The Archers Tues 4th Jan 2011: Life has to go on

• Has Adam been in the lambing shed all that time?
• “Helen’s a different woman”
• “Life has to go on”
• Should Lower Loxley re-open?
• David refuses Kenton’s help
• Health & Safety are on their way
• Not just an excuse to get out of exams?

Has Adam been in the lambing shed all that time?

Last time we heard from him (on the 27th), he’d been let out of the shed to go to his own party. But looks like that was his only respite.

Probably best he just stays there. Ian has some serious baby ‘cooing’ to do with Helen.



“Helen’s a different woman”

Says Adam, according to Ian.

We’ll be the judge of that. Time will tell.


“Life has to go on”

Nigel is barely dead, and Brian is already blustering around, trying to get everyone back to normality(/work).

BUT, to be fair to Brian, he did then go round to Brookfield to “offer services” to Ruth.

Which was a very generous offer, considering he due to go to his Conference today, and he has extra work to do with Adam during lambing.

Ruth did protest that she was coping by herself (with David being at Lower Loxley)

[Ruth] “I just need to get my head round David not being here”

But Brian was horrified to hear that no-one else to help out full-time. Eddie has other work to do, Pip has her exams and Bert … well, is Bert.

So Brian’s rolling up his sleeves to get his hands dirty again.

An act worthy of our Nigel.


Should Lower Loxley re-open?

They’ve closed this week, but Lewis and David are planning to re-open again next week, as they have conferences booked.

Their reasoning is that this is not an economic climate that will be forgiving of cancellations. And they don’t want Elizabeth to go bankrupt.

As much as I think it’s very harsh opening so soon (on everyone), I can see their point. Money doesn’t care about personal tragedy – and bills don’t get paid through understanding.

Like it or not – every penny counts.


Health & Safety are on their way

Which is quick, but it was “a fatal accident on business premises”.

Oh dear. Just imagine the paperwork that will require.



David refuses Kenton’s help

And actually gets quite angry with him.

David doesn’t seem to think Kenton will be any use in helping to run Lower Loxley. It’s only himself and Lewis that can cope.

Of course, it sounds like it’s David’s guilt rather than his common sense talking.

[David] “She (Elizabeth) is my priority, Kenton”

And who can blame him. He was there as Nigel fell, and he’s Elizabeth’s big brother. Where else would he want to be but at Lower Loxley, doing his everything to make sure Elizabeth doesn’t have to cope alone.

(actually, I’m sure David would rather be anywhere else, but you know what I mean).

Our Kenton (often utterly feckless) doesn’t seem to get the message that David needs to do this himself, so David has to shout it at him:

(As Kenton states he can cope with the Health and Safety checks)

[David] “Could you!?! Could you take them up on the roof … could you show them the exact spot where Nigel was when he fell, and how he got there, and how it happened, and how you couldn’t stop it. Could you do that!”

[Kenton, finally getting the point] “No I couldn’t. I’m sorry mate …”

Not just an excuse to get out of exams?

Pip wants to do more at Brookfield so that David can be at Lower Loxley, and she wants to help Elizabeth any way she can.

Even though it’d mean not revising properly for her exams … hmmmm ….

I am being harsh.

Elizabeth was (quite bizarrely) involved when David and Pip fell out over Jude, so Pip will feel she should also be there for her Aunt.

And of course, she’ll be upset over Nigel dying in her own right.

AND, if that wasn’t enough,. Nigel dying also made Pip think of David dying:

[Pip, while crying] “Because if it had been you … if you had been the one who had slipped … I’d never have a chance to say sorry for everything I’ve put you through … I’d never have a chance to make it right”

I suppose death does make us appreciate the ones we love eve more – but someone really needs to tell Pip that she’s really not been that bad a daughter.

Apart from her horrific taste in boyfriends, she’s been quite a teenage saint.