Archers thread #182: The Shit hits the Am! 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 be delighted to oblige your employer by cleaning up sewage spills without proper training or equipment in place of your normal duties, 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.)

Credit for the title goes to @echt. Can't think of anything much to say about current storylines. Credulity is strained to its limit on many fronts, unfortunately, but there are a few nuggets in the slurry. I did enjoy hearing Natasha's outrage that Fallon is doing obvious, sensible things at The Bull even though it might hit Terum. I thought Natasha was supposed to be an entrepreneur!

Over to you!

I can't believe grown adults whould brake something then hide it in a corner. I would own up straight away and offer to pay because Joy is going to get in trouble.
Also with all the T&As the Gills have given Mick and Joy, I would rather stay in a b and b somewhere.
Why was Tony so nasty with Pat?
You would think Kirsty would realise that Tom and Natasha aren't going to buy the house, to be fair who would. I would put it on the market and hope for the best.

Kirsty needs to say: ok it's all off I'm selling elsewhere, and move on.

Pat needs to tell Tony to get a grip, her "little campaign" is hugely important. If only because they will find out that Borsetshire Water dgaf about anything but profits.

I have to say that if my DH of 40 years suddenly started belittling my beliefs like that, i wouldn't have been talking in a friendly tone like that.

Thank goodness. I fell asleep and woke to Lil and Bri agreeing to leave it in the corner. I thought they were talking about Florence.

urgh. Tedious.

Entirely in character for Tony to be grouchy. He's been like this as long as I can remember, on and off. He has a point, to an extent. The family business is not just run for profit. They went organic out of principle and have stuck firm to that over the decades, in spite of a fair amount of sniping from the sidelines from Brian, then the designated Ambridge representative of agribusiness. One of the reasons that Pat stopped campaigning on other issues was because she was fully behind the decision to go organic and establish the dairy business.

That's so long as the people with whom you share a drain have not done what was done to us once: them-next-door had their drains renewed and their builder casually cut ours off and left all the waste water of all sorts from our house to drain through the orphaned pipe (which had joined the main just below their manhole) and into the ground under their and our front paths, once it had filled the entire cavity under the manhole outside our front door with a mixture of washing-up and bath water, and raw sewage.

That was a jolly time; and the water board were not going to touch it all with a bargepole, since the damage had been deliberately caused by next door's builder. I am very glad for anyone with totally stupid builders next door if the water boards' policy on this has changed since then!

(That was a reply to Hortus on the previous page, but the quote didn't work. Sorry.)

Blimey Natasha is vile. Kirsty, please, please, please tell her to bog off.

Would the house be big enough for Kirsty and Helen to share? Kirsty might not feel so bad in it if she were sharing with Helen.

Was the pun intended?

It's not often you get an episode where everyone speaks their mind. Bloody hell. Natasha is horrible, and her whiny poor me, I'm so under pressure was infuriating.

I hope Kirsty kicks her into touch.

yeah another vote here for Natasha getting her comeuppance

Natasha is so awful! Even Pat is on Kirsty's side.
The way she was telling Kirsty this is the new price! No it's not, it's your offer!
If Kirsty doesn't tell them to stick their offer where the sun doesn't shine tomorrow I will be bitterly disappointed.

That was actually quite a good episode and even Joy was on good form as well.

Top Natasha-ing this evening.

Do you think Kirsty will crumble? I really hope not. It was a good episode.

I liked the conversation between Pat and Natasha, that seemed very authentic

Natasha and Kirsty are two of my favourite characters (I know, I know). I do hope K tells T&N to sod off and they have to grovel.

This episode was so bold that I thought it was the Friday cliffhanger (perennial effect of being in Australia and having to think about it more).

What do they have in store for Friday? I'll get up early doors to listen to it live. That's 6.00.a.m. on Saturday my time, but as it's as black as the Earl of Hell's weskit at that time, it's more of an effort.

I know Natasha is exploiting the situation and I hate to say it but I think a lot of buyers would react as she and Tom have- leveraging a price drop knowing K is desperate to sell. The only thing that should stop her is knowing K is a long-term family friend/ex-fiancee etc but business is business so clickety-clack…

I’m so glad Joy held firm on the robot hoover.

That's dedication, @echt! We have light in the mornings here at that time. I love it. I don't suffer from SAD, fortunately, but I appreciate spring more ever year. There are daffodils out in our local park. So lovely. Must buy some for the house later.

BTW, has anyone in Ambridge ever had anything delivered on air or even mentioned having to wait in for a delivery? Even on GaspMother Isle deliveries are going on all day (not on Sundays, not because of religious influence, just lack of delivery services). Surely the residents of Ambridge would be constantly receiving parcels from Amazon, all the fast fashion online companies etc via DHL et al and taking returns back to the Post Office. The supermarket on the bypass must do online deliveries, as would others further afield, and Ocado. IKEA, Curry's, you name it, they'd be constantly sending vans into the village. Useful opportunities for people to meet and chat, albeit artificially avoiding brand names, but never mentioned. BridgeFresh, the Bridge Farm veg boxes and Brookfield's Christmas meat orders are the only things we ever hear about being delivered.

Does Kirsty not own the survey seeing as she owns the house and she paid for it.

How about this: K caves accepts the lower offer and then Natasha can't get the mortgage because she's massively over extended?

Was this an episode about the Archers trying lord it over the lower classes by not paying what's fair whilst actually being in a position to do so (not sure the Bridge Farm lot have the cash but they are from a reasonably well off family)

I think a lot of buyers would have pulled out tbh and she’s not going to have much luck with viewings if the house still smells of sewage

is this a way to open up Roy’s house to new inhabitants. I don’t really think I can bear anymore

on the robovac - I find that totally implausible because the sodding things are indestructible. But anyway, surprised they haven’t asked Leonard to fix it

I like the Maliks. There I've said it! Some people seem to be being a bit nasty about them.

I don't mind them. I find Zainab's voice and manner a bit whiny but I like Khalil's bouncy demeanour. Azra seems nice. Bit early to say about Akram, but so far so good.

As others have said, I'm baffled by why we've heard so little about the Gills and Home Farm over the last few years. The current flood of information feels very rushed.

I don’t mind the maliks. I don’t like Zainab and I don’t like the writing around them and their religion. Very clunky. They are much better newcomers than Joy and mick. The sw need to stop giving them so much airtime though - they need to introduce them gradually and not just a massive dump.

I think with the Gills it would have been more sensible to have them selling the house and then introduce the new family because they’ve kind of missed the boat with the gills

also don’t think people are being nasty about the (fictional) Maliks - no more so than about any other character tbh!!

I don't think anyone would buy a house in Beechwood knowing what has just happened - especially if the same sewage spill had also devastated your businesses. We had friends who had offered on a house in a cute little town on the Seine. In France you have a seven day cooling off period after signing the promise to sell, five days in their dream house was underwater. They pulled out of the sale and I don't think any amount of discount would have persuaded them to change their minds - they considered it a lucky escape. I honestly think that having experienced the effects of the sewage spill, nothing would persuade Tom and Kirsty to risk going through anything like that again. I don't blame Natasha for trying to drive a hard bargain, I just can't believe she would actually want to live there now. Kirsty should move in herself (with Helen and the boys if necessary) and put it back on the market when things have settled down. It's absolutely the worst thing that could happen when you are trying to sell your house and completely beyond your control, but either you drop the price or wait it out.

Does Kirsty own the beechwood house outright?

Very possibly, as I can't imagine Philip Moss getting a mortgage. That would have entailed him showing the lender his accounts!