The Archers #109: Pulp Fiction! Hammer Horror (Tracy), Carry On (Brian & Neil), Call the Midwife (Adam, Ian, Lexi) - but no political thrillers, Ambridge remains Brexit-free. Nitpick here!

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

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 unusual views. grin

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!

For newer listeners, lurkers or those who just have no idea what we're talking about, @DadDadDad has created this useful thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3557323-For-Archers-fans-a-guide-to-acronyms-on-the-long-running-discussion-threads-and-any-other-meta-thread-questions-you-may-have BOOP point for him! (See thread for explanation.)

Thanks to Bucking Frolics and LillianGish for the title ideas, which I had to edit down a bit to get under the character limit.

I wonder if Lily will have gone back to Manchester by the time we've filled this thread.

It's interesting to compare the Mark Fowler storyline with more recent attempts to highlight issue based storylines. I thought they handled Marks storyline well but that must be 20 years ago surely. I don't think soaps do it well nowadays but I may be getting old.

I thought they handled Marks storyline well but that must be 20 years

He was diagnosed 1990, died 2004.

I agree most soaps don't do issues well these days, and while I don't expect Ambridge to be entirely tranquil (as that would be equally unrealistic,) I don't want frequent murders and constant affairs and everything being Drama - the reason I don't watch Eastenders etc these days is it all seems OTT and not like real life.

Ha! I daresay a tiny part of Lily’s reluctance to return to Manchester is a fear of being entirely supplanted by Freddie in her mother’s affections. Was so pointed to hear Elizabeth trying to coax her to leave, and the next moment welcoming Freddie with unabashed delight.

Gosh yes. I still remember her A level results day.

Perhaps Ian and Adam will decide to bring up the baby gender-free.

Imagine JennyDarling and Brine's reaction to being told I&A have decided not to reveal the sex of the babe and they must refer to their grandchild as 'they'.

refer to their grandchild as 'they'

Is Lexi having twins now?

I can just hear Brian saying that campion

"They" isn't always used as a plural, you also say "They" if you don't know someone's sex.

Re the Beeb doing trans SL, they've been doing a drama series in the 11.30am slot, off and on, about a teenage boy who's transitioning, and living as a girl. There's a new series starting next week.

Talking about parenting, we only hear Emma being peremptory and bossy to her 2 at the moment.

Is Poppy staying at Bev's or her biological Dad's now?

I listened too day for the first time in about a month. It's shit.

30 years of devoted listening and they've killed it for me. No one is in character anymore - it's all plot driven, rather than character driven.

Really poor

The attention seeking couple in the news recently do know the sex of their child so have no need to use 'they'. The child certainly hasn't been consulted. Lexi and Adam's baby is going to have enough to get his / her head round as it is.

If the BBC want to reflect current teenage transgender ishoos then it would be more accurate to have a FTM, as that is where the steep increase has been happening.

I agree campion. How are the teachers supposed to cope with calling one of their class 'they'? Let alone the benighted child.

Well if the couple in the news follow the style of the family that did this back on the 70/80s then they will Home Ed for the most part.
I read an article by the daughter involved (or a daughter, as I'm not sure if they did quite the same with her siblings). She seemed quite a well balanced young person - but her parents weren't trying to deny her sex, just bring her up without sex based stereotypes.

Poppy's biological father is Will.

Long-time lurker here, hello
Did I hear Adam say they were planning on investing in some industrial earplugs? Is that an acceptable parenting technique these days, just block out the sound of your baby crying? I wish I'd known, I could've done without all those sleepless nights.

@ppeatfruit, I know a couple of families IRL who are bringing their children up 'gender-free' like the people in the news, one of the women has written an article on it this week. There's not a snowball's chance in a volcano that their kids will be going to any mainstream school. They are all home ed or in a local co-op. So don't worry, no teacher is ever going to encounter them.

Re. the point upthread about the distinction between transvestite and transgender, a lot of the feminist response at the moment seems to have picked up on the deliberate erosion by the trans lobby of the differences between transsexual, transgender, and transvestite (amongst others): all mingled into the common 'trans' pot which makes it harder to object/ mount a defence. They appear to be deliberately trying create the impression that all trans people are transsexual, perhaps because that's the easiest group to get sympathy for & prove discrimination against.

JD really needs to join mumsnet.
Jenny: Aibu to follow my trail my son to the maternity ward when his surrogate is in labour?

Scrap that - she would definitely say "gestational carrier".

Ha ha (not) at Jill at the flower and produce show.

Yesterday an advert for Pension Wise came on the telly. Voiced by Leonard.

I just can’t see Ian and Adam with a baby. Ian is already fearful of his job, Adam will always put farm first. Are we heading for a split and single parentdom for one of them.
We need mystic Bore.

Oh God, I’ve just realised that Leonard is Egg’s dad from This Life. Ooh I’m not sure I’ll be able to imagine him the same now, didn’t he have sex with Anna on the balcony?? 😱

Yesterday an advert for Pension Wise came on the telly. Voiced by Leonard.

I read that as Pennywise. I have seen too many It trailers...

Has Jill always been a twittery, breathy teenager?

Must admit I adore Leonard's (actors) voice.

Birthing partners would so evidently have been discussed- by A&I and Lexie together, and by all with their mutual midwives, that the idea that Jennifer would tag along is Utter Bilge.

Corrie did a trans storyline years ago without frightening the horses.

Oh I think Jenny tagging along unwanted to wring her hands in the waiting room and pester Adam for updates is entirely in character. Why on earth he told her, I don't know.