Come and play Grand Theft Combine through the quiet Ambridge streets. And by the way, ROB IS STILL MARRIED.

[PseudoBadger]

Bolloxfest is imminent. Will this thread make it to the big day?

Thanks for explaining things.. God, the Archers is complicated..and I've got O levels and everything!

O'levels? O'levels ?!

You're letting the side down Primadonna. Don't you realise how infra dig it is for the ruling classes to have anything other than a GCSE in PE? (Look how ashamed Alice is of her mistake. She barely makes it into work these days...) Only the serfs should be bothering with qualifications.

Exactly Ham Think how powerful Liz's twins could be against her and Roy ! now that would be quite something!

I know..Hellin will never give me a job in her shop will she?! Maybe I could help clear Toms paperwork....it must be really piling up now!!!

Ambridge - a wretched hive of scum and villainy

(I'm so ignorant - I actually had to look this up...)

Is this to be Mowgli's inheritance Pseudo? (Is Carol Obi-Wan??)

Mike was freaked out at the thought of being 81 before Beth turned 18, and that was before he knew she had DS.

I feel M+V have had way too easy a ride with Beth. She just doesn't seem to have any problems. My cousin's son with DS has just been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers (he's 27). His mum knew this was very likely since he was very young, but still gutted. He only got autism diagnosis in the last year (another bereavement). He had spinal surgery when about 10yo that had to be repeated so treatment went on for yrs (this was all related to his trisomy). Luckily he was huge at birth & managed to successfully breastfeed and didn't have a heart defect (all unusual)... but sheesh. Downs Syndrome is tough. There's loads to develop & challenge. They don't have to make it sound horrid, but a bit of realism might be good. they could have made it into a positive story about real challenges being overcome. Why is Vicky talking about specialist support unless she knows all the risks to come, and why not spell some of them out a bit more?

Just like how giving birth in Ambridge never involves trauma or a CS, and no one finds breastfeeding hellish, either. Urk. (Off soapbox now).

My latest thoughts on TA. This IS me letting it all wash over me. Freddie is trying hard to redress the balance with his mum. He saw the tears and the stress and feels guilty about the fags < you know, dogging behind the garage>and the weed. He missed Roy in the car park and took the initiative. he had no idea what was in the package but Eliz did emphasise the importance of getting it to Roy. He has made things so much worse. But inadvertently.

I have a soft spot for Freddie. I know a family with a Freddie and a Lily (and two younger ones - I'd be lying if I said they are called Polly and Esther). No twins but Lily is only slightly older than Freddie and the F I know has SN. Lily is so much more confident and able. A bit like the LL pair IMO. I know Freddie P has magically overcome his maths problems, but you get my drift. Maybe.

Please, we do need the 'locket' in the next thread title. I feel sure Hayley who is not daft twigged at once as to its significance. The shit hitting the fan for Mike's son may end talk of Brum for a while at least.

Freddie was DOGGING behind the garage????!!!!!!!

I am sticking to my oft-repeated view that the new Editor is going through the cast with a view to cutting the numbers of speaking characters right back. He's softening the blow by giving them a big storyline to exit on. He's already got rid of Tom and Kirsty. Now I think he has his sights on Mike, Vicky, Roy, Hayley and Brenda. Phoebe has said so little that I don't think she counts and she might survive, anyway, because she has Archer blood.

I don't give much for Kathy's chances of surviving as a speaking character. Will she speak again (I hope not) or just gradually get mentioned less and less?

Just re-reading post from lljkk above. I agree about the DS portrayal being too positive. Also, I wonder at the stats. e.g. I don't really believe a town like Borchester wouldn't have a few families with a child with DS - and a group perhaps. Where LEAs are increasingly encouraging mainstream ed for all, it seems a bit unrealistic for Vicky to want to rush off to the big smoke. Also they could have had Bethany needing heart surgery - I think at least 10% of babies with DS have congenital heart defects. I know TA already had Lizzie needing surgery but that was a different generation.

Bethany did have transient feeding problems I think, but where's the 'constant' glue ear portrayal, problems with lumpy solids, etc. which does afflict many children with DS. Maybe now V and Bethany are back they will have more about B's needs. I hope so anyway. Like others, there's huge scope here.

It's not bad how they are portraying Mike as an older father. And his wife trying to find a solution that works for them all. Esp with the SN child. I felt sad too when Mike said to Roy his future was with V and B. That's not how most parents view their family commitments even with a big age gap and SN. Is it?I don't think the SWs have ruined it yet, but they have to work hard to make all this as realistic as possible - maybe reading our comments would help them along.

No, primadonna, no dogging in TA. Yet! It was a reference to my mishearing them talk about dog ends. Sorry.

Mimsy, tis possible you aren't wrong. Though I'd like to think Phoebe, what with her excellent GCSEs, will stick around. Though she may so shattered by her father's adulterous behaviour she'll mess up her A levels. I agree about Kathy though. Id like to think they won't do all that but only time will tell. Wash. Over. Let it. All.

Nah... They'll just dump 'em.

New children's classic: "The Locket, The Witch and The Dickhead"

New thread, sorry the title's a bit if a mish mash www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/2172690-Loxfest-is-over-Locket-gate-is-upon-us-Discuss-Mowgli-Robs-new-secret-and-of-course-the-new-road-here-with-other-Archers-fans

Though to be fair lljkk Beth isn't 2 yet! And there are as many different types of DS as there are of autism or dyslexia.

Love the title.. :)