Episode 1516 (20th December 1990)

==Plot==
Joe decides to return to working properly at the farm. Nick feels the strain of having Elsa and Michael under his feet in the cottage. Joe offers the farmhouse attic to Rachel as a bedsit until she goes to university, noting he doesn't need it now he's not living with Kate. Henry begins to receive enquiries about the managerial position at The Woolpack. Sarah helps set up for the nativity play at Robert's school and the parents begin to arrive. Sarah is surprised by how nervous she is about Robert's performance. The play gets underway. Elsa is annoyed as Elizabeth takes over her plans for Christmas dinner and insists on cooking for everyone. Jack and Sarah are mortified as Robert offers Mary and Joseph a room at the inn instead of turning them away. Elsa asks Nick to have a word with Elizabeth and explain that Elsa wants to cook their Christmas dinner. Kim is disappointed as she realises Frank is expecting the house to be free from alcohol even over Christmas. Nick and Elsa lose patience and go out as Elizabeth takes over the kitchen. Dolly is bittersweet as she and Sam plan to spend Christmas at Matt's in Norfolk rather than at Emmerdale Farm. Sarah is looking forward to having a big family Christmas with the Sugdens. Jack, Joe, Annie, Sarah, Dolly, Sam, Mark, Rachel and Robert gather in the Emmerdale parlour as Chris and Kathy arrive with their Christmas gifts. Mark and Rachel are missing Kate and decide to get some air. Nick and Elsa are hiding in an empty Woolpack. They ask Amos if there is any room at the "inn" to stay the night and escape from Elizabeth and Michael. Amos is spooked when he realises that coupled with Elsa and Nick's request, the enquiries the pub has received have been from two aptly named families - the Shepherds and the Kings. Mark and Rachel confide in each other that they've not written to Kate, feeling it would be cruel to inform her of the family's Christmas celebrations. Kim is puzzled as Frank gets oddly philosophical and questions whether he's becoming too content. The Sugdens sing round the piano. Henry, Nick and Elsa wind Amos up by tricking him into thinking Elsa is about to give birth to a Christmas miracle in their "inn". Elizabeth and Michael find Nick and Elsa in the pub and escort them home.
==Cast==
===Regular cast===
*Annie Sugden - Sheila Mercier
*Amos - Ronald Magill
*Mr Wilks - Arthur Pentelow
*Joe Sugden - Frazer Hines
*Dolly Skilbeck - Jean Rogers
*Jack Sugden - Clive Hornby
*Kathy Merrick - Malandra Burrows
*Nick Bates - Cy Chadwick
*Mark Hughes - Craig McKay
*Rachel Hughes - Glenda McKay
*Frank Tate - Norman Bowler
*Kim Tate - Claire King
*Christopher Tate - Peter Amory
*Sarah - Madeleine Howard
*Sam Skilbeck - Benjamin Whitehead
*Elsa Feldmann - Naomi Lewis
*Elizabeth Feldmann - Kate Dove
*Michael Feldmann - Matthew Vaughan
*Rev Tony Charlton - Stephen Rashbrook
*Robert Sugden - Christopher Smith
===Guest cast===
None.
==Locations==
*Emmerdale Farm - Cowshed, yard and farmhouse parlour
*3 Demdyke Row - Downstairs rooms
*Home Farm - Stables
*The Woolpack - Public bar
*Unknown school
*Unknown road
*Home Farm - Sitting room
==Notes==
*This episode was released on the following commercial releases:
**Emmerdale 6 DVD released by MMT Laukkanen Ltd on 23rd October 2015.
Category:1990 episodes
Category:Emmerdale episodes
Category:Episodes released on DVD