Thread 98 - Discuss The Archers here! If you don’t give a ha’porthfor Pip come and add your two penn’orth - we do enjoy a bit of change counting (especially if it’s in old money)

[Bittermints]

Many thanks to @LilianGish for the title (again - she has real gift for this!). Further thanks due to @PseudoBadger for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads and to @DadDadDad for being our resident statistician and keeping the ball rolling when Pseudo stepped back a bit.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed. We don't all agree on all points and most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you'd like to be Susan's best friend or other odd unusual views.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please. We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the weeknight episodes, but we do try our best to avoid cross-contamination from www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3439443-keep-it-to-yourself-the-archers-spoilers-thread-4, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

(Change counting references arose specifically out of a nostalgic discussion on the previous thread, if anyone is intrigued.)

Looking at overinfestment from a different angle, how about a cabbage leaf with holes in it and a raggedy edge.

I think it was a necklace Helen gave Pat.

I have a question for@dairyfarmerswifeor other people who know about milk and cheese and such. I thought one of the important things about making cheese was the type of cow you used. If Helen is changing the cow breed then might that not change the character of the cheese? I'd have thought Borchester Blue (R4 Food and Farming Award runner up) would be pretty susceptible to changes like that.

Isn't that partly why this has all come about, because the quality of the bought-in milk wasn't good enough, and I an wasn't going to stock Borchester Blue (or possibly Stirling Gold, i don't remember) any more, because the flavour has gone too bland - so they are hoping the Montbeliardes will change and improve the flavour, more back to what it used to be.

I assume Borsetshire is near the Welsh borders.

I assume Borsetshire is near the Welsh borders. It's Warwickshire/Worcestershire S of Birmingham. As far as the locals are concerned, accent wise it's Worcestershire/Vale of Evesham. I've always thought of Lakey Hill as Bredon. So you have Herefordshire and then Wales. Herefordshire is split off from Worcestershire by the Malvern Hills, so in some ways it's more akin to Wales than it is to England

Definitely more Worcestershire than Warwickshire. I think it must be between the two!

Definitely more Worcestershire! The real life Brookfield, The Bull, Lower Loxley, Grey Gables and St Stephens are all in Worcs. And Warwickshire hasn't got any hills!

So, I think Jolene's just shown us how you do it. With some gentle persistence she might get even more out of Elizabeth.

Oh boop Johnny and Alastair. That was a lovely episode.

There seems to a bit of a theme going with Alistair proving himself irreplaceable at various points around the village just before he's moved to a desk job - with Joe's donkey, Cranford Crystal and now Johnnie's cows. It's getting to be like Casualty where you try and guess who's going to be the next victim. Lynda's dog? Peggy's cat? Ed's sheep? What will they do without him?

Oh goodness! You mean like how everyone was Nigel's best friend in the weeks before SATTC?

(Haven't heard tonight yet.)

It's getting to be like Casualty where you try and guess who's going to be the next victim

Oh please no - Smugula would be insufferable making it all about her.

Warwickshire has some small hills!

I have a lot of love for Johnny.

Tom's version of Natasha is vile. I can't believe she's so fake.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who remembers Victoria Wood on 'Im Sorry I Haven't a Clue' when they did an Archers spoof - she played all the women and did a very fine change-counting scene

Unfortunately it's not available for listening again, otherwise I'd link to it.

Just to be clear, I’m not waiting for something to happen to Alistair, I’m waiting to see which animal will be struck down next. He’s announced he won’t be doing calls anymore when the practice is sold and he’s made it clear he’s not very happy about it, now we are being shown just how this will affect Ambridge. It’s a divorce spin-off story.

What is SATTC? Though I can guess it's about the roof accident.

SATTC Telegraph article though ...

Yes, I realised you weren't implying that Lil'G but it's an outcome that suddenly occurred to me last night. Because I've been wondering why on Earth he's still around - and so prominently. And Johnny's closing speech yesterday strengthened my misgivings. Alistair is getting a season of 'here's all your best bits'. I can't recall if Mark or Nic had the same - but Nigel did. And it would, as C8H10N4O2 make a properly searching story for Shula ...

Yep Nic was very prominent in the lead up to her death, lovely scenes with Joe.

I hope Ben is picking up the bill for Alastair.

Noooo not Alistair! I'd just decided to marry him, as Jonny's just a smidge too young for me.

Did anyone else last night feel a bit "meh" at David trying to blame Tony for keeping work in the family rather than Eddie?

Yes C8!

Tom and Kirsty aren't the only ones to succumb to the charms of the welsh.
Tony married Welsh Pat and Fallon lived with Reece.

MrsArthurShappey

I actually went back and listened twice because I thought I'd misheard it! The screaming hypocrisy of it.