Archers thread #177: Will Bridge Farm get a PassiveAggressivHaus? 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 love to have a moribund camper van parked indefinitely outside your home, 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.)

Over to you!

Another continuity thing: as others have pointed out the woman who went to Brookfield mentioned teens but also two 6yos in the car. Teens out of school in November is ridiculously implausible. 6yos is just about credible. Which was it?

I thought she said two 16 year olds in the car but I’ve listened again and she said 6 year olds who “are missing school for this”

What is “this” exactly? A couple of days in Ambridge? It seems an odd reason to risk a fine for the children’s unauthorised absence from school (unless she made up an excuse but again, why go to all that trouble just to visit Ambridge?). The parents I know at my son’s primary school who have done similar took their children to Lapland and another child went to Disneyland. Both said the lower cost of travelling during term time would have course offset any fines.

She probably wouldn't remember them, though, if she left Ambridge when she was young. I went to a lot of schools and I don't remember a single child from my first infants'/primary which I left at the age of 8. I remember two from the next one (8-11), but that's only because I met them again at my next-but-two school, aged about 12½ ... and they were still horrible. One of them later earned some Daily Mail notoriety as a very minor socialite junkie.

Maybe there are some, but I've not met any Americans actually named Chuck, and I lived there for a while

I know an American in his 30s called Chuck.

They should have run the holiday scam story over a couple of weeks. It could have culminated this week but introducing the theme and 2 examples in 2 days seems excessive.

Old Ruth would have probably been a bit more helpful with the mum-of-two but new Ruth - who bullied Fallon last week- just wanted to throw her off her land! The SWs seem to have decided to portray R as a ballsy, grumpy lady farmer. Sigh.

I would certainly remember at least the names of people I knew when I was 10. It was unbelievable that Kate wouldn't at least have had that conversation. I don't live in a tiny village (more of a series of villages which merge along the main roads) but still people ask what school someone went to when they meet. I thought it was a bit odd when I moved here from London over 30 years ago but it was very common.

I don't remember all the children I went to school with, but I remember all the children who lived in our suburban street (age spread of about 9 years, 16 of them, some present all the way through, some for a few years before moving on).

She grew up in the middle of a small village. There'd be memories.

@Eastie77Returns - I've listened again (around 8:43 on Sounds). I am pretty sure she says "two sixteen-year olds in the back of the car" (I assumed twins). "teen" does run very quickly into "year" but there's definitely a syllable there - she could have said "two sixty-year olds" but that seems unlikely! Anyway, later Ruth mentions teenagers being in the car (11:40).

Late to the new thread. Really don't see the point in giving Faith a history with Ambridge if no-one is going to show any interest in it.
Also there are so many other storylines that are mire interesting than this.

There certainly are. My irritation is a reaction to the lazy scriptwriting. I don't care about Faith, we could have had many amusing stories without her, but once they have spent a chunk of two episodes airing her and given her an Ambridge background, they should do something credible with it.

A grundy or archer love child?
the obvious choice of Brian is too young and wasnt in Ambridge

We moved several times before I was ten. I went to three different primary schools. I only attended the first one for a term, but I retain some strong impressions of it because it was a big event starting school and also because it wasn't a very happy experience. I can remember no faces or names from that time. I was at the next school for over four years, leaving not long before my tenth birthday. I can remember several teachers' names and a very few of the children's names. I can't really remember any of the faces. Same would go for our neighbours there. The final school was where I spent the last four terms of my primary school career. I remember that far more clearly. Nobody from my primary school went on to the same secondary school and I didn't keep in touch with any of my primary school classmates, so it's odd that it should all be so vivid, but moving from Scotland to England was a huge culture shock, and I think it was all bound up with that.

Re the name Faith - we had a university friend of that name who would now be in her mid 60s.

Faces are another thing. I can't remember the faces of lots of people I see practically every day - my brain just doesn't really do faces. But I remember people, and I often remember their general shape and demeanour. What a birdwatcher would call jizz.

Army kid here. I remember kids from infant and junior school who lived on our Patch, even now (I'm 60-ish)

I’m mid 70s and was at school with a Faith. So uncommon, but not completely unknown

That’s a good reason not to have a dog. Cats walk themselves. Although admittedly at this time of year only if you physically chuck them out of the front door, and even then they’re back in through the cat flap at the back before you’re even back in your seat by the fire.

Some car rentals will deliver.

They're only doing this storyline because it is scam awareness week on R4. Undoubtedly and unrealistically the whole scam will be revealed, perpetrator found, all sorted within the week, never to be mentioned again.

Absolutely, but that won't apply for someone with no dog taking a holiday cottage.

I don’t think these topical inserts work

it would be much better to have had a longer sl - perhaps a romance scam - that culminated this week

or someone getting a call from their ‘bank’ and it almost being a PSA on what you should do - that would be easier to have written in than a holiday cottage scam. That’s more afternoon play territory - perhaps from the perspective of the village pub having to deal with all the disgruntled holidaymakers

I'm assuming that someone who picked on Ambridge to use as a scam would possibly know a little about the place. Keith perhaps? There has to be a reason they brought him back beyond just giving George a hideaway.

Good call!!

seems a bit techy for Keith but it seems such an odd SL

I also double checked I had definitely clicked on the Archers on BBC sounds when i was catching up on Sundays episode. The awful American accents are setting me on edge.

I can't wait for this to be over.

One of those awful accents is the accent of an actual American, though. Awful it may be, but it is authentic.

authentic like the actress who played Ross’ English girlfriend in Friends accent!

There’s an American accent and then there is what they think English people think is an American accent. Because they think we are stupid and never hear American accents?

'It's me grandson's room really, but he's in prison at the moment so it's going spare. My wife does a lovely fry up in the morning. You'll have to be up early, mind, she leaves for work at 7. Don't mind the mess, it's only turkey shit, it'll wash off. Tell you what, I'll give you a night's free guest membership of the Cider Club.'

Cannot stop chuckling at this! Thanks @Fink