[lotty27]

Originally Posted by Hankshaw

I'm sorry but why do the job centre need to investigate anything? It's got nothing to do with the Job Centre why he was sacked from his last job. Or quit. That's surely between the employer and employee. It's the JC's responsiblity to get him money to live on and find him job interviews.

To stamp out the people who don't want to work I suppose and deliberately get themselves sacked (I can't imagine there are many people like this but everyone is tarred with the same brush!) Benefits department find out from the employer what it was that caused him to get sacked. You can be penalised for being fired by them withholding or reducing any benefits. They certainly don't make it easy nowadays do they? I think the only ones who are doing well out of benefits are the ones who have tonnes of kids who we're always reading about in the papers who of course give everyone on benefits a bad name.


And I forgot to say above: Adam Barton should p!ss off to London with his sister. The way he went on with Holly was a disgrace and Moira just stood there letting him I cannot stand the sight of that boy now. And my, haven't they got Ma Barton looking dowdy nowadays? Where's the push up bra and short skirts with which she seduced Cain?

And Cain's on Cameron's case I thought he'd sussed them out when he asked Moron where his sister was he replied that she was still away getting pampered etc. Oh yeah, she's getting 'pampered' alright

[evole]

Originally Posted by Hankshaw

To suggest to their millions of viewers that they didn't need to work would get soaps a lot of criticism.

Benefits don't exist in soap land.

Seriously? You have a welfare state, but you pretend it doesn't exist!?

Funny, here in the US, we don't have a welfare state , but pretend we do!

[Gwen_PYC]

Originally Posted by Aida

The thing is, Ashley shouldn't be desperate and in need - if his bishop had simply accepted his resignation without exploring any of the issues which had made him feel as if he had no other choice, he - Ashley - would be due some kind of pension due to his length of service in the church which would possibly include a lump sum.

How many times you, I and others pointed this out? The idea that Ashley's superiors and fellow priests would just let him resign and walk out into the wilderness is beyond ridiculous. Being a priest is not like an ordinary job where you resign when you feel. It is a vocation, not a job. During the ordination ceremony, priests prostrate themselves i.e. lie face down on the ground in front of the altar. This symbolizes their supplication to God, the Church, and their parishioners. It is an intense life changing moment.

Then of course, there is the financial issue. Ashley has been a priest for over 20 years, he would a substantial settlement coming from the church. It is disheartening to see how ED has twisted Ashley's character and story.

[valtimmy]

[quote]

Originally Posted by Aida

You're both right - it's appalling the way some benefits officers behave toward people, many of whom are not actually there by choice - and even worse that soaps portray those in need of aid as 'dishonest and untrustworthy' when what they are is desperate.

The thing is, Ashley shouldn't be desperate and in need - if his bishop had simply accepted his resignation without exploring any of the issues which had made him feel as if he had no other choice, he - Ashley - would be due some kind of pension due to his length of service in the church which would possibly include a lump sum.

I shall stop now - I've said all this before, haven't I?

I suppose I'm just resentful that this horrible storyline has proved to be the final straw and led me to abandon 'Emmerdale' after all those years of devotion to it! [/QUOTE]

I agree with you Aida and it is not just the Ashley s/l that is getting on my nerves. It is the Chas and Cameron affair. I find that I just cannot watch this anymore.
I really hate Chas now and feel really sorry for Debbie. Debbie needs Cameron especially now in her condition. I feel I have to switch off like you Aida.

[peaches41]

Originally Posted by Charenton

Nowhere to sleep, nothing to eat, no money, why hasn't Ashley been down the benefits office? There are millions of people in this country living the life of Riley on benefits.

Not pensioners aren't.

[lillabet]

Originally Posted by Gwen_PYC

How many times you, I and others pointed this out? The idea that Ashley's superiors and fellow priests would just let him resign and walk out into the wilderness is beyond ridiculous. Being a priest is not like an ordinary job where you resign when you feel. It is a vocation, not a job. During the ordination ceremony, priests prostrate themselves i.e. lie face down on the ground in front of the altar. This symbolizes their supplication to God, the Church, and their parishioners. It is an intense life changing moment.

Then of course, there is the financial issue. Ashley has been a priest for over 20 years, he would a substantial settlement coming from the church. It is disheartening to see how ED has twisted Ashley's character and story.

I totally agree with you, and the idea that he would be homeless and penniless is ridiculous, he and his family, would have been offered counselling from the church, he would probably have gone to a retreat for a while, safe in the knowledge that the church would look after his family.

[djfunnyman]

I'm staying until the anniversary , but if Laurel and Moron get together I'm out

[barrowgirl]

couldn't agree more about the comments re Ashley and the church.Of course they wouldn't just disown him !! they are in the business of salvation and repentence, and as others have said, he'd have been offered a retreat and counselling to help him.He wouldn't be homeless.
It's ludicrous the way E,, have ommited this from their storyline.At one point I thought it was going to end with another suicide in the village with Ashley - God forbid ! if you'll pardon the pun.
Laurel has turned into a money grubbing monster with no compassion and convenient amnesia of all he's done for her and what they've been though.And of course her own "sin " with Marlon.
When is the outrageous character transformations going to stop ? probably when the viewers vote with their remotes.

[Gwen_PYC]

The other unbelievable thing is that none of Ashley's parishioners have stood up for him and given Laurel a tongue lashing. Priests are always beloved by a large swath of their congregation, usually the older women active in the church who are devoted to him or her. Ashley should have a gaggle of older women forgive him and are determined to care for him, put Laurel in her place, and make sure that he has access to his children.

I have got to let this go, but it really ticks me off. I really am sick of Emmerdale. I was rooting for Chas and Cameron to get together, but now realize that this is a hopeless cause. I only watching when I know that Gennie and Nikhil will be on now. I watch the show to be entertained. It is not worth it to watch something that annoys me. This should make the people who always go on about "why do you watch a show that you don't like" happy.

[Hankshaw]

Diane would stick up for him. And being co-landlady she'd be in a position to tell others to wind their necks in. But she's conveniently out of the picture.

An insult to the character. An insult to the church. An insult to those who care or support those who care for the elderly.

[crunchie crisp]

Originally Posted by barrowgirl

couldn't agree more about the comments re Ashley and the church.Of course they wouldn't just disown him !! they are in the business of salvation and repentence, and as others have said, he'd have been offered a retreat and counselling to help him.He wouldn't be homeless.
It's ludicrous the way E,, have ommited this from their storyline.At one point I thought it was going to end with another suicide in the village with Ashley - God forbid ! if you'll pardon the pun.
Laurel has turned into a money grubbing monster with no compassion and convenient amnesia of all he's done for her and what they've been though.And of course her own "sin " with Marlon.
When is the outrageous character transformations going to stop ? probably when the viewers vote with their remotes.

I do agree that Laurel has been a rotten biatch in this storyline, though I would like to ask the poster one question. What exactly has Ashley done for Laurel? Would that be when he listened to her and supported her when a nutter who was obsessed with her husband tried to kill her. No Ashley took the side of the mad Sally Spode , he took her side to such an extent that his wife left him.
I do not believe that Laurel has ever fully forgiven Ashley for that episode

[sheepiefarm]

With regards to Ashley & the church - it may well be that when Ashley resigned he refused any offers of help - it would tie in with this notion that his pride is getting in the way of him seeking help.
However, if that is the case, then it would have been better and made the narrative flow more fluently if this had been made clearer at the time.

This, for me, is the problem with the storyline - it's become far too heavy narratively in it's desire to put Ashley into degradating positions and hasn't spent enough time bringing insight & depth to the character.
It just leaps on from one humiliating set of circumstances to the next without allowing the viewer to keep up with the character.
Although maybe I'm just not getting the nuances of the story!

[valtimmy]

Originally Posted by sheepiefarm

With regards to Ashley & the church - it may well be that when Ashley resigned he refused any offers of help - it would tie in with this notion that his pride is getting in the way of him seeking help.
However, if that is the case, then it would have been better and made the narrative flow more fluently if this had been made clearer at the time.

This, for me, is the problem with the storyline - it's become far too heavy narratively in it's desire to put Ashley into degradating positions and hasn't spent enough time bringing insight & depth to the character.
It just leaps on from one humiliating set of circumstances to the next without allowing the viewer to keep up with the character.
Although maybe I'm just not getting the nuances of the story!

I agree Sheepie with all you have said.

[maisymoo]

For Ash, things have sunk this far...

http://s10.postimage.org/ujx456ei1/ashlaur.png

[barrowgirl]

Maisie moo

Just to answer Crunchiecrisp- I agree I thought Ashleys behaviour over the Sally s fiasco was awful.And frustrating to watch too .I just think they have been through so much together with losing a child etc that Laurel wouldn't be SO enthusiastically saying it's over cos you hit your dad ,I don't love you anymore .We all know real life emotions are much harder and not as clear cut as that .Plus the villagers have caught it too (we're expected to believe ) after all the messes they themsleves have made ? unrealistic that they would all condemn him too.

[Aida]

Originally Posted by crunchie crisp

I do agree that Laurel has been a rotten biatch in this storyline, though I would like to ask the poster one question. What exactly has Ashley done for Laurel? Would that be when he listened to her and supported her when a nutter who was obsessed with her husband tried to kill her. No Ashley took the side of the mad Sally Spode , he took her side to such an extent that his wife left him.
I do not believe that Laurel has ever fully forgiven Ashley for that episode

This is an excellent point, CC - but the nutter in question - brilliantly played by Sian Reeves incidentally - was one of the finest examples of a creative psychopath I've ever seen on-screen. If I remember correctly, she - 'Sally' was so skilled at lying, deceit and fabricating convincing 'stories' in the blink of an eye, she fooled the bishop into suspending her husband and sending him off on a compulsory 'retreat'. Poor 'Ashley', who recalled her only as a pleasant companion of his youth and former girlfriend, had no defences against her guile, because in those days, his character was allowed to practice Christian tenets like trying to see the good in others.

It was 'Sally' who fostered his fears that Laurel was acting 'oddly' because she was still struggling with coming to terms with her grief over the loss of 'Daniel' and the sudden arrival in the family of 'Arthur' who, if I remember correctly, she took a long time to get close to.

It wasn't as if the only person 'Sally Spode' fooled was 'Ashley' - she managed to make almost everyone in the village care about her - apart from 'Laurel' (of course) and 'Nicola'

In discussing my views on this, I'm not for a moment suggesting that 'Ashley' didn't make any mistakes - he did - but I still felt that he was more 'sinned against than sinning' and he paid a dreadful price for his misplaced trust!

Originally Posted by sheepiefarm

With regards to Ashley & the church - it may well be that when Ashley resigned he refused any offers of help - it would tie in with this notion that his pride is getting in the way of him seeking help.
However, if that is the case, then it would have been better and made the narrative flow more fluently if this had been made clearer at the time.

This, for me, is the problem with the storyline - it's become far too heavy narratively in it's desire to put Ashley into degradating positions and hasn't spent enough time bringing insight & depth to the character.
It just leaps on from one humiliating set of circumstances to the next without allowing the viewer to keep up with the character.
Although maybe I'm just not getting the nuances of the story!

Bib: Me neither, Sheepie, the nuances are eluding me completely. I still feel that the story went haywire for me when Ashley went off to see the bishop - he was deeply ashamed and repentant about what he'd done.
Any spiritual adviser worth his salt would have easily been able to persuade him to accept help via individual and family counselling or retreat followed by counselling to work toward forgiveness and possibly re-stabilising the family.

Originally Posted by barrowgirl

Maisie moo

Just to answer Crunchiecrisp- I agree I thought Ashleys behaviour over the Sally s fiasco was awful.And frustrating to watch too .I just think they have been through so much together with losing a child etc that Laurel wouldn't be SO enthusiastically saying it's over cos you hit your dad ,I don't love you anymore .We all know real life emotions are much harder and not as clear cut as that .Plus the villagers have caught it too (we're expected to believe ) after all the messes they themsleves have made ? unrealistic that they would all condemn him too.

You make excellent points too, barrowgirl - and I feel much the same as you do! I'm especially disappointed in 'Edna' - the 'Edna' I , and many other viewers have come to love over the years, would never have acted in such an un-Christian manner.

[crunchie crisp]

I agree Ashley was fooled very well by Sally. However the fact hat he allowed himself to be convinced by her ( a pleasant companion of his youth and former girlfriend) rather than his life partner and mother of his child. was what was so unforgiveable. No one has yet answered what Ashley has done for Laurel?

The writing in this storyline has been so disgraceful and as far from a realistic turn of events. This makes me question the sanity of the writers who expect regular viewers to fall for this piece of carp.

I also do not subscribe to the Ashley love on this thread, he posters here seem to believe that Ashley being a vicar is a caring and beatific person, when he has always been a rather arrogant and uncaring person with no empathy to others. His treatment of his father and Sam being the prime example of this .

[dobby's bludger]

when did ashley have anything to do with sam dingle?

[pegasus2]

Originally Posted by crunchie crisp

I agree Ashley was fooled very well by Sally. However the fact hat he allowed himself to be convinced by her ( a pleasant companion of his youth and former girlfriend) rather than his life partner and mother of his child. was what was so unforgiveable. No one has yet answered what Ashley has done for Laurel?

The writing in this storyline has been so disgraceful and as far from a realistic turn of events. This makes me question the sanity of the writers who expect regular viewers to fall for this piece of carp.

I also do not subscribe to the Ashley love on this thread, he posters here seem to believe that Ashley being a vicar is a caring and beatific person, when he has always been a rather arrogant and uncaring person with no empathy to others. His treatment of his father and Sam being the prime example of this .

Ashley has had a bit of a past, remember he was involved with the lovely Louise at one time but I just cannot accept this current storyline. Laurel and he have had far too much torment in their lives (Daniel, Sally Spode) for her to be now so dismissive of their marriage. Yes, I would be horrified if my husband did such a thing, but I would need to sit down with him and talk to him rationally about what caused his action, especially as it was so out of character, but of course Laurel has guilt issues of her own.

[tinkie]

Originally Posted by dobby's bludger

when did ashley have anything to do with sam dingle?

I am racking my brains with this one as well

[valtimmy]

Originally Posted by tinkie

I am racking my brains with this one as well

Perhaps cruncie crisp will explain for us!

[lotty27]

Originally Posted by pegasus2

Ashley has had a bit of a past, remember he was involved with the lovely Louise at one time but I just cannot accept this current storyline. Laurel and he have had far too much torment in their lives (Daniel, Sally Spode) for her to be now so dismissive of their marriage. Yes, I would be horrified if my husband did such a thing, but I would need to sit down with him and talk to him rationally about what caused his action, especially as it was so out of character, but of course Laurel has guilt issues of her own.

BIB: might be easier to list who wasn't involved with the lovely Louise


I agree with your post though, you can't switch your feelings on and off which just makes me even more certain that she never loved him when she gave up her great love (insert vomit smilie) of Moron. In fact, I said this moons ago but most peeps didn't agree, I think that underneath that calm and seemingly forgiving exterior she's never really forgiven him for old Sally and resentment has been festering away whether she realised it or not. That's the only conclusion I can come to for her coldness now.


EDIT: And I can't recall what Ashley did to Sam either?!?!


EDIT2: And I can think of one HUGE thing that Ashley did for Laurel - he got their son back when she was so depressed she was going to let him go with that other family. It was ASHLEY who fought to get Arthur back. That's a biggie to me. And of course for someone who used to dress like a bee, was liked but not really taken seriously in the village, he gave her standing and respect in the community when he married her.

[pegasus2]

Originally Posted by dobby's bludger

when did ashley have anything to do with sam dingle?

Something to do with Alice's death and his not taking the funeral service?

[tinkie]

Don't forget it is on tonight at 6.45

[lotty27]

Originally Posted by pegasus2

Something to do with Alice's death and his not taking the funeral service?

Just like he wouldn't officiate at Jackson's funeral for the same reasons though? Although it was a long time ago and I'm struggling to remember, I doubt he was nasty to Sam about it (although I'm happy to be corrected.) He wasn't nasty to Hazel and Aaron though they chose to take offence. He didn't stop the funerals happening, just wouldn't conduct the service which is fair enough to me if it conflicts with his own beliefs.