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!

<makes note>
<underlines it several times>

Depending on how the funeral goes, I am expecting this thread to fill up quite fast, so it may still be topical!

This is exactly the kind of post where I would have liked to have the laugh reaction available. I'll just have to do it openly instead - . Very well said.

We have a defibrillator at our local parkrun, which is in a backpack worn by the Run Director for the duration of the event. It was acquired following a very traumatic event some years ago when a runner (male, very fit, in his 30s, very healthy up till then) had a cardiac arrest just after the finish line, and was kept alive by other runners, principally two HCPs and a fitness instructor who took turns doing CPR until the ambulance arrived. It turned out he had a genetic heart problem. He was unconscious for several days and lost all memory of what had happened, but fortunately he made a full recovery and now raises money for defibrillators.

I am also amazed that Kate didn't do the obvious things like checking for a pulse and dialling 999. Thank goodness for Jakob. I wish we heard him more often. He has a lovely voice.

The Lodge. She moved in there with Jack Woolley, her second husband, and lived there for decades, IIRC. She was on her own there after Jack went into The Laurels and then had Kate with her.

She owned Blossom Hill Cottage earlier, or rather I think Lilian did (it was part of the Bellamy Estate, proprietor Ralph Bellamy, Lilian's second husband) and let Peggy either live there or rent it out, can't remember. Either Peggy or Lilian sold it to Usha, who still owns it now and lets it to Brian (absurd arrangement for someone as wealthy as Brian, but heigh ho, that's how it is).

What is Brian’s financial situation? He had to sell the house and has he recovered from that?

So I was just reading tan article about Sam, the race across the world competitor who sadly died recently. He was adopted and then diagnosed with FASD.

he obviously had struggles but he also lived an interesting life and had a supportive family.

anyway, I don’t think a fasd sl has to be tragic and I actually think seeing Martha go through life with it could be really interesting and awareness raising

A great-great aunt of mine - one of the generation of unmarried women after the First World War - employed a companion some years ago and they quickly became firm friends. After a year or so the companion became seriously ill and, although she recovered, she was never really well or very mobile again. So my great aunt ended up caring for the companion until the latter died 15 years later. They were both quite happy with the arrangement.

Hugh Dennis as Father Crispin? Could they have stretched to Jason Isaacs doing Lucius Malfoy?

Somebody on another forum suggested that Saint Shula could help with the ceremony (I am not sure that we ever heard Peggy’s reaction to her vicarring, or did I miss it?).

It’s odd that they keep banging on about Peggy and The Bull. She sold the place 30 years ago, having hired Sid to run the place in 1972.

So we had crispin foist upon us just so we could have that Alan and Kate/phoebe scene 🙄. Couldn’t tell the difference between Phoebe and Kate though!!

they’re really dragging it all out

i also find coffin bearing very weird - I know there’s all the carrying your loved one to their final place etc etc but still find it odd!!

so shall we have a wager on who’s going to get drunkest at the wake?

Alice, for choice.

Couldn’t tell the difference between Phoebe and Kate though!!

Surely that's good: I mean, they are mother and daughter...

Nobody who loved their cat would inflict that nonsense on her. Stupid , stupid storyline.

Has no-one in Ambridge ever come across a cat? Cats hate being put in their baskets, they hate travelling. This would be really stressful for Hilda.

Oh there will be some ‘hilarity’ as they try and catch Hilda and then get her in the box and then she will meow at a point that makes everyone weep as the cat is clearly aware of its owners passing.

yes Phoebe and Kate sounding similar is fine but I could only tell them apart because of the content of their speech

despite my loathing of pip she is certainly recognisable. As is Stella, Ruth, Lillian, Jolene, Fallon, Susan etc etc. it’s the Aldridge sisters/daughters I struggle with

So Debbie as a pallbearer!!!

Probably a silent one, though …

I'm bored now.

The only good thing about this incessant focus on the funeral is that we’ve had a lot of the good characters back and no horvilles

The SWs really betray their ignorance of anything to do with church.

If Crispin is an evangelical (“muscular” Christianity?!) he’d certainly not be calling himself Father. If he’s Anglo-Catholic he’d be more into lace and incense than running and boxing. An athletic AC just isn’t a thing. I’m very churchy and I’ve never ever come across such a person.

He’d have to have Alan’s permission to do the funeral. Alan is basically God in the parish.

I can’t imagine any churchman making the openly bitchy mid life crisis jibe, let alone in front of randoms.

There would be no need for a lengthy discussion of the final hymn. Family would choose, have it printed on the sheet, organist would play.

It’s unthinkable that an elderly, traditional churchgoer would want her cat to be at a church service. It’s absolutely not the done thing.

Regarding Kate and Phoebe’s voices — yes similar but Phoebe’s is so much more whiny. And Kate has become much more affected in recent years. Quite strange.

Otherwise I’m really enjoying it 🤨

@Texelspreadsheet

If Crispin is an evangelical (“muscular” Christianity?!) he’d certainly not be calling himself Father. If he’s Anglo-Catholic he’d be more into lace and incense than running and boxing. An athletic AC just isn’t a thing. I’m very churchy and I’ve never ever come across such a person.

Muscular Christianity is an actual Christian/social thing though, not something they just made up. I would associate it more with anglo-catholicism than evangelical protestantism, but then I'd also associate it more with the late 19th century...

Agreed on all the rest of it though.

@JustAMiddleAgedDirtBagBaby interesting, thanks!

The bitchiest person I ever worked with became a vicar 🤣

My first proper boyfriend with whom I had what I now know was an abusive relationship became a vicar.

I can well imagine, but most of them do know better than to do it in front of the bereaved...

If my cats have to get pushed into the carrier for a trip to the vets they inevitably piss in their rage and fear, and that inevitably goes all over me.

The funeral is going to be fun. Unless someone (Jakob, please) steps in and suggests Hilda stays home with a cuddly blanket that smells of Peggy.

The writers don't like cats. Horrible things are always happening to Hilda, eg borrowed by the Maliks, despised by Tony. Joy , the only other self+described cat person, had an Alsatian.