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!

I can't believe Elizabeth is taking Vinces side in this! David was totally right when he said Vince was trying to get back in her good books (or knickers!). That is the only reason he attempted to apologise. I don't understand why Elizabeth wants to be with such a horrible person. He's obviously got hidden talents.

"Oh, well, you tried <shrug>. Now let's go to bed."

No mention made of money, I noticed.

ie loan repayment

blimey what a lot of ums and ahhs
I hope this all plays out as an Awful Warning to any young listeners and he settles down with the simple country lad. Apart from anything else I can't believe he really needs the money, Brian's circumstances may be reducued but he's hardly skint.

"I can't believe Elizabeth is taking Vinces side in this!"

Well, the alternative would be to take David's. When thinking of the inhabitants of Brookfield in terms of the Cold Comfort Farm cows, I think of him as Graceless. Josh is Feckless, Ben Aimless and Pip Pointless.

I wonder if we'll ever see Rosie again?

Does anyone else think Lottie is a bit odd? I'm getting a similar vibe to Daisy-May Cooper's Am I Being Unreasonable.

More than a little bit odd, if only because she wants to be friends with Pip. Wotireckon is that she was Toby's "other" girlfriend in Brighton (or wherever it was) and her daughter is Rosie's half-sister.

Ooh! We know nothing about her husband do we? Not even a name.

We don't even know that she has a husband. Her moving back to the Ambridge area might have precipitated Toe-B's departure.

If the scriptwriters want this, that will be £4.50 please.

I'm sure she said she came back to Ambridge with her husband but I don't think he exists. Interesting.

Where was her daughter when her and Pip were out - the day Ben picked Rosie up? Did she say she was with her dad?

If I was Pip I'd be starting a thread asking whether I should have left my DD in the care of my old school friend who, on reflection, seemed to have completely engineered having her stay at her house for the night.....

99% YES, YADDBU!

Maybe I meant NO.

You know what I mean....

@JanglyBeads that circumstance would make me feel uneasy, when added to the shoe-horned conversation where Lottie wanted to discuss her daughter's words for her genitalia over lunch. But surely the storyline won't head in that direction?

It's odd how all arrangements have been made because Lottie's daughter (whose name escapes me) and Rosie have decided it's happening. Don't the parents talk to each other?

DH is inclined towards bunny boiler territory. I'm wondering if Lottie's gay

Lottie's daughter (whose name escapes me)

Madison.

What sort of nutter turns up for a night at a B&B on the say-so of a 5 year old?

Why on earth would Elizabeth let Vince organise a full reconciliation session without giving him the full story on Ben? It's utterly pointless him trying to apologise if he doesn't know what he's apologising about.

I wondered the same thing. Utterly absurd.

I don't often say this about Archers characters, but Lottie and Stella sounded quite similar to me this evening.

Lottie also seemed to have perfected the use of one of Pip's vocal fillers (the sort of neurruaargh sound) during conversation which seemed a bit strange... not so odd between long term best friends who spend lots of time together, but for two women who have only just rekindled a friendship it seems a bit early for turns of phrase/noises to have rubbed off. Perhaps the Lottie actress has been listening to the Archers too much?!

No way would David and Ruth have gone to that dinner.

Elizabeth is pathetic. If she's so desperate not to be alone, she should hook up with Russ. Lily would've got over it in time and we wouldn't have lost a good actor/character.

I can't remember. I don't think I was paying that much attention at the time. If she has returned to Ambridge maybe her parents still live there.

Elizabeth is pathetic.
**
do you think that now we're into mental-health territory do you think we're going to find out that she's long harboured bad feelings towards David because of Nigel.

I agree. it was setting him up to fail. If he doesn't realise the impact it has all had on Ben & David & Ruth how can he begin to apologise?

I agree. Crazy!
But it is nice to see Pip & Rosie making friends.