Male or female, young or old - Bad Stuff can happen to you in The Archers. Discuss the perils of Ambridge life here.

[PseudoBadger]

Not exactly upbeat at the moment is it

I would have enjoyed the farming if only Pip's delivery didn't sound almost deliberately "off". It almost hurt my ears.

I was glad Peggy told Lillian what's what. I'm no Peggy fan, but she occasionally gets it spot on (although it wasn't as good as her 'when it suits you dear' to Kate in reference to her being Phoebe's mum, that's my favourite)

I'm not a fan of Peggy and think Lillian's affair is none of her business. She made it clear that she was mostly concerned about how it reflected on her. Lillian's nearly 70. Where was Peggy's 'motherly concern' when Lillian was abandoned by Matt?

I am, however, hugely enjoying Lynda's winding up of Eddie in the guise of Harriet Vane

I think Linda winding Eddie up is funny. But I hate the fact that we are being invited to collude in the mocking of Eddie because we know who Harriet Vane is and Eddie doesn't. Working class characters as "rude mechanicals" again.

I'm willing to bet a large percentage of The Archers audience has no idea who Harriet Vane is. It's not like Keri chose to use (say) Elizabeth Bennet as the name Eddie wouldn't recognise. Sayers is not universally known and loved. I'd hazard a guess that about half of the regulars on this thread didn't recognise it. Anyone like to confirm this one way or the other?

I suppose I should say that I did recognise the name, but in the next breath I have to add that I am not at all keen on Lord Peter Wimsey. On the old BBC Archers messageboard, aka Mustardland, this was akin to saying all kittens should be drowned at birth.

I didn't get the reference. Had to look it up.

Actually I hate Lynda's intellectual snobbery. She can be so kind when she wants to be.

I loved the Dorothy Sayers books as a teen. They repeat the adaptions on Radio 4 Extra from time to time.

I never liked the books - knew who she was but had to google to remind myself iyswim

I like Lynda for the fact she has her flaws but can be so kind. No one is perfect.

I recognised Harriet's name.
I'm wondering if Eddie would/should recognise Lynda's mobile number. Are we going to have a comedic moment when they are stood near to each other and Eddie texts Harriet, only to have Lynda's phone beep and the penny drops. Oh, how we will laugh.

I don't think it makes a blind bit of difference what the would-be guest is called. It makes sense that Lynda would choose a fictional character that she is familiar with but doesn't ring any immediate bells with the majority of the population. Eddie deserves everything he gets. His schemes never seem to come at any great cost to him personally.

Ps. We don't know that it is Lynda yet! Might be Jim or Robert.

I have no sympathy for Eddie either. I didnt recognise the name at all.

No, I didn't get the reference and still don't (although I got that it was Lynda). Sometimes I feel like there's a bit of intellectual snobbery in Archers writing with things like this and Blythe Spirit (which I also didn't know) and the like. It feels like th script writers are showing off how clever they are.

I see nothing wrong in Eddie trying to earn some money by renting out a room

But he is very wrong to have done it against clarries wishes and making her do all of the work

I recognised the name Harriet Vane immediately and knew it to be a fictional character. Pretty sure I've never read the books or watched any tv adaptations so no idea how I knew it. If I'd made a guess I'd have thought the love interest in a superhero film 😀

I knew that Harriet Vane was a fictional character from roughly the forties, but I didn't know which book she was in, or which author invented her.

And not just a room anti, their room!

Ffs Ducking Pipsqueak and Tobes.

Pure - you've probably heard it on radio 4!

I'm wondering if Eddie would/should recognise Lynda's mobile number

I would not recognise any one's number. I did get the Harriet Vane reference.

After the wonderfully acted, heart wrenching Kirsty episode last night, we get 10 minutes of bloody Pip tonight!

For gaspodes stats, the name Harriet Vane rang a bell but I had to Google.

Lynda rings Eddie frequently about shepherds' huts and the like so I would expect her to be a named contact on Eddie's phone.

She could have 2 mobiles. I have a work mobile and personal one. If I called friends and family on the work phone the number would not be recognised and clients would not recognise the personal one.

If she wanted to be really pretentious she could have been Mrs Dalloway.

Hasn't Harriet Vane been on the telly?