Oh. Hello. I didn't know we'd invited another The Archers thread round darling. How nice to see you. Discuss Ambridge here.

[PseudoBadger]

As tribute to the best SL at the moment...

icimoi, I heard that too - and assumed it was just a bit of 'education' for townies. I did wonder how necessary a 'promise' from Oliver was. Now I know more thanks to all the info here. Zero, it's fine to be clock-watching. I tend to do it on a Sunday as I need to change stations at 7 P.M. and occasionally I forget.

Dan's diaries eh?

That's a neat plot device for SOC to create whatever past is needed for the present.

I was wondering what Rob's game is now re the shop but I think it's obvious...he's going to 'let' Helen go back to running the shop then sabotage it, isn't he? So that she comes scuttling back saying he was right all along and it's all far too taxing for her.....

gah diaries a bit of a cliché

Ooh, isn't Rob such a lovely man?

It would be fine IMO if Hayley came back to Ambridge eventually, not necessarily with Roy, but if they had an amicable and non-bitter parenting relationship - unlike Will and Emma.

I like the diary stuff. Tis interesting. Albeit a plot device.

yy and anything that speeds up the crashing and burning of the brookfield move is fine by me. it's just a bit... clichéed that's all

I think also Rob's doing a bit of self-PR, to make him look kind and considerate and not a controlling git, because he needs the sab assault accusations to blow over.

I'm liking Dan's diaries, but I can't believe that all this knowledge of what went on in the past in the village has just vanished. Not my experience of small communities. People remember what went on before the war, and it gets passed down.

I'm relieved the ridiculous "clearing out the attic" farrago has come to a head. It was so tedious. But just imagine being David this evening!

Hayley (who I previously thought rather boring and undeveloped) is a goddess.

For those of you listening to Gloomsbury I hope you've covered your children's ears. It is pretty filthy tonight. Marvellous.

I was wondering if "Shrubsole" was any kin to "Scumspawn" ...

And yes. It is.

Yes I agree with both of those EBearhug.But...I also wondered whether Rob will fail to collect Henry and thus scupper Helen via her child.

Clever rob to do a complete about face just to throw Helen of the scent (foxy reference)! She was getting a bit of the cowed woman about her where robs concerned.

just listening to feedback again (yay CUP!) but that commissioning editor is a twat - even more so on second listening. And roger bolton is no humphreys

Eerrggh elephants that is all kinds of wrong

BOOP thank you - I think! I tried to sound emphatic so it sort of worked.

I don't actually think Rob is nasty enough. EA is subtle but not that subtle. In order for someone to be properly scared there would have to be more to be scared of : endless sulking, or massive outbursts or huge guilt trips or constant belittling and taunting or else repeated walking out/dumpings.

They way they are is like the public face of it or the way that it gets after years when they don't have to carry out the threats anymore because the OH knows what's coming.

He hasn't actually done much to H apart from that one outburst in the shop and a minor kick off about dry cleaning.

Mink, are you my dad? who is still a massive non-believer as far as rob is concerned. He has been controlling her in terms of her appearance and there was a fair bit of belittling too. I do agree that you would expect there to be more in terms of consequences - sulking, or v selfish poor me type behaviour. Perhaps he's not an abuser but just a bit of a misunderstood twat If my dad is correct he will never stop reminding my mum and I!

Mum and me, sorry. Do you know my grammar has a mind of its own on mn. I even did loose instead of lose on another thread!

there has been quite a lot of implied stuff referring to things that we haven't heard (e.g. the start of a scene with helen saying "is this better?"), but obviously it ocuold be interpreted in a biased way

by that i mean, i may be recognising abusive behaviours where none is intended by the sw

I think he is EA but it is way to deniable for H to really notice with all her neurosis. He was much nastier to Jess so can only assume he will crank it up at some point. They are keeping it a bit too subtle.
He doesn't check up on her much either.

Either that or a lot has gone on that we have not heard.
Although of course they are not married and have no kids so she is not fully roped in yet.

yes they've only been together for a year, and she's still managed to maintain some external ties (community stuff, family stuff, clinging on to the shop) - he's still got work to do there

there was the tuna incident
the don't drink too much darling thing when Adam & Ian came round
various clothing criticism
talking her into doing what he wants but making her think it's her idea (giving up the shop, taking up hunting)
trying to stop her mixing with eg Emma
steamrollering into Bridge Farm (I know that's not EA as such but shows how he expects to take over & have things his way)
ditto the way he behaved on Tom's stag

& I know there is more but can't think of specific events

Constantly wrong footing her with regards to Henry. Told her she was mollycoddling him when Adam and Ian came to dinner but still insisted (until tonight) that she should do nothing but look after the males of the house.

Undermines her confidence regarding how she should behave with people she has known all her life.

Continuous efforts to distance her from her family and make her believe that he is her only supporter ...

And there was the business of pushing her into hunting and disregarding her distress when a fox was killed.