Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh, featuring five newly recorded readings introduced by Her Majesty the Queen and a drama about the conservation of Ashdown Forest.
Royal Introduction and Centenary Readings
The Winnie-the-Pooh 100 programming runs daily from Monday 12 to Friday 16 October at 11.45am on BBC Radio 4. According to BBC records, the series opens with a special introduction by Her Majesty the Queen, recorded earlier this year at Pooh Sticks Bridge in Ashdown Forest. Ashdown Forest serves as the real-world landscape that inspired the fictional Hundred Acre Wood.
During the recorded introduction, Her Majesty reflects on her childhood games of Pooh Sticks. According to the BBC, she describes Winnie-the-Pooh as offering “kindness, wisdom” and “simplicity in a very complicated world.” Following the royal introduction, the schedule features five stories from the first Winnie-the-Pooh collection. Sir Lenny Henry, Ambika Mod, Jim Broadbent, Toby Jones, and Hayley Atwell share daily reading duties to celebrate the humour and wisdom of Pooh and his companions.
Drama on 4: Save the Hundred Acre Wood
The centenary week culminates on Saturday 17 October at 3.00pm with Drama on 4: Save the Hundred Acre Wood. According to BBC production details, the new play comes from writer Edward Kemp and focuses on the true story of the campaign to protect Ashdown Forest. The drama explores how Christopher Robin Milne became involved in efforts to preserve the landscape that inspired his father’s writing, despite spending much of his life distancing himself from the famous stories.
The cast for the Saturday afternoon broadcast includes Robert Bathurst, Lia Williams, Rosie Jones, and Anton Lesser. Sarah Homer provides the music for the production, which is directed by Jeremy Mortimer and produced by Reduced Listening for BBC Radio 4. Alongside the new drama, BBC Radio 4 will rerun “Who Are You in Winnie-The-Pooh?” each weeknight at 10.45pm from 12 to 16 October. Presented by Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce and produced by Rosie Boulton for Must Try Softer, the series asks prominent UK children’s writers which characters from the tales they identify with most.
Broadcast Details and Production Team
Alison Hindell, Commissioner for Drama and Fiction at BBC Radio 4, noted the ongoing appeal of the characters. According to Hindell, the network is delighted to mark the centenary with new readings and Edward Kemp’s drama exploring the efforts to save the famous setting. Kate MacDonald produced the weekday reading series, which was abridged by Jeremy Mortimer for Reduced Listening.
Listeners can catch all broadcasts on BBC Radio 4 between 12 and 17 October, or access the audio on demand via BBC Sounds. The combination of classic literature readings, archival reflections, and investigative drama provides a comprehensive look at both the fictional creation and its real-world environmental roots.
Did you know? Pooh Sticks Bridge, where Her Majesty the Queen recorded her introduction for the BBC Radio 4 centenary programming, sits inside Ashdown Forest in East Sussex.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Winnie-the-Pooh 100 programming air?
The new readings broadcast daily from Monday 12 to Friday 16 October at 11.45am on BBC Radio 4. The companion drama, Save the Hundred Acre Wood, airs on Saturday 17 October at 3.00pm.
Who is reading the classic stories for the BBC?
The reading cast features Sir Lenny Henry, Ambika Mod, Jim Broadbent, Toby Jones, and Hayley Atwell. Her Majesty the Queen provides a special introduction to open the series.
Where can I listen to the programmes online?
All broadcasts, including the weekday readings and the Saturday drama, will be available to stream on BBC Sounds alongside their scheduled BBC Radio 4 transmission times.
What is the subject of the Saturday drama?
Save the Hundred Acre Wood explores the real-life campaign to protect Ashdown Forest and details Christopher Robin Milne’s involvement in preserving the landscape that inspired his father’s work.
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