an old movie camera and wants to film the event for his father.

Oscar Blaketon gets a visit from his old colleague Harry Hawkswell. Hawkswell is mistaken for the very prominent judge Yardley by a communist cell in Ashfordly, who has been ordered to kill him by their controllers in London. Unpleasantness's of another kind awaits Vernon Scripps. He is going to be inspected by the Inland Revenue because of the huge fortune he recently gained - and lost! But he still has some undeclared money and goes into the woods one night to bury it, when he is nearly killed by a puma. Or at least so he thinks.

The annual hill climb is to be held on the roads around Ashfordly and Aidensfield, and the police are not too happy at the prospect of having "dozens of lunatics" driving through countryside at top speed. A lot of villagers do not like it either and Nathaniel Clegghorn speaks publicly about getting the race banned. One is even so unhappy about it that he tries to sabotage the event. Especially one competitor seems to draw the attention of the saboteur, Geoffrey Smee. Vernon Scripps on the other hand is so happy about the race that he wants to enter a car of his own. Dr. Merrick treats a young man with a head injury. When she returns to her surgery after a quick talk to Jenny the young man who called himself Trevor Black has disappeared.

Mr. and Mrs. Elder had a break-in and nearly 3,000 £ were stolen together with some petty stuff. The petty stuff is promptly found. It was thrown from a moving car and landed on Dr. Merrick's lawn. Later Dr. Merrick also identifies the car as the one belonging to the Elders. This puts Mr. Elder in the hot seat as the prime suspect, because he does not have an alibi. The solicitor Helen Aves is looking for Winston and Reginald Parker, the relatives of a client. Sergeant Merton assigns the case to Alf Ventress, who is now working as a civilian at the police station, but Oscar Blaketon has already offered his services as a private investigator as well. They join forces and hire David as a driver. But that is just about the only thing the two sleuths agree on.

Little Angel Jarvis disappears from her father's car, while he goes shopping for dinner. The police carry out a systematic search without finding the 6-year old girl, and Sergeant Merton fears the worst. The Jarvis' have been through a bitter divorce and Marie Jarvis accuses her ex-husband of being behind the child's disappearance himself. However a witness saw a girl matching Angel's description being let away by a woman she obviously knew. The discovery of Angel's shoes also points to Mrs. Jarvis' new boyfriend. Jenny asks the new super sleuths of Aidensfield, Blaketon and Ventress, to check out a new lead when her husband does not have the time to see her. Gina sees a rat in the kitchen of the Aidensfield Arms and Vernon Scripps, now an (instant) expert on vermin control, promises to get rid of it for her before the Council finds out. But the disposing of rats is easier said than done.

Clive Formby's combine harvester has been torched and he is convinced Ken Dixon in Ashfordly is behind it. A witness saw a shady character staying at her empty neighbouring house overnight and wandering about with a fuel can. The "shady" character turns out to be the new police constable in Aidensfield after PC Crane's death. His name is Rob Walker and Oscar is not too happy about him. His father Jake was a well-known criminal and Blaketon is convinced that nothing good will ever come out of that family. Dr. Merrick is concerned about one of her patients, Gilbert Percy, and persuades Vernon Scripps to clean the old man's cottage. Percy is very fond of Shakespeare and makes Vernon read the old master's plays to him instead.

Somebody tries to break in at Jean and Derek Lester's cottage. Derek does not want to report it, because nothing was taken, but his wife is sure she heard voices. Dr. Merrick discovers that her patient William Seaton is being blackmailed. He has paid 300£ and left the money in a telephone box in Malthouse Street. He is not the only victim of the blackmailer. So is Barry Jones, who runs a refuge next door to the telephone box, and Mrs. Ventress' goddaughter Susan. The only common denominator to all three of them is Derek Lester who becomes the prime suspect, but he is being blackmailed too. Vernon Scripps has an appointment with the famous publisher Howard Dufton. Dufton wants Scripps to sell advertising space for a new magazine, but the new magazine may never happen because Dufton is nearly bankrupt. Vernon Scripps has an idea that might save him.

The panda car of the police gets stolen while being serviced by Bernie. Oscar Blaketon suspects Mr. Proctor, a guest at the Aidensfield Arms who knows nothing about the birds he claims to be studying. The car is later used at a number of burglaries where the burglar poses as a police officer. Petty stuff at first, but then both the car and its "owner" are connected with a serious break-in at a jeweller's shop. Vernon Scripps organizes an art course with the famous artist Lorenzo at Ashfordly Hall. Some of the participants are interested in other things than art. Like Miss Glenister who makes several passes at poor David. Whatever the Celia Taylor and her husband are interested in it is not each other.

Gina's friend Cathy Simpson is getting married. But her father cannot afford the wedding and goes to Don Megson for help. Megson promises to help him out in return for information about his workplace - information like entrances and exits, alarm systems and such. Simpson agrees, but does not intend to oblige. He tells Oscar Blaketon in case something should happen to him. This is very likely because Megson does not take kindly to being cheated. There is a wholesale clean-up in the lost and found at the police station, and items which have not been collected within three months are returned to the people, who found them. Thus David gets a camera and decides to enter a photo competition. At first he tries trees and a bull is a bit too lively. The authorities do not like him taking pictures of the golf ball domes of the radar station at Fylingdales either.

PC Walker is forced off the road by Keith Baldock, but loses him when a flock of sheep crosses the road. Baldock claims he did not see him, but he may have confused him with PC Bellamy, who helped put him in jail five years earlier. Phil Bellamy has found a new love interest, Emma Dryden, after his wedding to Gina fell through. When Phil is walking her home one night he is almost run down by a speeding car and Sergeant Merton has little doubt that Keith Baldock was behind the wheel. But when Emma's son Jack is kidnapped Baldock has a perfect alibi. He occupies a cell at the Ashfordly police station. Somebody has stolen Lord Ashfordly's brand new greenhouse. As if that was not trouble enough Lord Ashfordly is also visited by Sandy and Jennifer, two relatives from Australia, and they are somewhat less formal than his lordship to say the least.

Wing Commander Andy Carstairs likes to fly around in his beautifully restored Hawker Hurricane fighter from World War II. One night the airfield watchman is knocked down and two explosive wedges are stolen. A gang of robbers have been using that kind of explosives to break into security vans, but Sergeant Merton thinks it is a local job when another security van is robbed using one of the stolen wedges. David enters a yellow fuchsia on behalf of his Aunt Peggy's friend Mrs. Crompton in the Aidensfield Flower Show. She has had a fall out with the chairman of the flower society Hector Plumpton and reckons she will not have a fair chance. There is another reason also. According to Plumpton yellow fuchsias are impossible to develop. So the plant makes quite a stir at the show. So much in fact that it gets stolen.

David is helping out in the kitchen during a dinner at Redwood House when the whole party is held at gunpoint by three robbers and the jewels of Joan Maltravers are stolen. The robbers get away although David manages to free himself and the cook Mrs. Woolley and call the police, but their car crashes when the police give chase and they have to continue on foot. David becomes the celebrity of the day and his fame is not diminished when he and Rosie find the stolen gems in the wrecked car. The relationship between Liz Merrick and Ben Norton has improved a lot since their first meeting so much in fact that when he is offered a job as an estate manager in Kenya he asks her to go with him - as his wife!

Don Tetley is looking for relics with a metal detector. He wants to search a building sit at the Ashfordly estate because there once was an old monastery, but is told to clear of by the contractor Bob Acott, but returns later during the night anyway. Tetley also gets a hard time from his wife and her lover. The next morning Tetley is found dead outside his cottage and most of his collection of findings has been stolen. Vernon Scripps gets a visit from his distant relative Gareth. He has a broken heart to mend, and by taking care of him Vernon hopes that there will be a little extra in it for him in his aunt's will. Gareth is really down in the dumps and Vernon asks Rosie to cheer him up a little. He has even two tickets for a concert with The Roaring Stones or something like that.

A storm is blowing and Oscar Blaketon is on his way back from Whitby when he witnesses how a tree tips over and hits the another car. Blaketon quickly gets help, but it is too late for the driver Alan Buckland a former sergeant of the Whitby police. His passenger Heather Hamilton is much better off and it seems that the two of them were running away from his wife, who is also Heather's sister. Apart from passports and ferry tickets they also bring along a bag with a lot of money in it. The incident also makes Jenny fear for her own marriage to Sergeant Merton. During the storm David and the two Scripps's were stranded at the Aidensfield Arms and Vernon asks Rosie's Uncle Zeph Pratt to join them in a game of whist. But Pratt likes poker better and after the storm he tricks Vernon into playing with him. Soon Scripps is taken to the cleaners.

The preparations for Liz Merrick's and Ben Norton's wedding are in full swing and her replacement as the local GP, Dr. Helen Trent, arrives and immediately has clash with Jenny. Speaking of Jenny Sergeant Merton is very worried about her and talks to Dr. Merrick about her, but the beautiful doctor assures him that there is nothing wrong with Jenny. For once Dr. Merrick is wrong and Jenny leaves the surgery unattended and unlocked. When Dr. Merrick returns she finds the surgery in a mess and some dangerous pills missing. When Jenny is confronted with she gets angry again. Her husband tries to help her, but only manages to convince her sick mind that everybody is against her. And he almost gets arrested for assaulting her when she runs away.

The day of the wedding between Dr. Liz Merrick and Ben Norton is growing near, but the happy event is overshadowed by Jenny's mental illness and Sergeant Merton seriously considers getting a transfer to be near her and able to support her. PC Walker finds an abandoned car on the moor. It is registered to Angela Price, who has been kidnapped and the kidnappers have told her husband not to involve the police. But Sergeant Merton knows Price and finds out anyway and he suspects that the kidnappers hide out in a farm they have rented from Lord Ashfordly. Ben Norton nearly misses his wedding when he is asked to assist the police because he knows the premises.

The Frankie Rio Trio once belonged at the top of the charts, but popularity has dropped and now they are struggling for a comeback. Now finances are so low they have to skip a hotel bill. They are on their way to Aidensfield, where they will stay with their old friend Vernon Scripps until an important gig in Whitby. On the way pick up a young woman, Rachel Godwin, and her baby and give her a lift to Aidensfield where her parents live. She has run away from a maternity hospital because she does not want to give up the baby for adoption and is now on her way to her parent's house in the village. While she calls her mother to prepare her Frankie is scared off by the sight of PC Walker and the trio drives off without knowing they have an extra passenger.

Rosie does the shopping for Miss Edgar. One morning she finds the old woman tied to a chair when she comes to deliver the groceries. Miss Edgar says the assailant posed as a representative from the Council and drove a grey van. It may have been the same van that forced Louise Parry off the road and nearly did the same to David in the brown lorry. David sees to the needs of Miss Parry getting her to the Aidensfield Arms and has Bernie pick up her car. She also asks him to deliver a letter to Dr. Trent's husband Matthew personally. He soon becomes their secret messenger. Meanwhile more victims of the man in the grey van are discovered. PC Walker believes he has information vital to the case, but when Sergeant Nokes refuses to listen to him he does a little investigating of his own among his father's old friends. There is a new constable at the Ashfordly police station. His name is Geoff Younger and this is his very first posting.

The police are on the lookout for stolen Russian icons which have been unloaded in or around Whitby from a fishing boat owned by Ingmar Larsen who is currently in prison for smuggling and violence. The captain of the boat claims he thought they were smuggling cigarettes and that they were ambushed by pirates just off shore. They recover one of the icons at an antique shop, and the owner tells PC Walker that he bought it from a blonde woman in her thirties. Lord Ashfordly is having a banquet for true gourmets. Vernon Scripps quite the right idea when he learns about truffles from the Italian Giovanni Viora, but he thinks the price is somewhat on the high side and decides to go looking for them himself. To find them you need a pig, but in lack one of those Alfred will have to do. And then of course you also need a truffle...

The future has arrived at the Ashfordly police station in the form of the new sergeant George Miller and a state-of-the-art Ford Zephyr police car. He also has plans to close down the police house in Aidensfield and move PC Walker to Ashfordly permanently. Apart from that Sergeant Miller is very old-fashioned and extremely narrow-minded. His first case in charge of the Ashfordly police is a series of wage snatches. After yet another snatch PC Bellamy and the Zephyr's regular driver PC Yates give chase to two suspects in a Mini Cooper, but they are shaken off when the robbers go where the big police car cannot follow them, and only PC Walker on his motorcycle is able to keep up the pursuit, but crashes when the robbers block the road. The villagers of Aidensfield are not taking the possible loss of their police house lightly of course and organize a protest.

A couple walking their dog on the beach discovers a dead man by the water's edge. The only thing they can find out about him is that he died of a fall from a cliff. PC Walker is contacted by his old friend Jackie Pointer. Her brother Tony is in jail and he has picked up some information on a robbery being planned and is willing to share this information for an early release. Walker contacts Sergeant Miller, who will have nothing to do with the matter. Walker decides to see Tony anyway and maybe get some more information. Bernie Scripps is having one of those days where nothing goes right. As a matter of fact he has had a lot of those lately and Rosie is afraid he is seriously ill. Speaking of Rosie she has a date and asks Gina for makeup advice. She looks really hot when she is dressed up as a girl.

PC Bellamy takes over one of Alf Ventress' old contacts, Vic Smalley. From him he learns about Ray Craven, who is flush with money and it is not through taking sheep to market, which is his official business. But Bellamy does not exactly make the top of Sergeant Miller's charts when the police make a raid on one of Craven's lorries and find only sheep. When Gina tidies up in her guest Derek Ford's room she discovers that he works for the Inland Revenue. He is "on tour" in the area and Vernon Scripps is next on his list. In fact Scripps owes so much in back tax that he will never be able to pay it and he decides to do something drastic. Too late for him Oscar Blaketon discovers that Ford is a fraud with no connection at all to the Inland Revenue.

Sergeant Miller is "off to learn the patch" as he calls it when he spots a speeding car and give chase, but the driver, David's Aunt Peggy, easily manage to lose him, ruining his day completely. It will not be the last time she does that and their relation will soon be just like the one between Oscar Blaketon and good old Claude Jeremiah Greengrass. Rob Walker has been dating the nurse Clare Owen since she took care of him after he crashed on his motorcycle. They are both invited to a party celebrating the arrival of a new doctor at the hospital, Gavin Kennedy, who coincidentally also Clare's former lover. During the party another of Clare's colleagues does the high wire under the influence of drugs and alcohol and is seriously injured when he falls to the ground although Walker tries to stop him.

Lots of different things have been stolen in Aidensfield over the years, but an entire train loaded with crates of wine must be a novelty. Whoever stole the wagons had access to a locomotive and enough space to hide the whole train. They must also have enough knowledge about railways to operate a train. When a wagon load of tobacco is coming through the police decide to use a similar wagon full of police officers as a decoy. Helen Trent has started the proceedings to get divorced from her husband and Gina invites her to a girl's night out to cheer her up. Phil also invites Rob out to a boy's night out to cheer him up after the break between him and Clare. They all end up at the same nightclub and decide to make it a foursome. The annual green bowling tournament is coming up. Bernie has his heart set on winning, but his main rival Bickerstaff will stop at nothing to get the trophy. Aunt Peggy takes over the catering and she needs a blackboard for the menu (yeah, right).

Like many girls Pattie and Sheila Reilly likes horses. One day Pattie takes a ride on a stray pony. An unknown man surprises them and very unwisely fires a shot in the air. The sudden bang startles the horse and makes it bolt. Pattie is thrown off and her scared kid sister flags down PC Walker, who gets both of them to Dr. Trent's surgery. He also has his own, more romantic reason to see the attractive doctor. When Walker tries to find both the owner of the pony and the shooter he suddenly finds himself investigating a series of horse thefts. His life is not made any easier by Joyce Jowett, who complains to the police about a bad smell and noisy lorries from the house at the end of her road. Sergeant Miller has referred her to the town hall because it is not a police matter, but the battleaxe pesters the life out of Walker instead. Aunt Peggy gets mad at Oscar Blaketon for barring her and David from the Aidensfield Arms for playing poker.

Young Denny gets hurt in a hunting accident at the Ashfordly estate. Luckily he sustains only a flesh wound. The police interview all the members of the hunting party to get a clear picture and also collect their guns for testing. But the estate manager Richard Bentham for some reason does not want them to talk to the beaters Gary and Colin, whom he tells to scarper. Bentham also fails to report an accident he has with his Land Rover because the brakes were sabotaged. Furthermore when PC Bellamy questions Denny the boy says that the shooting was no accident. That Bentham did it deliberately!

Lord Ashfordly plays host to a group of ex-offenders, who will be working on the estate under the supervision of Eric Grey as part of a rehabilitation programme. But not all of the young men are that keen on getting rehabilitated and only want to make trouble. For starters they steal Oscar Blaketon's car when he refuses to serve them at the pub. Dorothy Plum is complaining that someone is disturbing her little dog Marigold, but a search of her garden and the road outside turns up nothing. The old lady gets really worried when the dog disappears and she offers a big reward to get it back. Aunt Peggy is not a woman to let such an opportunity pass. She gets a similar dog with the help of an old friend and tries to return it to its "rightful owner" after a small makeover.

Albert Wilson witnesses how Peter Roberts is hit by a hit-an-run car. Wilson is sure it was no accident and is able to give a full description of the car. It belongs to Derek Wallis, who claims that it was stolen. He also has an alibi which is corroborated by his employer Elsa Jenner, but Albert Wilson is almost positive that it was Wallis, who drove the car. Aunt Peggy "happens to come across" a lot of cheap cigarettes, but they seem to contain something with a little more kick than ordinary tobacco. The cigarettes also come from different supplier and he wants them back - badly!

Gina discovers a cut off left hand in her dustbin. The police immediately start searching for more body parts in other dustbins in Aidensfield with no luck. The hand was in a box and in that box the police find a note in Bernie Scripps' handwriting. Bernie does not remember writing the note, but from its contents he reckons it is from a rough invoice he wrote to Ashfordly Hall. And it dates five years back. The discovery of a torso the next day leads to the conclusion that the body had been frozen until recently - and that it is murder! Speaking of freezing Aunt Peggy has bought a cheap freezer at a sale. She intends to use it for storing rabbits and pheasants, which she can sell in a store.

Three hooligans steal a brand new Aston Martin and drive through Ashfordly in an attempt make as much vandalism as possible. They crash into a car belonging to George Adams. Adams has moved from the big city to make a fresh start in the country and does not want to get involved in anything. And with good reason. His real name is Terence Molloy and he has just been released from prison for safe cracking. Sergeant Miller warns him that he will keep an eye on him, but it does not seem to help because soon afterwards a safe is blown. Aunt Peggy's latest venture is miracle chicken food which makes chicken lay more eggs. She ensures this with cheap surplus eggs from the Common Market. Rob Walker has needed a lot of attention from Dr. Trent lately. Not that he is ill or anything. He and the attractive doctor have fallen heavily in love with each other.

PC Walker arrests Ken Rawson for driving dangerously and violating just about any traffic regulation there is. Despite resisting arrest he accuses Walker of using excessive force. He also claims that he knows Sergeant Miller and that Miller soon will get him out. Christmas comes early to David when Enid Bakewell gives him her late husband's model railway. Lord Ashfordly is looking for a new housekeeper and Aunt Peggy thinks that is just the job for her. To be taken into consideration she needs a lot of references. Fabricated if necessary.

A gang of poachers is at work at the Ashfordly estate. Sergeant Miller is in pursuit, but crashes in his police car and is knocked unconscious. At the crash site the police also find a tramp, who appears to have been hit. The incident requires an official investigation, and while Sergeant Miller is not suspended he is prohibited to drive. His case is not improved when the tramp dies from his injuries. Aunt Peggy has been doing a little poaching as well, and she lands in a ditch, when she is trying to get away. She is detained by his lordship himself and sues him for pain and suffering in return. Gina gets accepted at the Art College in York. Her teacher Jack Hollins is very impressed with her - for more reasons than one obviously.

There is a police charity soccer match between Ashfordly and Richmond, but PC Bellamy has to appear in court the same day and may not make it back in time although he is the Ashfordly coach. Albert Hallows helps Gina to sell tickets for the match, but not out of his good heart or to help a pretty girl. He is the head of a gang of old timer robbers and he plans to hit on Aidensfield during the match. David has been called for jury duty in the same case as Bellamy is to appear in. The accused is a friend of one of Aunt Peggy's acquaintances and she tries to influence him to vote for an acquittal. Not an easy position when the other eleven jurors are in favour of conviction.

The convicted murderer Billy Andrews escapes from prison. He turns up at his parents' house despite road blocks and everything and gets mad when they cannot help him. Unfortunately Dr. Trent is worried about old Mr. Andrews' heart and she gets kidnapped when she wants to check on him. Alfred is getting old and David is afraid the dog will die. Bernie tries to cheer him up, and when Alfred dies David seems strangely unaffected by it.

Oscar Blaketon finds Dieter Dressler walking on the moors after he had had an accident and gets him to a hospital. It turns out that Dressler was forced off the road by another car. Furthermore a valuable painting has been stolen from his cottage. As if that was not enough Lord Ashfordly's Land Rover has been stolen and he is down on Sergeant Miller to get it back. When Aunt Peggy learns that the ornithologist Alan Phelps wants to see a golden eagle she promises to show him one even though there have been no golden eagles in the area for years. But trifles like that have never stopped her before.

Adam Lee surprises a burglar and is knocked unconscious in the subsequent struggle. When he comes to he identifies his attacker as his brother Joe. Apart from money Joe also stole Adam's car. Joe lives in Whitby and on his way to interview him PC Walker finds the car smeared with blood in a ditch and no sign of Joe. Alice and John Boaden's baby daughter has been born with a heart problem. The little girl may die if she does not get an operation, but operations like that are not performed in Great Britain so they try to raise money for a trip to America. Rumour has it that Wharton Place is haunted and Aunt Peggy does not hesitate to try and make money on that story even if she has to create a ghost or two.

Vince Wain is visiting his ex-wife Brenda and their son Martin. While he is at their house he helps himself to their savings and is very surprised when Brenda goes to the police about it. During the following row Martin decides to run away and asks David to help him. They even become blood brothers and promise each other not to let each other down. Mr. Turner is cleaning windows at Ashfordly Hall when he is bitten by his lordship's dog Jack and demands that the dog is put to sleep. Lord Ashfordly even risks being charged in that he cannot prove that the dog is not a danger to the public - no easy task because Jack has quite a history in the biting department. Luckily for him help is not far away and Aunt Peggy offers to train him - the dog that is, not Lord Ashfordly.

Oscar Blaketon is doing some private investigating for Hetty Bolton, who correctly suspects her husband Arthur of having an affair with the waitress Dolly Forde. The next morning Arthur Bolton is found murdered at his coal yard and Hetty Bolton claims that she and Blaketon were having an affair and that Blaketon was jealous of him. Debbie Black reports her television set stolen. She is a very attractive widow with three children and makes quite an impact on PC Bellamy. And she does not find him particularly unattractive either. Aunt Peggy buys a greyhound for racing, but the dog is not as fast as it was promised to be. As a matter of fact she has seen corpses livelier than that.

Malcolm Fairchild has just had his car checked and MOT-tested at Bernie's garage when he loses control over the vehicle and plunges into a garden. Luckily nobody gets seriously hurt, but Bernie gets into serious trouble because the tyres are bald. The next morning he is nowhere to be found and David fears the worst.. Helen Trent's estranged husband finds out about her affair with Rob Walker and makes a complaint to Sergeant Miller, who takes the matter very seriously.

Ashfordly Hall is locked up over Christmas. PC Walker discovers that someone has broken into the estate. Nothing seems to be missing, but in the library he encounters a man calling himself Ray Hallam and quietly sipping his lordship's whisky. Hallam claims to be a friend of Lord Ashfordly, who is conveniently away on holiday. Hallam is arrested, but can return to Ashfordly Hall when his lordship confirms his identity by cable. Aunt Peggy buys a lot of stuff at a fire sale including a lot of Christmas presents for Santa to - meaning David - to hand out in his grotto. Unfortunately for her Oscar Blaketon has had the same bright idea and with considerably more success.

Henry Stoddard is released after 15 years in prison for killing a police constable from Ashfordly police station and moves in with his brother Jack. Stoddard has always claimed his innocence although the evidence against him was overwhelming. He says that Oscar Blaketon and Alf Ventress tricked him into confessing to avoid getting hanged. Now somebody is out to get back at both of them. And Peter, the son of the dead constable, has sworn to revenge his father's killing. Aunt Peggy comes across her birth certificate when she has to produce her driver's license after a traffic incident and discovers that she is related to Lord Ashfordly. Phil Bellamy surprises everybody by marrying Debbie Black.

Someone sets fire to Bill Galloway's barn and he suspects Barry Dyson as a revenge for being sacked. Dyson even has a previous conviction for arson. But Dyson has an alibi. Dyson also says that he was sacked because he is seeing Galloway's daughter Sylvia. Then there is a fire at Jim Hobson's farm only hours after Dyson had been refused a job there. And this time Dyson has no alibi. Aunt Peggy is visited by an old friend, Denzil Witty. He has a plan on how to put advertising posters up wherever you want without permission from the council. But not everybody is keen on his idea and they take matters in their own hands.

PC Walker and PC Bellamy give Malcolm Stainsby a lift to his home because of his bad legs. Stainsby has been away since the war, but his wife - or rather ex-wife - Diane says that her husband Malcolm is dead. She even has his death certificate to prove it. Stainsby claims that he has only recently regained his memory after a cinema he was in was hit by a flying bomb. David and Aunt Peggy surprises a mushroom collector on their land and Aunt Peggy discovers that some people will pay good money for mushrooms. And while all mushrooms are eatable their effect may differ quite a bit. Sergeant Miller books PC Younger on a driving course. But Younger only has a provisional driver's license and needs a lot of driving experience. He gets Rosie to give him driving lessons and soon the whole village puts more into their relationship than there actually is.

Caroline Farr has trained the horse Lucifer's Revenge for the Gold Cup race, but her estranged husband Simon wants to take all the credit. The question is will he knock down her uncle Lord Ashfordly and steal the horse to get it? Well, somebody does just that. Aidensfield is invaded by a lot of bikers, who stop at the Aidensfield Arms for a drink, but Oscar Blaketon reckons they will be trouble and refuse to serve them. Rosie thinks differently and joins them for a ride. In fact she is so impressed with their leader Jamie that she takes a few days holiday to be with him. But Blaketon may be right because suddenly the church silver is missing. Phil Bellamy experiences the downside of married life when Debbie accompanies her sister to the hospital for a week and leaves him in charge of her two daughters.

Colin Judd's father has died and according to his will his farm must be sold lock, stock and barrel at a dispersal sale and proceeds split between Colin and his good-for-nothing brother Andy. Aunt Peggy thinks a thing like that should not be happening, but is on the lookout for a bargain nonetheless. In her case "a bargain" is a horse and carriage, which she plans to use for sight seeings around the countryside. Well, the horse has its own ideas about that. Andy is an old friend of Debbie Bellamy's, but she is not particularly happy to see him and drives home under the influence of a little wine. Andy is also very interested in a box of rubbish, which David buys by mistake and sells to Gina with a little profit.

Somebody sets fire to Bernie Scripps and his hearse one night he is on his way back to Aidensfield. Luckily he escapes with burns on his right arm, but the car is a write-off. Rosie gets really worried about him, when he checks himself out of the hospital and disappears. Meg Sawyer gives birth to her first baby, but her father-in-law Ed causes nothing but trouble. Dr. Trent gets a visit from her father Maxwell Hamilton, but is not particularly happy to see him, because he left her and her mother when she was 10. But he just wants to see her again because he is terminally ill with lung cancer. Aunt Peggy enters David in a fishing competition after he catches a giant salmon.

Ronald Headley is found dead in the river and PC Bellamy is excluded from the investigation when it turns out that his wife Debbie may be involved. Headley was a bank manager who got into prison for embezzlement, and in his wallet the police find photos of the assistant manager of his old bank, Sheryl Cooper. The case leads to Phil discovering that Debbie has a drinking problem. Aunt Peggy is far from happy when a group of squatters makes camp at David's and her farm and demands police action, but she has come to an understanding with them when PC Younger arrives. Counsellor Jowett is not prepared to leave it like that.

Miller's ex army pal arrives. Peggy takes Phil's daughters poaching.

Helen and Rob's wedding. Noisy neighbours.

The honeymoon is over for Rob and Helen Walker. A car with an unconscious man in it is found in a ditch at Long Lane. And somebody has stolen all the sheep from Len Hallett's farm. Since it happened only a few hundred yards apart PC Walker suspects that the two cases are connected and that the unconscious man, Frank Mirfield, may have seen something he should not. Terry Parsons' grandmother has become senile dementia, and Dr. Walker suggests that they lock her in to keep her from wandering off, but the next morning the old lady has disappeared. Norman and Kath Harrison have bought a farm and necessity forces them to live off the land and Aunt Peggy decides to become self-sufficient too, but that idea really stinks.

On her way home from night class Sandra Proctor is forced off the road by a hit-and-run driver. Alan Seddon's car was stolen outside the dance hall in Ashfordly. Alan is the son of Roy Seddon, the councillor on the police committee, and Sergeant Miller gives the case top priority. The car is found abandoned, and it turns out to be the car that hit Sandra Proctor. Alan is known for his wild driving and neither his girlfriend Hayley nor his best friend Paul can give him an alibi for the entire evening, so he may have caused the accident and reported the car stolen to cover his tracks. David is fed up with being ordered around by Aunt Peggy and accepts a job with the window cleaner Topsy Turner instead. But Peggy is not prepared to give up on him that easy.

Things are quiet at the police station in Ashfordly. Almost too quiet. And it is not going to last. Suddenly two armed men hold up PC Younger and Alf Ventress and lock them up in a cell, while they free a single "guest" without Sergeant Miller noticing anything from behind his desk at the sergeant's office. With PC Walker and PC Bellamy in hot pursuit through Aidensfield they kill a dog and seriously injure a pedestrian. To top it all the police do not even know the identity of the escaped prisoner, who was just detained overnight for being drunk. One more thing bothers Phil Bellamy. He is sure he saw Debbie's late husband Barry in Ashfordly when the pursuit began.

Phil has gotten over Debbie's leaving him for her first husband who was not nearly as dead as she let him to believe, while Rob Walker has been away on leave after Helen's death. When Phil picks him up at the railway station they nearly collide with another car which ends up in the middle of a river. Rob saves the driver Les Cooper who is so grateful he decides to come clean, leave his former criminal life behind and make a fresh start. Oscar Blaketon tries to make Aidensfield twin with a French village where he spent his holiday. For that occasion he has invited some of his new French friends over for a big party and the first of them, Yvette Lenoir has already arrived. However Blaketon is none too pleased that Aunt Peggy's contribution will be fresh, local game. And with good reason! Carol Cassidy is the new districts nurse in Aidensfield, and she is worried about Jean Ashton who has discharged herself from hospital. But Jean's husband Dennis will not let Miss Cassidy see his wife.

Martin Beldon has recently been released from jail after serving a 5-year sentence for rape. But somebody is out to get him, and since his lawyer gave the victim Judy Wharton such a hard time during trial that she committed suicide her father Tom and sister Linda are the most likely suspects. Then Linda's friend June claims that Beldon has raped her too. Aunt Peggy accidentally runs down the drunk, Sid Vickers. Vickers is one of her old friends and she decides to get him back on his feet again. There is a new face at the police station in Ashfordly. DS Rachel Dawson who is one of PC Walkers old friend. The London criminal Barry Flynn has escaped and she needs two officers to help her watch his cousin's cottage in case he would hide himself there.

When Carol Cassidy wants to see Alice Tupper she finds the house broken into and the old woman hiding from the intruder. He himself is hiding in her shed, but he flees when Carol discovers him. PC Walker and PC Bellamy arrest him though when he tries to get to Whitby, but they are stopped by DS Dawson who demands that they hand him over to Guy Maitland from the Intelligence Services. Sergeant Miller is not ready to do that, and things are not made any easier by the fact that he has a terrible toothache. David and Aunt Peggy clear out an estate of the deceased Sadie Copley when they find a notebook with complete murder plans, and Aunt Peggy is convinced that old Sadie has put her unfaithful husband out of the way. But since the police will have nothing to do with it she decides to get to the bottom of things herself.

A stranger asks for Rosie at the Aidensfield Arms. He is her former boyfriend Peter who cannot grasp that she broke up with him and wants her back. Rosie is not interested though and wants nothing to do with him. But that only makes him only more determined and he starts pestering her. Aunt Peggy's old banger gets stolen and with it David's dog Deefer which was in the boot because she is heat. PC Bellamy and PC Walker chases the thief, but he gets away when his helper blocks the road with a ladder. Gina is worried about Phil. He is still his good old self, but he clams up every time she tries to talk to him about his "ex-wife" Debbie. As a matter of fact he has not spoken of her since she left him.

Two hooligans break in at major Littlewoods house, and he threatens them with his old army revolver. One of them, Billy Travis, is convinced the old war hero will not shoot and that mistake costs him his life. Littlewood turns himself in to the police claiming he only shot in self-defence, but Sergeant Miller does not quite agree! Harry Taylor is looking dealers to sell his petrol using a new, modern concept and Aunt Peggy promises to persuade Bernie Scripps telling Taylor that Bernie has not got all his marbles. Vicky Cammish goes to see nurse Cassidy because she has a friend who is pregnant. Despite the young girl's denials Carol Cassidy is convinced that the "friend" is Vicky herself.

Rosie friend Diana Hill has become Miss Ashfordly. When somebody sets fire to her car PC Walker learns that she has received threatening letters to stop her from entering the Miss Yorkshire beauty pageant. Gina has realized that Phil Bellamy is the man for her, and she gives him a big hug when he picks her up from hospital after her being hurt in the car fire. Old Dan Fowles asks Aunt Peggy to bet on an outsider for him at the races. The horse wins, but Fowler dies before he can collect his winnings, and Peggy thinks it would be a shame if all that money should go to waste. PC Younger has not made an arrest for more than a month, and when his police bicycle gets stolen Sergeant Miller tells him to do something about it. So Younger clamps down on every minor offence he encounters.

Important things are about to happen in Aidensfield. The annual cricket match against Scarsdale is coming up, and if Scarsdale wins again this year the trophy is theirs for keeps. Oscar Blaketon is the head of the Aidensfield team, but turmoil is raging the village and he must leave many of his best players out of account. And he has excluded the women beforehand, because their job is to see to the food and the tea. The police have problems of another kind. They have been tipped off about a raid on an armoured transport. They catch one of the raiders, Dave Dooley, but his brother Ray and Ray's girlfriend Connie get away with the loot. Ray is not the kind of guy who lets his brother rot in prison and they kidnap PC Walker and threaten to kill him if Dave is not released.

Colonel Hudson holds an auction and since Aunt Peggy cannot get any more credit at Bernie's garage until she pays her bill she and David takes the soft job of driving for him. Hudson's son Duncan discovers that his young mother is having an affair with the family friend Nigel Parker. Parker gets seriously injured in an accident on his way home from a party at the Hudson estate, and when PC Walker conveys the bad news Duncan runs away. Gina and Phil think that Rob needs to get out some more and invite him and Gina's hairdresser Paula out on a double date. But the constables soon get other things on their minds when the entire police station is infected with nits. And they can only have come from PC Younger who has had lollipop duty at the school.

Feelings are running high in Aidensfield. They want to organize a flower show, but people disagree on whether vegetables should be allowed or not. When they leave the Aidensfield Arms a shot is heard and Joyce Jowett's sister Sally collapses and dies in the arms of Carol Cassidy. Contrary to her sister Sally was sweet and lovable and the police cannot rule out that somebody else was the intended victim, but whom? It promises to be a hot summer and Aunt Peggy has bought an ice cream van. But she is away at her annual Redcoat reunion and has left David in charge of the van. Rosie thinks that the home-made ice cream leaves a lot to be desired though.

Jo Miller and her boyfriend Grag Parsons arrive in Aidensfield to organize a peace demonstration at an abandoned air base which the Americans plan to reopen. They team up with local troublemaker Pete Grimshaw. But the police has gotten wind of their plans and Division asks Sergeant Miller to keep an eye on the demonstrators. That does not go quietly. PC Walker is accused of beating up Greg Parsons and Jo is arrested to Sergeant Miller's displeasure, because she is his daughter! The new vet Fergus is on his way to the zoo with a cobra in a box. On his way he stops at Bernie's garage for some petrol and to ask Rosie out. When he returns to his Land Rover he discovers that the snake has escaped.

PC Bellamy is rushed to hospital after collapsing during an arrest. It is not due to a bad heart as he feared, but anaemia caused by a stomach ulcer, and an operation will take care of that. He has specifically told everybody not to let Gina know, but he gets very happy when she visits him at the hospital. Bernie's sister Georgina has been killed in an accident in Southern France, and since she was very wealthy Aunt Peggy has an eye on his inheritance. But her pleasure is spoiled by Vernon Scripps who returns from the dead - or sunny Spain rather - to claim his share. 16-year old Sally Jepson gives birth to a baby and her religious father takes it out on Tom Pickles whom he believes is the father.

Rosie is walking her aunts dog Snowy when Simon Langley-Smythe shoots the dog claiming it was disturbing his pheasants. The police cannot do anything because she was on private property. But PC Walker is not quite convinced this was the only reason and questions him closely. And he may be on to something. His wife Julie has just given birth to their first child and he is down on her because the baby cries all the time and evens beats her up. Bill Galloway has trouble with some children who have some fun letting out his sheep. PC Younger is assigned to the case, but they get away from him every time. Gina and Phil announce that they are engaged to get married.

Major Beecham gets arrested for disturbing the peace. During the night he complains about back pains and PC Younger gives him some of Alf's painkillers. But Younger may have given him the wrong pills because the next morning PC Bellamy finds him dead in his cell. Tristram Johnston is researching for the BBC programme "Down Your Way" and he has lots of likely prospects because everybody in Aidensfield wants to get on the radio. Aunt Peggy even gives him a tour of some of the sights of the area. Nurse Cassidy discovers that some of her patients have seen the herbalist Stephen Lansbury and decides to have a talk with him. Gina is busy organizing her wedding to Phil and persuades Oscar to take over the licence for the Aidensfield Arms.

Gina is busy preparing her wedding to Phil. She hires Len Carter as a temporary replacement while she is away on her honeymoon. Phil is sure he has seen him before though. But Gina soon gets worries of another kind, when one of her guests, Emily Forster, gets a necklace stolen from her room. The theft happened after closing hours so the thief can only be another one of the guests or a member of staff. Geoff Younger is on the lookout for a car of his own and it must be something with a lot of oomph because he is tired of being overtaken all the time. Aunt Peggy knows somebody in the business and promises to help him.

Jim Brady has returned from Africa to become the new estate manager at Ashfordly Hall, and he gets tough with his lordships tenants. It seems he wants to get rid of all of them. They will not put up with that and decides to teach him a lesson. But will they go as far as to shoot at him? David has started to collect trading stamps in order to redeem them for something nice. So much in fact that he has become quite addicted to it.

The day of Gina's and Phil's wedding is growing near. Everybody in Aidensfield are on their toes because of the big day. And Lord Ashfordly has most kindly made Ashfordly Hall available for the party. Gina and Phil have even bought a small cottage outside the village, but lose it again when the seller Albert Fogarty changes his mind. That makes Gina feel so sorry that Phil gets worried that the wedding will fail this time also. And his mood does not get any better when Jack Hollins turns up the evening before the wedding. To top it all Albert Fogarty has disappeared and nobody has seen him since he showed his cottage to Gina and Phil.

Rosie is picking up a broken down car when she finds its owner Peter Barton knocked down in the forest and she quickly shares his fate. But unlike Barton Rosie is found in time to save her life. The deceased was a former police officer turned private investigator, and his murder may be connected to one of the cases he was working on. PC Walker has asked nurse Cassidy out, but has to cancel when he is assigned to help DS Dawson on the Barton case. Aunt Peggy promises her friend Hilda Skinner to take a flock of turkeys off her hands, but that is easier said than done.

When rev. Jacob Thwaite returns to his vicarage he finds that the place has been broken into and his wife Louise stabbed to death. The organist Terry Thorne remembers seeing a tramp watching the vicarage, but DC Dawson suspects the vicar himself. He has an alibi though. Ivy Green and her psychic driver Rosa take lodgings at the Aidensfield Arms. They have come to assist the police catching the murderer. Furthermore they have a message for the vicar from Louise. PC Bellamy nearly runs down a drunk and decides the man would better spend the night in the cells, but Sergeant Miller will rather have the drunk taken into the interview room because he is PC Younger's father. Aunt Peggy needs to catch 200 trout and has a very explosive way to do so.

One of the greatest events in modern history - the lunar landing - makes its mark on Aidensfield and most of the villagers are gathered at the Aidensfield Arms to watch it on TV. But Peggy Armstrong claims that it is a con and that she can prove it. And if there is somebody who knows everything about cons it must be her. Brenda Garnett has been left stranded in Aidensfield when her car broke down and she is afraid somebody may find out where she is. Sergeant Miller and PC Bellamy arrest two tough guys who promise the police officers that they will be dead before dawn, because their boss will free them. Miller does not scare that easily, but suddenly the police station gets under attack.

Maggie Hutchinson gives birth to a little girl who dies because nurse Cassidy could not get hold of a doctor when she needed one. It goes hard with her husband Ken and he gets into a regular fight with PC Walker when Oscar Blaketon refuses to serve him any more drinks. He gets off with a warning, but continues to act like a complete idiot. Emily Merryweather has just been widowed for the second time. The first time she remarried within three months and it seems she intends to become Mrs. Bernie Scripps before long. Aunt Peggy makes at bet with Oscar Blaketon that she will not succeed. A bet she does not fancy losing at any cost.

The police suspects Ken Dekin of illegal gambling. But somebody else is after Dekin as well. It may be his wife because he is about to leave her for a younger woman, but former employees may also have a grudge against him. Cupid is busy shooting arrows at PC Walker and nurse Cassidy. This does not suit DS Dawson who was his sweetheart at the police academy and still cherishes the handsome constable. David reads an article about Hugh Hefner in a magazine left by one of his passengers in the taxi and decides to get a den like Hefner's, especially where he can be left alone by Aunt Peggy. Needless to say, she does not like that at all!

Frances Elliott has just moved to Aidensfield, but is not very popular with her neighbours because she very much keeps herself to herself. When Joyce Jowett wants to talk to her about a sale she is organizing in aid of the Aidensfield toddler group she suspects that Miss Elliott is hiding a baby. Jowett also puts Aunt Peggy on the jumble stall of the sale without asking her first. Peggy rather wants so sell pictures of local sights - with a "small" share for herself of course to cover the costs. PC Walker has passed his sergeant's exam and has been accepted at a special training course with an automatic promotion. But he still has his doubts because it means that he will have to leave his colleagues and friends and especially a certain pretty district nurse with blonde hair and blue eyes.

With no village bobby in Aidensfield Tommy Unsworth and his motor biking friends seizes the opportunity to make a lot of trouble in the village. Even Aunt Peggy is upset that the bikers are trespassing on Lord Ashfordly's land upsetting the natural order of things by frightening the game away and leaving her traps empty. But when it will take a while to get at permanent replacement Miller organizes a stop gap. Thus PC Joe Mason moves to Aidensfield on a temporary basis while he awaits his transfer to the Met. Mason is very resourceful and a bit of a maverick, and his senior officers were more than happy to get rid of him. The villagers are not too crazy about him either. But Unsworth is not the only source of trouble around. A professional gang from Manchester is targeting country houses in the area stealing paintings, antiques and jewelery.

PC Mason discovers that being a village bobby does not always have something to do with police work when he gives Nurse Cassidy a ride to a farm and the farmer asks him to help getting a cow out of the mud. But he also gets some real cases when somebody nicks 12 shillings from the collection in the village church and a photograph goes missing from Ashfordly Hall. Young Charlie Prentice asks for directions to Ashfordly Estate telling Oscar Blaketon that she is looking for her father and she is convinced he is Lord Ashfordly. David Stockwell decides to make a will because he is afraid to leave a mess when he dies. Maybe that was not such a good idea after all.

Masked robbers stop a train just outside Aidensfield and get away with several mail bags containing cash and securities. The train driver Brown tries to stop them, but is gunned down and killed. The case is assigned to DI Ludlow, who is none too pleased to see PC Mason again. Especially since Mason has a lot of suggestions on how to catch the robbers and Ludlow has already formed his opinion on who is behind it. Mason on the other hand only wants the robbers to be caught because Brown leaves a wife and two small children, and wins DS Dawson over on his side. Aunt Peggy gets a letter from a solicitor telling her she is the heir of a distant relative and she is convinced there is a fortune in it for her. Even when she learns that her inheritance is a race horse in stead of money, because she reckons she will earn a fortune in prize money - that is at least until she sees the animal.

Sergeant Miller has a clash with three Australians when they graze his patrol car on their way to Grimedale Farm to do some sheep shearing for George Grigson. And Miller is not the only one having trouble with them. They are eating Gina out of house and home - or at least Aidensfield Arms - and Grigson's golden watch is missing when they have left the farm. Others also find their way to Aidensfield. Reverend Jamie Finn returns to collect his motor bike - and not the least to see Rosie again. Furthermore he has a suggestion that completely knocks her off her feet. Aunt Peggy is short of money and buys a brand new washing machine open up a laundry. But modern contraptions like that are complicated machines - especially for David. Miller has a word with PC Mason about his replacement, but Mason is not sure he wants to leave anymore. Rosie Cartright decides to go to Australia with the visitors when they return.

Billy Hudson falls off the Scarsdale Bridge and PC Bellamy is very unsympathetic towards his girlfriend Nancy because some years previously Billy and Nancy may have been involved in the disappearance of baby Julie Summers. Others seem to share his feelings because it turns out that Hudson was murdered, and soon Nancy's son Peter is kidnapped as well. Ossie Floyd leaves his old Rolls Royce to Bernie Scripps. The car is in a bad shape, but it will not be repaired for quite some time since Rosie has to help the Australian sheep shearers. But there may be more to the old car than meets the eye, because somebody is willing to pay a lot of money for it. Aunt Peggy comes under fire for distributing leaflets with pictures of naked people. But Lord Ashfordly's game keeper is sure he saw her at the estate at the exact same time.

Walker's permanent replacement PC Wetherby arrives and it is time for PC Mason's transfer to the Met, but Mason is not so sure he wants to leave Aidensfield. Furthermore Wetherby soon makes himself unpopular among the villagers. Nurse Cassidy suspects that young Jimmy Masters gets beaten by his stepfather George Masters. Also the boy's real father Max Philpott returns from Rhodesia to see him, and there is a rough and tumble between him and Masters at the Aidensfield Arms. Gina and Oscar Blaketon organize a quiz show at the pub to collect 200 pounds for a new dialysis machine. Not surprisingly Peggy Armstrong tries to cheat and is far from happy to get caught.

Everybody is shocked over Phil Bellamy's death, and especially his wife Gina cannot believe he is gone. After the funeral she says she has decided to go back to Liverpool to make a clean break from the past. Headquarters has agreed to let PC Mason stay in Aidensfield, and PC Wetherby, who blames himself for Bellamy's death, fills the vacancy at the police station in Ashfordly. A teacher from Brassington School on the moor is found dead in his home after an apparent suicide. From his headmaster Anthony Barlow PC Mason and DS Dawson learn that he suffered from a depression over the death of one of his pupils on a school trip, but Mason is sure something is not right. Unaware that he nearly hit a cyclist with his car old Arthur Chiltern drives on, but the cyclist Dr. Oakley wants him charged with reckless driving. Nurse Cassidy tries to persuade him to drop the charges. She succeeds with something else as well when the handsome doctor asks her out.

. Ralph Spurling has been burgled and wants Oscar Blaketon to find out which employee at the hotel he was staying at is involved in the burglary. PC Wetherby helped Lesley Ashton in a case back in Northallerton and now she is obsessed with him and turns up in Ashfordly with a suitcase. When he turns her down she accuses him of running her down with his car. Bernie Scripps goes to see Iris Grocott to collect his fee for her husbands funeral and she surprises him by inviting him to dinner and does not take no for an answer. They check in at the same hotel which Blaketon is investigating with the help of Alf Ventress. And staying in the romance department things are really heating up between Nurse Cassidy and Doctor Oakley.

Somebody paints a pentagram on the church door in Eltering and Rev. Peggotty is convinced that the church has been targeted for black Masses by followers of the dark arts. And he may be right because a few days later Kord Ashfordly's godson Charles Enderby is found beaten up and terrified in the church, and in the churchyard gravestones sprayed with red paint and overturned. Almost like the record cover of a band, Enderby once managed. Doctor Oakley has invited some colleagues over for dinner and Nurse Cassidy asks Gina to cook for them. One of the guests the psychiatrist Paul Hammond has heard of Gina's loss and wants to help her come to terms with her grief. But that is not what has been bothering her. She has just discovered that she is pregnant again!

Gordon Radford and Lord Ashfordly are not the best of friends. As a matter of fact Radford is not on friendly terms with anybody. He is Master of Ashfordly Hunt and when somebody vandalizes his study during the hunt suspects are plenty in number, but Radford suspects Lord Ashfordly and takes it out on him in a very physical manner. Aunt Peggy uses David's aniseed balls to lure the hunting party across her garden in order to claim a huge compensation. But she does not fool Oscar Blaketon. PC Mason is on the lookout for a car and Bernie has just the one for him. Low mileage and only one careful owner - a nun none the less, but Mason is more interested in a sports car owned by the late fighter pilot Ginger Wells.

Somebody breaks in at John Harper's cottage and swaps the old, blind man's money with blank pieces of paper. The only visitor Harper can think of is Albert Ross. There is nothing but trouble with Ross. All he thinks about is money and how much it will cost him when his men are not working. When the police cannot do anything after yet another accident at his farm the workers take matters in their own hands. Furthermore Nurse Cassidy suspects that Ross beats his grownup daughter Juliet for seeing the worker Josh. David spots a naked man running through the woods. Later he and Aunt Peggy see the man throw himself from a bridge. Only David's actions save him from drowning and now the man sees David as his guardian angel. When Aunt Peggy discovers his true identity she tries to cash in on it.

While Eva and James Knight of Holly Cottage nearly run PC Younger down when the brakes of their car fail, a young woman breaks into their home and paints Nazi swastikas and slogans on the walls. The vandalism is directed at Mrs. Knight who is Jewish, although only a few people know about it. It also turns out that their brakes have been tampered with. Lisa Barnes stays at the Aidensfield Arms while she researches her family history. Some research it must be as it turns out that she is behind the attacks on Mrs. Knight. She claims that Eva Knight is no Jew, but a Nazi war criminal and responsible for her parents' death. But is it really true? An old steam roller breaks down outside Bernie's garage and blocks the entire road. PC Younger promises Councillor Jowett to have it removed by the next morning, but that is easier said than done. Aunt Peggy solves the problem by buying the steam roller and expects Bernie to repair so that it can be sold as scrap.

Sue Padgett and Nick Payton burn a brand new fur coat as a protest against the fur trade. Payton is determined to make a name for himself as an activist in the animal welfare movement and uses the girl as a willing tool. PC Mason suggests they deprive Payton of the publicity he wants to sabotage his plans. Sid Bestwick and his wife Marge want their daughter Tina to meet young men and get settled, and Sid has a word with David Stockwell about it. Aunt Peggy thinks he hit the jackpot, but David is not so sure. The school girl Lynne Reynolds is about to give birth and wants to give her baby up for adoption. Nurse Cassidy has her hospitalized as a precaution and hopes to change her mind about the adoption because she does not want the baby to grown up in a home as she did. When Dr. Oakley disagrees, and Carol breaks up with him.

Jocelyn and Rupert Middleton's 17-year-old daughter Vivienne has gone missing. She has an American boyfriend called Bobby Wilson that her parents do not approve of. They think he is only in the country to avoid the draft for the Vietnam War. But Bobby has not seen her either. Someone steals a bronze sculpture from Sir Piers Radley's estate and another one from Lord Ashfordly. They have even taken his lordship's gates and he wants some action - now. David is cleaning up the shed and finds a metal detector. He gives it a good clean, a bit of oil and a new battery and is ready to go treasure hunting. At first Aunt Peggy thinks he is talking nonsense, but she changes her mind after a small demonstration.

15-year-old Natalie is caught shoplifting. She lives at Throckton Grange with her guardian, the famous prima ballerina Lady Victor, who has every hope of making the young girl a ballet star. She faints during her arrest and Nurse Cassidy is worried about her, because she is severely undernourished. When Lady Victor's representative Edward Wilson makes a complaint about some gypsies, PC Mason senses something is wrong and decides to keep a close eye on the Grange and its occupants. The editor of Ashfordly Gazette, Brian Parker, hires David to write the agony column. But Aunt Peggy is very displeased with it, mainly because she wanted the job herself. Geoff Younger is in love with the salesgirl Lucy, but is too shy to ask her out. Furthermore he starts sneezing every time he comes near her.

The young mother Julie is neglecting her two daughters after she met her new boyfriend Brian, who is a real troublemaker, and PC Mason and Nurse Cassidy are concerned for the well-being of the children. Mason especially has it in for the children's officer Clive Eames, whom he thinks does too little to protect them. Somebody is stealing lead from the churches in the area. They even manage to get away before the "watchful" eyes of PC Younger - twice - and Sergeant Miller is far from pleased. Gina is still afraid that something will go wrong with her baby like it did with Daniel, her and Phil's first-born child. To top it all Phil's 18-year-old niece Dawn has got in with the rough crowd and her father asks Gina to take care of the girl for a while.

A car crashes when the driver tries to avoid a collision. The driver is knocked unconscious and later dies. The car was stolen in Liverpool, and CID thinks the car may have been stolen for a crime, but apart from the name of the driver the police have only a small sketch to go on. Gilbert Hartley suspects that his wife Moira has an affair with another man and asks Oscar Blaketon for help. But Gina is away so he is busy in the pub and asks Alf Ventress to follow her around discreetly. Together they spot another car following Mrs. Hartley and assume it belongs to a private detective, Hartley has hired. It does not! Aunt Peggy wants to produce goat's milk and cheese and buys some goats at a sale. But the goats are not exactly cooperative in that department. On the contrary. They are Angora goats which are kept not because of their milk, but because of their coats of mohair. Unfortunately she only discovers that after she has sold them again.

DS Dawson tries to catch a drug smuggling gang with the help of PC Mason, but also has to fight the new DI, who does not like women in CID and blames her for every setback. To crack the case she leans on her informer to get information about the next shipment. Gina has started ante-natal classes and befriends the young girl Sally, who is expecting her first baby. But Gina is not impressed with Sally's boyfriend Jonny, who is not all he is cracked up to be. Far from as a matter of fact. Joyce Jovett's uncle has died and she put pressure on Bernie Scripps to give him the best services possible. But Bernie wants to call it off because he has to fix his broken down hearse first. Aunt Peggy fails to see the problem because Bernie also has an old horse-drawn cortège. But then again she wasn't around the last time the cortège was used.

Mick Revill has done time for armed robbery, but has kept his nose clean after his release from prison making money as a debt collector. But Neil Boon thinks he goes too far when performing his duties and ask the police to look into it. PC Younger has problems with his lack of authority and reluctantly accepts Revill's offer to train him as a boxer. PC Wetherby attempts to enter him in the upcoming police boxing tournament, but has his plan backfire on him. David gets invited to the centenary celebrations of his old school and Aunt Peggy is determined to make him go. But David doesn't want to especially after meeting one of his old class mates who has really made it big.

David is with Aunt Peggy on one of her 'nightly expeditions' when he sees a shooting star. Soon thereafter there's a big explosion and rumours of a meteorite crashing down in the forest. The police finds traces of a more earthly origin though. Nurse Cassidy finds a man lying semi-unconsciously with burns and blast injuries at the roadside and takes him to hospital. Sergeant Miller and DS Dawson are convinced that this is no coincidence and PC Mason goes undercover to investigate Larry Fowler, who is said to sell dynamite to armed robbery teams from the quarry where he is the manager. Aunt Peggy on the other hand doesn't mind having a rock from outer space falling practically into her - or maybe rather Lord Ashfordly's - back yard. Not after hearing that space rocks are quite valuable. And she does nothing to prevent David from thinking aliens have landed. On the contrary.

Big commotion in Ashfordly. The famous pop manger Stan Sparrow returns to his native town to marry his latest young star Cathy Dee. The next morning Sparrow is found dead in his room at the Aidenfield Arms. The police thinks that he was murdered, but who will kill a man who is already dying of leukaemia? Has it something to do with the memoirs that he was writing? PC Wetherby catches Aunt Peggy with ten cases of stolen rum and suddenly she suffers from a total loss of memory (very conveniently) when the PC tries to interview her. But maybe Alf Ventress can cure her. Or David since he may have won a fortune on the football pools and can't find the coupon. Young Ben informs PC Younger of a crime about to happen, but when the criminal is apprehended Younger is very reluctant to reveal his informant. Understandably since Ben's family name is Wetherby - as in PC Wetherby.

When old Elsie Gray dies unexpectedly PC Mason suspects foul play by the family doctor, but since Dr. Thomas is highly respected nobody else apart from Nurse Cassidy is willing to do anything about it. Aunt Peggy is upset because somebody has offloaded a lot of rubbish on her lawn. Some papers among the rubbish leads to the home of a retired magistrate. When the police won't do anything she takes matters in her own hands and returns the favour, so to speak. Gina's baby is in due five weeks, but she is rushed to the hospital as a precaution when she starts to bleed The doctors are certain nothing serious is wrong, but Gina understandably fears the baby will die like her first child Daniel.

Edgar and Angela Faussett have just moved to Aidensfield and according to Aunt Peggy he is rolling in money and she is quite a looker. But they are also causing PC Mason a lot of problems. He apparently thinks the law doesn't apply to him and rather wants to see Mason's back than his face, and she is so impressed with the handsome constable that she uses every excuse to see him. She also claims that her life is in danger. This of course doesn't go unnoticed by Carol Cassidy who more or less considers Mason her boyfriend. It's Oscar Blaketon's birthday and the villagers have prepared a big birthday party for him. David even wants to play a birthday song for him on the pub piano. He just has to learn to play the piano first. But there might be something else to celebrate instead: Gina goes into labour during the party and gives birth to a healthy baby boy in her room at the Aidensfield Arms.

Criminals have kidnapped Seargeant Miller's daughter Cheryl and threaten to kill her if he doesn't do what they say. And under no circumstances is he to tell anybody. But both Alf Ventress and PC Mason soon suspect that something is wrong. Protesters demonstrate against the French politician Michel Dubois who is at a conference in the area. He is said to have been a Nazi collaborator during the war and Special Branch fears there may be an attempt on his life during the conference and asks the police for backup. The gunman may be the mysterious Frenchman staying at the Aidensfield Arms - or are the people holding Miller's daughter involved? Aunt Peggy is not feeling well and Nurse Cassidy can only tell her to see a doctor. But although Peggy thinks she has one one foot in the grave already she is very reluctant to take such a drastic step.

The old crook Albert Hallows - also known as "The Professor" or just "Prof" - has escaped from prison and returns to Aidensfield. He has a score to settle with the police - they arrested him for organizing burglary on a big scale in the village. He also tricks Bill and Mickey, 2 local boys, into helping him. There is a big charity dinner dance and Joyce Jowett is representing the council together with Oscar Blaketon. Or at least that was her idea. But Oscar is away on a golfing trip, so Dawn "persuades" Geoff Younger to go in his place. She promises to teach him ballroom dancing for the event. Carol Cassidy and Joe Mason have finally realized the feelings they have for each other, and he asks her to the dance following dinner at a posh restaurant. Terry Maxton is an old friend of Aunt Peggy and he is looking for local craftsmen to supply his furnishing stores with pottery. Peggy is convinced there is good money to be made and talks David into making primitive pots of clay - with very explosive results.

It comes as quite a shock to Carol Cassidy, who is an orphan, when one of her childhood friends turns up in Aidensfield claiming that she not only has found Carol's mother, but brought her along too. Barbara Gresham is a young, single mother of a new-born baby. She has been abandoned by the father of the baby and finds it hard to cope with her life. Nurse Cassidy and PC Mason tries to help her, but maybe in vain. Hermione Worthington reports her dog Hercules missing and Sergeant Miller promises her that the police will make every effort to find it. But finding chief constable Worthington's dog is a lot easier said than done. Bernie Scripps has received a car full of chimney sweep equipment as payment for a funeral, and since the village is in dire need of a chimney sweep David borrows the van and equipment to earn enough money to have his taxi repaired and he and Dawn tries their luck with chimney sweeping. That too is easier said than done.

A stranger collapses on the lawn of Ashfordly Hall. He is called Mickey Todd and has been beaten up pretty badly, but is very reluctant to talk to the police. Later Nurse Cassidy sees a pregnant, young woman in the village, who also shows all the signs of a thorough beating, and patches her up. Is she the victim of the same assailant? At least she belongs to the same group of traveling hippies as he does. PC Wetherby is doing some private investigating of his own and discovers that his wife is having an affair. He takes it out on Lord Ashfordly's game keeper Frank Kelly who is found dead the next morning with his throat cut. But Kelly may also have had a clash with the hippies who falsely accused him of assaulting Mickey Todd. David has to fight the competition from another taxi company and also has problems with his own taxi. It turns out that his taxi was sabotaged, and Aunt Peggy is sure that the owner of the other company - Ma Barker - is behind it.

The police had a tip-off and searches the home of Big Frank Batley. His wife Tina claims that one of the police officers has stolen 400 pounds during the search and the money is found in DS Dawson's car.Convinced of her innocence PC Mason risks his career in an attempt to prove it. A lady in another village has died and specifically requested that Bernie Scripps handles her funeral although there are other undertakers much closer to her home. He is shocked to find out that she was an old girlfriend of his and the love of his life - and that they have a daughter Bernie knew nothing about. She was adopted after her birth and Bernies asks Oscar Blaketon to help him find her.

Les Hepplewhite is the leader of a brass band. He has high hopes for the band to regain the Wallace Cup at the upcoming contest. The same has Bill Bugde the leader of a competing band. But there is more behind their enmity than just rivalry over a trophy and the police has to step in when several members of Hepplewhite's band end up in hospital with food poisoning. Dawn is completely swept off her feet by Jonny Leigh who pulls up at Bernie's garage for some petrol. He invites her to move with him to Paris, but the other villagers think things are happening too fast and Aunt Peggy asks her to wait - at least until Gina returns from Liverpool where she has gone to see her family. The heat is on between Joe Mason and Rachel Dawson after he saved her career, but it takes its toll on the relationship between him and Carol Cassidy. Especially after Carol discovers that Rachel has spent a night with him at the police house.

Three children are exploring the garden of a sinister, old house near Aidensfield when the youngest of them, Peter, suddenly disappears. The whole village takes part in the search. The police concentrate their efforts around a mysterious van that Gina saw racing by just as the two elder kids pass her and PC Wetherby in the street; the police fear the boy has been kidnapped. Luckily he is soon found in a well near the old house, and a major rescue operation is launched. The rescue draws nationwide attention and soon Aidensfield is invaded by journalists from all over the country- including the prominent Sheridan Ralph who is very upset when he can't get a room at the Aidensfield Arms. Aunt Peggy does not hesitate to take advantage of the situation and offers him a room at her place - for at small fee of course. This decision is one she soon finds reason to regret since he is a very bothersome customer. Oscar Blaketon has other concerns than the rescue. He has noticed signs of a growing attraction between Gina and the newly divorced PC Wetherby-signs that don't go unnoticed by Sheridan Ralph either. But there might be a much more interesting story to tell when suddenly gun shots are fired from inside the old house, and it is determined that the house is inhabited by an aged and mysterious man.

A cat burglar is causing the police endless worry. He is targeting the wealthy houses of the area, and PC Mason suspects the window cleaner Tommy Hugget who has form, but his wife Betty gives him an alibi. However Mason is convinced that they are hiding something. Major Giles MacLean makes quite an impression on Carol Cassidy when he asks her for directions to Ashforly Hall. The major is on his way to his regiment reunion i Edinburgh and takes his lordship up on his offer to stay a couple of nights. But he too is the victim of the cat burglar. Aunt Peggy is outraged when David finds a young woman camping out on his field - without paying, but changes her tune when she discovers that the woman is her old friend Sofia. And she cannot get them hitched fast enough when David and Sofia feel attracted to each other. It is hard for Bernie to mind both the garage and the funeral parlour and he looks forward to Rosie's return from Australia. But not even her family has heard from her for several months, and when her sheep-shearing friend Mick turns up in Aidensfield asking for her Bernie and her father fear that something has happened to her.

DS Dawson and PC Mason go to Australia to find out what happened to Rosie. They are joined by Carol Cassidy who wants to search for her brother whom she has never met. Dawson and Mason locate Rosie's and Mick's last employer Mrs. Patterson. She sacked the young couple after Mick beat up Rosie in a row, and nobody has seen the young girl after she left town on the bus the following day. But Mason has a feeling that not everybody is telling everything they know. Back in Aidensfield Sergeant Miller has some questions for Mick who is still in the area. Meanwhile Carol finds out that her brother is called Daniel, and she puts an ad in the paper. This puts her in contact with a Doctor Cunningham who claims to know Daniel, but the doctor also has ulterior motives.

The search for Rosie continues. Mick MacDonald is no longer a suspect since PC Mason and DS Dawson have discovered that another young blonde woman - like Rosie - has disappeared in the area. All of a sudden, Carol Cassidy - also a blonde - has disappeared too. And to top it all, a stranger turns up in the town asking for her.

The teacher Jim Osgood is an advocate for iron discipline at the school in Ashfordly and does not abstain from corporal punishment. PC Mason gets involved when Osgood treats the pupil Gary Bell so rough he ends up in hospital. But Mason's hands are tied because neither the boy nor his parents will make a complaint. Furthermore Osgood attacks his colleague Wendy Kelshaw for rejecting him and intimidates her into silence. Oscar, Alf and Bernie are organizing a trip to London for the entire village. But Aunt Peggy is short of cash and sees no reason to go. Things do not get any better when she finds the tramp Ernie Dunn dead in her barn.

A car crashes on the road to Aidensfield. The driver Ellen Ferguson is badly injured while her husband and daughter get off with only minor bruises. PC Mason is sure that she was speeding, but her husband Lennie denies that. But there might be more behind it than that because Nurse Cassidy notices at mysterious man who frightens the daughter Trudi. Shortly after another stranger turns up at the hospital asking for Ellen Ferguson. Only he calls her Phillips and not Ferguson. David wins some money and uses them to buy an old Jeep which Bernie will help him restore. But it turns out that it is not any old Jeep when they find Field Marshall Montgomery's beret in it.

There is counterfeit money in circulation in Aidensfield - and lots of them. The money was made by a gang run by Jim Bly, but neither Bly nor his girlfriend Ruthie Abbott were ever captured, and DS Dawson thinks they may be in the area. Sergeant Miller gets a surprise visit from his wife. Her train broke down just outside Ashfordly and now she has been left stranded. But the good sergeant is none too pleased to see her. Especially not after she has been caught shoplifting. And she is not making things easier for him. Bernie reads in the newspaper that his big idol Judy Garland got married in London and plans to settle down in a British country house - maybe even Yorkshire. And indeed an American woman moves into one of the cottages with her husband. She calls herself Judy Dean, but soon everybody knows who she really is - or do they? Anyway Aunt Peggy cannot help cashing in on it.

When the attractive newcomer Vivienne Mackay is murdered suspicion falls on the backward George Ashton. Normally he wouldn't hurt a fly, but he got mad at her when she pushed him accidentally. But also her fiancée Dominick Billingham is in the picture since he had a row with her at the Aidensfield Arms the night before. PC Mason also has to take care of her son Scott, because Mason's mother was murdered too. Dawns cousin Vince intends to sell hot dogs and leaves his van in her care for a couple of days. Thus he will miss the Ashfordly Cup final which draws a lot of spectators and Dawn decides to use the opportunity to make some extra pocket money. She allies herself with David and that does not suit Aunt Peggy who has planned to sell backed potatoes during the match and as usual has "volunteered him" to lend her a hand.

Harry Brown has an accident when the steering gear of his tractor fails. PC Mason suspects sabotage, but Brown does not want any fuss. As a matter of fact he just wants the police to forget it ever happened. And with good reason too because Brown is not very popular with the other sheep farmers and most of them have it in for him. Old Mrs. Brooks has died and Aunt Peggy's solicitor Ronnie Smethers is the executor of her estate. Aunt Peggy offers her services to clear the house - at a reasonable charge, of course. Not surprisingly, she can't help picking out the good stuff and selling it herself. When she leaves David alone in the cottage, he hears strange noises and gets afraid they have upset the old lady's ghost. Gina has hired young, handsome Billy Garrett to help out at the Aidensfield Arms while Oscar Blaketon is away on a golfing trip to Scotland, and especially Dawn feels attracted to him. He takes her out a couple of times, but suddenly he turns moody and withdrawn and does not want to see her any more.

The Ashfordly police, and especially PC Mason, are asked to assist DI Turner from the serious crime squad investigating a series of very violent robberies in the area. One of DS Dawson's informants points the finger at Steve Dempsey. When Mason and Dawson check out Dempsey, they are spotted by Dawn, who is on a girls' night out with her friends. When she gets home, she does not hesitate to talk about seeing Mason and Dawson. Division has found out that Dawson had an affair with an unnamed police officer, and she has been put forcibly back in uniform. Mason does not want her to take the entire blame, and he turns himself in. Aunt Peggy is cleaning for the former bank manager Edward Walton - without charge for a change. When she discovers a broom cupboard full of strange things he gets very abrupt, gives her a valuable pen for her efforts, and sends her away. When Oscar Blaketon accuses her of stealing his pen she realizes that Walton has become a kleptomaniac since his wife was admitted to a nursing home and decides to help him.

Vic and Eileen Needham have a violent row, and she makes a complaint against him for destroying some of her family heirloom. She also files for divorce. And that is just the beginning. Particularly with Eileen's solicitor Sylvia Swinton on the war path. Wars have been more peaceful than that. Stan Bickle pays Aunt Peggy a visit. He brings along his daughter Josie. The two women do not get along very well. Especially not after Josie begins to make passes at David and threatens Aunt Peggys influence on him.

There has been three break-ins within a week already and the fourth item on the burglars' "shopping list" is the Aidensfield Arms. Nothing but money was taken, and the police are without a clue until Aunt Peggy and other old people receive an anonymous envelope with 20 pounds each. Money that comes from the break-ins. Furthermore Carol Cassidy saw a car in Aidensfield at the time of the break-in at the pub with a man and a woman in it. PC Mason readily admits that he was the man, but to Carol's great annoyance he does not say anything about who the woman was. Douglas Philpot asks Oscar Blaketon and Alf Ventress to look for his son Ian, whom he and his wife Mary have not heard from for three months. A colleague of his also saw him at a night club in Whitby, but that is all. The two sleuths have a feeling though that Mary Philpot knows more than she is willing to say with her husband present.

PC Younger arrests a tramp Ewart Martin, but when he puts him in the nick Martin immediately recognizes his old war buddy Sergeant Miller who is none too pleased to see him. Among Martin's things, Younger finds a business card from Leslie Rumbold, an insurance agent who was shot dead on his doorstep the same morning. Has the old tramp anything to do with the murder? Or is the perpetrator Ross Tillman, a farmer who has threatened Rumbold with his life? Another clue may be a photograph that PC Mason finds at Rumbold's office. Alf Ventress moves in at the Aidensfield Arms when his chimney goes through the roof and he needs a place to stay during repairs. Gina says he can stay for free and soon he is eating her and Oscar out of house and pub. And that is just for starters. No wonder Mrs. Ventress preferred to stay at her sister's instead. PC Wetherby has had his family staying for a couple of days, and when chances are he and his estranged wife may get back together again he asks Gina for advice. But Oscar Blaketon misunderstands and thinks Wetherby is making a pass at her again.

An unidentified man is found badly injured by the roadside near Aidensfield and PC Mason thinks he was assaulted. A complaint about a van blocking the way in Back Lane leads not only to the identity of the unknown man, but also to a load of condemned meat which has now disappeared. And soon they have the first case of salmonella poisoning. Aunt Peggy is asked to keep an eye on a mansion for three weeks. And being Aunt Peggy she cannot see why she should not make a little extra money on it herself and do some bed and breakfast in posh surroundings. Her first customer is a very surprised Alf Ventress. He had outstayed his welcome at the Aidensfield Arms - and one of the cells at the police station - and was asked to move out by Sergeant Nokes, who is filling in for Sergeant Miller. Alice Howarth asks Nurse Cassidy to look after her mother Edna who is so old it is not safe for her to be living alone anymore. But Carol is surprised to discover that the old lady is not so alone after all. Her son - Alice's brother - has returned to the area and visits her every night. Only he committed suicide twenty years ago. Dawn finds an old sewing machine and soon the only thing on her mind is sewing.

Safe breakers break in at Adams Brothers. One of them accidentally activates the alarm just as PC Mason passes on his motorbike. They manage to get away, but the next day their driver is found floating around dead in Whitby harbour. Is this the revenge of his accomplices for leaving them when the alarm went off or...? PC Mason also suspects it was an inside job because there was an exceptionally large amount of money in the safe. Meanwhile the rest of the gang stays comfortably at the Aidensfield Arms planning how to get another crack at the safe. It is Dawn's birthday and Gina organizes a surprise party for her. But Dawn is not the only one who gets surprised. Alf and PC Younger wonders why PC Wetherby disappears every day at lunch break and Oscar Blaketon bets them £5 that he can find out in a matter of hours. He gets a surprise too.

A mysterious man steals David's taxi (and his breakfast), but he does not get very far. Bernie recognizes the car and refuses to give him some petrol. The taxi robber is soon apprehended. He has obviously been in a fight because his face is bruised, and he claims he cannot remember who he is. While Nurse Cassidy takes care of his injuries, PC Mason is called out to assist Sergeant Miller. A dead woman has been found at the foot of a rock, and Miller agrees with PC Mason that the two cases are connected. Alf Ventress and Oscar Blaketon are planning a camping trip to France to see all the places they passed through during the war - on push bikes! They get a few tips from James Moncrieff, a fellow war veteran who is on holiday in Aidensfield.