Lies and subterfuge in Ambridge - from a policeman? That's just not cricket! Discuss The Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

Thank you R4 for the title.

I wondered if the Usha/cricket SL was a dig at recent-ish Cases against the BBC where female TV presenters have been put out to pasture long before their similar-age male colleagues.

I think Ben is supposedly off school sick, hence Pip being delegated to feed him.

Ben's feigning sickness because of bullying on the school bus over living on an unclean farm (IBR). Josh and Pip know this, but Ruth doesn't yet.

Plenty of women with hobbies in Ambridge. Kirsty goes birdwatching. Women always involved in panto. Shula is/was a churchwarden and was a long-term bellringer. Lily is a bellringer now. Usha is, or was, a runner. Anisha runs now. Jennifer reads books for pleasure . A great many of the Archer women are horsey types. Vicky met Mike at their salsa class. Carol has her herbalism. Jill and Carol are watching old films. Kathy used to run a film club at the village hall.

Also amateur dramatics, gardening, yoga (Kate), Young Farmers, volunteering in village activities. The upcycling started as a hobby. Jenny and Lilian both enjoy opera, although I suspects it's more for the atmosphere than the music, but I think Lynda actually loves the music.

Quite right Gaspode and Broomstick, thanks for the reminder!

She is the pope of farmers - infallible. - maybe Pip should be renamed Pope.
I agree with DDD's comments about Huge Canoe demonstrating how great drama can be generated with an agricultural storyline and without anyone requiring a character transplant. I really think the IBR storyline is TA at its best. If Pip (Pope) had fessed up straightaway to the broken fence and the stray cows she might have got away with it - and Toby would have got brownie points too for helping her clear up. There was no sign that the cows were sick at that stage - Pip couldn't have known that. On Toby's advice she has compounded the problem - this storyline has finally helped me see the point of Toby and Pip - it wouldn't have been possible without her falling under his influence right back to not fixing the fence in the first place. It's not David who is not half the farmer his father was, but Pip.
Re. bookclubs, one of my favourite comedy subplots was Jim's involvement with the bookclub and his book choices. A million times more interesting than the tedious cricket team plot (which is being played out with all the tediousness of a long cricket match in which there will be no winner and in case I will be past caring).

The IBR sl is fab. The Lilian sl is crap but I can forgive him a little of he is trying to tie up crap left by soc

The cricket sl is awful though - and he can't even blame soc for it. I just hope he turns it around.

(I also can't take usha seriously given what happened a few years ago with the actress)

I also love the Ed and Emmur story. I think the whole rural poverty problem is a rich source of great storylines - highlighted even more sharply by the contrast between those born into land owning families with housing, employment and investment handed to them on a plate. This is what the TA is all about - real life in the countryside not random psychopaths taking up residence.

I reckon by tonight's episode Pip will have high-tailed it off to Brighton with Tobes

Woah!!! I've just looked up Souad Faress / Usha on Wiki. It lists her skills as "dancing, horse riding, yoga and ... *cricket."
Do you think the storyline came from her?
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• Cricket? Really? The actress was born in 1948 so she is 69 y.o. I sound like Harrison now.

The cricket storyline feels off to me, it does feel as if they are having a not so subtle dig at the silly feminists.
Also whilst I undesrstand farming is a very demanding job surely other farmers manage to ensure their children go to school, and feed them now and again.

I'm sorry R4 but I found myself feeling affronted that Souad Faress' age would deny her the ability to do all of the activities including cricket. ( maybe because I am heading that way myself and can still tick off those activities. ) maybe I am misunderstanding.

Surely David and Ruth have been shit parents for quite a long time? They don't give half the thought other Ambridge parents give to their kids' schooling (sort of expect them to turn out a bit thick) and basically abandon them, which is a bit rich considering they work at home. They've endlessly indulged Pip and til recently it was the same with her wheeler dealer brother.

I don't see why a 69 year old wouldn't be able to play cricket - haven't you ever seen the old buffers who play village cricket? And I know women that age who do a 20 mile cycle commute and swim daily.

Mini I'm not doubting that she can dance, ride horses and do yoga. It's just the cricket - I don't think you get many cricketers of either sex at that age. Maybe the Wiki page was written a while ago.

The reason Harrison didn't want her in the team is that she isn't very good and is unlikely to improve. The older men playing can probably play quite well.

This just seems like a sl about the little womenz spoiling it for the men. Rather than accepting she's just not very good she's tried to make out its about being an older woman.

It wouldn't surprise me if we end up with a men vs women match that ends with the men just winning it but gaining respect for the women because they put up a jolly good fight. Bleurgh

haven't you ever seen the old buffers who play village cricket?

Obviously I don't move in the right ovals circles.

Her wiki page looks like she wrote it herself!! She's an odd woman

Anti - maybe she did, anyone can write or alter a wiki page

True about the Dopeys' lack of interest in their children's education. One of the more ludicrous aspects of the Prudhoe storyline was that it never seemed to occur to them that it really wouldn't be a good idea to move Josh and Ben out of their respective schools, particularly with Josh in the middle of A Levels.

I can't remember why it was that Pip didn't repair the fence - did she just forget or was she distracted?

Maybe Pip has dementia. I'm sure she forgot to mend the fence, which I guess is fair enough. What I can't get my head around is that she forgot for about 10 days that the cattle had escaped. That makes zero sense

True red - although that's not why I think she's odd!!

I'm looking forward to the scales falling from the eyes of the dopeys

I bet Pip's comeuppance is going to be dragged out until Easter when we'll be away visiting rellies.

I wonder if anyone will notice if I sneak out to the car at 7pm on Good Friday?