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.

Toby needs a kick up the arse, lying about who is looking after Rosie? What an idiot.

Anyone with knowledge of the criminal justice system, would they really stop Freddie going home? Seems rather strange...

Well Quater if cutting up a cow and balancing a shark in a tank of formaldehyde or publicising a filty bed qualifies someone as a super talented artist then IMO it doesn't take a lot !

Compared to the 'artists' above Russ is probably a Van Gogh

If Russ has talent then he'd had the ideal job to pursue his own art in. Lots of Art teachers especially at Sixth Form colleges work on their own stuff during their day job. The students shouldn't need constant supervision and the teacher's stuff can act as inspiration.
But Russ's stuff doesn't sound as good as the best stuff produced by sixth formers at colleges I've visited.

Give me Tracey Emin over Van Gogh day. His pictures have always made feel slightly sick and then someone told me he had Menieres Disease (an inner ear thing) and it all made sense.

*any day

*made me feel

It’s been a long day!

It seems unlikely that Freddie would be forbidden his home when he is out on licence; places in hostels are like gold-dust, I gather.

This business of keeping secrets from each other is getting tedious. If Lily told a grown-up about Freddie not being allowed back to LL then someone might be able to do some special pleading or an appeal or something. But, no. Let's wait until it happens and worry about it then.

I'm sorry Echt the 'do we think' was really only about Russ not being particualrly good. I stopped doing my PGCE when I fell pregnant with my daughter. When my youngest is school are I want to start again so definitely wasn't insulting teachers, I abandoned my career in advertising to become one!

Totally agree about sliced up cows and unmade beds Ppeatfruit although Tracey Emin went up massively in my estimations after I looked through some of her sketchbooks, but installation art isn't really my thing.

Hannah is going to have something to say if she catches Emma abusing her council position, even in ignorance. It's early days yet but the seeds have been sown.

I don't know for sure, but I don't think Parish Councils have much to do with thongs like TPOs. I presume there is alocal elected county councillor whose business it would be. Happy to be corrected by more knowledgeable folk.

Oh please don't let Tim be a dodgy bloke! Can't stand the thought of Ed and Emma having yet more bad luck.

And Toby is such a feckless arse

I couldn’t work out if Emma was meant to be flattered by Timotei’s “stunner” comments or grossed out by him but felt she should be nice because he employs Ed and sorted a van for Eddie.

But if he's to run LL successfully, eventually (though it looks unlikely right now) a little well thought through nastiness /focused ruthlessness might be a good thing to acquire.

Possibly but an injection of brain cells and self awareness would be more useful.

I'll excuse him self awareness on grounds of age but the only way he will run LL as a business is to let Lily do it or marry someone like Elizabeth.

The LSWs have managed to put an evil moustache and top hat on Tim as a sound effect - quite an achievement if lacking in subtlety.

Sorry @BeUpStanding, Tim is as wrong as a wrong 'un can be.

The 🔮 concurs, Zinnia. Deeply dodgy. And also possibly a Tommy Robinson follower (no, I don't know why, but that's what it says)

EdNEm are about to be corrupted.

The LSWs have managed to put an evil moustache and top hat on Tim as a sound effect - quite an achievement if lacking in subtlety.

Completely agree. Run, Ed'n'Em, run!

Nooooooo! Oh for goodness sake why are they heaping even more misfortune onto the Grundys

Am new to this thread by the way - should probably have said hello first

Welcome BeUpStanding

I got the Tommy Robinson vibe too. It was the snarling assertion that some people do the right thing all their lives and get nothing back. In the context of a van having broken down because Eddie had neglected a key piece of maintenance which has to be done at a certain time and doesn’t have any savings to deal with the consequences.

I was worried about him turning out to be a wrong ‘un until tonight’s episode but Ed and Emma are so stupid my concern has evaporated.

TPOs are managed by the planning department at district council level, at least for West Dorset. (Which ceases to exist in a month's time when it all becomes Dorset.)

Yes the S.Ws better not spoil the little bit of good luck that Ed n' Em are having.

but Ed and Emma are so stupid my concern has evaporated.

Harsh! I'm a bit reluctant to listen after all the doom foretelling here. Surely it's time they gave the next-generation Grundys a different narrative. Would be so great if they experienced a lightbulb moment and outwitted Fausty Oatey

Lucky you Ebear living in W. Dorset, we had Christmas in Lyme, it was like living an Austen book!

TPO decisions are taken by planning officers not elected members. The parish council may be able to support or object but it’s a professional decision so not a lot of scope there.

Shady deals are probably abound in cash strapped rural life but Ed’s been living that life since he was born. Surely he’d spot it a mile off and either be ok with it or not. I really expected Emma to ask where the van had come from. I might do a mini flounce if they get stuffed.

I grew up there, don't live there currently, but have family still there - including one who worked on the TPO database at one point.

Oh I'm so glad I've found my people!

Russ is such a nasty, pathetic, grabby little snake - when is Lily going to wake up and dump him? (Not sure how a snake can be grabby, what with the lack of arms and all, but I really despise Russ. Josh taking the piss out of him at Christmas was a real festive highlight for me!)