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?

Same, and they can get Brad to check their accountants aren't cooking the books There is a big difference between mathematics and numeracy. A good mathematician doesn't necessarily make a good accountant.

So far I don't think we've heard Brad do anything mathematical; he's jolly good at mental arithmetic, though!

I don't think hearing him do mathematical things would make good radio.
But he went on that maths week didn't he?

@TeenDivided I don't think hearing him do mathematical things would make good radio.

It would be silent, though, which would make me laugh.

I suppose I can forgive Freddie not having gone on an Estate Management Course as I'd not heard of them before and I've never heard anyone suggest it.

That said, I was absolutely amazed at all the random courses that existed when I got to university. One of my friends studied AI (I mean I'd never even used the internet at this point) but I just didn't even know that was course/ option for people with very different a levels to me TBF I hadn't heard of computer science either clearly not very tech minded.

Which would anyone prefer:

a] someone who did the small household chores he had said he would do, when he said he would do them
or
b] someone who let her down and didn't help about the house, but made very occasional grand romantic gestures and got/made surprises for her?

(Asking for a friend)

YABU. They both work, so they both should pull their weight re household chores. It's not help, it's doing your share.

@suzyscat I suppose I can forgive Freddie not having gone on an Estate Management Course as I'd not heard of them before and I've never heard anyone suggest it.

There's the Royal Agricultural College - now a "university" - at Cirencester which taught estate management, though I think more in the sense of agricultural land management than only-slightly-stately-ish 'omes. I suspect it would be beyond Freddie's intellectual/financial/social capacity to be admitted.

Has the friend been asked to choose between colours recently, per chance?

So what is Eddie up to?

On the "sage green or crisp white" colours note, who's betting it's clearly the storyline re Eddie's (misjudged) Mother's Day surprise?

Bedroom paint for oh-so-hilarious, slapdash decorating by Eddie? To treat lucky old Clarrie.

Remember his Clarrie's Song tribute to her in the '80s?

Sample lyrics:

"Now you can't compare Clarrie to Venus de Milo.
She's warmer and softer
(and, besides, she's got arms)"

Plus the gift shop, like the restaurant is a business in its own right - customer management, stock management, ordering, pricing, marketing, online sales etc. All the elements are there to learn if Freddie didn't think it beneath him. This is common for grad recruits starting in a new business but not good enough for Freddie - he reminds me of some of the more entitled grads we get who think they are going to waltz in and speak to CEOs and then realise the "bag carrying" years are vital apprenticeship experiences.

oh yes this. so much this (had an office day yesterday and encountered a few grads of this ilk)
It is remiss of the trustees and his mother not to make him learn about business.

As for Brad doing the accounts? Being good at maths won't stop a shit-hot accountant who knows all the ins and outs of tax and write-offs (to mention 2 easy ones) diddling them.

Am assuming as a company with a trust that they use auditors.

There is no straightforward answer to the question ‘sage green or crisp white?’

I really enjoyed Brian and Adam’s jolly day out to the races. He has bounced back remarkably quickly from the bereavement.

If you mean Lily and Freddie, Lily spent most of her teens helping in the office/around the business. Freddie certainly didn't.

I'm not sure (b) remotely resembles Lily's consistent contribution over the years. Both had their moments as teens - teens do. As older teens, one was groomed by an older man who held a position of responsibility in her life, the other sold drugs so he could go on fancy holidays. Not sure why Lily is always the "bad twin" on these threads whilst Freddie's appalling behaviour is regularly excused or minimised.

I was thinking about this and I find myself doing the same when one character seems to get a consistently bad press when their actions are no worse or better than another character whose bad acts are minimised.

Female characters are often judged more harshly by fans than their male counterparts and for soaps popular quality dramas of long pedigree there are more key female characters.

That was a definite problem on these threads at one point, I think its less so now - at one point Lily was being described in terms which resulted in post deletions but its definitely something I see in fan discussions.

@C8H10N4O2 I think the a or b was re Eddie and grand gestures re just doing stuff day to day.

Oh right - in which case my comments were completely irrelevant.😅

Eddie is a character who I've definitely found more annoying that likeable over the years - I was booping for Clarrie actually taking a day off.

I too, felt strangely over emotional when Clarrie heard about the two days off.

It was swiftly followed by infuriation with Helen, who I really hope isn't going to be on my advocacy lists any time soon!

I think most bereaved people would tell you there are good days and bad days. I would imagine that a day out of the house at the races with your son would certainly be a good day, but it doesn't stop the next day from being a bad one.

I assumed that post was about Clarrie and Eddie.

I never understood why Frilly wasn’t guided into useful training, business studies, estate management etc. or why they aren’t in training now.

Lilly wouldn't have been guided because it's not her destiny to run LL.
I can't remember what course Freddy did? He retook maths or English didn't he?

C8H10N4O2
If you mean Lily and Freddie

I didn't. Did you not hear yesterday's episode, or Sunday's?

I really enjoyed Brian and Adam’s jolly day out to the races. He has bounced back remarkably quickly from the bereavement.

He may yet crash and realise that getting rid of Jenny's clothes and the house they last lived in together was too soon.