Anyone for a fondant fancy? Let The Archers eat cake...

[PseudoBadger]

TA is in a purple patch at the moment, rewarding listeners for wading through the dross of the previous year few months. Welcome all!

I can't help but think that one day Tony wiill just snap after all the years of misery and repression and there will be a huge denouement.

A bit like Glenn at the end of ' the thick of it.'

Oh, I dunno - when Tony was complaining about it being quiet I'm sure I heard birdsong.

Obviously he needs to get himself some cows (or at least bullocks) - having got rid of the herd and the Cow.

bit I expect they do have the radio on - just not when we're eavesdropping

Temperamental you might be right - because when we are listening the Archers is on isn't it?

Leaving aside the pigs what do they actually do at Bridge a Farm now, they have the veg, but that sounds like barely a few acres given they do veg boxes and harvest it themselves. Pat now buys in milk to make yogurts which safe seemingly only sold in the village shop and Ambridge Organics...I'm not surprised Tony is a bit bored to be honest.

What was with the massively clunky reference to Tom recording the opening ceremony on Friday? I really hate it when they drop in the 'topical' bits...they'd have been better off shoehorning in something about the floods surely?

I vividly remember hearing Hayley meeting the pigs for the first time, she was incredibly Brum and whingey about the muck and mud. I think it was when Lucy Davis played her?

They supply Underwoods and other places with the yogurt and ice-cream. And don't forget the cheese!

Referring back to Roy- don't forget that he was Ambridge's token racist at one stage. And Tom the token Eco warrior (ironic, that one now, isn't it?)

Tony was depressed before as he was estranged from Helen during her pregnancy.

Is it just me or did R(kn)ob take quite a nasty tone with Pat when "asking" her to have Henry? He sounds vaguely menacing. Will be interesting to see how Helen deals with him going against her wishes to settle Henry in.

and where on god's green earth is he going on business on a Friday night?!

hampshire

But surely Hellish won't believe for a moment that he has to go away on business overnight on a Friday? Surely not!!

I think Rob will tell Hellin that's he's off on Friday and immediately drop in the "but I'll take you out on Thursday for a special night (yuk) and your parents will look after Henry".
She'll then feel angry towards her parents because they're having H, rather than Rob.

Well something like that anyway!

if i go to conferences they are often at weekends, or cover friday night or sunday night into monday, so i don't find that too surprising. i would have thought most agricultural stuff would be at a different time of year though

Topical insert KLAXON

Ruth proclaiming the topical insert. Deep joy.

And clunky plot setting. Enter Jill bearing a casserole and suitcase stage left. Only for lambing of course...

Ah yes - a true domestic goddess summoned by Ruth's burnt offerings.

Though it does occur that Ben is nearly 12, perhaps he could volunteer to mind the dinner while his parents are so busy.

And why aren't Josh and Ben doing the cooking?

Is Ruth going to do a Sam with the policeman? Can't see otherwise why he's been brought in. I love it when David and Ruth get tetchy with each other. God preserve us from the times when they get loveydovey.

Oh yes, it's so much nicer than 'And if you'll excuse me, I'm going to snog my wife' in the 50th birthday speech (which I was so traumatised by, I can remember exactly where I was when he said it) :o

I also agree that Jill is being positioned stage left with a casserole and a suitcase. Will that conveniently leave Glebe Cottage for TomKirst or does it belong to Lizzie?

(also love your name Mimsy)

Glebe Cottage belongs to Jill/the Brookfield estate. It was bought before she and Phil retired from farming. I think, or was it in the family already?And there's Ben - conceived in a field and born beside the Aga - and he can't keep an eye on the dinner and he 'hates lambing'. I imagine he could become like Uncle Kenton and leave the family business. They can't all stay in farming.

Re-Bridge Farm and organic farming, I've always thought it was very hard physical labour for Tony. All the veg to harvest, and he seems to get little help from anyone else. They must have farm labourers but the beeb can't afford the 'voices', perhaps. In the dim and distant past there was 'help' living in a caravan on the farm. What age is tony if his children are in their 30s - ? in his 60s, he had a BIG birthday before the heart attack, didn't he? I feel sorry for Tony really. I don't have enough energy to hate ALL of them.

Mimsy I thought that when she was on the phone to the policeman.... And then when she and David were squabbling....

I loved Helen and Kirsty and mortgage chat.
Kirsty: "Well we'll be working until we're 100, but that's just what you have to do to get your own place isn't it?"
Helen:

Glebe Cottage belongs to Jill - she and Phil acquired in the great swap around (David and Ruth went to Brookfield, Shula to The Stables from Glebe Cottage).

Rob is definitely not going to a conference - I wonder where in Hampshire he is going as a lot of the county is flooded too !

Psychologically speaking, Tony is ripe for a big mental breakdown. He held it all together when John died, esp when Pat was so depressed. His surviving children create enormous stress for him. Tom's business ideas causing friction; Hell's behaviour generally. There's the inheritance stuff with Peggoi and the overbearing sisters who treat Tony very much like the daft wee brother. He has the back breaking physical toil, out in all weather - even his wife gets to skulk in a warm dairy - he's had a heart attack, quite a major one IIRC. He's never been in a position to talk to anyone about how John's death affected him, e.g. finding him, feeling bad about it being his Fergie wot dun the deading too. He sold it on later because he couldn't bear to own it any longer after John's accident. And like others have said, he's a bit Eyeore-ish already and broody.

BTW I can recall a conversation between Hayley and Pat after J died in which they were close - Hayley crying about how she did love John but was so hurt by his infidelity, and didn't want him to be dead; Pat making soothing murmurs. Not sure if it was before or after Helen told Hayley to bugger off.

Oh yes, Glebe belonged to Shula's grandparents, so there's previous in the family for one house to be given to one grandchild?? And the bungalow, don't forget the bungalow! home of that very happy but silent couple, Freda and Bert.