Archers thread #168: Near to the Maddening Crowd? 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 like to hear more of Harrison's strange little moaning noises, 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 title suggestion!

Over to you.

They don’t half tease. I was hoping Alice would accept the lift from George and it would all come flooding back to her. Well at least flashes.

I thought tonight's episode, especially Susan's speech, was excellent. all threaded together so well.

Yes I thought that either George was going to say something to Alice that might hint at what actually happened or that she would just start to think "Something about George and that night is gnawing away at me, let me try and remember"

Susan was only reconciled to Christopher after Neil (accidentally) dropped him into a pigsty. For years I cherished the belief that they had actually retrieved one of the piglets rather than the human baby and that the whole of Ambridge was colluding the support the illusion.

I was devastated when Christopher first produced recognisably human speech.

Susan is not telling it like it was.

I was trying to think of Towcester earlier but the name had gone!

Well done Susan.

Towcester and Bicester are nearer than I realised. One being in Northamptonshire and the other in Oxfordshire makes them seem further.
I know of them as 'near Silverstone' and 'shopping village'.

An excellent episode and it is years since I have thought that.

Brilliant!
Pigling Christopherrr 😆

Susan’s definitely rewritten history there BUT it was a hard dose of the truth.

If Alice has been painted as anything in the last year it’s been a “good mum”. Remember all the conversations with Jim? This will be the appeal that pushes her to face her alcoholism in rehab.

Hopefully the George storyline is resolved soon. He must want to confess now too.

Ive never understood the saying "It takes a village to raise a child", but in Marthas case it seems to be true. No wonder the kids kicking off if she has so many different people she is being parmed off on. Some people have no one but them selves to look after thier off spring. Alice is very lucky that that idiot Chris hasnt gone for full custody especially when she flounced off to that London. Alice should get run over and not recover that would do every one a favour.

Susan was brilliant. I hope we have another good episode this evening and start to see some resolution.

I was particularly struck that Susan said that even Keira has had to step up to mind Martha. That can't be appropriate, surely. I know we all babysat when we were young teenagers back in the last century, but a 13 year old looking after a 3 year old nowadays just seems wrong. My 14 year old is sensible and I would happily leave her to play with her 3 year old cousins, but I'd never leave them in the house without an adult.

One thing - what did they do for childcare when Alice was at work?

So just listening - the chat between Alice and George was a bit heavy handed. And the ‘I won’t forget what you did’…

I like the way Lillian does the accounts for the pub!!!

Alice is really annoying - I know she’s supposed to be but it’s not nice to listen to!!
she is incredibly lucky having so many people looking out for her. It’s a real bummer being an alcoholic in a small village where everyone knows you

susan was right to give her some home truths. Hopefully it works because I’m not sure I can listen to drinking Alice much longer!! But I suspect Alice will tell everyone a different story

gosh the cars speed fast through ambridge though - sounded like Alice was trying to cross a motorway

gosh the cars speed fast through ambridge though - sounded like Alice was trying to cross a motorway

So much for all the effort ftom Lynda etc with the handheld speed cam.

She may have meant that Keira plays with Martha or reads to her while other family members are cooking, washing up and so on. I hope so, anyway. The election got a fleeting mention - somebody had gone to vote - Jolene? I've forgotten already. Anyway, I don't expect there will be any politics in TA now for a good long while.

Maybe the new government can see to it that some money gets to local authorities to pay for traffic calming measures in villages. It sounded a bit 20 years ago there.

Yeah that magic money tree is going to be working overtime!!

with the bridge closure causing such chaos and the motorway going past the pub it seems that Ambridge is far bigger than I imagined

I am right in thinking that there is still a murder to uncover, a body in a dyke?
Adams secret lover, he was killed by Rob Tichnor??
My memory is dreadful, so might have that wrong, but how has his body never turned up?

No need for a magic tree, just sensible, targetted, progressive, taxation and the re-investment of the tax revenue in the places where it can enable people to flourish and the economy to grow (and generate more tax income).

You're not wrong, but I fear that as with other excellent stories inexplicably dropped - Nelson's takings from the bank (or was it mail van) robbery, Aunt Laura's will, Ippy the stolen horse, and Chris Carter's true porcine identity, we will wait in vain.

Unfortunately that’s not what we are going to get!!

but enough politics - what’s this about a body? Rob killed someone!!

Gosh Susan giving it both barrels.

I’m glad they have Martha playing up because it would’ve unrealistic if she were totally unbothered

It felt as if George was in the verge of confessing last night - he is clearly very affected by what happened and that feeling is getting worse not better. At a slight tangent (and apologies if this has been mentioned before), but I just watched the final episode of the first series of Succession and literally squealed ‘OMG it’s just like The Archers!’ Except the victim in that case would have been found strapped in the passenger seat. Watching Kendal’s reaction felt like watching George Grundy, but George is on his own - there is no one party to the cover-up.