Archers thread #163: Too much aggro, not enough agri! 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, 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 @LikeTalkingToLassie for the thread title idea! She and @LillianGish had fun with this theme on the last thread:

More farmer, less drama
More ploughing, less rowing
There's mileage in silage.
More sheds, fewer beds.

All good points. Fair to say nobody on the last thread was delighted to see the return of Harry. I think we all agree that Alice is a blithering idiot to get involved with him again. Most of us also think that Miranda is up to no good. Other storylines in play at the moment:

Alistair and Denise, with the massive complication of John and Paul
Ed and Emma - another doomed Grundy enterprise? Does Will still have the will to wang them some wonga?
Whither George - YouTube sensation or Borchester Magistrates' Court?
Will Markie cause mayhem at The Bull?
Will Harrison haul him in to Borchester nick?
Will Hannah get off with Chris?
Will we ever get used to the new Robert?
Will there ever be a new Roy?
Why do we hear so little from Brookfield now? (Although if we never heard Pip again, I for one would be delighted)
Will Stella dump Pip?

There are probably others I've missed. Over to you!

Probably not so rare to have enough inherited money to survive, but rare to have enough to maintain the inherited lifestyle.

Rain …

‘It’s too wet’: UK food security at risk because of record rain, farmers warn
https://on.ft.com/3UfHBBy

I would have thought his parents would cut the money off or down very very low when he started with his issues

but working and living standards don’t seem to coincide in soaps

If he runs a training stable his parents might have difficulty cutting off his money.

Does he earn much from that? No idea how profitable or not it is. And how much hard work. How does he manage to work if he’s keeping Alice up all night

Nor I, but it isn't his parents' business as far as we know.

I'd forgotten all the background about his family and his stables. I think my attention has wandered whenever Harry starts up. My knowledge of horses is minimal and mostly comes from reading Dick Francis. Does it take a lot of capital to set up or buy a training stables? Are we talking about eventing horses or racehorses? The horses would belong to other people who would pay an agreed fee to the trainer, I suppose. The trainer needs enough income to pay for premises, staff, feed, veterinary costs, insurance and transport, with enough left over for his own living costs. If Harry has a capable deputy, maybe he doesn't need to do very much, but I don't imagine the owners will be all that impressed if he's obviously not on top of things. Maybe he's a functioning alcoholic and working very hard, but apart from that visit of Chris's (which I'd also forgotten about) we don't hear it.

I think the Harry thing is meant to be a realistic storyline about how alcoholic recovery is a lifelong thing, etc. But if it’s supposed to be realistic, then I think it would’ve been more likely she would’ve struggled when her mum died etc. Instead, we’ve got her risking her recovery for Harry, a newish boyfriend who’s already lied to her and risked friendships, a friend’s career and her daughter’s safety. But conversely she ended her seemingly healthy-ish marriage to safeguard her recovery, but she’ll do this for her short-lived ex-boyfriend. Either way I’m not really enjoying listening to it.

She is also at risk of damaging the successful co-parenting of her child, alienating her ex-husband, damaging her career and she is lying to cover her tracks. All for some pathetic loser.

Get in there Kate and tell her to give her head a wobble.

I wonder if they asked to see the chainsaw working before they handed over the cash

Good point, @newtlover. Probably not. They're doomed, they're Grundys.

they paid cash too
if it was through ebay they may have some protection perhaps?

I doubt it if they collected it.

Ed did specifically say that since the seller was local he would be able to pick it up when he was over that way (I forget why he was going to be over that way).

Recovery is not linear. Something big might not set you back, something different might.

Oh, I do know, just doesn’t make for enjoyable listening. And I think it might sometimes be the unexpected thing which is the final straw. But the Harry thing - it’s like the reddest red flag ever.

if she is knackered through supporting him she is not just jeopardising her recovery but also her ability to do her job and what she is able to do with her child. The fact she is willing to jeopardise all that for a guy she’s known less than 6 months is unbelievable

Yes, that. Someone who already proved themselves a risk. When she couldn’t stay with her husband and be able to recover.

Am rewatching Spooks.

S1, Ep4 (2002!) contains some exceptionally pleasing Fairfather shenanigans…

Although …

What was the reason for Alice not being able to recover if she stayed married? I have forgotten.

Plot, dear lady.

Although perhaps someone who totally failed to notice over a period of years just how much his missus was hitting the bottle, being pissed himself much of the time, and who did a pious 180 to being the sobriety police was no longer a palatable proposition.

Gosh, you can always spot a Keri Davies week: Carol Tregorran and Jamie Perks both featuring for the first time in years! Remarks about the age of some of the characters featured too.

Will somebody please find Hannah a love interest. I'm growing to like her character.

Will somebody please find Hannah a love interest. I'm growing to like her character.

Me too now they're forgotten how obnoxious she was to Neil earlier on.

Who can we ship her with? Will. New Roy. Rex - be nice to have him back.

It has to be Will