Loxfest is over. Locket-gate is upon us. Discuss Mowgli, Rob's new secret and of course the new road here with other Archers fans.

[PseudoBadger]

New thread for hopefully an exciting Sunday episode. Poor Hayley.

BYOS I believe that there are aliens called soap children who live in sound proof cupboards, go to bed in them as soon as they are told to, watch tv silently and never runabout mindlessly screeching!!!!!

I thought that about Roy and bed as well - surely they would have at least thought about calling the police/alerting all the locals if he was upset and been out all day and all evening, especially in the dark?

laisy But he was texting Lily (who's another disappearing child). She 's an alien child who just goes to school but doesn't appear anywhere else

Given that Phoebe had agreed to babysit you would think she would be there keeping Hayley company and wondering where the fuck her dad has got to.

Just catching up with Friday - I'm sure Jess didn't used to sound so horrible? Her voice is all crisp and nasty.

Vicky is completely insensitive when talking to mike. Moving away from his family and she says 'I'm sure we can stay in touch' - I would ruddy well think so!!

Note how quickly rob gets angry with Jess - he can't control her and he doesn't actually know what to do.

I believe that there is an actual law in soap land that there must be a baybee story every Christmas. By this reckoning valentine's would be a month too early and so they are either going to delay the paternity testing for the Xmas story or Jess/knob would have been together in March.

Did anyone else notice that Helen had to go outside because she felt sick? Obviously not due to stress or emotional angst, because another soap law is that there is only ever one reason a female character is sick/nauseous...

love the 'soap laws' - spot on!

Are you saying there's going to be a Great Ambridge Minirob Off? Aargh.

Can anyone remind me how old son-of-John is? Trying to work out if he'll be a suitable age for Hayley to have a wildly inappropriate fling with when the tells Lizzie she's welcome to Racist Roy..

Didn't rich john just sit his gcses? Could be a little inappropriate....

I think the Roy betrayal will lead to mike and vickoi staying.

I know it must be stressful thinking about the education of a child with sn but family and stability must be really important. Eg Lynda being so close to her. That's not necessarily something you can pick up when you move

Oh good lord yes - it's just about time for Helen to start feeling "sick".

I think Rich has just done his GCSEs?

Well yes - all women suffer exactly the same pregnancy symptoms don't they?

I always thought Helen's pre eclampsia was an after thought and they had googled 'dramatic births'

So Henry is almost 4 - my dd was speaking much better than him at that age and she is definitely not an advanced speaker. So they actually hae a child doing his voice? It just sounds all wrong somehow.

Heard the full leonie horror. Totally implausible that she would express enough at night if he is waking a few times. And as for co sleeping - how does she not get woken up when he cries for milk?

Having said that, I do know someone who would only dress their child in a certain type of organic material (can't remember what it called now). Funnily enough it was only available to buy through her private midwife! (Not uk btw)

I thought Jess's description of what it is like to be inside a controlling relationship was actually very compelling and described exactly what is happening to Hellin - being cut off from friends and family, losing her own self eg her beliefs about hunting etc

Rob obviously already knew that Jess is pregnant. If I were Hellin I would be asking why the hell he hadn't told me that piece of news!

So what do we expect in the coming weeks

Prodigal son richjohn appears
Jess starts making trouble within the archer clan
Mike decides to leave with vicky causing ed and Emma to hae the financial disaster we are all waiting for (would jazzer take on the round? Guess he has no funds)
The liz Roy secret gets out and that changes mikes mind. All the angst that arises from that. I'm assuming the sw think one stroppy teenager is enough so we won't hear much from phoebe
Lynda discovers the sink hole on lakey hill is actually caused by pixies and the photographic evidence kills off route b

I assume the missing young actors - Lily, Phoebe, Archers of Brookfield, etc. - are all away doing GCSEs, A levels, etc.

My assumption regarding the uneaten chicken was that they'd have it the next day, cold with salad or whatever. Isn't that an option? I know nothing about dead birds (my longest lasting teenage rebellion was becoming a vegetarian aged 17). I know, I know. My parents got off lightly, didn't they.

I think you've all forgotten Henry is trapped in a cabin bed with no ladder at night. Poor child will never roam the house at night again.

I think jess wanting to make contact to get some financial support from the father of her child is quite plausible. I think she did sound as if she's seen the light regarding his unreasonableness. And she is trying to warn Helen (to no avail of course).

Isn't it funny, in a not funny way, that we're all shouting EA with Helen and Knob. And yet there are all these downtrodden men, such as Vicki and Mike, and Leonie and James, in Ambridge. I know the latter aren't EA as such but both men are being pushed around by their womenfolk. Of course the SW probably think this is how a wife behaves.

I don't think mike and vicky is ea based on her current 'riding roughshod'

And James an leonie are generally as bad as each other

Just as we said....

Do you think vicky torched the van to knock the business on the head?

Helen really doesn't want to see does she

New Josh! Angus Imrie, son of Celia. She will have briefed him on Acorn Antiques.

Wonder how he got the role....

Anyone know about springs? Brookfield due to diversify into bottled water?

What did Mike mean by his remark? Is Helen paranoid or is it all over Ambridge? Maybe Hayley did recognise Jess....

Ah - I thought Josh sounded rather subdued and careful in his delivery. But shouldn't be bad at all once he relaxes.

Was quite worried that Mike would work himself up to a heart attack.

Oh! Perhaps Rob has spread the tale himself to discredit Jess. He did sound even more smug than usual.