Archers thread #112: Quelle beau de lollox! And yet we stick with it. 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 Alf to stay around, 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 @DoctorTwo for the thread title! I was strongly tempted by R4's suggestion of Wildlife on Four: Jonneh is wild at Lily, Phoebe rewilds by Occam, Joy is in the wilderness and David is bewildered by a marriage proposal.

So we did make it past Joe's funeral at last. Are we heading for a Christmas octogenarian wedding now?

I'm wondering about Josh's far east holiday. Is the actor in panto or does this presage a drugs mule/planting in Josh's backpack by the friend?

Robert has retired from being a GP, and it was in Surrey not the West Country (although he could have retired there).

I'm wondering about Josh's far east holiday.
We seem to be having a depleted Christmas. Grange Farm has lost Joe, Willyum & his DC and Emma & her DC. Brookfield has lost Jill and Josh. The Aldridges are off in all directions. We just need Bridge Farm to start losing family members and we will have the full set.

Tomtasha will go to Aruba, Vanuatu, or Maui

StillWeRise they are indeed planning to broadcast "Ghost Stories From Ambridge" -- not as part of The Archers, but on R4 at 6:15pm, on 30th and 31st December 2019 and 1st January 2020.

I am looking forward to a year in which they don't broadcast some or all of the Ambridge (in this case the Lower Loxley, which isn't the same village) Christmas Entertainment.

"Adam" didn't sound as tired or world weary in Claire in the Community, but I could tell it was him.

I too was wondering about this trip of Josh's, especially with the destination. Also wondering how he can afford it. It's going to cost a fair bit with the flights, plus taking 4 weeks off when you're self employed, means losing out on money. I wonder if that's why he was meeting up with Rex last night. Rex said it sounded like he was going to offer Rex a bigger role, so I'm guessing he's asked Rex to run the business while he's away.

Plot hole number 394- where do the perpetually skint Grundys get the money for setting up The Grundy World of Christmas?

Why can't Emmur help Clarrie with the mince pies?

Are they not speaking or something?

“ Why can't Emmur help Clarrie with the mince pies?”
I don’t think Clarrie feels she can ask her. But I bet they’ll end up doing it together in the end.

I was waiting for Ruth to (completely unfairly) lambast Josh for leaving then with no emergency milker/dogsbody at no notice, and AT CHRISTMAS, when Rosie would miss him most, yadda yadda. Fair play Ruth for not being a crap parent for once. Still, there's still time for David to be disappointed and grumble about his non-favourite child.

A friend said she was once at a funeral where Alan (at least, the actor who plays him) was reading the eulogy, in the voice of Alan, which was rather surreal.

I hadn't realised Adam was also Simon. Might need to adjust some connections in my head.

Has Josh had any pre-travel inoculations?

What's the betting that Pip will have 'something to say' about Josh swanning off for a month.

Probably green with envy because she can't do anything so spontaneous.

Good point, Ebearhug!

Pip bottled out of going to work in Brazil (which was a blow to most of us here) so if she does have something to say about Josh it will have a lot to do with suppressed frustration at her own lack of initiative.

I felt for Clarrie. My daughter and I always make mince pies together during the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve. We've done it for many years and I would miss it dreadfully if she didn't spend Christmas here (bound to happen some time, but hasn't yet). We have it down to a fine art so there's no need to talk about what we're doing, which is so nice. I expect that's what Clarrie's missing too.

I for one am looking forward to Jim's ghost stories a great deal. As I've said before John Rowe is a past master at reading on the radio. I like the Christmas spin offs on the whole.

How is Emma going to get through Christmas? She should have been in her house ...

with her husband and children

I wonder if the SWs have moved on - or whether they will actually address Emma’s total, utter heartbreak. Mostly I try not to think about what she must be going through; it was so pointlessly needless and cruel. I’m sure lots of people lose a dream house - but they don’t generally lose their marriage and their current home as a consequence.

Can’t help comparing her experience of the aftermath of trouble with Elizabeth’s.

“I was waiting for Ruth to (completely unfairly) lambast Josh for leaving then with no emergency milker/dogsbody at no notice,”

Well, actually, if you’re part of. Family farm, buggering off for 4 weeks with no notice is a bit outrageous...

I agree, Bert. I wonder if Josh pays rent.

Didn't Ruth swan off to New Zealand in a huff after they didn't move to Prudhoe (staying vague about whether she would be home for Christmas)?

Maybe they'll have to dig Ben and Bess out of the cereal cupboard this Christmas.

Josh is only part of the family when it suits Ruth, David and Pip. It was made perfectly clear to him that he had to find his own employment, and pay rent on using the barn. No mention of Pip ever paying rent on rickyard or for her rewilding acres.

As much as I dislike Emma, I do hope she and Clarrie get together to make the mince pies.

Emma always had a lovely relationship with her parents-in-law, and there's no real reason for things to be awkward now IMHO.

They're all (fairly) sensible adults

No mention of Pip ever paying rent on rickyard or for her rewilding acres.
I don't know about Rickyard (I'm guessing 'not') but I do know about the rewilding. The Dopeys were against the scheme, because it was competition to Ruth's scheme, but came round in the end (25 Nov prog) and to emphasise how much they were supporting Pip they said that they would allow her to pay rent on a measly 12 acres of useless land. And being the astute business woman that she is, Pip took it as a king and generous offer!

Madcats good memory! Ruth couldn't really complain, could she. Didn't David also break his arm while she was in NZ but wouldn't tell her, so the farm was two workers down.

Does Rickyard count as tied housing? Probably not, as it's family. Does Pip count as an employee? Does Josh?

Does Pip count as an employee?
I presumed so, from all the formal-sounding references to 'maternity leave'. Or it could be the SW writing lollox regarding subjects about which they know nothing.