23 September 2025

Sioned's phone sounds

Sioned is doing the washing up when a message arrives on her phone;  

She checks . . .

she goes to have a look at it 

. . . the counselling appointment for Mathew . . . 

and finds confirmation of a counselling appointment in the name of Mathew Price on the 29th September.   

. . . and looks hopeful

She appears quietly confident.

Rhys is right – she does look lovely

At number 7, Rhys brings Kelly a takeaway coffee and tells her that she looks lovely.   

"Looking forward to your date?"

“So, are you looking forward to the date with Deian?”   

"Or not?"

She thinks that she is, but he detects some hesitation.

"I've got so much to sort out"

“It’s just . . . I don’t know, Rhys, there’s so much going on – I’ve got so much to sort out at Y March Gwyn, the stock – and then there’s Auntie Neet.”   Rhys laughs that she is nervous.   “I just hope that I’m good company,” she says.

"He's a nice guy – he's handsome"

He assures her, “He’s a nice guy – he’s handsome, got good chat . . .”   

"Do you want to go on a date with him?"

Kelly wonders, Do you want to go on a date with Deian or what?”   

He has a disturbing message

Then Rhys has a message on his phone which concerns him; he gives the excuse that he has to go, 

"I'll give you time to brush your teeth"

to give her time to brush her teeth.

"Coffee Breath!"

“Coffee breath!” she gasps with surprise.

Diane unloads the washing machine . . .

At Bryntirion, Diane is unloading the washing machine and finds, amongst all the other items, 

. . . and finds something unexpected

a garment she does not recognise, which she puts to one side.

"512 calories in this little packet?"

In the shop, Colin is looking at a very small chocolate bar which is said to contain 512 calories;  “In this little packet?” he demands.   

"I wasn't expecting to see you"

Lleucu comes into the shop in her school uniform and he was not expecting to see her.

"It will be Christmas before we know it"

“Are you ready for school?   Time flies, doesn’t it?   It will be Christmas before we know it.”   She tells him that she has a free lesson this morning, so he wonders whether she has time for a cup of tea.

"Do you know of a 'drop-off' service?"

“No, sorry – but I want to ask, do you know of anywhere that does a ‘drop off’ service around here?”   

"'Drop-off'?"

Colin does not recognise the term, 

"Where delivery companies can drop parcels off"

so she explains, “A place where delivery companies can drop parcels off,” which he concludes is rather like a post office.

"Loads of little shops do it now"

“Loads of little shops, do it now.   This place should really – there is one in Llanarthur, but that’s a bit far away.   Never mind, I might get a lift over there later.   

"Can I leave this parcel here?"

“Can I leave this parcel here, rather than dragging it around school with me?”   He agrees that of course she can 

Lleucu is about to catch the chocolate bar

and throws her the chocolate bar, wishing her good luck today.

Howard manoeuvres a large box

Siwsi is at work in APD when Howard comes in, carrying a large box;   she asks if he needs any help.   “You’re not going to make this awkward, are you?   

"So what if I'm camping in my car?"

“So what if I’m camping in my car?”

"It's called 'homeless'"

He points out that the correct word is ‘homeless’, 

"I'm just not living there att he moment"

but she disagrees maintaining that she has a home – she is just not living there at the moment.

“Does your mother know you’re sleeping in a car?   How are you surviving?   You know, cooking, washing your clothes?”   

Siwsi snarls that it is none of his business, 

"That's not safe"

but he continues to insist that it is not safe, a young woman living on her own, warning that ‘creeps’ will take advantage.

"You telling me to be careful of creeps!"

“The irony of you telling me to be careful of creeps!” she reprimands him, 

Mathew comes in

just as Mathew comes in.   

"There are some old invoices missing"

She informs him that there are some old invoices missing, so she will not be able to sort them out.

"They must be at Penrhewl"

Mathew imagines that they are probably at Penrhewl, 

"Well, can you get them, then?"

so she asks if he can go and get them, in that case, as she needs to leave at lunchtime to go and see Dai.   He says that he will go and get them shortly.   After he has gone, Siwsi whispers to Howard, “He’s hopeless!”

"Hey, you could stay at Penrhewl"

Howard comes up with the idea that Siwsi could stay at Penrhewl;  

"I'd rather sleep in a hedge!"

“Stay with you?” she exclaims, “I’d rather sleep in a hedge!   Stop going on and on about it, OK?”   He rather dejectedly picks up his box again.

Sioned shows Rhys her phone

As expected, Rhys’ message was from Sioned and he has gone straight over there.   She thanks him for coming and shows him what she has arranged on her phone.   

"Math has organised this?"

“What?   Math has organised this?” he says 

"No – I organised it for him"

and she reveals that she has organised it for him, insisting that it is the right thing to do.

"Has Math seen this?"

“Sioned!   It’s not – has Math seen this?”   She answers that he has not, because she wants Rhys to tell him.   Rhys does not appear to be going along with this.

Kelly arrives at the Deri

Kelly arrives, rather nervously at the Deri for her date and sits down at a table.   

"Would you like a menu?"

Cassie comes over to ask if she would like a menu, with Kelly asking for two of them;  

"I've got a date!"

“Yes, I’ve got a date!” she announces.   

Cassie realises that this is from the dating app that Rhys sorted for her.   

"Not exactly what I imagined"

“Not exactly what I imagined my life would be like at 40,” Kelly continues, but is told that she is young and has a lot to offer.   It is nice to meet new people and is a fresh start.

"What if he's a catfish?"

“What if he’s a catfish?   What if he thinks I’m a catfish?” Kelly demands.   

"Just 'ask for Angela'"

Cassie tells her that she should come to the bar and ask for Angela – which is the code word in any bar, anywhere, if a man is being a nuisance and . . .

A stranger comes into the Deri and looks around;  

"Catch of the day!"

Cassie looks across and comments, “Catch of the day!”

He greets Kelly

He walks towards Kelly and says, “Hi.”

"He's not ready yet, Sioned"

At Penrhewl Rhys explains, “I said he should get professional help when I found out, but he’s not ready yet.”   

"I understand that"

Sioned insists that she understands that, 

"I don't think you do"

but Rhys does not think she does, “Or you would never have organised the appointment in the first place.”

“I’m trying to help him,” she protests, but Rhys insists that he has to ask for help – they cannot force it.

"So what, then?   We just carry on like this?"

“So what, then?   We just carry on like this?” Sioned demands.   He maintains that is not what he is saying, simply that they should give him time.   That is what he needed when he was going through depression.

"Mathew will never take the first step"

Sioned is certain that Mathew will never take the first step, but Rhys is confident that he will in the end.   

"When he's ready to accept that he needs help"

“When he’s ready to accept that he needs help.   There’s no point rushing things.”   

"I can't just do nothing"

Sioned replies that she cannot just do nothing;  she is adamant that he needs help and he needs help now.   “I don’t want to put you in an awkward position . . .”

Mathew is listening

At this point, Matthew walks into the farmhouse again in search of the missing APD invoices.   He hears Rhys’ voice;  “Math won’t go, I’m telling you.”

"Go where?"

He stands in the doorway and demands, “Go where?”

"Bryntirion isn't a launderette"

Diane is at the Deri;  Cassie’s verdict is that it is very unprofessional.   “Bryntirion isn’t a launderette, is it?”   Then she detects some movement over at the table where Kelly and her date are sitting.   

"What's going on?"

Diane wants to know what is going on there.  

"I think we're about to find out"

Cassie predicts that they are about to find out 

Deian is leaving already

as Deian walks out without a word and Kelly comes over to the bar.

She groans, “I know about asking for Angela if I’m in trouble, 

"What if I'm bored stiff?"

“but what if I’m bored stiff?   You know, an unhealthy obsession with monster trucks – enough said!”

"You know what they say about big wheels!"

Cassie’s comment is, “You know what they say about big wheels!”   

"First and last, probably"

Diane is interested that Kelly was on a date, so she apologises, imagining that it is the first and last, probably.

"It's only natural you want to move on from Jason"

“It’s only natural that you want to move on from Jason – it was bound to happen at some point,” Diane accepts.

"The timing is all wrong"

Kelly simply feels that the timing is just all wrong;  

"In another life, I'd find the perfect person"

“In another life, I’d just meet the perfect person, no complications.”   

"Many times we could have finished . . .~"

Diane does not know about the perfect person, recalling that, over the years there have been many occasions when she and Dai could have finished.

". . . but the truth is, we didn't want that to happen"

“But the truth is, we didn’t want that to happen, not really.   At the end of the day, he’s the one I always wanted – that’s what it comes down to.”

"Even when Dai goes on and on about rugby?"

“Even when Dai goes on and on about rugby?” Kelly enquires;  Diane replies that is when she lets the carer take over.

“We only have one life and we make it work,” she says and, as she gets up to leave, she adds, 

"Especially if he's got big wheels!" 

“It might be worth giving that bloke another chance – especially if he’s got big wheels!”

Kelly smiles

Kelly smiles.

Sioned tells Mathew what she has done

Sioned tells Mathew that she has organised for him to go and see a counsellor, holding out her phone with the details.   

"Who do you think you are?"

Mathew looks first at one of them and then the other;  “Who do you think you are?   You have no right to do this!”

"I can't bear to see you like this"

Sioned insists that she cannot bear to see him like this any more, so he turns to Rhys;  

"And you – I trusted you!"

“And you – I trusted you!”   Rhys tries to explain, but Mathew goes on, “Telling her was not enough, was it?”

"This is not Rhys' fault"

Sioned protests that this is not Rhys’ fault;  “I organised for you to see a counsellor.”

"How many times did I ask you?"

“Sioned, how many times did I ask you to leave things alone?” Mathew groans.

"How am I expected to leave things alone?"

“How am I expected to leave things alone?   How am I supposed to ignore the fact I know what he did to you?” Sioned demands.

"Making me feel ashamed?"

“Trying to help?   By talking about me?   Making me feel ashamed?” Mathew shouts, but again Sioned insists that he does not have to feel ashamed.

"How would you know?   It didn't happen to you!"

“How would you know?   It didn’t happen to you!   

"I have to deal with this – every day"

“I have to deal with this – every day – it’s up to me how I want to go through this – you obviously don’t think I can make decisions for myself!” 

"We love you too much to see you on pain like this"

“We love you too much to see you in pain like this,” argues Sioned, 

"I'm the one who has to deal with it!"

but he insists that it is his pain and he is the one who has to deal with it.

"But if you need help . . ."

“We know that, but if you need help . . .” Rhys tells him.

"Don't come a step closer, Rhys!"

“Don’t come a step closer, Rhys.   You promised you wouldn’t say a word.”   He is about to walk out of the farmhouse, although Rhys protests that he has done nothing but support him, so now he is just going to walk away.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do . . ."

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m going to do – 

". . . `I can't bear being in the same room as you"

“because I can’t bear being in the same room as you any more!”   

Sioned goes upstairs to the twins

Sioned turns the baby monitor back on and goes upstairs to the twins.

"It has been very quiet without you"

At the end of the day, Lleucu returns to the shop, where Colin is studying the laptop;  he asks how school went, adding that it has been very quiet without her, which she suspects might have been rather nice.

"Shall I check the stock now?"

“Shall I check the stock now?” she asks, but he would rather that she gave him some help with the laptop;  

"I'm trying to set up this 'drop-off' business . . ."

“I’m trying to set up this ‘drop off’ business, but the problem is it’s not making an ounce of sense.”   

Lleucu will soon have to sorted out

Lleucu is confident that she will sort it out.

“I don’t know why they make these things so complicated,” he complains, 

"We'll be just like Maggie Post and Sabrina"

then maintains that they will be just like Maggie Post and Sabrina.   These names mean nothing to Lleucu.

"It was a Post Office as well"

“Haven’t you heard of Maggie and Sabrina?   Sabrina helped Maggie Tushingham in the shop many years ago – mind you, it was a Post Office as well.   

"What about if I make a cup of tea?"

“What about if I make us a cup of tea and I’ll tell you the stories I’ve heard about her – because she was a real legend.”

The washing machine is empty

Siwsi is back at Bryntirion and looks into the washing machine, which she finds has been already emptied.   

"Are you looking for this?"

Diane wonders, “Are you looking for this?” and she is speechless.

"Is Mathew here?"

Sioned rushes into APD and asks if Mathew is there;  

"He went to Penrhewl to get invoices"

“No – he went to Penrhewl to get invoices,” replies Howard, so she and Rhys leave again.   

Mathew is looking for something

At that moment, Mathew comes in through the back and is searching for something.   

"Sioned and Rhys are looking for you"

Howard informs him that Sioned and Rhys are looking for him.

He has a sledgehammer

Mathew finds what he is looking for and Howard wonders what he is doing as he walks out carrying a large sledgehammer;  “Have you got a job on?”

"Something like that"

“Something like that!” is Mathew’s answer as he marches resolutely out again.

"I would never usually do that"

Siwsi apologises, “I’m so embarrassed, Diane – I would never usually do that.   It’s just that our machine at home is broken and I don’t have the money to buy a new one yet.   I am sorry – I didn’t mean to take advantage.”

"Just ask next time"

Diane advises that she should just ask next time and Siwsi remarks that the idea of having to wear dirty clothes on top of everything else was just a bit too much.

"Is everything all right?"

Diane does not want to poke her nose, in but enquires whether everything is all right, and Siwsi pretends that it is fine.   

"I don't deserve it"

She thanks Diane for being so kind, which she does not deserve.

"Anyone who does your job deserves paise"

“I don’t know about that,” replies Diane, “Anyone who does your job deserves praise.   You see, having some time to myself, to do my council work or have a break to have a cup of tea, or get my hair done, does me good.   

"You make our lives so much easier"

“You make mine and Dai’s lives so much easier, because it means we’re free to enjoy the time we have together – 

"That's thanks to you"

“and that’s thanks to you.”

"Where can he be?"

Back at number 21, Rhys cannot think of anywhere else Mathew could be;  

"Should we call the police?"

Sioned has brought the twins with her in their pram and wonders whether they should ought to call the police, but Rhys is sure that it would only make things worse.   

"Can things get any worse?"

Sioned cannot imagine that things can get any worse.

Kelly has come to tell Rhys her troubles

There is a knock at the door and Kelly is anxious to get Rhys’ advice;  “Deian is fit, but I’ve had more entertaining chats with Griffiths about his briefcases – that’s a real red flag, isn’t it?”

"We're looking for Mathew"

Then she realises that Rhys already has a visitor and is sorry for interrupting.   Sioned reveals that they are just looking for Mathew.

"Mathew?   Ceffyl Du!"

“Mathew?   Ceffyl Du,” Kelly informs them, “I’ve just seen him go in with his tools.”   

"Can you keep an eye on the twins?"

Sioned immediately gets up and asks if Kelly can keep an eye on the twins for five minutes, 

Kelly is left 'holding the babies'

then dashes off with Rhys. 

They hear unsettling noises . . .

As they go out of the door, they hear sounds of destruction coming from the direction of the brewery.   

. . . and hurry towards Ceffyl Du 

Rhys sprints across the road and they both go in, 

The find a scene of devastation . . .

to find 

. . . with `Mathew throwing things around 

Matthew throwing things around.   

He stops when he sees them . . .

He does stop when he sees them, 

. . . kicks something aside . . .

then kicks something aside 

. . . and barges past them

as he walks out again between the two of them, without another word.

They look at the damage he has caused

They look at the trail of destruction which he has left.