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 found that quite sad in a way - Harrison has checked out of the relationship but Fallon is still hoping to make it work and being positive. No one wants to get divorced. She’s what, nearly 40 and her business is gone and her husband is moving out. Time for a new start. I hope she doesn’t shag Ed - they went over that ground a very very long time ago and she really wouldn’t want to do the dirty on Emma and their child either. I think she’d probably be quite happily single for a while at least, she doesn’t want kids and she could probably move into the Bull for a bit if they sell the house. Not sure how many bedrooms it has?

I don't think it's something I say myself but it doesn't sound unusual to me. It's a common phrase.

The bull had a room for Jill during the ridiculous Ben breakdown sl

i think Fallon will really blossom with Harrison away and realise he holds her back. Perhaps he’ll have an affair with a fellow officer and stay in Yorkshire (please!!). It’s a shame though as having a police officer in the village is good for drama purposes - just a shame they didn’t make a better character

having a police officer in the village is good for drama purposes

Apart from arresting Freddie, I can’t think of anything where his polis status has been particularly relevant to anyone except him and Fallon..

Harrison has checked out of the relationship but Fallon is still hoping to make it work and being positive

Fallon’s positivity is so unwavering as to be completely gormless. It’s what makes me want her head to drop off. That and the stupid, slurry, singsong voice. (Still #teamFallon on the baby issue, though.)
Burns’ head can also drop off any time it likes, as far as I am concerned.

I can't bear that thing Harrison does with his voice to convey he's feeling Sad & Lost.

Anyone think Wayne isn't going to come back to The Bull, creating a vacancy for Fallon?

I like Kenton but wish they'd ded Pirate Jolene and Fallon could become landlady of The Bull.

He talked to Rob on the roundabout
advised Kenton and Jolene
looked for the missing bunting
blew open Harry’s lies

sure he doesn’t need to be in the village for that but being in the village makes the policeman a character

they've not used him well but there’s plenty of dramatic scope for a policeman. Just as there is for a doctor/nurse

I’d totally forgotten the Harry thing, @Bruisername 😳

I’m so pleased for Fallon. She and H used to have fun together but he has been a real bore for several years now. This is a good way to separate without too much drama.

She won’t be single for long as she is kind, very attractive and can cook. I think she could do way better than Ed but the SWs have turned her into a bit of a drip recently so may be they can get together after Emma goes off with Will. I can’t see Ed and Fallon having a steamy affair though as Ed is too thick to be duplicitous for any length of time.

My small experience of HR in government is that it is awash with people who have been plodding along doing a satisfactory job for years, and outraged the promotion has gone to someone with fewer years service but who has already demonstrated Initiative and potential.

blew open Harry’s lies. Remind me - who was Harry and what were his lies?

'Wrap up warm' might be the equivalent of our 'safe home' - does everyone here use 'stay safe' and 'take care' routinely?

I’m currently in hospital (4 weeks so far 🙄) and for some utterly inexplicable reason I’ve started calling the nurses ‘darling’. Sometimes even slipping a ‘my’ in there. Not in Jolene’s accent thank goodness. But there’s time.

I thought “take care” was now obligatory? Certainly in writing.

Perhaps he’ll have an affair with a fellow officer and stay in Yorkshire (please!!). No!! There’s real people in Yorkshire! They don’t deserve that!

@ExitPursuedByABare 🍫

interesting on 'take care' - same here - is it a post Covid thing? I think 'stay safe' has been used a bit longer but I'm not sure.

'Safe home' has been around forever.

Surely it’s the drugs, @ExitPursuedByABare ?

Get better soon.

@DeanElderberry my husband is from Northern Ireland. I’ve enthusiastically adopted ‘safe home’ 😊

Harry was Alice's boyfriend. His lies were around being an alcoholic and drunk-driving. Harrison was concerned about Martha being in the car with him driving a long distance.

Sorry to hear some of our number are having tough times. for @stilldumdedumming and @ExitPursuedByABare.

I was assuming Harrison is being sent to do some very humble, hard-to-mess-up job on the fringes of a massive operation targeting people smugglers or modern slavery or something to do with drugs - organised crime, anyway. He's too volatile and not bright enough to go undercover. His plaintive 'Not the phones again, ma'am!' annoyed me.

I watched the excellent 4-part BBC 7/7 documentary this week. If I understood correctly some of the police officers with very responsible, highly skilled and sensitive jobs were at the time just constables. The woman in charge of co-ordinating the collection and analysis of all the CCTV footage, for example. I don't know much about policing but I have the impression that many jobs like that are now done by civilians.

I also thought Fallon sounded delighted once she'd got over the initial shock. Reminded me of the time an exceptionally difficult colleague announced at the end of a meeting I had with her that she was about to hand in her resignation. She then swept off to do it. I hotfooted it to break the glad tidings to the rest of the department, one of whom literally danced for joy up and down the corridor. There was talk of putting up bunting, which sadly came to nothing.

when I'm driving anywhere, my DH always says "drive carefully" to which i always reply "no, I'm going to drive like a maniac as usual"

glad 'arrison is off (I must admit when he first mentioned it, my first reaction was to shout "when Yorkshire is offered, the answer is always YES"). The Fallon/'arrison convo was really painful to listen to. So unnatural

The ‘my love’ and constant declarations of ‘I love you’ made it sound like a very poorly scripted am dram performance

and it sounded more false with each iteration. They both know it's over, they're both relieved, neither wants to be the first to say it.

I hope they kill Harrison, and quickly, just because of the money, but suppose the SWs will wring out all the drama they can instead.

I’m rather wondering if this is the last we hear from him (has the actor committed another crime?) and the house issue etc is all done remotely.

going to guess that Wayne doesn’t come back so she gets the pub job and turns out he’s met a rich woman who will give Fallon the money to buy Harrison out 🙄. Or a daft sl where she ends up with the house so he doesn’t have to share his pension. Finances are always badly written after all

Look, if the SWs insist on sending Harrison here , I’ll bloody kill him myself! I dont care- I’m happy to take one for the team. Also, my crime will never be discovered because the only policeman in the county has been murdered.

Thank you @Sidebeforeself, you are well named. I appreciate your preparedness to put yourself out for the benefit of all.