Orange Is The New Black in Ambridge. Just ask Helen. But will anyone in The Archers ever ask her WHY?

[PseudoBadger]

I reckon this thread will see us through the Euros, both footy and referendum. Await the clunky topical inserts here.

Top post, EBearhug. Agricultural tenancies used to be safeguarded, didn't they? I don't know if they are now. The tenant could pass them on to his/her/their child/ren, for generations, as you said. Grange Farm belonged to the Berrow Estate, so passed from Ralph Bellamy to Lilian (as James's trustee?) when he died and then when she sold up to the Pembertons (Caroline's first husband Guy, but his son Simon ran the estate), who eventually evicted the Grundys over late payment of rent.

Bridge Farm was a tenancy too. Pat and Tony bought it from Borchester Land, but they are the first generation Archers on that farm. Going way back, Brookfield was also a tenancy. Dan and Phil bought it from the Estate, in the 60s or 70s, I believe. The Archers had been tenants there for generations.

Indeed. Beautifully put EBear.

ArgyMargy - it's hard to explain but I actually used to suffer some regular, vague anxiety coming up to the Grundy's rent day. (Was it quarterly or six monthly - I used to know this stuff? ...) They belonged there - but they were always under threat.

This is why "soft spot for the Grundys" was so odd. It's Caroline who would know intimately (along with us) just how much stress the Grundys endured trying to hold on to Grange Farm. Obviously Oliver never saw any of that - he cannot possibly know, first hand, who they are.

Caroline's newly relaxed attitude to GG is another forced character change. It really isn't so long ago she couldn't go away for a week without worrying herself to death about it, and without dreadful accidents or fraudulent managers happening in her absence.

Amazing what a year in Italy can do. A bit like going to Canada for six months. You come back a different person.

Thanks EBear, Gruach & Gasp0de. I guess this is another example of how SOC & SWs are so removed from the realities of rural/farming life. The impression we get is a London-centric approach to property & land where the super-rich own everything and everyone else is entirely at the mercy of their whims. Maybe that's reality - I don't honestly know but surely the point of TA is to show me? Sometimes I wonder whether they've fired the agricultural editor along with most of the absent cast.

I drove north very early yesterday , passing Duxford just as the R4 Farming Today round up was on with a big piece from Cereals Uk. Thought of you lot as I listened to the use of drones in agriculture

From the Plarchers tweet-along: Helen, Jack, Kaz and the robin.

Agricultural rents are traditionally paid on the quarter days - Lady Day, Midsummer, Michaelmas and Christmas.

Oh good - that's what I thought I remembered EBear.

I'm sure there was one particularly uncomfortable Lady Day with Brian being incredibly smug and dismissive.

I thought 'Ambridge will survive without you' was ominous.

Augusta People DO change though. Caro must be approaching retirement age I totally understand her.

Joy & heartbreak for Pat - waiting for Knob to do something despicable. Of course, Helen broke her promise about the Blackberry Line, the nasty woman.

Little henry is getting better at acting random lines though.

why heartbreak.....what's going to happen...does the Blackberry line go to the M&B unit???

Ooh - that's a scratchy relationship at Glebe Cottage.

And I like the way the apparently grown up Anna sounds like a stroppy teen with her mum.

There's nothing actually wrong with a barrister randomly encountering people is there?

Oh dear Patterwauling again.

Knob!!!

gasp- they'd rather go and see Gideon!

Thank god for this thread. I'd feel like I was going mad without it. I feel like TA is gaslighting me

It is such a relief to know that the children are recorded completely separately from the adults. I would hate to think of a child hearing that poison even when told it was all acting. I take it we all noticed him telling Henry that it was Pat and Tony's idea not to have Henry today because they were more interested in going to see 'Gideon'. (Poor Henry must be very confused to be told that his brother is called Gideon when he's at BHC and Jack when he's at Bridge Farm.)

Also an immense relief that the teaser for today about Henry having a day out didn't mean Rob tailing Pat and Tony so that Rob could snatch Jack from them and hotfoot it back to Ambridge.

"Both my sons."

Pah! Nearly defenestrated the radio.

Is it possible that now that Anna's in Ambridge she might pick up some gossip about Rob? More and more like a TV crime serial, the type where the tealady from the crown court solves cases in her abundant spare time.

I'm also very relieved that Knob didn't follow Pat and Tony. His rewriting of the reason for the change in arrangements is all too predictable. He'll also no doubt manage to spin the same situation as Pat and Tony not wanting to have Henwee overnight and being intransigent about the their Sunday arrangement. Carol's reason for tripping on the Resurgam stone, which seemed a bit incongruous at the time, is now all too apparent - to get her into the village where she can interact with Kirsty and Knob - as mentioned in today's episode. Does she know what Knob looks like? Is there the opportunity for running into him incognito and being subject to a charm offensive before realising who he is? Who might she realistically pal up with in the village? Shula? Usha?

Yep she'll pick up gossip and no doubt all the wrong sort of gossip, as if the whole sorry affair wasn't frustrating enough already!

Wow Knob dripping poison into Henry's ear makes me skin crawl.