Archers thread #151: A Fête worse than death or a reverse ferret? Helen’s got the Borsetshire Blues, Tom’s talking shiitake, George is a rotten apple. 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, 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 think Helen and Tom would do well on Dragons' Den, 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.)

Thanks to @OverArmour for various title ideas! I would have liked to incorporate the suggestion from @Fleetress, which was

‘Do do one Ron, Ron, do do one Ron’

(Rob is Ron for many on this thread now)

Possibly a bit obscure for newer posters, though!

Anyway: we got through that last thread in no time at all. Combined effect of Rob and George, I suspect. I wonder if Rob will have made it to Ambridge by the time we need a new thread. I'm still waiting for Pat's shotgun to feature. That can't have been mentioned for the first time ever for no reason at all.

Over to you!

Pip acted like a knob, totally freaking out is one thing but essentially abandoning your sad friend just because you saw fit to kiss them is really cruel.

but for me the real problem was - no mention of damping down the fire And making it safe!!!! It’s august fgs. I hope Stella had the wit to sort it.

Solipsistic to the infinite degree, our Hellin.

I enjoyed Pip's 'I'm often alone' comment- says the working mum who managed to sort family childcare at a moment's notice. She doesn't know she is born!

Of course Stella would sort out the fire! She has form for being cautious about flames.

Thanks for putting my mind at rest! No thanks to Pip of course if the whole of Brookfield went up in flames.

Perish the thought

I feel quite sorry for Helen, really. She's had a shit time of things, what with the anorexia, Greg shooting himself, her father taking against her over Henry's birth and then Rob. I'm not surprised she's teetering on the edge at the moment, she's probably on permanent tenterhooks wondering what Rob's going to do next (and whether he's going to go out with a bang), never mind whether she'll ever be free of him if the ghastly Titchener family decides that access to Jack is desired as a memorial to their beloved Rob.

Being damaged doesn't mean she can't be an arse or doesn't do anything wrong and she was absolutely wrong to think that a) GG is obliged to buy her cheese and b) marking down a rival was acceptable but I can't blame her for coming unravelled.

Plus she's got Tom as a sibling and that would drive anyone round the twist.

Yes I think the point of the scene with Helen/ Tom/Iain was to show how close to the edge she is.

She needs Joy (as a starter)!

Sadly that's totally plausible ☹️

Also love the idea of Joy as a hostage negotiator btw, she'd be great

I read the last few posts before listening and had assumed Stella kissed pip but pip totally initiated it and then behaved like a total twat.
I expect they will sort it out though and end up together.

I haven't listened yet either and assumed the same!

But Stella shouldn't. She can do better!

Agreed! But what's the point of the story if it's not to turn saint pip into a lesbian? Be interesting to see how Ruth and David respond.

If everyone acted sensibly (and out of character) there wouldn't be much of an everyday story of country folk, would there?

Recent developments seem to me to be character-driven, rather than plot-driven. Which is exactly what I want from TA.

I was really disappointed with the Pip/Stella snog, because it's just so predictable that a lesbian kiss would have to be all stressful and fraught, rather than just what they both wanted. Especially so since Pip initiated it.

The Kirsty and Eric story is great because it's just so uncomplicated - two people enjoying each other with no drama. Which is quite un-Archersy really, most relationships seem to start off massively intense and disruptive for all parties. I wanted better for Stella, I like her.

I think the SWs have been reading my posts realised that it's a bit weird that there are two gay men and a bisexual man living in Ambridge (I count Ruairi as still living there as he's a student) and zero lesbians or bisexual women. As posters on here always say the only way to really change that long term is to have a lesbian or bisexual woman related to the Archers. If that's where they're going I think it's a good thing.

Also Stella and Pip could be a terrific farming power couple - lots of big rows but also probably very successful. And Stella would finally get the farm she craves.

I thought that was where they were going with Anna Tregorran when she split with her partner. I was predicting a relationship with Helen

Maybe SOC had something like that in mind, @JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon - but then we had the 97 editors in quick succession … And Carol Tregorran silenced as Eleanor Bron found other claims on her time. Not that it would have been a terribly professional start to a relationship.

It’s true Pip and Stella could be a power couple. But we don’t yet know that Stella doesn’t prefer Ruth …

I feel quite sorry for Helen, really. She's had a shit time of things, what with the anorexia,
that was miraculously cured until it might be needed again.
Greg shooting himself,
I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
her father taking against her over Henry's birth
I wouldn't have expected him to be delighted about his brittle doggedly independent single daughter deciding to buy some sperm on a whim.
and then Rob.
He was married to another woman.
I'm not surprised she's teetering on the edge at the moment, she's probably on permanent tenterhooks wondering what Rob's going to do next (and whether he's going to go out with a bang), never mind whether she'll ever be free of him if the ghastly Titchener family decides that access to Jack is desired as a memorial to their beloved Rob.
Me neither, but Jack is half Helen as well as half Rob.

she was absolutely wrong to think that a) GG is obliged to buy her cheese and b) marking down a rival was acceptable
Of course.
but I can't blame her for coming unravelled.
Me neither.

Plus she's got Tom as a sibling and that would drive anyone round the twist.
They've always seemed close and supportive, so despite Tom's faults, I don't think she has a problem there. She seems to get along with Natasha reasonably well too.

How old is Stella supposed to be? Pip is 30 and the Stella actress is nearly 47. I'm not a fan of them rolling out that lesbian/gay relationship age gap cliché.

Still no entry for Stella or Adil in the BBC TA characters list.

Though it’s good to see:

George

Joy, and

Paul

each have entries now. Don’t think they all did when I last looked.

Stella is probably a lot younger than the actress. Many of the actors are older than the characters.

The Kirsty and Eric story is great because it's just so uncomplicated
So far, but women in their 40s are quite likely to have a baby if they live in Ambridge. He's Erik BTW, and Ian is Ian not Iain, sorry but...
Kirsty's track record with men does not augur well. I like Kirsty and think it's good if she is having fun, but hope she doesn't get hurt.

A 'step-nephew' for Kate and a nephew for Jakob would be interesting. I can see Kate's mothering instinct coming to the fore.

The Pip/Stella snog is just what we can expect in Ambridge these days. The days of Jean-Paul being the only gay in the village are long gone. I think a rural village would probably have a gay or lesbian couple, and possibly one or two that you weren't sure about. The difference is that I think the gay couple would probably be running the pub, not a farmer and pizza chef, with a son.

I think if I'd been in that position I'd have thought something like 'You don't kiss other women, however much you've had to drink'. A hug or a cuddle, yes, but not a kiss on the lips.

I wish they'd stick to change counting, checking the Herefords or Montys, and pouring G&Ts and pints of Shires.

Does Kate actually have a mothering instinct? She seems quite happy to give birth and then leave the result to be looked after for twelve years or so by someone else while she drops in for a few days every couple of years to tell them what they are doing wrong, or to walk out on the result when it is about eight and never see it again that we have heard.

Kate definitely has opinions on mothering, regardless of how she actually does it...