🐠 Archers thread #135: An Everyday Story of Fishy Folk. 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 would be delighted to be given a goldfish named after your ex, 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.)

Apologies for ignoring the various title suggestions on the last thread. However, here they are, plus a couple of other pithy observations, to kickstart the new thread. I think it's fair to say nobody is looking on this as a Golden Era! Goldfish Era, though ...

@Roysnewshirt: Everyone wants more! Chris wants more Amy; Jazzer wants more Tracey; Alice wants more time with Martha and Amy wants more space… Very true. And now we know Kirsty wants more farming expertise in the rewilding project, but not Pip (thank the lord) so does that mean approaching Adam? Currently under-employed.

@LillianGish: I tune in to hear birdsong and bleating in the English countryside not hammy acting and suggestive grunting.

@stilldumdedumming: Archers is good at the dynamics of family, farming, what it means to have your job, your home and your inheritance so closely aligned etc etc not this nonsense!

@DoctorTwo: Like fuck would Pheobe buy her parents a goldfish each. The Ambridge character transplant fairy has been working overtime this past few weeks, it's been absolutely fucking appalling bar a couple of exceptions.

Can't disagree with any of that. I want to hear more about the pigs and any other effects of Brexit. A topical insert about the war in Ukraine must surely be on the way.

Any happy listeners out there? Any disgruntled listeners with even more grumbles? Over to you!

If Kathy comes back, she will have been replaced by a tv/stage actress. Anyone left EE recently?

I don't think Hedli Niklaus, who used to play Kathy, decided to retire or leave, but I had the impression she had accepted Kathy's relegation to a silent character as an enforced retirement. Does she still run Archers Addicts? I was disappointed they didn't produce an Archers calendar this year.

I always felt the friendship between Kathy and Pat was a good plot point, and it was a glaring omission from the Helen/Rob storyline. IRL, Pat would have been talking things over with Kathy. I miss Tony moaning about Kathy, which I also thought was realistic.

Other TA friendships: Susan and Clarrie, and years ago they were both friends with Betty Tucker, mother of Roy and Brenda, first wife of Mike, sadly deceased when the actor announced she was retiring to NZ. That rang true as well, given their children were all similar ages and friends from school.

David and Brian: shoehorned in when Brian embarked on his affair with Siobhan, largely so that the SWs could engineer in a few awkward moments when David and Ruth were aware of things that Jennifer and the other Aldridges weren't. Elizabeth became a close friend of Siobhan's for the same reason, having previously been very chummy with Cousin Debbie.

Usha and Ruth: in spite of, or perhaps because of, the antipathy Usha very understandably feels for Ruth's SIL, Shula.

Jazzer and Jim: unexpected, but lovely.

Oliver and Tracy: ditto.

Jill and Carol: I doubt we'll ever hear Eleanor Bron as Carol again, but they throw in a mention of Carol from time to time.

Roy and Tom: natural enough, given their ages.

I hate it when established characters just stop being mentioned. Jamie part-owns The Bull, FFS. At an absolute minimum, his name should be dropped into conversation every so often, or he could be killed off, which could be done very easily, given that he's a tree surgeon.

I think Archer's Addicts was mainly Hedli Niklaus and thought it went away when she parted ways with TA. There might be a faceache or twit account though

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

I hate it when established characters just stop being mentioned. Jamie part-owns The Bull, FFS. At an absolute minimum, his name should be dropped into conversation every so often, or he could be killed off, which could be done very easily, given that he's a tree surgeon.

We have had no mention of Helen's and Johnny's reaction to Gnasher's and Sausage Boy's news; either from the characters or in passing.

Johnny would be delighted, without qualification; Helen would express delight but there would be a niggle that her babies were being usurped.

And Joy. Joy would be pleased and she's nice enough to forgive Sausage Boy's behaviour that Christmas.

Joy might be the Easter Bunny

I had thought that initially but it was pointed out she's unlikely to be of a similar enough build to Russ to cause confusion.

Oh dear Ruari. Wish had some chums coming to his party. It definitely feels a bit bleak.

Despise the way Ruth talks to Josh. Even if there's no way they can find 40k I doubt she'd have shut down St Pip without hearing her.

So is Julie-Anne (?) his pimp or his regular client?

Surely the lack of uni friends isn’t because he’s dropped out of his degree? (Another of the First Family too grand to muck in with plebs in pursuit of ‘real’ jobs?)

I am hating the Ruari story- all these heavy handed portents.

Oh, he's definitely dropped out of his degree Totters

Drug dealing is my guess.

But they’ve already done ‘Posh Boy Drug Dealing’ - they wouldn’t repeat so soon? Can’t help feeling it’s sex rather than drugs fuelling his unfeasible generosity.

Did you conclude the eccentric brainbox tutor story was just ‘too much’?

Did you conclude the eccentric brainbox tutor story was just ‘too much’?

Do you know, I can't even remember that one?

You may be right about the drug-dealing but I bet Alish will,leap to that conclusion.

More likely gambling of some sort or the bitcoins. Or he's become an online entrepreneur. I really don't think it will be sex.

I wonder if @Chemenger has had any hints from The Intern ?

@TottersBlankly

So is Julie-Anne (?) his pimp or his regular client?

Surely the lack of uni friends isn’t because he’s dropped out of his degree? (Another of the First Family too grand to muck in with plebs in pursuit of ‘real’ jobs?)

I think Julienne runs an escort agency.

He has no uni friends because he doesn't go to uni.

Well, that’s what I thought at first. But his apparent mortification suggested a bit more than simply (as it were) being phoned by your employer / contractor. My mind’s eye conjured a client* to whom he had unwisely given his personal phone number. (Have I been spending too much time with ‘Alma’s Not Normal’ and ‘Mood’, lately?)

*Julie-Anne, aka Joy … 😈😈😈 (Only kidding.)

Letter in the Guardian from the great Keith Flett:

“Silent characters in The Archers are a tradition (Letters, 6 April). However, there are wider lacunae too. In 2019, the Aldridges had to sell their farmhouse and move to a small place after Brian was fined a substantial sum for polluting the Am. The property was brought by a Birmingham business family who had a noisy house-warming party. Since then we have heard absolutely nothing of them. Presumably non-doms.”

Excellent.

How did Ruth and Josh manage to have an entire conversation about saving on fuel costs without once mentioning the way bills have soared - which must have pretty serious implications for things like running the milking parlour? Surely someone could have worked out that, if anything cried out for a topical insert, that episode did?

That was a big part of Josh's argument and how quickly the solar panels would pay for themselves.

All seems a bit generations pitted against each other regarding climate action.

The lack of uni friends is definitely pointing to R having dropped out of (or never attending!) uni. He was happy to ignore the phone call from Julianne which suggests he’s not completely at her beck and call and whatever it is he’s doing he’s free to hang out in Ambridge for as long as he likes.

I used to be puzzled by the creative team’s attitude to university education (particularly towards young women) - but amongst my family and friends over the last few years it’s been the most gilded of the young who’ve swerved the anticipated academic route. So I accept that it’s happening. And of course they want to keep interesting characters in Ambridge. But in such a small community it still feels a deeply anti-intellectual message.

That was a big part of Josh's argument and how quickly the solar panels would pay for themselves.

Fuel costs in general were a big part of his argument, but unless I missed it no-one mentioned the way they've suddenly risen.

Of the millennials in my family, about a third did vocational or stem subjects and they went into graduate jobs, about a third went into teaching, and the others are in jobs where you don't need a degree (retail/admin)

One of them says that going to Uni was a waste of time. That relative got a good degree in a mickey mouse subject

@TottersBlankly,
A lot of vocations that need a degree aren't ones that lend themselves to a rural community. The only people in Ambridge who have jobs that need a degree or degree-level qualifications are few. I can only think of Alan and Usha, and Amy. I haven't included Ben and Alice as one is a student and the other is a SAHNRP

But that’s kind of my point, Whopping - it’s a tiny handful of people in Ambridge who opt for a university education, but (particularly if they’re likely to inherit land) they seem increasingly unlikely to complete any degree.

Debbie, Lily, Josh, now back to the Aldridges possibly. Few in number, but it’s a depressing prospect. So many Ambridge residents with oodles of money but no critical thinking skills or experience of engaging with people more intelligent than themselves.