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!

In recent years Joe, Caroline and Nic have died - the last the most shocking I recall.
Bert Fry was the most recent death prior to Jenny, I think., @ReindeerBelieve

Did they make a bit of a point about it “not being Christmas until Jenny’s wreath was on the door” in December?

Yes, if you follow the Spoilers thread, there were clues.

For a start she has been absent for almost a year.

Then, Ruairi and Julianne were on the Today programme - aka the BBC alerting a us to Something Exciting Coming.

Then the teasers for this week appeared ominous. Not that one could be sure - they’re often misleading - but it was clear something big and disruptive would be happening with the Aldridges, and Jenny dying seemed the most likely conclusion.

Recently Brian has been breaking off on air conversations to answer calls from Jenny, and sounded strangely sweet and benevolent - building a current picture of marital bliss.

Lots of Aldridge talk over Christmas about what a wonderful mother she had always been.

And then yesterday - almost the whole Home Farm clan preparing to gather together in peace and good spirits - something was definitely about to happen.

And so it proved …

How had I not noticed her absence?! I have completely made up my own little conversations between her and Lilian about the hotel break 🤣

I remember her being present when Rauri and Alice had a big blow up… was that really that long ago?!

Mmm... I was wondering whether "I'm your manager" was going to turn into an affair. Perhaps a grief driven relationship? On the other hand... I just can't picture Brine and Stella together!

Of course - although still pretty elderly - a good innings

Welcome back @BitOutOfPractice 👋🏻

Plus, the real big clue last night was the sheer amount of airtime given over to Kate wittering on about how wonderful her trip to SA would be. A sure sign that something would be coming to stop it in its tracks. I'm not on the spoilers thread and not great at picking up hints, but even I was saying to DD last night that the SA holiday would be doomed by the time the theme music came on at the end. I didn't expect Jenny's death, but it was clear something momentous was going to happen.

I think Adam always sounds like he's briefing an agent for a suicide mission.

Even in a conversation about pizza.

I think Adam always sounds like he's briefing an agent for a suicide mission.

Hahaha! @Tratjymp

I think Adam always sounds like he's briefing an agent for a suicide mission.

Ha! If he were my boss, I'd happily go.

BOOP for the return of BOOP and welcome/welcome back to everyone else! It's odd the BBC haven't put up an article about Jennifer/Angela Piper. (If they have, I haven't seen it.)

I’m a bit out of touch with goings on in Ambridge, but I was shocked to hear that Jenny Darling had died suddenly. What is actually going on here? It’s very unusual for a core member of the Archer family to die ‘off camera’ & with no real preamble. Is Angela Piper ill? Has she retired suddenly? Has she walked out?

I would think she must have been pretty ill, given her long absence and, in particular, the fact that they didn't bring her back for a farewell episode which you would think they would have otherwise tried for for such a central and long-established character.

There was ‘preamble’ @IntentionalError. See my long post above!

I'm a wreck now. Poor, poor Brian.

Well called @JanglyBeads !

That episode was certainly worthy of a large BOOP.

Poor Brian …

OMG! Had to come back and visit the thread - can tell I have some catching up to do. Poor Jenny. Lovely to see you all my people! @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g @BitOutOfPractice

I have managed to listen to half of tonight. Excellent writing. Different family members banding together and also pulling apart. And everyone bewildered. The crass Lilian talking about every parent's nightmare to Tony, and Alice so clipped.

Hello, Pseudo! I suppose this is quite lifelike - all sorts of people get in touch when there's a family crisis, don't they. Hope you and all the little Pseudos are well.

Actually, yes, Alice - everybody thinking and teetering on the brink of saying 'Will this drive you back to the booze, Alice?' You could almost hear her clenching her teeth and stiffening her spine against the temptation.

Hello Pseudo!

Back to Brine - I think Mike is probably the only one who could get through to him right now, having lost Betty in similar circumstances.

Quite a few of them have had to contend with the sudden loss of a loved one. Tony, Pat, Helen, Tom - John
Elizabeth, Lily, Freddy - Nigel
Jill, Kenton, Shula, David, Elizabeth - Phil
The Horrobins - Ivy
Roy and Brenda as well as Mike - Betty
Jolene and Jamie - Sid Perks
Bert Fry is no longer with us, but he lost Freda very suddenly

Not many people on TA have a long illness and die peacefully at home or in a hospice or in hospital, with enough signs that the end is near for loved ones to gather and say their goodbyes.

Hello, @PseudoBadger - lovely to see you back!

(Can’t even remember what I was called at the time of the First Thread …)