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...

Gosh am so behind

Thanks for the new thread!

Thanks for clarifying, Lammily. That's what I thought had happened last year.

Who would have thought then that the SWs would have the sheer guts to keep this story bubbling for so long with no resolution yet in sight.

Tina is a problem though. Is it credible that a single woman would apply for a shop manager's job with no retail experience in a small country village she doesn't know? There has to be a back story and it had better be a good one.

Hope there's no backstory - she has such an unattractive voice.

I think it was no FOOD retail experience that Tina had. He excuses were pathetic though. Helen should also be having a quiet word with Anya about how things are going and her relationship with Tina.

Still liking Rob but I thought "your little bastard" was over-acted/over dramatically scripted. That said, I suppose it did serve well, as others have pointed out, to highlight how quickly he switched into "Great Dad" mode with Henry.

The bit where Rob said "what's for dinner?" was chilling, so sad that their relationship is so humourless that Helen couldn't say "make it yourself you lazy bugger!".

On Ambridge parents, JD is most certainly the mother to end all mothers but I do like the Emmur/Susan mother daughter relationship. She and Neil did a very good thing letting her and Ed live with them for so long and they do a lot with the grandchildren. Susan was also funny when she went from being disappointed about Chris not going to University to proud-as-punch Mum when he had his farrier qualification award ceremony and she's backed him to the hilt ever since.

Minimammoth - see our little ditty from last month!

Josh and Pip and Ben better scurry
When we spend all the cash on the slurry,
When we spend all the cash on the slurry with the fringe on top!
Watch that fringe and see how it flutters
Give it a stir and see how it bubbles,
Watch that we don't slip through the shutters or this storyline will stop!

"The bit where Rob said "what's for dinner?" was chilling, so sad that their relationship is so humourless that Helen couldn't say "make it yourself you lazy bugger!". "

Absolutely Harry

God yes Harry , absolutely.

Zero I don't remember any more other than it was around the time of their relationship ending. Did she leave to go back to Bridge Farm? Following which Greg topped himself ?

Loved Helen, with her dogged independence showing, yesterday. I would so love her to win this game with Rob but I fear he's the devil incarnate.

I thought it was a bit pointed when Rob called Henry his favourite little boy. I think it was meant to be a deliberate contrast with what he calls Ethan who he must at least suspect in his heart of hearts is his son.

Re JD, I think generally she is a good mother but she does tend to be rather blinkered when it comes to Kate. That was why it was so refreshing earlier this week when even she couldn't let the nonsense Kate talks go.

Not sure about Knob's violent reaction to Jess. I can understand his outright denial to Hellin (who believes everything he tells her), but if he did sleep with Jess (during his unexplained absence a year ago when Jess subsequently claimed he had been in her bed) he must know there is a chance it could be his. If he categorically knew that he hadn't then he'd be the one offering to take the test. But he must know that if he refuses to take a test he will have to pay maintenance anyway so all this "You won't get a penny out of me" is just a lot of hot air. Is this just meant to show what happens to the controller when he loses control?
Wondering whether Rob somehowed owed Tina a favour (not sure what that would be - unlikely to be an affair because we've seen how he treats his exes) or she has something over him which is why he's doing everything he can to keep her on. Otherwise why not just sack her and employ someone more competent so Helen really doesn't have a job (I'm thinking of the retail equivalent of the super-efficient Anthea - whatever happened to her?)

You're right about the contrast icimoi. I thought it was particularly pointed because isn't that exactly what Henry is? (if that's the sort of language you are inclined to use, can't believe I'm even feeling the need to make it clear that it's not a term I would use!) - we don't even know who his father is and he won't have his father's name on his birth certificate, much less the name of a man who was married to his mother!

"I love EHOs Pseudo. I work with them sometimes and they are my favourite people - a mixture of academic and practical I think."

Thanks stillearnin that describes us well! We need to know a fair amount about a wide range of subjects, enjoy getting our hands dirty, be nosy bossy buggers and enjoy a little bit of conflict

Yes I demand an update on Anthea!

Either she is still working for Lil, in which case there should be an awkward conversation explaining Matt's absence.

Or Anthea has been 'let go' by Lil in which case there should have been an awkward conversation regarding that.

OR she has done a bunk with Matt.

Either way, she hasn't just disappeared in an unremarkable puff of smoke, SWs.

Some good lines last night -
Rob's comment to Helen about her lovely lunch 'too good to share with anyone' (do people other than Helen and JD cook lunches for their men popping in from work?)
Tina's pause when Rob said something like 'Tina will be OK on her own now'. I wonder what the story is between them - even I know about stock rotation, and I've not worked in a shop. A bit underhand to blame it on Anya as well.

The down side was that my dog took a dislike to the music playing at the dance rehearsal, causing him to bark and drown out some of teh conversation!

I'm glad the characters don't live with me - when we're short of time I'm used to grabbing a pizza from the freezer, or cooking pasta (without elaborate sauces) or, shock horror a take away on our way home.

Thanks Pseudo, I obviously missed that one, or alternately it wormed its way into my subconscious. I bow to superior versing.
Not caught up on last night episode.
Perhaps Helen will eventually snap and beat Rob to death with a round of Borcetshire Blue.

IMHO the reason Knob is so good with Henry is because he is his only chance of fatherhood. I bet he secretly had a vasectomy when he was with Jess, because she wanted children and he did not. Could not bear the thought of sharing her with anyone else.

Hillin will never be able to leave him because he will tell her that "it would break little Henry's heart to separate him from me"

Pseudo brilliant title.

Was it me, or was Ian's line at the end very pointed 'at least he doesn't have to work with Charlie Thomas any more' as if he knows, or suspects something?

Rob seems very adamant that Ethan isn't his, even when he isn't speaking in front of Helen. Does he know something we don't?

Great title!

Only just heard the film, so not reading all comments yet, but just wanted to say Go Phoebe!!

Oh, and Rob and Tina- I thought about the possibility of them getting together, but that's a little too obvious? Isn't it?

Hello all thanks for the new thread.. just marking place as I haven't listened to last night's yet!

Long time lurker popping on to say how shocked i was at Rob's "your little bastard". Is that allowed on the radio? We were listening at dinnertime with the DC and the words were immediately repeated by my 10yo DS

Maybe Rob just really really has a thing about women whose hands smell of cheese? Or maybe the Ambridge Organics uniform is racier than we think? :o

That exchange in the shop was solid BOOP.

I think Rob and Tina is a red herring romance wise, perhaps she really messed up at the interview and knows she shouldn't have got the job - didn't Rob select her?

Agree there will be fireworks ahead with all of Helen's headstrong ways. Robs so chilling, the "what's for dinner?" comment it can't bear her having a life outside of his wee world.

OldBeanBagz yes the use of the word bastard was a bit off at teatime.

There's no watershed on the radio so yes it is allowed.

I think Ian just got very bored hearing Adam going on and on about demanding Charlie hence his comment rather than he suspects something.

Marking place.
Do we think Rob's personal grooming products are lined up in order sleeping with the enemy style??