Archers thread #192: Village of the Dammed. Discuss the beavers here. Throw in the odd word about the Archers if you must.

[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 love to have Kate present as you give birth, 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.)

I'm more excited about the arrival of the beavers than anything else going on in Ambridge at the moment. I hope there will be a webcam.

Bets on how much of next week is set in the castle or on the way there/back? I'm bracing myself for at least 50%.

Are James and leonie related as well as partners?

James is Lillian’s son and Leonie is Robert Snell’s daughter from his first marriage.

@Pumpkinallspice the character outlines on the BBC website are sometimes useful though often out of date. (Actor photos included!):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/4d6gNVfZKcHN2VyRFBrcgWl/james-bellamy

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/VyC15DHFkjkLD7hf66NqC/leonie-snell

@Maggiebell dace are present all year. They spawn in March/April - that means they lay eggs. They don't just vanish for the rest of the year!

A propos of absolutely nothing, we have just watched series 1 of The Night Manager in preparation for series 2 starting on 1st Jan. I don't think I registered at the time, or if I had I've forgotten, that Jolene was moonlighting in it as a secret service operative! Away on a tour, I suppose, as far as Kenton was concerned.

[Nurse!]

Saddo that I am, I have just used Advanced Search for Jolene Night Manager. First hit = me pointing this very thing out on one of our early threads, admittedly nearly ten years ago. Deep, deep sigh. Height of Rob misery back then.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/2595801-Will-it-be-porridge-or-curtains-for-Knob-Await-a-sensible-and-sensitive-ending-to-That-Storyline-on-The-Archers-thread?reply=59995584

I’ve recently rewatched it too! (Just before the S2 news came out. Something in my brain seems to have shifted, to the extent that I’m now regarding Whatshisface as vaguely attractive …) Now that you mention it I remember seeing her in it, though it didn’t register at the time.

Is it worth a rewatch? I remember enjoying it but I’m not great at rewatching stuff.

Well … the whole premise is faintly ludicrous; Oh look, a stranger has arrived and is being super helpful … but it’s luscious to look at, and the suspense is still suspenseful even though you know how it ends. I’d say it’s worth another few hours, yes.

Thanks. Actually can barely remember the ending but it was easy on the eye.

Ooh - I wonder if Jolene reprises her role?

(I don’t think she was dedded in S1?)

This sudden #codgersex diversion is almost guaranteed to earn the Archers some sort of link up to a Guardian feature on mature relationships

But yeah it probably is a ruse

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g I was going to say I was sure we’d discussed it at the time, and then saw your second message. We’ve just been rewatching all of Downton and Oliver pops up now and again as the vicar for various hatches, matches and dispatches. And we were watching Yes Minister the other day and a very young and beautiful Eleanor Bron appeared - what has happened to Carol Tregorran? She’s never mentioned these days.

It is absolutely criminal that the SWs have kept Glebe Cottage out of audible circulation for so many years now. EB departed long ago - no one can possibly pretend Carol is still around, even occasionally. It’s so disrespectful to listeners.

The thought of Jill in an open relationship is just absurd. The scene between Leonard and Ruth was Archers-gold.

I’m also longing to hear Ruth relay the ‘information’ on his mother’s sex life to David!

Maybe it's BBC Polyamory Week... OR Leonard is falling for a romance scam.

My grandad fell for an elaborate romance scam where they robbed him too - well worth warning about, compared to last year's Fake B&B debacle. But also not something I'd want to hear for 1 week only, that's not how romance scams work.

I just want Ruth to be banned from using words ending in ‘L’ - ‘Jill’, obviously, but ideally all of them. The noise she produces is bloody horrible.(Actually, I want her to be partially devoured by rabid badgers, which would, as a bonus, solve the L problem.)

I’m sure I have asked a couple of times, but, if Jill is 95, how old is Leonard supposed to be? I know there is supposed to be an age gap, but surely he must be in his 80’s and resisting the urge to surrender his driving licence.

A quick google has alerted me to the fact that the actor will be 81 tomorrow!

A very odd storyline for a chilly November!

With Patricia’s voice clearly showing her age, it would be kinder to write them both out of the plots.

@Madcats , No!
@RegimentalSturgeon , sounds ok to me.

Oh goodness - couldn’t they have kept it going just a little bit longer?

Well, that’s it then. She doesn’t trust him. Game over.

They'd have to be rabid, or they wouldn't risk it. Tainted meat and all that.

I need to be petty about something in Sunday's episode: Leonard talking about baking with regard to Christmas Puddings, Ruth commenting on how he had made enough puddings to feed the village etc - but they are steamed , not baked, and would be hard to make more than say 4 at a time ( with four steamers on the go at once!). Even if it was meant as a general reference to Leonard finding himself surprised to be making so many sweet things, it just doesn't seem applicable!

If the puddings are not too huge you can fit four of them in a row in a fish kettle.