Whose son purchases Hercules the Second?
The Steptoes have retired their horse - because the horse is lame, after having to pull the cart (and Harold) home from York, after the horse walked into the back of a removal van which then drove off - and plan to buy a new one with Albert's life savings of £80, putting £9 away for "emergencies". Harold sends Albert home and returns several hours later drunk and introduces Hercules the Second, a short sighted racing greyhound. Harold reveals to Albert that he purchased this from local gangster and loan shark Frankie Barrow for the £80 plus a further £200 owing on top. Furthermore, he plans to pay a small fortune to keep it fed on egg and steak.  
They eventually have to sell all of their possessions to have one final bet on their dog at the races to try to pay off the money they owe. When their dog loses, they just about lose hope when Albert brings up that he had saved £1,000 in a life insurance policy. Harold then schemes to get the money from his father by faking his death. They find an old mannequin among their collection of junk and fit it around Albert's body. They then call Dr. Popplewell, a known alcoholic doctor, who's drunk at the time of seeing Albert and he announces that Albert has died. Harold then brings home a coffin that he has been saving for the inevitable day that his father would actually die.
Albert