Thefts, arson and abuse: The Archers - it's an everyday story of cuntery, folks.

[PseudoBadger]

Thanks to Lancelottie for the title

OK I know I'm over infested here (but quietly).

H refuses Kirsty's help, refuses to admit Knob isn't wonderful but then phones his Ex to talk about him ! Her ringing and arranging to meet Jess obviously implies she has fears/suspicions - so why not talk to her friend Kirsty or bro Tom ??
I'd prefer if the storyline rang true somewhere. Just doesn't seem reasonable to me, but OTOH I am glad.

There's a book in this, isn't there?

When Knob Binned Thomas Rabbit

Pat and Tony were looking after Henry, weren't they? Surely he's going to tell them what happened to their Easter egg and the rabbit? And surely even Patbot isn't going to think that's acceptable?

Honestly is going to be the best policy with Pat, especially if Henry backs her up about the egg & rabbit. I'm slightly worried that Patbot will say "but Henry has been playing up a bit recently and poor Rob is so worried about Helen that his tantrums must have been the final straw." I'm sure we all know families where the men achieve sainthood and for putting with those dreadful women.

She isn't losing face to Jess the same as it would be to her family/best friend

Honesty, not honestly.

I think both Jess and Helen will find it extremely helpful to discover Rob treated them both the same way.

The conversation with Kirsty when she refused her help etc happened before the whole saga with Henry. I think it's entirely explicable that that, coupled with the opportunity to get Jess's number, is what changed Helen's mind about contacting Jess.

On a lighter note, what did Bert put on the shower? I couldn't hear for all the !anic cackling.

If Tony finds out that Knob has hit Helln and terrorised Henwee he will try to kill him.

Assuming he's not off treading the boards somewhere far, far away.

I'm with Pseudo. (But you need to get to iplayer asap.)

I thought it was great that talking to Jess made Helen face up to why she found Rob so attractive and why he's gained so much influence over her. And the line when she remembered how she used to laugh a lot with Henry was a particularly good one.

To hear them laughing together... Delightful

Henry won't tell them about the egg because he thinks he was naughty and won't want his gp knowing that.

Now you would expect them to ask where the rabbit is as he was clinging to it at the farm day. A 5yo will not come up with a convincing lie that they deliver believably.

But - nothing seems to happen off air anymore

Think I need to listen again now...

It was a stock cube. O the hilarity!

What was also good about Helen talking to Jess was that she couldn't follow the sort of tack she's taken with Kirsty sometimes, along the lines of "He's my husband, I'm married to him, you don't know what that's like, you don't know how lovely he can be" etc: because Jess was able to come right back with the fact that she had been married to and lived with Rob, and she knew exactly how he could behave when he's trying to build up control.

It was also good that she heard another mother of a small boy absolutely horrified at Rob's treatment of Henry.

I would just like to say that the last few days have shown that I'm not alone or just talking to a few others in a support group about my addiction. The new names popping up left, right and centre from lurkers have proved that there's a whole army of us out there. Now, dare I go public and ask if any friends in real life know why on earth I can't be contacted for 13 minutes each evening or just after 2?

Choccy Bert put a stock cube in the shower head.

I really wasn't concentrating on the Bert stuff. Was the stock cube some sort of punishment of Toby for being a lazy slob?

That was a turn up. Yea Gods I wonder what Pat will do when the scales fall away from her eyes?. While I think there is a risk to her mental health, given her history of depression (she is quite likely to blame herself), I would give anything to be a fly on the wall when she finds out. That is going to b one hell of an eruption.

As I might have pointed out yesterday no one messes with Thomas the bunny.

I particularly liked the bit where Jess was explaining how Rob hitting her had happened and she and Helen up laughing as she described it. It was so unusual to hear Helen expressing empathy for someone else.

I have already come out about my Archers addiction. I put forward the idea that we should Clean for the Queen in my school and admitted that I heard it on the Archers. I found a couple of other addicts!

I thought when we got to the discussion about physical violence that Jess was finally going to explain about that scar on his arm.

Jellycake