Rosalind Adams to step down from playing Clarrie Grundy in The Archers after 25 years

Date: 21.09.2012

The actress Rosalind Adams, who plays the part of Clarrie Grundy in BBC Radio 4’s The Archers, has announced that she is leaving the show to spend more time with her grandchildren.

Rosalind has been playing the long-suffering Clarrie, wife of loveable rogue Eddie and mother to warring brothers, Will and Ed, for 25 years. She became the third actress to take on the part when she took over from Fiona Mathieson in 1988. Previously Clarrie was played by Heather Bell who created the role in the 1970s.

Rosalind said: “I have been playing Clarrie for 25 years. I’m 68 now and have very young grandchildren with whom I want to spend more time. It has been a brilliant job for me and now I’m happy to hand it over to someone else.”

The Archers producers will be re-casting the part and begin the search for a new actress to take on the role.
Vanessa Whitburn, Editor of The Archers, said: “Rosalind has been a much-valued member of The Archers cast. We will miss her and she goes with our very best wishes and thanks.

“Listeners have taken Clarrie to their hearts as we’ve laughed and cried with her through the years. She has dealt with the various challenges presented to her by the men in her life with amazing fortitude and enviable stoicism. Our challenge now is to find an actress who can continue with the great work that Rosalind has done down the years, ensuring Clarrie retains her special place in listeners’ affections.”

Clarrie’s family moved to Ambridge in the early 1970s when her father took a job at Brookfield Farm. She married local ‘ne’er do well’ Eddie Grundy and as a couple they form the matriarch and patriarch of one of Ambridge’s best-loved families. Clarrie spends much of her time sorting out problems created by her husband, sons and father-in-law.

In 2011 Clarrie was at the centre of one of the key storylines in The Archers’ 60th anniversary year, when she was found to be responsible for an outbreak of E.coli at Bridge Farm Dairy.

(via BBC Media Centre)

Sweden 2012: ICA

The local grocery store in Mellerud is ICA. It's a nice little market. In this store, and in grocery stores in general, the cashiers sit while they work. There are no baggers. Customers bag their own groceries (and buy the bags as well). Registers have dividers so that while one customer is bagging, the cashier can start the next order.

Sweden 2012: Mellerud Musuem

This where my cousin, Anneli, works. It's a genealogy/historical museum. I've spent a large amount of time here during this trip, doing genealogy research.

Sweden 2012: Arrival in Sweden

Arrival in Sweden went fine. I was able to find my luggage and Anneli without problem.

Göteborg Landvetter Airport

Göteborg Landvetter Airport

We stopped at McDonalds for a quick meal. The inside has a microwave in case you want to warm your food up.

McDonalds



McDonalds



McDonalds

The hottest Swede ever works here and I will forever regret not getting a picture of him.

We went to Anneli's family's summer home where I met her parents. Sadly, I forgot my camera. Anneli said we would probably go back there though. At one point during the visit, Anneli's mother picked up a bowl of blueberries and asked me something in Swedish. I assumed she was offering me some blueberries and I said no thank you. Anneli told me she asked if I was tired.


In the grocery stores, there are no baggers. Once the customer is done shopping, the cashier rings up his or her groceries. The customer grabs a bag from underneath the conveyer belt and bags his or her order at the end of the register. Registers have dividers so that cashiers can start the next order.


Pizzeria Vita Sannar, Mellerud





Mellerud

I found out that in Sweden, the restaurant cooks the pizza and then you take it home and cut it yourself.


Pizza with ham and meat on top for dinner.



Sweden 2012: Flight to Sweden

The flight to Sweden wasn't that eventful. It was a bit more comfortable than the previous flight. I didn't have a flight-mate on this one either. They offered us a drink and snack (I kept the can afterwards). And my view outside was once again compromised by the wing of the plane and the sun's brightness.

In-flight snack - diet coke, ham sandwich, and a raisin bun.

Sweden 2012: Amsterdam

I wasn't quite able to do as much as I hoped in Amsterdam. By the time I was finally cleared by customs and made it to the gate I needed to be at, I had less than ten minutes left. Hopefully, I'll have a bit more roaming around time when I return.