1923:- The Middletons are just about surviving with their dairy farm whilst Martha has married George and Lady Clem is reluctantly hosting arrogant, promiscuous Lord Kilmartin, who can assist Edmund's political progress. Bert volunteers to be the hare in the annual hare and hounds race organized by the Allinghams with a cash prize if he avoids capture. His plan involves changing clothes with Gerard Eyre to put the hounds off the scent and, whilst he wins, Kilmartin accuses him of cheating and withholds payment. Socialist Bill Gibby arrives in the village as does a boxing booth with a financial prize given to anybody who can survive a round with Ghana Jones. Bert enters and loses though Kilmartin wins, through bribery. However , backed by Martha, Grace shames Edmund into paying Bert his money whilst Edmund's agent Bairstow blackmails Kilmartin into giving Edmund a cabinet post. Written by don @ minifie-1

Whilst John struggles to maintain his farm there are changes in the village. Nurse Joy Dangerfield arrives, to give family planning advice to the likes of Norma Hankin, whilst Hankin opens a dance hall. His son Gilbert escorts factory worker Agnes, the former mistress of Bairstow, who has had her sacked and the two men fight on the dance floor. Bairstow also recognizes that Edmund is a homosexual and makes subtle digs, upsetting Edmund's lover, Robert and causing them to break-up. Bill Gibby persuades Grace to join his Sunday cycling club and she is impressed by his commitment to socialism though her husband disapproves of the friendship. Martha returns to teaching, Bert wrongly assuming that she has sent him a love letter, which in fact came from station master's daughter Phoebe Rundle, who encourages his talent for photography. Written by don @ minifie-1,carla godfrey

John starts to make a success of the farm at last whilst Grace and Bill try to get Agnes reinstated at the factory. Clem tells Edmund that, as a prospective member of parliament, he should not give his opponent Labour candidate Bill a martyr and Agnes is taken on by Norma Hankin as her maid. When Bairstow reveals her pregnancy Norma sacks her and she prepares to leave the village but the adoring Gilbert stops her. Kilmartin's daughter Harriet arrives at the Allinghams with Clem anxious that she should marry Edmund, Harriet thinks it's a good idea...but for different reasons. Bert starts to date Phoebe and Bill, voted for by George and Grace but not John, wins the election to be the local MP. Emboldened by this victory Grace challenges Edmund to give the name and details of the child born to Caro and her son Joe. Written by don @ minifie-1 carlagodfrey

Bert considers leaving the village after receiving a postcard from Ghana Jones in London. Meanwhile he acts as best man as Gilbert marries Agnes. Arnold Hankin holds a reception in his dance hall and is positive about the marriage but his bitter wife Norma resents the fact that Gilbert has married a woman who bore another man's child. After the wedding Martha and Gerard succumb to passion in the schoolroom whilst Bert and Phoebe go for a walk on the moors and are confronted by a sour-faced gamekeeper as the Allinghams are now fencing off the land. On the morning of his wedding to Harriet Lady Clem discovers that Edmund is, indeed, a homosexual after catching his lover sneaking out of his bedroom early. but makes him go through with the marriage for show. Bill Gibby returns after nearly a year away to Grace's delight and joins her, Robin the vicar, Bert and others in a protest march on the newly-enclosed land. John races to stop Grace but is shot when guns are turned on the peaceful ... Written by don @ minifie-1, carlagodfrey

As John lies in a coma two hectoring policemen arrive, more intent on proving the villagers were trespassing than finding out who shot John. Grace seeks help from Bill, whose declaration of love for sets tongues wagging. Principled George, a journalist, is leaned on by his family to demonize the ramblers and by the police to incriminate Gilbert, Bert and Gerard, refusing the latter. He is under more stress when Martha leaves him for Gerard, though the Allinghams will not sanction a divorce. With the lads on trial for trespass Bairstow seeks to discredit Bill as a witness but an act of altruism by George leads to a not guilty verdict and grounds for a divorce. Written by don @ minifie-1

Lady Clem makes it clear that she will block any divorce as Martha moves back with her father, who is now living with Joy Dangerfield. Caro demands to see her son but the family informs her that he is dead and she attempts suicide. She is rescued by Bairstow who locates the child and brings him to Caro, who in turn takes him to see the Middletons, John making a full recovery, thanks to Phoebe's speech therapy. Edmund attempts to sack Bairstow but is thwarted when the agent threatens to reveal his sexuality. Bill Gibby, whose party is out of power but is leader of the city council in Sheffield, returns. He is anxious to build a reservoir to bring clean water to Sheffield but it will involve flooding the village as Grace discovers, announcing the plan to the villagers, who give her whole-hearted support in opposing it. Sour Norma Hankin has cause to smile though on discovering that she is pregnant, Martha and Gerard flee the country to work in Africa and Bert proposes to Phoebe, who ... Written by don @ minifie-1