Archers thread #191: Mulligan: stew made from odds and ends; second chance after poor shot. Both fit the bill. Discuss The Archers here.

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Mulligan mostly makes me think of John Finnemore's Souvenir Show. This is good, and tenuously connected to a recent TA storyline

Over to you!

I also find it very surprising that the only place she could find a copy of the Will was on a computer and not in an actual file somewhere. If it's on the computer presumably there's an indication of where the actual will is, or which solicitor it may be lodged with.

It's pretty odd, though, that she talked in terms of "Now I've got the will I can get on with administering the estate" as if she thought that the computer version was all she needed. It would have been more logical if she had said something like "Oh good, this shows the will was drawn up Jones & Jones, the local solicitors, and Mr Jones and I are executors, so with any luck they've got the signed version".

The holiday business is such bollocks. How stupid is Ruari meant to be? They don't seem to have asked the Dopeys, given that Pip may have a view about taking Fat Rosie out of school, to say nothing of having to find someone to manage not only their farm but also conceivably to continue to help out with Esme. How likely is any school to swallow Ruairi's chicken pox excuse when the mystery lurgy apparently affects every Archer or Aldridge child and no other at a time when none of their parents are visible in the village? Plus it's a dead cert that at least one of the children would spit the beans. Who looks after the stables if both Lilian and Alice go? Is Jill even well enough to go? Despite the condition requiring every family member to participate, they aren't apparently in the least bothered about Nolly and Sipo, Debbie, Johnnie, and Meriel, and it's not too clear whether they've consulted Kenton, let alone Shula and Daniel.

Peggy’s family would be Lillian, Jennifer and Tony and descendants and partners thereof - so not the Dopeys, or Kenton or anyone from Phil and Jill’s side. I’d question whether Ruairi should count - no doubt Jenny would have wanted him included, Peggy less so - he certainly shouldn’t be dictating terms!

I'm waiting for Peggy's lawyer to clarify exactly who is entitled to the holiday. And Ruairi won't be [nasty smile]. And he's paid a deposit [even nastier smile!].

I'm also struggling with the fact that the owners of Grey Gables, having spent a fortune on its revamping, are happy to leave it to be managed by an 80 year old. WTF is Dane doing if Oliver is doing all the admin?

What I find bizarre is with all these inheritance storylines that seem to be being foreshadowed at there is no mention of the Farmer’s Inheritance Tax. I might have missed it?

Home Farm where Ruairi being Brian’s only biological son has been hinted at for years, and there does seem to be a lot of chat about Brookfield. I wonder if the scriptwriters are playing for time to see what happens with the new law, as it will presumably throw massive spanners in the works for any future planning that has happened? I would assume both farms would be in scope for the new taxes.

RE: Morecambe & Wise, I had to watch it every Christmas and I’m mid to late 30s, I wonder if that’s hinting Mulligan was an older father and Esme is younger therefore suitable for Josh - but who owns the land that Mulligan is tenant for?

There was a brief conversation about IHT and farmers. It felt a bit shoehorned but was between David and Ben I think, with the former bemoaning and the latter arguing that public services needed the cash.
But it definitely ought to be something that’s playing out, with contrasting preparations being made.

Bollocks abound this week.

I’m pretty sure most dairy farms carry antibiotics for treating mastitis, and even if the don’t it would just take a call from David and some would be left at the surgery for him to pick up. Definitely not a case of the vet having to come and see the cow. Once my dd has finished with her pumpkin patch I shall ask her.

I would also like to assure Ruairi that the owner of the baronial castle is piss taking. If there’s been a last minute cancellation 1) the chances are it’s been fully paid for, 2) there will not be queues of large parties wanting to fill the vacancy - I have a (not baronial), holiday let and the large parties that come book well in advance as it takes much organisation to sort out suitable dates etc.
3) and in November it definitely will not be top of anyone’s list for a last minute escape.

Esme shouldn’t be too troubled by inheritance tax as it’s a tenanted farm, although I would have thought the landlords would be quite involved and giving her deadlines for quitting etc, though this maybe for the future weeks.

Had a little stalk and the Esme actress seems to be early to mid thirties. Not that that necessarily means anything! Did they give Mulligan's age? He might have been mid sixties to mid seventies.

Why would Miranda want to buy Home Farm?

She and Justin have no children? A way to get it back into Aldridge hands?

I wish they’d go back to focussing on character rather than clumsy plots

And why is it Miranda who has bought it? It doesn't make any sense - except as a vehicle to move her permanently into the cast.

Surely that's obvious? They want Home Farm brought back into the mix of places where the main characters live, and there's lots of potential interest in the way Jennifer's children and siblings react. Plus a potential big SL around what happens if she pops her clogs first - would she leave it to Brian or would he get chucked out?

How does finding a copy of a will on a computer resolve the probate question?

Do you not need the original signed paper copy?

Of course you need the original Will. This is yet another thing that shows the SW appear to know nothing about the real world.

It's all very odd. My parents have always had very simple finances and kept all their filing in apple pie order, thank goodness, so sorting things out after my Dad died and looking after my Mum's finances now has been straightforward. I know not everyone is that organised, and obviously it gets complicated when you're running a business single-handed, but you'd have thought it wouldn't be that difficult to ring round local solicitors and find the practice that drew up the will. He'd have had to be an idiot to draft his own will, given his estate is not going to be as simple as those with just a house and a savings account to pass on. And yes, of course the will would have to be signed, dated and witnessed. The original must be either at a solicitor's office or the bank for safekeeping. This is not particularly abstruse knowledge to have, is it?

Apart from anything else, if there had been no will, as the only child of a single man, Esme would have inherited everything anyway under the Intestacy Act or whatever it's called. Did she really think her Dad might have left his assets to someone else or to charity?

I'm wondering why Esme is bothering to organise a funeral if there are no other relatives and everyone disliked her father. Is anyone going to be there apart from her, David, Ruth and Josh? If there's also no money to pay for it surely it would have been easier and cheaper to have a direct cremation with no ceremony.

Re Ruairi, I keep noticing the way he says" me and so-and-so are doing/think x". He's done it several times and it grates on my ears. He's supposed to have been brought up properly and gone to a good school for god's sake!

Wasn’t it Ruairi with the her and Justin that almost gave me apoplexy a few days ago? I guess the producers just don’t think listeners are worth the price of a proper editor?

... if there had been no will, as the only child of a single man, Esme would have inherited everything anyway under the Intestacy Act or whatever it's called. Did she really think her Dad might have left his assets to someone else or to charity..
More likely is that if there was no will is that Esme would have inherited the first £x, then the State would get the rest, but reality is more likely to be there was nothing to leave just a few assets and many debts.
(I have no legal expertise whatsoever, so don't pile on if I'm wrong)

Would phoning round solicitors get you confirmation of who held the will?

Write in to complain.
I've noticed an improvement in something I've complained more than once to the BBC about. It might be a coincidence, but I'm glad I complained.

Perhaps you could say that it makes the BBC look anti-private education. Didn't Adam, Brian and Ruairi attend the same school? Maybe we could get staff, parents, pupils and alumni to complain too.

Not piling on, but the state would only get anything if there's inheritance tax to pay and perhaps income tax, if there are any arrears. As you say, though, there are likely to be debts to pay - in the real world, anyway.

I know you wouldn't pile on. I think Esme will have got some livestock, machinery and debts but will gain a husband.

Now did Ruairi attend Sherbourne? I've a good mind to go on to the Private school forum to recruit some help in eradicating the words 'Me and Adam' from TA.
When exactly did Ruairi say it please @Buxusmortus .

I'm sure I should be doing something

Surely that's obvious?

But why would Miranda buy it? Does she actually care where the Aldridge offspring live? Os she going to leave it to them in her will?

He went to an unspecified RC school as per Siobhan's wishes.

The "me and Adam" was on Wednesday evening's episode. Although people do speak ungrammatically, the words put into certain characters mouths do make me wonder about the writers. Still, I've heard Prince William say " ... for Catherine and I..." on more than one occasion, so I'm not sure who to blame.