Archers thread #179: Beavers, livestock, ferrets, but nododo! 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 be happy sharing a hot tub with 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 title started life with @JanglyBeads, whose autocorrect turned 'Oh no, nor do I!' into 'Oh no, nododo I!' on the last thread. For reasons of cowardice/prudence/lack of inspiration and the character limit, I haven't included @BeaLola's even more mysterious autocorrect - her phone had her asking Abdul if he'd always wanted children instead of Neil. Perhaps one of the mooted beavers can be Abdul.

For the first time ever I've added a poll to the OP. Over to you!

I wonder about Jill and Leonard sharing a room. I am very sad that this year do and I went into different rooms. It's killed it for me. He has brain damage and wakes up in the night looking for snakes and things, or not having a clue who or where he is. Even when he gets to the bathroom he still doesn't know. I worry about him on his own in the night because he doesn't know to come and find me. But he insists on separate rooms now.

I suppose Brookfield has the Airbnb room? Or is that where Jill is?

Will Leonard be contributing financially?

Oh @stilldumdedumming that sounds rough. I’m sorry that you have to deal
with that. 💐

I thought that.

He wasn’t doing wildlife policing when he found Harry outside the club (or was he…)

I’m so bewildered by this Leonard story - I thought they had a chat the other day and he didn’t want to move in? So why is he so delighted to now?

@WitcheryDivine My understanding was that they hadn't actually mentioned the plan to Leonard. The Dopeys discussed it between themselves, and then with Jill, who wasn't keen, so nothing was said to Leonard. I might be wrong.

this weird attack on anyone not speaking the Queen's English is weird.

Everyone speaks colloquially on TA, even Lynda. Even Jim i think. It is perfectly normal to say to anyone "wrap up warm" when they go out in the snow - i say it to my DH and he says it to me (he's a northerner so wrapping up and speaking RP doesn't come naturally to him)

it's not patronising, it is one of those little social tics that people have, it just means "yes i heard you, i love/like you" etc etc.

ETA - of course they are interested/concerned in what Leonard does. Firstly because it is very clear that Jill really likes having him in her life, and they love Jill and don't want her to be lonely. It is very clear since he's been at Brookfield that despite small niggles, they do like him, and like having him around (cynical view: he keeps Jill occupied and out of their hair)

He told them he was going to go - were they supposed to say "right, when are you going"?

Yep. It has been made clear since the Ben/Leonard chat post funeral, about talking about your feelings, then the phone call to absent son, then the 2nd phonecall to Jill where they both finally "used their words" (in MN parlance) that he really does like/love Jill in the same way she likes/loves him and that him actually moving to Brookfield is what both of them want but have never - being elderly buttoned-up Brits - articulated. I find it rather sweet.

Harrison - oh god. He's going to be watching eco-warriers (going UC) and is going to be tasked with watching Neo (of the beavers) and then he's going to bust Kirsty & Rex and the Mad Stupid Beaver Plan.

@stilldumdedumming I’m sorry to read that. It must be very hard.

Youve kept your sense of humour though..I did like the image of Harrison arresting animals!

I say “wrap up warm” as a way of saying “ look after yourself”. Im from Yorkshire though and we say all sorts of nonsense.

If I had to deal with wildlife crime I would soon end up in jail for assault and battery to the b*stards that perpetrate it. Can't imagine Harrison being calm and collected with them.

He's going to be watching eco-warriers (going UC)

I wish he’d go NC…

Ah thanks @Brefugee and @Fink i find the Jill thing a bit weird now, like she’s secretly died and David and Ruth have replaced her with a hand puppet wielding a wooden spoon.

I genuinely can’t think what role would suit Harrison except as a pp said leading a vigilante group, perhaps he and Rex could start doing some paedo bashing. That actually could make quite a good story.

Yes I am sorry too x

not to get involved in warmgate but I usually tell my husband “don’t get run over” in a similar spirit

When i was a lass (yes, I'm also from Yorkshire, although i talk what used to be called RP but is actually SSB - for reasons we don't need to go into here) and visiting the grandparents in our industrial Yorkshire city (council estate, i only found out as an adult quite how rough it was) there used to be, right up to the 80s, community police officers (who am i kidding, they were always men) who would be seen around the place, and often stop in people's houses for a cup of tea and a chat.

Probably on account of the roughness of the estate, tbh, but it was a good way of keeping an eye on the low level stuff etc. That would be something, i feel, Harrison would be good at. Maybe we can send him back to the 60s in a TARDIS...

I quite like the idea of Kirsty and Rex scrapping the illegal beaver release plan only for a wild beaver to move in. This has happened in parts of the country although I'm not sure where exactly Ambridge is. Kirsty and Rex will of course get the blame. Perhaps as an added twist David will kill it in a fit of rage and hang the corpse up on a fence keeping Harrison busy in his new role as wildlife crime officer.

I think a good community police officer is non judgemental and approachable so I think Harrison would be terrible!

Perhaps Harrison could be used for traffic calming? I'm sure Ambridge would benefit from a sleeping policeman.

It's not arresting animals.

Not the impression I picked up from the Wallace and Gromit Christmas special!

Am I the only one who thought Leonard sounded a lot like Wallace last night?

He did that one memorable stint as a stand-in traffic officer when Rob was having a psychotic episode/religious experience/cycnical attempt to manipulate on the roundabout and only wanted the Christian policeman.

Harrison was not given the wildlife policing post: someone else got it. So he sulkily went part time instead, because he didn't want to be a full-time policeman any more once he had thought of not being one.

He went back to full time when Fallon stopped being the main earner because she lost her business – and then resigned her job before she needed to, because she stupidly thought that Justin Elliott was in any way a trustworthy

Yes!!

Nothing about the charging station which must be open by now?

I hear that another couple of Lynx have been spotted (see what I did there!) in the Cairngorns.

I wonder where they've all come from?

I hope whoever opens the catering venue at the charging station makes it a roaring success (and moves into Ambridge).

Charging station competitor would be a great love interest for fallon

If Harrison gets transferred to the Virgin Islands or similar I could be on for my 'more Fallon, less Harrison 2025' wish.

Or a dog unit*....that would help increase canine characters if nothing else.

*not sure I can cope with Harrison's 'who's a good boy then' voice.