The Archers #96: Is that a rat I smell or the whiff of Snell? In Chaucer’s famous Tale of Two Torsos, Brian’s ‘still got it’ and Poldark is searching for scything opportunities in Susan’s kitchen.

[NotdeadyetBOING]

Welcome..... I'd concocted a longer title with all sorts of references to bitch stitching and pasta bakes, but was thwarted by the pesky character limit

Personally I'd put her in one of her precious yurts.
Definitely! With nothing but goats to keep her warm.

Returning for the first time after the Helen /Rob story line!

Loving Lily starting to stand up to Ross. If Rob had growled, 'I gave up everything you!' Helen's response would have been a contrite, 'You're right. I'm sorry.' Whereas Lily's response is getting more along the lines of 'You can stick that manipulative crap up your Doley arse.'

I think all the work Lily is doing will (a) give her a real sense of her financial worth, employability and independence (b) bring home to her the fact that people who love each other work hard for each other when they hit hard times, rather than fannying about etching falcons.

I'm hoping Lily will drop uni and come to work with her Mum. She used to be intensely annoying but her stepping up to the plate, and also starting to slap Ross down is winning new respect for her from me.

I'm with Grumio I think Natasha shoplifted the presents

I just came on to ask if anyone else thinks Natasha shoplifted the presents, but see I've been beaten to it

I think Natasha is going to be revealed as from a very wealthy background and all the “successful businesswoman“ stuff will be off the back of Daddy’s money. I’m bound to get a prediction right eventually.

Ooooh. Chuffed that others agree with my prediction.

After all what else would she do when she goes to Market Harborough, and those other places?

Didn’t the Tuckers house get divided into two smaller houses years ago so Mike and Vicky could live in one half and Roy in the other half? Then Mike and Vicky sold theirs so they could move to Brum with baby Bethany. I imagine each house is only a 2-bed not three bed so it will be for Brian, Jenny and Ruari only. There was a conversation between Jenny and Kate that Kate would have to sort herself out, they weren’t looking for something big enough to accommodate her as well.

Yes, it's two little houses. Very much hoping that Kate is not going to come back for a while.

I think it will be laziness that will be the undoing of Russ. Lily is a grafter, as was Elizabeth before all this. Lily won't be able to tolerate his idleness.

I really enjoyed Helen’s little-heard sense of humour emerging when she was talking to Pat about the presents- eg “maybe she’d be right that we are cheapskates”. It was nice to hear her as a normal lighthearted woman. Hopefully her storyline with Lee is going to be nice and positive too, she’s obviously going to try to bump into him at the Laurels again today.

Brian wanted a study so that would be the third bedroom. Maybe Kate can share with Jonny and Hannah?

Roy’s house must be 3 bed at least - room for him, Kirsty and Phoebe/Abigail.

Did Natasha shoplift the hamper, too? Perhaps it was an unwanted raffle prize. Or a re-gift.

R4 maybe they will notice that half the stuff in the hamper has passed its use-by date.

(Happened to me once!)

So what did we all make of that?

Polly Filla, my dear.

You never know if it the character or the SW who are at fault.
Why didn't Lee know the proper date of the play: doesn't he get communication from the school (if not, why not), doesn't he actually speak to his DD. If he knows that the ex plays games then why didn't he get independent confirmation of the date. Anyway, aren't these things usually ticketed? etc etc

Lee should be receiving communication from the school himself. I hate Lee.

I don't want Lee to be bad news but it doesn't sound promising.

I believe we are unanimous that Natasha is bad news, anyone harbouring optimism for Lee?

I agree re Russ being bone idle. It will be his undoing. That and his insistence on organic whilst not earning. Lily wanted a father figure, a man. She wasn't looking a lay about teenager to support or a puppy with HB pencil.

His arrival seemed great timing for him as she needed a friend, but actually all he's done bar 1 cod gratin & a latte is add to her to do list and give her more to divide her attention. Did he even get her a birthday present? Or a card. He said his overdraft won't stand up to some new charcoal (iis that why he left Manchester?) He could at least have done her a picture.

Did he even get her a birthday present?
He could have sourced something from the big city, Personchester. Instead, he very unimaginatively and last-minute-ly got something from Ye Local Organic Shoppe, otherwise known as Lily's own second cousins at Bridge Farm.

anyone harbouring optimism for Lee?

A shred, on the basis that if the scriptwriter isn’t familiar with schools these days they may still be under the impression that the sole means of communication is a letter home with the child. I certainly would be if I spent less time reading Mumsnet! Fascinated to hear they are ticketed these days!

In terms of whether he talks to his daughter I do think the resident parent can make that pretty difficult if they want to.

I'm sure when the Grundys wangled a portaloo, Justin undertook to personally come and empty it as a service to the community...

If only there were a record of that conversation...

I think the thread title is uncannily prescient about the whiff of Snell, but now applied to the portaloo. :o

My kids are now in their late twenties, but their Christmas performances were always ticketed, an had two performances to allow as many relatives to attend as the regulations allowed. Luckily there wasn't a ban on taking videos, so I have one of the nativity in which my daughter was Mary, and my son was one of the Three Kings. Another of the mums took it while I sobbed embarassingly loudly with maternal pride.

I am optimistic about Lee. I hope that it is not Natasha or Hannah for Tom though.

I recall a discussion when the houses were created for/by the Tuckers when they agreed the split - one house was to be 3 bedrooms and the other two. it was Roy and Hayley who got the 3-bedroomed house and Mike (was Vicki on the scene then, possibly not yet?) got 2 bedrooms. The split was done, if I remember right, it was Mike‘s idea, to help Roy and Hayley get a house big enough for the two children.