- Pip’s begging for slaughter
- Eddie puts one over on Brian
- “What I wouldn’t give for a rotary milking parlour like that!”
- That lecturer sounded a bit like Jude …
- Brian’s missing the point
- Problems for Lucas and Kate?
- We all need to move Christmas forward for Kate
- Does chopping a windscreen washer work?
- Will can count
- Amy’s coming home
Pip’s begging for slaughter
(well, she wants to go to the slaughter house, Crowthers)
But all credit to her. She really does sound serious about learning “what happens at every stage”.
She really does seem to be enthusiastic about having a future at Brookfield. Which includes dismissing Colleges which are a mere 2 hours away …
Hmmm. Is Pip more scared about leaving home than serious about wanting to stay?
Eddie puts one over on Brian
Eddie seems to be on a roll at the moment.
First he pulls a whopper of a trick on Nathan at the Race Evening, and now he sells a Christmas tree to Brian, without Brian realising that they were stolen from him in the first place.
The crafty old(ish) fox!
[Brian] “A very nice tree, and quite a reasonable price. Where did he get them … probably best not to ask.”
Tee-hee! It’s not often that any can claim to have ripped off Brian Aldridge twice without him noticing.
“What I wouldn’t give for a rotary milking parlour like that!”
*sigh* Ruth does really need to get out more. I know that great farming equipment will get any farmer excited, but it’s a tad sad when you’ve really got nothing else to actually get excited about …
Later on, Ruth also managed to be completely unaware that David is actually angling for some time out at the NFU Christmas Lunch.
But no. She’s rather not drink herself,, and get them back home in time for milking.
Come on Ruth. Take some time off with your hubby.
That lecturer sounded a bit like Jude …
Pip wasn’t impressed by one of the staff at the College she was vising (the one a whole 2 hours away from home, so it never really stood a good chance anyway!).
[Pip] “He was one of blokes who try to talk street to be down with the kids … even older than dad”
[Ruth] “You expect that sometimes with marketing times”
Maybe it was just me, but I though Pip had a pit of a penchant for older types who tried to act hip ….
So it looks like Pip’s mind is made up about going to Felpersham. She’ll even re-sit her exams if she doesn’t get the grades.
But Ruth really sounds keen for Pip to go away.
Of course, all Ruth really wants is for Pip to have a chance to see life beyond Ambridge – but maybe, just maybe, Ruth is starting to think of how peaceful her empty nest could look like.
Brian’s missing the point
Maybe Ruairi did tell Brian that he loved that laser thing, but Brian could be a tad more supportive of Jennifer’s view.
It really wasn’t right of Kate to take the wee chap there and leave him by himself.
But when it comes to Kate, Brian never sees any sense.
Problems for Lucas and Kate?
When Kate was mentioning all the folks she missed back home in South Africa, Lucas didn’t even get a look in.
They really don’t sound like two happy bunnies in love.
We all need to move Christmas forward for Kate
No worries Kate. I’ll just nip down the shops to buy a ready-made Christmas dinner for ten, rather than have the time to create one from scratch, and we’ll all make merry. Just for you.
Kate’s starting to feel the ‘guilt’ (not sure if Kate ever does feel guilt, but it’s the closest ‘normal’ human emotion I can use) about crashing into Phoebe’s life, than nipping off again. So she wants to have an early Christmas to ease that guilt.
What’s more, Kate’s promised Phoebe that she can join her in South Africa for Christmas next year.
Does that woman never learn? Maybe better to check with Roy and Hayley before making promises to Phoebe?
Does chopping a windscreen washer work?
Not sure if I heard that right, but it sounded like Eddie said he was ‘chopping’ his windscreen washer.
Anyone know what that involves and does it work?
Will can count
Will is simply not amused with Eddie, after finding out Eddie had sold Brian a Christmas tress that he’d stolen from Brian in the first place
[Will] “You’ve got a nerve”
[Eddie] “There’s nothing dodgy about my Christmas trees”
[Will] “You flogged Brian Aldridge one of his own trees … and you call that legitimate!?!”
Will has managed to count the estate’s stumps, and:
[Will] “If there are any more than 26 stumps, I will tell Brian”
[Eddie] “You wouldn’t shop your old dad”
[Will] “So you admit it!”
[Eddie, furiously back peddling] “You surely wouldn’t shop your old dad for something I didn’t even do”
Will would, so Eddie better cease his clandestine Christmas tree sourcing.
Amy’s coming home
She got a job at Felpersham Hospital, so will be staying with Alan and Usha for at least a while until she gets herself sorted.
Here’s guessing she delivers both Emma and Helen’s babies.
The Archers: Pip has plans … a fruitful day at Mart for all … Pip’s caught at church
- “He’s a good looking beast”
- Pip reckons the future is in beef
- “Look no further for your seasonal requirements”
- Should we worry about Joe’s cough?
- “He’ll look even better after a bit of titivating”
- Jill and her coconut bra wearing men
- Phew! That was a nail biting finish
- The “unaliterated” truth
- Farming is unemotional
- Jill catches Pip at church
“He’s a good looking beast”
[Pip] “I’d love to see him in the ring”
[Pip] “Wonderful straight looking back”
[David] “And look at those legs!”
Nope, David and Pip aren’t eyeing up a potential new boyfriend for Pip – it’s only the steer they’re entering for a prize at the market.
Pip won’t be able to see him in action, but at least David, Ruth and Jill will get a nice day out.
Pip reckons the future is in beef
Unlike Tony’s reaction to Tom’s ideas for Bridge Farm, David seems more than delighted to have Pip gearing up to help make Brookfield more profitable.
Well, I suppose we’ll only really be able to tell when Pip really gets stuck in.
The only way Brookfield can support another adult is for income to go up – and David’s even thinking ahead to when the farm has to support Pip plus her family
(goodness me, that makes me feel so old!).
Pip reckons the money is in beef, and beef marketed well. She’s thinking a better website, more Farmer’s markets, selling to specialist shops … anything that means Brookfield can sell more beef direct, meaning a higher profit margin.
Heady stuff, but at least it got David smiling.
[David] “It’s just great that you’re so ambitious for the farm … you’re a chip off both of the old blocks”
“Look no further for your seasonal requirements”
So says Eddie, on behalf of himself and Joe, who have a stall at the mart.
Selling “traditional” mistletoe, holly and trees, they reckon on even managing to see a tree to Ruth and David.
[Joe] “You don’t want no fiddling collection of twigs lost on the corner!”
Should we worry about Joe’s cough?
Just as an aside, Joe seems to have a rather nasty cough at the moment.
I do hope all’s well …
“He’ll look even better after a bit of titivating”
We’ll take your word for that, David.
(he’s talking about his steer)
Jill and her coconut bra wearing men
Jill recognised the judge at the mart.
Seemingly he’s the butcher from Ashton’s on Bell Street.
[Jill] “The last time I saw him he was wearing a hula skirt and a coconut bra”
Each to their own, indeed.
Phew! That was a nail biting finish
That was so tense.
I really didn’t know what to do with myself when Brookfield’s steer looked like it might be getting moved down to third place.
But wait … the steer was getting moved up to first.
Hurrah!
Well done David, Ruth and Pip.
The “unaliterated” truth
Bless Joe.
He’s had a cracking day with Eddie at the mart.
[Joe] “Looks like we both had a good morning, David Archer”
(and on his sales technique)
[Joe] “From me you’ll always get the pure unaliterated truth”
Joe and Eddie sold every tree, with a very high profit margin (not paying for trees + selling tress = 100% profit).
[Eddie] “I might make a return visit to ted Fernley in Penny Hassett ... know what I mean … avail myself of more of his trees”
[Joe] “But there’s a but … Clarrie … you know she’s a bit dubious about the man from Penny Hassettt”
[Eddie] “What Clarrie don’t know won’t hurt her, an you can't argue with 300 smackers, can ya?!?”
Oh Eddie. Even as you said that, you know it can’t be true.
Farming is unemotional
David got a certificate and a rosette – but what on earth did the steer get?
It was sold it into the judge. Who happens to be a butcher.
To add insult to injury, David then celebrates ‘his’ win by treating himself to a steak pie.
All that work, care and attention for nothing but money.
It’s like a lamb to slaughter …
Jill catches Pip at church
Cripes – it’s easy to see why David and Ruth were so appalled at Pip’s behaviour over Jude – she’s a model goody-goody!
Jill catches Pip at church, when Jill’s come to polish the lectern and Pip has her hands on the organ … poor Pip even has to pretend she doesn’t know how to switch it off.
[Pip] “I’ve come to dust off uncle Tom’s crib”
[Jill] “We’ll have you on the flower rota next!”
Bless. It’s all in a good cause. Despite the double entendres …
The Archers: Eddie’s latest scam … Selling for teas?!? … Food labelling
- Eddie’s ‘found’ some Christmas trees
- Will “can’t complain” about the shoot
- “Only 3 weeks and we’ll be killing the turkeys”
- Why does Ed get out of plucking turkeys?
- The Muesli strikes back
- Can someone explain “selling for teas”?
- Jennifer walked right into that one!
- Food labelling’s a hot topic in Ambridge
Eddie’s ‘found’ some Christmas trees
Hmmm.
Eddie got up very, very early to get the trees.
He changes his tune from saying he ‘found’ them to Clarrie, to saying he’d actually “found a supplier” when he realised Will was in earshot.
The name of that supplier sounded like it’d been made up by Eddie on the spot:
[Eddie] “Fern … Fernie … Ted Fernie”
Will had never heard of this supplier’s tree nursery.
And Will reckoned that the trees looked like they’d been cut that very morning, and noticed there is a:
[Will] “chainsaw … in the van … with the trees”
[Will] “You’ve been helping yourself to someone’s trees!”
[Eddie] “William … I’m hurt … that my own son should be so suspicious … I’ve never heard the like!”
And later on:
[Eddie] “That’s the trouble with being a keeper …spending all that time on your own, it makes you paranoid”
[Will] “You bought them fair and square?”
[Eddie] “As I’m standing here”
[Will] “You’re sitting down”
[Eddie] “You know what I mean”
Even later still, Will was still on about those trees:
[Will] “Dad came home, all cocky like, with a bunch of Christmas trees … I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d nicked them … off of the estate”
[Nic] “Has he been tree rustling (tee hee!)”
[Will] “He’s cheeky enough … or is it stupid enough … he sees it all as fair game”
And to top it off, Will has a look round the estate, finding plenty of fresh stumps to suggest Eddie had indeed been tree rustling.
But can he prove it?
I reckon Eddie better watch his step.
Will’s not the most reasonable of blokes at best of times. With Emma pregnant, Nic getting a social life of her own and the prospect of Christmas day with Ed, he’s not a man to annoy just right now.
Will “can’t complain” about the shoot
But can complain about Nic going to the WI that evening.
Later on, he seemed to changed his tune and genuinely seemed quite happy to look after the kids so Nic could go out.
Is Will relaxing?
“Only 3 weeks and we’ll be killing the turkeys”
Cripes! Clarrie really knows how to make us panic about just how few days there are until the shops shut …
Why does Ed get out of plucking turkeys?
I think that’s a bit unfair on Will. And likely to only create yet more tension between the two.
Do Clarrie and Eddie favour Ed over Will?
The Muesli strikes back
Angela broke her tooth on her muesli, so Jean Harvey has had to cover her shift at the Village Shop.
Be careful out there.
Can someone explain “selling for teas”?
The other day Joe was seemingly hiding any profit from selling trap rides with Bartleby by saying it was for ‘teas’.
And not the shop has a “tea cosy”, which seems to be a table with stuff folks are “selling for teas”.
What does it all mean?
Jennifer walked right into that one!
Susan’s becoming a real master at snaring Jennifer into social evenings.
During a wee chat about how Kate was getting on (University, not College, by the way), Jennifer mentioned that Kate was going home to South Africa for Christmas.
Faster than a speeding bullet, Susan jumped in with:
[Susan] “Are you doing anything on … Christmas eve, say?”
[Jennifer] “No …”
(then realising what Susan was really aiming at)
[Jennifer] “ …um, well, I expect something will crop up”
[Susan] “We’re having a little do at our place, Just drinks and nibbles, you’d be ever so welcome”
[Jennifer] “Thank you Susan. We’d love to come. Obviously.”
(you could just hear the pain Jennifer was in as she said that!)
At the WI, Susan again corners Jennifer to make absolute sure.
[Susan] “Of course, you’re more than welcome to extend the invitation to the rest of the family”
[Jennifer] “I must remember to tell them …”
(sense the sarcasm in that last comment from Jennifer)
So there it is. Christmas Eve with the Alridges and Carters.
That’ll be great festive fun.
Food labelling’s a hot topic in Ambridge
Will did take the Michael out of Nic for going to the WI when the talk was about food labelling, but Nic reckoned it was at least a nice night out.
And despite appearances, the food labelling talk seemed to go down really well.
[Jennifer] “Excuse the pun … A great deal of food for thought”
[Nic] “If you buy a pie or something … if it says British on the label … you’d expect it to use British ingredients”
(Susan then waffled something about Neil saying it was an important issue, as the Brits do treat animals better)
[Nic] “I was just saying that I though British meant British”
All agree that while local produce has more information, it is more expensive.
But, that the practise of labelling the food in the country where the last substantial change was made is misleading. For example, bacon can be called British bacon even though it was only cured here. It says nothing about how the pigs were treated.
[Will to Nic] “Looks like it’s got your dander up … good!”
[Nic] “It’s made me think a lot more about cooking and things”
And with Ian doing the next talk, it looks like all things food are set to continue as a WI theme.
[Will] “Maybe I could come along”
[Nic] “I’ll lend you a skirt”
[Will] “… maybe not”
Ah come on Will. Pop a skirt on, and you can keep a proper eye on Nic.
