The Hardacres: Mary and Ma attend their first charitable outing with the society ladies

The clan, who started out living a hardscrabble life by a grimy fishing dock on the North Yorkshire coast, are now in the position to hold fancy tea parties for society ladies – although as Liza (Shannon Lavelle) demonstrated with an impromptu bawdy singalong last week, you can take the girl out of the docks…

Still, all was well that ended well-ish with that event, despite trouble below stairs, and this week Mary (Claire Cooper) is excited to finally be accepted into the charitable ladies’ circle. She accompanies the women on an outing for one of their philanthropical endeavours, although she’s less keen on Ma (Julie Graham, excellent) gatecrashing the excursion.

Things take a worrying turn when they arrive at their destination, finding themselves somewhere all too familiar. The place holds painful memories, and old wounds are reopened. While Ma is happy to gloss over this unfortunate turn of events, Mary realises it’s time they faced up to who they are and where they came from.

Liza, meanwhile, regrets the scene she caused at the party, and attempts to make amends with Adella Fitzherbert (Holly Sturton). Adella is excited by her proposition – Liza wants her to teach her how to become a ‘proper lady’. Well, a new repertoire of singalongs can’t hurt…

Adella, who would jump at any opportunity to avoid her bore of a suitor, Lord Hugo, agrees readily – the fact that it gives her more opportunities to toy with lovestruck Joe is also a bonus.

Her mother Emma, though, does not take kindly to the young Fitzherbert’s sudden interest in the family, determining to resolve the matchmaking at the earliest possible opportunity.

Emma plans a sophisticated – read, no Hardacres allowed – soiree to seal the deal, but her devilish daughter senses a wonderful opportunity to weave more mischief and invites the whole clan along anyway.

Liza is thrilled to have a chance to test out her new sophisticated persona, while Joe is just happy to see Adella.

Needless to say, Emma is livid. But that’s the great thing about high-society types – they can’t ever just show how they really feel.

Joe is not so encumbered by a surfeit of manners, though, and the night proceeds not without some fireworks.

Adam Little, who plays Joe, describes his character as a “funny one to explain … he’s got a good heart. His intentions are nothing but good, but he has a hard way of showing it – [he] always manages to mess it up, get himself in entanglements that he shouldn’t”.

That’s never more evident than this evening.