Archers thread #194: Bottled on the Bridle Path! Discuss 75 years of 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 wishthat we'd heard the Reverend Shula preach over the festive period, 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 https://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.)

I am all Archered out after the excitement of the 75th anniversary yesterday, the special drama (Truth and Lies), the podcast, you name it. Now it looks as if George is going to pull through, the hype seems a bit overdone. So it's over to you!

I find Paul and Ruiari quite obnoxious as a couple.

Because Amber is currently finding every possible excuse to be in a place where she might encounter Brad.

Yes, realised I was missing the obvious clue there!
I liked the chat between them actually, Chelsea acknowledged a haircut in the kitchen wasn't Amber's usual style and Amber encouraging Chelsea to be more ambitious. I liked Chelsea's answer, there's a lot to be said for having flexibility but I think again it demonstrates that Chelsea (and Brad) just don't have the confidence to push themselves out of their comfort zones.

Did think think of Brad the other day while listening to Women's Hour as they were discussing how it's now becoming a lot more common for students to live at home while they study at university, 30-50% of students in many courses. Mainly due to the financial benefit although in Brad's case I think a lot of it was also preferring the familiarity of home.

I’m not enjoying the Amber pregnancy nonsense at all. It’s too soapy for words and feels like the shoehorning in of a love triangle simply for the sake of having history repeating. I don’t like Amber, I don’t like the way she was introduced (I still don’t really understand why she contacted George in prison). Since then she’s undergone a personality change - and not just because she’s now played by a different actress - what happened to her Turkey teeth for example? Everything about it feels highly contrived and unbelievable - and it’s all happening too fast apart from anything else. The Archers is at its best when it is slow burning - this is too flash in the pan. We are supposedly in the middle of a big storyline, but I actually felt myself thinking I don’t know if I can be bothered to tune in to listen to all that made up nonsense when I went to tune in last night.

Erm hair dye is not advised for early pregnancy is it?

She's specifically having the ends done, iirc. So no dye at her roots.

Oh is that the thing! My babies are all grown up so I’m very out of practice.

So do I and Paul's voice becomes much more camp when he's with him. Hope Paul hits something inert very hard with the car and wipes them both out.

I’m no expert but if George and Amber did the deed on Christmas Eve, isn’t it terribly early to find out you are pregnant?

Did I really hear her say that they were trying for a baby? Living together in his parents house in his bedroom, no job, and they want a baby? Are they crackers?

I remember hearing something about this a good few years ago now. I think it was research looking at why students from some ethnic minorities are far more likely to stay at home and go to a local university than go to a 'top' university further away. The reasons given were obvious as soon as you start thinking about them, but still thought-provoking. Things like: I can keep my existing part-time job; I won't lose touch with my local friends; my parents don't want me to go away and I do what they say because that's how it is in our culture; I can follow my religion a lot more easily here; I can easily get hold of the food I'm used to here; I can speak my other language(s) here; I don't want to be the only one from my culture/religion or with my skin colour; socialising at these old places often seems to be based on drinking and other things students are supposed to enjoy but which I can't and won't do because of my religion/culture, so I would be afraid of being bullied/patronised/mocked/excluded if I stuck to my guns.

Well if she was ovulating and they DTD on 24th Dec, then two weeks later she's due her period, which would be around 7th Jan. So plenty of time to discover she's preggers.

Yes, but only last week on here there was a thread started by a woman whose daughter had dropped out of university at 19 to have a baby whose father was still her partner but they weren't living together several years on. Daughter and child were living with the OP and her partner, who were very involved in looking after the child. Daughter was now pregnant again by the same chap and expecting to stay put and get even more help from the grandparents. She was working, I think, but not in a well-paid job with prospects and not full-time. Partner also gently coasting through life, IIRC. I only skimmed the first few replies but the vast majority were saying this was really not on (expressed more robustly, as you would expect on AIBU ). The OP was actually asking if she was being unfair to her other daughter who had worked hard all the way through undergrad and postgrad degrees, now had a good job and was living independently. This daughter seemed a bit miffed about things, perhaps not surprisingly.

By now she would be classed as six weeks pregnant, as the date is taken from the date of your LMP.

Paul's driving lesson reminded me of why I gave up attempting to learn to drive. I had lessons on and off for a year and during that time managed to run into a parked car while driving at about 2mph. I am very badly co-ordinated, which doesn't help at all. None of it was instinctive. However, finally I had to take my test, which included driving on the North Circular 😱. I have never been more nervous about anything in my entire life, and I think it showed. The examiner told me to turn left, which I prepared to do, but he pointed out that I was signalling right. I changed the indicators over and carried on. At the end of the test he told me that I had done the exact same thing twice more and had not noticed. He had checked it was safe not to tell me and waited to see if I would correct myself. If I had he would have passed me but as it was he had no choice but to fail me. I completely agreed with him. I never had another lesson. The world is a safer place for not having me attempting to drive.

However, the difference between Paul and me (one of many, actually) is that I live in inner London and could manage my day to day life perfectly well without a car. I hadn't chosen to live in the country and do a job which makes driving an absolute necessity.

I did enjoy the Chelsea/Amber chat, but why on earth, given that Chelsea is advising Amber to chuck George and go with Brad, is she even suggesting the possibility of telling George about the Grundyette? Makes no sense at all to me

For a moment I thought the night of conception was when he was being sexually coercive/pushy, but that was the 29th (I read the descriptions, did not listen again!). He didn't mention anything about making a baby then, right?

Yep, seems they actually did it on purpose 🤦‍♀️ I'd love to know who mentioned it first. The pessimist in me just thinks towards "if I get her pregnant, she won't leave me"

Yes cultural issues where mentioned a lot in the discussion as well. One student they had speaking decided to ignore parents wishes and live the full student life. Others probably find it harder to go against the grain or just don't want to. Uni culture is changing though, student campus bars are becoming a thing of the past.

(Sorry quoted wrong post)

I'm sure George would have suggested it but why on earth would amber agree? Utterly bizarre because she certainly wasn't sure about marrying him yet apparently suddenly wanted a baby with him.

If they decided to "try for a baby" on 24th December and on 29th she slapped him hard and walked out after hearing how he treated his parents, was there nothing she could have done at that point (and before he was bashed over the head two days later and she soppily decided she lurved him after all) to make sure she was not pregnant? Like a morning after pill or having a coil fitted or something? I suppose the week after Christmas isn't the ideal time to try to do anything, but even so: isn't not having a baby by someone you very much dislike a good reason at least to try to do something about it?

Three to five days for the pill, similar for a coil I believe.

Still, not may people think it will happen first time. And at that age, you probably don't even understand about ovulation windows (I didn't).

So if she'd known what she was doing and had access to somewhere medical that was open for business on 29th December, she might have been just in time. OK, I withdraw my objection; but I think it was extraordinary to be so unsure about him that she had to run away to Ireland, come back and the following day decide to try for a baby and stop using contraception before going totally "off" him again less than a week later.

She doesn't seem to me to be thinking very straight, and I can't help wondering if she is capable of doing so.

Completely agree and wonder also if she is really in love with Brad, or just in love with the contrast from George?

It's almost as though she is a vacuous nineteen year old 😆