🐴 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
"Brenda was a journalist for a long time and attempted to be principled, as I recall. Didn't she clash with Brian over something dodgy he was doing? Can't remember the details but he complained and she was reined in, and was seething."
I remember her falling out with Brian over something dodgy - I can't remember what it was either. Brian has done plenty of dodgy stuff over the years, Brenda and Kirsty have both fallen foul of him when challenging ethically dubious behaviour.

She was angry because someone caused her editor to rein her in, but it was not Brian; it was Chalkman.

Lowfield 24th April 2001
It seems that everybody knew about Borchester Mills. Matt certainly did. He had his eye on the site for development and is hopeful that it will now drop into his lap. Brian cannot blame this one on the global economy. If it was so obvious to all, Brian wonders why nobody thought it appropriate to mention it to him. Matt will have to report to the Board but Brian could earn some brownie points by having a "fatherly" word with Brenda Tucker, who is currently poking her nose into Matt's business.

The "business" was somebody else from the council, Chalkman, who was behaving fraudulently and taking backhanders -- allegedly. The only part Brian had in the business was pointing out to Brenda that broadcasting local gossip might be libellous and get her and Radio Borsetshire into trouble.

Lowfield again, 11th May, 2001
Roy talking to Brian about why he had a go at Brenda because if it's true about backhanders it should be revealed. Brian still thinks that she's been stupid as she had only hearsay to back it up - she's been officially reprimanded now and there may be further action ... even the sack, at the very least an apology on air will be needed - but the man who fed her the information is the real villain and he's left Brenda hanging out to dry ...

In other words, Brenda shot the messenger, who was trying to do her a favour.

And on 14th
Brenda discusses with Brian her interview with Councillor Chalkman. Radio Borsetshire will be broadcasting an apology. Brian advises her to come to him first if she hears anything more.

Brenda discusses with Brian her interview with Councillor Chalkman. Radio Borsetshire will be broadcasting an apology. Brian advises her to come to him first if she hears anything more.

That rings a bell but wasn't the only time I thought she fell out with Brian. Wasn't there another incident where she was caught between Matt/Lil/Amside and Brian? I was never sure if Brenda knew about Brian harrassing Betty (when Jill came to her rescue) or whether Brenda was just immune to Brian's charm persona.

I don't think Brenda ever had much to do with Brian while working for Amside; the villain in her life at that point was Chalkman, again. Brian wasn't particularly interested in the Amside shenanigans afair, though I suppose he might have been in his capacity as Borchester Land chairman. But even then I don't see him having anything to do with Brenda, who wasn't making policy.

(I can't find any occasion on which "Brian Brenda Amside" happen at the same time and Brian Aldridge was actually in the episode, but a search of Lowfield is made very difficult by Brain Maskell being one of the synopsisers, and turning up on a huge number of days when Brian Aldridge didn't speak.)

I agree with the disappointing portrayal of the local journalist, but otherwise I came here specifically to say how much I loved Lynda's smackdown (I cheered) - and I agree with the pp that the progression of her emotions across the episode really made it so much more satisfying. Lovely moment.

Also Tom is hideous at the moment - at least part of his motivation in talking to Harrison seems to have been that he failed by his own agency to prevent his wife from doing something when he felt he should be able to ('putting my foot down'?!) and so was just attempting another method to get her to act the way he wanted to. She should LTB, except I worry that that would leave Kirsty vulnerable to him again (in the minds of the SWs anyway).

I don't know that much about the law but wouldn't the case be sub judice anyway so the press would be limited as to what they could print? I suppose they might try and get some information to print after the trial.

What, exactly, have Kathy and Roy been doing at work?

Roy literally seems to spend the whole week planning the staff rotas! He never seems to talk about any other aspect of his role...

It’s going to take more than cutting back on the fresh flowers on Reception to save that old relic of a hotel! May be Oliver needs to get Justin’s consultant friend Angus to do a Zoom appraisal and suggest some changes...

Oliver is sounding really wet at the moment. It would be hard to find that attractive. I wonder if the reunification of Tracey and Jazza will be the SWs’ little Valentine’s Day treat to us- although I note the 14th is a Sunday this year...

Oh my.

Please God let Rebecca be a new permanent cast member! She's a natural!

I missed last night's episode.

Came on here to rant about the portrayal of journalists in tonight's episode (as an ex-journo myself), and see this is already a major theme.

(I am now a PR person and having to fend off quite a tricky local journo of Rebecca's ilk on behalf of one of my clients though).

Well, Susan and Neil between them have well and truly dumped Ambridge in it. Hand up anyone who doesn't think the article is going to be a hatchet job and make the rest of the village very angry with them and with the paper?

Please God let Rebecca be a new permanent cast member! She's a natural!

Absolutely ghastly. Perfect for Ambridge, they need a new demon queen!

Also Tom is hideous at the moment - at least part of his motivation in talking to Harrison seems to have been that he failed by his own agency to prevent his wife from doing something when he felt he should be able to ('putting my foot down'?!) and so was just attempting another method to get her to act the way he wanted to

Yes, but to be fair I think his motivation was genuinely that both Kirsty and Natasha were putting themselves into a dangerous situation. It's not a "Woman, Know Your Place" situation.

Roy literally seems to spend the whole week planning the staff rotas! He's not known as Roy of the Rotas for nothing you know!

Also Tom is hideous at the moment

Er?!? Tom is always hideous...

I don’t think Neil will feel a weight is off his shoulders when he reads about himself in the Echo. Bringing The pig unit into disrepute is not going to go down well with Brian either (I think he’s now overseeing it isn’t he?). And I don’t suppose Alan will be too pleased to have the Church written about as complicit with slavers. I think Susan and Neil will be hoping for a period of self-isolation very soon. There is no way that Susan plus most of a bottle of white wine did anything other than strength the impression that the village knew something was fishy but went along with it for some cheap building work. She is an idiot after all, the idea of having her name and possibly a sad face picture in the Echo would have been too exciting for her to consider the consequences. Neil should have sent the reporter packing though, I’m a bit surprised he didn’t.

Also Kirsty’s online research is heading for trouble. Harrison knows she’s trying to interfere with witnesses and now she’s producing evidence, presumably. The only way I can think that she’s doing this “research” is by contacting homeless shelters.

If Kirsty is still trying to locate the lads, despite having been told that interfering with witnesses could prejudice a court case, then suspicious minds might conclude that she did know what was going on and is trying to extricate herself.

Wise up, Kirsty!!

Loved the sub-plot about Peggy’s birthday message to Tony and Tom n’ Tash’s horror!

Great way to get June Spencer’s voice back in too.

Particularly liked the way that Natasha finally cottoned on that Peggy is far from the cuddly, loving old grandma that she had assumed. Though, again, if Tom did not always have his head up his own arse he might well have given Natasha a bit of a primer on the family dynamic before now, given what a huge deal the whole Tony and inheritance plot was a few years ago.

Though, again, if Tom did not always have his head up his own arse he might well have given Natasha a bit of a primer on the family dynamic before now, given what a huge deal the whole Tony and inheritance plot was a few years ago.

Yes indeed. Peggy has never been "nice" in that sense. That barbed message wasn't out of character for her.

Yes, but to be fair I think his motivation was genuinely that both Kirsty and Natasha were putting themselves into a dangerous situation. It's not a "Woman, Know Your Place" situation.

It was one adult blocking another adult's activities because they disagreed with them. Tom is fully entitled to disagree and make his point, Natasha is an adult who can make her own decisions.

The old Tom Archer was lovely. Boring but lovely.

The old Tom Archer was lovely. Boring but lovely.

Which bit? Tom the Jilter? Tom the Exploiter? (As I recall, Brenda spent her life with him shoulder deep in hot pork fat ...) Tom the "Oh look, there's a woman in a suit! Bye!"?

He's always been ghastly. New voice was just an added annoyance.

I meant the Real Tom Archer.
His voice, and how he interacted with Pat'n'Moany and his sister. I was so happy when he and Brenda got engaged - not sure how many times I listened to it.

I like many of the characters. It usually takes me a while, but it helps if they don't sound the same.

In the case of Pip, I liked the ghastly teenage Pip, but not the current one.

Tracey is growing on me, I was a bit 'Oh here we go again, a working class stereotype' at first.

It took me years to like Lynda, and more to like Joe. Clarrie was great until she had a personality transplant. i didn't like Susan to start with, but always liked Neil even if he smells of pigs. Always liked Jazzer.

Have I mentioned that I cant stand Pip?