Friday 11 March 2011

The Archers Wed 2nd Mar 2011: Phoebe’s having nightmares

  • Has David lost the ability to say ‘no’?
  • Hot chocolate instead of hot milk
  • Lucky Alistair doesn’t take anything personally
  • New plan to get Helen home
  • David and the ‘P’ word



Has David lost the ability to say ‘no’?

It would seem so – well, to everyone apart from Ruth.

He’s a busy man back at Brookfield, but is easily persuaded by Alastair to put himself out yet again to help Alastair’s diary.

Which involves going over to Lower Loxley. Which involves leaving Brookfield to do so.

Then, David finds he can’t say no to Elizabeth when she leaves him in charge of Lower Loxley while she rushes off to collect Freddie (who had run out of his exam).

Which leaves him trapped at Lower Loxley, while there’s plenty to be getting on with at home.

Daft man.



Hot chocolate instead of hot milk

That’s Phoebe’s problem.

It’s that Hayley feeds her hot chocolate when she has nightmares. That should just be hot milk. Surely better for aiding sleep …

Anyway – Phoebe’s dream ran to something as follows:

On the school bus – but everyone grown up – stood up at her stop – but the aisle kept getting longer and longer – suddenly lots of door – everyone started getting off, knew where to go but she didn’t – forgot school bag, everyone was pushing me – tripped up …

…then woke up.

Hayley then proved that she would make a rubbish lawyer. She was utterly leading her witness:

[Hayley] “Sounds rather like an aeroplane to me.”

[Phoebe] “Well, maybe a sort of bus plane”

[Hayley, mentioning Phoebe had been talking about her holiday before she went to bed] “Maybe part of your brain carried on thinking about it after you were asleep”

It would sound like it, but I reckon Hayley would interpret any of Phoebe’s dreams to be about her holiday – but only if they somehow suggest Phoebe shouldn’t be going.

Phoebe agrees she is a bit stressed about having to get the plane back from South Africa by herself, but is adamant that Hayley can’t tell Kate about it.

[Phoebe] “Don’t say anything. She’ll think I’m a big baby … she told me, last week. She thinks I’m really grown up coming back all by myself.”

That bloomin’ Kate has a lot to answer for.

And I somehow can’t see Hayley keeping this to herself. Even though she’s now made a promise to Phoebe (that child really won’t have any trust in adults if this sort of thing keeps happening).



Lucky Alistair doesn’t take anything personally

He’s such an amendable chap, is our Alistair.

While he may have got David to do his bidding, he seems to now float through life accepting any potential slur on himself as nothing more than other folks just being that … other folks.

Daniel (where is he? By the way???) has chosen English, History, Geography and Spanish for his A Levels – but no science.

So not following in Alistair’s footsteps. But Alistair doesn’t seem to mind.

And although Alistair makes mention of Kenton suddenly uninviting him to the wine tasting, he doesn’t seem too perturbed.

What an oasis of calm he is!

Wonder if any horse tranquilisers are missing …



New plan to get Helen home

Is to convince her that Tony and Pat really need her – rather than have her thinking they think she needs them.

Helen has always been a family-lass, so maybe that will work.

But I do also think Pat and Tony should leave her be. This is way she wanted it. And she actually seems to be thriving!


David and the ‘P’ word

Honestly – I don’t know how many times I’ll have to say that David never learns.

He’s using the bloomin’ P work again to Ruth, as she’s having a go at him for spending too much time at Lower Loxley.

[Ruth] “I know it’s a desperate situation, but you can’t keep papering over the cracks … she’s going to have to learn to do without you sometime. You’re damaging our business.”

[David] “She’s so fragile, it’s like she’s about to break”

[Ruth] “I am very sorry and concerned for her … but we’ve got to face facts … you’ve got to grasp the nettle for her sake”

It’s a tough one.

Ruth’s right – David can’t go on working at both Lower Loxley and Brookfield without collapsing from exhaustion and dropping a big clanger at one (or both). And Ruth can’t go on working Brookfield without David. But Elizabeth does need help.

Of course, as everyone keeps saying, Elizabeth needs to accept that she needs to bring an expert manager into help her.

David yet again agrees. Yet again says he’ll speak to Elizabeth. And yet again says to Ruth:

“I promise”

Humpf! Ruth should just go over the both of their heads and book a manager. At least someone would then be doing something useful!

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