The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
Five stories from the 2007 Cheltenham Literature Festival. A brief holiday encounter takes hold of Elizabeth's imagination. Written and read by Jon McGregor.
The sound of bells from the Cathedral of the Transfiguration, Archangel, Russia.
Mark Tully celebrates cricket as a symbol of an ideal society, with historian Ramanchandra Guha.
Alex James visits Hill Farm in Oxfordshire, home of Truckfest, a locally run music festival which features well known-bands alongside the up and coming. The owners of the farm and organisers of the festival, Alan Binning and his wife, cater the event with the local Rotary Club and the cows give up their shed to hold an indoor stage of more adventurous sounds and shelter for the rain weary.
Truck remains a local festival with no desire to grow any bigger, but what do these many visitors mean for the farm and the local community? Can cows and campers really co-exist? Alex James, a man with one foot in rock 'n' roll and the other firmly in the field, finds out.
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
Jane Little discusses the religious and ethical news of the week. Moral arguments and perspectives on stories, both familiar and unfamiliar.
Donations to Prisoners of Conscience should be sent to FREEPOST BBC Radio 4 Appeal, please mark the back of your envelope Prisoners of Conscience. Credit cards: Freephone 0800 404 8144. If you are a UK tax payer, please provide Prisoners of Conscience with your full name and address so they can claim the Gift Aid on your donation worth another 25 per cent. The online and phone donation facilities are not currently available to listeners without a UK postcode.
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
From St Martin's Church, Belfast, with the Grosvenor Chorale, directed by Edward Craig.
Sir David's first pet was a fire salamander, given to him by his father on his 8th birthday.
He also gave his own son a salamander on his 8th birthday, the legacy of which is very much alive and kicking today.
Series of talks by Sir David Attenborough on the natural histories of creatures and plants from around the world.
How should children spend the long summer holidays, in academic summer schools or playing out, Swallows and Amazons-style? Matt Wells reports from New York on the Knowledge is Power Programme (KIPP), where children work very long hours, study through the summer and get lots of homework. In the studio is Zoe Readhead, who runs the famous Summerhill School in Suffolk, where hot-housing is not the name of the game. Joining the discussion are Anthony Seldon, headmaster of Wellington College, and the Conservatives' education spokesman Michael Gove.
Tony Doherty, who lost his father on Bloody Sunday, offers his advice to Beverley Clarke, whose son died in Iraq. Can she expect peace of mind from a public inquiry?
Also a world premiere - we hear two recently-discovered pieces of music by Mozart from Salzburg, the Piano Concerto in G Molto Allegro and the Prelude in G Major, the first of which is thought to have been written by Mozart when he was under 10 years old.
The Sunday newspapers are reviewed by Dr Kim Howells, MP for Pontypridd and Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, Aggie Mackenzie, author of Ask Aggie and presenter of How Clean is your House? and Nick Weston, author of books on survival bushcraft and who is living in a treehouse in the woods in Kent for six months.
Kirsty Young's castaway is the interior designer, socialite and one-time cowboy, Nicky Haslam. His life defies easy description. In America in the 1960s, he was part of Andy Warhol's circle of friends. He got to know Wallis Simpson and the Duke of Windsor and met Cyd Charisse and President Kennedy; and after all that, he became a cowboy. When he returned to Britain he brought the sleek style of the States with him. When he is designing a room, he says, first he lets the room speak to him, then his client - then he gets the last word on how it should look.
[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]
Favourite track: You're Just In Love from Call Me Madam by Ethel Merman & Dick Haymes
Nicholas Parsons chairs the devious word game, with panellists Sue Perkins, Pam Ayres, Tony Hawks and Tim Rice.
Sheila Dillon examines the business of food at sports events, from horse racing to football. She finds out about the caterers and the companies behind thousands of meals every week.
A handful of global businesses look after most of the food in Britain's sports venues. Companies like Compass Group and the US-based Aramark have turnovers which run into the billions of pounds, generated in part by the food they sell at sports venues.
Sheila hears about two major sports events, Glorious Goodwood, at which Compass serve burgers made using organic beef produced on the Goodwood estate, and Lord's cricket ground, which decided to go it alone, bring catering in-house and leave the world of contract catering.
With the London 2012 Olympic Games approaching, Sheila asks if these examples of catering at sports venues will be suited to an event at which up to 20 million meals are due to be served.
Is the United States preparing to ask Britain to provide more troops in Afghanistan? As a committee of MPs urges the government to focus its efforts there on security alone, we hear from Washington, and the Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell.
What impact will Germany's involvement in Afghanistan have on its federal election campaign?
The Archbishop who speaks for the Catholic Church on medical ethics reflects on Thursday's judgement on 'assisted suicide'.
In Scotland's first Homecoming Year, Sally Magnusson discovers why people with Scottish ancestry feel so passionate about pursuing their family history. Find out what they are looking for in a special edition, recorded at the Strathclyde University International Genealogy Festival in Glasgow.
Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood and Anne Swithinbank answer questions posed by members of Letchworth District Gardeners Association.
Letchworth was the world's first garden city, founded in 1903 by social reformer Ebenezer Howard. Planners gave its citizens a generous space for each garden, and one of the founding principles was that the town should have the space to grow its own food. The panel find out whether Letchworth's history gives its gardeners an advantage today, given that the concept of self-sufficiency and the 'grow your own' movement are increasingly popular.
Also, Anne Swithinbank unearths a local colony of rare - but temperamental - black squirrels and Pippa Greenwood explores ways of getting children interested in gardening during the summer holidays.
Peter France narrates an extraordinary story of life on the Wash as the tides and the seasons change, set against a backdrop of sounds recorded on location by Chris Watson.
How might climate change and rising sea levels affect this wild, desolate and beautiful landscape?
Sixteen-year-old orphan Ruth Hilton is apprenticed as a dressmaker to the hard-bitten Mrs Mason, because she is too much of an inconvenience for her legal guardian. A job as a seamstress for a Hunt Ball and an encounter with a young man have far-reaching consequences.
Ruth ...... Laura Rees
Bellingham ...... Rory Kinnear
Benson ...... Anton Lesser
Mrs Mason ...... Abigail Thaw
Guardian/Jones/Thomas ...... Richard Hope
Nelly/Mrs Bellingham ...... Alison Skilbeck
Miss Duncombe ...... Aimee Cowen
Jenny ...... Helen Jenkinson
Bessie ...... Daisy Ashford
James Naughtie and readers meet the best-selling writer CJ Sansom. They discuss Dissolution, the first in his series of Tudor mysteries featuring the investigator Matthew Shardlake.
Shardlake is sent to Sussex to investigate a murder in a monastery, just as Henry VIII is beginning his reformation of the Church.
Marking the 200th anniversary of the birth Alfred, Lord Tennyson's birth, poet Sean O'Brien explores his great poem, Ulysses, from the singular story of its tragic origins to its many meanings for readers today.
He hears from Homer scholar Oliver Taplin and Dante scholar Martin McLaughlin about Tennyson's sources for the poem and its surprisingly ambiguous hero. Sean learns from Victorian experts Seamus Perry, Robert Douglas Fairhurst and Linda Hughes about the tragedy in Tennyson's young life that led him to write this poem about an old man when he himself was just 24.
It is a poem about bereavement and death but, as poet Vicki Feaver explains, it is also about the personal struggle in each of us between comfort and adventure, between the familiar and the unknown, between accepting life as it is and striving ever onward.
As evidence continues to emerge about the CIA's secret detention and interrogation programme, calls grow on this side of the Atlantic for an inquiry into claims that Britain colluded in the torture of suspects. Stephen Grey investigates the relationship between the US and the UK security services in the hidden War on Terror.
Gerry Northam introduces his selection of highlights from the past week on BBC radio.
The cricket team celebrate today's win in the Bull. Alistair's good spirits are marred by Jim's repeated insistence that Adam is a fabulous captain - and by the news that Adam has asked Jim to replace Colin as scorer. Roy confides in Mike that cricket isn't really fun under Adam's leadership... and advises Mike to consider somewhere more exotic than Brussels for his second honeymoon with Vicky.
Mike waxes lyrical about Brenda's graduation - but he's worried about her getting a job. He talks to Ed about expanding the herd and the milk round, but Ed feels he couldn't manage extra cows. Jazzer arrives, admitting he's had his phone turned off for most of the day, because Annette keeps calling.
Helen despairs of Annette repeatedly texting Jazzer but Annette won't listen. When Annette hears his mobile alert she realizes he's also in The Bull, and goes looking for him.
Jazzer sees Annette, and hides in the toilets. He phones Ed to come and smuggle him out but Annette catches them. When Jazzer tells her it's over, she tries in vain to change his mind. Helen wants to comfort Annette but she just wants to go home and be on her own.
Jane Little asks why a growing number of Americans are convinced that their President is in the White House illegally. The 'Birther' movement is the latest in a long line of American conspiracy theories; why is America such a fertile home for offbeat movements?
Short stories marking the 250th anniversary of William Blake's birth, each inspired by a quote from the great poet.
There are stories that May keeps a monster in her house. Young Norman Trench becomes fascinated by the noises he hears with his ear pressed to May's back wall. Fascination gives way to fear as she invites him in to see her monster.
By David Almond, read by Alun Armstrong and inspired by Blake's The Marriage of Heaven
Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC Trust, faces a selected panel of Feedback listeners and addresses their concerns about topics including presenter salaries, Thought For The Day and the 2015 DAB switchover.
Matthew Bannister presents the obituary series, analysing and celebrating the life stories of people who have recently died. The programme reflects on people of distinction and interest from many walks of life, some famous and some less well known.
John Waite investigates how laws designed to raise the standard of living conditions in 'Bedsitland' are being undermined by unscrupulous landlords. He reveals what measures the landlords use and asks why some local authorities have failed to take advantage of the new powers given to them by the government. He visits Rhyl in north Wales and Haringey in London.
A 21st-century corporation needs a different kind of organisational structure from the old command and control mechanisms that built the world's biggest companies. Peter Day finds out how people can create learning organisations without commanding and controlling.
Reports from behind the scenes at Westminster. Including The Election Agent.
The star of La Haine, Vincent Cassell, discusses the life and death of Jacques Mesrine, France's Public Enemy Number One, the subject of his new movie.
David Warner, the star of Morgan: A Suitable Case For Treatment, reveals how Sam Peckinpah saved his career.
Mark Gatiss from The League Of Gentlemen continues his alternative guide to British cinema.
MONDAY 03 AUGUST 2009
MON 00:00 Midnight News (b00ltpdh)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b00lsxgy)
Cervantes Don Quixote - Cultural Hybridity
The 15th century mosques of India were built by Hindu craftsmen trained on temples. Shakespeare borrowed from Seneca and emulated Ovid in the writing of his plays, and reggae was introduced to Britian by Jamaican immigrants who had brought African influence to the development of ska which in turn had borrowed from American R and B. No wonder that Edward Said said that, 'the history of all cultures is the history of cultural borrowing'. But is that cultural borrowing a fair exchange? Are some cultures more readily imposed than others and is there any sense in resisting the influence of foreign ways of life? Laurie Taylor discusses cultural hybridity with Tariq Ali, Peter Burke and Angela McRobbie.
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b00ltn1l)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00lxz72)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00ltphg)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00ltps0)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 05:30 News Briefing (b00ltpsj)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00ltpxv)
Daily prayer and reflection with Rev Marjory Maclean.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (b00ltrk4)
Dairy farmers who suffered major financial losses when dairy farmers of britain collapsed are facing another round of price cuts. First Milk is now paying those producers who signed on with them when DFB went into administration
18.65 pence a litre, which is around three-and-a-half pence less than last month. First Milk is not the the only company to announce price cuts. Another of the main suppliers of milk and cheese to our stores, Milklink, is also reducing the price it pays producers by half a pence a litre.
We also take a closer look at the harvest; what is being taken in and where it goes.
MON 05:57 Weather (b00lv0bk)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 06:00 Today (b00ltrmn)
Presented by Sarah Montague and Evan Davis.
Ralph Silva, Research Director at TowerGroup discusses the
2.98 billion pound profit announced by Barclays.
Keith Best, Chief Executive of the Immigration Advisory Service, says new proposals on immigration are more complicated and likely to increase disputes.
Correspondent Jon Leyne reports on how the Iranian government seems to be using trials of protestors to intimidate the Iranian people.
Gordon Corera talks to Mikhail Lyubimov, a colonel in the KGB, about why he was picked to recruit members of the Conservative Party in the UK.
Andrew Hosken reports from the small fishing village of Palliyathidal in Sri Lanka - the scene of the greatest single massacre suffered by any community during the war.
Can skateboarding spread the word of Jesus? Andy Gallacher reports from Ramp 48 in Florida on how young Americans are being taught about religion.
A small area of north western China has been quarantined after an outbreak of pneumonic plague. Michael Bristow reports.
Thought for the Day with Giles Fraser, Canon Chancellor Designate of St Paul's Cathedral.
Phil Willis MP and Dr Wendy Piatt discuss how standards can be maintained in UK universities.
Profits of over
2.98 billion pounds have been reported by Barclays for the first half of 2009. Business editor Robert Peston explains the importance of the results. John Varley, Chief Executive of Barclays, discusses whether the public should be pleased at the bank's results.
Authors John O'Farrell and Sue Palmer discuss how young is too young to be using social networking sites.
Phil Woolas, Home Office Minister for borders and immigration, discusses the new points system, which could punish potential citizens for so-called 'bad behaviour'.
Yvonne Roberts, of think-tank the Young Foundation, and Jill Kirby, of the Centre for Policy Studies, consider the role of women in politics.
Reporter James Gordon visits Coney Island to discover the council's ambitious plans for redevelopment.
Killer robots have once again gone on the rampage in central London, causing widespread damage and loss of life. Electronic engineering experts Bart Selman and Alan Winfeld discuss the fear from experts that one day in the not-so-distant future, this headline could become a reality.
MON 09:00 MI6: A Century in the Shadows (b00lv0bm)
Heroes and Villains
BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera looks inside Britain's Secret Intelligence Service. He talks to senior intelligence officers, agents and diplomats as well as their former arch enemies about the shadowy world of espionage.
What went on behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War? MI6 Chief John Scarlett describes his clandestine meeting with an agent and the Russian defector Oleg Gordievsky talks about his reasons for coming over to the other side.
MON 09:30 The Call (b00lvg16)
Series 1
The Adoption
Dominic Arkwright talks to people who have taken or made life-changing phone calls.
After months of form-filling bureaucracy and disappointment, educationalist Fiona Byerley made a late-night call to a Thai orphanage and was told that a baby girl was waiting to be collected.
MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b00ltrn9)
Martin Stannard - Muriel Spark: The Biography
Episode 1
Hannah Gordon reads from Martin Stannard's biography of the acclaimed Scottish novelist, written with full access to her letters and papers.
Abridged by Rosemary Goring.
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00ltrv6)
Topless sunbathing; Male circumcision
The politics of topless sunbathing. Plus, Charlotte Bronte's Villette discussed; new research on male circumcision; and Europe's first 'home prison'.
MON 11:00 Mind Changers (b00lv0wx)
The Hawthorne Effect
Claudia Hammond presents a series looking at the development of the science of psychology during the 20th century.
In the 1920s, at the enormous Western Electric Hawthorne Factory in Cicero outside Chicago, management began an experiment which was to improve the working life of millions and give rise to a phenomenon that anyone planning a psychology experiment would have to take into account in their design.
Keen to improve productivity at a time when the telephone industry was growing and Western Electric was building the components for all the telephone exchanges in the United States, management decided to see whether working conditions affected production. But the initial 'illumination studies' were inconclusive; whether lighting was increased or decreased to no better than moonlight, productivity increased. Whatever the intervention, it seemed to promote faster work.
Confused, management turned to economists from Harvard Business School to design a more complex study. So, in April 1927 five women were removed from the factory floor and put in a separate room - the relay assembly test room. For the next five years, as they assembled the complex relays they were minutely monitored. Their working conditions were regularly altered, but whether breaks were included or removed, their working day lengthened or shortened, their productivity continued to rise.
The study improved working conditions throughout the factory, as breaks were introduced for all, but it also gave rise to a phenomenon known as The Hawthorne Effect, which has to be taken into account in the design of any experiment - the mere fact that subjects know that they are being studied may alter their behaviour.
Yet The Hawthorne Effect is widely questioned. How can an experiment using such a small sample - five women, two of whom were changed during the study - have given rise to such a ubiquitous theory?
With the help of the Hawthorne Museum in Cicero, the Baker Library archive and Professor Michel Anteby at Harvard Business School, Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld of Yale Business School who met the original participants in the study back in the 1970s, and Mecca Chiesa of the University of Kent, Claudia Hammond re-examines the classic Hawthorne Studies.
MON 11:30 Hazelbeach (b00lv0wz)
Series 2
Tour Guide
Ronnie loses a prized possession and Nick learns what it means to be the Daddy.
Caroline and David Stafford's comedy about likeable conman Ronnie Hazelbeach starring Jamie Forman.
Ronnie Hazelbeach....Jamie Foreman
Nick..........Paul Bazely
James.........Neil Stuke
Art Sanford.........Philip Fox
Other parts by Stephen Hogan, Annabelle Dowler, and Lizzy Watts
Director: Marc Beeby
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2009.
MON 12:00 You and Yours (b00ltrz4)
Consumer news and issues with Julian Worricker.
MON 12:57 Weather (b00lts0w)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 13:00 World at One (b00lts2l)
National and international news with Shaun Ley.
MON 13:30 Round Britain Quiz (b00lv0x1)
Tom Sutcliffe chairs the cryptic general knowledge quiz, featuring teams from Wales and the North of England.
MON 14:00 The Archers (b00ltnpy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Drama (b00lv0x3)
Forty-Three Fifty-Nine- Assassins
By John Dryden and Mike Walker.
Henry, a professional killer, is sent to Hastings to assassinate a hedge fund manager. He has brought his daughter Cathy along, who he hopes will one day take over the family business. But all is not right in Henry's mind, and what should be a routine job begins to spiral out of control.
Henry ...... Rob Jarvis
Bryant ...... Nicholas Farrell
Angela ...... Emily Beecham
Cathy ...... Meghan Haggerty
A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 15:00 Archive on 4 (b00ly0nx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Saturday]
MON 15:45 The Romantic Road: On the Trail of the German Philosophers (b00ltsd1)
German Atlantis
Writer Stephen Plaice takes a journey through the German cities where great philosophers of the 19th century lived and worked, exploring the impact that these thinkers have had on each stage of his life. Along the way, he reflects on the Germany which has been locked away behind the two World Wars, and examines our contemporary prejudices towards Germans.
Stephen visits the Russian city of Kaliningrad, formerly Königsberg, the capital of East Prussia, to explore the legacy of the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, who lived his entire life in the city.
He visits Kant's grave and meets Kant scholar Vadim Chaly, a native of the city which Stalin ethnically cleansed of Germans in 1946. He also tracks down Professor Vladimir Bryushinkin, the current encumbent of the Chair of Logic at Kaliningrad University, the chair that Kant once occupied in the old city of Königsberg.
MON 16:00 The Food Programme (b00ltn9p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 Beyond Belief (b00lv0x5)
With protests continuing in Iran over the results of the presidential elections, Ernie Rea and guests examine the history and theology which underpin the Islamic republic.
MON 17:00 PM (b00ltsj9)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00ltssy)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 18:30 Just a Minute (b00lv13k)
Series 55
Episode 2
Nicholas Parsons chairs the devious word game. With Paul Merton, Shappi Khorsandi, Gyles Brandreth and Kit Hesketh-Harvey.
MON 19:00 The Archers (b00ltsc6)
Tony's back is on the mend but Tom's still keen to help out. He suggest that his parents follow David and Ruth's example and go on holiday. Tony isn't sure but Tom points out that he and Helen coped last week; so why not?
With auditions for the Lies having drawn a blank, Fallon wonders if the band has come to a natural end. Jolene insists that she should pursue her dream but Sid thinks Fallon should pursue a more realistic goal. Jolene admonishes Sid for his negativity.
Lilian drowns her sorrow amid sad ramblings about love and relationships. Jolene tries to distract her with pub business, but to no avail. Ignoring Jolene's suggestion that she slow down her drinking, Lilian orders a top-up from Fallon.
Fallon asks Jolene for another bottle of gin - she needs to serve Lilian. A worried Jolene goes to find Lilian, who's a little worse for wear. Lilian agrees to stop drinking, and suggests driving herself into town. Jolene is quick to put her off the idea - and insists on driving her home, leaving Fallon to watch the bar. Fallon rues the fact that she has nothing better to do.
Episode written by Tim Stimpson.
MON 19:15 Front Row (b00ltt42)
Arts news and reviews.
In 1918, as millions of exhausted soldiers returned home from the Great War, a wave of fatal influenza struck the world, killing over 70 million people. BBC Four's timely new drama, Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen tells the story of Dr James Niven, Manchester's Medical Officer of Health, and his heroic efforts to combat the second wave of Spanish flu as it spread across Manchester and the UK. Actor Bill Paterson (Dr James Niven) and director Justin Hardy discuss this forgotten pandemic.
Tim Lott speaks to John Wilson about his memoir, The Scent of Dried Roses, becoming a Penguin Modern Classic. The book is an exploration of his parents' lives, his mother's inexplicable suicide and his own periods of depression.
Jacques Mesrine was a handsome and charming - but utterly ruthless - French gangster. In the 1960s and 70s his series of audacious bank robberies, kidnappings, hold-ups and prison-breaks, committed whilst assuming multiple disguises and identities, won him the title of The Man With 1000 Faces. Thirty years after being killed in a hail of police bullets, his rise and fall has been turned into two films, starring Vincent Cassel and Gerard Depardieu. John Wilson and crime writer Denise Mina discuss the first of these films, which charts the violence of his early career, his flight to Canada and international notoriety.
Leonardo Da Vinci is chiefly renowned as an artist but he was also fascinated by science. His relationship with technology is explored in a new exhibition which consists of 40-50 full scale, half-scale and smaller interactive models of machines he invented for flight, engineering and motion. They have been created over ten years by a team of Italian artisans and historians, using Leonardo's own notebooks and utilising only materials and techniques known in Renaissance Italy. John Wilson and Renaissance expert Jerry Brotton discuss the exhibition, which includes a rare loan of one of Leonardo's original notebooks (known as a codex) and also a series of activities for visitors, such as a paper airplane competition.
MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00ltt46)
Villette
Bretton
Dramatisation of the classic romantic novel by Charlotte Bronte.
Lucy Snowe looks back to the happy times spent with her godmother and the arrival of a letter with some surprising news.
Lucy Snowe ...... Anna Maxwell Martin
Young Lucy ...... Lizzy Watts
Polly ...... Nell Venables
Mrs Bretton/Miss Marchmount ...... Joan Walker
Graham Bretton ...... Benjamin Askew
Directed by Tracey Neale.
MON 20:00 Benjamin Jealous: The Future of the NAACP? (b00lv13m)
Guardian journalist Gary Younge talks to Benjamin Jealous, the new leader of America's oldest and largest civil rights organisation, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and asks if America still needs the organisation.
Jealous joins the NAACP in its centenary year, but at a time when it is suffering from an image crisis and dwindling membership. Has an organisation that fought segregation, publicised lynchings and awakened the conscience of a nation become a victim of its own success? How relevant is the NAACP in the age of Barack Obama?
Mr Jealous is the youngest leader the NAACP has ever selected and he plans to kick the organisation into the 21st century, encouraging new members to use technology to document discrimination and force change, and to turn the organisation back into the political powerhouse of its prime.
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (b00lszh6)
A Journey Without Maps
Humphrey Hawksley retraces the extraordinary journey undertaken on foot by the novelist Graham Greene from Sierra Leone across Liberia in 1935. He feasts on sardines and luncheon meat, meets the lightning makers and devil dancers and is involved in a near-fatal car crash. How has West Africa changed? Is it better or worse than it was 70 years ago?
MON 21:00 Chips With Everything (b00lv18s)
Sue Nelson explores the mining town in North Carolina that is responsible for the production of the entire world's supply of silicon chips.
The small community of Spruce Pine is home to the purest quartz on Earth, which is essential for making the chips that run every computer, digital radio, washing machine and microwave on the planet.
Quartz is vital because of how computer chips are made; this uniquely pure mineral forms the mixing bowls and tools that make the manufacture of silicon chips possible. If the quartz is contaminated then it becomes useless, but by a stroke of geological luck these rocks formed in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains are just perfect. Without them - and therefore without the work of this North Carolina town - microchip development as we know it would grind to a halt.
But as new quartz deposits are discovered in other countries, including Norway, could Spruce Pine cease to be indispensible? And what will the people of the town do if their last major industry disappears? The programme meets the locals of this Mitchell County town and digs beneath the surface of this strategically important mineral.
MON 21:30 MI6: A Century in the Shadows (b00lv0bm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:58 Weather (b00lttj9)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b00lttt6)
News from a global perspective with Brian Hanrahan.
As the government defends its Afghanistan strategy, a former US lieutenant-colonel says that Afghanistan could turn into Obama's Vietnam.
India outlines an ambitious programme to go green with solar power.
Iran's first president after the Islamic revolution, Abolhassan Banisadr, tells the programme that the regime is detested from the inside.
California attempts to deal with its ailing economy.
Why haggis might not be so Scottish after all.
MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00lxgq7)
The Rapture
Episode 6
Denise Black reads from Liz Jensen's eco-thriller.
Gabrielle discovers the truth about her predecessor on Bethany's case, but Bethany has disappeared from hospital.
Abridged by Fiona McAlpine.
A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 23:00 Word of Mouth (b00ls65t)
Chris Ledgard explores the idea that the language we speak shapes the way we are and the way we see the world: that we really are different in different languages.
The programme visits a group of Asian women at home to hear about all the languages they speak, and how they manage to switch effortlessly between them. We talk to the professor who is leading research into the idea that the actual structure of our language makes a difference to the way we think.
And we hear from an Australian expert who believes that the difficulty of the English system of numbers puts English-speaking children at a disadvantage when it comes to learning to count.
MON 23:30 Lives in a Landscape (b00f3wq1)
Series 4
Going to the Dogs
Documentary series telling original stories about real lives in Britain today.
When Walthamstow dog track closed its doors for the last time in August 2008, it was the end of an era. Alan Dein was the only reporter allowed to join the crowds as the hare led the dogs round the circuit for the last time; the loudspeakers played Thanks for the Memory and the tears flowed freely.
But what now for the future of British greyhound racing, without the iconic Stow? For bookie Joe Bennett and young trainer Paul Rich the dogs are a way of life and a family tradition, in spite of the fact that in England greyhound racing's glory days are long past. Alan follows them as they face an uncertain future. While Joe is philosophical and knows that the sport has always had its ups and downs, Paul, who has devoted to his dogs and has only just taken over the family business, is more pessimistic. Now he is racing in Kent, at Sittingbourne's track on a dreary industrial estate in the wrong end of town - a far cry from the glories of the Stow.
TUESDAY 04 AUGUST 2009
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b00ltp9v)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b00ltrn9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00ltpdk)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00ltpgk)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00ltpm2)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b00ltps2)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00ltpxx)
Daily prayer and reflection with Rev Marjory Maclean.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b00ltrh0)
Anna Hill hears that London's criminals are seeking out shotguns, and with the grouse shooting season looming, rural gun owners may be targeted.
TUE 06:00 Today (b00ltrk6)
Presented by Sarah Montague and Evan Davis.
Australian terrorism expert Peter Lentini discusses the arrest of Somali-Australians in terror raids in Melbourne.
Clive Baldwin of Human Rights Watch discusses whether he believes Britain has been involved in torture.
John Feavyour, of Cambridgeshire Police, discusses whether overall police standards are 'very weak' in Cambridgeshire, as a report suggests.
The trial of a Sudanese woman, Lubna Ahmed Hussein, who has been charged with wearing 'indecent' clothing, is due to resume in the capital, Khartoum. James Copnall reports on the case and Ms Hussein explains her position.
Correspondent Rajini Vaidyanathan reports on the growing trend of 'sexting'.
Thought for the day with Dr Indarjit Singh, director of the Network of Sikh Organisations.
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable considers how the bank Northern Rock has performed since it was nationalised.
Andrew Dismore MP and Foreign Office minister Ivan Lewis discuss whether the UK has been complicit in torture.
The first lines of novels are often quoted and remembered but what about closing lines? Journalists Tom Sutcliffe and Erica Wagner discuss whether novelists have any famous last words.
Sri Lankans are go to the polls in important regional elections. Andrew Hosken reports on hopes that they will reunite the country after decades of civil war.
Helicopters to be sent to Afghanistan may not be able to take part in combat because they lack adequate protection. Norman Smith reports on the anger from pilots at the lack of Kevlar armour on the vehicles.
An undercover investigation by the BBC has exposed estate agents who are prepared to flout race relations laws and discriminate against migrant workers on behalf of landlords. Guy Lynn reports.
Teaching unions are expressing concern about the standard of marking, saying that many schools have appealed their Sats results. Mick Brookes, of the National Association of Head Teachers, discusses whether the schools that are appealing are just the tip of the iceberg.
The Conservative Party is to find out who their candidate for Totnes will be. Tim Montogomerie, of ConservativeHome, and Neil O'Brien, of the think-tank Policy Exchange, discuss how the vote is being seen by the Tory grassroots.
TUE 09:00 The Long View (b00lrv4t)
Railways in Recession
Jonathan Freedland presents the series that looks for the past behind the present.
Jonathan takes the Long View of the railways at a time of recession, asking what lessons can be learnt in our own time from the experience of the Great Western Railway in the 1860s.
A once-prestigious and highly-profitable enterprise, GWR had over-extended itself and the company faced bankruptcy. As debates rage over the future of the East Coast Main Line, Jonathan and guests compare the action taken to rescue the railways in the 19th century with the challenges faced today.
TUE 09:30 Musical Migrants (b00b4nss)
Series 1
From North to South
Stories of people who relocated to other lands, influenced by music.
In the early 1970s, Bruce Greene left New Jersey to embark on a decade-long road trip around Kentucky and the Southern Appalachians to collect old time fiddle tunes and immerse himself in the traditional music that is part of that landscape. He yearned for the sort of lifestyle that the music seemed to convey and which he now recreates at his home in a log cabin in the North Carolina mountains.
TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b00lxjlq)
Martin Stannard - Muriel Spark: The Biography
Episode 2
Hannah Gordon reads from Martin Stannard's biography of the acclaimed Scottish novelist, written with full access to her letters and papers.
Marriage to an older man offers escape from the claustrophobia of Edinburgh's social microcosm, but the excesses of life in colonial Africa soon prove overwhelming.
Abridged by Rosemary Goring.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00ltrq1)
Photographer Heather Angel; Pregnant men
Wildlife photographer Heather Angel. Plus, parental rights for lesbian couples; and images of pregnant men in historical context.
TUE 11:00 The Hidden World of Jacques Cousteau (b00lv1r2)
For 40 years, the Calypso was the mythical flagship of that most emblematic of Frenchmen, Jacques Cousteau. Now, with restoration underway on the boat, Nick Haslam sets out to re-evaluate the renowned, yet sometimes controversial, underwater explorer, and to shed light on the bitter battle over both Cousteau's legacy and his boat.
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 11:30 With Great Pleasure (b00lv202)
Anthony Howard
Guest performers select their favourite pieces of writing.
Journalist and political commentator Anthony Howard chooses some of his favourite pieces - read by Nigel Anthony and Eleanor Bron.
TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b00ltrv8)
Call You and Yours
Consumer news and issues with Julian Worricker.
Small business, is it getting the support it needs during the economic downturn?
Are we stifling innovation and enterprise because nobody wants to take a risk and back new ideas?
TUE 12:57 Weather (b00ltrz6)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 13:00 World at One (b00lts0y)
National and international news with Shaun Ley.
TUE 13:30 Gesualdo: Musician and Murderer (b00lv204)
Aled Jones examines the bizarre life and tormented music of Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa, who slaughtered his unfaithful wife and her paramour and then composed six books of madrigals about the joys of love.
TUE 14:00 The Archers (b00ltsc6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 McLevy (b00njcr5)
Series 5
The Reckoning
As Jean prepares for a wedding, someone wants revenge - but death stalks the detective as he investigates. Stars Brian Cox.
TUE 15:00 Home Planet (b00lv206)
Given the vast number of different beetle species on Earth, do we not live in the age of the beetle? And if so, what was the beetle that surprised one listener by nipping him on the toe?
Why does the Moon always point the same face towards the Earth and why does it appear that the bright side of the Moon does not always point towards the Sun?
And finally, what can or should be done about the vast numbers of plastic bags consumed by the agricultural industry?
On the panel are astronomer Dr Carolin Crawford of the University of Cambridge, soil scientist Dr Chris Collins of the University of Reading and entomologist Richard Jones. As always we want to hear your comments on the topics discussed and any questions you might want to put to future programmes.
Don't forget we want to hear your observations of House Martins; have they returned this year and when, and have they bred successfully?
TUE 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00lv228)
Perspectives
The Mumpers
Series of stories about people approaching something familiar from a different point of view.
By Eleanor Thom. Distant memories mingle with the present as an old woman at the end of her life is cared for by her young nurse. Read by Laura Smales.
TUE 15:45 The Romantic Road: On the Trail of the German Philosophers (b00lxd78)
The Early Romantic
Writer Stephen Plaice takes a journey through the German cities where the great philosophers of the 19th century lived and worked, exploring the impact that these thinkers have had on each stage of his life. Along the way, he reflects on the Germany which has been locked away behind the two World Wars, and examines our contemporary prejudices towards Germans.
Stephen revisits Marburg, where he was a student 35 years ago. He reconsiders the subjective philosophy of Fichte and of the nature philosopher Schelling, whose work he studied in the 1970s, with particular reference to Schelling's idea of the World Soul.
These thinkers provided the philosophic basis for German Romanticism. Stephen relates how, as a young man, seeing the world through the lens of Romanticism, he was in for some pretty sharp collisions with reality.
The 'magic theatre' behind the mysterious black door in the building in which he rents a room as a student turns out to be Marburg's secret gay scene. Revisiting the building nearly four decades later, he discovers it has become another cultural ghetto: a smoker's pub.
Stephen also recalls a house party in the forests near Marburg back in the early 1970s, where he had a strange encounter with a young woman who seemed to embody Schelling's idea of the World Soul. Like a character in a fairytale, she appears to have sprung from the forest itself. However, the inherent romanticism in their meeting is later tempered by the appearance of the woman's husband.
TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (b00lv28b)
Chris Ledgard takes another journey into the world of words, language and the way we speak.
'Giving a presentation' has become an ordeal that many people dread. But why has this business practice spread into so many parts of modern life, from primary school to the armed forces? And does the pre-eminent presentation software package, PowerPoint, force us to think and speak in certain ways?
TUE 16:30 Great Lives (b00lv28d)
Series 19
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Matthew Parris presents the biographical series in which his guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
Andrew Motion champions the life of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate for over 40 years and creator of In Memoriam and The Charge of the Light Brigade.
Ann Thwaite provides further details of Tennyson's often-troubled life.
TUE 17:00 PM (b00ltshl)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00ltspz)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 18:30 Laurence & Gus: Hearts and Minds (b00lv28g)
Series 2
Episode 4
Comic sketches starring Laurence Howarth and Gus Brown.
Sketches on the theme of 'keeping it and losing it'.
With Duncan Wisbey, Isy Suttie and Kate Fleetwood.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (b00ltsbr)
Joe's downhearted to learn that neither he nor Jill got a place on the plinth in Trafalgar Square. There's only one more draw to go ...
David's impressed with Eddie's desire to learn more about the grazing system. Impulsively, David asks Eddie to consider looking after Brookfield while they're on holiday. Eddie is unsure; until Joe points out that their whole family could enjoy the luxury of Brookfield for an entire week.
Mike's feeling low. Expanding the herd would need more money than he's prepared to borrow. However, he perks up when he tells Vicky that he's booked their honeymoon - and it involves a boat. Assuming it's a cruise, Vicky goes into overdrive excitement.
Vicky shows Brenda the garden plans. Realising they involve getting rid of Betty's tree, Brenda lets rip, accusing Vicky of trying to take over the family. Vicky's upset: she didn't know it was Betty's tree - or that it would have been Betty's birthday today. When Mike learns about the fracas, he tries to talk to Brenda but she accuses him of forgetting Betty's birthday. Mike stands firm. He did remember the birthday, and he'll never forget Betty. Brenda softens as Mike promises the tree isn't going anywhere.
Episode written by Tim Stimpson.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (b00ltst0)
Arts news and reviews.
Actor and playwright Kwame Kwei Armah discusses his new documentary series, On Tour with The Queen. In 1954, a 26-year-old Queen Elizabeth journeyed across five continents on a six-month Commonwealth Tour. The cameras follow Kwame as he follows in the Queen's footsteps, in an attempt to discover the true purpose of the tour and its lasting legacy.
Natalie Haynes reviews Adam, the film debut for director Max Meyer, whose TV credits include The West Wing. Adam is a lonely man with Asperger's Syndrome who develops a relationship with his upstairs neighbour.
Ansuman Biswas discusses his 40 days and nights alone in Manchester Museum's gothic tower, living as The Manchester Hermit. Previously speaking on Front Row, Ansuman was about to begin his residency and was excited at the prospect of being alone with so many historical riches. Now, the day before he rejoins the outside world, he discusses the experience and the results of his Hermit's Blog - and reveals what will happen to him next.
Fifty years ago The New York Times announced the opening of 'one of the most opulently decorated dining establishments in the United States'. This was the Four Seasons restaurant, sited in the Seagram Building, a new skyscraper designed by Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson. The restaurant's decorations included a stage curtain painted by Picasso and four murals by Marc Rothko. Mies van der Rohe, Philip Johnson and Mark Rothko were all commissioned by Phyllis Lambert, the young daughter of the CEO of Seagram. On a recent visit to London, Phyllis Lambert told John Wilson how and why the commissions came about.
TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00lxfpf)
Villette
Turning A New Leaf
Dramatisation of the classic romantic novel by Charlotte Bronte.
Alone and orphaned, Lucy Snowe must make her own way in life.
Lucy Snowe ...... Anna Maxwell Martin
Ginevra/Rosine ...... Lizzy Watts
Mme Beck ...... Joan Walker
Monsieur Paul ...... Sam Dale
Dr John ...... Benjamin Askew
Directed by Tracey Neale.
TUE 20:00 Rewriting the Psychiatrist's Bible (b00kf117)
Matthew Hill investigates the links between psychiatrists and the pharmaceutical industry. Should there be increased transparency over top psychiatrists' links to the industry?
He looks at the influence of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM), produced by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), which has been heavily criticised in the past for a lack of transparency between the panel members and pharmaceutical companies. Matthew also examines the 'Chinese menu' aspect of the DSM's diagnostic criteria and the sheer number of conditions it includes. Matthew investigates whether the APA's transparency policy goes far enough and if we are medicalising real conditions or just traits of human personality.
TUE 20:40 In Touch (b00lv28l)
Two audio book fans, the Guardian writer Sue Arnold and travel company director Amar Latif, join Peter White to discuss options for summer holiday reading.
Sue chooses Adam Nicholson's Sissinghurst about his famous family's famous home and garden, and Amar Latif chooses A Sense of the World by James Roberts, a biography of James Holman, a blind explorer globe-trotting 200 years ago. Peter White picks Portobello, the latest crime chiller by one of his favourite novelists, Ruth Rendell.
Audio books reviewed in this programme:
Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History by Adam Nicolson, read by Jeremy Clyde
Portobello by Ruth Rendell, read by Nigel Anthony
A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveller by Jason Roberts, read by John Curless.
TUE 21:00 Case Notes (b00lv28n)
Eczema
Dr Mark Porter visits the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology in Nottingham to find out about the latest reasearch into treating the symptoms of eczema.
One in five children and one in twelve adults are affected by eczema, the dry, cracked and itchy skin commonly found in the crooks of the elbows and knees. Many children grow out of the disorder, but others face a lifetime of creams, moisturisers and trying not to scratch.
There is a lot of conflicting advice about childhood eczema, so Mark visits the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology to examine the known causes and the best ways of treating the disorder. Will changing your child's diet or getting rid of the family pet make any difference? And what is the safest and most effective way to use steroid creams?
The Centre is also investigating new treatments. Prof Hwyel Williams is currently running a trial to find out if installing a water softener in the home can improve symptoms. But having eczema isn't just about the skin. Mark also finds out about the psychological scars caused by having a severe skin complaint in school, and speaks to a mother and son who are doing their best to keep eczema under control.
TUE 21:30 The Long View (b00lrv4t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 21:58 Weather (b00lttr4)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b00lttsh)
National and international news and analysis with Felicity Evans.
Hillary Clinton is in Africa to offer 40 million dollars-worth of backing for Somalia's beleaguered government, while Bill Clinton visits North Korea in an attempt to bring back two detained journalists.
Closure for a wind turbine plant in England but government aid in Scotland. Does the policy add up?
TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00lxgpz)
The Rapture
Episode 7
Denise Black reads from Liz Jensen's eco-thriller.
Gabrielle meets Bethany's kidnappers and discovers why they are concerned about her disturbing premonitions.
Abridged by Fiona McAlpine.
A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:00 Heresy (b00b7wwz)
Series 5
Episode 1
Victoria Coren chairs the programme that likes to think the unthinkable.
Former host David Baddiel makes a special appearance, joined by David Mitchell and Rev Richard Coles.
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:30 The Hollow Men (b00lzn34)
Series 2
Episode 1
Comic sketch show written and performed by David Armand, Rupert Russell, Sam Spedding and Nick Tanner, with Katy Brand.
WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2009
WED 00:00 Midnight News (b00ltp9x)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b00lxjlq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00ltpdm)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00ltpgm)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00ltpm4)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (b00ltps4)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00ltpxz)
Daily prayer and reflection with Rev Marjory Maclean.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (b00ltrh2)
Farmers have complained for years about extra charges and demands from the big supermarkets that they supply. A stronger code of practice has just been published by the Competition Commission, ruling out some practices and making it easier for farmers to register complaints. But the majority of retailers have refused the creation of a new ombudsman to police it. The Commission have now asked the government to intervene and force its creation by law. Anna Hill asks how soon it will actually come about.
WED 06:00 Today (b00ltrk8)
Presented by James Naughtie and Sarah Montague.
Business editor Robert Peston reflects on the loss of 4 billion pounds by the Lloyds Banking Group.
The Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers and Paul Carroll of the Prison Service discuss whether Cookham Wood Young Offenders Institution is safe.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been sworn in for a second term as Iran's president after weeks of post-election unrest. Jon Leyne reports.
Former US President Bill Clinton has left North Korea with two US reporters whose release he has helped to secure. Former ambassador John Everard and Korean expert Aidan Foster-Carter discuss why North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il issued a special pardon.
An initiative hoped to halt the decline in bee numbers is being launched. Tom Feilden reports on a new idea to encourage more people to try their hand at beekeeping.
Thought for the Day with Rabbi Laura Janner-Klauser, of Alyth Gardens Synagogue.
Sats marker Roberta Bowen and former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo discuss ways to improve child literacy levels.
Jack Izzard, Mike Wooldridge and Martin Indyk reflect on the inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran.
Matthew Sheahan and Janet Grosvenor remember the 1979 Fastnet race, in which 15 people died.
Stephen Alambritis of the Federation of Small Businesses discusses if lending has become easier since government intervention.
Peter Moore, of the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association, and Sarah Farquhar, head of Oxfam's retail operations, discuss whether the charity has been behaving more like a business.
A review of the rape laws which was due to be announced has been delayed. Ross Hawkins reports.
The WWI veteran Harry Patch is to be buried. The former plumber, who fought in the battle of Passchendaele in 1917, gave an interview to reporter Mike Thomson for the Today programme in 2005. Thom Yorke, the lead singer of the band Radiohead, heard the interview and wrote a song inspired by it. The Today programme plays Radiohead's song - Harry Patch (In Memory Of) - for the first time.
WED 09:00 Between Ourselves (b00ls6wm)
Series 4
Episode 1
Olivia O'Leary presents the series which brings together two people who have had profound and similar experiences, to hear their individual stories and compare the long-term effects on each of their lives.
Olivia talks to two stand-up comedians, probably the UK's first female Muslim stand-up, Shazia Mirza, and doctor, Paul Sinha. They discuss how they got into comedy and if the pigeon-holes they have been put into of being 'Asian', Muslim' or 'gay' are a help or a hindrance to them.
WED 09:30 Very Amazing: Behind the Scenes at the V and A (b00ls6wp)
Episode 1
Rosie Goldsmith goes behind the scenes at London's Victoria and Albert Museum as it attempts to transform itself from 'the nation's attic' to a 'very amazing' modern museum.
WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b00lxjlj)
Martin Stannard - Muriel Spark: The Biography
Episode 3
Hannah Gordon reads from Martin Stannard's biography of the acclaimed Scottish novelist, written with full access to her letters and papers.
Spark's unique literary voice is discovered when she wins The Observer's Christmas story competition in 1951 with The Seraph and the Zambesi, beating 7,000 other entries.
Abridged by Rosemary Goring.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00ltrq3)
Penelope Lively; Potty training
Novelist Penelope Lively on family secrets. Plus, bassoonist Karen Geoghegan plays live, and why the task of potty training is increasingly falling on teaching staff.
WED 11:00 In Living Memory (b00lv4hc)
Series 10
Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin
Contemporary history series.
'Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin' was a children's picture book that showed two gay men bringing up a small girl. When a copy was found in a teachers' resource centre in 1986, it casued uproar and was denounced by the education secretary as 'blatant homosexual propaganda'.
Jolyon Jenkins traces how the book, and the policies of a small number of local authorities, led to the now infamous Section 28.
WED 11:30 Baggage (b00lv5h7)
Series 4
For a' that and a' that
Comedy series by Hilary Lyon, set in Edinburgh.
It's Burns' night and passion and politics are to the fore. Tensions abound at the prospect of baby April spending the weekend with her birth father and Caroline frets over why her own father isn't spending the night at home.
Caroline ...... Hilary Lyon
Fiona ...... Phyllis Logan
Ruth ...... Adie Allen
Roddy ...... Robin Cameron
Hector ...... David Rintoul
Nicholas ...... Moray Hunter
Directed by Marilyn Imrie.
WED 12:00 You and Yours (b00ltrvb)
Consumer news and issues with Peter White.
WED 12:57 Weather (b00ltrz8)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 13:00 World at One (b00lts10)
National and international news with Shaun Ley.
WED 13:30 The Media Show (b00lv5h9)
Is it the end of the road for The Observer? With the Guardian Media group reporting an annual loss of nearly 90 million pounds, is the 218-year-old Sunday newspaper about to become the first serious casualty of mooted cuts? Former editor Roger Alton spells out why he hopes not.
Falling advertising revenue is affecting all newspapers, so is charging for online news content the only way that they can survive? And if newspapers start charging, will readers simply choose to get their news from free websites? We discuss making journalism pay with Lionel Barber of the FT.
Are council-owned news-sheets as unhealthy for journalism as Andrew Gilligan thinks they are? No, they are the only way to reach increasing numbers of people who have given up on local newspapers, says one council which owns a weekly title. We hear both sides of the story.
Also, the founder of Help Me Investigate, a website that enables untrained members of the public to assist in carrying out investigations, discusses the future of investigative journalism.
WED 14:00 The Archers (b00ltsbr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (b00lv5hc)
The Tower
By Richard Monks. Mashama is on the run from his home; Eva believes she can't return to hers. Music brings them together at a motorway service station, but the law is not far behind.
Eva ...... Cristina Catalina
Mashama ...... Lucian Msamati
Neil ...... Stephen Hogan
Carol ...... Lorraine Ashbourne
Crosby ...... John Lightbody
Geoff ...... John Hollingworth
Denise ...... Annabelle Dowler
Driver ...... David Hargreaves.
WED 15:00 The Money Grab (b00ltl6v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:00 on Saturday]
WED 15:30 Perspectives (b00lxfbg)
futouristic.co.uk
By Christopher Priest. Replying to an irresistible email proposition, Mr Frogle is sure nothing will ever be the same again. Read by Nick Underwood.
WED 15:45 The Romantic Road: On the Trail of the German Philosophers (b00lxd7b)
Doppelgänger
Writer Stephen Plaice takes a journey through the German cities where the great philosophers of the 19th century lived and worked, exploring the impact that these thinkers have had on each stage of his life. Along the way, he reflects on the Germany which has been locked away behind the two World Wars, and examines our contemporary prejudices towards Germans.
Together with his brother Neville, an expert on the romantic city of Heidelberg, Stephen explores the city of the Student Prince and examines its connections with the philosophers Hegel and Schopenhauer. He considers the idea of the Doppelgänger, the double, an important archetype in German Romantic literature.
Neville explains how the movement of High Romanticism was created by the anti-French nationalism, which developed in the city during the years after the Napoleonic invasion. The enthusiasm for German folklore, which was later fostered by the Nazis, was directly related to this cultural reaction.
Stephen discusses with his brother two of the famous philosophers associated with the city, Hegel and Schopenhauer. Hegel went on to become an intellectual superstar, taking over the chair of philosophy in Berlin. Schopenhauer, on the other hand, was dismissed by the academic establishment, his ideas only latterly being taken seriously by the likes of Richard Wagner and Friedrich Nietzsche. Schopenhauer attempted to emulate Hegel, and became a kind of Doppelgänger for him when he followed in his footsteps to Berlin and set up his own rival series of lectures. These were so poorly attended however, he had to beat an ignominious retreat from the capital.
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b00lv5hf)
Islamic Movement in Turkey - Fair Access to Work
The Islamist movement in Turkey is not revolutionary, it does not decry the United States and it is not opposed to Turkey's liberal capitalist state. In fact, it forms the democratically-elected government of that country and has done since 2002. Laurie Taylor discusses an in-depth study which analyses how and why the Islamic movement in Turkey transformed itself into a pillar of the state, and asks whether the process could work in other Muslim countries.
Also, Richard Reeves joins Laurie to discuss the latest research into what it takes to get a decent job in Britain these days.
WED 16:30 Case Notes (b00lv28n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 17:00 PM (b00ltshn)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00ltsq1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 18:30 The Odd Half Hour (b00lv5hh)
Series 1
Episode 1
Another chance to hear the sketch show for anyone who's beginning to find this exciting new century a bit too much like all the rubbish previous centuries.
The opening episode looks at how the recession is affecting supermarkets, the conspiracy behind celebrity gossip magazines and how Radio 4 is going to rebrand itself.
Starring brilliant stand-up comedians, Stephen K Amos and Jason Byrne and the fantastic comic actors, Justin Edwards and Katherine Parkinson.
Produced by Alex Walsh-Taylor.
WED 19:00 The Archers (b00ltsbt)
Jennifer goes to see Peggy, to ask why she seems to be being so careful with money. Slightly defensive, Peggy admits that she had a cash-flow crisis when paying the agency but insists that it's all resolved now. However, when Jennifer pushes the matter, Peggy admits she would appreciate Brian looking at her finances.
Kirsty warns Helen against meddling in Annette's life. Annette may not have found out about Helen's outburst at Jazzer but if she did, she'd be angry with Helen for meddling.
While Helen and Tom work in the polytunnels, Tom tells Helen about Brenda's fracas with Vicky. Tony comes to help them, but sees that Tom and Helen have everything under control. Tom again encourages his dad to take a holiday, but Tony remains unsure. When Tom rebukes Helen for not encouraging Tony to take a week off, it's clear that Helen doesn't relish the idea of running the farm without her parents again. But when Tom finds a cheap holiday in Turkey, Tony jumps at the idea. Helen has to face another week of working overtime, and with no choice but to encourage Tony and Pat to go and have a good time.
Episode written by Tim Stimpson.
WED 19:15 Front Row (b00ltst2)
A special programme reporting on the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate.
John Banville and Reginald Hill debate the 'difference' between literary fiction and crime writing. Reginald Hill has written more than 20 books featuring Dalziel and Pascoe and another series about the private detective Joe Sixsmith. John Banville won the 2005 Booker Prize for his novel The Sea and as Benjamin Black he has published three crime novels.
Edgar Allen Poe versus Raymond Chandler: Baltimore resident Laura Lippman joins Peter James and Martyn Waites to debate the influence of Poe and Chandler.
A panel session brings together four lesbian writers to discuss the pros and cons of labels and their different approaches to fiction.
What crime writers hate: The 2009 Festival's chair, Laura Wilson, discusses the cliches that would drive her to crime with Christopher Brookmyre.
Plus the pet hates of George Pelecanos, Peter James and Laura Lippman.
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00lxfph)
Villette
Isidore
Dramatisation of the classic romantic novel by Charlotte Bronte.
A handsome young English doctor pays a visit to the school and begins to confide in Lucy.
Lucy Snowe ...... Anna Maxwell Martin
Dr John ...... Benjamin Askew
Ginevra/Rosine ...... Lizzy Watts
Mme Beck ...... Joan Walker
Directed by Tracey Neale.
WED 20:00 Reality Check (b00lv6fn)
Series 2
Episode 2
Justin Rowlatt presents a discussion series involving experts and people closely involved in the issues.
The UK is suffering an obesity crisis, supermarkets are accused of having too much power over our lives and of squeezing farmers dry, while others worry about the impact of the food industry on global warming.
Consumers, farmers, retailers and food experts ask if our food chain needs a radical overhaul and discuss who has the right to tell us where to shop.
WED 20:45 The Election Agent (b00lyfd3)
Episode 1
With exclusive access to an election count, Shaun Ley hears stories from election agents. What really goes on behind the scenes of an election campaign? What messages do dissatisfied voters write on their ballot papers?
WED 21:00 Last Chance for Africa's Elephants? (b00lv6tq)
Andrew Luck-Baker asks how science can stop the new upsurge in the slaughter of African elephants for the booming illegal international trade in ivory.
20 years ago the African elephant was being fast-tracked to extinction by poaching. In response, the world voted to outlaw the international trade in ivory. Since then, elephant numbers in many countries have been recovering. But in the last five years, ivory poaching and trafficking have surged once more.
One group of conservation scientists has calculated that 38,000 animals every year are being slaughtered to feed the demand for ivory products in East Asia. If that poaching rate is correct and sustained, the African elephant will be effectively extinct within 15 years.
Some other elephant experts argue the slaughter rate is not as high as this but are still alarmed at the steep increase in poaching in many African countries.
Andrew Luck-Baker visits Kenya, one of the countries where some believe elephant poaching is accelerating out of control. He also talks to the scientist behind an ivory DNA test which is helping the fight against the organised crime syndicates behind the illegal trade.
WED 21:30 Between Ourselves (b00ls6wm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 21:58 Weather (b00lttr6)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b00lttsk)
National and international news and analysis with Ritula Shah.
Loan sharks are on the loose in the recession.
A government report says we must do more to guarantee energy supplies.
Argentinian football is bust.
WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00lxgq1)
The Rapture
Episode 8
Denise Black reads from Liz Jensen's eco-thriller.
In order to exploit her prophetic powers, Gabrielle is forced to give Bethany ECT, with dire consequences.
Abridged by Fiona McAlpine.
A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:00 Act Your Age (b00g3hr8)
Series 1
Episode 5
Simon Mayo discovers which generation is the funniest. With Jon Richardson, Lucy Porter and Roy Walker. From December 2008.
WED 23:30 Kicking the Habit (b007tzgy)
Series 1
Long Distance Friar
Comedy drama by Christopher Lee, set in a Carmelite monastery where the brown habit is no protection against the problems and temptations of the modern world.
Father Athanasias is tweaking his bath chair for greater speed. Brother Luke is in training for the marathon, but when the Anglicans suggest a rival entrant the race is really on.
Father Bertie ...... Alfred Molina
Brother Martin ...... Roy Dotrice
Father Michael ...... Martin Jarvis
Brother Luke ...... Darren Richardson
Mave ...... Rosalind Ayres
Brother Francis ...... Alan Shearman
Father Lawrence ...... Kenneth Danziger
Directed by Pete Atkin
A Jarvis and Ayres production for BBC Radio 4.
THURSDAY 06 AUGUST 2009
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b00ltp9z)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b00lxjlj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00ltpdp)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00ltpgp)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00ltpm6)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b00ltps6)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00ltpy1)
Daily prayer and reflection with Rev Marjory Maclean.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b00ltrh4)
As it has for the last couple of years, wet weather has dominated the harvest. As a result, it is way behind schedule and farmers are keeping their fingers crossed at each weather forecast. Anna Hill hears predictions for what's left of the summer and finds out why soft fruit farmers have done so well in 2009.
THU 06:00 Today (b00ltrkb)
Presented by James Naughtie and Evan Davis.
Media consultant and presenter Steve Hewlett analyses ITV's financial results.
Grant Shapps MP and Jo Webber, of the NHS Confederation, discuss whether NHS provision of IVF has declined.
Jonathan Beale investigates Bill Clinton's future as an international diplomatic troubleshooter.
Dr Paul Cornish, of Chatham House, discusses the alleged 2.5 billion pounds a year wasted by the Ministry of Defence.
Economists Jim O'Neill and David Kern discuss if the Bank of England should press ahead with quantitative easing.
Andrew Hosken reports on the importance of cricket as a unifying force in war-torn Sri Lanka.
Thought for the Day with Dom Anthony Sutch, a Benedictine monk.
Paul Farmer, of the mental health charity Mind, and Keir Starmer QC discuss if victims of crime with mental health issues are taken seriously in courts.
ITV chief operating officer John Cresswell says the company can find its way out of a 'pretty severe ad recession'.
Tony Travers, of the London School of Economics, and Joan Bakewell, the government's Voice of Older People, debate whether free bus passes should be means tested for all elderly people.
Reporter Nicola Stanbridge talks to British musicians who have found fame in France but remain unknown back home.
Quentin Davies MP, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, discusses the current state of defence procurement.
Reporter Phil Greer witnesses a monument to former Poet Laureate Alfred Tennyson being unveiled on the Isle of Wight.
Michael Lang, co-creator of the Woodstock Festival, and Mark Ellen, of Word magazine, discuss how the character of music festivals has changed over the years.
Sanchia Berg investigates the effect of the end of ringfencing in the 'supporting people' budget.
Frank Evans, the bullfighter known in Spain as El Ingles, discusses his life as a British matador.
THU 09:00 Inside the Ethics Committee (b00lvgwj)
Series 5
Terminally Ill and Suicidal
Joan Bakewell discusses the real-life case of Mary, a terminally-ill woman in her 80s. She has considered her condition and has decided that she wants to die.
She is admitted to a hospice for respite care. On the first night she attempts suicide. The psychiatric team, who assess Mary, conclude that she is not clinically depressed.
Mary talks quite openly with her relatives and the medical staff about her wish to die, describing her existence as inconvenient. She also asks members of the team for euthanasia.
While at the hospice she refuses palliative care, and, as her condition is stable, she decides to go home and employ a full-time carer.
But the psychiatric staff are very concerned. Mary continues to talk of her death wish, and she has asked the psychiatric team to leave her alone when she goes home.
What right does Mary have to determine how her life ends? What is the role of her doctors, and should she attempt suicide again? Is not doing anything the equivalent of a policeman walking past and ignoring a man who is about to jump off a building?
Joan Bakewell is joined by a panel of experts to discuss the complex ethical issues surrounding this case.
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b00lxjll)
Martin Stannard - Muriel Spark: The Biography
Episode 4
Hannah Gordon reads from Martin Stannard's biography of the acclaimed Scottish novelist, written with full access to her letters and papers.
Spark's life is transformed by the publication of her fifth novel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which gained critical and commercial success on both sides of the Atlantic when it was published in 1961.
Abridged by Rosemary Goring.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00ltrq5)
Harriet Harman; Isabelle Huppert; Laura Marling
Harriet Harman on being in the spotlight. Plus, French actress Isabelle Huppert on her career; and live music from 19 year old singer songwriter Laura Marling.
THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b00lvh19)
Southern Sudan
While the world's attention has focused on the conflict in Darfur, an older and even bloodier conflict between the Muslim north and mainly Christian south of Sudan is in danger of reigniting. Four years after a peace deal was agreed, Grant Ferrett travels to Southern Sudan to investigate claims that Africa's biggest nation is sliding back to civil war.
THU 11:30 Billy Liar: Fifty Years On (b00lvh1c)
As a tribute to the late Keith Waterhouse, writer Blake Morrison goes in search of the world evoked by his best-loved novel, Billy Liar: the north of England on the cusp of the 1960s. The story of a frustrated young man in a northern town who escapes from reality into vivid fantasies of power and glory, Billy Liar captured the public imagination. It became a play, a film, a musical and even a TV series.
Blake travels to Leeds to explore the way in which Waterhouse's life there overlaps with Billy's story, and talks to long-term residents and local historians about how the city, and the society depicted in the novel, has changed. The programme also features contributions from Barbara Taylor Bradford, Barry Cryer and Sir Gerald Kaufman MP.
THU 12:00 You and Yours (b00ltrvd)
Consumer news and issues with Shari Vahl. Including Face the Facts, presented by John Waite.
THU 12:57 Weather (b00ltrzb)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (b00lts12)
National and international news with Shaun Ley.
THU 13:30 Questions, Questions (b00lvh6r)
Stewart Henderson answers those intriguing questions from everyday life.
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 14:00 The Archers (b00ltsbt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b00lvh6t)
Normal and Nat
Normal and Nat by Debbie Oates
with original music by Carol Donaldson
When Nat describes hearing voices in her head, her life spirals out of control, until a sympathetic teacher helps to unlock the obsessive musical way in which Nat thinks.
NAT.....................................Rebecca Ryan
MISS DAVIES........................Elizabeth Berrington
MIX.....................................Jamil Thomas
SHANICE..............................Wunmi Mosaku
JANE..........................................Sue Devaney
PAUL / HEADTEACHER.........David Fleeshman
PIANIST................................Jonathan Scott
THE VOICE IN NAT'S HEAD .....Emma Johnson.
With Chorlton High School Choir and The RNCM Gospel Choir.
Directed by Nadia Molinari
Radio Drama North.
THU 15:00 Open Country (b00ltl3c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:07 on Saturday]
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b00ltn21)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Perspectives (b00lxfbj)
Attendance
By Elizabeth Reeder. A man comes to a life-changing decision as he observes his lover tending to a dying relative. Read by Robin Laing.
THU 15:45 The Romantic Road: On the Trail of the German Philosophers (b00lxd7d)
Human, All Too Human
Writer Stephen Plaice takes a journey through the German cities where the great philosophers of the 19th century lived and worked, exploring the impact that these thinkers have had on each stage of his life. Along the way, he reflects on the Germany which has been locked away behind the two World Wars, and examines our contemporary prejudices towards Germans.
Stephen visits the Nietzsche House in Naumburg, in the former East Germany, where Nietzsche spent part of his youth and where he returned at the onset of his madness.
He meets the head of the Nietzsche Archive, Rüdiger Schmidt Grepaly, and Fellow in residence Stefan Wilke. The archive is housed in the house where Nietzsche died, having been removed to Weimar by his ambitious sister Elizabeth Förster Nietzsche on the death of their mother.
Grepaly and Wilke explain the triangular relationship between Nietzsche, his friend, the psychologist Paul Rey, and a beautiful and brilliant young student Lou Andreas Salome. The relationship ended in disaster for Nietzsche when the other two abandoned him to a life of hermetic isolation.
Stephen compares this relationship to the three-cornered friendship between himself, his Nietzschean school friend Kevin and Maja, a beautiful doctor's daughter, when they all lived in Zurich in the late 1970s. Stephen's romantic hopes were finally dashed when Maja declines to accompany him on a nocturnal ski sortie across a frozen lake in the Alps, close to where Nietzsche wrote many of his major works. In the freezing temperatures, the limitations of the Nietzschean path become all too apparent to the lonely skier.
Stephen is reunited with Maja in Berlin. They recall Kevin and the events of that time together. Stephen realises he was unable to live up to Nietzsche's demand that man should transcend his humanity and become the Superman.
THU 16:00 Bookclub (b00ltnfv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:30 Material World (b00lvltz)
UK researchers have managed to scan the brains of a handful of criminal psychopaths, in an attempt to understand what makes their minds different.
Three research groups have managed to grow adult mice from re-programmed skin cells
As unmanned drones allow Nevada-based soldiers to fight remote war in Afghanistan, Quentin Cooper hears about the technological and ethical challenges.
THU 17:00 PM (b00ltshq)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00ltsq3)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 Electric Ink (b0116gvm)
Series 1
Episode 1
Maddox is an old school journalist struggling to keep up with new technology.
He feels the art of finding stories is being forgotten and he is not about to let that happen.
Old hacks meet new media in Alistair Beaton’s satire set in the changing world of the newspaper industry.
Maddox ...... Robert Lindsay
Oliver ...... Alex Jennings
Amelia ...... Elizabeth Berrington
Tasneem ...... Zita Sattar
Masha ...... Debbie Chazen
Freddy ...... Ben Willbond
Announcer ...... Matt Addis
With additional material by Tom Mitchelson.
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2009.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b00ltsbw)
Eddie pops round to Brookfield to suggest that he, Joe and Clarrie move in while David and Ruth are on holiday. Thinking he's alone, Eddie makes himself at home in David's comfy chair - only to be discovered by Ruth. Skillfully playing off one against the other, Eddie gets David and Ruth to agree that they can move in.
David realises he's been duped and wonders about retracting the offer. Ruth insists that he can't. At least they can trust Clarrie to look after the place.
Mike's touched when Vicky offers to put up the cash for expanding the business from the sale of her flat. He seeks advice from David, who confirms that Mike and Ed could expand the business under a share farming agreement. Mike calls Ed with the good news and Ed agrees that it's worth investigating.
Vicky is a little hurt when Mike refuses to consider her gardener's latest plan to re-site Betty's tree. Vicky thought the plan would be a nice compromise but when Mike insists the tree stays untouched, she assures him she doesn't want to cause more problems. Of course the tree can stay where it is.
Episode written by Tim Stimpson.
THU 19:15 Front Row (b00ltst4)
In a special edition of Front Row, Kirsty Lang talks to tenor Jose Carreras. In a wide-ranging interview, Carreras discusses his life and work, from his childhood love of singing and growing up in Franco's Spain, to his idea of forming The Three Tenors and his long-term friendship with Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. He also talks about his recovery from leukaemia, its physical and emotional effect on his stage performances and his future plans. He reveals, too, how Pavarotti continued to look after him - even when he himself was dying
The programme also hears from music critic Helen Wallace, who assesses why Carreras was such a special operatic talent, and considers the effect his illness has had on his voice.
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00lxfpk)
Villette
The Long Vacation
Dramatisation of the classic romantic novel by Charlotte Bronte.
Celebrations are afoot for Madame Beck's birthday, but when the school empties for the summer holidays, Lucy realises the full extent of her loneliness.
Lucy Snowe ...... Anna Maxwell Martin
Monsieur Paul/Pere Silas ...... Sam Dale
Dr John ...... Benjamin Askew
Ginevra ...... Lizzy Watts
Directed by Tracey Neale.
THU 20:00 The Report (b00lvlv1)
Swine Flu Vaccination
Simon Cox investigates the next phase in the swine flu story: the mass vaccination programme. Will the majority of people be persuaded to be vaccinated voluntarily and will countries that need the vaccine be able to get it?
THU 20:30 In Business (b00lvlv3)
Hell for Leather
How do you manage a traditional family shoe repair firm with 550 outlets all over the country? John Timpson does it by dropping in on them all the time to find out what's going on, day by day. He calls it 'upside-down management'. Peter Day went along for the ride.
THU 21:00 Inside the Ethics Committee (b00lvgwj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 21:45 Top of the Class (b00cx6b5)
Series 1
Lauren Child
Writer and illustrator Lauren Child is known to many parents and children for her Charlie and Lola books and Clarice Bean novels. She takes John Wilson on a tour of her own childhood in Wiltshire to meet the people and the places which have inspired her. "People never really know what they've done for you" says Lauren of her Latin teacher, Alan Clague. "When I was in Pompeii a year ago, I wanted to ring him up and thank him for his Latin classes and how much they meant to me." Twenty five years later in this programme John takes her back to her comprehensive school to meet her retired teacher.
Lauren also takes John to meet her craft teacher who taught her how to make dolls houses and shows John the first dolls house she played with when she was seven years old. The wallpaper looks slightly familiar as does much of the miniature furniture. It's these early memories and the comfortable feel of the furniture which can be seen as illustrations throughout all her books.
But she didn't succeed as a writer for many years. She drifted through art school, spent time working as an assistant for Damien Hurst during his spots period before finding her own voice as a successful children's writer.
She is accompanied in the programme by her best friend at school, now also a children's writer, Cressida Cowell, who remembers Lauren doodling on the school desks - little figures who were the beginnings of Charlie, Lola and Clarice Bean.
Producer - Sarah Taylor.
THU 21:58 Weather (b00lttr8)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b00lttsm)
National and international news and analysis with Ritula Shah.
The Bank of England extends its quantitative easing programme; does this mean the economy is weak?
After Harry Patch's funeral, we discuss the enduring resonance of the First World War.
The future of new media and social networking.
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00lxgq3)
The Rapture
Episode 9
Denise Black reads from Liz Jensen's eco-thriller.
Bethany finally describes the circumstances of the murder she committed, while desperate efforts are made to avert the catastrophe she has predicted.
Abridged by Fiona McAlpine.
A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:00 Bigipedia (b00lvm68)
Series 1
Episode 3
The omniscient friend you know from your computer and laser watch takes over Radio 4 for 30 minutes in a unique experiment in broadwebcasting.
Written by Nick Doody and Matt Kirshen with Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Carey Marx and Sarah Morgan.
Featuring Ewan Bailey, Sam Battersea, Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Nick Doody, Neil Edmond, Pippa Evans, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Lewis MacLeod.
THU 23:30 Will Smith Presents the Tao of Bergerac (b007w0j4)
Episode 2
Jersey-born comedian Will Smith continues his obsession with 1980s BBC TV detective series Bergerac.
He's using an audio book of its star, John Nettles, reading the Tao, to navigate the minefield of his life, with the help of a special guest.
Will wonders how he can be an individual without being derided for his choices.
With Karl Johnson, Simon Greenall, Rachel Bavidge, Olivia Poulet and John Nettles.
Written by Will Smith and Roger Drew.
Producer: Tilusha Ghelani
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2007.
FRIDAY 07 AUGUST 2009
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b00ltpb1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b00lxjll)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00ltpdr)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00ltpgr)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00ltpm8)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b00ltps8)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00ltpy3)
Daily prayer and reflection with Rev Marjory Maclean.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b00ltrh6)
Anna Hill reports on government plans to protect more of our regional speciality foods; and a new report examining the stress caused to farmers by bovine TB.
FRI 06:00 Today (b00ltrkd)
Presented by Evan Davis and James Naughtie.
Business presenter Nick Cosgrove gives an initial reaction to the results from Royal Bank of Scotland.
Dave Ward, of the CWU, and Paul Tollhurst, of Royal Mail, discuss the strikes involving more than 25,000 postal workers.
Chief Executive of Carers UK Imelda Redmond discusses why government funding to help carers has not been ringfenced.
Adam Mynott reports on new head of Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen's first visit to Afghanistan.
Mark Hutchings reports on how greedy seagulls are angering locals in Cardiff.
Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Stephen Hester discusses the bank's results for the first half of 2009.
Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs's son, Michael Biggs, explains his delight at the decision by Justice Secretary Jack Straw on his father's parole, which he had refused last month.
Thought for the Day with Reverend Roy Jenkins, a Baptist Minister.
Chris McLaughlin, of the weekly magazine Tribune, and Neal Lawson, of Labour campaign group Compass, discuss the future of the Labour Party.
Gillian Tett of the Financial Times and Peter McNamara, former head of personal banking at Lloyds TSB, discuss how well the banking industry is operating.
New Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is in Afghanistan assessing operations in the area. He discusses his criteria for success in the conflict.
Columnist Dominic Lawson and Paul Winslow, a member of the Barmy Army, discuss the conduct of England cricket team's supporters towards the Australians.
Colonel Tim Collins and Professor Alex Danchev discuss how the tone of works about war has changed over the years.
Reporter Andrew Hosken asks why the Sri Lankan government has been reluctant to allow foreign journalists into the country to report on the polls. Sri Lankan High Commissioner Justice Nihal Jayasinghe reflects on allegations that journalists have not been allowed to move freely.
Times columnist Magnus Linklater and former footballer Pat Nevin discuss the perils and pitfalls of being a Scot.
Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of Napo (the probation officers' union), and Peter Rayner, former chief operating officer of British Rail, discuss the release of Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b00lr14v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b00lxjln)
Martin Stannard - Muriel Spark: The Biography
Episode 5
Hannah Gordon reads from Martin Stannard's biography of the acclaimed Scottish novelist, written with full access to her letters and papers.
Despite finding companionable happiness in Italy, the vexations of Spark's family life continued to intrude long into her old age.
Abridged by Rosemary Goring.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00ltrq7)
Welsh female prisoners; Alison Jones; Debby Purdy
The treatment of Welsh women prisoners discussed. Plus, blind artist Alison Jones on sensory art; journalist Debbie Purdy on a historic legal campaign; and men who don't drive.
FRI 11:00 Can't Connect, Won't Connect (b00lxh3p)
A so-called 'digital revolution' is promised to transform public and private life, but many millions are still not online in Britain, saying that they don't need or want to join this revolution. Chris Bowlby discovers who the digital 'refuseniks' are, and explores how far their resistance can go. And he asks the government's new digital inclusion champion, Martha Lane Fox, what will happen if attitudes do not change.
FRI 11:30 Cabin Pressure (b00lxh3r)
Series 2
Johannesburg
When Carolyn makes a foolish bet with her pilots, what better place for a race against time than a sleepy Spanish airfield? Plus we learn about the thermodynamic properties of boiled sweets and the kinetic thrust of white wine.
Starring
Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ..... Stephanie Cole
1st Officer Douglas Richardson ..... Roger Allam
Capt. Martin Crieff ..... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey ..... John Finnemore
Senor Quintanilla ..... Michael Fenton-Stevens
Diego ..... Javier Marzan
Written by John Finnemore.
Produced & directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b00ltrvg)
Consumer news and issues with Peter White.
FRI 12:57 Weather (b00ltrzd)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b00lts14)
National and international news with Edward Stourton.
FRI 13:30 More or Less (b00lxh3t)
Tim Harford investigates statistics which some claim reveal the 'Islamification' of Europe and checks whether the Home Office has been doing its sums properly. Do its claims about the DNA Database really add up?
An Open University co production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b00ltsbw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b0093z9w)
Bearing the Cross
Ken Blakeson's play tells the story of the Battle of Rorke's Drift and the effect it had on three of the soldiers who fought in it.
William Jones VC ...... Nigel Anthony
Robert Jones VC ...... Sebastian Harcombe
Henry Hook VC ...... Jon Strickland
Landlord/Buffalo Bill ...... Robert Blythe
Barmaid ...... Bethan Walker
Original music by David Chilton
A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b00lxh3w)
Eric Robson chairs the popular horticultural forum.
John Cushnie, Bunny Guinness and Matthew Biggs answer questions posed by members of Brightlingsea Garden Club.
Brightlingsea is on the Essex coast near Colchester, and, as winner of the 2006 Britain in Bloom award and multiple winner of the Best Town in Anglia competition, it has an enviable reputation.
Bunny Guinness investigates how local man Brian Wickenden's garden ended up being nominated as the National Collection of Corydalis, and finds out how Brian is coping with its maintenance.
Including Gardening weather forecast.
FRI 15:45 The Romantic Road: On the Trail of the German Philosophers (b00lxd7g)
Lifting Berlin
Writer Stephen Plaice takes a journey through the German cities where the great philosophers of the 19th century lived and worked, exploring the impact that these thinkers have had on each stage of his life. Along the way, he reflects on the Germany which has been locked away behind the two World Wars, and examines our contemporary prejudices towards Germans.
Stephen ends his philosophical journey in Berlin where he considers how, in maintaining our prejudices towards the Germans, we have excluded the liberal wisdom of its philosophers. Berlin, a city with an very divided past, provides a living metaphor of the Hegelian dialectic of history. Out of the opposing forces of Communism and Nazism, a third, democratic synthesis has emerged. But at Checkpoint Charlie, Stephen discovers that the old oppositions of the Cold War have been turned into tourist entertainment. Is there an ironic phase to history?
Visiting the cemetery in which Hegel is buried, and then the Humboldt University where he lectured, Stephen reflects on the two opposing ideologies that tried to gain control of Berlin in the 20th century, and examines the extent to which the accusation holds that German idealist philosophy was responsible for the rise of both Fascism and Communism. He cites Kant's treatise On Perpetual Peace to illustrate the enlightened legacy which has been obscured behind the pseudo-philosophy of the Third Reich. Stephen argues that we have handed Hitler a victory by allowing our image of the Germans and of German culture to remain fixated on the Nazis.
Stephen also reflects on The Principle of Hope, a key work by the German Jewish utopian philosopher Ernst Bloch, which he co-translated in the 1980s.
In conclusion Stephen reflects how, from the early Romanticism of student days in Germany, via Nietzsche and Schopenhauer, to Ernst Bloch's philosophy of hope and the Kantian responsibilities of parenthood, philosophy has the power to shape personal experience.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b00lxh3y)
Jane Little presents the obituary series, analysing and celebrating the life stories of people who have recently died. The programme reflects on people of distinction and interest from many walks of life, some famous and some less well known.
FRI 16:30 The Film Programme (b00lxh40)
Father and son Freddie and Toby Jones talk to Matthew Sweet about the art of being a character actor, from The Elephant Man to Harry Potter.
Mark Gatiss presents his alternative guide to British cinema.
Jane Graham on what makes an evil organisation tick.
FRI 17:00 PM (b00ltshs)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00ltsq5)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The Now Show (b00lxh42)
Series 28
Episode 7
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis present a satirical review of the week's news, with help from Jon Holmes, Laura Shavin, Mitch Benn and Ben Goldacre.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b00ltsby)
Lilian got drunk in the bar again last night and Jolene goes to check on her. Lilian's embarrassed about making a spectacle of herself but becomes emotional and tells Jolene it's Matt's birthday today. She's got him a card but can't bring herself to post it.
While Pat packs for the holiday, Tony gripes about Peggy turning to Brian rather than him for help with her finances. Pat is more interested in the sights they'll see in Turkey. Tony goes through a list of jobs Tom will need to do while they're away. Impatient Tom assures his father that they'll be fine.
Having overheard Sid saying that Fallon should look for work in a different direction, Fallon's scouring the paper for the jobs section. Sid tries to assure Fallon that he does support her but Fallon's distracted when she comes across an article about her dad. Sid shows Jolene the article, saying that Wayne Tucson has been arrested for drink driving, without tax or an MOT. Jolene tries to talk to Fallon but she refuses to discuss it. She couldn't care less that it's her father and he can do what he wants. It's got nothing to do with her.
Episode written by Tim Stimpson.
FRI 19:15 Front Row (b00ltst6)
Arts news and reviews with John Wilson.
John Wilson is joined by the composer Marvin Hamlisch, whose music for stage and film includes the hit Broadway musical A Chorus Line, the Bond song Nobody Does it Better, and The Way we Were with Barbara Streisand, for which he won an Oscar.
The Iraqi teenager whose dreams of forming the first National Youth Orchestra are now being realised with a Summer School and debut concert in Northern Iraq.
As David Byrne of Talking Heads transforms a building into a gigantic instrument, John reports from the Roundhouse in London, where a series of cables and wires run from an old pump organ to the building's pillars, pipes and beams, making it squeak and vibrate.
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00lxfpm)
Villette
La Terresse
Dramatisation of the classic romantic novel by Charlotte Bronte.
Alone, weary and desperately low in spirits, Lucy has pitched into an abyss of despair from which, it appears, there is no return. But then suddenly there is hope.
Lucy Snowe ...... Anna Maxwell Martin
Mrs Bretton ...... Joan Walker
Monsieur Paul ...... Sam Dale
Dr John ...... Benjamin Askew
Directed by Tracey Neale.
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b00lxh7t)
Eddie Mair chairs the topical debate in Margate. The panellists are writer Charles Moore, British Medical Association chairman Hamish Meldrum, commentator and chief executive of the Index on Censorship John Kampfner and chair of the Health and Safety Executive, Judith Hackitt CBE.
FRI 20:50 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00lxhb3)
Series 1
Birds of Paradise
Sir David Attenborough talks about the Birds of Paradise, a group of birds which evolved in the relative safety of New Guinea, allowing them to acquire adornments and feathered decorations so resplendent that they fooled the early explorers who discovered them.
Series of talks by Sir David on the natural histories of creatures and plants from around the world.
Producer: Julian Hector.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra in August 2009.
FRI 21:00 Friday Drama (b00lxhdb)
Series 2
The Enemy Within
Second series of three political dramas.
By Jon Sen. MP Bobby Khan is blackmailed over an alleged homosexual affair he had at university.
Bobby ...... Zubin Varla
Imran ...... Bhasker Patel
Lucy ...... Nicola Stephenson
Wasim ...... Christopher Bisson
David Hart/Geraint ...... James Quinn
Terry ...... John McArdle
Shazia/Woman ...... Balvinder Sopal
Ali ...... Darren Kuppan
Graham ...... Jonathan Keeble
Sara ...... Millie Rose Kinsey
Political adviser Andrew Russell
Directed by Pauline Harris.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b00lttrb)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b00lttsp)
National and international news and analysis with Ritula Shah.
How strong is the Taliban in Afghanistan?
Why Arab countries are failing their youth
Folk artists take on the BNP.
FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00lxgq5)
The Rapture
Episode 10
Denise Black reads from Liz Jensen's eco-thriller.
The day of tribulation has come. Gabrielle and Frazer drive Bethany to a rendezvous to try to escape the catastrophe, but their plans are hijacked.
Abridged by Fiona McAlpine.
A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b00lv28d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Listen Against (b0089j50)
Series 1
Episode 2
The show that prises the back off your radio, fiddles around with the programmes inside and then puts it all back together the wrong way round.
Alice Arnold and Jon Holmes get meddling with the Proms, JK and Joel, Any Answers and The Archers.
The brain-child of writer, comic and broadcaster Jon Holmes.
Producer: Bill Dare and Jon Holmes
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2007.