The Archers: Will Lillian decide what MATTers JUST IN time? Discussion #82

[DadDadDad]

Discuss The Archers here, the long-running thread series started by PseudoBadger. Maybe my puns will tempt her back to take the reigns?

I think Sleeping Beauty references can wait until the next thread which will probably cover much of December.

Lurkers de-lurk! New to The Archers? you're welcome here; the friendly crowd will answer your questions.

We don't really know what Josh's business engagement was, though. Personally, I think Josh's commitment to growing his business and wanting to do well at it is incredibly commendable, especially in the light of his stupid parents' bedazzlement by his dopey, self-centred sister. They give him no encouragement at all. His resilience and determination would be great qualities in any circumstances, but with that rubbish family, they're amplified.

If the potential tractor buyer couldn't or wouldn't reschedule, no normal parent would dream of expecting their son to wave goodbye to the sale. Why should he lose thousands of pounds when the Dopeys can get a taxi perfectly easily or even, shock horror, get on a train for at least part of the journey?

Josh could have said to Pip that he had an important meeting, would she collect the parents and he would cover her early morning milking.
The Dopeys made their holiday plans on the basis of Josh collecting them. If he hadn't promised then they could have done long term parking for less than the price of the taxi.

Ooh, I missed a compare and contrast. Pip had a dilemma over the cows: should she go for maximum milk yield or condition? She decided that the long term health of the herd was more important than short term money, and D&R agreed.
Josh made the opposite choice.

Sorry, really not following you. I think she said she'd been discussing the cows with Ed, not Josh. Ed being a cow man, Josh being a tractor man. Dopeys making holiday plans on basis of being collected, indeed! Yeah, right - two weeks away from the farm overseas and whether I get squired door to door by busy son is the deciding factor in going or not. Good for Josh - his stupid parents never seem to prioritise him, why should he set aside an opportunity to grow his business (for which they should be praising him to the skies) in order to save them a cab fare?

Sorry, really not following you. Pip puts the herd/family first. Josh puts Josh first, doesn't even think about finding a Plan B.

whether I get squired door to door by busy son is the deciding factor in going or not No, but it's a deciding factor in making plans beforehand. If D&R knew they weren't being picked up then they could have made alternative arrangements (eg LTP) before they left. Josh changing plans while they were away is poor behaviour.

I know very little about dairy farming- but isn't it a little odd to be asking such a major decision about the herd on her own when Ruth and David were only away for two weeks?

Josh can't do right for doing wrong in that family

Ultimately, they have zero respect for him so it's unsurprising he puts his own interests first

The dopeys family dynamics with their kids is revolting

When were we told that the Dopeys had made plans on the basis of Josh's availability to pick them up?

Long-term parking plus petrol is not necessarily cheaper than a taxi (voice of bitter experience here). Plus there are such things as trains. And we all know what an epic Pip would have made out of being asked to help Josh in any way whatsoever.

R4 Josh has to put Josh first! No-one else is remotely interested in his career prospects!

Long-term parking plus petrol is not necessarily cheaper than a taxi (voice of bitter experience here).

You forget that I live in Hollerton. We always do LTP in preference to taxi.

Er..sorry, Pip puts family/herd first? is this the same Pip that seriously fucked up the family's finances and reputation through carelessness and lying a short couple of months ago? Are you, in fact, Ruth Archer, R4? 'cos you seem to have a similar short-term memory problem when it comes to this character.

Just been thinking has MATT making a run for it with Lillian’s trust money from the house sale that heavy suitcase is interesting

This scenario is impossible in real life.

Pip puts family/herd first?

In this compare and contrast she did, but I'm no apologist for her for the rest of the time.
I'm surprised at the number of people thinking it's OK for Josh to renege on a promise.

Did we actually hear Josh offer a lift from the airport? It’s much more likely the parents decided he could pick them up cos he had more free time than Pip. I’m sure they could have got the train- they are both fit, used to physically demanding work, and they’re unlikely to have lots of luggage for a short break in a warm place. Anyway I can’t imagine Ruth having any clothes apart from jeans, T-shirt and wellies.

New to this thread but long time TA listener, like 30 years. Lilian is a total pain, deserves all she gets, preferred it when she was tucked away in Channel Islands. Josh seems to be re running Tom Archer as potential entrepreneur doomed to failure. Would happily have run over Matt myself. About to listen to 2 repeat of last night. Reckon the suitcases full of gold bars hence the weight. I hate soaps and TA annoys me intensely but I still have to listen

Children make promises - adults accept that things change and you have to adapt. Having to take a taxi was hardly the end of the world. They were coming back from holiday - not coming out of hospital after major surgery

I agree Josh has his plan B in that he’s trying to not be financially dependent on the farm. It’s already been diluted through David’s generation with the mysterious B shares in terms of ownership. It would struggle to support Pip Josh and Ben so finding his own business is probably a sensible option

Trumpisafart: ...TA annoys me intensely but I still have to listen

Never a truer word.

Delurking.

Why is David so down on Josh? He can't do a thing right. He's working so hard to get his business off the ground!

Lillian, Lillian, Lillian: what a complete fool she is. Everytime I hear Matt speak I imagine the actor with a mouth full of cotton wool and I bet the cases are full of ill gotten cash he owes someone who is threatening a long sleep with the fishes.

And as for Roy's dea that Ian might have run Matt over, what a vivid imagination he has! Mind you, having lived through the Rob, Helen saga I suppose he thinks anyone is capable is anything!

Iris, it’s just crap writing. I don’t think they necessarily want us to think badly of the Brokefied A. But we do nonetheless.....

More fawning over Pip. This really is absolutely ridiculous. Why don't Ruth'n'David put up a plinth, then they can install Pip on top of it and worship her properly?

Is all this Lillian's comeuppance for having an affair with a married man. Perhaps it's an Archers morality tale. Matt runs off with all her money in suitcases, and Justin refuses to have her back. Alternatively Miranda and Matt are in a secret relationship, and it's all a cunning plan to bring down both Justin and Lillian.

Well there we are. From Ruth. "When are you going to move back?", "the three of us...." "you'll be running the herd" etc etc. Is that how it normally works in farming families? Josh aside, does Ben even get a say?

Did we ever find out how much compensation they needed to pay out after the IBR outbreak? And if they were insured etc? They've bounced back remarkably quickly.