Archers thread #195: Run, Amber, run! 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 19 is an ideal age to have a baby with a convict, 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.)

Emma spoke sense to George and Amber tonight. Goodness only knows where this storyline is going. I can't see George being Father of the Year. Oh dear.

Over to you!

Covered in pigeon droppings.

She did have a malevolent influence on Helen’s relationship with Rob, taking his side. If I was Helen I’d be sneaking down to the rewinding with a hammer and smashing her stupid artwork

I think she was a matriarch in the sense that a relatively significant percentage of the village were directly descended from her (Jennifer, Lillian and Tony, along with all their various offspring that now spans two generations) along with being major land owners.

She was largely self-appointed too, in the same way that there's a woman at my health club who fancies herself Queen Bee because she's one of the eldest members. It just means she fancies she knows everyone, expects to be in the middle of everything and patronises us mere mortals who pay exactly the same membership fee she does

On the food serving issue, I will put everything on the table. I grew up having a whole plate of food served at you, which I don't really like - it defines how much you can have (cf threads about 'penis portions'!) and what you get. I would far rather people be able to quietly avoid something they don't like without there being a fuss about it.

The only exception would be if there was a main part of the meal where there was an individual portion of something, like an individual pie or Wellington or something. But even then I'd be more likely to put them on a plate for people to choose their own.

I can almost forgive her that as, when Kate was bleating on about how "I AM Phoebe's mother!", Peggy uttered the immortal line: "Only when it suits you, dear"

Did Rochelle make that up knowing that Mick had potentially dropped himself in it? She has form for telling porkies after all.

I have worked in the glass industriy. There is glass that is "self cleaning" - they use the so-called "lotus effect" (basically a microscopically lumpy surface that dirt can't really stick to, and when it rains or has water chucked on it, it just rolls off. Used in a lot of buildings now) not sure if you can have that with stained glass though (that is often "lumpy" anyway but not microscopically)

She married Jack Woolley and then used her unspecified fortune to control the rest of her family. The Rochelle revelation was a predictable (and merciful) cop out to a poorly executed draaaaama. I suspect the George attack will end in a similar damp squib. As a possible figment of Joy’s imagination, Scroedinger’s Rochelle was a brilliant invention - clever, subtle and it leant an air of sadness to Joy which was much more interesting than her endlessly upbeat role of tedious narrator with a finger in every pie. Likewise with George, the development of his character pretty much from birth into a sly, indulged, misogynist was the perfect slow-burn - the Agatha Christie style whodunnit of might have hit him with a bottle (in a scene which was far too unclear for radio - compare and contrast with the Knob stabbing scene) actually detracts from what was a great, long-running story arc.

So what’s the background with Rochelle? I gather she’s Joy’s troublesome daughter but what did she do?

She also ran the pub for 20 years. Rural memories run deep, as does the sympathy for spouses of alcoholics.

I find it hard to believe Rochelle is living in domestic bliss with a new man. Maybe Joy made it up to save Rex from himself.

also is anyone else positively seething at the SW for just:

forgetting the starry twins window
forgetting that everyone was supposed to go on the holiday
forgetting Helen is living with Gnasher and Tom...

ad nauseam ad infinitum

Wasn't there some trouble about the Twindow, on the basis that they weren't dead (yet)? That's probably why Peggy left a wad of cash to the now-forgotten dodgy charity man who hung about at The Laurels.

The holiday, yes - they only got the money if everyone went.

Agree about Helen's living arrangements being glossed over. IRL, murder would surely have been committed by now.

Forgetting that Nasher is a bit spendy
Forgetting that Stella was getting cold feet about becoming another mum to Fat Rosie
Forgetting that Fat Rosie is fat

Please nobody remind the SWs about Rosie…

What happened to Stella’s dog???

When she turned up to Ambridge, it turned out she was secretly involved with a cult style animal rights activist group and had been brainwashed and manipulated by the leader. She promptly got herself a job at the abattoir, despite being outspokenly vegan, and still no one batted an eyelid. The group got her to plant cameras and gain access to the abattoir which resulted in a hostage type situation involving several Archers royalty. Someone may have gotten a bit of a hurty arm in the cuffuffle. Think there were guns involved but tbh my memory of it thereon is sketchy as I've tried to erase the whole ridiculous debacle from my Archers memory bank. (See also the Neil the foundling story).
Equally implausibly, super sensible Rex fell head over heals for her dispite her having enough red flags to make Fallon some new bunting.

It's completely unbelievable that everything has turned out so well for someone as unstable and vulnerable as Rochelle was previously made out to be, but I honestly don't care as long as we never hear from her again! Why Joy doesn't want to move to be close enough to spend time with the daughter and grandchildren she claims to care so much about is beyond me. Clearly more important things to do like organising tractor runs and generally being everywhere all the time.

The useless Ruth let go of it and it was minced by a combine, which is a further reason I want Bess to be run over (main reason is that it would please me greatly if Nursy Ben went barking mad again, and stayed there).

I don't think the grandchildren live with Rochelle, they live with her (nameless?) ex-husband, who knows where, and she doesn't seem to have any contact with them. Please let's keep them out of the equation!

is that true?? How did I miss that???

Yeah that's what I thought but I'm sure Joyless was saying Rochelle is now seeing lots of the children so seems like she lives near them now?🤷‍♀️ A perfect excuse for Joy to go and join them and take Muck with her!

i thought Stella got a new dog?

Some sort of terrier cross called Cleo, I think.

Wasn't there some trouble about the Twindow

Twindow 😅

I thought Alan said she couldn’t have the window.

I’d completely forgotten Cleo. Still in love ne piece as far as we know.