Episode 528

Extended Summary

Steven is cooking breakfast at the Fletcher house when Carly comes downstairs. He is distracted trying to keep an eye on both the toast and eggs and manages to burn them both. Carly offers to keep an eye on the toast for him. She hopes Pippa will have stopped pretending everything’s fine but Steven reminds her they’re supposed to be going easy on Pippa. He tells her about Pippa sitting up the previous night waiting for a phone call saying everything was okay. Pippa comes down and apologises for her behaviour, saying she was convinced it was going to be a mistake or a bad dream and Tom was fine. Carly hugs her and Steven puts an arm round them.

At the Diner, Adam is looking through the job adverts in a newspaper and wonders what a machinist is. Grant says if he doesn’t know he can’t do it and Bobby tells him he probably won’t get a job straightaway. Alf arrives and tells Bobby he’s been onto the funeral director to arrange to view Tom’s body that afternoon. He thinks they should put back the launch of their election campaigns. Bobby says she’s thinking of pulling out but Alf says Tom wouldn’t want that and persuades her to just put it on hold. Adam notices the surf club needs a cleaner and asks Alf about it. Alf reminds him he was fired from the surf club and made a mess of the cupboards and is only allowed in there because he’s a member, which Alf is trying to fix.

Bridget is relaxing at the Stewart house and watching the television, annoying Ailsa who is getting ready to go to the Diner. Emma comes through on her way to school and Ailsa reminds her they’ve got parent/ teacher evening that night. Emma says she hasn’t got a black dress for Tom’s funeral but Ailsa says it doesn’t have to be black and there’s no point buying something she’ll only wear once. Bridget, however, says it’s best to be traditional and she’ll buy her something. Meanwhile, at the surf club, Adam tries to get Matt to put a word in for him with Alf about the job. Matt is reluctant, since he doesn’t think Alf will change his mind, but Adam reminds him he needs the money to pay the rent.

Carly is putting up the washing outside the house. She hands Steven a shredded piece of paper she found in his pocket after it had been through the machine. He realises it was a note about the parent/teacher night. He wants to get started on all the jobs Tom didn’t get done, like a new sign for the caravan park. Carly has taken the day off work and offers to help him. Alf comes past on his way into the house. Pippa has just received a condolence call from Gordon Macklin. Alf thinks Gordon should be ashamed for working Tom too hard but Pippa says they all put too much pressure on him and it’s no use trying to apportion blame. Alf tells her about the viewing but Pippa is horrified by the idea and says she doesn’t want anyone looking at Tom’s body.

At the Diner, Bridget tells Ailsa that Emma won’t be able to look after Duncan because of their dress shopping. She says Ailsa will have to pay someone. As she leaves, Bobby wonders why Ailsa doesn’t do anything about her but Ailsa says whatever happens Emma will take Bridget’s side. She complains that she can’t take time off with Carly not there so Bobby says she’ll get Carly to come in, pointing out she was just as close to Tom as she was. At the store, Alf refuses to be moved by Matt pleading Adam’s case, telling him about Steven and Carly doing Tom’s jobs and saying Adam would never think of doing anything like that. At the surf club, a job hunter arrives asking about the cleaner’s post but Adam tells him it’s already been filled. Matt comes back just after the man has left and tells Adam Alf won’t budge but Adam is convinced he’ll change his mind. Matt doesn’t seem to notice that Adam has written on the job advert poster that the position is filled.

Steven and Carly are painting the sign at the caravan park, filling in the outlines Tom left, when Bobby arrives. She tells Carly they need her help because of the lack of babysitter. Carly doesn’t feel like facing the customers but Bobby says life has to go on and Carly agrees. Pippa comes out with some drinks for Carly and Steven. Bobby mentions the viewing but Pippa says it’s not going to happen. The three of them are bewildered and follow her back to the house. Pippa tells them when she was seven her grandmother died and her parents took her to view the body. Her grandmother was always a jolly woman and her body was just a dead thing in a box. Pippa had nightmares about it and has never been able to remember what she was like when she was alive. She doesn’t want anyone to remember Tom like that.

At the Diner, Ailsa is looking after Duncan while Bridget and Emma prepare to go shopping. Ailsa isn’t happy about Emma missing half a day of school but Emma says Steven and Sophie have taken the day off because of Tom. She asks Bridget to write a note to Don excusing her. Bridget tells Ailsa she’ll be accompanying Emma to the parent/teacher evening. Meanwhile, Grant has called round the Fletcher house to offer Pippa his condolences. Steven and Carly come through in their best clothes. They’re going to go and see Tom because they don’t want to regret not saying goodbye. Pippa doesn’t object. They meet up with Alf, Ailsa and Bobby at the Diner. As they’re about to leave, Ailsa realises Duncan needs changing and heads through to the kitchen. Steven notes Christopher’s the same and he, Bobby and Carly share a story about how he twice kicked up a fuss when they were halfway to a show and stopped them going and how Tom just collapsed into laughter about it. Alf says it’s a good memory to have and they lapse into an awkward silence as they contemplate what Pippa said. Ailsa comes back through, ready to go, but after a moment’s pause both Carly and Alf say that none of them are going.

Alf heads back to the surf club where Adam is playing pool and chides him for wasting his time. Alf asks about applicants for the cleaner’s job and notices Adam’s addition to the advertisement. He eventually caves in and tells Adam he starts the following day. Meanwhile, Pippa is sitting alone on the sofa when Steven, Carly and Bobby arrive home. They all crowd around her and tell her she was right: They want to remember Tom the way he was.