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In honour of how The Archers threads began: Why are the SWs allowing this to happen?

971 replies

PseudoBadger · 08/01/2016 00:09

The very first thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/a1740045-Why-is-Lillian-allowing-this-to-happen

40k posts later....

OP posts:
FinestGrundyTurkey · 18/01/2016 22:17

typos are making this thread much more fun to read (if a massive brainteaser at times)

outputgap · 18/01/2016 22:21

Helen should be seeing an obstetrician by now I think. She's a high risk pregnancy, given the pre-eclampsia. I'm also having a high risk pregnancy and I'm a bit ahead of Helen (6/7 weeks ahead on Dad's reckoning). I've seen an obstetrician three times already and these are just routine slots.

They should be managing her much more actively. Is she taking aspirin? Any other blood thinners? They should scan her every 4 weeks from 20 weeks to check baby size and uterine blood flow if the placenta might start to pack up. Henry measured small at one point in that pregnancy didn't he? I remember her getting all guilty and whinging on at Pat about failing the Baby Chessus. But it could have been the placenta rather than the anorexia. Anyway, she should be getting 4 weekly scans and they'll surely spot her weight problem, esp if its becoming the baby's weight problem.

I'm doing the lucozade test tomorrow... going to carbon load now.

outputgap · 18/01/2016 22:23

Err, carb load rather.

SmallLegsOrSmallEggs · 18/01/2016 22:39

Look here you lot, I do the typos round these gere pirtsGrin

choccyp1g · 18/01/2016 22:43

Maurice is also a member of Gambler's Anonymous along with Alastair. Though of course they don't acknowledge this outside of meetings.

Minimammoth · 18/01/2016 22:49

I don't really like Ian, I don't like the nasally voice and find him a bit boring. I do like Charlie. Adam is a being a git though. I think Charlie and Adam would make a good pairing given their common interest in farming. Brian would swing from being frustrated to impressed. It could be fun.

SmallLegsOrSmallEggs · 18/01/2016 22:54

I don't like any of them. Ian is boring. Adam is whiny and sexually incontinent with non of Brian's humour and Charlie is too earnest. When did any one of them ever say anything funny?

No charisma.

AdventuresOfADentist · 18/01/2016 23:00

I really like Adam's voice, which helps me like the character I think.

I found Charlie whinging to Brian the other day a bit weird. Fair enough sounding off to Adam who's his friend, but to be all "I've failed, boo hoo" to Brian, who's more sort of Justin's level was a bit pathetic.

DSClarke · 18/01/2016 23:12

I kept waiting for Ian to suggest popping into the hot tub with jack, the foxy forensics guy in Silent witness. Sadly that did not happen.

Would love to see a Silent Witness/Archers mash up. I bet Lizzy would cop of with the senior pathologist.

Who would be dreaded though?

Gruach · 18/01/2016 23:23

It's odd; when they first met it was Ian who was the 'wild' one of the two - always suggesting new possibilities (like having a baby with his friend) and urging Adam on. And Adam was very clear that he liked to think things through very slowly.

But somehow Ian has morphed into Mr Dull.

While across all that time it's been Adam breaking rules, sleeping in wayward caravans, insisting on his own way and never, never letting anything or anyone come between him and Home Farm soil. He is totally Brian.

I'd been wondering about the pre-eclampsia output. Unfortunately the SWs didn't know about Rob when they gave Helen the 60th anniversary birth emergency, so I guess they hadn't drawn up a SL specifically involving him - but they may still have planned to re-use the pre-eclampsia for any future pregnancy she had.

I wonder if there will never be any long term planning (Johnny's return, Phoebe coming into her familial inheritance) ever again.

JessieMcJessie · 19/01/2016 00:09

On the subject of silents I do wish they'd shut up about Ron and Vera, invented solely to illustrate the decline of the U.K. Dairy industry and seemingly everyone's best mates and pillars of Ambridge society. They had never been mentioned before about a month ago, had they?

enochroot · 19/01/2016 00:16

Is Adam still procrastinating? He's got Charlie on a string while he pops home to Ian's lovingly cooked dinners?

I suppose Charlie hoped Adam was unhappy under Brian's criticism and would relocate in Perth but now Brian is basking in Justin's praise of herbal leys and Adam's prospects just keep getting better.

I hope Charlie stays but I have no idea how he can unless Adam takes him on to help with the contracting. They both like fancy tractors.

EBearhug · 19/01/2016 01:47

One of my colleagues was showing me photos of jazzed up tractors today, from some motor show he'd been to. Should I be worried about my virtue?

I pointed out that they didn't look like they'do be much use in a muddy field.

dinster · 19/01/2016 06:21

Delurking just to mention that in our family silents have always been known as Mrs Blossoms (who was one in the Walter Gabriel era IIRC). Eg Mr Pullen was a Mrs Blossom.

I'm torn between finding the Hellrob SL grippingly convincing and utterly ridiculous. That inner listening conflict is as blood-pressure-raising as the SL itself!

laplumeofmyaunt · 19/01/2016 07:23

LillianGish - DH said exactly same thing during Sunday's fillum - that or poison........ I am so exasperated by the HelRob storyline. Pat has always been on Helen's case as soon as there has been any hint of health problems. How can she not see that her eating problems are recurring. And surely Radiocarter would have noticed and be telling all and sundry, or at least Clarrieluv, how ill Helen looks.

BitOutOfPractice · 19/01/2016 08:01

Susan has noticed. Last week. Helen fobbed her off with the cold excuse.

SmallLegsOrSmallEggs · 19/01/2016 08:01

Forgot she had pre eclampsyia. Does that not mean regular blood tests?

And Silent Witness mash up- is Doc Locke not a SW actor.

outputgap · 19/01/2016 08:44

And I'm supposed to go to the Dr or midwife every 2 weeks to check my blood pressure. So Helen living in a health professional free zone is stupid.

I liked the Brian and Charlie chat. He'd fit right in at Home Farm.

I love Charlie. Nothing like stymied love being sent to distant fish farms to tug on the heart strings.

R4 · 19/01/2016 09:28

I have never liked Charlie. When he arrived he was like a twelve-year-old with an MBA in farming. Knew all the theory but not the practicals. Was forever telling his grandmother (Adam) how to suck eggs. His only interest was in how to squeeze an extra 0.0001% out of the land (I never did work out how that paid his wages, but we are into Ambridge fantasy finance territory again)
He is a political animal. When it went pear-shaped he should have gone into Rob-mode and explained why nothing was his fault and found promotion with another outfit. Instead he's been wandering around like a kicked puppy telling his mummy that nobody in the playground likes him. Adventures is right, that convo with Brian was weird and would never happen in RL.

NotdeadyetBOING · 19/01/2016 09:39

''Nothing like stymied love being sent to distant fish farms to tug on the heart strings.'' Grin

LillianGish · 19/01/2016 09:43

Agree totally with your analysis of Charlie R4 I can't understand why he has just slunk off with his tail between his legs, accepting the blame for what he knows (and can probably prove) is Knob's fault. Can that all really be explained by the fact he is terrified Justin is going to find out he is gay when at the same time he is begging Adam to run away with him? Don't understand why he didn't discuss Knob, or why Brian didn't bring him up, during their conversation. Charlie just coped with the fall out of the botulism - Knob was in charge when it happened. Why didn't Charlie mention the culvert blocking - it was Brian's wife who tracked down the witness for goodness sake. Too many loose ends.

redshoeblueshoe · 19/01/2016 09:48

Lillian I agree, it makes no sense. As for Tom the real Tom wouldn't let Knob get away with all this.
SmallLegs - your naughty phone makes me laugh Grin

BertrandRussell · 19/01/2016 10:24

And why didn't Justin get involved when Rob walked out? Why didn't Charlie show him the dodgy figures before interviewing Rob about them? Was nobody else involved in the management at Barrow?

R4 · 19/01/2016 10:34

Was nobody else involved in the management at Barrow?

How many managers do you want? There were assistant managers (Rafe and Becky). The full manager, Rob (on a salary high enough to entice him to relocate from Canada). His overseer, Charlie. His boss, Justin. There ought to be HR as well, but they never get mentioned. So many layers of management!
No wonder Berrow doesn't make a profit.

LillianGish · 19/01/2016 11:23

on a salary high enough to entice him to relocate from Canada Another excellent point R4. Highlighting how much Knob and Helen must be down financially and also making me wonder still further why he was able to just walk away. BOOP will be along in a minute to tell me off for being too negative, but I find the whole Berrow Farm thing is stretching my credulity. How realistic is it that such a huge farm would be set up an dismantled in such a short period of time? Knob was nasty enough when he was just controlling Helen I'm not sure if such overkill was even necessary - especially if it is not going to be followed up in a believable way.