Archers thread #150: For whom the sausage rolls: George over a Berrow, Fallon & Harrison seek new lease on life, is it all a Fête Accompli? Discuss The Snivelling Simpletons, sorry, 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 people frequently miss their own weddings because of a morning quickie while in a plaster cast, 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.)

Thanks for title suggestions. I basically took @OverArmour's excellent suggestion and managed to shoehorn in snivelling simpleton, gloriously coined by @Eastie77Returns to refer to Lee in the first instance.

@WitcheryDivine suggested Recharging, Red Kites and The Man They Call Ron, is Ambridge becoming an earthly paradise or a hell on earth? which seems as good a place as any to kick off our discussions! Ron = Rob, a fortuitous typo on a previous thread. It does feel a bit as if we're marking time before he turns up again. Odd to do what could be a high profile storyline over the summer holidays when a lot of people will be away, but depending on your point of view, maybe that's a blessing!

Whither George? Is he shaping up to be Andrew Tate mark 2?

Everybody looking forward to Ferret Fun at the Fête? Me neither.

Over to you!

We do exist... I'm one of those irritating people... 😇 My BMI hovers around 19 and I pretty much eat whatever I like, whenever I like... I'm reasonably active and an outdoorsy "Kirsty" type of person which is how (I think) I must get away with it!

I imagine Kirsty as being a similar body shape to Helen (with a slightly larger bust and hips), when Helen is a healthy weight. I imagine Helen as looking unhealthy thin during times of stress/ED flare ups.

Based on nothing but my own friends/acquaintances, people with eating disorders can sometimes wear baggier clothes as well so as not to attract comment. So a size 8 Helen (I think she's tall and thin) loose sundress might look rather fetching on a slightly more muscly and buxom size 12 Kirsty.

@Poppins2016 , I used to eat them all day long too, which is why I don't eat them now. I was probably underweight back then and was active.

Size 12 Kirsty?!? Gosh- I think of her as a good 16. I’m afraid I don’t think being willing to get into a cossie on a first date with Erik signifies anything. She has been through so much with Philip (and the chipolata)that I think her weight is the last thing on her mind. Being outdoorsy and busy with rewilding doesn’t necessarily result in being slim, but she is almost certainly fit and comfortable with herself which is very nice to see (hear).

Sorry for being overinfested in Kirsty’s waistline…Long day!

🙄

Helen is definitely tall and thin, a size 8 but inclined to wear larger sounds right to me.

I can't quite see her in a backless dress though. I think she's quite a modest/conservative dresser. Remember the floral dress when she met Rob. I bet she generally wears Boden, maybe Joules, a bit mumsy but quite elegant and well presented, definitely not glamorous or fashionable though.

Kirsty probably thinks Helen is a better dresser than she is, because Kirsty dresses from outdoor clothing companies 95% of the time.

I don't think there is much fashion going on in Ambridge.

I wish I had a Kirsty, she's a top girl.

She's been into wild swimming since before it was fashionable.

My memory is that she’s been into wild swimming since Plot needed her to discover Brian’s evil (retrofitted) fish-killing ways.

And it is implausible in the extreme that Kirsty (a dumpy frump I my mind’s eye) would share a dress-size with the scrawny loon Helen. Who is noticeably refusing food again, although her family (whom Plot requires to be really incredibly stupid) haven’t actually noticed yet. Try harder, Helen!

Ok - Brad and Mia are making me cry now.

Small BOOP.

I don't see Helen as an overly- conservative dresser. She was so squashed by Rob making her dress like a Victorian that I think she's rebelled and gone for some figure-hugging stuff. Relatively good quality high street, maybe Hobbs and John Lewis. I see her as tall and slim, quite angular.

I don't think Kirsty would have got the job as health centre manager unless she protected the right image for GG so I can't see her as overweight. I'd say she's more curvy than Helen, hourglass, size 10-12. I agree that she probably doesn't have many dressy clothes, wears a lot of sturdy, practical, things and has a few old favourite smarter things. Presumably some decent workwear from her GG days.

Where do Helen and Kirsty buy their clothes? And how often?

Brad and Mia are going places together, that was lovely.

And Ed, Emmer and Will are beginning to discuss The Past.

But who had the party at Tracy's House? Who has been treating her particularly nicely recently, as Brad pointed out? I know I'm a bear of little brain but I haven't a clue!

Bert? He sent Brad to buy chocolates for Tracey’s birthday

I had assumed it was George?

No, as Brad said - George wouldn’t have cleared up!!

Soosan?! The HoneyMoon Breakfast seems a bit OTT even for her?!

Don't know

Oh, don't! I am still trying to work out why Jazzer wanted to carry Tracy over the threshold of Ambridge View, if that was where that breakfast was, or alternatively why Susan had made breakfast for them to eat in the garden at 6, The Green.

Neil. He needed to escape Brad and George and Bert. There was no party, just an hour's peace with a bottle of real ale at the end of the working day.

He's been well trained by Susan so left the place clean and tidy.

Or more likely this will go the way of the bunting.

Underwood's must have some concessions or they buy online.

@JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon If it was Neil - and I can quite understand if it was as he has my deepest sympathy for all the nonsense he's having to deal with - it must have had more than one bottle of real ale if the recycling bin, bursting to the seams with bottles according to Tracy, is anything to go by. Perhaps he was drowning his frustrations and exasperation... But does he have Tracy's door key?

We were set set up to believe George was going to have a party there.... but neighbours would have surely noticed and it seems unlikely it resulted in a mess SO bad that he paid for cleaners / 3 girls desperate for his body agreed beforehand to clean up properly the next morning.

Hmm.

Maybe a couple or more a night?

He could easily have got the key via Brad or Bert but I bet him and Susan have one anyway, for emergencies but also remember when Neil did some refurbishment for Tracey?

Whilst I like the idea of it being Neil to unwind after hosting George Bert etc I think it was Bert ...

• he has been nice to Tracey per Bead in that he bought her a birthday card and chocolates

• why would the China figurine (favourite of Mrs Horibin) be in the garden ?

I've a suspicion it may be Peggy Woolley and Auntie Chris sneaking out from The Laurels for a sneaky booze-up.

Or perhaps Shula taking time out from her tough work in Sunderland to emerge shortly as a transformed character as a rock-chick party animal.