💥 Archers thread #119: Has the Bull reopened? Will Ambridge pull through? We’ve all dozed off and haven't a clue. Moan about the monologues 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 we should have monologues all the time from now on, 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.)

Thanks to PPE on the last thread for the title suggestion, which I tweaked a bit.

As for the current state of affairs: here's how it could have been done. www.youtube.com/channel/UCvRSVdfQWAjNhNu1AtABYjw Nigel Pargetter returns, albeit in spectral form. I loved these.

I don't love the current set up. Very, very hit and miss for me - but I am too much of an addict to give it up. Looking for a silver lining, maybe the rather clunky trot through the Aldridge family tree last night was helpful to newer listeners. It is rather convoluted. In 12.5 minutes they managed to explain that Adam and Debbie are Jennifer's children by different fathers, that Debbie's father Roger Travers-Macy adopted Adam, that after he and Jenny divorced she married Brian and that he (secretly) loves Adam and not nearly so secretly adores Debbie. I don't think they explicitly stated that Kate and Alice are Brian's children with Jenny, but they did manage to squeeze in a mention of Siobhan and Ruairi, and explain that Xander is Adam's son by a surrogate and has no genetic connection to either Brian or Xander's other father Ian. Phew!

I know who did it!

Was there talk of Chris having a mobile forge or have I totally made that up?

I know who did it!
G'wan, tell. It's someone who knows Tracy's weird middle name (?Tenniel, was it?). Not Susan, playing her own prank?

Erm Tracey said who it was. It was Brad.

Ridiculously some fool phoned me just as Tracy was revealing the culprit, so I didn't get to hear that bit ...

Listening again now ...

Sorry, broken the fourth wall there.

Tonight I have learned a new expression and that there is a difference between a blacksmith and a farrier. Very informative thread this! Thanks Gasp0deand Asking.

R4
Was there talk of Chris having a mobile forge or have I totally made that up?

There was. He has. You need one if you are in someone's yard fitting horses with shoes, I suspect, and that is what he mostly does when he isn't making fal-de-lals and fripperies out of iron.

Not a single post in 36 hours! Gosh.

What did we all make of Lilian trying to knock Snell heads together? I hope she succeeds pronto.

Also, who's the mystery shoplifter? Have the 'horses' somehow found their way to the community shop? I'd be pleased if Susan and Tracy proved to be the undoing of Philip and Gavin.

The 'horses' area good shout. It would be just like Gavin not to bother with lightbulbs.

I thought Lilian was magnificent, and normally I really dislike Lilian.

Shoplifting plot was very enjoyable. Jazzer ogling Tracey’s bottom over the card rack is very unlikely. I think he is more a knockers kind of guy.

Please let the shoplifter be Shula. Especially if God told her to do it.

Also Lillian was brilliant and so in character.

Not done a suggested thread title before but just a first attempt. I definitely don’t have @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g’s talent for this! It’s harder than it looks...

Thread number #120: The clock is ticking in post-lockdown Ambridge. Magic time is running out for the Snells and time is nearly up for the slave-masters...Come and have a drink with us in Alice’s shed!

I like that, @Roysnewshirt! We might not need it for a week or so yet, though.

Oh dear! You can tell I’m still a novice! Not ready for thread responsibilities yet...

Far from it - in normal times I'd be expecting to start a new thread by the weekend, but we seem to have a lot less to say about the mono/duologues.

To be fair its also because there are fewer episodes.

@Roysnewshirt

Not done a suggested thread title before but just a first attempt. I definitely don’t have *@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g*’s talent for this! It’s harder than it looks...

Thread number #120: The clock is ticking in post-lockdown Ambridge. Magic time is running out for the Snells and time is nearly up for the slave-masters...Come and have a drink with us in Alice’s shed!

Excellent Roysnewshirt!

Actually, Roysnewshirt, you were post number 915 - and in normal times we'd be racing towards a new thread within a couple of days. (Or sooner if a knife or jilting was involved.) It's only lately that 915 -1000 might take more than a week. (Particularly like the last bit of your title. )

Apologies for slacking on posting Gasp0! Listened last night but was somehow too busy to give it much thought.

Lilian was splendid! Definite BOOP for writers and actor. I'd like to be enthusiastic about the shop thief - but too often this sort of story fizzles out into insignificant nonsense.

Heavens - did that really take me nearly 20 minutes?

That's true, @Darker. I wonder when we'll get back to the normal number of episodes. I hope we will, and the BBC won't take the opportunity to cut back permanently.

You've started early today, PPE.

If it turns out to be the 'horses' shop lifting and that leads to Philip's demise it would actually be a very good story line.

Indeed. It was a hungry, underfed horse that started the trouble at GG. Nice parallel.

You've started early today, PPE

Oddly enough I was browsing wine glasses in bed this morning. My lockdown was completely alcohol free until the last weekend of August, but spending so much time at home has given me more opportunity to break anything breakable, so my cupboards need restocking.

I'm longing for a full week of episodes. Friday catches me out every week, still.

I could settle with just Fridays back. I never fully hot my head round Sunday evening episodes. But I too still get caught out by Fridays.

I was going to post last night but as I wasn't really listening and was going to complain about the Magic Time sl, I didn't bother.

My NDN is having some building work done, and the labourers don't appear to speak any English, or even speak at all. Might they be horses?
A few years ago, there was a beds in sheds incident a few doors away from me. The people sleeping in the shed didn't speak English, so I wonder if they were. It was one of those metal sheds, not a magic drinking shed, and they were in bunks.