Episode Guide (Series 1)
This guide is copyright material. No unauthorised reproduction is permitted
1: Losing Grantleigh Manor (30 Sep 79)
Audrey fforbes-Hamilton becomes the sole owner of Grantleigh Manor when her husband Martin dies. Unfortunately, her solicitor tells her that the manor will have to be sold to pay off all of the debts left by Martin.
Audrey is determined not to lose the manor, so she raises money from relatives to cover the cost of buying Grantleigh when it comes up for auction. She doesn't raise quite enough money, however, and the manor is bought by a businessman named Richard de Vere.
2: The New Owner (7 Oct 79)
Audrey is packing, ready to leave Grantleigh Manor. She tells Brabinger to dispose of a hideous alligator lamp. Brabinger suggests leaving it behind for the new owner and Audrey agrees. After the packing is finished, Brabinger brings the Rolls around to the front door, where the staff are assembled to bid farewell to Audrey.
The car pulls away ... and stops outside the old lodge at the end of the drive. Audrey has bought the lodge and now plans to live there. Meanwhile, Richard arrives at the Manor along with his mother, who keeps saying "It's just like 1939, the day we left Czechoslovakia". Some time later, Audrey gets a visit from Richard's mother, who returns home and suggests to Richard that he should hire the "young widow" who's just moved into the Old Lodge as his social secretary.
Richard later bets Audrey £50 that he can persuade the "young widow" at the Lodge to become his social secretary, not knowing that the "young widow" is, in fact, Audrey herself.
Audrey returns home to discover that Richard's mother has sent the alligator lamp to the Old Lodge as a housewarming present.
3: Rhythms Of The Earth (14 Oct 79)
It's Richard de Vere's first Sunday at Grantleigh, and he fails to attend church. Audrey takes him to task about this and about the other "duties" she thinks he's "shirking". Richard's mother also scolds him for entertaining a lady in his dressing gown. Old Ned tries to mend the church clock, which keeps striking thirteen.
4: The Fireplace (21 Oct 79)
Richard de Vere is having some alterations made to Grantleigh. Audrey is appalled when she learns that he's having old fireplaces removed. She visits Richard to complain, but he ignores her complaints and asks her to help him to buy a horse.
When she returns home, she discovers that Brabinger, who has been installing the wiring for a system of bells within the Lodge, has accidentally demolished her fireplace. However, Audrey is delighted to find that the demolition has revealed a wonderful old Inglenook hearth.
The next day, Audrey goes off with Richard to help him to buy a horse. When she returns home, she is horrified to find that Richard has had her wonderful old hearth replaced by the old fireplace from Grantleigh's library. She's even less pleased when Richard tells her that a wonderful old Inglenook hearth was revealed when his workmen removed a fireplace from one of the bedrooms at Grantleigh.
5: The Hunt Ball (28 Oct 79)
It's almost time for the Hunt Ball, held every year at Grantleigh Manor. Audrey assumes that she'll be asked to organise it, as usual. Richard, however, asks Marjorie to deal with the arrangements, then "forgets" to invite Audrey.
Also appearing:
Shaun Curry (CSM Godbolt); Paul Barber (Mackenzie McLeod)
6: The Grapevine (4 Nov 79)
Audrey doesn't want to admit that she can't afford to go away on holiday, so she pretends to leave and then hides away at home for a week.
Richard hears that rumours are spreading which suggest that he might have made his fortune by less-than-honest means. He suspects that remarks made by Audrey may have been the sourece of the rumours. When he discovers that Audrey only pretended to go on holiday, he tells her that he'll keep quiet about it on condition that no more "innocent remarks" are made about his business activities.
7: The TV Commercial (11 Nov 79)
Audrey is having money problems. The the bank manager recommends a cutback in spending and local shops won't give her any more credit. Audrey decides to make her first-ever trip to a supermarket, one owned by Richard De Vere.
Meanwhile, Richard has agreed to allow Grantleigh Manor to be used in a commercial for tonic water. He will play the "Lord of the Manor", dressed in hunting pink, and Brabinger is persuaded to appear as the butler.
When the director visits Audrey to ask for permission to borrow her Rolls Royce for the filming, she talks him into using her in the commercial instead of Richard.
Also appearing:
Bob Roberts (Blain Fairman)
Special
Christmas At Grantleigh (25 Dec 79)
Audrey and Richard become rivals over the Christmas decorations for the church. Audrey decides to provide the crib, as she's always done. Unfortunately, her contribution turns out to be a disaster, while Richard's contribution is rather more impressive.