Rob's In Demand

Timothy Watson (Rob Titchener)

It was a busy week for Rob Titchener, with Jazzer saying that he was going to approach him about a milking job, which could be interesting, as you could write all that Jazzer knows about cows on the back of a postage stamp, in very large letters. Pip too asked him if he knew of any relief milking jobs and he gave her an agency's phone number.

Rob also listened in when Tom was telling Brian about the latest developments in the world of Ready Meals, plus he had sorted through applicants for the Assistant Farm Managers' posts and come up with a couple of likely contenders. On Thursday Rob was walking on Lakey Hill, getting some fresh air before a day of meetings, and came across Helen and Henry, trying to fly a kite. He has a go and is successful.

While talking to Helen, Rob mentions that it's his day off tomorrow and what can he do if the weather's bad? Helen says she is going to a food festival and he's welcome to come along. He does so and keeps Henry amused playing football while Helen goes to food demonstrations. It seems that things are moving along nicely between Helen and Rob, but why didn't he go to see his wife on his day off? Does Jesse really exist? If so, what will become of Rob and Helen's friendship? We'll have to wait and see, although going on Helen's relationships' past performance, he'll probably top himself.

We had evidence that Tony is fully recovered from his heart attack, as he was back in vintage Tony moaning mode when Rob told him how impressed both he and Brian had been when Tom outlined his Ready Meals plans. Tony is outraged that Tom should talk to his uncle and loses no time in telling him so and that he (Tony) feels he's being sidelined. Later on, Tony is moaning to Helen and his paranoia is given full rein as he says that Brian is sensing 'a regime change' at Bridge Farm and if he thinks there's any sort of opportunity for him, he'll be in "like a rat up a drainpipe". Tony also predicts that serpent-tongued Brian will tempt Tom away and make sure any organic principles go by the wayside. Welcome back to the old Tony, for whom the glass is not only always half empty, but the tea is cold, the milk curdled or the wine corked, depending on what beverage it contains.

It was the week of Paul's funeral and we had an exercise in mental torture and sadism from Matt. At the crematorium, he brushes aside Lilian's suggestion that she shouldn't attend, as she's not family and Lilian breaks down when 'Tears in Heaven' is played. After the service, Grace invites them back for refreshments and Lilian is desperate not to go. Matt, however, keeps her on tenterhooks before eventually saying that they really should get back home. On the way home, Lilian says that she was surprised that Celia didn't attend the funeral, whereupon Matt says that Grace told him last week that Celia wouldn't be there. "Didn't I say?" Matt asks innocently, the little tinker!

Lilian has another crying session at home and, later on in the week she is in a panic when she realises that there is lots of her stuff in the flat Paul and she shared. Jolene deserts the pub (again) and drives her to Felpersham and they remove her belongings, including the painting Paul bought for her, which Jolene will keep for the foreseeable future as Matt might notice a new painting on the wall. Lilian thinks she cannot go on holiday with Matt, but Jolene says she has to. She also says "Matt loves you and, be honest, if you were going to leave him, wouldn't you have done it weeks ago?"

Lilian goes home and is nagged by Matt because she hasn't started packing and he can't find her passport. Lilian just can't be bothered to do anything and just mopes around, sighing like Jamie on Mogadon, while Matt packs for her. Eventually they leave for the airport for what promises not to be a happy holiday.

Speaking of Jamie, he joins Ed and Jazzer on a shearing job and, contrary to expectations whenever Jazzer is involved, it goes very well and the lads seem to have a nice little business starting. Mind you, I reckon Jazzer will cock it all up by getting too familiar with one of the ewes, or something equally silly.

Jazzer's role as Clarrie's spy in the flower arranging affair becomes even more ridiculous, just when you thought it couldn't possibly – while troughing his way through Sunday lunch at the Grundy's, he invents ever-more-fanciful detail's of Christine's plans for her arrangement, including ribbons, lights and sparkly material. Clarrie is about to dispense with his espionage services when he says (desperate to keep getting free meals) that he has saved the best till last and that Christine is including a water feature because "[The Virgin] Mary's father was a trawler man." Clarrie immediately revises her plans and, from what we can glean from her comments to Nic and Eddie, I reckon that St Stephen's will have to have an extension added to accommodate her masterpiece. As for Jazzer, he may well be getting fed, but there will be a day of reckoning when everyone's arrangements go on view – as far as I'm concerned, it can't come quickly enough.