Archers thread #147: Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder how old Ambridge is. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Many thanks to @PseudoBadger for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

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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.)

Title comes from this poem, with which I drive my family to distraction at this time of year.

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz
I wonder where the birdies is.
The bird is on the wing.
But that’s absurd, the wing is on the bird.
Or so I’ve heard.

Ogden Nash

Apologies to @TeenDivided for ignoring her good ideas for the thread title. Here they are to kickstart our ruminations:
'window on the world of cheesemaking'
'how long until the intercom is fatal'
'will Brian settle in new pastures'
'Springing towards Easter with Widowers, Windows, and wails'

Over to you!

Trying to catch up with the Archers and I am beginning to doubt my sanity.

If Jenny died in mid January, why are they only just getting round to reading the will in April (surely somebody would have wanted to start applying for probate before then)? What happens to the farm shares?

If the Archer clan are getting upset about £15k for Martha I dread to think what will happen when Peggy's worldly goods are shared amongst the children and grandchildren.

Thanks for the Shedunnit tip.

It would be interesting to know when Jenny changed her will - was it immediately Martha was born or was it when she learned she was ill and wanted to get her affairs in order? In either case I'm not sure why she would not have talked it over with Brian, but then I come from a family where mirror wills are the thing so in the case of one spouse dying, the survivor gets it all and everyone bends over backwards to be scrupulously fair at all times. Maybe Jenny will have left a note explaining her thinking - I can't imagine you would show such preference to one grandchild without explaining why. The iniquity of it ramps up the drama I suppose - like William inheriting everything from the dead aunt (?) who hadn't realised Edward had been born. Or Peggy promising to leave her house to Helen and doling out the cash to Tom at various points. Or even Elizabeth's indignation that she would have to slum it in a stately home for the rest of her life while David and Ruth inherited the farm.

Wasn’t Jenny left 50k by doodah Tregorran a few years ago. I know she gave some to Adam and bought a bookcase but what happened to the rest of the money if all she’s left is 15k to Martha.

Surely someone (Brian is the obvious person) would have looked at the Will before the funeral to see if Jenny had any wishes in that regard.

She died in February iirc.

Brian thought he knew what was in it. He thought he didn't need to look.

LillianGish
like William inheriting everything from the dead aunt (?) who hadn't realised Edward had been born

Twice-dead Aunt Hilda. (Even Keri Davies admitted they had messed up and scripted two stories in which she died in two different years, though in the first one she didn't leave anyone any money.)

We were told (by Eddie) that she had a photo of both William and Edward by her bed, so she must have known Edward existed. Maybe she just didn't like him, or had heard he was a budding criminal like his Uncle Alf, or knew about Will's wife walking out on Will to live with Ed and claiming Will's son was Ed's son, or something.

As Jenny was a member of the local CofE congregation, and there's probably an Archer family area for planting in the cemetery, I would have thought it was pretty obvious. And they'd probably discussed it in passing, as you do.

There's nothing in my (or my partner's) will about funerals. So if someone chooses to dispose of my remains in accordance with the rites of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, so be it. As it is, we know each other's wishes, which boil down to "I'll be dead, just burn me, no need for ceremony".

But if I wanted him to see me off with plumed horses, columns of paid wailing-women mourners and insane themed wreaths, and said so, I hope he would have the good sense to ignore me.

Have I misunderstood?

I thought the £15k to Martha was not the total legacy, and assume she has left other money to other family members - just not any other grandchildren.

I would imagine they might well have started dealing with probate already. There is never in practice any formal ceremony of reading the will, and no need to wait for beneficiaries to read it before starting the process.

How can they not know when the will was made (unless I missed a bit where they worked it out)? Surely it would be signed/dated/witnessed. I suppose there would be a time lag between instructing the solicitor and receiving the new draft ready to sign. But it struck me as odd too. They are with a dated will in front of them saying “we must ask the solicitor “

@MereDintofPandiculation They are with a dated will in front of them saying “we must ask the solicitor"

A photocopy only, I hope - I wouldn't trust Kate or Adam not to throw the original on the fire in a fit of pique! But yes, it will be a copy of a signed will, because otherwise it means nothing, and they (or the scriptwriters) really are that thick.

And @Rosula - yes. Imagine the nightmare of getting beneficiaries to read the thing! In that case you'd also presumably have to allow all the people who thought they might, or ought to be, beneficiaries to read it! Where would it end, with the lunatics who say Great Aunt Jemima always promised to leave them X in her will?

Besides, there's always the problem that knowing they're a beneficiary might change their attitude towards you. (They might even decide to bring the inheritance forward ...)

@MereDintofPandiculation Besides, there's always the problem that knowing they're a beneficiary might change their attitude towards you. (They might even decide to bring the inheritance forward ...)

Arf! I was thinking of after death but before probate. It hadn't occurred to me that they might want to read it before you were even deaded!

I too think the £15k wasn't all her estate just the only amount left to a grandchild .

Re William & Edward I think this falls into the scenario that happens a lot IRL in that the will wasn't updated after Edward was born - so only mentioned William.

As if Jenny would single out one grandchild like that!

Enjoyed the "Hello both of you" from Pat (though a missed opportunity for a Hello you two! in my opinion). I also liked Susan's comment that they'd had as many questions about Seren and Nova as they did about curds and whey - building nicely to the revelation that the new faces of of Bridge Farm are now fronting the campaign for an agro-chemicals firm in perpetuity. Fabulous plot! Still not entirely sure where George Grundy is going, but I loved the fact that unlike his grandmother, he had no problem asking for (and securing) extra payment for his extra efforts. I've been enjoying TA much more in the last couple of weeks - some great acting from the various Aldridges (all clearly distinct from one another) and the farm open day (and its build up) was just what I tune in to hear. I like to know I'm in Ambridge and preferably on a farm and I love the fact that this episode was all about emphasising and reminding us just how staunchly principled, right on and environmentally friendly Bridge Farm has been over the last 40 years so we can fully appreciate just what the grasping Natasha (and Tom too obviously, but I think he's been led by the nose here) is trashing. Triple BOOPS all round.

I agree. The squabbling between Helen and Tom has been great. Pat was so smug last night that there's clearly an epic falling out in prospect. Bring it on!

what the grasping Natasha (and Tom too obviously, but I think he's been led by the nose here) is trashing

I agree Tom is easily lead. However Tom does have history for putting money before principles before, when he moved his pigs to Home Farm because organics food was too expensive for him or something.

I don't think the future of Bridge Farm is safe in Tom's hands.

I don't think the future of Bridge Farm is safe in Tom's hands.

It would make it a fascinating plot line if Pat and Tony come to that conclusion and decide to cut him out of their wills. Maybe they'll leave the lot to Johnny.

Where is Johnny these days anyway? Surely he should have been closely involved with their big day?

Yonks ago he had a row with Tony about something or other, possibly the fact that his pig business was not making any profit, and went away to take refuge with his kindly Uncle Brian, who took a slightly over 50% share in the pigs. Brian was a much shrewder man than Tom, and came out of the deal ahead because when Tom turned out to be useless, Peggy bought Brian's share in his business and let them both off the hook.

Tom also cheerfully gave his pigs feed that had not been approved by the Soil Association, just before he ran away to Canada, and put the organic certification of the entire farm at risk. We never found out how long he had been doing it for, but the land on which the pigs had shat after eating the tainted feed ought not to have been able to be SA approved for two or three years. We never knew in which fields they had been, and no mention was ever made about getting back the organic certification for that part of the farm – if all of it was not simply de-certified, which is quite likely in such circumstances.

Tom is actively a menace to Bridge Farm, in fact.

Tom also cheerfully gave his pigs feed that had not been approved by the Soil Association, just before he ran away to Canada, and put the organic certification of the entire farm at risk.

Wasn't he persuaded by Rob it was a good idea?

OMG I had completely forgotten about Johnny - and so it seems have the SWs. Where is he supposed to be??? Not even mentioned in passing. He should have been all over the farm open day.

Did he actually give the feed to the pigs, or had it only got as far as being ordered?

It was never proved that Rob did that; just inferred.