No more walking on eggshells for Helen! Heading for an eggsplosive Easter weekend in The Archers - will Helen Archer be resurrected by the end of this thread?

[PseudoBadger]

Helen knows she's not cracking up - Knob is an eggomaniac.

Are we eggshausted with this storyline?

I don't think Dorothy is religious: when talking about Daniel in the lions' den, she said it was one of her favourite stories as a child. As a Christian, this is exactly the sort of things people who were brought up Christian but aren't any longer say to me in order to prove that they can relate to me, so I'd put that down to sucking up to Shula.

I still don't think it's odd that they're either not sleeping together yet, or at least not in their parents' house, but what would I know, I'm a weird Christian sort who's probably about to go out with a placard to protest about other people's sex lives, because that's what we all do, apparently.

Other minority ethnic characters: Usha & her aunt, Kate's children ... it's not exactly a hotbed of multiculturalism like Balamory, Greendale, or the village in Old Jack's Boat!

Interesting, Shula, *Kr1stina!

Re the name - my children are very slightly older than Dan and Dorothy. There were all sorts of fairly unusual names amongst their schoolmates, including Dulcie, which I've always liked. Can't recall a Dorothy but it is a lovely name. This website says In 2010 the name ranked #695 in England and Wales with 53 births. ... The name has been steadily rising since 1996 when it ranked #1072 with only 18 births. Sounds like Dorothy's parents were ahead of the trend!

My dd is 20 and has 2 friends called Dorothy and one called Dorothea. So maybe the naming is demographically spot on!

I think it's pretty unlikely that a non religious 20ish year old would have more than a very passing knowledge of Daniel and the Lions - and certainly wouldn't say it was their favourite story as a child. Even for sucking up purposes. No- I reckon Dorothy is proper Christian.

Wasn't there an aunt of Amy's who used to visit Alan. Presumably first wife's sister. She was lovely.

It was her granny, wasn't it?

Are you thinking of Amy's Gran Mabel, mini?

If Dorothy were to be minority ethnic, wouldn't it be a bit lazy to have the two known NHS workers (apart from Dr Locke, because of course being a GP is a respectable white middle class role, although not around here) as 2 of the only BME characters? In that case she should probably be Filippina, if we're just writing stereotype scripts.

We did the Daniel Rap at school when I was about 10, so it's a story I know quite well. (Androcles and the lion got wheeled out for assembly more than once, too.) So I think it's possible for someone to know the story without having had a strong Christian upbringing.

Still seems unlikely, but then we don't know she isn't a church-goer, do we? If Dan's gone for a clone of his mother, then church would fit right in.

That was Amy's grandmother.

Kate's black South African husband appeared in Ambridge some years ago and she is also mother to two mixed- race children whom she has conveniently left in behind in South Africa.

And yy Olivia the boarding school people can't deny that some schools take tiny children, because they do! We have done our research on this.

(can't name the schools as one, at least, has been somewhat hostile to criticism on MN in the past [wunk])

I used to mix up Androcles and the lion with the lion on the Golden Syrup tin!

I suppose Dorothy could be a doctor but feel sure this would have been mentioned. Or a physio, radiographer etc. But yes, more likely to be a nurse or midwife. I'm betting will be a nurse.

Oh, and I have yellow towels! My bathroom's white and blue- I love the look of yellow towels in it. And daffodils.

"I suppose Dorothy could be a doctor but feel sure this would have been mentioned."

Not on The Archers she couldn't. Only one professional woman allowed. And she's only allowed because she ticks the ethnic minority box too.

What a vomit-inducing episode. Smug and mini-smug. I think she's a fervent Christian too. Now that combo will get me lunging for the off button!

Yuck, lamb - greasy and fatty.

No, delicious when very slow cooked in red wine, as I discovered at the weekend.

I would have expected that if Dorothy was from a minority ethnic group that somebody would have commented on that by now - in real life, anyway. That would make her unusual in the rural West Midlands, wouldn't it? As far as I can make out, she is supposed to have grown up in or near Borsetshire (parents still live there) and has moved to Brum for work/training/study.

I would also expect the TA team to have flagged it in some way. I don't think Shula is a racist - she did have a problem with Usha marrying Alan but that was because Usha is Hindu, not because of her ethnicity. I still think there would have been a little social anxiety, though, so she might have asked Dan if Dorothy would be happy with a traditional English roast instead of jollof rice, for example. That sort of gaucherie - well-meaning but clumsy attempts to put a guest at her ease - would be in character for Shula, I'd say. Remember Susan's efforts in a similar situation when Christopher brought home one of Alice's posh friends, who turned out not to be black or Asian in the end?

Yes the Granny, that was it. Wasn't Dan slurping over someone at his 'coming out party' was that Dorothy?

I think I live in Borsetshire, I can count ethnic minorities on one hand round here.

Who knew there were so many yellow towels in the world. Apologies for any offence caused to you, you loons. Towels are white! Don't you know anything?

That Boarding School article judged it totally wrong. They should have mentioned the 'Henwee is too young' angle. And they can't complain about TA's portrayal of boarding because if you look at Rughrighirghi's profile it actually lists on his (only!) likes 'boarding school'. (Apparently, he dislikes insecurity. Didn't know that. But then we never hear from him.)

Just for clarification, the lion on the syrup tin is from a different Bible story: the lion killed by Samson which then became a home for some bees.

Basti!

Anyway: BBC tweet -

Is Rob capable of murder? Hear the interview behind those [slightly misleading] headlines: bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03… #thearchers

• that's a relief ...

And I am taking that as a correction - not a spoiler.

Guess SOC just didn't have a ready answer and is now in deep trouble with the SWs.

Arrgghhh!!

The boarding school link had a picture of the straw hat I used to wear in the summer (with a coloured ribbon linked to your school house). Horrible flashback to the disgusting, itchy thing.

At least they didn't show the navy felt hat we wore in the winter! no longer worn I hope

It sounded like he was clutching for an answer that wouldn't be a spoiler in either direction. I thought it was a bit foolish to take it the way journalists did but at least they got another story out of it.

Will Helin open the letter from the BS addressed to knob? Would she dare? Maybe steam it open as it has the school name franked on the envelope?

Will that be the lie she uncovers. There have been enough of them!

Are we expecting a letter from the school? Rob just went to look round - surely, the next step is downloading an application form and sending it to the school. That will require Helen's signature.

So, has Rob completely ditched the BS story (as I suspect the SW have), or is he going to try a new angle: "You know, darling, I think Henry got the wrong idea about the school because my mother was telling him how much I enjoyed going there. But in passing she did mention that she would be prepared to pay for Henry to go private, and that has got me thinking..."