The Archers #110: Game(keeping)'s up for Will. Game on for Lillian & Vince, Tracy & Oliver? Game over for Joe? Stay ahead of the game with all things Archers 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.

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 idea. Very tempted to go with MrsGrindah's suggestion of It’s all a bit crap and boring at the moment but let's be positive, maybe things will look up in the coming days ... Also very taken with Lexi's Midnight Runners - Burpers, maybe? - from Madcats.

Not at all happy about Lily not going to university. Yet another bright Ambridge woman not fulfilling her potential. Why do they do this?

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime Phoebe mentioned it at the time.
Around that time, she referred to herself as Phoebe Tucker, which struck me as odd.

Yes to all of the above. This will be a good topic to keep me going today while I get on with a boring but urgent job and then I need to complete my response to the surrogacy commission. consult.justice.gov.uk/law-commission/surrogacy/consultation/send_return_link?source=subpage.2019-05-21.8475097726

Deadline is tomorrow. I've not got very far yet. There are various aids to completing it linked in the thread about this on Feminism Chat if anyone else is interested.

I'll try to catch Feedback tomorrow and see if they cover TA or mention devoting part of a later episode to it. Have they had Jeremy Howe on since he became Editor?

OK, that link doesn't work but you get the gist.

Gasp Lily is selling kitchens.
I would like the willy jokes to end.
Like you I am a hopeless addict.

Thanks, Mike, you're right. Double glazing is probably a bit passé these days.

Yes, endless innuendo is tiresome. Character driven writing is probably harder but it's what's made TA what it is (at times, anyway). 68 years and counting. That's a lot of character to draw on!

Could you ask for the new characters to go.
Joy can f off to the far side of f*ing f as far as I am concerned.
Rex is OK but Toe B can do one.

What happened to the weedkiller?

An insufferable episode.

A cliche of all that is currently wrong with TA.

Kirsty would have talked with Phil about kids. He would have been 100% clear with her about them not being on his to do list. He's sensible and practical and clear about his needs - as to a large extent is she so the idea of her twittering on about Dander in an indirect manner is tosh.

Joy - and oh how the SWs must have Applauded themselves on the subtle irony of her name - is a Southerners joke of a northerner.

Jolene would have sat Lilian down and talked to her. I could not believe the heavy handed ness of the writing of those scenes.

And the schoolboy sniggering storyline of Basil must stop. It's facile and tedious.

Possibly a candidate for The Worst Episode Ever.

The worse episode ever was the SATTC one,

How long before Rochelle the Wonder Girl turns up, I wonder?

It will happen, mark my words.....

Pissed up animals? There you go:

www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/oct/15/animalwelfare

Just get the AI man in

Figuratively speaking, I hope. :o

Usha's presumably gone off to the non-speaking order of nuns and monks where Kathy and Jamie are now, living, too.

As for Phoebe and I remember her suddenly having to read the newspapers - indeed, yes. Wouldn't a super-bright teenager considered to be Oxbridge material (and for PPE of all things) be taking a bit of an interest in the papers anyway, without having to twig at a late stage 'ooh, should I maybe start mugging up on a few headlines in case they ask me?' The problem is that Phoebe as she comes over on air just sounds utterly unconvincing as someone with an incisive brain, I'm sorry to say.

And Kirsty.....well. Cardinal sin number one: have the baby conversation BEFORE you buy the house together. Just send her over to the Relationships board, they'll straighten her out.

And actually kirsty and Philip are sensible, that's a key part of their characters. They would have talked about this.

Animals do get drunk if they've been eating windfalls that have started fermenting. - yes, indeed, but that's not what the SWs were talking about - there was a comment about Eddie wanting the apples back if they got the cider press fixed. the implication was the apples were perfectly fine and it was the fact they were cider apples that had upset basil, not that they were beginning to ferment.

And Phoebe has shown absolutely no sign of intellectual growth or development after 3 years at Oxford....

Tbf I doubt I showed any sign of intellectual growth or development at the end of my first degree! In fact I was probably stupider and less ambitious and too interested in a man to do myself justice in the world. But they haven’t even given her that excuse. Just extended their vendetta against the education of Ambridge Women.

I too may, for the first time ever, trouble Feedback with my face ...

^What happened to the weedkiller?&

Someone unknown nicked Eddie's van back (that Timotei had helped source when he was first grooming Ed and being all right wing about foreigners and stuff.) They drove up to the barn, loaded all the boxes or barrels or sacks or however they came, drove off and that's the last we've ever heard of it which presumably means Ed''s off the hook. I don't think they reported the van theft, as that would mean owning up to the weedkiller, and there was no mention if the V5 or anything, but I don't know how clear it was to the Grundys if it was a legitimate van to have anyway, so they might not be so worried. Usually, the lack of a van would tip Eddie into financial trouble because of not being able to get around for all the little jobs he does, but there's been no mention of it being any sort of problem this time.

EBearhug, thanks for your reassuring post. I'd been losing sleep over it. Good to know it all ended happily.

I thought that Tim was the person who did that Ebear.

It might have been. I don't remember if they saw who did it. I don't really care, either...

Good to know it all ended happily.
I was, initially, worried about Ed's fingerprints and DNA-trace all over the pesticide drums. Then I realised that I was somewhat overestimating the capabilities/interest of Borsetshire Police or do I mean the capabilities/interest of the SW in the storyline?

Ooh. Thanks. Ebear. Glad it all ended well.
Borsetshire Police is just Harrison and he can't be expected to do everything.

They thought it was probably Tim who took the van back.

Also here is an open letter from Nordic Model Now to the Law Commission objecting to their consultation.

An excellent letter which explains many of the issues and all you have to do is sign it. 30 secs max.
I hear 600 signatures so far.

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdp16TCOzpaHnPuMdxs2pvkaM6g7NPuP3mguJrvBY5ds57VuQ/viewform

I loved Tom when he was played by Tom Graham. He was replaced because they didn't think he sounded like he was related to Tony.

Doesn't seem to be a problem with David and Ruth's offspring, particularly Pip.