Archers thread #197: Runs, Ambridge, runs! 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 find it credible that Kate, who changed continents twice to get away from her own children, has now morphed into Grandmother of the Year, 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.)

Well, Finlay may have made good his escape, but we're all still stuck inside the Borsetshire forcefield. The cricket team is rising phoenix-like from the ashes but will now be The Bull's team, not Ambridge's. Will Alice and Rex make a go of things? Will George cope with a month off the booze? Will the real Brian Aldridge re-appear? Will we hear a bit more about farming? We did get a lambing scene the other night, which was good.

Over to you!

P. S. The pointless new AI title generator MN has introduced in spite of absolutely nobody ever asking for it wanted to call this thread something like Discuss The Archers here, no spoilers. I won't be following its suggestions.

Brian and Caroline's affair was well before Oliver came to the village, back in 1985. I am actually a bit surprised Oliver knew anything about it, because I don't see Caroline being particularly keen to tell him about something she was clear was a mistake almost while it was going on and certainly the moment she ended it, and one which she had long since got over and which was not widely known. Was he the sort of nitwit who required someone he met when they were in their fifties to tell him every detail of every previous lover she'd had? That's a good way to smash a relationship before it even gets going, I'd have thought.

I don't even remember Brian and Caroline having an affair. I thought that might be because I was out of the country and so not listening in those dark, pre-internet days. But no, it was 1985. And Caroline moved in with Oliver in 2003! Oliver is mad and Miranda should run away.

I think if I lived in a village and had an affair I would tell a new partner as you might think no one knew but in villages almost everyone does know. Much easier to keep secrets in cities.

I thought Miranda was so horrible and dismissive when she talked to Oliver and said Brian probably missed Jenny, the way she said that people move on.

It's only been 3 years, that's not long and it's perfectly reasonable that he would still miss her, in fact it would be strange if he didn't. Of course Brian himself is likely one of those men that just has to have a woman around, after all he got into a relationship with Miranda pretty quickly. But I doubt anyone isn't going to miss their spouse after only 3 years.

I thought Miranda was so horrible and dismissive when she talked to Oliver and said Brian probably missed Jenny, the way she said that people move on.
I thought the same - Miranda truly has no idea about the depth of Brian's relationship with Jenny, how she made everything possible for him and was prepared to forgive him anything. She's also completely lacking in self-awareness, it doesn't occur to her that she's making it impossible for Brian to move on when she's moving into his old family home, full of memories of his time with Jenny, to say nothing of the fact that selling it broke Jenny's heart.
It was me that put Miranda and Oliver together @TottersBlithely - I just said it as a bit of an aside when we were talking about Miranda's very affected tones. I don't wish her on Oliver, but I do think they sound much more each other's type than Brian and Miranda. They also have that horsey connection and I think it could quite suit Oliver to move into Home Farm and would certainly be no less believable than him living with the Grundys.
Miranda should be told about Brian's proclivities - he is an incorrigible philanderer, I'm surprised noone has mentioned this before.

TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions cancer

If they wanted to do a PSA, wouldn't it have been better to pick a cancer of which there is less awareness, and have a stronger actor in the SL?

I don't want anyone to suffer but as it is going to be a fictional character, it would be an opportunity to raise awareness of some symptoms that many of us would overlook?

I know quite a few who lost a parent to bowel cancer. I lost close relatives to cancers that aren't usually the first ones people think of. (All a while ago now so no sympathy needed)
A well-known comedian/actor is suffering from bladder cancer (Yahoo News UK link) etc.

Because we hear of many people surviving breast cancer, when my relative had it, I didn't think it would kill her. She was absolutely lovely, still young (50s), and it was so unfair. 'Balled bravely' irritates me because that is all you can do, and when the prognosis isn't optimistic when it is diagnosed, battling bravely is not going to be enough.

Rob dying from glioblastoma was a convenient way to kill him off.

Rant over. I'm all confused today. I keep thinking it's Saturday.

I assume you mean battled bravely rather than balled bravely, @RuairiDonovan ?

Yes! Battled. Goodness knows where balled came from.

Maybe Pip can be the one for a PSA that battling bravely is not enough.

Anyway, to shift the chat to happier subjects, I quite like the idea of Oliver and Miranda. Poor Brian.

Marmalade made from quince sounds good - I have had some years ago. Would go nicely with a cheese scone. I've got some quince jelly in the cupboard. A bit of that on top of an oatcake/cracker and cheese... Shame I'm still full from lunch.

I would have told Cowpat to shove the plastic Anguses up her arse.

LillianGish
Miranda should be told about Brian's proclivities - he is an incorrigible philanderer, I'm surprised noone has mentioned this before.

He is also eighty-three, and his most recent affair ended more than twenty-three years ago. She might not need to neb into his entire previous life-history and make a jealous ruckus about it.

I found a breast lump recently and was able to see a GP the very next day - our surgery has a fast track for urgent things. I know that's not typical nationally, but it's also a rural practice - that felt realistic to me.

Edited for typo

I think things are very different if you live beyond the hell of healthcare in larger towns. Our local small-town surgery (4 x GPs, all very competent and kind, plus a couple of senior nurse practitioners) is very good at seeing you quickly if necessary. The problem only kicks in when the "urgent" referral to the hospital takes over a year!

I'm in a large town and was seen within days and had a mammogram two weeks later. It was a cyst.

The clinic is very good but the GP surgery is impersonal.

I also saw a doctor next day when I found a lump, the referral for scan took a few weeks. I’m in a city.

My GP will see you the same or next day for urgent appointments. It’s the non urgent stuff that can take a while.

I don't know why I thought this but wondering if Pip's storyline might turn out to be about BRCA and genetic testing rather than a 'traditional' breast cancer storyline (sorry if that's crass wording but I couldn't think of a better way to phrase it).

Just the emphasis on Ruth's diagnosis at the same age being mentioned twice maybe, but something made my spidey sense tingle.

Wonder if this will prompt Ruth & David to re-think their succession plans.

We must all rush out and bulk-buy Angus beef, thus causing the prices to go up. They will then become a superb investment and Tony can have a lovely time crowing over Helen.

I don’t understand the “get rid of the Anguses” story. Angus beef is a premium product and Bridge Farm have a long established business selling direct - look at Henry’s goats, bought by an end user. If Brookfield can manage a successful heard of Hereford cattle (another native, slightly more niche end product) there should be no problem at all selling Angus beef - friends sell theirs direct to Waitrose.

And why do they have to wait for the auditor to tell them what is making money? Do they not keep accounts, look at their costs constantly? And such a quick decision with regard to selling the whole heard - surely in such a situation Tony would have been allowed to keep a couple of favourites? Helen is a total bitch.

So currently they are producing Mankwold, yoghurt and veg boxes and running a tea-room? I can't see how that is supporting 5 adults and 4 children.

@Gonners quite - all the farms I know, unless very large, have one spouse/family member working off the farm. So for it to support five adults it must be extremely successful and as such they would be very much on top of their costs etc. It’s all bonkers.

But Bridge Farm isn’t a little local business surely? I assume they have longstanding contracts with pretty much every hotel and restaurant within 100 miles. (Plus presumably shops / supermarkets / pubs and other catering establishments.) I don’t say they’re competing with Riverford nationally, but they’re very well established. Also, Natasha at least should still be fully supported by her own business. (About which we admittedly never hear anything.) And what about the pork? Tom was still working with Maurice (😍😍😍) at least a few weeks ago.

As far as I’ve understood it, every separate enterprise is pretty much self supporting - ‘Bridge Farm’ is just the hub. So it’s very different indeed to Brookfield, where they’re all treading on each other’s feet and eating from the same bowl.

Agreed, Totters. Does Tom still have the sausage business? I've lost track. I also can't remember what they do these days about milk. They did have a dairy herd, but do they now buy the milk in? They make Borchester Blue, Sterling Gold, yoghourt and ice cream. They grow a wide range of vegetables and salad crops which they probably supply to wholesalers and caterers as well as put in the veg boxes. Farm shop. Tearoom. Do they produce any fruit? Potatoes, arable crops? I'm pretty sure they have no sheep. It does seem odd that a small herd of Anguses can't make a profitable contribution. Beef is eyewateringly expensive and some eschew it for environmental reasons, but quite a lot of wealthier people do still splash out on it for a special occasion, and you'd have thought Grey Gables would be interested.

@Molecule ... all the farms I know, unless very large, have one spouse/family member working off the farm.

Maybe Johnny is contributing his pirating profits?