They don't let any old Tom, Dick or Henry live in Ambridge - The Archers chat continues

[PseudoBadger]

Hello you two :o

Fair point Errol but there may be a reasonable explanation for the Jess story ( ok beginning to doubt myself now) plus I think Pat's objection to Rob is mainly because of the mega dairy. Plenty of folk in TA have had affairs over the years -Sid, Kathy, Jennifer, Brian and Emmur- but they are not all banished to the nearest forest.

Helen didn't want Rob to know that the argument with Pat was about Henry calling him Daddy did she?

I did interpret the conversation as Rob warning Pat off

I think Pat's objections to Rob are

Mega dairy (so a bit of a kick in the organic teeth)
Protectiveness of Helen and Henry
Morality of the affair and the speed that things have changed since Jess left (she sees Rob as having corrupted Helen)

After all she only knows that he has cheated on his wife, no one knows about the rest of his treatment of Jess. So she could legitimately assume he would treat Helen well (once you've got past the capable of cheating part). And I suppose he could still.

But that conversation where he was basically saying 'if you interfere and things go wrong Helen will slide back into anorexia and it will be all your fault' was pretty threatening bearing in mind it's understandable that Pat is understandably concerned about Helen and Henry

Yes, Rob seems evil.

But I was pretty shocked by Pat's behaviour. It's one thing to let your Dd know you disapprove of her new relationship - but to go behind her back and tell the man that Dd is not girlfriend material because she's so damaged and flaky....

Unforgiveably bad.

No, she didn't! She said that Helen was fragile- and if Rob hurt her, he would have her, Pat, to answer to. I hope I would be brave enough to do the same in the same circumstances.

I heard the same Curlew with the threat as described by Willie. It did start off sounding concerned and caring but it was pretty nasty by the end.And continues the divide and rule plan.

It must just be me then. My memory is of Helen being the driving force behind the relationship with Rob and him trying to back off.
A tribute to the subtlety of the SW I suppose that there is some ambiguity ( if only in my mind!)

IMO the S.W's are making Rob a strange man ;Brian has said a few times what a good manager of personnel he is, but they are making him very suspicious when dealing with his private life. Confronting Pat in that way was odd too (after all that deception you'd think he'd want to keep very low profile with Pat and Tony).

I do see what you mean there grace - maybe she was shaken by him dumping her?

And I agree that there has been a bit of a shift with Rob - why would he suddenly want everything public when it doesn't make him look good at all?

I am worried about Cruela De Vil evicting the Grundys. Is there any chance they might have an agricultural tenancy - ?

Agree Rob's little chat with Pat had some sinister undertone.
Oh and Ed's team here (can't stand Team xx nonsense from Olympics)

Just noticed it's described as 'Contemporary drama in a rural setting' on the R4 page

Is that new?

New Tony seems far to rational and contemplative about tge Hellin. Old Tony would have just whinged on.

Just listening again - Hazel & Eddie in the Bull

"so Daddy was your landlord"
"well, him & Mrs Woolley"

maybe there is a joint responsibility which Hazel can't override?

Not sure about new/old Tony, Compo - he was usually the middle man & would try to smooth things over between Pat & whoever (apart from when Helen decided to get pg, that was his big hold-out)

Yes you're probably right. He is probably as close as a voice of reason on the Plague Farm as you'd get. It is probably the Henry situation that has clouded her judgement.

Hazel's eulogy sounded like it was delivered by Dame Ceila Molestrangler.

If the Grundy cottage was owned by Jack and Peggy as "joint tenants" then ownership will have passed to Peggy automatically on Jack's death.

It will be interesting to hear how the administration of Jack's estate pans out. The Archers doesn't always get legal stuff right (eg there was a scene a few years ago when Jack was giving business assets away for so-called inheritance tax planning reasons and I was shouting at the radio that business assets get 100% relief from inheritance tax so there was no bloody point...)

Gosh, I bore myself sometimes.

Surely Hazel would keep the coniving act up until she'd pissed off back to LA?

aha - Peggy has minority share, Hazel has majority share "of his investments"

does that include property?

& does a minority share mean Peggy can stop Hazel doing what she wants?

ROFL at the Molestrangler

it was actually really funny - some of the rhubarbing from the congregation sounded suspiciously like strangled laughter

Aaaah Pheobe up the ancient apple tree and Hazel crawling around like Caliban TA gets more esoteric by the day!!

Was she not Dame Celia Volestrangler, Compos?

She used to hang out with J. Peasemould Gruntfuttock and Daphne Whitethigh, iirc

Rob's comment on the prettiness of Phoebe was uber creepy.

Yes I noticed that too GipsyFloss YEUUCH