Seasons & episodes

There's a change of vicar in the village and it puts Dolly's living arrangements in jeopardy once again. Angela and Sam go for walk up on the fell. All is going well until Angela continually plays with her radio and this prompts Sam to get cross. Angela responds by running away from him. She then walks through a field and leaves the gate open, frightened by the cows, which start to escape.

There's plenty of cows roaming about after she left the gate open, but Angela hasn't been seen since she ran away from Sam. It emerges that a pregnant cow has fallen so the Fell Rescue Team has to be called out. Amos immediately smells a story.

The post induction-party gives the new vicar, Donald, a chance to introduce himself to Beckindale. One person that is missing though is Angela. She has decided that following the previous nights dramas on the fell, it would be best if she returns home which she did that afternoon. On her way back to The Woolpack, Dolly bumps into Matt who is on his way to the party. They exchange pleasantries and it isn't long before Matt realises that The Woolpack is a more appealing evening than the post-induction party.

It is night time, and Matt has just dropped Dolly at the Vicarage after a night out. As he drives past The Woolpack, a shadowy figure passes in front of his headlight, going away from the pub. Meanwhile in The Woolpack, Henry discovers that the front door is open. He accuses Amos of having neglected his duties but Amos fervently denies this. He wants to call the police but as nothing seems to have been stolen or damaged, Henry tells him not to be so silly. Amos' fears are proved justified the next day though when Sam, in The Woolpack, spots a vacant niche where the Butterworth Ball should be and realises someone has taken it.

Joe and Matt come to the conclusion that the Butterworth Ball is in the hands of someone in Robblesfield. Then all of a sudden a girl appears and turns out to be Lesley. She is staying at Hawthorn Cottage with her grandparents. Dolly is not getting on with Donald. So much so that she tells Matt she is thinking of leaving Beckindale altogether to work somewhere else.

Annie receives a mysterious phone call at Emmerdale Farm but whoever the caller wanted is out. Meanwhile at The Woolpack, Amos is in big trouble when Fred Teaker enters the pub to examine the Butterworth Ball. When Amos prevaricates, Fred leaves, with threats that if it isn't the real ball, Amos is in big trouble!

In the middle of the night, there is a disturbance in the Vicarage garden which brings out Donald and Dolly. Getting no answer, Donald goes inside and phones the police while the intruder slinks away. Lesley is given a helping hand by Annie when she goes to the vicar's to start preparations for her grandparents' re-marriage. Meanwhile, Sam thinks Little Teaker knows where the Butterworth Ball is.

Amos is fighting a rearguard action against the Hotten Courier who are demanding that he produces an article about the Butterworth Ball. In the evening, Annie approaches Sam with a proposition. Mr and Mrs Gibson are getting married again and Annie wants Sam to be the best man.

Lesley informs Joe that she's got a secret to tell him but Amos is in earshot. After Sam's refusal to be best man at the wedding, Annie turns to Henry who readily accepts. The only problem is that the football team will be left without a trainer. Henry quickly solves the problem though by suggesting that Amos could do it instead and Sam agrees. Amos gets the wrong end of the stick when he sees Annie and Henry setting off in their finery for the church. He decides to stick around and see what develops, totally forgetting about the football match.

Amos complains to Dolly about how the whole village seems to be obsessed with the play. Up at Emmerdale Farm, Joe is repairing the drive when a young man, Richard Roper, drives past in a car, stops a bit down the road, then comes up. He tells Joe that he's merely looking around then drives off again as Henry arrives. Joe tells him that Richard has been driving past the farm several times and Henry replies that he's seen him in the village too.

Amos continues with his negative attitude towards the play but it turns out that his real grouse is that no one asked him to be in the play in the first place. Rumours persist about the man called Richard. Amos emerges with the theory that he is Dolly's fiance and thinks that she's led Matt a bit of a dance but Henry points out that Richard may be only an ex-fiance

Dolly continues to fend off Richard's attempts for a reconciliation. He comes up against some stern opposition though in the form of Annie. When he tells her that he wants to marry Dolly, Annie turns on him and tells him that she knows about the baby and that he was never much of a father and that he can't own people, like he wants to own his son and Dolly. Later on that evening at the farm, Dolly drops her bombshell on Matt, telling him that she won't be staying for Christmas after all and that she has a child.

Richard is all set to meet up with Matt to inform him of his plans to marry Dolly but Dolly intervenes and strikes a deal with him. Dolly promises Richard that if he doesn't meet up with Matt, then she will meet him in the New Year to discuss the future. Richard agrees and a date is set for the two of them to meet in January at Brassington. That evening the play takes place and Matt is one of the stars of the proceedings, but despite this Dolly can't bear to watch despite Annie's pleas. She needs time to go away and think about what she wants. At the end of the play, Henry comes out to take Dolly down to Hotten for her bus.

Spirits are low at Emmerdale Farm until Amos Brearly admits he knows where Dolly Acaster is hiding. But Annie Sugden wonders if she should tell Matt Skilbeck.

Sam is furious at the thought of Matt spending the night in a hotel room with Dolly. At The Red Lion, Matt announces his intention to go to bed, but Richard insists on a last drink, after Matt has told them that he's staying at the hotel. When Richard goes off to get the drinks, Dolly and Matt have their first private conversation.

Matt returns home from a night out with Dolly with some odd news. On their way through the village they pass The Woolpack and notice all the lights on well past closing time. Henry suggests to Donald that Miss Venables could live in the Vicarage for a while after it is discovered that she has a leaky caravan, but Hinton flatly refuses. However, he suggests that he wouldn't mind helping out financially if she stayed at The Woolpack. He and Henry go to the pub to put the idea to Amos.

Dolly tells Matt that her mother is arriving that evening but the problem is where can she stay, the best thing, Dolly thinks is if she just tells her to go away again. Matt says no to that and calls Joe to ask him if Dolly and her mother can borrow Demdyke Row for a bit. Joe agrees and the arrangements are made. Matt then tries to ask Joe about engagement rings but Joe shoots off, fearing another favour. Meanwhile, Miss Venables is refusing to budge from her derelict caravan despite the good intentions of Henry who is trying his hardest to find her new accommodation.

Sam and Annie are in disagreement over Miss Venables. When Sam tells her not to be too hard on Miss Venables he is sharply informed that Emmerdale is not a hotel and that Miss Venables is a menace. In the Hotten cafe, Henry, Dolly and Matt are having tea. Dolly doesn't look too happy but Henry is fine. Dolly says she might well go home now but Matt can't get out of her what's wrong. Henry and Dolly return to The Woolpack to find Amos snoozing in the back room. Amos immediately asks to see the engagement ring he thinks Dolly and Matt have just bought in Hotten which makes Dolly leave the room with a slur on Matt's character.

Henry arrives at the farm with a brand new caravan for Miss Venables and its not long before everybody is in agreement over what should happen. Miss Venables should leave, and as soon as possible, despite her determination to set up home at Emmerdale Farm. Matt explains to Annie why he hasn't bought an engagement ring for Dolly yet. He wants to use the family engagement ring but has been afraid to ask. Annie immediately offers it to him. Having been given the ring, Matt presents it to Dolly - in the cowshed! This is followed by a family celebration.

Beckindale is invaded by gypsies to the fury of some villagers. Meanwhile, Joe is annoyed at Glenda leaving the gate open but his rage soon turns to love. Also, Phyllis arrives in the village and tells Dolly that she won't allow her to make another mistake like Richard.

One of the gypsies causes controversy in the village, which Joe manages to put right. Meanwhile, Donald receives a phone call threatening the play school.

Jed breaks into Emmerdale Farm but is caught by Matt. Play school is interrupted when someone throws a brick through the window.

Joe really manages to put his foot in it with Glenda, whilst the villagers are thrilled to find the gypsies leaving.

Amos's journalism career is put into jeopardy after he receives a letter from Grant. Meanwhile, Phyllis asks Donald to look after Dolly's interests in the wedding.