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 think you're right, and I think that's the attraction to Tom who is similarly lacking, though not quite as bad.

As I said on the other thread, I do like the way they now signal Natasha's arrival and departure by the quick tip-tapping sound of her heels. She just would be the sort of person who wears heels all the time, even when it's not necessary, and I'm sure she strides everywhere at a quick pace to show how massively busy she is and how important it is that she shouldn't waste her precious time. She reminds me of my student days, when landlady's daughter who had the flat above ours used to be striding around noisily in heels on wooden floors at totally ungodly hours of the morning. We didn't dare complain because she was obviously Really Important, despite being a student like us.

Natasha is an example of a new character introduced and embedded well

i just don’t feel like that will be joy and mick in the future. I think the maliks have a chance if they stop with the stereotyping and ‘education’

She just would be the sort of person who wears heels all the time, even when it's not necessary

She doesn't. Brenda made a snide comment about her clothing a while back. Can't remember the exact putdown but Natasha wasn't in heels then.

Natasha just seems human to me. Sometimes nice, sometimes not. One of the best characters because she has drive and - sometimes - empathy but isn't boring.

When Brenda made that comment Natasha was very keen to point out that she didn't usually dress like that.

Now that the Am is able to host canalboat moorings, without incident (despite recent heavy sewage-overflow flooding), I am surprised that there aren't a few more random passers through, be they tourists or liveaboards.

Looking back over the week, at least they have decided that Freddie is maturing, is a popular bloke and has a few decent ideas about tapping into local opportunities.

I like the Malik family, however it does feel a little like they've crash landed in Ambridge... I like slow burn storylines and slow burn introductions...

Martha & foetal alcohol syndrome or spectrum disorder - not all people affected will have typical facial features, it'll often be problems with learning and behaviour that become obvious in the school years - and there's a wide range of severity. Alice was certainly drinking to a point that Martha would be at high risk. The SW pretty much a few decades to play with! Keep it mild and it could be thrown in to explain Martha's midlife crisis in 40 years time...

It's going to be wonderful if Natasha never actually secured a mortgage offer at all and that she's now going to be told she never will. Is there anyone nice and sane in the environs that Kirsty could sell it to?

I once worked with an appalling woman whose clicky clacky footsteps presaged horrors - real jump into a cupboard to hide stuff - so find it hard to love the portrayal, but recognise that it's good.

In my soliciting days (no, not that type) I used to keep two pairs of very expensive (Ferragamo) very high heels in the office for the sole purpose of raising my height to about 5'9" and being able to eyeball the sort of clients who liked to look down on the little laydeez. They also came into play at ghastly drinks parties involving City stockbrokers/bankers and their wives. My then partner once greeted me with "I see you've deployed the Scary Shoes of Intimidation ... good call!"

Blimmin’ heck - this is just one long lecture.

Why doesn’t Lynda go away and let them have some time alone?

I opened it late on the app and scrolled through the whole episode, 20 seconds at a time.

What a load of shit!

Is there anyone nice and sane in the environs that Kirsty could sell it to?

Or failing that she could sell it to daddy Malik, preferably for cash, this week.

Take That Tash.

Genius! Though I don't think that's what Mister Azra had in mind when he spoke of there being "an alternative". <on edit> Also, exchanging one shit-laden house for another would seem pretty pointless.

Did he just say they've got another house?

I wondered if he was talking about going to Pakistan.

If the drains survey Tash has insisted on reveals the house has no problem itself (I remain baffled by Ambridge hydrology) maybe they could snatch it from under her (pegged shut) nose?

I don't really care, I just want her thwarted by someone, anyone, but not Helen because I want Helen thwarted too.

That's a possibility but I don't think Azra and the kids will want to go.

I've only taken out a mortgage once, but I remember clearing all debts first, such as overdraft , credit card, and having to show where the deposit money came from. Was that just my lender or would Natasha have had to go through that process to get an agreement in principle too?

Oh more Maliks.

And why can't Zainab work in a pub kitchen? Has she never been in an Indian restaurant? Which are often Pakistani or Bangladeshi.

Same here.

I think we can be certain that Mr Malik’s arrival is about to upset the cosy familial apple cart. And it will be all the more painful because they clearly all love him.

I’m going to guess that alongside whatever he was ostensibly doing in Pakistan, he has also been busy making ready an existing house*, finding a position for Azra, sorting out a university course for Zainab and - I don’t know what for Khalil. But ime fathers often have the perhaps mistaken idea that they know best how their children should live their lives …

*Not necessarily in Pakistan. Perhaps they have relatives in the US, say, who are keen for the family to join them.

(I am finding this potential for massive family disruption just a mite triggering …)

Interesting thought about the mortgage offer in principle - I mean you’re not required to clear any debts but obviously doing so will aid your credit score.

Maybe Gnasher will discover, as I did a couple of years ago (for different reasons), that Offers In Principle can turn out to be totally worthless in terms of actually getting an Offer in Practice?

Haven’t they got a house back in the West Midlands, that’s what I thought he was referring to?

That was my reaction too. Like the scriptwriters obviously feel the listeners need educating. Really obvious and tedious.