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.

@WoollyBat excellent decision!

"Though I can't understand how Oliver would be willing to live with them, as a guest in his own house, especially after they have been so awful."
Yes - this is the most unbelievable thing about the whole situation really. Oliver is a widower but seems far too active and busy to need to worry too much about feeling lonely... Why would he want to be essentially a lodger in his own beautiful home? I'm sure Clarrie is 100% in charge of decor and I imagine the household to be well kept and clean - but still very full of wellies and farmy-ness, and lots of 'stuff' as well as ferrets, visiting grandchildren etc etc.

Hannah wasn't a good teacher she raced on without checking Jazzer understood any of the words she was using. I agree with whoever said Brad would do it better.

it really really bugs me that a) Jazzer isn't making any notes and asking questions, and Hannah isn't suggesting it

From the acting, as well as the writing, it seems to me that Jazzer doesn't want the job. (wanders off muttering about character-based script writing...into lurkdom. I mean it this time!)

Dammit! I'm back already via Edit function. Hannah is trying to give a general idea, and assure Jazzer that computers are easy once you get to know them. She wouldn't suggest J taking notes yet awhile - maybe later in the week.

I seem to be overinfested. Is there no cure?

Jazzer's too dim for the role. Madness to suggest him for it.

I'm surprised the owners or Berrow aren't trying to sort accommodation out for Hannah. Don't know how easy if is to find a pig manager but there's a chance her replacement will struggle to find accommodation.

He loves looking after pigs.
He could learn the computer part if he had to. He doesn't want to, though.
Hannah loves the computer part. She thinks Jazzer would if he could get over his fear. She likes the automatic feeders in that bit of Berrow. Jazzer was secretly appalled.
Jazzer loves looking after pigs.

Hannah's surely not actually teaching Jazzer though is she? I mean he hasn't actually got the job. She must be just showing him the ropes who that he's in with a stronger shout of the job.

And excellent point @BeatriceBatchelor - Berrow don't seem to be trying very hard to retain an excellent manager.

Agreed - this would be a promotion where the extra money is appreciated but the extra stress and pressure and lack of pig time will make it a nightmare for him

What about Neil does the indoor manager job and Jazzer the outside manager?

Ridiculous of Tracy to be assuming that Jazzer would be starting the management job within a week. Hannah hasn't, so far as we know, even given in her notice, and Jazzer hasn't put in an application for the job.

Wouldn't William's house be worth at least £250K? Perhaps he'll buy the land. But if he does, I hope he makes his relatives pay a market rent.

I thought that would be the sensible solution.

How about Neil, now aged 67, retiring and Jazzer getting his (outdoors, actually working with pigs) job, while Berrow makes a teeny effort and finds Hannah the staff accommodation at Berrow so she can go on doing the office stuff she spends most of her time on?

They had outbuildings from Valley Farm converted for the workers there (I recall Raff and some woman, at least, both living on site), as well as the farmhouse converted for the manager; Rob Titchener only moved into Blossom Hill Cottage while Valley Farmhouse was being renovated for him. Then the new editor arrived and that got forgotten in the rush to abuse women.

Are we to understand that the regular congregation in St Stephens was only about 20 or 30 people? I've often wondered.

I normally like Joy but her speaking style seemed very forced and unnatural tonight. Either it was because she was stuck with Helen or Helen actress is just better.

how did Jack find out about Rob? Might be controversial but I would have let Jack meet him - I think it’s too late now anyway due to robs mental state. I think Jack will be a very damaged young man and he will be very angry with Helen. Accepting who his father was - reading all the news reports. And then blaming her for never having met him before he died. And losing the only man he knew as a father as a young child.

love how usha took a photo of the menu for Alan - I can’t imagine the menu changes very often!!

perhaps Alan should make an announcement in church that due to budget constraints the church won’t do x,y,Z - people like the usual events so more likely to turn on those pulling the funds

Just realised it wasn’t the actress - it was that the lines were written purely to drive the Helen sl and enable her to talk

Because (I'm reading between the lines guessing) she's been with someone who she divorced and no-one could understand why. Because (I'm not guessing, just my opinion) she was offering tentative support to a parent dealing with a child in difficult circumstances.

It sounded like that because Joyce would have sounded like that. Both actresses are very good at acting

There is a new writer this week; he may not know the characters as well as we do.

I’ve decided it was the writing. It was too clunky and set up. Not natural at all - Helen sounded natural because it was her side that was written with thought and joys side was there to support it

x-post w @Bruisername

Jack found out from his brother, or from people talking around him without realising he understands more than they think. Such is the way of DC. Little pitchers have big ears

Once Alan got some decent pub grub inside him, he recovered pretty well. Usha is right to get him away for Diwali, though. A Festival of Light will do him the power of good

It’s fortunate that no-one was injured by a stray firework. I can’t imagine Kenton’s Public Liability insurers would have been very amused by his sourcing of fireworks. I imagine there was probably something clear and specific in the small print as to how the fireworks were to be sourced

That’s true about Jack but it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise to Helen that he wants to see his dad. That surely should have been mentioned already. She has already spoken to him about Rob and surely explaining why he wouldn’t be meeting him was the main part of the conversation

Considering all the shouting about Rob that Helen and Lee were doing for weeks on end, it really isn't surprising if Jack as well as Henry heard it all.

I feel old. Just had a google and found that Jack turned 7 in May Of course he's got some idea of what's what...