👑 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'm really disappointed by this development. I think the whole storyline is stupid anyway, but I don't believe Ben would cheat on Beth even if he were drunk/stoned/miserable. It seems very contrived.

Also I think it was @Whopping upthread asking if the MAP prevents implantation, which it doesn't - it delays ovulation, hence the time limit on taking it and the possibility of failure. Chelsea would have been much better having a coil fitted as emergency contraception - much more effective and does prevent implantation so works even if you've already ovulated.

Anyway. It's still stupid. I'm not sure I even care about the fallout tbh, I'm so disappointed for Chelsea.

She’s dull but full of potential.

She's full of potential to become even duller. She's bossy and self- righteous too. She has the potential to be a second Shula. Ugh, what a thought.

If Chris hadn’t married Alice he would, even now as an apparently talented farrier, still be doffing his cap to his social superiors and calling people ‘Sir’. Maybe he’d never have been able to buy the business. I’m too old to be sentimental about these things - Chelsea’s a Horrobin, Ben’s an Archer. She will probably be fine, materially and (eventually) emotionally, whatever she decides. Unless they go to war …

I wonder if Brian's heart problems a few months back were an indicator of how he's going to leave

Oh I’m with @JanglyBeads - disappointed in this. Both in the real world of the Archers for poor Chelsea who deserves much better, and for us the poor listeners having to listen to a combo of reheated storylines. Betrayal of Beth - from this summer. Unplanned pregnancy - from Ben’s own sister amongst many many others. Rival brothers - from the Grundies and the Fairbrothers. It’s like that meal where you take everything out of the fridge and mix it into some unholy casserole.

I would pay them to just let Ben and Chelsea be sensible, she has an abortion and they move on with life. If they must she could have the baby then send it to live with Ben’s precious Auntie Shula in Sunderland (which is being discussed as if Shula were a 19th century missionary and she was heading for undiscovered regions of the south seas) for ever. But really let’s finally have someone in the Archers get rid of an unwanted pregnancy for the first time this millennium. And then let it be something they both hark back to as a youthful thing, as they move on with their lives.

cant work out if some posters here genuinely think Chelsea should be honoured to be up the duff with a farmer’s baby for some reason.

Thanks for info Jangly! Really wanted to link the article but it might be regarded as a spoiler, so I won’t.

cant work out if some posters here genuinely think Chelsea should be honoured to be up the duff with a farmer’s baby for some reason.

Honoured? No … To me TA is essentially a 19th century rural dynastic melodrama - without the shame and ostracisation. Right now Chelsea gets to decide (partially) how the income and assets of Brookfield will be divvied up in years to come. (And I know it’s not huge but it’s the centre of the Ambridge world.) That’s power, not honour. And if she did have the baby it would be born into very different circumstances to her own. Which would be interesting in terms of drama (to me at least).

Besides - it’s fiction - that place where we get to imagine scenarios we would never want to see in real life …

(Sorry!) And, as one of the unfortunate people a 19thc Shula would have been sent to civilise - I completely hate this story.

I have to say that in the 4 months of my circumstantially enforced absence from the Archers it hasn't got any better.

It’s the worst isn’t it. I hope the people of Sunderland do their bit in this nonsense and shoot her full of arrows as soon as she arrives.

Exactly. It's the power and the upset to the dynasties.

I hated this story to begin with but Chelsea ceased to be anything but a plot device when they introduced the ridiculous running away story (Brad's explanation made no sense at all, given the whole village was talking about her) so I don't care what happens to her now. I'm enjoying it for the disruption it will cause.

Ruth, David and Shula are unbearably smug - (all that waffle from one of their offspring about what great parents they were) This will , hopefully, cause weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth by all of them, Bore and Bore's father.

I will be surprised if having set all this up, and by "all" I'm including the tedious playing at house by Ben, Bore and Josh, that it ends in a termination. Why does Chelsea need to tell Ben at all if she's opted for a termination?

I know everyone apart from Saltycrisp and me hate Russ,...
You think you know, but you are wrong, @TheLassWiADelicateAir .

Perhaps once he’s qualified he’ll become a district nurse. (Don’t know if they exist or what they’re called now!) Yes they exist, but only visit the housebound, so not a great conduit for Archers gossip.

Cat emergency meant I missed last night. Gutted it’s Ben. but I don't believe Ben would cheat on Beth even if he were drunk/stoned/miserable. Agree, but on the other hand, at the time it happened, Beth had chucked him. So not cheating.

Yet another story designed for dramatic effect rather than furthering the portrayal of character.

The only possible moral of this story is “don’t be a decent human being, you will be shat on from all sides”. And called “boring” to boot.

@MuddlerInLaw , the rave was on 01/07/22 IIRC, so that would make her about 13-14 weeks. Not RTFT

@Prestissimo , thanks for the info about the MAP.

@MereDintofPandiculation , hope MereCat is ok now

As Chelsea's absence, which set the whole village on fire with speculation, seems to have escaped Ben's attention, is this because Ben is:-

(a) unable to remember the one night stand? If no, then;
(b) too thick to imagine there might be a connection with his one night stand and the mysterious disappearance of the standee? If no, then;
(c) too callous to care what the reason was?

It would be interesting in"dynastic" terms, were it not for the fact that we've just had that stoyline re Martha/Chris and Brine's millions. Although that's all fine now apparently.

I hope the people of Sunderland do their bit in this nonsense and shoot her full of arrows as soon as she arrives. ⭐️🏆😂

Have you ever read Voss? Staggeringly, outrageously fantastic writing (Patrick White innit) but … yeah … You’d laugh through your tears.

13-14 weeks? That’s not good … Checked the NHS website and it all seems … easier before 14 weeks.

The website did lead me to speculate on a nightmare scenario … I’m sure it won’t happen because there’s no reason why it should - but Ben works in a hospital - and only yesterday I was saying they haven’t made much of that fact yet.

If they so much as went near that idea Mudder I'd definitely be off - and the BBC would deserve to lose the licence fee!

Humph.
that’s it really

@WhoppingBigBackside MereCat is a drama queen. She’d better not pull the same stunt too often. And not after hours so we have to use emergency vet, or on a day where MrMere has spent the day being infused with chemo.

The website did lead me to speculate on a nightmare scenario … I’m sure it won’t happen because there’s no reason why it should - but Ben works in a hospital - and only yesterday I was saying they haven’t made much of that fact yet.

He's a first year nursing student. He won't be anywhere near the keys to the drugs cabinet for a long time yet.

Oh me too. I groaned so loudly when I was listening last night my DP had to check on me. Annoying all round.

I'm not a cat person (sorry) but best wishes to MereCat. However, much more importantly, also to MrMere. Must be a tough time for all of you.