Come in to The Archers thread - we've redecorated! Take a seat in that distinctive yellow chair and discuss events in Ambridge.

[PseudoBadger]

New thread for tonight's episode.

Do you like the decor then? My 'personal' assistant did it.

Today I arrived at the supermarket just as the 7pm news was finishing and came out of the supermarket just as TA was finishing. Victory! Sadly I will be counted as a listener as the radio at home was on. Not sure what the dogs think.

The neighbours will be complaining about the pained howls between 7.03 and 7.15 and call the rspca

Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! So That's been why they've been knocking on the door

Have the dogs been sulking?

Easy - I assume you are being jocular - you do know they can't tell if a radio is tuned into a station? That wouldn't tell them the listener numbers anyway. They rely on a random sample of people filling out a listening diary for a week - I was selected once many years ago.

They have started cowering and showing more concern for me if I am in the same room as TA. The theme tune, Dum de dum de dum de dum is becoming a matter of concern. I MUST NOT LEAVE THE DOGS WITH R4 IN CASE TA COMES ON.Gah

I am staging a brief intervention. Kirsty - NO

DDD yes, I am sort of joking. But it's not funny really. I feel anxious and I smell anxious to the dogs. They pick up on it whether I like it or not. The theme tune is a trigger, so, for the health and safety of my family I need to tune out. I have enough on my plate already and really do not need 12 minutes of inflicted pain. Every day. I love your posts, DDD, and the other posters here. I enjoy the wit and insight into a 65 year old radio play.

I understood the coercive control. The knife situation began to floor me. And now I feel abused. I know enough about RL abuse to understand what it is and I really don't want it from my radio. And I don't want to have my dogs reacting to my hurt.

So presumably the doctor being called to Helen wasn't anything to do with being in labour?

Easy - I'm glad you enjoy coming on here; I agree that this is a great little community of wit and wisdom. I hope there are some other things in your life to make your plate a little lighter... or

Thank you for your kind words DDD. There is a lot of generosity on this thread which is lovely. However I do not want to vere to much away from The Plot. And I am losing it

No, I think she was feeling faint. No baby yet.

I missed the first three minutes. Do we know why they called the doctor?

I missed the distressed words Helen spoke to Tony and Tom the other day. i know custard was mentioned but what else?

I presume the prison service will tell PnT if/when H goes in to labour. She must at the very least be seeing a prison doctor regularly. A midwife would be involved too this late in pregnancy. We are v near the women's prison here and there is a team of midwives involved in prison visits, with regular clinics. It's such nonsense. I wondered if she'dhave a planned caesarean, considering past hx and current circs, but isn't she now about 39 weeks? Maybe Tom could eb her birth partner!! Nobody else is an option now.

38 weeks - GADD* = 19 May

*Generally Agreed Due Date

That reminds me, what happened to SODOFF = Sean O'Connor's Date Of Finally Finishing - how much longer has he got?

Is Kirsty a prosecution witness? Tom? Ian? Charlie? They're farming folk - Alastair

I believe I may have mentioned the Doom Music as we Umrats (posters on uk.media.radio.archers (umra)) called it. It's the closing music which was played only after Very Dark and Important Occasions, still the same recording of Barwich Green, but further on in the piece.

I'm surprised SOC hasn't brought it back. But it would have to have been played rather more often than in the good old days.

Btw, I'm not sure, but umra was on Usenet, and its heyday overlapped with that of Mustardland (on which I lurked occasionally - Roairi's diary?). umra was a small but great bunch, who held a BBQ every year, to which folk travelled from far and wide. I had wondered if I might chance to meet a fellow umrat here...

Apart from this thread, and because of what I've read on it, The Archers as a programme no longer exists as far as I'm concerned. Guess that's why I'm feeling reflective.

*Barwick

I was a mostly lurking umrat back in the 90s. The group still exists and many familiar names still post. Still lots of OT.
(I went looking during this latest unpleasantness).

Saw Tony in 'Goodnight Mr Tom' last night. Clearly desperate to get away from Prat

I don't understand why Kirsty hasn't been interviewed by the police. Or, if she has, why she's not a prosecution witness too. Seeing Helen holding a knife and being witness to the immediate aftermath is pretty key evidence for the prosecution surely?

She was interviewed by the police the night it happened. She saw H in the corridor of the police station. And she is a prosecution witness. Anna couldn't speak to her and asked her to go and have a coffee while she spoke to Pat the first time they met.

But the focus for the police is making a watertight case for the CPS of who stabbed Rob. They're not prosecuting Rob for dv or cc. As far as we know, H hasn't made a statement to the police. She's barely speaking to Anna.

Helen might nit even want Pat to be her birth partner. Was Pat there last time? The thought if my mother being at the birth makes my blood run cold. I'd rather dh hadn't been there to be honest but didn't have the courage to say so; he'd gave been relieved but the midwives expected it without question.

We only have Pat desperate to be there. Helen might just be relieved that Rob and Ursula can't be.

Oh sorry Thymeout, of course you're right.

Another thing that is really annoying me is that Patbot keeps saying Hellin will be giving birth in prison. Our maternity unit regularly has prisoners in it, and I'm sure they are allowed birthing partners with them.

As for the wailing - especially in court
AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG