The Archers #109: Pulp Fiction! Hammer Horror (Tracy), Carry On (Brian & Neil), Call the Midwife (Adam, Ian, Lexi) - but no political thrillers, Ambridge remains Brexit-free. Nitpick here!

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

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. grin

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 Bucking Frolics and LillianGish for the title ideas, which I had to edit down a bit to get under the character limit.

I wonder if Lily will have gone back to Manchester by the time we've filled this thread.

Yes Harrison is from Lancashire not Yorkshire. Don’t confuse the two. It makes me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry...

Isn't lugubrious Maurice a Scouser? Not heard often enough imho

Yep, never, ever mix up Yorkshire and Lancashire [folds arms and gives a hard stare] we don't like it.

Thank you DDD, I heard the voice and knew I knew it but couldn't place it, all I could see in my minds eye was a desk a beige background and a blond perm so went from there. Then it came to me at work (not painting). See comment above for origin of user name and an Alice in Wonderland reference.

Dr Locke was a (fake) mancunian

I thought Usha was from Leicester.

On the subject of this evening's episode: if I mentioned that I was thinking of getting an extension built on my house, and my son and my lodger then without consulting me decided who would be doing the work and got him round to measure up for it, even if I didn't dislike the man they had chosen I would be completely furious. Who on earth would do something like that?

We mustn't forget the token Aussie - Jolene.

And Kate's South African family.

Has there ever been a Kiwi in the Archers?

Better ask Jim - he's the birdwatcher.....

Jolene isn't Australian; she was born and brought up in Leyton Cross, which is about a mile north of Borchester. Her father was the butcher there.

I assume then that Jim will vet all potential builders who quote him for the extension: "and what is your view of the role of the study of history in our civilisation?"...

Yep, never, ever mix up Yorkshire and Lancashire [folds arms and gives a hard stare] we don't like it. - so Paintingtheroseswhite, you're from Lancashire?

Great Jim moments here. I especially like his views on photography, the Susan Sontag of Ambridge.

On the other hand a stupidly engineered episode to have Jazzer and Alistair doing something so crass. Apart from anything else, there's been no mention of exactly what Jim wants for the extension. And all to show his endearing crankiness.

Kenton’s ex partner and daughter live in Australia.

New Zealand, though mel is Australian. She married a kiwi and Merry has a kiwi accent.

I also think @grumiosmum that there was a Kiwi character called Aunt Laura- before my time (I had my Archers awakening circa 1987) but posters on the BBC boards used to talk about her, think she was quite a central character.

And we had some Kiwi sheep shearers once.

Why was Philip so desperate to do the work? And at virtually cost-price, too.

Can I have his phone number!

He's a bit strange, coming round without the owner of the property having asked him to and with no plan to work from or even any idea what was actually wanted, and measuring up in the dark! (Must have been dark: it was dusk when he and Jim were at the hide together.)

I read in one of my Archers books (yes, I know) that back in the 50s/60s/70s the BBC was keen to sell TA to Commonwealth radio stations, so introduced a Canadian (Lilian's first husband) and a Kiwi (Aunt Laura, who was the widow of Dan Archer's brother - Dan was the patriarch - tenant and then owner of Brookfield, husband of Doris, father of Jack (Peggy's first husband), Christine and Phil). Aunt Laura came to live in Ambridge Hall and was a key character for a long time. I remember hearing her when my mum listened and I happened to be in the room. When she died, she left a will bequeathing Ambridge Hall to her lodger, Colonel Danby (played by the man who was the Major in Fawlty Towers). Unfortunately, it was unsigned, so she died intestate and a distant relative got the house and sold it to the Snells.

The plan of getting the colonies to listen to TA didn't come to much, hence the early death of Lilian's husband. Aunt Laura, however, must have been considered a useful character as she was in the village for years and years.

The vile Leon, who went out with Helen for a bit and seduced/raped Greg's daughter Annette and left her pregnant, was Australian.

Kenton's daughter is 17/18. About time for a gap year! Seems to be the norm with my clan.

Philip measuring up for the extension that hasn't been spec'd is stupid. Are we to now assume he is over-extended on the house move too?

I can't believe either Kate or Roy are paying for Phoebe to swan around for the past 3 months. Does she have a secret sugar daddy somewhere?

On the plus side we did giggle at Tracey referring to Ian's forthcoming leave as "Sprogwatch". Is Lexi going to leave them to it?

Have there been many Americans. I remember an American girlfriend interlude for RealTom or Ed (forget which)

Forgot this > '?'

Checking in ....

Con was an American GI with whom Peggy had had a little history pre-Jack Archer. Teenage Kate and others found letters in the attic or something and got in touch with Con who came over to Ambridge for a few episodes.

I'm sure there must have been some other Americans on occasion, but I can't think of any.

Wasn't Ed's girlfriend who he met in Hungary when Oliver or someone sent him there to avoid Will and Emma and drugs or something - Beth - wasn't she American?

Lucy Perks, Sid and Polly's daughter, who is about the same age as I am, and therefore my mother used to comment pointedly if she got good school marks - she was brought up in Ambridge, but emigrated to NZ, possibly to avoid Sid being married to Kathy, her former teacher, but I may be imagining that and getting timelines confused - anyway, she married a local there and I think has children, and it was she whom Sid and Jolene were visiting when he had his heart attack and died. I don't think Jamie has ever met his half sister.