Can I PLEASE just have 13 minutes? 13 measly minutes to myself to listen to The Archers?

[PseudoBadger]

Come and enjoy awkward dinner parties galore!

Sorry congrats on the thread and welcome to the newbies

I don't really think Adam did see through him though, or at least he was prepared to make allowances- it's only Ian, who's always been very emotionally intelligent. I was hoping he would say he'd go to Henry, and find the ladder taken down........

Can I just quietly glow with pride? For being the inspiration for the thread title.

I feel I have truly made it.

I have a confession to make. In recent days I have flirted with another archers forum. I know, I know. In 48 hours I have had a row with one patronising throwback bloke who was telling us all how he admired "working housewives" for running a house while "making a contribution to the household income" (apparently they are nothing short of saints) and been informed that controlling behaviour like Rob's isn't abuse because "some people like to be controlled"

I have left that forum and scurried back here to the warm bosom of sanity that is the MN Archers thread.

Please forgive me my transgression!

By the way, my phone corrected that last sentence to "warm bison"

Stunned and delighted to find this thread! I've been on here for years (dd1 is 13) and listened to the archers since I was a child (and wasn't allowed to talk for those 13 minutes). I'm reasonably intelligent. Why didn't I put two and two together until now and realise that my two favourite time wasting educational activities could be linked??!

Glad I listened this morning or I may not have been able to sleep last night... Rob just kept coming out with more. I'd thought of a lot of the story ideas on this thread too but not the one about Rob turning on Henry which seems very likely now I think about it. I'd been giving Rob a chance to turn out to be the good guy after all, but not anymore!!!

Love the title! I like to listen to the omnibus while I'm preparing dinner on a Sunday evening. What fun to play the "how long will I get to listen before I have to pause" game [hollow laugh]

Ooh, bitouofpractise-shall we go over there en masse and sort them out? They wouldn't know what had hit them!

So, how many red flags? He made her put Henry to bed early. The menu was wrong, he hair was wrong. She had had enough wine. Too early for pudding then suddenly time for pudding. Kitchen size at The Lodge. "Little Miss Giggly""good little cook" "Henry's got to learn"......Any more?

Was there something about the mashed potato? Must listen again.

While I agree that Rob is a wanker and EA to boot, this storyline is annoying me because I think that Helen is an awful person, and I don't like being made to feel sympathy for awful people.

wonder whether rob will drop in a jokey little 'looking a bit chubby' comment at some point

Does he know about the anorexia? If he does then I'd guess he'd avoid that particular button - he'd probably have enough self-interest not to push Helen that way again. Or maybe he would but then control-freak her eating.

good point about his self-interest. he does know about it (when pat warned him off and he said they had no secrets)

i was thinking more about him using her vulnerable points

Just listened again - Henry also cried whilst she was making the mash and Rob said that he didn't :(
I think Adam found Rob unpleasant (especially after the Lodge comment) but certainly didn't see him as controlling/abusive.
And bless Ian for standing up for the stir fry.
And another interesting juxtaposition with a 'normal' relationship.

"Your friends are my friends darling" unless they are a threat

Great new thread - thanks!

I loved/was freaked out by last night's epi but thought the Lodge comment went a bit far even for Titchy.

Another one who shushes her DC for 13 mins pre bedtime. I've taken to taking myself off to listen alone in the study

just listening

SW are doing a great job

Rob "are you looking forward to Tom's stag night"
Ian "I WAS"

Cor, this sounds good. I haven't listened to the Archers regularly since i changed jobs an eon ago Sid was still alive. I might have to start again...

Actually, another thing that is pissing me off about this storyline is that not only is Helen a nightmare of a person, but she is also a 'classic victim'. Similar to the gurgling 'Little Mo(ron)' on EastEnders years ago, she is obviously weak to begin with. Storylines like this just bolster the impression that the only people who fall victim to DV/EA etc are those who are somehow damaged, which is far from the case.

I just listened again (missed the fish kettle beginning last night)

Hasn't Adam got a lovely voice?

She's damaged, but with other people (and herself come to that) she's the controlling one so maybe not a totally obvious victim for this.

Yes I like Adams' voice too TheOne I still find it weird that he works with Titch but can't quite see how EA he is.

Good Lord! Pseudo think of another tittle quick - we're going to need it within hours...

BitOut - So glad you've seen the error of your ways....

...tittle...?...

My bet is that the wedding will be where this plot comes to a head but it would be better if the production team were bold enough to play it out in a realistic timescale.

Interesting that Ian began the evening determined to be open-minded while Adam was more worried about Helen and they had reversed their positions by the end. Adam's slower to anger though.

I think the steak was a nod at homophobia -R implying that 'real men eat red meat' and so forth - as well as being another opportunity to undermine Helen's confidence.

Stilllearning, I don't know if Ian'll dare let Helen know what he thinks of Rob. When Helen introduced him to her last big passion, Leon, Ian got the measure of him straight away, hesitatingly told Helen (well she did ask him very directly, so couldn't really do otherwise without blatantly lying) and it didn't end well. I expect Helen finally admitted grudgingly to Ian that he was right and she wrong ... but will she remember and acknowledge that he's a better judge of character of her boyfriends than she is?!

I was thinking about Debbie earlier today, and that the one good thing Brian seems to have managed in life is that he does love Debbie unconditionally - and he seems to have much more time for Debbie than for Kate, Alice and the unspellable one.