Knob throttlers form an orderly queue at Blossom Hill Cottage! Discuss the Archers on the Official Thread

[PseudoBadger]

Do you know that I was 3 months pregnant when the first thread started - DD was 2 yesterday

That must also mean that Poppy Grundy's 2nd birthday has passed by unremarked upon...

Just goes to show we can't judge people's abilities and interests based on the sort of shit they chat with their perfectly mad families.

2Rebecca's summed up my misgivings about the Phoebe Oxford thing nicely. Disappointing on the consistency front.

I like to imagine they have kind of 'character holders' who are similar age to characters and internalise all the early storylines and think about how their character would develop/react to happenings in ambridge etc. even whilst they're not in the script. then could update the sws on what they might be up to and veto unrealistic storylines for their character etc. Obviously doesn't happen but for some reason this is a recurrent daydream I have whilst listening...

Funny how so many people had boyfriends to get rid of at time of going to uni. I thought I was saved the horror of breaking up with someone as I would just move 200 miles away and lose contact (I know - v cowardly!) then bf got a place nearby through clearing and joined me there so we stayed together much longer than we should have.

I'm sure Phoebe won't stay - we've just had pip staying after all and enough knobbishness (no, not knob bishops autocorrect) from knob to stomach more from alex.

Wouldn't it be lovely if Helen (surely they're related?) could be the one to tell Phoebe to follow her dreams etc?

Can someone tell me what happened after Kate walked in on Feebs and Alex? I remember Kate being cross but I can't remember anything after that...

They are related. Kate and Helen are first cousins, so Phoebe and Helen are first cousins once removed (I think, not good on cousin terms). Yes, that would be a good idea to have Helen talk to Phoebe.

Jennifer not only reads books, she's written at least one.

Lynda was a secretary before she and Robert married or at any rate left Sunningdale and moved to Ambridge. She may have met him at work. She didn't go to university and has always seemed very happy pursuing her intellectual life through hobbies and interests rather than through work. I think they missed a trick not getting her to sign up to the OU, though.

2rebecca, your idea that Kate could have gone to Oxford reminds me of one of my all time favourite quotations - Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice: There are few people in England, I suppose, who have more true enjoyment of music than myself, or a better natural taste. If I had ever learnt, I should have been a great proficient. Kate may have got one or two GCSEs but she dropped out of education very shortly after that. She doesn't have enough application or analytical ability to be really good academically, surely?

Well, that went well. Here's the quotation: There are few people in England, I suppose, who have more true enjoyment of music than myself, or a better natural taste. If I had ever learnt, I should have been a great proficient.

Right. Let's try again.

There are few people in England, I suppose, who have more true enjoyment of music than myself, or a better natural taste. If I had ever learnt, I should have been a great proficient.

Alright, Gaspode, we get the message. :)

I don't know what happened there. I can only see the third attempt - have I spammed the thread? Sorry, sorry, sorry....

I loved it! I really think if you'd learnt, you could have been a proficient.

Poor ed

OOOOH! I want to punch that utter, utter wanker!

Don't understand how they could throw more at him ...

No insurance?

Could have done without a dose of knobbo tonight

As ed isn't insured can he apply to the crime compensation scheme?

Is he going to slink into depression and then financial despair (again)

Harrison and Fallon won't like this. About time Harrison confided in Fallon about Knob, surely?

BOOP for Emma tonight - positive and ambitious and encouraging . Seriously, I have never liked her as much as I did this episode.

(Hoping it is not too presumptuous with the BOOP, as a newly-delurked poster)

Half-wondered if Knob could be behind the Ed's cows going missing. I will happily blame that man for anything.

Stop making horrible things happen to Ed. :(

Surely the shop/cafe vintage chic collision should have been an issue before now? It's not like the theme fallon has planned could be a surprise

I wondered about Rob and gates.

Lynda it wouldn't matter what Fallon suggested. Rob will stamp on it to show Helen who's boss.

Beginning to be curious about exactly who SOC thinks is listening to this; there's a reason why I don't watch EE.

Oh this is their bit to highlight rural crime.

Did they get the gang who attacked Adam? Could it be them again?

I can remember Ruth reading a book once! And Ambridge ahd a book group. Usha - and possibly Ruth - went. Linda too. Wasn't there squabbling over low brow and high brow choices? Jim was involved, and JD.

I don't like the Alex portrayal either. They've shoved this in without building Alex as an actual character. It would eb good to know more about him before he is dumped. I think Phoebe has to dump him. They can't do yet another SL where a young woman makes a life-changing decision for a man. I liked Emma being strong too.

Was Adam's attacker not in the gang that HWMNBN was involved with? They did get nabbed, i think.

I agree PPE is an odd choice. As nobody discusses politics - or indeed the other two! - in Ambridge, you'd never get an idea if any of the young people are into politics or even political thought. It's time Ambridge had a philosophy group in fact. Though IME people are still easily put off, thinking it's terribly highbrow when it doesn't need to be. Lots of potentially impressive subjects phoebe could be interested in rather than PPE - e.g. MFL (and get a job abroad), maths, any kind of science. Disclaimer: anyone's fave subject I've not listed does not mean anything!

I guess PPE is recognisably something "other" - whereas if she wanted to read Geography or Inorganic Chemistry they might expect a hundred thousand listeners to say "but she could do that anywhere!" (I'm aware that all the component parts of PPE can be studied elsewhere.)

I won't hold my breath for the Ambridge Philosophical Soc.

It would have been better if they had her applying for a more generic subject (history, English, maths etc). Still tough but not quite so loaded

What A levels is Phoebe doing? Do we know?

Another thought - and with apologies for over-infestment - Why did Knob say we need to take our passports to the town hall or wherever? I can understand he might ahve a passport but when did Helen or Henry ever go abroad? They ahven't in the last decade, have they, so they won't have applied for passports. I of W doesn't count! They could just have easily have said 'take our ID'. All those assumpions that EVERYONE has a passport. I'll bet half of Ambridge hasn't one. ClarrieLove has probably not been in France since you could buy OTC in the PO.