Archers thread #114: Bull banished, Bali beaches beckon, bickering bullshitters burgeon

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

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 Gavin to stay around, 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 for all thread title suggestions! I've gone with a B theme which with a bit of luck will seem odd and irrelevant by the end of this thread. Here's hoping, anyway.

Haven't caught up with tonight's episode yet, so off to do that shortly.

jim helped jazzer with his claim...

Like hell would a Board meeting have gone like that. Utter bilge. The farming nonsensical rubbish washes over me as farming is not ma thang, but I know a thing or two about employment law and Company governance and omg someone on the editing team should be shot!

Neil should slap in a constructive dismissal claim right now. To be told casually in his own home about the restructure... to be told it just after being (utterly unprofessionally) asked about Hannah in a Board meeting! ... to be told he was getting a "like it or lump it" pay decrease and massive change in his T&Cs ...

Justin can be added to the "repugnant" characters.

Bah.

Oh wow, I had no idea about the fish theme - but now you point it out! Jess following Jennifer's cucumbery advice with the salmon of doom was memorable.

Maybe it's a landlocked county's reverse version of the Cornish 'never say rabbits' superstition.

Charlie, ahhh, Charlie. He can't be allowed back though, for Ian's sake and the survival of that marriage.

And Xander / Zander, totally. (Did they set up Lexi's name for this very purpose?) But I think his destructive symbolism is for the long term and more about inheritance than marriage - though they could be intertwined.

Did your boss not notice that he was getting married, MollyButton?

Or was that just a really funny typo?

Sorry! Just realised it was your Ex's boss

Reading too fast as usual...

Neil should slap in a constructive dismissal claim right now - YES! The Boards behaviour is appalling.

Wonder what Susan's going to say about it? She seemed strangely unconcerned when Neil suggested he might lose his job.

And why haven't we heard anything from Pip yet, about Josh's situation? (not that I'm particularly agog to hear what she's got to say about it - or anything else really ) but I can't believe she won't seize the opportunity to have a go at him and really put the boot in.

Justin can be added to the "repugnant" characters

He's always been on mine. There were a few comments about Lilian up thread. As characters, Lilian and Justin are both very entertaining. I think they would be awful to know in real life.

Usa is busy with Josh. At least, Ruth said they were waiting to hear back from her

In the episode where the little scrote was arrested, didn't Ruth say Usha 'had found him a lawyer'. Any normal English person would have said 'solicitor', of course; but it does look as if Usha is not directly involved, which probably improves Josh's chances.

She managed to get Freddie into prison by giving seriously bad advice.

Neil should slap in a constructive dismissal claim right now

Yes that whole piece struck me as even more bollocks than usual. Justin knows Hannah's games, even if he wants to keep her for the indoor pigs he doesn't have to promote her to do that. I can't see why they would other than to manoevre Neil into resigning for free.

She managed to get Freddie into prison by giving seriously bad advice.

Freddie thorougly earned his own place in prison via repeatedly drug dealing including the drugs which nearly killed his cousin. It was solely out of greed not need and he cared nothing for the consequences for anyone but himself.

I am HOWLING at all the fishy portents of doom - THIS is why this thread is mustardland’s one true successor for all things archers

Mind

Blown

solicitor is difficult to say through ruth's clenched teeth though.

If they want to add outdoor pigs and divide responsibilities, surely there is absolutely no reason why Neil shouldn't continue in overall charge? They could tell Hannah that she now has responsibility for indoor pigs - and if they want to use the "Like it or lump it" approach could tell her that if she asks for a rise. Total irrationality strikes yet again.

Oh nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

What???

Yes- what? I'm not anywhere I can listen to it.

Ah well, another big wedding, another big disaster...

Poor Gavin.

What are you oh-no-ing about, SSD?

Josh and Vince? Or Gavin?

Or both....?

Who was it who exactly predicted this?

Any misfortune befalling Gavin is good news, but poor Kirsty. Again.

Kelly(?) has dumped and thrown out the grasping bully, so he was straight round to Dad’s new house, with all his bags.

Inevitably he’ll do everything he can to split up the happy couple.

Noluthando was the one who started Freddie on dealing; he did not think of it himself, it was entirely her idea.

As was snatching a pill out of his hand and eating the whole thin in spite of his saying "Don't".

Zero sympathy for her; it was entirely her own idea and not his at all.

In any case what happened to her was no worse than getting drunk at a party and passing out would have been, and while people who sell alcohol to underage drunks ought to be sent to prison they aren't.

Noluthando tried to stop Freddie dealing didn't she?

It's become clear that Neil, while he might be a pig-whisperer extraordinaire, so much so that his grunts are barely distinguishable from those of his charges, is a pretty shit manager.

He's lucky not to be out on his ear.

None of which alters the fact that the way BL & Justin went about it was not exactly best practice.