💥 Archers thread #117: Welcome to the only C19-free area in the world! 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 think Phoebe is a genius, 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/3853783--The-Archers-spoilers-thread-5-Cant-wait-for-7-02pm-Join-us-here, 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.)

I put the BOOM! emoticon in the title as I thought it could transition into a vague likeness of a virus if we're still going by early May, when we expect some wild contortions from the production team to get Ambridge back in synch with the rest of the world. I think I would have preferred them to ignore it altogether but I suppose they couldn't.

Wouldn't the hospital occupational therapist have gone to visit Lynda's home normally anyway, to check that they had what was needed and advise on any adaptations? This was what happened when my dad broke his hip. I had to move all his kitchen equipment to the right height and clear some space, they ordered any special equipment he needed.

How would someone with a broken pelvis get themselves out of a bath?

Battery powered bath chair, Chemenger. (Assuming they're can actually sit upright.)

No cricket? I'd forgotten ...

(Should have included a '?' re the bath chair.)

I'm prepared to assume the relevant person has visited the house to advise on necessary adjustments. (I know how this works for a stroke patient but no real idea regarding Lynda's injuries.)

Can someone who has had extensive skin grafts spend long in the bath?

No idea.

Was she actually in the bath? Did anyone specify? I only remember sounds indicating that.

Perhaps insufficient communication between SWs?

Robert said that Leonie had left without saying goodbye to Lynda because she didn’t want to disturb her in the bath, I think.

Oh. Well ...

Can anyone say whether this scenario is medically accurate, or not?

My father used to go to one of the nursing homes in town to have a bath, because they had a chair and everything. The Red Cross came and reviewed the house and lent risers so the armchair and so on wasn't so low. Obviously Lynda's needs might be different, but it seems odd that as we've head it, Robert has been left to do it all alone, with no advice, and only assistance from any friends he could drum up.

Also, I thought she had broken her pelvis. Would she really be up to stairs already?

Nothing about this scenario is medically accurate, I'd say (as a layperson) but I'm prepared to overlook it because I really couldn't cope at present with a long, drawn-out medical storyline that went into detail about Lynda's injuries and likely recovery. I'm happy for Lynda that she's back at home with Robert, Monty and the llamas and able to get in and out of her own bath.

Massive BOOP for Lynda’s homecoming. PPE your analysis is spot on as always (and I love the fact that your new name has taken on an extra significance since the virus - how prescient of you 😂] My slight fear with Covid coverage on TA is that by the time Ambridge moves into confinement the rest of the country will be coming out - I can see the need to record scenes in isolation, but hope they won’t dwell too much of the effects of the virus as they are destined to always be playing catch up. I’d rather leave Ambridge in a parallel universe (which is rather how it’s seemed with Brexit thus far)

[Lynda's] back at home with Robert, Monty and the llamas and able to get in and out of her own bath.
The Ambridge Health Fairy strikes again.
The SW can't do reality (Covid) and they can't do believable fiction either. Why do I listen?

How would someone with a broken pelvis get themselves out of a bath? My Dad had a shower but eventually needed a carer to come in and help him. It's quite likely that Lynda and Robert would have a shower but maybe not downstairs where the bed is.

Sorry @Chemenger I realise you were referring to an earlier comment.

Thanks Lil'G.

(Though was two birds one stone rather than prescience!)

I think it is terribly unlikely that they have a bathroom or shower downstairs, because I remember the jolly japes when they were trying to cope with B&B guests plus one of Robert's children who had taken refuge with them and was spending hours in the bathroom. If they'd had two bathrooms they could simply have told her she was not allowed to use the one reserved for the B&B guests.

On the other hand Ambridge Hall is a six-bedroomed house which also has servant's quarters in the attic, if we are to believe The Book of The Archers, so it having only one bathroom is faintly absurd. Only why would they have a bathroom downstairs if they have no bedroom down there, as they clearly don't if they had to bring a bed downstairs?

Well, if they have no bathroom downstairs what on earth was the point of moving the bed downstairs? Lynda is hardly going to be doing the cooking or going outside. Silly story.

Listened again in the hope of some mention of a downstairs utility room / cloakroom with shower. (Which would surely have been useful with B&B guests.) But no.

Does seem strange ... 99 SWs and no joined up thinking?

Listening to Kirstie and Shula preparing for Easter felt very odd, when IRL it's been and gone.

< I bet they 'broke' Bernard on purpose >

Isn’t it just great that Lynda’s back home in Ambridge Hall in time for Easter!

Though I must be wrong - was yesterday Easter Sunday? Otherwise, why would Shula the hypocrite be eating chocolate before Lent is past? Maybe best to just ignore utterances from me.

I understand that she is in pain, feels not-in-control, etc but does she have to be quite so unpleasant?

Its not just a bit of pain though is it? She nearly died, has life affecting injuries, is in constant pain both from the burns and the fractures and most of all she must be utterly exhausted.

And yet she is the one who has to pussyfoot around the feelings of others? She spent a painful day practising stairs, has made it home probably just about fit to drop only to find her efforts with the stairs were wasted because yet again people have made decisions on her behalf without even discussing it with her.

Its utterly maddening to be struggling and exhausted and costantly derailed by people whose well-meaning doesn't extend to actually listening to a damned word you say.

My sympathy is with Lynda in this one and it was clear from the end of the episode that she and Robert will work it out but all the others wanting performance gratitude for services she neither wants nor asked for could go to hell frankly.

Mine too. Not making sure that Monty was there to greet her was a bad misjudgement.

Yes that was a bad decision.
I really wish they would ignore the corona outbreak in TA. If/when lockdown begins to ease the last thing I am going to want to listen to is TA dealing with the outbreak.