Thread 99 (yes, 99!): Join us for spirited discussions of The Archers and its Top Blokes, whether you're Team Elizabeth (low spirits), Team Kate (Spiritual Home) or Team Toby (spirits =gin)

[Bittermints]

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. Thanks also to all those who contributed to the thread title.

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!

So, to business. What a fantastic two-hander. Massive BOOP points to Alison Dowling, the scriptwriter and director (and the therapist). I had more than a small tear in my eye listening to that.

I'm another one with a vote of thanks to chemenger for all that information on the last thread about distilling. I should know some of that because I went on a tour of the whisky distillery near where my parents live but I've forgotten most of it except how delicious the end product is.

Bittermints if you can’t remember the Archers trivia, what will you remember??!

(Also, what will we do if you stop remembering everything?! )

Be like me B - just make up the bits you've forgotten ...

Yep. Merry definitely in NZ, Mel definitely an Aussie who moved there after marrying Kenton in Oz. Aidan is Mel’s second husband who is a Kiwi. They were all in ambridge Extra and they managed to get all the accents right

Don't mention Ambridge Extra, I hardly ever listened to it but I managed to tune in on Kenton and Jolene one time and have never got over the view of Kenton as a horrible man I got in that one and only scene I heard. Every time he seems decent enough now, I keep thinking back to that.

I think someone's daughter in Eastenders may live in France, I haven't watched it for a decade but think that might be my confusion. However whichever country kentons daughter lives in he hardly ever bothers with her.

Some of the Ambridge Extra storylines were very good - Pusscat and Tiger's brother, Paul for example, was quite gripping, I thought. I don't remember a Kenton storyline but the one that put me right off was when Alistair was fancying Daniel's girlfriend, who I think was flirting outrageously with Alistair, and the unhappy listener got to hear all Alistair's thought processes, as if thought bubbles were being spoken. It was horrible.

'So fresh'

On the subject of Mia's accent - I may or may not come from Evesham ... and Mia sounds more Gloucester/Forest of Dean to me.

“So fresh”

Not as bad a “Nobody likes a noisy boy” but not far off.....

Just catching up on More or Less listening. I loved the BBC’s response to the ‘loyal listener’s’ query.

I didn't know there was an Archers thread here, until it was mentioned in that AIBU thread, so I've just caught up, and am ready to dive in! I'm the only one who listens to it, so it's nice to find somewhere I can chat about it!

I only started listening a couple of years ago, so I don't know much of the history, but it's been interesting reading some of it in this thread.

Did everyone shout "Nooo!" when Lil told Kate she could stay at the Dower House, and that it would only be for a few weeks? Lil's going to regret that, Kate's not going to be going any time soon (unless Justin pays her off, like he did with Lil's son).

Was the Lilian/Paul saga in an Ambridge Extra storyline? My recollection is of it as being part of the main one. In fact I think I first discovered these threads when looking for kindred spirits who couldn't stand all the sniffing and glugging Lill was doing after Paul's death.

Hello, Motoko! Yes, Justin won't like it at all. Kate is the most irritating character in TA by a long way (for me).

I think the Paul/ Lilian thing was a main story too, lots going on in Cheltenham IRRC.
It used to make me shudder, imagining a fling with my BIL, who bears a passing likeness to Gollum, but with less charm.

Shall we start a bring back Bethany campaign? It think it would be genuinely interesting, especially as there are many talented actors out there who happen to be Downs.

@motoko I silently shouted Yes, as they are quite a good pairing, and it will annoy Justin.
But, this is what was keeping me awake in the night, what happened to the Home Farm holiday lets? Why aren’t they living there, or have they been magicked out of Ambridge?

A question for all the knowledgable archers addicts out there. Can anyone explain Hollowtree to me? I know it's part of Brookfield and presumably has agricultural buildings there because of Toby's business.

However, my question is this, I remember Jill getting upset about the Fairbrethrens renting Hollowtree because that is where she and Phil first farmed when they were married. Therefore presumably there is a farmhouse/living space there??

If that is the case, why are Rex and Toby living with Bert and not in some sort of farmhouse at Hollowtree?

Yes Bittermints, Kate really irritates me too. It was good to hear Jenny finally telling her she had to stand on her own two feet.

@Usingmyindoorvoice well, their pairing should make for interesting listening, even if I do want to give Kate a good shake!

Paintingtheroseswhite, Hollowtree was a small farm owned by Brookfield. It was sold a long time ago but Brookfield kept the land.
Not that long ago, the flats vanished and it had been reverted to derelict farmbuildings and was discovered by David and Pip just when the Fairbrethren appeared looking for agricultural premises.

Hello @Motoko and anyone else who has come across from the thread on AIBU.

Welcome to you all, draw up a chair & help yourself to refreshments.

@motoko there is queue, for Kate shaking. Just saying.
My best friend has not forgiven Kate for nicking ‘her’ baby’s name 20 years ago.

Lilian and Paul was definitely in the main programme as at one point SOC contrived a whole Brief Encounter pastiche at a railway station. They also briefly cast Anita Dobson as Paul’s wife Celia bit she only had about 4 lines!
He might have been in AmEx too, there was a huge Amex series about Lilian, Matt, Brenda and Russian gangsters, maybe he was part of that. Can’t quite remember.

I’m also looking forward to Lilian and Kate living together, though am annoyed that Kate has found such an easy solution. I hope that Lilian uses the opportunity to bring home to Kate how selfish she has been in effing up Jenny’s life.

Felicity Jones ( ), previous Emma, is on Front Row right now, talking about her new film.

Ruari's been at an all boys school, I assume? I do hope that his hopes re the 'hotties at the cathedral school' are crushed.

And what's with Jill... she's doing that thing where someone makes another person's problems all about themselves.

BOOP for Jolene though.

I reckon there will be some gin-fuelled shenanigans now Lilian and Kate have teamed up.

They are perfectly matched partners-in-crime

Anything could happen.....