The series opens with the struggles of widower Meg, running her fairly recently opened business venture with only the help of her daughter Jill and a few ‘as and when’ staff from the nearby village of Kings Oak such as Vi. The motel is expecting a full-time chef as the business is picking up while Meg’s schoolboy son Alexander (known as Sandy) is more of a hindrance in the daily running of the establishment rather than a help.
Meg is almost assaulted in the establishing cliffhanger, however, wins the drunken construction worker round in episode two, with son Sandy arriving just in time. Jill isn’t so lucky and is slapped by Frank Gillow for her trouble later, luckily for the family a handsome stranger offers his services as a handyman and Meg is keen to take him up on this – since the death of her husband Charles, there has been a lack of men at the one-time B&B. Meg is also shocked to discover her new chef, arriving from Spain, isn’t a woman but a big temperamental fella called Carlos. Awkwardly sharing the female wing of Meg’s home.
Elsewhere Meg’s sister Kitty oversees the local store in Heathbury, a centre point for gossip although she’s not a fan of such tittle-tattle when it concerns her family. Her husband Dick recently lost his job, and attempts to find work has proved difficult. He however has been thrown a lifeline with an offer of a business partnership, but he needs to find the money to fund it. Their son Brian is dating Janice Gifford a very, it seems, difficult girl for Kitty to get along with.
Jill had attempted to sneak away to London in the hope of getting a job at Silhouette Magazine where her friend Sarah works, however, Philip had thwarted her efforts. Philip himself was revealed to be an army deserter on the run, having been accused of theft. He persuaded Kitty, Jill and Sandy to believe he’s innocent and just needs time to prove it.
Dick has been offered a business partnership with Victor if he can raise £2000, but his options are running out. Brian and Janice seem to be looking for different things as their romance hit a rough patch, not helped by a disastrous dinner when she met Dick and Kitty for the first time.
Meg suggested Kitty join her in the motel business, but the offer was turned down. Sandy was injured just after bonfire night when some teenage thugs chucked fireworks towards the motel. Carlos injured Marilyn’s heart when after a snog or two he revealed he was already married.
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