🦈 Archers thread #137: See left - have they jumped it? Discuss The Caseys - sorry, 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 think Steph Casey is a wonderful addition to the programme, or similar odd 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.)

Too dispirited to add much else. Have we reached a new low?

I suppose the Archer twins will be born before we need a new thread. 👶👶
Any thoughts on names? Patrick and Antonia were suggested before - inspired! Peggy has to be a strong contender.

Over to you!

When I say “we”, I wasn’t born yet but I know enough Archers history from people who did listen then.

No, same actor. Tracy has understandably lost a bit of spark because of life events, and the actor is doing a good job of showing that.

It was before my time too but that's what I've heard/read. However, I I don't imagine listeners at the time found it any more credible than I do. What are the chances of coming up with those names after one or two random Scrabble tile grabs? There is a real life place called Kenton and Shula is a real name, albeit an extremely rare one. Ba-lo-ney, dahling, as Craig Wotsisname from Strictly might say!

Yes, but the SWs didn't have Google (or, indeed, the internet) in those far-off days, so could get away with it.

Whatever. I think that the chances of the parents of a middle-aged white woman from Wiltshire being Archers listeners are pretty high!

Shulamith Firestone's book The Dialectic of Sex: The Case for Feminist Revolution was published in 1970 but that's too late for Phil and Jill to have been influenced by it in the choice of name.

Hello @BoreOfWhabylon
I had no idea that you were so old. Very reassuring to know that I am not the only over 60 on this forum. I don't remember corn stooks in the fields just small bales, but certainly they were around into the 1950's. How's the Crystal Ball coping in this heatwave ? Gone all misty ?

The 🔮keeps me looking younger than springtime @Travelledtheworld
At least, it does on here, where you can't see me

It's sulking a bit lately, but it does say that George and Brad are set to be rivals in life and love for many years to come.
And that Brad shall go to the summer school, courtesy of Uncle Oliver Gently-Benevolent.

I didn’t like hearing Clarrie making out that Brad losing his needed job wasn’t a big deal. If it had been George who had lost out on employment due to mechanisation, you can bet the Grundys would all be up in arms over it.

What I don't get is how jobs are short. Isn't there a labour shortage? To be fair, if Brad's going on a summer course, he'll need to stash the money away asap.

Then I lived overseas for a few years, when I came back in the '60s it had all gone

So you can literally remember when it were all fields round here?

I expect Clarrie assumes a bright 16 year old would be able to find some kind of alternative job for the Summer. I would too. Why is the chicken factory the only alternative source of employment? Surely Brad is capable of taking a bus to the next town and looking for a job in a shop/service industry. It’s as if all opportunities for work start and end in Ambridge.

I can echt. Only just though

Not continuous memories, more like snapshots. Used to see all the fields on train journeys. The cows in the fields were all different then too. They were different colours/patterns and had horns.
When I returned it seemed they'd all become black and white.

A lot changed in just a few years.

Last night’s episode was how I remember TA used to be when it was on in the background when I was growing up. Suitably dull about nothing in particular but highly enjoyable for providing a window into another world. I enjoyed Clarrie and Natasha chatting although I can’t imagine C would really be knitting for the twins and dropping in with buns for N IRL.

I saw a poster for Open Farm Sunday when I was driving along last week. Are we really nearing that time again?!?

Yes @Roysnewshirt TA seems to be very gradually getting back to what passes for normal in Ambridge.

Brad shall go to the summer school, courtesy of Uncle Oliver Gently-Benevolent

it’s very rare but that really did nearly have me PMSL @BoreOfWhabylon so thanks for that

Clarrie has enough on without knitting for sausage boy’s chipolatas.

I just thought of the Gently Benevolent actor sigh! Bring me the voice of Robin Fairbrother.

I can't imagine Natasha dressing the twins in the home knits, and the pink and blue seems to be an omen that Pinky and Perky will be two boys or two girls

I thought Natasha was very tactful. " oh what a lovely traditional thing to do! "

I don't know about addicts, but equine assisted therapy kept my DD going for the first year of the pandemic when she had a major MH breakdown. There were two people, the horse expert and the therapist/counsellor. They used understanding the horses as a way to reflect back to DD her own emotions and how to progress.

Yes, very diplomatic. And great signalling that they'll have got the sexes wrong at the scan. We'll be reeling at the surprise

That was in rely to choccy

If Jazzer has any sense he'll tell Jimtly Benevolent about poor Brad's plight.

Maybe it is triplets. Pinky, Perky and Porky

Of all the twins I know, only one is a boy-girl set
I know 3 sets of triplets, and two sets are all boys, with the other a girl and two boys.

Most of them are too old to have been conceived by IVF

I do worry about misinformation around debt and university. I hope Tracey gets advice or even looks at Martin Lewis (I know they can never be clued up on financial matters).