The Archers Friday 17th Dec 2010: Helen's still not in a better mood

• Who is mum?
• Pat can’t get through to Helen
• Slow day? Use a Skype delay!
• Aunty Kathy?

Who is mum?

No wonder Phoebe’s confused – who is mum?

I’m not criticising Phoebe for seeing both Hayley and Kate as her mum, but she also switched to calling Kate ‘Kate’ when she’s talking to Roy.

Bless her. She’s too busy taking care of all the adult’s feelings to have a moment to work out her own feelings.


Pat can’t get through to Helen

Rather than Tony facing up to Helen, he sends Pat round.

Well, I don’t know if he asked her or whether she’s gone to speak to Helen of her own accord, but surely Tony can see that Helen needs him to be her dad. Doesn’t that involve talking to her when things go awry?

Either way, it’s Pat who’s the advance party.

[Pat] “Can’t you just accept that whatever dad said yesterday … you can see how upsetting this is for all of us … not just me, your father … so he’s not the most tactful person on the world …”

[Helen] “Oh, so it was all a big misunderstanding, was it? Mum, it was no big surprise, surely we all know exactly how he feels about this baby … he hates this whole idea”

[Pat] “That’s not fair Helen, you’re not giving him a chance …Whatever he might have said, he’s still your father”

[Helen] “If he cares so much why is he so much again against me …if it’s not because I’m a failure that I can’t have a proper relationship”

Pat keeps trying to at least get Helen to see that she needs to talk to Tony, but she’s having none of it.

Just as she nearly drove Tony to tears yesterday, she does the same to Pat.

[ Helen] “I think it’s probably best if you go now”

Unless Helen does calm down, it will be a bit of a tough time at Bridge Farm during Christmas …


Slow day? Use a Skype delay!

Ah, we’re all used to the slower days in Ambridge being filled with long discussions about nothing – or worse still, talk of technical financial matters (which is nearly every time Brian and Annabelle are in the same).

This time, as Phoebe speaks to Kate over her computer, there’s quite a significant relay delay.

Did Brian buy them both a cheap computer – or was this really just a filler?

Either way – Kate’s her usual selfish self. Phoebe had earlier on mentioned that it was unfair of Kate to go away just as they were getting to know each other. So to make matters worse, Kate doesn’t really ask Phoebe about what she’s been up to – waffles on about her own doings in South Africa – then rings off early as she has stuff to do.

Roy tries to make Phoebe feel better, but damage done.

[Phoebe] “I was just getting to know her, and then she goes away”

[Roy] “Cheer up, eh! Cause we’re going to have such a good Christmas”

Now, if Hayley could spill a cup of tea in the right place, maybe we could really have peace from Kate for the next few weeks …



Aunty Kathy?

My word! I never thought I’d see the day.

Kathy. Listening to Aunty Pat. Rather than talking about Jamie. To Pat.

[Pat] “It’s all too upsetting … Feels like we’re back to square one, or worse …Tony was shocked and hurt – he daren’t go near her”

[Kathy] “From what you say, Helen must be hurting too”

[Pat] “She want’s Tony’s approval more than anything … If only she’d admit it, she needs him too”

Kathy at least end an ear, but her advice isn’t actually up to much. She waffled on about time moving on … things change … and that Christmas will sort it.

Aye, right then!

Christmas is hardly known for families getting on. Isn’t it more likely that, being trapped in one house all together, they’ll all just kick off again?

I think it’s going to take more than a turkey and a few crackers to resolve Tony and Helen’s differences.