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

David was so focussed on fire hazard he didn’t think about leaks. I wondered if all the fire precautions meant there would be no fire at the barn, but a fire would start somewhere else (while we were looking for flames at Brookfield). There’s been so much fiery foreshadowing I can’t believe it will come to nothing (like all the rain references before the flood). My money would be on Home Farm to halt the sale (while not completely destroying the house).

I like your thinking LillianG maybe Ruairi will play a part in that? He's an irresponsible pup.
R4 please put me out of my misery and reveal the answer to the crossword clue you posted upthread. Read the history of Bonnie Prince Charlie with my morning coffee but to no avail It's an anagram of 'Geraldine' surely?

Sure it was the question to DDD's answer - yes the anagram

Oh I get it! Thanks Inky hope littlest inkling's teething is better today.

Yes, LilG, I quite agree. It's LOVELY when people keep the same name, makes it so much easier to wander in an out ....

And thank you to Minimammoth for making me splutter over my tea when I thought she said:

"So now we know Lee's a psycho".
Thought I'd missed something there.

I made the same mistake Teeny, and as I hadn't heard the episode I assumed Helen had already been kidnapped by Lee

Looks sternly at Teeny - are you Lady Macbeth as was?

R4 wrote: Hello Pusscat
A while back a friend said l was like Lillian. I took it as a compliment

Read the history of Bonnie Prince Charlie with my morning coffee but to no avail
I didn't say Bonnie Prince Charlie, but you were meant to think along those lines. It was a reference to BL employee and object of Adam's desire, Charlie Thomas, who was banished from Ambridge to (a dire glen in) Scotland.

Thanks R4 for explaining more clearly. I've missed out large chunks of TA over the years inc. Adam's friendship with Charlie (I know now more about the Battle of Culloden instead).

You now know more about The Archers and The 45. Every day's a school day!

Did you notice that Derek Fletcher now has a speaking part? I wonder who will give him a voice?

Lily's line - "I think I know it already" was quite telling, I thought.

She may have been talking about her coursework - or not.......

So, Topher the affable Canadian ice sculptor. Has anyone ever encountered a Topher who pronounced it as Lil'n'Liz did, to rhyme with "offer" rather than "gopher"? Cos I haven't.

I know it's been said before, here or in Mustardland, that there are some very particular weird phrases that pop up much more often in TA scripts than real life. Characters saying "and I you" in reply to something like "I love you" was one, I've heard that in the last week or so.

Anyone got any others to propose? I want to add "any road", which Harrison and Eddie both say much more often than is plausible.

but I did love the gentle scene between Lynda and Will .Sniff! ( in every sense!)
I only twigged in the repeat: Lynda was talking about, in amongst all her other travails, Ed'n'Em letting her down and Will was empathetic and offered excuses for them!!

some very particular weird phrases
Goes without saying: "hello, you two"

I can't comment on that sorry puddock as one who uses 'particular weird phrase's' myself
Stunt bottoms at CSI Ambridge I'm actually looking forward to this year's play unlike previous years, maybe because it's Lynda's last one.

Oh I quite liked Blythe Spirit!

Yes I noticed Wiil defending Ed n Emm too R4 he's finally growing up!

Has anyone ever encountered a Topher who pronounced it as Lil'n'Liz did, to rhyme with "offer" rather than "gopher"? Cos I haven't.

Ooh, ooh, I can answer this one! I know one Topher (a child) and his parents pronounce it to rhyme with "offer". I've never come across it before (is it meant to be short for "Christopher"?), so have no idea how I would expect it to be pronounced.

Me too - I remember him clearly because he was ghastly - the sort of person who delighted in making nervous teenagers feel uncomfortable. We called him Tosser under our breaths and felt very daring.

I think I must be missing something. Keith Horrobin burnt down the Brookfield barn in 2012 (and I am fairly sure the Brookfield barn burnt down years and years ago too, back when Dan was the farmer or maybe just after Phil took over) and it was rebuilt on the insurance. Why would Lynda think that such a very modern indeed barn was remotely mediaeval? It would be all concrete and corrugated iron.

And if the roof is leaking David ought to be straight onto the builders to complain.

I can't find a spare barn on the map on the BBC website.

Oh, and what are they doing about lighting? It would cost a bomb to hire that at Christmas.

Good name, AskingQuestions! I surmise that the answer to this one is that the SWs have forgotten (as I had) that the barn is new. The archivist was retired some years ago because of cuts and has never been replaced. If pressed, I expect the production team would say something like 'Yes, you're thinking of the New Barn, but of course there's also the Old Barn which is a listed building. It's just nobody's ever thought to mention it in the last 67 years.'

They're not very hot on details like this. We've had:

The Cat and Fiddle travelling at will around the village before it was turned into flats and forgotten about
The Vicarage being sold off and replaced with a modern bungalow and then mysteriously turning back into an old building again
The size of Brookfield, Blossom Hill Cottage and the flat over the village shop seem to expand and contract as required

Not that I'm obsessed or anything.

Don’t they have more than one barn?

By that I mean wouldn’t a farmthe size of Brookfield have more than one? I haven’t actually been keeping notes!