Can someone give me an Archers lesson please?

[Mrsemcgregor]

I want to start listening to The Archers, what do I need to know not to be lost?

I listened for the first time today (it was yesterday's episode). Is there a thread or website somewhere that will give me a who's who?

Question, I'm an omnibus behind and this storyline was already happening before I listened I think.

Are we are meant to be on Kenton or the other man's(David?) side re loan? Or are they both being knobby?

I would also like the backstory to Kenton's loan. I thought David and Ruth were being a bit rude demanding free meals, but maybe not.

They take turns. They are all knobby at some stage and then we complain about character-changes. It's all part of the fun.

Kenton is usually a knob because he's like that (or irrepressibly irresponsible if you prefer) and David is currently being a knob because he is Under Stress (about life in general but also his irrepressibly irresponsible brother in particular).

The Fallon/Jolene thing is understandable - they haven't spoken to each other much recently, certainly not in a mother-and-daughter-living-in-the-same-village way.

I would also like the backstory to Kenton's loan

Prior to trying to buy parts of Bridge Farm, Justin made an offer on Brookfield. They accepted ( huge story), which meant that the Archer siblings would be due a payout. Kenton spent his money before he had received it (did I mention irrepressibly irresponsible?). David then changed his mind and stayed put. We then had Noah's Flood which did a lot of damage to The Bull. Kenton and Jolene couldn't afford the repair bill and David felt a bit guilty (K&L spent the money on a holiday-of-a-lifetime. They could have been told mid-holiday of the bad news and to rein in the spending, but it was decided against) so he lent them the money. I don't think that there was any agreed terms on repayment. Kenton is miffed that David has suddenly asked for the money back. David is miffed that money that could have been put to repayments has, instead, been diverted into an investment in Scruff Gin (run by Toby, the irrepressibly irresponsible ex of Pope Pip).
I think Kenton might have mentioned a free meal as a sop to delayed payments but David & Ruth have pushed it, in a childish fit of pique.

OP I found the Helen/Rob storyline gripping too and I am an oldtimer! Makes a change from the birdwatching and flower and produce yawnfests!

took me years (pre-internet) to work out Shula and Peggy I have just samefully realised that I can't remember this! Were Phil and Peggy siblings?

Jack, Phil and Chris were the children of Dan. Jack was Peggy's first husband* and died in the early 70s, long before I started listening so I wasn't aware that he even existed. So Peggy was married to Shula's paternal uncle.
Peggy, Jill and Cardboard are sisters in law.

• Not to be confused with her second husband - another Jack. Also dead.

Oh yes! Thanks. It's all coming back to me. That's nasty Jack, one time landlord of The Bull not Grey Gables and Captain-owning nice Jack who got dementia, right?

That's right. Tony is the son of nasty-Jack and everyone worries that Tony will inherit the nastiness/ineptitude/alcoholism. For some reason, nobody worries about Lil inheriting alcoholism.

Don't ask me. I sort of knew where I was with the Helen and Nob storyline but have since lost the plot again. I find it strangely soothing since the drama ended.

Actually I am wondering if they are preparing to run a story on Lillians drinking, they seem to have been mentioning it obsessively recently.

The Archers isn't a soap. It's a documentary.

Helen Archer is probably on here giving advice on how to juggle childcare and running a business.

Could someone explain please who Ruairi is and why he needs an attorney?

Jennifer seems quite respectable compared to Lilian but she had her moments when she was younger. She had an illegitimate child in the 60s (Adam); got married, had a child (Debbie) and got divorced; then married again (Brian), had two more (Kate, Alice); there were some further dalliances. Brian was equally red-blooded and had numerous affairs over the years but only one liaison (and his last, I think) produced a child (Ruairi).
Ruairi's mother disappeared off abroad, with him, for a while but then conveniently died, leaving Brian as the only surviving parent. Jennifer (after a bit of understandable to-ing and fro-ing) agreed to Ruairi coming to Home Farm - quite a thing considering he was the OW's child and JD was over 60. After a while he was shipped off to boarding school (Brine's idea) so we don't hear a lot of him.
He is only 16 so needs an impartial adult (attorney) to speak up on his behalf against Brine and the various much-older half-siblings in this new family partnership deal.

Ruari needs an attorney to make decisions on his behalf related to the farm. Brian has made all the children equal partners (some more equal than others, Adam and Debbie).

Thanks for the Kenton loan explanation!

I do wish Fallon would stop whining and just let Harrison buy the house.

Ah cross posted with R4

Thank you!

Ask to join the Archers Anonymous FB group. It's great fun.

Fallon is a PITA. If it wasn't for her amazing baking and tat restoring she has no redeeming features. Harrison is way too good for her.

I've got a slight crush on Harrison

If you're really serious about TA you can go to the Archers Academic Conference. The one earlier this year was brilliant fun and we even went for the coference dinner at The Bull.

I have a question, so Jennifer is Pheobe's grandmother and Roy is her Dad? Who's her mum and is Kirsty her stepmum or just a friend that lives with them? Or have I got all that wrong?

Yes - her mum is Jennifer's daughter Kate who had her very young (in a tent at Glastonbury) but then split up with Roy. She later married a South African (?) And went to live there. She had 2 other children who barely get a mention! Kirsty is Roy's housemate - no relation.

Thank you Allegretto!

This week Caroline Stirling nee Bone died out in Italy.
She is the owner of grey Gables the local Country Hotel & Leisure club.
She was much loved (as was the actress who passed away earlier this year).
The Stirlings also own Grange Farm where The Grundy's live at a reduced rent when the Stirlings went to Italy. The Grundy's actually used to tenant farm Grange Farm but ended up having to leave as they couldn't make it viable. Joe Grundy is in his 90s and wants to die at the farm.

Backstory:
Caroline once had an affair with Brian Aldridge (the one with the son needing the attorney)

Holy shit! I just realised I must have listened to Phoebe being born because I totally remember that storyline.