Surprise surprise - Kirsty has a Mini Sausage Roll in the oven! Discuss the Archers here

[PseudoBadger]

Happy New Year to you all.

Not a bit ppeat. I only have to re-play the scene of him raping a pregnant Helen in my head. Or his punishment of Henry for eating the chocolate. He needs to disappear for good.

Thank you redshoe and gruach
Was he the one whose story lines were seen as a bit too...sensationalist?

The court did decide that n contact whatsoever would be best for Henry.

I really don't get the love for Matt. I thought he was slimy and underhand.

Re accents I was so pleased when Heatherpet and her comedy northern accent shuffled off.

But Rob was specifically barred from any contact with Henry. The card should certainly have been thrown away. Or sent to Henry's invisible social worker.

Yes but how can you wipe him from his mind? Humans are not computers.

I remember a friend who had a repulsive father of her child. She didn't say anything negative about him to her son. The child was allowed to discover in his own time (not left alone with him though). It worked for him.

And that's what makes the world go round Lass 😁😁. I cannot stand Ed (I know I'm in the minority on here).

I'm not a fan of ed either!!

I don't like Matt - but he was a good rounded character

The courts are not necessarily right. Hell should never have been so keen to have a "Daddy" for her child, but it's too late now for the moment. `

The break up should happen gradually IMO.

Helen hasn't stopped Henry from talking about Rob and hasn't said anything critical. Perhaps she's hoping that he'll think about him less, in time. If bloody Rob would only back off. No-one will benefit if contact is decreased gradually, least of all Henry. How could he?

👍 Anti

Jelly - yes

I'm glad Helen binned Rob's card, definitely the right decision. I was a bit worried that it took her so long and the deciding factor was that he'd signed it 'Daddy'. She needs to make sure he has nothing more to do with Henry at all regardless of what name he uses in cards. Agree that it should have been reported.

"Hatred' is a bit strong isn't it, Boop? I'm from the west country, and my 'accent' (not that I have a particularly strong one - you'd need to be pretty expert in dialects to detect it, but it's there) has been mocked fairly regularly down the years. All sorts of accents get mocked. But I don't feel I've ever been the target of hatred! I'm pretty sure teasing about 'tracturrs' is not up there with queerbashing or racial hate crimes. And yes, Jack Wooll-ay's accent was a source of gentle comedy, a bit like Tiger's estuary tones. Anyway, as you were, bit of a diversion. Sorry.

To whom would Helen be reporting Rob's attempts to contact her and the children beyond the agreed contact arrangements with Jack? I agree she should (Christ, she is thick as mince, isn't she?) but would it be a social worker? the family court? What, if anything, do you think will prompt her to do so? And wouldn't Kaz have urged her to do so? Seems yet another area where the story line just doesn't seem realistic at all. (Although at present, it would be easier to identify a rare, realistic story line. I feel it is a very taxing spell right now).

Did Pat ever sound Welsh?

Yes - we were played clips at last year's Academic Archers, from the '70s - she was really Welsh at the start.

Taxing is right Cromwell. I don't think I've been able to relax and consistently enjoy The Archers since Nigel died. He brought something to it that no new character has been able to replicate. I loved him. And Julia. There's no sense of fun any more.

Thanks for the new thread pseudo.

Oh Is anyone else a bit hmm about the throwing away of Rob's birthday card to Henry?

Not really - Rob is not meant to have any contact with Henry.

Poor Henry he specially sent a christmas card to Rob. too. It's a very difficult situation , but I think it needs to looked at from the child's point of view.
Henry delivered it to BHC, didn't he? Rob had already moved out, so we don't know if he ever received it.

I do agree though that someone should be explaining a bit more to Henry about why he can't see Rob, as he's clearly not just accepting it - and resenting Jack because he is allowed to see him. God knows how you do that in an age appropriate way, but that's why there are experts.

Also the point about no one at BHC receiving any counselling - this is indeed remarkable, given that Henry witnessed at least some of it, and he's not allowed to see Rob, because of the risk of psychological damage. You'd think there'd be something in place to assess him to ensure he's not suffering from that psychological damage or PTSD or anything.

I assume Helen had some counselling in the MBU, but it wasn't really mentioned. She does seem to be making a remarkable recovery, at least on the surface. I think a lot of it is only on the surface.

Rob, of course, has been talking to Alan and seeing the error of his ways, so he's totally sorted. [cough]

Happy New Year to you all! (Rather belated, but I don't think I've said it before. If I have, I blame the last remnants of the bug that I picked up before Christmas and which has long outstayed its welcome.)

Thanks for the new thread, Pseudo, great title as ever.

Re Pat's Welsh accent - I believe it vanished pretty fast after it became clear she was going to be in Ambridge for the long term. No idea if Patricia Gallimore herself has/had a Welsh accent. I've attempted to take a photo of the relevant entry in The Archers Encyclopaedia. Hope it's legible. I've done the whole thing because I thought it was quite interesting - it dates from 2001.

Ooh, looks I'm first to see Nancy Banks-Smith complaining that not much is happening. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jan/03/nancy-banks-smith-on-the-archers-ambridge-is-peaceful-to-the-point-of-paralysis.

I'll pick her up on one fact - she claims St Trinian's School was based on Roedean. Not true: it was largely based on Perse School for Girls, Cambridge - Wikipedia backs me up so it must be true!

Hello. Just marking. Need to get back to work to get caught up!

"Other newcomers also had voices that instantly signalled who they were, like Darrell" That's quite enough of that kind of talk please

I think it was Mallory Towers that was inspired by Roedean wasn't it? Cliff top location, towers, etc etc...