I used to listen to The Archers religiously for a couple of years - blogged about it here too - but dropped away, so it’s been a while now. However, if you’ve ever listened to the serial, you’ll know of David Archer, arguably the current heart of the show. This memoir dips back to before Bentinck got the fabled job on Radio 4, and talks with admirable honesty about the realities and insecurities of being a jobbing actor.

Another month has magically flown by both in reality, and in Ambridge. Rob and Tom had dinner, much to Pat’s disapproval. What would she think if she learned about Helen’s real relationship with Rob? Meanwhile, Tom got all over-eager, based on Rob’s advice and Kirsty’s Twitter campaign – she’s turning into the new Brenda, meals with Tom, marketing ideas, etc. But Bellingham’s don’t want to increase their order, and Tom may have jumped the gun. For a change!

Let’s start with the good news – Kenton and Jolene are getting married! Such a lovely couple, they are, and it was so much fun hearing David worrying that Kenton was getting itchy feet. It was the exact opposite, and over a packet of cheese and onion crisps, he asked that crucial question. Lovely stuff. Fallon was brilliantly supportive, and hopefully Meriel won’t be too bossy, although purple is a good choice of colour.

Can it only have been the start of June when Lillian was desperately trying to contact Paul and not getting any response? It feels like so long ago that she was finding out just how grumpy Paul could be, and then before you know it, he is dead. It’s slightly disappointing that we didn’t get to hear a big showdown with Matt revealing he knew all about it, but having said that, it’s also been interesting hearing his manipulation of Lillian as she goes through her own secret grief.

Here’s my random thoughts, in no particular order, about events in Ambridge in May: Kirsty boosts Tom’s morale when he really needs it, let’s hope he’s not going to have any rebound feelings in that direction. It would just be embarrassing for everyone involved. Josh gets a loan from his parents so he can buy a share in the chicken business, which puts Pip’s nose out of joint. She gets a reprieve from them, and still barely manages to spit out her thanks. It made her feel slightly better to beat her brother in the Single Wicket Competition, and I thought it was a fun coming together of characters to hear her complaining about brothers to Ed.

Helen persuades her mum and dad to think seriously about Tom’s proposal, and after a bit of debate, Pat eventually comes round. The timing couldn’t be better, as they agree to sell the cows and make all his dreams come true just as Brenda decides to break his heart. I thought the break-up was done very well, although slightly weird. Am I the only one who thought it odd they still slept in the same bed for a week after deciding to split up? Eventually they moved out, and as it finally did start to dawn on Tom that his relationship was over, well I did start to feel sorry for him.

Two big storylines this month, with the developing situation at Bridge Farm, and the saga between Chris and Alice. Alice heads off to Canada after a frosty goodbye with Chris, and it isn’t long before she’s getting a phone call saying he’s had a bad accident and she needs to return. There’s a long-standing joke saying: “It’s all kicking off in The Archers” because it never is. This time, it literally was, as Chris found himself at the wrong end of an angry horse. He pulled through, although it was touch and go for a while, and thus the agonising over whether to stay or go continues with the added emotional drama of recovering from a near-death experience as well.

Despite being a short month, it’s been a busy few weeks in Ambridge, with lots of storylines thrown into the melting pot. Here are my scatter-brained thoughts on February with The Archers. Pip did overdo a bit going to stay at Rickyard Cottage whens he was mad at her parents. It’s quite fun seeing Josh become the responsible one as Pip gradually loses every ounce of respect she ever earned from her parents.

Somehow, I’m heading into my fourth year of writing these monthly recaps. I still don’t know quite why I do it, but hey, it’s fun for me! It’s also interesting to look back and see where we were this time three years ago, when I began. January 2010: Helen was fussing over pregnant Annette, Brenda couldn’t find a job to save her life, and Ruth was jumping down Pip’s throat. How times… oh.

The past month in Archers-land passed terribly quickly, I can’t quite believe it is 2013 already. To recap on the festive antics of our Ambridge-based friends, we must begin with Lilian and Matt. What is going on in that woman’s head? I don’t understand why she doesn’t just leave Matt if she is so unhappy with him? Why sneak off into the kitchen to take clandestine phone calls? They aren’t married, they have no children. They have a history but it’s a tempestuous one at best. What’s stopping her just running off with Paul? The business, maybe? I don’t get it.

I’m a bit late on writing this for November, we’re almost halfway through December already, but there’s plenty to catch up on before the festive season begins (and we have to endure Lynda’s latest creative endeavour). Of course, the main story over the past few weeks has been Ed, Emma and their lack of funding. George dropped them in it a bit by demanding the more expensive cereal whilst shopping with Nic. When Will said they should have George more often, Ed flipped out. When Nic asked Emma, it went over much better. Good ol’ Super Nic. Anyway, there was an emotional trip for Emma to the foodbank, where she was caught by Susan (what are the chances!) and then after another hefty bill, they realised the solution was staring them in the face. Ed swallowed his pride and agreed to move in to Susan and Neil’s. It seems very hypocritical how Susan said it was “different” that Emma wanted to come home, as opposed to Tracey. Emma has two noisy kids too!

This month has been all about Ed and Emma and their lack of funds. They’ve both been trying to find extra work but it is not easy to find. Expensive things keep happening - broken cars, trips to London, vet bills - and there’s only so many times Susan and Neil can reach into their pockets. What this is really building up to is yet another battle between Ed and Will, however. Will gave his boy a surprise guinea pig as a pet and a present. That just landed them with another expense they weren’t hoping for.

After the revelations of last month, Mike and Vicky, well, they’re not talking at all. They start to tell people about the baby, so they get advice from all quarters. Then they do talk - a full on two-hander episode that was really good. Mike is still worried, but he’s on board. For now. Elsewhere, Freddie breaks his collar bone because Elizabeth is ridiculous and can’t say no to her son. She blames Shula, and then when she goes round to apologise, she blames Nigel. It’s called responsibility, woman! What Freddie’s injury has done, though, is break the ice between David and Elizabeth, after brother went round to visit nephew and was busted by sister, who didn’t go mental. They were perfectly civil, if not nice, and then Elizabeth got a moving gift/card for David for his birthday. Is that it, then? Family feud done?

A lot has happened in a month for Vicky and Mike. Vicky couldn’t contain her excitement over the news, announcing it at Phoebe’s coming home party. Everyone seemed to take it very well - I was expecting a lot more shock and gossip, but we didn’t really hear any of that. (In fact, when Lynda learned of the news, she was incredibly supportive, beautifully so!) Instead, the focus of the storyline has been on less flippant things. Vicky was plunged into despair upon hearing that she may have an increased chance of a baby with Down’s Syndrome… which then was confirmed. It’s a topic I have absolutely no right to talk of, except to say the acting was superb throughout. The confusion, the fear, the determination, the yo-yo of emotions, all played out perfectly.

This month the troubles at Brookfield came to an apparent end, so towards the end of July we had a glimpse of other impending storylines and a reminder that there are other people in Ambridge too! But, of course, the fire at Brookfield farm really was the key point of the last few weeks and still has some repercussions to come. Fired up At first, everyone was abandoning the farm - the kids were whisked away, Ed was off on a course meaning Emma left to stay with her mum. But after another scare, they all piled back again and that’s when the trouble was bound to happen. The fire scenes were tense, although Emma’s relentless screaming of her son’s name did grate by the end.

June, June, June. The month in Ambridge has been completely overshadowed by the terror at Brookfield, but before we talk about that, let’s discuss some other bits and pieces. First up, Jill says she’ll pay for some or all of Kenton and Jolene’s trip to New Zealand. That’s pretty flipping generous. Then she goes on to intervene between Ruth and David when it’s clear the strain between them is getting too much. More on that down the page, but sometimes I can’t decide if Jill is just interfering or if she’s pretty fabulous. It’s a fine line.

There have only really been two main topics of conversation over the past few weeks in Ambridge. First up, Amy and Usha. What on earth is going on in that house? The relationship between Amy and Alan seems wholly too smothering for comfort, and Alan’s inability to stand up to his daughter to support his wife is quite shocking. In one of the last episodes of the month, Usha finally gets fed up of the mixture of cold shoulder and hideous sniping, and shouts: “I’m his wife! I live here!” Damn right.

I can only really hark back to my review of the 2011 edition, as it is the same - just with a few added characters and a few taken away. I did notice a few things in this one I hadn’t picked up on previously - for example, I didn’t know that Neil and Hayley kept chickens together. And then a few episodes after I read that, they mentioned their eggs in the show itself.

This month, I’ve gone day by day again. I like to do it occasionally, because it makes me realise just how much does go on in Ambridge, despite the fact it doesn’t feel like it! 1st - Tom needs Jazzer to do some extra hours because of all the dreaded paperwork. A glimpse at what being an adult is really like! More on Amy’s new boyfriend. They dropped in all the Ambridge Extra story in one minute. Weird.

For a new fan of the Archers, these books are invaluable. I read the 2009 version and was instantly caught up on the characters I was just getting to know. It’s a quick start guide for anyone who wants the important back story of each villager, but without it being too detailed. It also brings you up to speed on recent events, so that if you’re diving into the soap after some time off, you’ll be able to catch up what you’ve missed.

My Archers roundups get later and later, it seems, but it’s okay because the goings on never stop in Ambridge. This month, we’ve had misplaced compliments, completely pointless handshakes, and the never-ending saga of John/Rich, the long-lost grandson. Why on earth Sharon gave in and allowed the boy to find out about his extended family I do not know. That visit from Helen was about as disastrous as they get.

So, Tony had a heart attack. I don’t think anyone saw that coming, did they? Even on the official Archers blog they had to admit that it was a rather anticipated event. It happened right at the end of the month, after another couple of busy weeks for Bridge Farm. With launches, more talk on the long-lost grandchild, Tom’s never-ending obsession with pork-based ready meals, and Pat’s animosity towards Brian over the mega dairy, it’s been yet another month full of this branch of the Archers clan. When will they get a break? Perhaps now.

Ambridge has brought in the New Year with a successful wedding, a disintegrating family, the potential for a big betrayal and some very tired people. It always amazes me how each episode of The Archers can pass without major incident, and yet the stories keep on moving stealthily forward. At Bridge Farm, preparations for the relaunch overshadowed everything else - including the now seemingly forgotten fact of John, the grandson. Pat seems a lot happier, particularly after her birthday party, and the grumpy mood has moved to Tony. There are far too many references to how tired and overworked he is, which raises the “health problems” alarm bells. Either that or he’s just going to explode and refuse to do any more work.

Following hot on the heels of the Friends edition, Celebrity Mastermind featured a set of questions on The Archers, courtesy of politician Jacqui Smith. She had chosen to answer questions on the long-running soap from the 1980s to today, and I did not do very well at all. I got 5 questions right, and whilst I knew a few more of the answers but couldn’t think, I really wasn’t particularly good at this one. But, hey, how did you get on?

My Archers posts are always a few days late, which means in Ambridge, Will and Nic are already married. I, however, don’t listen to the new month until I’ve published this (it’s kind of an incentive) and thus I am left on the eve of the big day. We’ve heard far too much drunk rambling from Nic on her hen night, and we’ve heard Ian and Caroline take custody on the cake. Moments later, she slipped over and fell on it. Apparently, there’s room for a bit of slapstick at Grey Gables, of which I heartily approve. Especially if it means Ian can play the hero.

It seems to be a time for history to start catching up with the villagers in Ambridge this month, with all kinds of long-lost relatives being unearthed and rediscovered. First up in the main show, it’s all about Pat, Tony, Helen, Tom and what could be their new grandson/nephew. After Kylie appeared at the funeral for Ivy, she started talking about a brother and Pat got very suspicious. I don’t know who Kylie or Sharon are. I don’t really care that they have another relation at all. But Pat wouldn’t let it drop, and after stalking the poor chap on Facebook has decided he looks the spitting image of her deceased son John and therefore must be his. This all seems very sensationalist for a soap like The Archers. It’s not like Pat and Tony didn’t have enough going on at the moment. What with Helen and her baby, plus the Bridge Farm brand going down the tubes, they seem to have dominated most of this year.

The big news this month in Ambridge is that Clive Horrobin is back. He’s getting much more attention in Ambridge Extra which returned in October (more on that later), but his appearance is reverberating around the whole village, in the main show as well. I am aware of Clive’s work, but haven’t actually heard him in the show before, and he seems like a nasty chap even when he’s supposedly turning over a new leaf. Handily, however, there was gossip spreading around the village, and the new barman Rhys had all of Clive’s misdemeanours explained to him, so that those not in the know could be brought up to speed. Sneaky. Clearly we are not to trust him, and his hooking up with Matt immediately makes me very concerned. Who knows what scheme he has planned this time?

It’s been a bit of a downer month in Ambridge really, starting with Phoebe finally making her way out of Borsetshire and heading towards her extended family in South Africa. I thought the departure was really well done. Lots of nitpicking over clothes and packing, trying to brave, and in the end, it was Roy who started with the tears first. Bless. After two kids fleeing the nest, Jennifer finds herself lonely and bored. She manages to find time to give Clarrie something of a pep talk, and denies Tony a hand out after he comes grovelling. She must be able to find something more useful to do, in the whole of Ambridge, and with all their connections and money.

As this very wise post says, a lot of the goings on in the Archers this month have been to do with business and money. From the trials and tribulations at Bridge Farm, to Peggy’s desperate bid to keep Jack’s carer, everything has resolved around those little round coins. The Bridge Farm situation keeps on going from bad to worse. Customers are turning away in their droves, businesses are severing ties with them, and potential partners are finding out all about the dreaded environmental health problem on the internet. Pip has been sticking her nose in, and it’s fun to hear Tom and Brenda being annoyed by someone other than Vicky. Clarrie did the right thing, in my mind, and resigned from the dairy. If nothing else, it stopped the neverending argument between Tom and Pat about whether to fire her. That does leave the Grundy’s scrabbling about for cash again, though.

This month has been dominated by two main stories - the scarecrow rivalry, and the E.Coli outbreak at Pat and Tony’s. Firstly, the scarecrow battle. It was interesting to see how all the parties reacted to the efforts to make a bigger and better scarecrow. It seems Will has forgiven Emma for everything that has gone before, whilst his hatred for Ed just keeps on getting bigger. Both parties were keen to get their extended family involved, and luckily for everyone, little Georgie managed to win from both sides. I wonder if Lewis was being somewhat diplomatic with the decision.

This month in Ambridge seems to have been another where the storylines tick along nicely, but there were no major outbursts to dominate. There were a few talking points, though, so let’s see what’s been happening. Just tripping Adam and Brian agreed to take over Farm Sunday to take some of the weight off David. It was a nice gesture from them, although clearly they were all quite competitive about it. Will they be fighting over who gets to host it next year? There’s been plenty of talk about the pickers, particularly the battle between Jazzer and Harry as they try and get to know one particular sweet-talking girl. Has he forgotten about Fallon? Are they not friends anymore? I find that slightly odd, but it was fun to hear the odd couple bickering with each other. All those trips that the pickers go on, they seem to have a more exciting life than anyone who stays in Ambridge regularly. Shakespeare plays, potteries, all kinds of things.

The big news this month is the fallout of David’s confession to Elizabeth that it was his idea to take Nigel up on the roof. It was a great idea to make this happen on some random sunny afternoon, rather than at a high-pressure moment such as the inquest or the funeral. Rather, the tension bubbled up inside David, he couldn’t take the praise anymore and he just burst. It does seem very one-sided of the family, all suggesting that Elizabeth should just let it go. The woman has just lost her husband and has struggled to keep a family business going, every day a reminder of what she’s lost. Why shouldn’t she be angry if someone takes the blame for it? Surely rather than every member of the family trying to change her mind - first Jill, then Kenton, then Shula - just let time work it’s magic.

This month saw the debut of The Archers spin-off show Ambridge Extra, focusing on the lives of some of the younger and further afield inhabitants. I was excited about the show, then I was a bit put off when I saw some of the reviews who said it was like the Ambridge take on Skins. However, when I listened, of course, it’s The Archers, so it’s really not at all bad. It’s just like an extra couple of episodes a week, although with less concentration on sticking to the specific day of broadcast.

As a bit of a change, I thought I’d split this month up into its separate weeks - Sunday to Friday - to see how the stories developed. Week 1 Emma and Clarrie go shopping together and it’s all very awkward. Considering Emma has Susan at home just desperate to pamper her, it seems odd that she’s chasing more of a relationship with Clarrie as well. Both Pat and Tony go on and on at Helen to move in with them, until she finally gives in - but only at the point where she believes it would be doing both sides a favour.

Ambridge is not so much doom and gloom anymore, but there is tension all around and little to be joyous about. Except that Camilla visit, which was so hyped up and generally not very interesting. The Lynda business was a bit silly, and bless Ian for not going on and on about HRH. At Lower Loxley, it’s still tough. David keeps trying to escape but ends up doing more and more, including a trip up to Scotland to deliver a bull personally. It’s no wonder Ruth has finally lost her temper. I can’t believe she didn’t do it before. It took losing two milkings worth of product before she finally exploded at him properly. Even so, it doesn’t seem like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. David was almost convinced but then a quick chat with Jill, saying that poor Elizabeth with her poor heart would just take it all on herself, and he was right back to shouldering the burden himself.

Naturally, this month has been dominated by the repercussions from Nigel’s death - both in Ambridge, and in real life as well. The outpouring of indignation from Archers listeners is quite incredible, with some even going so far as to demand a rewrite for Nigel to be reinstated. I can understand some of the anger - previous Ambridge deaths have coincided with real-life, with the death of the actor playing Phil Archer, and the ill-health of the actor playing Sid Perks. Nigel’s untimely demise was specifically written in to the story, for no reason other than to shake up the village. On the other hand, it is a fictional village where everything is written anyway. Even if you have grown up listening to these characters for thirty years, that doesn’t change the fact that… well, change happens.

The BBC have gradually been building up to this evening’s episode, with behind the scenes stories and footage littering the news and blogs and a great campaign to get listeners to tweet-along with the episode. Although I knew it was supposed to be something special, I was just going to treat it like any other episode and listen to the podcast when I had the chance. How much damage are they really going to do? If a normal storyline is how many different kinds of species Pip can find in the grass, a massive storyline is probably not going to be a plane crashing into the village.

To celebrate Christmas with the Archers (and a year since I have been blogging about Ambridge - a year? Where’s that gone?), I thought I’d do this post a little differently. I’m experimenting with the format a little, and will go through the month show by show. It’s not as scary as it sounds. Let us just begin. **1st **- Tony is mean to Kathy again, but she is still whining about Jamie, so who can blame him? Meanwhile, Kate is being far meaner to Ruari - just because Phoebe wants to go to Laser Quest, she drags Ruari along, and makes him sick. Equally, she’s not telling Phoebe the whole truth about her return to South Africa. Kate is just awful.

A fascinating month in Ambridge this time out, with lots and lots of little bits and pieces helping to set things up for Christmas, and keep the longer storylines bubbling along nicely. I have no idea how I’m going to cover this all in a reasonable space, but let’s just dive right in. Ed, Emma, Will and Nic What used to be a complicated love triangle has now become more of a hate quadrangle. Ed and Will are still at loggerheads whenever they bump into each other. Emma is wary of getting involved with anything to do with Will, but Nic is keen for them all to get along nicely.

What a month! Goodness me. The weeks and weeks of setup we have been listening to are finally starting to pay off. Where do I start? Kathy and Jamie I had kinda thought, and hoped, that with Kenton out of the picture, we would hear a bit less of Kathy. Wrong! Jamie has turned into a horror teenager, I won’t argue that, although there are quite some depths he has to sink to yet… if this was Eastenders, anyway.

Finally, Kenton and Kathi have split up! Who else is completely and utterly relieved? It started at that golf club dinner thing, when Kenton was doing his best, as per usual, and Kathi was being annoying, as per usual. She told him she didn’t need any help, then complained when he didn’t help her. Granted, he did punch her boss, and when he moved out, he immediately got drunk and arrested, but still, her claims that he was childish and unreliable still seemed unfair.

What a great way to start the month - a surprise wedding! (Actually, it wasn’t that much of a surprise to me as I read this fabulous post first - oops!) Not such a great surprise for Jennifer, though. I have honestly never heard anyone quite so snobby. Of course, she inhabits a world where a barbecue takes two very stressful weeks to organise and involves marquees and hiding the expensive liquor. Did she really think Uncle Jailbird was going to be let out for a party? Funerals, yes. Maybe even a wedding at a push, but a party? Unlikely.

Yes! Jude is out of the way. The only real problem this story had, aside from the ongoing annoyances at David putting his size fifteen wellies in it every step of the way, is that it was so obvious from the start. Jude was older, not that bothered, pretty darn lazy, whilst Pip - although head over heels in love - was none of these things. Her friend Izzy put it best, suggesting that when Pip was with Jude, she was not a particularly nice person. Thank goodness that she has gone back to counting grass and sizing up cows. I find it slightly odd that she would return so quickly to the bosom of the farmyard, but perhaps she wanted comfort in something familiar.

And then, he was gone. Poor Sid! He only just got to take a holiday, went jogging, and poof, he was gone. At least he got to see his daughter one last time, I suppose. I’ve not been listening long enough to know him as anything other than Jamie’s dad that takes him to football sometimes, and that guy behind the bar. Still, he seems to be quite a popular chap, and the party they held in his honour was lovely. I did enjoy this post about him, and highly recommend reading it.

May saw a lot more going on than in the previous few months, as some of the slow-burning storylines begin to come to fruition. Starting with, of course, Lillian, Paul and Matt. The love triangle. Can I just officially say - Lillian and Paul = bleurgh! He was so disgustingly soppy, and she was right there with him. Eventually, she chose Matt but I would gladly have those two minutes of my life back, please.

Gosh, it’s been quite a busy month in Ambridge, hasn’t it? And it’s been all about the girls in April. Pip has at least gone quiet now, after her ill-fated trip to Cornwall to check up on her boyfriend. Then he tried to kill her by recklessly driving around on a quad bike and now David has banned him from the farm. Phew. I thought it was all over, but I was disappointed. Ruth is now constantly moaning that she doesn’t see Pip anymore, as the girl is spending all her time at Jude’s. Is anyone else a bit confused that Pip isn’t allowed to come home after 11pm without getting an earful, is read the riot act for daring to drink a bit of alcohol, has managed to get her boyfriend banned from the property, but it’s perfectly acceptable that she spends all weekend over at his place?

This month seems to have been about introducing new names, or at least bringing back returning faces. We’ve seen Lillian develop her relationship with Paul and we’ve seen Kate return… more on that later. I think I’ll start where I left off, with Alan sleeping in a tent. The man got a wicked cough - I have no idea how you can act out something like that! I don’t know about anyone else but I was highly disturbed when Usha was chasing him down because she was “lonely” and I was quite relieved when the cough clearly made Alan less attractive. It’s nice that Jill got involved on the periphery, helping to save the vicar and make him see sense.

For a moment, I thought the Annette/Baby/Leon/Helen storyline was all done and dusted. Helen kept on shrieking until Annette left, and then Helen told anyone and everyone who came in to the shop exactly why it was that her young friend had fled. I read on the message boards someone who consumed The Archers via the email synopsis of each show, and assumed they were a couple from her scarily clingy nature. I can totally see it!

Note: I enjoyed writing my little Christmas thoughts post on the Archers, and thought I could turn this into a monthly thing. I have long been saying how I would love to keep a blog on the soap, but as I’m constantly running about a week behind, it doesn’t seem worth trying to start one. However, I do like to discuss it, and I think it would be fun to look back on, so here are my thoughts for January.

The storyline with Pip wanting to leave college is really annoying me. I can understand David and Ruth’s reluctance for their daughter to make a rash decision, and the compromise of giving it another go for one more term is a good one. But they are so dead set against her leaving, praying that she’ll have changed her mind before another term is up, it makes me cringe. I did exactly what Pip wants to do, began A Levels but found it a waste of time so I left and got a job.