Archers thread #199: Kaboom! The Aldridges are self-destructing, and it's GLORIOUS. 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'd drop everything to help Helen create a new cheese on national minimum wage, 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.)

If you haven't heard last night's episode (Friday 22nd May) you really must. It's episodes like that that keep me addicted. Funny how often they involve the Aldridges, the most dysfunctional and also by far the most interesting family in Ambridge. Also very well acted on the whole. How lovely to hear Tamsin Greig in TA, but I wonder if we ever will again.

Some cracking posts towards the end of the last thread, which is here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/5518503-archers-thread-198-josh-sent-to-patagonia-pip-stays-put-wrong-way-round-discuss-the-archers-here

Over to you!

I think Alice's stuttering is the worse. "Spit it out girl"!!

@TottersBlankly Sorry, I should have guessed it was very personal - some things one shouldn’t try to express. I was being a bit frivolous. I’m glad you have that day to treasure.

Wasn’t one day - I was there as often as possible over the year! And subsequently when I’m in Edinburgh.

Which reminds me that it’s a long time since anyone in Ambridge seems to have travelled anywhere with purpose. (Peggy’s Legacy Trip doesn’t count.) They always used to be going away on farming jaunts, or road trips - on which we would accompany them. These days no one younger than Fallon seems to have any outside interests that might take them away from the village.

See also no one from outside visiting, specifically Shula. Clarrie used to visit Rosie in Great Yarmouth. Maybe Rosie should visit Ambridge and ask her sister why she needs to keep working now she's pension age? Or Auntie Niamh could visit Ruairi and ask why he's so glum.

They don't even have phone conversation with people outside the force field.

It’s a sad fact that the SWs are much less imaginative than they used to be. As I’m always saying, Ambridge used to feel much more part of the wider world.

And I don’t think it’s just that the main characters are getting older. Lilian and Lynda both sound fit enough to be driven to London to see Mungo - why do we never hear of that happening now?

It’s inconceivable that Johnny wouldn’t have invited Freddie to visit him wherever he is.

I’m trying hard not to let my mind focus on Kate and her totally abandoned children. I simply cannot imagine why the SWs believe we’ll forget all about them if they ignore them for long enough. If it weren’t for the existence of Meriel I’d have a name for it …

There is no way they can afford to privately educate the twins.
It is really is a bad Ofsted then good effort will be put into improving the school, and really the issues raised aren't going to particularly impact reception year anyway. I hope Tom makes Natasha calm down on this. They could cut back and save like crazy for y3 maybe.

It really was a bit mad Natasha going on about what could have led to the bad Ofsted report, when she could find out perfectly well just by reading it. As for the unfortunate Head and Deputy, with a bombshell having gone off in their professional lives, I imagine the last thing they needed was Natasha demanding a meeting.

She’ll be demanding money from Pat and Tony, of course.

Literally every other child in Ambridge goes to Loxley Barrett, including Jack - who until v recently they were sharing a house with! There is no way they could afford two sets of school fees - no matter how many of Tony's old tools they sell (what was all that about??) I do like the stories of Natasha's profligacy though. Does she realise she won't be able to put the school fees on a credit card?

Kirsty leaves Ambridge for her trysts with Erik and look at the result! No wonder none of the other young women risk it. Kate is just back from Scotland. It amuses me that the SWs have never risked specifying where in Scotland Phoebe lives. It's quite a big place!

Yes, but we don’t go with them, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g.

On the subject of schools, I’m pretty sure Bridge Farm could find the money for school fees - but if the SWs fancy a different challenge, Natasha might consider going down this route:

https://www.gov.uk/set-up-free-school

I'm the other way round when it comes to trips outside Ambridge; I'd much prefer to hear Kirsty explaining being a high-risk pregnancy to Erik, rather than a random midwife.

Where’s Jim these days? He has disappeared without a trace.

One minute Gnasher is making ends meet by selling tops for £5 on Vinted, the next she is talking about private schools. She really has a strange understanding of money. She needs help from Rishi Sunak’s numeracy project…

And what happened to Jim's skin cancer scare?

Yes - and all the more odd when we remember her background...

She sells other people’s stuff.

I think there’s some money from the twins’ modelling for the big chemical company. No idea how much they would earn for modelling. It’s all the extras for a private school though, the uniform, bus, meals etc

What happened to the £900k BF pocketed from Justin?

Natasha spent it.

On manicures? 😄

I'd rather hear about natasha's success with fruit smoothies; her getting fed up with dopey, passive tom and determined to get her girls a private education; she could then become brian's spiritual successor, have lascivious affairs and we could see the space twins mature into complete brats, locked in a love hate power struggle with their formidable mother.

This scratching around selling old coats is a yawn fest - what happened? Does one of them have a secret drug habit? They should be OK.

She started as an entrepreneurial savvy business woman.

The secret debt was a good story line within that.

They have transformed her utterly and not for the better.

Talking of things we miss on The Archers… I miss background music. Up until about 6/7 years ago the sound effects people would often use a very up to date pop song as background music, especially in scenes with young people or the tea room. It definitely added something. It disappeared without a trace.

Someone on the last thread asked when we last heard from Debbie’s Dad. Wasn’t that in 2020 when he was very unwell with covid?? He must be ancient now.

I’m not condoning Adam’s behaviour but it must be very difficult dealing with the uncertainty of what will happen when Brian dies. It is his life’s work and income source.

I loved Kate’s excitement over Kirsty’s baby. She’s a dreadful mother but she does love a baby. I can see her as a much needed ‘aunty’ for the baby.

Talking of things we miss on The Archers… I miss background music. Up until about 6/7 years ago the sound effects people would often use a very up to date pop song as background music, especially in scenes with young people or the tea room. It definitely added something. It disappeared without a trace.

Some people really struggle to hear voices if there's background music, though I suspect it's more to do with avoiding payments on the right to broadcast the songs.