🏏Archers thread #136: Howzat! Oliver’s bowled a googly, Kathy’s out, Grey Gables left with nightwatchman. Tracy knocked for six. Is Ambridge on a sticky wicket? 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 are entranced by new character Adil, 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 if anybody made a thread title suggestion and I missed it. I decided to mark the start of the cricket season in the hope that things will take a turn for the better for poor Tracy.

It feels like months since the last new thread, which was just after Phoebe departed for Scotland. Has she been mentioned since? I can't recall. Not greatly missed, by me, at any rate. Her fish gifts didn't last long.

I can't shake off the feeling that The Archers is going through a long dull patch. I don't feel greatly engaged by anything that's happening at the moment other than Tracy's plight. Such a good actor, which helps, of course.

What's keeping you listening? Habit? Genuinely enjoying it? Over to you!

(PS In the process of starting this thread, I've discovered that our custom-made Archers emoji has gone. You used to get it by typing . Not any more.)

My rat-phobia is entirely irrational, SilveryPussycat - I know other people wouldn’t mind.

<Shudders>

(Disappointed that no-one’s interested in Alistair’s sister - I shall carry my news to the Bridgerton thread instead! 😛)

The problem is that Neil only has Chris's version of events, i.e. that Alice changed her mind for no reason. I rather doubt that Chris told him that it only happened after he airily announced that of course she would have no rights when it comes to making major decisions about or for Martha.

I'm very interested in your meeting with Alistair's sister, @TottersBlankly! Fiona? Please do tell all ...

Yes, I think Alice’s desire for reside t parent came as a reaction to Chris blithely trying to cut her out of any say at all, during mediation. It’s stupid anyway, both solicitors would have told them to go for 50/50 at this point and to stop being idiots.

Well … In her new role as Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Prof of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford, she gave an all day workshop last Sunday. Hugely impressive; in a vast lecture hall filled with eager students, staff and etceteras, she managed to make every single person present feel seen and heard. And led a really brilliant day of thinking about familiar and unfamiliar drama. Though I don’t think TA was mentioned. (Except by me, tangentially.)

I’m just wondering if anyone else on this thread was there, too?

I don't understand what they're hinting at with Denise? Her presence must have been enlarged for some reason to do with the main characters. I'm probably just being thick. Her husband neglects her and he's always out on his bike, (presumably having an affair) and she's on such friendly terms with Alistair, Stella mistook them as being married. So what now? Husband leaves or she finds out and she takes solace in Alistair's manly arms, making Shula and or Stella jealous? Seems a little bit....boring!

Unsung hero?

It was too subtle for me @CloseYourEyesAndSee. I wasn't concentrating for some of the ep so I had to go back and listen again to see what you meant. It was as clichéd as Daniel's girfriend Dorothy.

Sounds great! I've always liked Adjoa Andoah.

Poor Jazzer.

I think Chris must be on the fiddle to change his mind like that.

Loved Jazzer's take on the training manual, written by bampots for bampots. His unhorsing was inevitable, though.

I think in terms of the plot line, Chris has given up too soon, though I appreciate TA is not RL, his confidence has taken knock, and the drama has to get a move on. But it's good that the focus is on Martha, however briefly.

I'd forgotten about Dorothy. Is she supposed to be with Daniel still?

I don't think Chris was seriously on the fiddle. I felt sorry for him.

I don't feel sorry for Jazzer. What he did was deceitful and stupid.

For a moment there, I thought Chris was going to be the person to make it stop. Then Neil put paid to that.

And as someone upthread said, Jazzer wouldn't be generating his own leads so the whole storyline is just wrong - all in the name of rather lame farce.

@Dashdotdotdash , they split up a while ago.

Chris will have been minimising his income to try to get a better settlement.

Chris will have been minimising his income to try to get a better settlement I don't think he's bright enough for that. I think he's been doing a bit of cash in hand work because that's what some people do. "Do you prefer cash?" as some clients (probably tax fiddlers avoiders themselves) may have offered, with him not really considering the implications, possibly not being that great at keeping records. The Carters are not the Grundies - they are generally poor, but honest rather than permanently on the fiddle (thinking of Eddie and Joe RIP in particular). I think he's being entirely reasonable in coming to an agreement - it's not as if he's been a kept husband during the marriage and now has no means of earning his own income. I can also see why Neil doesn't want Martha to grow up into an Aldridge woman - Kate and Alice are not great adverts while Phoebe has done brilliantly being brought up with minimal input from Kate.

I'm going to ask my friend who works for hmrc, but if it was the odd one or 2 times would the fine/punishment really be that bad? (I have no idea, but Chris was talking befor about a crimal record, surely that's for major offenders?)

And if its more than that and is a long history of dogey dealings in what world did he think asking someone to look at homefarms books didn't mean they would look at his?/that he could hid them from a forensic account.

I cringed at the reference to Denise’s braids as to me it had been obvious from her voice that she was Black British. I agree that she and Alistair sound good together. Stella must be late 30s/early 40s - let her have someone her own age not the nearest single but much older man.

My guess is that Stella is roughly the same sort of age as Will, because Mia thought there might be a match

I thought that about the hair too

When did Denise start talking anyway?

I didn't get that at all from Denise's voice.

Please tell us what it was. It went over my head too and I can’t face trawling through old episodes till I find it

I hadn't thought Denise was black at all but am now hearing her voice differently. Dunno what's meant to be going on at the moment.

Wonder what will happen long term for Martha.

It was obvious to me too Beardie.

IIRC Denise first spoke when she packed in her job because of how Jakob was treating her. Silent before that and afterwards.