It's Christmas Eve at Paradise Lodge. Cissie's drawn the straw to play Father Christmas, but when a burglar breaks in to Paradise Lodge and dresses as Santa causing lots of confusion.
Flora accompanies Cissie to the Doctor's, Flora goes in to retrieve Cissie's handbag and outside overhears the Doctor's conversation with a nurse, talking about it only being a matter of weeks. Flora assumes the Doctor meant Cissie.
Flora's lost her engagement ring and is panic stricken. Deducing that it was in Mildred's sewing machine, which is soon to be auctioned, she's prepared to do anything to get it back.
Flora clashes with Gypsy Magdalena who's been doing readings at Paradise Lodge. Refusing to cross her palm with Silver she puts a curse on Flora, and soon a series of unfortunate events begin.
Flora's niece and her husband are visiting, Flora's admitted to doing Yoga and having a new perm. Flora upsets the local hairdresser, who stops all other hairdressers dealing with her. Last resort Cissie's home perm kit.