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.

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?

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.