Archers thread #152: The Dog Days of Summer in Ambridge! Rabid rants, tearoom dogfight, Bully Dog George gets it all on camera. Is Lone wolf Rob waiting in the woods? 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'd love a son like George, 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.)

Starting this new thread a bit early, as we're near the end of the last thread and I'm out all day today. As last night's episode was a banger, I thought I'd better ensure discussion can continue seamlessly!

The original idea for a dog theme for this thread came from the death of poor Weaver. RIP. The Dog Days of summer are associated with storms and the silly season, so quite appropriate for The Archers at the moment! They may technically be over now, as it's all to do with the heliacal rising of the Dog Star, Sirius (no, me neither), but apparently the Anglo-Saxons considered they lasted into September (thank you, Wikipedia), so that will do for me.

So - what next for Helen, Henry and Jack? Surely even the Bridge Farm Archers will see that she needs professional help? After her outburst the other night they might finally grasp that Henry could do with some too. All very grim.

On the lighter side (perhaps), whither Pip and Stella?

Over to you!

I'm sure Sue Perkins is excellent on Just a Minute, just as Jack Dee is on I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue, but both of them had the shoes of long established hosts to fill, and the shows are just not the same for me. When I do catch ISIHAC, I find it hilarious.

I love You and Yours. I find it something comforting and unchallenging you can half listen to, and yet it is informative. Winifred Robinson is someone else I admire - she seems friendly and sisterly and manages to sound genuinely interested.

I have looked at my post that seems to have offended some of you, and don't find anything wrong with it. Maybe some of you look for offence where none is intended.

Thank you @AngryBirdsNoMore and @BeardieWeirdie

@MiniHector I wasn’t offended. More wryly amused that you had said something that implied something that I thought (assuming as I usually do, that you are a decent person until proved otherwise) that you hadn’t intended. Probably I shouldn’t have commented, just confined myself to an internal “ouch!” But how many SM posts are the result of careful deliberation? As I think your post demonstrated.

Note this isn’t an apology to you, @MiniHector . As someone who “disgusts” you, any apology from me would be completely worthless.

I like Winnifred Robinson as well. She’s very down to earth and empathetic.

She did a podcast about Rikki Neave, (the 6 year old lad who was murdered in the 90s). She worked as a journalistic on his story originally and she really felt for him and his family as she grew up in very similar close-knit working-class council estate community.

(Many R4 presenters come across as Oxbridge-luvvies so she makes a refreshing change.)

I remember seeing a MN post saying they couldn’t stand the programme because of Winifred Robinson, and people agreed. Surprised me at the time, so glad to see people liking her.

To say nothing of all those anxious inquiries about was she absolutely sure she could help with the B&B washing, would it be too much for her, we know it's really Ben's job ... FFS, it's just shoving some sheets in a machine and turning it on - it's not like anyone's expecting her to take the things down to the Am and beat them on the stones before putting them through the mangle.

take [them] down to the Am and beat them on the stones before putting them through the mangle.

<wistful> oh wouldn’t that be lovely…

Wait, you mean just the laundry?

😂😁😂

@FerretFarago I listened to that podcast, Winifred was perfect. I really enjoy listening to her and she seems genuine, empathetic and a nice person.

Some R4 presenters will impart information about themselves fairly frequently when it isn't particularly relevant.

I am a decent person, @MereDintofPandiculation . I deliberated over my most recent post, and avoided certain words. I also considered my words when posting that her parents thought that the sun shines out of Pip's backside.
I did not expect a post admiring a top notch broadcaster to me misconstrued.
As I pp, maybe the issue is you.

I hope we can draw a line under the Peter White stuff now. I seem to have become the self-appointed Thread Tone Community Police Officer, which I don't mind, as it's rarely necessary, but just at the moment I don't have the time or the resilience for it.. My Dad died on Friday and I am with my Mum sorting stuff out. I hope to escape to MN and The Archers for a bit of light relief here and there, but it will all be a bit ad hoc.

Very much hoping they don't decide to kill Jill or Peggy off in the near future. That would be a bit much for me just now.

Sorry about your loss @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g . Hope you and your mother are ok, or as ok as you can be in the circumstances.

Sorry for your loss @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g , thanks for all you do for these threads.

I am equally a decent person. There is no issue as I have explained. I don't intend to respond to future posts from you on any topic and I ask you to extend the same courtesy to me.

Sorry for your loss @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

I’m so, so sorry to hear this, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g.

Wishing you and your mother strength.

I’m very sorry about your Dad, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

I am so sorry to hear of your loss @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Sorry for your loss @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

I’m another Winnifred fan and I to enjoyed the podcast.

Can we all just play nicely?

Sending you and your Mum a supportive handhold @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g x

My condolences, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Thanks, all. We're doing OK. Ups and downs, as you would expect. Everybody here was very kind to me last September when he had a mini-stroke and had to be helicoptered to the mainland, and I really appreciated that. It's been a tough time since for my Mum especially, but at least it gave us all time to prepare for the inevitable. The NHS staff here have been great. We've been very lucky compared to most. No cognitive decline, which is a great mercy.

Oh @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g I’m so sorry. I hope this thread is the balm to the soul it was for me in December when my dad died. Thinking of you. Xx

Now D and R have swallowed the ‘right-on’ juice. They barely seemed to miss a beat at Pip’s revelation. D is a decent guy underneath it all but I find it extraordinarily hard to believe he would talk so sensitively about who Pip ‘has feelings for’…especially as the object of her affection is a woman.

May be the SLs don’t have the stomach for a homophonic parent SL but I would think it more likely than this ‘oh so that’s why she’s been out of sorts’ reaction…

Oh @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g please accept my condolences. And here's hoping TA can offer some soothing storylines for you..

And @Hercisback I love that you use You and Snores as a sleep aid. I may try the same! The problem with the programme isn't the presenters (there have been some excellent ones over the years), and almost certainly it's not the production team either. I suspect it just gets no funding for bells and whistles and is simply there to fulfil a commitment.