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!

That’s what I’d like to see Companies - I don’t want George to be a ‘baddie’. It’s too simplistic

My Theory Which Is Mine (Monty Python reference which passed into the SeqAn family language) is that the SWs are trying to weave in some ridiculous hanging threads, and not doing such a bad job of it.

I was christened, it was taken for granted in the 1950s that I would be. Some families have christening gowns that have been handed down the generations. But DC, both born around the late 80s, were not christened, and we didn't even decide not to, IYSWIM, we just didn't do it.

@Fink your post at 13.14 is a masterpiece, and deserves a BOOP (italicised as it wasn't actually in TA)

It was originally installed in 2014 and Peggy paid for it; she wanted a memorial to Jack Woolley, but Alan put his foot down and insisted on it being a memorial for the landworkers of WWII instead.

When Alan fell off a ladder trying to dislodge a pigeon and broke the window, there was some daft idea which Peggy ran with, about replacing it with a window to celebrate the birth of Seren-and-Nova, which, after some stupid to-ing and fro-ing and general ill-will, Alan vetoed. Presumably it will eventually be reinstated as it was.

Abusers tend to see their children as their possessions, yes.

Thanks for window explanation. Seems odd she wasn’t keen to reinstate to memorialise Jack. Where did the twins idea come from?

I do like the way they write Rob - he’s a damaged human who knows he’s done harm (even if he doesn’t really understand why it’s so bad) and he’s desperate for his son not to only know him as a monster. But he just cannot stop manipulating and lying to try and get what he wants because it’s so intrinsically part of him. Hats off to Alan for saying no and meaning it.

It is difficult to have much of a relationship with a person you only saw before they were six months old, for a supervised hour at a time once a week for about six weeks.

Sunday 31st July, 2022
A new idea has struck Peggy: Jack's stained-glass window in St Stephen's has meant a lot to her over the years, and she now wants to dedicate another window for the twins, which will always be there as an anchor for them in the same way that Jack's has been for her. Tony thinks that sounds wonderful, and says he will mention the idea to Tom and Natasha and see how they feel about it. Peggy envisions a simple design: two stars, with a text above them about God numbering all the stars and giving them their names. [KJB Psalm 147:4. 'He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.' Chris] It will be her gift to them, to give them joy and strength whenever they need it.

First installing another window was not accepted by Alan, and then replacing the broken window wasn't either. I don't think the twins have been baptised, I don't think Tom has set foot in the church since the day he jilted Kirsty at the altar, I don't think we have ever heard that Natasha goes there at all, and I can think of no reason any vicar in 2022 would have been in favour of a window in his church that was to be to the glory of two people in his parish but not his congregation.

@NetZeroZealot , maybe he went to Charterhouse.
Where his parents lived isn't particularly relevant to whether or not he boarded. Princes Willy and Harold boarded despite being only a few minutes' walk from their Gran's.
I picked Dummer and Farleigh Wallop because they are amusing names.

The stained glass window is a hanging thread that should be cut off, not brought back into the tapestry of Ambridge life, IMHO. We've got enough to be going on with as it is!

If only... I could easily put up Brad, in my spare room, and Tracy and Jazzer on my (rather good, with its sprung mattress) sofa bed in my living room

Trying to fathom where it is Brad is looking at university. 200 miles from Ambridge?
Edinburgh? Surely London or Oxford is closer. Falmouth??

Scroll back, @faffadoodledo - people worked out yesterday evening that it’s probably Durham. (And if we don’t hear of him attending any other open days we can assume that’s where he might actually go. If Felpersham doesn’t steal his soul.)

They'd be welcome to stay at mine too, but the nearest universities probably wouldn't appeal to Brad. I think there are 3 within 10 miles and another within 20 miles. London is easy to get here by rail. The Riley would probably spark interest from some of the neighbours.

Blimmin heck ah that's why Durham cropped up. Only just actually listened and joined the dots! @TottersBlanklyIntoBimboCore he'll be doing the same course as my DD did if he's going to Durham. I hope he doesn't have to sit the STEP exam. They were threatening to introduce it for Maths.

@faffadoodledo , My first thoughts were Lancaster, Durham or York, but the comment about the building looking like a church/cathedral/Hogwart's, and the 200 miles, ruled out York and Lancaster. Edinburgh is probably over 300 miles away. I'd guess Falmouth to be about 250 miles away and I only know artists who studied there.

Someone I know went to York and read Mathematics and always said York as if it had two syllables, sort of Yo'urk, and I can't unhear it now.

I hope they make this realistic in terms of trying to work out finances etc. if they end it with him deciding to go to felpersham because of money - or even worse not going at all - I will be very cross! Tracy and jazzer are supportive so hopefully there will be a sensible discussion around it all.

Echoing the public service announcement of a PP - lots of places will have bursaries for open days.

In fact - Durham do: https://www.durham.ac.uk/media/durham-university/visit-us/documents/open-days/Open-Day-Guide-June-2023.pdf

The trouble is that most kids (I was one) would never have even thought such things would exist so don't go looking for them, they have to be well advertised. I eventually applied to uni based partly on which one would help with my travel and accommodation for the open day.

Don’t sixth form colleges have people to advise? Surely a talk to the sixth form/parents about funding would be easy enough to do?

@HumanWetWipe Good choice of place names, I have connections to them both!

A relative farmed at Dummer (no discernible Tichener tendencies though) and an older woman from Farleigh Wallop tried to pick me up on a train once.

You’d think so, @Bruisername.

I do really hate the way Tracy is portrayed as completely unprepared for almost everything related to parenting. I mean, she’s known she has a child suited to university for more than a decade - but she was completely unfamiliar with the location or appearance of any of the possible places until yesterday? And open days were only mentioned because Mia went to one?

The SW wants us to believe she’s never once googled a university website, or wandered over to UCAS to find out what she needs to do to guide and support her child? Everything’s a surprise and stumbled over at the last minute? Must be utterly crap for Brad …

And she’s friends with a few people who went to uni so could have asked them - even if they are old so may not be up to date on the current ways

And Oliver switching his philanthropy allegiance to George … That’s a poor show on the SWs’ parts. Oliver paid for Brad’s Maths course; I know he’s been busy, but you’d think he’d have maintained an interest in Brad’s prospects and offered some actual help. (I vaguely recall Tracy turning down some enquiry or offer from him, but can’t remember what it pertained to?)

As it is, Tracy had to rely on her new husband actually seeking out the information and making a plan.

I honestly don't find it hard to believe at all. Why would Tracey even know what UCAS is? I think a lot of people send their kids to school and think them going on to uni will be quite similar - they just go wherever the nearest one is, except it's optional. Lots of parents at my school didn't have a clue that some universities were "better" than others - even less so that some are good for some subjects and others for others.

Those who've grown up in at atmosphere where education is understood and/or prized really can't imagine life without that, I guess?

(I was lucky because my mum who didn't go to university was obsessed with me going and had somehow found out about the Times listings etc and bought A Book About It)

I did really like that in the second half of the episode she'd spoken to Jim and he'd told her that Open Days are important and Brad shouldn't miss out, and she'd acted on that.

Maybe now The Prof realises how clueless she and Jazzer are he might chuck some more useful info her way.

But it was Jazzer who asked Jim, and made the plan for them to drive Brad there.