The Archers: Discussion #84. New Year and some of us are still listening even if we don't know why.

[DadDadDad]

New posters welcome - with your fresh views and burning questions.

Old posters welcome - with your jaded views and knowledgeable answers.

But new posters feel free to be jaded, and old posters feel free to ask questions!

How is the Pip storyline going to play out and do you care?

As usual, if you want to mention the advertised storylines for future episodes, there's a separate thread for that - no spoilers here, please.

Just imagine we're all sitting round a table at The Bull -->

Were we ever told anything about the people who bought Willow Cottage?
Mike sold Willow Cottage to IIRC a nice couple.

Roy lives at Willow Farm not Willow Cottage. Willow Cottage is the house created when Willow Farm was divided into two houses. Mike lived in Willow Cottage.

It was Blossom Hill Cottage that had the magic bedroom. I think Brookfield has a magic bedroom too, but I think that one disappeared.

How are Adam and Ian planning to manage childcare? Would they be limited to one of them getting two weeks' paternity leave? Will they both go part time? Will Ian give up cheffing?

Will Ian give up cheffing, care for the child, then be left financially screwed when Adam leaves him for his next bit on the side? The temptation of Charlie was that he was more exciting and adventurous than Ian; being elbow deep in nappies and formula is not going to make Ian more interesting.

I'm not keen on the way objections to surrogacy have been portrayed, i.e. as though Roy was being basely territorial in an unreconstructed masculinist way. It feels like a PSA to let everyone know that Surrogacy Is Good, when it seems pretty clear that if A & I couldn't afford to send Lexi home to her kids, she wouldn't be seriously considering it. It's not a 'pure' motive for Lexi, it's a massive emotional manipulation

Ahah. Ambridge is really Brigadoon... ( shows age) . The bedroom appears once every hundred years.

Good points about Adam needing to step up. Although I suppose that dramatically it works to have a character burst in and shout, "Wakey-wakey!" Jenny is truly being portrayed as thick as mince. Brian's going to struggle to find the paperwork Up In The Attic, isn't he?

Incidentally, can anyone shed some light on just what kind of salary Adam would be earning? According to Caterer.com the average head chef salary is just £27k, so what would Adam be earning to make surrogacy expenses and either full-time childcare or Ian giving up work possible?

Going back to Freddie and the drug dealing - it seems as if its only purpose was as a means to get Kate onto a plane back to SA. So they may feel they've wrapped up that story completely.

I'd be sad if they dragged the plot out and (Elizabeth and) Freddie down any further - it's not his fault he's the heir to a stately home ...

Ian is going to have a breakdown if anything goes wrong with this surrogacy. He could barely even face talking about any issues at the meeting. If it wasn't for Adam none of it would have been addressed at all. He's going to stalk Lexi's every move for the next nine/ten months.

I am sooo hoping the Farbaby will be a girl and they will name her Grace

Thinking of starting an AIBU thread:

AIBU to go NC with my Gran because she hates the name I have picked for my baby?

Yep Ian is a whinging, needy, bore. Glad I'm not alone - totally - with that view

Is there a map of Ambridge anywhere? I have no sense of where people live in relation to one another.

Very interesting. First Ian and Adam are discussing what to do if the baby has a problem; then Adam is spelling out to Jennifer that one of the chemicals can get into the water and cause all sorts of neurological problems ... presumably also to unborn children. So are we going down a SL where Brine damages his unborn grandchild?

Why's Justin concerned? Because it was one of his subsidiaries that did the landfill all those years ago? And he knows the tracks weren't covered sufficiently (because I doubt he'd care if he were confident it couldn't be traced back to him). But why's Latif just reappeared making sage comments about "needing to be able to keep your head" if in business? How far does the involvement spread?

@BuckingFrolicks2

this was the best I could do. You can look at the thumbnails but even magnified they are a bit small
Otherwise I can offer you this from my copy of Dan Archer's "The Ambridge Years'

ahhh, Bert's lovely

Goodness, that went on forever ...

And so downbeat for a Friday evening.

Mmm., Brian doing chokey?? what does the thread think of that prospect?

Susan will be sooo sympathetic... To their faces.

I think Brine would be fine in prison. He's pretty good at getting on with people.

Alice will set him up with some drones.

I thought that was a nice scene with Brian and Jennifer

I also am imagining Susan when she learns Brian might be facing prison - I'm sure she'll have some excellent advice for him. On the other hand she might be super-sympathetic leading to a new understanding between the pair of them.

I rather liked this ep. Brine was so hugely unsympathetic, accusing Adam of meddling in "his" business and getting a timely reminder that it's "ours". I bet Brine will be full of "we" and "our" when the shit hits the fan. The final bit where he unburdens to Jennifer was very good. Definitely a more nuanced bit of writing than usual.

I wonder if it would entail a custodial sentence, or could he get away with the ignominious electronic tagging?

Susan, Helen, Clive, Matt... have I forgotten anyone?

I've just booked my Academic Archers ticket on Eventbrite. Thanks for the reminder Olivia.
Anybody else going? Only 41 tickets left!

I'll be there.

cathf (from down thread) that's hilarious . Absolutely agree with you and Minimamoth that the character of Adam (complete with thespian drawl) is about as far removed from any RL farmer that I've had the pleasure to meet (and I've met a lot!).

Also agree about Ian being whingy and needy.

Bring back Charlie I say!