Archers thread #156: Fireworks in Ambridge! Helen gave Lee a rocket, but Grey Gables is a damp squib. Is the writing on the (church) wall?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're irresistibly attracted to George Grundy, 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 the title suggestion, which I have tweaked a bit. I was strongly tempted by Less GGP (Grey Gables Peril) More GPP (Guinea Pig Plot), which was a plaintive cry from @PuppyPerson some days ago, but if Poppy has found new homes for the baby guinea pigs that may be the last we hear of them for some time, sadly.

Surely in the life of the next thread we must hear more from or of Rob, or Ron as some on this thread prefer to call him? <taps foot> Will Kirsty snap and tell Helen a few home truths? Will Pat's shotgun finally be brought into play? We can only hope ...

Also, will we ever find out who owns the other 60% of Grey Gables? Why is Adil AWOL (to use the other bit of OverArmour's title idea!)? Why aren't we hearing from Roy? Will GG ever re-open and will Emma get her Big Chance at last?

So many questions! Over to you.

And would Denise and Hannah share the bungalow?

I too enjoyed that episode. More people and more interest.

Hmm … Given how fed-up Paul sounded with Lily and Josh, it might be that he and his newly single mother move in together.

Imagine that - a black family at Brookfield!

Here For It.

How big is the bungalow? It sounds like Hannah will be in residence

My last post was a bit illogical! The Paul and Denise at the bungalow idea was predicated on Hannah being out of the picture.

I didn’t quite catch/understand the bit about the bungalow. Did Stella offer then rescind it? I heard the awkward bit and then she said “well it’s a Brookfield thing” but I wasn’t sure if she meant she would ask them or whether it wasn’t possible at all.

Hmm … Given how fed-up Paul sounded with Lily and Josh, it might be that he and his newly single mother move in together.

Or the party championed by Lily and Josh goes awry just as Shula comes to check on her house. Shula decides that she'd rather let the house to Paul and Denise rather than have it be a rural frat house?

Either she remembered that it’s not in her power to approve another tenant, or she suddenly worried what Pip was going to say.

I did think Stella was thoughtless in her casual musing about her spare room. Hannah is clearly desperate and it was cruel to get her hopes up and then dash them within the space of two sentences.

I guess the quiz was engineers purely so Stella and Hannah would meet

Stella and Hannah have a lot in common - both are non-landowning agricultural employees. Neither can afford to take their job for granted (unlike the golden child who is also TWFL).

Yes, I'm expecting a massive tantrum if it should ever reach Pip's ears!

Apologies if this has been covered many times but do we know why BBC sounds doesn’t provide an advance synopsis of the Friday episodes?

Because they want to give us the week's cast list, I suppose.

Alastair was being a bit cringe. The trail talk was a bit say what you see. Signposting to their relationship is a bit ott

if she’s still married it’s going to be tough to be married within the year

if she’s still married it’s going to be tough to be married within the year

Not if she’s decently widowed by Christmas (ok, it’s widowers who tend to remarry in haste, but never mind) rather than seeking a divorce on the grounds of unreasonable Lycra.

Monday's pub conversation I found really hard to differentiate between the women speaking: was it Hannah, Stella, Pip and Kirsty? To my ears they sound so similar at one point it sounded like one of them was asking themselves if they wanted a drink and replying! Was the awkwardness because Stella, by suggesting her house might be vacant, was hinting she'd like to move in with Pip?

No, because Pip wasn't there! The only two women in the pub scene were Hannah and Stella.

I found it really hard to tell t'other from which in that scene too.

@Sidebeforeself, they give us both. You have to toggle between the two. (Join us on the spoilers thread if you want to discuss anything not yet broadcast.) https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4888492-the-archers-spoilers-thread-8-cant-wait-for-702pm-join-us-here?latest=1

Ah, possibly Sounds operates a bit differently. I go to this bit of the BBC website for synopses and teasers: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qpgr/episodes/player

Thanks @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

I’m not sure Denise is right for Alistair. It’s all too complicated for them to be married within a year. I’d like him to meet someone in a more straightforward situation. In fact, I’m quite surprised he’s not more popular on the dating scene. Apart from
the old gambling habit and the fact he lives with his Dad, I would think he is pretty eligible. I hope Denise is not going to mess him around.

No I think she played Fiona.