Archers thread #196: Run, Rex, run! 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 to marry Pip, 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.)

So now we know who bonked George on the head. Will the stunning revelation lead to anything interesting or credible happening? Answers on a postcard, please!

Will Alice and Rex become an item? Will Amber come to her senses? Has Adam's constant languor and fatigue now removed his ability to speak on air?

Over to you!

I was confused by Susan’s reaction to the imminent arrival of Kirsty! Assumed I’d forgotten some significant beef.

Same here. I assumed it was something to do with George, but couldn't think what.

I can't remember any history between them, but I could only make sense of Susan's reaction by assuming she's fed up with having incompetents foisted on her in the guise of 'helping'. I don't blame her. Kirsty turning up for a few hours with out of date training was hindering rather than helping.

Maybe Susan knows how useless she is at explaining things and didn't want to have to do that again.

Maybe Chelsea could do pamper parties for birthdays for little girls, which is popular round my way (not in a horse box, though, for we are town mice). I’ve seen a few mobile gaming vans for birthday parties - they park outside your house and can accommodate a few kids, screens, chairs and headsets. She wouldn’t need to wash hair - it’s more painted nails, face masks and glitter tattoos.

I was also confused at Susan's sudden extreme dislike of Kirsty.

At a stretch, it's not the first time Susan blames the wrong person, and she should be blaming Helen. Does anyone remember when (if) Kirsty previously worked at the dairy?

I am struggling to remember when Kirsty and Susan’s paths have crossed.

If Helen flounces off to Bonnie Scotland they can close the Dairy (whatever happened to the fancy dairy school kitchen?).

I’m guessing that Chelsea has food hygiene certs aplenty if the pay is right. Tracey too.

I think Susan did what I do quite often - get Kirsty and Fallon mixed up 😂

Have we heard of the Borchester Show before, rather than the Flower and Produce Show, or the Ambridge Fete?

I have been very closely involved with an agricultural Show in the past, and it involved large committees and budget and scrupulous planning from even earlier than the previous year's show.

I mean, I know everything in Ambridge is organised in about a month from people with no experience, but...

I know, I know.

<sigh>

I just don’t believe a busy farmer like David would volunteer to have anything to do with organising the show unless he was pretty confident he could palm it all off onto his mum and Ruth. Leonard will be his best bet- may be he will become David’s lovely assistant. He seems to have been relegated to babysitting FR and his geriatric girlfriend and must be very bored. I think he would have a way better time if he moved to Singapore to be with his son.

Am I the only person who loves the idea of Chelsea’s pamper wagon? I am imagining the most magnificent conversion - like something off the BBC’s interior design challenge. On the radio it can be anything she wants it to be - absolutely perfect in every way. All real-life difficulties can be easily overcome - it will be perfectly insulated, rewired and with a plentiful supply of water and, like all the best Ambridge properties, it will be infinitely expandable to accommodate however many people need to be accommodated - a veritable tardis. Lillian will be begging to get her hair done there once it’s finished!

I was saying exactly 24 hours ago that I think it’ll be a great project for her!

This morning I’m mildly astonished to wake up to R4 News being full of anaerobic digestion:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpv8ye887e4o

I cannot remember ever hearing it mentioned outside TA before.

Regarding the horsebox residing at The Stables while it’s being renovated, I can’t understand (beyond the creation of dramatic conflict) Lilian’s intemperate position on it. I’d have thought the evolution of a stinky horsebox into a beautiful beautifying venue would be of huge interest to all the pampered riding school princesses who frequent the place. Total mutual benefit for the established and the nascent business - surely Lilian should be able to see they potentially have exactly the same clientele?

Lilian is a knob and she's always looking for a fight. But i do understand why she might not want a rustbucket of a horsebox in a visible area of the stables.

But she's horrible so "booooo"

Susan really really gets on my nerves. Her whiny way of speaking is just the tip of the iceberg. And i still think Helen needs to manage her time better. She could absolutely be working in the dairy more.

But generally, i am still grumpy about TA being generally rubbish so. Bah. Humbug to it all.

@LillianGish I'm with you. I think it could be fab. I know all the oldies in our village would LOVE a little mobile hair salon.

The dairy vacancy is a round about way of getting Susan and Tracy together in the dairy as a double act. It feels like Clarrie, and Eddie for that matter, are gradually being faded out and Tracy and Jazzer with their multi-generational household are moving in to fill the vacuum.

I’m guessing that Chelsea has food hygiene certs aplenty if the pay is right.
I think Chelsea has more sense than to want to work for Helen. I'm glad she's going to be running a successful business of her own.

Have we heard of the Borchester Show before
No I don't think so. It feels like they're introducing lots of storylines as filler.

Excellent post! I think while in real life there might be all sorts of practical difficulties with the horse box salon, in Ambridge it could work brilliantly and is a fantastic opportunity for Chelsea.

re pamper van at stables
perfect for all the bored mums waiting for lessons to end

What happened with Leonard and his potential affair, whenever that was? I remember him telling Ruth that Jill and he had an open relationship but was this revealed to be a joke in the end…?

A County Show is a huge affair (I am guessing that Ambridge would be in the Three Counties). Even a local show like Tenbury would have a few thousand visitors and 100+ trade stands (not to mention all the animal and produce competitions/entries). Still i suppose that we should be grateful that it hasn't been left to Joy and Akram to organise.

What's happened to Khalil, by the way? Has he been trampled by Henry's goats?

I live in a country town that is smaller than Borchester. The annual local Country Show is a huuuuuuuge deal, thousands of people visiting, multiple fields as car parks, riding ring, racing ring, many commercial stalls, food and drink being served, VIP stand. No way would they just call up a local farmer to organise it all 🙄 There's a committee and year-round preps.

Not to mention all the Health & Safety issues, multiple insurances, animal welfar, St John's ambulance, etc etc.

And whenever they organise these things it’s like they’re starting from scratch every year.

No I’ve been saying the same! Will be cute and extremely photogenic and create a real buzz when it turns up somewhere. Also Lillian has been a loyal customer of Chelsea’s hasn’t she? She’s just being a silly Billy.

What's happened to Khalil, by the way? Has he been trampled by Henry's goats? I think he’ll be taking over Josh’s egg business.

Oooh clever! Surely his dad will?