Archers thread #140: Changing rooms at Brookfield with Leonard Llewellyn-Bowen, or saving souls with St Smugula in the heathen wastelands of the North? 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 think a stained glass window marking the birth of newborn twins is just what Ambridge needs, 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/4636789-the-archers-spoilers-thread-7-cant-wait-for-702pm-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.)

Title composed in haste, making use of @Octothorpe's lovely coinage of Leonard Llewellyn-Bowen and @TheLassWiADelicateAir's terrific description of St. Smugula's mission to the heathen wasteland of far flung Sunderland, both from the last thread

I've abandoned the use of an emoji in the title, having been alerted by another thread recently to the fact that it makes it difficult for people with visual problems to use assistive software.

I won't say much more about The Archers, as I'm still feeling extremely jaundiced about the programme at the moment. Fingers crossed it takes a turn for the better over the next few days. It was good to hear Helen, Lee and Joy again tonight. Less delighted to hear the loathsome George. What a numpty not to recognise pheasant chicks! His Dad would be far from impressed.

Over to you!

From Jill's point of view though, she has welcomed Beth with open arms, let her have a family heirloom which was accepted, and then Beth refuses to be in family photos and runs off. I might be a bit put out too without knowing what was going on behind the scenes.

Doesn't Jill already have a family photo? A giant one because Kenton mixed up centimetres and inches. And it has the lovely Nigel and Phil in it, so she'd be much better dusting that off and hanging it up again than getting wound up over her grandson's girlfriend not being in one.

She does, @Fink , but that one is now old and doesn't have the Fat Fairchild in it. The wanting BB and LLB in the photo was a bit weird. Wouldn't she have wanted her children in it?

Just listened to last night's. Ye Gods, but the Kenton's Diary SL is beyond witless. Eddie trying it on to get 'free stuff'? How old is he? 12?

Annie Ernaux, Nobel Prize for Literature. New York Times article.

Hope she’s on Chelsea’s reading list …

I might be a bit put out too without knowing what was going on behind the scenes even without knowing about the Ben/Chelsea pregnancy drama, it is entirely possible that at her age Beth could be overwhelmed by this seemingly overwhelming desire to cement her firmly in the family. It just feels a bit much - Ben's not some ancient bachelor everyone might be relieved to see settle down, he's the youngest grandchild. What's the rush?

What's the rush?

Patricia Greene being 91, maybe?

(In fact I’m certain this is why.)

Could Ben and Borely Beth get any more boring ,whiny and self-pitying?

And why doesn't Bore just bore off- what a misery she is.

Yes Bore , it would be much easier if you left.

Bore , trust me, you'll never get over this- move on, move on fast. It's for your own good.

It sounded like they were building up to something happening between Beth and Josh. Please no. We already had the two brothers one woman thing with Will-Emma-Ed and Toby-Pip-Rex. We don't need it again. Especially not after Beth and Ben broke up over her sister. Just take it out of the family for once!

Going back a few years, but wasn't there another Archer family photo storyline with a missing partner a good while back? When Kenton wanted Kathy included but he was told he couldn't because they weren't married?

Isn't Shula working with drug addicts?

I think part of the problem with the dire Ben/Beth snooze fest is that they’re just not very good actors, or at least the Beth actor struggles to convey any great depth of emotion beyond teenage-sounding angst. It's not as bad delivery-wise as Amy but I just find myself wondering why I should care about these very young people emoting in depressed monotones.

And I’m also beyond frustrated that Chelsea and her pregnancy are now being totally ignored. Her extremely pressing and immediate problem has taken a back-seat to a pair of privileged twenty-somethings who only remembered her yesterday as a rather inconvenient afterthought. I hate what the scriptwriters are doing here, I can’t decide whether they’re handling it ineptly or they mean it to go this way. It's equally bad in either case.

What a mess it all is. Not entertaining at all. I’m fully expecting Chelsea, to re appear, having been through the abortion, and all back to normal.

They think it ratchets up the tension to keep the Chelsea story simmering in the background. Also it spins out the storyline for longer and gets listening figures up, because they reckon we'll all keep tuning in to find out what happens with Chelsea no matter what other dross they throw at us.

And I’m also beyond frustrated that Chelsea and her pregnancy are now being totally ignored. Her extremely pressing and immediate problem has taken a back-seat to a pair of privileged twenty-somethings who only remembered her yesterday as a rather inconvenient afterthought

exactly. The 3 of them were making me very cross- especially Josh fawning over Bore.

Spot on @Octothorpe . Couldn’t agree more with your entire post!

And then there's the japes at The Bull......

Yes I thought that too. How old is Leonard is his in his 80s/90s? Having elderly infirm parents I marvel at the energy and robustness of the Ambridge oaps. Leonard's one concession I guess was not painting ceilings!

It did sound omnious(sp) how he was discussing Jill (ha ha right spelling),, she sounds very frail.

When is Peggy's departure going to be tied up. Will it be a demise and a dedicated in memoriam church window?

Lost all is interest in pregnancy storyline except to say I hope it gets sorted.

Ben really ought to tell the Dopeys about this sticky situation. Doesn’t say much for their relationship if he can’t confide in his Mum at this point. Not that she’ll do much to help apart from wailing ‘oh Benn…I can’t believe it.’ Presumably he’s told Bess.

Presumably he’s told Bess

😬😬

But has he told the bees???

I can’t imagine any problem that would be particularly helped by telling Ruth or David!

Also, they definitely needed to spend some more time with their kids explaining how to use condoms, because 2/3 having unexpected kids is a pretty high hit rate…

@Octothorpe , my thoughts were that they were ignoring Chelsea because the ostrich's head is in the sand, and before long she won't have much choice.

I don't agree the Ben and Beth actors aren't decent actors. The Beth actor sounds a bit nasal, but her lines are dreary.

Well, it’s clearly true that Chelsea’s been ignoring the whacking big elephant in the room, as it were, @ILoveShula, but if after all this they start an episode with Tracy saying in her special concerned voice ‘how are you feeling, Chels, the clinic told you to take it easy for a few days after your procedure’, I’ll not be impressed.

Coming out of lurking to express my frustration that no-one has suggested that Chelsea gets some professional counselling and support in her decision making. To think that Alistair has been researching her options and she is trying to glean bits of information from Pip! I presume she did the pregnancy test herself, and she knows the date of conception, but does anyone who is supporting her even know how many weeks she is and how long she has left to make a decision?!