Why is Lillian allowing this to happen?

[PseudoBadger]

FFS Lil, he's just a bit on the side. If he pisses you off just bin him. Don't start sounding so downtrodden.

Was it wild? She did a bit of restrained yearning across Daniel's sick bed, but I don't remember wild. My memory is shot though, so you are probably right.

For an OW she's awfully pi these days.

It was wild for her.

it was an actual full-on affair!!!

in fact she had to sort of toss up (sorry) between Dr Wossname & Alistair

that's why Usha has always been very stiff around Shula despite U being best buddies with Ruth (well, when it suited the SWs)

what was his name???? have forgotten.

he was Manc (or thereabouts) wasn't he?

oh, Richard Locke (have just googled!)

Here's a bit of romance for Olivia

Richard Locke and Debbie had a "will they won't they?" thing for a while. When she fell off her horse at the Battle of Something he rushed to sweep her up in his arms and carry her away to safety lest she be crushed by charging hooves.

Would have been more romantic if he'd been a Cavalier too and not a Roundhead.

that's why Usha has always been very stiff around Shula despite U being best buddies with Ruth (well, when it suited the SWs)

and also why Shula was so nasty about Usha marrying Alan - some sort of mix of guilt and annoyance that she wasn't on firm moral high ground.

Shula broke Nigel's heart. I have never forgiven her for that.

THe Archers aren't very good at writing successful,intelligent, interesting and appealing young female characters, are they?

Debbie was OK before she became coldly into mega-dairies, etc. But the rest of them . . . Caroline is perhaps an example of an older version, but she has never been 'allowed' to have children. it's been career all the way. Kate is intelligent and, I suppose, interesting, but so utterly self-absorbed and selfish that she is far from appealing. Helen is a bit more appealing these days, perhaps. I have always found Brenda boring.

Kate is awful! She always has been and always will be. It's her function. Debbie was always a bit...you could see the writers didn't know how to write real women. All that going off to university but running away home again after falling in love with whatsisname (her eventual husband. The Canadian one.). Load of rubbish. :(

Simon Gerrard?

Simon Gerrard (?) - yes, that was rubbish.

Best story Debbie had was when she couldn't decide if she wanted to go into the antiques business with Nelson with the backing of her dad (lovely voice - was it Robert Stephens?) or farming with Brian. Then her dad pulled out and Brian said he'd back her whatever she wanted.

Mind you that might be that I liked the story because it had 2 lovely-voiced males, Nelson & Travers-Macy

The 1st Kate - stroppy & adolescent & writing angst-ridden poetry & befriending Linda Snell was far better than the 2nd who came back from her time "on the road".

Am all nostalgic now.

I just wanted to confess that I'm on my honeymoon on a gorgeous Greek island and am very pleased the wireless is good enough to let me listen to TA was worried I'd miss out! So glad the flower arranging storyline is over lets hope swishing/jumble sale is better! Er and £10 entry what is that about?

Nelson was played by Jack May. But yes his voice was a tad like Robert Stephens's.

I meant the dad, Travers-Macy.

Think he was Robert Stephens - he played Aragorn in the R4 dramatisation in 1800 and something.

Robert Stephens was never in The Archers.

\link{http://www.azande.demon.co.uk/archers/castlist.htm\cast list up to 1997} - 2 actors for Roger in there

I had forgotten that Shula also voiced Adam (among others I think. they didn't have proper child actors in the old days - the child characters were not seen & not heard!)

Judi Dench once voiced Pru Forrest (she only spoke one word iirc) - I'm surprised to see that another actor also gets a name check because I was under the impression that the one word was the only time she ever spoke

lots of the regular cast are credited with playing randoms

This source says that Roger Travers-Macy was played by two actors, Jeremy Mason and Peter Harlow. I agree, Robert Stephens was never in TA, more's the pity. Jack May, who played Nelson, was in the R4 Lord of the Rings as Theoden.

Snap, Ponders!

It took me so long to ferret that out you beat me to it. Along the way I learned courtesy of the Telegraph that 'Charles Collingwood (Brian Aldridge) used to play cricket for The Stage, a club of fellow thespians. He once rang Harold Pinter before 9am to check on his availability. There was a two-word answer, the first of which has never been heard in The Archers'. This of course ignores the infamous briefcase remark made by Matt Crawford a few years ago.

Brian is my favourite Archers character, I think. He doesn't whinge--just does exactly what he wants.

Thanks for that re Travers-Macy.

I have a soft spot for Brian and Jenny.

Jack May (who played Nelson Gabriel) had a great, very distinctive voice. I don't know who played Travers-Macy. Perhaps I may be getting this wrong, but I wondered if he had the Robert Stephens-type voice of which Fids spoke.

It was RS-type. Jack May was unique. His frustrated "Kenton!" was a work of art.

And his Noel Coward to Linda's Gertrude Lawrence was a classic.

Oh my. Ambridge Extra! Painful. Cringy. Gruesome. Oh my!

What's happening ???? Spill the beans!

Also, what is this swishing nonsense? Am I insufficiently down with the kids or something?