Archers thread #144: Window pains again! Light relief or dark times ahead for Ambridge in 2023? 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, although we do mostly try to be civil about it. Most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you’d love to volunteer in the shop with Susan, 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.)

New year, new thread. Many thanks to @LillianGish for the window pains pun! Hoping to hear a lot less from the Caseys this year and a good deal more about farming and how Ambridge is coping with Brexit, cost of living crisis, ageing population and all sorts of credible character-based storylines. Yes, I know, but one can only hope.

Over to you!

I can't remember how old the girls are or what they are called. My vague impression is that they're older than Henry, who (incredibly) is now at Borchester Green in year 7, so 12 years old. I could easily be wrong about the girls, though.

Mabel and Evie. I think they are teenagers but I might be wrong (waves at AQATT )

Madcats
Lunchtime listener here, so apologies for being 24 hours behind. How old are Lee's girls?

In February 2020 Mabel was twelve and Evie was nine, so they are now fifteen and twelve.

Haven't listened to tonight's but just popping on to say I've very excitingly been invited to an Agri-tech showcase!! General staff invitation, completely irrelevant to me (the university where I teach has an agriculture dept) but should I go just in case I bump into Stella?? I'm quite interested in seeing a 150k seed drill up close...

My (2007) 15 year old is currently sitting GCSE mocks. A super time to move to California and move exam systems (though I suppose Lee's daughter might have been born in September-December '06).

Thank you to Asking, BTW.

And I'm sure that Helen would be absolutely fine if her two boys were whisked off to California for who knows how long by someone else because it was "such a great opportunity for them".

They’re going to need a rename from The Archers to The Horrobins, soon. I wonder if there’s irritation from other actors when they’re out for months and other characters have consecutive storylines.

Why are most of the women on TA so selfish. Helen thinks the opportunities for Lee's girls in California will be fantastic how does she know. Seems to me she's not bothered about Lee's girls or how he feels. I bet she would hate it if he says they are going to stay and live with them. Also I think Kirsty is heading for heartbreak again!!!!

I'm quite interested in seeing a 150k seed drill up close...

i live in the countryside and we have an annual show where you can climb on (and sometimes drive) all sorts of farm equipment. I'm usually the only old lady among a herd of little kids. Some of the bigger, all-singing all-dancing satellite steered machines are way over 150k. (but my favourites are the ancient old rickety ones.)

Do your duty, @Prestissimo .

Some of us have been trapped at home with persistent virus since the start of the year - vicarious adventure is very much needed!

@Brefugee I've done my share of farm and countryside shows in the past! Open Farm Sundays, the lot. I can recognise most tractor makes from a thousand yards thanks to a son who was a fanatic when he was younger 😂. Never been to an actual professional forum though. I'll see how the dates work out.

I'm hoping all the massive flagging last night of how Kirsty and Erik were on the same page means that they actually are, not that heartache is in store for Kirsty. Also can't believe how unpleasant and weird Helen is being about Lee's children. And that Part just agreed with her instead of pulling her up on it.

Part? Pat, you stupid phone

Helen probably finds Lee’s girls as boring as I do. It would suit her down to the ground if they headed off to California never to be seen again. I would go a step further if I were her and encourage Lee to start a new life over there too!

I'm not looking forward to Erik/Kirsty fallout, but argh. And if there is yet another one-boink-baby i'm going to be cross (tbh that was my experience of TTC but I know that's by no means usual)

The ep yesterday with Lee was a hard listen. I don't think Helen is being weird, i think that it is a huge decision and his ex went the wrong way about it but come on! California and a tech-firm? that means money, and that will give the girls a great life. And for sure, it will be hard but the US summer holidays are 3 months, they could conceivably come over for 2 of those, and then Christmas and Easter. Plenty of us boarding school kids did that with both parents (and me pre-internet). You do have to work at it though.

If Lee were my ex and blocking my career path, i'd fight right back. And that's not good for the girls. So we'll see how it goes.

I think she's thinking from the mother's point of view and Lee's anger is bringing back memories.

Lee has had no discernible personality up to this point (apart from as a collector of action figures who has frames on his posters). We do do know he's a martial arts expert though - and now he's angry. Helen's reaction is interesting - her previous partner tried (among other things) to separate her from her kids - remembering Henwee living with Ursula - so I'm surprised she's not more sympathetic. I'm not sure any of us would be happy for our kids to go and live on another continent, with the very real possibility they may never come back if they grow up and make their life there. Kenton left Meriel in NZ, but that was his choice to leave, likewise Kate with any of her children. I find it unlikely that Alicia wouldn't have mentioned it before - or that the girls wouldn't have let something slip at Christmas. Poorly developed storyline all round imo with the result that I don't feel particularly invested in it.

I don't think Helen is being unpleasant and weird. I, like any of us, would be massively unhappy if my children were being hauled off to America, but the reality is that if the girls' main home is with their mother and her home is in America, Lee would lose if he made a fight of this. Also their own wishes will be an important factor. It makes more sense to ask Alicia how she envisages dealing with contact - given the benefits she is likely to get in her new job, for all Lee knows she fully intends that the girls will come over to England for substantial chunks of the school holidays and half terms (do they have half terms in the US? Sorry to display my ignorance).. But if he is bloody-minded about it, she's liable to much less accommodating.

I'm glad Lee is seeing a lawyer, I just hope the SWs have got the right legal advice.

My American nephew has shorter breaks between semesters (5 days at Easter and Christmas), but has usually finished for the summer by the first week of June, returning in late August. I seem to remember he gets a week off in October too.

Recent storylines are simply showing how rudderless the programme has become without Jenny/Shula/Peggy/Robert etc. It's very hard to care about Lee, letalone his daughters.

if the girls' main home is with their mother and her home is in America - her home isn't in America though is it? It's in the UK. Just as Kenton's home was in NZ and Kate's in South Africa (or the UK when she abandoned Phoebe). It's certainly not a decision she can make and present to Lee as a fait accompli then expect him to be OK with that. I know we haven't heard much from his girls, but he's not absent father - he lives nearby and I think we're supposed to assume he sees them regularly.

Recent storylines are simply showing how rudderless the programme has become without Jenny/Shula/Peggy/Robert etc. It's very hard to care about Lee, letalone his daughters this is SO true.

If Alicia is moving to America long term, it does become her home. Even if it doesn't, the fact is that she is staying there for a long period and the same considerations apply. However, if the older child is doing GCSEs that will be a factor.

No, she can't present it as a fait accompli, and it's mad that she didn't even tell Lee when she was thinking about applying for the job. But it could be that, because he simply flew into a rage immediately on hearing about it, she didn't get the chance to say what her proposals were for ongoing contact with him.

I have no experience of separated parents etc, but if Lee is trying to stop his ex from moving to the US for a substantial pay rise and boost to her career, how does it look to courts if he tries to stop that?

If i were her (and i'm aware that taking the children to another continent without warning is a dick move) I'd then tell him i was going to counter sue for my loss of earnings and pension and see his reaction.

As with most things, what is required here is decent conversation, preferably with a neutral 3rd party.

I have divorced friends (all British) in Australia, Canada and France - none of them has been allowed to remove their children from the country. Not sure of the rules in the UK.

Tbf he's not trying to stop her going. He's trying to stop her taking the girls.

I can see Helen's point. The girls could end up resenting their father if he stopped them going.

I agree about the absence of key characters making TA seem rudderless.

Aren't all babies the result of one shag? I get the impression that Kirsty and Erik have been at it like rabbits, and I suspect that Kirsty will be upduffed and will bring up baby Thor with Rex or Roy, or maybe alone with some financial support or guardianship from Jakob.

On a positive note, If the Bryce daughters relocate to Ambridge, any MH issues they will have will be sorted in a few episodes.

As an armchair psykiatrist, I think Ben was suffering from PTSD from all those years in the cereal cupboard.