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Private Notes
Adam's girlfriend Annie declares that he is boring and leaves him,causing him to be very depressed. Ria meets Leonard jogging in a park and he tells her that the best way to vent frustration is to shout at a tree. Adam leaves home and Ria sees Leonard go into a restaurant with Annie. Is he the older man for whom she dumped Adam? When Adam comes home having crashed his car Ria goes out - to shout at a tree.
Out in the country with an apathetic Ben Ria is upset by seeing a fox-hunt and decides to organize an anti-hunting protest the following Saturday afternoon. She is so preoccupied that the boys have to cook lunch. Come Saturday afternoon she stages a very poorly attended protest and is told by a huntsman that the hunt actually took place that morning.
After getting chest pains Ben gets it into his head that he is having a heart attack and worries Ria by talking about what will happen after he's gone. However the doctor tells him that basically he just needs to adopt a healthier life-style. Ria is then surprised to find both Leonard AND Ben jogging in the park.
After the boys have annoyed new neighbour Mr. Conrad, Ria goes to church to rail at God about her static life and finds Mrs. Conrad is there. After almost running over a dog,Ria goes to see the doctor,who tells her to take things easy as she has nervous exhaustion. Mrs. Conrad is at the surgery too and Ria accuses her of spying on her but Mrs. Conrad explains that both visits were down to her seeking comfort for her inability to bear children.
On her way home from her Keep Fit class Ria is offered a lift by Thomas and Leonard,the latter being very poorly so Ria goes home to make a Get Well Soon card for him but has qualms about delivering it. Eventually she visits and finds he has pleurisy. Back home she decides to try and arrange a romantic evening in front of the fire with Ben.
Susanna, a woman the Parkinsons met on holiday,comes to stay and Ria collects her at the station. On the way home Ria goes into a shop and Leonard,seeing the car,comes over. He meets Susanna. Back home all the menfolk dance attendance on Susanna,who loves the attention. Ria hates her. Leonard phones and suggests he takes Ria for a weekend in Birmingham but she declines,suggesting he takes Susanna instead - which he does.
Leonard calls and suggests he meet Ria at the cafe where they first met. Here he tells her that he hopes to get back with his wife so this is their last day together. Despite her qualms over having an affair,Ria is still knocked sideways by the news. In the evening Ben takes her out for a meal but she refuses to go into the cafe where she met Leonard and they go to one down the road instead.
The thought of cooking for Christmas frightens Ria though she is cheered to meet Leonard again,though they have a row. Back home this preys on her mind and she burns the pizza and freaks out at the thought of her wasted opportunities - though the boys try to listen. On Christmas Eve Leonard rings and they meet in the park to wish each other a happy Christmas. Christmas Day begins well with offers of help from the family but Ria feels wistful when she hears the musical Christmas card that Leonard has sent anonymously.
