Archers thread #144: Window pains again! Light relief or dark times ahead for Ambridge in 2023? 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 volunteer in the shop with Susan, 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.)

New year, new thread. Many thanks to @LillianGish for the window pains pun! Hoping to hear a lot less from the Caseys this year and a good deal more about farming and how Ambridge is coping with Brexit, cost of living crisis, ageing population and all sorts of credible character-based storylines. Yes, I know, but one can only hope.

Over to you!

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g , he's a demon in the sack and has a gold-plated credit card.

I am a bit surprised she is planning to do it now, because that last we heard about it the environment agency had banned fishing and swimming in the Am.

Fallon and Harrison had to go all the way to the River Perch when they wanted to go swimming.

Absolutely agree. Odd pairing in the first place. I guess @WhoppingBigBackside might offer the only explanation! I need to offer a slight personal correction - I've been an avid Archers fan for over a QUARTER of a century, not half. I'm not quite that vintage yet - although sometimes feel like it! 😂

I was wondering- thank you for your clarity here! Excellent post!

@stilldumdedumming , thank you. Kursedy is braver than me. I'd not be too keen for a first date wearing a swimsuit. Not much kit to strip out of though.

And what's happened to Jennifer? Haven't heard from her for absolute ages.

Welcome @Iloveabaconbutty ! (I’m sorry to say the 25 years before you started listening were golden. )

I know I mentioned this at the end of the last thread but - curious listeners really should get themselves over to the Archers Spoilers thread, here:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4636789-the-archers-spoilers-thread-7-cant-wait-for-702pm-join-us-here

<Jumps up and down with excitement>

No we haven't. I have a feeling that she might be retiring before long, or is unwell. I hope she isn't unwell.
Maybe the number of actors per episode limit meant that she wasn't included.
I've always liked her as a character, apart from when she was having the affair with her ex-husband.

I feel obliged to say there are no spoilers about what is happening to Jennifer. Totters and I have vivid imaginations, however. The spoiler writers are astute and often just say something like 'Disaster strikes at X Farm' and it turns out to be a flat tyre at an inconvenient moment.

That's right. Anything described as 'shocking' is usually something fairly unremarkable.

Thanks @TottersBlankly I'll get myself across there. When I started listening Nelson Gabriel and Julia Pargetter were still around. What characters! The likes of Dan Archer I think had long since departed. Such a shame about Nigel being written out. You just need characters like that to bring colour and joy. And how about Lewis? Is he still around in the background somewhere? He never seems to be mentioned. Has he retired/died or simply quietly getting on with his job at LL? Have I missed something?

@Iloveabaconbutty , @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime will know.

I ask that question at regular intervals, Asking kindly answers it, and then I forget all over again. Looking forward to hearing the answer, for the umpteenth time!

I seem to remember Lewis was said to be conveniently "wanting to retire" when Russ took over the gallery, but not a word since.

Iloveabaconbutty
And how about Lewis? Is he still around in the background somewhere? He never seems to be mentioned. Has he retired/died or simply quietly getting on with his job at LL? Have I missed something?

Lewis has had very occasional mentions over the past ten years or so as being at Lower Loxley, though where he sleeps is a bit of a mystery. His job running the Art Gallery was given to Russ and he was said to be quite happy to retire from it.

Thanks Asking. I tried the Search thingy but I don't think it works I did it properly.

Blimey! Is that how you do it?!

I liked Kirsty being completely upfront about what she expects 😄
Her scenes made me smile - you go girl!

And it will be where little Thor will be conceived. Named after the walrus?

Kate will definitely be pissed-off if she finds out about this latest Tale from the River Bank, merely on the grounds of "propinquity", some barmy ownership of Erik.

Erik comes over like some flat-pack assembled romantic wrong 'un, coarsely alpha male and a right back passage when he really could have died jumping in the river but ignored the woman.

I hope Kirsty has a good time but doesn't get drawn in.

Oooh, thanks for the new thread Gasp0de

All i could think was "go Kirsty!"

What is Justin up to?

Yes. I was pleased for and he told her what he was upfront.

@Iloveabaconbutty you have made me do some counting and I’m approaching 50 years of listening soon. I started as a precocious teenager when Mrs Antrobus was striding the lanes with her “girls” and Tom Forrest was singing his songs. I remember Shula up to no good in a field with Neil too, and Elizabeth having a heart problem. My DH doesn’t understand I have lived in Ambridge longer than anywhere else.
I thought Erik’s “creepo-smoothie voice” was hilarious. If I was Kirsty I would giggle at that. I hope she has fun!

My listening years are 50 + however many months in the womb thst you can hear from.

Another BOOP for Kirsty - hope Erik's voice isn't a harbinger of doom and that they have some fun.

No idea what Justin is up to.

I've been 'listening' all my life, in that the Archers was always on at home. More consciously listening for probably 30 years. Yikes