👑 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.

How long before J'lene and Lil track down poor unsuspecting Janet Thing and engineer a meeting with Adrian Mole Kenton?
Place your bets...

Ooh, Just had a thought!

What if Janet Thing got pregnant all those years ago and Kenton's middle-aged offspring is discovered?

Hear hear for Alan's take on the window. What I don't get is why the proposers can't see it's inappropriate too. They're none of them short of an ethical conscience.

got pregnant replace with 'was impregnated by Kenton'

I am not totally convinced that Chelsea is pregnant. She said about the line on the test. IIRC there is al ways a line.. Admittedly, it’s been a while.
I am astonished that Tracey hasn’t carted Chelsea off to the docs and had her pee on another stick.
I am glad that the loathsome Russ has shown his true colours and I hope we have seen the last of him, for good.

Did someone up thread say she was about 13/14 weeks on? That would be showing now surely?

Yeah has Chelsea actually displayed any pregnancy symptoms? Other than regret etc.

Impressive that Ben got tested for STIs. But that does make it a bit more methodical that he didn't "come clean" to Beth when they got back together. And might never have said anything had this not happened.....

First pregnancies don't necessarily show yet do they?

The rave was 1st July so she's coming up to 13 weeks from the actual date of conception but as pregnancies are counted from the first day of last period she would be at least 14 or 15 weeks now.

Hmm, Ben and Bore were only "on a break" for a very short time. I can't remember the exact dates but Charlotte Higgins article in The Guardian on 5th July refers to them being on again.

The rave was 1 July- if they were back together by 5th July and having sex then , that's nowhere near enough time for all test results to be available.

Re. Kenton's diary, I have ben assuming that it's supposed to somehow be connected to the Ben & Chelsea storyline, so some kind of one night stand between a teenager Kenton and someone else with possibly a pregnancy scare and/or getting back together with another girlfriend. I might be wrong, it might just be mindless drivelly filler material, but that's what I thought the idea was.

Applying Occam’s razor -it's mindless drivelly filler material.

Why does Jill like Beth do much ? What significance to her getting the necklace - surprised Pip didn't get it

I think that Beth and Ben will run and run - I was quite surprised she thought that Ben had gotten Steph pregnant.

Jill can see that Beth is basically a good woman and also the apple of Ben's eye.
Oh and they "look like they belong" when they walk in the fields.

Beth's going to be around for a long long time methinks. Somehow or other they'll overcome this obstacle and she'll be magically cured of her "trust issues" forever.

I thought at one point they were setting him up to be the new lovable rogue in place of Joe, but there seems to be a much nastier streak in him. He's going to end up Inside sooner or later.

Presumably a little matter of no periods? I know it's possible to get similar bleeding whilst pregnant, but surely she'd have said something if that were the case, if only to her mum. You would think it would lead to loads of hand-wringing about not being sure she was pregnant, or she might have mentioned that the bleeding made her think she was miscarrying.

The rave was 1 July- if they were back together by 5th July and having sex then , that's nowhere near enough time for all test results to be available.

It still isn't. Some, like HIV, can take 3 months to show on tests.

I think it's fair Ben and Beth stay together. They both seem very prone to emotional drama, and if they're together, it saves two other people (though not all of us listeners.)

I so wish Rebecca Fuller (Beth) could just alter her delivery a little (a lot). It was a shock to hear the “another Tiffany bracelet” line and remember she’s actually a rich, pampered princess (albeit with a down to earth job). Her habitual downcast way of speaking made a nonsense of “Think I’m gonna be sick” because it was the same tone of voice she’d use for “Oh wow, first class tickets!” or “Can you pass the marmalade?”

Can’t believe Ben let her get dressed up for a night out before he told her! Shades of Tom the first time he dumped Kirsty.

Wonder if they’ll follow up on the Magaluf hen party. Fingers crossed B&B go to the wedding together and Beth catches the bride’s bouquet.

OK, @novum, you have a point! Guess I was thinking soap pregnancies ALWAYS have other symptoms....

I would take a dim view if I were Beth. Ben would be toast. Immediately. Why, as a matter of curiosity?

I think I would be put off by knowing that the situation was going to create endless hassle and drama - and given how flaky Ben is, I would spot that a lot of the drama was eventually going to end up on my plate. I think @MuddlerInLaw was spot on in identifying that Beth might be the one who steps in and offers practical support to Chelsea.

I also wouldn’t be thrilled that while we were on a short break he had slept with a young girl he barely knew but that’s because that would be largely embarrassing rather than anything else. Explaining it all to Vince - and why I thought Ben was still worth it - would be tiresome too.

No- definitely not my pigeon- Ben would be on his own. But I am writing as a 50-year-old and may be I would have been kinder and more patient 30 years ago…

Actually, no…even 30 years ago I would have spotted that this had disaster written all over it. May be if C had an abortion I would be able to turn a blind eye but I would find it a struggle not to remember from time to time and think of him as/call him an idiot…

any pregnancy symptoms? Other than regret 😂😂😂

Why does he need to “come clean”? They weren’t together at the time.

@Roysnewshirt OK, that all makes sense. Bit sad for Ben to have messed up everything from a bit of idiocy. Especially as he didn’t at the time know he had got anything to mess up. IME with young adult male DC and thus young adult male DC’s friends, young men seem to have a great capacity for immense stupidity, from running up huge credit card bills to accidentally fathering children.

They'll be the Thomas and Jane Carlyle of Ambridge.