Tuesday 30 April 2013

Fifty Thousand for an organ – Wed 24.04.13 #thearchers

Pondering The Archers Wednesday 24th April 2013
  • Nic’s snared into flower arranging
  • Is Clarrie sometimes forgetful?
  • Pip’s ungrateful
  • No sheep to shear
  • St Stephens has a very expensive organ
  • Kids keep ‘em together, and split ‘em apart
  • One does not need champagne when one has scones


Nic’s snared into flower arranging

Nic happens on Clarrie when he’s just about to leave to arrange the flowers at the Church.

She gets ‘encouraged’ into accompanying Clarrie to the Church. Then ‘encouraged’ to help arrange the flowers.

Which she does so admirably. She even made the ferns look better in the arrangements. And, she enjoyed it.

Nic made the ferns look better in a position


[Nic] “You should be careful Nic, before you know it, you’ll be down on the rota.”

The WI, now flower arranging in the Church … Nic’s certainly became an Ambridge wife.


Is Clarrie sometimes forgetful?

Nic was telling Clarrie how surprised she was at Emma now being so nice to her about her (forthcoming) baby. Seems Emma has even offered to pass on Kiera’s old clothes.

Clarrie reckons it’s about time.

[Clarrie] “All so silly and pointless, when there’s no reason at all you can’t get on.”

Eh?

Plenty reason, surely.

Has Clarrie forgotten the whole Ed/Emma/Will triangle?


Pip’s ungrateful


Pip got to her work placement interview, thanks only to David for getting up even earlier than usual to drive her to the station.

[David] “So, thank you dad for getting up at the crack of dawn to put you on the train.”

Yup, David had to thank himself.

For shame.

When Pip later gets home, she whines on about being tired, not a thought for David’s long day. Though she does finally say ‘thank-you’ to him (though it didn’t sound like she remotely meant it).

When Pip then hears that that the insurance company reckon the car can’t be fixed, she’s inconsolable.

[David] “That’s a shame.”

[Pip] “Dad, it’s a disaster!”

Once Pip pays her excess, and the insurance company only stumps out for half of what the car is worth, she’ll only have a pittance to then try and buy a new car.

[David] “You’ll have to look around until you find one you can afford.”

[Pip] “Well, how long’s that going to take? … And what am I supposed to do in the meantime, how will I get to uni .. my whole life is going to be impossible!”

Nope.

It’s you who is impossible Pip, not your life.


No sheep to shear


[Jazzer] “Hey, you the shepherd roond here., Cause if you are, we’ve got a proposition for you.”

Ed and Jazzer have their truck. They’re on their shearing course next week. So, they’re out touting for business.

[Jazzer] “There’s just one wee snag, we’ve still got nae sheep to work on.”

Seems most farmers have already booked their shearers, and are unwilling to unbook them for newbies.

[Jazzer] “It’s the proverbial chicken and egg situation. You can’t experience for no being experienced.”

So, they have a special deal for David. They’ll do a percentage of his flock for a rock bottom price.

David takes pity on them.

[David] “Come here and do a hundred … and I’ll be counting their legs when you’re finished, mind.”

They agree, with Ed promising that there won’t even be the slightest of cuts on David’s sheep … here’s hoping.

Jazzer and Ed next try Adam, but with far less success. In fact, no success at all.

[Jazzer] “No even a couple o wee lambs … We offer rock bottom rates, what’s he got against us? …I reckon he doesn’t trust us. Doesn’t want his fancy sheep sheared by a bunch o amateurs.”

[Ed] “Let’s be fair, he does have a point there.”

[Jazzer] “A these sheep in the world wae a these fleeces, these guys who shear 10,000 in a season, how did they get all the experience … I’m being to wonder if this was such a canny scheme of yours after a.”

[Ed] “It’s like planting acorns isn’t it, you’ve got to give it time.”

[Jazzer] “Try a couple hundred years!”

[Ed] “It’s still good money. Or do you want to work with pigs for the rest of your life?”

Now, there’s a question that queries Jazzer’s very existence.


St Stephens has a very expensive organ


They’ve managed to get the organ working again:

[Alan] “On a wing and a prayer.”

But it’s only a temporary fix. Seems it needs “serious” work, the lowest quote for which is a whopping £30,000, though it could be £50,000 if they do it properly.

[Clarrie] “Oh, my eye!”

(quite!)

Seems the organ was fixed in the 60s/70s, but they used chipboard, rather than marine grade ply. Very typical of the time.

[Alan] “The cupboards pretty bare, we’ve only got a few thousand in the maintenance fund.”

[Nic] “So where will you find all that money?”

[Alan] “That’s a good question, Nic.”

[Clarrie] “Thirty thousand. That’s a lot of bring and buy sales!”

Seems the PCC will have a crises meeting to discuss the matter.

[Alan] “We could be facing tough decisions.”

[Clarrie] “What’s the alternative,. I can’t imagine his church without its organ!”

Oh dear.

But the community will no doubt rally round. One hopes.


Kids keep ‘em together, and split ‘em apart


As Nic did the flowering arrange, something dropped in a tricky place near the pulpit. As she bent double to get it, Clarrie became concerned. She doesn’t want Nic to take any changes.

Seems Will is the same. He’s even been bringing her cups of tea in bed, and has been coming home early to help out with (their current) kids.

[Clarrie] “You know how much it means to him, and the whole family.”

[Nic] “And to me too. Now it’s happened I can’t think why I waited so long.”

[Clarrie] “You don’t want to rush a thing like that, you wait until you’re good and ready. Just between ourselves, I wonder if that’s what went wrong between Tom and Brenda. I know he wanted kids, but maybe she weren’t so keen … it’s only a guess, but …”

Clarrie can be forgetful, but also very astute sometimes.


One does not need champagne when one has scones


Being the lady in the know about the Church finances, Alan popped over to see her on the off-chance that St Stephens had £50,000 he didn’t know about (!):

[Alan] “When I arrived, she and Jim were having a celebratory scone.”

Seems Jim has sent off his final article to Borchester Life (the one about Brian). He’s very glad to be free of his short-lived career as a journalist.

[Nic] “Well I suppose that’s worth a scone or two.”

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