Archers thread #113: Who’ll find some Magic Time this Christmas in Ambridge? Share the glad tidings (and bad writing) in The Archers! Election-free zone so far ...

[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 Hannah 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 @SurpriseSparDay for the title. I haven't heard 12/12 yet so must catch up now, seeking relief from the outside world.

If you were inventing a girlfriend in a hurry you very likely would give them a version of your own name.

It's also a bit of s stretch to imagine that if the Gill's are cancelling their papers (and therefore known to Susan) that she wouldn't have fully grilled and interrogated them or at least speculated on their refusal to communicate. I just don't believe any of it anymore

@DadDadDad no, speculation on my behalf.

I may have missed an episode because I don't remember that @R4, but I think they kissed (Helen's instigation but he definitely obliged) before he'd done any dumping (or "dumping" if Leanne is fake...)

Timeline;

Henry runs off, bumps into lee

Helen invites Lee for coffee

They meet, she apologises, he takes it wrong and (imo) makes up Leanne to prove that he's fiiine and moved on

She apologises and actually explains Rob and they kiss

Then I think he must have dumped "Leanne"?

Timeline;

25.11 Henry runs off, bumps into Lee
02.12 Kirsty Helen texts Lee for coffee
06.12 They meet, she apologises, he takes it wrong and Leanne is mentioned.
08.12 "Lee comes to Bridge Farm, and apologises for running out on Helen. Helen also apologises for how their relationship ended earlier in the year. Lee still can’t understand why that happened. Helen finally summons the strength to tell him about her marriage to Rob. Contrary to Helen’s deepest fears, Lee doesn’t find the truth off-putting, and is in fact very supportive. Lee starts to say that he hopes they can be friends, but Helen impulsively kisses him. She apologises – this isn’t the closure he was looking for! But he kisses her back. Neither is sure where to go from here…" [quote BBC blog]

Then I think he must have dumped "Leanne"?

12.12 She goes shopping, he tags along ?as a mate? but then reveals all and they become an item.

I can't believe that I am giving this much headspace to Helen.

he said he dumped Leanne after meeting Helen for a coffee

I'd forgotten the reason Ambridge now knows that the Gills are away over Christmas. If they do get burgled, it will be Susan's fault for broadcasting it.

I can't stand her nosiness and gossiping. I'd like something really awful to happen to her, as a result of it.

If you were inventing a girlfriend in a hurry you very likely would give them a version of your own name.

Would you? There's a version of my name that could be a man's name, but if I had to invent a boyfriend in a hurry I'm pretty sure I'd go for a common name like John or James.

If the Gills have been getting their papers from the village shop, I'm amazed we don't know all about them. Susan would have been desperate to get every details out of them and broadcast the details to the entire village.

I agree with Equanimitas. If I had to make up a boyfriend quickly, I'd definitely pick something like John or Luke. There isn't a masculine version of my first name, but my surname is a boys' first name - I'm almost certain I wouldn't use that for the imaginary boyfriend, even in a hurried panic. IRL, I do know a couple of couples with silly name combinations: Paul and Paula and David and Davina.

I don’t want to see Lynda’s feelings hurt (unless it’s the turning point of Russ being shown the door)
The best thing about Russ is his contempt for the vast majority of Ambridgians (Ambridgeites?). One knows how he feels. His taste in girlfriends is lousy, though.

I'm just catching up on listening/reading. R4, I laughed out loud at "I'm waiting for the University of Oxford to sue TA for defamation." It's already been said, but Feeb's lack of ambition is unbelievable, especially for someone who was portrayed as an incredible self-starter when she was 16. My own DC and friends have been planning their post-graduation careers (or, more precisely, loan-paying-back earnings) since the end of year 1 via various jobs, work experiences and etc.

Oh and another gripe: is it just me who's annoyed by the creeping Americanisms of the dialogue? I can't think of the most egregious examples from this week, but you get people who've lived their lives in the countryside speaking as if they've just returned from a year's work in a bar in Manhattan.

I popped in to say that Phil’s OTT Christmas lights don’t tally very well with Kirsty’s eco credentials.
Also I’m considering a name change as I think I need to be more optimistic and I get depressed every time I read my own name!

If you were inventing a girlfriend in a hurry you very likely would give them a version of your own name

Really? Wouldn't you use a name you knew? Ex, sister, mother, co-worker, your favourite actress?

I popped in to say that Phil’s OTT Christmas lights don’t tally very well with Kirsty’s eco credentials

They don't tally very well with Phil's credentials either. I just don't believe that a serious bird watcher/ horsey person would do this. Although the Ambridge personality transplant fairy seems to have worked her magic.

The playground thing is really annoying me. Playgrounds these days are done by specialist companies. They must be health-and-safety checked to within an inch of their lives surely! There must be excellent insurance and indemnities attached. The local builder can’t just come and fix it for cash??

helloyoutwo Quite! I used to work with someone at the council whose entire job it was to assess playgrounds and contact out repairs etc - they're not just some after thought for the council. And arghhh, David, as if the detective gives a shit about his family day out with his incredible grandchild.

Wouldn't you use a name you knew?

Yes. Probably a colleague's or former boyfriend's name. Fortunately, there are enough Andys, Petes, Daves, Pauls and Steves of my age that no one would think anything of it. I am sure Lee could have gone for a female equivalent, even if he wasn't thinking hard.

Stoppit now with the Leanne spec. Purlease let it goooooo.
place marking obvs.

I rather enjoyed The Grundy World of Christmas. It was a nice touch for Eddie to accept finally that he had to be FC. Everybody was more or less in character, which was good.

Bit odd about the David/Ruth/unnecessary police officer though. Why pay another actor to do such a small scene? I can only conclude she's going to re-appear next week. Perhaps she'll burst in to the LL dining room during Christmas dinner with an arrest warrant for all the Brookfield Archers, including Rosie, as accomplices to Josh's criminal enterprise. That would make my Christmas.

Ooooooooooooh!!!!

I mean I hadn’t really grasped that the police thing might be a big Christmas drama.

So could this really mean that Josh will be disappeared? Returning years/decades later with a complicated back story and a new voice?

I also thought The Grundy World of Christmas was very nicely done. If they’d just done a whole episode of that it would have been a good ending to the Annus Horribilis of the Grundys. (I’m fairly sure I’ve spelled that incorrectly, if only Jim or Lynda was here to correct me). The digger story is silly.

The rule seems to be that in a family with more than two children, one must depart - see Kenton and Debbie. Only so much food to go around! (Or script).

Excellent point Tas, though I’d add John and Adam ...

And yes, a BOOP for Eddie literally taking on his father’s mantle. It was all very gentle and lovely. (I’ve appreciated his un-emphasised but audible grief over the last few weeks. He’s sounded sometimes like a lost and frightened child.)

The Grundy world of Christmas was lovely but entirely incredible. How did the permanently cash strapped Grundys manage to set it all up? And make it a roaring success with no marketing or publicity (apart from Radio Carter possibly)

With these sort of entrepreneurial skills why are the Grundys always struggling?

Was there a continuity lapse? It was Ed and Emma who were looking for tombola gifts and Ed confessed that it was Will, not Ed, who bought all Emma's stuff for the house. Ed then had the idea of raiding the Gills' skip but in that scene it was Emma and Will.