🐠 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!

@JanglyBeads

Just coming on to say, looking like Ben n Beth could be a permanent thing - which presumably means her dad and his aunty won't be, thank goodness?

I'd much rather hear Vince and Elizabeth than soppy Ben 'n' Beth.

@Prestissimo

Yes *@BeardieWeirdie* I had the same thought. Wonder if that will mean Kathy will speak in her fury or just skulk off never to be heard from again?

I was just thinking that's why they've suddenly started talking about Kathy. They're reminding us who she is in preparation for the SL where she gets made redundant. But we are never going to hear her reaction to that before she decides to go and join some long-forgotten relative a long way from Ambridge.

You’d really rather hear Elizabeth pouring her big strong man a beer after his hard day (!) and leaping to his defence about why her family have the temerity to not want to randomly borrow £40k off Her Man? I’m finding her increasingly weird and surrendered wifeish. It’s like she’s forgotten she has a job except overseeing Freddie.

What I heard was Elizabeth feeling (a) affronted that yet again her family don't agree with her and (b) astounded at the Dopeys' lack of business acumen and excessive caution. She does still have those B shares in Brookfield, as do Kenton and Shula, so I wonder if we're leading up to a good old-fashioned family row over the way D&R are managing the farm.

I have some sympathy with (b). I can't understand why D&R have turned this down, unless it's from a residual suspicion that Vince isn't what he seems to be, and they don't want to be beholden to him, especially if he and Elizabeth part company before the loan is repaid.

Cryptic crosswords aren't a strength of mine, but the clue that had Freddie stumped for several very long minutes was so blindingly obvious that it scarcely qualifies as cryptic. I wonder how LL will fare in his hands.

Jazzer's going a bit caveman. Obviously jealous, and feeling defensive about his relative lack of cash. Not attractive.

Oh, I do hope Elizabeth uses her shares (and incites Kenton and Shula to back her) to push the Dopeys into accepting the loan. It is literally a no-brainer to accept a loan that will effectively repay itself at the same time as reducing or cutting out fuel bills. It's pretty obvious that they wouldn't refuse it if it was anyone other than Vince offering it.

I’m finding her increasingly weird and surrendered wifeish

Yes, she really lacks depth. I thought her objection to David turning down the cash was going to be due to some sort of cash analysis and how it would be good for the farm to futureproof, NOT that she was affronted on her partner-of-only-a-year-or-so’s behalf.

Freddie and Josh chasing a giant bunny hoping for a selfie and the chance to slip a written note into the EB’s paw was very poor writing. They would have just DM’d him surely…

Unfortunately her shares give no voting rights. They're only of value if the farm is sold. However, Elizabeth's never been backwards about coming forwards, so I have hopes, especially if Kenton is feeling the pinch financially at the moment, as he usually is. Shula could do some of her excellent sanctimonious hand-wringing and plead with everyone else to be nice, which usually has exactly the opposite effect.

The impression I had was that the is leaving clues dotted around, which others are putting on social media. If the had set up a Facebook or Twitter or Instagram account, he/she/it would have been deluged with inane messages.

Has no one considered that the bunny is obviously already some kind of promotion? The alternative is that a weird or creepy or lonely person is inside - nothing to do but dress up as a bunny and turn up in random spots. But I presume there is a point behind it in the first place!

In my noir version of the Archers the bunny-occupier is using this as the way to commit the perfect murder.

I've got to say if my sister was in a reasonably short relationship with someone whose business practices I deplored, the absolute last thing I'd be doing is entangling my finances with theirs! Would everyone on here really take a large loan from your relative's faintly dodgy boyfriend? What if they break up? What if you can't repay at some point? What if they have a financial crisis of their own and need the money back? All very messy. I'd rather not take a loan from my own family members let alone their partners.

I agree @BowerOfBramble that family and finances are best kept separate, and if I’m being generous towards the Dopeys I would say that’s why they’ve declined the loan. With them, though, who knows. The suspicion persists of course that if Pip had suggested solar panels they’d have been all over it.

I enjoy the idea of Elizabeth being (unreasonably) affronted on Vince’s behalf and upskittling Brookfield’s stability though - it’s a while since she’s thrown a proper tantrum.

Just me who quite enjoyed the tedium then?
Yes it was tedious, I'm rubbish at cryptic clues but that wasn't cryptic. It was badly written and not funny but a breath of fresh air compared with soap strife.

I totally get why the Dopey's don't want Vince's money. They don't like him. They don't trust him and he's tricked them in the past. That said, they would bite his hand off if it were to fund one of St Pip's notions.

I just love Tracey. I have always loved her and honestly she just gets better and better. She's a top woman.

Forgot to say, Jill at 140 mph was a joy!

In my noir version of the Archers the bunny-occupier is using this as the way to commit the perfect murder

Lambs!

Actual lambs!!

That wasn't much of a bombshell from Ruauri. Almost earned a harumph.

Vince and the Dopeys- bleurgh.

I lead a very sheltered life. Are there really mature women who pay out good money to young men solely for the pleasure of their company and conversation over dinner? Ending, presumably, with a chaste peck on the cheek.

I feel moderately sure that the far commoner arrangement between older men and young women involves more in the way of bodily fluids.

Ruauri’s sugar mumma. Doesn’t have the ring of truth, does it?

Escorting means sex not paid for, charming but chaste, company at dinner.

Very few escorts for female punters, or rather female punters for male escorts.

I think it’s all in the extras…

The actual arrangement of dinner/sparkling conversation is considered above board and quite easy to arrange through an -apparently respectable - agency.

Anything else is ‘extra’ and often cash in hand.

How do I know this?!?

Catching up after a long time away, having stopped listening in despair over a year ago…

Remind me or update me please: how did Vincent previously dupe David and Roooth?

@RandomCatGenerator

Catching up after a long time away, having stopped listening in despair over a year ago…

Remind me or update me please: how did Vincent previously dupe David and Roooth?

Something to do with the abbatoir. I can't remember and don't much care.

Can anyone remind me what Bath does with her time when she’s not hanging out with Ben?

*Beth

Does she work for her Dad at the cattle market?

I believe Vince had the temerity to outbid a consortium of local farmers to buy the abattoir.