Archers thread #186: Eavesdropping on a home for the terminally confused. 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 swipe right on Dane, the new Grey Gables manager, or other unusual views.

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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/radioaddicts/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.)

Thanks to @WitcheryDivine for the title inspiration. Over to you!

Grey Gables really is like Fawlty Towers on a good day, isn’t it! Who hires a receptionist without checking references (though, TBF, Oliver didn’t appear to have ever met his temporary manager), or training within 24 hours of an interview.

It is an interesting development for Lillian, if understandable given the diminishing number of regulars she would know in the cast. If Lillian leaves Ambridge (and TBF she now tends to be on the castlist a couple of weeks every 4 or 5 months) Shula will have to sort out who is running the stables properly.

I can entirely see that since her return to Ambridge, Lillian’s sense of stability has rested on her sister and her mother (regardless of her romantic entanglements).

But I really won’t be pleased if she’s being written out to make room for effing Joy and her ghastly hangers on.

Lillian isn't going to leave Ambridge anymore than the Brookfield Archers were going to sell up and move north!

Fingers crossed!

Lilian spent something like a quarter of a century in tax exile on Guernsey, initially with her second husband, Ralph. She returned to Ambridge intermittently after he died, and was back for good in 2001, I think. She did then have a very brief period in Costa Rica with Matt, when he fled from justice. She couldn't hack it, so they came home and he went to prison. I agree, she won't leave now.

It’s another one of those “ ooh it might happen, no it won’t” storylines that is , once again, very lazy writing

Perhaps Sunny Ormonde wants to retire.

If Lillian does leave Ambridge at least we would have been given an explanation. Apart from Shula, George and Johnny, all the other characters who have disappeared may as well have been abducted by aliens for all we know. I am even getting nostalgic for Alistair, Denise and Paul.

For once I don't think it's lazy writing, well I hope not anyway. Quite often, in the midst of grief, people make very silly decisions, especially about moving. Everything is just so awful that moving away seems to be the solution, but mostly it isn't because you can't run away from grief. That's why they say don't make any serious decisions for a year or so after bereavement.

A friend of my family decided quite soon after her husband's death that she would move near her daughter. She sold her house and everything was going through until the day before exchange she realised that she did actually want to carry on living where she had lived for 40 years and where she actually was happy. She pulled out of the sale( causing massive upset to the buyers) and continues to live in the same house.

I'm hoping this is down to Lilian reacting to her mother's death and that she doesn't actually leave. She's a well-written character with nuance to her personality, unlike the one-dimensional tedious Joy/Rochelle/Maliks.

If Sunny did indeed want to retire, I’d rather that she went off to London(?) to look after Mungo(?) or a new sibling and became semi-silent (so silent, but often referred to, like Freda Fry).

Did Lillian have some sort of residency status in the Channel Islands? Maybe she could go back there? That said, downsizing would be a sad process so I hope Justin persuades her to simply go on a cruise or the big family holiday and then decide.

I love Lillian. Please don’t leave.

She doesn't own her house though Justin does so she won't have to downsize. As a result of her non marriage I don't think she owns anything except Amside (?) Which we've heard nothing about for years.

I know what you’re saying but it doesn’t make for good storylines in a radio drama. And if it were an actual storyline they should address it - for example with Freddie - his mum being concerned about heirs and Freddie explaining he’s not interested. I also don’t think the scriptwriters have planned this because it might be relevant for current generations.

The 🔮 says that Lillian will give up The Bull, thus creating a vacancy...

Who owns The Bull?

I believe Lil and J'lene share ownership
@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime will know for sure

I mean, who legally owns it? Not who runs it, or has a tenancy.

Lilian and Jolene afaik

Lilian owns 51% share in The Bull and Jolene the rest apart from "a few shares to Jamie", as reported by Jolene after seeing the solicitor to be told the contents of Sid's will.

Jamie later used owning those "few shares" as an excuse to steal booze from the pub, but that was in Ambridge Extra and doesn't count.

That might be exciting. Who has the money to buy into it? (Who has a surprise bequest burning a hole in their wallet?)

Only … Knowing the SW’s MO they’d probably sell Lilian’s share to a nameless, voiceless entity as they did with The Lodge. The whole thing’s becoming pointless.

Not to Joy and Mick..please not Joy and Mick..

Aaaaargh!!! That will be the day I finally stop listening!!!!!!

Disappointed to hear that Harrison is still alive.

And who cooks at the (invariably rammed, except when it’s teetering on the edge of insolvency) Bull when that silly mare is on these conjugal visits?

The charging station started being built in September 2023. It has opened in May 2025. That's a little under a year later than was originally suggested for its opening (July 2024) and seems a very long time for such a development. Is anyone in the business and able to tell me whether that really is as tardy as it seems?

amazing how they are gossiping about such dull stuff and never the juicy stuff. at least we had Susan. Why did Joy have to be there too? She’s so bloody annoying- always hanging around and inviting herself along to things. and could they tell her that we get she’s a geordie - she can stop hamming it up

the horse hooves sounded odd - too many? Found them distracting rather than adding somehow.

I didn’t realise the laurels were near Brookfield

why would the lawyer tell all beneficiaries but not all?

why is clarrie being funny with Susan?

isn’t part of having a village shop to give people a local option. If a commercial enterprise sets one up do they need the community one?

These are the only horses in England who canter at a trot.

(That's going by the noise of the hooves after the words "let's have a canter" and "come on boy!" had been uttered.)

The Laurels has never been anywhere near Brookfield, and is a car-drive away from Ambridge.