Q. I am a fan of The Archers but my listening pleasure always dips whenever one of the villagers makes the offer of ‘a coffee’ to another Ambridge resident. I feel the producers of the soap are failing to serve their loyal audience as it deserves, and are also missing an audio trick, in that they persistently omit any information about the nature of the beverage provided even though we live in a very caffeine-conscious age. For example, I would expect the Grundys to be a Nescafé family and the Aldridges users of cafetières, but there is never the happy sound of beans being ground in Jennifer’s Aga kitchen, and meanwhile Ruth, who is always bringing refreshments to Deevid on his tractor, would presumably have a Thermos, but again, we are never told! How can I obtain release from my tortured aural imaginings whenever ‘a coffee’ is mentioned on the show?
R.J., Exmoor
A. Many Archers listeners will agree with you. But before the producers rush to correct this lapse in authenticity they might consider whether the current mania for coffee consumption in this country should be encouraged. Britons have become notably more nervous, excitable and irritable since caffeinisation came in, roughly nine years ago. Why are the Archers characters not showing a moral lead by opting instead for nice hot cups of calming and reassuring
British tea?
Q. A close friend has had some sort of
non-surgical facelift and looks 20 if not 30 years younger, although still with a full repertoire of facial expressions and absolutely none of the paralysis of Botox. What is annoying is that she will not admit she has had anything done at all, claiming the transformation is entirely due to her being ‘more relaxed’.
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