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

[PseudoBadger]

Is Ed's wedding very soon?

yes I did notice... Stupid predictive texttext!

well will said the same thing to Joe.

as for the outfit - do you think fallon will find a lovely dress which it will turn out clarrie wore to wll'n'emmurs wedding and gave away after in her upset

kind of like the tractor storyline...

Sure to be BYOS.

And I definitely wouldn't want to be responsible for buying a vintage frock to be worn at a big event for someone who didn't already have an established vintage habit. In RL Clarrie might feel it's pretty much the same as a charity shop - which is surely what they want to avoid.

For God's sake can this sodding ornithological story line end?!

Is Roy going to turn up on The Tractor of Death?

I agree Clarrie is unlikely to be thrilled by someone's old cast-offs, though iirc she was checking a rail of donated frocks at gg.

Roy is going to be struck down with some rare zoonosis as the result of eating ferret-contaminated butter despite joes attempt to remove the hair from it. Better that than the tractor though.

Which is exactly why she wouldn't want a second hand frock for the wedding. She already feels like (is) a charity case. If it were me I'd feel heartbrokenly patronised - as if my friends thought I'd turn up in rags but I wasn't worth the price of something new. (I love rummaging vintage stuff but it's not so good if you don't have a choice.)

Might be different if Fallon were an expert seamstress and intended to re-make a vintage piece specifically for Clarrie - but that's hardly going to happen before Friday.

And what, exactly, are Caroline and Oliver planning to give now? I do think they might pay for the honeymoon ...

Pity Lyndipops isn't in the mood to organise another Swishing Party. Clarrie could have chosen her own pre-loved designer outfit.

I am this close to flouncing away from Ambridge, it's so unsatisfactory.

Obviously I read that as swinging party- must've been on Ambridge extra

Do not give them ideas like that, stillearnin!

I am picturing some Wallace and Grommit type incedent for Stefan. Caught up in the robotic milker perhaps.

Also if we are meant to think Clarrie is on the larger side (thinks back to previous discussion) not sure how much luck Fallon is going to have finding something in her size. IME vintage clothes are usually tiny - was browsing some vintage tennis wear the other day, all in tiny, weeny sizes which might fit my 14-year-old daughter, but no chance of anything like a size 14/16 in today's sizing (I think sizes were much smaller then).

So Rex implying to pip that Toby is a bit of a player

Please please please no brotherly love triangle!

Also, Rex described toby to ed as someone who flits from one thing to the next

This confirms to me that he didn't really make any money in the city as those who do tend to be obsessive perfectionists

Yes to the "player" implication. Was a very funny conversation - she was obviously fishing and has also clearly been spending every waking hour trying to find ways to keep them (Toby) in the area.

If he doesn't stick at goose gathering perhaps Toby will join Pip in the striking out for adventure project? It was interesting that Rex told Ed that he and Toby hadn't worked together before. Perhaps they'll find it unbearable. Or perhaps they'll realise it was a knee jerk reaction to Rex's injury and really not sustainable.

Or perhaps after tipping his hat to tradition SOC will lose interest and dump them?

Yes BYOS I got it wrong , I was trying to remember as I typed it!

Ref. Clarrie and a 'vintage' dress-

When everyone has gone she says to Ed.

"Well, oim reelly upset if all they think is, 'she'll be 'appy with someone elses's carst orffs for moi sons weddin'".

The dress thing is annoying me. Clarrie et al think that they can interfere enough to dictate to Ed that he should have Will as his Best Man. But Ed doesn't think that he can equally say to Clarrie that she should accept Caroline's gift? They could easily guilt-trip her with a "you don't want to show him up on his big day, do you".

And, seriously, her son is getting married on Friday and she hasn't got an outfit yet? That stretches the boundaries of even TA's tenuous grip on reality.

'Tis a bit silly. Clarrie and Susan would have spent the last three months talking about outfits - and they could hardly have avoided talking about what Clarrie might wear after the flood greened her wardrobe.

There's no reason really why they might not have found some suitable material and made Clarrie an outfit too.

Zero - did Rex injure his knee? Maybe he's stuck with a jerky one now

Whole dress thing is lame but I'm guessing fallon has upcycled the dumped dresser into an evening gown and everyone will be delighted

YY R4 as if the mother of the groom wouldn't have a dress yet!!
And are we to believe someone else is buying it for her without her being there ???

(I am just following the thread these days, not listening, so may well have the wrong end of the stick about that).

Totally implausible!

[Grin] BYOS at Fallon turning furniture into a wedding outfit.

Maybe the mysterious Stefan will turn up at the bottom of the Am in concrete boots and a wooden overcoat made from the dresser!

grin fail!

Poor Stefan ... Was it morning coffee or afternoon tea he's meeting Jennifer for?

Or is he currently getting his head bashed in with a broken oar by Rob?

(Did they say it was Rex's neck or have I made that up?)

Given that the Am probably isn't very deep in its non-flood state, a concrete overcoat and wooden boots would be better for drowning someone.

I thought Susan had separately mentioned Clarrie's lack of dress problem? Maybe Fallon will turn up with her cast off tasteful vintage frock but Susan will save the day by having found a sensible mother-of-the bridegroom suit just the right amount less nice than her own mother-of-the-bride gear.

Susan spoke to Fallon. At some point I think Caroline spoke to someone. Between the three of them Clarrie is naked.

It's all very annoying.

1. No way would Ed and Emma or indeed anyone with two brain cells to rub together have wanted Will to be best man given what's gone on between Ed, Emma and Will in the past. Lunacy.

1. Of course Clarrie would have an outfit by now! Regardless of money problems, time constraints etc etc. Pat would have given her unlimited time off to go shopping and would have offered her an advance on her wages to pay for it. Eddie would have done anything to make sure Clarrie had a decent outfit. Clarrie herself would have been stressing about it for Ed's sake, not just her own! As for the idea of buying one for her without her knowledge or presence - words fail me. I'd be absolutely furious if anybody did that for me.