Oh, the very lovely Paul Copley!! I’d certainly give him houseroom. ♥️ Well done Ruthy. Have to say though, that Leonard looks much younger than Jill. ( Sorry, Paddy Greene!)
In real life I suppose there's a 20 yr. gap, maybe a little more or less. It's fine on the radio & even there, we've been told he's 7 yrs. younger. It's refreshing for her that he's from a quite different background of work & so on. No comparisons with the past. She's spent her adult life around the same people with the same preoccupations & domestic expectations of her. Of course, she loves her baking but the rest of it...time she was let off the hook & had some grown up fun minus grown up responsibilities. Did Phil ever whirl her round the dance floor ? I doubt it. Perhaps they'll head off to Spain for half the year, if Brexit allows.
Thanks Ruthy. He looks really nice. I don't know why they couldn't have done a very soft focus photograph like they did when Shula and Mark got married.( the actress playing Shula said that they did that because she was much older than "Shula) Like many of the presenters on television and especially Nicola Sturgeon Jill seems to be wearing far too much orange make up.
All I hope is that Jill has found a warm, caring person, to have a wonderful companionship with. By that I mean, someone she can have a day-out with, go to an afternoon dance with, have lunch out with, go to a theatre/concert with. She deserves this - and I do not think Jill will ever leave Brookfield, which is still her marital home. She will thoroughly enjoy this type of relationship. After my Mum died, Dad became very friendly with a lovely lady, in a similar way. They were just very close + good friends, with similar interests. This is what I wish for Jill + Leonard.
It’s Valentine’s Day next week, so maybe candlelit dinner for two at Grey Gables or will Mr B with his amazing new cooking skills invite Jill to dinner?
Leonard looks very pleasant indeed. Will developing a tenderness for him enable Jill to get her anti-Fairbrother feelings into perspective? She will realise that being fond of Leonard doesn't mean she no longer loves Phil, and so that Phil's remaining affection for his first wife didn't mean he loved her more than Jill. (But I speak as one who never found Jill's animosity towards all Fairbrothers convincing.)
I think the story goes that Phil once said to her that Grace, the FB wife was 'the love of his life', which is hurtful, & did rankle, as she confided to Peggy. The gripe about FB senior is partly to do with that, certainly, but added to greatly by his involvement with Elizabeth in the more recent past. She took against his 2 sons, but the dislike of Toby was shared by David &. Ruth, though they assumed a tactful front when Pip was seeing him. All of them quite liked Rex. Since then, Jill has been fine with both brothers, as Toby appeared to step up to the plate when Pip decided to go ahead with the order any.
Oh Ruthy..... what a fab picture. About time Jill got a life of her own rather than being the Brookfield skivvy. Ruth might have to discover where the oven is in the Brookfield kitchen again. Reckon Jill and Len will go to LL for afternoon tea in the orangery and then go to find E for the introductions. That’s when Jill will find out that E is in the middle of a major breakdown. You mark my words!!🤞😊
That sounds very feasible. Jill has shown him Brookfield and will want to introduce him to the rest of the family.
Bootgums I like your reasoning as well. It’s time the Fairbrother issues reached a resolution. Rosie needs to feel accepted for who she is and she is half Fairbrother with or without the surname.
Why should it be Ruth who might discover where the oven is? David, Josh and even Ben should do their bit. Men are not helpless idiots, even in Ambridge.
PtbY. Surely Jill would ring Lizzie, to arrange to take Leonard to meet her....Lizzie is forewarned, prepared, so is able again to hide things from her Mum, again. I have used this analogy previously, and still as relevant. It's like the line in "Eleanor Rigby" :- "Putting on the face, she keeps in a jar, behind the door".
How come, first Jolene last week and secondly Jill and Leonard today were able to enter the private Apartments of LL.? I noticed that Jill is " My darling" Have things progressed further than we thought?
Progressed further than we thought ? Yes LJ I think they have, I too noticed the ' my darling'. But then Jill did say ' over recent months ' or some such. Certainly months were mentioned, so it's been going on longer than we have been aware of.
Ever since I noticed that Jill and Mr B have matching noses, I haven’t been able take their love affair seriously. I think I’ll have to give up on this storyline....
You can't do that,Maryellen . It is the only storyline we all agree on We need a bit of ❤️ InAmbridge-as long as it doesn't get silly and sloppy. Not sure you are right about the noses. Leonard's is neater,less bumpy and less orange !
Inspired by yesterday’s Farmer’s Market here, here’s a plot development: with Jill’s established baking skills and Mr B’s newly acquired ones, they set up a little cake baking business together, supplying the local Farmer’s Market,and possibly the village shop, Grey Gables, and the Orangery at Lower Loxley. Not wanting to become the victims of their own success, they decide not to expand any further.
Bootgums - well no, I was thinking more of Howard and Hilda, the husband and wife in Ever Decreasing Circles who always wore identical tops, except in Mr B and Jill’s case they’re wearing identical noses. (Pathetic, I know.)
Yes, but if Jill and Leonard get serious they may marry and set up home together. Then, as PtbY pointed out, Ruth will have to learn how to turn on the Aga. Ooh noooo!
Has Leonard been asked his opinion on flapjack and lemon drizzle cake yet? I fear that if he cannot stomach industrial quantities of both then the relationship might be short-lived.
There again, perhaps he can dig up some important history concerning Lower Loxley which will cause it to be a magnet bringing tourists and historians alike from all around the country, or even (like Just a Minute) around the world. A few suitably chosen souvenirs and a glossy guide book and the lack of alcohol licence could become an irrelevance.
Ruth is a farmer, as well as a farmer's wife. David is a farmer's husband, as well as a farmer. The latter is as capable of turning on an Aga as the former. If he declines to do so, Ruth should seek out Sam Batton and establish whether he's managed to drag himself into the 21st century. Or perhaps Leonard would be a better bet, since he's apparently proved himself capable of living independently.
Totally agree Bootgums. Ruth came to Brookfield to work on the farm yet when she married David it was assumed she would take on all the running of the farmhouse and child rearing as Jill did, and she felt a failure because she didn’t have the time to become a cook like Jill, when she was still doing so much farm work as well.
I have it in for the script writers that they had to give Leonard questions about the roof, I know he's a surveyor but this has alienated him to Elizabeth, why didn't Jill tell him how Nigel died.
Maryellen, to me it was obvious, when asked by Leonard about the parapet Elizabeth gave a vague reply and said she didn't go there and Jill quickly said it was time they left.
Righto - I was being thick there - what I was registering was Jolene and Kenton’s politely concealed lack of interest. I should have realised the scriptwriters were telling us something more significant than Jill’s family were finding her new beau a bit of a bore.
Leonard and Lewis (E's step-father-in-law) have common interest in architecture. Where has Lewis been for the past eons? Did he lock himself in a priest-hole or dungeon at Lower Loxley and nobody has missed him? The walls are so thick his cries of help weren't heard. Perhaps Leonard will explore the priest-hole or dungeon and find an emaciated corpse.
I believe the expression is 'thank you, ma'am'. Jill is not old enough to be Leonard's mother. (I suspect I'm wandering into bad-taste territory here.)
Leonard seems a lovely gentle man, who Jill likes. That is what is important. I, like, PtbY hopes he stays around. I can just see him taking on Jim at the next Bull quiz, playing cribbage with Joe + Bert, and wining + dining Jill along with their daily outings. David will need to accept his Mum now has a life of her own, and is just not the Brookfield cook.
David + Ruth must know how to use a microwave + order a take-away. They won't starve. Perhaps Ben will help out, as he has helped Jill in the kitchen previously.
Hopefully Leonard (+ son) doesn't have any dark secrets and is as genuine as he sounds. This also applies to Lee. Helen deserves the same attention, friendship and cameradie, which Jill is experiencing and so enjoying. Can the Ambridge Fairy sprinkle some happy dust, for a change.
Interesting that his own son had problems growing up. Perhaps he will eventually be able to get alongside Elizabeth with a sympathetic ear over Freddie. I don’t believe anyone with all the training in the world can truly emphathise with another without having gone through similar experiences them selves. I found talking to other widows helped most of all after losing my husband.
Can anyone explain why we all seem to think that Leonard is an all round good egg? Were he to have had a cockney accent instead of a rich,warm sounding Yorkshire one would we have liked him as much?
I think so. He is easy & pleasant socially, neither banging on about himself nor being secretive, & obviously very fond of Jill, so interested in meeting her family.
I detect a touch of accentism here! 🙂 Why exactly would a Yorkshire accent suggest a likeable person any more than a London one? Also, Mr B’s vocal timbre is not especially rich and warm-sounding, nor are these vocal qualities confined to Yorkshire!
People do react to different accents in different ways. I remember reading of a study that had shown people think of a northern English accent as indicating trustworthiness, decency and the like, but not much intelligence. Conversely, they register a Cockney as being a bit dodgy, but pretty sharp. That doesn't answer the question 'Why?', just confirms that it's a common response.
Sometimes I think that accents are used to portray Class as well. In the recent drama of Les Miserables on television the wicked (French !) inn keeper had a cockney accent Matt had a London accent too.
I agree with two of the points Bootgums mentions about Northern accents but not the third. I imagine that Bootgums feels the same way as I do about that.
NB -I am not being Northist . My father was born in Fulham.
Such a lot of comments about a character who has only uttered a couple of dozen words. I'm keeping an open mind. Given that he spends a lot of time at the Old folks care home, and is a building surveyor, why has he never visited LL? He was extremely enthusiastic about its history and Jacobean brickwork. I find the picture of Jill and Leonard a bit disconcerting to look at, she has spent too much time outdoors and he looks as though he never surveyed a building externally. Maryellen, I support the theory about the NOSES, do you think we will all end up with similar noses when we get to 80yrs +?
He said he had been to LL as a visitor but hadn’t seen behind the scenes. I think he could have had any accent and it’s what he says and the way he says it which is important. After Rob we are all a bit cautious about new beaux but I fell Leonard will be good news! A decent time has elapsed since Phil and although they are different characters they, hopefully in Leonard’s case, are a bit of backbone in the family. Maybe now Jill busy with her own life won’t be at everyone’s beck and call!
I hope that when Jill knows about Lizzie + her problems, she doesn't blame herself as to the time she + Leonard have spent together. She needs him as a companion. After all, the rest of the clan, such as Shula, David, Kenton didn't realise Lizzies problem. I so hope Leonard stays around, and who knows could help with LL.
David & kenton getting to grips with their sister's problems, but why so sniffy about Leonard ? Probably outraged that dear old mum could have a MAN friend, perversely jealous. Maybe they should trot along to the shrink as well, get their Oedipal stuff sorted out.
I don’t think it’s an Oedipal complex for once. David and Kenton simply find Mr B tediously old fashioned and prissy. (“Cordial” instead of juice.) I suspect we have a major drama looming as all Jill’s family fail to take to Mr B and she has to choose between him and them!There will be tears before bedtime. 🙂
I find it strange as well Carolyn. Kenton and David should be pleased that their mother has found a new companion who is neither tediously old fashioned(in what way Maryellen?) nor prissy. A message to Jill. If you have to choose between him and them ,then run -walk as quick as you can-off into the sun set with Leonard.. They are not thinking about Jill -just their inheritance.
I don't think their mind is on inheritance, hope not, anyway, it's more that they're uneasy about change, any shift in established relationships. Maybe being sons is a factor, as I doubt Shula & Elizabeth will react like this. Apart from the roof comment - not his fault - he hadn't put a foot wrong. He's not boring, or particularly old school, just a widower who's had an interesting life & career, engages easily with people, buildings, history. Not his problem if K. & D. have a limited range of cultural pursuits or topics of conversation !
One definition of old school is always wearing a shirt and tie. That was one of the clues the scriptwriters planted. Jill is certainly trying to make him sound interesting. It would help if he cracked a joke or two.
The scriptwriters included the reference to Mr B always wearing a shirt and tie, which was a clue to him being old school because many people nowadays would consider someone who only ever wore a shirt and tie to be old school. So I reckon that is what the scriptwriters want us to think, and what they want us to think David and Kenton think. I also thought his request for “cordial” was quaintly old-fashioned (and another clue from the scriptwriters) because I haven’t heard the word used like that for decades.
Haven't you Maryellen ? Cordial ? Bottle Green. Belvoir. Blossom Cottage ? We all drink it in my family, not juice, cordial, and we live very different life styles. Pubs serve it too, you know. An acceptable alternative to alcohol. I cannot remember when I last bought ' juice'. Squash. Didn't even give it to my children.
Yes, I’m familiar with elderflower cordial and have occasionally seen raspberry cordial for sale: what I’m not familiar with is the generic use of the word when drinks are offered. I think ‘squash’ is still used generically, but fruit juice eg. apple, whether in bottles or cartons, is what’s usually on offer as a non-alcoholic alternative (in my experience). I was surprised by Mr B’s use of the word and concluded this was the scriptwriters’ intention. (It might be something to do with him coming from Yorkshire, of course.)
Again I have to google - squash and cordial. Years ago, met someone visiting from England and she had a bottle that looked like orange juice concentrate. I am going to guess that was squash? Don't think I would drink cordial - sounds so quaint.
We like elderflower cordial with soda water. Very refreshing! I like Leonard so far and he has added a bit of excitement to the SL. Hope it works out well for them. David and Kenton’s reaction is one of amusement coupled with underlying anxiety about having their Dad replaced! Go for it, Jill!
With you ,Mrs P'Janice and Ev. Usually have a bottle of cordial in the house . At the moment it is aromatic ginger and elderflower. Not too long ago I made elderberry cordial which was delicious I like Robinson's lemon barley water too. If it is good enough for Wimbledon tennis players then it is good enough for me.
Leonard is "Yorkshire posh " so wouldn't say squash.
Ruthy, do you have concentrate of fruit juice etc which you dilute with water? You probably do but don’t call it cordial or squash. My friend in. New Orleans was surprised that we call zucchini courgettes! To keep on topic am still rooting for Leonard and Jill!
Squash is a vegetable as far as I am concerned. It was a term used for a soft drink when I was a child, but not a term I would use now.
I have continued to use Lime Juice Cordial throughout my life, addd now by many of Bottle Greens Cordials including elderflower of course which I mix with my favourite mineral water. My son in law makes their elderflower cordial each year, and my mother always made her own Lemon Barley water.
The Bottle Green plant is in one of the mills about two miles down the road from me.
Who beside Leonard is ' Yorkshire Posh' LanJan ? Oh, apart from Dame Judy.
My small shoe-dwellers used to get homeopathic squash. As in, 'There is some squash in this water, honest!' But most of the time they just got milk or water. I can't say they have stuck to such simple tastes as they have got older. One of them is an afficionado of German beers - and I have assorted logo-ed beer glasses clogging up my sideboard to prove it. Another has just discovered Vimto. Ugh! give me Ribena any day.
But yes, 'Cordial' did sound odd as a generic drink. Perhaps it was supposed to sound slightly 'nicer' than the sugar-laden 'squash'. I wouldn't offer either to adult guests - proper fruit juice or something fizzy like Shloer. Personally, I tend just to ask for 'something soft'.
Not convinced ,Miriam. For a cold there is nothing beeper than whisky ......but if you want a non alcoholic drink ginger wine from Holland and Barrett's
Hasn't Ribena changed now,Miriam? Wasn't there a hoo hah about it and folk were complaining that it dudn't taste the same because they had reduced the sugar?
😊😄😁 it does ! Why was David so neurotic tonight ? Not only about the teenage carryings on but about Leonard's nice snowdrop picture for Jill ? Let mum have her fling, man, for goodness sake. Ruth was much more cool about everything.
Thinking about it, Ruth has become a lot more relaxed about quite a lot since becoming a grandmother to Rosie. Or perhaps it's due to coming to terms with her ' pet' not becoming a married woman before motherhood.
On the subject of cordials, I love elderflower but unfortunately all of the brands I have tried are loaded with sugar - no good for diabetic Mr A. But we have found that Sainsburys make a ‘no sugar added’ lime juice cordial which we love. The well known Roses brand does contain sugar so it is no-go. I wish one of the manufacturers would produce a no sugar added Cranberry cordial as I love the rather tart flavour but, once again, they are all loaded with sugar.
If these drinks are not loaded with sugar but they taste as sweet,what is being added to the drink to make it taste similar? Diet tonic water for example tastes dreadful to me. Even the gin can't hide the taste.
They are sweetened with artificial sweeteners Mrs P, about which there are differing opinions. Personally, we would rather risk the slim (Sorry, no pun intended) chance of a side effect from the artificial sweeteners than risk Mr A’s blood sugar soaring and me putting on more weight, by using drinks with sugar in. If you read the label on some squashes and cordials sugar is the first, i.e. the highest ingredient. Apparently, There is a report in one newspaper today - not a paper I read - about the long term effects of some artificial sweeteners. I am going to take it with the same attitude I give to many newspaper ‘health warnings’ which is to ignore it and carry on as before.
Tessiere (I think that’s the spelling, but missing an accent) produce some very acceptable sugar free syrups/cordials. I have always opted for sugar free or at least no added sugar drinks and generally prefer the taste. Fevertree does a range of “naturally light “ tonics, which I like, to the extent that I quite often leave out the gin! Artificial sweeteners have evolved over the years, stevia seems to me the best.
Jill was on the phone giggling with Leonard, St. Valentine's little arrows are working wonders. I surmised he was quoting the following. Avoid if you are afraid of the B T word.
Oh. Valentine! What could ever be worse Than a Valintines day without a verse? I've really been trying hard, But it's clear I'm no bard, All you've got is a few lines of doggerel Which would sound good even if uttered In the honey tones of Jacob Rees-Moggerel. I'm having sleepless nights about the Backstop- Oh wretched scribbling hack- Stop! Let's just enjoy our day before B.....t Wrexit.
They know how to live it up, these oldies. Leonard is very artistic, painting as well as poetry. Living with dull Dave and Ruth has got to present Leonard as exciting.
Great fun Stasia 👏🏻😁. I would like to know to where Jill “made herself scarce” and with whom. Was the giggly telephone call all she got or were they making arrangements to meet up later.
Really liked the scene between Roy & Ian the other night - generosity of spirit on both sides. Bit overdue, but Ian had clearly been struck by the unfairness to Roy when the gossip kicked off. All corrected by Ian & Adam, but he did apologise, also fearing the surrogacy had caused the split between Roy & Lexi. Roy reassured him & clearly holds no rancour against the couple. Of course, the surrogacy wasn't, literally, the cause of the split, but I reckon most of us felt the relationship was doomed the moment Lexi took it on at the very start of the affair & Roy, albeit reluctantly, accepted her decision.
What is not to like with Jill + Leonard. They are both in their 80's. They enjoy the companionship, cameraderie and imterests. I just hope it continues, and Jill can talk to Len about any concerns she may have, who will understand. It used to be Carole T. Chris or Peggy, but they are either silent, or have other issues to think about.
Totally agree. Good luck to them. O ly hope Jill doesn't become too weighed down by E.:s problem when she finds out + let everyone else help & take the angst, Jill ! Grab some 'me' time ! Easy to say, but once a mum, always a mum... Apologies for last post re Roy & Ian, .not on this blog's topic at all.
I really enjoyed Ruth and Pip’s conversation about Jill and Mr B, it sounded so natural and light-hearted, and Pip’s joke about his underwear was a treat, espresso coming from a woman who’s not given to overmuch joking!
Do you think that we might find out that Leonard's wife had problems that were more mental than physical and that he will be the one who will be able to give Elizabeth sound advice or be prepared to listen to her? We don't know why his wife was in The Laurels
I like that idea, Lanjan! How neat that would be. Equally, Bootgums' thought that a proposal might already have been made. As it stood tonight, what an understanding talk between Jill & Peggy tonight - a long & valued friendship.
Poor Jill will be hit with the reality of Elizabeth's problems when they meet. In fact, as E. told Lily she was going to take the responsibility for telling her, Jill might not even get the chance to reveal her news...
Jill has the sense to keep her own news under wraps if she perceives her daughters needs are greater than her own. And she feels comfortable enough with Leonard to ask him to be patient as her family responsibilities need to be prioritised.
Wonder if the colour of Mr B’s tie betrays his political sympathies..... Come to think of it, do we know the political sympathies of anyone in Ambridge?
I was referring to fictional characters here not my own or any other real person’s views. We are allowed to talk about Ambridge views on Brexit which we have heard expressed. I assumed it was okay to ask if any other political sympathies or views had been expressed on the programme. We certainly get references to religious practices.
The colour of Leonard's tie shows that he supports Liverpool FC -sensible man. It has absolutely nothing to do with his political sympathies. The script writing is so poor that it would be a dreadful idea to try to introduce any storylines about politics -especially now.
Pat cancelled whatever paper Bridge Farm used to get and changed to the Guardian. Several Ambridge residents went on a Countryside Alliance (pro-hunting) march. But on the whole, there seems to be apathy to anything purely local politics. (Mercifully, perhaps.)
I don't think that Jill will ever re-marry, nor Leonard. However I think that Jill + Leonard will take up residence together in Glebe Cottage which will soon become vacant again, as hopefully, the absent Carol T. moves in with Anna.
Not sure that would be such good news for Anna ! But I think you're probably right, Miriam, many couples of their age choose not to marry - what's the point ? They know they want to be together, that's enough.
So now I recognize the actor as he was on Last Tango in Halifax and Downton Abbey. So now my question, will he become the new fixture on TA.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ruthy - what a good idea.
DeleteOh, the very lovely Paul Copley!! I’d certainly give him houseroom. ♥️
ReplyDeleteWell done Ruthy.
Have to say though, that Leonard looks much younger than Jill. ( Sorry, Paddy Greene!)
In real life I suppose there's a 20 yr. gap, maybe a little more or less. It's fine on the radio & even there, we've been told he's 7 yrs. younger.
DeleteIt's refreshing for her that he's from a quite different background of work & so on. No comparisons with the past. She's spent her adult life around the same people with the same preoccupations & domestic expectations of her. Of course, she loves her baking but the rest of it...time she was let off the hook & had some grown up fun minus grown up responsibilities. Did Phil ever whirl her round the dance floor ? I doubt it.
Perhaps they'll head off to Spain for half the year, if Brexit allows.
As a lovely (departed) friend of mine would have said “ Oh Ruthy what a hoot you are” thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteAgree AP not a bad catch for Jill 🥰
Thanks Ruthy.
ReplyDeleteHe looks really nice.
I don't know why they couldn't have done a very soft focus photograph like they did when Shula and Mark got married.( the actress playing Shula said that they did that because she was much older than "Shula)
Like many of the presenters on television and especially Nicola Sturgeon Jill seems to be wearing far too much orange make up.
Like I said.
ReplyDeleteNice tie and cotton shirt.
Looks clean!
Someone you can introduce to your children and be pleased to do so.
All I hope is that Jill has found a warm, caring person, to have a wonderful companionship with. By that I mean, someone she can have a day-out with, go to an afternoon dance with, have lunch out with, go to a theatre/concert with.
ReplyDeleteShe deserves this - and I do not think Jill will ever leave Brookfield, which is still her marital home.
She will thoroughly enjoy this type of relationship.
After my Mum died, Dad became very friendly with a lovely lady, in a similar way.
They were just very close + good friends, with similar interests.
This is what I wish for Jill + Leonard.
Well done Jill, hope you'll be happy together. However in the real world.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ruthy 😀😆😆
ReplyDeleteA third blog - You are spoiling us, but very appreciated.
You are a 🌟🌟
It’s Valentine’s Day next week, so maybe candlelit dinner for two at Grey Gables or will Mr B with his amazing new cooking skills invite Jill to dinner?
ReplyDeleteLeonard looks very pleasant indeed. Will developing a tenderness for him enable Jill to get her anti-Fairbrother feelings into perspective? She will realise that being fond of Leonard doesn't mean she no longer loves Phil, and so that Phil's remaining affection for his first wife didn't mean he loved her more than Jill. (But I speak as one who never found Jill's animosity towards all Fairbrothers convincing.)
ReplyDeleteI think the story goes that Phil once said to her that Grace, the FB wife was 'the love of his life', which is hurtful, & did rankle, as she confided to Peggy. The gripe about FB senior is partly to do with that, certainly, but added to greatly by his involvement with Elizabeth in the more recent past. She took against his 2 sons, but the dislike of Toby was shared by David &. Ruth, though they assumed a tactful front when Pip was seeing him. All of them quite liked Rex. Since then, Jill has been fine with both brothers, as Toby appeared to step up to the plate when Pip decided to go ahead with the order any.
DeleteLast bit '...go ahead with the pregnancy'.
DeleteThey’ve got very similar noses - is that a good sign??
ReplyDeleteWell, they're both in the middle of their faces . . .
DeleteOh Ruthy..... what a fab picture.
ReplyDeleteAbout time Jill got a life of her own rather than being the Brookfield skivvy.
Ruth might have to discover where the oven is in the Brookfield kitchen again.
Reckon Jill and Len will go to LL for afternoon tea in the orangery and then go to find E for the introductions. That’s when Jill will find out that E is in the middle of a major breakdown.
You mark my words!!🤞😊
That sounds very feasible. Jill has shown him Brookfield and will want to introduce him to the rest of the family.
DeleteBootgums I like your reasoning as well. It’s time the Fairbrother issues reached a resolution. Rosie needs to feel accepted for who she is and she is half Fairbrother with or without the surname.
I have marked them already ,P tbY.
DeleteWhy should it be Ruth who might discover where the oven is? David, Josh and even Ben should do their bit. Men are not helpless idiots, even in Ambridge.
DeletePtbY.
ReplyDeleteSurely Jill would ring Lizzie, to arrange to take Leonard to meet her....Lizzie is forewarned, prepared, so is able again to hide things from her Mum, again.
I have used this analogy
previously, and still as relevant.
It's like the line in "Eleanor Rigby" :-
"Putting on the face, she keeps in a jar, behind the door".
PtbY, well done, now Jill knows that something's not right with Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteWho's a clever girl then?
DeleteCome on P tb Y,what happens next?
How come, first Jolene last week and secondly Jill and Leonard today were able to enter the private Apartments of LL.?
ReplyDeleteI noticed that Jill is " My darling"
Have things progressed further than we thought?
Progressed further than we thought ?
DeleteYes LJ I think they have, I too noticed the ' my darling'.
But then Jill did say ' over recent months ' or some such. Certainly months were mentioned, so it's been going on longer than we have been aware of.
How very dare they !
Jill and Leonard were expected. Elizabeth seemed to have forgotten.
DeleteEver since I noticed that Jill and Mr B have matching noses, I haven’t been able take their love affair seriously. I think I’ll have to give up on this storyline....
ReplyDeleteYou can't do that,Maryellen .
DeleteIt is the only storyline we all agree on
We need a bit of ❤️ InAmbridge-as long as it doesn't get silly and sloppy.
Not sure you are right about the noses.
Leonard's is neater,less bumpy and less orange !
Allowing for the effects of age and makeup?
DeleteInspired by yesterday’s Farmer’s Market here, here’s a plot development: with Jill’s established baking skills and Mr B’s newly acquired ones, they set up a little cake baking business together, supplying the local Farmer’s Market,and possibly the village shop, Grey Gables, and the Orangery at Lower Loxley. Not wanting to become the victims of their own success, they decide not to expand
Deleteany further.
Maryellen, re the noses. You're not suggesting Jill and Leonard are inappropriately closely related, I hope? An issue too far . . .
DeleteBootgums - well no, I was thinking more of Howard and Hilda, the husband and wife in Ever Decreasing Circles who always wore identical tops, except in Mr B and Jill’s case they’re wearing identical noses. (Pathetic, I know.)
DeleteYes, but if Jill and Leonard get serious they may marry and set up home together. Then, as PtbY pointed out, Ruth will have to learn how to turn on the Aga. Ooh noooo!
ReplyDeleteHas Leonard been asked his opinion on flapjack and lemon drizzle cake yet? I fear that if he cannot stomach industrial quantities of both then the relationship might be short-lived.
There again, perhaps he can dig up some important history concerning Lower Loxley which will cause it to be a magnet bringing tourists and historians alike from all around the country, or even (like Just a Minute) around the world. A few suitably chosen souvenirs and a glossy guide book and the lack of alcohol licence could become an irrelevance.
Ruth is a farmer, as well as a farmer's wife. David is a farmer's husband, as well as a farmer. The latter is as capable of turning on an Aga as the former. If he declines to do so, Ruth should seek out Sam Batton and establish whether he's managed to drag himself into the 21st century. Or perhaps Leonard would be a better bet, since he's apparently proved himself capable of living independently.
DeleteTotally agree Bootgums. Ruth came to Brookfield to work on the farm yet when she married David it was assumed she would take on all the running of the farmhouse and child rearing as Jill did, and she felt a failure because she didn’t have the time to become a cook like Jill, when she was still doing so much farm work as well.
DeleteLook out, Leonard! If Jill gets cross with you she may start throwing the flapjacks so no arguments please!!😉💕
DeleteI have it in for the script writers that they had to give Leonard questions about the roof, I know he's a surveyor but this has alienated him to Elizabeth, why didn't Jill tell him how Nigel died.
ReplyDeleteYes that was an insensitive moment we didn’t need.
DeleteI agree with you both.
DeleteSo unnecessary.
✔️ I actually cringed when I heard the remark 🤭
DeleteMe too ! Oh no I said out loud
DeleteI didn’t make the connection between the roof and Nigel. I don’t think Mr B’s listeners did either or they would surely have changed the subject.
DeleteMaryellen, to me it was obvious, when asked by Leonard about the parapet Elizabeth gave a vague reply and said she didn't go there and Jill quickly said it was time they left.
DeleteYes, Elizabeth definitely picked up on the roof. I expect Jill explained to Leonard later and he was mortified.
DeleteRighto - I was being thick there - what I was registering was Jolene and Kenton’s politely concealed lack of interest. I should have realised the scriptwriters were telling us something more significant than Jill’s family were finding her new beau a bit of a bore.
DeleteLeonard and Lewis (E's step-father-in-law) have common interest in architecture. Where has Lewis been for the past eons? Did he lock himself in a priest-hole or dungeon at Lower Loxley and nobody has missed him? The walls are so thick his cries of help weren't heard. Perhaps Leonard will explore the priest-hole or dungeon and find an emaciated corpse.
Delete😧😂
Delete😁🤣
DeleteI reckon with such a well loved actor Leonard is in it for the long run. Not a quick wham, bam, thank you mam. 😂
ReplyDeletePs. Spicey I've just discovered the laptop emojis after your guidance. fab.
👍😃
DeleteI believe the expression is 'thank you, ma'am'. Jill is not old enough to be Leonard's mother. (I suspect I'm wandering into bad-taste territory here.)
DeleteLeonard seems a lovely gentle man, who Jill likes. That is what is important.
ReplyDeleteI, like, PtbY hopes he stays around. I can just see him taking on Jim at the next Bull quiz, playing cribbage with Joe + Bert, and wining + dining Jill along with their daily outings.
David will need to accept his Mum now has a life of her own, and is just not the Brookfield cook.
David + Ruth must know how to use a microwave + order a take-away. They won't starve.
Perhaps Ben will help out, as he has helped Jill in the kitchen previously.
Love the idea of Leonard taking on Jim at the quiz! I'll be rooting for Leonard (I like Jim, on the whole, but his pretensions can get a bit much).
DeleteHopefully Leonard (+ son) doesn't have any dark secrets and is as genuine as he sounds.
ReplyDeleteThis also applies to Lee. Helen deserves the same attention, friendship and cameradie, which Jill is experiencing and so enjoying.
Can the Ambridge Fairy sprinkle some happy dust, for a change.
Interesting that his own son had problems growing up. Perhaps he will eventually be able to get alongside Elizabeth with a sympathetic ear over Freddie. I don’t believe anyone with all the training in the world can truly emphathise with another without having gone through similar experiences them selves. I found talking to other widows helped most of all after losing my husband.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone explain why we all seem to think that Leonard is an all round good egg?
ReplyDeleteWere he to have had a cockney accent instead of a rich,warm sounding Yorkshire one would we have liked him as much?
I think so. He is easy & pleasant socially, neither banging on about himself nor being secretive, & obviously very fond of Jill, so interested in meeting her family.
DeleteAgree with Carolyn, but think you might have a point LanJan
DeleteI detect a touch of accentism here! 🙂 Why exactly would a Yorkshire accent suggest a likeable person any more than a London one? Also, Mr B’s vocal timbre is not especially rich and warm-sounding, nor are these vocal qualities confined to Yorkshire!
DeletePeople do react to different accents in different ways. I remember reading of a study that had shown people think of a northern English accent as indicating trustworthiness, decency and the like, but not much intelligence. Conversely, they register a Cockney as being a bit dodgy, but pretty sharp. That doesn't answer the question 'Why?', just confirms that it's a common response.
DeleteThe traditional associations with Cockney are lovable and cheeky as in yer Cockney sparred. I question that study’s findings!
DeleteSometimes I think that accents are used to portray Class as well.
DeleteIn the recent drama of Les Miserables on television the wicked (French !) inn keeper had a cockney accent
Matt had a London accent too.
I agree with two of the points Bootgums mentions about Northern accents but not the third. I imagine that Bootgums feels the same way as I do about that.
NB -I am not being Northist .
My father was born in Fulham.
Such a lot of comments about a character who has only uttered a couple of dozen words. I'm keeping an open mind. Given that he spends a lot of time at the Old folks care home, and is a building surveyor, why has he never visited LL? He was extremely enthusiastic about its history and Jacobean brickwork.
ReplyDeleteI find the picture of Jill and Leonard a bit disconcerting to look at, she has spent too much time outdoors and he looks as though he never surveyed a building externally.
Maryellen, I support the theory about the NOSES, do you think we will all end up with similar noses when we get to 80yrs +?
He said he had been to LL as a visitor but hadn’t seen behind the scenes. I think he could have had any accent and it’s what he says and the way he says it which is important. After Rob we are all a bit cautious about new beaux but I fell Leonard will be good news! A decent time has elapsed since Phil and although they are different characters they, hopefully in Leonard’s case, are a bit of backbone in the family. Maybe now Jill busy with her own life won’t be at everyone’s beck and call!
ReplyDeleteI hope that when Jill knows about Lizzie + her problems, she doesn't blame herself as to the time she + Leonard have spent together. She needs him as a companion.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, the rest of the clan, such as Shula, David, Kenton didn't realise Lizzies problem.
I so hope Leonard stays around, and who knows could help with LL.
I think he would be ideal as as one of Bert’s volunteer guides.
DeleteIf he had had a Welsh accent it would have made me think of Natasha and Phillip.
DeleteDavid & kenton getting to grips with their sister's problems, but why so sniffy about Leonard ? Probably outraged that dear old mum could have a MAN friend, perversely jealous. Maybe they should trot along to the shrink as well, get their Oedipal stuff sorted out.
ReplyDelete✔️✔️✔️
DeleteI don’t think it’s an Oedipal complex for once. David and Kenton simply find Mr B tediously old fashioned and prissy. (“Cordial” instead of juice.) I suspect we have a major drama looming as all Jill’s family fail to take to Mr B and she has to choose between him and them!There will be tears before bedtime. 🙂
DeleteI find it strange as well Carolyn.
DeleteKenton and David should be pleased that their mother has found a new companion who is neither tediously old fashioned(in what way Maryellen?) nor prissy.
A message to Jill.
If you have to choose between him and them ,then run -walk as quick as you can-off into the sun set with Leonard..
They are not thinking about Jill -just their inheritance.
I don't think their mind is on inheritance, hope not, anyway, it's more that they're uneasy about change, any shift in established relationships. Maybe being sons is a factor, as I doubt Shula & Elizabeth will react like this. Apart from the roof comment - not his fault - he hadn't put a foot wrong. He's not boring, or particularly old school, just a widower who's had an interesting life & career, engages easily with people, buildings, history. Not his problem if K. & D. have a limited range of cultural pursuits or topics of conversation !
DeleteOne definition of old school is always wearing a shirt and tie. That was one of the clues the scriptwriters planted. Jill is certainly trying to make him sound interesting. It would help if he cracked a joke or two.
DeleteJill seems to laugh a lot when in the company of Leonard
Deleteabout what ,Maryellen?
DeleteGive us a clue or better still an example.
The scriptwriters included the reference to Mr B always wearing a shirt and tie, which was a clue to him being old school because many people nowadays would consider someone who only ever wore a shirt and tie to be old school. So I reckon that is what the scriptwriters want us to think, and what they want us to think David and Kenton think. I also thought his request for “cordial” was quaintly old-fashioned (and another clue from the scriptwriters) because I haven’t heard the word used like that for decades.
DeleteHaven't you Maryellen ?
DeleteCordial ?
Bottle Green. Belvoir. Blossom Cottage ?
We all drink it in my family, not juice, cordial, and we live very different life styles. Pubs serve it too, you know. An acceptable alternative to alcohol.
I cannot remember when I last bought ' juice'. Squash.
Didn't even give it to my children.
Yes, I’m familiar with elderflower cordial and have occasionally seen raspberry cordial for sale: what I’m not familiar with is the generic use of the word when drinks are offered. I think ‘squash’ is still used generically, but fruit juice eg. apple, whether in bottles or cartons, is what’s usually on offer as a non-alcoholic alternative (in my experience). I was surprised by Mr B’s use of the word and concluded this was the scriptwriters’ intention. (It might be something to do with him coming from Yorkshire, of course.)
DeleteI thought the jacket and tie indicated that Leonard looks after himself and keeps himself presentable.
ReplyDeleteAgain I have to google - squash and cordial. Years ago, met someone visiting from England and she had a bottle that looked like orange juice concentrate. I am going to guess that was squash? Don't think I would drink cordial - sounds so quaint.
ReplyDeleteElderflower cordial is worth trying.
DeleteWe like elderflower cordial with soda water. Very refreshing! I like Leonard so far and he has added a bit of excitement to the SL. Hope it works out well for them. David and Kenton’s reaction is one of amusement coupled with underlying anxiety about having their Dad replaced! Go for it, Jill!
ReplyDeleteWith you ,Mrs P'Janice and Ev.
ReplyDeleteUsually have a bottle of cordial in the house .
At the moment it is aromatic ginger and elderflower.
Not too long ago I made elderberry cordial which was delicious
I like Robinson's lemon barley water too.
If it is good enough for Wimbledon tennis players then it is good enough for me.
Leonard is "Yorkshire posh " so wouldn't say squash.
I think Leonard was on best behaviour and he'd say squash at home. 😁
DeleteMy sister says that"Leonard " advertises for Morrison's.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lovely branch of that store in Cheadle,Cheshire.
Ruthy, do you have concentrate of fruit juice etc which you dilute with water? You probably do but don’t call it cordial or squash. My friend in. New Orleans was surprised that we call zucchini courgettes! To keep on topic am still rooting for Leonard and Jill!
ReplyDeleteSquash is a vegetable as far as I am concerned.
ReplyDeleteIt was a term used for a soft drink when I was a child, but not a term I would use now.
I have continued to use Lime Juice Cordial throughout my life, addd now by many of Bottle Greens Cordials including elderflower of course which I mix with my favourite mineral water.
My son in law makes their elderflower cordial each year, and my mother always made her own Lemon Barley water.
The Bottle Green plant is in one of the mills about two miles down the road from me.
Who beside Leonard is ' Yorkshire Posh' LanJan ?
Oh, apart from Dame Judy.
My small shoe-dwellers used to get homeopathic squash. As in, 'There is some squash in this water, honest!' But most of the time they just got milk or water.
DeleteI can't say they have stuck to such simple tastes as they have got older. One of them is an afficionado of German beers - and I have assorted logo-ed beer glasses clogging up my sideboard to prove it. Another has just discovered Vimto. Ugh! give me Ribena any day.
But yes, 'Cordial' did sound odd as a generic drink. Perhaps it was supposed to sound slightly 'nicer' than the sugar-laden 'squash'. I wouldn't offer either to adult guests - proper fruit juice or something fizzy like Shloer. Personally, I tend just to ask for 'something soft'.
I have memories of hot Vimto as a comfort drink many, many years ago. Might get some.
DeleteOh one meets them on one's travels Mrs P!
ReplyDeleteSalt of the earth.
A bit like someone from Edinburgh Morningside or the area of Glasgow where Gary lives!
I love a well known juice, Ribena with hot water. Great when have a cold.
ReplyDelete..but nothing beats a hot Bovril drink!
DeleteNot convinced ,Miriam.
DeleteFor a cold there is nothing beeper than whisky
......but if you want a non alcoholic drink ginger wine from Holland and Barrett's
Or even better than whisky!
Deletebeeper sounds a bit like whisky interrupted by a 'hic!'.
Deletedefinitely whisky. leave the "Bovril drink" to Mr P.
DeleteHasn't Ribena changed now,Miriam?
DeleteWasn't there a hoo hah about it and folk were complaining that it dudn't taste the same because they had reduced the sugar?
Just checked with Ribena lover son who says that Rocks drinks make a drink that is like the old Ribena.
DeleteI tried to copy his email but couldn't.
😊😄😁 it does ! Why was David so neurotic tonight ? Not only about the teenage carryings on but about Leonard's nice snowdrop picture for Jill ? Let mum have her fling, man, for goodness sake. Ruth was much more cool about everything.
ReplyDeleteThinking about it, Ruth has become a lot more relaxed about quite a lot since becoming a grandmother to Rosie.
DeleteOr perhaps it's due to coming to terms with her ' pet' not becoming a married woman before motherhood.
On the subject of cordials, I love elderflower but unfortunately all of the brands I have tried are loaded with sugar - no good for diabetic Mr A.
ReplyDeleteBut we have found that Sainsburys make a ‘no sugar added’ lime juice cordial which we love. The well known Roses brand does contain sugar so it is no-go.
I wish one of the manufacturers would produce a no sugar added Cranberry cordial as I love the rather tart flavour but, once again, they are all loaded with sugar.
If these drinks are not loaded with sugar but they taste as sweet,what is being added to the drink to make it taste similar?
ReplyDeleteDiet tonic water for example tastes dreadful to me.
Even the gin can't hide the taste.
Yes, I agree. I won’t have diet tonic in the house! Difficult for diabetics as artificial sweeteners have issues and for taste sweetness is needed.
DeleteThey are sweetened with artificial sweeteners Mrs P, about which there are differing opinions. Personally, we would rather risk the slim (Sorry, no pun intended) chance of a side effect from the artificial sweeteners than risk Mr A’s blood sugar soaring and me putting on more weight, by using drinks with sugar in.
DeleteIf you read the label on some squashes and cordials sugar is the first, i.e. the highest ingredient.
Apparently, There is a report in one newspaper today - not a paper I read - about the long term effects of some artificial sweeteners. I am going to take it with the same attitude I give to many newspaper ‘health warnings’ which is to ignore it and carry on as before.
Sorry, that should have been addressed to Lanjan, not Mrs P!!
DeleteTessiere (I think that’s the spelling, but missing an accent) produce some very acceptable sugar free syrups/cordials. I have always opted for sugar free or at least no added sugar drinks and generally prefer the taste. Fevertree does a range of “naturally light “ tonics, which I like, to the extent that I quite often leave out the gin! Artificial sweeteners have evolved over the years, stevia seems to me the best.
ReplyDeleteJill was on the phone giggling with Leonard, St. Valentine's little arrows are working wonders.
ReplyDeleteI surmised he was quoting the following.
Avoid if you are afraid of the B T word.
Oh. Valentine! What could ever be worse
Than a Valintines day without a verse?
I've really been trying hard,
But it's clear I'm no bard,
All you've got is a few lines of doggerel
Which would sound good even if uttered
In the honey tones of Jacob Rees-Moggerel.
I'm having sleepless nights about the Backstop-
Oh wretched scribbling hack- Stop!
Let's just enjoy our day before B.....t Wrexit.
They know how to live it up, these oldies. Leonard is very artistic, painting as well as poetry. Living with dull Dave and Ruth has got to present Leonard as exciting.
Loved this, Stasia ! 😆🤣 Super witty doggerel.
Delete( I shall remember & repeat B----t W----t)
Stasia - 😂✔️✔️
DeleteGreat fun Stasia 👏🏻😁. I would like to know to where Jill “made herself scarce” and with whom. Was the giggly telephone call all she got or were they making arrangements to meet up later.
DeleteThat was good Stasia.
DeleteCan you imagine Jacob RM spouting doggerel.?
Love the Br---t W----/t
Really liked the scene between Roy & Ian the other night - generosity of spirit on both sides. Bit overdue, but Ian had clearly been struck by the unfairness to Roy when the gossip kicked off. All corrected by Ian & Adam, but he did apologise, also fearing the surrogacy had caused the split between Roy & Lexi. Roy reassured him & clearly holds no rancour against the couple. Of course, the surrogacy wasn't, literally, the cause of the split, but I reckon most of us felt the relationship was doomed the moment Lexi took it on at the very start of the affair & Roy, albeit reluctantly, accepted her decision.
ReplyDeleteWhat is not to like with Jill + Leonard. They are both in their 80's. They enjoy the companionship, cameraderie and imterests.
ReplyDeleteI just hope it continues, and Jill can talk to Len about any concerns she may have, who will understand.
It used to be Carole T. Chris or Peggy, but they are either silent, or have other issues to think about.
Totally agree. Good luck to them. O ly hope Jill doesn't become too weighed down by E.:s problem when she finds out + let everyone else help & take the angst, Jill ! Grab some 'me' time ! Easy to say, but once a mum, always a mum...
DeleteApologies for last post re Roy & Ian, .not on this blog's topic at all.
I really enjoyed Ruth and Pip’s conversation about Jill and Mr B, it sounded so natural and light-hearted, and Pip’s joke about his underwear was a treat, espresso coming from a woman who’s not given to overmuch joking!
ReplyDeleteEspresso = Especially. Doesn’t Leonard have a home to go to, if so, where is it and why doesn’t he take Jill there to play Scrabble?
DeleteFrom Jill's chat with Peggy, of which we missed the middle bit, I reckon Leonard has proposed, and that's what Jill wants to tell Lily tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI mean Elizabeth.
DeleteReally Bootgums?
ReplyDeleteI don't think he would be so "fast" but I wouldn't mind to be be proved wrong.
I think he wants to take her on a Cruise.
Much better idea!
DeleteDo you think that we might find out that Leonard's wife had problems that were more mental than physical and that he will be the one who will be able to give Elizabeth sound advice or be prepared to listen to her?
ReplyDeleteWe don't know why his wife was in The Laurels
I like that idea, Lanjan! How neat that would be. Equally, Bootgums' thought that a proposal might already have been made. As it stood tonight, what an understanding talk between Jill & Peggy tonight - a long & valued friendship.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeletePoor Jill will be hit with the reality of Elizabeth's problems when they meet. In fact, as E. told Lily she was going to take the responsibility for telling her, Jill might not even get the chance to reveal her news...
ReplyDeleteJill has the sense to keep her own news under wraps if she perceives her daughters needs are greater than her own.
DeleteAnd she feels comfortable enough with Leonard to ask him to be patient as her family responsibilities need to be prioritised.
Wonder if the colour of Mr B’s tie betrays his political sympathies..... Come to think of it, do we know the political sympathies of anyone in Ambridge?
ReplyDeleteThat’s one area we should not be discussing.
DeleteReligion and politics do not a good conversation make.
I was referring to fictional characters here not my own or any other real person’s views. We are allowed to talk about Ambridge views on Brexit which we have heard expressed. I assumed it was okay to ask if any other political sympathies or views had been expressed on the programme. We certainly get references to religious practices.
DeleteErr. Jokey sarcasm!!!
DeleteErr....how about some jokey sarcasm icons??
DeleteThe colour of Leonard's tie shows that he supports Liverpool FC -sensible man.
DeleteIt has absolutely nothing to do with his political sympathies.
The script writing is so poor that it would be a dreadful idea to try to introduce any storylines about politics -especially now.
Pat cancelled whatever paper Bridge Farm used to get and changed to the Guardian. Several Ambridge residents went on a Countryside Alliance (pro-hunting) march. But on the whole, there seems to be apathy to anything purely local politics. (Mercifully, perhaps.)
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Jill will ever re-marry, nor Leonard.
ReplyDeleteHowever I think that Jill + Leonard will take up residence together in Glebe Cottage which will soon become vacant again, as hopefully, the absent Carol T. moves in with Anna.
Not sure that would be such good news for Anna ! But I think you're probably right, Miriam, many couples of their age choose not to marry - what's the point ? They know they want to be together, that's enough.
DeleteJill and Leonard live in sin? Merciful heavens!
DeleteI wonder if she has told him that she " went away" ?
Delete😄 He can probably tell by the way her voice goes funny at times....
DeleteCarolyn✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Delete