Father, Dear Father

- Season 4

(1971)

Patrick is concerned for his mother,living on her own in Herne Bay,sixty miles away and asks her to stay. To his amazement she has a very active social life,staying out until all hours with different gentlemen friends and,when she asks him to go out with her,he just can't stand the pace.He overhears her tell Nanny that she's doing it on purpose to stop his worrying about her and soon after she goes home to Herne Bay.

Patrick's married accountant Leo has had a fling with Felicity and Leo's wife Muriel has found a photo of Felicity signed and with kisses. To take the heat of him Leo gets Patrick to pretend that Felicity is his girl-friend and a dinner party is arranged where Muriel and Leo will be 'introduced' to Patrick's new squeeze. Unfortunately Georgie also turns up, as does Felicity's husband. Fortunately Muriel is wise to and tolerant of her husband's philandering ways.

Patrick returns from holiday to find a council letter saying a new flyover will be built through his garden. In fact the decision has already been scrapped but Patrick tells the council he disagrees with their plan and also puts the house on the market,a prospective buyer being a vicar and his wife who want to home unmarried mothers in the house. When Miss Pretty and Mr. Fanshawe come from the council to find out why Patrick seems to be supporting the flyover he assumes they are the vicar and his wife and tells them the flyover will be a good thing. Having convinced ...

This time it's Karen who wants to leave home and get a place of her own but,as she is only seventeen she needs her father's permission and Patrick refuses to give it. In a fit of rebellion she 'moves out' but is actually much closer than Patrick imagines and ultimately decides that she wants to stay at home after all.

Patrick gives up smoking and, to prevent temptation, hides his smoking accessories in a cupboard drawer. He agrees to look after his agent Ian's pet hamster Sheba whilst Ian goes on holiday but unfortunately Sheba escapes and goes missing. To coax her back again Patrick gets a male hamster Nigel but he too disappears. In despair as Ian is about to return Patrick decides he needs a smoke, opens the cupboard drawer and finds the two hamsters - and their offspring - inside it.

Nanny will be away for some time in Scotland seeing her sister, so Patrick asks a domestic agency to send a replacement. The girls feel that Patrick needs a new lady in his life and contact a computer dating agency who send a Miss Armitage round. An innocent Patrick assumes she is Nanny's replacement, thereby antagonizing her. As a result Patrick makes the two girls perform the domestic duties until Nanny returns.

Patrick feels his work has caused him to neglect his daughters and wants to see Anna in her new play,a performance of 'Romeo and Juliet,but it contains nudity and Anna is not keen for Patrick to see her. A ploy involving sending all his clothes to the cleaners fails and,having learned the truth,Patrick demands Anna pull out of the play. She is replaced by an understudy but Patrick is no less impressed when he finds out who that is.