Archers thread #148: Unseasonably, it's panto time in Ambridge. He's behind you, Pat! BANG. 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, and of course we are always delighted to welcome back former or occasional listeners/posters. We don't all agree on all points, although we do mostly try to be civil about it. Most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you think George Grundy isn't a psychopath, 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.)

Will Rob return, or are they playing with us? Will Pat run amok with her shotgun and wipe out half the village? (We can but hope ...) Will Oliver come to his senses and turf the Grundy clan out of Grange Farm? So many questions, so much time.

Over to you!

I don't think there's been any reference to 'designer'. Jolene said she bought the dress for a 'special birthday party' - not necessarily hers. Tracy said it was the most gorgeous dress she'd ever seen and must have cost Jolene a bomb, which Jolene didn't deny, but then she didn't get the chance because then Natasha rang to thank Kenton for getting them the lighting thing . 'Cost a bomb' to Tracy probably means 'more than £20'. She'd said she couldn't afford the wedding dresses being sold in charity shops.

Tracy and Jolene may be different builds but I think they would both love a really flashy, blingy style for a special occasion. I don't think Jolene would be drawn to anything suggested above, and neither would Tracy.

To be fair, charity shop proper wedding dresses are often not cheap. Obviously they're cheap by wedding dress standards but not by normal spending money standards. I've noticed that a lot of charity shops have got wise to labels and condition in their pricing, gone are the days where you could pick up an as-new designer item for a couple of pounds!

By the long arm of confidence, I met Richard Coles back in the day, the night of the Communards' first? gig at Heaven.

So Rylan's condemned to tripping across Brookfield's landing to the shared bathroom? Seriously? Surely his people will just organise a hotel in Borchester or Felpersham?

I'd never heard of Rylan and have just Youtubed his X Factor audition.
I see what you all mean by the teeth and the voice. I know someone in the UK who sounds just like him.

Ooh finally caught up, though after a week away I seem to have got through it all rather quickly.

I am so pleased Joy has been the hero of the hour producing Rylan. I'm rather chuffed for Linda too.

I'm disappointed in Brookfield not persisting with the lonely goat herd.

I’ve just caught up. Joy is such a love. The Leonard/Sykesy interaction quite unbelievable. The Justin/Jolene conversation made my skin crawl.

Your reaction is not unlike many of the residents of Ambridge!

You want to look at some more recent pictures. The real work on the teeth wasn't done until after his X Factor time. They are a wonder to behold!

Gosh - leo(nard) got a right attack of the green-eyed-monster!

rylan's teeth always reminds me of THAT episode of friends.

ross' white teeth

Any Welsh speakers? What was Natasha muttering at the end of tonight’s episode?

Without going back and listening (life was going on at the same same time so cant be 100%) the first thing was 'nice to see you smiling' seemingly addressed directly to Tom, and the 2nd something like 'hope you don't bear a grudge' - adressed to ? us? Tom because she knows he doesn't understand? Weird to introduce Welsh like that. I wonder what % of listeners will get that aside?
If there was a genuine interest in introducing Welsh into the Archers then the obvious thing to do would have been for Natasha to speak Welsh to her children (we have been introduced to her as someone who speaks Welsh to her mum and sometimes to herself - but not to her kids? makes no sense...)

It’s a bit weird on radio, when you can’t have subtitles.

Bizarre.

Thank you @rhywlodes. I 100 percent agree with your comment If there was a genuine interest in introducing Welsh into the Archers then the obvious thing to do would have been for Natasha to speak Welsh to her children (we have been introduced to her as someone who speaks Welsh to her mum and sometimes to herself - but not to her kids? makes no sense...) I wonder if her the Welsh was there to make a more symbolic point - that Tom and Natasha literally do not understand one another and therefore hinting at deeper problems.

This week has been really odd. The whole Rylan thing is just bizarre. And even contemplating putting him up at the farm... it's like they let a new apprentice scriptwriter loose.

it's like they let a new apprentice scriptwriter loose.
I think it was Caroline Harrington this week, so definitely not an apprentice, but... yeah...

I am having to mark place and don't have much to contribute but I'm missing your observations!

Except I bloody love Rylan. He was supposed to be talentless but it takes a lot to do what he does.

Also who looks after the twins - they seem remarkably easy to fit into the business life.

Syksey was bloody rude to Leonard. And I can't abide that they all call him that. It sounds so weird.

And yes Rylan will have a driver and probably swoop back to wherever he has his nearest place in relative comfort or at least a nice Cotswold hotel. Bonkers to think of him sticking around Ambridge.

Do you think? I don't know a lot about that kind of low-level 'celebrity'. I know A listers will all have drivers and a huge retinue. And I expect at the bottom end people will just be quite ordinary (although if I were traveling from Essex to Liverpool for a major work event next week, even as a total non-celeb, I'd have had my accommodation and travel sorted quite a while ago!). But in between, where someone is recognisable as a TV personality but not big name famous, I don't know what level of staff and luxury they would have. If Rylan and people like him were sensible, they would realise that they're in a precarious profession and should probably be saving up for the future rather than splashing the cash. The lack of forward planning and fact that he was available at such short notice is scarcely credible, but if we can swallow that then it's probably just about believable that he would take the free accommodation on offer locally. I could be wrong though, it's not a world I know anything about!

@Fink well yes maybe, but a driver isn't that much to ask really. He is on national telly.

Didn't they say he was "dropping in" (for which read "being shoehorned in") on his way to Liverpool, where he's due to take part in the Eurovision broadcast, thus rendering it totally unwatchable absolutely marvellous?

Rylan's not really a low-level 'celebrity'. He's a very well known TV presenter, he just doesn't present the type of TV shows most people on this thread probably watch.

I find it astonishing that he would even think about staying in a B&B in Ambridge!

I'm not trying to disparage him, but he's a tv presenter who is moderately successful, he's no Ryan Reynolds or Kanye West. That's all I meant, he's not an A lister.