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.

(psst. Maybe we should take the GP / Capybara convo elsewhere?)

I've decided to stop listening again because it's all too much. But if there is mention of the Window For Wonder Twins I'd like to know. (if Pat starts throwing accusations at Alan with a "... and another thing, the window..." sort of way)

hobbies collide !

https://www.amazon.com/Guinea-Pig-Pride-Prejudice-Classics/dp/1632862425#immersive-view_1697120369644

I don't get it @Bruisername

Do you want TA to just have GG being renovated with no problems, and opening with no glitches? Where's the fun in that? And anyway, surely everyone who has had builders do work on their houses knows that these things never run smoothly, so it wouldn't even be realistic...

No - I just want it to be realistic!

This is realistic if it’s just adil but if there’s a corporate behind him it’s all codswallop

Do we know there's a corporate behind him, then? I thought it was speculation.

I'm also saying do not blame the current SWs for the sins of past SWs and editors.

Apologies for going a bit meta.

He talks about head office and the PR department etc so if there’s not then he’s a fantasist. If that’s the case then all good!!

current sw are writing the nonsense though- like the kitchen stuff.

Credit where it’s due - I thought the George and Eddie scenes were excellent - particularly with the tandem going past!!!

I don't think he's a fantasist because didn't a few people, not just Adil, come down the day Tracey and Jazzer had sex at GG? I might be imagining that but I thought that was going to be the owners.

Look, as I see it the current SWs have been left a pig's ear of the GG refurb backstory, and they are doing their best to wrestle it back towards a more realistic depiction.

Obviously this is just a theory. I am reminded of the old joke about someone in Ireland enquiring of a local how to get to Dublin. Comes the reply "Well, if I were you, I wouldn't start from here."

They’re not doing a very good job at all! Agree to disagree!

We haven't had a change of Editor for ages now, and although we get new SWs from time to time, it's the Editor ultimately who decides on storylines. For anything potentially controversial they have to go higher, which is why I think Helen wasn't allowed to murder Rob.

The current SWs and editor are the same SWs and editor that there were last year and the year before, so that doesn't really work.

I don't think anyone from the new owners except Adil came and stayed at Grey Gables for a couple of weeks before Oliver announced he had sold the place and it was about to close.

on the baptism

• given he hasn’t even spoken to the vicar who will be doing it how did he have a date
• they won’t allow it in ambridge so the venue will be wrong
• did he really invite the almost 1000 residents

Another nice scene with Emma and Lynda having the dog involved - that’s a good bit of writing! And we got some proper good gossip - although surprised Lynda wasn’t up to date with the gossip!

also nice scene with Helen and George - he is redeemable!!

so adil is doing a runner!! I will say no more about gg sl other than I really hope it ends soon. Although not without bankrupting Oliver perhaps

Adil's done a runner, hasn't he?

Definitely.

Yes, I think Adil's gone. Maybe his sister will now reveal herself and try to help locate him.

I did get annoyed with Lynda earlier in the episode though. Yes, Adil was clearly at breaking point, but a few days off this close to a really important deadline is not really the best solution! Surely it would be more helpful if the appropriate people (not Lynda) could help to make sure that Adil was delegating tasks properly and not trying to do everything himself, perhaps send some more staff from the mystery owners' company (if it exists). Either way, just telling Adil to rest more isn't going to help.

Poor Adil!

🏃🏾

Maybe the George storyline is to show that with family and community support someone like him can be brought round.

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime

I bow to your superior knowledge I'm very much enjoying TA at present

My specialism in Linguistics is Conversation Analysis, and, allowing for the dialogue being scripted and acted, I am finding it to be as realistic as I have ever heard on TA. And I have been listening to TA since about the age of 5. Before that age, I was just hearing it IYSWIM (DM and me always listened to Listen With Mother)

My DGM was an Archers fanatic from the very first episode, right up to the day she died in 1967

the while doing a runner thing is thoroughly bizarre. I assume he’s on the brink of a nervous breakdown after realising he’s shit at his job

It's a bit like when Stephen Fry did a runner, because he'd allowed his stage fright to build up, I imagine.

Every year at Durham, at exam times, students were kept an eye on. One year a student was found walking down the A1 heading towards Darlington. She had cracked under pressure, and decided she would just walk home - I presume to somewhere further South.

And during exam times no-one could go up the Cathedral Tower, which was kept closed for the duration.

Oh, spewk. I much preferred the ‘jail sentence waiting to happen’ version.
Far too much happiness and light going on tonight, but with any luck that just means A Very Bad Thing is imminent.

I think Adil has flipped out and run away. I don’t know much about project management but don’t most people have a chart with a Timeline and progress at each stage to be sure they are on target for the grand opening? It sounds like he has done it all in his head without a spreadsheet to show his bosses “the Owners” who should have been keeping an eye on things. I hope he is safe in a hotel somewhere.

@Bruisername why is it bizarre? It seems true to life to me - see above.

its bizarre because the whole sl is bizarre and they just seem to be layering more and more nonsense to try and create drama. When the whole refurbishment sl could have been done with drama but not ridiculousness

anyway. I’ve said my piece on the gg so and won’t mention again

People falling off roofs in bad weather in the middle of winter is unrealistic and melodramatic I will say no more