The Archers Sunday 28th August 2011: Tom admits he was wrong!

• Jennifer’s still snobbing about pound shops
• Tom admits he was being stupid, and Brenda that she’s not an expert!!!!
• Jennifer’s home alone
• Peggy is setting herself up?

Jennifer’s still snobbing about pound shops

Having lunch with Peggy, Lilian and Matt, Jennifer’s still perplexed that Alice and Chris can manage to eat on cheaper brands.

[Jennifer] “Alice has even been to the pound shop … it’s so hard to plan if you shop at one of those places and apparently you’ve just got to take what they’ve got in”

(imagine that!)

[Lilian] “I got the impression she was quite enjoying it … getting the best bargain, discovering new foods …”

Course, Peggy is all for thrift. She even reckons that if more folks acted like Alice and Chris, the world wouldn’t be in as much of a financial mess as it is.

[Matt] “I don’t think everyone buying vale baked beans would have prevented the recession, Peggy”

(actually – I think Peggy makes a good point!).

While Jennifer is horrified over the thought of Alice even owning a tin of baked beans, Lilian can’t help from winding her up even further. She mentions that she saw a cleaner job advertised on one of these cards you see in shops. She suggests Alice could apply.

[Jennifer, now burst with the shame and the horror] “Suppose it’s the Stretfields, or somebody, the thought of Alice cleaning their lavatories, or ironing Baxter’s underwear … well, you know …”

Tee-hee!


Jennifer’s home alone

That’s Ruairi off to boarding school:

[Jennifer] “Ruairi is being very grown up. He wants to leave mousey at home”

(oh no - he’ll miss having mousey the moment he gets there)

And Phoebe is also off to South Africa. Everyone is advising Jennifer that she shouldn’t see her off.

[Lilian] “Oh come on Jenny. You cry when someone is voted off Strictly!”

So – what’s Jennifer going to do with her time? No Ruairi in the house – no Phoebe calling round.

Lilian is worried about how Jennifer is going to fill her time.

Though I don’t reckon Lilian’s suggestion of Jennifer joining Peggy, ted and Jill to do a spot of enamelling will go down well …


Tom admits he was being stupid, and Brenda that she’s not an expert!!!!

Blimey. Double blimey!!!

Tom’s not gone to the cricket today as he’s spending time Googling Bridge Farm.

Which he should have thought about doing before he started cold calling new potential customers … which, as he now realises, is exactly what these new customers do. Google their new potential supplier to see what’s what.

[Tom] “The worst thing is that mum and dad were absolutely right. I should’ve known better … ‘Hi, I’m from Bridge Farm, we poison our customers’ …”

Brenda now reckons they need to concentrate on creating good news, so that the bad news gets pushed off of the first page of Google.

Goodness me – is Brenda really that thick?

What good news does Bridge Farm have?

But – shock upon shock - Brenda then admits that maybe they need to get an online marketing expert.

You think????

It’s about time Tom and Brenda realised their limitations. And lucky it might not be too late for Bridge Farm to be saved …


Peggy is setting herself up?

Peggy’s talking to Lilian about Elona (correcting Lilian that she’s Albanian, not Polish – by the way).

Peggy explains that she wants to give Elona a job. Not to just to help Elona, but also as Peggy needs a hand from time to time.

[Lilian] “You don’t need a carer mum, do you?”

Peggy says no – just that she does need some help.

Peggy also explains that she wants to stand as guarantor for Elona for No.3 The Green, and that Lilian could (should) offer Elona a reduced rent. Even though Peggy would actually make up the difference without Elona knowing …

[Lilian] “Isn’t this a bit OTT … if you’re finding things difficult around the house, we can help”

[Peggy] “I don’t want to be a burden to my children … I've got the money, and this way I keep my independence … and Elona can keep looking after Jack”

I think Lilian is right that is all a bit OTT, and I’m not sure Elona doesn’t know exactly what she’s doing when it comes to Peggy.

But, Peggy says okay.

Much to Matt’s consternation.

[Matt] “What? And you said yes? … Why drag Amside into it … pay her a decent wage, and let her sort her own accommodation out … just seems like a lot of fuss to me”

[Lilian] “I’m the Managing Director of Amside … lets not look a gift horse in the mouth”

So all’s well?

Elona gets a home. Peggy gets help. And Lilian gets a tenant.

What could go wrong???