Are Hilda’s Days Numbered?

June Spencer OBE (Peggy Woolley)

Tuesday was Peggy’s 84^thbirthday and Lilian (who else?) wanted to throw her mother a party. Peggy is still hoping that Chris will soon be leaving The Laurels and coming back to live at the Lodge, but Chris is apprehensive and so far has resisted attempts to get her to the Lodge to view the alterations, which include a downstairs toilet. Lilian has a plan - rather than hold the party at the Dower House as originally planned, why not have it at the Lodge, so that Chris will be forced to view the alterations? Peggy isn’t sure that it will work, but they agree to give it a go.

As it turns out, Chris is appreciative of the work that Peggy has had done, but she is still nervous. Lilian tells Justin that Chris is sitting in the kitchen with Peggy and sobbing quietly - it appears that she tripped over Hilda Ogden’s litter tray and it gave her a fright. And rightly so, as it was Hilda getting under Chris’s feet that caused her to fall in the first place. She tells Peggy that she could never feel safe as long as Hilda is around; a feeling which is probably shared by most of the inhabitants of Ambridge.

Peggy offers to rehome Hilda (we don’t know who the unlucky sod who gets her would be) but Chris says she cannot let her do that. What Chris really wants is to spend some more time (three or four weeks) at The Laurels, but she is worried about the cost. Peggy tells her to stay for as long as she likes - Peggy will pay. Hilda is reprieved and can continue terrorising the fauna and villagers of Ambridge, at least for the time being.

Now I’m sorry, and I know I go on about this regularly, but I simply cannot believe how everyone gives in to Lynda Snell’s every whim. This week’s chief doormat is David Archer - not only has he been railroaded into handing over his barn to host Lynda’s production of the Canterbury Tales, but Lynda ordered him to get it cleaned out. He does so, but it isn’t clean enough for La Snell and she demands that it is done again. She then has hysterics when she sees a rat and demands that David does something about it - if I were him, I’d borrow Hilda for a day or two.

Instead, he gets rid of the nest and says he will set a trap, as if he hasn’t got enough to do on the farm. Even worse, Rooooth complains to Lynda that her part is too much for her and could she do something about reducing it please? Of course she can - she gives the part of Chaucer to David without even consulting him and, instead of telling her to stuff her play and can I have my barn back please? David rolls over and accepts it. What is it with Lynda Snell? Has she got secret files on everyone in the village and blackmails them with threats of exposure? I don’t know how else to explain the hold that she appears to have over her fellow villagers. Is there no-one with the guts to tell her to take a hike? I really, really hope that this is her directorial swansong, as she promised, but somehow I doubt it.

Since her return from Bulgaria, Lexi has been very down, which is worrying a number of people, including Adam and Ian, who are afraid that she doesn’t want to go through with the surrogacy. So worried is Adam that he goes to see Lexi to see if there’s anything they need to talk about. Lexi reassures him that she intends to go through with it, for which Adam is grateful.

Roy, on the other hand, isn’t so fortunate and is at a loss to understand why Lexi is so down - she’s even watching daytime television about Brexit, for heaven’s sake - and he asks what is the matter? Lexi is missing her daughters and tells Roy that, when she is pregnant, she wants to go back to Bulgaria. Not only that, but she cannot see how she and Roy can have a relationship when they are in different countries. Yes, she loves him, but she cannot see a future for the two of them and maybe it would be better if they split up - she doesn’t know what else to do.

Roy is distraught, but accepts that she needs time to sort her head out and agrees that it would be easier if she moved out - he has booked a staff room at Grey Gables, which is strange, as she doesn’t work there. If Lexi is as unhappy as she says, the only solution I can see is for Roy to move to Bulgaria, although he might have a bit of trouble with the language. I do hope they can sort something out, as they deserve a bit of happiness.

Talking of Grey Gables (and I admit that this link is a mite tenuous) Oliver is rattling around like a spare part and he tells Jill that he misses Caroline, especially on these dark, autumn evenings. However, he says that he is going to have an interview, which means that he won’t have so much spare time in the future. Later on in The Bull, he confides in her that she is looking at the pub’s latest part-time barman. He could have got a bar job at Grey Gables, but at The Bull, he will be among friends, rather than a constantly-changing range of clientele. If I were Kenton, I’d make it plain that Oliver is not being employed to chat to his friends and get down in the cellar and change the barrels.

Jill spoke up against Damara’s plans to reduce the number of affordable houses on the new development, but, as she explains to Hannah, it was to no avail as the committee seemed to have made up its mind before the meeting started. Hannah is philosophical.

It wasn’t a good week for Hannah - having been passed over by Tom for his Nuffield trip to Glasgow, she sought solace with Chad. On Friday, Johnny happens to mention Chad - it was another late night for Hannah - but she replies “There’s no-one of that name in my life any more” and she tells him that she is going to find another man and please pass her phone. Tom proved once again that he is as sensitive as a cast-iron sheath, as, having told Hannah that she cannot go with him to Glasgow because Natasha will be there, he asks her for her thoughts on which of three jackets he should wear. Demonstrating considerable forbearance, Hannah asks “so you want my fashion advice so you can pull Natasha?” “Please” Tom replies, seemingly unaware that the atmosphere has suddenly cooled. 

Hannah picks the blue jacket, but Tom is still worried - is it too flash? Are the lapels all right? Hannah is getting very frustrated and Tom says that he knows that he is sad and insecure. “Did I say that?“ Hannah challenges him. No, but I bet she thought it - I did. He wants her advice on which shirt to wear, but she draws the line at that and goes off to get ready for Chad (this was before he was dumped). How (and why) she didn’t slap Tom is a mystery.

The only bright spot for Hannah was when Justin called in to Berrow Farm to see how things are going while Neil is off with a bad back. He is most impressed with the way that she is coping and gives her the go-ahead to buy a £50 piece of kit, telling her that he trusts her judgement. Later on he tells Susan how well Hannah is coping and Susan relays this to Neil. This does not improve his mood any.

Things are not going well at Lower Loxley - Jill tells Oliver that she has tried to talk to Elizabeth, but her daughter has been too busy. For his part, Oliver has been having a few problems with the Hunt Ball, which he is organising and he is surprised that Geraldine has not got back to him. Never mind - he can wait another day or two.

You’ll have to wait a bit longer than that, Oliver old mate, as Geraldine no longer works at Lower Loxley, having walked out last week. Elizabeth is trying valiantly to pick up the slack, with a marked lack of success. We learn this when Lily makes a surprise return to Ambridge, just for the weekend. She runs into Johnny and explains that she is being spontaneous. Johnny asks how is she getting on at Uni, to which Lily replies that the social life is frantic and she’s never had such a good time. Now, either she is taking Russ out in the evenings (no doubt her fellow students wonder why she has brought her dad along) or she is telling Johnny porkies. Perhaps we get nearer to the truth when Lily mentions that she is “hoping to charm a little handout from mum.”

Lily makes her way to Lower Loxley, where Elizabeth is delighted to see her daughter. For her part, Lily notices that there is a pile of unopened mail, plus Elizabeth isn’t looking that great and it appears that the dishwasher hasn’t been used for some time and the fridge is empty of food. Elizabeth admits that she has been finding things difficult “since I had to fire Geraldine.”

Lily is surprised, but Elizabeth explains that Geraldine made a mess of Halloween. Lily tells her mother that she cannot possibly manage on her own and she has to get a manager in - now! Despite the clear evidence to the contrary, Lizzie says that she’s coping OK. However, Lily asks whether Elizabeth has had breakfast or lunch (the answer is ‘no’) and gives her mother ten minutes to sort out her e-mails and join Lily in the kitchen.

The kitchen is a mess and Lily says that she will cook a proper meal of pasta and seafood as Elizabeth obviously hasn’t been eating properly. Elizabeth admits that she has been letting things slip “since Geraldine walked out…” and, tigress-like, Lily pounces on the slip of the tongue. But before she can say anything, the phone rings and Lily answers it - it is Jill, who is surprised and delighted that her granddaughter is home for the weekend - why don’t Lily and Elizabeth pop over to Brookfield for a spot of supper tonight? Lily is keen (it will get her out of cooking) but Elizabeth tells her daughter to tell Jill not tonight, but some other time. Jill asks if everything is OK and Lily replies “yes Grandma - everything’s fine.” I hope she had her fingers crossed at the time.

Sunday last week was the 100^thanniversary of the Armistice and this was celebrated by an afternoon of bell-ringing at St. Stephen’s. This was captained by Chris, as Neil’s back didn’t improve, and was hugely popular with the villagers. Oliver especially was complimentary, telling Shula that he sat and listened for ages in the afternoon and it was a flawless performance. Peggy also compliments Shula, who says that she was pleased with how it went, “but I might feel a bit stiff in the morning.” Hmm - I might just take up bell-ringing.