Update 21 January 2013

It's fun to compare Vicky Tucker on BBC Radio 4's The Archers with Edie Appleton. Why?  Because both are played by the actor Rachel Atkins! 

I remember driving home from the Pier Production studio in Brighton after sitting in at the recordings of Edie's diaries in October 2009. At two minutes past seven it was, of course, time for The Archers and there was the seriously annoying voice of Vicky - totally unrecognisable as the voice of Edie I had been listening to earlier.  Thanks Rachel - great job - and we are all sending you (well, Vicky) our love and support with your new baby, Bethany, born on 16 January 2013.

More info about Vicky Tucker here and about Rachel Atkins here. Reality...fantasy...which is which?! 

Dick Robinson - Edie's great nephew

Readings on BBC Radio 4 repeated: 26 June, 3 and 7 July 2011

The 3 episodes were repeated on Radio 4 on the dates below.  More information can be seen on the BBC website here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nqbbq. 

• Episode 1 - Sunday 26 June at 7.45pm

• Episode 2 - Sunday 3 July at 7.45pm

• Episode 3 - Sunday 10 July at 7.45pm

If you missed them, you can still catch them. Click here for how.

Readings on BBC Radio 4 - 10 to 12 November 2009

Extracts from Edie's diaries were read on the BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Reading programme on Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 November 2009 and they were available on BBC iPlayer for a further week.  Missed them?  Never fear - you can still hear them....read on.....

Rachel Atkins did a wonderful job of reading the extracts and we have received many comments, from around the world, both on the content of the diary and on Rachel's reading.  Here's an example: "The voice of Rachel Atkins really does convey a picture of someone exactly like I imagine Edie, and sounds warm but also very practical and matter of fact..."  Thanks to Jo Green, the Producer, and her team at Pier Productions who made the programme for the BBC.  If you want to read more comments, have a look at Edie's Visitors Book.

Another theme which emerged strongly from the comments received was a desire to see the diaries published.  We agree so we are delighted to be able to announce (January 2011) that the diaries are to be published early in 2012. More information here: www.edithappleton.org.uk/Updates/publication.asp.

In case you missed the live readings on Radio 4 or on BBC iPlayer, you can still hear them by clicking on the links below.  These are large mp3 files - each about 13MB - and may take some time to download.  It's worth the wait!

• Episode 1. Broadcast at 3.30pm on Tuesday 10 November 2009 (repeated Sunday 26 June 2011 at 7.45pm).
  It is 1915 and Edie is based at Casualty Clearing Station Number 3 near Ypres, where she witnesses first-hand the horrors of war. In these dark days, small pleasures mean everything and the rare chance to have a bath is most welcome.   Click here to listen.
   

• Episode 2. Broadcast at 3.30pm on Wednesday 11 November 2009 (repeated Sunday 3 July 2011 at 7.45pm).
  It is 1915 and Edie has been moved to a hospital in Etretat on the Normandy coast, where she must supervise members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment. These are well-meaning but relatively untrained girls and, at times, Edie finds their presence somewhat trying.   Click here to listen.
   

• Episode 3. Broadcast at 3.30pm on Thursday 12 November 2009 (repeated Sunday 10 July 2011 at 7.45pm).
  It is 1918 and Edie is based at a grand hotel which has been turned into a military hospital, on the cliffs above Treport. Anticipation is growing that the war could be coming to an end.   Click here to listen.

If you want to read the whole text of the diaries, in four 'volumes', and see Edie's sketches, click here.

For Edie's biography click here.

After the readings on the BBC lots of people contacted, us via the Visitor's Book, and you can see what they said and add your own comments by clicking here.

....and here's a look at how the readings were recorded in Brighton.

The website was initially featured in the BBC Radio 4 Making History programme on Tuesday 11 November 2008. Click here to listen.

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