Fast falls the eventide for Joe Grundy, the darkness deepens for Ed - will he be fenced in or is there still time for acts of pennants? Abide with us and discuss The Archers, thread #104!

[GabrielleNelson]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads and @DadDadDad for being our resident statistician and keeping the ball rolling when Pseudo stepped back a bit and more recently when someone forgot they had promised to start the next thread, ahem.

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 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 this thread, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

For newer listeners, lurkers or those who just have no idea what we're talking about, DadDadDad has created this useful thread: 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 BOOP point for him! (See thread for explanation.)

Thanks also to LillianGish for the splendid thread title. As actor Edward Kelsey died last month, we have probably heard Joe Grundy for the last time, or will do very shortly. RIP Mr Kelsey; many thanks for creating a wonderfully vivid character, gnarly toenails and all.

As pointed out on the last thread, we're getting very close now to the 100th birthday of June Spencer, who plays Peggy Woolley. What an achievement! I hope the team manage to squeeze Peggy into that day's episode, come what may.

Im

Sorry fat fingers, I was going to say that I don't think it was really paranoid to say the whole village was talking about her - Tracy shouting it out in the middle of the cricket match for example...

You lot are really upset and Dadx3 You have NEVER sworn like that before

Are you sure? That's a very sweeping statement - do you monitor my posts that closely? (You're probably right - I'm going to do an Advanced Search in a mo to see how many swear words I've ever used on MN... ).

I wouldn't say I'm upset, more completely baffled - the whole thing just felt so surreal. Having read threads on MN for many years, I know that people in relationships can behave in some bizarre ways, but how did the SWs come up with this?

Goodness knows, but I listened again, and Gnasher sounds scary.

Tracy shouting it out in the middle of the cricket match for example...

Yes, but it was a 9 minute wonder. Gnasher seems to think she is in the forefront of the villagers' minds. No one was talking about her any more than they would talk generally about events in the village.

de lurking ( have not posted since Knob/helen storyline) to say I DONT UNDERSTAND..what is going on, ok so i have not been listening as religiously as i should but i knew Gnasher had gone to wales and now she has just come back and the whole episode was Tom basically not questioning her at all..just acting like dopey lapdog..really ????

Well that was rubbish. Natasha comes back after having a big think and everything’s going to be lovely. All forgotten about.
Not exactly what I’d expect from a successful business woman with all those awards/ Nuffield etc.

Errol, you'll soon work it out as soon as somebody mentions some obscure piece of TA history.

Re Gnasher's erratic behaviour, I suppose what the last three years of UK and US politics have taught us is that if somebody has the brass neck to behave as if outrageous things are actually quite normal and unremarkable, and especially if there are so many outrageous things going on that nobody can keep track of them, after a while everyone else just comes to accept that's how things are now, and the perpetrator can not only expect no comeback but may also end up in the top job.

Depressing. Now contemplating but will compromise on . No in, unfortunately.

No offence taken. I was surprised to see that article in print today (I assumed that it was days old).

In 'my' Archers scene I would need Fairbrother senior to go to LL and rekindle his relationship with Lizzie. Or maybe I'd drag some normal children to record all of Henry's lines for him. What has happened to Lee, incidentally?

It does seem as if the SW are trying to suggest that Natalie is bipolar - I can't wait for her to bump into Tracey or Susan!

Leaving Natasha aside for a mo, I'm sure Ruth said she'd put most of her inheritance into a pension.

Gnasher is mad isn't she? I mean Victorian novel league mad

Yep!

after a while everyone else just comes to accept that's how things are now ...

It’s not acceptance - it’s passive resistance. In my case it’s a matter of steadfastly ignoring the brass-necked creatures and waiting for them to disappear (constitutionally speaking).

I try to ignore Pip. Natasha would be hard to ignore if she’s back for good, but she is at least considerably more entertaining. And Tom’s Olympic level bewilderment is A Treat.

Preggers. That's all I'm saying.

Will no one care about Poppy though, off in the night with a useless dad and a million risks?

I reckon will is going to get away with taking Poppy out on nighttime 'adventures' for quite a while, and then out of the blue, when we're least expecting it (I hope, I hate it when they heavily signal imminent disaster) something bad will happen and Bev will sweep in to the rescue.

Ppfruit 'the Outer Hebrides sound like paradise'

There's a current thread 'what places in the U.K. take your breath away' - the outer hebrides and Harris in particular have many mentions!

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/uk/3592645-What-places-in-the-UK-take-your-breath-away

I'm sure Ruth said she'd put most of her inheritance into a pension.

That rings a bell. I don't think Brookfield has much readily available cash now, between that and the new kit.

that theory had occurred to me - Natasha was taken off the air while the actress's agent negotiated her a better package

I thought they were all paid £300 per episode.

I've no idea, R^3 - surely some of the more established actors can command a higher fee than that? Are you saying that the women get paid the same as the men - so at least one part of the BBC has managed it!

I'm sure Patricia Greene was grumbling a few years back about the pay and that's where I got the info from. At least I think so!

I may have dreamt the £300 per episode bit

Patricia Greene claimed in 2017 that she was only paid about £16,000 per year by the BBC. June Spencer said they weren't paid enough to live on.

Patricia Greene claimed in 2017 that she was only paid about £16,000 per year by the BBC. June Spencer said they weren't paid enough to live on.

I mean, it's not exactly a full time job is it?

it's not exactly a full time job is it?

I’d say it is in a sense. It might be different if they each did a solid three month stint and then moved on to other work - but that’s obviously not what happens. They have to remain intermittently in character year in, year out - often over decades. And they’re not playing themselves. It’s acting.

In addition to which they deserve the equivalent of danger money for the uncertainty of employment. (I don’t recall if they are paid retainers or not.)

I have it from a friend who was told by one of the "leading characters" that it's about £400 an episode. Which doesn't seem that bad for the time taken to me.

Hello.

I used to post a bit then lurked for a while and am now posting again sort of for help. So the thread equivalent of those friends who don’t contact you unless they need a favour, I’m really sorry.

I’m posting because I feel upset and a bit bewildered by the whole Tom and Natasha - my ex who is younger and has had mental health issues of the type being discussed left me about the time Natasha left Tom, and he’s previously left and come back eventually in exactly the same way she has (so it does happen, although my behaviour has historically been to shower him with affection until he came back, I know that’s unhealthy!) but anyway, I was actually in tears listening to the episode but because I wished I could be in Tom’s position so much! But now I’m confused due to the reactions on this thread - surely even if she does have bipolar he ought to be supportive of her and she can seek treatment (if she acknowledges it) etc? I’m a bit hesitant to draw parallels because otherwise my life is completely different to Tom’s! But I seem to have been the only person listening to it and wishing my “Natasha” would come back, partly because he was a damned sight nicer and more intelligent than she was. Idon’t know if anyone has responses or comments! But I just had such a strong response which appears to have been different to everyone else’s.

Hi Cecile, we've met at AA conferences.
I'm rubbish at relationship advice but wanted to post something supportive. It's not up to you/Tom to fix your ex/Natasha - only they can do that. I suppose that you want him back because you remember the good bits but, overall, they probably don't outweigh the difficult bits. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Go and find someone wonderful because you are a lovely person and you deserve someone good in your life.

Cecile. I think your reactions will inevitably be different because for you it's reality.

If the storyline develops and the speculation about Natasha's mental health are correct, then doubtless Tom's support or lack thereof will be discussed. Or it may just turn out she's highly manipulative.

Cecile - sorry that TA has touched raw wounds for you - although if good drama is going to reflect real life it's inevitably going to throw out scenes that some will find painful to hear. I hope the good that comes out of it for you is that it gives you a way to express yourself and that you find the support you need. I fear that the support on this thread (while genuine) will be a bit haphazard. Could you try starting a thread in Relationships?

It's not clear that Natasha is bipolar, and if Tom is going to be supportive then they both really do have to follow through on their pledge to be more open. That includes Tom being willing to say "you really hurt me by leaving, and although I want it to work, how can I be sure it's not going to happen again?"