The Archers #96: Is that a rat I smell or the whiff of Snell? In Chaucer’s famous Tale of Two Torsos, Brian’s ‘still got it’ and Poldark is searching for scything opportunities in Susan’s kitchen.

[NotdeadyetBOING]

Welcome..... I'd concocted a longer title with all sorts of references to bitch stitching and pasta bakes, but was thwarted by the pesky character limit

Another one who is glad about the Aldridges' move. We need a big yet (vaguely) plausible change in Ambridge.

Especially when we all know they are going to end up in a bigger place.

Well ... It would be quite fun if, having been so negative about this temporary move, Jenny and Brian rapidly decide they like living in a tiny house with no hangers-on enormous adult children cluttering up the space. Tbh Ruairi could move into Brookfield - or stay with Adam and Ian once Lexi has Brexi-ed.

And having J&B next door might prompt Kirsty to remove herself from the most unlikely lodging situation in the whole history of the world.

I was still half expecting Peggy to say 'only joking, have your keys back, it's me!'. But, stamp duty and other fees aside, there's no way she'd have made them go through clearing the house and moving out.

Can I just throw in another false expectation of mine, while I'm here? I've long been expecting that Lexi would accidentally get pregnant by Roy, scuppering her surrogacy plans. Not to be it seems.

(Long time lurker, first post on TA thread!)

When Jennifer went to hand the keys over I initially thought it was Natasha's voice I heard - I had to listen twice and then remind my thumping heart that they did actually meet earlier in the episode.

I hope someone nice is moving in!

You can't settle a property sale at the weekend - the banks are closed

And I can't see many solicitors being that keen on coming in to the office to sort out a completion on a Sunday during the Christmas break. How hard would it have been to arrange completion the following day?

I want Kate to come back from her travels and turn up at both Home Farm and the current homestead to discover that there's no room at the inn and she's actually got to sort out accommodation without her parents' help.

SusanOf course! matching tattoos on their backs, think you've got it. What of though I'm wondering now?
Hi Reveal I also thought it was Natasha with the keys, must be the actor playing another part

I got the BL board members but not the password or the bit about Hannah or the children at F and P.

I really enjoyed the Canterbury Tales. It was great. Looking forward to the next four tales. So far the Wife of Bath's Tale is my favourite I think.

I thought tattoos too
I also spent the episode convinced it would be Natasha who collected the keys because she was the buyer, but seemingly not.

Tom & Natasha are utterly implausible to me, the giggling & general silliness seem ridiculous. I thought they had just got up to experimental sex. Anyway it’s grim listening.

I felt sorry for Jennifer, my father had to move for similar financial reasons (bad business decisions) at the same age & his buyers tried to cut the price too (but by a lot more, 15%) and we told them to get lost & put the house back on the market. They paid the previously agreed price.

I don't want the Aldridges to move and hate the SL.

Perhaps they should think of downsizing anyway. A nice bungalow?

I think if I was Jennifer I’d have called the whole thing off the moment Kate skipped off to South Africa. Spiritual Home will fail anyway because of her laziness.

Can’t wait to find out who will be moving in.

Grim listening is bang on when it comes to Tom and Natasha. I shudder to think what they got up to over Christmas and very much hope we never find out

It occurs to me that the end of this thread is in sight. Am I supposed to appoint someone to start the new thread??

I suspect Brian will get together with Justin to magic up a new house with a super-dooper kitchen so lucky Jenny can continue producing delicious things for him and his friends.

Peggy is obviously going to sell up and move in with Auntie Cardboard too. So may have a lot of cash sloshing around to help out.

Although the 🔮 thinks Jenny and Brian will end up moving into The Lodge, one way or another.

I'm not sure how they can not know who has bought the house and why it is being kept such a huge secret. I'm it has actually gone through, but still wondering if they will somehow end up renting it back. Racking my brains about who might be the mystery buyer I did wonder if it might be Hazel Woolley. As an aside I found myself sitting next to Celia Imrie on the Victoria Line yesterday (a tenuous Archers connection ). She looks much older in real life - though perhaps that's because I think of her in roles where she was much younger. Too old to be Josh Archer's mum at any rate. My DH says I've lost touch with reality.

Hazel isn't acted by Celia Imrie but by Annette Badland

I know - Celia is the mother of the actor who plays Josh.

Yes. They were both in Kingdom.
I quite like Josh and Ben but not the other one.

He who is difficult to spell

Celia Imrie is 66, her son was born when she was 42- he’s 24 and Josh is 21. My son was born when I was 43, I’d be upset to think people thought I looked too old to be his Mum.

Just to be clear Jessie I’m not having a dig at older mums, just that Celia Imrie looks much older than I imagine Ruth Archer to be. I know Celia Imrie doesn’t play Ruth - I was conflating The Archers with reality (as my DH was quick to point out).

Pip is easy to spell and easy to dislike. The Josh Actor is 24.

Well Ruth just had her 50th this year, so yes

I've always gone the 'other way' and refused to look at images of the actors, as far as possible, as they were not cast to 'look the part' at all.

So to me, thinking about the actors and their relationships to other actors, has nothing to do with The Archers and is a separate topic of interest (or not) entirely.