🏏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.)

That was for the sexy trousers with poppers.

Maybe ones that are quite loose with zips on the ankles, or even ones with babygro type poppers

popper side kecks

**other retailers are available, please support your local high street

They don't actually look as horrific as I was imagining. I thought they'd have poppers up the inside leg to facilitate nappy changes.

They'd be useful if you have a broken foot or something

or were peculiarly attached to your footwear

Well, not sure what to make of that.

Russ and Chelsea were quite sweet.

I'm bored of Ben's moping.

I was hoping Russ would make a move on Chelsea and she’d lamp him, giving Lilly a get out jail free card.

*of jail

Yes, I'm not enjoying the miserable Ben story at all. I just want him and Beth to get back together and shut the fuck up for a while, and for Steph to disappear.

And I want more of Adil and Kirsty!

Feels a bit Mills & Boon

Lovelorn Ben/ Sol still moping after the big house girl/ Josh wrenched away from a new squeeze/ Russ being so loveable in Lily's eyes etc etc

Any chance of farming stories soon?

What are the themes on Farming Today these days?
Maybe they'll squeeze something in between something dreadful from the Caseys or the unfunny carry on scenes

Oh Russ, I miss ace too!

God, ace!!!

By the long arm of coincidence, youth slang is something DD and I talk about when we meet, just so I can tell her how old it is.
"Green" is current in Melbourne, and elsewhere for all I know, with the meaning of inexperienced, as it was explained to me, as if I was hard of thinking.

I triumphantly pointed out its modern usage, and origin in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra: "my salad days, when I was green in judgment". She took it quite well.

Back to TA, I take it Russ's drink was spiked.

Who says ‘My days!’ these days as an exclamation of surprise! I think two young people said it last night which seems very unlikely…

I hate to say it but I am wondering about an (attempted) suicide SL for Ben. Given the stats it wouldn’t be such a leap. Might be too traumatic though.

They all say it @Roysnewshirt! it’s - favourite youth expression.

Actually, my 13 year old does say 'oh my days', genuinely. I mean, not as often as she says proper swear words, but still 😅

Finally caught up again. It's an odd week when Russ and Adil are the high spots.

Russ is always a high spot. No episode involving Russ has ever been boring.

Good to see Russ getting some love on the Archers thread 🙂

The young uns - with the exception of Josh - are just so tedious. Ben was OK before he fell in love and Ruiari was ace before he became a sugar boy.

Ooh we'll after a painfully dreary week I very much enjoyed the rave it was ace!
Would have enjoyed it even more if Lily had copped off with Sol. They all sounded off their tits didn't they?

I thought more A Midsummer Night’s Dream

i guess the drink spiker is puck

I feel like we're still waiting to learn the point of Russ's character. He's never expanded/developed, never made a move on Lizzie, never been properly called out on his relationship with a student.

All he's done is run some art projects at LL.

Please please let something HAPPEN to /with him!!

Surely the point of Scumbag is that he was instrumental in:

Freddie being convicted and imprisoned

Lily dropping out of university and consequently still living at home.

In other words - both twin’s failure to launch can be directly laid at his door.

All I’m waiting for is to hear him dragged off in shackles and thrown into a bottomless pit. The pity of it is that the editor, producers and SWs have all decided to forget the level of his culpability.

(That should prob be ‘ ‘twins’ ‘. Or ‘ ‘each twin’s’ ‘ - though both is the point.)