EPISODE 540 Nora announces to the women that she is pregnant. Ettie, still homesick for the security of prison life, thinks of another plan to get back into Wentworth. First broadcast ... 1985 (Melbourne) Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 28 August 1999 04:40 DVD release: volume 34 disc 3 (AUS) Duration: 0:45:19

Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Myra ~ Anne Phelan Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Dennis ~ Nigel Bradshaw Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Lou ~ Louise Siversen Willie ~ Kirsty Child Ruth ~ Lindy Davies May ~ Billie Hammerberg Pippa ~ Christine Harris Daphne ~ Debra Lawrance Jenny ~ Jenny Lovell Ettie ~ Lois Ramsay Nora ~ Sonja Tallis Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Alice ~ Lois Collinder Kath ~ Michele Sargent Terri Malone ~ Margot Knight Fed. Sup. No. 1 ~ Scott Lucey Fed. Sup. No. 2 ~ Chris Hallam Sadie ~ Helene Jacoby Manager ~ Brian Worth Plumber ~ John Adams Police Sgt ~ Peter Black Billy ~ Rick Ireland Sally ~ Melanie Boxshall Written by Ian Coughlan Directed by Sean Nash Michele Sargent is credited as "Cath"

Daphne finds a geranium in the garden and is about to dig it up to take it indoors when Lou tries to put her off by telling her about the bodies supposedly buried in the garden. When Daphne turns round she sees that Lou has crushed the geranium underfoot. Ettie decides to rob a bank, but sees an opportunity closer to home when a plumber working at the flats leaves his radio playing and his van door wide open. Ettie makes a big show of stealing it but no-one takes her seriously. Willie and May find another geranium and give it to Daphne to cheer her up. Joan ironically tells Myra of the lessons of patience and forgiveness she learnt from Anita: this is to indicate that she won't be looking for vengeance immediately, but will make Myra wait. Sadie inadvertently gives Ettie the idea of confessing to a crime committed by someone else. Myra is back with the women. Julie scores the highest in Dennis' general knowledge quiz, but keeps quiet about it. Sadie and Ettie scan the newspapers and find a case of a woman cashing forged pension cheques. There is even a photo, which looks a bit like Ettie (perhaps because it is of Lois Ramsay as a younger woman? ) - except the woman has red hair. Sadie points out that can soon be fixed. Nora sets Myra straight about the child murder accusation: she was trying to stop the mother killing her own child and that later on she did go through with it when Nora wasn't there to stop her. She also tells Myra about her time on the run, saying she had to get out before it was "too late", but refuses to elaborate further. Ann's daughter Pippa comes home , and announces that she is having an affair with a married man. As she predicts, Ann does not approve at all. Nora has morning sickness. As a joke, Lexie ices a cake with a pink heart and the words "Mervin luvs Joyce" but he isn't amused. The Federal Police tell Ann she must give Ruth the private phone in her cell, but it will be tapped anyway in case she gives away any information. Ruth questions Daphne and finds out from her who is the officer most likely to accept a bribe - Joan's name is mentioned, of course. Meg decides to go on her own to the trial of her rapist's accomplice. Joyce is appalled to find out from Mervin that the women know about them and refuses his invitation to dinner. Ettie disguises herself with one of Sadie's wigs and goes to a police station to confess to the crime she picked out of the newspaper. Joan visits Lou in her cell to threaten her, but Lou proudly points out her "backup" (those old reliables Alice and Kath). Ann tells Ruth she will get her phone but it will be locked and only she can use it. Ruth counters with a further list of ridiculous demands. Nora faints in the laundry. The police sergeant shows Ettie the door when he realises she's making it all up. Officer Terri Malone is transferred from maternity: Joan covers for her when she makes a mistake signing visitors out and is about to forge the visitors' book. Jenny Hartley visits Pippa, but she rushes off quickly as she's left her invalid grandmother alone at home. The women are impressed by Ruth's telephone. Nora announces she's pregnant. While she is dejectedly feeding the seagulls, Ettie has her handbag snatched by two punks, but she easily manages to overpower them singlehanded. She decides to use these incompetent thieves in a plan to get back inside. As a way of thanking her for covering up her mistake, Terri asks Joan for a drink to plot revenge on Lou and Myra. ***

Story Editor: Coral Drouyn
Script Editor: Kit Oldfield (538)-(540)
Storyliners: Coral Drouyn, Neil Luxmoore, Tony McDonald, John Coulter

ITV regional broadcast dates:-
Broadcast on Meridian Tuesday 07 April 1998 23:40

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