The Archers

THE ARCHERS WEEK 47Writer: Sarah McDonald Hughes Director: Kim Greengrass Editor: Jeremy Howe23rd - 28th NovPip Archer.... Daisy Badger Ruth Archer.... Felicity Finch Tony Archer.... David Troughton Leonard Berry.... Paul Copley Alice Carter.... Hollie Chapman Justin Elliott.... Simon Williams Rex Fairbrother.... Nick Barber Amber Gordon.... Olivia Bernstone Ed Grundy.... Barry Farrimond Eddie Grundy.... Trevor Harrison Emma Grundy.... Emerald O'Hanrahan George Grundy.... Angus Stobie Brad Horrobin.... Taylor Uttley Tracy Horrobin.... Susie Riddell Joy Horville.... Jackie Lye Kirsty Miller.... Annabelle Dowler

George is in a filthy mood because of Amber’s accusation, but Brad thinks he’s got the wrong end of the stick. Ed then offers George a lift to Grange Farm and they have a similar conversation, before George shuts the conversation down. Later, when Ed drops in on George at No. 1, The Green, George despairs about his life as a known criminal - even Amber thinks he’s a thief. Ed confesses he knew about her suspicions, but he never believed it himself. George though reckons no-one will ever give him a chance and runs up to his room. When Ed follows, trying to get him to talk, George pushes him and Ed falls downstairs, just as Brad appears. Later, Ed tells Brad that he lost his footing, while George suggests Ed slipped on one of Poppy’s books. Brad reckons Ed was lucky - it could have been a lot worse.Kirsty walks round the beaver enclosure with Justin, pointing out where the animals have started working. Justin still hasn’t watched the beaver footage Kirsty sent him though, admitting he can’t think of anything more boring than watching beavers build a dam. Passionate Kirsty finds this difficult to understand, accusing Justin of having no real interest in what they’re doing at the Rewilding site. Justin assures her that just because he doesn’t respond emotionally that doesn’t mean he isn’t supportive. As a businessman, he’s thrilled at how well it’s going and thinks he should employ a similarly committed manager to Kirsty on his other rewilding project to guarantee its success.

While feeding the turkeys with George Eddie mentions Amber helping him look for the missing money the other night – he still can’t think where it’s got to. George then offers to go into Borchester with Eddie, wanting to surprise Amber at Farm Supplies on the way. When they have lunch together though, Amber worries about money, wondering how George could afford to buy her ring. As she pushes him George realises that Amber thinks he stole Eddie’s money to pay for it. George reacts badly and walks out, just as Eddie phones Amber to tell her he’s found the lost money in his jacket pocket. Amber then leaves a message for George, apologising and promising she’ll make it up to him. Later at home, mortified Amber tries explaining how worried she’s been about him, before all George’s anxieties over what Amber really thinks start pouring out. He accuses her of not wanting to marry him after all, before storming out. Tracy wakes Brad and wants him to come shopping. When they go to the supermarket later Brad seems distracted. Tracy reckons it’s like he’s been off somewhere far away in his head for several weeks. She asks if George has been leaning on him to do stuff he doesn’t want to, but Brad tells her George has been fine. Tracy persists when they get home though, suggesting Brad might be lovesick and encouraging him to talk about his feelings. Evasive Brad reckons he’s just tired, before they end up saying how much they love each other.

Joy finds Tony in low spirits at Bridge Farm, dreading the thought of Christmas and what would have been John’s fiftieth birthday on New Year’s Eve. He tells Joy they had a row shortly before Tony’s vintage tractor overturned and killed John. After Tony goes to see the beavers being released at Rewilding Ambridge, Joy tells Ruth and Pip they should cancel her idea for a Christmas village event. It would feel heartless after what Tony’s told her. Ruth suggests asking Pat and Tony what they think first, though. And when they ask Tony he thinks a Christmas Tractor Run through Ambridge sounds wonderful, but gets them to agree to consult Pat before they go ahead and start publicising the event. Alice catches Rex up with what happened in Blackpool, then says she’s going to film the beaver release for Phoebe. Rex and Kirsty decide to get on with it, even though Justin’s not there. Tony arrives just in time, before the beavers disappear into the woods, and Kirsty and Rex hug each other. Then Alice realises she’s only filmed three seconds, though Kirsty points out there will be footage from the enclosure cameras. Justin finally turns up, in time for cake if not beavers. Later, Kirsty and Rex worry about Justin’s commitment, before he disappoints again by not showing any interest in footage of the release. But Alice is delighted when Rex offers to send her the footage, so Phoebe and Martha can see the beavers. Emotional Alice then hugs Rex, before it gets awkward and he goes.

Ruth and Pip chat about how relentless things are at Brookfield, before Ruth reveals what Leonard said about his and Jill’s open relationship. Pip doesn’t believe it and when they confront Leonard he admits it was a wind-up, before he and Ruth apologise to each other. Leonard expounds on his frustration at David and Ruth checking up on him and Jill all the time, for which Pip apologises too. Leonard then explains Connie’s an old friend. He offered to decorate her kitchen-diner because she’s got a dodgy hip and they were just meeting to discuss ideas. Leonard only kept it secret because he knew David and Ruth would make a fuss over him climbing ladders and painting walls. Ruth promises to wind in her neck in future. While George is helping Eddie with the turkeys, Amber tells Ed her dad hasn’t talked her mum round about George, despite giving George the impression he would. Her mum isn’t replying to her messages either. Ed tries seeing it from her parents’ point of view: all they know is that George was in prison. But that’s all they want to know, Amber replies. Ed tells her not to give up hope, then points out the Grundys will soon be her family too. After tea, Eddie helps Amber with the washing-up, asking if she’s seen an envelope he’s missing with some turkey payments in. Later, Amber worries to Ed about the missing money, wondering if George could have taken it to pay for her ring, before asking Ed to forget she said anything.

Leonard is still being spiky with Ruth about perceived insinuations of infirmity due to his age, and when Ruth probes about his mystery rendezvous at the Farm Supplies café she gets nowhere. Leonard has been making Christmas puddings for Stir-up Sunday, under Jill’s supervision, admitting he loves it despite never baking much before. He tells Ruth he’s nipping out again, but when he returns later Ruth waylays him in the yard and puts it to him that she thinks he might be seeing someone else. Leonard reacts badly to the idea he’s having an affair behind Jill’s back. Jill knows all about him meeting up with Connie - and other women too – and is perfectly happy about it, because they have an open relationship. Amber is uneasy about George emailing wedding venues and wanting to go to a wedding fayre. He’s sure her parents will come round to them getting married soon enough, but Amber disagrees, fearing the rest of her family won’t come either if they organise it against her parents’ wishes. Besides, Amber thinks they should wait until George is working and they can get some money together. George goes fishing with Brad, but is fractious, admitting something doesn’t feel right with Amber. He thinks she may be going off him. Brad assures George that Amber’s mad about him, but then goes to see Amber while George is out, telling her he’s worried about her, because of what George said. Amber insists she’s fine and that it’s none of Brad’s business what goes on between her and George.

While driving back Lilian tells Tony how miffed she is that Justin had a better time than her this week. She slept through the only exciting things to happen! Though she did spot a frisson between Helen and Finlay, which Tony missed. Tony reckons transformed Leonie might leave James and Lilian promises to think about challenging him on his behaviour.Kate and Phoebe are doting on baby Peggy before Lilian and Tony arrive. Justin has left them a voucher for afternoon tea at Blackpool Tower Ballroom. Lilian thinks it’s the perfect treat, following in Jack and Peggy’s footsteps from years ago. Brian’s apparently thrilled to share his birthday with the new arrival and Kate promises to behave while staying with Phoebe and Brodie for the next two weeks.Henry is happy to see Helen, who flew back to Birmingham. Henry still thinks there’s something going on between Tom and Kirsty though. He threatens to tell Natasha, before Helen details the pain that Tom and Kirsty still feel over Wren and Henry agrees to try and give Tom a break.After tea at the Ballroom Lilian challenges Tony over his suggestion that Peggy favoured her and Jenny. Lilian reckons she just held him to higher standards – not wanting him to end up like their dad, Tony reckons. Tony’s proud he made his own life, despite not feeling the love. Lilian then promises she’ll speak to James, before persuading Tony to join her in a waltz. They extol the virtues of family life, agreeing that there’s nothing more important.

It’s 5.00am and Kate wakes Tony with the news that Phoebe’s in labour, but still in Blackpool. Kate insists on taking the car to be with Phoebe, potentially leaving everyone else stranded at the castle. Helen and Tony, accompanied by Leonie, then have to go and rescue Finlay’s sheep, which have got out through some loose fencing while Finlay’s still at the fire station. They do the best they can in the dark to return the sheep to their field, effecting an emergency repair job on the fencing. Kate then demands the car keys, but Tony points out he’s the only one insured to drive it. He’ll take Kate to the nearest station once they’ve got all the sheep safe, though. Leonie realises one sheep is still missing and finds it halfway up a crag, before steering it back to safety under Tony’s guidance. Leonie’s a bit overwhelmed that she managed to rescue the sheep and save its life, despite James always telling her how useless she is.Alice and Jakob do their best to keep Phoebe calm when she wants to drive up to Scotland to be with Brodie for the birth, pointing out that she needs to go to hospital instead. When they get there Phoebe insists they stay with her. After the birth exhausted Phoebe cradles her baby daughter while Alice and Jakob look on in wonder, before Kate bursts in, having travelled all the way by taxi. Phoebe says they’re calling the baby Margaret, or Peggy for short, which Kate thinks is perfect.

Kirsty helps fractious Tom and Henry at Bridge Farm, getting Henry to talk about his difficulties at school. Tom worries he’s become self-obsessed and boring, getting upset when Kirsty makes light of his concerns. She finds Tom later, who admits having vivid dreams about their stillborn son, Wren, supposing they’d still be together if he’d survived. Kirsty disagrees, but gives distressed Tom a hug, which suspicious Henry sees. Kirsty assures Henry she only hugged Tom because he was upset, asking Henry to try and get on better with him.Having seen round his croft Helen acknowledges that Finlay has a harder time of it as a farmer than her. But Finlay loves it, far preferring his life now, post-divorce, to when he lived in Glasgow. Later, they circle around admitting their feelings for each other, before Finlay’s called away to his other job, as a firefighter. Rueful Helen watches him go.Lilian and Tony go on a whisky distillery tour. Tony has loved every minute of their trip, but Lilian isn’t happy, convinced Leonie’s avoiding her. She assumes Justin and the others prefer staying in Blackpool to joining them. Tony prompts Lilian to try harder with Leonie, who’s clearly being neglected by James. Lilian feels she has to make allowances for James, due to her own poor parenting. Tony retorts that Peggy never made allowances for him, to the point he questioned whether she loved him at all. But he just got on with it and did what was best for his family. Lilian should do the same.

Jakob, Alice, Justin and Natasha are eating breakfast at their B&B, still waiting for a replacement vehicle. Justin and Natasha got happily drunk last night, while Alice likes the views and being so close to the sea. Jakob though is grumpy that they’re still in Blackpool, until Natasha promises to find him a decent cup of coffee. Alice goes upstairs to see Phoebe, who’s fretting over Kate insisting on being with her for the birth. Phoebe doesn’t want Kate taking over and pushing Brodie out of the way, so Alice agrees they’ll talk to Kate about waiting until after the birth.Later, while eating ice-cream on the pier with Justin, Natasha remembers her bipolar father, who insisted on taking her for ice-cream in all weathers. Natasha feels that she and Tom make a good balanced couple, then moans about him texting to complain about Henry. Jakob then calls with the news they finally have a replacement vehicle, before going into an amusement arcade to try and win a soft toy, where he’s spotted by Alice and Phoebe. They join Natasha and Justin at an ice-skating rink, while Jakob parks the new vehicle outside the B&B. Before heading back there Phoebe starts having contractions, which she claims are only Braxton-Hicks. Both Jakob and Alice are sufficiently concerned that they agree to wait until tomorrow before setting off, to make sure Phoebe’s okay. Besides, everyone’s having a great time in Blackpool. Relieved Phoebe is happy just to take things slowly from now on.