Call #111 for Archers advice: Is Hilda breathing? Should Joy be breathing? Could Nelson Gabriel be in cryogenic suspension? Discuss The 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 Joy'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 for all the input on title suggestions. I'd missed the significance of 111, but @R4 and DDD, our resident numerologist, were right on to it. Strongly tempted by Bore's suggestion but couldn't resist the chance to mention my favourite ever Archers character, Nelson Gabriel. Have not managed to incorporate a cricket reference, so you'll have to read up on that for yourselves. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_(cricket)

I wonder if this thread will last till Joe's funeral.

I need to catch up a couple of episodes before reading the thread from where I was, but just dropping in to note that elsewhere someone has referred to middle-class people taking umbridge.

Errol - I know my brain's getting old because I had to pause and think for a while before I remembered the correct spelling of umbrage.

It sounds like one of those meaning of Liff words: "Umbridge - annoyance that the johnny-come-lately scriptwriters of one's favourite soap have clearly forgotten a minor incident in a character's backstory from twenty-five years ago"

No, 6 to a case the size of a handbag sized pack of tissues. How long does it take you to put them away after a major ironing session?

Dad^3 I know my brain's getting old because it took me 3 reads to realise you'd written umbrage and not umbridge.

I've only got 12, two packs. It doesn't take long, they slip into the case easily.

Is that in relation to the Archers Errol or did you just like the similarities in spelling.
Wasn’t there a Professor Umbrage in HP?

Oh, sorry, someone else on that thread made the TA connection and it tickled me.

The HP character was Professor Dolores Umbridge.

Dolores Umbridge played by Imelda Staunton

Dolores Umbridge played by Imelda Staunton Creepiest character in the whole thing. Best part about the films was they got such good actors playing all the subsidiary parts.

echt

MissBarbaryI have the story in a collection on my desk at work. It's going to niggle me all weekend as I can't recall the title or author

Mine is somewhere at home and I'm in Spain until Sunday. Much googling hasn't located it.

Thanks, I’ve heard the later HPs rather than read so wasn’t sure of the spelling.

There is a right way to iron handkerchiefs, in order to get them folded correctly (men in squares, ladies in triangles) I’d never given this any consideration, but my granny must have had the same ironing lessons. I love ironing while listening to something good on the radio - The Archers film being an obvious favourite - happy to iron sheets, tea towels, anything at all while listening, in fact I find it an aid to concentration. Big BOOP for last night’s episode - Jim’s piano playing and the dancing stars brought a tear to my eye. Nicely done (even though it was a long time coming).

I was taught to iron by nuns. Also to mend- the reverse has to be as neat as the front “because you are offering your work to God”.

I don't love ironing, but an archers catch-up session makes it tolerable.

I found the dancing stars a little mawkish, but like a lot that Joes death has helped heal the wounds between the Grundies and Susan and Emma.

“It’s in my little pocket.”

Just listened to the omnibus. Not posted for ages, but was proper sobbing by the end, especially at Joe's voice. Loved the bits with Clarrie and Emma, and I even loved Jim using Shula as his inspiration for playing for Joe (and I bloody hate Shula).

I was really hoping the church people had turned Shula down. I don't want to hear Shula mithering on about it.

I was really hoping the church people had turned Shula down. I don't want to hear Shula mithering on about it

Me too.

I am not an Anglican but I thought someone here who knows better said she was over the age limit for training to be ordained?

The Shula getting ordained story is so uninteresting. What is the point of going on and on and on about something which is only relevant to a minuscule fraction of the audience? Is the Church of England so desperate for vicars that they need this tedious public information broadcast? Do they think hundreds of Archers listeners will suddenly think “I wanted to be a vicar too”? Since I’m in Scotland it’s even less relevant to me.

I like Shula but not keen on the getting ordained SL.

Do they think hundreds of Archers listeners will suddenly think “I wanted to be a vicar too”?

I don't see why storylines can't have that influence. Although to be fair I am beginning to regret getting six head of Montbeliard for my back garden.

I'm involved with the running of a C of E church, and at a committee meeting where we discussing staffing and ordination, it was implied that a diocese can sponsor anyone for ordination if the Bishop is happy, so there may be guidance on an age limit but with some flexibility (that's the Anglican way).

o there may be guidance on an age limit but with some flexibility

Is there a fixed retirement age for vicars in the way there is for medics and some other churches? I'd assume there is a point after which the cost of training someone won't turn into a return before retirement age. OTOH not sure where this intersects with age discrimination law.

I'm assuming it is still about 5-7 years from entry to vicaring.

I'm Roman Catholic but I've accompanied several friends on the path to ordination in the CofE (writing references etc.) and had a fair bit of contact with theological colleges. My impression has always been that the CofE admit nearly anyone provided they pass the psychological tests and have some history of involvement with the church. It's very different from RC, where there's a much bigger emphasis on the Church confirming the vocation and both the individual and the Church discerning it over a period puff years (all throughout seminary until ordination). The theology is that a vocation to the priesthood is for and from the Church. The Anglican theology seems to be more about the individual's sense of vocation and the only times that isn't confirmed is when there are actual concerns about the person's psychological state.

The full-time training is 2-3 years in theological college & one year curacy as a deacon before ordination as a vicar/priest. Shula will almost certainly do part-time.

The age limit varies for each diocese, it's often a cut off of late 50s- early 60s to start training. The age of retirement is variable as well because the ordination makes you a vicar/ priest but then what you do afterwards in terms of exercising your ministry is very wide ranging. Most people immediately think of stipendary ministry, i.e. being paid a salary to work in a parish, but there are loads of other models. There are parishes who can't afford a stipend so get a retired vicar in just to lead services. Obviously the whole range of chaplaincy in prisons, universities etc. A lot of priests are effectively doing the equivalent of permanent supply teaching. It's a difficult balance as well because bishops will ask their priests to undertake certain jobs, but then most parishes will recruit their own vicar (and there are fiendishly complex differences between the types of parish - whether the vicar/ rector/ priest-in-charge [yes, they are 3 slightly different roles] is directly appointed, or whether an Oxbridge college, or public school, or the Queen, or someone else is involved).

Basically, the Shula SL is entirely plausible and the SW have a lot of leeway as to what to do with her if/ when she's ordained!

I said she’s ago that I was surprised Shula’s not too old to be accepted into the training programme but somebody knowledgable said it would be fine.

I regret the pet goats, llamas, dog and kittens.
But not as much as I regret stealing a woman's husband and stabbing him over a tuna bake.
I am now contemplating dating a sugar daddy 30 years my senior and he's my boss.