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!

@Grimchmas I too have a bit of a crush on Alastair. I think he knows he's being a bit clumsy, but somehow can't help himself (but I may be projecting from my own experience), which makes him kind of vulnerable (am a sucker for vulnerability)

I also really like Alistair. There was a fair bit of flirting last time, I'm sure she is aware of it and it's mutual. Maybe he didn't realise how much he liked Denise until she left last time and now she's back he's going for it. Clearly her husband is a selfish arse (the kind we hear about on mn so often with the 'hobbies' that take them away all weekend every weekend 🤷)...
"My husband loves his hobbies more than me, AIBU to start an affair with my boss who bought me a tomato to liven up my boring sandwich"

OMG wait - clunky Archers symbolism at it's best - Alistair IS the tomato 🍅
🤣

Her marriage is the disappointing cheese sandwich. Alasdair is The Tomato That Changes Everything.

Team Tomato 🍅

Let's hope no one comes along to symbolise a jar of chutney. Or better still, a jar of Marmite.

Dear whatevers, Alistair is pretty much the plastic cheese in a corner-shop sandwich. The only interesting thing about him was his ineptitude as a gambler, and they’ve knocked that smartly on the head. Tomato, my arse.

Don't do it Lilian!

Do it Lillian!
(You're almost as bad as each other)

I'm not getting the tree surgeon malarkey. Surely Ed and Emmurr need qualifications of some kind? All the tree cutters I see advertised in Melbourne cite their qualifications and the bigger firms have an arborist, i.e. a tree surgeon as well. And another thing, this business of Emma needing her own wood chipper. I've never seen tree cutting companies ever send out a man on his own - always someone looking on for safety while the other is roped up a tree or wielding the chain saw. Insurance? Cost of disposing of the wood chips?

Or are we anticipating a hideous chainsaw incident?

I'm not getting the tree surgeon malarkey. Surely Ed and Emmurr need qualifications of some kind

Ed is going to get qualifications/training. He mentioned it when he first told Emma about it. Think he said training was funded but he'd need to buy the kit to start his business. She now wants to train with him.

they are talking about retraining, that is why they need 17 grand.

But i don't think Ed is keen. And i don't think one day on a chainsaw would make me want to be a tree surgeon (although i have had several days out using a chainsaw and other such devices and it is huge fun as long as you have the right weather.

I really enjoyed Brian and Kate bickering with one another at Alice’s. They sounded so natural and it was nice to hear Brian sounding happy.

was anyone else expecting Justin to say "Harry? That Harry? Tell her to stay right away from him"? which would have been a better development than "give her a kiss" tum-ti-tum

Reading and hearing about the current Kirkham’s Lancashire difficulties does remind me painfully of Bridge Farm. Hope Clarrie isn’t reading the papers or listening to the news …

https://www.mrskirkhamscheese.co.uk/

Emma does really need to decide what she wants to do next in life. I realise she is at a bit of a crossroads with the kids now getting older. But over the past few months it's been management (GG and the Tearoom) she's felt she'd really to have a go at - and which, given a chance, getting training, qualifications etc she'd do well at, I think, doing an English Lit A level (inspired by Lark Rise to Ambridge?), and now tree surgery because she's "never really liked working indoors".

Which is it to be Emma? Make up your mind for heaven's sake and get on with it!

It must be incredibly difficult for Emma. She wasn’t educated to the limit of her ability, and hasn’t had any effective careers advice as an adult. So she’s bursting with potential but completely without focus or guidance.

Every shiny new thing attracts her attention; there’s never any building on the last thing.

(I feel immense sympathy for her! I ‘follow professions but rarely catch up with them’ …)

@TottersBlanklyIntoBimboCore I know, and I agree really. Her potential as yet unrealised, her background never having given her the guidance or opportunities she's needed. I just feel frustration for her that if she never settles to anything she'll never get anywhere.

I just don't want her for ever to be stuck in the belief that "that kind of career", that kind of house etc. is not for the likes of me. I hope she gets a break one of these days.

I’ve been away for a week - hope you all had a good xmas!

is it worth me listening back?

On the pony: ponies are often the devil. They also live a LOT longer than a hamster or a Guinea pig. Getting a three year old a pony is madness.

So does anyone know how much on adverage a blacksmth earns v the cost of stabling, (including paying someone for her daily care) feed/vets bills/insurance etc and riding lessons would be a month for a horse, if i was alice i would be assume Chris was going to pay it all as it wasnt a joint decisionto get a pony ... and yes even if staying was at mates rates I still imagine it won't be cheep

I works be absolutely amazed if Chris wouldn't miss the money it would take to keep a pony properly, although farriers earn decent money (say, £30-40k). I imagine he would be able to afford the livery/insurance/bedding/feed etc but it isn't cheap, part livery for a pony is £450+ a month, full from £600. You don't save much for it being a tiny pony vs a larger pony. If doing everything yourself it can start from around £150 a month but then you're stuck to every morning and every afternoon minimum and buying all your bedding, feed, hay etc on top. It's also not realistic to expect Shula's yard to offer DIY livery; there's no money in it and there's no way Lilian and Justin would tolerate that. Alice might get a favourable rate because she works there though.

I imagine bore's 🔮 will be foreseeing endless gripes because he will expect Alice to pay for things like tack, lessons, vaccinations and most scarily any vets bills. At least he will be able to save them a whopping £15 every 6 weeks to trim it's feet though 🤨

If I were Alice I'd also be gutted about something that's not very logical but very emotional, and that's that he has robbed her of the chance to be the one who presents her daughter with her first pony. Alice is a much more horsey person than Chris, and it should have been her or at least joint who bought the kid a pony.

No idea about his income, but the impression given is that Chris is making a very good living. Whether that's a good living by Carter/Horrobin standards or by Archer/Aldridge standards is not so clear, but he doesn't seem to have money worries and never takes expensive holidays, so my hunch would be that he can easily afford the cost of the pony.

I understand he's a farrier, not a blacksmith. Is the difference there that he only deals with horses, not pokers and railings and so on?

"I hate wiping down counters and smelling dishwashers: It is my destiny to become a tree surgeon!"

This would have been an excellent opportunity for the Scripties to drag Jamie (or even "new" Jamie out of the bubulging cereal cupboard) to discuss training etc.

At a push I could see that Will might have expressed an interest in that line of work, having been a gamekeeper. He's a Bridge Fresh driver now, isn't he?

FWIW I am not sure that Chris is still just a blacksmith (or was his garden installation for Lynda just a one-off).

May 2024 bring us some plausible story lines (though somehow I doubt it).

That's right @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g - his training is in trimming horses and fitting shoes to them, rather than in metalwork. His training will have included working metal of course, but his skills will be distantly related to, rather than the same as, a blacksmith's. He will buy horseshoes and adjust them to fit a horse, rather than make them from scratch.