Archers thread #178: Ambridge or Scambridge? 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 fancy Mucky Mick, 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.)

The scars from Scambridge week will take some healing. Most of us felt we were the ones scammed - where was The Archers we know and (very occasionally) love?

Anyway, onwards and - almost certainly not - upwards. Will it be the best Christmas ever in Ambridge? Do we still care? Over to you!

@Godesstobe Oh I really like that idea of Madam Joy! Or perhaps just an escort like Belle du Jour, so happy to strip off and be a life model for that art class, and to frolic visibly in a hot tub? Edited for autocorrect 😁

Helen is the gift that keeps on giving - I have pondered kicking my Archers habit when Brian is no more (which does seem to be on the cards) but a Helen Bridge Farm storyline might keep me hooked. Pat and Tony are nuts!

As soon as Rochelle seemed keen on the campervan I thought ‘she’ll meet Rex shortly’ and lo, I was right. I don’t know what will happen next though. I don’t know if TA can do a serious mental illness storyline? They haven’t done depression or psychosis all that well imo.

Debbie was mentioned on Christmas Day - Alice said Brian was on a call to her. But no mention of Ruiari. Odd. I miss Jennifer!

In fairness to Helen, it was Tony who put the idea of moving into the farmhouse into her head. He said Natasha wouldn’t be interested. This has got her thinking and she’s right that Henry and Jack are closer to the age where they might work on the farm than the starry twins. I think there’s more than a little sub-conscious (or maybe not so sub-conscious) sexism at play here too - Helen’s boys are both, well…boys! I’m looking forward to Johnny returning and throwing another spanner in the works.

Yes! I was completely thrown by how, well, thrown Pat and Tony were.

More intrigue from Rochelle. It sounded as though the children had been removed from her, and Joy is worried about her going to the party. 🤔

Although we knew it was coming I feel the Bridge Farm generational transition is being clumsily done. It’s as if not one of them had ever considered the question of who would get the house until about a week ago. Which is really hard to believe when inheritance is the lifeblood of Ambridge farming life.

It also makes me spectacularly sad about the loss of the equivalent story over at Home Farm. The stupidity of having Brian and Jenny give up their house deprived us of so much.

I’m trying to think what kind of thing would make Joy worry about Rochelle going to a party and/or result in her losing custody of her kids if she ever had it. Drugs? General chaotic lifestyle? Mental health condition (eg whatever BPD is called now)?

That would fit in with Rochelle only being allowed limited time with the children.

And why Joy knew what to do with Ben.

It also makes me spectacularly sad about the loss of the equivalent story over at Home Farm. The stupidity of having Brian and Jenny give up their house deprived us of so much This is so true. I think they’ve really dropped the ball with Home Farm all round. It’s fallen off the radar altogether. Run by Stella (silent for weeks), Adam in veg picking exile at Bridge Farm (silent), Debbie long gone, Ruari anyone’s guess. It’s come to something when Spiritual Home is the most vivid representation. What a waste - the properties are as important as the characters and ought to be more enduring.

Joy's done nothing bad in the past, that's Rochelle. Am wondering if the latter will be around for a while, she's meeting a good number of characters?

(Re the dodo, you're welcome!)

That's too obvious. Joy seemed like a blank slate when she moved in, but no one is. Too much dramatic irony bound up with all her empathising, like.
Rochelle obviously has a Past, but clear signals that Joy has too. She's really fallen on her feet in Ambridge, because she wasn't on her feet elsewhere.
(heh, but prolly not on her back, as some have suggested. It's a family show.)

ETA: but you're right: Rochelle looks as if she'll be around a while. As well as getting embedded in the script with other characters, she suggested so herself.

Any guesses how much Tom and Natasha are paying for the house at Beechwood?

Somewhere between £3.25 and £6,000,000, depending on which of them did the price negotiation.

Oh ye of little faith. Home Farm will feature again sometime.

If Emma Fraud is on here, Sunningdale is in Berkshire not Surrey.

Although we knew it was coming I feel the Bridge Farm generational transition is being clumsily done. It’s as if not one of them had ever considered the question of who would get the house until about a week ago. Which is really hard to believe when inheritance is the lifeblood of Ambridge farming life.

You’d think, but I live in farming country and know more than one family who has gone through this kind of thing recently. Either it’s never been talked about, or it’s been presumed but never agreed (in that case presumed by the son that he’d inherit until the daughter kicked off that this is the 21st century!). I really don’t want to get in to the inheritance tax debacle, but massive lack of inheritance planning is a big part of the issue.

I wish someone had pointed out that it’s actually Tom and Natasha who have forced the issue here. Helen has no choice but to think about her future now they are buying her home . Not like me to defend Helen, but I do think Pat and Tony should acknowledge what’s behind this.

@Sidebeforeself ,but they haven't forced the issue. Kirsty was selling the house anyway.

I'm expecting Jonny to reappear in 2025 - first grandchild, son of John - house to be split 3 ways and not 2 ?

I really don’t want to get in to the inheritance tax debacle, but massive lack of inheritance planning is a big part of the issue.
Me neither, but agree it's the lack of planning is the issue. (Unless you die unexpectedly at a fairly young age.)

The house is unlikely to be split, but the business should be.
Pat and Tony are in their 70s, so should have thought of this already.

Helen was going to be made homeless whoever bought the house. she’s incapable of finding a house that meets her requirements so will probably stay in beechwood until Natasha loses it and then move in with her parents and whinge about it so much Tom just tells her to keep the sodding farmhouse

in terms of passing the farm on- Tom and Helen should get half each and he should get rent for half the farmhouse from her. Just for the outrage it would cause

I don’t think we even need Johnny - Helen alone will make the sl dramatic

Ah yes, Johnny …

Poor boy was sacrificed in order to have the Bridge of Doom story directly impact Bridge Farm - through George’s closer connection to them.

Now George is out of the picture, I wonder if the SWs have found a meaningful return for Johnny. Perhaps they want the farmhouse fight to play out just between Pat and Tony’s children - but it would be fun to throw John’s child into the melee.

Apologies! I am doped up on Robitussin at the moment - of.course it was Kirsty who instigated Helens move.I’d still like to find some way of criticising Tom and Natasha though

I know everyone hates Tom but I quite like him and Natasha. I suppose having Helen as a sister makes me feel sympathetic to him!!!

I also don’t remember his relationship with Brenda being bad because of him? Wasn’t it Kirsty he cheated on with supermarket lady? Obvs he didn’t treat Kirsty well

I'm expecting Jonny to reappear in 2025 - first grandchild, son of John - house to be split 3 ways and not 2 ?

A lot depends on whether P and T want to treat him in the same way as they do H and T. At the end of the day he is a grandchild, not a child and so John’s ‘share’ does not necessarily pass direct to him. John hadn’t actually inherited anything by the time of his death and so, in my experience, any ‘share’ would have died with him. Unless P and T wanted to arrange things otherwise.

Though H said all the right things, the upshot was that her parents were left feeling an inconvenience for wanting to live in their own home until they die which is deeply upsetting.

If she is worried about renting or buying somewhere else then she needs to accept she will be living with her aged parents until their demise. It’s not so terrible (and for sure she won’t be paying any rent), it just means she will be around 60 when she gets to live there alone but that is kind of the price you pay for not being independent. She is beautifully written. Strange how the SWs get her so right and so many others so wrong.

So much I agree with. I did have a shout at the radio when Helen said how she wasn't turfing her parents out of their house!!! The cheek!

But yes, it's amazing that certain characters are written so consistently right.