Archers thread #174: God it's lame! But it still limps on. 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 think Ben-meets-Zainab is on a par with Elizabeth-meets-Darcy, 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.)

Thanks to @Bruisername for the title inspiration. She said God it's lame and that seemed to strike a chord with many, for some reason.

I am terrified of wasps and live in fear of encountering a hornet, so that was a tricky episode. I hope that's the last we're going to hear of them, except for confirmation that they've been nuked. [shudder]

So what do we reckon - custodial or suspended sentence for George? Will Clarrie return from Great Yarmouth or will she realise that actually life as a carer for her (presumably disabled) sister is easier than the endless and thankless drudgery at Grange Farm? Will any more tables collapse at the Village Hall?

Over to you!

Anyway, it shouldn’t be a cat, it should obviously be a parrot. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

They slipped in ‘Bruno’ as a suggestion, which in cat name terms translates to ‘big, black, crap in a fight’ (from e, by Matt Beaumont)

Inappropriate for a female not-black kitten, I feel.

Monday is the feast of St Callixtus, a very good egg, criticised by some of his fellow early 3rd century Christians for being too kind (they were peeved because he invested their money in a bank that went bust and never got over it, even after he'd done time in the lead mines).

He's just who they all need in Ambridge atm, and the catten could be Callista for posh and Callie for everyday.

Our cats have always had their own surnames - in the case of the Spanish one, two surnames (obviously). I remember when the vet asked her name and I told him, he rolled his eyes and just wrote down her first name.

Why thank you, I will take take that as permission to continue ;)

My comment about being too invested was actually only made in response to being informed by @BeatriceBatchelor that I was overinvested in this, which I took to be telling me to keep my trap shut from pointing out when comments in pile ons against certain characters, far from appeared to reflect the actuality of the words in the script.

I like Callista but prefer Catilla the Hon.

For obvious Discworld-related reasons, I've always liked the name Greebo for a cat. I knew this cat story would bring out the catlovers, amongst whom I am not numbered. I don't object to cats but I am immune to their charms, and they make me sneeze.

As with people, I like some cats and not others. Some are indeed charming, others strike me as candidates for the nearest skip. Not that I would ever throw a cat in a skip, but if one such happened to be exploring one when it was taken away to a tip (as in The Patchwork Cat) my grief would be containable.

Catilla the Hon is very good.

so what if it was after the accident that Alice gave Martha up - it doesn’t change the fact that she should have done it much earlier and her drinking was out of control. Her actions as a mother had been poor well before we found out she was drinking again.

No I didn’t think you hated her, some obviously do and have said so.

She was rather preoccupied with Harry for quite a while, for instance, and I think it was clear she was farming Martha out in order to spend time with him.

I know single mothers have every right to a life of their own, but they ought also to care about their child/ren, no?

I love cats and have two beauties but even I don’t think this new kitten makes for an interesting SL. People’s obsession with their pets should be contained - being shown pics of others’ cats and dogs is only of marginal more interest than pics of people’s children.

I quite like Alice. I don’t think I’d like to be tangled up in her web and would be happy to keep her at arm’s length but she’s not a bad person and largely the damage she causes is unintentional. She just never thinks anything through. I used to be a bit like Alice circa 2018/19 ie thoughtless when drunk but have thankfully learnt to keep my drinking and my crass observations under control now I am older.

But how is your line and length with a brick, @JoelenesParrot ?

You don’t need permission, all are welcome here!

I’m going for a hybrid name: PussesOfEight

No cat we've ever had has been known by its official name for more than a couple of months before a nickname occurred and stuck.

Kenton is likely to revert to "That Damn Cat" or "Catrat" no matter what the name chosen in this dreary competition may be.

He doesn't seem to like the kitten anything like as much as Jolene does.

There used to be a weather girl on Hong Kong TV called Wincy Miao. Best Cat Name Evvah! But I regret to inform you that it has been used.

Oh yes I do, you said …

“all the stuff in her and Fallon's statements are complete and utter bollocks, frankly.”

When Alice’s is all quite factual and backed up by the script

You don’t even mention Fallons statement about the effects on her personally, which also is factual and backed up by the script, but you are also called it complete and utter bollocks.

To me that seems pretty callous and dismissive given the trauma both characters suffered as a result of the accident and fit up. I think the least they were entitled to do was describe what they went through.

Fallon very honestly explained she did not know if the accident caused the miscarriage. Alice made it clear she struggled with alcohol, not always successfully. It was a central part of the case, that George found her passed out drunk in the car so there could have been no mistake of her situation before the crash. Certainly not framed as she was fine before as you say.

I have always agreed George in his own cack handed way thought he was helping Alice. Setting her up was specifically what caused her to give Martha up (all scripted) and sent her spiralling exactly as described in her statement, until she gained the strength to really believe she did not do it. Emma’s malicious social media posts a direct result of believing Alice was driving were what caused the problems at the Stables and almost cost Alice her job.

George is certainly not to blame for Alice’s alcoholism (regardless of if as you state it is a poor choice or as many (possibly the majority) believe an addiction/illness. (Also described as a chronic brain disorder). I don’t believe he was ever accused of this, just of the spiralling effects his cruel fit up had on a vulnerable person.

I do not like cats. It’s going to end up as khalil’s name though, surely?

That'll be the cheap option for J&K: he can't have the ale and he's not allowed fizzy drinks. I wonder how many bags of crisps Azra would deem acceptable before she said "that's enough", given that she is opposed to junk food too.

Did Khalil suggest a name (I am obviously not paying attention), in which case what was it? Shere Khan is a good name.

Our last cat was often addressed as Catface. She didn't seem to mind.

When Khalil brought the kitten back from playing outside he suggested "Sheru", which was the name of a cat his father used to have. And then Jolene put it into the box as the first entry in the competition.

As long as it’s pronounced correctly