Archers thread #147: Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder how old Ambridge is. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Many thanks to @PseudoBadger for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed, and of course we are always delighted to welcome back former or occasional listeners/posters. 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 like to have the general public watching you work and asking questions, 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 comes from this poem, with which I drive my family to distraction at this time of year.

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz
I wonder where the birdies is.
The bird is on the wing.
But that’s absurd, the wing is on the bird.
Or so I’ve heard.

Ogden Nash

Apologies to @TeenDivided for ignoring her good ideas for the thread title. Here they are to kickstart our ruminations:
'window on the world of cheesemaking'
'how long until the intercom is fatal'
'will Brian settle in new pastures'
'Springing towards Easter with Widowers, Windows, and wails'

Over to you!

I have a dim memory of discussing Rob and Henry all those years ago and thinking/reading that Rob wouldn't want to go through the extensive scrutiny involved if he applied to adopt Henry, whereas getting PR appeared to be scarily easy once Helen acquiesced. I'm not at all clear if PR once granted by a biological parent can be rescinded if the relationship with the non-biological parent then breaks down.

I wonder if Helen's eating disorder might make a reappearance.

Don't panic ... the chances of him proposing to you (or me) are pretty remote.

Lol Gonners!

Rob never had PR for Henry.

PR once possessed is very very rarely rescinded.

This solicitor appears to think he did. Not sure if we can rely on this. https://www.mondaq.com/uk/divorce/535698/what-type-of-parent-is-rob-titchener

Oh that's interesting , thanks @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g .

But I have no memory of such an agreement - does anyone else?!

You say that Gonners, but if he gets a hint as to Ruairidh-style profitable arrangements with sugarmommas (to say nothing of his chance of inheriting our great wealth after we drop dead) none of us will be safe.

So, this solicitor doesn't think he had PR for Henry, article written a month earlier and Helen in custody at that point iirc:

https://annmccabe.co.uk/is-anyone-still-listening-to-the-archers-arrangements-for-children/#:~:text=How%20does%20Rob%20Titchener%20get,shares%20parental%20responsibility%20for%20Jack

At my income level, I have nothing to fear....

Haha very good point.

Henry is going out and about on his own now, they said the other day that he was at the skatepark and getting the next bus back. Which, honestly, I think is a little surprising for a fairly coddled kid in a rural area.

I guess maybe it showed how relaxed Helen previously was - and will be a contrast/difficult when she tries to keep track of him now.

Ah, read this very interesting and detailed article from Family Law Week - apparently there was an agreement short of adoption!

Rob’s status: parental responsibility
Although Henry spent most of his life with his maternal grandparents (Pat and Tony) before Rob came on to the scene, Rob has parental responsibility for Henry by virtue of persuading Helen to enter into a step-parent parental responsibility agreement that was formally completed in accordance with strict legal requirements including registration. The effect of the parental responsibility agreement is that it gives Rob the right to be involved (or at least consulted) in all major decisions relating to Henry, such as medical treatment, education, religion, and leaving the country but it does not give him the legal status of a parent. It does not make Rob Henry’s legal father, he is merely Henry’s step-father because he is married to Helen

https://www.familylawweek.co.uk/articles/archer-v-titchener-what-would-a-family-court-decide/

A key episode seems to be 25 April 2016, when Ursula and Rob (just discharged from hospital) inform Pat that he has the parental right to keep Henry. Where would I find a link to listen to that episode, anyone?

This should be it. r

No, I think I mean this one. That date was a Monday. r

Horrid to hear Ursula - but thanks for that! That's when Henry ends up staying with Rob. I think it's the next day at school pick up when they remind Pat that Rob has some form of legal responsibility.

Forget about Rob, what about Brad? I presume George didn’t say any of that, it was just a simple ruse to get Brad to confess? And one of the reasons suspects are interviewed separately.

Henry is going out and about on his own now, they said the other day that he was at the skatepark and getting the next bus back. Which, honestly, I think is a little surprising for a fairly coddled kid in a rural area. Excellent point @GoldenCupidon - and these things are rarely mentioned for no reason (especially as this is the first time we’ve heard reference to him skateboarding).

So as Rob is no longer Henry's step-parent, being no longer married to the HellQueen, I would assume that the step-parental responsibility agreement died with the marriage. Or not? I suppose the answer lies in what suits the plot.

@MereDintofPandiculation - if George didn't say it then, assuming both interviews were taped, Harrison is a fool. But I think we've already spotted that.

God, tonight was bizarre. I kept expecting Harrison to break out the jazz hands and exclaim “Nah - fooled ya!” I knew that birthday outing would be poison for Brad. Poor Tracy.

I too am safe from George’s attentions … 😅

Poor Tracy, but also poor Brad. He seems very young for his age and needs some advice on standing up to bullies like George. Maybe Harrison could redeem himself by helping.

Brad should get himself a weekend job doing something useful ... perhaps teaching Freddie how to do Year 6 arithmetic.

He works at lower loxley in the orangery restaurant

If it is then Harrison may not be planning to charge him.

Coerced or manipulated confessions do not go down well and can get a case thrown out entirely.

No @Gonners, the ending of the marriage does not apparently terminate the step parental agreement:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/975089/c-pra2-eng.pdf

That's interesting, JB, thank you. So Helen would have to go to court apply for it to be terminated. But hey, perhaps she did that silently, off-air, in an UnArcherly moment of competence? 😂

Two things I am wondering about

1. Helen has very specifically and more than once mentioned that there's a prohibited steps order to protect Jack from Rob, and that she is getting a non mol to protect her... Henry isn't mentioned as being covered by either of these which must be deliberate as even I noticed it. So Henry is going to be Rob's target, huh?

2. Is Rob the mystery buyer of Grey Gables?