Archers thread #162: ‘This is like talking to Lassie’ – how right you are, Fallon! 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 think cowhide-covered walls are a great idea for a cafe with vegan and vegetarian customers, 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.)

Title comes from one of the better scripted conversations of recent weeks, when Fallon said ”Harrison, this is like talking to Lassie! Just TELL ME”. So true of so many conversations on TA where you just want to shake them and yell 'Just TELL US, and quickly, so you don't get interrupted before you can say the important bit', but of course they rarely do and days pass before the conversation resumes. @TheBell suggested putting it in the title, so thanks for that.

@OverArmour had a great if more obscure idea, paying tribute to a Peter Greenaway film: The Policeman, The Drunk, The Vet and his Lover. That will do very well as a starting point for the new thread. Will Alistair leave? Will Denise tell John she's leaving him? Will Paul learn to be less noisy? Do any of us care?

I do care a little about Harrison and Fallon. I want Harrison to get a grip and realise he needs a paying job more than the captaincy of the cricket team. I don't care at all about Harry but I think he's been brought in purely as a plot device so with any luck we can all forget about him very soon.

Over to you!

Thanks, @TottersBlanklyIntoBimboCore. We're under way now. You were very wise to postpone. I was pretty much tied to travelling today, unfortunately.

That Heathcliff and Cathy stuff from Corrie is great. TA at its best can do that too. Keri Davies still writes for the programme. Can't remember when he's next up.

Good! Hope it’s a smooth journey onwards.

Not watched Corrie for decades. I used to find it well-written with plenty of 'northern humour'. I don't think I'd recognise it now.

My Jerlene lyrics received several thanks, which I much appreciated. I'm new to this but will try again.

The omnibus is now at eleven every Sunday morning
Rescheduled to our dismay with insufficient warning
Dum-ti-dum...

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g , have a safe trip to the Isle of Gasp, and give our regards to the Gaspmother.

Do police disciplinaries really ape a criminal court? Normally disciplinaries allow you to be accompanied by a colleague or trade union rep, not by a lawyer. They aren’t couched in terms of prosecution and defence, with cross examination of witnesses. Usually any witnesses will have given written statements beforehand.

Am I alone in thinking Harrison could have shown just a teeny bit of gratitude and thanked Harry even it was just by sending him a message via Alice (I understand why he wouldn’t have wanted to approach him directly)?

Alice was as irritating as always and made the whole thing about her. The non stop wittering about how awful and nerve-wracking it has all been for her🙄. She’s also incredibly thick skinned and just ignored the fact Fallon was clearly annoyed by her presence, didn’t want her there and then she strong armed Fallon into hugging her at the end.

Brian and Miranda in bed…no words. I thought Kate might walk in on them. Why doesn’t she live with Jakob? Seems odd that a couple of their age who reside in the same small village would choose to live apart.

Jakob doesn’t want her living with him.

Keri Davies still writes for the programme. I know, but not as often as he used to do. Isn’t his father poorly or something like that?

I’m not sure why Harrison would thank Harry when he got him into the mess in the first place

I’m sorry, but that’s balls! Harrison chose quite deliberately to break police rules because he has a saviour complex.

He only confessed because Harry said he would tell on him and wouldn’t tell Alice himself because he’s an arrogant prick

Yes Harrison should have been disciplined and he shouldn’t have blabbed but no way is Harry an innocent victim in all of this either who deserves Harrison’s thanks

Thanks, I didn't know that. Sorry to hear it.

[Avanti West Coast are being very generous to me today. This will be an entirely free journey because it's so badly delayed. Still, I'm very slowly moving northwards. Tomorrow Calmac have a chance to amuse me further.]

YES @Flamme I totally agree re the misconduct hearing. There's no WAY the police rep would have been allowed to lead her own witness like that. Even if notChris the barrister hadn't objected, the chair would have! It really pees me off when they don't take the 10 minutes to ask about procedure on those sort of scenes. I was minded to write in offering gratis services this morning! Unfortunately it's all too common - I was shrieking at Broadchurch a few weeks back as they totally cocked up the trial scenes (yes, I was late to the party, yes, it's brilliant).

no way is Harry an innocent victim in all of this

But he is, @Bruisername . His confidential information was shared by a police officer. You can't decide that some confidential info is fine to share.

I meant in the whole SL. Not specifically the info disclosure

still think Harrison lacks imagination as he could have just told Alice that he saw him in the pub and he was a bit tipsy. The whole drama of not letting him drive Alice and Martha because he’s been known to drink drive was daft and infantilised Alice (although given she was meeting Harry after the pub run in she clearly can’t spot when someone’s had a few)

Broadchurch a few weeks back

Neither I nor my sibling could contemplate Broadchurch at the time (and I don’t see how anyone with a seven year old (iirc) in the household could.) Relevant child is an undergrad now - and I still haven’t watched it!

The same rules apply in civil courts and tribunals. Obviously leeway is allowed to non-lawyers, but given that, oddly, they had lawyers on both sides I would expect the barristers to follow the rules automatically. In this instance they presumably weren't relying on written statements as they had Harry and Harrison's boss giving evidence in person.

My favourite bit of Broadchurch, if only for unintended humour, was when they had the murder victim's relatives frantically scouting around to find a prosecuting barrister. As if.

Yep. Ludicrous @Flamme 🤣🙈 - and silks grandstanding on Court steps at the PCMH!

It's pretty gruelling in parts @TottersBlanklyIntoBimboCore but very well done. Ditto the Sixth Commandment which was based on a real series of events.

So just listened and the prosecutor was surely hugely unprofessional? She just railroaded Harry and then tried to silence him. Is that how justice works in this country?

I did like the gasps when Harry said he’d threatened him!!

Nope definitely not @Bruisername, don't fret! She would have been stopped within seconds of starting that behaviour.

Yes, as a layperson, I’ve always found the idea that leading questions are allowed really interesting. I can imagine their value, but it always concerned me that they might have a negative effect on a nervous or traumatised witness’s ability to answer fully/openly. E.g., the media commentary on the challenge facing women who give evidence in court on sexual assault and rape charges. I would imagine that a certain capacity or resilience is needed when ‘on the stand’ in more traumatic cases. I understand that it’s the job of the other side to bring balance and to make sure that key evidence gets aired, but leading questions just seem to have the potential to be combative, even if asked pleasantly. Having said that, I have limited understanding of the real-life process and have only ever been in court once on work experience at a local newspaper! There seem to be a few people on here with expertise. I tend to avoid any teaching-related dramas because of vast inaccuracies. I can only imagine how law professionals were shouting at the radio during Harrison’s hearing!

I hope Alice took in the bit about Harry threatening Harrison.

Total segue - has there ever been a teacher character apart from Ross in The Archers? Would think that Ambridge might have a primary school. Unless my brain is completely failing me, I’m sort of surprised that there isn’t a resident teacher.

Kathy Perks used to be, @UnintentionalArcher.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3DsdwNqRx7FCbHlKpQ2fqn2/kathy-perks#:~:text=23%20Aug%202013)-,Hedli%20Niklaus,says%20she's%20quite%20a%20mix!

Then there was a teacher at the Cathedral School (or was he an unattached tutor) who was tutoring Freddie briefly. Think Elizabeth fancied him but nothing came of it.

Hayley … Taught little ones at LL and ran activities for them. I forget the details.

Struggling …

The teachers who I know about were Russ Jones (Call Me Russ), Ifty and Kathy.

Also, although she’s not in Ambridge, I have a vague recollection that Noluthando might have gone into teaching. Which could be useful if she wants to return for any extended period. (I may have imagined it though.)