🏘️ Archers thread #129: Casey, Macy, Lily, Alice – Decent types or full of malice? Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads, which has now passed 125,000 posts! (See below for further details.)

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 lust after Russ, 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.)

For the thread title I was very tempted to go with @R4's title suggestion of Come follow the exploits of Brine, Lily, Elizabeth, Usha, Ruari, George and Helen. Know collectively as bleurgh. because on the last thread @DadDadDad, our invaluable statistician, identified a post from @ILoveShula as the 125,000th. Many of us felt it was fitting that the post simply said Bleurgh!.

However, feeling that was a bit niche for the casual listener, I adapted @MayIDestroyYou's title suggestion in the end. Thanks, MIDY!

Back to Ambridge this week, after our enjoyable sojourn at Lower Loxley last week! Will we go with Alice to rehab? (Hope not.) Will the petulant Adam make good his threat to leave Home Farm? (Hope so.) What will Jennifer say? (Lots, I hope, and preferably to Brian.) Will the fete be a triumph? (Of course it will.) Will we ever return to Brookfield, or have they all fallen unnoticed into the slurry pit? (Let's hope Pip did, anyway.) WHERE IS PAT? (Can't answer this one.)

Over to you!

So we've just had a crap week of the Archers. It's like we're in an unhealthy relationship- a brilliant two weeks' worth of story lines then the disappointment of the limo/ stag night and dodgy accents

Joy has definitely taken on Pat’s role in Helen’s life.

You would think Helen and Lee live at the opposite end of the country to her parents rather and while Ian and Adam are regular visitors, there’s no sign of Tom and Natasha. Luckily we saw Tony in the barn with his toy train set a few months ago so that was some form of proof of life - otherwise it would seem Helen was fast turning into an orphan.

It's true. Might have been more honest to hold a funeral for poor Pat. At least then characters might be allowed find recollections of her. At the moment she's never even mentioned.

Fond, ffs!

@Roysnewshirt

Joy has definitely taken on Pat’s role in Helen’s life.

You would think Helen and Lee live at the opposite end of the country to her parents rather and while Ian and Adam are regular visitors, there’s no sign of Tom and Natasha. Luckily we saw Tony in the barn with his toy train set a few months ago so that was some form of proof of life - otherwise it would seem Helen was fast turning into an orphan.

Except in repeats last year, we last heard Pat on Christmas Day 2019. I hope Patricia Gallimore hasn't been ill.

What's happened to Johnny too?

Johnny was last heard on air in February this year, disliking Jade and arguing Tracy's cause with Jazzer.

Am I the only one slightly worried that a mild-mannered Karate teacher flies into such a rage that he wants to nip along the road to thump a neighbour?

I'm rather concerned that David was both nice to his son AND in a good mood. There must be a Brookfield disaster on the way.

No

Yes

Am I the only one slightly worried that a mild-mannered Karate teacher flies into such a rage that he wants to nip along the road to thump a neighbour?

I was a bit surprised, but it seemed in character (like his reaction to the action figures) that he'd think about it quite quickly and change his mind before he got there. Some of that should be down to learning through martial arts to manage his temper. Still a work in progress, though.

I still Do Not Believe in Joy. At All. Me neither. She's like a reincarnation of a latter-day Heatherpet - far too much of a caricature. I can see that she has a function in terms of advancing or provoking certain plot lines, but it always feels rather forced. I still don't fully understand why she moved to Beechwood - far more understandable if she'd moved out of Birmingham for the country life, or out of an old house in a neighbouring village for something a bit more modern in her later years. Lynda Snell's move from Sunningdale from Ambridge Hall was believable - even if Lynda herself took a bit of getting used to.

Lynda did take a bit of getting used to. It took me decades.
She is fairly consistent though and I love her mispronunciations.

Joy was too full-on at the beginning.

I never believed that Robert and Lynda lived in Sunningdale.

Re Helen seeing more of Adam and Ian than Tom and Natasha, does Helen actually like Natasha?

Re Helen seeing more of Adam and Ian than Tom and Natasha, does Helen actually like Natasha?

Hmmm…good point! I doubt it. Though that shouldn’t stop her from seeing Tom on a regular basis. I’ve managed not to see my sister-in-law for a couple of years now though I regularly see my brother. It’s one of the silver linings of lockdown…and she is probably as grateful as I am!

When Joy realised that Kyle had got himself added back into the WhatsApp group, is there any reason whatsoever why she couldn't just have removed him again and alerted her fellow admins?

Or even better, @Terhou, had an actual conversation with the other admins to give her reason for removing him, and then got their agreement. And then informed Kyle the reason for his suspension / ban (whatever they decide), rather than some playground tit-for-tat.

An actual conversation @DadDadDad !!! When they all live so far apart? Sounds unlikely.

Look!

Carole Boyd (Lynda Snell) is on Private Passions, Radio 3, at midday today!

I'll be listening*. It's old news to many but I learned today that Lynda Snell did the voices of all of the female characters on Postman Pat.

• to Radio 3, I'm still sworn off The Archers

@Taswama - I wasn’t even setting the bar that high: the conversation could be via WhatsApp just between the admins.

Any thoughts on Roy and his mystery date? Obviously, the points Phoebe makes and the non-appearance of the date suggest all is not as it seems, but I’m not sure where this story is going...

Ah, nauticant ... This is old news too, but I still laugh at "cross-platform Roy". (Which you've probably forgotten, yourself.)

I don't remember why you gave up on TA, though ...

Sadly I was washed away in the flood Edmontine. For me it was the final straw in the Eastenders-ification of what I had enjoyed as a programme focused on real and deep characters. Swapping that for becoming events-driven was too much of a step down for me.

Carole Boyd is giving good value on Radio 3. The best anecdote so far is that Lynda Snell's arrival in The Archers polarised opinion with hate mail coming from Sunningdale and fan mail coming from people in prison.

Thanks for the tip off about Private Passions! Listening now on delay. Carole Boyd is marvellous.

[quote DadDadDad]@Taswama - I wasn’t even setting the bar that high: the conversation could be via WhatsApp just between the admins.

Any thoughts on Roy and his mystery date? Obviously, the points Phoebe makes and the non-appearance of the date suggest all is not as it seems, but I’m not sure where this story is going...[/quote]
It did sound a bit like a PSA on online dating… I’m not sure either, could go either way.

It’s nice to see you back, DadDadDad. I’ve always liked your contributions (I lurked for a very long time…)