Archers thread #140: Changing rooms at Brookfield with Leonard Llewellyn-Bowen, or saving souls with St Smugula in the heathen wastelands of the North? 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 a stained glass window marking the birth of newborn twins is just what Ambridge needs, 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/4636789-the-archers-spoilers-thread-7-cant-wait-for-702pm-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.)

Title composed in haste, making use of @Octothorpe's lovely coinage of Leonard Llewellyn-Bowen and @TheLassWiADelicateAir's terrific description of St. Smugula's mission to the heathen wasteland of far flung Sunderland, both from the last thread

I've abandoned the use of an emoji in the title, having been alerted by another thread recently to the fact that it makes it difficult for people with visual problems to use assistive software.

I won't say much more about The Archers, as I'm still feeling extremely jaundiced about the programme at the moment. Fingers crossed it takes a turn for the better over the next few days. It was good to hear Helen, Lee and Joy again tonight. Less delighted to hear the loathsome George. What a numpty not to recognise pheasant chicks! His Dad would be far from impressed.

Over to you!

Didn’t Clarrie worry that Eddie had feelings for Jolene back in the day when he and Jolene were country music performers!

Poults, I think (poultry.)

We don't, but I think Eddie was telling George to keep them separate from the turkeys. I assume it's good practice to quarantine any new livestock, before mixing them in with existing stock, in any case.

Yes, and I don't think they were unfounded fears, but I was pretty young st the time, do could be misremembering.

Beth does come across as bossy. One minute she’s lucky to be invited to move into the house share and the next she’s setting the rules.

Doing my usual late/early doors check in on the thread (thanks @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g as ever) and am cheered by the volume of posts in less than two days!

i cannot believe Henry is off to secondary. I had subliminal archers listening all through my childhood and teens, and only found it again in my early 30s with the Helen/Rob storyline. So he’s definitely still 6 right…?

Agree on the turkey/pheasant and Kenton/Clarrie SLs - although I did enjoy it as some soothing BBC nonsense, that maybe they are starting to go back to that style of content (although bizarrely off piste in those instances)

Re: the Chelsea storyline: I concur with others who are finding it more and more implausible. I’m hoping that this bizarre medical and general ignorance-of-how-people-behave is part of a shuffling of chess pieces in Ambridge and therefore just a script writing oversight rather than an awful traumatic SL in the near future. I’ve given up hope it’ll be anything sensible or considered, and I love Tracey and Chelsea so would really like whatever happens from now on to just be peaceful and nice for them both, regardless of reality.

Chelsea is going to be feeling that baby's movements soon. I suspect that may be the catalyst for a final decision against termination 😡

Last night Jill was annoyed by Beth' 'overacting' to the ben/steff kiss ... but she's allowed to be annoyed by toby/rex for something there (father/grandma??? Did)
I'm getting annoyed with Jill's pot kettle calling

My prediction: Chelsea will be told it's too late for termination and will miscarry later that week.

I must stop listening when I go to bed.

I fall asleep. Surprise.

Poults. No we don't and that was my thought before we found out they weren't turkeys.

Leonard spoke about Jill as if she was his elderly aunt when he said he would help her go through the photos. I’m not sure of the actual age gap but he is an active pensioner decorating and playing cricket- I think Jill is too old for him.

Having said that, his approach to decorating is very old school. Not sure about the need for lining paper any more….

According to B&Q:
Lining paper can help to:
disguise small imperfections in the surface of walls
add another layer of insulation to your room
prevent wallpaper shrinking when it’s hung on the wall, avoiding gaps between the lengths of paper
reduce the likelihood of stains and marks on the wall showing through your wallpaper or fresh coat of paint
offer a barrier against penetrating damp and mould
protect flammable surfaces in the event of a fire (look for 'class zero' fire-rated lining papers)

In an old farmhouse, when trying to create a luxury feel for B&B it would make sense I think.

Excellent expert knowledge @TeenDivided - love it!

No expert knowledge at all (unless use of google counts!)
The comment about it being unnecessary made be wonder what it was for. We've only ever used it to try test pots of paints (and to make full size skeletons)

I found the use of lining paper strangely comforting.

I haven’t caught up with last night yet, but lining paper is exactly what I’d expect a man of Leonard’s generation to use. All part of doing a thorough job and doing it well (with probably 90% of it being the preparation, especially as the house is old iirc, and the walls are pretty much guaranteed to be not in great shape, possibly lath and lime plaster?).

Veteran of too much decorating in very old houses here, and with the mental, if not physical, scars to prove it 😱

Our Georgian house is held together with lining paper! It is particularly useful for holding the old ceilings up.

It's worth spending money to get the thicker papers.

I'm a bit behind but just wanted to share my cackling at Shula doing sooo well trying to Civilise The North. What the flip is she actually up to all day do we think? What do these "modern missions" or what have you involve? I'm picturing her staffing a foodbank and trying to convince people at their lowest ebb that Jesus has personally died for them. But would that really keep you busy busy busy as she seemed to be indicating.

Those poor suffering Northerners have been waiting for her for so long.

I fantasise about a viking raid on Sunderland, with the ravening horde carrying St Smugula off in a longship to be sold into slavery and never heard from again.

Although, if that were to happen, she'd probably get her own stained glass window in St Stephen's and be declared Ambridge's very own martyr.

St Smugula of the Blessed Cardigan.

Oh my goodness I would subscribe to that plotline any time! Love the stained glass window idea as well.

She would be found in 20 years living in high state with a harem of hench Viking men.

I didn't actually know you could paint on walls without lining paper, I thought you had to use it! Then again, I'm so rubbish at painting that I've given up trying to do it myself after having to get professionals in to redo my awful work, now I'll just call in a decorator straight away. They do always use lining paper though.

Modern houses have plasterboard walls, which our decorator just painted straight onto.

Jill's initial reaction to Borely Beth was OTT and Jill's taking against BB is equally OTT I couldn't agree more. Love Leonard Llewellyn-Bowen and indeed love Leonard all round.