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[PseudoBadger]

Chocolate Chip cookie anyone?

Ambridge faces losing its shop, post office and pub. Obvious solution:

The Archers comes off air.

Why should the Archers clan club together to bail out their SIL's ailing business?

Ah, but it's for the good of the community doncha know. That thing that David stayed behind for. Noblesse oblige and all that.

I agree with Wips, I think something has changed in the Helen/Rob dynamic: she doesn't want to discuss what happened last week with him, but deep down she knows it wasn't right. What will be interesting is what happens if she isn't pregnant - will she find him trying the same thing next month?

"Why should the Archers clan club together to bail out their SIL's ailing business?"

Good lord. Wouldn't you, if you could?

Dumdedum nooooo! Is it ok to join this thread? I'm a fairly recent Archers listener, since the Tom/Kirsty debacle in fact, but totally hooked now. I've been lurking on the thread for a while and it's great the way you lot can fill in some of the gaps for me. Though I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't figure out why Jill has to be evicted.

Place marking. I am an occasional listener and need to catch up. I heard Jill getting shrieky - are they chucking her out to make room for Heatherpet? And how do they justify that?

And what did happen between Rob and Helen last week?

Ambridge faces losing its shop, post office and pub. Obvious solution:

The Archers comes off air.

I post this from my hospital bed, having collapsed on reading the above post. Let's hope nobody from Radio 4 is reading this - we don't want to give them ideas.

Bertrand, unless I was so rich I wouldn't even notice losing £26k (if only) I would be very cautious about investing in anybody's business, even family's, but then I'm deeply risk averse. However, I think even the most gung ho investor would look at the current problems facing the UK's pubs and especially at Kenton's long and inglorious career in business and think twice about putting money in without stringent safeguards.

We don't know, Exit, is the short answer. They were having a romantic evening in. Rob made it clear that he was hoping for some babydancing, as I believe they say on Nethuns. [vomit emoticon goes here]

Helen said how lovely it would be to have a baby some time, which is as good as saying 'Yes, sex tonight is fine, conception isn't just yet'. He had been plying her with drink, just like a moustache-twirling lothario in a Victorian melodrama. (He has of course criticised her drinking in the past, so she's cut back and probably has a very low tolerance for alcohol now.) There was then a confused few seconds when she said 'Aren't we going to go upstairs?' and then 'Rob?!' in a tone that sounded as if he was doing something she wasn't comfortable with. Ever since, she's been low and withdrawn and he's clearly known that it's something to do with him, but she won't say openly what it is, to him or anyone.

We've all drawn our own conclusions, of course.

For once, I really do think it's worth i-playering that one episode.

DH is going away for a few days - so I could catch up whilst I man the office. I can't do it when he is here as I refuse to let him follow the Test Matches from his computer when I am in the room.

I am not at all controlling

(I never thought I would say Poor Helen. )
Poor Helen was in such a state the evening after that she might, just might, have sad something to Pat if Pat hadn't launched into a full-on Rob is Wonderful speech. Rob, of course, showed his nasty temper that evening as well so she's busy appeasing him in the hope he won't do again whatever it was he did.
It's perhaps dawning on her that he's not interested in looking for a new 'position' as a farm manager so she'll either have him looming around at home all day or she'll let him run her farm for her.

I've been saying for months - Justin Elliot is going to buy The Bull and now the shop too.

Perhaps David could have a word with Charlie about it when they all finally have an open discussion about Knob.

struck Welcome to the thread [twirly bow]

Wouldn't it be fabulous if Justin bought the Bull for several million over its market value - making Kenton and Jolene the richest Archers ever?

But I hope the sibs cobble together the £26,000 and keep K and J afloat - if they had to sell at a loss it might mean years of Kenton wailing at his misfortune (or making Jolene a widow again).

Either way the pub chef's job has to be Emma's. Isn't one of her NVQs in Food Tech?

Justin may have disappeared in to the big abyss. Has he been mentioned recently?

Only by Charlie in a "wait till your father gets home" sort of way.

But I'd hope they're keeping Justin on ice to scoop up Grey Gables when Caroline and Oliver decide they're never leaving Tuscany.

Ever since, she's been low and withdrawn and he's clearly known that it's something to do with him, but she won't say openly what it is, to him or anyone.

This is the crux of the problem. He asked her if there was a problem and instead of saying "yes, you raped me" she said "no". So now she is doubly stuck: if she is down in the dumps for no reason then the fault lies with her.
The same with the work situation. She left open the newspaper at a job advert. He got all huffy about her trying to force him into a new job. She apologised instead of saying "well, why aren't you looking especially if you are Mr SuperEmployable, as you claim ?"
She cannot confront him. Which leaves him free to twist everything to his benefit.

Being meek is now her only defence mechanism. She now fears him, even if she hasn't admitted this to herself.

In Knob-speak it's a 'position' not a job!

Oh Knob, how do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways ...
I loathe thee to the depth of thy arrogance,
to the breadth of thy narcissism and height of thy misogyny

I loathe thee to the level of everyday's tiny put-downs
I loathe thee freely, as women strive for Right;
I loathe thee purely, as you strive for Praise.
I loathe thee with the passion put to use
In my old joys, and with my childhood's faith.
I loathe thee with a hatred I seemed to lose
With my lost saints – I loathe thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! – and, if God choose,
I shall but loathe thee better after your death.

not over-infested, oh no

Brava!

Can you do it in Italian

Oh jolly good.

I often sing How much do I loathe thee under my breath to DH.

I do think Helen is drawn to Rob's middle-class confidence, his middle-aged ways and the old-fashioned sexist way he treats her. It's why she does not object when he speaks to people as if they are beneath him. There is a traditional middle class snob not far below the surface in Helen and his arrogance and sexist attitudes are typical amongst men of that group.

Uh oh, Tom has noticed a bruise on Hellin's wrist

Rob doing pure evil again.

What did he just say? You know women, always changing their minds?

How many times can I murder this man?

Ugh, what a bully