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!

If Rob died intestate, Jack would have inherited everything. It seems guaranteed that Rob would not die intestate - but in that case, who did he leave his estate to? There would be no point in leaving it to his elderly affluent father. So the options would seem to be Miles / Jack / the church or some combination thereof.

I'd be astonished if he left nothing to Jack. And a storyline in the future in which adult Jack is wealthier than adult Henry would be interesting.

You must be dealing with quite different active farmers to the ones I know, @IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle

The other ludicrous thing is that The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 applied to this.

These regulations require estate agents / land agents to see the ID of both parties to a sale, before acceptance of any offer.

I'm a solicitor. I have to verify my own clients' ID. I don't have to verify the other side's ID as their solicitor has done that but if I'm buying land for clients I have to provide my clients' ID to the sellers' estate agent/ land agent. This happens every time, even for clients who are demonstrably identifiable because they are in the public eye.

So we're expected to believe that at no point did Oliver's land agents tell him any of this; or they did and he never asked?

"Just waiting on ID, got it now, it's all fine"

Yes we must. There's no reason other than plot device why working farmers would be falling over themselves to buy 10 acres of land, not beside their own farms, at a price inflated over agricultural value.

There may well be reasons why other parties with special interests would be willing to buy such a small acreage at development value.

The PP would have put off farmers who wanted it as agricultural land only as it was guaranteed to fetch a much higher price.
CBA to argue about it, but Tomtasha would surely just get PP for a plot of Bridge Farm land.
The interest in the auction was to have Justin and Lillian falling out and to push up the price. i.e. SL reasons.

The mystery buyer wanted the land at any cost.

The Stabland Theme Park will open there soon. Fallon will run the cafe. Specialities will be Tuna Bake and Proper Custard.

Do the SWs simply write on the basis of their own guesswork/assumed knowledge on matters legal, farming, medical, business (including hospitality), equine, ecclesiastical etc, etc?

It certainly does seem like it a lot of the time these days. Surely professional advice and solid research - as any decent writer worth their salt knows - is essential to lend some authenticity to a plot line instead of presenting intelligent and informed listeners with something so ludicrously off-beam and then expecting them to be entertained by it?

They have an agricultural story advisor. I think it's Steve Peacock who used to edit the early morning version of TA (aka Farming Today) but sometimes it is Sybil Ruscoe (also from Farming Today).

They are genuine farming experts who wear pristine barbours to prove it in leaning on a gate or sitting on a hay bale in publicity shots.

Maybe writers who enjoy extensive research (outside their own areas of interest) just aren’t drawn to or don’t respond well to the TA writing structure? (SOC for instance drew on his own preferred type of anti-hero for Rob. But no one even tried to make the trial Make Sense.)

Or maybe they’re too busy trying to earn an actual living elsewhere, so there’s never enough time?

Or maybe they do just think we’re stupid?

Dunno. I’m realising I’ve more or less given up hoping for accuracy in Ambridge.

(But can we have @MerryChristmasToYou‘s Tuna Bake and Proper Custard in the next thread title? 🙏🏽)

<makes note>

🤣 Not deliberate no.

@TottersBlanklyIntoBimboCore , thank you . This thread isn't filling up all that quickly so better ones will come along.

Maybe Fallon will set up her own Filling Station at the EV charging centre.

Emma only showed interest in the tree surgery course when she heard about the free grant. If she is offered Fallon's job at the tea room she'll probably lose interest. Did we miss the bit where Tom & Tash were given their tab for the month?

I'm disappointed with the latest plot twist (as I have been with a number of recent storylines). I hate to say it as an avid fan of 11 years, but I think I might take a little break. The original Helen and Rob storyline was real, hard to listen to, but it shone a light on coercive control. This is making a mockery of the whole thing for 'dramas' sake.

I’m a long time lurker and am asking for a little update regarding the Archers if you’ll indulge me.

Last time I listened was around the time when Pip’s relationship with Stella was revealed to David and Ruth. In my defence I had a complicated pregnancy and was sick as a dog, and now have a 4 week old with colic and I’m absolutely up the wall 🙈 I’m planning to start listening again during the brutal night feeds.

Has anything major happened in that time that i’d need to know?

Gutted to hear about the actor that played Roy Tucker 🙁

have decided to give TA a rest so will rely on this thread to get the head's up when it all blows up at the tea room, and if Fallon goes to open a tea room at the EV station

But i am sick to the back teeth of Helen and I really can't care about Harry, or Kate's clothes.

Congratulations on your new arrival! I hope the colic resolves in short order and you can get a bit more sleep.

Pip and Stella are an item. Everybody knows. Everybody is delighted. They don't live together as yet. Stella has taken Hannah the Pig Woman in as a lodger at the Bungalow.

Rob is dead. His last act appears to have been to get his brother Miles to buy the land that Oliver sold off to help fund the Grey Gables refurbishment. We don't know what Miles will do with it. This development has not gone down well on this thread.

Henry is now 13. Mia is going to be 18. There's going to be a fashion show run by Jolene and Mia featuring cast offs rebranded as recycled clothes.

Lilian and Justin had a tiff but have now made up.

Chris bought Martha a Shetland pony as his Christmas present without clearing it with Alice, who was cross, but is OK about it now she's grasped that there are livery fees to be charged (at least, I hope that's what's happening). Alice is going out with a man called Harry who is still something of a mystery.

Tony accidentally threw all Kate's clothes away (don't ask). Peggy has moved into The Laurels. The Lodge is going to be sold. Kate has moved in with Brian, at his invitation.

Alistair and Denise are teetering on the brink of an affair, but Denise is still living with her husband John (a silent man), in spite of some difficulties, which she has told Alistair about. Her son Paul, with whom they are both working, knows nothing of any of this.

Safe to say we're not in a vintage period. Surely the only way is up?

Another point - why did Kate have to move out immediately Peggy did?

So that the house could be put on the market with vacant occupancy for a quicker sale, I'd suppose.

I recently bought a flat on my road. I knew who the owner was (as I live there) but it was actually almost 4 weeks from offering before I was officially told. So the delay on the barn is not unrealistic.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g Very kind, thank you!

Right, ok; doesn’t look like I’ve missed much. Sounds riveting 🙁 Ah well, it’s company for the night feeds. The only way is up!

Thank you @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g!

@VillageFete all the very best for you and your new arrival. I have a nearly six month old, my second, and both of mine had bad colic. You’re in the hardest period now, it is inwards and upwards x

@Brefugee I'm with you there. Synopsis for tomorrow says that Helen will feature again "facing a dilemma". I really can't face it. I'm stopping listening now. Perhaps I'll pick it up again some time later in the year.

She could have had a few days grace - I can’t imagine they had queues of viewers. And it’s not uncommon for someone to be living in a house when being viewed

on the 4 weeks - I thought auctions were much quicker? It’s not another but binding normally isn’t it?

I'm with you there. Synopsis for tomorrow says that Helen will feature again

I wonder if the actress has a hard-nosed agent who has negotiated a certain number of shifts for her client and wants to maintain a higher profile?

@AngryBirdsNoMore Thank you so much! I needed to hear that this evening. Her little face is constantly scrunched up and she’s very, very unhappy!

I’m going to get back in to the Archers whilst we are pacing the floor!!

Congratulations @VillageFete ! The only that worked for DD’s colic nearly 19 years ago 😳 was to lie her tummy down along a forearm (usually DH’s) with her head in the hand and arms and legs dangling either side (hope that makes sense), and just rock her gently back and forth. Thankfully a relatively short-lived problem!!