🌱 Archers thread #131: A time to plant, a time to reap. 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 also have a few millions lying around you're not sure how to invest, or other unusual things.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please. We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the week night 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.)

Thanks to @Roysnewshirt and @Edmontine for title suggestions, and apologies to anyone I’ve missed or forgotten. In the end, inspired by Edmontine's idea and a brief discussion at the end of the last thread, I remembered that it's autumn now and the Ambridge farmers are presumably sowing barley, winter wheat, potatoes etc, so I found myself recollecting Ecclesiastes 3 (King James version) - my Church of Scotland upbringing has a lot to answer for. This led me back to one of my favourite numbers by The Byrds (written by Pete Seeger):

Roysnewshirt suggested Prayer cards, rehab, a glass of scotch, a bowl of chilli or even a dish of lasagne…we offer a range of solutions here to help you solve any Ambridge problem - large or small etc etc, which is as good a point as any to start this thread. Do we think Neil and Susan are solid again? Will Alice relapse? Will Shula confess all to the Bishop?

Reflecting on last night's offering, Edmontine said I’m musing on Baby steps … - but we need the culmination of Alice’s story this week. We have a new nurse in training, a possibly resigning midwife settling in Ambridge, Xander, Martha, Alice somewhere trying to find her feet sans grog, Shula trying to find her saintly feet sans Neil …B(ill)eth & Ben. Lots and lots of newness. Stir in Three’s blood and jam …

The blood and jam made me laugh. A lot. Just as well, as the storyline that line inspired is pants.

Over to you!

Wednesday, 10.45.

Yes, id forgotten that. Helen is living in philips house, isn’t he? So big build up around the return of rob, then great smugness among the editorial team as they reveal they’d hoodwinked us all, and it’s philip-related

Not often I get something right

@TheSilveryPussycat

Like Gasp0de I put a little cinnamon in moussaka and sometimes in apple crumble. (Can't stand cloves though.)

I also have a recipe for an amazing cinnamon ice cream.

I think I put nutmeg, not cinnamon, in moussaka. Long time since I’ve made it though

The 🔮 and MysticBore™️ are pleased to announce that the 2021 Prize for Prime Prognostication goes to @MereDintofPandiculation.

What was so great about it? Brian/Stella: yeah, possibilities for long-term interest re Home Farm there.
The Blake stuff was risible.

FAO Helen: stab Lee as soon as you like. He's a fuckwit; also, it's important to keep your hand in someone's entrails

I enjoyed hearing Kirsty again, and Blake too, but it wasn't a big surprise

Must agree with you there Three. If Blake hasn't suffered enough, he had to try and make sense of lines which didn't make sense.

I think your proposal for Lee is a bit harsh just yet but, what was he thinking? Not offering a biscuit or two to an obviously starving man who, let's not forget, he had just exercised karate moves on! Yes the custard cream(s) came out eventually. Custard creams?! Surely Helen makes her own lentil cookies.

@FoxgloveSummers

Could it be one of the “horses”?

I’ve not listened to tonight yet but if it was one of the horses can I at least share the podium as I was the first to suggest it? (I think)

@BoreOfWhabylon

The 🔮 and MysticBore™️ are pleased to announce that the 2021 Prize for Prime Prognostication goes to *@MereDintofPandiculation*.

Thanks

But as iloveshula points out, it wasn’t the prediction of the century

The 🔮 and MysticBore™️ are pleased to announce that the 2021 Prize for Prime Prognostication will be shared by @MereDintofPandiculation and @FoxgloveSummers.

Everyone else on the thread who didn't immediately say "It's Rob!" receives an Honourable Mention.

I'll concede. @FoxgloveSummers posted on Monday

@campion

Must agree with you there Three. If Blake hasn't suffered enough, he had to try and make sense of lines which didn't make sense.

I think your proposal for Lee is a bit harsh just yet but, what was he thinking? Not offering a biscuit or two to an obviously starving man who, let's not forget, he had just exercised karate moves on! Yes the custard cream(s) came out eventually. Custard creams?! Surely Helen makes her own lentil cookies.

Does anyone buy custard creams? I've only had them as an accompaniment to coffee at meetings in cheapskate organisations.

I like the odd custard cream. Actually it's becoming a struggle to find a biscuit which is not: chocolate, a cookie or shortbread.

I buy custard creams, because I like them. Also Rich Tea biscuits, which my father used to call "sensory deprivation biscuits".

I wasn't particularly impressed by this evening's writing; the incidents in the episode, though muddled, were ultimately satisfactory (Stella is not the manager Brian wanted, Blake is not Rob), but making sense from the dialogue was a bit of an effort.

Home made custard creams bear no resemblance to the shop bought variety.

Neither Helen nor Lee strike me as likely to be custard cream fans.

Sorry meant to say home made custard creams are lovely and bear no resemblance to shop bought ones.

Happy to share the glory as I’m relieved Blake isn’t dead in a ditch somewhere.

I agree Lee is a knobhead and really shouldn’t be allowed to teach a combat sport with that temper on him. Didn’t Henry start going to that class to teach him to channel his anger?! (May be misremembering)

Kirsty is an utter Wally to tell Blake that Harrison was coming round.

I really feel Lee could at least have made the starving slave he’d just beaten up a sandwich.

I've never had a home made custard cream! How do you make the cream filling?

It's a butter cream filling with a tablespoon of custard powder added.

Custard powder is added to the ingredients for the biscuit dough and some, but not all recipes also add custard powder to the butter cream filling as well.

Thanks

I love custard creams. I also love melting moments made with custard powder.

Meant to say, they sound like melting moments, but they are more shortbready than biscuity.

Custard creams - the saddest biscuit ever (unless you're 4 years old).

@WorriedWishingWell

Custard creams - the saddest biscuit ever (unless you're 4 years old).

Or have morning sickness. Ditto Rich Tea or similar tasteless plain biscuits.

@Chemenger, sorry but never tasted anything as disgusting as Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte...... each to their own seasonal treat.

@CaptainMyCaptain the whole point of Custard Creams, Rich Tea and Dogestives is that you DUNK them !

I'm fine with Rich Tea and digestives - they don't profess to be anything special. But Custard Creams - a name that suggests something special and turns out the be very, very dull.