💀 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!

Oh right, I see -- attempted clever writing.

I think Bert was proud of Rex because Rex wasn't a waster like Toby, perhaps? And possibly Bert attributed this to his own good influence as opposed to the lousy influence of Robin Fairbrother? It all seems a bit far-fetched, though.

It was so subtle that I thought Trevor was hinting to Rex in some way that they were, in fact, brothers and that Bert had had a secret affair with Rex’s mother. My friend who has been a listener for 40+ years reassured me this was not the implication and put me on the right track re Bert simply taking a paternal interest in Rex without there being any biological reason for it. I really have a lot to learn…

MysticBore™️ and the 🔮 would also like to place on record their deep and abiding admiration for @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g and The Intern and their hope that both will continue to grace these threads with their presence for everandever.

Let us never speak of The Great Unpleasantness again.

Hope the lIttle 'un is feeling a bit better @stilldumdedumming.

@stilldumdedumming

Thank you! She's 17 but needs her mum still. She has tonsillitis too and her tonsils were on her gag reflex apparently making it difficult. They had her checked at hospital on Thursday as it was really hard. She then seemed better then worse. Which I've heard is the thing. Day 5 of her antibiotics and those tonsils are going nowhere!

Aha! The conference!

I'd like to add my hope that your daughter feels better as soon as possible and recovers quickly and completely.

My daughter at the age of nearly thirty rang me up begging for reassurance when (for the first time in about ten years) she got temperature-ill but couldn't check it because she had no thermometer. She was afraid she might have covid and was utterly miserable, and wanted to talk to her mum. I said all sorts of important things like "try and drink lots if you can bear to" and the like, and she went on talking to me for about an hour just for comfort.

A friend of hers who is a medic and was her "bubble" after that came over that evening and looked after her. It was nothing serious and not covid and she got better in three days, but I don't think people ever get over wanting their mum if they feel rotten and don't know what is the matter!

Thank you @MereDintofPandiculation for posting that detailed explanation of the lists of couples. When I posted asking what in earth was going on, I was confused because “My Sounds” was telling me I was already up to date with recent episodes. Hence asking the question here rather than going to the obvious source of clarification, the programme itself. Turns out I had fallen asleep mid episode!

Turns out I had fallen asleep mid episode! I can understand that!

I can also understand you waking up and not being aware that you'd missed anything.

Hope the not quite so little one is slowly recuperating. Sounds most unpleasant.

Very happy not to mention TGU, Bore! But will say what a lovely bunch of people this thread attracts. You are almost all too kind.

Hoping very much to hear from the intern soon, on one of her too infrequent forays onto this thread. Hint, hint, @Chemenger.

@EdmontinaTiresofNameFlipping

And oh my! The thought of an Archers GCSE. What a complete Joy!

Ah, stilldumdedumming, I hope your daughter is better soon. But, now that you’ve put the GCSE thought out there, I should imagine Academic Archers will be on it like … CMR getting his feet under someone else’s table.

I wonder if a conference paper might tempt @R4 back …

Who is summonsing me on the Eve of Hallow’een?

I might be up for a GCSE in The Archers but would insist that it is split, like History, into Ancient and Modern. I’d only do the Ancient, obvs; defined as ‘pre the demise of NP’ which gives Academics lots of scope to argue as to which NP we refer to (or, indeed, is it one or both).

To the List of Non-Alphabetical Double Acts, I add Aynuk and Ayli (for the YamYams amongst us)

Much love to the next generation: poorly thread-DC and Interns alike.

I can only think of one NP which probably disqualifies me immediately.

👻

Nigel Pargeter's is the obvious watershed demise. Lovely to see you, @TheGhostOfR4!

This is lovely

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p015fq5p

(Cast pic of Bert)

I don't think people ever get over wanting their mum if they feel rotten and don't know what is the matter!

That's not true of everyone. Some mothers were always crap at being supportive.

Well, obviously the wanting is different and problematic if one's mother was crap. It doesn't invalidate the original observation (although I don't agree with it 100%)
Anyway

I liked the poem.
I like the intern.
Anyone mentioned Flanagan and Allen?

Or indeed Foster and Allen

Laurel & Hardy.

Flanders and Swann

Had forgotten. Lily would never struggle with apostrophes …

Flanders and Swann aren’t counter-alphabetic, only if you go by their first names

😬

Well it was a good excuse to listen to some of their classics - the hippopotamus song was fitting for today!

A deserved silence over tonight’s episode I see.

Oh! I forgot it was on!

@FoxgloveSummers

A deserved silence over tonight’s episode I see.

Just listening on catch-up.

Can I say how much I loathe Lillian? And the actress is terrible.