The series became very popular, moving onto BBC Radio, international theatre, becoming one of the best-selling audio book releases of all time and included as part of both the A-level and GCSE English syllabus.
Her husband is a popular local figure, well respected and he also seems to collect adoring middle aged and elderly women because of his status as the vicar, all of whom fuss and fawn over him and seem to passive aggressively compete with Susan for his time and affection.
She has run up a debt with the local shop because of her constant buying of sherry, she dislikes the community she lives in and only gives the bare minimum of attention to her own parish duties as the vicar's wife.
On the next Sunday service, the vicar discovers the loss of the wine and has to celebrate the host in a bottle of Benylin, which Susan says will be fine since it is red, sweet and sticky.
Susan starts buying her sherry from Ramesh, an Asian grocer in Leeds who is young, attractive and talks to her about his culture and life: he is married, but his wife is under 16, so not permitted to join him in England.