Archers thread #159: Sad news as 2023 draws to a close - RIP Ian Pepperell (Roy Tucker). 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, and of course we are always delighted to welcome back former or occasional listeners/posters. 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 like more of Gagriculture, 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.)

We start this thread with the very sad news that Ian Pepperell, who played Roy Tucker from 1995 without a break, has died at the age of 53. There's a lovely tribute to him in this article from Jeremy Howe, the current Editor. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/dec/23/the-archers-actor-ian-pepperell-dies-aged-53-roy-archer-eastenders

Graham Blockey, who played Robert Snell, died just over a year ago, also far too young (66). https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/much-loved-surrey-gp-archers-25524449 As yet, Robert survives in Ambridge.

I do hope they don't re-cast Robert, but it might work for Roy, I suppose, after a suitable interval. They've re-cast Tony, Tom, Kate, Pip, Clarrie and Emma, mostly successfully. I still wish Tom and Pip hadn't been re-cast. New Tom is a good actor but so was Old Tom.

Meanwhile, several very elderly members of the cast survive, and long may that continue, although not necessarily on air. I think most of us would say that the time has come for Jill to become a silent character, following the precedent of Peggy and Christine.

So! Christmas next week - will it be the best Christmas ever at either Brookfield or The Stables, or both? Then it's 2024. What does the New Year hold for The Archers? Over to you!

I know this is mumsnet, but why must everyone and everything be pregnant? 🤣

@BeatriceBatchelor Eh?

You posted Although I do wonder why you have such an issue with adoption.

You wonder why I asked if you intended to sound insensitive?

I do not have any issue with adoption - it hasn't affected me in any way - but it is an emotive subject for many. If I had been affected by it, perhaps been forced to give up a child, your post would probably have come across as offensive.

Jakob is the sort of ND person who would automatically explain things in full, even to a farrier.

Male horses let down their tackle to pee, don't they? Quite alarming the first time one sees this!

@SequentialAnalyst Jakob is the sort of ND person who would automatically explain things in full, even to a farrier.

This crossed my mind too. Jakob has increasingly become one of my favourite and well-drawn characters in Ambridge.

I know this is mumsnet, but why must everyone and everything be pregnant?

I don’t give a fig for people’s reproduction in real life - but, as I never cease to repeat, for me TA is about interconnected-ness. And in particular, connections to Archers. New people can keep turning up and moving in, but without children from all the main households to procreate with newcomers there’s no natural moving forward in terms of competition for inheritance and the passing on of land and property and businesses. The whole story would just become incoherent and pointless.

(Unfortunately I’m not sure the producers and SWs continue to see the story as I do - so we have the gradual dismantling of the ‘story through buildings’ that @LillianGish has so eloquently outlined.)

I agree about the children being important to the inter-connectedness.
If Martha hadn't been born, the link between the Aldridges and Carter would have been cut. Mungo is the link between the Bellamys and the Snells.
Mia is the link between the Horrobins and the Grundys, although George is too.
Phoebe is the link between the Tuckers and the Aldridges. Rosie the link to the
Fairbrothers.
Bethany not a link other than to Vicky, so could be moved to Brum.

IRL, not really bothered who hatches, matches or despatches, but it is the stuff of gossip/chit-chat

I agree about Jakob explaining. He would do that.
I know people who do this.

LillianGish
I do think Lynda's physical proximity to Lilian plays in her favour though - a visit to Lilian would naturally bring Mungo back into Lynda's orbit and I feel sure Lilian would encourage this.

I'm not convinced about that; I'm fairly sure Lilian has had James and Leonie to stay with Mungo and not told Lynda until they had gone home again, at least once.

On TA, historically, sex in an episode is pretty likely to end with pregnancy When this happens, TA is teetering on the brink of soaphood So we on the thread half-expect this, hence speculation about what may seem unlikely pregnancies in RL, but all too probable in a TA storyline.

I didn't mind the guinea pig pregnancy story, because instead of it turning into the Star Trek episode about the tribbles (resulting, of course, in Much Hilarity), the baby gpigs were found good homes, and all was well.

Maybe Champion is ungelded and will take a fancy to one of the in season mares when being exercised and will result in an accident.

It is a soap and has been for years.

The link between Grundy and horrobin is Emma surely?

@MerryChristmasToYou Humour me, please! I can't bear to think of it as a soap

A bit like a dentist asking a doctor for advice on teeth?

@Bruisername , Emma is only a Grundy by marriage. George was needed to make it a blood connection. Keira is silent but might link the Archers to the Grundys and the Horrobins.

@SequentialAnalyst , TA is not a soap. Nothing like a soap. Just a docudrama that goes out several times a week. A sort of dramatised Farming Today for those who aren't larks.

Would calling it a creme luxury hand wash help?

Now, now @SequentialAnalyst , no need to soft soap @RegimentalSturgeon .

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime , Might Jakob advising Chris be more like a GP advising a podiatrist?

I listened again at lunchtime. In asking if a layer of fat might be a problem for the pony Chris might not have had in mind hoof issues - about which he'd know all about - but other things he might not, but for Martha's sake be anxious to know - is it detrimental to the animal's heart, liver function etc? Jakob being Jakob simply explained about the feet entirely by-passing Chris's presumed expertise.

@ed the right posters in the wrong order

I'm afraid no reframing of personal cleansing material names will help.

@MerryChristmasToYou has restored my faith in humanity even if I know she is really still humouring me.

A sort of dramatised Farming Today for those who aren't larks.
I'll take that, thanks

The French were recently testing the latest iteration This article is dated Sept 2023

Keira is silent but might link the Archers to the Grundys and the Horrobins.

Via Henry, @MerryChristmasToYou?

💍

All horsey people on this thread must be screaming at the radio with regard to the overweight Shetland with potentially "Sore Feet". It's LAMINITIS ! And managed, if not solved by a strict diet. Otherwise fatty deposits (and a long, curly coat) can be indications of a complex metabolic disorder "Cushings disease) requiring a battery of blood tests and potentially lifetime medication.
Both Alice and Chris with their respective equine experience would be able to identify and understand the implications of an overweight Sheltie.
What nonsense !
(Stomps off to feed old ponies soaked hay).

Would the weight issue not have been evident when Jakob looked the horse over the first time?

Yes. I'm currently 6 months pregnant, conceived in July and have a noticeable bump (I'm past the "eaten too many pies" stage and now look "definitely pregnant").

Wasn't there a mini break mentioned a while after July? Somewhere like Prague? I recall Helen asking about it and Kirsty said something like "it was nice" but didn't seem wildly enthusiastic/as though the fling was sizzling out...

Just looked it up... and the Prague trip was actually in July/the meet up that you mentioned, Asking.

So I suppose any other rendezvous after that would have been off-air, I don't recall hearing anything?!

I think that either Alice or Helen once had a pony that suffered terribly from laminitis.