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?

It's very disappointing. They've made so much of the research undertaken for the abuse story -presumably with the intention of helping people to understand the issue. But at the same time they're prepared to spread this nonsense about boarding for five year olds. (I don't care about some school Google throws up that apparently offers such a thing - amonst decent schools it is not done.)

^This

Particularly not one with cloisters.

Knob stole the bunting and stuffed it in the culvert.

The plot line is full of holes, bizarrely behaving people, HCPs who don't know their jobs, personality changes and pantomime villains and this things that worries you is that it misrepresents the age boarding schools usually take kids by a year?

Well no, not exactly Bert - but from my pov there are many people here writing fabulously helpful posts based on their knowledge and understanding of the issues surrounding the Hel/Rob story; I've expended millions of words on plot holes, personality changes and pantomime villains (and the SWs take no notice*) so I don't feel I'm derailing the thread, or looking in the wrong direction, by jumping up and down regarding a school story that most people won't have much knowledge about. And it does make me feel exasperated. You've seen how much verbal abuse boarding school families have thrown at them elsewhere on MN (that is, people anonymously typing what they would never say to one's face) - I could do without the wretched BBC making things worse. Stupid, stupid decision to suggest that the only children at boarding school are tiny unwanteds callously tossed out because they don't fit the family profile.

*There was that hasty re-write regarding impromptu Isle of Wight weddings ...

If they find a body wrapped in bunting we will know who it is!

Gruach - that was my point!! These schools are very careful who they take because they ultimately have a duty of care - do they really want a 5yo who is being violent at school and has other issues? Round where I am being an old boy is no guarantee your kid will get in

The boarding sl is unnecessary - I imagine they think it's a very clever way of showing his evilness and also how he got there etc but it's actually ridiculous

I would imagine a more realistic sl is him controlling henry in much the same way as Helen so he is terrified of making any noise etc and pretty much stays in his room when he isn't at school - perhaps missing dinner because rob can't be bothered to make it etc

I wonder if soc was sent to board very young.

I did realise at some point yesterday that we were actually in agreement BYOS - but I'm so furious about this s/l that I carried on typing anyway. (Lots of people, it would appear, may well believe that a parent and in-law can just turn up at a school with a chequebook and the job's done )

The trouble with this sl is that just as it is really meaningful they throw a hand grenade of stupidity (patbot/evil ursula/boarding school) that derails the debate

Aibu to be picturing The boarding school as the orphanage in Oliver Twist? Maybe Brian and Jenny haven't had the best interests of ruari at heart...

And and and - are we to believe that at no point rob would have mentioned to Jenny that he was an old boy? I would have thought he would have used it as an opportunity to schmooze her

Oh yes - at least we know there was a point to Rob's "old boy" contest with Adam at the Blossom Hill steak dinner party ...

In RL it would be fairly understandable for an underling to want to suck up to someone higher up on their particular food chain by talking about schools - but Rob seems to have a wider agenda. Otherwise he might have asked Brian how Ruairi is getting on. But no doubt the school Brian and Jenny chose is respectable and values its reputation - so wouldn't suit Rob.

But isn't ruari at his old school or did I misunderstand that?

I did catch the last half last night. I don't think it was that Rauri went to this school in particular just that boarding had been the best thing to counteract his ' over feminised' early up bringing. Grrrrrr

Oh I see - that makes more sense. Although how did knob know about ruaris early years?

Funny how inob seems to know everything about everybody but no one else mentions anything about him. It's almost like he's he only one in the village to listen to the archers

I reckon he's shagging the archivist

Please please Kirsty say nothing to anyone at this point. If she confides in anyone it will blow up in everyone's face. Hellin is still convinced the problem is with her and if knob is under fire she will rally to his side. Just research. Talk to women's aid. Know what abuse looks like in all its forms then she can name it for Hellin.

Kirsty needs to get her a secret phone and find ways to talk to Hellin at length and get Hellin herself to understand she is being abused. She doesn't believe it yet. She's getting there though. Hellin still loves knob. It is the barrier to her seeing straight.

Thank heavens Kirsty refused a drink. Knob would have spotted immediately two dirty cups! .

I think the boarding school issue is just an example of knobs supreme self confidence that he will get his own way over hellins wishes. He thinks he has got Hellin where he wants her and she won't object to the boarding. He knows he can manipulate her with ease. Eg she now think him hitting her was his fault.

Oh and I love Harrison and Fallons relationship. It's such a contrast to see their happy, relaxed closeness compared to rob and Helens Hell on earth marriage.

It's almost like he's he only one in the village to listen to the archers.
arf.

I don't quite understand why Rob has told Ursula to go back home. I thought that her job was to be Helen's guard-dog and stop her interacting with the rest of the world whilst Rob was tied up at the shop. Helen can get up to all sorts of unsuitable activities like talking to Kirsty and WA now.

I also don't understand why Helen got in the car with Ursula (so that U could drop her home before Ursula-only went off to meet the school bus - that was a whole other case of horrible but H accepted it). Helen had walked to Bridge Farm the previous week so she could have said to Rob that she had no need of a lift, she would walk home. Or is BHC like the ever-moving Cat & Fiddle, and is variable distances from B.Farm according to the needs of the SW.

I must stop trying to over-analyse. It only ends in tears.

I think the point is that she just complies and doesn't argue back

Just to change the subject for a moment but did anyone else have a 1970s flashback when they were talking about Dan and his girlfriend Dorothy that no one has ever met....surely they didnt mean it like that?

I wonder if soc was sent to board very young.

No, he went to a Christian Brothers grammar school in Birkenhead, according to this Telegraph article (went on to UCL to read English). That in itself might explain this sl - he knows nothing from firsthand experience about boarding and independent schools, so is relying on a vague idea about what might happen, or possibly what he believes his audience will accept as plausible. I don't know which is more bothersome, to be honest.

I have no experience whatsoever of boarding schools, but I find it very jarring when a work of fiction is wildy inaccurate in an area where I have some knowledge. Suspension of disbelief just stops as I fulminate over how easy it would have been to get it right.

That confused me. One minute Doc Locke was saying that the gf was at the 21st party. Next minute Shula was saying that no-one has ever met her.

When Ruaiaiaria went to prep school, I remember it as much more convincing but equally annoying for various reasons: Brahn was commenting that there wasn't much point him doing his silly homework because the teacher never marked it, and that he'd been thinking about sending him private. Jenny demurred on the grounds of cost and that she didn't want to drive him further every day (so presumably this school is just about commutable after all? If it's the same one), and Brahn said actually he could board. At which Jenny's ears visibly pricked up and she was all for it!

Yes of course SOC meant it like that. Absolutely and definitely. He didn't need any boring old Rob-shagging archivist to prove he'd read all the Archers history books.

Random woman with convenient name. Mutter, mutter. It's blatant. And wrong because Dan has to marry Rosa.

Oh. You meant something else about friend of Dorothy? As you were ...

Tbf (I'm not obsessed, honest) even without the scandal, it was perfectly reasonable for Jenny - who would be the primary carer - to feel that she wasn't up to providing full time entertainment for a child long after her own children had sort of left home.

The boarding thing is lazy stereotyping

And I'm sure Dorothy was at his party and it was commented that she seemed nice but no one had really spoken to her.