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.)

the fine is on top of the clean up fee, which is close to a million if I understood right.

Pip is awful. She has an unplanned baby with her FWB and fails to organize childcare. I know Toby has responsibilities as a parent but Pip treats him like an idiot. He's only half-allowed to co-parent as an when suits Pip.
I look forward to Jill being unavailable for flask-making, casseroling and flapjacking and childcare.
Did I say i don't like Pip?

"Top Bloke" made me laugh out loud
That was the first episode I have properly enjoyed for ages. All action, fast paced, a specific sum of money actually being spoken aloud, Brian and Toby being shouted at, Kenton demanding money, Alice drinking a vodka and tonic.. It was all there

I was amusing myself with other ideas of comedy versions of high street clothes shops that thinly disguise a real name. I've got:
Next to Nothing
FatThighs

I know you lot can do even better.

If we want a passionate affair for kirsty, then Roy is not the answer. Please dont let them do that to kirsty

Please don't let them do that to Roy. Kirsty is such a moaning Minnie.

I was amusing myself with other ideas of comedy versions of high street clothes shops that thinly disguise a real name

I saw in Cracow a shop with an English name which was obviously meant to be the Polish equivalent of Foot Locker or similar. Unfortunately Athlete's Feet isn't quite the same.

Forever 40
Prieuro
Unprincipled
Doghouse
Hobbson's Choice
(I'm not sure how relevant any of these are as I haven't lived in England for a long time, sorry!)

There used to be a travel shop called First Choice in the High Street, I used to think of it as Last Resort.

A post Brixit fast fashion shop Priquid.
Continental pound shops Euroland.

I'd like to know which supermarket on the by-pass they shop at. They don't seem to go very often or have deliveries. Is this so that they have to rely on Bridge Farm Veg Boxes and Shop, and the Village Shop?

I heard my most hated Archers phrase last night “She’s got a lot on her plate.” Usually said by Pat about Helen. When I am Queen I’ll be outlawing it.

In the place which in my mind is closest to Ambridge, there is an M&S, a Sainsbury's, and a Tesco on the equivalent of the bypass. Other supermarkets require travelling nearly into Birmingham. I guess between those three, most of the Ambridge market is catered for.

Not to mention the Underwood food hall.

I'd be surprised if Ambridge has an M&S in close proximity - unless it's one of the little Simply Food ones.

There's an S&M in Worcester, so assume Borchester would similarly support one.

There's a Bridget's Home Stores in Olu Deniz, Turkey.

When did Natasha become a farmer? ???

I think I dislike her more than Pip.

How much bigger we could be???

Alternative shop names, thinly disguised:
Wright Stuff
Crabley & Evening
Multiqlo
Debenporks
Pet a Manger
Foxitaine

Natasha's a wrong 'un. Tom the teen is like a rabbit in the headlights. It will all turn into a bog pile of poo. 💩

Remind me, what was her last financial venture and why isn't she still doing it?

Bog, not bog.....hang on though :o

I really hope there is a really , really long term plotline of turning Johnny into the main man in Ambridge farming. A sort of Game of Thrones scenario without the inventive killing.

Tom and Helen will be a disaster once Pat 'n' Tone are gone. Pip will foul up big time at Brookfield once she's in charge; Home Farm will descend into bickering and squabbling once Brian is gone. It would be greatly satisfying to see a confident, 30 years older Johnny turn up to any of them and say " the bank is confident I can make this a goer- I'll give you...."

I don't like this about myself but I am delighted that Shula can't draw for toffee.

I wish I were nicer. I think I am IRL where I'm bezzies with Kirsty and lobbing paint at Brian. 🐜

Shula is ridiculous atm. There's absolutely nothing to prevent her from booking a flight to the Caribbean or carrying out any of her former fantasy ideas. She could take her poor, suffering sister with her. (Though I guess Elizabeth wouldn't leave while Freddie is where he is.)

In fact, I don't see why LL can't and hasn't regularly closed its gates during January and February - to give the staff a rest and allow dedicated time for planning and restructuring. They can't ever be busy when the weather's so grim. Silly to be open at all.

Did it really ring true how well Alistair and Shula seemed to be getting on? Sure, there was occasional awkwardness, but I would have expected some irritation or resentment to emerge from under the surface. Why are they getting divorced?