Discuss The Archers here. There's hut construction, new teen arrivals, pastured eggs, pining Pip and other fun Spring-like stories to choose from.

[PseudoBadger]

Maybe if we don't look directly at the other storyline it will disappear?

Fallon has to tell kirsty, she phoned her so Kirsty will at the least see a missed call and ask what it was about. Not sure that Shula will think much of it unless someone else joins dots for her nth.

Knob can't die. Surely the whole public service element is to highlight the coercive control law so to do this they need someone to prosecute? Incidentally, does anyone know if the new law will be applied retrospectively?

Yes; first he has to look into Helen and Henry's eyes and understand that they despise him. Then Peggy, Tony, Pat, Tom and Johnny have to formally divorce him from the family. Oliver needs to come back and tell him he's no longer welcome at the hunt and Rob's name must be expunged from the cricket team list. Then the rest of the village, as one, can point the way to the road out of Ambridge as the police cuff him and throw him into the back of the van.

However cruelty to mere women - coercive control, beating, rape, rarely stirs the justice system to any great extreme of punishment. Only actual murder or major property crime attract the sort of sentence we want - so his Berrow Farm activities would need to be thoroughly exposed - or he'd need to do something even more shocking.

After listening yesterday, when Helen seemed to be getting a bit desperate - trying to talk to Kirsty, protesting about having to leave the cafe - I felt a bit confused; she had been so acquiescent after the psychiatric appointment. I wondered if perhaps she HAD revealed more to the psych , and he had advised her to stick to the agreed line with Rob for the moment.

Having written it down, I realize it may be wishful thinking! But perhaps the psychiatrist asked some questions that planted some seeds of doubt ; or even echoed what Kirsty said.

In any case - it seems that radio 4 are taking this seriously, and as the whole nation agrees, let's hope they understand that this needs to end with Rob's prosecution and Henry home with his mum. I don't think I can stand anything else!

Surely a psychiatrist wouldn't tell a woman s/he sensed was being abused to stick with the agreed line! That's the sort of thing that could bite you on the arse if said woman went home and got a worse beating! But yes - seeds of doubt, perhaps.

Margie, You're probably right. I would doubt that H said to psych, He hit me, he raped me, he confuses me. But yes, the psych possibly suggested how it sounded to her

H may have had the idea of abuse spinning around her mind since the appointment

Having read this thread last night, I thought I might listen to last night's ep on iPlayer. As horrible as it was to listen to (especially at the end, UGH!) it gave me some hope that Hellin is coming to - there is a definite seeking of help now and I think Knob's hitting her has been the catalyst. No longer can she convince herself that he is her ally, despite all evidence to the contrary. Psychological harm is so much harder to identify than the physical and she has been lying to herself, even through all the misery - now there is no denying to herself that this is, and always has been, abuse. Because she's still there and has appeared to accept his defence, Knob now thinks he can do anything to her and she will still comply - he has her totally under his control (he thinks) and he will start to get sloppy - hence the ordering her like a naughty child into the car last night, right in front of her friends and her own mother (but don't get me started on Pat's reaction - ridiculous). I feel the end is nigh and really hope his downfall is humiliatingly public and multi-faceted. I think Pat may be in for a hard time from quite a few Ambridgers when it all comes out - I can hear Susan's voice "what kind of a mother?"

Seek - I sort of meant that she might have had some sort of realization and he said 'Don't let on to him that you know / are planning to leave'. But obviously if they had got that far, wheels would have been set in motion and he wouldn't have just sent Helen off to escape without support.

So, yes - nonsense! Seeds of doubt far more plausible.

Also - the psychiatrist would surely have asked what led up to the incident of Helen "hitting Rob", so there must have been a bit of discussion around that. Can't imagine Helen just went in and said "I hit my husband, I'm ill, I need help", and the psychiatrist just said "Oh ok then, have some antidepressants, bye"

I suppose the fact we weren't privy to H's conversation with the psych means it's all open to interpretation. I feel the SWs are giving themselves a bit of a lifeline (and the opportunity to go in different directions, if needs be)

I've got an awful feeling that Helen only wants to see Kirsty to apologise for Rob throwing her out the last time they were together. Just like the last time when she apologised for her behaviour around the time of Kirsty's wedding.

Don't think they can change the storyline can they? They record 6 weeks ahead. What with Louiza Patikas appearing on Woman's Hour on the 29th, it does seem like we're heading for the denouement.

I don't think Helen just wanted to apologize to Kirsty - there was an air of desperation about her yesterday. She was reaching out to her. I think Kirsty will play a pivotal role, hopefully knowing something's up as soon as Fallon talks to her.

I don't think Knob hitting her was the final straw, I think it was the rape. The first time he raped her, she ended up re-writing it in her head. This time she was stone cold sober.

I'm sure that they will be celebrating St. Patricks Day in Ambridge tonight, as they tend to celebrate everything.

I had a thought this morning, that maybe Brian will have a role. Now he's taken back control of Borchester Land. Surely even with Berrow Farm shutting down they must be checking accounts etc. They will have to decide what to do with the buildings. I am sure that there must be clues in the finances of what Rob was getting up to at Berrow.

I'm also not sure Oliver did leave Rob in charge of the hunt, even if that is the impression he gave. He was "helping out" the other? master, but he always likes to make it seem he has done more and has more responsibility than he really does: eg. The village hall, where I think he did nothing but claimed some credit.

I wonder what this trip with Ursula today is really about? Finding a nice sanatorium for Helen? Or visiting his old Prep school for Henry?

I would just really like it if he returned to find Helen and Henry gone.

Found you!

If Helen is incapable of doing anything, why are they both leaving her unsupervised today ... will the doors be locked from the outside, phones removed and will she have to exit via a window?

Are they really taking Henry on this day trip or is that speculation?

I think it is speculation about Henry going on the knob-jolly but can't remember exactly what was said.

I think it's building to another confrontation in which Knob loses his rag and attacks hel (maybe prompted by her finding out about insane boarding school plan?). The attack triggers labour or something like that.

This sort of thing can cause a certain coolness between a couple Love NBS!

It's speculation. He said he was taking Ursula on a tour of Borsetshire and the fevered imaginations shrewd deconstructors here have put 2 and 2 together and made 5!

I don't think they need to take Henwee out of school to visit the boarding school, do they? I assume that's what parents would do if they wanted to see what the little chap thought about it or to show him in advance where he'd be going.
Rob and Ursula won't care at all about Henry's opinion, will they? No need to involve him at all

coach tour with a 5yo plan, who knows about this supposed outing?? is just weird

I wondered if perhaps she HAD revealed more to the psych , and he had advised her to stick to the agreed line with Rob for the moment.

A good thing for me about this SL is it gives window into the harrowed minds of people who have lived thru abuse. Because to me the obvious psychiatrist response is "Report and Get this woman out NOW" not "Let's sneaky quietly plan your escape but only when you're a little more ready". I don't say that in a horrible way, just that the women who have "been there" on thread, they keep saying things on thread in terms of secret phones & secret plans all as part of the psychological prep to actually finally "escape". Whereas I'm thinking Leave THIS INSTANT, the moment the truth has dawned. Grab Henry & Leg It.

When you've got a woman in a dangerous situation who can't or won't leave immediately you go through safety planning with her. Pushing a woman to leave is counter productive.

My thoughts exactly trevor

Will be quite amused if Knob and Arse genuinely just go on a day trip to Borcetshire after all this

She's not going to make a bolt for it without Henry and you can bet the school is under instructions not to let her take him. (Yes, not in real life but when did that stop our sws?)
Where would she bolt to? Pat would call Rob to take her back.

I'm just wondering if she might just try while Knob and Urs are on their awayday.