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?

small nope. She's never been anything but a rubbish friend, ungracious and ungrateful, as far as I can think.

When I was a tender mid 20s, I was involved in the university lecture set. On one of our dinner party nights I met the most gorgeous couple, both intelligent and very charming, they were mid 30s with children, I was in awe and a little jealous of their lifestyle. I mentioned this couple to a mutual friend of theirs a few days later. She told me that he beat her up regularly, had affairs. She knew this because a friend of hers worked in A&E, and the wife would only show up mid week to get her injuries fixed. This was thirty years ago when I lived in the west of Ireland. I was shocked. There was no divorce then in Ireland, no refuges, no phone lines. This woman was literally a prisoner to a very charming brute.

All in all well done for bringing such a difficult and important topic out into the open. Sod the henwee too young for boarding school stuff. They are producing this on an ever thinning shoestring.

Unlike tv dramas like happy valley with huge huge budgets, massively bigger audiences and much more graphic violence.

I vote they are doing a good job.

A good bit of Public Service Broadcasting. I hope WA is prepared! It is amazing and fantastic that Refuge is being so well supported through Archers fans.
So the brother stole Clarrie's money. Will he get away with it?

Helen has learned that it doesn't pay to disagree with Rob, so hardly surprising that she hasn't tried to correct his account of what went wrong in the shop after Kirsty walked out. As for not being much of a friend to Kirsty, well, she did her give a job and they worked together for years. They went on holiday together too, so they must get on well. Helen stood by Kirsty as she went from one doomed relationship to another (Tom, Chaba, Sam, back to Tom). Kirsty ditto (Greg, that awful Australian lecher Leon, her stalkerish period, Rob).

Fair enough re. Rs Gaspode but the shop thing was quite some time ago when Rob hadn't really started stifling any rebellion

Actually lilliangish has put it much better several times. We need to stop picking at the details in terms of the 'drama.'

TA has moved from Jane Austen to Thomas Hardy.

... with occasional excursions to DH Lawrence (Mrs Pargetter's Lover) and Dickens (the Grundys).

Small Legs, I would say Rob's controlling behaviour was already in evidence even before the wedding disaster.

Alf is going to disappear with all of Ollie and Carolide's Lovely Thngs from the house, isn't he?

The attention to detail is why I liked the archers and hate the to soaps!! I'm not actually into big drama - much prefer the everyday tale of country folk!

Poor clarrie.

So no Friday night debarcle. Even the Grundy part was relatively untroubled. It's all building up isn't it?

Personally I'm Happy to discuss boarding schools in the context of the story, but tend to agree that the thread has wandered a bit.

I liked the portrayal of Kirsty feeling her way through this.

Things! Lovely Things!

Knowing our luck bow he will then come back a reformed character to make amends and return the Sterling silver. Probably with a proper cheeky chappy eastend accent.

Yes SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace. Personally I have zero interest in boarding school discussions, so I give them a cursory glance. But hey, it's not the place of one contributor to decide which subjects are discussed

I am biased, I confess. I really don't come to Mumsnet to connect with men. But live & let live, eh?

BYOS

The thread always wanders though. How many bloody theories dos we have on how rob could have cheated the paternity test

Just don't read the post if you don't want to read about it - I don't like thread police!!

(Not that I have any more to add on boarding schools but we all have our bits that make us go grrrr)

Did not dos...

So has Alf been brought in to make Wayne look like a good'un?

Right I need thread titles - this is surely a record?!

I can't say whether a poster is male or female bothers me - In most cases it is impossible to tell and daddaddad makes useful contributions to the thread (like is this the fastest filling up of a thread since threads began?)

I only started listening in the build-up to Tom and Kirsty's doomed wedding. The first time I heard Helen, she was being really off with Kirsty for buying a wedding dress that H had her eye on, and it seemed had manipulated K into not buying. She didn't sound like a good friend at all then - more selfish, self-obsessed and snidey - she's lucky that K has her back now.

Can we be optimistic

'By the end of this thread rob will be eating porridge'

Helen was jealous of Kirsty getting married (not an excuse!!)

I still like "An everyday story of cuntery, folk" that was suggested on a previous thread.

Too good not to use, imo

(and agree with what BYOS said)

I also have always found Helen annoying but kind of put it down to her voice. And there is something really needy about her but can't put my finger on it.

Failing to tell Ian about Adam and Charlie - was that before or after not telling Kirsty about Tom's doubts??

Fair enough byosgrin]
I have been smarting because my immediate recognition of Ursula as nasty piece of work was missed, also ditto my Extremely Important contribution on coercive control legislation ( not detail, oh no) was ignored.
So I'm going to sit with henwee on the naughty step. The one in the cloisters