Archers thread #146: They did fall apart. Can they put themselves together again? Discuss The Archers here.

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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 knew I should have googled Perseverance! It's too early in the morning for me.

Can relate!!

Jennifer’s day today …

Hope they do full justice to her.

There were cousins as well - I'm sure there was a visit at some point and some connection with Shula. Did Freddie stay with Camilla at some point, possibly when not allowed to stay in the stately pile on account of using it for drug dealing?

I think Freddie was due to stay with Camilla as he couldn't stay at LL with the drugs thing due to their licensing rules. But he really didn't ant to stay with her , and Shula took him in instead.

Yes that rings a bell thank you! Wasn't Aunty Camilla a bit too strict for Freddie's liking? I don't think it was the cousins he disliked.

It's not in the least bit surprising that Chelsea, who already has a paid job at LL, wouldn't want to spend her spare time working there for free. I also loved that her ears pricked up at the possibility of more jobs being created locally through the EV charging station. I like the contrast between those in Ambridge to whom everything is handed on a plate and those who have to graft and those (like Neil) from a previous generation who are still happy to do a bit of forelock tugging. I could understand why Bert Fry wanted to get involved - retired, no kids or family in the village and a bit of a showman. But Neil seems so busy already - he has a full time job, a wife who works full time, children who still need his support, grandchildren and he already has loads of other stuff going on as chairman of the Parish Council, bell ringer etc.
Jennifer's funeral pie is just perfect.

I always imagine that THIS is Lower Loxley.

I hadn't imagined it being quite that big but, thinking about it, it has to be big enough to have guided tours, a gallery and a restaurant and still have private areas.

I don’t think it did used to be that big, but thanks to the Ambridge property fairy (and Elizabeth’s stewardship) it has morphed and changed over the years. Now with its rare breeds, birds of prey, treetop walk, vineyard, art gallery, accommodation for conferences etc etc it feels much bigger and grander than the place where Nigel grew up.

She may have been a good cook, but she lacks the capability to communicate her recipes. That’s the second one that has gone completely wrong for Susan

The “official” inspiration is Hanbury Hall (you’d certainly come to grief falling off that roof), but Charlecote is nicer. Grown from the landscape rather than imposed upon it.

Jennifer's funeral pie is just perfect.

Snog, Marry, Pie …

To be fair, gelatine can be temperamental. I always avoid using it. What was the other recipe?

Assuming the SW went back to to Jennifer Aldridge's Archers Cookbook, as I did (see picture above), the recipe is for small pies made with hot water crust pastry, like pork pies, which can be handed round at a shoot. I wonder if she served them hot, warm or cold. What Brian found in the freezer presumably uses the same filling but maybe puff pastry and made up as one large pie for a family gathering.

🐞< proposed overinfested emoji [whose typo/joke was that originally? I forget.]

I also thought that lamb, leek and prune pie sounded pretty horrible, but also true to that generation maybe? I can certainly imagine Jennifer making it.

I enjoyed last nights episode. Good on Chelsea (and Freddie's completely dumbfoundedness!), and I like that Jenny's pie will be at the funeral tea. I too hope they do the character justice tonight - given how long Angela Piper and many of her fellow actors have been in the cast the SWs could probably have a night off and just let the actors ad lib reminiscences. I'm enjoying Alice and Susan's relationship just now too.

I think that's more what I had in mind.

Am I alone in thinking lamb, prune and leek pie sounds nice?

Aunt Camilla was played by Patricia Hodge iirc.

im afraid my stomach churned at the thought of leek, lamb and prune pie. Ditto the gelatine thing. It’s a very particular style of cooking and to me, totally in tune with JD’s catering to shoots and similar hearty lunches for hungry moneyed country folk (men).

Completely agree with all this - it was an interesting show of the generational and class divides.

That said, once Chelsea is Neil's age will she have acquired the same mind set? Look at the royal fervour which breaks out on MN and the class obsessions in many threads.

You're welcome to have it all! It's the prunes that rule it out for me. Even if it's just one single prune, unless the pie is Desperate Dan sized the taste would kill the leeks.

I don't eat lamb but I can imagine the flavour of the whole pie is quite nice - like a very rich Christmas stuffing. I expect she did a big centrepiece one for a family gathering, decorated with oak leaves or roses or something. Did she go on cookery courses? She's the sort I imagine signing up for the eye wateringly expensive ones they have on offer near me.

But what I really came on to say was - ER HELLO did anyone actually listen to Chelsea's story? The lord of the manor fighting to marry someone far "beneath him" who everyone else was snotty about? Surely more fuel for the Cheddie/Frelsea theory. 💘

(Although I quite fancy the idea of him not bothering to marry at all and Lily and her future brood waiting around for him to pop off so they can finally take over. But that's so far in the future I'm unlikely to hear and enjoy it!)

Also loved "Perspicacity Taylor" - reminded me of the Pratchett version, Bloody Stupid Johnson: discworld.fandom.com/wiki/Bloody_Stupid_Johnson 😄

No, I also think it sounds good.

Am I alone in thinking lamb, prune and leek pie sounds nice?

I agree. I think it could work in the same way as lamb works well with dried apricots in a tagine. Pork and apple pasties are delicious so while I am not keen on something like sweet ‘n’ sour pork, I am happy for other fruit/savoury pairings.

Poor Susan. I felt really sorry for her when the terrine collapsed but she should have reined in her disappointment. If I were Alice I would have struggled not to say I’ve got more to worry about than your failed attempt at catering.

But what I really came on to say was - ER HELLO did anyone actually listen to Chelsea's story? The lord of the manor fighting to marry someone far "beneath him" who everyone else was snotty about? Surely more fuel for the Cheddie/Frelsea theory. Well that is the story of Nigel's mum and dad and indeed of Nigel and Elizabeth (who Julia was very snotty about). But as Caffeine pointed out earlier, Elizabeth is very far from being a snob herself. Freddie needs an "Elizabeth" even more than Nigel did. Elizabeth was subjected to a long campaign of horrible snobbery from Julia whilst being obliged to share a roof with her. Julia was dead set against turning LL into a business - it was Elizabeth's drive and hard work which made that happen with Nigel largely playing the supporting role. She has never shied from hard work and never been especially snobbish compared to some other members of her family. A brilliant summary I thought. I'm not sure how Freddie can shock Elizabeth - he already has his own criminal record and even CMR didn't seem to phase her and was happily moved into the LL fold. I'm beginning to think Freddie's possible asexuality might be the thing so hats off to all those who have flagged it up.