Archers thread #116: Pandemic fears, markets crash but it's BOOM 💥 time for Ambridge. Discuss The Archers here.

[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 to employ Philip Moss & Son to fix your soil pipe, 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! (New thread likely to be replacing that one very soon, in the current circumstances.)

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 @SurpriseSparDay for the thread title idea, which I tweaked, and @springydaff for the 💥 emoticon, which I hope is in the title! (Can't preview the title). Welcome, lurkers and lapsed listeners, drawn out of the shadows by the current crisis in Ambridge. In the OP of the last thread I said I didn't think we'd get to Easter on that thread. We certainly didn't!

I am very worried indeed about Lynda and concerned about Oliver too. Don't care about Gavin unless it means Kirsty is cheated out of yet another wedding. Freddie's redemption is now assured, though, surely? Roll on the return of the Lower Loxley crew.

They're going to have to do some quick coronavirus inserts soon, if only in relation to the fact that Lynda must be surrounded by CV admissions and Robert should be taking all sorts of precautions.

Lynda must be surrounded by CV admissions
According to this Govt website, there have been only 2 cases in Worcestershire and 1 in Herefordshire.
I think fear of CV is probably doing more harm in Borsetshire (hospitality etc) than actual atm.

That will do for several cast members. Starting with Peggy.

Peggy is tough as old boots. Am fairly sure she would be immune to anything Untamedwisteria.

Thanks for link to The Archers website and the 'shock' stories. I enjoyed that. You know how in crime novels, they tell you that serial killers have to have shorter and shorter gaps between their victims. Am I the only one to think the scriptwriters exhibit the same behaviour? However, in fairness, Nic's sepsis and the explosion have been handled far better than the flood and Helen when Sean O'Connor was editor.

Re coronoviris - where are Neil and Susan holidaying?

Hopefully they are not on a cruise! A colleague of mine is currently stuck in the Bahamas on a ship unable to leave.

Weren’t Neil and Susan in Tenerife? Not 100% sure. At the moment, anywhere outside the UK will probably be experiencing some delays. Earlier on the news they said that now Spain had closed borders, some people had been offered an alternative holiday in Skegness which they accepted.

I had a thought this afternoon.

Just before the explosion, Tracy mentioned to Lynda that she was going to have a quick bacon butty.

Now, I wonder if Tracy had already lit the grill, to do herself a couple of rashers, before speaking to Lynda, and then was subsequently distracted by Emmur turning up?

I know Hugh had been making the guests' breakfasts on temporary hotplates in the dining room, but I got the impression that he had stopped cooking by the time Tracy got peckish.

Just a theory! I was a bit as to why the grill would be on, and been thinking about it all day!

I suppose in a sense the grill doesnt matter, the grill on its own would not have caused a problem.

But the grill wasn't on its own, was it?

It had a naked flame coming out of it - so I'm fairly sure someone is going to want to know who lit it, and why.

Delurking on this thread to wonder what would happen if the UK were to go into lockdown. Having been prerecorded the Archers would either have to continue in a non locked down alternative reality, or hastily rewrite and record everything. How would they manage with minimal public social interaction?
This has been playing on my mind as I am in Italy and on lockdown myself. The UK could go the same way and tbh I really hope it does at some point in the not too distant future, because the herd immunity plan is utterly bonkers.

Was I the only one to notice Oliver’s comment about the entire hotel evacuation being done in 13 and a half minutes? So basically the length of an episode of the Archers?

How quickly did the Archers react during the Foot and Mouth outbreak (took place around 2000), which is the only comparable event I can think of?

Cat, I already mentioned that. Keep up!

Was it on the previous thread?

How does it compare? I seem to remember them being pretty quick, but of course as the prog features farmers, they really had no choice but to react swiftly.

I’m uncomfortable with the references to coronavirus doing for Peggy. June Spencer is a real person and incredibly vulnerable to this at 100 years old.

this thread does my soul good and slows my heart rate in stressful times. Thank you everyone.

Also loving the 💥 emoji int be title. When gazing upon a list of anxiety inducing titles I can just blur my vision a little and scroll until I see the little orange glow.

Sorry, not you Sparkly, the other Cat, Wheresthatcatgone. I forgot there was more than one cat here!

@inkysplatter, now that I know I can put emojis in the thread title I might make it a habit. Best thing normally would be a Bull sign or similar, I think. Will pass away the next week or so before we need a new thread looking for one! Suggestions welcome.

Foot and mouth - Brookfield self-isolated, didn't they? I seem to remember David adopting a Battle of Britain outlook and keeping the children off school. Jill delivered food to the gate. Something like that, anyway. I think it must have been 2001, as that was when I found the BBC Archers messageboard (Mustardland) and started posting. Can't believe how long ago that was! Addicted to dissecting TA online for nearly two decades. Hmm.

Yes, 2001. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_United_Kingdom_foot-and-mouth_outbreak#End_of_outbreak

Anyone else planning on listening to the omnibus today?

Will pass away the next week or so before we need a new thread looking for one
Gosh! I just completely misunderstood 'pass away' then for a couple of seconds. I must stop looking at the coronavirus threads, seriously.

I am just putting this link here in case of tangential interest - interview with Tamsin Greig.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b9e9711e-645e-11ea-8024-40a080f12cd1?shareToken=9d1d4d39c344113b99d6b66781ae844f

I'll have the radio on when the omnibus is on, but will probably only be half listening, as I heard all the episodes when they aired, as well as the 2pm repeats.

She was on Loose Ends last night.

Watched latest episode of “ This Country” last night....was great character of Clive played by Kenton?