While Brian Eno puts his mind to rearranging the Archers theme, Ed Finch, Year 5 and 6 teacher at Lark Rise primary in East Oxford, is sticking to tradition. He picked up his accordion to play the English Morris tune “Barwick Green” in honour of Radio 4‘s Archers team at last week’s Mind Awards. The mental health campaigners gave The Archers a Mind Champions 2005 award in recognition of the soap’s sensitive treatment of mental health issues. Collecting the award from Melvyn Bragg were three of the cast: Louiza Patikas, who plays Helen Archer (her boyfriend Greg in the series became depressed and committed suicide), June Spencer and Arnold Peter (Peggy and Jack Woolley: Jack has dementia in the series) plus producer Kate Oates.

The Mind Book of the Year Award went to Sian Busby for The Cruel Mother (Short Books), a memoir exploring attitudes to post-natal depression and women’s mental health since the author’s great-grandmother was sent to Broadmoor after the deaths of two of her children.