Archers thread #157: How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless clan! Discuss The Grundys here. Bicker about The Archers as well if you like.

[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, 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 idea of making it clear in the title many of us are inveterate bickerers!

Now over to you, as we are about to eat and I won't hear tonight's offering till later ....

When Ron dies, presumably Jack inherits? Presumably in trust until he is 18 or 21? How much do we think he might get?

And presumably that's a storyline being set up for about 10 years time when Jack comes into money but Henry does not?

(I do wonder sometimes if the SWs read these threads for potential storyline inspiration based on our speculation, particularly the crystal ball's predictions...)

And that's a right load of old foetid dingoes' kidneys, isn't it.

"I wasn't actually married to her quite yet but she was my wife." Yeah, sure.

The other way round, yes, quite frequent, especially when he wants to have an affair: "yes, technically I'm married to her, but she isn't really my wife" (because she doesn't understand me/we don't have sex any more/other feeble excuses are available).

Keri Davies really does need to take to heart the old advice, probably from Benjamin Jowett: Never apologise, never explain. He always makes things worse when he starts flailing about with the justifications.

No problem about killing off or otherwise disposing of the wife he seems happy to leave in Hampshire while he ministers to his dying brother. As with Denise's husband John, who clearly hasn't got long for this life.

Do we know what Miles personal life looks like?

if he was married during the court case I guess he could be divorced now. I didn’t realise he had kids so that does change things imo - less likely to want a bond with jack

As for keri Davies - just own it. It really isn’t so hard. None of the story makes sense if she is a fiancée

We know that Miles was said by Rob to be the golden boy who was going to inherit the farm, which was why Rob went abroad to make his fortune. We know that he was said by Rob to be married to a woman who kept, or possibly bred, horses. We heard Rob talking about teaching cricket to nephews, presumably Miles' children unless there is another sibling stashed away somewhere whose name has never been mentioned.

Keri Davies did once "hold up his hands" to something, possibly Twice-Dead Aunt Hilda.

Oh: the nephews might have been children of Jess' brother or sister, but her having siblings has never been mentioned, and wouldn't they too have been involved in nursing their father in his dying illness?

If Jess had nephews they would not have any connection to Rob. His only son is Jack.

I found it mildly amusing that, as soon as Rob messed up all her plans by inconsiderately threatening to die more quickly than expected, Helen went into panic mode because she felt she was no longer in control of everything.

I think people generally just speak of "nephews" and "nieces" when speaking of the children of their spouses' siblings; I don't think I've ever heard anyone speak of "my nephews/nieces-in-law". Jess was Rob's wife, so her siblings' children would be quite likely to be spoken of by him as his nephews or nieces rather than anything more complicated; I just don't think she had siblings, because they were never mentioned when she was nursing her father.

Well if the sw decide they want miles to have no children then they can easily claim the kids were Jess’ siblings kids. Just because siblings weren’t mentioned doesn’t mean she didn’t have any as knowing about them wouldn’t have been important to the sl

its only on here that I see nephews and nieces treated differently according to whether they are siblings kids or inlaws kids.

I had some vague sense from years ago of Miles being a husband a father? But really it hardly matters; if the SWs want Miles and Helen to become a couple any obstacles are easily disposed of.

I realise it must get harder as the series goes on to keep track of everything, but really! Haven't they heard of a searchable database? It would take seconds to find out if someone had had a wife mentioned, or not, in a previous episode. They could probably get AI onto it now.

Or just a crib sheet for each character - Adils wouldn’t even be that long!

I understand the programme used to have an Archivist to keep tabs on all these things.

They should reappoint one imo. Some excellent candidates on this very board.

That posh horse dude last night was almost comically setting up for a romantic interlude with Alice, wasn't it. Classic romcom beginning.

I can't remember what Lil does at the Stables but it was utterly unbelievable that she wouldn't know who owns/pays for the horse (especially as they know his "owner" who rides him is a child!!).

Why does Lilian never seem to know ANYONE given how "well connected" she is supposed to have been for decades? I always presumed that she and Jenny knew everyone posh, rich or horsey in the entire county.

It’s always an uncle in the romcoms

’look how great I am with kids, but don’t worry, you don’t have to be step mum’

unless she knows the kid first (teacher etc and the kid is some savant when it comes to adult emotions) and then it’s all great because she gets to be the kids mum aswell🙄

Eyes/ears down, look in (Helen)....

Why can’t she FaceTime Henry from The Bedside?

Where's Miles?

Is this a compare and contrast between Rob and Alice’s dude? Hot headed but willing to apologise? Or will he end up being a twat?

a bit too much at the stables - could have done with a bit more Rob/Jack/Helen

helen really needs to get Jack some professional support - this isn’t just a little thing happening in his life.

Well that was the biggest let down ever for listeners!

Will tomorrow still be todsy iywim?

yes, whatever the CA said it seemed to herald a much more dramatic episode!

Oh that made me genuinely sad for Rob. I had to pull myself together at the end not to have a bit of a cry.

I do hope Mr Sadie Owner turns into a love interest for Alice. Daft that neither she nor Lillian knew someone who’d been “at the top of their game”, though. The horse world is ludicrously small at the best of times and everyone knows the big names.