He's not a pheasant poacher, he's a pheasant poacher's grandson. Join us for trials, tribulations and tipsy tractor trips in Ambridge.

[PseudoBadger]

Will this thread see the end of The Trial? And SOC?

I keep checking the clock ...

Maybe he will admit to rape on the stand 'well of course I kept going, she's my wife, she can't say no, it's my right. Next you're going to tell me that I shouldn't have routinely had sex with my ex wife when she was unconscious! Ridiculous'

This will then spur Jess into action and he will go dahn

Will Henry actually have to be cross examined or do they just play a recording of his testimony? And if he can be cross examined, shouldn't he have a social worker or someone getting him prepared?

Have I got the wrong end of the stick...is tonight supposed to be an hour long?

I can't listen tonight so am relying on you guys to update!!

According to the article in NS - link above - Henry could be cross examined but his main statement will be by video link.

Tonight is jsut the normal length. Next sunday is the hour-long one. I keep thinking about it too. I really don't have a life though.

Tonight is the usual format. It is next Sunday, the 11th, that will be the one hour episode.

Ah Thankyou Topaz

Delurking to say I've been thinking about it all day too! I've bee slightly anxious all weekend I think it's a combination of DC1 starting reception tomorrow and Helen's trial!

I've been listening on and off since 2009 and I've found the abuse of Henry almost unbearable to listen to. Helen (like her or not) has been very devoted to him and the thought of them being apart like this and Henry being controlled and gaslighted by Rob makes me feel on the verge of tears.

Still hate the way the storyline went though - it would have been so much better with a realistic rescue by Kirsty after the tuna bake.

This job thing and introducing charlotte make my prediction:

The rape etc will come out in the trial and there will be enough 'reasonable doubt' that Helen is not convicted of murder. Not sure about the wounding, my guess guilty but mitigating factors short or suspended sentence. However, Rob will gain some level of custody over on or both boys necessitating Charlottes continued employment (that was another reason he needed a proper job).

Much scope for fraught encounters with the extended Archer family and others, irresistible dramatic possibilities. But after a year or so, Rob will be seen to have his claws into poor Charlotte ("you're more of a mother to my boys than that terrible woman ever could be .... Darling ... Slurpy sounds" ). At this point the SWs will remember Kathy, she'll be instrumental in getting Helen and Jess to push for the coercive control prosecution. Charlotte will be saved and justice will be done. Jack however will insist on being called Gideon, and will turn out to be a chip off the old block causing plotlines for decades to come.

I think the rape is now the only thing that Helen hasn't told Anna about.

So it's bound to come out in the trial.

Another quick question from this newbie.

Please can someone explain the whole Lily and Freddie story line. How old are they? What is this about running a house; Freddie being useless at it? And why is he? What's going on? Thank you.

Love this!

Been on count down all afternoon. Nervously waiting! 😬
DH pretending he's not that interested

I am pinning my hopes on the new Editor, whoever she or he may be. I'm hoping that the new broom will sweep clean and, just as SOC sent HWMNBN packing, the new Editor will undo a lot of the less successful developments of the last few years and get us back to where we were before Vanessa Whitburn ran out of steam. I don't mind drama but I want it balanced out by lots of nice quiet cosy stuff like change counting in the shop, who will win the Flower and Produce Show, will Lynda do a Christmas show and so on and so forth.

Wauden if you click here (BBC blog) there's a quick summary on Elizabeth. And a link to Freddie. Who links to Lily.

Although Lily is the elder twin it is Freddie who will inherit Lower Loxley.

Only an hour to go now, girls and boys!! I'll have to put ds's laptop back before he comes in at 6.30, in case he thinks I've been on MN ALL afternoon. He did say i could borrow it BTW.

F and Lily were abbreviated to Frilly by some witty person on MN. And lily hasn't had a speaking part for years. I still laugh sometimes at Elizabeth being called 'that middle aged tart' by Phoebe.

Hello, Wauden! Lily and Freddie are 16 and have just taken their GCSEs. They are twins. Their mum is Elizabeth, who is the youngest of the four Brookfield Archer children (the older ones are Kenton, Shula and David, their mum is Jill and their dad was Phil). Elizabeth was married to Nigel Pargetter, who inherited Lower Loxley from his father about 25 years ago. Nigel and Elizabeth turned it into a successful tourist attraction and conference and wedding venue. They also started a vineyard.

Nigel fell off the roof a few years ago and died. Freddie is his heir but until he comes of age the estate is in the hands of Trustees, and run day to day by Elizabeth. I think the stuff about Freddie being useless is because if he isn't bright enough to pass Maths GCSE he might struggle a bit with running a business. However, Nigel was not very bright either, but had other qualities that made up for that.

Anything else you want to know?

Oh yes, Phoebe has no reason to love Elizabeth! Phoebe's dad is Roy Tucker who used to work at Lower Loxley as Elizabeth's right hand man. Phoebe's stepmother, who brought her up, is Hayley, Roy's wife, who was Frilly's nanny.

Phoebe's biological mum is Kate Madikane, daughter of Brian and Jennifer. Jennifer is first cousin to the Brookfield Archers, so Phoebe has Archer blood.

Anyway, the affair Elizabeth mentioned this week when talking to Richard was with Roy. It led to the end of his marriage to Hayley and to an estrangement from Phoebe for a time.

how can they spin it out for a week and THEN have a whole hour

How long would a case like this take IRL?

For once they won't actually be spinning out the time - though they will inevitably play fast and loose with the presentation.

A RL trial would take ages, dotting every I and crossing every T. The prosecution would have a lot to prove - and a lengthy and intricate chronology to get through. Plus several witnesses - experts, a child ...

In contrast I imagine that what we hear will be mostly fluff (vague, emotive speeches) and then a bit of shock and drama. (Would be delighted to be wrong!)

Am looking forward to hearing the evidence from Henry's interview.

It's Monday morning....are we all sitting comfortably?

It's started!!

Stomach AND chest?
And yes, shhh Tom