🐴 Archers thread 124: And they're off! Pip on a high horse, Kirsty champing at the bit to find the lost ‘horses’, Alice on the wagon (or is she riding for a fall?). 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 think Shula would make a brilliant vicar, 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 @PoulePouletteEternellement for the equine theme to the new thread title. I wanted to work in Rex being a dark horse and lots of others too, but (you may feel fortunately) there's a character limit for the title.

I wonder if this thread will see us through to the end of February. The last one filled up in under a month, which was like old times. All depends on what delights are in store for us in the coming weeks, I suppose. I'm hoping that Gavin has spilled the beans on Victoria, she's also arrested, and the lads are found. Having said that, I'm not confident that in the real world they would get the support and care they need to turn their lives around and get proper jobs. It was good to hear on the last thread from @Trickyboy, who has professional experience of investigating this vile crime. Any comments on how things turn out in the long run for those rescued?

C8H10N4O2, Jason hasn't been heard of since Jack Woolley ran GG.
She's Lynda not Linda

Justin not Jason. I'm really excelling myself on names this week - I'm turning into my mother

I know! The shame of it all, the shame of it all ... tell my mother my last words were of her.

Maybe Jason retired? He was an experienced builder when he first appeared, and that was in the early nineties at the latest. At that point he was divorced with three (?teenage) children, so may well have been over forty.

Maybe Jason retired?

Must be I'd have thought - he never seemed "young", I'd also have guessed 40s.

Just disappeared and there was no mention of him when Philip appeared on the scene that I recall.

Having watched more than a few parents go through that dilemma with young but technically adult daughters I'd say Lizzie's strategy of "don't forbid, grit your teeth, let it burn itself out" is normally the most successful. I think in real world Lily/Russ would have died off by now.

That could indeed be the best strategy, but allowing the man to live in your house with your much younger daughter and giving him a sinecure of a job definitely doesn't fit the mould.

Not to mention allowing him to become your mental health confidante.

I heart Freddie.

Someone up thread said they didn't buy Lizzie as a poor widower as she didn't have it as hard as a single mum in a small flat with money worries. I grant that that is true but I don't think life's hardships are a competition - being widowed is hard whatever your circumstance and Lizzie and Nigel had a lovely marriage. She still brought the children up through their teens and ran the lower loxley business. Money worries are there, imagine the stress of if I fail and lose my dead husband's legacy...

Freddie really is turning out well.

Phoebe sounded like a stroppy teenager, unnecessarily spiteful and not really believable that she would have spoken to Justin like that.

Shula is rethinking, yay!!

Although I have to say, it's very unusual for anyone who's gone through the whole discernment process (technical term for the church deciding you have a calling to ministry) to drop out.

Oh she'll still do it, after much more hand wringing.

If Shula havers for long about her calling, she'll be at the absolute cut-off age (seventy in most dioceses) before she qualifies, even if she has been being fast-tracked so far.

Oh dear. I know some are enjoying listening to Shula grind through her doubts (bending the ear of listen anyone who crosses her path) but I’m afraid the combination of rewilding AND Shula means it feels to me like we are having a very slow week.

Thank God for Brian!

@cameocat

Someone up thread said they didn't buy Lizzie as a poor widower as she didn't have it as hard as a single mum in a small flat with money worries. I grant that that is true but I don't think life's hardships are a competition - being widowed is hard whatever your circumstance and Lizzie and Nigel had a lovely marriage. She still brought the children up through their teens and ran the lower loxley business. Money worries are there, imagine the stress of if I fail and lose my dead husband's legacy...

Freddie really is turning out well.

Phoebe sounded like a stroppy teenager, unnecessarily spiteful and not really believable that she would have spoken to Justin like that.

But Lizzie seems to forget that Shula also lost Mark, and was left to raise Daniel on her own. It hasn't been plain sailing for others.

Gosh I'd never really thought about the bad luck of that family, both sisters being widowed young and with child(ren)......
(Well I guess people commented at the time!)

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime

If Shula havers for long about her calling, she'll be at the absolute cut-off age (seventy in most dioceses) before she qualifies, even if she has been being fast-tracked so far.

Maybe they have suddenly realised that in the TA bunker, and are staging a late prevention. I mean, the C of E at odds with TA would signal The End of Days. Shula being ordained would be an insult to the cloth and the listeners' intelligence (all 3 miliwatts of it, as it sometimes seems They think).

milliwatts, ffs

Phoebe's pronouncements about being an ethical business that can't be associated with Justin ring rather hollow in light of its association with convicted polluter Brian.

Maybe ... But yesterday was the first time I really saw the Aldridge in Phoebe.

Interesting decades ahead.

@PursuingProxemicExactitude

Maybe ... But yesterday was the first time I really saw the Aldridge in Phoebe.

Interesting decades ahead.

Agree. She's finally making some proactive decisions rather than just being caught up with what other people tell her to do. Rex is also becoming a stronger character I'm enjoying these two

But Lizzie seems to forget that Shula also lost Mark, and was left to raise Daniel on her own. It hasn't been plain sailing for others

What makes you think that? Lizzie has never said otherwise that I can recall.

If Shula havers for long about her calling, she'll be at the absolute cut-off age (seventy in most dioceses) before she qualifies, even if she has been being fast-tracked so far

Is that the cut off for completing training or for practising?

Phoebe sounded like a stroppy teenager, unnecessarily spiteful and not really believable that she would have spoken to Justin like that.

I was thinking its one of the few occasions i've seen her speak out with the confidence of many Oxbridge grads!

Finally she sounded decisive and as if she was taking control instead of simultaneously following, cajoling and pacifyinig.

@C8H10N4O2

But Lizzie seems to forget that Shula also lost Mark, and was left to raise Daniel on her own. It hasn't been plain sailing for others

What makes you think that? Lizzie has never said otherwise that I can recall.

It just seems to be me that Lizzie expects a level of consideration from her family that she doesn’t give to them. Shula probably shouldn’t have gone to see Philip, but not because Freddie was involved in the Grey Gables incident.

Finally, I like Freddie (until now such a spoilt little whiner). Hoping he side steps the Casey bride to be. I don't fancy that story line.

It just seems to be me that Lizzie expects a level of consideration from her family that she doesn’t give to them

Lizzie reacted like an anxious mother, then immediately went and gave a fullsome apology to Shula when Freddie gave the other point of view. She also gave Shula support and encouragement in her vocation, despite it being something of no religious relevance to her.

It isn't Elizabeth boring us to death with endless angst ridden conversations making everything all about "MEEEE" - its Shula. She has done it for years.

I like Freddie too. Hopefully he wised up enough when he was in “chokey” to spot types who want to use him and give the Casey bride a swerve, StillDum