Flora wants to impress Mr Petty's niece and nephew, who are visiting the next day, with a glamorous perm, but all the salons are conveniently booked up. When Flora learns that Cissie has a home perm kit, it seems to be the solution. Unfortunately, the result is a disaster, but the ladies know how to improvise.

After arguing with everybody and storming out, Flora returns some six hours later with a bandaged head: claiming to have had an accident and lost her memory, she is uncharacteristically sweet and delightful to be around. Whilst Mildred believes she is faking, and Cissie takes advantage of the situation to get her own back, Miss Milton's idea to jog Flora's memory finally does the trick.

When gypsy Maddalena visits to tell fortunes, Flora is scornful and dismissive, resulting in Maddalena putting a curse on her. Soon enough, all the gypsy's prophesies start coming true, with Flora's friends suggesting she apologise. Since humility is not in Flora's nature, a compromise must be reached.

Miss Milton is planning to sell Paradise Lodge so that she can emigrate to Australia and wed her pen-pal. An appalled Flora finds out, and martials the other ladies into putting off prospective buyers: however, ultimately, they have the pen-pal himself to thank for preventing the sale.

When Mildred puts her sewing machine into an auction, Flora realises her engagement ring is inside, but is outbid by an obnoxious Irishman. They meet him at the pub and take advantage of his attraction to Cissie to get him drunk and reveal its whereabouts.

Accompanying Cissie to the doctor's surgery, Flora overhears the doctor discuss a terminally ill patient, and assumes it is Cissie. Thus she runs herself ragged ensuring her friend's last days are as comfortable as possible, roping in the others at the home. When she learns the truth, Flora is less than enthusiastic — especially as Cissie knew all along and was enjoying the attention.

Flora is desperate to get the fur coat offered in Peabody's sale, so she and Cissie hide in the store overnight, keeping one step ahead of the cleaners and the ancient security guards. Eventually, they fall asleep in the bedding department, but for Flora, the next day, there's a rude awakening, in more than one respect.

Formidable Flora Petty dominates the Paradise Lodge retirement home, arguing with fellow residents Dolly Love, Mildred Farnshaw, and Katy O'Rourke, as well as dominating her friend Cissie Lupin. When a superior room becomes vacant, the ladies draw lots, only for it to be taken by a new — male — resident. However, when he leaves, Flora has a plan to persuade owner Miss Milton to let her move in.

When Cissie wins a car in a sweepstakes, the ladies are encouraged to rifle the store cupboard to collect coupons to emulate her. Flora is determined to get into the act, posing with Cissie for the local paper's photographer, and, on learning that Cissie cannot drive, offering to take it off her hands — though she's in for a shock when the car is delivered.

Cissie places an innocent advert in the paper, requesting somebody with whom she can swap crochet patterns, but the ambiguous wording attracts a mountain of unsavoury replies, leading Flora to believe her friend is in danger from a stalker. She sets a trap for him, and although his intentions are honourable, it gives Flora the idea of placing an ad of her own.

Paradise Lodge is expecting a visit from The Queen (Elizabeth II). The ladies bribe Miss Milton to hold an election to decide who will present a bouquet to the royal visitor. Cissie wins, much to Flora's annoyance, and Flora resorts to a fake sob story to persuade her friend to relinquish the privilege. Miss Milton, however, is wise to Flora's tactics.

When the vicar needs £500 to mend the church roof, Flora suggests a charity performance of The Sound of Music, but it's a disaster, leading to ex-actress Dolly putting on a show, which Flora sabotages in order to do her fake mind-reading act with Cissie. However, when the vicar decides he only needs a two minute contribution, it's Cissie and her rendition of 'The Merry Peasant' which is called upon to fill the bill.

When Cissie accidentally buys a crystal ball, Dolly foretells misfortune, especially for Flora, but after Cissie lets in a man claiming to be the window-cleaner but is actually a burglar, Flora is the only resident not to have been robbed. She sets out to find the culprit but ends up attacking a policeman, whom she mistakes for the thief, thus bringing credence to Dolly's prophecy.

On her birthday, Flora characteristically withers about the cards and gifts received from staff and other residents, but perks up when Cissie tells her she has a surprise for her: a visit to the circus. However, Flora wrongly assumes it is a colour television and tries to hypnotise Cissie into giving it to her. The hypnotism works — but not on Cissie.