George Orwell's roots in our patch...

There I was, sitting in my car for the third hour, in the middle of an enormous traffic jam on the A34 northbound yesterday, and worrying about my dwindling fuel. Then, at last I turned off the main road and was redirected through the village of Sutton Courtenay. Sat in more traffic jams, for a further half hour.

I didn't know it but I was in the village where where George Orwell is buried.

Didn't know that.

Neither did I know - until this morning - that he grew up in Henley. But now a local publisher and Orwell buff, Peter Burness-Smith, is planning to open a dedicated visitors centre in the town. What's more, we at the BBC discovered a bit more about Orwell's life at the BBC, as a young producer who didn't think much of his own broadcasting voice!

Today I found out things I didn't know I didn't know about Orwell. But there's loads more coming up on Radio 4, starting this weekend. Watch out.