Life in Ambridge
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Life in Ambridge
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Life in Ambridge
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Nothing to do with the current story-line but rather cute
ArcherphileNovember 21, 2022 at 11:30 AM
ReplyDeleteNot quite sure which anniversary TA will be celebrating next, but can’t help remembering the death of Nigel was just after Christmas on a big Archers anniversary.
Will Jill be sacrificed for the next one?
I hope it is not messy or dramatic, just being found asleep in a chair, like Phil, will do.
REPLYDELETE
ArcherphileNovember 21, 2022 at 11:32 AM
Perhaps a chair at The Laurels?
DELETE
Lady RNovember 21, 2022 at 11:44 AM
I was thinking of Nigel’s demise when the Christmas/ New Year scenario popped into my head AP…..Next Jan 1st it will be 72yrs since TA started had it been 75yrs I think that would have clinched it, however this is more to do with Patricia Greene’s eye (and age) condition hard when you have to read a radio script and have always been sighted. Has “Jazzer” actor always been blind I’m not sure I guess his script is in braille?
"Jazzer" was born without eyes, so has been blind his entire life. If what I have read is correct, he learns his lines by heart.
DeleteI am sure someone else can correct me, if got it wrong again.
maryellenNovember 21, 2022 at 12:35 PM
ReplyDeleteIt’s the loss of her vocal skills (an absolute necessity in a radio actor’) that I think is the chief reason for the actor to retire/be retired. ‘Peggy’ was lucky to keep hers for so long and continue to ‘act with her voice’. Sadly, Jill’s attempts to ‘act with her voice’. tend to distort. There may be a hearing problem contributing to that, since we need to hear our voices in order to monitor them (usually without realising we’re doing it, unless we’re actors or speechifiers!)
They fooled us again, as no one suggested Jill would walk over to the Bull.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good suggestion that she joins Shula, in this way they would both disappear and Kenton missed her presence.
When talking to Kenton, Ruth conveniently omitted the sale of the land which was the final straw for Jill's walkout, he might have reacted differently if he'd known.
And yes, George does have a crush on Fallon, he changed "his tune" very quickly when Eddie mentioned that she was involved. He was there like a shot to help her when Emma was unwell which didn't make sense at the time. Josh had a crush on Emma when she and Ed lived at Rickyard.
I find it’s hard to imagine George has a crush on Fallon. She must be years older than him!
ReplyDelete20 years, Fallon 1985, Emma 1984, George 2005, it's probably the same age difference as between Ruairi and Julianne.
DeleteWell AP. Start imagining. It is NOT unusual for a teenager to be attracted to an older woman. Why not? Women do not bcome unattractive on any specified birthday. That is not to say that self inflated stupid George is not whistling in the wind.
DeleteThere were considerable and legal reasons against the Lilly/Russ relationship was far more unexpected. Why the difference?
You are right, Pierre,, about the similarities between the Lily/Russ and the (potential) George/Fallon relationships - but can I correct the.reference to legality, please. The Lily/Russ relationship was not illegal because Lily was over 18 and a consenting adult. The same would be true of any hypothetical relationship between Fallon in her quasi-teacher role and over 18 George. Lily was not Russ’s pupil and what Russ offended against was college policy, applied regardless of the student’s age, not the law. Had they been at two separate colleges, no punishable offence would have been committed.
DeleteThanks Maryellen. You are spot on.
DeleteRuth was prepared to end her marriage after 18 years and run away with Sam the cowman.
ReplyDeletePerhaps she regrets going back on her decision. Also, what would Jill have to say about that?
Exactly what I asked a couple of days ago. Can you imagine, darling David being cuckolded by a mere cow man!
DeleteLike others, the last place I thought Jill would invite herself to, was The Bull.
ReplyDeleteThis to me seems a very crafty move though, where she won't be comfortable or happy as to her usual home comforts, what with the noise and late hours attributed to a pub. Jolene is tolerant and understanding at the moment but for how long?
Jill wants to outstay her welcome, so to "blackmail" her family to welcome her back with open arms.
I have always respected Jill, but sadly she is portraying those tradional elderly matriachal properties, that I have seen and heard, so often. That is:- as your mother/grandmother/ Gt. Aunt, I know best.
My thoughts on this situation.
Ooh, Miriam, just like Mr S's female mafia - grandmother, mother, sister, all of whom knew better than me. Only his sister left and she doesn't any more!
ReplyDeleteI always remember my late father who was usually a lovely, gentle bloke, saying to me:-
DeleteYou are my daughter, so it is your duty to do what I want!
It so upset me at the time.
This I relate to Jill, in a similar way.
Yes Paul, I fancy your mother rotten, ask Jakob.
ReplyDeleteI got on well with my mil once I stopped trying to mould myself on her personality and thought she had to accept me as I was rather than what she wanted me to be! She was a bit of a snob but this was based on her own insecurity. I did realise though that my acceptance of her was due to late acquaintance and unlike Mike and his two siblings I had not had to suffer a lifetime of her insecurities and dominance. The same can be said of Jolene and Jill but living together may change Jolene’s tolerance levels! Miriam, your father was old school and nowadays we don’t need to talk about duty!
ReplyDeleteMr S didn't go along with that, which is why we had two children and I'm not sure Jill does either. I wonder how much of what she does is down to a deeply- held belief in and adherence to a sense of duty. It might explain her conviction that a child conceived by accident should be brought to birth and raised by two people who neither love nor want it.
ReplyDeleteThere is an option forRuth & David that hasn’t been mentioned. When Ruth’s mother died they inherited a considerable sum, , a few hundred thousand as I recall, which was sensibly invested in a pension pot. They could very easily access this, even taking the money s a tax free sum. This would get them out of the debt to Vince that they foolishly put themselves in.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to the New Zealand trip they should tell Vince to go whistle & support Ben in saying so to. Vince has no claim moral or legal, Beth can go on the trip with a girlfriend, it might do her good.
You would have thought with the considerable amount of the loan that both parties would have wanted a written agreement on repayment meaning that Vince could not suddenly demand full repayment and David and Ruth would have had to pay it back within a given time. He has a real cheek in expecting them to reimburse him for the NZ trip and he is showing just what a nasty piece of work he is. The liaison with Elizabeth has always seemed very unlikely to me and hopefully she will now see their unsuitability and give him the push!!
ReplyDeleteAaaarrrgggghhhh! Vince Casey!
ReplyDeleteWhat a poisonous creature. Don’t know how David managed to restrain himself. 😵
Forty thousand is, in the case of a successfully running farm, peanuts.
ReplyDeleteThe running costs of many farms today run close to many many thousands and prudent investment in the future diversification of the farm would not have left Brookfield without a reasonable sum of capital.
I have recently bought into a building with management costs and was advised that the capital sum held was healthy. It is one building with four flats and there is far more than forty thousand in funds.
Ruth and David are responsible farmers and leaving themselves without any funds to cover possible emergencies is not very likely.
Not so true of smaller family farms Mrs P. Big farming conglomerates in East Anglia perhaps, but smaller family farms are almost living and to mouth these days.
Delete£40,000 could mean the end of them! Brookfield is not that small, obviously, but will still have to do something drastic (like selling land) to raise that amount.
It’s not just lying around in a bank account.
The whole Casey family is dysfunctional, Steph - he doesn't buy me things anymore, like her daddy who likes to throw money at things, according to Beth who's insecure. The trip was her birthday present with no small print attached - I'll give you something towards it was daft - and the one for the loan must have time and conditions for repayment. Let's see the back of them.
ReplyDeleteShe was just a passing fancy who sorted out Lower Loxley in one clean sweep, Russ's painting, Liz and all. Though there is a third younger daughter, who was to join the pony club, from second marriage?
DeleteSurely it is not legally enforceable for Vince to demand payment for the New Zealand trip?
ReplyDeleteI reckon David would have a good case against Vince for harassment and demands for money with menaces.
He would be absolutely stupid to cave in. Perhaps Harrison, or one of his collègues, or a good solicitor should be consulted. After all there were witnesses to what happened in The Bull last night.
Of course not, as I said above. That whole scene at the Bull was ridiculous, David to pay for his pint and then, oh, I'm short. The only sane person last night was Tracy.
DeleteThose two bonding over Diana Ross didn't get anywhere with JW interfering and Ruairi not being able to let go, why was Paul introduced in the first place.
I’m fed up with Tracy’s perpetual moaning.about her circumstances, making her listeners feel bad. But what got to me last night was her Ever So Sympathetic Voice advising David on Brookfield’s shattered relationship with Jill. This is Tracy Horrobin, screeching harridan, false accuser, relationship wrecker, without the grace or guts to apologise, turned relationship counsellor. I’m not one of her many real life admirers!
DeleteI was impressed by TA picking up on the topical promotion of warm havens, and interested that it was presented as an individual business owner’s initiative. In our area, the local Council blanket mailed residents some weeks ago, advising on where to find warm havens, mostly churches and libraries (where what you could do there was listed as reading and knitting. I couldn’t help feeling a television would be more welcome.)
Yes, but it was Tracy's "moaning" that prompted Jolene to set up a warm hub.
DeleteTV requires electricity and it could disturb those who are reading.
Would you compare Tracy to Vince? both standing up for their daughters.
What I feel though is that in each case the women were too quick to judge: Beth knowing her sister and dismissing Ben out of hand. Lily, jumping to conclusions without listening what Russ had to say.
What a boring episode yesterday evening, also one of those who is it speaking Ruari, Paul etc 😳
ReplyDeleteBut Lady R, surely the pub scene wasn’t boring.? Vince acting like a cave man threatening David with his cudgel!
DeleteAnd whatever is said about Tracy I still think she is good at heart. Acts misguidedly quite often but not an inately bad person like Vince.
KPNuts mentioned that Ruth could access money from the pension fund, she set up with her Mum's inheritance.
ReplyDeleteI don't think she can, as she is not yet 55yrs and isn't that age limit about to increase. Also at the moment, I think, only £25,000 can be taken as a tax-free lump sum, so with loss of capital, paying tax, and how investments have been going over the last year, would it be a wise decision?
I am still waiting to hear what Lizzie thinks as to Vince's demands as to - are they reasonable along with the reasons why, which are affecting her brother and nephew.
You are correct that Ruth is not 55 until next June ( I thought she was slightly older) but David is older & I would assume they each have a pension. The tax free sum is 25% of the pot value. At the time I remember thinking it would be sensible to have some money invested in a more accessible way, but they would have benefited from the tax relief already, probably worth more than the interest from many investments recently.
DeleteI’m not sure whether Elizabeth is still with Vince, she was pretty angry & telling him to get out at one point. Did Antone else think she sounded pleased that Russ was off the scene?
What a controlling woman Julianne is, no wonder Ruairi wants to escape her clutches and to live in the real world, based on his own merit. Wherever he is she's bombarding him with texts and having her way but does he want to remain a kept man?
ReplyDeleteWhat sort of crop is Stella thinking of, I didn't understand.
Wait till Kenton hears about the land sale.
Oh, and they both think they are liable for the NZ trip because Vince says so, in that case they are both stupid and I don't much care what happens to them.
DeleteStella said Miscanthus (elephant grass). It grows quickly, and on poor soil. and is used as a biofuel, and can be burnt in power stations I think. Apparently it is being suggested to Welsh farmers for less favoured areas. I found it quite heartening that the Archers are actually exploring/suggesting a new idea for farmers.
DeleteAlmost a miracle I’d say Janice but to be celebrated all the same 👏🏻
DeleteThank you Janice, I heard the word grass but understood nothing further.
DeleteThe only interesting development.
Otherwise Jill at the Bull, Ruth at Rickyard, Vince wants his money "sharpish" because like Julianne he believes you can purchase goods and services and all because of one act of unprotected sex.
Sounds like the Agricultural Adviser was doing her job for a change re the Miscanthus!
DeleteI’d forgotten Ruairi is bi -sexual but it’s now sounding like he wants to settle down as gay with Paul (?)
ReplyDeleteJulie Anne is not a happy bunny that’s for sure a lady who likes and expects to be in full control
I could not place Stella until her name was mentioned - oh dear another one!
Remembering Bridge Farm/Beechwood, might the other potential buyer for the Hollowtree land be Justin? Or a similar developer? That could lead to a quandary for Brookfield.
ReplyDeleteThat’s an interesting thought. Hollow tree has previously been residential so there might be the possibility of a small residential development I suppose. Without consulting one of my maps I don’t know if that would be practical, it would certainly raise the funds but not necessarily quickly, although this is Ambridge so who knows……
ReplyDeleteHollowtree farmhouse (where Jill and Phil started their married life) was sold and converted into flats, whose occupants we never hear of), and the farm buildings were retained for Phil’s pig unit. I don’t know where the 4 acres for sale are in relation to the flats etc.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I didn't get that quite right. Phil bought Allard's Farm (which he renamed Hollowtree) in 1962 and moved in with Jill and their three eldest. My book has a photo of Elizabeth's christening party on the lawn of Hollowtree farmhouse in 1967. In 1970 Phil sold the farmhouse to Nelson Gabriel, Jack Woolley's firm converted it into flats. Nelson lived in one of the flats. I assume the house was near the outbuildings = pig unit.
DeletePS. Alternatively, Phil sold to Jack Woolley who redeveloped the building and sold to Nelson - the wording of my source is vague. (Sorry again, I'm getting obsessed by an irrelevant detail!)
DeleteRiuari met Julieanne when she picked him on the "Sugar....." site, as recommended by a fellow university student, as a quick way to get extra money, with no strings attached.
ReplyDeleteIf Riuari wants to go forwards with his own life and relationships, then all his has to do is to contact the agency and tell them that he no longer wants any more appointments with her. This is assuming that this is not now a private arrangement now, so not going through the books and J-anne is not paying their fee
The agency could easily fix him up with another client, one which pays well for his time, without interfering in his own life.
This sounds far too easy but has to be a possibity of getting the best of two worlds.
I wonder how he manages to fit in any University work, lectures, essays etc with thé ammount of time J-A demands from him. Does he manage to fit in any exams?
DeleteI wondered that Archerfile.
DeleteTracy your children are very wise, having each other together as a family with a Christmas meal is all that is needed with all the commercialism out of the way you will be able to enjoy the true spirit of Christmas with no debt to follow. In real life I feel that will not be the case for many 😞
ReplyDeleteFor the first time in an age TA is up to date with current events proving adjustments can be made as was the case in the “old days” 🤣 Jill at 91yrs still appears to have the energy and passion of a 20yr old. When I think of Jill & Leonard I recall “ Last Tango in Halifax” which I am about to re watch from series 1 on Iplayer which was in 2012!! (how mad is that…….)
What are we meant to make of that odd little episode involving the mixup over Jill’s lift to Felpersham? Was Jill unwilling to share ‘Leonard time’ with a younger and more attractive woman! The old jealous streak resurfacing? Or am I being unduly critical?
ReplyDeleteTo answer my own question, it might simply have been telling us that Jill is becoming forgetful and her insistence that Jolene should go home was because she didn’t want to waste any more of Jolene’s time.
DeletePerhaps Maryellen a little of both your suggestions.
DeleteMy instinct is that Jill wants to be with Leonard.
After all, she has found a person outside of the family circle who she can manipulate and be sure to have him onside. - I am not suggesting that Leonard is a pushover -
To use Kenton’s words, Jill has made a seamless transition from Brookfield to The Bull. She seems capable therefore of making another transition to become a live in companion of and with Leonard..
I am not sure that Leonard can be that easily "manipulated" by Jill. He has a good mind of his own, and would want Jill back in her own home, whichever one she decides to live in!
DeleteJill + Leonard would be a good house share as companions, but I expect that Leonard would not like Jill taking over his home.
...to add. This is his family home that he shared with his dear departed wife. I think he would object, in the nicest way possible, to Jill taking over the kitchen etc.
DeleteHis home is his own haven, as it should remain until he decides otherwise.
Jill and Leonard's present relationship is built on spending large amounts of quality time together. That wouldn't be so feasible in a 24/7 relationship in their own place, and I feel this must have been at the back of their minds when they agreed not to marry but continue as they were. I think that's the situation she wants to replicate - and could so by moving to The Laurels.
DeleteDid they actually agree not to marry ?
DeleteI don’t remember that conversation at all.
As I’m always saying most of TA washes over me, so if I missed that please feel free to enlighten me.
I don’t think Leonard is that pliable either, but Jill has a unique skill set including her manipulative skills.
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember that Jill met Leonard at the Laurels and they had a twirl around the waiting room or something. Was she visiting Christine and he - helping out?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, what I do remember is that he got the impression that Jill wanted him to propose and he practised his speech in front of Pip but Jill told him she'd made her vows to Phil and they both felt better for that. As pointed out in posts above, domesticity would spoil their romance.
Thank you BASIA
DeleteI remember now that you have prompted me.
You know there could be something in this, that at first in a relationship it’s all about going out together and having a good time but when it develops into living together domesticity alongside careers or work takes over and can be tiring if not overwhelming. Then romance can fly out of the window! Marriage does really have to be worked on! Jill and Leonard at that end of their lives have it just right, companionship without complications!
DeleteMy worry is not for Jill and Leonard but for Ben, especially after hearing his one-to-one with his tutor.
ReplyDeleteShe was trying her best to get help for him but he just won’t accept that he needs help. Even Rex’s best efforts couldn’t get through to him. I fear there is going to be a total breakdown before long, which would be tragic.
What can be done, who would be the best person to get through to Ben?
Perhaps nothing is done, and we are heading for a tragedy.
DeleteSuicides of young people very topical, and perhaps another social issue for TA.
This is where we need Shula (Freddie said how good she was to him when he was in a bad way coming out of prison).
DeleteI hope Evie will return.
I take it her background is in radio journalism then, not farming as such? Maybe we have her to thank for mention of miscanthus.
ReplyDeleteMiriam 4:42 pm and 4:56pm.November 28th
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with you
I married and moved into the bungalow my husband
shared with his first wife ,several years after she died.?
My husband didn't want to move.
Why should he?
I love my home which in truth has been altered a great deal since I have been here.
Now I am the only person living here but I do not wish to move.
It is such a lovely friendly house.
Anyway the cats don't want to move .
They are southerners and think the north may be too cold for them!
LanJan, whilst you have been very happy in your house and been able to make it your home, we know Jill has a tendency to jealousy and may not be comfortable moving into the house Leonard previously shared with his wife or could upset him by instigating a lot of change.
ReplyDeleteWell I can only speak from my experience.
ReplyDeleteI didn't go into my new home intending to change everything.
It just happened .We decided together on any changes we wanted to make.
However I do take your point K P.
I ‘m reading a series of 3 books by Deborah Aubrey which started with “Pitching up”. I’m on book 2, “Pitching up again”. They are very funny and a good, light read with very likeable characters. Can recommend! I will be sorry to finish book 3!
ReplyDeleteKaty has been away oop North in Sheffield involving the NEU. We have missed her but she will be back tomorrow night. The dogs will turn inside out with excitement! She went on Sunday and that evening they thought they heard her car when others drove into the Close! They rushed to the door but when nothing happened their disappointment was palpable. They are more settled now but their joy will be lovely to behold when she returns! I have got into a routine and have had to be organised. Dogs are a bit like children with their dependency and need to be fed and watered on a regular basis not to mention eye drops for Dudley four times a day and walkies of course! I did cheat and bought myself two meals for one, finding them surprisingly good but won’t get into the habit!
Oops! Wrong blog! Sorry, folks!🤭
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the BBC is actually going to publish Lynda’s Ambridge Christmas Chronicles? Or maybe broadcast them as a separate programme like The Canterbury Tales and The Mysteries? If a book, it would be great to be able give KPnuts a thank you copy for her collection, but it’ll have be a case of the thought that counts! An early ‘Happy Christmas’ from me, KP, and thanks for all the pix!
ReplyDeleteI’m hoping we’ll hear more of Rosie’s Nativity Play. as we won’t get any other play this Christmas, but it seems unlikely. Fortunately she’s too young to have met Shelob , the giant man-eating spider in Lord of the Rings so won’t be using her as a role model!
ReplyDeleteShelob is just her stage name - the man-eating spider's real name is Julieanne.
DeleteI always fast forward that bit or go out the room when we are watching Lord of the Rings. Ditto Aragog in the Harry Potter films. Poor little kid they should have let her be a sheep. I thought Pip and Stella had the right idea though, and maybe if it is a nice friendly super spider then Rosie will grow up unafraid of them.
DeleteOWiaS 😂😣
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DeleteLike Pip, I was “Mary, obviously” in my infant school’s Nativity Play - in my case, the “obviously” was because I was the only ‘Mary’ in the class. I’m n.ot sure what was obvious about Pip so guess she was being self-deprecatingly ironic, though neither self-deprecation or irony are usually her style.🙂
DeleteNever reached those dizzy heights! The angel Gabriel, the Narrator, and even a blacked up king one year when there was a shortage of boys, but never Mary.
DeleteMaryellen - I can see Pip growing up, my self deprecating and or ironic sense didn’t really develop until I reached my late twenties/ early thirties.
DeleteGive Pip time
I’m so pleased that I managed a five mile woodland walk with my walking group this afternoon and Lady was as good as gold with the two other dogs.
DeleteAnother incident of Ben getting it wrong in his desperate efforts to ‘apologise’ to Chelsea for what happened. She didn’t want or need his concern, Jazzer did his best to persuade Ben to leave well alone. But it seems to me that Ben is getting more and more disturbed, acting and talking almost unnaturally and becoming self destructive.
ReplyDeleteI really fear that Christmas won’t be as happy at Brookfield as David predicted.
Chelsea hasn’t been her usual self either since the abortion, less voluble and not so full of herself, generally more subdued. Last night’s episode reminded me why I have reservations about Jazzer.
DeleteI think Ben was desperately looking for help from the one person he thought might understand how he was feeling. I think his grandmother expressed his own inner feelings about the baby, and until he is able to express them to someone he is going to continue to be torn apart. I think it is good they are focusing not just on the young woman but on the hurt that can affect some young men in a situation like that. Ben seems a sensitive caring person and as such he is going to feel the destruction. He was talking about Bess as if he was making the dog a child substitute. I do hope we are not going to have a miserable episode in the Archers coming up for Christmas, but guess we might.
DeleteRosie and I will be miserable if T❤️O❤️B❤️Y isn’t there on Christmas Day - but she wasn’t included in David’s calculation that there would be “five” for Christmas lunch (presumably he was counting Ben) so perhaps she will be spending some of the time with him anyway.
DeleteJanice I agree with your post 100%.
ReplyDeleteAs the woman carries the baby it is her decision to abort or not and Ben felt he should support Chelsea and even seemed relieved until it became a reality and then the truth of the matter struck him that he had helped to create a son or daughter that he would now never know and the guilt is dragging him towards the edge of a precipice compounded by Jill confirming his own thoughts.
I thought that Jazzer was wrong to dissuade Chelsea from putting David & Ruth in the picture about Ben’s disturbing behaviour.during his unexpected visit.The lad does need help,if only he will admit it.
ReplyDeleteJazzer was right in that's it's not David + Ruth, even though they are Ben's parents, that needs to know of Chelsea's conerns, as they would just smother him. It needs to be Josh or Rex, some-one who is close to him be, it a brother or in another way.
DeleteBen has spent quality time with Rex, fishing together in a quiet way, yet talking and sharing a beer.
Rex seems to me the person who could help Ben in seeing things in a different way...not forgetting Leonard!
I just hope that Jill and Ben are reconciled in whatever manner it might take.
ReplyDeleteI so concur with that sentiment, before Jill does her final exit, which could well happen...
DeleteThey do need to kiss + make up, before it's too late to do so.
Ah, but who will be rescuing whom, I'm prepared for any scenario and remember that life is stranger than fiction.
DeleteDoes it actually matter as long as, as you have posted, they are reconciled in some way.
DeleteNo, of course not, as long as the result is good.
DeleteI seriously think it’s time for Bess to have a litter.
ReplyDeleteDid you notice that when he mentions Bess it sounds similar to Beth, even Chelsea was confused last night.
DeleteI thought Chelsea wanted to go to the wedding venue to pick up some work.
Also, that romantic moment with Mick and Joy-less rescued by the oven.
I never realised that Joleen is such a tartar! And I cannot believe that, in one session, her newly constructed choir could sing something with as complicated harmonies as they did last night.
ReplyDeleteSo obviously not a recording of the cast!
As for Joy and her budgie-smuggler beau, I just wish they would go well away from Ambridge for Christmas and, preferably not come back!
That’s my grump for the day!!
Mick yes, but Joy definitely no.
DeleteI like Joy, and always have done so. She needs to stay around, as thinking ahead (is this speculating), there might be a need for her, when the lovely Robert is written out in whatever way, as it will leave Lynda on her own.
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ReplyDeleteTracy and Chelsea probably don't know that Jazzer still carries a torch for Fallon. Will he fess up, I wonder, when Tracy proposes?
ReplyDeleteI hadn't spotted that, as I thought Jazzer was totally happy with Tracey.
DeletePerhaps you could expand on that, so I can understand it.
Certainly, Miriam - the entry for Jazzer in the Characters section of the BBC’s TA website confirms that he “quietly adores” Fallon.
DeleteHe may well have done once, that doesn’t mean to say he still does.
DeleteAnd the character section on the website is very out of date in some respects.
Jazzer's entry has been updated - it includes his relationship with Tracy and move to her place.. The BBC/TA is obviously the authority here, so if they say he adores Fallon in the present tense, that's how it is.
DeleteGood woman, Joy! I've always admired your competence and you've demonstrated your capabilities yet again. You were faultless in your handling of both Ben and his Dad.
Joy saves the day, again not someone we expected to.
ReplyDeleteHad it been me, I'd have taken Ben back home to reunite him with Bess.
At least someone has noticed. What can they offer at the A&E for a panic attack?
There's a R4 programme, Life Changing and in one episode a young man after a knife attack was offered drugs and a waiting list, so he took the initiative to turn his life around himself.
What I wanted to know was why no-one suggested phoning home to confirm that Bess was indeed curled up next the aga.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Ben would have believed Ruth's confirmation, any more than he believed David's assurances. He was so convinced Bess was at large and he had heard her barking.
DeleteCould have used FaceTime though or whatever it may currently be!
DeleteBen was in the grip of his delusion and as David was finding, challenging his irrationality by producing a rational explanation was only making matters worse. That was where Joy excelled with her unchallenging approach.
DeleteI wouldn’t mind a neighbour like Joy.
.
Good on yer Joy! I’m surprised Ruth didn’t hot foot it to the hospital but probably for the best. At least a long Friday night in A & E was predicted I wonder how the mental health care issue will be resolved unless they can go private and even then there could be a wait. Ruth will no doubt inform Jill on the result of her tirade on Ben, also it’s one way of knowing Christmas is on its way aka Archenders!
ReplyDeleteLike KP I was wishing that someone would make a call to Brookfield and put Ben’s mind at rest about his beloved Bess.,but all praise to Joy for the calm way she dealt with the situation.
ReplyDeleteMy sincere apologies to Joy!
ReplyDeleteI have always thought her a shallow and silly woman but she really showed her worth last night.
Knowing exactly how to clam Ben down and getting him to accept help. Also diffusing the very worrying situation for David.
Has she had some counselling training I wonder? She certainly knew how to handle the situation well and was calm and kind throughout.
We shall have to wait and see how quickly Ben can get the help he needs and if his tutor will be informed of his condition and can facilitate quick treatment. She certainly seemed to know about various sources to contact.
Oh what a Joy - the wise woman, with Corrie on record, footloose and fancy free.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, I'd have taken Ben to Bess for best animal therapy there is, counselling can wait in more ways than one.
There's an excellent podcast series on Sound called 'Room 5', the stories of people who've had life changing medical conditions. Two of them concerned psychosis - I'm wondering if Ben is falling into that? : (
ReplyDeleteI think that Ben should have been taken home to see Bess too. I experienced A & E after my recent fall and the doctor was a young, tired and junior doctor who dealt with me very well but the expertise wasn’t there to deal with psychosis I don’t think. Joy had calmed him down and if he had then been taken home to see Bess it would have diffused things. The stress of waiting in A & E would not be a good thing. Of course he could and should be later referred for medical help and the university informed. He needs family and friends, professional help and a period of calm if possible. It will take a long time and much patience all round. In this situation you can’t just pull yourself together.
ReplyDeleteWould Ben have consented to be driven back to Brookfield to see Bess when he was adamant he had heard her nearby? I don't think so, and the situation would only have worsened. Better Joy's way.
DeleteI gather now that A & E is first port of call in these circumstances and Ben could then be sectioned if necessary. The risk is that he could harm himself, even commit suicide when under delusions. Mental illness is not easy to deal with. On reflection, Maryellen, you are right and being driven away from where he thinks he heard Bess could be more harmful. He isn’t thinking logically and could then go into meltdown. Hopefully tonight’s episode will make things clearer for us!
DeleteAs Joy said, David would have noticed if Ben had broken his arm, which would have been set at A&E. His case was an emergency but they can't mend a broken spirit. Still, David felt he had to do something there and then and it gave him time to take it in himself and talk to Joy.
ReplyDeleteThis storyline is now much bigger than its parts, with more to come...
Yes BASIA as you say this storyline is now bigger than its parts.
DeleteTo me it always was.
The long drawn out experience of Chelsea, needing weeks to make her decisions about who and what she could tell and what she herself wanted to do, is now shown in contrast by how Ben is being affected by his inner torment within the same scenario.
However affected Chelsea was in her decision making she managed to stay in charge of herself and her emotional well-being.
Ben, involved, but with little input to the decision making, but taking responsibility upon himself, is now suffering with his well being threatened.
As you say BASIA……… more to come in an interesting story line.
I thought that the Friday night episode was so well scripted and acted , dealing with the growing problem of mental health. As Archerphile suggested, I did wonder if Joy had had direct experience of mental illness. We know very little about her background and what we do know doesn't quite add up. Maybe this will be a wider look at the problems, as well as strengthening the role of a fairly new character!
DeleteI do think the SWs are doing good job of portraying how difficult it is for family & how powerless you feel. Listening to omnibus there were lots of people uneasy about Ben’s behaviour but he was rebuffing any help that was extended. At least now he has hit a crisis he is getting some help, I really feel for David & Ruth, but I hope that they don’t blame Jill, I suspect this would have happened without her attack on Ben. It will be interesting to see how this storyline plays out, will we have another quick resolution a la Elizabeth, or a more realistic, protracted story?
ReplyDeleteI don't want to be flippant, but is Ben now sleeping in Leonard's boutique-hotel style bedroom, now that he and Jill have left? If so, it won't feel very homely and might increase his sense of isolation from the family.
ReplyDeleteI thought at the time that David and Ruth were too quick to erase their children from the house.
I wonder what effect Ben’s breakdown and psychosis will have on the relationship between Elizabeth and Vince. Surely she can no longer have anything to do with him after his goading Ben and threatening him?. I’m not saying he is entirely responsible for Ben’s condition but Vince’s actions cannot have helped and David and Ruth will never forgive Elizabeth if she continues her relationship with that awful man
ReplyDeleteIt’s a complicated one AP so many parts to Ben’s situation, as you have said Vince and then Jill whom Ben adores have both played a part in crushing his self confidence in himself as a worthwhile human being, and as I have said before alongside guilt for his part in Chelsea’s pregnancy - I feel he is finding it hard to forgive himself for that which resulted in terminating the human life of his own son or daughter and as the father felt he had no right to air any distress he was feeling but of course it just built and built. Thankfully he has managed to secure emergency mental health care but it will be a long road and yes David that type of pillin particular does take time to work it’s way into the system 6-8 weeks for some!
DeleteYes, I agree with all you say Lady R. My particular interest in that post was what is going to happen with Vince. Will Elizabeth ditch him? Will David still pay back the solar panel investment - I suppose he can’t get out of that if it was part of the agreement that Vince could withdraw his support - but surely David will not pay anything towards the abandoned holiday, and surely, surely, Vince won’t continue to press that demand when he hears what has happened to Ben?
DeleteIn fact, I wonder if we are ever going to hear from him, or about him, again?
I think the dysfunctional Caseys have been written out and if we hear of them it won't be in person.
DeleteJoy’s.calm, kind and effective approach (for which she has been universally praised, and rightly so) reminded me of Russ’s similar response to Elizabeth’s panic attack in Underwood’s which was the prelude to her own battle with mental illness. He got little appreciation from listeners at the time, and Elizabeth herself seemed to forget overnight not only this but all the other benefits he brought to her, her immediate family and her business. She has virtually said she’s not sorry he’s gone.
ReplyDeleteThough anyone who could take Vince Casey as a lover must be severely lacking in both taste and judgment. I imagine him as an ughsome little goblin of a man!
Shortish, fat, balding, low slung belt under pot belly, too much aftershave, excess of gold jewellery - that’s my head picture of Vince! 😝
DeleteElizabeth called him handsome, I imagine him tall and commanding and quite good looking. That does not change the fact that I hate his guts - that's what he deals in.
DeleteHas anyone here liked him? I didn't from the start, like I couldn't see how Kirsty could go out with someone involved with the hunt.
I imagined that he was ruggedly handsome, and that was why Elizabeth was attracted to him.
DeleteI am like Basia, in that if Elizabeth is attracted to Vince, he has to be quite suave as she must compare him to her beloved Nigel in some way.
DeleteI imagine him, tall, late 50's with green eyes, brown hair greying temples and dresses the part. He is not slim, yet not stocky nor muscular, just a normal build.
This is Elizabeths first long term relationship, so she must find him attractive and sees/saw something in him - well until now!
I can't wait to hear how she reacts, when she learns all that has happened, resulting in what iis now going on at Brookfield.
I’ve done my best to imagine Vince Casey as handsome but have found it impossible, so I’ve adapted my image of Elizabeth instead. She is now not only lacking in taste and judgment but also very short- sighted (and possibly desperate.). Although she must have some reservations since they never seem to appear in public as a couple and she refused to marry him - which may have been for business reasons rather than personal.
DeleteOh typical, people being able to sort out others but not their own emotions.
ReplyDeleteJoy and Mick separately must have told the whole village about their "love" dilemma.
They'll get it sorted under the Christmas tree.
Ben chose to tell about his worst dark thoughts (after the Dr. + home support nurse) to Leonard.
ReplyDeleteThis did not surprise me as Leonard was there that night in The Bull, so heard and experienced, Vince's venom + diatrube. As such Leonard can understand the reasons, esp. that he has become a "pseudo" family member, in a way.
Ben might never want his parents, siblings etc to ever know what he contemplated.
Telling Leonard must have helped in lifting one of the burdens, he is still carrying.
I think Ben's problem first started when Beth left him, saying that she didn't trust him. This led to the event at The Rave and its well known consequences.
DeleteBess and Beth seems to have become one to him, in wanting to protect, nourish, care for, and be with them both constantly.
Leonard is half-labrador so it's not surprising Ben is now taking him for walks with Bess. That's good sign, I thought, and wondered if Ben was beginning to look like Bess (as dog owners are traditionally supposed to look like their pets). He probably hasn't had a haircut recently - if he'd been thinking straight he'd have asked Chelsea for a trim for himself, not for Bess when Chelsea thought he must mean Beth. I feel things are looking hopeful.
ReplyDeleteMaryellen, you have planted in my mind a slightly disturbing image of Leonard with a glossy black coat & a touch of grey at the muzzle 🫣
DeleteKP, my mental image is honey-coloured with a snowy muzzle - a fusion of Nana, the Darling children’s nurse in Peter Pan and all the assistance dogs I’ve met in real life, mostly golden labradors. The epitome of a caring role and personality.
Delete(Switch to the other blog for my guide dog story!)
Tracy Horrobin, have you ever wondered why, after a lifetime spent chasing the lassies, no woman has ever wanted to stick with Jazzer? (Just asking.)
ReplyDeleteIn his misspent youth maryellen.
DeleteI think he is now a kind and caring support to Tracy and family so much so that Chelsea is keen to have him as a step - dad. IMO Jim was the making of him (the odd couple 🤣)
He was still chasing women into his middle age but my point was really that none of them wanted him for long. In Thomas Hardy’s. Under the Greenwood Tree, there’s a poor village character who is ‘the one man in the world no woman would want to marry, and Jazzer used to make me think of that description. If I was Tracy I’d stop a moment to wonder what other women saw in him that put them off! Personally I don’t have any problem seeing why, then and now. 🙂
DeletePS. For example, his “lack of perception and foresight” (to quote another blogger) and his faulty moral compass, all of which we’ve seen recently.
DeleteThomas Leaf, who was all of a-tremble?
DeleteOh yes. Sarnia - as I recall - but for very different reasons than Jazzer!
DeleteI agree that Jazzer has his flaws, everyone does. He was certainly a late developer & I don’t think he had the best role models growing up. That said I think his heart is in the right place and the he & Tracey are good for each other.
ReplyDeleteOh give Jazzer (and Tracy) a break!
ReplyDeleteThey may both have had misspent youths, had many faults, made umpteen mistakes etc etc
Jazzer may have chased women (many young/ middle aged men do, including my late brother into old age!!), experimented with drugs but learnt his lesson, been generally unreliable. Tracy also chased men, made an unwise marriage, could be agressive, behave inappropriately. I am sure we could list dozens of things they did in their youths of which we would disapprove.
But they are both older, more mature now and getting their lives sorted together. Both have learned lessons, with the help of others and I think they are genuinely fond of each other. Leave them alone to form their little family and finally make a success of their lives
Sorry, Archerphile! “That truth should be silent, I had almost forgot” (Shakespeare in Antony and Cleopatra - one of my favourites). But it’s difficult to ignore the unpalatable truth that neither age or other people’s influence have done anything to correct Jazzer’s moral sense which is as dodgy now as it ever was. So the fact that both Tracy and Chelsea let themselves be swayed by him, and act against their better instincts, is worrying.
DeleteI do hope Brad manages to get away - it was so heartwarming to hear his excitement and positivism after meeting ‘like minds’ on his maths course.
Maryellen, you were right, Brad said he thinks it's a terrible idea, but will come to the wedding. All Chelsea can think of are clothes and make-up, a nice enough distraction she deserves. Let's see what Jazzer has to say...
DeleteI’ve always thought of Jazzer as a rough diamond,agreed sometimes irritating,but with a heart of gold.As a Scot myself I am well aquainted with his type, short of compliments ,not usually romantic,but when they do manage to get the love word out,they do mean it.It will be interesing to hear his reply to Tracy if she does propose.Hope it will be yes.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Archerphile! I think we've all done things we'd rather forget but isn't that an essential part of learning about life and others. I like the development of the characters of Tracy and Jazzer. They both seem far more grounded than some of the cast and it is good to have a relatively happy storyline for a change. It seems very negative not to allow the characters a positive change!
ReplyDeleteI'm not entirely negative, bufo9bufo, on the positive side, Jazzer hasn't been moaning so much since he moved across the village green and we're not getting so many of his one line witticisms usually made at someone else's expense. (Smiley face)
DeleteVery well done, Pip! You handled the situation brilliantly. Leonard was absolutely right to hand over to you. I'm confident that Ruth and David will be equally supportive when Ben opens up to them.
ReplyDeleteOh Leonard, if you needed guidance why didn’t you go to Alan who truly could not divulge your confidence. Leonard should have said to Ben “ Well it depends on what you are about to tell me Ben, but I do promise is that I will listen to what you want to tell me and we will talk it through together and decide between us how best I can advise you.” If R & D are told I do hope that they don’t smother Ben !
ReplyDeleteI am wondering why we are getting relatively few comments on The Archers these days. There is a lot going on in the programme, so is it because folk are getting fed up with TA, dislike the current storylines, are too busy to post, or just don’t care any more.
ReplyDeleteThere are relatively few of us that post regularly these days, a big difference from the days of the old BBC blog.
Or is it because more of us using other platforms to comment on?
One of my favourite FB sites now has an administrator who admits he has totally lost interest in the programme these day and just doesn’t listen any longer after 30:years of loyalty to the programme.
What a great shame.
I'm listening again now I realise I can use my phone. I find the current story lines interesting enough, and since you ask, I thought Leonard did well to find a way of involving one of Ben's family.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I've simply dipped in and out of TA since 195... whatever so don't have as much of an emotional investment in it to want to voice my thoughts on individual episodes.
Nice to hear Emma featuring again, no personality transplant here, back to her slightly bitter self , encouraging Ed to do something he knows to be wrong for a bit of extra cash, echos of delivering the dodgy unlicensed chemicals a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteAny timber they steal won’t be fit to burn for at least another year probably longer.
Archerfile, I'm finding one miserable storyline after another in TA very wearing. I haven't completely given up on the programme but have to keep having breaks from it, I think it's a matter of time before I stop listening for ever at this rate.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of characters we have listened to and liked have moved on to be replaced with some appalling ones like that awful woman Ruairi is involved with. We don’t need much imagination to guess the extent of their association. SL ‘s like this are of little interest. The farms don’t seem to figure any more except for
ReplyDeleteBrookfield so you don’t get the impression of a farming community. There are many current topics like bird flu and the shortage of eggs and recently the possible veg shortage due to climate change that have not been mentioned. I think topical comment and information on farming problems and also the benefits we get from good farming practice would go back to the original concept of TA and would be far more interesting than the angst of some of the current characters.
I agree Ev.
DeleteEv, I am so pleased to read your comments about the lack of farming storylines recently. As everyone will know, it is one of my biggest sorrows as well. Especially the lack of current issues that are affecting many types of farm all over the nation.
DeleteI am still dedicated to The Archers and will be until my dying day but I am worried that so many people seem to be giving up or only listening with half an ear and have lost interest.
I think it has almost become ‘just another soap’ with no particular focus. Most of the stories could be happening anywhere, in town or village. The thing that always made TA unique was the farming background, life in a village, changes in the season, what goes on in the countryside at different times of the year. And even the sounds of the country are missing now, no birds singing, cows mooing or sheep bleating! Not even the sound of a tractor as Bert Fry completed in a ploughing match.
I have a great fear the the BBC will just give up broadcasting The Archers due to ‘lack of interest’, financial contraints or some other excuse.
Exactly my feelings about TA Ev.
DeleteWe used to hear quite a lot of farming information during discussions between Adam and Brian. Diversification, what crops were doing best, new ideas for improving the land, (remember ‘herbal leys’?). They kept us up to date with farming topics, but we rarely hear from either of them now.
DeleteI was not particularly keen on either character but at least they talked about farming!
AP, Sarnia, KP Nuts, C.C, Ev and Janice,
DeleteMy thoughts precisely too. I am now thinking that following TA has just become a habit rather than a pleasure. Getting very close to switching off!
What we've been offered lately are parents turning to their children for advice. Yes, get married, so I can do frocks and locks vs negative statistics. Turning to petty crime makes life exciting, yet boring parents provide stability. Then distraught parents beating themselves up. Growing up I watched many adults make fools of themselves and have remained a dispassionate observer. I still listen out of habit but refuse to engage with it.
ReplyDeleteI’ve E mailed the BBC giving our thoughts on TA being more of a soap opera and less of a source of farming information but doubt they will take any notice! Of course we want to hear about the characters concerned but not about things like Ruairi’s shady lifestyle! I wonder whether his mother would have been proud of him!!
ReplyDeleteWorth a try, Ev, but I imagine the reply will be to the effect that it's a long time since TA was a source of farming information and the countryside is now just a setting for the storylines.
ReplyDeleteI imagine the summing up given by Sarnia is just about correct.
DeleteI too feel as the above comments suggest regarding farming matters, but with the exception of the Ruari story line as I appreciate the inclusion of characters lives when they are away from Ambridge.
I doubt this life when away from A would be included if there was not a plan to bring R and the consequences back to the village.
As I have often commented, TA has become a daily habit for me and I doubt I shall ever lose that habit, but at the same time I am frequently not really engaged and find being emotionally attached even less so.
Thank you to Ev for writing to the BBC on our behalf.
What interesting comments have been written from so many.
ReplyDeleteI might be alone, in that I still love listening to The Archers, and all that is involved.
I just enjoy listening to the ongoing S/Ls with the many issues now being mentioned - even if they are not directly farming.related as such.
I admit that I miss the Home Farm set-up, the Bridge Farm dairy and Johnny, and even Brookfield is more concerned about Christmas bookings in the barn.
There is a new TA agricultural editor, who hopefully will turn things around, slowly but surely.
TA is in a period of change, with the more senior characters disappearing quite quickly, like Shula. I believe, but not sure Angela Piper has had a stroke, so this is why Jenny Dahling is missing. Now Robert Snell has sadly departed, and has Jill left also, to now be silent like Peggy
To me there have been many fill-in interludes/episodes, whilst TA is being revamped, for both now and in the future.
However, I have so admired that mental health in the young, has been addressed and in such a good and sensitive way. Ben is addressing his problems, and if this helps any TA listener or family, in whatever way, as did Alice and her alcohol problem, then I am not wgainst such an inclusion.
To add, if I may 😱
DeleteI am not at all happy to hear that Emma is joining in with Ed + Eddie, stealing logs from the re-wilding site, for their own benifit. I understand the needs, but it weighs up the natural wild-life lives which need protection, against human needs for heating and food.
Like you,Miriam,I was.surprised and disappointed to hear Emma agreeing to the latest Grundy money making scheme.However, in the past Eddie’s brainwaves have come back to ‘bite’ him so there may not be a satisfactory result to this ploy.
ReplyDeleteIt must be very difficult at the moment for the actor who plays David Archer since his mother took her own life when he was a school boy at Harrow.
ReplyDeleteI am not listening regularly to the programme and I have to say that most times when i do catch up with happenings in Ambridge I can't say I am impressed with what .I hear.
If anyone is interested in the problems that farmers are currently going through and the effects on their mental health, there is a very full discussion on the subject by the TA Agricultural Adviser, Sybil Ruscoe on the TA web page.
ReplyDeleteMany farmers have sadly been taking their own lives due to the difficult situation they find themselves in but there are details of various sources of help available. I found it very interesting, if distressing.
There was more agricultural input tonight which was nice but the Ben SL continues and must be of help to those in this sort of circumstance. I didn’t know about Timothy Bentinck’s mother and it must indeed be difficult for him. A friend’s son in law took his own life and no one saw it coming. People in the depths of despair tend to hide it from others as they see it as personal weakness.
ReplyDeleteI find suicides are among the most difficult funerals to play: obviously the families are inconsolable however carefully the words and music are chosen.
ReplyDeleteI agree Sarnia. One our best friends, known him for over 40 years, took his own life last year and we were devastated ….but not really surprised. He had suffered from bi-polar depression for years and no treatment seemed to last for long, even sessions of ECT didn’t work. We did our best to support him but eventually the inevitable happened.
DeleteThe funeral organisers did their best to celebrate his life and never mentioned the suicide but
I wonder if that was a crematorium funeral, AP? In the church ones I play the ministers are at pains to address the dreadful sense of guilt carried by the family for not understanding the of suffering of their loved one. They gently address the fact that no one can really know the workings of someone else's mind, however close they are, not are they responsible for the decisions other people make.
DeleteThe funeral is, after all, as much an important part of the grieving process of helping the living to come to terms with the death as it is about the life of the deceased.
My mother in law died when living with her daughter, SIL and G daughter in Spain. At her request no funeral was held and there was presumably simply a disposal of the body.
DeleteMy ex husband, my daughters father living in Australia for several decades died a months or two after I moved this year. My girls had been to Australia for three weeks to spend his 80th birthday with him their step mother and their half brother.
The night he died both girls were on zoom with his wife and son who were with him. Again there was no funeral, presumably at his request.
Step M and son visited UK a month or so later and I have in the last few days been told by my eldest, that a ‘get together’ was held, I assume at my younger daughters, of friends and relatives. His half sister came from Sweden and another relative from Madeira along with other far flung friends and family.
My eldest telling this to me said she found the whole experience ‘weird’ and said she felt utterly disconnected.
I have found all this information very upsetting, and am having difficulty pushing it all to the back of my mind.
I have great sympathy with my daughters and hope that they can process this experience in time.
I feel that a funeral is a ritual for all who have loved that person and they are left without closure if this ritual is denied.
Very true, Mrs P, and it troubles me that so many people nowadays go to such lengths to avoid them as being too unpleasant. Not a healthy attitude in the long term as it can store up distress for the future.
DeleteIn reply to your question Sarnia, it was a crematorium funeral. The question of guilty feelings did not really occur because his wife was a nurse and knew only too well how to care for him, the seriousness and depth of his depression and that the final outcome would be inevitable. Frankly, it was a relief for them both after years of coping with his frequent bouts of mental illness. If anything he was the one who felty guilty for putting his family through years pf distress and being unable to overcome his illness.
DeleteThe last thing she would have wanted was a vicar telling her not to feel guilt.
These matters are discussed during pastoral visits AP, and such remarks are only made during the service if considered helpful and appropriate.
Delete.
DeleteWe're off-piste now as in this a funeral is unlikely.
There has been no suicide since Greg's and no funeral since Joe's, so how did we get here.
ReplyDeleteMy own experiences of those and mental health go somewhat against the grain and could be a work of fiction - life's stranger than... I left explicit instructions with my sister for no funeral.
As for suicide, we don't have to look far, a 23 year old son of a former BBC presenter died in such a manner after struggling with mental illness, the family gave him all their support but it wasn't enough.
It started with family guilt, Basia, and the topic took off on its own.
ReplyDeleteProbably down to a remark of mine- mea culpa!
It almost seemed as if they'd sent out George to check that Harrison was at home.
ReplyDeleteThey are even roping him in, to prove how cool they are.
I really hoped they'd be found out.
Is this entertainment value? Disgraceful.
George has a crush on Fallon. Hence his sudden drop in enthusiasm when Harrison offered to join in the singing session.
DeleteI felt very sad this evening when listening.
ReplyDeleteEmma, brought up by Neil and Susan.
Susan who has so bravely overcome her shabby and criminal family past.
Neil the primary honest man of Ambridge.
Ed also from a shabby dishonest background, has grown into a responsible and generally honest citizen
Now the two of them so easily slipping back into Eddy’s world of petty crime and shamelessly bringing George into the adventure along with them.
Another episode to reinforce the way that I feel about TA these days.
ReplyDelete“Parish councillor charged with thieving”
ReplyDeleteHeadline readers will be unbelieving!
As KP pointed out, those logs won't be available for use straightaway.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I thought, if they'd asked, Kirsty and Rex might have given them some, though isn't wood burning unecological?
A question - is Oliver living with the Grundys at Grange Farm, if so, he might spot them.
It’s OK if the logs are properly dried - this can take about a year. Kiln dried logs are very expensive this year, for obvious reasons! If they are not dried , or seasoned, they don’t burn well and adversely affect the atmosphere……..so well done Emma and Ed! 🙄
DeleteI am really disappointed with Emma and Ed. Any chance of them ever trying to discipline George in the future has just gone out of the window because he can, and will, use this against them.
ReplyDeleteI hope Kirsty and Rex tear them to shreds, particularly if they have taken older logs which might just have been a habitat for some rare species.
If they were freezing cold and taking some in desperation for their own use it might be understandable but not when they are selling them.
Perhaps the script writers are referencing 'Good King Wenseslas'?
ReplyDeleteI wondered that, Mistral:
ReplyDeleteYonder peasants, who are they,
Nicking their Lord's firewood?
...you know, it had never occurred to me until now that the original peasant might have been 'gath'ring winter fu-woo-
ReplyDelete-well' in order to flog it to his equally poverty-stricken neighbours!
I was shocked by Ruth’s disloyalty to David especially in conversation with someone like Tracy Horrobin who she has never spoken to before.
ReplyDeleteNew thread open
ReplyDelete