
Heartbeat

Celia Hanson has just retired as teacher and lives now in a small house in the countryside. Her nearest neighbor, a Long time farmer has absolutely no understanding for her need of peace and quiet. As Blaketon tries to mediate, things get even worse.

David makes Bernie Scripps and Greengrass arrange a military funeral, and Jackie Bradley is the object of an unknown individual's phone calls at night and day, and the intense use of a photo camera.

As Edith Benton has to leave for a family visit Greengrass and David get the job to lead her poodle through the Ashfordly Championship Dog Show. A couple of valuable candlesticks are stolen from the church and The Reverend's daughter is in love with a young man that her mother is hostile to.

A retiring politician returns to his estate with his wife only to find out that his long time lover has moved in as neighbor and is now on friendly terms with his wife. He refuses to let a village party take place on his land even if it is an old tradition. Bellamy invites Gina to the movie.

Very much to Blaketon's surprise some old Commando veterans arrives at Aidensfield Arms to salute Ventress, but a son to a fallen hero joins the party. An inventor who wants peace and quiet complains to the police of noise from the pub, and Greengrass most unwillingly experiences an alternative 'fishing method'.

Craddock's mother observes an assault through binoculars but the victim dissappears. A strange theft takes place in a married couple's home as a guest is the only victim. Greengrass has a hot tip on a horse race.

Nat Coopeer is a 'traveller'. He and a mate tries unsuccessfully an armed robbery and they soon leave each other on their own. Greengrass gets involved in organizing horse races on open country roads.

Sue Driscoll surprises Bellamy with a sudden visit. Stanley Leroy and John Wilson are mystery guests at Aidensfield Arms. Edna, a psychic, warns that something terrible is going to happen and a headmaster is evasive about a boy's disappearance.

A local cricket team volunteered at World War I and now their sole survivor of the battles refuses to pay taxes because their old club's house is to be demolished. A car is crashed in a single accident and lot of money disappears from the car, an soon a 'Robin Hood' helps the War Veteran and his mates' families.

A new bank manager is very unwilling to lend out money and his son moves away from home in sympathy with the empty-handed. Bellamy and Gina prepare expensive luxury as Christmas gifts to each other.

Maggie Bolton has returned from her vacation with Graham Rysinsky. She helps Sylvia in taking care of her very sick mother. Jack, who wants to marry Sylvia, is very dissatisfied with her brother, Tony, who owns 3 'Smith's and Chips'. When one of them is put on fire Jack is suspected.

Greengrass has a sister in the West Indies. She has won very much money and she has invited him to a very long stay there. He has leaft his property and Alfred to David's protection. Vernon Scripps, Bernie's stepbrother, arrives, but Bernie prefers Vernon's heels better than his toes. However, Vernon grabs another possibility to stay in Aidensfield. The Bradleys get a dangerous and secret task.

Craddock dates his dance teacher at the 'North Riding Police Dance' but her son is a ruthless fast speed driver. Bernie is off to Northallerton to comfort a widow, so Vernon and David takes the job to repair Lord Ashfordly's Bentley.

Edwina Lambert visits her daughter, Jackie, but she can't hide she's more keen on seeing some of her old friends, the Henderson's who as employers neglect security duties. Vernon contacts a promoter of a pop concert to get a foot into catering.

Glenda Marriot wants her aunt Mrs. Barton to sell her farm and move to an old people's home, but the old lady says she can still manage together with her farmhand Jed Harrison. Glenda tries to take legal steps to make her sell, but somebody must be more intent on getting the old lady out and tries to scare her away. Vernon Scripps' latest idea is hot rods. He wants Bernie to build him one so that he can race it. PC Ventress is showing Special Constable Harold Emney around when he sees Gina leaving the maternal ward at Ashfordly Hospital. Of course he puts two and two together and gets five and before long everybody knows that she is pregnant - everybody that is except Gina and the assumed father Phil Bellamy.

Lord Ashfordly plays host to the Livonian Prince Nikolas and hires Vernon Scripps to bodyguard his distinguished guest. Not an easy task as it turns out because the prince is a great lover of liquor and will rather pay a visit to the Aidensfield Arms than to his lordship's wine cellar. Lord Ashfordly is not the only one awaiting guests. Mike Bradley is expecting his niece Anne and her friend Louise, but the two girls turn out to be very modern teenagers and not the cute little kids he imagined. They are more into parties than trips around the countryside. Dr. Summerbee has given up her job at the hospital in favour of Dr. Bolton's old practice in Aidensfield. Phil has a very special assignment for Bernie Scripps. He intends to propose to Gina and wants Bernie to drive her to a very romantic place. But Bernie has to help his brother and sends David instead. Only when you give directions to David you have to be _very_ specific!

During a dinner at Ashfordly Hall the county High Sheriff Andrew Parkin makes a pass at Susie Cope, who is serving at the dinner. On their way home from the dinner Parkin and his wife Sonia run down the farmer Colin Taylor. The Parkins claim that Mrs. Parkin was driving the car due to him having too much to drink, but PC Bradley is not sure because the driver's seat was too far back for her. Either way the accident may turn out to be a costly affair for the Parkins, because their insurance does not cover her driving the car. Furthermore Susie Cope tells Oscar Blaketon, who is acting as a private investigator on Taylor's behalf, that she is certain that it was the High Sheriff himself who was behind the wheel. Vernon Scripps revives an old idea of his, a marriage bureau.

Gareth North is the son of used car dealer Harry North and relies on his father's wealth to get him out of trouble. And trouble is something he gets into a lot of together with his girlfriend Gail and friend Vince. They attempt an armed robbery, but when PC Bellamy nearly catches them Gareth reports his car, which they used to get away, as stolen. The three of them even go as far as accusing Bellamy of beating up Gareth. Vernon Scripps wins a car in a poker game and decides to open a taxi service. But they do not get any customers, because they share a party line with Edith Fairley, who is always at the phone. She is hiding from her ex-husband Jack Fairley, who has just been released from prison. Bernie Scripps gets an unusual request. Minnie Bateson wants to make funeral arrangements for her husband Sydney. The unusual bit about it is that Sydney Bateson is still alive.

Renalto Pisconi is the manager of a gambling casino with distribution of counterfeit money on the side. Pisconi's father-in-law Reginald White, who owns the casino, is the leader of the counterfeiters with Denise as a third partner. The police get on their tracks through their former bartender John Garrick, who is arrested for using some of the counterfeit money at the Aidensfield Arms. Oscar Blaketon's car is broken beyond repair. Since he always wanted an MG Vernon Scripps gets the idea to sell classic sports car and he knows just the man to supply them. Soon Oscar Blaketon is the proud owner of his dream car, a red hot MG A - with the emphasis on "hot".

Jackie gets a visit from her old friend Caroline. She is surprised to learn that Caroline has a baby. Caroline needs a day off from motherhood and leaves the baby with Jackie and Mike while she goes to York to see some friends. Mike leaves the baby in a pram outside the police house, but when Jackie comes home from an errand the baby is gone. Jackie is not the only one who has a visitor. Lady Patricia visits her brother at Ashfordly Hall together with an old family friend Lord Hal Tadcaster. Well "together" may not be the proper word, because she would rather see him leave than stay. And with good reason since the CID suspects Tadcaster of being a drug dealer and asks the police in Ashfordly to keep an eye on him. The post office in Whitby goes on strike. Vernon Scripps gets the idea to start a courier service. And for once he does the dirty work himself.

Derek Fowlds
Oscar Blaketon

William Simons
PC Alf Ventress

Tricia Penrose
Gina Bellamy

Peter Benson
Bernie Scripps

Gwen Taylor
Peggy Armstrong

Lisa Kay
Carol Cassidy

Joseph McFadden
PC Joe Mason

Nikki Sanderson
Dawn Bellamy

David Lonsdale
David Stockwell

Steven Blakeley
PC Geoff Younger

John Duttine
Sgt George Miller
Rupert Ward-Lewis
PC Don Wetherby