Birds of a Feather

Dorien is treating Sharon and Tracey to a Christmas trip to the Canaries, but with Tracey’s fear of flying, Sharon’s hopes for adventure, and Dorien’s eagerness for anything in trousers, will it be plane sailing?

Sharon amazes the others with a high IQ, and Dorien, under pressure to find a heroine for her next book, decides to push her towards a surprising career. Tracey’s got her hands full with a despondent Garth, but the household joins forces to put Sharon through her paces and make sure she’s the man for the job.

Sharon and Tracey discover that Dorien has a long-lost daughter, and beg her to arrange a meeting: but Dorien is reluctant to confront her past, and meanwhile Tracey is finding motherhood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Tracey finds herself nominated by Auntie Vera to take over her title as Pearly Queen of Thornton Heath. When Sharon finds out, it’s war! And things are hardly friendlier as Dorien reluctantly agrees to a family reunion with Naomi.

Dorien’s Book Group is coming to the house, to discuss “Crime and Punishment”- which turns out to be surprisingly appropriate after Tracey warns Garth not to lead his younger brother astray.

Sharon welcomes Tracey back from prison with the offer of a job in the school kitchen she’s now managing. Meanwhile Dorien’s gambling at a loss and can’t pay the rent, so Sharon arranges employment for her too - at a frock exchange.

Sharon makes plans to take Tracey and Dorien on a madcap 70’s Weekender, but there’s no dressing up the news that Tracey is about to receive.

While Tracey awaits the results of her scan, she and Sharon talk home truths in the comfort of a spa, and Dorien prepares to say a long goodbye to her to her daughter Naomi.