- Washing, walking cows and warble fly
- 25 years of The Snells
- Joe likes Llamas?
- Jill sounds more annoyed than worried
- Will Ambridge beat Darrington?
- Sensual oils for Robert
- James and Leonie are still an item
- “A lovely villagey event”
- Elizabeth takes being unreasonable to a whole new level
Washing, walking cows and warble fly
David’s still at the Three Counties show – and is delighted when Josh. Ben (and Ruth) turn up with a card for him (pip is still studying).
[Josh, eloquent as ever] “Yeah, happy dad’s day and all that”
Seemingly Josh hosed down, while Ben and Ruth walked the cows, to be able to get to see David early.
And David was in splendid mood.
He’d stayed up later having a yarn with other farmers – with some bloke called Len (who was showing a Welsh Black) telling a very funny story about warble fly.
[Ruth] “Sounds hilarious”
Guess you just had to be there.
Later on, David and Ruth hit the ice cream.
Steady on!
25 years of The Snells
Blimey!
[Lynda] “Then we drove into Ambridge, and our fate was sealed”
(could say the same for all of us eavesdroppers as well!).
Enjoying a day gardening, Robert and Lynda are reflecting how they came to live in Ambridge (they drove around, and found it).
Robert had been worried at first about the move – whether they’d fit in – but Lynda reckons they’re now a fair few steps assimilated than folks like the Noakes and the Thwaites.
Hmmm.
Joe likes Llamas?
[Lynda] “Joe’s an old friend now, he often drops by to say hello to the Llamas”
Really?
Jill sounds more annoyed than worried
Chatting to Shula about Elizabeth, Jill’s starting to seem more frustrated and angry than concerned:
[Jill] “Only because she needs me for the children”
But Jill is delighted that Elizabeth has asked Shula to go and see her tomorrow. Jill reckons it might be Elizabeth asking Shula for advice on how she can make things up with David.
Even if I didn’t know what happened later on today, I wouldn’t have put money on it.
Will Ambridge beat Darrington?
(at cricket, this afternoon)
No-one’s sure.
It’s a worry.
Sensual oils for Robert
Ah – see, Lynda does care.
Robert’s a bit stiff after gardening, so Lynda offers to run him a nice hot bath, with some of her sensual oils, to sooth his pain and as a treat for father’s day.
Lucky boy.
James and Leonie are still an item
[Robert] “James still seems to be working his magic on Leonie”
I would quite like more of Lilian, Matt, Lynda and Snell having to hob-nob as in laws.
You just know they won’t agree on whether to have plain or chocolate …
“A lovely villagey event”
Is what Robert came up with, in answer to Lynda’s concerns about what the Britain in Bloom committee could do to raise funds.
[Robert] “Open gardens, in the village”
[Lynda] “A lovely villagey event, oh you are clever Robert!”
And what’s more, Lynda can also have their 25th Ambridge anniversary as a garden party.
Simply superb.
Elizabeth takes being unreasonable to a whole new level
(I would have said ‘to a whole new height’, but that would have been crass …)
When Ruth and David get home, David finds a letter from Elizabeth in their post.
[David] “Oh my god … oh no …”
[Ruth, reading the letter] “ …’changing my will’ … ‘remove you and Ruth as Freddie’s and Lily’s guardians’ …”
My word.
Elizabeth is now verging on hysterically evil.
- Jem and Bella are off to the Three Counties
- Pip tackles Elizabeth
- A watched inbox never receives email
- Jennifer still can’t read
- Brian’s lost his appetite?
- Sex and the Strawberries
- Regional forums and zero grazing
- Aw, that’s a shame
Jem and Bella are off to the Three Counties
Josh may not have been allowed to take the day off school to go to the Three Counties, but Jem and Bella certainly are. They even had a final brush up.
Pip tackles Elizabeth
Not literally, but fair to her for having the nerve to call and then go and see Elizabeth.
Pip wanted to see if Elizabeth would still give her a job (as she promised to), and Pip was quite annoyed by Elizabeth for not sending Ruth a birthday card.
Elizabeth was really happy to hear from and see Pip. She claimed she’s forgotten all about arranging a job for Pip – Elizabeth reckoned, in her head, it was already arranged.
So no problem there. Pip headed off to speak with Lorna, and the job is arranged.
Pip gets a text from her folks about the Three Counties, so then uses it as an in to mention that it was Ruth’s birthday yesterday. Elizabeth responds that she hopes Ruth had a nice day:
[Ruth] “She did, except, well, she didn’t get a card from you”
Elizabeth at first tries to claim bad memory again, but soon admits that she hadn’t just forgot.
[Pip] “You really did it on purpose!”
[Elizabeth] “Not exactly Pip. I just couldn’t send her one … this thing with your father. It goes deep. Very deep. I’m sorry”
[Pip] “Well, mum was sorry too. I just though you should know”
Good on you Pip for standing up to Elizabeth.
Maybe if more folks did, Elizabeth wouldn’t be getting away which such senseless and hurtful behaviour.
A watched inbox never receives email
Brian’s up early, anxiously waiting for email from council about whether the supermarket wants to go ahead with the old Mart site.
Not sure why Brian thinks that any council worker is working before 10am (flexi time means they sometimes stay late, but never early).
He’s hoping beyond hope that the supermarket has found a better place to build – he’s still not convinced that this plan is a good one.
But alas.
For once – it’s actually a “all systems go” from the Council
Jennifer still can’t read
Despite staying up all night, Jennifer is still no further on with Mistress of the Paddocks.
This is all very odd.
I’m back to thinking it is one of hers.
Brian’s lost his appetite?
Brian reckons that Zofia has got “mesmerising blue eyes”.
Just the eyes?
Brian must be slowly up if he judges a woman by her eyes …
He isn’t too impressed by Jazzer and Harry’s desperate plans to try and get her attention.
[Brian] “I’m sure she can do better ...”
And for once, he didn’t mean that he would be “better”.
Sex and the Strawberries
[Brian] “How are things up at Sex and the Strawberries … no pistols at dawn in the poly tunnels?”
Adam was worried that Jazzer and Harry’s jostling for Zofia would result in a bill for damages from the Pottery.
But it would seem that all was very sedate, as Zofia spent most of the time looking after her sick mate.
Regional forums and zero grazing
David’s having a grand old time at the Three Counties.
Lots of food for thought (well, cattle becoming food for thought), and he’s feeling refreshed for getting away from home.
[David] “It’s good to get away, it gets you a different perspective on things”
And not just the farm.
He apologises to Ruth for Elizabeth for not sending her a birthday card. Not that it’s his fault – but he’s sorry for the situation which has meant Elizabeth is being so obstinate.
[Ruth] “Elizabeth has this completely out of proportion”
Well, not exactly, Ruth.
In Elizabeth’s mind, David killed Nigel.
So not sending his wife a birthday card would be well within proportion, I would say.
Aw, that’s a shame
Despite Jem and Bella looking “beautiful”, they didn’t win anything.
Seemingly the competition was too strong.
Josh will be upset, but I doubt Jem and Bella will be bothered.
After all, a day out from the field is a day out from the field.
- A cow has a grass seed in her eye
- Jamie’s gone walkabout
- Cuts to the bus service
- A fly in the butter
- Elizabeth was rude to Jill!
- Tigg only sleeps outside …
- Sweet peas on Nigel’s grave
- David looking forward to the Three Counties
- Josh films the cows being shampooed
- Alistair hands out dead dogs’ toys
A cow has a grass seed in her eye
But Alistair gets it out for her.
It had gone “pretty deep” into conjunctival sac, which meant Alistair had to use forceps.
Ouch.
Jamie’s gone walkabout
Kathy’s on the hunt for Jamie as he didn’t turn up for his RE exam.
(if you listened to today’s Ambridge Extra, you’d know he was stressed before it, and thinking a lot about his dad).
[Ruth] “Well, it’s not as if it’s English or Maths”
Nice Ruth. Very nice, comforting advice.
Kathy eventually found Jamie at the cricket pavilion.
And Jamie broke down and cried. (must admit I had a wee tear in my eye when I heard him doing so)
[Jamie] “We could have done so much together …”
[Kathy] “Yes, you could. You shouldn’t have lost him like that … No-one could have loved you more”
[Jamie] “I still miss him so much”
[Kathy] “You’re not on your own, love”
It sounded like he might have listened, and actually heard Kathy.
He even thought it would be good for Kathy to take him to school tomorrow.
The rehabilitation of Jamie continues …
Cuts to the bus service
Seemingly Jim is registering concern, on behalf of the Parish Council, about the potential forthcoming cuts to the bus service.
Shula and Alistair are talking about it, and are quite indignant. Even though they never use the buses.
[Shula] “It’s the thin end of the wedge … and I am allowed to feel outraged on others’ behalf?”
Quite right too.
I live in a rural area. My village only has one bus an hour, and it tends to not link up with any other bus times to actually get you where you want to go. I do have a van, but know of many others who rely on the buses – and when the poo hits the fan with the van, without the bus, I’d have an hour and a half walk into the nearest bit of civilisation.
Cuts to the bus service in rural areas? Good god no! Pick on urban areas for once .
A fly in the butter
Well, nearly.
[Shula to Alistair] “Oh, put the lid on the butter love, there’s a fly buzzing round”
Elizabeth was rude to Jill!
How very, very dare she!
Jill had only been trying to help out with the Twins, according to Elizabeth.
[Shula] “It’s like she’s closed ranks with the children and shut the rest of us out … it’s back to square one, she’s acting like she’s invulnerable”
Shula missed Phil (who might have been able to talk some sense into Elizabeth), and isn’t so sure that all will be well, one day.
Tigg only sleeps outside …
… so spends the rest of his time inside (when he’s not being trained).
Wonder if Tigg will ever become ‘just’ a working dog.
Sweet peas on Nigel’s grave
Shula and Jill put some sweet peas on Nigel’s grave, which was a nice touch.
There were also flowers already there. From Elizabeth?
David looking forward to the Three Counties
And will even stay there for the full three days.
[Ruth] “It will be a complete rest for him kipping two nights in a livestock trailer”
David did actually sound a lot chirpier. He was even talking about Phil, and how he managed Hereford’s for Fairbrother.
There’s a point.
Phil managed to ‘get over’ Grace, as Elizabeth will ‘get over’ Nigel?
Josh films the cows being shampooed
And David is his rather unwilling co-subject.
Each to their own, I suppose.
Josh then said ‘laters’ when he was heading off - which David takes the Michael out of him for doing.
Which is exactly what I’ve been doing with the youf language over on Ambridge Extra.
Good god.
Ambridge Extra has made me think like David …
Alistair hands out dead dogs’ toys
Which is a bit spooky and sad – but better that than the toys never get played with. Especially as Alistair gets so many of them from grieving dog owners.
