What A Thing To Do To Your Husband!

Rina Mahoney (Jess Titchener)

Jess must really hate husband Rob, as she volunteered him for the panto as Robin Hood. How could any human being willingly do that to another person, let alone a spouse? The potential for disaster is pretty huge, as Kirsty is playing Maid Marian and Rob isn't her favourite person, due to the way he treated Helen.

Helen continues to take her split with Rob extremely badly – at the fireworks do she spots Rob and Jess together and starts moping and mooning around. Kirsty asks her "Are you OK?" and gets the answer "No, not really". Helen then asks Kirsty if she will look after Henry while Helen goes home. Come on Helen – it's time to move on. Let's face it, if she's going to hide away every time she sees Rob or hears his name mentioned, then she might as well become a squirrel and hibernate.

And people will start noticing – at The Bull Kirsty and Helen find themselves talking to Rob and Jess. Afterwards, Jess mentions to Rob that Kirsty seems to have a problem with Rob playing Robin Hood and then she wonders out loud if Helen is always that quiet. Back at The Bull, Helen starts crying and Adam asks what's wrong? He and Helen go off to feed the ducks and the whole story comes out. "Now you despise me" she says, but Adam assures her he's in no position to throw stones but he doesn't go into detail about his sordid night of passion with Pawel last year.

Over at Grey Gables, things are looking up when Caroline learns that the authorities are not going to prosecute over Joe Grundy's accident. Even better, their increased offer of compensation to Joe (£3,000) was eventually accepted, although Eddie and Ed were keen on holding out for more. When he heard the news of the £3k offer, Eddie said excitedly "Think what we can do with that!" and Joe reminds him that it's his compensation money and Eddie can keep his hands off it, thank you very much.

Caroline and Oliver decide that they need a Deputy Manager at Grey Gables and decide to advertise. Surely Lynda is a shoo-in for the job? But wait! Robert has doubts and he reminds his wife that they aren't getting any younger and "our time is precious." He also suggests that she is giving too much of herself to work and village activities; "look at the Christmas Show" he says. "I could let someone else do it", Lynda replies. "Could you?" he asks. "No" she says. I've got a better idea – take the job and scrap the Christmas Show altogether.

As it turns out, Lynda goes for a walk to reflect on the situation and returns home to find Kathy talking to Robert. Kathy came round to see whether Lynda is going to apply; if she is, then she (Kathy) won't. Lynda tells us that she has decided not to apply for a variety of reasons; Robert, the girls, Oscar and her work in the village. I suppose that means the Christmas panto goes ahead. Damn! Kathy rings Caroline, who tells her that her application will be considered along with the others.

At the Stables, Darrell's plight gets worse and worse. Everybody is telling Shula that she is insane for giving him a home and he seems determined to prove them right. He begs Shula to lend him some money so he can go and see daughter Anna and she gives him £10 before going off to The Bull to join the party welcoming Kenton and Jolene home. At the end of the party, Shula and Kenton return to the Stables, to find a drunken Darrell sprawled out and the videos, earmarked for Jim to transfer to DVD for David and Rooooth's wedding anniversary, ruined. Kenton orders him to go and tells Shula that she should tell Alistair.

Shula is reluctant to do so, but the next day the story comes out when she, Alistair and Darrell talk. Alistair accuses Darrell of destroying precious mementoes of his and Shula's son. "Things will be different from now on" Darrell says. "Yes they will" Alistair replies, ominously. Later on he talks to Shula and says she is at breaking point. It looks bad for Darrell when the week ends with Alistair saying to Shula "He's got to go – will you tell him or shall I?"

Finally, the story about Jill's erratic driving takes another twist (ho, ho) when Mel reveals that she doesn't feel safe with her driving. This is at Kenton and Jolene's party and Jill wonders where Elizabeth is. Rooooth points her out (Jill didn't see her) and asks if she's having trouble with her eyes? Jill promptly dismisses the idea, although she admits to having had 'one or two letters' from the optician. Nevertheless, she says she's fine and turns away to continue the one-sided conversation she has been having with a hatstand.