Archers thread #151: A Fête worse than death or a reverse ferret? Helen’s got the Borsetshire Blues, Tom’s talking shiitake, George is a rotten apple. 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 think Helen and Tom would do well on Dragons' Den, 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 @OverArmour for various title ideas! I would have liked to incorporate the suggestion from @Fleetress, which was

‘Do do one Ron, Ron, do do one Ron’

(Rob is Ron for many on this thread now)

Possibly a bit obscure for newer posters, though!

Anyway: we got through that last thread in no time at all. Combined effect of Rob and George, I suspect. I wonder if Rob will have made it to Ambridge by the time we need a new thread. I'm still waiting for Pat's shotgun to feature. That can't have been mentioned for the first time ever for no reason at all.

Over to you!

Daniel was born on 14 November 1994, so he will be 30 this year.

Bunty died on 14th February 2013, and Reg died on 18th November, 2013, when Dan had just got back from the States; Shula told him about his grandfather's death and while she was doing it Darrell came to ask her for something, so she left Daniel standing there and went to help Darrell. I don't think that actually made Dan leave to join the army, but being so obviously no longer important in his own house and to his mother may have contributed to his decision.

Pru was not a silent while she and Tom Forrest were fostering their two children, Johnny Martin and Peter Stevens; she was played by Mary Dalley. I think it's fair to say that Tom Forrest went away and stopped being part of the programme when he died in 1998, but not much before that: Pru had a stroke (I think) and he couldn't nurse her properly and and was lost without her, so after a few miserable months alone he moved into the Laurels as well, and a year later they died there within a week of each other, Tom on 5th November and Pru on 11th.

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime , it's still 2023 AFAIK

So it is. OK, very late twenties. He was made a captain in April 2018 but has not been mentioned as having got his majority; last November when Lilian asked when he'd be getting it he said not for a while, but that he had been made "Organisation Officer". I can't help feeling that if he doesn't make major soon, the Army will gently let him know there is no new posting for him. Or indeed give him very boring makework until he takes the hint and takes himself off.

Don't worry, I had to check. I only know it's Sunday cos I listened to to the omnibus.

Ooh, I know it's Sunday because I went out yesterday to see some people I hadn't visited for a year or so, and that only ever happens on a Saturday because that is the day they have free.

Oh, and because there was no Archers yesterday.

I know it's Sunday because it was parkrun yesterday and Johnnie Walker is on Radio 2 imminently. Only programme I listen to on R2. Convenient background to a bit of cooking.

I thought it was more a wet lettuce

Yes, but I like Jim.

I was listening to an episode a few days ago which was all teenagers and 20-somethings, and thought “if this is what the appeal-to-younger-listeners” Archers is going to be like, I think I’ll stop listening. It’s nice to have people within 20 years of my age.

And before you start producing lists of important TA characters of later age, I agree, there’s a good mix at the moment, it was just that one episode. I’m enjoying Henry and Brad.

Henry and Brad are the two reliably unmalicious and non-snide and non-judgemental characters appearing regularly at the moment. There isn't a lot of competition: there are an awful lot of people in Ambridge you'd cross the road to avoid.

Ain't that the truth! What keeps us listening, I suppose.

I'd be very sorry indeed to lose Jim as a character. Alistair is a bit meh, but having a vet as a principal character is very useful in a farming community.

Regarding Shula what exactly is going on? As I recall she was actively pursuing ordination. I can't remember if she'd been formally recommended, in which case she'd need to be in training, either residential or non-residential, by now, or at least starting in September. Given her age the Diocese would want to get that under way as soon as possible.

If she hadn't been recommended yet but had been advised to go (or had suggested herself as I recall?) and gain ministry experience with an urban challenge, spending a stint in Sunderland as a contrasting setting to rural Borsetshire would be entirely appropriate before returning and being sent to a Bishop's Advisory Panel, and if recommended, followed by training for a couple of years, followed by ordination at Felpersham Cathedral, followed by ordained ministry in a parish as a curate.

I realise that the actress has decided to retire but a more realistic storyline could be developed to explain Shula's full-time absence rather than the vague open-ended explanation that she had disappeared for an unstated length of time to North East England.

For example, having completed a six month placement in Sunderland she had decided that she really felt called to remain in the NE for the long term, train there (if she was formally recommended) and then be ordained at Durham Cathedral and become a curate in Durham Diocese, permanently removing her from Ambridge.

Or, alternatively, clearly stating that she had given up the ordination route but had felt that continuing a social action ministry as a lay person was what she felt called to with a long-term commitment to stay in Sunderland.

Either of those would work I think and provide a more satisfactory explanation about the ongoing doings of one of the more significant Ambridge characters of the past few decades.

having a vet as a principal character is very useful in a farming community

Definitely. But there’s no jeopardy in Alistair and Jim’s existence - neither of them are dependent on Archer goodwill, (I remember before Alistair was subsumed into Lovell whatsit there was a moment of chilli-ness from the Archer clan, which vaguely threatened his practice) and there are no village-resident offspring they need to protect. Not even Jazzer gives them a purpose any more.

TottersBlanklyIntoBimboCore
(I remember before Alistair was subsumed into Lovell whatsit there was a moment of chilli-ness from the Archer clan, which vaguely threatened his practice)

Was that when Sam Batten demanded a better vet for his cows and Ruth decided Alistair had to go?

I thought wet wipe was a good description of Lee.

Re the B&B, it sounds to me as if they are using AirBnB, from the process they go through, talk of checking out the guests first, commission etc. Obviously they can't use the brand name on air though.

Bit like when Rob asked Henry if he wanted a cold drink. Almost certainly a coke but they couldn't say that either.

@NetZeroZealot , not necessarily. There are lots of B&B sites they could be using.

Er......wow!

😳😳😳😳

Ooo!

Turkey baster!

Goodness...

@tryingtogoveggyagain a more realistic storyline could be developed to explain Shula's full-time absence rather than the vague open-ended explanation that she had disappeared for an unstated length of time to North East England.

For example, having completed a six month placement in Sunderland she had decided that she really felt called to remain in the NE for the long term, train there (if she was formally recommended) and then be ordained at Durham Cathedral and become a curate in Durham Diocese, permanently removing her from Ambridge.

Living where I do, for a moment my blood ran cold. Then I remembered that I am an atheist...

So George filmed it all. Where will he upload it to, do we think?
The Bridge Farm website thingy? Tik Tok?

Helen really does need psychiatric help with her various issues, I feel. She clearly can't manage them on her own any more.

George is a charmer, isn’t he?

Trouble with an altercation between George and Helen is you don’t know which side you’re on.

Where did this all take place? Helen was saying she was shouting in front of all “the team”. Was it in the dairy? Is that the reason for the window?