- “Vicky was a godsend”
- Kenton’s spreading himself around for Christmas
- Jim and Ruth’s mum?
- Now they’re just trying to wind us up!
- “Rick Turnip at the ready”
- That’s better, Tony
- Helen’s a stubborn one
“Vicky was a godsend”
So says Pat.
So have we got Vicky wrong? Is she actually a useful human being after all?
Kenton’s spreading himself around for Christmas
Ah, the joys of being single at Christmas.
It sounds like Kenton’s going to be doing mini visits to the whole family.
Nice to hear that Shula still visits the Hebden’s at this time of year.
Here’s hoping the snow doesn’t finally arrive in Ambridge, trapping everyone inside with their nearest and dearest …
Jim and Ruth’s mum?
That could be an interesting one.
Jim’s taking Heather out to Jaxx, despite it being very busy with office parties.
Is there romance in the air?
Probably not.
Considering Kenton & Jolene, Kenton & Kirsty, Kirsty & Patrick, Fallon & Jazzer, Fallon & Harry, Helen & … well …any man – it hasn’t quite been a year for new couples.
Teasers!
Now they’re just trying to wind us up!
Elizabeth knows full well that saying she’s bought a top of the range mobile phone for her eleven year old daughter was bound to annoy us eavesdroppers!
Almost makes one glad it’s stuck in the post …
“Rick Turnip at the ready”
Looks like Kenton’s Mystery Highway Man is a roaring success.
Elizabeth was hooting was laughter, as he jumped out on some unsuspecting wee kids for a newspaper photographer, and it seems to be bringing in the punters.
Not sure how a Highway Man fits into the Christmas theme of Deck the Halls (maybe because it’s a period piece), but each to their own.
Just a shame they manage, for the second year in a row, to get publicity in the local newspaper just at the very end of their efforts.
That’s better, Tony
It was hard to tell if Tony’s new effort as a gift for Helen was actually any good or not – Ian’s the sort of chap to be nice about anything.
But it sounded quite lovely.
And it was nice to hear Tony talking like a dad again. He made mention of the amount of time Helen had to spend on her cot because of her splints (she was born with a dislocated hip). And that’s why he choose a mobile for her baby – something interesting and colourful to like at from the cot.
And blimey – Tony’s even managed to make sure it matches the new nursery décor!
Helen wasn’t in when Tony went round with his present. When he speaks to Pat later, she isn’t sure whether Tony should have popped round again later, rather than just leaving it …
Pat also had no idea that Tony had been trying to make amends. So equally, she didn’t know that yesterday was yet another disaster:
[Tony] “Yes well, the thought was there … but it was dreadful Pat …it was humiliating, I felt like a real idiot.”
[Pat] “What happened?”
[Tony] “You know how she gets … she shut down …I suppose she thought if I didn’t remember I didn’t care … I could kick myself for not remembering … but I thought I was doing a good thing”
On Pat asking why he didn’t mention it to her – as she’d have been able to remind him that he’d seen the baby monitor she’d already bought for herself:
[Tony] “I wanted to do something for her completely off my own bat, just for once. Hopefully I’ve got it right this time”
Okay. Fair enough Tony.
You did your best, but managed to get muddled. And you do deserve more effort from Helen.
I suppose it isn’t too late to try and make up for your mistakes.
Tony also decides not to go back round to see Helen, or to phone her. Which leaves the ball entirely in her court
Helen’s a stubborn one
Who’d have thought it, being the daughter of Pat and Tony …
Despite thinking that the mobile is “gorgeous”, Helen still won’t give Tony any credit.
She thinks this is all Pat’s doing.
As Tony spends an anxious evening waiting for his phone to ring, it seems unlikely that Helen’s going to forgive him until she realises that he is trying.
What a useless pair!
The Archers: Nic joins the WI ... Ruth takes Josh to the dentist ... David helps another farmer ... Jamie and Kathy go to school
- What problem will Will have with the WI?
- The Peregrine issue finally takes flight
- In Brian, there's a gossiping old woman trying to break free
- TB makes a comeback
- Zero cavities for Josh
- "Don't mention the Barn Dance"
- You may be laughing now, Jamie, but ...
What problem will Will have with the WI?
Well, he couldn't. If he was a fair and reasonable person.
Which, of course, Will is anything but.
Nic sounded absolutely delighted with her first WI visit. She got her nails done, met lots of nice folks and is looking forward to Sabrina's talking about her holiday to Croatia (!).
So surely, Will can’t have an issue with her going regularly?
Surely, he can see how happy t made Nic to get out, meet new people and have fun??
As her partner, Will must (surely, surely!) want Nic to have something in her life other than work, the kids and his pasties???
Hmmm. This will end in tears, one way or another (unless Harry manages to whisk Nic away on his white bicycle!)
The Peregrine issue finally takes flight!
It feels like years since they were first mentioned, but all has become clear.
As well as the church folks worried about whether it’s correct that a church is used to encourage birds of prey (as well as potentially dropping kill and bodily matters on their heads), Will has realised what's happening.
(does Will live in a complete anger daze? Did he miss the pub chat as well as all the notices round the village?).
As a gamekeeper, Will's not happy that the Peregrines will be encouraged to stay around the area. He reckons:
"you can bet a falcon would take a partridge if it's flying"
Brian agrees with Will, and is going to take it up with Alan.
But - on checking the RSPB website, I found that Peregrines eat
"Medium-sized birds, such as wading birds, pigeons and small ducks"
and
"Peregrines have suffered illegal killing from gamekeepers and landowners, and been a target for egg collectors, but better legal protection and control of pesticides (which indirectly poisoned birds) have helped the population to recover considerably from a low in the 1960s."
(read the article by clicking here).
I live in an area where Red Kites have been re-introduced, and was at a Community Council meeting where a very nice chap from the RSPB gave a talk about them.
Despite only eating "Carrion, worms and small mammals", plus scavenging, Red Kites were almost made extinct by folks thinking they ate lambs and other small livestock/game birds.
At the meet, and despite the very detailed reasons the RSPB chap gave for why Red Kites should be welcome rather than hunted down again, quite a few people would not shift from their view that Red Kites are a menace.
I suppose it's a case of some folks not wishing to be told facts, choosing instead to base their opinion on misinformed fables.
Will is certainly not a man to take to 'new ideas' easily, so is likely to cause huge headaches for Lynda and her fellow Peregrines enthusiasts.
Lynda Vs Will?
Despite Will's aggression, my money would be on Lynda.
In Brian, there's a gossiping old woman trying to break free
He puts a swagger on it, but Brian's tends to be a bit interested in local gossip.
And not in his macho, manly way.
David and Ruth didn’t give him the chat he was looking for about the Barn Dance
"There was no real trouble at all"
But, of course, that wasn't why Brian was there in the first place ...
TB makes a comeback
But not to Ambridge itself.
As well as gossiping, Brian was in seeing David to ask if he could give Jim Evans a call, in David's capacity as NUF rep.
Jim Evans is seemingly a farmer over at Leyton Cross. Though he doesn't farm now, his nephew Donald has kept his place going.
Having been shut down with TB for two years, they've just had the horrific news that half a dozen of their cattle have reacted to testing again.
Brian, being in a nice mood, would a good chap asking David to try and help Jim out.
I didn’t know this, but there are "fattening" places that farmers can send some of their infected stock, to at least be able to make something out of their herd.
Good good.
Here's also hoping TB does manage to stay away from our Ambridge folks as well.
Zero cavities for Josh
Well, we wouldn't expect anything less.
Josh is such an angel, compared to his now ex-mate Jamie ...
"Don't mention the Barn Dance"
David's no Basil Fawlty, but that was actually quite witty of him.
You may be laughing now, Jamie, but ...
... being dropped off and collected from school will utterly trash that rebel persona you've been so tenderly nurturing this last while.
After getting shouted at by Jamie’s teacher for his all-round rubbish behaviour, Kathy's desperate.
[Kathy] "you don’t leave me any choice"
[Kathy] "I can't let you waste your life Jamie ... throw your chances away"
[Kathy] "what have you got to say?"
[Jamie] "yeah .. do whatever you like ... I really don't care"
Argh! How much do we all have to take from this little thug?!?
I realise Jamie has had a horrific time losing his dad, but really, what has to happen before he meets Kathy half way?
And what else can Kathy do?
While I’m not Kathy's biggest fan, she really hasn't got many choices left, considering Jamie won’t listen or even try.
If he's a big enough lad to not need school, not listen to his mum, smoke, drink and stay out all night - maybe it's time he stopped assuming mum will be there to wash up after him.
The army, prison or kicked out of the house. I know that's harsh, but Jamie is quite simply running Ambridge for us all!
If you can't lead a teenager to talk about their problems ...
