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.

Not sure how accurate this is, but it suggests that as of 2016 surrogacy was illegal in Bulgaria

mfcsurrogacy.com/2016/03/17/surrogacy-laws-in-each-country/

They may have liberalised the law of late - but I wonder whether they will have extended rights to same sex couples

But Helen stabbed Rob to defend her child, an understandable action, if Lee is a mensch he'll be ok with it but she should explain her colourful reproductive history quickly if they intend to become serious.

I think that's asking quite a lot of Lee to be honest. We know all there is to know about Rob but he doesnt. He hardly knows Helen. I have no idea if Lee is a good person or not but I don't think being wary when he hears about Rob would mean he was a baddie. Just human.

Tom was a spiteful arse last night. He is regularly a pillock but last night was spiteful and ignorant.

I don't see Lexie as sanctimonious - she made a commitment and she is following it through.

The worry about the impact of her/Roy's relationship on their children is one many people in LDRs experience. Lexie has the experience of being away from her children to earn a living and doesn't want that long term for her or Roy's DC. That isn't such a rare dilemma.

I know it feels as though we should be on Helen's "side", but I feel more concern for Lee.

He seems a really nice straightforward guy, and I don't think he has a clue what future trauma he may have released getting together with Helen. She was always very high maintenance and 'me, me, me...' way before all of the Domestic Abuse/Rob/stabbing complexities. Do you remember her refusing to speak to Tony for ages while pregnant with Henry, and never realising she might have been wrong about that.

Lee, you should run for the hills, as fast as you can ....

@napple

I entirely agree.

I also find it odd that Lee -who appears to be an easy going, attractive, gainfuly employed chap in his early 30s with no resident children- should be drawn to Helen -pushing 40, 2 children and who comes across as at best highly strung. The dating market does not seem to work that way I M E.

Perhaps he is after the ready made family and drawn to her apparent fragility.

She is very pretty and has become less neurotic of late.

I agree about Lee. I think Helen is supposed to be quite attractive physically but there must be something about her settled family life and devotion to her dc that appeals to him particularly.

I might speculate that Lee had a difficult childhood, maybe an abusive father - hence the karate - and, while he's created himself as a really nice, stable adult (hence hurt but no sense of two-way unreasonableness, according to him anyway, about being kept away from his dc) he has a strong yearning for a settled, stable family life.

He may yet run away screaming!

Of course she is very pretty, all the Archers family are blessed with good looks.

Both Rob and Lee were smitten at first sight.

Ha, that's funny, they sort of are - all blessed with good looks - though not equally.

My pointlessly superficial poll of physical attractiveness in the Archer Family (imagining everyone at 25), would be something like:

Women -
Lizzie
Lily
Helen
Jenny
Kate
Shula
Alice
Phoebe
Lilian
Debbie
Pip

Men -
Kenton
Freddie
Ben
David
Josh
Tony

I've probably missed a few. And some (Helen, Lily) are more 'pretty' while others (Lilian, Kate) are sexier. But I definitely think Helen is one of the prettier ones and more so than Pip, Alice or Debbie.

I think Lee is attracted by many of the same things as Rob really - attractiveness, established family life, devotion to dcs. But Lee (I hope) wants to become part of it, where Rob wanted to take control.

I think Lexi will have a boy just as Ruairi is taking an interest in farming. Adam's enthusiasm in encouraging Brian's son will wane when he has a biological son of his own. This is why the SWs decided Ian's sperm were no hopers.

As usual, Jenny will be torn.

Pip, according to her parents, looks like a supermodel.
I imagine Tom to be quite dishy, but as dull as ditchwater.
John was very good-looking.
Ben and Ruairi are very pale from spending their childhood in the cereal cupboard and cellar respectively.

I think it's quite surprising Lee doesn't have an inkling of Helen's past. I would have thought it was quite a big story locally.

I love Tracey. She has absolutely no morals. Brilliant to listen to. Also I think a BOOP for pointing out that a retired couple with a teen only in the holidays are not worse off in a wee house than a single parent with four bairns. I understand the change is difficult for them but they still have a very easy life really. Why do we feel sorrier for wealthy people brung low than poor folk who've never had anything in the first place?!

If I was Clarrie I think I'd want more than one free dinner to make up for being Eddie's handmaiden. What that woman has to put up with!

Oh I forgot Tom, Ruaridh and Adam!

Tom is ok looking, I agree John was the really good-looking boy there. Possibly top of the list. (Tony def isn't though, maybe carries the good genes and Pat is attractive). Adam has something about him. Ruaridh is darker, more floppy-haired and patrician looking - very different to Adam but similar attractiveness.

Pip's parents are deluded, obvs.

Adam must be very attractive because he is gay.

Perhaps Lee will turn out to have been Henwee's anonymous sperm donor.

Bet you've all forgotten R4 @ 2.30pm!

How do you people know how good looking characters are?!

They are imagining. And possible completely crazy

Well, Chris Carter is very hot, despite having been born with a cleft palate, which distressed Susan at the time.
Debbie has great legs - we know this from comments made when she was the principle boy in one of Lyndas pantos.
Kate and Pip are attractive because they have weak knicker-elastics.

Adam is a red-head but Ruairi is dark auburn and freckly.
Ian is cuddly.
Debbie (in my eyes) is a brunette but now going grey. Alice and Kate are both blonde (Alice highlighed), tallish and slim.
Pip (to me) used to be dark and tallish but is now a natural blonde.
Tom is dark haired, Helen brunette (short hair) and pale, medium height and slender.

How do you people know how good looking characters are?!
Because we are occasionally told. Emmur was (?is?) a definite looker. A lot of the men are, literally, fit from all the physical work they do.