Fast falls the eventide for Joe Grundy, the darkness deepens for Ed - will he be fenced in or is there still time for acts of pennants? Abide with us and discuss The Archers, thread #104!

[GabrielleNelson]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads and @DadDadDad for being our resident statistician and keeping the ball rolling when Pseudo stepped back a bit and more recently when someone forgot they had promised to start the next thread, ahem.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed. We don't all agree on all points and most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you'd like to be Susan's best friend or other unusual views.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please. We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the weeknight episodes, but we do try our best to avoid cross-contamination from this thread, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

For newer listeners, lurkers or those who just have no idea what we're talking about, DadDadDad has created this useful thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3557323-For-Archers-fans-a-guide-to-acronyms-on-the-long-running-discussion-threads-and-any-other-meta-thread-questions-you-may-have BOOP point for him! (See thread for explanation.)

Thanks also to LillianGish for the splendid thread title. As actor Edward Kelsey died last month, we have probably heard Joe Grundy for the last time, or will do very shortly. RIP Mr Kelsey; many thanks for creating a wonderfully vivid character, gnarly toenails and all.

As pointed out on the last thread, we're getting very close now to the 100th birthday of June Spencer, who plays Peggy Woolley. What an achievement! I hope the team manage to squeeze Peggy into that day's episode, come what may.

at today’s prices he’ll need an awful lot more of them even for a basic funeral.

Surely the residents of ambridge can weave a willow casket, to be borne up to the green burial site (or whatever it's called) by Bartelby?

@EBearhug - can you “live post” it for us?

For the love of God, can we have curtains for this tedious bunting story line?! Done. To. Death. I don't CARE about it.

But we made such a fuss about it when it was stolen, and then nothing happened. I feel we can hardly complain now...

OTOH it has gone on a bit. The denoument had better be worth the wait it won't be.

And it's taking up so much time, so there's no room for the storylines I had been hoping for.

Hurrah! Continuity told us that the bunting denouement is tomorrow.

Top news, R4. Thank you. And maybe it's just me - I must have missed the start of the bunting saga. Either that, or it just passed me by. I don't remember how it all started. It wasn't anything to do with the Clarrie & Lynda's llamas incident, was it? Actually - don't answer that. If it's about to go away then who cares?

I found myself rather missing Tiger today as I did a spot of gardening #randommusings.

I think the writers are indulging us about the stolen bunting. There was so much moaning about the unfinished SL that I think we have to go along with it. I just let it wash over me but I am relieved the end is nigh

I can't remember the bunting disappearing.

Bellaisoneluckywoman No, it was way before the llamas (which I think was at Fallon's hen night last year?). Emma mentioned today that they made new bunting at her hen night, which I can't really remember but that would place the bunting disappearance in 2015.

My prediction is that the bunting thief is Not Human...

Obviously I didn't live post, but Cara and Nicola were fab, and Charlotte Martin was brilliant, and we went back for a drink afterwards, and my cousins really enjoyed it, too.

It was Eccles.

Any advance on the following?

Bunting and related crime wave Suspects (non-human):

Hilda Ogden
Eccles the Lonesome Peacock
Monty the Muntjac (probably not responsible for the eggs)
Somebody's parakeet (Noakes fanily pet?)
Ferrets
A random corvid

Excluded on grounds of secure accommodation:

The Montbelliards
Gem and Bartleby
Peppa Pig
Salieri

One of the birds of prey from LL?

I totally understood you captain ** I just had a moment of glum shock horror as I thought the next or current generation don't even have squatting or van/caravan options as easily available and I couldn't let it pass with commenting.

I am jealous of your Hay visit, EBearhug.

JazzersMaw
I do recall - possibly about 20 years ago, now, but probably not as long as that really - Joe handing over his ‘funeral fund’ to Clarrie and Eddie because of some crisis, which was the result of some misdeed/scam/bright idea of Eddie’s. I recall them trying to decline the offer, or at least making the right noises, but I think they took it in the end.

More recently, in April, 2009, Ed needed £2,000 to get a business plan drawn up so he could allow Oliver to let him have the land and cattle to farm, rent free for the land and very reduced prices for the cows.

Joe lent him that amount from Joe's funeral fund.

Ed paid it back a year or so later.

So unless Joe has been spending again since, he can afford his funeral at least!

Excluded on grounds of secure accommodation:

The Montbelliards
Gem and Bartleby
Peppa Pig
Salieri

Aren’t they excluded by reason of not being able to reach up to the hanging baskets?

I’ve said in another place that the bunting thief is likely to be equipped with wings. Though the egg thing is weird - and surely not a feline thing?

I’m also very envious EBear! I remember ‘The Bull’ after the first AA conference. (And so wanted to present a paper at the next one. Ridiculously, since then I’ve become re-attached to an academic institution - and am now too harassed and stressed to ever manage a repeat visit.)

Joe put on his very, very best ancient codger voice when he lent Eddie that money. It was a bit heartbreaking. I’ve been praying he’d squirrelled away an unexpectedly huge amount - but then, why wouldn’t he have helped out Mia Ned when the were driven to food bank use?

Sorry - lent Ed that money!

Joe and his ancient codger voice is/was so funny. Great acting from Edward (sadly I can’t drag up a surname ). I see the latest dumdeedum podcast is up - discussion of Nat’s return. So that’s what I’m going to do for the next wee while before bed! Good night, all.

ADarkandStormy - I thought you'd just gone on a flight of fancy with your last two eliminated suspects, until I remembered that Peppa and Salieri are animals in Ambridge, rather than you saying you were ruling out an annoying cartoon character with a fondness for puddles and a rival to Mozart who's been dead over two hundred years.

Magpies steal both eggs and glittery stuff, though I doubt they'd clean out a roadside egg stall with no mess.

Ah ...

Going back upthread, having now listened to it, I thought Jill (who I do find regularly quite annoying) was pretty laid back towards Liberty. I think the writers are having a little joke with her name as it sounded there was a fair bit of taking liberties going on!