Richard
Attlee (Kenton Archer)
If Kenton was expecting his moving in with Jolene
to be a low key event, he will be disappointed. First of all we had Eddie
mooning about what might have been. In your dreams, Grundy! Then Jill and
Elizabeth sit there shaking their heads and predicting that it will never last.
Actually, Jill seems to dislike Kenton – while she'll do anything for her other
children, poor Kenton can't do anything right.
Never mind, Jolene seems happy enough, although
when she sees Kenton's enormous collection of books, magazines, comics etc. she
makes it clear that there's only so much she will put up with. Tread carefully
Kenton – and stop exposing yourself to Fallon.
Going back to Elizabeth, she's delighted at being
able to drive again and takes Jill out for a cup of tea and a bit of
Kenton-bashing. They reminisce about Jill's 80th surprise party last year and
Lizzie says how nice it was to have all the family together. So call David,
bitch!
At Bridge Farm, the football is coming on a treat,
but the pigs still haven't scored, which reminds me of my adolescence. Tom is
confident that this will be the marketing success of the decade, if not the
millennium, and shows Peggy his footage. She is quite impressed, saying
"thinking big as usual", to which Tom ungraciously replies "it
seems to have skipped a generation". For God's sake! It's just some pigs
chasing a ball – get a grip on reality!
The generation to which Tom was referring are still
keeping afloat – just. There was a touching moment when Kathy offered Pat and
Tony her savings and Tony had the grace to feel ashamed of his attitude when he
first saw Kathy turning up. Even better, the bank has allowed them six months'
interest-only payments.
Later on in the week, Pat and Tony's cup is
practically running over when Lilian turns up, offering them money – she can
loan them £10k straight away. It seems Lilian didn't realise how bad things
were until Brenda told her. What? She didn't notice them wandering around the
village in rags and the ceremonial burning of Bridge Farm ice cream on the
green? "I don't know what to say" says Tony, to which Lilian replies
"that's what families are for". Are you listening, Jennifer?
Elsewhere, Jim is concerned about Joe. "His
eyes have lost their sparkle" Jim tells Clarrie. That'll be the cider.
Clarrie is worried that he is slipping back to the way he was when they lost
Grange Farm and moved into the high rise. Shoot him now and save time later is
one solution, but Jim has a plan to rescue the Grange Farm orchard from its
present, sorry state and resurrect it as a community orchard. To do this, they
will need Joe's wisdom and experience to tell people what to do. Jim lays it on
– not so much with a trowel, but a shovel – and it works, as Joe shows
glimmerings of enthusiasm.
The fact that the orchard actually belongs to
Oliver Sterling and he lets Ed graze his cows there is dismissed – Jim and Joe
seem confident that Oliver will do the right thing and turn the orchard over to
the community. If you ask him nicely, he might let his house become a halfway
house for criminals nearing the end of their sentences.
And criminals is something that Ambridge has in
abundance. As well as Matt, Susan and Elona's husband, this week saw the return
of Clive Horrobin, arch villain, armed robber and arsonist. Rumours that
Ambridge is twinned with Wormwood Scrubs are unfounded. Yes, Clive has been let
out because of the ailing health of his mother Ivy, who is suffering with
bronchitis and a bad chest. "Chests can go on and on" Clarrie tells
Kathy and all the men listening started thinking of Sabrina Thwaite.
Clive's return throws everyone into a state of
panic – Susan is beside herself and every time the doorbell rings she throws a
wobbler. In the Bull, Bert fills Rhys in on Clive's criminal past. Rhys says
it's just like a cross between a western and the Godfather and is rebuked by
David, who reminds him that "there are still too many victims in the
village".
David also said, when he first learned of Clive's
return, "has the man no shame?" Let's think. Here's a man who staged
a bungled armed raid on the village shop, got six years, came out and committed
a series of burglaries. When George Barford grassed him up, Clive attacked him
(another five years) and, when he came out again, he started attacking horses,
not knowing that George and Christine has sold the stables while he was inside,
and finally torched George's house while Christine was inside. Yup, I too am
surprised that he isn't covered in shame and embarrassment.
Nic and Will keep having heart-to-hearts and
Clarrie tells Will that he is still carrying a torch for Emma (the fool). All
this has made Will think and Nic asks him "What's going on in that head of
yours?" Precious little, Nic, if truth be told. Finally, we learn that
Nic's previous existence must have been completely soulless and a constant
round of unhappiness and despair, as she tells Will "It's wonderful having
you in my life, Will – I've never been happier." You just can't help
feeling sorry for the poor little sod.
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