Discuss The Archers #107: Beware of the Dragon! Peggy's in her den awaiting bids - who gets the hoard and who gets flamed?

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

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.

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 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3439443-keep-it-to-yourself-the-archers-spoilers-thread-4, 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 to @MrsGrindah for inspiration for the title of this thread. I was hoping to find a way to combine it with @C8H10N4O2's inspired suggestion of '"The Assumption of the Ambridge Angel' and @chemenger's comment 'I hope she gets kicked in the head by a horse and wakes up an atheist', but it all got a bit too lengthy.

Odds on Joe shuffling off this mortal coil before this thread ends? We've been marking/anticipating his passing for a while now.

Actually I didn't find Pip as mean about Josh (and Ben) as her own Mother. Ruth insisted Pip was the future of Brookfield, and when Pip said "and Ben and Josh", Ruth shit her down.
It was very telling and can only lead to strife later.

I wonder if this spectacular clash between Jakob and Kate will result in some Mills and Boon-ish reversal further down the track.

That thought occurred to me too echt. It could lead to an interesting listen, although I'd feel sorry for Jakob. Nobody deserves to be lumped with her.

Oliver sounded really keen to get Tracey on reception (and I loved hearing Lynda's horror!). I'd love to hear the interactions between her and Lynda. Maybe he'll find another job for Freddie, kitchen assistant, or apprentice gardener, for instance.

I wonder if this spectacular clash between Jakob and Kate will result in some Mills and Boon-ish reversal further down the track. Oh, I'm sure it will. There was almost hints of that when Jakob announced his intention to get the vets along there for a corporate de-stressing.

That bit with Oliver bringing in two unqualified hopefuls straight on to the shortlist was ridiculous. And if they appoint one of them, they're opening themselves for discrimination challenges by unsuccessful candidates "I'm a woman with all your necessary requirements, and a few or your "desirables" but I was overlooked in favour of a man - why?" "Oh, because he had [something that wasn't mentioned in the advert]". They'd have no defence!

That was the single most ridiculous episode I have ever listened to.

I’m loving revivified Oliver and his new recruitment policy!

And how cunning of the SWs to lead us into a position where the two chosen candidates are:

a) a man with the highest possible social standing in the area - only in possession of a fatal flaw,

b) a woman from the family with historically the very lowest social standing - personally in possession of nothing but wit and brilliance.

Just hope they do the right thing ...

“I’m loving revivified Oliver and his new recruitment policy!”

But it’s bollocks! Oliver’s been a businessman and a manager for eons! He just wouldn’t do that!

My big concern was that if Oliver is taking more interest in running Grey Gables - does that mean that Kathy's job will "disappear"? And I really hope if they write her out they do so properly - or maybe she could move to Lower Loxley (and find her voice), I think Glynn was only temporary wasn't he?

Tracey should get the job at the Bull - she would be perfect there (except for Lillian wanting to wreck the pub by taking it "upmarket").
Freddies getting at least a part time job at Grey Gables would be a good idea - maybe the other 1/2 of Kirsty's job?
I'm not sure what Oliver is going to do for Ed.

Oliver seems to have come back from Italy far more Philanthropic.

Lynda is 72, apparently. So, no matter how much she sniffs her disapproval, it’s likely that whoever gets the Assistant Receptionist job will pretty soon become Chief Executive Receptionist.

I agree it would be iniquitous for lovely, stupid, still lovely Freddie to be hired ahead of proper candidates with experience. Tracey has presumably had 100 jobs and could handle any eventuality.

Molly, I’m really un-keen on the idea of the working class gobshite being written into a barmaid role! Just too ...

I’d love Freddie working at the Bull. Shame Jolene and Kenton would/could (?) never hire him.

Lynda is 72?!

BBC says so!

Madcats Aren't Kathy and Roy joint managers of Grey Gables? I'm not sure that Freddie OR Tracey would make particularly good receptionists at GG.

Tracey would be a good bouncer though.

I could see Tracy in the health club. Remember how little sympathy Kirsty had with the first world problems of the swimming costume dryer being out of action etc. when she was in the early days of grieving after her miscarriage ... Tracy would be that x100 every day. But I bet she'd actually be ok in front of customers, just make fun of them in private. Notice that when she's with Susan in the shop she never says anything revealing when there are other people there, only when they're alone.

Natasha is on AIBU at the moment.

He booked a crappy "holiday" for us. AIBU to be annoyed?

P.S. I know they are going to Cuba now, but still...

I saw that AIBU thread! Don't blame her being annoyed, although I'd be more than annoyed at the complete waste of £400.

I think the Pub could do with Tracey - she'd probably run it better than Kenton. She did a brilliant job with the Hen Party - whereas he was useless. In fact if she worked there maybe Jolene would see how useless Kenton is and kick him out.
And if she has been working at the Petrol Station she probably has a lot of experience of tricky customers.

(The Bull is going down the pan... was it 2 or 3 customers who walked out yesterday because they couldn't get served?)

Can LL actually employ Freddie without endangering their licence?

Can LL actually employ Freddie without endangering their licence?

On the assumption you mean GG - I wondered that. But then i stopped wondering, because if it suits the scriptwriters to have him working there, there will be some way in which it just isn’t a problem.

Friday is usually a good un. I hope they don't let me down today.
I don't think I've mentioned this for a while but I really don't like Pip.

Oliver always has been philanthropic though.

He and Caroline fostered for a while, he took Ed in when Ed was at his lowest, he rented Grange Farm out to the Grundys and turned a blind eye (ish) to them wrecking the place.

He wouldn't do anything stupid that could majorly damage the business, but an assistant receptionist taken on for a probationary period might give someone a much needed chance.

Does anyone know whether someone who lives on a premises having been arrested but not yet tried nor found guilty for not actually having committed a crime on the premises, ie selling drugs, is in fact reason to remove the alcohol licence from that premises? Over a weekend? Freddie was arrested on Friday evening quite late, and the licence was removed on Monday morning even though he might not have been guilty of the offence for which he was later tried.

I can't help feeling that if a single incident of drugs being found somewhere is enough to lose them their drinks licence it's amazing there is a single licensed premises in the country.

.....if a single incident of drugs being found somewhere is enough to lose them their drinks licence it's amazing there is a single licensed premises in the country

Yes I thought the same Asking not to mention the hypocrisy of it all when a single bottle of vodka can kill someone .

Yes Teen I liked Oliver's slightly misplaced philanthropy when putting Lynda's nose out of joint.

Well that’s just brilliant.