😱 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!

Interesting article LizziesTwin. The episodes have been mentioning parish and district councils rather a lot.

I'm looking forward to Sunday evening!

Enjoyed Brian snorting when JD left her message for Alice. The mood changed very quickly though from ‘where has that girl gone for her next party’ to ‘OMG let’s report her missing’. I think it moved a bit too fast actually but I suppose we only have 13 mins.

Who could have made the malicious scarecrow Alice though? Not the sort of thing nasty Kyle would do and Alice hasn’t really offended anyone who is unrelated to her. A slightly baffling twist…

On Alice. It is definitely a scarecrow? Not actually her. That would be a bit odd though. People can be horrible. I don't think it's beyond possibility. Hmmm

Alice hasn’t really offended anyone who is unrelated to her

We don’t know this. She’s been hanging out at The Bull and asked to leave. She threw a brick through the shop window. Who knows what else.

I thought it was a bit of a shame when, in that article aboutJackie Weaver, it says "Her three grown-up kids, however, are unmoved. “I guess, you have to do something more than I’ve done already to impress your children.”" If she were my mum, I'd be dead impressed.

@Terhou

I thought it was a bit of a shame when, in that article aboutJackie Weaver, it says "Her three grown-up kids, however, are unmoved. “I guess, you have to do something more than I’ve done already to impress your children.”" If she were my mum, I'd be dead impressed.

We only have Weaver's version of what her DC said; I think that she is deliberately downplaying things. Later in the article Weaver says "“I don’t know why or when it became unacceptable to be ordinary,” she says. “If we all want to be pop stars, we have a problem because someone has to keep the lights on. But if we keep telling people ‘You’ve got to be special,’ surely we’re making them spend a large part of their life feeling ‘I’m failing’? In the big world, you and me are ordinary and that is absolutely fine.” After all, what Jackie did (her day job) was ordinary ... just done in an extraordinarily assertive, knowledgeable, authoritative and calm way.

I'm slightly disappointed; I was hoping that our scarecrow expert might be Mackenzie Crook.

Somebody asked Joshua Rozenberg, the legal journalist, if he was the mystery celeb and he tweeted back

"I can neither confirm nor deny"

Somebody asked Joshua Rozenberg, the legal journalist, if he was the mystery celeb and he tweeted back

Can I just say that I don’t really consider the people named on this thread as possible celebrities as celebrities. They might be prominent in their field and their names are recognisable to Radio Four listeners but they are really not celebrities.

Joshua Rozenberg WISHES.

Who are the "slebs" they've had on the Archers before, in recent times?

With regards to the Alice scarecrow, I've never imagined her to have particularly distinctive hair before but now I'm wondering.

I'd always seen her with a long bob and highlights (a 21st century Rachel if you will) but maybe she has auburn pre Raphaelite curls?

Place marking until I have caught up on Sounds.

I suspect that if I recognised Fallon's and Harrison's scarecrows, I'd associate them more with Strictly than the film. Happy memories

Well yes, we are using the term celebrity loosely. I mean it included Lynda herself until a few days ago!

Pet Shop Boys (absurd!!!)
Camilla (sorry cannot do royal titles as I never get who is who)

They are proper names I think. There have been others.

On Jackie Weaver, I have moved in those circles. It's not extraordinary at all. She was doing her job and that sort of nonsense happens far too often. Honestly. I actually don't really know what the fuss was about- but I may have been jaded by 32 (eek) years of public service.

Asking will have chapter and verse on celebs, if she's around at the moment. Off the top of my head, I can only bring to mind the Pet Shop Boys, Alan Titchmarsh and Princess Margaret (decades ago, in her case). There have been lots more over the years. I think Terry Wogan might have done a guest appearance once. I know John Peel did, probably in the 80s.

Some extremely famous actors have been brought in for cameo parts here and there. Judi Dench played Prue Forrest in one episode, after decades of Prue being a silent character. Various famous people were on the jury deliberating at the end of Helen's trial (oddly, including Graham Seed, i.e. Nigel Pargetter, many years after he fell off the LL roof).

Remembered a couple more. Anneka Rice. Griff Rhys Jones.

Bradley Wiggins!

Of course!

Wikipedia adds some more.

Robert Winston
Chris Moyles
Zandra Rhodes
Mike Gatting
Colin Dexter
Kirstie Allsopp
Humphrey Lyttelton
Anthony Gormley
Dame Edna Everage

Anita Dobson - wasted as Paul’s ex-wife.

Long long ago a then famous rider came and evaluated Shula to see if she could persue a career in competitive riding. Of course the answer was no. We were never going to see Shula at major show jumping events, how could we

Didn't a more recent one get into a barney during their visit?

That was Sir Bradley when Ian punched Rob Titchenor!

@FoxgloveSummers

Joshua Rozenberg WISHES.

This is an excellent response by the way 😁

There was the food programme presenter who interviewed Helen about cheese.
Re the scarecrow my guess Is Alice did it.

I’m pleased we’ve been shown a point to the ridiculous scarecrow competition.

we’ve been shown a point to the ridiculous scarecrow competition

We have? Oh.

'Brian, Jenny, try to look at it this way: you haven't lost a daughter so much as gained a tattiebogle...'