Things To Do in Ambridge When Rob's Dead. Can The Archers get Home Deliverance for Helen?

[PseudoBadger]

Ok maybe he could go and live with Ursula's sister, Rob's aging spinster aunt Primula?

Perhaps Henry will get mislaid and everyone will blame Helen.

He'll be found living with scruff in the shepherd's hut.

If it's odd that Ursula wants to pay Henry's fees, it's even odder that Rob's father does. He's never even met him.

Obviously the boarding school idea is a non starter for all sorts of reasons.

SL must only be there to demonstrate Ursula's need for control as much as Rob's and as another cue for Helen to get wind of it and begin to realise what's happening.

Lots of manipulative grandparents offer to pay school fees for children they don't like just to have something to hold over them.

Well, when I say lots

She wants Henry out of sight out of mind so she and Rob can focus on the real son not one conceived in such an "unconventional" way!

There's until much going on now - double gas-lighting, home birth, boarding school, blocking the culvert, financial worries. Pudding = over egged.

They are doing boarding school s-line because a move to a very realistic scenario = physical abuse, would cause outrage among listeners.

Henry can't even pronounce 'boarding school'.

Would people mind flagging up if it's a Rob free episode on here? That way Those of us who fine this abuse storyline too upsetting can still keep a toe in Ambridge?

And what is the Mustardland site?

/index.php Mustardland

Hmm, link went a bit askew, but it works.

There's this one too. Both set up for people who used to post on the BBC's own Archers messageboard, which was closed down. I don't post in either place but I will confess I do steal their spoiler posts for the spoiler thread in Radio Addicts here (I also look at the Radio Times website for that purpose).

DS Clarke, I'll try to remember to let you know. I'm hoping for some respite tonight, as I found last night veryy hard going, and that's in spite of having no personal experience of this kind of thing. Goodness knows how people cope if it is closer to home.

Thank you. Perhaps we could have some kind of 'All Clear" klaxon like a massive SNIFF to let those of us who can't face it that it's safe to come out

Lots of manipulative grandparents offer to pay school fees for children they don't like just to have something to hold over them

Mine did this. Day fees at secondary though. They paid the fees for 2 years then changed their minds, leaving my hard up parents to grovel to the bursar or have to take me out of school. When she offered for my brother they declined, oddly enough

Definitely works - I should have been up half an hour ago!

Thanks EBear, always interesting to see how they do things elsewhere. But it will be a shame if I can't muster enough willpower to prevent myself spending the entire day reading Archers related stuff all over the Internet.

But what happened in the end VNLHM? Did you stay or leave?

I keep trying to work out how they will end this storyline by the book, iyswim.

It has to coincide with the change in legislation about coercive control.

Surely Harrison has some training in this matter? Does Usha do divorce?

I find it hard to believe that Knob & Arsula openly colluded on the Toad - I think Arsula arranged it. It would have had to be an astonishing temperature to burn a Toad for four after half an hour though. Agree this story is getting pottier by the day - every time Arsula speaks I cringe.

Can they jump another shark and just have Henwee seize control of his own destiny?

Either escape or leaving rob to die ((hunting accident, whatevs, not fussy)

I'm a MASSIVE Henwee fan

Run, Henwee, RUN

VNLHM my grandmother did that too. Tried to use it as a lever because I clearly didn't give a monkey's about her manipulation from a very young age. Would threaten every single time fees were due not to pay unless [whatever manipulaitve shite she'd come up with this time], fling herself about moaning that I wasn't good to her and she'd make sure I didn't get to keep going to the school, that I wouldn't be there if it weren't for her generosity, etc.

If only i'd had Mumsnet. I could've told her to own her own decisions, make up her mind and shove her bloody school fees sideways if she didn't actually want to pay them. As it was I thought it was all my fault for not being good enough.

And so, once again, Ursula's fault.

TASWAMA. I hate it!!!!!!

I think I've cracked the toad in the hole mystery.
Ursula pretended she couldn't even take a photo on Knobs phone, but there is no reason she shouldn't be tech savy.
Ursula puts oven on correct temperature.
Ursula goes out.
Ursula uses her iPhone to increase the temperature of the oven.
Toad burns.

Or actually, to take away from the pantomime villain storyline, back to a proper account of coercive control where the person assumes everything is there fault and gets blamed for everything.

Most plausible scenario is that Ursula always puts temperature on max to heat the fat quickly, then turns oven down once the toad go in. That's what I always do.

Then forgets to tell Helen she also needs to turn the oven down. In most circumstances Ursula would say 'oh no, I'm so I didn't tell you' but in a toxic relationship it's much easier to say I don't know what happened so it must be your fault, and for Helen to immediately start from that defensive position.

Rob said 'didn't you hear it, it doesn't turn off by itself' so he could have moved the timer and it would have kept cooking

Do people really have ovens you can operate by phone?

The world's gone mad

Of course, recycling. Our oven often calls me for a chat.