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Life in Ambridge: Comments week of February 2, 2019
Life in Ambridge: Comments week of February 2, 2019
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Life in Ambridge
THIS POST IS CLOSED "longer off topic comments' - Episode 8 Life Outside Ambridge Beach Chairs
Nice one Ruthy, just suits my mood as it is cold here this morning, I couldn't open my back door !
ReplyDeleteLooks very much like that around here this morning too! Mr A unable to open garage, and if he did manage to get the car out we couldn’t drive onto the road as a snow plough has piled icy snow up across our drive entrance onto the road - just waiting for the thaw!
ReplyDeleteLovely picture ,Ruthy .
ReplyDeleteThe bridge reminds me of my favourite film"the Bridges of Madison County' but that film was set in Iowa not Vermont
Snow virtually vanished here .
Snow melted here yesterday. Sunny and cold. I hope the new montbeliards are coping with the cold weather.
DeleteI don’t know why Lexi can’t speak to a few people, or just Susan, saying that she is pregnant, it is nothing to do with Roy and then glare threateningly (which I imagine she is more than capable of) Ian, Adam and Lexi do not need to elaborate at this stage. I personally suspect that she got pregnant back home, she has attended all her medical appointments on her own so far.
ReplyDeleteIF she went to the clinic they would have checked before implanting .
DeleteYes, IF she went to the clinic. We only have her word for it. On the other hand if the father is in Bulgaria and they are in a relationship, would he want her to hand the baby over? Maybe we are imagining too much! We just don’t trust her!
DeleteLove the red against the white ! We still have patches of snow but temperatures rise tomorrow & no more of the white stuff forecast this week here. Reckon the Montbeliards will survive under Johnny's TLC(as long as he guards them from any visiting dogs...)
ReplyDeleteLoved the Continuity Announcers quip at the end of today’s Omnibus - after Joe’s homily to Brian:
ReplyDelete“The Moral Maze, with Joe Grundy”. Perfect!
It made me laugh too, Archerphile. They come up with some very pithy comments sometimes.
DeleteIt made me laugh also. I didn't really appreiciate what Joe said, but today it made so much sense, and was very touching. I hope thinks hard about what Joe said.
DeleteSo who thinks Brian is going to cop out of pleading not guilty at the hearing - due to all the conversations he has been having recently?
ReplyDeleteI think he could well have a change of heart, but I am still not convinced.
DeleteI also think he has a case for pleading "not guilty", to the fact in he did not know the dumped waste could be classed as toxic, why back in tne 1970's.
I am sure Brian will think of his family and all the consequences, before giving his plea on Tuesday.
He has only 2 choices - and both Ambridge + us ardent listeners, will only learn what he decides on Tuesday.
It is as intriguing, as when Helen was in court in Sept 2016!!
PS Brian is not denying there has been toxic waste at Low Mead causing problems in the Am. and has payed/or his paying for the clean-up. But I do not believe he knowingly allowed toxic waste to be deposited.
The conversations have cleay been set up so that we may think Brian'll change his mind. Joe's words about 'family first' & Jenny's kindness to the Grundy's after Nic's death ( ye-es, but somewhat patronizing with it, as I remember) seemed to move Brian. He'll refect, for sure.
DeleteI would have thought pleading guilty to the undeniable act 40 yrs ago might work better, with his defence being ignorance & thoughtlessness, obviously not malice.
Please do see The Ambridge Observer this week, if you can. It’s absolutely brilliant and comes complete with photos of the lost property at Grey Gables - just in case you want to claim anything as yours. 😂
ReplyDelete"False Teeth"??
Delete😂😂😂😮
DeleteDid Shula say she was going to weed the graves?
ReplyDeleteIn this cold weather?
Is she mad?
That's what I heard. I imagined her in her Sunday best, slipping out of church, clutching a capacious handbag containing tools.
DeleteUnlike Jennifer I'm not at all convinced that it'll all be over in two days' time.
ReplyDeleteI know that Daniel was an IVF baby but there was no mention of a third party involved, just Shula and Mark, so what was Jennifer talking about, they are Daniel's parents and that's that as far as I know. I'm not in the least interested in Jill's new gentleman friend, why was David so shocked, a man! He and Shula will regret not telling Jill about Elizabeth. Is anyone else to meet a new friend at the Laurels?
There are plenty of contenders - Rex, Joe, maybe Bert is ready to meet someone new... I remember Peggy getting very friendly with a man who was visiting his wife when she visited Jack, and then she felt it was going too far. Of course Aunty Chris has decided to stay so maybe she has someone lined up there.
DeleteMaybe Jill will up sticks and move into the Laurels to be with the chap whose name escapes me.
DeleteGosh what excitement.
They will miss the lemon drizzle cake and chicken casseroles!
DeleteOoh, I'm definitely interested in Jill's new gentleman friend. I thought it was a great (and funny) ending to the episode.
DeleteSorry doesn't sound very realistic to me but their reaction was a bit funny. Jill does need to be told about the concerns about Elizabeth though.
DeleteBasia, I thought same as you about Jenny's remark to Shula. J is really on the defensive. Did she not realise what reactions might be. As for Lexi returning to Bulgaria to get away from gossip; 1. she should have realised there would be gossip in Ambridge; 2. there'll be gossip back home too, about the pregnancy and then when she returns there after delivering baby to A&I. Had the thing been arranged through a not-for-profit organisation I assume everyone involved would have received counselling before they decided to go ahead.
DeleteWhy was Shula chosen to give a reading about the enduring love when she only just divorced?
ReplyDeletePerhaps she is going to take a vow as an oblate.
Delete....and then we wouldn't have to hear her eternal wittreing & dithering any more. Hooray !
DeleteBasia, in a real church it wouldn't have been a deliberate choice, just her name on the rota for this week, although the SWs might have had other ideas.
DeleteYes Sarnia.
DeleteSWs having other ideas most likely.
Hooray for Jill, too ! Please don't bother her with younger daughter's woes now - let her enjoy life with a lovely new companion.
ReplyDeleteSo, Joe's words did hit home with Brian, & Shula's reading touched Jenny, the ever forgiving wife. All very satisfactory.
Elizabeth ? Get Joe & Jolene to frogmarch her to the surgery to explain honestly how she's feeling, how she's failing to cope. Never mind Dr. Locke, she doesn't need any romantic complications, but does need some short term medication, probably, & long term therapy of some kind.
Jennifer never stopped calling her husband "Darling"
DeleteThere's love for you.
Archerphile - I think Brian will change his plead back to not guilty.
ReplyDeleteAha! Jill’s ‘secret’ is out, a new man in her life. And I am delighted to see Leonard is to be played by one of my all-time favourite actors - Paul Copley. I have loved his voice for many years and am so pleased he is going to appear in the Archers at long last. I hope it will be for a long stay.
ReplyDeleteJust had to look up Paul Copley. I like him very much. Didn’t realise he played Tom wrigglesworths father on radio 4 but as soon as I read it it was obvious.
DeleteGlad to hear Lexi has got it all booked to bu**er off, thank goodness.
More daft story lines with Jill and her new fancy man. That does not ring true to me.
Peggy's one-time friend was Ted, I think, played by Paul Webster. He just disappeared, unfortunately. Perhaps Jill and Peggy will fall out over Leonard.
ReplyDeletePaul Copley supports Cats Protection! When will he meet Hilda Ogden?
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts last week regarding Jill spending so much time at the Laurels were that she might be considering booking herself in there.
ReplyDeleteSo...... it's a man. Good for her.
And !!!
The wonderful Paul Copley.
Yes I am a long time fan too.
Like others I am very very pleased.
When I read "Jill drops a bombshell" I had 2 thoughts. 1. She was going on strike - no more housework, cooking and baking. Or; 2. Due to anxiety about B****t, she has decided to move to Spain, thereby ensuring a reliable supply of lemons for her drizzle cake. Jill reminded Shula & David that Freddie is due to be released around B****t Day. Jill will be using Freddie as cake-courier.
DeleteThe Laurels should set up as a dating agency. Once Roy has recovered from Lexi he ought to visit someone there. Helen and Lee seemed to meet in a café.
I like Paul Copley. He was a farmer in "Downton Abbey" and in "Dalziel & Pascoe" detective series. He may have popped up in "Last Tango in Halifax". He was a regular in "Hornblower". Another Yorkshireman though. To be hoped he's not in a scene with the vicar, the policeman and the doctor (Locke).
✔️✔️✔️H at H .
DeleteHow do you all know about this Paul Copley?
Do you all get the Radio Times?
I think it will be Chris who Jill will fall out with over Leonard ,not Peggy,Bootgums
Perhaps it was Chris who introduced them!
She might be kicking herself now.
I am delighted for Jill though.
Let the youngsters take care of Elizabeth .
Are you expecting another war of the Roses?😉
DeletePaul Copley has also been in many radio series. I particularly enjoyed ‘King Street Junior’, where he played a Primary school teacher in a lovely little series written by Jim Eldridge and Paul himself. I just looked up his CV and the number of productions, films, TV and radio he has been in is truly amazing. Also lots of voice over work, which, I think, included those nostalgic adverts for Hovis bread.
DeleteThe Archers are very lucky to engage him, I think, and at least nobody will grumble that he is another ‘sound-alike’, being considerably older than Alan or Dr Locke!
I have just checked out Paul Copley and yes I recognise him from Last Tango in Halifax.
DeleteHe will be Jill's Toy Boy tough.
He is younger than me.
However if Dame Judy can have a Toy Boy ,then why not Jill?
Before Harrison turned up the previous Lancastrian /Cumbrian was Matthew.
We have been introduced to another Northerner recently -the Geordie vet.
We've had a few incomers from Wales recently too.
Why does nobody come to Ambridge from -say-Wolverhampton,Leicester, Coventry or Nottingham?
Does Paul Copley do accents? He might not use his own for the part. He might be a character from somewhere local. I have just been reading about Alan, John Telfer. Alan is supposed to be from Manchester and has a Manchester accent (as far as I can tell, others may disagree) but the actor was born and brought up in Middlesbrough.
DeleteIf you don’t know the Middlesbrough accent, Steph McGovern on bbc breakfast is from Middlesbrough.
DeleteOh dear! Another relationship in the offing.we must steel ourselves for more slurpy kissing and bedroom references!
DeletePaul Copley will forever be Tom Wrigglesworth’s “Sheffield, South Yorkshire” Dad to me, but he was also good as a minor character in Last Tango in Halifax.
I do not know Paul Copley from television, only from radio 4.
DeleteI loved ' King St Junior ' and always listened to each series.
Now it's 'Tom Wrigglesworth'. Just as entertaining.
PC has, to me, a lovely voice.
I see no reason why he should adopt another accent. His own is very understandable and pleasant.
Looking forward to the interaction between him and Jill, and hoping that as elder citizens they might show some dignity and keep any physical interaction private.
Alan isn't from Manchester. I think he might be from Nottingham, or have come to Ambridge from Nottingham. Richard Locke claimed to be from Manchester, but obviously wasn't.
DeleteJill may be the best cake and roast dinner creator, but she is not very perceptive when it comes to her children. Love is already blind.
ReplyDeletePerhaps another character change as Jill was always excellent at knowing something was wrong even when her children weren’t admitting it. However Elizabeth has been skilful at keeping it from Jill and as you say Stasia, we now know she has had her head turned, so to speak. I hope she isn’t riddled with guilt when/if she realises. It would be good to have a positive relationship portrayed. Good for Jill.
DeleteIs it sheer coincidence that Jill’s new boyfriend’s surname is Berry, as in Mary Berry of Great British Bake-off fame?
DeleteWhy do you think there might be a connection Maryellen ?
DeleteIsn't Berry a fairly common surname.
Do you know something the rest of us don't know ?
Well Berry is as good a surname as any I suppose .
DeleteI am just surprised that there are none of the more common surnames in Ambridge like Smith or Jones.
I thought we might get a guest appearance by Mary Berry in the role of Leonard’s sister or more distant relative and she and Jill could swap cake recipes. Daft idea?
DeleteWell it would be one way of spending the vast amount of money the BBC saved by getting rid of the Archers website.
DeleteIt seems that one has to have Celebrities for any bit parts that come up..and I doubt they come cheaP .Some of the best actors in my opinion have been the ones we have never heard of .
Yeah, daft idea, Maryellen. Fun though. 😃🍰
DeleteSeasider ✔️
ReplyDeleteI think I need a Hearing aid!!!
ReplyDeleteI have been talking to a friend about The Archers and commented about St Shula doing the weeding after Church and she pointed out to me tthat Shula said she was doing the "Reading " not the "weeding".
😂
Delete😂😸👂👂
DeleteWow, Lanjan, I thought that, too !! I do have ahearing aid (huh!) So just maybe you should pay a visit to Sp. Sa., B--ts or wherever....Mind you we are used to hearing about her digging up the long deceased whenever in any kind of dither, so we heard what we expected to hear.
DeleteDitherer & Dithet's mum asked quite reasonable questions about the surrogacy but it was as if Jenny had never had such queries, was surprised to hear them crop up. Is she one of these people who just crave babies & thinks everyone is the same?
Jill's attempt at politeness mixed with bemusement ( probably a fair dose of prejudice as well ) was a treat to listen to - well played ! I bet she explored all this with new BF as soon as.
Actually, why did Adam & Ian jump upon Lexi with such relief ? They'd had some women interested who dropped out but maybe they were not through an agency ( certainly Helen & Kate weren't), so would an agency have rejected them as parents of babies because of their age ? There is, I think, an age limit for IVF on the NHS.
Now I understand your comment Lan Jan. I did not hear her say anything about weeding, and I was confused by your post.
DeleteI also heard "weeding".
DeleteJennifer sees to imagine that everyone in Ambridge is clued-up on how surrogacy works. Lexi's arrangement with Adam and Ian is news to most people. They are getting their heads round it. They didn't eavesdrop on the planning and visit the clinic like some of us did. They didn't have a year to prepare and educate themselves about the subject like we have. Most Ambridge folk think eggs come from hens and a transfer is something done between football clubs.
Carolyn, A & I "leapt upon Lexi" because people wanting a baby outnumber women willing to bear babies. Afaik a reputable agency will assess and counsel both parties.
We haven't heard Peggy's opinion.
As to Leonard being introduced as Jills friend, I think Paul Copley is a wonderful person to portray him.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I hope he lasts longer than some of the other well known actor/actresses who were introduced and then completely disappeared - Alison Steadman, Anthony Head, Elenor Bron to name but a few.
The exceptions are:- Justin Williams, John Rowe and Michael Cochrane. They appear now and again, as other commitments allow, but they do.
Spot the obvious mistake!
DeleteSimon Williams playing Justin.
Or Leonard may turn out to be a cad and a bounder who fleeces Jill of her savings and Glebe Cottage....
DeleteOh no not another Chris situation!
DeleteI hope Justin is building the Beechwood Houses as eco friendly with solar panels, as an example.
ReplyDeleteSolar panels in Ambridge - that is a thought.
Kirsty is not at all ready if she needs so much reassurance.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth nearly shouted at Bert, she must have gone to the flat to take a tranquiliser.
As for Helen, I have a feeling that once she starts talking to Lee he'll tell her that he knows already.
I immediately thought Elizabeth needed to go to the flat to have a 'shot'.
DeleteVodka, I understand is the choice of secret drinkers.
( No folks - it's not a case of ' it takes one to know one '. Alcohol has never done much for me. )
Re Ambridge Observer: I wonder where Christine Michaels is based, as comments posted are timed about 8 hours behind us. Could explain why editions of the AmOb always seem to appear in the small hours of the morning.
ReplyDeleteWell it is obvious that Elizabeth has not been back to see the doctor.
ReplyDeleteShula should at least(when she has finished her weeding) check that she is going back to see him.
Perhaps when Jolene tells Kenton about the way she was treated and Bert confides in Jill that he is worried about her ,someone will have the common sense and contact Lily who is the only one who will be able to do something with Elizabeth.
Had I been either Jolene or Bert I am afraid I would have lost my cool.
It is time -no it is beyond time-that somebody gave her a few home truths.
Sorry this pussy footing around her is just not working.
If Glen has a day off ,surely he has a Deputy.
I really don't know how that place makes any money at all.
So Lexi is returning to Bulgaria on Fri and Good Riddance for a few months.
ReplyDeleteBut - will she return to Ambridge. Adam + Ian will have a long anxious wait. Who knows if they will ever meet their son/daughter. It seems a very complicated set-up.
Kirsty should NOT move in with Philip. She obviously doesn't want to, she just thinks perhaps she ought to.
ReplyDeleteExactly,Bootgums.
DeleteIf she really felt sure she would have said yes to him straight away.
Agree with you both!
DeleteI think Kirsty felt that having given confidence to Helen, ( and wasn't she taken aback when H talked of butterflies in her tummy, and envious perhaps ) she needed perhaps to get on with it herself.
DeleteYes I agree, Kirsty is very unsure.
Agree as well!
DeleteKirsty keeps saying that she is now 37 - perhaps she is pondering it's now or never.
DeleteShe is 37 for goodness sake. Not 47 or 57 or 67! She might be feeling nearing the end of baby rearing years, but that is not a good reason to jump into a boring live-in arrangement. And I was surprised to hear she's been dating Philip for a year, did she ever feel the butterflies? I don't think so.
DeleteI think when you really love someone you want to be with them and agree if so she would have jumped at the chance to move in with him. I remember way back when in the WRNS someone said to me she wasn’t sure whether she loved her boyfriend and then listed the reasons she should. I said it was beyond analysis how the real bond happened. Quite a few times through the years husband and I looked at each other and marvelled at the mystery of why it worked but it did! I think Kirsty is comfortable with Philip but that’s it and I don’t honestly think it will work out. At 37 she isn’t over the hill yet and should move on!
DeleteAgree with all that's been said about Kirsty and her hesitation. If she really was in love with him she wouldn't have to think twice about moving in with him.
DeleteI too agree with all the comments above.
DeleteBut I would also say this, if Kirsty feels that she is nearing being over the hill, then that is how she feels.
I believe many women feel that way approaching forty, and the thought becomes a mindset.
And too, she is commiserating with her friend Helen who's had a number of relationships before marrying a wrong un. Perhaps she feels that as she and Philip are comfortable together, that will be enough.
Let's face it, that's how it used to be in our grandmothers time and as often as not it worked.
I accept that is because people in those days had less expectation out of life,
but was it such a bad situation if it worked.
When Helen said that Rob's shadow is still over her life, I wondered if Kirsty's uncertainty about Philip may be due to unhappy memories of Tom - public jilting, brief reconciliation resulting in pregnancy and loss of baby.
DeleteReluctantly, because I really hoped Kirsty had found happiness with Philip, I have to concur with all the above. as you say, Mrs P. her reaction to Helen's butterflies was a giveaway. She wants to feel that way about Philip, but she doesn't. She's fond of him, comfortable with him, but it lacks the spark.
ReplyDeleteHelen made better sense than she ever has tonight, including her attitude to Johnny. The boy's gold dust for that farm, that family, & should be given every encouragement & confidence boost he needs
As for Elizabeth - impossible ! Awful to Bert, dismissive to Jolene. This SL is dragging on unbearably now. OK, we got it, she's having a breakdown, nobody can get near the woman, any one of them could take a firm line with her, ignore the rudeness & evasion, & make her listen. Treading gently, ( most of them), getting irate ( Kenton) doesn't wash at all. Is no one capable of both standing up to her & at the same time, standing by her ?
ReplyDeleteLily
DeleteYes Seasider, and she's gentle with it !
DeleteI do hope Lily comes back and without Russ. When will the siblings wise up and tell Jill? She will be so angry.
ReplyDeleteAlso, remind me, when is the earliest Freddie would be out of jail?
I believe it is end of March, which would be six months of the year’s sentence.
DeleteI wonder if Mr Berry is a Len or a Lenny/Lennie? I favour Len.
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps he’s got a nickname, likr Bill or Logan....
DeleteBlue? Straw if he was a blond-haired child. Wortle? (Shortened to Wort.) Whin. That's if they are called whinberries on the other side of the Pennines. PTY? July is whinberrying time.
DeleteSo long as it's not Rasp., or Black. Wouldn't be surprised if he were quite formal & has been addressed as Leonard all his life.
DeleteLily has done better than the others, true, partly because she both knows & cares about LL business, & E. is less likely to I shout at her, but I don't think it is fair to bring her into the mess again.
Maybe a combination of Jolene & new boy Leonard ?
H@H, I went bilberry picking on the Yorkshire moors as a child. I looked up whortleberries last year when I visited Exmoor (the jam’s in my fridge that I bought there) and I understand they are the same.
DeleteCarolyn, I agree that it is a heavy burden for Lily but she said she wasn’t happy at college. Maybe that’s changed this term. I enjoyed having her around at Christmas and she was so good with her mum and the business. I could do without Russ, though, but there are echoes of Elizabeth’s early married life when she had to cope with Julia hanging about being a burden rather than an asset.
DeleteI wonder how Glen is coping with Elizabeth. Does he silently get on with it all, keeping it afloat, or is he quietly reassigning the assets while Elizabeth is distracted.
DeleteNow there's a thought ! He could also be holding grimly to the mantra that he is only on a short contract, & this hellish job does come to an end....talking of timing, in a month or so, a zombie style Freddie will be released, creating another problem at LL. There's a certain urgency here !
DeleteLily, I think, hadn't settled because of the Russian handicap. She can't mix freely with other students, she returned with a backlog of work, & the necessity of finding a part time job. She wasn't disenchanted with the degree course as such. In the circumstances, the better plan for her would be to defer a year, if possible, sort out LL, including securing a permanent manager. E. & F. ? They could be sectioned for some months. Harsh ? Yes, unless an exceptionally gifted team of psychotherapists set them both on the path to recovery.
Russian ? Russ.
DeleteIt’s a shame the old village habit of nicknaming has died out as they were often entertaining. Before my time, where I grew up, the youngest and smallest of the Field brothers was always known as Paddock. In today’s Ambridge we hear no nicknames, only diminutives such as Josh. I can see it’s not so necessary now, as it was in the days of large families and the same forenames being used in each generation, so some extra identification was helpful. They weren’t usually hurtful either.
DeleteI really hope Lily does return. She does seem to be the only person Elizabeth will allow to help her and Lily herself seemed to enjoy what she was doing. I have to say that I don't see why it would be so bad for her to leave university. She does not show any enthusiasm for her course , apart from the Russ situation. She is worried about her mother and sometimes you need to put family first. She has tried it and I think she will be mature enough to recognise that it is not right for her at the moment. It may well be that running LL is the perfect fit for her - in which case why waste years doing something that is not for you and building up debt doing it! A university degree is not the be-all and end-all and imho we do need to respect and acknowledge the importance of practical experience and other ways of doing things and allow people to opt in to education at a later time if they want to do so! Sorry about the rant ……..
DeleteIn my experience young men often seen to have the suffix ‘er’ or ‘zzer’ attached to their names e.g. Jazzer. My son Corrin was always called ‘Cozzer’ by his mates and he had friend known as Jezzer (Jeremy), Griffers (Griff) and Dazzer (Darren).
DeleteIt seems that these days cricketers ofter have their names extended to Cooky, Rooty, Broardy, Stokesy etc.
The older nicknames such as ‘Dusty’ for a Miller, and ‘Doughy’ for a White that were popular in the early 20C seem to have died out. That’s a shame.
You’re right, Archerphile, plus the present day use of ‘s’ to create a diminutive as in Jules (Julia) and Tobes (T❤️O❤️B❤️Y). It always amuses me when the diminutive is longer than the name - I have a friend called Ann who is affectionately known as Annabelle. But true nicknames are rare.
DeleteChanging topic, I don’t think The Aldridge will get a custodial sentence today (more’s the pity) because it’s Tuesday. and such a sentence would surely merit a Friday cliffhanger!
But, the sentence could be delayed for consideration !
DeleteAgree that a university degree isn't right for everyone, b9b, but Lily has always been presented as academically very able and keen, not as someone who's been pushed towards university because 'that's what you do'. I would find it unconvincing if she happily left her course. Her problems in Manchester are caused by Russ.
DeleteMy eldest daughter was very bright, rising to the top throughout her school life.
DeleteShe was adamant that she would not go to university and she refused to go into one of the professions.
( she did admit a year or so ago that she should have done law )
However, she has had a very successful career, which she enjoyed tremendously for the first twenty years, though less so currently, and rising to the top with very considerable financial reward.
There was a baker with nickname "Doughy" in Ambridge in early days of TA.
DeleteI'm still hoping that Brian might plead not guilty for the sake of drama but whatever he does it won't be plain sailing, no, I don't want him to go to gaol, Freddie is enough for the numbers.
ReplyDeleteBufo9bufo (9.39) I very much agree that academic degree courses are not for everyone who manages to get the grades. That is becoming more generally recognised these days - one of the reasons for pushing students that way was to sell their schools to parents. However, Lily is genuinely interested in her course, she's said so before & after going to university. It would be a shame if she couldn't continue after a break. If she decides to take up hotel management after another spell at LL, so be it.
ReplyDeleteI really don't think she's the one to help with her mother's collapse itself, aside from lifting the burden of LL. Perhaps she & David together could get through to E. ?
Or Lily and Jill. Elizabeth almost sounded like her old self when she heard from Jolene that her mother’s new man is coming to tea on Thursday. I expect it is too much to hope she would go to Brookfield for a look at him. Anyway I doubt she would betray her state of mind in front of him, unless Jill’s antenna starts working again.
DeleteOops, Carolyn, I unwittingly reproduced part of what you said before I'd read it. Great minds . . .
DeleteI have said all along that the only person who can help Elizabeth is Lily.
ReplyDeleteThe softly softly approach employed by everybody so far is not working.
If Lily returns to LL as I expect will happen she will be able to leave Russ in Manchester ,help her mother to sort herself out and return to University next September to start again and enjoy a full University life
Lily doesn't have to return to Manchester .
DeleteShe could apply to another University.
I agree with Carolyn that I think Leonard has always been Leonard and isn't a Len or Lenny or any other shortened name.
ReplyDeleteThe only Leonard I knew was the most handsome man (apart from Mr LJ ) I had ever met.
I suspect that Mr Berry is somewhat similar.
He will be Yorkshire posh-possibly from Harrogate or Knaresborough.
He is the sort of chap who always looks clean if you know what I mean.You know he has had a Shower that morning .
At this time of year he will wear a round necked merino wool pullover over anironed cotton shirt .
I like Mr Berry.
There will be no slush and soppy talk with Jill.
He will take her to National Trust properties in the midlands of which there are many.
She will make him cakes and introduce him to the family at Brookfield.
David will be concerned that she might decide to marry him and that she may forget to write a new Will.
No problem .
She just wants a companion.
Good Luck to you Jill.
LJ, a lovely vivid picture. Perhaps they can have a weekend away in Harrogate where at Betty’s tea room he will tell Jill the cakes are almost but not quite as good as hers. Perhaps they will have a pied a terre in the area.
DeleteI have just reread the Berry stuff, so to conclude my post on that subject, if he’s from the north of the county his nick name will be Bil.
A marriage cancels an existing will (except one made in anticipation of said marriage). Oh dear! Jill would be intestate! That's if she dies first, which, if Leonard is the same age as Paul Copley, she may well do. (I may be getting a bit ahead of myself here.)
DeleteWell it would be another thing for the editor to latch onto if they did marry and Jill didn't change her Will .
DeleteOn the other hand nice Mr Berry might do the same and Jill might end up with loads of money and a fine house and......Bootgums,I too am getting carried away!
I am really looking forward to this storyline.
Well done scriptwriters /.editor.
Did Mr Berry and Jill Archer meet when they were both visiting Christine Barford? Do I detect an eternal triangle here.
DeleteI got the impression that Mr Berry went along to The Laurels to help out.
DeleteI may be wrong.
He used to visit his wife there .
I imagine he is lonely.
I thought the same as you,Maryellen regarding Christine but when I think back to the way she faffed about when talking to Jim and Peggy I reckon Leonard would be better sticking to Jill!
How long till the cricket season starts? I have a very strong hunch that this is the year when Ambridge beats Darrington at last. Maybe the village’s bad boys will redeem themselves on the pitch!
ReplyDeleteWhich bad boys were you thinking of in particular,Maryellen?
ReplyDeleteFreddie and Rory.
DeleteOh no....not cricket season🤦♀️
ReplyDeleteI reckon you have at least a couple of months respite,P tb Y .
ReplyDeleteYup. Our matches start mid April! League starts May. My first 'cricket tea' booked for 11/05/19!
DeleteI don't think the fine was excessive. Kenton is keen on a village event which will help him pay off his debts. Why was Pip screaming her head off? If Toby seems to forget why doesn't she remind him the day before with a Rosie/App.
ReplyDeleteShe shouldn't have to. He should take responsibility.
DeleteWell Toby you might as well have married Pip as you’re spoken to like a 24 hour hen pecked husband -and not even getting any benefits now 😂 still like Will no doubt your brother will soon be step father to your lovely Rosie.....
DeleteSo T❤️0❤️B❤️Y is expected to take all the downside responsibilities of parenthood, subordinating his work arrangements to suit Pip’s work demands, and taking on night shifts and nappy buckets, while being denied the upside of parenthood such as sharing Rosie’s first Christmas and giving her his surname. I was impressed by his forbearance in the face of Pip’s screeching, Rosie and the regulars seemed to be having a great time at The Bull, the child was obviously coming to no harm, so what was Pip’s problem. Working mother blues,, I suppose. Good thing she’s got such an amenable bloke.
DeletePip's reaction was a bit OTT, but if she says Toby had agreed to take care of his daughter on that day, at that time, there's no need to disbelieve her. Toby's reform is obviously only partial, and he still struggles (or just doesn't bother) to behave like an adult. Taking Rosie to work didn't seem to be a problem, but initially he expected Pip to rearrange her work because he had messed up. The big difficulty is that when he screws up he doesn't seem to see it as a problem. He is rather like Kenton in his younger days. But Pip is risking losing such assistance as Toby can be bothered to give, and becoming a genuine single parent.
DeleteToby the dog is dead cute, though. Perhaps Toby the man child is too.
It must have been "Take your daughter to work day" in Ambridge. Rosie had several unpaid childminders at the Bull creche. Robert has grandchild experience but doesn't see his own often. You know what they say "It takes a village to raise a child".
DeleteI wonder if Kirsty was responsible for the paint throwing outside of the court?
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't surprise me.
I was disappointed Brian’s appearance in Court was passed over so quickly. Clerk reads out the charges at length, Brian mutters ‘guilty’ and the next thing, they are all back in the Bull.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to hear the judge giving B a good dressing down and announcing the fine!
They all seemed to be remarkably merry considering Brian had just pleaded guilty to a serious ‘crime’. I should have thought the family should have been a bit more shamefaced and not celebrating in the pub.
I think they're all very relieved Brian doesn't have to go to prison. I'm glad the whole court scene was handled quickly. I did wonder why it was necessary to panic buy a new jacket to cover up the paint which had been thrown over Brian though. Surely the judge would have understood why he had to turn up looking paint spattered.
ReplyDeleteQuite funny to hear Jill being described as a cougar!!
I didn't think that exchange between Toby and Kenton about Jill and her new friend was funny.
DeleteBut I did think it was vulgar.
I do realise that younger people talk in this manner quite normally, and there is nothing objectionable about it.
But Jill is, on the whole, a dignified older lady, and the man in question is probably much the same.
Dignified consideration to their age would IMO be appropriate.
The jacket incident was worth it to hear of the replacement being bought at TopBloke. The CEO (or similar) of TopMan once said that many of its customers were buying a suit for their first job interview or first court appearance.
DeleteMrsP, Kenton reminded Toby that Jill was worthy of respect.
DeleteKenton Archer presumably felt he had to stick up for his mother, because old she certainly is, but neither dignified, ladylike or worthy of respect in the way she has treated T❤️O❤️B❤️Y in the past. He has had to endure ingratitude, outright rudeness and ostracism at her hands, and has shown the same tolerance and restraint he showed during Pip Archer’s childish outburst last night (admittedly he was on duty at the time and professionalism also came into play).
DeleteI thought he was genuinely funny about Jill’s new acquisition; I guess it’s bringing a smile to most people’s faces. LanJan thinks she just wants companionship, but she already has companions she can visit NT tearooms and have heart-to-hearts with. I think she wants a slurpy kiss and a cuddle in bed, and who could quarrrel with that?
What is this community event that Brian had promised to fund? Can he afford even a village-wide round of drinks?
ReplyDeleteCould Jill be so blind to the problems that E is having?
ReplyDeleteI am glad the whole cleanup story line is over. Will we hear a gleeful Kirsty in tomorrow’s episode?
Kenton was just being so ridiculous tonight asking Brian about the community affair. Kick the man while he is down. Brian should refuse.
That was exactly it Ruthy and typical of Kenton. Brian should have told him, in no uncertain terms, what he could do about the 'Community Day. (By the way I hate that word when applied to a village!)
DeleteI am hoping Brian can somehow repay Kenton (envious of Brian's wealth) and the village (unpleasant gossip) when he organises the event!
Poor Brian he sounded so beaten last night especially after Adam and Jennifer's haranguing and bullying before the hearing. He should take Mr Bennett's advice
“For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn.”
(Pride and Prejudice)
As mentioned earlier on the blog, Kenton Archer has a vested interest in Brian Aldridge’s promised community event, because an event means drinks, and drinks mean income, which means David’s loan stands a better chance of being paid off. The Aldridge may not have got the ticking off in court that Archerphile would have liked to hear, and seems to have survived the humiliation imposed by the paint throwers beforehand with his self-esteem indented thanks to his wife’s extravagant support) but can he wriggle out of his promise to the community without losing face?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"I'm pleased to meet you ",said Our Jill
ReplyDeleteWhen to The Laurels she did go
She liked his voice-not run of t' mill
But Yorkshire posh-deep ,rich and slow
My name is Leonard.."Oh that's nice"
Said Jill. He then went on to say
"I've spotted you here once or twice
I'd like to court you if I may."
(To be continued)
DeleteWe eveasdrop on a conversation between David and Jill
Delete(Especially for Maryellen!)
"David -"But mum you haven't thought this through
He might want you for sex and stuff"
Jill" -Well,David it's not up to you.
I really like a bit of rough!""
🤭😂😂😂😂
DeleteLanjan. She is 87years old. Will her old bones be able to cope with a toy boy inflicting a bit of rough?
DeleteIT is more beneficial than a two mile walk!
DeleteI don't think that's quite what 'a bit of rough' means.
DeleteWell,Bootgums, rough rhymed with stuff.
DeleteMaybe Leonard -being a Northerner! -may appear to be more unsophisticated than some of the Ambridge males -eg Justin or Olver -of Jill's acquaintance so in her mind he might be an older version of Sean Bean .
I don't think Leonard is a smoothly but who knows?
My stepdaughters’ gran’s mother married again in her 90’s. Grace, her daughter remarked it couldn’t be for the sex but knowing her mum I privately thought...well, I don’t know....!! Go for the man friend, Jill, you deserve a bit of TLC!
DeleteReturning to last night .....I was exasperated with Pip and her angry outburst at T♥️O♥️B♥️Y.
ReplyDeleteHere is the girl who decided to go ahead with a pregnancy despite the father’s reluctance.
Who said she didn’t want him to have anything to do with baby when it arrived and was going to do it all on her own, with help from family
Who refused to give the baby her father’s surname or put him on the birth certificate.
Who didn’t even invite him to be there for baby’s first Christmas
Who now ‘allows’ father to doss down on the sofa some nights to see to teething baby so she can get some sleep.
Who grumbles if father doesn’t empty nappy bucket or clear up.
Who grumbles if hard working father is not instantly available to mind baby when she wants to do some particular job or go to a meeting
Who harangues the father at his place of work because hé, sensibly, took baby with him and ensured she was well looked after and entertained.
This girl (woman?) wants it all her own way, on her terms.
I feel very sorry for the father.
Did Pip really refuse to put Toby's name on the birth certificate? It seems unlikely. She was under no obligation to give him Toby's surname. Why would she? They're not even a couple. Phoebe remains an Aldridge even though she was brought up by her father. Ruairi is still Donovan even though his mother died when he was little and he is being brought up by his father and his father's wife. I think both these cases are very odd, as it would surely be more comfortable for children to have the same surname as the rest of their family, and not constantly be having to explain, but Pip's decision was quite rational. Like Helen's re Jack.
DeleteP😡I😡P and T👺O👺B👺Y deserve each other, both are unpleasant characters. R👶S👶I👶E should look for new parents. The parents are control merchants.
ReplyDeleteThumbs up, A❤️R❤️C❤️H❤️E❤️R❤️P❤️H❤️I❤️E! TFxx
DeleteTotally agree Stasia.
DeleteArcherphile - Toby is/was not sleeping on the sofa though. Pip invited him back to her bed when she suggested he stayed the night to look after Rosie so Pip did not need to get up.
It was all said in a 'knowing' way that made it clear they would continue with 'the benefits' despite the original arrangement going 'wrong' and landing them in the mess they are now in!
I don’t agree that Rosie’s parents are “in a mess”, Spicycushion, or that Rosie is in any way at risk. They are simply spatting about child care v. work commitments in the way young couples have done since female emancipation and the advent of modern fatherhood - except that it’s Pip doing the all the spatting and T❤️O❤️B❤️Y taking it on the chin.
DeleteAre Pip and Toby in a mess ?
DeleteSurely life for many is simply a case of ' muddling through ', particularly for first time parents.
Archerphile, I would make the following comments.
ReplyDeleteIn my view it is quite outrageous to say that she went ahead with the pregnancy despite Tobys reluctance. Her body her decision. She did arrange an abortion, but couldn't go through with it, I have every sympathy with that.
Why should she have her fathers name ? convention? times are changing.
I thought they went to the registry together, so his name is I believe on the birth certificate, which gives him rights and responsibilities.
I was always taught that if you made arrangements to do something then you followed through, unless otherwise agreed. This is the second time Toby has agreed to something then forgot, totally irresponsible
I disagree that Pip wants it all her own way, I see no evidence to substantiate that.
Sorry CC. I guess we just have different perspectives on the situation. Can we just agree that we disagree and leave it at that? I don’t want to get into a protracted argument 😊
DeleteNeither do I. Having said my piece I am happy to leave it there.
DeleteBelieve it or not, like most people I dislike Pip .
In the Philippines , and I admit this is slightly different as it applies to married couples, the mother's maiden name is usually given to the child as a middle name. My son caused bewilderment when completing the various paperwork for getting married in the Philippines because they wanted to know which of his middle names was my maiden name.
DeleteP.s. Fairbrother Archer would have sounded nice I think.
DeleteI do feel that Pip is all too ready to leave Rosie to others. She is lucky to have family support and quite rightly expects Toby to do his bit but this business of sleeping during the day whilst elderly Jill looks after baby and shushes everyone so that she can sleep is pathetic. Most of us just had to carry on in spite of losing sleep. Pip is very demanding IMO!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Ev.
ReplyDeleteShe chose to have unprotected sex in the first place.
She chose to keep her baby.
Now she expects everybody to be at her beck and call.
What cheek.
I am pleased that Toby stood up to her.
She wants it all ways.
Do we know she had unprotected sex ?
DeleteContraception is the responsibility of both partners not just Pip.
No method is entirely safe, so accidents will and do happen.
A properly concerned parent would have noticed her co-parent was “running himself ragged” managing his business solo while taking odd shifts at The Bull to aid their finances - and his two small memory lapses were the result of exhaustion rather than lack of responsibility, total or otherwise. Pip only has one job.in which she is fully supported by her large family who also help out with her share of child care. Tobes only has the noticeably absent Rex as a fall back.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame Toby reacting in the way he does.
DeleteI have just listened again to last night's episode and heard Pip shrieking "I told you Toby......"
That would be a red rag to a bull if she spoke to me like that.
She is lucky that he is helping out at all.
He is doing far more than many ,if not most ,men in his circumstances would do.
Give it a rest Pip.
Put the baby in the pram and let her watch you do a bit of work.
That is what most of us did.
Better still give Amanda Owen ,the Yorkshire shepherdess a ring and ask her how she copes with nine children and a farm to run.
Oh well said, LanJan. Yes, nine children and a farm subject to dreadful winter weather conditions, school runs and everything. Pip doesn’t know how lucky she is.
DeleteMy point earlier about Pip deciding to continue with the pregnancy despite the father’s reluctance (that CG so objected to) was that she was fully prepared to have a baby, despite knowing full well that the father did not want to be Involved. She was content to become a single parent relying on the family to help. She was perfectly entitled to make that decision. But she can hardly complain now that the father does less than she would like him to. He could well have disappeared from the scene , leaving her with only immediate family help.
He said (after recovering from the shock of her announcement) that the decision about the baby was hers and he would support it whichever way it went. And he has kept his word.
DeleteExactly Maryellen
DeleteEh? Thou bafflest me, CowGirl!
DeleteWhen P and T discussed the Tuesday care he said he had a shift at the Bull, she said not my problem sort it out. The work she had on the farm could have waited two days as he said he was free on Thursday but she wasn’t prepared to change her plans expecting him to do so and at short notice, which would have affected far more people e.g Kenton and Jolene not to mention their other staff. I’m not the greatest fan of Toby but she done him wrong here!
DeleteBut it was clear that Toby had agreed to look after Rosie and had just forgotten, and then expected Pip to change her plans to accommodate his Bull shift. There was no suggestion that Pip's top-dressing could have waited two days without any consequence. It's a cunning plot to put Toby in a good light by showing Pip as unreasonable. Taking Rosie to work wouldn't have been a problem if that had been a plan that Pip had been aware of.
DeleteFair enough, bootgums but I still find Pip’s attitude as primary carer difficult to take. Don’t know anything about top dressing but can’t see two days delay being catastrophic. As for Toby, he is less than reliable but her reaction was over the top.
DeleteYes indeed LanJan. I have read the Amanda Owen books and think she must be amazing, and with an enviable boundless energy. She did apparently have mostly easy very fast labours with a lack of contractions, so maybe that's why she had as many as nine!
DeleteP.s. I have just acquired a DVD of Winter Tales, a documentary about an earlier very hardy farmer Hannah Hauxwell who lived in the Pennines, and am looking forward to watching it.
DeleteBrian now knows the expense of the fine with no further problems from the EA. Jenny + Brian will at last know, their true finances, to enable them to look for their new home.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Brian took a part of Home Farm land, they could have a house built to suit them. Surely this would be cost-effective in comparison.
Susan + Mike managed to build their home, so why not Brian + Jennifer.
I can't see the Partners objecting, but who knows.
Correction :- Susan + Neil.
DeleteThat sounds like an excellent solution. I would certainly be excited by that if I were Jennifer. Have you told the script writers?
DeleteWhy would the S/W's take notice of a 64yr old retired person!
DeleteAnd they would be able to build a one bedroom ' granny flat' for the wayward daughter if and when she returns from South Africa.
DeleteAgain !
Or not.....If it suits them.
You don't read the Radio Times then, Mrs P?
DeleteKate as a granny! Oh no!
That's a brilliant idea Miriam. They could design it themselves, and Jenny could have a wonderful kitchen again.
DeleteWhat does Natasha use for a brain?
ReplyDeleteNot very tactful is she?
So it’s “we” now, is it? Natasha’s take over is moving apace.
DeleteWhat are the S/Ws doing to us.
ReplyDeleteJohnny graduated on the same day Brian was in court, at the same time, but only Brian was featured.
Johnny so deserved to be a character in an episode featiring his graduation,
He has worked so hard and has overcome many difficulties.
It would have lovely to hear this ackowledged by all at Bridge Farm.
Well said, Miriam. Well done, J❤️O❤️H❤️N❤️N❤️Y🐄
DeleteHi......my name’s Natasha, and I’m here to help bankrupt your farm whilst taking your meat and two veg. Boyo.
ReplyDeleteOooooh Matron!
Delete👍🏼 😂
DeleteTrust me Tom, there is no stopping Natasha.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Natasha up to?
ReplyDeleteNot only is she using ‘we’ every time she talks about the farm and what Tom should do, she’s now looking out for extra land for him to buy too.
Just where do Tony, Pat, Helen and Johnny fit into her plans?