Archers thread #172: Come on, Clive! Spill the beans and put us all out of our misery. 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 Clive sounds deeply misunderstood, 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/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.)

Fete over, cricket season over - can the Flower and Produce show be far behind? I don't think I've heard a mention of it this year. Have I not been paying attention?

In any real village, preparations for the Christmas show would already be under way, but not in Ambridge, of course. I am probably in a minority of one in regretting this.

With any luck, though, by Christmas this incredibly protracted tale of Alice, George and the crash will be behind us at last. Do we think Clive's really gone? I don't believe it. We won't be rid of him that easily. Will he go to the police himself? Will he attempt to blackmail his family or extort money from the Aldridges in return for information that would secure Alice's acquittal? Do we care? I find I don't really, unfortunately. I did enjoy hearing Clive for those few brief exchanges but I've had enough now. Unrelieved nastiness is not really what I want from TA.

Over to you!

i am annoyed with Neil convincing George not to report Harrison purely because I hate harrison

George wasn't thinking straight. How would shopping Harrison possibly have helped his case? Except that misery loves company so he could drag someone else down with him.

I don't particularly care about Harrison getting in trouble at work. I just don't see what good it would do George.

Did anyone else think Brian sounded slightly Borsetshire in his deranged yelling outside the door? He's always been RP but I wondered for a moment if the distant bellowing was Mucky Mick come to settle the score.

Charles Collingwood is 81.
I knew he was married to Shula but I didn't know he was born in Canada.

Yes!! I thought it was Mick at first too

@Fink I don't particularly care about Harrison getting in trouble at work. I just don't see what good it would do George.

I don't think it would do George any good, but I do think it should be reported if only because it would be added to Ma'am's list of reasons to sack Harrison. Of course, Neil doesn't know about that.

Excellent episode. Really good emotional range.

Wasn't there once a long thread on old BBC Mustardland about a wicker heifer up Lakey Hill?

There was. 2006.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbarchers/NF2693940?thread=1845190&skip=0

Oh, the names...

Actually, that's not the thread. It just refers to it.

The Wicker Heifer! Yes, of course @EBearhug, it's all coming back to me now!

Your link doesn't take me anywhere though, just a '404 Error' page

I dont think George will report Harrison but I think some unknown person will just to add to the drama and to move the Fallon and Harrison story line along as we cant have them rowing then making up then rowing again for ever, somethings got to click. Harrison threatening George is too big to just let fade away, or at least I hope so.

we cant have them rowing then making up then rowing again for ever

You know, briefly yesterday, in an idle moment, I wondered if that might be exactly what the SWs intend. That rather than any of the break up outcomes we’ve imagined, Fallon and Harrison might still be here, locked in fundamental disagreement over anything that happens in the village and impacts them, talking and not talking and slamming doors and swearing eternal love - thirty years hence.

I mean, there must be couples like that?

It would be another Rochelle.

(And in ten years time Alistair and Denise will still be desperately trying to carve out some time alone - whilst bickering in front of Plato.)

The show could have a new title: The Irresolute Non-Archers.

My DM thinks I’m awful for listening to TA on my phone. ‘Don’t you have a radio?’ No mum, I don’t. Be grateful one of your children is addicted to the Archers!

Not only are all the elders consumed for the future good of the community but PC Harrison Burns fulfils his ultimate destiny inside the blazing body of a wicker sheep.

< Hot Fuzz Style > the greater good @BinaryDot

Gosh, Neil brought a tear to my eye there.

This has been intriguing me: what is the dramatic function of Harrison's attack? We already knew he was desperately upset over the miscarriage (vastly at odds with Fallon's attitude). Perhaps I don't listen with the most careful attention - I'm usually cooking - but when George said Harrison grabbed him that felt a bit of a dripfeed. I don't think the incident casts any fresh light on the characters. There was a rather delicious hope that H would go too far and get his comeuppance. But he's already gone too far with the confrontation in the first place.

IANAL, but is there a possiblity that George's brief could use the attack in mitigation of sentence? Look, even the local police are threatening towards him, the defendant has already suffered enough....?

I’m glad it wasn’t just me with Neil and a tear in eye. My children lost their last, much-loved, grandparent in July and I suddenly felt a pang knowing how much that particular bond made a difference to their lives and they don’t have it any more. George is a lucky boy to have so many people who care about him. He just needs to see it and let them help him for what’s to come.

Yesterday’s episode was the first time I’ve heard George admit being responsible for the sausage roll incident at Berrow.

Neil almost made me cry. He might not like his grandson but he does love him.

It will definitely be used. Harrison and Fallon's marriage is on the rocks.
Harrison will lose his job.
I think Geowurge wil probably get away with a short sentence, possibly suspended.
In his favour he has the rescuing and Harrison's assault.
He has quite a lot against him though.

Denistair might buy H&F's house.

Looking at the sentencing guidelines, there isn’t a snowball’s he’d get less than two years, more likely more (assuming any cells available at all).
https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/crown-court/item/perverting-the-course-of-justice/
Suicide?

He'll probably have a crap brief too, but it is a soap opera.

It's not 100% clear that he did admit it. He said that he had been lucky to get that job, and had thrown away his chance 'for nothing'. He could be referring to the sausage roll, but equally he could be talking about his attitude towards Hannah. I know the sausage roll was what led to his immediate dismissal, but he was already on thin ice by then.

I think I disagree, @RegimentalSturgeon. I don’t think he’ll be incarcerated. There’s been enough prison in TA lately. I can see the SWs inclining a judge towards the lowest possible levels of culpability and harm. (Yes, Alice suffered distress, but she was drunk in charge of a car and she had little reputation left to lose, etc.)

I suspect the outcome will involve judicious exile to a donkey sanctuary - if anyone in Ambridge can think of one …

Wasn’t there a story in the press recently about a man found guilty of gbh not getting a custodial sentence because being in an over crowded prison would be bad for his mental health?

given everything going on at the moment with court delays and overcrowded prison I wonder if they will pull any of that in.

I don’t have any expectation of George’s story being related to real life sentencing limitations. - though that’s not to say it won’t.

I’m simply conscious of the fact that a sympathetic adult - with space to accommodate him away from Ambridge, and involved in an activity that means something to him - has been introduced / inserted into the story. And there must be a reason for that.

Well it’s certainly been discussed at length what Megs purpose is and as it wasn’t for him to run away to then next bet is for him to spend time there away from the village

The thing with George and his complicated parentage, is that all four of the grandparents are the same people regardless.

I'm rather looking forward to Eddie's input!