Exeunt, pursued by a sow. And so on, for the next 60 years of The Archers.

[PseudoBadger]

It's all about the Sons at the moment. Tom is having an identity crisis, Dan is off to Sandhurst, and poor old Adam is working his socks off.
Follow the undulating Ambridge pastures here!

[ZeroSomeGameThingy]

Oh that was fun! Excellent Friday episode.

Poor Pat is clearly headed for another depression. Making it all the easier for Rob to move in on the Bridge Farm empire.

But the best thing this week was Linda's intriguing reference to the 70s. She's so hiding something.... I felt a definite frisson of "O'ConnorEnders". Usually it would be a long lost child turning up - has she actually said she never had a child or just that she hasn't had a child with Robert or hasn't had a chance to "be a mother"? Wouldn't it be brilliant if her disappeared DD/DS arrived at the same time as Rupert/Annunciata Snellamy.....

BTW LillianG I'm very

[LollipopViolet]

I mentioned my new listening habit to my mum earlier. Her response? "OMG. Old people's stuff."

I'm 24

But, I've changed a lot recently:
Started drinking coffee, when I used to hate the taste.
Started at the gym 3x a week
Have a thread in S&B as I'm going to slowly transform myself from fat and frumpy to my inner rock chick.

So really, a bit of the Archers is nothing! It's just my tastes changing. At least, that's my justification.

I've got the omnibus recorded for a bit later, so looking forward to that.

[mummytime]

Oh no! Have I totally missed something? I've totally missed out on Linda - now I'll have to listen to the omnibus on download!

[ZeroSomeGameThingy]

It wasn't a major scene - I think she, Fallon and Emma were discussing 70s stuff for Clarrie's birthday. Linda was talking over the heads of the innocent young - clearly remembering something noteworthy...

(I remember the 70s - but Linda would have been old enough to enjoy herself...)

Speaking of which - Lollipop - extensive research on this thread suggests the average age for beginning Archers listening is exactly 2 and a quarter years old, so your DM is definitely wrong! (Some of us have admitted to listening all through the wild, heady days of university...)

[BasketzatDawn]

Only a week, she says. Pah! LillianGish, how could you.
I did take a look at 'cheap Nokia Windows' - it is an option but I have no currently resident teenager to help me use it. Of course I'll be fine for a week, and I do have a plan of sorts. Missing an episode or a week or more of episodes never used to bother me.

Another one who envies your move to Paris, LG - though not sure I'd want to be IN Paris, it would be lovely to be one train ride away, somewhere en France Profonde. It's exciting though. I dream of living in mainland Europe again, but not sure I'd be able to earn enough to pay my health insurance. I am an expensive patient who benefits greatly from the NHS!!


Back to TA , not sure what will happen with the Bridge Farm crowd. I thought it was a bit iffy Pat trying to get into her son's emails. Naughty overbearing Pat, though I do get her worry. I thought the biz of Shula wanting to send msgs to Dan was quite realistic in the circs - and I liked that she used his full name again. Much more realistic IMO. You can't just change your child's name after all those years. Also that the dad didn't see why she'd want o keep in touch. There is a balance to strike though, Shula. Take it from someone who is a year or so ahead !!

[EBearhug]

Some of us have admitted to listening all through the wild, heady days hmm of university...

Me too, been listening since in the womb, and my mother sent me Archers summaries as well as other news when I was in Borneo for a few months in the '90s.



I had a friend who went to Sandhurst. She wasn't allowed any outside contact for the first 6 weeks, so how come Dan's phone will be on in the evenings? Have they changed the rules? (Mobile phones weren't so ubiquitous 15 years ago, so they may have.)

[WillieWaggledagger]

where will you be living in paris lil? i used to live in the 10eme. it was in the very early days of the iplayer and i wasn't an archers listener at that time, but did enjoy getting the friday night comedy

[CuttedUpPear]

Yes all this chat is very well, but

WHERE IS TOM?

[GypsyFloss]

With Brendur. Roy was denying it too strenuously. Not that I think he knows about it but I did feel his denial was rather significant signposting for us poor listeners.

[ZeroSomeGameThingy]

Isn't "where" potentially less interesting than "when"? (Given that it's what goes on in the village that really matters.)

With everyone protesting that Tom will be back within days - isn't there a possibility that he may not return for months? (Or even....) Long enough to bring the Farm to its knees, (terrifyingly close to the heel of Rob's boot.)

Put me down for "long time gone" Cutted.

[MollyBdenum]

I listened at university. As did at least least one other poster here, who broke the news of John Archer's death as I'd missed that episode due to frantic essay-writing.

[LillianGish]

I was wondering the same thing Zero. He's obviously got something in place for the two weeks he would have been on honeymoon but what happens after that? I don't think he's with Brenda - this isn't about her it's about John? Could he have gone to see son of John? Was also remembering Pat's depression. Am going to listen again to Linda's 1970s reminiscences - wasn't really paying attention, just smiling at the fact that Jenny's crockery was being rejected after Susan turned up her nose at the kitchen cabinets!
I'm moving to the 11eme Willi (Oberkampf/ Bastille - in fact Richard Lenoir to be precise). So grateful for the iplayer - couldn't live without R4!

[pasbeaucoupdegendarme]

I listened with some interest to the Sandhurst bits... Not that long since my brother went off there, ironing board under arm. I don't remember them not being allowed contact for the first six weeks, but they were certainly so busy that he didn't have much time to contact home. Nothing has been said about FFD having an exhaustive supply of jelly babies with him. As I understand it they are a pre-requisite for square-bashing.

I also want to know where Tom is. I thought Tony was being incredibly self centred (Tony?! Never!) and blinkered when he was mithering on about Tom definitely being back next week because they'd only got so much cover. Wouldn't bank on it...

[unitarian]

I too suspect Tom's with Brenda.

(I'm immensely proud of getting my new phone into all-singing, all-dancing mode without help. It was a matter of honour. DD commented without apparent sarcasm that I've become a techy.)

[mummytime]

Oh after a hint up thread, I hope he's gone to Sharon. that would be far more interesting.

[FunLovinBunster]

I hope Tom is shagging Sharon. That will serve the vile Toneeee and Patttt right. What vile characters they are. It's all about them, isn't it. I hope they fall into a slurry pit and die a slow death.

[nennypops]

Tom's either gone to Costa Rica, or gone off somewhere to Find Himself. Perhaps he's gone back to eco warrior roots and is at a collective farm; he'll then come back all fired up with enthusiasm about organic farming and tell PatnTony off for letting him contaminate the take-away business with dreadful non-organic stuff. Or maybe he's joined the French Foreign Legion in an ironic counterpoint to Dan.

[CuttedUpPear]

Liking the French Foreign Legion idea.

Might we be expecting some symbolic pheasant-bothering soon to give us a clue?

[LittleSF]

Delighted to find this thread. Recent addict (since Nigel fell off the roof) but my mum has been listening for decades so she fills me in on backstory when necessary. We happened to be visiting my mum on the day of the wedding, great fun huddled around the radio.

Anyway, we're both pretty sure that Tom is with Brenda. And I've told my mum that if my son comes to her the night before his wedding with doubts she HAS to let me know (he's only 15 months old but I thought it important to clarify).

[MrsCampbellBlack]

I think Brenda would tell tom to do a runner.

[BasketzatDawn]

I think Sharon would tell Tom to sling his hook too. Doesn't she, unsurprisingly, dislike the whole Archers clan with great intensity? It did cross my mind he's gone to Costa Rica to make a nuisance of himself. But has he really got that kind of money, esp. with all the debts from the wedding that wasn't? I love the Foreign Legion juxtaposition idea.

[BasketzatDawn]

unitarian, I agree you should be vv proud of your new techy status. I'd be determined to achieve same status with any new gadgetry I got too. I've realised what I do want is a Tablet where I can download knitting patterns - a phone would have a frustratingly small screen methinks. I must post a query elsewhere to get info. I need to broach subject with DH too .... Pls nobody take this the wrong way, but I often think of all the numpties who manage to use their phones well, and think all that is stopping me is patience. BTW, are you really a Unitarian?

[Panzee]

I want him to come back vegan. That'll really pee Tony off. I'm upset with Tony at the moment, I'm sure till swing back to Tom later. :o

[AllMimsyWereTheBorogroves]

Interesting that jelly babies are required eating at Sandhurst. Mr AllMimsy is a super-nerdy keen amateur distance runner and tells me that the NHS website recommends eating 4 jelly babies if your blood sugar drops during some kind of endurance sporting torture activity. He keeps a bag in at all times so he can pack the prescribed number if he's going off for one of his mega-long runs.

I don't think Tom is shagging Sharon as she seemed perfectly happy with her new chap, whose name escapes me. I hope he's with Brenda but frankly he could be anywhere. Tony is being remarkably insouciant about all of this, given how shattered he was by finding John dead under the tractor. There was a casual reference to 'dead in the ditch' last night which I thought might have brought Tony up short, but no.

[Swannykazoo]

Listened all through uni as did my much cooler rugby playing mate who owned our flat.