The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
Pulitzer prize-winning writer, Annie Proulx, sets out to build her perfect home in a remote corner of Wyoming.
Proulx's first work of non-fiction in twenty years tells a personal story of designing and constructing a house in harmony with her interests, work and personality.
Living for her first year at Bird Cloud, Annie Proulx enjoys the range of bird and wildlife that inhabits her property. But it becomes clear that the remoteness and the snow will force her to reassess her dream.
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at
"Can you hear the shooting?" Ex-pat listeners recall witnessing Middle East crises. We hear from a former soldier about being trapped in the Libyan desert during the 1969 coup, and a woman who opted to hide from Iraqi troops in occupied Kuwait rather than become a 'human shield'. Radio 4 favourite Kathy Clugston reads Your News, 'live' and without a rehearsal. John Simpson also lends a hand. With Eddie Mair and Becky Milligan. iPM@bbc.co.uk.
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
Stuart Maconie takes in the Manchester skyline with poet Simon Armitage on his home turf.
Farming Today This Week reports on the future for family-run farms. Charlotte Smith visits Andrew Brown in Rutland where he farms 620 acres with his father, John Brown to find out whether the traditional family farm can compete with larger industrial scale farming operations, and we hear from farming families across the country sharing their views and ideas on how to make traditional farming pay.
Can the UK and US learn from the Soviet Union's long and bloody occupation of Afghanistan?
Fi Glover with broadcaster Angela Rippon and poet Matt Harvey; an interview with a woman who lived through the Iranian Revolution in the seventies, a man who 30 years ago was technical director on British Oscar sensation Chariots of Fire, a Day Trip to Stevenage with author and comedienne Emma Kennedy, and Inheritance Tracks from Joy Division and New Order bass player Peter Hook.
Antarctic and Shackleton centenary expedition to the South Pole - In the footsteps of my Ottoman uncle
Sandi Toksvig explores two very different sides of the Antarctic. One from an expedition cruise ship and the other following the 2008/9 expedition following in the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton's failed bid for the South Pole on the 1907/9 Nimrod Expedition. Sandi also meets Palestinian writer Raja Shehadeh and talks about another journey in someone's footsteps- in this case Raja's great uncle, who fled the Ottoman authorities in Palestine during the First World War and lived on the run for 3 years in and around the Rift Valley. Raja walks around many of the places that his relative lived whilst in hiding.
We know of few limits when it comes to complaining: from seeking refunds for outfits we've already worn, to sending back wine we don't like in a restaurant. Peter White explores the serious and not so serious experiences of shoppers and examines what rights we really have. Sheffield Trading Standards officer Phil Glaves takes him on a tour of the returns desks at the Meadowhall shopping centre, with queues which sometimes appear more extensive than those found at the tills themselves. He explains the difficult balance between protecting customers and protecting the stores themselves - one of his more colourful complainants was a man who made full use of a 30 day no-quibble returns policy to test out an entire range of bread makers, keeping each one for the maximum period possible.
Peter's no stranger when it comes to returning goods and as a presenter at You and Yours he's well aware of his rights when things don't work. But what happens to those products he just doesn't like and particularly after Christmas is it right to expect stores to step in when the present he thought would be perfect turns out to be far from it?
The rise in online shopping and the increasing amounts spent on technological goods creates additional uncertainty for shoppers and he tracks the experiences of those dissatisfied with a dizzying array of phones, computers and even bikes brought with the click of a mouse. He questions the motives of people ranging from the serial complainer to the novice testing the waters for the first time and with stores like Marks and Spencer's abandoning the 90 day refund policy he finds out why people sometimes wait so long before complaining.
And on a hunting trip in the Amazon, our correspondent finds himself wearing nothing more than a string of feathers....and a smile.
The fate of the attempted revolution in Libya is far from settled. There are skirmishes along the main coastal, desert highway, and occasional air strikes by Colonel Gaddafi's jets. But neither his forces nor his opponents seem capable of mounting a decisive military assault. So for now at least, Benghazi.....the city where the revolt began....remains free of the Colonel's regime. And Kevin Conolly has been listening to people there talk of the oppression they've endured under his rule....
The ructions in Libya are making an impact far beyond the Middle East. The upheaval in this oil-producing nation have helped hike the cost of petrol around the world. But the oil price would really rocket if Saudi Arabia were to be seriously shaken by the region's current spirit of revolution. So is there any realistic chance of that...? Our correspondent, Frank Gardner knows Saudi well, and he says that there are murmurs of discontent.....
A series of trials is under way in Belarus. President Alexander Lukashenko's opponents are being put through the courts. They're facing charges in connection with a protest they launched after the last election. They were angry that -- according to the official results -- Mr Lukashenko had been re-elected with a huge majority. Independent observers said the vote had fallen well short of democratic standards.... Mr Lukashenko's critics describe the current court cases as no more than Soviet-style, show trials. But the government insists the protests were part of a plot to overthrow it.... Our correspondent David Stern has been watching the trials unfold in the Belarussian capital, Minsk...
Right now, around the world there are people doing all sorts of very tough jobs..... There will be fishermen out in the heaving, freezing North Atlantic... There'll be farmers bent double in their paddyfields.... There'll be, sweat-shop workers putting in yet another, exhausting shift.... But in the Indian city of Kolkota, Judy Swallow has been talking to a man who knows as well as anyone what it means to have to make a living the hard way.
In our last programme we talked about fashion trouble....the trickiness of making sure that you're dressed properly in different parts of the world. One of our correspondents had struggled to get into a very posh cocktail bar in Singapore. They said she wasn't wearing quite the right type of stylish sandals.... And now we hear that deep in the Amazon jungle, Justin Rowlatt has also faced a serious dress code issue. He had to decide whether or not he should put on one particularly striking accessory.....and as you'll hear, it really wasn't something that they'd let you wear in that posh cocktail bar in Singapore....
How buying a piece of land with the promise of a high investment return is not what it seems
Plus: act now if you face a deadline for boosting your state pension.
Steve and Hugh are back for a new series and explore the domino effect and democracy; Mitch Benn vents some heavy metal angst at Mervyn King; Jon Holmes looks at how Radio 4 could be made more dictator friendly and John Finnemore warns us not to ask Prince Andrew for help.
Jonathan Dimbleby chairs the topical debate from Balfron High School in Stirling with questions for the panel including Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister, Annabel Goldie, leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, Charlie Falconer, former Lord Chancellor and Lynn Faulds Wood, founder of the European Cancer Patient Coalition.
Any Answers? Listeners respond to the issues raised in Any Questions? If you have a comment or question on this week's programme or would like to take part in the Any Answers? phone-in you can contact us by telephone or email. Tel: 03700 100 444 Email: any.answers@bbc.co.uk.
New drama set in 2004, on the release of Israeli nuclear whistleblower, Mordechai Vanunu, who was immediately barred from speaking to the foreign media. Peter Hounam, investigative journalist, attempts to find a way to conduct an interview without breaking the terms of Vanunu's freedom.
After exposing the assembly of nuclear weapon making capabilities at the Dimona nuclear plant where he worked as a technician, Mordechai Vanunu spent nearly 18 years in prison, 15 of those in solitary confinement. He emerged as keen as ever to make public what he knew and his treatment by the state. However, on the day of his release, Vanunu was banned from speaking to foreign media, and forbidden from leaving the country.
Peter Hounam, who broke Vanunu's story in the Sunday Times originally, travelled to Israel to meet Vanunu on release and interview him for UK press and television. Once the restrictions were announced, he set out to find way to give Vanunu a voice without compromising his freedom.
This new drama looks at the relationship between the two men, as well as exploring the difficult issues of investigative journalism and freedom of speech. Award winning television and radio writer Jon Sen (Second Generation, Frances Tuesday, 4.
Mozart's Clarinet Quintet was written in 1789, two years before the composer’s death.
The first ever work for string quartet plus clarinet remains a firm favourite for music lovers around the world.
Professor Paul Robertson describes how his wife played this piece to him whilst he lay in a coma. Clarinettist Peter Furniss tells of the solace the slow movement provided his mother as she lay dying.
And Alex Smith explains the importance of this piece in his work to help children with autism, Asperger's, dyslexia and other childhood disorders.
Jane Garvey presents: Sarah Brown talks to Jenni about her memoir of life "Behind the Black Door" of No.10 Downing Street for the three years that her husband Gordon was in power. What's it like to be what she styles the "WPM", or Wife of the Prime Minister? - especially when George Clooney turns up and you're in your M&S cardy? As "Silk" continues on BBC1, two barristers talk about how hard it is for women to become QCs, and about the pleasures and challenges of the legal life. The former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith talks about why she wanted to make a radio programme about porn. There'll be a discussion of the terms "woman" and "lady": what are the connotations of each? Rachel Johnson, editor of The Lady, gives her thoughts. We hear from two women who as nurses made a road trip across America at the end of the 50's - they've collected their memories in "Bedpans and Bobby Socks". And what to do when you're the only one who changes the loo roll: Jane talks to Barbara Toner, who's just written "What to do About Everything: A Manual for Domestic Life".
PM looks at responses to the Governor of the Bank of England's criticism of the banking industry. We report on the Conservative conference where the Chancellor has given his strongest hint yet that he will help on fuel duty in the Budget. We speak to a Libyan government defector who calls on the West to challenge Gaddafi in the air. We hear concerns from Spaniards about their government's decision to lower the speed limit. And as the Spitfire roars past its 75th anniversary, we listen to other emotive sounds.
The view from the top of business. Presented this week by Stephanie Flanders, 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.
This week, Stephanie's top business guests hail from the worlds of retail, IT and pizza. They swap thoughts on the business of timing. Are modern businesses now so obsessed with doing things quickly that they fail to do it well?
And as political turmoil continues in the Middle East, the panel debate whether it's important for businesses to keep up with what's happening around the world. How isolated from current events can they be?
Stephanie is joined in the studio by David Wild, chief executive of car accessories company Halfords; Mike Norris, chief executive of IT services firm Computacenter; Chris Moore, chief executive of Domino's Pizza UK & Ireland.
Clive Anderson and guests with an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy.
Rory McGrath is one of our best known faces in British comedy appearing in They Think it's All Over, QI and Three Men in a Boat. His latest book 'The Father, the Son and The Ghostly Hole' describes his Catholic upbringing. And then, as a teenager in crisis, he abandoned his faith, entered the God-forsaken world and embraced its evil ways with a spring in his step.
David Starkey is one of our most distinguished historians. But how will he go down in front of a class of disillusioned teenagers in Jamie's Dream School? Jamie, determined to inspire the youngsters, has filled the school with extraordinary teachers in a bid for them to give education a second chance. As their history teacher, David introduces them to some seventh century 'bling' and next week, ends up being sent to the headmaster's office!
He's played Mark Anthony in Rome, and the Black Prince in A Knights Tale. James Purefoy returns to the big screen to star in Ironclad, playing a Templar Knight in the blood and guts historical drama set in the England of the 13th Century.
Nikki Bedi talks about The Pile of Stuff at the Bottom of the Stairs. It's the title of Christina Hopkinson's latest novel and it's about men and their irritating behaviour. Woman are good at making 'to do' lists but what happens when you apply it to your love life and start making lists of his annoying habits...
Honduran Aurelio plays the title track of his critically acclaimed album 'Laru Beya' which reflects his Garifuna culture which fuses African and Caribbean roots.
And from country-rock singer/songwriter Jessica Lea Mayfield who performs Blue Skies Ahead from her latest album Tell Me.
As Paris Fashion week gets underway, one of its most successful designers is missing from the show. Chris Bowlby looks at the life and career of John Galliano, who was sacked this week by fashion house Dior after allegedly making anti-Semitic comments.
Tom Sutcliffe and his guests cultural historian Sir Christopher Frayling and writers Rowan Pelling and Ekow Eshun review the cultural highlights of the week including The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium.
The Wizard of Oz is Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's first collaboration on a West End musical since Evita in 1976. Danielle Hope stars as Dorothy - she landed the role by winning the BBC talent show Over The Rainbow - and Michael Crawford is the Wizard.
Justin Cartwright's novel Other People's Money tells the story of a 350 year old family-owned bank - Tubal and Co. - which finds itself in trouble after its chairman, Julian Trevelyan-Tubal, leads it into the perilous waters of casino banking.
Archipelago is Joanna Hogg's second film and, like her debut Unrelated, is about the cracks which emerge in an English upper middle class family on holiday. The location is the Scilly Isles and tensions and resentment soon bubble to the surface within the confines of the idyllic rented house.
Nancy Spero was a celebrated American artist and feminist. The exhibition of her work at the Serpentine Gallery in London was initiated by the Centre Pompidou and is the first major Spero show since the artist's death in 2009.
Twenty Twelve is a new BBC4 comedy by John Morton who also wrote People Like Us. It takes the form of a mock documentary following the progress of the Olympic Deliverance Commission in the run up to the 2012 London games and stars Hugh Bonneville and Jessica Hynes.
There are two impressions of Rupert Murdoch. One: that he is an ruthless businessman with a rapacious personality and only interested in power. The other: that he is the champion of the free market that opened up British media from the stifling grip of unions.
To mark the 80th birthday of the world's most controversial media baron, Steve Hewlett will attempt to get the inside story of the man behind the headlines, by talking to some of his harshest rivals, as well as his closest collaborators.
Amongst those Steve speaks to are former Union leader Brenda Dean, Kelvin MacKenzie who edited Rupert Murdoch's Sun, Roy Greenslade who recalls the battle for Wapping, Asa Briggs who talks about his time at Oxford as Murdoch's tutor, and actor Barry Humphries who paints a fearsome picture of Murdoch's drive.
In 1931, Murdoch was born to a wealthy media family in Melbourne, Australia. As a young man, his Oxford education was cut short with his father's death, upon which he became managing director of Australia's News Limited in 1953. Under his leadership, the company acquired newspaper after newspaper until Murdoch became the dominant force in Australian media.
Murdoch then turned his gaze to Britain with the purchase of The News of the World and the launch of The Sun. In 1981, he gained significant prestige with his purchase of The Times and The Sunday Times, papers that had been unprofitable thanks to increased industrial action. Murdoch, ever the innovative businessman, began electronically automating his newspaper production, which resulted in a confrontation that climaxed at Fortress Wapping in 1986.
Edna Ferber's epic tale of Magnolia Hawks and her remarkable life aboard a Show Boat.
As Parthy races up the Cotton Blossom gangplank with shocking news about Gaylord, Kim prepares to open the telegram that has just been delivered to her dressing room ...
Mr. Mowson..........Iain Batchelor
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.
Three convicted murderers have submitted an application to the European Court of Human Rights opposing the principle of whole life tariffs. The trio claim that condemning them to die in jail amounts to "inhuman or degrading treatment" and argue that their sentences should be open to regular review.
This follows closely upon an outcry in the papers over the UK Supreme Court ruling that people should have the right to ask to have their names removed from the Sex Offenders Register. The Home Secretary said she would comply with the ruling, but reluctantly and to the minimum possible degree.
These are such sensitive issues (some would say symptoms of moral panic) that few if any politicians will risk being seen as soft on them. But the moral questions deserve consideration:
Is it wrong that the punishment for even the worst murders should exclude all hope of eventual release? Or should "life" in some cases really mean life, to reflect society's abhorrence of the crime and to protect the public from the criminal?
Is it wrong that the odium of a sex-crime should be attached to the offender from conviction to death, overriding all evidence of repentance and reformation? Or are sex criminals - with their high rate of recidivism - in a special category of dangerous individuals who need to be tracked and watched for the protection of the public?
Combative, provocative and engaging debate chaired by Michael Buerk with Melanie Phillips, Clifford Longley, Anne McElvoy and Kenan Malik.
Witnesses: Rt. Rev. James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool and Bishop of Prisons
Jean Taylor - founder of Families Fighting for Justice.
Mark Williams-Thomas Former police detective, criminologist and child protection expert.
Bobby Cummines OBE FRSA Designation : Chief Executive, 'Unlock' (The National Association of Reformed Offenders).
Coming this week from Durham University, host Steve Punt asks Earth Scientists about Philip Larkin, and English Literature professors about Fish from Marillion. So if you're struggling to remember what happened to Solomon Grundy on Saturday, why the witches in Macbeth speak in trochees not iambs and which footballer was sent off during the 2006 World Cup Final for nutting his opponent - this is the quiz show for you.
"The 3rd Degree" is a funny, lively and dynamic new quiz show aimed at cultivating the next generation of Radio 4 listeners whilst delighting the current ones. It's recorded on location at a different University each week, and it pits three Undergraduates against three of their Professors. Being a Radio 4 programme, it of course meets the most stringent standards of academic rigour - but with lots of facts and jokes thrown in for good measure.
Together with host Steve Punt, the show tours the (sometimes posh, sometimes murky, but always welcoming!) Union buildings, cafés and lecture halls of six universities across the UK.
The rounds vary between Specialist Subjects and General Knowledge, quickfire bell-and-buzzer rounds and the 'Highbrow & Lowbrow' round cunningly devised to test not only the students' knowledge of current affairs, history, languages and science, but also their Professors' awareness of television, film, and Lady Gaga... In addition, the Head-to-Head rounds, in which students take on their Professors in their own subjects, were particularly lively, and offered plenty of scope for mild embarrassment on both sides...
The resulting show is funny, fresh, and not a little bit surprising, with a truly varied range of scores, friendly rivalry, and moments where students wished they had more than just glanced at that reading list...
Roger McGough presents another varied selection of poetry requests, including work by Derek Mahon and Philip Larkin. The readers are John Sessions, Catherine Cusack and Jonjo O'Neill.
There are funny poems; one about a dog on the loose, the loss of memory and a particularly surreal one about the fantasies of a fish, as well as consoling poems on ageing, dying and living. With poetry by Leslie Norris, Matthew Sweeney and UA Fanthorpe.
SUNDAY 06 MARCH 2011
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (b00z2r4r)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
SUN 00:30 Afternoon Reading (b00ls21w)
Three Women in a Motorhome
Kate's Story
The last in a trilogy of stories by Sue Teddern about three women who take a short but eventful trip in a motorhome. Kate's story is read by Rebecca Smart.
Kate has given her mother Pam an ultimatum about the motor-home. For her own good; "It can't sit there through another winter. Let's take it on its first and last grand tour, then sell it." The intention was for them to spend some quality time together on the road, away from the pressures of her work so she could let go a little bit and relax. Plans go adrift though as a 'phone call from her colleague turns everything on its head.
Producer: Sarah Langan.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00z2r4t)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00z2r4w)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00z2r4y)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (b00z2r50)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (b00z2r52)
The bells of St Mary's, Barnes, London.
SUN 05:45 Profile (b00z2pjm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 News Headlines (b00z2r54)
The latest national and international news.
SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b00z2r56)
Mark Tully considers Abraham's legacy for Judaism, Islam and Christianity with the help of composer, Steve Reich and video artist, Beryl Korot. Using excerpts from their composition, 'The Cave', Reich and Korot explore what Abraham means to modern day Israelis, Palestinians and Americans, and search for some kind of meaning that can cross political and religious divisions.
Choosing readings and music from the three traditions Mark Tully explores what is common to their tellings of the Abraham story and what is unique. He asks whether there can be any relevance in the story for us, in our everyday lives and whether the trust and unquestioning faith that Abraham shows is always a good thing. And finally, he considers whether Abraham really can unite people of different faiths, or, in the end, only stand as a symbol of difference.
Presented by: Mark Tully
Produced by: Adam Fowler
An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (b00z2r58)
The River Frome is a chalk stream which makes it particularly sensitive to run off of silt and pollution from farms. Elinor Goodman meets two farmers who are working to improve water quality in two of the tributaries which flow into the Frome. Alistair Cooper bought the Sydling Estate, on the Sydling Brook, after a career in the City. He's converted the land to organic production and is keen to increase the number of wild Brown Trout which spawn in the stream. Elinor finds out what bugs are lurking in the crystal clear waters with Sarah Williams from Dorset Wildlife Trust, who tells her that these invertibrates are fish food for the Salmon and Trout. On another tributary, the Hooke, Kevin Wolbridge is improving the environmental impact of his dairy herd through building projects funded by Natural England. Further downstream on the Frome proper, outside Dorchester, Elinor meets anglers John Aplin and Charles Dutton from the Frome, Piddle, and West Dorset Fisheries Association who are passionate about rebuilding Salmon numbers on the river. The association jet washes the river bed, plots spawning sites on GPS, and has paid for a high tech fish pass to make a huge weir less of a barrier. As Elinor hears, it's even fitted with a camera.
Producer: Sarah Swadling.
SUN 06:57 Weather (b00z2r5b)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (b00z2r5d)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (b00z2r5g)
Edward Stourton with the religious and ethical news of the week. Moral arguments and perspectives on stories, familiar and unfamiliar.
Christian groups have questioned whether a court case over adoption should have been brought and whether the courts are the right places to showcase matters of religious principle. We will speak to the Evangelical Alliance, one of the groups critical of the Christian Legal Centre who brought the case.
Do employers need to adopt a more positive approach to employees with religious beliefs? That's the suggestion from the Institute of Business Ethics. Kevin Bocquet roams the terminals of Manchester Airport to find out how one employer deals with a multi-faith workforce and we speak to the report author Simon Webley.
The Pope has exonerated the Jewish people for the death of Christ in his latest book. Edward speaks to Fr Joseph Evans Chaplain to Kings College, London and Ed Kessler from the Centre for Jewish Christian Relations.
The Church of England this week held a summit to address its aging congregation and how it can engage with young people. Trevor Barnes was in Sheffield and spoke to the Archbishop of Canterbury about why this is so important.
A row has broken out about why the the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem has had his residency permit revoked by the Israeli Government. He tells us about the technicality that means he is deemed a foriegner in his own diocese.
We will hear the latest from Libya from a British-Libyan who has made it into the increasingly violent country. And after the shooting of the Christian government minister Shahaz Bhatti, Edward speaks to the Archbishop of Canterbury's envoy to Pakistan who knew Bhatti well.
SUN 07:55 Radio 4 Appeal (b00z2shy)
Bees for Development
Martha Kearney presents the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity Bees for Development.
Donations to Bees for Development should be sent to FREEPOST BBC Radio 4 Appeal, please mark the back of your envelope Bees for Development. Credit cards: Freephone 0800 404 8144. You can also give online at www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/appeal. If you are a UK tax payer, please provide Bees for Development with your full name and address so they can claim the Gift Aid on your donation. The online and phone donation facilities are not currently available to listeners without a UK postcode.
Registered Charity Number: 1078803.
SUN 07:57 Weather (b00z2r5j)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (b00z2r5l)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (b00z2sj0)
The Unreconciled - Order and Disorder
The first of a series preparing us for Lent live from the Bar Convent York. Preacher: Dr Anne Richards; Leader: Sr Jane Livesey, Provincial Superior of the English Province of the Congregation of Jesus. With the York Chapter House Choir directed by David Pipe. Producer: Philip Billson.
In our journey through Lent, we will be looking at issues in Christian reconciliation. Download web resources specially written for the series by today's preacher from the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland website. As we travel towards Easter, we prepare ourselves to meet the ultimate reconciling work - what God has done for us in the crucifixion, death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. Our service this morning comes from a hidden convent chapel - a beautiful miniature gem designed for secret worship. It was built at a time when Catholics were persecuted and the sisters wore plain grey day dresses rather than a habit to avoid arousing suspicion in the streets of York. What does the turbulence of those times teach us as this Lent we prepare to consider The Unreconciled?
SUN 08:50 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00yz55m)
Series 2
Charnia
David Attenborough has always been fascinated by fossils; even as a boy he'd spend many hours exploring the local quarry near his home in Leicestershire.
Near his family home was a forest which he visited frequently, but didn't hunt for fossils there because he knew the rocks were too old to have any post cards of early life embedded in their layers.
But he was wrong - those rocks harboured a wonderful secret - a secret that would rattle the cages of the big thinkers of the time and would change the story of life on earth for ever.
Written and presented by Sir David Attenborough.
Producer: Julian Hector.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2011.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (b00z2sj2)
News and conversation about the big stories of the week.
SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (b00z2sj4)
For detailed synopsis, see daily episodes.
Written by: Adrian Flynn
Directed by: Julie Beckett
Editor: Vanessa Whitburn
Jill Archer ..... Patricia Greene
Kenton Archer ..... Richard Attlee
Alistair Lloyd ..... Michael Lumsden
David Archer ..... Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer ..... Felicity Finch
Elizabeth Pargetter ..... Alison Dowling
Freddie Pargetter ..... Jack Firth
Lily Pargetter ..... Georgie Feller
Tony Archer ..... Colin Skipp
Pat Archer ..... Patricia Gallimore
Helen Archer ..... Louiza Patikas
Brian Aldridge ..... Charles Collingwood
Jennifer Aldridge ..... Angela Piper
Lilian Bellamy ..... Sunny Ormonde
Jolene Perks ..... Buffy Davis
Clarrie Grundy ..... Rosalind Adams
Emma Grundy ..... Emerald O'Hanrahan
Susan Carter ..... Charlotte Martin
Hayley Tucker ..... Lorraine Coady
Phoebe Tucker ..... Lucy Morris
Kirsty Miller ..... Annabelle Dowler
Usha Franks ..... Souad Faress.
SUN 11:15 The Reunion (b00z2sj6)
UNHCR Bosnia
In this episode of The Reunion, Sue MacGregor gathers together six people who were closely connected to the humanitarian aid operation in Bosnia during the war of 1992 to 1995.
This was the most devastating conflict in Europe since the end of World War 2. Atrocity after atrocity stirred public opinion to demand action but this was seen as a civil war to which there was no easy military solution. The most the international community could agree to start with was a mission to deliver humanitarian aid.
The relief organisation which found itself at the centre of the crisis was the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. The operation in Bosnia was one of the most complex and risky they'd ever undertaken.
More than two million people were displaced during the conflict by what became known as 'ethnic cleansing.' Many suffered starvation or rape and were forced into concentration camps. Others were massacred. Supplies of food, fuel, medicine, clothes and shelter were critical.
But the conditions under which aid workers were operating were exceptional. In the long term their experience in Bosnia would have an unprecedented impact on the future of the organisation and its way of working.
Sue is joined around the table by; Tony Land, Chief of Operations for the UN refugee agency for much of the war; Larry Hollingworth, was a logistics officer with UNHCR; Amira Sadicovic, worked as UNHCR's external relations officer; Kris Janowski became its longest serving field-worker, Paddy Ashdown was the most prominent British politician to visit Bosnia during that period and Misha Glenny reported from Bosnia for the BBC throughout the war.
Producers: Sarah Cuddon and David Prest
A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 12:00 Just a Minute (b00yyd36)
Series 59
Episode 4
The comedy panel game continues this week with Sir Terry Wogan making his first ever appearance alongside Paul Merton, Julian Clary and Graham Norton. As ever, Nicholas Parsons is the master of ceremonies. Subjects include 'The Dictionary', 'A Limerick' and... 'The History of the World' - let's see if they can manage to tell us about that in 60 seconds without repetition, hesitation or deviation.
SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (b00z2sj8)
Japan's Food Dilemma
Simon Parkes reports from Japan on new ideas being developed for the future of the nation's food supplies.
Producer: Dan Saladino.
SUN 12:57 Weather (b00z2r5n)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (b00z2r5q)
The latest national and international news, with an in-depth look at events around the world. To share your views email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #theworldthisweekend.
SUN 13:30 In Doubt We Trust (b00z2sl8)
Episode 1
Are we fooled into thinking we know it all? Has the immediacy of information and knowledge created an illusion that we have all the answers and therefore don't want or feel the need to challenge or doubt our actions and the world around us?
Mark Vernon came face to face with these issues having studied physics, been ordained in the Church of England and then lost his faith. In this programme he looks at why we have a lust for certainty and are loosing our ability to doubt and question well. "Doubt has become a bad word. It's associated with fear and failure" he says. But how have we arrived at this situation? Why do we feel uneasy if politicians or religious leaders express doubts in public? Mark looks at how this attitude has affected the worlds of politics and finance. And tries to see whether a mistaken view of science and the way our brains work might give us answers.
Producers: Amanda Hancox and Rosie Dawson.
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b00yz553)
Northumberland
Eric Robson and the team join gardeners in Northumberland.
Also, Matthew Wilson revisits the site of the 2012 Olypmic Park to follow up on its progress, ending his journey at its supplier nursery in Kent.
In addition, gardener Eddie Wardrobe visits a unique community allotment in Prudhoe near Newcastle.
Produced by Lucy Dichmont & Howard Shannon
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 14:45 Genius Unrecognised (b00z52d4)
Electrical Power
Tony Hill, Director of Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry honours the scientists who revolutionised microscopic technology, electrical power, air navigation, gyroscopic travel and digital sound. In their day they were dismissed as blue-sky time-wasters but now we recognise their genius.
Michael Faraday (1791-1867)
Faraday built his electric motor in 1821 and a decade later invented the induction ring and built a rudimentary generator. It was 50 years before electric power was practically applied, because nobody would invest in Faraday's inventions.
The story is told that a senior politician was given a demonstration of induction and asked "What good is it ?" Faraday replied "What good is a newborn baby ?"
Recorded at the Royal Institution where Faraday worked and where his inventions are on display.
SUN 15:00 Arnold Bennett - Anna of the Five Towns (b01nvg46)
1. Inheritance
Arnold Bennett's powerful story of love, tyranny and rebellion set against the vitality and harshness of life in the Staffordshire Potteries in the late 19th century.
Brought up in the repressive tradition of Methodism by her miserly father, Anna Tellwright dreams of independence and freedom. On coming of age she learns that she is to inherit a fortune and realises that she is loved by the charismatic Henry Mynors.
But with the money comes responsibility and a growing bond with one of her tenants William Price.
Stars Charlotte Riley.
Dramatised in two parts by Helen Edmundson.
Anna.....Charlotte Riley
Tellwright.....David Schofield
Young Agnes.....Emilia Harker
William Price.....Michael Socha
Titus Price.....James Masters
Henry Mynors.....Lee Williams
Beatrice/Older Agnes.....Rosina Carbone
Mrs Sutton.....Olwen May
Revivalist.....Andrew Westfield
Sarah Vodrey.....Jacqueline Redgwell
Director: Nadia Molinari
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2011.
SUN 16:00 Bookclub (b00z53v0)
Benjamin Zephaniah
James Naughtie and readers talk to Benjamin Zephaniah, the poet and novelist who's equally popular with both adults and children. Our chosen novel is Refugee Boy, written for young adults.
Benjamin is perhaps best known for his performance poetry with a political edge, but he has also written novels for young people. Benjamin is interested in international affairs and travels extensively throughout the developing world. He has visited refugee camps in places like Gaza and Montenegro and in Refugee Boy he borrows from many of the stories he heard, to create a tale that many refugees would recognise.
Refugee Boy is the story of Alem, whose mother is Eritrean and father Ethiopian. With both countries at war, his family are neither safe nor wanted in either country. Alem's father brings him to the UK for a better life.
Benjamin has said it's hard being a writer who's labelled as 'political' - because he's first and foremost interested in people, not politics.
This edition of Bookclub features a group of young adults as well as older readers from the University of the 3rd age, and is chaired by James Naughtie.
April's Bookclub choice : 'The Gingerbread Woman' by Jennifer Johnston.
Producer : Dymphna Flynn.
SUN 16:30 Poetry Please (b00z53v2)
Roger McGough introduces requests for inspiring poems, including the result of the Winning Words project. This asked the British public to suggest lines that might encourage athletes taking part in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as future generations of Londoners. Find out which lines, nominated by the public and selected by a panel which included Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, will be engraved on the wall in the Athletes' Village in the Olympic Park. The programme includes some of Roger McGough's own poems on a sporting theme, taken from his collection 'Sporting Relations'.
Producer: Mark Smalley.
SUN 17:00 File on 4 (b00yyhvq)
Doctors in Charge
Success of the Government's proposed NHS reforms in England rests on family doctors. GPs will be responsible for commissioning treatment for their patients, and managing the £80 billion NHS budget. But how much do we know about the effectiveness and value for money offered by doctors in General Practice? Gerry Northam reports.
SUN 17:40 Profile (b00z2pjm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b00z2r5s)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 17:57 Weather (b00z2r5v)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00z2r5x)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (b00z53v4)
John Waite makes his selection from the past seven days of BBC Radio
Page three girls and recent sex scandals are two of the topics in John Waite's Pick of the Week. Rupert Murdoch defends the raunchy side of his super soaraway Sun newspaper, and Max Mosley recalls how his wife reacted when she read the headlines about his unorthodox party going. Also in the programme, Kate Adie tries out bingo for the first time, Terry Wogan tries to speak in under a minute as a new game show panellist. And Edward the Eighth tries the patience of everyone when he has a hissy fit over his numismatic profile. Heads up it'll be a good show.
I've Never Seen Star Wars - Radio 4
Murdoch at 80 - Radio 4
The Chaplin Archive - Radio 4
Foot and Mouth, Heart and Soul, A Postscript - Radio Cumbria
Brian Gulliver's Travels - Radio 4
The Smell of Money - Radio 4
On The Ropes - Radio 4
The Changing Worlds of Formula One - World Service
More Bands That Mattered - Radio 2
Just A Minute - Radio 4
McLevy - Radio 4
The Generation Gap - Radio 4
Soul Music - Radio 4
PHONE: 0370 010 0400
Email: potw@bbc.co.uk or www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/potw
Producer: Kathryn Blennerhassett.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (b00z53v6)
Helen's back at Bridge Farm with Henry, and Tony's delighted. Helen's glad to be back too, and thanks Tony for putting up with her. He assures her she'll never drive him away, no matter what.
Elizabeth's anxious to get the team chase course in order, even though the event isn't till autumn. Nigel had such fun with the Go-Getters team, so she hopes they will carry on. David suggests she asks Shula to help, explaining that he needs to spend more time at Brookfield. Elizabeth insists she understands. David mentions an agency which Caroline uses but Elizabeth thinks she's turned a corner since breaking down on Friday, and feels more on top of things. While they talk, Lily wants Elizabeth's attention. Once David leaves, Elizabeth snaps at Lily for her bad manners but is sorry when Lily crumbles into tears.
Elizabeth tells Lewis that she's found a buyer for Nigel's hunter, Topper. He knows Freddie will be upset. Elizabeth's busy in the office and Lewis wants to help but she's determined to keep on top of everything. She admits, though, that cutbacks are needed, starting with the medieval banquets. She's meeting the organiser tomorrow to tell him the news and is dreading the meeting already.
SUN 19:15 Americana (b00z53v8)
America's role in the Middle East:
With violence, protests and chaos rampant in parts of the Middle East Americana asks former U.S. Ambassador Marc Ginsberg what could and should the US do to protect American interests. What impact will the unrest have on the average US citizen?
Drunkenness of Nations:
The legal drinking age across the United States is 21 years old but in Wisconsin, the state with the worst binge drinking problems in the nation, some minors can be served legally. Americana checks in on a Wisconsin watering hole to find out what people think about the relationship between alcohol, youth and trouble.
And author Dan Okrent explains how American drinking styles compare to the habits and patterns of other countries around the globe.
Boxing Clubs:
From state to state, Americans are facing massive budget cuts during this recession and when school budgets feel the pinch its often after school programmes which disappear. Americana talks with a boxing coach in Ohio who is picking up the slack and helping kids stay off the streets.
SUN 19:45 Afternoon Reading (b00cqgf9)
Nick Walker - The Further Adventures of the First King of Mars
Ninety Seconds of Terror
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik Nick Walker was commissioned to write the sci-fi adventure 'The First King Of Mars'.
Now, in five, thrilling, action-packed episodes we continue the story where it left off with our fearless commander, previously employed to head-up the first manned mission to Mars, plummeting towards the planet with no thick atmosphere to slow him down.
Starring Peter Capaldi.
Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 20:00 Feedback (b00yz54z)
Roger Bolton turns up at Hardeep Singh Kohli's flat to ask some personal questions - including who gave him his first kiss?
At the end of this month, millions of fans of the BBC Hindi Service will no longer be able to listen on shortwave. Roger speaks to Rifat Jawaid, editor of language programmes at the BBC Asian Network, about his Indian family's passion for the service.
And many of you have trouble understanding speech when it's accompanied by background music. So why do producers persist in using it? Roger quizzes Simon Elmes the BBC's Creative Director, Features & Documentaries and others, on the subject.
Producer: Karen Pirie
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 20:30 Last Word (b00yz557)
Suze Rotolo, Susan Crosland, Jane Russell and Major Peter Parkes
Matthew Bannister on:
The artist Suze Rotolo - who inspired some of Bob Dylan's best known songs and appeared on the cover of his album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan".
Susan Crosland the glamorous journalist and wife of the Labour Cabinet minister Tony Crosland.
Hollywood actress Jane Russell - best known for a bra she never wore.
Dr Christian J Lambertsen who coined the term "Scuba" when he invented his self contained underwater breathing apparatus.
And the distinguished brass band conductor Major Peter Parkes who led the Black Dyke Mills band to international success.
SUN 21:00 The Report (b00zf4t1)
Uprisings in Libya
The recent uprisings in Libya came after four decades of dictatorship under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The regime had pariah status until the Libyan leader's son, Saif al Islam, managed to persuade outsiders that Gaddafi was committed to reform. But in the face of opposition protests, both Saif and his father refused to relinquish their power and wealth.
In recent years, Saif played a crucial role in wooing big business, former dissidents, academics and Western governments. Hugh Miles talks to some of those charmed into assisting the regime and to former members of Saif al Islam's circle who saw much of Libya's wealth squandered on buying influence.
Hugh Miles is an award winning writer and broadcaster. He is the author of Al Jazeera - How Arab TV News Challenged the World.
SUN 21:26 Radio 4 Appeal (b00z2shy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 today]
SUN 21:30 Analysis (b00yyffd)
Rethinking the Middle East
The autocratic regimes of North Africa & the Middle East enjoyed many years of military, political and financial support from the United States government. Dr Maha Azzam looks at the recent history of US involvement in the region, including the brief shift in policy during the presidency of George W Bush, and the role that Israel plays in US/Arab relations. As violence & unrest spread throughout the region, will US policy vary state-by-state depending on its own interests or will President Barack Obama embrace the pro-democracy protests wherever they emerge? What expectations do the protestors have of American support and what levers can the US pull in order to assist them? And if it is seen to falter in its support for the protestors will this seriously undermine US influence in the long-term?
Dr Maha Azzam is an Associate Fellow of Chatham House.
Contributors
Dr Shadi Hamid, Brookings Institute, Qatar
Shashank Joshi, Royal United Services Institute, London
Elliott Abrams, Council of Foreign Relations, Washington
Roger Hardy, Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington
Carl Gershman, National Endowment for Democracy, Washington
Jonathan Spyer, Global Research International Affairs Center, Israel
Abdel Moneim Abou el-Fotouh, Muslim Brotherhood, Cairo
Prof Khaled Fahmy, American University, Cairo
Alexandros Petersen, Henry Jackson Society, London.
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (b00z53vb)
Carolyn Quinn talks to Paul Waugh, editor of the PoliticsHome website, about David Cameron's speech to the Conservative Spring conference.
Conservative MP Mary Macleod and Labour MP Tom Harris discuss the Libyan crisis, proposed changes to public sector pensions and the economy.
The Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb responds to worries in his party following the Barnsley by election. He explains why he believes the outlook for the Lib Dems is more optimistic than many believe. But he admits that criticisms of the coalition's planned changes to the NHS in England are being taken seriously by the party leadership.
Leala Padmanabhan reports on the state of Euroscepticism in the Conservative Party. She talks to a veteran sceptic who resigned from a Tory government in 1971 because he disagreed with party policy over Europe. Commentators Tim Montgomerie of ConservativeHome and Nick Watt of the Guardian give their views.
Programme editor: Terry Dignan.
SUN 22:45 What the Papers Say (b00z52d8)
Episode 42
BBC Radio 4 brings back a much loved TV favourite - What the Papers Say. It does what it says on the tin. In each programme a leading political journalist has a wry look at how the broadsheets and red tops treat the biggest stories in Westminster and beyond. This week David Aaronovitch of The Times takes the chair and the editor is Catherine Donegan.
SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (b00yz559)
Francine Stock talks to British director Joanna Hogg about Archipelago, a tense and awkward family drama set on the island of Tresco.
Director Andrew Ruhemann discusses an overlooked British success at last Sunday's Oscars - his winning short animation The Lost Thing.
Francine visits The Junior Film Club in Lewes, Sussex to report on an inventive initiative to engage children in film.
Director Marc Evans talks about his road movie Patagonia, starring the singer Duffy in her first film role.
Producer Craig Smith.
SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b00z2r56)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:05 today]
MONDAY 07 MARCH 2011
MON 00:00 Midnight News (b00z2pq1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b00yz2g2)
Ethical capital - The Burden of Happiness
The British government is seeking to develop a way to accurately measure the happiness of the population. In France such a gauge already exists, but is happiness really the proper goal of life? The French philosopher Pascal Bruckner tells Laurie Taylor that happiness has become a burdensome duty, and that the wave of enthusiasm for pursuing the nebulous quality has the opposite effect of actually promoting unhappiness amongst those who seek it. Much better, says he, to accept that happiness as an unbidden and fragile gift, arrives only by grace and luck.
Also on the programme, Patricia Drentea talks about her new study 'Ethical Capital: What's a Poor Man Got to Leave?'. It looks at the hoped for legacy of people who have no financial assets to leave their families.
Producer: Charlie Taylor.
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b00z2r52)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00z2pq3)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00z2pq5)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00z2pq7)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 05:30 News Briefing (b00z2pq9)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00z589t)
With the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (b00z589w)
Charlotte Smith hears the risk of a flu pandemic is increasing as the world eats more meat. Growing populations and changes in diet in the developing world mean more animals are being kept in close proximity to humans, and viruses may evolve more rapidly as a result.
And as the budget for flood defence is cut by 8%, flooding Minister Richard Benyon explains how river and coastal defences are being tested this week in the UKs biggest ever emergency exercise.
In 2006 the government was fined hundreds of millions of pounds because of the inefficiency of the Rural Payments Agency. Farming Today hears the body, which pays farm subsidies, is once again missing its targets.
2 million cattle are slaughtered annually to sate our appetite for beef. A trip to a Devon cheese maker reveals that many of those animals are a by-product of the dairy industry.
Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Ruth Sanderson.
MON 05:57 Weather (b00z2pqc)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 06:00 Today (b00z589y)
Including Sports Desk at
6.25am,
7.25am,
8.25am; Weather
6.05am,
6.57am,
7.57am; Thought for the Day
7.48am.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (b00z58b0)
Andrew Marr talks to the human rights lawyer, Peter Harris, who represented the ANC when apartheid in South Africa was at its height. He discusses how the law was always seen to be done, even when justice was denied. Richard Susskind wants to revolutionise the justice system: as the new President of the Society for Computers and Law he sees technology as the answer to today's problems. Australia has been the recent victim of natural disasters - floods, storms and wild fires - and the country's leading conservationist, Tim Flannery, puts forward his views on the future of the planet. And as the longest running study of elephants in the wild turns 40, Phyllis Lee, explains what they've learnt about, what John Donne called, "Nature's great masterpiece".
Producer: Katy Hickman.
MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b00z58b2)
To Miss With Love
Episode 1
Written by Katharine Birbalsingh.
A third of teachers leave within their first term on the job. This one wouldn't quit for all the world.
Meet Furious - sixteen, handsome and completely out of control. Nothing frightens him and no one can get through to him. Now meet Munchkin - a sweet kid with glasses who's an easy target and needs protecting. Then there's Seething and Deranged, two girls who are brimming with bad attitude; Fifty and Cent, who act like gangsters but are afraid of getting beaten up; and Stoic, a brilliant young mind struggling to survive.
In the midst of them all, there is a bodyguard and bouncer, a counsellor and confidante, a young woman whose job it is to motivate and inspire them and somehow keep them out of trouble: their teacher. None will make it through the year unscathed. Some may not even make it at all.
Spanning a year of shocking truths and hard-won victories, of fights and phone-thefts, teenage pregnancies and the dreaded OFSTED report, this is the remarkable diary of an inner-city school teacher. Revealing the extraordinary chaos, mismanagement and wrong-thinking that plague our education system, it is a funny, surprising and sometimes heartbreaking journey from the frontlines of the classroom to the heart of modern Britain.
Katharine Birbalsingh has been teaching in the state school system in London for over a decade. Her dream is for all schools to become interesting and exciting places of learning, where children feel safe, happy and free to aim to be the best that they can be.
Read by Adjoa Andoh
Produced by Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00z58b4)
Jane Garvey presents. An exhibition of Barbara Everard's work at the RHS London Orchid Show. Reform of the Child Support Agency: Since 2008 the law has been in place for the child maintenance service, currently provided for by the CSA, to be charged for. Currentlyunder consultation is the extent to which charges for this service should be made, and how. We discuss the ethics surrounding the care of extremely premature babies and look at female warriors throughout history.
MON 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00z58b6)
A Domestic
Disclosure
A family cleaner sees and hears everything, from the pill packet that signals that her employers are no longer trying for another child, to that unfamiliar earring in the marital bed that signals something altogether more worrying. Two successful family lawyers, prosperous and happily-married, pay little attention to their Polish domestic. Perhaps they should.
**************************
PETER JUKES' new domestic thriller series stars LYDIA LEONARD as Mariola, NEIL STUKE as Olivier, and CLARE LAWRENCE-MOODY as Kim.
A DOMESTIC is the story of Mariola, a young Polish cleaner who works for a well-to-do lawyer couple in London's leafy middle-class suburb of Chiswick. As well as Mariola the Andersons employ a full time Spanish nanny, Elena.
Kim and Olivier Anderson seem to have a perfect marriage. As lawyers who work mainly in the area of marital dispute and contracts they have a lot in common. They laugh riotously at the antics their warring clients get up to trying to best each other in - and out - of court. As well as being good friends the couple are caring parents to their adorable tot Russell.
Then one morning Mariola finds an earring in the marital bed. It doesn't look like the sort of earring Kim would wear. Mariola looks closer. It belongs to Elena, the nanny!
Mariola panics. She comes from a broken family in rural Poland. She is very fond of the Andersons. Even if their humour at others' expense she occasionally finds troubling, she desperately wants harmony to rule. She is especially attached to little Russell and fears for his security and happiness if the truth gets out. Accordingly, she returns the earring to Elena's room.
And from this act events unfold that threaten to plunge the family into acrimony, break-up and finally a surprising and scary brand of domestic violence. Is it possible that the couple who enjoyed much humour at the expense of their furious and vengeful clients could find themselves in their shoes?
*************************
Episode 1: Disclosure
Kim and Olivier, both lawyers in the field of marital breakdown and divorce, don't pay attention to Mariola, their Polish domestic who hears and see everything. Perhaps they should.
Mariola ..... Lydia Leonard
Olivier ..... Neil Stuke
Karen ..... Clare Lawrence-Moody
Dr Kevin Rorty ..... Sean Baker
Anna ..... Christine Kavanagh
Elena ..... Sally Orrock
Russell ..... Deeivya Meir
Directed by Peter Kavanagh.
MON 11:00 Bristol: Cycling City (b00z58b8)
March 2011 is the cut-off date for Bristol to turn itself into a Cycling demonstration City over three years. Originally the idea was that this would be a pioneering project followed by many other cities - indeed, it came from the umbrella organisation Cycling England. The many stakeholders in cycling culture provided a great deal of lively debate as to how the overall funding of £22.8 should be spent and how the success of the project should be measured. Since the original award, Cycling England itself has been abolished in the bonfire of the quangos, and it seems unlikely that funding like this will be available again for some time to come. Miles Warde, who surveyed the early stages of the project last year, saddles up again to find out where the money has gone, how it's been accounted, and whether Cycling City has been a success.
Producer Christine Hall.
MON 11:30 Brian Gulliver's Travels (b00z58bb)
Series 1
Osminia
Brian Gulliver, a seasoned presenter of travel documentaries, finds himself in a hospital's secure unit after claiming to have had a number of bizarre adventures.
This week he travels to Osminia, a land where marriage is outlawed.
Produced by Steven Canny
Brian Gulliver's Travels is a new satirical adventure story from Bill Dare. The series has attracted an excellent cast led by Neil Pearson and award winning star of the RSC's current season, Mariah Gale. Cast includes fantastic actors Tamsin Greig, John Standing, Paul Bhattacharjee, Christopher Douglas, Catherine Shepherd, Vicky Pepperdine, Phil Cornwell, Antonia Campbell Hughes, Jo Bobin and Katherine Jakeways.
For years Bill Dare wanted to create a satire about different worlds exploring Kipling's idea that we travel, 'not just to explore civilizations, but to better understand our own'. But science fiction and space ships never interested him, so he put the idea on ice. Then Brian Gulliver arrived and meant that our hero could be lost in a fictional world without the need for any sci-fi.
Satirical targets over the series: the medical profession and its need to pathologize everything; the effect of marriage on children; spirituality and pseudo-science; compensation culture; sexism; the affect of our obsession with fame.
Gulliver's Travels is the only book Bill Dare read at university. His father, Peter Jones, narrated a similarly peripatetic radio series: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
MON 12:00 You and Yours (b00z58bd)
Consumer news with Julian Worricker. Four government backed train operators from other countries are competing to runinter city trains on one of Britain's busiest rail lines, the West Coast Main Line which runs from London to the North West of England and Glasgow - what would happen to the services if they took over from Virgin Trains?
People affected by financial crime often feel they are not taken seriously, but now a new system of victim support has been set up to help them cope with the emotional and practical impact of fraud.
Fair Trade have launched the world's first ethical certification system for gold - a guarantee that the product has been responsibly sourced and the producers have been ethically treated. But does it benefit those who need it most and what difference does it make to consumers?
MON 12:57 Weather (b00z2pqf)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 13:00 World at One (b00z7nw2)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4. Thirty minutes of intelligent analysis, comment and interviews. To share your views email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
MON 13:30 The 3rd Degree (b00z58bg)
Series 1
Stirling
Coming this week from the University of Stirling, host Steve Punt puts questions to students and lecturers of Psychology, Marketing, and English Studies. So if you've got a notion as to who lived at 7 Eccles Street, what is James Bond's family motto, or why on earth a marketer might use a 'semantic cognitive differential tangent' then listen in...
"The 3rd Degree" is a funny, lively and dynamic new quiz show aimed at cultivating the next generation of Radio 4 listeners whilst delighting the current ones. It's recorded on location at a different University each week, and it pits three Undergraduates against three of their Professors in a genuinely original and fresh take on an academic quiz. Being a Radio 4 programme, it of course meets the most stringent standards of academic rigour - but with lots of facts and jokes thrown in for good measure.
Together with host Steve Punt, the show tours the (sometimes posh, sometimes murky, but always welcoming!) Union buildings, cafés and lecture halls of six universities across the UK.
The rounds vary between Specialist Subjects and General Knowledge, quickfire bell-and-buzzer rounds and the 'Highbrow & Lowbrow' round cunningly devised to test not only the students' knowledge of current affairs, history, languages and science, but also their Professors' awareness of television, film, and Lady Gaga... In addition, the Head-to-Head rounds, in which students take on their Professors in their own subjects, were particularly lively, and offered plenty of scope for mild embarrassment on both sides...
The resulting show is funny, fresh, and not a little bit surprising, with a truly varied range of scores, friendly rivalry, and moments where students wished they had more than just glanced at that reading list...
Producer: David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 14:00 The Archers (b00z53v6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Drama (b00z58bj)
Shelley Silas - Mr Jones Goes Driving
Written by Shelley Silas. Johnny Jones isn't particularly old, he's a regular man with a regular wife, two grown up children and a handful of grandkids. His has a good life, and for that he's grateful. He accepts that growing old is just one of those things, and until now, he has just got on with everything that has been thrown his way. He has always lived his life by getting up each day and getting on. However, all that is about to change.
Told that a series of seizures he's been having are not because of a brain tumour, but epilepsy, relief soon turns to gloom. While Johnny accepts everything the doctors tell him, he cannot accept having to give up his driving license. For over fifty years he's driven just about everyone everywhere in his beloved almond Rover P6 with a V8 engine. It is his private place, where he can be alone, think alone, listen to music, or simply sit by the sea, looking out at nothing more than sand and waves. It's a great big armchair of a car, with a chrome and oak interior, which he loves passionately. His wife, Alice hasn't driven for years, why would she when she has Johnny to drive her everywhere? While he's happy to part with many other activities, this is one he just can't give up. Now he's told he must stop driving or face the consequences.
Every day he says tomorrow will be the last day he'll drive.
This is the story of the day he takes one last journey in his dark Rover. And gradually we learn about the secrets no one else knows about.
The play stars real life husband and wife Richard Briers and Ann Davies.
Mr Jones Goes Driving is about growing old but not always gracefully. It's about facing up to things in life we don't want to. It's the story of a man giving up the one thing that he has always loved.
Cast:
Johnny Jones ...... Richard Briers
Alice Jones ..... Ann Davies
Imran ..... Muzz Khan
Lizzie Gray ..... Helena Breck
Ian ..... Jonathan Holby
Patrick ..... Ben Tosh
Johnny's Mother ..... Stella Duffy
Johnny's Grandchildren ..... Wilf and Ruby Armstrong Ashdown
Original Music composed by Lucinda Mason Brown
Producer/Director: Gordon House
A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 15:00 Archive on 4 (b00z2pjr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Saturday]
MON 15:45 The Generation Gap (b00z59n3)
Series 6: Roads
Night Time Street Cleaners
In this series of The Generation Gap, two people from different generations discuss how 'The Road' has changed and how those changes reflect shifts in society. The two people in each programme are linked in some way - either they both do the same job in different eras, or they share the same passion, or they are two generations of the same family working in the same profession. The series sheds light on changes of society over the last 40 - 50 years.
In this series, we look at a day in the life of our roads -from the night time workers who prepare the street for the day ahead to the different kinds of vehicle drivers via the people who provide services along the road. In 5 montage-style programmes, we hear from night time street cleaners, lollipop people, motorcyclists, service station owners and truck drivers.
We speak to 2 street cleaners - Vince Smith and Lawrence Foley to see how the road at night has changed. As our city centres operate 24/7 there is a constant need for cleansing teams to clear up after us, but what is our attitude to the night time street cleaner and in a more environmentally conscious Britain, has our attitude to litter changed? Are the people who do the job now different and do they still take pride in their work and what of the night-time communities such as the homeless?
Reporter: Sara Parker
Producer: Laura Parfitt
A Juniper production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 16:00 The Food Programme (b00z2sj8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 Beyond Belief (b00z5bns)
Immortality
In the last in the current series, Ernie Rea invites guests from different faith and non-faith perspectives to debate the challenges of today's world.
Each week a panel is assembled to represent a diversity of views and opinions, which often reveal hidden, complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world around us.
In this programme Ernie and guests discuss ways in which individuals have sought immortality either through belief in eternal life with God or through ever ingenious scientific methods. Why do human beings appear to want to believe in some sort of life after death? How is the meaning of this life shaped by a belief in the hereafter or a knowledge of endless existence? Are we ultimately creatures shaped by the destiny of our own death?
Joining Ernie to discuss immortality are the philosopher, John Gray, author of The Immortalisation Commission: science and the strange quest to cheat death; the theologian, Alister McGrath, professor of theology, ministry and education, and head of the centre for theology, religion and culture at King's College, London and the psychologist, Les Lancaster, professor of transpersonal psychology at Liverpool John Moores University.
Producer: Karen Maurice.
MON 17:00 PM (b00z5bnv)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00z2pqh)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 18:30 Just a Minute (b00z5bnx)
Series 59
Episode 5
Just how hard can it be to talk for 60 seconds with no hesitation, repetition and deviation?
MON 19:00 The Archers (b00z5bnz)
David and Pip look over the paddocks together. Pip's pleased to hear David talking like a farmer again. He wonders if she'll find their methods old-fashioned when she goes to university. Pip assures him that if she gets to university, she'll have an open mind.
Kenton tells David that he's helping make pancakes at The Bull tomorrow, and asks if they'll all be there. David hopes so, but is more interested to know how Elizabeth's doing.
Elizabeth tells Kenton about her awful meeting with the medieval banquets organiser, who accused her of not honouring Nigel's memory. Later she's off to the winery where she needs to make some decisions before bottling. All the things Nigel used to do are her responsibility now, and it's time she got used to it. She's also had a date for the inquest - 29 March - and wonders if David's heard. Kenton tells her to ring but Elizabeth doesn't want to bother him.
At the winery, Elizabeth realises she knows so little about the wine-making process but she's given gentle guidance throughout. But it all becomes too much and she begs the expert to tell her what Nigel would have decided.
MON 19:15 Front Row (b00z5bp1)
Ballet from the Pet Shop Boys, street photography discussed
Ahead of its world premiere, Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe explain why they have teamed up with choreographer Javier De Frutos to create a new ballet based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Most Incredible Thing.
The new alien invasion film Battle: Los Angeles pits a platoon of U.S marines, under the command of Aaron Eckhart, against an attack by unknown aliens. Roger Luckhurst gives his verdict.
Street photography, in which members of the public are candidly photographed going about their daily business, is the subject of two new exhibitions. London Street Photography charts the rise of the form from 1860 to the present day, while Format in Derby takes an international look at the role of the street photographer, which includes recent mobile phone footage from Egypt, Tunisa and Libya. Photographers Joel Meyerowitz and Polly Braden discuss their approach.
As Bolton Council announces that it plans to sell more than 30 art works from its collection, to fund a new storage facility, Maurice Davies from the Museums Association considers whether other cash-strapped councils might also decide to send some of their art to the auction house.
Producer India Rakusen.
MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00z58b6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
MON 20:00 On the Bench (b00z5bqb)
This year marks the 650th anniversary of the appointment of the first Justices of the Peace in England and Wales. But many magistrates courts are now facing closure as part of the cost saving measures announced by the Ministry of Justice.
So how valuable is the role played by local magistrates and what impact will the court closures have?
Jenny Cuffe has been following developments in Salford where the Magistrates court is one of those on the hit-list. The ageing listed building which houses the court dates back to the early nineteenth century - but the court itself has been involved in current initiatives including special domestic violence courts and a pilot scheme in restorative justice.
As local politicians battle to stave off the closure, Jenny Cuffe follows day-to-day business - talking to magistrates, lawyers and their clients, and assessing the claims of those who say justice needs to be delivered locally.
Producer: Jenny Cuffe Editor: David Ross.
MON 20:30 Analysis (b00z5bqd)
Testing the Emotions
Investigative journalist and author Fran Abrams looks at a popular but controversial programme designed to teach children emotional and social skills in schools. The concept of emotional intelligence has almost become a global ideology. It's taught, in one form or another, in around 70% of secondary and 90% of primary schools in England and is popular in Scotland and Wales too. But what exactly is emotional intelligence, can it really be developed and how sound are its scientific claims?
With contributions from:
Dave Read
Workshop leader
Professor Roger Weissberg
President of CASEL
Professor Katherine Weare
Southampton University
Pupils
Bournemouth Park School
Professor Richard Layard
Labour peer
Angela Hutchison
Head, Bournemouth Park School
Professor Neil Humphrey
Manchester University.
MON 21:00 Material World (b00yz3hl)
Quentin Cooper presents his weekly digest of science in and behind the headlines. As the UNESCO Women in Science Awards are announced, Material World asks why so few top scientists are women. Quentin wonders why women succeed in medicine, veterinary and life sciences, but far fewer reach the highest level in other areas. Also in the programme: a meteorite containing ammonia supports the theory that life on Earth came from outer space. And we answer a listener's question about black squirrels that are spreading across East Anglia.
The producer is Ania Lichtarowicz.
MON 21:30 Start the Week (b00z58b0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:58 Weather (b00z2pqk)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b00z7p2s)
Radio 4's daily evening news and current affairs programme bringing you global news and analysis.
MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00z5btb)
Pigeon English
Episode 1
This is the first novel by Stephen Kelman which tells the story of 11 year-old Harrison Opoku, who has moved from Ghana to live with his mother and older sister on a tough North London housing estate.
Shortly after he arrives he sees a boy he knows slightly, lying stabbed on the street and he realises he needs to learn the tricks of inner city survival fast. And as he tries to come to terms with his new surroundings he befriends a pigeon who visits the balcony of his ninth floor flat.
Read by Jojo Baidoo.
Other voices are provided by Adjoa Andoh, Madeline Appiah, Amelia Donkor, Daniel Green, David Holt, Osy Ikhile and Robert Sparks.
Abridged by Jane Marshall
Producer: Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 23:00 Stand Up for Comic Relief (b00z5btd)
Episode 1
Hugh Dennis hosts this series in which six radio presenters, one from each of the six BBC radio stations, Radio 1 through to 6Music, are given just two weeks to become fully-fledged stand-up comedians by performing their first proper gig in front of the general public at London's famous comedy venue, The Comedy Store.
The contestants are: Dev from Radio 1, Tony Blackburn from Radio 2, Tom Service from Radio 3, Jenni Murray from Radio 4, Tony Livesey from 5 live and Shaun Keaveny from 6 Music.
To help them on their way though, each of them is paired up with a mentor who will try to help them steer clear of the many pitfalls of performing stand-up comedy. Dev is mentored by Chris Ramsey, Tony Blackburn by Julian Clary, Tom Service by Sandi Toksvig, Jenni Murray by Mark Steel, Tony Livesey by Justin Moorhouse and Shaun Keaveny by Miles Jupp. Between them they hope to win the title of Stand Up for Comic Relief champion!
But before this they are given a tour and some history of the Comedy Store by stand-up legend, Mark Thomas.
How will they cope with such a daunting challenge? Find out by listening to this series of three shows - and then vote on which presenter you think is the funniest, with proceeds going to Comic Relief.
This programme sees the presenters taking their first tentative steps into the world of stand-up comedy. To see and hear more of their performances, and to find out how to vote for the presenter you think is the funniest, with proceeds to Comic Relief, go to www.bbc.co.uk/rednoseday/standup.
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00z6dm1)
Alicia McCarthy and the BBC's parliamentary team report on events at Westminster where the Foreign Secretary William Hague defends the botched SAS mission to Libya. He says there was a "serious misunderstanding" but his opposite number, Labour's Douglas Alexander says the failed mission raises serious questions about "ministers' grip and response to the unfolding events in Libya". Also on the programme: the Government's accused of butchering the organisation that funded the Oscar-winning film, the King's Speech. There's a report on the ongoing row about cuts to police funding and, as census forms start to arrive, peers ask if there's a better way to find out about the British people.
TUESDAY 08 MARCH 2011
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b00z5c7l)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b00z58b2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00z5c7n)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00z5c7q)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00z5c7s)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b00z5c7v)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00z5c7x)
With the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b00z60tz)
Anna Hill hears about the latest battle being waged against the invasive killer shrimp. First spotted six months ago at Grafham water in Cambridgeshire, it is now feared it may have spread across the UK. Trevor Renals explains how the Environment Agency is trapping the tiny beast using traps laced with cat food to find out how far it has travelled.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust tells Farming Today of plans to vaccinate badgers on its land, to help control TB in cattle. Badgers and cattle carry the same strain of the disease, which costs taxpayers over a hundred million pounds each year in testing and compensation.
And a visit to the marshes of Norfolk reveals wildlife treasures which are maintained by grazing cattle. But some farmers claim reduced profitability means they may have to give up their cattle, and wildlife might suffer as a result.
Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Melvin Rickarby.
TUE 06:00 Today (b00z64kr)
Including Sports Desk at
6.25am,
7.25am,
8.25am; Weather
6.05am,
6.57am,
7.57am; Yesterday in Parliament
6.45am; Thought for the Day
7.48am.
TUE 09:00 On the Ropes (b00zdky3)
Valerie Plame Wilson
The former covert CIA agent, Valerie Plame Wilson, talks to John Humphrys. She describes the moment that her cover was blown, and the subsequent fall-out.
So significant were the events, which centred on the core reasons given for the war in Iraq, that a Hollywood film has been made detailing the affair.
TUE 09:30 The Narrowcasters (b00z5c81)
Teachers TV
Could education standards be raised if more teachers watched themselves on TV? In the first of a new series featuring some of Europe's most unusual minority TV stations, Nigel Cassidy goes back to school to meet the programme-makers of Teachers TV.
Producer: Ben Crighton.
TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b00z9pvc)
To Miss With Love
Episode 2
Written by Katharine Birbalsingh.
A third of teachers leave within their first term on the job. This one wouldn't quit for all the world.
Meet Furious - sixteen, handsome and completely out of control. Nothing frightens him and no one can get through to him. Now meet Munchkin - a sweet kid with glasses who's an easy target and needs protecting. Then there's Seething and Deranged, two girls who are brimming with bad attitude; Fifty and Cent, who act like gangsters but are afraid of getting beaten up; and Stoic, a brilliant young mind struggling to survive.
In the midst of them all, there is a bodyguard and bouncer, a counsellor and confidante, a young woman whose job it is to motivate and inspire them and somehow keep them out of trouble: their teacher. None will make it through the year unscathed. Some may not even make it at all.
Spanning a year of shocking truths and hard-won victories, of fights and phone-thefts, teenage pregnancies and the dreaded OFSTED report, this is the remarkable diary of an inner-city school teacher. Revealing the extraordinary chaos, mismanagement and wrong-thinking that plague our education system, it is a funny, surprising and sometimes heartbreaking journey from the frontlines of the classroom to the heart of modern Britain.
Katharine Birbalsingh has been teaching in the state school system in London for over a decade. Her dream is for all schools to become interesting and exciting places of learning, where children feel safe, happy and free to aim to be the best that they can be.
Read by Adjoa Andoh
Produced by Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00z6839)
With Jane Garvey. Sienna Miller talks about her latest role as Patricia, the wife of a young bomber pilot, in Terence Rattigan's play 'Flare Path'. Macular disease is the leading cause of blindness in the UK. However, a new poll suggests that most of us couldn't identify a single symptom. Jane learns about the most common symptoms, the treatments available and the impact of the disease. Rwanda has the highest proportion of orphans and child-headed households in the world. Angela Robson reports on a project funded by Comic Relief that's providing care and protection for these children. And, on Pancake Day, we talk about lemons - a versatile ingredient in cooking, an invaluable household cleaner and a help in all sorts of ailments from gall stones to indigestion. Jane finds out more.
TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00z9pvf)
A Domestic
Irretrievable
by Peter Jukes
A cleaner hears everything, sees everything, and yet no one pays her any attention. As Olivier and Kim's marriage falters, Mariola sees signs and clues everywhere. Money hidden in a shoebox. A shot gun in the cellar. But to what extent is she watching the breakup and to what extent precipitating it? And how far will Mariola go to recover the family she has lost? To the brink of madness or a tragic crime?
*********************************************
Episode 2: Irretrievable
Ever since she discovered the Nanny's earrings in the marital bed, Mariola has seen the Andersons' marriage fall apart. But as the builders move in, and Olivier showers his wife with gifts, will he be able to win back her heart?
Mariola ..... Lydia Leonard
Olivier ..... Neil Stuke
Karen ..... Clare Lawrence-Moody
Dr Kevin Rorty ..... Sean Baker
Anna ..... Christine Kavanagh
Elena ..... Sally Orrock
Russell ..... Deeivya Meir
Shane ..... Sam Dale
Jurek ..... Lloyd Thomas
Directed by Peter Kavanagh.
TUE 11:00 Calibrated Conundrums (b00z5c83)
Notoriously fastidious about the English language, Lynne Truss unpicks puzzling scientific terms - From spaghettification to Uncertainty. Scientists use language to give authority to their practice, but does it convince or alienate? Cosmetics advertisements use "derma" instead of skin and phrases like "clinically proven" to give their products scientific clout. But Lynne learns that scientists can't "prove", they can only "disprove". Lynne puts her skills to the test at the Science Museum in London to demonstrate "the conservation of angular momentum" otherwise known as "move your bum in and out and go round in circles".
TUE 11:30 Emerald Noir: The Rise of Irish Crime Fiction (b00z5c85)
Writer Val McDermid explores how crime writing has been influenced by peace in Northern Ireland, and the economic boom and bust in Southern Ireland.
Val looks at how real life violence has been dealt with in the work of authors including Tana French, Eoin McNamee, Ruth Dudley Edwards, Stuart Neville and Declan Hughes.
She meets David Torrans - whose bookstore in Belfast has been fictionalised in Colin Bateman's series of crime novels.
And Declan Burke - author of the blog Crime Always Pays - takes us on a tour of Dublin locations featured in crime novels from the modern Docklands offices which inspired Alan Glynn's novel Winterland to the hotels and shops of 1950s Dublin featured in the crime fiction of Booker winner John Banville - who writes under the name Benjamin Black.
Val asks whether the Noir novel is a protestant art form and hears how writers are trying to find new villains in a place where violence has - until recently - been part of everyday life.
Producer: Robyn Read
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2011.
TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b00z66hw)
Call You and Yours with Julian Worricker. How have rising transprt costs affected your life? Are you cutting back on travel or making savings elsewhere to pay for your fuel or commuter tickets? Has the cost of getting to and from work caused you to think about getting another job; have you changed the way you commute to reduce costs; are you taking fewer days out or visiting friends and relatives less ? Have you thought about working from home because it is getting too expensive to commute to your job? An opportunity to contribute your views to the programme. Email youandyours@bbc.co.uk or call 03700 100 444 (lines open at
10am).
TUE 12:57 Weather (b00z5c87)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 13:00 World at One (b00z6dvn)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4. Thirty minutes of intelligent analysis, comment and interviews. To share your views email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
TUE 13:30 Soul Music (b00z5c89)
Series 11
Simple Gifts
Simple Gifts started life as a Shaker Hymn and became incorporated into the hymn Lord of the Dance and Aaron Copland's ballet suite Appalachian Spring.
Nora Guthrie describes the central place this tune has played throughout her life.
Pete Lashley tells how he heard it unexpectedly whilst touring in New Zealand. Michael Carter explains why his father chose this tune for his famous hymn "Lord of the Dance" and Scott Malchus describes running a marathon whilst listening to this music.
Featuring:
Thomas Swain
Michael Carter
Nora Guthrie
Scott Malchus
Pete Lashley
Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.
Producer: Rosie Boulton
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2011.
TUE 14:00 The Archers (b00z5bnz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama (b00z5c8c)
Care
In Clara Glynn's drama a Children's Hearing has to decide if Nicole (13) and Scott (4) should be taken into care or be allowed to return to live with their mother. But is she fit to look after them now?
Michelle has been in drug rehab for the last few months, Dad has disappeared and the kids have been under a supervision order. But now Michelle is coming out of rehab, clean and determined to make a fresh start. The three members of the Children's Hearing panel have to decide what is best for the children.
As the panel hear reports from experts and from the family their pereception of what should happen to the children is constantly challenged. Would you know what is best for the children?
Scotland's Children's Hearing system initiated by The Social Work Act 1968 and the Children(Scotland) Act 1995, led to radical changes in how children and young people in trouble or at risk are dealt with. In this fictional drama the panel - all trained volunteers - are faced with difficult choices.
CAST:
Edward (chairman).....................................IAIN AGNEW
Fiona Henson.........................CAROL ANN CRAWFORD
Mary Branwich..........................................KIM GERARD
Nicole............................................NATASHA WATSON
Michele.....................................................LISA NICOLL
Gran.....................................................ANNE DOWNIE
Charlie Fleming.................................COLIN MCCREDIE
Mr. McEwan............................................JOHN KIELTY
Producer/director...................David Ian Neville.
TUE 15:00 Making History (b00z5c8f)
Historian Helen Castor presents the programme that connects people with the past.
Today, a poem found amongst the personal papers of a listener's father reveals world-wide admiration for an Italian fascist whose death raises questions about his relationship with Mussolini.
Fiona Watson heads for a deserted Scottish island to uncover the 7th century equivalent of photo-journalism.
Tom Holland marks the 250th anniversary of the bloodiest riot outside of London in the 18th century.
And a listener's photograph of her father in the First World War brings to life the moment when motorised horsepower took over from the real thing.
Presenter: Helen Castor
Producer: Nick Patrick
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00z5c8h)
Good Show Clarissa
A Midnight Revel
Martin Jarvis directs Helen Mirren, Joanna Lumley and Lisa Dillon as 'The Girls' in 'Good Show Clarissa!' from Jarvis & Ayres Productions - a series of three 'jolly hockey stick' stories for Radio 4 - performed by stars. These classic tales represent some of the best of popular 20th Century 'girls school fiction'.
The first story, 'A Midnight Revel', written in 1926 and performed with girlish relish by Dame Helen Mirren, is a neat thriller in which the boarders at Hardwick High are prevented by the rainy weather from playing a hockey match.
Bored at such inactivity, they decide to think of an adventurous alternative entertainment. It's left to Nan Stevenson, the one who usually has 'blossomy' ideas to come up with something exciting. "I've got it!" she exclaimed at last, triumphantly. "There's one thing we've never tried yet (and jolly fun it would be, too!) a midnight supper. Scrumptious! But how will they organise it? And will the girls' daring midnight spree proceed according to plan? What could possibly go wrong?
Producer: Martin Jarvis
A Jarvis & Ayres production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 15:45 The Generation Gap (b00z5fr2)
Series 6: Roads
Lollipop People
We hear a street-eye view on how drivers' attitudes have changed towards pedestrians across generations. Road crossing patrols in Somerset like Helen Bailey are piloting a CCTV camera in their lollipop stick because of the problem of cars which drive through regardless of safety and road rage. In the past Terry Cross experienced fewer and friendlier motorists, more cyclists and even a horse and cart using the road.
Reporter: Sara Parker
Producer: Laura Parfitt
A Juniper production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 16:00 Law in Action (b00z5fr4)
Legal Powers for the Welsh Assembly
The result of the referendum in Wales on greater law making powers for the Welsh Assembly could widen the gap between the law in England and that in Wales. There are already many differences in areas such as planning and health, creating pitfalls for lawyers giving advice on both sides of the border. In this edition Joshua Rozenberg looks at where devolution is going and the problems and opportunities that a divergence in the law could create.
TUE 16:30 A Good Read (b00z5fr6)
Joe Boyd and Mat Fraser
Record producer Joe Boyd and actor Mat Fraser talk to Harriett Gilbert about books they love by George Dangerfield, Katherine Dunn and Muriel Spark.
The Strange Death of Liberal England by George Dangerfield
Publisher: Serif
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Publisher: Abacus
Memento Mori by Muriel Spark
Publisher: Virago
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2011.
TUE 17:00 PM (b00z64my)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00z5c8k)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 18:30 Act Your Age (b00pxn13)
Series 2
Episode 1
Simon Mayo hosts the comedy show that pits the comic generations against each other to find out which is the funniest.
Team captains Jon Richardson, Lucy Porter and Adrian Walsh are joined by Kevin Bridges, Jason Byrne and Johnnie Casson.
Producers: Ashley Blaker and Bill Matthews.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2010.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (b00z5g2l)
The minibus is booked for the races next Tuesday. Emma's offered to help with the picnic but Clarrie thinks Emma should spend more time with Susan, who's feeling a bit left out about the baby.
Joe tells Eddie that Clarrie's signed them up for the Lenten appeal - frugal Sunday lunches right through Lent. Joe and Eddie enjoy pancakes at The Bull, and Eddie's pleased that Lilian wants the last seat on the minibus.
Lilian wants to make Jolene a formal offer but is delighted to learn that Jolene's changed her mind about selling her share in The Bull.
Fallon's happy to look after things so that Jolene can have Thursday evening off, and wonders if she's got plans. Jolene expects she'll think of something. Grabbing a quiet moment with Kenton, she tells him she's on for Thursday. When Fallon interrupts them, Jolene snaps back into business mode. Later Jolene comes clean with Fallon and admits she may be getting together with Kenton. Fallon worries that it's too soon. Jolene assures her they're going to take things slowly. Fallon can see that Jolene seems happy, which is great, as long as Jolene's really sure she knows what she's doing.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (b00z6dvq)
Roger Daltrey and Carl Hiaasen
With John Wilson.
Best-selling author Carl Hiaasen discusses his novel Star Island, which focuses on a 22 year old pop star whose drug-fuelled life is obsessively followed by paparazzi, and managed by PR cover-ups and fake doubles.
Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones star in The Company Men, a film about three employees forced to re-define their lives when corporate downsizing leaves them jobless. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh reviews.
Roger Daltrey is returning to The Who's legendary 1969 rock opera Tommy for a one-off concert performance at the Albert Hall. He reflects on his changing voice, and the experience of performing without his band-mates.
John reports on the fate of the Skylon, the symbol of the Festival of Britain, which was dismantled in 1952: after asking Front Row listeners for tip-offs, John follows a trail which leads to both salvage and scrap.
Producer: Philippa Ritchie.
TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00z9pvf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
TUE 20:00 File on 4 (b00z5g2n)
Danger at Work
Following the recent first conviction and hefty fine under new Corporate Manslaughter legislation, the UK's health and safety regime has been hailed a success. Falling death and accident rates appear to confirm an improving trend.
But the families of some of those seriously injured and killed in workplace accidents say too many employers are still gettings off too lightly even when they've been found responsible for serious breaches of health and safety legislation.
As the government proposes lighter regulation of workplaces and the Health and Safety Executive faces deep cuts, Morland Sanders asks whether protection for employees will be put at risk.
TUE 20:40 In Touch (b00z6dvs)
Should blind sports fans qualify for concessionary tickets to the London Olympics?
Peter White hears from the guide dog user who was charged extra by two different taxi firms. Both companies have been taken to court and fined but what is the best way to resolve these disputes and what practical advice is given to guide dog users?
We talk to one blind sports fan who thinks that visually impaired people should be entitled to the same concessions as wheelchair users at the London Olympics.
And in the latest installment of Can't See Will Cook, Richard Lane tries his hand at blind baking and learns how to make lemon drizzle cake.
TUE 21:00 Case Notes (b00z6dvv)
Gut Bacteria
The idea of taking faeces from someone and transplanting it into the bowels of a loved one might sound disgusting. Medically, it might make good sense though. In fact a number of doctors have discovered that this procedure cures intestinal infections when all other treatments have failed. As Dr Mark Porter discovers, it's an illustration of the power of 'good' bacteria.
Our bowels are home to an ecosystem of billions of bacteria and other microbes. Many of these gut bugs perform vital jobs for us, such as helping to digest food, making vitamins and priming the immune system. In the last few years, researchers have gathered evidence that a range of health problems and conditions arise from there being an inbalance between beneficial bacteria and potentially harmful ones. These conditions include Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Clostridium difficile infection, allergies and possibly bowel cancer. Dr Mark Porter talks to researchers and doctors about some of the latest findings and treatments based on these insights.
TUE 21:30 On the Ropes (b00zdky3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 21:58 Weather (b00z5c8m)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b00z6dvx)
Radio 4's daily evening news and current affairs programme bringing you global news and analysis.
TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00z5g2q)
Pigeon English
Episode 2
Written by Stephen Kelman. 11 year-old Harrison Opoku has moved from Ghana to live with his mother and older sister on a tough North London housing estate. Haunted by sight of a boy he knows lying stabbed in the street he realises he needs to learn the tricks of inner city survival fast.
Equally fascinated by the number of scary dogs, the power of the Dell Farm Crew and the pigeon who visits the balcony of his flat, Harri begins to try and make sense of his new surroundings.
Read by Jojo Baidoo.
Other voices are provided by Adjoa Andoh, Madeline Appiah, Amelia Donkor, Daniel Green, David Holt, Osy Ikhile and Robert Sparks.
Abridged by Jane Marshall
Producer: Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:00 Stand Up for Comic Relief (b00z7p37)
Episode 2
Hugh Dennis hosts this series in which six radio presenters, one from each of the six BBC radio stations, Radio 1 through to 6Music, are given just two weeks to become fully-fledged stand-up comedians by performing their first proper gig in front of the general public at London's famous comedy venue, The Comedy Store.
The contestants are: Dev from Radio 1, Tony Blackburn from Radio 2, Tom Service from Radio 3, Jenni Murray from Radio 4, Tony Livesey from 5 live and Shaun Keaveny from 6 Music.
To help them on their way though, each of them is paired up with a mentor who will try to help them steer clear of the many pitfalls of performing stand-up comedy. Dev is mentored by Chris Ramsey, Tony Blackburn by Julian Clary, Tom Service by Sandi Toksvig, Jenni Murray by Mark Steel, Tony Livesey by Justin Moorhouse and Shaun Keaveny by Miles Jupp. Between them they hope to win the title of Stand Up for Comic Relief champion!
This programme sees the presenters doing their first try-out night and we hear how the mentors think their charges are coming along ahead of the big gig itself. To see and hear more of their performances, and to find out how to vote for the presenter you think is the funniest, with proceeds to Comic Relief, go to www.bbc.co.uk/rednoseday/standup.
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00z6ckb)
Sean Curran reports on events at Westminster.
WEDNESDAY 09 MARCH 2011
WED 00:00 Midnight News (b00z5gwh)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b00z9pvc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00z5gwk)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00z5gwm)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00z5gwp)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (b00z5gwr)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00z5gwt)
With the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (b00z60v7)
Following several illegal attempts to get cattle that could be carrying BSE into the food chain, the government introduces new measures to safeguard UK food supplies. Following the government's challenge to farmers to grow more food, the RSPB launches a campaign to increase farmland wildlife whilst still maintaining food production. Anna Hill travels to King's Lynn to report on the Environment Agency's Operation Watermark exercise, which is testing the nation's flood defences. And can chickens tell if other hens are in distress? Farming Today finds out.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Martin Poyntz-Roberts.
WED 06:00 Today (b00z64r3)
Morning news and current affairs, with Sarah Montague and Justin Webb, including:
07:50 Outgoing BBC chairman Sir Michael Lyons on the future of the corporation.
08:10 How the government plans to lower the number of children classified as having special educational needs.
08:20 Director Mike Leigh explains why he is returning to one of his old plays for the first time.
WED 09:00 Midweek (b00z5gww)
This week Libby Purves is joined by Clarence B Jones, Carodoc King and Yangzom Brauen.
Clarence B Jones was the co-author of the 'I Have a Dream' speech and a close confidant to Martin Luther King himself. He was there, on the road, collaborating with the great minds of the time, and hammering out the ideas that would shape the civil rights movement. He is the sole survivor of those who had direct participation in these events. His book 'Behind the Dream', co-written by Stuart Connelly, is published by MacMillan.
Carodoc King is a leading literary agent. In his memoir 'Problem Child' he tells of his childhood growing up in the 1950s in a large and eccentric family in Essex. He was treated harshly by his mother, sent to boarding school aged six and when he was fifteen found out he was adopted and a year later his parents removed him from school and ejected him completely from the family. With a natural survival instinct he got a place at Oxford, and thirty years later he goes in search of his natural family. 'Problem Child' is published by Simon & Schuster.
Yangzom Brauen's grandmother Kunsang was one of Tibet's youngest nuns, who escaped the Chinese invasion of her country with her young family. They fled over the Himalayas to India, where they spent several years in refugee camps where both her husband and younger child died. She and her daughter eventually went to live in Switzerland, where Yangzom was born. She is now an actress living in Los Angeles and very involved with the Free Tibet movement. Kunsang is still alive and in her nineties. Their story is told in the book 'Across Many Mountains: Three Daughters of Tibet', published by Harvill Secker.
WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b00z9px1)
To Miss With Love
Episode 3
Written by Katharine Birbalsingh.
A third of teachers leave within their first term on the job. This one wouldn't quit for all the world.
Meet Furious - sixteen, handsome and completely out of control. Nothing frightens him and no one can get through to him. Now meet Munchkin - a sweet kid with glasses who's an easy target and needs protecting. Then there's Seething and Deranged, two girls who are brimming with bad attitude; Fifty and Cent, who act like gangsters but are afraid of getting beaten up; and Stoic, a brilliant young mind struggling to survive.
In the midst of them all, there is a bodyguard and bouncer, a counsellor and confidante, a young woman whose job it is to motivate and inspire them and somehow keep them out of trouble: their teacher. None will make it through the year unscathed. Some may not even make it at all.
Spanning a year of shocking truths and hard-won victories, of fights and phone-thefts, teenage pregnancies and the dreaded OFSTED report, this is the remarkable diary of an inner-city school teacher. Revealing the extraordinary chaos, mismanagement and wrong-thinking that plague our education system, it is a funny, surprising and sometimes heartbreaking journey from the frontlines of the classroom to the heart of modern Britain.
Katharine Birbalsingh has been teaching in the state school system in London for over a decade. Her dream is for all schools to become interesting and exciting places of learning, where children feel safe, happy and free to aim to be the best that they can be.
Read by Adjoa Andoh
Produced by Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00z684g)
With Jenni Murray.
Foot and Mouth Disease - ten years ago the foot and mouth outbreak devastated large parts of the farming community and the rural tourist trade. We reflect on the long term effects of the crisis on rural women.
The Women in Business season continues with a discussion on networking. Is it essential to the success of any business, and do women network in different ways from men, away from the golf course and the sports stadium?
Horror - the annual Birds Eye View festival celebrating women film makers is being held in London from 8 to 17 March. One of its events is a panel discussion on Wednesday 16 March - Bloody Women - which examines women and the horror film genre. Jenni talks to two of the panel members.
And Professors Helen and Kate Storey join Jenni to talk about why they looked to frocks to communicate primordial biological phenomena; and how their most recent collaboration (on tour in March and April) has taken them all the way to our very first breath.
WED 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00zczfj)
A Domestic
Mediation
A Cleaner hears everything, sees everything, and yet no one pays her any attention. As Olivier and Kim's marriage falters, Mariola sees signs and clues everywhere. Money hidden in a shoebox. A shot gun in the cellar. But to what extent is she watching the breakup, and to what extent precipitating it? And how far will Mariola go to recover the family she has lost? To the brink of madness or a tragic crime?
***********************************************
Episode 3: Mediation
Mariola tries to clear up the mess she has made of her employers' marriage and protect their young son, Russell. But nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors, and intervening in a domestic conflict can make things worse.
Mariola ..... Lydia Leonard
Olivier .....Neil Stuke
Karen ..... Clare Lawrence-Moody
Dr Kevin Rorty ..... Sean Baker
Anna ..... Christine Kavanagh
Elena ..... Sally Orrock
Russell ..... Deeivya Meir
Shane .....Sam Dale
Directed by Peter Kavanagh.
WED 11:00 In Living Memory (b00z5hr0)
Series 13
Episode 4
In May 1979, 10 people died when a fire broke out in the furniture department of the Woolworth's store in the centre of Manchester. Within minutes of the first flames being seen, the building was engulfed in toxic, black smoke. Most of those that died were in the restaurant on the second floor but the smoke was so thick, they couldn't find their way to the exits.
It was later shown that it was the type of foam used to fill the budget furniture on sale that was to blame.
Fire Officer Bob Graham, who led the investigation into the fire, remembers how, for a decade before the fire, he and his colleagues had watched the numbers of deaths in domestic fires in the Manchester area rocket. They knew the new styles of cheap furniture were to blame. Armed with evidence from the Woolworth fire, it would take Bob Graham and other campaigners a further ten years to persuade the government to change the law and
oblige furniture makers to use flame-resistant foam.
The Manchester Coroner, Leonard Gorodkin, led the inquest into the deaths. He explains why he was not convinced by a forensic expert's elaborate theory that faulty wiring behind a stack of furniture was responsible for the fire. The fire officers believed a naked flame was to blame but at the inquest no cause was given.
Veteran BBC cameraman Ken Ward remembers capturing the iconic pictures of the disaster - women trapped behind bars in offices on the second floor of the shop.
The programme mixes the first hand accounts of the people caught up in the events with archive of BBC news reports from the scene to re-create a terrible day in Manchester's history - one that would eventually lead to a change in the law that would save thousands of lives in the future.
WED 11:30 Turf Wars (b00z5hr2)
Losing the Plot
In Nick Warburton's delicious comedy, James Fleet plays Edward, a bashful man who, passing a local allotment, speaks to an attractive female allottee. He decides there and then that he must apply for a plot. But doing so involves an interview with ferocious site-manager Bernie who runs the allotments with military rigour. It's all looking unlikely until Edward reveals that his father was a local landscape horticulturalist, one Bernie has admired all his life. Edward joins the site. And it is only then that he springs a surprise on Bernie. One that leads to explosive confrontation. Which of them will lose the plot?
Edward ..... James Fleet
Amanda .... Joanna Monro
Bernie ..... Jonathan Coy
Directed by Peter Kavanagh.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.
WED 12:00 You and Yours (b00z66js)
How much choice do we really get as NHS patients? A health watchdog is warning that patients are being denied choice for routine surgery.
Professor Peter Shears answers more of your queries about rights when shopping online.
Vietnam's government has a blunt solution to the problem of teenagers spending too long online. They have ordered service providers to block access to popular games websites after
10pm.
WED 12:57 Weather (b00z5gwy)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 13:00 World at One (b00z5hr4)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4. Thirty minutes of intelligent analysis, comment and interviews. To share your views email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
WED 13:30 The Media Show (b00z5hr6)
Richard Peppiatt's published an open letter to Richard Desmond, saying he was quitting his job at the Daily Star on several points of principle. He says he was asked to make up stories (the Star denies this) and was unhappy about the Star's coverage of Muslims in Britain. So, having admitted that he wrote stories he knew to be untrue, does he have a future in journalism?
Last week the government decided not to refer News Corp's bid for BSkyB to the competition commission. This followed a report from Ofcom that suggested that increasing News Corp's ownership of the British media might lead to plurality issues. Ed Richards, the chief executive of Ofcom, joins Steve to discuss where Ofcom stands.
Jason Gardiner, a judge on ITV's Dancing on Ice, is in trouble again over his acerbic comments and insults to the contestants. Gardiner is the latest in a long line of catty judges from "nasty" Nigel Lythgoe to Simon Cowell. But do all talent shows need a pantomime villain? Nina Myskow, 1980s talent show judge known for her cutting criticism, discusses why the spats between judges now make more headlines than the efforts of the contestants.
The Producer is Simon Tillotson.
WED 14:00 The Archers (b00z5g2l)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 McLevy (b00z5hr8)
Series 7
Dead Reckoning
Brian Cox, Siobhan Redmond and Stella Gonet star in the latest episode of the detective series set in Victorian Edinburgh and Leith. Written by David Ashton.
2/4. Episode Two: Dead Reckoning. Inspector McLevy investigates a curious case of grave robbing.
Producer/director: Bruce Young.
WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b00z6dxd)
It's estimated that fraudsters help themselves to around £4bn a year of our money. And the National Fraud Authority says that we are being duped by an ever-evolving range of scams.
So if you want to protect your financial details or want advice about dealing with fraud you can call Paul Lewis and guests on Wednesday's Money Box Live.
Phone lines open at
1.30pm on Wednesday 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.
WED 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00z5hrb)
Good Show Clarissa
Jemima Gets Them Guessing
Martin Jarvis directs Lisa Dillon's humorous performance as the entire Fourth Form of Cliff House School in 'Jemima Gets Them Guessing'.
Written by Hilda Richards in 1939, eccentric, monocled Jemima Carstairs (a sort of female fourteen year-old Bertie Wooster with brains) is presented with a problem. One of their class-mates, Frances Frost - the icicle of the Fourth - threatens to blackmail decent Clara Trevlyn for visiting the Palais de Danse, thereby jeopardising Clara's position as Captain of Games.
But Clara may have had a perfectly proper motive for breaking bounds. To save her chum, Jemima concocts a plan involving a beach-side confrontation and a mysterious boat-trip. Can Jemima rescue Clara's reputation and prevent her from disgrace?
Producer: Martin Jarvis
A Jarvis & Ayres production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 15:45 The Generation Gap (b00z5hrd)
Series 6: Roads
Bikers
Bruce has a passion for motorcycles and as soon as he was 16, he bought his first bike from his uncle for £25. For him in the late 1950s, a motorbike was an economic necessity as he couldn't afford a car but it soon became his life. He used it to travel to work and then when he married and had his first two children, used his bike as family transport with a sidecar and a trailer for when they went on holiday. They even took the dog.
He compares his passion with that of Steve Willis who only got into bikes 8 years ago and has ended up with a company which sells bikes for up to £35,000 to people who have bikes as a consumerist bauble but hardly dare to take them out of the garage. This change reflects societal shifts in income and attitude.
Reporter: Sara Parker
Producer: Laura Parfitt
A Juniper production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b00z6dxg)
Outsourced Cultures - Happiness Letters
In the Indian call centre or 'outsourcing' industry, workers are trained to emulate the American or British workers which they have replaced. They change their names, take on western accents and develop lifestyles organised around a foreign culture in a distant time zone. Laurie Taylor is joined by Henrietta Moore to talk to Shehzad Nadeem about his new study into the hybrid culture these Asian employees have created.
Also on the programme the writer Marek Kohn joins Laurie to discuss the Thinking Allowed audience's spirited response to Pascal Bruckner's indictment of the culture of happiness.
Producer: Charlie Taylor.
WED 16:30 Case Notes (b00z6dvv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 17:00 PM (b00z64q6)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00z5gx0)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 18:30 Stand Up for Comic Relief (b00z7p3p)
Episode 3
Hugh Dennis hosts this series in which six radio presenters, one from each of the six BBC radio stations, Radio 1 through to 6Music, are given just two weeks to become fully-fledged stand-up comedians by performing their first proper gig in front of the general public at London's famous comedy venue, The Comedy Store.
The contestants are: Dev from Radio 1, Tony Blackburn from Radio 2, Tom Service from Radio 3, Jenni Murray from Radio 4, Tony Livesey from 5 live and Shaun Keaveny from 6 Music.
To help them on their way though, each of them is paired up with a mentor who will try to help them steer clear of the many pitfalls of performing stand-up comedy. Dev is mentored by Chris Ramsey, Tony Blackburn by Julian Clary, Tom Service by Sandi Toksvig, Jenni Murray by Mark Steel, Tony Livesey by Justin Moorhouse and Shaun Keaveny by Miles Jupp. Between them they hope to win the title of Stand Up for Comic Relief champion!
This programme sees the presenters performing their final routines at the Comedy Store. To see and hear more of their performances, and to find out how to vote for the presenter you think is the funniest, with proceeds to Comic Relief, go to www.bbc.co.uk/rednoseday/standup.
WED 19:00 The Archers (b00z5hrg)
Matt doesn't share Lilian's joy at the news that her son James will visit in April. Matt just wants to prepare Lilian for tomorrow's Borchester Market Developments meeting, where she needs to highlight the problems of a flat roof and raise an objection to the proposed washing system. She also needs to persuade BMD to appoint their own site manager - and Matt knows just the man for the job.
Eddie has separated one of the herd. David agrees she doesn't look good but it might just be too much spring grass. He'll get Alistair to check tomorrow.
Elizabeth's sharp with Lewis when he offers to help, pointing out that she knows what she's doing. When Elizabeth finds Lewis sending e-mails which she'd planned to do, she gets very cross and insists he stops interfering. Lewis remains calm and dignified. Realising she's been rude, Elizabeth quickly apologises, acknowledging that Lewis was helping.
Freddie's upset that Topper is being sold and doesn't want to play games without his daddy. He'd rather go to Connor's house. Elizabeth wants him to stay at home but eventually gives in, and tells Freddie to call his friend.
WED 19:15 Front Row (b00z6dxj)
Fair Game review and author Maxine Hong Kingston
With Kirsty Lang.
Kirsty reviews Naomi Watts and Sean Penn in Fair Game, a thriller based on the true story of Valerie Plame Wilson, the CIA agent who was allegedly outed by her own government in retaliation for her US ambassador husband's criticism of President Bush's handling of the Iraq war.
James Rhodes is a concert pianist who chooses to play in unusual venues, abandoning the usual white tie and tails and telling his audience colourful tales about the composers he is performing. He talks about how he finally became a classical pianist and illustrates his thoughts at the Front Row piano.
Writer Maxine Hong Kingston first reached a wide audience with her 1975 book The Woman Warrior. She discusses her new memoirs, which are written as an epic book-length poem. She explains why she chose this form, and recalls how she was arrested along with fellow writer Alice Walker.
The new single from the band Noah and the Whale is called L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. and continues the long tradition of songs which spell out their titles. From D.I.S.C.O. to D.I.V.O.R.C.E., David Quantick offers the A.B.C. guide to the tracks which offer listeners lots of L.E.T.T.E.R.S.
Producer Claire Bartleet.
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00zczfj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (b00z5hrj)
Intervening in Libya
What - if anything - should Britain do about Libya? Do we have a moral duty to intervene on the side of the rebels, and - if so - how far should we be prepared to go to help them? One rebel spokesman this week asked Britain to intervene immediately with air strikes against Gadaffi's forces. Should we wait for a UN resolution (which might well be vetoed by Russia or China) or should we act now to save civilian lives? There are many practical considerations involving international and domestic politics, military capabilities and economics; but before we start arguing about what might be achievable or prudent, we must decide what is right.
If military intervention is ruled out, what about supplying arms to the rebels? If not weapons, what about food, shelter, medicine and other humanitarian assistance? And if we send in doctors, should there be troops to protect them? What about indirect pressure on the regime through financial, trade and diplomatic sanctions? And what if Gadaffi remains in power despite them? Or should Britons now accept that we have neither the power nor the moral authority to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries? Politicians are driven by the idea of progress and things getting better but it can be a dangerous imperative when trying to overthrow dictators. If we support the Arab populism in the name of freedom are we merely clearing the stage for the next anti-western tyranny that waits in the wings?
Combative, provocative and engaging debate chaired by Michael Buerk with Matthew Taylor, Claire Fox, Clifford Longley and Anne McElvoy.
Witnesses:
Barak Seener, Middle East Research Fellow at RUSI
Geoffrey Robertson QC, member of the UN's justice council
John Rees, co-founder of the Stop the War Coalition and Vice President of the Cairo Anti-War Conference since its foundation in 2002
Sami Hermez, Visiting fellow at the Centre for Lebanese Studies, St Antony's College, Oxford.
WED 20:45 Four Thought (b00z5hrl)
Series 1
Tom Gill: Homeless in Japan
Tom Gill, a professor of social anthropology, recalls some memorable and unsettling incidents he witnessed during his fieldwork with homeless people in Japan and explores the implications of the experience.
Recorded live at the RSA in London, Four Thought is unscripted, thought-provoking and entertaining, with a personal dimension.
Producer: Giles Edwards.
WED 21:00 Costing the Earth (b00z5hrn)
Fur or Faux?
One of the most controversial clothing trends in Britain is the fashion revival of fur. In this week's 'Costing the Earth' Tom Heap investigates the claims by the British Fur Trade Association that fur is natural, renewable and a sustainable resource that's kind to the environment .He visits a fur a farm in Copenhagen where farmer Knud takes Tom around his farm that can house up to 24,000 mink. Tom sees for himself the conditions in which the animals are kept, how they're killed and how their pelts are used.
But how does Knud, and the wider industry, respond to recordings of animal cruelty and neglect from other European fur farms? And what about charities like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) who back in the 1990s ran a very successful campaign that vilified the wearing of fur? What do they make of the 'green' credentials of fur and its come back in the fashion world.
Producer: Perminder Khatkar.
WED 21:30 Midweek (b00z5gww)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 21:58 Weather (b00z5gx2)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b00z5hrq)
Radio 4's daily evening news and current affairs programme bringing you global news and analysis.
WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00z5hrs)
Pigeon English
Episode 3
Newly arrived in London from Ghana, 11 year-old Harrison Opoku is haunted by the sight of a boy he knows lying stabbed in the street.
Aware that no one on the estate will speak to the police, he has asked his friend Dean to turn detective with him and they are trying to solve the murder case. Meanwhile, the Dell Farm Crew are keen to recruit him to run errands for them but first he has to pass an initiation test.
Written by Stephen Kelman.
Read by Jojo Baidoo.
Other voices are provided by Adjoa Andoh, Madeline Appiah, Amelia Donkor, Daniel Green, David Holt, Osy Ikhile and Robert Sparks.
Abridged by Jane Marshall
Producer: Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall Production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:00 Helen Keen's It Is Rocket Science (b00z5hrv)
Series 1
Episode 1
Funny, off-beat but factually accurate account of the science of rockets and the brilliant but occasionally warped brains behind it all.
Helen Keen, Peter Serafinowicz and Susy Kane look at the three fathers of modern rocket science:
* 19th Century self-taught Russian visionary Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky and his dreams of orbiting space stations and Martian colonies;
* American Robert H Goddard, derided in The New York Times in the 1920s for his prediction of a lunar landing (A retraction was printed after the Apollo 11 launch);
* Transylvanian-German Hermann Oberth with his brilliant theories about space travel and his horrifying theories about racial supremacy.
Plus Helen reveals the surprising connection between space travel and a coach tour of the Jewels of the Rhineland.
Written by Helen Keen and Miriam Underhill.
Producer: Gareth Edwards
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2011.
WED 23:15 The Ladies (b00t2ckx)
Series 2
Episode 1
The Ladies return to Radio 4, as we hear from the paranoid Christians preparing for the end of the world, a girl who gets wedged in a dress, and a desperate wannabe mum.
Written by Emily Watson Howes.
Cast:
Emily Watson Howes
Kate Donmall
Susanna Hislop
Fran Moulds
Producer: Mark Talbot
A Hat Trick production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00z6dmc)
Alicia McCarthy and team on events at Westminster, with reports on Prime Minister's Question Time and a Commons Committee session on the Strategic Defence and Security Review hearing from four senior government ministers. Editor: Rachel Byrne.
THURSDAY 10 MARCH 2011
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b00z5y9l)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b00z9px1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00z5y9n)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00z5y9q)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00z5y9s)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b00z5y9v)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00z5y9x)
With the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b00z60w8)
The Welsh Assembly Government is going ahead with new plans for a badger cull, as part of its bovine TB policy. Last year the cull had to be shelved following a legal challenge. Charlotte Smith asks the Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman if the announcement puts more pressure on her to make an announcement about plans for a badger cull in England. Ms Spelman also tells Charlotte about a new £20 million fund for community broadband in remote upland areas, which she believes will help keep farms competitive and villages vibrant.
Producer: Sarah Swadling.
THU 06:00 Today (b00z64sj)
Including Sports Desk at
6.25am,
7.25am,
8.25am; Weather
6.05am,
6.57am,
7.57am; Yesterday in Parliament
6.45am; Thought for the Day
7.48am.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (b00z5y9z)
Free Will
In the 500th edition of the programme, Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the philosophical idea of free will.Free will - the extent to which we are free to choose our own actions - is one of the most absorbing philosophical problems, debated by almost every great thinker of the last two thousand years. In a universe apparently governed by physical laws, is it possible for individuals to be responsible for their own actions? Or are our lives simply proceeding along preordained paths? Determinism - the doctrine that every event is the inevitable consequence of what goes before - seems to suggest so.Many intellectuals have concluded that free will is logically impossible. The philosopher Baruch Spinoza regarded it as a delusion. Albert Einstein wrote: "Human beings, in their thinking, feeling and acting are not free agents but are as causally bound as the stars in their motion." But in the Enlightenment, philosophers including David Hume found ways in which free will and determinism could be reconciled. Recent scientific developments mean that this debate remains as lively today as it was in the ancient world.With: Simon BlackburnBertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy at the University of CambridgeHelen BeebeeProfessor of Philosophy at the University of BirminghamGalen StrawsonProfessor of Philosophy at the University of ReadingProducer: Thomas Morris.
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b00z9pyn)
To Miss With Love
Episode 4
Written by Katharine Birbalsingh.
A third of teachers leave within their first term on the job. This one wouldn't quit for all the world.
Meet Furious - sixteen, handsome and completely out of control. Nothing frightens him and no one can get through to him. Now meet Munchkin - a sweet kid with glasses who's an easy target and needs protecting. Then there's Seething and Deranged, two girls who are brimming with bad attitude; Fifty and Cent, who act like gangsters but are afraid of getting beaten up; and Stoic, a brilliant young mind struggling to survive.
In the midst of them all, there is a bodyguard and bouncer, a counsellor and confidante, a young woman whose job it is to motivate and inspire them and somehow keep them out of trouble: their teacher. None will make it through the year unscathed. Some may not even make it at all.
Spanning a year of shocking truths and hard-won victories, of fights and phone-thefts, teenage pregnancies and the dreaded OFSTED report, this is the remarkable diary of an inner-city school teacher. Revealing the extraordinary chaos, mismanagement and wrong-thinking that plague our education system, it is a funny, surprising and sometimes heartbreaking journey from the frontlines of the classroom to the heart of modern Britain.
Katharine Birbalsingh has been teaching in the state school system in London for over a decade. Her dream is for all schools to become interesting and exciting places of learning, where children feel safe, happy and free to aim to be the best that they can be.
Read by Adjoa Andoh
Produced by Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00z6f1g)
With Jenni Murray. The actor Olivia Williams talks about her role in the world première of Neil LaBute's new play 'In a Forest, Dark and Deep'. Whitehall has reached gender parity in its top departments, with eight women Permanent Secretaries and eight men - so how has this been achieved? Siphiwe Hlophe talks about her work with HIV/Aids in Swaziland, which has the highest HIV rate in the world. And, a campaign has been launched for a statue to the 'mother of British feminism' Mary Wollstonecraft on Newington Green. Jenni finds out about Wollstonecraft's early life in North London.
THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00zd1c3)
A Domestic
Petition
A Cleaner hears everything, sees everything, and yet no one pays her any attention. As Olivier and Kim's marriage falters, Mariola sees signs and clues everywhere. Money hidden in a shoebox. A shot gun in the cellar. But to what extent is she watching the breakup, and to what extent precipitating it? And how far will Mariola go to recover the family she has lost? To the brink of madness or a tragic crime?
*************************************************
Episode 4: Petition
As Olivier moves out of the marital home, Mariola finds herself cleaning for him and his wife, and soon caught up in a domestic minefield: a litigious divorce between two lawyers
Mariola ..... Lydia Leonard
Olivier ..... Neil Stuke
Karen ..... Clare Lawrence-Moody
Dr Kevin Rorty ..... Sean Baker
Anna ..... Christine Kavanagh
Elena .....Sally Orrock
Russell ..... Deeivya Meir
Directed by Peter Kavanagh.
THU 11:00 From Our Own Correspondent (b00z6f1j)
As the battle for Libya rages on, we gauge the mood in the oldest cafe in Benghazi.
A reporter in Ivory Coast laments the turmoil in his adopted homeland.
New commercial opportunities are embraced in communist Cuba.
And from the back streets of Kinshasa to the world stage - how an extraordinary Congolese band has managed to transform its prospects.
With every passing day, the conflict in Libya feels more and more like a civil war. We hear of increasingly ferocious battles, and growing numbers of casualties. But for now at least though, the city where the revolt began, Benghazi, lies well back from the front lines. And Michael Buchanan says many in the streets of the rebel stronghold are still giddy with delight at their newfound freedom.
Other stories are being overshadowed by the disturbances in North Africa and the Middle East. And that includes the tensions in the West African state of Ivory Coast. It's being pulled apart by political violence. The trouble stems from a bitterly disputed election. President Laurent Gbagbo has refused to accept defeat in a vote that the outside world believes was won by his challenger, Alassane Ouattara. In the capital, Abidjan, John James has been watching the country's descent into chaos.
Cuba promises tourists that they'll find a land of sun, sea and salsa. But behind the image there's a shabbier reality, with many people struggling to eke out meagre salaries. Decades of old-fashioned, Soviet-style centralised economic planning is failing. Cubans often joke, "They pretend to pay us, and we pretend to work." But now Cuba's communist government is trying to implement radical economic reform. It plans to sack up to a million state employees. It hopes they'll start working for themselves instead - and Polly Hope says many Cubans are indeed plunging into the once forbidden world of commerce with huge enthusiasm.
As a correspondent, there are many times when you have to take in the views of officials and experts. You often have to turn to them to make sure you've got the bones of the story - the views of the key players, and the thinkers who ponder the big issue. But sometimes you can talk to all the analysts and professors you like, and you still don't have the feel of the thing. And occasionally, a chat with a barber, or a waiter, or a chap selling peanuts suddenly makes helps make sense of the story. And Daniel Sandford had one of those experiences as he tuned into the tales of a local colleague in Ukraine.
There was a time when one particular stretch of the river Congo was home to no more than a few fishing villages. But Europeans chose the site for a trading post, and it gradually grew into what is today one of Africa's great cities - Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It's a huge place that's drawn in many very poor people from all over the country - and an extremely tough town to get by in. But Jonny Hogg has been spending time with a group of musicians who've managed to play their way out of Kinshasa's poverty and grab the world's attention.
THU 11:30 The Wales Window of Alabama (b00z5zxv)
This is the story of what links the people of Wales, with one of the worst atrocities of the American Civil Rights movement. In 1963, racist bombers, blew up the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama, killing four girls in the blast. The murder of children marked another low in the violent resistance to civil rights.
News of the bombing was broadcast worldwide. The Welsh sculptor John Petts heard about it on the radio as he worked in his studio. He was so upset he wanted to do something to help. He contacted a local newspaper and a campaign was launched to raise money to help rebuild the devastated Church. No one was allowed to give more than half a crown - to ensure that no rich benefactor could take credit for the money raised. There were reports of children, black and white, queuing up in Cardiff to donate their pocket money.
Tens of thousands of people contributed to the fund. With the money that was raised, Petts was commissioned to make a new stained glass window for the Church. Grand in scale, it depicted a black man, arms out stretched, reminiscent of the crucifixion. Petts drew on his experiences as a medic in the second world war to create his image of the 'damaged male body'. He was also inspired by the Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa, which had happened only a few years before.
The window is now a focus of worship and has become one of the most famous pieces of art to come out of the darkness of the civil rights period. At its foot a simple message; 'Given by The People of Wales'.
Presenter: Gary Younge
Produced in Manchester by Nicola Swords.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2011.
THU 12:00 You and Yours (b00z6f1l)
The British companies still owed millions of pounds by the organisers of India's Commonwealth Games as investigators probe allegations of corruption.
Trading standards officers are trying to trace thousands of victims of fake escort agencies which promised £600 payments for platonic dates.
And how to make money by selling your own personal data.
Plus much more with Winifred Robinson.
THU 12:57 Weather (b00z5yb1)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (b00z6f1n)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4. Thirty minutes of intelligent analysis, comment and interviews. To share your views email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
THU 13:30 Costing the Earth (b00z5hrn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:00 The Archers (b00z5hrg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b00z5zxx)
A Sleepwalk on the Severn
Award- winning poet, Alice Oswald's extraordinary evocation of the experience of moonrise over the Severn Estuary. Set to original music by Roger Goula, its subject is moonrise which happens five times in different forms: new moon, half moon, full moon, no moon and moon reborn. Various characters, some living some dead, all based on real people from the Severn catchment, talk towards the moment of moonrise and are changed by it.
Performed by Ron Cook, Sam Dale, Emma Fielding, Tom Goodman-Hill, James Laurenson and Helen Longworth.
Music composed by Roger Goula and performed by the Raven Quartet and Rowland Sutherland.
Directed by Gaynor Macfarlane.
THU 15:00 Ramblings (b00z1z5n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:07 on Saturday]
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b00z2shy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00z5zxz)
Good Show Clarissa
The Cheat
Martin Jarvis directs Joanna Lumley's performance of this intriguing 'moral' tale from the prolific pen of Enid Blyton.
Written in 1947 Susan, less fortunate than most of the other girls - and certainly not from their well-heeled backgrounds - must win the scholarship in order to continue her education. Then an opportunity occurs for her to cheat in the exam. Joanna Lumley tells this surprisingly serious story with great humanity and compassion.
The story takes the form of both a thriller and a psychological account of an inner turmoil. Blyton and Lumley, in an ideal partnership, make us feel what it must be like, in this situation, to carry such a potentially heavy burden of guilt. And of course we are keen to know whether there might be a way out for Susan. Can she escape expulsion? Could she possibly avoid the stigma of being a cheat?
Producer: Martin Jarvis
A Jarvis & Ayres production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 15:45 The Generation Gap (b00z5zy1)
Series 6: Roads
M People
When the M6 was built through the Dunning family farm near Penrith in the 1960s, John Dunning decided to build Tebay Motorway service station even though he was told there wouldn't be enough passing traffic. Now the motorway is very busy and his daughter Sarah has taken over and modernised the business. She now plans to open a new motorway services on the M5.
The family pride themselves on good quality food sourced locally including from the farm's herd of Galloway cattle. (The Dunnings still run the farm) However some customers complain there is no 'Burger King' .We talk to father and daughter about how expectations of the service station have changed and how motorways have opened up travel for all of us - as well as bringing employment and sustainability to a remote rural area.
Reporter: Sara Parker
Producer: Laura Parfitt
A Juniper production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 16:00 Bookclub (b00z53v0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:30 Material World (b00z6f1q)
Adam Rutherford presents the weekly digest of science in and behind the headlines. Joining him on the programme this week is Dr Ian Crawford from Birkbeck College, University of London, who will be discussing the future of human space flight and what it holds now that the final shuttle missions are almost completed. Also on the show; we find out what daffodils are really made of and we visit the science museum where the orginal workshop of engineer James Watt is about to be opened to the public. Finally, the champion of science that makes us laugh and think Marc Abrahams, the creator of the Ig Nobel awards, is in the studio.
The producer is Ania Lichtarowicz.
THU 17:00 PM (b00z64v8)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00z5yb3)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 So Wrong It's Right (b00z5zy3)
Series 2
Episode 1
Charlie Brooker hosts the new comedy panel show celebrating one of Britain's favourite subjects - failure.
It's a game of competitive ineptitude, the aim of which is to come up with the wrongest answer to each question. In this episode, the guests joining him to try and out-wrong each other with their ideas and stories are comedians Mark Watson, Holly Walsh and Rufus Hound.
In this edition the panel's worst party experiences, iPhone apps and terrible boyband names all come under the 'wrong' spotlight - as well as the best ideas for the worst new TV soap. Will anyone beat Mark Watson's pitch - the eyeglass themed Opticians!
Rufus Hound also presents the comedy chat show My Teenage Diary for Radio 4 and is a team captain on the TV series Argumental. In 2010 he also won BBC1's Let's Dance for Sport Relief, with an unforgettable dancing impersonation of Cheryl Cole's Fight for This Love.
Holly Walsh is a comedy writer and performer with guest appearances on Radio 4's The Now Show and Act Your Age as well numerous guest appearances on TV shows including 8 Out of 10 Cats and Mock the Week.
Comedian Mark Watson is star of Radio 4's Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better and We Need Answers on BBC3 plus Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Comedy Rocks.
The host of So Wrong It's Right, Charlie Brooker, also presents BBC2's How TV Ruined Your Life, Channel 4's You Have Been Watching and 10 O'Clock Live - and writes for The Guardian. He won Columnist of the Year at the 2009 British Press Awards for his column, and Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards 2009.
Producer: Aled Evans
A Zeppotron Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b00z5zy5)
Annabelle's impressed by Lilian's expert knowledge on washing systems and roofs. Brian just sees it as a headache, having to go back to the architect for alterations. He's also convinced Matt and Lilian are getting inside information and believes it's one of two people - either Andrew Smith or Barbara Gladstone. It's quite useful tapping into Matt's know-how now and then though, so he just wants to nip things in the bud and warn Matt off by letting him know they know. As he doesn't rate Lilian's suggestion for the site manager job, he'll let it slip that he's already chosen who he wants and will feed each of his suspects a different name. Then if either name comes back through Lilian, they'll know who's been talking to Matt.
Pip's got her exam re-sit results. She's done really well, and David congratulates her.
Alistair takes samples from the sick cow. He can't say for sure until the test results are back early next week, but there's a chance this could be an indicator case for Johne's disease in the herd. He hopes he's wrong, so doesn't want David and Ruth to worry till they've got something to worry about.
THU 19:15 Front Row (b00z5zy7)
Alison Steadman and Hermione Norris in Blithe Spirit
Alison Steadman plays Noel Coward's eccentric medium Madam Arcati in a new production of Blithe Spirit, which also stars Hermione Norris. Thea Sharrock, best known for her production of Equus starring Daniel Radcliffe, directs. Peter Kemp has the first-night verdict.
American author Allegra Goodman talks to Kirsty about her best-selling new novel The Cookbook Collector, set in 1999 just before the dot com bubble burst, and featuring two sisters whose differing characters are inspired by Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.
Japanese author Haruki Murakami's acclaimed novel Norwegian Wood has been transformed into a film by Vietnamese director Anh Hung Tran (The Scent of Green Papaya, Cyclo). The story follows Toru Watanabe through his student days in the 1960s and explores loss, love and sexuality. Matt Thorne, author of Cherry and Eight Minutes Idle, reviews.
As two new operas based on classic children's literature receive their British premieres, Kirsty talks to the creative teams behind Fantastic Mr Fox and Cautionary Tales about making opera for children.
Producer Philippa Ritchie.
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00zd1c3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 Law in Action (b00z5fr4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Tuesday]
THU 20:30 The Bottom Line (b00z5zy9)
Slow Growth
The view from the top of business. Presented this week by Stephanie Flanders, 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.
This week, Stephanie's top executive guests hail from the worlds of mobile energy, sanitary fittings and business services. They discuss how businesses cope in a "slow growth" environment. Could years of slow growth be more challenging than a short sharp shock?
And not so long ago, the slow coach economy in Europe was Germany - now it's steaming ahead of everyone. What's gone right for Germany - and what lessons could other countries learn?
Stephanie is joined in the studio by Rupert Soames, chief executive of mobile energy group, Aggreko; Neal Gandhi, chief executive of international business services company Quickstart Global; David Haines, chief executive of German bathroom fittings company Grohe.
Producer: Caroline Bayley.
THU 21:00 Fingerprints on Trial (b00z5zyc)
When the American lawyer, Brandon Mayfield, was thrown in jail after the Madrid train bombings, the FBI said they were "100% certain" that his fingerprint was at the scene. Fingerprint examiners, one after the other, agreed with the identification and maintained that the prints were Mr Mayfield's.
But when the Spanish police named the real culprit, the world's leading law enforcement agency had to own up to a terrible mistake. The fingerprint experts had got it 100 per cent wrong.
After a century in which it has been accepted as the Gold Standard for forensic evidence, Claudia Hammond investigates the growing body of research that challenges the infallibility of fingerprint evidence. She talks to Brandon Mayfield himself and to critics who claim the UK has been slow to accept the urgent need for change. She hears about the Shirley Mckie case in Scotland, where a young detective was wrongly accused of leaving her prints at a crime scene and looks ahead to the forthcoming Scottish Fingerprint Inquiry into the Mckie case, due to report in a matter of weeks, which many believe could do for UK fingerprinting what the Mayfield case did for the USA.
Producer: Fiona Hill.
THU 21:30 In Our Time (b00z5y9z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 21:58 Weather (b00z5yb5)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b00z6f1s)
Radio 4's daily evening news and current affairs programme bringing you global news and analysis.
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00z5zyf)
Pigeon English
Episode 4
Newly arrived from Ghana, Harri is still trying to make sense of his new life in London. Not only does he have to work out how best to take fingerprints in the hunt for a murderer, but there is the strange matter of his mother's relationship with Julius and the need to understand the different rules that apply to having a girlfriend.
Written by Stephen Kelman.
Read by Jojo Baidoo.
Other voices are provided by Adjoa Andoh, Madeline Appiah, Amelia Donkor, Daniel Green, David Holt, Osy Ikhile and Robert Sparks.
Abridged by Jane Marshall
Producer: Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:00 It's Your Round (b00z5zyh)
Series 1
Episode 4
Angus Deayton hosts the comedy panel show with no format.
Russell Kane, Josie Long, Alun Cochrane and Milton Jones battle it out to see who can beat each other at their own games each has brought along.
How will they fare at Russell Kane's "Mood News" round? What superhero would Milton Jones like to be? And what is josie Long's "Nine Previous Convictions" all about? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this show.
Angus Deayton valiantly tries to make sure everyone comes out of it with their reputations intact.
Writers: Angus Deayton, Ged Parsons and Paul Powell
Devised by Benjamin Partridge
Producer: Sam Michell.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2011.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00z6f1v)
MPs step up the pressure on the Government to scrap an increase in fuel duty as the price of petrol continues to climb.
The calls come as speculation mounts that the 1p rise due in April will be dropped in this month's Budget.
There's a demand in the Commons for the number of ministers to be reduced.
And on the committee corridor, MPs question Lord Patten who is the Government's preferred candidate to become the next chairman of the BBC Trust.
Sean Curran and team report on today's events in Parliament.
FRIDAY 11 MARCH 2011
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b00z60xf)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b00z9pyn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00z60xh)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00z60xk)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00z60xm)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b00z60xp)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00z629v)
With the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b00z60xr)
70% of rural villages in Britain are without a local shop according to a new report by the charity Living Streets. The YouGov commissioned poll also found that nearly half of those who are over 55 live too far from their nearest GP's surgery to be able to walk there, and 58% are unable to walk to their nearest bank.
Also, the government is investing £860 million into renewable energy schemes to provide incentives for farmers to install anaerobic digesters. Charlotte Smith hears from the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change.
And in the UK we consume 18 kilogrammes of beef each year. Sarah Swadling meets a butcher and farmer near Exeter to hear which breeds they decide to raise for the best market.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Emma Weatherill.
FRI 06:00 Today (b00z6552)
Morning news and current affairs with John Humphrys and Sarah Montague, with the latest news on the massive earthquake to hit Japan, plus:
07:50 Is the Gaddafi regime willing to talk to rebels?
08:20 Should "three parent IVF" be allowed?
08:30 Historians and business leaders split on the AV vote.
FRI 09:00 The Reunion (b00z2sj6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b00z9pzr)
To Miss With Love
Episode 5
Written by Katharine Birbalsingh.
A third of teachers leave within their first term on the job. This one wouldn't quit for all the world.
Meet Furious - sixteen, handsome and completely out of control. Nothing frightens him and no one can get through to him. Now meet Munchkin - a sweet kid with glasses who's an easy target and needs protecting. Then there's Seething and Deranged, two girls who are brimming with bad attitude; Fifty and Cent, who act like gangsters but are afraid of getting beaten up; and Stoic, a brilliant young mind struggling to survive.
In the midst of them all, there is a bodyguard and bouncer, a counsellor and confidante, a young woman whose job it is to motivate and inspire them and somehow keep them out of trouble: their teacher. None will make it through the year unscathed. Some may not even make it at all.
Spanning a year of shocking truths and hard-won victories, of fights and phone-thefts, teenage pregnancies and the dreaded OFSTED report, this is the remarkable diary of an inner-city school teacher. Revealing the extraordinary chaos, mismanagement and wrong-thinking that plague our education system, it is a funny, surprising and sometimes heartbreaking journey from the frontlines of the classroom to the heart of modern Britain.
Katharine Birbalsingh has been teaching in the state school system in London for over a decade. Her dream is for all schools to become interesting and exciting places of learning, where children feel safe, happy and free to aim to be the best that they can be.
Read by Adjoa Andoh
Produced by Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00z629x)
Presented by Jenni Murray. Live broadcast from the Women of the World festival with an audience at London's Southbank Centre. In a week that's marked a hundred years of International Women's Day, we talk to Jyoti Mhapsekar about her work with women rag-pickers in Mumbai. In celebration of women, Kate Nash sings live and Hollie McNish gives a debut performance of a poem inspired by WOW. Essex girl Syd Moore and comedian Shaista Aziz explore myths behind female stereotypes. As one survey shows only one in five women describing themselves as feminists, we ask what's the implication for the future of feminism.
FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00zd36l)
A Domestic
Without Prejudice
by Peter Jukes
A Cleaner hears everything, sees everything, and yet no one pays her any attention. As Olivier and Kim's marriage falters, Mariola sees signs and clues everywhere. Money hidden in a shoebox. A shot gun in the cellar. But to what extent is she watching the breakup, and to what extent precipitating it? And how far will Mariola go to recover the family she has lost? To the brink of madness or a tragic crime?
*******************************************************
Episode 5: Without Prejudice
Sacked by her two warring bosses, Mariola explains to her interrogator the final twists and turns of the domestic break up, and her final violent role in its denouement
Mariola ..... Lydia Leonard
Olivier .....Neil Stuke
Karen ..... Clare Lawrence-Moody
Dr Kevin Rorty ..... Sean Baker
Anna ..... Christine Kavanagh
Elena ..... Sally Orrock
Russell ....Deeivya Meir
Other parts played by Lloyd Thomas
Directed by Peter Kavanagh.
FRI 11:00 Hardeep Singh Kohli's Alternative Census (b00z61qt)
Episode 3
In the last programme in this series, Hardeep Singh Kohli travels to Merthyr Tydfil, Christchurch and Brighton to try out his own version of the census. Combining some of the questions from the official census, and some of his own, his aim is to engage householders in an intimate conversation about who they are and what matters to them most.
Exploring themes of identity, health and religion, Hardeep speaks to an elderly woman who is the full time carer for her son, a retired woman living in 'Gods waiting room' and an unemployed man who talks of his approach to prayer and faith.
With questions that range from the intimate to the irreverent, from the factual to the emotional, Hardeep Singh Kohli explores the parts of our lives that box-checking and number counting don't allow for, uncovering the individual, everyday experiences of people across the country.
Producer: Katie Burningham
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 11:30 Spread a Little Happiness (b00z60xt)
Series 2
An Inspector Calls
The arrival of a restaurant reviewer from a posh magazine puts Hope in a spin. Debra Stevenson and Nicola Duffet star in John Godber and Jane Thornton's comedy set in a sandwich bar in Beverley, near Hull.
Cast:
Hope ..... Debra Stevenson
Maria ..... Nicola Duffett
Dave ..... Neil Dudgeon
Mam ...... Anne Reid
Ray ..... Shaun Prendergast
Gavin ..... Ralph Brown
Jenny ..... Sarah Moyle
Anita ..... Sherry Baines
Carrie ..... Elizabeth Godber
Eve ..... Helen Longworth
Bob ..... Ben Crowe
Monty ..... Stephen Critchlow
Blinds man ..... James Weaver
'Spread A Little Happiness' is sung by Debra Stevenson.
Producer/Director: Chris Wallis
An Autolycus production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b00z6f30)
Why a decision by a major global publisher to limit the number of times libraries in the US can lend out ebooks is concerning UK librarians.
The young football fan who's received a refund on his replica shirt after suing his club.
And Ruth Watson, the Hotel Inspector, is back with a new series of Country House Rescue and she's on a mission to save our country piles from ruin, one reluctant owner at a time. Peter talks to her about why we're still obsessed with how the other half lives and how Britain's hotels can improve.
The presenter is Peter White. The producer is Kathryn Takatsuki.
FRI 12:57 Weather (b00z60xw)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b00z6f32)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4. Sixty minutes of intelligent analysis, comment and interviews. To share your views email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b00z5zy5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b00z62b1)
Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster
Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster is an elegy to the young gap-year student who was attacked in Stubbeylee Park, Bacup, Lancashire. She later died on August 24th 2007. This is an elegy to mark the anniversary of her death, four years later. Aged twenty, Sophie suffered fatal injuries while cradling her boyfriend Rob's head in an attempt to protect him from a ferocious attack by a group of youths. Rob survived but Sophie went into a coma and never recovered.
Sophie was an intelligent bookish child who showed signs of wanting to be different from an early age. Political, vegetarian, a pacifist, Sophie had left school with A levels and was thinking about what to do with her future when it was taken so brutally from her.
Sophie and Rob dressed in a unique way, expressing their individuality as creative artistic people through goth-style clothes, piercings and make-up, which provoked the fatal attack in the early hours of that Saturday morning. Sophie had been dating Rob Maltby, a 21-year-old art student for three years.
I didn't do sport.
I didn't do meat.
Don't ask me to wear that dress:
I shan't.
Why ask me to toe the line,
I can't.
I was slight or small
but never petite,
and nobody's fool;
no Barbie doll;
no girlie girl.
I was lean and sharp,
not an ounce of fat
on my thoughts or my limbs.
In my difficult teens
I was strange, I was odd,
- aren't we all -
there was something different down at the core.
Boy bands and pop tarts left me cold,
let's say
that I marched to the beat
of a different drum,
sang another tune,
wandered at will
through the market stalls
humming protest songs.
I wore studded dog leads
around my wrist,
and was pleased as punch
in the pit, at the gig,
to be singled out
by a shooting star
of saliva from Marilyn Manson's lips.
But for all that stuff
in many ways an old fashioned soul,
quite at home
in my own front room,
on my own settee.
I read, I wrote,
I painted, I drew.
Where it came from
no one knows
but it flowed. It flowed.
Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster is a drama documentary in which Sophie tells her own story through a series of poignant poems written by the award-winning poet Simon Armitage alongside her mother, Sylvia Lancaster remembering her daughter's shortened life.
Black Roses : The Killing of Sophie Lancaster written by Simon Armitage with an interview with Sylvia Lancaster
Cast :
SOPHIE ...........Rachel Austin
Produced in Manchester by Susan Roberts.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b00z61qw)
Cuddington, Buckinghamshire
Eric Robson is joined by Matthew Wilson, Pippa Greenwood and Matthew Biggs in Cuddington, Buckinghamshire.
Anne Swithinbank presents the Pruning A Banksia Rose Rulebook.
Produced by Lucy Dichmont
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 15:45 The Generation Gap (b00z61qy)
Series 6: Roads
HGV Drivers
The Woodall family have been running their road haulage business near Birmingham since the 1930s. It has grown from a one-man truck driving operation to a company employing long and short haul lorry drivers. It has gone from transporting Dunlop tyres to carrying palettes of all manner of things.
John Woodall started driving for his father in the 1960s when the roads were very different - now traffic jams and fuel efficiency are part of the transport business. John compares what it was like when he started as a truck driver to the experiences of a present day driver - Andy Anderson, who now trains other drivers in safe and efficient trucking, including fuel conservation and tighter legislation.
Reporter: Sara Parker
Producer: Laura Parfitt
A Juniper production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b00z6f34)
Cyril Stein, Alberto Granado, Rachel Cameron and Anthony Brooke
Matthew Bannister remembers:
Cyril Stein, who built up Ladbrokes from one betting shop to a multi-billion pound business.
Alberto Granado who travelled with Che Guevara on his famous motorcycle journey across South America.
Rachel Cameron - doyen of ballet teachers - who passed on the ideas of Diaghilev.
Necmettin Erbakan, Turkey's first Islamist prime minister.
And the last white Rajah of Sarawak - Anthony Brooke.
FRI 16:30 The Film Programme (b00z62g9)
Francine Stock meets with Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, the writers behind Fair Game, a political thriller starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts.
Star Wars super-fan Jamie Benning explains why he has spent four years making three unofficial documentaries about the initial trilogy.
Lesley Manville dissects her performance in Mike Leigh's Another Year, now out on DVD.
Director Anh Hung Tran discusses his adaptation of Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood.
Staff Benda Bilili are a collection of disabled musicians who have been propelled from the streets of Kinshasa to international acclaim thanks to a new documentary. Its co-director Renaurd Barret explains all.
Producer: Craig Smith.
FRI 17:00 PM (b00z6637)
Carolyn Quinn brings you the top stories of the day. Including Weather.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00z60xy)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The Now Show (b00z62gc)
Series 33
Census and sensibility, with Jan Ravens
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis slog through their census forms; Jon Holmes gets his pips in a twist; Mitch Benn ponders trial by tabloid; guest stand-up Henning Wehn struggles to be modest and impressionist Jan Ravens brings Anne Robinson, Janet Street-Porter and Sarah Palin along to the party.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b00z62nl)
Tony wonders if Henry will want to be a farmer. Helen shows Peggy round Henry's room, and Peggy tells Helen about Elona, the new care assistant who seems to have brightened Jack up. She's become a real treasure.
Freddie sees Topper being taken away, and shouts at Elizabeth that he hates her. Lily tells him it's not mummy's fault, it's daddy's. Jill insists on taking the children straight to school. Elizabeth blames herself for not being more careful and for not giving Freddie enough time to say goodbye. Elizabeth becomes breathless and realises she needs an ambulance.
As the paramedics get Elizabeth into the ambulance, Jill explains that Elizabeth was born with a hole in the heart. Elizabeth insists it's not a heart attack but begs the paramedics to help her. She can't leave her children alone.
David drives Jill to the hospital. At A&E, the receptionist directs them to the resuscitation area, and David anxiously asks for assurance that Elizabeth's going to be all right.
FRI 19:15 Front Row (b00z62nn)
William Ivory on Women in Love; Baaba Maal
William Ivory, screenplay writer of Made In Dagenham, talks about adapting the DH Lawrence classics Women in Love and The Rainbow, into a two-part television drama starring Rosamund Pike and Rory Kinnear.
You can now play a part in famous Hollywood films - or at least re-enact scenes using a new computer game. Comedian David Schneider accepts the challenge to join Kirsty on screen in The Wizard of Oz, Star Trek and The Blues Brothers, and reviews the experience.
Alone in Berlin, Hans Fallada's 1947 German novel based on the true story of a couple who mounted a resistance campaign against the Nazis, became a surprise bestseller when it was published in Britain just two years ago. Now it's being reprinted in Germany for the first time in 60 years and the publishers have discovered a previously unprinted chapter which shifts the emphasis of the book and depicts the central couple as considerably less heroic. Kirsty talks to Adam Freudenheim, Head of Penguin Classics, who was responsible for publishing the book in English and asks how the newly discovered chapter changes our perception of the story.
Senegalese singer Baaba Maal and playwright Kwame Kwei-Amah discuss their UK concert series Tales from the Sahel - evenings of music and conversation about the power of music to shape history in Africa.
Producer: Claire Bartleet.
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00zd36l)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b00z62nq)
Jonathan Dimbleby chairs the topical debate from Teignmouth Science Festival in Devon, with questions for the panel including Justice Secretary Ken Clarke, former Labour minister Ben Bradshaw, property expert and TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp and Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror Associate Editor.
Producer: Victoria Wakely.
FRI 20:50 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00z62ns)
Series 2
Foreign Fare
We sometimes forget that vegetables that we see as common-place today in all their varieties have wild origins.
The potato for example is a name given to a tuber that both comes from Africa and South America - and the history of their discovery and export into our European markets can be traced by examining how those first explorers named the plants.
Sir David Attenborough traces the discovery of some common vegetables to their wild beginnings - and the fascinating natural history of their use as food.
Producer: Julian Hector
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2011.
FRI 21:00 Friday Drama (b00z62nv)
Direct Red
How does it feel to hold someone's heart in your hands? How do you tell a young patient that he's dying? What do you do when, on a quiet ward in the middle of the night, a patient you've grown close to invites you into his bed? This vivid portrayal of the day-to-day life of young female surgeon, and the medical and moral dilemmas she faces, is based on the memoir by Gabriel Weston. One of few women in an alpha male world, she finds herself continually questioning where a doctor should draw the line between being detached and being human. And it's the conflict between these opposing forces - the personal and professional - that lies at the heart of this powerful play, which has been adapted for radio by Tina Pepler.
A BBC/Cymru Wales production, directed by Kate McAll.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b00z60y0)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b00z62zr)
A special programme on the earthquake and tsunami which have devastated north-east Japan
with Robin Lustig.
FRI 23:00 Book at Bedtime (b00z62zt)
Pigeon English
Episode 5
Today is carnival and Harri has a holiday from his troubles but it is short-lived. He is worrying about his sister lying to him and the Dell Farm Crew have set him a new initiation test ... but when he realises what they want him to do he wants no part of it.
Written by Stephen Kelman.
Read by Jojo Baidoo.
Other voices are provided by Adjoa Andoh, Madeline Appiah, Amelia Donkor, Daniel Green, David Holt, Osy Ikhile and Robert Sparks.
Abridged by Jane Marshall
Producer: Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 23:15 Afternoon Reading (b00lgg90)
Mick Jackson - Bears of England
Sewer Bears
Series of three eccentric stories by Mick Jackson, which mix fantasy with folk tale and myth with history.
For many years in the 19th century, several dozen bears were held in London's sewers, where they served as the city's unpaid flushers and toshers.
Read by Ian Holm.
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00z62zw)
News from Westminster.