Wednesday 11 August 2010

2nd August 2010

The Archers: Emma’s getting flowers … Chris and Alice are back (with big news!)

  • Emma’s flowers
  • Oho! On yourself, Alice and Chris!
  • Jennifer and Brian’s reaction
  • Susan and Neil’s reaction
  • Susan Vs Jennifer
  • The Bull’s slipping fast


Emma’s flowers

It has to be Josh.

Or, could it be a very belated attempt from Will (now that Nic is seemingly getting more male attention).


Oho! On yourself, Alice and Chris!

With ‘Brick’ and ‘Linda-Lou’ as their witnesses, heart-shaped keyrings as part of the package - Alice and Chris got married in Las Vegas.

Classy (not!).

What a wonderful moment – Jennifer and Brian only slowly realising what had happened as Chris carries Alice over the threshold.

Brian’s right that Chris’ proposal wasn’t exactly original (“Alice … will you marry me?”), but at least it was heartfelt.

But how many years before Alice does bemoan the fact that she didn’t have the whole shebang? What will it take for her to change her mind from the lack of an engagement ring being a good thing (they afford a better wedding ring), to it being a sign that Chris didn’t ever really care.

15 minutes of fame is one thing, but I can’t see little Princess Alice always being so enamoured of her 15 minute wedding.

Or, am I just being too cynical?


Jennifer and Brian’s reaction

Jennifer:

“How could she do this to us?”

“What the hell has she done?”

“The biggest mistake of Alice’s life”
“They must have been high on something”

“She might have stayed in the area if she married into one of the good families – not settled for the village farrier


“Aunty Chris and George Barford all over again”*
“I’m never going to see one of my children have a proper wedding”**

“At least we don’t have to fork out for a wedding”
“We can look on this as Alice’s starter marriage”


Susan and Neil’s reaction

“Never been so happy in me life”
“Wonderful news! Congratulations son”

“There’s a bottle of cava in the fridge”

“Our Christopher … a married man!”

“We’ll ring a quarter for you”
(did I get that bell ringing related term right?)


Susan Vs Jennifer
“It’s Susan – your new in-law!”

Oh that must have been a phrase which Jennifer used to wake up screaming about.

And that it happens for real.

It’d be easy to feel sorry for her if she wasn’t been such an undeserving snob. It’d be most folks nightmare to have Susan related to them, but Jennifer simply doesn’t have the excuse that Susan’s of a lower class.

Publican’s daughter. New money from her husband.

Hardly the stuff of royalty.

Though:

“Neil and I fell in love after he built me a pig pen”

Doesn’t exactly inspire a sense of decorum, neither.

So, while Susan thinks:

“The important thing is our children are united”

While Jennifer gets the last word:

“Good grief Brian – I’m related to a Horrobin!”

Laugh?

I nearly chocked my pint of shires.


The Bull’s slipping fast


Or, more correctly, it’s slipping because it’s not moving at all.

A menu that hasn’t changed in over a month.

How very dare they!

It’s not as if anyone’s died …


*Chris Barford, nee Archers, formerly Johnson, was Doris’ much anticipated and adored only daughter. After doomed love affairs, and a very difficult (to say the least) marriage to Paul Johnson (who died and was buried in German) she married ex-policeman and gamekeeper George Barford. Recovering alcoholic, counting a barmaid amongst his previous affairs, having also lived with a woman without being wed to her. Not entirely a Horrobin, but enough ‘colour’ in his past to make the Archer clan a tad snooty towards him.

**As Brian pointed out, Adam and Ian did have the full ensemble for their wedding. Not sure why that doesn’t count, and Adam wouldn’t be amused to hear it dismissed so easily …

2 comments:

Miriam said...

I have been eating my hands off until you came back from hols to hear all this (hope you had a lovely holiday, btw!). This episode provided me with so much deep joy I revelled in hearing it twice!

And my favourite, most heartwarming bit, was Neil's offer to ring the quarter peal - it was such a genuine, heartfelt response, and Christopher was genuinely touched at the offer. Nice father son moment there, I thought.

And finally! Thank you so much for the Joanna Toye - I'm thoroughly enjoying it! I still need to post you the Antonia Forest swap, and I promise it'll be on its way by the end of the week :)

Inga McVicar said...

Cheers Miriam! It's lovely to be missed, but please don't harm yourself in my abscence ;-)

Lovely time away, though horrified to realise I couldn't get radio or internet - had to cope with no Archers, and then 10 days to catch-up on. And what a 10 days!

Aye - this was such a classic episode. Can't quite believe how snooty Jennifer is, but wonderful times ahead with Susan manging to 'lower the tone'.

You're right about Neil (and loved it when he told Chris in a later episode to never wonder if he 'deserves' her). Brian also seems to be taking it in his stride - which just leaves the ladies to cross handbags at dawn.

Enjoy Joanna, and no worries about the swap. Just whenever suits.