Archers thread #160: Ram a lamb a ding dong! To rate the mass wisteria in Ambridge, tap the feedback tablet 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'd have given a home to Hilda the Hellcat, or other unusual views.

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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 @MerryChristmasToYou, @OverArmour and @LillianGish for the thread title ideas.

This week is a bit better than last week, but the Brad/Adil/Lily stuff is very odd. Coming up to the anniversary of Jennifer's death (22nd January last year). We need a new matriarch - could that be Natasha? I find her quite an interesting character. Sometimes she's awful and then she has moments as last night where she utterly redeems herself.

Over to you!

How would that work? Do you mean a husband that predates Sid? Or me she married in between?

I suppose it's a possibility, but Jolene's been around a long time. Her first husband Wayne worked as chef in the Bull at one point (she was with Kenton by then,) then there was Sid and the shower scene, then Kenton. Plus she's always had Fallon. Eddie chased her at times, too. So I'm not quite sure when she'd have fitted in another husband without us knowing.

I was multi tasking, what made you think he was her husband? I was wondering if it was Tiger back from wherever he went to

Ooh er! She was certainly staying out of his way but he knew she was there so that won't help.

With a Birmingham accent?

I can't remember what accent he had! but he sounded familiar...

Who is Fallon’s Dad?

Not Tiger though. He was obviously interested in Jolene and she was avoiding him. He was splashing his cash around a lot though trying to impress and I dont believe he was just passing through. Neither Eddie or Kenton knew him. Someone from Jolene's past definitely.

Wayne I think.

Wayne. He was employed by Kenton and Jolene as a chef at The Bull so everyone knows who he is. He wouldn't be the mystery man.

Yes curious - would have to be from quite a while back unless she’s been up to a lot off air we’re about to find out about

Supposedly Wayne …

But we’ve established that this new gentleman has lots of cash to splash. He’d be a useful actual biological father for a woman who’s recently had her business swiped from under her nose and who would very much like to set up on her own again …

Only, obviously, Jolene would rather he had not continued to exist …

Yes Jolene definitely wanted to avoid him - can't see who he can be ?

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime Seems legal requirement is merely to keep the electrics safe, but easiest way is through PAT testing at recommended intervals Between 2 and 4 years for pubs

Poor Hilda What’s happened to her? They haven’t taken her to a cat rescue?

Dumped on Bridge Farm, I think.

During the twenty years or so that neither Jolene nor Fallon was anywhere near Ambridge and all we ever heard was that after divorcing Wayne she was living with a bass player in Huddersfield, Jolene could have been married two or three times for all anyone knows. Fallon might have some idea of who the blokes in her mother's past are, but since she seemed to have a pretty defective memory about her father anything is possible.

Thanks: that answers my question, I think.

The whole thing is idiotic anyway, because Kenton saying the wiring is ancient is not compatible with The Bull having had to be rewired after it was flooded in 2015. The bits that are "out" are the main bar, the restaurant and the kitchen, and those were definitely flooded and had to be completely renovated at great cost which of course Kenton and Jolene did not have (they had failed to tell the insurers about Kenton's previous flood and didn't get a full pay-out), so they had to borrow from Kenton's long-suffering family. He blamed David, of course.

The Mystery Man in the Bull sounded (and acted) so much like Vince that I thought he must be his brother.

That would open up interesting possibilities … (Though to me he just sounded like Random Voice No 372 from the casting director’s Brum Voices Cupboard.)

Thinking about it - Fallon is the step-daughter of an Archer. It really shouldn’t have been possible for Bridge Farm Archers to walk all over her with no pushback from any other branch of the clan. Jolene marrying (…) Kenton ought to have given Fallon a bit of First Family privilege. The SWs have been writing her wrong …

That seems about right for some families and how they treat step children ime

PAT testing is for portable equipment- anything you can unplug. It tests things like kettle and computers. Not the main wiring.

IMO the Bridge Farm Archers (younger adult generation - Tom, Natasha, Helen) would screw over the Brookfield Archers with barely a second thought, let alone someone who is related to the Brookfield Archers as tenuously as acquiring an Archer stepfather in her late twenties. 😂

PAT is short for Portable Appliance Testing. The portable referring to plug in to the socket, not necessarily wander move it around. Hairdryer, freezer, table lamp etc

Kenton only married Jolene about 11 years ago so hasn't really parent-figure for Fallon.