🍾 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]

Helen and Lee have taken the boys on an activity holiday I think that was included to give Helen a cast iron alibi for not being around when Kirsty needed her.

@MaryLeeOnHigh

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

Me too!

I was very excited by last night's episode, mainly because I have been very keen on hearing from Rhiannon. Yes, it's a bit odd she has Kirsty's number as there are no practical reasons for her to have it. If Kirsty had stayed at home, Rhiannon could have phoned the landline hoping to speak to Phillip which would have made better sense. I like Roy, roysnewshirt. He is one of the better Ambridge men in a particularly poor field.

I think Ben's popularity is partly because there should be a lot of sympathy for anyone who has Josh and Pip as siblings. He also comes across as genuinely affectionate towards Jill.

I don't really understand how Kirsty could have failed to notice something amiss if she was keeping the books. Surely that would entail having the bank statements and noting that no payments were going out for wages, let alone things like national insurance? Even if she didn't see the statements or have access to the accounts at all, you'd think she'd work out that the supposed profits just didn't tie up with the wage bill.

I like Roy, roysnewshirt. He is one of the better Ambridge men in a particularly poor field

Oh thank you @nettie434!! You have really made my day...

Kirsty needed to get away from the house, contents, and Christmas lights. They must be a powerful reminder of the life she thought she had.

I too felt that Kirsty is reacting in a plausible way, powered by stress hormones, and feeling a steely anger.

I don't get the books thing either. And the SWs have forgotten about the laptop.

I don't really understand how Kirsty could have failed to notice something amiss if she was keeping the books. Surely that would entail having the bank statements and noting that no payments were going out for wages, let alone things like national insurance? Even if she didn't see the statements or have access to the accounts at all, you'd think she'd work out that the supposed profits just didn't tie up with the wage bill.

You could have set up bank accounts for each of the lads then paid tax and NI for them, so HMRC are happy, but then with complete control of the separate accounts, you just keep the three lots of wages. Even on NMW for under 21s, that could get him around an extra £30K a year.

It’s not so much the reaction now as how quickly she took it on board - brilliantly captured by EBearHug - are you having an affair? No I’m employing homeless boys. You mean they’re slaves? I’m calling the police. She needed no time at all to get her head round it and is now calmly getting on with things - moving back in with Roy and trying to get a divorce. It will be interesting to see how other people in the villagers react - didn’t Philip build the Beechwood homes? What will Justin think? Pat and Tony? Neil - who got him to fix the playground? Shula - who supervised the church tower repairs? Anyone at GG? Didn’t he also do Jim’s extension? Is there anyone in the village who has not had slave labourers working on a project at some point?

Can we not criticise fictional characters behaviour in relation to covid please? There's quite enough of that elsewhere on MN. I think the SW are doing a great job in acknowledging the existence of it without letting it dominate the storyline. Going on holiday with your boyfriend in the UK was perfectly fine not that long ago.

I expect when tiers were last announced, we just missed that Borsetshire was tier 1 alongside Herefordshire.

@Taswama

Can we not criticise fictional characters behaviour in relation to covid please? There's quite enough of that elsewhere on MN. I think the SW are doing a great job in acknowledging the existence of it without letting it dominate the storyline. Going on holiday with your boyfriend in the UK was perfectly fine not that long ago.

This! TA is fiction, not a fly on the wall documentary.

I don't think Philip built the Beechwood homes, they would be too big a project for someone who normally builds extensions (when he quoted for Jim, Jim didn't use him iirc).

Where do we think Gavin (or his body) will turn up? Bound to be the Ambridge environs.

Just caught up with last nights episode. What a wet squib. I was really disappointed with the whole handling of the Phillip/ Kirsty saga. From her immediate grasp of the situation, her total belief in her version of events and her reaction afterwards was one of a casual acquaintance, not a newly married woman.
It would have been far more realistic for her to struggle to believe it of him.

Ahh, never mind.

@Ratched

Just caught up with last nights episode. What a wet squib. I was really disappointed with the whole handling of the Phillip/ Kirsty saga. From her immediate grasp of the situation, her total belief in her version of events and her reaction afterwards was one of a casual acquaintance, not a newly married woman. It would have been far more realistic for her to struggle to believe it of him.

Ahh, never mind.

Yes agree, all much too quick. It's like they wanted to rush through it? It's been building for months!

Oh my goodness they won't kill anyone off again will they???

Let's hope for a super-happy anniversary/ end to 2020.

@C8H10N4O2

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.

👏🏻 Make 👏🏻 This 👏🏻 Happen 👏🏻

This would be amazing

Will Eddie find the Ambridge Hoarde?

LizziesTwin
when he quoted for Jim, Jim didn't use him iirc

He didn't actually quote.

Jim found him in his garden with Alistair and Jazzer after the pubs had shut, talking about measuring up for something which Jim had not told him about. It was understandable that Jim said he would not be employing him, given that Philip had no idea what Jim wanted built and was saying he would undercut anyone else who quoted for the job when he didn't know what the job was or who had quoted what for doing it! I think I'd say "no" to an importunate person I already disliked, in the circumstances.

Wouldn't people notice that Philip's Xmas lights were switched off?

Maybe she just did her runner leaving them switched on?

Wasn't it during Jim's period of great difficulties just after his abuser had turned up at his birthday party?

But she's into saving the environment.

Maybe they are on a timer.

Mystery solved.

It is mysterious how the first Mrs Moss had the second Mrs Moss' mobile number.

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

Can't institute divorce, proceedings yet and no grounds for annulment (unless no consummation, and we really don't want to go into that much detail, I imagine).
Best the stupid woman can do is apply for legal separation.