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

[PseudoBadger]

Hello you two :o

It did seem a shame that she had to look so far back for the "good times"....

I distinctly remember feeling rather during the division of the spoils at Brookfield - Jill seemed completely sidelined.

Looks as if they are planning a return to her old home for her. It's a pity - surely there's far more scope for drama at Lower Loxley?

Jill - sidelined? But she is at the centre of Stir Up Sunday and thus a central pivot...

Jill is the marguerite Patten of Ambridge, and therefore crucial to everything. I fear she is going to go blind through delaying her cataract op.

Yy to.fondant fancy title. Love these threads though am always on my phone so rarely post. Apologies for mistakes, also due to.phone.

Massive tot of sloe gin to all contributors.

Is your fondant fancy temperamental around corvids?

I couldn't resist. (sparkly pussycats, like some dogs, might well be TAC)

Is it only 6 weeks since Jess' party Jessie? it seemed longer but your point would stand even if it was more than 6 weeks - it's too short a time for it to be believeable that people would just accept the marriage was all over and that Helen had nothing at all to do with the break up.

I started boycotting TA after they shoved Nigel off the roof and haven't been able to fully get back into it but I am enjoying reading all your contributions/analysis!

Brilliant TemperamentalAroundCorvids

Maybe Piggoi is labouring under the illusion that Helrob won't be consummating their union until the Degree Absolute papers land on the doormat?

as a slight aside, do we think Peggy makes her own fondant fancies or are they Mr Kipling ones? I'm sure she would normally balk at shop cakes, but fondant fancies strike me as much more trouble than they're worth (too sweet) in fact I'm now doubting that she would have served them. Shortbreads, surely, and a nice victoria sponge with home made jam?
However, tis a good thread title although I like the corvids too.

winterkills I also really struggled with TA after they killed Nigel for no good reason at all I'm pretty good at knowing it's just a story etc etc but that just seemed so calculated and shallow it really broke my trust in the story.

I'm loving it so far this year though - there's a definite change for the better with the new producer. And while we're all declaring our allegiances, have to say I'm team Ed too. Will has some good reasons to be annoyed (!) with his brother, but he's so unrelentingly provoking and vicious in his tone of voice whenever they talk to each other, I just want to wallop him (I'm a nice peaceable person really )

Yes it felt really wrong MissMilliment, obviously I accept that people die in accidents and even that soap operas can kill off characters to spice things up but in this case it was all so crass and cruel and ultimately pointless as it didn't lead anywhere.

Can't agree with Team Ed tho' - I have always been baffled about the negative reaction to Will, ok he's a bit dour but ed and emma ripped his heart out and stomped all over it and then tried to steal his son away!
Personally I would never forgive such a hurt, must be my Sicilian blood I like the characters though, they both seem very real (more than I can say for 'Georgie' Fauntleroy).

I want to know what's happened at the golf club. Surely Martyn and his friends have run the restaurant into bankruptcy by now?

Seconded MissM!

(I'm sure I speak for the entire global listenership. )

The trouble with SATTC is that, worse than leading nowhere, it has made TA much, much more dull than it should have been. Nigel really drove all the fun and innovation at LL - it's never fun with Elizabeth in charge. (How could it be when they've forced her into widowhood?) It's left Kenton at a loose end without a best friend and entirely changed Lily and Freddie's relationship with the rest of the characters.

I just hope our loyalty through the rubbish years blah blah blah.......

Winter I agree with you about Team Ed. He stole Will's wife, tried to take his kid, and shot his dog! I'd be a bit gruff after that too!!

When I was in the garden yesterday, a crow was making a very odd noise, I looked up and thought - ooh what is that corvid up to. I have become Linda.

Re Team Ed, it's telling though that he 'a always the one that decides to try. So while Will was on the phone to Clarrie, bad mouthing Ed, Ed has decided to take the high road.

And yet Will gets all the luck, and Ed struggles on.

I hope you didn't get temperamental about it, Mrs CB!

Very astute observation, Caroline. Shouldn't your name be Carolyn, by the way?

Well, some would say its easy to be the 'bigger' person when you walk off with someone's wife and child - I'd guess you'd feel a bit more guilt about the situation. God, I know I would and therefore would try a bit harder not to be the 'bad one' any more.

Its typical though, if you're the 'wronged' person and your partner leaves you for someone else, its so easy to be cast as the bitter and twisted one who hasn't moved on.

If it had been anyone else than Ed, I'm sure Will would have coped a lot better. But its famiiiiillly isn't it?

I do like how infidelity is dealt with in the archers though - apart form the grundys its pretty much swept under the carpet. I mean Jenny is still friendly with Caroline and the whole Siobhan debacle is never really mentioned.

Even Helen and Rob have been readily accepted by most people. Ruth and Sam is never mentioned either. Its odd surely?

Mmmm..... But perhaps you're not comparing like with like? Jenny/Brian and Ruth/David are couples who stayed together - perhaps there has to be an element of shutting up and moving on for that to happen with any degree of success?

In the Grundys' case the couple broke up - but for some reason have ended up stuck in the same village.

Helen/Rob so far is different to both of the other scenarios.

i know what you mean mrscb about affairs

though in my own family there was a situation where one woman ran off with and later married the husband of relative (not as close as sisters). there are children involved who are now both half-sibs and second cousins. all those still living are now on very good terms though it caused a lot of hurt at the time, but it took a lot of magnanimity to get to this point. it's not swept under the carpet so much as 'known but not discussed'

so it can happen, but really depends on the people involved, and i think this is very unusual. also the affair itself was 25 years ago now so it has been a long long time - not just a few months/years

True. But I'm sure if I was Jenny, I'd still be disntinctly cool with Caroline - but I'm a bit of a grudge bearer

So, that's why I like the Ed/Will thing in some ways and get frustrated with Clarrie wanting it all to be fine. It won't ever be fine, the most she can hope for is civility. And if you have an affair, you have to accept that to most people you will be perceived as being the 'wrong' one. And then do everything you can to make the best of the situation.

I much preferred Peggy when she was going to horse whip Brian rather than being taken in by the smarmy Rob, but she's getting old and wants Helen settled.

with peggy could it also be a bit of a power-play with pat? she said she wanted to make up her own mind, and has now decided her opinion is the opposite of her DIL's...

i do love this thread too

my dp's mum listens to the archers but doesn't agree that rob is well dodge so we have to agree to disagree, so i'm pleased that there are some others who hear the same thing i do!

I know someone who thinks Rob is lovely. They obviously don't read the relationship threads on here

Yes but no but... Peggy has a touch of the Mitchells about her. Brian's infidelity was at the expense of her own daughter. She doesn't have any reason to care about Jess, so Rob's infidelity (if she ever even acknowledged it) doesn't really have the same impact.

And she would definitely want to do exactly the opposite of what Pat wanted.

I am now going to always see Babs W when I hear Peggy

I am amazed that any listener doesn't think Rob is bad news. But yes, we've probably all read too many relationships threads. I don't think I knew what passive aggressive was until I read mn and now I can do a PA with the best of them