- Brian’s a helpful chap
- The League of Friends are indeed always nice
- Clarrie’s looking forward to washing a mug
- This Ambridge eavesdropping is brought to you by Skype …
- Mart plans are at the Council
- “Some economist from Felpersham”
- Joe’s made some mistletoe sales
- Clarrie lets slip to Jim
- Nigel was idiosyncratic at organising
Brian’s a helpful chap
It looks like Brian’s offer to help at Brookfield wasn’t just a one off – and seems to come with no strings.
Helping out this time with the strawing down (which I think has something to do with the cows being inside), he also volunteers to take over Bert’s silage duties.
Though still struggling into work, Bert’s back is too sore to let him be of much use.
So it's Brian to the rescue, again.
I'd almost be suspicious, if it was just Ruth that was the female offering at Brookfield.
Though I suppose there is Pip ... surely not!?!
The League of Friends are indeed always nice
Preferring to get going to Clarrie’s hospital appointment rather than have a cup of tea at home, Nic was quite right that the League of Friends are nice people.
They’re to be found volunteering in hospitals – information, cups of tea and often raising money for equipment.
Well done folks!
Clarrie’s looking forward to washing a mug
Concerned about her job:
[Clarrie] “Vicky’s already got her feet too far under the table for my liking … I don't want her getting no ideas about that job for the long term”
And getting increasingly frustrated about not being able to do the housework and cooking (though it has to be said that Joe managed not to poison anyone), Clarrie can’t wait to get her arm out of plaster.
She’s especially looking forward to washing up her coffee mug properly.
As much as I can understand the mug symbolising Clarrie being able to get her world back under control … there’s also a part of me that thinks Clarrie does actually sees being able to wash her own mug is a genuine treat.
[Clarrie] “There’s a mug there that’s going to be washed with an inch of its life”
Will that woman ever get a proper break? (excuse the pun)
This Ambridge eavesdropping is brought to you by Skype …
Is it just me, or is the Aldridge family being sponsored by Skype?
That was yet another mention because of Nollie’s birthday tomorrow.
Maybe the extra income is why Brian is happy to give his time for free to Brookfield.
Mart plans are at the Council
All seems to be going well with Borchester Land and Amside’s Mart plans.
Though Brian reckons Matt’s still pulling Lilian’s strings, she is “putting up a good fight” at the Board table.
The plans for the mart are finished, and are now in front of the Council’s planning department.
Surely that’s where the trouble really starts?!?
“Some economist from Felpersham”
Wowzer – those farmers sure know how to book a scintillating key note speaker for their conference!
Seemingly Adam’s going to translate (he studied Agricultural economics), and the economist’s topic, “Global Soft Commodity prospects”, Brian reckoned would be:
“food for thought”
(and he said that with, again, no pun intended)
Each to their own, I suppose.
Joe’s made some mistletoe sales
But Clarrie reckons:
[Clarrie] “anyone that’s lived here a while isn’t so keen … mainly the townies that’s taking it … Joe could be up to a lot worse”
True.
But does Clarrie realise that he’s been using one of her sheets?
Clarrie lets slip to Jim
Whoops!
Clarrie does seem to have a tendency of telling folks things they would probably be better off not knowing.
Though it seems to be entirely innocent on her part. Unlike when Susan tells her home truths …
Anyway, expect Jim to give Joe a telling any day now. His reaction to being told that he’d “inspired” Joe to go round the village, charging folks for his Druid services, didn’t sound entirely positive.
[Clarrie] “he’s a funny old stick”
Nigel was idiosyncratic at organising
David’s having a struggle trying to work out Nigel’s way of working.
He’s not sure what Nigel meant when he ticked something (as it would seem Nigel also used crosses for when he’d completed some tasks); Nigel had a bit of an eccentric filing system (Royal’s Rink hire was under I for Ice rink); and David is a tad concerned that all of this will mean he and Lewis will miss something important.
Lewis is a very calm chap to have around, but David seems to be edging onto panic (on top of his guilt, and sheer exhaustion).
That David can’t find a trace of the ice sculpture is his biggest problem at the moment (maybe the sculpture goes the same way as the ice? … sorry …).
Spotting that David is about to potentially self-combust, Lewis tries to suggest that David really doesn’t need to do all of this work.
After all, Elizabeth didn’t ask him to – and probably should start looking for a professional manager for Lower Loxley.
That the Lower Loxely trustees are meeting in 3 weeks sounds a bit ominous.
Maybe David should relax a bit now, in case Elizabeth will need him more in a few weeks time …
- Clarrie’s up to her elbow in it
- Now Will’s birds are being stolen
- Eddie emotionally blackmails Will
- Is Kate going to return?
- Nic puts Will in his place
Clarrie’s up to her elbow in it
[Clarrie] “Look at me, stood here like a toddler”
Clarrie’s back from the hospital, and is now up to her elbow in plaster. Making life even more difficult.
Worried that she’d have to miss the green’s Christmas lights going on, once again, Clarrie’s nearest and dearest are being utterly selfish prigs.
[Joe] “What about our tea?”
On Clarrie suggesting that they have veg and soup to hand:
[Joe] “Uh, vegetables? … soup … a pie would be better”
Clarrie then points out that if he wants a pie, he’ll have to make it. She’s even generous enough to show him how to do it.
So Joe makes a pie. They all eat it. But it seemingly wasn’t the best of pies.
No food poisoning, but Eddie can still feel it hours later, sitting in his stomach “like a lump of lead”
Now Will’s birds are being stolen
It must be a sign of tight times for all – but first Eddie nicks the Christmas trees, then Brookfield’s hay get stolen, and now it’s Will’s birds.
Desperate times indeed.
Eddie emotionally blackmails Will
True to form – rather than do the work himself to help Clarrie, Eddie pins it onto someone else.
Waxing lyrical about how the family has to step up to help poor Clarrie, Eddie manages to convince Will that he needs to sort the turkeys out.
Honestly. I do like Eddie, but he’s trying the best of patience’s at the moment.
Is Kate going to return?
Will Phoebe sad, but understanding, about Kate going home for a month, I wonder what’s next afoot.
At first, I’d thought Kate was going to take Phoebe back home for good (without Roy and Hayley’s permission).
Now, I’m wondering if Kate is actually going to come back.
Phoebe believing Kate never bodes well.
Actually – considering that Kate and Lucas don’t seem to be particularly solid – maybe Kate will actually return with a few additions to the home …
Nic puts Will in his place
Nic being with Will is starting to make sense.
Simply – she knows how to handle him, so gets the best out of him.
After agreeing to do the turkeys, Will then tries to back out when he realises Ed and Emma will also be there to help pluck.
Eddie’s rightly furious.
[Eddie] “That just ain’t good enough… how can you do this to her …your own stupid selfish row with your bother … I’m ashamed of you son”
[Will] “Think what you like”
It looks like a stand-off, until Nic steps in
[Nic] “Just don’t talk to them … You can’t let everyone down, that’d be plain silly”
Astonishingly, Will whimpers down to Nic’s plain (and quite right) speech.
Maybe there’s hope for Will yet. As long as Nic sticks with him.
- Tony’s got no sympathy for Clarrie
- Eddie’s utterly useless
- Helen eats venison
Tony’s got no sympathy for Clarrie
[Tony, on what Clarrie should do to mend herself and get back to work at Bridge Farm] “A good night’s rest”
[Pat] “What!!!”
[Tony] “This wrist may not be quote so bad as she thought”
[Pat] “Tony! She’s broken a bone!”
Honestly – that man really can’t see beyond his own needs. It certainly puts his attitudes to Helen’s pregnancy in context.
But, Bridge Farm is already in dire need of extra hands, due to Helen being pregnant, so Clarrie not being able to work is a bit of a disaster.
Even Helen calls to see if she can help out, even though she’s finally twigged that she needs to rest for both her and the baby’s sake. She’s such a Calvinist.
At least Tony can see some good in this situation. He reckons Pat will now be far too busy to see Kathy - which means he won’t have to listen to Kathy moaning about Jamie.
Kathy and Jamie seemingly simply ruined Sunday lunch, with Jamie being a typical non-communicative moody teenager.
Though Pat tries to appeal to Tony’s sense of empathy, as Jamie is still hurting over the loss of Sid, Tony doesn’t quite buy it.
[Tony] “It doesn’t mean he has to come and do a Kevin over our Sunday lunch!”
Then Tony puts his foot down over this coming Sunday. But just before we all had to cower (putting a foot down to Pat is never a good idea), Tony reminds Pat that it’s their 36th anniversary. Which he doesn’t want to share with either Kathy or Jamie …
Eddie’s utterly useless
Clarrie feels useless. She can’t even get the top off of her tablets.
But Clarrie isn’t really the useless one – it’s her feckless husband and father-in-law.
After helping Clarrie to get into her painkillers, Eddie then comes out with:
[Eddie] “So … anything for dinner?”
[Clarrie] “There’s ham and cheese in the fridge”
[Eddie] “I could do with something to warm me up”
Eh? Come on Eddie. Can’t you look after yourself for once? Better still – why don’t you look after Clarrie properly for once.
Sounding very perturbed at Clarrie’s suggestion that he makes an omelette, Eddie then has to be told by Pat to get the flowers she’s brought for Clarrie into water.
Clarrie’s break is an “Undisplaced fracture of the radius bone”. Double ouch!
Even though the pressure is really mounting at Bridge Farm without Clarrie being able to work, even Pat advises:
“You should treat it as a chance to have a holiday”
[Eddie] “Don’t you worry pat. Me and dad, we’ll look after her”
Good intentions, which I somehow won’t really come true.
Nic later pops in with a stew, and to tidy the kitchen. But Eddie still isn’t happy that he will have to get the potatoes sorted.
What a selfish plonker. We all love Eddie and his cheeky ways, but he can be such a selfish arse when it comes to his wife.
So, I think we can expect little to no meals being cooked – no chance of a tidy house – even less chance of Christmas presents – and what about Clarrie’s turkeys?
Oh dear. I can see why Clarrie is so frustrated. But the problem isn’t with her wrist, it’s who she married …
Helen eats venison
It’s a shocker!
Not because Helen is a vegetarian (she’s not), but that Helen has chosen to eat anything other than low calorie green stuff.
As she’s out having lunch with Kirsty, Helen at first swithers between the venison and the tuna, but plumps for the venison.
[Helen] “Oh what the hell, I don’t want to get food envy”
Even though Helen can’t take it as far as having a full pudding to herself (she shares Kirsty’s), her new attitude to food is good news for everyone.
[Helen] “Was I really thinking about the baby – or was it more about me? Was I just being selfish?”
[Helen on being pregnant] “Making me think hard about my priorities”
She’s even asked Pat to go with her to her next ante-natal class. No more struggling alone.
Shall a new Helen emerge, as well as a new life?
- Torture for Lily and Freddie
- Fun for Elizabeth and Nigel
- Joe is trying to ‘stop global warming’
- Ouch!
- Quite Christmassy indeed
Torture for Lily and Freddie
Can you imagine being a kid and having your own skating rink – yet being forced to watch others enjoying it while you have to do homework.
Poop!
I really do think Nigel is taking all of this far too far. The wee bairns shouldn’t have to do practise papers on a Sunday. Especially when they have the rather marvellous Deck the Halls happening all around them.
Practise papers on a Sunday for Lily and Freddie – haven’t even got on the skating rink yet (torture!)
Fun for Elizabeth and Nigel
Relenting to actually let everyone have a bit of fun, Nigel is quite quick to let himself and Elizabeth enjoy the ice rink.
[Elizabeth] “It’s nice to think I can still do swan if I try”
[Nigel] “I feel like more some kind of duck”
[Elizabeth] “I think you look handsome and distinguished”
[Nigel] “Gosh – how romantic!”
And fun, Nigel. Fun.
Indeed – fun for all the family (you child slave driver!)
Joe is trying to ‘stop global warming’
Well, that’s his reason (today) for the seasonal trap rides with Bartleby.
Nothing to do with earning a few bob then …
Joe never does mean any harm with his scams, and I do feel really quite sorry for him with the utter failure of this one. He’s out in the cold all day, without much to show for his efforts.
Still, it sounds like Joe is about to expand out in kissing boughs and mistletoes. So maybe those will prove more fruitful.
But Saint Clarrie brightens his day by buying a ride off of him home – which will get both of them back out of the cold (if utterly missing the point of earning more for the Grundy household).
Ouch!
Now that really was ironic.
After having a marvellous time with Eddie on Decks The Halls’ skating rink, and then telling Joe to watch is steps on the icy path at home, Clarrie herself slips, and goes crashing down.
Joe and Kathy take Clarrie off to hospital, with Eddie rushing from Lower Loxley to then find out that Clarrie’s actually broken her wrist.
[Eddie] “Marvellous ain’t it … you goes skating … then slips on the path”
[Clarrie] “I can’t believe I could do such a stupid thing!”
[ Clarrie] “I’m going to be in plaster for 6 weeks … right before Christmas… how am I going to work … Christmas shipping and the dinner to cook and a house to clean and the turkeys to pluck”
Phew! And she only has her Grundy menfolk to depend on, so we can only hope Nic, Emma and the rest of the Ambridge women can manage to fill the massive vacuum that is Clarrie.
Very old fashioned indeed, but the fact remains Clarrie does for all, with the men in her life only creating grief.
Quite Christmassy indeed
I know the carols, ice skating and talk of lovely decorations and markets will have struck horror into those who can’t abide this time of year.
But I love it.
