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?

Also loved "Perspicacity Taylor" - reminded me of the Pratchett version, Bloody Stupid Johnson

haha - not just me then 😎

No, it's ruined garden visits for me (no bad thing)

My immediate reaction to lamb leek and prune was negative but then I thought how good recurrant jelly is with lamb, and how delicious my pork, prune and apricot casserole is, and thought again. So if someone offers me a slice (or better a whole little tart) I'm prepared to eat it.

I had a beef and prune dish in Morocco. It was wonderful.

All this chat about the Pie. Will nobody think of the poor terrine?

what was in the terrine? I wasn't concentrating/was deaf.

There were a couple of weird ‘anyway, back to the dairy you go’ moments between Tony and Susan. What was all that about? Is she just hanging around being mopey and ‘part of the family’ with everyone?

oh dear God there's a picture alleged to be of the terrine on Mustardland and it was better not knowing. The description was bad enough but the image.

I think it was artichoke and asparagus in the terrine

I thought it was something involving salmon, but no it was "avocado and asparagus terrine" which sounds like one big heap of snot quite honestly.

I wasn't listening carefully and remembered it began with an a. Salmon Snot Dip.

Yes that and being generally nosey when Tony wanted a private conversation with Lilian

Terrines are generally very unsatisfactory.

Very 1980s Nouvelle Cuisine vibe to me about a vegetable terrine. Imported asparagus, obviously. Personally I only have asparagus when it's in season and I don't mess about with it, just eat it lightly steamed/boiled with a little butter and seasoning. I believe most English asparagus is grown a stone's throw from Ambridge.

Hankies at the ready? I don't often listen live but plan to do so this evening.

Is anyone dressing up for tonight? Got to be back silk blouse and a cashmere cardi, surely…

Black, not back

That's commitment! I have a G&T. That's as far I've gone to be in the spirit of things.

I'm afraid I eat imported asparagus (tbf, it isn't grown much in Ireland) and have it with a LOT of butter. Or sometimes mayonnaise. Vegetable terrines and nouvelle cuisine sounds credible. But also horrid.

If I was serving asparagus at the sort of 'do' the funeral seems to be it would be wrapped in Parma ham.

I have a glass of posh wine at the ready. Well okay, cheap Coop Italian white wine. Let's face it, I won't be able to taste it through the combined flavours of asparagus and avocado followed by lamb, leeks and prunes. What's for pud, I wonder - kiwi and chocolate crumble?

I'm off the gargle for Lent, but that's quite Ambridge.

Well, that was very nicely done. No Debbie, though.

Aww, Brine <sniffle>

I cleaned the kitchen especially at 7.02. Must have been rather dusty in there as I definitely felt my eyes watering.

Focusing on tiny things which really don’t matter at a funeral - like the colour of a tie or the height of heels on a pair of boots - is so true to life. Brian’s preoccupation with his tie was perfectly pitched. Farewell JD.

Kate’s voice was very strained.

Yes, no Debbie …

Some of that was lovely - Kate, and Alice, and the tie ..

I wonder how much thought went into having Brian say ‘Kate’s other children’, with Alice naming them. If it was to inform the audience, they should have left it out - because it sounded as if Brian couldn’t remember their names.

Would have preferred Ruairi eulogising her, from a narrative point of view. But I suppose Lilian and Tony have longer memories of Jenny.

I thought, at the end, Brian would say what I’ve found myself - that the one who’s gone remains with you through the family and friends who resemble and remember them. In addition to the less resonant thing he did say.

Still, they did their best with limited resources. Hard to imagine Ambridge without Jenny - forever.