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Private Notes
Bugsy Mullen is a milkman with a scar on his lip; he is shy, but he has a good heart. Bugsy has a regular morning ritual with a couple of local kids, Dylan and Josh, who jump on the back of the float for a ride. Bugsy shouts at them because that's expected, but he doesn't actually mind. He even swerves in the street a little to increase the thrill for them. But this time Dylan falls off and bangs his head - there's a brief moment of dizziness, and then Dylan gets up and runs off laughing.
Bugsy worries about Dylan and takes him a big bar of chocolate. Dylan's estranged dad Clive gives him a thump for his troubles, but single mum Ally tends to his injuries. Ally's touched by Bugsy's concern for her son - she knows the accident was Dylan's fault. According to her posh new neighbours Dylan's got ADHD, but they are middle class snobs; he's just a boy, full of beans.
There's a definite spark between Bugsy and Ally, but Ally is just about to take her ex Clive back into her home; her area is being gentrified, she can't afford the rent by herself, and she thinks she's doing the right thing by the boys. Ally's mum Rita thinks she'd be better off suing the dairy for compensation, then she wouldn't need to take Clive back, but Ally doesn't want to do it. Bugsy was so innocent and nice and vulnerable. He came to see them out of kindness. And he got battered for his trouble. But on the other hand...
Bugsy's boss tears strips off him and moves him to another milk round - Ally thinks that Bugsy's been sacked and goes to see him. Bugsy's touched by her concern and tells Ally that he won't say anything to jeopardise her compensation, even if it costs him his job. Ally decides she owes it to Bugsy to tell him a few home truths...
Caroline is an army wife, recently moved to barracks with a new baby. Her husband Tom is on his first tour away, and Carolins finds it hard to adjust to life alone. They keep in touch as much as they can, but it's hard work - the baby's had colic and won't stop screaming. The wives' network is strong, but Caroline's struggling to fit in. All the other women seem strong and calm, neat and tidy - why is she such a mess?
Old hand Maggie can see Caroline's becoming a bag of nerves and tries to help. When it turns out that there are rats in the house Caroline reaches breaking point, but Maggie calms her and puts her in touch with her husband's mate Sam, a rat catcher. Sam says it's going to take several weeks to get on top of the problem, as he doesn't want to put poison down with a baby in the house. He takes pity on Caroline's predicament; he can see how hard things are for her, and he unwittingly starts to take the place of Tom in the household - at the dinner table, with the baby, doing odd jobs about the house.
The attraction is clearly growing between Sam and Caroline, but they both resist. When there's a health scare with the baby Sam is a rock for Caroline, but even when he stays over he's on the sofa. However, Maggie is suspicious of the dramatic change in Caroline's outlook and gossip starts to spread. Caroline is snubbed by the wives at a memorial service and her protests at innocence are scoffed at.
Chastened by the priest's sermon about sacrifice and duty, Caroline goes to find Sam to tell him that they can't be friends any more, only to find that he has been beaten up as a warning. Caroline's heart goes out to Sam, and they end up in bed confessing their love for each other. They are interrupted by a phone call...
Hapless plumber Billy has always struggled with gambling - he claims it's under control, but with bills and repossession notices piling up, his wife Michelle is close to breaking point. Billy has had to sell his van to pay off debts, and is getting by on small plumbing jobs. Even then Billy can't help himself - he gambles the money a customer gave him for parts, and ends up having to steal a pair of taps from the betting shop toilets to complete the job. Even his mate Dave won't lend him any money - he's on the ropes.
Whilst pricing up a job one day, Billy stumbles across what looks like a small bag of diamonds hidden in the loft. Billy has no idea whether they're real or not, but as house owner June isn't aware of the stash, Billy takes one to show the more worldly-wise Dave. They're both gob-smacked when the gems turn out to be real.
Billy isn't sure he wants to get involved, but there are bills to be paid and Dave eggs him on. Billy takes a few of the gemstones and splits the money with Dave. For a while he's flush - but instead of paying off his debts immediately, Billy tries to make his windfall larger at the betting shop, and it's not long before he is back at square one.
The final demands are getting more insistent, and Billy has no other option but to go back to June's for more diamonds. When he fritters that money away as well, Billy gets desperate and takes Michelle's house-keeping money to try and win money from his friends at cards. At his lowest ebb, Billy returns to June's - only to discover that he's in even more trouble than he thought...
With Dave on the next flight to Spain, and Michelle packing her bags, Billy is at his wit's end when there's a knock at the door. When will Billy face up to his addiction?
Christina has always been the life and soul of the party, but as she approaches forty it seems as if all her friends would rather change nappies than go clubbing - and even her own biological clock is starting to tick. She's been with Andy for over two years, but there's still no stork on the horizon.
When Christina starts behaving strangely, Andy's suspicious of an affair - but it turns out that gay best friend Mick has been accompanying Christina on fertility tests. Andy's surprised - he didn't think Christina was really that keen on kids, and he reluctantly confesses that he's infertile. Christina's devastated - she loves Andy, but she knows if she stays with him that she'll never be a mother. Mick points out that there are other ways of having kids - she could always adopt or foster - but Christina says it's not the same; she wants her own child.
Andy tells Christina he'd do anything to be with her, and Christina decides she's found the perfect sperm donor - Mick! Andy struggles with the idea; deep down, he would always know that the baby wasn't his. It's not like he could just forget about it, because he'd have to face the real father the whole time. But he reluctantly goes along with it for Christina's sake.
Mick and his boyfriend Frank are gob-smacked when the subject is broached. Mick is genuinely shocked by the request but says he'll think about it. The request opens up a can of worms in Mick and Frank's relationship, and they end up arguing. Christina is on tenterhooks waiting for a response, and is disappointed when Mick finally says no. Mick consoles her, and Christina eventually comes to realise that having children is not the be all and end all.
Kieran struggles with depression after leaving home to attend university, but when his girlfriend discovers he has taken an overdose, he is forced to admit his problem to his parents. His mother and father learn the path to recovery is going to be difficult, especially after their son refuses to take anti-depressants, although they soon bond over the experience.
