17/05/2026

This BBC Podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. You're listening to Sunday's episode of The Archers from BBC Radio 4.

Hi, Carol.

send you to spy on me has she

Ooh, Jill.

No, not Jill. Anna.

No, no, no, not at all.

A likely tale.

Uh can I come in? I just wanted a a chat.

About what?

Felly, byddwn ni'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd. I brought some of Jill's lemon drizzle, if that's any help.

Well why on earth didn't you lead with that?

Ha ha ha.

Well this is a treat. Sunday lunch just you and me.

I know. I feel very slightly guilty leaving the kids, but on the other hand mum and dad are so happy to have them. So come on, how are you doing?

Yeah, good.

Pretty good.

Excellent.

Trying to you know relax.

got a good feeling about this Kirsty. I I know maybe I shouldn't say it. No no

It's lovely.

I think it's gonna happen and I think you're gonna be a really fantastic mum.

Oh, Helen, thank you. I'm trying to be realistic and philosophical and patient and stoic and all these things. But I want this baby. I want it so badly.

You know.

What can you do with that?

Well, I'm not even religious, but I'm just gonna pray.

Yeah.

I saw Amber the other day. A Friday I think it was. Yeah. We were in the pub actually. We were both in the toilet. And she f she felt her baby kick for the first time. Oh wow. Yeah, it was really I just found it so moving. She was literally just saying I don't know if it's the baby moving or not, and then suddenly she just felt this really definite kick.

Amazing.

I was so close to telling her that I was pregnant. Because she was so emotional, you know, and and so thrilled.

When's her baby due?

Oh, I don't know, actually. Autumn, early autumn.

Maybe this baby will set George on the road to respectability.

Well, they're doing this work for the Borchester show that David's hired them for, and that seems to be going well. I think the little family works out for them.

Uh who was having these steak and ale pot?

Oh that's me. Thanks Tracy.

Uh I am I am the sea bass.

Can I get you two anything else?

Uh, no thanks. I'm all good.

Me too. Thanks, Tracy.

Enjoy!

Uh Tracy. Yeah. Keep meaning to ask, do you know who that massive SUV belongs to? The one that's parked on the green all the time, it's gonna make getting into our drive a bit of a nightmare for me if it's always there.

Sorry, you've no idea, Helen.

Well if you happen to spot whoever it is and where they live or who they're visiting, I'd be really grateful if you let me know. Uh yeah, yeah, sure.

How are you getting on with the bat?

Oh the bats and I are getting on very well. You know, I find it quite reassuring to know they're up there, rather like having a lot of little guard dogs.

I'm afraid I can't help noticing that you're not wearing your pendant alarm. Sorry, Carol, but the system won't work, will it, if you don't wear it?

Do you know how I feel wearing that pendant?

No.

Like a cow with a bell around my neck. No no it doesn't jangle, no you can be very literal, Leonard.

Sure.

Now come on, what is this brief chat you wanted?

Oh well, um, I brought a message from Jill. Oh yes. And you know that phrase don't shoot the messenger? Well, go easy on me, won't you?

What did Jill say?

She'd like you to go and take a look at the laurels. Because she heard that Anna wanted you to think about some respite care.

It's all very well Jill telling me to move into the laurels.

Well but she's not telling you to move in. She's asking you to have a look.

It's the same thing.

It's really not. And it's not permanent, is it?

is an entirely unnecessary expense and upheaval.

But Anna just wants a bit of time to make this place. More user friendly.

Well I'm the user, and I don't feel very friendly.

That's not really what it means.

No what user friendly means. I'm not an idiot, Leonard. It was a joke.

Sorry.

Oh, stop apologizing, will you? You're a very apologetic person.

Well, I'm not usually Carol. You just bring it out in me.

Touche. The point is that I don't need to move out for an entire week just so my daughter can throw out half my things.

She just wants to make the house a bit safer.

It seems to involve getting rid of my things. She wanted to get rid of this rug. But I'm very fond of this rug. And I'm very fond of Jill as well. But it's a bit rich for her to send you round here with a lemon drizzle and expect me to do her bidding.

Uh I don't think she does actually expect you to do her bidding.

There's the fact that no one's bundling her off to a care home any time soon.

No one's bundling you either.

And it's not for the want of triumph.

Did you know that the Laurels has had a full reefer?

I did hear something about that.

It looks fantastic.

Appearances aren't everything.

Christine is so happy that

I am not Christine Leonard.

No, of course you're not. You're your own person. Of course you are, but still.

Don't trust me.

But the Laurels has excellent standards of care. I was a volunteer there after my wife died, and the staff are so

Субтитры сделал DimaTorzok

Yeah, but that's not why she died. She was very poorly.

I just don't want to move out of my home in order to d go and die in a strange environment, Leonard.

This is not about dying, Carol. It's about moving out for a week so that someone can come in and fit some grab rails.

Why on earth does it take a week to fit some grab rails? Back again!

Yeah, that's it. I can't stay away. Hi, Leonard. Is that Jill's lemon drizzle?

It is

So I haven't told you my big news.

Not twins.

No, no.

So what what is it? Joking. You're joking.

No, I'm not no. He actually proposed to me.

Amazing. Did you say yes? No.

Of course not. I'm not insane.

Fair enough. Just thought for one moment we were gonna start planning a last minute shotgun wedding.

Yeah.

Is it shotgun wedding even if they propose?

Good question. Maybe not. Well it's usually the in laws leaning on the bloke, isn't it? Mm. Do you think so?

Yeah.

I wouldn't be surprised, you know. Yakov can be quite left field, convict.

Yeah.

Does Kate know yet?

I'm pregnant yeah

Yeah.

What are you gonna tell her? I think Jakob knows.

Yeah, well, I think he's prepared to keep it quiet for now. I mean it's not really his news to tell, is it?

Are you true?

And Kate's in Scotland right now, but I'll tell her in person when she's back.

She'll be delighted for you.

I don't know.

I mean yoga is great for pregnancy.

I know, but enforced yoga

Yeah, true.

I fear she's gonna be out of control.

You have to get Jakob to rein her in. As your baby's uncle, it's kind of his duty.

Mm. X.

Leonard made it.

But it's Jill's recipe. Jill's passed the baking button on to me.

Fair enough.

We've all got to accept our limitations, haven't we?

Speak for yourself.

I wouldn't dream of speaking for you, Carol.

No, no, why would you? You'd just get an earful.

Have you heard the way my daughter speaks about me? Have you heard?

Oh I'm not getting in the middle of this.

You're a wise man.

Uh huh. He's not, actually.

Sorry?

Well, the cake you're eating right now is actually an attempt at bribery.

No that's not quite right.

Yeah.

I'm not the cat's mother. No.

You'll mine them.

Jill asked me to ask Carol to go and look at the laurels.

Ah. No, it's not ah. It's not ah at all.

Anna, Jill heard you were thinking about respite care for your mum.

Forgive me for wanting to be in charge of my own destiny.

But how in charge will you really be if you go and break your heel?

Exactly.

I'm beginning to feel

Yeah.

Did you two plan this?

Absolut inte.

Mum, we're not trying to pincer you but I would love it if you would just have a look.

You might really like it.

Fine, fine, fine.

Well what does that mean?

Let's go, let's go right now. Really? Yes, because that way you'll both stop going on about it.

So when can you move into your house?

I don't know.

Sorry, should I not ask

No, I'm just really tired of it. I just want to be in.

Yeah, cool.

So much going on at the farm, then with moving as well.

Yeah, it's a lot.

Really need someone to do more hours at the dairy. the irony of us making Clary redundant and how we're expanding. But Tracy's turned out to be brilliant. Yeah. Yeah. So I'd like to offer the hours to her, really. Susan.

Susan, yeah.

I think she might feel a bit pushed out.

But you're not getting rid of her, are you?

No, no of course not, but she might think she's due the extra hours.

She's already got another job and she runs the post office for goodness sake.

That's true, but you could say the same about Tracy.

I was everything.

Oh lovely, thanks, Tracy.

Really good, thank you.

Did you want desserts? Fallon's made this very nice eat and mess.

Ooh that sounds great.

Tracy, I'm so sorry to talk shop, but um how would you feel about doing more hours at the deck?

How many more?

I was just this minute saying to Kirsty what a natural artisan you are.

Really?

She was. She really was.

So what do you reckon? Would you be interested? I'm hoping to develop a new cheese this year, so that might be quite exciting.

Can I ever think about it?

Sure, sure, of course. Um we can discuss it when you're next in? Yeah, okay, yeah.

And what about dessert?

Oh, I'll have some of that eat and mess, please, Tracy.

What you are? Nothing for me, thanks. What? Well, I thought she was gonna jump at the offer. I mean, who wouldn't want to be involved in a new cheese?

Okay, here we are.

Indeed,

Well the grounds look fantastic, don't they?

Hm, they do. They really do.

Well, shall we go and have a look?

Oh that's alright, I've seen it enough.

What do you mean?

Well I promised Jill that I'd take a look and I have. But I can see the place from here. Mum. Let's face it. I was never going to move in here, was I?

And I wasn't suggesting that you were. It was just a temporary measure, was I got to

I'd rather burn to death in my own home than spend a single day in this place.

Motherhood doesn't come with a manual. In a world of perfect feeds and curated playdates, it's easy to forget that your instinct is actually your best guide. Some things come naturally, and then there are parts that no one really sees. This Mother's Day, Little Bellies celebrates you and