The Archers: The Crook, the Vet, His Wife & Her Lodger - discussion #80

[DadDadDad]

In full acknowledgement of PseudoBadger's great achievement in providing the previous 79 threads over the past 4 years (and credit to R4 for this thread's title)...

Discuss TA (The Archers). New posters encouraged - it's not (too) cliquey here and plenty of regulars are happy to answer questions.

One rule: no spoilers (ie no mentioning future plot teasers from Radio Times listings etc) - there's a separate thread for that.

So, is Phoebe pregnant? will Anisha dob in (dobbin - geddit?) Alistair?

PS I don't presume to take on PB's role permanently - hopefully the job of starting new threads will rotate among regulars until she returns

I found the cricket incredibly tedious. How can Ruth ring someone up & complain about what happened to Pip at work? Completely bizarre behaviour.

Haven't listened to The Archers since my student days and am disappointed as a returning listener with the standard of writing and acting. Lilian and Justin relationship particularly cringe. Was it always this bad? Should I persevere?

Hello Pearlsaringer (nice Elkie Brooks reference): I would run while you still can. The writing is poor and the storylines badly developed. I listen still (not every day) out of nostalgia and lazy habit, but honestly, find something more worthy of your attention! It's a dreadful habit that I must break.

And as for 'pearl clutching' - well, rather like 'cat's bum face' and 'big girl pants', these are expressions I only ever hear on Mumnset (you might think I lead a sheltered life) and I think they're quite snappily effective and visual. I don't like all the Mumsnet stuff (DS/DD/DH etc makes me cringe) but these I'll stick with. Carry on everybody!

Lass I was a nanny/Cm and EY teacher. Are you telling me that a small child (who has FT working parents ) and has fallen down or is crying and upset for whatever reason should be coldly ignored or if picked up, held at arms length and told in no uncertain terms that it shouldn't happen because "I'm not your mother".

Give over Chidren need comfort and cuddles to grow and develop fgs.

Given the Archer family's health and safety and biosecurity history, Ruth is hardly in a position to berate other farmers.

Haha Cromwell showing my vintage name-wise! I'm not that fussy honestly, I was quite gripped by the trials and tribulations of the Archers family, but somehow it has lost something. I miss Nigel! I don't know whether it is the writing but even long standing cast members seem unconvincing. I think I actively dislike Shula, and poor Jill is definitely sounding a bit mad. Oh-oh, I think I may be over-investing. See, this is how it starts....

Did Ruth call her adult daughters employer and have a go at them?

How embarrassing

Well Pip asked her not to but she was hardly in a state to hold her back, I think I might 've done the same given the circus., that farmer is a shxx. Tony and his arnica is needed.

The cricket came over well.

I also hope the surrogacy SL withers away. Given that it's patently obvious to everyone except Ian that Adam is lukewarm at best about the idea, I'd imagine it would be fairly obvious to any potential surrogate.

Shame the cow didn't kick Pip harder. Why are the dopeys feeling so sorry for her when she's nearly put the farm out of business? They're treating her like she's lost a limb or something, not made a massive mistake and then lied about it.

I don't understand why Lexie is a meerkat?

Jiggly It's a comment about Lexi's accent. You know those awful, but clever, adverts with meerkats ?

As I said upthread the Dopeys don't know the whole story yet.

Ah right! Thank you ppeat

Do you mean that the Dopeys don't know that Pip was aware that the fence was broken? I'd forgotten she hadn't fessed up to that bit.

Yes exactly

Pearls - I like the Anisha/Rex story, I like Lexie and Roy, I actually have a soft spot for Adam (and not just because he says important stuff about soil) although he has been a cad to Ian and is now being a wimp. Lillian can be fun, but the Justin thing is false - it is like a wedding I went to once, and that marriage didn't last 2 years.
David and Ruth have a huge blind spot over Pip, and are not very nice to Josh. Josh does seem quite normal, a bit single minded like a lot of late teens, but signs of a good character underneath.
I do like Peggy, she has good and bad points and her blindness about Hilda just makes her more real.
Linda is wonderful (but also awful at times).
So beware you may get sucked in.

That's true Beka I don't watch or listen to any other soaps. I'm hooked on TA . The plot lines are not bad now , maybe too many of them, but on the whole it's quite a good place to be sucked into

Lass I was a nanny/Cm and EY teacher. Are you telling me that a small child (who has FT working parents ) and has fallen down or is crying and upset for whatever reason should be coldly ignored or if picked up, held at arms length and told in no uncertain terms that it shouldn't happen because "I'm not your mother".

Er, no I never said anything of the kind but your vivid imagination should be an asset in telling stories to the children in your charge.

A poster said a nanny would fulfil a mother's role or similar wording.

Lilian I can take or leave but you're right Beka, those are the highlights for me too. I hope Hilda survives but I fear she may be a short lived treat for us listeners. Ppeat, I think you have something there, there are worse places to find yourself for an hour every Sunday. (I'm an omnibus gal!). I think I'll linger...

So you actually said this Lass "Nannies do not and should not be providing motherly contact"

I didn't make it up at all. Those are your words. As a nanny and CM the parents wanted me to be 'motherly'.

Being caring and 'motherly' with children in your care is completely different to being a mother though come on

Try reading the thread. I posted that in response to the poster who suggested a nanny could be a substitute mother where there was no mother figure as would be the case in this fictional situation. A nanny should not be acting as a substitute mother.

I'm rather surprised you think a paid professional comforting a child at nursery or school is providing "motherly contact".

What a narrow- minded, stereotyped idea-do only mothers or women provide comfort to distressed children?

If a male nanny or nursery worker does it - it is " motherly contact"? How very odd.

Well it's just semantics then, what a ridiculous conversation. If you're looking after children for 5 days a week on your own with them then they often call you mummy . Children in my class used to . They do know the difference but they are relaxed enough to 'forget'.

I'd be very happy if my own children liked their nanny enough to call them mummy now and then.

If you're looking after children for 5 days a week on your own with them then they often call you mummy

I would have sacked a nanny who encouraged a child to call her "mummy" or who did not correct a child who did so.

And I would not be impressed by a nanny who is showing the stereotyping about what mummies and daddies do as you have just done.

Steady on folks! You probably agree with each other re. Adam/Ian/Surrogacy etc. And you probably both know what each other means 😁.

Note to self. Don't post bollocks on the interweb. Somebody might want to discuss it.

lncidentally, Lass, Vango has a point. I agree with some of your more recent points much more than you will ever know. I think we should let the topic rest. And, yes, let's hope they willleave the surrogacy sl alone.

I've been thinking - has Olivia left MN? I know her posts on here were intermittent but l've not seen her on any threads for quite some time.

Blimey! Are Justin and Matt in cahoots? Lilian is going to lose her business as well as her home at this rate.

Oh, sneaky Justin.

Do mature women really get somebody to give them away? Maybe she'll choose Matt.