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.

Made the mistake of listening tonight after a week off. It was a mistake I won't repeat

I don't think the baby being in specialist care would mean bail being reviewed. There are defined procedures in place for prisoners who need medical treatment, or who need to be with sick relatives on compassionate grounds, and that is presumably what would happen here. Not sure how delighted the other mothers in NICU would be to have prison guards hovering around, but I assume that is what would happen.

Mind you, Knob would demand the right to be at SOK's incubator-side, and that could produce some interesting interactions.

I still think Helen might reject the baby.

I know lots of women of Pat's age and background who pronounce Helen as Hellin and Karen as Kaaren. my mother for starters--

I had to do Tess for A level, and Wuthering Heights for O level. Hate them both. I don't know if these were both deliberately juxtaposed with war poetry, but it did somewhat put both novels into perspective.

There. Now I've got that out of my system. I shall not listen to tonight's episode because I can't bear any more of Pat's wailing. What I want from TA is Lyndy being all perceptive and sensible about something, and if she can do it while roundly putting Susan in her place, that would be good. In my fantasy scene, Auntie Cardboard can bake something so splendid she enters Bake Off, and Peggy is reduced to mumbling viciously in the background about inedible scones. It's about time Kate reappeared, so I shall graciously let her, on condition that she refuses to come out of her yurt in order to wish Phoebe well with her A levels (which are happening, SW, and you seem to have forgotten all about them). That should do for starters.

30 years ago it was all Nigel panting after Shula, Elizabeth being a boarding school bray and Eddie being jealous because David had got a Ford Escort RS something just like Prince Andrew. You know, like normal farming families not on the edge of poverty.

I can't work out what the POINT of it is.
Is it to highlight the complications of the legal system?
I have been veh behind and just caught up.

I want to reach into the radio (actually I listen on my phone/puter) but you know what I mean....
and shake some sense into them all.

Oh yes I was unusually in the car today and listened to R4 and "in our time" came on, I haven't listened to for aeons (since DS1 was a baby)
They were doing TESS.
COINCIDENCE.
I don't think so.

Well the point clearly wasn't to help listeners who may be in abusive relationships

Soc is a ratings whore and he thinks ee style stories are the way to do it. Thank god they haven't let him loose on woman's hour or today or pm. Can you imagine the misery fest!!

@GypsyFl0ss

I think that was a work experience judge.

rofl
Also ANNOYED at the assumption that a woman judge would be more sympathetic

She said "and the baby was KICKING" in a stroppy way.
Apols for all the incoherent posts- am reading and thinking at the same time.

I find the contrast in the subtlety and quality of the writing of HelRob pre-stabbiness and what we have now very puzzling. really i do.

Pat's wailing is driving me bananas.
Am also incandescent with rage that after all the kerfuffle and the devastation with the family court case that she didn't think she ought to go to the police station with a lawyer. FFS

I imagine Patricia Gallimore's acting may be because she knows the script is pants? And does not like being forced to play PatBot.

SOC reminds me of the hoover monster from the film Yellow Submarine. (Although that ends by it hoovering itself up - he hasn't yet, we can but hope.)

I have to say I am not enjoying the court room shenanibollocks but I am enjoying the insights from augusta and the other legal minds on the thread.

Also enjoy the input of our actuarial chums and dfw on farming.

It hadn't really occurred to me before only ever have been a prosecution witness and not knowimg the accused, that a) if you were questioned by police you beome a prosecution witness, is that always the case? Or only if you hear the accused threaten to kill someone?
b) how awkward that could be if you are in the same family.

Are the rules always that strict that you absolutely cannot associate with prosecution witnesses? Even if some of their evidence is part of your defence and you didn't speak to the police willingly unlike Pat.

Does the defence barrister usually/ever question/speak to the prosecution witnesses before trial? If they have to rely solely on police interviews to find out what a witness might know before they get them on the stand does that not mean they might miss information relevant to the defence?

And is this not open to corruption - the police deliberately calling witnesses to cut the defendant off and to force them to move? E.g.not saying our lovely uk police force would, but police could say we are going to call your children as witnesses to make sure you cannot see them before trial even though they know nothing, just to get the accused to confess.

I've stopped listening.
Thanks for nothing SOC.

Someone last night told me that Shula was plunged in guilt for not warning Debbie about Simon Pemberton being abusive. I don't remember that, but if it's true, it's unbelievable that she would also keep quiet about Rob...........

Interesting comparison with Tess. I hated Hardy because as the author he seemed to spend most of his time raining misfortune after misfortune on Tess's head, each one more implausible than the last. Same with Helen. I thought she'd at least get bail!

I adore TESS and have read it at least seven times.

So now we have Jess the judge refusing bail, it's going to be difficult to have Jess 'ex wife of Titchener' giving evidence for the defence,

They could've used the actress who plays Miranda fgs

Agree it is all pants esp Patbot. But didn't someone say Pat herself has history of mental health problems? Perhaps she's relapsing? I think Gruach or R4 could confirm this. And Gasp0de could you perhaps write an alternative script for us to read so we don't have to listen to this crap?

I also cannot bear Tess of the D'etc. etc. Hardy is not my favourite author.

I agree with all your points Olivia!

1. Stop bloody wailing Pat! You are being worse than useless, of no support to Hellin and hell to listen to

1. Hate the fact the barrister didn't slap Tom down a bit for presuming a female judge would be sympathetic. Is it because SOC thinks we're all stupid enough to believe that?

1. I'm not a criminal lawyer admittedly, but I don't believe that you would end up as a prosecution witness without realizing, especially if you are the defendants mother.

1. It doesn't ever occur to Pat and Moany to frigging check with a lawyer before they keep making things worse.

1. No one is picking up on the fact Helen has no bond with the baby. Wouldn't she be getting access to mental health support in prison?

1. Where's Jess?

1. All that muttering in court, I wanted them all to be slung out.

1. Tom's shouting out - TWAT!

More Lilian and Miranda please. I love Lilian, she's really likeable

Pat does have a history of mental health problems - I think she was depressed (in the clinical sense of the word) after John died.

Isn't that a normalish reaction though? Rather than being indicative of anything that would hang about long term?

I hope both my parents would be a lot more proactive than they're being.

Third attempt - here's the relevant page of Archers Archives on Pat's depression.

What I find extraordinary is the SWs complete refusal to acknowledge Tom's trial in that very same year.