👩‍🌾 The Archers spoilers thread #5: Can't wait for 7.02pm? Join us here!

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Spoiler thread for The Archers. Please keep all spoiler-related discussion in this thread and do not spill the beans on the main Archers Thread. Last thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3439443-keep-it-to-yourself-the-archers-spoilers-thread-4

@PoulePouletteEternellement

Ha. Joe Grundy's 'legacy' wins the waste of time and anticipation award. At least the Gwen John led somewhere. (Nowhere good, but still ...)

It led to me saying "so when did Nigel have the money, or the knowledge of art, to buy this for his daughter in the expectation of his premature death in a totally unexpected accident?" He was a complete numpty about art (he liked Uncle wossit's daub better than the rather valuable painting underneath it) and the Pargetters had no spare dosh at all at any point that we have ever heard of. If they had had, it would have gone to pay off Julia's debts!

Yes Asking I was most surprised to hear the "trustees" of LL not only mentioned but actually HEARD, since when did they care about what went on there?

@PoulePouletteEternellement

So misleading of them to tease that he would be making a shocking discovery - rather than merely receiving something that shocks him.

Hmph!

It's still possible that the shocking discovery is whatever Siobhan says. Mind you, if she had some amazing revelation for her child I find it difficult to believe she'd do so by way of a CD that a relative might or might not remember to pass on to him.

Yes, MoonJelly, but they had to pull something like this out in order to bolster the flagging programme.

Retrofitted CDs is a new one, but retrofitting is standard: Joe Grundy as a good farmer was possibly the most egregious lie so far.

Oh I don't know Asking I remember our Joe knew the names of and way to grow ancient apples (Oh and of course the way to make cider properly). He also knew a lot of the 'old' ways of farming before the hedge and insect killing 50s began. The value of feeding cattle clover to fend off disease etc. etc. Now he'd be right back in fashion.

He was retrofitted with a lot of super olde wayes after 2001, but the fact is that he had turned his farm into a junk-yard and went bankrupt because he was such a bad farmer is just that, a fact.

We don't know what he was like before the 1970s, because he didn't exist until he was invented by William Smethurst. Before that the only thing that had been heard of him was that he'd received an eviction notice for habitual non-payment of rent -- not generally the lot of a farmer who is good at farming.

went bankrupt because he was such a bad farmer is just that, a fact.

I have heard a Vet say that the real reason the Grundys went bankrupt is the expensive veterinary care that Alistair insisted on for their cows. Apparently they should have just been left and the Grundys put up with lower milk yields.

Alistair was not in town when Joe went bust. His first notice to quit arrived in the post in 1970; Alistair became the Ambridge vet in 1997.

But Joe didn't actually have to leave Grange Farm until 2000. They may have got into trouble before - they were messy and "not modern" farmers. And Eddie and Alf weren't really interested in farming - Eddie was far more interested in his Country Music.
But they kept going, until they couldn't get their rent in time, and that could be linked down to Alistair suggesting expensive veterinary care.

It may have been a final straw -- along with their failure to do basic maintenance which meant their dairy burned down (electrical fault), though that was replaced by their very long-suffering landlord.

Joe was a failed farmer. He was no good at it. His son was just as bad. They have been retrofitted as super terrific know all about livestock, but that simply did not happen at the time.

George Grundy, Joe's father, started out renting a better farm than Brookfield Grange Farm was the same size as Brookfield, but without the hill that could only be used for sheep-grazing and George and then Joe ran it into the ground while Dan and Phil farmed well and were able to get bank loans because the bank knew they would get their money back.

(And they didn't get foot-and-mouth at Grange Farm and have to slaughter all the livestock on the farm in 1956. That happened to Brookfield.)

Was it the same Siobhan actor?

Yes
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3hvprMtrt4xwJx5d1Hgy5vC/siobhan-donovan-back-from-the-dead

Thanks Bore. I enjoyed this evening's episode. Had to listen on Sounds because Mother rang.

I'll add her to the credits for the files.

I go a large piece of grit in my eye while listening to Siobhan's recording . very nicely done, with Rhor. and Jenny too.

BBC One-Liners
16 Nov There’s panic for Alice …
17 Nov Alice has a confession to make and Rex fears for the future.
18 Nov Chris takes desperate measures and Alice faces a horrific ordeal.
19 Nov The Carters attempt to pick up the pieces and Freddie makes a mistake.

Credits
Mon 16/11/2020, Tue 17/11/2020, Wed 18/11/2020, Thu 19/11/2020
Writers: Daniel Thurman & Tim Stimpson
Director: Marina Caldarone
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Jennifer Aldridge: Angela Piper
David Archer: Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer: Felicity Finch
Alice Carter: Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter: Wilf Scolding
Rex Fairbrother: Nick Barber
Toby Fairbrother: Rhys Bevan
Eddie Grundy: Trevor Harrison
Freddie Pargetter: Toby Laurence
Lynda Snell: Carole Boyd
Also featuring: Ashwin Bolar, Dru Stephenson

Radio Times Ambridge Diary 16th - 19th November 2020
That continual 'beep-beep-beep" is the sound of metal detectorists descending upon Brookfield. And as the numbers rise, so too does David’s blood pressure - enter Eddie with a scheme he believes will benefit everyone.
Someone else feeling overwhelmed is Freddie, who is inundated with offers for the Christmas show. But when one performer finds themself out in the cold, Freddie wonders if he may have acted too hastily.
Alice finally admits the truth about her drinking to a devastated Chris. But when he takes matters into his own hands, events start to spiral out of control. Will they - and their marriage - emerge unscathed?

#######################################################

No second half available as yet for the one-liner on 16th. And no Daily Mail update.

Ashwin Bolar and Dru Stephenson might be health professionals of some sort?

Thanks Asking.Looks like another good week.
I suspect that poor little Chrysalis is about to come to an end.

The also featurings might be detectorists.

Speaking of Chris and Alice - are they Chrisice?

They are the Cartridges.

Perfect! Dud cartridges or the squibs perhaps?

Well, Chris isn't firing blanks....

Are we sure that it is Chris doing the firing?

Tsk! Are you disbelieving Alice's claim to be a one-guy gal?

Thanks Asking I listened to the last ep. of a 1980s version of Persuasion on 4Ex. and then name Carole Boyd came up on the cast list and the editor was our old friend Vanessa Whitburn !!!

It was well done too.