🤐 The Archers spoilers thread #7: Can't wait for 7.02pm? Join us here!

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Spoilers thread for The Archers. Please keep all spoiler-related discussion in this thread and do not spill the beans on the main Archers Thread (hence the zipped mouth on the emoji!). Last spoilers thread here: www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4197199--The-Archers-spoilers-thread-6-Cant-wait-for-7-02pm-Join-us-here

Current main Archers thread here: www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4632741-archers-thread-139-whos-the-daddy-no-ceremonial-required-to-join-us-discuss-the-archers-here The main thread tends to last a few weeks. The spoiler thread runs for well over a year, but I strongly suspect it gets read about as much as the main thread.

I predict Henry will abandon his elective mutism in about four years' time. That's the usual pattern.

He's not silent, he's usually upstairs playing with Jack.

This is the week's spoilers all in one place for reference.

BBC One-Liners
19 Mar Adam and Debbie have lots to catch up on, and Justin keeps one ear to the ground.
20 Mar Is Brookfield coming under attack? Clarrie and Susan are swotting up.
21 Mar Brian has some explaining to do, and the young vet and local bobby get chatting.
22 Mar Has Debbie made a terrible mistake? George puts in a bid for space.
23 Mar Justin is feeling patriotic, and Jim is getting ready to settle in.
24 Mar Debbie has a decision to make, and Chelsea has some advice for a misguided friend.

Credits
Sun 19/3/2023, Mon 20/3/2023, Tue 21/3/2023, Wed 22/3/2023, Thu 23/3/2023, Fri 24/3/2023
Writer, Tim Stimpson
Director, Kim Greengrass
Editor, Jeremy Howe
Brian Aldridge: Charles Collingwood
Debbie Aldridge: Tamsin Greig
Ben Archer: Ben Norris
David Archer: Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer: Felicity Finch
Harrison Burns: James Cartwright
Susan Carter: Charlotte Martin
Justin Elliott: Simon Williams
Clarrie Grundy: Heather Bell
George Grundy: Angus Stobie
Chelsea Horrobin: Madeleine Leslay
Joy Horville: Jackie Lye
Jim Lloyd: John Rowe
Paul Mack: Joshua Riley
Adam Macy: Andrew Wincott

Radio Times Ambridge Diary 19th – 24th March 2023
Young vet Paul continues to feel the lure of Ambridge, thanks to a chance conversation with Harrison. A proposed new charging station gets everybody talking, with Jim keen to drum up local opposition.
Helen’s new dairy initiative keeps Clarrie on her toes, but Susan spots an opportunity. George seems keen to offer support to both - particularly with his 18th birthday looming.
Brian’s behaviour is causing Debbie some concern, but can they resolve matters with their difficult history? Meanwhile, Jill tries to do a good thing, and we all know where the road paved with good intentions leads …

Daily Mail Weekend Magazine Archers Update 19th – 24th March 2023
Will you be taking up Helen's invitation to visit the Bridge Farm Dairy? It might be worth trying to cross the Mighty Am to get a glimpse of Adam in a hairnet, or Susan and Clarrie having a ding-dong over the yoghurt.
Watch out if you go for George, who, with his 18th birthday approaching, has a cunning plan to milk some money out of the new dairy wheeze.
Best not to bring a dog with you, as Harrison is all churned up about attacks on the livestock of Borsetshire.
You might, on your trip, catch a glimpse of the recently returned Debbie, gritting her teeth and staring fixedly across the Aldridge acres as she tries to keep her relationship with her stepfather from turning sour.

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Paul is not a vet! He is a veterinary nurse, and it's not the same thing; fewer qualifications required, shorter training, and generally not a degree but a diploma. (Some universities do offer a foundation or BSc honours degree in veterinary nursing but it's not the most usual route in.) And anyway Paul. like Denise, has been very specific on air about being a vet nurse not a vet.

The Radio Times is right about Debbie and Brian having a difficult history. It's a bit late for Debbie to try to keep her relationship with Brian from turning sour, per Daily Mail: it went down the tubes when she identified him with her husband as a man who betrayed his wife by having sex with somebody else. She could not forgive Simon for it (understandably) and she could not forgive Brian, even when his wife had done so. In the same way, she washed her hands of her birth-father Roger Travers-Macy when he had sex with Brian's wife; Adam stayed in touch with him all the time, but Debbie cut him off and told him to go away and stay away because she never wanted to speak o him again. Strangely, when Travers-Macy was ill with covid his new wife had Debbie's (Hungarian mobile, and presumably new since she went there, long after she gave RT-M his marching orders) telephone number, but not Adam's (English mobile, he's likely to have had it for a while) one.

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime , Thanks.
The Mail is notorious for lying getting things wrong.
The vet nurse/vet mix-up is strange because it's almost like thinking a hygienist is a dentist, or a legal secretary is a barrister or solicitor, and I suspect that if Paul was Paula, the mistake would not have been made.

I wonder how long Dobbin will be back for. I'd be pleased if she came back for good. Want you back, wash your back, wash your back for good....

Wonder what the dog-worrying is. Is it Weaver? Holly? Ruby? Bess?

I hope that the Ghastly Geowurge will humiliate himself and chuck himself into the poo lagoon.

If I lived locally, I'd be tempted to visit the Fridge Barm Dairy for a bit of Radio Yoghurt Carton.

As an aside with my own Archers Spoiler, I'm still fuming about my spoilt TA. The man was so smarmy, speaking to me as if he'd be doing me a favour by taking that underused little car off my hands. . He probably thoughht I had no idea it was an enthusiast's car and probably worth more than £150 or something. Ugh, it's made me feel like I am being watched.

I've had other people ask, but they seemed quite genuine, i.e, not pretending it was just a little old banger, and not greasy, slimy, hushed tones patronising sleaze-balls.

Calm down, Whopping, frownlines are not a good look. I'll channel my inner Joy, and see if I can take the motor for a spin. It's not a MGB

Many thanks, Asking!

Whopping, he didn't call you a little lady or similar, did he? He seems to have made a strong impression on you.

He disturbed my TA, Gasp.
He gave the impression of talking to me as if I was clueless, like I was some batty old lady who hardly ventured out in my little runaround. If he wanted to buy it, it woud have been to offer me barely more than scrap value and sell for a few grand. He had either asked next door whose car it was or been watching me.

I should have done what I normally do with unwanted knocks on the door - answer, look cross-eyed and say 'Noh ingliss, noh spick ingliss'

Rereading the Ambridge Reporter Blossom Hill chronology I realise the tenants I mentioned earlier were pre-Rob. Only Anisha seems to have rented it since then, but she left ages ago. Must listen again to hear what Usha says about the place.

I'm pleased to report that I pootled about in my little motor yesterday, going nowhere in particular. Saw lots of daffodils and trees and shrubs in blossom. It rained heavily and I saw some soggy joggers and a little boy jumped in the same puddle 3 times. Came back and parked in the exact spot I vacated, and I'm in a better mood today.
Toot toot!

Well done ye, Whopping.

The good mood didn't last, but maybe Debbie's dulcet tones will cheer me up.
Wasn't Brian lucky that BHC was empty right when his tenancy was coming up for renewal?

Chelsea has some advice for a misguided friend.

This is for tomorrow. I really hope she gives Jim a talking to and he comes to his senses. Jim wouldn’t be treating the Brookfield lot like this, it’s ludicrous. Someone needs to tell him exactly why they had to sell that land. That might put him back in his box. Does Chelsea know the full story? Is that plausible?

I believe she does, @TherapistInATabard

I'm avoiding the DTA thread as I'm finding it too negative about the actors, but agree with the Paul being such a stereotype comments.
I remember Dana, but wouldn't be old enough to remember her winning. I think the first I remember was Abba's Waterloo.

I've not been on Spoliers for a while but I am intrigued by Whopping's car story. Is it a classic car?

I'm afraid I am of an age where I would have continued to listen to the radio if I wasn't expecting a parcel or visitor (though I have abandoned attempting to catch the Archers at 7pm).

I have an "All kinds of Everything" earworm after skimming through the main thread and I have yet to hear Thursday's episode.

Thanks, @Madcats . No, just an old hot hatch. It looks like a teenager's car but it's been well looked after, 3 owners from new (I knew the previous owner), and is low mileage. My gripe with the people asking if I'd be interested in selling it is that they think I'm not going to realise that it is worth anything. It probably has a list price of less than £500 but it's worth what someone is willing to pay for. Current ads have them from £5K to £11K.

Comments I've had on it include 'it's chavvy' from a Volvo driver and 'Is that car yours, Whopp?? Is it really a GTi or did you stick the badges on?' from a petrolhead

I don't need a car because I live somewhere where there's a lot within walking distance and good public transport, but it has sentimental value and I like the added freedom a car gives me.

Is Ben still driving the orange car?Is the Ruairi SL going to come back in the next week or two while/if we still have Debbie?

Is Brian going to get a cleaner and, if so, will it be Emmur? An affair, perhaps, and maybe a baby Bryony?

Debbie has stated that she is only staying in AdamandIan's office until Friday so she probably isn't going to have the horror of seeing Ruairi, who was so utterly vile as to be born. She fled the country rather than have that happen before.

(And would rather sleep on someone's floor than in a bed at her stepfather's house. Why has she stayed in England if he is so repugnant to her, I wonder.)

I know she said 'until Friday' but I wondered about the decision she was going to make tonight.
I think Debbie felt completely betrayed by her step-father's adulterous affair, and I can't say I'd be too pleased to find that my step-father had fathered the OW's child.
Obviously, I love Debbie, and would like her to stay around, but she doesn't seem to fit into any of the SLs other than the sugar mummy one or the selling HF, should that be a SL.

BBC One-Liners
26 Mar Tom and Natasha get a tempting offer, and Brian just wants to be left alone.
27 Mar Jim is calling in the experts, and Oliver has a few tricks up his sleeve.
28 Mar Ed gets a shock when it comes to George, and Natasha needs to come up with a plan.
29 Mar Will is reminded of some painful history, and there’s life in the old dogs yet, Freddie.
30 Mar Jim grills David for some key information, and why is Brian being so mysterious?
31 Mar Helen and Tom are at loggerheads, and Alice uncovers the truth.

Credits
Sun 26/3/2023, Mon 27/3/2023, Tue 28/3/2023, Wed 29/3/2023, Thu 30/3/2023, Fri 31/3/2023
Writer, Tim Stimpson
Director, Gwenda Hughes
Editor, Jeremy Howe
Brian Aldridge: Charles Collingwood
David Archer: Timothy Bentinck
Helen Archer: Louiza Patikas
Natasha Archer: Mali Harries
Tom Archer: William Troughton
Lilian Bellamy: Sunny Ormonde
Lee Bryce: Ryan Early
Alice Carter: Hollie Chapman
Neil Carter: Brian Hewlett
Justin Elliot: Simon Williams
Ed Grundy: Barry Farrimond
George Grundy: Angus Stobie
Will Grundy: Philip Molloy
Jim Lloyd: John Rowe
Elizabeth Pargetter: Alison Dowling
Oliver Sterling: Michael Cochrane

Radio Times Ambridge Diary 26th – 31st March 2023
George has been busted! Will and Ed realise he's been coaching Susan and Clarrie in his birthday party mission, but all may not be lost as Oliver takes an interest.
Natasha and Tom must decide on a lucrative opportunity that could cause conflict at Bridge Farm, and the electric charging station continues to cause ripples, as Jim keeps digging to find the name of a key player – could David have information that he's willing to share?
And what is Brian up to now? As he rebuffs Alice's offers to help him settle into his new routine, Lilian senses something mysterious is afoot.

Daily Mail Weekend Magazine Archers Update 26th – 31st March 2023
The spring sunshine stirs up the old foxes of Ambridge sending them nosing round the village. Brian,the most furtive of them, is up to something. He shows every sign of settling into his new routine, but won't let anyone in on his plans, operating on the sly.
Justin, the most cunning one, startles Lilian and Alice with his scheme to 'Move with the times', while Jim noses around for clues and Oliver licks his wounds.
Over in Grundy land, Will and Ed work out what George is up to, but their sticky past proves an obstacle.
Meanwhile, Natasha, usually on the look-out for money-making wheezes, wonders if a lucrative offer concerning the twins might be a bridge too far for Bridge Farm.
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I am longing for the day on which Brian is simply left alone for a whole twenty-four hours by his entire brood of leeches. In fact by all his late wife's relations.

Thanks, Asking. Natasha is going to accept the modelling job.
It will be good to hear Oliver again.
I'm curious about Brian.

I would like Brian to go off and do all the things he and Jenny had planned to do in their retirement. This would probably involve lots of travel, enabling Charles Collingwood to "phone it in" from time to time.

BBC One-Liners
2 Apr There’s another shock for the Aldridge family and Helen makes her feelings clear.
3 Apr It’s all hands to the pump at Bridge Farm, while George finds himself on the spot.
4 Apr Emotions run high for Alice, and Susan puts her foot in it.
5 Apr Justin needs a get-out clause, and Kate tries to come to terms with recent events.
6 Apr Chelsea takes the shortcut to revenge, and Lee has concerns.
7 Apr It’s not a Good Friday for one Ambridge resident, and Brad finds himself in over his head.

Credits
Sun 2/4/2023, Mon 3/4/2023, Tue 4/4/2023, Wed 5/4/2023, Thu 6/4/2023, Fri 7/4/2023,
Writer, Sarah Hehir
Director, Dave Payne
Editor, Jeremy Howe
Adam Macy: Andrew Wincott
Adil Shah: Ronny Jhutti
Alice Carter: Hollie Chapman
Brad Horrobin: Taylor Uttley
Brian Aldridge: Charles Collingwood
Chelsea Horrobin: Madeleine Leslay
George Grundy: Angus Stobie
Harrison Burns: James Cartwright
Helen Archer: Louiza Patikas
Jolene Archer: Buffy Davis
Justin Elliott: Simon Williams
Kate Madikane: Perdita Avery
Lee Bryce: Ryan Early
Pat Archer: Patricia Gallimore
Susan Carter: Charlotte Martin
Tom Archer: William Troughton

Radio Times Ambridge Diary 2nd – 7th April 2023
The official opening of Bridge Farm's dairy window and edible forest garden is looming, but Tom and Natasha are nowhere to be seen. With tensions in the family threatening to boil over, will the day pass without a hitch?
Chelsea looks set to throw a spanner in the works of George's 18th birthday celebrations, while, on the night itself, George crosses the line, taking Brad with him.
Brian's new-found culinary skills are put to use hosting his family. With good food on the table, everyone is having a pleasant time, until Jennifer's will is opened...

Daily Mail Weekend Magazine Archers Update 2nd – 7th April 2023
Jenny's handbags and scarves are flaunted in the lanes of Ambridge and the streets of Felpersham. Her meals are defrosted and scoffed at Aldridge tables, while love letters, sent to her, emerge after decades, setting new dramas in motion. Now, from beyond the grave, she throws yet another spanner into the works.
Brian, who's becoming increasingly confident in the kitchen, invites his assorted family round for a meal. Everything goes well - then, the decision is made to take a beak at Jenny's will and, yet again, she's able to show that she may be dead, but she won't lie down.
Things aren't that calm over at Bridge Farm either, with temperatures reaching boiling point.

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And now the place is full of spanners. Still, if Jennifer's one disconcerts Alice and Kate that's all to the good. I wish Alice would stop trying to mother Brian; he's old enough to be her father.... (joke)

Poor Brian; he has cooked a single meal successfully, and one not so much so, and Alice has taken it on herself to decide he is to cook a Sunday lunch for the family two days later, rather than letting him practice a bit and then invite them for himself in his own good time. Poor, poor Martha.

Thank you, Asking. Wonder if it will be something inconsistent with the Jennydarling we knew and loved.

Oooh! So much potential with The Will! Because I am evil (and have worked in probate, so have seen the real rage of "entitled" but thwarted children) this would be my plan:

Assuming Brine doesn't need her money, everything gets divided into 5 equal shares, between the families of Adam, Debbie, Kate, Alice and (controversially) Ruairi. But (a BIG BUT) only the ones who don't have children at the time of her death (and may never have them) get the dosh. The ones who do have children discover it has been left in trust for those children when they are 18/21, and all they get is a cheery wave from the grave.

This also means that Xander and Marrfurr get three times the amount that Kate's children get. What could possibly be finer?