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]

Thanks for the update on Bert. i had no idea he was an incomer. Was Freda an incomer too? I'm afraid my memory's not as reliable as I'd like to imagine it is - though I do know where to find Real Foods in Embra. It's always struck me as odd having 2 branches in such similar sounding streets.

Yeah, too many hints now for us not to have a Knobbish showdown of some kind over the festive season.

Bert and Freda were new characters but are supposed to have been there forever, just like when the Grundies were introduced (in the 70s I think). There is an oft mentioned story about Bert and Joe and a dancing competition at Burtlins. I think Bert used to work on a neighbouring farm just outside Ambridge.

It's not that oft-mentioned - or else my memory is protecting me.

It's definitely been mentioned in the last couple of years, maybe after Freda died? Bert and Freda won a ballroom dancing (at least I always thought it was) competition beating Joe and Susan ( it could have been Pontins but I thought it was Butlins).
Why does autocorrect want to change Butlins to Burkina?

Isn't there something too about Joe entering the flower and produce show with a daffodil, at the age of three, and therefore being the longer-standing contestant than Bert? I just remember one of their needling conversations on the topic, and being enchanted by the image of Joe, age 3. I see him with a beard, and gumboots.

And as for Christmas showdown - Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, which if the access arrangements remain unchanged, would mean that poor old Tony has to spend three hours of his day eyeballing Rob over a grumpy Jack. Even if access is reduced, I suppose Rob could elect to have his monthly contact on 25th December?

Catching up too... does anyone know how old Molly Button is? I didn't like Toby talking about her belly dance like a creepy old lech but I accept she might be about 30 by now!

Johnny had a date with Molly 2 years ago so she must be mid-late teens? (Jazzer said she'd make mincemeat of him so she must be well able to stand up for herself!)

Rob is going to be massively disapproving about MySon associating with a jailbird's kids, isn't he?

I guess that what is to happen about visits at Christmas could be specified at next week's hearing if they can't reach agreement?

Lynda may be as subtle as a ton of bricks but she normally has a fair amount of emotional sensitivity. She just would not expect Kirsty to act that role opposite Tom, no matter how desperate she is.

I'd quite like Kirsty and Rex to get together. I like Rex, he really is a decent chap. I wouldn't wish Pip on him for all the tea in China.

Is a scenario where Tom pulls out and Rex steps in possible, do we think? He's too busy really isn't he?

I did like the little recap of the talent show auditions - they rattled through about 5 silent characters and created lovely little vignettes of what they'd done. There was a slightly 'knowing' edge to it as well which I really liked.

Does the pushing back of the photo shoot mean that Susan is going to be past the 'return for refund' timescale on the frocks and she's going to end up about £700 out of pocket on dresses she'll never wear. I'd love her to then decide to get her money's worth out of them and spend the next year turning up inappropriately overdressed to all the traditional Ambridge events - so a cheeky little ruched cerise number at the flower and produce for example, a diaphanous mustard yellow silk dress for the single wicket etc .

And YY to Toby being caught mistletoe rustling by Jill...

I ALMOST felt sorry for Tobeeee, his brother is really fed up with him, I had a vision of Cain and Abel.

BOOP for them drinking Mike's health at the Bull.

Lizzie is freezing the doctor out . IMO not because of Shula but probably because she has secret feelings for Ifti. YAY

I liked the same 'knowing edge', RockNRoll, when Jolene went off to serve Nathan Booth, 'Oh sorry, I didn't see you there Nathan.'

I felt that Lizzie was freezing Richard oit because she's pissed off with him, no? I think she feels he was playing her and Shula and so is undoing any impression of her being interested in him.

I think so too, ThatsMyToddler. Lizzie had her hoity toity voice on.

BTW how hygienic do we think Joe us? I see him as unkempt and probably with bad breath, stains on his trousers, despite his DIL's best efforts.

Joe is definitely smelly: he smokes rollies
I see him a bit like Jim Trott off of Dibley (no no no yes).

YY and some days Joe uses string instead of a belt. Plus you never hear any of the men going to a barber's - except Neil of course but that was a very special occasion. Though i imagine Joe is too tight to go the barber's but you never hear any dialogue such as Clarrie saying 'Hold still, Joe, I nearly 'ad yer ear off there' . Or, Joe, if you have a bath first I'll cut yer hair for you.

Don't we? I feel as though I have heard something like that - or worse, dealing with his toenails.

Any bets on the 2016 Christmas romance? Mines a totally left field Kirsty/Helen one. I just think they have do so something unexpected to twist things. We're all expecting another classic sibling rivalry tale with the Fairbrothers squabbling over Pip in the manner of William/Edward Kane/Abel- but what about Helen and Tom fighting over Kirsty? She is so part of that family in so many ways.

Kaz and Jazzer or Roy, I think.

Also Elizabeth and DocLocke, once it has all come out that he wasn't pursuing Smugula.

Changing the sexuality of two major characters doesn't seem likely to me, Helen and Kirsty are simply good friends and should remain so! I'm wondering if maybe Lynda does indeed have emotional intelligence, and is bang on the money that Tom(having belatedly grown up) and Kirsty belong together ?

Nah, if they're going to have a gay love story it will be Anna.