Roy and Kirsty up a tree, K I S S I N G? Swipe right for The Archers thread and enjoy the Ambridge dating scene.

[PseudoBadger]

Mummy rather sat on the fence and tried, and failed, to diffuse the situation.

Felt a bit sorry for Susan. Even if she is being insufferable about this photo shoot.

Whilst Jill's approach isn't the best, at least she can see the car crash waiting to happen and isn't prepared to just stand by and watch.

Surely Pip can't really think Toby is going make a good income out of small scale artisan gin production? I thought she was smart

In other news, I loved the reference to Ben getting through the cereal at a rapid pace (when compiling the shopping list).

I can't believe somebody felt sorry for Susan, if I were her family I would have divorced her by now. Disclosure: I have always disliked Susan, mainly because I can't stand gossip. But now, ignoring the ridiculous diet and barbed comments about her family members, she has turned into a granny who is more concerned with her expensive dress than a sick grandchild. I couldn't believe she dared shout at them to get Keira away from her!

She's annoying me too Fink, especially the way she never stops pointing out that it was all Neil's idea. He has the patience of a saint.

Well, it was only a bit sorry for her. She just really wants her moment of perfection, rather than just being happy with what she's got (which I'm sure will be the take home lesson from this whole photograph storyline).

Yes Susan becomes more and more unpleasant as the years go by. She has no loyalty whatsoever to people who have been good to her. Gossip is always her top priority, never thinks who she might hurt. Is always being horrible to at least one member of her family at any given time. When I first started listening to TA I found Susan a bit of a comedy character but now she just grates on me! Won't be surprised if she still insists on getting the photos done despite a poorly grandchild.

Francis excellent use of the word 'tube'. Have not heard that for a long time. I guess you are Scottish? West?

I loved the reference to Ben getting through the cereal at a rapid pace (when compiling the shopping list).

Me too!

I totally get where Jill is coming from, but even I was ready to strangle her by the end of this evening's episode. She is not communicating in a way that will get people who are already in agreement on her side, so she's really not going to get anywhere with Pip - Jill's not open to any sort of discussion and in that sense, Pip was right to walk out, because it would have been completely futile to try and talk about any of it.

Why is Ruth so in awe of her revolting (obviously not that smart) daughter? To have the temerity to tear into Jill and defend that petulant little specimen had me shouting bad words at the radio. Pip needs a lesson in behaving like an adult, but she's not going to get it from Ruth who seems to think she must be pussyfooted around. She'd have left that kitchen with an imprint of my boot in her arse.

I imagine Ruth is fed up with the Archer dynastic dramas dominating her family and telling her and her daughter what to do.

Another one here who thinks Jill needs a chill pill. I actually thought Pip's initial response to Jill asking about the still was quite good - she wasn't telling her to shut up as such and frankly I don't see why she should stand there and be lectured at about something she already knows. Anyone would get pissed off in such a situation.

But now it is abundantly clear that Jill's dislike of Toby is all about his father - that kind of smacked of bad writing IMO.

I agree that Jill was badly written tonight. The way she kept dragging the conversation round to Toby even before Pip turned up was utterly ridiculous.

Hear Hear Francis. Can't someone find her a job in Canada? Poor Jill is treated more like an interfering domestic than a cherished older family member. She's earned the right to occasionally be cantankerous, especially when her indignation comes from grandmotherly concern.

I had an awful realization that I was more of a tiger mother than I though I was when they were all getting so excited about Josh's A level results.......

I did some basic googling re licences and found out that HMRC can, and often do, turn down ( i .e can't be arsed to process) applications for stills which produce less than 18 hectolitres in an 8 hour shift.

Now I have no idea what 18 hectolitres of gin looks and I bet Toby doesn't either.

A chap called Simon on Jim's Home Brew Forum has this to say about distilling. The bold is mine.

It is well nigh impossible to obtain a licence to home distill. Actually, I will go further, and say it is absolutely impossible. These kits you can buy are legal to sell, and to own, but illegal to use. The HMRC are tasked with protecting the revenue of this country - they are extremely reluctant to grant a licence for any organisation where there is a still of less than 18 hectolitres (1,800 litres) (400 gallons approx) as the largest, as the costs of inspecting the bonded warehousing (which you need for legit. distilling) are too high when set against the revenue likely to be reaped from a small still.

However,There is a small, commercial, microdistilling industry beginning to start in the UK, as a few enterprising folks have submitted proposals to HMRC for apparatus below 18 Hl, (around 250-500 litre, as I remember) but they have clear business aims, and pay their revenue. Other commercial setups have applied for small scale rectification licences - which are I think easier to obtain

Jill was right in what she said, but wrong in the way she said it - nothing more guaranteed to drive Pip into Toe-beeee's arms than everyone running him down - exactly what she was like with Jooooooood when David made it clear he didn't like him

Presumably Ruth realizes this and that's why she was trying to shut Jill up

Didn't Pip end up crashing her car, or Joooood crashed a motorbike she was on or something ? I can't remember the details but something nearly disastrous happened when Pip flounced off after a row about Joooood I think