Archers thread #201: Tempting fête in Ambridge? Free entry to 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 love to administer Bert's mucus medicine, 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/5538836-the-archers-spoilers-thread-12-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.)

There's a fair amount of stuff going on at the moment but I don't feel inspired to say anything more about any of it for now. Over to you - I hope you all have more enthusiasm than I do!

There was a peacock squawking in the background when Fallon and Jolene were having their little chat. Do we know if there's a peacock in Ambridge?

The Bull has had peacocks forever

In fact I think it was Kenton who ran over the old peacock, Eccles, and Elizabeth provided three young birds from the peacocks of Lower Loxley when a brood hatched but I forget the new ones' names.

Yes, they've generally been silent since Eccles was murdered.

No, no, it was manslaughter. Birdslaughter. Kenton didn't go for to do it on purpose; he is merely a dangerous driver, not a deliberate killer.

Christ almighty. I cannot believe Susan took Bert’s side.

What a thoroughly unpleasant man! No wonder he’s so fond of Clive….

She's very stupid.

I also can’t believe Neil was so calm about his 5 years old daughter sipping beer. Perhaps it’s a generational thing. My mother used to boast about dipping a dummy in a bit of rum to get my siblings to ‘settle down to sleep’

Bert doesn’t have a single redeeming feature does he. He seems to reserve his worst behaviour for women although he appears to particularly dislike Chris. I did think he might make an unpleasant comment about Lottie’s ethnicity the other day.

Seemed most unlike Susan. I can only presume she doesn't want to admit defeat and hand him back to her sister.

I think Susan feels guilty that Tracey has been dealing with her dad for such a long time, and is desperate to show that she can manage him, and maybe there is a bit of jealousy about Bert preferring Clive.

I also think she was a more than a bit put out that Chris told her that Brad and Chelsea are the favourite grandchildren.

(Everything would be much easier if everyone else would play along as well…. )

She’s unable to see things clearly.

Bert is horrid.

Neil and Susan acted most oddly

Chris is well out of it. He needs to move back to his flat with Martha and set some distance away from his parents and grandfather.

Separately I understood from the continuity guy that local radios would be switching across to radio 4 for the Archers as part of some farm initiative. I wonder whether that episode would up the listenership. There was certainly a lot crammed in

That has completely passed me by!

Listening to Bert's unpleasantness, day after day, is starting to grate big time. No wonder Tracey has been sounding on the verge of a nervous breakdown. As has been said above, Chris will be well out of it (Martha too). I can't see how Susan can possibly condone her dad's behaviour, except for the reasons Darker and macaroon8 mentioned above.

Bert is vile. Brad dealt very well with him ime, enough experience of him to mostly nod along and tick things off his mental bingo card.

I really am rather fond of Brad and Chelsea.

Bert is bloody horrible. No redeeming qualities at all. As for criticising Chris for mollycoddling Martha - it's exactly what he wants from others.

When is he going to die?

Catching up on episodes - I really think Jolene was poorly written tonight. The “real /old” Jolene would have been supportive of Fallons new job - and it’s not like she would be far away - is Joy going to replace her in the kitchen at The Bull ?

My auntie’s husband put whisky in my drink when I was not much older than Martha, it was bloody horrible and also quite scary because I didn’t know what he’d done/what it was. Literally nobody gave a fuck about it which was really confusing.

If someone did it to my daughter they’d be out the door before they had time to draw breath.

I’m intrigued at where the storyline started going this evening with Chris asking his mum outright WHY Bert is allowed to do whatever and challenging the idea that his age is an excuse. I don’t know anything about Susan’s childhood but are we to assume Bert has been a foul bully always? Did he work?

Ssshhh, don't mention the J word!

Somebody did at the beginning of the thread. Some people never learn (sounding just like my late mother!).

@WitcheryDivine I had the same thought about “where is this going?” when Chris challenged Bert. I wonder if we’re going to have some revealed (or retrofitted) back story to the Horribin family. The way Susan said “because he’s my father” was a bit strange to my ears, as if his word was final on everything, always. Not like Susan at all.

And I was surprised to hear the peacock - I’d forgotten that Eccles had been replaced and wondered if the SWs had forgotten he’d died. Maybe they’ve just rediscovered the sound-effect…

Every episode seems to open with nasty Bert complaining. He brings nothing to the show.

Are you thinking that perhaps he might not actually be father to both daughters?

That might be … interesting if Tracy is only her mother’s daughter, given how attached Bert is to Brad and Chelsea.

He’s a ‘retired roadworker’ @WitcheryDivine. I remember nothing about him prior to Ivy’s death.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/1wQP3mKR6yr9LVs05jddxcY/bert-horrobin

I prefer listening to Nasty Bert to having to endure scenes with the Maliks esp Akram who speaks in cliches while trying to say something profound; or Joy/Muckie/Rochelle. Don’t forget the year we have had…

Bert talking to Susan actually sounds like a real father-and-daughter. The bickering is typical of how some families communicate. And isn’t necessarily malicious. He does seem to have a very large personality now he has found his voice. It’s hard to believe he has been silent for so long.