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

[enochroot]

Ah, thank you R4 and thank you Zero. I had missed that link and am up to speed now, more or less.
Did the affair with Alan come after this? (I'm not dreaming that, am I?)

I love that Usha gave his furniture away!

[R4]

Google tells me that:
Shula and Alistair got together in 1998
Alan didn't come to Ambridge until 2003 and got together with Usha in 2005

I don't think that Shula and Alan got together. They were close friends due to parish duties but nothing more than that.

[trevortrevorslatterfry]

YY to what Lilian said above about Alastair. That episode was total rubbish - very clunky.

I know the Grundies are there partly for light relief but the whole Joe/ferret/lost property clothes thing is getting right on my nerves. Joe/Ed/Eddie are like the flipping Chuckle Brothers at times in this storyline.
I like to see the characters treated as real people, not caricatures.

And for Ed getting into debt. I don't find that realistic either - surely Eddie wouldn't push Ed into it when he's just seen his son come so close to the brink of disaster. And Ed wouldn't be so stupid.

I would just like Ednemmur to get married without incident! Doesn't seem likely though now he's broken their promise to discuss everything.

[R4]

Yes, I'm upset that the SW have done that to Ed.
I don't think that you get a cooling-off period on business finance agreements.

[trevortrevorslatterfry]

No, me neither. I was thinking exactly that whilst listening: distance-selling regulations won't apply.

Thinking of the car-buying process, I guess there's an outside chance he will be turned down for finance by the loan provider

[OhTheAngst]

At some point earlier in this or a previous thread, didn't someone mention the price of 2nd-hand tractors, and how this was out of Ed's reach? Ed needs a tractor to do contract work, so borrowing wd have been his only way, so quite realistic?

Although my heart dropped too when I heard about the new debt.

[trevortrevorslatterfry]

But ohtheangst he had already found a perfectly serviceable one that he could afford without debt!

[TaurielTest]

How much more "Adam's firm hand on Charlie's twitchy joystick" innuendo must we endure?

[TaurielTest]

xpost with florence, sorry - just catching up!
I agree that Eddie might be more sensitive, and Ed more sensible, than to blow the tractor budget in that way. And yes, I can't see sturdy Shula borrowing fragile Elizabeth's dresses either.
Quite interested to see how Richard L works out. Maybe he and Alastair will run away together.

[ppeatfruit]

Phew just caught up with TA and you lot (no time with the family here).

Did anyone notice why Susan was doing a Prunella Scales at Fawlty Gables noticing ferrets ? I must have missed the reason.

Dr ? Locke sounds just like Harrison, I predict that Lizzie nicks him off Shula .

[OhTheAngst]

Must have missed that re affordable tractor (but in the light of the speculation re tractor prices, was it only affordable because sprinkled with Ambridge fairy dust?). (I have skipped a few epis)

Yes, I wondered what Susan was doing, suddenly appearing at FG.

[EBearhug]

Susan was there to give Clarrie her mobile phone, after Clarrie had left it in the dairy.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Shula definitely never had an affair with Alan. They were church chums (she of course was delighted to get a proper man-vicar after Janet ) but then she disapproved of him marrying Usha. Which was a bit rich given that she'd been responsible for Usha's split from Richard.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Besides which, I can't imagine Alan having an affair. He's got more sense.

[EBearhug]

Her disapproval of him marrying Usha was more to do with Usha not being Christian than anything else. I think Usha wasn't too happy about Shula having anything to do with Alan, even just for general vicaring, given her history with Richard.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Sure, that was her reason for disapproval - but IMO it took a heck of a brass neck not to keep that entirely to herself under the circs. Beams and motes, first stones.... (of course that did make it more entertaining)

[ChopperGordino]

I agree with Lilian (comme d'hab) re the alistair/shula/dres scene

[ppeatfruit]

Of course the missing Clarrie, in all senses, thanks ebear. You'd think that she'd have had quite a bit to say about Daphne's escapades, and Joe's fashion sense.

I thought that Roy was very sweetly reasonable about it all! Whether feebs will like the company of ferrets in his house is a moot question.

[LillianGish]

Chopper what's happened to your floral moniker? I almost didn't recognise you there! Waves to chopper.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Roy was incredibly nice about it... maybe he's so lonely he really likes the idea of snuggling up with a ferret. Was he just taking Daphne or the whole business of ferrets. (that's the collective noun, I looked it up. Or a feysning.)

[ChopperGordino]

i fancied a change! and it was related to a conversation about tree surgeons

[GypsyFloss]

Just listening for first time in a little while. Bloody hell Heatherpet sounds like she's forgotten to put her teeth in!

Dr Locke "helped Shula with her IVF"... How much "help" did he give I wonder?

[GypsyFloss]

Argghhhh HP is making me cringe.

I like Helen standing up to Rob, has anything happened to spur this on?

[GypsyFloss]

Git.

[DoctorTwo]

Oooooh, Knob's starting to turn the screws now. Revenge for Hellin standing up to him I reckon. He's going to ramp things up now.