Monday 23 September 2013

Kathy quits her job – Mon 23.09.13 #thearchers

Pondering The Archers Monday 23rd September 2013
  • A hot ‘date’ at an artisan food exhibition
  • What was wrong with Chloe from Norfolk?
  • Nicholas, the new Golf Club GM
  • What is Crispy United?
  • Tom discovers his Hinterland
  • Kathy's had enough
  • Kathy’s calls Martyn a Bastard


A hot ‘date’ at an artisan food exhibition

Tom and Kirsty are skiving off work to go to a foody event (trade only).

It’s not technically a date (well, Kirsty might see it that way … Tom hasn’t realised as yet).


What was wrong with Chloe from Norfolk?

Kathy is exasperated with Martyn. Again.

He’s made the shortlist for the chef interviews, but he’s missed the one Kathy thinks is the best candidate. Chloe, from Norfolk.


[Martyn] “If she’s in Norfolk, she’s not going to want to trek over to Borsetshire for an interview.”

(Eh?)

[Martyn] “Just why are you so interested in this candidate I was beginning to wonder if she was a friend of something.”

(what?)

Anyhoo – Martyn just won’t hear of Chloe getting onto the shortlist. It was almost as if he was picking a fight …


Nicholas, the new Golf Club GM


Ah – that was one of the two Martyn had dinner with in the Gold Club the other day. Seems Nicholas is the new General, and will be ringing in the changes.


What is Crispy United?

Tom said they were wee football thingys. And egged on Kirsty to try them:

[Kirsty] “This had better not be an unpleasant experience.”

It didn’t sound too bad.

And Kirsty did agree they were indeed crispy.

What were they, though?


Tom discovers his Hinterland


There really wasn’t much to see or do at the exhibition, and with both of them not due back to work for a bit, Kirsty suggested they both go to a nature reserve.

Though Tom started to get bored, and reckoned the reserve could do with a café, he is enjoying being away from the phone and his emails:

[Tom] “It’s like you've entered another world.”

[Kirsty] “We’ve been here for nearly an hour, and you haven’t mentioned business, or sales or turnover.”

[Tom] “Phew, that’s really scary. What if I’m losing my focus. How am I going to become a global brand by the age of 35?”

(ha! Tom made a self-depreciating joke, I even laughed!)

Kirsty reckons he needs to do things like this more often. She reckons he needs to be:

[Kirsty] “Someone with a hinterland.”
[Tom] “So what am I now then, coast … oh great, all coast and no hinterland. What a thing to find out about yourself. I’ll need to go to therapy.”

[Kirsty] “All I’m saying is that you’ll be an even more intriguing person.”

Tom likes the sound of that.

Then he spots a bird, that Kirsty identifies as a Hen Harrier.

[Kirsty] “A male. You almost never see them round here.”

They’re both amazed.

Maybe Tom will take more time out, if he’s top share moments like that with Kirsty … ?

(and by-the-by, it was only 3 or 4 years ago that it was pointed out to me that they are called Hen Harriers. Not Hen Carriers, as I thought. Though I still think my version is rather cute)


Kathy’s had enough

The argument between Martyn and Kathy continued:

[Kathy] “You want me to cooperate by excluding the best candidate.”

[Martyn] “Well, if you’re not going to approach this on a rationale and pragmatic basis, I really don’t the point in you sitting in on the interviews.”

[Kathy] “I beg your pardon!”

Martyn reckons the whole team is behind him, but he only gets “resistance” from Kathy. She reckons Martyn just can’t handle someone disagreeing with him.

[Kathy] “That someone might have more knowledge of the situation than you do … This a key appointment Martyn. I’m not prepared to watch you stand by and muck it up.”

[Martyn] “I think you'll find you have very little choice in the matter.”

[Kathy] “You’re wrong. I do have a choice. I resign … I’m sick and tired of being continually undermined from someone who hasn’t the first idea how to run a catering operation.”

[Martyn] “Well, if that’s your decision Kathy.”

She reckons she won’t work her notice, as she has three weeks of leave due anyway. Martyn’s not remotely bothered – he tells her to go and clear her desk, and be out by the end of the day.

[Kathy] “With pleasure.”

Well, we can’t say we didn’t see that coming.

Though Martyn did seem very calm …


Kathy’s calls Martyn a Bastard

As Kathy walks her boxed up belongings to her car, Lee catches up with her.

(Lee is the Irish chap who was speaking the other week, but I couldn’t identify him. From what they said today, it sounds like he’s the Club Pro)

[Lee] “I’m sorry Kathy. Martyn told me.”

[Kathy] “Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.”

Lee also doesn’t agree with the changes Martyn’s been making (though is obviously not daft enough to lose his job over it).

[Lee] “Kathy ,l there’s something you ought to know, something I’m not happy about, Martyn mentioned  something else as well, about Nicholas … Nicholas would soon get the place under control. He also said he was going to call Nicholas' wife and offer her your job.”

[Kathy] “I’ve been stitched up, haven’t? He’s been planning this all along. The b …”

(the remainder of that b word was drowned out by Kathy slamming her car’s boot shut)

Kathy goes to see Pat (As Kathy always does in a crisis).

[Kathy] “I’ve walked out.”

[Pat] “Oh my goodness!”

[Kathy] “He’s been mounting a deliberate campaign to get me out … I’ve resigned. It’s all over.

[Pat] “If he drove you to it, surely that’s constructive dismissal?”

But Kathy’s just glad to be gone.

[Kathy] “The only question is, what on earth am I going to do now?”

As Friday pointed out in the comments of Friday’s blog … Grey Gables?

1 comment:

caroline_venezia said...

About time! Employment tribunal ahoy?

Also no idea about Crispy thingies - I thought at first that maybe I'd missed still-deeply-annoying Tom branching out into designer pork scratchings or something.