Archers thread #158: Te Rum? You numpty, numpty, Tom! Empty tearoom follows. Christmas coming, farmers’ stand up, will it make us LOL? No! 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 think Tom Archer is a great businessman, 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 @LillianGish for the title idea, which may plant an earworm if my scansion just about holds up. @BeatriceBatchelor wanted 'plebby coffee' inserted in reference to my Bolivian coffee anecdote on the last thread, so I'll mention it here instead. Here's hoping Fallon and Emma decamp to the charging station or Grey Gables, or both, to run the type of coffee shop/tearoom people actually enjoy spending time in. Tom's cauliflower eclairs and kale criossants approach sounds more likely to drive the casual trade away from the farm shop and cheese window as well as the Google Translate-named Te Rum.

Feeling very uninspired by TA at the moment, so I have nothing more to say for now. Over to you!

Quite. And Emma's attitude often sucks, I should imagine she'd be very difficult to work for if she ever made it to a management position.

She’s not had super management role models either, in my opinion - Fallon, Kenton (I know Jolene actually owns The Bull but Kenton often seems to make management decisions). I would back Emma ‘bettering’ herself, she is a really hard worker, as shown by the chicken factory period (months? Years?). But EngLit A Level isn’t the way (says this EngLit/Lang graduate).

The brief Shula return made me remember why I don’t like Shula - to me, she always feels like she has a sore throat, and she’s so patronising. Yes, yes, very worthy, well done, now off you go and we can hear from you again in 6-12 months :)

(please be nice to me even if you disagree, my baby is in hospital and will be in for another day at least and it’s all very worrying and I do like this thread as a nice distraction)

Angry, that must be very worrying. How is she/he doing? How are you and the rest of the family doing? Fingers crossed for a rapid improvement today so you can all go home tomorrow.

As for Emma and her English, I think it's even worse than you've said. It's not A level, it's GCSE. Presumably she did English Language at school, not Lit.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery Angrybaby

i agree in Shula - did we really need to hear her application for sainthood?

i don’t know fallons educational background but I would say she shows what hard work and focus can do - she may be down at the moment but we know she will get back into the swing of things and show them archers a thing or two!

She decided, almost on a whim, to study English Lit because she wanted to enjoy reading again but also to improve her career prospects.

The fact she has chosen a subject that is unlikely to help her advance into any kind of managerial position has been overlooked by everyone including Oliver and Lynda who congratulated her on making an excellent decision.

She needs a proper vocational qualification with on the job training (I appreciate I say this as a someone who grew up in London where there are lots of opportunities to do this kind of thing).

But that’s because the English lit was there to feed into the book adaptation spin off. Ridiculous Oliver wouldn’t have suggested a basic bookkeeping course or such like

IIRC, Fallon did a music technology course after she left school, because she was hoping to make a career in the music business. This was during the period when she and Ed were in a band. The BBC says it was called Little White Lies. Probably realistic that they were never able to progress beyond a few local gigs.

In 2008 Fallon was in a band which did a national tour (even as far as Edinburgh), which led to Ed being so nasty and jealous that their sort-of-affair broke up.

I think the one she was in originally with Ed was called Dross (fell apart in about 2003), which was Ed and Jazzer's band, and the national tour one was Little White Lies?

And I think LWL was her own band rather than someone else's that she sang for.

I thought it was a good episode last night. Although I did worry for a horrible moment that Clarrie had also got sepsis (cut from a knife in a cold shed maybe) and no-one was noticing again.

Did anyone catch what Clarrie said about Eddie working? I really wish they'd forced their sons to become a properly trained electrician and plumber, would have made all the difference, but it feels v realistic that Ed has essentially become Eddie and Will is kind of "doing ok". I feel like in "reality" Will would now be rethinking his career choices - isn't he only about 40 - and retraining as something with some prospects or getting into estate management.

REally good point about the contrast with Neil.

poor Clarrie must be pension age, but maybe not enough NI contributions.

Hope little baby continues to improve @AngryBirdsNoMore

I also entirely agree about Shula. I can't think of anyone more likely to turn me back onto crack cocaine/heroin/excessive drink for the blessed oblivion...!

Has there been any mention of Rob's funeral yet? Or have I missed something? It's been 10 days or so since his demise? Time I would think for something to have needed organising.

I'm assuming there will not be many mourners - perhaps just Miles. But I'm guessing Alan may have a role?

That's right! I knew LWL didn't sound right as the one she and Ed were in back in their late teens. Thanks, as ever, for that extra info.

If Joe, Eddie and Clarrie had been able to cope with living in Meadow Rise for a bit after they were evicted from Grange Farm for non-payment of rent, they could have moved to a modern manageable semi or terraced house on the outskirts of Borchester or even Ambridge when their finances improved or they moved up the housing list. Clarrie's life would have been immeasurably easier, but that's never been a priority for any Grundy, including Clarrie - she has martyred herself, unfortunately. Eddie could have continued with his landscape gardening business and part-time work at the cattle market. Clarrie could have carried on working at Bridge Farm. Does she still work at The Bull? She could have done that too, while she felt up to it. Ed could, as suggested above, have tried to get a job where he'd have got some decent training and prospects. Will would have stayed in Ambridge, as he actually did, because he was training to become a gamekeeper and would in due course get a tied cottage.

But no. The SWs doomed them to a life of constant uncertainty and backbreaking toil because of this weird fixation with belonging to Grange Farm.

I don't think there's been any mention of it. I suppose we're expected to assume that Miles will sort it out back in Hampshire. I hope so, anyway. I don't want yet another kerfuffle if his will says he wants to be buried in Ambridge.

Yes, me too, AngryBirds.

I would love to have heard some broad working class Geordie replying to StShugs doling out her smug charity.
as she has worked her way through the professional classes, I.e. a solicitor, a doctor, a vet, I am breathlessly waiting to hear that she has landed herself a bishop……..

Rob died on 18th November, so more like eighteen days ago.

I would expect his funeral to happen where his family lives, not where he rented a flat for a couple of months, on the whole, and I can think of no reason for Alan to be expected to have anything to do with it. And if Bruce is so opposed to Christianity it may well not have anything to do with any church at all. Down the crem with him for a direct cremation!

I really laughed at “hear her application for sainthood” @Bruisername

If Bruce goes soon, too, perhaps they could get a twofer deal?

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g but it’s GRUNDY LAND! Traditional farming! Connected to the soil!!

(many thanks for well wishes. He isn’t improving as fast as they’d like and turns out to have a double whammy of RSV and bronchiolitis so we’re here for at least another night)

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime Yes of course, that does make sense. I'm far too Ambridge-centric! 😂 Probably all done and dusted by now. And 18 days, you're right. Time flies especially with all the tea-room, Alice/Harry and Grange Farm land-sale drama to distract!

To say nothing of the fact that not one of them ever seems to have tried to get their heads around the benefits system.

I doubt it's all done and dusted. Coincidentally, a former colleague of mine also died on 18th November and their funeral is on Friday. I believe it's a busy time of year in the funeral industry.

Clarrie did once apply for benefits after quitting her job at Bridge Farm because she assumed Pat was going to sack her, but by the time she was going to be eligible for anything after making herself jobless Pat had managed to persuade her to go back to work in the dairy.