The Archers #96: Is that a rat I smell or the whiff of Snell? In Chaucer’s famous Tale of Two Torsos, Brian’s ‘still got it’ and Poldark is searching for scything opportunities in Susan’s kitchen.

[NotdeadyetBOING]

Welcome..... I'd concocted a longer title with all sorts of references to bitch stitching and pasta bakes, but was thwarted by the pesky character limit

witch apparently chocolate can kill them too. (I know none in mince pies, just mentioning for general public information).

Yes I knew about chocolate, it’s the theobromine I think.

I don’t think I’ve heard an indoor school mentioned. Home Farm and Bridge Farm must have barns as well.

Interesting, apparently grapes have the same effect. (I was wondering if the toxin was concentrated by drying.)

I would have thought that maybe it was the quantity of mince pie rather than the consumption of any raisins at all that was the problem? (Not a vet - just musing: we had a lab who used to gorge on fallen pears from our tree in the autumn if we weren’t very swift in collecting them, and twice needed veterinary attention 😳)

Apparently it only takes 6 raisins per kilo of body weight.

😱

leads prayer circle for Bess's swift recovery

How do we think David will react to this disaster? Will he be kind and sympathetic to the distraught Ben, or will he blame Ben for not being with Bess 24/7 and thus giving Jill the chance to let her into the kitchen and lock her in with the mince pies? I'm assuming that Ben was at college when the incident happened but we all know David will blame Josh and Ben for anything...

The Chaucer spectacular clearly needs to be put on in the church.

Or possibly at Lower Lesley but my moneys on the church.

My aunts cav puppy ate half a Christmas cake once. You know when people say sick as a dog.....nearly killed him but he survived.

Blooming auto correct!

Can I just say the nose from Bess is so realistic that my dog is looking about for the injured dog

I couldn’t believe Jill & Shula forgot about the dog when they went out. We have 2 dogs and the larger is constantly scanning the kitchen counters. He left muddy footprints on the worktop last week when he checked out the fruit bowl.

My childhood dachshund ate half a Christmas cake. In 1968 we had no idea raisins were harmful. He looked fat and uncomfortable for a while but no other I'll effects. Today, he'd be rushed to the vet. Before the chocolate thing was widely known I used to save the chocolates I didn't like from boxes to put worming tablets in. The dog would swallow them whole. I don't know how they survived.

I couldn’t believe Jill & Shula forgot about the dog when they went out.
It's not Shula's home so she is excused - she would be operating on the old understanding that a sheepdog is a working animal, not a pet, so wouldn't have even guessed that the kitchen would be harbouring a mincepie-hoover. And I'm not surprised that Jill forgot a mere dog when she seems to have forgotten that she has a second daughter.

I think she was out of sight because Jill had given her a treat under the table. And then she was rushing.

If Jill's mince pies are anything like mine they'll have some alcohol in them, which can't be good for dogs either. (though the mincemeat is heated on a low oven).

I'm feeling sorry for Al. I don't reckon that Shula will find anyone better.

So Natasha has 'dug' her way into Pat and Tony's affections!

Not really relevant as it's about a cat but one day my mumhad baked a Dundee cake. While we out of the room, the cat ate all the almonds off the top of the cake. At first my mum accused me of the crime but I was innocent.

The Silvery Blimey ! I never known a cat eat nuts! We've got too many and they would turn their noses up at nuts. (our bird table is constantly emptied by dogs though!) Our gate is broken and we get nocturnal hungry , or greedy!, dogs eating the seeds and nuts.

Lizzie is refusing to talk to her R4. Jill has tried. She's taken casseroles round.

How are you cooking your mince pies, ppeat?! Mine go in a hot oven to cook the pastry.

We had a childhood cat that stole wrapped chocolates from the Christmas tree, also to no apparent ill effect!

My dog has eaten loads of chocolate, mince pies, packets of butter etc. He's an utter fiend. You can't turn your back for a second. Now that I know it's bad for dogs I'm much more rigorous but when he was young my distress was more that he'd eaten MY mince pie. He's never really been the worse for any of his transgressions. Did I read somewhere that only some dogs are allergic or affected? Is that true?

In my googling last night it said they didn’t know what the killer substance was and that it might be a mycotoxin. In which case it may that only some raisins are affected, perhaps?

In my experience, dogs have no sense whatsoever when it comes to food 🥧🍨🍷🐕

Cats are much more discerning - and sensible 🍗 🥗🥩😸

My young Patterdale ate the Christmas cake last year. Only discovered at 11pm, so after googling took him to the out of hours vet. His treatment was pretty much the same as Bess’s, with the possible exception that it cost £900 - £190 had to be paid over the phone before they would even see him. Thankfully he is insured, but I was shocked at how quickly the out of hours costs racked up.

I’m finding Jill’s spoiling of Bess quite believable; as a farmer’s ex wife I know a number of retired wives who are quite soppy in later life.