Archers thread #177: Will Bridge Farm get a PassiveAggressivHaus? 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 love to have a moribund camper van parked indefinitely outside your home, 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.)

Over to you!

I hope they realise Ruth won't let them use any of the facilities in Brookfield.

Are they being charged to sleep on a camp bed with strangers in a barn in November? Will Saga be advertising this as the ideal holiday for septuagenarians?

I thought Joel was the bloke who helps out Kirsty. Can't remember his name. Lives on a boat.

Scambridge

There is always one naysayer who sees problems where others see innovative solutions. And in this case it's you @Gonners. Fortunately @DeanElderberry is showing the right positive mindset.

I fear that you may well be right and this ridiculous storyline is leading up to a pseudo Christmas story. I predict that a scammed expectant couple will show up on Christmas Eve and Saint Ben will deliver the messiah in the Brookfield 'stable'.

Rex, @muddyford. (They did sound alike, but Rex is a bit better at Acting on the Radio.)

I had been assuming the barn is being offered without charge, but I’d forgotten Brookfield does (did) offer B&B in the house. Would whatever licences and permits and whatever they already have cover them for the barn too?

If the point of this ludicrous SL is to help listeners avoid scams, have I missed the bit where they explained how to avoid falling victim when booking a holiday cottage?

I admit I may have missed it as I have been too busy snorting in disbelief to listen with my usual care and attention.

The barn must have toilets and basins at least. So it only showers they're missing. And heating.

If this is some sort of public service announcement why has nobody pointed out that Chuck and Faith must have travel insurance?

Joel and whatever the woman in the car is called might not have for UK but if they paid by credit card they should contact the credit card provider (Does anyone not pay travel and holidays by credit card?)

Joel might not have taken out insurance but probably has the sort of bank account which includes it.

If ONLY there was a b and b and a hotel in the village people could use instead of a manky old barn… 🙄🙈

Didn’t we have a discussion earlier about the widely available phones sized and shaped to be concealed about the person? “Beat the boss” phones, the “boss” being a seat designed to reveal things being carried in the rectum.

Rex.

Of course! I hope it doesn't go on that long though.

They did point out the B&B is closed because it's being redecorated- makes sense to do it now, as it's the quiet point between half term and Christmas, and other than Ambridge, hardly anyone actually goes on holiday in November, especially not in the UK.

And GG was full for a conference.

We did, @MereDintofPandiculation - possibly two threads back!

DH suggests that in cold weather the original carrying suggestion would be better for the battery. Certainly better than a cold pocket. (DH listens to TA because it’s on at teatime but has an annoying habit of wanting to discuss it while it’s broadcasting; however he listens avidly to selected quotes from this thread)

I may not pay full attention to TA, but I certainly pay full attention to this thread

My cleavage is not "a cold pocket".

So is the lesson we are meant to learn from scam week is

if a stranger turns up claiming to have a booking in your house, let stay, leave them alone for the night, and then put them up at your own/your neighboures expense....

And if you fall victim to a fake holiday cottage scam just hang around being sad and don't bother trying to find somewhere else to stay for the week (surely the woman with 6 year old teans has a friend/family somewhere, of if she's fleeing abuse she's unlikely to need just a week?)

I wonder who’s running GG while it’s fully booked out with a conference? Part-time Brad, Chelsea for a few hours here and there, unkempt Mick and the never-allowed-to-retire Oliver?

God help them all, if so.

<makes note>

Would be like the conference equivalent of a stay at Fawlty Towers. I'm feeling very like Brenda from Bristol this week.

Perhaps the editorial team were told that The Archers had to take part in ScamSafe week or whatever it's called, tried to argue that it couldn't be done plausibly with no build up, were told 'Too bad, make it happen' and decided they would indeed make it happen but in such an utterly implausible and blood-pressure-soaring way that they would never be asked to do it again?

Or perhaps they are all just inept. God help us if they think what they're broadcasting this week is funny and affecting, will pull in new listeners and give a lovely warm glow in the hearts of the existing listeners.

This is the sort of informed and detailed guidance which the editorial team have utterly failed to secure before putting out this load of old toot. What they fail to realise is that a large proportion of their audience are pretty savvy with money and are finding the characters' total failure to protect themselves and get help in appropriate ways absolutely infuriating as well as implausible.

Two minds with but a single thought!