Ruairi the uncle (again)

Brian and Jennifer are now discussing whether they should hire a nanny for lovechild Ruairi (Rory to you and me). How alien there lives appear! They are certainly finding parenthood pretty tough. Now, they are also grandparents again, and Kate has produced once more.
For light relief the Snells (Robert is pictured lef) have become food correspondents and enjoyed a bizarre night out at a restaurant with the ever suffering Robert being given a grilling at every mouthful about his experience of the meal they were consuming. Oh how grateful I always am for regular inserts from Linda Snell - and Lillian Bellamy too!
I have a Ruairi poll on my films blog - go vote!

Herdsman Sam's legacy continues

One of the consequences of Sam's time at Brookfield was the decision to take on a specialist cattle vet - Steve (very silent) in place of the talkative moody Alastair. Now that Sam has gone Ruth has recommended the return to Alastair. David went to give him the bad news. If I'd been Alastair I would have given David a hard time.

Instead the vet (clearly desperate for the work) just said it was quite understandable that they had gone to the specialist, and it was just business. Bizarre - he had a real strop when the business was taken away.

David of course goes all strange when reference is made to Sam the rival to Ruth's affections.

Tonight David has now turned super sleuth in pursuit of the cattle poisoners of Borsetshire. He believes he's found the source of the yew that did for his cows - and now Kenton is urging a strike in retribution against the builder culprits.

Battle lines drawn at the Vicarage

Alan and Usha are now being dragged into the argument between 'houseguest' Alice and Alan's daughter Amy about Miss Aldridge's decision to join the RAF (see mt poll on my film blog - access via my complete profile).

Usha has come out in support of Alice and her assertion that the RAF is just a benevolent organisation assisting the poor and needy throughout the world. Amy is naturally very sceptical about this belief that all the armed forces do is to act as a disaster relief force, not a well honed killing machine. St Alan the Vicar (as you might expect from the CofE) is fence sitting, but clearly a little uncomfortable about Alice sitting cuckoo like in his nest spreading unpleasant ripples within his family.

Lovechild up for Adoption by Gay Couple?

Brian had his prejudices on show again this week. After Jennifer's exhibition at the village fete when she had a total strop at Rory (and yes I know this isn't the right spelling!) She had come over all emotional as a result of tiredness she claimed, and promptly let Adam whip the lovechild off to be entertained with a 'kick around'. On the other hand I would probably have had a strop if I'd had to put up with what Ambridge puts on show every year at the fete. Are they still in the reign of George V?
Today Ian went to tackle Brian because he'd made it pretty clear that he didn't want his beloved son coming under the influence of this couple recently benefitting from the new Civil Partnership legislation. Brian grudgingly gave in to the request that Ian & Adam look after the boy whenever they had time off together. Brian clearly believes that the two are intent upon converting the child. On the other hand if Jenny has to put up with the offspring for much longer 24 hours a day she'll be admitted to the Borsetshire Home for the Overdramatically Overwrought.
Good to see that Ambridge is still in the West Midlands - the Am is overflowing and flooding is affecting Brookfield's land.
PS Vote in my Alice poll - go to the films blog I run!

Polls

On my film blog I've now added a weekly poll. Go visit & vote! Access via my profile.

Alice's Big Surprise

So at Jack's birthday party (already slightly fraught because he couldn't remember exactly what was going on - probably a good thing because everyone had bought him a Dad's Army DVD as a present - and Tony had decided he couldn't be in the same room as Brian - and Jack became very distressed when he heard the sound of a child screaming) Alice decided where her future lay. She's going to join the WRAF! Maybe it isn't called that in this age of sexual equality. Do you love a girl in uniform? I don't think Brian does!

Adam Lays it on the Line

Alice has been behaving very badly. But then bad behaviour is very common in the Aldridge family - clearly the Ambridge equivalent of the Simpsons of Springfield. At an intimate meal with the gay couple (Ian providing the Gordon Ramsay role without the swearing thankfully) Adam took the opportunity to ask Alice whether she ever intended to stop sulking and start talking to St Jenny. Alice, being so overcome with self pity, was somewhat taken aback by the onslaught, but maybe tonight's episode will see the Vicar rid of his unwanted houseguest in the near future.
No further signs of the great yew dumping crime.

Fly tipping tragedy

Now I had been trying to keep up with all the discussions at Brookfield about which cattle to keep on the farm - but I just glazed over (is that possible when listening to a radio programme?) after what seemed like hours of comparisons of the various breeds. Hence

me hedging my bets by showing pictures of two different kinds of cattle. On tonight's programme, however, there was great drama. Several cattle were found dead in the
fields. Alastair was rushed in to do tests for anthrax.

Then it was discovered that there was a pile of rubbish dumped in the corner of the field. The cattle had been feasting on the contents. Inside the pile was discovered plastic bags - just right
to block a cow's intestines, and then on further examination there was that ancient criminal piles

of yew. Absolute poison! Traditionally found in churchyards - as a symbol of death perhaps, or was it to make the bows that made the foundation of English victories at Crecy and Agincourt.
Now I can sympathise over the problem of fly tipping - this is something we find in the city, but clearly the countryside is not immune. Why do people do it?
Just for light relieve romance is blossoming for William Gundy - he found love on the bus to Ambridge whilst his car was in for some work, and now he's taking a single mother on trips to Borsetshire's high life - or was it the Birmingham sea world centre? What will Emma have to say to all that we wonder. First she has potential problems with finding another jobshare partner (after Brenda was lured away by Matt) now her ex-husband is about to embark on the path to future happiness!