Our modest little The Archers thread has its very own radio celebrity! Join us for the hottest chilli in town, and await the impending doom as all plans go into reverse in Ambridge.

[PseudoBadger]

It's all getting rather delicious. I feel sorry for Kenton the fool

I have to say, listening to David's childish epiphany, my first thought was whether he loves the land more than he loves his wife. Because if I were Ruth I'd be fecking peeved that he came to his senses at THIS point. I mean, seriously? When you've made such a song and dance about it, with the whole road thing going on? Jeez. Grow up dude. Where has his head been??

Can you tell I can't bear the man ?

Bit of a shame that the Roy and Hayley scene has been somewhat overshadowed by David's epiphany. What on earth was Roy thinking, jumping straight into "oh I'm so glad you've come home and want me back" without giving her a chance to speak?

If there was any doubt in her mind then his presumptuous reaction would have been enough to convince her once and for all. I was willing him to shut up and only speak to apologise but all he did was bang on about how hard the separation had been on HIM! What a tool.

I guess that's both Roy and Hayley out of the programme then. Roy will go off to work in a hotel somewhere else in the country and Phoebe will be absorbed permanently into the Aldridge household.

I wish Hayley had forgiven and forgotten so we could have continued as if none of that ridiculous storyline had ever happened. They've broken up one of the nicer family's as a plot device for an archer (lizzie).

I also hope the fallout from the Brookfield debacle isn't longstanding hostility. That's too eastenders for my liking. Relentless misery does not make good listening.

Also, who David leaves Brookfield too will be interesting. None of the kids have shown much loyalty to the land!!

There's been long-standing hostility before, over the farm and over Nigel's death. It certainly hasn't always been happy families. What would make it Eastenders is if Elizabeth or Kenton decided to kill David in revenge.

I didn't realise you were talking about D&R when you call them the Dopeys. They're my faves

I am sad for Hayley though.
I am v excited about all the fallout though. St Shula's equine swimming pool is a distant splash now - and Lilian won't be able to be bought out any more
What was Lizzie going to use the money for??
I didn't realise that David was Jill's fave - I would have said Lizzie was.

I think even Sock realised that Heatherpet's broken wrist wasn't enough to make Daveed sell Brookfield which is why he concocted the speediest ever decision on the route for the (never before mentioned) bypass route which will no doubt now be ousted by the SAVE campaign in the speediest ever appeal process. I agree with the poster who said it is a pity that all this nonsense has overshadowed a more realistic storyline which is Roy's affair and and Hayley's return last night.

I agree about Jill's favourtites-
Lizzie, Kenton, David, Shula...in that order.

Lizzie is definitely Jill's favourite but I think it's the baby-of-the-family factor rather than anything else. David is probably temperamentally most similar to his mother, but without the sinister genius for manipulation. That flipping toy farm and the cow called Rosetta. There'll be another cow called Rosebud, you mark my words. And a bullock called McGuffin.

Route B could still go ahead, with the Dopeys benefiting from the compensation for having Brokefailed bisected. I'm calling on dairyfarmerswife's expertise here - could they have the outdoor dairy on the far side, so they don't have to traipse the cattle over the bridge twice a day?

Also what about JE? Will he sue for breach of conrtact? Or expenses???
Know they haven't exchanged yet but I'd be pretty annoyed..

I thought Ruth said she was hoping to exchange contracts on Friday. Does that mean she's already done it?

I don't think she can without David being present but when has TA been realistic about finance/legal matters?

bluestocking I suppose they could have the outdoor dairy the other side of the bridge, but do you mean as well as the milking parlour in the farmyard? I don't think it would make sense to run two. In any case cows are quite capable of walking to be milked, here we sometimes walk them at least a kilometre to grazing. Or they could have the arable crops over the bridge and graze the cows on the home side.

Disagree. If she could only save one in a fire it would be David. She babies lizzie but doesn't mean she's the favourite. The reason she decided to stay wasn't to be close to the three siblings but to stay in ambridge. The agonising was because she would prefer to be with David.

I believe it is the coming Friday Ruth wanted to go and sign contracts. She's going to be cross but surely not surprised. No more surprised than she was when David agreed to the move in the first place!

I would love David to leave Brookfield to the Grundy boys- in equal shares. That would make interesting listening if I am around to hear it.

There is too much happening too fast in TA for my likeing. I agree, if I wanted that sort of drama I'd watch EE

I think Kenton languishes well at the bottom of Jill's list. She's often quite breathtakingly slighting when she talks about him. In fact I often wonder if she even likes him, she so clearly considers him feckless and a wastrel - and he had the audacity to leave Ambridge, the ultimate sin, unlike all her other children (note that David's now most probably staying put too as we all knew right from the outset )

Agree that Lizzie is the golden child, Dopey and St Smugula are next, and Kenton's the scapegoat.

That's a relief, BYOS. I thought she meant the Friday just gone.

If they pull out this week they'll have to pay whatever charge the agents have written into their contract for a No Sale plus whatever legal costs they've run up. I don't think Justin can claim anything - but they will have made an enemy.
I wonder if they've paid a deposit to the robotic milking parlour people.

@enochroot

I wonder if they've paid a deposit to the robotic milking parlour people.

ooh yes, good point.
And Newpip will be beside herself

i have a feeling they have paid a deposit on it. iirc when they went up to HH with the rep?

Neither D or R need.to be there to exchange contracts - it will be done by the solicitors. Either of them can stop the sale. If Ruth was on Mumsnet she would be starting multiple threads with titles like 'guess what my c wording mother-in-law has done now' and 'my DP has gone crying to his mummy - again.'

Did anyone else laugh like a dirty drain when someone said that Ruth was coming over to 'relieve David'?

BYOS If they have broken up Hayley and Roy for an Archer then they decided to do it a long time before SOC was editor.

I think the answer would be for Hayley and Abbie to move into Mike and Vickoi's next door to Woy and Feebs!

ppeat great idea re Hayley and Pheebs.

where would hayley work though? She can't go back to LL
Maybe she can up cycle some more of borsetshire's finest junk into vintage overpriced tat and then be a waitress in the tearoom with Fallon?

Hayley could manage Hell's shop?

Interesting that a number of you aren't impressed by a recycling business; surely if we want to re use etc. it's usually better quality stuff that is being 'done up' . I mean most new flat pack and other stuff is thrown together. Our old furniture has lasted well from the Edwardian times and will outlive us actually .

Of course! Hell queen can sell/rent my littleshoppe to Fallon who can turn it into mylittleteashoppe. Mis-matched china, scones and amateurishly stenciled chairs. What could possibly go wrong.

Yes, maybe Hayley could manage Organics and then give Hellen the back bone to LTB too.
Oh Ppeatfruit I agree but it's so cliched.