🦈 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!

Tonight's episode was in the worst ever episode list. Who writes this SH*TE?

Ooh I'm still at work - something to look forward to !

I have to say, whilst Beth and Steph grate on me too, I have warmed to Vince and like him now. I wasn’t keen at first.
I found it really odd that dreary Beth was so against Steph’s party. And she didn’t predict that no one would turn up yet seemed to say “I told you do!” Just a minor irritation I wanted to put out there!

(Not listened to tonight’s yet, I save up for the omnibus 😊)

After a day that started well with 4 hours of Today, then 2 hours of the World at 1, we had 13 minutes of vomit-inducing tripe at 19:03.

If you missed any of it, you can listen to it on BBC Sounds, which I might do if they don't give us 4 hours of Today tomorrow.

I don't deliberately avoid Desert Island Discs, but I have no intention of listening tomorrow. Sunday morning radio will be switched off at 10.

Normally, TA is better in the omnibus, but last week's was grim, as this weeks will be.

The Casey sisters (Steth?) are ghastly and dreary respectively. Vince's references to 'princess' are tedious.

Beth 'n' Ben - dull, dull, dull.

I liked Chelsea tho'.

Mind you Denise and Alastair very soon to be in a tree, etc, etc

Much as I like Chelsea wouldn't Alastair have tried Kate or Alice or Helen for an alternative frock before Tracey?

Mind you Denise and Alastair very soon to be in a tree, etc, etc

I thought so too, with the zip conundrum, but Denise mentioned her husband for the first time. I hope it's not another tedious affair SL in the offing.

I'm wondering about the boring SLs, have they lost their way after the reduced episodes and no longer know how to keep it going now it's full stream? If they ever knew.

They totally just missed the opportunity for Alistair to show off his suturing skills by sewing Denise back into her dress.

Kate is tiny and delicate, Alice slender and Hellin is waffer-thin, so Alistair would have thought of someone roughly Denise's height and build. Shula was out or she could have lent Denice a nice ecru cardigan to cover the broken zip

If the Horrobins are living hand to mouth, how come Chelsea has a handful of party dresses?

My daughter is a couple of years younger and I would not want to borrow more than a pair of socks from her (though I do note that a couple of my nicer sweaters have made it across the landing into her wardrobe).

Because they spent the money they had when they were earning.

I wonder if Helen still has that mauve dress.

My mother used to nick my clothes if they were loose enough for her to try to squeeze into

In my mind, Alice is tall and Denise isn't. Now I know it's Clare Perkins, Myrna from The Outlaws, that's my mental image when I hear Denise speaking, and IMDB tells me she's 5'5". Anyway, even putting aside the idea that Alistair would have registered the body shape of every woman in the village, he is close to Tracy because of Jazzer, so it's not ridiculous he'd have turned to her.

I do hope that's the last we hear of the Casey daughters for some considerable time. Vince is OK in small quantities but Beth's voice makes me want to walk into the sea, and I have no words for Steph.

If the Horrobins are living hand to mouth, how come Chelsea has a handful of party dresses?

You can get some really cheap dresses online, says person who has recently needed a dating wardrobe.

Maybe Denise's dress was quite flamboyant and not the sort of dress most of the Ambridge women would wear.

I imagine Tracey as being taller than average and with darkish hair, and Chelsea shorter than her mother, darker haired and stockier

Fuchsia pink with sparkly plastic diamonds?!? Poor Denise…No one could make that look work….

I could

Charity shop!

Did we need to hear Gemma? Why all the new characters?

I haven't listened for several weeks, possibly months, but have heard 3 episodes over the last 10 days or so. All of them dominated by the dreary Beth n Ben SL - so, so dull

Ah ha obviously Tracey's rubbed up her supervisor the wrong way. Are we in for another workplace bullying storyline like Kathy(sp) and the BL man who used to manage the golf club? Or did I misremember it seems like that was years ago.

Darn it I'm a new poster (long time lurker), forgot to say I name changed.

Hello, Cher! Yes, I think we're in for a storyline about the chicken factory. Can't see where it's going with the revelation that Gemma and Emma were so chummy. Surely when Tracy reveals that she's Emma's aunt all will change? Or will it ....

PS There used to be another factory in the Borchester area. Sir Sidney Goodman and his lovely wife Mercedes were silent characters aeons ago, chummy with Jack and Peggy Woolley. Sir Sidney owned a canning factory. Usha took on an employment law case when she was new to the area, representing Sharon Richards, Johnnie's mother.

Found on Google:

Sharon Richards starts works on the twilight shift at the canning factory. When she discovers the men are paid more than the women she goes to Usha Gupta who writes to the factory. Negotiations over pay take place but Sharon is one of several workers laid off when seasonal work dried up.

I wonder if we're in for a recycled version of this storyline. I seem to remember Brian being a bit snide to Usha about her naivete over this case. Sharon wasn't best pleased with the outcome.

Thanks for the welcome. The canning factory I suspect is before my time only been properly listening for around 15 years I did grow up with it as a child though.