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 don't know if it's related but Keri Davies said on Twitter recently that he had taken a few months off scriptwriting so he could write an Archers-related book. He is now back on the strength and his next scripts go out in September, IIRC. I feel he's one of the better SWs and he used to be the senior producer and ran the Archers messageboard on the BBC, of blessed memory. If he's been absent from the planning meetings as well, that might perhaps go some way to explain how feeble the storylines have been recently. Or not. There have been plenty of duff storylines in the past.

Hmmph! We're no nearer knowing who stole the bunting, are we?

And neither is Harrison, by the sound of things. He sounded like a comedy amateur sleuth last night.

If Lynda needs a panto policeman for this year's production, she need look no further.

If they must clear up a long-standing mystery, I reckon who blocked the culvert would be far more interesting

It's become almost Beckettian in its epic tediousness.

The CAs keep saying things like 'and now! Prepare yourself! For a development! In the BUNTING SAGA!!!'

And then......nothing happens. Or if it does, I can't understand it.

Intrigued by the mention of Jim's sister. Has she ever appeared before?

What's the betting they can't stand each other, and we're treated to another hilarious Camilla type episode.

I thought it was Alistair's sister?

Yup. Fiona. Alistair’s sister.

Do we know what happened to the mega dairy? Presumably all the buildings etc were converted to some other use?

LassOfFyvie
Under UK law the baby is Lexi's

Isn't it Adam's too? He provided the sperm, so he can be shown to be the father.

The mega-dairy is now a mega pig-unit, run by Neil with Hannah as his second-in-command.

Under UK law the baby is Lexi's
Trouble is, she is in Bulgaria ATM where surrogacy isn't legal. I guess the Brexit delays have ruined that storyline.
When is the baby due again? Is it September?

Where has Adumb put all his aquaponics by the way? I imagine it needs to be sited somewhere rather more substantial than a plastic polytunnel in the middle of a field? How did Home Farm afford the investment when Bryan virtually bankrupted it?

Wasn't Keri Davies writing an Ambridge cookbook? Maybe he liberated the bunting from the Archers' prop department for associated photoshoots.

I hope they're not going to ride roughshot over Bulgarian law and treat the whole thing as if it was happening here. I'm annoyed enough about a surrogacy storyline without the legalities being misrepresented.

Is Lexi planning to return to the U.K. for the birth? In which case would Bulgarian law be relevant? Though I suppose plans can go awry with births and flights.

What does Lexi get from this arrangement? Paying for surrogates is illegal in the UK except for expenses, I think. I’m not sure why she’s putting herself through this.

She's just doing it for friendship, because she cares about Ian and Adam. She wasn't going to at first, but changed her mind, because the other surrogates fell through and this was going to be their last go at it.

I thought Lexi was definitely meant to be coming back for the birth (and presumably a few weeks beforehand to be on the safe side).

Ian encouraging Adam to 'pack his swimmers' made me snigger

I'm sure there's potential for a joke in there somewhere!

I think I'd quite like other people to suggest a bucket list for me. People who like me, obviously!

Adam is such a joy-theif, relentlessly negative and with such a put-upon way of speaking. What does cheery Iain see in him!

Isn't a bucket list meant to be things you want to do before you die (or in this case before your life is restricted by a new baby)? If you can't think of anything then you don't have a bucket list. Other people making suggestions isn't the same thing at all.

Lillian that's what I & A wanted to do but Kate knew best so decided to take over and comprise a list for them. I enjoyed Josh this evening.

Adam can be stick in the mud. His bucket list will reflect that. Spometimes its good to get someone else's perspective on what might be fun/liberating/whatever.

Last time someone went wild swimming in the Am it resulted in a huge fine for Brian. Let’s hope they don’t find themselves surrounded by dead fish.

Isn't it Adam's too? He provided the sperm, so he can be shown to be the father

I don't know tbh. UK law makes Lexi's husband (if she had one) father by default unless he refuses.

If it were a straight surrogacy (and by that I mean not a hosted surrogacy) where it is Lexi's own egg fertilised by Adam via turkey baster, then yes, they could both register as parents. For host surrogacy I don't think it's so straightforward.

If theymustclear up a long-standing mystery, I reckon who blocked the culvert would be far more interesting

Wasn't it Rob?