He's behind you! Rob's not the messiah - he's a very naughty boy! Watch The Archers pantomime here.

[PseudoBadger]

Oh no he isn't! Oh yes he is!

I shall delurk...

Long time lover of these threads, indeed recently I'm enjoying the chat more than the show...

I thought MN would enjoy DH's response to listening to this Sunday's omnibus

"Is the annoying Geordie one leaving then - that's good news"

Ha! he doesn't even listen regularly!

Hi longtime lurker here. Posted a couple of times. Listened to TA probably all my life courtesy of my mum who always had the Radio on. Heard last night's episode which was skin- crawling. Like lots of people I found much of it very difficult to listen to and much prefer this thread. Can't think of anything particularly new to say that hasn't been said before. But hello everyone. You're better company than The Archers. Keep up the good work.

Thank you Gruach but I think we reached the same conclusion at the same time.
He had already taken the cheque book because he didn't want her to see what he had spent on the scan, as well as hunting and shooting. Now he'll be intercepting the statements and keeping her offline so she can't find out that they're broke. (They were already broke last Christmas when he was in work.)
Then he had a gaslighting opportunity as he sneaked the chequebook back in the bureau - but it'll be gone again in no time.

He'll be dropping heavy hints to Pat about a remuneration for himself very soon but I bet he's already helping himself.

However, I think it would be a huge cop out if he's caught for theft and manages to cover up the EA.

Don't be silly, enoch. He wasn't stealing. He just borrowed the money. You understand the difference, don't you. He had to do it for poor Helen and Henry ... oh, a remuneration? If you're sure Pat. Wouldn't like to imply that we were due any money for all the Managerial Input, but if you insist...

That thing Pat said. It's the silliest thing ever. There was never any Rob-shaped hole in the Bridge Farm set-up. Everything ran smoothly, even when Tony was in hospital. Helen and Tom had everything in place for the shop. It makes no sense for her to suggest they need him so badly that he should put BF before getting a proper job.

Mea culpa, R4
That's exactly how it will go.

This sentence, from Lyn Gardner's Guardian theatre column, is making me very happy ...

The Other Room in Cardiff stages its first Christmas show, Alix in Wundergarten, a twisted black comedy about actors recording a seasonal radio drama.

Even more de-lurking - fantastic! I'll give the tree one last shake to see if there are any more lurkers here on a Monday morning. Go on, a quick post won't hurt. There might even be someone there who is new to TA and thinks it's great - come on, spice things up!

Actually, someone earlier posted a picture of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Childcatcher, and I feel like him: "There are children lurkers here somewhere. I can smell them. Here we are children Archers fans, come and get your lollipops, lollipops, come along..."

(To be clear, I don't actually have any lollipops ).

A shiny new thread that's already got nearly 200 posts! Many thanks, Pseudo.

Oh God R4 I could hear his voice in my head as I read that! Complete with that little hiccupy break he does in his voice when he's being a bit coy and trying to make himself sound sincere and undeserving.

No lollipops DDD? You'd almost enticed me out!
YET ANOTHER lurker here who's been listening since birth but is starting to find it all unlistenable.
I tend to read this page to decide whether an episode is worth tuning into. Rather sad, really.

Delurking

Have been listening aghast to the Nob and Helen storyline over the past few weeks.

I keep wondering how my mum (81) would perceive Nob's behaviour compared to my perception (honed as it is by reading about controlling and gas lighting behaviours here on Relationships). I think my mother might take Pat's stance, seeing Nob's behaviour as mostly caring, if a bit OTT, whereas I see his behaviour sinister and highly manipulative. Such a clever storyline.

Helen is heading for an epic bout of PND isn't she?

""On account"? When the entire village knows the Grundys are struggling. "

And of course that was Helen's fault, that Eddie only got £50

Hullo delurkers! and thanks for the new thread pseudo.

I don't post that often but do read this thread every day

Best thread on MN, not sure if I may have posted before, embarrassingly it feels like home even if I haven't. Been listening properly since Elizabeth was so delicately pregnant with the twins and always get a shock when they are featured and aren't still toddlers .

Another lurker here!

I've been listening for about 15 years. The current storylines are exasperating! Love coming here to read the comments though, the thread is better than the show!

Random thoughts.

Does Helen have a car of her own? They always refer to the car, not my car or your car as we do in our family.

Will he let her work in the shop often enough to blame any shortfall in the takings on her?

Was the bloke called Sam at the airport Sam the Cowman?

I think we should have a thread whipround for the Grundys, not Rob.

I'm abroad, not able to listen - but DS (18yo) texted me last night to ask what I thought had happened to David. Apparently it was hard to tell if he was very hurt as there was not swearing.

Enlighten me (and DS) please you lot!

He either got kicked or squashed and broke his arm

Knob took the chequebook with him so that H couldn't pay Eddie, didn't he?

Because there's no money in the account.

And why can't the Grundys move into Rickyard in return for helping with the coos? Would save the Dopeys from shelling out for agency milkers etc

He didn't secure the cow properly in the crush, I think, but I wasn't listening with both ears, iyswim, so that might not be it.

Don't understand why no one thinks of Ed, rather than getting some anonymous contractor in for the cows, because isn't Ed a contractor? Who granted, wouldn't necessarily know the cows any better than anyone else, but who won't need accommodation?

I'm also baffled about why there is only one cheque book on what is presumably a joint account. DH and I have a cheque book each for the joint account. They're not exactly used often, but we do have them, so how come R&H only have one? Unless R has been hiding the ones the bank sends automatically, so that he makes sure there is only one.

Swirling: I may have missed it but can anyone tell me what happened to the Tuckers? Did they move?
They moved to Birmingham for better educational facilities for Bethany. (hah!) Mike pops back occasionally and tried to get work at Berrow Farm but we heard nothing more about that
And Hayley? Does she get a look in with Phoebe these days? Hayley is also in Birmingham and seems to have maintained a relationship with phoebe
Usha and Alan occasional appearances, Usha to counsel Ruth and try to tell her she's being an idiot
Amy dunno, but strangely not midwifing Helen - so far
Chris and Alice - very quiet, although Alice was very active in last year's production
Jamie, Nic...Even the silents seem to have been silenced since Freda's demise (whatever happened to Titcombe??). silent, silent and silent - perhaps they've gone to Birmingham too?

Was so forgot up in the minutiae of cheque books I forgot to say hello to all the delurkers. Hands out

Mention of cake reminds me that I would rather like a nice, inconsequential storyline in which Emma and Fallon have a nice, chatty baking session in which they are nice to each other, chat about how well the business is doing, and nothing even remotely soapopery happens.