The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
In 1997 Margaret Thatcher invited Charles Moore to write her biography on the understanding that it would not be published until after her death. This is the first volume of his meticulously researched portrait of the former Prime Minster. The reader is Nicholas Farrell.
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Revd Dr Peter McGrail of Liverpool Hope University.
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
The image of a keeper leading a pony off a heather-clad hill, a deer carcass slung across its back, may sound like something from a Landseer painting, but in 21st century Scotland, Highland ponies - or garrons - are still a valued part of the deer stalking business.
Helen Mark visits the Reay Forest estate in Sutherland to find out what ponies can offer which even the toughest off-road vehicle cannot. Garrons were a fixture of most estates until the 1970s, when in many places they were deemed to be part of the past. Some estates, though, kept garrons for use in the most inaccessible corners of their land, and they are now being adopted for the first time by some estates which have come to see the value of these hardy creatures. Helen hears how the garron is part of the Highland landscape not just for sentimental reasons, creating continuity with the past, but for sound economic and practical purposes too.
Charlotte Smith finds out what it takes to grow the perfect grass needed for seed production, in Suffolk. Bad weather over the last year has not only made it tougher for farmers to grow seed crops, it's put the demand for seeds wildly out of kilter. As the European Commission prepares to confirm its plans for tightening the regulation of seeds, Charlotte learns about the current UK certification process. Anna Hill hears claims that these new proposals could threaten seed banks holding rare and old varieties, and could end seed sharing.
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Thought for the Day, Weather.
Dame Evelyn Glennie; Monty Don; Steve Hackett's Inheritance Tracks; Beth Reekles; Sara Wheeler in Dundee
Sian Williams & JP Devlin with Dame Evelyn Glennie, teenage novelist Beth Reekles and her mum Claire, and snooker player Katie Henrick. Gardener Monty Don takes a Daytrip to the Courtauld Institute in London to look at Cezanne's Mont Sainte-Victoire; travel writer Sara Wheeler explores Dundee; son of Skegness Mark Johnson explains how he became the voice of the Kentucky Derby; & Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett shares his Inheritance Tracks.
What was the impact and legacy of the BBC’s popular current affairs programme that launched Sue Lawley’s TV career, and spawned the birth of TV consumer journalism?
Series in which Paul Jackson celebrates innovative TV programmes, whilst using them as a window on a particular period in our cultural and social history.
Paul talks to Nationwide’s first presenter, Michael Barratt and the first director, Keith Clement, who recall the early technical mishaps which threatened to take it off air. The BBC circuit system wasn’t quite up to speed with the technical ambition of the programme. When linking to Glasgow, viewers would see wavy lines and hear technical clunks. But within six months, and ever increasing audience numbers, the programme found its feet.
Popular across the nation because of its inclusion of the regions, Sue Lawley explains its success. She also recalls THAT interview with Mrs Thatcher when housewife, Mrs Diana Gould persisted in questioning the prime minister on the decision to sink Argentinian war ship, Belgrano when it 'was sailing away' during the Falklands War.
Steve Richards of The Independent reports as the main political parties get a big fright from UKIP. And what's it like to write a political biography? Authorised or otherwise!
Reporters' stories from around the world: why Rupert Wingfield Hayes believes North Korea's recent sabre-rattling speaks not of a regime that is strong and confident but one that is weak and scared, of the outside world and increasingly of its own people too. Emilie Filou accompanies the fly-catchers of Burkina Faso as they test an old legend - 'if you live too close to the river, it will eat your eyes!' Mexico's latest political scandal unfolds in a restaurant over the road from the BBC office - Will Grant's handily placed then to reveal all. 'A kind of hell' - Darius Bazargan finds out why heroin addiction's spreading through Afghani society and James Harkin's been on Turkey's border with Syria and tells a tale of the actress who couldn't stop crying and the boy who's made friends with a turtle.
The Financial Conduct Authority's first major piece of work finds that 2.6 million people have interest only mortgages and around half will not have enough to pay them off. The average shortfall is £71,850 - compared with the £22,100 the average borrowers expect to have to find. The FCA Chief Executive Martin Wheatley tells Money Box that lenders should be helpful to those who cannot pay off the loan. But it may not be that simple. We talk to borrowers who face losing their home. And ask the Council for Mortgage Lenders what its members really will do to help.
Peer to peer lending has just got a little bit safer. And we have a peer to peer debate between the biggest peer to peer arranger, Zopa, and the man who runs the p2p comparison site. They will discuss Zopa's new safeguard - which is not a guarantee, not a promise, not insurance but a system to sort of try to make sure that when someone you lend money to defaults you will get all, or most, or at worst some of your money back.
All energy companies will have to re-introduce a standing charge in the near future. Some have already. And already that has led to big percentage rises in the fuel bills of low users. Ofgem explains its policy to reintroduce them live on Money Box. A critic calls for safeguards.
A satirical review of the week's news, chaired by Sandi Toksvig. With Jeremy Hardy, Katy Brand, Fred Macaulay and Humphrey Ker.
Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate from the Radio Theatre at Broadcasting House, London, with Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper MP, Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Oakeshott, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling MP and Steve Crowther the Executive Chairman of UKIP.
Listeners' calls and emails in response to this week's edition of Any Questions?
"Hello! We've met before ... Yes. I am sure.
Positive. About ten years ago."
Stuart's right. We have met before, and his
both loved. We now have the chance to pick up
All those years ago, the feckless and witty Oliver betrayed his life-long friendship with Stuart, wrecked his marriage, stole Gillian his wife and then moved to France. There, in an attempt to ease Stuart's misery and her own conscience Gillian staged a violent incident calculated to convince Stuart that her marriage to Oliver is a disaster.
But now Oliver and Gillian are back in London and have two daughters. There isn't much money but they are happily jogging along when Stuart, now a successful entrepreneur with an unsuccessful marriage behind him, suddenly returns from the USA, re-enters their lives and life begins to take an unexpected turn for all of them.
Julian Barnes's characters are always both believable and beautifully observed. The Sense of An Ending, winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize, and Levels Of Life, a semi-biographical book about his wife Pat Kavanagh's death, join his collection of work which has been translated into more than thirty languages.
Julia Stoneham has many radio plays to her name. Her trilogy of books about the Land Army Girls which was originally broadcast on Radio 4 as The Cinderella Service is now published and she is at present working on another novel.
Mention his name and images flicker of dwarves, flying maidens, magic swords and bronze breast-plates, all of it served in vast portions to test stamina of audience and singers alike. But what's really going on in Wagner?
200 years after the composer's birth, Paul Mason takes a fresh look at the man whose music has gripped him for as long as he can remember. The megalithic 15 hours of The Ring cycle dominate our view of Wagner, but behind it lies a man whose complex personality leaves us still struggling to understand him. He was a revolutionary, not just in music but also in politics, even finding himself a wanted man in exile. He was determined to transform drama into something which would be a powerful force in society, and a man driven by ambition to revitalise a Germany which he saw as critically unwell. And there were the darker instincts, not least an attitude to racial purity which leaves deep questions about his validity as an artist.
In the first of two programmes, Mason peers into the murky depths of a tale of desire and obsession. 'Tristan and Isolde' takes us deep into the mind of its composer, a man with powerful sexual urges of his own, and whose approach to life was totally reshaped by his discovery of one of the greatest philosophers of his age.
We hear from those who have sung and studied the work, and also a man so captivated by the power of opera, and Wagner in particular, that he built his own opera house in which to stage these giant and ever-challenging works.
Harmony from three sisters - The Staves perform. A blogger talks about her experience of 'fat-shaming' and how she's been subjected to verbal abuse in public. Britain's first female professional boxing coach on her hopes for her young fighters. Writer Sarah Dunant discusses the impact of the Borgias on history and their predilection for murder and intrigue. The online petition to keep women on our fivers. How the sisterhood is being divided by a new breed of elite 'XX Factor' women, according to Professor Alison Wolf. Teenagers taking a stand, here and in the US.
Jack Jones, Julie Burchill, Gloria Hunniford, Peter Culshaw, Primal Scream, Birds of Chicago
This week Clive Anderson dreams The Impossible Dream with double Grammy Award winning, legendary crooner Jack Jones. He tells Clive about his career as a pop and swing singer in the 60's and why he's saying goodbye to the UK with his 'Jack Jones Farewell UK Tour'. It starts on 12th May at National Concert Hall Dublin and ends on Sunday 2nd June at The Kings Theatre, Southsea.
Clive has a Sugar Rush with journalist, author and self-declared 'militant feminist' Julie Burchill. In 1989, Julie first penned the the 1980s-defining blockbuster 'Ambition'; a novel where no taboo is left unbroken, no fantasy left unfulfilled in a shocking exposé of the lengths to which one woman will go to become editor of the UK's bestselling tabloid.
Jo Bunting has a clandestine chat with music and arts broadcaster Peter Culshaw. Peter's written the biography of Manu Chao, the Che Guevara of world music, who once toured Colombia by train with a circus troupe, negotiating with government troops, rebels and narcotrificantes along the way. 'Clandestino: In Search of Manu Chao' is the story of one of the world's most elusive stars.
Clive's star-gazing with broadcaster Gloria Hunniford, who's organised an event celebrating musical theatre at London's Royal Albert Hall. This annual star-studded benefit for The Caron Keating Foundation helps people and families affected by cancer. 'The Night of 1000 Stars' is on Sunday 5th May at
With music from the Scream Team! Scottish rockers Primal Scream perform 'It's Alright, It's OK' from their album 'More Light.'
And Birds of Chicago bounce into the studio to perform 'Trampoline' from their album 'Birds of Chicago'
As she wages war against tax avoidance, Margaret Hodge - Chair of the Public Accounts Committee - is enjoying a blazing Indian summer in her political life. As Edward Stourton discovers, her political journey is set against the background of a turbulent personal life that began as the daughter of Jewish refugees in Egypt.
Pedro Almodovar's new film I'm So Excited! is a sky-high romp with The Pointer Sisters on the soundtrack but its plane stuck in mid-air is also a metaphor for Spain caught in economic crisis.
Richard Eyre's production of The Pajama Game comes to Chichester with Joanna Riding and Hadley Fraser; a triumph on Broadway in 1954, the film version with Doris Day wasn't a critical success. Can a musical based on industrial relations in a nightwear factory prove zingy and uplifting?
Lionel Shriver has turned her attention to obesity in the West in Big Brother. It's the story of a woman who tries to save her overweight brother from his own path of self-destruction.
The first major solo exhibition in the UK of US artist Ellen Gallagher's work, Ellen Gallagher: AxME, opens at Tate Modern, featuring funny and challenging images from black cultural history.
And US series Hannibal, created by Bryan Fuller, is about to begin on Sky Living... Hannibal Lecter is back. Fuller says the violence in the show is deliberately heightened and unreal - but will audiences be ready for it?
Novelist Malorie Blackman, writer Stephanie Merritt and priest and journalist Giles Fraser join Tom Sutcliffe.
Seventy years ago the psychoanalyst and parenting expert Donald Winnicott first broadcast his idea of the 'good-enough mother'; the mother who wasn't perfect and was free, to some extent, to fail. From 1943-1962 he gave some 50 BBC broadcasts. Aimed directly at mothers, they had a profound impact on popular ideas about motherhood. Winnicott's pioneering talks came after the rigid, traumatising regime advocated by Frederick Truby-King - babies fed every four hours, left uncuddled in prams outdoors. Anne argues Truby-King is the spiritual father of the much discussed contemporary ideas of Gina Ford, of Supernanny and the naughty step.
By contrast, Winnicott believed that "It is when a mother trusts her judgement that she is at her best." In his work he took the radical step of talking to mothers directly through the radio.
Winnicott explained a baby's development in vivid, non-clinical language; he avoided exciting guilt or anxiety in 'the ordinary devoted mother' without access to help or therapy. He broadcast anonymously but received sacks of letters. When his talks were published, they sold over 50,000 copies, and influenced Dr Spock.
Winnicott invented a new language in which to talk about babies and with the help of the BBC he created a new way to talk to parents about parenting. His broadcasts touched on many subjects: stepparents, saying no, feeling guilty, the development of a child's sense of right and wrong, why babies cry, weaning, the baby as a person, and what we mean by a normal child.
His brilliance was to build up mothers by breaking down the idea of motherhood. By unburdening women of inherited notions of perfection he helped them to become better mothers. He argued that failing was in fact a necessary part of parenting, and through the failure of the parent the child realises the limits of its own power and the reality of an imperfect world. And he questioned the assumption that professionals always new better and broke taboos about parenting.
With a proliferation of parenting manuals and TV shows today, Winnicott's message seems to have been lost. Many parents and in particular mothers still feel guilty about not living up to an ideal for their children. Anne Karpf is argues that today mothers need Winnicott more than they ever did.
A gripping tale of love, war and divided loyalties with Scotland in open rebellion against the Union with England.
It's 1745 and 21year old Edward Waverley, a newly commissioned red-coat officer, is posted to Scotland on the eve of Bonnie Prince Charlie's violent bid for power. His father is a rising minister in the ruling Hanoverian state, but the beloved Uncle who brought him up is an old Jacobite, loyal to the exiled Stewart dynasty.
Waverley falls in love with two very different Scottish girls - the cautious, loyalist, lowlander Rose Bradwardine, and the fiery highland rebel Flora. He goes AWOL for Flora just as her brother Fergus is rallying their clan to fight for Charlie.
When Waverley is accused by his Commanding Officer of a treasonable flirtation with the enemy, he joins the uprising in a fit of pique and helps defeat an English army at the battle of Prestonpans.
When he finds out that he has caused the arrest of Uncle, he returns to London to try to clear his name.
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.
Novelist James Friel, author of "The Posthumous Affair", defends the value and virtues of the single life against the widespread cultural view that being in a couple is a superior state of being.
Four Thought is a series of talks offering a personal viewpoint recorded in front of an audience at the RSA in London.
In Search of the British Dream travels from the cramped sitting rooms of poor illegal migrants to the plush London homes of the global elite, including a Saudi princess and the son of a Russian billionaire.
There are now 7.5 million foreign-born people in the UK. Almost three million have come in the last 10 years. One in eight people in England and Wales were born abroad - the same ratio as in the land built on immigration, the United States.
In part two of the series, Mukul Devichand asks newcomers sometimes difficult questions about fitting in. Do people chose to remain apart, or is Britain an easy place to make local friends? Is there still racism on British streets? Are people able to just be themselves -- and should they be?
Mukul Devichand was born in a Welsh town as the son of Indian migrants and has explored migration issues around the world for the BBC.
A lively and funny quiz show, hosted by Steve Punt, where a team of three University students take on a team of three of their professors.
Coming this week from the University of Leeds, the specialist subjects are Civil Engineering, Popular Music Studies and Psychology, with questions ranging from dada and Dylan, to concrete and cogwheels - via penguins and postage stamps.
The rounds vary between Specialist Subjects and General Knowledge, quickfire bell-and-buzzer rounds, and the 'Highbrow and 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 One Direction.
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.
The host Steve Punt, although best known as a satirist on The Now Show, is also someone who delights in all facets of knowledge, not just in the Humanities (his educational background) but in the sciences as well. He has made a number of documentaries for Radio 4, on subjects as varied as "The Poet Unwound - The History Of The Spleen" and "Getting The Gongs" (an investigation into awards ceremonies), as well as a comedy for Radio 4's Big Bang Day set in the Large Hadron Collider, called "The Genuine Particle".
Roger McGough presents the first in a new series of poems requested by listeners, with an edition that dares to walk on the wilder side, focusing on feelings other than those that relate to love. If the emotions felt in a single day were mapped across a life, what would be encountered? We hear poems that touch upon darker feelings, such as hatred, shame and remembrance.
Joined by the actors Patrick Romer, Kate Littlewood and Alun Raglan, Roger introduces poems by the likes of the footloose Verlaine, some sharply observed gems by Emily Dickinson, a dark poem about shame by the American poet Richard Wilbur, and a lament that conjures up powerful suburban frustrations, written by the Bristol-based poet and novelist, Helen Dunmore.
SUNDAY 05 MAY 2013
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (b01s7s55)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
SUN 00:30 Brief Sparks (b01946nz)
The Snobs
Muriel Spark had one of the most distinctive voices in twentieth-century writing, was capable of incisive and darkly-comic observation, and won prizes for her writing across the World.
Spark worked as a novelist, dramatist and children's author, but it is perhaps her short stories that best exemplify her sharp eye and beautifully-crafted work, where she coolly probes the idiosyncrasies that lurk beneath veneer of human respectability. The three stories in this series include the darkly funny 'Ladies and Gentlemen', which contrasts well with the wry humour of social comedy 'Snobs' and the sharp satire of class, aspiration and phobia in 'You Should Have Seen the Mess'.
The series begins with Patricia Hodge reading 'The Snobs', a deliciously acerbic and witty dissection of snobbery, insensitivity and social climbing.
Producer: David Roper
A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b01s7s57)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b01s7s59)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at
5.20am.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b01s7s5c)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (b01s7s5f)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (b01s7vtk)
The bells of All Saints Church in Worcester.
SUN 05:45 Profile (b01s7tqc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 News Headlines (b01s7s5h)
The latest national and international news.
SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b01s7vtm)
Debt
Ever since the current financial crisis started back in 2007, debt has been on everybody's mind.
Much of the discussion in the media has been about economics and ways to alleviate the crisis. What about the moral questions debt raises?
Mark Tully discusses our social and philosophical attitudes to the problem of debt and talks to financial educator and broadcaster Alvin Hall.
There are readings from Dickens, Shakespeare and the poet Kathleen Raine and music by composers ranging from Handel to Jocelyn Pook. The readers are Harriet Walter and Tim Pigott-Smith.
Produced by: Frank Stirling
A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 06:35 Living World (b01s7vtp)
Dawn Chorus Day
May 5th is International Dawn Chorus day and to celebrate this worldwide event presenter Trai Anfield heads to the Coombes Valley near Leek in Staffordshire to experience the emulsion of sound of a dawn chorus there.
Well before dawn, for this special Living World, Trai Anfield meets up with Jarrod Sneyd from the RSPB. Here standing in oak woodland their sense of anticipation rises as with the first shimmers of light breaking the eastern horizon, the first pipings of the thrush family begin to break the silence. Slowly and imperceptibly more birds and different species join the awakening woods, the warblers, flycatchers and redstarts are then followed by the seed eaters until, soon after sunrise, the wood is alive with nature's choral sound. Can there be any better way to celebrate the arrival of spring.
During the morning Trai discovers what birds are actually doing at dawn and why this is a special time of year. She also discovers that there is a dusk chorus, no less spectacular, but with increased ambient sounds in the evening, this is an event that is often overlooked. Sadly and all too soon, the dawn chorus in this little corner of England begins to wane and the countryside reverts to background ambient sound as those songsters head off to forage in the woods. Likewise Trai packs up her microphone and heads off for a breakfast with the memory of that sound still fresh in her memory.
SUN 06:57 Weather (b01s7s5k)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (b01s7s5m)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (b01s7vtr)
Australia's newest political party led by an evangelical Christian immigrant is calling for a limit to Muslim immigration. The Rise Up! Australia Party, is led by Daniel Nalliah, a migrant from Sri Lanka. Phil Mercer reports from Melbourne.
A recent poll of religious opinion on the legalisation of assisted dying suggests that a majority of people who follow a religious faith put the 'right to choose' ahead of the sanctity of life. Where does this leave those fighting against changes to the law? We talk to professor of palliative medicine Baroness Ilora Finlay.
Edward Stourton has been out and about in the graveyards of London with Peter Stanford author of the new book 'How to Read a Graveyard'.
Does restorative justice work and if so when should it be used? In a week where a freedom of information request by the Labour Party led to the claim that up to 10,000 serious crimes are dealt with by restorative justice we explore its history.
"I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts"? "Livin' on a Prayer"? Not what you normally expect to hear from the organist in Church on Sunday but a survey by Christian Research says that at least half of churchgoers have noticed their organist straying from the music in an act of subtle revenge on clerics who have displeased them or simply to amuse congregations. Edward visits St Ann's in Manchester to hear more.
The Archbishop's report into the abuse of children in the Anglican diocese of Chichester concluded this week. To discuss where this leaves both the Diocese of Chichester and the national church we are joined by Bishop John Gladwin one of the two Commissaries of the report and Anne Lawrence, practising barrister and Former Chair of Minster and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors (MACSAS).
SUN 07:55 Radio 4 Appeal (b01s7vtt)
Retrak
James McAvoy presents the Radio 4 Appeal for Retrak.
Reg Charity:1122799
To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal, mark the back of the envelope Retrak.
SUN 07:57 Weather (b01s7s5p)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (b01s7s5r)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (b01s7vtw)
Fr Aidan Rossiter CJ is the celebrant and preacher at this Mass for the 6th Sunday of Easter with the Chamber Choir of St George's College Weybridge - BBC Songs of Praise Senior School Choir of the Year 2012. Live from St George's College. Director of Music: Tansy Castledine. Organist: Daniel Phillips. Producer: Philip Billson.
SUN 08:50 A Point of View (b01s4vfs)
The Limits of Materialism
John Gray draws on a story by Walter de la Mare to argue that the prevailing creed of scientific materialism is a "simple minded philosophy", preferring de la Mare's unsettling portrayal of everyday existence as insubstantial and unknowable. "Even if there are such things as laws of nature, there's no reason to think they must be accessible to the human mind."
Producer: Sheila Cook.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (b01s7vty)
Sunday morning magazine programme.
SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (b01s7vzv)
For detailed synopses, see daily episodes
Writer ..... Simon Frith
Director ..... Rosemary Watts
Editor ..... Vanessa Whitburn
Alistair Lloyd ..... Michael Lumsden
David Archer ..... Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer ..... Felicity Finch
Pip Archer ..... Helen Monks
Josh Archer ..... Cian Cheesbrough
Tony Archer ..... Colin Skipp
Pat Archer ..... Patricia Gallimore
Helen Archer ..... Louiza Patikas
Tom Archer ..... Tom Graham
Jennifer Aldridge ..... Angela Piper
Matt Crawford ..... Kim Durham
Lilian Bellamy ..... Sunny Ormonde
Christine Barford ..... Lesley Saweard
Clarrie Grundy ..... Heather Bell
Nic Grundy ..... Becky Wright
Neil Carter ..... Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter ..... Charlotte Martin
Brenda Tucker ..... Amy Shindler
Lynda Snell ..... Carole Boyd
Kirsty Miller ..... Annabelle Dowler
Paul Morgan ..... Michael Fenton Stephens
Darrell Makepeace ..... Dan Hagley
Elona Makepeace ..... Eri Shuka
Charlie Morgan..... Ben Caplan.
SUN 11:15 The Reunion (b01s7vzx)
The Hutton Inquiry
On 29 May 2003, the Today programme broadcast a report criticising the government's use of intelligence in the lead up to war with Iraq.
At the heart of the report was the allegation that Number 10 had "sexed up" an intelligence dossier to make a more convincing case for war. More specifically, that the government probably knew that one of the key claims in the dossier was wrong before they put it in: the claim that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction that could be "ready within 45 minutes of an order to use them".
The government, and specifically Director of Communications, Alastair Campbell, were furious. The row that followed was one of the bitterest in BBC history, and was fuelled in part by the death of the story's source, government scientist, David Kelly. The Hutton Inquiry was set up to establish what went wrong and exposed the inner workings of the BBC, secret services, civil service and government machinery. Its findings, when published in January 2004, caused reverberations throughout the British establishment.
Sue MacGregor reunites some of the people who were caught up in that row: Andrew Gilligan, the Today programme reporter whose broadcast was the cause of the argument; Geoff Hoon, Defence Secretary, who was accused of leaking David Kelly's name as the source of the story; Tom Kelly, who as Tony Blair's spokesman was at the heart of the storm and Greg Dyke, who resigned as Director General when Hutton's conclusions were so critical of the BBC.
Producer: Deborah Dudgeon and Kate Taylor
Series Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 12:00 The Unbelievable Truth (b01s4768)
Series 11
Episode 4
David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they're able to smuggle past their opponents.
Henning Wehn, Katherine Ryan, Graeme Garden and Lloyd Langford are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as geese, horses, advertising and Madonna.
The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith, the team behind Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.
Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (b01s7vzz)
Digital Dishes - life stories through recipes
Inside one kitchen in Bristol, thirteen strangers from all over Europe gathered to share food and stories about food. The Food Programme was there to capture it all as the cooking got under way.
As well as resulting in one of the most diverse menus ever assembled it was an event that explained why cous-cous can spark conversation, how a special Bulgarian dish can help tell your fortune and why a hippy commune in 1970's Exeter was ahead of its time in how we think about food.
This unique event was the result of a project run by the Watershed arts centre in Bristol. The thirteen Europeans were taking part in a workshop to learn more about digital technology, food however, was the subject they would use to make this happen.
In one day, participants from Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Turkey, France and the UK would come up with a dish that would help them tell their life stories. In Bristol they'd shop, cook, share their food and their stories. The progamme captured this special food event and a restaurant and menu that would exist for one night only.
Hear the wonders of Bulgarian Banitsa, the pleasures of a Turkish Karnıyarık and the delights of a two hour meal over Algerian cous-cous.
Producers: Dan Saladino and Hannah Briggs.
SUN 12:57 Weather (b01s7s5t)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (b01s7w01)
The latest national and international news, including an in-depth look at events around the world. Email: wato@bbc.co.uk; twitter: #theworldthisweekend.
SUN 13:30 Do I Have a Right to Be Forgotten? (b01pnn4m)
When Emma Barnett, a tech-savvy 27 year old typed her name into a search engine she found photos from her past she would really rather forget. And she is not alone; millions of people are sharing photos, tweets and status updates with friends every day - later discovering, regretfully, that they live online forever.
But with the European Union hoping to enshrine a "right to be forgotten" will it become possible to own your online life? On this journey Emma discovers what rights she has to delete material from the internet and the implications this has on how we record events and write history.
Producer: Clare Walker
(Repeat).
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b01s4vf4)
East Malling
This week the team visits the East Malling Research Centre in Kent, with Eric Robson in the chair. Matthew Wilson, Bob Flowerdew and Christine Walkden are on the panel taking local gardeners' questions.
Produced by Howard Shannon.
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
Q. I have a north-facing border, approx. 1.5m x 10m in size and with alkaline soil. What floriferous shrubs or perennials would the panel recommend for maximum interest?
A. Herbaceous plants may be better in the long run, as they will maintain their smaller size. Delphiniums, Lupins, Phlox and Peonies are recommended, as are dwarf shrubs such as Sorbuses (e.g. Sorbus fruticosa), Virburnums (e.g. Viburnum opulus 'Compactum', the compact Guelder rose), Spireas, Cornuses and Kerria japonica. Woodland plants such as Hellebores or Pulmonarias (e.g. 'Mawson's Blue') would do well in the north-facing conditions.
Q. I would like to move and divide a Peony but have been told it is not a good idea. Can I do this and, if so, when?
A. Now! If the buds are up and you can see a nose, water well the night before and then lift as much of the root ball as possible. Slice this, and let the cut surface dry before replanting. Treat it like any other herbaceous perennial, much as you would with Hostas at this time of the year.
Q. What can I do to slow the growth of the Dawn Redwood at the bottom of my garden?
A. No-one likes to fell a tree, but it may have to go. Check that it does not have a Tree Preservation Order placed on it.
Q. What novelty fruit would the panel like to see developed?
A. A reasonably hardy Fuchsia with a juicy, sweet berry developed for the crop - Fuchsia California Dreamers produce large, sweet berries. A square banana with a tough skin, that wouldn't get damaged in your rucksack. A fig crossed with a melon (a felon), a fig crossed with a mango (a fandango) or a fig crossed with a melon, a strawberry, a grape, a raspberry, a kiwifruit and a pomegranate - a fruit salad.
Q. There is an Osmanthus 'Gulftide' shrub near our house. Almost every leaf on the bush is being eaten, though there is no sign of anything on the bush. Could the panel advise as to what is doing the damage?
A. The damage shown on the leaves of this plant is typical of the adult vine weevil, which takes semicircular bites from around the edge of the leaf. It is unusual for vine weevil to target a plant with such a thick, leathery leaf. There are nematodes available for tackling vine weevil, but you would need to wait for soil and air temperature to warm up a little.
Q. I have a Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis' which is grafted onto a rootstock. The rootstock throws up suckers up to 30ft away from the tree. What is the best way to deal with the suckers?
A. There are two options. Firstly, regular cutting would stop you noticing them. Alternatively, go to where they are, find the root and remove the shoot - be careful not to leave any of the shoot remaining, as any remaining shoot will return. At 30ft from the tree it would be safe to cut the root.
Q. I have a small pond, approx. 70cm x 60cm, which has two shelves for shallow water plants. What plants - preferably those which are good for wildlife - would the panel recommend?
A. Blackcurrants are bog plants and will grow (though stay small) with their roots entirely submerged in 6in to a foot of water, providing a ladder for dragonfly larvae to climb out of the water. The dwarf Nymphaeas would grow well, as would the dwarf form of Pontederia cordata or various other dwarf aquatic plants. Caltha palustris (marsh marigold) is early flowering and as such a good source of pollen and nectar, and Butomus umbellatus (flowering rush) would also be good for wildlife.
Q. What plant would the panel like on their grave and why?
A. Something sweet-smelling such as Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata'. Soldanella hungarica, which is delicate but tenacious. Kelp - for a sea burial!
SUN 14:45 The Listening Project (b01s7xs9)
Sunday Edition - The Listening Project in Schools
Fi Glover with four conversations recorded by eleven and twelve year olds in this week's Sunday Edition of Radio 4's series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen. The conversations, about the children's lives and those of their parents, friends and grandparents, were recorded as part of The Listening Project Schools Pilot funded by BBC Learning; over a hundred children in four schools in the north west took part.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can upload your own conversations or just learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
SUN 15:00 Classic Serial (b01s7xsc)
JB Priestley - Angel Pavement
Episode 1
Angel Pavement by J. B. Priestley
Dramatised by Martin Jameson
Twigg and Dersingham, Purveyors of Fine Veneers, has been a successful family firm in the City for three generations. But now, in the depression of 1930, it can no longer cover its costs and the owner, young Mr Dersingham, is looking for cuts.
Then James Golspie arrives with a proposition. He has the sole agency for some excellent Baltic veneers at extraordinary prices and, despite the caution of the company accountant Mr Smeeth, an agreement is reached. But is Smeeth right? Is Golspie everything he seems?
Directed by Chris Wallis
An Autolycus production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 16:00 Bookclub (b01s7xsf)
Poet Gillian Clarke - Ice
The National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke discusses her collection Ice which was shortlisted for last year's TS Eliot prize.
Inspired by the snowy winters of 2009 and 2010, the poems in Ice move through the seasons : from Gillian's experience of being snowed in to the sound of an icicle as it begins to melt. From the bluebells of Spring (inspired by a Renoir painting at the National Museum of Art in Cardiff) through to a hot summer's day and on to the harvest moons of autumn to New Year's Eve.
They also include Gillian's earliest childhood memories, such as the opening poem Polar, which recalls the toddler Gillian lying on a polar bear rug which her father bought in a junk shop; and memories of a more collective nature - mining disasters and ancient British mythology.
The land, language, history and myths of Wales are all present in these poems.
Gillian says a love of language and an inherent ability to articulate is something the Welsh are brought up with, learnt from the early days of attending Chapel; and she says that being National Poet of Wales is no different than getting up at a family occasion and giving a verse or two, a tradition which lies at the heart of her culture.
James Naughtie presents and a group of readers ask the questions. Recorded at the Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.
June's Bookclub choice : Quarantine by Jim Crace.
Producer : Dymphna Flynn.
SUN 16:30 Poetry Please (b01s7xsh)
Roger McGough with a varied selection of poetry requests.
Poems of praise to the lowly and the heavenly, including work by George Barker and RS Thomas who were both born one hundred years ago this year. RS Thomas's 'A Marriage' is tender and moving; "We met under a shower of bird notes", and he analyses the powerful stillness of the atmosphere 'In Church.' Poems by another priest poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins also feature, with his sonnet to Felix Randall, which he wrote after the death of a parishioner of his while he was a priest in Liverpool, as well as 'God's Grandeur'. There will be many secular exultations too though, with Les Murray paying homage to the bed, Emily Dickinson to the sea and a paean to the music of Bach by the Swedish poet Lars Gustafsson. With readings by John Mackay and guest poets Leontia Flynn and Paula Meehan.
Producer: Sarah Langan.
SUN 17:00 Constant Cravings: Does Food Addiction Exist? (b01s4g7v)
Could obesity, in some cases, result from an addiction, and if so, do we need to change the way we treat it?
When we think about addiction, drugs, alcohol or gambling come to mind. Though hardly uncommon, many people will go their whole lives without ever even dabbling in them. But could the everyday act of eating also be addictive? In excess, drugs, alcohol and gambling can cause massive physical and psychological harm, cutting across class, sex and age. But so can excessive eating. And if we're to believe alarming predictions about rising obesity levels, then perhaps we need to consider looking at overeating from a different angle.
Researchers around the world are asking the same question: is overeating a compulsive behaviour that exploits the same biological mechanisms we see in people addicted to drugs or alcohol? Is there such a thing as food addiction and how addictive are certain foods? In, Constant Cravings: Does Food Addiction Exist, Sally Marlow, a researcher in alcohol addiction at London's Institute of Psychiatry, explores the latest evidence underpinning the scientific basis for overeating, and asks just how radical should the solutions be?
In 2012, NeuroFAST, an EU research project began co-ordinating data on the relationship between overeating and addiction. Its mission is to achieve consensus on how overeating should be classified clinically, which might then lead to major shifts in treatment, public policy and attitudes to obesity.
Few of us, if we're honest, would consider obesity as little more than self-inflicted. And it's how many of us used to think about other addictions. Yet now we know that an individual's choices are influenced by a host of biological and environmental mechanisms: genes, brain chemistry and family history. Might overeating share these mechanisms?
SUN 17:40 Profile (b01s7tqc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b01s7s5w)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 17:57 Weather (b01s7s5y)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b01s7s60)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (b01s7xsk)
This week the course of true love never did run smooth - whether it's World War Two contriving to keep poet Ian McMillan's future parents apart or the difficulties of finding Mr Right in Matlock unless comedian Isy Suttie is playing Cupid.
A blistering Reunion gets four key players from the events leading up to The Hutton Report round the table to talk.
And the dramatic testimonies from members of the BBC Philharmonic on tour in Japan when the earthquake struck.
Sid James, Not Just a Dirty Laugh - Radio 4
Swimming Through Chocolate - Radio 4
Word of Mouth - Radio 4
Bernard Who? - Radio 4
Britain in a Box - Radio 4
Book of the Week: Margaret Thatcher, The Authorised Biography - Radio 4
Thames Crossings - Radio 4
Down the Line - Radio 4
The Reunion : The Hutton Inquiry - Radio 4
Love, War and Trains - Radio 4
Isy Suttie's Love Letters - Radio 4
Return to Japan - Radio 4.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (b01s7xsm)
After the Sunday service, Peggy stops for a chat with Alan and expresses her delight with the plans to repair the church organ. He can count on her for a sizable donation. Joining the conversation, Jill informs Alan about her and Clarrie's idea for a Flower Festival to raise funds. Alan and Jill discuss the idea further at the Vicarage and decide the arrangements should adhere to a saints theme.
Over a cup of coffee, Elona expresses her gratitude for all Peggy's help. Almost brought to tears by the situation, Elona reveals she can no longer work for Peggy. Her marriage is over and due to finances she must move elsewhere. She is deeply sorry to present Peggy with more problems, as she has heard Tony is selling Bridge Farm and is sure Peggy has enough to deal with.
Tony is thinking of popping down to The Bull before lunch to address the rumours about them selling the farm. Pat votes they have a relaxing family lunch instead. Peggy calls by and is relieved to hear there is no truth to the rumours. The family wonder if someone they have informed about selling the herd has started the rumour mill.
SUN 19:15 Tim Key's Suspended Sentence (b0128pyh)
Truths universally acknowledged. Clocks striking 13. Bests and worsts of times. A truly great opening line can make a novel iconic. But what makes these famous first sentences sing to us?
Comedian and poet Tim Key is on the case!
After chasing down the meaning of Nikolai Gogol's enigmatic short story "The Overcoat", Tim tries to sleuth out what makes a great literary opening line with the help of author Joe Dunthorne, comedian Mark Watson, and literary critics Maureen Freely and John Sutherland.
You see, Tim's desperate to write his first novel - it's in him, just waiting, waiting to be unleashed. If only he could think of a good beginning with the ultimate opening line...
Tim also tries to galvanise his imagination - taking a spin of one of the world's strangest literary board games...
The pressure's on, as we hear a roll-call of some of the finest and most famous first lines in publishing history - from Dickens to Dostoevsky to uh, Dan Brown.
Overwhelmed with information, we also hear a crash course on what not to do - as Tim visits Knebworth House, ancestral pile of a man whose most famous first sentence is legendary for all the wrong reasons: Edward Bulwer-Lytton, author of the infamous "It was a dark and stormy night..."
Finally it's time to try out Tim's sentence of the unsuspecting public, as he visits the award-winning Brick Lane Book Club for a focus group...before in the final moments, he unleashes that killer first sentence on the world...(so then Tim: what comes next?).
Producer: Steven Rajam
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2013.
SUN 19:45 George Mackay Brown Stories (b01s7xsp)
The Five of Spades
Short story by one of Orkney's finest writers, George Mackay Brown. An internationally renowned poet and Booker-nominated novelist, Mackay Brown's work was infused by the islands history and culture; his friend Seamus Heaney said of him: "He transforms everything by passing it through the eye of the needle of Orkney."
Today's story is set in the 1800s and depicts the trials and tribulations of Check Harra, a young Orcadian whose love of gambling leads him into a series of extraordinary adventures.
George MacKay Brown (1921 - 1996) was a prolific short story writer. "The Five of Spades" can be found in the collection "A Time to Keep", which was republished by Birlinn at the end of last month.
Read by Andy Clark.
Abridged and produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
The theme music is "Way Oot West" by Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley, taken from the album Mither O' The Sea.
SUN 20:00 More or Less (b01s4vf8)
Austerity, Thatcher, Mozart and dead birds
Austerity: a spreadsheet error?
Tim Harford tells the story of the student who uncovered a mistake in a famous economic paper that has been used to make the case for austerity cuts. In 2010, two Harvard economists published an academic study, which showed that when government debt rises above 90% of annual economic output, growth falls significantly. As politicians tried to find answers to the global economic crisis, "Growth in a Time of Debt" by Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff was cited by some of the key figures making the case for tough debt-cutting measures in the US and Europe. But, in the course of a class project, student Thomas Herndon and his professors say they have found problems with the Reinhart-Rogoff findings. What does this mean for austerity economics?
Interviewees: Thomas Herndon, University of Massachusetts student; Professor Michael Ash, University of Massachusetts; Professor Daniel Hamermesh, Royal Holloway, University of London; Megan McArdle, special correspondent for Newsweek and The Daily Beast.
Margaret Thatcher in Numbers:
Baroness Thatcher was Britain's first female prime minister and one of the most influential political figures of the 20th Century. She was a pioneer of free market economics, helping to spread the ideas around the world. But the Iron lady was a divisive figure with passionate supporters and critics. Both hold to strong beliefs about what she did. But what does the data tell us about the many claims made about Mrs Thatcher?
With special thanks for the journalism of Michael Blastland and Andrew Dilnot.
Interviewees: Professor Andrew Oswald, Warwick University; Professor Alissa Goodman, Institute of Education; Professor Nick Crafts, Warwick University.
A mathematical reading of the Magic Flute:
Hear Professor Marcus du Sautoy's mathematical reading of the Magic Flute, presented at London's Royal Opera House. Mozart's final opera, The Magic Flute, premiered just 10 weeks before the composer's death and was the biggest popular hit of his life. With its panto-style storyline and catchy tunes, it's said to be one of the most accessible operas for the uninitiated. But there's an awful lot going on beneath the jokes and the musical notes.
Birds + Windows =?
"In America each day, more than 2 million birds die crashing into window panes." A fact from a recent episode of BBC Radio 4's The Unbelievable Truth. But More or Less refused to believe - and started investigating.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Ruth Alexander.
SUN 20:30 Last Word (b01s4vf6)
A country singer, a Labour Party General Secretary, a film star, a cellist and a co-housing campaigner
Matthew Bannister on
The country singer George Jones whose turbulent life of divorce and drunkenness matched the subject matter of many of his songs. Hank Wangford pays tribute.
Jim Mortimer who was General Secretary of the Labour Party during the troubled 1980s and the first chair of the conciliation service ACAS during the industrial strife of the 70s.
Deanna Durbin, the film star known as "America's perfect daughter" who retired from the public eye when she grew out of the role.
Sarah Berger who was a leading campaigner for the British co-housing movement.
And the Hungarian cellist Janos Starker - Steven Isserlis shares his memories.
SUN 21:00 Money Box (b01s7tpz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:00 on Saturday]
SUN 21:26 Radio 4 Appeal (b01s7vtt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 today]
SUN 21:30 In Business (b01s4szn)
Job Search
Millions of young people want to work but do not know where to find it.
A clutch of them tell their stories to Peter Day, and a panel of experts
weighs in with advice and guidance.
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (b01s7xzw)
Preview of the week's political agenda at Westminster with MPs, experts and commentators. Discussion of the issues politicians are grappling with in the corridors of power.
SUN 22:45 What the Papers Say (b01s7xzy)
Hugo Rifkind of The Times analyses how the newspapers are covering the biggest stories.
SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (b01s4sz6)
Pedro Almodovar on I'm So Excited; Tom Courtenay on Billy Liar; Riz Ahmed's big break
The Spanish director Pedro Almodovar talks to Francine Stock about his raunchy new comedy I'm So Excited in which a plane with a technical fault circles the skies, hoping to find an airport to land in. According to Almodovar, it's a metaphor for the political and financial difficulties facing Spain.
Adam Leon explains why he wanted to show the grittier, real New York in his new feature Gimme The Loot about young graffiti artists. And how he deals with questions over how a white director can make a convincing film about a predominantly black scene.
The actor Tom Courtenay, seen most recently in Quartet, looks back at Billy Liar, 50 years on. Directed by John Schlesinger, and co-starring Julie Christie, the film portrays Billy, a dreamer working in an undertakers and planning escape.
And with The Reluctant Fundamentalist due for release next week, the young British actor Riz Ahmed tells the story of his big break and how he was discovered by the director Michael Winterbottom.
Producer: Elaine Lester.
SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b01s7vtm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:05 today]
MONDAY 06 MAY 2013
MON 00:00 Midnight News (b01s7s6y)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b01s4qqs)
British class survey; Tribute to Geoff Pearson
Laurie Taylor discusses the 'Great British Class Survey', a unique piece of research conducted by BBC Lab UK and academics from six different universities. The researchers devised a new way of measuring class, which doesn't define it by occupation but by the different kinds of economic, cultural and social resources or 'capitals' that people possess. But how have other academics with an interest in class reacted to this research? Mike Savage, one of the survey researchers and Professor in Sociology at the University of Essex, debates the merits of this new approach to class stratification with Colin Mills, lecturer in Sociology at Nuffield College, Oxford and Beverly Skeggs, Professor of Sociology at Goldsmiths College, London.
Also, Dick Hobbs, Professor of Sociology at the University of Essex, offers a tribute to the eminent criminologist, Geoff Pearson who died recently.
Producer: Jayne Egerton.
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b01s7vtk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b01s7s70)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b01s7s72)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b01s7s74)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 05:30 News Briefing (b01s7s76)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b01sc3jd)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Revd Dr Peter McGrail of Liverpool Hope University.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (b01s7yvg)
It's been a difficult time for the UK's one thousand garden centres, as well as retail nurseries, florists and farm shops, because of the late arrival of the spring. On this May Bank Holiday though, there are high hopes for a busy day of plant-buying. Sybil Ruscoe visits Farplants in West Sussex, one of the country's largest plant wholesalers, supplying around twelve million plants a year, to learn about the journey from propagation to shop shelf.
Presented by Sybil Ruscoe. Produced by Rich Ward.
MON 05:56 Weather (b01s7s78)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b01s6y1h)
Cuckoo - Male
David Attenborough narrates the first in a new series of short stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs, beginning with the Cuckoo. After spending winter in Africa, the migratory urge propels the Cuckoos northwards. And for many of us their return is a welcome sign that spring is well and truly here.
MON 06:00 Today (b01s7yvj)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (b01s7yvl)
Michael Rosen at the Brighton Festival
Start the Week is at the Brighton Festival. Stephanie Flanders talks to Michael Rosen about why the 1929 children's novel, Emil and the Detectives, is at the heart of the festival, with its city tale of hope, invention and dissent. But the writer and traveller Jay Griffiths criticises a Western risk-averse society for denying children the opportunity to roam free. Stanmer Woods is the setting of Matt Adams's latest theatrical experience which traces the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland, and the artist Mariele Neudecker brings the outside world inside in her transformation of a Regency Town House.
Producer; Katy Hickman.
MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b01s4g6p)
A Sting in the Tale
Episode 1
Dave Goulson has always been obsessed with wildlife, from his childhood menagerie of exotic pets and dabbling in experimental taxidermy to his groundbreaking research into the mysterious ways of the bumblebee and his mission to protect our rarest bees.
Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee now only exists in the wilds of New Zealand, the descendants of a few queen bees shipped over in the nineteenth century.
Dave Goulson shares exclusive research into these curious creatures, looks at history's relationship with the bumblebee and offers advice on how to protect it for all time.
We'll also hear about bumblebee sniffer dogs, how bees navigate their way home and why you should remember these tiny furry friends next time you pour ketchup on your fish and chips.
One of the UK's most respected conservationists and the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Goulson combines Gerald Durrell-esque tales of a child's growing passion for nature with a deep insight into the crucial importance of the bumblebee.
He details the minutiae of life in their nests, sharing fascinating research into the effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and on the potential dangers if we continue down this path.
Read by Tim McInnerny
Producer: Joanne Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b01s7yvq)
Women in the 1920s
The 1920s saw great changes for women: equal voting rights were introduced in 1929, but earlier in the decade "surplus women" were a great subject for debate in newspapers. Following the devastating loss of life in the First World War, some parts of society worried about what to do with young widows and women who would never marry. Baroness Shirley Williams, social historian Juliet Gardiner, author Virginia Nicholson and Dr Kate Murphy discuss the changing lives of women in the "Roaring '20s" as some made the most of increasing freedom and independence by becoming doctors and teachers, and working in a fledgling BBC.
Presented by Jane Garvey
Produced by Rebecca Myatt.
MON 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b01s7yvs)
The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Series 7
Episode 1
Kris Marshall returns as the famous diarist. Rumours that 1666 might prove to be an unlucky year, or even herald the end of the world, are of no concern to Samuel Pepys. He's far more interested in his new friend, Mrs Knipp. Mrs Knipp is an actress and singer, and is often to be found entertaining the guests in the homes of Sam's friends. As their friendship develops, they even have nicknames for each other - she is 'Barbara Allen' and he is 'Dapper Dicky'. Elizabeth meanwhile is having much less fun. As Sam admits, she's working like a horse at decorating his closet - as well as being kept awake at night by Sam's disturbed sleep and, worst of all, his snoring! Adapted by Hattie Naylor.
Theme music: Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, words by Robert Herrick and music by William Lawes, sung by Bethany Hughes. Lute, baroque guitar and theorbo played by David Miller. Violin and viol by Annika Gray, and recorders by Alice Baxter.
Historical consultant: Liza Picard
Sound by Catherine Robinson
A BBC/Cymru Wales production, directed by Kate McAll.
MON 11:00 Stories from the Squeezed Middle (b01s7yvv)
Rosie Millard travels to Newcastle and Durham and to Winchester to meet men and women for whom the Recession has meant some tough choices, and in some cases, really tough lives.
They are the so-called 'Squeezed Middle' - middle-incomers who prospered during the Blair years and who enjoyed middle-class lifestyles and aspirations for their children and themselves. With incomes that supported regular holidays, a car or two, schooling and housing choices not to mention a regular bottle of wine, these families have been amongst those hit hardest by the Recession. Of course, they attract less attention and sympathy than those who have least and for whom hardship has always been the norm.
Yet for the men and women of the Squeezed Middle, it's meant real sacrifice in order, for example, to keep their children's educational aspirations alive - "we have to sell the house if she's to take up her university place" - or enduring a hot-waterless long winter because the boiler is on its last legs and the car is a necessity.
Unlike the victims of mass sackings when a high street chain goes bust, these Recession victims have, in many cases, freelance careers, dependent on ad-hoc bookings and commissions for which the market has often all but dried up.
Rosie Millard compares the destinies and despair of women and men in the north and south of England, in each case well removed from the relative economic bubble of London, and finds out just how they now make ends meet and above all what choices they have been forced into to keep their aspirations and expectations alive...
Producer: Simon Elmes and Sarah Bowen.
MON 11:30 Kerry's List (b01s7yvx)
Series 1
Episode 2
The second in a four-part sketch show co-written by and starring comedian and actress Kerry Godliman.
Kerry is a married mother of two, a stand up comedian and has two children. Her life can only properly function with her daily list - if she didn't compile this vital list, her life would simply fall apart.
Each week, this series looks at a different list and delves into Kerry's madcap world by looking at various elements of that week's list in sketches, narrative and stand up.
In this second episode, Kerry's List includes cancelling the organic food box, adopting a panda, searching through the baby's poo, being grateful, changing the water in the fish tank, learning the oboe and selling the Cath Kidston Potting Shed.
Joining Kerry is her husband Ben (played by her real husband Ben Abell) and her five year old daughter Elsie (played by Melissa Bury) together with a range of bizarre characters - including an enthusiastic council environment worker, some disgruntled satsumas, a bored therapist, a Fairy Jeanmother and a very keen gym instructor.
Any busy parent who's ever compiled a list of their own will relate to Kerry Godliman's incident filled world.
The cast includes David Pusey (who co-wrote the series), Bridget Christie, Lucy Briers, Rosie Cavaliero and Nicholas Le Prevost.
Kerry Godliman is fast establishing herself as a highly skilful stand up comic and actress, from her recent appearances on Live at The Apollo (BBC 1), Derek (C4) and Our Girl (BBC 1).
Producer: Paul Russell
An Open Mike production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:00 You and Yours (b01s7yvz)
Live from a pub in Leeds
We are live from a pub in Leeds looking at the pub industry. It's a sector that is vital to the economy and in some cases, to the community.
We'll hear what issues are facing pubs at the moment and what it is that keeps one pub open while others put up the shutters.
What is the history behind the name of your local pub? The latest on minimum pricing of alcohol. We have a special panel of guests; Nicola Story, the landlady of the Mustard Pot in Leeds, Mike Inman from Ossett Brewing Company and Francis Patton from Leeds Met University.
Presenter: Shari Vahl
Producer: Simon Browning.
MON 12:57 Weather (b01s7s7b)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 13:00 World at One (b01s7yw1)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
MON 13:45 In a Prince's Footsteps (b01s7yw3)
Egypt
In 1862 Albert, Prince of Wales, toured the Middle East. At the time it was still predominantly controlled by the Ottoman Empire. As he travelled, his photographer Francis Bedford kept a detailed photographic record of the trip. In this series John McCarthy revisits the scenes of Bedford's photographs - Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Greece. He considers how the immediate physical, political and social landscape has evolved during the intervening 150 years.
Some of Bedford's photographs are of widely known locations - the Pyramids at Giza, the Mount of Olives, the temples at Baalbek, the Acropolis - others are of remote hilltops and apparently random buildings, scenes without any obvious significance. Both however hold fascinating and unexpected tales and insight.
The series will reflect on the rise and fall of empires - the Ottoman, British and French all play their part in these stories. They are now all gone, but the world's powers still seek to influence the politics of the region.
In each episode John McCarthy focusses on two of Bedford's original photographs, revisiting the sites and taking his own pictures of the same scenes today.
In the opening programme, John travels to Egypt to consider pictures of the Prince's party gathered in front of the Pyramids of Khufu and Khafre at Giza, and a broader Cairo picture taken from a key minaret in the city.
Presenter: John McCarthy
Producer: Kevin Dawson
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:00 The Archers (b01s7xsm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 The Interrogation (b01s7yw5)
Series 2
Grace
by Roy Williams
2/3 The Story of Grace. An ambitious local woman, who made a name for herself during the London riots, has struggled to rise from her past, until only one thing stands in her way.
Music by David Pickvance
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
MON 15:00 Counterpoint (b01s7yw7)
Series 27
Episode 1
(1/13)
Which rock group's songs have inspired a recent work by the great American modernist composer Steve Reich? And in which music-related field is the work of Herman Leonard, Francis Wolff and Chuck Stewart particularly notable?
Paul Gambaccini welcomes the first trio of contestants in the 2013 series of the general knowledge music quiz. Over the next three months, music lovers will play in a knockout competition to find the brightest musical brain in Britain, who will be crowned the 27th annual Counterpoint champion. Questions cover the classical repertoire along with jazz, show tunes, film music, and sixty years of the pop charts.
In Heat 1 the contestants come from London and Essex. They'll have to display their knowledge of music in all its variety, including tackling questions on a completely unforeseen specialist subject. There are plenty of musical extracts of all kinds to identify, both familiar and surprising.
Producer: Paul Bajoria.
MON 15:30 The Food Programme (b01s7vzz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
MON 16:00 When Washington Came to Brum (b01s7yyr)
Washington Irving was the first superstar of American literature, and the first American author to gain international respect. Many of his most famous stories, including 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow', were affectionate hymns to his native New York State and the rural idyll of the Hudson Valley - so it's perhaps surprising to discover that they were written while Irving was living in the industrial hotbed of early 19th century Birmingham.
Irving was in the city to forge links with British businesses and help rebuild his family's finances back home, which had been hit hard by the Anglo-American war of 1812; he went on to spend around twenty years in Europe before heading home to enjoy the wealth he'd earned as a writer.
Birmingham novelist Catherine O'Flynn tells the story of Irving's time in the city, and of the relationships he built with British writers like Walter Scott and Charles Dickens, whose own Christmas stories were heavily influenced by Irving's own. She discovers how Irving has been taken up by academics as a pioneer of transnational writing, and hears from Joe Queenan, who lives in Irving's home town and who regards Washington Irving impersonators as the most loathed individuals on the east coast of the United States.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2013.
MON 16:30 The Digital Human (b01s7yyt)
Series 3
Detox
Do you feel in control of your technology, or is it the other way round?
In this last episode of the current series of The Digital Human Aleks Krotoski asks if we could all do with a detox from our digital devices. It's a question she's increasingly been asking herself, which brings her to the couch of cyber addiction therapist Chris Mulligan. While there is no classification of cyber addiction in any psychiatric manual in the world there are clearly people who have problems switching off from games or what they're looking at online.
Does the answer lie in how technology has hijacked the reward systems of our brains? Kelly Mcgonigal is a neuroscientist at Stanford University and has made a special study of willpower and the challenges we face in modern living. She's been researching how social information is profoundly addictive to the modern human brain. Aleks also hears about different approaches to solving the problem and keeping our technology use under control. Author Evgeny Morozov locks his phone and router cable in a time locked safe, while Susan Maushart took herself and her family offline for 6 months to kick-start a more mindful and deliberate approach to technology use.
But are these methods no more than sticking plasters and is it to ourselves and how we relate to our technology that we should look to rebalance this relationship. Producer Peter McManus.
MON 17:00 PM (b01s7yyw)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b01s7s7d)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (b01s7zpg)
Series 11
Episode 5
David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they're able to smuggle past their opponents.
Richard Osman, John Finnemore, Lucy Beaumont and Rhod Gilbert are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as octopuses, planes, armadillos and socks.
The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith, the team behind Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.
Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 19:00 The Archers (b01s7zpj)
It's early morning at Willow Farm and Neil is impressed that Josh has already fed the hens. Neil lets Josh know the good news. He is prepared to offer Josh a thirty per cent share of the business for £1200. Shocked Josh wasn't expecting his share to cost that much. But when Phoebe offers her help with driving down the cost, Josh declines. Wanting to be taken seriously as a business partner demands he must pay what the business is worth.
Back at Brookfield to watch the sheep shearing and to lend a hand rolling fleeces, Josh discusses Neil's offer with his dad. Josh suggests that after he has checked his facts and figures, he talks everything through with David and Ruth.
At Bridge Farm, Alistair examines the cows for signs of TB and finds some sort of a reaction in one of the cows. Though it is inconclusive, procedure demands that the whole herd be put under movement restrictions. Tom hopes this won't affect the sale, but Alistair warns that it is a possibility. The family just have to cross their fingers and wait for Animal Health's assessment.
MON 19:15 Front Row (b01s7zpl)
Kwame Kwei-Armah
With Mark Lawson.
British actor, director and playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah is now Artistic Director of the Center Stage theatre in Baltimore. Mark spent a day with Kwame, discussing his new play, race relations and the differences between UK and US theatre.
Producer Penny Murphy.
MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b01s7yvs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
MON 20:00 It's My Story (b01s83bx)
Knowing Me, Knowing Autism
This programme follows Robyn through her personal and professional life; juggling the demands of her own condition with her obligations to others; giving insight into autism through the people who experience it first hand. Her professional life is highly organised (courtesy of her iphone); her personal life extremely messy. But she paints with her fingers, writes lyrics, listens to music and goes to the gym; often using the routine and the ritual of these activities to manage her condition
As Robyn says: "Autism is a spectrum of conditions, everyone is different. I don't know what it would be like not to be Autistic. I suppose if I had to create a short explanation I'd say Autism is like an all-encompassing wall. People like Rain man (who had classic autism) are enclosed by a brick wall, people with Asperger's are behind a frosted glass wall often able to see out but not reach the rest of the world, you can have a wall of any thickness in between and it's not always obvious what they are made of. But others can remove bricks by finding shared interests like IT, Thomas the tank engine and football".
Robyn is a professional one to one mentor to young people with Autism. She helps them with the difficulties of daily life, talking to them about money and public transport, discussing their coping strategies, and dealing with the people they come into contact with who may not understand their needs. People with autism can sometimes have problems with executive functioning tasks (planning, creating new ideas, ordering tasks) focus on detail rather than the bigger picture (known as weak central coherence), have problems with anxiety. So Robyn's job also involves helping groups like the police, social workers and paediatricians to understand these behaviours.
Her Aspergers is just one of ten disabilities she possesses. She lists the other nine (pointing out that lists are something she's good at):
1 left sided hemiplegia (a form of cerebral palsy)
2 hemnipoia ( no peripheral vision)
3 prosapragnosia ( I don't recognize faces i recognize people by their shoes
4 dyspraxia
5 dyslexia
6 dyscullia (math dyslexia)
7 lax ligaments
8 poor muscle tone
9 scared lung tissue
Produced by Sue Mitchell.
MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (b01s4rj5)
Hazaras, Hatred and Pakistan
Mobeen Azhar travels to the Pakistani city of Quetta to investigate how it has become the scene of violent and indiscriminate attacks by Sunni militants against the local ethnic Hazara community. It's a city which has become effectively a no-go area for foreign journalists due to the persistent and intensifying violence. Mobeen tells the story of a single day in January of this year when over 100 people lost their lives in twin bombings in Quetta. Claiming responsibility was the Sunni militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. Mobeen retraces the story of the bombings, and examines the growing security concerns in a district dominated by the Shia Hazara community.
He speaks to Fayyaz Mohammed, a candidate in the forthcoming elections who has links to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and talks with Paul Bhatti, who until recently was the Pakistani Minister of National Harmony. Bhatti blames the government's inability to enforce "effective policy" on Pakistan's long history of military dictatorship. Azhar meets blast survivors and the families of victims, and finds out how the security situation is causing many young Hazaras to leave Quetta to seek a better life elsewhere - despite the dangers of putting their lives in the hands of people smugglers.
Producer: Julie Ball.
MON 21:00 Material World (b01s4sz8)
Bees and pesticides; Heart gene therapy; Petal shapes
EU states have voted in favour of a proposal to restrict the use of certain pesticides that have been linked to causing serious harm in bees. Neonicotinoid chemicals in pesticides are sprayed onto seeds and spread throughout the plant as it grows. There has been a lot of concern about this systematic approach, with some scientists arguing that it is comparable to using antibiotics prophylactically. Professor Dave Goulson from the University of Sussex and Dr. Lynn Dicks from the University of Cambridge discuss the scientific evidence currently available on these pesticides as well as the limited data available on the state of pollinating insects.
Patients in the UK have begun being enrolled into trials to see if an engineered virus can be used to heal their damaged and struggling hearts. The trial will use a virus to introduce genetic material into heart muscle to reverse the organ's decline. Researchers found that levels of the protein SERCA2a were lower in heart-failure patients. So they devised a genetically modified virus, with the instructions for producing more of the protein that can infect the heart. The virus will be released into the damaged heart muscle of patients involved in two separate trials testing both the safety and effectiveness of this potential treatment. Dr Alexander Lyon, a cardiologist at one of the hospitals involved, the Royal Brompton in London, and also a Senior Lecturer in Cardiology at Imperial College London is in the studio.
Why are petals all sorts of different shapes? New research shows that petals get their shape from a hidden molecular map within their buds that tells them how to grow. Dr Susana Sauret-Gueto from the John Innes plant science Centre in Norwich explains more about her research.
MON 21:30 Start the Week (b01s7yvl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:58 Weather (b01s7s7g)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b01s83bz)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.
MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b01s83c1)
This Is Where I Am
Episode 11
After making a startling discovery, Debs starts looking in to what happened to Abdi's wife Azira in those last few moments in Dadaab - and she resolves to go to Kenya to see if she can pick up the trail.
Read by Maureen Beattie and Jude Akuwidike.
Abridged and produced by Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 23:00 Word of Mouth (b01s4g7g)
Accents Will Happen
New research at the University of Liverpool is tracking for the first time in the United Kingdom how and what words babies and toddlers are picking up or understand. According to Professor Caroline Rowland and her colleague Anna Christopher what is emerging is the need to take into account the different dialects spoken. But what's in an accent or dialect ? Should we be correcting children's accent and grammar so that they are not disadvantaged later in life and how and what influences they way we speak; for dialectologist Dr Andrew Hamer we are all products of our history. In this edition of 'Word of Mouth' Michael Rosen talks to those who love or loathe their accent; those who have managed to retain their accent and those who have changed the way they speak concluding with voice and dialect coach Charmian Hoare who works with actors and Vicky Carpenter who trains- well anyone and claims she can make you 'accent-less' but is there such a thing ? surely we all have an accent ?
Presenter: Michael Rosan
Producer :Perminder Khatkar.
MON 23:30 Poetry, Texas (b01h6467)
Poetry expresses the universal, and history only the particular - Aristotle, Poetics
Poetry, Texas, is a radio documentary by Pejk Malinovski. It's about Poetry. What is Poetry?
"Haaard work." According to Rick Rice. He lives alone in a trailer with his dog, in the small Texan town of that name. "It's a lot of haaard working people. You can see that just driving up and down the road. The bales of hay sitting there. The cattle. It's just a lot of hard working people, trying to make an honest dime."
Malinovski, a third generation Danish poet, came across Poetry on Google and decided to venture out there to find the poetry of Poetry.
Poetry is not really a town, it's a bunch of houses along a road with a gas station in the middle, three churches and a school. And a Taxidermist.
"It's hard to know where poetry starts and where poetry stops now, back in the day it was well defined." Says Rick Salisbury of Poetry Taxidermy
Pejk Malinovski takes the listeners gently and humorously by the hand and shows them a fresh way to look at Poetry. Free from dusty books and literary experts, free even from poets. But full of life.
Produced by Pejk Malinovski
A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUESDAY 07 MAY 2013
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b01s7s8c)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b01s4g6p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b01s7s8f)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b01s7s8h)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b01s7s8k)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b01s7s8m)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b01sc3hw)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Revd Dr Peter McGrail of Liverpool Hope University.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b01s89gh)
The Irish government has set up an emergency fund to help farmers left struggling to feed their animals, because of a shortage of fodder. One of the wettest summers on record, followed by a long cold winter, has left some farmers in serious difficulty. Meanwhile in the UK a campaign to get farmers with spare forage to give it away to those affected by the snow has resulted in more than sixty thousand pounds of fodder worth being donated.
Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK, with 300,000 cases a year on average in England and Wales. Chemically treating meat could help reduce infection rates - but would consumers buy it?
And the appetite for exotic meat. Bison, ostrich and alpaca are all farmed in the UK. Farming Today explores some of the options.
Presented by Charlotte Smith. Produced by Emma Campbell.
TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b01s89gk)
Song Thrush
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs. David Attenborough presents the Song Thrush. The male's song in the dawn chorus includes a repertoire of over a hundred different phrases making it one of the richest songs of any British Bird.
TUE 06:00 Today (b01s89gm)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (b01s89mh)
Nancy Rothwell
Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell is not only one of the UK's leading brain scientists and physiologists; for the last three years Nancy Rothwell has also run the country's largest university - as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester.
When Nancy Rothwell is not making decisions about the university's �800 million annual budget and 50,000 students and staff, she oversees a laboratory of researchers developing and trialling an experimental treatment to prevent death and disability caused by stroke. Given that someone in the UK will have a stroke every five minutes, that adds up to a lot of people who might end up benefitting from Nancy Rothwell's life in science.
Nancy did not start her career working on the brain. As a young scientist, in 1970s, she made her reputation with original and high profile research into the causes of obesity, and the role of a tissue type known as brown fat. But in the early 1990s, a shock finding from an experiment stopped her in her tracks. It revealed something new and profound about the brain - a classic case of serendipity in science and a result that redirected Nancy Rothwell's research into the new and challenging field of neuroscience.
TUE 09:30 One to One (b01s89mk)
Ritula Shah talks to Satish Kumar
Ritula Shah was brought up as a Jain, which has renunciation as one of its central tenets. Ritula has always been fascinated by this idea and in this series she wants to explore what it means to give up something that still has value to those around you. Why do it? Where does it leave your relationships with those people whose choices you will have contradicted or undermined by your own? What happens when you waver (as surely you must)?
In this first programme she explores the theory with ex-Jain monk, Satish Kumar. He explains his own personal journey to renunciation of both the material and the spiritual while still a young man and why he ultimately rejected it as a way of improving the world.
Producer: Maggie Ayre.
TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b01s5d45)
A Sting in the Tale
Episode 2
Dave Goulson has always been obsessed with wildlife, from his childhood menagerie of exotic pets and dabbling in experimental taxidermy to his groundbreaking research into the mysterious ways of the bumblebee and his mission to protect our rarest bees.
Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee now only exists in the wilds of New Zealand, the descendants of a few queen bees shipped over in the nineteenth century.
Dave Goulson shares exclusive research into these curious creatures, looks at history's relationship with the bumblebee and offers advice on how to protect it for all time.
We'll also hear about bumblebee sniffer dogs, how bees navigate their way home and why you should remember these tiny furry friends next time you pour ketchup on your fish and chips.
One of the UK's most respected conservationists and the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Goulson combines Gerald Durrell-esque tales of a child's growing passion for nature with a deep insight into the crucial importance of the bumblebee.
He details the minutiae of life in their nests, sharing fascinating research into the effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and on the potential dangers if we continue down this path.
Read by Tim McInnerny
Producer: Joanne Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b01s89mm)
Joanna Lumley; Lionel Shriver; Financial Abuse
Joanna Lumley discusses campaigning; Lionel Shriver's new novel looks at obesity; Polly Morland has written about what bravery involves. And we hear about the prevalence of financial abuse and the pitfalls of entertaining if you are single. Presented by Jane Garvey. Produced by Lucinda Montefiore.
TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b01s8x4z)
The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Series 7
Episode 2
In the spring of 1666, just after his 33rd birthday, Sam notes that he's 'the happiest a man can be'. He's aware that he should be working harder and enjoying himself less, but he decides he's the right age to do it - and doesn't want to wait until he's too old to appreciate it. At home it's anything but peaceful. Sam is struggling to find a suitable husband for his sister, Pauline, who will soon be regarded as an old maid. Elizabeth and the maid argue to the point where the maid walks out and goes back to her mother. And a visit from Aunty Wight, who is tormented by fear of the plague, proves very trying. Adapted by Hattie Naylor
Theme music: Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, words by Robert Herrick and music by William Lawes, sung by Bethany Hughes. Lute, baroque guitar and theorbo played by David Miller. Violin and viol by Annika Gray, and recorders by Alice Baxter.
Historical consultant: Liza Picard
Sound by Catherine Robinson
A BBC/Cymru Wales production, directed by Kate McAll.
TUE 11:00 Hallucination: Through the Doors of Perception (b01nbq6d)
Hallucinations aren't what they used to be. Time was when reporting a divine vision would bring fame or fortune, and have a queue of people wanting to touch your robe, receive a blessing, or recommend you for sainthood. The Enlightenment changed our view of hallucination and nowadays you'd be more at risk of being handed a prescription for a major tranquilliser or even sectioned under the Mental Health Act for reporting what you saw or heard. Hallucinating, in essence, the experience of seeing or hearing (and sometimes smelling or touching) something that by any objective measure, isn't there, has been linked to a wide variety of causes. From the use of mind-altering substances such as LSD, to the complex collection of often distressing symptoms labelled schizophrenia. Neurological damage, dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, stress, narcolepsy - all these and more have been linked to hallucination. But there are also examples of otherwise 'healthy' individuals who have experienced vivid and sometimes distressing hallucinations which for most of the last century, science has largely overlooked. But with the advent of fMRI scanning, where researchers can observe the hallucinating brain in action, it is these "healthy" individuals who are beginning to open the doors of perception and which may provide new insights and treatments for psychosis and schizophrenia.
In this programme, Geoff Watts meets researchers attempting to unlock the mysteries of hallucination as well as some of those who experience the phenomenon. Geoff visits Dr Dominic Ffytche of the Institute of Psychiatry in London, and undergoes a stroboscopic experiment designed to induce hallucinations in subjects whilst their brains are being scanned. We hear some of the vivid accounts from hallucinators, including Doris, who has macular degeneration. Over the last year, her failing eyesight has resulted in an array of objects and images appearing before her with startling clarity, from relatively benign baskets of flowers to the rather more distressing sight of dark, haunting figures sitting by her bed. Her condition is known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome and Dr Ffytche estimates that over 2 million people suffer from this in the UK alone, mostly in silence, due to the fear of being labelled as 'mad'. Geoff also visits Kelly Diederen's lab at Cambridge University, which is investigating the origin of auditory hallucinations - hearing voices. Common in people with schizophrenia, Dr Diederen is instead, scanning the brains of so-called "healthy hallucinators", individuals who otherwise lead perfectly functional lives save for the fact that they hear voices on a daily basis. Could they hold the key to understanding and treating a key symptom of psychosis? And Geoff talks to internationally renowned neurologist and author, Dr Oliver Sacks, about his own experience of hallucination as well as his new book on the subject.
TUE 11:30 Richard Wagner - Power, Sex and Revolution (b01s8byy)
Episode 2
Mention his name and images flicker of dwarves, flying maidens, magic swords and bronze breast-plates, all of it served in vast portions to test stamina of audience and singers alike. But what's really going on in Wagner?
In the second and final part of his journey through Wagner's music, Paul Mason turns to the seemingly conventional world of a singing competition in 16th-century Nuremberg.
But Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg reveals dark seams beneath its surface: complex human relationships and an attitude to nationalism and race which raise fundamental questions about the validity of Wagner's very artistic mission.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2013.
TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b01s8bz0)
Call You and Yours: Is Britain becoming more religious?
On Call You&Yours today we'll be asking how religious is the British public and how has this changed over time
Church of England figures on attendance show a 'levelling off' in the long decline in Anglican churchgoing. They also show a continuing large presence of people who are "nominal" (non-church-going) Anglicans. That describes those who believe in God but go to church only once or twice a year for a wedding, funeral or at Christmas.
The other factor that supports this more hands-off kind of Anglicanism, is the steady increase in cathedral attendances, the big success story alongside Christmas churchgoing, of recent years.
Another sign of growth is in baptisms, especially of children and young people.
So how important is religion to you? Do you go to church? If so why? Do you attend the mosque or temple regularly? Or do you think it's not for you?
03700 100 444 is the number or you can e-mail via the Radio 4 website or text us on 84844. Join Julian Worricker at four minutes past twelve.
TUE 12:57 Weather (b01s7s8p)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 13:00 World at One (b01s8bz2)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
TUE 13:45 In a Prince's Footsteps (b01s8wgt)
Aswan, Egypt
In 1862 Albert, Prince of Wales, toured the Middle East. At the time it was still predominantly controlled by the Ottoman Empire. As he travelled, his photographer Francis Bedford kept a detailed photographic record of the trip. In this series John McCarthy revisits the scenes of Bedford's photographs - Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Greece. He considers how the immediate physical, political and social landscape has evolved during the intervening 150 years.
Some of Bedford's photographs are of widely known locations - the Pyramids at Giza, the Mount of Olives, the temples at Baalbek, the Acropolis - others are of remote hilltops and apparently random buildings, scenes without any obvious significance. Both however hold fascinating and unexpected tales and insight.
The series will reflect on the rise and fall of empires - the Ottoman, British and French all play their part in these stories. They are now all gone, but the world's powers still seek to influence the politics of the region.
In each episode John McCarthy focusses on two of Bedford's original photographs, revisiting the sites and taking his own pictures of the same scenes today.
In the second programme in this series, John travels up the Nile to Aswan on the edge of the Sahara Desert. Here he considers pictures of two of the ancient Egyptian temples at Philae. The temple structures appear the same as in the original photographs, but today they stand on a different island.
Presenter: John McCarthy
Producer: Kevin Dawson
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 14:00 The Archers (b01s7zpj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama (b01s8bz4)
Nicola Baldwin - Tony and Rose
Written by Nicola Baldwin.
With Robert Glenister and Marcia Warren.
4 Extra Debut. When architect Tony McGill returns to England from his home in Germany to attend his Aunt Ruth's funeral, he struggles to come to terms with the strange behaviour of his mother Rose.
Ruth and Rose, both widows, lived and looked after each other, so he thought. But Ruth had tried to protect Tony from the truth and it is only when Tony comes home for the funeral that he realises quite how ill his mother is - with dementia - and that he has little time to sort out what best to do for her.
At first it all seemed so straightforward - just take her back to Germany, to stay with him, his wife Monica and son, Karl Heinz. It soon dawns on Tony, however, that Rose's situation is far more serious than he can handle and he struggles with his decision not to leave her in England and put her in a home.
At the home, things go from bad to worse and Tony's conscience is tested as he watches all dignity being pulled away from her. Before it is too late he takes her on a journey that ultimately buys him a bit of time to come to terms with inevitability of what lies ahead.
Written by Nicola Baldwin
Director: Celia de Wolff
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 15:00 Making History (b01s8bz6)
Helen Castor is joined in the Making History studio by Professor Pauline Croft from the University of London and archaeologist Dr Matt Pope from University College London.
Tom Holland travels to Enniskillen in Northern Ireland where a road built for the G8 meeting in June sliced the top off a wetland landscape feature known as a crannog. Tom meets with Dr John O'Keeffe and Dr Nora Bermingham who explain how this man-made timber construction was inhabited for over one thousand years from the 7th Century onwards and that the artefacts discovered are changing the way we see Ireland in the early medieval ages.
Back in the studio, Dr Rowena Archer from Christ Church Oxford explains the political significance of a 15th Century child-bride Anne Mowbray who was married to one of the Princes in the Tower and who was at the centre of Edward VI's land-grab. Her remains were discovered by builders working on a bomb site in East London in 1964 at a time when rescue archaeology was unheard of.
Finally, in Edinburgh, Fiona Watson meets up with Dr Alan MacDonald from the University of Dundee who explains the impact on the Scottish Parliament of James 1st's move south to London to become James VI in 1603.
Contact the programme: making.history@bbc.co.uk
Produced by Nick Patrick
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 15:30 Costing the Earth (b01s8bz8)
Bees Fight Back
Much heat has been generated about about modern pesticides called neonicotinoids.
Their supporters - the companies which make them, the farmers who use them and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - say they are vital to protect crops and boost yields in a hungry world. They say jobs would be threatened in a big way if they were outlawed and that there is no scientific proof that they are harming pollinating insects which are also vital to agriculture.
On the other side of the debate are environment campaigners, scientists, the European Food Safety Authority, the European Commission and a House of Commons select committee. They say there is so much evidence that neonicotinoids kill bees and other useful insects that their use in farms and gardens cannot be justified. Beekeepers are divided, some fearing that the alternative chemicals would cause even more damage, some saying that the other threats to bees - disease and loss of habitat - are far more serious. Some even challenge the whole notion that bees are suffering a serious decline.
For Costing the Earth, Tom Heap goes into the fields and hedgerows of England - and into the laboratory of the country's only Professor of Apiculture - to sort spin from science and facts from campaign catchphrases. He also hears from scientists and experts on the global health of pollinating insects and the crops that depend on them.
Produced by Steve Peacock.
TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (b01s8bzb)
With a royal baby imminent, Michael Rosen investigates names. From rare surnames which have all but died out in this country, to countries which tightly control first names given to children. He meets expectant mothers at an ante-natal class and finds out about the names they're thinking of for their offspring, and talks to an historian about royal names- are we ever likely to have a Prince Kevin or a Princess Tracey? Produced in Bristol by Melvin Rickarby.
TUE 16:30 Great Lives (b01s8cnz)
Series 30
Bill Shankly
Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts champions the life of the legendary football manager Bill Shankly, who in the 1960s took Liverpool from the second division to become one of the world's greatest sides. Famous for his quip that "football is not a matter of life and death, it's much more important than that", Shankly lived and breathed football; but in his later years he felt that the Liverpool managers had frozen him out of the side he had nurtured, and betrayed him.
Shankly came from humble beginnings. After school he worked down the local coal mine until the pit was closed. He never became rich and lived in a modest semi-detached house where Liverpool fans were always welcome. His life was a far cry from that of today's top managers, but through his canny playing of the transfer market, did he anticipate their methods? Matthew Parris chairs the discussion, with the aid of Shankly biographer Stephen Kelly.
Producer: Jolyon Jenkins
TUE 17:00 PM (b01s8cp1)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b01s7s8r)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 18:30 Isy Suttie's Love Letters (b01rqbmc)
Series 1
Mr Mississippi
Isy Suttie (Dobby from Channel 4's Peep Show and double British Comedy Award nominee) returns to BBC Radio 4 with these unique tales, recounting a series of love stories affecting people she's known throughout her life, told partly through song.
Sometimes Isy has merely observed other people's love lives; quite often she's intervened, changing the action dramatically - for better or worse. Intertwined within these stories are related real life anecdotes from Isy's own, often disastrous, love life.
In this second episode, Isy tries tries to save her failing relationship with a papier-mâché penguin, while at the same time helping Matlock's resident busker, Mr Mississippi, capture the heart of his unrequited love Lorna, a shelf stacker at the local supermarket.
With her multi-character and vocal skills, plus her guitar, Isy creates a hilarious and deeply moving world, sharing with us her lessons in life and love.
"A voice you want to swim in" The Independent
Produced by Lianne Coop.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (b01s8cp5)
With Lilian out of the room, Matt takes the opportunity to snoop through her mobile. Lilian catches him but Matt is unfazed, suggesting he was merely checking if it had charged.
Lilian is going to a design exhibition in Felpersham to pick up some new ideas for the paper mill development. She leaves Matt to some paperwork. However Matt decides to check up on his partner and turns up at the exhibition. He is initially rather suspicious of one of the designers, Rick. But once he learns that Rick has a male partner, Matt agrees to Lilian's suggestion that they approach him about the paper mill job
Jonathan has discovered another great restaurant to take Helen for their date. He compliments Helen's new haircut, but apparently Henry isn't too keen on his mother's new look. Helen also divulges some of her past relationship woes. Jonathan notices Henry's father is absent from this conversation. Helen is very matter-of-fact about conceiving Henry through donor insemination, though Jonathan is rather shocked by the news.
The atmosphere is a little awkward as the pair say goodnight. Jonathan is rather vague about when he will contact Helen again.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (b01s8cp7)
Star Trek reviewed; Cultural Exchange with Germaine Greer; new show at Buckingham Palace
With Mark Lawson.
A diamond ring given by King Charles I to his young wife is one of the highlights of a new exhibition opening this week at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace. In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion aims to show how much clothes, jewellery and armour told us about their wearers and their status. A N Wilson gives his verdict.
In the latest episode of Cultural Exchange, in which creative minds select a favourite art-work, Germaine Greer nominates the The Getting of Wisdom, a novel by the Australian writer Henry Handel Richardson, published in 1910.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Simon Pegg star in J J Abrams' return to the Star Trek film franchise. Captain Kirk and crew embark on a mission to Earth, now a war zone, to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction in Star Trek Into Darkness. Naomi Alderman reviews.
The Vulcan bomber takes centre stage in James Hamilton-Paterson's new novel Under the Radar, about the lives of British aircrew at the height of the Cold War. The writer discusses the book which is set in 1961, as the aircrew brace themselves for an imminent Soviet nuclear attack.
Producer Stephen Hughes.
TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b01s8x4z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
TUE 20:00 The New Dissidents (b01s8cp9)
The Good Friday Agreement is 15 years old. But, for some, Northern Ireland remains a violent place. Beatings and murders are still happening, with grim regularity. Now there's a new danger. Several dissident republican groups have come together to form a 'new IRA'. Peter Taylor asks why, 15 years on, a dangerous few still write their political messages in blood.
TUE 20:40 In Touch (b01s8cpc)
Guide dogs teaming up with NBC Society
Guide Dogs CEO Richard Leaman explains the merger of the charity with the National Blind Children's Society.
Leslie Tucker from the Birkbeck BabyLab talks to Peter about research looking at the visual behaviour of sighted babies who have blind parents.
Claire Pearson is a blind parent with sighted children and explains why she took part in the study and some of the methods she uses to gauge her baby's facial expressions.
Producer:Cheryl Gabriel
Editor:Andrew Smith.
TUE 21:00 All in the Mind (b01s8cpf)
DSM-5; Should therapists cry? Sleep and mental illness
The new edition of the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will be launched later this month, Professor Simon Wessely discusses its potential impact in the UK.
A new survey discovers that 72% of therapists have cried during a therapy session, Claudia Hammond asks should therapists cry?
What is the link between sleep and mental illness? A study from Oxford University shows how chaotic sleep can be in people with schizophrenia.
TUE 21:30 The Life Scientific (b01s89mh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 21:58 Weather (b01s7s8t)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b01s8cph)
Somalia: still a failed state?
Islamisation of Pakistan politics;
Tomorrow's Queen's speech;
Latest from Ohio missing girls investigation.
With Ritula Shah.
TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b01s8cpk)
This Is Where I Am
Episode 12
Abdi has invited a former drug addict to his flat and Debs is horrified at the unsuitable influence on Rebecca. After a fierce argument, she leaves for Dadaab without telling him where she is going or why.
Read by Maureen Beattie and Jude Akuwidike.
Abridged and produced by Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:00 Absolutely Delish (b01s8cpm)
The Food of Love
New comedy by Mark Evans.
Fantasy and food collide when Natasha's search for romance results in a rather strange dinner party. Her guests are happy to dish out plenty of advice, but how much can a brutal, blood thirsty totalitarian dictator really know about love?
Natasha ... Katherine Parkinson
Stalin ... Ewan Bailey
Ghandi ... Adeel Akhtar
Elizabeth 1 ... Joanna Brookes
Marie-Curie ... Phillipa Stanton
Steve ... Michael Shelford
Director ..... Helen Perry
Katherine Parkinson stars as unlucky -in-love Natasha. Katherine is best known for playing Jen Barber in the Channel 4 series The IT Crowd. She has also appeared in Doc Martin and films The Boat That Rocked and How to Lose Friends & Alienate People.
Mark Evans' TV credits include award winning That Mitchell and Webb Look, Comedy Nation and BAFTA nominated Sorry,I've Got No Head. For Radio 4's Mark's written Bleak Expectations and That Mitchell and Webb Sound amongst many others series.
TUE 23:30 When Harry Potter Met Frodo: The Strange World of Fan Fiction (b01p0bmx)
Novelist Naomi Alderman investigates the extraordinary sub-culture of internet fan fiction and asks how it is influencing the future of popular culture.
The age of the internet has seen an explosion in the writing and reading of fan fiction. Fans of books, movies, TV shows are writing their own stories about their favourite fictional characters and worlds.
Some sample stories: What happens if Hamlet was a woman? What would happen if the Pirates of the Caribbean raided the Titanic? How does Mulder from the X Files deal with growing a pair of wings?
Many of the stories are on explicit sexual themes. The recent, hugely successful series Fifty Shades Of Grey by EL James has its roots in the fan fiction scene and has sparked interest in the genre from commercial publishers. The homoerotic sub-genre known as Slash fiction also has a huge following among heterosexual women as readers and writers.
Naomi talks to 'fanfic' writers and professional authors about this unprecedented flowering of creative writing. She finds out how it is giving a voice to female fans and pioneering new forms of creativity outside the commercial arena.
With author China Mieville, Francesca Coppa, Henry Jenkins and Ika Willis
Produced by Russell Finch
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
WEDNESDAY 08 MAY 2013
WED 00:00 Midnight News (b01s7s9v)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b01s5d45)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b01s7s9x)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b01s7s9z)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b01s7sb1)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (b01s7sb3)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b01sc3j4)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Revd Dr Peter McGrail of Liverpool Hope University.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (b01s89wp)
The Forestry Commission is preparing to spray an area of woodland in Berkshire with insecticide to kill off a harmful caterpillar called the Oak Processionary Moth. Amid concerns from wildlife groups that aerial spraying will threaten other woodland species, Anna Hill asks whether this controversial method of pest control is worth the risk.
Anna also talks to a former ostrich farmer who says the UK is a hard place to make a living out of exotic meat production.
And should working horses take their old job back from the tractors? Farming Today visits a vineyard in Gloucestershire where heavy horses are showing what they can do.
WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b01s8mng)
Swift
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs. David Attenborough presents the Swift. Swifts live in the sky, feeding, mating and sleeping on the wing. Their feet are so reduced they cannot stand particularly well on land, only the near vertical surfaces on which they build their nest.
WED 06:00 Today (b01s8mnj)
Morning news and current affairs with Evan Davis and John Humphys, including:
0810
The government is expected to announce tougher rules on immigration when it outlines its programme for the next year on Wednesday. The Queen's Speech will include a parliamentary bill aimed at making it easier to deport foreign criminals and those who enter the UK illegally. Political editor Nick Robinson, Economics editor Stephanie Flanders, and Home editor Mark Easton, examine what will be announced.
0819
The animator Ray Harryhausen died yesterday in London. Peter Lord, co-founder of Aardman Animations, the Wallace and Gromit people, reflect on Mr Harryhausen's life.
0829
No cold calling zones across the country are set up with the help of trading standards and are often designed to protect the elderly and vulnerable from rogue traders from turning up outside their homes and conning people. Alistair McLean, chief executive of the Fundraising Standards Board, and Steve Playle, investigations and enforcement manager at Surrey Trading Standards and lead officer from the Trading Standards Institute on doorstep crime, analyse whether the zones are successful.
WED 09:00 Midweek (b01s8mnl)
Johnny Mars, Alan Johnson MP, Amanda Waring, Brendan Walker
Libby Purves meets engineer and performer Professor Brendan Walker; former Home Secretary Alan Johnson MP; blues musician Johnny Mars and actor and campaigner Amanda Waring.
Professor Brendan Walker is an aeronautical engineer and TV presenter. He is known as the Renaissance Showman for his technology-inspired performances and has been dubbed 'the world's only thrill engineer.' In his new four-part series for Channel 4 he examines recent aviation incidents and near misses to discover what they tell us about safety in the sky.
Alan Johnson MP was general secretary of the Communication Workers Union before entering Parliament as Labour MP for Hull West and Hessle in 1997. He went on to serve as Health Secretary, Education Secretary and Home Secretary, a post he held from June 2009 to May 2010. He was Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer until his resignation in 2011. His book, This Boy - A Memoir of a Childhood, is published by Bantam Press.
Johnny Mars is a blues singer and harmonica player. Born into a sharecropping family in the Deep South, he formed his first band in 1957 and performed at Woodstock. During his career he has played on the same bill as Jimi Hendrix and BB King. He is now involved in a music mentoring scheme called 'Dare to Dream'. He is playing alongside other musicians for the Clod Ensemble who are performing their show Zero at the Brighton Festival and Sadler's Wells.
Amanda Waring is the daughter of actor Dorothy Tutin. She is an actor herself and also a campaigner for dignity and compassion in care. She is appearing in her one woman show, For the Love of Chocolate, at the Festival of Chichester.
Producer: Paula McGinley.
WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b01s5f3k)
A Sting in the Tale
Episode 3
Dave Goulson has always been obsessed with wildlife, from his childhood menagerie of exotic pets and dabbling in experimental taxidermy to his groundbreaking research into the mysterious ways of the bumblebee and his mission to protect our rarest bees.
Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee now only exists in the wilds of New Zealand, the descendants of a few queen bees shipped over in the nineteenth century.
Dave Goulson shares exclusive research into these curious creatures, looks at history's relationship with the bumblebee and offers advice on how to protect it for all time.
We'll also hear about bumblebee sniffer dogs, how bees navigate their way home and why you should remember these tiny furry friends next time you pour ketchup on your fish and chips.
One of the UK's most respected conservationists and the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Goulson combines Gerald Durrell-esque tales of a child's growing passion for nature with a deep insight into the crucial importance of the bumblebee.
He details the minutiae of life in their nests, sharing fascinating research into the effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and on the potential dangers if we continue down this path.
Read by Tim McInnerny
Producer: Joanne Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b01s8mnn)
Botox for 20-somethings; Kate Figes on infidelity
Why are increasing numbers of women in their 20s having botox injections? Kate Figes on infidelity. Should the laws on extreme porn be changed? Campaigning for women's rights in Somalia. Celebrating a key event by commissioning jewellery. With Jenni Murray.
WED 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b01s8xmn)
The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Series 7
Episode 3
War with the Dutch is imminent and Sam finds a posting at sea for Elizabeth's brother, Balty. Sam's social life continues to be very busy. He has a liaison with his old mistress, Mrs Lane, and is on his way to The Swan, with Mrs Knipp and Mrs Pierce, when a man warns them that it's still shut up with the plague. But when Elizabeth innocently invites her drawing teacher, Mr Brown, to stay for dinner, Sam is furious. Adapted from the diaries by Hattie Naylor.
Theme music: Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, words by Robert Herrick and music by William Lawes, sung by Bethany Hughes. Lute, baroque guitar and theorbo played by David Miller. Violin and viol by Annika Gray, and recorders by Alice Baxter.
Historical consultant: Liza Picard
Sound by Catherine Robinson
A BBC/Cymru Wales production, directed by Kate McAll.
WED 11:00 Don't Log Off (b01s8mnq)
Series 3
Connection & Separation
Alan Dein crosses the world via Facebook and Skype, hearing the real life dramas of random strangers.
Hooked up to a computer well into the early hours of the morning, Alan circumnavigates the globe online inviting anyone and everyone to talk to him. He never knows who he will be speaking to next or what secrets they will reveal.
In the first programme, Alan hears stories of connection and separation. He connects with a man in Cairo as a gunfight rages outside, a French woman nervously awaiting a meeting with her estranged father and a Brazilian man mystified at the disappearance of an online lover.
Producer: Laurence Grissell.
WED 11:30 Wordaholics (b01s8mns)
Series 2
Episode 5
Gyles Brandreth chairs the word-obsessed comedy panel show.
Milton Jones and Robin Ince compete against Natalie Haynes and Lloyd Langford for wordy supremacy.
The Letter of the Week is 'W'. Lloyd Langford hazards a guess as to what 'Welsh cricket' is while Natalie Haynes has to work out what 'Whistling breeches' are.
In a round about Australian slang Robin Ince tries to guess the meaning of 'guttergripper' while Milton Jones takes a stab at 'shypoo'.
All the panellists come up with some brilliant new toponyms and also reveal their pet-hate words.
Writers: Jon Hunter and James Kettle.
Producer: Claire Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2013.
WED 12:00 You and Yours (b01s8mnv)
DNA mapping, free music downloads, collective energy buying
The cancer researchers who believe a person's DNA could provide the key to new personalised treatments, tailored to the specific patient. Getting together with thousands of other people to negotiate the price of your gas and electricity has been seen as an effective way to reduce fuel bills, but why have so few people signed up for collective energy buying schemes? If you are invited to download your favourite music free of charge, should you assume the app or website is breaking the law?
Producer: Jonathan Hallewell
Presenter: Winifred Robinson.
WED 12:30 Face the Facts (b01s8mnx)
Who wants to be a trader millionaire?
We investigate concerns that more and more people are taking up trading the foreign exchange market, and stocks and shares, in search of well-paid careers or as a lucrative hobby. Expensive training courses offer the chance to learn the 'secrets of the trade' leaving participants to believe they can easily beat the market from the comfort of the computer in their spare bedroom or their laptop on the beach. With unemployment high, and interest rates low, a growing number of job seekers are turning themselves into d-i-y traders. So are all too many of those who sign up being fooled - or fooling themselves - into thinking that making money through financial trading is a pretty straightforward skill to acquire?
Producer:Joe Kent.
WED 12:57 Weather (b01s7sb5)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 13:00 World at One (b01s8mnz)
Queen's Speech analysis, presented by Martha Kearney. Conservative backbencher, Douglas Carswell, tells us he's disappointed there isn't a bill for an EU referendum. Business Secretary, Vince Cable says the speech includes "some really major bills".
Plus Manchester United super fan Michael Crick gives his reaction to Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.
WED 13:45 In a Prince's Footsteps (b01s8xmq)
Jerusalem
In the third episode in this series John arrives in Jerusalem. Here he considers pictures of two of the holy cities key locations. The Mount of Olives and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
In 1862 Albert, Prince of Wales, toured the Middle East. At the time it was still predominantly controlled by the Ottoman Empire. As he travelled, his photographer Francis Bedford kept a detailed photographic record of the trip. In this series John McCarthy revisits the scenes of Bedford's photographs - Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Greece. He considers how the immediate physical, political and social landscape has evolved during the intervening 150 years.
Some of Bedford's photographs are of widely known locations - the Pyramids at Giza, the Mount of Olives, the temples at Baalbek, the Acropolis - others are of remote hilltops and apparently random buildings, scenes without any obvious significance. Both however hold fascinating and unexpected tales and insight.
The series will reflect on the rise and fall of empires - the Ottoman, British and French all play their part in these stories. They are now all gone, but the world's powers still seek to influence the politics of the region.
In each episode John McCarthy focusses on two of Bedford's original photographs, revisiting the sites and taking his own pictures of the same scenes today.
Presenter: John McCarthy
Producer: Kevin Dawson
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
WED 14:00 The Archers (b01s8cp5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (b01s8mp1)
The Fox
By Robin Brooks.
Mild-mannered Englishman Michael Forwell came from a loving background and attended one of Britain's top schools - yet he became one of the most successful drug smugglers of the 1980's.
A charming rogue, Forwell took enormous risks to feed his insatiable desire for adventure. But of course, the high-life came at a cost.
Directed by Selina Ream.
WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b01s8mp3)
Financial Fraud
Have you been the victim of financial fraud? For advice about protecting your identity, spotting scams and sorting out the mess if you are caught out, call 03700 100 444 between
1pm and
3.30pm on Wednesday or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk
Fraud losses on UK cards totalled £388 million in 2012 say Financial Fraud Action UK (FFAUK). Consumers are either duped into handing over their cards and PINs or shoulder surfed at cash machines before their cards are stolen.
While telephone banking fraud fell in 2012, £39.6million was lost to online banking fraud, with customers tricked into revealing their bank details through false websites.
FFAUK have also recently given a warning about fake job adverts, often made online using titles such as 'Money Transfer Agent' or 'Payment Processing Agent'. These illegal schemes involve those accepting jobs in money laundering, exposing them to financial risk and possibly jail.
If you have been the victim of a money scam or you want advice about how to keep your finances safe, call 03700 100 444 between
1pm and
3.30pm on Wednesday or email moneybox@bbc.co.uk.
Waiting to answer your question will be:
Katy Worobec, Head of Fraud Control, Financial Fraud Action UK
DCI Dave Carter, The Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit (DCPCU)
James Daley, Money Expert, Which?
Phone lines are open between
1pm and
3.30pm. Standard geographic charges apply. Calls from mobiles may be higher.
Presenter: Vincent Duggleby
Producer: Diane Richardson.
WED 15:30 All in the Mind (b01s8cpf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b01s8mp5)
Middle Class Enclaves and Escapes
Middle class enclaves and escapes. A special edition of Thinking Allowed partly recorded at the British Sociological Association's 2013 conference.
Privatised neighbourhoods and lifestyle migration are a global phenomenon. Increasingly, it seems, middle class people with sufficient capital are choosing to 'opt out' of urban environments, or, at least, to shield themselves from their more 'dangerous' elements, namely the poorer residents. Laurie Taylor talks to a range of academics who have researched the various manifestations of this desire for enclaves, escapes and the 'good life'. Can the broader social dynamics and conflicts of a society be understood by examining evolving form of housing and urban flight?
Maggy Lee talks about the rapid expansion of residential tourism and 'lifestyle migration' between Hong Kong and mainland China, as the 'well off' buy up high end, gated communities. Nick Osbaldiston looks at 'lifestyle migrants' in Australia who move to small, mainly coastal communities, representing a middle class 'takeover'. And Ceren Yalcin explores the proliferation of 'sealed off' housing complexes in Istanbul. They're joined by Rowland Atkinson who has done extensive research into gentrification, gated communities and housing inequality.
Producer: Jayne Egerton.
WED 16:30 The Media Show (b01s8mp7)
Harriet Harman, football coverage
The Telegraph's Luke Edwards has been banned from Newcastle Utd after he wrote a story the club didn't like and the paper refused to retract it. He tells Steve why other reporters told him to quiet about this and, with Ashling O'Connor of The Times, discusses the challenges of reporting on football when clubs threaten to ban reporters in this way.
The Queen's Speech is today. Labour's Harriet Harman says it's time for legislation on issues like media ownership and calls on the government to act. What would she do to resolve the disagreements over press regulation?
From Moscow, The Guardian's Miriam Elder reports on the start of the trial of Alexander Lebedev, who Steve then speaks to on his mobile to ask if a conviction and jail would affect his papers - The Independent, Independent on Sunday, The i and London Evening Standard.
Presenter: Steve Hewlett
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Editor: Andrew Smith.
WED 17:00 PM (b01s8mp9)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b01s7sb7)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 18:30 Down the Line (b01s8mq6)
Series 5
Episode 2
The ground-breaking Radio 4 phone-in show, hosted by the legendary Gary Bellamy and brought to you by the creators of The Fast Show.
Starring Rhys Thomas, with Amelia Bullmore, Simon Day, Felix Dexter, Charlie Higson, Lucy Montgomery, Adil Ray, Robert Popper and Paul Whitehouse.
Producers: Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse
A Down The Line production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 19:00 The Archers (b01s8mpc)
Nic sees Vicky and Bethany feeding the ducks. The pair chat about pregnancy and Nic explains she has decided not to learn the sex of the baby. George is so keen on having a little brother, she doesn't want to potentially disappoint him before the baby is born.
Nic and Eddie make the final preparations for Clarrie's surprise party. They decide Nic should come up with an excuse to deter Clarrie from making any final plans of her own.
Jill and Clarrie wonder if there are any saints that could be associated with bears, as Vicky has offered to loan her teddy bears for use in the Flower Festival.
Lilian is admiring the work Eddie has done on Mrs Nicholls' patio when Matt unexpectedly joins them. Lilian is embarrassed, as she thinks it looks like Matt is checking up on her rather than Eddie. But Matt suggests he was worried Lilian might be using Eddie for sentimental reasons.
Later, Matt discovers Lilian looking at his diary and pointedly suggests she pay him a 'spur of the moment visit.' Matt apologises for being suspicious and leaves to pour the G and T's. Lilian takes the opportunity to let Paul know they must be very careful from now on.
WED 19:15 Front Row (b01s8mpf)
Mud reviewed; Howard Jacobson's Cultural Exchange; MD Villiers
With Mark Lawson.
Matthew McConaughey stars as a fugitive befriended by two children in Mud, a new drama from acclaimed director Jeff Nichols. The kids try to help him avoid capture and reunite him with his first love, but not everything goes to plan. Critic Ryan Gilbey delivers his verdict.
M D Villiers was nominated for the Crime Writers Association's Debut Dagger award for her novel City of Blood. The book is set in Johannesburg and was inspired by a real murder which took place on the streets of the city. She explains how she started to write about her home country.
In the latest episode of Cultural Exchange, in which creative minds select a favourite art-work, Booker Prize-winning novelist Howard Jacobson nominates Carnal Knowledge, the 1971 film directed by Mike Nichols and starring Jack Nicholson.
This week further allegations arose about abuse in Britain's specialist music schools. Martin Roscoe is a music teacher who has voiced his concern about how schools are run. Paul Lewis is a world-renowned pianist and former pupil at Chetham's. Both talk to Mark about one-to-one teaching and how the culture of musical education should change.
Producer Ellie Bury.
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b01s8xmn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
WED 20:00 Leader Conference (b01s8mph)
Series 3
Episode 3
In the third edition of the latest series of Leader Conference, Andrew Rawnsley was joined by Phil Collins of the Times; Mary Riddell of the Daily Telegraph; David Seymour of the Sunday Mirror; Anne McElvoy of the Economist; and Torcuil Crichton of the Daily Record.
We debated: the Queen's Speech; Sir Alex Ferguson; and Virgin Trains' new staff uniform.
Odds and Ends
The Queen's Speech has about it the quality of an Eton mess. That shouldn't condemn it; government is a multifarious set of tasks. Judging priorities among departments and managing legislation require care and skill. Similarly, the modesty of the government's programme isn't of itself a shortcoming. Much of the legislation envisaged in the coalition agreement has already been enacted.
However, we are still disappointed by the Speech. Its priority seems to be political positioning, particularly by the Conservatives, rather than tackling Britain's continuing economic malaise. Yet it presents a confused set of proposals. In particular, measures designed to appeal to voters attracted to the UK Independence Party's messages on immigration seem to us difficult to implement. GPs are not employees of the state and making them responsible for policing migrants' health care demands look impractical and unenforceable. Similarly, delegating to private landlords the vetting of housing applications may simply discourage the supply of properties onto the market and push up rents for all. We wonder if this is what ministers intend.
There are other inconsistencies too. The prime minister has said much about Europe in recent weeks and yet no concrete measures appear in the Speech. Legislation introducing the much-trailed flat-rate pension is designed to appeal to older voters. But pensioners will have also noted the reductions in councils' social care budgets.
There is certainly much to be done in the remaining two years of this Parliament. But we advocate far greater emphasis on the effective implementation of the government's existing reforms rather than the passing of more laws whose rationale, beyond trying to stymie UKIP, is unclear and whose contradictions will compromise their likely effectiveness.
Old Trafford's Magician
We sympathise with those jaded by English football's unquenchable thirst for hyperbole, but even they, we think, should pay tribute to Sir Alex Ferguson following his decision to step down as manager of Manchester United. Over his twenty-six years in charge, the club won forty-nine trophies, including thirteen premier league titles. These alone make him one of the outstanding figures not just in sport but in management generally.
Sir Alex also came up the hard way and deployed his Glaswegian background to good effect in reaching the top. He has helped ensure that football's influence has been positive on national life, even when his "hairdryer" moments have captured the headlines. While we doubt that he had a strategic master plan from the outset, his major achievement was the building of a succession of winning teams.
It is tempting to suggest that the Ferguson model is something we should freely apply to other institutions, be they the monarchy, FTSE100 companies or politics. Tempting and wrong. Managers can always be sacked - monarchs cannot. Furthermore, the autocratic methods and belligerent approach of some football managers - while arguably necessary to keep in line handsomely remunerated young footballers with highly developed egos - are hardly ones we want to see among our parliamentarians.
Let us celebrate success like that achieved by Sir Alex. But let us also remember the peculiar, highly-monied context in which it was achieved. And let us look forward to a newly competitive era in the premier league - or at least hope for one.
Business Brains?
"Business Brains Take Virgin Trains" ran the slogan. If so, we wonder if Virgin's own executives do that. Our thought was prompted by the reaction of those female employees of Virgin Trains who protested to their bosses about "skimpy" new red blouses that were issued to them.
Uniforms should be things which staff are happy to wear and we are surprised that Sir Richard Branson's outfit appears to have run into the buffers with this latest development of the Virgin wardrobe. Managers' decision to offer female staff vouchers to purchase underwear that would not be visible through the new blouses seems like an admission that the company has misjudged this new design.
We do not advocate fashion styles reminiscent of the catwalks of the Soviet bloc. But nor should female employees be demeaned - or passengers be embarrassed - by the uniforms provided to staff. This makeover terminates here.
Producer Simon Coates.
WED 20:45 Four Thought (b01s8mpk)
Series 4
Stewart Henderson: Poetry in Politics
Stewart Henderson argues that a lack of poetry in politics is fuelling disengagement. He draws on past and current speeches from Winston Churchill to Aneurin Bevan and David Cameron to Ed Miliband to make the case for putting poetry back in political rhetoric.
Four Thought is a series of talks which combine new ideas and personal stories. Speakers explain their latest thinking on the trends and ideas in culture and society in front of a live audience. It is recorded in front of a live audience at Somerset House in London.
Producer: Laura Francis.
WED 21:00 Costing the Earth (b01s8bz8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
15:30 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 Midweek (b01s8mnl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 21:58 Weather (b01s7sb9)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b01s8mpm)
The Queen's Speech focuses on tougher rules for immigrants. The lessons of Sir Alex Ferguson's approach to management. The violence and vibrancy of Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi. Presented by Ritula Shah.
WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b01s8mpp)
This Is Where I Am
Episode 13
Unbeknown to Abdi, Debs is in the refugee camp in Dadaab searching for news of his wife Azira. She finds a woman who was with them on the day the bandits attacked - with surprising news.
Abridged and produced by Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:00 Can't Tell Nathan Caton Nothing (b01s8mpr)
Series 2
About Careful Driving
Can't Tell Nathan Caton Nothing - tells the story of young, up-and-coming comedian Nathan Caton, who after becoming the first in his family to graduate from University, opted not to use his architecture degree but instead to try his hand at being a full-time stand-up comedian, much to his family's annoyance who desperately want him to get a 'proper job.'
Each episode illustrates the criticism, interference and rollercoaster ride that Nathan endures from his disapproving family as he tries to pursue his chosen career.
The series is a mix of Nathan's stand-up intercut with scenes from his family life.
Janet a.k.a. Mum is probably the kindest and most lenient of the disappointed family members. At the end of the day she just wants the best for her son. However, she aint looking embarrassed for nobody!
Martin a.k.a. Dad is clumsy and hard-headed and leaves running the house to his wife (she wouldn't allow it to be any other way).
Shirley a.k.a. Grandma cannot believe she left the paradise in the West Indies and came to the freezing United Kingdom for a better life so that years later her grandson could 'tell jokes!' It's not the good Christian way!
So with all this going on in the household what will Nathan do? Will he be able to persist and follow his dreams? Or will he give in to his family's interference?
About Careful Driving
Nathan Caton acknowledges that his Dad loves his car more than him.
Nathan ..... Nathan Caton
Mun ..... Adjoa Andoh
Dad ..... Curtis Walker
Grandma ..... Mona Hammond
Sue ..... Chizzy Akudolu
Police Officer ..... Don Gilet
Police Officer 2 ..... Ola
Written by Nathan Caton and James Kettle.
Additional Material by Ola and Maff Brown.
Produced by Katie Tyrrell.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2013.
WED 23:15 One (b0090s0w)
Series 2
Episode 2
Sketch show written by David Quantick, featuring Graeme Garden, Johnny Daukes, Deborah Norton, Katie Maskell, Dan Antopolski, David Quantick, Andrew Crawford and Gavin Peacock.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b01s8mpt)
Susan Hulme reports as David Cameron and Ed Miliband clash over the government's latest proposals for new laws.
Editor: Peter Mulligan.
THURSDAY 09 MAY 2013
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b01s7scs)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b01s5f3k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b01s7scx)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b01s7sd1)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b01s7sd5)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b01s7sd7)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b01sc3j6)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Revd Dr Peter McGrail of Liverpool Hope University.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b01s89vv)
More floods, hotter summers and lots of rats. Leading scientists predict the effects of climate change on farming.
And Charlotte Smith sneaks into the grounds of the Chelsea Flower Show to see the preparations which are underway for a special garden all about tree health.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Emma Weatherill.
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b01s8qh4)
Wood Warbler
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs. David Attenborough presents the wood warbler. Their song has been described as "a spinning coin on a marble slab" and you're most likely to hear this chorister in oak or beech wood.
THU 06:00 Today (b01s8qx7)
Morning news and current affairs with John Humphrys and Evan Davis, including:
0810
A group representing senior probation officers has criticised plans to supervise offenders for at least a year after they have been freed from prison. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling outlines the plans, and Mike Trace, chief executive of the Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust, examines the details of the plans.
0820
You may have heard during yesterday morning's programme our political editor Nick Robinson slightly distracted in his analysis of the Queen's Speech by speculation around Sir Alex's retirement. Nick abandoned his usual measured reporting to declare him the "greatest living Briton". We invited Nick back to explain himself.
0824
More than five million people now hear a few words of Dothraki or Valyrian, the fabricated languages spoken in the television series Game of Thrones, each week-more than the number who hear Welsh, Irish Gaelic and Scots Gaelic combined. Evan Davis speaks to David Peterson, President of the Language Creation Society, who created Dothraki - spoken by the nomadic horsemen.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (b01s8qx9)
Icelandic Sagas
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Icelandic Sagas. First written down in the 13th century, the sagas tell the stories of the Norse settlers of Iceland, who began to arrive on the island in the late 9th century. They contain some of the richest and most extraordinary writing of the Middle Ages, and often depict events known to have happened in the early years of Icelandic history, although there is much debate as to how much of their content is factual and how much imaginative. Full of heroes, feuds and outlaws, with a smattering of ghosts and trolls, the sagas inspired later writers including Sir Walter Scott, William Morris and WH Auden.
With:
Carolyne Larrington
Fellow and Tutor in Medieval English Literature at St John's College, Oxford
Elizabeth Ashman Rowe
University Lecturer in Scandinavian History at the University of Cambridge
Emily Lethbridge
Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Árni Magnússon Manuscripts Institute in Reykjavík
Producer: Thomas Morris.
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b01s5g4y)
A Sting in the Tale
Episode 4
Dave Goulson has always been obsessed with wildlife, from his childhood menagerie of exotic pets and dabbling in experimental taxidermy to his groundbreaking research into the mysterious ways of the bumblebee and his mission to protect our rarest bees.
Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee now only exists in the wilds of New Zealand, the descendants of a few queen bees shipped over in the nineteenth century.
Dave Goulson shares exclusive research into these curious creatures, looks at history's relationship with the bumblebee and offers advice on how to protect it for all time.
We'll also hear about bumblebee sniffer dogs, how bees navigate their way home and why you should remember these tiny furry friends next time you pour ketchup on your fish and chips.
One of the UK's most respected conservationists and the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Goulson combines Gerald Durrell-esque tales of a child's growing passion for nature with a deep insight into the crucial importance of the bumblebee.
He details the minutiae of life in their nests, sharing fascinating research into the effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and on the potential dangers if we continue down this path.
Read by Tim McInnerny
Producer: Joanne Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b01s8qxc)
Cat Power; Independent Midwives
Cat Power sings live in the studio. New insurance rules threatening independent midwives: we discuss with a mother, a midwife and Louise Silverton from the Royal College of Midwives. Political commentator Gaby Hinsliff and Laura Perrins talk about the political influence of stay-at-home mothers and whether more should be done by government to support them. Sister Elizabeth Obbard and author Margaret Coles on Julian of Norwich.
Presented by Jenni Murray
Produced by Steven Williams.
THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b01s8xng)
The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Series 7
Episode 4
Sam goes to Greenwich Park to see if he can hear gunfire, now that Britain is at war with the Dutch. Then an injured sailor comes to tell him of the battle, and Sam takes him to tell his story to the King. People want to believe in a British victory - bonfires are lit and fireworks let off. But Sam is concerned that such celebrations are premature. He's soon proved right. Elizabeth's brother, Balty, returns from sea with a tearful tale. Adapted by Hattie Naylor.
Theme music: Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, words by Robert Herrick and music by William Lawes, sung by Bethany Hughes. Lute, baroque guitar and theorbo played by David Miller. Violin and viol by Annika Gray, and recorders by Alice Baxter.
Historical consultant: Liza Picard
Sound by Catherine Robinson
A BBC/Cymru Wales production, directed by Kate McAll.
THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b01s8qxf)
Return to Ghana's Oil City
Two and a half years ago, oil started flowing from Ghana's first commercial offshore oilfield. Shortly after the taps were turned on, Rob Walker visited the hub for the new industry: the once sleepy port of Takoradi. He found a mixture of ambition and uncertainty in a rapidly expanding boomtown. Rob now returns to Takoradi to meet people he met last time and find out whether their dreams have been realised.
Producer: Katharine Hodgson.
THU 11:30 The Gatsby Factor (b01s8qxh)
The Great Gatsby has become a 'major motion picture' for the fourth time in its life - this time in a new version by Baz Luhrmann.
In this programme, presented by academic and broadcaster Sarah Churchwell and recorded on both sides of the Atlantic, we account for the enduring popularity of Gatsby as a novel and as a source of inspiration for film and stage adaptations.
In Britain we visit the Northern Ballet and at Wilton's Music Hall - both with versions of Gatsby. In New York, we hear about the locations for the novel - the extreme wealth of north shore Long Island where Gatsby has his mansion, and the contrasting 'valley of ashes' where the poorer characters live.
The programme also includes luminaries at the New York Times considering why this novel, more than any other, has burned it way into American consciousness. How was Scott Fitzgerald in this the slimmest of novels, and with Gatsby the vaguest of protagonists, able to crack 'the kernel of the American fable'.
Producer: Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:00 You and Yours (b01s8qxk)
Conmen posing as Green Deal assessors, and fake 'Beats' by Dr Dre headphones
We investigate why fake 'Beats' by Dr Dre headphones are flooding the UK market. The conmen posing as Green Deal assessors. Also, four months after the horsemeat scandal broke we discuss why horse steaks are now a must-have on some restaurant menus. We look at the demand for simple mobile phones, how DIY lessons can save you money.
THU 12:57 Weather (b01s7sd9)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (b01s8qxm)
We have exclusive research on the hundreds of NHS blunders that should never have happened. The former Conservative Chancellor, Lord Lamont, tells us the UK can manage outside the EU. The government's adviser on childcare says she hopes ministers will reconsider their plans for childminders. Plus the latest on elections in Pakistan, the meteor that lit up the sky last night and medals for Arctic Convoy heroes.
THU 13:45 In a Prince's Footsteps (b01s8xsx)
West Bank
In the fourth episode in this series John travels into the West Bank. Here he considers pictures of two villages the Prince of Wales visited, now called al Jib and Beit Ur al-Fauqa.
In 1862 Albert, Prince of Wales, toured the Middle East. At the time it was still predominantly controlled by the Ottoman Empire. As he travelled, his photographer Francis Bedford kept a detailed photographic record of the trip. In this series John McCarthy revisits the scenes of Bedford's photographs - Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Greece. He considers how the immediate physical, political and social landscape has evolved during the intervening 150 years.
Some of Bedford's photographs are of widely known locations - the Pyramids at Giza, the Mount of Olives, the temples at Baalbek, the Acropolis - others are of remote hilltops and apparently random buildings, scenes without any obvious significance. Both however hold fascinating and unexpected tales and insight.
The series will reflect on the rise and fall of empires - the Ottoman, British and French all play their part in these stories. They are now all gone, but the world's powers still seek to influence the politics of the region.
In each episode John McCarthy focusses on two of Bedford's original photographs, revisiting the sites and taking his own pictures of the same scenes today.
Presenter: John McCarthy
Producer: Kevin Dawson
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
THU 14:00 The Archers (b01s8mpc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b00xb0sf)
Marcy Kahan - Incredibly Guilty: A Comic Moral Fable
by Marcy Kahan
Ed Hanson didn't mean to put Penhaligon Rhinehart into a coma;
after all he's a National Treasure.
Now Ed's life is about to change forever.
Directed by Sally Avens
It's an important day for Ed Hanson; he has to do two things, present a 'vision statement' to keep hold of his job and propose marriage to his girlfriend, Lucinda. What isn't on Ed's list of things to do is put Penhaligon Rhinehart, author, barrister, circus clown and National Treasure into a coma. Ed's life will never be quite the same again.
Stephen Mangan is one of our leading comic actors from playing roles such as 'Adrian Mole' on television and Norman in 'The Norman Conquests' on Stage and most recently Dirk Gently on BBC4
Marcy Kahan is an award winning screen and stage dramatist.
THU 15:00 Open Country (b01s8qxr)
Cannock Chase
Jules Hudson goes to Cannock Chase in Staffordshire to find out about its military past. A major training camp during the First World War, he visits a mock-up of part of the Western Front that was built in order to familiarise troops with the concept of trench warfare, before they were sent to France and Flanders. Now covered in scrub, county archaeologists will begin clearing the site, a model of Messines Ridge, this summer. This is in preparation for the centenary commemorations next year that mark the beginning of the First World War.
Cannock Chase as a whole can be seen as a landscape of commemoration. Besides the mock-up of the Trenches, the area is home to cemeteries for Commonwealth and German soldiers who died in the UK during both world wars, including the crews of the Zeppelins shot down over Britain during the First World War. Jules also visits a memorial to the Katyn Massacre on the Chase, which commemorates the 22,000 Polish soldiers who were shot by the Soviets on Stalin's orders in 1940.
Producer: Mark Smalley.
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b01s7vtt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Bookclub (b01s7xsf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:00 The Film Programme (b01s8qxt)
The Reluctant Fundamentalist; Jeff Nichols; Star Trek Into Darkness
Riz Ahmed discusses his latest role in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Directed by Mira Nair, it's based on the Booker Prize-nominated novel by Mohsin Hamid. Ahmed plays Changez, a young man from Pakistan who makes his fortune in the US as a successful financier, only to find he becomes an outsider after 9/11.
The writer and director Jeff Nichols explains how he brought his labour of love, Mud, to the big screen. A Mississippi tale with echoes of Mark Twain, it stars Matthew McConaughey and tells the story of a fugitive man living on an island and his friendship with two young boys.
And Star Trek is back with the latest installment, Into Darkness, directed by JJ Abrams. Writers, producers and long-term collaborators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci explore how they hoped to bring new life - and wit - to the beloved franchise that is Star Trek. Film maker Sarah Gavron explains how a holiday in Greenland became her latest documentary.
THU 16:30 Material World (b01s8qxw)
EU Science funding; Pear-shaped nuclei; Hyades
Currently, scientific research in the UK receives an estimated 4.9 billion euro from the EU’s FP7 program, a figure that is likely to climb to as much as 8 billion euro when the current program finishes in 2013. With the possibility of a referendum on EU membership becoming more apparent, what would happen to UK scientific research if the UK were to leave the EU altogether? UKIP MEP Roger Helmer and Professor Ed Hinds of Imperial College London discuss the implications with Gareth Mitchell.
The existence of pear-shaped nuclei has long been predicted, but although some qualitative hints of this nuclear shape have been found, the quantitative information to back this up has been sparse. By using accelerated beams of heavy, radioactive ions, a team lead by researchers at the University of Liverpool recently found a clear pear shape in the nucleus of radium isotopes. As explained by Professor Jonathan Butterworth from University College London's Department of Physics and Astronomy, these findings hold huge promise in furthering our understanding of nuclear structure and also, testing the standard model of particle physics.
By examining White Dwarf stars in the nearby Hyades Cluster, Dr Jay Farihi from the University of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy, found that these dead stars were 'polluted' by low levels of carbon and lots of silicon. Dr Farihi hopes to use these findings to gain invaluable insights into the fate of our own solar system when, as predicted, the sun ceases to exist in 5 billion years.
THU 17:00 PM (b01s8qxy)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b01s7sdc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 Mark Thomas: The Manifesto (b01s8qy0)
Series 5
London
Comedian-activist Mark Thomas concludes his "People's Manifesto" back in the BBC Radio Theatre. Producer: Colin Anderson.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b01s8s6q)
Lilian meets Paul, despite being annoyed at the peremptory message by which he set up the rendezvous. Paul apologises. He was being selfish and wanted to cheer himself up. His ex-wife Celia is re-marrying, and he says it's upsetting the children. She's threatened not to see them again if they don't go to the wedding. Lilian's glad he can talk to her about his problems, and apologises for being snappy.
Paul takes a call from his daughter Grace, who's worried about his fall out with her brother Charlie. Grace defends Charlie, reminding Paul that he threatened to cut Charlie out of the business if he went to the wedding. Grace knows it's hard for Paul, but they love their mother too. They don't want to have to choose again.
Lilian finds Paul upset, and tries to cheer him up but Paul can't respond. He tells her he can't stop thinking about what Celia and Frank are putting his children through.
Kirsty's pleased that Tom's got a date at Bellingham's for the meal tasting. Tom's not as enthusiastic. It could be one more thing that goes wrong.
Peggy congratulates Tom on persuading Pat and Tony to sell the herd. Tom appreciates her support. The sooner they can get on with selling the cows, the better.
THU 19:15 Front Row (b01s8s6s)
Angela Gheorghiu; The Reluctant Fundamentalist; Cultural Exchange - Peter Bazalgette
With John Wilson.
Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu is one of opera's best-known performers, appearing in the world's most prestigious opera houses and concert halls. She reflects on her controversial reputation and the breakdown of her marriage to tenor Roberto Alagna.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is the film adaptation of Mohsin Hamid's novel. Directed by Mira Nair and starring Riz Ahmed and Kate Hudson, it's the story of Changez, a young Pakistani man who finds success working in Wall Street. When the 9/11 attacks happen he begins to notice a change in how his adopted society responds to him. Writer and critic Shahidha Bari reviews the film.
In the latest episode of Cultural Exchange, in which creative minds select a favourite art-work, Peter Bazalgette, chairman of Arts Council England, nominates a portrait of Edith Sitwell by the writer and painter Wyndham Lewis.
Producer Jerome Weatherald.
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b01s8xng)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 A Celebration for Ascension Day (b01s8s6v)
Hundreds gather in the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields to celebrate Ascension Day, marking the day when Christians remember the departure of the risen Jesus from this earth, leaving his disciples with the promise of the gift of his Holy Spirit. Music includes extracts from J S Bach's B minor Mass sung by the BBC Daily Service Singers and the Choir of St Martin-in-the Fields directed by Richard Tanner and accompanied by Andrew Earis and members of Canzona. The preacher is the Lord Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham James. The celebrant is the vicar of St Martin's, the Revd Dr Sam Wells. Producer: Clair Jaquiss.
THU 21:00 Hallucination: Through the Doors of Perception (b01nbq6d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:00 on Tuesday]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (b01s8qx9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 21:58 Weather (b01s7sdf)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b01s8t7j)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective with Carolyn Quinn. Former Pakistani PM's son is kidnapped - Owen Bennett Jones reports as campaigning in the election ends.
Tory eurosceptic MPs put more pressure on Cameron - a former minister tells us it's time for the pro-Europeans to make their voices heard
and are Russia and America inching closer together over their policy towards Syria ?
Also - the Bulgarian version of UKIP, and the moth with brilliant hearing that could help mobile phone technology.
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b01s8t7l)
This Is Where I Am
Episode 14
Back home in Glasgow for Christmas, Debs is still haunted by her experiences in Dadaab. What if she has left a single stone unturned in her hunt for Abdi's wife?
Read by Maureen Beattie and Jude Akuwidike.
Abridged and produced by Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:00 Wireless Nights (b01s8t7n)
Series 2
Night of the Hunter
Jarvis Cocker returns to Radio 4 with his award-winning feature series exploring the human condition after dark. Tonight is the 'Night of the Hunter' and Jarvis turns his eye to the starlit sky with his mind on hunters and their quarry.
Taking his bearings from Orion, he follows a lamper across farmland hunting foxes by torchlight. A soldier takes him on a top secret mission behind enemy lines when the hunter became the hunted. He accompanies a young man nervously preparing for his first date, in pursuit of love. And a party of friends go out on the pull in Hull, with mixed results.
Join him on an aural journey of the imagination as he tunes into the wireless night.
Producer Neil McCarthy
Contributor recordings by Sara Parker, David Reeves and Laurence Grissell.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b01s8t7q)
Sean Curran with the latest news from Westminster - where changes to childcare in England are still on the cards even though the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg doesn't like the plans. Also in the programme: proposals that every offender in England and Wales must serve a minimum of twelve months under supervision once released from prison; and a former Archbishop of Canterbury warns of opposition to come in the Lords against the Government's plans to legalise same sex marriage. Editor: Rachel Byrne.
FRIDAY 10 MAY 2013
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b01s7sf8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b01s5g4y)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b01s7sfb)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b01s7sfd)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b01s7sfg)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b01s7sfj)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b01sc3j8)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Revd Dr Peter McGrail of Liverpool Hope University.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b01s89vx)
The bank which may bail out British trees. From diseases to pests, UK species are facing more dangers than before. Charlotte Smith visits a seed bank collecting a genetic database of native species to combat the problem.
And Anna Jones meets the Bristol chef frying kangaroo burgers and crocodile skewers for people to eat.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Emma Weatherill.
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b01s8vcs)
Nightingale Part 1
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs. David Attenborough presents the nightingale. (Part 1 of 2) A bird whose song of rich crescendos of pure whistles and breathless phrases is hailed as one of the most complex and beautiful in the bird world and quite different to its plain brown appearance.
FRI 06:00 Today (b01s8vcv)
Morning news and current affairs with John Humphrys and Sarah Montague, including:
0751
Summer-born children should have their exam marks boosted to compensate for being almost a year younger when they sit tests, a report has said. Lorraine Dearden, director of the education Sector at the IFS, and Dame Sally Coates, Burlington Danes Academy head teacher, discuss whether pupils born in August are less likely to get good GCSEs or go to university than those born in September.
0810
A police force will publish a report today into its involvement with Jimmy Savile. The BBC's home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw explains what the report says and Ingrid Lee, temporary Assistant Chief Constable of West Yorkshire discusses the findings of the report.
FRI 09:00 The Reunion (b01s7vzx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b01s5gdr)
A Sting in the Tale
Episode 5
Dave Goulson has always been obsessed with wildlife, from his childhood menagerie of exotic pets and dabbling in experimental taxidermy to his groundbreaking research into the mysterious ways of the bumblebee and his mission to protect our rarest bees.
Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee now only exists in the wilds of New Zealand, the descendants of a few queen bees shipped over in the nineteenth century.
Dave Goulson shares exclusive research into these curious creatures, looks at history's relationship with the bumblebee and offers advice on how to protect it for all time.
We'll also hear about bumblebee sniffer dogs, how bees navigate their way home and why you should remember these tiny furry friends next time you pour ketchup on your fish and chips.
One of the UK's most respected conservationists and the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Goulson combines Gerald Durrell-esque tales of a child's growing passion for nature with a deep insight into the crucial importance of the bumblebee.
He details the minutiae of life in their nests, sharing fascinating research into the effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and on the potential dangers if we continue down this path.
Read by Tim McInnerny
Producer: Joanne Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b01s8vcx)
Gillian Anderson; In celebration of aunts; Punk's influence on fashion
Gillian Anderson talks about her new TV detective series The Fall. How important are our aunts? Punk's enduring legacy in the world of fashion. Family planning in the future of development. Presented by Jenni Murray.
FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b01s8xvb)
The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Series 7
Episode 5
Sam is worried that the Navy offices are being blamed for the battle with the Dutch going wrong. Then his house is surrounded by the wives of men who were pressed into going to sea to fight. They are desperate, swearing and shouting that they have no money. Sam is sympathetic to their plight but also worried about sending out his venison pasty to the bakers in case they do damage to it. Then one woman gets into his office and makes a moving appeal which touches his conscience.
Adapted by Hattie Naylor.
Theme music: Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, words by Robert Herrick and music by William Lawes, sung by Bethany Hughes. Lute, baroque guitar and theorbo played by David Miller. Violin and viol by Annika Gray, and recorders by Alice Baxter.
Historical consultant: Liza Picard
Sound by Catherine Robinson
A BBC/Cymru Wales production, directed by Kate McAll.
FRI 11:00 Deeds Not Words (b01s8vcz)
The crime writer Val McDermid has spent her career weaving mysteries, and in this programme she tries to solve one: did the suffragette Emily Wilding Davison intend to die when she threw herself under the King's Horse at the Derby of 1913?
Val and the experts will examine the evidence to see if they can shed light on Davison's motives and state of mind. Emily Wilding Davison became immortalised as a martyr after she died at Epsom but did she mean to hurl herself into the path of the horse, or was it a protest that went wrong?
In her pocket was a return ticket, for many conclusive evidence she meant to come home. For others that's a red herring: she even had 'form' they say, having thrown herself off a landing at Holloway prison to draw attention to the horrors of force feeding.
Her death was seized upon by both sides. To the opponents of women's suffrage her actions were proof that women were too emotional and foolish to be allowed to vote. To her supporters she was a martyr. She was given their equivalent of a state funeral, with thousands in attendance. As her gravestone in Morpeth reads; she was a woman of 'Deeds Not Words'.
One of the most mesmerising pieces of evidence is on film; Davison's last moments played over and over again. Can that tell us anything?
Contributors include Dr Lorraine Sheriden, a Forensic Psychologist; retired Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Malton; Michael Church, the historian of the Derby; Maureen Howes, author of Emily Wilding Davison, A Suffragette Family Album: Dr Krista Cowman, Professor of History at the University of Lincoln; the biographer Dr Diane Atkinson; the historian Irene Cockroft and Elizabeth Crawford, author of The Women's Suffrage Movement, A Reference Guide.
Producer: Nicola Swords.
FRI 11:30 Party (b01mwvkw)
Series 3
The Grundy
The prospective politicians visit Phoebe and 'The Grundy' in hospital.
Satirical comedy about a group of young idealists trying to make waves with their new political party.
Written by Tom Basden.
Simon .... Tom Basden
Duncan .... Tim Key
Jared .... Jonny Sweet
Mel .... Anna Crilly
Phoebe .... Katy Wix
Male Nurse .... Jot Davies
Producer .... Julia McKenzie.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2012.
FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b01s8vd1)
Laser eye treatment, new disability products and the curse of the pop up tent
Safety concerns over laser eye treatment.We report from the 'Ideal Home' exhibition that showcases the latest products to help disabled people around the home, and around and about.They made millions for themselves and Tesco with their concept of a loyalty card now the husband and wife team hope to do the same for theatres.Home-brewed beer is making a comeback after years in doldrums.An influential group of Conservative MP's are urging the government to clamp down on 'shrinkage'- the practice of reducing the size of products but charging the same price.What goes up; must come down- unless it is a pop up tent. Thousands of campers abandon their tents unable to rise to the challenge of popping down their pop ups.The couple who sold the idea of the loyalty clubcard to Tesco and made millions for themselves and the company are hoping to repeat the trick with theatres.And judging a charity's effectiveness by the amount of their income they spend on themselves is misleading, says new research.
FRI 12:52 The Listening Project (b01s8vd3)
Edward and Alison - Facing the Future
Fi Glover presents a conversation about what the future holds for 22 year old Edward, who's been blind since birth. Edward and his mother prove once again that it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can upload your own conversations or just learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
FRI 12:57 Weather (b01s7sfl)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b01s8vd5)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
FRI 13:45 In a Prince's Footsteps (b01s8xvd)
Marsaba and The Sea of Galilee
In the fifth episode in this series, John remains in Israel and the West Bank, travelling up to the Sea of Galilee and also across the desert to the remote Marsaba monastery.
In 1862 Albert, Prince of Wales, toured the Middle East. At the time it was still predominantly controlled by the Ottoman Empire. As he travelled, his photographer Francis Bedford kept a detailed photographic record of the trip. In this series John McCarthy revisits the scenes of Bedford's photographs - Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Greece. He considers how the immediate physical, political and social landscape has evolved during the intervening 150 years.
Some of Bedford's photographs are of widely known locations - the Pyramids at Giza, the Mount of Olives, the temples at Baalbek, the Acropolis - others are of remote hilltops and apparently random buildings, scenes without any obvious significance. Both however hold fascinating and unexpected tales and insight.
The series will reflect on the rise and fall of empires - the Ottoman, British and French all play their part in these stories. They are now all gone, but the world's powers still seek to influence the politics of the region.
In each episode John McCarthy focusses on two of Bedford's original photographs, revisiting the sites and taking his own pictures of the same scenes today.
Presenter: John McCarthy
Producer: Kevin Dawson
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b01s8s6q)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b01s8vd7)
The Guest of St Peter's
Not since the Middle Ages have two Popes been alive at the same time. One reason why no modern Pope until Benedict has ever resigned is the danger that a living ex-Pope would become an alternative locus of power and influence within the Vatican.
The Guest of St Peter's imagines just such a scenario.
Thomas Perret is supposed to be dead. Two years ago he resigned as Pope Paul VII, citing old age and illness that made him incapable of carrying out his duties. He has lived ever since in almost total isolation in a small monastery within the grounds of the Vatican City. It was widely assumed that Perret wouldn't last long, but he shows no signs of dying any time soon.
Perret's successor, Pope Leo XIV, has a big problem. A hardline conservative, he has excommunicated a group of liberal American Catholic priests who were offering contraception advice to their parishioners. The Americans have defied him, and have rapidly attracted support from progressive Catholics all over the western world. Leo's authoritarian stance has backfired. Decades of disillusionment with the Vatican's unwillingness to change has boiled over, and Leo now faces the very real risk of a split. At the very least, the absolute authority of the papacy has been gravely undermined. It needs desperately to be shored up.
Cardinal Sastre, the Vatican secretary of state, has a plan. He visits the old Pope in his monastery and appeals to him to make an intervention.
As sides are taken and battle lines drawn, Sastre realises that he has embarked in a dangerous course. The Vatican, after all, is a house of cards, and his actions are in danger of bringing the whole thing crashing down...
Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b01s8vd9)
The Food and Environment Research Agency, York
Eric Robson chairs GQT with gardeners at The Food and Environment Research Agency in York. On the panel are Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood and Alison Pringle.
Produced by Howard Shannon.
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
Questions answered in the programme:
'Busy lizzies' hit by impatiens Downy mildew
For more information on how gardeners can spot Downy mildew and to download a plant healthcare factsheet, please visit The Food and Environment Research Agency website: www.fera.defra.gov.uk/
FERA are also requesting that growers once again send any impatiens showing symptoms of downy mildew to: Dr Phil Jennings at The Food and Environment Research Agency, Plant Protection Programme, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ. (The top growth of the plant should be segregated or separated from the roots to prevent contamination of the leaves with growing medium. Plant material should be labelled with the variety and supplier, wrapped in paper tissue within a plastic bag and posted to arrive Monday-Friday so that the samples can be immediately inspected upon delivery.)
Q. We have a small, communal, edible garden within the city walls. We would like it to be productive and decorative all year round, especially over the winter months. What do the panel suggest?
A. The best winter crop would be a straightforward vegetable, as they grow straight from the ground. Leeks would be good but not decorative. The curly leaved cabbages, such as the Savoy cabbage, would be a good option. Parsnips would be most suitable as they are better once they've had a bit of frost. You could espalier or cordon a fan-trained fruit (apples, cherries, figs) for decoration but it probably wouldn't crop in the winter. Radicchios look fantastic in their burgundy and white swirls. For the more sheltered areas you could grow Chard, which would stay throughout the winter and the silver stems versions also look lovely. A dark-leaved Kale such as the 'Tuscan black Kale' would highlight the Chard and Radicchio really well and are well suited to a city environment.
Q. A previously dry, sunny border has recently become shady. What would the panel suggest we plant in this place?
A. Most plants can cope with shade; the dryness is a more pressing problem. Choose plants with large root systems and almost anything other than moisture lovers. Baggesens Gold and Lonicera would brighten up the dark space. Mohnia would also be suited to this area along with Sarcococca, which smells beautiful in the winter. Rukus plants do well in the shade. You could also try White Foxglove, which blooms white flowers that would stand out in the shade. Fern plants, such as Matteuccia the shuttlecock Fern also survive in dry soil.
Q. I have four delphinium plants but only tend to get one stem from each and they don't produce many flowers. Is there anyway I can get them to stem and produce more?
A. Delphinium plants like lots of food and moisture so surround them in either horse manure or homemade compost about two to three inches thick and make sure they have enough moisture.
Q. We have a 2-3 meter wide herbaceous border against a west-facing wall. We want to increase the red and yellow flowering plants, what would the panel recommend?
A. For the yellow sections try Alchemilla Mollis or tree peonies in a lemon colour. Daylilies would also suit and have edible petals. For a bigger blousy flower try Ranunculus, which are red or yellow. The Monarda plant would be a good addition as it's red in colour and has a lovely smell. For foliage in the border try the unusual catmint plant 'nepeta govaniana' as it's airy delicate structure would be a good contrast among the bright flowers.
FRI 15:45 David Pownall (b01s8vvq)
Concorde
Episode 1 (of 3):
Concorde by David Pownall
Read by Bernard Cribbins
The first of three specially commissioned stories marking the 75th birthday of David Pownall, the distinguished playwright, novelist and poet.
Determined to win a race in his catamaran, an elderly sailor weighs up a newly arrived visitor.
Director: Martin Jenkins
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b01s8vvs)
An architect, the founder of Ms magazine, an Olympic sailor, an Italian politician and a film director
Matthew Bannister on
The Olympic sailing gold medallist Andrew Simpson who died when his racing catamaran capsized in San Francisco Bay.
Bryan Forbes, the British film director who made The Stepford Wives and Whistle Down the Wind among many other titles. Hayley Mills pays tribute.
The former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti who had close links to the Vatican and - it is said - the mafia.
Mary Thom - who as an editor at Ms Magazine helped to develop a generation of feminist writers
And Rick Mather, the architect who specialised in blending modern architecture with historic buildings including the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
FRI 16:30 More or Less (b01s8vvv)
The true age of your dog, and how much does the EU cost?
The UK Independence Party (UKIP) made substantial gains in recent local elections.
It's best known for wanting the UK to withdraw from the European Union. This is not an official policy shared by any of the other established political parties.
And, as with any political battleground, numbers have been pressed into service as weapons.
Tim Harford makes sense of the numbers flying around with the help of Iain Begg, professorial research fellow at the London School of Economics' European Institute.
Military suicides:
It's claimed that more Falklands veterans have taken their own lives than died during the conflict itself. But is it true? Next week the government's defence statistics agency will publish a long-awaited report about the number of military personnel who have killed themselves since serving in that conflict in the 1980s. More or Less reporter Charlotte McDonald speaks to Simon Wessely Director, King's Centre for Military Health Research Institute of Psychiatry about what estimates from Vietnam and the first Gulf War tell us about the mental health of war veterans - and about why the rate of deaths tells us more than the raw numbers do.
Why you really might be Richard III's relative:
Fifteen relatives of Richard III are petitioning the High Court about where the king should be buried. Some reporting has implied that the famous 15 are almost the only descendants of Richard III who exist. But mathematician Rob Eastaway figures out how many other distant relatives of Richard III might actually be out there.
Dog years:
It's often said that the age of dogs can be better understood by multiplying their age, in human years, by seven. But is that really true? Ben Carter invents the More or Less Dogulator. Use it to calculate how old your dog is in human terms.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Ruth Alexander.
FRI 16:55 The Listening Project (b01s8vvx)
Alison and Caitlin - Remembering Nana
Fi Glover presents a conversation between Alison and her daughter Caitlin, about their bittersweet memories of the difficult woman who was Alison's mum and Caitlin's grandmother, in the series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can upload your own conversations or just learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
FRI 17:00 PM (b01s8vvz)
Carolyn Quinn with coverage and analysis of the day's news. Including Weather at
5.57pm.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b01s7sfn)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (b01s8vw1)
Series 80
Episode 5
A satirical review of the week's news, chaired by Sandi Toksvig. With Francis Wheen, Jeremy Hardy, Bridget Christie and Bob Mills.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b01s8vw3)
Eddie tells Ruth that the plans for Clarrie's birthday are well in hand, despite a hiccup earlier in the week which Nic's managed to sort out.
Phoebe encourages anxious Josh as he gets ready to pitch his business proposition to David and Ruth. While David helps Jill weed, she says it's wonderful that Josh wants to take on the egg business. And with Pip getting a good placement in Yorkshire, David must be proud of his children.
Later David and Ruth are impressed by Josh's presentation, particularly his well-researched plans to sell 'free-range on pasture' eggs. However they're concerned about how much time it will take. When Josh asks to borrow £500 to add to his savings so he can buy his share, Ruth and David say they'll discuss it and get back to him.
Afterwards, impressed Ruth says they seem to have given birth to the next Alan Sugar!
Pip's cross when David says she can't borrow the car to drive to uni tomorrow as he's using it.
She tells Ruth and David she needs to borrow £800 from them towards buying a more expensive new (second hand) car that she's sourced. But David's adamant. If she can't afford the car, she'll have to find a cheaper one, and that's that.
FRI 19:15 Front Row (b01s8vw5)
Karl Hyde; Harold Pinter's The Hothouse; Kate Clanchy; Jodi Picoult
With John Wilson.
Karl Hyde, of electronic duo Underworld, has worked with prominent film directors Danny Boyle and Anthony Minghella. Along with his partner Rick Smith, he was also the musical director of the London 2012 Olympics. Hyde talks about his latest project, Edgeland - a soundtrack for The Outer Edges, a film about Essex - and reveals the real inspiration behind their trance anthem Born Slippy.
Harold Pinter's The Hothouse is in a rare revival on the London stage, starring John Simm and Simon Russell Beale. Writer Iain Sinclair delivers his verdict on the play about a bureaucratic mental institution run by a sadist.
Poet Kate Clanchy won the National Short Story award in 2009 with her story The Not-Dead and the Saved. Now she has taken the next literary leap by writing her first novel Meeting the English. She explains how the book came about, despite her vow that she'd never write a novel.
In the latest episode of Cultural Exchange, in which creative minds select a favourite art-work, best-selling author Jodi Picoult nominates Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937.
Producer Ellie Bury.
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b01s8xvb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b01s8vw7)
Patrick McLoughlin, Christine Hamilton, Yasmin Alibhai Brown, Stephen Twigg
Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from Keele University, Staffordshire, with Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin MP, Commentator Christine Hamilton, Independent Columnist Yasmin Alibhai Brown and Shadow Education Secretary Stephen Twigg MP.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b01s8vw9)
The Myth of Modernity
John Gray draws on the novels of Mervyn Peake to argue it's a mistake to imagine that modernity marks a fundamental change in human experience. "The modern world is founded on the belief that it's possible for human beings to shape a future that's better than anything in the past. If the Gormenghast novels have any continuing theme, it's that this modern belief is an illusion."
Producer: Sheila Cook.
FRI 21:00 In a Prince's Footsteps - Omnibus (b01s8vwf)
Episode 1
In 1862 Albert, Prince of Wales, toured the Middle East. At the time it was still predominantly controlled by the Ottoman Empire. As he travelled, his photographer Francis Bedford kept a detailed photographic record of the trip. In this series John McCarthy revisits the scenes of Bedford's photographs - Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Greece. He considers how the immediate physical, political and social landscape has evolved during the intervening 150 years.
Some of Bedford's photographs are of widely known locations - the Pyramids at Giza, the Mount of Olives, the temples at Baalbek, the Acropolis - others are of remote hilltops and apparently random buildings, scenes without any obvious significance. Both however hold fascinating and unexpected tales and insight.
The series will reflect on the rise and fall of empires - the Ottoman, British and French all play their part in these stories. They are now all gone, but the world's powers still seek to influence the politics of the region.
This radio series coincides with a major exhibition of Bedford's photographs by the Royal Collection, currently showing at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
Presenter: John McCarthy
Producer: Kevin Dawson
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b01s7sfq)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b01s8vwh)
Owen Bennett-Jones and Paul Moss report from Pakistan, Radical cleric Abu Qatada would return to Jordan voluntarily if the country ratified a treaty drawn up with the UK government, atmospheric carbon dioxide is now at 400 parts per million (ppm), higher than it has been throughout human history and Britain is temporarily pulling out some staff from its embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli due to security concerns over recent political unrest, with Ritula Shah.
FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b01s8vwk)
This Is Where I Am
Episode 15
Abdi is preparing for Christmas Day and has no idea that Debs has astonishing news for him. When she tells him, he must decide whether it's a cause for celebration or further devastating heartache.
Read by Maureen Beattie and Jude Akuwidike.
Abridged and produced by Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b01s8cnz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b01s8vwm)
Mark D'Arcy with all the news from Westminster, as the Queen's Speech debate continues - today focusing on jobs and business. Also: the Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, the Liberal Democrat, Lord Newby, gets dressed for the State Opening... and should backbench MPs have greater control over what's debated in the Commons? Editor: Rachel Byrne.
FRI 23:55 The Listening Project (b01s8vwp)
Marsha and Cali - Keeping Mum?
Fi Glover presents a conversation between two mothers who have both been addicted to drugs and who now reflect on how they will talk to their own children about drug abuse, proving once again that it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can upload your own conversations or just learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.