大象传媒

A funeral focuses everyone's mind in Wadenbrook.

Sheila Hancock narrates the bittersweet adventures of the residents of a small town in Northamptonshire.

Written by Katherine Jakeways.

As is well-known: Yorkshiremen wear flat caps and Essex girls wear short skirts; Liverpudlians are scallies and Cockneys are wideboys. Northamptonians gaze wistfully at these stereotypes and wish for an identity of any kind and a label less ridiculous than Northamptonians. Northamptonshire, let us be clear, is neither north, nor south nor in the Midlands. It floats somewhere between the three eyeing up the distinctiveness of each enviously.

Katherine Jakeways gives Northamptonshire an identity. And she waits, eagerly, for her home-county to thank her. And possibly make her some kind of Mayor.

Narrator ...... Sheila Hancock
Rod ...... Tim Key
Mary ...... Penelope Wilton
Jonathan ...... Kevin Eldon
Keith ...... John Biggins
Esther ...... Katherine Jakeways
Norman ...... Geoffrey Palmer
Orson ...... Nathaniel Parker
Alistair ...... Michael Bertenshaw
Jan ...... Felicity Montagu

Producer: Steven Canny

First broadcast on 大象传媒 Radio 4 in January 2014.