FREE MOVIES AT ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE
Book your seats today !!
Donations welcome.
Tea, Coffee, Soft Drinks & Snacks can be purchased from our cafe.
WICKED at Royston Wardieburn!
Day: September 15, 2026
Tomorrow: Teen Book Group at Blackhall Library
BLACHALL LIBRARY (D MAINS SCHOOL) from 5.30 – 6.30pm
Our new teen book group starts tomorrow!
Why not bring a friend with you?
Blackhall Library, 5.30pm-6.30pm.
Free to attend!
Doors Open Days Can Help Us Fall In Love With Edinburgh Again
Over 100 venues across Edinburgh and East Lothian to open their doors for Scotland’s largest free heritage festival
Fall in love with Edinburgh again – that is the challenge to residents as Doors Open Day returns with its most accessible ever programme of events.
The two-day festival on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026 will give locals free access to buildings, unique experiences and a new perspective on the spaces and stories that shape Edinburgh and East Lothian.
Coordinated locally by The Cockburn Association, Edinburgh’s civic trust, this year’s event will bring together over 100 venues spanning the length and breadth of the city, and beyond, with a programme ranging from guided walking tours, events for children and young people, novel partnerships, and rare behind-the-scenes opportunities.
This year’s theme, Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine, invites participating venues and visitors to explore how Edinburgh’s built heritage is being protected, adapted for new uses, and reimagined for the future.
As the coordinators of Doors Open Days in a region shaped by the pressures of over-tourism, The Cockburn Association believes residents should also benefit from their own city’s cultural landscape, and that engaging with local heritage brings genuine benefits to health and wellbeing.
This year’s festival builds on our digital offerings, making it more accessible than ever and giving residents more ways to take part without leaving their homes.
Now in its 36th year locally, after beginning in France in 1984. Doors Open Days first arrived in the UK in Glasgow in 1990. It has since grown into Scotland’s largest free cultural festival, with more than 950 venues taking part nationally last year.
Unlike much of Edinburgh’s cultural offer, Doors Open Days is aimed squarely at residents, encouraging people to see their own city with fresh eyes, and it’s FREE.
Stephen Jardine, President of The Cockburn Association, said: “At a time when Edinburgh is under more pressure than ever, it’s easy to overlook what makes Scotland’s capital so special.
“Doors Open Days is a chance for us to encounter the amazing heritage we have all around us. I’d encourage everyone to use it as an opportunity to explore the city with fresh eyes….and to fall in love with Edinburgh again”
Rowan Brown, Director of The Cockburn Association, said: “I’m thrilled that the Cockburn is coordinating part of Scotland’s largest free heritage festival and delighted that it’s set to be our most accessible yet, with something for all ages, interests, and abilities.
“There is unequivocal evidence that engaging with heritage makes you happier, and healthier, so be kind to yourself, your friends and your family and join in one or, ideally, several, free Doors Open Days events.
“I’m extremely grateful to our Doors Open Days Venue Hosts and Volunteers, my colleagues and our sponsors, the City of Edinburgh Council and the Neilson Family Foundation, whose collective civic spirit is simply inspiring.”
INVITING EVERY PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILD IN EDINBURGH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IMPACT ARTS
This year’s festival also includes a landmark initiative to send a Doors Open Days invitation to every primary school child in Edinburgh, extending the festival’s reach to the city’s youngest residents and helping build a lifelong relationship with the city’s heritage from an early age.
Delivered in partnership with Impact Arts, a Scottish charity established in 1994 that uses creativity to tackle inequalities and transform young people’s lives, engaging communities across almost all of Scotland’s local authorities, the first 10,000 primary school children to attend selected venues on the 26 and 27 of September will receive a free box of Cockburn-branded coloured pencils and a monochrome artwork created by Impact Arts.
Due to a shipment delay, free boxes of Cockburn-branded coloured pencils will be available at some, but not all, participating venues.
Children are then invited to colour in their artwork and submit it as part of a competition, with prizes generously donated by Camera Obscura, Filmhouse, the National Galleries of Scotland and Contini which will be awarded by our President. Competition entries must be submitted by Friday, 9th of October.
Winners will be notified on Monday, 26th of October, ahead of our prize-giving ceremony on Thursday, 12th of November (venue to be announced).
Impact Arts will also host an exhibition at St Michael’s Parish Church, accompanied by a booklet showcasing the artwork and participating venues, available in print and online.
PARTNERING WITH INVISIBLE CITIES
This year’s festival also includes a partnership with Invisible Cities, a social enterprise that trains people with experience of homelessness to become walking tour guides.
The Cockburn Association has funded four tours over the Doors Open Days weekend, giving residents a unique perspective on the city.
PARTNERING WITH THE TRINITY NETWORK
As part of the digital offerings, The Cockburn Association is also partnering with Jill Harrison, a research associate at the Open University and the lead of the Trinity Network to curate an online exhibition on Trinity Apse, one of Edinburgh’s finest medieval structures, and all that remains of a church built in the 1460s for Mary of Guelders, Queen of Scotland.
Built around this year’s Doors Open Days theme, Heritage at Risk, the exhibition revives the story of the apse and its founder, resists their slide into obscurity, and reimagines what the building’s future could hold.
All events are free to attend, but on some experiences, spaces are limited.
The full programme of venues and activities went live on the Doors Open Days website on 31 July 2026, at www.doorsopendays.org.uk.
Poverty Alliance National Conference
WEDNESDAY 18th NOVEMBER at HAMPDEN PARK, GLASGOW
Scotland’s political landscape is changing fast. The question for everyone working to end poverty is what we do about it.
At this year’s National Conference, we will bring campaigners, community organisations, policymakers and people with lived experience of poverty into one room to work on that question together.
*Book your place before 18 September to receive an Early Bird rate!
New estimates reveal the impact of physical inactivity on health
A new report published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) estimates the burden of disease attributable to physical inactivity from selected mental health and musculoskeletal conditions in Scotland.
The analysis was jointly commissioned by PHS, Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) and the Active Scotland team within the Scottish Government. It builds on previous analysis of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, to provide a more complete picture of the impact of physical inactivity on the nation’s health.
The report estimates that more than 12,000 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are attributable to physical inactivity from mental health and musculoskeletal conditions alone. When combined with the previous analysis, physical inactivity is estimated to account for nearly 24,000 DALYs each year in Scotland. Mental health conditions account for around 38% of the newly identified total burden, with anxiety the largest contributor.
DALYs are a measure used to help show the impact of ill health on both length and quality of life. They combine years of life lost due to premature death with years lived in less than full health.
While the relationship between physical inactivity and conditions such as cardiovascular disease is well established, these findings show that it also contributes significantly to poor mental health, disability and reduced quality of life.
Addressing the social, economic and environmental barriers that influence activity levels is key to supporting active lifestyles, helping those who are least active to move more and preventing others from becoming inactive.
Dr Dionne Mackison, Head of Place, Environment and Health Harms at Public Health Scotland said: “This report reinforces the importance of physical activity as a key determinant of health, underlining its role supporting good mental wellbeing, mobility and independence throughout life.
“Our Together We Can strategy, focuses on prevention and creating the conditions that enable people and communities to live healthier lives. Supporting people to be more active is crucial in preventing ill health and reducing health inequalities.”
Alex Cumming, Executive Director of Delivery and Service Development at Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) said: “This research project yet again highlights the importance of good mental health and its foundation in us all leading healthy, active lives.
“Creating the conditions which enable people to be more active, is an early and preventative approach to mental health. Supporting active, connected communities can help reduce the wider burden of disease and improve the quality of life for people impacted by mental health.”
Responding to the Public Health Scotland report, Lauren Bennie, Head of Scotland for Arthritis UK, said: “This report highlights the significant impact musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions have on people’s health and quality of life across Scotland, and the important role physical activity can play in prevention and management.
“Importantly, it notes that MSK problems are ‘among the most common reasons for GP consultations and work absence’, highlighting their wider impact on individuals, health services and the economy.
“While the report estimates that physical inactivity contributes to the loss of more than 3,000 years of healthy life through MSK conditions, for people living with arthritis, being active is not always easy. Pain, stiffness, fatigue and reduced mobility can themselves create major barriers to physical activity, creating a vicious cycle that can further impact people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
“The substantial contribution of mental health and musculoskeletal conditions to the disability burden demonstrates that increasing physical activity is critical not just for living longer, but for living healthier lives, benefiting the individual, society and the economy.
“With around 1.7 million adults in Scotland living with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions, we need a much greater focus on prevention, early intervention and access to the right treatment and support.
“That is why Arthritis UK is calling on the Scottish Government to introduce Scotland’s first MSK Action Plan and include MSK conditions in the upcoming Long Term Conditions Strategy, providing the coordinated national approach needed to improve MSK health and help people live healthier, more active and independent lives.”
Find out more about PHS’s 10-year strategy Together We Can.
Young mathematicians invited to celebrate Maths Week Scotland in landmark 10th International Maths Olympiad Challenge
Free-to-enter global competition launches as new PISA results reignite focus on numeracy and attainment
Youngsters aged 4 to 14 are being invited to put their mathematical skills to the test as part of Maths Week Scotland 2026, with entries now open for the 10th International Maths Olympiad Challenge.
Organised by Glasgow-based educational technology provider British Youth International College (BYITC), the free-to-enter challenge will run during Maths Week Scotland from 21 to 27 September, giving young learners from around the world the opportunity to compete alongside their peers in a global celebration of mathematics.
The launch comes as the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results highlight the growing importance of raising attainment and engagement in mathematics. The international study, published this week, showed England improving its position in maths, reading and science, while Scotland and Wales recorded lower rankings, reinforcing calls across the education sector for continued investment and innovation to support numeracy and learning outcomes.
Since its launch, participation in the International Maths Olympiad Challenge has grown significantly, with numbers increasing by approximately 60 per cent since 2015 and thousands of students from more than 50 countries now taking part each year.
Notably, around 90 per cent of Olympiad winners to date have come from the UK, demonstrating the strong mathematical talent being developed across the country while also highlighting the opportunity for young people to benchmark their abilities against peers from around the world.
Dr Rashmi Mantri OBE, Founder and CEO of BYITC Supermaths, said: “Reaching the 10th International Maths Olympiad Challenge is a proud milestone for everyone involved with BYITC.
“The latest PISA results have once again sparked important discussions about educational standards and attainment. Opportunities that encourage children to engage positively with mathematics, build confidence and challenge themselves beyond the classroom have never been more important.
“Through the Olympiad, children can experience the excitement of competing on a global stage while strengthening logical thinking, problem-solving abilities and numeracy skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.”
The competition has been designed to encourage children to challenge themselves, improve their speed and accuracy, and develop a positive relationship with mathematics. Open to all children aged 4 to 14, the Olympiad allows participants to test their abilities against age-appropriate challenges in a supportive and competitive environment.
A key feature of the competition is the technology that enables thousands of participants from different locations to take part in a common challenge. BYITC Supermaths has developed sophisticated digital infrastructure to support the online delivery of the Olympiad, including assessment, results processing and participant management at scale.
Dr Mantri added: “One of the most valuable aspects of the Olympiad is the opportunity for children to measure themselves against international peers.
“While UK participants have historically achieved remarkable success, winning around 90 per cent of awards over the years, the competition also exposes children to a truly global learning environment that broadens horizons and inspires ambition.
“Technology has played a vital role in the growth of the Olympiad over the past decade. It allows us to connect children from different countries, provide a seamless competition experience and celebrate mathematical achievement on a global scale.
“Most importantly, the Olympiad demonstrates that mathematics can be exciting, rewarding and accessible to every child.
“As we celebrate Maths Week Scotland, we are encouraging families, schools and young learners to get involved and experience the challenge for themselves.”
Participants will compete for a range of awards, with trophies and certificates presented to winners across the various categories.
The 10th International Maths Olympiad Challenge is free to enter and open to children aged 4 to 14 worldwide.
For more information and to register, visit: International-Maths-Olympiad – British Youth International College.
Unique Scottish Travel Fund hailed a major success as 5,400 school pupils visit art galleries and museums
The William Syson Foundation Travel Fund was launched in 2024 as a two-year pilot with a £120,000 grant commitment to encourage and support Scottish school pupils to visit, study and learn about art in Scotland’s world-class galleries and museums – and evidence and evaluation demonstrate that the Travel Fund has been a major success.
Over the two academic years of the fund, during which, the William Syson Foundation funded the programme, 150 schools and 5,400 school students visited a gallery and received a guided tour and high-quality art workshop directly tied to the curriculum at no cost to the school or the art gallery/museum.
The programme successfully removed barriers to art education and fostered a connection between schools and the galleries/museums, with a significant number of young people visiting a gallery or museum for the very first time.
• The rationale for creating the William Syson Foundation Travel Fund:
Post-pandemic, the Foundation recognised a concerning and growing trend of reductions in school visits to art galleries and museums in Scotland. Research demonstrated that decreases in available funding and restricted staff resources for school visits had negatively impacted schools being able to undertake in-person day visits. One of the key findings was that the cost of travel to and from galleries and museums had become prohibitive for schools.
The following were amongst the key findings reported when schools, particularly in areas of multiple deprivation, were asked about factors that would support them wishing to reinstate visits to art galleries and museums:
– 70% of schools responded that free learning activities would encourage out-of school visits to take place and
– 64% responded that support for travel costs would have significant positive impact
• The William Syson Foundation Travel Fund was launched in 2024 to address both the above findings via a specially created grant from the Foundation that would allow schools to bring pupils to galleries and museums at no cost to the school or to the gallery/museum.
The Travel Fund was created initially as a two-year pilot in partnership with three of Scotland’s foremost cultural organisations – Aberdeen Art Gallery, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow and the National Galleries of Scotland and ran from August 2024 until June 2026.
With high demand and clear nation-wide benefits, the fund has recently been extended by the Foundation to cover the next academic year ending June 2027 (taking our total investment to nearly £190,000).
• Results
150 schools and 5,400 school students visited the three partner galleries/museums, who would not otherwise have attended. See Notes to Editors for a selection of schools.
The William Syson Foundation Travel Fund successfully removed barriers to art education and fostered a connection between schools and the galleries/museums, noting that around half of all pupils had never been to the art gallery before.
The funding employed freelance art educators, supported gallery staff, removed the administration burden from schools, provided teachers with practical support for their curriculum lessons, and gave school children a face-to-face, in person experience of engaging with the world-class artworks held in the galleries’/museums’ collections.
The Travel Fund pilot is already an evidence-based success. With costs at only £22 per pupil, the programme has led to a significant increase in school visits to the three partner organisations, thereby embedding art appreciation in the school pupils and encouraging engagement with the national collections.
• The Future
With a successful pilot track record established, The William Syson Foundation is working to embed the Travel Fund as a multi-year programme across other locations in Scotland.
The Foundation is currently recruiting other charitable and third-sector partners whose support will extend and grow this inspiring project into the future.
The next academic year 2026/27 has been fully extended by the Foundation to continue this work.
Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2026 programme announced
SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL
BIRD AND BEAST – PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED
21 October to 31 October 2026
● 15 new storytelling performances developed
● Biggest ‘Go Local’ programme ever – with over 100 events in communities across Scotland
● Scotland’s epic stories of Saint Columba and Ossian retold
● Free Family Storytelling Day at the National Museums of Scotland
● Leading storytellers from Türkiye, Italy, Ireland, Canada and England
● Dario Fo centenary celebrated by guest storytellers from Italy
● The Scottish Storytelling Centre celebrates 20 years
Today (Tue 15 Sep) with support from the Scottish Government’s Expanded Festivals Fund, Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding and the City of Edinburgh Council, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival launched its 37th festival programme.
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (21 October to 31 October 2026) organised by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), is the world’s largest annual celebration of storytelling, based at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh, but reaching out across Scotland each autumn.
Over the 11 days of the festival, in true cèilidh tradition, some of Scotland’s finest storytellers will welcome and share the stage with guest storytellers from Turkiye, Italy, Ireland, Canada and England, exploring the rich relationship between storytelling and the natural world through this year’s theme Bird and Beast.
Highlights include:
● The opening event of the festival Aderyn/Bird, with Ail
● Drut’syla traditional storyteller Shonaleigh collaborating with Turkish storytellers Nazlı Çevik Azazi and Roza Erdem to interweave traditional Anatolian tales with Shonaleigh’s ‘Bubbe’s tales’ that have been passed down through the generations.
● Italian storytellers Paola Balbi and Davide Bardi sharing a poetic and musical tale about the early years of Leonardo Da Vinci.
● Bologna’s Fraternal Compagnia APS, presenting their reinterpretation of the myth of Dedalus and Icarus. This timeless tale of rebellion and power, will be performed in recognition of the centenary of Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo.
● Tony Bonning and Allison Galbraith sharing tales of a fiery Clydesdale and a recounting of Tony’s epic adventure travelling with his horse Chief across Scotland collecting Kelpie tales, in the Year of the Horse.
● The Celtic myth of Mad Sweeney, and the story of Colin MacLeod and the Pollok Free State presented by David Hughes, sharing stories of community and resistance, belonging, masculinity and madness.
● Recently appointed Scots Scriever Claire White sharing music, film and stories from Shetland.
● Lithuanian storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaite-Brown blending folklore, family legacy, and history in Bird of Truth, accompanied by Edinburgh’s Sutartinės Lithuanian folk singers.
● Storyteller Donald Smith leading two epic storytelling sessions each over three hours in length. The first exploring the life of St Columba and the second the legends of Ossian. Each session of Rewilding Scotland’s Epics is presented in collaboration with guest storytellers from across Scotland and Ireland.
● Riikka Palonen sharing tales from the cow sheds of Finland and Satu Lankinen teaching a Nordic cow-call ‘kulning’ and exploring traditional herding songs.
● Freya McCall, Shaneen McGurnaghan and Nina Willms sharing stories and songs exploring historically-inspired stories about women weaving themselves agency, alongside three spinsters who spin fate.
● Ailsa Dixon sharing fascinating historical tales of feral, seaweed eating sheep on the Isle of North Ronaldsay who live within a 13 km area hemmed in by a dry stane dyke
● An anniversary event to mark 20 years of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, and 20 years of the National Theatre of Scotland. This event, Culture, Democracy and the Stateless Nation on Fri 23 Oct, includes a special in-conversation with former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and theatre critic Joyce McMillan.
● 20 years of The Man Who Planted Trees with Richard Medrington, Rick Conte, Puppet State’s Elspeth Murray and Dog reminiscing and resharing their favourite bits of the show.
Plus, plenty of classics including Farsi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds retold by storyteller Jumana Moon and Dawud Duncan; The Battle of the Birds darkly reimagined for Samhuinn by storyteller Owen Pilgrim; Peter Chandand Kirsten Milliken sharing tales of nymphs and water; and North East storytellers Sheena Blackhall, Jackie Ross and Arwen Scott sharing some of Traveller storyteller Stanley Robertson’s favourite nature tales.
In addition, Nana Tomova launches her new book Bulgarian Folk Tales; Deaf storyteller Tania Allan and a group of BSL Storytelling Apprentices share stories of birds and beasts; Màiri MacMillan leads a session When the Birds Spoke Gaelic weaving song with bird calls and music; and Traveller storyteller Jess Smith presents the fairy tale Mossycoat, with live harp and dance.
For younger audiences and families there’s a packed programme of events over the October school holidays kicking off on Saturday 10 October, ahead of the festival’s main programme.
Family highlights include a free Family Storytelling Day at the National Museum of Scotland on Saturday 24 October; craft workshops to celebrate Samhuinn; new storytelling sessions at Edinburgh Zoo; an opportunity to celebrate our shared living heritage through a full day of story, crafts, dance, music and song (17 Oct); the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s announcement of this year’s winners of the Words of the Wild nature writing competition.
Plus, there are workshops for young tellers age 7-10 years to learn the art of live storytelling, kicking off with a different Aesop Fable each day; the premiere of Andy Cannon’s new show The Last People on Earth about the Battle for Mons Graupius, almost 2000 years ago; sensory stories; and the return of festival favourites Macastory.
Throughout the festival, audiences can also enjoy relaxed Open Hearth sessions with storytellers and musicians; share their own stories on different themes in Morning Circles and Story Circles; and participate in workshops.
Workshop highlightsinclude tipson live story translation; ghost storytelling with Ines Alvarez Villa and Deaf BSL storyteller Tania Allan; theatrical storytelling skills through improvisation and mask work with Bologna’s famous Fraternal Compagnia APS who are guests at this year’s festival; an introduction to Greek myths Psyche and Eros exploring moments of ancient wisdom and how they resonate with us today; and how to make stories accessible for all audiences particularly those who speak different languages.
Go Local returns this year, with over 100 events taking place in community halls, pubs and parks across Scotland. New voices from East Lothian will be joining storytellers from Shetland to Dumfries throughout October and November, to celebrate Scottish storytelling.
Finally, this year’s festival exhibition Folkloria!, hosted at the Scottish Storytelling Centre will feature prints and illustrations by Morvern Graham whose work is rooted in the realms of folklore, wild places, landscape and history.
Culture Cabinet Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Over nearly four decades, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival has celebrated our nation’s rich storytelling traditions, bringing together voices from across Scotland and around the world.
“Backed by multi-year funding from Creative Scotland and the Expanded Festivals Fund, the Scottish Government is proud to support this outstanding, globally significant cultural event.
“As we mark 20 years of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, this year’s programme theme, Bird and Beast, captures the deep connection between our stories and the natural world we share. The largest ever Go Local programme underlines the importance the festival places on community, and bringing people together, through events in towns and villages across Scotland.
“I’d encourage everyone to explore this year’s programme and discover storytelling’s power to connect us with each other and the world around us.”
Daniel Abercrombie, Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director said: “We are delighted to present this special moment in Scotland’s storytelling calendar which showcases this wonderful oral tradition across the whole of Scotland.
“The Scottish International Storytelling Festival is a place where creative opportunities are nurtured and where creative risks can be taken, where the tradition is safeguarded and the contemporary is encouraged.
“Our Bird and Beast theme this year allows us a chance to enjoy and explore stories which carry a message about the way humans can understand and respect the planet we share with animals and nature.
“We look forward to welcoming old and new friends this autumn, to celebrate with a programme full of imagination, opportunity and generosity, led with great skill and enthusiasm by our storytellers, for it’s through them that we continue to celebrate and be proud of our storytelling scene in Scotland.”
Catriona Hawksworth, Traditional Arts Officer at Creative Scotland, said: “Storytelling is a vital part of Scotland’s cultural life- connecting us to our heritage while creating space for new voices, new ideas and international exchange.
This year’s festival will weave these strands together in a programme that celebrates Scotland’s rich storytelling traditions while opening them up to audiences and artists from around the world and making storytelling accessible to communities and audiences across Scotland.”
The Archers: Live at 75!
King’s Theatre, Glasgow, G2 4JN | Sunday 4th October | 2pm
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-archers-live-at-75/kings-theatre-glasgow/
Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, EH1 3AA | Monday 5th October | 7.30pm
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-archers-live-at-75/edinburgh-playhouse/
BBC Radio 4’s long-running drama ‘The Archers’ celebrates its 75th anniversary with a brand new live theatrical experience, inviting Glasgow and Edinburgh audiences to experience the village of Ambridge as they’ve never seen – or indeed heard – it before.
Touring from June to November 2026, this brand-new live production brings the beloved iconic radio drama out of the studio and onto stages across the UK. Hosted by award-winning comedian and Archers devotee Angela Barnes, each performance features a cast of four actors alongside Vanessa Nuttall, The Archers’ live sound-effects specialist.
Joining the tour are eight of Ambridge’s most beloved voices and appearing in both Scottish cities will be Tim Bentinck (David Archer), Annabelle Dowler (Kirsty Miller), Charlotte Martin (Susan Carter) and Ben Norris (Ben Archer) known collectively as the tours “Flower Cast”.
(Other dates will include the “Produce Cast” of Charles Collingwood (Brian Aldridge), Ryan Kelly (Jazzer McCreary), Susie Riddell (Tracy Horrobin) and Sunny Ormonde (Lilian Bellamy).
L-R: Tim Bentinck, Charlotte Martin, Annabelle Dowler, Ben Norris
First broadcast on 1st January 1951, The Archers is the world’s longest-running radio drama. Broadcasting six times a week to millions of listeners, the programme follows the everyday lives, loves, and dramas of the residents of the fictional village of Ambridge, deep in the heart of the English countryside.
Over the course of more than 20,000 episodes, the show has chronicled significant social and cultural changes in Britain, dealing with complex contemporary issues alongside the traditional rhythms of rural life, earning its place as a cornerstone of the British cultural landscape.
Today, it remains one of the BBC’s most popular programmes and is currently the top on-demand show for listeners of all ages – as well as regularly topping the list of most popular on-demand programmes for listeners under 35 – on BBC Sounds.
Set within a playful reimagining of the Ambridge Flower & Produce Show, The Archers: Live at 75 blends theatricality, nostalgia, comedy and behind-the-scenes insight.
The evening will include on-stage interviews, insider stories and gossip, live performances with live foley sound effects of specially written scenes created exclusively for the tour, archive treasures spanning seven decades from the BBC vaults, fascinating demonstrations of the sound-effects artistry that brings the fields, kitchens and barns of Ambridge so vividly to life, audience questions, an interactive pub quiz straight out of The Bull and of course, a sing-along to the programme’s famous theme tune.
This is a theatrical, one-of-a-kind celebration of, and a unique insight into, the people, stories and distinctive production craft that have cemented The Archers as a beloved British institution for three generations.
The tour offers newcomers an accessible introduction to the drama’s world, while giving long-time listeners a rare look into how Ambridge is created – revealing the artistry behind the character work, development of storylines, and the unmistakable soundscape that define the series.
Charlotte Martin (Susan Carter) says: “I’m so thrilled to be part of The Archers tour – bringing 75 magical years of Ambridge to the stage is an absolute dream come true!
“I can’t wait to share the laughter, tears and heart of Ambridge with fans everywhere!”
Timothy Bentinck (David Archer) says: “I’m so excited to be part of the upcoming The Archers national tour of the UK. We’ll be on stage but the show will be very interactive, and Archers listeners and fans will be just as much a part of it as us.
“So come and join us at the Flower and Produce Show, and as an added treat get to see how the clever sound effects are achieved. Hint, it’s all done with yoghurt and ironing boards!”
Angela Barnes (host) says: “I am not just an Archers superfan, I am obsessed with all things Ambridge. So to be asked to host The Archers: Live at 75 is like winning a prize at the Flower and Produce Show and being cast as the lead in a Lynda Snell production, all rolled into one.
“I can’t wait to hang out with all of my favourite characters and really immerse myself in Borsetshire life.”
Alison Hindell, Drama and Fiction Commissioner, BBC Radio 4, says: “The Archers is one of the BBC’s most-loved programmes and we are tremendously proud of it as it reaches its 75th year.
“We hope that the live show will give fans even more of what they love, joining in the celebrations with an extra slice of Ambridge life.”
Lost Shore wins global Community Impact Award at Surf Park Summit
Lost Shore Surf Resort has won the Surf Park Community Impact Award at the 2026 Surf Park Summit in Virginia Beach, USA, securing international recognition for its work to make surfing more accessible and use the sport as a force for positive social change.
The award recognises surf parks creating meaningful, lasting change in their communities through areas including youth programmes, regional partnerships, inclusive participation, workforce development and surf therapy.
Since opening near Edinburgh in November 2024, Lost Shore has made community impact a central part of the resort, working with organisations including The Wave Project and Inclusive Surfing Scotland to open up the benefits of surfing to people who might otherwise struggle to access them.
The Wave Project is the UK’s surf therapy charity, using surfing and one-to-one volunteer mentoring to support children and young people experiencing mental health challenges, helping them build confidence, resilience and self-esteem.
In 2025, it delivered its six-week Surf Therapy programme at Lost Shore to 62 young people aged eight to 18 from across Fife, Edinburgh, Lanarkshire, the Lothians and Glasgow, with every participant receiving one-to-one support. Weekly Surf Club sessions provided more than 400 hours of continuing support.
Lost Shore’s inland location has also enabled The Wave Project to accept referrals from Glasgow, Lanarkshire, West Lothian and parts of inner-city Edinburgh that it previously could not reach.
Inclusive Surfing Scotland provides adaptive surfing for children and adults with disabilities, breaking down barriers to the sport through tailored equipment and professional support in safe, inclusive environments. At Lost Shore, consistent and customisable waves, accessible changing facilities and adapted water access allow the charity to support everyone from first-time adaptive surfers to experienced para surfers.
In 2025, Inclusive Surfing Scotland delivered 76 sessions supporting 79 surfers, with all surveyed participants reporting that surfing made them feel more confident and happier and improved their mental health.
Andy Hadden, founder of Lost Shore Surf Resort, said: “This award means an enormous amount because community impact was never something we intended to bolt onto Lost Shore after we opened. It was part of the reason for building it in the first place.
“What makes me proudest is seeing young people find confidence in the water, disabled surfers catch waves with Inclusive Surfing Scotland, and our facility used to support emergency service workers.
“To have that work recognised internationally is incredibly special. It shows that a surf park can be much more than somewhere to catch waves. Our ambition now is to keep widening access and show that commercial success and meaningful social impact can go hand in hand.”
Ruaridh Farquharson of The Wave Project said: “Lost Shore has changed who we can reach. A young person in Glasgow, Lanarkshire or inner-city Edinburgh should not be excluded from the benefits of surf therapy simply because they live too far from the sea.
“At Lost Shore we have a safe, predictable environment and, crucially, the community of trained volunteers that makes surf therapy work. “Our evaluation data consistently shows positive improvements in the wellbeing of the young people who take part, and research shows that every £1 invested to our Surf Therapy courses returns £2 in social value. We see these benefits every day in the water.”
“Iain Donaldson of Inclusive Surfing Scotland said: “For many disabled people, the barriers to surfing start long before they ever reach the water.
“Having accessible changing facilities, smooth water access, and customisable waves at Lost Shore completely changes what’s possible. Supported by our specially trained coaches and volunteers, we’re seeing people who never imagined they could surf discover the total freedom and joy of riding a wave.
“Our impact evaluations have shown that surfing not only builds physical fitness, but positively impacts our surfers’ mental health and resilience. Recognition like this sends a vital message to the global surf industry: accessibility must be built into the future of the sport.”
Lost Shore’s wider community work includes Surfwell Blue Light CIC, which has brought trauma-informed surf therapy for frontline emergency service workers to Scotland, as well as a curriculum-linked Surf and STEM programme for schools and The Surf Lab, its research partnership with Edinburgh Napier University exploring surfing, performance, health and wellbeing.
The Community Impact Award follows Lost Shore’s Innovation Award win at the 2025 Surf Park Awards, giving the Edinburgh resort back-to-back international recognition.