🐠 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!

Ok, that was well done Alice.

Pity about the other matter.

So, we have several characters facing penury from the closure of Grey Gables; others from the possible closure of Berrow and Home Farm being taken to the cleaners over the divorce.

We're in for loads of laughs.

Oh, don't give up Lilian, Lipstick or anyone else!

I'm convinced The Great Takeover won't happen - much like the Great Brookfield Relocation Oop North didn't.

Deliverance, in one form or another, will arrive at the eleventh hour.

You think?

🤔

I don’t see how?

I'm sure of it. That's why we've heard various addresses to Oliver about Caroline's Legacy, The Specialness of The Staff, etc.

He will come to his senses and, somehow, someone will come to his rescue.

So …

Kathy - might have thruppence in savings?

Roy - no cash, tiny asset.

Kirsty - could turf out Henry and MySon and sell her sprawling mansion. 😈😈😈

Freddie - let’s pray he can’t touch a single penny of his inheritance.

There’s always Vince. We’ve heard how desperate he is to be embraced by the village …

But isn’t it too late??

Perhaps Peggy will decide she wants to own GG again.

Or else she will die in shock act GG being sold, but not before she has done a quick codicil to her will leaving enough money to employees for them to do a buy-out.

But isn’t it too late??
No, it hasn't all gone through yet

It's always felt like Peggy's purse is bottomless in the SWs' minds. In reality, she owned The Bull and sold it a very long time ago, and then she inherited a share of Jack's estate, with Hazel getting another share. Jack owned Grey Gables, the Borchester Echo, April and Keeper's Cottages, the Ambridge shop and post office and the Borchester caff which Kenton used to run (Jaxx?). Some of those were sold off when his dementia became apparent, some probably earlier (can't remember when Caroline and Oliver bought GG). There may have been other business interests, but those are the ones I can recall being mentioned. A fair chunk of Jack's wealth would have gone on paying for his nursing home fees for several years. Peggy herself lives, perhaps not frugally, but not extravagantly, so she has probably never needed to dip into the capital since Jack died except for the re-wilding project. But she's not wealthy beyond the dreams of avarice, surely. So I can't see how she could step in and fund a staff buyout of GG.

Someone will though Gasp0de, I feel sure.

Or Ollie will change his mind about selling (actually, I think that's more likely, now he's been thoroughly guilt-tripped). He'll step back and promote Roy and various others, including Tracey, to run the show.

Isn't Peggy covering at least some of Christine's fees at the Laurels? And does Kate pay rent?

Peaky reference!

(Mini BOOP!)

I can’t hear Adil’s voice as anything other than Ben Whishaw as Paddington Bear.

I also spotted Vince’s frequent toilet trips but put it down to him being vulgar/NotOneOfUs when compare to the saintly Archers.

Yes she is to make up for Christine being swindled out of the sale proceeds of the cottage she sold to Fallon and Harrison by the ghastly Matt/ ghastly friend of Matt.

Is it just me or did it feel as if there was a lot of trying to explain the plot so far to people who only tuned in last week? Note to SWs - you may have forgotten about Kathy for several years, but we all know exactly who she is and never mind getting her to work with Jolene at Elizabeth's party (easy to understand how those two might have given each other a wide berth in in the intervening years) how about getting her together with her old best mate Pat so she can explain her absence and lack of support through the Knob years and beyond (plenty of time to dress up as the Easter Bunny so she was hardly rushed off her feet!) We were also treated to a reminder of the GG explosion and who did what for who. In the old days it was traditional to ask a long-time listener for a recap (I used to ask my mum!) now with the advent of the internet a quick google is all that is required or in our case a shout out to AskingQuestions (who seems to have disappeared). TA episodes are so short that including a "Previously..." segment, in the style of so many TV dramas, cuts down on the limited time available for actually advancing the drama.

I agree with you @LillianGish and it's presumably so that Kathy's send off has some meaning for newer listeners, who would otherwise be puzzled as to why anyone would care, or even be cast as a character whose only purpose is having a proper send off!

Given that Kathy has been previously silent for several years, it's probably to give her a send off

My nomination for the eventual owner of Grim Gargoyles is Kristiffur Karter, with his payout from Alice's share of Home Farm

Gosh, more angry people consulting a solicitor. So exciting

Did anyone else think Lynda was going to invest in Freddy's DJ equipment, having been moved by the return to the GG kitchen and the memory of his heroism?

Just a thought, could Justin/Damara be the new owner of Grey Gables?

I'm sure he said something vague about a new project when he wanted to shut Berrow.

Roy "I wasn't mean to tell you this yet but we're taking legal advice"

Yes, Flos, I thought that too.

I'm not sure Justin personally could be the new owner, as the money he had to invest in the stables (so unlikely) was from the sale of a barn, so not nearly enough! Could be Damara though. I can't help feeling that whatever we speculate: employee buyout; Hazel; Gill family; Vince; Fairbrother senior...The SW will actually go for something both more boring and more annoying, for instance the Diocese buys it as a retreat centre to be staffed by Alan.

Is anyone finding alice extremely annoying at the moment? It seems like every conversation she has it another page out of a self help book!

The SW's flip flop around regarding the extent of Justin's wealth (and Peggy, for that matter).

I've been doing a bit of "hotel shopping" and I imagine that this place is in a similar price bracket to Grey Gables:
propertylink.estatesgazette.com/property-details/6754233-woughton-house-hotel-newport-road-woughton-on-the-green-milton-keynes-buckinghamshire-mk6-3lr

Whoever the new owner is, let's hope that they have a good "radio voice". I suppose Adil must just be a temporary visitor to Ambridge if the new team plan to shut the hotel for a year.