Archers thread #187: Send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for Peggy. 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 like Harrison to hasten home, 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.)

Thanks to John Donne for the title inspiration. The funeral of the century beckons. How much of it do we think we will hear? Kate confirmed tonight that Shula, Debbie, Noli and Sipho are all coming. If we hear one peep from any of them I'll be amazed. Bets on Hazel turning up?

Over to you!

Exactly. They will find out when she appears at the family group meeting to discuss the holiday.

I’ve got it.

Joy is actually a transwoman and that is why she can do no wrong.

A bit like the fabulous same sex family who are the best dads ever. Or the Muslim family who are splendidly community minded and tolerant while also devout.

Actually no scrub that. We need a transition storyline. The more I think about it the more I can’t believe that the transphobic SWs have ignored this marginalised community. We’ve got gay couples of both sexes, a single gay man, a bi character, an Asian family and a black family. Why no transpeople?

(Sarcasm aside why no disabled characters?)

I don't think visible physical disability is suited to radio. We've had Downs Syndrome and alcoholism though, and possibly an issue with Martha. Various mental health things going on over the years.

@muddyford Agreed re the mental health asks, but Downs was written in and just as quickly written out. The actor who plays Jazzer is blind I believe - why not let him play a blind character? There could be lots of scope for interesting storylines (and normalising disability).

But Home Farm had a swimming pool! (And probably a tennis court at some point. Even if it didn’t, Jenny and Brian’s social circle must have been replete with tennis courts.) All this making him out to be a gauche newcomer to the smart set is frankly ridiculous.

As is turning Lilian (Borchester Life’s brightest star) into some sort of public house drudge. She owns a share of the Bull - she doesn’t have to scrub the steps!

And Brian would never have put up with such nonsense from anyone - man or woman!

I don’t understand why the older cast members aren’t rioting! I’ll let them off if they are struggling for cash but, goodness me.
:
It feels as if we in the middle of an Alice Through The Looking Glass parallel universe

There's no use trying,' (Mumsnet) said. 'One can't believe impossible things.'

I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Editor. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!’

Gosh, what a pile of piffle.

Oh fgs Brian dump her. She's awful.

🤣

That was thoroughly vomit-worthy. What a load of tripe.

I wish they would make up their minds whether Martyn is a reformed character or not.

And since when were Lilian and Miranda besties?

Would anybody care to tot up who the 26 “fortunate” members of Peggy’s Holiday bequest might be?

I’d like an entire episode devoted to Kate (and Jakob stressing the importance of sorting it ASAP) on the phone attempting to get insurance for the elderly ones (while they try to remember their various meds and most recent trips to the hospital).

Lilian, James, Mungo
Tony, Tom, Nova, Seren, Helen, Henry, Jack, Johnnie
Kate, Phoebe, Noli, Sepho, Debbie, Adam, Xander, Alice, Martha

That's 20 ignoring partners. If we add partners that would be:
Justin, Leonie, Pat, Natasha, Jakob, Brodie, Ian

Not sure where 26 comes from.

Well, Lucy Fleming must have had plenty of opportunity to observe the upper classes at pretty close quarters. Her mother was Celia Johnson and her paternal uncle was Ian Fleming. I can't remember seeing or hearing her in anything else so have no idea what she normally sounds like.

And from what Brian said the other night, +Brian, unless I’m misremembering.

Brian.

Of course, Brian. Still no 26.

Phoebes baby will be born by the holiday?

I agree the bridge competition test was very silly, but I actually found tonight's episode touching and believable.

Lillian and Miranda are both strong women who have both made the best of the cards they've been dealt. I didn't find it at all unlikely that they found they have more in common than they had realised.

Brian and Miranda have clearly taken a lot of pleasure in each other's company and I believed that two rather selfish people have gradually come to realise that they genuinely like and care for each other.

I can’t imagine Brian being intimidated by swishness. And very odd that we suddenly have these scenes set at a random bridge tournament.

I think it was pretty mean of her to do that to him and I think the sw must be pretty horrible people as they seem to constantly write nastiness but not seem to see it and think it’s cute or romantic.

and ‘proper love you’ - what have they done to Brian? Is this the precursor to dementia?

I wish they’d stop going on about Peggy and the bull

Joy will turn out to have had a previous job as an insurance broker and will sort it for them in no time.

Where did 26 come from? I thought someone said 27 which I assumed included partners.

I very much enjoyed Lilian and Miranda being nice to each other, reminded me of A Room of One’s Own where VW says that female characters are never written as friends.

Brian being bowled over by a pool and tennis courts was just silly though! Didn’t he used to own a place people come and shoot pheasants?!

Well they're both deeply unlikeable so they have that in common. By that I mean Lilian and Miranda, not Brian.

Didn’t Kate make a comment about how hard it is to get 26 people together?

Kate, Jacob?
Alistair, Ian, Xander
Alice, martha, Chris?
Debbie
Brian,

Pat, Tony. Tom, natasha, twins, Helen Henry jack

Lillian Justin, James wife, child

That's 23.

Phoebe and bump and byron
Nolli and seepho (sp)

4

27?