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 agree, I think the SWs must always have enjoyed writing scenes for Jenny, particularly the ones with Brian. She put up with such a lot of grief caused by him. I hope she's found a beautiful new kitchen in heaven.

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) .

Is that necessarily true? Can't the court step in and override someone refusing consent? Surely they can't prevent a parent from taking on a new job in another part of the country, or moving because their new spouse lives elsewhere, a parent is ill and needs support, or whatever? Theoretically they could say that in that case the child goes to the other parent, but what if that just isn't possible or the child is desperate to stay with the original parent?

Oh, Jenny 😞

That was so sad. Very similar to the way in which my mother died, I cried last night. My grandmother lived another 3 years. At least Jenny had been on a lovely break with Lilian when it happened. I was going to say from the farm but no shoot lunches for her to prepare since she was moved to a small rented house.

Poor Jenny. Really does feel like the end of an era 😢

@Hadtochangeforthisone he didn't contest it for reasons that aren't mine to share. It's none of my business really - I'm just hoping they don't regret it in the future (but suspect it will be extremely difficult to maintain a proper relationship despite what I know to be real commitment on Dad's part).

Yes of course a court can step in. The family court is there for exactly that type of dispute. They step in when there is a disagreement and a compromise either cannot be found or (most often) the parents are not willing to compromise.

What seems to be poorly understood, is the equality in decision making afforded to each parent with PR. The kids don't 'belong' to mum - she can't just whisk them off to the outer Hebrides, California (or even 100 miles up the road) without agreement from the other parent. She (or he) can of course do as they wish. It's the children's movements that are covered by consent.

This storyline is going to be interesting to follow. Is Lee going to be a clueless hand-wringer ? (Extremely common, but also understandable as people are terrified of court/costs etc and know little about the options until faced with it) or is he going to be a proactive self representer . ?
I imagine we could get a dramatic storyline where it all comes down to ' is the father able to house the girls' .... and Helen shows her true colours. Leaving Lee to follow his girls to the US.

Apologies - that reply was for Patineur

When is Kate due to fly to Durban and will this clash with Jenny's funeral? I'm also starting to wonder if "Jacob is my life partner" was a bit premature and that Kate asking Kirsty if she was disappointed by Erik's abrupt departure wasn't a bit of foreshadowing. Jenny's death is really crystallising for me how fragmented the Aldridge family has become - Debbie in Hungary (she might pop back, but I doubt we'll hear her), Adam now working as a labourer for Bridge Farm in a holding position (Stella's methods seem quite similar to his so I suppose he could be back), Ruari living his secret bisexual life in London on the proceeds of prostitution (surely that needs to come to a head soon), Kate - whose intransigence over Spiritual Home forced the sale of Home Farm, but might yet disappear back to SA and Alice, running the stables for another family member who has disappeared from the picture. Not to mention Peggy - not officially gone, but we all know we won't be hearing from her again. It will be interesting to see how Brian - serial philanderer - will manage without Jenny, especially as Ruari's secret might be revealed at any time.

(I'm sorry to hear @echt is positive, how are you feeling?)

Tonight will be "We can't contact Ruari, we must be gone to London!"

Tomorrow will be discovering his extra curricula activities....

And no lovely Jenny to hug him - after she's calmed down 😢

Urgh this is sad, I love Jenny. The way she modulates her speech is so characterful and as others have said she has always been soft-hearted and put up with so much.

Couple of clips for those missing her voice already.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p03x14sw
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0224vc7

Kate - whose intransigence over Spiritual Home forced the sale of Home Farm

I was thinking about that the other day. Ridiculous SL. Debbie supporting Kate because her feckless sister managed to make a go of something woo that could have continued somewhere else. Poor Jenny sacrificing her home to keep her family together.

@GoldenCupidon - thank you! That was terrific . She definitely deserves a compilation.

I’ve not been listening for months as it’s not been much fun but.. I’m back for Jenny :(

I'm guessing that Kate's trip to Durban is off now? Maybe Nolly will come to Ambridge to lend emotional and practical support to her mum instead of the other way round?

If Brian stays in the cast - and I do hope he does - he is not a man to do without female company for long.

Oh poor Jenny 😥

Well that was unexpected. What a huge loss. She is the glue that keeps them all together really isn't she 😔

Well it's been a long time since I gasped with shock at TA! RIP JennyDahrling

It's also been a long time since I was on one of these threads (remember, I was always determined to like something in every episode and being cheerful about TA became "a BOOP". That's probably 4 years ago!)

Welcome back BOOP!

I’m sorry to crash back in like this but I just needed to be with people who understood the shock

I wonder why that’s been done. I hope the actress is ok. She’s been in it for 60 years!

Goodness, @BitOutOfPractice - amazing to see you back!

(And yes - I was there, at the birth of BOOP … Wasn’t it longer than four years ago?)

Some parts of the Internet suggest Angela Piper may have had a stroke - other parts dispute this - but neither could be called authoritative, so we really don’t know. Though it’s hardly surprising that anyone would want to retire after 60 years.

Really can’t imagine Ambridge without her, though.

De-Lurking to mourn. Oh JennyDarling….

I was completely blindsided, had there been any rumours or spoilers?

Yes very sad to hear that Jenny has died - I guess with his health issues everyone would have expected Brian to pop off first.

I think Adam will be the glue holding it together eventually.

Poor Lillian - what a shock .

There are a lot of "older " characters and I guess if Ambridge was real we would have had a few more deaths/bad illnesses by now.

In recent years Joe, Caroline and Nic have died - the last the most shocking I recall. Ruth had breast cancer , Elizabeth and now Ben have had health issues. I remember Shula having her problems conceiving and Kirsty's stillbirth but overall the population of Ambridge seem pretty healthy.

@Throwaway1066 I don't think so. At least if there were I didn't notice and I'm an avid listener and don't recall missing a single episode - either "live" or on iplayer for as long as I can remember (sad individual that I am!😂). Although I guess like a lot of others I recently suddenly realised that a lot of months (did someone say not since February last year?)had gone by since I'd heard her voice on TA. If Brian was on either he was out somewhere talking to someone else or Jenny was out doing something.