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

979 replies

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 13/01/2020 21:48

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

Archers 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. Grin

Archers 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!

Archers 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.

OP posts:
echt · 14/01/2020 20:44

Another compare and contrast episode, this time advertising. Hard to believe that David doesn't get that you have to actually approach the punters to sell your wares, and as for getting four or five bookings for summer, don't people plan this things? Though possibly there's money to be made out of being a slightly cheaper and more available venue?

And as for the Bull, Lillian said it was just a name change and the pub would stay the same. So what's the point? Justin later said the same and Lillian said she had great plans for it. Talk about confused, although I'm not sure if it's crap writing or reflects the genuine state of mind of the characters.

MereDintofPandiculation · 14/01/2020 22:27

I doubt Peggy would know that Hilda Ogden's husband was called Stan. I don't see why not. She can't have watched it less than I have, and I recognise the name Stan Ogden.

nettie434 · 14/01/2020 22:29

Thanks for the new thread Gasp0detheW0nderD0g and for the directions DadDadDad. Congratulations to SonSonSon. Thanks for tidying up the old thread too MereDintofPandiculation.

I couldn’t help imagining Ruth and Dayveed completing that task on The Apprentice where the teams go to an exhibition/trade fair. I don’t think just handing out some leaflets would have gone down well with Lord Sugar. Somebody on Twitter asked about the loos if it is just a working barn. I assume that Ruth and Dayveed hire portaloos when it is Open Farm Sunday at Brookfield but can you get wedding standard ones? I know one couple did have their reception in the barn last summer but I feel the SWs need to consider this important aspect further.

dairyfarmerswife · 14/01/2020 23:17

but can you get wedding standard ones?

You certainly can! How do you think us farmers daughter's who had weddings in a marquee on the farm manage? Grin there are some exceedingly posh porta loos out there.

dairyfarmerswife · 14/01/2020 23:18

Daughters dyac

dairyfarmerswife · 14/01/2020 23:31

farmers' daughters...

C8H10N4O2 · 14/01/2020 23:38

and to be fair, he preferred the look of the Oxford course for his subject

Is he following Phoebles?

I guess I have a lifetime of O v C banter ahead of me. (He's already made some jibe about me not managing to get into Oxford!)

You do.

Congrats to mini DDD, $$$$ to maxi DDD to pay for it :)

C8H10N4O2 · 14/01/2020 23:42

Hard to believe that David doesn't get that you have to actually approach the punters to sell your wares, and as for getting four or five bookings for summer, don't people plan this things?

I can't have been paying attention because I thought the Dopeys were going to learn about wedding venues to consider what they could offer. I hadn't twigged they were selling the place.

I will actually be quite irritated if they make an immediate success out of this with David's attitude. He has zero interest in weddings beyond the cash he can squeeze out of them.

If someone swanned up to him and said they fancied doing a bit of farming on their spare dozen acres he would be utterly contemptous of them but he has no respect at all for the skills and businesses in other sectors.

MissBarbary · 14/01/2020 23:45

I doubt Peggy would know that Hilda Ogden's husband was called Stan.I don't see why not. She can't have watched it less than I have, and I recognise the name Stan Ogden

I've never seen a single, solitary episode of Coronation Street. I still know who Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner and Hilda and Stan Ogden are/were.

nettie434 · 14/01/2020 23:53

There are some exceedingly posh porta loos out there.

This is just the sort of reconnaissance the Dopeys need (and me)! Thanks dairyfarmerswife. I am also looking forward to more insider knowledge next time we hear about the Montbeliardes Grin

EBearhug · 15/01/2020 01:07

Do we know Philip's back story? When and why did he and his first wife get divorced?

I thought that round the time he and Kirsty first got together after her miscarriage, or possibly when he was first introducing Gavin and Kirsty to each other, he said something about having split with Gavin's mother when Gav was about 6. I could easily have misremembered, though.

That would make it about 25-30 years ago, which would mean Gavin's comments about having to tell his mother about Philip remarrying were even more weird, because if they split that long ago, why would Philip be expected to have that close a relationship with her? It must be at least a decade or 15 years since Gavin turned 18, so they wouldn't have had to talk about school or anything which would need them to be in regular touch. So I am not sure if it is that long, nor how old Gavin is, but I assume somewhere around 30, because he's closer to Kirsty's age than Philip is.

Kirsty could easily say to Philip that Gavin had popped in unannounced, and please can he ask him to give the keys back just ring first, in case it's inconvenient. She doesn't have to mention (at this point) that Gavin is a complete nutter who picked an argument and was probably snooping and thinking no one was in.

I am not sue if he is a partner or employee. I don't see why he should have any more right to knowing about Philip's personal finances than Kirsty does; less so, as I think she has a stake in the house, if not equal. If he's a partner, then I would expect him to know how the business is doing, but I suspect snooping around on Philip's laptop has given him more info than he had a right to know, and I suspect it's not a new thing, either.

If Kells breaks up with him, I predict him moving into the spare room with Philip and Kirsty.

Jaichangecentfoisdenom · 15/01/2020 06:06

Are we meant to believe that Philip actually keeps his laptop in the wardrobe, or was that a euphemism for Gavin doing a bit of snooping to find the stacks of cash his father keeps in a shoe-box?

LillianGish · 15/01/2020 06:47

I must confess so little had Gav been mentioned before this wedding storyline, I hadn’t even realised he and Philip worked together before now. Surely if they see each other every day his resentment at Phil and Kirsty moving in together would have raised its head before now (and the anguish that it’s going to cause his poor old mum). At the moment he feels like the ludicrous caricature that was Hazel (who disappeared as quickly as she was given voice). I realise it’s the needing £20,000 for a wedding in Bali that’s set him off, but surely the signs would have been there before that? Also if he and Philip work together everyday - why the need to arrange a special visit to make his big announcement (especially as Kelly wasn’t with him)? I don’t find the plot concept - son finds it difficult to accept his divorced father is shacking up with someone much younger and resents the fact he’s spending what he sees as his inheritance on her - hard to believe, it’s just the nuts and bolts that don’t hang together properly here.

ADarkandStormyKnight · 15/01/2020 07:12

I wonder if Gav is already taking money from the company. Philip seemed to be very fussed and stressed when looking into finding the cash for the wedding - maybe he found some rogue payments?

Taswama · 15/01/2020 07:28

BOOP for David and Ruth sounding like a team last night and being able to laugh at themselves, and find a way to improve the situation together.
I quite enjoyed the reminiscing of growing up at the Bull and when Justin said he’d never heard of Walter Gabriel, my first thought was - ‘well you’re obviously not an Archers listeners are you?!’

Motoko · 15/01/2020 08:24

I also thought that David and Ruth were just going to the wedding fair to see what was on offer by other venues/suppliers. I was surprised when they started setting up a stall.
Are chocolate fountains still a thing? We had one at our wedding in 2004.

TeenPlusTwenties · 15/01/2020 09:07

re weddings.
People do 'plan these things' but don't necessarily take years over it.

I was engaged at New Year and married in the summer.
And my DB got engaged in December and married early summer.

NB I haven't heard the episode yet.

CodenameVillanelle · 15/01/2020 09:14

I found the dopeys really annoying at that wedding fair. So unprofessional. I'd have been annoyed if Ruth accosted me to witter about her barn and as IF they are going to get any bookings from that shambles!

MollyButton · 15/01/2020 09:19

Posh portaloos - there were some very nice ones when I queued to sign the Diana book of condolence. And I'm sure I've been somewhere with even posher ones...

Gavin - when Kirsty first met him they went (Gavin, Kelly, Kirsty and Philip) for a Curry. Gavin was slightly racist, mean with the tip and very critical of the place. Also last summer Philip was moaning about Gavin not really getting the business and indicating he can really just had it over to Gavin.
There have been hints that he's not a good 'un from the start.

Equanimitas · 15/01/2020 09:31

I was glad to hear that no-one local supported the proposed name-change for the Bull. What does surprise me is that someone like Jolene who is normally the voice of sense would think a name-change was a good idea, let alone coming up with the sheer idiocy of "B@Ambridge".

Equanimitas · 15/01/2020 09:45

Surely taking a stall at a wedding fair needed to be the subject of a bit of discussion? The charges for these things tend to be extortionate, and then you have all the expense of whizzy displays, pull-up banners, leaflets, freebies, etc etc. I rather doubt that the profit from the 5 or 6 weddings they hope to attract is going to cover it.

The organisers also tend to be quite tough about expecting stalls to be set up and ready to run from the moment they open the doors, in fact they often want them set up the night before. So with luck they'll ban the Dopeys from coming back. And is there any reason why they couldn't have phoned someone to bring the smart clothes to them?

Motoko · 15/01/2020 09:56

I couldn't believe it when Ruth said David's jeans looked clean enough after the mud had been brushed off. Did they say they were wearing wellies too? I can just imagine the backdrop to their stall, and any banners, being hand painted on old sheets or cardboard.

Fink · 15/01/2020 11:04

Motoko I think the banners were professionally done, hence the faff about how to put them up. But I'll be really angry if they get any bookings of the back of this very poor showing.

Madcats · 15/01/2020 11:29

Has the intern mentioned that the Dopey's old historic barn didn't survive the arson incident?

I can't imagine that the typical wedding fair client would be tempted by two scruffs and their barn.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 15/01/2020 12:11

I'm sure that when Gavin was first introduced to Kirsty in 2018 he was said to be an electrician.

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