🌟 ⭐ Archers thread #138: Two new stars on the Ambridge firmament, but will Peggy’s retirement leave a black hole? 🕳️ Join us here for a window on The Archers.

[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 commissioning a stained glass window for two of your great-grandchildren and nothing for all the others is a sensible thing to do, 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.)

Thanks to @LillianGish and @MuddlerInLaw for title ideas, which I have played around with a bit. I'm sad to have heard the last of Peggy. An era starts to draw to a close.

What a relief to be out of the Steph Casey phase, which I hope was an unfortunate blip, not to be repeated. [Triumph of hope over experience there ... ]

@BoreofWhabylon has asked the 🔮 about Adil and it predicts that he is actually the Mysterious New Owner of Grey Gables but won't be revealed as such until he has won Kirsty's heart (or some similar Mills & Boon level tosh - apols to the 🔮 but it does seem to have a mushy side). I still cling to the idea that the mysterious silent and invisible Gills who now own Home Farm may have some role at GG, but why not name them?

No mention of the heatwave in Ambridge, but budget constraints probably severely limit their scope for topical inserts these days. IRL I believe this has been a tricky time for farmers. Perhaps the SWs will catch up with this over the winter and start putting in some farming chat about diversification away from oats to olives, or similar. We already have at least one vineyard in the Ambridge area, at LL. (I understand there was another, in the heart of the village, decades ago, but the SWs have now forgotten all about it, sadly.)

Over to you!

Poor Toyah, so buffeted by Fate that a mere cube of sampled cheese on a cocktail stick was enough to drive her to appear at a village fete in the hopes of tasting it just once more!

I agree both about the podcast advertising and the sounding like Shula. Have the celebrity cameos ever not been cringeworthy?

It sounds as if the Grundy’s don’t know the real reason George fell ill despite his visit to the hospital? I thought Sunday’s episode would start with Will on the warpath because Ed & Eddie didn’t tell him about the vaping.

I’m guessing Denise will now think Jakob is her secret admirer as she still thinks he wrote that glowing account of her for the awards thing. Cue lots of hilarious misunderstandings and Alistair Angst.

Gosh good point, @Eastie77Returns , where is the comeuppance for George, that loveable scamp? Maybe we will hear Brad's guilty conscience tonight?

Yes, I mean how badly does your social media channel have to be going before you'll turn up on the Archers, be completely unable to act, and deliver a straight up promo for it?

Laughing at the producers who must have agreed to this!

I dunno what Will would be watching on Youtube or whatever but probably not that.

I find the Sunday Lunches excruciatingly embarrassing but for the moment they still seem to be popular. I suppose the law of diminishing returns will eventually kick in.

www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/toyah-willcox-robert-fripp-limp-bizkit-nookie-1234579057/

To be fair, I think it would have been more odd not to mention the Sunday Lunches.

well yes it would but that's assuming you've got Toyah thingy on in the first place

Trying to understand why Will would be a fan of Toyah Wilcox he's what early 40s he would be too young to remember her from back in the day. Was cringing at the whole fete really.

I’m no great fan of Will, but I’m really annoyed that the SWs have made him so weird pottery. Would it have killed them to give him a bit of talent?

No it really wouldn't have and there's no reason not to have.

And as predicted Denise gets the wrong end of the stick.

Boop for Ed.

I wondered whether the pieces were crap, or whether they were actually ok but just a bit avant garde for the Ambridge fete: if they were more artistic than useful (as the conversation with TW showed) then I can't see many residents wanting to shell out.Most probably don't have a lot of spare cash right now and if I they were going to buy pottery they either want it to be something they needed anyway, or really amazingly good. Will's stuff may well be decent enough.

Sorry for the typos, I really wish there were an edit button!

It sounds as if the Grundy’s don’t know the real reason George fell ill despite his visit to the hospital? I thought Sunday’s episode would start with Will on the warpath because Ed & Eddie didn’t tell him about the vaping.

It sounded like Clarrie and Ed knew what he'd been up to?

So Jakob (sp) knows Alistair's hidden emotions now? Hmm. Where is this storyline going I'm not keen on him and Denise having a bunk up next to the autoclave.

I was happy to see Will losing his temper at Eddie, Eddie is the worst character with no redeeming qualities..

I say him, I mean Al and Denise.

Is Ed cross about George because of his own drug-related past?

Denise had appeared to be an extremely sensible and grounded person to date. Would she really allow herself to go down this path and have her head turned by Ardil’s reading? The SWs are making her look foolish in front of her colleagues who previously respected her. Sigh…

I actually think Al and Denise could be a lovely couple, and it would also serve the noble purpose of pissing Shula off. I just wish she’d left her dull husband 6 months ago so there’s no drama!

TA has a long history of affairs and marital couplings/uncouplings, about time we had another one. Al and Denise is just a matter of time once they get past the current Cyrano de Bergerac nonsense. Also, as pointed out by Therapist, it will piss off Smugula.

Stella and Roy also about to become an item, according to 🔮

Roy? Roy???

Did we not all agree Stella will pair up with Will? She’s far too good for the world’s dullest man. It would be a real missed opportunity; I still feel cheated of Tracy & Oliver …

She's definitely too good for Will, too. Maybe Christiffur?

Is Ed cross about George because of his own drug-related past?

I think so and it's perfectly reasonable not to want your own children (or step child -he's Will's isn't he) to make the same mistakes.

I only report what the 🔮 says!
It may be that the heatwave has adversely affected it. We shall see.

(Remember, Roy is supposed to be a hottie - I know, I know, but that's what was said when he and Lizard were getting down and dirty)

@CaptainMyCaptain I agree

It was Ed losing his temper, but with any luck we'll hear Will doing it too. About time. I do think Eddie has some redeeming qualities, but he was right out of order here and it was good to hear him taken to task. I was also pleased that Clarrie swung round and backed Ed for once.

I was delighted that Jakob cut to the chase and told Alistair what he could see. I had been bracing myself for weeks of tedious misunderstandings and cross purposes. There are no real obstacles. Alistair and Shula have been divorced for ages, haven't they? Denise's marriage sounds moribund and her children have fled the nest. I have no 🔮but my hunch is that Denise's husband will conveniently turn out to be having an affair when she thinks he's out on one of his long bike rides. They will divorce, more or less amicably. She and Alistair will slowly but sensibly come to an understanding.

(Yes, I know. That triumph of hope over experience thing again. Will I never learn?)