The Archers Thread September 2015 - The One Where Helen Kicks Rob In The Balls?

[PseudoBadger]

Wishful thinking. I think she's in it for the long haul

I can only assume people don't have grown up children!

However, I am amazed that David didn't discuss bailing Kenton out with Ruth- they did talk about it theoretically ages ago, but surely he would have mentioned it?

Glad to see Ruth having the decency to thank Jill- bit late though. And why is Bert letting it happen without even a token protest?

I don't hear the uncomfortable David/pip thing . He has always adored his first born and only daughter and I think she's just filled the "strong opinionated woman" gap left by Ruth's absence.

I did think he was very ungracious in his acceptance of Sonny's watch though. All the " I can't take this" nonsense. It's his FIL watch for gods sake he should have just said he'd be touched to have it.

I must listen again. I think he was accepting the watch quite gracefully but then the track thing(or one of the other things Ruth claims not to know about came up) and overrode it.

Twice this week I've heard " hello both / goodbye both" . I've never, ever heard anyone say this in real life!

It's just poor writing isn't it. It doesn't ring true anyway that Ruth would be so upset about Pip being able to hold the fort, nor does it ring true that she would be so out of the loop. With modern technology - texting, email and smartphones there is no reason in the world why David would not have kept Ruth informed. I accept that phone calls might be difficult and interrupted, but this is 2015 for goodness sake. I was in a similar situation to Ruth this summer when my lovely dad died unexpectedly, DH was holding the fort back home but kept me posted of anything important (we are in process of selling our apartment) by email. I can't believe David wouldn't have told Ruth about the money for Kenton, the turnips or the track. I get that Ruth is feeling isolated by being an only child with a sick parent at the other end of the country (while her DH is one of four who has never lived more than a few miles from any of his family) but it seems to odd to me that David has gone from being so understanding he was going to up sticks and move (as if) to this. So unsatisfactory - so different from the writing of the Helen/Knob saga.

I think she did know they were giving Kenton money but not that they were putting in a larger amount than the other siblings (substantially more if they've only put in ??4-5k each). So that means she didn't know how much it was. If she's a partner in the farm, it's a bit off that he's given away ??16k without talking to her about it

That's why I find it so hard to believe he would do it. I think if they want to drive a wedge between Ruth and David then the wedge is already there in the shape of her situation versus his (as outlined in my previous post). I loved the contrast between the huge fuss about the shifting of Jill's little writing desk by various siblings and the Ruth's single-handed clearance of her mum's house. There's lots of material there without over-egging the pudding with the David and Pip love-in and total lack of communication. Why does everything concerning the Broofield Archers have to be so OTT these days?

My prediction - the day after Heatherpet moves into Brookfield, Ruth moves back to Prudaaaah.

I've said before they are massively overegging the Ruth thing here and she's bloody lucky to have been able to spend so much time up there - my parents (both onlies) were doing an even longer drive up North at weekends to deal with this kind of stuff and then working full time in the week - it was bloody tough. If she'd been allowed that much unpaid/compassionate leave from an office type job she'd have been even more out of the loop. She's had weeks and weeks of evening with HP in the hospital when she never managed to sort a cupboard (or find the washing machine).

Her strop tonight was bizarre - I get that she's stressed and under a lot of pressure and therefore might well be looking for a fight and the Kenton money bit is justifiable, the rant about the turnips and the track though was just petty and spiteful.

When Jill was whinging about whether there'd be enough light at her desk, I wanted to ask whether they'd ever heard of desk lamps.

The bit that annoys me is that the "obvious" thing to do would be for David and Ruth to legally buy Kenton out of the farm, or at least "reduce his share". That way Kenton gets the money legitimately and it's not charity. And David and Ruth control more of the farm, to pass on to their children.

Nice thinking mummytime but what happens when Shula and Lizzie say "while you're at it ...".

It needs David to go up north for a week / fortnight and the pair of them to blitz the house together and get it sorted. Ruth doesn't seem to be making much headway on her own. They can leave Pip and Eddie in charge of Brookfield. In fact since they had to pay for the cowman despite Pip staying, it would have been ideal to use him for a short time and give David a chance to take some time off the farm.

Is anyone taking any notice of Josh and his plans (?UCAS?)

Maybe the excitement of Prudhoe hosting a stage of the Tour of Britain today will prove too much for HP.

Team Ruth all the way though!

I do like the phrase "stubbleturnips" though. It sounds like an insult: Deeevid you are behaving like an absolute stubbleturnip.

Slightly off topic but where's Chris?

Well Chris's actor has been busy with his band this summer - they played at Glastonbury I think (I just stalked his parents coffee shop).

David is being really unsupportive. Would it kill him to spend a couple of days with Ruth helping her out. Isn't it what partners do for each other? Or couldn't josh help his mum at the weekend?

Although not sure why they are doing the house clearance now.

I guess Josh's future education isn't as exciting as phoebes

Stubbleturnips
Can I just ask what BOOP means and then I can go back to lurking please

BYOS I thought you were one of the Name Changers or that you'd flounced!

trevor I also like the phrase stubbleturnips and the name of the sheep who are going to graze on them. It's lovely to have old fashioned farming practices returning at the behest of a youngster . I'm team Dave though. Ruth was a bit out of order IMO.

mummytime As I understand it there wiould never be any reason for D&R to buy Kenton out unless they are selling the farm - as long as they live there they don't owe him anything and never will.

Gruach - but what happens when they all die off - does their interest in the farm go on to the next generation?

Foxes There is a glossary somewhere (someone might be able to link to it).

BOOP means a positive point in TA named after a poster who is Bit Out Of Practice Who was saying that some of us are too negative grumpy in our opinions.

David is being really unsupportive. Would it kill him to spend a couple of days with Ruth helping her out. Isn't it what partners do for each other?

I've been trying to scroll back to get the timeline. HP had a big cardiac thingy at the beginning of June. At the beginning of July (two months ago) Ruth was trying to sort nursing homes and was away at the same time as Eddie so David was running the farm by himself. And running himself into the ground.
Ruth has had at least three months of pissing about in Prudhoe and not being an active partner in Brookfield. Now who is the unsupportive (to David and Pip and Josh and Ben and the cows) one? And David has never complained, apart from worrying about what Ruth is doing to herself with all the travelling.

Agree that poor old Ben has been totally forgotten by everyoone

A stroke surely?

mummytime They didn't specify! But since the farm is left to David it will be open to him to make whatever arrangements he chooses for the following generation. As things stand the entire farm passes to whichever Brookfield child(ren) David (and/orRuth) leave(s) it to.

If Ruth were to divorce David she would be able to force a sale surely?