Grass Roots

Episode 1

Art

Bad weather cancels Arcadia Waters' Big Event for a Good Cause - the Amnesty International Candlelight Vigil. Mayor Col Dunkley and Helen go back to his place to plan a publicity campaign for the following day's arrival of a visiting art expert from London. The storm gets worse, power lines are brought down, and Col and Helen are trapped in total darkness, cut off from the rest of the world. It seems fate has thrown them into each other's arms - literally. In another part of town, George is busy getting hold of as many tarpaulins as he can, while Greg is trying to get past a police and emergency services blockade. The full extent of the storm's damage becomes evident when, at a specially convened emergency meeting, Greg explains that he is in charge and is cancelling all business except essential works. Col protests that the visiting art expert is already on her way, and Greg is persuaded to make the judging of the art prize the only exception to his rule. With some tension evident between them, Col and Helen meet Faith Twohill, the visiting art expert. Col leaves to deal with some storm business and Faith selects her winner. But there's a problem - the chosen work is by Ned Schumaker, the son of Councillor Karin Schumaker, and it came in past the deadline. When Helen tells Faith the work is ineligible, she refuses to award a prize at all. It all looks like collapsing and Col refuses to get involved, telling Helen it's up to her to sort out what's needed to ensure the art prize is awarded.