Follow the subtle trail towards the Christmas storyline climaxes in Ambridge - discuss The Archers here

[PseudoBadger]

So many possibilities.... A visit from the Titcheners Snr? Baby of the wrong gender? A ruined wedding? Re-housed Grundys? RuthRex?

TA is becoming ridiculous now. I was really 'enjoying' the HellRob SL, but it's all far too farfetched now. Jenny Darling would definitely not spill the beans about Adam to Knob who is nothing to her. Pat has had a complete personality transplant, Justin has had a complete volte face about Charlie... The list goes on. So disappointing. Tbh, as a PP said, it's really this thread that's keeping me listening.

Right, so now Jenny's had a personality transplant. All we need now is for Brian to To become a vegetarian and' we'll have the full set.

I wonder if "Gone away" was significant?

Oh I wondered if it was Gone Away! (That's the only hunting horn thing I know of course )

Are you a huntsperson, Bertrand?

No- I loathe hunting! But I am very old and very posh and grew up in the country

Sorry. Long time followe of thread, very infrequent poster.

I don't know, it seems very lazy and disingenuous to rural life to make the token baddie a hunting man. Whether or not people agree with it a) only trail hunting is permitted now anyway and b) whatever anyone says or thinks, the hunt is enmeshed in rural community life. Eg our local huntsman's wife had the fall alarms for the three elderly residents along their lane as it took an ambulance over an hour to get out there. Also, it is often the local hunt that makes sure that those suffering from the effects of rural poverty (eg lost job/lost cattle etc etc) get support, whether short term (food etc) or long term (finding a new job through contacts etc). When foot and mouth hit some of our farmers really badly, the hunt helped them enormously with the really distressing things and did it for the cost of being fed.

I think Oliver as field master (huntsmen are usuall rural working class) and will as a terrier man would be far more likely in terms of characterisation and personality and participation in the community. Oliver's benign poshness and Shula's innate horseyness is far more accurate. Don't get me started about how inaccurate rob's talking about it all is. If they wanted to show him all blood lusty and greasy pole climbing, it would be far more accurate to have him into shooting which is much more about violence and blood and schmoozing really rich people.

Ps blooding is barbaric and hasn't been done in DECADES in all our local hunts. I'll be honest - some very rural hunts (like in the middle of total nowhere) some dodgy things go on, including 'accidents', but they are, funnily enough, the least posh hunts and have the most claim to really need to protect for eg the hill farmers who raise sheep in the harshest of environments and don't need foxes making it worse. It is the hunts close to urban areas like Surrey and Oxfordshire hunts that tend to be super posh, but also very law abiding. And no need for pest control.

Anyway, another bit of lazy characterisation and inaccurate in its portrayal of rural life. I've listened to the archers for 5 years (I know this makes me wet behind the ears, but am only 29!) but I now can't bear it and juSt follow this thread instead, which is far more entertaining (especially DDD) and accurate (Dairyfarmerswife).

Rant over.

[ insert jokes about posh people and pest control here ]

I'm touched that you find me entertaining, nags. (I'm assuming DDD was a reference to me). Your post was interesting and informative - so thanks.

The fact is you might notice I'm a bit of a lurker myself, often not posting for many days. I only manage to listen to TA about once a week if I'm honest so I rely on this thread and lowfield summaries to keep me informed.

What keeps me here is the little friendly community that has built up in corner of MN (that and the collective tension as we await Rob's downfall, with the deliciously awful thought that it might be spun over months or years ).

It was indeed you to whom I was referring. I even contributed to your age spreadshit from last year. [proud] I'm in Australia right now so apologies if slow in posting replies - going between wifi systems as I used up my data mumsnetting...

But what did JD tell him that he didn't already know?

He didn't know about Pavel.............

Oh, the strawberry picker...

So now he knows Adam has cheated on Ian twice.

It's all being set up for another ruined wedding but JD just wouldn't tell him that so it's now so ridiculously twisted - as if Rob needed to be any more villainous.
It's the panto season, innit.

Not only does this thread keep.me listening to TA sometimes I think this thread is what kerps me on MN as the rest of MN has also gone a bit implausible and hysterical recently.

The Rob hunting. Tbf he has been into hunting from early on in his character but I do remember thinking when it furst came up that he didn't seem the type. I know he is farm manager but somehow he always seemed not very horsey and a bit urban. The cricket thing seems much more in character. I'd also have put him down as a golfer.

It seems clear tho from the shooting and cricket that he is one of those easily good at everything competitive types.

It has become so implausible I almost can't bring myself to post. Jenny has gone the way of Pat. No wonder Lynda is not doing a pantomime this year - she's in one anyway! All lining up for an EE style wedding.

That episode was the final straw for me. I'm going to stop listening and hide this thread.

I'm sure they are getting lots of new listeners who love the soapified plot driven nonsense but I listened for the characters and they aren't being looked after

Good listening everyone - maybe I'll see you in a few threads time when they've sacked soc (wishful thinking!!!)

How did Jenny know about Pavel anyway? Did she see them together or something? I can't see Adam confiding in her.

nags that is a great post about hunting. Agree totally about the portrayal of Oliver, Shula and Will being realistic. And Rob and Justin unrealistic. I too have been listening for 5 years, since DD was born. Am hanging in there at the moment, hoping the ridiculousness will fade a little after Christmas.

smalllegs agree with you too, Rob has always seemed urban. I'm not sure what his role at Berrow was but I never imagined him getting his hands dirty, much less getting covered in cowshit!

BOOP for Justin walking in on Linda though

I'm not even going to mention pantomime villain Rob continuing to pump Jennifer for information about Adam and Ian

So strange. Jenny has had access to limitless alcohol all her life. And, unless it was before I was born, there's never been any indication that she can't hold her drink or that she becomes indiscreet at social occasions after a few decorous glasses of wine. Nor would she ever have chosen Rob for such confidences. It's bollocks.

Poor Helen, now not allowed to put on a frock and sit in a room amongst her relatives and friends. Not just owned but devoured and ground down to nothingness.

Perhaps we could start a BOOP Bits breakaway thread BYOS and you could read that instead?

It's the panto season, innit

Gosh yes

You could hear the twirling of the mustachios last night

It's just a bit of daft fun now, isn't it. Shark has been/is being jumped

(but I would trade the lot for a bit of Tiger and Pusscat)

DFW just a polite reminder that it's LYNDA, with a Y [sniff]

I'm sure they are getting lots of new listeners who love the soapified plot driven nonsense

Are they though?
Are they not just getting lots of complaints?

We used to praise the subtlety of the Hel/Rob SL, hoped that she herself would find the strength to fight her way out or escape.

Now it's as subtle as a load of sileage and we're expected to believe he's cast a spell over far cleverer women than himself. Men who have know he's a cheat with a violent temper stand idly by.

It's an insult to intelligent listeners.

yy to subtle as a load of silage

it is driving me mad. It would be so much more effective had it continued to be subtle and believable.

I don't find Helen intelligent at all. She can be sharp in business, is all, she's hard working, fair enough.

You guys are reading way too much into some of this... Oliver is a hunting man & quite lovely, after all.

she's hard working, not for the last year. She's done fuck all apart from being 'so busy'.

I don't find her intelligent either. She is very immature and a bit whiny.

But she was formerly quite stubborn and headstrong and did not generally listen to advice. Including the advice to stay away from Rob.

JD though I'd have expected to be sharper.
Pat I'd expect to be more cynical.
Susan I'd expect to be more nosey.

But tyen my vile ex took loads of people on because in a social situation he is mostly affable and people seemed to ignore his occasional temper tantrums in that way (some) British people sometimes do.

I guess that is my point, though: it was lazy stereotyping and it doesn't really make the point it wants to, as it doesn't fit with Rob (as said by smalllegs - too urban) and hunting doesn't have kills any more, whereas the old/traditional casting of oliver, Shula and Will as associated with hunting/shooting makes sense. With Rob it's just writ too large and as the R4 impressions show implied earlier this year, he is this kind of box ticking, pantomime evil baddie. It just shows SOC doesn't understand the rural community or life, although as he doesn't seem to understand how social services or sheltered housing or farm sale timescales or midwifery or pretty much how any bloody thing works in Britain, nor seems inclined to encourage research on these matters, my disgruntlement over this minor matter of characterisation pales significantly! I suppose it was just straws and camels for me.