Archers thread #176: In which Ian puts the I in PTA. 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'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!

I’ve always thought she’s unpleasant about/to Jill and Josh tbh!

Absolutely this. Fallon saved Ruth's backside in terms of being able to accept the booking; it was one thing to be clear that they couldn't provide any physical help other than running the bar but quite something else for Ruth to be so utterly inflexible about the kitchen (even as a one-off), to treat Fallon like she (Ruth) was doing her a massive favour at enormous cost to Brook Field, and to be so dismissive after the event.

Still, at least Fallon is going to focus on outside catering which is what she should have done in the first place rather than the daft vegan-cafe-in-the-middle-of-nowhere idea. But if she works with/goes into partnership with Brook Field I'd want a very clear contract to stop any more Ruth Nonsense.

Second PassivAggressivHaus for the next thread title!

And not too much combination. I’m really enjoying the new-style short snappy titles

Yes! This threads title was particularly inspired and makes me smile everytime I see it!!

<makes note>

This. And I can think of several occasions when she hasn't exactly covered herself in glory, both with Josh and Jill and with other people: chucking Jill out of the house to make room for her own mother, subsequent weird jealousy of her daughter being able to step up on the farm and give her space to grieve (to be fair to her there, grief can do strange things), her affair, chucking Josh out of his bedroom on his birthday (I can't remember the details of that) ...

d) In the alternative to (a), Ruth should have had that conversation (if at all) with Fallon in private, not in front of a third party (Emma) at all, let alone when those 2 were taking a moment to celebrate their teamwork, and also when Ruth can’t have been unaware of the awkwardness between Fallon and Emma generally. A very unbusinesslike approach. That said, someone under Ruth’s level of stress wouldn’t be at their most diplomatic.

I agree. I hate it when you can see the gears grinding towards the next plot development - removing Fallon from her business at the Terum and repositioning her feels like turning a tanker. I have no idea where she will end up, but clearly the SWs feel she needs to be cut loose for a Justin-style rebirth (as described by him!). It certainly doesn’t feel particularly realistic. I’m sad that silent Jill is being turned into an ogre - I would have much preferred her to see out her days in a cosy little cottage with a lovely garden full of beehives and roses. Nothing about that Silver Wedding party felt believable any more than the idea that Natasha is now running the Terum single-handed is believable.

BlueGantry
someone under Ruth’s level of stress wouldn’t be at their most diplomatic.

What stress was Ruth under? She hadn't been doing anything at all apart from her usual farm work.

As others have said, what was Ruth going to do before she asked Fallon to save the day, and then treated her like some kind of serf? How does catering work for these barn dos anyway?

She's got a damn cheek lecturing Fallon after F has just (metaphorically) saved her arse. I notice she didn’t exactly join in with the compliments to F for her hard work and delicious food either. Horrible woman.

She obviously had the stress of having had lunch out the day before, and watching her husband get an award at said lunch. The poor woman must be exhausted.

Be fair - she doesn’t have her mil skivvying for her anymore so that must be extra work (though I suspect dayveed ends up picking up a lot of the slack)

Shame Jolene is still over using me’darlin

why are they making sure the listeners all know the Jolene/sid history?

Another badly written dialogue with azra. Why is she so huffy and stilted?

glad Hilda is ok

glad mick has a talent at least. I mean the lighting, not the blagging.

and another ridiculous goat conversation 🙄

She’s got a lot less to be stressed about than either Fallon or Emma

I wondered about "Ruth's level of stress". I mean, surely she must be used to Jill, David and Pip and capable of ignoring them by now?

why are they making sure the listeners all know the Jolene/sid history? It just felt like an insert for people who’ve never listened before. I can only assume it is aimed at potential new listeners with short attention spans because the SW don’t think they’ll make the effort unless everything is spelled out in black and white. The trouble with this approach is that it’s difficult to advance the storyline when you only have 12 minutes and you have to keep recapping on 70 plus years. It’s never been easier to google (or indeed ask our own @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime) if you want the backstory - so much easier than when I first started listening when it required real determination and ingenuity to get the facts. I think that’s probably one reason why I refuse to give it up - because it took such great effort to get properly into it in the first place!

Why …? Hmm - my immediate thought is to prep us for an imminent transfer of licenceeship … Maybe?

God Azra is wet and boring. Heaven help us if she ever shares a scene with Ian.

I don't think any of them are likely to be in a farm worth over £3 million that's owned in their own names, are they?

I assumed she meant things like not having a Plan B when Chelsea didn't turn up.

I don't get what's been going on with catering for the barn up to now if the kitchen is so inadequate for preparing meals. Are weddings etc supposed to rely on cold buffets, are or caterers supposed to being stuff with them in insulated containers and pray that they stay hot long enough? And if you're fitting out a barn for that type of event, why on earth wouldn't you put in a decent kitchen?

On another front, pubs near us are getting grief from the local authority for letting the occasional camper van stay overnight. Surely they'll go ape at a long term arrangement to allow a scruffy caravan to stay?

Well Kenton hasnt done the Bull any favours letting Mucky Mick leave his old cronk of a camper van stay in the car park. Lilian will be furious to start with and it might attract anybody thinking they can park there, i e travellers, they'd have a hard job getting rid of them.
Azra is so boring.
Is a billy goat really smelly apart from other goats. If so didnt they know and does it matter.
Hope Kirsty sells the house really fast and has to kick Helen out pronto.I know Helen will have somewhere to go but its the up heavel of the short notice and Helen will try to drag her feet me thinks if that happens. Oh and I really cant see the point to Mick, forgot to say.( I bet his feet smell thats the impression I get) what on earth does Joy see in him she must be really lonely.

Billygoats dressing up for a night (or day) on the pull do a handstand and pee on their beards to make them really irresistible. Think on that when you complain about teenage boys getting overenthusiastic with Lynx.

Rebranding them as bucks doesn't make them any less smelly.

And they could have had a visit from a nice properly-washed AI person with a choice straw for each doe.