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.

Yes Phoebe would be dead by now if she’d relied on Kate to feed her.

Ooh. What's Josh done? Boop for Radio Carter.

Another bloody storyline to add to the stack that haven’t been resolved yet.

Gods this rewilding is hte most annoying since the last rubbish storyline.
I'm not sure which bit of scripting is the most irritating:

• the whole stupid concept and the way its running (or not)_
• Phoebe apparently being lobotomised on the way back from Oxford
• David's endless performances as a whinging know-it-all teenager with respect to Justin, the great wedding venue, goldenpips and dropping Brian in it
• Pip and Rex, the two partners who are there for their business and farming nouse blaming Phoebe for not reading the legal contract properly or getting it legally reviewed

Its a tough contest.

Tbf they’re probably relying on Phoebe to provide the brains amongst them ...

I thought Susan was OTT even for Susan. And a waste of airtime, her going on and on.

I have a friend who asks slightly nosey questions in such a way that I somehow can't not answer him. But not as bad as Susan ( though I have to say my friend has all the goss )

I'm quite interested in what's going on with Josh's sudden decampment to Thailand (wonder what the extradition rules are like?) and the digger ?!? /robbery!

It sounds like the SW are setting him up to be the new Nelson Grundy. Which leaves only Pip & Ben to fight over Brookfield till his return from the Navy Thailand

It will turn out that Josh's digger was pinched from the person he lent it to and used for the robbery the day after he had left the country from the airport, and none of it was his fault at all, but David will huff and puff and make a fool of himself about it. He is always unpleasant to and about Josh, usually for little or no reason or for things Josh has not done wrong at all.

The Susan sequence was just a waste of time.

As for Grundy World of Christmas- now if it were up to me nothing Christmas related would happen before 22nd December but isn't it a bit late now to be setting this up?

The Josh digger story is just another improbable and probably unresolvable story line.

Kate dumped Phoebe when the child was about eighteen months old and legged it for Africa( etc ) she can't really be said to have fed her for all that long

I know. I meant as a newborn.

If Kate had walked away as soon as Glasto was over, I expect Morwenna-the-Midwife aka Maureen would have brought Baby back to Ambridge and Jennifer would have found her a wet nurse or fed her on formula. So I don't think Kate not feeding her would have served your fell purpose.

He is always unpleasant to and about Josh

You could probably end that sentence after the first four words.

@MissBarbary I agree, it's too late to just be sorting out a Christmas experience type event. All the ones near me have been up and running for weeks and most of the parents I know have already taken their children to see Santa etc.

I quite enjoyed the stuff with Susan, it's somehow satisfying when her determined attempts at gossip-gathering and scandalmongering get thwarted.

Susan remembered Kathy exists.

Does anyone else think Tracey was meeting up with Oliver?

I did wonder - but how would that fit with the public dressing down he delivered a few days ago? That seemed genuine on both sides.

Her truculence towards Susan on the subject of ancient raincoats was odd though ...

And Oliver has been grumpy since Trench came on the scene.

Nelson Grundy? Nelson Gabriel.

I don't find David unpleasant, but how he speaks to and about Pip seems a bit bleurgh.
David, Ruth and Pip speak to Josh as if he was an idiot.

It’s always been the weird thing about Ambridge Christmas, that all their seasonal stuff happens either right before Christmas eg one day before, or between Christmas and new year. No one in the world runs an amateur Christmas show between Christmas and new year as everyone is busy! And presumably parents will take their kids to the GWOC to see Santa... after he’s already been. Weird.

Pip and Rex are thick as shit. Starting to be pleased the baby has at least Toby’s brains.

Does anyone else think Tracey was meeting up with Oliver?

No, it was pretty clear that she meeting Roman.

If she was meeting Oliver like that, she’d have been a lot more excited or nervous as he is her boss after all.

The only bright spot in that episode was it didn't have Pat in it. Whose mere voice lowers my spirits.

Speaking of Pat reminds me to say how much I loved

‘Joy to the world’

as a title suggestion. Thought it was utterly majestic - and am crossing my fingers that so much occurs over Christmas that we need another thread by new year and might use it.

If things go the way I hope Bucking there’ll be lots of Pat lowering our spirits next year!

Joy's heading for Bridge Farm on Christmas Day isn't she? Poor Lee