Tom wants to breed 03/01/12

The Archers Tuesday 3rd January 2012

• Emma’s in a catty mood
• Clarrie is unaware of the cake swap
• Tom wants a baby
• Cheerio Patsy!
• “Bloomin’ badgers”
• Debbie spots an opportunity
• Pork saves Brenda
• Lily ‘gets’ Pantos
• Debbie and Elizabeth make friends

Emma’s in a catty mood

She didn’t rate Henry’s birthday party – it was too noisy for Keira (so they had to leave before the cake).

And she also didn’t rate Nic and Will’s wedding. Now there’s a surprise …

[Emma] “I didn’t think much of the breakfast … well it was just that wasn’t it. Breakfast. The sort of thing you can have any day”

But Clarrie spoke up for Nic and Will. She had chuffed to have had eggs benedict, which she’d never had before.

As Clarrie is wondering just how much of a marvellous time Will and Nic are having on their honeymoon, she’s ignoring Emma trying to tell her how to look after Keira.

[Clarrie] “Leave her to me, Emma, I have brought up babies of my own, you know!”

Clarrie is unaware of the cake swap

George mentioned he had sponge cake at the wedding, which Clarrie was surprised about. But she still didn’t twig that anything had changed with the wedding cake – she just thought they must have made a separate sponge for the kids.

Looks like Caroline and Ian have got away with it …

(so most kids hate fruit cake?)


Tom wants a baby

But he has to first get Brenda to concur.

[Tom] “You know what Bren. For the first time, I’m starting to feel that maybe I’m ready to be a dad”

[Brenda, a bit shocked] “Oh … Henry’s gorgeous, I grant you, but the trouble with babies you never know what you’re going to get, You much end up with Keira … I can’t help noticing, you’ve suddenly got interested in babies ever since you discovered that John had a son”

Which Tom denies. He reckons it’s because of being with Henry.

[Tom] “Babies can be fun!”

[Brenda] “In small doses …”

Cheerio Patsy!

Ruth’s delighted that Emma’s returned to clean at Brookfield. It’s meant the “dreaded” Patsy won’t be terrorising her anymore. Seems Patsy was a great cleaner, but Ruth felt the need to tidy up before she arrived …



“Bloomin’ badgers”

So reckons Ruth.

She’s on about the slurry lagoon again, and how much it’s going to cost to fix.

And they also haven’t been doing their NVZ (Nitrate Vulnerable Zones) records properly. Which could get them into trouble with the Environment Agency.

They surely can’t blame the badgers for their sloppy paperwork?



Debbie spots an opportunity

Though Adam still isn’t being “friendly” to Debbie, and while Brian reckons that they not exactly inundated with arable farmers wanting to supply their Super Dairy (seems Pete Wilkes, Spencer’s dad, has pulled out. Something to do with Pip?), Debbie brightens up when she hears the news from Brookfield.

[Brian] “There’s a distinct possibility they might be going out of milk”

[Debbie] “Well, in the case, perhaps they might like to reconsider your offer … or raise heifers for us”

Brian doesn’t sound so sure they’ll have changed their attitude about working with the Super Dairy.

It’s a bit of a shock to see Debbie being so callous … one would almost be forgiven for thinking Brian’s her dad.


Pork saves Brenda

Tom’s back from his meeting with a development chef at HEFF (Heart of England Fine Foods). He’s quite excited.

While it seems that his idea of making pork pies is not a goer (too competitive a market), he’s now thinking of readymade pork meals.

Sausage casserole, pork stroganoff, pork lasagne …

[Tom] “Anything's worth a try. Experiment. Pork goulash., Pork cobbler. See what works”

HEFF will help Tom develop the meals, and also take them to focus groups (and the like).

[Tom] “This could move the Tom Archer brand into the premiership!”

Brenda spots her chance. She lays it on thick about how she believes in Tom and his potential. But, all of this will take a lot of hard work.

[Brenda] “So maybe not the best time to think about having babies, right?”

[Tom] “Well … okay. Maybe we should wait a year or two”

Phew!

But I’m still wondering why them getting married hasn’t been mentioned. This is turning out to be a very long engagement.

Think they’ve just forgotten?


Lily ‘gets’ Pantos

Elizabeth and Lily are talking about all of the pantos that Lily has been to, though she was too young to remember a lot of them properly.

[Lily] “So I have seen quite a lot … and I think I understand what it is that makes a panto work”

Good-o.

That Lily can be a bit strange.

When Debbie comes in to see Elizabeth:

[Lily] “Do you want to talk to mum … that’s good, if she has someone to talk to, I can get on with my review”

Lily is either old beyond her years, or a bit creepy …



Debbie and Elizabeth make friends

Debbie apologies to Elizabeth for overreacting to Elizabeth’s comment about Ruairi at the panto, and Elizabeth apologises for having mentioned him looking like Siobhan in the first place.

[Elizabeth] “I knew perfectly well how you felt about Siobhan, and to bring her up like that …”

[Debbie] “I was horribly insensitive, and you’re right, he does look like his mother”

[Elizabeth] “Your mum has been amazing. I didn’t mean to belittle what she’s done”

[Debbie] “If she can be so generous and forgiving and accept Ruari into her life and love him, like her own child, then, how can I have let this drag on for nearly ten years … I’m so sorry, particularly this last year, with what you’ve had to bear … I should have been … I should have made more of an effort. I should have been there for you”

[Elizabeth, sobbing] “You're here now, I can’t tell you what that means to me. That we’re friends again”

Ah, that’s nice.

Elizabeth does need all the friends she can get. And so will Debbie, once word about the Super Dairy gets out …