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.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

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.

I think it’s a drip,drip, drip to build up a picture of Gnasher. The credit card debts which Tom calls her out on, then she disappears to who knows where and when she returns in a flash new car Tom is so relieved he’s not asking questions any more. The honeymoon to Cuba, the extravagant party which requires a bartender in a one-bed flat - even these are just one off extravagances - the expensive face creams are on-going expenses though, the wardrobe full of new clothes with fancy labels - Gnasher is aping the lives of big-spending celebs on the income of an organic farmer (her own business sounds a bit like Victoria Beckham’s vanity fashion business - looks successful, but not actually making any money - hence the credit cards).

But depressingly stereotypical well yes, but I think there need to be subtle expenses that Tom won't notice. I imagine cosmetics and clothes labels go a bit over his head - he probably thinks a pot of face cream is a pot of face cream, couldn't cost more than about a fiver - possibly a tenner if pushing the boat out.

Surely the cost of that party can't have gone over his head? He must have seen the food and drink being bought and would he not have asked about how much hiring the barman cost?

Bert asked how much it would have cost- not sure but must be several hundred pounds.

I think Tom knew the party costs, as he mentioned it being worth every penny. No idea exactly how much that came to, but a bartender (especially one who specialises in mixing cocktails) for the night, isn't going to come cheap, nor is the free flowing booze, which would have to be quite a mix of spirits because of the cocktails. It's not going to be comparable to buying a few cases of wine and beer.

But I agree, he won't know that face cream can cost hundreds of pounds for just one jar, and the clothes are all designer, so expensive.

I wonder how many thousands she's added to the cards since Tom found out about them? She was already up to £15K then, with the honeymoon and everything else, it wouldn't surprise me if she's doubled that now. And if they couldn't afford to rent the house, they're going to be in trouble soon, because the monthly minimum payments (which she said she was paying) will go up a lot more, which won't be paying the debt off at all.

The SW are bound to do a SL when it all comes crashing down.

You’d get 15 Mohitos per bottle with a proper bar tender doing the measuring. How many people there? Anyone good at sums?

I wonder why she decided to spend so much on the party. I only heard mention of villagers' names; there was no networking going on so she can't use that excuse.

I think the party was because of her vanity and insecurity. Gnasher likes everyone to be impressed by her.

She complains that everyone in the village talks about her , but she also, perhaps unknowingly, endorses the Wilde maxim about there only being one thing worse than everybody talking about you, and that is nobody talking about you.

I think the party was because of her vanity and insecurity. Gnasher likes everyone to be impressed by her.
Compare&contrast to Jim. Not meaning to be rude to the fine folk of Ambridge, but I don't think that they are the sort to find Latin or designer geegaws impressive. They don't feature high on the list of practical things.

I think the party was because of her vanity and insecurity. Gnasher likes everyone to be impressed by her

Perhaps but the fact that it wasn't of any commercial benefit may also mean she is someone who puts hospitality very high on her priorities.

DM would put as much effort into entertaining a few neighbours or random visitors as she would someone of possibly great significance. Including all the random drop in visitors so accursed on MN. It would never occur to her to do otherwise.

I'm vaguely hoping that instead of TASWAMA it will turn out that the juice farm/business was wildly successful and she can easily afford the credit cards and if anything is more in need of a "post nup" than Tom.

Fat chance though!

Perhaps but the fact that it wasn't of any commercial benefit may also mean she is someone who puts hospitality very high on her priorities

I think Gnasher likes to be thought of as the person who gives expensive, extravagant presents and the person who threw the best party Ambridge has seen in years. I think is motivated by egotistical not altruistic motives.

I imagine it's not only done to convince others but to also convince herself. Look how happy I am, isn't this fun, everything is fine, everything is fine.

Gnasher clearly wants to be super cool and popular and to impress everyone. A while back a few posters wondered if she is bi-polar which is a very intriguing idea.

Tom needs to ask how much things are costing - I suspect she has kept the true cost of the party from him.

When Tom queries the cost of the party, she will get cross and say she only did it to help her integrate into the village and wasn’t that what he wanted??

I found their party guest list quite strange too (bearing in mind the flat is tiny so they would've had to limit it). I'm just not sure that would've invited that mix eg Pat and Tony but not Brian and Jennifer as Tom's uncle. It was both a young persons party (bartender with huge array of spirits, dancing, hanging out on the fire escape) along with a family party (parents) as well as the people who work for them of a different generation (Tom is fond of Susan but they aren't friends and she drives Gnasher mad).

I am not a natural party giver but that seems strange to me. Although Susan was a super party guest dancing and lots of compliments etc. Shame they were laughing at her.

Perhaps I'm also biased as cocktails are wasted on me!

birdsof yes indeed, to the point where one wonders uncomfortably whether the backstory that might emerge over the next few years, will illuminate a very unhappy childhood

we had that with Rob so scratch that

I’d have said it was a political party ...

Though I’m astonished to hear that only the young are allowed barmen, dancing and hanging out on fire escapes. To quote Matthew Sweet - I don’t think you’re right about this.

They had to invite Susan; she works downstairs and they probably bump into her several times a day. It would have been tactless in the extreme not to include her. (And of course the SWs probably needed a gossip there to relay news of the event to listeners and the uninvited.)

But I guess we have to assume they actually invited their own friends as well.

They had to invite Susan; she works downstairs and they probably bump into her several times a day.

And her other job is st Bridge Farm.

Well, who are "The Thwaites"? Tony mentioned them, as he was surprised they were at the party.
Didn't Gnasher also invite Emma? Was she there? I don't remember.

I have never hung out on a fire escape in my life. My life has been meaningless

Well, who are "The Thwaites"?

Sabrina and Richard. I think Richard is an accountant and Sabrina is the yoga mummy, lusted after by the likes of Eddie. Been silent characters for a long time now. Sabrina was the pantomime cat one year in Lynda's panto.

“I have never hung out on a fire escape in my life. My life has been meaningless”
I have hung out on fire escapes in at least 6 cities. At one stage my live was bloody awesome!

Surely the Thwaites are second only to the Button sisters in the hierarchy of silent characters.

Ah right, thanks C8H, I think I've heard of Richard and Sabrina. I've only been listening for a couple of years or so.

In my defence I was probably in the bedroom rather than the fire escape.

it was interesting that, when Alice suggested going to the party, Pip instantly said yes without having to stop to think whether she could get babysitters. She really has got her entire family plus Toby under her thumb.