Welcome to British Isles Friday! British Isles Friday is a weekly event for sharing all things British and Irish — reviews, photos, opinions, trip reports, guides, links, resources, personal stories, interviews, and research posts. Join us each Friday to link your British and Irish themed content and to see what others have to share. The link list is at the bottom of this post. Pour a cup of tea or lift a pint and join our link party!

Last week, I was delighted by The London House by Katherine Reay. Tina started watching Poldark. Jeanie wrote about a visit to the College of Arms in London to research family history. My friend, Yesha, noticed a genealogy theme and recommended the Olivia Colman episode of Who Do You Think You Are? I’ve been watching it this week and it is fascinating.

The Archers program from BBC Radio 4 celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE day this week with a two-part prequel set during World War II in the fictional village of Ambridge.

The Victory at Ambridge radio drama is based on a digital novel by Catherine Miller, part of a series of novels that imagine life in Ambridge before The Archers soap opera began in the early 1950s.

Besides observing the end of World War II, The Archers also honored the character of Peggy Woolley. June Spencer, the actor who played Peggy for more than 60 years died last year at the age of 105. She retired from the show in 2022 at the age of 103.

The story shows Peggy’s arrival in Ambridge as a pregnant war bride, married to a member of the titular family, Jack Archer. Jack is off at war, so Peggy must deal with her in-laws on her own. Peggy, a girl from London, is out of her element but everyone believes that rural life is safer for her and the baby.

Fortunately for Peggy, a “land girl” has been assigned to work and live at Brookfield Farm. Wanda provides a friendly ear and a ready companion for a walk or a drink at the local pub, The Bull.

There are all kinds of war references. One character is an injured member of the RAF. Another is a refugee from Poland.

The main plot centers on a traditional superstition in the village about an old woman who lived on the grounds of the stately home of Lower Loxley. An excavation uncovers new cryptic curses for the villagers in Ambridge to deal with.

Besides the mystery, we get delightful glimpses of village life during World War II with scenes that include meetings of the Women’s Institute, the Flower and Produce Show, and many gab sessions at The Bull.

Have you listened to Victory at Ambridge? What did you think?