Seasons & episodes

Heather wonders why Paul is always at home, Roger is becoming agitated about the cookers in the next garden, Karen's period starts, and a strike looks imminent.

New neighbours arrive.......in a large frozen meat truck. Karen wants to persuade Bobby and Sheila to allow her to go on holiday, and Heather gets her revenge on Roger.

Barry makes Duane understand that boasting about his "conquest" of Karen was really not a very good idea. Meanwhile, Lucy is being physically intimidated at school.

The whole close is burgled, but Petra has more reasons to be upset than most. Not only are her house contents not insured even though she works for an insurance company, but she is still not pregnant.

A buyer for Gavin's cookers turns up at the Huntingtons'. Barry tries to persuade Sheila to bump up their insurance claim.

Sheila is hassled, Bobby is pressurised, Gavin is visited by the council and given a week to dispose of his cookers, and Arthur dies.

Gavin plans revenge, Barry delivers his new doors, and Petra fills in her chart. Damon advises Karen to keep quiet about her decision for the moment.

Roger has an alarm installed, Gordon is resentful, Lucy is being followed, Petra is ovulating and Barry is stabbed.

Roger does his Christmas shopping, all of which is then stolen. Bobby is under increased pressure to end the strike as Christmas approaches.

Lucy is rescued from a kiss under the mistletoe by one of her class-mates. Karen wants to go to a party instead of attending the midnight Mass. Derek makes a pass at Heather.

It is an upsetting Christmas for the Collins family, while Karen has a hangover, Bobby has an emergency meeting, Roger's burglar alarm goes off again, and Damon has no presents.

Barry is determine to get revenge on his attacker, Paul receives some encouraging news, but Petra is still feeling fed up and depressed.

The Grants invite all their neighbours to their New Year's Eve party. Roger and Heather return home, and discover that their alarm has been tampered with, and Gavin has erected a multicoloured shed to house his cookers.

Paul has a job interview and is confident that he has done well. Annabelle starts making clothes for Lucy as part of her economy drive. Bobby goes back to work after the strike, and finds that some of his co-workers are angry

Paul jumps to some wrong conclusions. Petra becomes more obsessed with having a baby. Sheila makes a decision, and Damon invites his mates over.

Karen and Sheila go shopping, while the rest of the family go to watch a football match. Roger joins a badminton club, and Paul suggests a trip to the Lakes to visit Annabelle's mother - but Lucy refuses to go.

Annie's financial worries begin to trouble Sheila, and Barry discovers that he may also have some money problems. Lucy is amused that, without Paul knowing, Annabelle is looking for work.

Damon almost reveals that Karen is on the Pill. Paul wants Annabelle to stay at home, but she would prefer to do some supply teaching. There is more bad news at work for Sheila.

Roger's attempt to take up jogging are not successful. The boys' school reports are not good, so Damon has some serious grovelling to do. Sheila confronts Annie, although Barry has no sympathy.

Barry has to back down in a heated argument with Victor, but then finds himself being propositioned by Eric's wife. Meanwhile, Sheila finds contraceptives in his bedroom, and is determined to find out whose they are.

Barry's denials when Eric confronts him after hearing rumours of his liaisons with Irene seem convincing enough, but he is not as good at explaining to Sheila why he has contraceptive pills in his bedroom. A TV Enquiry Officer visits the Close, and someone hasn't got a licence.......

Sheila is told that Damon has been playing truant. Gavin and Petra have a blazing row, and he storms out, telling her that she will see him in the morning - if she's lucky. Petra's response is to throw a tray through the glass door after him.

Petra awakens in the morning to discover that Gavin has died in his bed during the night, and has to be comforted by her brother-in-law George, her neighbours Roger and Heather, and - especially - Barry.

Annabelle becomes exasperated when her car is caught behind Gavin's funeral cortege and she runs out of petrol. Paul resolves to be more decisive and find himself a job.