Archers thread #194: Bottled on the Bridle Path! Discuss 75 years of 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 wishthat we'd heard the Reverend Shula preach over the festive period, or other unusual views.

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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.)

I am all Archered out after the excitement of the 75th anniversary yesterday, the special drama (Truth and Lies), the podcast, you name it. Now it looks as if George is going to pull through, the hype seems a bit overdone. So it's over to you!

I know George is young, but I still can't understand how he's volunteering in the shop with a fractured skull and (presumably, he would have) bad headache/concussion. His fast recovery is nothing short of bad script writing miraculous.

Ruairi seems to have had a personality transplant, though maybe "forgiving" Alice took all the pretence at forgiveness he had. (I'd like to also blame Paul, simply because I cannot stand him!) Only Ruairi and Brian seemed unconvinced by George's performative contrition, as am I.

As an aside, what young man of 20 (going-on-21) calls his grandmother "Nana"?

Gonners
Only Ruairi and Brian seemed unconvinced by George's performative contrition, as am I.

I suspect Adam too is in the "prove that you are" camp about George's being so very very sorry, no really, very very very sorry.

Gonners
As an aside, what young man of 20 (going-on-21) calls his grandmother "Nana"?

One who wants to butter her up.

Alice may have learnt the word couch from. Chris. Otherwise it was astonishing.

I found the class dynamic of that encounter excruciating for George. The scene wasn’t perfectly written but it didn’t need to be. I could extrapolate sufficiently and ended up feeling sorry for George in a way that is surprising. It was almost Austenian.

Clarrie is Grandma and Susan is Nana. I have a friend who has two different names for his grandmothers (one is Gran and the other is Mimi. Mimi apparently said she is too young to be called Gran/Granny).

Ruiari was an utter twat

I've been going off him for a while.

I'd like to also blame Paul, simply because I cannot stand him!

Same. And I find their relationship unbelievable.

As an aside, what young man of 20 (going-on-21) calls his grandmother "Nana"?

If he called her that as a child, why would he stop? He's hardly going to start callling her Sue.

We said nana and (sometimes) couch. I thought posh folk said settee?

My adult grandsons call me Nana. What should they call me? My name? Grandmama?

I dislike Ruari, but today he nailed it …. particularly when he pointed out George always has an excuse.

And of course George ends up resenting everybody. Maybe the SW are going to deliver on the ‘rampage’ they promised 🤞

Sorry, I just think of Nana as the dog in Peter Pan!

The Aldridges are all snobs, of slightly varying flavours but Ruardhi (sp?) is the worst, however his observation about George's reaction was correct.

Gonners
As an aside, what young man of 20 (going-on-21) calls his grandmother "Nana"?

Practically anyone appearing on a televised talent show. Especially if "Nana" is dead.
That's why I'm Grandma. People will be too busy sneering at how aged and out-of-date "Grandma" sounds that I won't feel the need to loyally cark it if one of my grandchildren ends up on Strictly.

Eta If it still exists in 20 odd years time, that is.

I'm Grandma to my grandchild, as is my mum to all hers. I absolutely loathe Nana/ Nanny, it's dreadful. I once collected my granddaughter from school and the teacher said " there's your nana " to my granddaughter, who turned around and said" she's Grandma not nana". Was never referred to as nana again!

@Rosamutabilis
Quite.
I know a few people who want to be called "Nan", "Nanny" or "Nana" (one insists on the pronunciation "Na-NAH") because Grannie or Grandma "sound so old".
Like it's an unbreakable code and people can't work out how old they are by seeing that they have grandchildren.*
Maybe they should call them "nan-children"; that would suddenly make them appear younger than they are.

*Sometimes they can work it out just by looking at them...

Yes I thought tonight was good, and surel George is not a good enough actor to be faking all of that?

Indeed - I concussed myself a few years ago, no loss of consciousness and definitely no fractured skull, but I was ill for a good week!

Not sure I understand the question. Nana is perfectly fine in my opinion:) I was just pointing out that I have a friend who calls his two grandmothers different names, as does George.

Granny was Granny, because nannies are staff, and she wasn't...

I think George honestly wants to be sorry and to change, but he doesn't realise how much work it will be, and doesn't realise he doesn't have the willpower for it. He also expects everyone to be impressed and forgiving that he's trying, and he won't understand why they don't see that, and he'll resent the fact they can't just forget all the history and be delighted with him instead.

My mind snagged on the idea of Brian Aldridge, Brian Aldridge, being so low on whisky that he needs to buy a random bottle - recommended by Susan Carter - from the village shop.

These SWs genuinely have no idea how other people live …

George hasn't changed.
Brian had to run out of whisky so he had to go to the shop so that Susan can give her," please take pity on George", speech.
The only one who said anything truthfully was Kate, but I still don't know why they had an intervention for George.
It hasn't made any difference and why would they bother.

I've not got, and nor have I had, the sort of money Brian has, but when Islay malts are on offer in Sainsbury's I buy a bottle. So currently there is Bowmore, Bunnahabhain and Laphroaig in my cupboard for future joy. Talisker on the go (wrong island but pretty good). No way would I be buying something from the local Spar on the tasting advice of its staff.

I just don't think the Aldridges have the moral high ground. Kate - deserted 3 young children. Brian - poisoned the Am and was a serial adulterer. Riuari - prostitute! Adam - cheated on partner and stole from his family and exploited a woman's body to get a baby. At least Alice believes in redemption but only because she was given a second/third chance after potentially harming her child, abandoning her and commiting criminal damage.

I think I"m over-infested in this!

We appear to have similar whisky tastes. However, in this country, Spar is a major supermarket rather than a slightly dodgy corner shop, so I can get some decent Islays there.

I love Islay single malts. But they're too characterful to make bramble whisky. A blend works better there. Can't see Brian buying an undifferentiated brown spirit from Susan though. Grouse would be as low as he'd go.

My mother was going to be Grandma to my daughter but when she was about 18 months old she said 'Nana' and it stuck. She wanted my grandchildren to call me Nana, their other grandmother is Grandma. Sometimes the children chose what they call you, I have never had very strong opinions on it. I called my own grandmother (only had one) Granny.

None of my family have ever had staff. A few of them have been domestic staff though.