The episode included a poignant shot of a photograph of Mrs Hall, while James, Siegfried, Tristan and Helen remembered "absent friends". Mary Hignett who played Mrs Hall had died in 1980 shortly after the end of the previous (third) series, so her character had also died in the intervening time.
It is 1946 when James returns to Darrowby.
Siegfried buys a house for himself and bride-to-be, but this is never mentioned again.