The artist Joe Vaughan has rented a cottage from Lord Ashfordly to do some painting. He has had a bit of a clash with members of the local rugby club and they do what they can to annoy him. A Liverpool gangster, Boyd, is also interested in him and he has sent two goons to do the dirty job. His benefactor Rod Dundas organizes an exhibition at the cottage, but the night after the opening the cottage burns and all Vaughan's paintings are destroyed. Well not all of them, since one of them is missing. Greengrass gets a grant from the council for his new "romantic boarding house" and can soon greet his first guests. His old friend Betty persuades him to buy a share of the race horse Alnwick Flyer, which must be sold for tax reasons. There is something about Gina's boyfriend Andy that Oscar Blaketon does not like and he starts to follow Andy around like a shadow.

Tommy Rawson cría perros pastores y es el favorito para ganar las pruebas de este año, al igual que lo hizo en los dos años anteriores con su perro Jess. Su competidor más cercano es George Harding, quien es un amigo cercano del Lord Ashfordly y solía salirse con la suya en todo. Cuando no puede ganar de manera justa, no dudará en hacer lo que sea necesario para desacreditar a Rawson y descalificar a su perro. La esposa de Harding, Maureen, no es mucho mejor. Tiene una grave ansiedad y espera que el Dr. Summerbee le recete pastillas para ello a voluntad. Vernon Scripps está proporcionando instalaciones sanitarias para las pruebas y pronto descubre que implica más que simplemente colocar una tienda o dos. Buenas noticias para el Sargento Merton. Su diabetes no afectará su posición como sargento en la estación de policía de Ashfordly, siempre y cuando reciba su medicación.