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.

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/5538836-the-archers-spoilers-thread-12-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.)

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!

I agree I hate this SL…

It’s one thing to make the point that any dog is capable of attacking sheep. It’s another to have this long drawn out emotional manipulation of the dog loving Archer’s listeners. It’s annoying me now.

Is Monty a Doberman?

Another thing that's bothering me is Chelsea's horse-box salon.

I bet the script writers have no idea about electrical regulations.

I bet they think she can just plug it into 13amp socket and it will be fine.

Well, it won't!

I’ve looked it up and see Monty is the only Doberman in the village (is that like Davvid being the only gay in the village?)…

I'm not sure Lynda chose to be childless; I seem to remember a rather sad conversation in which she said wtte "it was not to be" to someone improbable. Possibly Kate, back when Phoebe was new? Lynda was always kind and supportive to Kate.

She was born in 1947, and I don't think IVF and such were all that readily available to her generation. It wasn't something that was ever discussed by childless women my age, I don't think.

Do you mean Daffyd in Little Britain?

Yes!

Sorry, spelt Dafydd wrong!

Pesky Welsh language.

Robert said that he and Lynda were going to pay.

Listening a second time - it’s inconceivable that Alan would be stupid enough to get involved with an elderly parishioner’s banking.

I loved and understood my DM - but in the last few years of her life she increasingly gave instructions and then countermanded them an hour later. Not just in important matters - she might accept the offer of a slice of cake, and then five minutes later insist she wanted no such thing and had never in her life liked that sort of cake. (Her favourite; baked specially for her …)

Alan must have known countless very elderly people throughout his professional life - and while they obviously wouldn’t all be suffering from any failure of the mind, he must surely have guidelines regarding what he’s permitted to do.

I dread to think what sort of trouble he could get himself into if he continues to act so heedlessly.

I think this storyline has probably finished my many years as a listener. Fallon and Harrison breaking up,the ghastly Bert Horrobin given so much air time. He was obviously written into the script as a foil for Tracy and Susan to react with but he's really obnoxious. Goodbye Archers and thank you for all the fish.

How? Out of their pensions? He is an odd job man, they run a B&B; sheep are not cheap.

I assume he had a well paid job before he retired. I don't know what Lynda did but I would guess she worked. They must have savings

@EBearhug , But it had to be the Dobermann not adorable Ruby, or the Cockerpoos or French bulldogs or Labradors that are probably living in Ambridge.

@DrBlackbird , it was Daffyd who was the only gay in the village. (I'm not sure why he needed to have a misspelt Welsh name. Probably to offend. The Welsh name is Dafydd.)

@WheresThatCatGoneNow , Pesky Welsh language. Was that meant to offend?

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime , The first IVF baby in the UK was in 1978, and it began to be available on the NHS in 1983, I think. Not sure when it became widely available. I don't think it would have been an option for someone like Lynda.

@SanFairyAnnie , I understand how you feel.

@CaptainMyCaptain , IIRC he had an IT company or something before they moved to Ambridge from Sunningdale.
Lynda used to work at Grey Gables until the fire.

Robert was in IT before he retired. He could have excellent savings.

Robert was a self-employed computer systems analyst who tried to start his own company and went bankrupt when one of his clients stiffed him.

Lynda was not employed after she ceased to work as his secretary and they moved to Ambridge into the house he bought while he did have some money; when he went bankrupt she got a job as a cleaner, and later a receptionist, at the local hotel (Grey Gables), while he got employment as the local odd-job man.

@SanFairyAnnie if they confirm Monty is being pts, I'm off too.

I usually listen to the Sunday omnibus, so had to deliberately go and do some gardening this morning instead. Monty was the last straw for me.

Surely David and Ruth don’t make the decision?

I don’t normally like Kalil but it made sense that he was so upset about a dog that he walks. David and especially Ruth were horrible. I can imagine many villagers will be unhappy with them if Monty is pts.

Surely the owner has to be proved negligent and this was an accident.

How long were Robert and Linda out for lunch that he had time to let himself out, run off, savage a load of sheep, let himself back in and be washed by the funeral goers, dry and acting as if nothing had happened when they got back - it’s a horrible sorry line but also very silly.

Probably loaded then. Edit: Robert I mean obviously.

Another edit: I didn’t realise he was bankrupt. I think they arrived in Ambridge during a period when I wasn't listening.

@ForAmberPoster , I don't think that David and Ruth were horrible given the circumstances.

Most of the villagers would probably not question the PTS,IME. Monty is a geriatric pet and he savaged several sheep.

The geriatric dog let himself out, swam the Am,.... and came back in time to be washed in the time Robert an Lynda were out.

@EBearhug , not necessarily but Sunningdale is a desirable area and if they had a house to sell there they might have done quite well out of selling there and buying Ambridge Hall. They moved to Ambridge in 1986.

Wentworth is £££ and is only down the road.

Ambridge Hall must be worth a bob or two. They might have gone for equity release. Leonie and Coriander seem to be well fixed but I could imagine either of them posting the kind of thread that pops up in AIBU quite regularly:

AIBU to be fuming with my boomer Dad and stepmum because they are still alive and haven't left all their money to me?

I really don’t think L and R are on the breadline. They strike me as being very comfortable.

And that is why they are running a B&B at their ages: because they don't need money. Lynda was born in May 1947 and is now 79, and Robert in April 1943 and is now 83.

He was in IT but it went tits up before he retired. I think he initially had his own company, got stuffed by a client, worked for an IT company after that and was made redundant, when he started doing odd jobs.

He would have had a pension though? Presumably that would have been safe, plus anything in Lynda's name.