🐴 Archers thread 124: And they're off! Pip on a high horse, Kirsty champing at the bit to find the lost ‘horses’, Alice on the wagon (or is she riding for a fall?). 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 Shula would make a brilliant vicar, 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 @PoulePouletteEternellement for the equine theme to the new thread title. I wanted to work in Rex being a dark horse and lots of others too, but (you may feel fortunately) there's a character limit for the title.

I wonder if this thread will see us through to the end of February. The last one filled up in under a month, which was like old times. All depends on what delights are in store for us in the coming weeks, I suppose. I'm hoping that Gavin has spilled the beans on Victoria, she's also arrested, and the lads are found. Having said that, I'm not confident that in the real world they would get the support and care they need to turn their lives around and get proper jobs. It was good to hear on the last thread from @Trickyboy, who has professional experience of investigating this vile crime. Any comments on how things turn out in the long run for those rescued?

😂

I know I've been out of the loop for a number of months, but was surprised at Gnasher's transformation.

Did she say "He's bipolar" or did I mishear?

Quite rightly, those diagnosed with this condition (inc me) prefer "He has bipolar" (or my preference, "He has a diagnosis of bipolar"). TBH I am dreading this developing into a storyline.

@PursuingProxemicExactitude

Is Stephanie getting her revenge on the Pargetter offspring for the way they treated her dad?

I refuse to believe she and her husband to be truly have designs on Freddie. (Or Lily.)

I wonder if freddie propositioned steph and her friends when they were at the IOW festival and shes getting a bit of light hearted revenge

I'm finding the slow pace of the modern slavery line quite annoying

I don't really see how they can speed it up, given that in real life Philip and Gavin wouldn't come to trial for months or even years. I am however finding Kirsty's utterly pointless search for the workers annoying.

I agree silverypussycat, I am not sure they have the ability to carry off that storyline well.

I’m not sure that the bipolar thing will become a storyline - doesn’t it just help to give Natasha some background. We heard about it before because it helped explain her relationship with her parents iirc, now we’re hearing that it gives Natasha an (otherwise unexpected) level of kindness and insight that sometimes it helps just to be with someone even if you can’t contribute much.
Now we may all understand that Kirsty shouldn’t be looking for Blake et al, but those who have questioned her have pushed her further into it, whereas last night Natasha was able to give her room to vent her doubts. Maybe that’s what will allow calm the prevail in Kirsty’s mind and give her permission to stop looking - it’s much harder to stop something when you think everyone will just say ‘I told you so’.

@Arobase

I'm finding the slow pace of the modern slavery line quite annoying

I don't really see how they can speed it up, given that in real life Philip and Gavin wouldn't come to trial for months or even years. I am however finding Kirsty's utterly pointless search for the workers annoying.

I can't understand that nobody has thought about the possibility that she'll look like she's intimidating witnesses. Perhaps the SWs haven't thought of it.

I’m not sure that enabling Kirsty is the best thing for her.
There was an overuse of footstep sound effects that I couldn’t stop hearing in that episode, Tom and Natasha seem to live in an empty wooden box and Natasha and Kirsty were wearing clogs.

I don't think enabling Kirsty is best, either, but I think Natalie understood she was going to do it anyway, and telling her it might be dangerous for her personal safety, she might be accused of trying to intimidate witnesses, all that sort of thing, just isn't going to stop her. I liked heart-shaped having a go at Tom, too.

Heart-shaped? I liked Natasha having a go at Tom, too.

I thought it sounded like Natasha was wearing high heels in an empty alleyway @Chemenger. A strange choice given that moments before she was slouching around cooking jacket potatoes in anticipation of the visit of two small boys.

I’m not saying that enabling Kirsty is the right thing to do but I can imagine Natasha doing it. And being exasperated with Tom for not doing so.

And agree it does increasingly feel like the SWs haven’t considered that it may be a bad thing for Kirsty’s defence purposes. Although I can’t remember what her status is with that - we know she was arrested but not charged I think? Is she still a person of interest?

Natasha always sounds like she's wearing heels to me. Bustling about in a suit and heels.

Yes, I spent a while trying to work out what footwear Natasha was wearing. In the end, I decided it must have been medium-high black boots. An odd choice for pounding the streets as she would have been better off in trainers. I am sure she must have a few designer pairs stashed away. I thought she was fairly unrecognisable in this episode. She sounded like a very lovely, sensitive and kind friend. Not the Natasha we know...

I agree Natasha is definitely not posh. Flashy and nouveau, but definitely not posh.

What size is TomnTash's flat now? Wouldn't it be cramped with 3 adults and 2 boys? Or is it still big enough to accommodate a cocktail party.

I wondered if Stiffanay was Freddie's ONS from the festival.

www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/crime/chesterfield-woman-charged-alleged-slavery-offence-3116874

This woman was served a Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order in July and it is still ongoing. It could be a slow story. The STRO prevents her from offering accommodation to anyone except family, I wonder if we will hear anything about this kind of process in TA.

Just read that article again - it's a bit difficult as there are loads of adverts and it's easy to miss bits. The STRO also forbids her from employing anyone without informing Derbyshire police. She is in court today for breaching that order - she clearly has no shame. I am now wondering if she was running one of the many car washes in Chesterfield. None of them are running at the moment but one has been completely dismantled so it's probably that one.

Charged today. Not in court. I did a check and she owned several car washes including the one I guessed. She also rents out substandard accommodation and was in court for that recently. Nice person.

By the slow pace of the slavery storyline I mean ... I know it will take ages for the legals to go through.

But I'd like Gavin to show up and tell Kirsty she's wasting her time going round the homeless shelters because her evil husband sold them on to an even worse slave driver.

And then hear the repercussions from that.

Well! That was a strange episode, wasn't it? 🤔

Gnasher talking about walking the streets in the rain? Ex prostitute methinks!

And what is Stephanie Steph up to? She's got Freddie in her sights, that's for sure!

@UntamedWisteria

By the slow pace of the slavery storyline I mean ... I know it will take ages for the legals to go through.

But I'd like Gavin to show up and tell Kirsty she's wasting her time going round the homeless shelters because her evil husband sold them on to an even worse slave driver.

And then hear the repercussions from that.

That would be a better story development.

Oh! FFS! I don't believe it.

Now I'm getting cream cardigan adverts!

But I'd like Gavin to show up and tell Kirsty she's wasting her time going round the homeless shelters because her evil husband sold them on to an even worse slave driver.

Isn't he in prison? And maybe he's forbidden to contact potential witnesses?

I want cream cardigan adverts

I hope there is no bipolar storyline as well. It presents differently in different people, so if portrayed in drama it can give listers/viewers the idea that all people with the diagnosis will act the same. And lead them to think that people with bipolar are often ill, when, even if episodes recurs it.can be years between them.

(Sorry for so many repetitions of "people")

Presumably Kirsty knows Gavin has turned himself in, which suggests he accepts his guilt. Has it not occurred to her that he would have told the police all he knows about the fate of the ‘horses’? I hope he has and that they will already have paid a call on Victoria.