Life in Ambridge
Sleep suit destined for the memory box, not to passed on
Life outside Ambridge
G’day from down under!
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Life in Ambridge
So Lily is off to Australia, she might see this.
Life in Ambridge
Hopefully the police have cleared the bridle path
My latest great nibling, a few days older than Amber’s
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweetheart! Many congratulations to the proud parents.
DeleteGorgeous and looks a real cutie. 🩷
DeleteAmbridgesMrsPSeptember 29, 2026 at 10:21 PM
ReplyDeleteToo many loose ends regarding Aldridge family and Home Farm.
REPLY
Lady RSeptember 30, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Agree!
MiriamSeptember 30, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Yes. What I want to also know is Ian still acting manager at GG?
I thought he was only temporary until Head Office ie the major shareholders sent a new one to replace Dane, who was moved on.
MiriamSeptember 30, 2026 at 4:34 PM
ReplyDeleteToo many loose ends, I certainly agree.
This is why I questioned why Carol + Anna were so prominent for so long.
AmbridgesMrsPSeptember 30, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Perhaps ‘ they’ can’t make up their minds about the situation’ they ‘ have created regarding the dualling Aldridges, and don’t know how to bring the end about.
We know that Charles wotsisname doesn’t want to retire, so they can’t kill him off.
So
Wots to be done !
MiriamSeptember 30, 2026 at 8:26 PM
I stand by my long standing thought, which is Brian has a slight stroke, just enough that he can't manage Home Farm any longer.
Perhaps bridges can then be rebuilt.
Lady RSeptember 30, 2026 at 8:10 PM
ReplyDeleteHave just ascertained that the age gap between Pip and Stella is about 12 to 16yrs. PIp 33yrs but Stella does not have a confirmed age only given as mid to late 40’s the actor who plays her is 50yrs apparently.
REPLY
MiriamOctober 1, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Just thinking. It's October 1st so George's year on license must be coming to an end soon. Does any-one know, if he can then reapply for his driving licence when the time comes and will he have to retake his test?
Perhaps another pupil for Jazzer..🤣
Bill will do this I'm sure if it's needed, using a car from the showroom.
REPLY
maryellenOctober 2, 2026 at 9:06 AM
I’m suggesting Guy for Eddie’s book/Amber’s podcast. It will give future schoolmates the chance to exercise their wit!
Dear little baby!
ReplyDeleteI don't know why they don't settle for using the full name of Joseph if Amber thinks he doesn't look like a Joe. So my choice is Joseph.
Lovely!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t name a baby after that old reprobate! If they settle for a family name, William has the advantage of belonging to both grandfathers so in theory both families should be be happy. Guy William Grundy sounds good to me!
ReplyDeletePS.. Where I grew up a Joe was a male ferret with Jill used for the female...
Lovely photo KP, congratulations to all.
ReplyDeleteI'm going with Amber's choice of Bear, I thought Mr/Mrs Grylls had a sense of humour!
I didn't much like Mungo or Peggy, Serin or Nova for recent children, did like Alexander, Jack and Henry.
Interesting that Harrison mentioned the name Dan.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what he's doing now and is he still in the army, along with did he ever marry and make Shula a grandma? Nothing has ever been mentioned, but then why should it...
I was reminded of Dan Archer, I had forgotten Shula’s Dan!
DeleteLily spoke to Elizabeth, Ian and Harrison and each time she sounded false and contrived.
ReplyDeleteThen Lynda and Martyn telling Brian lies and Brian so wanting his grandson who isn't his but Jennifer's according to his statement that Adam is not his son.
What a silly episode.
I rather like the flirtatious vibe between Lily and Harrison, and I can’t remember when we last heard anything similar between H and Fallon, if we ever did.
ReplyDeleteOf course I realise it’s early days between these two and feelings might change or become dull and boring, but for the time being, I seem to be OK with hearing them together.
It will be difficult for Fallon if she is at Vince’s party, but Lily and Harrison are also likely to be feeling constrained if she is there.
BASIA - I’ve always felt that Lily sounds false and contrived, but I’ve learned to accept it as the ‘ chosen ‘ voice by the actor and I’ve become used to it.
Yes MrsP, that's just how it is with Lily.
DeleteWe haven't got long to wait till Sunday to see how it is at the party, what with Kenton, Jolene and Fallon. Let's see if Lily and Harrison show them what's what on the dance floor.
I think it is tactless, and hurtful to Fallon, for Harrison and Lily to go together to the party.
ReplyDeleteThat's what Lily thought, but not Elizabeth and Harrison - it will be awkward but they want to "come out" at some point. Kenton came to see Kathy when Jolene and Sid were celebrating their marriage at the Bull, can't think of an equivalent for Fallon and it's not the same. As long as they all know in advance and there are no surprises, though for drama's sake there might be.
DeleteThe decision for Fallon + Harrison to end their marriage was a mutual one, so Fallon just has to accept that Harrison has already moved on.
DeleteLily is a family member so if she brings a +1 then I can't see any problem with it.
It's Kenton I have a problem with and how he'll behave.
Miriam, I thought of you when Lynda said Brian looked pale and he was certainly very agitated.
ReplyDeleteI suggest a stroke, as to something Brian could overcome yet affect his future life in some way. I remember when Peggy had hers very many years ago, she recovered, could carry on living on her own independently (Jack was in The Laurels at this time) but she never fully recovered the full vision in one eye. I think she was in her mid 80's then, so not much older than Brian.
DeleteI still think that Brian might not always take his meds as prescribed + he does like his steak + red-wine, amongst other things!
Why not a fatal stroke? The BBC isn’t obliged to continue employing an actor becomes that’s what the actor wants. Look at Nigel! I think they might have been sentimental about Jill though, keeping the actor on when it was clear she was no longer up to the job but didn’t want to retire. What other production company would do that?
DeleteOoo, I am very behind with comments, so first, many congratulations to KP on her gorgeous addition to the family. He is beautiful
ReplyDeleteNow Archers - I am already fed up with Lily and Harrison. Why does Lily always sound like a love lorn teenage school girl? And I am very surprised at Elizabeth's attitude, she is almost pushing Lily and Harrison together. I think she should stay out of it and have some consideration for Fallon.
As for Baby Grundy, Thats enough thank you very much. Birth well acted, post partum difficulties also well written and acted, Susan being a very dedicated G.Gma, but please let's get back to some farming and some neglected other characters.
Hm, farming! George who has real aptitude has been moved to a car showroom.
DeleteThere's Vince's party tonight at a stately home.
Then Pip's and Stella's wedding - at least they are still farmers.
Oh, and "spare" BL land with a prospect of being used as a dog enclosure.
I thought agricultural land was used for growing food.
Sadly farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to make a living from growing food especially with the competition of cheap imports from places with lower welfare and environmental credentials.
DeleteIt's up to the government to regulate imports, give farmers adequate subsidies and now help with fuel costs, otherwise they might just as well turn their land into solar farms.
DeleteWell done Fallon - you handled that brilliantly !
ReplyDeleteI shall hope that Lily and Harrison manage their behaviour just as well.
Except that Fallon is acting like the wronged woman, with this "I'll show him" attitude.
ReplyDeleteShe was the one who suggested they break up and when Harrison offered to stay she said no.
Indeed Basia that is what I cannot get my head around as the saying goes. I can only assume that Fallon still loves Harrison but feels she cannot hold on to him because she definitely definitely does not want children. This may also affect any other future relationships for her - I only hope she lets it be known earlier on next time.
DeleteI think Fallon did make it clear earlier in their relationship and Harrison said he wanted her more than children, or something similar.
DeleteYes, but it all came to a head when she lost the baby during the accident and Harrison was grieving and she was not. All simple in theory but not when faced with facts.
DeleteHarrison didn't go out looking for a younger or any woman and Fallon is acting as if he had.
Still, human emotions are volatile, unpredictable and irrational.
Help! Who on earth was it that Fallon asked to stay the night? I must have missed the name and I didn't recognise the voice. Can anyone tell me please?
ReplyDeleteA popup character. called Grant who was one of their band?
DeleteI thought he was the newish manager of Grey Gables, and he previously tried to chat up Fallon in the pub. She didn't take him seriously because he was considerably younger than her and rebuffed him. I suppose she decided to show Harrison she could attract a younger person the same as he has done with Lily. Basically using the Grant for her own ends.
DeleteIt was the showroom manager in the pub and she wouldn't have rung him on an off chance.
DeleteGrant is not necessarily younger if he auditioned for Dross.
The BBC synopsis will tell us later today......
DeleteThe synopsis simply says : Fallon reaches out to Grant, one of the prospective Dross band members from last year.
DeleteAnd without reading the synopsis- which I never do - I understood exactly that from listening.
DeleteGrant was one of - I think the only one we actually heard - the few who auditioned for Dross, when Fallon Ed and Jazzer we’re considering re instating Dross.
I may be imagining it, but I think there was a little bit of flirtation going on between Fallon and Grant on that occasion.
Of course, in the end, the trio decided that Dross was a dead duck and should not be pursued any further. A wise move IMO.
When I need to clarify something, I just re-listen to that part of the episode. Hearing it spoken can mean a lot, such as how it's said + in what way.
DeleteThat is just my choice.
Well, you are all much more perceptive than me. Probably didn't pick up on that due to listening in bed!
DeleteAP. I had to stop my listening to quickly whizz back, to hear again exactly who Grant was. I then went back to where I'd left off.
DeleteWho Grant was just didn't register with me when Fallon said it, but I was juggling roast pots + beef at the same time, which was delicious!
There was a good exchange between Amber and her midwife.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, Eddie at his most stupid, embarrassing Keira who would have been better off at school, whatever the problem was. She's very grown up at dealing with others, like Amber, Brad and George but unable to face her own life.
How about Anne-Marie gets tiddly on Grundy cider and makes a pass at Eddie? Thus
ReplyDeleteproviding comic relief - Eddie’s forte - from the rigours of child bearing? No? I thought not!
I know my view is well and truly in the minority, but I thought Eddie was right in not taking her back to school. He knew she was avoiding it for some reason as to making up false tooth pain, so perhaps he wanted to try + find out why, as a loving Grandad hopefully would.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to relate to why she ran away on NYE and why she she no longer plays football.
She also chats to Khalil, who also has problems fitting in all the time Remember how Keira so wanted to get the same sickness bug as Henry to get some days off school.
She has a problem, but what,
Perhaps she's exposed to the legacy of the bullying that George got on account of his unconventional parentage , which might partly, if illogically, explain why she has been so off with him. Just a theory!
ReplyDeleteKeira told George or whoever that she resented him for being the centre of attention in the family. What her problem is now we don't know as yet.
DeleteNow we know - Lily is far from feeling broody - as she said to Paul.
ReplyDeletePerhaps Harrison will need to look elsewhere to procreate.
Molly Button is about the same age as Lily + was always a bit of a floosie! 🤣😄
Lily says not feeling broody, that means she is and I don't think Harrison is looking for a mother of his child just yet.
DeleteWas the cat Lily's? If so, why isn't she paying £400 for its dental treatment and who is?
I got the impression it is The Stables cat ie Shula's + came with the tenancy and she'll be paying for it.
DeleteNeed a relisten though.
We’ve no evidence that Molly Button is a bit of a floozie (= a sexually promiscuous young woman) but I’d say Lily was!
DeleteYes the cat tooth cleaning bill is off to Shula as the owner of The Stables puss, it seemed odd to hear her name mentioned after so long! Was the scene to bring vet prices into focus or in order to bring Shula into focus again? Maybe she is going to be “killed” off soon as the actor will never return. Having said that we still have the death of Jill to come (hopefully before Christmas) and Shula - even silently will have to be included in that so we are probably being reminded that she actually is still alive, oh dear it is all too much 😱
ReplyDeleteRather than just bringing vet costs into focus, I felt that Corporate Veterinary Companies flooding the sector - and at the same time putting professional staff under a moral cosh - was very much brought into focus.
ReplyDeleteWell done the TA team.
Thank you both LadyR and MrsP for clearing up some points. I've read about the vets in the news and in a rural community they are vital, so Alistair was right to feel proud of the service they provide and I forgot about his practice effectively becoming a cog in a larger corporation.
ReplyDeleteI missed Shula's name being mentioned, but don't remember there being Catto in residence at the Stables, obviously a silent character, unlike the dog Bobbie who was very vocal.
Yet more on this matter this evening, giving some further focus on this occasion from a farming POV.
DeleteTherefore my take on this subject is that TA is joining in an issue that the BBC has been taking an interest in recent months, notably Corporate Veterinary practice.
I understand that Parliament has also been taking an interest too.
The vet my sister uses for her cats was taken over. One is a senior cat and has kidney problems, which often entails a vet visit. On the 1st visit after the take over, the bill will enormous and on scrutinising it, an error was spotted but only because sis was aware of what was used.
DeleteTo continue she was charged for a pack of 100 urine test straps when only one was used. She queried it and was told this was the price on the computer! It took ages to get this rectified and she only managed it by going directly to the new parent Vetinary Group.
Delete...strips obviously..😃
DeleteWell done your sister for being vigilant and then following up Miriam.
DeleteShe also made the point as to why the charge for a test strip, as the cost should be in the consultation fee.
DeleteAlistair + the inflated vet charges might have been better highlighted with George + Holly.
ReplyDeleteHolly is coming up 13yrs, so might well have needed a vet visit for whatever reason, giving another money worry for George Will obviously will have paid but this to me, this would have been more meaningful as to the ability of paying the bill.
Usha has been through a similar experience with Richard whose former patient left him 10k and even though it was a bequest in her will her son took him to court, can't remember the outcome though. Money - the source of all evil!
ReplyDeleteWe did all know this was on the cards and would be revealed fairly soon after her death.
DeleteWe commented on it at the time as we all realised that she was either giving Alan money or taking it from him.
September 16 th
DeleteCC - BASIA Janice and KP - all commented, expecting trouble.
BASIA - was that Richard the local GP ?
DeleteYou have a phenomenal memory !
Yes, he was and my memory is troublesome, as I store too much information.
DeleteI might tell you more on the other blog if I REMEMBER!
Anna resents Alan for being there and not her when Carol died.
ReplyDeleteAnna just resents Alan and always has done, due to their friendship and his resemblance to Richard.
DeleteRichard is the one Anna really resents.
Spot on Miriam !
DeleteSorry I’m being dim Miriam but I don’t understand your last sentence.
DeleteI think TA hit a new low tonight.
I agree Maryellen, but I don't think we've heard the last of it - they spoilt Carol's ceremony.
DeleteAlan/Anna could have communicated via Helen if his presence was required or not.
More apologies from me Miriam, I misread your last sentence. I’m putting it down to declining years and/or a lot on my mind!
DeleteNot sure if anyone else has suggested this, but could Carol have inputted £6000 instead of £60.00 when reimbursing Alan for the flowers sent to Anna.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know PatriciaC nobody has suggested it, including on tonight’s Podcast.
DeleteBut I did think that was what she had done on the occasion itself, and others, not me, suggested trouble ahead.
If she did, it’s easy to see how she did it.
She was at the time dithering and unsure whilst attempting to do it for herself.
Like me in my eighties Carol would be used to writing £60.00 for sixty pounds. But she could easily have forgotten the dot, or full stop.
Please someone correct me, but I suspect that many people now just write £60 ……. for sixty pounds.
On the podcast it was suggested that Carol could have been deliberately throwing a spanner into the works in order to create trouble.
There could be some truth in that if Carol believed or knew that she was to die within days.
Of course we won’t ever know if that was so.
Directly before she asked for Alan's bank details to repay the flowers he had been talking about how much still needed to be raised to pay for the bell. I believe he said £6000. Carol had no intention of going to the Laurels for respite care, and giving away her money made that less likely. Anna seems to have a very good job so can't be short of money. I think they should come to an amicable agreement that the bell is in Carol's memory, and she could have her name inscribed on it as happened in the past. The 1800's 4th bell here has two names inscribed on it.
DeleteMy identical thoughts.
DeleteGood point Patricia C. The florist should be able to confirm the price of the order 🤔
ReplyDeleteAlan said the flowers and other payment were separate. It is all documented with dates and amounts but he only belatedly realised the connection. The digital point did come up, but not here.
ReplyDeleteThe £6000 transfer was made the day before Carol died and the day after the flower payment, well as I understand it. This was probably the last thing she did, so has Anna the right to question and demand repayment of what basically was her last wish?
DeleteAlan I don't think, even visited her on that day.
Personally I think Carol did it intentionally and is a gift to the village so the bell can be repaired.
This will never be known though.
I think Anna is being portrayed as unpleasant as her mother, very similar traits.
ReplyDeleteWhat a horrible woman.
She isn’t the Anna we met previously, when. she was far more professional, controlled and self-contained.
DeletePoints above taken !
DeleteHowever for those of us who remember Carole Tregorran of the past - way way decades back - her portrayal over recent years bears very little similarity to the character we knew then.
My feeling is that the present TA team knew of her and conveniently re introduced her as a useful character to bear the responsibilities of old age, as a ‘ tool ‘, but without delving into the history of the woman and listening to old episodes or reading old scripts.
I’ve personally not liked this reincarnation at all, where as the Carole Tregorran of old was one of my favourite characters.
Quite apart from anything else, she was a very smart business woman, who would not be dithering over how to write a cheque.
Absolutely Mrs P.
DeleteI totally agree with you Mrs P. Think I've said before that Carol was a very efficient business woman. The recent portrayal of her bears no relation to her younger self - the SWs didn't consult the card index they are supposed to have
DeleteThe TA card index has been digitised for easier consultation.
DeleteAs I understood it Carol wasn't writing a cheque MrsP, she was doing it online through her banking app.
ReplyDeleteYes, I did understand that.
DeleteWas using ‘ cheque’ metaphorically, the ‘ dithering ‘ being the point.
The old Carol Tregorran would be far more decisive about what she was doing.
We are all subject to getting old and becoming confused about certain new activities, but we don’t lose our attitudes towards how we go about things.
In other words, the lack of consistency in the characterisation of a previous resident of Ambridge after an absence of decades is annoying to those who remember that character and how that character operated in life in the past.
I remember Carol when played by Eleanor Bron between 2014-18. I especially liked the episodes with her and Bert Fry in Glebe Cottage’s splendid garden. She struck me as the firm but fair type, but I don’t recollect the dry wit that Carol showed in these last months., I enjoyed listening to her for that.
ReplyDeleteWhat I remember most is her strong friendship with Jill, which is how she ended at up at Glebe as Jill still owned it then.
DeleteJill is still alive in TA so she would surely have been there with Leonard, supporting both her + Carol. Such a shame that it all went downhill, so she + others final Goodbye, was not as it should have been.
Anna ruined this for so many..
Both the comments above from Miriam and Maryellen were of memories of the ‘ new Carole ‘
DeleteI am writing of the Carol Tregorran from the sixties and seventies when she was Carol Gray, a smart business woman running her market garden.
She was married first to Greville somebody or other, who then died, marrying John Tregorran after this.
I’ve actually been reading some other Archers forums and am pleased to see that I’m not alone in my position. Others too hear a very different personality in the character depicted recently.
Even when played by Eleanor Bron from 2014, the Carol we heard was to some degree similar to the CT of yore.
I stand my ground.
Carol Tregorran was deliberately chosen as a name to represent miserable and unpleasant old age, as a person who had returned to the village in her declining years.
To which I OBJECT !
Perhaps you can explain why Carol was so besotted with Richard, as I can't find anything about this.
DeleteI’m sorry Miriam, I can’t give you the answer.
DeleteIn the late seventies into the eighties I was a single parent, working and grieving for my lost marriage. Without the time to do so I rarely listened consistently in those times and i have no memory of either of CTs children, so I’m as ignorant as you.
During that time the Tregorrans left Ambridge I believe.
I do remember when J Tregorran died and left Jennifer money and was there something to do with a book?
It might have been something to do with Richard being the child of her first marriage to Charles Grenville. Richard became very close to his stepdad John Tregorran and was very annoyed when Carol refused to accompany him on some long lecturing? tour to America, and Richard who had already lost his dad then missed John a lot. Whether it was this that the distance between mother and son had its roots in I'm not sure, but I think there may have been unresolved guilt on Carol's part. I would like to know why if there is someone else who remembers better. The Carol of recent times is nothing like the original character.
DeleteThis is what I remember, but it's already Eleanor Bron's Carol. Yes, John T left Jennifer money, more like 60 than 6k. Jennifer was convinced that Carol helped John die and was rummaging in her bathroom, as Carol was known for herbal medicine, with Lilian trying to stop her. Jennifer and Carol had a heart to heart when Carol spoke of John's looks, his hair and that she couldn't let him deteriorate.
DeleteShe once said to Jennifer - I hear that you're bringing up Brian's lad.
Also burst out with laughter - Mungo!
In 1975/76 Carol.was had up for shoplifting at Felpersham Crown Court. She had dropped a gold pen in her bag accidentally while chatting to Doris and Christine. Fortunately she was acquitted.
DeleteI can imagine present day Carol doing something similar!
Present day Carol would not have done it accidentally.
DeleteI too can imagine her doing it, but it would have been deliberate.
Carol of old was appalled at what she had done and her friends, Christine in particular, rallied around her.
The recent incarnation would have gleefully enjoyed herself keeping everyone on tenterhooks, while they discussed amongst themselves whether she was guilty- or not !
Gosh, MrsP, that was said with a vengeance! I don’t think Carol would ever have behaved as you describe in your last sentence. But she’s a departed fictional character in a hypothetical situation so we’ll never get to know!
DeleteMrs P. I agree with your sentiment about Carol being delighted at what scenario she's left behind, be it unknowingly.
DeletePeggy did similar but she knew what she was doing.
Both are/were stirring things from beyond the grave.
My query with Carol is why she seemed so cash strapped, basically transferring her last £6,000 to Alan for whatever reason.
ReplyDeleteJohn T. left Jennifer books and about £40,000 so what was left for Carol? I can't believe he didn't leave her comfortable for the rest of her life, but recently it's been heard than Anna was paying the rent on Glebe + was going to pay for a few weeks at The Laurels for respite.
Two thoughts, Carol passed whatever she had onto charities or gave it to Richard.
I know which thought I prefer, which highlights Anna's feelings as to the £6000 transfer!
John only died 12years ago, so whatever he left her has gone very quickly, which is the basis of my thought.
DeleteI was rather surprised that her current account was assumed to be all the money she had. What with her being such a good business woman too. I guess she’s got untouched funds tucked away and her will is going to make interesting reading.
DeleteMaybe that's so.
DeleteWhy then would Carol rely on Anna paying her rent since Carol wanted to be independent and not reliant on anyone..
I just can't fathom this out in any way.
Well, people are notoriously inconsistent and Carol may be an example?
DeleteIt is the TA team who have been inconsistent in relation to Carol Tregorran.
DeleteI thought being involved in organising the weddings of our three girls was a bit fraught at the time. Listening to Pip and Stella makes me think we got off very lightly.
ReplyDeleteThere was me thinking that The Archers was the one programme the BBC wouldn't dare interfere with in their quest to save money.
ReplyDeleteBut it seems not. The expected new state of the art recording studio in Birmingham is not going to happen and the cast may have to record in other studios across England. There has always been a link between Birmingham and TA but cast members may now have to travel to other studios.
At least there have been no references to cuts in staff, cast or crew......yet.
What. TA needs isn’t so much a new state-of-the-art studio as a new-state-of-the-art editor!
DeleteRealistically there have been cuts in the cast, as now there's only what 5-6 an episode and over a 4 week period, the S/L's are the same with a much smaller number of total cast.
DeleteIt's no wonder why some things drag on more than than expected and others are put to one side.
I was listening to an omnibus from July 2014 this morning and in that week there were about 20 cast members.
PS John Tregorran has iust died, so Jill + Peggy were talking about her history - a topical listen with more to come..
An extra if I may be so bold.
DeleteThe cast members heard in that omnibus were:-
Jolene, Fallon, Harrison, Peggy, Jill, Jennifer, Brian, David, Ruth, Pat, Tony, Susan, Neil, Adam, Ian, Rob, Helen, Roy, Lizzie, Shula + Charlie Thomas.
A varied cast with equally varied story lines.
When has this happened recently?
It hasn’t happened recently Miriam.
DeleteWell done you for spelling out the difference that we are all aware of experiencing.
Up thread AP talks of more cuts to come re the possibility of Birmingham losing TA and studios elsewhere being used.
The cuts in the TA budget have been evident for many of us for a very long time, but pin pointing it to a specific time is difficult since it would appear to have been incremental, and very cleverly done, since we aren’t able to put our fingers on when it happened.
Much as I and several others enjoy the Podcast - and I do think it’s worth having - perhaps the budget spent on that programme could have been given to TA itself.
I’m sure the Podcast increases the interest overall in TA, but what is the point in increasing the listener numbers at the same time as decreasing the content of TA itself.
Why is everybody so concerned about Josh not coming to the wedding, he clearly wants to cut himself off. He left in a hurry for South America, doesn't want Ruth to take the genetic test.
ReplyDeleteFreddie may not be ready to take over LL, but it's none of Vince's business.
Lizzie just doesn't want to give up LL.
DeleteI have never really understood why she hasn't had him helping her so Freddie can start to learn and understand what it's all about.
It is Nigel's legacy.
Elizabeth recognises the overgrown schoolboy in Freddie inherited from his father. It makes her wary. Nigel had the ideas but it was she who made them work with sheer hard work and professional skills. What Freddie currently lacks is his mother’s capability and his father’s charm. He may acquire the first but the second you’re either born with or you’re not. Maybe the scriptwriters will reinvent him.
DeleteI thought it a stupid idea, the parents walking their two "daughters" down the aisle.
ReplyDeleteStella didn't ask him, David offered first.
You don't mean that?! No, I do, I really do - bad grammar, but it sounds OK, weird.
I don’t like Stella and I don’t like Hannah either.
ReplyDeleteI’m afraid I don’t even give their characters a chance because I can’t get beyond the voices.
Harsh, frequently angry, nasal and sharp.
They both sound like harpies to me and I can’t engage with anything that comes out of either of their mouths.
Are they typical of young women today ?
They seem pushy beyond ambitious, are unnecessarily loud and seem to me, always at odds with the world.
Am I alone ?
David is a very sensitive soul.
I understand his decision.
I'll just be glad when this wedding is over and out of the way. However, the way things are going, it looks like there are going to be on going repercussions more's the pity..
ReplyDeleteWhat's the betting Josh turns up with the young woman in the photo and infuriates Pip by stealing the limelight.
ReplyDeleteNo Vince !
ReplyDeleteNot you in the wrong.
Freddie still needs some emotional growth to take place, never mind his skills in the workplace.
Well Freddie is just like Nigel, his enthusiasm for the tractor instead of a unicorn, but like his father can be decisive when necessary.
DeleteHis response at the very end that Vince offered him the job to get into his mother's good books and stopped short of saying if not into her undergarments - someone wrote exactly the same somewhere.
A misnomer from Freddie since Vince already had access to Lizzie’s bedroom when he offered Freddie the job.
DeleteFéd up with Keira. Constantly chatting, moaning, pontificating with the boys, specially Khalil. We didn't hear from her for years and now she never shuts up!
ReplyDeleteRe wedding - big feature with loads of photos in the new Radio Times. Not sure what I think of the clothes - didn't imagine Pip in a flouncy dress, though had expected Stella to be in a suit. The biggest surprise was how much taller Pip is than Stella - somehow I would have expected them to be t'other way around.
I felt the same way about the outfits and heights AP
DeleteI have a theory that when wedding photos like this are published before the event, the wedding doesn't happen - or is that just wishful thinking...🤔
DeleteMiriam - we've had a couple of non-weddings: Tom and Kirsty, Justin and Lilian, were there any photos then?
DeleteThis is a general and non-specific theory, which I now wish I hadn't posted...
DeleteLet's see what Sundau brings.
Stella didn't tell Pip about her falling out with David.
ReplyDeleteVince didn't tell Elizabeth about his talk with Freddie.
Doesn't bode well for either relationship.
I’ve a feeling Josh may turn up in Ambridge today with his bubbly new bride and steal the show!
ReplyDeleteIn that case maybe walk Piper down the aisle in place of mum 🤭
DeleteI was just reading the Radio Times article on the Wedding and it said that in real life the 14 year age difference matched that of the characters of Pip and Stella so as Pip is 33, Stella is 47
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I hadn’t thought of Stella as.being that near retirement age. Neil is much nearer of course so If Berrow is cutting its workforce, he not Hannah is the obvious choice to go.
DeleteOops! I misread 57 for 47 in Anrol’s post, so Stella’s still got a way to go to retirement age, and comes into the Kirsty and Helen bracket. More middle aged than she sounds, I think.
DeleteThere’s a petition for TA to stay In Birmingham. The point has been made that the cast come from all over the country to record and Birmingham is fairly central, so that’s a practical reason for staying. What other reasons are there.apart from sentiment? I can’t see that.the location of the recording studio would affect the quality of the plotting and scriptwriting which is what I feel matters most. . There must be something I’m missing!
ReplyDeleteThe main reason is that The Archers is set in the West Midlands.
DeleteAs for travel, apparently most of the actors are based in the south, so it makes for a lengthy round trip, but they want to stay.
I've signed the petition if that's the wish of the cast to remain in Birmingham and Judi Dench joined them in their letter to the BBC.
Maryellen, retirement age is about 10 years from Stella's.
20 - got confused by your 57!
DeleteI’ve signed the petition too.
DeleteAnd unlike Maryellen I consider sentiment, in this case, important.
It's not just the cast who would have to relocate, but everyone else in the production team who do such a great job. What about Nessa the props lady who lives in N. Wales as an example and also what about the podcast which also comes from the Birmigham Archers studio.
DeleteJust watched the ‘ All about The Archers ‘ pod cast which was an ‘emergency ‘ pod, with Adam, Kirsty and Tracy actors - all discussing the whys and wherefores of TA staying in Birmingham, against moving elsewhere.
DeleteWorth a watch on YouTube.
If locating TA’s recording facilities in the West Midla is meant to impart a flavour of the West Midlands to the programme, it’s failed miserably. I get no sense of the area apart from a rare reference to Birmingham or an even rarer one to Stratford upon Avon. We could be anywhere in the country,, or inner city some of the time.
DeleteSo claiming the programme and its premises are inextricably linked doesn’t work for me and I’m sorry not to join you in signing the the petition
.
To elaborate on my point about the production team, technicians or then not, to somewhere like London, these personnel might find themselves without jobs.
DeleteMaryellen, as I said, I did it more for them if it means that much to those directly involved who feel closely linked with the place.
DeleteBasia, I appreciate that you are showing solidarity with the TA workforce and let’s hope it turns out to be a blessing in disguise for some of them at least, as it has for people I’ve known in a similar situation. And at least the BBC’s cost cutting here focuses on the premises and not, as far as we know, on the personnel.
DeleteI'm not a fan, but why spoil it for Stella and Pip?
ReplyDeleteAny stylist always travels with their kit.
Clarrie had the best idea - saved by the turkey crowd.
Wasn't all that thrilled by the wedding I'm afraid. Was hoping Nova and Serren would spill Ribena down their precious dresses and Natasha break a high heel in the cattle grid. Ooh, I am a nasty person.
ReplyDeleteBut nothing like that happened, although we may have lost two important character under a tree! Sorry to be facetious, but after all the hype and RT article I was expecting something really special, and it wasn't. Best bit by far - Eddie & Clarrie saving the turkeys & giving the wedding a miss.
I totally Archerfile. I was looking forward to the wedding being over, now I'm wishing it had never happend.
DeleteMaybe Vince will be injured and out of action for a while, and Freddie will step up and cover Vince's work thus gaining a lot more experience and proving himself ready to take over Lower Locksley, where Elizabeth has been very remiss in not training him.
DeleteGood thinking Janice.
DeleteThe speculation is that one of them has perished, but whatever happens, Freddie may have to help Elizabeth as well, remembering the way she was after Nigel's fall.
Does Lower Loxley attract winds?
Plus Vince and Elizabeth going through their private storm!
I really hope not, Basia. Chelsea is a ray of sunshine. And Vince has grown on me since his arrival as the hated abattoir owner.
DeleteThe debris that looked like an old wooden shed dumped! Was that wooden shed the one the turkeys were taken too then blown apart by the wind in which case the Grundy business is in ruins for this year. Eddie did specify the old wooden shed - I think…….
ReplyDeleteThey moved the turkeys to the shed because there was a hole in the pole barn roof and Eddie said he couldn't fix it, so it sounds like what came off was still there, let's hope so.
DeleteI thought the debris on the road must or might have been from the hole in the roof of the pole barn, not from the shed.
DeleteI do hope we have NOT lost another character. Both Chelsea and Vince are very much part of the Ambridge community.
And if they had to loose an actor because of downsizing I could think of several others I would rather went, than Chelsea or Vince. Better not say in case I upset someone!
DeleteI've said before that there's never been a story line about someone with a physical disability, so I wonder if this will turn into one - as long as it's Vince not Chelsea.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this was why Vince's 60th birthday was so prominent..
I'm just thinking aloud.
So !
ReplyDeleteWas that our 75th anniversary present ?
Another dramatic accident, and stormy weather.
I just wondered that Mrs P!
DeleteNever mind Vince! Think of the boost the storm has given to Ed and Emma's business. Going for tree surgery was an inspired move on their part. I still think George could have a part to play in it.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, it reminded me of one of my favourite poems, Philip Larkin's Wedding Wind (The wind blew all my wedding day) and I reread it. Its spare style counterbalanced Chelsea's high verbal performance.
I thought Chelsea did remarkably well tonight and was brilliantly acted.
ReplyDeleteSo Josh is back after all, I had a feeling he would be. Now the discussions will start - is it the old Josh or a new one? Been so long since I heard his voice, I have no idea!
Definitely a new voice for Josh ARCHERPHILE. - I. have an exquisite ear for voices and from his first words I could tell instantly that it was not the previous actor.
DeleteI take from that the reason for Josh to disappear to Argentina was to give us time to forget the voice, which in Josh’s case was distinctive.
Well, that was a cheery little episode!
ReplyDeleteYes, Archerphile, Chelsea was amazing. Clearly in shock but still doing her utmost to help Vince. Very well acted too.
And now we know the real reason why Josh was delayed - to be the knight in shining armour! Vince's prognosis doesn't look good. But it would have been even worse if he had been left cold and alone while Chelsea went to seek help.
And on the same note as my post above, Chelsea’s usual nasal tones changed with the hysteria that she displayed. But that hysteria drove her to action, and wasn’t she magnificent ?
ReplyDeleteActing not just the words but the emotion that changed her voice, and that emotion with an underlying hysteria was to me palpable.
Absolutely brilliant that woman !
Josh isn’t in this week’s cast list,, probably to prevent his shock arrival being leaked, rather than change of actor. I liked Angus Imrie In the role.
DeleteI just googled Angus Imrie to see what he is up to - in San Francisco, starring in a film being made! He is very good looking , in his thirties and has done lots of film and stage work. So no time for Archers these days!
ReplyDeleteMy question remains, why spoil it for Stella and Pip, at least last time we had the birth of Henry.
ReplyDeleteIt's not because they defied superstition, Tom and Kirsty didn't and it was of no use.
Then we had the non-wedding of Lilian and Justin, also hosted by LL, the place is jinxed.
George and Amber are due to be wed there, they haven't so far?
My short term memory is no good.
I don't have a good memory for voices but, according to Google, the new actor playing Josh is Sam Wilkinson.
ReplyDeleteand he's now showing as Josh on the Archers web page.
Deleteplus he's now in this week's cast list.
DeleteSneaky BBC keeping it so secret!
They always do that way! It didn’t surprise me at all.
DeleteDid anywhere else in the country get such a battering on Saturday night or did Storm Cliff(hanger) play out its full force in Borsetshire?
ReplyDeleteProbably in Walford Square “ boom boom boom boom boom” I can’t say it did much for me.
DeleteWell, they answered it for me, they've saved the day with the tractor and are wifed to each other.
ReplyDeleteit has to be said, a unicorn would have been little help against that tree!
DeleteI was listening tonight through my earphones and I jumped out of my skin when the chimney fell through the Orangery with such a huge crash! Sound effects were excellent I thought. Best actor of the past too nights, definitely Chelsea. Didn't think Lizzie sounded particularly upset at all.
ReplyDeleteYes that crash made me jump too.
ReplyDeleteInteresting choice I thought.
A storm on the night Nigel fell from the roof at Lower Loxley
And Helen gave birth.
And Sunday night, ( going on Monday and Tuesday) another storm, an accident with falling trees - and again a fall of a chimney from the ROOF of Lower Loxley.
And all around a wedding.
Not to mention a lesbian wedding and a tractor coming to the rescue.
Oh ! I suppose I mustn’t forget Josh arriving home.
I liked the closing exchange between Pip-and Stella - sweet but not saccharine. I got a real sense of unity which I haven’t before, especially in.the early days days when I thought Stella was just on the rebound..
ReplyDeleteAll about the Archers podcast Facebook page receiving many comments such as Ruth will have the test Pip will be affected and therefore the farm may end up Stella’s? Plus other even more feasible off shoots to this particular SL
DeleteCould be Vince in a wheelchair? Something many people say has been missing form TA, a disabled storyline?
DeleteI know the international symbol for disability is a man a wheelchair, but I think that makes it too much of a stereotype. Has TA ever touched on blindness?
DeleteMike Tucker lost an eye in a farming accident in 1991. Apparently Brian was to blame.
DeleteI don't think anyone in Ambridge has Long Covid. Certainly not its ugly step-sister, ME.
Aargh! I’ve lost the TA website! All I get is the Sounds list of past episodes. Any clues, anyone please? (Just as I was about to check Mike Tucker’s deaf ear....did I imagine it?)
DeleteI imagine this is why: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3qjnwye0ep5o
Delete'Sites and pages have been taken offline by the Finnish government, Edinburgh council and the BBC, with the Netherlands' cyber-security agency also pulling its website.'
Thanks! I have belatedly caught up with the current cyber alert. Wonder if TA will mention it.....
DeleteME. Mike Tucker was blind in one eye, I'm not sure he didn't even lose it.
DeleteApparently he lost it.
DeleteMikes eye injury was caused by David Archer not Brian.
DeleteDid we know Joy had a cat - Ena - black and white?
ReplyDeleteIt's one of Hilda's kittens. Hilda was named after Hilda Ogden from Coronation Street so Joy named her Ena, after Ena Sharples. There was also a male kitten named Stan (Stan Ogden) but I don't know where he ended up.
DeleteThank you Miriam, I completely missed Hilda having kittens.
DeleteMy mouse is at the ready - will Vince end up in the main section of my Fatal Accidents in Ambridge list or the subsection headed Miraculous Escapes and Hospital Recoveries?
ReplyDeleteYou have a LIST Maryellen !
DeleteI'm an ex-librarian and (as used to be said) librarians do it in alphabetical order, or in this case chronological order!
Delete