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

Yes I wondered why they didn't keep the temporary help on-they had paid him after all.

Was anyone else mentally thinking "At last they've noticed!" when Bert commented that it didn't seem right for Jill to leave when he was there? As we've all said, it mystifies me why he wasn't moved to Rickyard weeks ago, but maybe the answer is for him to move to the en-suite at Lower Loxley.

To be fair, if I were in their shoes I don't think I'd be keen to turf poor recently bereaved Bert out to go and live on his own. I guess the SWs wish to covey the fact that the family feels he needs a warm embrace atm. (Even though he secretly finds all the kindness a bit oppressive.)

But it's good that this thread has prompted them to clarify the point.

I'd forgotten that Bert was living there too because it's hardly ever mentioned. There's no awkward moments in the kitchen or the bathroom. Like in a normal house.

TA have done that kind of thing in the past - with Mike dividing the house so Roy and Hayley had their own space and the tension when EdnEmmur were living at Ambridge View. But this filling the house with OAPs seems to have gone unnoticed. I think the teenagers must be in the slurry though because they seem to have disappeared ...

I am also annoyed about the spare houses they have lying around.

1. Because of the plot holes involved
2. Because it's immoral to have houses that you can afford to leave empty

It's funny how no flood victims were housed at Rickyard. You'd have thought any empty house round the village would have been in use at least temporarily.

Having empty houses around isn't always unknown on farm estates, unfortunately. You're right it's immoral, though.

I honestly think the SWs had forgotten about Rickyard, until now. Sunday's episode was very suggestive of the possibility of Jill NOT moving out (her conversation with Bert, and him saying how guilty he was, and asking why she had to leave at all).

My money is on Pip moving into Rickyard, and Jill staying put.

Yes, I think Jill will stay put too and help feed and look after Heather Pet....
Just how big is Brookfield ?
They never sit down and watch TV do they ?

Very true, about the lack of telly-watching. I'd love it if Jill said one day, "can you all shut up, Coronation Street is about to start!"

So many things from this thread on last night's episode. Orthopaedic bed, Bert staying, who's going to do the cooking..........And why all this "you look awful, David"? Is he Next For The Chop?

Oh, god- Kenton's going to do a Kenton with the money, isn't he?

Possibly Bertrand ... Kenton running away to sea would be the worst thing ever.

I'm a bit concerned that Elizabeth and Shula didn't seem to have actually handed over their dosh yet. I hope it's too late for either of them to find they cannot actually offer what they promised.

Last night I had a vision of SOC's feminist future - a brief black lace filled funeral for Dave and then an all female 21st century Brookfield; Ruth and Pip striding the fields, Jill baking cakes into her 100s and Heather chatting to the chickens. (They could keep Ben and Josh until they become troublesome, then drive them out.) It would be awesome.

How old is Bert supposed to be? I got the impression he and Frieda had celebrated at least a Golden Wedding and in my mind he's in his late 70s but then they have him knocking up raised beds and now decorating.

One possibility that doesn't seem to have occurred to the SWs is that once you move a frail but not actually ill relative in they can (based on my anecdotal evidence sample of 1) perk up remarkably and go one for a very long time. My DM's mum was moved in (from t'North to live with her only child) late October one year and we genuinely didn't expect her to last until Christmas. A few weeks of proper hot meals, a warm house etc and she bounced back - she was with my folks for another 6 and a bit years.... I wonder if Ruth realises what a long haul she might be in for.

Kenton is stupid enough to think it would be clever to pay back Shula and Elizabeth but not David. Thus keeping the SWs in material for years to come.

Bert was invited to move into Brookfield because not only had he lost his house he had also lost his wife. However, I would have though the logical thing would have been for him to move into Rickyard and Jill to stay at Brookfield. I thought there was some reason why HP had to have a specific room (Pip's room - is it on the ground floor or does it have an en-suite or something?). I thought Jill must be living in this room at the moment hence her being booted out. But with the room having to be redecorated because of Pip's old posters being on the wall this can't possibly be the case. Just no logic at all to the Brookfield shake up as far as I can see apart from Gruach's image of the SWs with a stick pushing characters around - let's move Jill to LL (remove all domestic help from Brookfield) and Peep to Rickyard (plenty of scope for overnight visitors) and see what happens.

Mmm ... That's a very good point. I was quite sure Jill has been in Pip's old room. So why wasn't it completely redecorated when Jill let her own home and moved all her stuff to Brookfield? That room really shouldn't need sprucing up now.

I suppose there is a possibility that I'm taking this all a little too seriously ...

I suppose there is a possibility that I'm taking this all a little too seriously ... I'm counting on you to do exactly that

Re TV watching, am surprised there's no mention from Jill about GBBO. Be fun to hear Jill being sniffy about Mary Berry. St. Jill vs St. Mary.

Or has there been? I tend to 'listen' by reading this thread these days and LA if I read about Kate being taken down a peg or 2.

Oooh dairyfarmers' will have missed the hacking incident on here

Boop for yesterday's it cleared up a few points.

I reckon rickyard stairs are too rickety [geddit] for Bert but he's obviously got his upper body strength. To do painting and gardening etc.

Thanks for the kind messages - we're sort of fine about it now, it's amazing how quickly you get used to changes. I'm having more fun reading this thread than listening to the programme itself tbh, I feel it's turned into a rather surreal fantasy story, lurching from one rather predictable event to another!

I think the painting thing is deliberate as another thing for Jill to try not to feel hurt over. It was fine for her to move into the room with the trace of Pip's poster's on the walls, but not for Heather (Of course Jill moved in Temporarily when Pip was away and then just stayed, not quite the same).

I'm just hoping the blessed decorating isn't a way for poor Bert to suffer a fatal accident ...

I don't think Jill moving back to Brookfield was supposed to be temporary. She was offered a home there for the rest of her life and rented out Glebe to Carol on the strength of that. Carol then made serious changes to Glebe as though she expected to be there for a long time.
So when Jill moving in was discussed there was no serious disruption to sleeping arrangements mentioned such as Pip moving into the dining room so there must have been a spare room available for Jill to occupy.
Bert was an add-on so the boys doubled up to accommodate him.
However, there does seem to be pressure on the bathroom!