Badly done Helen, badly done - you're as stuffed as a Grundy turkey. Discuss The Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

New thread in time for Friday's episode...

But Rob treated Henry as though he was being a brave boy, he wants Henry to be tough. I don't think he asked the teacher about him. After all -why would we believe anything Rob says

Rob doesn't give a damn about Henry. Pretty much everything he says to or about the child is purely instrumental.

He probably did speak to the teacher - to put into her head that Henry is a - what's the MN phrase - special snowflake who needs extra mummy attention. And simultaneously he can instill in Helen's mind the understanding that she's not going to be a free agent just because Henry is in school.

And also make Helen feel guilty - after all, she didn't speak to the teacher to check Henry was ok, did she? What will her poor, befuddled pregnancy brain make her do next??

I can't help wondering if, while talking to the teacher, Rob found a way of mentioning that Henry's accident was a result of Helen's mistake/poor judgement... starting to sew the seeds of doubt about her competence as a parent.

Oh yes, definitely. Henry needs lots of special attention, He has tried to impress that upon poor Henry's mother but because of her own special weaknesses she hasn't quite been able to provide the level of care ... Etc, etc.

(Never mind. The slurry is coming for him ...)

Talking to the teacher is part of the campaign to take over as the person who takes all the decisions in the house. Till he got PR, Rob always had to defer to Helen on decisions relating to Henry and he must have hated it. Now he no longer has to.

It's only a matter of time before he's round at Piggoi's asking her to stump up for boarding school fees for Henry to get him out of the way. Can't have him taking the limelight from SOK, can we?

Undoubtedly Gruntled it is a campaign. But I just can't see the current situation pertaining for another three years or so. Perhaps he intends to farm Henry out to his grandparents once SOK arrives? Helen will just be a chained slave by then.

Oh good grief. Is he going to give Rob Charlie's job? Or at least his old one back with Charlie sacked?

I notice that Rob fits exactly the domestic abuse description 'the jailer' . Stops you from working and seeing friends, tells you what to wear, keeps you in the house seduces your friends and family. I think I predicted Rob getting Charlie's job last thread. Hope not though.

How is it that Justin doesn't know of Knob's incompetence? Or that he is suspected of culvert blocking? Knob stormed out of his job before he could be sacked right? Surely Charlie would have explained this to Justin Elliot?

Surely Justin can't give Rob Charlie's job? That would be too much.

What about Justin's stay at Grey Gables, though? What's going to go wrong? Is all their stuff going to be stolen? I've got a feeling of dread for Charlie, whom I'm warming to more as time goes on.

Wow, if Knob gets the job that's Berrow down the pan.

Haven't heard tonight yet but surprised no one has mentioned the Grange Farm break in didn't I predict something similar? . Surely that's the Grundy housing problem sorted for a while, house sitting for Oliver and Caroline?

Oh yes! House sitting is a possibility, though Eddie was adamant about wanting to find somewhere permanent. Perhaps Ed n Emma will be offered the sitting so the elders can move into Will's house with a clear conscience.

Charlie's scared of Justin isn't he? (Unless I'm confusing him with his reports of his dad - and we're still not certain that's two separate people.) So he probably hedged around the details of all the ways Rob was unbearable.

Inevitably something dreadful will happen at GG. Must say I wouldn't have agreed to stay there with all the negative publicity. Just hope it's a comedy disaster rather than anything that spoils life for Charlie.

I think Charlie kept quietish about exactly what Rob had been up to as his behaviour did not refect well on Charlie as a manager.

Thread titles?

Hello everyone. I'm finding myself wanting to avoid the Helrob episodes recently. Although there's maybe a slight lessening of the burden of it in the way it's becoming more obvious and more acknowledged by the world at large (not in ambridge of course!)

Anyway, much as i'd love Rob to take over at Berrow and totally cock up, it's occurred to me that he just can't take on a new job at the moment. Helen can't cope on her own, can she? I'd love to take the job darling but you don't honestly think you're in any fit state to look after Henry by yourself do you?

Rob is going to be massively conflicted. On the one hand he doesn't want anything which leaves Helen unsupervised on a regular basis or which could bugger his plans to take over Bridge farm; on the other, surely it would be near-irresistible to march back to Berrow and get one over on Charlie? And he actually doesn't have a respectable reason for refusing a paying job.

Though I suppose he'll come up with that rubbish about being dedicated to smaller farms really, and he'll still make sure that the fact that he was asked whilst Charlie was booted gets massive publicity.

Charlie is on thin ice with the Rob situation because he was delving as a result of an unsubstantiated allegation. Rob obviously jumped ship before it could progress to a formal procedure.

I'd love it if Justin offered Rob the job because Rob would be in a fix - turn down Berrow and have it come out at some point to Helen, or take the job and risk losing control at Bridge Farm.

Great minds...

It would be completey implausable soapland plot if Rob os offered the job not that that has stopped them lately

The thing is even if Knob were to take the job we know he is incompetent. Charlie knows he was incompetent at Berrow and we know he is incompetent in all his dealings with Bridge Farm - cutting corners, ordering the wrong feed, running Ambridge Organics into the ground and now trying to rool the roost over the Farm Shop when he knows nothing about it. I'm hoping Justin's mysterious Polish pal will somehow know Stephan (clutching at straws).

The Archers: Tis the season to walk Holly, Fallon, Alan, Helen, Lillian, Tis the season to be Molly, Lily, Will, Jill, Tilly Button

Bit early perhaps?

All it would take for Justin to sack Charlie would be for Justin's wife to bump into Joe shambling along the GG corridors in his nightshirt after a night at the cider.

Aargh, thanks, SmallLegs. I am now going to be singing 'FallonAlanHelen, Lil-lee-an' at inappropriate choral moments.