Is that a ferret in your (Gr)undies or are you just pleased to see me? Discuss The Archers vermin (so many possibilities!) here.

[PseudoBadger]

I'm not sure that ferrets cannot through a thumb sized hole - rats can, and mice can fit through a pen sized hole. But I know the SWs will have researched such a statement carefully

Since SOC is clearly into returning characters, I look forward to the return of Platemeter Sam, Hannah the PigGirl and the strawberry-picker Adam had a fling with, whose name escapes me at the moment.

Oh, and whatshisname who abandoned pregnant Lizzie at a motorway services...

Any more?

With the letter Rob didn't need to fake the franking. All he needed to do was get the letter delivered to him at work, open very carefully, rewrite his own letter using colour photocopy of the letter head, put back in envelope and shove through his own letterbox after Helen had gone out for the day.

Couldn't flipping believe the Fairbrother sprog turning up tonight. TEDIOUS!

Please could someone tell me who the Fairbrother brothers are?

The BBC site has Fairbrother info

Be warned though - contains pictures of the latest Fairbrethren.

Helen may well soon be upduffed by Rob, and while carrying his child, find a payslip with the deductions for the support of the Jess/Rob child.

Simon Gerrard, Debbie's ex-husband. Extremely distinctive voice, though, so I don't expect him to return.

The Lizzie-dumper was Cameron Fraser, possessor of the worst attempt at a Scottish accent I have ever heard.

I'd love to hear Hannah back. She was good. No thanks to Sam!

Then there's HWMNBN. If he comes back I will be very cross indeed.

Thanks for the link, Bore. I'm delighted to see that the BBC has once again employed a properly trained actor to play Rex (RADA in this instance). Who needs riffraff like the untrained actors who played Tom Forrest, Nelson Gabriel and Phil Archer for decade after decade?

Oh yes, Simon Gerrard - was he the one who beat her (and someone else?) up?

Who was the strawberry picker though? Name something like Vlad? Lots of outrage over his accent, whch turned out to be the real thing iirc.

Pavel

Strawberry picker was Pawel, I think.

Accent - you might be thinking of Chaba, who was Hungarian, and had something to do with Brookfield a good few years ago now. IIRC Kirsty had a bit of a thing for him.

Simon Gerrard was the lecherous lecturer who had an affair with Debbie when she was a second year undergraduate at Exeter. She dropped out because of him. Later he re-appeared and she married him, but eventually found out he was a serial adulterer, so divorced him. The split was just before Debbie realised that Brian was the father of Siobhan's baby. She seemed a lot more upset about that than about Simon, which was interesting in an unwholesome way. I do miss Debbie's relationship with Brian. It really was verging on incestuous at times.

Simon Pemberton was the thug who beat her up and had previously hit Shula.

Pavel/Pawel - thanks you two!

Chaba! Yes!

And thanks for sorting out the Simons for me Gaspode. Was Philandering Simon Canadian? I seem to remember a Canadian...?

Yes, Canadian. Genuinely so - ie both actor and character were Canadian.

The other one had a standard RP voice so will probably return before long.

Wow Gasp0de, your Archers knowledge is phenomenal!

Overinfested doesn't even come close, I'm afraid! Sign of having spent far too much time listening to TA and dissecting it on the old BBC boards.

I still reckon there's only one actor doing Charlie, NewTom, NewPip, and now the Fairbrothers . They're all bloody indistinguishable unless by name. Pointless.

I was so hoping that Rex (WTAF?!) would say "we've identified a real gap in the market -there is a turkey operation of sorts around, but apparently the jokers who run it wouldn't know a professional, profitable business if it kicked them up the arse" - and then feel Joe's wrath

I was there too! I tend to remember themes rather than detail though.

Speaking of blasts from the past, how about Jude - he was excellent value. Deeevid and Roooth never did find out that Peep sneaked off for a dirty weekend in Brighton (think was Brighton) with hm, did they?

Also the American girl Ed had a fling with? Wouldn't put it past SOC to bring her back just in time to upset the Grundy nuptials.

Pseudo

It's going to be all-out war by Christmas. The feathers will be flying all right!

It will be a poultry excuse for a comedy storyline!

Didn't Ruth find a ticket for something in the pocket of Pip's jeans or ... She was found out over something around that time.

Having read the Fairbrother recap in the blog I cannot say I remember anything about Elizabeth and Fairbrother Snr. It is entirely possible that I was actually having a life at the time.

Is Tamsin G still performing in London or wherever? Couldn't we stage an intervention and demand her return?

I remember parts of that Farebrother stuff, Zero, but back in those days before i-player I did occasionally miss bits! How lovely to be reminded of Nelson again, though. My favourite Archers character ever.

So are we going to have Elizabeth reviving her affair with Robin at the same time as Shula is going after Dr Locke? That would be incredibly tedious.

I assume the Fairbrethren junior have been brought in partly as love interest for someone. I do hope it isn't Pip, I'm praying for her to be written out for several years as she effs off to farm Canada or whatever it is she's planning.

Is the re-introduction of the Fairbrothers something to do with the Toboggan woman? The 'mystery' surrounding her was never resolved.