Things To Do in Ambridge When Rob's Dead. Can The Archers get Home Deliverance for Helen?

[PseudoBadger]

Gasp0de - it does make interesting reading and the comments from listeners show how even then many had more than an inkling that Rob was a wrong 'un.

It occurs to me that Helen might have done it on purpose to avoid eating all that dripping.

I've listened, on and off for thirty odd years but these threads have made it clear that I am not a proper Archer person.

I've always hated the cod yokel bits and I actually find the current storyline rather gripping as well as unsettling.

Also loving the fierce and obviously genuinely well informed debate about minimum boarding school ages.

Go on, push me into the sink hole

OK I hadn't finished listening

I'll get my coat.

enoch - hope you were all finished before this evening's effort?

Words your heart must be younger and fitter than mine. I'm thoroughly done in. Or raging.

The toad in the hole thing is bugging me.

If the oven was on too high, then it would burn before the timer. This makes more sense than someone switching the timer off as even a clot like Helen can mange half an hour. 5 minutes over wouldn't set the alarm off.

So either Ursula or Rob could have turned the oven up.

And surely Helen must know that teachers don't ring mobile numbers in the evening to say that there isn't a problem.

And who uses olive oil for toad in the hole?

I think Helen knew that wasn't Henry's teacher on the phone.

I haven't made toad in the hole for decades. If I did make it, I'd have to use either sunflower or olive oil (or butter) as that's all I've got. I don't have a jar of dripping.

Yep " check the temperature" was the only thing not mentioned in the teaching Helen to cook drivel

Right. We need to do Rob in.

I vote he gets trampled in what will become known as the 'sausage riots', when word gets out on social media that a consignment of Tom Archer sausages is discovered at the back of the stockroom and the deprived residents of Borsetshire descend on the shop. Rob will set about the baying crowd with his riding crop but will be overpowered.

Yes, Gruach, all finished which is just as well. All that talk of dripping was making my arteries harden!

Both Knob and Arsula are openly contemptuous of Helen now and riding rough-shod over any accepted ideas of healthy eating.

Sausage riots

Olive oil! For goodness sake! I'm prepared to accept 5 year old boarders, evil mil, villainous husband, disinterested pals, distant family but olive oil to make toad?! Ffs! She's not a total fool!

You can buy dripping in blocks at the supermarket. I prefer it for yorkshires, toad, roasties and corned beef hash (the fried kind, round here (NE) corned beef hash is a strange kind of stew).

I might perhaps risk LA to yesterday's? Today's posts made me want to weep!

Ah! So Helen and Rob don't have an aga. I'm sure someone here has a spreadsheet on kitchen appliances ?

< looks round expectantly >

I would like it of Helen starts getting her own back by playing if they think I'm useless and dithery I'll show them dithery.

I'd like her to wash Robs hunting gear with his pants in a boil wash ao he ends up with shrunken hunting gear and pink undies (he's a white pants man if ever there was).

Salt in his tea/coffee.

Leave raw fish under thewardrobe and shoes in the fridge (my mum actually did that).

Rob and Ursula can wonder which one of them is being the gaslighter while Hellin mumbles I'm sure I checked whilst trying to keep a straight face.

R4, you say Arsula arranged to have no veg in. She went to the village shop.

Someone remind me, what do they sell in the shop at Bridge Farm?

How will Rob pay for boarding school? Even if it were a goer at H's age?

Based on info fairly easily findable by googling there are at least two prep schools in the UK that will take boarders from age 6.

Obviously Henry would be far better off being brought up single-mother-of-two Helen, or (if Helen is otherwise engaged) by Pat & Tony as Johnny's little "brother"; but if that's not an option and Arsula & KnobDaddy are willing to pay, then Henry might be better off at boarding school than at Blossom Hill cottage learning to be an abusive mini-knob, while Knob and Arsula are still there. At least at boarding school he might get sympathetic and sensible houseparents that he could be allowed to bond with... and Pat & Tony could visit him independently.

[removes rose-tinted spectacles about bullying at boarding school... and hurriedly puts them on again...]

Ursula said they would pay, which suggests they have money. Don't know why rob needs to be so greedy over Helen's inheritance etc

No class.

Ursula "oh dear, Henry can't possibly go to boarding school for at least a year? Well he'd better come and live with me"
Rob "yes mother"
Helen "oh.... Ok"
Pat and Tony "gosh! Well Rob says it's for the best"

But why would ursula want Henry?

Why would Ursula pay Henry's school fees?

No idea! Nothing makes sense any more.

And why did Ursula suddenly have a strop and a headache over the toad in the hole?

I am so worried that it's all adding up to the "Oh, poor Rob, he's only like that because his mother's emotionally abusing him and always has been........"