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.

Was it a pretence on Shula's part? I wouldn't be that harsh, although I don't think she's really confronted her motives and responsibility in the ending of her marriage (the way she talked about her divorce was as if it were something that happened to her rather than something she caused).

She was obviously hoping for a more enthusiastic encouragement from Alan, but he is being a friend by starting to ask the probing questions that presumably will be asked by (less sympathetic) officials if she goes through selection.

Did anyone else notice that last Thursday's episode was Joe's final appearance? The announcer announced it afterwards.
I'm glad it was a scene with him being kind, and not his more irascible self. I do wonder if when those scenes were written in it was in the knowledge that the actor was making his final appearance?

Sorry, I just saw Joe's final appearance has been mentioned upthread

Shula's acting is annoying me almost as much as the old Pip's used to.

It just feels unnatural and laboured.

I do wonder if when those scenes were written in it was in the knowledge that the actor was making his final appearance?
I think they knew the end was coming. When Tim Bentinck did a obituary piece he said something about finally getting round to visiting Edward in his Home "just a fortnight ago" (translation: I knew I'd better get on with it, whilst I still had the option)

Just listing to the episode on podcast now. Shula is even more annoying than I expected, all that hesitation and breathless “sincerity”. “How long have you been thinking about this?” Her actual answer is “about a week, maybe slightly less, ever since I realised I can’t draw or do karate”. I really hope we’re not going to have much more of this public information broadcasting on behalf of the Church of England.

Posted too soon, I see Alan agrees with me that it’s a passing whim.

I think Shula is well acted. It's David and Jill who sound to me like they're reading a script.
I have no trouble distinguishing between Alan and Leonard.

I really hope we’re not going to have much more of this public information broadcasting on behalf of the Church of England

all sounds to me more like an LSWs idea of vocations in the CoE. Isn't Shula over the age limit to start training considering retirement is deemed to be 70ish?

I predict that after this period of the Shula Show, she will disappear to travel in the Far East, possibly with Freddy, and come back a Buddhist, vegan, of course, because a vegan Shula could never be annoying. (I have nothing against vegans, some of my best friends etc, but vegan Shula could set the cause back by years).

Does the Church of England have nuns? If it does, could Shula join a silent order?

Yes it does. Remember Call the Midwife?
Not silent though!

I've never seen Call the Midwife.

She could join an order far from Ambridge. If her religiousity is serious I think she'd be better as a nun than a vicar. She'd be fine doing what she's told to do but she'd be hopeless at actual thinking for pastoral care for parishioners.

R4 I read that too, perhaps they recorded him at his home.

Ah, Lass - I’ve spent some time amongst the Sisters in a (mostly silent) Community and I fear Shula would need to up her game considerably to join them. They were, by a very long way, the most stimulating and interesting women I’ve ever met - individually and as a group. She is Much Too Dull.

Perhaps Shula can join the Chattering Order of St. Beryl.

I’ve spent some time amongst the Sisters in a (mostly silent) Community What a fascinating revelation - and I love the suggestion that Shula would be far too dull to join.

I started an order of nuns when I was a student called The Little Sisters of St Polycarp. We wouldn’t have admitted Shula.

Interesting hearing Kirsty and Philip's take on the dinner party with Gnasher and Tom (which was a sort of weird idea anyway)

Arf @chemenger!

Who's idea was the dinner party? Sounds like purgatory!

Poor Chris. I learned some new euphemisms tonight. Tracey is a shocker...

I started an order of nuns when I was a student

Ah well, Bert, I'm sure we've all done that...

Actually, my college was the site of a former nunnery but the story was the bishop closed it down when it got down to two nuns and one got pregnant.

Who's idea was the dinner party? Sounds like purgatory!

Gnasher's. It is a really weird idea. She has only just come back and a dinner party with her husband's jilted ex- fiance was one of the first things she did?

Loving all the nun oneupmanship - nunupmanship - the niche knowledge on this thread knows no bounds.

Is no one going to comment on Kate's mad plans for Hilda Ogden?