Can I PLEASE just have 13 minutes? 13 measly minutes to myself to listen to The Archers?

[PseudoBadger]

Come and enjoy awkward dinner parties galore!

So what did I miss? Do I need to listen or was it a filler session?

Is Ian a different actor? His voice sounded different though TBH I haven't trusted anyone is who they say they are since they switched Tony..

gypsy listen, of.course!

Brian, Adam and somebody called Charles Collingwood all went to Sherborne. Decades ago the production team sent the posher children to real schools. Will they do that for Ruairi too? He's coming up to the age when he will be moving on to public school.

Gypsy, you should listen. Brenda is back and so is Vicky.

bitoutof . Just re-read my post and see how slightly nuts it sounds. Especially as I hail from NW London, which isn't a renowned sheep farming area.

V. Long-term Archers fan signing in here! I remember weeping buckets while breast feeding DS when John-Boy got squished by the vintage tractor

I SWEAR Radio 4 saved my sanity. Listening to TA was the only thing I had to look foward to every day when DS was a tiny baby and I was on mat leave - apart from the brand new Tellytubbies at 10.am and a huge spliff

Re. pregnancy - Ruth must be at least 46 though? - born in 1968?

June 68 so she's still 45 atm

If it was pregnancy wouldn't they be giving us more typical clues? - morning sickness, big boobs (not sure how they'd wedge this in tbh but trying to think what I noticed first), rushing to the loo a lot…

At the moment, it's just exhaustion, plus looking pale and feeling light-headed, plus a bit of an emotional breakdown. Sounds more to me like anaemia or thyroid problems or - hopefully not - some kind of more serious illness.

maybe ruaridh will go to felpersham boys'

Anyone have twinges of foreboding about Tony's herd? I think both Tom and Mike have mentioned a lonely, non-eating cow, which they keep contrasting with Tony saying how easy it will be to make his money back. I really hope it doesn't backfire on him it would be un-bull-ievably sad

Oh yes, I twigged the bit about Sherborne and thought it explained a lot ;) I taught in the private sector in that neck of the woods for a while.

YY to twinges of foreboding wrt Tony's cows, too. At least twice I have heard a lonely cow mentioned.

Agree re cows (although I thought lonely cow was left over from last heard)
Ruth - I think menopause but guess it could be another sprog on the way. I also don't understand why she hasn't gone to the doctors - I guess she is one of those don't make a fuss types.

Why bring Brenda back into things?

I thought it was quite subtle, Jessie. All that "good little cook" stuff is innocuous on the face of it, but put with everything else it mounts up. They are also building up a pattern of Rob making Hellin feel insecure about cooking. He could have mentioned his doubts about the stir fry before he trotted off to borrow the wok, but he deliberately waited until she was part way though preparing it so as to put her right off her stride; it's exactly the same pattern as the business with the tuna. You can see why Jess got so uptight about the catering for that party, and also why Rob got so angry when she wouldn't pay attention to him about it.

Hello! New to MN and thrilled to find this thread. Have missed TA lately so not heard Rob's latest behaviour. Ooh he's a wrong 'un. Will have to listen again tomorrow.

Oh, never question Brenda's returns - I have such plans for her!

I too was saddened when the children stopped going to real schools. Really enjoyed the less than subtle fencing between Adam and Rob yesterday. I am dying with curiosity regarding which prep they've sent Ruairi to, so it would be nice if "they" could abandon their terror of elitism and actually name a public school. In fact I don't see why Brian / Jenny couldn't consult MN for current advice; there probably weren't any pre-tests in Adam's day.....

Sorry, that last post of mine was in answer to something on the previous page, didn't realise we'd got on to another.

I predict that David is going to get tetanus from the rusty nail he cut his finger on, from the fly-tipped stuff. Then Ruth (oah noah) will be ill at the same time and then they'll really need Gill.

I too am worried about Tony's cows and that's mainly because I don't want Tom to be insufferably right but I think it's improbable that neither Pat or Tony have noticed if there's something wrong with one of them so I'm hoping that's a false alarm.

And Rob's going to want to get Henry's name down for a boarding school asap - if the poor boy is still alive after no one went to check on him on Tuesday night!

I'm intrigued about Adam's reaction to Rob. It crossed my mind that all that manly steak and sporty talk of public school would have all sorts of connotations for two men who have been similarly educated.
In one sense Rob was accentuating his manliness but did Adam pick up a different signal? He was not as repelled as Ian was.
Was Ian goaded into entering for the challenge because he was aware of a possible threat to his own relationship? (Which is probably reading far too much into a brief episode!)

They could devote a whole 13min episode to Ruth trying to get through to the Dr's surgery - getting answer phone, then engaged tone, then being told all the daily appointments had gone but now booking for the 3rd April. When she explained she was really worried about her symptoms, she would get a tongue-lashing from the surly receptionist.

Then she could go t

Then she could go to the doctor & explain how she feels etc in great detail and be told 'Well what do you expect at your time of life?' and be sent packing.

Or 'why have you waited so long to come and see us?'

Ok, I'll endeavour to be in my car as the necessary time.

Dirtybanana

Although - only 13 minutes? You don't know you're born!

Blimey anyone else listen to R2 (i know I've outed myself as a MOR type) BUT they just had a bit of TA where Josh says that Bradley Wiggins is coming to Ambridge!!!! TA is getting everywhere how incestuous is that?