Rogered by a hobbit in the LL undergrowth, buried in a raised bed with Bert or harassed behind the arras with Adam? Pick your Ambridge fate here.

[PseudoBadger]

A big showdown tonight I hope.

Thanks to Zero (I think?) for the great title.

I'm sure Heather wouldn't be selfish enough to disrupt that many lives on her behalf. This is a most unlikely plot device of some sort.

I think D had thought about (or what passes for thought in D's head) and he assumed Heather would move to Ambridge, as what sane person would want to live anywhere else? Ruth has just been crossing her fingers behind her back, and hoping Heather would be hale and hearty until she SOTMC, like Phil .

I don't live in the same country as my parents. If we were in this situation my dad would insist on staying put and I'd be on a plane monthly and fretting ; if it was my mum she'd come here and we'd set her up in a sheltered housing situation. What I wouldn't be doing is uprooting my teenagers, husband, assorted animals etc and moving back to Dublin. Sod's law if I did that he'd peg it just as I get the last box unpacked!

I'd assumed the storyline was heading towards Ruth suggesting that Heather could move in with them and David having a problem with this, as a contrast to the alacrity with which he Jill moved in.

It happens though. A farming family near here sold up a few years ago and bought a farm in Scotland. Kids went through Uni with no fees to pay.
The whole place is now holiday homes.
Don't get me started.....

Are the sws sweeping out the cast or is the cast leaving in droves?

I was just about to ask what SOTMC stood for but then I got it.

Thinking about it, apart from poor old Jack most of the SO-ing has been pretty quick that I can remember - having to deal with conflicting demands of elderly parents, children and work is more is such a real issue for so many people that it's good they've got this plotline - even though clearly Ruth's latest idea surely is barmy isn't a realistic solution.

Do you think she will accuse davi if being selfish and strop off to prudhoe and demand half the farm in divorce settlement?

i agree errol it's very relevant. lots of people juggling the needs of children and elderly parents at the same time as working

to the SWs for a stupid and implausible idea from Ruth. How did anyone think that would work for the Archers of Brookfield? I suppose one option might be that Felicity F wants out and will now spend lotsa time in Prudhoe and only return from time to time to mime. I suppose that would give work creation ops for Grundy men with names beginning with E. So maybe not utterly awful. And Jill can continue to keep house and cook for all those men till she drops ..... Who needs Ruth anyway. .

You really can't have 'The Archers' without some Archers at Brookfield. It's always been the lynchpin.

I've got the solution - Peep will find a farming job up there and live-in with granny. Solves the problems of how to look after Heather and keep Peep safely at the other end of one-sided phone calls.

I'm in a different country from my parents as well - if things had gone differently on 18th September, it would have been a different sovereign state, but I digress. [Although has a single person in Ambridge commented on the referendum result? Surely it was worth a topical insert?]

Anyway. My parents are in their 80s. They are pretty fit at the moment but it does bother me what would happen if they were less independent. My brother is a lot nearer than I am but he and his wife work full-time and their children are younger. I am anticipating spending a lot of time on train/plane/ferry at some point in the future. What I am not anticipating is selling up in London and moving lock, stock and barrel up north. We'd be selling a house, not a farm or a business and it is still not a realistic proposition. What is Ruth thinking of? Oh wait, this is one of the Dopey Duo we're talking about. She isn't thinking, clearly. She isn't thinking clearly either.

good call errol

i'll keep my fingers crossed for that one

But at least Hayley now knows she's been spun a line.

Has Pip become a silent member of the household. Not that I want to hear her speak or anything but I'm curious.

All these silent daughters! DD yaks all through TA when she's home.

I thought they were building towards Ruth's suggestion. David hasn't been that engaged with the Heather issue, Jill has seemed more concerned about where she might end up. It isn't a great idea but I understand Ruth and her wanting to be there.

Very good call, Errol! Several birds killed with one stone.

No one in this house dares talk when TA is on. However, it doesn't often arise nowadays as I do try to time meals for 7.20ish, and if we happen to eat earlier I tell them that I will make the supreme sacrifice and Listen Again. [noble emoticon goes here]

I understand why she may want to do it but I can't understand how she thought it could be an option!

As for Hayley, well this should be interesting!

I wonder if Hayley has been replaced at LL. She wasn't so busy that she had an obvious deputy...

Her reaction to Phoebe's info ought to be interesting but perhaps the SWs might risk another round of la la la, with Roy strong arming his DD into retraction of damaging statement on the grounds that she doesn't know what she's talking about, or even that Freddy was trying to cause trouble.

I don't think Hayley will be taken for a fool twice, but will be interesting to see how she handles this. Originally she seemed to gather the information first - perhaps she'll confront Lizzie to get the truth.

I do get that they have to have Ruth dealing with the AgedMother problem. And I suppose she's been that absorbed worrying about it in the last few days, she may have talked herself into thinking moving is a good idea. I suppose it does mean any further solutions will inevitably be more sensible and workable. It's certainly realistic as a dilemma as many of you have said. Not one I've had, sadly, as my parents SOTMC relatively early. Mimsy, what island so your parents live on? I accept you might not want to say.

Re- Hayley and Rota, I really did think a few weeks ago that, when R said 'it only happened once', he meant he'd only ever had this one affair. And bec. H chose to interpret it as only one shag with Lizard, this was a useful misunderstanding for Rota.

I hope Rota doesn't get nasty with either Phoebe or Freddie. And I so hope the veil will now fall off Hayley's peepers.

I agree basketz. She assumed and he didn't correct her

Splendid title!

Roll on Sunday, indeed. Hoping for Hayley-shaped fireworks but can't help thinking that someone ^up there^ (sorry can't find the post now) is right and the news of the Hobbit-rogering Lady of Lower Loxley will spread like wildfire via Feebs nd Frilly, and Lizzie will assume that Carol has blabbed. That won't happen if Hayley storms up to LL and gives the Lizard a piece of her mind, of course.

Perhaps Hayley will visit Carol to unburden herself and will leave clutching a Hobbit-shaped doll and a packet of pins. Or herbal tea...

Think the R thing, even though she would know David would never agree is a response not only to her mum but that she has had enough of route B and Brookfield will be ruined anyway.

But who would buy a farm under those circumstances...other than Justin Elliot of course....

I think they may even start looking into it and be on verge of selling when they realise someone they don't like is the buyer.

And y I hope Hayley stops being so bloody understanding and supportive.

If David agrees to look into selling Brookfield that will be such a volte face on the last however many years