🍾 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]

Kirsty casually moving into another household...) I think you can do that one if potentially in danger, which she could be.

Oh, fair enough then. Though we were also told that Philip is not allowed to return to Ambridge, so possibly she isn't particularly.

(It would be wonderful if all women who have not been threatened with violence at all by their new husbands were given as much consideration as is implied by that!)

Must say, even apart from the "let's pretend there's no covid" (even though Susan actually mentioned it!) business, I found tonight hard to believe.

How is Kirsty even capable of speech? In her position I'd be curled up in a ball under a duvet, heavily sedated and unable to remember my own name or make sense of hot liquid in a cup. She was acting as if there'd been a minor flood in an unused GG outhouse.

Thought for a second it might be Gavin hiding out and discovered by Tracy. Perhaps he's at the presumably now empty horse flat.

I think you have to have been married at least a year to divorce. But could the marriage be annulled?

Oh, and I had half hoped Blake was in the cricket pavilion.

Me too!

And I don;t think it could: www.gov.uk/how-to-annul-marriage

I think we ruled out annulment in a previous thread.
I was also expecting someone else to be hiding at the cricket pavilion.
I don't really notice the rules being broken, Ambridge being perpetually in tier 1 is fine by me.

Can the police forbid someone to go to his own residence, a house which is held in his name?

The courts can make that a term of bail.

I'm hoping that the reason Gavin's disappeared is that he's looking for Blake.

I remember a few months ago Gavin mentioning thinking of going abroad (was it Spain?) where he has a friend.

Why did the writers skip over the most dramatic bit, where the police say what's going on here and Philip presumably fesses up that it's not a domestic but instead he's a slave driver. Or was it Kirsty who told them? I found tonight's episode a bit of a let down and agree with PoulePoulette that Kirsty seemed oddly normal.

How does someone in England file for divorce less than three weeks after marrying someone?

To be fair, she hasn’t, she’s said she wants to go to a solicitor, who will hopefully inform her it’s not that simple.

I was a bit underwhelmed by tonight’s episode - Kirsty sounding very put together, Roy surprised that she doesn’t feel up to performing in public! Even the strongest woman would be more likely to either be a wreak or on the warpath!

(Long time lurker, occasional contributor, serial name changer!)

Wonder what Philip said to the police? It presumably included something about the horses otherwise the police wouldn't have turned up at Rhiannon's looking for Gavin. I wonder if he told them that he'd just that evening discovered, to his horror, that the workers Gavin had taken on weren't being paid?

To annul a marriage it needs to be void (you married someone you weren't allowed to marry, eg too close a relative) or voidable - and the only remotely relevant grounds she'd have is if they hadn't had sex since getting married.

Why was she going to a solicitor? To get rid of Philip, or to see what she needs to do to ensure she isn't also charged with slavery, given that she's been Philip's partner for a lon g while, she's his book keeper, and she's recently confirmed their togetherness by marrying him?

Kirsty's no stranger to life-changing trauma ie non wedding no 1,late miscarriage, so this latest one is a shock- and I do think she's shocked- but she feels she's 'been there' before. Which in a way she has.

So I'd say she's a bit numb at the moment but also pragmatic.

She was acting as if there'd been a minor flood in an unused GG outhouse - brilliant And yes - far too understated. This has come out of the blue - her mild-mannered husband, Christmas light obsessive and lover of all things festive, the man who enjoys bird watching, who refurbished the children’s playground and fixed the bell tower steps has been using slave labour. She was more shocked and bemused to discover the cover story - that Gavin was a gambler. Rhiannon also sounded pretty relaxed about it all - I thought we might at least find she’d had suspicions and that was why they had split up (likewise Gavin and Kelly). While we are now all perfectly au fait with slave labour practices in the UK having followed the plot and read various background articles including some useful information from posters on here, listeners initial reaction was one of utter disbelief and shock requiring them to re-listen to the episode to see if they had got the right end of the stick (and even then sometimes not being entirely clear - with suggestions just a few pages back that he might not in fact have been doing anything wrong and was just taking homeless boys off the street and giving them a helping hand). It’s all been a huge anti-climax - if everyone is being so matter of fact about it then how come no one realised what was going on? Kirsty was living with the man for goodness sake - she’s just married him. I’m remembering the wail when she was stood up at the altar - this doesn’t seem like the same woman.

No, a repeat wail would have been a nice touch, wouldn't it?!

They've had the wail on recent trailers.

This is being a bit of an odd denouement. "Gav told me you're hiding something, what is it?" "It's not an affair, I just help homeless boys on the street." "But you don't pay them, so it's illegal. I'm calling the police." "Hello, I'm Philip's ex-wife, who you've never spoken to before, he's out on bail, and haven't heard from Gav for months." They could have easily been saying, "Gav told me you burnt the toast," for all the reaction to it. But it could be it hasn't really hit Kirsty yet.

It was all quite confusing anyway. I couldn't believe someone was actually phoning me during the Archers, and I was on-call only up till Monday, wasn't I, and it's not Monday any more, is it? Then I realised it was Kirsty's phone ringing, not mine. We have the same ringtone. This should not be allowed.

you will run the risk of being shot at dawn for criticising any of the following: Lynda and Robert Snell, Ed, Susan, Ben (new entry with surprising number of supporters)

Hands off Lynda and Robert definitely. Susan drives me nuts but is a brilliant character - one of the few 3D characters left. Ben - no strong feelings.

Ed? Ed, with Will and Eddie dies in a tragic triple accident, electrocuted (painlessly) or somesuch on one of Eddie's irritating wheezes. This leaves Clarrieluv and Emmur bereft in the short term but keeping going as they always do and then realising they were the two doing all the keeping going and start the Ambridge Womens Collective raising the children and farming Grange Farm land rather better than the feckless men in the family.

Kirsty joins them as the agri-wildlife wotsit. Phoebe can join to produce political outpourings and discover her deep inner feminist. Lily will see CMR for the pathetic predatory dweeb he is and join in too. Freddie will ask the collective to help him run Lower Loxley when Elizabeth wants to retire to Portugal with Vince because Freddie is a brainless wazzock but has just enough braincells left to realise this. Susan joins as communications manager.

The collective collaborates with Ambridge farm, where Tony and Pat have properly retired and Helen and Natasha run the commercial and dairy business with Johnny running the stock side.

They would work with Brookfield but every time they see GoldenPips they have flashbacks to Deeeeaaaaaaavid, then even worse flashbacks to GoldenPips. They employ Josh as plant operations manager.

As they grow and become more successful Damara hits trouble due to some unspecified weirdism from Brexit. The AWC buys out Damara, kicks Hannah into some unspecified outer darkness and crown Neil the Ambridge Pig King. Susan gets a special tiara with "Piggy Queen" picked out in pink diamonds.

Tracey becomes events manager for the collective and becomes one of Grey Gables' saviour customers.

Jenny becomes the Collective archivist with Brian acting as cellar keeper for the visiting masses. Debbie returns to become a partner in the collective managing the Damara acquisition. Kate continues to sit in a yurt.

For the New Socialist Republic of Ambridge!

But let's get through Friday first; see who's left ...

(They'd better not touch Ed.)

It really made no sense at all for Kirsty to decamp to Roy and Phoebe's home on Christmas Eve. She could easily have barricaded Beechwood against the miscreant rather than spreading her self-inflicted misery elsewhere. Just imagine having her in the house on Christmas morning! Poor Abigail! Even poor Phoebe.

I blame the Producers' and SWs' utter prejudice against having anyone live alone. (Unless they're to be made a figure of fun.) I know they think they're building in drama by having everyone domestically partnered up - but it's so damn unrealistic.

I slightly agree PPE - on the other hand Kirsty did used to live with Roy so I suppose in a way it is home from home.

When I am really upset, I tend to go very quiet and behave very practically (focusing on jobs and chores that really don’t matter) so I thought that Kirsty’s reaction was not unrealistic.

Though it was a bit contrived, I very much enjoyed Jazzer and Tracey running into each other in the cricket pavilion and like the way the SLs have laid the foundations for the inevitable snog on NYE....my low opinion of Roman dropped even further though to think all he has ever offered Tracey is a bonk on the pavilion store room floor.

Two people (Susan + Roy, I think) remarked on how excellent Eddie’s turkeys were this year - even better than usual. We obviously know something they don’t know...

I agree that Kirsty's reaction is too rational and dispassionate; doesn't seem realistic. That said, I'm quite pleased not to have to listen to wailing and gnashing.

You won't get any attacks on the Snells from me. Ed too, love him and Emmur.

Perhaps tonight will be Alice related. I'd like the baby to go to term though as I think FAS would be an interesting, though grim, long-term storyline..

Thanks for the welcome and I look forward to defending my unpopular views when the need arises..

That's the spirit, @SnapSnapDragon!

It is very weird hearing TA resolutely ignoring Covid at a time when the rest of us are unable to do that. I don't mean they should be recording live and re-writing right up to the last minute, but putting in high-risk lines like 'Helen and Lee have taken the boys on an activity holiday' - Careless and unnecessary.