Like the antique fountain pen that has had three new nibs and two new handles, The Archers has the enviable knack of seeming constantly to change its appearance while remaining fundamentally the same. Herculean attempts are made to harmonise its two staple ingredients (lurid incident plus tea-table chit-chat), the range of unconvincing Borsetshire accents grows ever more expansive, and every so often there emerges some cataclysmic coup de théâtre.
Last week’s trial of Helen Titchener (5-9 September), dramatically arraigned at Borchester Crown Court for the attempted murder of her abusive husband, Rob, who was discovered on the kitchen floor at Blossom Hill Cottage with three stab wounds, certainly fell into the third category.
15 September 2016, The Tablet
Borchester in the dock
Get Instant Access
Continue Reading
Register for free to read this article in full
Subscribe for unlimited access
From just £30 quarterly
Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
The full weekly edition in print and digital including our 179 years archive.
PDF version to view on iPad, iPhone or computer.
Already a subscriber? Login