Tis the season to be jolly, Fallon, Alan, Helen, Lillian; Deck the Hall with boughs of Holly, Lily, Will and Jill, Tilly Button. Celebrate Christmas with The Archers!

[PseudoBadger]

Thanks to SmallLegsOrSmallEggs for this thread title way back in November!

Watched the fantastic Sophie Thompson on stage yesterday

Ooh! Guys and Dolls! I saw that on Monday, it was brilliant!

Exactly, enoch. The farm must have some form of professional adviser/accountant, and it's been a family business for years so they have to know what they're doing financially. There's just no way they'd be unaware of the dividend thing, or how to structure things to their best advantage.

We have a family-run farm shop up the road and they don't even have an assistant in situ. It's all done on an honesty basis (weigh your own produce if necessary, leave money in box), and it's quite a big shop. They have cameras and sometimes the farmer or a family member will wander along and say hello if they see someone going in there, but obviously they can't justify the expense of paying themselves as serving staff.

Oh, and the tax on drawings is due to rise quite dramatically soon. A nice budget surprise last year for all of us small businesses

I'm a one-person company; I've had to register as an employer but my accountant says I don't have to activate a pension-scheme for myself as an employee because I don't pay myself enough, iyswim.

It sounds like you are 'non-eligible'. But even if you are over the threshold a person doesn't have to have a pension - you can always opt out. And, conversely, if you are below the automatic enrollment level you can ask to be opted in.

Does anyone remember the 'Bouncer's Dream' episode on Neighbours? Perhaps we will get an episode of recent events from Scruff's perspective.

Is Helen a director? If so then NMW rules don't apply to her, but they will to Rob (unless he uses this as an excuse to get on the Board). But they would be better off keeping the wage in Helen's name to keep her average earnings high for SMP purposes.

R4 this is what I love about this thread. Specialist, expert advice on all sorts of topics. Plus divination by melted lead

I'm wondering now if SOC has been using divination by melted lead to determine his storylines in relation to Brookfield. It might explain a lot.

Oh dear I am worrying far too much about tonight! DP keeps saying "It's only fiction!" and makes me feel all stabby. What does he know?

Sticker we knew Josh was going skiing because when Jill asked what he wanted for Christmas they (?David) suggested cash towards the ski trip and she said she'd get something else for him to open as well.

I think maybe the cow and calf sculture is going to speak MOOOOOOOVingly about the past and the future. That hasn't been done before. It's a sign!!

Ah, the question of Helen's maternity pay! R4. It's really stupid to go part time at this stage in her pregnancy, isn't it?

DH and I, with the accountant, would never have made such a decision without examining the pros and cons, tax implications, cash flow etc. for our personal and business finances.
Bottom line would be what we need to pay ourselves to cover household outgoings set against what the business can afford to pay us. Not always the same! If there had been other shareholders they would have had to be consulted because a dividend would have to be voted and rise or fall would affect them. Bridge Farm is a family business with I assume 4 equal shareholders.

Helen as a single parent businesswoman would have a clear head on this, as would Pat. If I were Helen I would be worried sick about this. Perhaps she is.

Also, now that Helen and Rob have split their earning power they have unused tax allowance. He will next tax year. So they might ask for an hourly increase in their rate of pay to absorb this. That would would be forcing Tom to take the same wage and having to pay a higher rate of tax on the difference so their job-share is detrimental to Tom - or be extremely unfair. It's this sort of thing that could cause a huge rift in a family running a business together.

I'd like to come out of hiding please? I've been listening to the archers most of my life but avidly since my old Boss and I bonded over it in 1992! I've now got into the habit of checking this thread every few days.

I'm torn over the HellRob sl as I do find it unrealistic how quickly issues come and go in TA in comparison to rl and we all know that there are relationships like this that to on for years. However its so sinister and frustrating that I'm not sure how much more I can take. I have to admit I was disappointed that the Christmas Day episode was so happy and no HellRob climax and I'm not convinced that it'll come to a head tomorrow.

Just caught up with the Christmas episodes. How likely is it that Berrow was losing all that money, surely Charlie would have noticed? Was Rob's poor record keeping covering up the extent of the loss?

Did Rob have his hand in the till and is that how he is funding his current lifestyle?

Just caught up with all Christmas episodes but had read thread first, I didn't hear any of the Henry/stocking stuff!! Anyone remember what day (I presumed eve/day/boxing. Feel like I've been gas lighted

The Henry/stocking stuff was on Christmas Day. We didn't spend Xmas with the Titcheners (thank goodness. it must have been a very boring, repressed day) so we didn't hear it; it was reported to Pat after the event.
We spent most of the day with the Grundys having The Best Christmas Ever™.

Charlie noticed the collapse in profit and began examining the fertility figures. That triggered Rob's flounce.
I think C was getting at the number of cows that weren't producing milk because of Rob's mismanagement and the margins were too narrow to continue that way. Since then the botulism must have put the tin lid on it.

Happy New Year, threadfriends!

And welcome, Mitfordhons - it's lovely to see all the lurkers delurking.

I think there will be no early resolution to the HellRob situation. I rather think the way the S/L has taken off has surprised SOC and, anxious to milk it for all it's worth, it is being taken in a direction that wasn't originally envisaged.

Thanks, must have missed it when distracted by kids. I'm a lurker, use you guys to catch up before R4. Plus I'm not very good on the actual voices even after listening for 3 or so years, think I'm a visual.

Think I heard something v. alarming to the effect that SOC had not realised that Rob was perceived as a villain initially. Only ramped it up and decided to 'run with it' once penny had dropped. Which rather implies he sees nothing in wrong in the way Rob is with Helen (or was in the early days).

Would love to know your sources BOING.

Given that, in his statement of intent, SOC was gently dismissive of Middle England's bristling over early-Rob, I think a few people were sceptical when the EA storyline was later claimed as erm ... editor-generated genius. It's all very thrilling at the moment but Rob seems to find new opportunities for devilment every day. I just hope someone knows where they're going with it all.

Really don't want to hear, via some wholly unconnected character in a few months, that Rob has been "called away to a sick relative" and the story is finished.

I'm worried about Joe

After The Best Christmas Ever and seeing in the NY with the Last of the cider and Joe talking about the misfortunes of David Archer ...

They wouldn't celebrate the NY/65th with Joe dying in his sleep clutching a ferret at GG - would they ??

Oh and a very Happy New Year to you all!

Many thanks for another year of fabulous wit (you lot ) outlandish SL (SOC) and your never ending knowledge of TA (you lot again, not the SW).

They killed Nigel for the 60th. They can't kill Joe for the 65th. Besides, I think they realise that doing away with Nigel was a big mistake. They won't repeat the mistake with another much-loved character they wouldn't surely! I'm chewing my fingernails now

ha! If Helen were sensible she wouldn't have gone for donor sperm without support of partner or family. I can believe that she won't be thinking about maternity pay now. She has a record for doing things with blinkers on.

Wonder if Nigel is anxiously waiting for his reappearance tonight?