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Having spent over 30 years living in Ambridge, it’s hard to think of Lynda Snell as anything other than a stalwart member of village life. From heading up the village fete committee, to directing theatrical extravaganzas; slowing speeding motorists to leading the ReBulls in fighting the pub name change, Lynda has been instrumental in conserving the essence of rural life in Ambridge. It's no wonder she was granted an MBE in the 2021 New Year's Honours List!

Yet some three decades ago, Lynda was a newbie in Borsetshire. Naturally, she made her presence felt almost immediately, but it takes a lot of work to become one of Ambridge’s “greatest treasures”. Here’s how Lynda rose from Ambridge outsider to a pillar of the community.

As a couple, Lynda and Robert are a force to be reckoned with. Since her accident, Robert’s unfaltering love and support for his ‘Lyndy’ have been a testament to the strength of their relationship. But even the indomitable Snells have had their marriage tested at times. In the mid ’90s, Lynda’s suspicions were piqued when Robert started acting strangely: intercepting the post, standing her up for lunches and disappearing without notice. When a strange woman started phoning the house demanding to speak to Robert, Lynda became certain he was having an affair and hired a private investigator. Eventually, Robert was forced to come clean and admit that his IT business was in dire straits; he was left with no choice but to declare bankruptcy. Ever-resourceful Lynda threw herself into an economy drive, foraging for nettles, baking her own bread, growing vegetables and taking on a job at Grey Gables. Their shared hardship made them stronger than ever.

From her successes with the Mikado to the Mystery plays; Calendar Girls to the Canterbury Tales, Lynda is renowned in Ambridge as a doyenne of the theatre, both as performer and director. While her endless rehearsals are bemoaned, and Lynda proclaims each year to be her swansong, her am-dram productions are always a highlight for the village at Christmas time. When she’s not directing plays, she can be found critiquing the work of others as a reviewer under her nom de plume ‘Dylan Nells’.

With a quarter of a century under her belt as a receptionist at Grey Gables, Lynda has rarely found a challenge at work that she couldn’t overcome. She may have a habit of commandeering the office printer to reproduce her personal propaganda, but her professionalism and work ethic is otherwise impeccable. It was tested, somewhat, when she was joined at the front desk by the chaotic Tracy Horrobin. At first Lynda was horrified at the prospect of working with Tracy, but they soon became close allies and firm friends.
Upholding Grey Gables’ first class reputation is vitally important to Lynda; it was whilst working overtime there that she was caught up in the kitchen blast. Though she’s sustained serious injuries and her confidence is dashed, the Lynda we know and love is a fighter; if she can get through a massage with Joe Grundy, she can get through anything. We only hope that our Ambridge treasure makes it back to her rightful place at the heart of village life.