Don't blame it on a Grundy, don't blame it on Route B, don't blame it on Sean O'C, blame it on the badgers. Discuss The Archers of Prudhoe here.

[PseudoBadger]

Poor peggy's party will be ruined when Rob comes up with something to scupper Hellin taking her for her shampoo and set. Maybe everyone will see him for what he is when he knackers up such a special occasion..

I'm in a village about 20 miles north of London. We've got sheep, a small dairy herd and plenty of arable farms around us but we've also got the m11 and an airport in audible distance. Negotiating tractors ,and at harvest time, combines is a a daily occurrence...I have a hankering to drive a tractor and the next time I meet the farmer planting out the back fields I intend to blag a go

X-post with mink and hakluyt

So sorry Petula and I am only saying this because your Grannie is in good health but this made me laugh:

if she had a fall she could go downhill very rapidly

.. I just imagined her rolling unstoppably down a hill

I hope NewTom does make a return at the party.

poor grannie. like cheese in gloucestershire

Didn't S O'C say something about "really testing their relationship" pre-wedding?

Has the actress playing Kirsty officially left?

Yes, I read the "going downhill" line and a rather too literal image came into my mind.

In metaphorical terms, I was thinking that in Ambridge, Jack has already fallen down the hill and now it looks like Jill will come tumbling after.

I grew up in a Rural Norfolk village not unlike Ambridge, all the personalities but non of the amenities... No shop, no naive pub, no village hall but a lovely church and telephone box..(remember them?) ....highlight of the days was David taking the cows down the lane and bringing them back again at tea time causing huge inconvenience to the three commuters.... More recently lived in a wonderful farming community in Cheshire where everyone knew everyone, fab pubs, free hay bales, lots of gossip... Miss it terribly!

Naiive pub??!?!?
Naice pub*

*its only regular was the local mole catcher!

telephone box..(remember them?)

I have a friend who lives not too far from David Cameron's neck of the woods. They still have functioning red phone boxes in the area because they get mobile not-spots.

Maybe the whole Canadian experience will turn out to be a disaster for Tom due to Rob's duff advice, and he'll come back breathing fire and have a punch-up.

surely Rob isn't stupid enough to outright stop Hell from taking her granny for a hairdo? But maybe he'll construct some kind of family emergency to prevent her from going to the party.

I think it will be like the halloween party. He will, unwillingly "let" her go while making it clear that she is being utterly unreasonable and treating him horrifically by choosing the haircut over whatever he eants her to do. He will make her feel that she is disloyal and selfish.

He will not stop her from going, but within a couple of months she will be turning down invitations and keeping away from her family without Rob saying anything.

For those who think rob is after the money - surely Helen taking Peggy is the best solution?

I still don't think he's in it for the money

Agree wirh molly. R would go for guilt trip and further undermining self cobfidence. If he forbade her she would see he was a twat. The othet way she thinks she's a twat.

But I still think it might just be enginerred so Peg can stick her oar in. Possibly about Hellin giving up work.

My village is quiet built up with no agriculture. However, there are still a lot of parallels with Ambridge people-wise.

*quite

I live in a small Ambridge :o

We have a shop, a naice pub and a church. There are some big landowners about and we are surrounded by fields. At least 20 tractors pass my door a day (probably ten times that during harvest)
We have a village production as well and a large local shoot.
I would like to think of myself and DH as JD and Brine but sadly I think we fall under the Ed 'n' Emmur umbrella :o

TheFantastic Does yr naice pub have a mole catcher too??

If Rob runs true to form he will somehow engineer it so that he is the one who takes Piggoi for her shampoo and set, thus ingratiating himself further with the Bank Of Gran.

No pp no mole catchers I'm afraid, the pub is too naice now to have the working classes leaning on the bar I often have to change before I can show my face :o

Did Helen say something about picking Henry up from nursery? I thought the idea was to spend time with him before he starts school.

Rob's not exclusively in it for the money but he seems to not miss a chance to ingratiate himself with Peggy and already has plans to make money out of Peggy's house when it's Helen's 'for Henry'. It might be all part of his control habit of course.

Are we to assume Tom's paid off all his debts?

Mimsy - it's about to start. Will you be on air? I see they'll be discussing TA dissatisfaction..

The local mole catcher ONLY drank Adnams on draughtand used to leave dozens of little velvety mole corpses along all the barbed wire fences in the village...bastard