Archers thread #144: Window pains again! Light relief or dark times ahead for Ambridge in 2023? 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. 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 love to volunteer in the shop with Susan, 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 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.)

New year, new thread. Many thanks to @LillianGish for the window pains pun! Hoping to hear a lot less from the Caseys this year and a good deal more about farming and how Ambridge is coping with Brexit, cost of living crisis, ageing population and all sorts of credible character-based storylines. Yes, I know, but one can only hope.

Over to you!

I just listened.

“It was her heart, it wasn’t strong enough”.

Jenny had the strongest heart of any character, finding room in it for Ruari and loving Brine and all her children through so many challenges. Not to mention her difficult mother.

😢

Wtaf. And on a 'we don't do proper stories on a Sunday'. And no doom music.

Shocked to the core.

RIP Jenny Darling.

OMG, thats a shocker!

😢

Will that bring Ruari back? As in he'll want to be with the family and that woman won't like it
Nor would Alice, if there were any continuity. Or has Alice been fully rewritten?

I think Charles Collingwood and Shula have been open about planning to retire. They'll both be 80 this year. They both - especially Judy Bennett - have remarkably young voices.

RIP Jenny.

Oh @Catnary you've brought another tear to my eye.

Did he not oppose it ? That really isn't in the child's best interests and will fracture the father-child relationship.

The movement of children when both parents have PR has to be by consent. Moving a child out of the country without this permission is child abduction. No matter the relationship with the other parent. Doesn't matter if he is a complete twat-meister, who pays no maintenance and hasn't seen the kids for years. If you don't have both parents permission ... including holidays (unless specifically stating it is not required for hold on a CAO) then it is a criminal act.

Wether you get caught or wether you chance it for a holiday is a personal decision but the law is the law and you run the risk of cancelled holiday or arrest.

Moving your children within a country beyond the other parents 'reasonable travel for effective contact' is also not permitted unless by agreement. Sounds like your friend should pay his £215 and lodge a prohibited steps order himself and get his children back in closer contact. (Does depend on age though as from 12 onwards their view will add some - but not all - weight) .

I am interested how they are going to play this out on TA. There are so many issues. Is he going to be shown to start doing some really serious family law research, speak to charities like Coram who work in child legal rights - or is the magical Archers legal aid scheme going to pop up just in the nick of time - or even better is Carol Tregorrans daughter Anna, going to turn up again having followed the same amazing legal training as everyone's favourite solicitor , and turn out to be fully versed in family as well as criminal law ?

Oh no Jenny darling !! A character I actually like !!!
very happy to have found this thread and you all! My people!

Poor Alicia Johns. I said her name wrong all those years. I'll probably find out that Darrell Rivers was really said as Dar-elle. Now about Darr.... aaargh! Presumably you were as bemused as I was when one character said she hated the name Alicia - “sounds like a sneeze”

Just been reading this wikipedia entry on Jennifer (which already knows she’s dead … who is this Paddy Redman? I thought Adam was Roger Travers Macy’s child?

@Catnary ’s comment about Jenny being the lynchpin means some interesting times as we see the rest of the family shaking down in the new order.

in fact it’s going to be interesting indeed as we’re about to lose Peggy and possibly Jill. Quite a clearing out of the older generation

Welcome, @Hyppogriff! Sorry it's under these circumstances.

No, that's Debbie. Paddy was a cowman, or similar - Irish with red hair. He left Ambridge while Jennifer was pregnant and she didn't reveal for many years who Adam's father was. Amazingly, she then married not one but two extremely wealthy men who were happy to take on her child(ren). Very enlightened for the times!

Thanks, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Oh no! RIP JennyDarling. Was foreshadowed but even so 😭

OMG !! All that waffle from me about parental rights and Jennifer has died ?.. (I'm a lunchtime listener ...) listened since my darling dad used to come in for lunch . He was a farmer and died 44 years yesterday. So think I have been listening since 1969.

JD has been such a huge part of my life, from ground breaking single parenthood to her phenomenally huge heart in finding genuine love for Ruiri. Such a fabulous, well acted character. I would say one of the central characters. I feel a genuine loss and want to thank Angela Piper for such a fabulously realistic portrayal of JD for 60yrs.

Wow. I nearly missed it, watching my RAT turn positive for COVID at breakfast took all my attention.
I had to rewind it to check again. A shocker, and such a character. She'll be much missed. A huge thank you to Angela Piper for all the years.

OMG Jennifer.
Lost for words.
What will Brine do without her?

Bloody hell! Who’s going to cook Brine’s supper now?

Maybe the timing of Jenny's departure has been arranged around Tamsin Greig's availability (as a very busy actress) so that Debbie can be at the funeral?

Well that was a shocker. 😥 I agree J and Brian have been two of my favourite characters. I was prepared for Peggoi to peg it, but not Jenny.

Also, adding this a bit late, but what the hell is that ridiculous storyline about Adam, driven, passionate farm manager, giving it all up to run a pizza van? What a load of tosh. I also really can't stand the actor who plays him - he makes every line, however mundane, sound like he's some kind of melodramatic, half whispering Bond villain.

Well, the fine old English tradition was for some female relative to immediately give up her life to go and ‘keep house’ for the helpless, stricken male.

Who might volunteer?

Alice, Martha and Brine will move into the stables house together. Josh surely can’t afford the rent all by himself and Alice works there now doesn’t she?

I feel genuinely upset at the loss of JD. She had her moments of awfulness, but over 35 years of listening, I think my most teary moments revolved around her. A scene with her and Peggy at the time of the initial Ruari revelations had me in bits. And then her tenderness towards Ruari with the whole Siobhan recording thing. Just lovely.

Jenny! I will miss her so much. Another little bit of the Ambridge landscape has been erased- first Home Farm and now Jenny herself (who be pretty much was Home Farm and indeed I always found it hard to picture her anywhere else even after she moved to Willow Cottage). The fact that she has gone before Brian opens all kinds of possibilities - she always intervened on behalf of Adam who I think might possibly now be usurped by Ruari (even though he’s shown no interest in farming). Interesting too that they’ve chosen to kill off JD before finishing off Peggy.

Can't believe it. That exasperated, 'Oh, Brine!' Never again...

JD was always so very well written. But boop at the thought of a Debbie funeral reading. 'In my Father's house are many mansions'. Or rather there were until they moved to Willow Cottage!