Archers thread #114: Bull banished, Bali beaches beckon, bickering bullshitters burgeon

[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 Gavin 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 for all thread title suggestions! I've gone with a B theme which with a bit of luck will seem odd and irrelevant by the end of this thread. Here's hoping, anyway.

Haven't caught up with tonight's episode yet, so off to do that shortly.

Although ... Wasn’t Fiona rather too complimentary towards, erm ... Shula?

I thought it was pretty clear that, by a swift process of elimination, Harrison had guessed ...
We are talking about that same Harrison here, aren't we? The one who never solves any crime?

I'm disgusted at Josh dealing in stolen farm machinery after all that his family and neighbours have suffered over the years from theft.

As for David and Casey ...! Get a backbone, David. Why is he talking himself into being browbeaten into a reduction in price before he's even opened negotiations? It's not as if the farm is reliant on the income because it's a brand new venture. Stupid storyline.

I've been trying to work out where the funeral was taking place. A market town with a nice church not too far from Housteads but far enough not to make it worthwhile setting off at lunchtime where people have more York's accents than North East. I was going to say Hexham but it's too close to Housteads, it has an Abbey and the accents would be wrong.

Darlington is a possibility, maybe Richmond, could be Barnard Castle? Anywhere else would be too far from Housteads.

Unless, the man at the graveside had also travelled then it could be somewhere like Haltwistle?

Weirdly, I went to a funeral in Hexham quite recently.

There was quite an incongruous line in that bit, I thought. Someone (Alistair?) said something like "market towns can be charming".

I thought that was stating the obvious... most people think of market towns as being nice (the exception being the one where I live)!

Paintingtheroseswhite I love your efforts to try and work out which town the funeral was in. It reminds me of efforts to calculate which service station Ruth might have pulled into when Heatherpet died in the car park (and the conclusion that she threw in the towel at Trowell).

I don't think we were necessarily meant to assume that Michael lived locally to the funeral so I wouldn't take his accent into account at all. Did we hear anyone local speak? I was fairly sure they were in Northumberland, or at most County Durham.

I would say it was somewhere naicer than Darlington, and smaller. Could be Hexham (I doubt Alistair would have insisted on it being an abbey when he mentioned the church, it's not normally what you'd say), Barnard Castle is a possibility but I think it's too far south. Bishop Auckland isn't much further north and is too built up.

I would guess Morpeth, Alnwick, or (leaving Northumberland but still close enough to Housesteads) Brampton.

The graveside scenes sounded like they were meant to take place in the countryside. There wasn't much traffic noise but there were lots of birds and things, so maybe the church wasn't right in the town. And Jim got a taxi there rather than walking. Although didn't he say a few days ago that he didn't want to stay in the same town as the funeral?

Oh, I know Harrison isn’t setting the intellectual world alight - but Jazzer gave so much away when he first spoke about it ...

Is Natasha pregnant? She seemed to take on the ‘tired’ mantle last week.

Not terribly happy about Emma working at the pub. Seems such a dead end - as if she’ll be there till she’s 90 (if the current nonsense doesn’t lead to closure). I want her to get back together with Ed - but if not, surely it’s time for her to break away from Ambridge for a while. The grand tour of Kirsty and Philip’s beautiful new house must have been beyond painful.

Funeral was in the market town. IMO the “lads” stayed out of a town at a rural pub somewhere off the beaten track (so you’d need a taxi)

Two storylines I'll never forgive the SW for:

1. Emma losing her house.
2. Kirsty losing her baby.

Both SL were just cruel and pointless.

I'll also never forgive them for Pip full stop.

will josh be the new tigerish villain?

I agree Angelina and I’d add Nigel’s death.

I guess it seems like a quick thrill to write something nasty happening to decent people, but it’s bad to hear. And if you see the comparatively sensitive way they’ve handled the Jim abuse storyline, you can see they CAN do bad things

• for good educational reasons
• in line with the character (not Emma going suddenly mad)
• with a lasting “tail” on the story that makes sense (not just poor Kirsty having an abortion and then seemingly being unbothered about babies from then on)

MISCARRIAGE not abortion obviously.

Funeral location Corbridge? Bellingham? Probably not Morpeth.

Maybe it was St. Anley. I haven't been there for years

I assumed Hexham, I am not sure I would describe Bellingham as a charming market town. Sorry if anyone lives there.
I dont want Josh to be a villain.

Emma and Ed will get back together and eventually they will move into Joy's house (Joy will have moved to be nearer her daughter, although I like Joy and would prefer a different fate for her)

Do you think the SWs know where the funeral was held? Did they get out a map and decide where it would be and where the lads would stay?

Ha ha! Brilliant!

Well?

Well?

Well?

Gimme 🔮

(Not about Josh though ...)

At last! Something on the Archers that made me laugh.

Omg Josh!

And another middle aged woman who’s a lesbian, like Carol’s daughter. Will Fiona last longer than she did?

Anna ... / ... Angie????

I think they have someone from the north east in the writing team, but whether they actually plan anything who knows.

I see we have moved on.