Sun, Apr 28, 1985
Lucia and Georgie submits entries for the local art exhibition,which Mapp,a member of the judging committee,rejects,returning them to their owners. However Lucia hangs them in pride of place at her house,so that the other judges, Mr and Mrs Wyse,are suitably impressed and insist on their submission. Needless to say they are highly commended but Mapp sees a chance for revenge on learning that the Wyses' relation,Italian Countess Faraglione,is coming to visit. Lucia and Georgie have claimed to be linguists but Mapp sees this as the chance to catch them out. Lucia feigns illness whilst Georgie goes to another town. Fortunately he meets a mother and daughter who speak fluent Italian and dictate a letter that Lucia can have presented in faultless Italian to the countess,apologizing for her indisposition.
Sun, May 5, 1985
Lucia sells her house in Riseholme and,after making Georgie her sole beneficiary in her will,she buys Grebe,a house a little outside the town on the marshes. Now a leading hostess in Tilling her 'lobster a la Riseholme' recipe is to die for and a jealous Mapp sneaks into her house to steal it. Unfortunately there is a heavy rain-storm and the river bursts its banks,flooding the house. The two women climb onto a table for safety but,as the townsfolk watch,they are swept out to sea.
Sun, May 12, 1985
Some months have passed and the Tilling residents assume that Mapp and Lucia are dead. Major Benjy,Mapp's heir,moves into her house from where he holds social events. Georgie erects a headstone with Lucia's name in large letters - and Mapp's in tiny ones,but still believes there is hope of Lucia being alive and retains her staff. Then the two women return,having been picked up by an Italian trawler. They both plan to give accounts of their ordeal - with differing perspectives,naturally. Lucia books the town hall for her lecture A Modern Odyssey. Surprisingly Mapp does not oppose her but instead accepts when Major Benjy asks her to marry him.
Sat, May 17, 1986
Due to her investments Lucia is now a very wealthy woman and donates money to restore the Tilling church organ,an occasion which gives her full press coverage and grateful thanks within the community. After donating monies to several local charities she is offered a place on both the Tilling hospital and sports club committees,as well as a seat on the town council at last. For Mapp and Benjy things only get worse as they are flooded out at Grebe and have to take refuge at Mallards with Lucia - who announces her engagement to Georgie.
Sat, May 31, 1986
Lucia accompanies Georgie to London to hear his friend,opera singer Olga Braceley,perform. At the opera house they meet Poppy,the Duchess of Sheffield but she is more interested in Georgie - whom she believes to be the mayor of Tilling - than in his wife. Returning home Lucia is angry that the council will not hang the portrait of her by in her mayoral robes by Quaint Irene,whilst Irene's painting of Mapp has been declared the picture of the year and attracted press attention. In order to regain her superiority as the social queen of Tilling she has to impress upon her peers that she is a personal friend of Poppy,which of course she eventually does.
Sun, Apr 21, 1985
Lucia is renting 'Mallards' from Mapp whilst she finds a place of her own and instantly angers Mapp when she and Georgie inform Mapp that her priceless Blumenfeld piano is little more than a hurdy-gurdy and banished from the drawing room. Mapp does manage to beat Lucia on one count as Lucia is paying Mapp's gardener to tend the grounds of Mallards but he neglects her flower beds to nurture Mapp's vegetables,which she sells in the town. However Lucia has the last word when,inspired by the success of the Riseholme pageant and encouraged by vicar Bartlett,she throws a charity garden party,which is a huge success and commended by all - except Mapp.
Sat, May 3, 1986
Lucia discovers why Georgie is hiding himself away - he has shingles,so she lets him stay at Grebe,where he grows a beard to mask the marks on his neck but has to dye it as the hairs are grey. Lucia dabbles in the stock market and her shares in the South African gold mine Siriami pay dividends,inspiring other Tilling residents to follow her example. When the shares peak everybody sells at a profit - except Mapp and new husband Benjy,who are less fortunate with their pay-out. At the same time both Mapp and Lucia decide to stand against each other for seats on the local council.
Sat, May 10, 1986
Neither Mapp nor Lucia win a seat at the local election and, for Mapp, who would appear to be pregnant, things are looking bad as she and Benjy have lost their investment in the Siriami mine and are strapped for cash. To help out - superficially - Lucia proposes that they swap houses, which they do and Lucia is excited when she believes that she has discovered Roman artifacts buried at Mallards. In the event they turn out to be modern trinkets but, so as not to lose face, Lucia holds a garden party, where it is also discovered that Mapp's presumed pregnancy is actually wind.
Sat, May 24, 1986
Lucia marries Georgie and is made the mayor of Tilling,though Georgie is peeved to find that it gives him no standing and,on Lucia's orders,they must set an example by economizing. Lucia is asked to select a Lady Mayoress,which has her female acquaintances vying with each other though Mrs Wyse seems to scupper her chances when her pet budgie,which she is wearing as an ornament on her hat after accidentally killing it,falls into her meal at the candidates' banquet. Lucia decides there is only one obvious choice - Mapp,whom she can keep in check as her subordinate though Mapp is displeased by the unfortunate photo,taken by 'Quaint' Irene accompanying the newspaper account of her success. She can derive some mirth from the fact that Lucia,championing the use of the bicycle in Tilling,gets done for speeding whilst riding one.
Sun, Apr 14, 1985
Recently widowed 'Lucia' Lucas is bored with her life in the Cotswold village of Riseholme and considers a move to the seaside town of Tilling with her fey male friend Georgie. On arrival in Tilling they meet Elizabeth Mapp,the Queen Bee of Tilling society and assorted other townsfolk,including the masculine artist 'Quaint' Irene,Godiva,alias Diva,who becomes a friend to Lucia,a Vicar from Birmingham who nonetheless speaks with a Scots accent and Benjy,the Major. However before she can settle in Tilling Lucia has to make a quick visit back to Riseholme to take over the village fete from Daisy Quantock,whose competence she doubts as organizer. Furthermore,in taking over the running,Lucia can usurp Daisy by taking the plum role in the pageant of Elizabeth I.