😱 Archers thread #130: The Fall of the House of Aldridge. 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 look forward to Shula's first sermon, 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.)

I went for the obvious thread title this time. Poor Ruairi! We've had a good go on the last thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/a4289334--Archers-thread-129-Casey-Macy-Lily-Alice-Decent-types-or-full-of-malice-Discuss-The-Archers-here?msgid=109858475#109858475 at trying to work out where he's going and what he might be studying, as the SWs have not seen fit to tell us.

Whither now for Alice? Will Jennifer talk to Peggy soon? Good hint from Lilian the other day that at Peggy's age it's not wise to leave feuds bubbling on.

It's been a long time since we last heard from a certain Archer whose name I am not going to mention in case it acts as a summoning charm. Long may she remain unheard in the dairy or out in the fields, or better still somewhere near a sinkhole. That was a storyline that looked promising years ago and wasn't exploited as it could have been. Pah.

Over to you!

Yes and no. They are still renting the smaller part of Willow Farm House, known as Willow Cottage, but it's not exactly in the village; it's more beyond-the-area-with-street-lights, up an unmade road off a B-road on the way towards Home Farm.

The rental agreement ran out six months after Christmas 2018 and was renewed for a further six months. Since then the fact that they are renting has never been mentioned. I suspect the editorial team hope we will forget about that just as they hoped we would have forgotten that Will's cottage of the many names, most recently Greenwood Cottage, belongs to Home Farm not Berrow Farm, and Martyn Gibson had no possible right in law to evict Will from a dwelling which belonged to someone other than the company of which Martyn Gibson is an officer.

@Edmontine

Ah ...

Now that the omnibus once again starts with the (usually) gentle Sunday episode, I feel the need, once again, for a brief introductory Tom Forrest monologue. I nominated Tracy to take over the role last time I mentioned this; the BBC stubbornly refuses to take my advice ...

Please not. The Tom Forrest intro always to made it hard to suspend my disbelief.

*always made it hard to

Was the opposite for me - his breaking the fourth wall always made Ambridge seem real, and in the world.

But I’m a Henry James fan, so perhaps overly fond of an external voice commenting on the action.

Fifty thousand hand-sewn crystals and she can still walk. I think Steph may be an all-in wrestler.

Actually that's probably only about ten kilograms, but the fabric would need to be hessian-weight not to rip to pieces, I feel.

That was all very gentle and mostly inoffensive.

Though I struggled to believe Ruth and David were being their own waiting staff. A couple of catering students (or, say, Phoebe and Johnny) would have cost almost nothing.

Wonder if they served Scruff Gin and Natasha’s fruit juices. As well as LL wine.

Anyway, Elizabeth caught the bouquet, so ...

Totally uneventful…a surprising twist! I thought the SWs would have found a last-minute hiccough irresistible…

Maybe Debbie is coming back to run Home Farm ?

Why would any bride want sheep to greet her as she arrives at the reception, let alone a bride in a Crystal-embellished gown?! So implausible! As is the new “Elizabeth who can fix any relationship just by having a bit of a giggle and being surprisingly down-to-earth despite her faux poshness”. Harrumph.

As well as LL wine
LL wine? We were treated to Ruth's pronunciation of 'shampaaaaayun' more than once (nd that was thrice too often).
All sounds highly unprofessional, with the gormless Dopeys doin' the wai'ing and discarded sheep all over the shop. And weren't the 'common' names of all the aunties an absolute hoot? Clue: no.

Who is Beth going to get together with?

Not sure how old Beth is supposed to be - depending on her age here are her "options"

Freddie
Josh
Johnny
William
Roy
Alistair

Ben.
Jamie.
Dan.

@Darker

Ben. Jamie. Dan.

I thought Ben was out with his girlfriend and I ruled out Dan and Jamie as the scriptwriters seem to have banished them

Have we met Ben’s girlfriend?

I suspect Beth will bring chaos.

What about…. Call Me Russ?

Bloody sheep at the reception! Cosplaying sheep? Has The Archers sunk to this? Oh yes, yes it has.

Isn't Beth a bit old for CMR? My money's on Chelsea.

Isn't Beth a bit old for CMR? My money's on Chelsea

Do we dare to hope that CMR’s downfall will come as a result of him starting to hit on/groom Chelsea. It would be such a brilliant SL. He would first feel the wrath of Trazza and then be thrown out of LL by Lily and Lizzie. So fabulous…

Incidentally, who the hell does Lizzie think she is? So patronising to those she considers her social inferiors and keen to demonstrate at any opportunity how she has the common touch. Utterly infuriating!

CMR seemed a lot more interested in dining at chez Tracey after hearing that there was a 16 year old DD there.

First time I listened I thought Steph wanted two youths to meet her at the reception.

Beth and Freddy - it happens...apparently

I am not being snobby by the way - my brother married his girlfriend's mum. They were all ok with it. She was quite nice.

No, no, not Chelsea. Russ us so wonderfully awful I want him to hook up with Pip. She deserves him. I definitely don't want him to leave the show. I want him to become an Archer by marriage!

Other than Ruth’s accent, which seems to get more exaggerated with time, that was a nice episode. A gentle interlude for a Sunday evening, or in my case a Monday morning.
As to Ruth, everyone I know who loses their native accent at least a bit when they live somewhere else for years. I know I have. Why hasn’t hers faded?