🐷 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!

He needn't worry about that any more. Wasn't Will's shotgun confiscated For His Own Good (or was he just made to give up the job he loved but kept the shotgun)? The latter strikes me as counterproductive.

Ben's very protective, isn't he?

Ben and Ruairi aren't blood relatives. Not that it affects anything just that they are sort of 2nd cousins but not.

The All in the Mind thing is next week and is on MH in soaps. With 'ardent' TA listeners. It was right at the end.

I remember Will being angry that Mia asked Ruari to help her with maths so expect you are right, Asking. It's true that 18 year old Ruari is less likely than 15 year old Mia to read any hints than if their ages were reversed. I hope we can avoid a Thomas Hardy style liaison!

I vaguely remember the shotgun episode Weevils mentioned. Being a gamekeeper was the only thing Will was good at so it seemed odd to make him give up what must be quite a desirable job in Ambridge - even if the tied cottage and cash bonuses after a shoot are all a bit forelock tugging. Anyway, Will has been very quiet recently so perhaps it worked!

[Adam] has become a grumpy old man. We don't even get the lighter scenes with Ian to balance things out now

I’m so grateful that we don’t get to see the lighter side of Adam and Ian’s relationship any longer. Don’t tell me you have forgotten the excruciating scenes we had to endure in the run-up to Xander’s birth as the prospective parents went skinny-dipping and clubbing?!?

On another note, I enjoyed Brian’s observations re slaw/coleslaw...also, I would think exchanging Brie for pulled pork might have a price implication. Good pulled pork takes a lot of time and energy to cook.

Isn’t the christening tonight?

Believe so.

Who is going to be the one to spill the beans about Alish?

Place your bets...

Alice, she'll be drunk.

Or maybe Fallon will reply to another comment by Brian. I'm predicting a 'chip off the old block' comment re the drunken pass at Sgt Strippagram and JD clutching her pearls.

I'm in Gibberland today

I thought 'slaw' was coleslaw without half a kilo of mayo?

Brie can be eaten by anyone apart from vegans whereas pulled pork can only be eaten by omnivores. Will Kate have a fit about nothing to eat?

Brie is vile though.

Brie is only vile if it isn't ripe enough, if it's gradually flowing off the plate it's delicious.

Whereas pulled pork all too often tastes of really nothing much at all.

Good pulled pork and good brie are both immense in their own right.

I've just had a thought. Why isn't "Uncle Ian" doing the catering for his nieces Christening? It's not as if Grey Gables can have(m)any guests.

The mention of substituting brie with "pulled pork" has to have been there to annoy Kate.

Kate wouldn't eat brie either, would she? Isn't she vegan?

Why isn't "Uncle Ian" doing the catering for his nieces Christening?

Mainly because Alish didn't lunge at Adam's truncheon, I imagine.

Ewww, sozzers

Alice made her lunge at Harrison on 15th April, and Fallon had been asked to do the catering by 12th, on which day Susan was somewhat affronted at being told that was what was happening. (And that she was being a bit frozen out, really, what with Adam providing the christening gown and Emma not going to be asked to be a godparent.)

I meant 'for purposes of Plot', aka 'where's the fun in that?' and did not intend to imply any causal or temporal relationship within Plot. I believe in another time and place this would have been expressed as 'for the mellow drama'.

Shut up, Pip. Drink up, Alice. Go Emmur.

Oh wow. So everyrhing’s now out, for everyone to have heard! I would have welcomed a half sob, half scream from JD at one of the revelations!

@Madcats

I've just had a thought. Why isn't "Uncle Ian" doing the catering for his nieces Christening? It's not as if Grey Gables can have(m)any guests.

The mention of substituting brie with "pulled pork" has to have been there to annoy Kate.

Good point. And why hasn't Adam whined at this slight at Ian

I thought I was the only one listening. PS if you peek into tthe tearoom I'm the one shoving Martha's muffins and baby biscuits into my pockets.