Movin' on up (Ed and Emmur), Movin' on out (Brian and Jenny), Time to break free (Lily from Russ, we hope), Nothing can stop *The Archers* in 2019 - Thread 97 (Joe Grundy’s age!)

[Bittermints]

Many thanks to @LilianGish for the title and to @NotdeadyetBOING for being the last threadstarter. Further thanks due to @PseudoBadger for kicking of this long, long series of Archers threads and to @DadDadDad for being our resident statistician and keeping the ball rolling when Pseudo stepped back a bit.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please. We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the weeknight episodes, but we do try our best to avoid cross-contamination from www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3439443-keep-it-to-yourself-the-archers-spoilers-thread-4, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

I wonder where Brian and Jennifer will end up. I was very taken with the idea on the last thread that the mysterious Gills won't last very long and the house will be sold back to the Aldridges at a knockdown price.

I wouldn't google someone either. Not unless it were work-related, and even then I'd feel slightly queasy and make sure I only looked at the stuff which seemed strictly relevant. It feels ... intrusive.

But maybe Helen should be doing just that, given her track record.

I'm a very nosy person indeed and in Lee's or for that matter Helen's position I would certainly have googled. However, I don't think Lee would have had to google to hear about Helen's misfortunes. It would have been the talk of the neighbourhood and somebody, probably Susan, would have lost no time at all in telling a newcomer to the area all about it.

Has Lee been out of the country? If not, I’m sure he can’t have missed the front page news.

A trivial point but it’s niggling is that Lily and Call me Russ arrived separately in different cars but left together. Also it was Russ‘s vehicle with him driving, no? For years I’ve been noting the driving behaviour of couples who both drive but when together they travel in his car with him driving. Obviously there are various reasons for this but sometimes my observations do entertain me.

Anyway, with Lily and Russ it’s curious as they have hardly a sou to rub together (and a few short weeks ago he was needing Elizabeth to pay for his fuel) but probably it’s Lily who has greater access to cash via her mother so why would they leave in his car? I’d expect her to want the use of her car in Manchester so when was she coming back to collect it? And was Russ‘s (assumed by me at any rate!) insistence on his car and his driving actually an example of controlling behaviour and/or his desire/psychological need to be the alpha male. Right, some minutes of my Friday afternoon I will never get back.

Furthermore how can they afford to run 2 cars, let alone one? No need to respond. The answers are in no particular order that a. the writers just never thought of it, b. Russ has robbed a bank and not told anyone, c. Lily robbed a bank and didn’t tell anybody, d. they both robbed a bank etc. Or maybe just that the writers are so much in their alpha male mind set that having the couple leave together in Russ‘s vehicle with Russ driving is a complete no-brainer. No need to respond. I’ve just used several minutes more of this Friday afternoon that i‘l never see again. Oh dear!.

@BikingBeatrix u ok hun?

I think people in the village are very protective of Helen, partly driven by their own shock and guilt at not noticing or rescuing her. So they woudn't have told Lee. Someome more peripheral, in another village or at The Laurels, might do, if they saw them together.

I think Lee's a bit younger than Helen, maybe 33-5 to her, what, 38-9ish? When Ben and Ruaridh were commenting on Lee's muscular appearance, they didn't say 'for an old dude', as I think they would for anyone appearing 40+

I do think there's a possibility that when he finds about her past, he's going to say 'hang on, when I said 'toxic ex' I only meant... not someone you'd want to stab!' and distance himself fast. Hope not but, it is pretty shocking, especially her having done that.

@subspace. Yep, I am fine? And you?

Call-Me-Russ had a stable, well-paid (by my standards) career for a while so would probably have had savings. Unfortunately, his insistence on a certain lifestyle has depleted those.

I think people in the village are very protective of Helen, partly driven by their own shock and guilt at not noticing or rescuing her.
This theory would hold more water if they had learned their lesson and were currently rallying round to notice/rescue Lizzie.

Lizzie's distress is quieter, not (actively) caused by another and her daughter is there. People are very wary to intrude - relevant to both cases - but there's no baddy to rescue her from.

Also I'm not saying they have learnt, in terms of altering their behaviour. Just that I think they see Helen as 'one of their own' and wouldn't gossip about her recent history.

Well I’d be tempted to warn Lee about Helen.Not about Rob and prison etc but the fact that she’s so bloody boring and thinks the sun shines out of Henwees bum!

I think Lee is also a bit obsessive / focused and may be regarded as boring by his peers. He's like 'undamaged Helen-lite'. Maybe!

Did Russ arrive by car? Might he have travelled from Manchester on public transport so that they were driving back in Lily's car?

"Call me Russ" made me laugh.

Lily has actually had a tough time growing up I think.

Beatrix my dear, I think you may have become ever so slightly overinfested.

I’m glad Lily recognises her mum IS ILL.

EEEEP!!!!!

The answers are in no particular order that a. the writers just never thought of it

Russ arrived by car. I would be surprised if Call me Russ has any savings.

Good for Clarrie. What a sanctimonious nitwit Tom is.

CallMeRuss won't have any savings now.

That was actually quite sweet. All together now ... aaahh.

Bleugh.

Very heartwarming......Joe with his khazi, that is

Tom really pissed me off tonight (more than usual). I reckons Roy will be annoyed when he catches wind of that conversation. I'm wary of Lee but thought that was a sweet bit of dialogue between him and Helen. In real life, survivors of domestic abuse often become involved with other abusive partners - I'm going to pretend Helen has done the freedom programme so that won't be the case.