The Archers

Suspicions rise for Amber, and Ruth ends up with egg on her face.

Leonard is still being spiky with Ruth about perceived insinuations of infirmity due to his age, and when Ruth probes about his mystery rendezvous at the Farm Supplies café she gets nowhere. Leonard has been making Christmas puddings for Stir-up Sunday, under Jill’s supervision, admitting he loves it despite never baking much before. He tells Ruth he’s nipping out again, but when he returns later Ruth waylays him in the yard and puts it to him that she thinks he might be seeing someone else. Leonard reacts badly to the idea he’s having an affair behind Jill’s back. Jill knows all about him meeting up with Connie - and other women too – and is perfectly happy about it, because they have an open relationship. Amber is uneasy about George emailing wedding venues and wanting to go to a wedding fayre. He’s sure her parents will come round to them getting married soon enough, but Amber disagrees, fearing the rest of her family won’t come either if they organise it against her parents’ wishes. Besides, Amber thinks

While driving back Lilian tells Tony how miffed she is that Justin had a better time than her this week. She slept through the only exciting things to happen! Though she did spot a frisson between Helen and Finlay, which Tony missed. Tony reckons transformed Leonie might leave James and Lilian promises to think about challenging him on his behaviour.Kate and Phoebe are doting on baby Peggy before Lilian and Tony arrive. Justin has left them a voucher for afternoon tea at Blackpool Tower Ballroom. Lilian thinks it’s the perfect treat, following in Jack and Peggy’s footsteps from years ago. Brian’s apparently thrilled to share his birthday with the new arrival and Kate promises to behave while staying with Phoebe and Brodie for the next two weeks.Henry is happy to see Helen, who flew back to Birmingham. Henry still thinks there’s something going on between Tom and Kirsty though. He threatens to tell Natasha, before Helen details the pain that Tom and Kirsty still feel over Wren and Henry agrees to try and give

It’s 5.00am and Kate wakes Tony with the news that Phoebe’s in labour, but still in Blackpool. Kate insists on taking the car to be with Phoebe, potentially leaving everyone else stranded at the castle. Helen and Tony, accompanied by Leonie, then have to go and rescue Finlay’s sheep, which have got out through some loose fencing while Finlay’s still at the fire station. They do the best they can in the dark to return the sheep to their field, effecting an emergency repair job on the fencing. Kate then demands the car keys, but Tony points out he’s the only one insured to drive it. He’ll take Kate to the nearest station once they’ve got all the sheep safe, though. Leonie realises one sheep is still missing and finds it halfway up a crag, before steering it back to safety under Tony’s guidance. Leonie’s a bit overwhelmed that she managed to rescue the sheep and save its life, despite James always telling her how useless she is.Alice and Jakob do their best to keep Phoebe calm when she wants to drive up to Scotl

Kirsty helps fractious Tom and Henry at Bridge Farm, getting Henry to talk about his difficulties at school. Tom worries he’s become self-obsessed and boring, getting upset when Kirsty makes light of his concerns. She finds Tom later, who admits having vivid dreams about their stillborn son, Wren, supposing they’d still be together if he’d survived. Kirsty disagrees, but gives distressed Tom a hug, which suspicious Henry sees. Kirsty assures Henry she only hugged Tom because he was upset, asking Henry to try and get on better with him.Having seen round his croft Helen acknowledges that Finlay has a harder time of it as a farmer than her. But Finlay loves it, far preferring his life now, post-divorce, to when he lived in Glasgow. Later, they circle around admitting their feelings for each other, before Finlay’s called away to his other job, as a firefighter. Rueful Helen watches him go.Lilian and Tony go on a whisky distillery tour. Tony has loved every minute of their trip, but Lilian isn’t happy, convinced L

Jakob, Alice, Justin and Natasha are eating breakfast at their B&B, still waiting for a replacement vehicle. Justin and Natasha got happily drunk last night, while Alice likes the views and being so close to the sea. Jakob though is grumpy that they’re still in Blackpool, until Natasha promises to find him a decent cup of coffee. Alice goes upstairs to see Phoebe, who’s fretting over Kate insisting on being with her for the birth. Phoebe doesn’t want Kate taking over and pushing Brodie out of the way, so Alice agrees they’ll talk to Kate about waiting until after the birth.Later, while eating ice-cream on the pier with Justin, Natasha remembers her bipolar father, who insisted on taking her for ice-cream in all weathers. Natasha feels that she and Tom make a good balanced couple, then moans about him texting to complain about Henry. Jakob then calls with the news they finally have a replacement vehicle, before going into an amusement arcade to try and win a soft toy, where he’s spotted by Alice and Phoebe

Lilian’s upset that the other people-carrier, driven by Jakob, was left behind at the Services and has now broken down. Tony and Helen assume they’ll catch up later, while Kate and Ruairi are sleeping in the back. Then Justin phones, explaining they’re being towed to Blackpool before a replacement is found. The others: Alice, Natasha, Phoebe and Jakob, seem okay with this, he tells Lilian, though he’ll catch a train home. But as Lilian arrives at the spectacular castle she insists Justin’s got to come! Leonie greets Lilian et al with news that they’re staying in the stable block, not the castle - and James isn’t coming. Hazel’s not there yet either. Helen discovers they’ll be sleeping in bunk beds, while Tony points out they’ve got some of the wrong luggage, before going for a river walk with Helen. They meet Finlay, a local crofter, who lends Tony his fishing gear, while Helen is very taken with him and his dog, Dash. Leonie tells Lilian that James never wanted to come, hinting that they live pretty separate

Tom gives Tony copious instructions about what needs doing while he and Natasha are away in Scotland on Peggy’s family holiday. At the Dower House Jakob is packing the people carriers with luggage, before Lilian heads to Bridge Farm, where she finds Tony complaining about Tom’s excessive notes. If Tom’s so worried about letting go, Lilian suggests, then he should stay and let Tony go to Scotland instead. As Peggy’s only son Tony should be going anyway, as specified in Peggy’s will. Tony isn’t sure, but Lilian insists she wants to spend some quality time with Tony while they still have the chance. To Tom’s horror Tony agrees to go, explaining it’s not just for Lilian, it’s what Peggy wanted. Tom and Natasha quickly realise this means one of them will have to stay. Tom thinks it should be Natasha, but she points out she’s organised everything to cover her absence, whereas Tom hasn’t really sorted his side out – and she is not missing out on this holiday! Later, Tony apologises to Tom, before explaining what Tom

Rex and Phoebe watch while the Adviser inspects the beaver enclosure. When Kate messages that she wants to join them Phoebe admits she’s finding it hard dealing with Kate, before the Adviser beckons Rex over. Later, Rex tells Phoebe and Kate that the underwater grilles need reinforcement before getting approval. It’ll put the release back several weeks, meaning Phoebe will miss it. Kate’s surprised by how upset Phoebe is, wondering if everything’s all right? Kate then gives grateful Phoebe a pep talk, saying she’ll be a better mother than Kate was. And best of all, Kate promises to stay with Phoebe and Brodie until the baby arrives. Phoebe covers that she’s over the moon.Amber tells George about her mother’s privileged upbringing and how everyone comes up short in her estimation. Bill arrives for lunch, casually mentioning Amber’s mother can’t make it, before heading to the bar. Amber knew her mother would find something more important to do than making things right with her daughter. George tries to carry th

At the Rewilding Phoebe tells Rex about the regime of walks and yoga Kate is subjecting her to. Rex is excited about the imminent arrival of the beavers, so long as their enclosure is given the seal of approval tomorrow. Rex gives Phoebe a tour of the enclosure, explaining what went into its construction. Phoebe tries to tease out of Rex the details of Peggy’s art installation, before Kate arrives with a bobble hat she’s knitted for Phoebe. Kate then passes on news that Hazel will be joining them on holiday, but Brian won’t, due to his gout. Kate frets over pregnant Phoebe getting too close to the beavers, before going off to see Kirsty, leaving Phoebe to apologise for her mum being even more “Kate” than usual. Having forgotten her lunch Amber returns to 1 The Green to find George half-dressed and trying to persuade her to have sex. They’re interrupted by Amber’s dad, Bill, ringing at the door to pass on some post. George invites him in and Amber is shocked to discover George went to see Bill yesterday, but

Pip’s happy to hear that Ruth and Leonard have made up. Despite her denials though, it’s clear Ruth’s still suspicious Leonard’s up to something behind Jill’s back. Ruth then tells Joy and Susan she liked how convenient it was when they were doing deliveries. Alan has asked to speak to Susan however, which sounds a bit ominous. Later, Susan reports back that Alan told her the shop needs to move on from St Stephens, after the spate of recent incidents. Susan is in despair, but Joy suggests going properly mobile, after what Ruth said, only they’d need something bigger than Susan’s car to do it. George asks Will for a lift to the car dealership owned by Amber’s dad. He hasn’t told Amber, but George is going to try and heal the rift with her parents. Will cautions him to be on his best behaviour and not expect too much. George reckons it has to be sorted before she’ll agree to marry him. At the showroom with Amber’s dad George pretends to be a customer before admitting he’s come to ask for approval of his relatio

Joy tries her best to talk Susan out of resigning from the Shop, eventually persuading Susan to talk to George before making a final decision. Susan then finds George with Amber on the Green and tells him about her decision to resign. George insists she mustn’t resign. He really appreciates her willingness to sacrifice something she loves for his sake, though. He then brings up her and Neil shopping him to the police, plus the engagement ring Susan gave Amber before Neil insisted on taking it back. George says he’s okay with Susan, but he still sees Neil as the enemy. Lilian tells Joy that Phoebe’s arriving from Scotland today and Kate is beyond excited, though Lilian hates the idea of being called a great-great-aunt. Joy then receives a text from Susan, wanting to meet later. When Susan turns up at The Bull Joy is delighted to hear she won’t be resigning after all and has at least partially reconnected with George. George takes Amber to a cocktail bar, insists on paying, but won’t tell her how he got the mo

Kate drags Jakob out shopping for esoteric items to help Phoebe in the final stages of her pregnancy, then defends Jakob’s slow driving to impatient Lilian on the way home. Moving on to how stressful the situation at Home Farm is for Brian, Kate gets irritated with Jakob for suggesting Spiritual Home could go down the pan as well. Both Lilian and Brian have bought expensive, bulky presents for the new baby to take up to Scotland, but Kate insists they’ll all be travelling together in the people carriers, even if space is tight. George mithers to Will about not having enough to do, apart from cooking and housework, before Amber arrives, clearly unimpressed he’s not made any progress getting a job. George admits to Will he’s worried that he’s not living up to Amber’s expectations. Amber thinks George should be braving things at the Village Shop, showing people he’s not ashamed. George wants paid work though, outside Ambridge, so he can make a fresh start and provide for her. Will can see how flat George really

Having helped Pip prepare the cows’ winter housing at Brookfield tired Leonard nearly falls over, before going inside to make a phone call. Pip tells Ruth she’s worried Leonard might be overdoing it, helping out while the others are busy at Meadow Farm. It’s so easy to forget how old he is. Ruth agrees and says she’ll have a quiet word with Leonard. But when Ruth catches the end of Leonard’s phone call, then teases about hearing him mention a “little secret”, he gets prickly, agreeing tersely that he’ll be sure not to do too much from now on. Later, Ruth mentions being intrigued by Leonard’s “little secret” to Pip, who tells her bluntly not to be so nosey. Susan compliments Alan on the Remembrance Day service, but he punctures her mood by passing on a complaint from a shop customer, before telling Susan he’s starting to lose patience himself. Jakob, likewise, grudgingly passes on a customer query before Susan tells Alan the shop isn’t really her concern now. She’s handed in her resignation, due to the shop

Unsettled Esme answers a call from Susan, who apologises for the disturbance at yesterday’s funeral. Esme accepts the apology, but cuts Susan off when Ruth and David arrive. Seeing the state she’s in Ruth pulls Esme into a hug. Esme blames herself for letting her dad down, despite David and Ruth’s reassurances. Esme then announces she’s decided to take the farm on, as her dad would have wanted. She doesn’t mean permanently, but she’ll keep it a going concern before selling the herd and business on to the next tenant. David and Ruth pledge their support, while Esme offers to use what money she has to make it work. Between themselves David and Ruth aren’t sure how realistic this is, agreeing they’ll keep an eye on Esme.Susan tells Neil that Brian, Lilian and Mick, plus some of the volunteers, have complained about George working in the shop. The shop committee have summoned Susan to an emergency meeting, though Susan is defiant about keeping George on. Neil thinks she might have to back down or risk losing ever

Alice calls on Chris to retrieve a forgotten scarf of Martha’s. Chris apologises again for last night’s firework incident, but Alice assures him all’s well and not to give it another thought. Martha had a lovely time and can’t stop talking about it – and she likes Chris’s friend too. They chat briefly about the upcoming trip to Scotland before Chris tells Alice the friend is Carly. Last night was a completely casual thing, she just dropped in. He then admits Carly stayed the night. Alice takes this in, insisting it’s not her business who Chris sees and he doesn’t need to explain. When he continues to over-share Alice asks him not to go on about it. She’s sure Carly’s a nice person. Chris assures Alice he won’t see Carly while Alice is in Scotland; it’ll be all about Martha. It's the day of Esme’s dad’s funeral and she’s pleasantly surprised at the turnout. She thought people might have forgotten him; he was a bit of a recluse in his later years. Alan assures her they will give him a good send off. Ruth and Da

Tom and Helen wonder if Mick will help out with cover at Bridge Farm. After some initial hesitation, and having established he doesn’t need farming expertise, Mick says he’ll give it a try. What are neighbours for? Once in the packhouse Mick finds it all a bit daunting. It’s draughty, and there’s a lot of veg boxes to shift. However, he does a good job and Tom gives Helen a glowing report. When Tom offers Mick the cash for today, Mick refuses. He’s sorry but this work isn’t for him. Having assured him there are no hard feelings Tom gives Helen the bad news. They’re back to square one.Carly finishes work early, and Chris invites her over to watch fireworks in the garden with Martha. Carly arrives with a gift for Martha. They’re both happy their friendship isn’t proving awkward – they agree what they had was a long time ago. There’s a moment, and Chris apologises for flirting. Carly’s cool with it. They’re enjoying the fireworks with Martha when the wind catches the homemade firework stand and it topples, sendi

Tom and Helen worry over whether to employ George. Alice interrupts them with a question about the Scotland trip. Chris has agreed to have Martha, so Alice is now looking forward to joining the party. She confirms with Tom his offer to drive one of the vehicles. Alice detects their quiet mood and knows something’s up. Helen tells her they’re struggling to find cover on the farm, and Tom admits they’re considering George. Alice reassures them – she honestly doesn’t mind, if they think George is the best person for the job. Helen’s relieved; they don’t want Alice upset. Alice assures them she’s fine, though others might not be quite so sanguine about it. Helen’s not convinced, telling Tom they’ll have to think again. Tom spots Mick and has an idea.Apprehensive George turns up for his first day at the shop, admitting how nervous he is. Susan tells Alan she’s shaking like a leaf, though he reassures her it doesn’t show. George prepares to serve his first customer, Mick. However, Mick refuses to buy from him. Susa

Over-bright Henry teases Helen and Tom mercilessly about their fragile state. As they gingerly drink their coffee, Helen wonders what they were thinking – though they do agree it was a good night. They turn their attention to arranging cover for when they’re on the big family holiday. With Will and others busy, Tom acknowledges ruefully that it’s causing a lot of upheaval. Helen wonders again whether the boys could possibly come on the trip but they soon discount it as not an option. Helen can’t lie to their schools. Henry confirms later that he really doesn’t want to go. It will give them all a bit of space; he and Jack will have a good time being spoiled by Pat and Tony. He also suggests George might be an option for covering the work at Bridge Farm.There’s an awkward encounter between George and Susan at the church shop. Susan sighs as George quietly buys his goods and leaves. To Susan’s surprise he returns minutes later on the pretext of having forgotten something. He wonders whether the shop still needs

Helen goes further than she meant to, and Jolene plays matchmaker.