Who let the cows out? Moo, moo, moo moo! Will Pip be caught out, and will Matt or Justin bowl a maiden over? Discuss The Archers here

[PseudoBadger]

'Ello pusscat!
I am eagerly anticipating Pip's downfall.

So who should be appointed to act in Ruari's interests?

Could be tricky. Great potential for future plot lines.

Brian? I suspect he'll argue that his and Ruari's interests neatly coincide in any disagreement with the other shareholders effectively giving Brisn more shares than anyone else for the next few years.

Siobhan's mum? Is she still around? Would she be prepared to take it on or have the knowledge?

A solicitor? Eg Usha?

Elizabeth? She was Siobhan's friend and I think offered to look after Ruari when Siobhan died.

Thanks for that spelling R4 you made me laugh out loud!

Do farmers not insure their cattle against disease?

They can. Most such policies cover diseases like foot&mouth or anthrax, where you'dealt have to cull the whole herd, rather than comparatively minor diseases like IBR (that is comparatively minor, not absolutely minor.) I think I posted a couple of links a few weeks back when it was discussed before.

I don't know how many farms take our such insurance. I remember my father saying he was glad he had taken out f&m insurance. Fortunately, we never needed it. But the way he said it implied it wasn't that commonplace.

I was thinking that as the NFU are big insurers and David used to be the local chair, he'd be the sort to have just about everything covered but then as TheAntiBoop pointed out, they wouldn't pay out due to negligence.

Where on earth has all Ruth's inheritance gone? I thought she had £500K from the insurance Heather took out plus the sale of the house. They're talking as though she was only left the value of the house.

Mootsie that was all explained tonight, when Rooth and Daveeed discussed their financial position, apparently a lot of it is tied up. A sober person will be able to give you the exact details

They didn't get as much for Heather's house as hoped, and then all the legal fees and stuff. And a load of it is tied up in a pension and in bonds they can't touch for years.

Kingscotestaff yes, it was exactly like that!
And very "We know listeners will be thinking 'it's ok they've got Ruth's inheritance' but for dramatic reasons we're not having that. Here's a handy guide to why they wont avoid penury..."

All assets can be liquidated - it will just be at a cost.

I obviously wasn't paying attention.

It was very clunky, wasn't it? But otherwise quite satisfying - Pip squelched, Pat bracingly firm, Ruth frantic and for once telling her idiot daughter how it is.

Ruth thought £20k for Tony's herd, if I heard right - she said 'about the same as the tractor', didn't she? That doesn't seem too crushing in the context of all the assets they could cash, albeit at a cost.

Why would Adam and Debbie be incandescent? Wouldn't they expect to share the farm with their siblings? And they twice the influence of their siblings?

I thought Brian was very sensible in his plan as it will enable them to sell while keeping it in the family and it not being onerous.

I assume those who work on the farm get a salary and then they all get an income from any profits. For feckless Kate it's the perfect plan.

Unlike Brookfield, they are keeping the farm in the family without effectively disinheriting the other kids

I missed last night's episode - Home Farm future inheritance, Ruth's past inheritance: compensation payouts, and Kenton's control over the pub - did I miss an episode of Moneybox?

Why would Adam and Debbie be incandescent? Wouldn't they expect to share the farm with their siblings? And they twice the influence of their siblings?

THey are the two who have committed their future to the farm businesses. I remember the inheritance being raised before where the farm itself was carved between Debbie, Adam and then Ruaraidh with a separate 'package' for Alice and Kate which included a cottage for each of them and some other assets.

What I didn't understand last night was how Brian was retaining full ownership whilst giving the shares in the business to the children. Surely the farm belongs to the partnership or to him and if it belongs to the partnership he won't retain full ownership?

Unlike Brookfield, they are keeping the farm in the family without effectively disinheriting the other kids

The story at Brookfield always seems to be based on the assumption that only one child can derive a living from it and the others have to bugger off elsewhere. I remember Phil'n'Jill tying themselves in knots when Mark was redrafting the business documents for them on how to prevent Ruth getting her claws on the farm if she and Darling David divorced.

I've generally assumed that Perfect Pip was being groomed to be the new Dan/Phil/David with Josh being the new Kenton and Ben swanning off overseas until they need a storyline for him.

And the bridge farm archers are getting greedy aren't they?

Not really. They're asking to be put back in the position they would have been in but for David's and Pip's negligence. Nothing unreasonable about that.

Brookfield insurance wouldn't pay out due to negligence

Well, no. If Brookfield had insurance, they wouldn't pay out unless there was negligence. Due to the fact that Brookfield wouldn't be liable if they hadn't been negligent. If you have a car accident, your insurers won't pay out to the people you injure unless you were at fault.

"And the bridge farm archers are getting greedy aren't they?"

Are they? They are't seeking damages or anything- just like for like compensation.

I think Tom is getting greedy. If I were the dopeys I would very carefully audit what they are asking for.

I can't imagine farm insurance wouldn't pay out for the ibr at Brookfield as it was brought to the farm through negligence. If they had documents saying they had an IBR free herd then I suppose they can sue the sellers

And the bridge farm archers are getting greedy aren't they?

I think its entirely reasonable for them to ask to be returned to the position they were in before the disease. They haven't asked for anything for pain, distress and inconvenience.

I assume pat was sent to discuss terms because she knew Tony would be too wet and Tom would turn crazy

I can't imagine pip would last five mins working for an employer she's not related to

Just caught up with the last few days. Definitely good it was Pat - calm, clear and firm. As Pat should be, not the way she was under the thrall of SOC Rob.

I also liked the way Alice calmly and competently dealt with Pip's flat tyre and sorted her out, and very much liked Chris.... but not so much the harassment anecdote being to illustrate her cocking up at work without being clear her mistake was that her email should have been just to her manager formally documenting the incident, not to her pal...oooh yes Pip, remember him?

Hopefully pip will boot toby out now, but he's tied to Ambridge by Scruff gin now (I suppose as he's nicking herbs from Lynda's garden, where doubtless Scruff is interred or his ashes are scattered, that's an accurate name).

I have an image of Toby pitching Scruff gin on The Apprentice and being met with baffled stares.

Brrokfield's insurance would probably not pay out to Brookfield for its own losses because they were negligent in buying cattle without no- IBR certification.

However if they had cover for damage to third parties then, as Ceto says, it would cover those third parties' losses in the event of damage caused by Brookfield's negligence (but insurers would be want to be very sure of the causal link, they'd make Bridge and Home farms (or their insurers) put in very detailed claims and would fight hard to limit the payouts). However Brookfield's insurance might be invalidated by an admission of liability not pre-agreed with the insurers. I imagine that the writers have decided for dramatic effect that Brookfield has no third party insurance that covers damage they cause by introducing disease to another farmer's herd.

On Chris' accent, presumably he'd talk just like Emma, Susan and Neil but his yokelly edges might be softened to RP through dealing with posh horse owners for his business and being married to Alice.

On Alice what annoys me most is that she is a highly trained engineer who was doing proper design work with her old employer but has morphed into basically a saleswoman with little or no discussion about this fundamental change in the nature of her job. I may be wrong but I'd expect a company like hers to have separate tech people and sales people.

Is Eccles the peacock still going?
Anything Eccles gin sounds better than Scruff gin.