As the Archers threads age like a fine wine, or a cheese, come and join us - it's nearly time for the Ambridge Flower and Produce show

[PseudoBadger]

Hopefully we can go back to an ordinary tale of country folk?

Spoilers are frowned upon.... There's a thread for that.

I think that episode showed just how self centred the Brookfield Archer clan are. Josh's new lawn mower has more emotional intelligence than that lot.

D, R & P don't understand why Jill is upset because they haven't ever taken the time to talk to her about it. No, it's just because she's old. Grrrr.

Re Rob. I think that he will serve a prison sentence, so that TW can go off and do other work & The story can move on in other chapters when Rob is released from Prison & at other intervals in future.

Fascinating link, thank you Bore😀

I'm sure I remember Jill being understanding about Phli's annual visit to Grace's grave on the anniversary of her death. Was there ever any tension about his first marriage? Grace being idealised, perhaps?

It is, isn't it, tulips ?

I'm working my way through ll the other decades now.

Phil's

The Rapid Unravelling of Knob is definitely building up to something - I am really hoping nothing OTT or EEerish - how about a break down at psych evaluation and have jack access promptly removed and then remove himself from ambridge to lick his wounds? i thought it unrealistic that even Knob would pitch up for cricket on spec like that incidentally.

butteredsnips yes absolutely. Pip - thoughtless, of course she should have bloody well asked first. D&R - ffs your daughter is the one in the wrong here. TRY TALKING TO YOUR MUM. Jill - i guess we're meant to think she's Had Enough and she's 86 you know. But actually I think she'd have bitten her tongue, smiled thinly during the party and then complained later (like most of us).

I think Hells will have him prosecuted (after talking with Anna).

He will go daaahn.

I bet Jill is wishing she had moved in with Elizabeth after all

From what I've read and heard on vintage tapes Jill was extremely jealous of grace. Jill was an orphan and the archers were the only proper family she's had and she's lived life long with the knowledge that had the beautiful, fascinating, superb horsewoman that was Grace not died in a fire, Phil would never have looked at the orphaned product demonstrator. It didn't matter how much Phil loved her, he loved grace first. She's fought against it for over sixty years and I think she's had enough of fighting it. Toby is actually very like Grace, bit flighty, bit flash and completely enthralling to Phil/pip.

Is there any way that Pip and Toby/Rex can be biologically related? Are we waiting to find out that David had another daddy?

I'm one of the few (if not the only one?!) who likes it doesn't mind Pip, but she was awful tonight. If she knew Jill had an issue with Toby, then she SHOULD have asked before inviting him, and she SHOULD have been gracious about Jill's refusal.

That had crossed my mind Alberta I really hope not though. Jill would not have had an affair and I hope the SW don't try to convince us otherwise.

(Haven't posted for aeons so sort of de-lurking). I also thought Jill WNBU! Bizarre for Pip to assume she could invite Toby, and for her parents to agree with her. My immediate thought was that it will be a dementia storyline, because it was odd for Jill to be so angry. But having read the post above about the backstory with the Fairbrothers, perhaps it is understandable.

Absolutely loving Rob unravelling!

Jill is taken for granted by the Brookfield archers. They keep her around for cooking and cleaning and making sure Ben is still alive. I would be pissed off in her shoes because they are totally dismissive of her feelings because they don't actually care

No. I immediately thought of Grace. Jill doesn't just have baggage from the Fairbrothers, she has a whole lost property department. Years of nodding and smiling and letting it pass consolidate with Pip who is her favourite and kindred spirit. She just can't bear it; Elizabeth exasperated her, Pip doesn't.

Jill's lost Phil, supported Elizabeth and Shula through tragic bereavements, borne Kenton's ups and downs. She's 86. Her beloved Pip and the generational cad of a Fairbrother is a step too far.

Poor Jill.

Agreed, Roses!

D&R did think it off for p to have invited her labrador/boyfriend without asking at first - they seemed to have completely blanked that out when Jill refused to countenance his presence and could only be shocked by her rudeness.

I dunno...if you can't say it like it is when you're 86 when the hell can you?

(Jill - while you're in this mood please could you point out Alastair's failings to Shula and also make sure Kirsty remembers what a twat Tom was? Ta.)

Someone will definitely die. I am worried about the family annihilation scenario. Do you think Ursula will still think it's all Helen's fault once he's rampaged down the high street with an Uzi taking out the village like an episode of Brookside on steroids?

I was thinking more Michael Douglas in Falling Down (I think it's called)

Don't know that one.

Still dwelling on the episode. Can't help feeling David and Ruth would have reacted differently if Josh had rocked up to Jill's party with an uninvited guest who she hated....

What is the back story with Jill and the FB clan? Grace was a FB, or am I imagining that? And Toby's dad had a relationship with Elizabeth and turned out to be a cad?
I think jill's outburst tonight signifies something happening medically, whether it's "just" old age or a symptom of dementia or something else neurological.
It makes sense that she didn't want Toby there but the old (younger) Jill would have been very polite about it, although maybe got a chutney-related dig in at T at some point. She wouldn't have demanded that Toby not come in such a forceful way, nor would she have manipulated Pip into choosing between her and Toby.
I'm wondering, will it come out this week that Toby did NOT mix up the chutneys - it was actually Jill who did that and he was attempting to be a gentleman and spare her embarrassment?

Michael Douglas' life has collapsed and he starts fighting back but it escalates scene by scene - as does the wesponry.

So for Knob he'd start with chucking a cricket ball through the window of the tea shop, taking out the lemon drizzle and a scone or two. By the end he's holding the cricket team and Tom Rabbit hostage but it's ok because Harrison will remember he's a police officer and rugby tackle him and save the day.

Someone will definitely die. I am worried about the family annihilation scenario.
I know Jill's ticked-off Boffin but I don't think she'll go that far