Archers thread #168: Near to the Maddening Crowd? 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'd like to hear more of Harrison's strange little moaning noises, 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!

Over to you.

@Bruisername it's taken me till now to realise it's ill fated James Bellamy from upstairs downstairs.

Never gamble with the servants money

My recollection is that it’s a mobile home rather than a caravan. I once stayed with someone living in a mobile home - they had gas canisters but the water and waste seemed no different to those for any house; essentially plugged in to the normal systems. It was mobile in name but a permanent home that wasn’t moving anywhere else. Don’t know if that’s the same for Little Grange.

This Paul & Etienne business is bizarre. No-one cares.

So Denise and Ali-stare have gone away on a training course together. Oh dear.

Chris accepted Harry’s denial very quickly.

James Bellamy well well well

Such a tidy boy, shot himself in a hotel room to save Rose the cleaning in Eaton Place

Anyone think Susan is a bit of a controlling mother

As I suggested recently, think it quite possible Alice will feel pressured into changing her plea to guilty, especially if Chris withdraws his support, as Susan has told him to.

I didn’t understand how Harry wouldn’t have known about the bridge event. Even if he wasn’t affected by the road blockages etc, wasn’t it splashed all over the local news, online and in print and probably on TV briefly? Someone he knows who either passed through Ambridge or heard the news would surely have mentioned it to him? If only because Alice runs the Stables where his niece’s pony resides.

I don't know - someone I know, his wife turned their car over on a bridge when driving drunk with their two children in the car. It was the subject of local talk but wasn't on the news or anything.

It is a mobile home, but how did they set it up? The only mobile homes I've known have been on fixed campsites where the infrastructure is all provided. I can't remember what happened when Ed and Emma got the mobile home, but isn't it just on Oliver's normal land - i.e. a previously empty field? What did they do to get it hooked up to the water and so on? Surely that would be expensive to install, and be a permanent alteration to the land which would affect Oliver being able to sell it on (not legally, assuming it was all done properly, but it might affect the resale value)?

I remember some discussion on here (or possibly else-forum) about Eddie thinking he could get an almshouse, though I don't remember hearing anything about it on-air. Fat chance, anyway! There are some fabulous early 18C Quaker almshouses just outside Margate: beautiful architecture, gorgeous gardens and even on a bus route. And conveniently right next-door to the hospital! But the criteria for admission would keep out they Grundys. It's still Quaker-run and I sometimes idly wonder if the fact that I went to a Quaker school would help ...

I wonder if the SWs thought of that James Bellamy when naming The Archers' James Bellamy? Arrogant, entitled, rude, selfish ...

On the basis that nobody seemed to have heard of Harry, or his history, before he arrived on the scene I can imagine his family would be suitably clueless.

Our local newspaper used to publish at least once a day in print but, is now part of the Reach stable and appears to have no local journos.

Yes he was a complete u known yet Chris then refers to him as the famous eventer giving out prizes. Confusing

Holiday static caravans/mobile homes have that but you'd have to have the sewerage and mains water set up to connect to. I don't suppose the SWs even thought about that.

I often think hell would be having a clear memory of all your foot-in-mouth comments.

Oliver suggested the almshouses to Eddie when there was a possibility bhe would have to sell Grange Farm and Eddie was getting very worried and upset about what the future held for him and Clarrie. Eddie said he was going to look into it. I don't think it's been mentioned since.

That supposedly-tense two-handed between Chris and Harry really was one of the worst bits of acting I’ve heard in a long while.

It's HOMOEROTIC SEXUAL TENSION

I haven't noticed any.

Chris was like a sulky kid" yon know dont you, you were there" with out explaining to Harry what he was taking about.
Paul and Etiane storyline is boring but the sw got Gay Pride in, so upto date.
Hope nothing happens with Alistair and Denise whilst they are on this course would like that story line to die a death.

Yes the acting was awful. Overall a terrible episode

so susan went with him and then stayed absolutely silent - we know she was there because she commented on his face etc. so not only did Harry not acknowledge her but Susan was able to bite her tongue?

but Susan was able to bite her tongue?

Paul and Etienne storyline is ridiculous. Couples counselling? I was under the impression they hadn't even been together that long but I haven't been paying attention tbh. I thought Ben sounded a bit jealous.

They've been together since at least November last year, when Paul told Lily that it was a newish relationship. So 8-9 months. I agree that most people wouldn't bother with counselling if there were major problems that soon; I'd walk away. Maybe it's a generational thing to seek counselling/ therapy quite early and easily.

It was Josh, his housemate, Paul was talking to, not Ben.

In another episode later that week, Eddie printed out some info about, and ads for, local almshouses. He showed them to Clarrie and they talked it through; Clarrie loved the idea but said there could be a waiting list; Eddie claimed there were loads of Borsetshire vacancies, just none nearby at that point; they'd probably be able to get one when they wanted it at some point in the future.[Lol, let's suspend disbelief there.]

It's not been mentioned since, but it was left in such a way that it could easily be picked up again as a "senior Grundy retirement plan" when required.

I’m sure this would be no issue for the Grundies. They’re bound to know someone with a mini digger and would easily be able to connect to the mains water and probably the septic tank too. To me the lack of planning is the real problem and I’m amazed no-one has reported them - certainly in my village someone would have done so by now.