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.

So Lara getting a bus was indeed a red herring?

age because I associate the “ah you have been on one date, therefore he is your boyfriend” attitude with (some) much older people. As a much older person, I do a double take every time someone on MN talks about their "partner" of several years and then reveals that they don't live together.

Boggies - so as Lilian said some total non sequitur that doesn’t stand up to the slightest scrutiny like so much else in the scripts recently.

How long had CMR been at the college? It was a 6th form college, wasn't it? So if he met Lara in his previous place, it may not have been known about in Borchester, especially if he never brought her to school events to meet anyone. And for a 6th form college - 6 years is quite a few generations of students, if there wasn't much talk in the first place. He's probably had a bit of a name by having favourite female students, but with Lara at home, he may not have actually crossed boundaries until someone so irresistibly attractive as to own a Gwen John and live in a stately home came along...

So Lara getting a bus was indeed a red herring?

I think it is to illustrate she's not grown up enough to have adult transport like a car.

I may be fickle but I am feeling a bit hopeful about this latest development. CMR is creepy and his behaviour around Lily and Freddie whilst in a position of power was awful, I was beginning to think he was being integrated into TA longterm and we were all supposed to overlook this behaviour and warm to him as a character. If he gets a really unpleasant comeuppance, I may forgive them Carmen, Alf, Phoebes degree etc etc.

But all of this, ie Lara being another young'un like Lily, doesn't really throw light on why he's resisting getting a divorce, does it? Unless he always maintains he's married so as to prevent the next relationship with a teenager having to involve legal commitment.

So Lara getting a bus was indeed a red herring?

I think it is to illustrate she's not grown up enough to have adult transport like a car

Yes , sorry that occurred to me too, but it wasn't a signifier of her being old, poor and downtrodden.

birds your mention of Alf has reminded me of Clarrie baking ‘his favourite’ Victoria sandwich. What the fuck? Why do they keep doing this to Clarrie? If he’s been drafted in as a like-for-like replacement of Joe that might do it for me.

That reminds me Therapist also what was that nonsense with Eddie and Clarrie the other night. Eddie up at 4am, said after he had checked on the horses he would bring her up a cup of tea. AT FOUR O CLOCK. Can the poor woman have no rest.

“So, Mr Jones - what attracted you to ...”

He gaslit her this evening. If I had a penny for every time the skunk has sworn blind that his wife is mentally fragile - I could have built my own stately home.

One thing I wondered: Russ said that Lily had walked out on him last night.

Where did she go to? Freddie's room? Since he is now living at the Stables, presumably that is empty. But why should she have to go, rather than telling him to get out of her room?

I think her problem is simply that she has realised that she was quite happy about him lying to other people, but she doesn't at all like having discovered that he lies to her.

There has to be a bigger back story to Russ. He must have been earning good salary as Deputy head, but he was skint when he and Lily started to live together, because, allegedly, all his money was tied up in his marriage, the marital home etc. The divorce and sale of the matrimonial home shouldn't be complicated; there are no children and it cannot have been a long marriage if Lara is still in her twenties. Is he still paying the mortgage on the matrimonial home, or will it turn out that it actually belongs to Lara and he moved in with her?

I think it's believable Russ had no savings as I'm sure he is a spendthrift. I would assume he didn't pay anything on the mortgage until he started earning from being the gallery curator, but that can't be much.

Why has Lily never discussed any of this? Did she never wonder how the supposedly fragile, vulnerable Lara was coping re money? Did it never occur to Lily that as fragile, vulnerable Lara never got in touch she was probably coping fine?

And remember when CMR turned up uninvited at LL it was because the supposedly fragile, vulnerable Lara had kicked him out.

Has it been confirmed that he was actually married. If so, he’d still have rights on the house even if Lara bought it originally.

Also, why on earth was Clarrie up looking for Eddie at 4am!?! If DP gets up in the middle of the night I would a) not notice or b) assume he’s gone to the loo and turn over and go back to sleep.

And is anyone else hoping we get to hear Bert’s Ode to Joe?

I think it’s the idea that Lara was happy to get shot of him that has shaken Lily as much as the fact that she was so young - Lily was seeing herself a few years down the line. We still don’t actually know Lara’s age - Lily guessed 28, but she could be even younger. He can’t have met her at Borchester College or it would be common knowledge, but nor could he have met her in his previous post as he wouldn’t have got the job as deputy (similar problem that he’s had with Lily). Lily’s in a difficult position now - she can’t move back home to give herself some space, she’ll have to chuck CMR out which means he also loses his job. I’m still having to suspend disbelief that Lizzie was so happy to let him move into the family home in the first place and didn’t quiz Lily on his wife earlier. I think if my teenage daughter had been seduced by the school deputy I’d have been straight up the school and would have made it my business to check out his wife. It’s an unsatisfactory storyline for me because its foundations are so shaky.

I would assume CMR had no savings when he left his wife because he frittered all his money away on good living and expensive gadgets like the 3-speed kettle that he had to leave behind.

I think we said that at the time Lillian , but Lizzie was wrapped up in Freddie and had been for years (failing maths etc) that she didn’t / couldn’t find the energy.

Yes no one would have allowed CMR through the door, that was nonsense. I would imagine Lily couldn't really allow herself to think about how Lara was managing, much easier to dismiss her as the mean ex wife. That way lily doesn't really have to think about her own actions.

And is anyone else hoping we get to hear Bert’s Ode to Joe?

No. He's worse than McGonagle. As that's the only joke it's very wearing.

I think the intention of the writers is that we think that CMR came along at Elizabeth’s lowest point of depression when her judgment was poor. Hopefully now that she is more robust if Lily chucks CMR out Elizabeth will be there slamming the door behind him and releasing the hounds.

Lily's obviously realising that she doesn't actually love CMR, but a part of her as to be wondering how soon it will be before he starts targeting some nubile 16 year old who turns up for work experience at LL.

Oooh it looks from this thread as though things have picked up a little bit as no one has bemoaned the SWs for at least two dozen posts.

Do I need to expose myself to the last 14 days' worth or just leap back in and go from yesterday?

Bucking - I enjoyed Monday's more than any I've heard in a long time, so I'd go from there if I were you, although if you've been reading this thread, you'll have lost the element of surprise which was part of my enjoyment!

but Lizzie was wrapped up in Freddie and had been for years (failing maths etc) that she didn’t / couldn’t find the energy

There is also the fact that at Lily's age parental disapproval is more likely to push her into CMR's arms than keep here near enough to help when the shit hits the fan.