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.

Thanks Gasp0de. I haven't listened to tonight's episode yet so nothing to say, but you all talking about blood donation has reminded me to check whether I have a donation booked - turns out I've been signed out of the app during an update so now it's time to try to dredge my memory for the password.

Delurking to say that I'm pretty sure there was a kid at my local pool the other day called Kenton 😱 that's what it sounded like anyway

Clarrie's exposition in A&E was the worst bit of writing I've heard on TA for ages FFS.

Kate and Jacob deserve each ofher.

Thank you @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g.

Poor Emma yesterday. Kate is such an unpleasant character, does she have any redeeming qualities? I seem to recall something at some point but can’t dredge it up.

Kate has only one redeeming feature. She is kind to Hilda. Although even that was because she had an ulterior motive.

I noticed how Kate made out she'd given up work and moved in to Peggy's to care for her. Typical narc.

Yes, I snorted at that, but Jakob noticed too and immediately pulled her up on it.

Re blood donation - all went well. I lapsed for many years, having fallen off the mailing list after an operation a long time ago. Pleased to have got back to doing my bit now. These days you get a text a few weeks after donation telling you that your blood has been used and naming the hospital that got it. That gives me a lovely warm glow and is a good incentive to keep going.

I have a friend who dated a Kenton when she was at Nottingham Poly in the early 1980s. She’s also dated a Kent. No Kens in her life.

Just checking in

Bless you Gasp0, and the ship you sailed in on, as my mother used to say.

Emma crying last night was super acting. It's all starting to come "home" to Emma what really makes a home - and it isn't fancy coffee tables.

Surely Clarrie would want to see Emma? I cannot imagine why she's cut her out like this. Is there a backstory I'm not aware of - I'd always imagined Clarrie and Emma loved each other

Checking in though not up to date

Thanks for the new thread Gasp0de

I have a bad feeling that the Kate and Jakob storyline is going to drag on as "the not downright depressing" bit. I REALLY hope they aren't planning another pregnancy for Kate.

Did any "non-Archers" make it into Peggy's shortlist?

Going back to the summary, Badger - I should have said that Jim’s story, in the aftermath to the party, was closely woven into the development of Saint Shula. For some reason she felt guilty for the debacle as she had helped to organise the celebration - and became determined to cure Jim of whatever ailed him. She harried him from pillar to post - consequently dropping into conversation that Harold had entertained the party crowd by playing on Jim’s keyboard. Jim smashed it up in front of her.

She kept turning up on the doorstep. She kept popping out of corners and wheedling Alistair. (Until he decided to be grateful, probs because it was just easier than constantly having to put her off.) She tapped Freddie (now living with her for the sake of the LL alcohol licence) for self-validation. He, naturally, boosted her faith in her own specialness. She stalked Alan - telling him, and us, in truly tedious detail, just how sure she now was that a life in the Church awaited her. Poor man couldn’t find enough ways to dodge this.

No one has told her directly exactly what happened to Jim. But she has worked it out - and made Alistair phone a support group. Alan has been obliged to put her in touch with the diocesan somebody, as a first step to her ascension.

Ed & Emma (no longer ‘Mianed’ ) next instalment - unless someone else is eager to cover it?

Yes, I snorted at that, but Jakob noticed too and immediately pulled her up on it.

Well, if they are going to get together, I don't think he'll put up with her bull. Maybe he'll turn her into a nicer person? Maybe? Whatever, I'm sure it will lead to all sorts of comedy moments.

I too was wondering if any non family had made the shortlist Madcats. It wouldn't surprise me if it was all family, bar one token "outsider", to bat away any criticisms about nepotism.

Motoko - generally a pony is a small horse (fully grown under 147cm). There are some exceptions and people often use the terms interchangeably.

Correctly speaking Spearmint is probably a horse. Bartleby is a large pony I believe, not sure about Gem but she's probably a similar size to Bartleby as Joe drives them in the same carriage, and she was fly grazed so probably a gypsy cob type. Topper was a horse as is Cranford Crystal. Amir and Aziz are Arabian Horses so they would always be called horses even if under 147cm. Arabs are quite small horses normally.

Ponies are a different category of breeds to horses.

If you imagine that dogs are in broadly two categories, chihuahuas(sp?), terriers, toy breeds, handbag sized dogs, pugs, etc are the dog version of ponies.

Labradors, German shepherds, Newfoundlands, pointers, greyhounds, Huskies etc are the dog version of horses.

A cross breed or mongrel that is small is still a pony - large is still a horse.

Most of our native to the UK breeds are ponies. They tend to be intelligent and resilient, having been historically bred to carry a small farmer all day and maybe a sheep or deer carcass, or pull coal carriages up and down mining pits all day.

Our horse breed natives include the Suffolk punch, a huge boned slower animal, who needed huge strength to pull heavy wagons on the farm all day, and able to be "parked" quietly for long periods of time, but quick wit, ability to think and be clever about where to put his feet weren't required and the accompanying personality tendencies to shying, making things up to do when bored and generally being trouble certainly went desired. Similar story to the black horse of England now known as shire horses, and clydesdales. Racehorses were lighter horses, who had one job, to go fast.

“Surely Clarrie would want to see Emma? I cannot imagine why she's cut her out like this. Is there a backstory I'm not aware of - I'd always imagined Clarrie and Emma loved each other”

Well I suppose she might bear a deep resentment for Emma ditching one son for t’other?

Thanks for the summary - I have a true soft spot for Ed so be gentle with me....

Coffee Have you got an equine degree ? Thanks for that explanation, I thought I knew something about horses

I thought that Tracey showed quite a lack of empathy with her arrangments for the "Shed Ed" girl's night. She 's like an 18 year old rather than the nearly 60 year old she probably is. (she's Susan's sister isn't she?).

AIBU in planning to report a pp for an inappropriate UN?

Ok. Dyou remember Tim Oatey, Badger? Some clever-clogs on the thread re-named him Tim O’Plot Device - never a truer word spoke.

So, you’ll recall he inveigled Ed into abject gratitude (via free 2nd hand van for Eddie and lots of extra cash in hand work for Ed). Emma was delighted, because money. Eventually he asked Ed to give him a hand with transporting and delivering dodgy chemicals, mostly under cover of darkness, to surrounding farms. Ed was reluctant. Talked to Emma. She scoffed and reminded him about money for new house. Ed became increasingly unhappy as Tim ramped up the pressure.

Now, at this point Kate moved in with Peggy. This meant the SWs had Peggy telling Emma she was no longer needed to clean the Lodge. So Ed stood no chance of Emma listening to his worries. She wanted new furniture for their prospective new house.

At one point Ed, with a boot full of illegal chemicals, crashed into Will doing his rounds. He had Poppy in the car when she should have been in bed. Stand-off à la Freddie & Lily a year ago. Each threatening to dob the other in. Ed was very scared at that point. Emma had her fingers in her ears.

Tim intimated to Ed that the people he was working for would do very bad things if Ed backed out now. He mentioned Emma and the children ... Shortly afterwards a car ran into Emma’s car and the driver was threatening. After an abortive ‘drop’ Ed was forced to store the chemicals in the Grundy barn. Will knew about the threats and heard that George had been in the car with Emma and Keira. Exactly one week before Ed and Emma were due to finalise the new house purchase Will confronted Ed at Home Farm while Ed was at work. Adam heard. Got the full story out of Ed. Sacked him.

That was a tense weekend in listener land ...

I need a And by now someone else has probably related the events anyway!

I thought the scenes between Susan, Emma and Tracey were glorious Those three are the best actors in TA by a country mile.

No well done Quater One point; I could never work where exactly Ed was taking the Pesticides, wasn't there a 'middle gang" who collected ?

I have a true soft spot for Ed so be gentle with me....
I used to, too, but what was endearing when younger is now becoming wearing. He's changed from "insecure little puppy" to "spineless". It feels as if even Oliver has given up on him - he arranged to shortlist Tracey and Freddie (who hadn't applied) but not Ed (who had).

Thanks R4Im used to talking to myself!

I hope the Susan and Clarrie rift doesn’t last too long though. They’ve been through loads together and Clarrie is going to need Susan’s shoulder to cry on when Joe leaves us.

I’m liking the Jakob character more and more. But not paired with Kate. No no no no no.

I’m also still laughing about Kenton’s line when Shula dramatically announced she’s going into the church ...” you’re not talking about popping into St Stephens?”

Thinking about it some more, why did Emma make Ed apply for the receptionist job at GG. Why didn't she apply herself? She's forever moaning about the chicken factory, a commute away, with zero hours and non-family-friendly boss. The receptionist job is the exact opposite, it must be her dream job.

Good point, R4.