🌱 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!

It's probably safer for all if Helen doesn't have actual custard in the house though, innit?

I know two martial arts teachers and both are calm. One is so laid back I can't imagine him having a temper at all

Hellin would have the ingredients to make proper home-made custard.

@ILoveShula

I know two martial arts teachers and both are calm. One is so laid back I can't imagine him having a temper at all

I did karate in my 20s, (mid 1970s)I had a little 'licence ' stamped with my grades. At the front was a sort of vow never to use my skills in anger and only in self-defence.

@ILoveShula

Hellin would have the ingredients to make proper home-made custard.

She would: eggs, cream and sugar or honey. That's what I use (plus flavouring) to make ice-cream: you start by making custard, then freeze it while bothering it about all the time.

But as we know, Helen makes shop-bought muck for custard if left to herself.

R4! Even in the most awful storylines I’ve never even considered not listening !
Been listening since 1971. Feel I may now start to listen to the omnibus as single episodes through sounds just don’t seem to have much in them anymore.

Omg folks I’ve just realised that last week would have been my 50 anniversary somehow. Plus some episodes whilst a toddler in mid 60s. Wish my lovely old Ma was alive to tell me exactly how soon after arriving in this country she started the addiction. Bloody hell. Still miss Dan and Doris and Mrs A and the Gabriels and on and on.

None of that dreadful packet stuff.

Perfect pudding after a tuna bake.

@HeronLanyon

Omg folks I’ve just realised that last week would have been my 50 anniversary somehow. Plus some episodes whilst a toddler in mid 60s. Wish my lovely old Ma was alive to tell me exactly how soon after arriving in this country she started the addiction. Bloody hell. Still miss Dan and Doris and Mrs A and the Gabriels and on and on.

That's lovely, @HeronLanyon! I'm about 10 years behind you, so just a newbie, really.

I think I started actively listening around the time of the death of either Dan or Doris (not sure which). Nelson Gabriel was my favourite character. Only Brian has a rival claim.

I like Bird's custard. It's what I grew up with. I also like Ambrosia ready made custard in a carton. I don't often have custard so making it the purists' way with just eggs, sugar, vanilla and cream seems like quite a faff to me. On the odd occasion I've had a crack at it I've followed Delia Smith's advice as ever and added a little cornflour, and frankly once you've done that you might as well use Bird's custard powder.

I usually listen with my headphones while walking the dog but I always regret it when there's talking with your mouth full scenes like Blake and his biscuits not envy.

@MollyButton

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

What biscuits are there which aren’t chocolate, a cookie or shortbread? Apart from custard creams, I can remember only rich tea (what was rich about them?), Nice, those tongue shaped ones, and digestives. And, of course, jammy dodgers, which are becoming available again. Oh, and those nasty pink wafers, and Lincoln biscuits with pimples all over them like the paving slabs they use for pavements. And squashed fly biscuits. What else was there?

Fig rolls. Hobnobs. Those slightly spicy cream sandwich biscuits - Golden Crunch? Ginger nuts. Iced gems.

@WorriedWishingWell

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

Really nice to nibble the spare biscuit from round the edge, try and knock the top off and eat that, and end up with a decent ratio of cream to biscuit.

Or have morning sickness. Ditto Rich Tea or similar tasteless plain biscuits. When I had morning sickness, my go-to was brussels sprouts with cheese sauce.

@ILoveShula

. Didn't want to advertise the addictive and fattening products. I demolished a whole pack in one sitting once. M&S is worth advertising. Waitrose biscuits tend to be good too.

Morrisons are good too, and they produce mini versions which means you can eat 4 without feeling too bad about it. And their chocolate covered ginger biscuits have a slight stickiness about them which lifts them above the branded alternative - Borders?

Still lost as to vulpine biscuits. The obvious animal - is that a biscuit maker?

Bloody hell.

I've been away from the Archers (and here) for about 3 weeks and at last it seems to have got interesting again and there are over 2 pages of posts on biscuits and custard.

WTAF?

Yes, there is a biscuit manufacturer called Fox's.

@Tulipomania, apols. Haven't heard tonight's episode yet, so can say nothing about it. I note no one else has either. Have you heard it?

@Madcats

Don't go, R4.

Listening to and then complaining about the Archers is a useful anger management tool. Lee Bryce take note (it's a tad unusual for martial arts teachers to want to beat people up, isn't it?)!

My martial arts teacher confided to us that a guy had tried to pick a fight with him in an Indian restaurant, and the next thing he knew, he saw the guy hitting the wall at the other side of the room and sliding into a crumpled heap. He’s been ultra careful since.

Meanwhile, one of the students, a first Dan, had someone attempt to mug him in the city centre, and he was so well trained that he pulled his punch

Yes, I miss Nelson. And Laura Archer.

I too like Birds. I’d never dream of making real custard with cream, I don’t usually have it in the house.

Fig rolls. Hobnobs. Those slightly spicy cream sandwich biscuits - Golden Crunch? Ginger nuts. Iced gems. I said fig rolls! Hobnobs are close to cookies and new-fangled things. Iced gems - now there’s something completely pointless, less taste than a rich tea.

I came on here to find what you all thought about tonight’s episode. That was an improbably incident ridden car journey, was it not?

Im getting irritated with the formula - “serious” story interlaced with comedy. I’m sure episodes weren’t originally limited to two stories, were they? And there wasn’t as much slapstick either, comedy was more like real life, humorous things happening in the middle of serious stuff, not the fabricated comedy stories.

I came on here to find what you all thought about tonight’s episode. That was an improbably incident ridden car journey, was it not?

Sounds like someone got squished. My money's on poor hapless Blake. Might just have been a glancing blow though.

Abbey Crunch.
Gypsy Creams.

Hobnobs are like horse feed with added fat and sugar. Most biscuits are quite horrid.

Tunnock teacake anyone? I could go one of them right now.

Party rings. Spectaculus.

I do hope that the btb take advantage of this to rub in the likelihood that if Tracy had hit him when she was doing forty she would have killed him, but since it was Chelsea doing twenty-five he has survived. Because that is the way to bet, and that is the reason for the 30mph speed-limit in built-up areas.

@ILoveShula

Hobnobs are like horse feed with added fat and sugar. Most biscuits are quite horrid.

Tunnock teacake anyone? I could go one of them right now.

Tunnock's tea cakes are sublime- as are Tunnock's snowballs. I make home made versions of both, which, even if I say so myself, are even better (if you like that sort of thing of course)

Are Langue de Chat biscuits as rough as DCat's tongue?
Wouldn't eat them anyway as I am not a meat eater.

Sounds like someone got squished. My money's on poor hapless Blake. Might just have been a glancing blow though. Oh no, that would be too unkind. And a cowardly way for the editor to get out the mess he's created.