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...

Will doesn't 'provide' for his family because he wants to make them happy, he does it because he wants to feel superior to Joe/Eddie/Ed

I think its more nuanced than that. Its not so much about "superior" as "doing better". He is proud of providing for a family with an honest trade rather than being dodgy and feckless like the other three. I see no difference there, in Susan being proud of "dragging herself up in the world" from being a Horrobin to being a home owner and honest worker with two hard working, honest children.

However he has always been insecure, lacking in emotional literacy and has been raised by the Grundys (including Clarrie) to have a very mysoginist view of women's roles. Its not surprising he reacts in the way he does.

Yes Will sacking Pete was a clear signal that Will chooses to be ‘too busy at work’

I'd say that is a good example of the insecurity. Martin has no compassion, would cheerfully chuck Will out if profits go down. Martin has told Will to cut costs. He interprets Pete's helpfulness as an attempt to take his job.

Do we know who looks after Poppy after school? And with Mia not there, who will look after her at night while Will does his rounds

I completely agree with a pp about Clarrie pushing the whole "Will needing to forgive and forget his brother having an affair with his and then almost running off to France with his wife and child" thing. I hope that Bev has given him food for thought and he sorts out some proper child care for Poppy - maybe an after school nanny who can cook her an evening meal.

Is that rota that Susan worked out still going?

I got the impression Emma helps with Poppy quite a bit, especially with school pickups while she's getting Kiera. I think of her having tea at Grange Farm quite a bit.

Caffeine I think your analysis is spot on. And I think it will be very hard for Will to change because he really has no idea what he is doing wrong. His attempts to do better just make him more himself - if that that makes sense.

Joe mentioned to Clarrie that Poppy was chatting to him about a silver star she got at school , it must have been when he was looking after her.

Maybe Poppy will be left alone and SS will be called in.
Should the new thread mention Joe's gnarly toenails?

In honour of actor maybe the title should be a celebration of Joe.

Mind you his character is still with us, maybe that's a bit premature.

I was wondering the same thing - maybe something along the lines of Farewell then Joe Grundy - it feels as though your ghost is already with us since you haven't actually died yet - let's hope your toes are preserved for posterity in St Stephens like a holy relic

Joes toenails delicately resting on Linda's foot washing instillation 🦶🦶

Why is everyone assuming Joe had nasty, gnarly feet?

They might have been beautiful for all we know 👣😊

I am so glad we won't be hearing Will's 'talking-to-Mia' voice for the foreseeable future.

You must know what I mean!

That wheedling, "you'd like that, wouldn't you/that'll be nice, won't it?" tone really got on my wick!

The idea that any man in his nineties, let alone Joe Grundy, might have beautiful feet is a suspension of disbelief too far. I still don’t really understand why Jim did anything to Joe’s feet, I’m not sure Joe would have enjoyed that any more than Jim did (women’s work surely? )

I think Will still finds it hard to believe that anyone else is grieving for Nic. He’s so consumed in his own hard-done-by-ness that he’s forgotten Mia has lost her mum (and sort of lost her brother).

Poppy will be struggling within a very short time as Will tries to put in impossible hours at work without Mia as his housekeeper and general maid-of-all-work. Someone will notice - possibly the school. Bev will be back.

Nah, Clarrie and Emma will take over and it will all once again become women's work.

£3.25 for a slice of cake ??🍰

I'd expect to be buying the entire cake for that price.

I'd pay that for piece of good organic home made cake.

Will is also forgetting that Bev has lost her daughter, she'd be grieving forever too. He has very little, if any empathy\ emotional intelligence.

@ppeat You’re right - and will feel all the more protective of her grandchildren for that reason, you’d think. My godmother lost her (grown up, married) son in a car accident and said her dil had all the final says over the funeral arrangements and so forth. Because she’d tragically lost her husband and had young children, people lost sight of the fact that my gm had lost her son.

Nah, Clarrie and Emma will take over and it will all once again become women's work.
I'm wondering if we are going to have a hasty re-write and, in short order,
Me'n'Ed will move out, to their new home
Joe will die
Clarrie & Eddie and Will & Poppy will become one household
Pete will be reinstated and given Greenwood Cottage. He can do the after-dark rounds etc, giving Will the time to be a proper parent.

R4 you're forgetting that Ed is risking everything for their new house, unless Joe is has a 'little nestegg' hidden under his pillow for them. it may well not come to pass.

The S.Ws are probably wetting themselves in the effort to get out of the mess they've created!

The cake price has just reminded me - I had to smile yesterday when Susan, champion of change counting, bought the cake and said "Contactless?" Is a little Archers ritual going to disappear to be replaced by a single beep? Will a sound effects technician be out of a job?

Dadx3, your comment reminded me of that John Finnemore sketch where the man spends his whole life trying to be the person who makes the sound of the Tardis, to the point of getting a job as chief sound engineer at the BBC. Won't someone think of the poor sound effects people no longer able to make the chinking sound of coins being handed over?!

That sketch sounds amazing! Was it on the souvenir program?