Archers thread #170: The scriptwriters have cast a Paul on proceedings! 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 Drunk Alistair, 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 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radioaddicts/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/radioaddicts/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. I was tempted to try some sort of complex riff on chocolate names, given @PedantScorner's lightbulb moment - Paul's sister is Cara Mack! - and all the nonsense in last night's episode about coffee creams, but I couldn't be bothered, beyond thinking we must all be Cadbury's Fruit and Nutcases for listening at the moment. Let's hope the SWs take a walk along Quality Street or we'll have to put a Bounty on their heads!

And over to you ...

Indeed!

True!

Though it does point up that they don’t currently have any speaking characters who might realistically engage in looting and burning and terrorising. Don’t want to malign poor George, who’s too deep in his own slurry pit to care what’s going on - but Ambridge has whole estates full of bored young with potentially empty heads ready to be filled with crap. As well as, probably, it’s fair share of brainless middle aged yobs eager for entertainment.

Yes, especially now we know it's not ankle deep with the odd deeper pool, as I'd always imagined, but probably the deepest, fastest flowing river in the British Isles.

Perhaps we're in for a humdinger of an episode tonight. (Ever the optimist.)

They should have played on the momentum from last night with Emmur’s confession.

They often do this, though. Unless it's a "SATTC" moment like the Grey Gables fire/the Bridge Incident/Nigel falling off a stately home, the next episode is always about Eccles having got stuck on the Bull roof or a lost cake tin.

I like it, it gives a change of pace. If they spanked through big storylines in one go it would end up being like Eastenders!

And I suspect we're due a Friday Cliffhanger. George isn't going to like it that more and more people know the truth - he's been trying to control things with Emma but he can't control everyone...

Bartleby? Someone is going to come up with the bright idea that the way to get between the fete and the stables is by asking Bartleby's fairy godmother to lend him for the day, and sending George to fetch him, and then George won't come back. In fact, he'll disappear. Emma will be heartbroken and blame herself for not keeping his secret.

(Btw, my Archers predictions never come true.)

That’s not a bad call. There has to be a reason we were introduced to Meg.

I’m very much hoping for the Canada option …

I think that's an excellent suggestion, @WagnersFourthSymphony.

I immediately thought of Bartleby when they said "somebody in the village must have a trap".

I thought of Gem, pulling Bartleby's trap.

They would have actually said "What a pity we don't still have Bartleby and the trap with Joe to drive it...."

I think it would be too far to bring him back but I do think he’ll run there and Meg will have some hand in him turning himself in and then some rehab once consequence is spent

Isn’t it cruel to make a horse pull. Trap full of people throughout the day as well? Not a horsey person but seems like hard work

It wouldn't be continuous and it would be on the flat, all of about five hundred yards, so a pony would be fine with it. Cabs used to be pulled by horses for twelve hours at a time....

On the other hand from the human point of view it would hardly be worth bothering to wait, and pay, for the trap when you could walk it in a couple of minutes.

I’ve always felt sorry for working horses like that though!!

I didn’t realise the stables was so close to the village green

It's immediately after the first turn to the right on the road to Brookfield, you can't miss it. Seriously. It's even on the same side of the Am as the village green. About twice as far away as the length of one of the gardens in Glebelands.

I’ve always felt sorry for working horses like that though!!

Human beings also used to do hard physical labour for twelve hours a day. It's been reduced to maximum eight, I think, but on a building site that's still quite a long time. In any case, I don't think the fête is likely to go on for more than four or five hours absolute tops.

I’m going to assume the sw have lost their map

so bizarre that they are even bothering to link the events - if they are that close attendees of the other will inevitably end up dropping into the other.

although a very important question- if the stables is trying to attract outsiders, where will they all park?

They will have to come in a charabanc, won't they. (grin)

Pronounced sharra-bang by everyone except Lynda, who will mangle the French into shahaaah - a - bong.

Isn’t it cruel to make a horse pull.

No. Horses are still driven today, their harnesses are designed to spread the weight and are padded. The weights they pull are proportionate to the horse (e.g. more weight = more horses, teams of two, four or six can be used). Competition is overseen by British Carriagedriving, who are signed up to British Equestrian’s Charter of the Horse which is a welfare programme.

I meant more all day going back and forth but as it’s been clarified that it would only take a minute I guess it’s not so bad!!

Have we ever learned whether the bridge between the Stables and Brookfield is THE bridge?

Poor old Black Beauty in his fallen upon hard times days. Now that was cruel.

Imagine it will be a much easier gig in Ambridge. Presuming Bartleby never had to cross that mysterious bridge, longer than the 2nd Severn crossing, or risk a fall in the mighty Am, where Captain Nemo’s sub lurks beneath.

Ahem! @Gonners . ShaRRa-bonk. Sniff!

Well, I loved last night’s episode, I thought it was a really nice tribute to Ian Pepperell - especially the line about ‘a great actor, and a good man’. That’s probably the last we will ever hear of Roy.

However, who the hell has a ‘box room’ these days?

I think it’ll be back on the main storyline tonight with a Friday cliffhanger, as said above it’s good to have a change of pace between episodes.