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...

Thank you for the update.

I also think it was quite obvious that Phoebe hadn't even considered putting Felpersham as one of her options (although she might add it as a last minute option).

Having been at Oxford, there were lots of nice normal people there. Most colleges don't like you being too sporty unless obviously brilliant too (they want good results more than sports wins). The ones who find it hardest are often those who were "brilliant" at school, if they don't actually happen to be pretty close to geniuses. Phoebe has always worked quite hard.

Actually Kate could be a good one to talk to her, having been negative about Oxford before, but turning around and saying "don't be swayed by a man".

Actually one forgets that Phoebe is actually related to Kate. Despite her sensible outer demeanour she must surely have inherited some of her DM's restless, adventurous spirit.

Just hope that proves stronger than hormones.

I do think that Phoe would better of with a clean break but she might want to point out that her Aunt Alice had no problem sustaining a relationship in Ambridge whilst studying a long way away. (though obviously the job fairy with the commutable aerospace engineering job after graduation did help somewhat; Feebs is more likely to end up in London or Brussels or Washington DC if she studes PPE as planned).

I too found it rather unbelievable that Alex would suggest that someone with Feebs' academics would consider Felpersham if rejected by Oxford. Realistically he'd know that even if she doesn't get to Oxbridge she will be going away to University, so he's going to have a problem whatever the outcome. It would have been better if they had painted him as reasonably bright himself and trying to convince her to go to, say, Newcastle with him. They made the character too ridiculous I think; why would Feebs even be interested in a boy who wasn't planning University?

I'm actually hoping that talking her round is a joint effort between Kate, Hayley and Roy, uniting them for once.

Yes, that makes sense mummytime. Am just reflecting that perhaps the people I've always half-thought were in 'a different league' to me were in fact just 'nice normal' people v similar to me and I've just bought into the mythology of Oxbridge 'types' being somehow other to mere mortals. I think I rationally know that's a fairly stupid way to think but it's a deep-rooted thing that will still colour my thinking if someone doesn't call me on it.

Exactly agree with your analysis of Alex Jessie. It screams plot device. I hope they get rid of Alex quickly, he's been annoying from the off.

They do scan early if you have fertility treatment though - Helen would have had her 1st scan at 6-7 weeks when she was pregnant with Henry.

After I had made the break for uni I ended going-nowhere relationship within the first term. Ex BF told me he had feared that going to uni would "change you"'; but I knew that what it actually did was allow me to be the person I really was all along.
Go phoebe go!

I do think Oxford/Cambridge has a fairly typical "type", in that I can often spot someone else who went there. (But how much of that is a result of going, rather than a cause, I don't know.) Often I think it's just down to whether someone is almost comedically over-intellectualising everything. But lots of people I knew there weren't like that at all and I don't see anything in Phoebe that seems odd - she's an incredible hard worker with ambition (if only to get away from home) and a supportive family and school.

Phoebe never comes across as bright enough for Oxbridge. She's portrayed as sensible but dull. I don't recall ever hearing her sound passionate or enthusiastic about anything.
If she's willing to stay around for boyfriend of the moment then it's as well she gave the place for someone with more ambition.
Agree that aunt Alice is proof you can go to uni and keep a local boyfriend. Can't remember where Alice has gone to.

I was all set to disagree vigorously about there being a "type" - but this:

almost comedically over-intellectualising everything

is my DM's most habitual (and incorrect) complaint about me.

Alice went to Southampton for undergrad and did her Master's at Felpersham. Can't remember when she took up with Chris - was it before she went to Soton? Did they get married while she was still a student there? It was before she went to Felpersham, I know that.

I think Alice maybe went to Southampton???

The thing with Phoebe is that she's obviously bright but also a grafter. The kids I know who are going to Oxbridge this year are the same - dedicated to the subject they want to study and really heard-working. PPE is incredibly difficult to get into, though.

I'm actually a bit worried about Kate trying to talk her round. Feebs has a tendency to disagree with everything her mother says, usually with good reason, but sometimes just for the sake of it. J-Darl would be a better sounding board.

Or, even better, Hayley. It does seem to be the Season of the Returning Characters at the moment, so you never know.

I think Jenny will make sure that application gets in if she has to write it herself.

sorry Gruach :)

Ah I was right, Southampton. God, the things your brain retains...

Why would Pheobe even be interested in a boy who wasn't planning to go to university?

Ermm.... dh didn't go to uni, he trained as a junior journo got into a large Petroleum Company as a PR, travelled the world and is still earning very well thank you . It's not the be all and end all you know Jessie

Is she obviously bright? I can't recall her having hobbies she's passionate about, discussing any of her subjects in any depth, discussing putting the world to rights etc just arguing with her mum and dad and saying she has to do her homework. She's not thick but the bar for intellectual attainment is set unrealistically low in TA.

I doubt that's what Jessie meant. I suspect it was more "Isn't it more likely that Phoebe would know Alex through doing similar A-levels at a similar level to her, and therefore was pretty likely to be looking at university too?" I'm sure most people doing A levels go on to university - maybe around 60%?

That's true 2rebecca - if you know which way Birmingham is and you're capable of much more than pointing out a fetlock, you're practically Einstein.

Does ANYONE ever talk about having read a book or anything?

Oh yes Asking Lynda and Robert and Jim do, they read poetry too! IIRC even jazzer does

And Lynda's ambitions have led her to work as a receptionist. Considering she has no children I'm not sure why she didn't do more with her life.

It's an interesting question. As ppeat says they do find time to bring in comedy rivalry over "intellectual" pursuits - but they've completely failed to build any background to Phoebe's academic prowess. I know it's only 13 minutes but still ...

Perhaps after another squint at this thread they'll soon have everyone reminiscing about the human rights debates she set up at three (although most three year olds do that) or revealing that she's secretly a member of the Youth Parliament.

Kate's new enterprise will either be a roaring success which, combined with the herbal thingies leads Home Farm into the future - or she'll have to flit off to another far flung place where she can enjoy patronising the natives.

Maybe she moved to the sticks to have a break from the daily commuter grind and preferred being a countrywoman with her llamas, garden etc. 2rebecca I don't blame her really. I don't remember what she did in the 'smoke' someone might .

I could have believed a younger Kate could have got in to Oxbridge. She was much more sparky, persuasive and campaigning than Phoebe. It is believable that she wasted her talent and is now a frustrated middle aged women with an alcohol problem and inability to commit to anything or anyone.
Phoebe seems to have inherited Roy's dullness rather than her mother's sparkle.

I thought it was such a cliché that Phoebe would apply to read PPE, there are other courses at Oxford (although medicine would be a similar level 'oh she's clever she must become a Dr').

I can sort of believe she has the ability to get in to do English or History. PPE is stretching the bounds of credibility a tad

Although Alice has never seemed a terribly likely aeronautical engineer