Janice - October 21, 2020 at 9:17 PM I feel very sorry for Harrison too, and however much he loves Fallon I think not having a child will be a source of regret for him. He seems the kind of man who would be a good father.
Archerphile - October 21, 2020 at 10:18 PM Miriam, I agree about Lily. I thought her behaviour tonight, spying on her mother and actually going to the seminar to see who Lizzie was meeting, was appalling. How dare she! I should have been furious if I were Lizzie. and had been shown up by my daughter (and son) in such a way.
MrsP - AmbridgeOctober 21, 2020 at 11:38 PM I think Lizzie was furious. And I don't blame her. Interfering madam !
Ex-Londoner - October 22, 2020 at 1:04 AM Based on Lily's experience of her mother's depression, I think she was acting out of justified concern, though a little cack-handed. The problem is that, as so often happens in Ambridge, people make remarkable recoveries from serious medical conditions and resume life as if they'd never happened.
Gary, I absolutely love the picture at the top of the age. Where on earth did you find it? It’s perfect for our blog! Wonder who that is sitting on the bench, Walter, Ned or Joe? Probably one of the old era as he’s smoking a pipe. ☺️
I am no longer in absentia. Thought it was time for a return. Good for you Fallon. Your body is not a machine ready to pop out babies when ever a man desires one. Has Harrison really accepted his lack of fatherhood. Another issue coming me thinks.
But Stasia Fallon should have thought about it and told Harrison she didn't want children before they married. Telling a partner after marriage is extremely unfair.
Oh lovely, Yes ! Might have been in the radio times in 1997 but the picture itself is surely from the late fifties early sixties. There is a space ship in the sky. Walter on the bench I reckon.
I don't feel sorry for Harrison but I like this storyline which is how I might have imagined it. As for Lily & Freddie vs Elizabeth to me it's a farce which I find amusing. Elizabeth wants sex, so let her, just like with Roy, anyone will do.
Re Harrison & Fallon - I really, really hope that there's not ANOTHER storyline about people having/not having children. How many times can they re-hash the same storyline? "I want a baby", "I don't want a baby", "I can't have a baby", "How can we have a baby?", "I've got too many babies", "Am I too old to have a baby?"
It could be argued that if Harrison felt strongly about having children he should have discussed this with Fallon before marriage. At least they are discussing it now.
My point being that they are both responsible for having this discussion. However people don’t always know when they are younger whether or not they want to have children.
It’s more interesting to me than hearing about Rosie’s tantrums.
I agree they should both have had the discussion earlier. I think Harrison said something like "I assumed that" we would once married. I think that young people often live with each other before marriage, but then get married when ready to have children, and it may have been Harrison thought that Fallon, by marrying him , was agreeing to more than just marriage. A drama out of miscommunication/ miscommunication . I am wondering if this could be an interesting storyline regarding the long term effect of divorce/abandonment in early childhood. Fallon may, buried in her subconscious, have a fear of being left to bring up a child alone as her mother was. If I come on here again over the next 2 or 3 days tell me to go away. I'm supposed to be doing my tax return, and as I still do a paper return it has to be in before the 31st. This blog is much more interesting!
Regarding the picture..is that the Grundys we see after they lost Grange farm.? As for Fallon and Harrison, marriage is a partnership based on trust and honesty..any quibbles should have been discussed earlier instead of a later " oh by the way". Enough said.
Yes I think so! It is Eddie with his 'horned' hat and it looks like one of his sons has a similar hat to his Dad! I can't remember who is the eldest of the two sons though! It must be Joe with the two suitcases on the right of Eddie pushing the wheelbarrow. In the background we have the Post Office raid in which Clive Hoorobin took part. The spaceships will relate to the mystery crop circles in 1991 which were actually the handiwork of Eddie and Baggy! It must be Brian Aldridge on the enormous mobile phone in what is presumably a Range Rover, although looking at it closely the driver looks remarkably like Graham Seed (Nigel.) It's unlikely that it is Dan on the bench as he died in 1986 and those stories above happened in the 1990s and the Noughties. The van parked on the green could be anybody's I suppose, but who would dare tir their washing line to the War Memorial? 😲
I think you are right Janice. Harrison assumed that...... I would have thought that the majority of people would do the same . It was up to Fallon to say that she didn't want children . I don't want to hear any more about it but she will get pregnant or we are going to have more of the sloppy conversations we had the other night It won't go away Gary more's the pity.
I like the picture Gary. I wonder whose underpants those are? Re Fallon/Harrison - Harrison sounded disappointed but he loves Fallon and maybe they can be happy without babies.
I LOVE the cartoon - just right for cartoon Ambridge - only joking!
My question is:- IF Fallon had told Harrison that she didn't want children, before their wedding, would he have walked away?
Anyway, when Alice's babe is born (they are close friends after all), she will either change her mind, or it will confirm her decision. I wonder which way she will go...
I think Alice, now it is "fait accompli", and she is pregnant, does definitely want the baby. She is just so very concerned about FAS and has she caused problems, which is preventing her "enjoying" her pregnancy. She so needs to open up, and tell all to some-one, and just open up about ber fears. My thought, is still Emma, who knows about Alice's problem and is an Aunty in waiting.
I think that's a very good question Miriam. I think he would not have walked away, because he really wanted her and had pursued her for a long time before she agreed to go out with him. However.... I suggest that he might have thought that she might change her mind, or that he would help her to change her mind. But I also think that Harrison is written as, and portrayed as a decent bloke, who respects a woman's point of view and who would seek to do the decent thing in any relationship, so I hope that my suggestion would not be written into the characterisation of him.
Harrison does seem a decent bloke, but I wish he would just hurry up and investigate Philip + Gavin, leading to the right result. That is, either on bail or on remand, preferably the latter.
I have only just studied the picture of Ambridge and realise that the artist painted it on the day the Grundy's left Grange Farm ,that the blokes robbing the OPost Office don't realise that a man in a n old Range Rover or jeep has just dialled 999, that there looks to be a whole lot of sheep piled up in the 'phone box ,that Ambridge has its share of litter louts and that someone decided to park on the Green and do his or her washing whilst there.Bit of a cheek that.Is that Lynda putting up a notice on the side of the van. Meanwhile Bert Fry quietly sits watching the ducks and Hilda Ogden takes it all in.
Lanjan So sorry. I read Autumnleaves comment and immediately answered it but didn't read further! I can't remember a story about sheep in the phone box? Can anyone? As said above it's either Nigel or Brian on the mobile phone. However the Grundys lost Grange Farm in 2000 and the crop circles were in 1991 so it might just be a cartoon covering decades of life in Ambridge!
I have just realised that somehow, I missed the earlier posts from Autumnleaves and Spicy, about the scene in the briiliant cartoon. Well Done, both. As I shouldn't say Sorry - may I say a big "Oops" instead. 😁
Tom's burger van? Darryl (Shula's pet project for a while) lived in a van so it might have parked on The Green. I vaguely remember something about lost underpants I think, but not whose, when or why?
What a load of nonsense, Elizabeth sending in Vince for a confrontation. Ruth favouring Pip again, Josh can only have his piece of land if they evict Rex and Toby! High drama.
Where will Neil put his pigs if they are evicted? It won’t make any material difference to Rex, he can manage them wherever they are, and carry on living at Bert’s. The loss of premises would be more serious for T❤️O❤️B❤️Y’s business. Ruth was favouring the farm’s core business over Josh’s peripheral one.
Agree absolutely. I don't like the way Vince has changed. I did miss why his daughter hasn't talked to him. Was it the one who wanted to have baby lambs at her wedding reception at Brookfield? I think he said he has two daughters and the youngest is Primary school age I think because he wanted Lilian to help find a pony for her. But good for Vince though bringing down total snob Freddie by reminding him about 'Pot and Kettle!'
Clive was part of an armed gang and took some people hostage. Jack Woolley (who owned the PO, Debbie and I think Polly Perks who was the post mistress. I think that's right but I might have muddled more than one incident up. It was later then when Clive was on the run Susan shielded him (unknown to Neil) and she subsequently when to prison for 12 months and served 6.
Beth it seems is Vince's third daughter who he doesn't talk about because they fell out over her fella. He's suddenly human and loving. I see no reason why he should have brought up Freddie's prison sentence, why should it make him open minded? They are not relying on gossip, Brian and David have genuine grievances against Vince. At least Freddie had the courage to speak his mind when Lily retreated into a polite spoiled princess. It was Elizabeth who said pot & kettle of Brian and Vince. I hope she gets what she wants!
After the way she spoke to Josh tonight I dislike Pip even more! She was horrible, entitled, demanding and down right unreasonable. She tries to Lord it over her brother so I’m jolly glad he stood up to her. And that Ruth seems to be trying to help Josh expand his business.
By the way, where is David - did he have any say in Ruth's Decision to expand the herd which she and Pip seem to think is a good idea? He has been noticeable by his absence recently.
Pip is working her socks off for Brookfield, aJosh is working his socks off for Josh. I can understand Josh’s annoyance when Brookfield gets in the way of his business and I can understand Pip’s frustration when Josh’s business gets in the way of Brookfield.
That’s a good idea Maryellen. Can’t see Pip agreeing to it though.
Maybe Pip is ‘working her socks off’ for Brookfield as you say because she knows she is going to inherit the farm On the other hand, Josh has been told he’s not, so he has to build his own business for the future.
But do we know positively that she is going to inherit? David and Ruth have never discussed their wills in front of us. (Unless David mused about it one of the monologues I didn’t listen to.)
I wonder whether Pip will have the same demands of 'Brookfield comes first' when it's down to either the business interests of her sometime lover and his brother or her own brother? Like Archerphile I thought that Pip behaved like a spoiled brat. If nothing else, could they all sit down regularly and have a proper business meeting, so that everyone knows about major changes which are being considered?
Brookfield needs a business arrangement like Bridge Farm where parents and children are co-directors and each individual’s specific business interest (eg. Helen’s cheese operation) comes under the Bridge Farm umbrella. That would not suit empire-builder Josh, of course, who wants the facilities Brookfield offers (for which he still pays rent?) to run his business but not the ‘umbrella’ control. As I said earlier, I can understand and sympathise with his sister’s frustration, when Josh’s demands affect the core operation, and how her open nature leads her to express it.
Archerphile. Last night episode was the reason why I continue to listen. Lots of intrigue and forth coming family feuds. But whatever decisions Ruth and Elizabeth make there will be repercussions for others. Mind you enjoyable episodes are few and far between. But the occasional ones do happen.. 😘 I hope Josh is given a piece of land for his chickens 🐓 and the favoured ones nose is put out of her beefy joint and he is successful in the egg business. Freddie is a snobby dimbo and Lily should look at her own relationship with the scrounges. At least Vince has his own thriving business.
Glad you enjoyed that episode Stasia. It certainly made a change from lottery tickets and pregnancies! The feud between Brookfield Archers continues and I thought Vince’s response to Freddie was excellent. He may be a sharp businessman but perhaps he could be good for Lizzie!
Agree wholeheartedly about the agricultural content, but goodness, Pip v Josh, Josh v Pip! We obviously have different opinions of the two siblings but my sympathies lie with Josh - Sorry Maryellen! Josh was told in no uncertain terms that there would be no future for him at Brookfield (Mind you, he was expected to cover for Pip during her pregnancy and afterwards) So he can hardly be blamed for trying to carve out a career for himself. OK, the second-hand farm machinery business failed due to his stupidity and inexperience. But he is trying again with the hens and the prospect of taking over a lucrative egg delivery business. Good for him!
As for Pip, my irritation increases every time I hear her. The way she spoke to Josh last night was unnecessarily nasty. Oh, and I do wish she wouldn’t insert a full stop between every word! Having looked on other Archer sites this morning there are many that agree with me about both the character and the acting.
Well, I’m glad for you Archerphile that many agree with you because I’m afraid I don’t. To be honest I find the constant denigration of Pip a bit wearing. The ‘doesn’t take care of Rosie herself’ theme is almost a ritual chant, and demonstrably untrue. Height ho! At least we’re talking farming!
I had started catching up until Philip’s deceptiveness put me off again but all your comments have made me want to listen again! Sounds much better all round!
I totally agree with the twins about Vince. Elizabeth said he is a bit different and funny. This may not be word for word: V: I slip a paper plate full of sandwiches just as his arse is descending, E: what was in the sandwiches? V: egg mayonnaise, E: oh perfect, V: you've got a wicked streak! Yesterday, we already heard a different side to Vince, he loves his daughters, Beth, Steph and Shelley, but they only do when they want something.
I thought that Pip's answer to Ruth about giving up farming altogether if she could, was telling. When you see real farmers on programmes like Countryfile etc. who are in tears when they have to leave their farm for whatever reason it makes you wonder whether Pip will one day chuck it all in. Could we then please have a wonderfully rich person whisk her away to luxurious pastures new so that her brothers could perhaps also have a future in farming? 😁
Yes, Spicycushion, it's been on my mind too and Ruth sounded disappointed, though she was hoping for a treasure trove herself.
I'm still waiting for Johnny's scratchcard - not a lottery ticket - worth £1000. If he finally gets it, it won't change his life, just allow him to buy a car. The validity time for both is 6 months. Susan found her old lottery ticket worth £4000 which she divided between her children and she and Neil went on holiday.
Can anyone tell me why the Friday episodes aren't included in the omnibus download? 25 Sept, 2 October, 9 October, 16 October missing. And I really wanted to hear Susan and Alice confrontation over the radio announcement of Alice's pregnancy - or wasn't there one?
Hi there. There aren't any Friday episodes at the moment. It's just four episodes a week Monday-Thursday. Apparently it has been tweeted by a member of TA team that they are hoping to return to six episodes a week (Sunday to Friday) in the New Year. The radio announcement of Alice's pregnancy was made by Susan, which Jennifer heard before she (Jennifer) had been told be either Chris or Alice. Christopher had already told his mum.
After all these comments, finding an idle hour, couldn't resist catching up with this weeks's offerings: 1) rather enjoyed the Freddie & Lily dialogues - sharp script, well acted, easy to see where they were coming from, & Elizabeth's responses were convincing too; the woman is bored & she finds Vince entertaining ! I suppose he is a controlling, self serving stinker, but so what. It's not going to destroy her, if it all unravels - E. has always served her best interests in the end. Nigel was a good match, left her a lucrative stately home, she soon recovered from the Roy episode ( as she didn't suffer, only Roy & Hayley), & she learnt to accept repellant Russ because he has his uses, as she saw it.( can't say I did, or do)
2) Don't blame Pip for finding Rosie wearing, nor for having the odd moan about it - what parent doesn't, if memory of that time of life is accurate ? Thing is, we coped, & the children don't usually turn out to be monsters, & she'll undoubtedly cope too. Don't get what David & Ruth are about, letting Josh & Pip play tug of war over a bit of land. Why can't they give equal weight to both son & daughter's needs, & try to accommodate both Brookfield's requirements & Josh's ? The young man deserves a break - not constant harrassment from his sister.
3) Seems to.me, given they didn't have that rather important discussion about children earlier, Fallon wants to have her cake & eat it. It's not enough that Harrison accepts her decision but has to say whether she is 'enough' or not ! If he is compliant to her wishes right now, surely they both have to let the future unfold as it will. There are no guarantees in relationships.
I enjoyed Lizzie inviting Vince for tea, to meet the twins. She knew what she was doing, and good for her. I am prepared to see if Vince, has another side to him. However, he might not be so gallant, when he learns that Lizzie does not own LL. In the meantime, I hope Lizzie has fun, she needs it, and I think, she knows what she is doing, in the short-term. She would never, nor could, replace Nigel, who was the love of her life.
Am I right in thinking, that Hollowtree, not only houses Toby's gin still, but also the "weaners" which Rex looks after for Neil? If so, this will cause yet more problems for small businesses in Ambridge. This is hardly a viable suggestion, which could ruin the livelehood of more Ambridge residents. One of these, would be Ruth's grand-daughter's father. Does she really want this, for the sake of a few extra eggs?
I am sorry that the coin discovery s/l seems to have been dropped. I can't blame Elizabeth for wanting some fun in her life but I can never forget the Roy fling which showed her true colours. Poor Hayley. E and Vince may be very well suited for an affair.
I don't think the coin discovery is dead + buried yet - but like other S/L's, has got put on the back burner for the short term, to then re-appear. Eg - the scratch card..
I agree, Annieveggie, regarding the coin discovery and hope Miriam is right about the story resurfacing.as it was brimful of possibilities for the Ambridge community as well as the individuals involved. For me it was a really interesting topic and a very welcome change from all the repetitive personal relationships and baby angst.
I think, be it rightly or wrongly, along with how the limited cast is in the studio, that the writers are just introducing more S/Ls. These could well then be expanded, at a later date, in an intriguing way, with twists + turns. This means, there is so much to look forward to, plus the conclusion of ongoing S/L's, which I hope are done justice to...Philip + Gavin, for instance.
I wonder if part of the reason listeners don't like Vince is his broad accent? Yes he has made sure he got good deals on the wedding reception, and the business with the abattoir, but has he been worse than Justin or Brian? He showed a knowledge of history last night when Lily was talking about the age of the house. Jacobean - King James, and giving the relevant numbers for Scotland and England. I know that doesn't make him a good person, but maybe more depth than we have seen so far?
Miriam, I enjoyed the episodes in lockdown when we hearing the inner thoughts of the characters. I know there were criticisms that other radio and TV programmes were able to be produced, but it gave a different view and understanding which I found interesting. I hope Gavin can keep and work on the insights he gained when talking with Alistair, and not be bamboozled by his father. All the baby talk /storyline is interesting, Basia summed it up well - but we also have Pip, 2 years on - realising what life with a 2 year old can be like! I hope the Alice, FAS storyline does not 'turn out ok' because that would give such a bad message about the dangers of alcohol in pregnancy.
I really enjoyed the monologues, hearing differing inner thoughts + ideas...but is does not excuse any previous actions. I must be a real saddo, as I did not miss a single episode. 😣
Well, If you are a saddo Miriam, then so am I, because I listened to everything as well. Some episodes I enjoyed more than others - probably reflecting my preferences for various character above others. But having listened for 69 years I felt it almost a duty to carry on listening as long as the production team were able to produce something for me to listen to.
They all managed to survive the lockdown....and so did I!
As I said, I listened to everything throughout, out of habit, but I strayed during the monologues. Otherwise I usually sit in front of the computer trying to take everything in. I used some shorthand when talking to my sister, by saying, the Archers are finished (for the week), she asked, for good? She doesn't realise the part it plays in my life, I wouldn't have said it so casually and hope won't have to in my life time!
The prospect of the BoreBrothers leaving Ambridge is something for me to look forward to, if it happens I shall celebrate with a whiskey. Gin. Yuck 🤢. Toby was shipped into deliver fluid from his reproductive tract, and as a wimp Rex followed with nothing to offer. We have been Subjected to some silly storylines over the past few years, but the silliest has to be two grown up brothers suddenly appearing in a small village with no skills worth mentioning, and no accommodation. They hopefully, will depart but wont be forgotten. I’m sure the future pugilist Rosie will want to know why!
Can't disagree with any of that, Stasia ! I did have hopes of Rex originally, that he might develop into an interesting character, less of the loser, more of the achiever, but no - he's dwindled into a nothing, bottom.of the pecking order, even to Pip & Phoebe, & a touch wistful over Anisha's pregnancy - the girl who could have inspired him but whom he let slip....
I am the opposite, in that why, should the Fairbrother Brothers, be, booted off, due to a whim of Ruth, Josh etc.. I still think they should stay in Ambridge, at Hollowtree, with their enterprises. After all Rex + Toby are two eligible batchelors, who could still turn heads. There's Lily (to get her away from Russ), Pheobe, Hannah, or worse still, Kate! I wonder how David will respond, to this suggestion, as it was him who gave them, the chance to work there. Plus Bert, would be so lonely, without the companionship. It would be detrimental to him, a stalwart of Ambridge. I rest my case, M'lord 🤓
Would Josh pay his parents the equivalent of the rent they currently get from Rex and T❤️O❤️B❤️Y? I don’t think so. I imagine the loss of rent might withhold with David. Understandably.
Regarding question of where David is in relation to decisions about the farm, he made an appearance to talk to Vince about the wedding booking, so that seems to be where his priorities lie at the moment. This was when Vince bumped into Elizabeth and showed an interest in her, or was it in LL, and a cheap deal at a classier wedding venue (he denied it at the time but...) or as some are saying, is he a fortune hunter. Incidentally, given that the bookings were badly down when Elizabeth and Freddie were having problems, they seem remarkably calm at LL just now.
They will be very busy soon. Lily mentioned in passing that Russ, the fuss pots, was doing something with mirrors and illusion. An art installation. I did laugh when I wrote that. Lily should be looking at her choice in MEN. Mind she is 21yrs and Elizabeth 50+. Go Lizzie go. Have a good time with your piece of working class rough.
I don't think that working class rough, is a correct description. He seems quite an astute business man, with an accent, who knows what he wants, and goes for it! I am not judging him, just yet. I want to know more about him, without the hard shell.
Miriam. A bit of rough is a description of someone posh having a fling with someone outside their own class. Or in Elizabeth’s case her children believe he is a bit of rough.
New characters ' shipped into ' Ambridge. ( not a complete list) and in no particular order.
John Tregorran Carol ( became Tregorran) Oliver Stirling Caroline Bone Caroline Bone's first husband, can't remember his name but can recall his lovely voice. Jack ? Became Peggy's second husband - eventually ! Sid Perks and Polly. Alan Franks The lady Vicar Brian Aldridge The Fairbrother father Paddy someone Ruorry's mother
NIGEL WAS NEW ONCE and so was Neil !
How do you recent listeners think that The Archers has survived for seventy odd years without introducing new characters. Some stay and become established, some pass through and then are gone. So those who find the Fairbrother brothers boring or a waste of space ( horrible expression ) think again. They could bed down and become established Ambridge residents, or disappear and return in thirty years time.
**And by recent listeners I mean listening for less than at least twenty years !
How about Lily becoming bored with Russ and falling for Rex. I think Miriam hinted along those lines. That would give Russ a taste of his own medicine and Rex could enjoy some feminine adoration. He had an unrequited thing for Pip I remember so deserves some attention.
I don't think your thought was madness Miriam, and I didn't think so when you first mentioned it. Wasn't there a scene at one point where they bumped into each other and got on rather well.
Of the lists posted here I have counted at least 12 who do not appear, also I haven’t even heard of some of those mentioned. That might be because I haven’t been listening since the year dot. Me about only 10 years, give or take a year or two. It is quite insulting to newer listeners to imply that they shouldn’t make judgement or comments if they haven’t been listening for at leats 50 + years. Is 20yrs the cut off time for being allowed to engage In or be able to critique an episode, including issue led storylines or characters and their presentation. I’m sure the BBC would not continue to produce this programme if it didn’t attract new listeners. It would be long dead if it relied only on those who lave listened for 70 years. Making comments offering ideas, even if they differ from ones own, is what keeps individuals interested. For me it doesn’t matter how long a person has been listening they should make their comment and others will have a right to reply. No one is right and no one is wrong and a particular length of time is and not be a criterion for doing so.
I was only 3 when TA started but remember Grace’s demise. I think in the early days it centred round Brookfield and the Archer clan. Agree new characters along the way have been essential. It’s just the propensity lately to make them all dodgy which has been unreal and a bit irritating! I do find the comments here on the program refreshing and sometimes they put a different slant on things to my first reflections.
I am very confused as to the above lists, who are the old guard? Dan and Dorris? I started listening around the time of Dan's death. Who was Nora Salt and Bill Insley? Caroline's first husband was Guy Pemberton and he had a son Simon. Jack's surname was Woolley. Lady vicar was called Janet? who went off with Siobhan's (Ruairi's mother) husband Tim Hathaway. Fairbrother senior is called Robin. Paddy? Adam's father? Debbie's father Roger Macy. Debbie's husband Simon Gerard. Iftikar, Freddie's tutor. Matt's mother and half-brother who he warned off and it contributed to his death. The couple Matt evicted? Matt's partner 'Chalky'. Borchester Land Board. Lilian's and Elizabeth's assistants. Julia Pargetter. Jack Woolley's driver. Bert Fry, Martha Woodward. Russ, Anisha, Jakob.
Stasia, it's really up to you if you feel insulted by my post. I did not say, or imply that newer listeners should not comment. Nor did I imply that being a newer listener barred anyone from making judgements about characters new or otherwise. I was pointing out that new characters in Ambridge had always been introduced from the early years of TA and that some had stayed and some had ' been and gone'.
The point being, boring, irritating, criminal or anything else about them, it seems to me that as fairly recent residents of the village, they are as relevant as any other characters that might have been " shipped in" to serve a purpose.
Your post of October 24 th, seemed to me to be an attack on the Fairbrothers as boring and useless, because they were new 'ish' to Ambridge, and that it was the silliest of silly story lines. My point in response to that post was that new characters have been introduced with many a silly story line. One silly SL in particular many decades ago concerning Martha Woodward and the village telephone kiosk went on for an endless amount of time and irritated me beyond words, but I accepted her as a legitimate member of the village community and would not have dreamed of wishing her gone. I did wish the S l to be over. Martha was a long established resident of Ambridge at the time and I cannot remember now whether she had been introduced as a new character or not. Others may remember.
You are entitled to wish the F brothers gone for whatever reason you feel legitimate, and I was not criticising you for doing so, but simply pointing out that being new to the village might not be a crime in itself in my opinion, and giving reference to other new characters over the decades to illustrate my point.
I apologise if you feel that I have insulted you and other ' newer' listeners to the programme.
If Vince is anything like Sean Bean when he played Mellors in Lady Chatterley's lover then I don't blame Elizabeth going for her bit of rough. I would were I in her shoes I wasn't over fond of Nigel. I thought he was a bit "soppy" I hated the way he called his mother "mummy". I don't dislike Vince . He tried to get the best deal he could from David and why not? Go for it girl!
Agree with you, Lanjan - let Elizabeth take her chance ! Didn't care for Vince at all earlier, smooth tongued, unscrupulous type, but he did bring some colour into proceedings ( like Crawford, possibly Woolley in his early days?? Also of the same ilk as JE, but a cruder, more amusing version) it's not as if Elizabeth is over scrupulous either, is it.
Like you, I found Nigel irritating. rather like a puppy, endearing in a dog, not great in a man. Even more tiresome is the hero worship which his children & widow go in for when they talk about him. Understandable, perhaps, they loved him, but he really was not a heroic figure - more 'Tim, nice but dim' of Harry Enfield fame !
I accept that that there have always been, depending on ones definition, a lot of a silly storylines. However, the connection between silliness and the length of time one has been a listener are connected to personal interpretations or a time frame. As a newby listener, using the definition of not having reached the milestone of twenty years, I do feel it is disparaging to create a delineation between the older and newer listeners. Words crystallise our perceptions and whilst it may not be our intention to make an impact on others, interpretation is how we hear the message. The Archers is thirteen minutes of fiction and our response when we listen, Or read/write comments will vary depending our own values And personality traits. Words are extremely powerful tools and in the Archers and on here they create a response to what I would describe as the illusion of life meeting some sense of reality. Sometimes it is silly. I actually like silliness.
Stasia, I also saw that there were several posts where it was implied, rather than stated, that decades long listeners have a better handle on TA today than those who don't go back so far, which isn't true as It's just as valid to comment on the way the SLS & characters are being handled now, & in more recent times. I see that many here, & no doubt plenty who blog elsewhere or nowhere at all, feel a strong loyalty to the series, & stick with it through the good & bad times. I don't listen or watch in that way personally ( eg enjoyed Eastenders from the beginning for ages, but dropped it around 10-12 years, ago because it became so reliant on sensationalism & ridiculously OTT!)
The bloggers who enjoy reminiscing about TA's past, making comparisons, tying up loose ends, filling in memory gaps & so on, have every right to do just that; others of us who prefer to stick to the way SLs & charactisations are handled currently are fine also. Every approach goes, no right or wrong, - we are individuals !
Carolyn. Reality or illusion is an existential state that exists in all of us and like you I interpret words and events in relation to how I am, and what I am interested in, at any given time. The Archers is the only soap I have listened to, initially only occasionally, and when I dropped in again I had no trouble with the storyline. It was a soap of simplicity that didn’t tax the emotions too much. Now it is ridden with complex issues that never seem to be resolved. Hence I listen fairly frequently The S/Ws now and again, in attempt to up the angst, insert a silly narrative which can initially be interesting but then gets dropped. For example, Johnie seeks his scratch card here, he seeks it there, he sought it in every nook and cranny in Ambridge. We all thought we knew , or think we knew who had it. But does he have it? Do I care? No. IMO a silly story.
I would like to clarify that it was not, and is not, my intention to suggest that lifetime listening to The Archers gives a better understanding or ' handle' to the current presentation of the programme. I do not believe it does. It is what has come to be known as a soap opera, and it has undoubtedly changed over the decades, but i am sure it can be picked up and listened to by new listeners and understood within a fairly short period of time. The advantage of having listened throughout the lifetime of the programme is that the listener who has, might have a better understanding of the history of any particular group or individual within Ambridge. Some of us on this blog do have those memories, though none of us has total recall I'm sure, but when new characters are introduced they are just as new to those long term listeners as they are to someone who has tuned in last week for the first time. My objection, if it was such was the suggestion that current fairly new characters, the brothers F, had been introduced for spurious reasons and that the subsequent SLs involving them were silly. The suggestion seemed to me to be that new characters and silly SLs, together, equated to uselessness and could therefore be disregarded. Where as I believe that silly, strong, or complex, whatever the subject, all is part of the mix that keeps us listening. Or not !
I hope, because I am an oldie who has listened to TA since its birth, that nobody has gained the impression that I think I am a more worthy or genned-up listener than anyone else. But sometimes newer listeners ask questions about why a character is behaving in a particular way, or how a piece of land came to belong to a certain farm, or what the history is between some clashing characters. Then it is nice to feel that I, or one of the other older listeners can shed a little light on current day happenings by explaining what happened in the last. It is similar to a grandchild asking it’s grand-parent what happened when they were young, or why cousin Fred doesn’t get on with Mrs Fixit, or if there was ever a village school.
I suppose, having known Ambridge and it’s characters for such a long time, I do feel a bit proprietorial about it being criticised or made fun of. Having seen so many changes under a succession of Editors one accepts that some eras will have been more successful than others, some stories too prolonged or not engaging, some groundbreaking, some upsetting and some just downright stupid or unbelievable.
But , on the whole, I still enjoy my daily dose of rural life which has often echoed my own and I hope all other listeners can get some enjoyment from it too. After all, I think it’s supposed to be entertainment and not a handbook on human behaviour today!
WOW. What an interesting debate. I was going to post my "extra" thoughts, that I always have, after listening to the Sunday Omnibus, but a I retreating quickly, and will not now do...not that they were of interest. 😦
...except for Rex learning that, Anisha is also pregnant. Both Rex + Harrison, to me, both felt that their futures, did not include fatherhood... I found this quite moving. That's All I am posting. 😁
I am having a paperwork clearout including a 1995 Archers Addicts Christmas card featuring a coloured illustration of a snowy, lit up street scene in Borchester with the shop fronts of Nelson’s wine bar and Hebden & Gupta Solicitors. The card is signed by the actors playing Phil, Jill, Hayley, Joe, David, Kathy and Usha.
If anyone would like to have it and can find a way to give me a postal address, I will happily forward it.
There is à keen market for Archers memorabilia on eBay Maryellen. (I bought a jigsaw there myself some time ago). As Mrs P says below, you might get a good sum for charity by lusting it there. Just make sure you include ‘Archers’ in the description.
I think 'lusting' is appropriate, AP ! If there are folk who would grab at a chance of acquiring some Archer memoribilia on ebay, their lust must be strong....
Sorry, I mixed up my first posting which should have said: Thanks very much for your suggestions, Mrs P and AP. Although I’ve bought on eBay, I’ve never sold and I’m not sure I want the hassle. So if no one here wants it, I’ll take it into Oxfam and ask if they would like to sell it on eBay or via their online bookshop.
If I recall correctly the last time David tried to evict Toby, he was told, "I have a lease and there is nothing you can do about it!" Best of luck with that David!
I really must be getting old! I hardly understood a word of what Ben and Ruairi were talking about tonight!
However it was good to hear Pip being much nicer to Josh and actually encouraging and congratulating him on his business plans. Perhaps David had had a word! Strange really that she doesn’t seem too bothered about evicting the Fairbretheren from their rented premises. Don’t think they will find an alternative as easily as she seems to think.
It was indeed good to hear BOTH Josh and Pip getting on so well, with Pip unstinting in her concern and congratulations for her brother and him appreciating it, lapping it up in fact. This seems to have come about of it’s own accord since no one else was present during their earlier. altercation and might have intervened since. Pip has repeatedly voiced her concern about the effect on the Fairbrothers of ending their Hollowtree tenancy ( does the lease have a break clause?)., Josh not at all.
Why is Rex renting land to put his boss’s pigs on, any way? Neil has a field, as I recall. T❤️O❤️B❤️Y doesn’t need the land, just the building. Maybe he could rent that separately unless the drama demands total, eviction ( or threat of).
Well, Ruairi is a chip of his father’s old conman block. LeadIng dopey Ben ‘ I’m desperate for a girlfriend/sex’ into thinkImg he was going to the Lemon Drizzle gig. Archerphile. I praised the last episode but last nights was dire. Is that really how it is when we get down wiv da kids? Good on you Josh, that was a big cowclap in the face for Pip.👊🏽
I’m still mystified about what they were talking about, especially because, like Esscee, I couldn’t work out which of the ‘lads’ were speaking. Eventually I realised Ben had the deeper voice, but what Ruairi was conning him over, I haven’t a clue!
Exactly how I felt Archerphile in fact I drifted away from this episode as I couldn’t fathom who some of the male youngsters were (unless named) didn’t even realise that Ruaira was one of them....
Archerphile, if you're really interested, I shall explain. Susan wanted Brookfield on the show to talk about the dig. Ruth said no, because the whole of Borsetshire will know. Ruairi told Ben to overcome barriers. Ben decided to go on the show and be "surprised" by Susan's question about the dig which he'd be obliged to answer. Ruairi told him it was a terrible plan but Ben doesn't care. It gave him a reason to contact Evie to discuss what he'll say. Riveting, but we go with the flow.
Thank you thank you Basia for explaining that part so well. Actually, I got that bit, it was at the very beginning when Ben thought Ruairi had invited him to some event or other, something about drizzle, then Ruairi said no it was just him and someone else with a strange name. I was very confused, probably because I mistook who was speaking to whom......anyway, I don’t suppose its essential to the plot !
R said that his mate from school booked a venue for 3 for R's 18th. Naturally Ben thought he was included but R said no, sorry, it was booked for him and + two paid for by the mate's father.
MrsP, I started the Jill Fan Club, at one point there were 13 members, but not you as I recall. The remaining ones are only Archerphile and Spicycushion and I still stand by Jill. I shall gladly join you in the "Go with the Flow", because let's face it, you either do or you don't.
Are there really only three of us left Basia? Trying to remember who the others were.. Dublin somebody or other, Anne someone? Oh my memory has gone walkabout!
I kept the list for a while but no longer have it. Dublin Dolly, someone from NZ with her cats' names, Anne ?, Caroline C who appeared only once and called Jill "an angel with flowery hands", AJ Wilts, lincslass ?
Yes, Spicycushion, you remember correctly, Fergus&Millie, you're probably right about Aus as well. There was also Knit1Purl1 and it wasn't Archerphile under her old name, perhaps she was in NZ. Btw, Jill's hands may be flowery, but definitely floury!
Good memory Basia. Definitely remember K1P1, it was she that gave me the idea for using K2tog as a name for a while. Also remember Lincs lass, and there was a chap who was always asking me to knit him a sweater, but perhaos he wasn’t a member of the Jill Club. A definite non- Jill lover was RAFbrat who reappeared under several different names and made life hell for a lot of us!
EllieMay may have joined as well. As for the 'unmentionable' she lashed out at me for organising cliques, I sort of took it on board being new to blogging, oh it's in the past.
Jack Archer and Stuart Horrobin, they've dug up another alcoholic, so that Alice has one on each side of the family. Why isn't LL divided between the twins?
Because Nigel did the traditional thing and left it to his first born male child. My book says Jack spent time in the county hospital (?asylum) on account of his alcoholism.
Basia, I thought LL was in trust for Freddy, until he was 25 yrs. At that time, Lily would also receive an inheritance (not sure what), but no claim to LL. Lizzie is to have a life long home at LL. just as now. My memory might be wrong though, but that is I recall things.
I think it’s very likely he made some financial provision for Lily (like leaving her the valuable paining) and for Elizabeth, like the right to continue living at Lower Loxley for the rest of her life.
I think there wa some sort of thing on the Deeds to say it passes through the male line? I don't lmow if we have ever been told whether Lily or Freddie is the elder? I looked up the artist of the painting Lily got for her 18th. Her most expensive were sold for about £14k, not much compared to a huge stately home!
I think a stately home nowadays is a bit of a liability draining cash away in maintenance! It can though bring in some cash if run properly. I’m sure Freddie will need assistance to run it as a business and Lily is the obvious choice after Elizabeth who is getting older. I doubt whether Freddie will wield a big stick as owner and the twins will run it together giving them both a living.
Of course, if Lily wants to inherit Lower Locksley as her mother jokingly suggested, she has to ensure that Freddie’s show is a disaster. The plot thickens! (Or sickens!)
Elizabeth’s joke about Lily inheriting Lower Loxley suggests that the estate isn’t entailed on a male heir so this is legally possible. If it had to pass down the male line, who on earth would the next in line be? (I dimly remember some dodgy relative turning up, claiming he not Nigel was the rightful owner.)
...the S/L I wrote was along the lines of - Nigel's father had another, older son, who only found this out when his mother died, He turned up saying that he was the rightful owner. It was pure fiction. I also suggested, Graham Seed, played this new character!
I don’t think so, Miriam, it was definitely a storyline I heard rather than read. But I imagine the terms of Nigel’s father’ will would have prevailed and presumably he named Nigel as his heir. In your scenario, would he necessarily have know he had this other son?
Primogeniture doesn't exist any more in the UK thankfully. The obvious thing for Nigel to do would have been to divide the house into three so that if he died before Elizabeth then Freddie, Lily and Elizabeth would each have their own quarters. A bit like Kensington Palace! The land could be sold and some affordable houses could be erected
When the twins were born many large estates were being given over to The National Trust . Quite honestly I don't know how LL is surviving. I don't think Nigel was that savvy with money.
They make money with “Deck the Halls” and through the year with weddings etc. Also of course Nigel’s wine! You would think though that this year would be a bit lean for them!
Don't forget the massive success of Freddie's tours of the attic - that must have made enough cash to see them through to 2025 quite comfortably. And the "Ghost Story" nights that they had last year, where quite inexplicably, countless dozens of people (most of them elderly) managed to easily climb into the rafters of an old house. Oh, and then there was the Halloween performances that were entirely unsuitable for the children that they were targeting as an audience. And let's not forget that they somehow ran a wedding venue without an alcohol license for the best part of a year too! They must be ROLLING in money...🙄🙄🙄
*** FROM PREVIOUS BLOG ***
ReplyDeleteJanice - October 21, 2020 at 9:17 PM
I feel very sorry for Harrison too, and however much he loves Fallon I think not having a child will be a source of regret for him. He seems the kind of man who would be a good father.
Archerphile - October 21, 2020 at 10:18 PM
Miriam, I agree about Lily. I thought her behaviour tonight, spying on her mother and actually going to the seminar to see who Lizzie was meeting, was appalling.
How dare she! I should have been furious if I were Lizzie. and had been shown up by my daughter (and son) in such a way.
MrsP - AmbridgeOctober 21, 2020 at 11:38 PM
I think Lizzie was furious.
And I don't blame her.
Interfering madam !
Ex-Londoner - October 22, 2020 at 1:04 AM
Based on Lily's experience of her mother's depression, I think she was acting out of justified concern, though a little cack-handed. The problem is that, as so often happens in Ambridge, people make remarkable recoveries from serious medical conditions and resume life as if they'd never happened.
Gary, I absolutely love the picture at the top of the age. Where on earth did you find it? It’s perfect for our blog!
ReplyDeleteWonder who that is sitting on the bench, Walter, Ned or Joe? Probably one of the old era as he’s smoking a pipe. ☺️
AP, I just sit with a cuppa and scour the internet...
DeleteI am no longer in absentia. Thought it was time for a return.
ReplyDeleteGood for you Fallon. Your body is not a machine ready to pop out babies when ever a man desires one.
Has Harrison really accepted his lack of fatherhood. Another issue coming me thinks.
But Stasia Fallon should have thought about it and told Harrison she didn't want children before they married. Telling a partner after marriage is extremely unfair.
DeleteOh lovely, Yes !
ReplyDeleteMight have been in the radio times in 1997 but the picture itself is surely from the late fifties early sixties.
There is a space ship in the sky.
Walter on the bench I reckon.
Might be Dan.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel sorry for Harrison but I like this storyline which is how I might have imagined it.
ReplyDeleteAs for Lily & Freddie vs Elizabeth to me it's a farce which I find amusing. Elizabeth wants sex, so let her, just like with Roy, anyone will do.
Yes! Anyone!
DeleteRe Harrison & Fallon - I really, really hope that there's not ANOTHER storyline about people having/not having children. How many times can they re-hash the same storyline? "I want a baby", "I don't want a baby", "I can't have a baby", "How can we have a baby?", "I've got too many babies", "Am I too old to have a baby?"
ReplyDeleteBabies, babies, babies. Yawn....
Great picture Gary. I wonder if the spaceships are a way of saying the Archers will always be the same and here with us way into the future.
DeleteBabies, lovely sweet dear little things. 😉
DeleteIt could be argued that if Harrison felt strongly about having children he should have discussed this with Fallon before marriage. At least they are discussing it now.
ReplyDeleteMy point being that they are both responsible for having this discussion. However people don’t always know when they are younger whether or not they want to have children.
DeleteIt’s more interesting to me than hearing about Rosie’s tantrums.
I agree they should both have had the discussion earlier. I think Harrison said something like "I assumed that" we would once married. I think that young people often live with each other before marriage, but then get married when ready to have children, and it may have been Harrison thought that Fallon, by marrying him , was agreeing to more than just marriage. A drama out of miscommunication/ miscommunication .
DeleteI am wondering if this could be an interesting storyline regarding the long term effect of divorce/abandonment in early childhood. Fallon may, buried in her subconscious, have a fear of being left to bring up a child alone as her mother was.
If I come on here again over the next 2 or 3 days tell me to go away. I'm supposed to be doing my tax return, and as I still do a paper return it has to be in before the 31st.
This blog is much more interesting!
/noncommunication
DeleteRegarding the picture..is that the Grundys we see after they lost Grange farm.?
ReplyDeleteAs for Fallon and Harrison, marriage is a partnership based on trust and honesty..any quibbles should have been discussed earlier instead of a later " oh by the way". Enough said.
Yes I think so! It is Eddie with his 'horned' hat and it looks like one of his sons has a similar hat to his Dad! I can't remember who is the eldest of the two sons though! It must be Joe with the two suitcases on the right of Eddie pushing the wheelbarrow.
DeleteIn the background we have the Post Office raid in which Clive Hoorobin took part.
The spaceships will relate to the mystery crop circles in 1991 which were actually the handiwork of Eddie and Baggy!
It must be Brian Aldridge on the enormous mobile phone in what is presumably a Range Rover, although looking at it closely the driver looks remarkably like Graham Seed (Nigel.)
It's unlikely that it is Dan on the bench as he died in 1986 and those stories above happened in the 1990s and the Noughties.
The van parked on the green could be anybody's I suppose, but who would dare tir their washing line to the War Memorial? 😲
I think you are right Janice.
ReplyDeleteHarrison assumed that......
I would have thought that the majority of people would do the same .
It was up to Fallon to say that she didn't want children .
I don't want to hear any more about it
but
she will get pregnant
or
we are going to have more of the sloppy conversations we had the other night
It won't go away Gary more's the pity.
I like the picture Gary. I wonder whose underpants those are?
ReplyDeleteRe Fallon/Harrison - Harrison sounded disappointed but he loves Fallon and maybe they can be happy without babies.
Underpants are probably Jazzer's Anneveggie
DeleteI LOVE the cartoon - just right for cartoon Ambridge - only joking!
ReplyDeleteMy question is:-
IF Fallon had told Harrison that she didn't want children, before their wedding, would he have walked away?
Anyway, when Alice's babe is born (they are close friends after all), she will either change her mind, or it will confirm her decision. I wonder which way she will go...
Kate wanted a baby but she wasn't pregnant.
ReplyDeleteAlice is pregnant but she doesn't want the baby.
Fallon doesn't want a baby and she isn't pregnant.
I think Alice, now it is "fait accompli", and she is pregnant, does definitely want the baby. She is just so very concerned about FAS and has she caused problems, which is preventing her "enjoying" her pregnancy.
DeleteShe so needs to open up, and tell all to some-one, and just open up about ber fears. My thought, is still Emma, who knows about Alice's problem and is an Aunty in waiting.
I think that's a very good question Miriam.
ReplyDeleteI think he would not have walked away, because he really wanted her and had pursued her for a long time before she agreed to go out with him.
However.... I suggest that he might have thought that she might change her mind, or that he would help her to change her mind.
But I also think that Harrison is written as, and portrayed as a decent bloke, who respects a woman's point of view and who would seek to do the decent thing in any relationship, so I hope that my suggestion would not be written into the characterisation of him.
Harrison does seem a decent bloke, but I wish he would just hurry up and investigate Philip + Gavin, leading to the right result. That is, either on bail or on remand, preferably the latter.
DeleteI have only just studied the picture of Ambridge and realise that the artist painted it on the day the Grundy's left Grange Farm ,that the blokes robbing the OPost Office don't realise that a man in a n old Range Rover or jeep has just dialled 999, that there looks to be a whole lot of sheep piled up in the 'phone box ,that Ambridge has its share of litter louts and that someone decided to park on the Green and do his or her washing whilst there.Bit of a cheek that.Is that Lynda putting up a notice on the side of the van.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile Bert Fry quietly sits watching the ducks and Hilda Ogden takes it all in.
What brilliant eye sight and insite info.
DeleteThanks.😁
I am off to scrutinise it now. 🔎
LJ who was robbing the PO?
DeleteIf you read my earlier post I suggested it was the Grundys leaving Grange farm.
DeleteLanjan So sorry. I read Autumnleaves comment and immediately answered it but didn't read further! I can't remember a story about sheep in the phone box? Can anyone?
DeleteAs said above it's either Nigel or Brian on the mobile phone.
However the Grundys lost Grange Farm in 2000 and the crop circles were in 1991 so it might just be a cartoon covering decades of life in Ambridge!
I have just realised that somehow, I missed the earlier posts from Autumnleaves and Spicy, about the scene in the briiliant cartoon.
ReplyDeleteWell Done, both.
As I shouldn't say Sorry - may I say a big "Oops" instead. 😁
You are forgiven Miriam 💕
DeleteTom's burger van?
ReplyDeleteDarryl (Shula's pet project for a while) lived in a van so it might have parked on The Green.
I vaguely remember something about lost underpants I think, but not whose, when or why?
Spicy what a lovely photo. Your daughter must be heartbroken. He seems to have had quite a personality.
DeleteIs it perhaps vegan Kate protesting in front of Tom's sausage van?
ReplyDeleteThank you Autumnleaves.
DeleteKate? It may very well be!
What a load of nonsense, Elizabeth sending in Vince for a confrontation.
ReplyDeleteRuth favouring Pip again, Josh can only have his piece of land if they evict Rex and Toby!
High drama.
Where will Neil put his pigs if they are evicted? It won’t make any material difference to Rex, he can manage them wherever they are, and carry on living at Bert’s. The loss of premises would be more serious for T❤️O❤️B❤️Y’s business. Ruth was favouring the farm’s core business over Josh’s peripheral one.
DeleteAgree absolutely. I don't like the way Vince has changed.
DeleteI did miss why his daughter hasn't talked to him. Was it the one who wanted to have baby lambs at her wedding reception at Brookfield? I think he said he has two daughters and the youngest is Primary school age I think because he wanted Lilian to help find a pony for her.
But good for Vince though bringing down total snob Freddie by reminding him about 'Pot and Kettle!'
I heartily agree about Freddie, Spicy. Thoroughly enjoyed the little upstart being put in his place.
DeleteIs itClive who is breaking into the post office?
ReplyDeleteClive was part of an armed gang and took some people hostage. Jack Woolley (who owned the PO, Debbie and I think Polly Perks who was the post mistress. I think that's right but I might have muddled more than one incident up. It was later then when Clive was on the run Susan shielded him (unknown to Neil) and she subsequently when to prison for 12 months and served 6.
DeleteBeth it seems is Vince's third daughter who he doesn't talk about because they fell out over her fella. He's suddenly human and loving. I see no reason why he should have brought up Freddie's prison sentence, why should it make him open minded? They are not relying on gossip, Brian and David have genuine grievances against Vince. At least Freddie had the courage to speak his mind when Lily retreated into a polite spoiled princess. It was Elizabeth who said pot & kettle of Brian and Vince. I hope she gets what she wants!
ReplyDeleteI'd prefer she gets what she deserves.
DeleteAfter the way she spoke to Josh tonight I dislike Pip even more!
ReplyDeleteShe was horrible, entitled, demanding and down right unreasonable. She tries to Lord it over her brother so I’m jolly glad he stood up to her.
And that Ruth seems to be trying to help Josh expand his business.
By the way, where is David - did he have any say in Ruth's Decision to expand the herd which she and Pip seem to think is a good idea? He has been noticeable by his absence recently.
Pip is working her socks off for Brookfield, aJosh is working his socks off for Josh. I can understand Josh’s annoyance when Brookfield gets in the way of his business and I can understand Pip’s frustration when Josh’s business gets in the way of Brookfield.
ReplyDeletePS. Perhaps Brookfield could reclaim some of the land rented to the Rewilding Project for Josh’s business instead of Hollowtree.
DeleteThat’s a good idea Maryellen. Can’t see Pip agreeing to it though.
DeleteMaybe Pip is ‘working her socks off’ for Brookfield as you say because she knows she is going to inherit the farm
On the other hand, Josh has been told he’s not, so he has to build his own business for the future.
But do we know positively that she is going to inherit? David and Ruth have never discussed their wills in front of us. (Unless David mused about it one of the monologues I didn’t listen to.)
DeleteI wonder whether Pip will have the same demands of 'Brookfield comes first' when it's down to either the business interests of her sometime lover and his brother or her own brother?
ReplyDeleteLike Archerphile I thought that Pip behaved like a spoiled brat.
If nothing else, could they all sit down regularly and have a proper business meeting, so that everyone knows about major changes which are being considered?
Brookfield needs a business arrangement like Bridge Farm where parents and children are co-directors and each individual’s specific business interest (eg. Helen’s cheese operation) comes under the Bridge Farm umbrella. That would not suit empire-builder Josh, of course, who wants the facilities Brookfield offers (for which he still pays rent?) to run his business but not the ‘umbrella’ control. As I said earlier, I can understand and sympathise with his sister’s frustration, when Josh’s demands affect the core operation, and how her open nature leads her to express it.
ReplyDeleteThe good thing is that we are at last hearing about agriculture and farming which we’ve been severely starved of.
DeleteAgree.
DeleteArcherphile.
ReplyDeleteLast night episode was the reason why I continue to listen. Lots of intrigue and forth coming family feuds. But whatever decisions Ruth and Elizabeth make there will be repercussions for others. Mind you enjoyable episodes are few and far between. But the occasional ones do happen.. 😘
I hope Josh is given a piece of land for his chickens 🐓 and the favoured ones nose is put out of her beefy joint and he is successful in the egg business.
Freddie is a snobby dimbo and Lily should look at her own relationship with the scrounges.
At least Vince has his own thriving business.
Glad you enjoyed that episode Stasia. It certainly made a change from lottery tickets and pregnancies! The feud between Brookfield Archers continues and I thought Vince’s response to Freddie was excellent. He may be a sharp businessman but perhaps he could be good for Lizzie!
DeleteAgree wholeheartedly about the agricultural content, but goodness, Pip v Josh, Josh v Pip!
ReplyDeleteWe obviously have different opinions of the two siblings but my sympathies lie with Josh - Sorry Maryellen!
Josh was told in no uncertain terms that there would be no future for him at Brookfield
(Mind you, he was expected to cover for Pip during her pregnancy and afterwards)
So he can hardly be blamed for trying to carve out a career for himself. OK, the second-hand farm machinery business failed due to his stupidity and inexperience. But he is trying again with the hens and the prospect of taking over a lucrative egg delivery business. Good for him!
As for Pip, my irritation increases every time I hear her. The way she spoke to Josh last night was unnecessarily nasty.
Oh, and I do wish she wouldn’t insert a full stop between every word!
Having looked on other Archer sites this morning there are many that agree with me about both the character and the acting.
I agree about the character. Didn't notice the acting! Was there some?
DeleteWell, I’m glad for you Archerphile that many agree with you because I’m afraid I don’t. To be honest I find the constant denigration of Pip a bit wearing. The ‘doesn’t take care of Rosie herself’ theme is almost a ritual chant, and demonstrably untrue. Height ho! At least we’re talking farming!
DeleteI had started catching up until Philip’s deceptiveness put me off again but all your comments have made me want to listen again! Sounds much better all round!
ReplyDelete(Janice 11.15 am yesterday) I adore babies! Always have, not just now in my doting grannyhood!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the twins about Vince. Elizabeth said he is a bit different and funny. This may not be word for word: V: I slip a paper plate full of sandwiches just as his arse is descending, E: what was in the sandwiches? V: egg mayonnaise, E: oh perfect, V: you've got a wicked streak!
ReplyDeleteYesterday, we already heard a different side to Vince, he loves his daughters, Beth, Steph and Shelley, but they only do when they want something.
I thought that Pip's answer to Ruth about giving up farming altogether if she could, was telling. When you see real farmers on programmes like Countryfile etc. who are in tears when they have to leave their farm for whatever reason it makes you wonder whether Pip will one day chuck it all in. Could we then please have a wonderfully rich person whisk her away to luxurious pastures new so that her brothers could perhaps also have a future in farming? 😁
ReplyDeleteYes, Spicycushion, it's been on my mind too and Ruth sounded disappointed, though she was hoping for a treasure trove herself.
DeleteI'm still waiting for Johnny's scratchcard - not a lottery ticket - worth £1000. If he finally gets it, it won't change his life, just allow him to buy a car. The validity time for both is 6 months. Susan found her old lottery ticket worth £4000 which she divided between her children and she and Neil went on holiday.
Can anyone tell me why the Friday episodes aren't included in the omnibus download? 25 Sept, 2 October, 9 October, 16 October missing. And I really wanted to hear Susan and Alice confrontation over the radio announcement of Alice's pregnancy - or wasn't there one?
ReplyDeleteHi there. There aren't any Friday episodes at the moment. It's just four episodes a week Monday-Thursday. Apparently it has been tweeted by a member of TA team that they are hoping to return to six episodes a week (Sunday to Friday) in the New Year.
DeleteThe radio announcement of Alice's pregnancy was made by Susan, which Jennifer heard before she (Jennifer) had been told be either Chris or Alice. Christopher had already told his mum.
Hi Veronica!
DeleteAfter all these comments, finding an idle hour, couldn't resist catching up with this weeks's offerings:
ReplyDelete1) rather enjoyed the Freddie & Lily dialogues - sharp script, well acted, easy to see where they were coming from, & Elizabeth's responses were convincing too; the woman is bored & she finds Vince entertaining ! I suppose he is a controlling, self serving stinker, but so what. It's not going to destroy her, if it all unravels - E. has always served her best interests in the end. Nigel was a good match, left her a lucrative stately home, she soon recovered from the Roy episode ( as she didn't suffer, only Roy & Hayley), & she learnt to accept repellant Russ because he has his uses, as she saw it.( can't say I did, or do)
2) Don't blame Pip for finding Rosie wearing, nor for having the odd moan about it - what parent doesn't, if memory of that time of life is accurate ? Thing is, we coped, & the children don't usually turn out to be monsters, & she'll undoubtedly cope too.
Don't get what David & Ruth are about, letting Josh & Pip play tug of war over a bit of land. Why can't they give equal weight to both son & daughter's needs, & try to accommodate both Brookfield's requirements & Josh's ? The young man deserves a break - not constant harrassment from his sister.
3) Seems to.me, given they didn't have that rather important discussion about children earlier, Fallon wants to have her cake & eat it. It's not enough that Harrison accepts her decision but has to say whether she is 'enough' or not ! If he is compliant to her wishes right now, surely they both have to let the future unfold as it will. There are no guarantees in relationships.
I enjoyed Lizzie inviting Vince for tea, to meet the twins. She knew what she was doing, and good for her.
ReplyDeleteI am prepared to see if Vince, has another side to him.
However, he might not be so gallant, when he learns that Lizzie does not own LL.
In the meantime, I hope Lizzie has fun, she needs it, and I think, she knows what she is doing, in the short-term.
She would never, nor could, replace Nigel, who was the love of her life.
Ruth also seems to have changed, but not in a good way.
ReplyDeleteAm I right in thinking, that Hollowtree, not only houses Toby's gin still, but also the "weaners" which Rex looks after for Neil?
ReplyDeleteIf so, this will cause yet more problems for small businesses in Ambridge.
This is hardly a viable suggestion, which could ruin the livelehood of more Ambridge residents.
One of these, would be Ruth's grand-daughter's father. Does she really want this, for the sake of a few extra eggs?
I am sorry that the coin discovery s/l seems to have been dropped.
ReplyDeleteI can't blame Elizabeth for wanting some fun in her life but I can never forget the Roy fling which showed her true colours. Poor Hayley. E and Vince may be very well suited for an affair.
I don't think the coin discovery is dead + buried yet - but like other S/L's, has got put on the back burner for the short term, to then re-appear.
DeleteEg - the scratch card..
I agree, Annieveggie, regarding the coin discovery and hope Miriam is right about the story resurfacing.as it was brimful of possibilities for the Ambridge community as well as the individuals involved. For me it was a really interesting topic and a very welcome change from all the repetitive personal relationships and baby angst.
DeleteI think, be it rightly or wrongly, along with how the limited cast is in the studio, that the writers are just introducing more S/Ls. These could well then be expanded, at a later date, in an intriguing way, with twists + turns.
ReplyDeleteThis means, there is so much to look forward to, plus the conclusion of ongoing S/L's, which I hope are done justice to...Philip + Gavin, for instance.
My thoughts only...😁
Hello Veronica - 2.09 pm today.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to our blog............ might you stay or perhaps visit again sometime.
I hope so Veronica..it is fun.
Delete..along with the very many sensible, civil, funny, plus interesting thoughts and ideas about TA to read and absorb.
DeleteIt is a lovely site to post on.
I wonder if part of the reason listeners don't like Vince is his broad accent? Yes he has made sure he got good deals on the wedding reception, and the business with the abattoir, but has he been worse than Justin or Brian?
ReplyDeleteHe showed a knowledge of history last night when Lily was talking about the age of the house. Jacobean - King James, and giving the relevant numbers for Scotland and England.
I know that doesn't make him a good person, but maybe more depth than we have seen so far?
I have finally caught up with TA, I've been behind since before lockdown 😳
ReplyDeleteI still love TA - good or bad.
DeleteMiriam, I enjoyed the episodes in lockdown when we hearing the inner thoughts of the characters. I know there were criticisms that other radio and TV programmes were able to be produced, but it gave a different view and understanding which I found interesting.
ReplyDeleteI hope Gavin can keep and work on the insights he gained when talking with Alistair, and not be bamboozled by his father.
All the baby talk /storyline is interesting, Basia summed it up well - but we also have Pip, 2 years on - realising what life with a 2 year old can be like!
I hope the Alice, FAS storyline does not 'turn out ok' because that would give such a bad message about the dangers of alcohol in pregnancy.
Agree with all your comments Zoetrope and I'm pleased that yet another person did not find the monologues to be dreadful as I enjoyed them too.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the monologues, hearing differing inner thoughts + ideas...but is does not excuse any previous actions.
DeleteI must be a real saddo, as I did not miss a single episode. 😣
Well, If you are a saddo Miriam, then so am I, because I listened to everything as well.
DeleteSome episodes I enjoyed more than others - probably reflecting my preferences for various character above others.
But having listened for 69 years I felt
it almost a duty to carry on listening as long as the production team were able to
produce something for me to listen to.
They all managed to survive the lockdown....and so did I!
With you all the way Archerphile and Miriam
ReplyDeleteAs I said, I listened to everything throughout, out of habit, but I strayed during the monologues. Otherwise I usually sit in front of the computer trying to take everything in.
ReplyDeleteI used some shorthand when talking to my sister, by saying, the Archers are finished (for the week), she asked, for good? She doesn't realise the part it plays in my life, I wouldn't have said it so casually and hope won't have to in my life time!
The prospect of the BoreBrothers leaving Ambridge is something for me to look forward to, if it happens I shall celebrate with a whiskey. Gin. Yuck 🤢.
ReplyDeleteToby was shipped into deliver fluid from his reproductive tract, and as a wimp Rex followed with nothing to offer.
We have been Subjected to some silly storylines over the past few years, but the silliest has to be two grown up brothers suddenly appearing in a small village with no skills worth mentioning, and no accommodation.
They hopefully, will depart but wont be forgotten. I’m sure the future pugilist Rosie will want to know why!
Can't disagree with any of that, Stasia ! I did have hopes of Rex originally, that he might develop into an interesting character, less of the loser, more of the achiever, but no - he's dwindled into a nothing, bottom.of the pecking order, even to Pip & Phoebe, & a touch wistful over Anisha's pregnancy - the girl who could have inspired him but whom he let slip....
DeleteI'm with you stasia - its just never seemed plausible to me that they would stay in Ambridge, never mind in Bert's bungalow!
DeleteI am the opposite, in that why, should the Fairbrother Brothers, be, booted off, due to a whim of Ruth, Josh etc..
DeleteI still think they should stay in Ambridge, at Hollowtree, with their enterprises.
After all Rex + Toby are two eligible batchelors, who could still turn heads.
There's Lily (to get her away from Russ), Pheobe, Hannah, or worse still, Kate!
I wonder how David will respond, to this suggestion, as it was him who gave them, the chance to work there.
Plus Bert, would be so lonely, without the companionship. It would be detrimental to him, a stalwart of Ambridge.
I rest my case, M'lord 🤓
Would Josh pay his parents the equivalent of the rent they currently get from Rex and T❤️O❤️B❤️Y? I don’t think so. I imagine the loss of rent might withhold with David. Understandably.
DeleteRegarding question of where David is in relation to decisions about the farm, he made an appearance to talk to Vince about the wedding booking, so that seems to be where his priorities lie at the moment. This was when Vince bumped into Elizabeth and showed an interest in her, or was it in LL, and a cheap deal at a classier wedding venue (he denied it at the time but...) or as some are saying, is he a fortune hunter. Incidentally, given that the bookings were badly down when Elizabeth and Freddie were having problems, they seem remarkably calm at LL just now.
ReplyDeleteThey will be very busy soon. Lily mentioned in passing that Russ, the fuss pots, was doing something with mirrors and illusion. An art installation.
DeleteI did laugh when I wrote that.
Lily should be looking at her choice in MEN.
Mind she is 21yrs and Elizabeth 50+.
Go Lizzie go. Have a good time with your piece of working class rough.
I don't think that working class rough, is a correct description.
DeleteHe seems quite an astute business man, with an accent, who knows what he wants, and goes for it!
I am not judging him, just yet. I want to know more about him, without the hard shell.
Matt - Mark II. 😁😘
DeleteMiriam. A bit of rough is a description of someone posh having a fling with someone outside their own class.
DeleteOr in Elizabeth’s case her children believe he is a bit of rough.
Vince referred to himself as a peasant from the twins' point of view, after the egg mayonnaise I agree.
DeleteMatt Crawford was capable of murder but not the thing with the egg mayonnaise.
Delete**Recent listeners to The Archers please note :
ReplyDeleteNew characters ' shipped into ' Ambridge.
( not a complete list) and in no particular order.
John Tregorran
Carol ( became Tregorran)
Oliver Stirling
Caroline Bone
Caroline Bone's first husband, can't remember his name but can recall his lovely voice.
Jack ? Became Peggy's second husband - eventually !
Sid Perks and Polly.
Alan Franks
The lady Vicar
Brian Aldridge
The Fairbrother father
Paddy someone
Ruorry's mother
NIGEL WAS NEW ONCE and so was Neil !
How do you recent listeners think that The Archers has survived for seventy odd years without introducing new characters. Some stay and become established, some pass through and then are gone. So those who find the Fairbrother brothers boring or a waste of space ( horrible expression ) think again. They could bed down and become established Ambridge residents, or disappear and return in thirty years time.
**And by recent listeners I mean listening for less than at least twenty years !
Mrs P - 👍👍👍
DeleteHow about Lily becoming bored with Russ and falling for Rex. I think Miriam hinted along those lines. That would give Russ a taste of his own medicine and Rex could enjoy some feminine adoration. He had an unrequited thing for Pip I remember so deserves some attention.
ReplyDeleteWell read, between the lines...that is a thought I have had, in a moment of madness 😁
DeleteI don't think your thought was madness Miriam, and I didn't think so when you first mentioned it.
ReplyDeleteWasn't there a scene at one point where they bumped into each other and got on rather well.
Archerphile and other long term dedicated listeners- please feel free to exercise your memories and add to my short list.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeletePeggy Archer
DeleteJill Archer
Pat Archer
Ruth Archer
Brian Aldridge
Johnny Phillips
Jazzer McCreary
Jim Lloyd
Alistair Lloyd
Justin Elliott
etc etc etc
The entire Tucker Family, including both Mike’s wives.
DeleteRalph Bellamy, who married Lilian
Ian Craig
Nora Salt
Bill Insley
Usha
Dr Locke
Wouldn’t it be quicker to list the characters who were NOT newcomers to Ambridge? 🙂
DeleteOf the lists posted here I have counted at least 12 who do not appear, also I haven’t even heard of some of those mentioned.
DeleteThat might be because I haven’t been listening since the year dot. Me about only 10 years, give or take a year or two.
It is quite insulting to newer listeners to imply that they shouldn’t make judgement or comments if they haven’t been listening for at leats 50 + years. Is 20yrs the cut off time for being allowed to engage In or be able to critique an episode, including issue led storylines or characters and their presentation.
I’m sure the BBC would not continue to produce this programme if it didn’t attract new listeners.
It would be long dead if it relied only on those who lave listened for 70 years.
Making comments offering ideas, even if they differ from ones own, is what keeps individuals interested. For me it doesn’t matter how long a person has been listening they should make their comment and others will have a right to reply. No one is right and no one is wrong and a particular length of time is and not be a criterion for doing so.
I was only 3 when TA started but remember Grace’s demise. I think in the early days it centred round Brookfield and the Archer clan. Agree new characters along the way have been essential. It’s just the propensity lately to make them all dodgy which has been unreal and a bit irritating! I do find the comments here on the program refreshing and sometimes they put a different slant on things to my first reflections.
DeleteI wasn't even born 😂
DeleteI am very confused as to the above lists, who are the old guard? Dan and Dorris? I started listening around the time of Dan's death.
ReplyDeleteWho was Nora Salt and Bill Insley?
Caroline's first husband was Guy Pemberton and he had a son Simon.
Jack's surname was Woolley.
Lady vicar was called Janet? who went off with Siobhan's (Ruairi's mother) husband Tim Hathaway.
Fairbrother senior is called Robin.
Paddy? Adam's father?
Debbie's father Roger Macy.
Debbie's husband Simon Gerard.
Iftikar, Freddie's tutor.
Matt's mother and half-brother who he warned off and it contributed to his death.
The couple Matt evicted?
Matt's partner 'Chalky'.
Borchester Land Board.
Lilian's and Elizabeth's assistants.
Julia Pargetter.
Jack Woolley's driver.
Bert Fry, Martha Woodward.
Russ, Anisha, Jakob.
Jacks Chauffeur, was a silent character but veryb important to me as he had my surname!
DeleteStasia, it's really up to you if you feel insulted by my post.
ReplyDeleteI did not say, or imply that newer listeners should not comment.
Nor did I imply that being a newer listener barred anyone from making judgements about characters new or otherwise.
I was pointing out that new characters in Ambridge had always been introduced from the early years of TA and that some had stayed and some had ' been and gone'.
The point being, boring, irritating, criminal or anything else about them, it seems to me that as fairly recent residents of the village, they are as relevant as any other characters that might have been " shipped in" to serve a purpose.
Your post of October 24 th, seemed to me to be an attack on the Fairbrothers as boring and useless, because they were new 'ish' to Ambridge, and that it was the silliest of silly story lines.
My point in response to that post was that new characters have been introduced with many a silly story line. One silly SL in particular many decades ago concerning Martha Woodward and the village telephone kiosk went on for an endless amount of time and irritated me beyond words, but I accepted her as a legitimate member of the village community and would not have dreamed of wishing her gone. I did wish the S l to be over. Martha was a long established resident of Ambridge at the time and I cannot remember now whether she had been introduced as a new character or not.
Others may remember.
You are entitled to wish the F brothers gone for whatever reason you feel legitimate, and I was not criticising you for doing so, but simply pointing out that being new to the village might not be a crime in itself in my opinion, and giving reference to other new characters over the decades to illustrate my point.
I apologise if you feel that I have insulted you and other ' newer' listeners to the programme.
If Vince is anything like Sean Bean when he played Mellors in Lady Chatterley's lover then I don't blame Elizabeth going for her bit of rough.
ReplyDeleteI would were I in her shoes
I wasn't over fond of Nigel.
I thought he was a bit "soppy"
I hated the way he called his mother "mummy".
I don't dislike Vince .
He tried to get the best deal he could from David and why not?
Go for it girl!
Agree with you, Lanjan - let Elizabeth take her chance ! Didn't care for Vince at all earlier, smooth tongued, unscrupulous type, but he did bring some colour into proceedings ( like Crawford, possibly Woolley in his early days?? Also of the same ilk as JE, but a cruder, more amusing version) it's not as if Elizabeth is over scrupulous either, is it.
DeleteLike you, I found Nigel irritating. rather like a puppy, endearing in a dog, not great in a man. Even more tiresome is the hero worship which his children & widow go in for when they talk about him. Understandable, perhaps, they loved him, but he really was not a heroic figure - more 'Tim, nice but dim' of Harry Enfield fame !
I accept that that there have always been, depending on ones definition, a lot of a silly storylines. However, the connection between silliness and the length of time one has been a listener are connected to personal interpretations or a time frame.
ReplyDeleteAs a newby listener, using the definition of not having reached the milestone of twenty years, I do feel it is disparaging to create a delineation between the older and newer listeners.
Words crystallise our perceptions and whilst it may not be our intention to make an impact on others, interpretation is how we hear the message.
The Archers is thirteen minutes of fiction and our response when we listen, Or read/write comments will vary depending our own values And personality traits.
Words are extremely powerful tools and in the Archers and on here they create a response to what I would describe as the illusion of life meeting some sense of reality.
Sometimes it is silly. I actually like silliness.
Second line , not.
DeleteStasia, I also saw that there were several posts where it was implied, rather than stated, that decades long listeners have a better handle on TA today than those who don't go back so far, which isn't true as It's just as valid to comment on the way the SLS & characters are being handled now, & in more recent times.
DeleteI see that many here, & no doubt plenty who blog elsewhere or nowhere at all, feel a strong loyalty to the series, & stick with it through the good & bad times. I don't listen or watch in that way personally ( eg enjoyed Eastenders from the beginning for ages, but dropped it around 10-12 years, ago because it became so reliant on sensationalism & ridiculously OTT!)
The bloggers who enjoy reminiscing about TA's past, making comparisons, tying up loose ends, filling in memory gaps & so on, have every right to do just that; others of us who prefer to stick to the way SLs & charactisations are handled currently are fine also.
Every approach goes, no right or wrong, - we are individuals !
Carolyn.
DeleteReality or illusion is an existential state that exists in all of us and like you I interpret words and events in relation to how I am, and what I am interested in, at any given time.
The Archers is the only soap I have listened to, initially only occasionally, and when I dropped in again I had no trouble with the storyline. It was a soap of simplicity that didn’t tax the emotions too much.
Now it is ridden with complex issues that never seem to be resolved. Hence I listen fairly frequently
The S/Ws now and again, in attempt to up the angst, insert a silly narrative which can initially be interesting but then gets dropped.
For example, Johnie seeks his scratch card here, he seeks it there, he sought it in every nook and cranny in Ambridge. We all thought we knew , or think we knew who had it. But does he have it?
Do I care?
No.
IMO a silly story.
I would like to clarify that it was not, and is not, my intention to suggest that lifetime listening to The Archers gives a better understanding or ' handle' to the current presentation of the programme.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe it does.
It is what has come to be known as a soap opera, and it has undoubtedly changed over the decades, but i am sure it can be picked up and listened to by new listeners and understood within a fairly short period of time.
The advantage of having listened throughout the lifetime of the programme is that the listener who has, might have a better understanding of the history of any particular group or individual within Ambridge.
Some of us on this blog do have those memories, though none of us has total recall I'm sure, but when new characters are introduced they are just as new to those long term listeners as they are to someone who has tuned in last week for the first time.
My objection, if it was such was the suggestion that current fairly new characters, the brothers F, had been introduced for spurious reasons and that the subsequent SLs involving them were silly. The suggestion seemed to me to be that new characters and silly SLs, together, equated to uselessness and could therefore be disregarded.
Where as I believe that silly, strong, or complex, whatever the subject, all is part of the mix that keeps us listening.
Or not !
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSorry, for some reason my comment posted twice.
ReplyDeleteSo one deleted
I hope, because I am an oldie who has listened to TA since its birth, that nobody has gained the impression that I think I am a more worthy or genned-up listener than anyone else.
ReplyDeleteBut sometimes newer listeners ask questions about why a character is behaving in a particular way, or how a piece of land came to belong to a certain farm, or what the history is between some clashing characters.
Then it is nice to feel that I, or one of the other older listeners can shed a little light on current day happenings by explaining what happened in the last.
It is similar to a grandchild asking it’s grand-parent what happened when they were young, or why cousin Fred doesn’t get on with Mrs Fixit, or if there was ever a village school.
I suppose, having known Ambridge and it’s characters for such a long time, I do feel a bit proprietorial about it being criticised or made fun of. Having seen so many changes under a succession of Editors one accepts that some eras will have been more successful than others, some stories too prolonged or not engaging, some groundbreaking, some upsetting and some just downright stupid or unbelievable.
But , on the whole, I still enjoy my daily dose of rural life which has often echoed my own and I hope all other listeners can get some enjoyment from it too.
After all, I think it’s supposed to be entertainment and not a handbook on human behaviour today!
WOW. What an interesting debate.
ReplyDeleteI was going to post my "extra" thoughts, that I always have, after listening to the Sunday Omnibus, but a I retreating quickly, and will not now do...not that they were of interest. 😦
...except for Rex learning that, Anisha is also pregnant. Both Rex + Harrison, to me, both felt that their futures, did not include fatherhood...
DeleteI found this quite moving.
That's All I am posting. 😁
I am having a paperwork clearout including a 1995 Archers Addicts Christmas card featuring a coloured illustration of a snowy, lit up street scene in Borchester with the shop fronts of Nelson’s wine bar and Hebden & Gupta Solicitors. The card is signed by the actors playing Phil, Jill, Hayley, Joe, David, Kathy and Usha.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone would like to have it and can find a way to give me a postal address, I will happily forward it.
There is à keen market for Archers memorabilia on eBay Maryellen. (I bought a jigsaw there myself some time ago). As Mrs P says below, you might get a good sum for charity by lusting it there. Just make sure you include ‘Archers’ in the description.
DeleteOh lord! What an inappropriate typo. Should have been ‘listing’ of course. 😖
DeleteI think 'lusting' is appropriate, AP ! If there are folk who would grab at a chance of acquiring some Archer memoribilia on ebay, their lust must be strong....
DeleteYou could auction it Maryellen and send the £ £ £ to your favourite charity.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSounds like a very good idea Maryellen.
DeleteSorry, I mixed up my first posting which should have said: Thanks very much for your suggestions, Mrs P and AP. Although I’ve bought on eBay, I’ve never sold and I’m not sure I want the hassle. So if no one here wants it, I’ll take it into Oxfam and ask if they would like to sell it on eBay or via their online bookshop.
DeleteMaryellen- your own suggestion re Oxfam and eBay sounds like the best to me.
ReplyDeleteThey have the resources and may get a decent amount of £££
If I recall correctly the last time David tried to evict Toby, he was told, "I have a lease and there is nothing you can do about it!"
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with that David!
I really must be getting old!
ReplyDeleteI hardly understood a word of what Ben and Ruairi were talking about tonight!
However it was good to hear Pip being much nicer to Josh and actually encouraging and congratulating him on his business plans. Perhaps David had had a word!
Strange really that she doesn’t seem too bothered about evicting the Fairbretheren from their rented premises. Don’t think they will find an alternative as easily as she seems to think.
It was indeed good to hear BOTH Josh and Pip getting on so well, with Pip unstinting in her concern and congratulations for her brother and him appreciating it, lapping it up in fact. This seems to have come about of it’s own accord since no one else was present during their earlier. altercation and might have intervened since. Pip has repeatedly voiced her concern about the effect on the Fairbrothers of ending their Hollowtree tenancy ( does the lease have a break clause?)., Josh not at all.
DeleteWhy is Rex renting land to put his boss’s pigs on, any way? Neil has a field, as I recall. T❤️O❤️B❤️Y doesn’t need the land, just the building. Maybe he could rent that separately unless the drama demands total, eviction ( or threat of).
To be ultra-fair to Josh, he did concur when Pip first voiced her concern about the Fairbrothers but in a rather muted way.
DeleteI thought the pigs belonged to Rex and he was selling them on to Neil? So Rex is self-employed?
DeleteWhy have these enormous blank spaces started to appear?
DeleteWell, Ruairi is a chip of his father’s old conman block. LeadIng dopey Ben ‘ I’m desperate for a girlfriend/sex’ into thinkImg he was going to the Lemon Drizzle gig.
ReplyDeleteArcherphile. I praised the last episode but last nights was dire. Is that really how it is when we get down wiv da kids?
Good on you Josh, that was a big cowclap in the face for Pip.👊🏽
I’m still mystified about what they were talking about, especially because, like Esscee, I couldn’t work out which of the ‘lads’ were speaking. Eventually I realised Ben had the deeper voice, but what Ruairi was conning him over, I haven’t a clue!
DeleteExactly how I felt Archerphile in fact I drifted away from this episode as I couldn’t fathom who some of the male youngsters were (unless named) didn’t even realise that Ruaira was one of them....
DeleteThe last letter came out as “a“ instead of i - must do better editing 🙃
DeleteRuairi told Ben to go round the barriers but he also warned him that his plan will fail, but he's talking to Evie, so that's OK.
ReplyDeleteArcherphile, if you're really interested, I shall explain. Susan wanted Brookfield on the show to talk about the dig. Ruth said no, because the whole of Borsetshire will know. Ruairi told Ben to overcome barriers. Ben decided to go on the show and be "surprised" by Susan's question about the dig which he'd be obliged to answer. Ruairi told him it was a terrible plan but Ben doesn't care. It gave him a reason to contact Evie to discuss what he'll say. Riveting, but we go with the flow.
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you Basia for explaining that part so well. Actually, I got that bit, it was at the very beginning when Ben thought Ruairi had invited him to some event or other, something about drizzle, then Ruairi said no it was just him and someone else with a strange name. I was very confused, probably because I mistook who was speaking to whom......anyway, I don’t suppose its essential to the plot !
DeleteR said that his mate from school booked a venue for 3 for R's 18th. Naturally Ben thought he was included but R said no, sorry, it was booked for him and + two paid for by the mate's father.
DeleteRemember the Jill club ?
ReplyDeleteI think Basia and me should be founder members of the ' Go with the Flow ' club.
MrsP, I started the Jill Fan Club, at one point there were 13 members, but not you as I recall. The remaining ones are only Archerphile and Spicycushion and I still stand by Jill. I shall gladly join you in the "Go with the Flow", because let's face it, you either do or you don't.
DeleteAre there really only three of us left Basia? Trying to remember who the others were.. Dublin somebody or other, Anne someone? Oh my memory has gone walkabout!
DeleteI kept the list for a while but no longer have it. Dublin Dolly, someone from NZ with her cats' names, Anne ?, Caroline C who appeared only once and called Jill "an angel with flowery hands", AJ Wilts, lincslass ?
DeleteWas it Fergus and Millie? I thought she was in Aus?
DeleteYes, Spicycushion, you remember correctly, Fergus&Millie, you're probably right about Aus as well. There was also Knit1Purl1 and it wasn't Archerphile under her old name, perhaps she was in NZ. Btw, Jill's hands may be flowery, but definitely floury!
DeleteGood memory Basia. Definitely remember K1P1, it was she that gave me the idea for using K2tog as a name for a while.
DeleteAlso remember Lincs lass, and there was a chap who was always asking me to knit him a sweater, but perhaos he wasn’t a member of the Jill Club.
A definite non- Jill lover was RAFbrat who reappeared under several different names and made life hell for a lot of us!
EllieMay may have joined as well. As for the 'unmentionable' she lashed out at me for organising cliques, I sort of took it on board being new to blogging, oh it's in the past.
DeleteJack Archer and Stuart Horrobin, they've dug up another alcoholic, so that Alice has one on each side of the family. Why isn't LL divided between the twins?
ReplyDeleteBecause Nigel did the traditional thing and left it to his first born male child. My book says Jack spent time in the county hospital (?asylum) on account of his alcoholism.
DeleteThanks, so Lily and Elizabeth get nothing and Freddie takes over at 21 I suppose.
DeleteBasia, I thought LL was in trust for Freddy, until he was 25 yrs. At that time, Lily would also receive an inheritance (not sure what), but no claim to LL. Lizzie is to have a life long home at LL. just as now.
DeleteMy memory might be wrong though, but that is I recall things.
I think it’s very likely he made some financial provision for Lily (like leaving her the valuable paining) and for Elizabeth, like the right to continue living at Lower Loxley for the rest of her life.
DeleteI think there wa some sort of thing on the Deeds to say it passes through the male line? I don't lmow if we have ever been told whether Lily or Freddie is the elder?
DeleteI looked up the artist of the painting Lily got for her 18th. Her most expensive were sold for about £14k, not much compared to a huge stately home!
I know which I’d rather have!!
DeleteI think a stately home nowadays is a bit of a liability draining cash away in maintenance! It can though bring in some cash if run properly. I’m sure Freddie will need assistance to run it as a business and Lily is the obvious choice after Elizabeth who is getting older. I doubt whether Freddie will wield a big stick as owner and the twins will run it together giving them both a living.
DeleteOf course, if Lily wants to inherit Lower Locksley as her mother jokingly suggested, she has to ensure that Freddie’s show is a disaster. The plot thickens! (Or sickens!)
DeleteElizabeth’s joke about Lily inheriting Lower Loxley suggests that the estate isn’t entailed on a male heir so this is legally possible. If it had to pass down the male line, who on earth would the next in line be? (I dimly remember some dodgy relative turning up, claiming he not Nigel was the rightful owner.)
DeleteOr am I getting mixed up with Downton Abbey? Was it a storyline going the rounds?
DeleteMaryellen - that was one of my more wackier ideas, which I posted here. Is this what you recall?
Delete...the S/L I wrote was along the lines of -
DeleteNigel's father had another, older son, who only found this out when his mother died, He turned up saying that he was the rightful owner. It was pure fiction.
I also suggested, Graham Seed, played this new character!
I don’t think so, Miriam, it was definitely a storyline I heard rather than read. But I imagine the terms of Nigel’s father’ will would have prevailed and presumably he named Nigel as his heir. In your scenario, would he necessarily have know he had this other son?
DeletePrimogeniture doesn't exist any more in the UK thankfully.
ReplyDeleteThe obvious thing for Nigel to do would have been to divide the house into three so that if he died before Elizabeth then Freddie, Lily and Elizabeth would each have their own quarters.
A bit like Kensington Palace!
The land could be sold and some affordable houses could be erected
When the twins were born many large estates were being given over to The National Trust .
Quite honestly I don't know how LL is surviving.
I don't think Nigel was that savvy with money.
They make money with “Deck the Halls” and through the year with weddings etc. Also of course Nigel’s wine! You would think though that this year would be a bit lean for them!
DeleteDon't forget the massive success of Freddie's tours of the attic - that must have made enough cash to see them through to 2025 quite comfortably.
DeleteAnd the "Ghost Story" nights that they had last year, where quite inexplicably, countless dozens of people (most of them elderly) managed to easily climb into the rafters of an old house.
Oh, and then there was the Halloween performances that were entirely unsuitable for the children that they were targeting as an audience.
And let's not forget that they somehow ran a wedding venue without an alcohol license for the best part of a year too! They must be ROLLING in money...🙄🙄🙄
👍😂😂
DeleteOh Gary 😂🤣😂 very true though!
DeleteDid the Facebook crowd notice that yesterday Pip took time out of her working day to take Rosie to the park?
ReplyDelete