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!

They're trying to bring more diversity. Lily and Adil are Darcy and Bennett.
The race/religion issue won't be discussed in any 'negative' way.

@JanglyBeads , If someone is talking to someone else in a language I'm unfamiliar with, I go by tone of voice. I only know the odd phrase in urdu, my punjabi is slightly better. The words suggested that there was some disagreement but the tone didn't particularly. It was definitely urdu and not punjabi.

The writer this week is Naylah Ahmed

Patricia Green sounds very frail now Also sounds as if she's not in the studio with the other actors

I'm wondering if they're setting up Lily and Adil so Grey Gables and Lower Loxley are competing for business

Might "Bad mannered" have referred to Lily, and 'Go away' have been "I must go away"? He was being perfectly friendly before he went over from English, after all.

Remarkable, what Fallon and Jolene have managed to produce from completely untrained and inexperienced choirs within a matter of weeks.

Remarkable.

Oh my Goodness talk about Hallmark Christmas film,perfect choir and David and Jill talking with silent night in the background. A bit too much sugar for me. Choir's were very professional seeing they only had a couple of weeks to practice. Wonder if George over heard Fallon telling the Corsair how much hard work he had been.

Letter, not quite from Shula:

www.ft.com/content/55f6cd8f-a61b-425e-b3d8-069c6e8f37fb

(Lucy Kellaway, still on an anthropological quest, this time in the NE.)

Wonder if George over heard Fallon telling the Corsair how much hard work he had been

We are almost certainly looking at a stalker SL in the New Year.

Corsair? Stalker? I've missed something.

George will have overheard Fallon talking indiscreetly about his lack of musical talent to the Pirate. His ardour and infatuation will turn quickly to loathing. He will start stalking and harassing Fallon and make her life a nightmare.

A poster pointed out that Jolene always sounds like she's impersonating a pirate!

Corsair = crossword clue = pirate= Jolene.
Stalker = George = Fallon.

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime , those were my interpretations of what Adil said, and they are guesses. The conversation before he switched language was Adil telling Barge that singing in a choir didn't mean he was switching to christianity or something like that, and it did sound like they were arguing. Maybe he said he couldn't go away from the choir as it would be ill-mannered?
The only bit I can say for certain I translated ok was the 'Allah khafiz'.

Ah that explains it. Thanks.

Come off it, it's ages since the topic of racism reared its ugly head in Ambridge. Not "typical BBC" at all.

My vote is for Jill - I think that's why there's been a rapprochement. I would much prefer it if it was Peggy though!

That's my thinking too, but the 🔮is, as usual, hedging its bets being somewhat opaque.

Jill, Peggy and JennyDarling are all in the frame.

Plus, presumably, Robert. Unless they just make him a silent for a few years.

Surely Peggy needs to go before Jill, it's only proper?

(Maybe there'll be a RCT on the Borchester bypass involving all of four of them plus a random Ambridge resident? )

Nadolig Llawen / Merry Christmas to my fellow Archers addicts. Hope you all have a nice drama-free day (until 7:02pm) xx

Merry Christmas 🎄

I'm really hoping Jenny isn't deaded today.

Merry Christmas everyone.🦇🏴‍☠️🍸🎄🍾

Merry Christmas all. I am delighted to have been gifted this 1996 Archers book.

I think it must be ild enough to allow me to post a few photos out of copyright (but am happy enough to pop them on the spoilers thread).

Oooh, g'wan, g'wan... I don't think things more than twenty-five years old can exactly be spoilers, can they?