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.

Yes, I had also thought that. They're already known as friends, so if they want to be public as a couple then they either need to explicitly talk about it or have some PDA. Of the two, I think the first option is preferable!

I actually shouted "go Lee!" at the radio.

Me too. All that stuff about "I'm so tired but I'll refuse all help with household chores to make myself even more of a martyr" was supremely annoying.

Apologies if anyone has asked before, but why would the GG cheese need bespoke packaging? It's not as if the guests will see it.

Re your first paragraph - yes!

I caught the episode yesterday afternoon and Pip and Stella made me feel faintly nauseous. I think that's probably because I can't stand Pip in general and she is being more than usually irritating. I used to like Stella a lot, but rather than Stella making Pip more bearable, Pip is making Stella less so.

It is not necessarily unrealistic for Pip to be this annoyingly consumed with it, but for me her involvement makes me switch off.

Apologies if anyone has asked before, but why would the GG cheese need bespoke packaging? It's not as if the guests will see it.

I’m imagining it’s a round label, slightly sunken into the fluffy white rind of the cheese but that’s in my head only. The label is navy and silver with a swirly GG but again that’s invented I think. IRL I would actually be a bit suspicious of cheese with special hotel-branded packaging unless the hotel actually had its own goats or cows.

It’s a bit like when hotels have specially branded soap and shampoo when you know they don’t have a soap factory outside or lavender growing in the surrounding fields.

Special labelling raises more questions than it answers as we have discussed on here before…

Yes agree - I would be more impressed if they had a really good selection of award winning local cheeses

Where are they going with TWFL SL? Will Pip'n'Stel move in? Will Pip's wittering give Stel the ick? Is Pip in calf? Is Helen?

Meanwhile, how's Fred of the Dead getting along in his new job?
How's Lily doing on her course? Bagged herself a Marquis yet?
What's floating Rex's boat?
Where's Kirsty?
Where's Robert? [don't answer, I'll cry]
How's little Marthyr coming along? Is Alice still on the wagon?
How's Ben settling in at uni? What about Ruairi?

Yes so many characters MIA for ages now or just very brief updates!

Oh dear, Helen is going to push Lee away isn't she? Often when people are struggling on the inside to push everyone away and act like they don't need anyone. Probably a big part of her issues of being in control as well, she can't accept Lee having any input into the boys parenting. It would be a real shame for H&J if they break up 😔

What's Joy getting up to and is she still seeing Mick?
How's Kate and how's Peggy? And Auntie Chris. And Leonard?

The huge, enormous question the SWs don't seem to even remember needs answering - Where is Roy, Adil's deputy? What has he been doing all this time while Adil ran around like a headless chicken achieving nothing and not letting on that the reopening was whizzing towards disaster like the Titanic chugging into the iceberg?

Far too much to hope we'll ever hear again about Roy's sister Brenda, I suppose. She was a good character. I hope she didn't marry a Russian oligarch in London, which I think was on the cards the last time she was mentioned, years and years ago.

Brenda was written out when the actress moved on to other things. Who knows, she may come back. Probably not as the new owner of Disarray Gables.

Yes, Roy would be in his element here. Spreadsheet and clipboard heaven. It’s what he does!

All good questions @AlanFranksDiary

I’ve worked for a super incompetent (but pretended to be competent) boss before and while those on the board didn’t really see it, everyone who worked for him did!! You couldn’t miss it especially as people would generally come to you if he hadn’t/wouldn’t reply to them or make a decision. So Roy must know. And should have told Oliver.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g
Far too much to hope we'll ever hear again about Roy's sister Brenda, I suppose. She was a good character. I hope she didn't marry a Russian oligarch in London, which I think was on the cards the last time she was mentioned, years and years ago.

Fret not! She took the oligarch for a huge diamond (which I seem to remember she found in a drawer in her kitchen) and either ditched or was ditched by him. She was last heard from in March 2014, when she was living in Wapping and engaged to marry someone called Adrian who had his own software company.

BOOP to Alan, by the way, for talking to Henry as to an adult rather than treating him as a naughty little boy the way Helen clearly would have preferred.

Don't forget that under Adil's plans the whole kitchen was very much visible to the guests!

I’m imagining it’s a round label, slightly sunken into the fluffy white rind of the cheese but that’s in my head only. The label is navy and silver with a swirly GG but again that’s invented I think OMG @EmmasBirthdayEarrings that is EXACTLY how I was imagining it!

Roy would be in his element here. Spreadsheet and clipboard heaven Roy of the Rotas.

…who would inevitably be on the edge of their seats, transfixed, their opera glasses trained on the bespoke cheese labels.

Yes!

I think the label would have silver and grey on the label, so that it wouldn't be too close to Stirling Gold, unless it is called Grey Gables Gold. Maybe Helen should create a Stirling Silver cheese.

I like the idea of the opera glasses and Ian Craig doing his best Stephen Graham in Boiling Point.

Maybe the new owner of GG is the ghost of Meg Mortimer.

😂

Bye bye Lee

love poppy being entrepreneurial

Helen has been very unfair on Lee. If I were him I would feel very used.

at least the partners are in the loop now. Would like to hear more about them.

adil was incompetent. I can’t see how he has any come back

Adil's going return though, then we'll find out he's bipolar or somesuch.

Agree with you about Helen and Lee. (And I usually defend her!)