Thread #105: Curtains for Emma, Hilda - Joe? Red carpet for June Spencer on her 100th birthday, we hope! Discuss the rich tapestry of Ambridge life here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads and @DadDadDad for being our resident statistician and keeping the ball rolling when Pseudo stepped back a bit.

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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.)

Thanks to LillianGish and BuckingFrolics for ideas for this thread title. I went with the less Rabelaisian of LG's ideas!

On 14th June it will be the 100th birthday of June Spencer, who has played Peggy Woolley since 1951. I hope the BBC has a lot of special tributes lined up to celebrate this remarkable achievement.

Jack was still alive then so presumably it was effectively an advance on her inheritance I thought he was dead and Hazel swooped in all Daddy this and Daddy that despite never having been to visit it him. I actually think the SWs have missed an opportunity to do a storyline about the effects of swinging care home fees for dementia sufferers who are forced to get down to their last £30,000 (or maybe even less) and then kicked out to somewhere less salubrious. I’m still struggling to understand how Peter, an orchestra manager, can afford to bankroll Christine’s move to the Laurels. Not really giving an accurate impression of how much these things cost in RL. the Ambridge Magic Money Tree - maybe that’s what Tom and Gnasher are really planning.

That should be swingeing (not swinging - though that could also be interesting)

I’m still struggling to understand how Peter, an orchestra manager, can afford to bankroll Christine’s move to the Laurels.

D’you know, I was engaged in exactly this conversation with myself at the time you were typing it. (Grinding coffee beans and pacing up and down in TA dissatisfaction.)

But, as I may have mentioned before, I see Peter as Intendant at the Berlin Phil (in a neighbouring universe) - and they do culture differently in Germany. It may be that £200k is peanuts to him. Particularly after decades of gainful employment

Isn't there a money tree somewhere in Ambridge?

There is an arboretum of plot devices.

ADaSK

Got toast crumbs down my cleavage now.....

In recent years
Lillian was financially cleared out by Matt; JD had to sell her beloved home, go into rental, and cannot house her DC; Adam has self-financed aquaponics; Kate has left DC behind in Africa; Ruairi has had the plug pulled on his existing education; Helen had to fight expensive court cases, etc, etc.

If you were Peggy, in charge of such riches that you can give away half a million without feeling the pinch, would you have done more than finance a few of Tom's harebrained schemes? I'm not sure if I would make them stand on their own two feet or help them out. What would you do?

I think with inheritance the only way is scrupulous fairness, unless theer are exceptional circumstances (e.g. a disabled child unable to support themselves and needing ongoing care and advocacy).

What you do in your lifetime - very tricky. Peggy has a lot of potential beneficiaries.

Was Peggoi saying something last night (or sometime... my newest listener doesn’t really allow me to listen 😕) about earning money rather than inheriting?

While the money aspect does all seem a bit ludicrous, I think if Peggy, Lillian, Christine and co are genuinely supposed to be loaded then it’s quite realistic that they might lose money here and there but it doesn’t really affect them. A family member recently married “into money” and, dear goodness, their idea of a crisis is not mine!

I meant to say welcome pasbeaucoup don't we usually converse about Strictly?

About Hazel:

Back in 2005 she came to visit and it became clear to everyone that what she was planning was chousing Jack out of as much money as she could. She wanted Grey Gables so she could sell it. Jack, who had always meant Peggy to have Grey Gables, jibbed. Lowfield puts it well on Thursday 22nd September, 2005:
"Peggy decides to tackle Hazel, and to her surprise it's rather easier than she expected. When she tells Hazel to go back to America, she agrees - at a price. She wants half a million, paid into her account before she leaves.
.....
"If Peggy thought Hazel's terms were steep, she's got another shock coming. Hazel callously says that as Jack may not live for seven years, she'll be taxed on the half million. One of her demands is that any tax should be paid from his estate. And in addition ... she wants Grey Gables."

There was then some toing and froing, including 25th September
"Peggy begins to try to persuade Jack to give Hazel the half a million pounds, but he thinks she will just need to ask herself if she needs anything. She begins to talk him round on the money but he won't be moved on leaving Grey Gables to Hazel - he always meant that for Peggy."

until on 30th
"Peggy pays her off out of her own money and Hazel agrees to go."

So I think Peggy gave her £500,000. (That's double the £250,000 that Peggy got for the Bull in 1993.)

She must have invested very wisely.

I wonder if she has offspring? Who will get Hazel's money?

Thanks, @ppeat... but I’m not your strictly buddy 😊 Two left feet!

Half a million on fruit trees? Bog standard apples, pears and cherry trees are about £5 each. Ambridge can't be that big.

If they really do intend to plant them on every bit of spare land and garden, there'll need to be all sorts of complicated arrangements with the owners of the land, to say nothing about tying down who is responsible for maintenance etc, who has rights to the fruit, all that. So there'd be a hefty whack of lawyers' fees on all sides - Usha would probably be able to retire on the proceeds.

Was Peggoi saying something last night...about earning money rather than inheriting?

Yes, she said money should be earned, rather than just handed out.

ppeatfruit
I wonder if she has offspring? Who will get Hazel's money?

My bet is nobody because she will have spent it all.

If she didn't have offspring by 2005 to use to talk Jack into giving her money, but had to invent stepchildren for the purpose, I don't think she will have had them since: she was born in 1956.

How odd/ignorant. Any inheritance would be paid out of Jeck's estate, not by Hazel. Peggy exposed her estate to paying the tax on the gift if she had died before 7 years after. (Although this starts tapering after 3 years.)

• Any Inheritance Tax

Poor Dan. I don't want Alastair to leave.

I see jim in my mind as wise old elf (same actor?) that somehow doesn't match up with the ambridge character...

The fruit trees plan will Crumble under scrutiny. No wonder the apple trees idea is making Tony Crabby.

"Peggy pays her off out of her own money and Hazel agrees to go."

I remember Peggy paying her off out of her own money, I had a feeling Jack replaced it somehow. I'm not sure why.

I do remember being mystified that Peggy had so much money in her own right.

Yes, she said money should be earned, rather than just handed out

Although its a lot easier to earn if you have a substantial start and assets behind you. Like a grandma to invest in your businesses or a partner who comes with substantial assets.

I think if Peggy, Lillian, Christine and co are genuinely supposed to be loaded then it’s quite realistic that they might lose money here and there but it doesn’t really affect them

Peggy never had money and worked hard for the pub. Somehow that pub turned into a magic money tree independent of anything from Jack but she didn't start that way.

Christine never had money - just the police pension and whatever was left from selling the business and the cottage. That was the money she lost to Matt's wizzard wheeze.

I do wonder what Jennifer and Lilian would have done without the rich husbands. Both have brains and have built/run businesses when they needed to, perhaps without marrying wealth they might have been very successful.