Ambridge is in the doldrums. When will Pip pop? Does anybody even care? And Anisha’s off, leaving Rex in the (pig) trough? Discuss the Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

Sorry about the title, nothing particularly inspiring in the storylines currently

No spoilers please, there’s a thread for that.

'Debbie' (Tamsin Greig) was on a different programme half an hour after TA last night. It was a bit weird.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b8bmq0 ‘Ground Control’?

Yes ... She does elevate the series massively. It’s listed as a comedy drama and she’s somehow turned it into something rather monumental and tragic. (At least, the two episodes I’ve heard. May try to catch the omnibus on 4extra.) Although I’d rather she had spent that time on TA, of course.

Yes I’ve listed to a few of those, it is indeed odd but I’ve enjoyed it.

I did rather enjoy Fallon and Jazzer dress shopping, maybe even BOOP-worthy.

@R4 - that’s one of our local rivers, didn’t realise it had got that bad.

I know it's too out there for the archers but I would love Ed and Emma to win the lottery and buy home farm. I quite like Jenny but she was a terrible snob over the affordable housing, and Chris' family/friends at his and Alice's wedding party. I think there would be something rather satisfying in that.

Yeah but Ed and Emma aren't that sort of people. Will might?! Be a good place to raise a fahm-lee.

David really is vile.

I hope Josh manages to negotiate a cheaper rate with Adam so his rent doesn't go to his shit parents. Or he could buy out Rex's part of Hollowtree, which would keep Toby there for longer and annoy David more.

I saw her on an EasyJet flight once. TG, that is. She was wearing a floppy hat and humming to herself.

Maybe even Alice and Chris pay rent for their cottage.

I thought Alice owned her cottage. The children (not rory) had a holiday cottage each. They were all let out a holiday lets but Alice moved into hers. Kate also talked about moving into hers at 1 point.

So now we know what that odd conversation between Ruth and Jennifer was about; an opportunity for Brine to shut Ruth down at the meeting. A bit tortuous.

Agreed David is vile, and would be nice for Josh to put locks on the doors of the barn if he has to pay rent.

I so want Josh to call David's bluff & find somewhere cheaper to rent & not have to pick up all St Pip's work. They moan about what he doesn't do, give him no credit for what he does & all the time praise Pip to the heavens. I shall be so happy when he moves out & leaves them to manage without him - he should release Ben from the cereal cupboard & take him with him - see how Dave, Ruth & Pip cope then.

If I remember correctly Kate had been living in her cottage since she returned from South Africa - until she needed the income from it to fund Spiritual Home - at which point she moved back into Home Farm.

If we're exchanging sightings of TG, I once stood next to her on a District Line train. She was appearing in Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown at the time. She seemed to have just washed her hair and was adjusting it in the reflection of the window. She's shorter than I expected!

How tall is she?

Well, I'm 5'6 and she's a little shorter than me. So pretty much UK average, but she looks quite rangy on film, doncha think?

Oh. I thought she was tall. On wiki it says 1.68m which is 5'6" - i just looked. A lot of actors are quite short.

Gosh! I'd always thought she was tall too. That means she's no taller than me, and is actually around the height I think Debbie is.

Even more contented sigh tonight. So good to have her back. I hope she waves a magic wand and either sorts them all out this week or leaves them all at each others' throats while she jets back to Hungary. Either is good.

The thing I can't abide about David is that he honestly thinks he's being a good guy.

If he posted on AIBU about Josh and rent, and the whole world said YADBU, he'd be there bleating and defending himself to the thousandth post.

I think that David is feeling smug and it wouldn't cross his mind to post in AIBU. He and the young buck have locked horns: David thinks that he has won the tussle and put Josh in his place.

Yes, you've nailed it R4. That's what is so discomfiting about the relationship between David and Josh - David's competitiveness. Why does he feel he has to take Josh down a peg or two all the time? It's so unpleasant when parents allow that into their feelings for their children. It's like watching the Competitive Dad doing sliding tackles on his four year old playing football in the park.

The trouble is that TA has done the father v. son thing to death: Phil / David, Brian / Adam, Tony / Tom. Dan / Phil too, I think. But however these tussles played out (wise old head v impatient youth, stick-in-the-mud v innovation, etc), both parties had the best interests of the farm (in perpetuity) at heart.
The SW have decided not to do the inter-generational strife again at Brookfield Farm (Dopeys & SuperPip) so it has skewed sideways, into a business where there is no mutual goal. This is what is causing the bad feeling - the fact that they are pulling in different directions, that they have different priorities. There could be a mutual goal, with farm and machinery feeding off each other (it's a good-fit diversification), but the SW don't want that (?yet?).

Having said all that, I cannot understand David's attitude. If the decision is that SuperPip gets the farm then you would think that D&R would be encouraging Josh and Ben to find success by other means.

Having said all that, I cannot understand David's attitude
His belligerence has come out of nowhere.

If the decision is that SuperPip gets the farm then you would think that D&R would beencouragingJosh and Ben to find success by other means.

That would be logical...

I do like how Debbie is not automatically agreeing with Brian as he expected her to.

Brian's being incredibly manipulative and territorial. He clearly doesn't want to lose the house for personal reasons that have a lot to do with his ego - it suits him being Lord of the Manor, to say nothing of having a fuckoff big house with a fuckoff luxury kitchen, swimming pool etc so that he can show off to everyone around. But rather than say that, he's trying to guilt-trip everyone into saying how unfair it would be on poor JennyD to sell up. The fact that, if JennyD is suffering, he bears infinitely more responsibility than the likes of Ruth or Kate, is constantly being swept under the carpet.