The Archers

Contemporary drama in a rural setting Writer, Naylah Ahmed Director, Rosemary Watts Editor, Jeremy Howe Jill Archer ….. Patricia Greene David Archer ….. Timothy Bentinck Ruth Archer ….. Felicity Finch Ben Archer ….. Ben Norris Tony Archer ….. David Troughton Pat Archer ….. Patricia Gallimore Brian Aldridge ….. Charles Collingwood Jennifer Aldridge ….. Angela Piper Lilian Bellamy ….. Sunny Ormonde Susan Carter ….. Charlotte Martin Alice Carter ….. Hollie Chapman Alistair Lloyd ….. Michael Lumsden Jim Lloyd ….. John Rowe Adam Macy ….. Andrew Wincott Jazzer McCreary ….. Ryan Kelly Lynda Snell ….. Carole Boyd Peggy Woolley ….. June Spencer Leonard Berry ….. Paul Copley

Lilian arrives at Peggy’s for a cup of tea, but she can’t find anything to say to Peggy, who’s being evasive about her male guest. Her guest will be arriving shortly, so she hurries Lilian out of the house, suggesting they meet next week instead. Alistair confronts Jim; he’s just had Kiki on the phone in tears. He thinks Jim needs to apologise to everyone he’s let down or upset. He confronts Jim about being so distant while he and Fiona were growing up. Jim suggests that if he’s that insufferable, perhaps Alistair should find alternative living arrangements. Lilian meets Tony and Jennifer in the car outside The Dower House. She’s convinced Peggy doesn’t love her anymore and has a new ‘squeeze’. They drive to Peggy’s and see a distinguished-looking man getting into a dark 4X4. After they all start bickering, Lilian tries to patch things up, she needs Jennifer to tell her what happens at the meeting. Jennifer says she’ll have to ask Tony instead. She’s fed up of infighting. She’s not going to the meeting.

Lynda arrives at Greenacres and persuades Jim to let her in. She’s brought him a gift: a folder filled with the speeches that his friends were going to make on his birthday. He takes the folder, throws it in the bin, and leaves. Jazzer wonders if Jim was just embarrassed about walking out on his birthday. Lynda doesn’t think this rudeness is like Jim. Susan stays late after work to help Pat with a delivery of weaners. Johnny, Tony and Tom are out. Susan tells Pat that she had a text from Adam saying they’d be naming their baby after her. Lilian arrives at the farm and discovers Pat and Tony have been invited to Peggy’s meeting too. Their conversation is interrupted when the weaners escape. Lilian has no choice but to help round up the pigs. Lilian tells Susan that the text from Adam and Ian was a prank that clearly wasn’t just sent to family members. Pat tells her it’s just a silly joke. Susan doesn’t think there’s anything funny about it. Lilian tells Pat she has no idea why she’s not been invited. She thinks it’s because Peggy has never liked Justin. Pat thinks Lilian should go and ask Peggy herself. Lilian says Peggy has had ample opportunity to get in contact. She isn’t going to humiliate herself any further.

Alice helps Adam to decorate the baby’s nursery with animal wall stickers. They discuss the difficulties they had on Open Farm Sunday. The punters were less interested in Adam’s aquaponics than he thought they would be. Alice tells Adam about Brian heckling her and the demonstration going wrong. Adam fills Alice in on his skinny dipping challenge with Ian. Alice wonders why she and Lilian haven’t been invited to Peggy’s meeting on Friday. Ben arrives with a challenge for Adam and Ian from Ruairi. He takes both their phones and sends a mystery text. Leonard shows Jill around his bungalow. She’s impressed to discover he used to go out in hot air balloons as a hobby. He shows her to the spare room and says if they ever stay out late she could have it to herself. If she wanted. Later, over lunch, Leonard tells Jill about how nervous he was for their lunch date. He likes Jill a lot. She tells Leonard that she likes him too. Jill arrives back at Brookfield after midnight. Thankfully, Ben’s awake to let her in. He notices that she didn’t sleep over at Leonard’s then. Not tonight, no…

Susan asks Alistair how Jim is doing. She wants to know whether she’ll need to arrange cover for the rest of his shifts this week. Alistair promises he’ll speak to Jim. Later, Alistair and Jazzer decide to confront Jim, but when they go into his room he isn’t there. Susan and Lilian bump into Brian on the village green. He’s pleased to have found some positive articles about Alice’s robot trial for Pryce Baumann. They’re interrupted by a four by four driving past with tinted windows. Peggy is in the car with a silver-haired stranger. Brian calls David to see if he can think of anyone suitable to take on a role in Adam’s aquaponics project. David tells Brian he had an intriguing call from Peggy this morning. Brian did, too. Later, Lilian goes in search of Peggy, but she isn’t with Brian. He wonders if it’s all to do with Friday’s meeting with Jenny and Adam. Lilian hasn’t been told anything about it. Ruth and David discuss the success of Lynda’s barn tours at Open Farm Sunday. Ruth thinks they ought to at least consider renting out the barn. Ruth tells David that Jill will be spending all day at Leonard’s tomorrow. David’s concerned that the next step will be a sleepover…