Like Father, Like Son

Rui Thacker (George Grundy)

Last week I pointed out what a miserable git William is and it seems as though it is genetic, as George is definitely unhappy about his new sister, who is called Keira Susan, by the way. George wants her to be taken back to the Hospital and asks Will if he can come and live with him. Dear God! Just how bad would things have to be for you to want to live full time with Will, with his whiny voice and gigantic chip on his shoulder? I'm still gobsmacked whenever I realise that Nic is still with him, but I have decided that she has got to be a masochist.

"You'll like her better when she's bigger" Will tells George (unlikely, with you constantly dripping poison in his ear) to which George replies "Did you like Uncle Ed more when he got bigger?" Good question, George! Clarrie stops Will going round to sort things out by saying that she'll have a word with Ed. Ed isn't impressed that Clarrie is listening to Will's side of the story, but Clarrie suggests that perhaps they are neglecting George a little and should treat him more like a grown up. Good idea – get him to start cleaning cars by hand.

Roy dropped his bombshell to Caroline about leaving Grey Gables. She took it quite well, apart from saying "Damn and Blast!" when he'd left the room. Her suggestion to Oliver that she take on more of Roy's duties went down like a pair of lead knickers – just as Ollie was looking forward to spending more time together, Caroline will possibly be working later. They agree to a six-month trial period.

Elizabeth and Shula both went to see Caroline (I thought she was supposed to be busy?) and it was all very civilised and polite when Lizzie explained why she'd poached Roy, although I bet Caroline's teeth were firmly gritted.

Less polite was Jill, who was in fact quite crabby. When Lizzie says she is feeling guilty about tapping Roy up, Jill says "pity he couldn't make it for Easter." Sod you Caroline! Jill then goes on to moan about how everyone wants to bake a cake to give to the GQT team and she, as nominal head of the catering committee, is being ignored. She then criticises Kenton for taking Jolene away for Easter, saying that it was typically thoughtless of him. Lizzie defends her brother, however, telling Jill that Kenton timed it deliberately because Easter was when Jolene and Sid used to do so much. That's another thing – how the hell can Kenton afford to travel at peak season and to go to Monte Carlo? The bar management business must pay better than I thought.

Kenton persuades Jolene to give up smoking and she lasts almost two days before bumming a few drags off a customer; it's going to be a long, hard slog, I feel and she should realise that all the peppermints in the world won't disguise the fact if she should succumb again.

Talk of Jolene brings us inevitably, albeit reluctantly, to the subject of Jamie. Kathy gives her permission for him to work at the Bull on condition that a) he pays Jolene £10 a week towards his keep and b) if Kathy gets any more reports about him bunking off school, she will rescind her permission. Jamie is as ungrateful as ever and his mood isn't improved when Jolene tells him he hasn't moved into the Bull permanently and he'd be better off at home. He says "no", but maybe he'll come to realise that at least Kathy wouldn't take a tenner a week off him.

Kathy also apologises to Jolene for the things she said when they last met and the atmosphere between them is, if not cordial, then at least in a state of armed neutrality. As the week drags on, Jamie makes no attempt to contact Kathy and Fallon tells her that she (Fallon) will keep Kathy informed and she knows what he's going through. "I didn't speak to my Dad for three years" says Fallon. As her Dad is Wayne, I expected her to add "and they were the happiest three years of my life" but she didn't.

From the younger generation to the old – Peggy goes to the Laurels to visit Jack and runs into Ted, who asks her to have tea and cakes with him, but she's not keen. Elona, the Eastern European care assistant, talks to Ted about it and he says that he must be the problem, as Peggy doesn't want to talk to him as before. However, it seems that Elona has a cunning plan, as she says to Ted "Don't give up trying Ted – not yet." Are we to see a rekindling of tender feelings – a renewed wrinkly romance? Who knows; you know what they say - there might be snow on the roof…