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Life in Ambridge: Comments week of October 24, 2018
Life in Ambridge: Comments week of October 24, 2018
Life outside Ambridge
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Life in Ambridge
THIS POST IS CLOSED "longer off topic comments" - Episode 14 Life Outside Ambridge Have a seat and let's chat.
Wow! Where can I buy this in the real world!............Sorry meant parallel universe! 😊
ReplyDeleteImpressive, Ruthy !
ReplyDeleteBrill photo.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photo Ruthy.
DeleteHow do you do it, Ruthy?
DeletePoint taken Maryellen, you do see good in others where the majority of us find nothing.
ReplyDeleteI think Rex knows more about Toby than we do, no not jealousy or sibling rivalry, just real concern, time will tell who is right.
Janice your Dad was right to love Ayreshires such lovely cattle. I cant understand this love of black and whites, other than they are just machines . Sadly today we, as a whole want cheap food , that can be spiced up with herbs and spices. Niche markets are expanding though and people are begining to appreciate again the taste of quality.
That was interesting about autism etc and A1 milk I hadn't heard that.
So T❤️O❤️B❤️Y's gin has crossed the Atlantic! Well done, Mr F!
ReplyDeletejust an illusion !!!
DeleteRuthy. Brilliant picture. At least we have a picture to remind us of "artisan" Scruff Gin. So when the fad for drinking such stuff finally fades away, maybe Toby will depart for pastures new. Perhaps he should head for Scotland and learn how to distill Whiskey. I wouldn't recommend Ireland, an Enlish man making whiskey would not be acceptable. On second thoughts I don't think sending him to Scotland is a good idea either. Maybe he and the Pipettes could settle in Greenland, although the Danish might take exception to gin distilling.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm being silly.
Sorry to tread on your toes re The Canterbury Tale, Bootgums!
ReplyDeleteI was struggling with it for O Level Literature, (not A Level), back in the 1950s and did find it very difficult to understand. Perhaps it was the way we were taught, we were left to read the books on our own and were not taken to see a performance which would probably have helped. It left very unhappy memories for me as I hated not being able to get to grips with the language.
When taking A Level Lit, I was taken to see each of the Shakespeare plays that we were studying, which made a huge difference and had a mixture of modern and older poetry (from Milton to First a World War poets and novels (from Austen to HG Wells) to study which suited me much better. Also, having a very enthusiastic and innovative teacher made all the difference.
Perhaps I should try Chaucer again, in my old age!
I studied The Canterbury Tales for A level as a mature student, and enjoyed it very much - did the Pardoner's tale - but my downfall was having to study John Osborne's 'Luther', and hated it so much that it was my downfall in the exam. Couldn't help criticising the play instead of analysing it. So I ended up with a B instead of the A I was supposed to get!
DeleteOooops! I'm not sure that I should have put that on this blog. Apologies.
DeleteWow. Chaucer for O-level must have been quite tough. I got 'Lord of the Flies', 'Macbeth' (modernised spelling, of course) and half a dozen 20th-century poets. Quite easy, in comparison.
DeleteTo bring this back on topic (just), I note that Lynda's plan is to do some of the Tales, not 'Murder in the Cathedral'. Perhaps she'll tackle Eliot's oeuvre some other time (and I so look forward to hearing her say 'oeuvre'!).
Oh Ruthy !
ReplyDeleteHow did you manage that picture.
Wonderful.
✔️ 👏 Ruthy
DeleteRuthy, Where did you find that wonderful photo? It is brilliant.
DeleteI so want to buy a bottle.
✔✔⭐⭐⭐⭐
This bottle, empty, is being sold on the internet of £25.00. Someone has a lot of money to spend.
ReplyDeleteI wonder who might buy an empty bottle?
DeleteIf I have to Listen to Lynda Snell's over the top verbosity from now until Christmas I shall start drinking Scruff gin to drown out her voice. Clearly David didn't understand a word spewing from her lips, so caved in and agreed.
ReplyDeleteTrouble is looming, people wandering around a barn with large burning candles can only suggest a traumatic event. An EastEnder incident?
This Christmas Show, as far as to my thoughts, will not happen. It will be overtaken by other Ambridge Events, (not sure what yet, that is up to the new editor), so a lot of the cast will leave, as a result.
DeleteAlso does Ambridge need such a production, and to whom will it appeal to?
Give me a traditional Slap-stick, Boo Hiss, Panto, any time.
David was putty in Lynda’s hands, just didn’t know how to say no! Hopefully RUTH will be made of stronger stuff and refuse to be manipulated by Ambridge answer to Cameron Mackintosh!
DeleteAnother thought about Lynda's mammoth production - if there are so many people needing to be cast, practically the whole village taking a part, so it seems .....who will be left to make up the audience? 🤔
DeleteHaha. Good point.
DeleteI am sick and tired of it already.
DeleteSurely it would be better to revert to the Pantomine format.
They'd more than double the audience.
The audience ? All the silent characters in Ambridge Archerphile.
ReplyDelete:)
Delete😂😂🤣
DeleteI'm all for the henhouse but I'll pass on the hut.
ReplyDeleteSo she's doing some of the tales, trickier than trying to match cast to the characters rather than the tellers. I thought of the Miller, but his tale is rather naughty for some of the audience...
ReplyDeleteI didn't care for Chaucer at school, like some of you, but we had a particularly dreary tale from the Man of Law. Was completely won over at university, & loved teaching it later.
Josh is really coming out trumps, delightful to hear, & Jill was so touched & thrilled. I hope they do get to see Freddie. It would be so refreshing for him - a healthy, happy side of life.
ReplyDeleteApart from Lynda, I loved tonight’s episode. Josh showing his loving and caring side for his Gran - that was such a touching scene between them.
ReplyDeleteThen Jazzer made me laugh out loud when discribing playing games with his brother - ‘ you should see what I did to his Ker-plunk’!
He really is becoming one of my favourite characters and I am so glad he is getting more regular air-time these days.
Hannah better watch out how she treats him or she’ll have me to deal with !
I also loved the scenes with Josh being so lovely to his Grandma and she being touched by his behaviour.
ReplyDeleteI think Lynda is so lucky to have such an adoring husband and I enjoy her relish when planning her big dramatic event.
I too think jazzer is fab. He always adds a bit of light relief to an episode. Loved the josh and Jill scene. I never had grandparents around when I was young but this relationship is what I would like to think all grans and grandchildren are like.
ReplyDeleteRobert deserves a medal for putting up with Lynda. He obviously adores her otherwise I’d imagine she’d drive anyone else mad.
Lynda, just stop it with the productions and chill. Go visit your grandchild instead.
I had a look at the fluffy silkies and the pekins. Jill chose to wear a jacket instead of a coat, she then changed her shoes and later went back for her scarf, Josh was very patient all along, I like little touches like that.
ReplyDeleteYes Basia I so agree. Attention to details like that makes it feel as if the SW's really care about the drama and its participants rather than a check list of topical issues!!
Delete✔️✔️✔️
DeleteIs this the "new" Josh or is it just a temporary condition? Maybe the SWs are developing Josh and Johnny to be the next Archers generation. Will we hear from Johnny today his visit with Freddie?
ReplyDeleteLast thing before concentrating on work - I am liking so far Lynda and her quest to cast members for her Christmas play. She is very well acted.
Not a new Josh but there are definite signs of a real actor coming out following Chickengate.
Delete👍 Pierre!
DeleteRuthy, I agree with you about Lynda but we're in the minority it seems.
ReplyDeleteWith you both where she was holding forth to David - big ego on display, pretentious garbage pouring forth, but she's more natural with Robert - he's always on her side - so her genuine enthusiasm for the project came out.
DeleteOn the other hand, he gushed too much does she really need that much flattery & attention to get on with what she's going to do anyway?
I love both Lynda and Jazzer. Somehow they just seem so genuine + both say exactly "what is says on the Tin".
ReplyDeleteAmbridge would not be the same, without them.
I admire Johnny
I still think Josh is scheming, in some way. Yes he was lovely with Jill, but I think he is just earning "brownie points" to suit him later. I just feel he is not as totally genuine/caring, as he seems. My thoughts only.
.
Sorry Miriam, cannot agree. I think Josh was completely genuine and keen to make up for his error. Because he has been known to grab a chance to ‘make deals’ and ‘bargain’ for advantage in the past does not mean he was trying to gain anything from helping Jill. I think it really hit him hard when he realised what he had done and wanted to show his Gran how very sorry he is. But then I am, and always have been, a Josh supporter so I might be just a teeny bit biased!
DeleteI also think Josh was genuine showing his regret and affection towards Gran and I was never a fan of Josh.
DeleteAgree, Josh has been stroppy & selfish in the past, but he has changed recently, before the recent disaster with Jill's hens. He's been trying to pull his weight round the farm, not arguing with David, more conciliatory. He's stuck at his farm machinery business for some years now, with success, it seems. He's matured, not unheard of.
DeleteYes, Josh has been thoughtless in the past but forgetting to shut up the hens was a bit of a wake up call and he is very fond of his gran which doubles the guilt so I think he is genuine in wanting to make it up to her.
DeleteI notice from next weeks Radio Times that next weeks episode are to be edited by ‘Huw Kenair Jones’. How come ? He left the programme long ago and subsequent eps have been edited by Alison Hindell. Perhaps the RT has just made an error and should have entered the name of the new editor. Or has Mr Kenair Jones slipped in via the back door to make one final appearance in the Editors chair? 🤔
ReplyDeleteOh dear,Maryellen,I have a feeling that your mate T❤️O❤️B❤️Y is going to get the push .
ReplyDeleteSeveral if not many of us thought that Pip and Rex will end up together and the script writers are spelling it out to us now.
Were you a Girl Guide ,Maryellen?
Be prepared ?
Also the Judo bloke and Helen will soon be an item.
Patently obvious.
You could well be right about Helen & the karate guy ( Lee?), Though I rather sigh at the ensuing courtship; felling her with a combination of soft words & a few deft karate chops.Unfortunately, you could be very wide of the mark with Pip & Rex - he was so wet tonight ! So glad to have a few moments with baby Rosie, moaning self pityingly about lack of income, no woman. All she could do was mention some girl he's not interested in & that he's in a good position as Josh is doing well. Big deal ! Second in command to someone 5,6 years younger. Not saying that his bro' & the girl he'still hankering after pathetically will make a go of it ( hope not) but, yes, I've gone off Rex.
DeleteOh dear, LanJan, I can't have been concentrating properly because my impression was exactly the opposite (once Irealised it wasn't Tom that Pip was talking to,which shows my level of concentration was low).I rember thinking that Pip's praise of T❤️O❤️B❤️Y was robbing Rex of the chance to get in one of his usual little digs at his brother.
DeleteThings do seem to be coming together for Toby which I hope isn't a prelude to disaster (I wish I'd never been told what Sean O'Connor's had in mind for him!) But sadly, I think some listeners have never forgiven Toby for turning out to be a good 'un - although the clues were there from the start.
I like Rex, have from the start.
ReplyDeleteHe seems the most sensible of the two, more reliable and most of all kind.
Didn’t like Pat pressuring Johnny. Telling Elizabeth anything would be a mistake. She’s hyper as it is.
I also liked Rex from the start, & life looked up for him with the advent of Anisha, but he hasn't moved on in any aspect, & seems stuck.
DeleteAgree about Pat. She's relating her experience to Elizabeth's in emotional terms alone, & it wasn't the same. Well meant, but so unhelpful, & puts Johnny in such an awkward position. I would think it did F. some good, just talking to his friend about the stuff they've always talked about, reminding him there is a normal life to return to.
I felt quite emotional listening to Johnny last night - not on behalf of Freddie so much as forJohnny himself, and his distress at his friend’s circumstances. Then to have Elizabeth haranguing him for details and trying to shield her from the full truth of Freddie’s state.
DeleteA very sensitive and caring young man, I thought.
I do not agree with Pat either. What good is it going to do if Johnny goes and tells Elizabeth the whole truth. She will only become even more desperate to get him out of prison with what might be disastrous results - a longer sentence.
I have liked Rex from the start, agreeing with PtbY, sensitive, thoughtful, sensible and kind.
DeleteYes Carolyn he has been and is stuck, but often that is the case before being able to move forward.
I still hope that Rex and Pip become a couple. But the SWs constantly taunt us, but suppose that's their job.
Johnny should be praised for going north to see Freddie and agree that talking about normal teenage stuff was the best strategy.
As was keeping to his promise to F and not allowing Elizabeth to know the truth, however much she pushed him for further information.
Pat as usual putting her foot in her mouth, and only seeing the situation from her own POV.
As said yesterday, Josh, Pip, Johnny, and I suppose Freddie too, taking the next generation of Archers into the future.
Will Lily become the next Elizabeth ? I suspect so, but will there be a Nigel ?
Do hope you're right, Mrs P., I want to like Rex again ! He'd be good news for Pip, the child, & Brookfield actually, if he gets his act together, & has some recognition.
DeleteLooks like Elizabeth has found herself a dodgy barrister. I do hope Anna Tregorran didn't point her in the wrong direction?
ReplyDeletePerhaps Jonny should suggest Pat contact Elizabeth to offer emotional support whilst Freddie is incarcerated. There are an awful lot of precious children in Ambridge who cause their parents to indulge in fantasies and expect everything to be made right, even if they have done wrong.
Ps. I do like Lynda, but currently she is more prententious than usual, and whilst I find her verbal skills amusing this Chaucer, Canterbury Tale play is a tad too intellectual for a Christmas Panto. Will she be dressing all the participants in period clothing?
If she's adapting the miller's & a few other of the racy ones, they won't be intellectually testing at all !
DeleteBut will she doing it in ye olde Chaucer English? I only understood the tales when they were translated into modern parlance.
DeletePretty sure she'll do a modern English version. However, she's got Jim involved, so she'll use him to give a Middle English flavour at times as he can probably handle the pronunciation, or has access to the original where that's explained, if he's rusty. There's tapes, too. ( As scholars have figured out how it should sound)
DeleteStasia - I do hope that Johnny can offer emotional support to Elizabeth and I didn't mind so much that Pat was pushing him in that direction. How old is Johnny? Sometimes experience a terrible event mature you. I think seeing Freddie in jail has really affected him - such as he said "he can go home" and Freddie can't.
DeleteI do agree with you Ruthy.
DeleteI have often thought that it would be so useful if youngsters at the beginning of a ' criminal ' career, could be given an escorted trip to a young offending institute or even a prison, in order to see what lies in the future for them if they continue such activities.
Pierre les Corbeaux - good see you peeping in here from time to time...
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting that when Pip was kindly trying to encourage Rex by offering to fix dates for him and holding out the prospect of more work from Josh's expanding business, she did not mention his job as Neil's pigman. Yet this promised to be anew career for him (prompted by brother T❤️O❤️B❤️Y). A small detail maybe but perhaps indicative?
ReplyDeleteI don't know why Rex is enamored with Pip? I thought it was off putting the way she said to him there's a future in selling used farm equipment because Josh's business might take off. Josh is paying him a low wage and using Rex for grunt work. Also I think to "allow" Toby sleep in bed with her so he can do night shift with baby but no touchy-touchy just gives me AND I dare say to Rex the Heebie-jeebies.
DeletePat more than anyone knows what Elizabeth is going through and in her conversation with Johnnie she went through some of her feelings when Helen was in prison. It seems to me that she could be of great comfort to Elizabeth and I’m not aware that she has so far spoken to her.
ReplyDeleteThat should be spoken to her about this situation!
DeleteCompare and Contrast
ReplyDeleteToby Fairbrother and Rhett Butler
Toby Fairbrother and Sergeant Troy.
Rex Fairbrother and Ashley Wilkes
Rex Fairbrother and Gabriel Oak.
Pip Archer and Scarlet O'Hara.
Pip Archer and Bathsheba Everdene.
👍
DeleteInteresting
DeleteVery clever Lanjan. That’s going to take some thinking about!
DeleteNice one, Lanjan !
DeleteTF ? Troy ( show, no substance) NOT Rhett Butler( plenty of grit & substance)
RF ? Also, rather a drip like Wilkes right now, but has shown his Gabriel Oak side, & hopefully that will reassert itself.
Pip fits Bathsheba pretty well ( not as interesting by a long chalk, but then not nearly as wayward & self seeking as Scarlett)
Food for thought, although I might now get nightmares about doing English at school (not my best subject).
DeleteRex is rather like Dobbin in 'Vanity Fair'.
DeleteYes ! The faithful Dobbin.... He was given a bit more omph in the recent TV version, so modern audiences not be noted by him, I suppose.
DeleteBored, not noted..
DeleteAshley, Gabriel and Rex didn't go to charm school, while Rhett, Troy and T❤️O❤️B❤️Y didn't need to.
DeleteOh Pat,why did you have to interfere?
ReplyDeleteIndeed Lanjan 😡
DeleteSo it takes an 18/19 yr. old to alert the full adults to the fact Elizabeth is falling apart, hanging onto false hope, letting her business go ? It's deplorable & not convincing. ( Don't mean Johnny, he's true to his observant & compassionate self)
ReplyDeleteAs for Jazzer, get a grip, man ! He's carrying on like a petulant child ( you're no my pal any more...) I don't blame Tom at all.
I agree with every point you just made. Where is E's family and friends? Shula took her to the movies - a kind thought but not really helpful. Others reluctantly made calls to lawyers. Peggy showed her concerns. E needs serious intervention from her family and friends, not just local gossip.
DeleteJazzer - grow up, as Tom said, he can't help it if Hannah fancied him more.
Precisely. Elizabeth has a mother, a daughter and three siblings, one of them could be in touch with her daily. Yes, by all means let Lily know but there are those close at hand.
DeleteAs for Jazzer, does he think that Hannah is an innocent virgin being taken advantage of?
Let's see what he says to her. Anyway, I'm glad that both issues are out in the open.
More evidence tonight, I thought, of Johnnie showing a very mature understanding of the human condition. Recognising in Elizabeth the beginnings of a breakdown. Although maturing nicely it is very unfair of both Elizabeth and Pat to put such emotional pressure on him. There are many members of the Archers clan and others who could put some of their emotional baggage on hold rather than wringing their hands and be a help to Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteWhy was Pat talking about scallions? 'North American.
ReplyDeleteA long-necked onion with a small bulb, in particular a spring onion.' (Oxford dictionaries)
I think spring onions are also called scallions in Ireland where they are an ingredient in ‘Champ’ the delicious mixture of mashed potato, butter and onion.
DeleteA rhyme from childhood:
Delete"Oswald, yer a funny 'un,
Face like a scally onion,
Nose like a squashed tomato
And legs like two props"
I bought what I think were scallions a while back. Copious tears while chopping them; had to bathe my eyes. I won't get them again.
Ooh, I fancy some champ! And HatH, I think I had a version of that rhyme, but I can't quite recall it. Pickled onion, possibly, and maybe legs like sticks.
DeleteYou're right about legs like 2 sticks. We may have varied the insults depending on whether recipient was slim or sturdy.
DeleteI'm obviously very old-fashioned, as I just don't get this 'friends with benefits' thing that seems to be the new norm amongst Ambridge's young people. Tom is really keen on Natasha, but is getting in a bit of practice with Hannah, perhaps hoping to graduate from 'not bad in bed' to 'quite good'? Pip and Toby share a bed for convenience only, but plan to be completely chaste? Oh yeah, just till they've both caught up on sleep.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you bootgums to my mind it's called having sex as opposed to making love with true emotional attachment even if unfortunately the relationship comes to an end after a year or so.
DeleteI’m with you there.
DeleteI agree with you about the 'friends with benefits' thing. Don't understand it and find it rather sordid.
DeleteSo 18-going-on-14-years-old Johnny isn't to be trusted with a confidence. He breaks his promise to his friend Freddie and splits on his uncle Tom and Hannah. If he hadn't told Pat about Freddie, he wouldn't have had her twisting his arm, and in Hannah and Tom's case it was entirely gratuitous. If I were one of his fan club, I'd be revising my opinion.🙂
ReplyDeleteJohnnie is 18 years old.
DeleteHe travelled north to see Freddie,alone.
Someone should and could have gone with him even if he had to go into the prison by himself.
I don't blame him in any way.
Pat is his grandmother.
He assumed that she ,having been in a similar situation as Elizabeth would know what he should do
As for what he told Jazzer about the ridiculous situation between Hannah and Tom,he wasn't aware that Jazzer was holding a candle for HH..
You are well out of it Jazzer.
I find the whole situation between Tom and Hannah to be disgusting.
Another thing I think is wrong is although Anna thought that Freddie hasn't got a chance of getting his sentence quashed it would appear that she recommended an Ambulance Chaser which gave hope to Elizabeth.
She should not and surely would not have recommended anybody.
While I am on my high horse.
The sharing a bed business between Toby and Pip ...........
If one of them gets up for the baby the other one will be disturbed..
Where is the baby sleeping?
Does she have her own room?
If so let Toby get a futon and sleep in there if he wants to play the noble father.
Better still I suggest that good old Uncle Rex should do a stint.
After all eventually he will become Rosie's step father I reckon.
''Breaking his promise' to Freddie was the responsible thing to do, in the circumstances. He didn't set out to talk about H & T, it just happened when he was complaining about the racket. It's quite immaterial whether anyone knows about this dalliance, or not anyway.
DeleteNot good enough, Carolyn.The fan club will have to do better than that to rescue their hero from solemn promise-breaking and blabbermouthing. 🙂
DeleteAs they are so brazen about casual sex I would have thought they wouldn’t care about who would know about it.
Delete
DeleteThe point is that they are not brazen and do care, or why would they have impressed on Johnny not to broadcast it?
Honestly don't think any rescuing is required. T&H didn't make a big deal of secrecy, but even if they had, Johnny's not obliged to take any particular notice.
DeleteJohnny confided in his gran because she saw his distress and the burden of keeping the secret was great. Whether Pat should have advised him to say more to Elizabeth and he should have done so I'm not sure. From a plot point of view it gave him a reason to go and see Elizabeth and so to report back on her state of mind. Equally from a plot point of view someone apparently had to put Jazzer in the picture concerning Tom and Hannah, and unless it was one of them it couldn't be anyone but Johnny.
DeleteIf I were Johnny I think I'd be asking Pat and Tony if I could have my old room back! He must be feeling isolated with his friend in prison and his housemates engaging in meaningless sexual congress.
✔️ again bootgums
DeleteNor was he "obliged" to take notice of Pat. I wonder if The Ambridge Observer will pick up on Johnny's blabbermouthing or whether they will decide to stick with thick as his defining characteristic.... .?
DeleteI once read a sci-fi short story set on a planet where eating was the activity carried out in privacy and sex was the activity carried out socially - amusing but also questioning mindsets. I really don't think Hannah and Tom enjoying sex together is any more meaningful or meaningless than them enjoying a meal together.
DeleteYes, but that's the point, sex is usually done behind closed doors, there are exceptions and I believe it's illegal to do it in public? You can show someone how fast you can drive but not how well you can *. There was a Bunuel film where people sat around on toilets together but ate in hiding. There are still rules attached to eating in public among the older generation, someone on a train asked if I minded if he ate his sandwiches, when I was 20 a woman asked if I was embarrassed to eat in front of others.
DeleteI think there’s a bit more to sex than there is in eating together. Otherwise we’d all be spreading ourselves around!
DeleteLanjan, I think a futon in the nursery/2nd bedroom is a more sensible idea. ( Assuming the cottage still has a second bedroom.)
DeleteEv 😁😉 just seen your comment above. It is early morning 28th, & am sniggering away over 1st cuppa + toast SPREAD with honey....
DeleteI was wondering, too, HatH, whether Rickyard Cottage had lost a bedroom. Ed and Emma used to live there, with at least George, presumably.
DeleteI suspect Anna didn't recommend recommend an 'ambulance chaser', Lanjan, but she realised that E. wasn't listening, read the runes, & put her in touch with another reputable barrister, in the hopes that a second opinion would finally convince her that there is no mileage in an appeal against sentence.
ReplyDeleteI thought that Johnny was going to say something much worse had happened to Freddie, like another beating, not just he's happy being in prison. The hard reality is that Freddie was put in jail for doing something very bad. E will try everything to get Freddie out because she thinks he will come to some harm - either from physical harm from another inmate, or because of his emotional fragility and he might try to harm himself. I would have done the same if I were in Johnny's shoes. I am still in his fan club.
ReplyDeleteI am with you there Ruthy.
DeleteIt was perceptive of Johnny to realize that E is heading for a breakdown. E's siblings need to wake up to the reality of the situation and help out. E's business is heading into deep trouble if someone doesn't step in.
ReplyDeleteAgree - I think that is the path the SW are heading Annieveggie
DeleteThat would be very sad.
DeleteArcherphile's comment yesterday regarding the editor. Looks like the Radio Times is going the same way as the blog page and the facebook page in that nobody is checking or even doing the job in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThere are no cast list or programme details for next Friday (2/11, the day the week's cast , producer etc are listed) but the following Friday lists Jeremy Howe as the editor. So his stories either start next week or the week after.
Sadly there have been many episodes on the 'Catch Up' page left without a written synopses and last weekend there were no postings on facebook for Friday's or Sunday's episodes until Monday. All comments for those days initially had to be posted under Thursday's post.
I agree with so many comments here regarding three of the main storylines that they are ridiculous in the extreme.
1.By the time an appeal is launched Freddie will be out of prison and anyway he is an adult so Elizabeth cannot instruct a solicitor or barrister on his behalf.
2. As Lanjan says Pip and Toby will be both disturbed if they are sharing a bed when the baby wakes in the night. (BTW it didn't take long for Toby to dump the baby on his brother because he wanted to do some business calls last week) Obviously the bed sharing will lead to further 'activities.'
3. 'Tom and Hannah' does seem to be the most pointless 'gap-filler;' just to stretch the stories to fit twelve minutes.
I'm glad that this year they have got the timescale for the pantomime rehearsals right! However much Lynda may want a piece of epic literature for her show I'm sure it will turn into a pantomime. And quite a marathon if eight tales are to be told!
Radio Times 2 November gives Huw Kennair-Jones as the editor and nobody as the writer or director. Today has Adrian Flynn as the writer, Julie Beckett as the director and Alison Hindell as the editor. Where do you find the details for the week after??
DeleteSpoiler alert:
Some long-silent characters are going to speak soon.
Oh yes so they are.
DeleteStill a small daily synopsis on the BBC iplayer for each episode the following week (which is where I read comments regarding your spoiler alert bootgums)
Reading the runes, I think the new editor may have decided to shift the focus to the younger generation - and perhaps attract a younger audience which is most editors' dream - and I think that's a move in the right direction. I'm already looking forward to an influx of younger (male) voices,even if they have to be replaced fromtime to time as young actors move off on their career paths. (I'm surprised/pleased Josh is still with us as I thought he was off to Hollywood, and he's one of TA's best actors.)
DeleteAnd after mentioning The Ambridge Observer earlier, I wonder if the next issue will carry a news item on the sudden, unprecedented outbreak of caring sensitivity among the young male population of Ambridge, especially directed at old ladies (and some middle-aged ones), with researchers from various university faculties in the UK and beyond streaming into Borsetshire to study the amazing phenomenon .....
DeleteReferring to your 5.55am post re attracting a younger audience ,Maryellen if that be the case I think the editor is going to be disappointed.
DeleteM nd S thought along those lines and failed.
Young folk are not interested.
Many of us listened to The Archers as children because our mums listened to the programme.
In those days we didn't have the choice of listening that we do today and
In many cases there was no TV to watch
The Lily business was the big story not so long ago.
I know that Elizabeth has her mind on other things but once again the scriptwriters have unfinished business.
I suspect that Lily will come home and tell Elizabeth that her Affair with the Lecturer is over and that will be it.
I’m with you there Lanjan.
DeleteYoung folk are not interested in listening to plays/talking programmes on the radio.
It’s got to be loud music or videos on YouTube.
I don’t want the archers to go all young and hip....it’s not eastenders ( not that I watch any of these soaps)
It’s nice that there’s a good mix of ages.
It would be nice to know how old the youngest regular listener is. 🤔
it would be interesting to get the younger person's perspective on life in rural communities,what does it hold for themdo they stay or go,etc etc. I think it's valid issue for TA to tackle, but it needs more young speaking parts to do it. I would cheerfully exchange some of the old female voices for some young male ones.
DeleteME. You do seem to have a thing about 'young males' in The Archers, as you have mentioned them many times! Maybe the females of the species should get a look-in to!
DeleteThat is because they are a relatively rare sub species in Ambridge, which is overrun by the older generation who seem to be mainly females - from the three wyrd sisters (in law) downwards!
DeleteBecause in general women outlive men.
DeleteTrue, and maybe a generally true reflection of the average age makeup of village populations, where the youngsters have migrated elsewhere and the older second home owners have moved in. I still think young men are vocally under represented in TA,though,and would like to hear more of them.
DeleteIn my opinion Anna did the wrong thing in giving Elizabeth any hope .
ReplyDeleteI think she was just trying to get rid of her and was passing the buck either to an Ambulance Chaser or to another Lawyer who she knows will tell Elizabeth the same thing .She should have been firm and told Elizabeth that she knew of nobody who would take Freddie's Case on.
👍 exactly.
ReplyDeleteI agree Lanjan, but the idea seems to be to drive Elizabeth to 'destruction'. Bert gave the first warning and now Johnny - I don't think he broke any confidence by telling Elizabeth what she already knew, that Freddie is keeping his head down and counting the days till his release, he also said that he went to the gym to take his mind off the negative.
DeleteThen Anna would have lied to her client. How professional would that be?
DeleteA quick deviation from sex shanningons and Elizabeth's delusions about freeing Freddie. I grew up in Belfast, and when I went to live in Oxford aged nineteen I decided to make champ, which requires scallions. The greengrocer had never heard of the word so I pointed at some green items and he exclaimed, "oh you mean spring onions". Champ is a N. Irish dish and Pat was correct in using the word so maybe it is also used in Wales.
ReplyDeleteMy father always used the word scallions.
DeleteHe was a Londoner but with a Welsh mother.
That's interesting. I've always (well, not since birth, but you know what I mean) thought it was the American term for what Brits (English?) call spring onions, and Oxford dictionaries corroborates this, but it seems to be a Celticism as well! As I'm part Welsh, I think I'll adopt the term myself.
DeleteMy family know of my lifelong commitment to The Archers and grew up hearing each episode playing in the kitchen every evening. Unfortunately it did not spark any interest in following the programme as they became teenagers or young adults. They were much more interested in following Grange Hill, then Neighbours. Despite hearing the radio on in the house all day when growing up they hardly listen at all now and the grandchildren, not at all. I think it is going to be very hard to get the younger generation interested in listening to TA.
ReplyDeleteIf they had any interest in following a rural soap they would probably watch Emmerdale (originally Emmerdale Farm) which was advertised as going to be ‘an Archers on TV’.
They are the TV, Youtube, Netflix generation and would rather be streaming programmes on their smartphones than tuning in to Radio 4. How sad.
Archerphile. Sad but horribly true! I wonder what the generation after the grandchildren will be like. Will they ever have any connection with each other in the real 'flesh and blood' world. Of course technology in its rightful place has unprecedented gains, but the price to be paid and enormity of it all is a frightening unknown
DeleteBootgums I look at the future tags on the Catch up page of TA BBC webpage (where we used to be able to comment!!) They give a written synopses of the episodes and that is where i usually look to see if I think the episode is worth listening to so as to keep up. Although you have to wait until after the 2pm repeat before it's posted. However in the 'Coming up' episodes it gives a teaser tag line and on the future Fridays' list it gives the cast list and production team. That's where I saw that Jeremy Howe is the editor of the week's episodes from 4th - 9th November as well as the following week (which is all that have been posted as at today's date.)
ReplyDeleteI agree that thee is very little chance of attracting a younger audience. Like Archerphile's family my four children have grown up with TA but none are remotely interested in following the programme. Neither do they listen to any other BBC radio stations. They choose what music thye want to listen to and play their own choice of music through various devices.
Like you I picked up on the spoiler! :))
They're just getting sloppy, there were no synopses last week, also I've noticed they've stopped putting commas after the tag lines on the schedule, they're not needed but after so much time I miss them visually. It's not a time saving exercise as now for other programmes there's a tag line, inside: a summary and then full content.
DeleteI try to resist the 'Coming up' but don't always succeed.
Talking of characters not heard recently I have been wondering about Ed. Apparently the actor received an MBE this year for his work with young people with a disability in the realm of music. 👏🏻.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of scallions but can’t remember if it was North Yorkshire folk who used it or a maybe a friend whose father was from Cheshire. Mr S from the Midlands hasn’t heard of it and Wikipedia says they are spring onions in Wales but Pat may know better.
Is it Lily’s responsibility to bail out Elizabeth? I think some of us (myself included) predicted she would, but as some have said, there are other family members nearer. Didn’t David help out after Nigel died? (He hated it, I seem to remember, then Caroline offered Roy). I realise siblings have their own businesses to run, but Bert told David about concerns re Geraldine so why hasn’t the big family meeting offered or encouraged E to get in extra support before E goes bankrupt. She may take some persuading as her focus is elsewhere but the seed could be planted before it is too late.
Lily,s welfare has seemed to have been overlooked. It has been very quiet concerning the proposed safeguarding conference for Russ.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think Lily was fed up of holding the LL fort whilst Elizabeth was feeding brownies to Freddie at the Stables. As to the safeguarding, Elizabeth mentioned a few weeks ago that Lily refused to let her go with her and didn’t tell her the outcome. Elizabeth isn’t putting the same energy into finding out about Lily’s welfare as she is Freddie’s, but she is clearly overwhelmed and understandably not coping with her world suddenly turned upside down. I believe it is just Shula and Kenton who know about Lily. I don’t think it was mentioned at the family conference.
DeleteYou are right, the Lily /Russ business has gone very quiet of late - I wondes if the actors are busy elswhere? Also, we have heard nothing from Roy for a very long time (or Lexie, thank goodness). Is he only to appear when discussing surrogacy in future ? I thought Lexie was due back in September, she is a bit late. Has poor Roy been dumped?
DeleteA further hint without being an actual spoiler - the new voices to be heard next week are not returners, they have never been heard before.
Say no more, Archerphile or you will be cashiered from the blog !! 🤫
I know who it is. But my lips are sealed.
DeleteStasia, I tittered silently.
DeleteMe too, will be interesting!
DeleteR has been heard before, though not recently.
DeleteWill Lily save the day and pull LL back from the brink? I know that she is seen as clever and organised, but her Mother is now bonkers ( that is a technical word) and has lost the ability to listen and make an analytical assessment of the declining family financial business. She is totally preoccupied with finding a lawyer, who will miraculously manage to get Freddie out of Klink.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Lily is also preoccupied with the awful Russ, her brilliant creative artist. If she comes back to manage her mother and her mother's business, will she have her sponger in tow.
Lily only needs to make one intelligent decision, stay in Manchester and dump the live in lover. It must be costing her, or Elizabeth a lot of money to keep him in artistic materials, never mind the special coffee, tea, kettles, pots and pans, I nearly forgot about the Egyptian cotton sheets.
Roy would be a better bet, at least he knows Lower Loxley.
Agree about Lily - she'll see the light eventually.
DeleteDon't think E. could appeal to Roy, not after all that happened between them.
Well Caroline, strange things happen in Ambridge. Toby and Pip are sharing a bed (quite innocently of course)
DeleteYep, I was just being prosaically logical ! And Roy has form with being a doormat (Lexi), so you could be right. As for the bed sharing, they made it seem like the sensible thing to do, but maybe they were just kidding themselves.....
DeleteAlso, Rosie is about 3/4 months old, & she hasn't been ill, it's a tad early for teething, so why is she waking every 2 hours ? At least once would be normal, can't remember that well. Maybe twice, if unlucky, but I thought a feed every 4 hours at this stage. Feel free to correct, anyone, please.
He ' knows' Elizabeth too Stasia.
ReplyDeleteHe might be able to help her in her hour of need, but clearly the SW haven't thought of that. yet !
By the way, its 'clink' . Hope you won't mind the correction.
Clink Street is still there I believe.
MrsP. Thank you for the correction I did know it began with C but put in k. When I was living in London I went to a exhibition at the old clink in Southwark. Very eerie.
DeleteMy apologies Stasia.
DeleteI agree that the family on the spot are not being proactive, but just sighing & wringing their hands. Talking about Elizabeth but not to her in a useful way. Surely the siblings & Jill could tackle the LL aspect, hiring, even hands on when they have an hour or so spare. However, it's a major barrier that she is incapable of listening these days.
ReplyDeleteI think Anna did the right thing. She could hardly recommend someone she knows is Dodgy, that would be unprofessional, but fair enough to suggest a second opinion, especially as E. clearly wasn't listening when Anna made it perfectly clear that an appeal would not run ( only affirming what she'd already been told by countless solicitors).
I don’t believe Anna gave Elizabeth any names. She was being as clear as she possibly could be about the situation in the most professional way and simply had to say that there was a remote possibility someone would take on the case, to cover herself. Elizabeth clutched at the straw rather than hearing what Anna was really saying and I believe, although we weren’t told, continued contacting lawyers until she found someone who has agreed to see her. We don’t yet know the outcome of her meeting. It may have gone the same way as the one with Anna. Let’s hope so before she loses thousands of pounds.
DeleteI thought that Anna did give Elizabeth a name,Seasider but maybe I am wrong.
DeleteAlso we don't know that Lily and Russ are still together and as I said earlier I doubt if they are.
I think she will come home and help out
I agree ,Carolyn that Elizabeth's siblings could be doing more.
I am amazed that Jill hasn't shown more interest in her grandson.
I thought Jill told Josh she would like to visit Freddie and suggested they could go together?
DeleteYou are right Maryellen but it has taken her a bit of time to think about doing something.
DeleteI don't think that Elizabeth has had a great deal of family support
I thought so too, Lanjan (that Anna gave Elizabeth a name). Like others, I suspect the other lawyer will say the same thing, and Anna is, with the best possible motives, trying to ram home the hopelessness of an appeal. However, as this is a soap, it may be that someone Anna trusts turns out to be a bad'un in disguise and will lead Elizabeth on just to collect some dosh. There can't be must mileage in it, though: Freddie is expected to be out in six months anyway, and any process would be sure to eat into that. Has anyone been counting down his sentence? ||||/ ||||/ etc. (Please mentally superimpose the /s on the ||||s.)
DeleteMy memory is that Anna, when pushed by Elizabeth, conceded there may be one or two lawyers with not the best intentions who would take this on, and Elizabeth said “one or two - can you give me their names?” then we heard the Archers theme tune. It could be inferred that Anna gave Elizabeth some names or rather that Elizabeth was still not taking in the futility of pursuing the appeal, despite Anna’s efforts to convince her. Well that’s what I heard but maybe I also misheard. Like others I might listen to the omnibus to hear what I may have missed. 🤔
Delete'must' = 'much'.
DeleteCarolyn - if Pip is breast feeding than Rosie would require more frequent feedings, but I would have thought more than 2 hours between feeding and could supplement with bottle feeding to get more time between feedings.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds about right, Ruthy.
DeleteFreddie should be out by end of March or thereabout.
ReplyDeleteWill it be the same Freddie or will the new Editor take the chance to wheel in a new actor - as other new Editors have in the past, I wonder.
DeleteIt's going to mess up Christmas.
DeleteI listened to the Omnibus this morning.
ReplyDeleteI so agreed with AnnaT as to her advice to Elizabeth. I don't agree that she actually passed on the name of other "dodgey" soliciters/barristers (with cautions) to Lizzis. My thought is that, had she had not done so, could this be construed as a type of mis-interpretation.
Must just add.
ReplyDeleteI am just Loving Johnny. He is developing into such a wonderful and thoughtful character.
I have great hopes for him.
He is by far, a better + more careing person, than Tom.
Yes Miriam. I concur 100%
DeleteWell good on the BBC for saving us money.
ReplyDeleteNo need to get any more actors for Ben and Raorie
All they need to do is pick one of the Sound Alikes
Had I not hand wind of the fact that two of the non speakers were about to get their chance I wouldn't have had a clue who was talking before Will turned up.
Bring on Jake and George .
I am sure we could find seven of them for one episode and only a couple would need to be employed
Oh, how true!
DeleteWell ME more 'young males' for your delectation tonight! However, they sounded more like city types than country boys. Ruairi might have an excuse with such an expensive education, but what's Ben's excuse! 😐
ReplyDeleteSpending so much time with Ruari. David said they were glued together.
DeleteBen's accent is like Pip's and Josh's. Their father is an earl remember.
Typical, the first time teenagers are allowed to speak on TA they are up to mischief. What was the vehicle?
He has been attending elocution lessons. That's why we haven't heard him speak for so long - his teacher advised him that people would find it confusing hearing him veering from Bumpkin to Sloane and back again as the transformation took place. So he's only supposed to speak to family at present. An exception was made for Ruari in the hopes that his public school accent would rub off a bit on Ben and help the process. This may no longer be the case when Ruth and David hear of Ruari's off-road antics.
DeleteBut, now his cover has been blown, will we hear more from young Ben or will he be locked up until he has finally been taught to speak 'Proper'?
Great, two interchangeable lads, out for a bit of mischief, but dead polite with it, cos they had a proper upbringing, innit. Quite a good balance, two 16 yr olds, slightly older at 18/19, Johnny & Freddie then
ReplyDelete......Josh, who's becoming someone of substance, like Johnny. So nice to have a break from Shula ! No late teenage girls around, as Noluthando left, perhaps Richard Locke's daughter will surface ? There's Lily, of course, but what a pain she is....
DeleteCarolyn, don't forget Molly & Tilly Button. Ruari fancies one of them. Either the one with a nose-stud or the one without. They'll be up for a bit of fun.
DeleteI'd forgotten them ! Bit of rough for the lads,eh?
DeleteI'd heard the one without the nose stud has just had an eyebrow piercing.
DeleteI've heard rumours of tattoes too. But bearing in mind the supposed positioning of the designs I'm not sure whether the informant is speaking from evidence or speculation.
Thank goodness the barrister told E. what all the other legal people have told her. She's very downhearted, but she has got the point, at last. Johnny to the fore, as ever, probably a good idea to alert Lily, who may take time out to help at LL, I suppose, but really no usefulness beyond that. Freddie doesn't want to see them, a sensible decision, I think, & she needs to sort out her own life, which means extricating herself from the disgraced ex Dep. Principal.i fear we will have to suffer her irritating voice again, though.
ReplyDeleteDoes no-one else in Ambridge attend the College? I'm sure there must be gossip and speculation about the sudden absence of the esteemed Deputy Principal. Or, as some of us here have suspected, was Lily not the first and is his behaviour with impressionable (and rich) young female students so well known as to provoke no further comment than satisfaction that he has been caught out at last?
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for E but I’ve had enough of her. Can we get a break from this storyline?
ReplyDeleteWith you on this Ruthy.
DeleteI was pleased to hear our two new speaking characters, previously silent.
ReplyDeleteHowever disappointment soon kicked in as I heard yet another privileged posh boy being cheerfully dishonest.
Might we ever get a well spoken well brought up youngster who also understands the value of honesty.
Whatever happened to Jamie perks.
ReplyDeleteI know he started training as a tree surgeon but he simply disappeared.....perhaps he’s stuck up a tree somewhere in millennium wood or near the green burial site.
Actually, that’s a point, you never hear of anyone having died and folk having been to a funeral.
Why does everyone think that the Button girls are common? As far as I remember their father is a professional man (tutor at the university? - I'm not sure and someone has corrected me before but that may have been on fb.) They live in the 'Executive' houses at Grange Spinney the development that Jack Woolley had built. They may be tearaways, and have piercings but are not 'a bit of rough.' Although, with the re-writing of the back stories of several of the characters during the past couple of years, perhaps the Button girls have slid down the social scale!
ReplyDeleteI do remember Jamie Perks being in trouble for vandalism with Josh (?) a few years ago There was graffiti in the bird hide I think.
I think all scriptwriters think that the typical teenager is always obnoxious, hates and argues constantly with their parents and gets into anti-social or illegal behaviour at the drop of the hat. I suppose that makes for 'exciting' storylines. The teenagers I know: relatives, my own children and the teenagers I work with must be so boring!!
I think I heard, quite a long time ago, that Jamie Perks had completed his tree surgeons course and was working somewhere around the North Wales area.
ReplyDeleteWell did anyone guess who the two new voices were to be? (Not Radio Times readers though - we had advance notice!)
Must say I was rather disappointed. Ruairi has totally lost the Irish accent he had as a young child and has developed a classic public school voice - not that there is anything wrong with speaking well - and Ben’s voice did not have anything about it to make it stand out from any of the other young male characters. So I suppose we’ll be back to having to listen out for clues when they start to speak in order to work out who it is!=
The Irish accent went some time ago, after substantial mockery of its lasting so long. Ruairi sounds like another Bullingdon Club candidate, and I agree with Spicycushion's objections to teenagers always being presented as delinquents. THAT's the boring element.
DeleteI am disappointed as I had thought Ruairi was a decent enough chap from what was mentioned of him but at the end having promised Will they would head for home he was hellbent for further mischief. After Jenny’s generosity in taking him on in the circumstances doesn’t she at least deserve a decent outcome as far as he is concerned? She’s had worries enough without this! I think he should go back to being silent!
DeleteEv you put it perfectly. We don’t need another privileged entitled young man on the show. He can go back into the box. Brian reprimanded E last week for Freddie’s dealing problem. I just hope that when the time comes, he will take responsibility for any wrong doings from R.
DeleteIt for now, opening a new post..