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.

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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.

I'm annoyed that Tony didn't whine about mention his farm's organic credentials tonight. (I am Team Tony btw).

If it's not a charitable trust, would the money be added back into the estate for Inheritance Tax purposes when Peggy dies (unless 7 years have elapsed since she set it up)?

Surely a good financial advisor wouldn’t advice a 94 yo to invest her money in a way that reduced the revenue should she turn up her toes in the next 7 years?

advise not advice. I know the difference even if my machine doesn’t.

I'm struggling to see how this passes any sort of requirement to be a trust.

I'm getting tired of the challenges: Kate's birthday, Adam and Ian, Peggy's, particularly the first two. The inference that the two men are going to Never Be The Same taken to ludicrous lengths, quite insulting to the baby, as if all enjoymen is going to be stripped from their lives. At last we know what Jazzer's tarantula is for now.

And while I'm here, I know there is much cake and drink on TA, but do we have to hear it, too?

WHO is writing these episodes? Peggy on Friday and everyone this evening sounded like they were doing reading aloud at school. Dreadful clunky scripting! Just me?

Peggy on Friday and everyone this evening sounded like they were doing reading aloud at school

I thought that was just me. Peggy's speech on Friday sounded exactly like reading out loud - very unusual for her But then I thought it wasn't the only time recently someone has sounded like this - glad its not just me.

At last we know what Jazzer's tarantula is for now. That was my thought exactly. It’s all feeling very contrived at the moment. As a pp said Peggy’s challenge is a rather heavy handed way of shoehorning in a lesson on the kinds of things farms can and should be doing to help the environment and I completely agree that her announcement of the project sounded like she was reading aloud. My heart is slightly sinking at the thought of it tediously clunking along in parallel with the equally improbable bucket list - I’d much rather know what’s wrong with Jim, what’s happening to Ed, when will the Gills ever make their presence felt, what’s happening up at Lower Loxley and will CMR be getting his marching orders...

I think it sounded like reading aloud because it is SO important, it is meant to be the storyline that changes ambridge FOREVER. So they have to shout it really loudly, the actress playing Peggy probably did her best but it's so contrived.

doing reading aloud at school

and

Dreadful clunky scripting!

Ah - the charms of TA!

I have a theory that we’re compelled to listen continuously because after even a few days break it sounds utterly ridiculous and unlistenable to.

But I don’t really believe the broadcast is the actual story anyway. There’s a kind of meta thing going on; they read aloud purely as a duty to convention, (and so the actors and staff get paid) while knowing that listeners access the proper story individually and communally through some sort of psychic inference. Once in a while they actually sneak ‘real TA’ into the script - and it’s almost too surreal and subversive to be borne.

I got the feeling, that Peggy's speech, was a sort of 100th birthday tribute to June Spencer, especially with her reminiscing of Peggy's history in Ambridge, and that it was broadcast on June's birthday.

I think you are right, Motoko. I just wish they had chosen a more unifying theme while the rest of the UK is tearing itself apart.

a sort of 100th birthday tribute to June Spencer

Well, yes. And they’ve taken the opportunity to re-boot / relaunch / revivify the whole original purpose of the show. Despite the artificiality I really loved the reminder of where The Archers, as a farming family and as a dynasty, began.

Peggy did sound like she was reading aloud. I rationalised this by assuming Peggy had planned and practised what she was going to say.

Yes, my take was that Peggy WAS reading aloud i.e. she had written a speech and was holding it in her hand. Perfectly plausible.

A dark and stormy Are you kidding ? What could be more unifying than saving the planet? Effing brexit is nothing compared.

Peggy was making a speech, not just talking, so I think it was fine. Even if she had just been thinking it through and inwardly rehearsing it would sound unnatural.

As I understood it the editorial team has said that the storyline as a whole is a tribute to June Spencer, who (unlike Peggy) has cared about the environment for tears and even decades, so having it start on June Spencer's birthday but a date with no particular significance for Peggy is not surprising.

ppeatfruit Saving the planet is a brilliant idea but could Peggy not have thought of a better way to go about it? One which doesn't divide her family? Maybe she could have consulted them (actual farmers).

I meant "years" not "tears" in my post....

I know what you mean Dark Peggy has grand ideas but she doesn't seem to know the correct\fair ways of achieving them. She does know how to split up her children though, maybe she has always done it. ( I remember Tony feels that he was unfairly treated as child).

Gnasher is completely bonkers.

“Gnasher is completely bonkers.”

Agreed But they were making her sound quite sane tonight- the Blossom Village idea could work.....

If Peggy was serious about her idea she could have explored something like a community woodland initiative. The Forestry Commission in Scotland are very keen on supporting these sorts of projects. I assume the Commission in England and Wales is.

Or she could have considered a community heat source by ground heat pump which could benefit the whole village in reducing fossil fuel consumption generally with the added benefit of reduction in fuel costs for the less well off.

I’m just going to repeat the comment I made immediately on hearing of Peggy’s proposal I bet Gnasher will be busy trying to find a way to get her hands on all that cash. Her party plans are preposterous - she’s invited half the village to their tiny flat above the shop and now she’s throwing a bartender in the mix. And she still makes me think of Uncle Bryan every time she opens her mouth : “I for one will be wearing sequins”.