As the episode opens, Michelle and Alan are making the last minute tidy-ups before the neighbours arrive for the housewarming of their freshly decorated home.

Beth and Eric are first in the door, followed by Christine wearing an eye patch (from a rogue newspaper eye-scratching incident), with Colin and Cathy not far behind.

Cathy is of course not backward in coming forward with less than complimentary comments about the couple's new-look home.

Then in comes Louise, Michelle's long-term friend, who has unexpectedly come by to drop off a housewarming gift. As Louise is deaf, she and Michelle talk in sign language, further frustrating Cathy's determination to be the centre of attention.