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...

I have saved this thread to get me through my morning of exam invigilating and it has not disappointed. I really hope Elizabeth and Russ don't get it on - maybe he might make a pass at her and Lilly will see what we all know and kick him out. I can't bear the thought of Em n Ed not getting the house - they both work so hard and deserve some happiness.

I am not completely convinced that Jazzer hasn't got a case - employment law tribunals often are sympathetic to those without proper representation (at least that has been my perception when I have been roasted over the coals as an employer). Also no way does Tom shop at Asda - I see him as a Sainsbury's shopper

I’m currently looking forward to EdnEmma losing the house

I’d like to say ‘welcome’ myidentity - but I fear we have opposing interests in life! I do not think I could bear such an outcome for Ed and Emma. (Not unless it involves Oliver gifting them Grange Farm - which I don’t think his daughters would allow.)

Ed being sent to some un-youthful offender institution is unthinkable - but the new editorial regime seems worryingly ruthless ...

Maybe they'll be a surprise in Joe's will?
Some secret deeds or cash? If Ed goes to jail I will be disgusted.

[mulls over setting up a preemptive "No Jail for Ed" group. Realises am too busy with TRFP group]

I will be joining the "no jail for Ed" group - it would really upset me. I'm hoping Tim gets nicked - he is really creeping me out.

Ed is choosing to stay with a group threatening real violence. IF he stays with them he deserves to go to prison. I hope it doesn’t get to that stage as I like him.

I suppose there is also the possibility he gets stabbed/shot. Cheery.

I hope none of those things happen - I heart Ed

Redcliff how do you manage to catch up while invigilating? Having a phone on or reading anything is a complete no no.

Ok maybe I don’t mean I want Ed to lose the house, and I never mentioned prison, but more like I’m anticipating that storyline developing.
FWIW I think Ed is sound but he is behaving weakly with Tim. Who should definitely go down

Welcome myidentity, not sure why you're being condemned for having an opinion.

I'd like the outcome which puts an end to Ed and Emma's constant feeling of being hard done by. Sadly they will probably both need to die.

I got the impression that Jim was bluffing to get a severance package for Jazzer.

There's a whole academic paper in the question of what shops the characters use - one for Academic Archers, perhaps? JD shops at Waitrose, Fortnum's, and farmers' markets. Though maybe rather less at Fortnum's since Brine's downfall.

I suspect the pigs might be reprieved, given the Gnasher situation. Or maybe Rex will take them and Jazzer over.

Disagreement isn’t condemnation lido! And it would be dull here if we all thought the same.

Well the tone sounded somewhat more condemnatory than usual to me! Perhaps I'm just wary of scaring off new posters. Thanks for the cake, or was I supposed to leave that for myidentity?

Oh, I hope not.

We've had two prison storylines in the last four years. Surely the SWs wouldn't go down that route again?

I just hope there isn't going to be a violent episode in which that sinister baseball bat is actually wielded in anger.

I hate violence, and it isn't really what we all want when we tune in, is it? It's The Archers, after all!

Or am I in the minority here?

Violence scares and sickens me, in RL and in drama.

Can I join even though I don’t like Freddie come and sit down next to me MontyPants - if you dislike Justin and Lilian as well, there's a piece of cake for you!

By the way, DDD, I loved your reply to Lilly about her prize for the 100,000th post

It really tickled me wondering what sort of prize you were planning to send. You really made me chuckle!

Thanks so much!!

BertrandRussell
“You know I was right about Helen , her first impulse is to `lie' about everyeffing thing , including her brother's relationships”

But she would have been wrong to tell Pat, surely? That should be Tom’s decision.

Surely rather than tell a lie to Pat, Helen could have said "No idea, Mum" or something of the sort? That would have been untrue as well of course, because she knew about Natasha leaving, but it would have been less of a blatant lie.

I agree that her first impulse generally is to lie to Pat. She does it all the time. Invented jewellery classes when there was absolutely no need for them was the really classic example, but it's just habit as far as I can tell.

The weird thing is that it seems as if Pat has never realised, and still thinks Helen is an honest person and takes her word about things.

Ambridge residents who've been to prison:

Helen (on remand only)
Matt
Susan
Freddie
Clive Horrobin, several times
Assorted other Horrobins, ditto

Prosecuted for something, or had a near miss:
David, for killing a badger
Tom and Kirsty, for trashing a field of GM crops
Tom, taking the blame for Helen knocking Mike over when drunk
Brian, re environmental disaster (I've forgotten where we are with that)
Ed, a long time ago, for taking Will's car without permission and crashing it, smashing Emma's leg up in the process - he had to go on a Thinking Skills course, IIRC
Eddie, in the matter of selling contaminated meat - can't remember if that got to court
Jill, protesting outside the new restaurant? Bit hazy on this one
Simon Pemberton, for assaulting Debbie and Shula
Owen the chef from LL, for Kathy's rape
Wayne, for selling drugs at Loxfest
Tom Forrest, for shooting Clarrie's uncle Ned Larkin when he was caught poaching, but he was found Not Guilty (back in the 50s)

My hero Nelson Gabriel was well known to the police in his youth and suspected of involvement in the Borchester Train Robbery, but not charged as far as I know. There was that odd incident after he died when the garden at Honeysuckle Cottage was dug up in the dead of night and it was suspected somebody had come looking for the lost loot from the raid.

And that's before we even get started on the Case of the Stolen Bunting ...

Anyone else?

Fallon? Isn’t that how she and PC Burns met?

gabrielle that is my childhood exactly! Happy days!

Oh, come on, Gabrielle!

Jill would never have been sent to prison for chucking a bit of flapjack!

Even if it was aimed at those two pretentious restaurant-owning sisters, whose surname I can't remember

Well the Thinking Skills course didn’t work, did it?

What, listening to Nelson? He was wonderful, wasn't he. I still miss him.