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.

Thankyou, SSD, that's exactly what I was trying to say! Chilling is just the right word.

Carole Boyd is so talented 😍

It's just something in her voice that suggests she knows the end might be very near. I sincerely hope I'm wrong. There's something in her manner that says she's had enough. She's given up on life.

But every time she speaks my face screams in sympathy - surely it's not possible to talk that fluently after full depth burns to the face? Ambridge Health Fairy?

Finally, I didn't think Adam could manage to sound even more exhausted than he usually does - but he did! More signposting, perhaps?

I wondered about that. I'd never really clocked the misery voice as other posters had until today. What I found strange is that it sounded entirely disproportionate to what he was actually saying.

Adam always sounds disproportionate. He has a way of saying 'What!' that sounds as though he's just encountered a crime scene, when he's just talking about there being no peanut butter left in the jar.

He stupidly sacked the only full-time worked helping him on the farm, and did not replace him. Now he is trying to do two people's work and also look after a child under a year old. At 52 he is finding that workload a bit of a strain, and is so tired he is not thinking clearly at all.

worker, not worked!

I thought Lynda was going to die as soon as she dismissed a clearly agonising pain as nothing to Robert.

He stupidly sacked the only full-time worked helping him on the farm, and did not replace him.
I presumed the conversation was leading to getting Ed back.

It would make sense to get Ed back. The dodgy business has gone away and is forgotten now, so why not re - hire him?

Lynda dismissing her pain, got me worried too. It was obviously something more.

It does seem obvious to get Ed back - but oh - how painful for him and for Emma. (And us. Would make the whole house buying disaster feel even more artificial.)

Really felt for Lynda when Lilian pretended she’d forgotten her compact (years since I’ve heard that word!) so couldn’t provide a mirror. She knew it meant her face was not a thing she’d want to see.

(I’m puzzled though. Would she not be covered in burn dressings of some sort?)

I got the impression that Lynda was feeling hugely guilty about some part of the accident. That she was responsible for the grill being on or something to do with the petrol being used?

It was the draught caused by Lynda opening the door that wafted petrol fumes towards the grill. So (a) stupid decision about petrol and (b) grill being on were primary causes but Lynda was the catalyst.

"Of course, when Ambridge finally catches up with the world outside and everyone starts to drag covid-19 into absolutely every conversation about anything, the world outside will then move on and covid will become yesterday's media-fodder."
I sincerely hope you're right about this (as you are about so many things!), @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime

I dont really understand it, Tracey and Emma had just been in and out the kitchen opening the door. So are we saying Blake just started using the petrol the moment before Lynda went in. The kitchen wasnt out of bounds so anyone could have gone in, so anyone could have been the catalyst.

Why would a grill be on in a kitchen with a broken soil pie being repaired?

I think it was Racey Horrobin's bacon sandwich wot caused it.

lol @ the "Racey" typo.

Not a typo.
Racey Tracey is an obvious one as is Arsey Darcey.

Me too, R4!

I quite liked the 'broken soil pie' typo aswell

Quite appropriate in a kitchen....🤣

Oops, that was a typo.
Poo pie.

Racey Tracey is an obvious one as is Arsey Darcey.
Oooh. You've got me thinking about Mr Firth now. We need more distractions like that in these gloomy times.

Hugh must have some quite radical and experimental ideas, MUM!

Ian won't be best pleased, will he....😯

I hope it isn't Tracey.

I prefer Mr Knightley myself.especially if he looks like Jonny Lee Miller Not that I'd turn down Mr Darcy. I quite see myself as the chatelaine or should that be shatelaine of Pemberley.

Slurry curry? Pee soup? Pee pottage?

Speaking of Ian, I'm rather surprised we have heard his reaction to the news that someone has blown up his kitchen/domain.

Chefs are usually a bit precious about little things like that, aren't they 🙄

Haven't, not have!

Dratted predictive text..... Grrrr