Thread 98 - Discuss The Archers here! If you don’t give a ha’porthfor Pip come and add your two penn’orth - we do enjoy a bit of change counting (especially if it’s in old money)

[Bittermints]

Many thanks to @LilianGish for the title (again - she has real gift for this!). Further thanks due to @PseudoBadger for kicking off 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. We don't all agree on all points and most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you'd like to be Susan's best friend or other odd unusual views.

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!

(Change counting references arose specifically out of a nostalgic discussion on the previous thread, if anyone is intrigued.)

Private adoption (i.e. adoption where the child is placed voluntarily by the mother/birth parents and then adopted by a family they have selected outside Social Services' control) is illegal in the UK.
Where a child is relinquished, they are placed in foster care until at least the period for changing her mind has finished (6 weeks I think) and then a home is found. It is theoretically possible for the IPs to be that family but frankly the SWs could easily find lots of APs who would be a good match with a random child that's been relinquished so it wouldn't be guaranteed.

We are adopters but adopted from overseas, but we know a family that adopted a UK relinquished baby who was of an unusual religion, and so were they, and it was about 8 months before all the paperwork went through even though by the time the baby was 6 weeks they knew she'd need a home and they knew of only a very few suitable homes i.e they were pretty sure were she was going.

So it's not exactly a great route to go down, even if you have an agreement from a surrogate.

Where is the Laurels? It sounds a lot more promising than OLD.
How has Jill found the time to go courting???

Peggy used to talk to the husband of one of the Laurel residents, who Jack thought was his girlfriend. I think she was called Violet.

You know I still sometimes remember - with really visceral dismay - just how hurt Peggy must have been over Jack and his Laurels ladyfriend. Didn't she once return to Jenny's car with the info that she'd seen the pair holding hands?

It was so, so sad - even though she knew he wasn't well and wasn't always compos mentis.

Yes I remember. It was superbly acted (esp by June Mitchell) and although it was over several years it didn't dominate.

It sounds like Jill is a cougar because the fellow is a 'volunteer' at the Laurels not an inmate

They've tried the "Ambridge Extra" spin-off to attract younger listeners, maybe they should try the "Later Love at the Laurels" spin-off to boost the golden-oldie listeners!

Jill still does some voluntary work herself doesn't she - or did till recently at that cafe? Being older doesn't mean being unable to help others!

So...fallback plan should, heaven forefend, DH meets an untimely demise ... get the dog registered as a PAT dog and volunteer his services, he'd spread much joy and is a perfect ice breaker.

They've tried the "Ambridge Extra"...
Ambridge Superannuated?

Crikey Errol you are organised

In reality I'm not even organised enough to listen to a 13 minute radio program once a day, not even now there's podcasts.

The Laurels seems a somewhat unlikely location for budding romances

www.huffingtonpost.com/derrick-y-mcdaniel/sex-and-seniors-stds-a-ne_b_9619778.html

Hope Jill has had the tests

A bug emoticon could serve double duty for reporting when MN has one of its occasional breakages

Or triple duty for winding up people who boast about their excessive hygiene regimes.

Why was Kirsty getting defensive with Roy?

I didn't think she was being defensive. I thought she genuinely wanted to know why he thought that because she obviously isn't clear about her own feelings. She was surprised when Helen said she felt butterflies when she saw Lee, she clearly doesn't feel like that with Philip, it's like she's just going through the motions. Roy can see that.

Yes, you do get the impression that Kirsty would be "settling" rather if she moves in with Philip. I was hoping the SWs would provide her with a proper romance! I wonder if they have a prompt above their notebook which reads "NB ordinary lives = thwarted ambitions/diminishing expectations/pragmatic compromise/quiet dissatisfaction overlaid with superficial cheeriness".

Long term lurker on these threads, v rare poster. But I am excited about Brian's day in court this evening...

When Jenny said " it'll all be over..." I think that was the signal for impending doom and he will go to prison and/or get such a huge fine they have to sell land.

I missed a few episodes recently so don't know what his lawyers are saying he is likely to get...

Philip is encouraging Kirsty to follow her dreams, which is more than anyone else is doing.

It must be shit for her hearing all about Lexis baby as well.

Philip is dullsville and seems more like her dad.

When it comes to Helen and Lee, I'm afraid I'm with Pat; they have nothing in common. Not sure how charming she will find him long term if his idea of showing her a good time is taking her to a greasy Chinese and burping. Similarly, don't get the impression he's chomping at the bit for a long hike up Lakey Hill in the mud. I'm sure he's perfectly nice, but more than that is needed for a long-term relationship to work taps side of nose, knowingly. I also predict him freaking out BIG TIME when he finally hears stabbage story.

Thinking about it, it is a little odd that it was Jill who met a nice volunteer at the Laurels, not Christine (it would be fun if it turns out that the thought crossed Leo's mind though).

I've never really understood why Krusty decided to remain in Ambridge. What with being jilted, losing a baby....getting poisoned in the Am.. and a "best friend" who seems to have forgotten all about her. Living with love-sick "no, I am not the father" Roy can hardly help.

I am trying to

Oh, and the utter loveliness of Joe and his scrapbook; made me come over all unnecessary.....

Elizabeth having a go at Bert? Now she's gone TOO FAR!!!

Kirsty realised that she's just not that into Philip.

She's just gone with the flow, there's no passion or excitement in the relationship.