Wednesday 15 June 2011

The Archers Monday 13th June 2011: Showdown over South Africa

  • Tony and Pat round at Kathy’s
  • Roy and Kate talk schools
  • Mistress of the Paddocks offends Caroline
  • Helen and Henry live!
  • Now Roy has Hayley to cope with



Tony and Pat round at Kathy’s

Jamie’s had his last exam – so Kathy is having Pat and Tony round for dinner to celebrate (Jamie’s going out with his mates).

But oh no!

Disaster!

Kathy’s run out of olive oil! What will happen to the salad dressing!?!

[Hayley] “Thank goodness for the village shop”

Indeed!

It was nice to hear Pat, Tony and Kathy have a natter, rather than any one of them stressing out over one of their kids, work, death …

… oh, there actually was mention of Sid’s death, not they moved on quite quickly.


Roy and Kate talk schools

Kate’s showing Roy schools that Phoebe could go to if he (and Hayley) lets her go to South Africa.

Her favourite is a Model C School (whatever that means). It was one that was white only during apartheid, but it has mixed children now and great facilities.

In fact, every school in South Africa seems to have great facilities (if one believes Kate) as there is such high investment in schools.

[Roy, getting angry] “I didn’t come here for a history lesson or a lecture in politics … this is my daughter that we’re talking about”

[Kate] “Our daughter …”

[Roy] “Will she be happy … you might be letting your enthusiasm for your new country run away with you, I mean think of it from Phoebe’s point of view!”

Roy is worried about Phoebe being singled out and bullied – as she’ll be different, and everything will seem very different to her.

[Kate] “Think the cathedral school with sunshine, Phoebe won’t think it’s different at all”

Roy doesn’t really buy that.

He’s also upset that the school terms are at different times, so Phoebe will arrive in the middle of a term (at which point Kate patronises him by explaining that the world’s different hemisphere’s have seasons at different times).

Kate tries the ‘you can come over to spend Christmas’. Roy comes back with:

[Roy] “Come on, money Kate! We’re not all being bankrolled by Brian!”

(which he does apologise for saying. But I think he was right enough to say so)

Then Kate goes on charm offensive.

[Kate] “All this is coming from Phoebe. I’m not trying to steal her away … maybe I haven’t always been as sensitive to you and Hayley when I’ve been visiting”

She butters him up by thanking him (and Hayley) for being so understanding when she’s around, and admits that she might be a bit OTT sometimes because the short time she gets with Phoebe “distorts everything”.

(as Roy also pointed out – it was Kate’s choice to move away from Phoebe …).

[Kate] “Can’t you and Hayley be generous for a little bit longer. For Phoebe’s sake …”



Mistress of the Paddocks offends Caroline

But it would seem it’s not because she’s a prude … Pat reckons it might be because it’s based on real people …

… the author is local …

[Pat] “ …Some of it does sound a bit familiar …”

But Pat won’t tell anyone who the author is.

(it’s Jennifer … must be).

[Kathy] “I’ll just ask Susan, I’m sure she won’t be so discreet”


Helen and Henry live!

The first mention of Helen for a fair age.

They’re still at Bridge Farm, and Helen still isn’t back at work.

Looks like the ‘new Helen’ we saw after Henry was born is still with us.


Now Roy has Hayley to cope with

Roy gets home from fencing with Kate, to:

[Hayley] “No doesn’t take very long to say …You were supposed to be going round to find good reasons for Phoebe not to go!”

Roy trips out Kate’s stats about how much South Africa invests in its schools – at that point, I was starting to agree with Hayley that he’s been brainwashed and manipulated.

[Hayley] “I’ve loved her, cared for her for 13 years, don’t I get a say in this? I’ve mothered her, not Kate … she always wants to spend time with Kate and it always goes horribly wrong”

[Roy] “Think what she’ll be like if she don’t go! She’ll never forgive us … She might even be able to visit us at Christmas …”

Oops. That last bit wasn’t clever of Roy to say.

Nor was pointing out that holidays were the only time that Kate got to have with Phoebe.

[Hayley] “That was her choice … this isn’t mine”

[Roy] “No. It’s Phoebe’s”

Hmm. Odds are on Phoebe going, unless Hayley can hold her own again Kate, Phoebe and now Roy!

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