🌱 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!

@FlosCampi, slithering newts.

Are people still eating courghetti (sp?)?

Mock banana does indeed sound bleurgh, but as bananas were unavailable in the UK during the war many youngsters would have had nothing to compare it with.

(There's a dreadful story about Evelyn Waugh which we may well have trotted out here before. This man has gone to town on it, diagrams and all. www.evelynwaugh.org.uk/styled-48/index.html )

I love Evelyn Waugh's books but I am quite certain I would have loathed him in person, and I'm positive he would have hated The Archers, which hit the airwaves some 15 years before he died. I wonder if he ever mentioned it.

Bananas! Odious man. I'm tempted to bin my copy of Vile Bodies,

Oh dear, it rather looks as if Blake is being primed to take the place of HWMNBN. Wasn’t Pseudo’s original objection to the unmentionable one that his delivery and accent were too annoying for words?

Mock banana does indeed sound bleurgh, but as bananas were unavailable in the UK during the war many youngsters would have had nothing to compare it with.

Some of the 'mock' recipes in wartime looked horrible, and I wonder why they bothered to pretend and didn't just have something that actually was available. I have managed to live for decades without a banana split and would have preferred the roast parsnip. I have seen a recipe for mock fried eggs which involved half a tinned apricot for the yolk and mashed potato for the white - it wouldn't have fooled anyone but mashed potato and apricot separately would have been fine. I think they were most likely recipe suggestions that nobody really bothered with.

He can stay if he becomes an elective mute. I can't say fairer than that.

I should imagine that Blake will a) move in with Jim and b) singlehandedly solve the post-Brexit labour shortage in Ambridge by picking fruit and other farm labouring.

I can’t believe we are back on parsnip lasagna! The very thought makes me feel sick…

Was last night meant to prove anything else other than the fact Jazza’s Personality Transplant is now complete? He has gone from being a boorish, borderline-alcoholic ladies man to pillar of the community and a lovely boyfriend. The way he offered a choice of sauces to Blake demonstrated an unparalleled level of thoughtfulness and kindness. A rare triumph for the Personality Fairty! Not quite my ideal Ambridge man as he failed the ‘putting up shelves’ test but he’s suddenly significantly moved up the league table.

But (in my mind, at least) he’s always been kind and empathetic. Immediately so with underdogs, eventually - after painful cogitation - with people higher up the tree than himself. Sometimes recklessly generous, (at least in declaration) and loyal.

The choice of sauces seemed wholly in character, to me!

And he’ll look after Blake from now on …

Jazzer was not being very kind nor empathetic when he was dealing drugs (and providing them for the addicted Ed), and stealing from households, and taking and driving away cars. Nor when he was arranging to have Greg Turner beaten up and hospitalised.

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime

Jazzer was not being very kind nor empathetic when he was dealing drugs (and providing them for the addicted Ed), and stealing from households, and taking and driving away cars. Nor when he was arranging to have Greg Turner beaten up and hospitalised.

But Ed is not the same person he was then either. It is possible for people to change and learn from their mistakes.

Yes, but I happen to remember that he has not always been kind and empathetic, and I was replying to someone who said that in her mind he always had been.

Yes … I would never claim he had the most effective thinking skills - and he has often been involved in very bad things. But underneath all the drama I retain the impression of him as someone who, one to one, sympathises with a person he sees in trouble or difficulty, because he has experienced those things himself.

So is Blake going to be the new Darrell (except he'll be living in Jim's house)? He was a carpenter before he went off the rails, wasn't he?

I don't remember Jazzer displaying much in the way of empathy until the Jim childhood abuse storyline but I'd be happy enough for him to move in with the Horrobins (Tracey and Chelsea are believable characters and can act!).

HWMNBN's unique characteristic was being helpless, accepting help from others, whinging on for ages about how dreadful he felt about that, and then fouling up again and needing yet more help. His misfortunes were very much of his own making.

I don't think we can, on the basis of current evidence, accuse Bleak of being in that category. How misfortunes come from a dreadful background, having learning difficulties and being exploited by Phil and whoever he was 'sold' to. If Jazzer and Jim can get him organised into being self-sufficient and developing his confidence in himself, he could be quite a tolerable character.

If Beth and Chelsea are the future of Ambridge I'm quietly optimistic.

If Beth and Chelsea are the future of Ambridge I'm quietly optimistic

Oh God, really? I really don’t care what happens to Brookfield’s youngest. I wish him a glittering career on the wards so long as I don’t have to hear anything about it. The most interesting thing about Ben is his best friend/cousin Ruarhi…

@Roysnewshirt
I mentioned Beth, not Ben. I like Beth and Chelsea because they're not the over-entitled, under-achieving characters that Phoebe, Alice, Kate, Lily etc are. They're capable of forging their own paths (which means that if they have any sense they'll leave Borsetshire asap).
I'm still cross with Phoebe for using her PPE to run a campsite.
Although it's the scriptwriters I'm really annoyed with.

Essentially you’d prefer ‘The Not-Archers’, WorriedWishingWell?

I think I could cope with not having to listen to David ever again (he could be busy on his tractor or rearranging his toy farm in a silent role).

I can't help thinking that Ambridge is gong to be a bit dull once the older cast member retire.

I remember wondering how on earth TA would survive without Dan and Doris …

Tbf I take my hat off to the creative team in terms of future-building. They’ve put a lot of work into muddling things nicely for decades to come. Think of the characters waiting in the wings:

Noluthando
Sipho
George
Keira
Brad
Poppy
Mungo

Not to speak of the trauma heritage of

Henry
Jack
Martha

And the complicated inheritances of

Rosie
Xander

All that even before the Pargetter heir finds his feet in the dating pool …

It’s positively gorgeous!

I think the Button girls could take a bigger role, too.

@JanglyBeads

I’m quite confused about Stella/Justine/Brine. And when did she tell Brine about knowing J, have I missed an episode?

I don't think she did?

@EdmontinaDonsAutumnalHues

Essentially you’d prefer ‘The Not-Archers’, WorriedWishingWell?

It would seem so, yes

@EBearhug

I think the Button girls could take a bigger role, too.

The Button girls are my favourite characters