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!

Oh is THAT what Kenton looks like.

And irl he's the grandson of CLEMENT ATTLEE?

and David is the Earl of Portland

I'm wanting to hear more from the characters I detest but that probably includes most of them . Maybe just the poisonous Pip (PP) as I think she is the one I dislike the most.

“Saigon cinnamon is a species of cassia cinnamon with a stronger flavor and aroma than other varieties. Though it's considered to be lower quality than Ceylon cinnamon, it's less expensive and easily found in grocery stores.”

What fuckery was all that about sunflowers and spilled pies? Gah. Plum and marzipan pie? I'm torn on that one because I'm a huge fan of real Bakewell puddings so it might achieve a similar taste effect?

Well I liked it!

I suspect CCTV may show Jazzer sneaking in with a very conspicuous sunflower...

I don’t like David because he always sounds tired and irritable. I don’t mind the favouritism towards Saint Pip but I do find the way he treats Josh (clearly the least favourite) very unpleasant.

Isn’t he tired because he’s a farmer!!

I did actually write ‘Is it because he’s farmer?’ after my first sentence. I deleted it because I wrote a generalisation about farmers on this board ages ago and someone told me off😂

I find the family dynamic with David and his three children quite realistic. He clearly does have a favourite (though he would doubtless deny it) - Pip has always shown most interest in running the farm, which is his sole preoccupation, and she has always been most involved. This state of affairs has been self-perpetuating because the more interest she showed the more he involved her and the more she was involved the more interest she showed. Consequently she has always had a greater degree of expertise than her brothers to the point where it suits both her parents to leave her to it. David is following a pattern set by his own parents - he took over the farm and his three siblings went their own way. The big difference for me is that Shula, Kenton and Elizabeth felt more clearly characterised than Josh and Ben. It used to feel like the drama centred on Brookfield with other storylines radiating out from there through the Brookfield children and out to the satellites of Home farm and Bridge Farm run by the descendant's of Phil's brother (Christine has always seemed a bit of an afterthought). Now Brookfield itself feels peripheral with the drama happening elsewhere - the Grundys work at Bridge Farm, Alice is attached to Home Farm and The Stables, no-one involved in the accident or the cover-up comes from Brookfield, you could literally take Brookfield out of the equation and the drama would still hold up. Josh and Ben are off-stage somewhere - as absent as Johnny in their own way. It is ironic as they are both better actors than Pip - who despite being Pope of Farming, First Single Mother and World's First Lesbian is not someone any of us are tuning in to hear.

Yes it is amazing how peripheral Brookfield is at present. I miss Jill (OK, she’s not gone entirely yet).

I miss Jill too, but I actually think she might have to die for Brookfield to come back into the dramatic fold (it feels like they experimenting with her as a silent character at the moment with her late entry pie).

Glad to see all the Dave love on here.

Controversial: I think they should re-cast Peggy and Jill.

And Peggy should realise moving into the Laurels was a bad idea and buy the house at Home Farm.

Brilliantly observed, @LillianGish!

@BeatriceBatchelor I once knew a very grand elderly woman residing in a palatial seafront flat. She suffered some small injury and her concerned offspring insisted she moved into a modest retirement bungalow close to them. In a weak moment she acquiesced and did as they asked, with all the consequent upheaval. After about three years of official, quiet old-personhood she was thoroughly fed up, sold the bungalow, moved back to another huge flat in her former city and lived out her life in fun-filled splendour.

But I suspect it’s too late for them to write that story for Peggy …

Was only half listening but thought

1. ed was very sweet and Oliver very kind
2. Kenton is a jerk
3. I want harrison to get sacked rather than quitting. Or even worse, being signed off sick because he has ptsd from losing the baybee. If you think you have anger management issues wouldn’t you see a therapist or something. I can’t imagine it’s unusual in the police that sometimes it’s all a bit much and perhaps you should step back for a bit

I wonder whether Harrison did as Inspector Norris instructed him to do and went the following day to see the counsellor she told him was available. If so, could he not go and see that counsellor again about his anger management issues, before he does someone actual bodily harm? (It seemed clear that Kenton was worried in case he already had.)

Aren't the SWs just softening us up, rather crudely, for when Sgt Burns commits some ABH on someone? I'm still waiting for Eddie to mention Plod's confrontation and grabbing of George to George's brief in the (mistaken?) belief it could be used in mitigation.
But if Burns is going to let the red mist descend, who's he going to have a go at? He's pretty angry with Emma at the moment, but for all his many faults I can't see him laying hands on a woman.

Re recasting Peggy ... June Spencer said a while back that she had recorded her last episode as Peggy, which people generally took to mean the last one we heard. But ... is there one waiting to be broadcast? Peggy will be 100 in November (June Spencer was 105 in June!) and I wonder if we'll hear the 100th birthday party followed by Peggoi's sad demise.

Re recasting Jill ... long may she remain silent!

Oh that’s a lovely idea Gonners, I do hope you’re right!

But if Burns is going to let the red mist descend, who's he going to have a go at? He's pretty angry with Emma at the moment, but for all his many faults I can't see him laying hands on a woman.

Round two with George?

ed was very sweet and Oliver very kind

I was glad Ed showed real concern for George (pace George's claim that he doesn't love him like a son), and it was kind of Oliver to offer to write a character reference.

But ... I thought Ed and Emma were conning themselves about how good a reference it was. Fair play to Oliver, he was only going to write what was true, but what is true about George's character is not a whole load of positives right now, so the best he could say was that he saw potential in him to become something other than what he currently is. But surely Emma and Ed would have realised, on hearing it, that it wasn't great. I'm not sure whether to read Emma's insistence that they needed more as that; it seemed that both of them thought Oliver's words amounted to a glowing endorsement.

And I really hope that Emma doesn't have a repeat of the begging round the village incident, having to go knocking everywhere to plead with someone to write a reference.

In other news, it seems I was wrong with my predictions of dramaaah over Emma's letter from the police/CPS. She obviously did get the same one as Will.

I thought the character reference was pretty good as it showed genuine knowledge of and insight into George’s character. If they were able to get another, similar one it would probably be very helpful.

The character reference question is also a useful plot device to show the bridges George has burnt (as well as crashed into). If he was a better person they’d be able to get references from Berrow and Bridge Farm, for example.

My 🔮 says Alice will write a reference for George.

And won’t that be spewk-making?