🎭 Archers thread 125: Ambridge Mysteries! The Case Of The Missing Pandemic. Where Is Pat? What Is Lynda Snell's Kompromat? Follow the clues and 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’d love to be in the Mysteries, 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 for thread title ideas to @Roysnewshirt and @Witchwife. Apologies if I’ve forgotten anyone else.

Do we think the Mysteries replace the usual fun storylines around giving things up for Lent? Light relief while we wait to see if the SWs go for realism and tragedy when Alice’s baby is born, or bottle out (as it were) and go for everything being fine? Will Jazzer and Tracy get back together again? (No bookie in the land would take money for that, of course they will.)

Over to you!

Yeah; he dragged him to Ambridge in the first place

Why? Was there a reason? If there was, I've long forgotten it.

So that the name "Fairbrother" would be in the listeners' minds when SO'C's little vanity project vilifying a man who was dead and couldn't sue could be aired on the 60th anniversary of Grace Fairbrother's death.

I think there was some pretext or other about them wanting to become chicken-farmers, on air.

Would Susan really be so coy about wanting to get in shape? And so girlish about wearing trackie bottoms when quizzed about them by her own husband. If she was developing a bit of a crush on Lee (implausible but they do keep underlining how easy on the eye he is) then it’s possible I suppose but she sounded like a schoolgirl in the same class as the seven-year-old Clarrie. What is this new thing of trying to make middle aged women sound inane and stupid.

Nice to hear Kate again (NEVER EVER thought I would say that).

I never thought I'd favour Kate over her interlocutor - but I was faintly cheering her last night when she schooled her daughter on the realities of the hospitality industry.

Hope Phoebe is just going through a phase and isn't stuck at "I know everything" for life. It's really very unpleasant.

Isn't it just! 😖😖

Yes Boop to Kate on pointing out to Phoebe that it's a bit more complicated than she thinks.

I was rather expecting Neil to get Susan to promise to make him one of her famous chillis in return for not telling Lee the truth.

Shouldn’t Kate be worried that she might lose her all clients to Phoeble? I can’t precisely remember the deal with Spiritual Home - do you have to book a treatment to be able to stay in a Yurt, for instance - but now I come to think about it, I’m not sure Ambridge has room for two boho camp sites. Surely Kate should be a bit more anxious that her daughter is basically hi-jacking her business model...

Thank you @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime!

I was imagining, Roysnewshirt, that there would be as big a gap between Spiritual Home and Phoebe's venture as there is between a Lower Loxley Wedding and realising all your best day of your life photos include David, glowering.

Anyone ever done live audience by zoom for a R4 prog ... am having technical probs and there's no way to contact the BBC urgently!! ?

It's a Fair Cop - I don't want to miss my chance!

I love the idea of a treehouse and thought Kate made some fantastic points!

Phone for a supermarket delivery Alish.

Actually, just leave the baby with Caveman Dad and run for the hills.

She could try not nagging and badgering in order to goad him into agreeing with her (accurate) self-blame that if the baby turns out to have been damaged by her drinking the cause was her drinking; that might help.

She could. Chris needs help. They both do,
It's not looking good.
Susan's muffin top was a welcome relief.

Imagine being in a situation like that. He has no one to talk to other than Peggy who is in her 90s, Alan and Harrison. What a mess.

He has no one to talk to

...other than the various pity-parties groups set up precisely for the purpose. Yeah Or he can always go and bend the local Plod's ear. Or his fragrant sister's. His problem is not having no one to talk to, but an inability to fucking well listen.

I want it darker

Let us not forget that Alice has consistently and repeatedly forbidden him to talk to anyone.

And let us also not forget that he has freely blethered to Plod and to the fat fool Franks.
Who next? Dolly-collecting mouthbreathing granny-fettler Lee?

Sorry, sorry. 'Action figure collecting', that should be.

I don't think Chris has asked recently to tell other people. And Alice was fine about him having told Harrison when he admitted to it. I think now if Chris did want to talk (apart from to Emma) she mood got be open to it ... but Chris is desperate to be "normal".

SO'C's little vanity project vilifying a man who was dead and couldn't sue

I've been trying to work out what that was without success. Can you enlighten us, @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime?

@theThreeofWeevils

He has no one to talk to

...other than the various pity-parties groups set up precisely for the purpose. Yeah Or he can always go and bend the local Plod's ear. Or his fragrant sister's. His problem is not having no one to talk to, but an inability to fucking well listen.

I want it darker

I'm surprised to be writing this, but Hear Hear, weevils!

Take on plenty of fluids and keep warm and take it easy and you'll get over it, Pusscat. But ta anyway.