👑 Archers thread #139: Who’s the Daddy? No ceremonial required to join us – 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 like the sound of Lilian’s Cinnamon Chicken, 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.)

I'm often struck by the time a thread ends how irrelevant the previous title has become to what's currently going on in The Archers. The Queen's death has only been mentioned very briefly in TA, of course, but I suppose that was to be expected in a time of budget constraints. In a few weeks when this thread fills up I wonder if we will still be thinking that, and about Chelsea and her pregnancy. That depends on what she decides to do, which at the time of writing is still up in the air.

As usual, I asked for title ideas and for various reasons then didn't use them. Sorry. Lillian Gish's was very witty - Will Chelsea stay mum about dad? Muddler made a more controversial one - Horrobins thread #139. As a new Great House of Ambridge emerges, come swear your allegiance here.

That's about all I can face saying about TA at the moment. I am expecting to have to travel north soon as my Dad is in hospital and I have to be with my Mum. (They're the same sort of age as Jill Archer, and up to now have been like her and Peggy, very active, managing very well with no help, but this may all be about to change ). So apologies if I'm more absent than present for a while. Will pop in when I can.

I don't think it's Lee.

Didn't Kathy say that Jamie lived in in the next County? It would have made renting out her home a bit tricky if he were still in Ambridge.

Maybe he’s been popping by to keep an eye on Kathy’s house?

The next county to me could be 5 miles away. Not far.

Please no

I was hoping George would leave - he is so his Uncle's nephew

The next county is less than a mile and a half away. 2 other counties are less than 7 miles away

though I think @BoreOfWhabylon is correct and someone might jump to the conclusion that it is Alistair if they stumble on his research. It was @BeaLola who first raised that possibility

It's not a great leap to assume the posters on MN are a reasonable indicator of the general view on abortion. The posters on MN are less spread in age, on average clustered around 25 to 45 (yes I know there are 60 year olds on MN but not represented to the same extent as in the general population) and more female than the general population, so it is rather a great leap to assume they are a reasonable indicator of the general population.

Re abortion in the UK, I had already pointed out that every opinion poll in the UK supports the rights to abortion; Parliament supports abortion- both Holyrood and Westminster have recently made it easier by retaining telemedicine; there is very little call in the UK to restrict abortion and what there is makes no headway.

That wasn't good enough so I mentioned the attitudes displayed on MN. Not sure where you're getting your figures about the demographics from (or even what they are supposed to prove). On any thread I've ever seen on MN, whether on FWR or AIBU , which discussed abortion the majority is overwhelmingly supportive of the right to abortion.

Just over 25% of pregnancies in any year in the UK end in abortion- so yes, I do think , that on the whole, in the UK, most people do not have an issue with abortion.

There is a huge difference between supporting the right to abortion and not having an issue with abortion.

By on an individual level the fact that the pregnant woman (Chelsea) or others support the right to choose without judgement, doesn't take away how difficult and troubling, and sometimes heartbreaking the decision can be for some people. Or have I lost the thread of the debate?!!! As I say I am as ever currently doing 3 things at once!

As I said a while back, for me it was a blessed relief. For my daughter it would be much harder. We both support the right to choose whole heartedly.

And supporting right to choose does not mean people are not judging and gossiping about you. Far from it.

Ps do tell me to pipe down if I'm off beam!

You're not off-beam @stilldumdedumming . When I was 17, if I wanted contraception (I didn't), I think it would have meant a trip to the GP, which would not have gone unnoticed, or a trip to the chemist.

If you got pregnant, you could have an abortion, but it would have been at the local hospital and word would get around, and many 'had to get married'.
Single motherhood was still unusual, and frowned upon.

I grew up in a small community, where if you crossed the street, someone would notice and mention it.

If anyone on here is "Chelsea Horrobin" your thread on AIBU is disgraceful. I'm very disappointed MN saw fit to reinstate it.

I think the rave might still be relevant, I think Chelsea might have thought that Russ had witnessed her in a compromising position with mystery man that night, hence the post-rave conversation with him where she was surprised (possibly relieved?) that he didn't remember anything from that night. If it's Ben, then Beth could turn to Josh for comfort possibly. Not keen on the storyline though, Chelsea is smart, I would have thought she'd have taken the morning after pill if necessary.

I thought she had taken the MAP. It doesn't always work though, does it? Might be wrong but I thought you had a fairly narrow window in which to take it and that the efficacy depended on where you were in your cycle.

Oh I might have missed that, that would make sense if she had.

Isn't it expensive or would she have got it from a clinic or doctor?

I've only used it once and it was about 20 years ago, but pretty sure it was over the counter at the pharmacy and free. Not completely sure though.

She did use MAP. You get it over the counter from a chemist. I've never used it but I think it's in the region of £15.

So odd that we didn't hear Jenny at the tedious Naming Ceremony.

Does anyone wish that the BBC would do an offshoot series: Shula in Sunderland?

No, me neither.

Things may have changed as it was about 15 years ago I got it but back then, you had to have a consultation with the pharmacist, and then it cost £25, at least in Boots. Could have been cheaper elsewhere, I don't know. And you may be able to get it via a GP's prescription, but that assumes you can get an appointment within the 72 hour window needed to use the MAP.

going back to George, wasn’t there some ‘hilarious’ occasion where he got Chelsea to style a ( his??) Guinea pig’s fur, or did I dream that? As I recall she reluctantly agreed to do this and perhaps - at a stretch - the prank turned into a sexual encounter. Hard to imagine it was consensual, though.
I did think Chris a likely candidate, given his current frustration, until reminded by PPs that he’s her cousin.

Lord … So many people on the Chelsea Horrobin thread have apparently leapt straight from the OP to adding their own advice - without a glance at the preceding discussion.

That's hardly surprising though. Posters read the opening post, assume it is in good faith, and if it is, it's a worrying situation.

They're not going to assume "Chelsea Horrobin" only posted it to see if the respondents would make fools of themselves by giving the wrong advice

going back to George, wasn’t there some ‘hilarious’ occasion where he got Chelsea to style a ( his??) Guinea pig’s fur, or did I dream that? As I recall she reluctantly agreed to do this and perhaps - at a stretch - the prank turned into a sexual encounter

Gosh, that’s quite a leap…You’re right though, it was a very weird scene without any apparent good reason.

Alice sounds so fake these days. Being so ‘high on life’, makes her just sound manic all the time. The actress has proved herself in the past but her delivery has become over-exaggerated now Alice is sober.

What I don't understand is that if Chelsea goes through with the pregnancy then whoever it is in the village who is the father is going to know and see that. This makes me lean even further towards Ruairi who is away at university and won't find out until he's back from uni which might not be until Christmas, thus delaying the denouement still further.