Archers thread #115: Johnny's in the gym, Josh is in a jam, Rex is riled, Kate's with child - discuss The Archers here

[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 to share a camomile tea with Kate, 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 @LillianGish for the excellent Bert Fry tribute title!

I don't think this thread will get us to Easter, but we should be well into Lent before we need a new title. I wonder if St Stephen's will have a new oh-so-interesting Lent initiative this year. When did we last hear from Alan?

I'm fairly sure that a couple of years ago I posted that I thought Kirsty and Roy should get together. I still think they should do so.

When Leonie and Coriander first visited Ambridge it was fairly clear that they did not like Lynda and that though she tried hard not to make it clear so that Robert would notice it, the feeling was mutual. I think they lived with their mother Bobo -- who escaped as soon as possible to was-it-Spain? and left them to their own devices.

The only time they appeared in Ambridge for many years was at Christmas 1988, when Lynda was very nervous of them because she didn't really know them. (Bobo sent Caz (Coriander) a drum-kit for a Christmas present, which I would regard as an act of war.)

Leonie was born in 1975 and Coriander in 1977, according to The Archers Encyclopaedia. I don't think we have ever been told the date at which Robert left Bobo, or when he married Lynda, but the marriage was not new when they moved to Ambridge in 1986 as far as I could tell at the time.

What on earth made Robert and "Bobo" call their daughter Coriander?

At Academic Archers we were trying to work out how old Coriander's Oscar is now.

Aha! Were you on my table? “I thought Coriander was a llama” is and will remain a highlight of conference for me.

At Academic Archers we were trying to work out how old Coriander's Oscar is now

Oscar is the most popular cats' name in the UK.

Aha! Were you on my table? “I thought Coriander was a llama” is and will remain a highlight of conference for me

I've always thought this. And until she speaks, will continue to do so.

@echt - I'm sure Coriander has spoken at some point - when they came to stay at Ambridge Hall, at least, I seem to remember! (So have the llamas, in their own sweet way, I think!)

Listening to the film.
BOOP for Alice’s response to Kate’s ‘I AM A MOTHER!!’
Well, yes.

For anyone who’s been wondering where lambing has disappeared to - it’s all on yesterday’s podcast, as fragmented extracts from past episodes. Along with soothing music and cacophonous birdsong.

This is the way the world ends ...

Oscar was born in October 2009, weighing in at 7lbs 6oz.

He and Caz came to stay at Ambridge Hall for Christmas that year because Coriander's partner Justin had a business trip to the States. Or possibly he didn't; I can't remember whether doubt about that being true was in the programme or just speculation in the real world. They came again the following year and Oscar went to his first pantomime.

Lillian is completely lacking in self-awareness isn't she? Why isn't she asking herself why her son didn't bother contacting her?

I'd be mortified if I were her. What a vain, shallow, unpleasant person she is.

Oh, for heavens sake, Johnny, get some bloody perspective, will you!

It's not that embarrassing, surely.

Grrr!!

And he was talking to Kirsty. Of all the people in Ambridge the one most likely to be kind, sympathetic and discreet. All he had to do was tell Kirsty the truth and leave it to her to tell Lynda she had the wrong end of the stick.

He just needs to have a nice smart No2 buzzcut, maybe grow some sexy stubble, and enjoy the compliments he would surely receive!

I bet he could do with a fresh new look anyway.

It would make him feel so much better about himself

I wonder if Kate will turn out to really be pregnant now, after her passionate reconciliation with Jakob in the yurt?

@CeciledeVolanges I must have been on your table!

Oscar is the most popular cats' name in the UK. How do they know? ... OK through registered microchips. But that's hardly the 100% coverage that you get with human's names through compulsory registration of births.

... And actually it's not, it's a survey by Cats Protection league of 34,000 owners. I wonder where "Hilda" comes in the list?

I've met (and owned ) a lot of cats in my time, and never met an Oscar. Or a Hilda, come to that.

One of my present four is called Tabitha - a name I've always loved. I wonder where that name comes in the list?

Given Tabitha Twitchet, possibly higher than one may think. One of those names that springs into the mind like Orlando the Marmalade Cat and Macavity.

www.kittycatter.com/popular-cat-names/

Oscar has dropped to 20 but doesn't alter the fact the Snell grandchild has a cat's name. (Although obviously still a gazillion times better than Coriander)

That soundscape was worse than Jill's mince pies one! What is the purpose of them?! Who are they supposed to appeal to??

I'm having trouble keeping up with you but am all caught up now!

I don't like the actor who plays Roman - ironically (since he's meant to be an actor) he sounds like he's reading the script with his finger running along the words.

I do like the storyline with Jim, Alistair and Jazzer, I thought it was well handled and I liked that they didn't try and talk Jim into going to the police.

I don't think I'd encountered Mungo before this week's visit - took me a while to figure out he wasn't a dog.

Who are they supposed to appeal to??

A question I’ve spent far too much time asking myself ... And the irony is that, although I trashed the last one, it did at least have elements that could be built on (assuming, as one must, that TA will pretty soon only be available as a podcast). Tracy’s script was woefully facile - but she made a decent job of it and it only needed to be better to constitute an actual programme. But this last one was completely inexplicable. No narrator, nothing to link it concretely to TA for new listeners ... Just purposeless sound.

I liked that they didn't try and talk Jim into going to the police

Did I imagine it or was Jazzer (who is way over-invested in the whole thing; one does wonder a bit about him, to be honest) not very keen for Jim to do just that.

The whole storyline has veered between the risible/improbable (the wheelchair-bound Jaiston rocking up at the stupid surprise party) and the distasteful (Shula's intrusive interference, the general sharing of Jim's 'secret', and worst of all Jim being turned into a mouthpiece for scriptwriterly platitudes and being grateful for all the well-meaning busy-bodying. He wouldn't be.)

The main take-away point seems to be, it's fine to speak ill of the dead and desecrate their graves; also, hug your slightly former daughter-in-law; also build an extension for tarantulas.