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.

I wonder what he meant with that threat. AFAIR Usha doesn't have any dark secrets. Hopefully this will put a spoke in his wheel.

I'm glad Alan had the sense to talk to the Bishop at last, he should have done that as soon as Rob showed up, and I hope Usha was on the phone to the police the moment he stepped away from the car.

Lovely that he’s referred him to a female vicar! Don’t think females in roles of authority fit with Rob’s world view

Imagine the furore if Rob made it to the Pearly Gates and discovered God is female! He’d be heading the other way immediately.

Exeter has just announced it’s offering a three year degree course in Witchcraft and the Occult. Just right for Emma.

Last try: Geek that wanted to escape from London. Also wanted very much to do Physics, and was G&T in Physics. Wanted it so much I was prepared to go off to Big Scary University Up North. So slightly braver than Brad, but only because I wanted to go a long way from home as well as study physics. Found a lot of kindred spirits. Lots of us stayed in the area. More came up to join us, in the alternative 70s, and some tried setting up food co-ops. It was very cheap to buy property, but economically v impoverished. Had family. Got divorced, at nearly 60, thanks MN.

But once I turned about 35, there was little prospect of moving South again, though some went to Bristol and bought cheap housing (and at least 2 came back again). We just could not have afforded it. Durham is beautiful and I love it here. And now I'm living happily every after

PS It turned out I wasn't G&T at Physics after all , but you don't know till you study at university level. Thanks to Durham system, changed from Hons. Physics to Hons. Pychology, as those were the first year modules I had studied, along with Service Maths.

Last try at what, @SequentialAnalyst?

Well done Usha. Top invective. I hope she doesn't follow the traditional TA route of not telling her husband. And glad that yet again Rob has shown his spots haven't changed.

Yes jolly good work from Usha. And from Alan actually, in consulting the bishop or at least telling Rob he did.

@MereDintofPandiculation very good point on the female vicar!

Ooh I quite liked that bit about turning the other cheek at the end! Excellent villain work. I expect he’ll spread lies about her, report her to the naughty solicitors body or something.

enjoying the complete lack of surprise or comment on here about the GP being Adil’s sister and about her knowing all about the hotel. He said head office had started taking bookings so possibly he does just work for a chain but given his sister’s secrecy with Lynda I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it is the family business as we thought.

(Has anyone else here seen Bride and Prejudice? I’m hoping Adil’s mum is like the scary mum hotel boss in that)

Alan threw usha under the bus a bit didn’t he!! Rob isn’t very good at holding his temper at all and I don’t think he would have risked approaching usha like that while he still thinks he might be able to manipulate Alan. I know he’s sick but he wouldn’t have been a very good abuser if he showed his colours that quickly

the doctor sounded much better this time. Would she not have seen his name before he came in?

Adil sounded like a 5 year old!!

Adil sounded like a five year old - he always sounds like Paddington Bear (and that is always how I picture him). In fact Adil’s failure to have the hotel ready coupled with Lynda’s opening gala night is shaping up to be something out of a Paddington film.

Yes! I know on that Scene he was playing the role of little brother but it was very odd.

and if it’s a big chain they will be used to running up against it time wise and will throw money at the problem as it’s not worth the bad publicity.

Basically it sounds like adil is a bit of an amateur so I do wonder if the hotel is family owned and it’s his first ‘project’

still think it’s odd no one has come to look round it from head office. My friend who was high up at a hotel chain would visit to make sure everything was running to plan- adil seems to have been left to it?

if it is family owned it would be a good way to introduce a bit of diversity

also, if Solihull is commutable does that mean Brad could go to Birmingham uni and commute from home?

My theory of Hazel having bought GG is a bit confused by the mention of Head Office - unless she maybe has purchased a majority share in a whole hotel chain just so she can subsume GG?!

Yeah, but where's the drama in that? We heard fallible Alan wrestling with his conscience, while having his head messed up with exquisite skill from Rob, and he has managed, with the help of his wife, to keep his head and extricate himself from the web Rob is spinning.

Also, the relationship between a big sister and her younger brother always remains one of slight superiority throughout their lives, at least from the pov of the sister (apologies to my DB, btw)

We don't know if Ardil told her about his insomnia as his GP. She should not be providing medical advice to a relative, and Ardil should really see someone else next time he needs his GP.

(Just realised I spelt it Ardil. I'm not going to change it, as that's how I naturally pronounce it.)

Every one pronounces Adil as Ardil to my ear even Lyndy. Hope this dosnt start another thread about pronouncing names properly that went on for ever.
Im surprised Lyndy is getting involved with the witch stuff she seems more intelligent than that.
Everyone knows that the witch trails were to keep women in their place and to get rid of trouble makers.
I love the way people belived that witches were real. Some houses have cat skeletons plastered in thier walls as protection against witches and also extra bricks on the chimneys as a rest for witches to perch on and so protect their homes from evil witches. I love the lore of olden times and what stuff people believed in.

Must admit I was waiting hopefully for Adil to say '…..I'm so under pressure and now Mum and Dad have gone ahead and advertised the official opening date.' But as he didn’t, I’m less sanguine that it’s a family-run business. I can’t see him referring to 'head office' in an unguarded conversation with his own sister if it’s a family firm.

But I suppose I could be wrong <hopeful>

Rob was, predictably, vile. And also, for a terminally-ill man with mobility problems, he was surprisingly speedy getting to Usha. It was no more than two seconds by my reckoning between Alan leaving her and Ron springing out to pour his poison into her ear.

How is Rob travelling around? Is he allowed to drive?

Agreed re Ron, @Ambridge. Had we not heard the consultant / hospital scenes I would def think he's fabricating this terminal illness.

He'll be ignoring medical advice.

And we found out why usha and Pat had that conversation which seemed out of place between the two

Yes Bruiser!

That at least suggests they have a well plotted out story arc for Rob

I was waiting for Rob to say something derisory about the female vicar but we didn't get it! Maybe next week ...

Boop for the Rob storyline! He's really trying to fuck shit up before he pops off this mortal coil and he's good at it.