5 of Bob's finest musical moments in Shieldinch

It’s the Shieldinch Community Centre talent show, and a minxy, meddlesome Molly tries to sabotage Bob’s performance because she doesn’t want him to find the confidence to finally cut the apron strings and leave home. Knowing that he never sings without his trusty favourite guitar, Molly steals it and hides it. Bob panics when he discovers that his guitar is missing and refuses to perform.

As the talent show gets underway, his nephew wee Bob interrupts brandishing the missing guitar, and reveals that his Gran was behind its disappearance. Scarlett is livid with Molly and starts to make a scene, but Big Bob grabs his beloved guitar and launches into a song, distracting everyone with his wonderful voice. He is later declared the winner of the contest.

Song originally performed by The Beatles.

Iona has been trying to help Bob achieve his dreams and get a break in the music business. It’s not going well. After a disastrous, humiliating audition in which Bob got stage fright, Iona tries to protect him by telling his family a story about how the judges loved him and offered him a record deal but he turned them down so he could be near his family. Scarlett is touched and full of pride, and asks Big Bob to sing something for Jimmy’s birthday. Big Bob agrees reluctantly, worried that he’ll freeze again.

As Molly continues to make jokes at his expense Iona tells her to zip it and let Bob sing. His nerves get the better of him though and he struggles until Iona steps up to the mic and starts the song for him. With Iona’s encouragement Bob soon finds his confidence and starts singing beautifully. Iona beams with pride and Big Bob beams back – looks like there’s a bit of a crush beginning…

Song originally performed by Foreigner.

Bob is trying to write a love song for Iona - the woman of his dreams – but those dreams are shattered when Iona accepts an invitation from band-member Drew to go away for the weekend. Bob kicks himself when he learns that the reason Iona is so attracted to Drew is because he writes her the most amazing love letters – letters that he has been ghost-writing for Drew, not knowing Iona was the recipient.

When he confronts Drew about the deception it becomes clear that Drew is only after one thing from Iona. Bob’s anger about this betrays his true feelings for her, so Drew blackmails him into writing a love song to impress Iona and get her into the sack. Bob initially agrees but can’t bring himself to go through with it and ends up confessing to Iona that he wrote the letters from Drew. He claims he wrote them for a beautiful woman he’s in love with, but is unable to tell her that she is that woman. Horrified that she’s been duped Iona sends Drew packing and swears off men for a while.

Iona tells Bob that whoever the woman is would be lucky to have him. She heads off to lick her wounds, and Bob sits on the steps in the backcourts and sings the song he had being trying to compose to Iona all day – the words now flowing easily.

Bob is heartbroken when his wife Tatiana announces that she’s leaving him. Convinced that her head has been turned by Dr Dan, Bob punches him in the street, knocking him to the ground. Tatiana is not impressed, but Bob is past caring – she has broken his heart for a second time. More fool him.

Later that night, Tatiana and Leyla head to the pub to drown their sorrows and enjoy some live folk music. Little do they know that Bob has been convinced to step on stage with the band and do a number for the local crowd. The ladies walk in just as Bob is preparing to sing. Awkward. They make their way to the bar as Bob begins his number: Ae Fond Kiss. The heart-breaking love song is too much for Tatiana and she leaves. Bob carries on singing through his pain, determined to move on.

Song written by Robert Burns.

Bob receives his divorce papers in the morning post. Rather than letting it get him down, he sees it as the beginning of a new chapter in his life where he can start to pursue his first love again – music. He decides to go busking – his first step to getting back out there as a performer.

Local neds ruin it for him unfortunately and that day brings more bad news as he returns home in a bad mood to discover that Scarlett has convinced Molly to lend her money from a secret nest egg to buy out the mini market. Unimpressed that Scarlett is taking advantage of their mother – and doing him out of some inheritance to boot – Bob takes umbrage and old sibling rivalries flair up as a bitter row with his sister ensues. A row that they’ll both soon come to regret….

Song originally performed by Nirvana.