Archers thread #116: Pandemic fears, markets crash but it's BOOM 💥 time for Ambridge. 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 employ Philip Moss & Son to fix your soil pipe, 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! (New thread likely to be replacing that one very soon, in the current circumstances.)

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 thread title idea, which I tweaked, and @springydaff for the 💥 emoticon, which I hope is in the title! (Can't preview the title). Welcome, lurkers and lapsed listeners, drawn out of the shadows by the current crisis in Ambridge. In the OP of the last thread I said I didn't think we'd get to Easter on that thread. We certainly didn't!

I am very worried indeed about Lynda and concerned about Oliver too. Don't care about Gavin unless it means Kirsty is cheated out of yet another wedding. Freddie's redemption is now assured, though, surely? Roll on the return of the Lower Loxley crew.

Not half as weird as a conversation between the unlikely combination of Josh, Brine and Joy. In a lambing shed

Yes. Another implausible scenario.

Though, thinking about Ben's voice, I realise that most of the men have quite light, tenor-toned speaking voices. The last person with a bit of growling bass was Joe Grundy. I wonder if they're trying to diversify the voices (after all the complaints here over the 'identikit northern blokes').

Ben's voice brings to mind a comedian, whose series on 'being a WC northern lad at Cambridge' was recently re-aired at 11pm. Can't remember his name but he's mid-20s or 30, reminiscing about his teens and studenthood in the first person, in this deep, flat tone that sounds very 'older bloke'.

a conversation between the unlikely combination of Josh, Brine and Joy. In a lambing shed.

They must have read my occasional pleadings for less expected combinations of characters ... (Sorry all!)

I like Ben's voice. (Well observed that it has something in common with Joe's lovely voice.)

Agree that Josh and Ben were unlikely to visit anyone unrelated to them. Ben is close to Jill but Josh doesn’t really do anything for anyone. He is complaining now about his lack of work but he did nothing at Brookfield when Pip was on maternity leave because it was taking time away from his business. However, I am hoping this is a convoluted way to get Lynda and the hospital staff to start wondering about Blake’s ‘uncle’.

I am now getting quite carried away imagining Lynda doing a Rear Window and investigating Moss and Son from her hospital bed. Sorry, it must be lock down fever and I should get back to work.

Oooh, Lynda the bed-bound detective, yes.

lottiegarbanzo
I just can't get over Ben's voice.

It might sound a little old for the character because Ben's actor, Ben Norris, is about ten years older than the character he plays (and also older than the actor who plays Josh, who is three years older than his character.)

he did nothing at Brookfield when Pip was on maternity leave because it was taking time away from his business.

I thought he did the work but whinged about it getting in the way of his own business? If Josh had a 9-5 job off the farm they wouldn't be able to just assume he could be used as maternity cover whilst Pip sniped at everything he did.

To be fair to Josh he has grown up being told Pip is Goldenchild and the Future and he knows that farm won't support multiple families. Building his own business is probably what would enable him to stay on the farm in any form which is why it always seemed so odd that David was constantly undermining him.

Not sure why I'm defending Josh - I find him moderately irritating most of the time

Does Josh even get paid for the work he does at Brookfield? As in, a proper wage? Another one who doesnt understand why he gets such a hard time for trying to set up his own businesses. What else is supposed to do?

I don't think he does, as he mentioned being paid for working at Home Farm. Something along the lines of "At least I get paid.".

Lynda investigating would take her mind off her injuries.

On the other hand, he does have use of Brookfield land for his business. Plus heating, water, light, power for electronic devices.

I can't remember what financial arrangement he has with his parents. I wouldn't personally dream of charging any offspring rent for living at home - but it might be fair for him to do some farm work in exchange for their paying the extra expenses of the business.

lottiegarbanzo, I suspect you are thinking of Liam Williams. The series is called 'Ladhood'

that would be beyond ridiculous. And therefore quite likely.

I can't remember what financial arrangement he has with his parents

David was very clear that he wanted a cut of Josh's income/business in return for use of the barn to store stuff but also wanted the barn available to the farm when they needed it.

By contrast with Pip's ventures into entrepreneurship which received unfettered praise and support.

The Dopeys have always been so negative about Josh's business that I'm surprised he hasn't just buggered off to work elsewhere rather than try to build a business connected to the farm. He can be an annoying twat but he has never had any real support and just seems to be an ontap spare farmhand.

I am wondering/hoping that Roy's vist to Blake will be the start of Phillips downfall. So one of the nurses talking about the vists from his uncle, Blake being amazed that Lynda can speak (given that he was told she was at deaths door), Roy doing some digging etc. Can't wait!

Yes, that's the one WheresThatCatGoneNow

I now have an image in mind of Ben being bigger and quite a bit broader, than Josh (who seems slim and a bit blond, like Roy n.b. Brenda is definitely brunette). But that idea fails against the 'shirt-sharing' plot.

I imagined Josh as having brown hair and Ben and Pip dark brown hair, although NewPip has fair/mousy hair.

One thing about Pip - she didn't have any friends at school or college, apart from Izzy.

Nobody liked her - apart from me. It's newPip I don't like.

I was one of the last people in Britain to catch up with Fleabag and was electrified to see Angus Imrie (Josh) in series 2. He was playing a teenager, perfectly convincingly, which is odd given that he could have been 25 at most when it was filmed. He does look very young for his age and he has quite a light tenor voice.

I wonder what happened to Izzy. I had totally forgotten about her.

She's probably CEO of a wildly successful tech startup or a barrister or accountant or something by now.

Didn't Pip start distancing herself (maybe encouraged by Ruth's disdain) after Izzy had a pregnancy scare? Around GCSE time? I have the vaguest feeling she was deemed too 'urban' for an Archer heiress to be mixing with.

(I could have invented large parts of this, so await correction.)

Did Phreebie really get a degree in PPE from Oxford?

Well Justin has had an excellent day!

Izzy dumped Pip as a friend after Pip first implored her to help her find work so Pip could go round the world with Jude, and then left her holding an E-bay account full of sales that couldn't be made because Pip had gone off with the things-for-sale. Izzy had gone to a lot of trouble and put herself in debt to her bosses to get Pip the job that Pip never mentioned again, and put her reputation on the line for the graceless Archer.

Why did Shula suddenly mention the Bishops Advisory Panel when she was talking to Kirstie in the shop?

It had absolutely nothing to do with anything they were discussing.

Was it shoehorned in for our benefit?

Why did Shula suddenly mention the Bishops Advisory Panel when she was talking to Kirstie in the shop?

To demonstrate that she, Shula, has not lost the ability to make anything, absolutely anything, All About Shula.

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