The Archers: Discussion #84. New Year and some of us are still listening even if we don't know why.

[DadDadDad]

New posters welcome - with your fresh views and burning questions.

Old posters welcome - with your jaded views and knowledgeable answers.

But new posters feel free to be jaded, and old posters feel free to ask questions!

How is the Pip storyline going to play out and do you care?

As usual, if you want to mention the advertised storylines for future episodes, there's a separate thread for that - no spoilers here, please.

Just imagine we're all sitting round a table at The Bull -->

Yes Francis (brilliant post btw ) Also interestingly Pip seems to have completely forgotten that Ed now has a full time job on Home Farm, so it'll have to be her brothers or Rex or a new character.

Didn't they say Eddie, not Ed peat ? I was mesmerized by the talk of a milking parlour with adjustable hydraulic floor - sounds like a recipe for disaster to me and quite how it would enable Pip to 'get around the herd' did she mean MILK the COWS more quickly I'm not sure...

She won't be able to help with lambing and I think as far as calving goes she should probably avoid actual births but she's a fit 25 year old so physically I would have thought she will cope with the work. Next year with a six month old baby will be a bit harder but they are pretty portable - I fed 50 calves twice a day with a baby in a backpack for four months. The following year, with a toddler who eats everything in sight, completely impossible!

You may be right dfw (if I missed the die on the end of Ed! ,maybe I'm going deaf , oh dear!)

Blimey you're brave, feeding all those calves with a baby in a backpack !!! That should be song or something You were lucky the 6 month old wasn't pulling your hair, earrings or hat off!

LOLing at Helen's definition of a lot on her plate! Yoghurt ( which someone else makes), cheese (which she makes once in a blue moon and never seems to have to do anything to actually sell it) and the children (who are always being looked after by someone else).
Has she ever been actually busy?

Well she runs the shop doesn't she cathf?

Ok dfw I just LA and the Eddie was much clearer!! It's not me, it's the so called 'smart' telly!!!!

I fed 50 calves twice a day with a baby in a backpack 😀😀😀

Loving this image.

And I agree that (as a FTM to a 16 month old) it is easy not to realise in the early days that toddlers will actually be much harder to fit around your life than babies; I suspect that Pip has not at all cottoned on to the long terms implications in her plans to “minimise the impact on the farm”.

Ppeatfruit, yes that must wear her out.
Childcare on tap, complete flexibility and a 2 -min commute.
How does she manage?

Maybe she's pregnant!!

You can bet that if Pip fed one calf with the baby in a backpack, the Dopeys would be falling over themselves telling her and each other how wonderful she is.

Neil and Jazzer are still with the pigs I THINK Francis Jonny helps out too sometimes doesn't he?

Aw come on! I'm not going to be mean about Helen. She's got a 7 month old so is probably still on maternity leave. She's still a single mum and I don't think she takes her 'childcare on tap' option for granted. She still has to ask.

In the last year alone she's stabbed someone, been imprisoned, given birth in prison, endured separation for a long period from her other child, stood trial and had her newborn kidnapped. Be fair, she has got a lot on her plate.

But despite that vango she still thought the best thing to do on Christmas Day was to swan off playing lady bountiful leaving her kids to her retired-through-mildly-I’ll-health father to look after.

Agh! Mild ill health. Damn autocorrect.

Is Jack still only 7 months? I've not listened properly for a bit and thought he would be a teen by now.

No he’s over a year now, 17 months I’d guess (he’s a bit younger than my DS2 who was born the weekend of the stabbing...)

I think Jack is 2 in May. Why do I know this?

Ok that makes sense. I thought the Hel/Rob scenes were longer ago. Can totally believe Helen could still be on Mat leave with a 17 month Old though.

Yes, Jack was born not long before my DS, who is 16 months. I remember listening to Rob talking about “Gideon” on the podcast while in labour!

I think Helen has been on maternity leave for the past five years, apart from a little rearranging of shelves in the shop and gentle faffing with cheese every couple of months, which seems to sell itself. She doesn't exactly roll up her sleeves and help with the real farming stuff. Too fragile, no doubt. Am I awful?

Vango, I fear you've lost a year. The stabbing, trial, imprisonment and birth all happened in 2016, and the kidnap attempt was early February 2017.

I got that information from this webpage about the process of Rob's downfall, incidentally. I can recommend listening to the clips for a satisfying trip down memory lane.

I caught a bit of Home Front the other day. There was a child actor in that depicting a child of around 3-4 who sounded notably more mature and realistic than Henwee. I wish the Archers' casting person would take note.

Thanks for new thread DDD . Loved Ruth yesterday.