River City - 20/10/2009

Lydia is horrified to realise the extent of her financial troubles means that she might lose Hola. As the unpaid bills keep racking up, Lydia is becoming increasingly desperate, especially as Amber wants to defer university to help financially. McCabe offers Lydia help and, knowing that the price might be more than she is willing to pay, Lydia is forced to consider the offer. Later in the pub, Scarlett mistakenly thinks that Lydia and Lenny are back together and has a go at Lydia for taking the easy-money way out. Lydia snaps and, with tears welling in her eyes, lashes out at Scarlett. Scarlett, feeling terrible about upsetting Lydia, hits on an idea to get Hola back on its feet. Using stock from one of Hayley’s friends, Scarlett sets up a stall outside Hola. With help from Hayley and Amber et al, she does a roaring trade. Lydia is furious until Scarlett hands over all the cash she and Team Scarlett made during the afternoon. Lydia is touched by Scarlett’s offer of friendship and realises that Hola could be more viable if it carried some of Scarlett’s stock and ideas. A newly-empowered Lydia finally is able to tell McCabe where he can shove his offer and agrees to Amber deferring university for a year to make some decisions about her future. Elsewhere, Lenny is also having a bad day when he returns home to his flat to discover a young man breaking in. At first Lenny thinks the lad had been sent by McCabe but it soon becomes clear that the boy, Dunny, is simply homeless. In spite of himself, Lenny takes to the boy and they bond, with the boy asking Lenny for work. The following morning Lenny finds Dunny, a drug addict, turning his place over looking for something to sell. Lenny brings Marianne to the flat to help him but Dunny rushes out, pushing Marianne over in the process. Marianne tries to get Lenny to open up about himself but is given short shrift by him. Scott is taken aback when his mum, Margaret, announces that she is coming to stay. Scott doesn’t have room for her in his bedsit so Raymond agrees to them both moving into The Tall Ship for the duration of her visit. When Margaret arrives and sees them together she mistakenly assumes that Raymond and Scott are living together as partners - a misunderstanding that the mischievous Robbie does nothing to dispel. Scott, worried about Margaret fitting in, organises a full itinerary of scripture readings and museum visits to keep his mum happy but poor Margaret confides in Raymond that Scott’s plans are, well, a bit boring; She came to Shieldinch to get away from her old life and try something new! Margaret eventually confesses the truth to a shocked Scott. Daniel tells Eileen that the position of Community Centre Manager is available and suggests she apply. At first, Eileen thinks it’s beneath her but after an innocent comment from Jennifer makes her feel like she is wasting her life away, Eileen decides that the job will be hers…