Archers thread #160: Ram a lamb a ding dong! To rate the mass wisteria in Ambridge, tap the feedback tablet 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'd have given a home to Hilda the Hellcat, 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 @MerryChristmasToYou, @OverArmour and @LillianGish for the thread title ideas.

This week is a bit better than last week, but the Brad/Adil/Lily stuff is very odd. Coming up to the anniversary of Jennifer's death (22nd January last year). We need a new matriarch - could that be Natasha? I find her quite an interesting character. Sometimes she's awful and then she has moments as last night where she utterly redeems herself.

Over to you!

Definite BOOP for the casting directors then, @ClickyHeels!

We had one labourer on the family farm, back in the day when 100 acres was enough to support a family living. I only found out when he died that he wasn't related to us. We called him Uncle Jack and I'd always thought he was my real great-uncle. He lived in the farmhouse along with my great-grandparents and grandparents (the next generation down built new houses near the original one). He'd arrived as an orphaned child/teenager in the late 1920s/early 30s and stayed.

Mind, the reason Hilda keeps going back to her own home isn’t that she’s missing Peggy, it’s that she has her hunting territory to defend.

@Fink , my great-grandparents had a maid living with them, and I think she was a relative, possibly a cousin's child. She was treated as one of the family.
Grandparents had PoWs living in the farmhouse and treated the same as the labourers.

Do you think I could persuade Brian to take DKitten? He's very affectionate and purry.

Alwaysdieting
Why dosnt Ed sell his bloody lambs and be done with it.

Back in November he hadn't yet sold last year's lambs, or he would not at that time have had thirty sheep and fifty-two lambs to feed on the land Oliver let to him. (Those were the numbers he flung at Oliver when he was railing at him for having had the temerity to suggest selling something which belonged to Oliver.)

She rents space in the Business Units at Sawyer's Farm just down the road.

She wanted to build a processing works in the orchard at Bridge Farm and get rid of all the tea-room's outside tables, but Pat prevented her.

Thanks. I knew trees played a part.

Harrison was a stalker?

Harrison and Fallon didn’t discuss the no kids pre marriage?!?

Yes, he was rather. He did things like arresting her and putting her in the cells, then letting her out – which would not have been possible for a police constable to do anyway – and then turning up at her home (or maybe her place of work) the following day with the purse she had left in his car; he kept on turning up wherever she was, and utterly refused to take "Leave me alone, I don't want to see you" for an answer.

No, there was no discussion about children that we heard on air, and when they did have that discussion because Harrison wanted children, some time after they had married, it seemed fairly clear that it was a completely new subject; Fallon agonised about it and pretty-much said that she felt bad for not having told him before how she felt about having children.

I have a nasty feeling the SWs thought this was romantic and/or humourous.

It was a mistake for Harrison not to ask about something so important before they married, but I think Fallon was more at fault. IIRC (not by any means guaranteed) she only finally decided she didn't want children some time after the marriage, but I didn't get the impression that she had definitely wanted them previously, more that she'd never been keen, although had thought it would probably happen because most people do have children, but now knew for sure it wasn't for her. Something as important as that should always be discussed before marriage.

but I think Fallon was more at fault
It's always the woman's 'fault'. Shula and Mark couldn't have children - Shula's endometriosis. Hayley and Roy couldn't have children - Hayley's blocked tube... Christine & first husband , Robert and Lynda... OK, we had Ian being the broody one and had the low sperm count but that was for SL purposes

IRL, I know couples who married even though the wife didn't want children and the husband did, and also couples who didn't want children but one of them changed their mind afterwards.

Also IRL, someone I know kicked her adulterous husband out after yet another affair and the person who told me said 'she was always so busy with her work, if she'd been at home more he wouldn't have needed to look elsewhere' (the DW did work hard but doing occasional freelance work)
I was too shocked to reply.

Your examples suggest the SWs have been defaulting to a 'it's always the woman's fault' mindset, but I can assure you I don't. If it had been the other way around and Harrison was the one who'd changed his mind after marriage I'd have said the same about him. Of course it's a much bigger thing for a woman to make a conscious decision to try to become pregnant and give birth, because of the effect on her body and her career. But in principle I firmly believe it's something that should be discussed before marriage if having children is on the cards at all. (Obviously it wouldn't be if the woman is menopausal or if there are known medical issues.)

Poor Ed🙄. Glad we didn’t have to hear clarrie actually ask.

im not keen on Brad and Mia scenes. Although at least Mia has some sense

who was the message from? I’m clearly out of touch. What a sellout!!

HairScratcher
who was the message from? I’m clearly out of touch. What a sellout!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamza_Yassin

Maybe he donates any money he makes from the phone messages to good climate/wildlife causes.

Ok. Never heard of him but unsurprising as I haven’t watched any programs he’s been in!

Couples getting married should discuss whether or not to have children and the possibility of what to do if it happens/doesn't happen before they get married.
Even if the couple aren't planning to get married it should be discussed.

I don't think Fallon was more at fault because they AFAIK they didn't discuss it. I think that Harrison assumed that children would happen.

Brad and Mia would probably discuss it if they haven't already

Can't they give Clarrie a happy SL?

Haven't heard tonight's yet but Hamza won Strictly Come Dancing in 2022. Seems like a lovely man from what we saw there (yes, I know, edited to within an inch of its life ...). Looking forward to finding out how he's been shoehorned into The Archers!

If they'd had a church wedding the discussion would have happened (unless Alan's marriage prep programme is shoddy). But I think Harrison only found Jesus after they were married? When we're delivering marriage prep we always get the couples to discuss how many children each wants, if any, as well as a few other key points. A lot already have children by the time they come to get married, of course, but still good to check they're on the same page as each other! For us as Catholics it has legal implications canonically, but the Anglican priests I know also cover it. Although I remember one conversation with an Anglican priest (married) who insisted that the really crucial thing to agree on before marriage was who was responsible for taking out the bins ...

I think men assume women want children so don’t open the discussion.

Fink
Although I remember one conversation with an Anglican priest (married) who insisted that the really crucial thing to agree on before marriage was who was responsible for taking out the bins ...

To which I would add, sleeping with the window/curtains open or closed.

What kind of monster sleeps with the curtains open?

OK, now I've heard tonight's. I quite liked the bits with Brad and Mia. But Clarrie and Eddie! Get a grip. As Asking said recently, what's wrong with Grundy's Field? High ground, presumably dry, move the flock there! Job done. Alternatively, sell up and move on. Plenty of others have had to do similar when circumstances have changed.

I wonder if the Anglican priest you met was the Anglican priest who married me and DH! His point was that the little things are those that can begin to build up - it’s not really about the bins…

That said, DH and I were unusual - I’m in my early thirties but we didn’t live together before marriage (not ideological, just circumstantial). So the questions of bins and curtains and whatnot were ones that needed to be aired as we hadn’t yet experienced them!

I am worried the SW with thrust a pregnancy on Fallon - and then she’ll realise she never true love until she had a baby and every childfree woman who has endlessly heard that line will throw the radio out of the window in rage.

Ps I do like hearing about Catholicism from you @Fink . I gather you and I are both observant and involved in our own religious communities. And I don’t know many devout English Catholics - although I’m related to lots of Irish ones, but I’m sure it’s as nuanced as the Church of England and the church of Ireland.

It makes me laugh that it in this day and age, if you want a church wedding you have to have a "What married life is all about and what you expect from it",chat with the vicar or priest.
Eddie and Clarrie have got a right bloody cheek asking Helen to ask Miles but perhaps its the only way the SW can include thier beloved Helen in every single bloody story line.
Brad and Mia. Mia just dosent let Brad get a word in which is soooooo maddening when your listerning. Also I thought it was Adil who was leaving that message for Mia. I thought whats he got to do with it. It sounded to me just like him. Had to listern twice.