Josh Roberts is a first class vet, but he also has developed a drinking problem after his wife's death and is almost always drunk. He forces sergeant Craddock off the road one night and Craddock orders his constables to be on a special lookout for drunken drivers in general and Roberts in particular. That does not scare off Roberts, who considers himself safe because he is the only vet in the area and he stages his own little, private war against the sergeant. There is a country fair in Aidensfield and Greengrass sees yet another opportunity to earn a quit or two and opens a stall just outside the fair and leaves David in charge. And he has some real bargains. Especially the sheep skin rugs! Phil tries to make a good impression on Sue Driscoll, the new secretary at the Ashfordly police station.

Indian Dr. Deepak Rall visits Dr. Bolton. He has practiced in Kenya and wants to hear about his prospects in the area. Dr. Rall is obviously a highly qualified doctor, but not everybody in the village likes his dark skin. Claude Greengrass has had another bright idea. Old Mr. Greaves has bought himself a guest house after having driven a mobile shop for years and Greengrass figures there must be a gold mine in mobile shops just waiting for him. He may be right, because especially tinned, Polish steak is a big hit although nobody can read the Polish labels.

Terry Matthews wants to marry his girlfriend Mel, but her father is against it so they plan to elope. Mel says goodbye to her mother and her friend Karen and the next thing she knows is that she is locked up in a room at an unknown house. Greengrass has opened a cat sitting service. That is David do the sitting and Greengrass do the financial bit. The first customer is Mrs. Leacock, but she brings not just a cat, but also a dog, a lama and a goat.

Ned Hall reports an UFO flying silently over his head one night he is collecting his sheep. He is not the only one. Sue's uncle Barry Watson and - of all people - Oscar Blaketon have made the same observation. When PCs Bellamy and Bradley investigate they find the body of cyclist Paolo Ermini near the place of Hall's sighting. Ermini was somewhat of a womanizer, and before he arrived Tony Eccles was the big name in the local bicycle club, so naturally he was not too popular with Eccles either. And there is still the UFO! Greengrass has thought up a new get very rich very quick scheme. Garden gnomes! Only much to his surprise his garden gnomes do not look very much like gnomes. More like Chairman Mao.

Lord Ashfordly's sister Patricia Brewster is visiting her brother to present her new fiancée Ronnie Harper. Sober. While his lordship is giving an engagement party in their honour one of his guests is burgled and another one was the previous night. Lady Patricia asks her fiancée, who has a criminal record, if he knows something about it, and the police have an eye on Harper too. Harper on the other hand has both his eyes set on Gina who is not insusceptible to his charm. Greengrass is harbouring two workmen, Keith and Chas, who do some renovations around the village. Among other things they are refitting Oscar Blaketon's bathroom, and he smells a rat.

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.

Two young men try to rob a bookmaker's shop in Malton, but they are frightened off when their gun does not fire. During their escape one of the men, Peter Corcoran, injures his partner Nathaniel Cooper when he test fire the gun in the car. They dump their car in a stream and set out in opposite directions. Cooper hitches a hike with the gipsy - sorry, traveller - Johnny Lee, who is on his way to the horse fair in Aidensfield. Lee hides him and disposes of the gun. The police soon pick up Corcoran, and Lee turns against Cooper when the latter breaks into the Aidensfield Arms against his promise not to do any crimes. Another traveller, Derek Egan, persuades Greengrass to organize a race for travellers and their carriages and allows the old scoundrel to take bets on the outcome in return.

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.

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.