Sack the Sock - put a sock in it or pull your socks up - frankly we're a bit sick of it. The Archers is shit, discuss it here.

[PseudoBadger]

I have it on good authority that this is the thread that people enjoy more than the programme it's about

I quite liked the robotic milking discussions. Not that I care about robotic milking but it was nice to hear a 'thrusting young thing' versus 'cautious old parent' argument. Phil and David had exactly the same discussions a generation ago.

guineapiglet wiki tells me that robotic milking does not necessarily mean the cows have to be indoors, there are grassland versions.

So that was my BOOPpoint.

My WALpoint was Rob telling Helen not to worry about the shop nor discuss it with Bridge Farm. You don't appoint staff and then leave them to their own devices; of course you manage them! Secondly. Bridge Farm need to know, they have to know about a fall in sales so they can adjust deliveries and sowing schedules accordingly. The SW really have no idea how a business runs.
The shop is down on sales and gross margin, allegedly. Tina is definitely up to no good.

Oops. Now feel embarrassed at citing wiki at you gp

No no, we love Wiki...

Yes, I get that robotic milking is a process both for cows on grass and cows kept indisgusting cruel inhumaneindustrial units inside, just like Berrow Farm, it is just mechanised milking, a far, far cry from the good old milk parlours of Tess of the D'Urbervilles!

I'm currently reading Tess. No idea why I haven't read it before, it's an absolutely cracking book. The rural descriptions are so true to life. I'm in sweltering hot July at the moment and we are having problems with the butter!

I think I remember Dan and Phil having similar conversations about new fangled methods - way back in the dark ages ...

So true R4. I read it when I was 16 (for O-level, that's how long ago it was!) and I still remember in detail the incredibly atmospheric misery of the turnip-picking, and the bits about overblown undergrowth that leaves sticky bits on you when you walk through it.

Maybe the archers needs a Hardy-esque narrator?

Have to say, try as the new Editor might, there's not much in TA that's as traumatising as Hardy.

(You may come out of Tess a bit mangled R4.)

Another reason why Tess is so good? Because it is character driven.
Just saying like, in case any SW are listening.

I think Nigel's roof fall was up there as a Hardy moment. Also the Tom'n'Kirsty hay ride followed by lych gate jilting was pure Hardy! Come to think of it a lot of the plot elements are Hardy-tastic, it's just that the dialogue isn't.

Another BOOP here ! There ARE people in RL who count their chickens before they hatch; and Ruth did say " What If J.E. pulls out?"

There are also people who leave family farms and farming altogether so although we're all emotionally infested in TA it could happen in RL .

I'm already a bit mangled Zero. The idea that Tess's parents could send her away as a mere slip of a naive 16 y.o. to live in an unknown household with a predatory male, without any back-up or protection, is awful. The way that Alec drew her in was very well done - I must admit that I kept making parallels with Titchyknob.

My BOOPpoint = new word coined on this thread which I like A LOT - "woobly". As in woobly milking stool .
And I love Kenton.

R4 - yeah, but not many of us believe that the relocation will happen, just collapse into the sinkhole and a lot of debt and acrimony which could be fun.

Some good things are happening - Ed&Emma, so totally the opposite of the Tom&Kirsty wedding last year. Presumably they've checked that Alan is OK with marrying after a divorce from a brother...

Oh blast. Just did the read first page and respond thing, not realising that we're already 7 pages in!

Oi oi, I said on the last thread: "My theory on Pip's voice btw, is that she (or the director) has lighted upon the unfortunate idea that she should sound like a combination of David & Ruth. Because accents work like genes, obviously. She definitely sounded hints-of-geordie on certain vowels."

I agree with the genepool accent theory.

Is anyone else listening to that programme about modern farming? It's late mornings on Mondays I think. They were talking about investment vs return in modern farming methods. Was v interesting (and demonstrates that at least TA spend money wisely in investing in agricultural advice, unlike business, health or festival planning!).

Will Loxfest be back again next year I wonder?

And if we assume that JE will pull out of the Brookfield purchase at the last minute, what do we think will happen?

I think Kenton will storm round and shout at David because he will have already bought his flights and made a downpayment on a shop/workshop/tearoom for Fallon. David and Ruth will become social pariahs and won't be able to go to the village or Bull until nearly summer.

Alistair will have a go at Shula who will make PA comments to the Dopeys forever more (or for at least the next few months). He will be reluctant to give up on his plans for his equine vet supercentre and will fund it through gambling. Jill will decide that she can't let Shula down as Shula has already decorated Dan's bedroom for her so will move out anyway. Josh and Ben will become malnourished because the Dopeys won't ever make it to the supermarket on the bypass and the family has been banned from the Shop.

Elizabeth will complain that they have ruined Frilly's future and retreat into drinking her own wine after breakfast with Carol.

Love it, Oddfodd. & Pip will be annoyed with her parents' general ineptitude and refusal to modernise, and go to work for Charlie instead, causing a feud.

Yup - I'd say all of that is pretty much guaranteed.

I don't mind the casting changes that much; I think NewTom is actually quite good, though it would certainly help if he had a more distinctive voice. But the Pip one I do mind - it is just ridiculous that her voice should have suddenly become so much deeper, and the way her accent slides all over the place is increasingly annoying. As the justification was that they wanted to appoint professional actors, casting someone who is, frankly, a bad actor is totally illogical.

Actually, talking about Boop points, I'm happy with Fallon and PC Plod getting together. I'm hoping that it's the SWs' gesture at normality and that it won't all go down the boringly predictable route of descending into disaster and recriminations before they get up the aisle.

Sorry ElephantsAndMiasmas I didn't mean to steal your (excellent) point. I didn't read the last thread, I can't keep up.

Lurve your name, that is one of my favourite poems.

Dare say no one else is listening to John Rowe (Jim) being a Classics professor on Radio 4? "Rollo Ironside" in the afternoon play.

R4 In them days girls and boys were sent away at around age 12 to be live in servants 'twas the way in them days oooarrrr.