Friday 12 November 2010

The Archers Wed 10th Nov 2010: Fallon IS going to the Ball!

The Archers: Caroline’s uncle is still on the mend … Brian’s avoidance plans … Peggy’s cats are playing up …

  • “I suppose we were really stretched last year with orphans”
  • Lord Netherborne – a bit of a Peregrine
  • Brian’s using whisky to escape
  • Naughty Bill
  • Des Penwell
  • Con still excites Peggy
  • Valda doesn’t solve anything
  • What’s this about a “dark corner”?
  • Does Jill disapprove?
  • “The theatrical equivalent of The Titanic”



“I suppose we were really stretched last year with orphans”

The harsh reality of sheep farming, courtesy of Adam.

“You don’t want too much tangle round the pens”

“Now, are you ready to go flying up to the roof?”

The harsh reality of Adam’s arming life, courtesy of Brian.




Lord Netherborne – a bit of a Peregrine

Well, not really.

It’s just that it was mentioned yet again that Caroline still has to look after her uncle.

Like the Peregrines were often mentioned without any obvious point – then become a ‘hot’, contentious issue – Lord Netherborne being poorly keeps cropping up.

Watch this space …


Brian’s using whisky to escape

And what’s really bad, is that he’s using booze to escape his own son’s birthday party!

Ian’s going to entertain as the great … something or other (did anyone catch that?). I’m assuming it’s a magic show.

But Brian is only going to:

“show willing where he has to”

Poor wee Ruairi.

His mum’s dead.

He dad would prefer alcohol to being at his party.

And even his step-brother-by-marriage is going to try and join Brian.

At least he’s got Jennifer and Kate making a fuss over him.

Actually. Scratch that. It’d probably be better if he was just utterly neglected.


Naughty Bill

Not sure why Peggy’s cats are being so hyper. She’s had to resort to locking them in the kitchen when she has guests over. Especially Bill.

The other day, Bill was clamouring all over Pat. And today he manages to break free of the kitchen to annoy Jill and Peggy.

Something in the air, or too much catnip?



Des Penwell

Is talking on Sunday, at the church, about his experiences in Afghanistan.


Con still excites Peggy

After all those years, and after she received his email on Saturday, Peggy is still giddy as a schoolgirl about Con.

But Jill doesn’t seem at all impressed (now there’s a surprise – Jill just can’t seem to muster any joy for anything which isn’t spot on ‘the norm’).



Valda doesn’t solve anything

[Lynda] “Strictly between you and me, she doesn’t thrive in the pressure cooker of pantomime – I always felt she never really made the grade in snow white”

So if Valda, Vicky and Sabrina aren’t up to playing Alice Fitzwilliam, just who is?

[Lynda] “Fallon and her sadly underused talent”

So while Hayley “does wonders with our little rats”, Phoebe show her artistic talents in designing the posters, Lynda is left to bemoan the lack of Fallon as her Alice.

At least Harry sorted Idle Jack.

Giving Lynda a “marvellous surprise” by turning up with Jazzer in tow, Lynda is utterly oblivious to (surely what must have bee) Jazzer’s utter reluctance.

[Lynda] “Whatever false modesty was holding him back, he’s over it now … very bashful … mumbled so much I had to make him repeat himself … I intimated him slightly …”

Lynda thought she’s ‘intimidated’ Jazzer because, when she suggested Harry’s idea of:

“Idle Jock, a comic Scotsman complete with mischievous kilt and a ginger wig”

Jazzer’s distaste was read by Lynda as

“Apparently it was a step too for his confidence … he gave me quite a look!”

I do adore our Lyndee, but she really doesn’t pick up on anything other than that she wants to see.

Harry has forced Jazzer to be in the Panto, but the line has been drawn through the concept of Idle Jock.

“Idle Jack remains … and I’m hoping to persuade him to sing”

Well, that’s great news.

Jazzer’s singing at Ambridge Has Talent was lovely, so I’ll look forward to hearing him again.


What’s this about a “dark corner”?

Am I missing something?

That was the second mention by Peggy that she has a dark corner.

Has the bulb blown?

Curtain can’t be pulled back?

What?

Whatever it is, Peggy needs someone to fix it for her.

She thinks it would be hard to find “someone for such a small job”, and doesn’t want to ask her family.

“Phil used to do that”

Said Jill, bring the conversation well and truly back to her.

I shouldn’t really be so harsh to Jill (even though she does ask for it sometimes), as it is going to be a tough first festive season without Phil.

But it felt like she was scoring points off of Peggy.

Jill’s one up because her husband is dead, whereas Peggy’s is still very much alive.

And then Jill behaves quite oddly about Peggy’s Con …


Does Jill disapprove?

It certainly seemed that way.

She wasn’t exactly glowing – or even happy for Peggy – when she read Con’s long letter as Peggy asked her to.

(and Peggy is quite right that a long email is just as good as a letter, though I still think the ‘ping’ of an email received isn’t quite like a non-bill thumping down on your doormat).

What’s wrong with Jill?

Can’t she see that Peggy has found a wee bit of harmless happiness?

So as Peggy (still in schoolgirl mode) dreamily talks about Florida and Ruby Throated Humming birds, all Jill found the effort to do was mention Jack.

Was that to bring Peggy back to reality with a bump?

Quite nasty, really.

[Peggy] “Living proof it’s never too late to develop an interest”

On yersel Peggy! Get it where you can …


“The theatrical equivalent of The Titanic”

Still stressing about the lack of a lady to lead as Alice, Lynda is getting desperate:

“If the worst comes to the worst … it’ll be the theatrical equivalent of the titanic … I might have to cast Sabrina”

Which everyone agrees would:

“Clear the hall … children and small animals crushed in the rush”

(I won’t even try to think why animals attend Ambridge’s Panto)

But then Lynda corners Fallon (after Clarrie planted the idea in her head the other day), and quite easily persuades her to prerecord Alice’s singing, to which Sabrina will mime.

Yet – it’s not over until Lyndee is utterly satisfied.

“What a better finish … you and Harry arm in arm … singing of love’s triumph”

Whether Fallon fell for the sheer joy of performing on a stage (any stage), or whether it was the mention of getting close to Harry that egged Fallon on, while she was most eager to do the pre-recordings, Fallon sounded even more keen to actually be in the Panto.

But there’s The Bull to run. And a rather wobbly Jolene to support.

So that’s that. Fallon can’t play love’s young dream because she has to keep home and hearth together.

But, what’s this …

[Jolene] “Maybe the challenge is just what I need … I want to try, love … just let me”

And there it is. Jolene finally steps up. Which means Fallon can live a little, by taking part in the village Panto.

My word – was Lynda nearly pornographic in her sheer delight at the news!

[Jolene] “I want to see my girl go to the ball”

[Lynda] “actually, technically that’s referring to another Panto”

(at which point Fallon or Jolene was heard to utter something very similar to ‘oh, shut up' though it was probably just ‘Lynda’)

[Lynda] “Oh what the heck … well done Fallon! you are coming to the ball after all!!”

Huzzah! Lynda will finally cease her woes about finding an Alice. Fallon gets to have a life out of the pub (and possibly get closer to Harry … though he does strike me as a rather sexless chap). And Jolene gets to see if she can really cope.

Trebles all round!


4 comments:

Ruby said...

Aren't Bill and Ben a bit like the Peregines and Lorn Netherbourne too - they also seem to have appeared out of nowhere for no apparent reason. Or did I miss Peggy's acquiring them?

Inga McVicar said...

No, I'm with you Ruby.

I'm sure they probably have been mentioned at some point before, but their capers certainly seem to have hit the front pages now.

What's that about?!?

Ruby said...

Maybe the threads will come together at some point, and the cats will catch the peregrines (or vice versa) and Lord Netherbourne will fall again while trying to free the birds from the cats (or vice versa).

Inga McVicar said...

*laughs* could very well do. Or they fizzle into nowt. One can never tell.