Pip Off The Rails

Helen Monks (Pip Archer)

I fear that young Pip is getting into bad habits and I'm not alone, as mother Rooooth is concerned also. On Monday, Pip comes home and bangs around in the kitchen and Rooooth asks "what's going on?" Pip says that one of her tutors has it in for her and proceeds to get in a major strop with her Mum, saying that she only wants a life like other students and it's none of Rooooth's business.

On Wednesday Rooooth gets a text message from her daughter, saying that she won't be home tonight. Rooooth exhorts David to have a word with Pip about her behaviour ("she doesn't listen to me"). Sadly, David doesn't say "sorry love, did you say something?" and things get even worse on Friday when Rooooth is showing potential tenants round Rickyard and the place is a tip, with a pair of Spencer's pants in the lounge (too much information).

Rooooth asks Pip what the hell is she doing anyway, staying at Rickyard? Pip's answer is that she didn't want to wake her Mum up – such consideration in one so young! Pip also suggests that she and Spencer move into Rickyard. No suggestion of whether any rent should be paid, I notice.

Rooooth had a leading part last week – not only the Pip saga, but Rob Titchener asked if he could come and view the operation at Brookfield? She immediately goes into aggressive mode, even though Rob is friendliness itself and congratulates them on a 'finely-honed operation' and invites them to view the mega-dairy when it's up and running. "Just don't expect us to change our minds" snaps back Rooooth, forgetting David's early advice to 'be friendly'.

There was a nice moment when Rob talked about 'a strange woman who gets worked up over badgers'. "You've met Lynda" says David. Later on in the week David and Lynda talk and he asks how is the injured badger? An embarrassed Lynda admits that it had to be put down and you could almost hear David's smirk.

I'm starting to get a tad fed up with the whole Paul and Lilian saga – they met again last week and Paul suggests that it should be he who does all the running around, so Lilian doesn't have to keep making up excuses to get away. He says "I love you" and she replies "I love you too." Then get on with it! Either stay with Matt or run off with Paul, Lilian but for God's sake do something – if I have to listen to many more angst- and emotion-ridden phone calls, I'll go spare.

Daniel ruins Jim's day when he tells him that he doesn't want to do archaeology but is going to do a sports internship instead. Good for you Daniel – much more fun than digging around in the dirt.

Over at Emma and Neil's, having the family to stay is proving to be not quite the bed of roses that everyone hoped for. On Sunday, Emma falls out big time with her mother Susan. The reason? Emma had put Susan's favourite crystal bowl in the pile of washing to keep it out of Keira's way and when Susan picked it up, the bowl fell to the floor and shattered. Annoying, yes, but Susan's reaction was way over the top – you'd think Emma had set alight to the place from the way Susan banged on. Emma kept trying to apologise, but Susan was having none of it and, when Emma offered to but a replacement, her mother said – quite hurtfully, I thought – "If you could afford it, you wouldn't be living here."

There were some worrying conversations last week, with Tony telling Tom that Brenda cannot get enough of baby Bethany and Tom confiding that he and Brenda are thinking about a family. "How many kids are you thinking of having?" Tony asks, no doubt secretly hoping that the answer will be 'none'. Later on Tony tells Helen about Tom's family plans and she is surprised, as she thinks that Brenda isn't that keen. Hang on in there and stay strong Brenda.

Tom is still going on about taking the Tom Archer brand to the next level – honestly, it's like a computer game. Tom also talks sententiously about having something to leave to the next generation – i.e. his and Brenda's kids, Helen and Henry. What about Rich, or doesn't he count?

Finally, are we being prepared for a departure from Ambridge? Alice has been looking up details of life in Canada and, when challenged by Chris, she said that there was a job that she would have applied for, had it been in the UK. Will yet another of Jennifer's daughters be moving abroad? What with Kate living in South Africa and Debbie in Hungary, I think they might be trying to tell you something, Jen.