The Archers Tuesday 11th October 2011: It was David, in the yard, with the shotgun

• Apple Day
• Praise for Kenton!
• Flatlining at Brookfield
• Alice realises cheap mince isn’t the answer
• Jim does the hard sell
• Clive at Brookfield

Apple Day

Jim comes across Oliver in the Orchard. Oliver is collecting apples, and makes mention of the Grundys also having collected:

[Jim] “Oh yes, I’ve tasted the fruits of your generosity”

Seems Oliver is collecting apples for Kenton – while Lower Loxley is ‘doing’ Apple Day – Kenton is also doing The Bull’s Apple Day quiz. Seems the quiz is to spot the Borchester Beauty.

(what’s Apple Day? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/plants/fruit/8799238/Apple-day-A-celebration-of-core-values.html It’s on the 21st of October. By-the-by – if you Google ‘Apple Day’ all you get is news about the release of a certain new phone product …)


Praise for Kenton!

Which is a very rare occurrence in Ambridge.

Olive and Jim were saying that Kenton is very at ease with the memory of Sid – in fact, he goes out of his way to encourage Jolene to remember him.

They were specifically talking about Kenton persuading Jolene to continue Apple Day, but the point remains.
Kenton can be quite an astute, selfless chap at times.


Flatlining at Brookfield

David’s back in after the despudding (did I hear that right?) and the ear tagging, to find that Ruth is looking at rather depressing milk yield figures.

Seems the yields have improved, but not enough to cover the previous slump.

[Ruth] “So bang goes a lot of the profit”

But they do say that at least Herefords are doing well.

So it’s not all bad news.


Alice realises cheap mince isn’t the answer

The penny has dropped – or, more correctly that the penny isn’t coming in fast enough, and Alice has finally realised.

She and Chris are not going to save £1,000 a month by eating cheap mince.

So there you have it.

Alice is again looking for a job, even though her course is intensive.

In fact, she now wants to quit her course so that she can work full-time.

Chris is furious.

He’s quite right when he says that it’s short-sighted of Alice to quite her year course for a job, when she get a far better one when she is qualified. And he reckons they’ll find the money for his business one way or another – but not through Alice giving up her college.

[Chris] “It’s not going to happen and that’s that!”

[Alice] “I’m sorry! I don’t remembering promising to obey you in Las Vegas!!””

[Chris] “No, we promised to love each other. And we do. And that’s all that matters, isn’t it Mrs Carter?”

[Alice] “Yes, it is … alright Mr Carter, you’ve convinced me”

So all’s well again. And it’s back to cheap mince.

But – couldn’t Alice just take a year out?

I'm sure they've thought of that …


Jim does the hard sell

On Oliver, about the community orchard.

He waxes (gettit!) lyrical about it being important to the commu8nity, to the UK, to save the local variety – and goes on at length about how low Joe is. What’s more, he adds that Clarrie would feel better if Joe had a purpose - she blames herself for his low mood.

Oliver is almost convinced that the Cider Club takes over the orchard – with Mike already Tree Warden, it’s ideal – and it’d mean more apples for the Grundys which would help their cashflow issues.

The only problem is Ed. He grazes his cattle in the orchard,

[Jim] “We’d think he’d be happy enough to see a Grundy enterprise thrive on ex Grundy land”

Oliver agrees. So, pending Ed's approval, the community apple orchard shall be so!


Clive at Brookfield

David is aghast – furious – appalled.

[David] “Well not on my land he doesn’t!”

Seems Emma will only allow Clive to meet her kids if it’s at Rickyard Cottage. So that Ed, and David, can be nearby to kick him into touch if he starts.

Ruth has to break the news, and ask, on Emma’s behalf, if David is okay about it.

[David] “Okay? I had to rescue my mother and my aunt from a burning building because of that man, and that’s just the start of it!”

But – Ruth reckons the only way they have a hope of controlling Clive is on Brookfield. David, surprisingly, relents quite easily.

[David] “Alright, alright. I suppose it’s the lesser of two evils. But I’m going to be standing in the yard with a shotgun!”