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...

"Phew!
They were all set to marry, Sarf, but Lilian decided - on the morning - that she couldn't go through with it so they had a not-a-marriage instead. I'm waiting for this to come back and bite Lilian on the bum."

R4 and Sarf - well, as you can see from my earlier post, Lowfield is with me on Justin calling it off on the day of the wedding, not Lilian!

Come on somebody, back me up!

I remember it that Lilian didn't want to marry Justin because she wanted to prove that she was after him not his money. She was proving that her love was not tainted by the thought of filthy lucre. She deliberately cut herself off from a possible divorce settlement.
Justin was bemused but eventually went along with it.

I think it was definitely Lilian not Justin who called it off.

No, honestly, it took a strange turn, with Justin, after being all lovey dovey and declaring undying love, suddenly, and very suspiciously, to my mind, deciding that he loved her too much to marry her and let her have access to anything of his

Here's the Lowfield account of the day before the non-wedding:

"Thursday 21st December

Justin's evening takes a surprising turn

Jennifer, Lilian, Adam, Brian, Jolene, Justin, Harrison.

<strong>Lilian has a feeling that people think she is marrying Justin for his money, including Justin. Jennifer reassures her that Justin knows she loves him and that is why they are getting married.</strong>
Adam tells Brian that Ed has accepted the job at Home Farm. He'll be able to do other work in his own time, and Ed negotiated a small rise in salary.
Jolene has prepared a corner in The Bull especially for Lilian's hen do. Lilian is nervously waiting for something to arrive.
Adam, Harrison and Brian are all at The Dower House for Justin's stag do, whiskey and poker.
<strong>Whatever Lilian is waiting for still hasn't turned up. She's still worried about the gossip about her being a gold-digger, but Jolene tells her not to worry. Finally, Lilian's email arrives, and Jolene is asked to print something off.</strong>
The poker evening almost grinds to a halt when Justin says he know how to keep a really good poker face. Harrison wonders if it is just being a really good liar. Just a bit of banter! Justin tells Adam that he was asked to be Borsetshire Businessman of the Year, but that he declined it. They agree not to tell Brian. <strong>Lilian arrives, needing to have an urgent word with Justin. She's had a pre-nuptial agreement drawn up, to prove to Justin she is not marrying him for his money.</strong>

Also, it's clear on the MN thread du jour: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3102459-The-Archers-Will-Pip-grow-or-Jill-blow-Lil-make-her-vow-or-Justin-take-his-bow-Discussion-83?pg=7 Did you ever get your 20 quid, R4?

I give up, all you fake newsers, you - I've given you written proof that it was Justin who called the whole thing off at the last moment, and you still prefer to believe your own version of radio reality.

Okay just wasted time going to the Essex Plumber - so the order of events: Lilian gives Justin a pre-nup to limit her claim on his money, at the stag do before his wedding.
Then the next day Lilian has got ready and Justin says he can't marry her - because he doesn't want to be tied up in paper work and legal documents.
So they don't get married.

Now it could be as he says or he could have been going to marry her but then realised what he had to lose.
He obviously does care for her (at present). But when confronted by the idea of them splitting up....He comes up with a plan that gives him maximum security and her minimum.

Nevermind I still want to know what happened to the money for the Dower House!

Yep. That's what I said, Bekabeech

OMG. Massive servings of humble pie all round. Apols BB
He weasel-worded it so that he was the one proving love by not marrying. And the silly flibbertigibbet fell for it.

the essex plumber

It was definitely Justin.
But did you not notice DDD mentioning that he is tracking how many times posters are posting! Big Brother is watching you!

But did you not notice DDD mentioning that he is tracking how many times posters are posting!

Yes. I did a quick count of my posts!
I know that I have been noisy today but I am safely well below 75 posts. Besides I have ruled myself out of contention for being thread-starter due to general numptiness.

The 🔮 would like it to be known that MysticBore™️ must never be given thread-starting duties. She has demonstrated throughout her life that she is unable to cope with responsibility of any sort and would likely do a runner to Style and Beauty or start the thread in AIBU by mistake.

Eye theng yew.

I said Josh wasn't being altruistic with the milking.

What's the betting Josh forgets to shut the hens up.

But did you not notice DDD mentioning that he is tracking how many times posters are posting!

The power of statistics! I was just playing around with a spreadsheet, but it's a bit laborious to scrape the data off the thread, so don't worry about me monitoring everyone...

I'm surprised MNetters of all people are trying the line of "don't ask me to do it - I'm not competent enough, I really shouldn't be given that responsibility" - husbands who have that kind of attitude for not looking after their children, doing the housework etc are (rightly) blasted for being so pathetic.

How many posts have you made, DDD? I’m quite interested in how many I’ve made!

I’m with you on the excuses though. Did anyone else read The Little Red Hen? If we want a thread to post on then someone has to make it.

It was all bit in today's ep that the response to Geraldine being overwhelmed by work was to leave her running LL on her own.

Big Brother is watching you! I’d expect nothing less - that’s what his spreadshits are for. What’s the point of having an actuary on board if he can’t compile a few stats for us?

Oh no, Mootsie, I think you're on to something there. Poor hens.

I'm about as confident as I can be I've not made 75 posts on this thread.

I don't understand the hen thing. How come David decided it's Josh's responsibility - why not any of the others on site (eg Pip who is always blathering on about wanting to get stuck back into work). And why was David organising it and not Jill.

I think David was just giving Josh a job to punish him for not doing the milking.

Does Josh still have his own hen business?

That was very sneaky and unpleasant of Josh.

And Jill sent a message via David asking him to shut up her hens. Seems perfectly reasonable to me.....

After 922 posts, here is the wall of shame (I've excluded the 30 posters who only posted once).

Posts >> poster
76 >> witchmountain
75 >> QuaterMiss
62 >> ppeatfruit
56 >> LillianGish
54 >> DadDadDad
37 >> C8H10N4O2
33 >> R4
28 >> LassWiADelicateAir
26 >> Gersemi
25 >> ErrolTheDragon
24 >> MereDintofPandiculation
22 >> ADarkandStormyKnight
22 >> BertrandRussell
21 >> TigerDrankAllTheWaterInTheTap
19 >> Minimammoth
16 >> BikingBeatrix
16 >> echt
14 >> birdsdestiny
14 >> cheminotte
14 >> EBearhug
13 >> MrsArthurShappey
12 >> glamorousgrandmother
11 >> DressesWithPockets
11 >> Fink
10 >> BolleauxtoBankers
10 >> BoreOfWhabylon
10 >> buckingfrolicks
09 >> MadameButterface
09 >> TeenTimesTwo
08 >> Spreadingcudweed
08 >> TigerTeatimes
07 >> Bloobs
07 >> grumiosmum
07 >> Peartree17
07 >> Volant
06 >> KitchenFloor
05 >> Bekabeech
05 >> drspouse
05 >> Eastpoint
05 >> FiveShelties
05 >> MapleLeafRag
04 >> Ali1cedowntherabbithole
04 >> BitOutOfPractice
04 >> campion
04 >> MrsGrindah
04 >> newtlover
04 >> NotdeadyetBOING
03 >> CarefullyDrawnMap
03 >> elkiedee
03 >> Exexexcel
03 >> Ghostontoast
03 >> impostersyndrome
03 >> Stillnotready
02 >> AlecOrAlonzo
02 >> autumntimebrowns
02 >> bobbinsand
02 >> choccyp1g
02 >> CraicMammy
02 >> DeusEx
02 >> friskybivalves
02 >> Getabloominmoveon
02 >> JessieMcJessie
02 >> MikeUniformMike
02 >> SarfE4sticated
02 >> VanillaSugary
02 >> wurzelburga

Best I could do for a thread title suggestion:

Will languishing Lizzie lose Lily and Lower Loxley, or find Freddie's freedom?

cough three actuaries at least it seems cough
I've finally caught up with episodes and the thread, had to listen twice to the actuarial conference comment!

Caffeine here (admittedly city not rural) the council offers alarms to people at risk of falls, wear it around your neck, press it if you fall, council workers come rescue you.

A rare but well deserved BOOP for David.