Phil Archer when the show began airing nationally on 1 January 1951. During his time with "The Archers", Painting wrote a best-selling book entitled "Forever Ambridge" and wrote over a thousand scripts for the show between 1966 and 1982. Painting was later inducted into the Guinness World Records for being the longest-serving actor, without a break, in a single soap opera. In later years, Painting's appearances on the show became limited due to his ill health. On 29 October 2009, two days after he had gone to the recording studio, Painting died. BBC Radio 4 controller, Mark Damazer, said "Norman Painting was
Jan Ravens grin) and Fiona Bruce (with barely concealed filthy invitations) of BBC News, Anne Robinson of "The Weakest Link", Lesley Garrett (often referring to her generous cleavage), Hillary Clinton, Theresa May and the Geordie-accented Ruth Archer from the BBC Radio 4 series "The Archers". Ravens appeared in a series-three episode, ("Monday Morning will be Fine"), of David Renwick's series "One Foot in the Grave" as Pat Aylesbury, one of the neighbours to whom Meldrew turns after being burgled. From 1996 till 2001 she played Janet Grimley, the mother in "The Grimleys", a nostalgic sitcom set in '70s Dudley. In autumn 2006,