Archers thread #178: Ambridge or Scambridge? 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 fancy Mucky Mick, 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.)

The scars from Scambridge week will take some healing. Most of us felt we were the ones scammed - where was The Archers we know and (very occasionally) love?

Anyway, onwards and - almost certainly not - upwards. Will it be the best Christmas ever in Ambridge? Do we still care? Over to you!

Some of this stuff happens in our wilderness years (which are as frequent as El Niño for me) and some happens in a mysterious place called Ambridge Extra, which I have never visited (considering that it's outside Ambridge). I'd naively assumed that whatever happens extra-Ambridge remains extra-Ambridge as it's just some fantasy place but (as so frequently with this maddening everyday story of countryfolk) I Am Wrong.

Comet was a pony and something bad happened to it which may have been related to eating the wrong thing, or too much of something. This is as much as I can remember about that, and as someone immune to pony madness it never made any sense to me at the time. Helen was extremely young at the time, I think.

The Blossom Hill Gang was something to do with Kate, Helen and Will Grundy. They were daring each other to do things, IIRC. That's as much as I have. It may been related to the fake letters sent to Peggy's wartime US boyfriend, who subsequently came to Ambridge to see her. There was also an episode where a child got locked in Blossom Hill Cottage overnight - Will? BHC belonged to Peggy but she may have been married to Jack Woolley by then and living in The Lodge at the bottom of the drive up to Grey Gables, which Jack owned. It must have been before she sold BHC to Usha Franks, who still owns it, and is now renting it to Brian, having previously rented it to Helen and Rob, during which period someone here brilliantly dubbed it Bloody Hell Cottage.

Thank you Gasp0de
Some of that does sound vaguely familiar to me.

The 🔮 says the planets are aligning for Kirsty and Rex, btw.

Must be Clive.

I feel so sorry for Brad. He's improved enormously. I'm interested in what he has to say. The prison visits are a heavy load for a teenager.

Not keen on these latest reax, but if they are going to do it we should at least have self-slapface and horror.

Can anyone see the reacts?

Only the person being reacted at.

I can see that I reacted to something, but not what my reaction was. I can't see who else reacted. No one has reacted to my posts lately, but there've been complaints that posters can no longer see who reacted. 🙁

I agree it would be sad to see this forum turning into a beauty contest for likes. But I'm nosy to see which posts are popular or at least gain traction. I don't need to see who's reacted (though of course I'd be interested in that too. )

Delurking to suggest it might be Susan and Neil visiting George? I thought Susan had her ‘hiding things that Emma won’t like’ voice on…

Although I can’t remember the outcome of them visiting him on air. Did he tell them not to come again?

Belated Boop for Helen “I used to be on the radio most weeks!” 😂

George told Neil and Susan not to visit again.

I think it’s Eddie who has been visiting George; that would cause the biggest fallout, which is what Christmas is all about after all.

I do really feel for Emma and despite it being realistic and in character, her moping is seriously pissing me off.

someone here brilliantly dubbed it Bloody Hell Cottage. Walter Gabriel's Ghost

Archers Nicknames, Phrases and Abbreviations

I think it would be difficult for Eddie to keep a prison visit secret from Emma, Ed and Will.

I too thought of Clive but it's possible that it was Meg the Pony Woman. That thought crossed my mind too, but I also wonder whether TA has a lucrative sideline in cash for cameos

Leonard's settling into Brookfield now with David coming round to liking him there now he's found a use for him.
When Jill dies, will Leonard sell his bungalow and move in permanently for company or live with Simon in Singapore?

I'll throw my hat in the ring and say it's Oliver who is visiting George.

Oliver is a good suggestion.

I would previously have just used the "thanks" instead of posting , but not sure which reaction to use now.

So the Mystery Prison Visitor contenders are:

Clive
Eddie
Meg
Oliver

(I don’t think it can be Neil & Susan? I doubt it’s Eddie, because it has to be someone George respects enough not to refuse. And hasn’t he seen through Clive?)

I’ll throw Alice into the list …

I can’t be bothered with react now it is a 2 tap affair instead of just 1!!

I'm finding the George sl a bit wearisome tbh.

@Bruisername same

What good episodes we've had lately, well written and intriguing.
Helen did sound mentally unstable.
Now Jenny's gone, Ed and Emma are my favourites to listen to. Emma's going to feel wretched until George gets out, do we know his release date? And that's if he behaves himself inside or isn't blamed for something he didn't do.

I'll add Fallon (and I agree with your other observations).

I wondered about Fallon - but can’t pin down what her reason would be?

It's got to be Clive BUT I can't work out why the scriptwriters would do that, in terms of serving a purpose... Meg the pony lady is a good shout too.

It would follow on from the conversation she had with Ed during the tyre changing scene when they talked about how George was getting on in prison. Also Fallon is definitely someone George would agree to see.