The future at Brookfield looks Rosie, and will Home Farm be home no more? Discuss The Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

And there’s some rubbish about an ex-stripper policeman?

And it was a cure, more or less?

Are you doubting the power of the Ambridge Health Fairy?

perfectly put, Gruach! I hope he doesn't go to Manchester ...

Oh, didn't see all the other posts - was agreeing that Russ sounded "dangerously lovely'!

Surely Emma would realise that both she and Neil would have to declare an interest?
She then goes on to say that even though the Parish council didn't support the change of the planning application it wouldn't make any make any difference. So what is she do bothered about?

She's bothered because the reality is she only stood for the council in order to promote the affordable housing so she's baffled that she wasn't able to do so. It would be good if Neil could get it through her head that the job of a parish councillor is to support the community, not their personal interests.

peartree I thought we'd end up with Russ seeing both Elizabeth and Lilly, luckily less likely now that Lilly's fessed up

...the fact that Russ knew about Freddie dealing will get out now.

This leaves Freddy with the perfect defence....confused, bereaved, fatherless youth, confides in college deputy head that he is being forced by the evil Ellis to deal drugs against his will. Authority figure reveals he is having illicit affair with Freddy’s twin and poor Fred is so devastated he takes to dealing to get his own back on the cruel world he inhabits...

I see a suspended sentence/community service order and a fine for Fred.

Russ can add concealing a crime to his rap sheet.

I like your thinking, Wurzel. I certainly can't see any other way he'll get off being incarcerated.

Incidentally, I think I found Harassment's boss online this morning....

Poor Susan.
Silly Lily.

Well, Lily ought to be in a better position this morning because her mother will be on the case. If she has any energy left for the fight ...

But of course it depends on the SWs ability to interpret any criminal and civil legal advice they’ve been given.

I cannot understand how Freddie’s legal advisor didn’t insist that he reveal the full story. You simply can’t defend someone with one hand tied behind your back.

So glad Lily has finally revealed the truth. Pity she forgot to mention he’s married. I was expecting Lizzie to say: ‘bbbbbut, what about Meredith?’

But we don't know that Lizzie didn't go on to say that after we heard Barwick Green.

So now, Lizzie knows that Lily lied about Meredith and about Freddie and the drugs. She probably doesn't yet know that Freddie knows about Russ, nor that Russ knows about the drugs. And if she has a go at Russ about Lily, she still doesn't have a reference for Freddie, and if anyone else finds out about Russ, the reference will be worthless anyway.

When Russ is inevitably sacked/arrested or whatever, he and therefore Lily, will blame some combination of Lizzie and Freddie, but she won't be able to stay anywhere owned by some mate of Russ's and she will just be living at home full of resentment for the next 20 years. And Russ will probably not see that he's done anything wrong at all and will blame Lily for misinterpreting "just a bit of fun," and he never promised anything.

and if anyone else finds out about Russ, the reference will be worthless anyway.

But its necessity would be very much diminished as so much of the blame currently being shouldered by Freddie will be redistributed to Russ and Ellis.

Usha could insist as much as she liked that Freddie tell the full story, she can't make him. All she could do would be to refuse to continue representing him, and she may well take the view that, having known the family so long, she stands a better chance of presenting the best possible case than other solicitors.

What I don’t understand is that Lily is clearly an intellugent young woman, yet she completely failed to grasp that the minute she revealed her connection to Russ the reference became utterly useless....in fact even if she hadn’t chosen to tell all to Lizzie she should have realised that Russ giving a reference was very risky indeed for both him and Freddie. I was absolutely NOT expecting her to see this as the right moment to gush about Russ, I was actually expecting her response to be scales falling from her eyes about how duplicitous and stupid Russ was.

The description for that episode was ‘Russ plays a dangerous game’ . I’m struggling to see what Russ gains from providing the reference. Does he think it will keep Freddie quiet?

Russ may think that by providing Freddie with a reference he has the perfect excuse to delay his departure to Manchester. He can tell Lily that now would not be a good time to go and that they should wait until the fuss has died down.

Bet he did not expect Lily to confide in her mother.

That last episode was a doozy

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Russ made my flesh creep, what a greaseball

Also, the reference should get Elizabeth on-side (in his thinking,) so she'll be less likely to kick off over Lily.

I suspect he has miscalculated quite a few bits of how this will turn out.

The reference means he doesn’t have to leave his job or his wife. He will tell Lily that is so he can support Freddie, but in reality it gives him the reason he needs to stay where he is, which is what he planned all along.

The bloke playing russ is wonderfully oleaginous. My gentleman caller caught the last few seconds of his chat with elizabeth (not an archers listener at all) and went ‘haha he’s a proper wrong un, what’s his deal then’

I have a theory about the cheese if anyone wants to hear it?

I reckon the quality has gone down since there was all that mucking about with the kefir (sp?). Maybe Susan was so busy trying to impress with that that she took her eye off the ball?

Alternatively, when did the cheese making courses start?

Are we taking bets on whether Freddie ends up in prison?

I think Russ will be furious Lily has blabbed.

“I think Russ will be furious Lily has blabbed.“

Yes absolutely