Archers thread #202: How are you finding your visits to Ambridge? Fill in your feedback forms 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 think working as a hotel receptionist is a perfectly reasonable career choice for a graduate from a family with a stately home, 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-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.)

Over to you!

I know from experience (unfortunately several times with late DH) that however desperate the hospital is for beds they cannot discharge without a proper care plan. If anything went wrong, and Carol ended up in hospital again within six weeks, it counts as a failed discharge, a major black mark for the hospital.

The discharge team can be utterly unpleasant though. Late DH was supposed to go to a care home half a county away but I refused so he stayed in hospital another month before he came home to die. Anna must tell the care team she won't be there and there should be an OT and physio assessment of the house as bed and chair heights often need raising.

With reference to character voices, a 25-yr-old Pat Archer (well, okay, Patricia Gallimore) is currently attempting "Swedish teenager" !

("Death Speaks Another Language", 6 part thriller on Sounds).

In relation to Lynda and Robert's finances, there was never any discussion (so far as I can remember) of a claim in respect of Lynda's injuries against either Grey Gables' insurance or Philip Moss's (if he had any, which I know is dubious). It seems a pity, I'm sure a good case could have been made for it.

Boop for Lily and her delivery of Kenton’s home truths. That made for some utterly delightful listening.

Pleased Harrison has reminded Fallon who pays for the house. She does herself no favours acting like a brat. I’m sure she’ll be on Rex’s boat in no time though. That’s a very Fallon thing to do. I’ve known a lot of people live on boats. I think it totally fits her self image and income bracket.

So long as we aren’t treated to listening to her cool boat girl nomad chat of course…

My DM broke her hip age 88. They had her trying to stand up on day 2, about 7 or so days in hospital and then rehab for 3 weeks (including 24hrs in a&e part way through, that was fun). She never got off the zimmer though indoors.

’When my mum broke her hip I was told there’s no other bone break like it for getting you moving again. They do the replacement and then get you mobilising and rehabilitating straight away. Obviously more complicated in your 90s though.

The rehabilitation was long but in terms of being able to cope she was expected to be up and keeping it moving straightaway.

Me too, first time I’ve ever done it.

Sadly in my experience of patient discharges hospitals are very quick to get rid of people after hip replacements. There would be none of the sitting around that Carol is doing in our local. In fact I saw a 90 year-old yesterday who had been discharged after two days with no physio or follow up at all.

People who “have a fall” and break their hip often do better than those needing a replacement to treat debilitating arthritis, because they have generally been more active beforehand and so haven’t lost all the muscle strength and support around the joint. What’s often missing for them, though, is confidence - which is where (proper) rehab really comes into its own.

I very much enjoyed both Lily and Harrison telling some home truths. And, actually, Esme being firmly and clearly polite but negative with Lynda. L+R clearly still have financial uncertainty in their future despite their appearance of a well-funded retirement. I felt very sad for her scrabbling about trying to get help starting a new business at her age. Agree that Glebe or (more likely) Woodbine will be a good fit for them eventually.

I’m confused about where the Carol and Alan storyline is going - presumably she transferred the wrong amount of money (? Accidentally or did she stick in some extra because he was wittering about needing extra money for the church) and Anna will go ballistic when Carol says Alan helped her. It feels like the kind of situation that could be easily clarified but won’t be, because, The Archers… Maybe ward CCTV will show Carol handing her phone to Alan. Carol’s sudden ‘return to form’ and compliance did seem suspicious - maybe she’d had extra morphine that day?! I’d really like her to join the crew of The Laurels’ Silents but don’t hold much hope.

I think Esme is just a misery and she wasnt very polite to Lynda, well thats how I heard it. As Ive said before, she wasnt interested in the farm when her dad was alive and barely visited it so why is she so bothered about it now. She would be better off getting rid and just doing her normal job with none of the worry she had unbelievably taken on.
I hope Lynda finds a field somewhere, I do feel sorry for her.

I struggle to understand how the dog field is going to rescue Lynda and Robert's finances. I wouldn't have thought people already living in the country are going to rush to pay to walk their dogs in a specific field?

Dog fields need ideally

• high secure fences
• hard standing parking outside the field but secure/safe
• hard track for the walkers
• shelter
• ideally a bit more interest than just a field
• dog mess removal
• insurance
• regular checks that they are safe
• an online booking system

They are particularly useful for timid or reactive dogs or dogs with less than perfect recall. So any dog that needs to be walked alone or can't otherwise go off lead. They are not just a 'I have a spare field'.

Admittedly it might still contain Salieri (19) and Constanza (23+), but don’t the Snells already own a well-fenced field that would be suitable for dog-walking?

As others have suggested, they would be better off taking in lodgers (Harrison or Fallon or even Amber/George/baby Grundy) or getting an equity release if they want to stop doing B&B (which I thought they had down before/during lockdown).

They might also be able to get planning permission for development before selling off some plots of what must be extensive grounds/gardens to a builder.

I have a farmer friend who started a dog field just outside our nearby University City. He nets £50k annually from it and is delighted. But the key to it is that it is accessible to a sizeable population who are in full time work, have small gardens with limited dog walking from their front door. There are also a lot of professional dog walkers.

Tons have now popped up further out and they seem pretty empty aside from the weekends.

We're rural and have two long but narrow dog fields side by side, which seem popular. The agility field has jumps etc for people who want to train their dogs beyond the basics. The other is for dogs who normally have to be muzzled or on leash when they go out to get a muzzle-free, off-leash runabout. There's proper parking, and a covered seating area and it all looks well-maintained. But it does look as though there would have been a large initial investment in the fencing / parking / seating.

Was Lynda suggesting that Esme put the money up for the fencing etc and that she and R just run it? No wonder Esme gave her short shrift. I was pleased to hear someone treat Lynda appropriately rather than with the strange deference people usually use when they are dealing with her. The whole Monty thing has been very good for reminding her that she is no better than anyone else. Pride comes before etc etc…

I hope Alan doesn’t get accused of embezzlement. I don’t dislike him at all and that would feel very unjust.

I wonder if planning permission is needed for a dog field

There are bound to objections and it could be fun to see Lynda pitched against the local busybodies.

But Lynda is the local busybody!

Quayte. Sniff.

Esme is perpetually stressed. She should give up the tenancy (to Josh!) and stick to IT.

Yes I think planning permission is needed for dog fields. I’m another who can’t believe Ambridge residents appear never to have heard of them.

Go Lily sending Uncle Kenton away with a flea in his ear I bet his next move is to tell Elizabeth, mind.

And I agree with @Darker in terms of housing, the Snells move into Woodbine Cottage, Rex moves in with Alice and Fallon moves into the houseboat. Or just gets one of her own. I don’t put much faith in Harrison and Lily lasting, he’ll have freaked her out with talk of babies and marriage before long. And anyone calling me “sweet’art” that much would get pushed in the Am.

Oh, and no harm may befall Alan. I really like him as a character and, having read the Canon Clement books last year (Rev Richard Cole’s’ murder series), I always hear the main character in Alan’s voice.

I hear it in Richard Coles' voice.