🐠 Archers thread #135: An Everyday Story of Fishy Folk. 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 would be delighted to be given a goldfish named after your ex, 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/4197199--The-Archers-spoilers-thread-6-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.)

Apologies for ignoring the various title suggestions on the last thread. However, here they are, plus a couple of other pithy observations, to kickstart the new thread. I think it's fair to say nobody is looking on this as a Golden Era! Goldfish Era, though ...

@Roysnewshirt: Everyone wants more! Chris wants more Amy; Jazzer wants more Tracey; Alice wants more time with Martha and Amy wants more space… Very true. And now we know Kirsty wants more farming expertise in the rewilding project, but not Pip (thank the lord) so does that mean approaching Adam? Currently under-employed.

@LillianGish: I tune in to hear birdsong and bleating in the English countryside not hammy acting and suggestive grunting.

@stilldumdedumming: Archers is good at the dynamics of family, farming, what it means to have your job, your home and your inheritance so closely aligned etc etc not this nonsense!

@DoctorTwo: Like fuck would Pheobe buy her parents a goldfish each. The Ambridge character transplant fairy has been working overtime this past few weeks, it's been absolutely fucking appalling bar a couple of exceptions.

Can't disagree with any of that. I want to hear more about the pigs and any other effects of Brexit. A topical insert about the war in Ukraine must surely be on the way.

Any happy listeners out there? Any disgruntled listeners with even more grumbles? Over to you!

Anisha.

Bloody autocorrect.

@SparklingLime couldn't agree more! That was embarrassing to listen to. Fossil's the word.

Given that he's entirely excused and defended Amy's behaviour but feels the need to lay the law down with Chris. Just yuck. Then there's the whole my daughter should be front and centre of your considerations Errr no. That would be a) your baby b) your ex in recovery (perhaps not a priority, but if you care at all about your daughter maybe try a bit harder NOT to sabotage her mum even if so far it's been in vain.----

On what planet is Amy Chris's top priority. The entitlement is flabbergasting and either shameful or shameless, possibly both.

If Amy was my child I think I'd be able to comfort her whilst gently maintaining that yes, you messed up, you did a bad, potentially dangerous (for Alice & Martha) thing, but hand wringing and moping serves no one.

Honestly! I'm starting to think Shula would be a better vicar (and I don't think she'd be a good vicar.)

Yes, @suzyscat, Shula doing a lot of quiet lip-pursing would be more appropriate right given the current situation.

Although admittedly would not make for great radio.

Haha yes, but Shula rarely makes great radio anyway.

The below wasn't meant to be struck through btw

On what planet is Amy Chris's top priority. The entitlement is flabbergasting and either shameful or shameless, possibly both.

If Amy was my child I think I'd be able to comfort her whilst gently maintaining that yes, you messed up, you did a bad, potentially dangerous (for Alice & Martha) thing, but hand wringing and moping serves no one.

Honestly! I'm starting to think Shula would be a better vicar (and I don't think she'd be a good vicar.)

Sausage Boy was wittering on about the Easter Bunny but I wasn't paying attention.

Is it some sort of promo stunt for Bridge Farm/Farm Fresh (or whatever the delivery boxes/app is called)?

It's worse than that. It's a guess the Easter bunny competition.

Alan’s reaction to the Amy subplot is very odd indeed. I think he would be more likely to be cross with her for behaving so recklessly and apparently forgetting all the decent values he presumably brought her up to hold dear.

And even Chris would notice that pledging to put Amy’s welfare front and centre of his decision-making was misplaced. When he agreed to it saying ‘I will’ it sounded like he was at the altar getting married. Was this deliberate or just a coincidence?

I wouldn’t mind the Guess-the-Easter-Bunny competition, in principle, though I couldn’t be tempted to enter it. However, what I do fear is that it’s going to provide the SWs with endless opportunities for inappropriate and hilarious innuendo over the next fortnight, as we saw with Lily. Sigh…

Some nutter is roaming the countryside and the quiet streets of Ambridge in a bunny costume and people are being asked to guess who it is.

I don't imagine William Hill would even give me odds if I bet on Kenton, that's how much of a certainty I think this is.

I think Amy is upduffed bc she keeps bursting into tears.

I do think there are juicy possibilities for the future if Chris has two almost same aged kids from different mums. Not that poor Martyr needs any more drama in her life.

But I really would hope that Amy would understand the use of at least one of contraception and the morning after pill.

Assuming that Aimless wasn't in a relationship recently then she might have not been on some method of contraception. Would Chris have had a packet of condoms in his flat? Where would he have bought them The Bull or the Village Shop?

Hence morning after pill or just - you know - don't have penetrative sex. Hardly an unprecedented position.

Lol accidental position joke

@BowerOfBramble

I do think there are juicy possibilities for the future if Chris has two almost same aged kids from different mums. Not that poor Martyr needs any more drama in her life.

But I really would hope that Amy would understand the use of at least one of contraception and the morning after pill.

Surely there would be well over 18 months between them .

yes you're right of course, still pretty close in age though! In my mind Marth is about 4 months old

How about Chris using contraception? It's not just Amy's responsibility.

Also a good question but tbf to Chris if they went with it in the heat of the moment he can't exactly march her to the pharmacy next day.

@BowerOfBramble

Also a good question but tbf to Chris if they went with it in the heat of the moment he can't exactly march her to the pharmacy next day.

He’s a grown man who had been pursuing Amy, and not so long ago, Alice. It would be reasonable to expect him to be prepared. Same applies to Amy (apart from the pursuing Alice bit).

I feel like if I were Amy and going on a date and had been single for a while not sure I'd have bothered to bring condoms but I may have. Depends on whether she thought she could bring herself to shag Rex. Is Rex hot do we think? I imagine him as more like Roy.

If we are going full soap then I’m going to say Amy, upduffed, steep steps up to the flat (endlessly mentioned - still not clear why!) I had been hoping up until this point that her being pregnant would be a step too far, and that we would swerve back to farming matters with the agricultural story editor, but with Kate’s intervention and now Alan’s speech to Chris about not doing anything to upset Amy it’s looking less and less likely. Who was the poster who pointed out earlier than anyone who sleeps with anyone outside a long-term relationship in a soap inevitably ends up pregnant (even if she is a midwife!)? I think you were spot on.

@BowerOfBramble

I feel like if I were Amy and going on a date and had been single for a while not sure I'd have bothered to bring condoms but I may have. Depends on whether she thought she could bring herself to shag Rex. Is Rex hot do we think? I imagine him as more like Roy.

But Roy is meant to be hot. We know that from the ridiculous episode with Elizabeth and Carole Tregorran's comment about "the Tucker boy" and it being understandable.

Roy is simultaneously an old fuddy duddy in polyester slacks and attractive to Elizabeth, Lexi and random tinder dates.

Still no reference to Ukraine ... Are we relieved to have a few minutes away from thinking about it, or astounded that they've not done a topical insert? I'm in the latter camp.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Some nutter is roaming the countryside and the quiet streets of Ambridge in a bunny costume and people are being asked to guess who it is.

I don't imagine William Hill would even give me odds if I bet on Kenton, that's how much of a certainty I think this is.

My money would probably be on Toby. Not least because it would be seriously creepy if Lily was fondling her uncle's bum.