LISTEN 
Tom Mangold revisits the scandal he covered for the Daily Express 50 years ago.
Friday 24 May 2013, 19:10
All you ever wanted to know about this fun version of cricket
Read more about Single Wicket cricket – how it’s played
Friday 24 May 2013, 19:10
Getting a lift with Nic
Tom Archer
The man from Bellingham's, he say yes!
Pip Archer
Cover to drive
Jazzer
Highland games going ahead
Getting a lift with Paul
Lilian Bellamy
Two damaged relationships for the price of one
Helen Archer
Too much information, love
Darrell Makepeace
On borrowed time
You can receive this light-hearted round-up in The Archers weekly email newsletter, along with other Archers-related news and features.
Keri Davies is an Archers scriptwriter and web producer.
Friday 24 May 2013, 19:10
Kim Durham (Matt Crawford)
Is Matt actually jealous? The actor who plays him has some interesting insights.
I really love playing Matt. He’s obviously very intelligent but he has very limited emotional intelligence. It’s such a factor in all the storylines we’ve had for him.
How has he developed over the years?
American writers on acting talk about ‘the actor as the co-author’. The British don’t tend to do that. But in this sort of show it’s the one opportunity you have to actually be the co-author. Because what happens is that you deliver a certain performance and the writers pick up on things that you’re doing. So you find things creeping in and you think ‘oh yeah, I recognise that’. It’s quite alarming. Maybe there’s more of me in Matt than I realised!
It’s been a very interesting journey. When he first came in, he was an out-and-out baddie. Then he got together with Lilian and the two of them became a sort of comedy duo. And then it developed into something much fuller and more rounded, which has been a joy. And – talking of his emotional intelligence – as we’ve explored him and Lilian, the relationship has gradually induced a greater awareness...
Friday 24 May 2013, 19:10
Cricket - bowled
Bank holiday Monday brings Ambridge's annual single wicket cricket competition. Here's a brief guide to how the game is played.
The actual rules are the same as for any game of cricket in terms of runs, ways of getting out etc. If you don’t understand those, then you’ll have an uphill struggle, but you can mug up on the ‘laws’ of cricket here.
Single wicket refers not to the stumps (a common misconception) but to the fact that it is a knockout competition involving individuals rather than teams.
You usually start with 16 players, who are drawn to play against each other in pairs.
So in the first round Tom (say) plays against Roy. Tom bowls an over, against Roy batting Then they swap round. Whoever scores the most runs in their over, or until they are out, goes through to the next round.
After round one, eight players remain and so on until two players are left to contest the final. Sometimes the semi-finals and final will comprise three and four overs respectively.
Fielding is done by the other players on a rotational basis. So while player A plays player B, ten of the others will field (including a wicket keeper). The other four (usually the two pairs...
Monday 20 May 2013, 09:06
Sunny bank holiday
Josh Archer
Put it there, partner
Nic Grundy
Enjoying church life
Jill Archer
Flower festival coming on nicely
Then back to winter
Lilian Bellamy
Run, girl, run!
Matt Crawford
The penny drops at last
Wouldn't like to be in his shoes
You can receive this light-hearted round-up in The Archers weekly email newsletter, along with other Archers-related news and features.
Keri Davies is an Archers scriptwriter and web producer.
Sunday 19 May 2013, 18:27
Michael Fenton Stevens (Paul Morgan)
Seeing his ex-wife remarrying has increased Paul’s desperation to be with Lilian to alarming levels. The actor Michael Fenton Stevens examines the motivations that drive his character.
Paul feels that the important thing is that when he loves someone he should devote everything to them and those things need to be reciprocal. We’ve gone through periods with the character where he’s said ‘I love you so much, I will put up with anything to stay with you’. They were very interesting and quite difficult scenes to play, because clearly Lilian had decided...
Read more about Michael Fenton Stevens on Paul – lover or controller?
Sunday 19 May 2013, 18:27
Post from @DAaronovitch on Twitter
Matt’s next move and Pip’s car troubles have dominated discussions this week. We’ve had all manner of guesses about what Matt’s planning to do about Lilian and Paul, with everything from murder to marriage suggested. There were huge cheers for David for sticking to his guns over Pip’s car loan. But they’re not so happy with his "push-over of a wife".
Here’s my pick of online listener discussions between 9 and 15 May 2013
As Matt Crawford takes his frustration out on his golf balls, listeners wonder if he will be serving up a dish of revenge...
Read more about 'Revenge is a dish best served cold' - listener discussions to 15 May 2013
Tuesday 14 May 2013, 16:51
Post from @borntoloaf on Twitter
Thank you to all the listeners have posted their condolences and memories of Arnold Peters, who played Jack Woolley. Here are just a handful of them.
Farewell to a lovely gentleman (Nichola Mollison on BBC The Archers Facebook page)
Such sad news. I've been listening to him for as long as I can remember. #thearchers (@Jacqui12358 on Twitter)
I am so sad that Arnold has passed away. His character in the Archers was an integral part of the drama and I know life goes on even for my favourite "soap" but somehow it will dimmed by his light going out. (Bob Booker...
Read more about 'Thanks for Jack' - Archers listeners say a fond farewell to Arnold Peters
Monday 13 May 2013, 12:27
Post from @lomelindi on Twitter
Budding entrepreneur Josh Archer has impressed some listeners, but others report a growing sense of unease about his future. When it comes to his sister, they hope she’ll soon be found out after starting the rumours about Bridge farm.
Listeners are relieved that Matt Crawford is back on form. They’re waiting for a “showdown” with Paul and Lilian which, they say, can’t come too soon.
Almost everyone thinks that Helen won’t be hearing from Jonathan again after she revealed too much on their date.
There’s much relief as Lynda’s llama drama comes...
Read more about ‘Joshy I'm proud of you’ – listener discussions to 8 May 2013
Monday 13 May 2013, 12:16
Arnold Peters (Jack Woolley)
I'm sorry to have to announce that Arnold Peters, who played Jack Woolley, died at the weekend.
Archers editor Vanessa Whitburn said: 'Arnold was immensely successful as Jack Woolley. With enormous skill he took the character from sharp, sometimes ruthless, businessman, mellowing through the years into retirement and eventual dependence on wife Peggy, as Alzheimer's set in. Only the best actors can fine tune those character arcs over many years and Arnold was the best.'
I worked with Arnold many times in studio. My abiding memories are of his invariable...
Friday 10 May 2013, 14:33
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