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!

What's happening at Bridge Farm is the perfect compare and contrast about what happens when you try to share the running of the farm between siblings (as opposed to putting one person in charge - eg Pip or even Adam). It seems like the fair and logical thing to do when Helen has the cheese and Tom has the veg (and whatever else), but what seems like a natural division is actually competing interests. Helen is playing her cards brilliantly, knowing Tony will be happy to have more cows on the farm (and also I could see her logic if she got a good deal for the remaining four), Tom's bubblewrap polytunnel idea was never going to get a look in. Also, Tom and Natasha seem to have so many side projects - Summer Orchard, the Terum, now the possible cosmetics startup. Helen is laser focussed on her cheese. I'm also lightly mystified by the Akram as a farmhand storyline - why doesn't he just get an allotment? What happened to Ardil's allotment? Is his care farm obsession just an extension of Carol's grab rails PSA - a way of raising awareness about the existence of care farms rather than a serious proposition? Akram is a plumber, he has no background in mental health or care. I can't help thinking that the reason so many listeners are irritated by Akram is because he doesn't feel like a real person, he's just there as a means of raising awareness. It would have been more realistic to me if Pat, a known do-gooder, had wanted to to investigate care farm possibilities - giving the role to Akram feel like shoe-horning the issue in for the sake of it.

I don't think he's exactly moaning. He's letting them know his concerns because he does idealise Bridge Farm and he wants them to be better. He's absolutely right in gently pointing out that there's probably a reason no-one is leaping to take more hours' work in the dairy, and Helen and Tom simply are not the considerate employers that their parents were.

Tom, Helen and Natasha all think they are incredibly marvellous and admirable.

But they treat people like 💩. What happened with Susan and Clarrie was appalling. Making Tony give up the Anguses. Kicking Fallon out of the tea room.

(where is Johnny?)

I hope Akram finds his place.

I find the whole Akram on the farm story line ridiculous. Did the scriptwriters ever consider what farming is like in his home country? I doubt a farmhand there gets to dictate to the farm owners how they should do things...

Akram doesn’t need to be at Bridge Farm. His previous farming experience is on the family farm, where he would have a say. His mindset is therefore very different.

He is using the farm as a means to an end, taking a huge pay cut. If they keep shoving him into the dairy he will not get the benefits he is sacrificing his better paid job for, so he will leave and it’s fair enough for him to let his employer know he’s unhappy.

He wanted to be there because of the ethos so it’s fair enough that he’s disappointed.

@LillianGish Totally agree that Akron simply doesn’t feel like a real person

Hmm, maybe I'm misunderstanding but wouldn't that be if it were recorded live and then made available after? (e.g. Today programme). It never includes the continuity announcer, and adds "you're listening to [x]day's episode of the Archers". I imagine they upload a whole week at a time (or more), and then have to amend the days/times of availability. But perhaps that's too much forward planning and risk of episodes leaking (lol).

Well … I for one eagerly await the deus ex Pakistan hotfooting it to Ambridge to drop several million quid at Akram’s feet!

It’s as good a story as any I can see coming to Home Farm.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but it’s relevant here.

Sky (presumably reliably) has just announced that Anthony Head has died at 72.

It’s a bit … unbelievable for Buffy fans. And for those of us who always enjoyed hearing from or about Rex and Toby’s dad.

RIP the Fairfather.

I'd just seen the sad news re Anthony Head. Hopefully he somehow discovered how excited a substantial part of the nation was when we heard that Rex's Dad was planning to visit Ambridge to meet Alice. RIP

For me he will always be Mr Gently Benevolent

My DD has just messaged me. Such sad news.

Very sad news. RIP.

How very sad. We were only just talking about him,

RIP AH - his wife died last year.

I get this, but I’m not sure starting a ‘care farm’ would achieve these aims.

And I will always remember him as Herch in Cabin Pressure

I can't help thinking that the reason so many listeners are irritated by Akram is because he doesn't feel like a real person, he's just there as a means of raising awareness. It would have been more realistic to me if Pat, a known do-gooder, had wanted to to investigate care farm possibilities - giving the role to Akram feel like shoe-horning the issue in for the sake of it

I think you might be onto something there @LillianGish I think the first we heard from Pa Malik, he was fasting and Lynda - rather annoyingly - joined in and we had a PSA about Ramadam. Now he's a mental health champion (as they call them where I work) whereas it would be much more believable if Pat was advocating for a care farm.

I assume the mental health champion business comes from Azra.

Akram has no more business talking to Helen and Tom in the way he did than Ed Grundy would have, other than Ed might talk more sense about farming.

What a poisonous little weevil Adam is.

Adam’s really crossed a line now.

Perhaps Ruari (or is it Ruairi?) could be handed a wine bottle and asked to eradicate Adam? I know I would!

Nah. Brian isn't taking care of the land and he should have told BL about his "sacking" of Adam and the steps he's taking to keep the place going.

I enjoyed Brad and Zainab chatting together this evening, it sounded very natural.

That’s an inconvenient truth 😂. I don’t know what it is because I know Brian has behaved appallingly, but I can’t help being on his side!

I’m very sad about Tony Head. I’m a big Buffy fan and have loved him in everything since. Awful news.