Archers thread #199: Kaboom! The Aldridges are self-destructing, and it's GLORIOUS. 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'd drop everything to help Helen create a new cheese on national minimum wage, 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.)

If you haven't heard last night's episode (Friday 22nd May) you really must. It's episodes like that that keep me addicted. Funny how often they involve the Aldridges, the most dysfunctional and also by far the most interesting family in Ambridge. Also very well acted on the whole. How lovely to hear Tamsin Greig in TA, but I wonder if we ever will again.

Some cracking posts towards the end of the last thread, which is here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/5518503-archers-thread-198-josh-sent-to-patagonia-pip-stays-put-wrong-way-round-discuss-the-archers-here

Over to you!

Thanks! I would accept but I suspect it’s a dog’s life writing for TA!

I don’t think there’s a conspiracy theory I just don’t think they’ve got any ideas! In a way the LL “family” has been made too small to have much happen in it these days. Absolutely ridiculous that neither Freddie nor Lily have had a serious relationship for years/ever.

Has to be Ruairi, doesn’t it?

That would be everything.

Well, a lot of Lily’s life was blocked by her serious relationship. But yes - even post-Russ and post incarceration it’s inconceivable that these particular young-ish adults wouldn’t have had full dance cards over the past several years.

Surely Brian must have noticed that Adam was off spraying the BL land every day in whatever piece of farm equipment is used for spraying? I imagine it’s large. If they have both been working every day how have they not run into each other?

Lily held everything together at LL while Lizzie was having her breakdown didn't she?
Then at some point upped and went because she knows she won't inherit so it isn't her 'job' to keep the ship afloat iyswim?
She did kitchen sales and then Grey Gables didn't she? I've lost track of where she is now.

I think she's still at Grey Gorbals, isn't she? She did go off to Australia or somewhere with plans to "travel" and see the world, but I think that turned into a fortnight's surfing holiday.

Home Farmaggedon?

Stella does not want another child foes she? She barely tolerates Rosie. This has disaster written all over it.

Indeed!

I wasn't sure whether Pip was suggesting that Stella actually gave birth to the child or "merely" provided the ovum. Either way, it would be a firm "Let's forget this marriage nonsense" from me.

I think Pip mentioned they both had ovaries and a womb. Perhaps she'll get Toby to DTD with Stella. But I didn't think Stella was exactly thrilled with the prospect of Even Fatter Rosie Mk II.

Or Ross!

Who's Ross? Isn't Stella past childbearing age? I got the impression she was in her late 40s.

This is why we need her to do some gold digging and shack up with brine

Pip was somewhat peremptory in her volunteering of poor Stella’s womb … 😂

She didn’t even ask. Just informed Stella that her womb must be made available for the general good.

I thought so too, she was a friend of Ruth's.
But maybe in Ambridgeland women nearing 50 are massively fertile and don't run the risks of having a child with disabilities etc due to the much older eggs.

That was my thought, too. Pretty sure she must be late 40s by now.

Stella's in her mid-to-late 40s, I think. At 46 I spent an interesting Saturday night in A&E with a panicking male junior doctor, who quickly rang up the gynae consultant for help. He sorted it out and saw me on the Monday: an over-dramatic early(-ish) menopause ("Exactly the same thing happened to my wife") resolved by a D&C the next day followed by HRT. He recommended that I stay on the pill for a while, just to be sure.

Going back to 'Farmaageddon', Brian and Debbie used to be a tight little unit and he seemed to favour her over his biological daughters. Scriptwriters seem to have forgotten this.

Pip and Stella haven’t discussed more children, have they?

What else, I wonder?

Yes that was very weird. Stella apparently said she was Gen X a while ago - so at least 46 or so. I do wonder whether she even really wants to live with Pip and Rosie let alone have more kids.

I think this business of dividing people up by "generations" must have been invented by Gen P for Pillock.

Pip will have Stella's brother's baby. Fat Sammy.

@Wiseplumnet that would hardly survive the advent of Ruairi. Debbie has utterly despised him since the first moment she found out what he had done to Jenny.

@ExOptimistAmbridge women who insist on going ahead find themselves very swiftly exiled to Brum with their child … (Tuckers.)

A male Fat Rosie?