 |  |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Profiles |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
Siblings
18 Oct 2001
One of the most entertaining parts of the Archers message board is the Fantasy Archers topic, where listeners are invited to invent their own storylines, or to contribute literary parodies based on The Archers.
Two of the most prolific of the parodists are Robert and Tessa Ing, who quickly admitted to interested message board users to being brother and sister. Between them, they have reflected Ambridge through a kaleidoscope of literary styles, including Shakespeare, Stanley Holloway, Thomas Malory, Beatrix Potter, Damon Runyon, John Le Carre, Robert Louis Stevenson and Euripides.
Robert and Tessa started listening to The Archers as infants growing up near Salisbury in Wiltshire.
Tessa, the elder by two years, read English at Cambridge and worked for a while in the wine trade. After a degree in Classics from St Andrew’s, Robert joined the civil service, working for the Home Office. Tessa followed him - into the Department of Health - a few years later.
"Tessa joined the fast stream and rapidly overtook me. She was always a Swot and a Brain at school," said Robert good-naturedly. "She’s highly literate and very witty, and although she’s relatively quiet she’s the sort of person who thinks of the one comment that sums up what everyone else has been talking about for the last three hours."
Robert has a long daily drive from North London to his office in Croydon. "He’s had a succession of MGBs which have eaten him out of house and home. He takes his cars, his work and his music very seriously", said Tessa "He’s a very good violinist, and knows more about Haydn and Mozart than anyone I know."
Tessa (left) lives with her archaeologist husband in East London, and sees Robert about once a month - perhaps for a pub lunch. They don’t collude on their parodies, except occasionally to suggest an author.
"Tessa tends to do the verse, while I usually do prose", said Robert (who claimed not to have a recent photograph when we spoke to him).
To illustrate their abilities, here are two Ing parodies which have not previously appeared on The Archers website.
"Matt Crawford was a barrowboy out looking for Respect
His tie was wide, his shirts were striped, his suits were loud and checked…"
Tessa takes on the lighter side of T S Ellot>>
"…Something mechanical began to go ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa. Grundy was not worried…"
Robert’s Secret life of Joe Grundy>>
There is another Ing sibling - their brother Richard - who has not yet announced himself on the message board. "I suspect he looks in from time to time", smiles Tessa. "But he denies it."
Visit The Archers Message Board>>
<< Back
|
|
 | |  |
|
|
|
 |
|
