The village is preparing for Christmas. Marina wants Norman to smuggle a present to Howard. Seymour wants to rent Compo out as a roof top Father Christmas.
Inspired by Crusher's hobby, with Norman's help, Seymour tries to force Compo to take up canoeing to put him into some type of acceptable physical condition.
Seymour tempts Compo to play guinea pig in his latest invention endeavor by giving him the title "executive in charge of testing", and promising to invite Nora Batty to the public demonstration.
Norman is visited by teenage missionaries. Seymour is given the task of selling tickets to the church charity costume presentation of "The Tales of Beatrix Potter".
Wally's war-buddy and fellow pigeon racer Eli makes an appearance, and clears the pub; Compo pretends to be Wally so Nora won't be upset that he stopped to chat with Eli; Seymour sets Edie up with his own version of a garbage-disposal.
Compo, Clegg and Seymour happen upon a somewhat wiley tramp, who persuades them to help him rescue his childhood donkey (from better days), from a field. In fact the tramp wants to fix the 'donkey derby' at the local garden fete.
