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.

Roy saw a heart-shaped locket at a stall at Loxfest. He bought it. Lynda and Lilian saw him buying it and commented on how much Hayley will like it. As far as we know, he didn't get one for Hayley. He did give a heart-shaped locket to Elizabeth.

On Friday she put something in an envelope and asked Freddie to give it to Roy. Freddie went to Willow Farm and handed it over to Hayley, stressing that it was very important that it should be opened immediately - 'Oh look, in fact, it's already open', he said. So he and Hayley both saw that inside the envelope there was a heart-shaped locket.

Clearly both Hayley and Freddie have suspicions now. I feel for Freddie almost as much as Hayley.

I thought Freddie had seen them kissing a while back?

I thought that was Freddie's way of letting Hayley know what was going on?

Ah, that makes sense.

Didn't Leonie say Moe-gli as she stomped off upstairs? I felt for her, Lilindy was beyond the pale.

Thanks Mimsy....but your explanation has made me wonder....So Hayley hasn't said anything to Roy about receiving the locket yet? How long has she been hanging onto it for?
And what did Freddie say when he gave it to her?

Why doesn't Hayley say anything about the locket?

Perhaps Hayley is contemplating a second tête-à-tête with Elizabeth?

Remember how excruciating the first one was? And Elizabeth held all the cards. This time it would be Hayley who was in the know and Elizabeth left floundering. I imagine Shula's presence meant Elizabeth didn't ask him if he'd received the envelope from Freddie....

Also, Freddie knows his mother lied. She said the envelope contained the spare key to the filing cabinet.

Moving on.....
Does Rob expect to have the wherewithal to buy his'n'hers hunting horses all of a sudden?
Jess said he would want to hear what she was going to say so maybe there's some money coming his way........

It was hateful they way he made Henry part of that manipulation.

Surely Vicky is intending to send Beth to a special school (they still exist), not a large city mainstream school? That's how I interpreted what she said

But they must have special schools in Borsetshire?

I must say, I'd think carefully about sending a DS child to a special school at primary age unless she were severely disabled. I don't think there are any schools specialising solely in DS, and given that councils generally only place primary age children in special schools if they are very severely affected it's not necessarily the best peer group for her. For example, she will learn to speak and socialise to a great extent from her peers, so it wouldn't be appropriate to put her in a group including non-verbal children and those with severe social communication difficulties.

Has anyone tried running "Mowgli" past the baby names thread? I'd be very interested in the general reaction.

I felt so sorry for Hayley when her rat of a husband couldn't even stay away from Lower Loxley when she'd cooked his father & family lunch.

Yes, the evidence on development in DS is that children with DS do much better now they are mainly placed in mainstream schools.

Interestingly where parents have the choice of what to do with their child's funding (in the Netherlands) parents who don't have much education themselves are more likely to choose a special school over a mainstream school, while those with more education are more likely to choose a mainstream school. Maybe Vicky would therefore choose the former.

(I know it's terribly unfashionable to say parents don't know what's best for their child and shouldn't have control of funding... but it makes you think).

I suspect that Vicky and Mike aren't going anywhere. I think it will come down to a nice informative 'chat' with some relevant person about what can be offered to Beth at LL school and this combined with the no doubt hideous fallout (in every sense) of Locket-gate will convince them to stay.

Regarding Rob and Helen - I did wonder whether the scriptwriters are going to go all in and actually have him murder her together with Pat. Possibly making a murderous but perhaps unsuccessful attack on Henry too. This would leave Tony all alone with the farm and a grandson to care for. Obviously Tom could then return from abroad and the two of them would have to learn how to parent a bereaved child AND get on together without Pat and Helen's moderating influence. I think it could be a really interesting dynamic. Would certainly SATTC and still be based on reality (well more real than Nigel's lengthy scream) because women are at risk of serious harm from violent and controlling partners and Ambridge is one of those places where people do think 'that doesn't happen here'

What was Rob's motive re the hunting? Being upwardly-mobile? Annoyed that there was something he didn't know about Helen? Forcing Helen to do something she doesn't want to so? Heaping more doubt onto her about her abilities and instincts as a mother?

In terms of the conversation that was leading to him saying she shouldn't work, I suspect he wouldn't have said much more even if the phone hadn't rung. He is a past master at sowing the seed and then leaving it to germinate so that she feels it's her idea

He was annoyed he didn't know about it I think but also keen to turn it to his advantage - if he gets her to do it then it will be a marker to him (and us) of just how much control he has. Also has the advantage of being a time consuming hobby that will help him prise her away from work. Then the next stage is to get her up the duff and insist she can't ride whilst pregnant - meaning she has no job, no hobby and is totally isolated and dependant on him.........

Good point about time consuming hobby

He's always got an angle from hug to gaslight her, especially with Henry. Working too much, spending too much time away from Henry (was never a problem of course when P&T were looking after him to facilitate their affair). Then if she stays at home and anything happens she was smothering him and not letting him be independent

signing in.

Thanks for the new thread.
Rob really is a nasty piece of work. He was just suggesting Henry get involved in order to wind Helen up.
And Roy going to LL on a Sunday afternoon and staying several hours, how to increase suspicion?!

Great new thread title Pseudo :)

I think the hunting thing is part of Rob's exercise in control as pp have said. I also wonder if there's something about detaching her from everything she was/believed in before she met Rob and driving an even bigger wedge between her and her parents

I think so too OddFodd, and also the social climbing aspect. Urgh.

I don't really understand why Hayley hasn't said anything.

hayley may be information-gathering, or possibly trying to minimise in her own mind, i don't know. thinking about the threads on the relationships board on here you often see OPs basically saying "i found this. i'm trying to work out what it means, and whether it relates to his recent behaviour, so i haven't said anything yet until i have more information". other posters often advise them to check finances, phones etc and get their ducks in a row before confronting

we don't know whether there was anything else in the envelope, but if it was just the necklace could she conceivably see a possibility of elizabeth chasing roy and that roy might be completely innocent?

I think Hayley's panicking and not quite sure what to do. Also this isn't the first time she's been cheated on so I'd imagine she's in all kinds of turmoil wondering if it's in her head or actually real. And once she's confronted Roy, she knows her whole world is going to fall apart. Not just her home life, her work and everything :(

If Roy does try to spin that line, I won't be responsible for my action, Petula!

If Helen takes up hunting again, I don't think Pat and Tony will be very impressed. It's not a bloodsport now but I seem to recall that Tony has in the past been vocal about not letting the hunt on Bridge Farm land.

you and me both mimsy!