Call #111 for Archers advice: Is Hilda breathing? Should Joy be breathing? Could Nelson Gabriel be in cryogenic suspension? Discuss The Archers 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 Joy's best friend or other 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!

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 for all the input on title suggestions. I'd missed the significance of 111, but @R4 and DDD, our resident numerologist, were right on to it. Strongly tempted by Bore's suggestion but couldn't resist the chance to mention my favourite ever Archers character, Nelson Gabriel. Have not managed to incorporate a cricket reference, so you'll have to read up on that for yourselves. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_(cricket)

I wonder if this thread will last till Joe's funeral.

If it's tomorrow, is it a fireworks party? Surely not, if it's at the stables. The horses wouldn't like it.

Odd otherwise. It's not twins' birthday until election day. (This sticks in my mind because we have a family birthday that day too. Heavy sigh.)

Good to hear Johnnie again. What a lovely lad he is.

I'm sure it's a nov 5th party, Freddie said something about not scaring the horses or setting things on fire (can't remember which, but something like that).

I think we're supposed to believe that Lily isn't merely 'besotted' with CMR, but that this is a serious relationship. Well, I suppose strong relationships with mismatched ages so exist, but this one has never sounded convincing.

So is Shula letting Freddie have his party even after the autobiography thing? And she didn’t even mention no fireworks.....

So is Shula letting Freddie have his party even after the autobiography thing? And she didn’t even mention no fireworks.....

She did agree with him that there must be absolutely no fireworks when he talked about the horses. I suspect not all his guests will understand though.

She did agree with him that there must be absolutely no fireworks when he talked about the horses. I suspect not all his guests will understand though

Yes and it was emphasised enough that the outcome is tediously predictable including the fact that whatever goes wrong obviously won't be pooe wee Freddie's fault, it will inevitably be those nasty, common, big boys wot done it.

Well, I suppose strong relationships with mismatched ages so exist, but this one has never sounded convincing Quite. Lily’s relationship with CMR was a dramatic device to ensure Freddie went to prison - she kept quiet about his drug dealing in return for his keeping quiet about CMR. Lizzie has never cottoned on to this (a missed opportunity if ever there was one). That apart, their relationship has never been realistically explored. The deputy head off a small town sixth form college runs off with one of its posh pupils, he then gets a job running the art gallery of one of the area’s principle tourist attractions and that’s not awkward for him. We are supposed to believe that CMR’s mad wife has never been up to LL - which is after all open to the public - to have it out with CMR or even Lily herself. It’s just not believable. As to it being a serious relationship, they barely lasted a term alone in Manchester - Lily is a teenage girl still living with her mum. I don’t believe it, but what frustrates me more is that there were aspects of this storyline that could have been explored more fully, but the SWs have dropped all the threads to go for the lame he won’t divorce his wife line.

Beautifully expressed, Lil’G!

Agreed!

This has reminded me that many years ago the head at my children's school went off on secondment to another school where it soon became apparent that he was having an affair with a teacher he'd poached from our school and appointed to a promotion post in his new school. He swore blind that the affair started after he interviewed her for the new job, not before, but her housemate (another teacher at our school) said differently. Not surprisingly, his wife threw him out. I later heard that she served the divorce papers on him in the playground of the other school in front of the children and parents. Plenty of food for the SWs there, which perhaps the new intern could feed back to them!

There are any number of reason why Lily be getting cold feet about him - the idea that it’s because he won’t divorce his wife seem the least likely and most feeble of them

Now she, Lizzie and Freddie are are safely ensconced at LL again isn’t she just sick of him hanging around?

Exactly

Anyway on what basis does Lily think CMR can divorce his wife? He is the one who is at fault so any action based on irretrievable breakdown has to be initiated by her. They haven't been separated for 2 years so a mutual application on that basis isn't an option. Lily could be looking at a 5 year wait.

Ugh when he said he had 'residual pity' for his wife I wanted to punch something. His excuses are rather Knob-like. The SWs need to do some wider reading methinks.

There is nothing to stop CMR starting divorce proceedings himself based on his wife's "unreasonable behaviour". Seemingly trivial items are accepted by the courts.

But presumably she could refuse? I do wish we had ‘no fault’ divorces here in the U.K.

She's pregnant isn't she?

Oooh is that what was going on?
I’ve missed a bit lately. Why was she stalking her?

You think CMR’s wife is upduffed?

Oh. Yes. Pregnant would be better. (Something visible that would prompt Freddie’s bewildered reaction.)

I was worried that Lily might have killed her ...

But. How would Lily not know what she looked like? Surely the very first thing she would have done after her eyes met his over the Gwen John would be to devour the married couple’s FB stuff? By now she would know everything about his wife.

or, what about, she tells Lily she has been TRYING to divorce him but he keeps talking about 'wanting to give things another chance' and they've been going to Relate.

I don't think they have access to the internet in Ambridge.

Hmmm. If she (Lara?) was noticeable preggers surely Freddie wouldn't have just said 'I'd be surprised'. He'd have blurted something. And I'd have thought Lily would be more thrown by that, in advance of going in. I'm genuinely intrigued!
That hasn't happened in a while!

Definitely a cliff has.

Goodness, I actually want to listen to tomorrow's episode. That hasn't happened for a while.

Ok - what else about Lara’s physical presence might be surprising to Freddie?

Much older?
Much younger?
Different race?
In a wheelchair? Though I’m sure Lily mentioned her walking? (Can’t actually recall.)
Blind/visually impaired, with white stick? Now, this might answer my immediate wondering as to why Mrs Russ was arriving home by bus, rather than driving; it somehow didn’t fit my idea of their lifestyle.

Can’t think of any more ... I doubt that, despite Russ’s repeated assertion of her poor mental health, the TA scriptwriter would be encouraging us to imagine her as visibly mentally unwell.

Trans.

The 🔮 says Lara is definitely upduffed. And CMR is the daddy.

Yep. Pregnant. What an arsehole Russ is.....

That was meant to be accompanied by a ‘?’

Pregnant is good although surely Lily would assume someone else if the father. Did lily speak to Lara ? Did Lara have a chance to say it was his ?
Is Lara a fellow student ? Ie whole wife story a complete fiction. Much younger than lily expected ?
Are they actually divorced already ?
Was he there ?!