Published: 2015
Author: Beth Miller
A perfect little companion to The Archers
You probably don’t know this about me but I love The Archers, I have a proper soft spot for the long-running Radio 4 soap opera. I have the characters I like and the ones I can’t abide (stop being an interfering old bat Jill, no-one cares about you). I like the characters that other people don’t (Lynda Snell) and care about what happens in the flower and produce show. I was delighted when I discovered that Beth Miller, author of The Good Neighbour which I reviewed a few weeks ago, had written an unofficial companion to the series. For the Love of The Archers
Introduced by Charles Collingwood, the actor who has voiced Brian Aldridge for just over 40 years, this is a perfect books for fans old and new. Longstanding fans will be reminded of previous characters, well-loved (and hated) storylines of the past and village politics. For those who are newer to the programme, this is a great catch-up tool to help explain the odd bits of narrative that are dropped into conversation and the complicated relationships – if I’m honest I’m still struggling to work out if there’s a family connection between Peggy and Jill (who I didn’t realise were different characters for my first year listening) but the answer will undoubtedly lie in here.
The book contains quizzes, a trip round the village and fans explaining why they love the programme so much. For the Love of the Archers is a small book, but it’s beautifully formed and it’s ideal for anyone who listens to the show. Even though it’s still only October, I’m going to mention the C word – if you have an Archers fan in your life, this is the perfect Christmas present for them. Just be warned – they won’t talk to you much on the day itself, other than to share the snippets of information that they’ve just learned.