Roy, Hayley and Lizzie’s attempts to keep a lid on the reasons that Roy (and now Hayley) are no longer working at Lower Loxley seem doomed to failure. Mike and Vicky cannot understand why they have given up their jobs and Mike is a real pain on Friday, saying at least three times that Roy shouldn’t have left when he did. Hayley seems to have turned from wronged wife to avenging angel as she says: “Elizabeth is going to pay for this - one way or the other.”
Roy and Hayley go to see Usha for some legal advice and they realise that she will have to be told the whole, sordid story. Usha makes it plain that she cannot act for them but does say that Elizabeth should have followed the correct procedure for getting rid of somebody and it’s up to her to make Roy an offer or he could take her to an employment tribunal. Usha also suggests that Roy gets independent legal advice but he says “No - I’ll go and see her; I want to do this face to face.” One might say that doing it face to face was what caused all this trouble in the first place.
Meanwhile, Caroline and Oliver (who I thought had emigrated as we haven’t heard from them for ages) discuss the fact that Roy rang her up for a job. Caroline says that she’d have him back like a shot, but there are no vacancies. However, later in the week, Caroline rings Roy with the offer of the post of temporary receptionist, with the chance of promotion to dogsbody if he’s lucky. “When do you want me to start?” is Roy’s response - no false pride with this boy.
Caroline goes to see Elizabeth, ostensibly to talk about the Hunt Ball, which was Roy’s baby and she’s surprised he’s left. The question of ‘why’ is left hanging in the air but Elizabeth says it was an amicable decision and she is sorry to lose him. It’s Elizabeth’s day for visitors as Roy turns up to tell her that he wants a substantial settlement, or he’ll take her to the Tribunal. Lizzie says that Caroline might have a job for him but a bitter Roy reveals its lowly status.
It gets worse; Freddie calls Phoebe and wants to meet. When they do so, Freddie tells her that his Mum and her Dad have been having an affair. A horrified Phoebe doesn’t believe it, but Freddie says that it must be still going on, as he saw Roy’s car turning into Lower Loxley earlier on. Nice one Freddie - a great case of 2+2=5. Can’t he be sent away to boarding school, or be bound head to foot in duct tape? Anything to get him to keep his gob shut.
You will be delighted to know - or alternatively, like me you might not give a toss - that Mungo’s naming ceremony went off OK. It was held in the Dower House and Fallon performed wonders in decorating the place at short notice. Robert gave a speech (which, mercifully, we didn’t hear), Lynda read a poem and Lilian also gave a speech, which could be summarised as: “I was a rubbish mother, but I’ll be a fun Gran, now where’s the gin?” Lilian later described the naming ceremony as “bizarre”, so she must have still been sober.
Leonie said that Fallon really had “a talent for this sort of thing” and then turned it into a back-handed compliment by saying that she (Leonie) had thought of running her own business but found that “there was more joy and fulfilment in nurturing a new life”, the pompous cow. Later on, Jill and Carol Tregorran are talking at Glebe Cottage and Carol nearly has hysterics when Jill tells her the baby’s name is Mungo. Carol rose enormously in my estimation when she described James as “Never my favourite Godchild - the pretentious little brat.” Well said, that woman!
At Bridge Farm, Johnny’s parents give in and allow him to stay with his Grandparents and pursue the agricultural apprenticeship. Tony lets him ride a quad bike and insists that he wears a helmet. “Remember what happened to your Dad” he adds, somewhat tactlessly. It looks like we are going to hear a lot more from Johnny, unless he realises that he cannot possibly live with Tony for three years or however long the apprenticeship lasts. What would they do if (heaven forfend) Tom came back?
Over at Brookfield, there is a dilemma, as Rooooth’s Mum Heather is recovering from her fall and Rooooth goes to see her in the frozen north. What to do with Heather next? Sheltered housing? A care home seems out of the question and Jill suggests that Heather could live at Brookfield and she (Jill) could move into Rickyard cottage.
PC Burns goes to see Fallon and says “Did you really have to dump me by text - aren’t I worth a farewell drink?” Fallon replies that she didn’t want to pick over the entrails and“We don’t have a future.” PCB is hurt by this and says “I thought better of you, Fallon, I really did” before leaving. If I were him, I’d see if I could arrest Wayne - I bet that would get Fallon talking to him again.
Rob and Helen go hunting, leaving a chickenpox-stricken Henry with Pat, and Helen is smitten with the exhilaration and excitement of it all. In fact, she tells Rob that“I haven’t enjoyed anything quite so much”which I bet did wonders for Rob’s ego.
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