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!

The Cuckoo in the Nest

Now I wanted a picture of Alice - but all I could come up with is Amy her friend and confidente, whose phone must have been redhot recently. Today the lovechild arrived from Ireland and I'm sorry to say we had all the stereotypical conversations 'Are you my Mummy now?' 'Alice say hello', 'Yes this is your new brother'. Thank goodness we had time for Oliver and Ruth having conversations about cheese, and farmers markets.

Things can only get worse!

And Now Tony Weighs In

So Peggy told Lillian and Tony about the impending arrival. Lillian talked about 'support' and was on Jenny's side. Tony went berserk and decided to 'confront' Brian about him forcing Jenny to accept the result of his liaison with Mrs Hatthaway. Debbie returns from Hungary and she spends a lot of time trying to calm Alice down. Things can only get worse once the lovechild arrives from Ireland. Poor kid - little does he realise what is going to hit him once he enters the number one dysfunctional family.

The time of retribution

So most of the Aldridges now know about the new addition that will shortly arrive from Ireland.

But who is getting the fallout? Jennifer - naturally, because she is supposed to be the fount of all knowledge and wisdom. Alice believes that she should have been told about every gruesome detail as each event was occurring - not be Mr Teflon Brian, but by Jennifer. Of course her life isn't exactly pure as the driven snow, but this does seem a tad unfair. Naturally Peggy is on hand for 'comfort'. But my anticpated joy rests with Lillian's reaction. Her conversation with Brenda in the shop - attempting to get the daughter of her dance partner Mike 'on side' was hilarious. Instead of convincing Brenda that Lillian was well intentioned and merely joining Mike in a touch of Paso Doble, Brenda believes that Matt's partner in life is about to become her stepmother.

Kate spills the beans

The picture above is of Kate in the 'happy' time when she was involved with Roy (the father of her first offspring - abandoned in favour of a life in South Africa). Apologies to Anne who commented before I completed this post!
So Kate had a phone conversation with Debbie and revealed all about Brian's plan to gather his son by Siobahn into the Aldridge family. To say she was displeased was an understatement! A violent row with Brian on the phone was followed by explosions all over the place - Adam and Jenny getting the rough end of her opinions too.
THEN Brian and Jenny sat down with Alice to tell her the big secrests. Alice goes totally berserk and (not knowing until now about the affair nor that Rory is the result) declares her hatred for Brian, Jenny and Adam (poor boy he always gets it in the neck) because all this had been witheld from her!
Soon though things really will get exciting when said lovechild turns up in Ambridge - the village gossips will have a field day! Can't wait for Linda to get going on this topic, and Sid, and Lillian, and Matt, and Mike, and Roy & Hayley and everyone really!
Exciting times!

Underhand doings at the Cricket

Just to take our mind off Brian and the strange goings on at Home Farm there are dark dealings in the world of village cricket.

Ambridge lost out on their chance to appear at Lords by being defeated in the County Village Cup. Sid was apoplectic with rage, but has now discovered that one of the players in the victorious team was a professional. He intends to appeal and hopes thereby to get through to the next round by default. Do we care though?

Meanwhile Lillian is offering to be a matchmaker and find Mike a 'ladyfriend' to divert suspicions over the regular meetings the two of them are having. Village gossip has it that their 'dance sessions' are more romantic than reality.

Thursday is the Day

So finally the truth will come out - on Thursday. Debbie and Alice will be told - at least that will be before the lovechild is slipped in from Ireland. The village will have some distractions from Lillian and Mike's affair (not true) Nigel & Lizzie and the problem of Uncle Rupert, and Eddie playing music to the cows to improve the milk yield.

I'm not sure whether the storyline and treatment of Siobahn's was tasteful or not - it was fairly sensitive but at times a tad mawkish, especially at the time of the funeral. Exciting times ahead I think!

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Linda Finds a new Buddhist Leader at the end of her Garden

Now I do know the difference between the Dalai Lama and the furry South American creatures much beloved of Mrs Snell. But just for a microsecond I thought the Tibetan religious leader in exile had died and his successor had been found in Ambridge. It would almost be as believable as no one noticing that one of Linda's pets had been pregnant for almost a year (let nobody say the Archers is not education - the gestation period of the llama is in fact 345 days - give or take a week or so).

Now as Doris used to often remark 'As one door opens, another closes' and as the new baby Salieri joins the inhabitants of Ambridge poor Siobahn's life is drawing to its close. Jennifer is going to take in the lovechild - but how is she going to explain it to Alice? (Let alone Debbie!)

Peggy Corners Jennifer over the lupins

Jenny is beginning to weaken in the face of the decline of Siobhan and is facing the 'reality' of having to take on Brian's lovechild. In Dublin Tim (Siobhan's ex-husband) has rushed to her deathbed, consigning Brian to the zoo with the offspring.

Peggy's version of concern and support is to berate Jennifer for her acceptance of her fate - the prospect of Brian arriving and parading the product of his infidelity in front of the County is just too much for Peggy (who has clearly forgotten her cockney roots). Her idea of making up for her sharpness is to suggest a fun day out together at the Chelsea Flower Show. That'll make everything better!

Meanwhile, Caroline is obsessed with promoting Oliver's cheese, Linda Snell's plans to open a guesthouse is causing ripples - will she be competition for Grey Gables, Lower Loxley and the Borchester Hilton? And Fallon, Kirsty and Emma are on a girls' night out - there will be trouble ahead!

Light Relief

I always enjoy the Archers when certain characters come back into the limelight - and Lillian

is one of those (linda Snell falls into the same category). I'm especially grateful that Lillian is back with a vengeance - this time conning Mike Tucker to give her dancing lessons - largely as a result of Matt running a mile at a recent Grey Gables Dinner Dance. He labelled her a very bad dancer. Tonight we discovered one of the causes - Lillian thinks of herself as a man - when it comes to dancing. No wonder she treads on so many toes! This interlude meant we could put events in Dublin into the background, although Tom kept making comments to Adam about Brian's continuing absence. Lillian, of course, has overheard plenty of conversations between Jennifer and Brian or Adam to have her suspicions about what is going on with Brian. It is only a matter of time!

It's all going to hit the fan

I have to apologise for the picture attached - but it does come off the BBC Radio 4 website connected to the Archers. I also, should apologise for the 'bluntness' of my previous postings (to quote one reader of this blog). I had anticpated that the love triangle (or should it be rectangle, including Jennifer perhaps) would be dragged out for months, going through all the possible treatments for Siobhan and ending happily with her recovery. Unfortunately we are rushing emotionally and tragically towards a terrible conclusion. Brian has just become guardian for the offspring, and Jennifer is going to have to make some difficult decisions pretty fast. Brian is not thinking logically (hardly surprising really) and Jenny isn't going to find life easy either. I thought Peggy's intervention earlier last week fabulous - and I dread to think what Debbie will say. I still think Ian and Adam are the best options. I have stocked up on tissues for Tuesday or Wednesday's episodes. No wonder the BBC are issuing details of support groups and helplines for those distressed by the scenes. Hold your breath........

Fancy Dress? Nigel goes mad (again!)

So Ambridge was going through (yet another) example of wierd community events. This time it was a charity bike ride in aid of ..... the cricket club? church bells? removing the ivy? dredging the duck pond? Who knows? Who cares? Ruth and David rejected the dressing up as cattle option in favour of togas and Roman goddess outfits. Meanwhile Nigel has lost his marbles totally and dressed Elizabeth in one of Julia's outfits from her theatrical days - Burlington Bertie no less. Nigel was paying tribute to conscientious objector uncle Rupert by donning a boater. How exactly did anyone ride a bike in those outfits. As far as Ruth & David are concerned no one seems to recal the events of only a few months ago when Ruth and Sam were trysting in the cowshed. Oh - and yes Jenny is beginning to crumble - that lovechild will ensconced in Home Farm within weeks I reckon.