Knob throttlers form an orderly queue at Blossom Hill Cottage! Discuss the Archers on the Official Thread

[PseudoBadger]

Do you know that I was 3 months pregnant when the first thread started - DD was 2 yesterday

That must also mean that Poppy Grundy's 2nd birthday has passed by unremarked upon...

Genius suggestion Lynda! I was puzzling at what exactly Susan was hinting at... She's never come across as particularly coy before - I seem to remember some swimming costume trying on scene before she and Neil went off on some big holiday not long ago?...

You're not the first, I'm afraid, Bertrand It's been suggested more than once upthread.

I have only just caught up with yesterday's episode. Liked Helens wistful comment to Falon' you picked a good one there. re Harrison.

Damn. Trumped again.

I've not listened so I don't know what Susan said but I would have hated getting my kit off in public at any time in my entire life

Even when I was young & fit, & certainly not when past middle age & not fit!

Yes but isn't that what people say to her? No one knows what goes on behind closed doors

Well, that's it then. Rob has to die or Helen will have him in her life for as long as Henry lives.

And since you all forced me to re-read A Handful of Dust I don't think I can take another fictional child death.

However bad Helen is she doesn't deserve that. Nor do her parents. They've had enough misery.

But otherwise we'll have to listen to him gradually alienating Henry's affection and convincing the world that Helen is an unfit parent; it's not much to look forward to.

I had a sudden thiught while I Was doing the washing up...... Alistair said that Botulism could sometimes originate from an animals corpse.. Dead Scruff decaying somewhere ?
Ugh.

Oh BoreofWhabylon you had the same thought yesterday....too late

Soc likes history repeating - pat and tone lost a child, now their daughter loses a child?

They can't kill off a little one surely

Longtime lurker, very very occasional poster (once every 3 or 4 threads!).
I'm being driven to distraction by the horror of Rob's endless campaign of emotional cruelty. It's got to the point where I almost can't bear to listen.
I've also started shouting at the radio, especially when the bloody scriptwriters decided to heap more bad luck onto poor Ed - LEAVE HIM ALONE!

It was interesting listening to the switch in Helen's confidence this evening, as a previous poster said - started off assertive and ended up a shadow.

Such a shame we didn't get to go back to Adam and Charlie though, it would have been nice to contrast with Rob's onanistic re-telling of history whilst talking to Lynda. Surely they must be ramping up to a denouement of Rob, please please please...

I'm still wondering if Helen's not pregnant - which would surely set her alarmbells ringing with Rob trying to blame her condition for her apparent change in personality/with-it-ness. Massive feelings of dread for Henry!

Has anyone seen Calendar Girls on stage? Do they use anything like body stockings to prevent anything too revealing being seen accidentally?

I wonder whether Helen has somehow sabotaged the parental responsibility thing? Maybe we'll find she accidentally signed the form as Archer or something and is aiming to pass it off as pregnancy brain.

Susan! Just get your kit off. You will be liberated and then able to enjoy Kate's holistic getaways

The whole 'wimmin, liberate yourself by getting nude' really pisses me off. Which is probably why if don't like calendar girls and the way it's done so earnestly by amdram

Thankfully I have never seen an amdram production of 'Calendar Girls'.

Can humans catch botulism from animals?

Yes, it can be passed on in milk, I think. It's why you should never eat tinned food if the tin looks blown. You could also contract it through an open wound, but you'd hope they're all being extra careful about hygiene. The bacteria are okay(ish) on their own, though I still think injecting it into your face is madness, but the risk is when they have no oxygen - so tins, inside parts of the body, in stagnant water (i.e. flood water and silt, which I think was mentioned upthread) - then they produce whatever the toxins are. I don't know if cattle are more prone to it because of having four stomachs or something. Or maybe it's just humans are more likely to be infected that route. Or because of silage being a vile and disgusting concoction of fermented grass. (I do not care how nutritious it might be, and that cattle don't seem to mind the taste so much - the smell of silage effluent is no excuse for anything.)

It used to be a far higher risk before there was widespread pasteurisation of milk and also the ability to test cattle, and antibiotics, of course (but then so were tons of other things.) There was once an episode of Heartbeat where a dairy farmer's wife got botulism. (My educational sources are of the highest quality...)

Is it (botulism) not also sometimes found in honey? Hence not giving it to babies.

As for Hellin and PR. Don't worry the Ambrudge divorce law fairy will sort all.that out when the time comes. There will be a bit off drama llama and then it willbe done.

Unless SOCs history repwat is Hellin is eventually driven to suicide and Rob gets Henry.

Again though Ithink the phasing between irritated/exasperated and resigned is very true to life both from my own exp. And from reading threads on here. I think he will use the 'it's your hormones love' excuse to make her believe she's the one with the ishoo. Only that won't work if there are no hormones and she just stopped her periods due to weight loss.

name change debut - ta da..........

I also hope Helen sabotaged the paperwork, she sounded really fed up with him in the first half. She might put up with a lot herself out of pride or whatever, but put Henry at risk, once she recognizes there's a risk and is no longer in denial? I don't know.

My ex used to say the stuff to me that Rob says to Hellin. Yesterday's episode with the "you're rambling darling" used to silence and minimise her was really chilling. I can almost no longer bear to listen.

There was a major botulism outbreak local to me 20 years ago ish. It was traced back to the imported hazelnut puree used to flavour hazelnut yogurt (which seems just wrong as a combination to me). A good friend of ours was affected and was on intensive care for weeks. Can't remember whether anyone died.

I caught up with reading this thread last night which resulted in the following dream waking me up at 2am!
Ruth & Pip in a department store
Ruth: here it is! (Looking at blue nail polish)
Pip: oh yes, I put it there so you would see it.
Ruth: I was thinking about me mum. When I go (die) I'd want to go like me mum. With you Pip.
Pip: oh mum.
Ruth: well it would be good to see Ben as I go, but it would be so difficult for him to call an ambulance through mime. Although yer dad & Jill would understand his silent call.
Pip: Jill? You'll outlive Gran, mum!
Ruth: aww naw pip, Jill will outlive us all...

Thanks you lot! I'm dreaming about TAs now!

I remember that northender and my mother commenting that bottled veg was a common source of botulism. My father grew vast amounts of veg and she always refused to bottle them, so we were early adopters of the freezer.

I think you should seek urgent help, Iorek! I'm a TA obsessive and even I don't dream about it!