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Three weeks of themed programmes from the last two decades reliving key moments from the characters’ lives and the events that make Ambridge unforgettable. This episode forms part of the second week when we take a look at five different events that affect the characters relationship to their homes and the land, in ‘There’s No Place Like Home’.

Brookfield is under lockdown due to an outbreak of Foot and Mouth.

In 2001 there was a national outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease. Brookfield farm had been badly hit by the disease in 1956 and David Archer is keen that the farm doesn’t suffer the same kind of tragic losses that it did when his grandfather, Dan, was in charge. David and Ruth make the difficult decision to seal off Brookfield for six weeks. Brookfield went into self-imposed isolation from 13th March until 27th April.

Living at Brookfield at the time were Jill and Phil, David and Ruth and 3 year old Josh. Pip stayed with Shula so she could continue going to school until the Easter holidays. Bert moved into the Bungalow so that he could join the farm without coming and going, and was separated from Freda for the longest time ever. Food supplies were left at the gate. Jill got used to the siege mentality and coped admirably. They even celebrated Phil’s birthday under lockdown. Ruth only left the farm to go for her hospital check-ups following her breast cancer. The family lived under huge stress that the disease might find its way onto the farm.

This programme was originally broadcast on 21st March 2001.