🐷 Archers thread #127: Discuss the boars and sows of Ambridge here - or should that be bores and soused? You decide.

[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’d love to live opposite Joy, 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/4197199--The-Archers-spoilers-thread-6-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.)

These threads normally last around a month. When I started the last one, we were bracing ourselves for the Mystery Play, but that storyline, which had never exactly set the airwaves on fire, fizzled out and has (I hope) gone away, never to return.

@LillianGish proposed a new thread title which I'll use instead as a scene-setter for this thread. What a carry on - Nurse (Ben), Sergeant (Harrison), Camping (Kate), Jack (either one of them), Regardless (all of us for continuing to tune tune in)

What a carry on, indeed! Other storylines sputtering away:

• Alice, Chris, Martha - Have they split up, and if so where is Alice living? Will there be a christening and who will be godparents? When will the Aldridges and Carters find out about Alice's drinking? Too much to hope that Alice will get blind drunk at the christening party in full view of the entire village, I suppose. I'm still clinging to my hope that she lamps Alan after a suggestion that they pray together.

• Will Rex find a new home for his pigs? If Elizabeth weakens, will the pigs escape and disrupt the Lower Loxley life drawing event on Monday? Might they stampede, knock Ross out and devour him?

• Will Jazzer go to work for Neil? (This isn't exactly a cliffhanger. Of course he will.)

• Will Justin bury Lilian under the patio? Not a jury in the land would convict him, I feel, if they were played a recording of that appalling cackle and her gloating about the daffodil photograph.

• Will the life drawing event on Monday be a brilliantly amusing interlude, exemplifying how to write character-driven drama, with both comic and more serious moments? Answer: No, obviously. I may have to listen from behind a cushion.

There are more. I find myself struggling to care.

Oh, and one final mention - I've proposed a webchat with the Archers editor. @MayIDestroyYou's idea. You'll find it here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/4231475-Webchat-idea-The-Editor-of-The-Archers-Or-another-Archers-production-team-representative

Over to you!

@TheThermalStair. It could be because Chris owns and runs his own business and once you lose custom and a reputation for reliability it's hard to regain that and Neil's is the main breadwinner on a good salary. So, being pragmatic it has fallen to the person whose jobs are seen as of less financial value, plus Susan was the one who volunteered, despite Neil's warnings. In reality they won't be able to continue like this and Chris will have to find professional paid for childcare, although that would be a first in TA.

Emma will be 37 in August, so Susan wasn't that young.

I thought that Susan and Neil were about 4 years younger than they are.

But is anyone else a bit... intrigued that Chris Must Go To Work but of course Susan should take time off/be up in the night anyway despite working two jobs? I presume it's just pure sexism?

I suspect they would have written it this way whatever the circumstances - but, as Pluck says, Chris is self-employed in a relatively highly skilled occupation. He needs to be there (at least often enough to maintain his reputation). Susan may be working two jobs, but, being a valued employee of long standing, she has more job security. And as we've seen, at least one of her employers is prepared to be supportive. Poor Neil has Borchester Land (?) as his employer - so ...

I would say that it was typical of Kristiffur, but it was Susan who insisted.

Susan was born October 1963, Emma August 1984, Christopher June 1988.

Susan went to a hotel in London for a weekend break with Neil, and told him then that she was pregnant. She was married to Neil in February 1984 and Emma was "a month premature" and had to go into the SCBU, so Susan was doing well to have realised she was pregnant so quickly, having missed one period.

Thanks Asking! 20 is pretty young to me, and I think pretty young for the time? Most of my schoolfriends' parents had had them mid 20s onwards at least. One friend's mum had been about 19 and she looked a lot younger!

20 young to have a baby in 1984? The average age for first time mothers was 25.3.

"It's interesting isn't it, we've had coparenting but this could become cograndparenting. "
Yes, thank you, @TheThermalStair - "cograndparenting" was exactly the concept I was looking for but couldn't bring to mind (I'm 65 and slightly demented, you know!).

19 seems very young now.

My money is on Kate trying to muscle in on looking after Martha pretty soon. If auntie Emma can why not auntie Kate? After all she is, as we know, very maternal, at least in her own opinion.

@TheThermalStair

I think she's around my age Captain, mid thirties? I reckon Susan would have been about 20.

I don't think that's incredibly young. A bit young but not incredibly young.

Having listened again I'm still not sure what the noise was. I've never actually heard a brick going through a window in real life but I thought that sounded heavier. No car engine sound though. I will wait for 7.00 pm with bated breath.

CaptainMyCaptain
I don't think that's incredibly young. A bit young but not incredibly young.

Her father Bert Horrobin thought it was far too young and wanted to disown her, so it was just as well Neil had proposed as soon as she said she was pregnant.

how about - took off handbrake and reversed into the shop without starting engine? Could it be on a hill?

No car or bricks involved. It was Susan collapsing and knocking over a tower of vodka bottles.

@TheThermalStair

how about - took off handbrake and reversed into the shop without starting engine? Could it be on a hill?

The shop is on the level ground across the road from the Green, and if there were a slope there it would be towards the river, not towards the shop. The road outside the shop goes towards the bridge over the Am.

If it works, this is its picture
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00w47v9/p00w474d

Or misjudged and bounced off the kerb and ricocheted into the shop.

Just listened again - definitely no vehicle involved. Sounds like a missile of some sort smashing the glass and then bouncing on the floor.

I mentioned the DVLA thing more in relation to Harrison. Surely he'd have been bound to report the incident or tell her she needed to. I wonder if he's going to be unemployed when this all comes out.

Having said that, alcoholic ex DH managed to get banned for two years without anyone pointing it out.

BOOP for Helen's compassion with Susan on Tuesday and for Jim's handling of the situation yesterday.

ThePluckOfTheCoward

In reality they won't be able to continue like this and Chris will have to find professional paid for childcare, although that would be a first in TA

Alice had a nanny for a short time when she was a baby as Jennifer was finding it hard going. I think the nanny got the push as she was too capable and Jennifer was probably jealous.

Anyway, Chris is the parent and Martha needs a secure attachment, not passed around like a parcel. Susan (assuming she's still alive ) will take over in a well meaning but not ultimately helpful way if he lets her.
But after last night ... who knows?

Oh God. The man in John Finnemore's piece right now is exactly me. (Not the 'man' bit.) The hideously embarrassing verbosity. The ridiculousness. Whatever else is coming ...

Sorry, here, if you're not already listening.

I’m amazed to learn that there’s no requirement for any involved professionals (eg a detox clinic!) to report to DVLA if an individual hasn’t. The number of deaths and serious accidents caused by drunk drivers....

Oh! Oh! Oh!