Thread #106: Jim’s in a jam, Peggy’s made a pickle and Lexi is blooming - sounds like the entries are lining up for this year’s flower and produce show, but who will be on the organising committee?

[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 for the title of this thread.

Holding episode tonight, I thought - not much progress on any current storyline. I was a touch surprised Natasha wasn't offended by the postnup idea but I suspect she's biding her time.

Captain your post really threw me, I was trying to work out if you’d muddled up Sabrina Thwaite with someone but couldn’t work out who.

Sorry

Lizzies - get some revenge and go on the Handmaid's Tale thread with some post about Bert's prize dahlias.

That's Emmur's coffee table that is. Hand made and stale.

I thought we’d drifted into Wimbledon there.

Anyway - TA. I wonder if we’ll be told why the buyer of the dodgy stuff didn’t turn up. Was it a ploy to get Ed to keep it somewhere so he is then more embroiled than he is already? Then the crooks will tip off the police and we’ll have Gene Hunt roaring up in the Quattro to Grange Farm and finding dodgy stuff in the barn.

I am not enjoying the Ed and Emma storyline either - I am really hoping all the signposting by the sw (Emma getting so excited by the new place ect) is a double bluff and they get and keep thier place.

What??????

Why not???????

I want an explanation from the SWs.

Ah - now I get it ...

What are you talking about Quater?

Phoebe ...

Do you mean Phoebe saying she hasn't got her degree from Oxford yet? Because the results haven't come out yet?

No. It’s her lack of anything to go on to. (I’m more than well aware that this happens in rl () but it’s maddeningly unsatisfactory here. I don’t want her handed a family job. In Ambridge.

Well. I’ll wait to be surprised.

Sounds about right to me. Exam boards aren't usually held until July, are they? My son got his degree result from Oxford in mid-July.

Agree about job, though. Please let her escape!

Are Mianed buying at the top of the market? What if interest rates go up? What if Ed gets caught?
I'd like Phoebe to stay because I like her but she deserves to escape the confines of Ambridge.

They've bought one of the "affordable" houses on the estate, but I don't know if they've pushed themselves to the limit with it. It's quite possible, with the term, "affordable" housing, being rather a misnomer.

When you consider they couldn't even afford to rent in the area, they must be in a precarious position. I'm surprised they passed the mortgage affordability checks.

Glad I wasn’t the only one querying Phoebe’s lack of results... my alma mater has already had its graduation ceremonies this year.... I think oxbridge might be next week or the week after? But results may already be known, surely?

There must be someone who can set us right on this story-changing fact!

The graduation timing seemed odd to me but that may be Oxford being odd - I went to that other place, and we had our results in June in good time before graduation (which I vaguely think might have been right at the beginning of July, so today might be my BAnniversary) - time to organise gowns, photos etc.

Anyhoo, interesting that Alistair didn't tell Shula what had upset Jim even in the most general terms. I don't think Jim specifically told him not to tell Shula.

Of course, (sorry I know I keep making this point), if Shula had some intellectual curiosity about the reaction Harold evoked she could make some obvious guesses and work it out from Alistair's reaction.

I can’t believe Phoebe has left Oxford with no plan whatsoever I know some students might, but Phoebe’s not that sort of girl. She is Saffy to Kate’s Edina - she would definitely have lined something up. Please don’t tell me she’s going to work for Spiritual Home - I will stop listening.

DadDadDad I can understand why Alistair felt that it is so personal, it is not for him to share even if not specifically asked not to.

90+ yr old who can play the piano all evening and well is quite a novelty. But they exist, including a n acquaintance of mine whose playing was considered good enough to be recorded by and broadcast by Radio 3.

Jim could have done national service after uni, couldn't he? Or not at all if they earmarked him for something like Bletchley Park?

If Jim was in anything like the university pension scheme, isn't normal retirement age for that 60 rather than 65? And as someone said, can be paid on early retirement from 55 (though presumably "actuarily reduced" unless part of a redundancy package)

ooh, I like a nice bit of actuarial reduction

I think oxbridge might be next week or the week after?

I don't know about ox, but bridge was doing graduations this weekend.

Very surprised Phoebe didn't seem to have any idea what she was going to do next. Hoping (though on past SW form, not very hopefully!) that she's got something lined up but pending results and she doesn't want to say anything till it's in the bag.