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.

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.)

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!

In 1980 when I had my daughter, there wasnt any pregnancy tests unless you went to the docs with a urine sample and it was sent off and you waited about 2 weeks then phone them to find out.
I was being sick a lot and that's why I went to the docs in the first place never dreaming I would be pregnant as we never planned it and I was on the pill.

I don't think Brad loves Amber. He's lonely and a bit desperate. He should join some societies at university. Or Hinge.

Said it before but it’s been a real failing that they’ve shown us absolutely nothing of Brad’s university life.

I mean, I doubt he spent much time in Felpersham before, so even the journey / commute must have been a novelty to him.

And surely he’s found it exhilarating to be amongst other mathematicians? We’ve only heard him moaning to Tracy about the unexpected difficulty of his studies - nothing beyond that.

Surely he’s made some friends - or at least people he regularly sees and talks to? No doubt living at home has severely disadvantaged him socially but he can’t be completely isolated.

And there’s still no indication of any career aspirations or effort to push himself forward. It seems strange - it can’t all be because of George?

I don't think Amber loves Brad either he's just better than George. For a switched on, presumably attractive 'Influencer' she doesn't seem to know many people.'

The SW's don't seem to know whether Amber is 'switched on' or absolutely dim.

The idea that any young women who had been having doubts would try for a baby is just bonkers.

She didn't seem to have any problem telling George that she needs to work hard at her influencing if she wants to be successful but somehow thinks bringing a child into a world where they would struggle for money is a good idea!

It's crazy.

I don't care what happens to vacuous oxygen-waster Amber. There! I said it!

My thoughts in no particular order:

~ Has Harrison been on MN - because we all hate his voice too.
~ I don’t find new Amber too grating. Most people are a contradiction of things. Although I agree her and Brad are not a match.
~ Are we absolutely convinced Markie’s gang clobbered George? Evidence seems fairly thin.

The "Markie's goons did it" line seems fairly thin from a plotline point of view anyway - there's virtually no evidence, Amber seems rather desperate to push that line of thinking and even George is cagey about it.

I still maintain that George inadvertently stumbled across Brad and Amber, hence the voices he heard, but then fell and hit his head. The wine bottle was either one George had swiped from the pub when he stropped out, or Brad and Amber took it to share. The ambulance was called by Brad/Amber who saw what happened but didn't want to admit to their liaison.

I do rather like Harrisons' voice!

Why would Brad and Amber be swigging wine from a bottle down a dark lane?

They'd obviously gone off together, hence the snog that happened at roughly the same time that George was attacked.

But Amber was staying with Brad anyway they wouldn't have needed to sneak off and it wasn't on the way to anywhere they'd have been going.

I think it's been one of the good stories to see Brad develop from a timid nerdy misfit, through his early love affair with Mia, getting into uni, and trying to be a friend to George (albeit under George's coercion). After last night's conversation with G I hope he's finally getting away from G's influence and concentrating more on uni life, and just maybe he'll find a nice nerdy girl who loves maths, or at least some some good mathy friends. He sounds as if he is growing up and growing more confident in himself.

I love the way Brad's character has been written, hearing him come out of himself has been great. Mind you, I'm also really enjoying hearing George slowly become more human, albeit interspersed with flashes of his old self. Really good listening.

Brad and Amber being in love with each other seems to have been rather rapidly dropped!

Meant to mention Eddie and the hay.
First, how clever of them all to not actually say price...

But also: everyone moaning because Eddie Grundy was maximising his opportunities. If it had been Justin or Brian or an Archer it would have been "go them!!"

I found that annoying as I really wanted to know to how much hay costs.

In case anybody else is curious, there is an article on the main bbc website.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce9yz4j52n2o

It's astronomical this year and many of us suspect there's Eddie-style price gouging going on.

We're told it's in short supply but the farmer near me has said there's plenty down West, they've just got to transport it. Fair enough, that does add to the price, but no way should small bales which were £6 last year be £10 now.

Was the hay actually Eddie's to sell? The land it grew on is leased by Oliver to Ed, not Eddie.

I was listening to Farming Today (half asleep), I think it was yesterday,and they had a chap on who takes hay and straw from NE Scotland over to Skye, and Lewis. IIRC the big rolls that you see in the fields were £79, and the cubes £69. The small ones you can lift were around £6, but I could be wrong about that one. There's the fuel and ferry costs of course.

If amber and Brad were co-conspiritors, one or both of them would be freaking out by now!

What is it with these supposedly grown up women making shite decisions? (Looking at you Amber, Fallon and Esme) .

And Chelsea and Emma being the sensible ones and voices if reason.

Love to hear a menapausal woman giving no shits. Emma is totally right she'd be the main source of childcare. She can see the next 10 years unfolding before her and she doesnt like what she sees.

Just waiting for someone to ask what Amber's parents think. If they have anything about them the'll swoop in and save her from the Grundy hell hole.

What is David doing ? He knows how hard farming is and Esme has limited experience. Oh forgot for a moment that it's to provide for the Archer dynasty/ inheritance plan .

Exactly this! I'm really confused by the Grundy hay set up.

Does Ed even know that his father has sold the hay he is going to need for his Texels?

Oh god the hay. Ed is going to go mad