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.

birds

I dunno about under her thumb ... I’m a little out of step with the MN nuclear family ideal where any interaction with wider family is purely transactional. In my world, and in quite large swathes of the world, multi-generational family life is quite normal and aunts, uncles etc aren’t just for Christmas. People wouldn’t even see looking after a baby as ‘helping out’ the parent(s) - everyone who loves the child is involved in bringing them up, and delights in doing so, as far as they are able.

I wasn't implying that only the youth can have parties with barmen and dancing! I'm in my forties and go to some great parties but I have to say that very few of them involve people say in their early twenties.

My 21 year old niece lives with us and we love hanging out, I'm not saying you can't or anything, just a bit of an eclectic mix. Someone mentioned a 'political party', which I agree but then don't think the Cuban theme etc matches the political element (something less fun and more sophisticated perhaps?).

I was wondering how they were outside as thought a flat above a shop was unlikely to have a balcony.

I'm sure that's right, George, but the fact remains that (a) it's normally thought at least polite to ask about babysitting before you make arrangements to go out, and (b) you don't necessarily know that the likely candidates are available. However, Pip instantly assumed that they would be, or that if they weren't, someone would cancel other plans so as to help her out.

Well, when my kids were small, I had to ask someone if they were able to babysit, before making my plans. Surely it's just good manners? You don't just tell someone they're babysitting for you, no matter how much they love you and your children, what if they already have plans? It's got nothing to do with having transactional relationships or not.

It is surely different if you’re all part of the same extended household. (We don’t use the word ‘compound’ in England but it’s probably the right word.) So it would be neither asking nor telling - more “I thought I might go to Tom and Natasha’s party, as Alice wants to go too; will you be around to look after Poppy?”

Not Poppy - Rosie!

GeorgeTheBleeder
it would be neither asking nor telling - more “I thought I might go to Tom and Natasha’s party, as Alice wants to go too; will you be around to look after Rosie?”

I think it's still a good idea to find out before committing yourself, because they might all six say "Sorry, no, I'm going out on Friday too." Or even "No, sorry, I'm going to Tom and Natasha’s party."

Funny how Shula and Alastair get on so well.
Why is Pat only thinking about this now. Tom's in his late 30s isn't he.

Funny how Pat never thought about a "post-nup" when Rob was around.
And funny how he never gets mentioned when discussing "marry in haste, repent at leisure"

Poor Jazzer. Are we going to have him and Al moving somewhere together?

I couldn’t help feeling great resentment against Shula - on Alastair’s behalf. Has she bought him out yet?

Sounds like Al is getting on better with Jakob, though. Bodes well.

I think if Pat puts her suggestion to Natasha this week the flat over the shop might be free for Al very soon.

If the Grundys are going to No 1 The Green in July, where are Hannah and Johnneh going to live?

I thought the suggestion of Jacob offering Al a room sounded extremely unlikely. At the same time it does seem monumentally unfair that Shula is rattling around in the stables despite being the one to instigate the break up and having any numbers of relatives she could move in with while looking for a new place. Slightly unbelievable that Jim thought he could rock back up and everyone would have forgotten about the party. I really felt for Jazzer - who does seem to the only person in the village who knows Jim’s likes and dislikes. They are two of my favourite characters. Not really sure of the significance of Dan’s break up with the unlikely- named Dorothy - except to compare and contrast with what Shula did to Al. Completely uninteresting - I am bored to tears by Shula.

Al and jazza will move back into the stables surely ?

I liked the return of Jim. Close lipped but civil initially, then one wrong step from jazzer and kaboom. His latent anger hostility and general unpleasantness pour fourth unmediated by any concern for "appearances" - the appearance of friendship with Jaz, the appearance of love with Al. He's very much a fucked up person - so hollow inside he has to fill that void with facts and self satisfaction.

Who is living in Blossom Hill Cottage?

I can't help wondering if one of the surprise guests at Jim's birthday party might have abused him as a child. Wheelchair man, perhaps?

Abusers don't necessarily need to be that much older than their victims.

Maybe Jim has kept the memory buried for decades, until seeing the person, on his birthday, brought it all back to him.

Just a thought that keeps niggling at me.......

If the Grundys are going to No 1 The Green in July, where are Hannah and Johnneh going to live?

Are they moving in July? I thought Will had given some sort of extension because EdnEmma weren't going into the new-build so quickly?

It's possible that's just my imagination, though.

Oh, yes. I'd forgotten about that. I think that Joe will pass away at Grange Farm so I thought it would be soon.

Ref Jim - I thought at the time that perhaps one of the party guests from his past was either a neighbour he had an affair with or maybe a neighbour who his late wife had an affair with resulting in birth of Alastair & was a horrible reminder for Jim out of the blue that Al isn't his biological son ?

Pat has zero self awareness or empathy. Natasha will need careful handling when tell her we tell her she is a gold digger and her marriage won't last. So I'd better be the one to do it, and Helen who is not only fiercely independent but a Stirling judge of character agrees with me.

God, I remember when poor old Tony dared to maybe even suggest that Helen may need to give her donor baby plans (last Wednesday I decided a baby would make my life complete so I've contacted the conveniently located Borchester fertility clinic and I expect your full support) a bit of thought. Helen refused to speak to him until Pat made him issue a grovelling apology.

Pat, the reason why her children are so rubbish.