Archers Addicts 4!!

I think there is going to be something of a "to do" between Shula and Elizabeth about Richard Locke. Shula seems to be trying to attract him again and he is spending rather more time with Elizabeth. Watch this space! Will this be a distraction from The Trial?

Poor Shula. She is 58; it can be a difficult age. Looking back on life and feeling neither it or you turned out as you hoped. Someone, somewhere must make meat paste sandwiches because it is still sold Iam ... and the reason I know that is because when I have seen it on the shelves I have thought ... who still buys that? If it had been Peggy it would have made more sense - although I think she may have grown out of it too. Something is really wrong I think but don't know where the SWs are taking it.

You're right there Gracesgran, Peggy may have made meat paste sandwiches but not someone of Shula's age.

I don't like what the script writers are doing with Shula's personality. I don't have a problem with the disintegration of her marriage, it's not felt right for many years. I dislike the way they seem to be setting up Lizzie and Shula in some kind of tedious competition for the attention and affection of Richard Locke. I thought the hunt sab x Rob Titchener incident was a fair reflection of how Shula may have behaved in those circumstances, for all the reasons she's since explained to Caroline and Alistair, the unsupportive husband. I can see she's lonely, I agree about 58 as a difficult age. She isn't dim though and will have picked up that Richard isn't interested in rekindling their affair. As for having her wandering the cricket field with a tupperware box of rather tasteless sandwiches, out of character and out of village life. She'd have phoned Fallon to agree on the cricket tea menu

Yes. What was the Shula paste sandwich incident about, it didn't make any sense SW?? The next time Ian meets Rob, if he does, I hope he records it.......

Definitely a hiss in the SWs direction Iam. I do not feel they have been writing in character for Shula. The marriage has seemed a little bit wobbly for ages but the cricket teas scene was not just odd for Shula it was odd for cricket teas. She would have spoken to Fallon not just arrived and passed round sandwiches, paste or not. She seems very sad and perhaps they are writing something for her but if not this is not Shula's character - she has been taken over by an alien being.

The next time Ian meets Rob Lazigirl it may be in court! I woke up this morning to Rob's voice and it was not a pleasant awakening. My alarm is my radio switching on but I was not in a rush this morning so I didn't really wake until I heard Rob telling Henry to "tell the truth" very shiver making! It was a trailer for 'the Trial'.

Shula always came over as a rather stuffy goody two shoes until her affair with Dr Locke. She is deciedly self righteous. She is probably feeling left out in the village. Is she desperately trying t o set har cap ay Dr Locke and it's not working.

Look how she behaved when the vicar Alan whoever ?(Freeman) married the Hindu Usha. She refused to attend church.
I think Shula has consistently been irritatingly "proper."

Nothing we don't already know

Other than Anna getting Helen to plead self defence....In the nick of time!

I am not surprised that nobody wanted Shula's meat paste!
I think a few people will find themselves eating fish paste sandwiches for the first time in years if they try the new range of spreadable tuna! I was very disappointed, expecting it to be like the little Weightwatchers tins which at least have recognisable tuna chunks.

I find Shula's character a recognisable one Nellie. She wants to be 'good'; it has always been an interesting contrast to her twin who did not seem to care in the least about being 'good'.

The issue with anyone who has this sort of character is that their 'good' is not always other people's. The issues she had with Alan marrying Usha where very much of that type. She seems to believe in her religion. Many people who are, one could say almost fundamentally religious have opinions others, who have not such a strong belief or have not belief at all, cannot understand. She could not understand why a leader of her religion did not agree. Her views are not subtle; they are very clear cut.

She certainly did the 'wrong' thing when she had the affair but her sort of character would have, I believe, beaten herself up a lot more than you, were you to know her, would have done. Along the way she has not learnt, or perhaps not accepted, that people cannot always live up to their own standard of 'good'. She is still very upset about how she behaved re the hunt sab and is not the type of character who will ever find it easy to forgive herself.

When it comes to her being 'irritating' I would recommend the story of The Scorpion and the Frog - it is her 'nature' and she can no more go against that than you or I can go against ours. It is kinder, imo, and more useful, to try and understand her behaviour. One of the great things about drama as with books, is that we do learn about things outside our everyday sphere of knowledge.

My argument is not with Shula's character; it has become very well drawn over the years. It is with the way the SWs are manipulating it. Maybe they will have a reason which is totally in keeping but it doesn't feel like that at the moment.

(I expect someone to shout at me for taking this too seriously now - but that is my nature )

Thank you merot but I must grrr as both the DM and the Express have so many adverts my poor computer struggles to load the article.

It is interesting to see there is nothing new. It seems they are not going to brief the press at this point.

I am already choosing the cushions to hide my head under when it gets too much!

I think there has been a press release today as this Radio Times article is much the same as your article Merlot but it does load quicker if that helps anyone

The Archers Trial Week: The Evidence

A useful summary.

(I am sorry if I am posting too much but I am using being on here as a displacement activity as I have to sew a zip in and I have slight zip phobia. Off to make lunch and will then tackle the zip ... I hope)

Iam. I was trying to remember when I last was offered a meat paste sandwich! 1980s by an elderly aunt I think, unusual even then!
GG that blog about Greg is by Keri Davies who wrote last week's scripts. So as well as Greg's suicide Helen had been subjected to domestic abuse. The blog makes her sound so fragile, for the first time I'm beginning to have tiny doubts about whether she'll be found suitable to have care of Henry and GiddyJack. Whether she truly IS capable even. If Rob gets the boys I may stop listening.

There is always the possible outcome that Helen is found guilty of the lesser charge and gets a short sentence while Pat and Tony get custody of the children Elrel. She has been in prison for some time; would that count against any sentence? I think it could be possible that Jack could/would stay with Helen until he 18 months although I am not sure what circumstances would make that possible. Like you I would have problems listening if Rob gets the boys.

More coming out from the Beeb. The Archers Trial Week: The Key Players. Nothing really new. I am assuming Henry's evidence would be the statement they took and I expect we could have guessed the trauma surgeon would be called.

I wonder if Rob will try and put screws on Neil, via silly Susan before the trial?

Where oh where is Stefan?

I am sitting here reading this because it's interesting, but I should be digging out soil from around the roots of an old shrub.
OH has loosened the soil quite a lot and I should be scraping away as much soil as possible so OH can get at the roots to remove it.
I feel like someone out of time team.
While OH has B******D off to play in his brass band.

Rob will be rattled by the fact that both Neil and Ian are strong characters. When was the last time somebody stood up to him as Ian did?

Drat! I've just discovered we're going to be away from 14th-18th Sept. I'll be spending every evening finding an excuse to escape to the car at 7pm.

I've just come in after a long walk (dogs) and hour and half in the garden. I've walked away from much that needs doing in the newly raised bed at the end of the garden. Nellie, my husband has also done a flit. He says its in the cause of a forthcoming arty event but in truth, the sight of the garden tools coming out and he often finds something pressing that means leaving the house and garden ?

Lazigirl - I had high hopes of one of this year's strawberry pickers knowing Stefan and asking after him or giving news of him. It didn't happen and now they've gone. Where was Stefan from, where are the pickers from? I must pay more attention.
Didn't he confide in any of his fellow workers before he disappeared? Where did Rob hide the body?! Isn't it time someone heard from Charlie?

If anyone has a spare and wondering DH who is good at strengthening the courage of zip-phobias they can wonder this way. Actually the zip is now in but I realised afterwards that I wanted it to have tabs on the ends ... talk about making it difficult for youself. Next displacement activity is .making sure the baskets are all emptied - it's bin day tomorrow. Your gardening sounds more fun Nellie and Iam. I wonder how many of us have done the retreat to the car at 7.00 bit Merlot?

phobics not phobias - back on the kindle!!!

Elrel I don't think Stefan was anything to do with Adam's fruit pickers as he was employed by Charlie at Berrow Farm. He mysteriously disappeared before Charlie could interview him about the blocked culvert. Was that following a tip-off from David? I can't remember. Rob told Charlie that Stefan had to go back to Poland? in a hurry because of a family illness so it looks like Stefan was one of the dairy team.

Does Adam know that Ian knows about Charlie? Ian's on a roll now but Adam needs to up his game and do something to niggle Rob!

Anyone fancy wading through all seventeen pages of the full
media pack

Oh heck Merlot I'm SUPPOSED to be giving the sitting room a good clean, in between prepping salade nicoise for supper! Still good to see that it hasn't become a monologue.