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

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Realistically, the holiday wouldn't happen because they wouldn't be able to agree on a destination. Henry would propose Mongolia, to see the nomadic goat herders, the twins would want to go into space (if I were Natasha I'd let them) and Tony wouldn't want to go anywhere. And I must admit that although I'd agree with whatever was decided, I wouldn't be making any suggestions and when it came to departure day, I simply wouldn't go.

The Dower House must, surely, have a cellar for all those cases. Dammit, a part-time local here, with a vineyard in his continental home country, keeps his neighbours/gardener/maintenance staff topped up with cases of very nice stuff some of which their friends are lucky enough to get passed on.

I’d love a good family holiday (but I like my family!) but it would have to be something where people can do their own thing

chateau with pool and games room and big gardens and a chef to prepare the evening meal and that’s the only time you have to be together - the rest of the time you can do your own thing

Was there ever a vineyard in Ambridge?

And isn't/wasn't Carol Tregorran a wine merchant? Who were her clients?

With the costs of the farming cover for several families, plus a no-expense-spared holiday for all the extended family, you’re talking a substantial sum, surely. At least tens of thousands. Then there's the unbounded potential for family conflict.

What happens to the money if one of them doesn’t want to go and the condition isn’t met? Does it go to a charity? More conflict ahead. This will must be absolutely bristling with codicils. Marvellous stuff.

Yes I believe Lillian said it goes to charity if one doesn’t go

they are asking where it all went

christines fees (thought she was no longer paying but if Christine lives another 10 years that’s £1m right there)
£££ holiday
artwork
Funeral
small gifts to a big number of people

how much did they think she had left?

It could be like the Dynasty total family obliteration episode.

😱maybe that’s the plan so it can be reinvented as The Horvilles

To me it seems so out of character for Peggy to leave money for a big family holiday. Even the art work at rewilding seems out of character.

Kirsty and Rex always seem strapped for rewilding cash. Would have been far better to have left the money to the project itself rather than for a piece of artwork which is a nice-to-have add-on.

Add that to my list of really stupid ideas.

Lower Loxley has a vineyard, at one point it was producing very good wine. Elizabeth struggled to get to grips with it a littl after Nigel's death, but the wine is allegedly sold in the Orangery.

Carol Tregorran also had a vineyard, producing Manor Court Wine. Grey Gables used to sell the stuff.

Her husband (and now Toby) run a wine importer/agent - the posh stuff.

English wine has come on leaps and bounds, assisted by the warming climate.

Exactly my thoughts… I can’t see them managing to get everyone back for it, or maybe if we are allowed to listen in on the holiday a number of characters will still remain silent. I also think if the holiday is a thing we can listen to, it will be an ‘extra’ and we will still have to listen to Joy exclaiming about how quiet it is in the shop with all the Archers away on a day to day basis.

The alternative is that removing the Archers allows for a big ‘Resetting the Archers ‘event in Ambridge (asteroid hitting beechwood? Charging station blowing up?) but I think there are too many other subsidiary characters who we do need and want who would be affected.

It’ll be a week long Ambridge Abroad Extravaganza. Somewhere where Lynda can show off her language skills - so France or Italy.

George will be home by then, so able to take over the running of Bridge Farm single handed.

Stella will in great haste instigate all her favourite farming schemes at Home Farm.

I’d prefer Justin not to go.

Oh, but perhaps Brian would insist that Miranda be invited!

Good luck with arranging the family holiday. We had a nightmare arranging just a weekend gathering in the UK for my mother's 95th birthday for her relatively small family: 2 children, 6 grandchildren (all with partners) and 4 great grandchildren.

We began planning it a year in advance and still couldn't get everyone together on her actual birthday weekend, so had to opt for the following weekend.

Then it was touch and go right up to the last few days whether everyone would in fact be able to attend because of various unforeseen events: not just sudden overseas work trips, but a kidney transplant and the birth of a baby who wasn't even a twinkle in the eye when we started planning.

Of course in TA they will be able to arrange it all in a week.

How much has been ring-fenced to pay for The Holiday? It will have to be during school holidays, so no off-season bargain.

£2000 per head?
£10,000 for Lillian / Justin/ James / Coriander / Mungo
£20,000 for Pat / Tony/ Johnny / Helen/ Henry / Jack/ Tom/ Natasha/ Seren / Nova
£22,000 or £24,000 for Debbie / Adam / Ian / Zander / Kate / Jakob / Phoebe / Nolli / Sipho / Alice / Martha. Possibly Brian.

Say £50,000, plus the cost of hiring farming cover?

Some of those people will be virtual strangers to each other. How well does Mungo know any of the other children?

I wonder if Kate & or Alice have got substantially more than the rest, Kate because she did a lot of looking after Peggy and Alice because of the upset over her inheritance from Jennifer although surely they would have told Brian.

I can’t see why Lynda would be involved at all- on what planet are a great grandchild’s ‘other’ grandparents thought of as ‘family’? The family holiday notion is preposterous anyway, but there’s no need to shift it into the realm of totally batshit: that’s their job.

You wouldn’t get much, if any, change from £10k/head for a fancy African safari (useful for the SA kids and possibly wherever Johnnie might be and Adam might decide to emigrate again). Then there is the added attraction of lots of rifle-wielding guards and angry wildlife.

Does anybody remember the TV series “Lost” from about 20 years ago?

I can only advise the dissenting Archers to knock on Usha’s door to ask whether she knows anything about Deeds of Variation.

Minorly stupid idea I don't believe Joy would never have come across viognier before.

New improved Alice would insist Ruari is included. And she'd be right.

Agree- Lynda isn't family.

We reckon TA is strapped for cash when it comes to the number of characters they can have per episode/week/whatever. So why waste money on Joy and Rochelle when the SL this week was crying out for Peggy's grandchildren?

I agree. And I can't really imagine her having a conversation with Brian about wine either( I think it was him who recommended it).

I'm looking forward to poor, forgotten Johnny's reappearance. I wonder if Pat and Tony will come back one day to find him emerging from the shower. Bobby Ewing style.