Johnny is currently my favourite character - he's every bit the youth. Wide-eyed, impatient, happy-go-lucky, moody.

Lillian would be at the gas and air herself
And mortified at the lack of facilities at the hospital "There's no bar here darling. How do they get through the day?!"

She'd probably enjoy the effects of it. I had one whiff of it when I was in labour and it was horrible - like being instantly drunk without spending ages imbibing.

Lots of us have commented on Pat's change of character. I am beginning to wonder, if she is heading for a full-scale nervous breakdown. I'm finding it really hard to listen to her now and can only surmise that there is a reason for her falling apart and won't be surprised if she's hospitalised soon. Fingers crossed because she is driving me bonkers.

I suspect Pat's behaviour is part of the 'it'll get worse before it gets better' scenario. And it's not entirely implausible when you think about what the poor woman's been put through in the last few years. There's been nearly losing the dairy business because of the contamination of the yogurts (or was it the ice cream?), finding Johnny and being told they couldn't see him before it all came right, Helen's anorexia, Helen and Tony not speaking for months when she was pregnant with Henry, Helen nearly dying giving birth, Tom leaving Kirsty at the altar, Tom running away to Canada leaving his business in a mess and nearly losing them their organic status, Tony's accident ... It's a wonder the wretched woman is still upright. This can fairly easily be seen as the last straw.

I smell a plot device, part of which was to give Peggy her moment - and btw the fact that she talked sense to Helen this time doesn't mean she's suddenly not sanctimonious, judgemental and narrow minded! I can imagine every member of the family having their moment to shine over the next few months and I wouldn't be surprised if Pat's is in court.

I think that is very insightful. Tony will be the plodding emotionally-sound one, keeping it all together, Tom will save the business, Kirsty will be the practical one and will support Tom, Peggy arch-mumsie and overseer of Spawn, and as you say, both Pat and Helen will come through in court.
They've each to bang a nail into Rob's coffin!

Tangent question: what would happen in terms of the case if Rob were to cark it?
Nothing to do with the stabbing but.... oh I don't know... he visits Lynda's novelty garden and the dodgy chimney cowl comes hurtling down and impales his face onto the pergola.

Happy thought, but where would that leave the case?

You missed out the first-born son dying in a tractor accident, the fiasco of Peggy's will and nearly losing the packing shed when Matt Crawford wanted to convert it into flats or something!

She had something of a breakdown after John died, iirc. She certainly seems to be heading for another one.

It's a good question, and if it happened it would surely be a day of national
celebration.

I suppose the prosecution could proceed without their star witness, if the evidence is strong enough. After all, you don't get the victim giving evidence at murder trials...

I wasn't thinking as far back as John and the tractor, they seem to have been heaping her with troubles over the past few years after quite a long period of nothing very dramatic happening to her. But if they are heading her towards a breakdown I imagine that will figure in it pretty strongly. They did make a point of Helen mentioning his birthday not long ago.

I'll be surprised if they go the full breakdown route though. It's a bit OTT melodramatic with Helen being so flaky.

She had a breakdown when her first son John was killed in a farm accident.It could happen again.

Me too. She's just wallowing in self pity and despite Tony's constant reassurances she just keeps at it again and again, blaming herself and revelling in the negative and doom and gloom scenario.

I thought it was kind of interesting when she was talking about how she always wanted a daughter and how she'd teach her she could be anything she wanted to be and then you see how Helen turned out and I mean prior to Rob

Yes the wallowing has become too much. I shall go spare if I have to hear another of those monologues.
Tony: Lunch is ready Pat, come and have your sandwich.
Pat: No I don't want it. I'm staying here looking at this lone dandelion growing in a crack. It won't survive - it's not in the field with the other dandelions but isolated and wilting. That's what it's like for H-h-helen Tonyyyyyy. All on her own without her family and those horrid prison people mistreating her like pouring weedol and roundup all over myy dandelionnnn!! Booohoooo."

Et cetera.

Just caught up with last weeks episodes. Pat is a prat going to talk to the police without a solicitor. I know she thought she was helping but seriously *face palm* and now we are going to have months of her crying and whining about not being able to see Helen and being a prosecution witness.

Speaking of witnesses, how is Rob allowed to look after Henry if he is a key witness and a very impressionable one at that, he is going to poison Henry's mind against Helen. Ursula is awful as well (and a bully herself).

I did like Peggy's talk to Helen though.

That's what I was wondering. Doesn't seem realistic to me, legally.

Peggy's not going to croak at the motorway services is she?

Echoes of Heatherpet.

BIB We know he's the baddie in all this but Helen hasn't said anything yet so the police and CPS see him as the victim. (Don't they listen to the Archers? )

Pat seems to be looking for opportunities to tell everyone how unfair it is she can't see Helen, and then take it out on the people around her

As soon as I heard them all on about some farm animal giving birth I knew Pat'd have a comment to make about her not being able to be with Helen when she has her baby.

I know things are pretty awful for her now, but I hate the way Pat's stopped thinking rationally. And all that wailing in court was really undignified and unnecessary. The daft bint needs to start exercising a bit of self control

Kirsty *only now* communicating stuff about the helpline to Tom

For goodness sake!! You'd have thought they'd all have had a get-together by now where they went through everything with a fine-tooth comb.

Second reference to Peggy's death in a matter of days. Are they building up to something?

They'd better not be.

Peggy is the star of the show.

She'd better get her will changed asap or Rob will have claim on the house too.

I like Peggy. The actress who plays her, June Spencer, is 96 so we're lucky she's still in it. It would be a shame if they "offed" her before time. Unless, of course, June wants to leave.

Yes I thought that too. One wonders if they are going to give her a low-key exit?
I doubt they would involve her in a big farewell as it's.... well... perhaps rather too realistic for someone her age.

That was commented on at Lakie Hall, too!

Perhaps the relief of Helen being acquitted will finish her off.

Her sterling support for Helen could be her swansong.