Storylines

Jennifer's men

Jennifer Aldridge hasn't always made the wisest romantic choices. Here's a round-up of the main men in her colourful life.

Paddy Redmond

In 1967, Jennifer became pregnant and refused to name the father. However, when Adam was born with a shock of red hair the smart money was on Brookfield farm worker Paddy Redmond.

Paddy's easy charm, wild streak and accomplishments from piano playing to motorbike scrambling turned many female heads. Fiancee Nora McAuley turned up in the village but Paddy proved to have roving legs as well as a roving eye. They soon took him down south, leaving Nora disappointed and Jennifer very pregnant.

Paddy returned briefly in January 1981 and learned about Adam from Nora. Brian and Jennifer were determined that Paddy should not meet his son, but he accidentally bumped into Jennifer and Adam just before leaving.

Roger Travers-Macy

Book dealer Roger had a difficult relationship with his wealthy parents. He initially went out with Jennifer's sister Lilian, but also dallied with Jack Woolley's wife Valerie. Nonetheless, Jennifer fell in love with him and they were married on 7 September 1968.

Roger did his best for Adam (who takes his surname from his stepfather). He and Jennifer had their daughter Debbie in 1970 and all seemed well until Roger started to travel extensively, dealing in antique books. Within four years he had set up with another woman in London and was suing for divorce.

Gordon Armstrong

Jennifer was working at Grey Gables when she went out with gamekeeper Gordon Armstrong for a few months in 1974. She was furious when their boss Jack Woolley warned her about the risks of dating a colleague. But when Gordon started to take advantage of their relationship, she told him they could only be friends.

Brian Aldridge

Dashing Brian bought Home Farm with 1500 acres in 1975. Jennifer soon caught his eye - and indeed vice versa. Once her divorce from Roger was finalised in 1976, they were married on 29 May. Brian grew to love Adam and Debbie, and the couple had Kate in 1977 and Alice in 1988.

Brian gave Jennifer the comfortable lifestyle she aspired to, but their relationship has had a fair degree of discomfort too. He hasn't exactly been Mr Monogamous, but Jennifer proved that if there's sauce for the goose, the gander can have a splash too...

John Tregorran

As the 1970s turned to the 1980s, Jennifer's attentions started to turn to another man. She and antique dealer John Tregorran spent an awful lot of time together while working on a historical land survey and the book Ambridge - An English Village Through the Ages. John's wife Carol was very unimpressed when she returned home to find the project - and Jennifer - taking over her kitchen table, and Brian too became increasingly unhappy with the relationship.

In May 1980, John subtly sounded Jennifer out by means of a story, but Jennifer gently turned him down. John was soon cooling his ardour on a lecture tour of America. But as late as 2002, Brian admitted that he still suffered pangs of jealousy when Jennifer spoke of her cultured collaborator.

Roger Travers-Macy - again

After years of minimal contact, Roger - now divorced - turned up unexpectedly in 1991, with a generous (or guilty) present of a Golf GTi for Debbie's 21st birthday. But the greater surprise was for Jennifer. Although Debbie was loyal to Brian and soon told Roger she wasn't interested in rekindling their relationship, Roger and Jennifer found the spark that had first attracted them was still there.

For a while they conducted a dangerous affair. Debbie soon challenged her mother about her erratic behaviour - good lord, she'd even neglected the church flower rota. Jennifer told Roger they couldn't see each other again, but the damage had been done. By now Brian was pretty certain what had been going on and the atmosphere was difficult for several months.

Brian Aldridge - 'til death do us part?

Like the dalliances with John and Roger, Brian's affairs with Caroline Bone and (probably) Mandy Beesborough rocked, but not wrecked, the marriage. But Jennifer's greatest test was when Brian finally fathered the son he had longed for - with another woman, Siobhan Hathaway (nee Donovan).

Brian was sorely tempted to set up a new life with this vivacious younger woman. But in the end his love for Jennifer held sway. And when Siobhan died in 2005, Jennifer made an astonishing sacrifice, taking in Brian's son Ruairi and raising him as if her was her own.

Surely having been though so much, there's only one thing that can part them now...?