The Archers #93: The Flower and Produce show - who's going to get their just desserts. Freddie? Ellis? Russ? Pass judgement here.

[DadDadDad]

No, that's not a jokey exaggeration, this is really the 93rd thread in a series started by PseudoBadger five years ago! In fact, post number 90,000 in the "official" count will be made on this thread.

Lovers of The Archers welcome (along with the rest of us who have a more complicated relationship with the "TA" ).

One rule we try to stick to: No mentioning of future episode plotlines published in the Radio Times etc. However, once an episode has aired, say what you like!

What is going to happen to Freddie? And are we ever going to hear from Lily again?
I also am wondering what it will take for Kenton to apologise to Fallon...

Does anyone know why they aren't trying to get another member of staff to write a reference for Freddie?

There are enough staff back at college to hold Russ to a disciplinary, so surely there should be someone else who could write one?

Or has the Russ one already been submitted?

When is Freddie's court hearing anyway?

I think it was a weak point Russ agreeing to write it in the first place as he had never taught Freddie. It would have been better for Freddie's tutor (or similar) to have written it.

But maybe they wanted to set up Russ being dramatically "unmasked" in court - or at least the reference being discounted.

Thank you DDD!

Must say, I’m enjoying TA at the moment - despite inconsistencies and improbabilites.

Cant even begin with the nonsense of Russ as Freddie’s referee. No rl solicitor/legal team could conceivably allow that to happen. I know they’ve set up a deliciously knotty situation - but it needs resolving sharpish.

I'm wondering if it will be Freddie himself who sorts out the Kenton/Fallon business, given his recent acceptance that he has no-one but himself to blame for his current circumstances. Maybe he can persuade Kenton to grow up and take a similar attitude.

Yes - Gersemi, I can see that working, nice theory. I think sentencing is at the end of the coming week, so there's still time.

Thank you for stepping up DadDadDad.

I wondered whether Shula is going to try & reconcile with Alastair now. I hadn’t realised until his birthday that he is younger than her.

I should add that the 161st post on this thread will be that post number 90,000 in the "official" total. And using all my statistical skill, I predict that post will be made on 27th September.

I don't understand why Alastair and Shula are so hell-bent on a divorce based on unreasonable behaviour. Surely the simplest thing would be to base it on Alastair's adultery. When did the one night stand happen? Was it before or after Shula putting the divorce wheels in motion? Bit difficult if the sequence was 1) instruct solicitor to start divorce proceedings - 2) one-night-stand - 3) "I've been driven to divorce because of his adultery".

It seems to me the only one who has behaved unreasonably is Shula. But this is a lovely story of how an initial intention for an amicable separation can unravel into a full no-holds-barred divorce battle.

Thanks for lovely new thread, DDD, and to whoever gave us the great title.

Gersemi, that thought occurred to me too. It’s probably the most sensible way to take it.

I want Tom to just turn down Hannah’s offer. He doesn’t need to get laid (no doubt he thinks otherwise!) and shagging house mates is just too complicated even in a drama.

I want even more for Alistair to turn down any offer of reconciliation from Shula. After everything she’s said and done surely he has more self-respect.

BikingBeatrix - you have just made me realise that I didn't give credit for the thread title, which was QuaterMiss's suggestion (slightly edited by me), so thanks to her.

Sorry for not mentioning that in OP, Quater. You are QuaterMiss and I am the Pit.

Well done Dadx3 and Quater Thank you both

Oh btw I made the best quince jelly\marmalade yesterday (which is the original marmelada from Portugal) I got the (easiest ever) basic recipe and info from Elizabeth David. It's absolutely delicious, specially sugar free.! You wouldn't know.

Thanks for the new thread Dad3 .
Re the divorce, surely A’s gambling would count as unreasonable behaviour?

Pleasure!

I had to bow on stage last night. (Am not a performer - it was part of an Autoteatro show.) I’ll pretend I was thinking of you all.

I'm sure they could find something if they were determined, but I predict they will go through all the awful things about each other and decide there's not really anything so bad and actually quite a lot of good, but Alistair will day there's been too much going on to reconcile (suspect the scriptwriters will disagree on that last point, though.)

Nooo Alastair can't go back now! I like the new party Alastair :o

Also love Russ's character development - I'm sure the SWs have been looking on here for prime manchild/cocklodger inspiration.

If Tom has any sense where Hannah is concerned (though we know he fancies her) he'll keep his trousers done up, she comes over as a bit of an OTT type.

Give us a break with the "drama' SW's please.

Thank you for new thread DDD (v impressed by the stats!) and for title Quatermiss.

I also like the newly rejuvenated Alistair and found his concern for Freddy rather touching.

[Ppeatfruit may I please trouble you for the recipe if it's not too much trouble? I was given a string bag full of quinces last week and I wasn't sure what to do with them! I've looked on-line for the recipe without success and I only have "Is there a nutmeg in the house?" on my shelves currently! ]

Ooh yes spreading Lucky you , a bag of quinces!! I paid quite a lot for 2 organic ones!

There are a number of quince recipes in Elizabeth David's French Provincial Cooking. I sort of made a mix between the marmalade and pate!

You wash off the fuzzy outside. Then without any chopping or skinning. Put 2 or 3 whole quinces in a solid saucepan and cover with water. Simmer till soft enough to get a sharp knife into them. Not too easily, let them cool out of the saucepan keep the water in it ,peel and core. Add the peelings (they add good pectin) etc to the water and boil down till it goes stcky and a lovely reddish colour.

Remove the peelings etc, and then put the chopped quinces. In the same water. If you cook it away with the sugar as much as you want to (with no top) it will make a sort of thick jam\pate add Xylitol. I added some fruit juice and made it into a jam not a pate. Put in jars and keep in the fridge if you haven't added much sugar. The pate can be spread on a flat oiled and lined tin . Then dried out in a low oven.

Ooh that sounds delicious Ppeat; thank you so much for taking the trouble to write it out in such detail! It's much appreciated!

( I am sure I had French Provincial cooking somewhere btw, but it's wandered off somewhere as has Omelette and A Glass of wine... .)

And if it turns up at the Produce Show, we'll know that the SWs do read this thread!

Can I ask a noob question ... What do the symbols in the first post mean?!

Thanks DDD, Pseudo and Quater.

That’s the pub sign for The Bull (the pub in Ambridge)

You get it by writing [ archers ] without the spaces.

We were awarded the archers smiley by MNHQ when we reached 50,000 posts, and I think there are many interpretations of what it stands for, but I think of it as a collective celebration of the community that exists on these threads, like a merry session at The Bull.

Ah ha!! Amazing! Thanks!

Testing...

What symbol shall we lobby for when we get to 100,000 posts?