Debbie's Dad does the Guardian Q&A

[Nick Odell]

Charles Collingwood
<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/08/the-archers-star-charles-collingwood-the-last-lie-i-told-darling-marvellous-isnt-the-word>

Nick

[Kosmo]

Post by Nick Odell
Charles Collingwood
<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/08/the-archers-star-charles-collingwood-the-last-lie-i-told-darling-marvellous-isnt-the-word>
Nick

Was he answering the questions as Brian or Charles? I am not sure there
are many differences.

[Kosmo]

Post by Nick Odell
Charles Collingwood
<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/08/the-archers-
star-charles-collingwood-the-last-lie-i-told-darling-marvellous-isnt-
the-word>
Nick

Was he answering the questions as Brian or Charles?  I am not sure there
are many differences.

Hmm. Some may know that Prince Charles was long referenced as "Brian"
by Private Eye (and possibly elsewhere). What an odd coincidence.

[Serena Blanchflower]

Post by Nick Odell
Charles Collingwood
<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/08/the-archers-
star-charles-collingwood-the-last-lie-i-told-darling-marvellous-isnt-
the-word>
Nick

Was he answering the questions as Brian or Charles?  I am not sure there
are many differences.

I don't remember ever hearing about Brian having a beautiful silver
Jaguar XKR soft-top, and I don't think he's ever been unduly interested
in cricket, so I think he must have been answering as Charles. I agree
that they seem to be very similar characters though.

[Ben Blaney]

Post by Nick Odell
Charles Collingwood
<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/08/the-archers-star-charles-collingwood-the-last-lie-i-told-darling-marvellous-isnt-the-word>

Interesting that they wrote that his wife played Shula Hebden...in the past
tense. Is that public information that I missed, or the grauniad's failure to
edit properly, or inside information that shouldn't have been published?

[Serena Blanchflower]

Post by Ben Blaney

Post by Nick Odell
Charles Collingwood
<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/08/the-archers-star-charles-collingwood-the-last-lie-i-told-darling-marvellous-isnt-the-word>

Interesting that they wrote that his wife played Shula Hebden...in the past
tense. Is that public information that I missed, or the grauniad's failure to
edit properly, or inside information that shouldn't have been published?

Judy Bennett announced her retirement, a couple of years or so ago.
This was the reason for Shula moving to Sunderland. It was reported, at
the time, that she was finding the travelling up to Birmingham, from
Hampshire, for recording more than she could, or wanted, to manage. It
didn't help that, all too often, Shula and Brian are in very different
storylines, and so they generally weren't doing this together. Shula,
and Judy, have been heard in Ambridge once or twice since then but she
isn't a regular member of the cast any more.

[Ben Blaney]

On Mar 8, 2025 at 5:00:59 PM EST, "Serena Blanchflower"

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by Ben Blaney

Post by Nick Odell
Charles Collingwood
<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/08/the-archers-star-charles-collingwood-the-last-lie-i-told-darling-marvellous-isnt-the-word>

Interesting that they wrote that his wife played Shula Hebden...in the past
tense. Is that public information that I missed, or the grauniad's failure to
edit properly, or inside information that shouldn't have been published?

Judy Bennett announced her retirement, a couple of years or so ago.
This was the reason for Shula moving to Sunderland. It was reported, at
the time, that she was finding the travelling up to Birmingham, from
Hampshire, for recording more than she could, or wanted, to manage. It
didn't help that, all too often, Shula and Brian are in very different
storylines, and so they generally weren't doing this together. Shula,
and Judy, have been heard in Ambridge once or twice since then but she
isn't a regular member of the cast any more.

Ah, thanks. I'd missed that news.

Which inevitably leads me to my semi-regular rant about the characters of the
"older" generation. It's mad that Peggy, Jill, Christine, and now Shula are
still alive but never (or seldom) heard. The scriptwriters just need to kill
them off.

[Kosmo]

Post by Ben Blaney
On Mar 8, 2025 at 5:00:59 PM EST, "Serena Blanchflower"

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by Ben Blaney

Post by Nick Odell
Charles Collingwood
<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/08/the-archers-star-charles-collingwood-the-last-lie-i-told-darling-marvellous-isnt-the-word>

Interesting that they wrote that his wife played Shula Hebden...in the past
tense. Is that public information that I missed, or the grauniad's failure to
edit properly, or inside information that shouldn't have been published?

Judy Bennett announced her retirement, a couple of years or so ago.
This was the reason for Shula moving to Sunderland. It was reported, at
the time, that she was finding the travelling up to Birmingham, from
Hampshire, for recording more than she could, or wanted, to manage. It
didn't help that, all too often, Shula and Brian are in very different
storylines, and so they generally weren't doing this together. Shula,
and Judy, have been heard in Ambridge once or twice since then but she
isn't a regular member of the cast any more.

Ah, thanks. I'd missed that news.
Which inevitably leads me to my semi-regular rant about the characters of the
"older" generation. It's mad that Peggy, Jill, Christine, and now Shula are
still alive but never (or seldom) heard. The scriptwriters just need to kill
them off.

I suspect that in most cases these days they agree with the best friend
how they wish to appear at St Stephen's. In fffffffer's case the
actress remains with us (although she has sadly lost her husband
recently) but clearly felt unable to return to the Mailbox and accepted
the arrangements.

Obviously June Spencer is no longer with us so I assume Peggy's trip to
the churchyard is being saved to maximise dramatic contribution.

Jill and Christine remain - Jill can no longer travel and is heard but
usually her contributions tend to have different sonic characteristics
and I believe she like Jazzer now has to learn her lines. Christine I
assume has also asked not to depart as a character until she dies. She
has been quiet a long time.