Advanced search

Ronald Pitts wants to buy Tom Abbott's farm, but the old man does not want to sell. One morning his sheep have been let loose. Furthermore Kate Rowan suspects that there is brucellosis on his farm, because a young girl, Jane Shields, has caught the disease apparently by drinking unpasteurized milk from one of his cows. Greengrass is going to church. He has not become a holy man though, but he tries to get a reward for finding a lost heir and wants to look into the church records. PC Ventress still has not quite got the hang of driving. On a nightly patrol he parks his police car in the middle of a river trying to avoid a flock of sheep on the road. When he leaves the car to get help he hears an eerie scream.

Oscar Blaketon gets a visit from his old colleague Harry Hawkswell. Hawkswell is mistaken for the very prominent judge Yardley by a communist cell in Ashfordly, who has been ordered to kill him by their controllers in London. Unpleasantness's of another kind awaits Vernon Scripps. He is going to be inspected by the Inland Revenue because of the huge fortune he recently gained - and lost! But he still has some undeclared money and goes into the woods one night to bury it, when he is nearly killed by a puma. Or at least so he thinks.

Susan Siddons is looking after her old nanny Mary Begg, but one morning she comes to her house the old lady is dead. And that with Susan's wedding only a couple of days away. When Mary's grandson Peter, who is also Susan's old boyfriend, arrives in Aidensfield to take care of the funeral he gets a chilly reception by her father. The next day all the wedding presents have been stolen. And that is just the beginning. Kate's aunt Eileen tells her she has inherited a lot of money from her uncle. Kate initially refuses to accept the money, but then donates it to an old people's home.

Tommy Rawson breeds sheep dogs and he the favourite to win this year's trials as it has done two years previously with his dog Jess. His nearest competitor is George Harding, who is a close friend of Lord Ashfordly and used to have things his own way. When he cannot win fair and square he will stop at nothing to discredit Rawson and have his dog disqualified. Harding's wife Maureen is hardly any better. She has got severe anxiety and expects Dr. Summerbee to prescribe her pills for it at will. Vernon Scripps is providing lavatory facilities for the trials and he soon discovers that it involves more than just putting up a tent or two. Good news for Sergeant Merton. His diabetes will have no bearing on his position as sergeant at the Ashfordly police station as long as he gets his medication.

Joyce Carswell does not get along very well with her mother-in-law. The old lady dies under mysterious circumstances and it seems that Joyce has killed her. But her husband makes it look like the old woman's death was caused by a man, who has robbed several old people in Aidensfield by posing to be from the water board. Oscar Blaketon is making inquiries in a very serious matter. The Aidensfield Darts Trophy resides in the White Lion pub, but it rightfully belongs to the Aidensfield Arms. To settle the matter he and Angus Fergussson, the owner of the White Lion, agree on a final winner-takes-it-all match. David wants to play for the Arms, but when Blaketon will not let him try out for the team he joins the White Lion team instead.

Three hooligans steal a brand new Aston Martin and drive through Ashfordly in an attempt make as much vandalism as possible. They crash into a car belonging to George Adams. Adams has moved from the big city to make a fresh start in the country and does not want to get involved in anything. And with good reason. His real name is Terence Molloy and he has just been released from prison for safe cracking. Sergeant Miller warns him that he will keep an eye on him, but it does not seem to help because soon afterwards a safe is blown. Aunt Peggy's latest venture is miracle chicken food which makes chicken lay more eggs. She ensures this with cheap surplus eggs from the Common Market. Rob Walker has needed a lot of attention from Dr. Trent lately. Not that he is ill or anything. He and the attractive doctor have fallen heavily in love with each other.

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.

Ralph Harrison gives his wife Penelope his late mother's diamond necklace as a wedding anniversary present and persuades .her to wear it to the fund raising disco at the Ashfordly Grammar School. During their absence their house is broken into, but only a set of teaspoons is taken. Sergeant Merton suspects that the thief was looking for something specific. He may be right because the following day the house is broken into again and the diamond necklace is taken. Gina is afraid of spiders. Vernon Scripps thinks that hypnosis may cure her and offers his services because he is an (instant) expert on hypnosis. When he is learning how to he accidentally hypnotizes David without noticing. Sergeant Merton continues to have dizzy spells and Dr. Summerbee finds out that he is diabetic. This may be bad for the good sergeant, but it most certainly causes warm feelings to develop between him and Dr. Summerbee's secretary Jenny.

Harry Schofield's great ambition is that his son Len becomes a professional cricket player, but when Len is not accepted at cricket training, he runs away from home. Joss Harrop has a couple of mares he wants covered, but stud fees have risen and he cannot afford it. Greengrass has a perfect solution to that. They "borrow" lord Ashfordly's race horse Ashfordly Lad for a couple of hours and return the stud before anybody notices it is missing. That is a lot easier said than done. Not getting hold of the horse that is, but returning it!

Cupid's little arrows hit everybody. Even Lord Ashfordly, who surprises everybody by introducing his new wife. On the first night in Aidensfield the newlyweds are held up by two masked and armed robbers. They especially seem to be targeting Lady Ashfordly, who is assaulted again the next day, and PC Bradley is assigned as her chauffeur and body guard. Joyce Jowett's sister has died and she needs Bernie Scripps' services as an undertaker. She is very demanding and as might be expected he cannot do well - or cheap - enough.

Gary Tyler visits his girlfriend Lyn, who works as a maid at Ashfordly Hall. When he sneaks out under the cover of darkness he is shot at and wounded by Lord Ashfordly's state manager Reed. Or so they say, but PC Bradley is not quite sure. Things do not look good for Tyler, because he has a suspended sentence, but he does not want to involve Lyn although she can clear his name. Greengrass helps a stranger, who has run out of petrol. The stranger, Bill Austin, works at a local newspaper and to show his gratitude he offers Greengrass a weekly column in the paper. The old scoundrel does not hesitate to make the best of it for himself and make full use of the situation.

There has been a series of bank robberies all over North Riding, and the manager of the Northern Provincial is convinced his bank is next. He has spotted a mysterious woman hanging about for a couple of days. PC Rowan and PC Bellamy follow her to her hotel after another observation trip, but shortly after the mysterious woman moves in at the Aidensfield Arms. Phil is arranging a talent competition for his football club, and Greengrass is counting on making a kill taking bets on the outcome. To improve his good fortune he persuades Gina to get some of her friends from Liverpool to enter.

Christmas is near and Kate Rowan has arranged that Danny Parkin, who is very ill, gets home from hospital during the holidays. A trip to a sanatorium in Switzerland will do wonders for him and to earn money for the trip his siblings "borrows" Christmas trees from Lady Whitly's estate in order to sell them. The snobby, but very attractive Lady Whitly shows a lot of affection for PC Rowan, who is sent to investigate, and she is also involved in the local Christmas charity concert. The same concert needs a Santa Claus and a reluctant Greengrass is hired for the job. Not surprisingly he tries to make money on the deal. And speaking of Greengrass, somebody has nicked his lorry!

PC Bellamy takes over one of Alf Ventress' old contacts, Vic Smalley. From him he learns about Ray Craven, who is flush with money and it is not through taking sheep to market, which is his official business. But Bellamy does not exactly make the top of Sergeant Miller's charts when the police make a raid on one of Craven's lorries and find only sheep. When Gina tidies up in her guest Derek Ford's room she discovers that he works for the Inland Revenue. He is "on tour" in the area and Vernon Scripps is next on his list. In fact Scripps owes so much in back tax that he will never be able to pay it and he decides to do something drastic. Too late for him Oscar Blaketon discovers that Ford is a fraud with no connection at all to the Inland Revenue.

Andrew and Beth Jarvis have been to a party for all the children in Aidensfield, but after the party their mother Linda does not show up to collect them. As a matter of fact neither she nor her husband have been seen since she had the family Land Rover filled up and serviced at Bernie's garage. Till they are found Dr. Merrick and Jenny take care of the children while Nathaniel Clegghorn keeps Phil Bellamy and Gina on their toes looking after the livestock. But they cannot go on indefinitely and Sergeant Merton organizes a search. Their neighbour Norma Weld may have an important lead. Speaking of Bernie's garage Vernon Scripps has a lot of plans for its future and invites Bernie to an expensive dinner at a posh hotel to discuss them. But Bernie is very satisfied with the way things are and will much rather be at home.

The day of Nick's and Jo's wedding has arrived. To calm his nerves Nick takes a ride in his car when he is flagged down by a woman because of an accident. Suddenly the woman drives away in his car and Nick is stuck miles away from everywhere on the moors with an injured man on his hands. He manages to get the man to hospital, but time is getting short if he has to make it to the church in time. Sergeant Blaketon's day of retirement is nearing and he has applied for a year's extension of service, but the news from his medical exam is not good. News is not all bad though because they will also get a new police constable in Ashfordly.

When young Lottie Turner returns from a horseback ride she finds her mother's employer Charlie Weller dead on the floor. According to a new will Charlie Weller leaves his whole estate to the Turners, while his nephew Martin inherits only some minor items of family interest. Martin Weller is unpleased with the terms of the will and he doubts his uncle's death was accidental. Greengrass has promised Charlie to look after Peggy Turner and her daughter, and he is not pleased when they are approached by Ray Walker, who wants to buy Charlie's upcoming racing horse Red Rover. When accidents start to happen at Weller's estate Greengrass is sure Walker is behind it. Samantha Neilson is a planner for the county council and she wants Oscar Blaketon's support in the council for a new industrial estate close to Aidensfield. Blaketon is in favour of the estate, but the old sleuth soon smells something fishy about the whole thing.

A false PC Ventress is making the roads of North Riding unsafe, abusing traffic offenders and behaving like a real Nazi. The real PC Ventress and his colleagues decide the only way to stop him is to set a trap for him. Mrs. Challis is convinced that her neighbour opposite, Mr. Arlott, is keeping his pregnant daughter Julie against her will. The girl is freed and gives premature birth to a little girl with breathing problems. Maggie has a hard time coping with her husband's death, but the little girl's struggle to live and recovery help her deal with the situation. Oscar Blaketon is not happy to see that George Seago is back in Aidensfield and far less happy, although not surprised, to learn that Seago has business with Claude Greengrass. Seago has a ferret he wants to race, but he knows that the organizer Boy Bryden will never let him enter and asks Greengrass to do it for him.

Claude Greengrass is playing host to a group of Norwegian history students. At the same time several burglaries are investigated, and Les Gulliver is a suspect as is Andy Ryan, a new guest at the Aidensfield Arms who takes Gina's breath away. The chief constable had asked Oscar Blaketon to form and chair a crime prevention committee in Aidensfield, and Oscar sees the robbery at the brewery as an excellent opportunity for his new committee to prove its worth. Not all committee members agree with him on how to do it.. Claude's Norwegians are especially interested in historic Viking sites. Only there are not many of those around, and Claude has to find a way...

The arrival of a young American, Charlie Dameron, divides the population of Aidensfield in two. Some think he is only dodging military service in Vietnam while others do not mind his presence. Among the former is Fred Manchester, who also blames him for causing an accident. Among the latter is Claude Greengrass, who sees yet another opportunity to make some money - by selling classic motorcycles to Dameron. Only, Greengrass does not have any motorcycles to sell - yet!

The Upton family returns home only to find much of their furniture stolen and most of the rest smashed to pieces. John Upton suspects Harry Somers, who has been seeing his daughter Ruth a lot against his wishes. The Uptons move to the Aidensfield Arms while their home is repaired, but Ruth is attacked, when she returns to the house in the evening. The upcoming artist Moira Hamilton has rented a cottage in the village and is very interested in some of Greengrass' old car parts. She even paints a portrait of the old scoundrel - well sort of. Greengrass and Bernie Scripps decide also to try their luck in the world of modern art.

Ron Cooper is an old army veteran with enough illegal weapons, ammunition and explosives to run his own militia. He gets injured when a rifle backfires and is taken to hospital. Unknown to him four boys have found his collection and they "borrow" a box of ammunition not knowing how dangerous it is. Furthermore Greengrass buys some hand grenades from Cooper's helper Morris and cleans out lord Ashfordly's entire stock of trout. Meanwhile Kate Rowan's work at Radcliffe's surgery in Whitby is taking its toll on their marriage and they start to drift apart, when Kate discovers that she is pregnant.

One morning when the employees of the egg producing Rongar Farm they find the place scribbled with slogans against the use of battery hens. The owner Mervyn Sykes tries to trap the culprit when he or she returns - with tragic consequences. Greengrass uses the opportunity to start a production of eggs from free range hens, but he has no luck with it. The Aidensfield Arms is visited by the young and beautiful Loveday, who is exploring the sights of the area and needs a guide. Phil Bellamy is keen on the job. But when he goes looking for the girl he finds she has had an accident with her scooter.

Ashfordly Hall is locked up over Christmas. PC Walker discovers that someone has broken into the estate. Nothing seems to be missing, but in the library he encounters a man calling himself Ray Hallam and quietly sipping his lordship's whisky. Hallam claims to be a friend of Lord Ashfordly, who is conveniently away on holiday. Hallam is arrested, but can return to Ashfordly Hall when his lordship confirms his identity by cable. Aunt Peggy buys a lot of stuff at a fire sale including a lot of Christmas presents for Santa to - meaning David - to hand out in his grotto. Unfortunately for her Oscar Blaketon has had the same bright idea and with considerably more success.

Marjorie Doubleday is convinced that her daughter-in-law is a bad mother. When the baby is abducted from its pram outside the Doubleday's toy store suspicion falls on a group of hippies who has taken over the abandoned Featherstone Hall and has had a clash with Mrs. Doubleday. At the same time Graham Collins reports his wife Sarah missing. Sarah desperately wants to have a baby, but cannot conceive and they have had argument about it. Greengrass is training his new race horse on High Street in Aidensfield and Blaketon wants him stopped. That is easier said than done.