🌟 ⭐ 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!

Yes - as we guessed.

That made me uncomfortable …

That made me sad. I imagine she's quit and all down to appalling HR man. We've got a destitution storyline coming up till she ends up getting a new improved job at Grey Gables 2.0.

Yes that's surprised me too I'm glad though that they are not making Ruari (sp) out to be empowered. Trying to think of an equivalent, maybe Lily? I'm sure that would be spun as being good fun.

I'm not sure how believable I'm finding the Ruairi storyline, or Lola the Guinea pig (what on earth were the special effects team using for that squeak?!)...

The actor who plays Ben is very good. It sounds as though Ben is Ben, rather than an actor reading from a script (this seems to have happened a lot recently in the Archers)!

Poor Tracey😣

The Binoche comment shows that Ben and Ruairi are from the families that watch Arthouse films whilst we learned the Grundys and Horrobins watch Star Wars and shoot ‘em up blockbusters. Of course.

George’s comments about Nic were pretty shocking. I had no idea he disliked her. The incident when she smacked him must have been about 15 years ago and I don’t remember any other storyline involving the two of them. This random rewriting of his character is so odd. Anyway, those comments along with his complete lack of remorse about all the other stuff makes me think Chelsea was partially right and he might be a sociopath. He is definitely going to be the cause of another rift between Ed and Will.

After all the drama with Mia’s revision struggles why do we not know her results?!

I wish Denise would stop saying AliSTAIRRR.
Really grates. Her husband is obviously up to no good when he is out on his long bike rides.

George’s comments about Nic were pretty shocking. I had no idea he disliked her.

It’s a nasty bit of retconning - and paints Will in a bad light by implying he forced an unwelcome step-parent into his child’s life.

Yes it would be interesting to have a reminder of how George reacted to her death.

I think George is just used to painting himself as the hard done by one, pretty sure Nic was a lovely stepmother. George is just a shithead and unfortunately they exist.

In the context of a conversation about Julianne, it's not surprising that the name Juliette Binoche might well be the first to pop into someone's brain.

Also I think it was Oliver who discovered there was another course running later in the year, and that's the one Brad is going to.

I have no recollection of ever hearing George speak prior to his introduction as pantomime villain a few weeks ago during the hay baling with Brad. I don’t think anyone spoke about his reaction to Nic’s death. I think we were meant to assume he was as devastated as everyone else in the Grundy family at the time. Now he has been recast as evil George it turns out he didn’t care and always hated her.

I do remember when she smacked George, there was quite a bit of angst, I couldn't work out whether she was going to turn out to be evil. Then it all got resolved.

I remember her smacking George, too,but then she turned into Sunday school volunteer and mother of the year. However, being smacked does make a big impression and lodge in your memory if it's not a common happening, so I can see how it would cloud Geeorge's opinion of Nic. However, he's also been surrounded by mostly supportive and loving adults, even if some of that support isn't in his best interests, like Eddie not wanting to grass him up, as if they were all 11 year old.

I don't think he had to turn into a badd'un, though, and they seem to have lost any nuance in his character.

We've known very little about George until now, but one huge hint was dropped years ago when ex-con Alf visited (Eddie's brother). A collection box went missing around the time he left and everyone assumed Alf took it. I can't remember how it was done but the listeners were left in little doubt that George had taken it, knowing that everyone would blame Alf. What's happening now is consistent with that.

I do remember when Nic smacked George she told Will he was spoilt as all the adults in his life pandered to him and they’d all regret it later. Will was furious and dumped her. That observation certainly seems prescient now!

I remember the smacking incident and also Emma's reaction which made me wonder if she'd smacked George at some point too - Emma didn't actually seem to perturbed which was very unusual for her.

George appears to be turning into a nasty piece of work.

FFS. Too perturbed.

Nic had him pegged. George could have done have done with a few more fleas in his ear instead of having all his bad behaviour ignored for the sake of a quiet life over the years.

Jill's voice is going. 🙁

Soiled pants, my arse.

Jill was sounding very frail.

I wondered about Jill's voice too, and though she might be moving in to occupy Peggy territory as the elder fount of wisdom. Hope so and it's not the actor being ill in RL.

thought!

The idea of Ben burying his grandmother's knickers is kind of creepy

I keep forgetting Alastair and Shula are younger than me. They're such fuddy duddies.

Beth is so dull.