Village fears losing Archers link if show moves

Visitors travel from as far as New Zealand to a Worcestershire village said to have inspired BBC Radio 4's The Archers, but residents fear their link to the long-running radio drama could soon be weakened.

The concerns follow the BBC's decision to shelve plans for a purpose-built studio in Birmingham, raising the prospect of the programme being recorded outside the West Midlands for the first time in it's 75-year history.

Inkberrow is believed to have inspired the show's fictional village of Ambridge, while The Old Bull Inn is closely associated with the show's pub, The Bull.

Landlord, Joe Reed, said it would be "quite sad" if The Archers was moved away from the region.

Reed, who took over the pub eight years ago, said he had been shocked to discover its significance to fans of The Archers, the world's longest-running soap opera.

"It's always been known as The Archers' pub, ever since Godfrey Baseley dreamt up the idea of The Archers," he said.

"I think it's quite sad really because it's been here for 75 years and it was dreamt up here in this part of Worcestershire.

"It is part of the West Midlands' fabric, and it would be a shame if it were lost to the big cities and taken away from where it all began."

"It won't have the local inputs and I think it will be a loss to the West Midlands, and a loss to our tourism industry," he said.

Residents in the village also shared his concerns.

One resident, who wished not to be named, described the prospect of the programme leaving the region as "sad".

"I think that's sad. It's part of the West Midlands and that's my local pub. "Actually it's my second home," he said.

Another resident said moving the programme away from the area would be "terrible".

"It can't be, it can't be," she said, adding: "I think it's terrible because it is based on Inkberrow and it's just life around here.

"It's the whole area and we're proud of that. It's just not going to be the same."

A BBC spokesperson said the corporation recognised and valued The Archers' "long-standing relationship with the West Midlands", which remained an important part of the programme's future.

They said the production team would still move to the Tea Factory in early 2028 as planned, adding that no final decision had been made on where the programme would be recorded.

Equity, the entertainment union, has also criticised the proposals, with cast members said to be "angry" about the possibility of the programme moving away from Birmingham.

The Archers first aired nationally on 1 January 1951 and celebrated its 75th anniversary earlier this year.

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