Archers thread #155: Cold Comfort Farms! The rural sagas continue. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

FILL THE OLD THREAD UP FIRST! https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4902507-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?page=10

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 hear more scenes in the 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 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.)

Lots of lively discussion about Brad's university aspirations and the Open Day on the last thread. Do you want him to end up at Felpersham or do you want him to spread his wings and go further afield? Where will Mia go?

Will this thread see the end of Rob, or do we have many weeks more before his long overdue demise?

What's going on at Grey Gables? Are they running into financial trouble? Will we hear from Roy, who I had forgotten was working there until he was mentioned the other day? Who are the mysterious 'Owners'? Will the locum GP turn out to be Adil's sister, as we have been surmising since she first spoke? Why's she been conjured up?

Talking of the GP, I'm hoping against hope we're not in for bad news about Jim's mole.

Praying that we're going to get a long and much-needed break from hearing P*p. Not praying that we hear Rob being christened. Who would be his sponsor, as someone commented on the last thread? Harrison? Surely that would be a conflict of interest. Can't see who else would do it locally.

I wonder how Ben is getting on now he's back on his nursing degree? Will we ever hear anything about Lily's course, or how Freddie's getting on at the abattoir?

So many questions! Over to you for some answers and boundless speculation.

haha - Rob. (oh god the rob roy ron thing has got to me)

I should write Titchener to be clear!!
Sorry everyone!

Also i meant to say: Alan is a Christian priest. It is an evangelical religion that firmly believes in redemption and forgiveness. OF COURSE he isn't going to turn down a dying man who wants to be baptised. That is literally his job. He also did his job in saying "but not on my patch, mate"

Yeah, I totally agree @Brefugee. Though I adored Susan's "cats bum mouth" scene with Usha 🤣 Pat is being ridiculous. Rob lies about Hellin but she accepts his word about Alan and Usha at face value? Stupid. Alan handled it exactly right. Punted it up to the godly grown up and let Bish head it off...

I honestly don't understand why Pat is so immesurably angry with Alan. I can see why she thinks Rob is faking it to manipulate people and twist the knife. But after Alan explained to her that he had refused to baptise Rob, that Usha has nothing to do with it, and that the whole thing is being handled by another priest in another parish (although I don't know why Alan still agreed to meet Rob again this week) ... why is Pat still blaming Alan?

The issue is falling straight into the trap Rob set by directing that rage at Alan and Usha rather than at Rob himself. If Alan had refused to have anything to do with it, Rob would still go ahead.

As for Piggoi refusing to go to church in revenge, how very unchristian of her.

She has form. She also boycotted it when a female priest was appointed.

Plus Shula had a massive strop over Alan marrying Usha. So it clearly runs in the family (although Shula and Peggy are not blood relations).

I assume Pat is blaming Alan because he admitted to facilitating Rob at least to some extent. It's irrational, because the baptism obviously can go ahead with or without Alan's co-operation, and it's not hard to work out that a vicar cannot be in the business of casting people out just to keep the local farming family turning up in the pews on Sunday morning.. It's also not hard to work out that if Rob hadn't managed to manipulate Alan he would simply have gone on to the next person.

????

If I were the kind of person prepared to marry an Anglican vicar in spite of not being an Anglican myself, surely I'd have to be ready for times when the vicar's religious beliefs lead to his having to have dealings with sinners and outcasts? That is, after all, what I understand to be the central message of Christianity (I was brought up Scottish Presbyterian).

Pat is an idiot and has played right into Titchener's hands. Helen has been far more sensible. I hope Susan apologises to Usha, but I won't be surprised if she doesn't.

Punted it up to the godly grown up and let Bish head it off...

Thank you @harriethoyle, that really made me chuckle.

Ooh what a master stroke by Rob. Pat is right to be angry, it’s ridiculous that she’s aiming it at Alan and not Rob.

"Piggoi is even threatening not to come to church on Sunday".

" Oh dear, what a shame" Alan flings up his surplice and performs a jig behind the door. What does she expect him to do?

I thought the next words were actually going to be "Piggoi is threatening not to proceed with the new window". Has that storyline ever been concluded? Rob could be doing Alan a favour!

I think it shows how clever Rob is, he wants everyone to fall out.

Yes maybe Pat should have seen through this before erupting, but she hasn't had as much face to face experience of his methods as Helen (and maybe even Alan) have. You see it all the time where - even when someone is known to be a liar or a manipulator - people fall for some of their lies because there are just SO many it's hard to see them all. This clearly felt "possible" to Pat and I think she's so infuriated that no legal process has held Rob accountable for what he did, she's probably only too aware that other people might not see things the way she does.

She really really should have known better about Usha though.

I agree that Alan did what I would expect any vicar to do and gave Rob the benefit of the doubt in an effort to bring him into the church whilst (eventually) specifying that it needed to be at a different church.
One one hand I can understand why Pat is reacting the way she is, but her anger is aiming in totally the wrong direction. I'd not thought before about how unhelpful Pat's reactions are for Helen but I think that does make a lot of sense. But surely all Pat can see is that the man who nearly destroyed her daughter's life is back living locally, and that would be terrifying for her.
As for her threat to Alan that Peggy may not show up at church on Sunday... I can only imagine Alan trying as hard as possible to make sure his face didn't register immediate sheer delight at the thought! 🤣

Lol at 'Susans cat bum face' @harriethoyle 🤣
But also, I thought it interesting that it was Susan's desire to gossip that was the thing that finally blew the situation up and brought the whole Rob issue into the open where it needs to be

I didn’t see that as her gossiping - her first reaction was for Neil to tell Pat and then she herself told Helen. It didn’t sound like she was gossiping to me

I can understand Pat’s initial reaction but you’d think she’d have calmed down in the face of Helen’s pragmatism and Alan’s explanation. Helen is right - it is just showing Rob that he can win against and again by tricking people into falling out.

As for Peggy’s refusal to go to church, I’m getting Lady Catherine de Bourgh vibes here:

”I send no compliments to your mother. You deserve no such attention. I am most seriously displeased!”

Fink
I don't know why Alan still agreed to meet Rob again this week

I think that is because he will be introducing Rob to the vicar of Downham. Someone has to, I suppose.

Well the meeting with the other vicar will be interesting! I’m assuming Rob won’t show because his shit stirring has been duly noted

Susan wasn't strictly gossiping but people who like to gossip can really enjoy being privvy to interesting info that others aren't and I think there was an element of that to Susan last night. I agree she was sensitive about it and I think she did totally the right thing by telling Helen straight away, gossip or not. If only secretly or sub consciously I think Susan will have got a kick out of breaking that news.
She also took the 'Let me tell you what I know' approach which is definitely different to the secretive way that people have treated Rob's reappearance so far.

I wonder if Rob will manage to talk the other vicar into making Alan baptise him - I worry this might be the case in fact! Cue Pat bumping into him at the refugee meeting on Friday...

i would say that if Alan takes the invite with him the other vicar will be questioning if robs new found religion is genuine. I assume Alan and other vicar know each other well and he has already given her all the background as to way the bishop advised she do it instead

@BrightYellowDaffodil Lady Catherine de Bourgh is EXACTLY how i will see Peggy now. Brilliant.

Brilliant. Alan should have replied "That will make her Ladyship’s situation at present more pitiable; but it will have no effect on me.”

That was a good bit of acting from the Alan actor when he responded on Peggy! Conveyed everything

If Emma has to read Pride and Prejudice for her course, I reckon she will know the story, even if she can't quote Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I bet I know how she pictures Darcy as well

Meta-comment: As I was writing that first sentence I was struck by the co-incidental strangeness of the words I was writing

Bruisername
i would say that if Alan takes the invite with him the other vicar will be questioning if robs new found religion is genuine.

Does Alan actually have a copy? In fact has he even seen one? I don't suppose he and Usha were sent one, and I am unsure why anyone who thinks him a Judas would let him have one to keep.

Pat gave him one - that’s where they saw the footnote. I can’t imagine she took it off them again when she flounced off

regardless, i assume a vicar will take another vicars word for it!