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!

So - a BOOP for some delightfully true-to-life writing tonight.

David isn't friendless. He's surrounded with family and friends and neighbours.

Eric/Erik sounds a lot like Kate - free spirit, doesn't stick to things, leads a charmed existence...

I'm hoping that Erik will at least sound vaguely "Scandi", as Jakob did not so very long ago, back when he was rather quirky and different. The Ambridge air has removed all his charm. Also hoping that Erik either runs off with Kate or tells his brother how ghastly she is. This will not happen, though.

The Jim thing was sad. Jazzer needed to tell him that he was looking for an "old-fashioned" style best man, to stand with him and take care of the ring(s).

Could also be SWs. Jazzer says he can easily get someone else to be his best man … can you think of any good friends of Jazzer?

I really enjoyed tonight's (this morning to me) episode and sad that Jim has backed out of being best man. Jazzer knew exactly what he would be getting with Jim, and that was what he wanted.
The stuff about the reviving effects of rain was excellent.

Now, about this Erik. Possibly it's the fallout from other brothers in the news being at odds, but am hoping he complains about Kate's bossiness and gets decked by an outraged Jakob. Or something.

I know not much happened but I loved that episode too. It was comforting and funny. Kate gets the best lines.

I thought Ed was his best friend. He is good friends with Alastair and has grown closer to Neil.

I would say Alistair is a close friend of Jazzer’s, they really bonded when supporting Jim when he was dealing with his child abuse trauma

Kate and Erik up a tree. That’s all I really came on to say.

David hasn’t got time for friends, if he went round the village saying hello to everyone he’s related to he’d be exhausted. And let’s be honest how great are the men you know if their 60s(?) at keeping up friendships.

I think Lottie has been brought in because it’s entirely unlikely that a young mum with an outgoing personality in the village where she grew up would only chat to the people she lives with.

really jealous of the chai btw

Oh yes he'll be like Jakob but ....better!

I just caught up on the episodes & came on here to say this.

Elizabeth's breathy 'let's go home Vince' 🤮 after her DB / DSIL had left upset.

I enjoyed the Sun episode too love Kate, wouldn't want her to be my mother or sister though.

Sad that Jim turned Jazzer down but obvious it will all turn out fine with him by Jazzer's side on the day.

What was Rex and the cold, is he going to be unwell? Can't think what that means? Too I'll to be on houasboat and taken in by someone?

I really enjoyed that as well. Good to get away from 'big' storylines and just potter along. I found Jim's reaction to Jazzer asking him very touching.

Also suspect romance ahead for Kate and Erik.

And concerned about Rex's 'cold'.

I couldn't work out if Kirsty knows about EdnEm and the logs or if Rex had told her the camera broke as well?

I think Rex told Kirsty the camera was broken.

His best/oldest friend is Ed. They go right back to the drug addicted old days, and continued being mates doing the shearing together.

Other candidates would be; Tom, although their friendship took a hammering when Tom made Jazzer redundant or Fallon remember the role he played in her wedding?

Not Tom. Let us not speak about the tractor he arranged for Tom and Kirstie’s non-wedding …

I guess Ed might be hurt if Jazzer chose Alistair, yes.

Oh, no! Sorry - that was Roy, not Jazzer.

(Mistake acknowledged, no protests necessary …)

Erik will be gorgeous won't he? I'm guessing Kate will fall for him, but he'll be as irritating and flighty as she is so in the end she will come to appreciate all Jakob's quirks (with the option of some serious misunderstanding from Jakob along the way).

The Jim thing was sad. Jazzer needed to tell him that he was looking for an "old-fashioned" style best man, to stand with him and take care of the ring(s).

that made me sad because there is a very simple solution: someone else organises a stag? Or Jazzer does and it's just darts at The Bull or something?

I kind of like Kate sometimes, but her voice drives me round the twist. All nasal and ... urgh. Also who did Rex get to build the shelter thing? Ed?

Yes he's clearly Kate in male form. That wouldn't make for a happy relationship!

Elizabeth's breathy 'let's go home Vince' 🤮 after her DB / DSIL had left upset oh goodness yes I meant to comment on that as well. I dunno if she's supposed to have some kind of fetish for shitheads, or some kind of paraphilia about family members looking devastated, or if it was just weird acting, but it genuinely sounded like she was turned on by the whole occasion. Which is very very weird.

Even before that I was ready to kick her up the arse when she said her line about "not knowing where my loyalties lie". Yes it must be tricky to decide between backing your ruthless, violent boyfriend of a year or two, or your mentally ill young nephew and his parents, along with the local girl whose pregnancy and abortion your boyfriend outed in the local.

David and Nigel were good friends. One of the many reasons it was such a terrible decision from the production team to push Nigel off the roof.

I agree with everybody else, that was a good episode. We were having biblical deluges every so often yesterday so they struck lucky with their choice of weather backdrop for once!

I'd organise Jazzers stag. It'd be in The Bull but I'd blow loads of money on pipers. And isn't Jolene a ceilidh caller? Or she would know one. He'd love it. There would also be injuries. Ceilidh is surprisingly dangerous and raucous. He could invite the women or it could be an all make affair- either would work. And Jazzer gets to stumble home to bed - perfect.

Jolene does that thing that involves saying dozey dough or similar - line dancing? Stetsons, fringed jackets, cowboy boots? Probably not wildly different from a ceilidh, though - a bit more demure? Ceilidh sounds like a brilliant idea.

I'm not sure how you spell it - do si do ? - but it's a corruption of the French 'dos a dos' meaning back to back describing the way the dancers change places and go back to their original place. I hope that makes sense.