😱 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!

Would Ruth really not have heard about micro-blading? I suppose Pip isn’t really into personal grooming and her other children are boys so it’s plausible. She sounded such a country bumpkin in that episode though…

I didn't know what microblading was. I thought it was eyebrow-related from S&B.

I really like Ruth. Is her accent any more aggravated than others in TA?

The wedding venue thing does seem implausible.

Wouldn't a ram and an ewe have been more apt for a wedding? Not that it was apt in any way.

Yes, her ignorance was ... strange. Last week I was bemoaning the fact that Ruth and David seem to have almost entirely withdrawn from the local community. Her comments yesterday suggested that she’s also withdrawn mentally from the whole of the rest of the world (unless it involves a cow’s udder.) If she had opened just half a dozen newspapers in a year she would know what micro-blading is. But apparently she doesn’t read anything, at all.

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…

That would be awesome, if only for The Wrath of Tracy.

(Though I might have phrased that differently if I’d seen Whopping’s post first! )

Farmer's Guardian never mentions microblading.
I don't think my newspaper mentions it either.

It's very easy to be unaware of microwaving. I doubt the Farmers Weekly has carried many articles on it.

See, even my autocorrect doesn't know about microblading.

Anyway, I googled, and for the rest of you who didn't know, apparently microblading involves miniature pinprick with semi-permanent dye to fill out your eyebrows and make them look fuller.

I saw someone who had no eyebrows but had what looked like ones drawn on with a felt-tipped pen. I thought maybe that was it, but it didn't look good.

Just caught up.

Pre lockdown, when Vince's primary role was to annoyJustin and David, didn't he ask Lillian's advice about buying a pony for his youngest daughter? Was that for Beth? Perhaps she could take a look at Banjo.

There seem to be lots and lots of temporary additions to the main cast. I'll forgive them if there are trying to give actors a "safe" return to radio after months of minimal work, but I'd much rather hear what some of the old characters have been up to (even if they end up being voiced by somebody else).

Beth is Vince's spawn by his first wife, didn't they say? So presumably older than grubby Steph.

I had and have no idea what microblading is; nor do I care all that much. If I am honest, my first thought was to wonder why there would be an Olympic sport happening at an Ambridge wedding, before I realised that must have been a creative mishearing on my part.

Vince's daughter Shelley Casey, for whom he planned to buy a pony, was said to be seven on 20th September, 2019.

I have a strong feeling that Beth said something about Steph playing the elder sister at her, which would suggest she's the younger of the two.

@Faceicle

Who is renting usha's cottage now? Also, and this is apropos of nothing really, but I miss Tom and Natasha. I thought her manic depression was very skillfully illustrated and then pfft. Dropped.

Take heart. I think it took about 7 or 8 years of people commenting that Alice should have an alcoholism storyline before they went full steam ahead. In that respect they can be good at developing issues in real(ish) time.

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…
That would be excellent, providing Chelsea turns out to have more common sense and self-esteem than Lily and turns him down. Which I think she would.

Although I would prefer Lily to dump him without needing such an obvious reason first

Beth referred to the bride as her big sister. I'm guessing Vince has one daughter by each wife?

I didn't know what stealthing was but it was on Woman's Hour.

In that case, Whopping, you have a treat awaiting you - the TV drama series “I May Destroy You”.

It will elaborate the subject far more elegantly than WH ever could.

I don't watch telly. Stopped paying the licence because I didn't want to pay SO'C's wages.

Neither TV nor licence needed! It’s all available to buy from iTunes.

What's iTunes?/

Regarding the sheep. I know of someone who wanted lambs at her wedding which was to be held on a farm - in June when there would be a distinct lack of small, fluffy, cuddly lambs. Covid intervened so it didn't happen anyway.