We love Charlie. But we want Adam and Ian to get married. What will happen in Ambridge in the pre-Christmas thread?

[PseudoBadger]

Just listened to Friday - we are 2 weeks from Christmas and David didn't even ask whether Ruth will be back by then?

Oh Brenda. SOC is Sean O Connor, the editor.
SOK is the unfortunate Son Of Knob.
Knob is Rob

Are you a regular listener Brenda?

Brenda doesn't like the thread titles

Ruth is concerned she's been pushed out of her family

By Pip and David. I don't think she felt so pushed out by Josh & Ben, but she doesn't seem to give a damn about them anyway.

I know not all families are experts in communication, but this isn't credible.

Wonder if Ruth has got the kids any presents or is she too busy.

The Ruth in New Zealand storyline is just as convincing as every other Brookfield storyline this year i.e. not convincing at all. Has SOC just given up on Brookfield? Nothing that happens there is believable anymore - I heard David's head shaking in disbelief and incomprehension as being disbelief for yet another rubbish storyline rather than the fact that his wife won't be joining him for Christmas. I wondered if Helen's panic was at Knob referring to Henry as "My boy', suddenly realising the massive mistake she has made with the parental rights thing.

Yes I thought that too Lillian.

I think it all suddenly dawned on her how much he has taken from her. Her career, her social life, her independence and, worst of all, her son.

Knew Ruth wouldn't be coming home for Christmas. And to let David know by email too, just ridiculous! She might be having doubts about their marriage but this is so implausible! I can't see how she will of had time to organise any presents before NZ, David better get shopping!

Perhaps the big New Year story line is Ruth coming back urgently once she realises how much her family need and miss her.
Doubt it, but you never know.

It could be countered by some huge fracture in Helen and Rob's family dynamics.

One reuniting family, one family being torn apart.

I can but dream.

Lurker here daring to post - back into TA now I'm up again with night feeds for DC2. Please can someone explain the significance of the paternity test? Rob was checking he was the father of ---? Because Henry is a sperm donor baby, yes? And surely he isn't testing the paternity of SoK as that is obvs his.

Thank you!!

Hi coffee! Very recent ex lurker here too (and also fellow night feeder).
Rob was being tested for paternity of his ex wife Jess' baby. He had slept with her around the right time (he never denied that) despite being in a relationship with Helen at the time. But much to all our surprise/disappointment/annoyance he turned out not to be the dad. Apparently Jess had also slept with someone else then (tho as they were still married when she registered the birth, she could and did put him down as father). It was another ridiculous outcome and annoyed some of us so much that people are still looking for ways he could have faked the paternity test. But Jess admitted she'd slept with someone else too and Richard Locke supervised the test so it's probably just another crappy storyline rather than anything else.
Hope that explains a bit. Jess' son is called Ethan in case that rings any bells. Back to bed for me, night!

Thanks Elpth, glad to know I'm not alone in the night. Thank heavens - one less sprog with Knob's genes.

No problem coffee! I went back to sleep and the baby is still asleep but now I'm up with the toddler. Yawn. DH's turn for a lie in.

I don't like the abbreviations. But whenever I start another thread in told to Come here.

Abbreviations not very inclusive.

I started in the summer.

I thought Knob did deny having slept with Jess?

Agreed, the paternity test storyline was yet another loose end. It looked promising, with a parallel in the AI cows story but both came to nothing.
I think someone more organised than me listed most of the non-sequitor plot meanderings a while ago.

It's just too frustrating.

Brenda, you'll pick them up really easily, and I think they add to the humour of these threads - and someone will always explain if you ask.

But, Brenda, on a forum people will inevitably use abbreviations for things that come up frequently and are a pain to type. Look at the rest of MN: YANBU, FIL, DH, FOTTFSOFAFOSM (?)...

This thread is pretty inclusive because I always find there is someone willing to explain an abbreviation or in-joke, and more importantly share their incredible knowledge about past stories, character backgrounds etc.

Then again, maybe last night's comments from Cutted and Pseudo did have a bit of the air of "oh, are you new here, Brenda? look at the new girl, everyone" . But I'm sure it was meant kindly.

Rob never admitted to Helen that he had spent a night with Jess. Obviously, he couldn't deny it to Jess, but even with her wasn't he fairly insistent that the child wasn't his?

Brenda you are very welcome here. Just remember lots of people are typing there comments on phones etc. So if we had to type Sean O'connor every time we wanted to moan about him he'd get away with so much more.

This is also a great place to ask questions such as "what relationship is Caroline to Lord Lichfield?" Or what is so significant about 10th May? ( and I plucked that date at random).

"Then again, maybe last night's comments from Cutted and Pseudo did have a bit of the air of "oh, are you new here, Brenda? look at the new girl, everyone" hmm. But I'm sure it was meant kindly."

My comment was sarcastic (yet informative) as I know Brenda doesn't really like the threads, she's told us before. However if you've been lurking Brenda then I'm pleased, and sorry about my tone.

As usually gets mentioned when this topic comes up, TA has a long history of message board abbreviations and alternative names for people. At least here we don't plunge in all the way and talk about when The Dopeys overheard what Radio was saying to Lizard about Brine....

Arghh I thought Locke was the vicar

humphrey - I think Locke does sound very similar to Alan, the vicar, and it took me a moment last night to realise it wasn't Alan last night.

and an EMAIL from Ruth!!! this is so stupid

DadDadDad, DH just listened to the whole thing under the impression it was Alan He was confused.

Rob never admitted to Helen that he'd spent a night with Jess but she never asked him and he never denied it either. Did Helen even let on that Jess had told her that Rob had slept with her again? I think she was denying it to herself and never mentioned it and that suited Rob just fine? Or did I just miss the episode when they talked about it? Either way the whole is he isn't he paternity plot was most unsatisfactory

And talking of Alan... I was sure that he was black for years and years. Until I saw an actor photo and spoke to my dad saying it was odd they had a white actor playing a black character and he said they didn't! I think what I did was muddled Alan on EE up in my mind with Alan on TA. I still "see" both him and Amy as black, or maybe mixed race for Amy. Anyway, probably just me and totally irrelevant to the story!