The Rag Trade

Oct 6, 1961

When Fenner finds one of the girls has brought her baby to work, the resultant fracas between management and staff threatens production of a line of polka dot gowns.

Oct 13, 1961

Paddy promises Carole the girls will be able to make her a wedding dress with material left over from an order for Arcadia Gowns.

Oct 20, 1961

Fenner installs a time clock to help gain a contract with chain store Parks & Spicer and the resultant docking of wages leaves the girls with no money to bet on a sure thing at the races.

Oct 27, 1961

Fenner arranges for Carole to model a pair of slacks at the Ritz Plaza to help secure an American order.

Nov 3, 1961

Paddy allows Carole to wear a sample dress to lunch with her sailor boyfriend and a resultant mishap jeopardizes a 3:30 viewing by a prospective buyer.

Nov 10, 1961

Fenner is determined to enforce a ban on eating in the workroom when an angry customer returns items of food in his garments.

Nov 17, 1961

(Lost Episode) Fenner Fashions has been awarded a contract to supply Wren uniforms to the Admiralty by inadvertently tendering bankruptingly low prices so the girls have to show their workmanship is shoddy to save the situation.

Nov 24, 1961

Fenner is laid low with a heavy cold at the very moment he has to produce a gown which is to be worn on television by an international singing star and lead to numerous orders.

Dec 1, 1961

(Lost Episode) The arrival of Roberto, an Italian beachwear designer, causes strained relations among the girls in the workroom.

Dec 8, 1961

To make a bit of pocket money for the Festive season, Paddy and the girls produce 300 golliwog dolls, unbeknownst to Fenner.

Apr 6, 1962

Paddy has installed a fruit machine in the rest room. The factory electricity supply is cut off for non-payment of the bill.

Apr 13, 1962

Lily's puppy Dinky is feeling poorly so she brings him into the factory.

Apr 20, 1962

A lady factory inspector arrives to discover Reg, dressed in drag, in the ladies' rest room.

Apr 27, 1962

Fenner gives Reg the keys to his flat so that he can paint the walls. Paddy holds her birthday party there. Fenner returns unexpectedly and so does his battle-axe of a mother-in-law.

May 4, 1962

(Lost Episode) Carole and Paddy take the day off, but find themselves in hot water when Mr. Fenner returns unexpectedly.

May 11, 1962

Fenner makes a time and motion study of the girls, but loses money on the deal. His potential buyer for the dresses is a gourmand, so he tries to get Reg and the girls to provide a slap-up meal in his office.

May 18, 1962

A stuck-up new secretary takes Carole's job of modelling causing Paddy to take industrial action.

May 25, 1962

(Lost Episode) Paddy and Reg take over the running of a fish and chip shop.

Jun 1, 1962

Paddy calls frequent stoppages for fire drills. Reg has to impersonate a French designer and romance a female buyer.

Jun 8, 1962

Chaos results at Fenner's Fashions when bleach is exchanged for stain proofing.

Jun 15, 1962

The factory's girls are attracted to a young doctor. This causes them to fall behind with their work. Paddy tries to rectify the situation by bringing in outside help, but a factory inspector turns up.

Jun 22, 1962

Paddy adds laundry service to Fenner's Fashions to earn some extra money.

Jun 29, 1962

Fenner tries to persuade his bank manager that Fenner's Fashions is a good investment. He cannot sell a batch of baby doll nighties, but the girls sew fringes on them and they sell as flapper dresses.

Jan 5, 1963

(Lost Episode) Fenner and Paddy try to find Reg a woman

Jan 12, 1963

(Lost Episode)

Jan 19, 1963

(Lost Episode) Fenners hires Reg's mother as his new assistant

Jan 26, 1963

(Lost Episode)

Feb 2, 1963

(Lost Episode) Fenner becomes obsessed with horse racing

Feb 9, 1963

(Lost Episode) Reg's lies over his tax forms come back to haunt him

Feb 16, 1963

(Lost Episode) Fenner has to pretend Judy is his daughter when they go to represent Fenners Fashion at a ball

Feb 23, 1963

(Lost Episode)

Mar 2, 1963

(Lost Episode)

Mar 9, 1963

(Lost Episode) Judy accuses Reg of having an affair

Mar 16, 1963

(Lost Episode) Fenner finds himself in debt with only the girls to help him

Mar 23, 1963

(Lost Episode) Paddy's job is on the line when another strike attempt sadly backfires

Mar 30, 1963

(Lost Episode) Reg and Judy's engagement party is ruined when the engagement ring is stolen

Sep 11, 1977

Fenner entertains a German client who's keen to see the workforce. Unfortunately, it's before nine o'clock and the workers aren't working. To ensure the staff arrive on time, a clocking-in machine is installed which leads to a strike.

Sep 18, 1977

The girls have produced an exclusive Italian sample dress for a potential buyer. Unfortunately, when the buyer arrives to see it, Kathy is wearing it out on a date.

Sep 25, 1977

Fenner has a problem - a rising wage bill and falling production. To improve the situation, he sets up a time and motions study. The girls of course throw a spanner in the works.

Oct 2, 1977

The local diner has put its prices up, leaving the girls out of pocket. They are outraged when Fenner refuses to give them a special subsidy, so they take special measures to dine in luxury at the factory.

Oct 9, 1977

Fenner is ecstatic to land an order from the US. Knowing the American market is demanding, he insists on perfection. Unfortunately the girls spend the afternoon celebrating Kathy's birthday.

Oct 16, 1977

Mr. Fenner brings in an Italian designer to help with the smooth running of the factory. Paddy is instantly opposed, until she meets the Italian heart-throb.

Oct 23, 1977

After a row with her old man, Olive has no choice but to bring her baby into work. Terrified that Fenner will disapprove, she tries her best to hide him.

Oct 30, 1977

Kathy announces that she's marrying Big Jim who works on an oil rig. To save her expense, the girls agree to make her a wedding dress from stock fabric. Unfortunately, Mrs. Fenner is helping to stock-take.

Nov 6, 1977

Fenner has picked up an order for a line of fur coats. When Olive makes a panda toy with some of the waste, Paddy spots an opportunity to sell her new boyfriend, Roger, a batch of soft toys.

Nov 13, 1977

When Kathy and Paddy tape down the button which switches the intercom on, Mrs. Fenner hears some home truths from her husband who is talking with the girls in the work room.

Nov 20, 1977

Mr. Fenner realises that during his absence, production plummets. To counter this, he hires stuck-up June to supervise. The girls hatch a plan to get rid of the stuck-up overseer.

Nov 27, 1977

Fenner gets the chance to supply a large chain with Fenner Fashions, however, the girls are distracted when they place a bet on the horses.

Dec 11, 1977

When Kathy falls off a chair in the restroom while trying on a dress, Paddy tries to get her compensation by rigging up an accident in the workroom.

Dec 18, 1977

Skilled seamstress Shana Ahmed is employed to complete the hand embroidery on a new line. Her husband objects to her working there and is worried that she'll pick up bad habits.

Dec 24, 1977

Production always slows down as Christmas nears and one dress gets destroyed as the clock reaches 5pm. Will anyone stay behind and help Mr. Fenner?

Sep 8, 1978

The girls are busy getting an order ready for Glamour Gowns, but once again their work is interrupted by Mrs Fenner, who wants her dress altered, unfortunately it vanishes.

Sep 15, 1978

Fenner has an order, a design and the stock for a range of leather garments, unfortunately Paddy and the girls feel that it is work they should not be carrying out, claiming that leather work is a specific skill.

Sep 22, 1978

The Banks start to close in on Fenner Fashions, and he's forced to economise or go under. Fearing for his health, and the possibility of Mrs Fenner taking over, Paddy demands the girls work harder and economise.

Sep 29, 1978

Things go from bad to worse for Fenner, not a single order comes through, to keep busy, the girls offer to decorate the restroom, for £30 a head.

Oct 6, 1978

Fenner is close to landing a large order, but he's up against Roger Jackson's rival factory. Chances of the order seem slim when Jackson offers Paddy a job at his factory.

Oct 13, 1978

The girls are terrified by the number of attacks in the area, and threaten industrial action, unless Fenner pays for them to have lessons in self defence.

Oct 20, 1978

Fenner's in a flap over a sample cocktail dress, and even agrees to an extortionate rate from Paddy, the reason, Miss Butler of The Chelsea Boutique.