Episode 3830 (29th August 2004)

Plot
Nicola does her utmost to prevent Laurel from leaving the village but after failing miserably she sadly confesses that she will miss her best friend. Meanwhile, Ashley is equally distraught at the thought of losing Laurel, but unintentionally offends her when he offers a constant flow of advice on Africa. Feeling belittled, Laurel tells him she doesn’t need his help anymore and is adamant that she’s going whether he likes it or not. Over at the church, Emily worries when she overhears Debbie telling Ethan that she would like to help with the harvest festival. Not wanting them to be left alone together, Emily insists that she help too and gently reminds Debbie that she is only 14 and should try to find some friends her own age. Edna warns Len that he will lose Pearl if he insists on making her choose between him and her son. Len takes her comments on board and tells Pearl he doesn’t want them to break up, reassuring her they will get through this together.

Regular cast

 * Ashley Thomas - John Middleton
 * Laurel Potts - Charlotte Bellamy
 * Pearl Ladderbanks - Meg Johnson
 * Len Reynolds - Peter Martin
 * Rodney Blackstock - Patrick Mower
 * Nicola Blackstock - Nicola Wheeler
 * Val Lambert - Charlie Hardwick
 * Ethan Blake - Liam O'Brien
 * Jarvis Skelton - Richard Moore
 * Edna Birch - Shirley Stelfox
 * Debbie Jones - Charley Webb
 * Emily Kirk - Kate McGregor
 * Chas Dingle - Lucy Pargeter
 * Sadie King - Patsy Kensit
 * Sydney Woolfe - Nathan Gladwell
 * Diane Blackstock - Elizabeth Estensen
 * Louise Appleton - Emily Symons

Guest cast
None