Archers thread #155: Cold Comfort Farms! The rural sagas continue. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

FILL THE OLD THREAD UP FIRST! https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4902507-archers-thread-154-cider-with-fat-rosie-meadow-rise-to-candleford-or-the-darling-horrobins-of-september-get-your-rural-saga-fix-discuss-the-archers-here?page=10

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'd like to hear more scenes in the abattoir, 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.)

Lots of lively discussion about Brad's university aspirations and the Open Day on the last thread. Do you want him to end up at Felpersham or do you want him to spread his wings and go further afield? Where will Mia go?

Will this thread see the end of Rob, or do we have many weeks more before his long overdue demise?

What's going on at Grey Gables? Are they running into financial trouble? Will we hear from Roy, who I had forgotten was working there until he was mentioned the other day? Who are the mysterious 'Owners'? Will the locum GP turn out to be Adil's sister, as we have been surmising since she first spoke? Why's she been conjured up?

Talking of the GP, I'm hoping against hope we're not in for bad news about Jim's mole.

Praying that we're going to get a long and much-needed break from hearing P*p. Not praying that we hear Rob being christened. Who would be his sponsor, as someone commented on the last thread? Harrison? Surely that would be a conflict of interest. Can't see who else would do it locally.

I wonder how Ben is getting on now he's back on his nursing degree? Will we ever hear anything about Lily's course, or how Freddie's getting on at the abattoir?

So many questions! Over to you for some answers and boundless speculation.

That was horrible. I thought I was lucky that my period of not listening back in the summer meant I didn't have to listen to them brutalising a dog, but now they've harmed a horse. Wtf do they think anyone wants to listen to that?

There is also Diwali: round here that's pretty noisy. Though I suppose there is only one Hindu in Borsetshire, and the vicar might not want to take part in that celebration.

BOOP for hearing from Alice and Lilian. At least it's broadened out the recent character list. And if those two are on duty for a few days (on the grounds that it's unlikely they would bother to pay to bring the actors in for such a short piece) then maybe we'll hear more about how the rest of the Aldridges are doing.

They would hate it around here. Fireworks all over the shop all year round. A lot of different ethnicities and religions so we have fireworks for Diwali, Eid, Chinese New Year, western New Year, birthdays, marriages ... there are fireworks somewhere local tonight, I can hear them now. No idea what for.

Halloween is fireworks night here, and I realise writing that that I haven't heard any so far this year - sometimes they're popping away all October. The Gardai must be doing a better job than usual of stopping the trade in them (they're illegal except under strict license).

Can somebody tell me if any animals get hurt ? There was talk of fireworks being let off next to the stables in the first few minutes, and I don't want to listen to the rest of the episode if any horses or other animals are hurt. Thanks in advance x

Today is Sunday 22nd and maybe you'd better not listen.

Yes - a very poorly horse. I'd give it a miss if I were you - although the last 5 minutes were 'interesting' in a non-horse way.

Thank you folks, I'll give it a miss then. Still traumatised by Stella's dog and horses injured by fireworks is way too close to home for me.

Animals aside, what about Helen and Lee?

That has gone from 0 to 90, as is often the case with TA storylines, but does leave Helen nicely isolated, though at least others know.

If you fast-forward through the bits you don't want you should be ok, and it woud be a pity to miss Helen having her nineteenth nervous breakdown. It is very much divided into safe and unsafe: Alice, Lilian and Jakob = unsafe, Lee, Ian and Helen = safe, and it is more or less entertaining if somewhat incoherent towards the end

This fits Helen surprisingly well, apart from the bits about her mother and father.

I couldn’t listen tonight - is Lee out?

On his way, now. But not yet actively told to pack his bags.

Poor Henry 😥

I'll be surprised if Lee goes for good.

Lee ought to leave by his own volition, rather than put up with Helen treating him like this until she tells him to go.

The Button sisters are early 20s, I think (there's also a brother? Molly, Tilly and Billy?) They've been mentioned since they were in Brownies, I think, so have probably been around for 15 years or so. So similar to Tilly and the Buttons.

Lee was really annoying. I know Helen is difficult and can be irrational but I’m not at all surprised she found his over-exuberance grating. I couldn’t work out if we were meant to empathise with Helen or feel sorry for Lee who was just in high spirits and enjoying his night out.

Lilian and Alice sounded like 2 amateurs helping out at pony club- not professional horsewomen at all. There surely must be some sort of long-established protocol for fireworks nights.

What the fuck is Alice doing running an equestrian centre if she:
a. Doesn’t know how to manage the horses when there are fireworks
b. Panics when a horse injures itself

Her and Lillian are acting like they’ve never been round horses before.

It was ridiculous. I was so pleased to hear them again and then that farce. Ooh fireworks. Whatever do we do with the horses?

And if Alice had seen the horse injure itself like that she’d have been a lot more horrified.

Scenes at the bowling were good though.

I can see that Helen would have been knackered and disinclined for an evening out having spent the whole weekend out with the boys, but surely the answer to that would have been to say she'd rather give it a miss and have an early night - not to go and spend the entire time being a total wet blanket and spoiling it for everyone else.

Nooo, don't let Lee be the one to break up, then Helen will be able to frame the narrative so it's all his fault. The boys and her family should know that it's she who pushed him away just because she got the ick.

Oh, I don't think he will. I just think he should.

The whole Helen/Lee dynamic is quite interesting - he's gone from being Mr super-sensitive if rather dull to someone who is now trying to assert his own needs after being persuaded to allow his children to move halfway round the world to avoid rocking the boat. Helen, as we know (possibly with good reason), can't accommodate anyone else's needs but her own. Everyone has to fall in line around her so she can be in total control. Lee doesn't even realise he's challenging her control at this point - in his mind the hiking and marshmallow toasting was organised with Henry (light of Helen's life) and the bowling was the idea of her best friend Ian. Lee's big "mistake" was daring to visit his own children on his own - Helen realised she could manage just fine without him, seeing off Ron single-handed. What I don't think she's realised yet is that kicking Lee out is going to have a knock-on effect on Henry (no longer under her control whatever she may be fondly believe).

Oh Helen acts like a sulky teenager doesn't she?

Lee's big "mistake" was daring to visit his own children on his own - Helen realised she could manage just fine without him, seeing off Ron single-handed.

This is such an excellent point. I’m usually so focused on What The SWs Are Doing - like removing Lee from Ambridge so the Rob story would play out with the original characters - that I forget how things might seem from the characters’ points of view.

And Helen realising she was happier without Lee in the house is so familiar from MN threads - “My DH has been working away for five weeks; is it wrong that I love looking after the children by myself and we have more fun without him?” (Obviously without the added melodrama.)

But the poor boys …