One Flue Over The Shepherd's Hut - Discuss The Archers Here

[PseudoBadger]

I do hope Lynda has a carbon monoxide monitor in there...

Unless someone makes a rustic vintage-feel carbon monoxide detector, it would ruin the ambiance

..on the plus side, I suspect that the hut is not draft-proof enough to allow any sort of build up of CO.

Did she notice the pasting table at all?

She said it looked narrow I think.

Yes but is she going to test it ? [boak]
Great new title Psuedo

Thanks for the new thread pseudo!

Thank you. Brilliant name again.

I feel sorry for Pat. If my daughter were in Pat's shoes I think I'd be incoherent and hysterical.

Summoning enough care to mark place

No, still don't really care anymore

Dd has now chosen magic as our station of choice at 7pm. Thanks soc.

OMG I've nearly read all of the last thread!!!! please forgive me for not finishing it! Thanks for this one Psuedo

I have been listening though. Pat's acting is extraordinary, well done the actress (it must be upsetting to go through that even in 'pretend' IFYSWIM . It upset me.

If my daughter were in Pat's shoes - is that quite what you meant to say? Did you mean if "my daughter were in Helen's shoes,..." or "if I were in Pat's shoes..." (Sorry, not trying to be picky, I just read it a couple of times thinking I knew what you were saying... ).

I don't think Pat's behaviour is helping anyone. If she wants to help Hellin then she needs to pull up her big girl pants.
She could actually write to her.
Hysterical Patbot is no use to anybody.

By drama, I guess I meant fiction (or the 'drama' category on I player rather than comedy or documentary).

I get that plenty of long time listeners don't enjoy the "drama in their kitchen" or the whodunnit aspect. My point - which was either obviously badly made or touched a nerve I hadn't intended- was that I think the ambiguity was intentional not just poor radio.

I agree with something someone said on the end of the last thread about the personal relationship aspect. I think the previous week (two weeks now?) would have been so much more "Archers" had it focused properly on the regular characters reactions rather than the slightly half-hearted attempt to show police procedure.

Just marking my spot

Pat IS writing to her, she sounds like she's doing the right things redshoes

Yes Pat's "ooooh hellllllliinnnn" is getting pretty old now.
Need her to def woman up and start evidence gathering
WHERE is the rest of the clan?
Doesn't the Boadicea of Borsetshire want to help her DN?

I was thinking that the nearly packed bags on the bed will save Hell, because they are concrete evidence that she had not premeditated the assault .

But she's still going down for something surely?

They can't change the fact she stabbed him.

And is it really best for Henry that he not be allowed supervised contact with his mother? Is that really how it works?

Are they? You could be planning guidance to do a runner right after you murdered someone.

For anyone else who cba to listen (is there anyone who cba TO listen indeed)
I would like to redirect you to Shambridge for a little easy pastiche and pertinent character assassination.

I particularly recommend 'A Stab In The Dark'.

Thanks for the new thread, Pseudo! Very clever title.

Picking up from some posts on the last few threads, I can't believe that a 5yo child could stab a grown man three times with enough ferocity for experienced medical people and police to believe it was the work of an adult. If Helen says that's what happened and is believed, I won't be responsible for my actions! It certainly isn't what I thought I was listening to in the episode of 3rd April.

Plimsoll I do see your point - I don't object to the drama aspect myself, but it shouldn't really be a whodunnit because we were present for the attack. One of the things that has been good about this SL is that the listener has been omniscient while individual characters have only had glimpses. We are willing them to put two and two together - we know what Knob is like, we can understand how it might be difficult for Hellin to explain (we've sometimes had difficulty explaining it ourselves), but we were in that kitchen when Knob unleashed his tirade of abuse on Helen, when he handed her the knife, when Henry came downstairs so to fudge what happened just seems wrong to me.

But what is Pat going to write?! I consider myself a competent letter-writer entirely based on reading too much Jane Austen as a teenager, have a pen friend on death row etc. but even I would struggle with the 'Dear Helen' ...' letters, especially if she's not writing back and I'm just writing into a vacuum!

It should be more columbo and less Midsomer murders

Dear Helen,
If you ever want to see Henry again I suggest that you get your act together and start co-operating with people who are trying to help you.
Yours
mum

If I were writing to Helen, I'd probably be reassuring her about Henry and saying he's back at school and getting on splendidly. Then I'd probably be talking about what's going on in the garden and how the bluebells are flowering and that I saw a jay and a kestrel while driving to work yesterday, so she doesn't feel she's missing out on Spring at home (while being very aware it might emphasise that she can't see it herself.) Then I'd probably mention that the barrister seems to know her stuff so Helen should find it a bit easier now, and we'Re all thinking of her and hope she'll be out soon. And it will probably not say any of the right things, but I guess you'd just keep trying, if you were in Pat's shoes.