Archers thread #189: Brian reaps what he sows, in spite of himself. Discuss The Archers here.

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Over to you!

I appreciate that this isn't the level of detail they're going to go into, but when Tracy was suggesting Susan sold the wine for consumption at the event my first thought was that was surely a breach of their licence?

I guess Grey Gables is licensed but just suddenly deciding to change they way you're selling alcohol seemed suspect to me.

In another life with another hat on I used to be involved in putting on just this type of event and we wouldn't have allowed someone to do that because a)licensing laws and b)we ran a beer tent ourselves which was our primary money-spinner for the fundraising.

All stall holders would have signed a contract agreeing that if they were going to sell alcohol they had their own license to do so, and that any alcohol sold was in sealed containers, and no cups/glasses available unless it was a packaged gift.

That raises a question - the village shop is licensed so does the license transfer to the village hall while they're working from there? If it does would the stall at the fete automatically be licensed too? If it doesn't presumably they're not selling wine in the village hall 'shop'.

What are we meant to understand about Lynda and Robert at the moment? Theres been lots of telegraphing about how wonderful he is and how much Lynda relies on him (the tea and biscuits in the garden comment this evening) and her overlooking of Akram seemed out of character too. We’re not due for a dedding i hope?

I know she isn’t the boards favourite but I love Lillian, and love her and Lynda’s friendship, so was very happy she was there to draw attention to the oversight today, as well as the reassurance afterwards. Just not clear why suddenly Lynda is so hopeless without Robert for a little while?

I assumed that was to remind us that Robert is away because LeonieWithTheBadBack needs help. Since Lynda cannot really spare him I am eagerly anticipating his return with his daughter and grandson, who might stay in Ambridge until such time as James returns from his business trip. Or longer.

Maybe Lynda's feeling neglected because Robert is so engaged with Leonie and Mungo - who is his and Lilian's grandson - that he has no time for her incessant wittering nonsense?

Just add that to the list of things the SWs don't know anything about.

Harsh! I mean, how can they be expected to write such riveting storylines and sparkling dialogue AND know stuff?

With the patchy quality of recent episodes, I wonder if the SWs have trouble walking and talking simultaneously.

I know she isn’t the boards favourite but I love Lillian, and love her and Lynda’s friendship, so was very happy she was there to draw attention to the oversight today, as well as the reassurance afterwards

I really like La Snell too.

Good lord the Adam actor is terrible when he gets aerated!

So will Adam flip his lid when he finds out that Brian has offered Alice, who to be honest can't be trusted that she will never drink again, the Home Farm job.
I think Brian should get round and apologise to Stella quick sticks as if he leaves it for the 2 day cooling down period, I'm sure Stella will be getting more and more annoyed and get a job elsewhere. Oh Brian you can be so stubborn some times.

Yup - Brian is being horrifically sly. He didn’t want to hear anything from Adam last week - but now he’s trying to finagle him into doing all the work that Stella apparently won’t be doing. And then Adam is to find out that he’s been thoroughly shafted!

It was quite funny to hear Adam though … He’s going to be apoplectic (and heartbroken) soon.

I suspect Stella won’t change her mind. Given that the SW took care to remind us that Adam exists, the HF harvest isn’t in jeopardy so her conscience won’t drive her back.

I hope that’s the case anyway. It’s always exciting when they move the pieces around the board!

No way would Lynda have forgotten to thank Pa Malik.

So will Adam flip his lid when he finds out that Brian has offered Alice, who to be honest can't be trusted that she will never drink again, the Home Farm job.

Oh I do hope so!

I'm sure Stella will be getting more and more annoyed and get a job elsewhere.

Are Farm Manager jobs easy to come by? I genuinely have no idea.

I thought it was quite a hot day for pie and chips at the Bull but then I couldn’t think of what might have been more suitable for Brian and Adam to be eating so decided may be it would be ok after all. Would they want Fallon’s Tandoori cod after a long day on the farm? Probably not. But then I’m not much of a fish-eater. I try with it occasionally because it’s good for me and character-building but I still can’t enjoy it.

Perhaps in TA land it might be easy to get a farm manager job. As everyone knows They make it up as they go along.😊

Hang on ... are you suggesting it's FICTIONAL?

Isn't it?🤔

Perhaps Stela could do locus farm managing work, like Hannah in Clarkson's Farm. Then we can have the fun of Pip whinging every time she disappears to a farm miles away.

The tandoori cod. You heard it too. It wasn't just a fever dream of mine then when I thought it was mentioned the other day

Well … In both of my heritage countries people do eat hot food all the time, in punishing heat.

I, in SE England, pretty much abandon my stove sometime in May, and don’t return to it until the first cool day in September.

I think the Adam actor is good. He's not a likeable character.
Lilian is fine when she's not cackling. I like her an Lynda together.
Lynda wouldn't have forgotten to thank Akram.
After a long day on the farm, they'd be hungry.
I like Stella, but if only there was anything likeable about Pip.

i think the woman on the cider shed podcast has it right with adam. I am expecting her to be posting that log picture a lot this week.

He is wooden, he is often monotone, and he just really really grates.

However: i am so so so going to enjoy Stella telling Brian to stuff his stupid job, and for Alice and Adam to have a MASSIVE falling out splitting the Home Farm lot into Factions.

(as an aside. Stella is the manager, she manages. My DH was a chef-manager once and when the idiot boss told him to do something, he did it in the proper, safety conscious chef-manager way. And got fired because boss didn't like that. And at the employment tribunal boss was first up, and the first question was "what is Mr Bref's title?" "chef-manager" "then he is perfectly within his rights to make management decisions. Pay 3 months severance and his costs. Next!")

Chat GPT suggests that a shop with a license to sell alcohol would need an additional licence to sell alcohol at another location- with a Temporary Event Notice being suitable for a fete - only lasts for a specified number of hours, cheap (£21) and can be obtained at short notice (10 working days). Unclear if 'selling alcohol' is broken down by "alcohol to consume at home' vs 'to drink on site'.

AARGHHHH.
Listening from Australia just got worse. When The Beeb stopped Sounds, I got an Australian ad at the top of my laptop screen. Now when I click to start the programme, I get an actual live ad. Bleurgh.