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.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g they have the montebéliarde cattle, but I can’t remember the rationale for getting them, or what they were milking before. So I wouldn't think a few anguses would be much of an issue.

They did buy in milk but the quality of the cheese went down so they now have a heard of Montbelliards. But as to who milks the cows…

Of course, the Monties(sp)! A self-milking herd. You'd think Farming Today would be interested.

They had a dairy herd but got rid of it and bought in milk instead, then they bought the montys.
Maybe Helen is flogging the Anguses to pay for her house.

I love that I can come to this thread and am guaranteed to find the comments on Pip that are unspeakable in real life!

Plot twist!

Easter greetings to all! (Why are the seasonal MN emojis all wearing Santa hoods? )

There’s still so much of this TA anniversary year left, and I must admit I’m contemplating coming months of listening with an element of dread rather than excitement. What else can they retcon or destroy?

I’m not rural but when I found a lump, go and hospital were almost instantaneous, I was scared because it was all so fast but they assured me that’s he they do things.
I have a multi generations strong history of breast cancer though

The Miranda insecurity is well overblown and taking up way too much airtime.
I understand the background of Brian wanting to protect Rhauari (sp) but they could have done this with far less dramatic coverage, it feels like filler to me

The plot moves Miranda to Ambridge… presumably she’ll start getting involved in things like the horse scene and Lynda will get her to play the fairy godmother in the panto.

The fact that Miranda’s closest friend in the village has so far been her ex-husband’s new partner has been mildly intriguing.

It’s obviously even less likely that a glamorous multi-millionaire would choose to move to the same small village as her ex-husband than that a vigorous and energetic young woman would move back to the village where she was publicly jilted at the alter - but I like the dramatic tension in the relationship between Miranda and Lilian.

I find Miranda’s voice a bit annoying. I am trying not to mind because it is at least distinctive. Like Lilian’s cackle.

I wonder if this comes into the auditions - “please speak like no one else in Ambridge, but plausible for Ambridge”

I actually love her voice! (Just don’t believe in her existence.)

OMG - listening to the omnibus and as if Miranda would be packing up her own house!

This is peak stupidity on the writer’s part.

They’ll have her clearing dirty plates in the pub alongside Mrs Lilian Bellamy soon …

According to the farming expert on the podcast, Angus beef is currently fetching premium prices, and the decision is insane. He pointed out also that they contribute in other ways, e.g. their dung is great for organic fertiliser. However, it's very typical of Tom and Helen to jump to a decision without researching properly.

Hopefully he’ll get a good price and then Pat and Tony can go and see Jonny on his adventures and let Tom and Helen deal with their own kids and stuff for a while.

There seems to be a pincer movement of stress for Brian - Miranda and Ruari on the one hand, George Grundy on the other.

Will he get a stroke or something? The pressure is building all the time.

I really enjoyed this episode of the official podcast, that expert (farmer Rob Atkinson) was critical of the Angus bullying, George's sheep plan, as well as the Brookfield inheritance plan. I think his criticism was cut short a couple of times though, shame.

Carol/Mia Soteriou was also on it, they go into her independence/interest in herbs, and how it was an conscious decision to make her sound younger and feisty. Carol is 95! Mia said she was born after Carol's first appearance in 1954, so 72 or younger. I'd forgotten that she may or may not have pressed a pillow on John Tregorran's face to help him on his way.

It’s been sort of signposted for a while…

I'm not convinced re Pip's tit. Surely they offer BRCA gene testing to the patient, their children (probably at age 16-18), and then annual or even 6 monthly scans to the daughters? Pip would have received scan invitations every year?

I'm more familiar with breast cancer treatment in northern Europe, around 2004 I had a friend in her late teens who was a carrier (her mum had it), and she had regular scans.

Also. Mia Soteriou played a drag queen and his mother on TA a few years ago, in the course of a Grundy venture 😁

I don't think they meant it literally, that Miranda had the boxes in one hand and parcel tape in the other. More that she has prepared to move her whole life to Home Farm. Glad she's dumped Brian. She seems a better fit with Oliver, less spiky.

Yes, but Oliver has done nothing to deserve it. Mountain and moor spring to mind, after Caroline.

Catching up after a week away but…

if Ruth had BC in her early 30’s and had/has a daughter there is absolutely no way she wouldn’t have had genetic testing (think she would have anyway for links to ovarian etc).

Breast lump is an urgent GP appt and two week wait referral to breast clinic. At Pips age, ultrasound, possibly mammogram (after u/s if required by consultant) and possibly a biopsy. Cysts are usually painful… BC not so (apologies if this counts as a spoiler? Tell me off and I’ll be more careful in future). Men can also get breast cancer so more of a PSA if one of the boys had found a lump. But I like the idea that this may change/review inheritance perspectives….

Brian must still be fairly wealthy. Ok he had to sell the house but with it lost a very expensive lifestyle (and then an, I would imagine, fairly unthrifty wife) but I can’t see how his income will have diminished. He has seemed very happy to be a passenger in Miranda’s domestic plans though and I wonder if he hoped for an easy life. I think she could well be buying into the family life idea as she gets older and more worried about being lonely and this would explain the disproportionate response as she saw that slipping away. I think the scenes with Oliver showed what a complimentary couple they could be (and quite like the idea of Brian being cuckolded).

Furious about the Angus’ and if anyone now suggests Tony gets a hobby in his retirement, I hope he flattens (or disowns) them.