Archers thread #186: Eavesdropping on a home for the terminally confused. 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 swipe right on Dane, the new Grey Gables manager, or other unusual views.

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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/radioaddicts/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.)

Thanks to @WitcheryDivine for the title inspiration. Over to you!

If Lillian hasn’t met crispin either then I would be very suspicious if I were Justin

I'd rather they did a Parkinsons SL to add some variety. I don't mean that in an insensitive way. Horrible disease but several high profile men are living with it so, if the Ambridge health fairy is on a sabbatical and one of the oldies has to have a disease, it would be interesting to explore.

and women. Movers & Shakers Podcast | Episodes.

It’s pretty obvious to listeners that if Peggy had been talking regularly to Arthur, she would not only have introduced him to Lilian and Tony, but encouraged them to become actively involved with the dementia charity while she was alive.

The story as written is nonsensical. Peggy wasn’t secretive when it came to positive news - she liked being in the thick of things, discussing, and making plans and seeing them put into action. She would have had Lilian driving her round visiting every single person caring for a dementia sufferer, under the auspices of this charity. Not hiding it all away until after she was dead.

Thanks. That was during my gap in listening.

If I were Lillian and Tony, I would be round at Aunty Cardboard's flat AND the manager's office to find out a little more about this "local" charity that she and Justin had never heard of. Does Arthur just use the home as some sort of daycentre to provide his wife with respite? Did Ben come across him when he worked there with Lee? My mother wasn't in a care home for more than a few months, but the manager was very proactive about letting us know about what the residents were getting up to (lots of photos too).

An "undue influence into changing a will" storyline would be interesting, but I don't think that can be the plan. That said, I wonder who witnessed the will (Rev'd Crispin and the Manager, perhaps?).

It seems odd that the charity itself didn't write to the family via the executor (Peggy died a month ago), instead leaving it to a senile client. At the very least I would expect one of the Trustees or whoever is responsible for fundraising/CEO to have been there with Arthur.

It must be at least a weeks since I muttered "why is the Archers so blooming odd!".

I feel the inheritance storyline is completely unbelievable, for many reasons already outlined, and I’m disappointed we’re not going to get any family wrangling over it. Also, who cares about a piece of public art at the rewilding. Unless it’s by Richard Long or something it will be crap and a waste of money.

Secondly, I am getting annoyed at having to listen to so many public service announcements. Especially when delivered by characters we don’t know, like Arthur. I don’t mind David becoming enraged by dog poo as much, as it’s in character - but I felt sorry for Tim Bentinck having to deliver such a big clunky chunk of script like that.

Thirdly, why are they putting in random characters with names similar to existing characters. Dane and Darren. Mick and Nick. Now Arthur, at the same time as a storyline featuring Martha.

Fourthly, I don’t think I can cope with Tony with dementia. Please no!

I think he’s a chancer and if he’s not in the will he’ll challenge it possibly via no win no fee to get himself a cut.

I don’t think Tony has dementia, his forgetfulness is due to grief, it’s there to show people have different ways of grieving .

I caught the end of the omnibus edition and there was a PSA about BBC help for dementia!

There have been other signs before though.

I still think they can only make a worse job of it than a previous team made of Jack Woolley's dementia.

It’s a miracle🙄

well at least it was high on farm content

I switched off.

It was pretty painful.

the sw just don’t seem up to the job

This week's scripts were written by Keri Davies.

I think he’s been spending too much time with the newbies

buy to give him his due, we didn’t hear joy

It would be a good thing if he can buck the current trend and give us a Joy-free week.

And prostate cancer… something like 80% of (older) men die with prostate cancer. Whilst a lot of these are undiagnosed they would still have symptoms. It seems odd that with such a high population of geriatric men (albeit acting like 20-40 yr olds) in Ambridge that at least 1 isn’t suffering in some way .

Lots of farming. Be careful what you wish for...

Lots of farming. Be careful what you wish for

😂

When we were knee deep in Muck & Joy & Rochelle I promised myself I would never moan about Pip again. Then tonight happened.

I got really behind with TA but caught up today.

That was the weirdest Open Farm Sunday ever.

Had same thought re Tony and dementia. Hope not though.

First thought with Arthur was that Peggy had been manipulated and he is a scammer. But then Lillian and Justin were being so complimentary about it all that it seems the SW are actually going with with Peggy giving everything to charity, pretty much shunning her entire family and they are all absolutely fine about that?!

I really liked the open farm sunday episode (easily pleased). Just stuff about farming and pulling together. Gentle, nothing to get worked up about.

I'd have been happy with that episode if Pip had been omitted. I was also a bit confused with Stella working with the Dopeys. Didn't Home Farm open?

Idle speculation - I wonder if interest in farming has increased as a result of Clarkson's Farm?

Yes maybe I'm being harsh. The farming focus was nice. Just the thought of hoards of cars rocking up to Bridge farm late in the day, nah.

Yes, I think Clarkson's Farm has made farming cool. Reality though is most jobs on a farm are below national average salary, awful hours, poor job security and dangerous. So when it comes down to it, it's never going to be a popular career choice unless you were born into it.