I didn't get that impression IMO because technically, the door will have been left open for Chryed to return, they weren't killed off and they weren't sacked - not that JP or ME would WANT to return of course. :sleep: 'The door being left open' isn't a real indication that someone may come back.

I quite liked Gary Lucy but I think he'd suit playing a bisexual character more than a gay one.

There will be one at some point. Another few years me thinks.

I think a older lesbian couple with a grown child (or two) would be interesting as it's never been done.

I do agree though, nothing will beat Chryed, at least not for me.

I do think though, despite shoddy screentime and a horrific exit storyline, Chryed have set the bar. They are easily the most sucessful gay pairing the show has EVER had. They've been part of a groundbreaking story, and in the process gained a real strong following that have stayed with them until this very day. Even though they were reduced to mere extra's over the last two years, the loyalty of their fans never wavered - much to the annoyance of BK I'm sure. Chryed achieved great ratings in thier prime, we've raised thousands for charity and had a convention about them.

For ANY couple to achieve that is quite something.

While I'm sure EE will continue to have successful gay partnerships over the years, it will be interesting to see if they have the same impact that Chryed has had.

I'm sure they will though they might go with a lesbian or bisexual couple first, just to do something different.

I also think TPTB might like a 'bad boy' gay character next, as that would also be different to Christian and Syed and some of the writers might have more fun writing for a bad gay character than nice ones.

I do think Chryed have 'set the bar' very high when it comes to OTP gay couples - one true person - as KatrinaK has just said and I doubt it will be surpassed any time soon.

Oh for sure Chryed were one of a kind. For one thing aside from the Muslim angle - which was seminal - it was a real, old fashioned LOVE story. Seeing that type of romance (which it was) between two men is rare on TV full stop. The fact that it was a soap (and so beautifully thought out at the start) made it even more special.

And now they've gone *wails*

I’ve put this off because for me, I won’t be leaving here anytime soon – too many good things to come yet! But as others have shared their thoughts, I wanted to as well and after 7 whole days of Chryed having left, I now feel the time is right. This is going to read like a leaving message but believe me it isn’t at all! Just stuff I’ve kept in for a while and I think now – 7 days after they’ve gone is the time to do it!

I was a long time lurker......first found the thread on page 11 of thread 1. A long long time ago......then started to look every few days....then started to look every day.
At this point in time I’d been made redundant from a very well paid and quite high powered job as a PA but was glad to have gone and also was very disillusioned with life, work and the misery that work can bring. I had decided to finish my degree, but had every intention of trying to find work anyway, somehow....anything. The worst of the recession was really hitting and there was NOTHING.

So....I followed and read, sometimes days apart. I fell in love with the checked shirts discussion and the overall passion that people had for the storyline. I was struck by how many people seemed to think like I did. I was thrilled to see posts from Muslim posters who thought it was relevant and important. But still, I didn’t post – didn’t sign up. It was casual, I told myself, something to dip in and out of.
Something changed for me around the 6th Aug and I still don’t know why it was this date. Just my own general unhappiness with my life, waiting to start studying again and general misery about life in general. I had an interview for a job I really didn’t want but was once again about to ‘act the part’ go through the motions of convincing myself that I had to be grown up and do responsible things. And then that day came, and I was sad and ill and tired and miserable and I cancelled the interview and I just sat at home and read the thread, like I normally did, but something inside me went ‘click’ – I felt compelled to be part of it. But still, I did nothing. But from that moment on – something had taken place inside me and I now identify this moment as my moment of being ‘hooked’ on the thread, of reading people’s thoughts and feelings about the storyline that seemed more important to me than real life and real life was SO unappealing. From that day on I knew I was obsessed, not only with Chryed, but also with the thread and people on it. As soon as I logged on to the internet, every morning – it was the first place I went.

So, on it went. I read and read, through the annoyance of the infamous blackhole after Superman – and the debates during Alley Kiss (I remember the outrage there was about the low lighting and cut away from it) and all through Blackmail plot. Right up to NYE and the Kiss being leaked and the joy – watching it all unfold in all it’s gleeful glory. Still I did not join.

By now my secret life was beginning to take over real life – I had the ready- made excuse that I had no money to go out NY in 2010 (true) :sleep: but the truth was – all I wanted was to stay in and watch and suffer the trials of NYD 2010 and live it all through lurking. *big regret* - wish I joined then!

Finally, after much deliberation - I joined on the 7th Feb 2011. My only regret is that it took me so long to pluck up the courage and do it. I have never looked back – first of all nervous but then plunging straight in to debate and passion and laughs and fun! Making friends and also sadly experiencing my first fallings out with people online – not easy to deal with.

It was the power of the NYD 2010 episode that made so many people de-lurk and I remember the amazing amount of new posters we had, 2 or 3 a day sometimes, joining the thread. I guess this might be what you might call the ‘golden period’ of the thread, when those joining shared their thoughts about what had happened so far, and then lived through the absolute agony of Syed’s marriage to Amira, the suicide attempt and all the aftermath.

Since then, well – it’s been amazing......

I’d like to say to each and every member, past and present – that I’ve argued with – sorry. Just that....sorry. *kisses* We are all passionate people and this storyline has generated an incredible amount of passion and debate, deep feelings of love and hurt and difficult stuff that many of us have struggled with. People have shared hugely personal stuff and given so much of themselves. (((hugs)))

To each and every person, past and present, who have made screencaps, written fan-fic, made videos and shared stuff – no matter who you are – you have all made an amazing contribution to an extraordinary community. Every person’s efforts is appreciated by me, from past to present.

Since then, we’ve had blackholes, and black humour to match – but we’ve sailed thorugh with surveys and polls, with laughs and speculatum delirium.

Since then – we’ve had dreams come true – our wildest dreams of meeting Marc and Johnny and seeing them both live, having hugs, kisses and chats, and photos and having a more interactive experience than most fans could ever dream of in a lifetime. So many lovely moments that everyone has shared very generously!

We’ve also had the Con – a truly fabulous experience that will live on in my memory forever. The Bliss of watching Chryed’s CP and the wonderful NYD 2010 episodes together in a room full of Chryedians who are happy to cry and let it all hang out! Meeting the speaker from Imaan and raising money for them and Stonewall (and the Stonewall rundraiser) all really meant so much to me. We put our passion into action – it wasn’t just about being fans and it was about real life things and making a difference out there.

On a personal note, I think fondly of all the pizza’s I’ve burnt whilst chatting on here, of an entire series of SCD I missed, due to being ‘over emotionally invoved’ with Chryed (is there such a thing?) and how I let the water burn away in a saucepan when I was heating it up to boil potatoes.......sometime...long ago... I’ve no doubt the conversation on here was just enthralling ......every time I open my cupboard and see it, I think of here and power of this place.

I’ve had rows in real life over my ‘obsession’ *cough* and have neglected many real life things and people and places, but in the end, this became my real life – Chryed Life was Real Life for me.

I don’t regret a thing!!! Xxxxxx So I say WFCTGIO - I love you and all your memories and it’s not done yet! Xxxxx

Lovely post star What a fab journey we've all been on together

Despite myself I have caught up on the Cora/Tanya/Ava stuff. It's really good. A shame the rest of EE's stories at the moment are so appalling.

I caught Derek seeing Lauren and Joey....from lust to love to being found out in the space of 2 weeks....it's like it's in fast forward Though even being played out properly wouldn't have made it believable or interesting.

Evening sleepy and lovely Chryedville. Hope everyone is doing fine.

Interesting discussions over the last couple of dayd, so good to see that there can be some talking still.

Emmageering - hello and good to see you. Hope you pop by again some time.
Congrats on milestone Jenn - looking forward to gushy thread/Chryed-post from you!
Teapot - loved reading your surveyanswers, thank you for posting them!

Seemoewe and Star - wonderful to read your thread memories/reminiscing-posts, makes me all emotional. I think that's hardest for me right now. ETA: Wonderful posts earlier also by Katrina, Elphie, Star

I'm now at a place where I can honestly be only so, so happy for Marc and Johnny that they are free and can go where they are truly appreciated and can make use of their full (other) talents. And though I miss them, and Chryed, and though I'll never, ever not be bitter and angry about how they've been treated and about all the could-and-should-have-beens-that-never-was-for-no-valid-reason-at-all I can also appreciate the fact that Chryed are now also free. I'm not letting them go, not letting them out of my heart, so I can be happy for them too. But this place is so special to me, and even if I haven't got a huge history here and haven't been here through most of the story, it still means so much to me and I am going to miss it and you all so very much. Not that it's going to happen just yet, but still. It makes me feel so sad when I think about it. You are all and have all been amazing, I've learned so much and had so much fun the relatively brief time I've been here. I'm not planning on going anywhere either, I'll keep lurking and post the occasional ramble, as I do. But I want to say thank you for letting me follow your talks and discussions and sayin Hi to me. And for being amazing, of course.
/sorry, rambling as always, nothing changes there...

Oh, and... I got something in the mail yesterday. Something that made me do my very uncooridinated and unattractive jumping-around-sealclapping-while-happy-Jane-dancing thing .
THANK YOU SO MUCH Alex, Dessie, Elphie, Jenn, Katrina and Mercs, it was incredible! Thank you, and thanks everyone helping out and contributing to it!
xxx and love is prevailing

ETA: Fabtastical post, Jenn, my dear, love, love , love reading about all of your experiences!

Evening!

Okay, so I said I would do this for my milestone but it’s passed now :sleep: But here it is now...might be a bit long and gushy!
ETA: I just previewed my post and saw Starfish has done a similar post, so good timing I suppose!!

So... Chryed. I’m sure I’ve told this story before, that I was basically so into the Lucas storyline that Chryed pretty much passed me by. Although there was the odd moment I remember standing out for me – certainly at the start, when Christian first arrived, I took a shine to him and I even posted about him in one of my first posts on DS. And I remember the anticipation about Syed, all the mentions about him and then thinking he was rather nice looking when he finally turned up I remember watching NYD in my kitchen with mild interest (I know, crazy!) and bits of the reveal aftermath with Christian getting beaten up by Qadim and his heavies and Syed’s suicide attempt.

But reunion stood out to me – I thought it was beautiful and made me all gushy inside. I do think the Julia’s Theme helped me fall for it as well, and sometime after the episode was over I went straight onto my dad’s incredibly slow computer to search on Youtube for the scene again. I found it, and watched it...a few times DC week was a bit of a squeefest for me despite not being on the thread. I’m not quite sure of the sequence of events after that but at some point I re-watched the whole story up to reunion, and started reading the thread.

Deciding to finally post in the thread the day after ABRC was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I felt like I knew you all after lurking for months, and even though I’d seen how welcoming the thread was towards newbies, I still felt nervous that no one would like me and I’d generally get ignored. but I was treated from the off like a friend and I soon forgot about being self-conscious and starting posting like a mofo

Despite being painfully shy and finding it hard to make friends in r/l, I made friends literally all over the world in minutes, through a mutual love for these characters we followed, analysed, speculated over and appreciated. In short, Chryedians are an amazing, intelligent, diverse, welcoming and caring bunch of people! I fondly remember being on the thread when the news of the proposal broke, when we were told about a topless bed scene, seeing the bed scene, Mendhi week with Christian’s ‘announcement’ and Syed’s thrusting, and reading all the amazing analytic posts about BF and them helping me understand it. There were nights of smut, Chryed bingo, making pictures with blocks of text, nipple pictures, polls and surveys which made that summer lots of fun. I even got the courage to start my own poll, the kiss poll, which ended in me making the kiss list - the first list of many! I also wrote my first fic - and my second fic became the source of a long running joke about a certain glove.... then a post about screencaps turned into a thing for me, and made me feel like I was contributing to the thread!
The rest of the year also brought about fake spoiler/wheely chair night, Secret Santa, games night and more smut :sleep: And who could forget that time when we got a 10th Nov catch up instead of a preview for 24th October like we were supposed to? I remember sitting at a bar reading a tweet from Cookie and quietly freaking out! I even had my first Chryedian meet up in December, with AR (which involved a two hour train to Dublin and back with my mum non-the-wiser!)

Having never ventured out of the island of Ireland by myself before, impulsively booking a panto ticket (and a plane ticket) to join the big group trip in Canterbury was a bit of a scary prospect. But it was worth the flight, the late night travelling, the money, the nerves. I immediately felt comfortable with those I managed to get talking to – after all, we all had something in common, a talking point, just as we did online. It was an incredible experience, seeing Johnny perform on stage, being able to put faces to names, and gaining independence and confidence of my own in the process. Getting to actually meet and get a hug from Johnny after the show was something I never even imagined would happen, let alone getting to meet Marc later on when we found out he was at the evening show! I remember Johnny coming out when Marc and Meryl were there, and standing in the middle with a crowd around Marc on one side and a crowd around Johnny on another! Then squeeing and rolling around the hotel room with Chickky when we saw the Ellitridge photo

I loved the panto and the atmosphere of Canterbury so much that when Chickky rang me when I got home to say some were going back the next week, I jumped at the chance, and we got to meet Johnny again and I got a squishy hug when Cookie told him I flew from Northern Ireland And then I flew back the week after that too, for the last show! My mum barely bats an eyelid now when I say I’m booking a flight to somewhere in England “to see my Canterbury friends”, probably because she’s just pleased I’m out of the house :sleep I’ve since been to see my first West End musical, Meryl’s shop, Elstree, Southend, Manchester; seen Johnny sing at Hackney and Cafe de Paris and being interviewed on Loose Women, seen Marc perform in Tape...and of course attended ChryedCon! And there was the rather surreal moment when Johnny recognised me at his PA in Dublin and I got hugs and kisses

This past year has been really surreal and wonderful, and it’s all because of these two wonderful guys who we’ve all taken to our hearts. So the storylines haven’t been what we wanted, and I’m always going to be angry at tptb for the wasted opportunities (and that twist) but the good far outweighs the bad for me. I’ve made friends, I’ve gained independence, I’ve learned so much from the story and from the thread. And I love you all very much

/end of long ramble!

Absolutely loved your posts Jenn and Starfish It's amazing to think that a storyline has brought together people and changed their lives for the better. We're awesome

Evening

Great post Jenn Some wonderful memories and some georgous pictures, i will always remember the one of Elltridge taken at the Panto, just a beautiful photo

So here's to the next Panto adventure and i am so looking forward

eta i watched ee loved the Cora, Tanya and Ava stuff and actually gasp at the end also did like Poppy and Fatboy but the rest was crap.

I love reading all the posts reminiscing about times gone by. Makes me wish I had been here for the whole story in "real time" and been able to post about it with everyone.

It's Thanksgiving day here and I'm just waiting for it be time to head to my brother's for dinner, 2 hours to go. I decided to try the aqua zumba class this morning and saw someone I went to school with and haven't seen in a really long time We talk on FB but I didn't realize she was so close to me, hope we can get together after the holiday and hang out.

Hello and happy thanksgiving, hope you have a really good time at your brother's later! And hope you get to see your schoolmate again.

I've really loved all the reminiscing too and BiB is exactly how I feel about it all. I really, really wish I'd been able to be here for the whole story, lurking if nothing else. But alas, my geographical handicap wouldn't let me do that. And it's absolutely great to read your stories about the old times too.

Thank you darling - lovely post from you too! You've been a big part of my fandom life too you know - all those messages on FF.net! Loved them And good news about your exciting mail!!


Thank you! And totally - it goes beyond just loving two characters in a soap. It's the friendships and bonds made because of them, things we've learned and experiences had. Can only be a good thing


Thank you Flumps I can't wait either! It's going to be so much fun!

Awww, thank you my dear!
And you of mine, you absolutely have been, a huge, huge part. And that's not ALL over yet, is it? Those were epic conversations, really, can't even say how much I love them (not entirely in past tense yet are they? ). You need to start writing something again so we can talk some more!

Yup, really exciting, loved it so, so much, it was fantastic. Going to enjoy it for a long, long time! Thanks again all for putting everything together.

Awww, love hearing about the friendships you've formed with each other and how much fun you've had together.
It really, really is something so special and precious that has been formed here.

me too Hun

Johnny's returning to the West End next year in A Chorus Line at the Palladium!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...l-musical.html

Doing a bit of tidying - because I now have a half hour spare on a Thursday night and apparently there's this stuff called 'housework :sleep: - and I found an old shopping list. I say old, because it had 'soap mags' on it. :sleep::sleep:

ETA: OMG that is so exciting!

Is that the big Friday announcement made early?

ETA - Yes, according to his Twitter.

[quote=LovelyLaura;62516536] Johnny's returning to the West End next year in A Chorus Line at the Palladium!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...l-musical.html /QUOTE]

OMG AND whoop whoop!

Am Az Ing. xxx very happy!!! although alrready worried about what this will mean for the bank balance. OMG. Soooooo happy for him!

So many lovely posts about the thread today :')

And west end show...yayness!

I hope it's a success for him. Is it a popular musical?

Why was there a camera crew in JP's house tonight? /twitter stalkage

LOVELY post Jenn! All your screencaps and gifs have made the most incredible contribution to the thread!!

Love you loads for your hard work. xx

Johnny news.,,,,,,,wow wow wow.....thank you Laura!

All I can say is,,,,,,,,,,,,,EEEEKKKKKKKKKKKK

Love is Prevailing...........xxxx

Awww, I love you Yes, we need to resume them asap!


Gahhhh! *comforts bank balance*
So exciting!


Awww, thank you so much. I loved reading your post too - some brilliant memories have been created here - not to mention friendships!

It's a HUGE musical, still ranks as one of the longest running ones on Broadway, and it won a ton of Tony Awards. This is very exciting news for Johnny!