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.

I just find the way the Grundys are written offensive. And COOC. (My new acronym). They just wouldn't have trashed the house. A few pigs in the paddock, possibly, but no more than that. Just enough for Oliver and Caroline to shake their heads in an indulgent manner......

I think you need to get listening to TA written into the job description, Olivia. MN obviously needs a TA monitor on the staff.

What is COOC? Agree that it's offensive.
They managed to live at GF for years without trashing it. There was no suggestion that it was a midden when Oliver bought it

Complete change of Character.

Which is obviously CCOC, and therefore not an acronym. As you were. Ignore me.

Rather appropriate expletive though!

Oh, I think CCOC works even better than COOC! Particularly when you look at what they've done to Pat.

And isn't it odd that Caroliver swept into grey gables but didn't bother telling the people in their house they were back or go and see their house.

It's not just that people are acting out of character - they're not even acting like people

"It's not just that people are acting out of character - they're not even acting like people"

Actually, I think that's it.

The complete absence of Helen gossip. The complete absence of any family support for Pat and Tony, with the honorable exception of Peggy.....

I was pleased to see Pat getting back a bit of oomph but then surprised that she wasn't grabbing the chance to have Henry overnight.

I also suspected (hoped?) Rob might have got fed up of Henry and be planning to simply not pick him up again from Pat, like the kidnap in reverse.

Joe came across as a stupid, selfish old twat last night, which wasn't fair.

COOC = completely out of character then, surely?

It may be classist but the Grundys have NEVER been particularly responsible homeowners (apart from Clarrie and she fights a loosing battle, poor woman) and they view Grange Farm as their own, esp. Joe does.

My dm is now 88 and is becoming more and more selfish and stupid , it comes with old age IMO and E. She is changeable though.

I also suspected (hoped?) Rob might have got fed up of Henry and be planning to simply not pick him up again from Pat, like the kidnap in reverse.

No, Henry is too useful a tool to him at the moment.

I did wish they'd come back on the school book stuff to ask why the hell Rob hadn't dealt with the reading on Saturday. After all, they only have one day with Henry to his six, why should their day be taken up with school work if it isn't necessary? But I do hope newly revitalised Pat noticed the classic gaslighting technique.

The thing is, we had endless weeping, wailing and rending of garments from Pat when she trolled off to talk to the police to 'put Hellin's side of the story' without consulting the solicitor first, then - bingo! - found herself a prosecution witness.

After all that - after ALL THAT - she's now going to dig her heels in over Henwee and Father's Day when all it takes is one easy phone call to the solicitor. Just to, you know, check her position legally. And doubtless she'll stuff it up all over again.

It's not COOC for PatBot but it's certainly doing my head in.

Pat needs to remember the quality of Tony's advice when she said months ago she was going to talk to Helen and find out what was wrong: 'no love, leave things be, don't ask anything, you'll make her worse'.

And they need to talk to their solicitor FFS! But of course they won't.

They also need to get their ducks in a row before the residency review. Rob's obviously going to make out that they neglect his school work so they should list all the advantageous things they do with him - nature walks, feeding animals, drawing and so on.
He's also probably going to make out that the farm is a dangerous place for him and cite Tony's accident so they need to think how to counter that.
Their age could count against them but so would Ursula's and Rob's physical fitness to care for a small child is questionable too. Have they ever wondered what was behind Helen's distress about boarding school? If he pulls that rabbit out of the hat at the review are they ready to argue against it?
I fear they are going to trust to luck and their moral outrage but they're just not in the same league as Rob when it comes to guile.

Lord, I'd like to box their ears!

With a hearing imminent, surely Anna and the solicitor need to sit down with Helen and point out, very firmly, that sliding away from the reasons why Rob mustn't see the children is just not an option any more. In fact, they needed to have done it straight after the last hearing.

I hope they're not actually paying this solicitor that they're not using.

Just when I start to feel less disgruntled they go back to the stoopid hell on sl

"Their age could count against them"

Good lord- how old are they??

TheAntiBoop are you BOOP in disguise? If so, has anyone noticed your transformation? Great name either way

No not BOOP

After gruach' suggestion that the opposite of BOOP was BYOS I decided a name change was in order!!

Oooooh, so you're BYOS? Still a great name change!

Unravel, goddammit!

Rob's request, peppered with insults, was infuriating.

Please let them call the school and chase up his lies! Expose him for who he is!