Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat, please put a penny in Joe Grundy's hat. Discuss The Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

Ho ho ho! Will this thread last until Christmas?

I'd have thought Jack's hand-me-downs plus a few pale pink smocked dress and knicker sets from great grandma Peggy. The sort you dress the child in once, take a couple of photos and then change them into something more practical in any colour you like.

FWR? Friends With..... Raisins?

Feminism Women's Rights, which is now Feminism Chat, here on MN Talk.

Delurking to say Happy New Year and thank you all, I love these threads.
Also when did we find out Kirsty was pregnant. I've missed a bit somewhere

On Friday. She told Tom at the end of the most recent episode.

It was the last scene on the last day of TA's 2016.

Thanks I've listened to that as well. When do the bloody kids go back again!

De lurking to defend Ruth (never thought I'd do that).

Jill's being a complete idiot over the Toby issue. Yes he's awful but the best thing anyone can do to ensure a relationship lasts longer than it should is be dead against it.

I also loved the Millwall comment.

Delurking after many months to say I thought the Kirsty/Roy interaction suggested that she was disappointed he is not keen on dating women with children in general (ie Kirsty specifically).

I don't think that Kirsty was disappointed that Roy would now never fancy her, but more the realisation that future dating would likely be difficult as a single mum (which we all know she won't be).

Well Tom was a knob tonight. Kirsty never said she was going to the pub, then he starts stalking her. I would have not been as polite as she was Saint I'm with you, I hope Kirsty starts seeing Roy.

I also think Tom will accidently let people know. Then everyone will start piling pressure on Kirsty.

Kirsty and Roy!! Oh No no no. My guess is that she is thinking about the houseshare. But still, not Roy, just no.

I also think Tom will accidently let people know.

He might as well have a big flashing sign on his head, the way he was going on at New Year's Eve.

How would Pheebs cope with Roy & Kirsty? Meanwhile Tom could challenge Roy to a duel - sausages at dawn!

I don't like the Tracey/Roy comedy sl. Not sure why not but it seems a bit wrong

I'm more team Jill but overall I'm team 'can we stop this shit sl'. Jill is out of character and Ruth and pip are being written to be pretty unpleasant. It all feels very plot driven which they seemed to have steered away from post soc

As for Kirsty and Tom. I really think that would be a mistake on her part. And I really hope they don't get together when the baby is young as I can't imagine that being likely. Kirsty is very no nonsense and would be focussing on trying to get some sleep rather than rekindling things with Tom.

I do think she will move in with him. There's a spare bedroom isn't there?

I also think the Tracy/Roy thing seems incredibly forced. After all, they've lived in the same village for ages, it's not as if Roy is a new and exciting discovery for her. But they're writing it as if he is.

And I can't join in the Brookfield discussion either. Simply don't believe any of it.

Still, there does seem to be potential for an absorbing 2017 in Ambridge.

Thank you Pseudo for another year of brilliant thread starting.

Happy New Year everyone!

As for Kirsty and Tom. I really think that would be a mistake on her part.

I think she thinks that too, which is why we've heard nothing about it till she's decided to keep it - if she'd decided to have an abortion, I think she'did have reached that conclusion and just gone away and done it without ever mentioning it to Tom.

Tom is going to take a bit of managing, but if anyone can do it, Kirsty should be able to. I think her biggest challenge will be keeping the boundaries clear, that it's her baby rather than Bridge Farm's.

Am quite looking forward to Rob's reaction when he hears about Caz's visit and also Kirsty's baby, heir to Tom, thereby depleting his own son's rightful legacy at some future date.

Tracy & Roy is wrong, because she's basically being played as being a right old slapper to be made fun of. While she is clearly dressing provocatively, and is being somewhat unsubtle in her chase after Roy, they're treating her like a joke, not someone who does have feelings as well, as I'm assuming she's not a total sociopath. She's being written as a two dimensional figure of fun, because it's always fine to make fun of older women (presumably late 30s to early 40s) who seem a bit desperate, and if there's no Grundy who would fit the role, we've got the Horrobins as back-up.

And yes, they must know each other at least vaguely, but I suppose them both being on OLD means Tracy feels she's got permission to make a play for him. I do think of Roy more as the generation below her, but I suspect he's a bit older than I think, and she a bit younger, so it's not such a gap as all that.

Oh yes - absolutely that EBear - it's high time they dropped that particular vein of isms. (Still about Susan's hair under the SOC regime.)

Ebear you're spot on.
The vein of classism that runs through TA is its worst feature I think.
I do think Doc Locke is a female version of Tracey H, but because he's middle class and male that's OK.
But maybe the two of them will get together in the NY.

I'm always banging on to anyone that'll listen about the classism in The Archers. And the misogyny. And the treatment of Tracy Horobin sums it all up.

Actually, if anything I resent the age/sexism more than the classism. Strict social stratification - based on land ownership and blood ties to the landowning - is kind of the point of TA, so I don't mind seeing that emphasised for storytelling purposes.

But the sheer, gleeful cruelty doled out by the SWs to any woman over 40 (say) who attempts to enhance her appearance in pursuit of increased sexual appeal ... Hate that.

(Jennifer is allowed to look nice - but only because Ruairi is in da house to remind us that she's already lost the game. Compare and contrast poor Lillian ...)

I've been away for two weeks over Christmas and have got lots to catch up on. But I'm ready with a new title in the next 50 posts or so. Happy New Year!

And poor Shula touting round her curly sandwiches at the single wicket......