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

[PseudoBadger]

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

I was there!
And I thought we used to hear from Pigletjohn.
I will listen again tomorrow on the way home from the school run. I expect to be swearing outside the nice girls school as usual.

I was on the first thread too under another name.
I think the writing tonight was genius. It made me shout and rant and has absorbed me all evening.
Rob and Arsula are demonstrating coercive control brilliantly but now PatnTony are the ones being manipulated, and they can't see it even thought Kirsty warned them.
Imagine the conversation between K and P:
So Pat did you want Henry to stay at Blossom Hill Cottage?
No but...
Do you want Rob to come back to work in the shop?
No but...
Do you want to pay him sick pay for a job you never hired him for?
No but...
and so on.
She is afraid she will look unreasonable, or sound rude, or unfair to Rob. She is missing the fact that Rob and his mother are quite impervious to other people's opinion and don't care a hoot if they are thought unreasonable rude or unfair as long as they get what they want.
Dealing with people like this takes strength and clarity and the ability to play them at their own game. Not good manners and politeness and tolerance.
I foresee this being very very unhappy for everybody especially poor Henwee.

He so said Arsula!

Not I've finished swearing at the podcast in de-lurking to ask a question. Is it OK for Ursula and Rob to just assume custody of Henry? I know Rob has parental rights but wouldn't social services want to know about this sudden change of arrangements? I seem to recall they were all over Pat & Tony to begin with - and wouldn't they be keeping a specially close eye on a small child who has witnessed something so horrific?

Bother stupid phone.

Now I've finished swearing at the podcast, I'm de-lurking...

I think you're spot on TopOfTheCliff

Surely Anna T could tell Helen that Rob has Henry. Helen could asks the courts to return Henry to P&T. The courts would have to consider if Henry is better off with his grandparents who he spent his early years with, as preferred by his birth mother, or living with his step father who is recovering from major trauma & his step gran who only met him a few weeks ago. Helen needs to start talking.

Thanks for the link Bore. Turns out I've been lurking since the very first thread and I thought I was just a latecomer, pushing past others to get a good seat.

On the bright side, although Rob can get statutory sick pay from Bridge Farm, they can sack him. He can't claim unfair dismissal as he hasn't been there long enough.

On the other hand, Pat & Tony probably think it's in Henry's best interests to pay Rob. Back to Top again.

Post from Grendl on the first thread:
Helen pregnant with Rob's sproglet would be brilliant. Imagine what Pat and tony would say. Fingers crossed...

Thanks for giving them ideas.

I think we should all be very careful about what we say on this thread in future. Only good ideas should be expressed...

Well, we have been saying for ages that Stefan needs to resurface baddoom Ching so fingers crossed there.

re Henry at BHC, have discussed with DP and we both agree
'It's a safeguarding issue'
social services will NOT be happy- Henry is not where he is supposed to be, Pat should call the police, he has effectively been kidnapped

Badly done, Pat and Tony. On the plus side, now they've seen what Ursula is really like, they might stop being so wet and actually do something to help their daughter. Doubtful, though.

Bloody serves Pat right. Ineffectual idiot.

If Pat doesn't call the police then she doesn't deserve Henry, as she has shown she can't keep him safe

And tony of course

Oh but Tony, we can't call the police! Poor Rob just wants to have him close, and he does know best, I suppose. And Ursula is so caring, I'm sure it will all be fine.

Knob seemed very uncertain last night - character nuance or shitty writing? Don't really know if I care any more.

If Pst doesn't call the police, and if the police don't then act, , I'm stopping listening.

Sorry, Pat or Tony. I have been infected by the prevailing misogyny.

But would the police do anything? Rob has parental rights.

I thought Knob's attitude last night was down to a combination of factors. He is still weak and in pain, and probably hates being dependent on Arsula, but to an extent he's playing on it to get sympathy and have her waiting on him and doing what he wants re Henry. He's also massively resentful of the fact that Helen did something that was outside his control and that leaves him in what he sees as the shameful position of having a colostomy, and he sees her family as the danger that needs to be controlled now.

I haven't listened for over a week now Thank you all for keeping me abreast of happenings, don't feel inclined to catch up really unless things turn.

Presumably there must have been some discussions off air with social workers about who should look after Henry? Which is why he is with P&T and why they were so sure he was only going to visit?

I was on the first thread. Same username. My first post was complaining about a creepy storyline with Nic getting sucked into churchgoing and hoping Matt was not becoming a panto villain.

DH and I listened in the car yesterday. DH does not listen but is aware of recent events. As soon as Pat told Henry that he was coming back to BF to sleep he said "Well, that's not going to happen, is it?".