OldWomanInAShoe - March 24, 2022 at 9:08 PM Anyone else thought Amy was about to tell Alan and Usha she was pregnant?
Zoetrope - March 24, 2022 at 9:52 PM Yes, I definitely thought that would be the last words before the music!
maryellen - March 25, 2022 at 4:34 AM I mentioned the possibility on the morning after but then forgot about it!
Ex-Londoner - March 25, 2022 at 8:09 AM I didn't hear everything so who was Lily talking to when she confessed to having a fling with someone at work?
maryellen - March 25, 2022 at 8:36 AM Beth, who is the daughter of her mother's lover Vince Casey.
Proud to be Yorkshire - March 25, 2022 at 8:53 AM Missed that about Lily and estate management. She’s stuck it out selling kitchens for a bit. I now can’t stand whining Amy. I was rather surprised at Alan's attitude to her dalliance with Chris. Maybe he just was acting like that and inside he was seething. I hope so.
I wouldn’t rate Amy as a midwife judging from her recent hysteria! Can you imagine something going wrong in the delivery room and she bursts into tears! No wonder she turned her back on it! I hope she isn’t pregnant as that would be drama overload!
I am still in a quandray, as to whether the tears were genuine or well acted "crocodile tears". Also should she have told about Alice + the vodka bottles. Amy certainly helped Alice at that time, in a true genuine way, as close friend should and it made a massive difference, at that time. Now, does Amy have the right to pass on this secret re Alice? At least she told it to Alan + Usha, who by thier professions are used to confidentially. Hopefully it will not become common knowledge, as goodness knows what this will stir up.
What repercussions do you have in mind, Miriam? Alice’s alcoholism is already common knowledge (remember the Bull’s ‘drunk Alice’ scarecrow? ). I think people’s general reaction to the vodka bottles incident would be admiration for Amy, as well as being pleased that Alice had mastered her addiction on that occasion, That’s how I felt.
Well said Maryellen.I heartily concur with your opinion on the ‘vodka bottles ‘incident.Also Miriam, I don’t think that Amy’s confession to her parents was accompanied by crocodile tears and Ihope too that she isn’t pregnant,as that would be one complication too many,with half brother/sister for Martha.
Does anyone want to play Guess the Easter Bunny? Not a female, or Lily would have twigged when she hugged and patted under the impression it was Russ - who gave an acclaimed performance last time round despite sharing the bunny suit with a wasp. I would have nominated Freddie, remembering his father in a gorilla suit and thinking there could be a Pargeter gene for it, but Freddie was a witness. So I'm opting for George Grundy and leaving it to the scriptwriters to tell us why. (Which may never happen!)
How Susan has changed. She was thrilled when her son Chris, married Alice. This delighted her as to climbing the social ladder, as now related to Brian + Jennifer. She has always been until now, proud to have Alice, an Aldridge, as a daughter in law. Susan has so changed her alliance. Amy can do no wrong and is just perfect, for her beloved son Chris. I wonder what Emma will think?
As to Martha - Alice is still her mother who is now really showing this. She is like a mother cat protecting her kitten - yes the claws will appear 🙀
I keep noticing phrases like Get Out of my House, Get Out of my Church, Get Out of my Shop. I think the s/w need to think of something more novel. Very Am-Enders.
Chaotic and unbelievable, as Archerphile memorably described TA nowadays. I thought Lilian came out of it best. At least she didn’t shout or weep. What hypocrites Kate and Alice are, condemning Amy and Chris when their own pasts have far from pure.
I've known several vicars and none of them would have lost it and shouted like that in church. If Kate does make a complaint then it will be the second time in a short time that Alan will face a reprimand, and if he becomes a divisive figure in his congregation then he might be moved to another parish. I wonder how far on in her training Shula is.
I must say that I was taken aback by Alan’s outburst following Kate’s tirade which was well out of order and a personal insult to himself and distressing for Amy. However I really can’t blame him and hope that he doesn’t have to face an inquiry if Kate does make a formal complaint.I agree that Lillian on this occasions,had the coolest head,so perhaps she may succeed in talking her hypocritical niece down.
Wow that was a explosive episode! I was surprised by Alan yelling in that way in his own church. I can understand that he was very upset by Kate's diatribe but in my opinion he should have kept his cool and reacted more calmly. Maybe I'm expecting too much of him as a vicar.
I agree. As a vicar he should have kept his cool and just have told Kate she should leave the church. Although I am just thinking Jesus himself lost it when the synagogue was being used for financial gain and not for worship and he overturned the moneylenders’ tables. Alan was angry not just for his daughter but for the fact that his church was being almost desecrated by Kate’s venom. Maybe his anger was justified and we all know how anger leads to such outbursts. I can see all sides of this! Kate should realise there are times and places…!
I am not commenting, as to the debacle with Alan, Kate and his daughter Amy, just yet. I need to listen again so to really understand it all, in the way it was intended. I often find after an episode, did I really really listen to it, as it was actually meant to be.
This is why Iove the Sunday Omnibus, when the S/L's are continous and so much more meaningful. Something said or done on Sunday or Monday, so often makes more sense after a full week listen.
I know people often query if there has been a change of actor but surely that wasn’t normal Tom last night? Until his name was name was mentioned I didn’t know who was speaking to Hannah & Jazzer. Then I just didn’t believe it! Strange voice, strange accent, strange intonation, not the Tom we have had to get used to, since real Tom got the sack years ago. Having been in France for the past week I don’t have a Radio Times to check if it was still Troughton Junior. Has he been superseeded?
Archerphile,I thought the same as you last night about Tom’s voice,but according to the current Radio Times,William Troughton is still listed as his actor.
So Berrow has a temporary reprieve at the expense of some ‘pain’ (Brian’s word) which presumably means job losses I hope that means at management level, and it’s Neil’s job that goes. He will be 65 in just under two months’ time, so retirement is looming anyway (Susan is 6 years younger.) Hannah is in a worse position, with financial obligations to her family but no earning partner to contribute and, unlike Neil, no saleable assets.
I would prefer Jazzer not to lose his job because I can’t stand the moaning if he does!
Neil is the one person who would survive in a better way, than either Hannah or Jazzer. I bet Neil does not have a mortgage, or if he does, it must be very minimal by now. After his earnings at Berrow, he must have accrued some savings, and has paid into a good pension plan. He + Susan, will be able to afford to live, put food on the table and keep warm + cosy (even without Susan's chilli). Could either Hannah or Jazzer do the same, that is doubtful.
Fallon on the high moral ground got progressively more unlikeable with each utterance. I wasn’t keen previously but she is now beneath consideration. Yechch!
It is understandable that Alice is so embittered about the dalliance between Chris and Amy but maybe she has herself to blame too. Having been the cause of the split, even if she couldn’t help herself, she can’t be surprised that Chris has turned elsewhere and even if they are still technically married they have gone their separate ways and yes it is rather too early but they are free agents.
Ev you are exactly correct. I found Fallon’s stirring and negativity at every moment that Alice might be accepting what you have written was seriously out of order.
I think Alice blames herself too much. I so agree that she really loved the bottle, but she also loved Chris, and think that she still does. Fallon and Harrison helped them both a lot, keeping very many secrets, alongside giving support + were persons to be able to talk to. Fallon has been surpassed by Amy. Amy, but only in my individual thoughts, is making things more like walking in treacle, in that it gets trickier with each forward step for Alice. As said, these are my individual thoughts, and are not as to others.
This is so reminiscent of the Helen/Rob story. There were many divided ideas then, as there are now, with this Alice/Chris/Amy triangle, which includes the innocent Martha. Will I change my thoughts + ideas, not sure yet.
I am still waiting for an incident as to "The Stairs", which I personally think will happen and be significant. I am probably very wrong, yet again. 😵
“It was either going to end with a bang or a whimper” said a friend just now about Chris and Amy, “and it’s ended with a whimper!” Next on my list of candidates for Chris’s post-Alice partner and Martha’s step-mum: Kirsty Miller.
Jazzer is one of my favourite Archers characters, along with Eddie + Clarrie, and dare I say Susan + Tracy. These are just that, real "characters", as Bert Fry + Joe were. The one who I have not missed, in the slightest is Shula.
Also the actor has made this wacky person of "Jazzer" so realistic in his own way. I admire Ryan Kelly (born without eyes and so has been totally blind since birth), for his learning scripts by heart, which others just read.
I’m probably alone in not being a Jazzer fan. He gets on my nerves. Constantly moaning or else wisecracking at someone else’s expense. It wasn’t always so, but now we hear so much of him, there’s more scope for my annoyance. I swear he gets more airtime than any other character!
I strongly suspect he’s the type who keeps his socks on in bed, but obviously can’t check that out, and wouldn’t personally want to!!
But hopefully not socks we’ve worn day and night for goodness knows how long!
Ev’s right about the so called light relief- Jazzer does seem to attract the more rubbishy episodes, like being caught with his trousers down in a Grey Gables bedroom.
I am pleased that Alice + Amy parted as almost friends again, with understandings between them. They have shared so much together and this they both realise and ackowledged.
My thought after my usual Sunday morning listen, and what my TV guide says in its TA synopsis, for the week ahead - Vince to buy Justins BL shares? Now that would shake things up.
I still stand by my idea of The Easter Bunny - Leonard 🐰 It has to be a non-working person as he/she appears at so many different times + places ..but what about Kenton or even Joy? I wonder who is funding the prizes 🤫
My simplistic thoughts about Vince. He owns an abboitor, Berrow Farm have pigs - so if an outlet for this pork is found, then as a joint enterprise, it will be a "Win Win" and profitable enterprise. Plus the obnoxious Justin can then concentrate on The Stables expansion, upsetting Shula along with all who work there, as it materialises. That is until Lilian steps in and has her full say, on this.
I'm listening to an old detective drama on BBC Sounds, "DI Gwen Danbury - An Odd Body". The actress playing the lead role had a familiar voice so I looked her up: Annette Badland, aka Hazel Woolley!
I have this subscribed on Sounds and so I am not listening just yet. This is to my preference so I can listen to all the episodes in a continouing way. Yes, this one of the reasons I spotted it - as it Hazel.
Is Oliver planning to sell Grey Gables? His behaviour points to it. He is well past retirement age (he was already retired when he came to Ambridge) so it would make sense. Kathy is retirement age too. Perhaps a change of owner and manager would restore the ailing business.
PS. It's occurred to me that we might be leading up to a storyline about rural poverty at a time when the coat of living is rising. That's if Tracy and Jazzer both lose their jobs should Oliver sell up and Berrow close after the 3 months grace period. Susan and Neil have been sounding hard up too. On the other hand, Ambridge may be spared the cost of living rise, like so much else!
Interesting thoughts Maryellen. I wonder if Oliver does sell GG, will he retire to Grange Farm or perhaps buy another property, such as The Lodge from Peggy?? I still think that Peggy might be on the move soon in some way or another. This could be to The Laurels (alongside Christine once more) or perhaps with Lilian + Justin.
Mind you I doubt Grange Farm, Olivers' marital home with Caroline, is not as pristine as it once was. No offence to The Grundy's is intended, it is just down to normal living wear + tear, esp. with youngsters about.
As you say though, it depends judt how much The Archers include this situation into future SL's, or will it be kept as pure, idyllic Village. I am one who feels that there should be a mention in passing, but no major "doom + gloom" situations. I prefer to listen to escapism from normal life (as with Covid).
I am mentioning Peggy Woolley, purely if the Archers info. is correct. This makes her now 98yrs of age, living with only Kate to help her and Hilda. Her son + daughters, are also well into thier 70's, that is in thier Archers ages, if I am not mistaken.
The younger, now middle-aged generation, need to step up Tracy, Jazzer, Fallon, Harrison, Chris, Adam, Ian, Will, Ed, Emma, Helen, Tom, Natasha, Kirsty, Roy, etc. As do the younger one's, such as Freddie, Lily, Josh, Ben, Chelsey, Mia, Pip, Rex and many more. Ambridge will have to change soon, but in what way.
I left out Neil/Susan along with Lizzie, Kenton/Jolene, Ruth/David, plus Clarrie/Eddie, on purpose. These are approaching retirement, or have already reached it.. A lot might change.
No fault divorce may have come in today but all the other issues remain to be fought over especially children being used as pawns in the best parent battle for one eh Chris & Alice 🤔
I remain Team Alice. She lives in The Nest (no rent), is prepared to be a full-time Mum to Martha even though she has thought about engineering work again, which seems no more. Martha would have her Mum 24/7, and as such Mum will care for her and so would not even be tempted to imbibe. Chris would have total and free access, along with continuing with his forge + farrier work, without having to arrange child-minding duties etc. Chris can then do, visit + stay with, just whoever he wants to.
Riuari has got me totally baffled. How can a student living in London, appear to have so much plenty of spare cash (remember the Christmas Pressies) along with his new "connections". I have no idea as to how he can be so generous. Perhaps I have sadly missed something.
To all the mothers reading this blog: if your infant daughter was covered with chocolate (because you had taken your eye off her), would your first reaction have been to a) clean her up and put her in fresh clothes (especially as she is due to visit her granny/your mother-in-law very shortly), or b) take a photo of her?
I still feel Alice treats Martha like a cute fashion accessory!
I would have taken a photo first, knowing that it would make a great true to life family photo and also that it would amuse her when older to see it, and then I would have cleaned her up fast and made her presentable for her Nanna.
We have a photo of a Tiny Person in a Shoe wearing a bowlof spaghetti as a hat.
Have you come across 'cake smashing'? Baby sits in his or her party clothes in front of a fancy themed background and is given an even fancier birthday cake. The precious infant is then encouraged to smash the cake wih a large spoon and/or his or her hands, generally demolish it, and smear it all over his or her tiny body and clothes. All the while being photographed for the album or, more probably Instagram, facebook, etc, etc. I've never had the joy' of being invited to such an event. Perhaps at present they only rear their heads across The Pond. Give them time though.
I'll leave you to fill in your own comments about this wonderful practice.
But yes, no surprise whatsoever that Chocomartha got photographed.
I am team Carter too ……and also team Ruairi. I know he is being unforgiving towards Alice and goodness only knows what he has been up to in London. But she devastated him with her outburst and trashed his perception of himself and his place within the family. I think she has done lasting damage and I don’t blame Ruairi one jot for refusing to communicate with her. Ok, so she was drunk and ill but her diatribe was unforgivable in my estimation.
Miriam, that was me! And it was just a pure joke because you said your mind had gone into overdrive. I was reminded of those car insurance adverts when Michael Winner tried to comfort a woman who had just driven into a tree something and was getting in a state. Just calm down dear he said, and I believe the phrase was used in Parliament too by David Cameron when another MP got into a bit of a paddy!
Regarding the other plot line on Thursday. In real life how many staff in a small hotel buffeted by the pandemic & an explosion would assume that the elderly owner being distracted means he has a new romantic interest…… Really!!
I couldn’t understand why Tracy and Freddie were chatting at the reception desk of Grey Gables, discussing Oliver etc. I had totally forgotten he has a job in the kitchen there, presumably part time. And I agree, what a fatuous discussion it was.
But surely this is the build up as to whom this Mr. Shah is, and why he is prominant guest. The only staff at GG we hear from, are Tracy, Linda - front desk, plus Ian, Freddie - the kitchen/restaurant. Oliver will keep quiet, so it is the idle gossip which will give the many hints until all is revealed.
Mr Shah is sussing out whether to buy GG to add to “his” chain I’d guess, hence Oliver sitting on Caroline’s seat by the lake explaining to her why he has to do this. Maybe he is planning to retire and live abroad where he and Caroline were so happy - though I can’t recall where that was…..
Ah yes! Thank you CC 🤗 Friday just gone the 8th was our bogs 4th anniversary - yikes. It would also have been my mum’s (100th) birthday which is why I always connect the two. Thank you once again Ruthie and now of course our wonderful Gary 🍷🍺🥃👏🏻🤗
I think Mr Shah is doing an "efficiency" test of the staff + the running of GG for Oliver, but not sure why. Roy said something about Oliver now hiring the staff. Also Mr Shah hinted that his rooms had been mixed up with another, with the flowers + chocolates.
My thanks to Ruthie and Gary too and to all the contributors to our blogs, far and wide. Who thought we’d still be going after the Beeb threw us out 4 years ago!
Thank you Gary. 🤗🤗👍👍 This is from me both personally, but also alongside everyone else, who post + just read, be it on a regular basis or just occaisionly. This is such a wonderful blog page, or should that be pages, where all can give their individual thoughts, and have so differing ideas. We all agree to disagree in very many ways, but it is lovely to read + see all the differing ideas.
Solar panels at Brookfield Farm sounded like a great idea, until the initial cost was revealed. It would take years to recover that initial cost I did look into this a few years ago, but the initial outlay was too pricey to considerate and act on.
Mine took exactly the predicted time to repay their cost and that was only on the generated payments from the electricity suppliers. There was, of course, the additional savings on my bills by using the generated electricity.
Has Vince had a complete personality transplant? Either Elizabeth is an extremely good influence; his mean, take no prisoners, hard man of business persona was all an act; or he has an ulterior motive for helphing David with solar panels and Freddie with LL and DJing. Some interesting storylines to play out ...
I think we’re thinking what we’re meant to think. Why did Vince lie to Elizabeth about his intended visit to Brookfield? Why was he slow to respond to her request to help Freddie?
Vince to my mind, has no interest at all with Freddie and his DJ business. He does though see something in Josh, with how is promoting and running his egg enterprise. I cannot fathom out though, why Vince is so interested in Brookfield as a whole.
I have to admit that, although I am enjoying the mysterious Mr. Shah, particularly with his interaction with Tracy, I cannot work him out. He has to be a "mole" put in by Oliver for some reason or another.
The S/W's are teasing the TA listeners, finally again - with so many different S/L's starting to bubble up and the consequences.
I am waiting eagerly, to hear the charming Mr. Shah chatting to Linda. This could so give him a different outlook on GG, but would it be good one or otherwise?
Oliver was really rather stressed before Mr Shah's arrival. Wasn't he a 'very important visitor'? If he were a mole, he'd have come incognito and without a fuss. A potential buyer seems the most likely option, but I'd hate GG to be swallowed up by some corporate chain. What next, an Amazon Local taking over the Village Shop?
Speaking of which, it won't be long before Mr S is pointed in that direction and then we'll know all about him, including his shoe size and mother's maiden name, before teatime.
Not a woman or Lily would have.noticed when she hugged and patted the Bunny under the impression it was Russ. She said it could do with more padding which suggests someone on the slight side. Also someone active and with time to spare. Or is it a paid job and if so, who’s paying? I originally thought it was a Lower Loxley initiative but then I lost the plot (again!)
I still don’t understand exactly how the EB operates, but I now think the person inside the suit may be a real life personality, not a Borsetshire character.
Haven't listened to the Archers recently because I am fed up with Alice because of personal reasons but I wanted to listen to Robert Glenister. So I listened to last night's programme. Shame he's not a regular! I love the Glenister brothers , their acting and their voices.
My hunch is that the Bunny will turn out to be a contestant from Strictly Come Dancing or Love Island or similar popular tv programme - but my previous hunch about Ruairi being a sugar babe worked and the odds on getting two successful hunches in a row may not be great!
Easter Bunny seems to operate over a wider area than Ambridge , and if I came from Felpersham or elsewhere in Borsetshire and was eagerly awaiting the big reveal, I’d feel pretty let down if turned out to be just some unknown from one of the villages!
Ah, Miriam - it’s true my bosom has never been spectacular but I’d like to think Lily would have noticed something when she hugged ‘Russ’ in the bunny suit!!! So no, it wasn’t me in the.bunny suit, but I did compose the bunny’s clues. The organisers would have preferred Bert if it had been possible, but said I was the next best thing.....😄
Happy Easter to you too, Janice, and to everyone reading this! It”s a perfect Spring day for it. Have just returned from a stroll round our little nature reserve, previously watercress beds when growing watercress was a local industry. Once again, I’m in two minds about rewilding. I can appreciate the idea, but in practice the unmanaged rank growth, and Nature’s general untidiness, bothers me!
Oh dear, Maryellen, I'm afraid you wouldn't like my garden at all. I grew up in the general untidiness of the countryside, with streams running through the roots of fallen trees and clumps of this and that growing where they will. Although not all the clumps of'this and that' that have comes to live with me are entirely welcome, most chime quite nicely with my overall scheme of things, and it all serves to make me feel at home.
Hello Sarnia - I grew up in countryside like Ambridge’s, where river banks, hillsides, water meadows, fields and woodland were all ‘managed’ to a greater or lesser degree. It was a prosaic working environment, not the romantic pastoral landscape of the 18th/19th painter’s imagination, but still full of natural charm and interest for me. There were masses of wildflowers, bird life etc - although I remember my mother lamenting that there were far fewer flowers in the lanes than when she was a child.
I don’t know how many decades, or even centuries, the Ambridge and other re-wilders aim to peel back. (If Rex is laying hedges, then it’s after the Enclosures - my book says Brookfield was one of Ambridge’s open fields.) It seems to me tall they need to do to achieve their objectives is return to the productive farming methods of their chosen era. That doesn’t mean dressing up, adopting Grundy-style accents, and pretending modern technology doesn’t exist - it’s not a re-enactment.
Well it wasn’t the Kathy that I remember, but I suppose that after so many years of silence, it was thought unimportant that the returning Kathy should be a different voice. I wonder if so many ‘new’ listeners have submitted comments about what we have all come to call ‘ silent Kathy’ that it was considered prudent to bring her back but without Heidi of course. It must have been a serious falling out !
So the Easter Bunnie was Kathy, which was so very unexpected. Was this her swan-song, to now retire and disappear for good? Mr. Shah is staying in GG. to consult with Oliver, as to its future. Perhaps it is to sell or then perhaps restructure the existing staff, to take GG forwards.
….. and on the third day she rose again! Well none of us put (no spoilers) name forward 🙃 I thought I recognised the actors voice albeit muffled inside the bunny head. Here to stay though that is the question 🤔
He is very creepy isn’t he? Kind of smarmy! He must be there as a takeover of G G and probably by a big corporation. I recognised Kathy’s voice too. Someone unpressed the mute button!
To be honest, Susan dropped several 'subtle' hints when I was in the village shop the other week. But she would be mortified to know she'd accidently let the cat out of the bag (or the bunny out of the hat).
Was it meant to be a publicity stunt for Grey Gables? If not, why on earth would Kathy have been asked or volunteered to do it? If yes, why was Lower Loxley the beneficiary? Every time I think I might be getting a grip on the plot, it escapes mr!
Well, I have to say I don’t find Mr Shah creepy. A bit over-polite and eager to please perhaps, but that’s part of his upbringing I should think. And it makes a change from Josh and Freddy’s usual way of speaking to people.
To me Mr Shah is charming, but seems almost too interested, as to the personell in GG. With Kathy suddenly appearing again, is this a tease by the SW's as to a character returning. I cannot fathom Mr Adil Shah out at all...and why Oliver booked him into The Garden Suite without using his real name. There are schemes afoot:- A new partner A new owner A property developer to turn GG into luxury apartments A consultant to change the style of GG be it a luxury spa hotel, a golf retreat, or a culinary themed hotel with a well known chef being installed.
I cannot guess just yet, but I bet that it something completely different to my ideas, to date.
Whatever Oliver is up to as to Grey Gables - it coincides as to his beloved wife Caroline and her 5th anniversary of passing. What happens, will be done as to Her ideas, of that I am sure, well almost...
Now that Ruiari has told all, what is the betting his "lady-friend" gets bored, so then finds a better prospect, so he gets dumped. This will then show a different Ruiari in the short term esp. when he fails his exams. If so will he repeat these or go for a different way of life.
There seems to be many potential Ambridge stories starting to appear, at last, far too many to mention. There are also many "schemes" starting to become apparant. These will affect many residents of Ambridge, their lives and homes. Those are my thoughts.
Well no great surprise that Oliver’s selling GG but slightly taken aback by the immediate closure & redundancies, don’t love Ambridge employment protocols!
I am really surprised at Oliver’s apparent lack of concern for his staff. Especially the really long serving ones. It’s all very well to say they will get good payoffs, but many have invested their whole working lives in Grey Gables and such short notice is very unfair. What are they supposed to do for the next year while the hotel is being refurbished? Sit at home eking out their redundancy money waiting for the reopening? I think Oliver has handled the whole situation very badly and it saddens me greatly.
Well Grey Gables change of overall ownership reflects current times I guess but for Oliver not to have informed his high management of the proposal seems a little odd as does the quick closure. Let’s hope their payouts appear as quickly and what will the next year bring for the likes of Roy, Kirsty, Ian, Freddie and Kathy (who incidentally has not been shown in the cast list)
Maybe Kathy will be in the next cast list on the TA website? She didn't sound quite like the Real Kathy to me, as I remember not much liking the Real Kathy's voice and this week's Kathy's voice didn't have the same whiny edge. The voice I don't like at the moment is Freddie's.
Is Justin/Damara expanding into hospitality, with The Stables as an adjunct to the Greay Gables operation? Or is Vince going to announce at Elizabeth's surprise party there, that he is the new owner and Grey Gables is her birthday present? Or will it be the mysterious Gibbs at Home Farm? The scriptwriters are spoiled for choice!
Could see that coming a mile off. Didn’t see it shutting for a reverb though and redundancies. Wish Kathy would go into hiding again. She has such a boring voice.
The sellout was flagged up for us all to see, but agree with others that Oliver has handled it badly. I find the return of Kathy at this moment very strange indeed. I listened to her voice very carefully last night and will do so again today. Some inflections in that voice had the correct, or former accent of the old Kathy, but over all, if it is Heidi Nicklause her voice is as Maryellen noted, less whiny. I imagine there are considerable changes throughout Ambridge cooking amongst the Archers team. Reminding me of the times in the past when Greville .? and Jack Woolly arrived and became big noises in Ambridge.
It was definitely Hedli Nicklaus acting as Kathy. TA’s Facebook page showed her photo. And I shall now commit Archers treason but saying I most certainly hope she is not coming back for long. I have never liked Kathy or her boring whiny voice, or the storylines she has been given over the years, especially her non-support of her best friend Pat during the Rob saga. So I really hope that was her Archers swan song and I wish her a happy retirement!
I predict the next medical storyline to be pursued on TA will be prostate cancer and the necessity for men to get tested early. Why? The number of times Vince has just popped off to ‘use the facilities’ recently.
I would prefer a diabetes medical story or a disabled person living in Ambridge, so it has to be wheelchair friendly. I agree that prostrate cancer is important, but I think it is a bit below the belt, for The Archers 12min listening.
GG closing for a year, means a total refurbishment, but into what? As to the new investor, I don't think that it is either Justin or Vince. It might be a person returning from the past, as Kathy has just done. How about Matt, Rob, or Robin Fairbrother. Whovever it is - will cause a lot of further disruption in Ambridge, and Susan was worried about slurry transport. The Bull and The Shop will though have increased trade, due to the many thirsty + hungry workers. I would love to hear that Blake is one of the workforce, so returning to Ambridge.
I don’t think Oliver would choose to be associated with either Matt or Rob: even if they had access to the necessary capital, which I doubt, they both have criminal convictions. Robin Fairbrother is an intriguing possibility because of the Fairbrother family’s previous connection with Grey Gables, but I imagine it’s out of his league too. What would be really good is a wave of her wand from the Ambridge Fairy to turn the current Lord Netherbourne (Caroline’s cousin, several times removed) into a successful financier and property tycoon, and Oliver’s new partner..........
..as she was always talking about her Daddy, and what did he own - Grey Gables at one time I think. Hazel came back to Ambridge as to her memories then left again. Is this her final come back 🤷♀️
Mr R and I have just started a blast from the past ie “Prime Suspect” it is a programme I never watched. However series 1 episode 2 tonight and a court scene in which I immediately recognised the voice of the lady conducting the case for the prosecution - our very own Usha! At that time she would have been 43yrs old as she is now 74yrs and sounds just the same!
A blast of the past for me is Upstairs Downstairs (ch 10). I watch the 1st programne eating breafast and watch the 2nd at lunchtime or before TA. A major character is Simon Williams, as we now know as Justin.
I hope both Lizzies enjoy + celebrate their birthdays, in style. I wonder where the TA one will end up..GG, The Bull upstairs bar, Brookfield Barn, or even her own home at LL.
I cannot work Adil Shah out at all. One day he is a consultant to Oliver, so giving the Death Knoll to GG and all the staff. Today he is at the party, alongside these same persons, plus the village residents and still learning all about them, as if nothimg has happened. I smell a big rat to re-appear - but who.
I was puzzled that Adil Shah said to Linda that he was Oliver's new business partner when the other day Oliver said that Adil was just the representative of the person who had bought the 60% share of the business.
I too picked up on that detail Janice, along with his oily tone of voice towards Roy. My conclusion being that something fishy is going on here. I fear the possibility that Oliver is being duped, to put it kindly.
Good idea Mrs P. that Oliver is being duped. This is along with many others, the GG staff and us the listeners. There will be many repercussions to come, and not in a good way. I find it very intriguing though, and apart from my thought as to Hazel - who else is a front-runner.
Wasn't there an big horse person who stabled his Arab horses at The Stables - which Lilian + Justin rode, so a far fetched possibilty In other words, I have no idea except that it could be a person, who has had a short + fleeting connection to Ambridge.
I still favour Hazel or Robin Fairbrother - better The Devil You Know - as the saying goes..
I hate reading ahead, but today I did this, but not sure why? On doing this, I found Kathy in the cast list played by Heidi along with a new character Tam Brownlow, acted by Hannah Briony who was in Cynthia in Call The Midwife... I wonder what this will entail?
*** FROM PREVIOUS BLOG ***
ReplyDeleteOldWomanInAShoe - March 24, 2022 at 9:08 PM
Anyone else thought Amy was about to tell Alan and Usha she was pregnant?
Zoetrope - March 24, 2022 at 9:52 PM
Yes, I definitely thought that would be the last words before the music!
maryellen - March 25, 2022 at 4:34 AM
I mentioned the possibility on the morning after but then forgot about it!
Ex-Londoner - March 25, 2022 at 8:09 AM
I didn't hear everything so who was Lily talking to when she confessed to having a fling with someone at work?
maryellen - March 25, 2022 at 8:36 AM
Beth, who is the daughter of her mother's lover Vince Casey.
Proud to be Yorkshire - March 25, 2022 at 8:53 AM
Missed that about Lily and estate management. She’s stuck it out selling kitchens for a bit.
I now can’t stand whining Amy. I was rather surprised at Alan's attitude to her dalliance with Chris. Maybe he just was acting like that and inside he was seething. I hope so.
I can only hope that Amy is not pregnant and just hasn't discovered this yet.
ReplyDeleteGary - I love the new picture. Is it a boardgame or jigsaw box cover?
Surely Amy as a midwife + with her medical knowledge, would have got + taken the "morning after pill".
ReplyDeleteOr is that too simple an idea?
Gary G. I just love this new heading.
ReplyDeleteI would love this as a jigsaw.
I wouldn’t rate Amy as a midwife judging from her recent hysteria! Can you imagine something going wrong in the delivery room and she bursts into tears! No wonder she turned her back on it! I hope she isn’t pregnant as that would be drama overload!
ReplyDeleteI am still in a quandray, as to whether the tears were genuine or well acted "crocodile tears".
DeleteAlso should she have told about Alice + the vodka bottles. Amy certainly helped Alice at that time, in a true genuine way, as close friend should and it made a massive difference, at that time.
Now, does Amy have the right to pass on this secret re Alice?
At least she told it to Alan + Usha, who by thier professions are used to confidentially. Hopefully it will not become common knowledge, as goodness knows what this will stir up.
What repercussions do you have in mind, Miriam? Alice’s alcoholism is already common knowledge (remember the Bull’s ‘drunk Alice’ scarecrow? ). I think people’s general reaction to the vodka bottles incident would be admiration for Amy, as well as being pleased that Alice had mastered her addiction on that occasion, That’s how I felt.
DeleteHow I miss TA on a Friday with a sort of "cliff-hanger"
ReplyDeleteWill this ever return, I hope so.
Well said Maryellen.I heartily concur with your opinion on the ‘vodka bottles ‘incident.Also Miriam, I don’t think that Amy’s confession to her parents was accompanied by crocodile tears and Ihope too that she isn’t pregnant,as that would be one complication too many,with half brother/sister for Martha.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone want to play Guess the Easter Bunny? Not a female, or Lily would have twigged when she hugged and patted under the impression it was Russ - who gave an acclaimed performance last time round despite sharing the bunny suit with a wasp. I would have nominated Freddie, remembering his father in a gorilla suit and thinking there could be a Pargeter gene for it, but Freddie was a witness. So I'm opting for George Grundy and leaving it to the scriptwriters to tell us why. (Which may never happen!)
ReplyDeleteA long shot,but could it be Vince ?We know he likes practical jokes.
ReplyDeleteThat’s a good suggestion, Portia! Vince is much more likely to be loping around Lower Loxley than George.
DeleteIt was in Ambridge, close to Brookfield, so either Ben or Josh.
ReplyDeleteBut what about Leonard?
Perhaps not - Lily hugging Leonard etc. 🤣😝
DeleteI so hope Mothering Sunday will be acnowledged in tonights TA episode, in some way no matter how simple.
ReplyDeleteTo me it has to be Martha with Alice.
It was mentioned Miriam, but not in the way that you hoped for.
DeleteAt least it was Mothering Sunday + not Mothers Day.
DeleteIt was a bit different though.
How Susan has changed.
ReplyDeleteShe was thrilled when her son Chris, married Alice. This delighted her as to climbing the social ladder, as now related to Brian + Jennifer.
She has always been until now, proud to have Alice, an Aldridge, as a daughter in law.
Susan has so changed her alliance. Amy can do no wrong and is just perfect, for her beloved son Chris.
I wonder what Emma will think?
As to Martha - Alice is still her mother who is now really showing this. She is like a mother cat protecting her kitten - yes the claws will appear 🙀
Great to be reminded how ghastly Kate is! Totally out of order. I I loved Alan bellowing Kate out, a good father indeed!
ReplyDeleteI keep noticing phrases like Get Out of my House, Get Out of my Church, Get Out of my Shop.
ReplyDeleteI think the s/w need to think of something more novel. Very Am-Enders.
I agree Mistral, it's one of the things that has stopped me from listening for the time being.
DeleteChaotic and unbelievable, as Archerphile memorably described TA nowadays. I thought Lilian came out of it best. At least she didn’t shout or weep. What hypocrites Kate and Alice are, condemning Amy and Chris when their own pasts have far from pure.
ReplyDeleteI've known several vicars and none of them would have lost it and shouted like that in church. If Kate does make a complaint then it will be the second time in a short time that Alan will face a reprimand, and if he becomes a divisive figure in his congregation then he might be moved to another parish. I wonder how far on in her training Shula is.
ReplyDeleteI must say that I was taken aback by Alan’s outburst following Kate’s tirade which was well out of order and a personal insult to himself and distressing for Amy. However I really can’t blame him and hope that he doesn’t have to face an inquiry if Kate does make a formal complaint.I agree that Lillian on this occasions,had the coolest head,so perhaps she may succeed in talking her hypocritical niece down.
ReplyDeleteWow that was a explosive episode! I was surprised by Alan yelling in that way in his own church. I can understand that he was very upset by Kate's diatribe but in my opinion he should have kept his cool and reacted more calmly. Maybe I'm expecting too much of him as a vicar.
DeleteI agree. As a vicar he should have kept his cool and just have told Kate she should leave the church. Although I am just thinking Jesus himself lost it when the synagogue was being used for financial gain and not for worship and he overturned the moneylenders’ tables. Alan was angry not just for his daughter but for the fact that his church was being almost desecrated by Kate’s venom. Maybe his anger was justified and we all know how anger leads to such outbursts. I can see all sides of this! Kate should realise there are times and places…!
DeleteI am not commenting, as to the debacle with Alan, Kate and his daughter Amy, just yet. I need to listen again so to really understand it all, in the way it was intended.
DeleteI often find after an episode, did I really really listen to it, as it was actually meant to be.
This is why Iove the Sunday Omnibus, when the S/L's are continous and so much more meaningful. Something said or done on Sunday or Monday, so often makes more sense after a full week listen.
DeleteI know people often query if there has been a change of actor but surely that wasn’t normal Tom last night?
ReplyDeleteUntil his name was name was mentioned I didn’t know who was speaking to Hannah & Jazzer.
Then I just didn’t believe it! Strange voice, strange accent, strange intonation, not the Tom we have had to get used to, since real Tom got the sack years ago.
Having been in France for the past week I don’t have a Radio Times to check if it was still Troughton Junior. Has he been superseeded?
Archerphile,I thought the same as you last night about Tom’s voice,but according to the current Radio Times,William Troughton is still listed as his actor.
ReplyDeletePerhaps he has Covid, like me! 😢
DeleteSo Berrow has a temporary reprieve at the expense of some ‘pain’ (Brian’s word) which presumably means job losses I hope that means at management level, and it’s Neil’s job that goes. He will be 65 in just under two months’ time, so retirement is looming anyway (Susan is 6 years younger.) Hannah is in a worse position, with financial obligations to her family but no earning partner to contribute and, unlike Neil, no saleable assets.
ReplyDeleteI would prefer Jazzer not to lose his job because I can’t stand the moaning if he does!
Neil is the one person who would survive in a better way, than either Hannah or Jazzer.
DeleteI bet Neil does not have a mortgage, or if he does, it must be very minimal by now.
After his earnings at Berrow, he must have accrued some savings, and has paid into a good pension plan.
He + Susan, will be able to afford to live, put food on the table and keep warm + cosy (even without Susan's chilli).
Could either Hannah or Jazzer do the same, that is doubtful.
Fallon on the high moral ground got progressively more unlikeable with each utterance. I wasn’t keen previously but she is now beneath consideration. Yechch!
ReplyDeleteIt is understandable that Alice is so embittered about the dalliance between Chris and Amy but maybe she has herself to blame too. Having been the cause of the split, even if she couldn’t help herself, she can’t be surprised that Chris has turned elsewhere and even if they are still technically married they have gone their separate ways and yes it is rather too early but they are free agents.
ReplyDeleteEv you are exactly correct. I found Fallon’s stirring and negativity at every moment that Alice might be accepting what you have written was seriously out of order.
DeleteI think Alice blames herself too much.
DeleteI so agree that she really loved the bottle, but she also loved Chris, and think that she still does.
Fallon and Harrison helped them both a lot, keeping very many secrets, alongside giving support + were persons to be able to talk to.
Fallon has been surpassed by Amy. Amy, but only in my individual thoughts, is making things more like walking in treacle, in that it gets trickier with each forward step for Alice.
As said, these are my individual thoughts, and are not as to others.
This is so reminiscent of the Helen/Rob story.
DeleteThere were many divided ideas then, as there are now, with this Alice/Chris/Amy triangle, which includes the innocent Martha.
Will I change my thoughts + ideas, not sure yet.
I am still waiting for an incident as to "The Stairs", which I personally think will happen and be significant.
I am probably very wrong, yet again. 😵
“It was either going to end with a bang or a whimper” said a friend just now about Chris and Amy, “and it’s ended with a whimper!” Next on my list of candidates for Chris’s post-Alice partner and Martha’s step-mum: Kirsty Miller.
ReplyDeletePoor Amy! I think Kirsty and Roy would make a couple.
ReplyDeleteWell thank God for that. Good riddance to Amy. Now if only Kate would sod off back to South Africa…..
ReplyDeleteOh yes, PtyY - if only!
Delete...and Jazzer would sod off to Anywhere But Ambridge....
DeleteYes indeed PtbY... South Africa or....anywhere!
DeleteSorry Maryellen but I am happy for Jazzer to stay
Yes Kate can go off anywhere and I won't miss her. Jazzer, however, is another thing and I want him to stay.
DeleteJazzer is one of my favourite Archers characters, along with Eddie + Clarrie, and dare I say Susan + Tracy.
DeleteThese are just that, real "characters", as Bert Fry + Joe were.
The one who I have not missed, in the slightest is Shula.
I wouldn’t be sorry to see the back of Kate,but,although he can at times,be irritating,as a fellow Scot I would hate to lose Jazzer.k
ReplyDeleteAlso the actor has made this wacky person of "Jazzer" so realistic in his own way. I admire Ryan Kelly (born without eyes and so has been totally blind since birth), for his learning scripts by heart, which others just read.
DeleteI’m probably alone in not being a Jazzer fan. He gets on my nerves. Constantly moaning or else wisecracking at someone else’s expense. It wasn’t always so, but now we hear so much of him, there’s more scope for my annoyance. I swear he gets more airtime than any other character!
ReplyDeleteI strongly suspect he’s the type who keeps his socks on in bed, but obviously can’t check that out, and wouldn’t personally want to!!
😂
DeleteMaryellen - I am sure Tracy will check his socks and everything else.
DeleteMeant as a joke 🤣🤣
DeleteI like Jazzer too! A bit of light relief among all the angst!
DeleteThe way fuel prices are rising I reckon we'll all be wearing socks in bed soon!
DeleteBut hopefully not socks we’ve worn day and night for goodness knows how long!
DeleteEv’s right about the so called light relief- Jazzer does seem to attract the more rubbishy episodes, like being caught with his trousers down in a Grey Gables bedroom.
I am pleased that Alice + Amy parted as almost friends again, with understandings between them.
ReplyDeleteThey have shared so much together and this they both realise and ackowledged.
My thought after my usual Sunday morning listen, and what my TV guide says in its TA synopsis, for the week ahead - Vince to buy Justins BL shares?
ReplyDeleteNow that would shake things up.
I still stand by my idea of The Easter Bunny - Leonard 🐰
It has to be a non-working person as he/she appears at so many different times + places
..but what about Kenton or even Joy?
I wonder who is funding the prizes 🤫
My simplistic thoughts about Vince. He owns an abboitor, Berrow Farm have pigs - so if an outlet for this pork is found, then as a joint enterprise, it will be a "Win Win" and profitable enterprise.
DeletePlus the obnoxious Justin can then concentrate on The Stables expansion, upsetting Shula along with all who work there, as it materialises.
That is until Lilian steps in and has her full say, on this.
I'm listening to an old detective drama on BBC Sounds, "DI Gwen Danbury - An Odd Body". The actress playing the lead role had a familiar voice so I looked her up: Annette Badland, aka Hazel Woolley!
ReplyDeleteI have this subscribed on Sounds and so I am not listening just yet. This is to my preference so I can listen to all the episodes in a continouing way.
DeleteYes, this one of the reasons I spotted it - as it Hazel.
When Chris goes away for his long needed break, will he take Martha with him?
ReplyDeleteIf not, where will she live?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIs Oliver planning to sell Grey Gables? His behaviour points to it. He is well past retirement age (he was already retired when he came to Ambridge) so it would make sense. Kathy is retirement age too. Perhaps a change of owner and manager would restore the ailing business.
ReplyDeletePS. It's occurred to me that we might be leading up to a storyline about rural poverty at a time when the coat of living is rising. That's if Tracy and Jazzer both lose their jobs should Oliver sell up and Berrow close after the 3 months grace period. Susan and Neil have been sounding hard up too. On the other hand, Ambridge may be spared the cost of living rise, like so much else!
DeleteInteresting thoughts Maryellen.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Oliver does sell GG, will he retire to Grange Farm or perhaps buy another property, such as The Lodge from Peggy??
I still think that Peggy might be on the move soon in some way or another. This could be to The Laurels (alongside Christine once more) or perhaps with Lilian + Justin.
Mind you I doubt Grange Farm, Olivers' marital home with Caroline, is not as pristine as it once was. No offence to The Grundy's is intended, it is just down to normal living wear + tear, esp. with youngsters about.
As you say though, it depends judt how much The Archers include this situation into future SL's, or will it be kept as pure, idyllic Village.
I am one who feels that there should be a mention in passing, but no major "doom + gloom" situations.
I prefer to listen to escapism from normal life (as with Covid).
I am mentioning Peggy Woolley, purely if the Archers info. is correct. This makes her now 98yrs of age, living with only Kate to help her and Hilda.
DeleteHer son + daughters, are also well into thier 70's, that is in thier Archers ages, if I am not mistaken.
The younger, now middle-aged generation, need to step up Tracy, Jazzer, Fallon, Harrison, Chris, Adam, Ian, Will, Ed, Emma, Helen, Tom, Natasha, Kirsty, Roy, etc. As do the younger one's, such as
Freddie, Lily, Josh, Ben, Chelsey, Mia, Pip, Rex and many more.
Ambridge will have to change soon, but in what way.
I left out Neil/Susan along with Lizzie, Kenton/Jolene, Ruth/David, plus Clarrie/Eddie, on purpose.
DeleteThese are approaching retirement, or have already reached it..
A lot might change.
Ahhh. The sounds of solicitors rubbing their hands in glee and Brian’s groans of despair
ReplyDeleteNo fault divorce may have come in today but all the other issues remain to be fought over especially children being used as pawns in the best parent battle for one eh Chris & Alice 🤔
ReplyDeleteI'm rooting for Team Carter (which incudes Martha).
ReplyDeleteI am Team Alice, which includes Martha for many reasons, and thought about her future total care.
DeleteThis is for Alice's welfare also.
DeleteI'm team Carter too maryellen. Poor Chris has been through so much and loves his little daughter. I hope they can amicably sort out parenting sharing.
DeleteI remain Team Alice. She lives in The Nest (no rent), is prepared to be a full-time Mum to Martha even though she has thought about engineering work again, which seems no more.
DeleteMartha would have her Mum 24/7, and as such Mum will care for her and so would not even be tempted to imbibe.
Chris would have total and free access, along with continuing with his forge + farrier work, without having to arrange child-minding duties etc.
Chris can then do, visit + stay with, just whoever he wants to.
Riuari has got me totally baffled.
ReplyDeleteHow can a student living in London, appear to have so much plenty of spare cash (remember the Christmas Pressies) along with his new "connections".
I have no idea as to how he can be so generous.
Perhaps I have sadly missed something.
I think he has a sugar daddy!
Delete😨 🤣
DeleteTo all the mothers reading this blog: if your infant daughter was covered with chocolate (because you had taken your eye off her), would your first reaction have been to a) clean her up and put her in fresh clothes (especially as she is due to visit her granny/your mother-in-law very shortly), or b) take a photo of her?
ReplyDeleteI still feel Alice treats Martha like a cute fashion accessory!
I would have taken a photo first, knowing that it would make a great true to life family photo and also that it would amuse her when older to see it, and then I would have cleaned her up fast and made her presentable for her Nanna.
DeleteWe have a photo of a Tiny Person in a Shoe wearing a bowlof spaghetti as a hat.
DeleteHave you come across 'cake smashing'? Baby sits in his or her party clothes in front of a fancy themed background and is given an even fancier birthday cake. The precious infant is then encouraged to smash the cake wih a large spoon and/or his or her hands, generally demolish it, and smear it all over his or her tiny body and clothes. All the while being photographed for the album or, more probably Instagram, facebook, etc, etc. I've never had the joy' of being invited to such an event. Perhaps at present they only rear their heads across The Pond. Give them time though.
I'll leave you to fill in your own comments about this wonderful practice.
But yes, no surprise whatsoever that Chocomartha got photographed.
What message is that giving the child? It’s okay to trash?
DeleteI am team Carter too ……and also team Ruairi.
ReplyDeleteI know he is being unforgiving towards Alice and goodness only knows what he has been up to in London.
But she devastated him with her outburst and trashed his perception of himself and his place within the family. I think she has done lasting damage and I don’t blame Ruairi one jot for refusing to communicate with her. Ok, so she was drunk and ill but her diatribe was unforgivable in my estimation.
I am certainly in a minority re Team Alice vs Team Carter
ReplyDeleteAt least I can give my thoughts, however so different, which is so lovely.
and I am still not sure about Riauri
DeleteAs it has been suggested on the other board to "Calm Down, My Dear", I will do this.
DeleteMiriam, that was me! And it was just a pure joke because you said your mind had gone into overdrive. I was reminded of those car insurance adverts when Michael Winner tried to comfort a woman who had just driven into a tree something and was getting in a state.
DeleteJust calm down dear he said, and I believe the phrase was used in Parliament too by David Cameron when another MP got into a bit of a paddy!
Regarding the other plot line on Thursday. In real life how many staff in a small hotel buffeted by the pandemic & an explosion would assume that the elderly owner being distracted means he has a new romantic interest…… Really!!
ReplyDeleteI agree KPNuts - it showed Tracy, Roy and Freddie in a very dim light, and all in the service of a very old chestnut of a plot.
DeleteI couldn’t understand why Tracy and Freddie were chatting at the reception desk of Grey Gables, discussing Oliver etc.
DeleteI had totally forgotten he has a job in the kitchen there, presumably part time.
And I agree, what a fatuous discussion it was.
The whole situation reminded me of the old Ealing farcical comedies.
ReplyDeleteBut surely this is the build up as to whom this Mr. Shah is, and why he is prominant guest.
ReplyDeleteThe only staff at GG we hear from, are Tracy, Linda - front desk, plus Ian, Freddie - the kitchen/restaurant.
Oliver will keep quiet, so it is the idle gossip which will give the many hints until all is revealed.
Forgot Roy, but I doubt he knows anything more.
DeleteMr Shah is sussing out whether to buy GG to add to “his” chain I’d guess, hence Oliver sitting on Caroline’s seat by the lake explaining to her why he has to do this. Maybe he is planning to retire and live abroad where he and Caroline were so happy - though I can’t recall where that was…..
DeleteI think it was Tuscany Lady R
DeleteAh yes! Thank you CC 🤗
DeleteFriday just gone the 8th was our bogs 4th anniversary - yikes. It would also have been my mum’s (100th) birthday which is why I always connect the two.
Thank you once again Ruthie and now of course our wonderful Gary 🍷🍺🥃👏🏻🤗
BLOGS of course 🤣 I do apologise
DeleteIndeed, thank you Gary for carrying on with the blog after Ruthie
ReplyDeleteI will add my thanks to LadyR for always reminding us of dates and also to Gary for taking over and continuing our blog.
ReplyDeleteI think Mr Shah is doing an "efficiency" test of the staff + the running of GG for Oliver, but not sure why.
ReplyDeleteRoy said something about Oliver now hiring the staff. Also Mr Shah hinted that his rooms had been mixed up with another, with the flowers + chocolates.
Perhaps this was why Oliver was only too happy, to let Tracy do some house-keeping. Is she the main focus??
DeleteBTW When did Oliver start living back at Grange Farm, rather than at Grey Gables?
That was news to me 🤷♀️
My thanks to Ruthie and Gary too and to all the contributors to our blogs, far and wide.
ReplyDeleteWho thought we’d still be going after the Beeb threw us out 4 years ago!
Thank you Gary. 🤗🤗👍👍
ReplyDeleteThis is from me both personally, but also alongside everyone else, who post + just read, be it on a regular basis or just occaisionly.
This is such a wonderful blog page, or should that be pages, where all can give their individual thoughts, and have so differing ideas.
We all agree to disagree in very many ways, but it is lovely to read + see all the differing ideas.
Thank You Gary 🍾🍾🥂
Now as to TA with Alice + Chris, Mr Shah, these stories will be:-
DeleteJust joking 🤣🤣
I do have one serious thought though. This is Linda meeting Mr Shah and what that will entail.
DeleteMrs P, it's good to see you posting. I have been wondering how you are.
ReplyDeleteme too, Mrs P.
ReplyDeleteThank you both Z and M
ReplyDeleteSee other blog.
Solar panels at Brookfield Farm sounded like a great idea, until the initial cost was revealed. It would take years to recover that initial cost
ReplyDeleteI did look into this a few years ago, but the initial outlay was too pricey to considerate and act on.
It took 7 years to recoup the cost of our solar panels, we're glad of them now!
DeleteMine took exactly the predicted time to repay their cost and that was only on the generated payments from the electricity suppliers. There was, of course, the additional savings on my bills by using the generated electricity.
DeleteI'd like to add my thanks to Gary too for keeping these blogs going.
ReplyDeleteHas Vince had a complete personality transplant?
ReplyDeleteEither Elizabeth is an extremely good influence; his mean, take no prisoners, hard man of business persona was all an act; or he has an ulterior motive for helphing David with solar panels and Freddie with LL and DJing.
Some interesting storylines to play out ...
My thoughts were similar OwiaS, and I plumped for ulterior motives.
DeleteBut also thought that perhaps the Archers team were reinventing Jack Woolly.
I think we’re thinking what we’re meant to think. Why did Vince lie to Elizabeth about his intended visit to Brookfield? Why was he slow to respond to her request to help Freddie?
DeleteVince to my mind, has no interest at all with Freddie and his DJ business.
DeleteHe does though see something in Josh, with how is promoting and running his egg enterprise.
I cannot fathom out though, why Vince is so interested in Brookfield as a whole.
I have to admit that, although I am enjoying the mysterious Mr. Shah, particularly with his interaction with Tracy, I cannot work him out.
ReplyDeleteHe has to be a "mole" put in by Oliver for some reason or another.
The S/W's are teasing the TA listeners, finally again - with so many different S/L's starting to bubble up and the consequences.
I am waiting eagerly, to hear the charming Mr. Shah chatting to Linda. This could so give him a different outlook on GG, but would it be good one or otherwise?
DeleteOliver was really rather stressed before Mr Shah's arrival. Wasn't he a 'very important visitor'? If he were a mole, he'd have come incognito and without a fuss. A potential buyer seems the most likely option, but I'd hate GG to be swallowed up by some corporate chain. What next, an Amazon Local taking over the Village Shop?
DeleteSpeaking of which, it won't be long before Mr S is pointed in that direction and then we'll know all about him, including his shoe size and mother's maiden name, before teatime.
As to a ongoing extra in Ambridge, which Maryellen started a while ago -
ReplyDeleteWho is the Easter Bunny??
My tuppence is on Leonard 👍
DeleteKathy?
DeleteMolly Button?
Joy? Perhaps not, she'd never manage to keep quiet.
Kenton?
DeleteSilent Sabrina?
DeleteNot a woman or Lily would have.noticed when she hugged and patted the Bunny under the impression it was Russ. She said it could do with more padding which suggests someone on the slight side. Also someone active and with time to spare. Or is it a paid job and if so, who’s paying? I originally thought it was a Lower Loxley initiative but then I lost the plot (again!)
Deletebut females can be of a slight build also 🤣
DeleteTrue, but they are a different shape which Lily’s hugging and patting would have detected under the bunny suit.....
DeleteAll will be revealed soon.
DeleteIt will be interesting.
I still don’t understand exactly how the EB operates, but I now think the person inside the suit may be a real life personality, not a Borsetshire character.
DeleteHaven't listened to the Archers recently because I am fed up with Alice because of personal reasons but I wanted to listen to Robert Glenister. So I listened to last night's programme.
ReplyDeleteShame he's not a regular! I love the Glenister brothers , their acting and their voices.
My money is on Eddie’s old friend, Fat Paul, for the Easter Bunny!
ReplyDeleteMy hunch is that the Bunny will turn out to be a contestant from Strictly Come Dancing or Love Island or similar popular tv programme - but my previous hunch about Ruairi being a sugar babe worked and the odds on getting two successful hunches in a row may not be great!
ReplyDeleteI think it may be Robert Snell. He is good humoured enough! Lynda might have put him up to it!😉🐰
DeleteBrilliant - but perhaps the other way round 🙎♀️
DeleteEaster bunny…. Toby? Eddie? Or as suggested a celebratory guest? Let’s just hope not a let down after all the hype!
ReplyDelete...along with whoever put him/her up to it 🐇
DeleteEaster Bunny seems to operate over a wider area than Ambridge , and if I came from Felpersham or elsewhere in Borsetshire and was eagerly awaiting the big reveal, I’d feel pretty let down if turned out to be just some unknown from one of the villages!
ReplyDeleteAah, I've got it -
ReplyDeleteIt is Maryellen in the suit, doing a visit to Ambridge + Borcestershire, to spice things up in a brilliant way.
🤣 got in one I reckon Miriam!
DeleteMaryellen.
ReplyDeleteI know you can take a joke 🤗🤣😍
This was meant just as a bit of 'tongue in cheek' fun, nothing more nor less.
DeleteAh, Miriam - it’s true my bosom has never been spectacular but I’d like to think Lily would have noticed something when she hugged ‘Russ’ in the bunny suit!!! So no, it wasn’t me in the.bunny suit, but I did compose the bunny’s clues. The organisers would have preferred Bert if it had been possible, but said I was the next best thing.....😄
ReplyDelete🤣🤣😉
DeleteHappy Easter everyone. I guess we will find out who the Easter Bunny is this evening.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter to you too, Janice, and to everyone reading this! It”s a perfect Spring day for it. Have just returned from a stroll round our little nature reserve, previously watercress beds when growing watercress was a local industry. Once again, I’m in two minds about rewilding. I can appreciate the idea, but in practice the unmanaged rank growth, and Nature’s general untidiness, bothers me!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, Maryellen, I'm afraid you wouldn't like my garden at all. I grew up in the general untidiness of the countryside, with streams running through the roots of fallen trees and clumps of this and that growing where they will.
ReplyDeleteAlthough not all the clumps of'this and that' that have comes to live with me are entirely welcome, most chime quite nicely with my overall scheme of things, and it all serves to make me feel at home.
Hello Sarnia - I grew up in countryside like Ambridge’s, where river banks, hillsides, water meadows, fields and woodland were all ‘managed’ to a greater or lesser degree. It was a prosaic working environment, not the romantic pastoral landscape of the 18th/19th painter’s imagination, but still full of natural charm and interest for me. There were masses of wildflowers, bird life etc - although I remember my mother lamenting that there were far fewer flowers in the lanes than when she was a child.
DeleteI don’t know how many decades, or even centuries, the Ambridge and other re-wilders aim to peel back. (If Rex is laying hedges, then it’s after the Enclosures - my book says Brookfield was one of Ambridge’s open fields.) It seems to me tall they need to do to achieve their objectives is return to the productive farming methods of their chosen era. That doesn’t mean dressing up, adopting Grundy-style accents, and pretending modern technology doesn’t exist - it’s not a re-enactment.
But I’m sure I’d love your garden, Sarnia!
Well, we haven't heard Kathy in a long time! She must have a slim build too.
ReplyDeleteWell it wasn’t the Kathy that I remember, but I suppose that after so many years of silence, it was thought unimportant that the returning Kathy should be a different voice.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if so many ‘new’ listeners have submitted comments about what we have all come to call ‘ silent Kathy’ that it was considered prudent to bring her back but without Heidi of course.
It must have been a serious falling out !
Doesn't Heidi have an illness, so this is why she has been silent for so long?? Not sure.
DeleteSo the Easter Bunnie was Kathy, which was so very unexpected.
ReplyDeleteWas this her swan-song, to now retire and disappear for good?
Mr. Shah is staying in GG. to consult with Oliver, as to its future. Perhaps it is to sell or then perhaps restructure the existing staff, to take GG forwards.
We’ll blow me down! Kathy is alive and in a bunny suit!
ReplyDeleteWho’d a’thought it?
….. and on the third day she rose again! Well none of us put (no spoilers) name forward 🙃 I thought I recognised the actors voice albeit muffled inside the bunny head. Here to stay though that is the question 🤔
ReplyDeleteIs creepy Mr Shah going to suggest that charmless Freddie should take over Kathy’s job? (Well, it’s getting that ridiculous!)
ReplyDeleteHe is very creepy isn’t he? Kind of smarmy! He must be there as a takeover of G G and probably by a big corporation. I recognised Kathy’s voice too. Someone unpressed the mute button!
ReplyDeleteWell done,OWIAS,who mentioned Kathy as a possible contender for the Easter Bunny,on 12th April..
ReplyDeleteMissed that then - congrats to owias 👏🏻
DeleteOh yes, so I did! I'd completely forgotten.
DeleteTo be honest, Susan dropped several 'subtle' hints when I was in the village shop the other week. But she would be mortified to know she'd accidently let the cat out of the bag (or the bunny out of the hat).
Was it meant to be a publicity stunt for Grey Gables? If not, why on earth would Kathy have been asked or volunteered to do it? If yes, why was Lower Loxley the beneficiary? Every time I think I might be getting a grip on the plot, it escapes mr!
ReplyDeleteWell, I have to say I don’t find Mr Shah creepy.
ReplyDeleteA bit over-polite and eager to please perhaps, but that’s part of his upbringing I should think.
And it makes a change from Josh and Freddy’s usual way of speaking to people.
To me Mr Shah is charming, but seems almost too interested, as to the personell in GG.
ReplyDeleteWith Kathy suddenly appearing again, is this a tease by the SW's as to a character returning.
I cannot fathom Mr Adil Shah out at all...and why Oliver booked him into The Garden Suite without using his real name.
There are schemes afoot:-
A new partner
A new owner
A property developer to turn GG into luxury apartments
A consultant to change the style of GG be it a luxury spa hotel, a golf retreat, or a culinary themed hotel with a well known chef being installed.
I cannot guess just yet, but I bet that it something completely different to my ideas, to date.
Whatever Oliver is up to as to Grey Gables - it coincides as to his beloved wife Caroline and her 5th anniversary of passing.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens, will be done as to Her ideas, of that I am sure, well almost...
Now that Ruiari has told all, what is the betting his "lady-friend" gets bored, so then finds a better prospect, so he gets dumped.
ReplyDeleteThis will then show a different Ruiari in the short term esp. when he fails his exams. If so will he repeat these or go for a different way of life.
I thought Alice did well last night.
ReplyDeletePerhaps she is progressing far better than she has been ackowledged for.
PS Note the time of this posting, is 23 hours later than my last one.
There seems to be many potential Ambridge stories starting to appear, at last, far too many to mention. There are also many "schemes" starting to become apparant.
DeleteThese will affect many residents of Ambridge, their lives and homes.
Those are my thoughts.
Ruiari, will soon end up with nothing. This is no university course nor his "Lady".
DeleteWhat will he do next, and will Brian + Jenny bail him out??
That’s Bridge Farm’s labour shortage sorted!
ReplyDeleteWell no great surprise that Oliver’s selling GG but slightly taken aback by the immediate closure & redundancies, don’t love Ambridge employment protocols!
ReplyDeleteI am really surprised at Oliver’s apparent lack of concern for his staff. Especially the really long serving ones.
ReplyDeleteIt’s all very well to say they will get good payoffs, but many have invested their whole working lives in Grey Gables and such short notice is very unfair.
What are they supposed to do for the next year while the hotel is being refurbished? Sit at home eking out their redundancy money waiting for the reopening?
I think Oliver has handled the whole situation very badly and it saddens me greatly.
Well Grey Gables change of overall ownership reflects current times I guess but for Oliver not to have informed his high management of the proposal seems a little odd as does the quick closure.
ReplyDeleteLet’s hope their payouts appear as quickly and what will the next year bring for the likes of Roy, Kirsty, Ian, Freddie and Kathy (who incidentally has not been shown in the cast list)
Maybe Kathy will be in the next cast list on the TA website? She didn't sound quite like the Real Kathy to me, as I remember not much liking the Real Kathy's voice and this week's Kathy's voice didn't have the same whiny edge. The voice I don't like at the moment is Freddie's.
DeleteWho is the new majority owner? (Mr. Shah is only their representative). Will it be someone we already know, or will it be a completely new character?
ReplyDeleteIs Justin/Damara expanding into hospitality, with The Stables as an adjunct to the Greay Gables operation? Or is Vince going to announce at Elizabeth's surprise party there, that he is the new owner and Grey Gables is her birthday present? Or will it be the mysterious Gibbs at Home Farm? The scriptwriters are spoiled for choice!
DeleteTwo very interesting posts 🤔
DeleteWill Oliver also sell Grange Farm before going off into the sunset (eg. Tuscany as Lady R suggested)?
ReplyDeleteI think he may want to gift Grange Farm to the Grundys but as owners they would 😱would be totally responsible for the upkeep and repairs so……
DeleteCould see that coming a mile off. Didn’t see it shutting for a reverb though and redundancies.
ReplyDeleteWish Kathy would go into hiding again. She has such a boring voice.
It seemed odd to me that Kathy should so suddenly be resurrected however a blast from the past was a welder surprise for me 😄
DeleteEven a welcome 🤣 surprise
DeleteThe sellout was flagged up for us all to see, but agree with others that Oliver has handled it badly.
DeleteI find the return of Kathy at this moment very strange indeed.
I listened to her voice very carefully last night and will do so again today.
Some inflections in that voice had the correct, or former accent of the old Kathy, but over all, if it is Heidi Nicklause her voice is as Maryellen noted, less whiny.
I imagine there are considerable changes throughout Ambridge cooking amongst the Archers team. Reminding me of the times in the past when Greville .? and Jack Woolly arrived and became big noises in Ambridge.
It was definitely Hedli Nicklaus acting as Kathy. TA’s Facebook page showed her photo.
DeleteAnd I shall now commit Archers treason but saying I most certainly hope she is not coming back for long.
I have never liked Kathy or her boring whiny voice, or the storylines she has been given over the years, especially her non-support of her best friend Pat during the Rob saga.
So I really hope that was her Archers swan song and I wish her a happy retirement!
I predict the next medical storyline to be pursued on TA will be prostate cancer and the necessity for men to get tested early.
ReplyDeleteWhy?
The number of times Vince has just popped off to ‘use the facilities’ recently.
I would prefer a diabetes medical story or a disabled person living in Ambridge, so it has to be wheelchair friendly.
DeleteI agree that prostrate cancer is important, but I think it is a bit below the belt, for The Archers 12min listening.
I had the same thought as you ARCHERPHILE- prostrate cancer is the next health issue.
DeleteBrian too perhaps, or maybe Neil ?
GG closing for a year, means a total refurbishment, but into what?
ReplyDeleteAs to the new investor, I don't think that it is either Justin or Vince. It might be a person returning from the past, as Kathy has just done.
How about Matt, Rob, or Robin Fairbrother.
Whovever it is - will cause a lot of further disruption in Ambridge, and Susan was worried about slurry transport.
The Bull and The Shop will though have increased trade, due to the many thirsty + hungry workers.
I would love to hear that Blake is one of the workforce, so returning to Ambridge.
I gave my ideas "into what" a few days ago.
DeleteHowever, there are other ideas such as a fancy Residential Home or similar.
or an aparthotel.
DeleteI don’t think Oliver would choose to be associated with either Matt or Rob: even if they had access to the necessary capital, which I doubt, they both have criminal convictions. Robin Fairbrother is an intriguing possibility because of the Fairbrother family’s previous connection with Grey Gables, but I imagine it’s out of his league too. What would be really good is a wave of her wand from the Ambridge Fairy to turn the current Lord Netherbourne (Caroline’s cousin, several times removed) into a successful financier and property tycoon, and Oliver’s new partner..........
DeleteCould it be Hazel??
Delete..as she was always talking about her Daddy, and what did he own - Grey Gables at one time I think.
DeleteHazel came back to Ambridge as to her memories then left again.
Is this her final come back 🤷♀️
If it is Hazel, then she will sell her other Ambridge properties, such as the shop flat....This will cause a problem for Chris and others. Kathy??
DeleteI'm still getting over the shock of Oliver's announcement as I hadn't seen it coming at all. What drama will there be at Elizabeth's party I wonder?
ReplyDeleteMr R and I have just started a blast from the past ie “Prime Suspect” it is a programme I never watched. However series 1 episode 2 tonight and a court scene in which I immediately recognised the voice of the lady conducting the case for the prosecution - our very own Usha!
ReplyDeleteAt that time she would have been 43yrs old as she is now 74yrs and sounds just the same!
A blast of the past for me is Upstairs Downstairs (ch 10). I watch the 1st programne eating breafast and watch the 2nd at lunchtime or before TA.
DeleteA major character is Simon Williams, as we now know as Justin.
I hope both Lizzies enjoy + celebrate their birthdays, in style.
ReplyDeleteI wonder where the TA one will end up..GG, The Bull upstairs bar, Brookfield Barn, or even her own home at LL.
I cannot work Adil Shah out at all.
ReplyDeleteOne day he is a consultant to Oliver, so giving the Death Knoll to GG and all the staff.
Today he is at the party, alongside these same persons, plus the village residents and still learning all about them, as if nothimg has happened.
I smell a big rat to re-appear - but who.
I was puzzled that Adil Shah said to Linda that he was Oliver's new business partner when the other day Oliver said that Adil was just the representative of the person who had bought the 60% share of the business.
ReplyDeleteI too picked up on that detail Janice, along with his oily tone of voice towards Roy.
DeleteMy conclusion being that something fishy is going on here.
I fear the possibility that Oliver is being duped, to put it kindly.
Have you noticed how Call-Me-Ardil creeps around Grey Gables and pops up unexpectedly? Not a comfortable management style!
DeleteGood idea Mrs P. that Oliver is being duped. This is along with many others, the GG staff and us the listeners.
DeleteThere will be many repercussions to come, and not in a good way.
I find it very intriguing though, and apart from my thought as to Hazel - who else is a front-runner.
Wasn't there an big horse person who stabled his Arab horses at The Stables - which Lilian + Justin rode, so a far fetched possibilty
In other words, I have no idea except that it could be a person, who has had a short + fleeting connection to Ambridge.
I still favour Hazel or Robin Fairbrother - better The Devil You Know - as the saying goes..
Spoiler Alert!!! so ignore.
ReplyDeleteI hate reading ahead, but today I did this, but not sure why? On doing this, I found Kathy in the cast list played by Heidi along with a new character Tam Brownlow, acted by Hannah Briony who was in Cynthia in Call The Midwife...
I wonder what this will entail?