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.

Oh FFS! Ignore me! Sleep deprived … And Adjoa Andoh has been on my mind for other reasons, so I slotted her in.

That sounds like the way my brain works!

Hmmmmm sorry @BoreOfWhabylon I need this a sec 🔮 …. Paul is unhappy at the stables, his contract is ending…. will he decide to go, meaning Denise can have her job back?

I just hope we’re not going into another affair storyline.

<snatches 🔮 back>
It says that Denise and husband have been unhappy for ages and have already split. The awful visitor is just a cover story.

It also says that Hannah is a far better match for Stella than Pip is.

Odd that Denise wouldn’t mention the split to Alistair imo, since she does sound to be just as into him.

I thought Stella sounded a bit different when she was at the pub quiz; I struggled to place her when she started speaking but she sounded much more like her usual self when Hannah went to visit.

Clare Perkins plays Denise. She was in that comedy crime thing set in Bristol- The Misfits? Written by and starring Stephen Marchant. Christopher Walken was in it too. I loved it.

The Outlaws? I loved that.

That's it! I knew I should have checked.

Haven’t seen ‘The Outlaws’ - but ‘Misfits’ is one of the greatest things in the history of the world. Some of the best dialogue I’ve ever heard on TV; sometimes ‘I May Destroy You’ level, though comedy. And some of the actors went on to quite extraordinary levels of success.

The Outlaws is quite low key but hilarious. Typical Stephen Marchant really.

Anyone watching Bodies on Netflix. Pretty sure it was Denise's voice I heard coming from the mouth of a chief inspector in the police station of the future. I can't track down the actor's name. But she started speaking and I shouted 'That's Denise!'

Odd that Denise wouldn’t mention the split to Alistair imo, since she does sound to be just as into him.

Not that odd. She hasn't mentioned it to her son, either. I'm not sure ahe's admitted it to herself yet - she's just avoiding going home while some tedious great uncle is staying.

Oh yes, or this is a first ‘trial separation’ perhaps.

Oh yes Denise was the stereotypical campaigner- they were all terrible stereotypes but I'm not sure if that was the point. It was quite a nice watch though.

I'm listening to an old BBC Pride and Prejdice at bedtimes at the moment. I recognised the Mr Bennet actor as an Archers character from the first time he spoke, but it took me ages to remember which one. I eventually realised it was Tony.

I hope Alistair and Denise don't have an affair. I don't want another affair SL. If she's already split from John then they should go for it. I'd like to see Alistair happy.

Do we know anything about Hannah's romantic interests? The only thing I can remember was that Jazzer fancied her but she wasn't into him. Is she gay?

Did Hannah have a “friends with benefits” thing with Tom? When they were housemates? And then she got fed up wit him because he messed her around/disrespected her.

I didn’t realise Hannah had been around so long

Yes I remember this.
Hannah has been quite a bit-part character for a long time really.
It'll be annoying if she sets Jazzer up and then stays and keeps her job, because that is such a direct repeat of the Emma/Fallon situ?
I also can't see any reason at all why 'Brookfield' wouldn't want Stella to have a flatmate?! Pip on the other hand will find a reason to be annoying about it...

@BoreOfWhabylon yes that was my assumption too.

I think it would be unusual for a woman of Stella’s age to have a young(er) housemate if she didn’t need one. And I can understand why Pip would be annoyed about it. You can’t really chill at your GF’s house if there’s another person hanging around.

Doubt Denise or Alistair would want to embark on a relationship unless her marriage is over.

It may be a function of the acting of the Pip character, but I got far more actual chemistry between Hannah and Stella than Pip and Stella. The latter combo always sounds so forced and juvenile for a near thirty year old and 40 plus year old

Hannah has had a PT- she used to be no-nonsense, feisty and able to stand up for herself. Now she is so meek and mild she doesn’t dare ask Stella for a room to rent. Is this intentional by the SWs to demonstrate how losing your home shakes your confidence (unlikely as this would require extreme sensitivity from the SWs which they rarely seem to possess)?

Also, why on Earth would A and D want to experience the Grundy Halloween Walk? Surely they would have just said let’s go to the Bull for a pint and a catch-up. Sigh…

Hannah first appeared in TA in 2008, so a good bit older that Pip, although probs younger than Stella.

Iirc she thoroughly rebuffed advances by Tom and also Jazzer. Confirmed by TA website (which does need updating re Jazzer)

When Hannah came to work for Tom in 2008, Jazzer was smitten. At first he thought that she would find the drudgery and mud of working with pigs too much. But she proved him wrong when she sneaked up on a sickly pig and administered a much needed injection. This was the girl of Jazzer’s dreams; unfortunately the feeling wasn’t mutual.

Hannah’s eye had been caught by village hunk Chris Carter. Jazzer was very quick to point out that Chris was taken. But Hannah's head remained unturned when it came to the Glaswegian and the pair remained friends. 10 years on, a flame still burns for Hannah in the McCreary heart.

According to this (warning: actor photo!) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/tXltK7swsQw1mWzDsjqkNR/hannah-riley Hannah first appeared in 2008! I knew it was a while ago but didn't think it was that long. She was an agricultural student then on a placement at Bridge Farm, and Jazzer was keen on her, but it wasn't reciprocated. She was very feisty back then but far more likeable than she was when she re-appeared in 2018.

Nice cross post there!