Surprise surprise - Kirsty has a Mini Sausage Roll in the oven! Discuss the Archers here

[PseudoBadger]

Happy New Year to you all.

Everyone either farms the land, is a native who is allowed to do something else in the locality or is a related-to-a-local. There are very few who leave because there aren't suitable local jobs (once a decade like Brenda or Dan) or live locally but don't work locally (only Alice and then poke-fun-at people like the Thwaites).
The Snells and recently-returned Doc Locke are about the only exceptions.

Well you've got to poke fun at someone , at least the Thwaites are MCish.

I can't believe sensible Jill wouldn't have used a small stepladder or a chair

Surely Ruth could have delayed her oh so important meeting with the neighbours by a couple of minutes to take the cards down, given that it was obviously bothering Jill and it was oh-so-predictable that she would go climbing up to get them rather than leaving them for someone else to deal with?

You forget that "sensible" Jill is approaching 90, she could have used a stool but still needed to step onto a shelf to reach the cards.

My erstwhile 'sensible' mum is now forgetting what I have told her 6 times before and if she writes things down she can't read her own writing. She also needs to wear glasses, but hers are no use to her because she last her eyes tested 10 years ago, she laughs when I suggest she has her eyes retested.

How high is this bookcase!!!

Given the cards were most likely put there by Jill, I'm sure she could have managed without balancing precariously

How high is this bookcase!!!
We know from Nigel's demise that height and accident don't totally correlate in Ambridge!

I suspect Jill would have gone and got something sensible to stand on (or just got Toby to do it for her) if she hadn't been so determined to show Toby that she didn't need his help.

Even if she had got something to stand on she would still have had to fall off in order to be rescued by Toby. I know it's all contrived by the SWs, but some things appear more contrived than others - Gruach had it with her post of 19.05 (or thereabouts last night) Oh! Accident coming as soon as Jill mentioned taking down the cards. Then Pip's improbable request for Toby to go into the farmhouse and her assurance to him that Jill wouldn't be there. Sorry, just not enjoying the Brookfield storyline at the moment (a dissatisfaction that seems to date from the Great North Move).

SingingAvocado
The whole PirexTobes is doing my head in. Can't they just have a big accident and get rid of them.

Couldn't listen last night as I was in hospital, so when I listened to the afternoon repeat I was surprised when Jill thanked Toby after he helped her to the chair. I think Jill and Pip are going to both switch opinion on Toby, as pps have said.

Now you've all got me wondering what, if anything, they keep in the bookcase. I don't have anyone at Brookfield down as a big reader. It's probably still full of Phil's books, with maybe a shelf of Jill's cookery books, a 20-year-old RAC atlas and a pile of dusty, ancient Yellow Pages and Thomson Locals, mostly still in the wrappers.

This is on the top shelf, after Kenton threw it at Shula during that very tense 7th birthday party:

Yes, the fall from the shelves thing does seem ridiculously contrived. If they wanted Toby to rescue Jill, surely he could come on her after a fall in the yard or something.

I was surprised when Jill thanked Toby
I thought it sounded as though it had been done under duress.

Rex could even get casual zero hours contract work in a warehouse - I bet there's that sort of work available between him and Birmingham. Crappy work. But better than nothing.

Typical Helen, being all upset that Kirsty hadn't told her the big news. Looking forward to seeing her have a major grump when Kirsty doesn't spill during their catch-up.
I've a name suggestion for the new baby (boy) - Saucisson!

Have just finished listening to Fag Ash being outmanoeuvred by Miranda (whom I think of as a sort of Lady Bracknell figure, only an actual woman, not a drag dame) and it's reminded me that, at one point, Tiger was having an affair with his PA (name escapes me). I am hoping that Fag Ash finds her dignity down the back of the sofa when the parallel hits home to her, and she exits the arrangement with Justin a tout a l'heure.

Helen is getting on my tits. I hope Pat's little encomium sparks some flicker of self-awareness in that dozy bint's head. Your kids, your family, your friends - how about you think of them and the pain you put them through if you can't summon sufficient self-esteem to put your own personal safety and happiness at the forefront of your mind.

Sorry. Rant over. Been a rather stressful day!

Where is Pat? Harrumph.

how about you think of them and the pain you put them through if you can't summon sufficient self-esteem to put your own personal safety and happiness at the forefront of your mind.

Interesting that Justin made feeble effort to retain some of the "social" side. Also not sure what Lillian's function will be now that Miranda is making the appointments, though I suppose that's the point.

A teeth-itching moment when the posh Fag Ash said: "I was reading a magazine, instead of maga^zine." American intonations not quite right.

KingscoteStaff

Finding the Justin/Miranda thing hard to keep up with. First of all he was buying Brookfield so could come and live in Ambridge with her horses, then he was renting the Dower House because Miranda didn't want to live in Ambridge and preferred to stay in town, now she's back by his side bossing Lillian around and treating her the way Lillian used to treat Anthea (since wiped off the face of the earth). Lillian doesn't need the money does she - why doesn't she just hand in her notice and tell Justin and Miranda they can get out of her house while they're about it?

Miranda has obviously leapt to Justin's side as a response to their obviously close relationship revealed by the pantomime, so that element is totally consistent. I do agree though, if Justin hasn't got the balls to stand up to Miranda then Lill might as well tell him to sling his hook.

I hope Pip is doing her own bit of comparing and contrasting in relation to Rex and Toby. Logically their means must be the same with the notable exception that Toby is living rent free and has her £5K. Therefore if Rex is living off batch-cooked lentils whilst Toby is planning on taking her away for a dirty weekend, there is only one person who is paying for that weekend, and it's not Toby.

The trouble is that he now has brownie points for rescuing Jill, so Pip will presumably continue to close her eyes to his freeloading.