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Life in Ambridge: Comments week of October 16, 2018
Life in Ambridge: Comments week of October 16, 2018
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Life in Ambridge
THIS POST IS CLOSED "longer off topic comments" - Episode 14 Life Outside Ambridge Have a seat and let's chat.
PrbY - yes, surprisingly I did understand Jazzer tonight, or maybe just thought I did 😀
ReplyDeleteMiriam - there were absolutely no bedroom antics. The Archers is incredibly chaste, compared with Poldark, for example. Bootgums - I could give you a list of "worse plot developments than this" but it would be too long! What struck me about last night's episode was Hannah's kindness, to add to her good qualities,
ReplyDeleteMaryellen,you are deliberately trying to wind us up!
ReplyDeleteHannah kind?
Good qualiteies?-you are joking.
Oh come on.
She invites Jazzer back to the house -(I was going to say "her" place but it isn't) and makes him think he is in with a chance but then when soppy Tom returns and thinks that he has no hope with Natasha -is that her name?-she realises that he is a better bet than Jazzer and wishes she hadn't been so "kind" in inviting Jazzer back.
Hannah is horrible .
LanJan and Archerphile - no, I'm not winding anyone up. Maybe I'm marching to a different drummer. I do see good incharacters that other bloggers can only see bad in. Last night I saw a simple gesture of kindness on Hannah's part. She invited Jazzer back to her rented lodgings to cheer him up on a mate to mate basis, gave him no indication that it was anything more than that, and was genuinely surprised and alarmed when she realised he could have misinterpreted the gesture. She was equallytaken aback when Tomstarted making overtures. But if you think she's Machiavellian, that's your prerogative - I think you're wrong, which is mine!
DeleteWhat a stunning photo Ruthy! I love sunset, or sunrise photos.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Maryellen’s support of Hannah - I think I have detected that you often hold opposite views to many of us about various characters and I never know if you are speaking as ‘devil’s advocate’ and enjoy putting the opposite view, to wind us up and enliven the conversation - or if you genuinely like the characters that many of us find unpleasant?
I must admit that you have always championed T❤️O❤️B❤️Y, right from the start, when many of us thought he was a useless waster. And you were right, he turned out to be a good ‘un and has done much better than many of us expected. I became one of his appreciative admirers.
So perhaps you are right about Hannah too and we will all come to know her better and see her good qualities in time. Perhaps, like Toby, she will mellow and become a popular character, but so far she has shown some very unpleasant traits, especially in her treatment of Emma.
Perhaps, Maryellen, you are a better judge of a character’s personality than the rest of us and can see beneath the skin, as it were. It will be interesting to find out, in due course. 😉
Archerphile - many of the photos that appear on the blog are not mine, but the current one is. I was lucky enough to capture this one while on a short stay in Bristol, Rhode Island. It is a lovely, small state, much of it on the ocean. This photo is taken on the bay side.
DeleteWe are currently seeing a programme each night on BBC2 called Autumn Watch. Instead of coming from a location in Britain as usual, this year the team are based in New Hampshire and we have nightly views of the wonderful fall colours, chipmunks, blue jays and many wild animals and birds we don’t see over here. They have shown us Rhode Island and the other New England States. It is fascinating.
DeleteBeen trying to post this info to Ruthy since Monday 😡 should have reverted back to this old iPad. Lower down comment on PTBY remark done here and has now turned up on new pad but tried this comment there on the strength of that and no go......
DeleteTime spent with Panasonic again today tried all sorts regarding Demand 5 even connecting via iPhone still no go so had to reverse that. Having gone down the route of Freeview and Panasonic - phoned Demand 5 - oh yes we have big problems for certain devices etc trying our best to resolve we know it's been days but just have to wait and see if and when sorted 😮
Coffee machine one more thing to try if no go to get descale light off have to replace sometime I guess although still making good coffe just now.
However what cheered me up was seeing Prince Harry & little 5 yr old boy on the lunchtime news 😀 Such fascination with his beard. Big hug for Meghan also.
Lovely photo Ruthy, and there was me wondering whereabouts near our Bristol here it could be!
DeleteLove the photo Ruthy. Beautiful.
DeleteI agree with Carolyn, Tom is an utter dork when with Hannah, I said putty in her hands before.
ReplyDeleteMy take on Tom and Hannah is that they like each other enough and is getting convenient sex, though I think Tom would like more from the relationship. When Hannah doesn't get further in her career (I mean able to replace Brian as the manager) she will be moving on.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy the nice conversation with Tom and Pat. Perhaps the fruit and nuts will be something Tom can stick with this time.
Hannah knows exactly what she’s doing. And in my day would have been called a s**g.
ReplyDeleteBut Hannah is not living "in your day", Proud to be Yorkshire, when Kirsty and all the other women in Ambridge who have slept with men they weren't married to would have been called derogatory names. I think Caroline was known as the village bicycle. Not sure if that's better or worse than slag!
Delete...and no-one had derogatory names for the men involved, did they?
DeleteMaryellen and sarnia. At least Kirsty was actually dating the men she slept with not like Hannah who goes with just anyone...... there was talk of some date the other week. In my opinion if she’s sleeping with someone that she’s not committed to at the time then ,yes, she’s a slag.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHannah isn't offending against the morality of her generation: she isn't having desperate sex in the form of one night stands with men she's just met, she's having sex for enjoyment with just two men she knows pretty well, and one of whom she lives with. No one is married, being deceived about the situation, or liable to get hurt. Whereas Caroline was certainly offending against the morality of her generation, especially by having an affair with a man who was married, which involved both deceit and the potential for hurt.
Delete✔️ 👏
ReplyDeleteIndeed she would,PtbY
ReplyDeleteI was in the WRNS and if anyone slept around she would be called the camp bicycle. Agree with ptby that a committed relationship is different. Surely love for each other has to be the basis? That doesn’t seem to be the case with Tom and Hannah but perhaps they deserve each other!
DeleteWhat did you call the men who slept around, Ev?
DeleteWe didn’t call them anything as we weren’t living with them so weren’t aware of their sexual habits. However as I have said before I find it equally as bad when men sleep around especially I might add those who leave a trail of unexpected children. It is more up to the female to control things as she is usually left holding the baby!
DeleteIf there weren’t any slags , as we’re calling them, the blokes wouldn’t have been able to sleep around.
DeleteAvoiding unwanted pregnancy is up to both participants. The woman probably has a stronger motivation, but she doesn't have more responsibility.
DeleteHow I love this, brilliant Archers, now called Ruthy's blog.
ReplyDeleteWhen some-one disagrees, with a post, it is done in a very nice way, so there is absolutely no animosity between any-one.
I am very confused as to Hannah. She is certainly up to something, but I do not know what, nor can even guess as to what she is wanting to acheive. It must involve Tom in some way (a form of blackmail/manipilation).
Another thought - weren't Helen + Hannah very close in an earlier time? - yet there does not seem to be a continuation of this.
I think I am thinking too hard again. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Carolyn, you were right, Josh did have an ulterior motive in trying to get Johnny to do the milking for him, if it's practice then he should be present, I'm surprised that David didn't spell it out that he should not leave an inexperienced person on his own. I took Josh's offer at face value and he was very encouraging and attentive when he was there.
ReplyDeleteYes, as predicted, but wasn't David rather harsh with him? Far too heavy, I thought. ( he never takes that line with Pip, who, whilst she's far more commited to the regular daily farm chores, has caused lots more trouble in other ways)
DeleteOn the other hand, Johnny is benefiting, David has no problem with his ability to do the milking, so it seems to be an arrangement that, so far, is working well.
Like Carolyn,I thought that Josh had an ulterior motive but it didn't bother me because I thought that Johnnie would benefit and both he and Josh would be happy with the arrangement.
ReplyDeleteJosh is definitely my favourite character resident at Brookfield.
I think Ruth is mine ! Though Josh is decidedly more agreeable lately. However, he is likely to take advantage of Johnny, which he did today, in fact, leaving him to get on with it on his own ( David had a point there - unpaid labour & all that)
DeleteBen is my favourite Brookfield character. Never interrupts anyone!!😆
DeleteMy favourite Brookfield character is R.R. Grace - you can't take issue with a sound effect!
Delete...And my favourite speaking (as opposed to squeaking) character in the whole of Ambridge is of course her father T❤️O❤️B❤️Y. My favourite silent character is Molly Button.
DeleteYes I think MB could be my favourite silent character too,Maryellen.
DeleteShe has a bit of spirit does that girl.
I don 't suppose we'll hear her until she starts dating Ben and then she will be played -briefly -by one of the well known actresses of the day.
Was't Judy Dench Prue Forrest?
The situation with Elizabeth was excruciatingly irritating tonight. How can seeing a film when she's 'so busy' with LL, help ? What is the matter with Shula & the brothers ? No need for some useless family conference in 2 days time - tackle it now ! One of them could make the effort to turn her away from ringing all the UK solicitors & get her to contact s.sevices, any of the channels we've talked about here, even if only to find out what the governor actually meant by 'monitoring the situation'.
ReplyDeleteThe two ever-so-casual references we've had to Alistair's sister Fiona have made me wonder if she is going to emerge from her previous obscurity to become Shula's substitute as Alistair's prop and mainstay. He has latched onto Jim but in the nature of things this can't last forever, so maybe Fiona is being lined up for the role?
ReplyDeleteI do feel sorry for Elizabeth but she is more fortunate than many mothers in her position.
ReplyDeletePart of the trouble is that her siblings are so useless.
Surely the message should have got through to them all by now that if so many Ambulance Chasers are saying that she has no chance of getting Freddie released from gaol then she should realise that there is no point in going on with it.
I think I suggested in a previous post that Elizabeth contact Ms Anna Tregorran, barrister. She worked wonders for Helen and managed to get her acquitted, despite her having done the stabbing.
ReplyDeleteShe might be able able to discover that Freddie was coerced with threats, against him and his family, into dealing. This of course depends on Freddie spelling the beans about the harassment from his so called college friend.
I can understand Freddie's desire not to see his mother. She is constantly whinging and wringing her hands and fretting about him and those awful inmates he is subjected to live with in his confinement. Wise up Elizabeth, he committed a crime, although I personally think the punishment was a tad excessive.
That"s a good argument, the coercion line, though he was pretty keen before that started up, at the point when Nolu was trying to get him to stop dealing.
ReplyDeletecarolyn. Freddie and Noluthando were messing about with mushrooms and flogging them at college. That was Freddie's downfall, because it brought in Ellis, who quickly spotted a person desperate to have friends. I think that some individuals become involved in certain social activities
ReplyDeletebecause they lack confidence or a belief In themselves. They don't think others would want to have them as a friend. Unlike his sister Freddie doesn't seem to make friends easily, and that may have an impact on his relationships in th Young offender institution.
I personally don't buy the idea that such a prison experience produces a better person who learnt from doing their time. But no doubt the S/Ws will reform Freddie who will eventually manage his stately pile.
The question I ask myself, will he return with a new ex con friend and give Elizabeth a heart attack. Metaphorically speaking of course.
Yes, they were both responsible for the mushroom racket, in fact, she promoted that.
DeleteWhy did they have to do that to Josh? Poor hens.
ReplyDeleteLynda with her cunning plan which worked yet again.
Rather liked the scene with Lynda - as obvious a manipulator as she always is, she had the 'rustics' eating out of her hand !
DeleteForgive me for repeating myself but I find Lynda a nice bit of light relief. She is a clever manipulator as far as the Cider Club is concerned.
DeleteWhat is it with David & his son ? Of course Jill meant what she said, however upset & shocked, as she certainly was. Josh screwed up, he was genuinely remorseful.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to be boring & say it again : he would never take that heavy patent line with Pip.
'parent' line...
DeleteSo agree Carolyn. David’s difference in attitude to Pip and Josh is very obvious and painful to listen to. Josh was truly sorry about the hens and had made his peace with Jill ...who almost seemed grateful for an excuse to give up keeping hens.
DeleteWhy then did David have to weigh in with his condemnation of his son AGAIN, accusing him of being selfish and lazy. Josh is far from lazy, he works extremely hard and you’d think David would be proud that Josh is trying to carve out a career for himself whilst still helping on the farm.
David will drive the boy away completely if he doesn’t start showing Josh a fraction of the love and admiration he showers on Pip.
Jill was extremely generous towards Josh. David was hard on him, as though we listeners wouldn't twig how selfish he is unless it's spelt out to us. Doesn't Josh have form with chickens? Something in the past when he was sharing a flock with Willow Farm? He seems the sort of person who shouldn't be given any serious responsibility till he's 25 (the new age of maturity, apparently).
DeleteWas Jill cooking some of the vulpicide victims while conversing with Josh? Waste not - want not.
DeleteJosh's "form" re poultry was removing some hens from the Willow Farm flock, then jointly owned by himself, Neil & Hayley and transferring them to Rex & Toby's Hollowtree flock, in which Josh also had a business interest. Neil and Hayley were furious when they found out about his unauthorised transfer of assets to his rival business. His action ended their business partnership and Josh had to buy out his partners.
I think Toby may have forgotten to shut geese or hens in once. Josh probably gave him a lot of stick for it.
Does Rex still keep poultry? Were they cleared out to make way for pigs? I know he gave up rearing geese.
Josh would benefit from studying management and business ethics.
No foxes were killed.
DeleteTrue, is it just a stand alone statement?
DeleteI don’t think anyone would want to cook a hen savaged by a fox, mostly just feathers and bones left - not a pretty sight!
DeleteVulpicide victims would be foxes. Vulpicide is what hunts men and hounds do. I don't think Jill would cook a dead fox.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteVulpicide - The act of killing a fox other than by hunting it with hounds (Dictionary.com). Collins Dictionary concurs.
DeleteSo if Jill had strangled the fox with her bare hands, she would be the vulpicide and the fox would be her victim. Would she then cook it? Not according to Oscar Wilde's definition of hunting as the "unspeakable in full pursuit of the unbeatable".
DeletePoultrycide? Henicide? It provoked multiple mentions of vulpicide anyway.
Delete"Oscar Wilde …. the uneatable" although I like "unbeatable". How did Oscar know a fox was inedible - had he tasted one?
Jill wouldn't have committed vulpicide, not even in righteous anger. Shula was the vulpicide of the family. As the fox killed all Jill's hens (8?) it may have merely bitten heads off some and left them for later. Jill wouldn't have been cooking them last night though, they would have needed hanging for a while. Josh should have to live on a chicken diet for the next fortnight.
Where is Jill to obtain eggs for her baking from now on? Jill's non-stop baking might have been to use an egg glut. Which came first, the cakes or the eggs? Her manic baking may be a residue of food rationing. My mother used to put 3 eggs in scone-mix. My family ate the yellowest scones in Britain.
Did Brian commit countrycide arising from the toxic waste debacle?
DeleteTwo of the hens survived as Josh told Jill last night and confirmed to Bert today.
DeleteMuckspreader -😂
Delete😂 echo that + HaH ' which came first, the cakes or the eggs?' tee hee
DeleteIf vulpicide is killing without the hunt and hounds I don't think Shula could be a vulpicide, perhaps just a foxicide or even a veticide ( if he dies of a broken heart!) You've taught me a new word today! Did Rex have any geese left because he could give a couple to Jill as their eggs make wonderful cakes. The yellow scones sound lovely.
DeleteYou're on form, Archers fans!
DeleteI thought Lilian was a member of the Cider Club?
ReplyDeleteI think she is, but it was Lynda who used to be called Fag Ash Lil, she's the second former smoker that we have discovered in a week.
DeleteI far as I am concerned, with Brookfield - Pip can do no wrong (esp now Rosie is a new resident), yet Josh can do no right!
ReplyDeleteMistakes do happen. Wasn't there a mistake between Josh + Pip with a fence, resulting in the BSE- which was down to Pip? My memory might be playing up again.
If Jill is relying on Josh....well, to me, he is too self-centered, esp. how he is useing Johnny.
I might be well thinking too much, again. But it is Fun 😂😂
Jill might contact Anna Tregorran, as Stasia has suggested. Jill's right, Elizabeth won't rest until she's tried everything and the others would have done the same for their children.
ReplyDeleteAmbridge has seen a birth and a marriage - will a death complete the trio? Is Bert's sudden appearance on the air waves after a long silence going to be his swan song?
ReplyDeleteI do hope not Maryellen.
DeleteA good anchor is Bert.
I hope not, too. As irritating as his poetry can be, Bert is a great country character with his interest in ploughing (winning all those competitions) and gardening. He has always been an invaluable help to the Brookfield Archers in times of crisis. He is someone to be relied on and a source of good common sense. I particularly liked his support of Elizabeth recently, seeing that things were going wrong at LL and gently trying to point this out to her. I should miss him very much if he were to depart, for whatever reason.
DeleteMrs P - your sentence about would make a good opening line for Bert for his epitaph ( rhyming couplets, of course). It would just need the tense altering.....
DeleteOn another Archers website there is much discussion about the relationship between David and Josh. I stuck up for Josh after his abject apology to Jill for the hen incident and criticised David for going over the top condemning Josh for being lazy and selfish.
ReplyDeleteI was instantly branded a ‘David hater’ (absolutely untrue, by the way,) and a great divide has opened up between those who think Josh is a no-good lazy wastrel and those who admire his entrepreneurial attitude and sympathise with the tongue lashing he gets from his father.
I was particularly touched, last night, by his commissioning Bert to make a new hen house for Jill, planning to pay for the materials, Berts time and expertise and presumably including new hens. He is obviously devastated that his forgetfulness caused the loss of Jill’s livestock and is trying hard to make amends. Hopefully David will now let the matter go.
How do others here feel regarding David/Josh. Is he too hard on the lad and only interested in Pip?
Is this a typical Dad/daughter bias? What does Ruth (who has been very silent recently) think about all this? Has Jill noticed David’s bias for Pip and against Josh?
Oh, and does Jill really want any more hens in a spanking new henhouse or was she secretly rather pleased to get rid of the responsibility and give up hen keeping for good? 🐔
Devestated though she was by the loss of her chickens, Jill didn't make a secret of the fact that she'd rethought the project & decided not to continue. However, a spanking new henhouse from Bert might cause a change of heart ! Josh is clearly doing his best to make amends in a tangible way. ( Unlike his sibling, who took ages to own up & then what ? Continue working hard on the farm, which she's paid to do)
DeleteYour first para., Archerphile is interesting. I'm not a David hater either, but do consider him unfairly harsh on Josh. He'seen him lazy, stroppy, defiant, all of that, but he's known the boy since he was born, & should be able to spot genuine remorse in him when it is as patently obvious as it was. Can't he see his attitude has changed considerably over the last months ? As for Ruth, I notice that so far she generally supports David's criticisms, but doesn't get quite so irate.
ReplyDeleteI do see where Jill is coming from, but does the heart really say let a person continue to cling onto their delusions ? It's not doing Elizabeth any favours, or Freddie. Be loving, yes, but don't humour her. It's actually cruel to allow her to hope an appeal is a real option. Still can't understand why they don't help her to explore other options, such as those we've talked about here.
I shared your doubts, Carolyn. 'Support' Elizabeth did sound like 'humour her'. I believe a similar approach is sometimes recommended as a way of helping people with dementia: if they think it's 1960, their spouse is still alive, their children are still children ..., just go along with it.
DeleteMakes sense with dementia patients, in the later stages. Why confuse & upset them, when they're no longer in the present ? Elizabeth is in Avery different situation.
DeleteI got the impression that Jill, once the realisation that the hens were gone had sunk in, saw this event as a natural end to her hen keeping, particularly considering her age.
ReplyDeleteMany parents have a bias towards or against a particular child.
I see this in my daughter and son in laws obvious condemnation of the eldest.
It is in my experience often the eldest child, which Josh is not of course.
In my granddaughters case I put it down to astrological differences between her and her parents, and try to support my grandchild. I was the eldest and certainly felt it, but also recognise that in my case their was some other dynamic at work.
I suspect that Ruth does recognise this bias towards Pip from David, and I believe that it is possible to hear it in her voice when she and David are sometimes discussing Pip.
She feels it happening but is unable to verbalise what she sees.
I felt that Josh was genuine in his realisation of the consequence of his mistake of failing to lock up the hens. David clearly did not think so, but I got the impression that Jill did.
It may be that Josh is seeing his commission of a new hen house and perhaps fresh hens as a cynical move to curry favour, but I felt that on this occasion his actions are genuine.
Only time will tell.
Believe me, the urge to keep one's own hens never dies. I have kept hens over the years, and have lost quite a few to foxes, but I finally gave up when the fox killed most of my little flock and left me with two, which I rehomed a few years ago. But, I've still not been able to bring myself to get rid of the hen house, and I find myself getting very "chicken-broody" now and then, thinking of ways of bringing them nearer to the house so that they are easier to keep an eye on. So I can't believe that Jill really wants to give up, and that when she sees the beautiful new house that Josh has provided her with, she will be delighted. As someone has said before - where will she find the eggs for all those delicious cakes?
ReplyDeleteI've just come across an interesting fact, while searching on the internet for a suitable house move, and I cam across this Wikipedia entry for Coaley, a small village in my search area in Gloucestershire: "Local legend has it that one of the original script writers of The Archers, Geoffrey Webb, drank regularly in the (now closed) Swan Public House in the village, and his experiences helped inspire the long-running radio serial." Although, I think that Ambridge is sited rather more north of there.
ReplyDeleteAnd the current agricultural advisor lives in these parts too Suz
ReplyDeleteJust above the village of Coaly is Coaly Peak which contains a Long Barrow with another just a few hundred yards up the road. But the best aspect of Coaly Peak is the amazing views across the Severn Vale. It is an amazing spot, where I go regularly to soak up the view and contemplate life.
Good luck with your search.
I know it well, MrsP. I was born at Upper Cam and grew up in Dursley, so very familiar with the countryside around. Would love to get back to that side of the river. I remember a summer school outing which consisted of walking up onto Frocester Hill with packed lunches to visit Hetty Peglar's Tump. Can you imagine the reaction of today's 11-year olds if they were offered that as the highlight of their summer term?! But we loved it.
DeleteAre you hankering to get back to your home turf Suz ?
DeleteActually I think today's 11 years old would probably find it fascinating. Didn't they all love that Lord of the Rings stuff.
It was round that area of course where I had my sighting of the ' Big Cat' and there have been several more sightings around there too.
I'm going to the conference in Cirencester again in the next couple of weeks.
Yes, I am, MrsP. Although the Forest is lovely, I'm still an 'outlander' over here, and still have friends around Stroud, so it would be nice to move back again. It may not be possible though, as house prices there are way above those here. But, there is a hope that when the tolls are lifted on the Severn bridge before Christmas, property prices here may start to rise accordingly.
DeleteIt would be nice to hear about the conference after you've been Mrs P. Some time back you mentioned not being able to sleep. I expect you 've tried all the usual things like a few drops of Lavender oil on your pillow, and warm milk with a little honey before bed, so I will just add there is someone called Glenn Harrold who produces hypnotherapy cds on a great range of subjects including sleep. He has a soothing voice that is pleasant to listen to.
DeleteAlthough I admire Jill, and her input with David, Shula + Kenton, was her advice correct.
ReplyDeleteI agree that any parent should "fight for" and protect their children. In this circumstance, Freddie was caught, has admitted to further actions, and is serving his sentence, a release due in 6 months. I wonder if Elizabeth + Jill realise, that if an "appeal" goes ahead, then the Nolly + "pickers" incidents will be revealed. This, if it comes to light, it could be so detrimental, and Freddie's sentence could be increased
I agree absolutely Mirium.
DeletePersonally I think Freddie has been lucky to get away with only six months in a YO Centre.
Hopefully it will be enough of an experience to keep him straight for the future.
I employed a guy to work on my house about thirty years ago.
He was a very lively character and I liked him a lot. He was a fantastic worker, with the best work ethic I have ever encountered.
After a few weeks of getting to know each other he revealed some of his past.
It transpired that he had been a bit of a jack the lad, had gone into the army to see the world and have adventures.
He misbehaved and went to the Army Prison for a spell.
He told me it was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he had been able to turn his life around.
Am I thinking that Anna T. might be coming back to Ambridge, after Jill has a 'phone conversation, with her?
ReplyDeleteVery well spotted, Miriam, but, oh dear, just drawing out the agony, as far as I can see, unless Anna, after careful study, as a favour to friends of her mother, comes to a different conclusion than all the solicitors that have been consulted. Unlikely.
DeleteOn the other hand, Anna did wonders with Helen's case, given zilch information until the very last moment on the witness stand !
Ah, looking back, I see Stasia raised the possibility of an Anna Tregoran intervention !
DeleteWell said Emma.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you.
Absolutely; something competitive, & the girl will show herself in her true colours ! Johnny made Tom & Hannah look ridiculous, & adolescent.
DeleteI assume that Elizabeth can pay Anna T's bill?
ReplyDeleteAt the moment Lower Loxley is losing business, due to loss of the alcohol licence (thanks to Freddie) and so loss of many events. Elizabeth is putting all the LL business onto Geraldine, as she no longer seems to be "in control".
Will the half-term events be viable - I am not sure.
Perhaps this will be re-entry Lily.
She will see througb Russ, and runs home to Mum in tears, expecting comfort. Instead, Lily realises the situation, and takes over the running of LL, defering uni. + dumping Russ.
So Johnny's slammed door wasn't ridiculously adolescent? Well, well.
ReplyDeleteFond of Emma though I am, I'm afraid her anti-Hannah tirade says more about her than Hannah.
What does it say about Emma ?
DeleteJohnny ? Justified irritation at silly games & deceptions practised by his supposedly mature housemates.
For "justified irritation", read " flounce"! Johnny feels excluded, house-matey relationship with Tom all spoiled. Emma (it pains me to say it) has jealous streak and too easily resorts to a slanging match, as the Bull has witnessed more than once. I expect her better nature will reassert itself, as it was beginning to do with Jazzer tonight.
DeleteAlas, Hannah of old was a good character. In her new incarnation, she's been nasty towards Emma and about Neil, and weird towards Tom.
DeleteHow come Anna Tregorran can give Elizabeth her time and advice at a moments notice? Doesn’t she
ReplyDeletehave any other clients needing her full attention? Perhaps, if she advises Lizzie that there are no grounds for appeal, Lizzie will finally acknowledge the fact that there is nothing that can be done.
Maybe Jill is thinking the same way.
DeleteSo am I !
DeletePresumably Freddie’s full admission was heard by the judge, including all his trading history, so whilst his sentence was fairly harsh it was probably fair with respect to the crime committed. Hopefully Anna will be able to gently explain this to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth will be able to accept it coming from an uninvolved professional.
ReplyDeleteEmma sounded rather shrill when venting against Hannah, which was a shame, in many ways I admire Emma, but every now and then I find her intensely irritating ( and I never really forgave her behaviour with Will and Ed)
Agree, KPnuts, Emma hasn't completely shaken off her 'It's all about me' persona, though on the whole she's stuck with her choice of risky Ed over safe Will.
DeletePast is not always prologue to the future, & Emma has clearly grown up. She has been very kind & helpful to Will since Nic's death. She remains human, thank goodness, unlike the wishy washy Shula, &, imo, should be allowed to express resentment about her difficult family situation, hopes of an affordable home receding, & certainly she doesn't need to tolerate Hannah's rudeness & spite.It would have been odd if she hadn't exploded to Jazzer's - especially as he's a friend.
DeleteWhilst I accept that the punishment may have fitted the crime, what wasn't fair was the judges summing up of Freddies background and that influencing her decision without the benefit of a social enquiry report.Coming from a priveledged background does not necessarily equate to a happy and trouble free childhood etc. We too readily put people into boxes.
Delete✔ I thought a Social Work Report had to be requested by the Court where there was the likelihood of a custodial sentence for anyone under the age of 21. Without that a judge can have no real insight into the background, and possibly mitigating factors, of the person.
DeleteA social work report is not an essential , it may be requested before sentencing by the judge. Just checked this out to ensure I was right.
DeletePoor Johnny, walking in on Tom and Hannah's antics - yuck. Their 'friends with benefits' relationship is pointless and I wish the SW would drop it.
ReplyDeleteYes indeed, Anneveggie. What is the point? Are we to be treated (subjected) to an STI story?
DeleteLily Pargetter (Katie Redford) has indeed gone 'oop north', and has found a lucrative part-time job playing the part of Beth in the latest series of 'Still open all Hours'.
ReplyDeleteIt's a real problem for a radio drama series, isn't it. Hiring actors, perhaps especially younger ones like 'Anisha' & 'Lily' etc., developing promising storylines, & then having to drop them or keep them on hold, because the actor's career moves them on. In this instance, it's unconvincing that Lily would have stayed so many weeks in Manchester with the unctuous ex Dep. Principal, before running home sobbing to mum. She was beginning to see through him before she left.
DeleteAnd at the other end, there's theproblem of characters living beyond their lifespans because actors at the close of their careers are reluctant to let go! I think it's easy enough to replace the youngsters - it's frequently been done, e.g. Pip.
DeleteJohnny is my favorite character. Good for him going to visit Freddie and bad for him for finding T and H goodness know what he saw.
ReplyDeleteYes, he's always been a loyal friend to Freddie, not true the other way round. Don't think he was particularly shocked by T. & H., but annoyed by the farce, & insulted by the lack of straightforwardness, treating him like a child.
DeleteNow that it's no longer a secret it' won't be so much fun and hopefully we'll hear less of the bedroom farce.
DeleteIfJohnny thinks he's being treated like a child, there's an obvious reason' Nothing could have been more childlike than the way he burst into the house shouting for Tom to talk about the new herd like a boy withanew toy who can think of nothing else. But he may be growing up - his conversation with Elizabeth certainly sounded more mature. I'm afraid The Ambridge Observer has got him down as thick, though!
DeleteThat could be seen as charm, but not by the jaundiced, I suppose.
DeleteAs for 'thick', don't know where that comes from, really. Many slow witted folk in TA, he seems more clued up than most.
Come off it, Carolyn! Even the unjaundiced would have difficulty applying the word charm to Johnny , and for the terminally jaundiced like me it's an utter impossibility. There's only one charming male resident of Ambridge, and hopefully his baby daughter will take after him.
DeleteDo you not consider that Oliver and Robert also have charm too, Maryellen? Or is it only an old-stager like me that can appreciate it? 😉
DeleteAh, but I don't come off it, Maryellen ! Johnny has an innocent, natural charm - open, friendly, enthusiastic about life, able to interact well with all generations. Watch Toby's 'charm' evaporate when ( if) he spends a day with a grizzly toddler daughter. He also has a facility to get on with different generations, when it suits him, but it's louche, surface accommodation to others. We're intended to think of him as sexy, & he certainly thinks he is.
DeleteJohnny was very perceptive and sensitive with Helen tonight. Well done Johnny 😀
DeleteWasn't he just - quite impressive, as Helen tried her best to conceal her revulsion.
DeleteJosh also came across well tonight, & swayed Jill, who was clearly delighted. AND, they're right, Rosie will love the hens when she's a little older. A neice's 3 yr. old really took to our Beatrix, & cried when Mum chose a moment to tell her of B.'s sad end.
Carolyn - we obviously have different definition of charm. Toby was indeed spending the day with his daughter with no noticeable dimunition in his usual sangftoid. True, we didn't hear her grizzle but from his conversation with Pip it's clear that he's used to the baby in all her moods, can handle them, and is prepared to handle them. On top of running his booming business and being the Bull's anchorman. No evaporation of charm whatsoever. The man's a miracle!
DeleteThanks to the SWs, he has got a thriving business, not totally convincing, as before that, he was depicted as someone who couldn't stock at anything, & was unreliable. Jolene is the Bull's anchor person, not Tony or Kenton. He's still excited at being a dad, but, as I said, wait till toddler time, the so called 'terrible twos' ( rather unfairly to the child, who has only just learnt mobility, but not what safety is, or not always being allowed to do what they want)
DeleteI'd call Oliver and Robert pleasant in their public schooly way but not especially charming.
DeleteWhat if Hannah met he who must not be named (sorry wrong story) – Rob Titchener (both having worked in large farming units) in North America (yes, I know it’s a big place)? Now, for whatever reason, she is the advance party in a plan of revenge.
ReplyDeleteToo far-fetched? Probably.
Probably, but a delicious thought....mmn, she's being circumspect with Helen strategically, but hooks into Tom, claws into Emma ( Neil ? Just her natural self coming out - she'd be the same with any boss, unless earning far more).T.&E., both hated by the Titchener.
DeleteMuckspreader. What a thrilling plot line. Could Hannah be related to Titchner, or in a relationship with him, and they are both out for a long slow revenge. Wasn't Hannah responsible for encouraging Tom to let Henry watch videos all night? That certainly upset Helen who then had a difficult child to appease, hence the judo. It would not unusual for a psychopath like Titchner to groom others to do their dirty work.
DeleteI have worked with individuals who have been aggressive and violent towards others, only after being groomed and coerced by someone else who held a grudge. A bit like a gang leader, but they make sure they never get their hands dirty.
You have invented a plausible storyline.
I am another one who is thinking that there is a Rob/Hannah connection, paving the way for his return. They might be related, eg cousin, or met up in Canada/USA at some stage. To me, her liason with Tom, will end up in a type of blackmail or manipulation. I have thought, and posted, these my own ideas previously.
DeleteJazzer will become a pawn in this, my S/L and "set-up". It is now 2 years since Helen was found "not guilty". It is just about the time for Rob to re-appear, esp. as Henry is starting to play-up. It all ties together.
But I could be so wrong- and not for the first time. I can imagine Lynda's Final
Show, being ruined in some way.
So that's where Anisha went!! Anneika Rose was in "The Cry" last night on BBC1
ReplyDeleteI'm chuckling at that end to tonight's episode between Rosies mum and dad, just thinking what all the responses will be to that suggestion !
ReplyDeleteSuch as , ' Who's kidding whom ?' when the blood's up, don't suppose Rosie waking at 3am, with a whimper, followed by full blown howling, will deter them ...
DeleteHannah and Tom are having sex: just as mates. Pip and Toby are to share a bed: just as mates.
ReplyDeleteI find nothing unusual in either, good luck to them.
Nice comment, Basia!
DeleteI am quite happy for either of the above mentioned couples to they want in the bedroom, just so long as I don’t have to listen to it!
DeleteNot another bedroom scenario. 😩
ReplyDeleteI think Helen will end up with the karate kid......
Wasn't the whole point of Toby staying overnight that he would deal with Rosie when she wakes up so that Helen can sleep on? Surely if they both sleep together they'll both be disturbed (maybe in more ways than one).
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAdding to the recent comments about Johnny, I thought he was very perceptive and caring of Helen last night - noticing her discomfort at being touched by the Karate instructor. It obviously raised very bad memories for her, showing how long the consequences of abuse can last.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Johnny saw this and made sure Helen was OK speaks volumes for his caring attitude and the fact that he is not at all ‘thick’ in my view.
Yes well said Archerphile. When listening, my thought too was, how can anybody think Johnny to be thick or childish, when he is so perceptive.
DeleteJohnny is known to be good with livestock, Archerphile, so I expect his cow- caring skills were coming into play, faced with Elizabeth and Helen.
ReplyDelete“Cow caring”. Well I know they can be a bit annoying but name calling isn’t necessary.....🤭 lol
DeleteI didn't think the cows would mind!!
DeleteJohnny was using his people skills not cow caring, whilst cows do have emotions they are rather different from our own, though of course there are crossovers.
DeleteJohnny is dyslectic this has interfered with his education, in this day and age it should have been picked up sooner, had it been done so he wouldn't have been struggling as he has. To call him thick is doing him an injustice. Looking after cattle is not just a question of milking and turning them out to grass, to have a happy , healthy and productive herd requires a skilled herdsperson. Given the problems that Bridge farm have been having with their milk and yes the quality of milk is related to a number of factors not just diet , Johhny would not have been entrusted with there care if he wasn't up to the job.
Absolutely. The Bridge Farm family are very fond of Johnny, but they are clearheaded about what is needed for their herd, & know that Johnny is up to the job.
DeleteYet it's been left to Josh to volunteer training in the milking skills Johnny obviously lacks. Bridge Farm don't appear to be taking either the dairy enterprises orJohnny's career too seriously if hey can't organise the training needed to bring him up to scratch. But he's not really supposed to be going anywhere is he! Nepotism has its price.
DeleteMaryellen, you are so besotted with Toby you can see no good in anyone. Johnny didn't need any training, he did that at college, Josh and David were quite happy for Johnny to milk on his own, their herd is much larger and he was quite competent, what he lacks is belief in himself. Once you have learnt to milk you don't forget, I haven't milked for a number of years now, but if needed to I could just sit and get on with it no problems.
DeleteThe fact that they are buying in quality cattle to provide the milk for the dairy shows that they are taking things seriously. I personally would have preferred them to have Kerry cattle, Irish dairy renowned for the excellent quality of their milk, whose fat content is more easily digestible, but it is a personal thing.
I hope you took note of Rex's remark about Toby not coping with stress, where does that lead us I wonder.
Cow Girl - you can't believe Rex where T❤️O❤️B❤️Y is concerned. What isn't sibling banter is jealousy. Toby has never shown signs of stress - his laid back approach has often been commented on by listeners. But I agree the point that he was trying to do too much was rather laboured.
DeleteIt's not true that I can't see any good in anyone - please say sorry 😐. I can see good in Hannah for one.
Have just had an interesting half hour Cowgirl looking up breeds of cattle and digestibility of their milk. My dad liked Ayrshires, and they too, like Kerrys, have the small fat particles that make for ease of digestion. I didn't realise that nowadays deliberate attempts are being made to produce milk specifically with the A2 strain of protein because digestion wise it suits some people better, and that apparently it is also helpful for people with autism and schizophrenia. Don't know why that should be. The Ayrshires have mainly the A1 strain of protein. Guernseys and Jerseys the A2 . I couldn't find out which type Kerrys have. I bet Johnny knows all this stuff! 😉
DeleteI have been enjoying these recent episodes.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we should form a ' Johnny Fan Club ' .
ReplyDeleteI'm in!
DeleteMe too!😁
DeleteIt goes with out saying I am in
Deletehttp://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/dyslexics/learn-about-dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/debunking-common-myths-about-dyslexia
DeleteThere are many links about dyslexia, but I chose this one for the comment:- ''Myth: Smart people cannot be dyslexic or have a learning disability".
Johnny you're a star. With a perception very few Archer's characters have displayed.
Hannah & Tom? Well anyone could have been fooled by that silly insert! 🙄
& me, of course. The club has formed up naturally, in opposition to a strongly opposed view; oh, Maryellen, unintended consequences ! OR maybe intended - that's an intriguing question.....
DeleteAll credit to Johnny, I think he'd be extremely embarrassed by the idea of a personal fan club - especially one composed of mature females!!
DeleteOf course I’m on Johnny’s side too, which is why I posted about his perception that Helen was distressed.
DeleteI simply have to add that I thought Maryellens riposte about him using his cow caring skills was uncalled for and very unfair and yet another example of her antipathy to this particular character - UNLESS it was intended to be humorous. If so, I apologise because I could not see her face or gauge her mood at the time she was writing. ( one of the big drawbacks about online blogging, of course)
If it was not intended to be taken seriously, or typed with a smile, a smiling or laughing face would help us to interpret the meaning. E.g. 😄
I am not antipathetic to Johnny but I don't think he is the wondrous human being that his fans do. I do think he is kind which I consider to be one of the greatest and at the same time most underrated of virtues. I also think he has been shown to lack initiative, ambition, drive and inspiration, and has been rather weak in his relationships (but that may be improving). And as a conversation.ist,he's nowhere 🙂(how many smiley faces does it take?🙂🙂)
DeleteCount me in the fan club
DeleteI like his accent, and he is very young still, a work in progress.
DeleteNobody is saying he is 'wondrous', & nobody is infatuated. He's a decent, sensitive, capable & likeable young man, & they're at a premium in TA, though Josh is edging into that territory, & may continue that way, if David gets off his back, & starts to appreciate his emerging good qualities.
DeleteMaryellen, give Johnnie a break! He’s still very young. Yes , David should give Josh a bit of leeway as he too is just a young man and for his age has shown a lot of enterprise.
DeleteBB, I think this is proven to be a myth. I taught a number of people with dyslexia, some were very bright, others average, or a bit above, none with other learning problems. It hampers pupils, obviously, especially if undiagnosed, so no strategies are developed, & no extra time allowance in exams
ReplyDeleteI agree, and count me in as a Jonny supporter. He is perceptive and empathetic and when Tom and Hannah start seeing him as an adult with skills, then maybe he will become more confident. He should show more assertiveness in this weird ménage á trois house sharing setup. In fact it's T and H who need to grow up.
DeleteCarolyn. I think the quote did itself a disservice. It would have been better if it had said:- bright people can still be dyslexic!
DeleteWasn't 'dyslexic' said to be what middle class parents called their thick children?🙂
DeleteI'm a middle class parent and my daughter has a form of dyslexia. She worked hard to overcome her problems and neither she or her parents used it as an excuse.
DeleteThank you CC for giving half my answer.
DeleteTo continue, the dyslexic daughter who persevered and attained the degree, took herself off to an NGO and worked for two years as a volunteer until the work that she had carried out became a job, was then sent to Europe to institute another department and train the staff.
Now the mother of three teenagers she has three jobs and in the last week has, as part of a team, been the recipient of an industry award.
She has never made a single excuse for her difficulties and the only criticism I can make is that she pushes her children, I suspect because she does not want them to experience her own struggle.
Yes Maryellen that was what the educational system labelled parents of children who struggled prior to accepting, rather late in the day, that there was such a condition as dyslexia.
The phrase was used as an insult.
It still is an insult Maryellen.
My daughter is dyslexic but hid it well until diagnosed at university. She obtained a law degree and later 4 more degrees.. she is now nearing the end of PhD studies in archaeology. She says though that dyslexics cover the whole range of abilities and can be at each end of the intelligence spectrum or somewhere down the middle!
DeleteYes, it is an insult, & coined out of sheer ignorance. I hope people are better informed these days, because dyslexia is not uncommon. It varies in severity, but I admire people who have the character to persevere, as your daughters so triumphantly did, Mrs P. & C C. It's time consuming & often frustrating struggle, even with proper support.
Delete....& your daughter, Ev!
DeleteTrue, dyslexia has nothing to do with innate intelligence. It's a brain defect. As you say, can afflict the full range of abilities.
The jibe about middle-class parents calling their thick children dyslexic is about forty years old, and it wasn't funny then.
DeleteOn Week in Westminster 13/10 Matt Hancock talked about his dyslexia and how earlier in his career he printed leaflets with untie instead of unite and an MP lost the election but forgave him.
ReplyDeleteI was as unimpressed with Lynda's ideas as David was.
ReplyDeleteAs some of you said, Elizabeth may do more harm that good. Losing a parent, or sometimes both at a young age does not justify criminal activity, nor are these mitigating circumstances. Freddie grew up in a caring family, without financial hardship and with the right values presented to him.
So now we know she's doing some take on the Canterbury Tales. Very few of the storytellers have a flattering profile ! Would fun to match the cast we know about so far with the characters. Susan could handle 'The wife of Bath', for start...
DeleteIf Lynda is typecasting, Lilian is the obvious choice for the Wife of Bath.
DeleteI thought of Lil also, as she obviously has some of the attributes, but Susan is opinionated & loud, so plumped for her. A close call though. Harrison could be the Knight, but can't remember if she's asked him. Eddie, the Miller, maybe
DeleteI thought Lynda was planning 'Murder in the Cathedral', until she mentioned Chaucer.
DeleteAt least Anna was honest with Elizabeth. Although I don’t suppose when Anna said “no reputable lawyer would take your case/money “ she expected Elizabeth to ask for the name of a disreputable firm. Poor Elizabeth is being set up for more disaster I think, all those heavy hints from Bert...
ReplyDeleteAnna couldn't have been clearer
DeleteNo grounds for an appeal, so what we thought would make the penny drop ( & probably Jill, too) only made her more desperate. She wasn't listening, it seems she's beyond listening. I hope Anna refuses to give details of the rip off lawyers. She completely ignored Anna's '....finding other ways of supporting him'.
I too hope that Anna's reply to Elizabeth's request will be in the negative.
DeleteAnna could explain to Elizabeth that although she knows there are such lawyers she would be compromising her own integrity by passing on such information.
Elizabeth needs to have it pointed out to her that she is fast losing hers.
However as others have said, and I myself said last week, E is refusing to hear any sentence that does not contain the words ' Freddie and appeal '.
I had assumed, wrongly, that Elizabeth would take heed of Anna's advice. She will just waste her time and money by the sound of it by carrying on her free-Freddie campaign.
DeleteI liked David's little joke about the Scouts.
Oh no! The Canterbury Tales! I couldn’t bear them when studying them for GCE, all that impenetrable middle English dialogue and crude characters.
ReplyDeleteLynda’s flights of fancy and delusions of theatrical grandeur were really over the top to night. I think I may have to switch off until after the production is over and done with ......😩
It's not impenetrable! And only a handful of the characters are crude. I did the Prologue and the Nun's Priest's Tale for A-level, and subsequently studied Old and Middle English at university. Takes a bit more effort linguistically than later literature, but worth it. Well done, Lynda!
DeleteWas my initial impression that she was planning to do 'Murder in the Cathedral' wide of the mark, or is she going to combine Eliot and Chaucer?! The pilgrims didn't reach Canterbury, so she doesn't need a cathedral and an altar if she's planning the Canterbury Tales. I can't recall any women in 'Murder in the Cathedral' though, except for a few chorusy bits perhaps, so quite a lot of gender-blind casting would be called for. (Did that for A-level too.)
Alan unimaginatively cast as Becket, and Jim as Henry II.
Gat-tothed she was!
ReplyDeleteIndede she was!
DeleteI always enjoy Lynda's pronunciation of les mots français!
ReplyDeleteFor the first time I appreciated Lynda’s acting. Another enjoyable episode.
ReplyDeleteTime for a new post.
ReplyDelete