Dum Di Dum Di Dum Di Dum...

I am a life long Archers' Addict. Look at this lot

There are my two mugs [the red one has a damaged handle, so is now my pencil pot]

Then there is my jigsaw, and my two books. I had loads more of the books, but sold the others last year to raise some cash. I kept my special 40th Anniversary book, and Jennifer's Cookbook [ gift from friend Elisabeth, another AA - and full of great recipes which I make from time to time]

Then there is my wonderful Simon Drew Tea Towel [half these characters are dead now - it is almost twenty years old!]

This final item is not an Archers piece - but right now I think it is relevant.

I bought this badge about 23 years ago, when I was working for Social Services. At that time, the statistics appeared to suggest that 1 in 5 women was suffering some sort of domestic violence [physical or verbal] Sadly now it is believed the figure may be higher. The NSPCC recently reported that 1 in 5 children have been exposed to domestic abuse, and 1 in 5 teenagers have been physically abused by their boyfriend or girlfriend.

If you follow the Archers you'll understand why I mention this - the current storyline surrounded Rob and Helen Titchener has been riveting, if sometimes painful, listening. I am not the only person I know who has been shouting at the radio!

Yes, I know it is only fiction - but it mirrors the awful treatment that many people face daily. Full marks to Paul Trueman for grabbing the moment, and setting up a Just Giving page to help the real people out there caught up in this tragedy. He began it at the beginning of February with a target of £1000 - within hours donations had passed that. So he reviewed the target, and upped it to £125,000, and he is almost there. That represents hundreds of women [and teir children] being given shelter, nights in secure Refuges, up and down the country. 

I shan't reveal any of this week's plot developments - I know many people catch up via the Sunday omnibus and I don't want to reveal any spoilers. But I am glad this programme is not afraid to flag up the issues that should be concerning all of us.

[the BBC reckons 1 out of 11 people listens to the Archers at some point. We are the ones who do not answer our phones between 7 and 7.15pm]