Thread #105: Curtains for Emma, Hilda - Joe? Red carpet for June Spencer on her 100th birthday, we hope! Discuss the rich tapestry of Ambridge life here.

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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.

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 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3439443-keep-it-to-yourself-the-archers-spoilers-thread-4, 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 to LillianGish and BuckingFrolics for ideas for this thread title. I went with the less Rabelaisian of LG's ideas!

On 14th June it will be the 100th birthday of June Spencer, who has played Peggy Woolley since 1951. I hope the BBC has a lot of special tributes lined up to celebrate this remarkable achievement.

Jazzer? (How old is he anyway? Not as he young as he thinks, I’m guessing).

Could Fiona be destined for Roy? Surely she doesn't deserve that?

She is way out of Roy’s league!

Thing is, not many Ambridge residents advertise themselves as clever. Alan must be (not necessarily because clergy, more because Usha obviously thought so when they married.) Cannot think of anyone!

I think Emma drives. She sometimes picks up Henry with Keira.

I would say Emma almost certainly has her own car, it’s almost impossible to live somewhere like that as a one-vehicle family.

I’ve caught up now. The good thing about reading the thread first is that the actual episodes always turn out not be as bad as expected.

She iswayout of Roy’s league!

Absolutely. Philip would be closest. He's not an academic but I see Philip as probably quite well read with good general knowledge and capable of being interested in what a partner is interested in. I think Philip would be impressed by, but not patronising to, a woman who is cleverer than him.

Open Farm Sunday was a complete none-event then. We didn't even hear Natasha - it was all about Brookfield and Alice's robot. Are we supposed to conclude that Brookfield was swamped - selling out of cake etc etc and therefore Bridge farm visitors were thin on the ground? (though I must say if I was visiting a farm I'd want to see some actual farming, animals etc rather than a cookery demonstration - it's the farm bit that interests me, but maybe that's because I'm an Archers fan ) Most unsatisfactory - what happened?

I think we will hear tomorrow about how well Bridge Farm’s thing went- then we’ll hear about the bill....

I wonder what happened with Jim

Has somebody deliberately missled lynda about Jim? I was very confused!

Oooh! I’m loving the potential new business for Ben at Brookfield. The words cat and pigeons come to mind, in preparation for the LL reaction.

Fiona and Jakob perhaps?

This could be an opportunity for LL, providing catering and wedding planning for the barn, surely David will spot this opportunity to help his sister...

Didn't David say he'd seen it was quiet at Tony's farm (I get confused with whose farm has what name) and so he was expecting even fewer people at his own farm?

Nope. I dreamt that. Ignore me.

For once I have to say I’m impressed with Radio 4! They’re running a series all this week at 1.45pm called Living Memory on centenarians in Britain, and I cannot help suspecting that the entire series has been created in order to celebrate June Spencer - who will be one of the two subjects of the programme on her actual birthday - Friday 14th.

Fiona and Jakob perhaps?

Perhaps ... But I never feel it’s wholly successful to pair up two newbies to the village. I found it impossible to raise much interest in Rex & Anisha, f’rinstance. There really ought to be a rule about this!

David didn't actually say it was quiet, I don't think, but if Fallon (whose caff is at Bridge Farm) was getting rid of cake to David, she wasn't selling it at Bridge Farm, so I think you are right about the Bridge Farm day not being as big a success as Natasha was expecting.

Jazzer was in Ed's class at school so he's probably the same age, about 35.

“Jazzer was in Ed's class at school so he's probably the same age, about 35.“

Blimey- was he? I didn’t realise he was a local- I thought he was a blow-in.....

Blimey- was he? I didn’t realise he was a local- I thought he was a blow-in.

Especially with the thick Scottish accent! Did he move down as a child then? He never mentions his parents.

Think Jazzer’s mother lives either in or near Meadow Rise.

Given my recent personal success in nudging the SWs to bring in residents’ long lost relatives I look forward to hearing her in Ambridge very soon.

I thought Jazzer and Ed met when they lost Grange Farm and moved into Meadow Rise, which was also where Jazzer lived, though it's quite possible they knew each other from school. Certainly they're around the same age, and Fallon must be a similar age, too.

Maybe Fiona is lined up to get together with Rex. It's probably about time he had a storyline.

But surely Fiona’s in her late 40s?

But surely Fiona’s in her late 40s?

Alistair is 56, and I had the impression she was the older sibling by a couple of years. In any case, I got the impression they were fairly close in age, which puts her between about 53 and 59.

Rex is late 20s /early 30s? Jakob I assumed was no more than mid-30s. Ed's 34, so Jazzer must be about the same. There's not really anyone in the right age range, unless they bring in someone from Penny Hassett or Darrington or somewhere.

Yes ... Perhaps it was an unrealistic hope!