The Archers BBC Radio 4

Chelsea and Ben prepare for their D-Day performance, dressed in authentic costume. Ben carefully asks Chelsea if she’s ok about doing this play with him, and she agrees. Ben also fills Chelsea in on Freddie and Vince’s discovery last night.
Chelsea does Fallon’s hair and Fallon’s amazed at how much she looks like her Great Aunt in her photo. Chelsea jokes about how much Harrison will fancy Fallon in her vintage look, and admits that she’d like to fall in love, before sharing that it’s weird that everyone knows about what happened between her and Ben – but doing this play has actually been good for them both.
Joy tells Emma about Mick’s work at Grey Gables, and the issue of his motorhome, and Emma complains about snobbery. They share a joke with Harrison, before Lynda introduces her short play performance - a promenade piece. Ben performs as a young soldier, writing a letter home to his beloved before their wedding, in which he dreams about their life together after the war. Then there’s a playful hair-washing scene between Pearl (Chelsea) and Connie (Fallon), which takes a sad turn.
An emotional Emma and Joy congratulate Chelsea and discuss the story – the soldier was killed the day before starting leave to get married, and it was all a true story. Chelsea finds Ben to say well done. Meanwhile, Fallon marvels at how Lynda wrote the play in a day and tells Harrison that she can’t imagine what she’d do if he died. Harrison comforts Fallon and jokingly reassures her he’s not going anywhere.

George admits to Emma that he’s keen to forget about his recent heroism, and she agrees not to go on about it. Emma was really worried about George going down a bad path, but now she knows it was just a phase. Emma saw Lilian and wonders whether Alice will be sacked from the Stables for negligence. Ed and Emma talk disparagingly, but guilty George tries to find out more about Alice, admitting he feels a bit sorry for her.
Ed and Emma’s luck seems to be in – there’s an offer of work from a more established tree surgeon, and thanks to George, Bartleby has been asked to lead the County Show livestock parade on Sunday. Ed also sees an email from an Echo journalist who wants to interview George about the car accident. But George has already said no, and Emma offers to email her back. Ed doesn’t get it, but Emma tells him to leave it.
Vince plans to do some detective work following the sacking of Jason. Freddie wants to come along on a stakeout and wins Vince round by offering his more low-key car. They chat about Nigel - Vince wonders whether Nigel would like him. Freddie pays Vince a backhanded compliment in response.
Vince can’t believe his eyes – it’s Markie, the guy involved in the dog attack on Kenton and who then intimidated Jolene. Vince suggests they take his number plate, and some photos, to show to the police. But Freddie takes the initiative and gets out of the car to approach Markie, under cover as someone buying meat.

At Grey Gables, Oliver wonders why confused Mick is behind reception – clearly the rota has gone awry, and Oliver misses Roy. Mick needs to smarten up and Lily rebukes him following a complaint from a guest about a comment he made.
Joy phones the hotel as she’s found some expensive missing glasses at the shop belonging to a guest. Mick’s concerned about Joy being back working in the shop, with her arm still in a sling, and surprises Joy with news he’s bought a motor home. Oliver collects the glasses, and some shoe polish for Mick, who will also need to move his motor home from the hotel’s staff car park.
Jakob identifies another horse with Strangles and worried Lilian needs to find some crucial paperwork, but can’t ask Alice again – who swears she filled it in. Can Lilian be confident Alice wasn’t drinking while at work? Lilian doesn’t know, and Jakob feels naïve for being taken in by Alice about her drinking. Oliver wonders how this Strangles issue could have happened and whether it’s human error.
Joy visits Mick in his motor home, which doesn’t look ideal. Joy wants to apologise for how she reacted at her surprise party. Mick knows he shouldn’t have looked through Joy’s address book, and Joy asks that they just agree to keep some things private. Mick explains why he kept his new job at Grey Gables secret, and Joy admits that there are some personal things of her own that she can’t talk about. Mick understands and Joy asks him for a hug.

Vince calls Jason and Freddie into his office and confronts Jason who seems totally oblivious to what’s up. So Vince comes out with it – Jason has been stealing meat and selling it on. Jason vehemently denies it. But Freddie encourages Jason to just come clean and he might keep his job. Later, Vince wonders why Freddie looks so miserable – he did well, causing Jason to tell all. Freddie’s sad that Vince has sacked Jason anyway and explains that Jason was stealing to fund a ski trip for his kids. Vince lacks sympathy.
It’s Harrison’s birthday and for a moment his and Fallon’s recent problems seem far away as they share a joke, and he marvels at the results of Fallon’s baking frenzy last night. They admit they didn’t sleep well – Harrison is on the sofa – and agree it’s time to stop this. Harrison loves his presents, especially a book of poetry, and wishes he’d booked the day off work. Lynda has asked Fallon to be in her play, inspired by Fallon’s Great Aunt. As Fallon and Harrison have hardly been talking recently, Harrison realises he knew nothing about the real-life story.
Fallon has a surprise for Harrison, but when he nervously suspects it’s a party he persuaded Fallon to reveal all - it’s a private cinema screening at the Brookfield Barn of his favourite film – Footloose. Harrison laughs – that’s not his favourite film! Fallon’s confused and wants to try and change it, but after some awkwardness Harrison jokes and they agree to watch it anyway, before sharing a tender “I love you”.

Lynda can’t stop thinking about the piece of writing by Fallon’s Great Aunt, about the soldier who died. Lynda wants to write something herself for the D-Day event. A short drama perhaps? She comes up with three characters and considers Chelsea and Ben to feature. She’ll ask Fallon to play her own Great Aunt but worries about Fallon. Robert tells Lynda to just ask Fallon what she thinks about the idea, but Lynda wants to just get something written and then check.
Lost in her work, Lynda asks Robert to deputise as Chair at today’s cricket, and to also ask Ben and Chelsea to pop over after the match against Loxley Barrett.
Freddie shares the latest with Chelsea from his stakeout over the stolen meat. Freddie feels bad about the thief, Jason – a nice guy with two kids to feed. Vince is dealing with the situation tomorrow, and Jason has no idea of what’s coming. Harrison turns up to gee up the players and Freddie and Chelsea tease him about his upcoming 39th birthday.
Chelsea delivers a great catch to complete the win, before Ben shares Lynda’s request and they head over to Ambridge Hall to find out more.
Meanwhile, Lynda asks Robert to read her work and be brutally honest. Robert is spellbound – it’s the best thing Lynda has ever written. Lynda’s delighted, but then suddenly panics about casting Ben and Chelsea as tragic lovers, remembering their own history. Ben and Chelsea arrive, as Robert reassures Lynda to just let them read it, and to have faith.

Writer: Sarah Hehir
Director: Pip Swallow
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Ben Archer… Ben Norris
Jolene Archer…. Buffy Davis
Pat Archer…. Patricia Gallimore
Harrison Burns…. James Cartwright
Lilian Bellamy… Sunny Ormonde
Vince Casey…. Tony Turner
George Grundy…. Angus Stobie
Jakob Hakansson…. Paul Venables
Chelsea Horrobin…. Madeleine Leslay
Tracy Horrobin…. Susie Riddell
Freddie Pargetter…. Toby Laurence
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
Lynda Snell… Carole Boyd
Robert Snell…. Michael Bertenshaw
Oliver Sterling…. Michael Cochrane
Jason Burntwood…. Ian Conningham