Victor and Margaret are preparing for a holiday to Athens, but first they must cope with Mrs Warboys's bout of food poisoning, a visit from the electricity man and a snake that hitches a ride home with Victor after escaping from its enclosure at the garden centre.

Victor and Margaret are about to go on holiday to Athens; Victor is very nervous about flying and his nerves are merely aggravated both by practical jokes being played on him by the neighbours, and Jean expounding the problems of the good city they'll visit. Thankfully Jean can't talk for very long, though, as she's ill with food poisoning, which is made worse when she accidentally drinks carpet shampoo thinking that it's fizzy indigestion remedy; she's rushed into hospital!

Victor is given a hat from Jean that he can't shift no matter how hard he tries: people keep on returning it from various rubbish sources, and he tries to act pleased. The rubbish man also gives Victor some alligator eggs, which are accidentally cooked and given to Jean for breakfast. The electricity man calls by to read the meter, is disturbed by the strange contents in the downstairs cupboard, and annoyed when his shoes are collected by Oxfam. When taking a man round the garden centre, a large snake escapes from its tank and makes its way into Victor's luggage. Margaret wonders why the suitcase is as heavy as it is when they prepare themselves to set off on holiday!