Unchained Melody

EPISODE Unchained Melody
Season 10, Episode 20
Air date	11th March 2001
Written by	Susan Wilkins
Directed by	Gerry Mill
Episode guide
Previous Killing Me Softly	Next Truth Games

Synopsis

Jackie gets a visit from her old friend Caroline. She is surprised to learn that Caroline has a baby. Caroline needs a day off from motherhood and leaves the baby with Jackie and Mike while she goes to York to see some friends. Mike leaves the baby in a pram outside the police house, but when Jackie comes home from an errand the baby is gone. Jackie is not the only one who has a visitor. Lady Patricia visits her brother at Ashfordly Hall together with an old family friend Lord Hal Tadcaster. Well "together" may not be the proper word, because she would rather see him leave than stay. And with good reason since the CID suspects Tadcaster of being a drug dealer and asks the police in Ashfordly to keep an eye on him. The post office in Whitby goes on strike. Vernon Scripps gets the idea to start a courier service. And for once he does the dirty work himself.

Full Summary

Patricia, Lord Ashfordly's sister returns and stays at the Hall. Elsewhere Ashfordly station is told to undertake a drug surveillance mission - a leading drugs dealer is in the area. Mike and Craddock, who are in plain clothes spot the suspect's car going to Ashfordly Hall. And it seems Lord Ashfordly knows the suspect who it turns out to be Lord Henry (or Hal) Tadcaster and he is dating Patricia. But Patricia isn't pleased to see him and asks him to leave but ends up staying at his Lordship's request. In the meantime, Craddock is refused permission to keep Lord Ashfordly's phone tabbed. So Mike and Phil keep watch on the place all day and night to watch Tadcaster's movements. Elsewhere, Jackie's friend Caroline comes to stay with her and Mike and she is surprised to learn that she has a baby boy - Stuart. Yet Caroline doesn't seem happy about having her boy and would have preferred to keep working in her law firm. Mike agrees to babysit while Caroline visits some friends. Yet he leaves the baby in the garden and returns to have find Stuart vanished. Hal notices that Phil is a policeman and that he and Mike have been watching him when he goes to Whitby. Hal suspects Patricia has grassed up on him and his business deals, but says she hasn't. It is later revealed she was pregnant with Hal's child and has had an abortion, resulting in her collapsing and ends up in hospital. Patricia reveals she was the one who took Stuart, but never meant any harm. Mike and Jackie find him in the hands of his Lordship.

Elsewhere, there is a postal strike in the area, Vernon sets up his own postal service using an old WWZ motorcycle. Val asks Vernon to deliver some fresh crabs and lobsters from Whitby to London; Alf has been watching the place and goes with Bernie to collect the goods. To Hal's annoyance, he then gets Bernie to bring the goods to Ashfordly Hall instead. Hal is arrested when he takes drugs he was going to sell in London.

Cast

• Carol Royle as Lady Patricia Brewster
• Rupert Vansittart as Lord Ashfordly
• Fiona Dolman as Jackie Bradley
• Jason Durr as PC Mike Bradley
• Geoffrey Hughes as Vernon Scripps
• Mark Jordon as PC Phil Bellamy
• William Simons as PC Alf Ventress
• Philip Franks as Sgt Raymond Craddock
• Derek Fowlds as Oscar Blaketon
• Peter Benson as Bernie Scripps
• Victoria Scarborough as Caroline
• Andrew Woodall as Lord Hal Tadcaster
• Peter Ivatts as Farmer
• Clare Calbraith as Dr Tricia Summerbee
• Peter Diamond as Stunt Co-ordinator

Gallery

A certain someone comes back to Ashfordly

Lord Ashfordly was caught in surprise to see his sister

Jackie rushes to pick up Caroline

Lord Ashfordly decides to serve his sister with coffee

Jackie is puzzled about the post box being sealed

Craddock announces that they are in a surveillance assignment

Vernon notices that all the post boxes are all shut

Vernon finds out that there is a postal strike at Whitby

Charlie notices that Patty is burning

Patricia begs Charlie not to telephone the doctor

Bernie can tell that Vernon was planning on delivering the mail

Jackie arrives on time to meet with Caroline

Jackie and Caroline are reunited

Jackie was surprised to see Caroline has a baby

Caroline tells that her pregnancy caused to loose her job

Bernie shows Vernon the motorcycle

The Scripps brothers out the machine to the test

Patty remembers her childhood

Patricia reminds Charlie his childhood

Vernon gets ran off by the roads

The police observes the blue Alvis

The police follows the blue Alvis into Ashfordly's estate

The police are surprised to see that Lord Ashfordly knows some drug dealers

Lord Ashfordly invites Henry as a guest

Pattie was shocked to see Henry

Pattie begs Charlie not to let Henry stay

Pattie is horrified to know that Henry will be staying

Caroline and Jackie talk about having kids

Caroline assures Jackie that its not nice to have kids

Vernon begs Oscar to help him with the postal delivery

Vernon hands out brochures about his new business venture

Craddock ask his superiors if he could tap Lord Ashfordly's phone

Phil and Mike keep a look out at Ashfordly Hall

The Bradley's babysit Caroline's baby whilst she visit some friends

Bernie and Vernon ready to work on their first day

Vernon ask a tearful Pattie for directions

Pattie leaves without saying a word

The trio finds out the baby is missing

Mike informs his colleagues about the baby

Vernon gets back in time for his second delivery

Jackie tells Craddock what is to know about Caroline

Pattie is revealed to have taken the baby

Mike and Phil keep a look out on Henry

Vernon realizes that he was on the wrong location

Tricia helps to keep Caroline down

Craddock ask if Caroline is capable of harming her own child

Pattie takes care of Caroline's baby

Vernon retires for the day of delivering

Henry recognizes Phil but Phil denies

Jackie and Mike started to question themselves if Caroline did kidnapped the baby

Henry threatens Pattie

Pattie collapses

Henry ask about the Scripps' courier service

Henry gives extra money and instructions for his package

Vernon then instructs Bernie to pick Henry's package

Pattie tells Tricia that she had an abortion

Pattie begs not to be taken to the hospital

Tricia tells to his lordship that Pattie has lost a lot of blood

Stewart is soon left alone and crying in the nursery room

Bernie and Alf are soon on their way to Whitby to collect the livestock

Jackie comforts Caroline

Alf and Bernie soon arrive to collect the lobsters

Mike questions Pattie about the missing baby

Pattie admits that she did no harm to the baby but only tries to help

Bernie takes the goods back much to Henry's disappointment

Henry is caught red handed with the drugs and arrested

Vernon comes in and finds himself in trouble

Caroline and Co. soon comes in to the rescue

Caroline and Stewart are reunited

Jackie and Mike both laugh at Ashfordly's joke