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!

Still an airbnb then!
not the problematic kind which leads to empty homes and gutted communities however

I have stopped using Airbnb due to what it became, but I loved it when I was staying in someone's house. I met some really lovely people. Some trying to make a bit extra. Some trying to make it more affordable to travel.

I'm really mystified. Who is it who is in ultimate authority at Grey Gables, Ardil or Oliver? After Oliver had allowed Tracy to have hold her hen night in one of the rooms Ardil gave him the proverbial rocket for not having run it past him. And now, when Oliver basically appoints Ian as Head of Food - without any consultation whatever with Ardil, let alone interview process or consideration that Ian is even qualified for this more managerial role, Ardil basically shrugs his shoulders with some exasperation but accepts it as a done deal.

Surely, in his position he would have drawn a line and insisted on due process at the very least?

Adil not Ardil, sorry

Yes, my apologies also, Adil, not Ardil.

No, not necessarily. The main difference between a B&B and an Airbnb is that a B&B is a traditional, family-run business, while Airbnb is a business model made up of short-term, rental lodging options. B&Bs typically offer breakfast and other amenities, while Airbnb hosts may or may not provide these services.

it is exactly what a B&B is - literally there in the name: Bed and Breakfast.

Air B&B is a weird name, unless you actually get breakfast provided in the places you book?

@Brefugee , Airbnb is the company name, it doesn't mean that breakfast is included. B&B generally includes breakfast.
'airbnb' tends to refer to any short term rental nowadays, whereas I think you need to register as a host on it before you can let your space.

that's what i mean - people saying Brookfield is basically an airb&b are completely missing the point.

It is a working farm that offers Bed & Breakfast (they may or may not list on the Air B&B site, they may not. I wouldn't, but that's where many people look when booking a holiday)

B&B as a concept has been going for years and years and years. It is nothing to do with AirB&B which is a platform that was started to allow people to offer their spare room (hence the B&B) and has led to an absolute monster.

Have finally listened to Monday. Go Lynda.

As for Adil/Oliver & Ian - i am assuming that Adil sees Ian as the perfect stop-gap since he has all the plus points Oliver listed. He's a business man first and foremost.

@Brefugee Agreed. Ian will also be cheap to get rid of if he's on a short term contract so they are in no worse position by giving him a go than they are without a head of food...

Hellen's misstep when Ian mentioned letting all suppliers know they'd be taking samples made me chortle! Can't remember who predicted Ian/GG won't go for her cheese and it's all going to kick off... but they're definitely right!

Hellin*

Stupid autocorrect 😂

Ian made it clear to Helen last week that even if he did take the job, that she mustn't automatically assume that she's in. He was very clear about that. She may have heard his words and not really understood them though. Being Helen all she really ever hears (now) is "you are perfectly correct and we will all do your bidding"

Is Lee getting the heave-ho? i feel in my water that he is either going to become a silent or he's for the chop.

I don't see how you can have a big Helen storyline without any Lee input. Although he's obviously in the US now.

I do think he will get the heave ho. I feel sorry for him, but I am also sorry that he's with Helen who is pompous and dull.

people saying Brookfield is basically an airb&b are completely missing the point.
Exactly. My complaint is that the holiday lets are houses that could be let to families. Some of them are barn conversions or annexes, but they probably could be homes.
Letting a spare bedroom isn't using what could be a home.

Hadn't wished to derail the thread, but it's strange that it's not an issue in Ambridge.

Ian may or may not give favourable treatment to Hellin's cheeses. He'll be in trouble one way or another. I suspect that Lee might stay in Weatherfield California.

I don't see how you can have a big Helen storyline without any Lee input. Although he's obviously in the US now.

I’ve completely assumed the whole point of the SWs sending him to the US is so he won’t be around to intervene when it all kicks off with Henry and George and Rob - leaving Helen and Kirsty to cope with the fallout.

Whether he returns or not might be largely irrelevant - he won’t be part of the drama that’s about to unfold.

Perhaps Lee will realise that Helen has been pretty selfish about his kids. (In my opinion)

Not in her decisions as such I hasten to add. But just in the way she talks about his relationship with them. How he should have been over missing his girl's birthday because it was days ago etc

@stilldumdedumming I thought her attitude towards the prospect of Lee's kids living with them when he was considering applying for custody (one of absolute horror!) was really illustrative, in circumstances where he lives with hers!! And takes up a fair amount of parenting, domestic slack when it suits her... I think if she posted on MN she'd have her arse handed to her for that, as a step-parent, and rightly so.

@harriethoyle I don't know if you've been in that situation- I have! He's reaction was pretty realistic!!!

Except obviously I had a word with myself. And glad too as I grew to love dp's dd and was grateful that circumstances forced us together like that. (Our respective dc's are older though and so we knew it would be fairly time limited)

We now have the prospect of my dd and eventually a baby moving back in and dp is not happy. (He will come round as there's no question of turning them away)

The thing I really want to know is how Jazzer pronounces "Adil" as, being from Scotland* (at least in speech!) he has a rhotic "r"

English spelling patterns mean that confronted with the written word "Adil" a native speaker of English English (sic) would pronounce it with a short a - Add-ill

I suspect Lynda and some others who speak with Received Pronounciation are saying something more like Ah-dill

I don't know what the word is for West Midlands and SW England added "ar" sounds - but you can hear it in how Eddie, Fallon, etc say Ar-dill

I have an MA in Linguistics

being from Scotland = to my shame I can't remember what the proper word for this is - Scots, Scottish, ?, NOT Scotch!

There's nothing wrong with "being from Scotland". He wasn't born there, so is technically not scottish.

I’m Scottish. I would pronounce Adil (from just seeing it written down) as Add-ill with slight emphasis on the first syllable. I’m not sure where having a rhotic r comes in to play in a word with no r in it.

It's not an A in Adil though, it's an ayn. Names like Arif start with an alif then a ra (Ar), Adil doesn't.