Eileen's patience with the Paul/lLesley situation - she puts up being an unpaid carer for his wife in exchange for a little furtive extramarital fireman nookie - finally snapped and she told her lover:"We can't carry on like this." This followed a tense day when Paul had snapped harshly at Lesley and she took little Amy on a solo walk to the park while Eileen had popped out to buy the brown sauce Lesley had demanded for her egg sandwich. Amy was rescued by Steve by the ice cream van in the park but angry Tracy threatened to call social services and told Paul and Eileen that Lesley should be in a home.
A little hats off to actress Judy Holt who is totally believable as the erratic, childlike Alzheimer's victim, at times sympathetic and at others deranged. This has always however been an uncomfortable storyline and it has been difficult to feel much sympathy for adulterous Eileen, even though presumably this is what the scriptwriters - who are, I note, making Paul more unpleasant to Lesley, perhaps to counter that - intended.
In the wake of Amy's return, Ken and Deirdre were (a bit too speedily?) reunited - "Come home Ken, everything is going to be all right" - after his little comedy sojourn at Steve's with more amusing Odd Couple antics. Ken cleaned and tidied Steve's cupboards and fridge (left empty apart from some cheddar) while Steve objected to Ken playing Shostakovitch loudly over breakfast. Loved the verbal exchange regarding Ken's revealing silky kimono - which we all remember was a gift from his old barge paramour Martha aka Sable from Dynasty. Steve (trying to be polite): "Nice kimono!" Ken (smug): "Yes it was a present from a very dear friend." Steve (looking worried?): "A bloke?" Ken (looking shifty) denies this. Steve (trying to be nice: "You can carry it off". Ken: "You can borrow it any time." (Cue to Steve looking horrified). I get the impression the two actors had fun filming these scenes. Ken also volunteered his services manning the phone at the cabbie, where he further annoyed Steve by chatting leisurely to customers on the phone rather than taking orders speedily.
David and Kylie went to see a solicitor over his rights over the salon. He charged them £200 quid to send a threatening letter to Audrey. Smoothie Lewis' solution to this family at war situation was to suggest he and Audrey head off for a mini break in "a little boutique hotel in North Wales". He may (possibly) still be a freeloading charlatan, but the guy sure knows how to say all the right things to the ladies..
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