Tired of absurd TV soap plots? Give Ambridge a try

[Nick Odell]

<https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/07/tired-of-absurd-tv-soap-plots-give-ambridge-a-try>

Nick

[john ashby]

Post by Nick Odell
<https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/07/tired-of-absurd-tv-soap-plots-give-ambridge-a-try>
Nick

The writer seems to have forgotten the time Tom Forrest got away with
shooting a poacher.

Also from The Guardian (well, The Observer, actually) yesterday's
Everyman crossword has a R4 theme which might appeal to cruciverbirats.
The most appropriate clue was:

Brian Aldridge, somewhat obsessive (4)

Should Miranda be warned?

john

[J. P. Gilliver]

Post by john ashby

Post by Nick Odell
<https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/07/tired-of-absurd-t
v-soap-plots-give-ambridge-a-try>
Nick

(Thanks.)

Post by john ashby
The writer seems to have forgotten the time Tom Forrest got away with
shooting a poacher.
Also from The Guardian (well, The Observer, actually) yesterday's
Everyman crossword has a R4 theme which might appeal to cruciverbirats.
Brian Aldridge, somewhat obsessive (4)
Should Miranda be warned?
john

There was a prog. (after last night's epi.; could it have been the prog.
I usually turn off?) about cryptic crosswords, which mentioned it -
those who like such, it (the crossword) is at
https://crosswords-static.guim.co.uk/obs.everyman.20240407.pdf . I've
done all but 7 or 8 clues. (Although it has an R4 _theme_, I don't think
you actually have to know anything about R4 to _do_ them, unless you do
for the ones I haven't got yet.)

The prog. - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001y22r - was quite good;
I had heard another on the subject a few (which probably means many!)
years ago, which mentioned crosswords on some (IIRR tube) stations, and
also a very long (I think it was 12 letters!) hidden-word clue. Anyone
else remember that one (or even better, have a link to it)?

[Nick Odell]

Post by john ashby

Post by Nick Odell
<https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/07/tired-of-absurd-tv-soap-plots-give-ambridge-a-try>
Nick

The writer seems to have forgotten the time Tom Forrest got away with
shooting a poacher.

<snip>
The trouble is that the 12-year-old marketing executives who seem to
be the only ones getting letters published in the Grauiad these days
weren't even alive when that happened and have probably never heard of
Tom Forrest

Nick

[Rosie Mitchell]

Post by Nick Odell

Post by john ashby

Post by Nick Odell
<https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/07/tired-of-absurd-tv-soap-plots-give-ambridge-a-try>
Nick

The writer seems to have forgotten the time Tom Forrest got away with
shooting a poacher.

<snip>
The trouble is that the 12-year-old marketing executives who seem to
be the only ones getting letters published in the Grauiad these days
weren't even alive when that happened and have probably never heard of
Tom Forrest

I remember the days when I used to scan the letters in the Grauniad to
see how many of their writers I knew. I was also dead chuffed when my
first ever letter to the Grauniad, in November 1982, was not only
published but was the lead letter of the day. That was when you started
your letter "Sir," and there was still an ad for Sam's Chop House on the
top left of the front page.

The Grauniad is not what it was. It seems to be run by and for
12-year-old marketing executives these days.

Rosie

[Mike McMillan]

Post by Rosie Mitchell

Post by Nick Odell

Post by john ashby

Post by Nick Odell
<https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/07/tired-of-absurd-tv-soap-plots-give-ambridge-a-try>
Nick

The writer seems to have forgotten the time Tom Forrest got away with
shooting a poacher.

<snip>
The trouble is that the 12-year-old marketing executives who seem to
be the only ones getting letters published in the Grauiad these days
weren't even alive when that happened and have probably never heard of
Tom Forrest

I remember the days when I used to scan the letters in the Grauniad to
see how many of their writers I knew. I was also dead chuffed when my
first ever letter to the Grauniad, in November 1982, was not only
published but was the lead letter of the day. That was when you started
your letter "Sir," and there was still an ad for Sam's Chop House on the
top left of the front page.
The Grauniad is not what it was. It seems to be run by and for
12-year-old marketing executives these days.
Rosie

YA EdReardon AICM£5

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Nick Odell

Post by john ashby

Post by Nick Odell
<https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/07/tired-of-absurd-tv-soap-plots-give-ambridge-a-try>
Nick

The writer seems to have forgotten the time Tom Forrest got away with
shooting a poacher.

<snip>
The trouble is that the 12-year-old marketing executives who seem to
be the only ones getting letters published in the Grauiad these days
weren't even alive when that happened and have probably never heard of
Tom Forrest

To be fair to 12-year-old marketing executives for a moment, the event
you mentioned happened in 1957[1], so...
There could be a few Umrats who are too youthful to have clear recall.

[1] the Gruniad itself mentioned this in an article from 28 Jan 2016:

"In 1957, Bob Larkin is out poaching when he is shot by Tom Forrest, for
which the latter is charged with manslaughter but later acquitted. This
vintage storyline has always been a highlight of Ambridge mysteries. The
motive? Bob Larkin was a rival for the affections of barmaid Pru Harris,
whom Tom later married. But we’ll never know what really happened."