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!

I loved the cupboard full of Welsh blankets.

I love a Welsh blanket but mine would be out on display if they were the tapestry type, or otherwise on my bed.
Trefriw Woollen Mills

I also like a taranta.

In this weather my Welsh blanket is too hot for me to have on my bed. It will come back out of the hot-airing cupboard and into use again probably some time in late October.

" Vince's mother's overuse of 'bab' or whatever it was was annoying." Very annoying. Brummie born & bred here, and it's very, very rare to hear anyone call someone Bab in real life. The only people I tend to hear saying it are "professional Brummies" like Jess Phillips, Alison Hammond & Joe Lycett.

Does anybody else find it odd that silent Gideon appears to be a paragon of virtue? It would have been more fun if he’d knocked over the vase (or a toddler or two).

@MissMarplesNiece , I'm glad it wasn't just me.

There is a version from where I'm from, but I don't hear it all that often, and it is very specific to one small town. I don't mind it, but I might if i thought someone was laying it on for effect.

@Madcats ,he is Helen's child so he's perfect. He's also Rob's child and there's plenty of potential.
He is, however, an Archer, so any mean streak will be limited to harming harmless wild animals, probably beavers.

I shall be very disappointed if GiddyJack doesn't inherit his father's character.

I know its fiction but I do feel uncomfortable with the idea a child can inherit an abusive personality from a parent they’ve spent zero time with

They've not spent much time with Helen either.

I reckon it was Henry with the hose pipe.

@Bruisername ... Oh I know it's nonsense! I just like the idea of Baaad Blood!

I think Gnasher broke the vase on purpose.

I heard it as Helen showing Natasha the way to close the door without it banging (i.e. a passive aggressive way of saying "Natasha, you've been making too much noise closing that door").

Dp had a very violent dad that he only just remembers. He inherited a fear of inheriting his dad’s nature and it properly affected him when he was in his 20s. He really looked like his dad did at the same age too - which used to make his mum shudder. Stuff gets passed on in all sorts of ways I’d say. Obviously he has outgrown that fear now but it definitely affected him.

But Helen was being really pushy about it - making sure Natasha knows that Helen knows the house best

so Rochelle and Joy were unbearable again and Rex was pretty dreadful. Why would you invite a friend to live with you on a narrow boat when they have a bad elbow - surely she’ll be bashing it all over the place

Sadly it looks like we are stuck with Rochelle and no doubt we will end up with her kids too.

why not just relocate to the north east and be done with it

She's been brought in to encourage us to like Pip.
Even Pip would be better than Rochelle.

I don't mind this: they've been pretty consistent in showing her having an interest in historical fashion/hairstyles, and by extension, the time periods in general. I quite like this characterisation of Chelsea as the "normie" compared to her nerdy brother, but having a wee geeky area of interest herself. I imagine she follows Bernadette Banner on YouTube. It's a whole thing!

I quite enjoyed that. Even Zainab, who's become rather Tiggerish these days.

Well apart from the animal right activists. Animal rights are a subject dear to my heart but attacking a well run abattoir isn't the way to go.

I can imagine all of Chelsea’s strange interest in this stuff, would tie in quite nicely if she actually did end up married to Freddie. But the SWs don’t seem to follow satisfying storyline expectations.

It’s massively weird that they haven’t revisited the Freddie and trustee storyline as well.

So it’s all already been called above but these new non local infiltrators joiners of the activist commune sound suspiciously like Harrison’s crew.

Maybe Harrison turning up at a meet in his shiny new vegan leather trainers sent them running over the border to Borsetshire.

Harrison in his police quarters telling his DI about tomorrow’s vegan activist ’infiltration’ plans.

It’s not like Harrison to get all involved in a case that directly impacts on his friends and locals!

I hadn’t spotted that but a new influx does sound dodgy. I’m vegan and I don’t understand the game plan of targeting an abattoir really. There must be loads of footage of what actually goes on if you want to bring the reality home to people.

I thought saskia was being shifty and it is probably people Rochelle knows and would tip her off to the fact she wouldn’t be welcome back

it also sounds like saskia thinks she is running the place 🙄

and was she driving up and down the Am looking for a houseboat?

What I really didn't get this evening, was why Rochelle would be relaxing 'on the deck' and be totally unfurled and in fact positively welcoming to the mum with whom she has a v difficult relationship, only an hour or two after malevolent Saskia was ordering her back to work with a painful injury. Anyone else?

• unruffled!