🌱 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!

#How long before CMR takes a shine to Chelsea

I quite enjoyed that.

Who begins helping someone write an essay by telling them a lot of technical things, like metaphor, that they should use?

How about starting with "What's the title of the essay?" Russ didn't seem to be advising her on the essay anyway. He was teaching her about the spelling of homophones.

@TheSilveryPussycat

I quite enjoyed that.

Who begins helping someone write an essay by telling them a lot of technical things, like metaphor, that they should use?

How about starting with "What's the title of the essay?" Russ didn't seem to be advising her on the essay anyway. He was teaching her about the spelling of homophones.

Maybe he didn't start with that. Presumably that wasn't the whole session, he was helping her with what he saw she had a problem with.

I don't want to hear any more from Chelsea!

Fair enough, Captain. Quite possibly I may be prejudiced against Russ

The scripts are a bit lame but the Chelsea actress is doing incredibly well at sounding just like Tracy. Reminds me of how plausible Susan and Emmur are as mother and daughter too.

the Chelsea actress is doing incredibly well at sounding just like Tracy
As was said above somewhere by a Weevilish poster.
I have no wish to denigrate the actor's ability, but equally 'sounding just like Tracy' isn't in itself an endearing characteristic.

And yes, O'Hanrahan does manage to sound very much like a spawn-of-Susan.

Exactly so, HaveringWavering. The similarity in Chelsea and Tracy’s intonation is pretty astonishing.

A while ago someone mentioned how Lily sounded more and more like Elizabeth - though perhaps more in attitude than delivery?

My favourite family likeness is the Home Farm Daughters. Kate and Alice are entirely convincing as sisters, and on the rare occasion when they were joined by Debbie they all three sounded completely of the same house. (She speaks differently but always sounds as if she knows them really well.)

I quite enjoyed Chelsea, especially, "Russ is - was an actual teacher, and you only sell kitchens, Lily."

Though I'm happy to focus on some other characters for a while.

Wonder if it might prompt Lily to reassess her career decisions …

@23minutesfromTulseHill

the Chelsea actress is doing incredibly well at sounding just like Tracy As was said above somewhere by a Weevilish poster. I have no wish to denigrate the actor's ability, but equally 'sounding just like Tracy' isn't in itself an endearing characteristic.

Sorry, is it now against forum rules to say something that has already been mentioned?!

I enjoyed the sound effects of the ice-cubes in Lilian’s G+T last night. It slightly took the edge off Shula’s moaning…

Yes you have to post without repetition, deviation [unless about parsnips] or appreciation. didn’t you know?

I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop re paedo Russ. Since he has an established pattern of targeting 16-18 year old girls, I am hopeful/fearful that he’ll try it on with Chelsea and be tasered to the face/unequivocally thrown out of LL. Knowing the scripties though they’ve either forgotten how creepy he is, or won’t want him gone until he’s tied in to the family ie by impregnating poor Lil.

I agree she’ll probably be thinking about her career again, although she does seem extremely into selling kitchens. Is she a manager or similar yet?

She's been promoted twice and is a team leader now - she told us last night!

Is selling kitchens over the phone a "thing", or did the SW's come up with an implausible career?

Lily sounded a bit too desperate to convince herself about the kitchen selling while,at the same time, hearing a penny start to drop. Silly girl.

Chelsea summed them both up nicely. And I doubt that Russ would get very far with her, though I don't think it's on the cards.

I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop re paedo Russ. Since he has an established pattern of targeting 16-18 year old girls

No he doesn't. The first we even heard about Russ is when Lily , showing as usual no common sense, took the Gwen John painting to college to show it to him. She was 18 then. I had always assumed Lily had a crush on him and the affair kicked off after that. I don't think there was any suggestion Russ had had any interest in her before that.

I don’t believe 18 year olds get together with their teachers just like that and we all know he’d be telling her how wonderful she was for ages. There’s a reason it’s against the law for teachers to have relationships with their students because it’s assumed grooming is involved. His wife was also very young. NOT my choice of tutor for my 17 year old.

Regarding covid: I'm still amazed that Christine and (lack of being able to visit her earlier in the pandemic at) The Laurels hasn't been mentioned. Lee's services don't seem to have been affected either, despite face to face physio being cut back on.

I would have thought many secondary school teachers will be the subject of crushes from students. It's up to them to discourage it and not act on it. It's part of their job to be the adult and behave appropriately, not to say, "oh you're amazing (with your genuine artwork,) let's go to bed." So even if it did start with Lily being after him, it was his duty to stop it and not take it further.

@EBearhug

I would have thought many secondary school teachers will be the subject of crushes from students. It's up to them to discourage it and not act on it. It's part of their job to be the adult and behave appropriately, not to say, "oh you're amazing (with your genuine artwork,) let's go to bed." So even if it did start with Lily being after him, it was his duty to stop it and not take it further.

Yes it was Russ' duty to stop it but that's not quite the same as saying he is a paedo with known form for going after 16 year olds.

Well I enjoyed tonight's episode (apart from Pip, who is even more annoying if possible)

Another (relatively) entertaining episode! Keri Davies seems to be getting back into his stride. Zipped along nicely - apart from the dull siblings.

I officially love Chelsea.

Are Brookfield potentially setting up a rival re-wilding enterprise, or have I misunderstood?

Yes I too enjoyed that.

Anyone else react as I did to Pip saying Stella thinks she knows it all? i.e pot - kettle? Pip has got older sister syndrome (I recognise it in myself) - looking down on her younger brothers. Eventually this bites you on the bum, when you find to your horror that they actually do know more than you about the topic on hand .

I