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.

Pip has realised rewilding might involve some work! Who could have guessed?

I still want to hear the conversation where someone - preferably Brian or Jenny - sits down and asks Phoeble what the hell she is going to do with her degree and indeed her life, given that the rewilding project is anything but a full time job. Or even Roy, now that they seem to have woken him up and brought him back in.

Pip has realised rewilding might involve some work! Who could have guessed

Couldn't agree more, chemenger. While Pip plainly has farm work to do, there has been no factoring in of the increase in work on the part of the Feckwit Three on top of their usual job (none in the case of Phoebles) in order to make the re-wilding happen.

Oh. Silly me. There has been no planning of anything. Desk. Head. Thud.

Having been brought up on a livestock farm I didn't understood Pip's comment about it being so great to have time off with Rosie over Christmas.

I can see that Bridge Farm canget some time off by stopping cheese and yogurt production/ closing the shop but Brookfield doesn't engage direct with the public so why would workload be less between 24/12 to 2/01? Animals still need to be fed and milked.

Or even Roy, now that they seem to have woken him up and brought him back in

Roy is one of life's worriers. There's no way Roy would be so untroubled about Phoeble's feebleness.

I can see that Bridge Farm canget some time off by stopping cheese and yogurt production/ closing the shop but Brookfield doesn't engage direct with the public so why would workload be less between 24/12 to 2/01? Animals still need to be fed and milked

You're on the money here, MissBarbary, but I fear the Archers' agricultural advisor has long since been sent on gardening leave.

Chemenger I usually listen on catch up on my phone. So I pointedly press pause, deal with the question then press play

The agricultural advisor isn't on leave. I have no idea what qualifies her to be an agricultural advisor. Maybe her great-grandad had a smallholding or something.

Having been brought up on a livestock farm I didn't understood Pip's comment about it being so great to have time off with Rosie over Christmas

I wasn't raised on a livestock farm and I also did a double take at that.

I assume the implication was that she was doing buckets of work on rewilding when she plainly wasn't (or not very effectively since she didn't read the contract before signing it).

Everybody at Bridge Farm seemed to have taken the whole day off as well, unless Johnny was out doing everything for the Montbéliardes and the Herefords while the rest of them played with the children and so on all day.

So... three people were initially involved in proposing the rewinding project and provided a team convincing enough to win funding.

Two out of those three don't seem to have factored in how they will deal with the extra workload, or even what that workload will be.

One of them has no employment ( but free support and lodging in the area)

None appear to have made any formal contractual arrangements.

Seems idea to me, it's all Pheobe's from now onwards. What specialist help would P need, that she can't call in as a favour or even pay for from the funds.

Looks like a Win win to me. Comments, please.

(Wish the world I am supposed to be doing today was as easily sorted).

world meant to be work.

I'm not actually God. Or even a god.

I like the rewinding project. I'm hoping they will rewind it back to when Nigel was still alive.

Pip is having time off because with Josh being on holiday for a month, the work hasn't increased, but diminished.

Everybody at Bridge Farm seemed to have taken the whole day off as well, unless Johnny was out doing everything for the Montbéliardes and the Herefords while the rest of them played with the children and so on all day

But that's just a normal day at Bridge Farm except when Helen magically makes some cheese by langourously wafting through the dairy.

Pip is having time off because with Josh being on holiday for a month, the work hasn't increased, but diminished

Oh good point.

None appear to have made any formal contractual arrangements.

What do you mean?

They signed Justin's contract didn't they?

Ive only been listening sporadically so may have missed something!

Hmph ... I’m not a fan of scary stories. Wouldn’t have been worth the trip up the stairs for me.

The "agricultural adviser" is on Farming Today... tomorrow.

Interviewed by Charlotte Smith, who I do enjoy listening to.

Can you imagine the questions we would ask!

I have never got past the bonkers scenario of an astute businesswoman like Peggy (with support from various trustees and businesswoman administrator Lilian) handing such a lot of money to three people who are so obviously and woefully underprepared for the project.

The "agricultural adviser" is on Farming Today... tomorrow. I'd forgotten you'd said that. Woke up too early today and put radio on to help me get back to sleep, so heard bits of "farming today". Interviews with farmers alleged to be the inspiration for story lines = a cheese maker, a veg box supplier, someone setting up an on-line shop. My overall impression is that the SWs have been stung by criticisms of unrealistic storylines, and this was an offensive designed to wow us with the depth of their research.

I'm de lurking to join in the incomprehension that no one ever says anything about Phoebe having a degree from Oxford and ending up in the same non- job as noted successful entrepreneur and mini cab driver, Rex.

How much student debt has she got? Why doesn't she want a job? Or have a vague idea about income? What, if any, money are the three eejits expecting to make?

I hate the whole Ambridge money fairy, la la, stories, creativity, not profit and income and facts. Because presumably farmers have to think about income and profit and not just whether the cows are pretty? I want to know whether Pip would have been personally better off if rewilding or the Brookfield plan won. Did she screw her family for money or just feelz?

And Amside? How on earth is the presumably quite shit money coming out of The Bull worth that proportion of Lillian's time, when she has a property empire? I say empire but I have no idea. 10 plus houses? Plus a flats development that she did mood boards for?

I did know people at Oxford who went off to be organic farmers, so it's not completely bonkers that Phoebe has fallen off the net, but she still needs an actual living.

Not that I care, but I was thinking last night about the extra parcel of land that Feeb's has got, that creates the wildlife ringroad of Ambridge.
Do you think that it is Bridge Farm land? Then she will have a contribution from Home Farm, Brookfield, Bridge Farm and BL. It will be the meta-farm of Ambridge.

I heard Farming Today. Wasn't particularly impressed.

Not that I care, but I was thinking last night about the extra parcel of land that Feeb's has got, that creates the wildlife ringroad of Ambridge

Pip and Rex don't care enough to ask her where it is, how much and on what terms they got it.

Hello all, delurking to say I love the new QBL acronym and RIP Eccles.

We have a local gang of peafowl who live at a local business and visit us on weekends and holidays when it’s quiet and they’re bored. They very rarely do the call Eccles was doing, but honk like a broken kazoo instead. They also tap on the back door until we go and see them and provide bird food, when they gently cluck appreciation.

I can testify to the prodigious amounts of poo produced, Lilian had my sympathies on that front. It is disconcerting though to realise you’ve a crowd of folk staring at your house, then realise they’re actually looking at the birds sunning themselves in your front garden.