Archers thread #189: Brian reaps what he sows, in spite of himself. 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 want to hear more from Markey, 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.)

Over to you!

I think I was confused about the location - I thought we were in the Orangery at LL - does Chelsea work in the tearoom as well?

@Yardbird , she works at both.

@Brefugee
The Edible Forest Garden - cat.org.uk
Forest | Edible Forest

. I rather suspect it isn't the same people moaning.

i mean, this is an excellent observation of course! I’d love to see the venn diagram of the audience map that the SW and production team use 😄

😂

I don’t mind the cricket chat. Bit boring but that’s what we live and breathe for. Obviously anything to do with the future of the farms or farming is very welcome
indeed.

However, I really do mind chat about Markey and the dog attack and anything to do with Rochelle.

If Lawrence brings about the downfall of the Snell then I am all for him. I seem to remember she was behind paying Rex but I zone out completely whenever she is in a scene so I can’t be sure.

Was Adam being paid a salary by Bridge Farm, or an hourly rate? And how does Brian pay him for the odd hours he’s being doing on his Heart Farm?

with no indication of any official remuneration from Home Farm. I think we can be fairly sure he won’t be paid what Stella was being paid. This is a great stop-gap for Brian - a competent farmer who truly has Home Farm’s interests at heart and who he can boss about and overrule then blame when things go wrong

😆

Frequent name changer here. Popping back to TA threads because I'm catching up with TA - currently about 2 weeks behind.

• Amber is an annoying fuckwit and I genuinely don't understand why SW think we need to have somebody we love to hate. I don't "love to" - just hate. Grr.
• BOOP for the set up and payoff of Tracey saying early in an episode that Jazzer falls asleep whenever she's trying to have deep and meaningfuls with him, and exactly that happening at the end of the episode. I don't know why but it pleased me greatly.
• Emmur can fuck right off for having a go at people for taking George up on his offer to help find Markie and sign-defacer-man. Typical Emma still protecting her devilspawn but at the cost to Jolene and Kenton's peace and safety is unforgiveable. I'd cheerily thump her over the head with a brass candlestick.
• I want Martin to sponsor Chelsea and Zaynab to be members of the Golf Club. and I want Lawrence to be the star attraction at the next Halloween event in Ambridge - Gammon roast. He produces enoughg froth of his own to be self-basting.

I can’t believe Adam's paid a living wage to do the sort of odd-jobbing work he appears to do (or was doing) at Bridge Farm. Are we to assume that Ian's the main wage-earner? Because it doesn’t seem likely to me to be a household wallowing in money, unless Ian's improbably well-remunerated by GG - given the entire hotel appears to be run on a skeleton staff of about four people, surely salaries can’t be all that high there, either.

(I thought the £12-odd for coffee and a Welsh rarebit was on the steep side btw!)

I thought it was fine.
Checked it against a local menu, and it would be £12.65.
(I had to substitute scrambled egg on toast for the WR)

When Lawrence asked where the tea room was and Tom said it was just across the yard I took that as a hint about where they were at the time and where Lawrence was shortly afterwards.

JoelenesParrot
I seem to remember [Lynda] was behind paying Rex but I zone out completely whenever she is in a scene so I can’t be sure.

Quite the contrary; when Lynda discovered that Vince was paying Rex and some friend of Lily's to play for Ambridge, she forbade it.

BBC synopsis for Sunday, 11 May 2025
Lily incautiously lets slip Vince’s secret sponsorship deal, and Lynda detects subterfuge. Rex tries to take responsibility but Lily comes clean, admitting she and Vince were the ones who arranged for Rex and Kalathma to be paid. She points out how well it’s all working and begs Lynda not to tell Tom. But Lynda’s disappointed. It’s against the whole spirit of village cricket and the antithesis of what’s needed to build a solid, trusting team. Lynda tells Lily she needs an evening to digest this information and then she’ll let her know what she plans to do.

Brian is definitely a dotty old man.

So who does Kate have in mind? Ruth? A bit unlikely but maybe?

Who does Kate have in mind?

😄

Debbie?

Sadly, I agree. He’s clearly lost the plot a bit now he no longer has JD by his side. As well as lapses in judgment that have worked against his own best interests and damaged supportive relationships, we have heard clear indications that he needs someone to look after him to some extent - can’t work the coffee machine, can’t put food in the office fridge - so I fear for his wellbeing once Kate moves out.

Kate’s bound to mean Ruari, ready to displace the now rudderless Adam once more.

I'd quite like a re-written Ruairi with Irish relatives who don't just raise horses but who also have wider farming and food production links to take over, partly because he's YOUNG and although he was letting greed and libido take over when last we met him, that is not unusual at his age or even a bad thing long-term (and the connections and the money might both be useful). Preferably marry him to Meriel so there'll be Archer blood there.

And politeness on the surface but an implacable memory of Nasty Alice.

The cricket plot is a tedious one and doesn't even hang together properly. Wasn't the bigot (I can't remember his name or even be bothered to look it up) offering to pay Rex then Tom to play for Roseran (a village we'd never even heard of before this tedious plot began)? It was Lily and Vince who wanted to pay Rex - Lynda put a stop to it. Just report him to the Golf association - I couldn't care less - and write some dialogue between Lynda and Lillian about James's apparent refusal to step up to look after Mungo while Leonie is is indisposed instead.

I’m still confused why leonie needs so much help

I think her back injury means she can't drive, and Mungo for some reason needs to be driven. And he doesn't have any friends with parents who'll step in and help out.

It has to be Ruari surely? Someone else who knows nothing about farming! Personally I'll be delighted to see the SWs bringing all the pieces back into play. And if Ruari returns does that mean Paul will be making an appearance?