Archers thread #185: Some farming would be nice. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

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Over to you!

It's not unreasonable to think that Pat, having acquired a Welsh-speaking DiL and ditto fellow-granny, would have decided to renew her own familiarity with her national language. If we'd been let hear about that experience from time to time over the last few years it would have been much more enjoyable listening that some of the nonsense we've been afflicted with.

Credible story about the growth and development of a character we already know and how that works in the integration of a new person in the family and community. Nah, can't have that.

Any theory on the sound effect for Natasha's clicky clacky shoes? Presumably not the same half coconut shells they use for horse hoofs.

I don’t mind the sudden influx of Welsh as the girls are getting louder and you would expect it of any parent with a second language. I suppose Jakob is the only other one in the village?

the last few episodes have been so much better. I’m sure Joy is going to be given back her airtime soon enough but at the moment it’s nice to go back to the archers

Absolutely delighted by Helen's combined vitriol and petulance. Bring it on!

Oh yes please! Come on SWs, you've partially redeemed yourselves this week - don't let us down!

When my husband spoke to the vicar he turned it down. "I don't do death" were his exact words. What a tosser

Tosser indeed @echt - Surely "doing death" is in the job description of a vicar? Glad the female vicar stepped up for your MiL.

Alan was so gracious in the face of Peggy's typical mean spiritedness. Her funeral could have involved Alan and Crispin. Wonder if she's left the bulk of her estate to Crispin the dodgy priest?

I agree. With the mists of time, I can't remember if he was still resident vicar of that church or had moved on. Either way, his attitude was deeply unChristian.

Tosser indeed - Surely "doing death" is in the job description of a vicar?

Quite.

And the Maliks? Or parents, anyway, perhaps.

Oh good point - I wonder if the kids are bilingual

I'm sure they are - much easier to keep up the minority language when both parents speak it. It's not unreasonable to think that Pat, having acquired a Welsh-speaking DiL and ditto fellow-granny, would have decided to renew her own familiarity with her national language. If we'd been let hear about that experience from time to time over the last few years it would have been much more enjoyable listening that some of the nonsense we've been afflicted with. Completely agree with this. In fact Pat's Welsh heritage has been positively brushed over to the extent that if you didn't already know she was Welsh, you might not have noticed. She has not been a professional Welsh woman in the way Joy is a professional Geordie (or indeed in the way Natasha herself is).

Can anyone catch me up on what Helen was talking about last night re Tom and chickens - sounds like he borrowed from the bank of Gran at some point when I wasn’t listening?

Other will related thoughts:

• is this why they’ve been running down the Bridge farm businesses? So they’ll all be stressing about money/clamouring to those due to inherit/even challenging the will?
• I would absolutely love Peggy to leave it all to Noluthando on condition she moves back to Ambridge. She would be an heiress/future grande dame of the parish.
• did anyone hear the list of who’s had the email so far?

So Tom and Helen and all their kids have the £278 and then we don’t know what Tony / Kate have got yet? Or the rest of Jenny’s kids? Or James?

Hope Johnnie gets some of the ££!

The two words said by Natasha to The Girls the other day meant 'Come along'. Realistically, I think she'd have said 'Come on' (in a Welsh accent) unless making a concerted effort.

The Mam-gu/Nain Pat routine seems to be another PSA (anyone hear Elis James on yesterday's Today?), because she has lived in Ambridge for about 50 years, and apart from having a brief respite in Prestatyn, and one mention of a relative called Megan, hasn't shown much interest in Wales/Welshness. She also called Olwen Olwyn, which a Welsh-speaker wouldn't do.

The book chosen seemed an odd choice. I'd have wanted books my children to know stories from my own childhood, not translations, thank you very much. We have our own culture.

We don't know where Pat and Natasha are from, but Natasha's accent suggests the South. If she was South Walian, she'd probably mention that children's/learner's books tend to be North Walian dialect.
Same language with the odd word being different, but in speech or written colloquially considerably different.
e.g. Ti moyn dishgled?/Tisho paned?

My translations yesterday were tongue-in-cheek, but you'd get by with them.
Hello - Helo
Goodbye - Ta-ra (or something meaning Cheers!, See ya! etc). Formally, 'Da bo chi/ti'
Yes/No - depends on the question. Ia/Na usually isn't the correct form, and you'd reply with something like 'I am', 'It is', 'He isn't' or 'She was' or whatever depending on context.
Please - Os gwelwch yn dda or Os gweli di'n dda.
Thanks - Diolch

(There isn't a Welsh word for procrastination)

Imagine Johnnie retuning to Ambridge as the inheritor of All The Money!

Although it increasingly looks as if the SWs have finagled a way of avoiding any huge and surprising inheritance. They’re positively squeamish about money, privilege, anything at all that might put one person ‘above’ another. They don’t get TA at all …

I’d be delighted to be proved wrong!

Mali Harries is originally from Cardiff.

I suspect Pat and Natasha don't converse in Welsh because Patricia Gallimore isn't - as far as I can tell - from Wales.

Yes, what was Helen was alluding to? I can’t remember how the Bank of Peggy has helped Tom in the past (and not Helen, obviously most importantly!).

Who paid Helen’s legal fees?

@gonners, Mali Harries is from near Cardiff, and her accent is a Welsh-educated MC fairly neutral South Walian. Her fictional parents live in Capel Curig (North Wales) or nearby. The mother (the improbably-named Caitlin) has a strong WC South Walian accent. (Compares to something like a West Yorkshire accented mother, Home Counties daughter, allegedly living in the Peak District)

Lilian has a pair of heeled shoes that are used to mimic her footsteps. I imagine Natasha has some too.

Helen's fees were paid from the money they got for the Beechwood land.

Oh thanks. Peggy didn’t offer?

the last few episodes have been so much better. I’m sure Joy is going to be given back her airtime soon enough but at the moment it’s nice to go back to the archers

Yes, this week has been a bit of a glorious reset and a return to business-as-I- remember it. Not business-as-normal as normal has unfortunately turned into something dreadful ie dog attacks/Scam Week/panto dames/vegan activities/and the ubiquitous presence of Joy. Fretting over legacies is far more of interest- as this thread demonstrates!

Now that would be a good storyline!

I agree this lot of SW are really squeamish about privilege. I doubt any of them have lived in villages where there are "old" families.

They will have to face it though when Jack inherits from Rob. That will be an interesting time.

What’s happening to Jacks land? I know Ed was allowed to use it but surely the trustees should be maximising any income

DeanElderberry
It's not unreasonable to think that Pat, having acquired a Welsh-speaking DiL and ditto fellow-granny, would have decided to renew her own familiarity with her national language.

I'd go along with this if we'd ever heard that she had any familiarity with Welsh, but as far as I remember we didn't, and if she hasn't used it since she came to Ambridge in 1974 she's had fifty years to forget any that she did know.

It's highly likely that Pat has never uttered a word of Welsh in her life. The vast majority of Welsh people don't speak Welsh at all and I would expect Pat was one of those.