Sack the Sock - put a sock in it or pull your socks up - frankly we're a bit sick of it. The Archers is shit, discuss it here.

[PseudoBadger]

I have it on good authority that this is the thread that people enjoy more than the programme it's about

'Don't leave yourself out, Helen!' re the cake was subtle.

What an excellent episode, despite feeling I'd missed something when Tony was up in his chair so bright and chatty - maybe I did miss something - the last time we heard him he was only able to force out a few death-rattle panty croaks to Peggy - not that long ago - ?

LillianG, loved your post about the H/Rob story - the scene with the letter was agonising in a quiet way - her trying to be casual but so deeply anxious, him backed into a corner and spitting 'since you've made a thing about it, I'll open it now'.

If he did alter that order, poor Johnny, I like Johnny, but it will all come out in the wash no doubt.

Oh yes Apples I meant to comment on Helen's cake.

There have been some cracking good episodes this week. I find Kate so compellingly and amusingly funny in the CITC manner described upthread. She will surely drive Phoebe back to Rob, who may be many bad things but will not make her meditate over a plate of lentils.

Just listening again. Kenton is such a tit when it comes to money - always in debt because he can't resist spending. In reality he isn't getting that much from the sale and blowing the amount he is on a holiday an gifting to fallon is going to be a serious chunk of that. Business class tickets to oz via nz will be at least £10k (I assume he hasn't shopped around) plus five star hotels. Luckily for him the sale will prob fall through in enough time that he cancel the hotels in time.

Tina says 'how can anyone understand that scrawl?' Implying johnnys note is at the shop and Helen saw it. I think Tina ordered 8 and was just blaming bridge farm to get her out of the fix. It was clear from the convo at the beginning of the epi that she has little experience. And she said 'you told me to take risks in te interview, well one of you did....maybe it was after' which suggests rob meddling.

I am a long time lurker on the archers threads, and I have to break cover just to say

I. HATE. ROB.

There.

And Helen is being so wet, I want to shake her......

If this were a relationships thread I would say that Rob's reaction to the letter will have shown Helen exactly how he will treat her once she's outlived her usefulness to him.

The continuity announcer said at the end "Jeremy Kyle just called!" Brilliant

Well as an overall BOOP point I thought that was an excellent film

I wonder if this whole plot went "hey, don't the siblings have shares in Brookfield?"
"But they only get the money if it sold and that would never happen"
"Oh but what if it did, imagine the trouble it would cause"
"But it just wouldn't happen."
"Unless....."

I wonder if we will vet more HelRobbery tonight or if they will gloss over it for a few days...

I also wonder if at any point Rob will say "well you can't leave Rob in charge of that. Remember that awful mess with the orders for the shop..."

Just noticed your new name Mink.

Was time for a change
Not sure where in the family I'd fit though. Maybe I can be Will and Nic's never mentioned child's imaginary friend.

Do ferrets and mink get on?

Imaginary ones do.

Hello everyone - only just discovered this thread and there's an Archers question I'm sure someone will be able to answer for me. Background - I listened from 1982-ish until March 2013 when I gave up out of despair at (1) the unilateral and arrogant decision to close Mustardland, and (2) the storylines being crap.

Anyhow, I was on a long car journey last Sunday and listened to the omnibus. This was disorientating because with new-Kate, new-Pip and new-Tom I often had no idea who was actually speaking The question I would like answering is why John's son is now called Johnny when he was originally introduced as Rich. Was this something to do with his mother being Kylie Richards? I know characters often have character transplants in TA, but this is the first time I can rememebr an actual name transplant.

Thanks very much in advance.

His full name is either John Richard or Richard John (can't remember which way round, might be the former). The erstwhile Rich decided to re-brand himself as John, though that could cause confusion with his dad hence Johnny.
His mother is Sharon; Kylie is his half-sister.

Bluestocking I don't remember the poem but it sounds like a Darkling Thrush by Thomas Hardy

Thanks for that. You are quite right, I was getting Sharon and Kylie confused. I do remember that fantastic conversation Sharon had with Pat or Helen just before I stopped listening, where she recounted going up to Bridge Farm to tell them she was pregnant and Tony saying,'We don't want any trouble' so she walked away without telling them. That's what I found so frustrating about The Archers in latter years; it could be brilliant when done well, but 95% of it was dross.

I often had no idea who was actually speaking

Yes, I've been struggling with this. NewTom sounds pretty much the same as Charlie, and NewPip and Phoebe are a tricky combination.

I think Kate makes great listening, but very glad I don't have to live with her, and have massive sympathies for Phoebe and all the bonding and being in the moment (over which she is being given a choice.) I did like the scene where Kate was talking about being her guide spiritually and emotionally, and Jenny made some comment about a mother-daughter relationship would be a start.

Also laughed at the continuity announcer at the end of the omnibus saying, "That's Jeremy Kyle on the phone!" On one level, Helen recognises that things don't quite add up - it's going to be interesting how long she'll suppress this in the hope that her fantasy of a perfect family will come true.

yes loved the JezzaK comment
not sure if it's been discussed, but what's the deal with Rob and Tina?
Didn't he essentially insist on Helen appointing her, and now he's trying to defend her right to mess things up at the shop? is there another agenda there, in addition to undermining Helen???

On a glass-half-full basis I've decided that New Pip's voice is identifiable because of her randomly rising or falling cadences and glottal stops. It's peculiar but fairly distinctive. It's just as annoying as Old Pip's voice though!

Does that count as half a BOOP point?

Re Johnny: his mother's name was Sharon Richards. so I imagine Rich was just a nickname from his surname rather than a given name.

I am weeping at having missed the Jeremy Kyle comment.

R4, UpNorth, I THINK that Johnny is called John Richards, Richards being his surname. When he was first introduced I think they said he had somehow acquired " Rich" as a nickname at school or something and it had stuck. However in retrospect I think it was a slightly convoluted way of the SWs building up to the big reveal that he had actually been named after his Dad. And of course if Pat had seen him being called John straight away it would have been a huge clue that he was John's son, ruining the whole storyline when they suspected but weren't sure.

They explained him being Johnnie by saying he had simply chosen to go by that name, having grown out of Rich. Made sense since he had found out all about his Dad.

The fresh veg order-

I gather that Tina rang with an order which Johnnie wrote down. Now Tina's blaming Johnnie's handwriting but why didn't she query the order there and then?

I think rob pushed for Tina because it seemed like she would be able to take over and leave Helen with nothing to do. However it backfired as she isn't as good as he thought but he has to defend the choice because it wa ultimately his and he is never wrong.

I think an affair between Tina and rob could be pushing us into ott territory given the baby storyline and the fact he was obviously cheating on Helen with his wife

DadDad DAd Yes ,correct, the floozie on BL board is Annabel. 10 out of 10

Did anyone notice that poor 'lonely' little Henry was "looking at" Emmur and her kids playing when they were on their NYD walk. Helliin is horrible not allowing him to play with them because of her charming partner's unpleasantness, that alone would be a deal breaker with me