I am intrigued by the origins of The Archers (Letters, 28 September) but I would suspect they’re from Australia rather than the English countryside. Blue Hills was an ABC radio serial which began its life during the second world war under the name The Lawsons, created to offer a rural perspective in the media during the conflict. It changed its name in 1947, and boasted, until its burial in the 1970s, the title of the world’s longest-running radio serial. The Australian connection is not at all odd – with six commercial and two ABC radio stations in each of the capital cities, Australia had a thriving radio industry and transcripts were sold worldwide. After the war there was a sizable employment of Australians at the BBC, and Australian programmes were rejigged for British audiences. My personal recollection involves working in a few episodes during the 70s when I counted myself as a jobbing actor. Newcomers were not exactly welcomed: the old hands took their regular places at the microphone, and I remember reading my lines over their heads and between their shoulders.
Michael Rolfe
Brighton, East Sussex
