🐴 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?

Beechwood has been empty for a month now, hasn't it (unless Gavin is secretly living there)? I think you have to change your insurance if a place is left unoccupied for more than 31 days.

An empty house with no bank account access to fund the bills to the bank and utility companies (I am guessing the police would freeze Philip's). What could possibly go wrong, I wonder?

What has become of Joy?

Good for Natasha

Tom didn't intend to 'report' Natasha did he? He thought he was talking to a friend off the record and was clearly taken aback when Harrison adopted a formal tone.

Natasha sounded unhinged and I can't see how their marriage will last. He is constantly walking around on eggshells.

So your wife goes out when you don't want her to.

What do you think your friend can do about it?

Unless they happen to be the police ...

But Harrison was right, as we've been saying on this thread, she could be accused of interfering with witnesses. I thought he handled it well.

Although that wasn't why Tom did it, obviously.

Well he wanted Harrison to have a chat with her, one friend to another. He didn't want her to be arrested. I don't like Tom at all but don't think his motivated by anything other than wanting to put Natasha (and Kirsty) our of harm's way.

Of course since Harrison threw a hissy fit last month and decided the residents of Ambridge do not take him seriously he doesn't really do friendly chats anymore...

Anyway, ultimately Tom was right. Kirsty is on a fool's errand. Hopefully the news that she could charged with attempting to tamper with a witness etc will bring an end to this nonsense.

While Tom was right, and I'm unreasonably chuffed about spotting it right away, I don't see how he/Natasha/Kirsty couldn't see it it too. It's not Brain of Britain stuff. Silly, I know, as it's clearly about spinning out the SL and sowing discord between Tom and Natasha. Possibly Kirsty too, when she finds out.

It would have been fine if Harrison hadn't mentioned Tom.

I did enjoy Natasha pointing out to Tom that they didn't live in the 19th century!

@PursuingProxemicExactitude

He's only threatening to turn to Jade out of spite

Jazzer is almost middle aged now, isn't he? I hate the way they portray him as an idiot, competing with someone barely out of their teens for female attention, and being bounced around by sheer childish emotion.

Not so much idiot as a creep.

Kirsty is going to nuts when she finds out Tom dobbed her in it.

@PursuingProxemicExactitude

Glad to hear Jazzer has good taste in whisky! (I'm an Islay single malt fan, too.)

I was horrified that he pronounced it “I- LAY” though. What was Ryan Kelly thinking?!

Jazzer is almost middle aged now, isn't he?

I was more than somewhat surprised by the suggestion someone made to him that he could be regarded as Tracy's toy boy. I don't think so, somehow.

For all that Gnasher thinks Tom is being controlling, she should really be grateful that his action saved her and Kirsty (we hope) from being arrested for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Imagine if Victoria sent in the heavies to sort out Kirsty and Natasha... finding Blake etc is definitely a job for the police.

I bet Blake turns up in Ambridge though, looking for Gavin.

It’s quite sad how we’ve gone from a surfeit of Archers with Ambridge Extra & 6 episodes to only 4 episodes a week. I miss the Friday & Sunday episodes.

How are Kate & vet boyfriend getting on? My mind has gone blank.

Charlotte Higgins take over of Nancy Banks Smith column in the Guardian

That's a promising start! Thanks for the link, Lillian.

Wearing robes of white, trainee vicar St Shula Hebden Lloyd, who has most unfairly been called “sanctimonious” by her own sister, glided forth to Philip’s place of incarceration there to minister to the miserable sinner. It didn’t go well – in fact, he called her “a bad-tempered cow”, the worst thing that anyone has ever said to another person on the Archers. It’s possible that some listeners quietly punched the air. Yup!

I'm not sure what to make of Tom's interference - it was a case of him doing the right thing for the wrong reason. Posters on here have been warning that Kirsty could be accused of interfering with witness all along - Harrison just pointed out what many on here already suspected. The SW seem to be determined to put the cat among the pigeons with Tom and Natatsha and want her to join forces with Kirsty in order to do so. I've never found Tom and Natasha convincing as a couple so I don't particularly care one way or the other. I thought Lillian's take on Kirsty's plight was interesting based on her own experience with Matt - essentially that she'd turned a blind eye to things she'd rather not know. I think we know that's not the case, but it shows how others (a jury if it came to it) might view Kirsty.

I read Charlotte Higgin's piece and the linked article "A peculiarly English epic". It made me smile when she pulled out the usual quotations, plot-highlights, etc. The article was like TA itself, with that comforting predictability. Just as you know every year will bring lambing and the F&P Show, so every article has to mention Grace/the birth of ITV and that quotation from Princess Margaret.

The linked article in the Guardian mentions a plane crash. Does anyone remember that?

David Archer has gone all BLM and threatened to topple the Brookfield barn, like that statue of Edward Colston in Bristol.

That was funny. But unfortunately reminded me of the excruciating mortification of hearing Ruth - who has never knowingly met a single black person in her entire life - trying to do social awareness. (Because 'slavery'.)

Ruth has probably met Amy's grandmother. Can't remember her name.

Also Amy, Noluthando, Usha and Usha's family. Possibly also Iftikhar, Elizabeth's Maths teacher almost ex, as he is a cricketer, IIRC.

Ifty is asian-british, i think, as is Usha. Usha's Aunt Satya Ugandan-Asian.

Only Lucas and Alan's MIL from 1st marriage are black, but Amy and Nolly are mixed race.

For all we know Vince might be of mixed heritage.