They're not plucky Tuckers, they're turkey pluckers' sons - Archers festive chat

[PseudoBadger]

:)

Months ago we were all waiting for TA to morph into a TV soap under the new leadership. It hasn't really been apparent - yet.

So I'm warming to the possibility of poor Jess spending New Year under the patio.

It's hard to care much about James and Leonie but the thought of Grandma Lilian is making me very cheerful indeed.

Grandma Lilian vs Granny Lynda has definite possibilities, Zero!

Leonie has to have this baby - with James somewhere in the picture - purely for the grannies. Surely it's a narrative certainty?

As is Helen re-starting her affair with Rob, no matter how much Kirsty warns her off.

Agree, it does seem unfair (to us) that Jess should just disappear without a word. Also agree it's quite likely she doesn't yet know that she and Rob have split up - perhaps she'll find out by returning to Ambridge and bursting in on Rob and Helen in, umm, full reconciliation mode.

And yes, bring on Grandma Lilian vs Granny Lynda!

I reckon it'll be Granny Lilian " like the Queen darling" and Grandma Lynda. Or even just plain old Lynda as Leonie tactlessly tells her that only her own mother can be " grandma".

I bet Lilian won't like the idea of Granny as a status - it would be her only grandchild, yes?

S

I'm sure Jess doesn't know that "they've split up" - looking forward to that one coming home to roost - please let them do it on air!!

...So far yes.

Lilian could be splendid - imagine the toddler being swept off to the most glamorous watering holes of Felpersham, or receiving a vintage bottle of Joy for her tenth birthday.

And (despite Leonie) James might be rather fun as a father; not perhaps a proper grown up but lots of boats and planes.

So what will they call it? I'm going with Anastasia (old school friend of Leonie's?) or Rupert (James' boss and potential godfather?)

(No suggestion that any such characters exist....)

I do hope James and Leonie will move back to Ambridge so we will have front row seats for their family life. I think they'll both be tremendous Performance Parents - definitely yes to James being a perennial Peter Pan pater, with lots of whipping the PFB into a frenzy just before bedtime. Leonie will be a martyr to Theories - she'll start out as a devotee of Attachment Parenting, with a sudden defection to SWMNBN when she realises that the PFB is completely ruling the roost. And I fancy the idea of them having twins!
Re Rob and the Cheese Straw .... oh dear oh dear. I hope Jess has seen sense, listened to SGB's advice and LTB, and decided to stay at her mum's. I foresee a slowly developing EA relationship between Rob and Hellin, with her becoming more and more obsessed with him and less and less able to see how much damage he is doing.

For the first time ever, I almost liked James when he said his little piece to Leonie.

Bluestocking has it about right, except I'd have thought she'd start off with SWMNBN

Lilian will be the most glamorous grannie ever. I confidently predict at least one wobble in the next 9 months or so, where she throws a bit of a hissy fit about feeling old and Matt gives her the 'pusscat' treatment to get her smiling again ...

CuttedUp bang on the money about Lillian being iffy about granny status! Lynda is definitely ahead on points in their sparring so far...

And once again Matt was wonderful. Lynda on the other hand was just irritating.

You could well be right, Errol - Leonie will start with SWMNBN and then do a 180 to Attachment Parenting and Babywearing and start going to Sling Meets. Poor James will just have to follow in her wake and try to keep up with the changes in philosophy!
I loved the little moment between Lillian and Lynda right at the end - let's hope they forge a wonderful co-grandmaternal relationship. Just think what the combined powers of Pusscat and Lyndibotts could achieve.

I thought Linda was hideous this evening - Lil will be a fab granny!!

Loved the latest Linda-ism - "We now know our way round a breast pump" to Lil's horror!

Yes, boobashka, "we know our way round a breast pump" was a fantastic line - I could feel Lillian's hackles rising!

I could picture Lillian's look of horror at that line.

I thought that was a brilliant line! Not least because I can't ever imagine discussing my breast pump with anyone else!

From the Continuity Announcer's little teaser at the end of tonight's episode, I have a nasty feeling we should brace ourselves for a rather saccharine end to 2013. Boo hiss.

What did the CA say, LondonMother? I turned the radio off too quickly, clearly!

Not posted on this thread v
before as don't always get to listen to TA - managed to catch the omnibus in the car much to the DCs disgust.
Does anyone think Leonie might not be the only one who is pregnant? Hellin got out of taking a drink from Tom by doing gushing congratulations...

Oh dear, I've blanked it out now but I think it was something along the lines of an unexpected arrival in the village or at The Bull tomorrow night. Putting 2 and 2 together and making 52, I think there will be a lot of elaborate manoeuvring to get Darrell and Rosa there together at midnight and they will have some sort of rapprochement.

I was much more interested in Peggy's reminiscences. I assume she was talking about Jack Archer being furious with Jennifer when she was pregnant with Adam.

I shall be if it's only that LM.

I'm rather hoping for Brenda, Debbie with a +1, Kate.... Peter, with family.... Or even Jess!

But I'm so disappointed at the eventlessness of Christmas that it's hard to muster any enthusiasm at all.