🌟 ⭐ 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!

I'm the first to criticise this programme, but that was a well acted episode. Not too shouty; just simmering anger.

Do we think that Russ is off, then, or will they kiss and make up?

I don't think that was "grooming" - whether it was or it wasn't is immaterial really, the point is that Tracy's outlining her case to Russ - including the comments about the dress Chelsea was wearing at the rave got Lily's cogs turning. Her: "Is this what you do Russ?" was the penny finally dropping that she herself had been groomed, that the big 'love affair' she had put everything on hold for - including her university place (now downgraded to Felpersham) was in fact Russ taking advantage of someone with a crush on him. Her "to think I felt guilty..." was the frustration of someone wondering why she'd been living the life of a middle-aged couple instead of enjoying her youth. It was good to hear that crystallising last night because I don't think anyone has ever set it out in such terms before (apart from on here of course ) It needed saying and it has been a long time coming!

I reckon (hope) Lily and Russ will end it for good... Lily will wake up, having heard the words 'grooming', reflect on life and go to uni as a single person for a fresh start.

Loved the BBC article about Chelsea, the actress actually looks exactly how I imagine Chelsea!

Cross posted with Lillian there, who elaborated on my (well, her) thoughts beautifully! Telepathy.... 😁

Russ was quick to call an end, to get the upper hand, I think. As if he wanted it . Maybe the settling down in ‘our own place’ was a threat.

I still have no sympathy for Lily. She's s vapid, stuck up patronising twerp who isn't half as clever as she thinks she is.

I hope the SWs remember Russ blackmailing Freddie, and also allow Freddie to remember that, so he and Lily can have a nice honest chat about what happened at college.

Lily might be all those things, but at her age all of those things are pretty much a given.

I have lots of sympathy for her. We’ve all had inappropriate crushes on older men - but fortunately for the majority of us those men didn’t take advantage of the situation.

I really hope Chelsea appears soon. The pain expressed by Tracey is very convincing. She is a great actress.

I don't think that lunch at the Orangery alone was grooming, given that it's part of both Russ and Chelsea's workplace. But the bigger picture - the tutoring, the hair-cutting, accompanying her to the police station - Russ clearly enjoyed having Chelsea look up to him.

As soon as Tracey mentioned Russ to Harrison, Harrison must have remembered them turning up to the police station together.

@feisfeisfeis , there's a big difference between eating as a staff member and eating a paid for meal. As a one-off it could be seen as a gesture, but CMR was the one encouraging, if not insisting that Chelsea paid for the damage to the car.
CMR doesn't work in the orangery.

Speaking of twins, we've not heard about Pinky and Pyrci for a while

That would require Princess Lily to eat humble pie (possibly in the Orangery) I doubt she's capable of that. She's always thought she's so much superior to Freddy.

So … I guess I’m the only person in the country who listened to tonight’s episode on BBC Sounds?

(Radio had been on all day so really nothing new to hear.)

Ooh - I didn't realise it'd be online. Thanks for the heads up!

Oh, thank goodness! I was worried I'd miss it because I'm at work when the film's on. I'll catch up soon. Thanks @MuddlerInLaw

You won’t find it in today’s revised Radio 4 Schedule on Sounds, btw. But it’s there as a podcast, or via the BBC Archers website.

Nice episode. I liked the comic relief of the soft play centre and the doubt over the text message. And Brad at the end was sweet.

Link for those seeking a little normalcy on a day when we really were STTC

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001brxh

Only just found it. Thanks

Thank you so much

This is getting ridiculous.

There's no plausible reason for Chelsea having run away. Now at least half a dozen people know she's pregnant and even without the help of Radio Carter it's going to be impossible to keep that from leaking out to the rest of the village.

It's turning into a horrible, manipulative plot device, which so far has done nothing but use Chelsea as a pawn to force that twerp Lily to realise what a twerp she is.

Jim, Alastair, Brad and Oliver were lovely and beautifully acted but what a waste of effort.

LSWs clearly never been to a soft play. They don't let random men in to wander around. And why wasn't the reception desk at the door? Didn't mind really.

Last night was amazing. I've never believed Russ would go for Chelsea. To my mind he's too much of a snob to give up LL life. This week had me doubting though. Yesterday provided a way of Lily getting liberated whilst Russ is retained at the gallery (and on our radios.)

This is getting ridiculous. There's no plausible reason for Chelsea having run away.

But Brad explained - cogently - exactly why she would want to get away from the public gaze of a tiny, nosy community. In her position I would have wanted to be outside Ambridge too.

And Chelsea told us just how painful it was to see all the trouble reflected in her mother’s eyes. It must have been unbearable.

Well they managed to show exactly who Den was is that very short scene didn’t they? What a shit.

Yesterday allowed Lily to be liberated at the cost of the whole village gossiping about Chelsea and Tracey and Brad being put through hell.