Episode 3800 (25th July 2004)

Plot
Tom decides he’s had enough deception from his sons and summons them to Sunday lunch. After the meal, he tells Charity and Sadie he’d like a few minutes alone with his sons. When Tom asks them whether there’s anything they’d like to tell him, he grows angry as Matthew and Jimmy attempt to invent more excuses and point the finger at Carl. When Tom reveals that Carl told him what happened to Paul, Matthew is livid. As the brothers blame each other, Carl reveals that Matthew is buying Siobhan’s house. Tom can’t believe his ears. Angry and upset by the way his sons have behaved, Tom tells them that he was planning to hand the running of the family business over to Matthew upon his retirement. He tells them Sadie’s dog now has more chance of taking over the business than they do. Tom is angered further as Jimmy and Matthew protest to him about their suitability to takeover the business. As Carl walks from the confrontation, Matthew takes a swing at him and Jimmy has to intervene to keep his brothers apart. Determined not to be seen as living off of Alan’s money, Shelley busies herself with work at the B&B. Alan is frustrated that she won’t sit down and relax with him. Shelley feels uncomfortable as she signs a form giving her access to a joint account Alan has set up. Later in The Woolpack, Alan is surprised at the amount of attention his future is attracting. Val tells him that Shelley is the envy of every woman in the village now that they are off to Spain. Alan wonders whether he’s being too hasty, Rodney tells him there’s nothing wrong with living his dream. Sam makes himself useful in Edna’s garden, but Shadrach tells him he is wasting his time and will soon find himself behind bars. Lisa is shocked when she discovers a bundle of letters from the magistrate’s court hidden under Sam’s bed. Desperate Lisa turns to Charity in the hope that Tom might help pay for a decent barrister for Sam. Charity says she will try and help. Sam returns pleased that his work in Edna’s garden went well, but he is shocked to find that Lisa has found his stash of letters.