The Archers - Freddie is getting OUT: will Russ hop it? Helen is falling DOWN: is Lee still in the frame? Tom is heading UP: will Natasha be the boost his sausage needs? (Thread no. 101

[DadDadDad]

We're still here and still discussing TA (The Archers). We welcome newcomers and old hands, so if you have a question or a point of view, please dive in. No spoilers - if you've seen info on future storylines, there's a separate Radio Addicts thread for that.

I loved all the name changes on the last thread. Don't forget to change back! (If you want to).

Who's going to get Russ out of LL? Freddie? Lily? Elizabeth? Or is it Freddie who will head off?

What thislido said. If you don't believe in it then it's just meaningless words, no harm done. It's not like he took them off to be circumcised or anything

This is a difficult turn of the thread because the poster thought it was OK. Which is OK for them. It's the principle I'm addressing here.

It's the utter lack of respect. There's nothing nice about this.

I agree it's only words.

Which is why, as an atheist, when I go to weddings & funerals in churches, I sing lustily along with all the hymns (or folk songs, as I like to think of them) but don't join in the prayers.

“It's the utter lack of respect. There's nothing nice about this.”

Ah. But I think that babies have lots of different sorts of relationships with different people. And I don’t actually believe in the Mumsnet “my baby my rules” mantra. And i would not want anyone in my family worrying about a baby going to hell for want of her making a mark on it’s forehead. How awful would it be worrying about that all day every day? Even if it is completely ridiculous and absurd?

I’m with you here Bert . I think your family’s story is rather wonderful and must bring back fond memories of your dad when you are all together.

I agree it's only words

If it was only words, then there'd be no need for secrecy.

So, echt, you’d be happy for a grandparent (not my father, this didn’t apply to him) to worry every day that their beloved grandchild was going to hell? All for the sake of a splash of water and a symbol on their forehead?

This why I previously posted that issues about religion had now moved to a poster's (yours) fond memories, and away from principles that had previously been part of this thread.

The answer to your question is that no-one has a right to impose their beliefs on another.

Ah, she hardly ever went to church. She certainly wasn't worrying "all day, every day" that her grandchild was going to hell. I'm sure she'd have been horrified if I made the sign of the pentagram (my belief system) in front of her, over my son's head.

Anyway, we're obviously going to disagree, so I'm not going to say any more on the matter.

Back to TA. I've got my husband listening to it now! He asked me to turn the radio up this morning, while the omnibus was on, so he could catch up on what he'd missed during the week.

So, echt, you’d be happy for a grandparent (not my father, this didn’t apply to him) to worry every day that their beloved grandchild was going to hell?

I'd be asking them why they worship a God who would send their beloved grandchild to hell.

Anyway, these thread diversions get tedious - back to TA. Can someone tell me why Jill gets so worked up about Phil's late wife. That's who Grace was, right? Phil was before my time.

Before all our times, I suspect! Based on what I've read in my Archers books (yes, I know) Phil wasn't married to Grace for very long. TA started in 1951 and for the first few years the SWs thought it would help with the listening figures to have Phil, then the young dynamic farmer of Ambridge, involved in a protracted on off love affair with Grace Fairbrother. My impression is that they finally decided to marry them off when ITV announced its opening date in 1956. So they got married, Grace found out she was pregnant and boom! she died in Phil's arms after being caught in a fire at the stables at Grey Gables trying to rescue her horse, Moonlight. The episode was kept so secret that it was recorded live or very nearly on the opening night of ITV. The idea was that the listeners (20 million or more in 1956) would be so upset by Grace's death that they wouldn't bother watching the newfangled TV channel. The poor actress who played Grace only found out she was being written out at the recording.

Anyway, after all that excitement, TA started to haemorrhage listeners as more and more people got TV sets. Phil was allowed a period of mourning and then he had to be married off because he was no longer quite as young as he had been and the future of Brookfield had to be secured. So in came Jill and the dynasty continued.

I can't remember when they first started this business of Jill feeling jealous of Grace. I don't think it was there to start with (which was long before I was listening). It may have been an Editor's whim in the 80s or 90s. It was certainly embedded by the time Elizabeth had her fling with Trex's dad, Robin.

I’m not sure I had realised before that Grace was pregnant when she died.

‘Nother hasty re-write after reading this thread!

Jill Archer child snatcher!

Please don’t tell me Jill’s going to push Rosie in the Am........

I’m assuming she meant the long journey of life rather than down the Am in a basket. Maybe she’s going to nip back to the font for an emergency baptism.

I liked the scene with her and Leonard.

I rather liked that. Jill was so buoyed up expecting everything to be great and I know that feeling of anti-climax. I feel slightly sorry for Shula, but only very slightly. Nice to hear Alan and Leonard chatting. A pity that the budget/Anthony Head's schedule didn't permit Robin Fairbrother to put in an appearance.

OK - so it was option c on my list: Jill (nearly) crying and only Leonard noticing.

Did Toby really think his lame coughing tactic would solve the problem?

Thank you, Gabrielle, for the explanation. Just hope Moonlight was ok.

So this whole massive thing with the fairbrothers etc is purely because grace was married to phil first? Fck me jill has jealousy ishoos.

I too would have liked to have heard Robin Fairbrother grrr. After all, he was the instigator of the christening and more to the point is played by Anthony Head

Their not being able to have Anthony Head rather makes the whole Christening palaver a bit more contrived than it ought to have been, which is a pity.

I go away for a few days and Jill goes rogue!

Grace wasn't actually pregnant when she died, she had just agreed that week (after having always said before that she wouldn't, she wasn't ready, she didn't like babies) to start a family with Phil.

So it was all Terribly Ironic an' evryfing.

I thought affairs had been had, murders committed.

...dude just got remarried? Ok.

Jill gets more and more annoying. What was all that about being disappointed because the day wasn't perfect - is she 12 years old?
The SW really need to stop with nonsense about Grace. It was 60 years ago!! Nobody cares - not anyone in the village and no listeners. Let it go, Jill.