💥 Archers thread #117: Welcome to the only C19-free area in the world! 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 think Phoebe is a genius, 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/3853783--The-Archers-spoilers-thread-5-Cant-wait-for-7-02pm-Join-us-here, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

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.)

I put the BOOM! emoticon in the title as I thought it could transition into a vague likeness of a virus if we're still going by early May, when we expect some wild contortions from the production team to get Ambridge back in synch with the rest of the world. I think I would have preferred them to ignore it altogether but I suppose they couldn't.

Isn't there a bit of a difference between money-laundering and dealing in stolen goods?
No. Guidance note from HM Treasury.
"The senior managers of a high value dealer [para 1.2 specifically mentions vehicles] can be held personally liable if they don’t take the steps necessary to protect their business from money laundering and terrorist financing."
"Senior managers are responsible for making sure that the business has carried out a risk assessment for its business and has policies, controls and procedures to help reduce the risk that criminals may exploit the business for financial crime."

Adding the Mosses in the 'criminality or culpability?' mix now, from quite a different angle, gives us an an interesting compare and contrast in terms of other people's powers of inference and ability to read character. My musing upthread was just whether the Josh case was created for this double 'compare and contrast' purpose. Particularly between Brian and Justin perhaps.

Ed had all the hardworking willingness of Gavin - but accepted rejection gracefully, rather than tenaciously (face-savingly, desperately) pushing himself forward again, like Gav with Justin.

Josh OTOH got his current job at Home Farm mostly by feeling sorry for himself and whinging to his uncle.

It is nepotism, but isn't that always the case with family businesses? As for future monologues - bring me the voice of Anthony Head (I'm surprised no-one has said this yet). Apart from anything else he would actually have quite an interesting tale to tell.

It is nepotism, but isn't that always the case with family businesses? Not just family businesses. We've commented before about the number of actors' offspring in the cast list.

I don't think that Josh's shift from 'meticulous paperwork' to laziness was a mistake by the SW. I think Josh got over-confident and greedy.

I do also think that Josh's 'big man' act and rapid expansion of the business was a lot to do with proving his ability and independence to his family.

I assume that has fallen victim to Editorial Amnesia

Actually I was assuming it was me who remembered the meticulous paperwork from before.

However I thought the issue with Josh's paperwork on the trailer was not that it didn't exist but was in a mess? Both the digger and trailer were traced to him initial via the digger registration I thought? The issue was him finding the paperwork to satisfy the police that he wasn't engaged in dealing with stolen goods and did have some sort of paper trail - just not one properly entered in a business log.

He hadn't properly documented the rental agreement before going on hols. That would be the non existent paperwork but its a different problem from dealing in stolen goods.

Ed, like Josh, was tricked into complicity in selling illegal goods. Like Josh he failed to perform due diligence

Ed wasn't tricked - he knew full well that he was transporting chemicals without a licence. One of the early conversations with Tim made that clear.

Josh didn't knowingly commit a crime, he bought from what he thought was a trusted supplier which might have been stupid but not criminal. I've known experienced car dealers fall foul of the apparently legit paperwork (although in Josh's case I assume its meant to be over confidence).

I do also think that Josh's 'big man' act and rapid expansion of the business was a lot to do with proving his ability and independence to his family.

Yes I agree. He might be annoying but being constantly belittled by his own family and knowing he doesn't have a future on the farm is a bit of a fatal combination for a young person trying to start out.

proved.
FFS.

In my industry they mean subtly different things. Language evolves, I've learned to live with it.

I'll just trot off to pendants corner and submit for disembowelling.

It wasnt as simple as nepotism I dont think, Brian appears to have decided that because he committed a crime it is now his duty to stick up for anyone else who is involved in dodgy dealings. He organised the job for Josh but he was also defending Philip being reinstated by Justin. Brian thinks most people have a hidden side to their character because of his own character flaws.

Evidence isn't a verb. Language does evolve but you are murdering the Queen's English. My eyes were bleeding too much to cry.

I think Josh set up his accounting system as he should, but then got behind with it, while vaguely thinking he must catch up sometime. I have set up systems for myself (though not accounting) with the best of intentions, only to get behind from laziness as other things got in the way.

Handling stolen goods and money-laundering aren’t the same thing. Handling stolen goods is dealing with stolen property knowingly and dishonestly. Money-laundering is taking the financial proceeds of crime or criminal activity and putting it through a series of transactions so that it looks “clean”, as if it’s been come by legitimately. For example, you could take the profits from sale of illegal drugs and buy a house with them, then sell the house. I work in a law firm and have to do a shedload of mind-bendingly dull AML training every year. I think if Josh made reasonable inquiries or some efforts to make sure the goods weren’t stolen, or got the person he was buying from to warrant or guarantee that the goods were legitimately purchased, he’s probably not committed the crime of handling stolen goods. I don’t know what the regulations applicable to the sort of business Josh runs are, though.
By the way, before I end my pedantry for the day “pressing charges” happens in the USA, not here. If the police think a crime has taken place, they investigate. They have a number of powers they can use on the spot, like cautions, but for more serious crimes they will investigate then pass the evidence they’ve collected to the CPS, which then decides if there’s enough evidence to prosecute. That’s why rape and domestic abuse trials sometimes happen despite the victim not wanting them to.

Good to know you don’t hold grudges @Chemenger .
What does Xanders birth certificate say? Mother - Alexandra ?
Father 1 - Ian
Father 2 - Adam Macy?

What no Archers tonight? I thought it was only Friday they were dropping.

That's it until Sunday.

I

Lynda has toenails still? I thought the flames were round her feet at one point...

@Choccyp1g I’m listening to an episode for 2nd April on sounds... was it not broadcast?

Did my ears deceive me?

Could it have been....? Was it really....?

The legendary Lynda Snell Sniff ?

Yes!

Strange, on R4 there was a DREADFUL old comedy..

Very much a lurker... but can I suggest a BOOP for Kate? Medical accuracies aside, I thought it was absolutely in character for both of them (although have they ever had such a close relationship before this?) and such a lovely interaction.

Choccy ... April Fool's day was yesterday.

I heard it broadcast on R4 at 7pm. What was your radio doing??

Must say, everyone in Ambridge (and at Borchester hospital) seems tremendously fraught at the moment ...

My radio was doing a rubbish stand-up comedy...so bad I can't even remember the name.

leftshark they were actually close, many years ago, Lynda became a sort of non-family confidante, when Kate was NOT getting on with Brian and Jennie.

I've just worked it out, I was on radio 4 extra! !