Archers thread #154: Cider with Fat Rosie, Meadow Rise to Candleford or The Darling Horrobins of September? Get your rural saga fix – 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 be euphoric about getting a job in an abattoir, 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 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4888492-the-archers-spoilers-thread-8-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 for the thread title suggestions. @HumanWetWipe came up with Cider with Fat Rosie and @BeardieWeirdie thought up Meadow Rise to Candleford. I wish I could have put in the Line of Duty mashups from the end of the last thread. Another time.

Heading for a ferry shortly, so nothing more from me for now. Over to you!

More lark rise 😫

What university are they looking at then?

Well done Alan!

Aha … I wrote a long essay on a previous thread about how Mia and Brad were not of quite the same class - and that she’d be able to rely on more financial support in preparing for Uni. Particularly open days. (Though of course I’m expecting her to proceed to Felpersham.)

Don’t want to open old wounds but it’s saddening to think he hasn’t been talking about open days at home.

Where’s he going that’s 200 miles from Ambridge?

PSA: lots and lots of uni's will pay expenses for open days. Ds did quite well at that.

I’m struggling to think of a top uni that looks like a church and is 200 miles away

I really hope he (and Mia) don’t end up in felpersham. They could still be around for the very long holidays. We don’t need them to be close in term time!!

@Bruisername I think it may be the fantastic university that I attended. I do hope so!

MASSIVE BOOP FOR ALAN!!!

I’m struggling to think of a top uni that looks like a church and is 200 miles away

Could be Bristol- the Wills Memorial Building is Gothic-style but built early 20th century I think.

Up North. Parts of City buildings in first Harry Potter film. Great place for nerds to escape a modest background, excellent maths dept, take it from one who knows

I hope!

Is that 200 miles? I’m not great on distances tbh!!

Durham or Lancaster? DURHAM!

Slightly over 200 miles from Worcester

What are the top unis for maths these days?

I believe Cambridge, Warwick and Imperial might be top, but I'm sure Durham is strong.

(The A level grades required match up.)

Yes, it's Durham. https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/courses/mathematics-g100/ Word for word, some of that.

Slightly shorter distance to Lancaster, who are ranked higher for Maths than Durham. Lancaster also has quite an amazing choice of maths degrees.

And much better route to Lancaster than to Durham.

I had an interview at Durham a million years ago, when university interviews were much more common than they are now. It was on a very cold winter's day with a fierce wind blowing straight from Siberia, and I decided it wasn't for me. Ended up in London instead. Road not taken, etc etc. Beautiful city, though.

But no Hogwarts connection, I don't think?
Perhaps it is a fictional high-powered distant university. A bit like Felpersham. But offering a different set of courses

Lancaster was my son's insurance offer, so we went to an Offerholder's Day. I liked the look of it. Possibly a bit less intimidating for Brad?

For reasons I won't go into, it so happened that I had an interview at Durham in June 1970, the day of the General Election, and the following day. I stayed at the College I would attend if accepted. Both days were gloriously sunny.

After my results came out later that year, I accepted an offer from Manchester. But something in my mind was niggling. I went through clearing and accepted the offer from Durham instead. Best decision of my life!

Unfortunately, Durham had tricked me with its weather, but I have long forgiven that

The wholly subjective reason that I would very much enjoy it if something ghastly did happen to DLJ and obviously they can’t be having that. Doomed to disappointment, me.

oops lots of cross posts

Nice demonstration of simultaneous frantic googling from me and

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

The word "overinfested" springs to mind...

The Cathedral was definitely in some of the Harry Potter films, and I think the Castle might have been too. In any case, I think Tracy said it looked like Hogwarts rather than it actually was, the sort of thing you might say about anything big, imposing, and Romanesque (or generic medieval, I doubt Tracy would distinguish architectural styles).

Ooh I have lots to say as a Durham college SCR member and formerly wife of an Anglican priest! Alan is a disgrace to the cloth, he is obliged to baptize someone who lives in the parish who says they want to be! And actually I'm pretty sure anyone can baptize in extremis, a lay person even ( though that may just be the Catholic church). At any rate, it isn't up to Alan to deny him based on the disapproval of fellow parishioners, like being black-balled at the golf club! My ex husband did a placement at Frankland, the high-security women's gaol just outside Durham, and among those at services, receiving communion, making the sign of peace were Myra H and Rosemary W. Yes it might test his faith, but Alan has to believe the sinner is welcomed with rejoicing it's a basic tenet of his religion! As for Durham, I hope Brad is applying for a hill college where he'll probably be happier.....