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!

Won’t publicity over Monty (and poor Lynda’s caution) adversely affect their B and B trade?

Maybe that might be what persuades them to retire.

Monty will, of course, be rehomed to the Maliks.

Lily and Harrison...?

Eta Would annoy a few people, imo.

The 🔮 agrees with you @LaMarschallin. It says this will drive Fallon into a jealous frenzy and J'lene will start warbling that Joni Mitchell song about not knowing what you've got till it's gone.

I thought the idea was to remove him away from Ambridge and agricultural land not to punish Linda and Robert.

I’ve just realised that Rex, Harrison and Chris have become all but indistinguishable in my head and the current village round of musical beds involving them is completely dull as a consequence.

It’s not that I can’t tell their voices apart it’s that functionally they’re the same person: fundamentally ok, none too bright, love cricket. Maybe it’s partly because none of them have a farm they’re attached to?

Who were Lily and Harrison looking at on the CCTV? Is this something I've missed.

But I dunno Bore, it’s been Fallon who’s been desperately trying to make it work so it’d have to be Harrison Joni-ing to make a difference I think.

Yes, but no doubt Fallon is upduffed from Their Last Night Together™️
Cue for another song...

I don’t think Ruth and David were wrong either, it’s completely unacceptable for dogs to be out of control and killing livestock. We had an incident at a neighbouring farm at the weekend, the farmer put pictures on the village FB page, no one has owned up to letting their dog off lead.

That’s apart from the 10 piles of dogshit I’ve just had to clear off the public footpath on our land today. There are an awful lot of irresponsible dog owners in the countryside

When Fallon couldn't open the door to the barn, I wondered whether Freddie might have changed the locks... bah humbug, the resolution was no fun 😇

Come on, Lily may prefer an older man but she's not that desperate!

Are we also planning to pair off Fallon and Freddie?

It's to show that she's all over the running of LL while the feckless ex-con Freddie knows fuck all.

Yes, this. He has to be removed out of Ambridge, and probably not in a rural home.

I was a bit surprised that Fallon hadn't tried things like withdrawing the key a bit already - isn't that the sort of thing you'd try with a difficult lock?

So is Monty going to be pts or re-homed?

They're going to try to rehome him initially, but he will be put to sleep if they can't find a new home for him.

Worryingly, Lily invoked the name of Muck. Let's pray he's not going to appear any time this side of his funeral. Even his voice sounds grubby. Funeral hopefully a joint occasion with creepy J*y.

Except that they were looking at the CCTV at Grey Gorbals.

Yes that’s my point. David and Ruth care about their animals, naturally. They invoked Bess but she’s Ben’s sheepdog not their pet dog. We the listeners understand the important of Monty to Lynda, but they don’t. Of course, they and their sheep are the victims here and they were right to be upset - Khalil behaved badly - but they really only see it from their perspective.

I think it would be fair to say that Lynda probably sees the sheep more as ‘property’ than animals D&R actually care about, too.

I thought it was quite a good way of showing Khalil learning an important lesson about animals - pets v livestock if you like. Nicely contrasted with Alistair’s matter of fact words to Lynda.

Not a nice storyline but an interesting topic.

We the listeners understand the important of Monty to Lynda, but they don’t

I disagree - I think they do understand the importance of Monty to Lynda, and they love and value dogs.

But once a dog has savaged sheep like that, they are all too aware it can never be regarded as only a beloved pet again. It is a beloved pet but also a real risk to any and all livestock - and that outweighs anything else (except threat to children)

I totally agree re their view of Monty and I think the safest thing is for Monty to be put down - it’s the only way to ensure he can’t savage livestock again.

Someone upthread mentioned Lynda not having children and I wonder if it’s relevant - in my childfree house the cat is the centre of attention! Luckily, he’s the most beautiful, intelligent, characterful cat ever so it’s justified 😁 I think with the trauma Lynda’s been through as well as previously losing Scruff in a difficult way, Monty has been very therapeutic for her. We don’t see David and Ruth even with a sheepdog companion (I do like Ben’s relationship with Bess) so I don’t think they fully get it.

To be honest a dog or cat would probably be more worthy of having their attention lavished on it than the ghastly Pip, but that’s another conversation!

I am not a dog lover but is it usual for such doting owners to keep their dog outside in a kennel?

That's because they gave Bess to Ben as a pup for him to train, as David had owned and trained sheepdogs when he was young.

I did think it was absolutely awful that Lynda and Robert couldn't say goodbye to Monty.

I'm skeptical about the prospect of rehoming - who in their right mind would choose, from all the dogs needing homes, a mature Doberman with a history of savaging animals?

During the daytime while they are out, yes. Plenty of dogs, especially larger ones, prefer a big outdoor space to being shut inside
And as B&B owners with guests, they can't have Monty roaming around Ambridge Hall while they are not there.