Archers thread #176: In which Ian puts the I in PTA. Discuss The Archers here.

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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'd like to hear more from Wesley the ashtray collector, 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 @DeanElderberry for the pithy phrase in the thread title and @CaptainMyCaptain for suggesting it should go in there. At least we've got the spooky disco out of the way for now. Plenty of wooden dialogue in the last few episodes that could go on the village bonfire next week. It's all been too dispiriting to discuss in greater depth. I'll just say that I don't hold out any great hopes that the production team will make a good job of reflecting concern in the farming community about the changes announced in the Budget to inheritance tax for farms. So often they get an expert to talk them through stuff like this but instead of ending up with a realistic storyline they pick out the bits they like the sound of and cobble them together in a totally unrealistic way. Maybe I'll be proved wrong this time. I hope so.

Over to you!

He wanted an excuse for his vile mood, perhaps.

I didn't hear that, but that would be seriously good acting because that is exactly what people - especially teenagers - do!

I just cannot llisten to any of the story lines with Justin any more.

So utterly silly.

Thursday was as bad as Wednesday.

I hope Hilda rips flesh from the odious, scheming, obnoxious Khalil.

I hope Fagash and Phlemgy fall overboard on their cruise.

The Fallon send off is too ridiculous for words.

So Natasha thinks she has some sort of say over what cakes Fallon sells at the new place?!?

Oh no, if Lilian is evicted from the Dower House I fear that the SW might have her move in with Brian, and much "comedy" will ensue.

Fortunately I don't have a crystal ball so hopefully this is very unlikely to actually happen.

I’d hope they wouldn’t repeat that story, @noodlezoodle. Lilian going to stay with Jenny and Brian at Home Farm after things went wrong with Matt (can’t remember the exact chronology - had he left, taking a valuable painting with him?) was one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard. So humiliating; the poor woman was in a state and drinking Brian’s cellars dry.

(So it was particularly cruel of the SWs to deny her the comparative security of marriage and to deprive her of ownership of the Dower House in her current relationship.)

Why is Helen taking so long about the house sale when she is Kirsty's friend and even asked if Kirsty would like to move in with her family. That makes no sense.if I was Fallon I would tell them to stick thier leaving do and shove the so called signiture cakes where the sun dont shine. (Where do the SW get the idea of signiture cakes and trial cat stuff do they not live in the real world).
Glad Lilian realises how horrible and really nasty Justin is and is fed up being his Jiminy Cricket, though she must have known this before now.
I unfortunately listened to the podcast and talk about big up nothing in particular. Emma Freud is such a fake.. never again.

Is Helen actually buying Kirsty's place (in which case, who is paying?), or is she just failing to move out? I don't care either way, as the sooner the pair of them are deaded in a freak cheese-rolling accident, the better.

Great thread title. Need to catch up this week - managed to hear Justin’s ludicrous meeting with Rex and Kirstie. Three of the most badly drawn characters in Ambridge. A saintly environmentalist with no family ties to the area, a boat dweller on a swollen and deep and shallow and drivable river and a millionaire land agent who apparently hates mud and manipulates village simpletons. Silly. Silly.

who is paying?

Helen is paying. She’s a partner (iirc) in Bridge Farm (which made - was it 800k - from the sale of what is now the Beechwood land) and she’s the proprietor of her apparently thriving cheese business. Ambridge royalty, in short. Whatever she lacks, it isn’t access to money.

(As I recall she did all the financial planning and was assured of a mortgage when she last thought of buying a house a few years ago. Even if that was with Lee, I don’t think his financial input would have been critical.)

Well as khalil is undoubtedly a dr Doolittle he will no doubt take Hilda and saunter around the village with a retinue of unusual animals 🙄

Yes, I don't think Hilda + hens is a terribly good plan. I wonder if he's considered capybaras?

The idea of making the cafe at the EV charging station vegan is nuts!
I’ve been an EV driver for 8 years and had to pass time at many different types of charging place here & in Europe.
Im quite partial to a vegan snack but DH would be horrified!
They are usually at service stations and our favourite ones have a farm shop on site or failing that M&S food.
I would choose one with a good independent cafe and would expect a vegetarian & vegan options and gluten free but to limit it to that is madness.

I think it helps that each episode only lasts around 12 minutes which is never long enough when it's good - you can't wait to tune in the next day - and short enough when it's bad that it ends before you can switch it off, before consoling yourself that it's bound to be better tomorrow.
Justin is my least favourite character because he's essentially a shape-shifter whose character (and wealth) flip-flops depending on the requirements of the plot. I quite like Azra and her family so far and Henry needed a friend so his character can be properly brought into play. Part of the problem with the programme at the moment is that a lot of the big hitters and cast stalwarts have disappeared (Peggy, Jill, Jenny, Shula, even Brian and Pat and Tony seem to be being phased out) and many of those waiting in the wings feel a bit flimsy by comparison.

i Think it’s good Henry has a friend (how have they not met on the bus already) but I love with a 14yo and don’t think I can deal with listening to even more of that teen chatter

That poor cat! Although she is not very nice she seems to be shunted from pillar to post.

I think Khalili wants Hilda to be so unpleasant that his mum says he can have chickens instead.

Justin is a hypocrite. He sticks his oar in Lillian's business but doesn't like it when she does the reverse.

He's so odious.

She should dump him.

Given the way he took possession of the dower house and the way he refused marriage there is a bit of financial control going on which makes me a bit uncomfortable no matter how annoying I find Lillian

Is it BL or demara who owns the rewilding land, surely thers alot more red-tape than justin just saying sure lets renew, would he have to answer to boardmembers (I'm not sure martin Gibson etc) as to why he just decided to renew at the old rate? Same as the home farm contracts?

urgh. the Justin / Lilian stuff. Make. It. Stop.

The discussions between Justin and Lilian all go on for too long and need some serious cutting.

If they’re heading for a split just get on with it.

Well someone has to break up over Christmas - will it be Lilian or Fallon dumping their tedious partner? Or maybe Stella!

I’m already rather fond of the Maliks as a family unit - so, inevitably, the eventual return of Akram will cause unwelcome disruption …

He does. He's a nasty piece of work. I hope Hilda rips his flesh except Hilda will be blamed rather than the odious Khalil as his dimwit mother thinks you can trial a cat.

Pusscat really really needs her Tiger back.