🍾 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]

Bother. Fat phingers.
Wasn't it because Russ had little time for Jim's opinions on the fatuous public art project. CMR's failure to conceal his lack of regard for the locals is quite a refreshing trait.

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime

CheetasOnFajitas My brother was paralysed in a work accident in April 2018. The HSE only confirmed three months ago that they were going to prosecute his employer.

That's awful! Is there any chance of improvement, or is he permanently paralysed? I hope he is ok in the end, if he isn't already.

In Ambridge the rule seems to be, "accident at work, HSE enquiry within a month or two" as it was with Nigel. I seem to remember that enquiry had to have happened before the inquest was held, and I know the inquest was at the end of March.

Thank you @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime. He will not walk again and has no sensation below the waist but he is well otherwise, including an excellent recovery a head injury that at one point had us fearing he would not recover normal brain function. He has obtained a sizeable civil settlement that will ensure his needs are met in the future.

Oh Three ...

That 'Bother.' is quite beautiful, in context.

I'm so sorry for your brother's misfortune CheetasOnFajitas.

It's always a surprise to realise that serious accidents at work do still happen irl.

@Taswama

Lots of individuals wouldn't know the true cost / going rate if they hadn't bothered to get 3 quotes, just asked Philip and thought it was an affordable price. A businessman like Justin has no excuse however.

I think this is very true of domestic work, we’ve recently been pleasantly surprised at the cost of a new boiler but a little taken aback at the cost of some roof work. Both made sense, though, when the costs were broken down a bit and when it was clear that the boiler needed one tradesman and the roof has had two or three people working on it for longer. I would expect businesses to scrutinise estimates thoroughly.

The only business that we know had work done by Philip Moss's firm apart from in an emergency (like those at the hunt kennels, and at Grey Gables) was Berrow Farm/Borchester Land/Damara, wasn't it? Unless we count Brookfield as a business, which is really hard to do given the way they blunder from one arbitrary decision made by Ruth and Pip during milking to another, and never seem to do even the most rudimentary planning or accounts. Lilian's house was domestic work and the playground was gratis, and it seems the church repair was a unilateral decision by Alan made on Shula's recommendation.

He hasn't actually done all that much in or for Ambridge, has he.

I surprise myself sometimes, @PoulePouletteEternellement . Normally it's FFS as far as the eye can see

I must say I like the quibbling over the University of Stirling. There’s already been considerable discussion in the past too. Somebody said on this thread that they’d referred to Jim as teaching history there, rather than classics. Of that I was unaware and recall him translating some Latin for somebody in the village fairly recently. I thought they referred to him then as having taught classics. Not that any of that really matters as Ambridge isn’t real. Apologies to anyone who’s surprised or offended in any way.

I’ve just been perusing Stirling’s website and see they’ve got a note on Modern Slavery. I imagine this Is a feature of most university websites these days and I’ve never noticed it before as I’ve not been reading many university websites. I was just thinking Stirlingshire/Perthshire must be a great area for concealing modern slavery practices. Lots of little family’ firms, rural places to hide ‘horses’, lots of people doing building work on a budget, etcetera. I’m also sad to see the Masters I was toying with doing is no longer available. Stirling is local to where I live so would have been very handy apart from anything else.

If he was a Professor of Ancient History, he would need to be a good classicist, so it's perfectly plausible that he has excellent Latin. Just not that he taught at Stirling, as everyone else has said.

True enough @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g. Though AFAIK Stirling doesn’t teach Ancient History- though I know this really is nitpicking territory. But where would TA be without some of that? I happen to be the proud aunt of someone who teaches History at Stirling - they seem to do more general modern history as well as Scottish History (which the uni seems to have an especially good reputation for).

I did mean to ask if anyone recalls a police officer called Rafferty. Somebody on another forum mentioned this in connection with here’s arrest. The night she was arrested there were two female officers, the one mentioned above who was a DC and maybe Rafferty was a DS or DI? Just curious to see if anyone remembers her as I don’t really, not by name anyway. Tanners was of course involved in Josh’s arrest.

PC Sally Hunter was the PC present at Helen's arrest, as well as Burns, with DS Joanne Madeley turning up shortly after Burns had and putting his handcuffs onto Helen. If there was a Rafferty there he or she didn't speak, or at least isn't in the cast list Lowfield, or the BBC synopsis for 4th or 5th April, 2016.

Actually, none of the police who were present that night are in the cast list for 3-8/4/2016, which is definitely a bit strange.

There was also a Sergeant Mills who took Helen's DNA at the police station, who I think spoke on 5th but isn't in the cast list.

On 7th the BBC has
"DS Madeley and DC Sharples discuss the case." DC Sharples was Wendy.

(You can see how I've gained the impression that most of Borchester police force is female, really.)
and Sharples isn;t in the sact list either.

What that last line is there for I have no idea!

@PoulePouletteEternellement

I'm so sorry for your brother's misfortune CheetasOnFajitas.

It's always a surprise to realise that serious accidents at work do still happen irl.

Sadly yes, and it was a public sector employer as well.

Sorry to hear about your brother @CheetasOnFajitas . Unfortunately the HSE has had a lot of its funding cut and remit reduced in the last ten years in the name of 'cutting red tape' .

I'm very sorry to hear about your brother too, @CheetasOnFajitas.

Years ago I worked in a university alongside various mental health professionals who worked with seriously ill inpatients, including some very violent people. Assault was a constant risk and one of my colleagues was seriously injured in one incident (made a full recovery, fortunately). Accidents at work can take many forms.

I do find the lack of reaction from HSE weird and inexplicable, though I think we have heard Philip quite recently mention that he was waiting for "the report", which might be theirs but goodness, they've taken their time over it.

I thought they'd reported ages ago, laying the blame squarely at Philip's firm's door? That's when Justin put the screws on him, knowing he couldn't afford to turn work away.

If Philip persists with the gambling addiction fiction, I wonder whether Gavin could counter it by producing his bank statements which wouldn't show the sort of pattern normally seen with gambling addicts? The question would then arise about why Gavin and Philip were talking about horses which would demonstrate very forcibly that all Phil's claims about caring about his workers were utter bullshit.

@Arobase

I do find the lack of reaction from HSE weird and inexplicable, though I think we have heard Philip quite recently mention that he was waiting for "the report", which might be theirs but goodness, they've taken their time over it.

I thought they'd reported ages ago, laying the blame squarely at Philip's firm's door? That's when Justin put the screws on him, knowing he couldn't afford to turn work away.

I think that report was the insurance loss adjuster.

I wonder if (implausibly but satisfyingly) Gavin is off looking for Blake, Kenzie and Jordan? If he then takes them to the police it's curtains for Philip.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

If he was a Professor of Ancient History, he would need to be a good classicist, so it's perfectly plausible that he has excellent Latin. Just not that he taught at Stirling, as everyone else has said.

Jim is of an age where any ex grammar school boy would have a strong grounding in Latin and possibly Greek. A couple of my ex-colleagues who are of a similar age had a heated discussion in our coffee room about a translation of one of the gospels, which they based on the Greek text, which they both owned. We’re, as my user name suggests, all engineers. One of them is the chair of the local classics society and could definitely sit down and translate Latin or Greek.

@Chemenger until today I'd alway support your user name to something French inspired! I guess I don't have a science background

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

I wonder if (implausibly but satisfyingly) Gavin is off looking for Blake, Kenzie and Jordan? If he then takes them to the police it's curtains for Philip.

Ooh I hope so. I do want Gavin to get redeemed and Philip to get comeuppance. Probably too neat though

[quote BlueCowWonders]@Chemenger until today I'd alway support your user name to something French inspired! I guess I don't have a science background [/quote]
No, I’m a chemical engineer! Or, in Latin, I have a couple of degrees in mecanalem chemicam.

I knew you were a chem. eng'er, but for some reason I hear your name as Tchemenjer.

Sorry to hear about your brother Cheetas.

Farming accidents are quite common, just not in Ambridge.