The dog days of summer are approaching Ambridge. Freddy’s being hounded and Brian is in the dog house - can Jenny take the ruff with the smooth?

[PseudoBadger]

Thanks to all for the dog ideas, and special mention to Ppeatfruit.

Discuss the Archers here!

Hilda Ogden for the win. All the rest will be cowering in fear behind their owners.

I always thought it was strange that the 'gymkhana' competitiveness doesn't seem to be a feature in Ambridge. Lots of the younger ones had ponies/horses a few years ago and would have been going to things. You would think Shula would have fun days for her riders, and be sending them off to events around the county. What happened to Anisha's competition horse? And Freddie's pony?

It can't just be hunting that local horse people are interested in.

In a word....Bartleby

Way to go, Kate!

I don't understand Ed's trauma over Peppa Pig The Lamb. At agricultural shows round here there are always loads of kids as young as about six showing their own stock. I'm sure some of them have stupid names.

Oh no, Kate... hopes dashed. Brian has no tact whatsoever.

I missed the crucial bit where Brian explained why Kate's plan couldn't happen. Can someone fill me in please.
'

The contract says she could only be paid over 10 years with very low interest rates, only with the agreement of the other partners, and would lose her income from the farm.

Mind you, since Kate never reads smallprint, emails or anything remotely tedious he could be making that up and Kate would never know.

I can’t abide Kate- but blimey, Brian was brutal!

Thanks. So, anticipating that she would want to do that, he deliberately had that written into the contract?

So, anticipating that she would want to do that, he deliberately had that written into the contract?

Drafted into the contract. Kate could have queried it but "since Kate never reads smallprint, emails or anything remotely tedious" she didn't spot it. I don't think any of the DC took legal advice, did they?

Brian sounded exactly like Roger Allam, in one of his creepy roles, at the end of that episode.

Utterly bored to the tits with Ruth. God, that character is dull.

I fear Brian may come to regret the way he dealt with that - surely there's a danger that Kate will just lash out by publicising who caused the land contamination.

Shula really hacks me off moaning about the mediation. She's hardly in a position to complain about how Alistair chooses to deal with it when it's entirely down to her that he was forced to be there in the first place.

I always thought it was strange that the 'gymkhana' competitiveness doesn't seem to be a feature in Ambridge.

I have vague (possibly false) memories of Shula and Alice having been in gymkhana with pony club when they were girls (might have read the Shula bit

...as I'm too young to remember hearing her at that sort of age.

Agree that Kate is a numpty but Brine was so gloatingly horrible to her.

Almost as horrible was Pip talking about leaving a "slither" of the carrot cake for David. Sliver!!! Or are SWs getting some authenticity by inserting gratuitous mispronunciations?

So could Kate sell her shares to someone else? Justin for example?

Brian said she would need the agreement of all the partners to be bought out, so unlikely.

Just wondering whether the rules would be different if she sold to an outsider, rather than being bought out by the partnership.

With the disclaimer that this is the Archers and therefore anything could happen, I would think that Brian's solicitor would have made sure Brian wasn't at risk of losing control like that.

Oh yes, I had forgotten that Brian appears to be the only person in the Archers who ever takes legal advice about anything.

Oh and Will. He went to see someone claiming to be a solicitor, didn’t he?

I'm catching up on the last 8 episodes. I'm currently clenching my bottom in embarrassment at Elizabeth and Lily!

Utterly bored to the tits with Ruth. God, that character is dull.

Have you noticed the rush to defend her ...?