The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
UK farmers must start producing significantly more food to feed a growing population, according to a new government study. The foresight report, The Future of Food and Farming, has been two years in development, and has absorbed the work of 400 scientists. It concludes the global food system needs to change more radically in the coming decades than ever before.
Professor Sir John Beddington, the government's chief scientist, tells Farming Today that UK farmers must produce more food, but not use more land in doing that. That means using the latest science, including Genetically Modified crops, to stop the global food system consuming the world's natural resources at an unsustainable rate. But Secretary of State Caroline Spelman says careful study of GM crops is still required.
Anna Hill hears the reaction of farmers, many of whom welcome the challenge to produce more food. But Patrick Holden of the Soil Association is critical of the report, and says it allows the food industry to carry on being unsustainable.
Presented by Anna Hil. Produced by Melvin Rickarby.
Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather, Thought for the Day.
Francine Stock asks if we're witnessing the end of Hollywood as we know it. In the second of two documentaries about the rise and fall of this American empire, she considers whether the digital revolution will mean the USA is losing its grip on the global market.
Francine will hear from Sally Potter who made her latest drama, Rage, on a telephone and premiered it on the web, and from Tim Bevan, chair of both the Film Council and Working Title, Britain's most financially successful production company, who have a special relationship with a Hollywood studio.
Francine visits the offices of Clare Binns, who's been described as one of the most powerful women in British film, because she personally chooses which movies are screened in the Picturehouse chain that spans the country.
Ken Loach calls for cinemas to be put in the hands of the public, like municipal theatres, while Steven Soderbergh, Joe Wright, Peter Weir and Sam Mendes all agree that it's tougher than ever to make mid-budget, intelligent movies for an adult audience.
The Full Monty scribe Simon Beaufoy considers whether cheaper films means that film-makers no longer have to fix one eye on the global market, and if this will result in a return to a form of national cinema.
Ultimately, Francine discusses whether the death of Hollywood has been greatly exaggerated, as the empire fights back with 3D.
Lord Digby Jones grew up in the Midlands and as a youngster, won a scholarship to Bromsgrove Public School. There, he represented the school at rugby and cricket and took part in the debating society. He was head boy and was about to leave school with a glowing report until he was expelled for streaking around the quadrangle for a bet.
John Wilson meets Digby Jones back at his old school with his former English teacher and school friend.
Seven year old Ailsa Dunn adores her handsome Da and her pretty Ma but when alcohol intrudes chaos reigns and she and her sister are removed from home and taken to an orphanage. This is the Glasgow of the late 1960s and the strict regime is fiercely resented by the two feisty girls. Confused and unhappy Ailsa loses her bearings until she meets an inspirational teacher and timidly asks if he will teach her to play the piano.
Presented by Jane Garvey. The government aims to unify the benefits received by families into a single Universal Credit. So what are the implications of this change for women? Sudden Unexpected Death of an Infant is an occurrence every parent dreads and necessitates the involvement of the police. Jane is joined by a mother whose toddler died and who is calling for changes to police procedure. Fizi is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo where, on New Years Day, at least fifty women were raped. It's believed to be the largest single incident allegedly involving the army. So why does rape continue to be a weapon of war in the DRC? And, on a lighter note, Spring fashions - what are the trends for this year?
Writing the Century. Three Women Across The Century. Ep 2. Dramatised by Vanessa Rosenthal.
Catherine feels inadequate when she compares her life to her mother's. Her husband Larry and daughter Becca worry that her obsession with her mother's diaries is detrimental to her frail health.
Here are the distinctive voices of a middle England family, perceptively aware of their place in the jigsaw of the Twentieth Century writing in diaries, letters and memoirs because- " it is a tradition in this family".
During the week's episodes we meet Marjory Sharpe- the grandmother, Catherine Thackray, the daughter and are introduced to Rebecca Thackray, the granddaughter, poised, on Millennium night, to take that tradition into a third generation
Catherine, born in 1922, served in the A.T.S during the war, studied at LSE - where she became a lifelong Fabian, then married Lawrence Thackray, a Quaker solicitor and moved to Huddersfield. The marriage
was "more than a union of hearts; it was a complement of moral principles". In Huddersfield Catherine worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau, was local secretary for C.N.D. and a local councilor and Magistrate in a life of tireless political campaigning. After the birth of her 3 children she went back to teaching in a Secondary Modern. In 1984, as a result of demonstrating at Greenham Common and being arrested there, she was removed from the bench. A frequent writer of published letters to the Guardian, they published her obituary in 1997 as "A passionate believer in countless causes who earned international fame and the admiration of many ".
Marjorie Sharp, the grandmother, born 1883, was a Fabian and Suffragist who trained originally as a teacher but then became a Social Worker in The Browning Settlement in the East End of London. She married, Tom Sharpe, an L.C.C. Education Clerk, who suffered a complete breakdown during WW1. Subsequently Marjory, through her teaching and home tutoring, which she continued into her eighties, became the chief bread winner whilst bringing up 8 children and encouraging Tom as a published poet whose work brought him into contact with Robert Bridges and others. He died in the 1950s and Marjory in the 1960s. A formidable, doughty woman she left behind her own autobiography, some diary entries and some letters.
Both these women are in the vanguard of their times, politically engaged and living lives of public service to their communities. They were not afraid of expressing their views, and sometimes felt compelled to express those views publically. At the same time they were wives, mothers and daughters, dealing with the balancing act of home versus work and the need for self- determination.
In re-visiting the past key events in both lives, the 5 episodes give a kind of snapshot view of the 20th Century whilst Catherine's ongoing diaries between 1993- 2000 chart the Yugoslav war, Maxwell's death, Rwanda, the Chinook Enquiry, Dunblane, the I.R.A., Blair's election and Princess Diane's State Funeral.
39/40. Much of the world is farmed and in Britain it's argued that upward of 90% of the land surface, excluding people's gardens, is farmed in one form or another. And this figure, although large worldwide, nevertheless has a ring of truth about it - wilderness is disappearing. There are many arguments justifying the importance of wilderness - and they have all been touched upon in one edition or another of Saving Species.
In this programme we have our final "Memories" piece remembering the past abundance of the tenacious predators, stoats and weasels. And through the Narrow-Headed Ant we discover the dangers of fragmenting heathland.
And we have close encounters with the Africa Penguin (formally the Jackass Penguin) on a remote island off the coast of South Africa. Penguins alighting on islands throughout the southern oceans have provided our world with one of the great animal spectacles. But penguins are in decline - their survival is at the mercy of their food supply in the sea - a food supply that people compete directly with them for.
DJ Zoe Ball showcases some of her favourite pieces of writing. The readers are Hattie Morahan and Blake Ritson, with a guest appearance by Johnny Ball.
Call You and Yours with Julian Worricker. Should our forests be sold off to help the budget deficit? If you could still get access to your favourite walking places, would you mind who owned them? And do you have any ideas on how our forests could be better managed? An opportunity to contribute your views to the programme. Email youandyours@bbc.co.uk or call 03700 100 444 (lines open at
Matthew Sweet transports listeners into cinemas located around the world with a series of short features, eavesdropping on their stories, their characters and occasionally trying the snacks. Today, China.
From the multiplexes of the western world to some of the most remote locations on Earth, the act of going to the cinema speaks volumes. This series captures the passions, problems and popcorn habits of film goers as they indulge in an activity that unites the planet. But the story of cinema now is also the story of the political and cultural tensions that divide the world.
It's said that three new cinemas open everyday in China, but the Broadway Cinémathèque Moma in Beijing, stands out for its ingenious design and wide range of films on offer, world cinema as well as blockbusters. We hear from Wu Jing who has seen the cinema industry transform within her lifetime.
Frances Fyfield and her guests examine the Eric Coates' manuscript score of The London Suite for this week's Tales From the Stave. With Frances in the Royal College of Music library are the conductor and orchestrator, John Wilson, music presenter, Rob Cowan and handwriting expert, Ruth Rostron. Librarian Peter Horton keeps careful watch over the manuscript.
Eric Coates began his music career by playing the viola professionally. He excelled at the Royal Academy of Music and eked out a living perfoming in various orchestras. His first love though was composition and his desire was to write popular music enjoyed by all. A founding member of the Performing Rights Society which collects revenues on behalf of composers and others, he eventually became one of best loved popular light music composers and earned a very good living from his writing. His gift for melody leaves a legacy of tunes which are instantly recognisable today. Perhaps his best known piece for Radio 4 listeners is 'By the Sleepy Lagoon' which is the theme tune for 'Desert Island Discs'.
Yet he did not always enjoy a positive relationship with the BBC, and later in his career he felt the organisation was discriminating against his music when programming the Proms. He wrote "I think (and many musicians agree with me) that the BBC is absolutely wrong in its attitude towards the best in light music, for it is fostering an insidious from of musical snobbery amonth listeners, teaching them to despise melody."
Join Frances and her guests as they look at the craft of Coates, his skill and excellence and assess The London Suite.
Hannah Bradley's only 17, but she's a spiritual healer. It doesn't seem strange to her; it's what she was brought up to be. She's healed many people; but maybe there's one person she really needs to heal.
This week's programme was recorded in front of an audience at Bolton-le-Sands in Lancashire.
The questions they posed the panel included whether rockets are more damaging to the ozone layer because they deposit their pollution high in the atmosphere. What can be done to enforce Tree Preservation Orders. Can moles be eradicated humanely; are the British Isles moving westward and why might Lancashire fields be filled with un-harvested crops.
The panel members this week are marine biologist Dr Ros Taylor of Kingston University; and Professor Philip Stott, an environmental scientist from the University of London and Sally Roberts, Chairman of the Lancaster Federation of Women's Institutes.
At five in the morning, Emily makes her shopping forays. But although June approaches, outside it is getting darker.
The writer and artist Tove Jansson is best known as the creator of the Moomin stories, which were first published in English sixty years ago and have remained in print ever since. She turned her attention to writing for adults when she was in her fifties.
With the deceptively light prose that is her hallmark, 'Travelling Light' reveals to us the precariousness of a journey and the unease we feel at being placed outside of our milieu.
We got to the movies for many things, including spectacle, thrills and wonder, but many go to fall in love - again and again - with the thrill of romance and a kiss as big as a house. How can love blow us apart?
Critic and writer David Thomson continues his personal journey through the power and meaning of cinema in search of longing and romance.
Michael Rosen visits the newsroom of 'The Sun' to meet the sub-editors, who are widely regarded as some of the most skilled and creative wordsmiths in the newspaper business. He investigates puns, euphemisms, splash-headlines, intros and page-three captions. He looks at the newsroom jargon, from back-benches to sub-decks. And he discovers - among other things - that 'romps' are the new 'nookie'.
The writer Katharine Whitehorn chooses Mary Stott, the great campaigning journalist and the first editor of the Guardian women's page. She's the journalist who more than anyone started the revolution in women's journalism since the 1950s. She gave ordinary women a voice, and a place to get together and share ideas. Liz Forgan, who was to edit the women's page later, shares her memories of working with Mary, and Matthew Parris presents.
Matthew Sweet transports listeners into cinemas located around the world with a series of short features, eavesdropping on their stories, their characters and occasionally trying the snacks.
From the multiplexes of the western world to some of the most remote locations on Earth, the act of going to the cinema speaks volumes. This series captures the passions, problems and popcorn habits of film goers as they indulge in an activity that unites the planet. But the story of cinema now is also the story of the political and cultural tensions that divide the world.
Humayoun is a young Afghani actor who dreams of one day being a film star. He talks of the reopening of Kabul's cinemas since the departure of the Taliban, and the very first time he saw the 'big screen'.
While attempting a bit of spring cleaning, Adam discovers a bundle of long lost love letters addressed to his late Mum - and they're definitely not from his Dad.
Adam ...... Lenny Henry
Rudy ...... Larrington Walker
Richie ...... Joe Jacobs
Tasha ...... Natasha Godfrey
Clifton ...... Jeffery Kissoon
Doreen ...... Claire Benedict
There's only a week to go but David's still busy with last-minute arrangements for the big wedding at Lower Loxley.
Harry's getting things ready nice and early for their Burns' Night party. Jazzer's pleased he's getting into the spirit.
Emma and Ed are looking forward to the Burns' Night supper. Mike just hopes things go smoothly between Vicky and Ed. Emma tells him that Ed's put the veal calves business well behind him. Vicky tells Mike the same.
At the party, Emma's surprised to learn that Clarrie had Will and Nic round to dinner last night. It sounds like they're all getting very cosy. When Vicky starts to discuss the herd, Mike quickly changes the subject. The evening goes well, and Jazzer's full of praise for Harry's efforts.
When Mike and Vicky leave, Ed and Emma start to make a move too but Jazzer insists the party's just beginning. He's invited a crowd from Borchester, who are starting to arrive - this is an all-nighter! Will's got George, so Emma's up for it. Harry realises he's not going to get any sleep so grabs the can of lager Ed throws his way, and wishes him a happy Burns' Night.
The nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards were announced in Hollywood today, and in a special programme Mark Lawson talks to some of the key contenders and discusses the likely winners.
The King's Speech leads the field with 12 nominations: we hear from director Tom Hooper, as well as Colin Firth, in the running for best actor, and Helena Bonham Carter, nominated for best supporting actress.
Scott Rudin is the producer of two films with 18 nominations between them. He discusses True Grit, the Coen brothers' new version of the classic western, which has won ten nominations, and the Facebook film The Social Network, which has eight.
Mark also interviews Nicole Kidman, nominated for best actress for Rabbit Hole, director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, who reflect on the making of 127 Hours, and Michael Arndt, who has a screenwriting nomination for the hit animation Toy Story 3 - also nominated for best film.
Film reviewers Chris Tookey and Larushka Ivan-Zadeh deliver their verdicts on the Oscar hopefuls, and offer their predictions for the winners, to be announced at the Oscars ceremony on 27 February.
Homes but no loans. Despite the threat of a new slide in house prices and rising levels of negative equity, the number of property-buyers having their homes repossessed has declined over the past year. But now many economists predict interest rates will rise in the course of 2011, fuelling fears that Britain's housing market could be facing a double dip. With banks chasing profits and affordable mortgages harder to find. Michael Robinson asks what impact the new housing freeze will have on Britain's already battered economy.
Why the RNIB is worried about changes to Incapacity Benefit.
The charity's Parliamentary and Campaigns Manager, Dan Scorer, explains the changes and why he's concerned they might put people off going back into work.
Also on the programme: the little cards which help blind people answer the question 'how much can you really see'? And there's news of an art group in Bristol seeking volunteers to take part in a touch drawing workshop and a progress report on the series 'Can't See Will Cook'.
Glaucoma is the most common cause of blindness in the western world. It causes irreversible damage to the optic nerve which results in loss of vision. Dr Mark Porter visits Moorfields Eye Hospital in London and finds about a new test for glaucoma which should lead to earlier diagnosis. Producer: Geraldine Fitzgerald.
Are we heading for a double dip recession? George Osborne blames the snow for a surprise drop in GDP, but Labour accuses the government of "wrecking the recovery".
Will there be an investigation into allegations that the Prime Minister of Kosovo was in charge of the trafficking of human organs?
Thousands of protesters hit the streets of Cairo in a "day of revolt" inspired by events in Tunisia.
When Euan and Ruth Armstrong set off with their young daughter, Anna, to live in Bahrain, it is meant to be an experience and adventure they will cherish. But on the night they arrive, Ruth discovers the truth behind the missionary work Euan has planned and feels her world start to crumble. She starts to question her faith - in Euan, in their marriage, and in all she has held dear.
With Euan so often away, Ruth is confined to their guarded compound with her neighbours and, in particular, Noor, a troubled teenager recently returned to Bahrain to live with her father. Confronted by temptations and doubt, both Ruth and Noor must make choices that could change all of their lives forever.
Episode 2: Still reeling from Euan's confession, Ruth is visited by her new neighbours, among them a shy teenager named Noor, who, like Ruth, is also trying to come to terms with a new life in Bahrain.
The Meeting Point is Lucy Caldwell's second novel, a story of idealism, innocence, and the unexpected turns life can take and the dangers and chances that await us.
The Meeting Point was abridged by Doreen Estall and produced by Heather Larmour.
Mr Gee presents the final programme in the four part series, Rhyme and Reason.
This week he is joined by musician and activist Billy Bragg to talk about how poetry has played a major role in his life. Billy Bragg tells of how he's used music and poetry to express his feelings at pivotal points in his life. We hear readings of his favourite poetry and music from his back catalogue going back over 25 years.
The Health Secretary defends sweeping changes to the NHS against claims that GPs will qualify for banker-style bonuses and private firms will win major contracts.
In the face of hostile questioning in the Commons from Labour, Mr Lansley insists that the shake-up, with GPs given a greater role in commissioning treatment, would improve quality across the health service.
In the Lords, peers continue their marathon debate on the Government's plans for cutting the number of MPs and a referendum on changes to the voting system.
While in Westminster Hall, MPs voice concerns over the future of local library services.
WEDNESDAY 26 JANUARY 2011
WED 00:00 Midnight News (b00xn9t9)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b00xpnx3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00xn9tc)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00xn9tf)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00xn9th)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (b00xn9tk)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00xw0gf)
with Dr Edward Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (b00xphlr)
Anna Hill visits the lab where scientists are working on a new generation of GM crops which could create their own fertiliser, and reduce farming's carbon footprint. Nitrate fertiliser is the biggest cause of greenhouse gas emissions from farming worldwide. There's also more on the government's Foresight report calling for an agricultural revolution to feed the world, sustainably. And, why anglers want cormorants to be culled in greater numbers.
Presenter: Anna Hill
Producer: Sarah Swadling.
WED 06:00 Today (b00xw0gh)
Morning news and current affairs with James Naughtie and Sarah Montague, including:
07:50 What will the government do about control orders?
08:10 Lord Lamont analyses the future of the UK economy.
08:50 Is Rupert Murdoch a malign influence on British life, or an innocent victim of the chattering classes?
WED 09:00 Midweek (b00xw0gk)
This week Libby Purves is joined by Bran Symondson, Joan Woodcock, Greg Hicks and Phillip King.
Bran Symondson is a serving soldier in the British Army Reserve. Whilst on a six month tour of Afghanistan he became fascinated by the Afghan National Police (ANP), their ethos and their daily existence in the war with the Taliban. When he was given the opportunity to return and document these characters as a civilian photographer in 2010, with the Sunday Times, he was able to capture a unique perspective on the current conflict. An exhibition: The Best View of Heaven is from Hell is at Idea Generation Gallery, London E2.
Joan Woodcock was sixteen when she began her nursing career as a cadet nurse, a career that spanned over forty years in NHS nursing. Working on hospital wards, casualty units and out in the community, as well as prison and a police unit dealing with sexual assault, Joan has seen it all. 'Matron Knows Best - the true story of a 1960s NHS nurse' is published by Headline.
The actor Greg Hicks plays King Lear in the Royal Shakespeare Company's season at the Roundhouse. A stalwart of the RSC and classical theatre in general, he's also a talented musician, playing a mean blues harp and is an expert in the Brazilian martial art form of 'capoeira'.
Phillip King is a sculptor. He was tutored by the legendary Anthony Caro and worked as assistant to Henry Moore. He represented Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1968 and was President of the Royal Academy from 1990 to 1999. Born in Tunis in 1934, his work is influenced by the sense of strong colour and light that he remembers from living there. His show of new and old work is currently at Flowers Gallery, to coincide with the Royal Academy's 'Modern British Sculpture', both in London.
WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b00xpnx7)
Alison Gangel - The Sun Hasn't Fallen From the Sky
Episode 3
Removed from the care of loving but alcoholic parents and placed in a strict Glasgow orphanage, Ailsa Dunn is struggling to cope. Then she meets Mr Shaugnessy and inspired by his piano playing she asks for lessons. Encouraged by his praise, she discovers a talent she never dreamt she had.
Maureen Beattie reads Alison Gangel's vibrant memoir.
Producer: Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00xppnb)
Jenni Murray presents. The sexism row in football. We hear from Scotland's new national poet - Liz Lochhead, and Jenni talks to Kathryn Bolkovac - the woman who blew the whistle on sex trafficking amongst the peacekeepers in Bosnia. Also, the joys of hoolahooping and an interview with Rosemary Squire, recently described as the most influential woman in British theatre.
WED 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00xw14s)
Writing the Century 16: Three Women Across the Century
Episode 3
Writing the Century. Three Women Across the Century. Ep 3. Dramatised by Vanessa Rosenthal.
Catherine tries to make sense of a strange and moving event in her mother's life.
Catherine Thackray...Eleanor Bron
Lawrence Thackray...Will Tacey
Becca Thackray...Julia Rounthwaite
Marjory Sharp...Suzanne Bertish
Tom Sharp...Drew Carter-Cain
Mick...Joncie Elmore
Produced in Manchester by Gary Brown
Music by Nicolai Abrahamsen
Here are the distinctive voices of a middle England family, perceptively aware of their place in the jigsaw of the Twentieth Century writing in diaries, letters and memoirs because- " it is a tradition in this family".
During the week's episodes we meet Marjory Sharpe- the grandmother, Catherine Thackray, the daughter and are introduced to Rebecca Thackray, the granddaughter, poised, on Millennium night, to take that tradition into a third generation
Catherine, born in 1922, served in the A.T.S during the war, studied at LSE - where she became a lifelong Fabian, then married Lawrence Thackray, a Quaker solicitor and moved to Huddersfield. The marriage
was "more than a union of hearts; it was a complement of moral principles". In Huddersfield Catherine worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau, was local secretary for C.N.D. and a local councillor and Magistrate in a life of tireless political campaigning. After the birth of her 3 children she went back to teaching in a Secondary Modern. In 1984, as a result of demonstrating at Greenham Common and being arrested there, she was removed from the bench. A frequent writer of published letters to the Guardian, they published her obituary in 1997 as "A passionate believer in countless causes who earned international fame and the admiration of many ".
Marjorie Sharp, the grandmother, born 1883, was a Fabian and Suffragist who trained originally as a teacher but then became a Social Worker in The Browning Settlement in the East End of London. She married, Tom Sharpe, an L.C.C. Education Clerk, who suffered a complete breakdown during WW1. Subsequently Marjory, through her teaching and home tutoring, which she continued into her eighties, became the chief bread winner whilst bringing up 8 children and encouraging Tom as a published poet whose work brought him into contact with Robert Bridges and others. He died in the 1950s and Marjory in the 1960s. A formidable, doughty woman she left behind her own autobiography, some diary entries and some letters.
Both these women are in the vanguard of their times, politically engaged and living lives of public service to their communities. They were not afraid of expressing their views, and sometimes felt compelled to express those views publically. At the same time they were wives, mothers and daughters, dealing with the balancing act of home versus work and the need for self- determination.
In re-visiting the past key events in both lives, the 5 episodes give a kind of snapshot view of the 20th Century whilst Catherine's ongoing diaries between 1993- 2000 chart the Yugoslav war, Maxwell's death, Rwanda, the Chinook Enquiry, Dunblane, the I.R.A., Blair's election and Princess Diane's State Funeral.
WED 11:00 The Secret History of Social Networking (b00xw14v)
Episode 1
In the first instalment of a three-part series, Rory Cellan-Jones traces the roots of social networking from the counterculture of the 1970s through early bulletin board systems such as California's The WELL and the first networks on the World Wide Web, finding out how a geeky hobby became a mass phenomenon.
Forty years ago, hippies and hackers came together to produce the first attempts at online community. Rory visits the scene of the perhaps the first computer social network open to the general public. Community Memory was a series of terminals in Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay area which opened for business in 1973.
It never picked up more than a handful of users, but as personal computers became more common in the 1980s, a host of online bulletin board systems sprang up around the world - although The WELL was perhaps the most influential. An offshoot of the Whole Earth Catalog, The WELL's discussion forums interested journalists as well as computer nerds and showed how computer networks might impact offline life.
And Rory follows the trend through to the arrival of the World Wide Web, the thing that turned a mass audience on to the internet and online social networking.
Millions signed up for early sites like SixDegrees and Friendster. But the lack of digital cameras and ubiquitous internet access in its late-90s heyday limited the usefulness of SixDegrees as a networking tool. And Friendster's sheer popularity in the early 2000s caused tech problems that the company struggled to overcome. It wouldn't be too long, however, before social networking hit the mainstream. Part 1 of 3.
Interviewees include:
Lee Felsenstein, co-founder, Community Memory
Larry Brilliant, co-founder, The WELL
Stewart Brand, co-founder The WELL
Howard Rheingold, early WELL user, author of The Virtual Community
John Perry Barlow, early WELL user, co-founder Electronic Frontier Foundation
Marc Weber, founding curator, Computer History Museum
Andrew Weinrich, founder, SixDegrees.com
Jonathan Abrams, co-founder, Friendster.
WED 11:30 Ballylenon (b00xw14x)
Series 8
Return of the Native
The unexpected return of Guard Gallagher spells trouble for the McConkeys.
Series set in the sleepy town of Ballylenon, Co Donegal in the 1960s.
Ballylenon, County Donegal. Pop. 1,999 was founded by St Lenon of Padua, when he fell into the river at this spot in 953. Ballylenon is situated on the shores of Lough Swilly with entrancing views of Muckish Mountain, in the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe. (Note: Ballylenon is a fictional name, but the other landmarks are identifiable.)
Written by Christopher Fitz-Simon.
Muriel McConkey ...... Margaret D'Arcy
Vera McConkey ...... Stella McCusker
Phonsie Doherty ...... Gerard Murphy
Mrs Vivienne Hawthorne ...... Aine McCartney
Rev Samuel Hawthorne ...... Dermot Crowley
'Stumpy' Bonnar ...... Gerard McSorley
Guard Gallagher ...... Frankie McCafferty
Daniel O'Searcaigh ...... James Greene
Monsignor McFadden ...... Niall Cusack
Aubrey Frawley ...... Chris McHallem
Polly Acton ...... Joanna Munro
Eamonn Doyle ...... Patrick Fitzsymons
Mr Boylan ...... Derek Bailey
Pianist: Michael Harrison
Director: Eoin O'Callaghan
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2011.
WED 12:00 You and Yours (b00xw14z)
Consumer affairs with Winifred Robinson
Many museums are facing cuts in Government funding, but the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester is launching a £9 million revamp. We hear from its director, Tony Hill, about the benefits he hopes it will bring.
Council subsidised bus services look set to be another target for cuts. Many areas risk losing a large number of their evening and week-end services. MPs have launched a Commons inquiry.
And supermarkets are trying to make vegetarian food more mainstream. But some vegetarians aren't too keen on being branded "meat free" eaters.
WED 12:53 Brief Encounters (b00xplks)
Episode 12
Matthew Sweet transports listeners into cinemas located around the world with a series of short features, eavesdropping on their stories, their characters and occasionally trying the snacks. In this episode he is in the Carib cinema, in Kingston Jamaica. Located in Cross Roads in Kingston, with supermarkets, car dealerships, furniture stores and fast food joints, but above all these rises what was once the largest building on the island - a white cliff of 1930s concrete with a carved figure on the front: Venus rising from stylised banks of waves. The 1,750-seater cinema was once decorated to give the impression of being submerged under the sea - but that illusion has gone.
Once the great reggae stars played in this building - and that is just one part of the relationship between cinema and Jamaican culture, as Matthew discovers
Producers: Sara Jane Hall & Neil George.
WED 12:57 Weather (b00xn9tm)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 13:00 World at One (b00xnbf0)
National and international news.
WED 13:30 The Media Show (b00xw151)
On the day the BBC World Service announces substantial job losses, Steve Hewlett talks to the Director General Mark Thompson about cuts, the licence fee settlement and the corporation's strategy for the forthcoming years. Are the changes at the World Service a sign of things to come, as the BBC finds a way to make efficiency savings following a licence fee settlement that will see its budget reduced by sixteen per cent? And as candidates for the Chairmanship of the BBC Trust are considered, Steve asks him about his relationship with it, as it works to represent licence fee payers. In the studio with us, Broadcasting consultant and former editor of Current Affairs for the BBC Tim Suter, who offers his analysis of Mark Thompson's plans, and Guardian columnist Maggie Brown who tells us what she would hope to see in the next Chairman of the BBC Trust.
The media regulator Ofcom has published a report on News Corp's bid to buy the part of BSkyB they don't already own. The Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that he may refer the bid to the competition commission but is first giving News Corp more time to suggest remedies. Stewart Purvis, the former Partner for Content & Standards at Ofcom joins Steve Hewlett to discuss the report's findings.
The producer is Kathryn Takatsuki.
WED 14:00 The Archers (b00xpp6d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (b00fhqn1)
My Year Off
In 1995 Robert McCrum was an admired novelist and editorial director at Faber and Faber. He was also a reporter who had travelled to some of the most dangerous war-torn places in the world. 42 and married barely two months to New York Times journalist Sarah Lyall, the future looked great.
But overnight his world shifted. With a war correspondent's intrepidness and a writer's desire to communicate his experience to others, Robert chose to chronicle what quickly became a surreal and extraordinary new journey into a parallel world of the sick and helpless.
This programme is a bold and intimate account of McCrum's experience of having a stroke. In this adaptation McCrum's narrative is interpolated with extracts from diaries that he and Sarah Lyall kept during his long and difficult convalescence. What follows is terrifying, heartbreaking, intimate, funny and ultimately life affirming.
Cast:
Robert McCrum ..... Alex Jennings
Sarah Lyall ..... Madeline Potter
Doctor/Dentist/Occupational Therapist ...... Richard Laing
Paramedic/Speech Physiotherapist ..... Rachel Atkins
Sound Design ..... David Thomas
Adapted by Karen Rose
Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b00xw153)
If you have a question about managing borrowing or debt Paul Lewis and guests will be ready to help on Wednesday's Money Box Live.
Whether you want to switch to a cheaper interest rate, ask about your rights to pay back early or need advice about dealing with debt, Paul Lewis and guests will be waiting for your call.
Phone lines open at
1.30 this afternoon and the number to call is 03700 100 444. Standard geographic charges apply. Calls from mobiles may be higher. The programme starts after the three o'clock news. That number again 03700 100 444.
WED 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00xsfk6)
Tove Jansson - Travelling Light
Foreign City
An old man, his memory fading, is on his way to visit his grandson when he breaks his flight at an unknown city. His son has arranged the journey, but the old man becomes confused and events carry him on a different path.
The writer and artist Tove Jansson is best known as the creator of the Moomin stories, which were first published in English 60 years ago and have remained in print ever since. She turned her attention to writing for adults when she was in her fifties.
With the deceptively light prose that is her hallmark, 'Travelling Light' reveals to us the precariousness of a journey and the unease we feel at being placed outside of our milieu.
Translated by Silvester Mazzarella
Read By Timothy West
Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 15:45 Life at 24 Frames a Second (b00xw155)
Happy Endings
Escaping into the world of flickering dreams, finding happiness over the rainbow, and realizing that everything is going to be all right in the end is one of cinema's most powerful allures. But is the chase more appealing than the pay off?
Critic and writer David Thomson goes in search of happiness on the big screen in his personal history of cinema.
Producer: Mark Burman.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2011.
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b00xw157)
People have often referred to conflicts between the concepts we use to understand the best way to live - ideas like Liberty, Equality, Justice, Democracy. You need to suppress one to achieve the other, and this - the argument goes - proves that they are not universal moral concepts. In his engagingly titled new book, Justice for Hedgehogs, the US philosopher Ronald Dworkin seeks to show that there is no incompatibility between these ideas because they are part of a single unified value, they only appear to conflict because of the way we are looking at them. But how do we ascribe this value with a universal role without recourse to God, or some other metaphysical entity? Laurie discusses the idea with Ronald Dworkin and AC Grayling.
Also, shinning up the greasy pole: Bill Jones talks about his essay on how Prime Ministers pick their ministers and how to get ahead in politics.
Producer: Charlie Taylor.
WED 16:30 Case Notes (b00xppmr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 16:55 Brief Encounters (b00xn7fm)
Episode 10
Matthew Sweet transports listeners into cinemas located around the world with a series of short features, eavesdropping on their stories, their characters and occasionally trying the snacks. Today Matthew is in the Bey-oh-loo Cinema - hidden inside a genteel-looking shopping arcade in Istanbul where the public lap up home-grown films. A decade ago Turkey was struggling to produce ten movies a year. Last year, Turkish cinemas screened 70 new home-grown films, mostly funded by the government. But what happens when film meets religion?
Producers: Sara Jane Hall and Neil George.
WED 17:00 PM (b00xpllt)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00xn9tp)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 18:30 Showstopper (b00xw15c)
2. Ancient Egypt
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical is a brand new comedy in which the Showstopper team create a hilarious improvised musical on the spot - with the songs, plot and characters based entirely on suggestions from the live studio audience.
This week: the musical world of ancient Egypt…
The cast includes Pippa Evans, Ruth Bratt, Dylan Emery, Lucy Trodd, Sean McCann and Oliver Senton.
Producer: Sam Bryant
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.
WED 19:00 The Archers (b00xpp6n)
Clarrie's in a hurry to get to the dairy before Vicky, when Emma pops round to see if she can do anything to help. Clarrie tells her it's a bit late now. She needed the help when she was in plaster.
Clarrie ticks Vicky off for loading the orders wrong. Vicky blames it on Clarrie's list being illogical but Clarrie thinks it's down to common sense. Pat tries to smooth things over, and asks Clarrie to help her in the cheese room. It'll be useful to have her trained up, while Helen's on leave. Clarrie doesn't want it to be a regular thing. Pat assures Clarrie she'll be back working with Susan soon. She's only asked Vicky to stay on this week so that Clarrie can ease herself back in.
Elizabeth's anxious about the plans for Easter. She wants Lewis to double-check everything, and thinks David should concentrate more on managing the estate. That's where Nigel would have been now, out there planning for the Spring. It's a relief to David. Lewis realises that all this work is taking its toll on David's family life but feels Elizabeth is nowhere near ready to attempt work full time. In his opinion, she's far too fragile.
WED 19:15 Front Row (b00xplmz)
Jack Nicholson in How Do You Know
Jack Nicholson returns to the screen in Romantic film comedy, How Do You Know. Natalie Haynes reviews this alongside Oscar nominated Hereafter - directed by fellow Hollywood veteran Clint Eastwood.
The poet Jo Shapcott was announced as the winner of the £30,000 Costa Book of the Year last night for her poetry collection Of Mutability. The poet discusses the ten years it took her to write it and the breast cancer she suffered which informs the collection.
Sir Nicholas Hytner, Director of The National Theatre, reveals forthcoming productions for 2011 and explains how he plans to deal with Arts funding cuts.
As part of Radio 4's Film Season, Matthew Sweet offers a snapshot of film-going in Brazil.
Producer Claire Bartleet.
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00xw14s)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (b00xw1t9)
Conflict Between Religious Belief and Human Rights Law
When a gay couple were turned away from a B&B run by Christians it was more than just what would be going on behind the bedroom door that was at stake. The real question is should English law be based on the changing values of the populace, rather than the Judeo-Christian principles found in the Bible?
Last week's case was just the latest in a class of cases that has become known as "relitigation" - where the rights of religious communities are pitted against the prohibition on discrimination The gay couple won their case; as the judge put it "Whatever may have been the position in past centuries it is no longer the case that our laws must, or should, automatically reflect the Judeo-Christian position."
Is the application of the Human Rights Act being turned in to a political ideology and being used to persecute a group - the religious - that is now a minority in our society? Should religious beliefs have any privileged status in a democratic society? How do we define the boundaries of liberty? Is the state, through the legal system, defending minorities or encroaching in to the very core of our personal freedoms and telling us what to believe?
Combative, provocative and engaging debate chaired by Michael Buerk with Michael Portillo, Claire Fox, Matthew Taylor and Clifford Longley.
Ulele Burnham, Chair of discrimination law association, Barrister specialising in equality law.
Paul Diamond, Barrister, Specialising in law of religious liberty.
Austen Ivereigh, Roman Catholic journalist, commentator and campaigner. Also co-ordinator of Catholic Voices which was created for the papal visit to put the church's case to the media
Richard Norman, Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Kent, and a member of the Humanist Philosophers' Group. A Vice-President of the British Humanist's Association.
WED 20:45 What the Minister Saw (b00x3pcm)
Becoming a Minister has many perks, but one they can see every day is the art hanging in their office, often borrowed from the Government Art Collection. Art historian Philip Mould speaks to new ministers about what they chose and why they chose it, and he asks what it says about them.
Producer: Giles Edwards.
WED 21:00 Thin Air (b00xnxmy)
Episode 3
On August 16th 1960 at 7AM, Joe Kittinger was hanging in the sky twenty miles above New Mexico. He was so high that the sky seemed black and he could see the luminous glow of the atmosphere, curving away around the planet beneath him. Had his pressure suit failed, he would have died. As it was, he moved to the edge of the gondola beneath his helium-filled balloon . and jumped. For four minutes and 37 seconds, he fell free; at first with little sensation of motion, from near-vacuum to the coldest air around. Then, as the rushing air began to slow him, he entered the troposphere, where all the clouds, weather and life resides. His parachute opened, bringing him home to a desert that, after where he'd been, seemed like the Garden of Eden.
On the way down, he crossed the ozone layer, where a story of serendipity and surprise was later to unfold; an example of the fragility of the air, our blindness to our actions and our resourcefulness in recognising and then fixing a problem. By the time British scientists spotted that there was a hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica so big that space scientists hadn't noticed it, it was almost too late.
Gabrielle Walker follows Kittinger's short journey through the upper atmosphere and discovers how it protects us from the radiation of space and reflects our radio messages around the planet. She travels to the Arctic to witness the ultimate high-altitude aerial battleground between space and atmosphere: the Northern Lights.
Producer: Martin Redfern.
WED 21:30 Midweek (b00xw0gk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 21:58 Weather (b00xn9tr)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b00xpngt)
The Metropolitan Police reopen their investigation into phone hacking - why now?
Protests continue in Egypt for a second day - how serious is the threat to the 30 year rule of President Mubarak?
Paul Moss in Ireland asks if Irish politics is on the verge of historic change
With Robin Lustig.
WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00xw1tf)
The Meeting Point
Episode 3
When Euan and Ruth Armstrong set off with their young daughter, Anna, to live in Bahrain, it is meant to be an experience and adventure they will cherish. But on the night they arrive, Ruth discovers the truth behind the missionary work Euan has planned and feels her world start to crumble. She starts to question her faith - in Euan, in their marriage, and in all she has held dear.
With Euan so often away, Ruth is confined to their guarded compound with her neighbours and, in particular, Noor, a troubled teenager recently returned to Bahrain to live with her father. Confronted by temptations and doubt, both Ruth and Noor must make choices that could change all of their lives forever.
Episode 3: Introduced to Noor's family, Ruth meets Dr. Hussain, Noor's father, and her cousin, Farid. Ruth has longed to visit the Tree of Life but when she accompanies Noor and Farid on an excursion to the site, she discovers, that it, like Euan, is not all she had believed and hoped it to be.
The Meeting Point is Lucy Caldwell's second novel, a story of idealism, innocence, and the unexpected turns life can take and the dangers and chances that await us.
The readers are Laura Pyper and Yasmin Paige.
The Meeting Point was abridged by Doreen Estall and produced by Heather Larmour.
WED 23:00 Mordrin McDonald: 21st Century Wizard (b00xw1th)
Series 2
Billirock the Black
Written by David Kay and Gavin Smith, Mordrin McDonald is a 2000 year old Wizard living in the modern world where settling garden disputes and watching Countdown are just as important as slaying the odd Jakonty Dragon.
Step into the magically mundane world that is the life of 21st century wizard Mordrin McDonald. An isolated 2000-year-old sorcerer with enough power in his small finger to destroy a town, yet not even enough clout to get his bins emptied on time by the local council. Even for such a skilful sorcerer - modern life is rubbish!
Mordrin is deadpan, dry and makes delicious jams. He initially set up as a plc for income tax relief, but has found it a useful vehicle to help him bolster his Wizard skill set and his range of services. (Even a wizard has to diversify).
He's been running Fruity Potions from his cave for the past few years, in between completing the odd quest as instructed by the Wizard Council. In the past his services were to help kings in battles of good and evil, or as he prefers to put it, 'assisting with neighbour disputes.'
In this episode Mordrin is recruited to help re-capture evil sorcerer Billirock the Black who has escaped from his prison under Stirling Castle and is hell-bent on exacting his revenge.
Cast:
Mordrin ..... David Kay
Bernard The Blue ..... Jack Docherty
Geoff ..... Gordon Kennedy
Heather ..... Hannah Donaldson
Jill ..... Katrina Bryan
Billirock The Black ..... Greg Hemphill
Producer/Director: Gus Beattie
A Comedy Unit production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:15 Bob Servant (b00vhlzd)
The Bob Servant Emails
Olga, Sasha and the Jamaica Lakers
Born and bred in Dundee, Servant sees himself as a people's champion. His extraordinary self-belief stems largely from his dominant position in Dundee's notorious Cheeseburger Wars of the early 1980s - a period of riotous appreciation for the traditional American snack that caused madness on the streets and lined Servant's pockets. He continued his Midas touch in the 1990s by running what he often claims to have been the 'largest window cleaning round in Western Europe'. And now, he's taking on the internet spammers of the world.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00xw1tm)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster on the day's events in Parliament where measures to replace control orders for terror suspects were announced by the Home Secretary. The Prime Minister has maintained he won't be backing down on the programme to reduce public spending. And the Foreign Secretary insisted the BBC World Service has a viable future in spite of a big round of job cuts.
THURSDAY 27 JANUARY 2011
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b00xn9tt)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b00xpnx7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00xn9tw)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00xn9ty)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00xn9v0)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b00xn9v2)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00xw20y)
with Dr Edward Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b00xphlt)
A public consultation begins on the sale of more of England's Forestry Commission land. Charlotte Smith speaks to David Babbs from the campaign group 38 Degrees who believes woodland should be protected, and William Worsely from the Country Land and Business Association who owns 360 hectares of forest in North Yorkshire.
Also, a new report says that wartime measure should be used to ensure we have enough fuel and food in the future. Earlier this week the government's Foresight report into the future of food production highlighted that 30% of food is wasted and there will need to be a change if we are to feed a growing world population. Andrew Simms who wrote the New Home Front report explains why the answer might be in a return to the days of rationing. And Charlotte Smith visits a warehouse run by the charity Fairshare who re-use unwanted food.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Emma Weatherill.
THU 06:00 Today (b00xphkv)
Morning news and current affairs with Sarah Montague and Evan Davis, including:
07:40 The crematorium in Redditch being used to heat a swimming pool.
08:10 Latest developments in the phone hacking scandal.
08:50 Billionaire currency trader George Soros on the future of the Euro.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (b00xw210)
Aristotle's Poetics
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Aristotle's Poetics. The Poetics is, as far as we know, the first ever work of literary theory. Written in the 4th century BC, it is the work of a scholar who was also a biologist, and treats literary works with the detached analytical eye of a scientist. Aristotle examines drama and epic poetry, and how they achieve their effects; he analyses tragedy and the ways in which it plays on our emotions. Many of the ideas he articulates, such as catharsis, have remained in our critical vocabulary ever since. The book also contains an impassioned defence of poetry, which had been attacked by other thinkers, including Aristotle's own teacher Plato.Translated by medieval Arab scholars, the Poetics was rediscovered in Europe during the Renaissance and became a playwriting manual for many dramatists of the era. Today it remains a standard text for would-be Hollywood screenwriters.With:Angie HobbsAssociate Professor of Philosophy and Senior Fellow in the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of WarwickNick LoweReader in Classical Literature at Royal Holloway, University of LondonStephen HalliwellProfessor of Greek at the University of St AndrewsProducer: Thomas Morris.
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b00xpnx9)
Alison Gangel - The Sun Hasn't Fallen From the Sky
Episode 4
Ailsa's older sister has been sent away from the orphanage for being too disruptive and now Ailsa has to brave the playground alone. But after winning a piano competition in Glasgow her piano teacher has entered her for the Saturday school at the Glasgow Academy of Music and she throws all her energies into her new found passion.
Maureen Beattie reads Alison Gangel's vibrant memoir.
Producer: Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00xppng)
Jenni Murray presents. Including Swedish author Maria Sveland who talks about her novel "Bitter Bitch", described as a 'Fear of Flying for the 21st century'. Online games may be thought of as the preserve of geeky blokes and teenage boys - but new research shows women particularly those over fifty are taking an increasing interest. What games are women playing, and why? In the twenties one of the biggest stars of the screen was a Danish actress called Asta Nielsen. One of her most famous roles was as Hamlet. To mark a screening of the film we'll be talking about her performance and talking about the present-day actresses who are taking on some of the traditionally male roles in Shakespeare. Jenni is joined by acclaimed actress Kathryn Hunter and by Professor Tony Howard. And a leading paediatric dentist, Monty Duggal, explains why he thinks dentists are routinely failing children with serious tooth decay.
THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00xw212)
Writing the Century 16: Three Women Across the Century
Episode 4
Writing the Century. Three Women Across the Century. Ep 4. Dramatised by Vanessa Rosenthal.
Catharine remembers Marjory's final days and gains comfort from it.
Catherine Thackray...Eleanor Bron
Lawrence Thackray...Will Tacey
Becca Thackray...Julia Rounthwaite
Marjory Sharp...Suzanne Bertish
Produced in Manchester by Gary Brown
Music by Nicolai Abrahamsen
Here are the distinctive voices of a middle England family, perceptively aware of their place in the jigsaw of the Twentieth Century writing in diaries, letters and memoirs because- " it is a tradition in this family".
During the week's episodes we meet Marjory Sharpe- the grandmother, Catherine Thackray, the daughter and are introduced to Rebecca Thackray, the granddaughter, poised, on Millennium night, to take that tradition into a third generation
Catherine, born in 1922, served in the A.T.S during the war, studied at LSE - where she became a lifelong Fabian, then married Lawrence Thackray, a Quaker solicitor and moved to Huddersfield. The marriage
was "more than a union of hearts; it was a complement of moral principles". In Huddersfield Catherine worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau, was local secretary for C.N.D. and a local councillor and Magistrate in a life of tireless political campaigning. After the birth of her 3 children she went back to teaching in a Secondary Modern. In 1984, as a result of demonstrating at Greenham Common and being arrested there, she was removed from the bench. A frequent writer of published letters to the Guardian, they published her obituary in 1997 as "A passionate believer in countless causes who earned international fame and the admiration of many ".
Marjorie Sharp, the grandmother, born 1883, was a Fabian and Suffragist who trained originally as a teacher but then became a Social Worker in The Browning Settlement in the East End of London. She married, Tom Sharpe, an L.C.C. Education Clerk, who suffered a complete breakdown during WW1. Subsequently Marjory, through her teaching and home tutoring, which she continued into her eighties, became the chief bread winner whilst bringing up 8 children and encouraging Tom as a published poet whose work brought him into contact with Robert Bridges and others. He died in the 1950s and Marjory in the 1960s. A formidable, doughty woman she left behind her own autobiography, some diary entries and some letters.
Both these women are in the vanguard of their times, politically engaged and living lives of public service to their communities. They were not afraid of expressing their views, and sometimes felt compelled to express those views publically. At the same time they were wives, mothers and daughters, dealing with the balancing act of home versus work and the need for self- determination.
In re-visiting the past key events in both lives, the 5 episodes give a kind of snapshot view of the 20th Century whilst Catherine's ongoing diaries between 1993- 2000 chart the Yugoslav war, Maxwell's death, Rwanda, the Chinook Enquiry, Dunblane, the I.R.A., Blair's election and Princess Diana's State Funeral.
THU 11:00 From Our Own Correspondent (b00xw21q)
From Our Own Correspondent's on the frontline in one of the most dangerous cities on earth and tracing the rampant corruption which blights India's dreams of a brighter future.
The world has looked on in admiration at India's recent economic achievements. President Obama has described the scale and pace of progress as "stunning". The new India is more and more seen as a land on the rise; a country of vast resources now rapidly realising its potential. But for all that, much of the old India remains. And after ending a BBC posting in Delhi, Chris Morris has been reflecting on the nation's two, very different faces.
The people of Somalia passed a grim milestone this week. They've now gone twenty years without a functioning government. The country's military ruler, Siad Barre, was overthrown in January 1991. And the two decades since have seen relentless struggles for power between warlords and various armed groups. The capital Mogadishu is one of the most fought-over cities in the world and Justin Marozzi has been finding out what that means for life on the streets.
Back in 2008, Dubai put on an extraordinary show. It staged the grand opening of the huge, artificial island - shaped like a palm tree - that it had built in the waters off its beaches. Showbiz stars from around the world were flown in, and the champagne and fireworks and so on cost twenty million dollars. It was Dubai at its most glitzy and extravagant. But there was an uncomfortable feeling that the party was about to end. And it soon became clear that the city had over-reached itself, and been caught out badly by the global financial crisis. Sarah Monaghan used to live in Dubai and has just returned to see how it's coping with some unaccustomed austerity.
Dubai is not the only city to have found a way to rise from the desert sands and build a rather dazzling reputation. On the other side of the world, Las Vegas has managed to do something similar. But whereas Dubai's success was based on a combination of oil money and entrepreneurial flair, Las Vegas was built on very much darker foundations - and as David Willis has been finding out, the city isn't ashamed of its old connections to the Mafia.
THU 11:30 The Honest Musician's Fear of Accidental Plagiarism (b00xw21s)
Many musicians have found themselves accused of stealing from another artist. It's every songwriter's biggest fear - that really great phrase or lyric you thought was all your own creation turns up in another song.
There are few musicians who would admit to stealing even if caught red handed, but what happens if the theft was unintentional? And what if you heard lines from one of your songs in someone else's work? Would you immediately reach for the lawyers phone number or would you let it go without complaint if the offending writer 'fessed up? Musicians assimilate what is around them and even the finest tunesmiths derive inspiration by drawing on and re-adapting existing popular music. So is any song really original?
As Noel Gallagher put it rather bluntly when confronted about his musical influences: "There's twelve notes in a scale and 36 chords and that's the end of it. All the configurations have been done before."
Singer and songwriter Guy Garvey, with the help of fellow songwriters Sir Tim Rice, Paul Heaton and John Bramwell, explores the legal pitfalls that can befall the honest musician and how to avoid them.
Producer: Cecile Wright
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2011.
THU 12:00 You and Yours (b00xw21v)
Consumer affairs with Shari Vahl. Labour MP for Sunderland and Washington Sharon Hodgson is launching a bid to crackdown on profits made by re-selling concert or event tickets. Her private member's bill, she says, is the start of a campaign to limit the re-sale value of any ticket to ten per cent over the face value.
There are now reckoned to be two million potholes in the UK. The AA say after two winters which have created more holes in the road than ever cuts to local authority budgets means there is less money to fix them.
The long running fight for compensation on behalf of Equitable Life customers has taken a new turn with an improved offer of terms for customers of the company which almost went bust ten years ago. The BBC's personal finance expert Paul Lewis says the money on offer is more than offered previously but it is unlikely to bring the wrangle to a close.
The EU has published a set of rules governing the access of cross border health care. Previously practice had been built on a number of court rulings arising from individual patient claims. It is hoped the new rules will standardise the rights and procedures relating to healthcare in another EU country.
THU 12:30 Face the Facts (b00xw21x)
Islamophobia
lslamophobia: Are sections of the British press increasing tensions within communities by publishing negative stories about Muslims? John Waite investigates the link between inaccurate anti-Muslim stories and the increased membership of the English Defence League. The organisation, which claims to oppose Islamic extremism, has been inspired by one long-running story: the Winterval myth - the unfounded claim that councils are rebranding or renaming Christmas to appease Muslims. And it's threatened to visit any town or city that bans Christmas. So why are newspapers publishing distorted, islamophobic stories that provoke far-right extremists? Should the Press Complaints Commission impose tougher sanctions? Or do editors need to take more responsibility for the consequences of what they print?
THU 12:53 Brief Encounters (b00xplkv)
Episode 14
Matthew Sweet transports listeners into cinemas located around the world with a series of short features, eavesdropping on their stories, their characters and occasionally trying the snacks - today Sydney, Australia.
From the multiplexes of the western world to some of the most remote locations on Earth, the act of going to the cinema speaks volumes. This series captures the passions, problems and popcorn habits of filmgoers as they indulge in an activity that unites the planet.
In this edition, the story of a thousand seater cinema, The Ritz, built in the 1930s and standing just a mile from Sydney's Bondi Beach. Bought by a property developer it nearly suffered the fate of so many old picture houses, but this one survived, just!
Producer: Sara Jane Hall.
THU 12:57 Weather (b00xn9v4)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (b00xnbf2)
National and international news.
THU 13:30 Questions, Questions (b00xw26y)
Stewart Henderson presents the programme which provides answers to listeners' questions on just about anything.
This week he undertakes a quest to discover the origins of the area Sodom and Gomorrah in Suffolk, reporter Dave Dodd finds out whether it really is feasible for a plant seed to take root in the human body, and Stewart finds out what it is that motivates a camel to spit.
Producer: Kevin Dawson
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 14:00 The Archers (b00xpp6n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b00xw270)
Ursula and Boy
Inspired by the true story of Ursula Kemp whose eight year-old son testified against her for witchcraft in St. Osyth, Essex, in 1582.
In Elizabethan England, Jean Bodin, a French aristocrat brings news to Queen Elizabeth of 'Sorcieres and Wytches' abroad in her country. The luminaries of her court - and those who wanted to find favour - set out to root out witches within their wards. Brian Darcy, Justice of the Peace in St. Osyth, arrives in the town of his birth. He is here to do his duty, and at church on Sunday he watches the women of the town with a sharp eye.
Some days later, Grace Thurlowe, arrives in his drawing room with the news he is hoping for. Ursula Kemp, a local apothecary, has bewitched Grace's family. She sent familiars into Grace's house to rock the cradle where her ten-month old baby lay - the child fell, smashing her head on the stone floor. And now the child is dead. Ursula cursed Grace, and now Grace is lame. Ursula will have to pay.
Ursula's illegitimate son, does not know his name, or who his father is. His mother will not tell him. So he imagines instead. And his wild imaginings fuel the fire underneath Ursula. Ursula is bought before Brian Darcy. And Darcy presents her with an impossible choice.
Abigail Docherty won the Tron Open.Stage Playwriting Competition 2010 for her play Sea, Land and Sky.
This is ten year old Austin Moulton's radio debut. Natalie Press is best known for playing the lead in Andrea Arnold's Oscar-winning short Wasp. She also appears in Arnold's Red Road and in Pawel Pawlikowski's My Summer of Love with Emily Blunt.
Ursula and Boy by Abigail Docherty
Boy: Austin Moulton
Ursula: Natalie Press
Grace: Meg Fraser
Sound Design: Nigel Lewis
A BBC/Cymru Wales production, directed by Lu Kemp.
THU 15:00 Open Country (b00xnyn7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:07 on Saturday]
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b00xp0rm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00xsg1y)
Tove Jansson - Travelling Light
The Gulls
Arne has had a breakdown so with his wife Elsa, they escape to a remote island so he can recuperate. But there is nothing peaceful about this wild and untamed landscape.
The writer and artist Tove Jansson is best known as the creator of the Moomin stories, which were first published in English 60 years ago and have remained in print ever since. She turned her attention to writing for adults when she was in her fifties.
With the deceptively light prose that is her hallmark, 'Travelling Light' reveals to us the precariousness of a journey and the unease we feel at being placed outside of our milieu.
Translated by Silvester Mazzarella
Read By Alice Coulthard
Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 15:45 Life at 24 Frames a Second (b00xw272)
The Last Flight
Flight begins almost at the same moment as the motion picture camera cranks into life and many of its early directors had themselves taken to the air to experience the tumult of the clouds.
Flying on film, the camera swooping through space, promise escape. It is close to a dream. The dream of total immersion as we enter the screen and lose ourselves, perhaps forever.
Critic and writer David Thomson nears the end of his journey through the power of cinema.
Producer: Mark Burman.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2011.
THU 16:00 Open Book (b00xp2j4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:30 Material World (b00xw274)
Quentin Cooper presents his weekly digest of science in and behind the headlines. He finds out about the oldest galaxy ever seen, estimated to have existed 480 million years after the big bang. Roland Pease travels to Trinity College Dublin to a new exhibition which marries biomedical science with art. Quentin answers your emails including what bedbugs smell like. Also, why chemical engineering is an increasingly popular subject to study at University.
Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz.
THU 16:55 Brief Encounters (b00xhbd3)
Episode 1
Matthew Sweet transports listeners into cinemas located around the world with a series of short features, eavesdropping on the stories, the characters and occasionally trying the snacks. Today a cinema in Beirut that nearly didn't open at all.
From the multiplexes of the western world to some of the most remote locations on Earth, the act of going to the cinema speaks volumes. This series captures the passions, problems and popcorn habits of film goers as they indulge in an activity that unites the planet. But the story of cinema now is also the story of the political and cultural tensions that divide the world.
We'll be given a front row ticket to an outdoor screening of a Kung-fu movie on the wall of a Buddhist temple, hear the story of a cinema turned Beirut bombshelter and meet a young man as he recalls his first trip to a Kabul cinema since the departure of the Taliban.
Producers: Sara Jane Hall and Neil George.
THU 17:00 PM (b00xpllw)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news. Plus Weather.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00xn9v6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 Mark Thomas: The Manifesto (b00xw276)
Series 3
Episode 4
Comedian-activist, Mark Thomas, entertains the blue-sky political policy suggestions of the public.
This week's agenda:
1) Civil Partnerships to be Made Available to Heterosexual Couples
2) Introduce a Government Department for Externalities
3) A Traffic Ban During Rush-Hour
Plus a wide range of "Any Other Business" suggestions from the studio audience.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b00xpp6q)
David's still busy at Lower Loxley. He can't let Elizabeth down. But Ruth needs more help too, and is frustrated that David hasn't even had time to ask Pip how her exams went on Monday.
Helen brings Henry round to Brookfield but Ruth is called away when Eddie rushes in saying that two of the calves are coughing. Eddie's already called Alistair, who's on his way, but he's surprised that David never noticed anything earlier. Pip tells Helen that the house is mad at the moment with David at Lower Loxley every day. She enjoys having a hold of Henry, and suggests Helen takes him to show Elizabeth. They discuss Pip's 18th birthday plans to go to Barcelona with her friends. Helen's found a good deal to Salzburg for Tony's birthday, and has managed to persuade Tony and Pat to go
Ruth moans to Pip but Pip defends David - he's got a lot on his plate. Ruth snaps that he's not the only one, and Pip acknowledges that Ruth's under pressure too. David gets home, and admits he's slipped up. He won't let it happen again. Pip insists she'll do the evening stock check for David. She wants him to rest.
THU 19:15 Front Row (b00xpln1)
Nicole Kidman; Steven Isserlis
With Mark Lawson.
World-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis and composer Anne Dudley explain why they've joined forces to encourage children to enjoy classical music. The resulting programme of concerts for schools and families includes re-working of classic fairy tales, with titles including Little Red Violin and Cindercella.
In Nicole Kidman's latest film Rabbit Hole, she plays a grieving mother coming to terms with the death of her young son in a hit-and-run accident. Her performance earned her an Oscar nomination this week for best Leading Actress. In a rare interview, Nicole Kidman discusses the emotional demands of the role and the hit-and-miss nature of the roles she's played in the past.
Matthew Sweet continues his reports on film-going around the world and today hears about the Neelam Cinema in Srinagar, Kashmir.
With the season of televised awards ceremonies now going strong, we consider the moment when the cameras focus on the anxious nominees, and reflect on how the losers should react when their name is not announced from the stage - polite applause, a generous smile or a stoical expression? Stephen Armstrong discusses the options.
Producer Nicki Paxman.
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00xw212)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 The Report (b00xw4xk)
Petrol Prices
As petrol prices reach record levels at the pumps, the government is coming under increasing pressure to ease the motorists' pain. Amid the growing anger, Michael Buchanan takes to the road to investigate: should anything be done or are the days of cheap fuel long gone?
THU 20:30 The Bottom Line (b00xw4xm)
The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.
Evan consults the oracle by asking his panel of top executives to fast-forward five years and forecast how they see the economic landscape in 2016. They discuss raw materials and inflation, and debate who will look stronger - will it be China or India?
The panel also discusses the value of networking - both real and virtual - for your business and your career.
Evan is joined in the studio by Andy Street, managing director of high street retail chain John Lewis; Nicola Horlick, founder of Bramdean Asset Management; Simon Woodroffe, entrepreneur and founder of YO! Company.
Producer: Ben Crighton.
THU 21:00 Saving Species (b00xnxlj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:00 on Tuesday]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (b00xw210)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 21:58 Weather (b00xn9v8)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b00xpngw)
Thousands demonstrate against their government in Yemen. Is it the beginnings of a revolution across the Arab world?
Why is Rupert Murdoch cleaning up the News of the World?
Fears for the lives of gay campaigners in Uganda.
with Ritula Shah.
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00xxr08)
The Meeting Point
Episode 4
When Euan and Ruth Armstrong set off with their young daughter, Anna, to live in Bahrain, it is meant to be an experience and adventure they will cherish. But on the night they arrive, Ruth discovers the truth behind the missionary work Euan has planned and feels her world start to crumble. She starts to question her faith - in Euan, in their marriage, and in all she has held dear.
With Euan so often away, Ruth is confined to their guarded compound with her neighbours and, in particular, Noor, a troubled teenager recently returned to Bahrain to live with her father. Confronted by temptations and doubt, both Ruth and Noor must make choices that could change all of their lives forever.
Episode 4: Noor is overwhelmed by Ruth's kindness and visits regularly to help her look after Anna. Ruth, for her part, is lonely and welcomes the girl's company, but she cannot shake the memory of the visit to the Tree of Life with Farid
The Meeting Point is Lucy Caldwell's second novel, a story of idealism, innocence, and the unexpected turns life can take and the dangers and chances that await us.
The readers are Laura Pyper and Yasmin Paige.
The Meeting Point was abridged by Doreen Estall and produced by Heather Larmour.
THU 23:00 Spread a Little Happiness (b00l13n0)
Series 1
Episode 4
Comedy by John Godber and Jane Thornton, set in a Yorkshire sandwich bar.
Jodie and Dave try to get a little quality time with a rare night out, but there is no hiding place - not even in a small kebab.
Hope ...... Suranne Jones
Jodie ...... Susan Cookson
Dave ...... Neil Dudgeon
Gavin ...... Ralph Brown
Eve ...... Joanne Froggatt
Directed by Chris Wallis.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00xw4xr)
Alicia McCarthy and team report on events in the Commons and the Lords. Top story: the former Conservative Cabinet Minister Lord Fowler has called for a "full scale inquiry" to find out how the public can be protected from phone hacking. Editor: Rachel Byrne.
FRIDAY 28 JANUARY 2011
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b00xn9vb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b00xpnx9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00xn9vd)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00xn9vg)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00xn9vj)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b00xn9vl)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00xw4xy)
with Dr Edward Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b00xphlw)
Charlotte Smith hears a court ruling could mean more polytunnels in protected landscapes. The Wye valley in Herefordshire has become a battleground between The Wye Valley Action Association and Herefordshire County Council. The valley is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty where polytunnels could not be built. But a court has decided that as the land is already used for crops, the structures can now be erected. The National Farmers' Union tells Farming Today this is good news for fruit growers, but the Campaign to protect Rural England warn it will now be easier to built polytunnels in National Parks.
Government minister Jim Paice tells Farming Today why he plans to sell off some of England's forests. The Labour Peer Baroness Jan Royall warns that unless legislation changes, all of England's forests could end up in private hands.
And a visit to the Warwick Crops Centre research reveals how crops are being future-proofed to manage the heat, drought and pests which could come with climate change.
Presented by Charlotte Smith. Produced by Melvin Rickarby.
FRI 06:00 Today (b00xphkx)
Morning news and current affairs with John Humphrys and Evan Davis, including:
08:10 Tony Blair on the protests in Egypt
08:20 Has pop gone posh?
08:40 Bill Gates on eradicating polio.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b00xp1fc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b00xw4y0)
Alison Gangel - The Sun Hasn't Fallen From the Sky
Episode 5
Overwhelmed by both the atmosphere and the other confident students at the Academy of Music, Ailsa has not been attending her Saturday classes. But when the people at the orphanage find out and tell her beloved music teacher she is desperate to make amends.
Maureen Beattie reads Alison Gangel's vibrant memoir.
Producer: Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00xppnn)
Jenni Murray presents: When should children be tucked up in bed? Journalist Robert Crampton adheres to strict bedtimes for his children, where writer Sophie Hannah adopts a more 'fluid' approach. But which parent is right? It's two years since Michelle Obama became America's First Lady. Melissa Harris-Perry, Associate Professor of Politics and African American Studies at Princeton University discusses how the 'Michelle effect' has endured when it comes to race and gender? Abortions at home: Up to nine weeks, women can take two tablets to terminate a pregnancy. But this must be done on licensed premises. Today, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service is going to the High Court to seek a ruling which makes it easier to terminate an early pregnancy at home. Kristin Hersh from art-punk band Throwing Muses joins Jenni to discuss her memoir based on her teenage diary entries from 1985 to 86.
FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00xw4y2)
Writing the Century 16: Three Women Across the Century
Episode 5
Writing the Century. Three Women Across the Century. Ep 5. Dramatised by Vanessa Rosenthal.
Catharine fondly revisits her time at Greenham Common. And Becca faces the Millennium as her own woman.
Catherine Thackray...Eleanor Bron
Lawrence Thackray...Will Tacey
Becca Thackray...Julia Rounthwaite
Produced in Manchester by Gary Brown
Music by Nicolai Abrahamsen
Here are the distinctive voices of a middle England family, perceptively aware of their place in the jigsaw of the Twentieth Century writing in diaries, letters and memoirs because- " it is a tradition in this family".
During the week's episodes we meet Marjory Sharpe- the grandmother, Catherine Thackray, the daughter and are introduced to Rebecca Thackray, the granddaughter, poised, on Millennium night, to take that tradition into a third generation
Catherine, born in 1922, served in the A.T.S during the war, studied at LSE - where she became a lifelong Fabian, then married Lawrence Thackray, a Quaker solicitor and moved to Huddersfield. The marriage
was "more than a union of hearts; it was a complement of moral principles". In Huddersfield Catherine worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau, was local secretary for C.N.D. and a local councillor and Magistrate in a life of tireless political campaigning. After the birth of her 3 children she went back to teaching in a Secondary Modern. In 1984, as a result of demonstrating at Greenham Common and being arrested there, she was removed from the bench. A frequent writer of published letters to the Guardian, they published her obituary in 1997 as "A passionate believer in countless causes who earned international fame and the admiration of many ".
Marjorie Sharp, the grandmother, born 1883, was a Fabian and Suffragist who trained originally as a teacher but then became a Social Worker in The Browning Settlement in the East End of London. She married, Tom Sharpe, an L.C.C. Education Clerk, who suffered a complete breakdown during WW1. Subsequently Marjory, through her teaching and home tutoring, which she continued into her eighties, became the chief bread winner whilst bringing up 8 children and encouraging Tom as a published poet whose work brought him into contact with Robert Bridges and others. He died in the 1950s and Marjory in the 1960s. A formidable, doughty woman she left behind her own autobiography, some diary entries and some letters.
Both these women are in the vanguard of their times, politically engaged and living lives of public service to their communities. They were not afraid of expressing their views, and sometimes felt compelled to express those views publically. At the same time they were wives, mothers and daughters, dealing with the balancing act of home versus work and the need for self- determination.
In re-visiting the past key events in both lives, the 5 episodes give a kind of snapshot view of the 20th Century whilst Catherine's ongoing diaries between 1993- 2000 chart the Yugoslav war, Maxwell's death, Rwanda, the Chinook Enquiry, Dunblane, the I.R.A., Blair's election and Princess Diana's State Funeral.
FRI 11:00 Teenage Kicks (b00xw5lb)
In Teenage Kicks, Aasmah Mir explores the sexual pressures faced by teens in Britain today. At a time when young people are more exposed than ever to extreme sexual and violent behaviour, we hear about the work being done on the front-line, with kids who are growing up too fast. We hear from teenage boys on why sharing girls together is not just 'gang rape', but a way of life. And we'll find out how gang culture is pervading teens' ideas of how relationships work. Aasmah looks into the factors that mean sexual violence is on the increase in the early teens. And meets youth workers at the sharp end. How do you teach a 14 year old, who's used his mobile phone to film a girl performing a sexual act, about the complex nature of 'consent'? What if his frames of reference come from pornography on mobile phones at school? Teenage Kicks asks those working with youth, and teenagers themselves - what can be done to help young people have healthy relationships?
Producer Lizz Pearson.
FRI 11:30 Bleak Expectations (b00nrrd5)
Series 3
A Sort of Fine Life De-Niced Completely
Pip Bin strives to improve working conditions in his bin factory.
But will his quest distract him from a dastardly plan to steal London and sell it to the French?
Mark Evans's epic comedy in the style of Charles Dickens.
Sir Philip Bin ...... Richard Johnson
Gently Benevolent ...... Anthony Head
Young Pip ...... Tom Allen
Harry Biscuit ...... James Bachman
Dr Wackwallop ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
Ripely Fecund ...... Sarah Hadland
Pippa ...... Susy Kane
Producer: Gareth Edwards
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2009.
FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b00xw5ld)
The government says it will no longer encourage hoteliers to sign up for official hotel star-ratings. They argue that online reviews by consumers are more relevant. We'll look at the pros and cons of each.
Cumbria, the home of the Lake District, is a magnet for walkers from all over the world. But this year, Cumbria County Council is one of many local authorities looking to cut back the amount it spends on countryside access. We'll be looking at the impact this might have.
More and more of us are buying Smartphones, which allow us to surf the web, send e-mails and take pictures as well as making phone calls. The Apple iPhone's been credited with broadening the appeal of smartphones to the general public. But the fastest growing operating system over the last year in the UK has been Google's Android. We'll compare the two.
FRI 12:53 Brief Encounters (b00xplkx)
Episode 9
Matthew Sweet transports listeners into cinemas located around the world with a series of short features, eavesdropping on their stories, their characters and occasionally trying the snacks.
From the multiplexes of the western world to some of the most remote locations on Earth, the act of going to the cinema speaks volumes. This series captures the passions, problems and popcorn habits of film goers as they indulge in an activity that unites the planet. But the story of cinema now is also the story of the political and cultural tensions that divide the world.
Today we meet Yto Barrado who saved the Rif Cinema in Tangiers. Once strictly the preserve of men, and one of Pedro Almodovar's favourite Moroccan hang outs, it has now had something of a facelift - and women are welcome. So is talking in the cinema, even shouting!
Producers: Sara Jane Hall.
FRI 12:57 Weather (b00xn9vn)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b00xnbf4)
National and international news.
FRI 13:30 Feedback (b00xw5lg)
Roger Bolton returns with a new series. Radio 4's new controller gives her first broadcast interview to Feedback and reveals her plans for the network - new programmes, new voices and a "new layer of creativity".
And as hundreds of Feedback listeners mourn the passing of Nigel Pargetter - two avid Archers listeners take a tour of the Archers studio and put your questions to the programme's editor Vanessa Whitburn.
Plus news of dramatic cuts at the World Service where five language services are to close and 650 jobs will go.
Producer: Karen Pirie
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b00xpp6q)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b00xw5ll)
Red Enters the Eye
Written by Jane Rogers.
When idealistic young volunteer Julie sets off for Nigeria, she's a bundle of nerves. Her project is to teach sewing skills to women in a refuge in Jos; but what if they don't like her - or feel patronised by her attempts to teach them?
Once Julie's in Jos, her anxieties evaporate. Sewing class is a roaring success, and Julie's only problems are the stupid caution and lack of enthusiasm of refuge director Fran, and the incomprehensible tensions surrounding the silent Muslim woman, Mathenneh.
Inspired by a plan to help the women make money from their sewing, ready to really make a difference to their lives, Julie is on a roll ... blithely unaware that there may be consequences, unimaginable and terrible, to her failure to play by Fran's rules.
Produced and Directed by Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b00xw5ls)
Sparsholt College, Postbag edition
Following December's Arctic spell, it's time to face your garden and its surviving plants. What is salvageable and what's not?
Eric Robson and the panel answer a selection of questions you have sent us via post and email.
Based in Sparsholt College, this week's panellists are Bunny Guinness, Matthew Biggs and Anne Swithinbank.
Produced by Lucy Dichmont
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 15:45 Life at 24 Frames a Second (b00xw5mw)
Fade to Black
As his highly idiosyncratic journey through the power and magic of cinema comes to a close - film critic and writer David Thomson considers whether, under the relentless spread of visual media, and in the age of instant delivery, the dream palaces are places to dream anymore?
Producer: Mark Burman.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2011.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b00xw5nb)
On Last Word this week:
Sargent Shriver - who married into the Kennedy family and founded the Peace Corps.
Reg Ward, who led the controversial regeneration of the London Docklands.
Penny Tweedie, the photographer who took a principled decision not to cover an execution in Bangladesh - John Pilger pays tribute.
The legendary Indian classical singer Bhimsen Joshi.
And America's fitness king - Jack Lalanne, who personally towed seventy boats one and a half miles through the water on his seventieth birthday.
FRI 16:30 The Film Programme (b00xw5nd)
Francine Stock talks to Paul Giamatti, the star of Sideways, about his new comedy drama Barney's Version.
Donald Sutherland, the star of Don't Look Now and MASH, considers the difference between Hollywood in the 1970s and today.
From Andrei Tarkovksy to Sylvester Stallone: Andrei Konchalovsky discusses state censorship, Stalin and Hollywood blockbusters.
Lord David Puttnam, Asif Kapadia and Antonia Quirke reveal their final film diaries.
FRI 16:55 Brief Encounters (b00xpll3)
Episode 3
Matthew Sweet transports listeners into cinemas located around the world with a series of short features, eavesdropping on their stories, their characters and occasionally trying the snacks.
From the multiplexes of the western world to some of the most remote locations on Earth, the act of going to the cinema speaks volumes. This series captures the passions, problems and popcorn habits of film goers as they indulge in an activity that unites the planet. But the story of cinema now is also the story of the political and cultural tensions that divide the world.
Today we hear about the childhood cinema experience of Apichatpong Weerasethakul - who won the Palme D'or at Cannes in 2010 with his film Uncle Boonmee, as he remembers the outdoor cinemas of Thailand.
Producers: Sara Jane Hall.
FRI 17:00 PM (b00xplly)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news. Plus Weather.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00xn9vq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (b00xw5ng)
Series 73
Episode 4
In the week that an assistant referee found herself at the centre of a media storm, and George Osborne put the prospect of a double dip down to a dip in temperature, Sandi Toksvig presents another episode of the ever-popular topical panel show. This week's guests are Jeremy Hardy, Paul Sinha and Sue Perkins and Carrie Quinlan, and Harriet Cass reads the news.
Produced by Victoria Lloyd.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b00xpp6z)
Ruth's shocked to find David up so early repairing the calf shed. David ponders Pip's upcoming driving test, considering a car as her birthday present.
At the Bull, Kenton's enjoying cooking the breakfasts with Jolene. He's been keeping an eye on David and Elizabeth who both seem overworked. Shula and Jill agree that things at Lower Loxley are up in the air until the trustees meet. Elizabeth's resistant to Shula's suggestion that she takes on a manager at Lower Loxley. Jill can't convince Elizabeth to change her mind, reminding her that her children are more important than work. But Elizabeth just can't allow a stranger to sit in Nigel's chair.
David finally admits he can't cope with planning a big wedding event, but feels he has to get it right for Nigel. He and Kenton reminisce about Nigel, before David asks a relieved Kenton to act as MC for the wedding. Kenton goes one better though, taking over all the wedding arrangements.
Jill and Shula become more concerned about on-edge Ruth and frail Elizabeth. Meanwhile, Helen cheers Elizabeth up with baby Henry. Remembering how Nigel was with their babies,
Elizabeth's smitten.
FRI 19:15 Front Row (b00xpln3)
Bardem in Biutiful, and Winter's Bone director
With Kirsty Lang.
Javier Bardem is nominated for Best Actor in this year's Acedemy Awards for his performance in Biutiful, playing a dying man struggling with family problems and the world of illegal immigration in contemporary Barcelona. Biutiful, also nominated for the Best Foreign Langauge Film Oscar, is directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Antonia Quirke reviews.
Winter's Bone is a dark tale of one young woman's search for her drug-dealing father who's disappeared in the poor rural area of the Ozark Mountains. The film was nominated for four Oscars this week, including Best Picture. Debra Granik, the film's director, discusses the making of last year's word-of-mouth hit.
A Beautiful Lie is the title of a novel for young readers by Irfan Master. Set in India in 1947, it deals with the politics of partition. He joins Bali Rai, whose book City of Ghosts takes revolution in Amritsar in 1919 as its starting point, to discuss writing Indian politics in children's fiction.
Hammad Khan's recent film Slakistan about westernised twenty-somethings in the Pakistani capital city of Islamabad has provoked a string of objections from the Pakistani authorities preventing its release across the country unless extensive cuts are made. The film's director Hammad Khan, who sits on the British Board of Film Classification, discusses why he thinks the Pakistan film censors are taking such a hard line.
And the last of Matthew Sweet's film reports comes from Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
Producer Jerome Weatherald.
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00xw4y2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b00xw5nl)
Jonathan Dimbleby chairs the topical discussion from Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School in Grantham, Lincolnshire with questions for the panel including former Labour Cabinet minister David Blunkett, Conservative MP Louise Bagshawe, historian Michael Burleigh and Dr Wendy Piatt, Director-General of the Russell Group of Universities.
Producer: Victoria Wakely.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b00xw5nq)
Are museums our new churches?
Alain de Botton explores the notion that museums are our new churches. But museums - he says - have a lot to learn from churches about getting their message across. He appeals for a complete revamp of some of our favourite museums.
Producer: Adele Armstrong.
FRI 21:00 Friday Drama (b00xwl2s)
Y.T. and the Soprano
Film maker Penny Woolcock makes her radio writing and directing debut in this romantic comedy set in the contrasting back stage worlds of grime rap and opera. She brings international hip hop artist Sway together with rising young soprano Claire Watkins.
Sway plays rapper Y.T. sent to collect a debt from a conductor at the opera house. He hears Gabrielle sing the beautiful aria 'Signore, ascolta' from Puccini's Turandot and falls in love. But she's fixated on the conductor and is appalled when Y.T. pursues her down the street, rapping to beats on his phone.
Desperate, he steals a recording of her aria and mixes a club tune that becomes a huge underground hit. Clubbers demand more opera! He persuades her to sing on his radio show, and as their music collides, Puccini never sounds quite the same again. But gangster brother Honey Monster casts a long shadow over the young lovers. He wants his money back, and he's not choosy about his methods.
Penny Woolcock is a Bafta-award winning writer and director of documentaries, TV drama, feature films and opera. She has been awarded a Grierson Trustees Award in recognition of her outstanding documentary film-making - most recently On the Streets about homeless people in London. Claire Watkins' latest operatic roles include Leila in The Pearl Fishers for English National Opera and Micaela in Carmen for Scottish Opera.
Acclaimed producer and one of the UK's most sought after rappers, Sway has received twelve major awards, sold over 100,000 albums, and released seven mixtapes. His third studio album is out in early 2011.
Y.T. and the Soprano was recorded on location, with a specially composed soundtrack by Sway, featuring the voice of Claire Watkins.
Cast:
Y.T. ..... Sway
Gabrielle ..... Claire Watkins
Scoobs ..... Ashley Gerlach
Honey Monster ..... Mark Monero
Lily ..... Claire-Louise Cordwell
Adam ..... Marc Warren
Sound design by Eloise Whitmore.
Producer: Melanie Harris
Director: Penny Woolcock
A Crosslab Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b00xn9vs)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b00xpngy)
Security forces fire on protestors in Cairo and Suez as a curfew is enforced on a 'Day of Rage'.
A tale of two economies: Cameron and Merkel discuss growth prospects in Davos.
It's twenty-five years since the Challenger explosion which killed 7 astronauts.
with Ritula Shah.
FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00xxr0b)
The Meeting Point
Episode 5
When Euan and Ruth Armstrong set off with their young daughter, Anna, to live in Bahrain, it is meant to be an experience and adventure they will cherish. But on the night they arrive, Ruth discovers the truth behind the missionary work Euan has planned and feels her world start to crumble. She starts to question her faith - in Euan, in their marriage, and in all she has held dear.
With Euan so often away, Ruth is confined to their guarded compound with her neighbours and, in particular, Noor, a troubled teenager recently returned to Bahrain to live with her father. Confronted by temptations and doubt, both Ruth and Noor must make choices that could change all of their lives forever.
Episode 5: With an increasing gulf growing between herself and Euan, Ruth finds herself spending more time with Farid.
The Meeting Point is Lucy Caldwell's second novel, a story of idealism, innocence, and the unexpected turns life can take and the dangers and chances that await us.
The readers are Laura Pyper and Yasmin Paige.
The Meeting Point was abridged by Doreen Estall and produced by Heather Larmour.
FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b00xpp68)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00xwl3p)
Security forces fire on protestors as a curfew is enforced across Egypt on a 'Day of Rage'.
A tale of two economies : Cameron and Merkel discuss growth prospects in Davos.
It's twenty five years since the Challenger explosion which killed 7astronauts.
with Ritula.