The Archers Thurs 24th March 2011: Lewis, Freddie and Puddings

• Free Roy!
• Oh, he’s quite happy. Actually.
• Emily Onslow
• Nasty Elizabeth
• Lewis on Julia
• Nasty Bert
• Roy’s good with flowers
• Grant is passionate about his savoys
• Topical insert
• Lewis says it with puddings

Free Roy!

I thought Caroline and Elizabeth were quite liberal ladies, but they’re starting to sound like slave traders.

Caroline’s agreed to give Roy for another week to Elizabeth.

He’s a man, not a stapler!



Oh, he’s quite happy. Actually.

Later on, as Roy’s talking to Lewis, he’s waxing lyrical about how impressive Lower Loxley is – big, luxurious and has a history.

[Roy] “I feel so energised this week, working here … I love my hotel work, but it’s quite repetitious … and there’s lots of potential”

And he’s off – talking to Elizabeth about strategies – bringing in younger people – rock bands – Glastonbury (which no, Elizabeth, is not quite the same as opera)

[Elizabeth] “I’m meant to be taking it easy this week, but here you are, firing up my brain”

oo-er!

Maybe Roy will have more than one position to fill!

(sorry – that’s very crude)

Anyhoo. I know I’d prefer to work for Caroline over Elizabeth, anyday.


Emily Onslow

VERY exciting news that Emily Onslow can judge the Easter Bonnet competition at Lower Loxley.

[Elizabeth] “she’s got that bijou hat shop in Felpersham”

And I thought having Camilla in Ambridge was a pinnacle!


Nasty Elizabeth

Everyone agrees that Lewis is still looking drawn and tired after his bout of flu.

But only Elizabeth is a bi*ch about it.

[Elizabeth] “You’re not responsible for everyone, mum”

[Jill] “Lewis is family”

Course he is! Which is why Jill is worried and wants to help him.

That Elizabeth can be such a selfish madam. If it isn’t about her, she isn’t interested.

Nevermind that Lewis was Nigel’s stepdad – moi, moi, moi!


Lewis on Julia

[Lewis] “Each room tells a story at Lower Loxley. I still expect to see Julia in every one of them … You and I lives our lives in black and white Roy, but Julia lives hers in a blaze of colour. Like a glorious, angry sunset”

[Roy] “The thing I remember about Julia is that she never could remember my name”

Nasty Bert

There must be something in the air, but Bert also turned nasty when talking to Elizabeth about the allotments.

Well, not exactly nasty. Just a bit pushy and insensitive.

Bert was laying it on thick that the allotments:

[Bert] “was like a last, big generous gesture”

Um.

I’m sure that wasn’t what Nigel was thinking as he screamed down to his death (“I’m so terribly glad I organised those allotments …”)

Bert’s worried as Elizabeth has delayed taking on seasonal staff for the Orangery until everything picks up again – and is determined to protect his beloved allotments.

Fair enough – good cause – laudable passion – but not quite the right timing.


Roy’s good with flowers

Or so it seems, if we can take Elizabeth’s reaction as an indicator.

What did he do to them that was so special?



Grant is passionate about his savoys

… but quite reserved in the shop.

So there you have it.



Topical insert

Elizabeth and Bert are talking about the clocks going back.

Bert’s happy as it means an hour longer in the allotments.

Elizabeth sees it as an hour less sleep.



Lewis says it with puddings

Lewis isn’t having an easy time of it.

Step-son dies. Gets shouted at a lot by his step-daughter-in-law. Gets the flu. And now seems to be peed off by some bloke at Lower Loxley.

[Lewis] “That man is a complete pain. Everything I say is wrong!”

(did anyone have a clue about who he was talking about)

Then Freddie gets on his nerves when Jill is asking what he wants for tea. Freddie wants lots of puddings Jill doesn’t have the ingredients for.

[Lewis] “Oh for heaven sake, Freddie you’re being very demanding. When I was a boy I ate what I was given!”

Jill takes him to task over speaking to Freddie like that. He is just a wee chap, who has lost his dad and recently had a scare over his mum.

Lewis is quite ashamed of himself.

[Lewis] “It’s been a whole since a woman told me off … I shouldn’t have spoken to him like that … I sometimes feel like the spare part around here”

Lewis later seeks Freddie out, as he’s visiting Cranford Chrystal. Lewis starts waffling on about semolina, and how he used to swirl the jam into it to make it pink, when he was a boy.

[Freddie] “Daddy promised I could join his pudding club this year”

Aha! There’s the reason for Freddie’s pudding obsession.

[Freddie] “What’s tapioca?”

[Lewis] “Frog-spawn, made with milk and sugar”

Lewis then mutters something about “lashings of hot custard”, and it seems they’re best mates again.

[Lewis] “I’m being a grumpy old man today. I can hear, but I just can’t stop it. We’re all doing our best, you know”