Archers thread #183: The Scorekeeper's Apprentice. 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 like to share a hot tub with 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.)

Credit for the title goes to @TottersBlankly who suggested it and @BeatriceBatchelor who coined this lovely phrase. (It's led me to take a look at the Wikipedia page for The Sorcerer's Apprentice. I had not known before that the animation in Fantasia that goes with the Dukas symphonic tone poem is more or less unadulterated Goethe, and the story goes back to ancient times. You learn something every day.)

At the end of the last thread, there was an apocalyptic tone as we were all bemoaning the lack of continuity and farming storylines (especially lambing, which used to be a big theme at this time of year). Are there any reasons to be cheerful? (Not just Part 3 - another reference for the older listeners here. ) Over to you!

I like the Maliks. I think Lynda was more affected by her injuries than the SW let on, and she sees a fellow sufferer in Khalil. He's walking the llama because the friend llama is dead and they are sociable animals.

Joy was, of course, telling her truth. I can see all the cat's-bum-faces that AIBU would be pulling "I'd like to hear the other side" - and maybe at some point (hopefully soon leading to a huge blow-up and Rochelle and Joy bidding Ambridge not "auf wiedersehen but "goodbye for ever"). With any luck, Mick will cack-handedly broach the subject with R and she'll tell us her truth. But as pp said: it doesn't explain Rochelle's apparent itinerant lifestyle and Joy's wealth.

Still hoping that both Susan and Clarrie tell Hellen to stuff her job.

She's going to branch out into little triangle cheeses with Montbéliardes on them! La vache qui ne rit jamais! (The Never-Laughing Cow doesn't sound as good) Arf.

It's turning into a story of everyday folk living in suburban houses with a view. How do you contact TA to say bring back the bloody farming.

Either the Joy / Rochelle story is a big letdown or there's more ... it sounded as if Joy was blindsided by her husband's infidelities - but they sounded comically over the top.

Only just noticed this:

https://news.sky.com/story/why-increasing-number-of-farmers-are-at-crisis-point-and-prince-william-is-being-urged-to-speak-up-13335136

The last farming-adjacent character driven to extremes in Ambridge was Greg, but that was about his private life, rather than the state of the shoot. And Ben’s mental health crisis was also nothing to do with farming. The creative team have actually been remarkable reticent on this subject.

If Azra picked up on Khalil's discomfort around being seen as 'cancer boy' at his old school, and his grief about his friend's death, then deciding to look for a practice somewhere he could start fresh makes a lot of sense. Zainab having finished school gave the freedom to do that without further disruption to her education. Uncle Adil may have contributed a rose-tinted view of Ambridge as well.

We don't know yet why Mr Malik (sorry, can't remember his name) was away, but that might also signal a change in family financial circumstances.

wasn't he seeing to his deceased father's affairs? maybe he has a large inheritance and doesn't need to rush into anything?

That makes sense - I couldn't remember, but thought it might have financial implications.

That and the freedom of not having to be constantly aware that you might have to dash half way round the world in an emergency. Emigrants have a constant two-way tug, and the death of a parent (particularly if it's the only parent left) is a significant moment.

I skipped over most of Lynda and Khalil's conversation. He's got a dead friend? Still don't care. I'm fed up of both of them.

oh come on @IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle, they were bonding over a dead llama ffs (metapohorically, not literally over the physical corpse you understand, she'd been removed for cremation, which will cost a pretty penny), Lynda even talked about her scars. Have you no heart?

I had always understood that when your pet is cremated it’s done in a batch and you get a share of the ashes. Maybe its different with a bigger animal?

echt
I really like Harrison and hated the way a decent chap was turned inside out to serve some barmy cack SL.

Men who do not accept "no" as an answer from women they want a date with are not decent chaps. And then after Fallon had said no, he "just happened" to turn up everywhere she went pestering her to change her mind. Stalking is not decent at all.

DeanElderberry
If Azra picked up on Khalil's discomfort around being seen as 'cancer boy' at his old school, and his grief about his friend's death, then deciding to look for a practice somewhere he could start fresh makes a lot of sense.

If that was her intention, she really ought not to have told anyone about his having had leukemia, and especially not without asking him first.

It does seem like Joy has popped out of nowhere

Hello pet!

You can pay more for the individual cremation, TMI but we did this and pins from the leg surgery came back too.

Totters that Sky News piece is really oddly timed because a day later the PoW was down in my neck of the woods (plus Kaleb and Charlie from Clarksons Farm and somebody from Countryfile) at one of the many Duchy Farms round here to meet young farmers and stress the importance of mental health:
https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/25040257.prince-wales-appear-episode-clarksons-farm/

Countryfile is doing a mental health special on Sunday and William has become patron of a charity called We Are Farming Minds.

Interesting.

Tbf my friend who told me this and was horrified her pet wouldn’t be cremated separately had just lost her hamster

I’m not buying the Joy storyline at all, but it could possibly just be bad writing. Maybe she had a Lottery win!

it took me a while to figure out who Mick was in yesterday’s episode. Perhaps he should stay at Home Farm more often!

I think Joy is minimising

however, there are threads on here where the poor DH gets torn apart and the op told he’s abusive because he accidentally forgot to say goodbye for hanging up. If the sw if anything like them then perhaps they think her version is really bad

i suspect Rochelle will have a different story. Perhaps something happened to her when she was left alone that has left her traumatised. She certainly strikes me as someone who feels she doesn’t deserve to be loved or be happy

i just think all of this could have been put into the afternoon drama slot rather than the archers

The dead llama may have gone to a zoo to feed lions and tigers. That option exists for horse owners here. Depends what it died of. Or just taken away by the fallen stock company (knacker).

Lynda said cremated

i like the idea of it going to the zoo

I wonder if maybe not all vets work with a crematorium that offer it 🤔

In like a llama and out in a lion. Sorry 😆

Mick must be a bit hard of thinking if he was satisfied with that answer. There has to more to it than that? It's very unusual for a mother to not be living with her children at least 50% of the time. It sounds like she has the odd day out with them and that's about it? Not many reasons for that sort of set up and none of them good.

I like Lynda. I know she isn't popular on here. The Ramadan thing was pretentious but then she is pretentious and overbearing. But underneath that she is also caring and intuitive. Khalil was able to open up to her more than he has to anyone. I thought it was quite touching.

I like the Maliks and I like the diversity they bring. It's welcome change to talk about other faiths when we've had so much Christianity in the past and I think it reflects Britain today - especially the Midlands. My DS is at the University of Birmingham and they had a fantastic reel on their Instagram recently about the community Iftar held on campus - I share Lynda's fascination. The Maliks are not just there for diversity however, Khalil has given a Lynda a brilliant opportunity to talk about her injuries (easy for us to forget since they are not visible on the radio) and I think he will also be a wonderful confident for Henry when the times comes. Either way it is not unrealistic that Azra might have considered relocating to Ambridge after visiting her brother. They are a much better fit than Joy, Mick and Rochelle who mainly seem to appear with each other, adding nothing to any of the existing Ambridge scaffolding.

I love Lynda. She's one of my favourite characters.

The zoo thing makes me think about how London Zoo would give you free entry if you brought along your pet to feed to the animals