💀 Archers thread #132: The Grim Reaper joined the cast; The Bard of Ambridge breathed his last. 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 think Shula will make an excellent vicar, or other unusual things.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please! We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the weeknight 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 many of you for title suggestions. @JanglyBeads said that this thread had to be a Bert tribute so needed a rhyming title. From an excellent field, I chose the suggestion from @BorsetshireBanality (who also has a cracking username).

Check out the last thread for the other suggestions and various poetic offerings inspired by Bert Fry's passing. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/4349822--Archers-thread-131-A-time-to-plant-a-time-to-reap-Discuss-The-Archers-here

So, who'll get the bungalow? Rex, Stella, Pip? If Rex has to move, will he doss down beside his pigs at Lower Loxley? Or will Rex be a resident at Her Majesty's pleasure, having bumped off Trevor for being the world's most boring man? Now Freddie's on the case, are Russ's days at LL numbered? Will we ever hear Jill again, or was Bert just the first of many older cast members to be dedded?

Over to you!

he's already got used to having two lives, two locations. Does that make sense? It makes perfect sense to me Foxgloves. But it’s more than that - most teenagers after a stonking fall out at home would have to come back at some point. Ruairi has always known he has another family waiting with open arms in Ireland (in fact he must sometimes wondered “What if?” before now - I’ve never understood why he didn’t have more visits) It’s not coincidental that his contact has been with Lizzie - his mum’s friend - and that all their talk has been about Siobhan. I think he’s at an age when many youngsters start thinking about their identity and where they come from - however straightforward their background. Alice really kicked a hornets nest when she suggested that he had never been wanted. Jenny and Brian’s trip to London is clearly to try and engineer a visit. My heart really goes out to her. I think it’s a very believable scenario (DS has just gone to uni so it feels quite close to home) - he should be pulling away anyway which would be bittersweet enough, but it must feel as though he’s now too far away to put things right and he’s already moved on. Heartbreaking.

Ruairi has always known he has another family waiting with open arms in Ireland

More than anyone else did, then, including them.

He didn't visit more because they didn't actually want him. Simple as that. His aunt (the only person who was ever suggested as possibly being prepared to look after him but only if her conditions were met to the letter) had said she would be prepared to have him if Brian never had anything to do with him again, and his grandmother was quite a lot older than Jennifer and Siobhán didn't even consider her being expected to take on the toddler; I am surprised she is still alive, not in care, able to have anything to do with Ruairi visiting at all.

Not one of his other relations wanted anything to do with him when Siobhán died.

Not one of his other relations wanted anything to do with him when Siobhán died It won't surprise you to learn AskingQuestions, that I had completely forgotten all of this. Maybe he was just led to believe this then - it's a pity no-one saw fit to point it out before he crawled away crushed after Alice's outburst. It seems that not for the first time history has been rewritten - but then it's probably easier for them to take on the splendid young man Jennifer has helped to create than the care and upbringing of a motherless toddler.

Um... Siobhan died when Ruairi was four and a half, and I don't think that at that point anyone actually told him that the only person who wanted him was Brian.

Since then he has been to Ireland for occasional holidays with his grandmother, which always interested me, since in 2007 we were told on air that Siobhán's treatment was making her very tired and her mother was not coping well with Ruairi because she was over eighty. That age was definitely mentioned on air (and is in Lowfield.)

Jennifer was literally the only person who would be able to take the child apart from his aunt Niamh, who absolutely did not want to. No other relation was ever even mentioned. There was rather a shortage of them, in fact; it was suggested at the time on the board that was running then that either Siobhán had no relations or they had stayed away from her funeral because they had disowned her for having a child out of wedlock and didn't want to get lumbered with said unhallowed offspring.

But I guess assuming he has other relatives, some of the cousins etc will have become adults since then, and not care about his conception. There might be quite a band of young people and youngish adults with their own kids. And some of the older ones will have got over it.

I thought Clarrie was trying to decline the present from Elizabeth because she had already chosen her outfit for the renewal of vows and didn't want to be forced into wearing something that she didn't choose. She may well have her own jewellery with sentimental meaning.

The brooch plot line is just absurd.

It's incredible that Lizzie would have put it away out of sight and never worn it;

I'm assuming it's a Victorian piece? If so Turtle Dove brooches are quite sweet , quite small and unshowy so it's also incredible that even if Lily hated Victorian jewellery that sentimentality wouldn't soften her heart.

Lynda is God!

Well obvs, as any self respecting teen would say

I take it Gnasher is telling porkies about Pat and Tony being all behind her on the use of the orchard?

I liked the touch of welsh from Natasia

@echt

I take it Gnasher is telling porkies about Pat and Tony being all behind her on the use of the orchard?

I assume so. What a foul pair Gnasher and Lynda are.

a motherless toddler
Brian's byblow was at least four when his mother pegged out and, as far as it is possible to tell, developmentally normal. So no 'motherless toddler' was involved (to dial down the pathos a little).
Also, the Ruairi they were creating before the juicy opportunity of a DrunkAlish rant was too much to resist was a cocky little sod, not one to crawl away crushed for long. Ignoring the fool of a woman who took him in and raised him is plain bad manners.

@echt

I take it Gnasher is telling porkies about Pat and Tony being all behind her on the use of the orchard?

Didn't we hear Tony saying that they agreed with the idea?

Didn't we hear Tony saying that they agreed with the idea?

Yes to using that bit of ground, chopping down some trees. I don't think there was any discussion about cutting Fallon's rent or anything like that, though.

Am I the only person who finds Gnasher's business as incredible as the re-wilding?

Gnasher mentioned employees- that would be the employees who presumably live within commuting distance of wherever the current "food processing plant, not a factory" is; which is so far from Bridge Farm it's making Gnasher's life impossible. But will be fine for them. Failing which Ambridge is heaving with replacements.

I hope her current employees take her for every penny for redundancy and/ or constructive dismissal when she tells them she's expecting them to move.

Planning consent- a "food processing plant, not a factory" isn't a Permitted Development Right for agriculture. Not even been mentioned.

Fallon well-acted in that episode.

It was at least interesting to hear a more animated tone from her. She’s usually so bland.

Gnasher mentioned employees- that would be the employees who presumably live within commuting distance of wherever the current "food processing plant, not a factory"

she moves her slaves employees with her juice press.

Listening to Fallon chatter on as she made her coffee was like watching Little Red Riding Hood skip along the forest path on her way to visit Grandmama! Surely no one at Bridge Farm will agree to the rent cut. Didn’t they make a concession on Fallon’s rent during lockdown or am I imagining that?

BTW, I don’t know enough of the history to know if Clarrie and Eddie are both as well loved and treasured by the village as they appear to be this week. Can anyone else comment? All common sense seems to have been set aside as people dig deep and contribute generously to help celebrate their special day. It’s like a Royal Wedding. Fallon making quiches and sausage rolls for free is baffling - no wonder her business is on the brink of disaster!

I don't get what the big deal is about renewing vows - generally or the Grundys in particular.

My motherless toddler label was really just to try and think of a reason why Siobhan's family didn't want to take him on when she died (I hadn't actually remembered this and neither it seems had the SWs). Looking after and bringing up a small child who has recently lost his mother is a much harder and longer-term commitment than hosting an 18-year-old who is about to go off to university and so will only be there intermittently and is able to take care of themselves. It makes it all the more heartbreaking that Jenny who has put in all the effort (against her better judgement at the start) has now been rejected in favour of relatives who couldn't be arsed but are happy to host the finished product. Also very believable - I don't think children ever "get it" until they have children of their own.

Am I the only person who finds Gnasher's business as incredible as the re-wilding? @KimikosNightmare - it's not just you. Can't improve on your post - sums it up perfectly. Nonsense.

I thought that Batasha was making sure that her business wouldn't be relocated to Umbrage.

All of it is implausable.

In reality who could give a monkeys about the local poacher and his wife celebrating a 40th wedding other than a few close friends and the family.
Haven't they already had one renewal of vows

Nice imagery @Roysnewshirt! Totally.

I am confused about what Natasha is up to. I presume she’s serious about moving the plant now. But er won’t her trees still be where she grew them? If she’s breaking Fallon’s heart and potentially making her lay off staff etc just to get one over on Tony and Pat she must be a proper psycho.

I just ....... find I don't care about any of it much at the moment. So much so that when I went to catch up this morning I thought I'd forgotten all about Monday's episode and realised when it started actually I had heard it, and immediately forgot about it. Oh dear. I will still carry on, as I am addicted, but just at the moment, also bored.