Quelle surprise! Rob hasn't FOTTFSOF and is in fact hiding in the bushes at Henwee's school. Discuss the latest unlikely Archers events here.

[PseudoBadger]

What do we want?
Realistic storylines!
When do we want them?
As soon as the writers see this!

If Rob's plan was to hang around until the opportunity presented itself to abduct Jack but not Henry why, in the meantime, was he bothering to have those meetings with Henry? He didn't need Henry to help fulfil his plan, and talking to him was risky in itself if Henry spilled the beans.

He did need Henwee though to give him a minute by minute breakdown of his movements.

Just placemarking after having missed out on the last few threads.

I cant quite believe that Helen, who didn't seem to quite believe Rob had gone, would have left the boys in the car or at least not locked them in.

Hells bells! What's happened?

Yes, thank you Vango. I did enjoy Amadeus very much. Now I've made the mistake of reading this before listening to the episode and obviously my prediction of this being a quiet night was completely wrong.

I thought it would be 'safe' tonight too and listened to the podcast late - it always used to be my bedtime relaxation before Rob started being dastardly after which I had to make sure I listened earlier, and I was getting back into the habit.

At least the weather seems more like what we've actually been getting today.

Henry was involved mostly to inform Rob of everyone's whereabouts and because of the betrayal he's going to feel when he realises Rob was just using him to get Jack. Also because of the psychologist's report and social workers and safeguarding and no one keeping an eye on him at school etc.

I didn't think Pat or Tony will be dedded, but possibly Jack will, or in any case, the whole event will make Pat's words to Kirsty about not being an interfering grandmother a lie.

Vango, you may expect a bill in due course, to cover the counselling fees after being reminded of the shower scene.

Don't suppose SOC wants to take Toby & Pip over to EE?

Also, well done on the bakuasana, Cromwell. Well impressed. I managed it for about half a second once.

Confirmed heathen here - also opposed to child abduction even though Jesus didn't talk about it at all

And R4 Apple Tree Yard is about ;spoilers) rape and murder. I've read the book

Just checking in after several threads absence
My burning question is this.....
I live in a village very similar to Ambridge (1 shop, 1 church, 1 pub, several farms, school in neighbouring village etc) I can assure you that it would be utterly impossible for me to disappear, yet park my car in deserted lanes and hang round outside the school without somebody noticing and commenting (and I'm not an abusive rapist)
Unless Rob is driving the Magical Mystery Machine I fail to see how he's managed it

Sticker and Faintly

I'm torn about Rob. On one hand it does feel like cheating on many levels to kill him off, especially on the emotional abuse side of things and what message that may be sending to victims.

On the other I am kind of bored of the whole thing and would welcome
the chance to move on...

Maybe Rob won't die but will be caught with Jack and get sent down for kidnapping?

Only just listened to the archers podcast on my night shift (favourite mopping past time activity).

Shit just got real !

We're out tonight but fortunately the play we are going to doesn't start till 7.30pm so I may be able to listen live via headphones. My husband had vetoed the idea that I could listen during the play.

FaintlyBaffled I always used to marvel that Brian was able to park his large, expensive and hence unmistakable car in the centre of Ambridge and nip into Honeysuckle Cottage for an afternoon of nooky with Siobhan and nobody ever noticed or commented! I know the figleaf was that he was talking to her about Hungarian translations but come on, really? Several afternoons a week for months on end?

Agree with all that - grew up on a farm, and a couple of times, father was the first to hear of affairs happening because he'd seen the cars and people . One we saw from the school bus, too. I can't advise conducting an affair on a school bus route when you are a supply teacher and your daughter is at the same school as half the people on the bus.

And it's not like no one's aware he's left his job and flat, so people would say they thought they'd seen him, but didn't so-and-so say he'd left the village?

(And no, phone, you can not offer "he'd of" as a possible spelling. I might have to disown you if you can't improve your grammar and up your autocorrect game.)

I don't think Justin and Lillian come out of the abduction well either - there's a huge difference between telling people Knob's left in a hurry to start a new job i.e. start a new life and the fact that he's been sacked from his job and told he'll never work anywhere again i.e. not much to live for. I think if Helen had known the latter she would have been on her guard along with everyone else - as indeed she was until Lillian's false reassurances.

I really don't understand how no one noticed a bearded stranger hanging round the playground! At the very least you'd think Henry's teachers might have wondered why he was always alone at break and apparently talking to the hedge?

I thought Rob sounded pretty broken and he called the baby Jack throughout as well.

Listening to the news at the moment, all this Rob stuff is distracting from what should be the big story - how BF can benefit from the European veg shortages.

Unless its very well done, I'll be annoyed if they just kill off Rob. I want to see him apprehended, then charged with everything- kidnap, rape, coercive control, and whatever GBH/assaulting a police officer might transpire tonight. Maybe not anything culvert related as that's probably unprovable at this point. Proper process of justice, Henry able to see him as a villain not a victim, and the possibility of return many years hence.

I agree. Although it's hardly the main issue at the moment.

I know Lass!

Just trying to take my mind off a traumatised Henry!

Peace - wee gobshite

What would we think of a jail sentence and the possibility of rehabilitation? Many years hence.

Oh blimey that wasn't predictable was it FGS? Was the yard lit? Where was Johnny?

Probably Knob has been parked in a bit of rarely used forest. You could hide round here in the forests as long as there's no hunting going on

Are we allowed to make predictions? I reckon Tony'll be back and stop it. (or smash into the car) NOOOOOO

Hell would've kept looking out of the window at the car, to check the kids, she intuited that Knob hadn't properly gone.

Where do we think Rob is planning to take Jack? I don't think he's bent on annihilation at the moment, its highly unlikely they could flee the country. He's had a bit of time to think about this - is he so delusional that he thinks he can just take Jack back to Hampshire and possession will be 9/10 of the law?

ppeat - Johnny's absence was mentioned when Pat was dithering about going to see Kirsty, cant remember but I'd have thought just college - it cant have been that late for Henry to be being taken out.