Anyone listen to The Archers? Possible adoption storyline

[UnderTheNameOfSanders]

Just in case anyone is interested there seems to be an adoption storyline in Radio 4's The Archers developing, for a gay couple, 50yo farmer Adam, and slightly younger chef Ian.
They have been invited to an information session next week.

I heard that! We're a same sex couple and I felt most excited at having an Archers storyline that reflected our family!

Sorry, that's a lot of exclamation marks.

Please don't fuck it up Archers.

Ha ha, I'm sure they will be approved, matched and have a kid living with them within 6 weeks!!

OOh it almost makes e feel like listening to the Archers again!

Kew Depending on when you stopped, it has gone back to normal now the Rob'n'Helen storyline is over and SOC has left, so enjoyable again.

I am assuming that said child will be either a. the cutest mop haired blonde baby in the universe ('all this child needs is love - she's lucky to have you') or b. Satan.

Ahem. I already adopted the cutest mop haired blonde baby in the universe. Taken.

I am quite excited if The Archers has left Rob'n'Hellin hell.

Recent storylines

• Women in the cricket team
• Caroline Stirling's death
• Lilian engaged to Justin, but Matt returning hello pusscat
• Peggy owning a cat from hell called Hilda Ogden
• New female vet Anisha brining in horse customers
• Phoebe pregnancy scare - will it screw up her being at Oxford

Yeah well not taken actually because the cutest little mop haired blonde baby in the world is asleep upstairs. but sometimes she's also Satan

I listen to the Archers most days. I have done for YEARS. I have no idea who anyone is or what's going on. Occasionally I recognise Ruth.

Well I can time my stopping listening to the archers to the arrival of the cutestest little gel-haired boy in the world... so in just over a month it will be 10 years.

Actually now I think of it - he'd probably put up with me listening these days though I am very often out at the football on SUndays I assume there is some kind of new fangled catch up available

Very good portrayal of Information Evening tonight. Repeated tomorrow at 2pm and also at ~10:24 on Sunday am as part of the omnibus.

So Kew 10 years ago I was locking myself into our kitchen to do the ironing for 75mins on Sundays while DH occupied our 2 newly placed DDs.

You have approximately missed:
Brian's ex mistress Siobhan (sp) dying and him taking in his son by her Ruari (sp) with Jenny's cooperation.
Nigel Pargetter falling from lower Loxley roof at new year and dying
Alistair Lloyd massive gambling addiction but overcoming it with wife Shula
Shula's son Daniel joining the Army
Betty Tucker dying, Mike remarrying, having a daughter with Downs and them moving to Birmingham
Roy Tucker having an affair with Elizabeth Pargetter (after Nigel's demise), so Hayley leaving him and taking their daughter with her
Tom Archer leaving Kirsty and the altar
John Archer's son 'Johnny' turning up and now doing an apprenticeship with his grandfather Tony
David and Ruth Archer nearly selling the farm and moving up north, but not.
Helen marrying abusive Rob, eventually he goads her into stabbing him, she was on trial for attempted murder but acquitted due to coersive control

Plus 10 flower and produce shows, 10 summer fetes, 10 Lynda Snell Christmas productions, 1 flood, various Grundy escapades, etc.

hth if anyone starts listening.

Did you really just summarise 10years of archers in one, reasonable length post? 😂

I love this board. 😘

Applause for Sanders

Also, the re-casting of Pip, which was a bit like the re-casting of Darlene on Roseanne (that is, weird).

Well, those were the key things that came to me.

Yes Pip was recast - weird.
Tony Archer recast
Tom Archer went to Canada after jilting Kirsty and came back a new man (literally)

Clarrie Grundy accidentally caused an e-coli outbreak at Bridge Farm and nearly bankrupted it
Will Grundy still hasn't really forgiven his brother Ed for having an affair and then marrying his wife
Susan Carter still social climbing, helped by her son Chris marrying the Aldridge youngest daughter Alice (who got a proper high tech engineering degree but now seems to be selling fancy farm tech)

Anyway back to the point of this thread, the summary / commentary on the Information Evening was very good, (even though they made it to the evening at such short notice due to a couple pulling out as they got pregnant )

They all get pregnant just as soon as they whisper the 'A' word doncha know?

I thought it was quite good. I did roll my eyes at 'it was hard work but they didn't give up' but I guess that could almost be our board motto...

They all get pregnant just as soon as they whisper the 'A' word doncha know?

Pretty sure that won't happen to Adam & Ian!

My Archers listening ended shortly after Pip was born, so I'm just a little out of date... The parents are committed listeners of over 40 years so I'll see what they make of it all.

Maiya Not sure I can do ~25years of catchup!

(I grew up listening to TA so have probably been listening for 50 years on and off.)

The sws will probably still ask them what contraception they're using though...

Ian has now decided he wants a baby, his own flesh and blood. So he and Adam are now looking into surrogacy. Well done to The Archers for showing that adoption can only ever be the last resort

That's a shame, I was considering starting to listen again ( had to stop as Helen and rob was too traumatic ) .

Thanks for the update.

Oh FFS.

grrr.

So disappointed if it goes that way.

Ian tells Helen of a couple he knows who had to "sort of bid for children and kept losing out to other adopters. It was heartbreaking". They do have a lovely little girl now

Helen asks if that doesn't put Ian off, he says Adam is "expecting it to be hard work. That was definitely the message at the information event"

They discuss how terrible it was when a previous attempt at surrogacy fell through. Helen says "a big part of that for you was wanting a baby that was your own flesh and blood"

Ian says he just wants a child. Later he and Adam have a heart-to heart. Ian's concerned about the process, having to talk about the "intimate stuff" i.e. Adam's cheating.

Then it admits it's not really that. "The biggest thing I sensed (at the information evening) was all the sadness in the room... Sian was obviously still grieving for the baby she'll never have"

Adam interjects with positive comments though it's clear that he sees adoption as giving an older child a chance in life. He then asks Ian if he wants to adopt a 2 or 3 year old.

"No ... we haven't tried for our own baby"

They discuss doing surrogacy the "proper" way this time with Ian' as the donor "All my instincts are screaming at me to try it ... I mean our own baby ... to me it really would be the most amazing thing in the whole world"

Adam says "surrogacy is totally different" to which Ian replies "but it might be better".

The scriptwriters have missed (or are delaying) the opportunity to explore an interesting adoption line. As Rob Titchener would say "badly done, Archers, badly done".