Archers thread #201: Tempting fête in Ambridge? Free entry to 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 love to administer Bert's mucus medicine, or other unusual views.

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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.)

There's a fair amount of stuff going on at the moment but I don't feel inspired to say anything more about any of it for now. Over to you - I hope you all have more enthusiasm than I do!

Chelsea, in particular, is a smart cookie. Maybe not academic and she may not have much cultural capital but she has read between the lines on many occasions, and (like many hairdressers i suspect) understands people and what makes them tick

I can imagine people popping in to the horse box for a quick haircut (men) or hairdo (women or girls) - they’re not exactly spoilt for hairdressers in Ambridge are they and I am sure Chelsea was smart enough to have great introductory offers.

Nobody is going to get their hair coloured at the fete @BeatriceBatchelor , those sort of appointments take hours and Chelsea is not going to offer things there that tie her up for ages and are high risk in terms of outcome. Fete trade will be more about blowdries, trims, men’s haircuts, updos, doing waves with ghds etc etc. Exactly what you might do spur of the moment if the price is right.

I just knew Lilian was going to call on Fabrice, not sure if I can face the comedy storyline about his publicity campaign though!

Is Lilian going to be the ‘Before’ pictures?

Nobody is going to get their hair coloured at the fete , those sort of appointments take hours and Chelsea is not going to offer things there that tie her up for ages and are high risk in terms of outcome. Fete trade will be more about blowdries, trims, men’s haircuts, updos, doing waves with ghds etc etc.

I wasn't suggesting she would do colouring at the fete. I mentioned it because many women - well, me! - book their hair appointments weeks in advance. Even if they don't, I can't imagine them going to a fete to dunk the vicar or buy a cake and deciding to get a random blow dry or undo.

However, many of you would give it a go, so what do I know?

I’d only book a colour that far ahead. Nor interested in committing myself months in advance for something that only takes an hour or so. I think most people are a bit more free and easy than you with their hair diaries!

Oooo so Freddie gets lower loxkey when he's 28, all being well...

Well that was the most traumatic episode.

Oh dear.
So presumably the two lovely boys took Monty out of his kennel, couldn't stop him attacking the sheep and that's why the guests pushed off early.
Poor Lynda. Robert was so stalwart.

I thought Harrison handled a difficult situation with tact, firmness and even dignity. Shame the episode started with him troughing down and conducting a conversation with his mouth full. What's the betting the teenage bed and breakfast guests let Monty out?

Lynda was just ridiculous. She was being interviewed under caution and thought a constable would take her word for anything.

It does sound like that.
I think Linda was in shock as she’d been in total denial. Was heartbreaking though. Not being able to find squirrel did for me as my dog has a squirrel.

Yes, it was the guests and that was why they left suddenly.

I don’t how this would change the legal situation, though?
I remember a thread here by someone years ago whose usually well-supervised dogs had been let out or allowed to escape by a third party and had killed sheep.

I don't know anything about dogs (or sheep) so forgive the silly question but why would a normally placid dog attack sheep just becuase he's been let out of his kennel?

It didn't cross my mind that this had anything to do with the teenage guests tbh. Robert said they went home straight after the funeral.

I still think Monty still being brisk enough to chase and kill fifteen sheep, not to mention injuring many others, at the age of nine or ten is a remarkably well-preserved doberman.

Heartbreaking episode. Freddie’s future exists. So even when Freddie gets the house Lizard still runs the business? What did Freddie want to say to her? I was thinking perhaps, “Why hire Fallon when Lily is at a loose end!”

Back to the horse box - event hairdressing is a big thing at festivals but it’s normally braids and streaks with fake colourful hair for little girls or big up dos / blow dries.

Dogs have an instinct to chase something that moves. My dog takes no notice of sheep (she's always on a lead near them obviously) until they start running. I suppose once they start chasing the blood lust takes over.

Poor Monty. Maybe the teenage boys got the sheep going by chasing them themselves and then egged him on.

That was really really sad!! And Lynda hasn’t thought ahead to what happens if the court case goes against them.

What, however, will turn out to be the significance of Monty being a bit off-colour’ yesterday??

@JanFebAndOnwards What, however, will turn out to be the significance of Monty being a bit off-colour’ yesterday??

Monty knows what he has done, understands the reason for the DNA test and is aware of the consequences.

Very sad, I wish they wouldn't do this sort of thing.

Anyway, clearly the teenagers were chasing the sheep and set Monty off. I hope his record of eight blameless years of decorous rural life will be taken into account.

Sadly, Monty can only whimper and howl mournfully in his own defence. Bring back Marjorie Antrobus to speak on his behalf!

Mrs A's sheep-worrying dog was rehomed in a town so he wouldn't do it again, I seem to remember.

That had never been announced before as far as I'm aware. If he gets the house how is he supposed to pay for upkeep, of which there must be a considerable amount? Will be getting a share of the profits of the business? Or will he have to go cap in hand to Elizabeth? I wonder what Elizabeth plans to do with the business on her retirement or death.

Eastie77Returns

It didn't cross my mind that this had anything to do with the teenage guests tbh. Robert said they went home straight after the funeral.

But they'd said how much the boys liked Monty and also that they'd originally intended to stay another night after the funeral.
Linda and Robert were out having lunch (I think? Anyway, were out) so we don't know yet if they even saw them before they left.
But my guess is they left early because of the incident with the sheep.

I'm sure whatever Elizabeth's plans are, they will be in her own interests.