Brian is over a barrel, Alice has drained the barrel and Shula has given it to Alistair with both barrels - The Archers is not exactly a barrel of laughs at the moment.

[PseudoBadger]

Thanks to @LillianGish for the thread title.

big estates are far less common in England

Are they? I grew up on a large estate, my cousins grew up on a large estate, my godmother is on a large estate, as is my sister''s godmother, and my sister rents a cottage on a large estate. Admittedly they don't have endless grouse moors, but TA seems fairly normal to me. Probably depends on the part of the country, to some extent.

I hardly like to mention it but there's a certain pregnant person we haven't heard from for quite a while I have been enjoying it so much recently and you have just highlighted the reason why. When she’s not there you could almost forget she exists - haven’t given her a single thought until you reminded me here. So much better without her.

I know Lillian I literally forgot she existed!

He needs to be emphasising his good points to Shula, not his bad ones.

So true. Or putting her firmly in the doghouse, even if it means faking some attitude.

What are people's thoughts on Olwyn and Helen? I think H has been awful but then remembered I've known a few Olwyns in my time at they do wear a bit thin. Don't understand why her and Pat weren't helping her with practical matters: correspondence address, job/ benefit / spare room or caravan to rent in the future / meals with the happy friends - solidarity not charity and all.

Well it must be difficult to suddenly have to share your home with an unknown person who might be there for ever.

Olwyn is obviously very sensitive and has disappeared before Pat and Helen could offer her practical help. Not that she seemed the type to accept it.

I wouldnt enjoy the sharing my home bit but I think help doesn't have to be charity per se. Using the farm as a correspondence address to apply for work or finance and helping her find a non client facing role: cleaning the picker's caravans, fruit picking (bonus temporary home), chicken factory? Don't Susan and Clarrie need a hand? Now Tom's kefir and Helen's classes are taking over. That'd put the cat amongst the pigeons

If I was Helen I would also be pointing out to Pat that she is utterly unsuitable to volunteer for a homeless charity where surely one of the first guidelines is ' don't invite people who use the service to move in with you'

Good point about the caravan. (If Bridge Farm still has one? Presumably updated since Ed and Emma’s residency?) All those acres could surely house a mobile home or undiscovered tumbledown cottage that Olwen could enjoy - out of sight and mind of Helen.

I do hope Pat finds her and that Olwen will allow herself to engage in some conversation towards a solution. I genuinely don’t like to think of her cramped and isolated in her car.

What are people's thoughts on Olwyn and Helen?

I understand Pat's desire to help Olwyn but honestly inviting someone to live with you for an indeterminate time without even a discussion is a lot to ask the family to accept.

Especially when that someone is as prickly and uncompromising as Olwyn.

I don't see how Olwyn could help in the dairy without the relevant training/hygiene certs and if I was Helen I really don't think I'd want her there.

I reckon Olwyn is some kind of catalyst for Pat and other members of Bridge Farm. e.g. Pat has seen another side to Helen, and she's seeing some of their decisions through a different lens.

It would be quite nice if someone at Bridge Farm recognised that Helen is essentially a horrible human being.

If I was Helen I would also be pointing out to Pat that she is utterly unsuitable to volunteer for a homeless charity where surely one of the first guidelines is ' don't invite people who use the service to move in with you'

Indeed. And once she was there Pat offered no practical help. You are all right about the caravans- amongst the Ambridge farms there must be an empty caravan available.

Re showing Helen up as horrible- it is not a terribly good example as there are plenty of valid reasons to take issue with Pat's behaviour here.

Olwyn/Olwen is horrible though!

The worst kind of 'activist'. Imposing her views on others, & often she gets things wrong - e.g. thinking that doing the washing up by hand uses less water & energy than a dishwasher which is not true.

And disapproving of new housing being built when there is a massive housing crisis in the country - which probably contributes to the fact that she is homeless!

I can’t feel much empathy for Olwyn, though AS is brilliant in the role. She has made bad decisions and failed to learn from them, for instance, knowing that always speaking her mind is foolish but not stopping herself from doing it over and over again—even in her sixties and homeless.

I agree, I would last 5 minutes with olwyn in my house.

I hadn't even noticed Pip was missing, it's not a good advert for the great future of Brookfield if most of us were delighted or didn't even notice. I have missed Lillian recently and even characters such as Anisha who I am fairly neutral about, I have at least noticed that she hasn't spoken for 5 years.

Yes, Anisha's silence is surprising since her business partner has one of the major storylines at the moment ...

Is a divorce really that much of a surprise? Surely "I don't want to be married to you anymore" = "I want a divorce".

Lower Loxley - the new heartbreak suite!

In all the discussion of Jake, there has been nothing said about Mia.

In all the discussion of Jake, there has been nothing said about Mia.

This has been bugging me. Its like she stopped to exist when Nic died. Its all about WillJake.

Mia and Jake used to spend part of the week or at least regular time with Andrew when Nic was alive. Why would Will assume that they wouldn't want to be with Andrew now, at least for more of the time? Especially if cramped in one house, 6 adults and 5 kids.

Loved Will's comment about "putting on the washing for Mum" because obviously its Clarrie's job to look after his and "his" kids' washing

In all the discussion of Jake, there has been nothing said about Mia

Yes they seem to have mislaid her and no-one has noticed.

I'm rapidly losing sympathy for Will. How can he not see Jake (and Mia for that matter) would not want to be with their father?

Mind as well as losing Mia they seem to have forgotten there is a perfectly good house going spare.

Eddie last week "She was my Susan too".

Will is like Joe without the ferrets.

Yes Mia must be feeling very peeved, with Poppy being taken over by Keira. Or maybe she's not a particularly sensitive type and 'gets on with things' while Jake is pubertal and being understandably difficult.

Will is just his wood like self, apt for a game keeper!

Eddie needs to talk to both Jake and Will.