Don your paisley tabards, feel the static crackle, and join our Archers thread team hug.

[PseudoBadger]

Chocolate Chip cookie anyone?

they both have shared responsibility for the farm (apart from during the current silly Prudhoe SL)

Ruth scaled back during the young-children phase but never really got the hang of running a household. She wouldn't admit it out loud but having an on-tap housekeeper quite suits her.

Surely Bert's the problem though no one's going to throw him out on his ear. However, he will be moving out sometime so maybe the solution is to find him alternative accommodation until his house is ready.
AFAIK, they have the bungalow and Rickyard cottage standing empty.

And a "doer-upper" at Marney's which has just slipped out from 20years under an invisibility cloak.

I'm currently trying to 'spring' my DH from a stoke unit. The grip rails should be fitted any time now and then a care package is put in place with on-going therapy at home. Thing is, he needs someone with him all the time because he's not steady enough on his feet yet.
For HP to move into Brookfield should be relatively easy, especially with so many people around to keep an eye on her.
Bert's going to fall on his sword and offer to move out then everyone will feel guilty.

At last, my broadband is back, so could gorge on the Archers I none big drunken angst ridden fest. Thank the Lord for the tabards, or it may have been too miserable to manage.

It seems MN is divided on the HP residing at Brookfield issue, though I confess I gave an actual cheer (well, more a harrumph of 'bout bloody time') when Roth suggested the move. I fall on the side of David being a selfish arse - I get that there are practical difficulties in moving HP down, but it should at least have received some consideration, particularly as Bert's not a permanent resident, and Peep (please God) is moving to Brazil.

That said, I am an only child, with very little family of my own and often feel that lovely though the in-laws are, they're no substitute for my own dwindling family; I am afraid the Ruth situation feels all too close to home.

I none? in one, obviously.

enochroot, sorry to hear your DH has had a stroke. I'd missed that if it's been mentioned before. Glad to hear he's on his way home.

Just because Rooth wasn't there R4, doesn't mean she didn't give them a second thought. I say this as a mother who can't be with her kids all the time (sometimes because I have to be with my mom who lives 100s of miles away) and I can assure you that I think of them ALL the time when we are apart. I think you're being very hard in Rooth

I suppose that I am being hard on the SW's portrayal of Ruth. In RL, while she's at a loose end at HP's not even having laundry to occupy her she would be texting or skyping the DC. We never hear that.

Just had a thought: did Josh and Feebs get AS results last week? Have I gone mad or did we and Ruth miss that bit?

Arealpipperoo - if Pip goes to Brazil no one can mix you up

you need to start thinking of a new name

But Bert will be happier to move back home when it's ready, now he's been working in the garden.

If Heather does come back to Brookfield, and isn't steady on her feet, an old farmhouse isn't the greatest place, even with grab-rails and so on. Uneven floors, low ceilings, random steps between rooms... I don't know what work has been done to Brookfield over the years, but I bet it's not exactly invalid-friendly.

Good point R4 A/S results surely merit a mention. I seem to remember Phoebe getting very good GCSEs and aiming high for A/S and A2. Both she and Josh will be thinking about University and College applications and A/S results are an important factor. In the Brookfield household there should be more discussion of Josh's A/Ss and whether he'll get the grades for what he wants to do next than of Pip's job, which is in the bag, surely?

It will need a very ancient person to remember - but didn't Dan Archer end his days in a converted downstairs room at Brookfield because he couldn't manage the stairs any more?

(It's possible I'm making this up but I'm sure I listened to these events unfolding.)

enoch Can your DH do stairs? That was the turning point for us; once the stricken relative could go up a few of the hospital stairs under the eye of the physiotherapist it was no time at all until they were home again.

The whole business of Josh's AS levels ought to be worth a mega teenage strop. First they make massive plans to move hundreds of miles away when he's part way through his course, without so much as checking out any local college he can move to; then they suddenly change their mind not because they realise it would bugger up his entire life but because David started hallucinating about his Dad; then they can't be arsed to remember when his results are due, let alone ask about them. They can however remember a belated dinner in honour of his sister's exam results.

Maybe we'll have an episode where Ruth suddenly remembers that he should have had the results by now, starts looking for him and discovers he left home on Friday without anyone noticing.

Pip and David seem to have started referring to Josh as "Lazy Josh" as in they are even inviting Lazy Josh to the amazing Pip's grand celebration dinner for exam results. Which does seem a bit harsh. I'm not even sure why they're calling him Lazy Josh at the moment. Anyone know?

Ruth is a farmer not a housewife. Think.she did pretty readily admit Jill is better at cooking / handy as did David seeing as she saves both of them chores.

That seems very much the brokefield ethos that they all pull together.

But yy what happened about AS results?

To change the subject, why would there be builders in the village shop if the planning permission for change of use, hasn't been given?

He can do stairs now, Gruach. The problem is that his right arm is out of action so he can use a rail going up but can't come down again until another rail is fitted on the other side. That's what we're waiting for now.

Maybe Hazel is assuming she'll get planning permission and wants to get the builders in the second it's given? Maybe she's already bribed the relevant councillors so she's sure there won't be any problems?

Climate of fear? That's a bit much when all Charlie is doing is questioning the figures.

Yeay to Charlie!

I hope Helen's out when Rob gets home.

'Family values'?!?!

Lovely stuff from the continuity announcer too!

Good grief, talk about toys out of the pram - and the homophobia was very icky too.

Whoever predicted a stroppy resignation up thread was spot on! Run Bridge Farm, run for your life.