Archers thread #184: It’s a shambles! And we don’t mean Casey Meats. 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're looking forward to Morris dancing on the radio, 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.)

Right, to business. I can't say I'm delighted that the focus is on Rochelle and Casey Meats at the moment, because I'm not. All far too peripheral to Ambridge and too new. As I say ad nauseam, more farming storylines please, and where are all the long-standing members of the cast? The discussion about inheritance tax in The Bull the other night was a bit clunky, but what a refreshing change to hear two familiar voices, both farmers, talking about farming-related stuff, even if BBC balance meant they had to be challenged by two non-farmers, and even if it is months after the Budget introduced these changes. Ah well.

I was tempted to put one of my Dad's terrible jokes into the thread title as an oblique reference to George's coffin-making idea, but it wouldn't have made sense to anyone else. He loved referring to the cemetery as the Dead Centre of the island, so I was pondering something about Grange Farm becoming the Dead Centre of Ambridge. It could happen yet. Emma and Ed could provide willow branches and Clarrie could sit in the kitchen weaving them. Surely it must be similar to knitting?

Finally, if the SWs are lurking and looking for new storylines, it's been very dry recently and there have been lots of wildfires in rural areas. There was a bad one on Gaspmother Island a few days ago. Many farmers are very worried about this at the moment, as reported on Farming Today last week. But what am I thinking! This is a story that only works in a rural setting, so in the current incarnation of TA, it's not soapy enough.

Over to you!

When there is heavy rain, many water companies in England discharge untreated sewerage into rivers.

Didn't, (the now of dim and distant memory) Alastair say Jim lacked emotional intelligence?

In fact didn't Jim say that himself?

ANOTHER episode that started with Joy 🙄

I'm intrigued to know what it was in Natasha's bedroom that Helen discovered on opening the door?

I could hazard a few guesses but they'd be inappropriate!

Helen seems to be spending a bit of money on random expensive vases, taxis and rent (if she is actually looking for a new place) for someone who’s business is on the brink of failure.

Me too!

And they get away with it but I bet a lone narrowboat dweller wouldn't. It's just not a thing Rex would do anyway.

Oh i agree but was making the point that the Am could have had sewage in it at the time of the bridge accident.

I assumed it was just general mess because they haven't got enough storage space. When one of the boxes falls onto Natasha she's going to demand that they be stored in Helen's room.

I thought that scene was set up to show Helen doesn’t respect boundaries and the room was just a mess because they haven’t sorted it yet

i actually think Natasha has been handling her well given it’s her house. So the twins room she has chosen rather than the room Helen thought better. Moved the sofas even though Helen thought it looked better the other way. Accepted Helen’s kitchen equipment even though it’s a bit odd to have two sets.

as for the vase - it’s an odd gift to buy for twins and expect it to be out on display but I assume it’s been broken already

its such an odd situation though that it isn’t very believable. Don’t know why we had to hear joy wittering on about her own personal rainbow etc. I really wish they would enforce a 6 month holiday on the actress

I quite enjoyed last night's episode - lots of village fussing over VE day arrangements and cricket teas and of course setting the scene for the utter incompatibility of Helen staying on with Tom and Natasha. At least it sounded like The Archers - such a blessed relief not to have to listen to Rochelle (even if we couldn't entirely escape a mention of her). Her story always requires such an enormous amount of shoehorning and excessive exposition and while I absolutely love the Sunderland/NE accent as a rule, it just feels so intrusive when that's all we hear in Ambridge for episodes on end - it's like tuning in for an episode of Vera and having a large part of the drama delivered by characters from Northern Ireland (for instance). A bit of accent diversity is fine to help with character identification on the radio (so Jazzer, Ian, Alan, Natasha) but only as a counterpoint to the Borchester twang which is part of what helps set the scene along with animal noises and birdsong. An endless double act of Joy and Rochelle is no less irritating than the time when Heatherpet was briefly an Ambridge resident or when Natasha mum made a guest appearance speaking in Welsh (again, nothing against speaking Welsh, but it doesn't work well on the radio where subtitles are not an option).

I absolutely hate Chelsea's ludicrous gushing enthusiasm over all things WW2 and find it unbelievable that anyone of her age would have the slightest interest in getting involved in the shenanigans.

as for the vase - it’s an odd gift to buy for twins and expect it to be out on display but I assume it’s been broken already

It was a house warming gift, not a gift for the twins? And yes it's broken already

Sorry I meant it’s an odd gift to give someone with toddler twins and expect it to be on display. I definitely picked away a few of my precious breakables when my kids were little!!

I’m surprised Helen didn’t think that her presence alone was the housewarming gift!!

Sorry on hols so no TA and just scooting through the thread.

Is the vase broken? I called it. Gave it 2 days

I would have preferred the following

they are all sitting relaxing in the lounge when the twins run a little close to the vase so it falls and smashes. Helen tells them off in a way Natasha doesn’t like and that’s the beginning of the end

It is quite strange to have so many references to the starry twins but never to hear the sound of small children in the background. Or foreground.

At the moment they seem like a figment of Tom and Natasha’s imaginations.

I used to have neighbours with silent toddlers. They made no noise, not even when playing outside.

A vase was a strange house-warming gift for a couple with toddlers, who have a teenager and a primary school nephew staying with them, but it was to show how Helen seems to treat the house as her own, even down to the improbable positioning of the vase.

This is so true! I'm just pondering whether the reason for this is is because the voice of small children in Ambridge (Shula) has been retired north. There must be someone else who could do the job. Maybe the SWs haven't yet decided if Natasha has decided to teach them Welsh - unworkable for The Archers obviously, but I think Natasha is someone who would realistically try to bring them up with her mother tongue so a bit of a conundrum there.

Maybe the SWs haven't yet decided if Natasha has decided to teach them Welsh - unworkable for The Archers obviously, but I think Natasha is someone who would realistically try to bring them up with her mother tongue so a bit of a conundrum there.

I think she would almost certainly do that, but if we heard her daring to do it on air, There Would Be Trouble from some listeners.

She probably would say the odd word or phrase to them, but as pp it wouldn't work in the radio. I wouldn't want to hear forced expressions like 'Come here cariad and give your Mam a cwtsh' but I wouldn't want to hear the equivalent from another bilingual character. Vince's mother's overuse of 'bab' or whatever it was was annoying.
I'm fond of NE accents, but Rochelle's accent is grating. All of her is irritating.

I find Joy more grating tbh

it’s not an accent I’ve ever had strong feelings about but I really hate Joys!!

as for Welsh - do any other characters speak it?

I suspect you're right @Gonners . Feedback would be full of pearl clutchers.

@Bruisername , Pat maybe? yeah right

I agree with @Bruisername the room was just a mess and Helen shouldn't have assumed to just open the door! It's not her room it's the room of another adult couple and the home owners! Helen will soon be massively overstepping the boundaries I think!

She already is.