Archers thread #190: Carry on, Cleo! Best new character for ages. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

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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/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.)

Charlotte Smith must have been delighted to get back to Countryfile and Farming Today. What a pile of piffle tonight. Ah well.

When is George expected back? It can't be long now, surely. It occurs to me that I can't recall whether he's ever spoken on air to Ruairi. As their actors are currently the best (IMO) amongst the younger members of the cast, I hope they will cross swords in some way.

And finally, I can't mention Carry on Cleo without squeezing in one of the best lines ever written (Denis Norden and Frank Muir have the credit): Infamy, infamy! They've all got it in for me! Currently, Lily probably feels this way.

https://youtube.com/shorts/eRnd48yTC5A?si=N05njp3uLfpSjAmI

Over to you!

So Stella’s going to wimp out and go back to Home Farm.

big mistake I suspect.

"Oh, oh, my dog chewed a shoe while I was not in charge of her but had trusted someone else to look after her! I can never take a job again, or at least not until the dog dies..."

Learn the simple lesson, Stella: do not leave any Archer in charge of a dog. Ruth caused Weaver's death, after all. And Ben got into a panic when Rosie let Cleo get hold of her toy giraffe.

With luck Adam will have got wind of Brian's approach to Stella and will do his best to stymie it, leading to Stella taking the other job and Brian refusing to have anything to do with Adam ever again.

Actually, if I were Stella I'd rather live and work in Jaywick than within 100 miles of Pip.

So highly paid Head of Food is going to shadow the porter?

Brad's reaction was wonderful. The shadowing is in itself not a bad idea, but the random stuff really is.

Can’t remember if I said it before, but presumably this opens the way for Dane to be sacked, and for a certain Pargetter offspring to take up his post?

Grey Gables is a joke it's more like it's run by Basil Fawlty.
Im fed up with Stella toing and froing about that sodding job. I would think she would have more confidence then that.
I thought Leonard and Jill were suppose to be looking after Cleo. Leonard saw her with a white thing in her mouth but didnt investigate!I think Leonard had more sense than that, or they are really rubbish dog sitters and I don't think it's an age thing either it's just the SWs being stupid for the sake of making Stella have 2nd thoughts. Its all so annoying.
Well I hope Paul's trainers weren't expensive but I bet they were. If Stella was that embarrassed she should have turned the place over looking for it or Pip should have.

What sort of veterinary assistant wears white trainers for work?

He wasn't at work was he - he was on call? Having heard Jill's most recent appearance - reminding us of her impending 94th birthday - I can't imagine who would think she was a suitable candidate to look after a boisterous rescue dog (even with the assistance of the wonderful Leonard). I just assumed Stella would have okayed it that she could take Cleo with her to her new job (obviously it wouldn't have been a problem at Home Farm). A new dog is such a big responsibility and it's not as if she's a first time pet owner. The Grey Gables storylines are, without exception, awful. I loved it in the old days when people were buzzing in and out to eat in the restaurant or use the spa (or fold towels in the case of Kirsty), when Jack Woolley actually lived there with his dog and when Caroline had a role beyond her work in the hotel. It was another location (picture perfect in mind as I listened - much like Nelson's wine bar back in the day) where characters could interact - not every interaction needed to high drama or what passes in The Archers for comedy.

I must confess I have almost given up listening and don't hear the programme unless I happen to have the radio on at the time. I'm only keeping up via this thread and will probably drop that eventually.

Urgh that was awful. And for the first part i thought Alastair was Jakob. Hmm.

Pip tells Stella she can do ANYTHING: run a huge farm practically standing on her head because she’s so wonderful, capable and all-round spectacular. And said farm is already doing everything she’s dreamed of in terms of the future of farming™️

So yes, ANYTHING. Er, except manage to own a dog, so she’ll have to refuse the job after all and slink back to Brine’s tender embraces because Plot.

None of the Grey Gables stuff seems to make any sense. It is so different to when Jeck and Caroline ran it. I wonder what will happen with Dane and the blessed Cheesemaker., who seems to be MIA.

@Clueless12389 , Land is usually worth what people are prepared to pay for it. The value of the land that Jack inherits will depend on the agricultural quality or if they can get planning permission, or if someone is keen to buy it.

@Brefugee , I was thinking 'Who's the character, it's Alistair's voice'.

@Clueless12389 , the job is further away than the by-pass. Commuting will be impossible. It's the law. Brenda Tucker didn't last five minutes commuting to Leicester. (Can't remember how long she stuck it out, but it was brief).

@Gonners , I agree that white trainers would be impractical. If he was on a farm, some muck boots or wellies would be more practical.

yeah, the trainers thing is bonkers. I live in the country, everyone i know has a pair of wellies by the door, and yes, we do ride our bikes with them on.

I think the white trainers tells us something about who Paul is. He hasn't just pulled on a sweatshirt from Underwoods (possibly gifted to him by a family member), he didn't grow up on a farm, he takes a pride in his appearance so when he's called out on a Sunday he's maybe not farmyard ready and he doesn't have a car boot for permanently stashed wellies. Obviously his white trainers were mainly there so Jill and lovely Leonard could be shown to be useless custodians of Cleo, but I can easily believe he was wearing them.

So my bet is that Helen suggests Henry use the land for his goats once he turns 18 as Jack isn’t using it and Henry is a farming prodigy

then Jack will get pissed off because he can’t get the land back and Henry isn’t paying rent

It’s an interesting point that Jack’s land is just land at the moment - but it would only take the discovery of - I dunno - something the equivalent of oil, to turn him into an unexpected billionaire. That would be fun …

What/ who is using Jack's land just now? I hope some rent is going into an account in his name.

10 acres according to Chat GPT

He wasn't at work was he - he was on call? He'd been called out to a farm, so it was work. Not sure why he'd cycle from The Stables to Brookfield in white trainers other than the SW thought they'd have a dog chew them.

Having dealt with suckler herds and calving herds on grazing marshes I have never had a vet nurse turn up on his bicycle to assist a veterinary surgeon. Seems pretty useless after a certain distance from base.

Yeah, I was pretty startled that he said he doesn't drive! How on earth does he get around when his assistance is needed?

The vet on duty gives him a lift, Every Single Time.

About Jack's land: as far as I remember, Ed is now grazing sheep on it, by arrangement with Rob's brother Miles with whom Emma got in touch and did a bit of pleading at.

Paul's father is a keen cyclist. Maybe he is a fast cyclist prepared to cycle a few miles quickly if a lift isn't available. I don't want to know if he wears lycra.

I feared the trainer may have ended up stitched into the cow but although I was a bit hazy on how exactly that might have happened…

IIRC, the only other person who has been associated with white trainers was Lee on his first date with Helen on a walk in the country. It attracted much comment on this thread.

GG bosses really don’t seem remotely worried about whether the hotel is being run for profit. It’s all staff development this and community service that. The refurb was eye-wateringly expensive but there seems very little emphasis on the need to claw it back…