Archers Legend Joe Grundy Succumbs To Farmer’s Lung

The Archers star Edward Kelsey – famous for voicing the character of Joe Grundy since 1985, has died at the age of 88.

While the actor himself had suffered with ill health for a number of years, it was the character that he played who was apparently finished off by a condition he had long moaned about, while some others claimed he made it all up.

Farmer’s Lung – sometimes referred to as Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis or Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis is a condition in which the sufferer becomes allergic to the dust found on hay, straw and other crops if they are not properly dried. Some people may suffer an acute attack which can come on within 4 – 8 hours of exposure to the dust, whereas some go on to develop a chronic form of the disease which cannot be cured.

Essentially the tiny dust particles are too small to be prohibited from entering the lungs by the tiny hairs in our nose, and so they go into the lungs themselves. Many people are not affected at all by the dust and can spend a life of farming or animal husbandry without any issues. However, some people become allergic to the tiny particles and develop symptoms including coughing, shortness of breath, fever, severe weight loss and even fibrosis (scarring) of the lungs.

While the best remedy is to stay away from the dust, once the condition becomes chronic (long term) there is no cure and treatments can only try to reduce the effects of the symptoms.

As a character Joe Grundy was famed for getting himself into all kinds of mischief and the lovable rogue often put a range of symptoms and various excuses down to his Farmer’s Lung, causing several fellow characters to claim he was making it up. Rest assured, it is a real condition, and can be very serious for those who suffer from it. While a great deal of farming is done by single operators responsible for their own health and safety, there are a great number of people who work within agriculture whose safety is the responsibility of others, and steps must be put in place to protect workers from the potential dangers caused by the dust.

If you or someone you care for suffers from Farmer’s Lung or any other lung condition brought on because of your work, you could well be able to claim for compensation. Contact one of our highly experienced solicitors today, for free, to talk through your case and see if we can help get you the pay-out you and your family deserve.