Get Out While You Can, Nic!

Becky Wright and Philip Molloy (Nic and Will)

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again; that Nic is way too good for Will. Mind you, 99.99% of the population are way too good for Will. Not only does she have to put up with his moaning, but she even cooked a meal for Clarrie on her birthday and made a cake. Eddie complimented Nic on her cooking, saying "I am stuffed" (oh, if only!).

There's bad news for George, when Clarrie says to Will that George is taking after him in so many ways. Will adds that George is good with birds. "Like father, like son" he says proudly, while presumably George is sticking his head in the gas oven. Clarrie witters on about "when you see your new-born baby and realise it's yours, your heart skips a beat." Nic makes an excuse to leave the room, no doubt to vomit or to remove her ovaries with a kitchen knife.

Later on in the week, Clarrie says that she sensed an atmosphere between Will and Nic and is determined to find out what's going on. Eddie suggests leaving them to sort it out themselves, which sounds eminently sensible, but that's not the Ambridge way. Ed was worried that George's routine was being disrupted and he wants him to bond with new sister Keira. Ed tells Nic this and she agrees, but when she passes on the message to Will he goes off on one (again) and ends up having a go at Nic. She eventually makes him see sense and he apologises. Leave him now, Nic!

Over at Lower Loxley, Lizzie has a hard decision to make – the falcons aren't paying their way, but on the other hand, the falconry was Nigel's baby. Which will prevail, pragmatism or romance? Perhaps Nigel's memory is fading as Lizzie decides the birds have got to go. Fortunately, Lower Loxley wine (another of Nigel's projects) has been awarded Regional Wine status yet again, or we might have seen Lizzie grubbing up the vines.

Lizzie is delighted with the performance of Roy so far ("the best decision I've ever made") but at Grey Gables, there is a crisis when Lynda discovers a leak in one of the rooms. It turned out to be caused by a faulty roof tile (sounds like a job for Nigel, David and Kenton!) and Lynda (obviously still hoping to replace Roy at some stage) does good work in getting it sorted.

Kathy shows her capacity for self-delusion when she tells Clarrie that Jamie is revising with his friend Marty – what, do they do O-levels in cider drinking now? "I think we've turned a bit of a corner" she burbles. By contrast, Shula tells Oliver that Daniel is doing lots of revision and has drawn up a timetable, the little creep. Because he is getting down to it, Shula is pleased that she doesn't have to nag him like a harridan (are you paying attention, Kathy?).

On the love front, Pip and Spencer seem to be getting it together, with Ruth telling Shula that "Pip's in lurrrve". Honestly, she sounds just like a fake Geordie Barry White. Pip meanwhile is revising hard (or at least getting her head down) and Spencer has been invited for tea again. Elsewhere on the love front, Lynda tells Lilian that James and Leonie have booked "a rather exotic holiday" but she won't spoil the surprise. As James only contacts his mother about once a year, Lilian could be in for a long wait before she finds out more.

It's single wicket time again and Shula is busy bullying everyone to take part. Even David said he'd try. According to Shula, Harry is keen to defend his title, which makes me ask 'what has happened to Harry?' – we haven't heard from him for ages. Out saving the world from some calamity or other, I guess.

And so to Home Farm, where Jennifer complained that Susan was reading 'Cranford' and wants to come to the Book Club meeting. Jen is at her snobbish best and stops just short of saying that she didn't realise that Susan could read. Brian has received an e-mail from Bridget in Ireland (one of Ruari's relatives) who thinks that Ruari should be sent to a different school, as he isn't being stretched where he is. Give him to me – I'll stretch him.

Brian investigates what's available on the Internet and raves about one school where they have lots of after-school activities and fun things to do at the weekend. Of course, to participate in these, you'd have to be a boarder and Brian and Jennifer seem quite taken by the idea. I'd watch out, Ruari, although on the plus side, at least you'd be out of the way when Kate comes back.