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!

Apples (preferably ripe Bramleys with the extreme sour edge gone) and cheddar make an excellent filling for large flat mushrooms, to be eaten on toast or just as they are depending on your carb needs. As much chopped apple as you can fit into the mushroom, topped with a layer of cheese - cook in the air fryer, microwave or oven as you prefer.

But not pastry, not a pie. This is reminding me of the novelty marmalade wars decades ago.

I'm another one who has no idea about Maurice, and I've been listening more often than not for more than half a century.

It took me a while, but I think Maurice is the butcher who makes Tom's sausages, he ran into Alastair at Gamblers Anonymous, and was sworn to silence for evermore.

Maurice had passed me by too. I did find a clip of him here, though I don't remember hearing it at the time.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/53NMcXhJT6y2Z9GNthZ3WcD/maurice-horton

Maurice has mostly been silent, which may be the best way to tolerate working with Tom for do long.

i was waiting for Pat or Tony, at least, to realise that by employing people from such a small (miniscule) pool (puddle) they were leaving themselves stupidly exposed to ... well, anything.

idiots.

I once had some absolutely delicious apple and stilton pancakes at a pub. Sadly there were some fairly serious gastric consequences as a result of which I am not allowed to ever have them again.

Oh dear, @CarlaH - are you sure it was the apple & stilton and not coincidence?

Pat and Tony seem to run BF as though they were living in the 1950s, or do I mean 1850s? Their only nod to technology is via Tom'n'Tash's use of social meeeejuh and an app.

Yes, I thought that’s what you meant, but it did send me chasing to see if it was an Italian term or a made up name

@MereDintofPandiculation , I sometimes take things at face value, and that's how I read it when I first saw it on a menu.

I think the word comes from the Neapolitan language but it is similar to the Italian for sock (calzino), which would make some sort of sense.

But - this is all their own doing.

Clarrie has taken leave of absence without any prior warning - even if she and Susan are on zero hours contracts, you don’t usually just walk off without arranging leave. At least, if you do, you don’t expect the job to be there when you get back.

Emma has quit without any warning; in those circumstances, I wouldn’t expect them to pay her any notice period (although I think there’s a potential constructive dismissal claim for Tom’s cackhanded behaviour, including visiting her at home when she’s off sick and forcing her in to a meeting).

And they chose to sack George despite there being no problem with his work (discounting his surly attitude and constantly being on his phone), presumably although he is entitled to pay in lieu of notice he won’t be pushing for it.

They’ve also accommodated Adam’s demand that he doesn’t work with Will - fairly difficult on a small farm.

Plenty of money for a contract milker. Get the Terrible Twins into after-school club like most working mums, make Adam work in the dairy, and find another sulky teenager or two to help pack veg or work in the Terum. Simples 😄 I don’t know why Pat and Tony can’t see it!

Twins are with a childminder as too young for school and I don’t think she’s picking up early

Very sure but won't go into too many details. Let's just say that we had to drive with the windows open on our journey home.

No mention of Jonny returning either!

It's so odd that they never mention Johnny. Just a brief 'If only Johnny wasn't in the middle of the Pacific right now' or similar would do.

How lovely to hear Maurice again. I think that was old Tom too. Thanks, Gonners.

Thanks @EBearhug and all!

another one who finds the Johnny absence weird. I’m unclear why they can’t recast if it’s an actor availability issue. When did we last hear about him? Did Freddie go and see him when he was off DJing, or did I dream that

all of that just shows that, in theory, the workers have the power because they are needed.

Clarrie knows she's not getting fired. Who else would do the drudge work with Susan? who else with her experience is available right now?

Frankly, they should all have ganged up and asked for a pay rise.

Quitting without notice from a casual job? nobody would be expecting notice (pay or time) in that case. Same with George. Adam? well again, neither he nor Will are actually dispensible at the moment, so the Bridge Farm Archers need to wake themselves up and find better, robust and resiliant solutions.

And they chose to sack George despite there being no problem with his work (discounting his surly attitude and constantly being on his phone), presumably although he is entitled to pay in lieu of notice he won’t be pushing for it. "Bringing company into disrepute?"

I'd have been sorely tempted to say to Adam "keeping you away from certain colleagues is not a reasonable adjustment. It's up to you to decide whetehr you want to stay working here under those circumstances".

I'm not sure they have the luxury of saying that though because sacking a staff member, a full time one at that, would leave them even more short handed.

I've just caught up wth last night's. Damn, that scene between Pat and Susan where Pat said "We're still friends, aren't we?" brought tears to my eyes.

It was a nice compare and contrast with the scene with Tom round at Emma's. That's how you should have played it, Tom, learn from your mother.

I don’t remember the details of how and why Adam was a lead farmer managing the keys, the crop pickers etc etc on a (sort of) equal footing to Brian, to being an employee of Tony’s. Would be grateful for any light (especially as to why!)

He worked at Home Farm by virtue of being part of the Aldridge family that owns it and was the farm manager. He still part-owns it along with Brian, Kate, Alice, Debbie and Ruari.

He left, IIRC, when he "borrowed" some money from the farm's accounts without telling anyone. I think it was £5k? He had some high falutin' job lined up I think but either didn't start it or left shortly after joining. He wanted an easier life so ended up picking lettuces at Bridge Farm.

Not sure anyone can understand why the SWs decided to remove Adam from his position as Farm Manager at the family farm he is due to inherit (at least in part) and turn him into a general dogsbody at Bridge Farm, @crumpet.

Particularly since the inciting incident was Adam ‘borrowing’ £5k from the Home Farm accounts, apparently to pay an electrician for re-wiring his house. Solving a cash flow problem by taking a much lower paying job? Anyway, iirc he jumped ship on the assumption he was about to be sacked by Brian. I think Brian was as baffled as the listeners.

Possibly it was done purely to make space for Stella, so Pip could become The World!s First Lesbian. If so, it wasn’t worth it.

Sincerely hope Helen The Absent hasn’t popped into a Waitrose in the last day or two and picked up the Weekend magazine …

(Even my stomach lurched when I turned the page.)

That sounds rather nice, Totters. Fortunately, I can contemplate making and eating tuna bake without any psychological issues! It's more sophisticated than what we're having tonight, that's for sure. (There are fresh vegetables and brown rice involved, but the aim is to use up (a) some tofu I found in the freezer and (b) a jar of 'Cantonese' sauce someone donated to the food bank where I volunteer - it's out of date so they would have chucked it - I'm more gung ho and will risk it.)