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.

Didn’t Phillip antagonise Jim when he offered to do the extension? Something about undercutting the bid? That could be my imagination though So maybe he is doing it. I agree Kirsty should not have spoken to Gavin. Roy did warn her it was a sensitive area. I think it’s partly because she feels that the wedding is not very environmentally sound.

There was a strange scene a few months ago when Jazzer and Alistair had Philip round "to measure up " an extension.... though none of them had sight of any plans.

Jim was cross, said he'd already made arrangements. Philip went a bit shouty and promised to undercut any quote (still with no idea what was required). Jim didn't budge.

Jim’s bust up with the builders just feels like the death throws of the Harold Jayston story. Now that Jayston has conveniently died the SWs have a handy way to draw a line under the whole business - the easiest way out all round (except possibly for Jim). Everything about this storyline feels highly contrived - another crescendo thrown in by an editorial team who feel constant high drama is the only way to go. I’m not sure Jim ever needed such a plot - his personality as the only intellectual in the village already provided excellent fodder for character-driven drama. His juxtaposition with Jazzer (rather like that between Trolley), his atheistic antagonism with St Smugula, his rivalry with Robert and then Lynda, his relationship with Alistair all provided a constant supply of mini-dramas - I’m not sure he ever needed a backstory. Hopefully Alistair and Jazzer will patch things up with the builders, the extension will get built, Jim will get some sort of counselling and he can go back to being his irascible self.

I think all the heavy hints about Philip and stress plus Gavin and Kirsty at daggers drawn is going to lead to some sort of heart attack/stroke type scenario and we’ll have a storyline about how unmarried partners aren’t each other’s next of kin for medical care consent, and how you should always make a will etc.

The episode where Jim turned down Philip's offer to undercut the other builders was on 10th September. It was a very weird exchange.

Jim and Philip met earlier in the day and had a chat, during which Philip said that

Sorry - pressed send too soon!

Philip said that the only reason to study history was to learn from past mistakes, whereas Jim argued that it was a useful thing to study per se.

Then in a different scene, Jim came home to find Philip preparing a quote, invited by Alistair and Jazzer. Jim got angry and made up a story about aready having engaged some builders and being a man of his word he wouldn't let them down. Philip offered to undercut the other quote and was refused. He left in a huff because Jim was so short with him.

After Philip left, Jim revealed to Alistair that he hadn't in fact spoken to any other builders, but he couldn't bear to have someone like Philip, with his philistine views of the study of history, working for him.

It was all very odd. I think it was somehow supposed to signal that Jim was back to his old self after the upset at the party.

Jim was in the bird-hide on 10th September looking for peace and quiet when Philip rocked up and insisted on talking with him, and also taking photographs. Jim understandably was inclined to dislike him for this. When at a later point that night Jazzer and Alistair invited Philip to come round in the dark and "measure up" of an extension (about which they had no idea whatever, any more than he did, since Jim had only mentioned it as a possibility that morning) and Jim came out and found him fossicking about in Jim's garden uninvited by him, Jim understandably did not offer him the work and said that it was all already arranged, thank you. Both Alistair and Jazzer seemed at that point to think that they were entitled to tell Jim what to do, which he also for some reason objected to.

Then Philip refused to take "no thank you" for an answer and started saying he would undercut the other builder's quote.

I don;t think I would employ someone who behaved in that way to build an extension on my premises: he showed complete disrespect for Jim, and that is not a good thing in an employee.

I suspect Philip and Gavin will end up doing the extension, and thus be able to afford the £20k wedding.

If they make £20K profit on a small extension they will be robbing Jim blind!

Most builders do...!

Phoeble and Phreebie are so apt. Wrecks seems a good chap but Pip just gets on my pip.

and they need him, i think poppy cheers eddie up a lot and he’s struggling a bit lately) (this will also be handy for Emma’s inevitable new job as barmaid at the bull)

Childcare for Poppy is not Emma's problem.
Gawd, imagine going into The Former Bull for a cheering pint after a rubbish day and finding Emma in one of her sour and mardy moods behind the bar. Excellent. Anything that speeds up the bankruptcy of Jolene and Kenton is fine by me.

Finally up to speed enough!
I think Philip is going to propose and he told Gavin to back off as he was going to marry Kirsty. There was lots of stumbling over the word "partner" when Kirsty told him what'd happened

“ Childcare for Poppy is not Emma's problem.”

I never said it was , i was talking about how will needs his parents and they need him at the minute

But I bet it ends up being the Peacock or similar. There's a location near me called the Peacock. I's 40 years since the pub of that name was demolished.

I thought Philip was the builder for Jim's extension, There was a silly episode where Jim caught Philip in his garden with a tape measure. Philip was assuming he'd get the job and was thinking mates rates or similar in a spirit of neighbourliness, but Jim had taken the hump over some view of Philip's (maybe because he hunts?) and wouldn't have Philip as the builder as a matter of principle.

Jim's getting increasingly grumpy these days. Maybe it's not all to do with the abuse, maybe we're doing a slow burn warts-and-all dementia story in the interests of public "information"? Yes, we've done dementia before, but it's mainly been increasing forgetfulness with no real depiction of the reasons why it isn't feasible for one person to look after full time someone with dementia.

it's always going to appeal predominantly to an older audience, and with people living so much longer, that's a lot of people. There was something in the news today about the proportion of retail spending that was by the over 60s. Think it was well over 50% Anyway, the point is, it's a huge segment of the population. So instead of trying to recruit 20 year olds and have a younger audience, you could try to recruit those who are just aging into the "Radio 4 demographic". (Every organisation I belong to is "trying to attract younger people" - I'm beginning to feel very much on the scrap heap.)

his personality as the only intellectual in the village Don't let Lynda hear you say that!

I thought Jim was annoyed with Alastair asking Philip to quote for the conservatory without asking him. I think I would be annoyed with that, perfectly reasonable even if he didn't express it as diplomatically as he could have.

Jim had a run-in with Philip, and then on the same evening found him in the garden in the dark "measuring up" without any consultation at all for an extension Jim had only mentioned that morning. He was understandably not pleased about it.

How do you measure up for anything if you don't know what it is going to be? Is it not usual to ask the person who wants an extension what they want it to be like, where, and what size, before you whip out a yard-stick and start measuring?

Up to date on listening and have the following questions

Where was Hannah living? Presumably not somewhere with a 6 month lease?

I’m sure had some more about Phil but can’t remember.
Listened to a ghost story over breakfast with DC and they sat in silence!

There was lots of stumbling over the word "partner" when Kirsty told him what'd happened

I noticed that, and wondered why. Well, if they do get married, giving Gavin £20K will be very much Kirstie's business.

Jennifer and Brian's lease ran out on 31st December at the lastest

What has happened to the owners? They let it for six months in December 2018, then they extended that by six months, but that is now up.

Why haven't Jennifer and Brian been looking for somewhere to live?

I've had a brilliant idea, and I'm quite sure none of the other 5 million listeners will have been clever enough to pick up on the incredibly subtle clues the SWs planted tonight. I think Philip is thinking of proposing to Kirsty! There, bet none of you saw that coming, did you?

That'll show Mystic Bore and her 🔮.

Thanks for reminding me about the builder story. I wonder why that super-convincing storyline had slipped my mind.

I hope Philip gets it right for Kirsty I(if that is indeed the plan) and they have a lovely low key wedding with people who love them.

Haha Gasp0de, KitchenFloor beat you to it!

I think Philip is going to propose and he told Gavin to back off as he was going to marry Kirsty. There was lots of stumbling over the word "partner" when Kirsty told him what'd happened

I did enjoy the lack of enthusiasm for the name change.

I wonder how much money Kate's managed to relieve Oliver of?

Its a shit name. I've actuallu forgotten it already.

The B in Ambridge?