Ambridge is in the doldrums. When will Pip pop? Does anybody even care? And Anisha’s off, leaving Rex in the (pig) trough? Discuss the Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

Sorry about the title, nothing particularly inspiring in the storylines currently

No spoilers please, there’s a thread for that.

I agree that her brand is seriously damaged but she is so flaky she may well not work that out.

Or maybe she is thinking that if Bridge Farm can get past the e coli then she can get past TCE.
Have the scriptwriters dropped the "getting into the ground water" angle after this summer of drought?

C8, it's the land next to Spiritual Homes that's being sold isn't it?

Yes I'm sure you are right - I was misremembering. Its secondary disruption rather than the land being sold underneath her.

I think Kate doesn't believe Brian when he says there is no other money because he has a long track record of lying to people (including his own family, including Jenny, Adam and Debbie) to get what he wants. In that sense, he reaps as he sows.

Why would Kate be fighting so hard to keep her easily-movable business next to the contamination site?

I'm not sure how easy those things are to move. It would need to be tranquil, scenic, not in the middle of machine farming etc. Reasonably level, accessible.

Probably another piece of land which is sub par for cultivation but on the main access routes. If I think of the land in areas I know, most of the level/acessible land is also high value for cultivation.

Virtually every big posh farmhouse round here has been sold off and the real farmers live in a sensible 4 bed new build

Yes I must admit, farmers wanting to hang on to a large house they don't need whilst selling land is not a type I recognise. The land is the last thing to go usually

I know this has been mentioned several times but the one thing that stops me thinking this is another Northumberland is that Brian and Shula are married in real life, they're both 75 so may be looking to retire, and both characters are having a huge upheaval! Logically the only way out for Brian is death or clink (or both!), but Shula may well move away, possibly overseas.

We haven't heard from Mystic Bore for a while, I wonder what the crystal ball says

If that was the case then we could be in for a major culling - Peggy and Jill are both getting on.

Maybe Peggy will go and Jenny will have her slice of Archer cash to keep Home Farm.

I have been wondering if Peggy’s goldmine might be brought into play ...

(Tony could hardly complain - given how many ready meals his mother has paid for. And Lilian only cares about the things money can buy, rather than about money itself. So she might not mind. In fact the only people who would care, if Peggy were to give Home Farm her every last penny, would be James and Leonie.)

There was major sign-posting of a meeting between Peggy and Debbie. Do we think that business-brain Peggy will come up with the solution that has been eluding everyone else.

I think Peggy has learned her lesson about leaving the money equally. I certainly hope so!

Good Lord, the actress playing that odious Shula has a very young voice!

More likely Peggy will give Kate a stern, grandmotherly talking to and point out that with a bit of imagination she could easily move the yurts (there was even some mention of moving them this week, though presumably with the existing site).

That does sound more likely!

Was the mention of Pip a signposting of something about to go wrong with the pregnancy? Or just a topical insert about the weather?

I think the bunting mention was a sly reference to regular listeners who have been commenting for a long time about the disappearance.

We were listening to the omnibus in the car on Sunday and DH commented that it seemed to consist entirely of people arguing and why would I want to listen to that?....

I also can't believe that Smugula is 75 IRL. I thought early fifties. How old is the Kenton actor, her 'twin'?

Bloody hell, Richard Atlee (Kenton) is only 55!

Crikey, he's 20 years younger than his twin sister.
I didn't know Judy Bennett was a scouser.

Peculiar casting way back when!!

I don’t see that frisky - assuming you mean their relative ages. They’re actors, and it’s radio. Surely the only criteria should be acting ability and suitable (preferably distintive) voice type?

That's the idea but a lot of the men sound very similar. I struggle with Tom, Josh and Rex.

Agreed. That’s why I wrote ‘should’!

Didn't Judy Bennett often play children in the good old days of ye BBC Drama Rep?

Seems from this that it's still going......

Yes Gruach - on second thoughts you're right. I suppose was just thinking quite odd for the actors to do 'twin' scenes when one could be the other's mother.

Presumably Ms Bennett was in situ before the current version of Kenton arrived - but say it had been the other way round? I hate to think of her being deprived of a role she excels in because she might have been considered (being female ...) too ‘old’ to play his sister.

I am Alistair, hear me roar!
It's about time he got assertive.

Have the SW suddenly discovered a thing called "legal advice" First Will, then Kate and now Al.

Quite agree R4. I like this assertive Alistair. Can't believe Anisha's got the brass front to whine about 'dealing with it as friends." The caaaahh.