Discuss The Archers here. There's hut construction, new teen arrivals, pastured eggs, pining Pip and other fun Spring-like stories to choose from.

[PseudoBadger]

Maybe if we don't look directly at the other storyline it will disappear?

Kirsty ...

I know they've brought her back for a reason - but I still don't understand this person.

She was at university. (My books haven't arrived, perhaps they'll tell me what she studied.) She lived in or around Borchester. Apparently supportive parents, "normal" social life ... She likes work! Always seems to find herself doing two jobs. But why? I know I raged years ago about how she should be doing something majorly international by now - but even without that, why hasn't she tried for a higher qualification and moved on?

So she insists on coming back to Ambridge. Okay ... We don't believe it but she does. Managing the health club. Fine ... And then. And then - she carries herself to the farm owned by the family of the man who jilted her at the alter and takes a job waiting on tables in their café?

Right then.

Gaspode Thanks sooo much for the NBS link. The first good Archers related laugh I've had for some time. I loved her mentioning how annoyed she is with Guardian reading Pat She's over infested like us . Oh and boa constrictor Knob, a very good metaphor for him.

(So my phone is making Freudian slips now? "altar" is what I meant.)

Wow, R4, that Easter allegory was impressive! Will Pontius Pat be washing her hands saying "what is truth?"

I agree he wants a Stepford wife. Preferably only servicing him and his true heir.

Oh, sounds like a good new thread title....

"Enter the stepford wives club. Rob has started up a robotics factory on the site of Berrow Farm"

De-lurking. Regardless of the way in which Rob presents himself, the one thing that he can't cover up is the fact that their financial situation has gone into free-fall.

A year ago he was earning a good salary at Berrow and Helen was earning enough from Ambridge Organics and the cheese to have been able to support herself and Henwee as a single parent. They would have had no problem getting a mortgage. Helen would have had several years worth of accounts for her businesses.

Now they have no prospect of getting a mortgage. Their only income comes from the new shop. They'll need several years worth of shop accounts before they could get a mortgage based on that income.

When Peggy gave them the £10,000 wasn't it with the intention that they use it as a deposit on a house? But it's obvious that, unless Rob has enough money tucked away to buy outright, they will be renting for the next few years. Surely Peggy has an opinion on that?

Emma has remarked before that Rob has "no job yet" She and Ed must have views on this? How do we think that Rob and Helen's current income compares with Ed n Emma's?

Why would Ursula want to pay Henwee's school fees when it must be obvious to her that they'll actually need money just for day-to-day living expenses at some point?

Surely Pat and Tony are concerned about the financial situation? They know how much Helen and Rob are paid - is it really enough for the whole family, one of whom has an expensive Hunt habit?

Surely the whole village has noticed that they are living on a drastically reduced income, and with a new baby on the way?

Gruach Maybe Kirsty is keeping an 'eye' on Rob by taking a job near to the BF shop.

We can't all be high flyers or don't want to be (despite having good qualifications) and sometimes we like stress free work!

Glad you like it D^3.
The MH staff will be Pontius Pilate: they will refrain from judging Helen. During her mammoth labour, Helen will call out for PatBot but will be refused three times.

Gruach- I agree about Kirsty. She doesn't make any sense to me!!

As for the village noticing anything - this seems to be an unusual village where no one talks about anyone else and they just keep themselves to themselves

Kirsty can be Mary Magdalene.

I doubt Rob is being open about his financial situation. He could have money in Canada, property etc. But as long as Peggy and Bridge Farm are supporting him he'll say nothing.

I expect he has told Helen that he has been very generous to Jess...

I really want Helen to tell Kirsty she was hit. There is no way that Kirsty will buy the idea that the only way Rob could stop a pregnant woman from hitting him (if she really was going to) was by hitting her first, and she'll want to know what caused Helen to get that angry with him in the first place.

I agree ppeat - but why go and be a low flyer on Tom's farm? She has the whole world to enjoy a stress free life in.

As for the sleuthing suggestion - hah! Nearly dismissed it out of hand but of course this is nu-Archers - perhaps they're adding another genre to the mix.

Rob doesn't need to be open about their financial situation. It's obvious to everyone that they've had a massive drop in income with Rob no longer working at Berrow.

I'd expect people to be gossiping about where the money is coming from - ok they might conclude that Rob must have savings or property in Canada or something, but they'd certainly be wondering.

I think Kirsty has two motives for doing odd shifts at Bridge Farm:

1. she is trying to keep an eye on Helen, hanging around Bridge Farm she might "bump into" her. And she can certainly watch Rob.
2. she's probably pretty bored. She doesn't see much of Helen, Fallon is tied up with the business. This is probably the best way of seeing something of her friends.

Oh and does she have any debts from the Wedding that wasn't?

Exciting news. Helen's actor and a writer (not sure which one) are appearing on Women's Hour on 29 March. Surely this must mean a dramatic incident over Easter.

I think Kirsty is doing the odd shift in the tearooms to monitor what is going on and to get the opportunity to speak to Pat, Tony or Tom is the chance arises.

That is very exciting news, Stickerrocks. Thank you for flagging

I'm afraid Kirsty is back, ultimately, to get back together with Tom.

On the gossip thing, yes Adam and Ian wouldn't want to discuss their encounters with Rob with the whole village but, surely to goodness, they'd speak to each other about it. And Adam would then speak to Jenny-darling, inevitably.

I do like the idea of Carol's antennae twitching and there have been hints before about how awful her marriage to John was towards the end so it does make sense. But can anyone remind me of a time when we've actually heard her in a scene with Rob?

Doesn't she live with Peggy though? So I imagine she must hear quite a bit about him.

I turned off half way through Mon with the exaggeration by Rob of her sleep walking. I find it really unbelievable now. The evil scheming pantomime villain Rob is so different from the Rob of a year ago. Then he was an abusive bastard but he was an abusive bastard who wanted to be well thought of with a high powered job and a wife who would be his domestic slave and look pretty at functions and wanted a son. Now he seems to be intent on turning his wife who is about to have his much wanted son in to a nervous wreck. Who is going to look after his son and do the housework? Rob as new man/ single parent is so unbelievable. He's also stopped her wearing nice clothes. He's ditched his desire for a high paying high prestige job as well and happy to get his kicks from petty spats with Tom over black pudding..
It's all just silly.

Christine lives with Peggy

Carol lives alone on jills old house

Gruach, is Kirsty a graduate? I don't remember this ever being mentioned and it's not in her bio in The Archers Encyclopaedia. However, quite prepared to be told I've forgotten some key bit of conversation on this point!

Of course you're right. I got myself one right old muddle with all the flood/Brookfield pensioner house swap

I don't understand why Adam (who admittedly has only been discussing agricultural affairs recently and seems to have put Ian somewhere and forgotten he exists) hasn't noticed that one of his closest friends has disappeared from their lives. Helen is his cousin after all, so there would surely be some chit chat about why she's disappeared off the face of the earth.

"Hi Tom, nice Scotch eggs, but I haven't seen Helen recently", "Haven't you, Adam? That's strange, because Kirsty hasn't seen her either" "Maybe Rob is slapping her around and she's hiding the bruises, Tom, as he's a bit handy with his fists."