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?

of course we all read Enid Blyton.
Ha! Not all of us. Maybe my parents (teachers) were early sceptics.

Oh, the original Thomas the tank engine books were good, as were the Ladybird books. The Ladybird books were used by the school to teach reading, with Peter and Jane, and their dog called Pat, if I remember correctly. Very much of their time now though, with Jane helping Mum in the kitchen, and Peter helping Dad in the garage or shed. Even then, it didn't really reflect my family, as it would often be me helping dad with his DIY, and he often did the cooking and housework too.

I read lots of Enid Blyton but the 12 Swallows and Amazons books were my absolute favourites. My favourite characters were Titty, Dick and Dorothea. (Two out of three of those names could not be used now. Times have not changed for the better.) I also loved Noel Streatfield, Cynthia Harnett, Judith Kerr, Gilian Avery, Joan Aiken, Lorna Hill and Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. I wonder how many of those are still in print and read by children nowadays.

Anyway. Lilian is vile at the moment. We need Jennifer to re-appear and put her in her place.

Gillian!

My favourite characters were Titty, Dick and Dorothea. Dick was useful because of his notebook - gave Arthur Ransome lots of scope for lists and diagrams and information that just wouldn't form part of normal conversation. I learned so much from those books!

The original Thomas books were of their time too - the only females with the giggling carriages. And as for workplace bullying ... I'd argue with Tiger that came to tea, too ... Mum has to ask Dad what to do, and his solution is to go out for a meal and blow the rest of the housekeeping for the week.

I've never been fond of Lilian, but she is showing no redeeming features at the moment. And Lynda is uncharacteristic in her leaping to conclusions over Freddie. But the Johnny hair loss story is ridiculous. An out-of-character peg to hang a plotline on.

I'd argue with Tiger that came to tea, too ... Mum has to ask Dad what to do, and his solution is to go out for a meal and blow the rest of the housekeeping for the week.
When I asked my class what their mum would do, they suggested going to McDonald's, Frankie and Benny's etc then one child said 'No, no! You go to your Nana's then you don't gave to pay '.

Ooo - Brexit!

Well done Johnny, at long last.

I've warmed to Shula recently. She has been very good with Freddy and Jim.

Boop for Jonny.

Lynda is uncharacteristic in her leaping to conclusions over Freddie. I withdraw that criticism. She redeemed herself tonight.

Captain

(for no other reason than to keep the Bull alive)

Somewhat (understatement) unimpressed with the SW’s conclusion that it’s her child free state that has caused Lynda’s recent misjudgements.

Also unimpressed with the "Shula - how do you do it?" guff. But then, I don't like Shula and never have.

Somewhat (understatement) unimpressed with the SW’s conclusion that it’s her child free state that has caused Lynda’s recent misjudgements

Too bloody right.

Finally got my head round (excuse the pun) Jonny's reaction to his hair loss which I had previously thought was a bit OTT. That scene with Lynda finally brought it home to me why he might be feeling so bad about it at just 21. Also big BOOP for a mention of Brexit - surely TA has to be a place where its effects and uncertainties can be shown on farms of different sizes (isn't that what the programme was invented for in the first place). I can see why flooding might have caught them unawares - in any case Ambridge's microclimate provided its own flood previously - but Brexit has been foreseeable for some time now so I am hoping there will be some plots in the pipeline rather than just pretending Ambridge has remained in Europe which has been the case up until now.

@LillianGish, change Dad to DF and partner to SM and you're on to something there.

BOOP for a mention of Brexit - surely TA has to be a place where its effects and uncertainties can be shown on farms of different sizes

ChallengeIng to script though
Programmes are recorded about 6 weeks in advance, which means writing them even earlier, and we still don't know what the actual details and .effects will be.

It's up to six weeks in advance, I think, because they are recorded in six-week chunks over a week; so some might be going out the week after they are recorded.

we still don't know what the actual details and effects will be true. But I can't believe farmers aren't speculating on what they might be and who or what might be affected. Must confess to knowing very little about it myself beyond loss of subsidies, possible introduction of export tariffs - which will apparently hit sheep farming particularly hard - no deal (which now looks increasingly likely) would be disastrous for pig farmers. I rely on TA to keep me up to date on matters agricultural - anaerobic digesters, soil erosion, herbal leys etc etc and so I imagine does the rest of the non-farming population. I think we could have more discussion about what the effects might be.

All Brexit scenarios are likely to be pretty disastrous for sheep farmers. Saw a very sobering presentation by someone within Welsh Government a few weeks ago.

I'm so bored hearing from Lillian and about the damned pub.

Roy is definitely going to be leaving GG (and thus, presumably, Ambridge).

Is Lilian on drugs? The SWs are making her unbearable.

Lillian, that's exactly what it would look like on AIBU! And she'd be told by the majority that she's NBU.

Love the Leonie AIBU LillianGish. Leonie and James are already very low contact with Lilian and she would definitely be told to go completely NC.

Lilian is actually a very selfish person and did not really help James at all when he was living there. Lynda does at least try to be conscientious towards Robert’s children, although that timetable for poor Mungo sounded a bit hectic. No down time for him!

Felt sad for Ed tonight. Haven’t worked out what is happening with Phillip.

I must say, I prefer the Harrison pronunciation of Jawlene to Lillian's J'lene.

Emma and Gavin is an interesting one - he could buy her house, well build her a house! He has steady work as part of his dad’s business which presumably he will take over as his dad eventually moves towards retirement - easy to see how Emmur might have her head turned. But we know he’s a wrong ‘un. Ed is a much nicer person, but as a Grundy he is destined never to succeed. He has made a mistake while trying to match Emmur’s expectations and she can’t forgive him for it. Is Gav her Sgt Troy to Ed’s Gabriel Oak?