Archers thread #181: Panto Week's behind you! Was that the nadir? Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

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Will it be onwards and upwards for TA now, or do we fear even more of these special weeks (Martin and a Christmas Carol, Scam Week, Panto Week) and sudden reinventions of long-established characters (Neil)? I for one have had enough of all that. I want a quiet period of change counting in the village shop, farming talk with suitable sound effects and village gossip over coffee at Terum or a pint in The Bull. Slowly developing storylines featuring the full cast, not a subset for a few weeks with no mention of the others, and all behaving in character. Not holding my breath we'll get any of that, though!

Over to you.

and there has been an awful lot of entrants for that prize.

it just gets worse and worse - sad really.

As it happens I was out last night and everywhere was very busy round here. Anecdotally people seem to be going out more during the week than previously and less at the weekends. No idea why.

Are we to believe that Fallon is serving a full menu all by herself? Risotto - sure you just need to make sure it’s reheated properly. Goulash too. But pierogi surely need to be cooked for each customer. What is goulash served with?

Is she 80? I’m always shocked at how young they play the older generation

all the Muslims I know are quite strict on ensuring only those who can physically do it fast

Risotto cooked ahead and reheated is always gross ime and as a vegetarian I have eaten a lot of risotto in restaurants!

all the Muslims I know are quite strict on ensuring only those who can physically do it fast A Muslim ex-colleague told me you don't have to fast if you are menstruating, pregnant or have a job like surgeon or pilot which might be affected. We were on a course at a conference centre at the time and a fantastic buffet was provided - what a stroke of luck she was on her period. (Just re-read that and it sounds sarcastic but it wasn't meant to be and I never doubted her at the time)

Absolutely Doctor Malik would not be approving 80-year-old Lynda's performance of a Ramadan fast. No-one's 80-year-old Nana would have to observe.

What is with these SWs lecturing the audience about Ramadan like children? I'm 60 and white kids my age knew about Ramadan from school onwards, do the SWs understand how long Pakistani Muslims have migrated to the UK? It's well known in the North and Midlands when Ramadan is and what it's about - where I live good luck to you getting a spontaneous taxi on little Eid.

Apparently the scriptwriters are not young lecturers so I wonder if the issue is they are London metropolitan? Other patronising crap would suggest this might be the case.

I’m as London metropolitan as it comes and the sw make no sense to me!!

Judging by the number of restaurants in our area, I'm guessing it can still be a profitable business, otherwise they wouldn't keep opening new ones.

Why do they have to make a thing about Ramadan? The best way of demonstrating inclusivity would have been to treat it as just another annual event on the calendar.

They could have still had Azra making a ref to the prep she had to do and why she enjoys the month; then Lynda could have said ‘yes I thought it was coming up- it must be just the same as the run-up to Christmas when there’s always so much to do’ AND THEN THEY COULD HAVE JUST MOVED ON. Enough said. I say this as someone who had a (albeit non-practicing) Muslim father. Lynda fasting for a few days and these ridiculous childlike explanations of what is involved are just laughable.

And why is Fallon acting like she has literally just finished catering school! Was there too much paprika in the goulash?!? Oh please…

I was enjoying things being back on track last week but we seem to have nose-dived again. Sigh…

Round my way a lot of restaurants close Monday nights so o assumed it was a quiet night

No, I'm sure not. But do the writers imagine us, the provincials, as in need of Education is what I was thinking?

she’ll eventually outgrow the Bull and potentially Bridge Farm will be begging her/offering her a hefty bung to move her new fine dining to the Tearoom and make it a destination.

Why don’t they do something groundbreaking like have Zainab escape the plans for an arranged marriage - could be why dad is absent

They can’t do that because they can’t suggest anything negative.

him being in Pakistan for so long seems odd - were they desperate for a certain actor and he’s been busy? Does he not work in the UK?

I wouldn’t enjoy that as just another on the ticklist of “oooh Muslims let me think what we hear about them in the news”, all we’d need after that was Khalil being referred to Prevent

It would be much more interesting if one of the farming dynasties was trying to marry off their offspring to another dynasty and Zainab was able to help them stand up to it.

Actually that’s a good point - parents in Ambridge seem very uninterested in influencing who their children date/marry. In real life I know loads of people whose parents would happily push them towards others they know either for business reasons or because they are friends with the parents etc, either joking or seriously.

Almost, she'll be 78 this year, and Robert 82.

Maybe Lynda will convert/revert 😅

Azra only said "I don't know what to say" when Lynda suggested it, right? To me she sounded surprised and taken aback, not particularly happy.
In my experience, while there is no obligation to fast when you are elderly or unwell, people still do because of their sense of obligation. Obviously that's life-long Muslims though, not random hangers-on.

I like how you say ‘actually that’s a good point’ about your own point 😆

arranged marriage isn’t just something on a ticklist heard in the news - and there are positive and negative results. (I know people in both categories)

Maybe Lynda will convert/revert

Unlikely, but if she "reverts" I will stop listening.

My friend pays money to a good cause so that her 25 year old son doesn’t have to fast.

Haha yes got to back yourself… I worry that my posts on here are just my internal monologue.

Former London metropolitan and at my DC's primary school all Muslim festivals like Eid were celebrated. And that's 20 years ago.

Just listening on catch up.

May I say how much I loathe Fagash Lil and Gnasher. I'm not sure what happened to Fagash but I hope it was unpleasant and painful.

Oh and Tom. He's vile too.

I had the air fryer on. What did she fall into - a man trap?

Not sure- she set off a sprinkler system.