🌱 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!

Re cakegate - I think the writers may have been trying to go for a Friday Night Dinner vibe - except the slapstick on that works because FND is a (nuanced) slapstick comedy, wheras on TA it failed miserably, and showed up Josh for the unpleasant person he is (just like his sister).

It also fails because it's on the radio

Imagine Norman Wisdom falling over (shows age.) (You may have to imagine finding him funny.) Or Rick and Ade in Bottom. Are you laughing?

I hope Beth is solid and down to earth enough (like her dad?) to see what is going on and put a stop to it.

For weeks and weeks Farming Today has been going on about the problems with pig slaughtering and pigs getting too big.

Ambridge has a mega piggery owned by BL, Jazzer, Neil, Hannah and Rex looking after pigs as their day jobs. In addition Vince and Beth overseeing auctions and half the region's slaughterhouses. Has there been even a mention of the difficult conditions/labour shortages?

Nope. Instead we have elaborate cake baking wheezes, Vince is AWOL and Justin and Martin are inevitably going to get worked up about a ploughing contract on a farm that we all feel confident won't get sold to free up circa £0.75m (surely there would have been a pre-nup) for a divorce that also might not happen.

On the plus side, I think Beth and Chelsea are welcome additions to the cast. With a high proportion of the actors in their 70's and 80's it is good that somebody is thinking ahead.

I'm struggling a bit with Beth as to me her voice sounds about 12 years old so the relationship with Ben is inappropriate!

I find Beth confusing - she sounds older than Ben and judging by the fallout / period of estrangement she had with her dad over her last boyfriend I thought she was mid-twenties.

I find I can’t put an imaginary face to her voice …

I'm also confused about Stella - can't gauge how old she is

Stella goes ‘way back’ with Justin so I’m imagining she’s in her forties?

@CaptainMyCaptain

I hope Beth is solid and down to earth enough (like her dad?) to see what is going on and put a stop to it.

I got the distinct feeling that she had worked out that Josh was trying to undermine Ben, and didn't much like it.

Too true @Madcats too true.

I got quite excited when Brian mentioned succession.

If the SW go down the route of him being so accepting of selling up I'll be apoplectic.

There is SO MUCH going on in the Ag world right now that I'd love to listen to. Cakegate is not it.

It's going to be a proper shame when Brian and jenny go, they're such good radio actors, probably the best of the current cast.

Where are they going?

Jennifer is an Archer. She’s staying put.

Tonight's episode was beyond ridiculous.

Unless Ruairi really is out of the picture now. That might sever all the heartstrings tying her to Ambridge.

But I can’t imagine the SWs would be keen … They’re the best household, and surely a joy to write for - Brian especially. Filling the gap with Kate and Phoebe would be painful.

I'd assumed that Beth was mid 20's (which made the Ben thing a bit weird).

Stella is probably mid 40's/late 30's at a push.

Justin must be cantering towards his 8th or 9th decade.

I enjoyed tonight. Apparently trivial unsensational stuff with a depth of drama. What I listen to TA for. And I like Jazzer.

Oh, I don’t know, KimikosNightmare - I quite enjoyed the evolution in Jazzer’s relationship status. ‘Step-dad!’ Having to think about something more challenging than how soon till his next pint! And, frankly, after 18 months of know-it-all teen brilliance I’m in full sympathy with Tracy’s frustration.

Too soon to say with Stella, but it sounded as if she’s about to turn traitorous on her old mate.

The utter nonsense about the divorce settlement is making my teeth hurt.

And that's setting aside how incredible it is that Brian is discussing all of it with Stella. It is also beyond belief that the Aldridges/ Archers don't have a solicitor. By that I mean a proper solicitor, distant from the village with specialist Private Client and Matrimonial teams.

@KimikosNightmare

The utter nonsense about the divorce settlement is making my teeth hurt.

And that's setting aside how incredible it is that Brian is discussing all of it with Stella. It is also beyond belief that the Aldridges/ Archers don't have a solicitor. By that I mean a proper solicitor, distant from the village with specialist Private Client and Matrimonial teams.

It will turn out that everyone knows about the proposed sale except Alice and Chris who will then say they have no intention of breaking up the farm anyway.

I think Brian is just panicking, and Stella will calm him down. After the drama of selling the house he’s understandably nervous of major financial burdens on the farm. I think the drama will actually be Adam getting the push from his new job and Brian not having him back at Home Farm because Stella has negotiated a better deal on the contracting work and isn’t tired and moaning all the time.

Last night was better than Sunday. That's not saying much. The cake nonsense was very tiresome.

Nice of Jazzer to put shelves for the Prof. I've forgotten now who broke the Prof's mug. Is this perhaps recompense?

@KimikosNightmare

Tonight's episode was beyond ridiculous.

I didn't think so. A fairly typical disagreement between parent and child about riding bikes, resolved with a sensible compromise. And Stella demonstrating that Justin hasn't got her under his thumb in the way he thinks he has, which seems like good news to me. I was also glad that at last someone pointed out that it's a bit daft making major plans to retire on the basis of an assumption that Chris is going to want a mahoosive settlement when no-one knows if he's going to claim anything.

Stella has been there for 5 minutes and Brian is baring his soul about all sorts of private family matters? Ridiculous.

Brian making that stupid comment about it must have been Susan who told Stella the farm was being sold rather than asking Stella who told her? Ridiculous. Of course asking her would mean he finds out that Justin is an interfering blabbermouth and Stella is in cahoots with him.

Yes, I was very happy with the prosaic nature of last night. I like the fact Jazzer and Tracey do nice boring things like put up shelves and complain about breaking the blades on a jigsaw. That bit was written from experience I would say as the anxiety induced by having only one blade left to break was very real.

I also turned a blind eye (ear) to Stella’s selfish outburst about her new job being in potential jeopardy. Given she has been there less than five minutes, Brian would have been within his rights to tell her to button it as it’s his farm and he can do what he bloody well likes, but he is clearly further along the evolutionary path than he is given credit for and on balance handled it all rather kindly.

It was nice not to have to be worrying about Blake last night too.