Discuss The Archers #108: Has Ed & Emma’s ship sailed? Will Alice stick her oar into Kate's love life? Can Shula walk on water? Come and discuss whatever floats your boat in The Archers.

[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 @QuaterMiss for the title of this thread. For reasons of space had to cut out the bit speculating about Oliver and Tracy pairing off. Surely not!

Off now to give blood, something nobody in Ambridge ever does. See you all later.

For NBN reasons I've had no internet for days so apologies if noting what has has already been noted: how fecking horrible is Brine's sexy voice. Bleurghhh. Brain bleach.

Also note that Pips' not telling her parents about double-dealing on the green bid fits in with her STILL not having owned up to letting the cows out years ago.

how fecking horrible is Brine's sexy voice. It is, indeed, yucky. I couldn't work out who it was at first.

The only reason Oxbridge is being connected to grammar is that the specific character went to Oxford, and to do a degree that involved essay writing and probably oral discussion with academics. I don’t think anyone suggested that going to Oxbridge automatically equals being good at grammar/not going there equals being bad at grammar. However, as a general rule, people who are educated in the sense that they have passed a few exams that involve writing and a reasonable amount of reading are less likely to make grammatical mistakes.

Who do we think will win Peggy's prize?

Tut!

I thought I had made that quite clear above. (Because the SWs listen to me ...) Why else has Phoebes been brought home to do nothing for months?

When you think of all the recent times that Peggy's extended clan has struggled to keep their heads above water recently (The Bull, Lower Loxley, Home Farm), I can't help thinking that there is a lot of simmering ill-feeling about this charitable trust.

I think Rex and Phoebe are the planned winners. [Surely the SW could have put her on a law conversion course or something to keep her in the village]. I would somebody 'new' to win.

It would be/have been a great opportunity to introduce some new characters into Ambridge - there do seem to be a lot of the cast in their twilight years.

chemenger please get over your jetlag ASAP - I love your intern pieces.

as a general rule, people who are educated in the sense that they have passed a few exams that involve writing and a reasonable amount of reading are less likely to make grammatical mistakes.

I am or have been connected to both Ox & ‘bridge, (as well as a few other vaguely ‘prestigious’ educational institutions). Both my past and current ‘careers’ (ha!) involve having to write at the highest possible levels. I can’t remember what I knew when I was young - but I can say that after a couple of decades of mobile phone screens and internet use I no longer have a fecking clue about grammar. Make it up as I go along and pray I’ll soon be rich enough to employ a proofreader.

(That said, people confusing less and fewer does make me unreasonably .)

I'm just wondering whether Pip will stamp her little feet and decide to go with Rex and Phoebe as her parents are being so howwid to her. That could have interesting spin-offs in terms of her free accommodation and child care, to say nothing of the whole Brookfield Heir thing.

I thought Ruth over-reacted because while she was understandably cross, the wailing and shouting was over the top. It's just a competition and Brookfield's future doesn't hinge on the outcome. Berating Pip for choosing 'a couple of friends over family' was odd. Rex is her daughter's uncle and Phoebe is related to her isn't she? They're hardly a couple of randoms she barely knows.

They're hardly a couple of randoms she barely knows

But Pip is the Future of Brookfield. If only they had other children to help.

Oh wait...

I don't think Ruth was unreasonable at all - Pip was sneaky about the whole process.

Eastie Please don't forget that we are now listening to a "drama" So we HAVE to have over reactions from Ruth and David. The SW's are fulfilling their brief.

I think Ruth is at the very least right to be cross that Pip waited until just the day before to drop this information. (Even worse, Ruth doesn't know that Pip only did that because of Phoebe's prompting - so Pip really would have thought it OK just to turn up to the final and suddenly appear in another bid ).

If Pip really didn't think it a problem, she would have mentioned it weeks ago - surely it would have been a courtesy to say "Rex has asked me to help with his bid".

Whilst living abroad, the Queen and Prince Philip came to visit. In Aussie style, a huge barbecue was held and the public were invited to a park, by the shore. An absolutely beautiful setting.

We decided to go and see what all the fuss was about despite the fact we would have avoided such an event whilst living in the UK. 😁

The Queen gave a speech in which she said the words, Philip and me! I nearly choked on my veggie hotdog 😝

I didn't hear another word after that. It was so jarring to the ears. Especially delivered by DQ!

Clearly I haven't yet recovered. 😂

The conversation above reminded me of it again. 🙉

There's nothing wrong with the words "Philip and me" in the right context: e.g. "Thank you so much for the wonderful welcome you have given Philip and me".

It's not that is wrong, it was because the Queen said it! 😂

I am used to DQ saying Philip and I so when she said me I nearly choked. It felt so........ wrong 😲🙉😂

I'm sure Pip needs her adenoids seen to.

Dohhh

I really can‘t stand Peggy. Such a sanctimonious, manipulative woman. Her entire family is in turmoil as a result of her ridiculous competition. I think they should boycott her little game. But doubtless the allure of her £££ will keep them all engaged.

Just caught up with the last two films and this thread (nice title Quater - particularly since I feel I have been wallowing in TA with my lengthy catch up). Some excellent comments and analysis as usual I will restrict myself to two points:
Essentially more in love with home ownership than she was with him or at least thought she was. I think it was Emma’s leaning for material security that led her to the wrong Grundy brother in the first place - then she saw the light, but has lost her way again since (she can’t help herself - she is Susan’s daughter when all’s said and done). I hope Will won’t be getting his hopes up again and that Emma won’t find the pull of her coffee table too much to resist.
Can someone please explain how the rewilding project will work - no one on the team has any land to rewild to my knowledge.

It occurred to me this afternoon: where is Jill and her pitch on behalf of the apine population? Or is worrying about bees a bit last decade. Last I heard, we were all going to be dead by 2030 due to lack of pollinators.

I have just caught up on the episodes this week. Originally I had thought that Brian had a real problem, my first instinct was that it might a health scare (prostrate awareness?) so I was disappointed in the obvious direction they were heading, as soon as he found the printed letter it was far too obvious. Clunky writing in my opinion.

I am sad that Emma and Ed have left us with a gap for no younger happily married / long term partner with young(er) children. I suppose Alice and Chris may one day and seem to have a strong marriage (although I do t see it). And there's Fallon and Harrison.

Ed and Emma had a real 'meant to be together and stand the test of time whatever life may throw at them' type of feel. Perhaps because the actors make their characters come alive more and because their marriage wasn't perfect. Ian and Adam are about to embark on young family life but have more life experience than usual.

Yes, Will and Nic were doing quite well, with a blended family as well, before they sacrificed her to awareness-raising

I reckon this weeks' writer dislikes Pip as much as we do

Well, what was that all about? Surely Phoebe, Rex and Pip would between than have thought about which bits of Ambridge would be rewilded.

@LillianGish

You are Peggy Wooley and I claim my £5.00

Presumably the rewilding project would be buying a few "show" acres and would use the rest for education.

The possibility that candidates might be shortlisted without an outline budget and plan, before submitting more detailed coatings and milestones is daft.

Phoebe channelling Greta Thunberg there.

And yy to the lack of land to rewild, although I suppose that's where Peggy's dosh would come in handy.

No mention of wolves, aurochs or lynx either. Not even beavers. A rather tame rewilding imo.