🦈 Archers thread #137: See left - have they jumped it? Discuss The Caseys - sorry, 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 Steph Casey is a wonderful addition to the programme, or similar odd 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.)

Too dispirited to add much else. Have we reached a new low?

I suppose the Archer twins will be born before we need a new thread. 👶👶
Any thoughts on names? Patrick and Antonia were suggested before - inspired! Peggy has to be a strong contender.

Over to you!

reassuringly awful. It's nice to have some certainty.

I found Pip's response fairly realistic.
The weight issue is probably best addressed before it becomes a problem, and Ben was IMO quite right to mention it.
I picture Pip and Toe B as being slender, as are the Dopey family, although Jill and David are sort of average weight not slender - someting to do with cake.

Yes as a parent it would be hard not to be indignant, to be (called) fat is viewed by most of society as a value judgement, the worst one in fact. I can imagine a parent would go away and consider and become aware of potentially contributory factors though, once they had had time to consider.

I was pleased the weather was accurate for once! Though I guess they wouldn't be haymaking if it wasn't set fair? My agricultural knowledge is based on Lark Rise.

Time for another issue…Childhood obesity…oh good- can’t wait for more public service announcements on that - especially coming from the Dishcloth…yawn

Who was that with Pip? I presumed it was one of her brothers but was it supposed to be Toby? Sounded like a complete stranger to me.

I liked the way the weight issue was handled; attacking Ben, and ascribing words to him he never said. It'll be interesting to see if he's ever allowed to a babysit again, or at what point his knowledge and skills as a nurse become useful to Pip

By the long arm of coincidence, I read this very interesting article yesterday about the limits of positivity for women:

www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jul/10/the-cult-of-confidence-could-positive-thinking-be-making-us-feel-less-secure-

I enjoyed Pip's rage at the very notion that her younger brother might dare to criticise her perfect parenting. Or that he might know more about children's nutrition than her.

Next up - ToeBee gets the blame for feeding Fat Rosie crisps and cake.

I don't like Pip either but when DSD began doing her nursing degree she went through a phase of commenting on the health and lifestyle of family members. She was told to wind her neck in and mind her own business by all - some in more forthright terms than others.

I wonder if this is a thing amongst first year nursing students?

I liked the way the weight thing was handled too. Pip's outrage and overreaction - as if Ben would tell Rosie she's fat and body shame her! He deliberately said something to the parents, not the child, he did the right thing. And then Pip's subsequent re-think, questioning the amount of butter in the mash. It seemed quite realistic, thinking of family members IRL who equate anything not made from a packet/jar or delivered ready made as 'homemade' and therefore healthy, sausage and mash would be a prime example.

Did Ben actually say 'fat'? I thought he said 'big'

He said 'bigger' and 'heavier'. It was Toe B who said 'big' and 'fat'

No, he didn't say fat, that was my point. Pip acted as though he were about to call the child fat to her face, when what he said was that she was 'medically speaking, a little bit overweight'.

It's odd how Grange Farm remembers that it has a fair acreage once in a while. I've recently imagined it to comprise just a couple of barns and a couple of fields of Texels.

I quite like the Rosie storyline, though it took me a few minutes to figure out who Toby was (who appeared to be recording from an empty corridor, not 4 feet away in the tiny cottage). They should pop young Rosie on the back of one of Aunty Shula's ponies all summer; that'll sort her out.

Am I the only one who's rather fond of David?

I'm fond of him. All the Brookfield Archers are fine apart from Pip and Fat Rosie.

Unless the SW get their act together and plan a romance storyline for Josh (even just discussing it 3rd hand would do for now), Rosie is the future of Brookfield!

No they aren't. Ben and Josh are dreary; Ruth is almost as bad as her ghastly daughter.

@echt yes that is an interesting article, isn't it.

Great, another ghastly young person.

So the sainted Georgie is a repellent little bully. What a surprise.

Can someone explain why some characters and their families are singled out as scapegoats and relentlessly ground down? I like Tracy, despite her moments of silliness and poor judgment, and I don’t get why they can’t just give her a break for once. Now Brad is evidently fated to be cursed by the same evil spell. Grrrr.

I felt frustrated for Ben - Pip’s reaction was entirely ridiculous. Would someone who is so practical kick off like that? As a farmer you’re so matter of fact about weight and health…it seems odd to think Pip would roll out “body positivity” as a reason to let a toddler be overweight.

I think we're gearing up for Oliver stepping up to help in some way.

Brad is sensitive enough to realise not to tell Tracey that Oliver was at the hay making.

George is vile.

Just got to the end. George is positively Dickensian in his vileness- Noah Claypole sprang to mind.

I couldn't listen to the end got hot and bothered and was zoning out with Shula. I do think it pretty amazing with all of the sprightly septuagenarians. Unfortunately my parents aren't in the best of health and I couldn't imagine in a million years my mum horse riding like Lillian and wanting to rush home for harvest like Brian who recently had an angina attack.

What's happened to Shula's vicar training? Wasn't she supposed to be going off on placement somewhere before she broke her arm, and has it happened subsequently without anyone saying anything?