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'm very confused about Tom and Gnasher buying Kirsty's house. Didn't she say months ago she'd sorted a mortgage? But now she's got massive credit card debt 🫣

I don't know much about this but wouldn't there be some signs of this already either physically with facial features or developmentally? There's been no hint that Martha's development is anything but normal. Not that that would stop the writers making this into a storyline.

It’s not been very long since the sewage leak; confused how she could have maxed out “all” of the credit cards already?!?

It's about £30,000 a year for two children in nursery full time. The twins are too young for any free hours.

Didn't she say she'd been using the credit card to pay the nursery bill?

Re Martha and FASD how much did Alice drink when she was pregnant? Loads at first but that isn't uncommon for heavy drinkers who don't know they are pregnant? Then she went to the detox place and I didn't think she started drinking again until after Martha was born?

Yes, I know. I have some nursery-goers. Just wasn’t sure if we were supposed to be taking that she had been on such a knife edge that a week or so of Terum’s takings being down because of the sewage and she was maxed out.
If so, it seems as though her problems could be bigger than just the downturn of sales at Summer Orchard and the tea room.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/02/david-archer-beavers-broken-rivers

David Archer, let it go. Beavers are nature’s answer to our broken rivers
Helena Horton

It's a big day for Beaver News.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/28/ultimate-bringers-of-life-cornwall-farmer-beavers-stop-flooding

Am I imagining it, or did Natasha plan to fund the deposit for the house from credit cards?

Natasha is an excellent character. I'm curious how many cards she's "maxed out" and what the credit limits are. Given that Tom admonished her when he found out about her credit card habit in the early days of their relationship, I'm surprised he's gone along with bunging nursery fees on cards.

And why hasn't Fallon pointed out to Natasha that she stole her cafe from her and she's also working in the family business - someone's family at that!

I did enjoy the episode. 13 mins without the Maliks, Justin, Joy and Muck is a win for me.

Thanks for new thread.

i don't know much about this but wouldn't there be some signs of this already either physically with facial features or developmentally? There's been no hint that Martha's development is anything but normal. Not that that would stop the writers making this into a storyline.

Given how the writing is these days, we can safely assume this SL won’t rear its head until Martha is well into her 60s. Then she will feature heavily in each episode for a week - talking to Alice who still runs the riding school and rides aged 94 - and then that will be it. Box ticked.

Natasha will try and sue Fallon for using recipes that have been on the tea room menu.
'You developed that when YOU were working for ME! YOU stole it from MY tearoom.'

I've never warmed to Natasha, but listened start of the omnibus and don't remember her being this much of a bitch. Is it the debt stress getting to her?

Natasha's debts are a good slow burn storyline which has been on the cards (pun intended!) since she first appeared on the scene. The problem was masked while business was booming, but now things have taken a downturn it will naturally be resurfacing. It is somewhat ironic that if she and Tom hadn't snatched the tea room from her then the sewage spill would now be Fallon's problem. Instead she has actually had what can now be seen as a lucky escape as she is free to build her business empire elsewhere and actually benefit from Bridge Farm's misfortune. We all said Natasha was a fool at the time - the tea room was Fallon. Natasha doesn't have the time (or the skills) to devote to it with two small children to worry about, Emma now has other fish to fry with her tree surgery so her previous tea room ambitions have been firmly sidelined, Chelsea is not a baker and has her sights set on beauty and hairdressing - the tearoom is a part-time job (and one which is becoming less and less attractive as she forced into cleaning windows and scrubbing surfaces). Great plotting with stories that have grown organically involving established characters. Hurray.

She's always been horrible.

Very much agree with @LillianGish that the SLs about Natasha's debts and Fallon's catering journey are excellent, slow-burn stories that have been set up organically over time. This is how TA is supposed to work. Hastily concocted SLs tacked on out of the blue are incapable of engaging listeners in the same way, especially when they involve new characters we don't yet care about.

On the subject of new characters, I am very slowly warming to the Malik's and can potentially see them becoming characters I care about - unless there is some ludicrous shock SL about the father coming in the pipeline.

But the sooner Mick and Joy die a horrible death the better. As others have said, the SWs seem determined that we should love them (as possible "comedy" replacements for the Grundys). The idea that the Gills have lived in the village all these years without speaking to ANY of their neighbours and then suddenly bonded with Mucky Mick at the supposedly upmarket GG is too ridiculous for words. I hate it when the SWs take us for fools.

I love Natasha as a character btw. I don't think she is bitch deliberately. I think she is just massively lacking in self-awareness and that she actually sees herself as a genuinely nice person. I find her scenes far more amusing than the supposedly comic scenes (like the deeply unfunny slapstick of Lillian setting off the sprinklers).

Didn't Natasha say, when questioned by Kirsty, that it was a mortgage in principle that had been agreed? So they've not actually passed the full mortgage checks? I think the conversation went something like:
K: What's holding things up? The mortgage has been approved, right?
N: Yeah in principle, [blablablahskipping over K' point]....

You can pretty much fill in whatever financial lies you like for a MIP, there is no credit check at that point.

Not an insurance prof, but have had plenty of involvement with the industry over the years. Obviously you get what you pay for (with ours we have "new for old" and accommodation if unable to live at home but we pay handsomely). We also have to keep an eye on what everything is insured for.

The insurance, or rather the absence of any involvement from the insurers, is mad particularly for the farm businesses.

Even the Dopeys would know what to do and former Rodways employee, Shula, would pause her vicaring to tell Tony to appoint a Loss Assessor (they work for the insured and quantify the losses). I would expect the dairy farm element, cheese/yoghurt business, veg boxes and tea room to have business interruption insurance (so you are compensated for the days you can't make/sell stuff).

The poonami was at least a fortnight ago FFS.

Same here re experience. I rarely come across a farm business which isn't insured with NFU Mutual (National Farmers Union)

To be fair, she's always been a mixture. She can certainly be horrible, but equally she can be lovely - e.g. when she joined Kirsty in the hunt for Phil's ex slaves. I strongly suspect that there's an upcoming SL around bipolar disorder inherited from her father.

But the sooner Mick and Joy die a horrible death the better. As others have said, the SWs seem determined that we should love them (as possible "comedy" replacements for the Grundys).

I have no problem with Joy, and indeed there are hints at interesting hidden depths, e.g. in the way she knew how to handle Ben when he had a breakdown. But her involvement with Mick really does strain all credibility, and the SL with Rochelle hasn't been particularly well handled so far - though it could improve if they just boot Mick into the middle distance.

Experience of a farm house being flooded in the 2000s was that NFU were very good. Paid up for everything and sent people out to sort it as soon as the property was safe from flood water. I don't understand why Tom N Tash don't seem to have anything in place.