SOC has soaked Ambridge to the core across a never ending weekend. Discuss The Archers post-watershed here.

[PseudoBadger]

Deluged damp squid or not? And has Peggy been assisted off the mortal coil by Rob yet?
And when will JD and Brian remember Debbie?

Kirsty ! Organics is safe :)

The thought of Joe's toes made my stomach heave.

You are right Gasp0de, Patrick is the one for Kirsty (but she's going to get back with SausageBoy isn't she? )

Patrick was dull. Tom is her true love.

Can anyone else not see the whole thread or is it just me? It's driving me mad!!!!!

A few weeks ago Kenton was talking about 'persuading' Freda to retire, and now she has. Permently. I'm not saying Kenton actually killed her, but wasn't it a little too convenient?

Lillian, are you finding you havevto scroll down to the bottom of the thread (s)? I wasn't sure it that was just my phone.

Yes I have the whole thread. How do you get it back to pages?

I hate the mobile site so always stay on desktop

Just because joe is old doesn't make him disgusting!

I think it's being Joe that makes him disgusting!

Bert is not much younger and not disgusting at all. I bet he's always been very pink and fluffy, thanks to Freda's nagging and incessant washing and ironing (she struck me as a cleanliness fanatic).

Well yes he would be very pink after all that ironing!!

The 'joke' in the ed and Charlie scene was a bit Christmas cracker wasn't it?

I can imagine Joe in a nice big fur coat, accessorised with a ferret draped cosily round his neck and one in each pocket, but surely he'd have worn onsies as 'combinations' decently under his clothes, or as nightwear? as anyone over the age of about 10 should do

Adam's going to be even more that Charlie offered him that drain work now that he's given it to the formerly despised and untrusted Ed. I do hope that if Adam puts about further the bad state of the culverts that Ed doesn't get blamed. As to Charlie - would anyone really quibble with a local farmer about a double negative?

for Kirsty's return - hope that she gets AO management back and becomes a thorn in Knob's side.

Why the hell is Pat covering up for Helen? I was almost shouting at her to get it off her chest, tell Kirsty what's going on and compare notes on unease about Knob.
Though I suppose there was a lot packed into that episode as it was.

Perversely, and against all evidence to the contrary, I still rather like Charlie.

Ed's going to find poor dead Scruff in a blocked culvert, isn't he?

Oh Enoch! Any lawyers around? If there is a legal responsibility to maintain ditches is the gagging agreement legal- can Ed break it if he does find scruff? Although would he, of course.

I think it would be hard to prove that BL hadn't been maintaining its watercourses properly from just finding scruff in a blocked culvert. They could argue that it had been blocked by the flood.
However if there is a pattern of culverts being blocked, overgrown ditches etc...

Whose job was this? Knob?
Obviously Charlie's to oversee.

I thought knob was in charge I te mega dairy only and these blocked culverts are BL land?

So do we think that the jilting was purely a way to get rid of old Tom so they could get in a new Tom and change the character? So Kirsty is back because it was never their intention to get to of her?

I still think she would be an idiot to get back with him. She certainly would have to insist on a registry office job with strangers as witnesses if she were stupid enough to marry him

And why did she say 'I hear Helen is engaged?'

She knew that before she left

As enoch has confessed to rather liking Charlie, I feel I can too I think he's an intriguing character, makes for some unpredictable moments of drama, and I sense he's rather vulnerable under his braggadocio and tough 'business head'. I even enjoy the clandestine passion for Adam - though as a newbie I've never got to know Ian, who seems hardly to have been featured since I took up my (wonky) wooden stool - I'd no doubt feel more indignant on his behalf if I did.

BYOS, didn't Knob and Helen get engaged but keep it a secret for ages? I can't recall if Helen and Kirsty ever had any conversations along the lines of "what a great idea, maybe I'll do something similar for my wedding"..

I seem to recall Helen making not so subtle hints and then confiding in Kirsty

It seems improbable on the face of it that with no job and the whole of the country to escape to, Kirsty should have chosen to settle in Felpersham. And if she had, you would think she would have turned up before now, what with her alleged concern about Tony, her local friends and all.

Glad Kirsty's back. I really liked her until she went a bit bridezilla but, please, don't let her get back with Tom.

Yes, I think Hellin did confess about the engagement to Kirsty but, of course, it was secret at the time so Pat didn't know hence her feigning surprise (or is that too subtle...).

I loved their conversation - the way they were both quite circumspect about Knob, trying to suss out what the other one felt, until Kirsty couldn't help herself "a HOUSEWIFE!!"

Of course, she's the obvious candidate to take over AO but there's no way Knob will let that happen. He blames her for leaving them in the lurch.

Poor old Ed is going to get caught up in the middle of something bad here, isn't he? Let's hope it's not Scruff's entrails...

I quite liked the onesie detail but not as much as the pasty moment between Ed and Charlie. Are the Grundys going to end up with a huge bill from Grey Gables?

Absolutely loved the whole episode.

Charlie is a proper dick- asking Ed to keep quiet and mocking him at the same time?? It's all going to come back and blow up in his face.

Ed is going to be well paid so if he finds anything untoward indicating carelessness on BLs part he would be in a dilemma.
I mentioned Poor Scruff because while Ed might stay silent, at least for a while, Linda wouldn't if she worked out there had been negligence.

I think this is heading towards a middle-class anti-BL grouping versus the rude mechanicals who see employment opportunities and Justin's 'generosity'.

Charlie said to Adam that it was Rob's responsibility to keep the ditches clear just before he started clearing the culvert so there might be consequences for Rob.

When I say I rather like Charlie I don't want Adam to leave Ian for him. I think that Charlie is not completely without conscience and is an interesting character.

I think Rob is responsible for managing Berrow Farm and that would include maintaining its ditches while Charlie has overall responsibility for BLs land-holdings in the area, therefore he's Rob's line manager.

So both have responsibility for the Berrow ditches. Charlie seems to be doing a major cover-up by having all the BL ditches made pristine rather than calling attention to the Berrow Farm ditches alone - which he risks by disciplining Rob. If that doesn't work then he'll put the blame on Rob.

C's job seems to be to wring maximum profit out of BL's land and to make sure no shit lands on Justin's teflon- coated public image. I think he'll flip eventually.