🧱 Archers thread #128: Alice lobs a brick, Emma hurls brickbats, Neil is a brick. Cement your relationship with 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 collect superhero figures, or other unusual things.

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.)

Apologies for not using any of the suggestions offered for this thread's title. I'll paste them in here instead to get us started.

I like the leeway pun here from @ThePawtriarchy: Bacon, Bores and Booze. Elizabeth needs convincing, Helen needs some leeway and Alice is in crisis.

@nettie434 gets to the nub of what's been happening recently: Beechwood, Batman and Booze: Rex's pigs and Helen and Lee have new homes but will Lee's collection of action figures plant the apple of discord in their sylvan idyll? Alice's alcohol problems continue to cause friction between the Aldridges and Carters. Has anyone warned Borsetshire Children's Services what awaits them?

Great one liner from @PseudoBadger - ‘Nobody puts Captain America in the corner’.

And a timely bit of advice from @JanFebAnyMonth: If this evening’s episode has raised any issues for you, please call the BBC Helpline post on this MN thread for details of organisations which might help you.

So, off we go again! We may get back to five episodes a week before the next thread. Here's hoping that it's Friday we get back, not Sunday.

@Madcats

Gaspode and anybody else, unless you are not too busy and have 1/2 an hour to waste with the "Microsoft" security advisor, do you bother answering the phone to a number that isn't in your address book/likely to be the supermarket/takeaway bloke?

We put them straight to voicemail.

Yes. I answer all calls cos you never know, it could be something important. I have no qualms about rudely cutting short a conversation with 'Microsoft', although I do enjoy the occasional 1/2 an hour wasting the time of 'car insurers'. I then block the number.

Nothing to say about tonight? All-female episode, I believe. I rather enjoyed it. Peggy saying 'sorry' was unexpected!

(Just over 20 posts left on the thread, so I'm hoping the new thread can wait for early tomorrow.)

... but never fear, if there's a burst of interest this evening, I'll do it before bed!

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Nothing to say about tonight? All-female episode, I believe. I rather enjoyed it. Peggy saying 'sorry' was unexpected!

(Just over 20 posts left on the thread, so I'm hoping the new thread can wait for early tomorrow.)

The apology was very unexpected- as if Peggy was clearing the way to retire from interfering in her family's lives. As if!

See you on the new thread

I'm so bored with Alish.

"Yes, Alish, you're right- you are a waste of space and Chris and Martha are better off without you"

I'm warning considerably to Joy. La Snell's objection that they couldn't do the scarecrows because they had done something vaguely similar 11 years ago was pathetic.

And Joy and Shula were quite right about lockdown and the pandemic- nobody wants to think about it-far less celebrate it.

Phew, was beginning to think you'd all deserted me, @BlueCowWonders!

I'm warning considerably to Joy. La Snell's objection that they couldn't do the scarecrows because they had done something vaguely similar 11 years ago was pathetic

But how marvellous that Lynda is the new archivist (well of course it must be Lynda who is very definitely always right)

It struck me that June Spencer sounded very unlike Peggy's usual self tonight. Could that be because the scene between Peggy and Alice was one of the worst-written ever? Paricularly Peggy's 'inflatable boy at inflatable school with a drawing-pin' utterance.
('You've let me down, you've let yourself down, you've let the whole school down.')

I was under the impression that June Spencer was reading the script she had been given. Nothing rang particularly true; and Peggy has never been one to hold still for inaccurate accusation.

New thread!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/4289334--Archers-thread-129-Casey-Macy-Lily-Alice-Decent-types-or-full-of-malice-Discuss-The-Archers-here?watched=1

And I forgot to mention how much I enjoyed the all-in-one-location last week.
First time in ages I've waited til the omnibus and it worked so well.

I was quite glad to hear something inducing Alice to take rehab seriously. I don't want to hear that she's gone in the spirit of "I'm only doing this to keep the parents quiet but it won't work and I'll be straight back on the booze as soon as I get back" - if only because it won't move the SL forward and we'd be subject to several more months of her drunkenly abusing people and Jennifer worrying.

I was also quite amused to hear Kate going automatically into her usual mode of "the Mother (definitely with a capital M) must always be right and must always come first in relation to her child no matter how utterly useless she is" - and glad to hear Alice disagreeing with her.