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

Hang on, have you all heard this Canterbury Tales performance? Have I missed it somehow? Was it not broadcast on FM radio?

I don't have a home computer, just my trusty (quite primitive) smartphone!

It's on the iPlayer app!

It was on R4 on Saturday at 2.30pm (iirc). And is on iPlayer now. Part II next weekend.

Confess on listening to the Omnibus edition I was a bit deflated that the taunts of a potential Xmas day dinner, 13 diner showdown, at Brookfield together with Ben being potentially at deaths door, led to nothing. But accept it's good in a weaning off the expectation of explosive drama kind of way..?

Thanks for the baton, BOING! Plenty of people I might want to tap sharply on the head with it at present, starting with Kate if she returns (which I'm increasingly doubtful she will).

Did Helen lose her nerve tonight? Or did she just assume that Lee wasn't coming?

But Lee was seen racing out wasn't he? Presumably in pursuit of Hellin.

They will have a midnight snogathon, mark my words.

Happy New Year, you lovely lot

Racing into The Bull, I thought, a few minutes too late to catch Helen.

Happy New Year to one and all!

Ah, right. I'm sure he'll catch up with her before long though

Well volunteered, Bittermints. I prefer the idea of people volunteering than being nominated.

Great title, LilG.

My late mum had 4 kids, like Jenny. I can't imagine her moving out of our (bought) council house to facilitate the vanity project of one of her adult kids.

Jenny chose to play the martyr rather than kicking Kate into line. No sympathy here.

witch - I prefer volunteers, but the problem was volunteers have been a bit a shy. Hopefully, Bitter's example will start a trend. Anyway...

Happy New Year!

Some stats fresh out of the oven for those who like them:

In 2018, we started 13 threads in this chain of Archers threads, one more than 2017.

We made a total of 12,770 posts in 2018.

This picture shows how the posting rate compared with previous years. We had one spike back in February - can you remember why?

2019 is a big year: 100th thread in a few months' time, then the 100,000th post later in the year. I wonder what we can ask MNHQ to award this time. We got this for 50,000 posts -->

Was February Nic's death?

Didn't Brenda marry someone rich? Perhaps she's the mystery buyer.

Happy New Year one and all!

May 2019 bring us lots of drama and satisfying resolutions.

And Kate leaving forever!

Deepan - yes, although what got posters going was not just the shock of her death, but also a row about revealing her death in a thread title.

I love LillianGish's suggested thread title but I did wonder if Thread No97 should make a reference to 97 year old Joe Grundy - we won't get the chance again!

Moving on up (Ed and Emmur), Moving on out (Brian and Jenny), Time to break free (Lily from Russ with a bit of luck), Nothing can stop The Archers in 2019 - Thread 97 (which also happens to be Joe Grundy’s age)

Loving it, LilianG.

Anyone else finding Carol's whiny voice insufferable?

HNY! Who is Carol?

I had been hoping that Fairbrother senior (Anthony Head) was going to move into Home Farm, so I am disappointed by the Gills.

Never since Mr Bingley moved into Netherfield Hall has there been so much speculation as to the identity of a newcomer.

I'll never understand rich people who buy houses in the middle of someone else's land and business. Rich people who buy houses with land and privacy, yes. Rich people who buy houses in cities, yes. Rich people who buy houses in the countryside but completely overlooked by someone else - what are you doing?! I have an extended family member who has a similar set up: lovely house in gorgeous countryside surroundings, a few fields around ... with two other smaller residential properties (former labourers' houses, I think) owned by strangers literally across a small yard looking in to their living room window. Why would you do that if you had the money to buy anywhere?!

Gill is a Sikh name? Not listened as abroad. Are they Sikh?

Oh I too would so like it to have been Senior Fairbrother who had bought it. Would have been nice to swoon while listening to The Archers.

Happy New Year everyone!
I thought Tom had bought Natasha some sexy underwear and didn’t really want to tell his gran that, but matching tattoos sounds more likely. I’m afraid I did enjoy him telling his mum to mind her own business.