👩‍🌾 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

Thanks Asking.

"the extensive use of slave labour in Ambridge" seems to amount to about five jobs in three years; not really all that spectacular.

The journalist is Rebecca, I think.

No Kirsty in the cast this week, which is fine with me. I'm getting bored with her self-righteous determination to keep totally wasting her time pestering Borsetshire's homeless.

Belated thanks Asking

Oh dear, I see Kirsty is going to be on a mission on 11th February. She's going to be stupid enough to carry on searching, isn't she?

@PursuingProxemicExactitude

The journalist?

Thanks!

Spot on! Well done ye.

🥇

Thanks for all recent updates, Asking!

I see we're nearly 90% of the way through this thread. This feels fast! At this rate I'll be starting #6 before the summer.

Oooh ... Mia and Gavin in the week beginning February 15th!

For next week, meanwhile, what we get is

BBC One-Liners
08 Feb The walls close in on Neil and Alice is touched by an unexpected gift.
09 Feb Susan faces the consequences and Tony is surprised when he glimpses another side of someone.
10 Feb Shula questions her future and two residents dig for information.
11 Feb Kirsty is on a mission and Emma waves the white flag.

Credits
Mon 8/2/2021, Tue 9/2/2021, Wed 10/2/2021, Thu 11/2/2021
Writer: Katie Hims and Daniel Thurman
Director: Peter Leslie Wild
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Brian Aldridge: Charles Collingwood
Tony Archer: David Troughton
Alice Carter: Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter: Wilf Scolding
Neil Carter: Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter: Charlotte Martin
Justin Elliot: Simon Williams
Emma Grundy: Emerald O’Hanrahan
Shula Hebden-Lloyd: Judy Bennett
Tracy Horrobin: Susie Riddell
Kirsty Miller: Annabelle Dowler
Peggy Woolley: June Spencer

Radio Times Ambridge Diary 8th - 11th February 2021
Philip’s evil actions may have been exposed, but the fall-out continues to be far-reaching and now it’s the Carters who pay the price. Their reputations are in tatters and Susan is having to face the wrath of the people, while Neil finds himself in further trouble at work. How will they find their way out of this mess?
Shula, meanwhile, is fretting that she’s not cut out for ordainment and starts to fear the worst when Kirsty asks questions about her recent visit to see Philip. Over at Bridge Farm, Tony finds himself bonding with Justin over something very unexpected. And Alice is left touched by a gift from a member of her family.

And also

Daily Mail Weekend Magazine Archers Update 8th - 11th February 2021
The very soil of Ambridge seems contaminated with guilt as more and more of Philip’s skulduggery comes to the surface. Even that most honest of men, Neil, has been sullied by the slaver’s dark doings and, along with his ambitious wife, Susan, finds it’s his turn to face the mud-slinging of the locals - but who in Ambridge can claim that their hands are clean? The very foundations of village life have been shaken, with even the sanctimonious Shula wondering if she is cut out for a life of God-bothering.
Meanwhile, Peggy and Emma dig for information among the ruins left by Philip, but there is a tiny flash of gold amongst all this murk - Alice gets an unexpected gift from a family member.

The answer to "who in Ambridge can claim that their hands are clean?" is of course that if it is merely Philip Moss in question then Jim, Jazzer, all the Grundys, Brian, Jennifer, Kate, Alice, Chris, Ruairi, Peggy, Tony, Pat, Helen, Tom, Natasha, Joy, Johnny, Hannah, Susan, Tracy, Bert, Robert, Lynda, Freddie, Lily, Russ, Elizabeth, Rex, Toby and Roy (and all the silents) have never employed him, Kenton and Jolene having done so is a recent invention because it was never mentioned on air even in passing, and Pip, Josh, Ben, and anyone who happened to live or work with someone who employed him but did not do so themselves also has not the remotest reason to feel guilt, as Neil should not.

The Bull stuff was mentioned but the actual smarting the place up a bit was lost in the stupid name change story. And I can't remember what he actually did.

The Bull had been structurally revamped after the flood, back in 2016, so it would not have been sensible to do building work there so short a time afterwards. Repainting would have been pretty unnecessary expense as well -- especially when the reason they were doing this idiot stuff on the say-so of someone who was there for about an hour on a day when there was nobody in because it was Boxing Day was to try not to go bankrupt, so there was no money to throw about.

Prior to the 3rd March free-drinks-for-the-new-name event, Philip did not appear in the same episode as either Kenton or Jolene except on 9th January last year before the moanalogues. On that day Lowfield gives

9th January 2020
...
Characters: Oliver, Kate, Jolene, Philip, Alistair, Kenton
...
Jolene serves Philip during The Bull happy hour. He tries to find out what the big announcement is but Jolene is cagey.
...
Philip approaches Alistair in The Bull and asks about the construction on Jim's extension. Alistair admits there has been some friction and Philip instantly understands that Jim is the issue. Philip is diplomatic when he observes that Jim can be pretty forthright. Alistair admits the builders haven't turned up at all this morning. Philip offers to have a word with Pete, Jim's builder. He goes off to make a call and see what he can do.
...
Philip has solved the problem and the builders will be back on the job in the morning. Alistair is very grateful and Philip makes the mild suggestion that Alistair may wish to convince Jim to step back a bit. They speculate on the big announcement and Philip believes it will be Shania Twain, playing a special night at The Bull. He will be disappointed if it is anything else.(Then Philip went away)
...
Jolene begins her announcement. She welcomes and thanks the loyal punters. New Year's is a time for new beginnings. Tonight, Jolene can tell them soon The Bull will be no more. It will be renamed The B at Ambridge! A less than enthusiastic reception greets Jolene's excited tones.

Which makes it fairly clear that Philip had at that date no idea what might be going on at the Bull, and didn't care all that much either.

For the rest of that month and the next, he was working on the playground (mentioned as going on in Lowfield on 17th and 19th January, ready for use on 29th, and as having put the schedule back badly on 2nd February), at Brookfield barn alterations (arranged with David on 26th January, finished on 27th February), at Berrow (he was supposed to be there on 3rd March and only Gavin and the Team were when Kirsty looked for him there), and at a job on the other side of Edgeley (mentioned as where he had been on 3rd March); given his three-man team who always had to be on the same job at the same time so that they could be supervised by either him or Gavin, I think doing any work at the Bull as well would have been a bit of a stretch for him.  Also, it wasn't mentioned at any point: he was mostly wittering on about his wedding (or unwedding, or whatever) during those months.

Not being able to remember something which was never on air isn't exactly not remembering it!

Thanks Asking.

I'm increasingly annoyed that not only did most Ambridgeites not involve themselves in dodgy Phil's slavery shenanigans, but also dodgy Phil still has not been tried for any alleged crimes, let alone convicted (although we know he's guilty as sin, of course). So all the castigating and breast beating is somewhat premature.

Particularly Smugula, who I would have thought would and should adopt an "innocent until proved guilty" stance, rather than prematurely rending garments and donning sackcloth and ashes.

But Philip doesn't deny that he didn't pay his slaves, so a degree of breast beating seems to be warranted.

By the three people (or is it as many as four?) who have not only employed him but also heard him say that. Jim didn't employ him, but did hear him say it; Alistair may have employed him at the Stables, but I think in fact it was Shula; who else?

The Bull bit was before that but I only vaguely remember and it was something inconsequential like moving a notice board- definitely nothing major. But it was mentioned.

If it was before the dates I've put in that post, it was before the decision to do a revamp, which had only been made (with Kenton still actively opposed to the idea, and Jamie apparently not consulted at all) on 9th January.

Perhaps Philip put the sign up, though I can't see why that would have needed a builder: I would have expected whoever made the new sign to do it, and Philip won't have made the sign.

Someone else here or somewhere else remembers Philip being called in and going around with his tape measure. But what he did...
Obviously it was just to have him vaguely linked to the Bull - I did find the whole revamp and rename ridiculous so soon after the refurbishment caused by the flood.

Well, there is July 17th 2019, when Lowfield has "Kenton is surprised to find Philip in the bar, measuring up for a feature wall."

The feature wall did not happen, and was as far as I can make out entirely part of Lilian's campaign to be nasty to Kenton that summer for no particular reason.

I'm back everyone I hope you all had Good Christmases and New Years' . I'm still listening ,it's not too terrible (could be worse) .

Thankyou for your consistency Asking

Welcome back, ppeatfruit. Happy New Year ...

Thank you Pursuing Are you a newbie or have you NC?

NC!

Been here forever.