Archers thread #156: Fireworks in Ambridge! Helen gave Lee a rocket, but Grey Gables is a damp squib. Is the writing on the (church) wall?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're irresistibly attracted to George Grundy, 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.)

Thanks to @OverArmour for the title suggestion, which I have tweaked a bit. I was strongly tempted by Less GGP (Grey Gables Peril) More GPP (Guinea Pig Plot), which was a plaintive cry from @PuppyPerson some days ago, but if Poppy has found new homes for the baby guinea pigs that may be the last we hear of them for some time, sadly.

Surely in the life of the next thread we must hear more from or of Rob, or Ron as some on this thread prefer to call him? <taps foot> Will Kirsty snap and tell Helen a few home truths? Will Pat's shotgun finally be brought into play? We can only hope ...

Also, will we ever find out who owns the other 60% of Grey Gables? Why is Adil AWOL (to use the other bit of OverArmour's title idea!)? Why aren't we hearing from Roy? Will GG ever re-open and will Emma get her Big Chance at last?

So many questions! Over to you.

JanglyBeads
Think we heard Miles previously but maybe only after Tunagate.

Miles was not a speaking part before Friday 19th May, 2023, when he came to Ambridge/Borchester for the first time.

Oh gosh. It must just be that we heard about him then.

On Thursday 3rd July, 2014, Rob told Helen who was in his family and mentioned Miles by name. On Wednesday 24th February, 2016, Ursula used Miles' hospital birth as a horror story to frighten Helen into having Rob's child as a home birth.

It seems like several of us here had quite a picture ofMiles in our heads before May so I wonder where that came from then? Was there no other mention of him? Rob spoke about him in somewhat dismissive terms originally, I thought?

Harrison is the other person in the village baptised as an adult, though since his baptism we haven't heard much about his religious journey. He wanted to be baptised after playing Jesus in the Mystery plays and I did wonder if when he caught up with Knob on the traffic island and was told he he was waiting for Jesus he might have gone back into role to coax him off. The problem with Knob is you never know to what extent he's play acting himself - I know he's been diagnosed with a brain tumour, but we've not really been told enough about it to know whether he's hamming it up (which would be entirely in character). Listening to the appalling Bruce with both his boys made me wonder whether Jack could have inherited anything from that side of the family - it certainly doesn't bode well. Grim listening all round. I did however chance upon this gem while idly googling.

Oo thanks for that link, needs exploring further!

The author makes a good point in that Alan should have been heard consulting the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer. There are a really quite surprising number of ex-cons etc sitting in our pews but they should all have strict boundaries around what they can and cannot partake in, and where.

Does Miles have a partner/kids?

It has just struck me that they might be setting Jack up to have a big inheritance and nothing for Henry in about 20 years time. I can't really see why they have dragged Bruce and Miles into things otherwise.

When Rob talked about Miles when he and Helen were together I can’t remember details, but I do remember thinking that there was hope that he might be ok. Possibly it was no more than Rob saying they were very different!

I have a vague recollection that Miles was the apple of his parents eyes and would inherit from them and Rib was the scapegoat/black sheep of the family. Hence he legged it abroad before coming back, getting married to Jess etc etc

Rob even, fat fingers.

Also I hope those of you more knowledgeable might be able to help but has Helen ever broken up with someone? Greg was before my time but I understand he ended his life. Her relationship with Rob was ended by the stabbing. I wondered of Lee was a device to show she's grown in confidence and ended something because it doesn't make her happy anymore.

Helen had walked out on Greg before he killed himself, so they were not a couple at that time; their break-up had already instigated by her. I think he threw a pan of spaghetti, or a bowl of spaghetti, or something, though not at her, so she moved out to live in Kirsty's flat because she'd had a row with her parents about moving herself in with Greg and couldn't admit she had been wrong to think them stupid and say so very loudly.

That was followed by her pursuing at least two men who were not all that interested in her and said so, followed by her pursuing Rob. (The previous two were not married to someone else when she set her sights on them.)

No! Please just no.

Oh God. Pip. Bloody Pip 🤯

Echoing the Oh God. Pip and Ruth and Stella are excruciating.

Who does Peggy think she is! (Not a question)

Peggy withdrawing funds from the church is positively feudal. I know she’s old but she wasn’t born during Domesday times!?!

Not reading the thread atm. Still think TA is being brilliant

My suggestion to Alan: before meetings, provide tea, coffee, and biscuits (wrong sort, anything but Jammy Dodgers -bourbon, shortbread or choc digestives for preference).

I've been to loads of different meetings in my time, from CAB to Mental Health Focus Groups, to Primary Care Trust meetings. And they all made sure tea was available before the meeting began .

Brine should have told Peggy he wasn't going to do her dirty unchristian work for her.

@EmmasBirthdayEarrings My DGA (great aunt) kept changing her will in her last few years. She lived to 93, and when she died this caused the executors problems.

Money, if they have it, is one of the few ways the very aged can exert power and control in their lives. For the first part of her life, Peggy kept the Bull together while married to its alcoholic Archer mine host, and dealing with her somewhat difficult cockney mother, not to mention her wayward older daughter. BTW her younger daughter was hardly wayward at all in her teens, as she was Horsey. Peggy's always had to exert power and control during her life, and since she inherited [insert mysterious amount of] money from Jack Woolley, she has often attempted to use her wealth to maintain control over her family - with varying degrees of success

I thought Brian might possibly want to tell Alan about Ron's request for him to be Supporter. But no.

Why did they choose for him to deliver the message, we could have had the vicar at the breakfast table opening a letter and telling Usha all about it in between sighs and or outrage?

Agree re Pip. And then Stella and Ruth going all "Poor Pip, can you imagine how she felt?!" 🤮

Alan (and the church) aren't Peggy's family though. Not that it is OK to try and control them either.

I'm baffled as to why they're blaming Alan anyway. He didn't baptise Rob, he didn't let the baptism happen in any of his parishes.

Maybe he needs to ask the Bishop to issue a pastoral letter to remind the congregation of what they're supposed to be about.

Very apt naming there. I don’t know how widespread it is, but ‘struth is an imprecation I associate with my Borsetshire relations, and haven’t heard elsewhere.

There has to be a regular TA person there else we won’t be able to hear any of it. He’ll just fizzle away off air.