Call the Midwife

It's the summer of 1969, and excitement fills the air as Violet prepares for the inaugural beach excursion – her first key event since becoming mayor.

Despite the terrible weather at the beach, everyone is having a good time. Yet the atmosphere quickly changes when Lindy goes into labour. Nurse Crane and Miss Higgins drive Lindy back to the maternity home. But, despite a straightforward birth, Lindy and her partner Melvin are shocked by a rare diagnosis.

Meanwhile, following a serious incident involving May at the beach, Dr Turner and Shelagh are blindsided when May's future with them is called into question.

As summer draws to a close in Poplar, the pupil midwives are coming to the end of their training on the district, and prepare to sit their final exams and viva. Joyce is a methodical planner and can keep calm under fire, but Rosalind is becoming more and more anxious. It takes an unusual intervention by Nurse Crane and a sensitive case to see Rosalind put her nerves behind her.

When two little boys are found abandoned in the local church, triggering a nationwide hunt for their mother, Cyril, as child welfare officer, is faced with his toughest challenge to date. When their heavily pregnant mother is found, Cyril must make the difficult decision of whether the children will be taken into foster care.

Matthew's financial woes come to a head when he is summoned to a board meeting with his mother about the state of the business. Following a number of unwise business decisions and investments, that almost bring the company to its knees, it's time Matthew finally comes clean with Trixie.

Elsewhere, Dr Turner is alarmed by local moneylender and matriarch Gladys Bell's swollen ascetic abdomen. He promptly refers her to St Cuthbert's, where a biopsy diagnoses mesothelioma of the peritoneum - an asbestos-related cancer in its advanced stages. When Gladys refuses treatment, an unlikely ally gives her food for thought.

Meanwhile, Sister Veronica and Shelagh spearhead a summer singing event.

It's October 1969, and Rosalind and Joyce are thrilled to receive their red cardigans. Sister Julienne presents Joyce with the Violet Albany Prize, which is given to the East London midwife who qualifies with the highest marks in her exams. Shelagh has arranged for everyone to have their photograph taken for the Gazette outside Nonnatus House. Elsewhere, Joyce oversees the care of Gerri Godfrey, a single mother who is pregnant with her second child. When Joyce receives an unexpected visitor from her past, she must put all distractions aside to focus on her patient.

Matthew and Trixie struggle with their change in fortune, and Trixie's lack of sleep prompts her to seek help from Dr Turner. As Matthew vows to overcome their financial troubles, he is offered a lifeline from an old colleague.

Nurse Crane and Rosalind give a talk about menstruation and contraception at Kingsley Toy Factory. The all-female workforce is rowdy and give 16-year-old Alison Casey a hard time. Rosalind understands Alison is concealing a pregnancy and suspects something is wrong when she becomes distressed during an examination.

Elsewhere, Fred plans on using turnips for Halloween lanterns but orders far too many. When they are accidentally unloaded outside Violet's shop, Violet demands Fred moves them at once. As Fred seeks Cyril's help, Miss Higgins and Nurse Crane have an idea on how to put the turnips to use.

Miss Higgins receives an unexpected visitor, and Sister Monica ruffles feathers. Poplar votes for its Mother of the Year.