Archers thread #187: Send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for Peggy. 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 like Harrison to hasten home, 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.)

Thanks to John Donne for the title inspiration. The funeral of the century beckons. How much of it do we think we will hear? Kate confirmed tonight that Shula, Debbie, Noli and Sipho are all coming. If we hear one peep from any of them I'll be amazed. Bets on Hazel turning up?

Over to you!

Surely they can draft Tracy in, she was keen enough to do the job before.

It does feel like a manufactured crisis

surely a business like that budgets for the fact their staff have holiday and they may have to pay agency staff to cover

No business relying on one chef would let that chef arrange holidays without there being a back-up person/chef. None. Ever (i have been married to a chef for 40 years. I know the drill). Also, they have to have a day off, 2 even. So there must be someone who cooks then - presumably they would attempt to have that person stand in for a week.

Also: Jolene has reached Peak Pirate now, hasn't she? I can't listen to her waffle on with all that piratey innuendo. It is unbearable.

Miranda - no. She is supposed to be fun and superficial (which is why it was bonkers to invite her on the holiday). I wonder, though, if Brian is one of those who really needs to be in a relationship of some sort? Jenny has only been dead 18 months?

Who 'forgets' to mention to their employer that they're going on jury service?

Someone who is desperate for a job and knew (rightly) that they wouldn’t get it if they mentioned it?

I can't stand Miranda - her pompous delivery reminds me of Hazel and she just doesn't sound like Brian's type. She and Justin were obviously made for each other. Also, the idea that at 81 Martin Gibson would have somehow got Brian up to competition level at Bridge is rather fanciful - I don't think we ever heard Brian and Jenny play bridge because apart from anything else it's just not very good on the radio (at least with riding you get the horsey sound effects).

However bizarre those sound effects might be 🥥 🥥.

You're right Lilian, she does sound like Hazel. Are there real people who sound like that?

I am not a lawyer, but I believe in the UK you can be sacked/let go for any reason if you have worked for your employer for less than two years. The only exception is if you have one of the protected characteristics i.e. sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, disability, age, ethnicity, religious or philosophical belief, gender reassignment, and can prove that you were fired for that reason.

Exactly!

https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/employees-on-jury-service-protected-from-dismissal/

found the answer to the question!!

on that basis, I would equate not mentioning it in interview to not mentioning you’re pregnant

anyway it’s clearly super contrived and that irritates me more!!

I don't think it is the same. There's no requirement to tell an employer about a pregnancy until quite far on.

She hasn't been selected for a jury- she has been called to attend to be in the pool for selection.

I’m sure there’s no requirement to tell them you’ve been called up tbh

most people I know who’ve done it were back at their computer after lunch so she should still be available for dinners. And of course she can request a deferral

it’s just odd that the bull is constantly having a staffing crisis

It's as though people turn up, meet their new bosses, meet their new colleagues, meet their new clientele and - steal softly and silently away.

I seem to remember that Wayne managed to buy frozen chips, pastry (the horror) and other comestibles without Kenton and Jolene not noticing/caring why they had stonking great freezers in the kitchen/storeroom. I suggest they revert to the ordering that Wayne did (they will have the invoices) and reprint the menus for…a couple of days?

I fail to see why it is so tricky for either Fallon or Harrison to drive/sit on a train for a couple of hours. They could even get themselves to airports and rendez-vous in Amsterdam/Paris/Prague (or wherever it is these youngster go). I have friends that found it less hassle to get together in a European hub when “visiting” their kid at University to avoid driving a good 6 hours each way.

Poor Stella.

Harrison and Fallon lack the imagination to arrange anything remotely interesting

so where does Toby stay when he is back in ambridge?

was hoping Brian would give Kate the whole story and she would tell him to dump Miranda!!!

granny Kate could be quite unbearable!!!! Phoebe will be on Mumsnet a lot. And poor Jakob - I know very few step parents who have a ‘grandparent’ name when they met the child as an adult!

not surprised pip doesn’t believe Rosie can do any wrong but also surprised the school are involving parents after one incident tbh. Odd but I suppose this is showing what Pip is like!!

And Phoebe is definitely moving to ambridge

I know …

All that lovingly home made food …

Well!

Kate is a total [word Rosie would never use]. How dare she speak about Scorpios like that? Prefer a Sagittarius would she?

[prologued rant of the sort that never happens under Pip's roof]

❤ 🦂❤ 🦂 ❤🦂 ❤

I don’t think Toby stays in Ambridge when he’s looking after Rosie? I’d assumed she goes home with him - though I forget where he now lives. (Winchester? Hereford? Somewhere smart, anyway, that can support a fancy wine merchant & son. & granddaughter.)

Though gathering every Peggy Archer descendant that ever there was (except Johnnie) under one roof at one time does have EXCELLENT thunderbolt target potential.

I thought Toby was based in Stratford-on-Avon and remember having been vaguely cheered at the (remote) possibility that he and his porky brat might drown in some freak accident.

It's deeply insensitive given that Roy, who was by far the better parent to Phoebe is the grandfather.

I assume he is close enough to take her to school

still find the school thing odd. I would expect the teachers to deal with it and maybe mention in passing unless it had been going on a long while or Rosie spent the whole day cursing at people