Am I the only person under 40 who listens to the Archers?

[Emsiewill]

Feeling inspired tonight (nothing too deep, though!). Anyway, I often wonder, on a Sunday morning when listening to the omnibus edition of the Archers, if I am the only one of my generation (30-ish) who listens. I love it, and have been listening for 15 years, since I lived in France, and was missing Corrie, Eastenders etc. It was the only soap available to me (well, in English, anyway!). My mum used to listen, but now she's gone, I have no-one to gossip about it with, and that's half the fun of soaps - talking about them at work the next day. I think if I went into work and said "Ruth's pregnant, isn't it great!" I'd get some funny looks.
I'm hoping to find someone here who listens.

I must be pre-menstrual. I found tears in my eyes whilst listening to the arrival of Benjamin David Archer on the omnibus just now!

Faith- see how your predictions have come to pass! Any bets on when Jenny is going to discover the truth? I can't wait fopr that smug Brian to get his just deserts!

Scummymummy, I haven't even got the excuse of being premenstrual to explain my sobbing away at BDA's arrival!
I did wonder whether the phonecall might have been overheard...all that talk about why Alice hadn't answered, when Siobhan rang Brian at home?
What will Jennifer do? Forgive him?...again!

Love it and have tuned in on and off since I was 18 - now 33.
and yes the birth made me weep too!
Lets keep the archers gossip going
got to go baby crying
ttfn

Oh the joy of the regular story updates in my inbox. I find the internet connections to radio 4 really irritating and if I try and hook up on via Sky I end up having a contretemps with ds who feels that if the tv is on it should have a picture and pref one that features the teletubbies.

Sorry to have missed the live delivery, sounds like it has struck a few chords. I must admit that I have a bit of a soft spot for Brian and his roguish ways, poor git moi.

I have listened to the Archers as long as I can remember and the children's bedtime routine is worked round the programme! I even dragged my long-suffering husband along to an Archers Convention in Battersea Park once, many years' ago (got the Archers mug to prove it - very sad!)

What I love about the programme and radio generally is that you can be doing other things while listening in. Also you can miss several episodes and soon catch up with what's happening.

I thought the birth episode was very moving - yes I cried too - I especially liked the bit when David muttered under his breath "it's just like delivering a calf"! I would be lost without my bit of escapism. I've even been known to discuss the characters as if they were real people, much to dh's amusement. He has become an Archers Addict by default!

I DO want Brian to get found out this time...and maybe we'll even see some boiling bunnies from Siobhan (goodness knows, the Grundys have enough of them going spare)...
I'm finding Shula v irritating at the moment and Linda strangely un-irritating. what does that say about me?

Wasn't Kate's baby born on a Friday too? Good for the end of the omnibus edition. Am I the only one that finds both David & Ruth really annoying? I don't like the ongoing story about Ruth going up ladders, milking cows etc. when heavily pregnant. It's portrayed as her being all rufty tufty, "I'm not ill, just pregnant" type of thing, which doesn't recognise that there are good reasons for taking it easier when you're pg, you're not just malingering. Obviously love to hate Siobhan at the mo. BTW, does anyone know what happened between Brian & Caroline? They seem a very unlikely pair.

I don't listen to the Archers but this story was in our local daily paper yesterday. Quite a coincidence!

FARMER QUICK OFF THE MARK FOR SON'S BIRTH

MARK DREVER

09:51 - 18 March 2002

A farmer who is more used to birthing animals had to deal with a more unusual and emotional delivery last week.

When Paul Frank checked on his pregnant wife in the middle of the night, she was giving birth.

Paul's newborn son Euan arrived so quickly, he only arrived in time to catch the baby on his way out.

Paul, 36, of Rennieshill Farm, Newmachar, explained that his wife Margaret, had been due to give birth to their second child when she started complaining of pains at about 1am.

He said: "I went to bed at about midnight and she got up at about 1am.

"She said that the baby had started. I asked her if she wanted to go to the hospital and she said no and that she would go for a bath."

The couple's first child, Andrew, two, had been overdue so they did not think there was any need to rush.

Mr Frank explained: "Margaret had a bath and was just pottering around when she shouted that the baby was coming.

"I went into the bathroom and literally caught the baby's head with my hand. We were in shock and just kind of stood there looking at each other.

"We didn't really panic as I think the shock didn't really set in until much later.

"I phoned the midwife, she explained what to do and then the ambulance came out and took them to hospital."

Mrs Frank said that it was just after drying herself after her bath, last Tuesday, she realised the baby was coming and there was nothing she could do about it.

She said: "Because Andrew was late, I just thought we had more time.

"It wasn't that bad, even without anaesthetic"

The couple, who have been married for almost four years, said family and friends were a bit shocked when they first heard what had happened, but now everyone is enjoying little Euan.

Mrs Frank said: "He's doing really well and Andrew loves his little brother. I thought he might have been a bit jealous to start with but he's not at all."

Mr Frank added: "We're just very lucky because it could have ended badly but we had a little bit of good fortune."

oo! i missed the birth! sounds very exciting!

I have been listening to the archers since my mid twenties!! now in my early 30's, i was absolutely manic about it and used to tape and then listen over and over again over the week! and then hubby bought me a 1 year membership into the addicts club! ... i am praying to god that brian gets found out! what a git! and what a silly cow siobhan is!

Its a source of discord in our house! I love the Archers and have listened since whenever. dH HATES it and is waiting for a plane to drop on the village. Bizarrely, I like it despite wanting to throttle at least half the characters (Peggy, Elizabeth, Susan Carter etc etc). Archers Anarchist books well worth a look.

Brian and Caroline had an affair, years ago, before he was kicked in the head by Joe Grundy's mad cow. I think he was up to something with mandy (?) from the pony club too. Would only like Brian to get caught as Jennifer is completely in sufferable.

Calling all avid Archers fans! The storyline really seems to be hotting up at the moment making the programme evwn more compulsive listening than usual.

Kenton's arrival back on the scene seems somewhat sudden and his story about the reason for his break-up with Mel seems to change every time he tells it. I reckon he's dumped her not the other way round. With his taste for gossip and intrigue, I think he will be the one to spill the beans on the father of Siobhan's baby. But it would be nice to see Brian get his come uppance at last!

As an aside I bought my sons a Tales Before Bedtime tape from ELC recently and thought one of the narrators sounded strangely familiar. Suddenly realised it was Tony (Colin Skipp). How sad is that when I can instantly recognise the characters'voices even when they are doing something else!

Xanthe, quite a lot of people have always thought Kenton was gay (as well as being a complete prat) and Mel was his beard (if that's the right expression!)

Ever since the episode when he bumped into Siobhan in Felpersham this week I've been trying to work out how come he knew her well enough to recognise her instantly in the street - she's only been in Ambridge 3 years and he's been away for longer than that - he was just here for the fleeting visit to whine with Lizzie about David and Ruth getting Brookfield...???

And don't forget that Jenny's children have 3 fathers. She is hardly Miss Purity.

I absolutely hate Elizabeth - money grabbing bitch - she and bunny-boiling Siobhan thoroughly deserve each other. And that Kenton's no better. Mind you Ruth and Daaayvid are appalling too. I wonder why I am so addicted! I keep missing episodes due to ds and really miss it. I used to listen to it on the way home from work and sometimes used to deliberately/unnecessarily work late so I would be in the car when it was on - dh hates it - so how addicted is that?

OK jkanh I listened to the omnibus this morning and I am now in a position to reveal how Siobhan knew Kenton - Elizabeth invited Siobhan around to meet him earlier in the week (I think Monday night's episode? It's hard to tell in the omnibus) in a kind of "oh I think you two will really get on manner" and he sussed as soon as she'd gone that Siobhan was pregnant.

I wonder if this is a "Kenton replaces lost child on other side of world with Siobhan's baby" storyline. That is, if she IS pregnant.I wonder if I should get out more.

Anyway - that's that mystery solved.

Thanks, Zoe, I obviously missed that episode during the week!

I think we probably both need to get out more! It is embarrassingly gripping. I heard most of the omnibus this morning and am now wondering if Mel's replacement for Kenton is a) Italian b) Greek or c) a figment of his imagination.

Is Kenton's "daughter" actually his at all? Did Mel leave him or the other way round? I know he and David loathe each other anyway but I do feel David has a point - "there's always a hidden agenda with Kenton"...time will tell!

(Couldn't be less interested in the Jazzer/drugs/Bull etc storyline though.)

I was going to post myself yesterday and say how much I couldn't care less whether Jazzer lives or dies. I'm with Sid on this one - it serves him right! Although what was the policewoman getting at - does Sid have something to hide?
I'm sure that Kenton will be the one to give the Siobhan/Brian thing away - should be good!

When Siobhan was with Elizabeth & didn't spill the beans re baby's paternity, I was huddled over the radio shushing dd! Janh - Jenny darling's children having 3 fathers? I thought Kate & Alice were both Brian's? I think the whole Brian/Siobhan is being drawn out a bit too much, and all it seems to consist of is her phoning saying "I must see you" and him saying that he can't get away. Hopefully there'll be a bit more to it over the next six months.

Rosy, she has Adam (currently in Africa) - Paddy Redmayne's son, and Debbie - Roger Travers-Macy's daughter.
She was a right goer! Not sure quite how she hooked brian, or got so posh, under the circs (except that he obviously likes goers...)

my theory is that Mel's Italian lover is another woman ... how I loathe dreadful Siobhan,and equally loathsome Elizabeth and Kenton (why did they name their son after a NW London suburb ?)- however I cannot resist the Archers and love it dearly.

Sorry to be dim but can somebody explain how Brian and Jennifer etc are related to Elizabeth and David etc??

Ok, I'll have ago at this Bells2...

Jack and Phil Archer= brothers

Jack married Peggy and begat Jennifer and Tony.

Phil married Jill and begat Kenton, Shula, David and Elizabeth

So Jennifer is cousin to David and Elizabeth as far as my reckoning goes!

You might find more info here !

But just to confuse things, Peggy's first husband (father of Jenny & Tony) was also called Jack (he liked to "bend the elbow" allegedly). IE, Jack Woolley is J & T's stepfather. I have this in good authority from my FIL who remembers hearing the fire that Phil's first wife died in!

OK another sad Archer's listener comes out of the woodwork! I do hope Brian gets caught simply because I don't mind all the upset in a radio programme and I suspect will have to emerge when the baby is born unless Kenton spills the beans first. Also, Kenton keeps changing his story about Mel's lover who, according to him, has been variously Greek, Italian and Australian. He also said something else which escapes me which indicated there is more to him coming over than he has let on about. Anyway I am lucky enough to be away for the next week so I hope I can get filled in on the storyline when I return!

Thanks a lot for the explanation - much appreciated. Was always confused because Tony and Jennie seem so much older than the others.