🍾 Archers thread 123: Goodbye & good riddance to 2020 – to Philip too? The Archers is 70 on New Year’s Day – celebrate or vent about it 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 wish we heard more from Shula, 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.)

So! 2021 beckons. Big anniversary next Friday, 1.1.21 (and to mark that we have episodes Tuesday-Friday next week). What would we like to see happen? I may be in a minority of one, but I'd like a nice gentle character-driven episode. I don't think we'll get that, but I really, really hope they don't kill someone else off, just for the headlines.

[Title edited by MNHQ at OP'S request]

Should be #123. I blame Christmas.

Thanks for the new thread Please let it be a proper celebration of 70 years

Thanks for the new thread @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g .
I would love to hear Philip get his comeuppance.

Thanks for new thread

Kirsty had been mulling things over ever since Gavin spoke to her. If Philip had told her that he didn't pay his "apprentices" as part of a normal conversation, I doubt she'd have put two-and-two together so quickly. But her mind was already racing, she was primed to hear something upsetting.

And thus she might have realised that it couldn't be Blake who bought the petrol.

Thanks Gasp0de

A rather belated Merry Christmas to you all. Thanks for the new thread gaspode 😊

And if she'd done the books, she knew it didn't add up with what he was saying about not paying them, but I agree that being primed would have made her hypersensitive to any possible hint of wrong-doing.

But we don't know exactly what the police want Philip for yet - Roy presumably called them because of potential domestic violence, and that was probably a possibility on Kirsty's mind when she asked Roy to call them, as well as the slaves. She will presumably be asked about what was going on for them to be called and will say about the slavery, but it wasn't clear to me if that conversation had been had yet, so the police won't arresting him for that (yet) so there's still a chance he'll talk his way out of it ... leading us up nicely to NYD for it to all come out properly.

Thanks for the new thread @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g and a belated merry Christmas to everyone.

Looking forward to Philip getting his just desserts

Thank you, Gasp0de!

How much did Roy hear of the substantive exchange between Kirsty and Philip? Was it enough to give any useful statement? Because both Philip and Kirsty might, on reflection, prefer to play things down. (And drag things out ...)

I wonder how Alice spent Christmas Day (with Chris following her around the house looking anxious).

I agree about Alice, such a big storyline that they have simply dropped. Perhaps saving for drama next week?

Does anyone have any idea of the type of sentencing length Phillip is likely to get?

Thank you for the new thread @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Thank you for the new thread, Gasp0de

I've been months away from The Archers, not enjoying the Covid diary monologues so have been on a mammoth catch-up Archers bender for the last two days, starting at the 26th November episode. I had high hopes the car park stake-out would turn out be a dogging site, but no joy: o

At first I was entirely about Gavin's apparent personality transplant but then twigged about his lockdown awakening with the horses, now with speaking parts.

Thinking of Susan and her DJ stint; did she train for this?

Thanks @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Roy probably just called the police to a disturbance - there was no real hint of DV.

The SWs will probably leave us hanging for a couple of weeks now. Lots of good dramatic SLs running so we’re probably due a dull week chez the Snells. Oh, it’s the anniversary so may be we’ll have the establishment of another celebratory trust fund...

Does anyone have any idea of the type of sentencing length Phillip is likely to get?

Very stiff sentencing for slave traders and Philip is definitely in the higher categories. It was ongoing for years, had a devastating long-term impact on the victims’ lives and health and the judges would take a v dim view of the sale to Victoria...Suggested sentence up to 18 years...

www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/magistrates-court/item/slavery-servitude-and-forced-or-compulsory-labour-human-trafficking-for-consultation-only/

Gavin’s sentence will obvs be less severe but judges don’t like slavemasters as a rule.

The Modern Slavery Act is probably Theresa May’s only significant achievement...

I'd like him to be locked up and the key thrown away, personally. Still hoping Blake does a runner and somehow finds his way back to Grey Gables or the Borchester flat as the only places he knows. Or perhaps his health will break down and he'll end up abandoned by his new 'owner' but a kind soul will find him and get him to hospital. Poor wee lad.

Also, poor, poor Kirsty. I've read accounts from the women activists who were in relationships for years with undercover police officers - even had children with them - and then found out the truth years later after the mole had done a runner with no explanation. This strikes me as not dissimilar. Less unusually, people whose partner has been unfaithful often seem to cite the lack of honesty as much worse than the actual infidelity, because it leaves them doubting everything.

@Roysnewshirt thank you for that. Very interesting and I am delighted that he will receive such a stiff sentence. Presumably there will also be sentencing related to Grey Gables as well.

Thanks for the new thread Gasp0de

If I may be so bold, with MysticBore's permission, as to make a prediction. I foresee the resolution of the slavery plot line including Lynda giving a permanent home to Blake.

That would be rather lovely, JoeGrundyWasMyRoleModel. I certainly hope at least one of the horses ends up permanently in Ambridge - though not all three as we'd never be able to tell one voice from another!

Merry Christmas to all. I don’t post much but enjoy reading these threads as much as listening to the episodes🥳

There will be some spin-out of tension because Kirsty kept the books so will be implicated, at least temporarily.

I wonder what the planned resolution of this story would have been without lockdown happening? Would Gavin have reformed without that, or would it have been discovered in a different way? Without Gavin's comment, Kirsty would have been none the wiser.

@TheEchtMeaningofChristmas

There will be some spin-out of tension because Kirsty kept the books so will be implicated, at least temporarily.

I felt that shoot through her mind the moment Philip confessed.

Is that why we heard her so confidently asserting her right to stand up for her beliefs, lately, to (?) Helen. She had no qualms whatsoever about being charged, alongside Tom, for the GM crop protests - I guess she'd rather die than be implicated in her current man's slave-driving activities.

Happy Boxing Day everyone. Thanks for the new thread.

I’m intrigued by the fact that Kirsty was somehow involved in doing the books. I wonder then what was the point of the secret laptop - the one that Gavin was looking for when he walked in on Alistair in the bath??? Maybe that was involved in the original denouement, but because of lockdown they had to change the storyline. Would also explain why none of the players in that episode seem to remember anything about it...