Opportunity
of a lifetime for fans of BBC's Westway
A lucky
listener of BBC World Service's long running soap Westway will receive
an all expenses paid trip to London as part of a competition to
celebrate Westway's fifth birthday on 5 November.
The
winner, who has to create a new character, will actually appear
in an episode in 2003.
Westway
began in 1997 and is set in a busy health centre in inner-city West
London.
540
episodes later, international audiences are captivated by Westway
as it reveals, in dramatic form, a slice of life in Britain.
It
shows how people live and inter-relate, how the social services
and political systems function, how the Health Service, police and
judicial processes operate and explores the issues effecting people's
daily lives.
In
2001 Westway won the prestigious Commission for Racial Equality's
Race in the Media (RIMA) Soap award and was shortlisted in 2002.
Fans
from around the word say the serial has increased their understanding
of how life is lived in Britain, providing context for the news
stories that form the core of BBC World Service output.
And
judging by research findings and listeners' correspondence, it has
encouraged a new audience to tune in, particularly women, younger
listeners and people who don't have English as a first language.
Listeners
who enter Westway's fifth anniversary competition are invited to
create a new character to fit in with the regulars be it a teacher,
a fashion model, an old friend or a new relative to one of the cast
members - the choice is entirely theirs.
Notes to Editors
The
Westway competition closes on 19 December 2002.
Participants
are to describe their ideal character in no more than 100 words
and they can submit more than one character.
Participants
can apply by post to BBC World Service, London, UK; by telephone
on +44 207 836 5859 leaving their name, address and phone number;
or by email to westway@bbc.co.uk.
All
participants will receive a free, brand new, fifth birthday celebration
photocard of the cast.
Winners
will be announced in the new year on the Westway
website. where you can also listen to the programme.
Prizes
for runners-up include radios, Westway t-shirts, keyrings and pens.
BBC
World Service broadcasts programmes around the world in 43 languages
and is available on radio and online.
It
has a global audience of 150 million listeners while its website
receives 75 million page impressions each month.
Quotes
about Westway
"I
value all the news and information I get on the World Service. But
am also grateful to get a break from the serious business of politics
every now and again." Kirsten, Student, Potsdam
"Westway
is great. I am a 48-year-old woman, college degree, disabled for
10 years, Mother of one, Grandmother of four." L Turner, Oregon,
USA
"Though
I don't like soap operas in general I cannot imagine my life without
Westway." Sophia, 17, Ukraine
"I'm
very interested in learning English. I find (Westway) very useful.
Congratulations." Segundo, Madrid, Spain
"Westway
is the perfect vehicle for broaching such subjects as domestic abuse,
runaways, marital stress, death of a child, divorce, refugees and
oppression. Listening, I realise that some people may be hearing
for the first time that beating a wife is not acceptable and that
she should seek help... I imagine that some issues could cause a
stir as they may be different from some cultural traditions."
Bangalore, India
"It
is fun, exciting and has really hooked me." Francesca, Spain
"Thank
you for a nice fictional story that helps me forget for a time my
life's problems." Deborah, Nigeria
"I
was amazed by the clearly superior storyline and script. I believe
the series to be of better quality to be called a soap." Harris
Ho, Paris, France
"I
listen to World Service for its business, science and technology
programmes, because I am a journalist who works in that area. Along
the way I began to catch episodes of Westway and I was astonished
that an 'entertainment' should provoke questions and feelings about
my own work. Now I never miss an episode. Your empathetic serial
supplies an oasis of humanity and I applaud your existence."
New Zealand - female
"With
great delicacy you have introduced subjects like homosexuality,
inter-religion and intermarriage. The relationship between a mother
and her gay son is still taboo in India. Though being a staunch
Hindu myself, I am quite moved by the gentleness of this aspect
of your programme." India - male
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