Robbieeeee! It's meee, it's Jessieeee! I've come home. I'm so cold! Let me in-a-your window. The Archers pay homage to Wuthering Heights?

[PseudoBadger]

A new thread in time for the film this morning.

Agree Unitarian

It all seems so false

In a way I don't mind the road story in the sense that it is a bit like big issues most communities face at some time - here it's quarrying.

I lost patience with it really when Simon Williams popped up as Justin in the wake of EB as Carol.

One of the things I've always liked about TA is that you can drop out of listening for quite long periods then pick it up quite easily because of the well known characters and voices. It's the compactness of the community that is so attractive.

Disruptive outsiders are fine so long as they are temporary and ultimately defeated.

Also, in the face of big planning issues one is left feeling powerless and doubting the motivation of local officials. (One of the reasons why I hate the idea of devolving powers to LG.)

Re the planning issue: I've just been filling in a questionnaire about the need to devolve power away from Central Government's 'on high' decision making process with no local accountability( ie decisions made with only lip service to local concerns), to local government, where local concerns should be paramount in any decision making process irrespective of national policy........ however, just walked across an area of outstanding natural beauty in Hampshire, which has just been given the go ahead to be bulldozed for 2000 homes on appeal, despite massive public outcry, local MP outcry and being rejected at first planning application..... where will all the lovely pigs in their arcs go? - It is a stunningly lovely landscape, and the mere thought of it being developed is appallingespecially when there are so many mansions around here with only one or two wealthy inhabitants

Voting Green next time., vote Green emoticon

... er, the point being that you are right Unitarian, there is no logical evidence that local decision making is more beneficial and is probably more likely to be based on no what you know but who you know and can be 'bought' by.....(JE)

This is not the right place for my last comment but in my experience of the lower tier of local govt. there's far less public scrutiny than there is of national govt.
Bringing it back to Ambridge, BL has heavily sponsored the HB so has softened up local landowners (not D&R obviously) and local businessmen.
You can bet your life a lot of money has been flung at the local press as advertising revenue and corporate entertainment, maybe shares bought in the newspaper group. Local councillors and officers will have been lavishly entertained as well, no doubt.
Much the same happens with national government of course but there's a greater chance of shady dealings being exposed and publicised.

Brian might seem sorry but he's still got a large holding in BL and will do very well out of BLs success, contract or no contract. I can't remember if Matt & Lillian still have BL shares.

I couldn't bear last night's episode. Vicky Pollard Fallon being highly irritating again about PC Plot and then another Archer Wilhelm scream due to the bypass.

It was great to have Lils and Ian back though, hope we get to hear more of them. I think we'll know the SW read this thread if one of them references something Lily has mimed said to them

ROFL at the horses on Shula
I am so annoyed at all of it.

Do you think Annabel's husband works for the council? That being how she knew STUFF before Brine did. I suspect I will just not listen to the film tomorrow. I used to be out exercising at that time anyway. Maybe I should reinstate that.

Can someone remind me: wasn't David appointed chairman of SAVE? Has he done anything for SAVE recently or has he spent all his energy plotting to be the rat that leaves the sinking ship?
In fact, has anybody done anything constructive for SAVE?

I am also hugely irritated. I shouted at Jill's aaaeeeeiiiiggggh which was slightly embarrassing because I was in the front garden but, honestly! A long drawn out Oh! would have sufficed.

The whole thing is utterly absurd at the moment. Also, who would buy cakes off someone with no catering qualifications, no interest or experience in making cakes that we've known of (Emma's only skills are helping to put together the Ambridge cookbook aren't they and that was only to spite Nic), AND with hands stinking of paint and linseed oil and wood cleaner. Upcycling and cake making don't strike me as complementary occupations.

Absolutely love vompanion :o

vompanion. Wish I was sill at university when I would have had more call to make frequent use of that

Poor Lynda has probably been singlehandedly trying to drag along the SAVE members as she has done the am dram stuff

And Lindy has been too busy worrying about the sodding panto to worry about the lesser spotted tweaselthrush or whatever it was.

Good point olivia. She's too busy learning the vagina monologues (I still have hope of this)

Hello! I've been on Hol and just managed to catch up on the iplayer then with this thread.
Vompanion . I am presently waiting for my DSS to come in from a Halloween party and I fear that my DH may be pressed into service as vompanion during the night I shall pretend to be asleep

I just googled Simon Williams and was interested to see that he is best known for playing a character called James Bellamy (in Upstairs Downstairs). That could get confusing!

Good spot, Jessie, I'd forgotten that's what the character was called! Forgive me, but from your post I assume you are much too young to have seen Upstairs Downstairs in the 70s. We watched it every week and Simon Williams was definitely one reason why! It was the Downton Abbey of its day. In fact, the parallels are so close that I wonder if Eileen Atkins and Jean Marsh, who created the series, have asked Julian Fellowes for a share of the royalties.

Has Annabel got a husband? My instant reaction was that she hadn't because I thought I could remember Brine sniffing round - till I remembered that the existence of a husband wouldn't necessarily have stopped him.

Mimsy I'm not sure of Jessie's age but think she might also be in forrin parts so might not have seen it on that basis? Apologies Jessie if I've misremembered!

When I was a student freeview and associated digital channels has just come out and they used to show repeats of Upstairs Downstairs during the day. I really enjoyed it but my viewing was somewhat fragmented and hungover

I was born in 73 so am a bit young to have watched UD first time round but I was vaguely aware of my Mum watching it (probably repeats in the 80s). I do recognise Simon Williams from the pics though, he's one of those faces that pops up all over the place on British TV. Petula well remembered that I am not in the UK, but I only moved to Hong Kong 5 years ago, and still manage to watch a lot of British TV via VPN.

Not to stray off topic but I think they did a "reboot" of UD about the same time as Downton Abbey first came out and it got very poor viewing figures.

Yes, that's right. I watched the first episode and wasn't taken with it. Backed the wrong horse there, as I didn't watch DA until I got the first three series in a boxed set for Christmas two years ago. Since then I've been hooked.

So you are just a young thing, then, Jessie. I thought so.

Bluestocking is it ok to say that I tittered like Mutley at your comment
St Smugula has a particularly annoying way of saying "Stead-ee!" which if I was a horse would make me want to stop, drop and roll on her
My own DD horse rides & I can imagine the scene if her old nag fine mare did that!

Mimsy this may be before your time but they showed the 70s adaptation of the Pallisers on BBC3 or BBC4 not long ago during the day so I recorded the whole series and it was great, I really enjoyed it. The digital channels and things like Netflix showing some of the older stuff is really good for those of us who missed it the first time round

New UD was crap I agree. I watch DA but have a love/hate relationship with it

I'm imagining the horse from tangled doing the drop and roll

If it wasn't for this thread I would have stopped listening to the archers weeks ago!!

Oh I meant the horse doing that to Smugula of course, not my own DD.