When it comes to choosing an Ambridge man of principle and integrity, the name of Eddie Grundy may not be the first to spring to mind. Nevertheless, this week we learn that he has phoned Lynda and resigned from her Mystery Play production as a protest against the way Lynda tossed Clarrie aside after learning that Clarrie had told Sabrina what Lynda had planned for the Easter production. Furthermore, Eddie says that he is not going to resign from appearing in the rival Darrington Easter offering, where he is operating as Lynda’s spy on the inside.
Clarrie is alarmed, as Darrington is Ambridge’s arch-enemy and she fears that the Grundys could be drummed out of the village at best, or lined up against a wall and shot at worst. She pleads with Eddie that she does not need him to fight her battles and please don’t defect to Darrington, but he is adamant – Lynda has crossed a line and has to be taught a lesson that she cannot treat people like this. His mind is made up.
Eddie is not the only one to be muttering about the play – Jazzer, in conversation with Leonard, complains that last night’s rehearsal was a fiasco; with Eddie and Clarrie both gone, Jazzer had nobody to rehearse his scenes with and it was a complete waste of his evening. He told Lynda to get some replacements pronto, and I bet that went down well with Lynda. Jazzer also remarks that Leonard was given a really hard time by Lynda and must be feeling aggrieved.
Leonard, however, appears to have morphed into a doormat, as he not only owns up to being not much good as an actor, but adds that he considers himself fortunate to be working with a director of the calibre of Lynda Snell. Presumably he allows her to flagellate him when rehearsals are over – you can bet that, when he was a lad at school, Leonard was the pupil who had to go round after football practice and collect up all the balls and take down the nets.
The irony of all this is that everybody knows that Leonard isn’t much cop, but Jill has fixed it with Lynda that, if Lynda gives Leonard a speaking part, then she (Jill) will persuade David and Rooooth to let Lynda use the Brookfield kitchen to stage the Annunciation scene. This is news to both David and Rooooth, and they wonder how they will accommodate the actors and the audience. David also observes that he never knew that his mother could be so devious (he and Rooooth are sworn to secrecy). One could make the observation that, for Lynda to agree to such an arrangement, does not show her principles and artistic integrity in a particularly favourable light.
One might also make the point that Leonard seems to have an almost pathetic desire to excel in the Arts – as well as this incident, we cast our minds back to Jill’s birthday, when he painted a picture for Jill; a picture that, going by the comments of most of those who saw it, could only charitably be described as ‘mediocre’.
Although Lynda is sitting at the centre of her web like a spider, she seems to have employed Kirsty as someone to do her dirty work for her – it was Kirsty who told Clarrie that she was sacked and, last week Kirsty sought out Susan for a talk – in private, if she doesn’t mind. Kirsty says that Lynda wants Susan to take over the part of King from Clarrie, and Lynda wants to know Susan’s answer today.
Susan is horrified – Clarrie is her friend; how can she ask her to do something like that? As it turns out, it’s academic, as Clarrie overheard Kirsty’s and Susan’s conversation and she urges Su to go for it; Clarrie cannot imagine anyone better to take over the part. Besides, Clarrie adds, Susan will be better than Clarrie at riding the horse. Susan is stunned – at doing what? It turns out that Lynda wants Susan’s king to make a grand entrance on horseback and, when Susan suggests that she should swap with Lily Pargetter (another king) Lynda won’t hear of it.
Susan admits to Clarrie that she has overheard comments in the shop about Eddie and Darrington, and the two girls say that something needs to be done. The result is that Clarrie, Mia and Poppy resolve to hold a silent protest – they will not speak to Eddie until he breaks all ties with Darrington. In case you are wondering how we learn this, Clarrie informs her husband, as she cannot bear him to look miserable. Au contraire! Eddie replies that he finds the silence and lack of bickering by the girls restful "I could get used to this” he tells Clarrie, and, when she begs him to reconsider, he refuses, saying “Someone has to teach Lynda Snell a lesson.” Yea! Go Eddie!
New mother Alice is still having trouble getting new daughter Martha to breast feed and she wonders whether her daughter doesn’t like her because of her drinking during the pregnancy. Whatever, Martha gets the hang of this feeding lark on Tuesday and an emotional Alice cuddles her and tells her how much she loves her.
This is only part of Alice’s troubles, as she is desperately craving a drink all the time, but is determined not to give in to temptation. Chris doesn’t seem to grasp the strength of the addiction and keeps going on about how well Alice is doing and how she is getting better every day. Not so, says Alice – he doesn’t seem to realise that she will never ‘get better’ – this is not something that you can take a couple of aspirins for and, although she has not had – and is determined not to have – a drink, it is extremely hard for her and she is struggling.
Increasingly desperate, Alice contacts Lisa, her buddy from the detox clinic, to tell her of her anxieties. Lisa assures Alice that her behaviour is perfectly understandable and the only solution is to take things one day at a time. Lisa says she is not just Alice’s buddy for detox, but a buddy for life, and Alice can call her anytime; day or night. Alice is buoyed up by this conversation and, when, on his return from work, Chris apologises for his earlier attitude (he told Alice that it wasn’t easy for him either, having to reassure his wife all the time, while wondering if the drinking had damaged their baby in some way) and he asks if he can get her some help? Alice replies that there is no need – she feels so much better after talking to Lisa; much more in control.
Jazzer and Jim are the heroes of the hour for their parts in delivering Martha in Jim’s car and for getting Alice to hospital, and were even interviewed by a reporter for an article in the Echo. I suppose you could argue that a milkman should be good at making deliveries, but Jazzer is quite proud of his actions and Alice is very grateful, says Tracy.
Someone else who is grateful is Tracy, who goes to see Jazzer in order to thank him. It is easy to forget that Martha is Tracy’s great niece, and Tracy is grateful that the Scotsman was there for Alice. When Tracy gave birth to Chelsea, her first-born, she had to get herself to hospital, as her partner was absent. She was too far gone for an epidural and an emergency meant that she was alone in the ward, with nobody answering her buzzer. The pain, she tells Jazzer was “indescribable” and that men have no idea what women go through. That said, she cannot thank Jazzer enough for just being there and making sure that Alice did not have to suffer her ordeal on her own.
Finally, a brief cameo about family loyalty; David and Rooooth talk about Brian’s suggestion that Brookfield should graze their sheep on Home Farm land. They agree it makes sense, but David has reservations. “Let’s not forget that this is Brian Aldridge we are talking about here – what’s in it for him?” he asks Rooooth. Eventually, he and Rooooth agree to go ahead with the idea, but they must make sure that they have a cast-iron grazing licence in place. I wouldn’t say that they don’t trust Uncle Brian as far as they could throw him, but, when last seen, David was rumoured to be looking for a long – a very long – spoon.
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