Ian Routledge
Ian Routledge is Pippa Ross's third husband. He appeared intermittently on Home and Away between 1997 and 1999. He was played by Patrick Dickson.
1997[]
Ian was a widower who operated Bush Survival Courses. In September 1997 he came to stay in the Summer Bay Caravan Park. He and Pippa quickly hit it off and it became obvious that they were attracted to each other. By then, Pippa's second husband Michael had been dead for almost 18 months. Ian asked Pippa to come along with him to an art exhibition and things got a bit steamy when they got back home and kissed. Pippa backed away but she quickly realised she had feelings for Ian. When he spent an evening with Irene Roberts (nothing happened, by the way). Pippa confessed to Sally that she was jealous. After this, she opened up to Ian and they started spending more time together. Ian felt torn because he hadn't planned to stay for long in the area. He also built up a good rapport with Pippa's foster children who didn't want him to leave.
When Cyclone Raymond hit (honestly, does any disaster not befall Summer Bay?) Ian saved Pippa's foster daughter Justine Welles from drowning. He and Pippa sheltered together in the school overnight, along with many of the other locals. Shortly afterwards, Pippa was crestfallen when she took a telephone message for Ian and learned that he had booked a one-way flight back to Cairns and would be leaving soon. Ian admitted that he hadn't found the right time to tell her about his plans to leave. Things had happened so quickly between them, he needed to be clear in his own head about what was going on. Pippa was disappointed and felt Ian was making excuses. Ian asked her to come away with him but Pippa turned him down because she felt she couldn't leave. Ian left in early October but realised during his time away how much he missed Pippa. He unexpectedly returned at the end of November 1997 (the season finale) to visit her.
1998[]
After spending some happy weeks together over the Christmas holidays, Ian told Pippa that he wanted to quit his job and stay in Summer Bay. Realistically, it was a non-runner and instead, Pippa promised to consider travelling with him. After mulling it over, she decided that this time, she would go away with Ian for a while. Pippa and her son Christopher left Summer Bay with Ian in March 1998 (Episode 2343). She gave Travis and Rebecca Nash the job of looking after everything in her absence. Pippa's plans to return to Summer Bay took an unexpected turn when she became pregnant off-screen.
1999[]
In February 1999, Ian came back to Summer Bay on his own. He revealed that he and Pippa had decided to settle in the Carrington Ranges. This was undoubtedly a good call, knowing that the local cemetery was the final resting place of Pippa's previous two husbands. Ian gave Pippa's foster kids the option of coming to come live with them. In the end, just Tiegan Brook opted to make the move. Off-screen, Pippa gave birth to a baby girl and mentioned her in passing when she returned in June 2000 to attend Sally's wedding to Kieran Fletcher.
Ian didn't come back to Summer Bay after this, though Pippa occasionally mentioned him on her subsequent returns.
Memorable Info[]
Although Ian hasn't come back to Summer Bay, actor Patrick Dickson has. In 2011 he had a guest role as Bianca Scott's therapist and in 2017, he was a pawn shop owner whose place was trashed by Brody Morgan