The Archers No. 94: Freddie’s doing porridge, Tom gets his oats, but will Home Farm be toast? We’ll have to wheat and see ... Serial production is in full swing in Ambridge

[witchmountain]

Thanks to LilG for the title, and DDD for starting the last thread and the tradition of the thread starter nominating the next thread starter

Lurkers are always welcome to unlurk and join in, including asking questions of the many very knowledgeable posters with a long Archers-listening history.

Don't post spoilers based on forthcoming plot synopses that you've read, there's another thread for that (and we'd love to see you over there). Once an episode has aired then it's fair game.

[DadDadDad]

Thanks for your kind thoughts. Hamster died on Tuesday and after the initial shock and a day of sadness, my daughter (DDD DD?) seems fairly relaxed about the whole thing - she knew the hamster had reached a good old age.

[witchmountain]

Oh dear DDD. When my sister's hamster died, after its cage was knocked over by a visiting dog, my own DDD tidied the hamster and cage up and then went to break the news to her that the hamster had sadly "died in her sleep". We were none the wiser until about two decades later.

Am I the only one insensitive enough to wonder if you've got some kind of hamster morgue set up in your fridge if it died on Tuesday - or should that have been Thursday?

[DadDadDad]

Dont worry about insensitivity - I can be fairly detached about the life of a hamster. Morgue was shed, there was a bit of a retch-inducing whiff this morning, but it was already wrapped in a (bio-degradable) bag. I grabbed a sprig of rosemary from the garden, shoved that under my nose, then got digging.

Turning things back to TA, how can Elizabeth’s siblings practically help her? She seems in a dark place.

And anyone else getting worried about Lily?

[Missdfruitfulness]

New to hamstering as of yesterday. Bought this cute male, but not so sure now.

[MereDintofPandiculation]

I had my cat in the deepfreeze for a week, waiting for my son to be available for the burial. Thankfully a spare deepfreeze which we only use for a short period each year for fruit gluts. I tried the "cool shed" approach on a previous cat, but lodgers moved in within 24 hours, which I was quite offended at.

Have we worked out yet where Freddy is? We know it's "north" (from the conversation which ended that they get sent where there's a space), and Lizzie said to David on first visit "satnav is showing 4 hrs 10 mins".

Castington prison (formerly RAF ACklington) which takes young offenders? About the right journey time.

[DadDadDad]

It's the cirrrrcle of lii-ife!

Actually, with all the current debate swirling, I saw "trans pet" and could only think "what's that? a hamster that identifies as a goldfish."

[DadDadDad]

My comment was aimed at missd obviously.

Do you think they have a real place in mind for Freddie? I think they also had a line about Lily heading over to Leeds to meet Lizzie en route, as that would be two-thirds of the way there. I'm a southerner, so "somewhere a long way up north" does for me!

[MereDintofPandiculation]

Do you think they have a real place in mind for Freddie? Why not? Lily and Phoebe are at real universities. But even if they don't, we know Freddie is real, therefore he must be at a real place. Logical, isn't it?

If Leeds is 2/3 the way, then Castington isn't a bad bet. Travel is smoother with fewer delays once you've shaken off the influence of Birmingham.

[PseudoBadger]

nice to see you all

[Eastpoint]

I assume a transhamster starts off as a cat DadDadDad. I thought the same as you.

[QuaterMiss]

Nice to see you too!

Wassup?

(Hope you noticed how much we appreciated your threadstarting when threatened with having to do it ourselves? )

[HurricaneFliss]

.

[InkySplatter]

Hello everyone, long lost tiger here.
Thank you for the new thread and fab title.

Does Jill actually want new hens? She's rather elderly and has her bees and general scivvying domestic duties to attend to. Josh was irresponsible with the milking but it seemed pretty win win. Feel sorry for him, though sorrier for the hens. As ever can't stand David. He was so presumptuous, insisting on new hens overriding Jill's own decision.

Going back a bit, Justin called off the wedding because he felt it wasn't right for Lillian, because she was insisting on a pre nup rejecting all his assets and fortune after nearly legging it with Matt Crawford.

I don't agree with Jill, Lizzie doesn't need blind support she needs help to get a grip. It's wretched for her but she's making it harder for herself really.

[DadDadDad]

HurricanFliss - good point.

Oh yes... glad to see you're keeping an eye on us.

[ppeatfruit]

How ya Psuedo ?

I agree that Lizzie needs help to get a grip, someone more objective to talk sense to her (and make her listen) Usha? not just unconditional love.

[Paintingtheroseswhite]

Long time lurker delinking.

Freddie could be in Holme House at Stockton, castington would be a bit far if Leeds is 2/3 of the way.

No idea what Lynda's play is but have to admit my heart sank a bit when it was mentioned as we seem to be on a very similar episode treadmill every year with recruiting, reluctant participants, drop outs, save the day then everything ok in the end, just seems like script padding to me

[MadameButterface]

Can we talk about Hannah please? Specifically, do we think she was being genuine with jazzer or was it all a ploy to make tom jealous?

[ppeatfruit]

Madame Both she and Jazzer hadn't expected Tom back early. I was wondering if they were going to end up in bed though. She is a player, her calling J. her mate didn't ring that true, she and Tom had formally split.

I think that her and Jazzer would make a good couple.

[MereDintofPandiculation]

Freddie could be in Holme House at Stockton, castington would be a bit far if Leeds is 2/3 of the way. Stockton on Tees? Yes, that sounds good. Ambridge to Leeds, 2.30 - 3hrs, Leeds to Stockton 1.25 - 1.5 hrs.

But does it take 18-year-olds?

Freddie should feel right at home - Prison Inspector's report in 2017 suggested a quarter of people entering had picked up a drug habit while they were there
www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/painkiller-trading-three-week-wait-15085711

[HurricaneFliss]

HurricaneFliss - good point

why, thank you D3



Hannah and Tom's FWB storyline makes my flesh crawl.

[Wauden]

Looking forward to hearing about Lily's story as it was shaping up nicely, with cocklodger saying he won't be able to work, what with thinking about painting some time, maybe and work stifling him. And his insistence that that they take on a flat. And the expensive Italian kettle which boils to three temperatures which her mother bought for them.

[RockNRollNerd]

Am finally back in real time. Had massive catch up thanks to two work trips, Lowfield and these threads. May have to leave again though if the panto is Antigone. I did it for STEP French and it gave me nightmares!

[DadDadDad]

We've already had some Aristophanes references on this thread, and I believe he was the one who first imagined the place where Elizabeth appears to be living: cloud-cuckoo-land.

Have the SWs received some cracking legal advice that they will put into Anna's mouth as she pulls some amazing coup, or is Anna going to give Lizzie the reality-check she needs?

[MadameButterface]

ppeat noooooo! Jazzer deserves far better than that awful Hannah. He has a heart of gold. I would actually like to see him settled with a family, his lads on the piss schtick is getting old and i think he’d be funny as a dad, he’d be right into it. But not with bloody Hannah. Her and tom need to elope together, across the sea, in a bin.

[pasbeaucoupdegendarme]

Lurker here...

I hope Anna is going to make Lizzie see sense. It needs to come from someone she respects, but who is outside the family. While I think Jill is admirable for trying to have learnt from her earlier mistake, Lizzie’s situation is very different from Shula’s.

Tom and Hannah make me cringe, and poor Jonny tonight! Eew.