Cwmderi Diary 2016: 11 August 2016

No-one is watching . . .

At Penrhewl, Eifion checks to make sure no-one is watching,

. . . so he disconnects a wire

then disconnects a wire on the quadbike; the engine stops immediately.

Britt is keeping an eye on things . . .

As Britt is deploying the shop blind at the chippy, a car pulls up at the garage and two men get out;

. . . and Garry is waiting for his visitors

they are ushered inside by Garry.

Britt does a bit of snooping

Britt goes across to investigate, and eavesdrops outside.

"What? You're playing golf?"

Jim is at Maes-y-Deri, where he takes exception to Dai being at the Golf Club while he works alone. “He’s scared of hard work – he knows we’ve got to shovel concrete!” he tells Mark,

Mark wants some tips

who enquires about the best way to go about this loft coversion. “That’s the bonus with having builders in – there’s no hassle for you!” Jim comments.

“I’m not sure how to say this,” says Mark,

"He's doing the conversion himself!"

and Dol adds that he is doing the conversion himself – and the bathroom. “But using your plans,” Mark continues, “I can’t afford builders. Dad and I built the shed out the back.”

Jim points out that the flat roof leaks, but Mark insists he knows what he is doing – new joists and floorboards, then plasterboard all round.

"Can I borrow a spirit level?"

“My mate will do the wiring, and I’m going to start today – can I borrow a spirit level and tape measure?”

Jim becomes irate

Jim is furious at the very idea;

"Don't expect any help from me!"

“Don’t expect any help from me when the place collapses round your ears – it will be your fault!” and he walks out.

Garry sets out his requirements

Inside the garage, Garry explains to the pair of ‘heavies’, in English, “I want Craig Aubrey watched 24/7. I need all the information – his movements, who he contacts, what his plans are. My life could depend on it!”

"Consider it done!"

The taller of the two thugs assures him, “Consider it done! That will be no problem.”

The boys are at Eileen's

Bobi and Arthur are at Eileen’s, drawing pictures; she tells them that they will go and see Mami later. Eifion says, “Apologise to her that I haven’t been to visit.”

"Well, you've been very busy, with everything"

Eileen replies that he has had no time, with the boys, his job and the farm; she is very appreciative of all his help there.

Mark has purloined Jim's equipment

Jim bursts into Maes-y-Deri, even more angry to find that Mark has been next door and borrowed his spirit level and tape. Seizing them, he shouts, “You had no right!

"I don't have time to run after my tools!"

“I don’t have time to run after my tools!”

Now Eifion has put his foot in Jim's concrete

Eifion arrives, having trodden in the wet cement that Jim is laying; Jim threatens to bury him in it. Eifion reports that some lambs at Penrhewl have worms;

Eifion tells Jim a frightening story

Jim needs to treat them urgently, as they could die, and then he could be reported for animal cruelty.

"I think you know what to do!"

As they come out of the garage, Garry tells the two thugs, “If there’s any suggestion that he wants to hurt my family, I think you know what to do,” and the usual brown envelope is handed over. Britt, who is still nearby, pretends to be speaking on her phone, but as soon as the men drive away, she confronts Garry.

"Craig is back on the scene, is he?"

She shouts at him, “Craig is back on the scene, is he? Tell me what’s going on – and don’t tell me he sold you a dodgy car! I heard what you just said!” Garry replies that there is nothing to worry about,

"You've just hired a hitman!"

but she is not convinced; “You’ve just hired a hitman – I’m not moving from here until you tell me what is going on! I need to know if the children are in danger!”

"He's trying to frame me for murder!"

Garry finally admits, “He’s trying to frame me – for murder! And he dumped a body in the pit – there, you wanted to know the truth! Craig is very dangerous as you know, and I’m trying to stay one step ahead of him. Just forget what you heard!”

Britt runs out of the garage, saying that she cannot handle this.

"I'm supposed to go and treat the lambs!"

Bobi and Arthur are having some food when Jim storms back into the shop flat; “I’m supposed to go and treat the lambs for worms,” he tells Eileen, “What am I supposed to use?”

Eileen recalls, “Denz used to dip them, but we can’t do that now Penrhewl is organic.” Jim previously did only what Cadno or DJ told him to, and complains that laying bricks and mortar is a lot easier.

The work is about to start at Maes-y-Deri

Dol goes to the café flat to collect some sheets to act as dust sheets, now the work on the house is starting; when she tells Debbie that they are all going to help, she is told that simply cleaning an oven would kill her. Dol is confident; “It will be a mess for a few months, but it will be worth it – and you’re welcome to come over and use the jacuzzi!”

Debbie will have to try and stop this

Debbie thinks she will have to have a word with Mark.

"There's a wheelie bin, parked on double yellows!"

As she leaves the café, Dol remarks to Eifion, “There’s a wheelie bin out there, parked on double yellows!” He looks across the street and sees Eileen, Jim and the boys, on their way to Penrhewl;

Eifion's devious plan is working

he smiles slyly.

"It's one of the Monks or him!"

Garry pours Britt a drink and tells her, “It’s one of the Monks or him – what would you do?” Britt answers that Garry is always up to something, but this is different;

"Craig wouldn't think twice . . ."

he insists, “Craig wouldn’t think twice about hurting us!”

“We’ve wanted to put someone in a body bag many times, but the Monks have never done that,” stresses Britt,

"There will be more reprisals!"

“If you’re thinking of going down that road, there will be more reprisals!”

He tries to argue that it is all under control,

"It can't be under control!"

but she says, “It can’t be under control if you have hired a hitman! After all we’ve been through lately, you’re so stupid as to drag this psycho into our lives again! Why do I keep giving you second chances?”

"The Monks always stick together!"

Garry trots out the old adage that the Monks always stick together, but Britt challenges this; “Not this time – you’ve gone too far! Do you ever think of Brandon – he was always the referee between us – he’d know what to do!”

"You can't promise that!"

Garry promises that nothing will happen to the children, but Britt emphasises that he cannot promise that.

"How are you going to live with the mess?"

Debbie goes to Maes-y-Deri and tells Mark, “You didn’t even put up a shelf for me! Mam is no use with a dustpan and brush – how are you going to live with the mess?” Dol suggests if the worst comes to the worst, they can go to the café.

"Not all this stuff is stolen!"

Mark has found several video recorder boxes in the attic; “Every time Dad did a job, he’d hide the stuff up there,” he explains, “But not everything up there is stolen!”

"Jim phoning – that's not important!"

Eifion is in the middle of a darts game with John Post at the Deri when his phone rings; seeing that it is Jim,

He listens to Jim's complaints

Eifion leaves it until the end of the game to answer.

"And now I can't start the quad!"

Jim has not even begun treating the lambs, and has found the quad will not start. Eifion advises him to use the dog for rounding up the sheep; he cannot help, as he is in the middle of a shift.

"Ask one of the neighbours for help"

Eileen suggest phoning one of the neighbours, who will help, but Jim is afraid that will make him look like a ‘phoney farmer’.

Britt speaks to Chester

After speaking to Chester on the phone, Britt insists that he must not be told about this new problem, and begs Garry to go to the police.

"We don't do deals with the cops!"

“We don’t do deals with the cops,” Garry replies, and explains, “It was Craig’s gun in Bethania – we would have to tell them everything!”

Britt thinks it goes beyond 'keeping tabs' on Craig

Britt wails, “Just promise me that all you’re doing is keeping tabs on Craig – I don’t want to lose you too!”

Dol has discovered a cheap loft ladder

Debbie finds she is fighting a losing battle against the conversion;

"A bathroom suite will cost at least £500!"

“A bathroom suite will cost at least £500!” she tells them, but Dol asserts that a jacuzzi will cost more like £2,000,

"Right, we'd better forget the jacuzzi, then!"

so Mark agrees that they should forget the jacuzzi.

Bobi greets his dad

Eifion arrives at Penrhewl after his shift, advising that he has fixed the quad;

Good old Eifion is such an asset to Penrhewl!

“It was just a bad connection!” he lies; he tells the boys, “I’ve been on the phone to Mam, and she’s coming home tomorrow! She’ll need a lot of care.” Eileen can arrange to be there the rest of the week.

"I feel it's my responsibility"

“I feel it’s my responsibility to look after the boys,” Eifion says, with mock concern, “And with the stock as well, I’m considering giving up my job – that would suit everyone. If I explain that my ex-partner had an accident and needs help, I’m sure they’ll understand.”