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!

Can I just say how much I loathe Fagash and Justin. She's such a stupid woman.

Hello, can I join you?

I wonder if Amber was bullied by George and is planning a public humiliation.

Oooh thats a good one! And would push him further into incel land potentially

brad did recognise her - he asked if she wore thick glasses and her reaction implied that was her

and she made a comment to Emma (?) that she was very different at school so George wouldn’t look at her

I assume this T-shirt that she was looking for is of some relevance given how much of yesterday’s episode was devoted to it.

George was wearing it the first time they met and presumably something happened that she remembers and he doesn’t.

Oh dear … It seems awful to have to start thinking Poor George again, when he’s already in prison. But you’ve all stamped on my initial optimism to the point where I can entirely see that Amber is up to no good. And we know George is not nearly as clever as he thinks he is.

But a moderate BOOP for their keeping him actively in the story even from behind his walls.

The idea of 600 being a "small" secondary made my jaw drop! I went to four different secondary schools back in the Jurassic period, and the largest had about 300. Bearing in mind that a fair number left at 16, that's fewer than 50 per year-group. This is not to say that everyone knew each other ... we really didn't! Within a year of leaving, I might have thought a face looked vaguely familiar but that would have been about it.

There are two local secondaries within walking distance and (I've just checked) they have 752 and 934 pupils! Bearing in mind that the vast majority go to FE colleges after GCSE, so the sixth forms are very small, those 11-16 year groups must be massive!

My secondary school was 400 including the 6th form. I still recognise faces on the Facebook group although I can't put a name to them all. I left in 1973.

That felt like a filler episode. Good to hear Neil, though.

8-form entry schools seem to be very common round here. More than 240 children in each year group. Massive. My daughter's school was about half that size and was considered small. Back in the 1970s my secondary school had 3 forms per year group, each form having around 30 girls.

I still nod at people I went to school with and only recognise on sight 20 years later. I could name 80% of my 240 year group now, and a good number in the years below. That's why I can't believe Brad doesn't recognise her or her name. She's either stolen a name or has completely changed appearance. Another batshit drama llama storyline instead of a nice chilled chat about hay.

Agree, and catfishing would explain why she sounds older. She refused to talk about school, and clearly looks nothing like Amber to such a degree she might as well be/is a different person. Of course George would be very easily convinced that they knew each other, because he has no friends and has Andrew Tate-influenced opinions on women, yet is desperate for a girlfriend.

'It's was what I was wearing when she first saw me' is very odd - perhaps an Instagram post? They messaged but didn't meet in person before the trial.

I'm thinking either
A) it's a crime thing. There is DNA evidence in the t-shirt and (unwashed) sheets. Least likely, but most entertaining.
B) elaborate romance scam. Scam week extended by months... just to annoy us and every Feedback listener
C) she's had a glow up (or glow down, ymmv) since school. Bit boring but closest to real life.

But she might,(Amber) really Love George, (and wants to sleep in his tee shirt).
Maybe it's all true and it's really to piss Emma off and it will be a battle of wills after George comes out of prison.
Too be fair Amber is a piece of work, but Emma wouldn't like any girl that George gets involved with.
Fagash is all about her mum and for some reason thought her mum was Mother Teresa, but we all know she wasn't.

When Lilian was scanning the diary to see who was taking Martin Gibson’s lesson, I was waiting for her to say Joy was his instructor!

I can believe Martin would have a rebrand now his wife has left him with a view to recruiting a new one but I don’t believe he would start bringing in cakes to work and encouraging the staff to have a tea break.

Maybe he's after Miranda!

They had to take the tea break time out of their lunch break though.

I can't remember if Aziz is a stallion or not, but he's an expensive feisty horse, you would never in a month of Sundays put a first time novice on such a horse, it could have ended very badly. Bonkers.

My thoughts exactly @FizzingAda. I had assumed Aziz wasn't even used as a riding school horse, more an expensive full livery that the staff keep exercised ready for the occasional event that Justin fancies a ride out on him.

As usual whenever there is an equestrian themed scene it is completely farcical 🙄

I thought the same @TheUsualChaos. My poor brain was trying to make sense of it (Maybe Lilian is riding Aziz?) but in the end I gave up … 🤷‍♀️

basic research is no longer necessary for the sw

I mean … Imagine how furious you’d be if you’d left your valuable horse with them and then heard it was being used to carry giggling kids or clumsy beginners around?

Surely some litigation waiting to happen?

It was very poorly conceived.

back in my army days i was in a long course in the UK, and for our Wednesday Sports Afternoon (a sacred thing across the military) we could do horse riding. The base paid 80% of the fee and we paid the rest (one of our instructors stabled her horse there). I went for months and never ever saw anyone behave as incompetently as Lilian and Martin. Daft and totes unbelievable.

Presumably she felt able to offer Justin's horse as she's his partner? otherwise i think you have to give them permission to use your horse (for a reduction in livery fees?)

I like the idea of an Amber revenge story, he was horrible to her at school and now she's getting him back (i still think he's going to be fitted up for something - that will be either solved in 2 eps to get him back in the programme, or getting him life in chokey and "bye bye great character with potential")

ETA: am sort of enjoying Martin Gibson's mid-life-crisis. I am liking the "show don't tell" aspect of Jazzer wondering what was different about him.

Aziz in general is totally bonkers. He’s an arab, which are small horses, but Justin bought him as a hunter - Arabs generally don’t make especially good hunters and unless Justin is small and wiry would be far too small. They are also usually quite hot, so definitely not a horse for a not young man’s first ever lesson.

@TheUsualChaos I quite agree with it being totally farcical.

Donkey's years ago when I was a horse mad teenager, we were on holiday and I went riding every day for a fortnight at the local stables. At the end of the holiday they let me have a free ride out on their Arab. It was the ride of my life, the difference was like between a cortina and a Ferrari. Definitely not for the likes of Martin Gibson.
and I'm sure Justin wouldn't have been happy.

I wouldn't be happy as a beginner, either. I want the equivalent of a solid, unexciting, not too powerful, but reliable Nissan Micra - Ferraris are for when you know what you're doing, not for when you close your eyes because it's going too fast (as I did in my first canter. And in a sailing lesson once. Hmm.)

Blimey - will remember not to get in the passenger seat the first time you drive a Ferrari!!!