Sara Coward(1948-2017)

Sara was born in South East London and on leaving the local grammar school went to Bristol University, gaining a degree in English and Drama before enrolling at the Guildhall School of Drama in London. Whilst there she won a contract to work with the BBC radio repertory company, which gained her an Equity card and the prestigious Carleton Hobbes award for young radio players. In 1977 whilst playing Lady Macbeth in a repertory company she was spotted by a producer for 'The Archers', radio serial and given the role of Cordon Bleu chef Caroline Bone, who, after working at the Bull pub, graduated to the more up-market Grey Gables hotel, ultimately becoming its owner with husband Oliver Sterling. Whilst 'The Archers' was her best-known work she made occasional forays into popular television shows, in addition to touring with her Archers co-star Sunny Ormonde with a show entitled Wicked Women and her own one-woman show. In 2016 she was diagnosed with terminal cancer and in February 2017 sadly passed away at a palliative care home in Warwickshire.