Archers thread #202: How are you finding your visits to Ambridge? Fill in your feedback forms 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 think working as a hotel receptionist is a perfectly reasonable career choice for a graduate from a family with a stately home, 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-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.)

Over to you!

The "Will Ruth get tested for the breast cancer gene" storyline has also gone very quiet.

I believe they're getting married at LL shortly.
I predict that will be the time/scene of Jill's demise.

Jill, Jim or Auntie Cardboard. Maybe they became frail suddenly and weren't available for a SL.
We haven't had Pip's results have we? I hope that she gets the all clear and decides to start a new life in some remote off-grid part of the world where she takes up farming alligators or something.

@Juliancantcope , I saw your almost namesake in Liverpool once. Just in the city centre. I was too young to be starstruck.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g
Sean O'Connor brought Carol back during the Rob and Helen story and it seemed to be largely so that Anna could be asked to be Helen's barrister.

I think Carol was brought back initially because John Tregorran had died and the funeral was in Ambridge, and then she went away again, but came back and rented Glebe Cottage from Jill so they could do a rerun/reminiscence of the events of the night of Grace's death, to remind people about that; in 2015 O'Connor had just written a play about it which was going to be on R4 for the anniversary. Only he couldn't get the people who were at the fateful meal at Grey Gables quite right in 2015. Obviously Grace couldn't be there, nor Phil, but I am fairly sure someone was present who hadn't been at the original event: possibly Christine so Carol could be unpleasant about her always smelling of horse?

When the actress FINALLY began to sound her character’s age, they killed her off.

A couple of episodes ago, Carol sounded more hale and hearty than her daughter.

If Anna hangs around in Ambridge for a while (though the practicalities of doing so might be tricky unless she has been an extremely successful barrister who can slim back her workload), I hope she becomes besties with Stella (who I feel must be closer to Anna’s age than she is to Pip’s).

Anna was born in 1969 so is about 57. Stella is not far off Ruth's age. Ruth is 58.
Stella is meant to be young enough to bear children IIRC. Not sure what age that is in Ambridge.

Stella's age is not given on the BBC website. Lucy Speed who plays her is 50. Isobel Middleton who plays Anna appears to be about 60 (Google says she graduated in 1987). Pip is 33, same age as Daisy Badger.

Anna and Stella need to get their skates on, presumably the wedding is imminent since the toe curlingly awful hen night was months ago

Now that IS a good call

I'm guessing Stella's age because the having a half-sibling for Rosie was discussed. Anna's age is in a TA book I have. The Book of the Archers.

1. Anna did actually receive the flowers and the florist can confirm Alan paid for them
2. Any overpayment will presumably consist of extra 000s so a very plausible error from someone on their deathbed
3. Alan will probably spot the error before Anna and immediately set about putting it right
4. As per previous posts, the bank will not transfer large amounts without checks
5. seems unlikely Carol would have wanted either to piss of Anna by secretly giving money to the church OR to make trouble for Alan

I am surprised they didn't spin out the dementia/ elder care story for longer, but given they haven't I agree it's to reintroduce Anna for Stella.

i think Carol has transferred the shortfall for the church restoration that alan mentioned rather than her whole estate (which would be tricky in a single Faster Payment anyway)

I found yesterday's episode such a hard listen. The little noises Carol (Mia Soteriou) was making as Alan was talking to her were exactly the same noises my mum made in the two days before she died. I therefore assume its a thing.
I dont know if it was written like that or if Mia improvised but it was devastingly well observed.

Regarding Alan’s potential replacement … It’s been a while - and she likes farmers:

Dating confessions of a thirtysomething, female vicar

https://www.thetimes.com/article/cb044b99-c369-4eb5-b3fb-a2879a9cafd7?shareToken=082918b9e62bbffdcfa023a47fd499fd

But then we wont get to hear the screaming when stella drives the combine over her?

I was thinking 'go to the light, carol' as soon as I heard that weakened voice in the last episode. I'm glad that storyline is wrapoed up, it was repetitive, but it was a good stab at showing that caring for the elderly isnt always a barrel of laughs, they can be quite horrible. And, I think carol was to anna, i think she didnt want her there when she died, just like she didnt want her to pray, or be at the memorial. I think she planned to give a lot of money to her darling alan but has really underestimated the shit heap it will bring down on his head :(

I'm sad the esme story hasnt been used to the fullest. It would have been fascinating to live through the struggles of being thrown in at the deep end on a whole farm, but we've only heard vague money/time stress and now i think she should sell, go back to it, and let josh get on with the job.

Didn't Pip put off the tests till after the wedding? Despite really pestering Ruth and banging on about how she couldn't stop thinking about it, she suddenly decided to stop thinking about it. Sadly that means we'll get a revival of the actor struggling and failing to portray major angst and just sounding petulant.

If they do go down the line of Anna accusing Alan of swindling Carol, which I hope they don't, there's also the grim possibility of her accusing him of killing her while alone with her in an attempt to keep the money.
Sorry. I've been reading too many crime stories.

Omg, you're right!

Ooh, child-free weddings! Is that still a hot-button issue on MN?

How does a wedding with no children when one of the brides has a child actually work? Stella sounded really unpleasant.

I was wondering who was going to write the first AIBU - Stella or Tash.

Team Stella! I hardly think “bride’s cousin’s children” counts in the bracket of treasured “family children” for the sake of limited wedding invites.

And why on earth is the wedding being held at ££££ Lower Loxley rather than the family’s own wedding venue? Ridiculous.

Which other family children are likely to expect an invitation?
I can only think of Martha and Xander

Then again, are Helen's teenagers invited I wonder?