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!

Maybe bribe will enter a demise, never be the same again 😪

I must say that considering all the nonsense we’ve had to put up with of late, this has been well done. It feels like a real death - with the return of @PseudoBadger and @BitOutOfPractice and others turning out to pay their respects. Upending the natural order was a stroke of genius - no one will be surprised when Peggy shuffles off or indeed too bothered particularly as she’s become so irritating in her dotage (see also Jill), but JD - even with her long absence and the fact that the SW never bothered to properly rehouse her - I still didn’t see it coming. And it’s so much more dramatically interesting for her to go before Brian. She was the glue holding the Aldridge family together. Her death has truly SATTC.

Standard practice at Home Farm when they are contemplating buying something expensive seem to be for the farm manager to nag Brine till he gives in. It would be nice, just for once, to see a professional approach involving things like a business plan and risk assessment.

As silly as this sounds, it’s sort of sad that she never got to go back to her kitchen and Home Farm. That storyline has somehow always felt quite unfinished as they never used it to show us the new tenants or even really to talk about the change in where Jenny and Brian were living, once the first few days of the smaller cottage was done with.

Poor Lillian must have been so shocking for her.
I think Rhauri's shenanigans are going to be found out by Alice.
Yes Adam does sound like the head of MI5.

It was all very sad, and I'm going to miss Jenny who has been a strong and recognisable voice for ever.

Where's Mandy Beesborough these days?

Agree with this.

Poor Brian.

I'm pleased Alice is going to sort Ruairi out - don't think she'll take any shit from Julianne.

And welcome back @Pseudo - it really does feel like a proper death now long-lost family are returning

Me too! We must be of the same era! "Horse Hoeing Husbandry" also remains stuck in my mind, written by the same man who is not to be confused with a popular combo band of the Sixties and Seventies.

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

that's the beauty of some of the writing, you often feel as though they're there (like the silents, really) but they're not.

pp mentioned we have 2 deaths to come? I knew about Robert Snell, but has Peggy's actor died too (sorry, that sounds crass)

June Spencer is still alive and kicking at 103 @Brefugee , but she finally formally retired last year!

@Brefugee - "She has played the role of the redoubtable matriarch Peggy Woolley in The Archers for more than 70 years. But at the age of 103, June Spencer is finally retiring from the BBC Radio 4 soap. Spencer featured in the very first episode of the show in 1951. Her final performance was broadcast on Sunday 31 July." From the Grauniad of 8 Aug 2022.

I’m really hoping they keep Robert
as a silent character rather than deading him. Lynda’s already been through so much recently.

phew, thanks i was worried there. But i'm assuming it's Peggy who they're talking about. That won't bother me as much as Jenny, it's a good innings.

Link here to Guardian article

Me too.

thanks all for the Peggy updates.
Agree that we need to have Robert in as a slient, if only to preserve his friendship with Jim so he doesn't turn to Justin...

Oh … Of course - that’s the reason for the sudden, inexplicable Justin & Jim bromance! I get it, now.

Sorry I am behind but wasn't that heart breaking? And shocking?

The acting from Tony and Lillian especially was wonderful. Brian's much more low key response was spot on too.

I do think it is a shame that we won't hear June Spencer in this storyline, but agree that it was a great idea to have Peggy outlive Jennifer. It isn't just the effect of the parent outliving the child but also what happens to the sibling dynamic and their relationship with their mother.

I hope Debbie is heard at the funeral.

Sadly I wonder whether this means Brian's days are numbered. I have been wondering since Shula left whether Charles Collingwood would also retire or perhaps become a less frequent member of the cast.

I hope they revoice Robert - no disrespect to the actor, but like Tony and Clarrie and Doris and others I forget, a character who needs to keep going.

disappointed by Erik's abrupt departure Has he gone? I missed that. What happened?

More likely for men to die soon after their partners, though my father has outlived his by 35 years and counting … take note, SW.

I’m on here due to the shock of Jennifer’s death. I also had no idea the actor who plays Robert had died last month 😢. It all feels quite destabilising. No idea where the Aldridges go from here…

@MereDintofPandiculation he has moved on, being the rolling stone that he is, and Kirsty doesn’t mind, she just enjoyed it as a fling ( or so she told Kate).

Oh that's lovely, thank you, especially the anniversary clip. I always loved to hear Jennifer, a wonderful voice and a well drawn character.

Rather like the late Queen Mother followed Princess Margaret less than two months later.

I think we can expect a swift decline in Peggy now.

I wonder if we discover Ruairi has now had phones removed entirely when with Julienne, hence the silence.

I hope this mends his relationship with Alice. She sounded absolutely broken by the news. I thought it was lovely of Chris to offer to drive her - really caring.