Spot of Bother

This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the DVD.

Spot of Bother

Release Details

Series

3 (ENG)
2 (WEL)

Series no.

3.02 (ENG)
2.02 (WEL)

Number

18

Released

25 September 1990 (UK; WEL)
22 October 1990 (UK; ENG)^[1]
10 March 1992 (AUS)

Episode Guide
← Previous	Next →
Dilys' Forgetful Day	Halloween

Spot of Bother is the second episode of Series 3.

Plot[]

It is Sarah and James' last day of school before the Easter holidays. Sarah and James tell Norman it's the best day of term, but Norman isn't looking forward to it, as he has to redo a spelling test he'd previously failed. When Sam arrives at Dilys' shop to buy his newspaper, he asks Sarah and James if they'd like a cream egg for break time. Dilys notices a chicken pox epidemic that has hit Pontypandy on the newspaper. Sam buys a newspaper and two cream eggs for Sarah and James. On the way downstairs, Norman overhears Dilys talking to Sam about it. Sneaking back upstairs, he draws spots on his face, so that he will be able to miss school and the spelling test. Dilys sends him back to bed, and Sarah and James are annoyed about what a cheat Norman was.

Meanwhile, at the fire station, Elvis is cooking his usual unhealthy meals of sausages, bacon and eggs for Trevor's breakfast and stew and dumplings for lunch (which is caused on fire later this episode). Penny (who has come down from Newtown) suggests to Trevor to have a bowl of muesli for breakfast instead of all that greasy food. Steele then tells the fire team that Penny will be doing their fitness training.

Dilys tells Norman she's off to Bella's cafe for her elevenses and soon as she is gone, Norman sneaks out of bed, wipes the spots off his face and sneaks out of the house to go out and have some fun.

Back at the fire station, the fire team are doing their fitness training by touching their toes, but Trevor and Elvis' results are not very good, so Station Officer Steele sends them timed jogging to Pandy Lane and back again.

Norman throws stones at the tin cans, knocking them off the log. Elvis and Trevor are jogging. Trevor thought Elvis' jogging result is supposed to him good, but it's wrecking Trevor. Norman turns the direction sign post round and hides behind a wall. Trevor was confused that he thought Pontypandy was that way. Elvis tells Trevor they're having mirages that they have in the Sahara.

After a health and safety inspection, Penny and Steele later point out that too much exercise for unfit people is not good and that Elvis and Trevor are taking their time, so he and Sam drive off to find out where they are. Penny leaves to go back to HQ while Sam and Steele find Elvis and Trevor. Trevor and Elvis have stopped for a rest after they got lost due to Norman turning the direction sign post around. As they are dozing by a bus stop, Norman draws red spots on their faces to make them look like they have chicken pox too.

Elvis and Trevor wake up to find Sam and Station Officer Steele finally found them, but they are shocked to see spots on their faces. To make matters worse (as mentioned above) WP calls through on the radio reporting that there is a fire back at the station. Once they arrive, they layout a jet and discover that the gas cooker has exploded and set alight due to the dumplings being well overcooked. Steele turns the gas off at the mains, Trevor turns on the water, and Sam and Elvis put out the fire. When the blaze is extinguished, Elvis wipes his forehead and Sam realises that his spots are fake. It is not too difficult for Sam to work out who drew them on.

Later that afternoon, Sam visits Dilys' shop in order to have a word with Norman and asks Dilys how the invalid is. Dilys' herself has no idea about her sons tricks and thinks that he spent the whole day resting in bed. When Norman comes downstairs, he thinks he is feeling better, but his mother tells him he can't be better yet because he is still covered in spots. She hands him a mirror, whereupon Norman sees that he has now caught chicken pox for real, with Sam stating that no amount of wiping will get them off.

When Sarah and James arrived at Dilys' shop back from school, they told Norman that Mrs. Williams (the teacher) told them to tell Norman not to worry about the spelling test. Norman was pleased and Sarah and James tell him he can retake the spelling test as soon as he comes back to school after the holidays. Realizing that he would have been better off going to school and taking the test after all, Norman tells his mother that he now feels even more sick.

Characters[]

Vehicles[]

Locations[]

Trivia[]

In Wales, this is the 2nd Episode of Series 2.
Stock footage from Thief in Pontypandy and Chemistry Set is used.
The creme eggs are made by Cudbury, a reference to real-life company Cadbury, which also makes creme eggs.
This is the second and last episode the Main Jet is used, the first episode was Barn Fire.
This is the first time that the fire station catches fire.

Goofs[]

From the outside, the fire looks a lot worse than it actually is.
On the display of Cudbury's egss, the reads both "crome egss" and "crom egss"

Quotes[]

Sam: Hello, you two. Now, how about a cream egg for break time?
James: Oh, yes please, Uncle Sam.
Dilys: Oh! Well I never!
Sam: Morning, Dilys.
Dilys: What a calamity, Sam! There's a chickenpox epidemic all over the valley! Anyway, there's the story, look! "Rash of Chicken Pox Covers Pontypandy". Popping up all over the place it is! If you ask me, it's those sell-by dates that's doing it!
Elvis: (singing) Sunny side up, sunny side down. Elvis' eggs won't make you frown. Bacon rashers really grilled. Leaves your tummy well and truly filled. Here you are, Trevor. Sausage, bacon and eggs.
Penny Morris: Now, what's next?
Elvis: Oh yes! Um, stew into the oven.
Penny Morris: Why don't you have a bowl of muesli, Trevor, instead of all that greasy food?
Steele: Morning, men! Today's drill. Is, uh, is fitness training. And I'm pleased to welcome welcome our good friend, Firefighter Penny Morris who has come to put us through our paces.
Trevor Evans: Oh no!
Penny Morris: Ready everybody? Down and up and down and up. Come on sir. Stretch those legs.
Steele: Yes, I uh, I do have have to be careful about my back.
Penny Morris: Down and up. Uh, that's fine Fireman Sam:
Elvis: Uh, d-down and. No, U-up and no.
Penny Morris: Touch your toes, Trevor.
Trevor Evans: I, well, I don't know when I last saw my toes, Pe….
Trevor Evans: Uh, oh that's torn it.