Archers thread #182: The Shit hits the Am! 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 delighted to oblige your employer by cleaning up sewage spills without proper training or equipment in place of your normal duties, 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.)

Credit for the title goes to @echt. Can't think of anything much to say about current storylines. Credulity is strained to its limit on many fronts, unfortunately, but there are a few nuggets in the slurry. I did enjoy hearing Natasha's outrage that Fallon is doing obvious, sensible things at The Bull even though it might hit Terum. I thought Natasha was supposed to be an entrepreneur!

Over to you!

They did, and I assume that was because they did not employ people who would do the job thoroughly/properly in the first place. Or rather, get their insurers to employ etc.

I'm not sure that Library cards / membership ever expires actually!

I'll have to try it, won't I. But not tonight!

Edited to add: actually I know the one I had in the previous place I lived expired. I got a forwarded postcard telling me that it had.

Did the sewage get into the fields, do we know? Or was it just confined to the yard/dairy? Could their organic status also be at risk?

I also love Jim and Brad, and I hope to see Brad’s confidence grow under Jim’s gentle guidance.

The Feedback episode on TA and Ramadan is repeated this evening at 8pm. (For those of you who are not Sounds listeners.)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0028v04?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

And, as I was saying … (From a current Oxford College website.)

(I know Brad isn’t studying Chemistry! But he does look very much as I imagine Brad …)

i am assuming they can open because there have been regular inspections of their cleaning operation.

From a social point of view, it makes more sense to let Susan go because Neil has a lovely job that pays real money. Clarrie and Emma are the only actual PAYE working Grundys.

From an age point of view, it makes sense to let Clarrie go because it is physical work and how long can she keep that up? I'm 10 years younger and i would really be feeling that.

Do they work full time? as i understand it if you reduce both of them to part time, it costs more than letting one go and keeping one employee however many hours they work. Where i live the company would be able to put them on reduced hours with their wages topped up to 85% by the government for a limited time. (Happened to me at the start of Covid).

Loved Brad & Jim. Loved Pat & Emma. Want to smack Helen and Tony about the face with a damp kipper

TherapistInATabard
Did the sewage get into the fields, do we know?

Since the brook from which the sewage is said to have come is three fields away from the farmyard, I don't see how it would be possible for the farmyard to have been flooded without the sewage having crossed the fields.

Brefugee, Clarrie may be full-time; Susan works as the postmistress for half the day, though whether this is mornings or afternoons is subject to scriptwriter whim. Which must be jolly annoying for people who want to post a birthday card to (say) RSA and don't know whether the PO will be open or not on any given morning or afternoon.

If the sewage did cross the Bridge Farm fields the crops will presumably be even more organic than usual.

If the sewage did cross the Bridge Farm fields the crops will presumably be even more organic than usual.

Only if the sewage was completely untreated. If it had been partly treated before being dumped into the watercourse, then it had a lot of chemicals in it which would play hob with the organic status of the land, I would suppose.

Bridge Farm perhaps ought to get this land tested, and not use it for "organic" crops until it has been.

I'm delighted that Freddie's life seems to have been turned around by his job at the abbatoir, and even more pleased that it looks as though Jim is now going to mentor Brad (in a wider sense than cricket scoring) and help him make a success of his degree and life.

Also nice to hear strong male figures providing support for Khalil and Henry.

But I fear all of this is making it look more likely that George is going to go to the Dark Side. I know I'm pretty much alone in having a soft spot for George, but even without that, I don't want to see the heartache that a bad George is likely to cause Neil, Susan, Emma, Will, Edward and Clarrie. I would also prefer not to have to hear any more from evil Uncle Clive.

I too have a soft spot for George and I don’t think I really want to listen to him being a wrong’un. I can just about cope with Eddie flirting around the edges of legality but I don’t want to have a proper criminal intruding on my listening!

A criminal like for instance Ed, who ferries illegal chemicals around, and steals in order to try to impress his stepson with how cool he is? Or Emma, who both steals in order to try to impress her son with her coolness, and encourages Ed to break the law about dangerous chemicals on the spurious grounds that "everyone does it"?

I can live with one offs - like Brian, or David and his badger.

it’s the constant Mitchell-ification that I’m not keen on!

so Rob was obviously a bad’un but it was time limited. I don’t think I could have listened much longer to him tbh

I would say it's Vince who deserves the credit for Freddy's transformation.

Well however he gets there it will be nice to have a Nigel-esque character

Bruisername
Given they killed Nigel off when he was such a good character

I had always understood that VW killed Nigel off because he was such a good character, and she wanted to "make an impact".

Bit short sighted

I don’t even think this is the case. Organic animals have to be fed organic feed, which means no chemicals on grazing land nor in production of the feed (ie organic grain). I’d imagine human sewage of unknown origin as a fertiliser would very definitely not pass any sort of test for organic certification (unless maybe it’s all from spiritual home and Kate is finicky about organic vegans only being able to use the loo).

I have a feeling they have to have their land tested at regular intervals by the Soil Association in order to retain their "organic" status; it was a routine test which caught Tom's uncertified feed for his pigs, I seem to remember. Presumably, since it was a tesst with advance warning, he had planned to get rid of the bags with the wrong feed in them, only he forgot to do it before he fled to Canada.

And then the storyline was dropped, so we never heard that they got the organic status back two or three years later,

Listening for the first time in ages and Freddie is definitely sounding older and posher and more like Nigel!! And he and Lily sound very alike which is nice!

Helen is quite unprofessional. And a lot of stuff happening on a Sunday. And sorry - the guy wouldn’t have dumped the gravel without double checking it was the right place and checking it was safe!!

Mr Malik - his accent seems to have been hammed up since I last heard him? At least he seems a practical sort - will be interesting to see what he ends up doing.

I don’t like Zainab but I think the Maliks are a good addition. Unlike Joy and mick.

Bruisername
Mr Malik - his accent seems to have been hammed up since I last heard him? At least he seems a practical sort - will be interesting to see what he ends up doing.

A plumber and has done a lot of work on building sites. He can probably turn his hand to a bit of silversmithing, and sort out a tractor engine, and dowse for tin, too.

Do you think he’ll sort the sewage issue out for Borchester Water single handedly?