Aldridges Assemble! Await the return of the prodigal daughter to Ambridge with the rest of The Archers audience

[PseudoBadger]

I can't resist alliteration

What about Ben And Josh. Are they not likely to become involved in the farm.

What are you thinking of Mini - Ruth's current absence or longer term inheritance?

If the former I'm not sure Josh, with his A' level year ahead, would be able to offer full time help. And Ben's too little. I guess if Josh does want to farm his family would expect him to acquire some proper qualifications first - so it wouldbe a while before he could take over any substantial role.

The SWs have woven the odd inheritance conversation in but the focus has been more on whether there would ever be enough work and enough income to support all three if they all wanted to stay on the farm.

I like Adam too, though he still looks like a surfer in my head. The characters I imagine don't ever age. Just like me!

Adam looks a bit like Kevin Bacon, though less rodentine and has ginger hair - they tell us that periodically. I think he's late 40s or about 50 now, isn't he?

How old is Charlie? I think early 30s, possibly even late-20s.

Gruach, I was thinking that if Tobes has designs on the land ( via Pip) he may be mistaken. I need to catch up.

Far from the madding crowd came to mind wrt fair brother love triangle

I know they're not brothers but there is the dashing romantic cad and the sturdy dependable but mental health issues one

Haven't reread it in 20 years though! I know soc thinks he is channeling the great writers though so who knows which story he's trying to cadge

She's already joked to one of them (maybe Rex) that she wouldn't get the whole farm. So I'm sure TT knows that.

Even a third is more than he has now - but perhaps he has a cunning plan to disappear her brothers ...

Adam has ginger hair?
Iassumed Iain had ginger hair but Adam doesn't sound at all ginger or surfer in my head.
I think Adam will leave, with Charlie in tow and Iain will stay and become more central as both the jilted groom and Helens friend.

Yes, his ginger hair is referred to sometimes - how he's unmistakable from a distance. His dad was called Paddy, so presumably some Celtic genes.

I don't hold out much hope for Ian - he has been made a peripheral figure

Re Charlie and Adam - does this disagreement of theirs highlight that it was just lust between them but in reality they aren't a good match?

If Heatherpet moves to Ambridge it will make even more of an absolute nonsense of the Great North Move story (the least convincing storyline ever) even thought that would absolutely be the most sensible thing for her to do (as has always been the case).

My grandparents lived the other end of the country and it would have killed them to move away. Even when they started to decline they had a network there. Their kids went up regularly and yes it was difficult but that's the way it goes.

Heather is still well enough to want to stay in her community. As she only has one child who rarely visits anyway I can see why she would want to stay in prudhoe

I caught up at last by listening to the film yesterday. Was I alone in thinking Jess was talking to Charlie? It turned out to be Usha but I was completely disorientated for a few moments.

I want to smash the radio whenever Pip's on, which is the exact same reaction I had to the Old Pip.

Did I detect a hint of rebellion in Helen?

BOOP point for the cricket game, it's nice to hear JD and Ian saying they didn't understand cricket, also Brian trying to take on board what she said to him about Adam's feelings. Though of course getting the wrong end of the stick, BTW did anyone see Countryfile last night, there is an enormous problem with growing maize it\s royally effing up the land; they reckoned there are about 60 harvests to go before end of, it shocked me.

Oh and I loved Charlie's hissy fit.

You see that is very interesting about the maize but so far Adam hasn't said anything useful on the subject - he just rants and raves. The educative aspects are very poor with this sl when it sounds like it could be very interesting.

You are right BYOS. We need Brine to thunder "don't bring me problems, bring me solutions!"
Adam is little better than Kate. Both are head-in-the-clouds spoilt kidults.

It would be good if SWs would do one of their quick rewrites to reflect the report on maize on Countryfile. Surely all the farmers in Ambridge are glued to it every Sunday?

The red hair was apparently very important when Adam was a baby. Jennifer refused to say who the baby's father was but the red hair was a real giveaway as farmhand Paddy Redmond, who had moved away months before, had flaming red hair.

I agree, though, he doesn't sound like a redhead! I know this makes no sense...

Incapable of considering different people have different opinions and just telling them they are wrong or a bad person for having those views when they should be persuading with facts

I seem to remember Debbie being the same

Kenton, Kate, Adam ...

Listening to these pampered, middle aged princes and princess of the land moaning about how some other sibling was always the favourite and no one had ever appreciated them could very quickly become tedious.

Was I alone in thinking Jess was talking to Charlie
No, I thought that too, and I didn't realise it was Usha until Ruth actually said her name.

I thought Jenny was doing something weird with her voice

Shame she was only wheeled out to give Ruth the ability to tell the audience how she feels about mum/farm

Any interaction between Usha and Charlie ought to be fascinating, given that she's probably been a lawyer for almost as long as he's been alive - but they made her sound childish and spiteful yesterday.

Gosh, it's a bit rough on Adam to put him in the same class as Kate and Kenton! Adam has worked hard all his life. He actually finished his degree, which marks him out as pretty special in Ambridge, got a job that had nothing to do with the family and went abroad for well over 10 years. Even when he came home to join the family business he took on a proper job at Home Farm, using both his academic qualifications and his previous work experience.

Debbie by contrast had no relevant qualifications and a lot less experience when she was catapulted into her role at Home Farm.

Kenton can work hard but only when he chooses.

Kate has no real grasp of what the word work means.

Yes, most unfair on Adam. Sounds like he's right about the maize, though he should have discussed it properly with Brian before making a decision which breaks their contract. He had discussed it a bit with Debbie hadn't he?

I thought the other week when Lynda was being so sympathetic to Kate, how wrong she was when she said they were very similar. Lynda doesn't just have dreams and fancy plans funded by BOMAD (if Bank Of Mum And Dad isn't a recognized acronym it should be) - she works hard in a not exactly glamorous job with shifts, bringing home the bacon for Robert to cook. And her many other activities, she buckles down and gets them done.