Archers thread #143: In the Bleak Midwinter, Ambridge Folk Make Moan. Best Christmas ever? Probably not! Discuss 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'd love to be in Jolene's choir , 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.)

Well, we made it through Stir Up Sunday without bloodshed, but poor Ben is now in the grip of psychotic depression. Not going to be a happy Christmas at Brookfield, sadly. When will Jill swallow her pride and go and give him the abject apology he deserves? Would it be a good idea anyway for Ben to see his gran at the moment?

Will Jazzer say yes? I hope so. We could do with a Horrobin wedding to look forward to.

Will Emma and Ed end up in court if they go ahead with this idiotic scheme to nick the logs from Peggy's Folly?

Will the two choirs put on a joint concert at Christmas? I assume so, and also that the BBC will continue to fool nobody by using recordings of what is clearly a really good well-rehearsed established choir, not a scratch choir of half a dozen novices.

Over to you!

Thanks Gasp. Hope everyone's got their Christmas cards posted.

I thought that Ben did say to Leonard that he'd mentioned feeling suicidal to the nurse?
he really shouldn't have broken Ben's confidence so easily- he could have spoken to him again and tried to encourage him to talk to his parents. However, once he'd discovered he wasn't the only person Ben had spoken to, he should have kept quiet. Ben may see it as another betrayal.

I enjoyed listening to that episode. The acting has been rather good recently (aside from Jolene's weird morph into Lynda).

I think we can assume that no Brokefailed Archer will ever confide in Leonard again ... until they do. Interesting though that Ben has been struggling with his course. This may pre-date the Chelsea business.

I enjoyed Ed'n'Emma being taunted into crime. The combo of Emma's Horrobin genes and the Grundy way of life may have them both in custody by Christmas!

Thank you Gasp0de
Great introduction!

Signing in, also moved grudgingly to 100 per page

Thanks @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

I wondered tonight what's going on with Ben's course now. I assume someone has let the uni know what's been happening. Will he have to restart the year next year? Will he somehow be able to catch up this year? Have they broken up for Christmas already anyway (I admit I have no idea how nursing degrees work, my dsis dropped out of hers before any of this sort of stuff came up, and my aunties and mum qualified back in ye olden days when it was all different)?

Excellent thread title - thank you for the new thread😁Hoping for some excellent episodes on the run up to Christmas.

Hello you two! (I will persist with that!).

Thanks for the thread @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g . I can’t stand George but did love him pointing out what a moaner Emmur is. I don’t know what to say about this ridiculous log theft. I hope they get caught, the stupid idiots. There’s no way any of them wouldn’t know about logs needing to be bloody dry enough to burn. Physically if not legally!!

David making Ben’s suicidal thoughts all about them. Pip is a chip off the old block, isn’t she?

Of course they're going to get caught for the logs. The inevitabity of it is depressing.

It annoys me that Ed and Emma are scrimping a living when Ed could be working even at the dreaded chicken factory, or has he done that already. Any way the logs are going to get them in trouble and cost more money so it will be a bleak mid winter for them.
Yes David and Ruth feeling sorry for themselves must put on thier big boy wellies and sort out the B'stard Vince . I would go straight round his house and give him what for no matter what and if my sister still insists on seeing him I would go NC with her. Just thinking they must be getting a tidy sum from hiring out the barn. Where do they find the time!
Oh and I have sent all my Christmas cards thanks WhoppingBackSide, beforethe post strike! P.s why dont they Just ask Kirsty if they can have some of the twigs opps I mean logs. Cant understand how Kirsty is such a nature lover when she couldnt even pick up a goldfish when it was out of its bowl. Gotta love The Archers.

Even if how everyone is handling Ben's MH isn't the best, I still think it is very realistic. I also don't think Ben will actually 'mind' his confidence being broken, it has given him the encouragement to talk to his parents.

Also going back to the previous thread and the background of Ed and Emma, they never wanted to be boring (like Will or Neil), it has just crept up on them.

Thanks for the new thread @Gasp0de

I thought last night was well done. I think actually it sounds like Ben will feel better having told his parents how he feels, and so will forgive Leonard for breaking that confidence. David sounds broken to me - as if his whole world has shifted a bit on its axis and he's having to deal with things that are completely foreign and have huge consequences. I didn't hear it being all about him and Ruth, just that they're overwhelmed for Ben and not sure how to help him. I'm surprised that the suicidal thoughts are so surprising to them though - I thought we'd heard David had been googling psychosis and it surely would be mentioned. Ime (obviously very different to D+R) most people with either serious or ongoing mental health problems have thoughts of suicide at some point. The first time it occurs to them it's often quite shocking, as it's such a taboo still, but after that it can almost be a comforting thought - that at least there's a way out if things really get too much. Self-harming is often a different beast altogether and more a coping mechanism rather than reflecting any serious wish to die (although sadly accidents do happen). It's so hard for the families though - I think it's good that the SWs are showing us that, even if it does require Ruth's annoying soft voice.

I'm not enjoying the emergence of Bonnie and Clyde Grundy although I loved Emma's in-character moaning and George pulling her up on it. Not often that George is my favourite character in a scene. Agree that it's ridiculous they would think the wood is of any use at all for burning. Maybe they'll light a fire and quietly die of smoke inhalation.

I’ve listened to it twice and on both occasions I thought I heard a badly played school recorder as David returned from checking on the sheep 🤔

My feelings exactly. The way things are going (with the EE style plotting) I wouldn't be at all surprised if Emmur ends up being tempted to dip her fingers into the till at the tea room (prompted by coat envy etc) or even at The Bull. You would have thought Ed's experience of law breaking at the hands of Timotei and Susan's spell in prison would be enough to put her off, but I have a feeling the SWs are doing that thing where they get us to look one way - ie at George who has shown signs of criminal tendencies - while the real problem is happening elsewhere.
Brilliant thread title @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g - it's almost worth the plot taking such a gloomy term for you to come up with that.

I’m on the verge of actually whooping at the re-emergence of the real Emma! As @TeenDivided observed - she never wanted to be boring. Life has just ground her down. In this she’s not quite like her mother - Susan craves respectability above all else - but Emma, two generations removed from Basic Horrobin, might be totally up for a bit of Robin Hood notoriety. Obvs it could all end in serious tears - but I hope the SWs give us a caper with no life changing devastation. She deserves a bit of reckless fun with Ed.

And of course - thank you, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g for sterling thread starting, as always!

Just checking in to the new thread.

Frustrated with Ed and Emma, they should know that nicking the logs is stupid. If they want a nice stable life like Fallon and Harrison then Ed should get a proper job not steal.

LOVE the title

Haha me too!

Isn't Emma on the parish Council?

Posted mine yesterday evening. Postbox said”Fri” as next collection. Since our collection is 7am, I couldn’t work out whether they were on strike yesterday and hadn’t made Friday’s collection, or whether they were on strike all week and the next collection was Friday 16th.

Lovely bit of detail, if so!

How does stealing logs = doing something interesting/unpredictable/life changing? When Emma started talking about the need to up their game I thought she was going to suggest finding better jobs. I can’t believe she’s ok living in a cold static caravan, eeking out a living working in a cafe and pub. I mean I know they are still young-ish but the lack of ambition and actual plan to improve their lives grates.

George is horrendous but I sympathise with his frustration and I understand his desperation to escape. I imagine he can’t invite friends home and it must be difficult with his family living on top of each other. Wasn’t he going to live with Will?

I thought it was odd that Emma thinks Fallon is annoyed that the identical coat is second hand. Why would Fallon even care. She isn’t short of cash. I’m also wondering why a coat that is presumably part of a new range (since Fallon bought it very recently) is already in a second hand shop but realise I’m completely over thinking!

Emma said she got the coat online. I'm assuming Vinted.