Come in to The Archers thread - we've redecorated! Take a seat in that distinctive yellow chair and discuss events in Ambridge.

[PseudoBadger]

New thread for tonight's episode.

Do you like the decor then? My 'personal' assistant did it.

I think Henry may well have lifted up the knife, and that Rob tried to retrieve it, which is why Helen said Henry!

I did say this (though it seems a million threads ago) that they can easily mention Brexit without it being political, and you wouldn't need a skilled sw.
Any Character I'm sick to death of the referendum
If I hear one more politician . . .
Have you decided how your voting ?
See - its easy, no opinion, just accepting its happening

Grumpy. I agree, Brexit is not discussed at all. All my farmer friends are innies, even the young ones

Their non farmer friends, and most older people than me I know, except my family and friends, are Brexiters. The older ones are in the main, racist, though not all.

Would and should have been a good storyline.

Pat needs to get a grip. 1 min in and can't be bothered to listen on.

Let's remember that families and friends are drawn in by the charm of abusers. It stinks.

im not a great fan of topical inserts tbh. It's 15 min a day so not mentioning Brecht at all and any that odd. Just like you never get scenes of them watching the telly or popping to the loo!

I turned the radio on, to hear Tony mention a website and Pat say what's the address, www dot. And I thought, bloody hell they've found the Mumsnet forums

WTF is with Ursula's enunciation? Arghhhhh.
And is that a new Henry?

Well done, Kirsty! She said exactly what I was thinking there.

So Rob is claiming sick pay. One to two months at the most, I would have thought, and back pay? Surely he has to apply to SSP?

... gave up a highly paid career to help you set up your business ...

And Pat said nothing.

We so need Charlie back. Theme park ride

So Charlie will need to come back to convince everyone rob quit because he's a fraud not because he had to set up the shop.
Sigh. They're really tying rob in for the long term.

And sw never get things right so no doubt pat will be paying him the full salary for the whole time rather than the statutory minimum. God this is getting dull

Elendon Their non farmer friends, and most older people than me I know, except my family and friends, are Brexiters. The older ones are in the main, racist, though not all.
well done on getting an ageist remark into a chat about a radio soap
being in favour of Brexit does not make someone a 'racist'

Did Pat and Tony ever actually pay Rob? Have they been deducting tax and NI using his tax code/P45 from his old job. Has Rob actually called in sick? Has he presented a fit note? P&T would be within their rights to seek a medical report if he is an employee (which I don't believe he is) and dismiss on grounds of ill health capability because there isn't a date when Rob can reasonably be assumed to render a full contractual service. But there isn't one; where's the engagement letter, where's the JD?

Please P&T seek advice on this point from Dominic.

I hope they give him.SSP, less the 3 days where they don't pay you and then let him go. After all there isn't a job for him the shop is closed.

No redundancy, he hasn't been there long enough

I hope Kirsty talks some sense in Pat after Arsula left. And the penny drops over how Knob manoeuvred control from Helen.

Bit of a sudden change of heart by Helen.

Also Helen is on remand. I thought remand prisoners had greater freedoms on the grounds they haven't been convicted of anything. Is that still the case? .

I agree Small. Such a shame the government stopped small businesses being able to reclaim SSP. They should shut up shop and sack Rob, as Helen can't make cheese anymore.

""The weekly rate for Statutory Sick Pay ( SSP ) is £88.45 for up to 28 weeks. It is paid: for the days an employee normally works - called 'qualifying days' in the same way as wages, eg on the normal payday, deducting tax and National insurance"

So he was a PT employee what with it being a jobshare so he should be entitled to about £50 p/w no NI payable as the wage isn't enough. Shouldn't break the bank. If I were P&T I'd give it him in used fivers and one poind coins along with his p45.

Re the Rob giving her the knife and telling her to hurt herself with it. I wonder if he's done this before in a previous relationship and this explains the mysterious scar on his arm. My phone went doolally and I posted that comment on a totally unrelated MN thread I hadn't even seen. Heaven only knows what the people chatting about children's books will make of that

SaraTheFairy

Good theory! I'd forgotten about that scar. I wonder if anybody on the production team has remembered it.

The knife thing was actually the kind of thing I could imagine going like this.

Go on kill yerself. Just like you made Greg kill himself. To get away from you. Go on do it.

No, no I don't want to...Rob....

See, you can't even do that properly can you? Because you're weak, you're pathetic. Aren't you?

Sobs.

Now stop all this nonsense. Go and unpack your bag and I don't want hear about it again. I am very disappointed in you. Honestly Helen I don't know what you'd do without me to look after you.

Followed a few weeks later by...
Remember that time you tried to kill yourself and I had to stop you. I cannot believe you'd even think of doing that to our baby. I could have let you die but I saved your life. Just like I saved you when you tried to starve yourself.

I imagine that is as far as the planning in Rob's head went. I'll taunt her. She won't do it because she is weak and pathetic and useless and her custard is yuck.

Oh they'll think it was something to do with an old witch called Dolores Umbridge.

Actually I think Knob would make a good Dementor - wonder if there are any openings for arseholes who are expert at ducking the joy from humans.

The scar on Rob's wrist is either from Bruce, from school or because he emotionally blackmailed an ex with a faked suicide attempt but I am favouring Bruce.

Good point about the scar by the way, it did make me think of Umbridge making Harry carve "I must not tell lies into himself". Bet Knob's scar isn't as salutory.

I think they've got a new Henry.