🍾 Archers thread 123: Goodbye & good riddance to 2020 – to Philip too? The Archers is 70 on New Year’s Day – celebrate or vent about it 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 wish we heard more from Shula, 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.)

So! 2021 beckons. Big anniversary next Friday, 1.1.21 (and to mark that we have episodes Tuesday-Friday next week). What would we like to see happen? I may be in a minority of one, but I'd like a nice gentle character-driven episode. I don't think we'll get that, but I really, really hope they don't kill someone else off, just for the headlines.

[Title edited by MNHQ at OP'S request]

In 1976 we lived for a year in a flat in a five-floor tall terrace (including the basements). In one house there lived a woman and her newish husband, her four children by various marriages, her and her current husband's adopted child -- and one of her ex-husbands on the top floor. Nobody as far as I remember ever blinked an eye: the only thing we gossiped about was what should be done about her untrained dog making the communal garden unsafe for small children because being a sheepdog it herded them into corners and growled horribly if they tried to get away.

The fathers who weren't around were something whispered about as behind bars.

A huge bouquet was to hide a huge bump, and there would be quiet disapproval of the white dress.

It sound victorian, but I'm not sure that it was all bad.

I love the sheepdog story. I heart AQAAT.

Yes, to the small posy v. large bouquet depending on whether the bride was trying to camouflage her waistline in the 1980s.

This rule obviously didn't apply to royalty, because Diana had the sort of bouquet that would have set tongues wagging in my home town.

I went to university at the end of the 70s and was aghast to meet a girl from a small village who openly told me she has come to university to find a husband.

The social history programme was very interesting and so is the follow on conversation on here.
I've also listened to the Women's Hour special ( v good) and the quiz (ok, but not amazing). Also With great pleasure. Did I miss anything else?

Farming Today on 1st Jan, and also 3 or 4 bits on Today - there was Ruth Wilson, John Finnemore, David Blunkett and Jeremy Howe, I think. David Blunkett's bit included recently rediscovered tape of Shula losing her virginity.

@StillWeRise

I went to university at the end of the 70s and was aghast to meet a girl from a small village who openly told me she has come to university to find a husband.

Goodness, same here! Not sure if Ironbridge in Shropshire counts as a "small village" though, but otherwise, I had exactly the same experience in 1974

Thanks Ebearhug . Will definitely listen to Farming today. I'm not sure I can bear an entire episode of Today though, unless anyone knows approximate timings.

When I was at University in the 1980s, one course was known to be: "for girls who wanted to marry a doctor" - the girls on it were all very well groomed (we shared some lectures with them and you could tell by a glance which course any girl was on).

I'm not sure I can bear an entire episode of Today though, unless anyone knows approximate timings.
I put it on Sounds and just kept skipping forward till I found the relevant bits.

I'm not sure I can bear an entire episode of Today though, unless anyone knows approximate timings.
I skimmed through so may have missed something (eg I don't think that JF was interviewed but they played an excerpt from Men who sound tired all the time ). Rough timings on the programme are:
0:44 Joanna Trollope
1:21 Ruth Jones
2:20 Jeremy Howe
2:47 David Blunkett

Thanks R4.
I think I heard Ruth Jones and David Blunkett but not the others.

Listening to FT now.

I was in London if that makes a difference. Yeah, I think that makes a difference. When I announced my pregnancy to my mother, she said "well, at least we won't have to spend money on a big wedding". That was late 80s in the provinces.

My cousin went to the altar about 10 years previously in a not-white dress with a bump - that was not well thought of.

Thanks R4

Yay for Brian! I hope that this is the start of the Resurgence of the House of Aldridge.

We haven't heard from Oliver. Will the insurers demand back their damages claim pay-out?

Considering that Philip never lifts a finger, except to go hunting or put up Christmas lights, and Gavin spent most of the year either sulking or neglecting "the horses", those 3 lads seem to have done loads of building work in the village. No wonder Eddie didn't like Philip.

I suppose we'll have to put up with Shula feeling super-guilty soon.

They missed a trick. It could have been Mrs Shula Moss who was arrested.

Hello Archers fans

I’m coming back to the Archers after a long break precipitated by deep annoyance at Russ and Lily’s relationship. Looking online, I can’t seem to find out - what happened to them?!

The modern slavery storyline and Kirsty’s arrest

Saint Shula’s voice was also a factor. Ughhhhhhhhh.

CallMeRuss is still lording it at Lower Loxley.

But luckily Lily seems to have taught him the art of mime.

@Taswama

But luckily Lily seems to have taught him the art of mime.

Brilliant

Will David and Ruth's totally unconvincing self-castigation and pious horror about the evils of slave labour lead to the manumission of Jill?
(and do we care?)

I think the editorial team have done rather well - the construction projects, carried out some time ago, were rather well placed. We have Justin being given the boot to maintain the company's image; David feeling guilty while Ruth has an eye on reputation; Shula able to do the full guilt (I'll miss that episode); and in due course the parish council worrying about the playground and feeling very glad they didn't call it the "Philip Moss Playground".

I quite enjoyed tonight's episode