- “You’ve got a hard act to follow after Susan’s do”
- “They’re quite a tribe”
- Jennifer and Keith?
- Helen wants to leave Ambridge!
- Adam has twins
- What more than Nic did a good dinner?
- Joe‘s still trying
- Brian’s off to see John Humphries
- Oscar and the pussy cat
- Helen leaves early. Again.
“You’ve got a hard act to follow after Susan’s do …
… you weren’t tempted to invite all the Horrobin’s tonight for a return match?”
(said Brian to Adam)
[Adam] “No. We found that idea very resistant”
[Brian] “They’re quite a tribe … did I hear Bert Horrobin telling Ian he’s got grandsons called Ronaldo and Gerard Horrobin… extraordinary!”
[Brian] “Still, I have to hand it to them. They know how to enjoy themselves … even your mother was forced to admit she had a good time … the start of a beautiful friendship for her and Keith Horrobin”
Jennifer and Keith?
Just a thought.
We haven’t had a good affair in a while. The Shocker for the 60th anniversary?
Helen wants to leave Ambridge!
Well, just for the day, but when was the last time Helen wanted to “go further afield”?
Maybe her baby will be a good influence.
Though I suspect her desire to go a-wandering is more to do with staying away from Tony …
Anyhoo, Kirsty and Helen are off on a nice country walk, which soon turns into a bit of a trial for Kirsty.
Despite Helen being heavily pregnant, it’s Kirsty who’s huffing and puffing, desperately trying to get Helen to stop at one of the many pubs they’re passing.
[Helen] “If you’re hungry, you’re more than welcome to a cereal bar or an apple”
Poor Kirsty. Still:
[Kirsty] “I’m just relieved she didn’t give birth in a field”
That’d have truly been the ‘natural’ birth Helen yearns for.
Adam has twins
Think about it before you panic ….
It’s the start of lambing, with Adam’s first lambs being a rather difficult birth of twins.
Claire, their new student who arrived just as the first ewe was giving birth, had to get right in the thick of it to save the lambs.
They were tangled, with:
[Adam] “Presentation was no head three legs one of them a back leg”
They only managed to sort everything out by pushing the lambs back inside the ewe, with Claire having small enough hands to sort everything out.
Shall we be hearing more from the Claire of small hands?
What more than Nic did a good dinner?
Now Pat’s on about how Nic did the Grundy’s proud by cooking a good dinner, and mentioned that they all had a “nice Christmas”.
So was that it?
All that fuss over Will and Ed having to spend Christmas together. And it was “nice”.
*hmph*
Joe‘s still trying
Joe had been round to Ian and Adam with some tempting greenery to buy.
After not making any sales to the shoot, Joe’s now going round folks who are having parties to try and get a final few sales of his mistletoe and kissing boughs.
If God does love a trier, Joe will be well sorted.
Brian’s off to see John Humphries
At some sort of Conference in Oxford.
And that’s all I know so far (anyone else have an idea about this one?)
Oscar and the pussy cat
Lynda has had to accept that her 14 month grandson (Oscar) is too young to be able to sit through the whole Panto.
But he is going to have a special audience with Sabrina at the end.
He must really like cats …
Helen leaves early. Again.
[Tony] “She can hardly bear to be in the same room as me”
Helen does make it to Ian and Adam’s party, only to have to leave again as she’s tired.
Well, that’s at least her excuse.
She did manage to have a quick chat with Pat, but utterly avoided Tony. On leaving, she gave Ian and Pat a kiss, but only a “bye dad” to Tony.
So, she sets Tony off again in thinking everything she does is about him, and avoiding him:
[Tony] “I reckon she’s going to be tied for the rest of her pregnancy … when I’m around anyway”
No ego there then, Tony!
They’re really as bad as each other. Paranoid. Self-obsessed. Stubborn.
Here’s hoping the baby being born will actually help clear the air. This is all getting a tad tedious.
- Emma’s jealous as well as lazy …
- Kenton made Page 13
- Is that because of the snow?
- Are Kenton and Nigel on drugs?
- “It’s never too young to introduce the young to the performing arts”
- Helen needs Lynda and Robert
- “I’m afraid he’ll be gently steaming all through his Chinese meal tonight”
- What’s Nigel on about?
=
Emma’s jealous as well as lazy …
[Kenton] “Emma had a face as long as a fiddle when I jumped out at her from behind the wheelie bin”
[Elizabeth] “I heard her moaning to Pip … something about Nic being Clarrie’s blue eyed girl”
So can we now look forward to Emma having a go at Nic, as well as Will casting his hooks into Ed?
Either way – if Emma’s put out that Clarrie is singing Nic’s praises – maybe Emma should try and help out more.
Quite simple, really
Kenton made Page 13
While he, Nigel and Elizabeth seem quite delighted about.
That’s a funny thing.
Being quite a connoisseur of local papers myself, I know that the latter pages are great for the WRI and Rotary roundups – but a bit of a cemetery for ‘news’.
Is that because of the snow?
I am getting obsessed about the lack of snow and freezing temperatures in Ambridge.
I thought Elizabeth was about to mention that Lily’s present was late to be delivered because of the weather but … no … no reason at all.
What’s going on?
Even if it’s perfect weather in Ambridge, why isn’t the fact that the rest of the UK is falling apart even merit a mention?
Even Lynda wasn’t worried about how Oscar and co were going to get to Ambridge.
Odd.
Hmmm …
Are Kenton and Nigel on drugs?
What on earth were Nigel and Kenton thinking?
So Elizabeth needs to relax. Delegate a bit better. Have fun. Break a smile …
And the solution is obvious.
All Elizabeth needs is for her husband and brother to dress up as highwaymen, switching place to make her think she’s seeing double (‘but he’s down there, when he was just over there’).
But of course!
(eh???)
There was a nearly funny moment when Elizabeth couldn’t get Kenton to come out (!), but then got a bit weird:
[Elizabeth] “It’s the first time I ever found a highway man in my bed”
Thankfully, it was Nigel in bed with her.
Nope. I’m sorry to say that it just didn’t work, chaps.
Both dressing as Rick Turnip to confuse Elizabeth was a prank of sorts, but I don’t get how it really made Elizabeth realise that she needs to relax more often.
I guess the proof will be in the (Christmas) pudding.
“It’s never too young to introduce the young to the performing arts”
So says Lynda.
Though I think more adult men would be more suitable for stroking “the cat’s lovely fur coat …”
Helen needs Lynda and Robert
Well, to be more exact, Helen needs her child to have grandparents like Lynda and Robert.
As she watches Lynda dotting over baby Oscar (and does seem genuinely grateful for Coriander’s baby cast-offs), it hits home that her child might never experience such unconditional love.
So what to do?
Accept that Tony will be Tony, and try to make amends in the hope that he will melt eventually?
Keep cutting Tony out, to concentrate on the genuinely supportive Grandma Pat?
Difficult.
And a shame that Ian wasn’t on hand to advise and comfort.
Phew! The baby hasn’t even been born yet, but Helen already seems to be struggling alone.
“I’m afraid he’ll be gently steaming all through his Chinese meal tonight”
I like Lewis.
He has a rather nifty turn of phrase, and is a decent sort of a chap.
What’s Nigel on about?
[Nigel] “I’ve been watching Fallon and Harry … I just wondered … they’re behaving like very good friends … after that kiss, I thought there might be something more …”
Well we all did, and were left just as confused about Harry, but why is Nigel so interested?
Has he sniffed out the real reason for Harry?!?
- Alice and Chris, living it large
- Was that Vicky in the background?
- “It shouldn’t be all sleep and work at her age”
- Don’t interfere!
- Clarrie gets a day out!
- Nearly ‘101 Jigsaw, with Clarrie Grundy’
- The Grundy family Christmas is back on!
- Jazzer’s been dumped
- Sid liked Carol Singers
Alice and Chris, living it large
I shouldn’t take the Michael out of Alice and Chris for being a tad twee and middle aged. After all, it is the simple pleasure in life …
They’re happy enough just being able to have lunch together. Alice is back from Uni for the holidays, and is loving the festive air of Ambridge.
Was that Vicky in the background?
As Alice and Chris were having their lunch in The Bull, I could have sworn I heard Vicky in the background talking quite loudly about something she’d seen on TV.
Maybe she’s drowning her sorrows after her ‘mistake, and subsequent dressing down by Pat.
“It shouldn’t be all sleep and work at her age”
Quite right too, Jolene.
Though I think Fallon is going to get some sort of a nasty shock if she keeps up her chase of Harry.
I have no idea what that shock will be due to – but it is acoming …
Don’t interfere!
Alice and Chris are talking about Susan’s Christmas Eve soiree:
[Chris] “It won’t be what I call a party … sophisticated and stylish, is what she’s going for … she doesn’t mind going to a lot of trouble when it’s your mum and dad.”
Worried that Susan tends to gets over-anxious about the two families bonding, they can foresee that the party won’t be fun, and will result in an upset Susan.
[Chris] “Basically, it’s going to be everyone standing round for a bit with drinks an nibbles, all on their best behaviour … then they’ll all start drifting off cause they’re bored … and mum will feel rubbish”
[Alice] “It is a bit of a waste of a party”
[Chris] “No kidding. So, what we going to do?”
Later on, Alice and Chris reveal their rescue strategy of the party involved …. Party games.
Hmmm.
As they were mulling over wondrous games like name that Christmas tune – team races – pass the orange without using your hands – pin the red nose on Rudolph (which Chris seemed to get quite excited about – am I missing something?) – or charades.
Bless their eagerness, but I don’t see how making everyone play a party game will relax the atmosphere. Seriously – Susan and Brian squaring up to pass an orange? I think not.
Best leave well alone, methinks.
Clarrie gets a day out!
But it is only the supermarket.
Still, at least Nic driving her means she isn’t left by Joe and Eddie to make it alone (one-handed) on the bus.
Nearly ‘101 Jigsaw, with Clarrie Grundy’
Thank goodness Nic walked in when Clarrie was explaining how to do a jigsaw.
I actually could listen to Clarrie talking about most things for hours, but that would have been pushing it.
Actually – Saint Nic seems to be popping everywhere, just at the right time. She’d helped Clarrie go Christmas shopping and she tided Clarrie’s kitchen after Joe and Ed had wrecked it (“was like Kung Fu Panda had been in”).
But it’s Nic’s next good deed that’ll make Christmas interesting for us all …
The Grundy family Christmas is back on!
Nic’s horrified to hear Clarrie talking about how she’s going to manage to make Christmas dinner.
Clarrie was going to get up extra early to get it all started. After all, it’ll take twice the time with only one hand. But:
[Clarrie] “There’s no pastry involved in a turkey dinner, luckily”
[Nic] “Can’t Emma help you?”
[Clarrie] “They haven’t said what time they’ll be round … they can always help me set the table … you know, last minute things”
Nic then sounded more than perturbed that Emma and Ed hadn’t thought to offer to cook Christmas dinner for Clarrie. What with her being slightly incapacitated.
So Nic takes matters in hand, and changes her plans so that the rather selfish Ed/Emma/Joe/Eddie can have their dinner without cooking it.
Which means Will, Nic and kids will be joining the rest of the Grundy clan for Christmas.
Yup – that’s right – Will and Ed will be spending Christmas day together. What larks we shall have!
Although delighted to have Will and Nic for Christmas – with the added bonus of not having to struggle on alone – even Clarrie is a tad suspect about Will actually agreeing to all of this willingly (ahem!)
[Nic] “He said yes – he was fine about it”
[Clarrie] “It doesn’t sound like our William”
[Nic] “You see this way, he gets to spend Christmas and boxing day with George”
[Clarrie] “Oh come here – you’re a smasher, you are!”
So Nic’s fixed it.
And it’s a rare occasion that an Ambridge resident can simply be that nice and good, without having to be wary about her motivations.
Nic is just that sort of a lass.
Jazzer’s been dumped
Oho! And, for once, he’s let it get to him.
Jazzer’s seemingly sat in The Bull reading old texts from Jackie – who, despite his best efforts to impress by cooking her a meal, hasn’t seen fit to stay with ol’ Jazzer over the festive period.
A return to proclaiming love for Fallon while slightly more than full of the festive spirit?
Sid liked Carol Singers
So says Jolene.
The Archers: Eddie’s off to the boot sale … Nathan’s fate is in Clarrie’s hands … Des Penlow
- I love it when Clarrie talks angry
- Meg hates the brush cutter
- I’m all for the traditional ones
- So a good time was had by all at the Dance
- Remembrance Sunday remembered well
- So the van story FINALLY ends
I love it when Clarrie talks angry
Eddie’s pushing Clarrie for an answer as to whether he can put on over on Nathan Booth.
Clarrie’s just as “disgusted” as Eddie about Nathan trying to fiddle the Race Evening – thereby taking money away from the British Legion.
Eddie reckoned Nathan’s antics are
“Like nicking the money out of a poppy tray”
Clarrie's first thought was to tell Alan, but Eddie didn’t want that as Nathan would know he’d grassed him up
(come on Eddie – you’re not in the playground now!)
After hearing Des Penlow and how much the British Legion had helped him, Clarrie came back from church full of righteous fury
“No matter how I turn it round I still don’t agree with people taking the law into their hand … but just this once, I’ll make an exception for Nathan booth … miserable little beggar … I hope you and Jazzer sting him hard!”
Oh Nathan.
Be very, very afraid.
Clarrie doesn’t get that angry very often, but when she does, it’s best to hide in the shed …
Meg hates the brush cutter
Aw, wee toots!
Still, at least she gets to run about in the open with Will (dogs don’t care what you’re like – just as long as you feed ‘em and walk ‘em).
Most dogs only ever get a chance to hate the hoover.
I’m all for the traditional ones
An advent calendar should indeed have “angel and glitter and all that”
Will and Nic’s cartoon characters alternative to Clarrie’s one for the kids just makes me want to go ‘pah’.
So a good time was had by all at the Dance
Will reckoned the Dance was fine because
“At least he had the sense to keep his button lipped for once”
But either way, the Ed and Will managed to spend a whole evening together without exchanging blows or loud insults.
Progress indeed.
Clarrie might be taking it too far by having the whole family round for Grundy Christmas, but Will doesn’t sound too keen.
He may try and put off making a decision, but I reckon that Nic won’t let him away with not doing as she and Clarrie wish.
They make a grand pair, those two. Nic’s even bought Clarrie that Pashmina she’d had her eye on (Pashmina, William, not shawl. You oik!).
Remembrance Sunday remembered well
Des Penwell, the ex-soldier giving a speech at St. Stephens for today’s Remembrance Day, did a very fine job.
That was really quite moving.
And a good reminder that it isn’t just past wars we need to remember. It also isn’t just about the scare you can see
“Damage up top – where it doesn’t always show”
Des talked about how he didn’t realise he needed help after leaving the army. When he did realise, he didn’t want to ask as it would be “soft”.
He’d hit rock bottom (lost his partner, child, home and hit the booze, when he met some good listeners – including our own Alan.
The British Legion then gave him a case worker, who helped him get his life back on track.
- [Clarrie] “I’ve never seen the Boys Brigade sit still so long … spellbound … gave them plenty to think about”
If you’d like to know more about the Royal British Legion – click here
So the van story FINALLY ends
Eh?
I’d totally forgotten about the hoo-ha surrounding Eddie needing a new van – Will lending him the money – Eddie being a tad worried about taking it – and me predicting it’d all end in tears.
Mais non!
We hear nothing for months, and today Eddie makes his final repayment to Will.
I must have been so worried that I block any other previous mention of it from my mind …
