Episode 2200 (6th May 1997)

==Plot==
Emma is nervous about going back to school and leaving Geri but Becky reassures her that she's done it all before and she’ll be fine before telling Tony that they ought to discuss the barn situation a little more before committing themselves to it. Tony tells her that the contracts have to be exchanged by noon and seemingly declines her request to come back to the chalet after he drops the children off at school. At school, Lyn Hutchinson has a go at Emma, telling her that she must have found it really difficult getting pregnant, as it must have been a shock finding anyone desperate enough to sleep with her. Emma handles the situation and when Will arrives he tells Lyn to leave his sister alone before they walk away. Sarah prepares to give Andy a history lesson, but Jack tells them both they would come to the auction for Melby Farm with him. At the hotel, where the auction is taking place, Sarah is extremely nervous that the money from the sale of their old farm won't come through in time and her fears are not allayed as Jack is unable to get through to the solicitor to find out as he was constantly engaged. Jack is convinced though that there would not be a problem and despite Sarah's attempts to stop him, he participates in the bidding and buys the farm for £170,000. She is still horrified at the prospect of them losing the deposit if the sale doesn’t go through and it isn't until they receive a call from the solicitor when they arrive home that they know everything has gone ahead. However, Jack pulls Sarah's leg for a moment, intimating that it hasn't gone through but when he reveals the truth she beats him with a cushion. Later, in the Woolpack, Becky has a drink with a seemingly reserved Sarah and asks her if they had a survey done on the barn. Sarah says that they have and it must be somewhere at home. Becky asks if they could have a look at it. Betty and Mandy arrive for work at the Woolpack but there is no response to their knocking. Terry comes over to see what the problem is and tells them there was a key round the back so he can let them in. They find Alan in the cellar, where he had been all night. He had come to change a barrel and several of them had fallen on top of him. While Terry and Mandy make him comfortable, Betty calls an ambulance. Mandy reassures Alan not to worry about anything as she can look after the pub while he’s in hospital, but Alan's anxiousness isn't easily concealed. Mandy decides to call a Happy Hour but the Dingles become increasingly riotous as a row breaks out between Zak, Butch, Marlon and Albert over how the bus service should progress from here, resulting in a table and their glasses being broken. Mandy is upset that the Dingles have ruined her first time in charge and furiously bars them from the pub. When Alan returns, he isn't very pleased to find the mess and is annoyed she called a Happy Hour, later asking Terry if he would consider taking charge of the bar until he is better. He initially declines, adding that it would be a step backwards, but after some consideration he leaves Biff and Linda alone at the wine bar and returns to the Woolpack, telling a delighted Alan he won't leave him in the lurch. Viv comes to see Terry and begs him to take her with him to Leeds so they can make a fresh start where nobody knows them, but he tells her there is nothing between them anymore and has to do it on his own. Viv is reluctant to accept this and tells him that there was nothing left for her in Emmerdale anymore, she doesn't love Vic and she would leave the kids, unaware that Donna is listening. Steve takes Zoe to see Frank in prison, but Zoe is unable to persuade Sophie to bring James with them as she tells her it’s unfair to take him. Frank is anxious to know where James is, but Zoe tells him that Sophie took taken him for a walk and they hadn't got back in time, which Frank accepts. Frank tells them he’s sacked his solicitor for incompetence. He said his new solicitor was the best in the business and he would be home extremely soon, probably before the trial. Steve stresses the need to sell off the less profitable parts of the company to avoid dire financial trouble, but Frank is determined the estate he worked so hard for would not be broken up. Steve is insistent but Frank asks him why he’s so keen, sarcastically suggesting that perhaps he already had a buyer before warning him that he better pray he's been acting in Frank's best interests while he is in prison, because he would be for it when he is released if he hasn't. Later, at Steve's cottage, Zoe and Steve share a couple of bottles of wine and she apologises for her father's behaviour. Steve says it’s fine and can tell she’s close to her father, something that he would know nothing about as his father died soon after he was born. Zoe apologises again and says she'd always found Steve intimidating and knows nothing about him. He replies that there is nothing really much to know. She concedes that she is finding it difficult to cope with everything and Frank's situation and thanks Steve for his help. He says that he was only doing his job before reaching forward and kissing her. Zoe pulls away telling Steve there has been a misunderstanding and it was all her fault. She promptly leaves, leaving Steve in contemplation.
==Cast==
===Regular cast===
*Anthony Cairns - Edward Peel
*Rebecca Cairns - Sarah Neville
*Will Cairns - Paul Fox
*Emma Cairns - Rebecca Loudonsack
*Geri Cairns - Georgina Annett and Anna Cunningham (uncredited)
*Biff Fowler - Stuart Wade
*Linda Fowler - Tonicha Jeronimo
*Zoe Tate - Leah Bracknell
*Sophie Wright - Jane Cameron
*James Tate - Oliver Carroll (uncredited)
*Steve Marchant - Paul Opacic
*Jack Sugden - Clive Hornby
*Sarah Sugden - Alyson Spiro
*Andy Hopwood - Kelvin Fletcher
*Zak Dingle - Steve Halliwell
*Marlon Dingle - Mark Charnock
*Albert Dingle - Bobby Knutt
*Butch Dingle - Paul Loughran (uncredited)
*Lisa Clegg - Jane Cox
*Betty Eagleton - Paula Tilbrook
*Mandy Dingle - Lisa Riley
*Terry Woods - Billy Hartman
*Lyn Hutchinson - Sally Walsh
*Frank Tate - Norman Bowler
*Alan Turner - Richard Thorp
*Viv Windsor - Deena Payne
*Donna Windsor - Sophie Jeffrey
*Kathy Glover - Malandra Burrows
===Guest cast===
*Auctioneer - Richard Mapletoft
==Locations==
*Home Farm Holiday Park - Grounds
*Smithy Cottage - Exterior
*Tenant House - Living room/kitchen
*Wishing Well Cottage - Living room/kitchen
*The Woolpack - Beer garden, cellar, public bar and back room
*Hotten Comprehensive - Corridor
*HMP Hotten - Visiting area
*Unknown hotel - Function room and corridor
*The Old School Tea Rooms/Pollard's - Main area
*Pear Tree Cottage - Living room/kitchen
Category:1997 episodes
Category:Emmerdale episodes