Archers thread #151: A Fête worse than death or a reverse ferret? Helen’s got the Borsetshire Blues, Tom’s talking shiitake, George is a rotten apple. 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 Helen and Tom would do well on Dragons' Den, 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 to @OverArmour for various title ideas! I would have liked to incorporate the suggestion from @Fleetress, which was

‘Do do one Ron, Ron, do do one Ron’

(Rob is Ron for many on this thread now)

Possibly a bit obscure for newer posters, though!

Anyway: we got through that last thread in no time at all. Combined effect of Rob and George, I suspect. I wonder if Rob will have made it to Ambridge by the time we need a new thread. I'm still waiting for Pat's shotgun to feature. That can't have been mentioned for the first time ever for no reason at all.

Over to you!

My next door neighbours applied and were immediately given a choice of two plots. It varies from place to place.

Power couple (not actually) in regenerative agriculture.

Did anyone from Ambridge attend the Regenerative Agriculture Festival this year?

https://groundswellag.com/

Also, I know radishes are quick to grow:

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-radishes-from-seed/

but I was astonished impressed that Adil had some ready to offer as a gift barely a blink of an eye after taking on the allotment. (Though I daresay the soil was well maintained by the previous holder.)

They could have been planted by the previous holder.

My friends had loads of scallions when they took their plot on.

Oh, I guess so, @CaptainMyCaptain.

Moving on to hospitality, I wouldn’t be surprised if Adil had someone else in mind for this new Welcoming Staff role. Someone more like Lily Pargetter. Because it sounds as if it could be bit like an updating of Caroline’s role as Social Secretary at Grey Gables all those years ago. Schmoozing the more desirable visitors. (Though I must admit I was a bit distracted so didn’t really hear what the job entailed yesterday.)

So I was looking up Caroline’s history and found this, from ten years ago. (I’m there and so are some of you!)

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/1791134-Who-the-hell-are-Oliver-and-Caroline?reply=39986011

Pip really is hopeless. She can't manage to organise an outing with her child but leaps at the chance of babysitting to go out herself. Fine if that's her priority but the bleating about it is tiresome.
I do know a few farmers and they all manage to get out and about with their kids.

Especially as he's not a resident of Ambridge. What's he going to do with the produce? He is staying as a long-term guest in a B&B?

Going off on a slight tangent here, but did anyone else wonder what a "ploughmans panini" actually consists of and why Lynda thought that was an acceptable thing to make.

Not sure what the Mumsnet / Archers / Elis James & John Robins crossover is, but if you are a fan of the latter, you will definitely have picked up on the ploughmans panini and noted it for discussion...(it's already been discussed on the Facebook group for the show).

Do we think Jazzer and Tracey are married yet?

Also, why on earth would Ruth say she will get back to Tracey about taking Hannah on as a long-term tenant? Surely she would speak to H direct?

I don’t think Ruth is going to approve of Pipella when it finally happens, by the way.

Thanks for that, Totters. I was indeed on that thread. Goodness me, how times passes.

Pipistelle. Bats.

Do we think Jazzer and Tracey are married yet?

Seems unlikely. At the very least they would have included a mention of them nipping quietly off the Registry office.

👏👏👏

In my neck of the woods, some enterprising souls have started to buy up small(ish) plots of land for allotments (supplying seeds/tuition tools and storage etc for a monthly sub). I think they are doing quite well.

I lose track of the number of bedrooms in each property, but wouldn't Hannah be better off asking Josh or Stella whether they wanted somebody to share their bills.

Love "Pipistelle" BTW.

Oh gosh, imagine rough Hannah living with Josh and Lily. That would be a sight to see.

And she and Stella sharing would surely be indescribably dull?

Really, I wouldn’t mind at all if Hannah left - though I absolutely don’t want it to happen in any way that would enable George to feel triumphant. Couldn’t some exceptionally excellent job opening arise nearer to her parents?

Well, I think Hannah planted the sausage roll wrapper🤣

Don't blame her, but I actually believe George in this instance .

Forgive me now, for I have sinned.....

Madcats
I lose track of the number of bedrooms in each property, but wouldn't Hannah be better off asking Josh or Stella whether they wanted somebody to share their bills.

I think that The Stables is full: Josh, Lily and Paul live there.

La Snell tonight - chef's 😘 - magnifique!

Agreed! Also, thank goodness it's not one of those misunderstandings that they spin out for weeks. That was just long enough.

Kirsty moving in with Helen, Lee thousands of miles away. I hope Joy's on the alert.

Brookfield is literally an airbnb without the name though. It's one room IIRC in a family house sharing the bathroom and kitchen with the family isn't it? Maybe it has an en suite but it's not a bed and breakfast. It's what airbnb originally was designed for.

Apologies for falling behind on the bedroom manoeuvres. Is Lizzie now "home alone"?

I think Vince is a frequent visitor. Lily is living at The Stables with Josh and Paul. Freddie is wandering around the Med, I think.

Maybe it has an en suite but it's not a bed and breakfast.

It doesn't have an en-suite. Jill insisted on having the bedroom with the en-suite, unlike any sensible B&B ever, so B&B guests have to share the family bathroom. I think Ben makes them breakfast though, doesn't he?

He had to when Lynda stayed! Yes he does