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!

Possibly even In Joy’s old stomping ground then we might discover her backstory 🤔

What strikes me about all this is that nobody is saying anything about Angela Piper's state of health - there are all these rumours I'm reading about saying she has had a severe stroke, but CC just said she "decided to retire".

that is entirely up to Angela Piper. For the listners the only thing they need to concern themselves with is the character death and give the actor some privacy. I hope her decision to retire, if for health, helps her have a more comfortable and relaxed time.

x post with everyone

big no to Brian and Joy, he's got no patience with that kind of person at all.

Stella is about 30 years too young for him.

LIZZY?

If Angela Piper has been unwell, I wonder if the storyline of Jennifer being ill but not wanting a fuss about it was in some way inspired by her.

Of course. What I didn't say properly was that I'm really hoping that she hasn't been ill and that her decision to retire wasn't forced on her by poor health, but that I'm afraid it might have been because of all the episodes over the past year where she should have been prominent but wasn't.

Also, is Roger Travers-Macy still alive?

sorry @Jaichangecentfoisdenom that came out a lot more mean than i meant it

Surely Debbie and Shula could be recast fairly easily to include them in future SL. Debbie in particular has been off air for so long that very few average listeners (excluding Mumsnet hardcore devotees) would recognise her voice anyway. I may just have an exceptionally poor memory for voices as well as faces (I have aphantasia), but I wouldn't notice if a different actor came in as Debbie. Then again, I didn't notice that Tom or Pip actors had changed, and would still be in the dark about it except for people on these threads.

I'm looking forward to the series being renamed "The Aldridge's" as they are so much more interesting than "The Archers".

Well, thankfully all Jenny’s biological children and grandchildren are Archers too, so I hope that won’t be happening any time soon!

Good question re Debbie’s dad. During the lockdown monologues he (far away in Scotland iirc) was the only person on Planet Archer who became seriously ill with Covid. Debbie spent her 12 and a half minutes on air regretfully musing on not having spent enough time and energy on him. His wife had let her know. But I don’t recall any particular outcome.

Debbie was briefly married to Simon Gerrard, and changed her surname. When she found out he was a serial cheater, she divorced him and changed her surname to Aldridge. I can't remember whether she was Debbie Aldridge or Debbie Travers-Macy before her marriage - probably Aldridge? It was because she'd become extremely close to Brian, who adores her, and Roger had not been around much when she was growing up. Then when he did come back he tried to put a wedge between Debbie and Brian/the Aldridge family (IIRC) and also had a dalliance with Jennifer, which I think was widely suspected within the family, and after that Debbie wasn't keen to have much to do with him.

Charles Collingwood was interviewed on Today this morning, at 0855. He said that Angela Piper had ‘retired’ and he also mentioned that his real-life wife Judy Bennett, who played Shula, has also retired.

Another Deep History question:

I remember Debbie had a new car delivered to the farm. Was that from Roger - during their brief rapprochement - or after a Home Farm restructure when Brian promoted her? Or were there two new cars on separate occasions?? All I can remember is Adam’s impotent envy.

I know Roger did give Debbie a car. I suspect that's the occasion you're remembering, Totters, but it's quite a while ago.

i don't remember that, but i do remember Alice's - hmm 18th? - birthday party where Brian was going all out and getting a band, and Adam said something like "oh good to know it's money no object for our birthdays, can you book the Kaiser Chiefs for mine"

I liked Debbie as a character, but i really didn't like her voice much for some reason that i can't remember now.

I've managed to find that very episode. It's about 24 minutes into this omnibus.

How quickly one forgets. It was speed dating at The Bull the night before, Alice oblivious to Amy's feelings for Chris, Tracy and Chelsea decamping to Jim's because the boiler was broken, Kate limbering up to apply for the Rewilding manager job.

Thank you so much!

I've scanned the spoilers thread to see if Jennifer was in the cast after that and can confirm no, and we were all a bit concerned when Brian had his heart scare, and no Jennifer in the cast.

The 🔮 is of the opinion that, after a very short suitable interval, Brine will put on his tasselled loafers again and set out to woo Stella. She will initially resist but will eventually succumb to his charms.

@Scarydinosaurs and @TottersBlankly make some very good points re Ruari.

Are you sure, @BoreOfWhabylon?

What would draw the sprightly, maybe mid forties (Lucy Speed) farm manager to step out, and then settle down, with her 79-this-year old boss, who happens to be owner of the farm? (Albeit sharing shares with a million offspring.) 🤔🤔🤔

I just can't see it!! She's probably earning a great living, suiting herself, hanging out with the dog. Why give that up for an old man with zillions of squabbling kids who would certainly dispute any will that gave you more than 50p and a kick up the arse?

Yes, but if she's early forties she could have a SON, complicating matters still further.

I can't see them setting Brian up with Stella, it would be ridiculous.

I think Brian will lose interest in the farm now without Jenny by his side.

Nah. Stella is already butting heads with Adam about management of the farm. It will be delicious.

Brine is set to become the Rupert Murdoch of the shires and his progeny will be in a frothing frenzy!

A long, long time ago the 🔮 also said that Ruaruaruariiii will eventually be the one to regain Home Farm, so that is all still to play out too.

Is Ruari and Stella not a more likely pairing than her and Brian?