👑 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'd never heard of such a thing. I got one because lots of proper loose tea should be made at temperatures between as low as 80c to 95c depending on the type. Almost none use boiling water. I'd never worked out how you got the correct temperature.

Luckily my neurodivergent superpowers means I always forget I've boiled kettle so will assume I'm excelling with my loose leaf.

My aunt has one of those boiling water taps but it's off brand so only allowed to heat the water to 98° I believe, as the 100° is patented.

I'm just a few years short of a bus pass, so I can't be doing with this new fangled multi temp kettle idea.

We bought an expensive designer kettle in the late 90's, which is still going strong. It just needs an occasional descale.

I find that "wandering off for a bit" or checking my phone before touching the thing ensures that my husband's ££ tea festers at an optimal temperature.

I'm more of a Clipper T bag, or something herbal, drinker.

Serious times for Scumbag … No home, no job, almost certainly can’t go back to teaching. What will he do? Another country house gallery? Private tuition?

The best part was Freddie finding himself in a position to be kind to and about him! One would hope Russ will spend years lying awake at night wishing he had acted differently when he abused his position of responsibility towards Freddie at college.

But what’s to become of the LL gallery? (Because we don’t want yo hear of Lily missing a single day more of university …) Is there anyone obvious who might run it, or will this mean the introduction of a new character? I quite like the existence of the gallery but I guess they might now shift the dramatic focus to some other location.

I hope we hear from Russ again- I'd be happy never to hear from Lily again.

Hear! Hear!

Russ could (clutching at straws here) move into the room vacated by Jazzer at Jim's and Russ and Alistair could become chums because they both have attractive voices.

Alistair could introduce him to Alice and they could get married ...

@TheLassWiADelicateAir I feel it's true to character for Chelsea because she's an emotional girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. I can imagine her feeling that she would like children some day and so maybe this is the day and if she thinks too much about the baby it becomes real in her mind and she's therefore upset about ending the pregnancy.

That's not to take anything away from or cast any judgement upon the thousands of teenagers who, I'm sure, in her shoes have an abortion and feel only monumental relief or never think of it again.

It can be a hard choice to make because, of course, it's binary. Just like for some people whether or not to ttc is a hard choice - you can't compromise or easily change your mind once the baby's here, even if it is then evidently not what you want. You can't undo an abortion. If you feel that showing that difficulty is anti-choice or moralising on the part of the SWs then I accept your point of view. But I've seen a lot of women/teenagers in Chelsea's position and although for some of them it's a very easy decision for others it is not.

I don't know why Shula was so dumbstruck to see Daniel as if she hasn't heard from him in years. I know - covid - but they have phones and people have been able to meet up for some time now.

He's been on deployment, so unable to see her for a bit. She did seem very shocked, though!

Brief hello from Scotland. My Dad is out of hospital and at home. He didn't have a full-blown stroke but has had three TIAs in the last week. He's very tired and frail and moving very slowly and with difficulty, but it doesn't seem to have affected him cognitively. These are the times when I wish we weren't living 400 miles apart. Thanks for all your kind words.

Was there a competition between team David , Kenton and Shula and team Ben , Josh and Beth to see who were the most tedious?

Beth is shaping up to be a complete pain in the arse.

How can Shula not have sorted who's going to be running the stables (apart from Lillian on a v short term basis)?

We've all been saying for ages here she needs to get Alice in 😄Keep up Shula!

And @Fink I agree. Baddies should get their comeuppance and loose ends should be tied up in my Archers world

Chelsea needs to spend a day with a contemporary with a baby to ensure she knows the reality of what she's signing up for. Preferably a puky baby that doesn't sleep.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g pleased to hear he's home.

@BlueBlueCowWondering Alice was asked and said she didn't know if she wanted the job and could she think about how it would work around Martha. Don't think we've heard her speak since then.

Chelsea may well be hard pressed to find a contemporary.

In 2019, there were 14,857 under-18 conceptions in England and Wales,

www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/teenage-pregnancy#background.

conception rates for women under 18 years remain more than twice as high in the most deprived areas

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/conceptionandfertilityrates/bulletins/conceptionstatistics/2018

The teenage pregnancy rate of Borsetshire will be in the lowest range.

Oh and 14,857 is conceptions, not births.

It’s good news that your dad is home @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g . Have a handhold from me, I’ve been there with the elderly unwell parents hundreds of miles away x

Just paused the podcast! Boop for someone finally remembering what exactly happened with Russ. Poor Lily really with all these people harbouring these thoughts for years.

On the Chelsea front. She's a grafter
Like me and not used to an easy life. She wouldn't be put off by a crying baby. It's the emotional part day after day that is the har sort of raising a child. From around age 7 onwards I struggled having breezed baby hood and toddler years single.

Handhold from me too @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g - it's so hard when you don't live round the corner (and listening to The Archers always reminds you how much easier it would be if you did!) Glad to hear he's back home. Dan's return was a lovely gift for Shula - I'm not surprised she was so choked up, both to see him and by the fact that her siblings had realised that that would be the best gift at all. I still can't work out why Alice isn't going to be running The Stables - obvious solution when she's on hand and free to do so (exactly what I meant about help always being just around the corner in Ambridge in fact). I see the story has swung away from Chelsea again - is this so she can pass the point of no return or is it so everything can be tied up off-stage?

Good to hear your father is out of hospital, Gasp0de, that must be a relief. I’m sure your parents are glad to have you there.

Wonder if there’s been a slight blip in the dovetailing from one SW to another. Shula spoke as if she’d never even had the conversation with Alice about the Stables. And there’s no way she’d be ready to leave without having appointed someone someone to run her business.

So is Dan just back for a surprise or is he back back - maybe left the army and ready to move home???

Don’t want to jump the gun but that sounded as if Chelsea was considering having the baby and putting the child up (is that still the right phrase?) for adoption.

Also - new 🛳!

New ship? What did I miss?

At this rate, Chelsea is going to turn up for a termination, only to be told she’s 24 weeks pregnant.

I did t think the Daniel & Chelsea greet worked - how old is Chelsea supposed to be ? Dan must be nearly 30 (?) - would he really remember a child Chelsea ???

Slightly odd that on the day of the funeral Dan was talking about his army job without once mentioning what his colleagues were doing.

Maybe Chelsea needs an encounter with Natasha plus Pinky and Perky.

I thought that. Also, why they were they at the tearoom before the funeral? There was a lot to see before the service started, and as a military man Dan would have been interested in that part. Minimal re-write/re-recording of the existing script!