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Original poster

Archers thread #145: The glue that held the Aldridges together is gone. Will they fall apart? Discuss The Archers here.

978 replies

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 29/01/2023 22:36

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

Archers 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.

Archers 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!

Archers 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!

OP posts:
Poppins2016 · 09/02/2023 03:03

Is it just me, or is Kate's voice sounding posher than usual? It's as though she's been taking elocution lessons!

I find it jars a little... I tend to find that families who tend towards 'RP' all do so on the same level, if that makes sense. Adam, Debbie, Alice and Ruairi (plus Brian and the late JD) are a notch or two down on the scale!

Anyway, I'm nitpicking... that's 3 am thibking for you!

iratepirate · 09/02/2023 05:50

I wonder if it’s a conscious decision when wading into an “I’m going to tell you what to do” conversation to try and give herself gravitas.

TeenDivided · 09/02/2023 06:46

Xander is only at nursery, give him a break.

Kate is annoying, but brilliant.

My favourite was Pigeon Post with Squashy Hat / Timothy the Armadillo.
Followed I think by Swallowdale.

Bubbylana · 09/02/2023 06:50

Oh Kate what a silly filly she is. I think she will try her luck with home farm and annoy everybody then Brain will appear and tell her to shut up and leave off, and tell Adam he must help Stella. Unfortunately she would have sold her business and have nothing to do and pester Jakob within an inch of his life. Jakob will have had enough ,give her the big heave oh! And she will do everyone a favour and go to South Africa because "My children need me!". Never to be heard of again.

Original poster
Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 09/02/2023 07:01

TeenDivided · 09/02/2023 06:46

Xander is only at nursery, give him a break.

Kate is annoying, but brilliant.

My favourite was Pigeon Post with Squashy Hat / Timothy the Armadillo.
Followed I think by Swallowdale.

Winter Holiday for me, I think, but I love them all.

OP posts:
Xol · 09/02/2023 07:14

If Kate puts herself in a position where she no longer has an income from spiritual home, is she expecting Home Farm to pay her for her invaluable self-appointed input?

TeenDivided · 09/02/2023 07:15

I loved how Stella checked herself and found a task to distract Kate. If there really are miles of hedges it could keep her quiet for a few weeks.

Catnary · 09/02/2023 07:30

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 08/02/2023 14:29

Why is Freddie going to inherit, and not Lily?

Because that was what Nigel wrote in his will.

GoldenCupidon
not sure why Stella was so awkward and rude with the recently bereaved Kate though, she sounded like a sulky teenager not a farming professional dealing with her employer’s daughter.

Dealing with her employer; Kate is one of the partnership that employs her.

Show quote history

I’m pretty sure that Nigel had no power to change the line of inheritance

Original poster
Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 09/02/2023 08:40

Has it occurred to Kate that if she walks away from Spiritual Home, which a few short years ago she was so adamant could only be run on Home Farm land that she forced Brian and Jennifer to sell their home rather than a few fields, the rest of the family are not likely to be pleased?

My knowledge of trusts is mostly from 19th century novels. Are they really still in force, entails, male primogeniture and all? Gosh.

OP posts:
FallonsNewCoat · 09/02/2023 08:50

Is there a Kate in every family? She is so similar to my sister that TA is starting to feel like a fly-on-the-wall documentary.

Gonners · 09/02/2023 09:09

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g - My knowledge of trusts is mostly from 19th century novels. Are they really still in force, entails, male primogeniture and all? Gosh.

Entails were abolished many years ago - I'm thinking around the 1920s** - but I think existing ones for property carried on for a certain period. If it was, say, 100 years then that would explain Nigel and then Freddie getting LoLo. If Nigel hadn't been cruelly slaughtered, it would have run out before he carked it.

** I used to know this stuff but my brain ran out of space so I deleted it.

Brefugee · 09/02/2023 09:10

My favourite was Pigeon Post with Squashy Hat / Timothy the Armadillo.
Followed I think by Swallowdale.

Swallowdale and Winter Holiday for me (the Ds!)

I follow a chap on YouTube who goes very deeply into how English is spoken. So RP has been replaced in many many cases by SSB (Standard Southern British) which is pretty much how i would describe most of the Aldridges. Except Kate who is seemingly channelling JD's accent and also talking down her nose in a way that would make me want to punch her in the throat if she were directing it at me.

Gonners · 09/02/2023 09:12

@FallonsNewCoat - I think many women with a sister think there's a Kate in the family and that it isn't her. I know I do ... and so does my sister! 😉

Octothorpe · 09/02/2023 10:07

BerylBillings · 07/02/2023 22:47

Oh, Neil Nunes (R4 continuity announcer), you've outed yourself as not paying enough attention to Ambridge character names...

Preamble ahead of this evening's episode mentioned Jakob but as pronounced "JAY-cob".
Tut tut.
😀

@BerylBillings I heard that too and also yelped a bit but, in fairness to Neil N, it wasn’t him, it was Viji Alles.

I’m glad I’m not alone in finding Kate’s Special Smuggery unbearable to listen to. It’s her equivalent of Ruth’s Whispery Caring.

TeenDivided · 09/02/2023 10:47

Kate is just being, well, Kate. It's how she has always been.

BerylBillings · 09/02/2023 11:59

@Octothorpe
You're absolutely right. My apologies, Neil Nunes!

I had his name on my brain, as I'd been listening to archive Shipping Forecasts as background research for a writing project.

His and Viji Alles's vocal tones (two of R4's very loveliest voices, imo) are both richly-textured with gravitas, but I MUST have been overtired to confuse a Jamaican-British accent with an Asian-British one!

Fink · 09/02/2023 12:44

BerylBillings · 09/02/2023 11:59

@Octothorpe
You're absolutely right. My apologies, Neil Nunes!

I had his name on my brain, as I'd been listening to archive Shipping Forecasts as background research for a writing project.

His and Viji Alles's vocal tones (two of R4's very loveliest voices, imo) are both richly-textured with gravitas, but I MUST have been overtired to confuse a Jamaican-British accent with an Asian-British one!

They both have quite deep voices and I think they can be easy to confuse if you're not listening attentively as neither of their accents is very strong anymore, they've softened over time. But I do think Neil Nunes has a much nicer voice overall, so soothing and comforting. Athough it does make him sound much older than I think he actually is.

Susan Rae is probably my favourite Continuity Announcer overall. But I also like Mairead Devlin's voice, and I think Alan Smith comes across as quite friendly and down to earth. Neil Nunes has the sexist voice though, by far!

UrsulaPandress · 09/02/2023 17:19

Can someone point me to a recap of why Home Farm was sold please.

TeenDivided · 09/02/2023 17:33

Back in the day, Brian let people bury illegal waste on home farm, for money.
It leaked and polluted the Am.
Home Farm had to pay all the clean up costs that they couldn't afford. So as not to deplete the farm they sold the farmhouse. He was also prosecuted so was a fine to pay too, I think.

BoreOfWhabylon · 09/02/2023 18:37

Yes, they could have sold off a chunk of land instead but Kate wouldn't let them because nasty tractors might disturb the ambience of Spiritual Home.

TottersBlankly · 09/02/2023 18:58

Horse’s mouth, @UrsulaPandress :

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1RRK20l21SbhrVkBX6CHSc6/good-bye-to-home-farm

Enjoy!

ILoveShula · 09/02/2023 19:20

I love Shula, sob.
I also love Alice and Freddie.

Catnary · 09/02/2023 19:35

Fink · 09/02/2023 12:44

They both have quite deep voices and I think they can be easy to confuse if you're not listening attentively as neither of their accents is very strong anymore, they've softened over time. But I do think Neil Nunes has a much nicer voice overall, so soothing and comforting. Athough it does make him sound much older than I think he actually is.

Susan Rae is probably my favourite Continuity Announcer overall. But I also like Mairead Devlin's voice, and I think Alan Smith comes across as quite friendly and down to earth. Neil Nunes has the sexist voice though, by far!

Show quote history

I rarely listen live any more, is Zebedee Soames still a CN? He had the perfect voice AND name for R4!

ILoveShula · 09/02/2023 19:41

His surname is Soanes.

Catnary · 09/02/2023 19:42

ILoveShula · 09/02/2023 19:41

His surname is Soanes.

OK, sorry miss 😳