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!

And I suppose it's possible she will
always be more protective of Jack, because of:

How he was conceived - could have gone either way, she would either reject him or love him fiercely, and then -
Where he was born and spent the first months
She’ll have always had Rob coming for him, in her mind.
He’s the youngest, her "baby"

Exactly. She’d be more like a lodger than a B&B guest I think.

Great acting by the Henry actor. At least Rob has shown his nastiness in front of the boy, so that's sorted. I think. Let's hope Helen has AT LAST realised that her no-tell policy has drawbacks in keeping H in the dark, though her treatment of Henry was horrible.

So good to see Kirsty there and on form. Inwardly I was wanting her character to break TA rules and say "Oh do fuck off" to Rob.

It says a lot that Helen's instinctive reaction with Henry was to go into blame mode. It never once occurred to her that if Rob could manipulate her for months on end, or course he could manipulate Henry. Or indeed that she could hardly blame Henry for meeting him when she'd totally unnecessarily gone obediently trotting off to attend his medical appointment with him.

I agree. While I can see she's meant to be someone who intellectually knows what Rob's like, she falls apart under pressure and not just from him - the homily doctor too. I still find it it beyond belief that she'd do the medical appointments instead of handing over the brother's phone number and leaving. Again it's the necessity of the SL.

Hospital, not homily!

When Hellin finds out George's part in all this she will go absolutely ballistic.

Cedric.

I think some of you are being too harsh.

The episode finished with Helen sobbing "oh Henry, what the hell have I done." It reminded me of Helen crying in prison when she realised the parental order (whatever it was called) meant Henry couldn't be taken off Rob. She said then "my little boy, what have I done?"

She's the victim of a cruel manipulator who she once loved and trusted and is once again blaming herself for the consequences of his actions.

Yes,George is not going to have a job at Bridge Farm for much longer is he?!

Yes @BeatriceBatchelor, you can't win in the midst of abuse.

I can understand not wanting a permanent guest at Brookfield. The odd stranger coming and going is very different to a permanent presence.

If Pip cops off with Stella, and Stella moves into Rickyard Cottage, then that frees up the Bungalow for the Ambridge Housing Fairy to grant a housing wish to!

Listened again to last night. I missed Tracey and Ruth discussing difficulties with living costs for young people. Really liked that part for giving different perspectives to listeners.

Kirsty really was outstanding. Cool, calm, collected and her actions were perfect. She took total control of the situation.

So glad that Kirsty was there to be actually useful and supportive rather than Lee the wet wipe in human form who would probably have invited Rob back to the house for tea and a sleepover.

Poor Henry, agree that the young actor is very good.

Is it terrible that I cannot wait for Helen to discover George's part in this? How on earth is he going to wriggle out of it?

Lee the wet wipe in human form who would probably have invited Rob back to the house for tea and a sleepover

😂that really made me chuckle.

I'm a longtime Kirsty fan. She didn't lose her cool but bellowed at Rob and showed she wasn't intimated by The Big Man.

Is it terrible that I cannot wait for Helen to discover George's part in this? How on earth is he going to wriggle out of it?

Oh, me too!

In fairness to George (can’t believe I wrote those words) although he helped find Ron’s number he didn’t encourage Henry to meet up with him. It was clear when he was speaking to Emma that he didn’t fully understand the whole backstory which makes sense as he would have been 8 years old at the time.

Lee the wet wipe in human form

Love this! Excellent description!

I ❤️ Lee, gerroff 'im!

Doubt anyone will fight you for him, @JanglyBeads!

Even Helen waved him off with barely a backward glance.

Lee the wet wipe in human form who would probably have invited Rob back to the house for tea and a sleepover.

@AlexCabot GENIUS 🤣🤣🤣

Helen was, in modern parlance, triggered. Unfortunately, the stream of awful stuff she had pent up inside, was misdirected, at poor Henry.

I'm sure "IRL" Kirsty did say "Fuck off." <invents Archers hyperlevel>

Or, given that Rickyard is tiny and the bungalow has at least two bedrooms, how about Pip and Rosie moving in there with Stella and Hannah getting Rickyard? Can't see any of that happening quickly, though.

Who's living in Willow Cottage now? (Where Brian and Jennifer lived after selling Home Farm.) That would suit Hannah, if she could find a second person to share it.

We're motoring through this thread, so I'll need a new title soon. Lee the wet wipe in human form might have to feature.

I seem to remember that last time we had this discussion, at least one other poster defended Lee <clutches at straws>