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!

Bad forward planning there. One of the halls in this area actually is in the new (ish) school which was designed with a hall that could be used for wider community functions, four others are converted old two-teacher primary schools which have been replaced by new-builds, three were custom-built with community funding.

We do enjoy an excuse for a get together.

On GaspMother island, there are (as far as I can make out) innumerable community gatherings all year round. There are no towns there, just villages, which is perhaps a factor. Even the very small villages have some sort of hall, I think. The churches are in a transitional phase because of falling congregations so some are likely to be sold off, and that might affect their halls, but other halls are definitely community- rather than church-owned. The one nearest my Mum's house has the library at one end and room for meetings, voting, ceilidhs and concerts at the other. Dotted around the island and across the year there are drama festivals and plays, film clubs, music festivals, concerts of all types, various competitions, an Agricultural Show, Highland Games, all sorts of sporting events, parent and toddler groups and various classes. On my last visit we went to a concert that was kicking off a weekend of Chamber Music with international standard musicians, mostly born and reared on the island.

What they haven't got is a reliable ferry service, but give it another decade or two and maybe it will all be resolved. [sarcasm font: OFF]

Clearly I am not cut out for village life.

I don't think I am either, but I quite enjoy dipping in and out of it.

Just found out, btw, that Kirsty (Annabelle Dowler) is in Ludwig, if anyone else is watching that. She plays the twins' mother in the flashbacks.

I wonder if that’s a good enough reason for me to try Ludwig again. Just couldn’t get into it and kept falling asleep.

(And Anna Maxwell Martin’s wig and creepy, glowy make up frightened me …)

Ooh, don't know. AD's role is a tiny one. Not best placed to advise here, though, as we absolutely loved it.

I've been listening to a crime thing that was on Radio 4xtra a week or two back that has Jim Lloyd and Adam on a Caribbean island with Miss Marple. Oddly disconcerting.

yeah, i think if you (as i do) live in a village you know that everyone whines and moans and carps on about the local Lynda. But if the local Lynda takes a year off and doesn't arrange the things, the moaning and whining takes on a whole new mangitude.

And yet nobody ever gets off their arses to arrange them themselves.

I love Lynda. I fear she reminds me of me. Save i do bugger all for my local community yet am as imperious as she. Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess is my role model at work. That and Princess Margaret! #WWPMD 😬🙈

ps I bet Maggie was an Archers listener

Also I thought last nights Ed Emmur Georwge scenes were really lovely ❤️

”Adam” was also in a radio adaptation of Mansfield Park where he played Henry Crawford. Really threw me that “Lillian” was in it too, as Mrs Price!

Hello! I’ve not had chance to read this thread for a while as I had a little misunderstanding with MNHQ which has been cleared up now.

I wanted to give a little boop for Emmur’s emotional acting the last few weeks. I’ve been fair choked up a few times.

it’ll be such an anti-climax if George doesn’t go darn now won’t it.

Welcome back @BitOutOfPractice . Did MNHQ not know who you were? 😯

Hello! I’ve not had chance to read this thread for a while as I had a little misunderstanding with MNHQ which has been cleared up now.

I suspect there is a noble band of Archers listeners who have been banned at one point. Welcome back to the fold, BOOP.

A BOOP for your return, @BitOutOfPractice! And absolutely another for Emma recently.

I’ve assumed Azra’s long term absent in Pakistan husband is a story waiting to happen - once we know her better and feel invested in her life.

As for why she’s renting, isn’t that always the advice to families moving to a new place? Rent until you know the area and can make an informed choice about where to buy. Although ‘new Beechwood resident at the mercy of Joy, close to Helen and in the thick of village life’ was probably more of a consideration for the scriptwriters.

(Oh, gave Ludwig another try. Five episodes in one sitting …)

@TherapistInATabard i did mention that I was missing the Archers thread in particular and I think that’s why I was reprieved.

Good work there, BOOP! Very glad to see you back.

The famous BOOP of BOOP fame? wow

I learned the origin of BOOP just this last week - in my defence I've only been on Mumsnet for about (thinks hard) 21 months, can't learn everything all at once. It's not like I'd ever rtfm.

Just cancel the cheque and all will be well.

As we told Peggy many times.

I feel I should wave regally to you all. Yes, the BOOP <nods slowly around the room>.

the cold reality is that I am a very sporadic poster, prolific lurker, who tries to give credit where it’s due when I’ve enjoyed something. So please don’t get too excited 😬

Does anyone else wonder why, if Lynda, Usha, Robert and Neil were all doing the set-up for the F&P show as she told Jim they were, it is assumed that Lynda was solely responsible for the table collapsing, or why she should take the entire blame? It could just as easily have been one of the other three who put that table up wrong.

(OH does a lot of putting up temporary tables, one way and another, for things like exhibitions, and he says that he has never during this century encountered one which would make it possible to fail to fix the legs without it immediately collapsing, and probably trapping one of your fingers very painfully as it did so; the problem is getting them to collapse when you have finished with them, not putting them up right.)

Yes - I have the same experience. They auto click into place and then you dice with death to collapse them

lynda is taking the blame because it’s a stupid sl

Well Azras daughter sounds pleasant. Don’t like the way they’ve written her so far - is she supposed to be ‘feisty’? She kind of deserved to be stung tbh - why was she hanging around anyway? God it’s lame. And do we need Ben explaining everything in such detail? And he left David on his own - what if he gets stung!!

Is it possible to have a young woman/teen who isn’t feisty? Teen girls do have different personality types you know 🙄

a topical Asian hornet insert - whilst it felt clumsy at least it is relevant I suppose

as for Martha - why was a 3yo putting her coat on on her own in her room?