Archers thread #141: The nights are drawing in. Can we turn the clocks back to a time when The Archers was fun? Cackle or carp about 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, although we do mostly try to be civil about it. Most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you're hoping Ambridge has a pantomime again this year, 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/4636789-the-archers-spoilers-thread-7-cant-wait-for-702pm-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.)

Many thanks to @TottersBlankly and @GoldenCupidon for the title suggestions.

Too much to hope, I suppose, that by the time we get to the end of this thread Chelsea's pregnancy is a distant memory and the Horrobins can gear up for a cheap and cheerful Christmas. I really, really hope she doesn't change her mind about the termination. It's a horrible and unrealistic storyline, as most of us have agreed over the past few weeks, but now I just want it to end and be forgotten about.

I do like the idea of Lilian taking on the role of witch in the woods. Much more fun to listen to than Mia sabotaging the Hunt Ball, which is surely bound to go horribly wrong, or the odd wrangling over the stained glass window which we know Peggy won't be contributing to on air , given June Spencer's retirement.

Not a peep out of anybody in Ambridge about all the recent political shenanigans, but that's hardly surprising. Nobody fretting about fuel bills or rampant inflation either.

Also, where's Jenny? I hope Angela Piper's OK.

Over to you!

The North Pole. Everybody knows that. He does, however, make special appearances at other places all over the world in the run up to Christmas, e.g. Underwood's in Borchester, where possibly Tony met him one year. Perhaps he was floating his letter down the Am in the hope that when it flows through Borchester to the side of Underwood's* Father Christmas would see it and fish it out.

*Obviously I have just made this geographical detail up, but as the SWs do similar all the time, why not.

I enjoyed that episode too.

I really enjoyed that episode. I can see a friendship between Chelsea and Natasha. Their mutual interests plus the bonding over Natasha sharing her own abortion experience gives them a good grounding. I hope Natasha ‘mentors’ Chelsea.

chelsea’s pledge to now really make a go of her career also rung true. I’ve friends who had abortions when teenagers who expressed similar ambitions - and did manage to do that too.

massive boop for the whole scene.

i can imagine them bonding over Gnasher's beauty kit. I'm picturing something a bit more like a Space NK than a Superdrug.

I'm picturing something a bit more like a Space NK than a Superdrug

Definitely! Didn’t Gnasher used to sell high-end make-up at one point? I can’t remember the details but I’m sure we have had a window into her make-up collection before. And didn’t she give Pat a make-over once?

She offered to, @Roysnewshirt .
Reminds me of a friend telling me that i had 'nice features and that with the right make-up could be pretty' and I should let her give me a make-up lesson.
I didn't take up her offer.

I did actually like the episode and found Tony's letter quite poignant (after suspending disbelief over its appearance in a bottle).

I thought it rather insensitive that the three witches were looking to 'out' the author of the letter, given what they wrote about.

I wondered if Natasha and Chelsea might set up a wedding hair and beauty business - the last few times we've been told how talented Chelsea is we're when she's done wedding-y hair.

Not sure what would happen to Summer Orchard but details like that don't tend to get in the way for the SWs.

I enjoyed the episode too

were not we're, obviously

The "message in a bottle" scene reminded me a lot of the "let's tease Kenton about his teen diary". It had a rather unpleasant undertone that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Was it the same writer?

I'll just observe that my handwriting is vastly different to what it was 10/20/30 years ago and nothing much like the classic "cursive" the headmistress taught us at junior school.

I am warming to Natasha - nice to remember that she was doing makeovers when she first came on the scene. Perhaps she'll sell the juice business once she tries to return to work (particularly since it has been an excellent year for apples).

I await the forthcoming Hunt Ball with a degree of trepidation - is it this weekend?

Wouldn't it be nice if:
David & Ruth continue doing weddings, ditto at Lower Loxley
One day a bride's hairdresser lets her down
Ben (being related to both David & Ruth (obviously) & Elizabeth, suggests Chelsea could step in
Chelsea does earns good money, bride & bridesmaids are so wowed they recommend her left right and centre

Madcats
The "message in a bottle" scene reminded me a lot of the "let's tease Kenton about his teen diary". It had a rather unpleasant undertone that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Was it the same writer?

Discovery of the diary: 13th September, 2022, Katie Hims.
David let on and gave it to Kenton: 16th September, Katie Hims.
Kenton reading his diary, Jolene grabbed it, he took it back: 25th September, Sarah McDonald-Hughes.
Jolene took a sneaky look at it, Kenton took it back: 27th September, Sarah McDonald-Hughes.
Jolene told Eddie, he got involved: 28th September, Sarah McDonald-Hughes.
George got in on it too: 29th September, Sarah McDonald-Hughes.
Eddie's scamming and his comeuppance, the following week, was by Keri Davies.

This week is by Sarah Hehir.

I've never understood the dislike of Natasha on these threads (or why she's nicknamed Gnasher).

She's well acted (beautiful voice), interesting and shows a lot of compassion. Remember her accompanying Kirsty when she was trying to find "the horses" and her accepting Wren's blankets from her.

She was great with Chelsea too. Stropping at Alan over the stupid window was just a lazy plot device because Peggy's no longer around to do it.

She's well-acted, and has a pleasant voice and accent. There's something inconsistent about her though.

Other than George, I don't understand the hate for any other character, although I struggle with Pip.

Definitely got the cauldron vibes, and it was the classic witchy trilogy of "maiden, mother and crone" if you don't mind being a bit blurry with Kirsty's past and being quite mean to Lynda (and overlooking that L and L are the same age).

Wasn't she quite take over-y when she first appeared, and really out Pat and Tony's backs up? And then we glimpsed the credit card overspending.

Lurker here! Where do Tash Tom and twins live? It’s not over the shop is it?

No, didn’t Hazel evict them because she found out Natasha was working from home or some ridiculous contrivance? Can’t for the life of me remember where they moved to though.

And hello @Fingerlimes 👋

Aren’t they renting Kathy’s house, after her strangely speedy departure?

So Tony was 7 or 8. I'll buy that.

Goodness. All this public shaming (however mistaken) is horribly 19th century.

Definitely looks like curtains for Elizabeth and the china shop bull. Pity …

That was unforgivable (vince). Poor Chelsea.

Vince was horrible when first introduced and I've never trusted him.

Is his next stop going to be Rooth and Dayveed to demand the solar panels (or their value) back?! We always knew that oh so generous gift would end like this, didn't we?

Also, I don't even remember writing letters to FC - the late 50s was still in post war austerity so we wouldn't have been encouraged to ask for things. I think that’s a family thing. I used to write letters for FC (not up the chimney, though, Mum needed to see them), which morphed into the general family thing of exchanging lists, which we still do, saves people spending £££s on something you don’t even want, and if you do it early enough and make it long enough, it’s still a surprise on Christmas Day. But now DC is married, I realise not everyone does this!