🌱 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 was certainly a hard listen in the sense of anyone being inclined to concentrate on it. Tedium interspersed with propaganda, and the Victim not speaking in a consistent register (vocab + understanding) because plot/propaganda needs...

This SW really isn't terribly good. Neither is the Blake storyline, imo.

There I was, having fun speculating how Adam actor was going to cope if he no longer had a reason to sound permanently exhausted. And now he has an excuse to sound moe knackered than ever if he's going to spend his days lifting potatoes.

I'm now seeing Adam's decamping to wherever as a plot device to get Stella in and complicate matters.

I've never bought Brine's umbrage about Adam's borrowing, considering the shit he himself has pulled over the years. And he's had to the cheek to say there;'s no-one in family to succeed to the farm. Almost as if Adam's not a real son.

Blake's meltdown will I hope, mean he says who exactly beat him, other than the boys; they came in later.

@2Two

There I was, having fun speculating how Adam actor was going to cope if he no longer had a reason to sound permanently exhausted. And now he has an excuse to sound moe knackered than ever if he's going to spend his days lifting potatoes.

Absolutely my first thought too!! How will this play out I wonder. I quite like the addition of Stella

Oh weevils I’ve just spotted your transformation

Berrow Farm seemingly exempt from the problems suffered by pig farmers everywhere. There was a time when The Archers was there to educate the public about agricultural matters (indeed it’s where much of my agricultural knowledge comes from).

Actually they did an insert last night where jazzer talked about too many weaners (??)

Almost as if Adam's not a real son
Well he isn't, is he? And it's very odd that Brian tolerated his sulking and strops for as long as he did - although after Ruairi, JD had Brian over a barrel.

Wotcher, Foxglove.

Blake is so badly written! Someone upthread mentioned his shift in register, maybe that's what I mean. One episode he can barely articulate if he wants ketchup or not, last night he could coherently narrate and reflect on his recent treatment in an extended soliloquy!

I like Stella's voice. She's probably won over the board already. Adam is so petulant and needy that I assume he was only tolerated as long as he was because he was Brian's stepson. I could see Adam spending the rest of his life lifting potatoes and carrots and picking apples and lettuces. He knows all about polytunnels, after all.

The Justin/Lilian/Shula story is annoying me intensely. Make it stop.

Mmm … Didn’t Adam comment on how nice it was to be able to spend more time with Xander? I can quite see him becoming a happy SAHD - if the SWs could only sort out the household’s finances.

@echt

I'm now seeing Adam's decamping to wherever as a plot device to get Stella in and complicate matters.

I've never bought Brine's umbrage about Adam's borrowing, considering the shit he himself has pulled over the years. And he's had to the cheek to say there;'s no-one in family to succeed to the farm. Almost as if Adam's not a real son.

Blake's meltdown will I hope, mean he says who exactly beat him, other than the boys; they came in later.

What Adam did was not borrowing. He had not repaid in several months money which he secretly misappropriated from an account which did not belong to him. Taking money which is not yours is called stealing, and I doubt very much that Brian has ever stolen that amount of money in his life.

Adam left the farm, walking out just as he has from his most recent job; Brian had no reason to think he was going to want to come back. Apart from wanting money, of course; and he is presumably still getting money from Home Farm at the moment, with his undeserved two shares which since he no lpnger works there ought to be a single share, as should Debbie's two given to her because she worked there; she too no longer does.

I'm not sure where I saw it, but one of the writers commented that they don't have any input into the show after delivering their script. If they keep changing writers and directors it is little wonder that some of the new characters struggle for consistency of performance and tone.

Meanwhile, in other news, I see that the Agricultural Advisor is stepping down.

@FoxgloveSummers

Oh weevils I’ve just spotted your transformation

Ah! I was wondering about that too.

Meanwhile, in other news, I see that the Agricultural Advisor is stepping down.

Well, she’s obviously had a hard year, which we can all sympathise with.

But the dearth of up-to-date entries returned by Google on the subject of The Archers Agricultural Advisor rather tells its own story. TA is not exactly setting the world alight on its own specialist subject.

Obviously they ought to be scrambling to acquire a new expert. But perhaps they won’t?

With Harptbury and Cirencester just down the road(ish) from Felpersham I reckon a few lecturers would happily throw their hats into the ring.

Or perhaps the famous trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Caleb and the land agent fancy another gig?

OMG no! not a newspaper report! so dangerous !

So that’s what Gibson wanted …

fucks sake

hooray for Jazzer

I wish I had a Jazzer

@StillWeRise

OMG no! not a newspaper report! so dangerous !

Quite apart from the damage to Blake that it clearly did, it lays him open to discovery by the people who were trafficking him.

Only a] he was a poor worker, only worth twenty quid, so they might not be interested
and b] would they actually recognise him even if they saw a photo? This is a local paper, and Victoria was a fairly long drive away: long enough for a pee-break to be needed.

Even if the people who originally trafficked him don't see the article, others might and he'd be easy pickings. Although the journalist did sound a bit ashamed si maybe it won't get printed.

The Justin/Lilian/Shula story is annoying me intensely. Make it stop

It's making me feel kindly towards Shula. I loathe Lilian.

Oh, it will get printed. 'Talking of his harsh treatment at the hands of evil gangmasters, Mr (we did get a surname, Garrow or Garrold or some such) broke down....'. I mean, for The Echo, that's exciting stuff.
And with any luck The Grey Man will do us all a favour and remove Blake from the airwaves in an irreversible fashion. In reality, TGM will try but be foiled by Heroic Villagers, oh how heartworming. (Have youse lot dosed your dogs for lungworm lately?)