True. No elections in this area this time round, so I haven't been paying a lot of attention. As they are local elections in England (not Wales & Scotland I know), you would hope they'd be about the local council's record on social care, libraries, potholes etc. But no 🙄

I think the government, and probably the civil service, would like to move on (hopefully having learnt something). It's the media & the opposition parties who won't let it drop. Presumably they think it will win them clicks/votes, but I'm not sure they're right.

Still from 'The Thick of It' showing Chris Addison as Ollie Reeder with Peter Capaldi as Malcolm Tucker

Every time Olly Robbins is mentioned, I immediately think of Chris Addison's character in 'The Thick of It' 🙂

FFS Radio 4 Today were *still* banging on endlessly about Mandelson this morning. I'm bored to tears with it. Yes, there was a major cock-up, which no-one has come out of well. Time to move on. There are more important things happening in the world.

Erik organises conferences or something I think? Will he want to go on travelling the world with no home base as he gets older?
Long-term prediction: Erik as general manager of Grey Gables? #TheArchers

He did, yes. But if someone is named in a teaser, it almost invariably means we're going to hear them speak in the episode. #TheArchers

Ruth may have things on her mind, but she didn't let us know what they were this evening 🤷‍♀️. #TheArchers

Over 30 years, 1994. It does, but still a bit irritating. Getting the inconvenient father out of the way so the SWs don't have to bother about him. Hopefully not going that way. #TheArchers

I was expecting him to add 'and John, of course' after mentioning Helen & Tom. Maybe it was cut for time. #TheArchers

I'm suddenly irrationally worried about Erik not returning Kirsty's calls. If the SWs have decided to 'do a Mark Hebden' I will be cross. #TheArchers

I wonder if it's partly because couples become less careful about contraception, thinking the chance of conceiving is low? #TheArchers

Unbelievably, Tom Archer is also 45. #TheArchers

Kirsty said tonight she will be 45 in a couple of weeks.

Vicky Tucker thought it was the perimenopause. #TheArchers

But the baby would be related to Kate. If it's Uncle Jacob, she would be Auntie Kate 😁.
As if Ambridge family trees aren't complicated enough. Kirsty has managed to avoid being related in any way to #TheArchers up to now.

Seen several posts about Tony's £42k windfall. That was before commission & VAT. It will probably be more like £30-35k. Still a decent sum; hopefully he won't let Helen, or Tom & Natasha, anywhere near it. #TheArchers

Yes Kate could actually be helpful, if a bit overbearing. Also she will back off if Jacob has a word.
Helen will be a nightmare.
#TheArchers

Kirsty is sensible. She & Erik will have thought all this through (unlike Amber & George). Erik will support his child financially, they can pay for childcare. Other couples manage when one partner is away for long periods. #TheArchers

Thinking about it, I fear Kirsty's main problem may be fighting off Helen & Kate. Helen already sounded dangerously like she did with Annette this evening. #TheArchers

I'd usually agree, but not in this case. Kirsty has always wanted a child. I'd been hoping she & Erik would've decided to try for one ages ago. #TheArchers

Erik Hakansson (sorry, I misspelt it in my post - or it may have been autocorrupt). As others have said, Jacob's very different brother. He appeared for one week in 2023, played by Steven Hartley. He travels the world doing something, organising conferences possibly. #TheArchers

How much is a Passivhaus? #TheArchers

And don't forget Uncle Jacob 🙂.
Whose partner lodges with Kirsty. Kate loves babies 😁. #TheArchers

Jacob, who was worrying about being a step-grandfather, now might be about to be an uncle. #TheArchers

Are we going to have compare & contrast Amber as a young mother & Kirsty as an older one? #TheArchers

Kirsty will stay in Ambridge, where she owns a house & has a support network of friends (and Helen). Erik will continue to travel the world (I'm not sure he has a permanent home), dropping in from time to time. He may even settle in Ambridge eventually. #TheArchers

There does seem to be some uncertainty about the number of bedrooms in No. 6 🤔.
It was more about Helen's tone really, as though she thinks she's going to be slumming it. #TheArchers

Helen (yesterday): 'In fairness, the third bedroom is pretty small [...] Whoever ends up in there we're going to have to buy some clever storage.'
That will be the same as Chelsea's & Poppy's bedrooms then... #TheArchers

I haven't seen that site before. The pages I was looking at before were archived pages from the BBC Messageboard.

I'm so pleased for Kirsty. Assuming she is pregnant of course. I hoped when she first started seeing Eric that they would decide to have a child together. I nearly predicted it yesterday, wish I had now 🤦‍♀️. #TheArchers

Possibly named as an homage to Chris Gittings, actor who played Walter Gabriel. #thearchers