Sexy sex on lovely legs, shearing sheep bare-chested. Tell us how you picture the good folk of Ambridge (and feel free to discuss anything else rural soap-related).

[PseudoBadger]

For me, that describes Ed. Some strange people think that it describes Jazzer.
Does it matter what they look like? We know and love their voices (except you Pip)

She could serve teas from the morris in a layby on the new road after she has upcycled it George Clarke stylee

Ed was given the invitation for the Carters, wasn't he? & then he got distracted?

Or did I dream that?

Sounds like lizzie is thinking of sacking him!

The way she talks just irritates me

Ha ha! Susan is mega pissed off!!

The way he snarls at her irritates me

He's hardly behaving in a manner befitting his position!

I reckon there's going to be a classic Archers denouement - Susan will snap at someone from Home Farm & they'll say but Adam had your invitation, he gave it to Ed

Cue false laughter all round (ew)

I'm not sure anyone behave in a way that befits their station.

So lizzie is hiring in new blood before her next opportunity to pitch a tent. I told you she was going to turn into a sex pest!!!

And a sodding butterfly. Haven't we had this storyline before?

I reckon stereotype farmer will napalm the area so he can get his compensation money!!

"End of the road..for the road" I love Lynda!

Will Susan evict ed when she finds out?

I don't feel like Elizabeth is behaving in character here. Normally she wouldn't tolerate behaviour such as Roy lately.

But she has to tolerate it because she let their relationship cross the line. Work rarely works well if the boss tries to be friend/lover with an employee

But then I don't think either are acting in character

Perhaps she is still carrying a torch for him.

This "brown hairstreak" is it a real butterfly? I haven't heard of it outside Ambridge. I thought for a very brief moment that Elizabeth was going to tell Roy he was fired. The getting extra help didn't seem to go down any better did it? Hayley will be delighted though!

Yes, brown hairstreak is real

(I grew up with Brooke Bond nature card albums )

\link{http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=betulae#.U9lCntm9LCQ\it's surprisingly attractive} for such a dull name

I didn't think Roy was snarling so much as sounding like a very petulant small child.

I'm wondering whether Lizzie isn't thinking of hiring Hayley as assistant manager to act as an all-purpose chaperone. It would also make it more difficult for Roy to moan about it.

Ici, that might work well. I was thinking Hayley would be pleased - she'll get more time with HappyRotaBoy once the new deputy is in post.

Please, Roy, just keep your toys IN the pram and everyone will be happier.

Why does Ambridge need a new by-pass anyway? Haven't they been getting stuck in jams 'on the by-pass' for decades?

It is unusual for the Brown hair streak to get as far north as Borsetshire then.

I'd like to know how Ambridge can get its by pass so fast, when we still struggle with awful snarl ups and accidents several times a week (of course that may change now the Highways agency is moving to town).

Didn't someone suggest up-thread that Elizabeth should have Hayley working with Roy?

Although it's hard to see what Hayley would add (aside from the hope of restored domestic harmony) given that her ideas for Junior Loxfest were considered old hat.

Anyway... The guest list. Hope Charlie has sent his regrets. Ed n Emma are in-laws so definitely on the list. (Once their invitation re-appears.) But you can't have a party and not invite your gamekeeper. So Will and Nic as well. I wonder what excuse Joe will find to be hanging around the back door. Oooh, oooh! That could be the day the wonderful Carol returns. Someone would be sure to take her along even if she's not invited. And of course both Roy and Hayley and Mike and Vicky ought to be on the list through Phoebe...

Elizabeth's returned dress was surprisingly modest in price. Perhaps a rather ill informed SW?

I thought that was the point - lizzie didn't feel it was hat pricey but Susan thought it was spun from gold, this highlighting the different means of the two

Mummytime, my original link isn't 100% accurate I don't think - I subsequently googled brown hairstreak/Worcestershire (which is sort-of Borsetshire) & it does appear in that area

I don't think that the purpose of the bypass is to bypass Ambridge, it's a new link road between some other places that lots of people need to go from and to. It just happens to go past Ambridge (very closely).

I agree - pricing the dress at 100 quid was just right to highlight the social difference between Susan and Lizzie. FWIW, for work I'd think 100 quid OK but I would think it pricey for a summer or weekend dress. My Mum would have considered 100 quid for any dress to be very extravagant indeed.

I'm enjoying Susan's annoyance about the invitation to Babette's Feast, but the plot does have a big hole in that she'd obviously have talked to Emmur about it, who would have been equally outraged/offended and would have talked to Ed, who'd have remembered Adam giving him the invitation. Much more fun this way though.

It would make more sense for her to have a very pointed conversation with Chris & Alice, and hope that Alice reports back to JD.
Did she start muckraking about John Tregorran and mrs-high-and-mighty-who-is-no-better-than-she-ought-to-be before or after the non-appearance of the invitation?

TheOneWith No You didn't dream that Ed got distracted by Mike. The invitation will've been washed in his overalls or jeans or whatever by now (I must stop over thinking TA it's becoming an obsession )

TheOneWith ahh Brooke Bond! Me too! All the neighbours used to keep the cards for me as I was the only child living in our street