Martin offers to take delivery of Paul's garden manure, but things go predictably and disastrously wrong. And Paul compounds Martin's worries when he effortlessly clears up the chaos Martin has created.

Martin is abroad at a conference representing his company, Mole Valley Valves. A practical jokester arranges for Martin to awaken to the presence of a strange woman in his bedroom. What if word of this should get back to Ann?

Martin believes that Paul is seeking to ""take over"" the Close and is very concerned about what sort of people Martin would invite in. When Martin meets the candidates, however, he is pleasantly surprised.

Martin saves a local girl from drowning and promptly let's his newly-found fame goes to his head. When even his best friends start avoiding him at the pub, surely Martin will catch on. Or will he?

Ann is fund-raising for Open University, which leads Martin to declare that she is ""a pawn of the Kremlin."" Her activities are making things unpleasant for Martin at his snooty new club.

Paul has had an unexpected run of bad luck, raising Martin's expectations of actually beating his neighbor for once when they compete at a local Roundheads and Cavaliers contest.