👑 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.

But what about Mary (Amy) returning from Nottingham with a blue cape at Christmas? We can’t have two unexpected babies on the Horribin family tree….or can we?!?

I'm starting to have a bit more sympathy for Chelsea. Tracey thinks that the important question is whether or not to continue with the pregnancy, and gives that time is moving on, it's vital to answer that ASAP.

But Chelsea has another question to resolve first - should she tell the father? She doesn't want to talk this question through with her mother, because of Tracey's reaction when she thought Russ was the father.

The best thing that Tracey could do would be to urge Chelsea to visit her GP to discuss her options, rather than trying to get Chelsea to talk to her.

It’s Russ. He was high as a kite at the rave (side note - anyone find it weird that such a mainstream show presented as acceptable? I guess our collective attitudes to drugs must have changed a lot) and doesn’t remember anything (or so he says). Definitely more likely than her cousin twice removed or whatever.

The best thing that Tracey could do would be to urge Chelsea to visit her GP to discuss her options, rather than trying to get Chelsea to talk to her.
I'd definitely want to know that Chelsea is definitely pregnant. Has she done a test?
Isn't the MAP a form of abortion? From a point of view of it potentially preventing a fertilised egg from attaching to the womb? Rhetorical question only.

I hate the who’s the father, and dithering over continuing, storyline, and now pulling in Alistair. Arghhhhh

@Bingbangbongbash , good theory and it ties in with him standing on the moral high ground with Lily.

Chelsea said that it wasn't Russ, and she apologised to Russ and Lily for Tracey's accusation.

If I were Russ, and Chelsea named me as father at this point, I'd definitely want a DNA test.

It isn't Russ. Have you listened to it?

For one thing, Chelsea was teasing Russ about not remembering anything at the rave. If the thing he can't remember was having sex with Chelsea that doesn't actually look good from Chelsea's point of view.

No it isn't a good theory. Chelsea wa shocked and angry with Tracey for making that assumption. There's nothing to justify saying both Chelsea and Russ are lying.

Maybe not, but if he had been cheating, it would fit in with it turning it around and blaming Lily.

Russ not it

This theory would involve both Russ and Chelsea lying about it, which makes no sense at all.

Russ didn't need to turn anything around- Lily cheated on him with one of her colleagues.

Maybe they both were lying.

Well it definitely doesn’t always work. I took it within hours and the result is my 9 year old daughter😂

(or even what they are supposed to prove) If you try to draw conclusions on a population (eg people in the UK in general) on the basis of a sample (eg people posting to a forum primarily aimed at mothers) you need to demonstrate that your sample is representative of the population. The conclusions can be wildly out if the sample is not representative. You did not even consider this, just blithely assumed that opinions expressed on MN were representative of the population at large. You said It's not a great leap to assume the posters on MN are a reasonable indicator of the general view on abortion. That is not true. It is a great leap to assume that posters on MN are a reasonable indicator of the general view on abortion or any other subject.

Isn't it a bit odd that Chelsea's tutor/college welfare/police have just left her to fester in Ambridge after she ran away from home for several days and hasn't been near the college for weeks?

Based on past form with the bunting and Matt's hit & run, I am beginning to think that Chelsea will have a miscarriage/abortion and we won't find out for years.

Is Dan the same Dan, by the way? He doesn't sound very "Sandhurst" to me. Odd casting choice when his mother and grandmother have "foghorn tendencies".

I referred also to the opinion polls which consistently support abortion. Parliament has consistently supported it as well - and has recently made it easier. But oh no, that wasn't good enough- just ignore all of that and bow down to the random wisdom of a random poster.

Funny how on this one point MN is now being held up as "not representative" - I've seen exactly the opposite point made frequently on here- fgs , why does MN arrange discussions with MPs? Why is MN held up by media experts as being an influence on public opinion/ police?

I could equally ask you where is the evidence that people do have an issue with abortion? Over a 1/4 of pregnancies in the UK every year end in abortion.

Is it sad or merely interesting that both the daughter of the council house on the Green and the daughter of LL missed the start of term? I’m actually quite impressed with the way the SWs have managed to link the two through Russ.

It is the same Dan. Daniel takes after his father's side of the family. I'm not sure what 'Sandhurst' sounds like. Harry M-W and William Wales aren't exactly representative.
MN isn't representative of the general population. Mainly female, mainly parents, or planning to be, probably between 20 and 55 yrs age group (at a guess).

The ONS figures for abortions in the UK are definitely not over 1 in 4, but they are the figures for medical and surgical abortions.

I could equally ask you where is the evidence that people do have an issue with abortion? Totally irrelevant. I’m not arguing about your conclusion that abortion is generally accepted, just your logic in getting to that conclusion. It’s not valid to say “this group believes X, so it’s not a great leap to say that the general view is X”, unless you have demonstrated that the group is representative of the population.

Except Chelsea's reason has nothing to do with Russ so not sure what "link" you're seeing.

The coincidence of these 2 irritating young women missing class is neither sad nor interesting.

I'm fed up of Chelsea and Tracey. It's a stupid story line.

Except MN is frequently held up as being representative, both in the media and on here. It's difficult to respond to your last post as it makes no sense.

But have it your own way- you're right Chelsea will be pointed at and criticised in the village for ever and a day.

Except MN is frequently held up as being representative, both in the media and on here. Representative of mothers with young or school-age children, not of the general population.

It's difficult to respond to your last post as it makes no sense.
Makes sense to me.

Based on past form with the bunting...we won't find out for years*

Was it ever cleared up as to who stole the bunting (and then left fragments of it as tantalising Mafia-esque clues)?