Is that a ferret in your (Gr)undies or are you just pleased to see me? Discuss The Archers vermin (so many possibilities!) here.

[PseudoBadger]

I'm not sure that ferrets cannot through a thumb sized hole - rats can, and mice can fit through a pen sized hole. But I know the SWs will have researched such a statement carefully

She "stole" and froze his sperm while they were together.

You forget that only one health professional is necessary

Cue lots of ambridge residents falling ill and having to visit the friendly GP that no one knew had been there for the last two years

I don't think johnny sounds comedy northern

Although I can see rob is ea I can't help but feel it is all wasted on Helen. I'm not sure it is an ea relationship as she doesn't really seem to mind.

I imagine him as a frustrated little red faced napoleon barking orders while she smiles condescendingly at him with a 'yes dear'

It's only on the few occasions we hear him bullying Henry that I think it's really sinister

Has he got a brother? Do we have independent confirmation of that? I missed the prog where his mother rang (?) & spoke to Helen; anything else has come from him (save a few snippets from mad Jess)

I got the impression the other day that he'd started trying to actually ram the salty, lemony bloody horrible mushroom stroganoff down Henry's gullet, hence the muffled sounds of distress and a somewhat-panicky-sounding Hellin asking him not to force him and rapidly distracting Knob by saying she couldn't eat it herself.

Or was my imagination working overtime? If it was that, Knob's already-sinister behaviour becomes a heck of a lot more despicable all of a sudden.

I heard it that way too, Halsall. Helen is sufficiently controlling herself that when she's not in one of her vulnerable states (like now, when she's happy with the shop and her dad being home) she can ride over Rob's attempts at EA. So he'll target Henry instead.

But we have heard Knob bullying/manipulating Helen as well as Henry, quite effectively - e.g. when she gave up the shop, when he lied about his parents coming for a meal, that incident when he didn't tell her didn't eat tuna till after she'd lovingly cooked something for him, when he makes her wear frumpy clothing, when he manipulated her into going hunting. I'm guessing that the balance has shifted now she has more support from Tom, she's enjoying doing the farm shop and relieved about her father, while on the other hand he's vulnerable because of Jess and possibly in relation to his job.

Yes, exactly. It's a rather more interesting balance of power this way.

WHO was that????

Lillian doesn't sound like Lillian tonight. Has she had plastic surgery and stretched her wrinkles so far that her voice has changed?

Defo surgery! Also the plural of quiche is quiche!!

Lilian is far too old to have botox if she's never had it before.

Voice back to normal now. I have a vision of her Botox making her look like one of those horror victims.

Well done Brine - managed to say what was probably the right thing under the circumstances.

Lilian has been having regular botox for over a decade!! She just hasn't fessed up to Jenny before, about it.

Does imply money is not too short, but I didn't hear whole episode or most the last week.

I wondered if Fagash had botoxed her voice too! She didn't sound at all like herself. Well done to dear Brine for managing to come out with exactly the right response.

I love the way Rob and Hellin's interactions are more and more about food. Given Hellin's previous ED history, and that they both work in food production, it feels very anxiety-provoking. I felt really anxious about him forcing the (unspeakably nasty-sounding) stroganoff down Henry's throat.

I thought it was quite nasty of Susan to deliberately try to embarrass Usha and Shula. Of course she's a terrible gossip but trying to find out a story from one person about another is quite different to trying to make someone squirm like that. Good on Usha!

Ooh and I thought they'd got a new Lilian at first there.

I thought it was a new Lilian too. Voice really odd and squeaky. Also - thought whole botox story was absurd. Not that I am prepared to admit that I know much about the subject, the idea that her face would be weird in an obvious way so she had to wear dark glasses and the sight of which elicited gasps is crazy. Shows that the SWs have no idea about botox at all…. I'd assumed she'd had proper plastic surgery given the reaction. Seriously sloppy research!!!

I think Susan is very well written and acted, but she really is a horrible character. There's that awful avid, gloating sound in her voice when she thinks she's got a juicy piece of gossip. Wasn't there a storyline once when she gave up gossiping for Lent or something? Neil needs to suggest she does it again.

It annoys me that the script writers don't seem to be able to do humour without either snobbery or humiliation. Or both.

If Dr Locke is a Felpersham GP then the Ambridge residents will usually see a GP in Borchester. I assumed Knob went to F as he wanted anonymity - and also maybe it's just that Dr Locke is one of the designated DNA takers, and nobody in B is. Or else it's just rubbish writing. What else I wonder is will the answer come in a marked or blank envelope? Just musing. And I suppose he could use his work address for the result?? SO H might never know. I find that unlikely ..... otherwise what's the point in the SL.

I'll be in Forrin Land for most of the next month. How will I cope?

Pardon my awful sentence construction above. I am tired ....

When you have Botox the clinic normally say that it does not reach the full strength until 10 days after the injection. So, like Merse, I have no idea why Lillian's face would have been so shocking.

How long was she in London? It was a couple of weeks, wasn't it? Do we know exactly when the work was done?