💰 Archers thread #121: Brookfield digs for treasure, Alice & Philip try to bury the truth. Dish the dirt here if you dig The Archers. PS Send nudes.

[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 long to hear Pip again, 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/3853783--The-Archers-spoilers-thread-5-Cant-wait-for-7-02pm-Join-us-here, 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 and @PersephonePromotesEquanimity for the title suggestions.

Current events: as @Bailey0703 has astutely spotted, it's Anti-Slavery Day tomorrow - could this herald the beginning of the end of the horses storyline? I do hope so. Horrible stuff, but what a blow for Kirsty. They're laying on the dramatic irony with trowel at the moment.

What do we think will happen to Alice and Chris? I can't see this pregnancy going to term and ending well. I don't think the marriage will survive either, giving Brian a chance to revisit his classic line about having to treat this as Alice's starter marriage.

Will Elizabeth end up on a date with Vince Casey? That would put the cat among the pigeons at Lower Loxley.

Over to you ...

In many ways

I want to know what’s happening with the rewinding. I’m hoping it turns out that Pip stuffed up the Natural England interview.

I think Toby understands Pip much better than Rex does. They are quite similar in many wats

I agree. I also think Toby has some degree of self awareness unlike Pip.

Ruth was also vile yesterday shouting at the motorists who very reasonably wanted to continue in their way as soon as she got her cows out of the road

And then proceeded to blame Ben.

i can understand being frustrated and worried and overreacting a bit and drivers hooting will only make the job more difficult. However David, and now Ruth seem to overreact to predictable human behaviour on a regular basis, despite being old enough to know what to expect.

Ruth was also vile yesterday shouting at the motorists who very reasonably wanted to continue in their way as soon as she got her cows out of the road.

Seriously? the beeping motorists were being impatient, inconsiderate arseholes. She wasn't blocking the road for fun.

And then proceeded to blame Ben.

Er... because it was probably his fault?

Rounding up cattle on a road sounds massively stressful to me. Having people hooting surely increases the chances of it being dangerous.

@ErrolTheDragon

And then proceeded to blame Ben.

Er... because it was probably his fault?

Rounding up cattle on a road sounds massively stressful to me. Having people hooting surely increases the chances of it being dangerous.

I possibly wasn’t giving it my 100% attention but I didn’t hear motorists beeping and complaining, I heard Ruth moan because they drove straight off at speed as soon as the road was clear- she sounded like she expected them to say thank you.

I agree hooting would be a twatty thing to do.

I still think that Rex is in for a major re-think. Aneesha dumped him for a career in a faraway place and is now pregnant. Pip rebuffed him for Toby, had Rosie and is now trying to re-possess the land that is his livelihood.
He is going to leave TA and become a hermit. We shall next see him on Ben Fogle's New Lives in the Wild.

Pip is of course perfectly correct that taking a short term let on something doesn't give you moral rights to stay there for ever. Unfortunately it would have been much more impressive if she'd come out with that in the first place rather than trying to imply she had nothing to do with the decision and that it was only for Josh's benefit.

But I hope it pushes Rex into finding somewhere where he can set up his business on a much firmer footing where he isn't relying on anyone else's goodwill.

Er... because it was probably his fault?

Why? Its not the first gate or field to be vandalised in Ambridge. Plenty of people knew there was a dig at Brookfield.

It may have been a consequence of Ben's interview or it may not.

The 🔮 predicted some time ago that Rex and Phoebe are destined for each other. Not for a few years yet, of course.

And the SWs may have changed their minds. Again.

I long for a bit of rewinding. Back to this time last year, anyone?

Pip gave no hint that she done something as basic as check the tenancy agreement to see what the.minimum notice was, just waffled about "it'll be quite soon, but we wanted to tell you as soon as we could." It would be easier for all if they said, "as the agreement states, we're giving you 3 months notice, which will be 29th January," or whatever, because then they know what they're dealing with. And it would sound like there is some planning and professionalism behind it, rather than being all personal and on a whim, which is how it's come over.

SW- Hello young person, how are things over in mummynet land?

Intern- interesting you should ask. They think the whole thing about evicting Rex and Toby is being handled a bit unprofessionally.

SW - don’t they know it’s just a story?

Intern- I really don’t think that’s how they see it.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

I loathe Pip. That is all.

Yup. And it was so great to hear her finally getting the bollo*ing she deserves I actually replayed the last few minutes of last night's episode.

actually replayed the last few minutes of last night's episode

So did I

I know its petty, I don't care!

Even if it were just a story, that's not really an excuse. Given that one of the original purposes of TA was for public education, it wouldn't be too radical to do some basic contract checking.

It annoys me that so often on soaps, especially on TV, they often behave as if there are no employment rights or anything - one slight disagreement, and that's it, out the door, no hint of a disciplinary process or anything. Same with housing tenancies and so on. I think they should have some responsibility to reflect what might happen in real life, because for some of the audience, it might be the first idea they get that they do have rights in the workplace. They do this if they decide to have a big issue-related storyline, and then just ignore it the rest of the time.

And there could be some interesting storyline out of Brookfield plans having to be delayed because they have to wait 6 months or a year because had to give their tenants that much notice to get the land back. Because while the Brethren are not entitled to it forever, they are entitled to it for the minimum notice terms in their legal tenancy agreement, whatever they may be.

Ah but EBearhug that would mean the writers informing meandEd about their housing and benefits rights ... Alice about her right to privacy regarding her health ... and so on .

Agricultural tenancies tend to be pretty tightly drawn up, as without one the person using the land can make a claim on the land and refuse to leave. Exh (not a nice man) did this a couple of times; first time he was able to buy the land cheaply as it was worth very little with his claim on it, and the second time he was paid many thousands to to vacate.

Therefore the idea that Ruth just blithely decides to evict Toby/Rex does not really hold up, there would definitely be a notice period. Though it might be fun if there is no tenancy agreement and Toby claims the land. And why does Josh need the building that the still is in? Commercial flocks need proper housing, not old barns.

Sounds like a good idea @KingscoteStaff !

that would mean the writers informing meandEd about their housing and benefits rights ... Alice about her right to privacy regarding her health ... and so on

And...?

drivers hooting will only make the job more difficult. DH thinks an opportunity for education was missed. You don't hoot when there are animals around. He reckons what should have happened is that Pip got out of the car, someone hooted, cows ran amuck and squashed Pip into pulp. Great educational episode - what's not to like?

@MereDintofPandiculation, why aren't you one of the scriptwriters?

[quote MikeUniformMike]@MereDintofPandiculation, why aren't you one of the scriptwriters?[/quote]
Wasn't my storyline, it was my DH's.

Agricultural tenancies tend to be pretty tightly drawn up, as without one the person using the land can make a claim on the land and refuse to leave

This is excellent intell @Molecule! Just what I needed. So Ruth and David wouldn’t just casually draw up a short-term lease, without being aware of the implications. After some light googling, it appears a year’s notice is quite standard in these circs so that would mean IRL the boys would have some breathing space and it wouldn’t all seem so bad. But of course we would lose all the excitement of a plot twist so we can’t have that...The SWs are just infuriating! And amateur. A good historic novel is noted for the factual accuracy the fiction hangs on; surely the same rules should apply for a radio soap..