Archers thread #146: They did fall apart. Can they put themselves together again? 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. Most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you'd like to donate your time as a guide at Lower Loxley to save the Pargetters paying someone else a living wage, 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.)

Thanks to @Impostersyndrome for the thread title suggestion Buses and trains are sorely lacking, canals might be nearby, but all roads lead to Ambridge, picking up on transport discussions in the last thread. In the end I didn't use it, having in mind the character limit. @TottersBlankly contributed an early draft title Wreathes, wrath, writhing (Jennifer, Lilian, Ruairi). Both good starting points for the new thread, which I hope will last till Jennifer's funeral, surely not too far off now. So, over to you - whither the Aldridges? Also, does anyone care if Lee goes to the US? Is anyone even slightly interested in the Brookfield B&B venture?

I genuinely snorted at that final sentence

Hello!

Sorry @GoldenCupidon, elders is what they are called in the Church of Scotland but they don't call themselves "Elder Jones" "Elder Carter" like the Mormons do! I thought that C of E also had them.

For poaching, the single most important thing is to use as fresh an egg as possible, otherwise the white will not surround the yolk evenly, no matter how much vinegar you add to the water.
Agree that a fresh egg is best but I don't add any vinegar at all, and the egg usually looks a bit like a sunny-side up fried egg, and I am happy with that as long as the yolk is runny.

The volunteers could cycle to LL. There's a road going past it, so maybe it is on a bus route. How does Chelsea get there?

Neil is a church warden. Do CofE churches have elders?

cling film method **TW may show some runny yolk

I'm sure you're right! I just had a startling mental image of Neil in his temple garment. My knowledge of church titles is non-existent scant.

Sorry @Dillydallydilly ! But what other explanation is there for the clever, fun Fallon putting up with the dim tediousness of his company?

Yes, I believe so. I was brought up in the Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian and has no truck with churchwardens and their ilk. They have Elders, Ministers and Church Secretaries, though.

Cross post. No, I don't think so.

@ILoveShula yes similar to that except I chuck the clingfilm square over a small cup, spray with that oil spray stuff (or just drop in a drop of oil), egg in then tie the corners like a little parcel. No clips but that could be a good idea.

Do you think the fact that a stately home had younger guides would have persuaded your teenage self to visit it when you otherwise wouldn't?

No!

@Xol , there weren't any stately homes nearby. Parents weren't interested in visiting stately homes. It wasn't something I was aware of as an activity.
The nearest NT country house to where I grew up was about 30 miles away, and the public transport would have meant a slow journey to get there. I'm not sure it was open when I was a teenager anyway.
IIRC we did visit one or two NT places but not stately homes.

I've visited stately homes as an adult, but only 3, I think.

There's one about 45 miles from me, and the web site's learning page shows that it has things for primary schools. Maybe Noluthando could do that at LL, given that she is a history teacher.

Didn't Hayley do children's tours when she worked there?

How would you know that it had younger guides before you had already got there – and as a PP said, Lower Loxley Hall is a long way from anywhere much so not somewhere you'd be likely to go on spec.

On 'buy a house in the country' or whatever this afternoon, they had a couple who wanted to start volunteering at the local stately home when they moved. (Lydiard park, owned by Swindon town).

I don't think they need younger guides. What they need is a Hayley thinking about and setting up things to attract children. That's slightly different. e.g. a Children's house trail to 'spot the animals in the paintings' or whatever.

@Xol Do you think the fact that a stately home had younger guides would have persuaded your teenage self to visit it when you otherwise wouldn't?

😂Nope. I've never been a fan of stately homes - ruined abbeys and Welsh castles were and still are more my thing - but I didn't want a guide of any age.

Was anyone else super confused by the casting choice tonight? I missed the first couple of minutes and I thought Ben and Lee were both attending on Vince…

Ben’s induction session at The Laurels was very true to life. The grumpy old man was just like my DF would have been, and the lack of staff would mean he is constantly chasing his tail. He started off a bit cocky but soon realised how hard it was going to be. It will be interesting to see if he can hack it.
Interestingly the grumpy man wasn’t in the cast list unless it was Jasper Carrot in disguise. He was Mr P… I await further developments with interest.

So did I. Was that Jasper Carrott? Considering it was Ben's first day I would have expected him to have a bit more support. Maybe shadowing someone else for a day but perhaps I'm over optimistic.

Didn't Ben start his nurse training only last September? He would have gained almost zero clinical experience before he had his breakdown. Or did he start the year before?

Also, swede - steamed and mashed with butter and black pepper.

My scrambled eggs are always rubbery. Poached ok. Can't stand fried egg.

Are we quite sure Ben’s mental health is stable enough for him to be left alone with vulnerable people? That really was a remarkably quick recovery…

Oh I'm so glad I've caught up and the egg chat is still in full flow.

Poached is my favourite, I put the eggs in little ramekins to sit for a while then drop them in salted, bubbly water with a splash of white wine vinegar. I don't know how long I cook them for but I always seem to know when they're done.

Letting them sit in the ramekins helps them keep their shape in the pan.

If you're cooking anything in the microwave it should be streaky bacon. Laid on a plate with a sheet of kitchen roll over it, for about 5 mins or more. I couldn't microwave an egg, I don't know why. I did make a microwave risotto once. It wasn't great but it used up cupboard bits and I'm the only one who'd eat risotto here anyway.

Last year I got taken down in my prime by a hotel breakfast poached egg. Spent the night shaking on the bathroom (thankfully en suite, not family) floor, vomming into a tiny bin and sweating. I might be a home eggs person now.

The ageism was awful tonight. I was waiting for someone to point out that Freddie was a young person hanging around LL all day. Be the change and all that.

I imagine volunteering at a stately home provides a sense of prestige, definitely more so than a charity shop.

I'd love it if Noli stayed.

@suzyscat If you're cooking anything in the microwave it should be streaky bacon. Laid on a plate with a sheet of kitchen roll over it, for about 5 mins or more.

Ooh, that sounds like a potential Top Tip! Does it crisp up?

I thought it was Vince too, I thought it had been a very quick road to the Care Home.

Yes @Gonners perfect crispy bacon!

When I first left home the market near me only sold back bacon. I kept buying it and thinking I was cooking it wrong as it wasn't lovely and crispy like my dad's bacon. (He taught me the microwave tip but this was years before I or he ever owned one.) Eventually I mentioned this to my mum, who gently pointed out that they were different cuts and my dad would never eat back bacon.

Ooh also I was rather surprised by Alan's advice to Kate tonight. I was genuinely expecting him to say it was fine to cry and you're surrounded by people who loved Jenny. You're not the RSC.

The first time I did a reading at a funeral I absolutely bawled through it. It never would have occurred to me that this wasn't okay.

I agree @suzyscat.

I have read at a few funerals as I’m quite good at not crying during these things. But it’s very, very usual to get quite teary during readings. The only issue I have is that when I hear someone else cry I get a lump in my throat too.

It was a change to hear Kate's human side - and her distress was convincingly acted.

(Oh, and to return to the bacon, I greatly prefer streaky over back, but haven't been able to get it right since 1999 when I last had a gas grill. So thank you, @suzyscat.)