There is a new face at the police station in Ashfordly. Probationary PC Tom Nicholson. He is a transfer from Scarborough, where he made quite a splash of himself and even hit the front page of the local newspaper. So PC Bellamy and PC Ventress decide to have a little fun at his expense. A number of items have gone missing from Lord Ashfordly's African collection. Lord Ashfordly is contacted by Chief Daniel Moketso, who asks his lordship to return some items which belong to his tribe's legacy, and the missing items are part of that legacy. Vernon Scripps tries his luck running a taxi service. If only it was not for the customers.

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.

Steve and Amy are two of a group of squatters who move into Geoff Lawson's empty cottages on Oddy's Field. When Lawson hears about it he tries to get the squatters out, but that is easier said than done, and the squatters make Lawson look like a fool time and time again. When not even a court possession order helps three thugs break into the cottages to remove the squatters by force. Lawson is the prime suspect, but when the police catch the bullies they say they were hired by a woman. PPC Nicholson feels he is kept out of the investigation, follows up on a lead and questions Amy, who is very pregnant with Steve's baby. As expected Nicholson only screws things up - and triggers off the birth of Amy's baby.

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.

Sergeant Craddock has been promoted and a new sergeant is expected at Ashfordly police station. His name is Dennis Merton and he is an ex-CID. From their patrol car PC Ventress and PPC Nicholson spot the disqualified driver Paul Rogers going in the opposite direction in his car after seeing his girlfriend Sandra, but Rogers denies having been driving when they confront him. His father Ken Rogers has had CID chasing his tail for years, and by going after Paul the Ashfordly police land themselves in the middle of a major CID investigation. David is out of form from sitting in the taxi and wait for customers. Vernon Scripps supervises David's training and spots the talented boxer Jeremy Purves. Scripps has high hopes for his new protégé, but despite his talents Purves lacks the deciding punch.

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.