As Edith Benton has to leave for a family visit Greengrass and David get the job to lead her poodle through the Ashfordly Championship Dog Show. A couple of valuable candlesticks are stolen from the church and The Reverend's daughter is in love with a young man that her mother is hostile to.

A new bank manager is very unwilling to lend out money and his son moves away from home in sympathy with the empty-handed. Bellamy and Gina prepare expensive luxury as Christmas gifts to each other.

Glenda Marriot wants her aunt Mrs. Barton to sell her farm and move to an old people's home, but the old lady says she can still manage together with her farmhand Jed Harrison. Glenda tries to take legal steps to make her sell, but somebody must be more intent on getting the old lady out and tries to scare her away. Vernon Scripps' latest idea is hot rods. He wants Bernie to build him one so that he can race it. PC Ventress is showing Special Constable Harold Emney around when he sees Gina leaving the maternal ward at Ashfordly Hospital. Of course he puts two and two together and gets five and before long everybody knows that she is pregnant - everybody that is except Gina and the assumed father Phil Bellamy.

Russian chess champion Leonid Vorodin passes through Ashfordly Hall on his way around Britain and his lordship asks sergeant Craddock for a permanent police presence during his stay. This does not prevent a burglar to break into the manor during the night and steal some of Lord Ashfordly's precious chess sets. Vorodin plans to defect with the aid of his British press secretary Anna Young. But Sychen and Zaikov from the Russian embassy are on to their plans. Greengrass has decided to sell his cottage in Aidensfield in order to buy a house in the Caribbean. While David can move back to his mother Vernon has no place to go and does his best to discourage potential buyers.

The boy who caused damage to the police property runs off with his 16 year old girlfriend. The girlfriend falls ill after drinking contaminated water.

Vernon eventually persuades Oscar to try a slot machine in the pub. He says he will pay for the winnings himself. Vernon doesnt realise the machine has been fixed by a friend of Bernie's, meaning Oscar enjoys a busy night of trade, eventually the man who fixes the machines foots the bill.

Vernon conducts tours of Ashfordly Hall. During a tour, a valuable painting vanishes. A journalist, who had caught Ventress asleep whilst on duty, photographed him. Later, when Ventress & Blaketon see the photo, they recognise the culprit - a known thief.

A forced entry to a Goldsmiths keeps the poilce busy. Craddock is furious to learn one of the suspects escaped from the hospital whilst Tom had fallen asleep! Mr. Veritable, a known cricket player turns up in Aidensfield, but its not long before suspision is aroused and it turns out he was behind the theft.

A family feud over land escalates with a fight in the pub, partly provoked by Tom. Unknown to the two families involved, 2 of them from opposing sides used to go out with each other. Thankfully, Alf calms both parties down, and talks some sense into them.

Saul Arkwright walks his dog close to Lord Ashfordly's estate when the dog is shot by one of Lord Ashfordly's guests Oliver Langley. Since Langley just drives off nearly hitting Arkwright in the process the latter see no other alternative than to make a complaint to the police. When the police do not do enough in his opinion Arkwright takes matters in his own hand. Vernon Scripps has had a new "bright" idea. He has bought a surplus U.S. Army half-track tank to drive tourists around the countryside. But since he has a boil in a very private place David has to drive the half-track for him. David only flattens half the village trying to get the hang of it.

Ventress fears for his job and his sanity when Blaketon sees a man whom they certified dead fifteen years previously. Meanwhile, the villagers are sceptical when Vernon finds gainful employment

Meanwhile Mike is worried about Tricia as she returns to work, but she is determined that she is ok.

Merton's cousin, the famous singer-songwriter Deborah Vine, arrives in Aidensfield to find a secluded location in which to work.

Mike is horrified when Tricia gets involved with a racehorse trainer, and Vernon has a surprise visit from a long-lost sibling.

Lord Ashfordly is concerned about falling royalties from High Rigg Quarry and asks Blaketon to investigate. The police are concerned about a quantity of explosives which have gone missing from the quarry just before a visit by the defence minister.

Mike takes on his first big CID job after getting a tip-off. Vernon persuades Dr Merrick that the surgery needs a face-lift.

Things get complicated for Steve when he falls for the beautiful daughter of a Polish violinist staying at Ashfordly Hall. Vernon is visited by two long-lost cousins claiming to have an irresistible business proposition.

Steve tries his hand at community policing when he takes a group of troublesome lads on an outward bound course. Vernon tries to get involved with Eastern mysticism when a visiting guru needs premises for a meditation course.

Merton and his team set out to find the saboteur behind a series of rigged accidents in the lead-up to the Aidensfield Hill Climb, an annual race for motor cars. Meanwhile, Liz Merrick grows concerned about a man sleeping rough who she suspects may be suffering from asbestos poisoning, and Vernon finds - then loses - a fortune.

Walker is forced to confront his past when he undertakes his own unofficial investigation into a series of violent robberies around Aidensfield. Helen has to come to terms with the fact that her marriage is probably over when Matthew's mistress appears in the village, and David finds himself involved in some shady behaviour.

Bellamy and Walker hunt for a batch of stolen Russian icons, and suspect the victim of an assault at the Aidensfield Arms might be involved when they discover his criminal connections. Vernon embarks on another harebrained scheme when he meets an Italian truffle salesman, while Helen is puzzled by a youngster's baffling medical history.

Bellamy tries to impress Miller by going it alone, while the arrival of tax inspector Derek Ford gets the residents of Aidensfield panicked. Vernon bears the brunt of Ford's wrath when his dodgy dealings and poor record-keeping are exposed, convincing the wheeler dealer the only way to avoid trouble is to fake his own suicide.

Clare finds herself under suspicion when a wild party ends in tragedy with a drugs-related death, and Miller is annoyed to have to reprimand Walker once again when he discovers his participation in the drunken revelling. David is put in a tricky situation when his Aunt Peggy arrives in Aidensfield and sets up an illegal vodka still, while Ventress is quick to reveal the newcomer's dubious history to Oscar and Gina.