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!

Does Kate do astrology? I hope she feels positive about a Scorpio in Ambridge.

My gut feeling is that a Brodie would be Australian. That would also help with the accent.

Kelpie, Heeler, actual Dingo - can you imagine David's reaction?

My vote is Scottish terrier, they’re so underrepresented (except in Lady and the Tramp).

I predict a baby boy who Brian will decide is The Future of Home Farm, a Brian illness and Phoebe and Brodie woof woof coming back to look after him/take over. After all she actually has business experience now, would be nice if B was a farmer by background too.

I don’t think Phoebe will come back as a single mum because it would be too silly if we had Helen, Alice, Pip and Phoebe all in that position.

Alice isn't a single mum. Chris has done more hands on parenting in Martha's lifetime and unless there's a major personality transplant will continue to.

Brian is no spring chicken (both he and the actor are 81), so hopefully the Editor has been subtly doing some succession planning.

Phoebe has been up in Scotland for about 5 years, now, hasn't she? The Eco start up is hopefully flourishing, so hopefully she or Brodie are earning good money. It could be quite plausible for the young couple to take over the reins with Stella in a day to day management role. Ideally the pair of them would be wealthy enough to buy Home Farm from the Gills and Brian could see out his final years back where he belongs.

I'll be cross if they kick yet another one of Jenny's (grand)children into the long grass.

Yes I agree and better still I’d love it if Brodie was the younger son maybe of some big Scottish landowning family, would be fun to have Kate as Mrs Bennet, and the likes of Justin sucking up to him.

He could be Brodie of Brodie (real-life castle in north of Scotland).

I agree but I am biased as currently serve our sixth Scottish terrier. She is nearly 15 and enjoying a nap close by.

Lord save us. The Devil's Sign 👿 🦂 ♏ 😮

How lovely, we are on number 5 - aren’t they just the best.

I have stated several times lately that I want a Hard Stare emoji.

and the laugh back

🦂

Nothing wrong with being a Scorpio 😈 I look forward to welcoming the little witch/er to the coven.

Lovely, mischievous little dogs. I adore ours.

Sold to The National Trust many years ago.

I’ve had five Scotties, and bred three litters. All wonderful characters and sadly missed.

Just listening

pros - lots of good characters and acting

• no joy
• the wake scene was nice and I thought it was well balanced

cons - having to listen to too much of the funeral given how much we’ve already heard and the bits that were too obviously written for radio

• henry and his fan club

My brain is a bit frazzled so forgive me asking, but will Phoebe’s baby be the first of a new generation?

Oh wow! 🩷

If we are countin primary age I think there's quite a few, the twins (seren and nova?), Martha, and Pips daughter whose name escapes me .

Yes. Peggy’s daughter’s daughter’s daughter is upduffed.

Her other daughter (Lillian) has a son (James) who has school aged Mungo

Her son, Tony, has 3 kids (1 decd) who all now have kids. As far as I know, young Johnnie hasn’t sired any children (but who knows what he’s been up to at sea!).

But they are still grandchildren of the Archer cousins( David, Tony, Jennifer).
Phoebe herself is their generation i.e. a grandchild of Jennifer.
Phoebe's baby will make Brian a great-grandfather and so will be the first of a new Archer generation, if that's what @ExitPursuedByABare meant.

Well I think Martha is the same generation as Phoebe so yes, I think le fils de Phoebe would be the first of the next.

Thinking about grandchildren, Kenton's daughter and Shula's Dan must be well into their thirties by now, we haven't heard anything about either of them having children have we? Seems a little strange that neither of them are grandparents. Not that Dan and Meriel are on the programme but you'd think they might be mentioned occasionally, does Kenton ever visit NZ ?

Edited to say I checked Dan's age and he's 30 so unsurprising he hasn't had children, for some reason I thought he was much older. I was listening then but irregularly as my children were small.

I wonder if Johnny made it back to the funeral!!