Discuss The Archers - yes, this really is Thread 103. Are you going to vote for feet, stations of the cross, or a hologram? Will Natasha ever return? Will Russ ever leave?

[DadDadDad]

Exciting times - this thread will witness our 100,000th post in this long-running unbroken chain of threads.

New and old posters welcome. Don't spoil with any future plotlines.

And if you need a beginners' guide see here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3557323-For-Archers-fans-a-guide-to-acronyms-on-the-long-running-discussion-threads-and-any-other-meta-thread-questions-you-may-have

Carry on...

Just catching with the thread . I need to catch up on some listening too.

InkySplatter
Yeah she could have written a note but she was also rushing on the way to school.

But what was Mia doing at Grange Farm before school (Jim brought the money round first thing, before Clarrie went to work)? Mia doesn't live at Grange Farm. She lives at Greenwood Cottage, at the other end of the village.

Am I missing something .... surely Freddie should apply for the job at the cafe? As Jazzer is not cut out for it & will be too busy shortly with his constructive dismissal case.

I thought Fallon sent him packing when he applied for the job a few weeks ago?

Gnasha is Waitrose. Tom is Asda. Honestly, if they'd been together long enough to do "the big shop" it would have become clear to both that a marriage between them was a non starter.

If someone will enlighten me about Nic's family and the custody of the children. (why is Mia full time at Will's?) I would be most obliged I must have missed that particular episode.

Ah, OK, I missed that Eastie77

@ppeatfruit I think the children had all been with Nic and Will. Her brother quickly became unhappy at Will's when.Nic died and Will was doing full on grieving with daily grave visits, nobody was allowed to be happy four a moment, everything was being told off dugout being disrespectful and when he went for his regular visits to his dad's he got to play computer games and it was a much lower stress environment. Will and Mia's dad came to blows over custody of the children, but I think Mia decided to continue living with Will and Poppy. I think even back then she thought nobody would take charge and get shit done without her.

Mia stayed because of Poppy.
I think Tom is more Sainbury's, and Will is an Asda shopper, but he probably calls it Asda's.
Natasha is probably Ocado but orders instant porridge and poptarts.

I didn't respond to that point, or a few others because I either agreed or couldn't remember questions. I only replied to the few I thought were fair enough. I honestly can't remember where Clarrie was when she received the money, where she left it or the distance between the houses.

Hastily pours another cup of English's Breakfast and quietly tuts at the chip in the teapot

Tom is not an asda shopper.
I am beginning to think that mia has the misfortune to have 2 neglectful parents - how on earth can Andrew have not noticed her distress.

Is anyone else annoyed that Kenton has only discovered financial responsibility when it comes to Jolene's spending? How much did he spend on vinyl? How much did he invest in Scruff? I'm not defending Jolene's decision making but the hypocrisy of Kenton is rather grating.

I don’t think it’s the money. I think Kenton is trying to stop Jolene being humiliated in some way. He went to a gig, didn’t he- and hasn’t said much about it.....

Anglican clergy training is notoriously a) not very rigorous and b) several-tiered, depending on age and academic ability. The gold standard training, still only 2 years, is to be full time at one of the decent theological colleges, where you'll most probably do a second BA (therefore, like most second BAs, you'll be exempt from the first year of study and do a 2 year degree). In the case of someone like Shula, as mentioned in the above linked article on age limits, the training is part-time, local, and frankly patchy. There is no question of it being of the sort of academic standard to justify or require a student loan.

Is Tracy being rehabilitated into a halfway decent, if unsportsmanlike, character?

That seems a shame Fink. Surely difficult times and difficult questions need the best educated people. (Ideally I’d like every single vicar, or their equivalent in other faiths, to have completed a PhD at the very least.)

I think something more vocational than a PhD would be better. They have to connect with people and communities. It’s essentially a pastoral role with some mediation/conflict resolution thrown in, isn’t it? And obviously the preaching bit, but that’s better grounded in the reality of parishioners’ lives, surely? Obviously they need to think deeply about the issues, but you don’t need a PhD for that.

I say all this as someone who’s never been to a church service outside of weddings, funerals and school carol concerts, so happy to be corrected.

I was amused by the “that ain’t no insinuation” comment.

how on earth can Andrew have not noticed her distress

Probably at Andrew's, she’s a lot more relaxed, because she doesn’t have to worry about shopping or laundry or cleaning or Poppy.

And the “not enough Horrobin”!

Is Tracy being rehabilitated into a halfway decent, if unsportsmanlike, character?

Yes, appears to be. I've liked her recent appearances. She was good tonight.

One would wonder what the long term story arc for this is- why is a minor , hinterland , semi- joke character being written as a sympathetic and nuanced character? Is this integral to a future plot?

I'm not putting any money on that.

I think Tracey has long been a wasted character, and could easily become a real working class woman rather than just a joke one. Actually she could be a feminist icon in some ways. Some of the "jokes" about her are because she likes sex. She has taken on looking after her father and brother (with probable learning difficulties?) in order to decently house herself and her kids. She is kind and observant.

And of course by marriage/children she isn't that unrelated to the Archers.

Tbh lido, given the existential insecurity of various faiths around the world right now, I’d be wanting a bit more than tea and sympathy from my religious leaders, if I were a practising Christian. (Speaking as a fairly interested, non-believing, Anglican in name only.)

And of course by marriage/children she isn't that unrelated to the Archers.

Struggling with this one.

Her brother is the father of Johnny’s half sister.
Her nephew is married to Peggy’s granddaughter.

Any other relationships I’ve missed?

She’s George’s great-aunt too.

In fact, she’s pretty well-connected (tangentially) in the village - though I’d say the Grundy connection is currently more important than the Archer one.

I suppose it’s unlikely they’re planning a relationship between Will and his ex-MIL’s sister?