29/07/2024

Jakob confirms to Paul that The Stables is all clear for re-opening. Lilian wants to mark the occasion with an event the same day as the Fete – and she’s expecting the vet team to choose her over the Fete. When Alistair enters with a tin of posh biscuits from Lilian, Paul quickly makes an excuse to go out. It’s clear that Paul is still freezing Alistair and Denise out. Later, Alistair lets off steam to Jakob about just how difficult things are for him and Denise. They’re barely able to have any time together at all. Jakob though is pretty unsympathetic. Doesn’t Alistair realise it’s making his life intolerable too? When Jakob then comes across Paul and Alistair mid-blazing row, he takes Alistair to one side and outlines his own situation with Kate. He feels completely incapable of supporting her as he knows he should with the whole Alice situation. Sympathetic Alistair offers to chat through the problem with Jakob over tea and posh biscuits.
On their way to the Rehab centre to pick up Alice, Chris and Brian discuss their hopes of some real progress. Brian thinks that Alice should change her plea to guilty as part of that process and when they pick her up tells Alice that he’s already arranged an appointment with a solicitor for tomorrow. Alice is surprisingly phlegmatic, telling Chris later, after they’ve dropped Brian off, that she’s fine about it. She suggests Chris come in with her to see Martha, but he reckons she’ll be fine on her own, then wishes her luck as she goes.