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.

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 @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!

It is sadly true, @Fink - remembering how Ruth and David were screwed over by Vince - they certainly lack the power and influence and street smarts of previous generations.

I’m trying to recall what sort of ongoing relationship Fallon has / had with Jill, if any. (Beyond flapjacks!) They definitely don’t give the impression of a familial relationship.

I wasn't sure if she just wanted to avoid making the announcement about the longest drinker thing?

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

Absolutely! Kenton and Jolene were married on 1st November 2013, at which time Fallon was twenty-eight. I doubt she thinks of him as a father in any real way; Mum's husband doesn't really cut it as a father-figure when you are that age.

Same @Fancyachilli - I was expecting Vince to rock up and join him!

I think commercial properties are meant to have an EICR check every five years so if the wiring was that ropey it would have been flagged as being on its last legs when the last check was done ie just before Covid at the earliest.

Agree with @Chemenger that PAT testing nothing to do with the mains wiring. J and K are so dozy. They could have come up with the Ploughman’s/bottle beer contingency plan on Sat morning and been open again that evening. It seems to take so long for the penny to drop in their world.

I wonder if Pete, the electrician, is the same guy who did Adam’s rewire.

I wasn't sure if she just wanted to avoid making the announcement about the longest drinker thing?

Classic switcheroo, @Anisette - the whole Longest Drinker thing was just to distract us.

This seems to be the sum total of what HSE says about testing of the fixed electrical wiring:

"It is recommended that fixed installations (the wiring and equipment between the supply meter and the point of use, eg socket outlets) are inspected and tested periodically by a competent person."

As @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime said, there don't appear to be any requirements for periodic testing of the wiring. The only reference in HSE I found was that PAT testing of portable equipment needed to be more frequent because of the greater possibilities for damage if you're moving stuff around.

It seems strange that in order to let out a flat or house you have to have the wiring tested and certified, but apparently not in order to run a licensed premises. There are many more people potentially at risk in a pub!

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities/guide-for-landlords-electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector

"These new Regulations" (October 2021) "require landlords to have the electrical installations in their properties inspected and tested by a person who is qualified and competent, at an interval of at least every 5 years. Landlords have to provide a copy of the electrical safety report to their tenants, and to their local authority if requested."

In any case, since Kenton and Jolene have three rooms "out" (main bar, kitchen and restaurant) but others are fine, what was to stop them running an extension lead from a room with electricity to the kitchen so they didn't have to move all the food in the freezer? They are behaving like headless chickens.

Since the flat upstairs still has its electricity, why doesn't The Bull Upstairs similarly have electricity? In which case Mia's Event could go ahead on Friday anyhow.

And given the flood wasn't so long ago, how come they never thought of contingency plans? (I know, I know...)

Lilian should really be across all of this given she’s a joint owner. Fine to step in and get Trace and Emma to clean the windows and the horse brasses but actually it’s far more important to make sure the electrics are up-to-date. Some property magnate she’s turned out to be.

When they had been flooded out in 2015 and the downstairs bars were having their complete refurbishment, the Bull Upstairs was ok to open as a bar and had electricity. Thank you for reminding me! That makes it fairly clear that bit of the pub is on a different circuit from the other bars, doesn't it.

There was an awful case a couple of years ago where a child was electrocuted in a beer garder due to dodgy electrics. The cost-cutting landlord and shonky electrician were jailed for manslaughter iirc.

On a separate point, I'm wondering if New Brummie Bloke and his mates were criminals casing the joint?

A spot of armed robbery would brighten things up considerably.

Lilian is a bit like the Grundies - odd flashes of competence, mingled with longer periods where they seem to have no financial savvy, and no capacity for simple pragmatic logical thought.

My theory is that this is because TA is not character driven. The hilarious plots are rammed in by amending the characters as needed, who then flip-flop between their different sub-characters.

DH thinks the chap in the Bull was casing the joint - I'm like when it's hardly open and there won't be much cash ?

Ooh! Told you...

Interesting episode.

not sure what to make of the Mia bits

so them being wrong uns was spot on! Dog fighting in the private car park? But what was that all about? XL bully?

Was it only one dog? It sounded like more.

Oooooo

I was thinking that too- and wondering if the previous “car alarm going off a few times and it being commented on” thing was so that when it goes off for real they ignore it…

Not really very exciting though…

Ooh sounds like Kenton won’t be modelling clothes any time soon. Where do we think he is bleeding from? Leg? Jugular vein?

But what happened to Mia - was she having a panic attack? I’m guessing everyone slagging her off was build up to a health issue and now she won’t be able to go to uni (unrealistically) because of it

Why did they turn up in the car park just to get their dog/dogs to attack the landlord? Was it revenge on Jolene for something we don’t know about? Were they planning to squat on the car park in their vans? Were they about to do something else illegal? All very strange.

im not loving it but I’m so glad to have SL’s that’s not centred around Helen!!

Oh dear, that horrible. Unfortunately I’ve met that sort before (usually looking for somewhere to live for a while, while trashing the place) and they threatened to set their dogs on us. Doesn’t surprise me at all that they’d actually do it.

The 🔮 says that Jolene is involved in some way, as were the brummie blokes from last night

Not that I find Jolene in any way a kindred spirit, but if I were married to Kenton I’d definitely consider paying someone to set savage dogs on him.