04/05/2022

05/04/22 • 13 min

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Natasha unveils her new pad to Pat – it’s April Cottage! Pat declares Kathy a dark horse, while Natasha hopes this might be a nice surprise for Pat. But Pat’s quiet, and a little bit shocked. She tells Kathy they were all getting on alright at Bridge Farm, and Natasha will need all the help she can get once the babies arrive. It seemed ideal having them at the farm. Kathy apologises for upsetting Pat’s plans, but Pat says there’s no need. She’s just being selfish and can see Tom and Natasha will be thrilled to have their own place again. She declares she’ll miss Kathy terribly. Eddie reckons Ed’s got a good bunch of lambs for showing this year, but notices they’re not as good looking as usual. Ed admits he’s been concentrating more on the Texels’ liveweights and meatiness than their faces. Eddie helps him to choose a suitable handsome specimen for the Borchester Show. Miserable Oliver confides to Eddie he’s been keeping Grey Gables afloat from his own pocket – when Adil came along it was too good an offer to resist. Eddie doesn’t have a good word for Adil, but Oliver insists the new owner’s vision is well intentioned and chimes with him. He’ll miss everyone at Grey Gables, and hopes they’ll forgive him. He thought they’d appreciate his view that the buyer’s offer would be something Caroline would have wanted. Eddie counsels him to give them time; they’ll come round. Oliver wishes he could believe that.

Previous Episode

03/05/2022

Stella confides to Jolene she’s thinking of getting a dog – she has ‘empty Bungalow syndrome’. Pip joins them full of the news that Brookfield has finally settled on cattle mattresses. It will save them having huge amounts of straw bedding. Stella guesses this means her ‘muck for straw’ deal is off. She’s happy though; she’s not keen on muck spreading as a method and can easily find another buyer for Home Farm straw. A result! Later Pip informs Stella there’s unrest among some residents about the proposed movement of slurry from Brookfield to Home Farm. They agree it won’t cause any of the potential problems raised at parish council, but Pip reckons some in the village will need convincing. Adil agrees to a bonus payment for Ian, but when he finds out about Tracy’s recent Grey Gables bedroom misdemeanour, he tells Oliver she doesn’t deserve an extra payment. Roy apologises to Adil for his recent rudeness, and is forced to take back his declaration that he wouldn’t work for him and has no loyalty to Grey Gables. He’s heard about the job opportunity and would like to be considered. Adil promises to add Roy to the list of interested candidates. Jolene brings biscuits in a gesture of support for the staff. Sad Tracy’s grateful. Roy mentions a farewell for Kathy on Thursday when they have the hotel bar. Jolene agrees wryly to supply some old photos she’ll get from Kenton. Oliver hopes he and Tracy can still be friends. Tracy tells him he’s sacrificed friendship for money. She needs nothing from him.

Next Episode

05/05/2022

Roy hasn’t heard from Adil about the job at Grey Gables. He tells Kirsty he thinks he won’t be offered it and imagines Adil doesn’t want him. Their conversation stops when Tracy appears, followed a while later by Jolene with donations of food from Fallon for the staff party. As the event gets into full swing Roy introduces the surprise farewell tribute to Kathy, presenting her with a memory book. Quietly Kirsty and Tracy reminisce fondly about their years at Grey Gables. Tracy doesn’t know what she’ll do without it. This party feels like a funeral. She’s lost a good friend in Oliver and it hurts. Meanwhile Roy takes Kathy through a host of memories, Grey Gables and otherwise, including the time when Joe Grundy was in residence at the hotel and chaos ensued. Roy praises Kathy’s calm control over the years, and Kathy thanks him, in turn hailing the resilience of the staff. Later Kathy and Jolene chat. Kathy apologises for being distant at Elizabeth’s party. She thanks Jolene for digging out the old photos of her for her memory book. They agree to forgive and forget the past, and bid each other a fond farewell. Kathy, Roy and Kirsty agree it’s been a sad day. Grey Gables may be empty but it’s full of ghosts. As they close the door for the final time, it’s the end of an era.