Archers thread #166: Choppy waters in Ambridge! Look out for the red flags and 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'd love to be married to Harrison, 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.)

Another thread started in great haste, mid-packing! Over to you.

I heard the Chelsea actress on something else - she really does speak like that.

I think Casey Meats does everything: slaughtering, butchering, dealing directly with farms, and selling to customers. We know that Brookfield and Bridge Farm send animals to them and then take the butchered meat back, and we know that they sell to business customers (care home, pub). I think, but I'm not 100% sure, that BL also use them. We know that they must be quite a large-scale organisation because of the fuss David made about having to travel to use them when his local abattoir shut down, they seem to cover a large section of the county.

Brad isn't an idiot, that's one of the defining features of his character.

As it happens, I like all the (currently speaking) Horrobins. Unless Susan counts as a Horrobin because I can't stand her. But I do agree that Chelsea sounds younger than she is.

The only evidence of Brad's much vaunted genius is he can do mental arithmetic. Big deal. In every other situation he's an idiot.

He was easily led by both Mia and George into idiotic and criminal behaviour.

His efforts as a Grey Gables porter were risible. He has no social skills and is deeply boring.

There's a nice interview on Sunny Ormonde (Lilian)'s YouTube channel with Madeleine Leslay, Chelsea actress.

She discusses Chelsea's voice and character.

Its channel (and podcast) is called "One Stiletto In The Grave"(!) and it's series 2, episode 6.

My DPs (still going) were children in the war, but my GF was involved high up ish in the construction of the Mulberry harbours if memory serves me right.

My Dad was a wireless operator who worked on Radar but he never mentioned any abuse. Many years later (2010) he had had heart surgery and was high on his meds he kept saying he was the luckiest man in the world but also that his radar work was Top Secret - 'I can't tell you about it, it's Top Secret'. 'It's OK Dad the secret is out now.'

He got one 7 (in Geography), and 3 x 8s and 6 x 9s at GCSE, so he's clearly academically capable across the board, not just in Maths (e.g. he got an 8 or 9 in both English language and literature).

Yes, he is awkward socially. It's unclear whether the SWs intend him to have ASD or just be a slightly gauche maths geek. And he's eager to please and fit in, meaning he's easily led. But George is very manipulative, and many people are quite trusting and naive as teens without being idiots. He's come across as caring, honest, and responsible, and generally a nice guy. He put a lot of thought into Mia's birthday and wants to help his family. He and Mia were both respectful and decent with each other about sex (a little coy for late teens, but I suppose it is early evening radio).

I am discounting the one awful episode at GG, because it seems so inconsistent with the idea of him having successfully held down a job at LL, and most of the other things we've heard him doing. I think the SW that week fell asleep watching old episodes of Fawlty Towers and thought the whole thing would be hilarious. Every character came off badly in that, but Brad was the hardest done by.

You mean the radar boffins got abuse not just bc they had to pretend to be doing desk jobs or something, @MereDintofPandiculation ?

Oh the leaving Brookfield really was the most ridiculous storyline, wasn't it?

And as for the toy farm episode which ended it,

80 years ago a 19 year old lad from Middlesborough found himself parked up in a tank he'd only recently learned to drive, somewhere on the south coast of England.

After crossing into Normandy, he fought his way across Northern Europe, including having his tank blown up and taking refuge with Dutch farmers.

The following spring he was part of the force that liberated Belsen Concentration Camp.

Dad spoke very little of his wartime experiences. I wish I'd asked more.

Thanks @BerylBillings, I shall check it out.

You forgot the idiotic episode of attempting to sabotage the hunt ball.And preening that Lily fancied him. We've been told he's passed all these exams, yet he still sounds thick and boring

And I find him creepy.

I quite like Brad. He just needs to leave home, go to a proper university, escape from the Mia-sphere and grow up.

I don't think the idea that Lily fancied him was anything out of order. If anything, it shows that he is able to pick up on social cues and unspoken hints. Lily was undoubtedly behaving oddly towards him. The listener knows she was trying to wheedle anyone she could into staying at LL rather than moving over to GG. Brad wasn't to know that and IMO wasn't unreasonable in interpreting her overfamiliarity and buttering up as flirting. He knows she doesn't stick to partners her own age, after all!

The Hunt Ball sab I would put down to the kind of youthful idealism (even if vicariously through Mia) that believes in a cause and thinks direct action will change hearts and minds. I've done my share of university sit-ins, chaining myself to fences etc. in my late teens. I wouldn't call it idiocy. You get older and grow out of it, for various reasons, but it's what you expect from 16-20 year olds, surely? The world would be a worse place if young people didn't care enough to protest about perceived injustice. And they are neurologically wired to be more risk-taking than adults. None of this is stupidity. Brad's sabotage kept within the bounds of things that are annoying but ultimately harmless. Nothing he did was dangerous or really seriously criminal.

I don't think Brad was preening that Lily fancied him; I think he was horrified by the idea (which it has to be said that her behaviour fostered) and spent some time and effort working out how to make sure she left him alone. He even asked for advice from Adil about it because Lily frightened him, and then followed that advice.

The road diversion was idiocy and potentially dangerous.

I don't often feel sorry for Lily but delusional Brad thinking she fancied him merited it.

Sorry, I think he's awful. I can't stand the worzel/ yokel voice either.

Is there anyone you do like, @IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle ?

I struggle with Brad because I feel he’s written inconsistently - sensitive boyfriend etc, manuel from fawlty towers, suggestions he’s ND etc. it’s just odd

just reminded me of the stupid wedding where it was saved by Chelsea people (bullying?) skills and brads maths skills (working out the registrar could fit it all in his day🙄)

Always pleased to hear from Brian, Joy, Fallon, Alan, Kate, Jakob, Alastair, Denise, Jim, Neil, Lynda, Robert, Hannah, Susan, Kirsty, Tony, Rex, Chris, Freddie and Rory Helen is awful, but she's consistently and amusingly awful.

I don't mind Ruth and David. Their sons are dreary but inoffensive, Will, Ed, Emma, or Kenton if the ole pirate isn't there "me darlin" him. Don't mind Adam and Ian. Natasha and Tom , like Helen are amusingly ghastly. As indeed are Lily and Elizabeth. Pat's a bit that way too.

I liked Harrison until the personality transplant.

It's really just Fagash and Phlegmy and Jolene, the Horrobin tribe and Jazzer I can't stand.

@Bruisername I agree, the problem with Brad is how inconsistently he’s written. Hopefully Chelsea will not be written/acted as a petulant teen forever.

Maybe petulant is unfair, she’s much less stroppy than she used to be.

Well hopefully we will hear her grow up!

ultimately she has no responsibilities etc

I really hate that she sounds so truculent, as if she feels everyone is attacking her and she has to fight them off. It may just be an accent thing. What’s her accent supposed to be?