Archers thread #145: The glue that held the Aldridges together is gone. Will they fall apart? 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, and of course we are always delighted to welcome back former or occasional listeners/posters. We don't all agree on all points, although we do mostly try to be civil about it.

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.)

Lillian and I both made the glue observation, so I thought that would be as good a way as any to kick off this new thread. We raced through the last one, for obvious reasons. This one may last until the funeral. Will Tamsin Greig find time to attend? I do hope so.

The poem Jennifer quoted in her journal is here: www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43775/rabbi-ben-ezra It's doubtful whether the last of Jennifer's life was the best, but she had plenty to contend with all the way through.

Over to you!

I agree with all this, but I think the SWs are a bit stuck here. Isn't that what happens in RL? These days people grow up and move away unless there is something to keep them anchored to the small community (with limited expensive housing options) - a farm for instance in the case of TA (or a stately home!) Ruairi will have to move back and become involved in the business in some way if he's going to stay long term. Otherwise it always feels slightly artificial when they try to clip their wings - Phoebe and the rewilding with her PPE degree springs to mind. In the end they had to let her go. Alice did a commute, but they had to tie her to Ambridge by marrying her to Chris. I'm waiting for GG to reopen with an unfeasibly wide range of employment opportunities for the denizens of Ambridge. A bells and whistles beauty salon for example which Chelsea can take charge of.

Someone could go to uni, do Law degree, law school and become a solicitor working at Usha's firm. Not quite sure who though, maybe Mia?

Redbookish was likewise quite errrr robust in her views.

She and I are still good friends, having first met in ML. She's not scary really.

Regarding the title to this thread - I do wonder how on earth Adam - sans Debbie - might hold Home Farm together once Brian dies. Or even if he’d want to.

I’m already imagining Brad returning as a tech billionaire and buying up the whole place, including the Home Farm house.

But then I think of The Estate, and how it’s been dismantled to the point of no longer being an entity.

And Arkwright Hall …

I'm so irritated with the fact that Natasha claims to have done some research into modelling but has nowhere come across advice not to get suckered into spending money on photographs. Even if she hasn't, surely it doesn't take Einstein to work out that spending a fortune on a portfolio for a baby is utterly pointless because the baby will change so much within 6 months?

If they want to make this into a nice dark storyline, the babies will get lots of publicity, then someone will make the connection with Helen, they will forever be known as the.husband-stabber's nieces and TomnTasha will be absolutely furious.

I think they toyed with that for Dan, but perhaps it was too much of a cliché given it was his father’s firm originally. Dan will be a difficult one to ever bring back.

La S was very definitely not Scottish! She was a solicitor working in London and living in a commuter town, as I recall.

@MereDintofPandiculation Yes, I remember Bayko. I spent hours building houses with it when I went to stay at my Grandma's. I've never found anyone else who had heard of it! Thank you for bringing back a happy memory

@BeatriceBatchelor , @OverArmour
I'm irritated by the affected way Tom pronounces Seren.

I really do not understand the thinking behind this comment. Given that the baby is called Seren, do you think he should say Serr-enn at home but refer to her as Serr-un outside the home?
Weird.

**No need to answer as I don't want a bunfight.

No need to answer as I don't want a bunfight

Well I'm capable of having a conversation without it turning into a bunfight but you clearly think you'll struggle...

Go on then

Thank you Asking! I sometimes wonder why you aren't called Answeringquestionsallthetime

I knew a family who were obsessed with the London game but also thought they were the only people on the world who knew about it.
I keep nearly picking up a copy in our local toyshop. Definitely more tempted now.

I always thought that a bunfight was the eats and drinks do which takes place following a formal ceremony or event.

It's good and unlike some games you can play with 6 players).

I'd love to see a modern version to see if they have reworded the visiting cards as they sound very flowery and pompous to modern ears.

The one good thing going for Julianne imo is that she knows she wants to be controlling and manipulative, so at least she keeps things transactional.

Ruairi didn't really understand when she packed him off with Alice it was because he was no use to her rather than because she gave a monkeys. She's not paying for that.

I once went for a massage and the masseuse kept talking about when she had discovered her late neighbour's body. I wasn't uncaring, but it was frankly
annoying as I was in desperate need of a de stress myself.

I really hope Tom and Tash are just going to get financially screwed rather than anything darker.

I quite like flowery and pompous language @TeenDivided

Ruiari and Ben could move into The Stables and go on a healing journey together. Then both return to university in the autumn.

@Iloveabaconbutty , it can also mean a petty squabble or argument.
If Natasha was irish and the DC was Orla, would Tom be annoying if he sounded the R in Orla, and not say is as ''All a"?

There was an OrlaQuiver on ML, and a NestaVipers, and a Flea

I want the game now.

@BeatriceBatchelor , in Felpersham. Sounds like a plan.

Alice could have trained to be a vet, it would have made more sense long term

^^This x 100.

Plus, at such supposedly high-powered networking events, is a plus-one even the norm these days?

Plot Twist:
as an insurance policy, Ruairi has quietly squirrelled away compromising evidence of Julianne's proclivities as a "Sugar Mummy"(hideous term). Now feeling spurned, dark storyline potential for blackmail or revenge porn-type exposure, and irreparable damage to her reputation.

Where is Johnny these days? He always struck me as one of the likeable youngsters.

I’ve got no interest in any kind of fight, if that’s ok. I have enough upset in my life at the moment, like most of us do. Talking about The Archers is my happy place.

For what it’s worth, it’s how he uses a fake welsh accent for the name, not how he pronounces it specifically. Ok, do your worst.

If Ruairi has been daft enough to spend all the money Brian gave him, he'll have to join his student friends slinging chips at Wetherspoons or similar. It'll probably be incredibly good for him.

@OverArmour

It grates on me as well.