🧦 Archers thread #133: Woolley socks it to them! Discuss The Archers and its Woolley thinking and plotting 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 would love to take part in the Mysteries, or other unusual views.

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 @ButtonSister and @BorsetshireBanality for title suggestions. I went with their idea in the interests of keeping the title fairly short.

@LillianGish and @FoxgloveSummers made cracking but longer suggestions, which (mashed up) will do a great job of kicking off our new thread.

Evictions (Tom and Tash), depictions (Bridge Farm Christmas card), conniptions (entire cast and crew of the Mysteries), convictions (Philip) and addictions (Alice) - what are our predictions for 2022 in Ambridge? All sure to make this the Best Ambridge Christmas Evah!

This thread should take us through to early January unless something very exciting happens (ha ha, fat chance). My predictions: this is a bit left field, but I wonder if Peggy will offer to buy the shop and flat so Tom and Gnasher (great coinage, whose was it?) can stay put. I don't believe Hazel is sincere about wanting to live in/regularly visit Ambridge. She's always been utterly two-faced and rotten to the core, why would she change now?

The Mysteries will, of course be a triumph and briefly borrowing the🔮 (sorry, Bore!) I expect we are going to hear them at some point over the New Year period.

Over to you!

Just checking in...

Thanks Gasp0de

It's rude to snatch, Bore.

Thanks Gasp
I don't like Hazel or Pip

Thank you for the commodious new thread!

I am absolutely certain without appealing to the 🔮 at all that we will have the opportunity to hear the Mystery Plays on Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Whether we choose to turn on or not will be up to us...

Thank you @gaspode I feel like Lynda being told she's been awarded an MBE getting my suggestion added into the thread title

Thank you Gasp0de. And all the title contributors. Wonderfully prescient!

What I want to know now is - did Fallon know what she was doing? 😈

@BoreOfWhabylon

Thanks Gasp0de

Oooh! Can we have an Unseemly Brawl?

Lookin forward to Batasha confronting Radio Carter

Thanks for new thread!

don't worry about revealing that you would love to take part in the Mysteries

I would be happy to ride a horse if need be.

Thanks for new thread. Been quiet and endlessly behind for a while but nearly square

No need for unseemly brawls on the thread when there is about to be the Unseemliest Brawl Evvah between Gnasher and Fallon
Bring it on!

@BoreOfWhabylon

No need for unseemly brawls on the thread when there is about to be the Unseemliest Brawl Evvah between Gnasher and Fallon Bring it on!

I think Natasha is assuming that the informant was Susan, isn't she? Not realising that if Susan knows a thing, the entire village does, and Susan need not have been the one to tell Hazel.

Natasha really ought not to have got on the wrong side of Fallon, but I suppose it's possible Fallon didn't know what she was doing. Possible...

I think Natasha thought it was Susan

However Tom has a point - isnt Keepers more suitable than a flat above a shop ?

Why dont Natasha & Tom build their own house at the farm ?

I loved hearing Natasha screech. She was so controlled when rowing with Pat but this was full-on letting rip!

Tom & Natasha are supposedly successful entrepreneurs in their 30s. Why are they living like students, renting a small flat above a shop instead of living in their own home?

I suppose Natasha’s credit score might be
compromised given her spendaholic past and all that credit card debt so getting a mortgage may be tricky. Tony offered to help Helen buy the Beechwood place a while ago so surely he can help Tom with a starter house. I’m surprised Peggy hasn’t already waved her chequebook at the problem.

This eviction storyline really doesn’t make sense in general though. Hazel is buying a property (where?) and said she wants to keep the Ambridge flat as a bolt hole to come back to when she needs rest and recuperation. A rest from what?

I make phone calls from home; does that make this a business premises and liable to business rates? I also use a computer and send emails!

I don't think Hazel would have a chance in hell of proving Natasha is using the flat to run a business from, especially when parcels are having to be taken in for her during the day because she isn't there!

Isn’t this so that Tom and Natasha end up having to move in with Pat and Tony?

Of course it is; Natasha will then start to work on getting Pat and Tony out of the place, obvs.

I also think it doesn’t make sense as half the world has had to work from home during the pandemic. Hazel is brilliant awful though. I thought Joy was a nightmare to start with and now miss her a bit. I’d like Joy to take Hazel out (as in her downfall) somehow.

They’ve mentioned the village shop to flats thing so many times now that it seems a coincidence that she’s actually going after the flat itself. Plans?

Why are they living like students, renting a small flat above a shop?

I guess they wanted to live like common people, they wanted to do whatever common people do

unmerited perhaps she is going to sell the shop &flat and build on it ?

I can believe Helen hasn't bought a house yet. She needed more support post Rob and then just was in a work/ mum rut until Lee came along.

Tom I can believe just wouldn't get round to it, he reminds me of numerous men I know who, though successful, ended up with career women who already own property (with help from family.) Natasha wanted a bigger rented house originally but they couldn't afford it, so clearly they don't have much spare cash. I also thought her credit cards could cause mortgage problems (either that or she'll have a brilliant credit rating and Tom won't have one at all)

I really hope this turns out to be a warm hearted festive PSA about how to fight landlords but I fear it's a device for an Ambridge property reshuffle.

Also really hope that picture got deleted. I used to have a good opinion of Jonny but felt he was needlessly cruel then.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-59572564

I’ve always assumed Lilian basically IS Camilla, so it’s nice they’ve now met in person I suppose