Pondering The Archers: jim lloyd

(sounds Like Alice and Chris are still in their honeymoon period!)

Let's Ear it for Jim

Sorry ...

Poor Jim.

Seems when he walks into a room, folks now do the 'friends, Romans, countryman' line at him, then shout 'here they are!'

Shame.

Mike and Vicky's baby due in a week

Blimey.

Doesn't seem that long since they found out Vicky was pregnant.

Seems Mike is getting a bit wound up.

Vicky was in hysterical laughter retelling (every single bit) of the Elizabethan Christmas Extravaganza.

[Brenda] "I think he was worried she was going into labour"

[Tom] "Can that happen? Premature labour being brought on by excessive hilarity?"

I wonder if Vicky's girl will have the same birthday as Helen's Henry ...

Did Lynda know?

Well, we know Lynda didn't have a clue about Kenton's plans for the show, but Ambridge is very much divided.

Jim reckons she know.

As does Chris and Alice.

But Tom and Brenda could see Lynda's reactions throughout the show:

[Brenda] "Robert practically had to wrestle her to the ground to stop her leaping up on the stage."

The jury is out ...

Alice can be a right snob sometimes

Which is surprising, considering the family she's married into (The Horrobin side, not the Carters). But then again, not surprising considering who her mother is.

Alice had assumed Tom and Brenda wouldn’t be going to the Lower Loxley New Year ball as it was black tie, and such ... She then claimed she meant that it would be full of older folks ... hmmmm

Anyhoo - Brenda and Tom are going, with Kirsty and Ifty.

Chris earns more than Alice

Chris explains to Jim that he was always fascinated by the Blacksmith as a kid, that he wasn't good academically, and that he likes making things.

So, he became a farrier.

Though Chris still has "cold shivers" over the size of the loan h had to take out to buy the business, he does have plans to expand, eventually. Including taking on an apprentice (him or her ... good lad!).

When Jim asks him if he makes a good living, Chris reckons so. Very god, in fact.

[Chris] "Better than my wife, though she's had four years at University"

(Though he tells Jim not to print that. Could you imagine the fall out!)

Jazzer gathers mourners for Bob

Seems Bob Pullen's funeral is on Friday morn. As he didn't have much family himself, Jazzer's taken it on to make sure he gets a decent crowd.

[Jazzer] "It was be a tragedy it was half empty"

Jazzer really is a good 'un, on occasion ...

Alice reckons she won’t be able to get the time off.

[Jazzer] "A funeral’s an important rite of passage."

[Chris] "Alice works for a workaholic bunch of nerds who don’t understand rites of passage."

(meow! Earning more really has given Chris confidence)

Jazzer sings for pints

Seems everyone wants Jazzer to sing his Friar and Nun song again. To the point where he’s considering starting charging. Either a fiver for a charity of his choice, or a pint.

Can Jazzer’s Glaswegian cousins be worse than the Horrobins?

Folks are again gossiping about Clive. Everyone reckons it’s a real shame on Bert, having two sons in prison.

[Jazzer] “It's no his fault … and as for my cousins in Glasga …”

Really?

Can Jazzer’s Glasgow cousins really be worse than the Horrobins?

[Chris] “Alice's mum is scandalised, which is fun.”

Ah – I do like Chris’ sense of humour when it comes to Jennifer.

Tom’s furious

When Tom realizes that Jim is doing an article on Chris, he’s spluttering with fury.

He’d told Jim that he would be available for an interview, but Jim told him he couldn’t just do articles about Ambridge folks.

[Tom] “So how comes he makes an exception for you?”

Alice reckons it might be because Chris has a more artisan, traditional craft.

[Jazzer] “Nah, he just thinks Chris is a mair interesting person than you Tom, and mair photogenic.”

Cheeky!

But hilarious that Tom’s nose is out of joint.

Marvelous.

Jazzer worries Jim

As Jim is writing his article about Chris:

[Jim] “ … a young man forging his own opportunities …”

Jazzer comes back home.

[Jim] “Is that you Jazzer?”

[Jazzer] “No. It's a burglar!”

Jazzer then tells Jim that Tom is beyond angry at Jim for not doing his next article on him.

[Jazzer] “Upset, foaming in the mooth. he was all for coming round here and giving you some serious grief ... he's no a happy bunny!”

Maybe Jazzer takes this too far?

Jim will be terrified … Tom can pack a mean pointed finger!

The night of the Great Elizabethan Christmas Extravaganza: Fri 28.12.12 #thearchers

The Archers Friday 28 December 2012

Has Lilian run off to Paul?
Dedicated to Bob Pullen
Peggy wishes Clive ill
Kenton's great plan? Audience participation
Kenton gives Lynda the credit

Has Lilian run off to Paul?

Yesterday, we heard Paul encouraging Lilian to run away and join him in Dubai.

After a relentlessly angry day at Matt, we hard Lilian call someone and asking to "make a booking".

BUT.

Turns out Lilian was booking her and Peggy into a break in Whitby, as they’d talked about on Christmas Day.

Seems last time Peggy was here was 1943 with Jack

[Peggy] "It was so romantic"

She won't have any romance going there with her daughter, but a lovely time shall be had anyhoo, I'll bet.

So - do we think it's only family ties that are keeping Lilian from running to Paul?

Dedicated to Bob Pullen

Nice thought to dedicate the show to Bob.

Though he probably would have hated it ...

Peggy wishes Clive ill

Gossip about Clive resurfacing at Bert's has made its way round Ambridge. Though, of course, Tom and Brenda live next door, so saw everything.

David can't fathom why Clive came back to Ambridge, but Peggy doesn't give a hoot.

[Peggy] "Let’s hope this time they put Clive Horrobin away for good"

Quite right too, Peggy.

Kenton's great plan? Audience participation

the evening starts off with Kenton hitting David over the head with his pig bladder on a sick. (Well, a balloon on a stick, to be exact).

[Kenton] "No pig was harmed in the making of the costume ... I am the Lord of Misrule, and boy do I intend to live up to my name!"

Kenton tells the audience that Shakespeare always played to the audience. Which is exactly what he intends to do.

[Kenton] "This evening is all about audience participation"

[Lynda, to Robert] "No it’s not!"

Robert tells Lynda to calm down, and give Kenton's way a chance.

[Robert] "He’s not spoiling the acts, he’s adding to it"

After every act, Kenton had something to do for the audience, related to the act.

For example, he asked Jim to repeat a line from his soliloquy, then gave the audience their response:

[Jim] "Friends, roman, countrymen, lend me your ears"

[Audience] "Here they are!"

(I suppose we needed to be there ... As an aside, I really can't hear those lines without seeing Kenneth Williams speak them as Caesar in one of the Carry Ons. I used to love the Carry Ons. Though they’ve not aged well ...)

Kenton has the audience up dancing, wearing bells, and generally taking part. Which they seem to enjoy.

[Lynda] "I can see he’s taking the audience with him, but why didn’t he tell me?"

Robert reckoned Kenton reckoned Lynda wouldn’t have agreed.

[Lynda] "It’s not the show I planned. I shall have to go and hide"

[Robert] "You can’t hide. Don’t you want to try one of those new-fangled potato things!"

Kenton gives Lynda the credit

The overall reaction to the Elizabethan Christmas Extravaganza was that a grand time was had by all.

[Peggy] "Extraordinary, but very enjoyable."

[David] "I had no idea what I was letting myself in for"

Jim wonders aloud how Lynda kept a straight face during rehearsals, considering what the reality of the show was going to be.

Kenton doesn't mention that Lynda also didn’t have a clue. In fact, she gets all the credit.

[Kenton] "Lynda knows how to strike the balance … High art, and low comedy."