The Garnetts are at the pub when they encounter a group of celebrities whom, inevitably, Alf insults – Black actor/singer Kenny Lynch, Liverpool comedian Jimmy Tarbuck, and tough guy Australian actor Ray Barrett, described by Alf as 'the man with the holes in his face' due to his scarred complexion. The meeting isn't exactly the most cordial.

Rita gives birth to a son and Alf, eventually – as he would rather be in the pub wetting the baby's head – visits her in hospital. Initial pride at seeing his grandson soon leads to an argument with Mike, who wants to call his son Michael Patrick – too IRA for Alf, who is also annoyed that the surname will be Rawlins, not Garnett, and the christening will take place in a Catholic church.

Alf has received a tax rebate and is celebrating by blowing it in the pub, where he hears about another regular's racing pigeons. Alf believes he's onto a winner by taking up the sport himself and takes a train to set the birds free, though inevitably, things don't go as planned.

The Garnetts take a train to Bournemouth, where Alf gets into an argument with an Indian passenger and is aghast to be informed that the man is first class. On arrival, there's further moanings – sunburn, the taxi driver, though the hotel proprietress with the henpecked husband can teach him a thing or two about rabbiting on.

Even at the breakfast table, Alf is on his high horse, mouthing off about how the government should put looters and thieves up against the wall and execute them. However, when he gets to work and finds that Else has got her own back on him by putting nothing in his lunch-box, he faces an ethical dilemma. Steal or starve.

Alf wants his grandson Michael to play for West Ham, and follow in the footsteps of his beloved Bobby Moore, so he whisks baby Michael away to watch 'The Hammers' at Upton Park, but an unpleasant welcome awaits on his return home.

Alf is bedridden, having slipped on Else's newly-polished floor and broken his leg. Bored with being stuck inside, he asks Else to push him in a wheelchair to the pub but it's too much for her and she forfeits. Some lads come to Alf's rescue and take him to his destination but not exactly in the best manner.

It's Christmas Eve and Alf still has no present for Else. The Black man selling cheap watches seems like a lifesaver but maybe Alf should've held back on the slurs before buying. On Christmas Day, Alf propounds his view that Jesus was English, to dispute. However, a meeting in the pub with the cast of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' seems to support Alf's theory.

Alf is determined to respect the two minutes silence 'To honor the dead' on Remembrance Day but will Rita and Mike's disrespect and wife Else's loyalty to the BBC ruin it for him?

In line with his Tory leader's declaration, Alf is now working three days but is appalled to find Else is doing the same and she hasn't cooked dinner. This leads to her commenting on his selfishness over their years of marriage and tricking him into buying her a new coat.

Gran is very ill and Else is very concerned, while Alf is uncaring, they visit the sick old lady. Alf, believing Gran is not long for this world, pilfers her late husband's pocket-watch, but he is in for a shock.

Alf has been asked to look after the Christmas club subscriptions at the local pub in Else's absence. However, maths isn't his strong point and he has trouble balancing the books. This in turn leads to the regulars suspecting that, instead of intending to pay them out, he is keeping the cash to join his wife in Oz.

With no sign of Else ever returning, Alf decides to put his house on the market, though with Rita and Mike as sitting tenants, this creates a problem. As a trial run, he becomes the Reads' lodger but falls foul of Min who, after he's resisted her amorous advances, refuses to cook him a proper meal.

Returning home from work, Alf finds Min with her feet up watching his colour television with no attempt to make him dinner. This is the cue for Alf and Bert to repair to the pub and compare stories about Min. Mike challenges Alf to a race around the block.

Min has decided that Bert must lose weight and keep fit by going out jogging. Alf accompanies on a pushbike to make sure that Bert keeps pace. Before long, they're both heartily sick of the exercise and repair to the pub to drown their sorrows. But, on the way home, they are pulled over by the police who find Alf drunk in charge of a bicycle.

When Mike points out that the windows at the Garnett house have not been washed in years, Alf decides to save money and clean them himself rather than bring in a professional. Unfortunately, whilst he sits on the ledge, the window comes down, trapping his legs underneath and, although several passerby gawp, it's a while before he is freed. Fortunately, Bert has brought the television up to the bedroom to help pass the time for the prisoner.

Alf and Bert decide to increase their status by joining the local golf club though they're not very good and the regular club members notice. However, they learn that the seventeenth hole is famous in that everybody seems able to score a hole in one there and they set about faking their own version of obtaining the coveted score by cheating.

Alf is not a happy bigot; he's lost his job and returns to an empty and dark house. And all on his birthday too. He fears that he has been burgled but in fact the lights go on and friends and neighbors are ready to spring a happy birthday surprise on him.