There's a slow hand clap for Knob. Will there be one for Toby? Discuss The Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

Sorry for the poor title - the end of the last thread has arrived sooner than I thought and I haven't had the benefit of hearing all of the last 2 nights....

Didn't Helen say something about Anna's bill to Kirsty when she was nerving herself to look at the joint account balance? Can't remember what it was, though.

Is Banner a chestnut? That's the name of Flicka's sire in the My Friend Flicka books.

Love the idea of Shula being Cecillia! Jill did want to be MFH and a hard rider to hounds.

Friends with ponies put their babies on them in pannier saddles - it seems really weird that none of the young entry ride

My favourite pony books are the Jinny Series by Patricia Leitch, and her standalone Dream of Fair Horses.

Barristers are extremely expensive and Anna spent a lot of time listening to Helen witter on

When we talk to barristers at work we are hyper aware of the time we are spending!!

Are we sure they're not talking about the overdraft Knob ran up on the joint account after he had looted it?

I'm surprised it's only 30K- 2 solicitors and a barrister for 6 months?

It is reasonable for P&T to take on the legal bill? Surely the bills went to Helen?

I would have thought she'd have got legal aid for the criminal trial, but on the other hand I'm not sure that would have allowed her to choose her own barrister. I don't think legal aid will be available for the family/divorce proceedings; plus PatnTone will have their own fees because they had their own solicitor for the family hearings.

Yes, it's a real cop-out when Jill meekly ageees to go to secretarial college.

Is anyone else hoping that Pip's next step is to have a quickie marriage and become Mrs Flipper Fairbrother, just so we can "see" Jill's face?

I think the bill must be purely for the family proceedings, but it covers both Helen's fees and Tony and Pat's. At one point they referred to Maggie's bill, and I think she must have been their solicitor. Given that it covers all the costs of preparation plus barristers, plus presumably VAT, £30K isn't that surprising.

I wonder how big Rickyard is. It would be great if Pip offers Robin a place to stay for a few weeks. i wouldn't put it past Pip. Jill would be apoplectic. Even though I support Jill more than Pip.

Last night someone upthread mentioned 'cops' at the hunt. I LA'd at 2pm - I think it was 'copse'? Happy to be corrected on that though.

selsig, i suspect Toby's not the marrying type. Will Pip 'trap' him by getting pregnant though??

I too liked the role of auntie Lil helping Helen. I agree with someone on previous page who reckons aunts can fill a role mother's don't. That was my experience too, to a point.

I'm always a bit suprised to be reminded that Tony and Lillian are sibs, they're so different and don't seem to have much to do with each other usually (not that sibs always do). There's a very uneven split of joi de vivre between them for starters. Though poor old Tony has some legit reasons to moan at the moment, he deserves his tractor.

Re legal bills.
What would have happened to them if Helen had no family to help out? What happens in real life?

I don't know really, but doesn't it just become a big debt? I only know this from a friend saying she still owes for the legal bills for her divorce, a decade ago. Or part of it - no idea who she owes to either. Maybe it's like a student loan????

Just coming back to say I moaned enough about SO'C's reign on here, and am another who started listening again properly after the trial and am so happy that the "real" Archers are back
Agree about Lilian being great and also wondering why she is not giving Justin more stick for taking Rob on - surely as Helen's aunt, she would have every right to say to him that after what came out in court about him being a rapist, Rob is hardly the poster boy for Justin's company? Brilliant idea to bring Tiger back to deal with Rob

Yes, bring Tiger back immediately if not sooner!

Great that for once the actual cost of something is mentioned! And of course it's just like any normal bill - no legal firm would allow it to go unpaid; they're not charities!

Yes that's exactly how I imagined Bartleby, that's Banner then Bertrand? I love your story about the arab, your lucky dd. I rode a bit but i was the ballet sister and dsis was the one who LOVED horses. I don't remember her reading Jill books though, when were they written?.

Ppeat they were written in the fifties.

Oh thanks Cecilede I'l ask her.

I believe that Anna was supposed to be a QC. Always found that unrealistic.

Regarding the fees, they should not have come as any surprise to Pat and Tony as there are extremely strict rules now about providing clients with costs estimates and keeping them updated throughout. In fact Helen should have been warned about the cost of all those tedious personal consultations with Anna (and I am not up on how legal aid works but would have thought they would not fund anything out of the ordinary, which those were, or not pre-approved).

It is also somewhat ridiculous that Tom, as a partner in the business, has not been proactive about being involved in costs discussions before now.