SOC reveals he's a quitter whilst Keri sews up plot holes on Twitter about the wicked wife-sitter! Discuss the Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

Not long until our thread's 3 year birthday!

Gruach is it definitely the official account? One asked to follow me last week that had a very slightly different name and was basically links to podcasts

Just taken a look - you're completely right Pseudo.

Have washed my hands of them.

Aaaah some people have a nerve.

Apologies for dimness but why exactly have Brokefield got rid of their lovely black and white and grey cows for multi coloured ones? I'm about a week behind in minibuses and it was wall to wall cows going to market sadness on the 21st. I remember some lame humour about Ben wondering if the cows would be grey (as they were a mix of black and white ho ho ho hold my sides) and that feels about 5 mins ago but is probably dating me as a lifelong listener
Do these new cows match the sofas better?

Something like - these cows are better on the new grass-fed system they're changing to. So, costs will reduce (no or little supplementary feeding) but milk will be better quality. Or something.

dfw does that sound about right?

Oh, and I've just caught up on Fridays and Sundays - ugh hated Rob's 'and now we're stuck with Johnny for another year' comment. We? We? He's really wriggling his way into the heart of Bridge Farm isn't he? His chilling pause and 'what?' when Helen dared to suggest he get a job. Ugh.

This is why he wanted Helen pregnant, not for a son and heir, just to get her out of the way. Wimmin have no business being in the business of farming. I'd love him to have a set-to with Ruth. She made mincemeat of Tobes didn't she?

I'd say he does want the son and heir - and Bridge Farm, the inheritance, to be king of the village and to be able to patronise Brian and Justin. Helen's just a convenient conduit to all that. And as he has so many other things to be getting on with he can't expend any extra energy keeping her sweet. Terror is quicker.

Hardly Gruach It's only an organic farm and shop, not a multi million pound estate.

He's going to have to get a job or disappear when Tom AND Kirstie start attacking him. (she says hopefully )

He does seem to run away when people start asking awkward questions!

But they sell the produce! Far and wide. Meat, vegetables, ice cream, yoghurt, cheese. They must have contracts with every hipster food outlet in the Midlands; hotels, delis, bistros, village shops, farmers' markets, supermarkets, seasonal events. And don't they sell online too? ... It's only the surplus that goes into the new farm shop. (This is how I've always understood the state of affairs at BF. After years of listening to Pat and Tony build up their empire I'm reluctant to hear it talked down. )

Interestingly we don't hear about their box scheme any more do we? The department store in Borchester and the village shop ? I can't think of any more sorry

Didn't they build the new shop in what had been the packing shed?

There were lots more ... I was particularly aware of their wider market because sometime in the 80s an ex of mine had a holiday job delivering meat being sold by a just graduated friend of his who'd set up on business. So I was often to be found in the passenger seat of the van, trifling around Oxfordshire delivering to the dirt of places I listed above. (Later on it occurred to me that I might have been better if with the business owner rather than the delivery man.)

It's true there's less mention of the wider business nowadays on TA. Whether BF never recovered fully from the E. coli or whether the SWs have forgotten the point of the farm I couldn't tell ...

"in business", "trundling around", "sort of places", "better off"!

Good point EBear. So are they now selling less or just packing in a more 21st century way?

Grrr. Just that. Still got my fingers in ears with Helrob storyline. Glad you are keeping me up to date. Let it stop soon please.

But they'd have a huge warehouse\packing area with quite a few staff wouldn't they? Gruach we never hear about it

Bridge farm is only going to make millionaires out of them if they sell the land to Barratts

If rob is after money he has picked the wrong family

Think they may have had one or two staff before ppeat (or I could be reinventing the past). I seem to remember it used to be Tony who moaned most about days and days communing with leeks in the packing shed - he could never pin Tom down to doing his fair share of grunt work.

Perhaps the incoming editor will remember ...

Maurice …..

But it's a farm.
Rob hasn't got one.
It's land, bought and paid for.

As it is it provides a living for 4 people and pays wages to a handful more. It's organic and Rob think that's pointless. He thinks it can be run much more profitably his way.

There's also Peggy's fortune to play for.

They had a lot of casual staff who came year after year to help out with certain jobs, like weeding carrots on the Lazy Susan (I think). There was one whose name I forget who made lots of filthy jokes which embarrassed Tom.

I think too much credit being given to Knob's ability to connive... he's not a mastermind at empire building or after money particularly. He is paranoid, believes in dog-eat-dog, and ruthless tactics to advance or protect his own. The more control he has, the better, versus whoever or whatever he faces.

*Something like - these cows are better on the new grass-fed system they're changing to. So, costs will reduce (no or little supplementary feeding) but milk will be better quality. Or something.

Pretty much Mrs

Peggy doesn't have a fortune though.