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!

Seems to me that if Erik is in Ambridge for only ten days or so, he won't have much time to be a destructive force, though he may cause Kate to become discontented with his (let's face it) rather dreary and awful brother.

He can decide to stay on longer,

I love Jakob! Possibly because he bears some resemblance to my husband ...

It sounds like Kate is die a bit of introspection- she's twice questioned why she's referred to Jakob as her life partner.

I'm jealous! I like him because he's not an idiot - I just miss the "being a bit Scandi" accent that he's forgotten about.

I'm confused about who's living where, though. Kate is presumably still officially at Peggy's. Is Jakob living in the cottage that Chris got in the divorce, which is (possibly) next-door to Alice? In which case, where did Chris go?

I've lost track but is the cottage Chris's? In which case he is renting it out and continuing to live in the flat over the shop.

PS Mr Gasp is about as far from an idiot as it's possible to be. This is sometimes annoying as he is usually right about things, but in the long run it's useful.

I've lost track but is the cottage Chris's?
I'm not at all sure now you question it.

In which case he is renting it out and continuing to live in the flat over the shop.
Yes! That's where he went! It was absurd because at some point he had full-time care of Marr-furr and the reasons Tom'n'Nocasha moved out included it being impossible to get a buggy up and down the narrow stairs. (Unless that happened in my fevered mind, which is possible.)

I have really taken against Erik. Kate has been simpering since she clapped eyes on him and her flirtation combined with laughing at Erik’s ‘jokes’ about his brother seems very disloyal. It’s a big no from me. I hope they run off together - Jakob deserves someone with the decency Kate doesn’t have.

I don't think Kate being a simpering, disloyal fool can be blamed on Erik, though, can it? That's down to her.

Oh, and a PS to @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g's PS - better a man who is occasionally annoying because he's not an idiot than one who is constantly annoying because he is. If Confucius didn't say that, he should have done.

@Gonners, indeed he should. Re flat above shop and stairs - to be fair (I know, what am I saying?), a double buggy and two babies would be more of a headache to lug up and down the stairs than a singleton.

They would have had a twin buggy though.

I think the only reason Tom and Natasha left the flat above the shop was that Hazel evicted them at very short notice on the pretext that Natasha was using it as a work premises. At one point when she knew she was pregnant but Tom didn't, Natasha had wanted to get a house they couldn't afford, in another village, but that didn't come to anything.

Hazel wanted to live in the flat above the shop herself, but then discovered that people in Ambridge had not forgotten what a loathsome piece of work she was, and left the place in a snit about three weeks later.

They would have had a twin buggy though.

True - also, there were two of them + two (stained-glass-window-worthy) babies, and I expect they needed somewhere larger.

Talking of windows, what is the Cunning Plan and will Bunter have the balls to reject it? My money is on a financial incentive to the church, because the wealthy Archers think they can buy anything. I hope Usha talks some sense into him.

It's not up to Alan, whatever anyone may have said. It's not up to the Bishop either.

www.london.anglican.org/kb/stained-glass-windows/

www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2018-11/CCB_New-glass-for-your-church_Aug-2016.pdf

"Normally the procedure falls within the remit of the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches (DAC) and is first handled in a parish by its Parochial Church Council (PCC)."

Not to mention the Archdeacon and the Faculty getting involved.

Those sites took me at least twenty seconds to find using a search engine; why cannot the editorial team manage the same lengthy process?

Interesting. I wonder who's on the PCC apart from the vicar? Neil, probably, but nobody else springs to mind. I can see Neil wondering aloud why the stellar twins should be celebrated over Lilian's and Jenny's grandchildren (Martha, of course, but also Kate's lot and Xander), and Helen's children ... and Johnny.

I mean, it's not as though these twins are even boys!

Not still going on about the church window. Why are they so bothered about it why would you care so much. Is it because the Archers feel so entitled?
Who would you prefer to work with Justin or Joy?.
I would prefer Joy but if I was in charge I would love to boss Justin about.

Think I must have fallen asleep during parts of last night's episode - I heard Kate saying there were no hard feelings about the window - do we now know that there's a cunning plan to make Alan change his mind?

I wondered if Jim recruiting Justin was designed to make Susan relent and give Joy the job? @Bubbylana I would much prefer Joy - can't stand Justin.

Thinking about it though if Susan asked Justin to do something he didnt like,apart from standing by the till chatting to everyone, I think he would refuse and say Susan should do it as she gets paid and he is only a volunteer. He would be a nightmare.

Yes you missed a bit! She then explained to Lilian they were going o kill Alan with kindness to get him to change his mind.

Thanks @TeenDivided. How tedious - I briefly hoped that that might be the end of the matter (I know I know - triumph of hope over experience 🙄)

Erik is Jakob in a false moustache testing Kate's loyalty. Obviously.

Nice to be in the shop so I could visualise the action, I can't believe Susan wouldn't take Joy over Justin (I think she will eventually because I feel Joy is destined to be there - out of her house and in the centre of the village). Glad to hear Jenny is alive and well and going on a spa weekend with Lillian. I can't believe the window pain is going to continue - I thought for one happy moment that aperture had been firmly closed at the start of the episode, but it seems destined to rattle on. No stars from me for this storyline.

better a man who is occasionally annoying because he's not an idiot than one who is constantly annoying because he is. If Confucius didn't say that, he should have done.

I love that and want it on a mug.

Love the idea that Erik is Jakub testing Kate. I really don't like Kate, mostly because her voice makes her sound sneery. She actually seems quite sweet sometimes.

The twin window though. The others really really really should have obected at the elevation of the Holy Twosome over all other grandkids. I would have on the grounds that at some point the other kids will realise they don't have a window and that will be horrible for them. (Is Peggy dead yet?)

Great stealth title suggestion there, @LillianGish !

I feel compelled to recommend the Spoilers thread to curious listeners, btw. It’s quite fun at the moment ... 🤐