Exeunt, pursued by a sow. And so on, for the next 60 years of The Archers.

[PseudoBadger]

It's all about the Sons at the moment. Tom is having an identity crisis, Dan is off to Sandhurst, and poor old Adam is working his socks off.
Follow the undulating Ambridge pastures here!

[OneEggIsAnOeuf]

Oh my goodness. Just heard last nights episode - think i was more shocked at Tone's outburst than by the wedding that wasn't. I've always had a lot of sympathy for Tony - never has a vegetarian been happier at someone buying a suckler herd, but that was just so cruel. I am now in the worrying position of feeling sorry for Tom. Gah.

[WorldWildWifeFund]

OneEgg, you can get a ringtone of Tom crying from Shambridge.

[OneEggIsAnOeuf]

Will it cure me of my new found empathy for the sausage baron?

[OddFodd]

I feel the same way OneEgg. I'm really quite annoyed that my loyalties have been toyed with in this fashion

[BitOutOfPractice]

I think Tony has always had a spiteful streak. He was vile to Hellin when she got pg

[BasketzatDawn]

I'm not sure what to make of it all. I was so shocked by Tony going for Tom in such a nasty way, and I can't decide if it's a rational portrayal by the SW. Whatever happened to the notion (probably only pop psychology but anyway ....) that if you lose one child you want o cherish any others all the more? Or is that just mothers? Which does fit with Pat's response to Tom - who has behaved badly, I know. IRL I can think of families that have ben so traumatised by events like deaths of children, that certain members have gone a bit weird for years after. Maybe that's what's happening to Moany Tony - who may have been 'damaged' anyway by childhood - alcoholic father, Peggoi as a mother, JD and Fagash as sibs, whatever. There is 'trauma' everywhere if you look for it.

[BasketzatDawn]

Just to clarify - I am not bored with this - SL or this thread - just with my own thoughts. In fact, for first time in years, I am currently trying to decide how to cope without TA or this thread when I am away abroad. Next week. No fancy phone, just FM radio attached to my aged Nokia. Will it work in Germany? Unlikely, I think, but I need to ask somebody who knows this question. What I do have, for just such 'emergencies', is a stash of blank cassettes at the back of my wardrobe (shh, don't tell DH where the stash is, or he will use it for other progs) so DH can tape the 'film' while I am away.

Regarding the cake, I like to think Roy's regular feeding of Tom involves him bringing a plate with a slice of wedding cake round every 4 hours and force feeding him. Nothing like rubbing his nose in it though I'd like to think Roy is kinder than that albeit in a gormless way.

[OddFodd]

Will you have access to the internet Basketz? You can get BBC Radio iplayer abroad :)

[DoctorTwo]

I managed to miss most of this week's episodes so shall listen to the omnibus on Sunday.

[Kirk1]

Cutteduppear, the answer to your question is yes! I started listening at about the time Matt Crawford was being prosecuted mostly to see what the active Archers thread was on about!

[RocknRollNerd]

Another one shocked at how horrible Tony was last night. I was very much enjoying the juxtaposition of Tom, Pat and Tony vs Shula sucking down her son not doing what she wants because at the end of the day he's her son and she loves him etc....or at least I was until they clunkingly got Peggy to point out the contrasts - a plea to the SWs if they read this - your audience are clever, we don't need your writing explaining to us!

I wonder if this is actually now going to build up to Tony having a complete breakdown - the cows are ill, his relationship with Tom is wrecked, Pat is going to be unhappy, the Jon stuff is being dragged up, Peggy keeps snubbing him...it must all now be too much for him?

[CinderToffee]

I don't have a good feeling about where this is going tonight....

[JessieMcJessie]

Gypsy those sound clips are brilliant-the woman does spot on impressions of the whole cast and her observation is amazing- thanks so much!

[Kirk1]

Omg! There's a note!

[CinderToffee]

Oh not as bad as I'd feared. My heart was seriously thumping as Roy and Jazzer were arriving at Tom's house: I was sure it was going to be suicide.

[Kirk1]

So did Jazzer...

[Kirk1]

Poor Pat. Hope she gets mad with Tony. It is all his fault.

[AllMimsyWereTheBorogroves]

Phew! Am I right in thinking John and Tony had just had a row before John stormed off into the night to do whatever he was doing when the tractor overturned? If so, you'd expect Tony to have felt tremendous guilt. It seems to have sublimated into post-mortem idealisation of John as all that was good. Tom was absolutely right to try to point out that he wasn't.

Thanks for the new thread, Pseudo!

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Hurrah! Chipolata Boy is off to find his fortune as an itinerant pig-wrangler.

Fast forward 18 years or so and he will be Lord Mayor of somewhere Oop North when his past will catch up with him...

Meanwhile, Rich FitzJohn will have become Sausage Supremo of Borsetshire.

[mummytime]

Jazzer was amazingly untactful though!
I hope it doesn't get to chick lit ish though - he hasn't flown off to Costa Rica and the only woman who loved him etc...

[CuttedUpPear]

I need a spoiler. Is Tom in it next week?

[cheminotte]

Thanks for the new thread Pseudo . Just marking my place until I catch up.

[HumphreyCobbler]

I thought Toby was horrible too, but the SW were very careful to make Tom sound properly repentant and worthy of sympathy at the beginning of the episode for the first time since the non wedding, just to make sure we all really REALLY hated Tony.

Isn't the reality that Tony must blame himself for John's death, it was him that rowed with John beforehand wasn't it?

Missed tonight, but that means I can listen whilst doing shred, it takes my mind off the agony.