🌟 ⭐ Archers thread #138: Two new stars on the Ambridge firmament, but will Peggy’s retirement leave a black hole? 🕳️ Join us here for a window on The Archers.

[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 commissioning a stained glass window for two of your great-grandchildren and nothing for all the others is a sensible thing to do, 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.)

Thanks to @LillianGish and @MuddlerInLaw for title ideas, which I have played around with a bit. I'm sad to have heard the last of Peggy. An era starts to draw to a close.

What a relief to be out of the Steph Casey phase, which I hope was an unfortunate blip, not to be repeated. [Triumph of hope over experience there ... ]

@BoreofWhabylon has asked the 🔮 about Adil and it predicts that he is actually the Mysterious New Owner of Grey Gables but won't be revealed as such until he has won Kirsty's heart (or some similar Mills & Boon level tosh - apols to the 🔮 but it does seem to have a mushy side). I still cling to the idea that the mysterious silent and invisible Gills who now own Home Farm may have some role at GG, but why not name them?

No mention of the heatwave in Ambridge, but budget constraints probably severely limit their scope for topical inserts these days. IRL I believe this has been a tricky time for farmers. Perhaps the SWs will catch up with this over the winter and start putting in some farming chat about diversification away from oats to olives, or similar. We already have at least one vineyard in the Ambridge area, at LL. (I understand there was another, in the heart of the village, decades ago, but the SWs have now forgotten all about it, sadly.)

Over to you!

Forgot what I had meant to say about Scumbag’s fatal flaw and poetic justice!

If it had been any other man of a similar age in the village - being named as Chelsea’s crush would have caused barely a ripple. Tracy might have sought them out for questioning; but she wouldn’t already have had it in her head that the man was guilty. She couldn’t have accused them with such pinpoint accuracy. And their partner would have had no reason to immediately doubt them.

For once the SW couldn’t have done better. (Though I agree it’s hard on Tracy atm.)

@MuddlerInLaw Excellent post!

Yup

But the great thing is Russ doesn’t need to be the father now - what's more, Chelsea doesn't even need to be pregnant! So even if the putative father is someone completely unknown to us it won't matter as he'll already be history. It's a stroke of genius in terms of plotting - and all the better for making us wait, to give Russ time to get his feet firmly under the table at LL so that his downfall is all the more spectacular.

I just have a feeling George is mixed up with Chelsea’s disappearance somehow. He’s such a devious slippery character.

Yes but I don't think (at this stage at least) he'll be revealed as "truly evil".

Unless you meant he might have done something relatively minor which has somehow made things a whole lot worse.

Lurker unlurking, to say - I think it’s Ben. Remember he disappeared in a strop, drunk at the rave ?

George was my first thought but isn’t he Chelsea’s cousin of some description, what with him being the son of Emma who is her full cousin?

(And another lurker delurking! <waves> )

An interview done around the time Sarah Hehir must have been writing those scenes. She's primarily a poet and interested in social justice among other issues.

leslietate.com/2022/06/20/15194/

Please don't let it just be some random lad we've never heard of and the whole thing was just a device to get rid of Russ.

I like Russ - he's never boring. Even if you are pleased at Russ' downfall, it's been at Chelsea's expense. She's the talk of the village. Unless the father is from a first family all this drama over an unprotected fumbling with an anonymous local is unnecessary and cruel.

A random lad would be the equivalent of a new character introduced as the culprit at the end of a whodunnit. I hope not.

Ruairi?

When did we last hear from Blake? Could he be the father?

Hello! I’m back off into my lurking lair now…
Also, absolutely hate Russ. Hoped it would be him, but I think that’s too obvious now - glad Lily had woken up to his creepiness though - 🥴

I don't think so, but could Chelsea be with him now? He's probably the only person she knows outside Ambridge.

I'm slightly worried that the SWs have had her abducted and murdered - if SOC was still editor I'd be more worried.

And I hate the whole soap trope of "who's the daddy?" It's so Eastenders.

Ooh! I doubt she’s had time to be seeing someone outside the village/workplace but I bet they’re still in touch.

I still think (HOPE) we can’t have more Ben n Beth angst so soon

Yeah right @TheLassWiADelicateAir .A 40+ man buying a teenager a fancy meal would never raise any eyebrows.

Is lunch at the Orangery fancy? These country house visitor places can be full sit down fancy or self service soup and a roll. No, I don't think that was "grooming"

I hope it is Ben. There will be a bit more weeping and wailing from Bethly Bore but hopefully it'll be short and we'll never hear from her again.

Well that was just perfect wasn’t it? Even down to Russ conveniently forgetting his sordid history and rewriting himself as the adoring wronged party. He rescued Lily, how dare she cheat on him. So poetic!

Poor Chelsea though. Being used as a catalyst for this SL.

@MereDintofPandiculation

I actually thought he sounded suspiciously calm and reasonable …
especially about handing over his phone. DH said “he’s got another phone”. I challenged him with knowing too much about the mechanics of two-timing, he said “well, it’s you! You keep reading me bits from MN”

This made me and DH laugh a lot!

Is lunch at the Orangery fancy? These country house visitor places can be full sit down fancy or self service soup and a roll. No, I don't think that was "grooming"

to a 17-year-old who has probably hardly ever eaten out, no it wouldn't be fancy at all would it. And there's nothing suspicious about a man who left his much younger wife for one of the students at his school, doing the mentoring and buying.

Just because I can’t remember if it’s already been posted - here’s the featured interview with Madeleine Leslay (Chelsea) on the BBC TA site. There is a photo! So don’t click if you don’t like knowing what the actors look like.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1fY22TjQvljttM0Lf8dJKD/meet-madeleine-leslay-who-plays-chelsea-horrobin

Thanks for the Sarah Hehir interview, JanglyBeads. Was she the one who wrote Mia as domestic drudge after Nic’s death? (And her escape from it?) I remember commenting on the SW’s creative background at the time - but don’t recall who it was!

Yes it is a shame that Chelsea is being used to rescue vapid and useless Lily.