Culvert operations in Ambridge - discuss The Archers here. It's not his baby by the way.

[PseudoBadger]

Is Ed's wedding very soon?

Scruff!

Culvertitis or not, I'm going to answer Mink's.

I agree that David will by-pass Ed and talk to Adam. That should give some evidence that debris was there without dragging Ed into it and Adam is bound to be interested in BL maintenance issues as well as Charlie's near demise! David is aware that Ed's in a difficult position.
Charlie, I think, has suspected from the start that Rob's to blame but will protect BLs interest and try a cover-up.

There are two culverts which were known to be clear in November. I can't remember who said it or when but someone said that the debris must have been left over from building Berrow farm but that falls down if the culverts were clear in November. It's an explanation that works if you don't suspect foul-play and investigate further, as David is doing.

I think Rob blocked the one that would flood the farm when he heard the first flood warning. Then when he came out of the pub and saw how serious it was he made a dash for Berrow and blocked the other one and that was probably the one Charlie cleared. But I think you're right that he didn't clear it completely before being sucked under (something snagged his ankle) and the corrugated iron was probably left at the entrance to the culvert anyway after Adam dragged him out.
I suppose it was the sudden in-flow of water to the culvert once the corrugated iron was removed that pulled Charlie in.

Perhaps if Rob hadn't been distracted by the paternity thing he might have had the sense to get the stuff out of the way sooner. Did the stuff Ed found mysteriously disappear after Rob got the all-clear on the DNA test?

Rob's covering up so many things that it's all of a piece. He thinks he's put out one fire by making sinister threats only to find another flaring up.

We'll either have a full forensic explanation of the culvert thing when David finally pieces it together or it will be left alone and Rob will continue for years -- but I long for Helen to visit him in prison, no doubt bearing cheese.

Am I the only one to find that all the younger women have an irritating uniform style of speaking, it's sort of exaggerated dry ironic, slightly sardonic, knowing tone. I think they get it from each other, they all do it. it's incredibly irritating. Fallon's the worst and Pip flirting with the new influx of Poshboys called Sex and Brutus? Oh SPARE me that terrible flirting scene round the sheep shearing pen!

Last weeks writing was dreadful!

Am in agreement with R4 on culvert-gate, just run with it, don't worry about the detail, just enjoy the warm comforting feeling that it will hopefully conclude in Knob's public shaming in front of all of Ambridge.

I hate Rob but I hate his drippy girlfriend even MORE.

I would be happy if Rob drowned her in a Culvert, she is such a po-faced misery! I hate hate hate her. Sorry but she is awful. I hate most of the women, I hate the way they talk, they all have the same tone. I think they are all written by men and women who are over 50.

And Shula and the the doctor! Warming up rotten old dead plot lines have mercy on the listener!

Noelle: I think they are all written by men and women who are over 50. You didn't really mean that in just the way it sounds did you? Should every single writer over 50 throw down their quill and check into a home for the decrepit?

Good Lord - just imagine Rob in prison - browbeating Helen about bringing the wrong things, pointing out exactly how unseemly every part of her outfit is, interrogating her on who she's seen or spoken to, telling her how to run the new shop, giving orders about Henry's education. And she'd be apologising over and over again and promising to do better in future ...

No, their age is fine! I just hate the way they write the young women and I hate the way the young actors are directed, they all sound too similar in tone.

I just think they don't appear to know anyone that age because the writing is so arch and up itself. The humour is so torturous and flagged up, the style of talking has no variety, it's dreadful - why do I listen???!!

OK. I'll just go with the flow regarding the culvert but I have warm thoughts about Rob in clink

You're probably all aware that DB is in a drama on ITV about the Second World War atm, but I have only just started watching the episodes I have recorded so only just noticed

I think I saw David in the first episode of The Game which I iPlayed yesterday. Home Secretary or some such ...

Enjoyed seeing him but the drama wasn't great.

Yes he was. There was an in-joke about "shuffling him off to Agriculture" or similar

I'm enjoying The Game.

Ah yes. The sad thing is I thought he was badly made-up to look older - but then I looked at the TA Who's who and realised we do all grow older ...

Did anyone notice the really subtle juxtaposition of the fairbrethren a relationship with the Grundy brothers?

Of course! So subtle I almost missed it..... not. About as subtle as being whacked over the head repeatedly with a lump hammer.

I did, however, relish the serendipity that just as TA decides to zoom in on relationships between brothers we have a news story about a family facing an even trickier Christmas lunch, if David and family come back from New York for it.

I know - why try and make fictional drama when the red tops are playing out some crackers at the moment - affairs with husbands cousins, political power play between brothers

Goodness gracious - they really excelled themselves with the subtlety of that comparison of brotherhood tonight….. Was it just me or was tonight's episode particularly dull? I know we are supposed to find anything about the ornithological story line wonderful but it didn't do it for me

i'm with you merse. the 'comical' rivalry between robert and jim is starting to get on my nerves. did we really need 10 mins of that? i kept falling in and out of consciousness. they could have pushed that all into 3 mins.

or was it just a very subtle way to get will in before the very subtle conversation about brotherly love?

I'm with you, Merse and BYOS. Tedious doesn't even begin to describe it. Why are their leaden-footed attempts at humour so tragically misguided? (the 'hilarious' escaped ferret SL springs to mind, along with past gems such as Lil's frankly side-splitting attempts to knit a baby jacket).

Mind you, given SOC's firm belief that the abysmal JennyDarling kitchen story qualified as 'satire', I suppse I shouldn't be surprised.

So who do we think the mystery buyer of Moike and Viicky"s Ouse will be? My money's on the Fairbretheren.

Did we find out what they had learnt about Ed's fields???

BL want to charge £180 an acre and Ed's currently paying about £98 so the Fairbrethren turned it down and Ed's still stuck with it.

I didn't really understand why Ed didn't sublet for a year given that xmas poultry is an annual crop. if he pays the rent surely he can have whatever he likes on that land. I suppose there may have been issues with sheds etc. but if they are only renting anyway they are always going to have the risk that they may have to move.

Bird watching: Jim comes across as a real dick in these situations.

So - at the moment the Fairbrethren are hanging around Ambridge (assisting in sheep shearing for no reason whatsoever) but are in possession of neither residence nor land?

Interesting. Wonder what SOC has in store for us.

(It would be very odd for them to buy a house before they have anywhere to base their business. Just as odd as planning to move a family and farm to Northumberland without regard to educational continuity for the teenagers therein.)