Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat, please put a penny in Joe Grundy's hat. Discuss The Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

Ho ho ho! Will this thread last until Christmas?

I assumed Kate was doing the basic sewing and Peggy and Jill and now Lillian are doing the fancy bits...........

I assumed the other way round after they were admiring some embroidery. I thought that Kate had spent so long doing some intricate, meaningful embroidery (that couldn't actually be seen by anybody beyond the second row) that she hadn't had time to even start the other bazillion costumes.

Can I make a nomination for Best Line of Dialogue 2016? Debbie describing the atmosphere at Home Farm as "like a Harold Pinter play, with sewing machines". BOOP.

I'd forgotten Debbie and Richard had 'history'.

What history do they have? I've completely forgotten

Making do with Lowfield while holed up with family but ha, that will serve Lizzie right or being such a cold fish.

I felt very sorry for Lizzie. She really loved Nigel. I was shocked when Debbie talked about the upcoming anniversary - 6 years already! Doesn't feel that long ago 😔.

And Susan asking her if she was looking forward to New Year. Tactful...

As far as I can recall, it was way, way back when Richard was first in Ambridge, and it didn't last long. He then got involved with Usha and moved in with her (Blossom Hill Cottage) before his affair with Shula.

So what and when was it with debbie and richard? Poor Lizzie - nice to hear Kenton showing a bit of concern.

Less convinced by him baring his shaved legs!

Ah, xpost, thank you gaspode.

The scenes in the bull all sounded v genuine. I feel sorry for Lizzie but she should have grabbed her chance.

Hello all, hope you had a good christmas. I'm logging on after the dcs have gone home and the mess is slightly more under control!

I thought the bits of TA that I managed to hear were ok, but what tf did Hell think had happened to Henry? Does she not carry a torch when going out in the dark in the village? Is there any street lighting?

BOOP for the return of Tamsin\Debbie's lovely tones.

My, Doc Locke is something of a lothario, isn't he? I'm assuming he's not/ was not the GP of any of his (many) conquests...

He sounds too much like a deeply unattractive former boss of mine for me to imagine him as an object of desire .

Given that they were near BHC when Henry disappeared, it shouldn't have taken Einstein to work out where he probably was.

10 year old DD asked me how old Henry was supposed to be, and was shocked to discover that he wasn't a preschooler as she had assumed.

He was Shula's GP. They got very close because when Dan was about 7, he had juvenile arthritis and during the diagnosis period and immediately afterwards there were lots of GP appointments, culminating in a steamy scene involving the desk in Richard's consulting room, IIRC.

Several years earlier Richard had been involved in Shula and Mark's IVF treatment, which was just under way when Mark was killed, and I remember that he gently insisted to Shula that she should go on with the post-implantation injections, or something of that sort, and sure enough within the month she found out was pregnant.

I quite like his voice, but I must admit I can't separate Richard Locke from William Gaminara (the actor) since seeing him in Silent Witness years ago. He was a good-looking chap then.

BBC blog entry about Richard here - there's a photo at the top.

Wow, thanks Gasp0de. He looks nothing like I'd imagined (Old Boss), thankfully.

Now - that has to be an abandoned wife and children ...

So what happened? Have a tantruming monster in the house!!

Who the hell is in Brighton? I've missed a few over Christmas. Is toby knocking off another woman? Don't let Jill get wind of it, she'll follow him there in funny glasses, peering through a newspaper. What happened with that in the end? Did they go to Brookfield for Christmas Day, or stay holed up shagging merrily in Rickyard?

Can't actually remember Christmas Day. But today Toby, as every listener has expected, is making a dash for Brighton. Apparently for a gathering of mates. To which Pip is not invited. Promising to be back tomorrow.

Wife.

I'd thought we were going to get a phone call in the car as Toby screeched out of Brookfield along the lines of 'happy Christmas darling, I'll be with you in 3 hours'. What the hell can be down there that he's only going for less than 24 hours though - if it's a girlfriend then she's putting up with a hell of a lot of absence. He's probably told her he's a spy or something .

I'm banking on Toby having a child in Brighton.