Episode 579

Extended Summary

Pippa is trying to feed Christopher while Gina remarks that you have to be firm with children and a neighbour of hers lets her child do what they want. Sophie storms through the room and Gina says that with so many children there’s bound to be problems. Meanwhile, Francesca is following Steven around the caravan park. He reiterates that he’s got a girlfriend but Francesca accuses him of lying and never having been kissed before. Grant comes out of his caravan and Steven hastily takes the opportunity to go and fix his fridge.

At the Diner, Grant and Matt have breakfast together and Grant jokes about their friends getting married so there’s fewer and fewer of them. Matt says that Grant is most likely to be next. Alf appears, having brought some ice cream for Bobby, and Matt comments on how he’s doing deliveries on foot now. Alf reassures Grant that he doesn’t blame Jane anymore. Grant suggests Alf uses a pushbike. Alf is uncertain, especially when Matt reminds him Celia used to use one, saying he hasn’t ridden a bike in thirty years. Meanwhile, Steven is on the phone to Viv but when Pippa realises what he’s doing she makes him end the call, reminding him it’s too expensive. Gina remarks privately to Pippa that she doesn’t think girls that age should have boyfriends so she’s glad Francesca doesn’t. She insists on doing the vacuuming, saying she’s not a guest but a member of the family.

In Ben’s caravan, Ben, Adam, Matt and Carly are discussing organising Ben’s bucks night. Carly isn’t keen on the idea, saying they’re just going to get drunk. Adam says that he’s heard her hen’s party was pretty wild, claiming he knows a waiter who saw the whole thing. Ben thinks Adam’s just joking but it’s enough to make Carly beat a hasty retreat. Ben says they can’t organise anything until Angelo, his cousin who’s going to be best man, arrives. Meanwhile, Grant has fitted Alf out with a bike and he prepares to ride it up the track out of the caravan park. Alf is a bit wobbly, going in all directions, and when a car comes speeding through the gate he ends up falling into the grass while avoiding it. Grant has to restrain Alf from going for the driver as they argue. Then Ben and Adam appear and Ben enthusiastically greets the driver: It’s Angelo, his best man. Grant explains to Angelo that Alf is giving the bride away.

Emma is loading up deliveries outside the store when Pippa and Sophie approach. She semi-jokingly tells Pippa she could deliver anything she wants but Pippa replies that she likes to browse and goes inside. Sophie tells Emma that she and Viv are still her friends, even though she’s living at the Fletchers’, and tells her she saw Steven kissing Francesca. Inside, Marilyn quizzes Pippa about the Lucini family. Pippa makes it clear that there’s no eligible males among them but Marilyn insists she just wanted to know who she could expect in. She suggest Pippa get some spaghetti but Pippa says Gina is cooking her own pasta dishes so she’ll stick to what she knows. Alf comes in with his busted bike and tells Pippa about Angelo turning up at her place. Marilyn is very interested to know whether he’s single or not.

In the caravan, Angelo and Adam are both keen to get on with the bucks night. Ben tells them to go easy on the booze, since he doesn’t want to turn up at the church with a hangover, and warns Angelo not to pull any tricks. Meanwhile, Steven is coming out of the toilet block when Emma approaches, saying she knows about him kissing Francesca and she’s going to tell Viv. Steven insists Francesca’s after him and he’s been cleaning the men’s toilets because it’s the only place she wouldn’t follow him. Emma agrees to give him a chance. Angelo goes up to the house and meets Gina and Francesca. Once Gina is out of the room, Angelo starts flirting with Francesca but she rebuffs him, saying there’s someone else. Angelo goes storming over to Steven in the barbeque area and warns him to stay away from Francesca.

In Grant’s caravan, Steven moans about everything that’s been going on to Grant. He’s worried it might mess things up between him and Viv. Grant tells him he needs to tell Francesca straight. Pippa arrives at the house with the groceries and finds Gina has made a pasta salad for lunch and prepared veal for dinner. She introduces him to Angelo, who she calls the black sheep of the Lucini family. Steven comes in and asks to talk to Francesca. She takes him up to the bedroom where Steven begins to tell her that she’s attractive and he enjoyed kissing her before Angelo comes in and repeats his warning. Steven leaves and Francesca berates Angelo for ruining things between them.

At the store, Alf has finished fixing the front wheel of the bike and prepares to test it out by giving it a ride. He asks Marilyn to keep an eye on things until Emma comes back from the deliveries. Not long after he’s gone out, Marilyn hears a crash. She runs out to find Alf and the bike under the wheels of Emma’s range rover. Not only is the bike wrecked again but Alf has sprained his ankle.

That night, Carly and Ben are in his caravan spending time together. Ben points out to Carly that for all her worries, everything has turned out all right. In the house, Pippa goes up to bed. As soon as she’s out of the way, Francesca sneaks out of her room and goes downstairs, where Steven is asleep in a camp bed. She wakes him up and, despite his flustered reaction, takes her robe off and gets into bed with him. Pippa turns the light on and demands to know what’s going on.