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

[PseudoBadger]

[enochroot]

Lovely new thread. Thank you.

I think Mystic Bore has got it right above. Helen's never once expressed any genuine excitement about the new baby, in fact the lack of food seems to me a subconscious protest.
I won't be in the least surprised if it's a stillbirth.

I think there is also going to come a point where his PR rights are challenged. He might use it as a hold over Pat - you can see Henry once a week if you don't interfere.

[WipsGlitter]

The lust interesting but was what we didn't hear last night. What was happening to Helen while Henry was at Bridge Farm. I would have been hysterical at my child being taken away from me.

The addition of Ursula is spoiling it for me though.

[DadDadDad]

Yes, Gruach, it's a strong marriage that can tolerate ferret clippings on the duvet.

[LyndaNotLinda]

Thanks for new thread. I've finally stopped listening :( The film used to be my Sunday morning indulgence but listening to this SL isn't my idea of fun

[Minimammoth]

Blatant place marking Pseudo.

[tibbawyrots]

emma said that Henry and xanthe were always winding each other up (words to that effect) not that Henry is bullying X. But ursula has manipulated that fact too and Helen just doesn't know about it as she is under house arrest... Pat and tony must be dead (like in Terminator) and taken over by aliens not to think it a bloody weird scenario!

[BYOSnowman]

I don't think the point is that we think the 5yo bath is ludicrous - it's more that pat should have raised an eyebrow to the ridiculousness!!!

[SmallLegsOrSmallEggs]

But Emma also said "at least she isn't in trouble like Henry".

[Stickerrocks]

Pat & Tony are counting on Ian & Kirsty to support Helen. Surely they would have a discrete word with them to say they're concerned & ask them to keep an eye on her. That gives Ian the opportunity to spill the beans on how he has dumped her, without dropping Adam in it, and Kirsty the chance to tell them and Tom that Rob has thrown her out.

We're nearing boiling point, as this can't bubble along at this pace on a long term basis. It would have been more realistic to let it simmer for months/years, but the imposition of Ursula points to it all coming to a head very soon.

[BYOSnowman]

Well it can boil along forever if everyone stays in their own little bubble and never talks to anyone else. Dinner every night at bridge farm is an opportunity for Tom - eg rob suggested Johnny so the finance module- cue Tony saying 'why would he do that etc etc' - planting the seed

[enochroot]

I wonder when Jill and Carol et al are going to encounter Ursula and what their impression will be.

[BYOSnowman]

From lowfield 21 Feb
She explains that she was going to visit Helen, but was put off by Ursula. Carol was surprised that she was still here, but having met her in the village shop, thought that she was delightful and had a wicked sense of humour. Jill too has received good reports from Jim. So that's all right then!

[Stickerrocks]

They can't encounter Ursula though, as she is glued to Helen & Henry and Helen isn't allowed to speak to strangers anymore even if they're family.

[BYOSnowman]

See lowfield - they allegedly have

All a bit weird really. Although I think Peggy would see through her!

[enochroot]

Now you mention it, I do remember Carol saying that but my teeth were grinding.......

[enochroot]

Agreed that Peggy probably would see though her.

[BeaufortBelle]

I think Helen might reject the ba y when she sees the horns and hooves inherited from the father.

[NotdeadyetBOING]

A few little errors no problem, but massively erroneous signposting about Arseula, Knob, Jess and their characters/relationships/purpose has done it for me.

^ This.

SWs ARE YOU LISTENING????!

[EBearhug]

They can't encounter Ursula though, as she is glued to Helen & Henry and Helen isn't allowed to speak to strangers anymore even if they're family.

Hasn't Ursula been doing most of the the school runs and so on, not to mention popping in to the village shop to get chocolate for Henry. So people in the village may well have seen her round and about.

[enochroot]

If they were real people then it could be argued that Rob and Ursula are now very confident that they're teflon-coated.
They've totally isolated Helen and alienated Henry. They've got Pat and Tony eating out of their hands and grateful for their care of Helen. Kirsty and Ian have been kicked into touch and Helen doesn't know what is real and what isn't.
What could possibly go wrong?

Oh! Someone might behave in character, gossip like real people, have a chat at work or over a meal, remember something that once struck them as strange, visit their daughter/sister/niece/cousin/grand daughter.

[enochroot]

Tom did visit and is part way there. He just needs someone to confirm his suspicion.

[SmallLegsOrSmallEggs]

We've not had much from.Susan lately....
Bet Ursula could rub her up.the wrong way. Benice if Susan and/or Lynda swoop to the rescue- neither of them being Archers.

Was thinking earlier, Helen was horrified when she thought she might have harmed the baby when pg with Hen but she didn't seem anything more than mildly embarrassed this time. Poor cow it must be awful to be pg with a baby you really do not want.

[GypsyFl0ss]

Crikey a new thread already! Thankyou Pseudo

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

If they were real people then it could be argued that Rob and Ursula are now very confident that they're teflon-coated.

I don't think Rob and Ursula think in those terms. They do what they do because it comes as naturally to them as breathing. They have isolated Helen because they really do think they know best on all points. They are unable to tolerate dissent, so anyone who does not bow down in front of them is best swept aside - e.g. Kirsty. Rob is also very snobbish, sexist and homophobic; we haven't heard whether Ursula is, so it's possible he gets that side of things from his father, but Ursula is still married to Bruce, so must have decided to tolerate those views at the very least.

Thus, in Robworld, he must also keep Helen away from anyone who doesn't match his idea of a suitable friend - so that's Ian ruled out, for being (a) gay and (b) originally from a lower rung on the social ladder than Rob. Adam is to some extent protected by being an Archer (by birth) and being rich and powerful as well as a blood relative, but covertly Rob despises him too and has done his best to hurt him. He had similar feelings towards Charlie, which he was able to give voice to more openly because Charlie wasn't an Archer or a relative, and he believed he had a grievance against Charlie.

It's clearly inconceivable to him that anybody as high up the pecking order as he believes he is (and therefore by association his wife is) could want to be friends with anyone from the lower orders. So that rules out Emma and Fallon, who of course are also negligible because they're young and female (and therefore weak and silly). His barely concealed contempt for the Grundys and Carters and his toadying towards the wealthy and powerful (e.g. Oliver) is one of the things that really makes my hackles rise.

It occurs to me that a Rob/Brenda confrontation would have been good value. He wouldn't have rated Brenda at all, but (when the SWs remembered) she had more brains in her little finger than he has in his whole body.

[GypsyFl0ss]

* Poor cow it must be awful to be pg with a baby you really do not want.*

This is what the midwives should be picking up on. There is loads of information on antenatal as well as post natal depression, maternal and infant mental health , attachment and outcomes . In RL Helen would have been referred to the specialist midwife for MH and by them to the Hv team for at least one if not more AN home visit. The SW are missing an opportunity to educate in favour of pantomime shite. I wonder if it's too late for me to tweet KD a link to the Institute of HV's so they can help to stop this bollocks