Archers thread #155: Cold Comfort Farms! The rural sagas continue. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

FILL THE OLD THREAD UP FIRST! https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4902507-archers-thread-154-cider-with-fat-rosie-meadow-rise-to-candleford-or-the-darling-horrobins-of-september-get-your-rural-saga-fix-discuss-the-archers-here?page=10

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 like to hear more scenes in the abattoir, 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.)

Lots of lively discussion about Brad's university aspirations and the Open Day on the last thread. Do you want him to end up at Felpersham or do you want him to spread his wings and go further afield? Where will Mia go?

Will this thread see the end of Rob, or do we have many weeks more before his long overdue demise?

What's going on at Grey Gables? Are they running into financial trouble? Will we hear from Roy, who I had forgotten was working there until he was mentioned the other day? Who are the mysterious 'Owners'? Will the locum GP turn out to be Adil's sister, as we have been surmising since she first spoke? Why's she been conjured up?

Talking of the GP, I'm hoping against hope we're not in for bad news about Jim's mole.

Praying that we're going to get a long and much-needed break from hearing P*p. Not praying that we hear Rob being christened. Who would be his sponsor, as someone commented on the last thread? Harrison? Surely that would be a conflict of interest. Can't see who else would do it locally.

I wonder how Ben is getting on now he's back on his nursing degree? Will we ever hear anything about Lily's course, or how Freddie's getting on at the abattoir?

So many questions! Over to you for some answers and boundless speculation.

Would be quite a sinister turn if Stella ate the baby

Can’t think of a better outcome, @Bruisername 😂

Surely they couldn't use the unplanned pregnancy storyline twice for Pip? We had the long-running saga of Chelsea's pregnancy last year. If there have to be pregnancies in TA, I'd like them to be mostly planned and little mentioned.

For the first time in about 20 years I was about two weeks behind listening to the A. Caught up yesterday. Oh my!

So Adil has presumably done a runner - and do we think the church graffiti was George?

Yes, agree. I was a bit perplexed as to how Helen has managed to change her approach to Rob. I would have imagined she'd be incredibly upset to hear what he is doing and where he is now living.

@Bruisername 😂😂😂

One day when she had nothing to do
she cut her baby brother in two
and served him up as an Irish stew
and invited the neighbours in

@Fink tell me more about your outdoor guinea pig! I have researched this and conventional wisdom seems to say this is not allowed, but I had one living outside when I was a child (alone too, which I now see is also not allowed)

Of all the small furry creatures Guinea Pigs are really the nicest. What about degus?

Lovely!@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime !

I have been listening to TA for 57 years- so yes I know
Without saying what my friend wasn't exactly doing something they needed to be on the roof for! So yes it happens!

I guess it probably helps knowing he won't be around much longer so there are distinct limits on what he can do to bugger up her life.

Am still cross about Nigel. It was so unnecessary - such a contrived storyline

I don't know much about degus. Are the babies born like miniature adults?

At the risk of derailing the thread, just one post: They're fine outside. What you absolutely have to avoid is sudden changes of temperature. So if they're outdoor pigs, you can't bring them indoors on really cold days. What you can do is move them into a shed or garage in the cold weather, they don't mind the dark. If you absolutely have to, and it's well below freezing outside, you can bring them into an unheated room indoors. Or just find the most sheltered spot you have outdoors. You insulate the hutch as much as possible (we use old sleeping bags, curtains, and a proper waterproof cover), give them plenty of bedding, use heated plates (microwaveable) ... just keep them as warm as you can. They don't recommend fleece because it absorbs too much moisture, but I use it and as long as you change it regularly it's fine (and nice and soft for them).

I wouldn't advise it if you live in the Scottish Highlands, but I'm in London and it's fine. The current ones are heading into their fourth outdoor winter and are going strong. I also had outdoor pigs in the 1990s and they lived to a decent age, healthily.

Furry and fairly precocious, yes. It's a prey thing isn't it? If something wants to eat you, you have to be capable of being up and running quite quickly. Look at horses.

Degus have the same delightful chirruping as guinea pigs. I used to wat them in our local PetsRUs (or whatever it's called). According to wiki, not only do they dig communal burrows, they form digging chains.

OK. They might be as good as GPs.

Give the SWs half a chance! The new GP and then her offspring have only just appeared. The babies will grow up quickly, and I hope and expect homes will be found for them. What do you expect lovely soft-hearted Will to do? Drown them or something?

Remember, his job was a game-keeper on a shoot. Quite an important part of his job involved raising baby birds to adulthood. That is also what Eddie does every year. But they are country people. They do not wear rose-tinted spectacles.

Sorry. Bit cross.

I like the Guinea pig and tandem sl thrown in - nice to have a bit of silliness that has believability to it

Remember, his job was a game-keeper on a shoot. Quite an important part of his job involved raising baby birds to adulthood. That is also what Eddie does every year.

“I have been listening to TA for [actually more than 60] years- so yes, I [remember] … Etc, etc …

As my DGM was an Archers fan from Day 1 (SeqAnl passim ie upthread ^), and I was born in 1952, there can be no doubt that I actually first heard TA in the womb

Tandems cost a fortune - where did they get the best part of £1000?

Neil is good with money, and he's got a good job. Susan works two jobs. I bet they pool money. Kids grown. Own house.

but he isnt a man to spend £1000 on a bike?