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!

Totally agree, @Buttercupsdaisiesdandelions
It's confidence she lacks. She should definitely start with something she is enthusiastic about, and can talk about. Mature students always have more to contribute than much less experienced very young adults, IME.

As to maths, Emma is, I'm sure, capable of everyday maths, and as good as the next woman (i.e. Clarrie) at budgeting and cash flow planning, even though she might not call them that.

I would suggest Oliver check that she understands business accounting layout, and explain how to do a balance sheet. Also check her understanding of percentages. Does she understand that an increase of 100% is a sneaky way of saying something has doubled? Or that if you increase a price by 20%, and then decrease it by 20%, you do not end up with the price you started with? Or that the rate of inflation is a rate, and that even though inflation may go down, it does not follow that prices are therefore going down.

I doubt Brad would be a very good teacher, but I may be wrong. But he knows about Pure Mathematics, as it used to be called, (though much of it is applicable in science subjects), and I don't think that would very much help to Emma

Thanks for the clarification on Myson!

Isn't one of Susan's 6 at 60 tea at the Ritz?

We had a retired woman join some of our French A-level classes (the ones at the boys school - we had a 50/50 split for French. All my Latin was at the boys, and all my history in my own girls school.) That was for summer 1990 exams. However, I'd have thought with safeguarding and DBS and stuff these days, it might be less easy to have adults joining u18 classes, and most GCSE classes in school would be 14-16yos.

Sure, but Macbeth is highly unlikely to be the only work on the syllabus. If it's AQA, for example, they have the choice of a 19th century novel and modern prose or drama. I 'd have though that when you're dealing with a student body who have been out of school for some time you might start with something a bit easier.

I think I read a comment somewhere that Emma had got English Language GCSE but I have no idea if that's correct. If she has, that's potentially one less exam to take.

I get the benefits of doing a subject she feels confident with, but she's constantly getting bitter about being passed over for management type jobs. I would have thought Maths GCSE is a basic prerequisite for those, given the need to deal with ordering, budgeting, pricing, accounts etc. So I would have thought it would make sense to try to get that quickly to open up the job market a bit.

But I see no reason not to start with Shakespeare? They can read the other books themselves if they like, before they feature in actual lessons.

I do not like the false equivalence which seems to have crept in between being less educated, and being ignorant. There are many excellent popular actors who have played Shakespeare, and been in a Harry Potter film or Dr Who, and even some comedians! All it takes is for someone who likes the actor to watch them on a talk show. I guarantee, if they start talking abou Mxxxxxh, and there is discussion of why it cannot be named, this is likely to become part of the encyclopedic knowledge of the viewer in question.

Oooh Miles. But if I were Alan I’d just tell him to F off and he’ll deal with Rob. Alan is so weak - has mega saviour complex! At least tell him he will have to be baptised in another church in the parish. And his motivation being so Jack doesn’t see him as a monster - red flag!!

looks like their upbringing wasn’t religious then! Sounds like Rob is a chip off the old block. Didn’t realise his dad was still alive.

the student ambassador was really irritating in her delivery - not the accent but the delivery. Wish she had talked more about finances than maths - a little point in the direction of student finance would be good.

tracey is really piling on the pressure! Unwittingly I know!!

I'm prepared to accept that Tracy may not have known about University Open Days but the two of them turning up in her wedding dress and a kilt 🙄Why are they so keen to present them both as hillbillies? It's insulting.

looks like their upbringing wasn’t religious then!

When Ursula was living in Ambridge, she was a churchgoer…

Ursula was a church-goer and Alan knew her quite well. That was on air. I would have expected him to offer sympathy to Miles about her death with a little more interest, or sincerity, or something.

So a sw error. If dad had been so controlling would ursula have been allowed to church? It’s all a bit of a muddle really - not quite sure where they are going with this other than to stir up trouble with Alan and the archers?

he has other churches so why not use one of those as a compromise?

Yes,@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime . It’s almost as if Stimpson wasn’t familiar with the Helen/Rob storyline, which is odd since he wrote a lot of it.

He has the church in Penny Hassett where Rob is living.

Also Darrington, Edgeley, Netherbourne, Loxley Barrett and Lakey Green. He doesn't have to dunk Rob in Ambridge.

Makes sense to use penny hassett. If Rob refuses then he can’t be that keen

Or even English Language? Or don’t they separate the two nowadays?

But there are different exam boards and within each board choices of text. And she is presumably doing a course that is adults only Are there any? Adult education has taken a real pasting in recent years. Very difficult to find anything other than the extremely lightweight U3A.

MereDintofPandiculation
Or even English Language? Or don’t they separate the two nowadays?

She has said on air that she already has English Language GCSE.

They’ve already got a maths story in Brad.

Am I alone in thinking tonight sound like two public information films? One selling maths degrees at Durham, the other on Christianity?

Yes the maths was weird. Why would Tracy and jazzer have that conversation when it started about money which would surely be a bigger concern

if that’s supposed to be a positive PSA for religion it didn’t work for me!!

Works both ways. DS had plenty of careers focussed advice at school, so when I started discussing uni, his answer was “I don’t know what I want to do, and I don’t want to spend 3 years studying something only to find I don’t want a job in it”. I said “why not do maths” and he said “but would anyone employ me with just a plain maths degree?”

I think on the whole I got on better with the old system - “what’s your favourite subject?”

@MereDintofPandiculation , English Lit and Lang were two separate subjects when I did them.
GCSE Maths and degree-level Pure Maths are worlds apart. I think Brad would probably be good at teaching Emma, but I hope he won't be in Ambridge much in the next three years. Part of the problem for Emma will be 'I'm rubbish at Maths' mentality.

I had a look at the Adult Education courses locally and there was very little.

You can tell how interested I am in Emma's education

GCSE Maths and degree-level Pure Maths are worlds apart. You’re so right! Most of what the lay person thinks of as “maths” - ie sums, percentages, etc. - disappears out of the window at uni. The joy of getting to grips with a subject without having to actually multiply numbers together!

I can only speak of my own experience and it was quite a log time ago but my niblings went to the same school and it didn't sound like it had improved much.
For some reason, the niblings chose A-levels that weren't complementary. One nibling did a 'mickey mouse' degree that was in nibling's words 'a waste of time'.

By not complementary I mean something like Economics, English and Music then deciding to study Accountancy, where the lack of Maths A-level knowledge was detrimental.

Presumably Rob's only interest in being baptised is so he can insist on being buried in Ambridge churchyard? I'm sure it's not as easy as that.

The horrible dad is to give, if true, some sand to get Alan moving and to play up at the funeral. Ursula can be the sponsor.