Archers thread #173: The Fall of the House of Grundy? 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 wish we were hearing more of Pip, 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 https://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.)

I chose the thread title to echo one I used three years ago, which is here if anyone fancies a trip down Memory Lane: www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4320618--Archers-thread-130-The-Fall-of-the-House-of-Aldridge-Discuss-The-Archers-here. That was the thread where I caused all sorts of confusion at the start by not starting it before the old thread filled up, but others stepped in, fortunately.

At that point I see Ruairi was heading off to London to start his degree, which he has now finished, with none of us any the wiser about what he studied or where. Perhaps this will finally be mentioned now he's graduating.

And now, over to you!

I guess it depends how this competition is judged. I assume they don't have to dig up the sunflower and wheel it down. So maybe they just need a photo next to a yardstick? Jazzer might be wily enough to disguise the background so that it wasn't initially obvious he had the same sunflower as Rosie. Clearly the whole thing would get found out and he would be publicly exposed as a cheat. Because it's Jazzer and he's a comedy working class character who should know his place (but is always going to chance his arm).

I assumed they had to take it!

I hope HighHeels the heifer gets in and eats it just before the show.

Thanks@comeondover for giving me a laugh. I've had a tough week and its only half way through. 😁

im a bit surprised at some of the comments here, as I thought Eddie reacted exactly how I would expect him to! I don’t agree with him or how he treated Susan but I can completely understand how it must be so raw still, and he is lashing out at whoever he can. I imagine he will calm down and make up with her soon.

Robert on the other hand - what on earth is going on? Lol @Godesstobe ’but it does seem very odd that two apparent adults are so desperate to win meaningless competitions’ made me laugh. Indeed!

I’m loving Fallon’s IDGAF attitude and her realisation that the gruesome twosome need her more than she needs them.

The long scene between Tracey and Ian at the end was really odd. I don’t think I’ve ever heard them interact before but they were chatting like besties.

Presumably Ian and Tracy got to know each other reasonably well as colleagues at Grey Gables - both before and in the aftermath of the kitchen explosion?

Yes indeed, my name was inspired by Susan. I was DylanNells for a bit but Susan’s line made me laugh so much I had to change.

Re asking small children about their day, my sister and i used to ask our (much younger) brother what he’d had for lunch at school. One day he said ‘a cake with multicoloured bits on it.’
’Hundreds and thousands?’
’Oh no, I don’t think there were that many’

@TherapistInATabard Oh dear. I have been misreading your name

It just went on and on and on and on. Both just burbling nonsense.

@SlenderRations , me too.

@SlenderRations @KeepBritainTidy 😬😬😬 just noticed what you mean

Context is all

And capitalisation. I think the judicious use of capitals in Therapist's name makes the meaning clear.

@Fink, the meaning is clear, and I 'hear' it in Susan's voice, but my eyes see something else.

Did Rob ever work in the shop?

Yes, I think there was a grim period when he was pushing Helen out of everything she'd built up over the years, on the excuse that she was pregnant and needed to rest (her eating disorder was an issue at this time ). I don't think he ever tried his hand at making cheese but he did (IIRC) make her leave the shop to him. Didn't he sack her co-worker, or was it just that he appointed somebody unsuitable when she left?

Yes - didn’t he muscle in on the design of the new farm shop?

And wasn’t Pat all over him with vomit-inducing gratitude and encouragement? (Or have I invented that bit?)

So he was TheRapistInATabard

No, that all sounds right.

I see what you did there! Cripes.

And wasn’t Pat all over him with vomit-inducing gratitude and encouragement?

People like Rob are very good at ingratiating themselves and making themselves indispensable. And poor Pat thought Helen had finally found the right man - I remember the awful evening at the concert where Helen was gearing up to tell Pat the truth, only to be flattened by the panzers of Pat's enthusiasm for her relationship.

Is the Bridge Farm shop still there? We haven't heard about it for ages (unless I have zoned out during the long discussions of who is covering the harvest, veg box packing, deliveries, TeRum, viewing window cleaning, Montbéliarde wrangling ... and it got a look in then). I can't imagine who's staffing it since they have been reduced to employées mums popping over to lend a hand. Maybe it's Henry's DofE volunteering project?

I think the farm shop is their base for packing and dispatching veg boxes? That's how it is in my head, anyway.

Is it just me who can't imagine why an apple and cheese pie is a thing? l can get on board with an apple pie, and I could definitely get on board with a cheese pie, but as a combination it seems lacklustre on both sweet or savoury counts.