The whole village and especially Mike Bradley mourn over the death of Dr. Summerbee. She is temporarily replaced by Dr. James Alway. Gina refuses to serve Bobbie Gray, because he is underage, but when he refuses to leave he gets into a fight with PC Bradley and PC Bellamy. The case ends in court, but Gray is acquitted by the presiding judge Charles Robertson. When Gray is arrested for a robbery he has committed Robertson confirms his alibi, because Bobbie Gray is actually his son. But it would have been healthier for Gray to stay in jail. On his way from Robertson's estate to the village he is the victim of a hit-and-run accident. Maggie Byrne turns up in the Aidensfield Arms and asks for her old friend Vernon Scripps. She is short of cash and asks Vernon to sell her engagement ring for her.

PC Bellamy set off in pursuit of a pursuit of a man, who supposedly stole the purse of Alice Armstrong. He does not catch the guy, but manages to retrieve the purse - minus her money. He is sure he will catch the culprit, but it may take some time because a series of break-ins at fashionable estates keep the police in Ashfordly occupied. The burglar may be a member of a small circus, which Vernon Scripps puts up for the winter. Scripps persuades Lord Ashfordly to let the exotic animals graze on his estate and open a wildlife park. But they may get more than they bargained for when the whole circus turns up and the animals escape and scatter all over Aidensfield. Col. Barber is very fond of telling stories about his exploits during the war, but his memory may not be what it used to be. Maybe it never was?

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.