I cannot recall anyone in the shop or other communal areas sounding as
though they are wearing a face covering recently - nor any references to
‘I’ll just grab my mask’ type comments. Back in TRW, I note that locals are
still observing this recommendation (even if BoJo doesn’t seem to have any
strong views on the matter) and very few passengers on our buses are sans
face covering.

Perhaps Ambridge are about to have a case of Monkey Pox …. Oooh-er!

--
Toodle Pip, Mike McMillan

On 20/05/2022 15:31, Mike McMillan wrote:
> I cannot recall anyone in the shop or other communal areas sounding as
> though they are wearing a face covering recently - nor any references to
> ‘I’ll just grab my mask’ type comments. Back in TRW, I note that locals are
> still observing this recommendation (even if BoJo doesn’t seem to have any
> strong views on the matter) and very few passengers on our buses are sans
> face covering.
>

Odd that, isn't it? About Ambridge, I mean. Scarcely a mention of the
pandemic at all except where absolutely unavoidable. Meanwhile in London
and also in Edinburgh, mask-wearing is not so much observed at the
moment. In shops, occasionally, and on buses now and then, but certainly
not universal.

--
Kate B

Very few masks in evidence in my corner of the East Midlands and all those foul-smelling hand cleansers are no longer the first thing you see when entering a shop or pub, etc.

Ambridge is curious, isn't it? I keep wondering if Lily was selling kitchens from home; if Usha was dispensing legal advice from the vicarage dining room; if Jakob and Alastair, like some of our local vets, were making people wait outside in the rain while their beloved cats were euthanised alone without a familiar hand to stroke them and say goodbye. Did Kate receive any government help when Spiritual Home was not permitted to trade? How did Mia, Poppy, Helen's lads and other Ambridge sprogs cope with schooling by Zoom? Was Christine allowed to have visitors in the Laurels? How easy was it to get a delivery slot from The Supermarket (chain and layout unknown)? Does Ambridge even have fast broadband?

These things barely got a mention AFAIR and yet in TRW they were prime topics of conversation for the best part of two years.

On 20-May-22 20:19, Axlegrease wrote:
> Very few masks in evidence in my corner of the East Midlands and all those foul-smelling hand cleansers are no longer the first thing you see when entering a shop or pub, etc.
>
> Ambridge is curious, isn't it? I keep wondering if Lily was selling kitchens from home; if Usha was dispensing legal advice from the vicarage dining room; if Jakob and Alastair, like some of our local vets, were making people wait outside in the rain while their beloved cats were euthanised alone without a familiar hand to stroke them and say goodbye. Did Kate receive any government help when Spiritual Home was not permitted to trade? How did Mia, Poppy, Helen's lads and other Ambridge sprogs cope with schooling by Zoom? Was Christine allowed to have visitors in the Laurels? How easy was it to get a delivery slot from The Supermarket (chain and layout unknown)? Does Ambridge even have fast broadband?
>
> These things barely got a mention AFAIR and yet in TRW they were prime topics of conversation for the best part of two years.
>
Was there a decision made by the editor to play down Covid? - too much
reality?

--
Sam Plusnet

On Sat, 21 May 2022 02:26:11 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> scrawled in
the dust...

>On 20-May-22 20:19, Axlegrease wrote:
>> Very few masks in evidence in my corner of the East Midlands and all those foul-smelling hand cleansers are no longer the first thing you see when entering a shop or pub, etc.
>>
>> Ambridge is curious, isn't it? I keep wondering if Lily was selling kitchens from home; if Usha was dispensing legal advice from the vicarage dining room; if Jakob and Alastair, like some of our local vets, were making people wait outside in the rain while their beloved cats were euthanised alone without a familiar hand to stroke them and say goodbye. Did Kate receive any government help when Spiritual Home was not permitted to trade? How did Mia, Poppy, Helen's lads and other Ambridge sprogs cope with schooling by Zoom? Was Christine allowed to have visitors in the Laurels? How easy was it to get a delivery slot from The Supermarket (chain and layout unknown)? Does Ambridge even have fast broadband?
>>
>> These things barely got a mention AFAIR and yet in TRW they were prime topics of conversation for the best part of two years.
>>
>Was there a decision made by the editor to play down Covid? - too much
>reality?

I've been watching NCIS season 18 - somewhat time-shifted from the
Decenber/March broadcast on 5USA and first shown from November 2020 in the
States, presumably filmed in the previous 8 months or so. It was just 16
episodes, instead of the usual 22.

One of their regular methods for finding out who people are is to run a
photo through facial recognition software. I think they were still managing
to get maskless photos somehow, but masks did feature on the central
characters when about to burst into a property shouting 'FEDERAL AGENTS'
later in the run. Nobody was off sick, concerned about their family, or
mentioned the pandemic at all. One couple even had a vacation in the
Bahamas.

I look forward to an accessible run of season 19.
--
Penny
Annoyed by The Archers since 1959

Axlegrease <scribbles.lincs@gmail.com> wrote:
> Very few masks in evidence in my corner of the East Midlands and all
> those foul-smelling hand cleansers are no longer the first thing you see
> when entering a shop or pub, etc.
>
> Ambridge is curious, isn't it? visitors in the Laurels?

How easy was it to get a delivery slot from The Supermarket (chain and
layout unknown)?

All we know is Underwoods which isn’t a supermarket.

Does Ambridge even have fast broadband?
>
That would make a better plot than many. Surprised they have it at all.
That would have been a good plot, but probably too complicated to get it i
stalled but we could have had one or two people needing to drive to the
by-pass for a signal, or the garage on the bypass.

Sincerely Chris

> These things barely got a mention AFAIR and yet in TRW they were prime
> topics of conversation for the best part of two years.
>
>

Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
> On 20-May-22 20:19, Axlegrease wrote:
>> Very few masks in evidence in my corner of the East Midlands and all
>> those foul-smelling hand cleansers are no longer the first thing you see
>> when entering a shop or pub, etc.
>>
>> Ambridge is curious, isn't it? I keep wondering if Lily was selling
>> kitchens from home; if Usha was dispensing legal advice from the
>> vicarage dining room; if Jakob and Alastair, like some of our local
>> vets, were making people wait outside in the rain while their beloved
>> cats were euthanised alone without a familiar hand to stroke them and
>> say goodbye. Did Kate receive any government help when Spiritual Home
>> was not permitted to trade? How did Mia, Poppy, Helen's lads and other
>> Ambridge sprogs cope with schooling by Zoom? Was Christine allowed to
>> have visitors in the Laurels? How easy was it to get a delivery slot
>> from The Supermarket (chain and layout unknown)? Does Ambridge even have fast broadband?
>>
>> These things barely got a mention AFAIR and yet in TRW they were prime
>> topics of conversation for the best part of two years.
>>
> Was there a decision made by the editor to play down Covid? - too much
> reality?
>

It was a decision, but it was because tv was doing it and TA couodn’t do it
in total lockdown

Sincerely Chris

On Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 10:03:38 PM UTC+1, Chris wrote:

>All we know is Underwoods which isn’t a supermarket.

A fair few years ago, there were occasional references to "the supermarket" but we were never told if it was Tesburys or Morritrose or even a new-fangled German incomer. I suppose it might have been Borsetshire Co-op.

On 21-May-22 22:03, Chris wrote:
> Axlegrease <scribbles.lincs@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Very few masks in evidence in my corner of the East Midlands and all
>> those foul-smelling hand cleansers are no longer the first thing you see
>> when entering a shop or pub, etc.
>>
>> Ambridge is curious, isn't it? visitors in the Laurels?
>
> How easy was it to get a delivery slot from The Supermarket (chain and
> layout unknown)?
>
> All we know is Underwoods which isn’t a supermarket.
>
> Does Ambridge even have fast broadband?
>>
> That would make a better plot than many. Surprised they have it at all.
> That would have been a good plot, but probably too complicated to get it i
> stalled but we could have had one or two people needing to drive to the
> by-pass for a signal, or the garage on the bypass.

Ambridge doesn't even seem to get a decent radio signal. Does anyone
there listen to R4?

--
Sam Plusnet

On Sun, 22 May 2022 20:13:15 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

>On 21-May-22 22:03, Chris wrote:
>> Axlegrease <scribbles.lincs@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Very few masks in evidence in my corner of the East Midlands and all
>>> those foul-smelling hand cleansers are no longer the first thing you see
>>> when entering a shop or pub, etc.
>>>
>>> Ambridge is curious, isn't it? visitors in the Laurels?
>>
>> How easy was it to get a delivery slot from The Supermarket (chain and
>> layout unknown)?
>>
>> All we know is Underwoods which isn’t a supermarket.
>>
>> Does Ambridge even have fast broadband?
>>>
>> That would make a better plot than many. Surprised they have it at all.
>> That would have been a good plot, but probably too complicated to get it i
>> stalled but we could have had one or two people needing to drive to the
>> by-pass for a signal, or the garage on the bypass.
>
>Ambridge doesn't even seem to get a decent radio signal. Does anyone
>there listen to R4?

There was a moment a few weeks ago when I thought the had broken the
fourth wall. I could have sworn that they said somebody was going to
be interviewed on Radio Four.

They actually said Radio Bor
-cetshire

Nick

Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
> On 21-May-22 22:03, Chris wrote:
>> Axlegrease <scribbles.lincs@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Very few masks in evidence in my corner of the East Midlands and all
>>> those foul-smelling hand cleansers are no longer the first thing you see
>>> when entering a shop or pub, etc.
>>>
>>> Ambridge is curious, isn't it? visitors in the Laurels?
>>
>> How easy was it to get a delivery slot from The Supermarket (chain and
>> layout unknown)?
>>
>> All we know is Underwoods which isn’t a supermarket.
>>
>> Does Ambridge even have fast broadband?
>>>
>> That would make a better plot than many. Surprised they have it at all.
>> That would have been a good plot, but probably too complicated to get it i
>> stalled but we could have had one or two people needing to drive to the
>> by-pass for a signal, or the garage on the bypass.
>
> Ambridge doesn't even seem to get a decent radio signal. Does anyone
> there listen to R4?
>
>

I can believe that. Think about where it’s supposedly based. Going by bus
from Worcester to Brum, via Bromsgrove (which you can only do so far as
Bromsgrove), you go past the Droitwich transmitter. Signal was rubbish at
times on my friend’s trannie on the Brum side of Bromsgrove. (Improbably a
village called Catshill).

Sincerely Chris

On 23-May-22 17:40, Chris wrote:
> Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
>> On 21-May-22 22:03, Chris wrote:
>>> Axlegrease <scribbles.lincs@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Very few masks in evidence in my corner of the East Midlands and all
>>>> those foul-smelling hand cleansers are no longer the first thing you see
>>>> when entering a shop or pub, etc.
>>>>
>>>> Ambridge is curious, isn't it? visitors in the Laurels?
>>>
>>> How easy was it to get a delivery slot from The Supermarket (chain and
>>> layout unknown)?
>>>
>>> All we know is Underwoods which isn’t a supermarket.
>>>
>>> Does Ambridge even have fast broadband?
>>>>
>>> That would make a better plot than many. Surprised they have it at all.
>>> That would have been a good plot, but probably too complicated to get it i
>>> stalled but we could have had one or two people needing to drive to the
>>> by-pass for a signal, or the garage on the bypass.
>>
>> Ambridge doesn't even seem to get a decent radio signal. Does anyone
>> there listen to R4?
>>
>>
>
> I can believe that. Think about where it’s supposedly based. Going by bus
> from Worcester to Brum, via Bromsgrove (which you can only do so far as
> Bromsgrove), you go past the Droitwich transmitter. Signal was rubbish at
> times on my friend’s trannie on the Brum side of Bromsgrove. (Improbably a
> village called Catshill).

We once had a car with a snapped-off aerial[1].
The only time we could get decent (LW) reception of R4 was when we could
_see_ the transmitter.

[1] I wonder what the little darlings do for entertainment nowadays?

--
Sam Plusnet

On Mon, 23 May 2022 18:35:26 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> scrawled in
the dust...

>On 23-May-22 17:40, Chris wrote:
>> Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

>>> Ambridge doesn't even seem to get a decent radio signal. Does anyone
>>> there listen to R4?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I can believe that. Think about where it’s supposedly based. Going by bus
>> from Worcester to Brum, via Bromsgrove (which you can only do so far as
>> Bromsgrove), you go past the Droitwich transmitter. Signal was rubbish at
>> times on my friend’s trannie on the Brum side of Bromsgrove. (Improbably a
>> village called Catshill).

I can't get an FM signal in the car if I drive from here through Shropshire
to Craven Arms. LW is usually OK though.

>We once had a car with a snapped-off aerial[1].
>The only time we could get decent (LW) reception of R4 was when we could
>_see_ the transmitter.
>
>[1] I wonder what the little darlings do for entertainment nowadays?

Around here they have been throwing stones through church windows and
smashing up the new bike shelter in the park, nicking bikes etc - it's very
depressing :((
--
Penny
Annoyed by The Archers since 1959

On Mon, 23 May 2022 22:55:43 +0100, Penny <spam@labyrinth.freeuk.com>
wrote:

>>
>>[1] I wonder what the little darlings do for entertainment nowadays?
>
>Around here they have been throwing stones through church windows and
>smashing up the new bike shelter in the park, nicking bikes etc - it's very
>depressing :((
>--
>Penny
>Annoyed by The Archers since 1959

Newly built climbing area in the local park was set on fire a few
months ago and then the rebuilt one vandilised again.