The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
When Peter Stothard, former editor of The Times and now editor of the Times Literary Supplement, finds himself in Alexandria in the winter of 2010 after his flight to South Africa has been cancelled, he sets out to explore a nation on the brink of revolution.
Accompanied by two native Egyptians, Mohammed and Socratis, whose eagerness to spend time with him is never really explained, Stothard traces his lifelong interest in the history of Cleopatra, and his repeated failure to write the book about her that he has started so many times.
Melancholy and sometimes humorous, Alexandria filters the life of a classics scholar turned journalist through the prism of Cleopatra's turbulent history - while all around the author, the cracks begin to appear in Hosni Mubarak's own empire.
The author recalls seeing Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film Cleopatra. In the meantime the Arab Spring begins.
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at
'It's hard to give up on your voice' - an iPM listener and her ten year old daughter, who has cerebral palsy, tell us what it's like to talk through a computer. Presented by Eddie Mair and Jennifer Tracey. Email iPM@bbc.co.uk.
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
Clare Balding walks a section of the West Highland Way, north from Balmaha, with twin sisters Pauline Walker and Fiona Rennie.
Pauline and Fiona are both 'ultra runners' and they haven't, before, walked the West Highland Way. However they have run the entire route, non-stop, several times. It's one of their favourite challenges on the ultra-runner calendar; running through the night, dealing with hallucinations, and pushing themselves to the limit is all part of the experience.
Clare hears about their adventures, their close and supportive relationship, and Fiona's recent battle with mouth cancer as they slow to an unfamiliar pace to enjoy the beautiful scenery north of Balmaha.
Fighting rural crime from hare coursing to tractor thefts. Charlotte Smith joins PC Jon Radcliffe from Hampshire Country Watch as he examines the range of crimes committed in the countryside. And farmer Charlie Flindt shows Charlotte the problems he has on his farm.Is it time for country dwellers to protect themselves?
Morning news and current affairs with Evan Davis and James Naughtie, including:
Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen on the Friends of Syria countries, including Britain, meeting in the gulf state of Qatar today. And former secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, on what countries outside of the Middle East can do about the conflict.
The BBC's home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds on the news that it was a police officer who drafted the leaflet attacking McDonalds which led to the McLibel case, the longest civil case in English history.
Dr Lin Chambers, physical scientist for Nasa, and Gavin Pretor-Pinney, app inventor, discuss the new Nasa cloud spotter app which, when used by people gives information to Nasa about the climate.
Sir Malcom Rifkind, a former foreign secretary and the current chairman of the commons intelligence and security committee, and Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, analyse allegations that GCHQ has snooped on web information.
Sian Williams and Richard Coles with writer and comedian Viv Groskop, the Inheritance Tracks of actor Paul Nicholas, author Sara Wheeler's first attempts to learn Russian and the sounds of a balalaika band. There's Angela's story of a broken family healed, David Chilvers's sighting of the world's first cosmonaut and Professor Carole Hough reveals what our names tell us about our origins.
As part of Radio 4's Year of Culture initiative, the BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz meets the cultural entrepreneurs who are shaping our lives and defining the very spirit of our age.
These are not Turner Prize winners or the recipients of grants from the Arts Council or the Lottery Fund. These are the people behind the scenes, pulling the strings and plotting a path of consumer-driven success. They are the designers of the latest 'must have' piece of technology or clothing, the brains behind an artist's development, and the tastemakers that know what will work at the box office and what will sell on the high street. Their impact goes beyond mere commerce, it shapes contemporary culture. They are the Zeitgeisters and it's about time we met them.
Programme 2. Martin Mills - who, as the co-founder and co-owner of the Beggar's Group, has been at the forefront of British independent music since the the 1970s. The Group's labels include XL Recordings, 4AD, Matador and Rough Trade and the artists who have graced their books range from Adele to Radiohead, from the Lurkers to the Savages, from the White Stripes to Gary Numan, and from Dizzee Rascal to The xx. Having grown Beggars into what is now possibly the world's most influential independent music group, Martin Mills is less a Zeitgeister (of the moment) and more a true survivor (at the forefront of decades of moments). But what exactly makes this shy and thoughtful man - more tortoise than hare - tick? How does he maintain his hold over this organisation and what drives him on, as his influence on the industry continues to grow.
Andrew Pierce of The Daily Mail looks behind the scenes at Westminster.
Would The Banking Commission's proposals to lay criminal charges against bankers actually work? What is the difference between the government's existing free schools and Labour's new plans for "parent driven" schools? And the strange customs in allocating Private Members' Bills in parliament. Plus a new play about Gordon Brown explores the psychology of a leader.
Air travel may be not quite the glamorous, magical experience it once was but our frequent flier Peter Day, sitting bolt upright in economy class, says there can still be something magnificent about it. For Shaiima Khalil, it's a long hot overnight train journey to Upper Egypt to find out how the revolution's playing out far from the big cities of the north. Chris Morris, covering the anti-government demonstrations in Turkey, hears the prime minister Mr Erdogan promise better days ahead. Fergal Keane tells of past and future colliding on a beach near the southern tip of Africa. And Stephen Smith, deep in a vault in London, gets his hands on some of the glittering riches of the Russian Tsars.
State Pension loss for part timers; concern over guarantor loans; Co-Op bondholders
The latest news from the world of personal finance. Presented by Paul Lewis.
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are joined by Jon Holmes, Laura Shavin, Marcus Brigstocke and Pippa Evans for a comic scramble through the week's news. Producer: Colin Anderson.
Jonathan Dimbleby presents live political debate and discussion from Purley in Croydon.
The panel are Labour peer Baroness Oona King; editor of Prospect magazine Bronwen Maddox, Foreign and Commonwealth minister Alistair Burt and the novelist, journalist and human rights activist Joan Smith.
A chance for Radio 4 listeners to have their say on the issues discussed on Any Questions. Today, what do the sentences of Jeremy Forrest and Stuart Hall tell us about attitudes towards crimes against children? As officials at the CQC, who are alleged to have been involved in a cover-up, are identified, do we hold public servants to account enough? Or do they carry the can for bigger, endemic, problems in society? Is the US right to engage in talks with the Taliban, and would you welcome the prospect of Turkey joining the EU? Call Anita Anand on 03700 100 444 or email any.answers@bbc.co.uk or tweet using #bbcaq.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, England was a protestant country standing alone against formidable European and papal enemies. Fear of a Roman Catholic fifth column was rife. But when William Byrd, Elizabeth's favourite composer, is arrested and charged with placing secret papist messages within the music of the Chapel Royal, the court is shocked and panic takes hold among the recusant community.
Byrd's dense polyphony is dissected and decoded and it seems sedition is undeniable. But the composer has a powerful protector - one whom not even Walsingham dare countermand.
Frances Fyfield visits two locations in today's Tales from the Stave as she continues her forensic musical enquiries in search of the life and work of George Butterworth. She begins at Eton College where Butterworth was a pupil. He donated the manuscript of his song settings of A 'Shropshire Lad' to the library and Michael Meredith shows Frances and baritone Roderick Williams the manuscript and some rather special editions of A.E. Houseman's poems. They are joined by the conductor, Adrian Davis and handwriting expert, Ruth Rostron.
They continue the Butterworth trail to Oxford where Butterworth was a student. Bodleian librarian Martin Holmes and Peter Ward Jones then show Frances, Adrian, Roderick and Ruth the orchestral manuscript of Butterworth's Orchestral Rhapsody, A Shropshire Lad. Alongside the manuscript there is also a chance to look at the scrapbook which Butterworth's father compiled after his son's untimely death, serving as a soldier in World War 1.
Butterworth was at the forefront of folk music collecting and was admired by those around him. Contained in the scrapbook are letters from Ralph Vaughan Williams, written from his posting in France 1916, to Butterworth senior, expressing his sadness upon hearing the news of his son's death. George Butterworth was only 31 years old when he was killed by a sniper's bullet. Who knows what else he may have gone on to compose.
Jenni Murray conducts the BBC Philharmonic. Amanda Craig and Kishwar Desai on whether feminist writing has lost its edge. Should more women convicted of non-violent offences be given non-custodial sentences? Jane Garvey visits a women's centre in Birmingham to talk to staff and clients and discusses the issues with Minister for Justice, Helen Grant MP, Alan Beith MP and Jenny Earle, director of the Prison Reform Trust. Zimbabwean civil rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa. Folk music from Nancy Kerr and Fay Hield. Authors Gill Hornby and Marie Casey discuss female friendships.
The food industry is increasingly in the spotlight as consumers and government worry about obesity, sustainability and safety.
Evan Davis finds out from three very different food companies about how their supply chains work and how much oversight any company leader can have. Guests discuss how to create an efficient and cost effective system that delivers on quality and safety. Do consumers elsewhere in Europe and the world demand the same level of locally-sourced credentials as the British now do and are these ideals worthwhile?
Grayson Perry, Simon Russell Beale, Ruth Goodman, Jen Brister, Scottee, Tom Odell, JP Cooper
Clive enjoys A Dance to the Music of Time with award-winning actor Simon Russell Beale, currently starring in Harold Pinter's 'The Hothouse'. It's Christmas Day in a state-run mental institution where inmates are subjected to a tirade of mindless cruelty. A maniacal leader breeds a contagion of hierarchical savagery amongst his staff, who thrive on a noxious diet of delusion and deceit. It's at London's Trafalgar Studios until Saturday 3rd August.
We step back in time with Ruth Goodman, whose new book 'How To Be A Victorian' gets under the skin of 19th century life. How did it feel to drink beer for breakfast and clean your teeth with cuttlefish? Ruth charts the gritty details, the small necessities and tricks of living.
Scottee also turns back time with stand-up comedian Jen Brister, who learnt from Radio 4's Woman's Hour that before you can look into the future you must go back into the past. The result is 'Jen Brister: Now & Then' - a hilarious series of anecdotes, from her childhood to the present. It's at Soho Theatre, Upstairs on Saturday 22nd June at
.
Clive enjoys life's rich tapestry with Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry, whose latest work explores his fascination with taste and the visual story it tells of our interior lives, in a series of tapestries. Grayson goes on a safari amongst the taste tribes of Britain, literally weaving the characters he meets into a narrative. Grayson Perry's 'The Vanity of Small Differences' is on display in Sunderland Museum from Friday 28th June to Sunday 29th September.
With a musical love-in from rising star Tom Odell, who performs 'Another Love' from his album 'Long Way Down'.
And from soulful singer-songwriter JP Cooper, who performs 'Oh The Water' from 'EP3'
In the week when world leaders at the G8 pledged to make international tax affairs more transparent, performance poets Kate Fox and Salena Godden take a satirical look at that stuff which makes the world go around.
Kate Fox is a Northern poet and performer who is used to speedy turnarounds for commissions. She's about to be online Poet in Residence for the Glastonbury Festival and has also been Poet in Residence for the Great North Run and regularly for Radio 4's Saturday Live since 2007. Her one woman comedy "Good Breeding" about the choice not to have children will be at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer. She's performed previous one woman shows about the news, autism and running, at events including South Bank's Imagine Festival, Ilkley Literature Festival and the National Autistic Society Professional Conference. Her work has been commissioned by Radio 3's The Verb, BBC 2's Daily Politics Show, Radio 2's Grimm Up North and many others. Her new and selected poetry collection "Fox Populi" was published earlier this year by Smokestack Books. She originally trained as a radio journalist and her first story to be broadcast nationally involved a dead frog found trapped in a bag of lettuce in Whitley Bay...
Salena Godden is described as 'The doyenne of the spoken word scene' (Ian McMillan, BBC Radio 3's The Verb); 'The Mae West madam of the salon' (The Sunday Times) and as 'everything the Daily Mail is terrified of' (Kerrang! Magazine). She writes and performs poetry, fiction, memoir, radio drama and lyrics. Her most recent book of poems, "Under the Pier", was published by Nasty Little Press in 2011. She's also known as The General of The Book Club Boutique, London's louchest literary salon, and as lead singer and lyricist of SaltPeter, alongside composer Peter Coyte.
She has appeared on radio as a guest on Woman's Hour, The Verb, Bespoken Word and resident poet on R4's Saturday Live. Most recently she wrote and presented a documentary, "Stir it Up! - 50 Years of Writing Jamaica" for BBC Radio 4 in 2012 with award-winning producer Rebecca Maxted. This programme included excerpts from Salena's literary memoir "Springfield Road", which is being published by Unbound (it's crowd funded publishing, please visit unbound.co.uk).
Conor McPherson's new play The Night Alive opens at the Donmar Warehouse, months after his extraordinarily successful work The Weir - written when he was only 26 - was revived there. The play reunites McPherson with Jim Norton and Ciarán Hinds.
Before Midnight is the latest in Richard Linklater's sequence of films charting the relationship between Jesse and Celine - in the form of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Formerly it's been will they-won't they; now they have, but can their relationship survive for the long term? And do we stay with them on the emotional ride through their lives?
Memory Palace is an exhibition at the V&A of artists' work inspired by a novella by Hari Kunzru. It imagines a dystopian future in which one man tries desperately to piece together what he remembers before it is lost.
Phil Spector is a television film scripted and directed by David Mamet which describes itself as a work of fiction, but includes many characters and events from the real-life trial of the music producer. Al Pacino and Helen Mirren star.
Evie Wyld's first book won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize; her second, All the Birds, Singing, is a tense and powerfully descriptive account of one woman's attempts to keep one step ahead of her past.
This is the last era of radio-age writers. Authors born in the Forties and the early Fifties grew up with radio not TV; the BBC for them was a thing of sounds and voices, rather than of pictures. Susannah Clapp, of that generation, asks them what they heard and presents an archive essay talking to writers and listening, via the archive, to what they listened to and exploring the effect it had on their work.
With Richard Holmes, Andrew Motion, Alan Hollingshurst, Posy Simmonds and others. Producer: Tim Dee.
As part of Radio 4's Dangerous Visions season, Graham White's adaptation shows a future in which the earth's atmosphere is destroyed. As a scientific mission surveys England's drowned capitals before their final abandonment, two lovers find themselves reverting to a primitive state of consciousness.
In a future in which solar flares have wreaked havoc with the earth's atmosphere, Dr Robert Kerans is part of a scientific mission to survey the drowned cities of what was once the temperate zone before they are abandoned for good.
The de-evolution that the ecological crisis has provoked seems to have affected the expedition's crew. Kerans, alongside his enigmatic lover Beatrice, whom he is trying to persuade to leave, attempts to make sense of the disappearance of a crew member who has succumbed to the lure of the emerging new water world.
Kerans and Beatrice also start to embrace the breakdown they see around them, until an encounter with the maverick scavenger Strangman and his piratical crew forces them to face what de-evolution may really mean, as he drains the drowned city in search of the powers of civilization it may once have held. Ballard's vivid futurescape imagines the surreal results of Darwin's theories going into reverse.
Dangerous Visions - you will be disturbed as you see the present reflected in the glass
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.
The statistics on internet porn are eye-popping enough - it's claimed that 36% of internet content is pornography, with one in four queries to search engines being porn-related the online porn industry makes more than $3,000 a second. But if that isn't enough to convince you that pornography has long since abandoned the seedy confines of the top shelves and colonised mainstream media, then perhaps the fact that porn is to get an academic journal devoted to the study of the genre might. Concerns about the volume, nature and easy availability of porn have been growing for some time, but the recent trials of Stuart Hazell, convicted for killing 12-year-old Tia Sharp, and Mark Bridger for killing five year old April Jones have brought the issue in to sharp focus. Both men were found to have violent pornography on their computers and one of them was watching it just hours before he carried out the murder. This week the Culture Secretary Maria Millar and charities held a summit meeting with internet service providers demanding that they do something to reduce access to obscene images, especially by children. The "ban porn/don't ban porn" argument has raged, perhaps ever since the Lady Chatterley trail. Of course there are the issues of freedom of speech and censorship, but has technology changed so rapidly in recent years that the moral framework of the debate needs to be changed? Do we have the moral language to balance the right of consenting adults to watch other consenting adults having sex against the fact that such hardcore porn is so easily available and consumed, especially by adolescent boys? Is it the job of the state to police what goes online, or should parents be taking more care what their children are doing online? Is the normalisation of porn culture subtly damaging us all by commodifying and brutalising relationships - reducing them to animalistic couplings? Or is that being hopelessly romantic? Combative, provocative and engaging debate chaired by Michael Buerk. With Claire Fox, Melanie Phillips, Matthew Taylor and Giles Fraser. Witnesses: Jerry Barnett - Former Chairman of the Adult Industry Trade Association, Reg Bailey, Chief Executive of Mothers' Union, Myles Jackman - Solicitor. Sexual freedom and obscenity specialist, Eleanor Mills - Sunday Times campaigning reporter.
Paul Gambaccini is in the chair for the seventh heat in the 2013 series of Counterpoint, this week coming from the BBC's studios at Maida Vale.
The questions and musical extracts cover territory as diverse as Wagner, Lionel Bart, Handel and Culture Club. As ever, the contestant who can demonstrate the widest range of musical knowledge stands to win a place in the semi-finals, which begin in a few weeks' time.
This week's competitors are from London, Woodstock in Oxfordshire and Romsey in Hampshire. A full list of the music played will be posted on the Counterpoint website after the broadcast.
Roger McGough presents poems to make you glad to be awake, alive and not in prison.
Listeners requests include the moving and uplifting poem 'Things I didn't know i Loved' by Nazim Hikmet; 'The Land of Mists' by the South Korean poet Kim Kwang-kyu; and an extraordinary poem contemplating the kind of miracle Polish poet Piotr Kniecicki would wish for if he could: 'Not Quite Convinced.'
There are also two poems by A E Housman and Slam Poetry champion Hollie McNish performs 'British National Breakfast'.
Roger is joined by readers Alex Lanipekun and Mark Meadows.
SUNDAY 23 JUNE 2013
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (b02xcc18)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
SUN 00:30 Afternoon Reading (b010m9t6)
Malachi Whitaker - The Crystal Fountain
Strange Music
Martin Jarvis directs Moira Quirk in Malachi Whitaker's moving short story of a young girl's visit to a dance hall on a rainy night with her friend. But why does Cora send Joyce though to the dance-floor alone. Why does she remain outside? Is she waiting for someone? Then the young man she's come to see is standing in front of her.
It's Danny Dunne, the band leader. He tells her she shouldn't have come. She tells him urgently that she wants to see him again. 'I want us to be alone again together,' she says. 'You know what I want.' He nervous, telling her he's got to be careful. But what is the real story between these two? Does Cora have a hidden agenda? And is there more to diffident Danny than there seems?
Malachi Whitaker was prolific in the 1920s and '30, writing with compassion and perception about ordinary folk, invariably setting the stories in her native Yorkshire. She became known as 'the Chekhov of the north' because of her sympathetic observation of the minutiae of human beings and their (often comic) behaviour.
Producer/Director: Martin Jarvis
A Jarvis & Ayres Production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b02xcc1b)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b02xcc1d)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at
5.20am.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b02xcc1g)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (b02xcc1j)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (b02xz4pt)
The bells of St. Leonard's Church, Hythe, Kent.
SUN 05:45 Four Thought (b02x93dx)
Series 4
Judith Shapiro
Economist Judith Shapiro argues that the next steps towards equality for women will be far harder than those which went before.
Four Thought is a series of thought-provoking talks which combine personal stories with ideas of contemporary relevance. Speakers air their thinking in front of a live audience, hosted by David Baddiel.
Producer: Sheila Cook.
SUN 06:00 News Headlines (b02xcc1l)
The latest national and international news.
SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b02y0wkx)
Vanishing Point
Writer and broadcaster Jude Rogers explores the desire to run away and disappear. From tumbling down the rabbit hole to riding a train to nowhere, why do we sometimes feel the urge to vanish?
Jude reflects on how removing yourself from the world of other people can offer a certain type of freedom.
Featuring music by Grouper, Radiohead and Tindersticks, alongside the words of Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence and John Updike.
Producer: Eleanor McDowall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (b02y0wl1)
Sarah Swadling visits Croatia where small family farms make up the social and economic fabric of the countryside. EU accession on 1st July means they will have to face the rigours of European regulations and the threat of cheaper food imports from more efficient farms elsewhere in the Union. Sarah meets a young family running a cheese business with an 11 cow dairy herd, and a former accountant wondering how she's going to pay off the borrowing on the new dairy farm her family has set up. We hear how making the Croatian speciality Kulun sausage could secure the future of a traditional pig farm. And, a winemaker tells Sarah how the vineyards she planted, with her husband, to the sound of grenade explosions during the Balkan conflict will soon be sold in more European countries.
SUN 06:57 Weather (b02xcc1n)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (b02xcc1q)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (b02y0wlj)
Chester Mystery plays; Sunni-Shia tension; God in hip-hop
Archbishop of Canterbury will visit Egypt , Jordan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Oliver McTernan highlights the issues he will face.
Judy Merry reports on the Chester Mystery Plays, the once every 5 years dramatization of Bible stories with 'a Chester twist', and one of the biggest pieces of community theatre in the country.
The American Hip-Hop artist Kanye West released his much anticipated fourth album this week titled 'Yeezus'. As religious language is used in so many songs, we analyse the relationship and influence religion has on hip-hop music.
Are Muslim Sunni and Shia tensions ignited by the Syrian conflict fermenting sectarian divisions within the UK? Sheykh Mohammed Al-Hilli and Mohammed Ansar debate this.
The mother of modern witchcraft - Doreen Valiente - is being honoured this week by having a blue plaque unveiled in her name. We speak to Ashley Mortimer, a trustee of the Doreen Valiente Foundation, about her life.
A conference next week will examine extreme spiritual experiences. But how much are they healthy spiritual awakenings or distressing mental illnesses? Trevor Barnes reports.
As protests continue in Brazil, Vincent Deely, who works in the favelas in Sao Paolo, talks to William Crawley about how the churches are responding to the unrest.
Exodus the world's oldest and largest ex-gay Christian organisation has had a change of heart. We hear from Jeremy Marks who was expelled from Exodus some years ago.
Credits:
Amanda Hancox Series Producer
Carmel Lonergan Producer
Zaffar Iqbal Producer
Interviewees: Oliver McTernan
Sheykh Mohammed Al-Hilli
Mohammed Ansar
Ashley Mortimer
Vincent Deely
Jeremy Marks.
SUN 07:55 Radio 4 Appeal (b02y0wlt)
Send a Cow
Michaela Strachan presents the Radio 4 Appeal for Send a Cow
Reg Charity:299717
To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal, mark the back of the envelope Send a Cow.
SUN 07:57 Weather (b02xcc1s)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (b02xcc1v)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (b02yycgk)
His Story: Our Story - Live from St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square. The Revd Richard Carter explores the way his own vocation - in its various forms - has been shaped by Jesus' story.
Leader: The Revd Sam Wells; Director of Music: Andrew Earis.
SUN 08:48 A Point of View (b02x9f5t)
A Midsummer Daydream
In Britain many of our holidays and festivals are rather dull - bank holidays for example. Tom Shakespeare, presenting the third of his four essays, says that when he looks at other cultures he feels a strong sense of festival envy. He wants Britain to have better festivals. To start with, shouldn't we celebrate Midsummer?
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b020tq6h)
Great Skua
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Miranda Krestovnikoff presents the Great Skua. Great skuas are often known as bonxies - their local name in Shetland where most of the UK's population breeds. Almost two thirds of the world's great skuas nest here or on Orkney.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (b02y0wmw)
Sunday morning magazine programme.
SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (b02y0wn0)
Helen goes kite flying, and Matt demands his pound of flesh.
SUN 11:15 Desert Island Discs (b02y0wn6)
Hugh Laurie
Kirsty Young's castaway is the actor, Hugh Laurie.
If life were straightforward he'd be marooned on the island because of his achievements as an Olympic rower. But his early promise on the water was scuppered by a bout of glandular fever - so he's had to make do instead with life as a worldwide entertainment superstar.
Very British comedy, very big budget movies, very successful syndicated TV drama - his 30 year career has taken him from A Little Bit of Fry & Laurie to a big bit of broadcasting history: his role in the U.S. show House ran for 8 series and had a global audience of 81 million. So why now does he feel the need to risk his stellar reputation by making music too?
He says, "as soon as I acknowledge to myself that something is frightening and carries the risk of public humiliation I feel like I have to do it."
Producer: Cathy Drysdale.
SUN 12:00 Just a Minute (b02x66zz)
Series 66
Episode 5
Nicholas Parsons hosts without hesitation, repetition or deviation with panellists; Tony Hawks, Roy Walker, Fred MacAulay and Gyles Brandreth. This edition comes from the City of Culture Derry, Londonderry.
Producer: Katie Tyrrell.
SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (b02y0wnm)
Food, game changers and career movers
Sheila Dillon looks at the award winners who are leaving high flying careers to follow their passions and dreams in food production
Producer: Maggie Ayre.
SUN 12:57 Weather (b02xcc1x)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (b02y0wnx)
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 The Crying Game (b01qnv2h)
Geoff Watts investigates why we cry and the peculiar purpose of tears.
Although many animal species cry vocally, the production of tears in response to emotion, both happy or sad, is a trait unique to humans. So why do we cry, and what could the evolutionary advantage be to producing tears in response to joy or despair?
The science on this topic has been surprisingly sparse until very recently, but now new research seems to be shedding some light on some common preconceptions about the effect and consequences of our tears. Does having a good cry make you feel better, for example, or do women really cry more than men? Researchers in Israel have even discovered that our tears may contain hidden messages triggering surprising responses in those who come into contact with them.
Geoff Watts gets the tissues ready as he investigates everything you ever wanted to know about weeping.
Producer: Alexandra Feachem
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2013.
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b02x9f53)
Post Bag Edition
This week the team visits Matt Biggs' garden to tackle listeners' questions as Eric Robson hosts a postbag edition of Gardeners' Question Time. Eric and Matt are joined by Pippa Greenwood and Bunny Guinness.
Produced by Howard Shannon
A Somethin' Else Production for BBC Radio 4.
Q. I have a small yard and would like to grow tall plants to screen the windows. The yard is north-west facing, shady and very windy, and plants would need to be in large pots. I currently have a Salix Caprea willow, but it has not done well this year.
A. Black bamboo is recommended, or Hawthorne for a more 'native' feel. Hollies would work but are difficult to establish. House plants such as Dracaenas, Begonias or chili plants could be used to create a foliage curtain behind the window on the inside of the house.
Q. My 20m square lawn is repeatedly infested by moss. Is there an alternate ground cover I can plant instead of the traditional grass, ideally not too costly or time-consuming.
A. Pallets of low-growing flowering plants could be used, established using a combination of seed and plugs, that would require mowing about six times per year. Epimediums, Tiarella or Lamiums could be used if the current lawn is in a shady spot.
Q. We are trying to create a bog garden in a shady area, but have limey soil that does not agree with plants such as Candelabra Primulas, Himalayan Poppies etc. Could the panel suggest plants for the boggy area that will tolerate the lime?
A. Think about adding sulphur chips to reduce the pH, and the Primulas and Poppies should be fine. Marsh Marigolds would also do well.
Q. My soil is dry and sandy so when I grow potatoes I don't heap up the soil around them because I am worried the soil would dry out even faster and that rainwater would run off the plants. What would the panel advise?
A. If the soil is free draining, heaping up with organic matter may help to conserve the moisture. A huge amount of watering will also be needed to get good growth. Earthing up also helps to protect against frost etc.
Q. I have a bare area under a well-established Cherry tree, the area corresponding to that of the canopy. Would you plant in that area to keep year-round interest, or keep it free from plants and weeds?
A. Try a succession of bulbs early in the year. Erythroniums, Crocuses, Daffodils and Narcissus, Camassias, Tulips, Saxotile, Geraniums (specifically Geranium Phaeum 'Samobor') and Cyclamen hederifolium are all recommended. The bulbs will come out in the most part before the Cherry comes into leaf.
Q. I planted a rhubarb plant at the end of last summer and managed to get two crops from it. This year it seems to have flowered. What should I do with it?
A. Flowering is often a sign of stress or distress - in this case harvesting before the plant is established. Take the flower stem out and keep the plant well watered and manured, and don't pull any more sticks from it until it is well established. Rhubarb flowers are very beautiful - Rheum Ribes, the Syrian rhubarb, is a wild species grown just for its flowers.
Q. I have a very shady garden and wanted to grow a Clematis which would enjoy the shady location. Two years ago I bought a Clematis called 'Guernsey Cream' which claimed to do well in shade. For two springs the plant flowered well. However, this year's flowers have been small and green. Why is this?
A. There is an infection that Clematis gets, caused by a microplasma, which causes the plant's petals to turn green. This tends to remain, so it may be best to begin again with a new plant. When growing Clematis in shady spots, opt for varieties with paler flowers (such as 'Nelly Moser') as they keep their colour for longer.
Q. I have nine old Hawthorne trees around the boundary of my garden. They look like they may have once been a hedge, but that left uncut have become trees. If I were to cut down the trees to around 6ft, would they grow and bush out again and how long would this take?
A. Planting a secondary hedge below them would probably work better - plants such as Rosa Arvensis or Rosa Canina, Gelder Rose, native Dogwoods, Field Maples and Euonymus are recommended.
Q. There is a Rowan tree growing in a Scots Pine near my house. Can the panel shed any light on what the Rowan is doing growing so high up in a Pine?
A. The Rowan berry would probably have been deposited in the Pine by a bird, and rot or general debris up the pine will have allowed the roots to take hold. Water from the atmosphere will have helped the Rowan to survive.
SUN 14:45 The Listening Project (b02y0wpb)
Sunday Edition: Two Plus Two
Fi Glover introduces conversations about dealing with leukaemia and about living as a transgender woman, surprising listeners with the unexpected turn each conversation takes, in this Sunday Edition of Radio 4's 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.
SUN 15:00 Dangerous Visions (b02y0wpp)
JG Ballard - Concrete Island
By J.G. Ballard
Adapted by Graham White
Driving home one Friday rush hour, a cocky young architect crashes down a motorway embankment. At first he seems bound to be rescued, but as he fails to make the passing commuters notice him, he finds himself trapped on a strange, neglected island between the highways. Can this modern day Crusoe survive in a strange new world?
Directed by Mary Peate
Radio 4's Dangerous Visions Season:
The adjective Ballardian refers to the writer 'JG Ballard's fearful imaginings of what the near future might be like. Even though the master creator of dystopian futures died four years ago, his vision of what our future might become feels as relevant, satirical and as scary as ever. Radio 4's Dangerous Visions is a season of dramas that explore contemporary takes on future dystopias. Dramatisations of Ballard's seminal works, Drowned World and Concrete Island, straddle the season, and we have asked five leading radio writers - Nick Perry, Ed Harris, Michael Symmonds Roberts, Michael Butt and Philip Palmer - to imagine what life might be like in the near future if everything goes wrong - and their Dangerous Visions form the bedrock of the series: clever, imaginative and disturbing takes on just what might happen. What happens if sleep is outlawed? If cloning becomes a matter of course, and your loved ones are capable of being cloned? If North London declares UDI on South London, which has become a wasteland? If human sacrifice becomes a part of society? We are also running a 5 part dramatisation of Jane Roger's award winning terrifying novel The Testament of Jessie Lamb, dramatised by the author
Dangerous Visions - you will be disturbed as you see the present reflected in the glass
of an uneasy future.
SUN 16:00 Open Book (b02y0wq3)
Neil Gaiman Special
Neil Gaiman talks to Mariella Frostrup about his hugely popular Science fiction/ fantasy works for both adults and children alike and why he continues to be inspired by the thing lurking just out of sight in the shadows.
Author of the successful Coraline, The Graveyard Book and American Gods, Gaiman is a prolific writer and this year is no exception - so far he's published Chu's Day for younger readers, had Neverwhere, his novel set in the dark and dirty world of London Below, adapted on Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra, seen his second episode of Dr Who, Nightmare in Silver aired, published the book of a keynote speech he made in the US and edited a selection of short stories called Unnatural Creatures.
September sees publication of another children's title Fortunately the Milk, a fast paced story with a dinosaur who has invented a floaty ball person carrier (a hot air balloon), sparkly coloured ponies, vampires, pirates and globby green aliens and he has just published his first adult novel in eight years, The Ocean at the end of the Lane.
Producer: Andrea Kidd.
SUN 16:30 Poetry Please (b02yjbww)
Words for weddings and other celebrations
Roger McGough finds words for weddings and other celebrations in poems requested by listeners. With readers Juliet Aubrey, Mark Meadows and Harry Livingstone.
Carol Ann Duffy says that 'Britain has many countries and one of them is poetry." Today's programme is all about where we go when we want words to mark a celebration and take us somewhere memorable and extraordinary, with an emphasis on weddings.
Roger includes two 'wedding' sonnets by Shakespeare, 116 and 8; 'Sunrise' by Mary Oliver; 'Poem for a North London Wedding' by Tobias Hill and Christopher Marlowe's beautiful pastoral poem: 'The Passionate Shepherd to His Love'.
Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery.
SUN 17:00 File on 4 (b02x8znm)
Council Asset Sales
Local authorities across the UK are facing tough decisions as they try to balance their books in the face of unprecedented funding cuts - with many opting to sell land and buildings to reduce spending and bring in much needed capital.
But, one person's white elephant is another's much loved local facility, so the choice of what goes on the market often causes great public resentment.
Jenny Chryss visits four local authorities where announcements about asset sales have caused serious questions to be asked. She finds allegations of decisions taken behind closed doors, sums that don't stack up and property that could end up being mothballed for years to come.
So are councils getting value for money for their tax payers? Or are they out of their depth when they negotiate with the private sector, especially in one of the harshest property markets for years?
And with a major shift in the way councils are audited, is there a danger that mistakes could go unnoticed and unchallenged?
Producer: Rob Cave.
SUN 17:40 From Fact to Fiction (b02xyl3z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b03688j6)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 17:57 Weather (b02xcc21)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b02xcc23)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (b02yjbwy)
Sheila McClennon's Pick of the Week
This week the quietest room in the world swiftly followed by the noisiest band whilst writer AL Kennedy just wants somewhere peaceful to work. Maybe best not to join the aspiring writers bedding down amongst the non fiction in a Parisian book store then. Meanwhile the oldest book in Europe makes its way back to its spiritual home in the North East. And the moving story of a mother who rings the mobile of her dead son - just to hear his voice.
Sheila chose:
Shakespeare and Company - Radio 4
Sunday Feature - The Gospels Come Home - Radio 3
Dangerous Visions: Death Duty - Radio 4
Drama on 3 - Babbage - Radio 3
The Life Scientific - David Spiegelhalter - Radio 4
Lucy Beaumont - To Hull and Back - Radio 4
Home Sweet Home - Radio 4
Radio 1 Stories - Loudness Wars - Radio 1
Lord of the Flies - 4Extra
Archive on Four - Writers and Radio - Radio 4
PM - Radio 4 (Monday edition)
Words and Music - Three - Radio 3
Produced by Louise Clarke.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (b02yjbx0)
Christening party preparations are in full swing at the Bull. Kenton and Jolene have everything in hand, soothing Mike's jangled nerves. Jolene's thoughtful touches really impress Kenton. He reckons he's the luckiest bloke in Borsetshire.
Brenda has a very awkward encounter with Tom, making her late for the christening. As edgy Mike greets Vicky and Bethany, and Brenda finally arrives, the excited family go in. Afterwards, amid the melee of photographs and congratulations, Mike comments to Neil that whilst his milk round's lost some regulars, he's gained a few new customers; Ed was right when he maintained there's a market for quality food. Vicky scolds Mike for talking shop. It's contagious though, and later Hayley fumes to Neil that Josh has booked three more farmers' markets without checking with her. Philosophical Neil calms her down. Josh'll just have to cancel them; losing his deposit will teach him not to do it again!
Mike notices Brenda's quiet. After some coaxing she confides that the chance meeting with Tom brought everything back. And it's going to keep happening. Brenda doesn't want to spoil the day though, and as the bubbly's passed round the guests all raise their glasses to Bethany.
SUN 19:15 Down the Line (b02yjbx2)
Olympic Legacy Special
The ground-breaking Radio 4 phone-in show presents a one-off special on the Olympics, 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 and Paul Whitehouse.
Special guests: Esther Coles, Robert Popper and Adil Ray
Producers: Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse
A Down The Line production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 19:45 American Shorts (b02yjbx4)
Thief
A series of recently published stories that reflect on everyday lives across the water.
Set in the author's hometown of Spokane this sharply observed story by Jess Walter features a troubled father who frets about being a good parent as he sets a trap to catch a thief.
Read by John Schwab
Abridged and produced by Gemma Jenkins
Thief is taken from Jess Walter's debut short story collection, We Live In Water.
SUN 20:00 Feedback (b02x9f59)
This week Quentin Cooper presented his last edition of Radio 4's long-running science programme Material World. The Editor of BBC Radio Science, Deborah Cohen tells Roger why it was time for a change.
In the wake of our interview with BBC Trustee Richard Ayre about the BBC's loss of £98.2 million, we air your views on the decision to bring in outside investigators at further cost.
There was another story about BBC finances this week. But you might not have heard it. Listeners were surprised that the BBC did not report on revelations that it paid out £28 million of licence-fee payer money in payoffs over the last eight years.
Plus, OFCOM comes down on the side of listeners who complained about the use of a derogatory and discriminatory word during a Today programme interview.
Our reporter Karen Pirie mingles with the crowds at the Royal Cornwall Show to hear how BBC Cornwall interacts with its listeners.
Let sleeping dogs lie -the strange effect that Feedback has on listeners of particularly sensitive hearing.
And the moment you've all been waiting for...the announcement of our Tweet of the Week. We've been asking our loyal twitter followers on @BBCR4Feedback to tweet us their reviews of BBC Radio programmes that have caught their ear this week. If you hear something you loved or loathed tweet us your very best poetry and prose reviews and you could win: our gratitude; admiration; and the coveted title of 'Tweet of the Week' during next week's Feedback.
Producer: Will Yates
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 20:30 Last Word (b02x9f57)
An actor, a youth worker, a ballet dancer, a poet and a local radio presenter
Matthew Bannister on
The American actor James Gandolfini - best known for playing the mafia boss Tony Soprano.
The youth worker Elizabeth Braund who transformed the lives of thousands of inner city children by inviting them to her working Dartmoor farm.
The former principal dancer at the Royal Ballet David Wall - Deborah Bull pays tribute.
The poet Oliver Bernard, last survivor of the Bohemian days of Soho.
And Mark Turnbull - the blind presenter on BBC Tees, loved by his listeners but not always by his local managers, he became the President of the National Union of Journalists.
SUN 21:00 Money Box (b02xxvch)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:00 on Saturday]
SUN 21:26 Radio 4 Appeal (b02y0wlt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 today]
SUN 21:30 Analysis (b02x6707)
Predistribution
Predistribution is Labour's new policy buzzword, used by leader Ed Miliband in a keynote speech. The US thinker who coined the phrase tells Edward Stourton what it means.
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (b02yjbx6)
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 (b02yjbx8)
Patrick O'Flynn of The Express analyses how the newspapers are covering the biggest stories.
SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (b02x98fh)
Before Midnight; World War Z; Like Someone in Love; The Sea
Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and the director Richard Linklater reunite after almost a decade for Before Midnight, the third part of the Jessie and Celine story. In Before Sunrise, they meet on a train and spend all night together exploring Vienna. In Before Sunset, they meet again in Paris and wonder if they can re kindle their initial spark. Before Midnight explores their relationship as they hit their 40s. They talk to Francine Stock about their extraordinary collaboration.
As Brad Pitt's troubled project World War Z finally hits the big screen, the film critic Nigel Floyd assesses whether it can escape its torturous genesis to make a decent zombie-style film about a world-wide epidemic. Or has Pitt's production company over-reached itself?
Renowned Iranian film maker Abbas Kiarostami is back with another 'international' film, set this time in Japan. Like Someone in Love explores the life of a young university student who goes on paid dates while fending off a jealous fiance. Fari Bradley discusses its take on sex and morality.
And director Stephen Brown on how he persuaded the writer John Banville to give him the rights of the Booker Prize winning book The Sea.
SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b02y0wkx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:05 today]
MONDAY 24 JUNE 2013
MON 00:00 Midnight News (b02xcc33)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b02x93dg)
Remembering Diana; Ethnography Award
Remembering Diana - did Princess Diana's death lead to a major shift in British culture? Professor of Sociology, Vic Seidler, talks to Laurie Taylor about his new book which analyses the repercussions of Diana, Princess of Wales', death in 1997. He argues that the public outpourings of grief and displays of emotion prompted new kinds of identification and belonging in which communities came together regardless of race, class, gender and sexuality and helped to make visible changes in what might be called 'New' or 'post-traditional' Britain. Did her unexpected death see a challenge to 'stiff upper lip' reserve and to the typical split made in modernity between reason and emotion?
The writer, Bea Campbell, who has also written about the Diana 'phenomenon', joins the discussion. Also, the anthropologist, Henrietta Moore discusses the history and significance of Ethnographic research.
Producer: Jayne Egerton.
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b02xz4pt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b02xcc35)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b02xcc37)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b02xcc39)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 05:30 News Briefing (b02xcc3c)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b0368wxw)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Frank Sellar.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (b02yjf11)
It costs about fifty billion pounds a year and shapes our landscape and farming industry. This week should see a final agreement on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. The meeting of the European Agriculture Ministers which starts later today will be followed by another meeting between The European Parliament, Commission and Council of Ministers to hammer out a deal.
There are disagreements over, among other things, the amount of environmental work farmers should have to do to qualify for subsidy payments. Also on Farming Today, the supermarket adjudicator starts this week. Christine Tacon, the former head of the co-op farms, will be able to fine, or name and shame retailers which treat suppliers unfairly. Farmers and food campaigners pushed for an adjudicator to enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice, which regulates the relationship between the largest supermarkets and their suppliers.
MON 05:56 Weather (b02xcc3f)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b020vp4h)
Little Egret
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Miranda Krestovnikoff presents the Little Egret. The colonisation of the UK by these small brilliant-white herons with black bills and yellow feet, has astonished ornithologists because of its speed.
MON 06:00 Today (b02yjf13)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (b02yjf15)
Zadie Smith on social mobility
On Start the Week Stephanie Flanders discusses social mobility. Zadie Smith's novel NW is a portrait of modern urban life in which characters try, but mostly fail, to escape their past. The Conservative Minister David Willetts and the columnist Owen Jones discuss what meritocracy and opportunity mean in today's society. And the social historian David Kynaston looks to the end of the 1950s when meritocracy became the buzz word of the day.
Producer: Katy Hickman.
MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b02yjf17)
David Mitchell - The Reason I Jump
Episode 1
By Naoki Higashida
Translated by David Mitchell and KA Yoshida, and introduced by David Mitchell
Read by Kasper Hilton-Hille
When the award-winning author of Cloud Atlas David Mitchell, whose own son has autism, discovered this extraordinary book, he felt that for the first time his own son was talking to him about what was going on inside his head, through the words of the young author.
Naoki Higashida was born in 1992 and wrote the book when he was still only thirteen years old. His autism is so severe that he finds it difficult to hold a conversation, and he wrote the book using a Japanese Alphabet Grid - a low tech table of Japanese hiragana syllables, on which he spells out his words painstakingly, character by character.
David and his Japanese wife originally began a translation for their personal use and that of their son's other carers and tutors, and eventually it grew into this book. The Reason I Jump pushes beyond the notion of autism as a disability, and reveals it as simply a different way of being, and of seeing. Naoki Higashida shines a light on the autistic landscape from the inside.
Abridged and Produced by Allegra McIlroy.
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b02yjf19)
Gail Rebuck: Chair and Chief Executive of the Random House Group, Woman's Hour powerlister, and one of the most influential people in publishing. The impact of the bus bomb that killed 14 female students from a women only university in Pakistan. Teen mental health. The sexual politics of compliments. The first in a series looking at the economics of childcare: today Jane Garvey hears from parents who have struggled with ever increasing costs, and from Vidhya Alakeson of Resolution Foundation.
MON 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b02yjf1c)
Writing the Century: Vera 'Jack' Holme
Episode 1
Vera 'Jack' Holme
1918-1921. Louise Ironside dramatises the diaries of Vera 'Jack' Holme. A former cross-dressing actress and suffragette, Vera spent the war years as a member of the Scottish Women's Hospital in Serbia. At the end of the war Vera - known as 'Jack' - was busy finding a role for herself both in love and duty. Estranged from her long term partner, Evelina Haverfield, Vera spends much of 1918 fundraising for relief work in Serbia - a country she longs to return to. Vera's fundraising tour brings her into the orbit of Edinburgh artist Dorothy Johnstone and the pair soon become close. But the spectre of Evalina is never far away and Vera's friendship with Dorothy becomes strained when Evalina issues an invitation that Vera cannot refuse.
Other parts played by members of the cast.
Additional research by Jane Mackelworth
Producer/Director: David Ian Neville.
MON 11:00 Recycled Radio (b02yk8rm)
Series 1
Class
Back in 1966, a famous sketch first appeared on TV skewering the British class system like a well done kebab.
Now Recycled Radio picks up John Cleese, Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker and runs headlong into the slicing, dicing and splicing of the edit machine before emerging afresh.
Gerald Scarfe introduces, while vocal talent is provided by Boris Johnson, Nadine Dorries, Caitlin Moran, Laurie Taylor, Jennifer Saunders, Stephen Fry, John Lennon, Marcus Brigstocke, Grayson Perry and Attila the Stockbroker.
Intellectual backbone from the eminent sociologist AH Halsey, with music from AC / DC.
Producer: Miles Warde
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2013.
MON 11:30 Bleak Expectations (b01p71gl)
Series 5
A Writerly Life Made Dreadfully Different
There's a novel writing showdown between Pip and Charles Dickens to find out who is the greatest writer in Britain.
Mark Evans's epic Victorian comedy in the style of Charles Dickens.
Sir Philip ..... Richard Johnson
Young Pip Bin ..... Tom Allen
Gently Benevolent ..... Anthony Head
Harry Biscuit ..... James Bachman
Clampvulture ..... Geoffrey Whitehead
Ripely ..... Sarah Hadland
Pippa ..... Susy Kane
Lily ...... Sarah Hadland
Producer: Gareth Edwards
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2012.
MON 12:00 You and Yours (b02yk8rq)
Affordable flood insurance, censorship of online videos, wigs for men
The cost of insurance in areas which are regularly flooded can be prohibitively high, with some people finding they can't afford to get the cover they need. The government has been working with the insurance industry to resolve the problem, but so far there has been no agreement. The elderly woman who was sold six warranties for a TV satellite system she doesn't even own. There is little censorship of films and videos on the internet, but could film-makers themselves be effective at certifying their own work? The fraud which targeted a supermarket loyalty card scheme and is still causing problems, months after it was first discovered. Why aren't wigs and hair pieces more popular with men?
Producer: Jonathan Hallewell
Presenter: Julian Worricker.
MON 12:57 Weather (b02xcc3h)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 13:00 World at One (b02yk9fb)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
MON 13:45 Found (b01rl759)
The Two Sisters
A five part series of stories following family members who are reunited after separation through family circumstance, tragedy or conflict.
As well as hearing the emotional stories of people who have been searching for others for many years, we also hear the stories of the organisations who help them - including the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Missing Person's Bureau.
The internet has increased the possibility of finding people through social networking and other websites - such as a site set up recently by Missing Person's Bureau and featuring details of unidentified bodies.
The stories have a range of outcomes, not always happy.
Episode 1 (of 5): The Two Sisters
Jan and Evie were reunited through Facebook after sixty years. They had spent most of their adult lives trying to trace each other after Jan was adopted and moved to Canada with her new family. Their story is one of co-incidences, heartache and injustice when their mother, who left the family home pregnant with Evie after abuse by their father, had very little say in what happened to her other two children.
Producer: Sara Parker
A White Pebble Media production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 14:00 The Archers (b02yjbx0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Drama (b01h7cdt)
Martyn Hesford - Mrs Lowry and Son
Mrs Lowry and Son
Written by Martyn Hesford
Artist L. S. Lowry lived all his life with his over-bearing mother Elizabeth. Bed-ridden and bitter, Elizabeth actively tried to dissuade her bachelor son from pursuing his artistic ambitions, whilst never failing to voice her opinion at what a disappointment he is to her. This powerful drama imagines the impact this obsessive mother and son relationship had on the great artist.
Directed by Gary Brown
Produced by Charlotte Riches.
MON 15:00 Counterpoint (b02yk9fg)
Series 27
Episode 8
(8/13)
Do you know which novelty dance became popular after Charles Lindberg's crossing of the Atlantic in 1927? Or which singer made the most successful recording of the soul standard 'The Shoop Shoop Song'?
If so, you may be able to match the contestants in today's quiz. Paul Gambaccini asks these and many other questions in the wide-ranging music quiz, this week featuring contestants from Brighton, Bristol and Cheltenham. The one who can demonstrate the broadest general musical knowledge will win through to the 2013 semi-finals, which start in a fortnight's time.
There are extracts to suit all tastes, and plenty of musical trivia and anecdotes.
Producer: Paul Bajoria.
MON 15:30 The Food Programme (b02y0wnm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
MON 16:00 Lowry Revisited (b02yk9fj)
Few artists have divided opinion as strongly as Laurence Stephen Lowry. He's loved by millions of the general public, but many among the art establishment have accused him of amateurism - a 'Sunday Painter', extremely limited in the scope of his artistic ambition.
In the past, Lowry fans have accused the Tate of failing to adequately represent him on their gallery walls because of a Metropolitan and anti-Northern bias.
Now though, The Tate is set to launch the biggest Lowry exhibition since his death in 1976. The curators argue that, for too long, the north/south argument and the endless debate over whether he was too sentimental has overshadowed a fuller appreciation of the L S Lowry's worth - which comes through recognition of his connections with other traditions, particularly those from France.
Michael Symmons Roberts grew up in Manchester with Lowry paintings on the wall and he sets out to explore whether it is possible to get a fresh perspective on this most troublesome figure, questioning whether northerners themselves have stood in the way of fuller recognition of Lowry's qualities through being too defensive, too chippy over his legacy. Along the way Michael meets people who knew the artist well, and who worked alongside him in documenting the north-west landscape.
He asks the current crop of metropolitan art critics how they feel about the Tate being taken over by the rent collector from the north, and also talks to the curators of the exhibition about their desire to get past the old arguments and concentrate on what they regard as the outstanding quality of the artwork itself.
Producer: Geoff Bird
A Sparklab production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 16:30 The Infinite Monkey Cage (b02ykcwh)
Series 8
What Is Death?
"What Is Death?"
In the first of a new series of the award winning science/comedy series, Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by comedian Katy Brand, biochemist Nick Lane and forensic anthropologist Sue Black to discuss why death is such an inevitable feature of a living planet. As well as revisiting such weighty scientific issues, such as when can a strawberry, be truly declared to be dead, they'll also explore the scientific process of death, its evolutionary purpose and whether it is scientifically possibly to avoid it all together.
MON 17:00 PM (b02ykcwl)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b02xcc3k)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 18:30 Just a Minute (b02ykcwr)
Series 66
Episode 6
Nicholas Parsons puts Gyles Brandreth, Russell Kane, Richard Herring and Paul Merton through their linguistic paces.
Producer: Katie Tyrrell.
MON 19:00 The Archers (b02ykfzw)
Eddie remarks to Tony he hopes the Flower Festival will help speed up the sluggish fundraising for the organ repairs. He's playing his cards close to his chest regarding Clarrie's display, instead suggesting to Tony that he and Pat come along and take a look on the day.
Eddie rings Clarrie to let her know he's got the water feature. She insists he puts it together to check it works. Reluctantly Eddie agrees; he'll do it after tea, sacrificing boules at the pub. Once it's assembled, though, she feels it's missing the 'wow' factor.
Having discussed with Clarrie where her urn will be positioned at Wednesday's farm sale, Tom's in a pensive mood. He wonders to Tony whether Pat will come. Tony replies that she hasn't decided, and he doesn't want to push her. Later Tony catches Tom talking to the cows. They share a moment. As they plan for the sale, Tony reminisces about his early days with Pat. Tom asserts his parents are a great team, pioneers in organics. He and Helen are very proud of them; and grateful. Tony recommends they get the cows back up to the field before Tom has them both going soft.
MON 19:15 Front Row (b02ykg3h)
This Is the End; Jonathan Dee; Lowry; Brian Aldiss
With Mark Lawson.
Lowry and the Painting of Modern Life, a new exhibition at Tate Britain, compares Lancashire born artist L S Lowry with the French tradition of the time and argues for his pre-eminence as a painter of the industrial city. Rachel Cooke reviews.
The writer Jonathan Dee, whose novel The Privileges was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, discusses his latest work. A Thousand Pardons explores what it means to apologise and the tradition of apology and forgiveness in public life. Jonathan Dee talks about receiving an angry e-mail from a reader shocked by the novel's dramatic twist.
This is the End is the latest collaboration from Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, following Superbad and Pineapple Express. It's set at a glamorous party, where James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill play versions of themselves, with cameos from stars including Rihanna and Emma Watson. The festivities are in full swing when the apocalypse arrives. Viv Groskop reviews.
The writer Brian Aldiss, best known for his science fiction, chooses his Cultural Exchange. He explains how The Journal of Marie Bashkirtseff, the diary of a young artist written between 1860 and 1884, influenced him when he discovered it as a young boy.
Scared To Get Happy is a 5 CD, 134 track box set which charts the history of indie music from 1980 to 1990. An exhaustive collection, it includes tracks from famous names such as The Stone Roses, Primal Scream and Lloyd Cole and the Commotions as well as less familiar groups like Trixie's Big Red Motorbike and Tallulah Gosh, featuring 2013 Turner Prize winner Elizabeth Price. Andrew Collins traces the sound that defined a generation.
Producer: Olivia Skinner.
MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b02yjf1c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
MON 20:00 Damascus Diary (b02ykg3k)
Lina Sinjab has reported for the BBC from Damascus as the Syrian conflict has come ever closer. But how has it changed her home city - and how has it changed her? In this intimate, revealing programme, she combines dramatic scenes and interview material with a personal audio diary as she discusses her thoughts, feelings and encounters.
She meets a 14-year-old boy who has volunteered to become a medical worker: she sees a young boy hitting a doll which he's named after an opposition leader: she watches black smoke from explosions bloom across the city from the window of her apartment. She has flashbacks of an old man killed by a sniper and seeks refuge in listening to her favourite music: she joins a bizarre rooftop barbecue, as friends party and try to push the thoughts of conflict away: and finally she leaves her beloved country, with thoughts of her friends and family who she has left behind echoing in her mind. "Every minute will stay in my mind and heart," she concludes. "I'm not sure if and when I'll be back."
Producer: Nina Robinson.
MON 20:30 Analysis (b02ykg3m)
Pornography: What Do We Know?
What do we really know about the effects of pornography?
Public debate has become increasingly dominated by an emotive, polarised argument between those who say it is harmful and those who say it can be liberating. Jo Fidgen puts the moral positions to one side and investigates what the evidence tells us. She explores the limitations of the research that's been carried out and asks whether we need to update our understanding of pornography. She hears from users of pornography about how and why they use it and researchers reveal what they have learnt about our private pornographic habits.
With pornography becoming increasingly easy to access online, and as policy-makers, parents and teachers discuss how to deal with this, it's a debate that will have far-reaching implications on education and how we use the internet.
Producer: Helena Merriman
Interviewees:
Professor Neil Malamuth - University of California
Dr Miranda Horvath - Middlesex University
Dr Ogi Ogas - Author of A Billion Wicked Thoughts
Professor Roger Scruton - Conservative philosopher and Author of Sexual Desire: A Philosophical Investigation
Professor Gail Dines - Wheelock College, Boston.
MON 21:00 Shared Planet (b02x7h17)
Can We Save It All?
A giant hamster in Alsace provides Monty with a puzzling dilemma, how do we decide what to conserve? With so many pressures on so many creatures and habitats how to decide where to put our energy and money is difficult. Monty Don explores the issues, do we save the creatures that appeal to us or those that are most useful? Is a beetle better to save than a hamster? Shared Planet explores the crunch point where the natural world and human population meet. Monty Don presents the series and invites a field report each week from around the world where people and wildlife are negotiating the same space: different stories, different outcomes, and different issues. How is the Giant Hamster negotiating it's bit of the planet in the Alsace region with land owners who need its home for crops. Should we try to save everything?
MON 21:30 Start the Week (b02yjf15)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:58 Weather (b02xcc3m)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b02ykg3p)
Lawrence allegations: who gave the order to watch the family?
Where is NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden?
Is Indonesia the next developing economic powerhouse?
With Ritula Shah.
MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b02ykg3r)
The Professor of Truth
Episode 1
The new novel by leading Scottish author James Robertson is a powerful work of fiction inspired by some of the aspects and events surrounding the Lockerbie bombing. It's a delicate reinvention of one of the most painful incidents of recent times in Scotland.
Twenty-one years after his wife and daughter were murdered in the bombing of a plane over Scotland, Alan Tealing, a university lecturer, still does not know the truth of what really happened on that terrible night. Obsessed by the details of what he has come to call 'The Case', he is sure that the man convicted of the atrocity was not responsible, and that he himself has thus been deprived not only of justice but also of any chance of escape from his enduring grief.
When an American intelligence officer, apparently terminally ill and determined to settle his own accounts before death, arrives on his doorstep with information about a key witness in the trial, a fateful sequence of events is set in motion.
James Robertson is the author of "The Fanatic", "Joseph Knight" and "The Testament of Gideon Mack". His previous novel, "And the Land Lay Still", a majestic telling of the past sixty years of Scotland's history, won the Saltire Book of the Year Award 2010.
The reader is Peter Firth.
Written and abridged by James Robertson.
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
MON 23:00 Mastertapes (b02ykg3t)
Series 2
Spandau Ballet (A-Side)
John Wilson concludes the second series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances.
Programme 5. "True" with Gary Kemp and Tony Hadley
Thirty years ago Spandau Ballet released their third album 'True'. It became a worldwide smash hit featuring tracks such as 'Gold', ''Pleasure', 'Communication' and the title track, which spent 4 weeks at the top of the charts. Singer Tony Hadley and Gary Kemp, the man who wrote all of these songs, both came to the BBC Maida Vale studios to discuss their inspiration and influence.
Released in 1983 'True' became one of the stand out albums of the New Romantic movement. Recorded at the legendary Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas, Producers Steve Jolley and Tony Swain gave the band a slicker, more R&B sound aimed at squarely at the charts.
The B-side of the programme, where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions, can be heard tomorrow at
3.30pm
Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed.
Producer: Helen Lennard.
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (b02ykg3w)
The Home Secretary has told MPs a barrister will look into claims that police officers wanted to smear the family of the murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence. Susan Hulme listened to Theresa May's statement to Parliament and gauges the reaction to it from MPs.
Also on the programme:
- Alicia McCarthy follows the latest Commons exchanges between Labour's Stephen Twigg and the Education Secretary Michael Gove.
- Simon Jones reports on the response of peers to the scandal of poor standards of care at some of England's hospitals.
- Rebecca Keating covers an inquiry into a government project that gives money to what are known as 'troubled families'.
TUESDAY 25 JUNE 2013
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b02xcc4p)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b02yjf17)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b02xcc4r)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b02xcc4t)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b02xcc4w)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b02xcc4y)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b0368wz2)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Frank Sellar.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b02ykg4r)
Anna Hill hears that poverty in rural areas is on a similar level to that in the cities, but is largely unrecognised. Professor Mark Shucksmith, from Newcastle University, says most people facing poverty are in employment, but are doing low wage jobs which dominate the rural economy.
Welsh meat companies are heading for Moscow this week to try to put their lamb and beef on Russian menus. No UK red meat is exported to Russia at the moment, but it's a large and potentially highly lucrative market.
And, as large herds of dairy cows become more commonplace, Charlotte Smith talks to one of the organisers of an event to share ideas about how best to run them.
Presented by Anna Hill. Produced by Sarah Swadling.
TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b020vp98)
Common Sandpiper
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Miranda Krestovnikoff presents the Common Sandpiper. This bird can look slightly pot-bellied as it bobs nervously on the edge of an upland lake or on a midstream boulder. Get too close though and it will be off - flickering low over the surface on bowed wings.
TUE 06:00 Today (b02ykg4t)
News and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather, Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (b02ykg4w)
Elizabeth Stokoe
Jim Al-Khalili talks to the social psychologist Liz Stokoe about her research as a conversation analyst. Her interest is in the nuances of everyday chit chat but also people going on first dates, the verbal abuse between neighbours at war as well as interviews by the Police with suspected criminals.
Liz is professor of social interaction at the University of Loughborough and her unusual approach involves collecting and analysing the fine details of hundreds of real, spontaneous conversations as a source of raw data. This is in contrast to more traditional means, used by other psychologists of finding out what people think by asking them directly using surveys and questionnaires.
Her most recent research has overturned ideas about the best ways to teach people how to communicate, negotiate or deal with confrontation. Role play using actors to stage a scenario, has been seen by many as a gold standard training device. But, Liz says there's no evidence to show that it works. Her alternative technique is based on her own scientific research and is already being widely used by different organisations from the Police to Mediation services and even hospitals, to help with doctor patient relationships.
TUE 09:30 One to One (b02ykg4y)
Owen Bennett Jones talks to Jake Wood
Owen Bennett-Jones has spent most of his BBC career reporting on armed conflict around the world. On March 2003 he was in Kuwait as the US forces began their invasion of Iraq. While talking to the American writer PJ O'Rourke, Owen said how frightened the soldiers heading into Iraq must be, but O'Rourke replied: "Well, they are off to do the most exciting thing ever known to man: going to war".
It was a striking remark. Was he glorifying war? Or just telling a truth? Since humans first started to communicate, they have been telling - and listening to - war stories. And, alongside the empathy and fellow feeling for victims, the accounts of bravery, suffering and cheating death are compelling and perhaps vicariously thrilling.
Jake Wood knows the real story of war. As a member of the Territorial Army, Jake completed 3 tours of Iraq and Afghanistan over a five-year period. In the second of two programmes for 'One To One' about the reality of war, Owen asks him about his final tour in Southern Afghanistan and about one day in particular: the 11 August 2007.
Jake was at Forward Operating Base Inkerman - a camp with mud walls in the Sangin Valley - when the Taliban attacked.
Presenter: Owen Bennett-Jones.
Producer : Perminder Khatkar.
TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b02ykg50)
David Mitchell - The Reason I Jump
Episode 2
By Naoki Higashida
Translated by David Mitchell and KA Yoshida, and introduced by David Mitchell
Read by Kasper Hilton-Hille
With astonishing detail and insight, thirteen year old Naoki Higashida shares his experience of the world, explaining how his autism can separate him from those around him. He reveals the slippery nature of time for a person with autism, the way that noises can shake his entire landscape, and the joy he experiences when playing with words and rhythm.
Naoki's autism is so severe that he finds it difficult to hold a conversation, and he wrote the book painstakingly, using an 'Alphabet Grid', Japanese character by character.
When the award-winning author David Mitchell, whose own son has autism, discovered this extraordinary book, he felt that for the first time his own son was talking to him about what was going on inside his head, through the words of the young author.
Abridged and Produced by Allegra McIlroy.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b02ykg52)
Fleur Adcock; Sonia Boyce; the cost of childcare
Our series on the economics of childcare continues with a look at why it's so expensive in the UK and what the government can do to help. We find out how challenging is it to balance the books whilst still providing high quality childcare. Should pornography be studied by academics? Scat: Sound and Collaboration; the latest exhibition by multimedia artist Sonia Boyce MBE and one of Britain's best-known poets Fleur Adcock discusses her latest collection of poems 'Glass Wings'.
TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b02yks7v)
Writing the Century: Vera 'Jack' Holme
Episode 2
Vera 'Jack' Holme
1918-1921. Louise Ironside dramatises the diaries of Vera 'Jack' Holme A former cross dressing actress and suffragette, Vera had spent the war years as a member of the Women's Volunteer Reserve serving with the Scottish Women's Hospitals on the Eastern Front. At the end of the war Vera - known as 'Jack' - was busy finding a role for herself both in love and duty. Estranged from her long term partner, Evelina Haverfield, Vera spends much of 1918 fundraising for relief work in Serbia. But in 1919 Vera finds herself back in the country she loves when Evalina invites her to help with the establishment of an orphanage for the children of the Serbian war dead. But while Evelina is delighted to be working with Vera again, their relationship is not what it once was. While Evalina charges ahead with new challenges and projects, Vera is left alone in Belgrade. Fortunately she finds a new friend in local relief worker Natalia.
Dramatised by Louise Ironside
Other parts played by members of the cast.
Additional research by Jane Mackelworth
Producer/Director: David Ian Neville.
TUE 11:00 Shared Planet (b02ykrd1)
Global Collapse
Monty Don presents Shared Planet, the series explores the crunch point between human population and the natural world. In this weeks programme we have a report from Northern Kenya about the Grevy's Zebra, the worlds most stripy Zebra and a species in decline for many different reasons, all of which appear to be attributed with human activity. Monty Don examines the wider issues of species abundance and people and interviews one of the authors of a recent paper " Can a Collapse of Civilisation be Avoided" published by The Proceedings of The Royal Society with one of its authors Professor Paul Ehrlich from Stanford University. Also in the programme Dr Joe Smith from The Open University, an expert in environment and the media, exploring how the media should keep up with such apocalyptic headlines.
TUE 11:30 Tales from the Stave (b02ykrd3)
Series 9
Porgy and Bess
In the last of the current series of Tales from the Stave Frances Fyfield returns to the Library of Congress in Washington to see one of their most treasured possessions. George Gershwin's Opera Porgy and Bess still provokes debate today from those uneasy at the work of three white men, George, his brother Ira and the lyricist Dubose Heyward, in depicting the world of what amounts to a black Ghetto in early 20th century South Carolina. However, the brilliance of the music, and the complexity and craft of Gershwin's score is beyond dispute.
Frances is joined by the conductor and writer Nigel Simeone, the library's expert Raymond White and most important of all by Solomon Howard of the Washington National Opera. Solomon, who's sung the role of Porgy and has himself experienced life at the bottom end of American society, is given the chance to perform from Gershwin's original manuscript. In doing so he finds small but vital changes from the texts he's used to, as well as evidence of the detailed but vital changes George Gershwin made to the lyrics delivered to him by Heyward - lyrics including famous hits like 'Summertime'.
As well as a full orchestral score there are also the fragments and sketches Gershwin made while living in Carolina where he sought inspiration for this, his most ambitious work.
Producer: Tom Alban.
TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b02ykrd5)
Family finances
As the Chancellor, George Osbourne prepares to reveal his spending review for 2015-16, we'll look ahead to cuts of up to £11.5 billion.
The charity 4Children is calling on the Government to put families first by protecting services for families from spending reductions. They say households with children are £1163 worse off annually than those without children. We'll assess the impact of possible future cuts and we want to know whether you're feeling the squeeze.
03700 100 444 is the number or you can email youandyours@bbc.co.uk
or text us on 84844.
Presenter: Julian Worricker
Producer: Helen Brown.
TUE 12:57 Weather (b02xcc50)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 13:00 World at One (b02ykrd8)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
TUE 13:45 Found (b01rqpk7)
The Missing Brother
A five part series of stories following family members who are reunited after separation through family circumstance, tragedy or conflict.
As well as hearing the emotional stories of people who have been searching for others for many years, we also hear the stories of the organisations who help them - including the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Missing Person's Bureau.
The internet has increased the possibility of finding people through social networking and other websites - such as a site set up recently by Missing Person's Bureau and featuring details of unidentified bodies.
The stories have a range of outcomes, not always happy.
Episode 2 (of 5):
Michael went missing 23 years ago. He was very depressed and had attempted suicide several times, so his sister Ann feared the worst but always hoped that he might still be alive. This is a story of the use of DNA to identify him more than two decades after his body was washed up 80 miles from his Grimsby home on a Norfolk beach.
Producer: Sara Parker
A White Pebble Media production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 14:00 The Archers (b02ykfzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama (b02ykrdb)
The Sensitive
Terma
By Alastair Jessiman. The psychic detective returns in the first of two new cases (the second is tomorrow afternoon). A journalist goes missing after building up a dossier on a powerful crime family. Thomas is brought in by police to investigate his disappearance.
Other parts are played by the cast.
Producer/director: Bruce Young.
TUE 15:00 Short Cuts (b02ykrdd)
Series 3
Lost and Found
Josie Long presents a selection of short documentaries with stories of loss and discovery.
From being lost in the music to lost love - Josie delves into tales of forgotten cassette tapes, voices rediscovered and teenage rebellion.
Hide and Seek
Feat. Steve Colgan
Lost in Music
Produced by Steve Urquhart
I am Luther Blissett
Produced by Rosanna Arbon
Fluctuations
Produced by Phil Smith
Lost Voices
Feat. Jude Rogers
Looking for Layla
Produced by Hana Walker-Brown
Producer: Eleanor McDowall
A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 15:30 Mastertapes (b02ykrdg)
Series 2
Spandau Ballet (B-Side)
John Wilson concludes the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances.
Programme 5, the B-side. Having discussed the making of Spandau Ballet's international hit album 'True' (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 24th June and available online), Gary Kemp and Tony Hadley responds to questions from the audience and performs live versions of some of the songs from the album, which was made 30 years ago.
Producer: Helen Lennard.
TUE 16:00 Law in Action (b02ykrdy)
The Right to Be Forgotten
The Right to be Forgotten: What information do internet companies and social networks have on us and can we delete it? Joshua Rozenberg explores the legal battle going on in Europe about a new law to enable consumers more rights to delete information held on them. We hear what Facebook thinks of the proposed law.
Plus, how does the military court system work?
We have an exclusive interview with the Judge Advocate General, Judge Jeff Blackett. He is the most senior judge in the military courts. He raises concerns about how some aspects of these function, namely that the board, their equivalent of a jury, can convict people with just a majority of one.
Presenter: Joshua Rozenberg.
Producer: Charlotte Pritchard.
TUE 16:30 A Good Read (b02ykrf0)
Colin Murray & Bob Mills
Sports presenter Colin Murray and comedian Bob Mills argue about their favourite books with Harriett Gilbert.
Colin Murray's choice is in Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan, a beautiful book that is very hard to describe, but has quite an effect on its readers.
Bob Mills perhaps surprisingly turns out to be a devotee of Georgette Heyer, and nominates These Old Shades.
And Harriett Gilbert enthuses over An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro - but the others do not share her enthusiasm..
Producer Beth O'Dea.
TUE 17:00 PM (b02ykrf2)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b02xcc52)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 18:30 The Castle (b01jrt6b)
Series 4
Give Me the Flaming Torch
Hie ye to The Castle, a rollicking sitcom set way back then, starring James Fleet ("The Vicar Of Dibley"), Neil Dudgeon ("Life Of Riley"), Martha Howe-Douglas ("Horrible Histories") & Ingrid Oliver
The Olympics are coming to Woodstock, so what better time for Sir William to go on a go-slow & for Henry to hunt for dragons? Meanwhile, Sir John tries to get fit and Charlotte tries to get into her beach volleyball costume.
Written by Kim Fuller & Paul Alexander
Music by Guy Jackson
Produced and directed by David Tyler.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (b02ykrf4)
Concerned Oliver's dismayed to find Caroline having lunch at her desk. She's keen to do some radical thinking to improve dwindling occupancy rates. He tries to make some helpful suggestions, not least that she eats her lunch. But she's not really hungry. When she informs Oliver she'll be working late he's unimpressed. She reminds him they have their anniversary to look forward to, but disappoints him again when she turns down his offer of a night away. She's far too busy. But a meal out will be wonderful, and she promises she won't mention work once.
Oliver offers moral support to Tom, assuring him they're doing the right thing selling the cows. He never regretted his own decision to sell his farm; pastures new can be a very positive thing. Helen remarks on how busy Caroline seems at the moment. Oliver ruefully agrees.
Helen's worried about Tom's brand advertising boards and his plans to promote Ambridge Organics at the sale. She feels their parents have enough to cope with already. The reality of the farm without cows is just starting to hit Helen. Tom's encouraging; he urges her to enjoy tomorrow. It'll be a new beginning.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (b02yks7s)
Vermeer exhibition; tennis on film; pianist Mitsuko Uchida
With Mark Lawson,
For the first time, three Vermeer paintings of female musicians are on show together at the National Gallery, London. They form the centrepiece of a new exhibition examining music as a motif in Dutch painting of the 17th Century. Composer Michael Berkeley considers the various roles played by musical instruments in the art of that period.
For many writers working in TV drama, the trickiest things they have to deal with are the notes from the producers. At their worst, such notes can confuse and undermine a writer's vision. At their best, they can help a writer to see a better way of telling the story. Peter Bowker, writer of Blackpool, Desperate Romantics and Monroe, and Patrick Spence, the executive producer on Murphy's Law, Lilies, and Hancock and Joan, reflect on the best and the worst notes writers receive.
As Wimbledon gets under way, Ed Smith reviews two tennis documentary films. Venus and Serena shows the lives of the champion sisters as children, in their shared home and battling illness in 2011. The Battle of the Sexes, which takes its title from the famous 1973 match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, explores the relationship between women's professional tennis and the Women's Liberation movement.
For Cultural Exchange, the pianist Mitsuko Uchida selects Piero della Francesca's Resurrection. She explains how she was inspired by Piero della Francesca's fresco and why great art, whether music or painting, does not have to be technically perfect.
Producer Claire Bartleet.
TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b02yks7v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
TUE 20:00 File on 4 (b02yks7x)
Petrol Prices
The way in which oil is traded on commodities markets is coming under close scrutiny. Last month, officers of the European Commission raided the London offices of BP and Shell along with Norway's Statoil company and the leading price reporting agency Platts. They said they were investigating claims of collusion to manipulate the prices of oil and biofuels on the international markets.
A leading city insider tells File On 4 that the price-reporting mechanism for oil is 'wide open to abuse'
So are petrol prices being kept artificially high by hidden forces beyond the normal workings of supply and demand ?
Gerry Northam investigates and asks whether British regulators are proving slow to recognise the potential problem.
Producer: David Lewis.
TUE 20:40 In Touch (b02yks7z)
Andrea Begley who only has 10% vision, was crowned the winner of BBC1's The Voice competition on Saturday night. She speaks to Peter White about her success and how she handled aspects like dancing and interacting with the audience.
Red Szell who has retinitis pigmentosa, told In Touch earlier this year, he planned to climb the Old Man of Hoy sea stack. We asked him to keep an audio diary of his climb, and tonight we hear just how he did it.
And, how do you decide which books to read and what technology to use to read them? Peter White joins a meeting of the Newbury Library's Visually Impaired Reader's group, to discuss some of the challenges faced by visually impaired people who like to read.
Producer: Lee Kumutat
Editor: Andrew Smith.
TUE 21:00 Inside Health (b02yks81)
Preventing breast cancer, Iodine deficiency, Antibiotics for back pain
Dr Mark Porter goes on a weekly quest to demystify the health issues that perplex us.
TUE 21:30 The Life Scientific (b02ykg4w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 21:58 Weather (b02xcc54)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b02yks83)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.
TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b02yks85)
The Professor of Truth
Episode 2
Peter Firth reads from the new novel by leading Scottish author James Robertson. It's a powerful work of fiction inspired by some of the aspects and events surrounding the Lockerbie bombing.
Twenty-one years after his wife and daughter were murdered in the bombing of a plane over Scotland, Alan Tealing, a university lecturer, still does not know the truth of what really happened that night. Obsessed by the details of what he has come to call 'The Case', he is sure that the man convicted of the atrocity was not responsible.
The visit from a former CIA man - who claims to have key information to impart - has triggered painful memories for Alan of the aftermath of the bombing.
Reader: Peter Firth.
Writer & abridger: James Robertson.
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron.
TUE 23:00 The Infinite Monkey Cage (b02ykcwh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Monday]
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (b02yks87)
The Chancellor defends his handling of the economy a day before he is expected to unveil further cuts to public spending.
Labour calls for urgent action to introduce a register of lobbyists.
The out-going Governor of the Bank of England accuses banks of putting "tremendous pressure" on politicians to water down changes to financial regulations.
Peers challenge the Government's plans aimed at reducing re-offending.
And MPs raise concerns over the damage done to churches by bats.
Sean Curran and team report on today's events in Parliament.
WEDNESDAY 26 JUNE 2013
WED 00:00 Midnight News (b02xcc61)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b02ykg50)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b02xcc63)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b02xcc65)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b02xcc67)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (b02xcc69)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b0368x5g)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Frank Sellar.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (b02yksnn)
After the Chief Inspector of Ofsted expressed concerns about 'unseen' children being let down by the education system in deprived coastal towns and rural areas, Anna Hill asks if the poorest pupils are getting a raw deal. She speaks to North Yorkshire MP, Anne McIntosh about the £100,000 that's being targeted at disadvantaged children in the countryside - and discusses whether it's enough to make a difference.
It's well-known that cattle and badgers carry bovine TB, but many other warm-blooded animals are also susceptible to the disease including pigs, sheep, goats, cats and dogs. And if any of those test positive, the response is the same as with cattle. The animal has to be put down.
In Cornwall, a seal pup has tested positive for bovine tb - it's thought to be the first case in the world. Anna Hill asks the Government's Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens if it's just a one-off case or whether we should worried.
WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b020xv0f)
Savi's Warbler
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Miranda Krestovnikoff presents the Savi's Warbler. Count yourself very lucky if you hear the buzzing song of a Savi's Warbler, these are very rare birds indeed, especially breeding pairs and the nests are almost impossible to find, so their song is the best clue that they're about.
WED 06:00 Today (b02yksnq)
News and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather, Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Midweek (b02yksns)
Tracy Mackness, Rhonda Long Sharp, Elisa Segrave, George Butler
Libby Purves meets pig farmer Tracy Mackness, former state defender turned art dealer Rhonda Long Sharp, writer Elisa Seagrave and artist George Butler.
Tracy Mackness worked on her dad's stall in Romford market but fell in with the wrong crowd, fraternising with gangsters and the Essex criminal underworld. She was eventually convicted of conspiracy to supply cannabis and was sentenced to ten years in prison. She worked on the prison farm, and now runs her own business breeding pigs and selling sausages at farmers' markets around the UK. Her book, Jail Bird - The Life and Crimes of an Essex Bad Girl is published by Simon & Schuster.
Rhonda Long Sharp was a chief deputy state defender for twenty-five years in Indiana, working with prisoners on death row. She is now an art dealer, who set up the Indy Contemporary and Modern Masters Fine Art and Brokerage companies, specialising in well-known artists such as Picasso, Warhol and Dali, as well as local Indianapolis based artists. She will be at the Masterpiece London 2013 art fair at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London.
Elisa Segrave is an author and writer. Her book, The Girl From Station X, is based on her late mother's diaries in which she discovered a very different woman from the one she knew. The diaries started in childhood and dealt with marriage, the loss of a son and her wartime experiences as a code-breaker at Bletchley Park. The Girl From Station X - My Mother's Unknown Life is published by Union Books.
George Butler is an artist and illustrator who captures such diverse subjects as the oil fields of Azerbaijan, soldiers in Afghanistan, the G20 riots and the New York Fire Department. Last year he went to Syria to draw the civil war damaged town of Azaz and went on to win the V&A Illustration Award for this work. An exhibition of his work - A Year of Drawing - will be at the Illustration Cupboard Gallery in London.
Producer: Annette Wells.
WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b02yksnv)
David Mitchell - The Reason I Jump
Episode 3
By Naoki Higashida
Translated by David Mitchell and KA Yoshida, and introduced by David Mitchell
Read by Kasper Hilton-Hille
Thirteen year old Naoki Higashida reveals how his perception of the world is so alien to those without autism that he is often completely misunderstood. With delicate and moving descriptions he invites us into his world.
He explains how he can be immersed in the beauty of light filtered through his fingertips, or lost in the intricate world of memory and imagination.
Naoki's autism is so severe that he finds it difficult to hold a conversation, and he wrote the book painstakingly, using an 'Alphabet Grid', Japanese character by character.
When the author David Mitchell, whose own son has autism, discovered this extraordinary book, he felt that for the first time his own son was talking to him about what was going on inside his head, through the words of the young author.
Abridged and Produced by Allegra McIlroy.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b02yksnx)
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King talks about "The Battle of the Sexes" a film about her fight for equality in tennis and Stacey Allaster, the current CEO of the WTA, discusses 40 years of the women's tour. Audrey Simpson, Director of the Family Planning Association, in Northern Ireland on legislation around abortion. The economics of childcare series: informal arrangements, how do they work? Caroline Wilkinson, Professor of Craniofacial Identification, on her work and her most recent project working on a facial reconstruction of Mary Queen of Scots. Radha Bedi reports on the reality of life in India for her documentary, "A Dangerous Place to be a Woman".
WED 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b02yksnz)
Writing the Century: Vera 'Jack' Holme
Episode 3
Vera 'Jack' Holme
1918-1921. Louise Ironside dramatises the diaries of Vera 'Jack' Holme A former cross-dressing actress and suffragette, Vera had spent the war years as a member of the Women's Volunteer Reserve serving with the Scottish Women's Hospital in Serbia. At the end of the war Vera - known as 'Jack' - was busy finding a role for herself both in love and duty. Estranged from her long term partner, Evelina Haverfield, Vera spends much of 1918 fundraising for relief work in Serbia. But Vera is drawn back to the country she loves when Eve invites her to help establish an orphanage for the children of the Serbian war dead. With the orphanage now up and running Vera does her best to work hard and forge new friendships. But Vera's hardest time approaches as Eve becomes gravely ill.
Dramatised by Louise Ironside
Other parts played by members of the cast.
Additional research by Jane Mackelworth
Producer/Director: David Ian Neville.
WED 11:00 Mabey in the Wild (b02qd1s3)
Series 2
Yew, Sycamore And Ash
In the first of two programmes about British trees, Richard Mabey is in Hampshire to tell the natural and the cultural history of a selection of British trees.
His journey takes him from Gilbert White's village of Selborne down into the New Forest. He gives an account of these favourite British trees not only in terms of what they have contributed to the landscape but what their uses have been and what part they have played in human history, mythology and religion.
From the 3000 year old Yew to the recent resurgence of young elm after the devastation of Dutch Elm disease, this is also a fascinating glimpse of the tenacity and resilience of trees in the wild.
Producer: Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2013.
WED 11:30 House on Fire (b02ykyg0)
Series 3
Birthday
A final visit in the current series to Matt and Vicky, the two flatmates who love to hate to love each other - with the usual mixture of somewhat hapless situations brought about by their inability to live in the real world, or indeed with each other.
They are aided and abused as ever by their less than loving parents, who can always be relied upon to wash their hands of any responsibility.
It's Vicky's birthday and she plans a celebratory dinner with a few close friends. But the final guest list doesn't go as planned.
With Special Guest, Henry Goodman, as Gerald.
Written by Dan Hine and Chris Sussman
Produced and Directed by Clive Brill
A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:00 Spending Review 2013 (b033h6x8)
Shaun Ley and Winifred Robinson present live coverage of chancellor George Osborne's Spending Review statement in the House of Commons, with analysis and reaction.
WED 13:57 Weather (b02xcc6c)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 14:00 The Archers (b02ykrf4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (b02ykyg6)
The Sensitive
Black Island
By Alastair Jessiman. In the second of two new cases for the psychic detective, Thomas and Kat go on holiday to the Western Isles. But Thomas is soon drawn into a dangerous game with a celebrated actor.
Producer/director: Bruce Young.
WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b02ykyg8)
Consumer Rights
Know your Consumer Rights? For advice about buying goods, services or resolving a dispute call 03700 100 444 from
1pm to
3.30pm or email moneybox@bbc.co.uk
Whether you're buying a new sofa, a second hand car, installing a kitchen or perhaps arranging a special day like a wedding you will want to know what to expect and what your rights are.
What should you do if your new purchase arrives broken or doesn't turn up when expected.
Perhaps an event is cancelled or isn't as advertised.
If you're travelling in Europe you may decide to hire a car, go shopping or book a day out through a local company.
Or perhaps you buy goods or services from European companies online.
Whatever your query, if you want to ask about your rights or how to enforce them call 03700 100 444 from
1pm to
3.30pm on Wednesday or email moneybox@bbc.co.uk .
To answer your questions presenter Ruth Alexander will be joined by:
Alonso Ercilla, Trading Standards Institute Lead Officer - Fair Trading
Joanne Lezmore, Senior Solicitor, Which? Legal Service
Adam Mortimer, Consumer Advisor, European Consumer Centre
Calls cost the same as 01 and 02 numbers, calls from mobiles may be higher. Or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk now.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Producer: Diane Richardson.
WED 15:30 Inside Health (b02yks81)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b02ykygb)
Welfare reform; Crime in the Armed Forces
Crime in the Armed Forces - Laurie Taylor talks to Emeritus Professor of History, Clive Emsley, about his pioneering, historical study into criminal offending by members of British armed forces both during and immediately after the two world wars of the 20th century, and concluding in the present day.
For a quarter of the 20th century, the UK had large conscripted armed forces and it is these services, and in particular the Army, that are the principal focus of this study. Emsley argues that the forces "reflect the society from which they come, both the good and the bad", pointing out that it's predominantly made up of younger men, the social group that commits the most crime. He also examines two popular assumptions about crime and war; namely, that crime decreases when wars begin as young men - those likeliest to commit crimes - are swept up into the forces; and that crime goes up at the end of war as men brutalised by combat returned to the civilian world but, unable to cope with 'peacetime', engage in crime and violence. Dr Deirdre MacManus, from King's College, joins the discussion, having recently completed a study into the relationship between combat experience and violent crime amongst British soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Also, Ruth Patrick's research into the lived experiences of welfare reform. She's interviewed a range of out of work benefits claimants between 2011 and 2013. Talking to single parents being moved from Income Support onto Jobseeker's Allowance, disabled people waiting to be migrated off Incapacity Benefit and onto Employment and Support Allowance, and young jobseekers experiencing the new Jobcentre/Work Programme and sanctions regime, her study gives a unique insight into the impact of a revolution in 'welfare' provision on 'real' people.
Producer: Jayne Egerton.
WED 16:30 The Media Show (b02ykygd)
NewsCorp split
Andrew Knight, chairman of Times Newspapers, on this week's split of NewsCorp into separate entertainment and publishing arms; Henry Porter of The Observer and Stephen Glover of The Mail discuss whether rival news media under-reported the Guardian's spying scoops; Lisa Campbell, editor of Broadcast, on Charlotte Moore who today takes over at BBC1.
Presenter: Steve Hewlett
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Editor: Andy Smith.
WED 17:00 PM (b02ykygg)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b02xcc6f)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 18:30 The Brig Society (b02ykygj)
Series 1
Fashion
Uh-oh - Marcus Brigstocke has been put in charge of a thing! Each week, Marcus finds he's volunteered to be in charge of a big old thing - a hospital, the railways, British fashion, a prison. And each week he starts out by thinking "Well, it can't be that difficult, surely?" and ends up with "Oh - turns out it's utterly difficult and complicated. Who knew...?"
This week, Marcus has volunteered to be the face of British fashion, which is a feather in his cap - coincidentally making his very first fashion mistake there. But as well as promoting the corduroy cagoule and inadvertently releasing his own fragrance, Marcus will be examining the light-hearted topics of Size Zero models and child labour as well as pondering the inexorable rise of the Ugg boot.
Helping him fail to find the answers will be Rufus Jones (Hunderby, Holy Flying Circus), William Andrews (Sorry I've Got No Head) and Margaret Cabourn-Smith (Miranda)
The show is produced by Marcus's long-standing accomplice, David Tyler, who also produces Marcus appearances as the inimitable as Giles Wemmbley Hogg.
Written by Marcus Brigstocke, Jeremy Salsby, Toby Davies, Nick Doody, Steve Punt and Tom Neenan
Produced by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 19:00 The Archers (b02ykygl)
As Alec, from Rodways, opens the auction, Tony's a bit taken back by the turnout for the farm sale but is disappointed to see Helen without Pat. Pat's keeping herself busy building towers with Henry. Helen's not given up thought, and is going to try again to persuade Pat to join them. Tony thanks Ruth for coming and Helen's pleased to see Rob turn up. He tells Helen that they've made an offer for one of the assistant herd manager jobs and are waiting to hear back.
With the auction underway, Helen checks on Pat and tries to persuade her to come outside. Pat doesn't think it would help. She just can't bear to see her lovely herd broken up. Helen's surprised when Pat changes her mind. So is Tony. He's delighted that Pat joins him and they hold hands for the final part of the sale. She realised she couldn't leave him to do this on his own.
With the sale over, Tom tells Helen that the herd should all be gone by Tuesday - except for "lonely cow", who Tony spends a quiet moment with. He knows she'll miss the rest of the herd - and so will he.
WED 19:15 Front Row (b02ykygn)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Lee Hall; Arts Funding
With Mark Lawson.
Natalie Haynes reviews the new West End stage musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Sam Mendes, and starring Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka.
The Chancellor George Osborne today announced a 7% cut in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport's budget, and a 5% cut to budgets for arts organisations, as part of the government's spending review. Broadcaster Janet Street-Porter, music commentator Norman Lebrecht and Richard Mantle of Opera North suggest areas of the arts which they believe should receive less funding.
The playwright and screenwriter Lee Hall selects his Cultural Exchange. He explains why Briggflatts, an autobiographical poem by Basil Bunting, has revealed new layers of meaning over the 30 years that he has been re-reading it.
The concert promoter AEG has been warned by the Advertising Standards Authority after they described a Kanye West gig as a "one off" London show, only to announce more dates. Lawyer Duncan Lamont discusses the legal issues around advertising "one offs" and "farewell tours."
Producer: Olivia Skinner.
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b02yksnz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (b02ykygq)
They've been called the Dick Turpin generation - but time could be up for the Baby Boomers this week as the Chancellor announces spending cuts of £11.5 billion in the Spending Review. With budgets so tight previously sacrosanct universal benefits, like free bus passes and winter fuel payments for rich pensioners start to look tempting targets. But for some this is more than just an argument about balancing the books - it's about inter-generational equity. Instead of being custodians of future generations the Baby Boomers are accused of busily raiding their kids' piggy-banks - saddling them with a vast and increasing national debt to fund for their own generous pensions and welfare payouts. That, combined with universal free healthcare, free education to degree level and steadily rising house values have made the post-war generation healthier and wealthier than any before. And now they're accused of pulling up the ladder behind them. Following generations if they want to go to university will leave with a massive debt hanging over them, 1 in 5 16 to 24 year olds are unemployed, housing is now so expensive the average first time buyer is 35 years old, they'll have to work longer before they get a pension and when they do it will be pitifully small compared to the those of their parents. Is this just a sad fact of the recession or is a greater moral crime being committed here - "generational theft"? Can you really blame the post-war generation for the luck of having lived through a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity and then claiming what is their right and what they've already paid for through their taxes? And the silver pound adds billions to the economy through spending, property and savings. Or have the baby boomers become uniquely blind to their own selfishness while they steal the future from underneath the noses of their own children? Or do the young only have themselves to blame because they don't vote and the older generation does? The morality of inter-generational equity.
Combative, provocative and engaging debate chaired by Michael Buerk. With Anne McElvoy, Giles Fraser, Matthew Taylor and Melanie Phillips. Witnesses: Ros Altmann - Former Director-General of Saga, Angus Hanton - co-founder of the Intergenerational Foundation, Ed Howker - co-author of "Jilted Generation: how Britain has bankrupted its youth", Stuart Prebble - producer of 'Grumpy Old Men' TV series and books.
WED 20:45 Four Thought (b02ykygs)
Series 4
Jamie Tehrani
Social anthropologist Jamie Tehrani sees our obsession with celebrity culture as a result of our maladapted brains.
Four Thought is a series of thought-provoking talks which combine personal stories with ideas of contemporary relevance. Speakers air their thinking in front of a live audience, hosted by David Baddiel.
WED 21:00 Frontiers (b02ykygv)
Whatever happened to biofuels?
Whatever happened to biofuels? They were seen as the replacement for fossil fuels until it was realised they were being grown on land that should have been used for food crops. But now there is serious research into new ways of producing biofuels, from waste materials, from algae and from bacteria.
Gaia Vince takes to the water of Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland where Professor Matthew Dring and Dr Karen Mooney from Queens University, Belfast, are experimenting in growing algae that could be turned into fuel. She visits Professor Alison Smith's algae lab at Cambridge University. Graham Ellis from Solazyme in California explains how his company has already made fuel from algae that has been sold at the pumps and powered a plane, in a mixture with conventional fuel. And Professor Nick Turner at Manchester University and Professor John Love at Exeter University talk about how they are manipulating bacteria to make diesel.
WED 21:30 Midweek (b02yksns)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 21:58 Weather (b02xcc6h)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b02ykygx)
Spending review targets benefit claimants and public sector workers. Australian PM Julia Gillard ousted by old rival. US Supreme Court makes landmark rulings on gay marriage. Presented by Ritula Shah.
WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b02ykygz)
The Professor of Truth
Episode 3
Peter Firth reads from James Robertson's powerful new novel which is inspired by some of the aspects and events surrounding the Lockerbie bombing.
Twenty-one years after his wife and daughter were murdered in the bombing of a plane over Scotland, Alan Tealing, a university lecturer, still does not know the truth of what really happened that night. Obsessed by the details of what he has come to call 'The Case', he is sure that the man convicted of the atrocity was not responsible.
A mysterious American, apparently a secret service agent, has arrived at Alan Tealing's door. Terminally ill, and keen to salve his conscience, he claims to have vital information about the flawed investigation and hints that there was a cover-up.
Read by Peter Firth.
Written and abridged by James Robertson.
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
WED 23:00 Living with Mother (b01nxw2s)
Series 2
Four Little Words
Owen is a TV addict and overweight. Since he's reached the age of forty, Allison thinks it's about time he did something about it.
Drawing on her days as a fitness fanatic, Allison draws up a fitness regime and puts a reluctant Owen through his paces. Frustrated at his bone-idleness, she hatches a plan. But a greedy man is a cunning man, and it's not long until Owen devises a plan of his own - with a little help from his friend.
Writing about the first series of Living with Mother, Radio Times described it as "Alexander Kirk's astutely-observed comedy series...underpinning each of these tales is a bittersweet poignancy, a moment when the easy laughs are replaced with a lip-trembling insight into the vulnerability, lack of self-confidence and interdependency".
Written by Alexander Kirk
Produced by Anna Madley
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:15 Dreaming the City (b02ykyh1)
Strange Cargo
Four journeys into the dark recurring dreams of the city. In each episode, leading writers collaborate with documentary-makers Russell Finch and Joby Waldman to uncover the unsaid obsessions of city life.
Episode 4: Strange Cargo by Michael Smith
Writer Michael Smith returns to his hometown of Hartlepool for a glimpse into the historic port's collective imagination.
On a solitary walk back from the pub he peers into the shadows of the dark, deserted seafront.
These experimental radio features blend archive, fiction and documentary footage. What's real and what's fiction becomes unclear, just like the city. A city isn't just a location on the map, it's a place we imagine, dream about, invent even. A place to love, to endure or to resent. A place where you can find anything - but it always has a price. You don't need to live in one; it's part of the universal imagination. A place where everyone - and no one - belongs.
But the way we think of a city has common dark undertones, recurring dreams that come round again and again. These late night woozy dreamscapes each uncovers those unsaid obsessions, each taking a different theme - vermin, death, identity and -memory - and question why these ideas seem to keep coming back in the way we imagine urban living.
Producers: Russell Finch and Joby Waldman
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
Location recording: Maxy Bianco.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b02ykyh3)
Public sector workers are to lose their automatic annual pay rises. One of the headline measures announced by the Chancellor in the Commons as part of his 11.5 Billion pound package of spending cuts. Susan Hulme details the main parts of the speech and has reaction to it from all sides of the House.
Also on the programme.
* Will it ever get off the ground? MPs debate financial aspects of the controversial plan to run high-speed trains from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.
* At Prime Minister's Questions, David Cameron is asked about the latest allegations of 'dirty tricks' by police following the murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1993.
* The former Prisons Inspector Lord Ramsbotham tells MPs why it's right that inmates of our jails should be allowed to vote.
* The Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt says MPs will be given a say before the Government arms rebel forces in Syria.
THURSDAY 27 JUNE 2013
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b02xcc7v)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b02yksnv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b02xcc7x)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b02xcc7z)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b02xcc81)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b02xcc83)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b0368x7g)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Frank Sellar.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b02ykzh3)
A finale for farm subsidies - the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy is agreed. Charlotte Smith discusses changes to the farm subsidy system across Europe as it aims to be "fairer, greener and more efficient."
And the government is introducing policies to build 150,000 more affordable homes over the next four years. Charlotte hears from a family near Bath who have managed to buy their house in an affordable housing scheme.
Presented by Charlotte Smith, Produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b020xvlw)
Marsh Warbler
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Miranda Krestovnikoff presents the Marsh Warbler. Marsh warblers are astonishing mimics and when you hear one singing you could be forgiven for thinking that there's a flock of different species in the bush.
THU 06:00 Today (b02ykzh5)
Morning news and current affairs with Evan Davis and Justin Webb, including:
0735
Today we will find out the details of the government's infrastructure spending plans following the spending round. The package is worth £50bn, earmarked for projects like railways, bridges and improvements to roads. Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor of the exchequer, outlines the changes.
0745
The fighting season has just begun in Helmand province, but britain's long war in Afghanistan is nearly over. The troops are dismantling their patrol bases as the pull out begins. Major Richard Streatfeild, who returned from active service in Afghanistan in 2010, is back in Helmand.
0747
Thought for the day with Rev'd Dr Michael Banner, Dean and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
0750
The UK has a higher level of shale gas resources lying underground than experts originally thought, new estimates are expected to show. Professor Richard Davies, from the Durham Energy Institute at the Durham University explains how we will get the gas out of the ground.
0810
The spending review yesterday announced found £11.5bn of cuts in government spending for 2015, which equates to £180 pounds per person in the country. The BBC's political correspondent Nick Robinson reports. George Osborne, chancellor of the exchequer, discusses the changes with the Today Programmes Evan Davis.
0820
Today the British Film Institute unveils its season of events celebrating british influences in Gothic cinema. Heather Stewart, creative director at the BFI, and Marina Warner, writer and professor of literature at Essex university, debate the British interest in gothic fiction.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (b02ykzh7)
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, widely regarded as one of the greatest works of Chinese literature. Written 600 years ago, it is an historical novel that tells the story of a tumultuous period in Chinese history, the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Partly historical and partly legend, it recounts the fighting and scheming of the feudal lords and the three states which came to power as the Han Dynasty collapsed. The influence of Romance of the Three Kingdoms in East Asia has been likened to that of Homer in the West, and this warfare epic remains popular in China today.
With:
Frances Wood
Former Lead Curator of Chinese Collections at the British Library
Craig Clunas
Professor of the History of Art at the University of Oxford
Margaret Hillenbrand
University Lecturer in Modern Chinese Literature at the University of Oxford and Fellow of Wadham College
Producer: Victoria Brignell.
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b02ykzh1)
David Mitchell - The Reason I Jump
Episode 4
By Naoki Higashida
Translated by David Mitchell and KA Yoshida, and introduced by David Mitchell
Read by Kasper Hilton-Hille
Thirteen year old Naoki Higashida explores how he experiences the world as a child with autism. He describes how going for a walk can melt him into nature and out of time, his feeling that the touch of another person might make his thoughts visible, and the pleasure of numbers and lines. Most movingly, he explains that because he struggles to have a conversation with another person, he can find himself desperately lonely and aching for company.
When novelist David Mitchell, whose own son has autism, discovered this extraordinary book, he felt that for the first time his own son was talking to him about what was going on inside his head, through the words of the young author.
Abridged and Produced by Allegra McIlroy.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b02yl2fr)
Modern feminism
Jenni Murray meets the young activists getting involved in feminist campaigns. What the issues which are uniting feminists? What subjects divide them? Is feminism too white, too exclusive, too middle class or are new voices being attracted to the cause? Why are feminist groups making the headlines now and what can they learn from the ealier waves of activists?
THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b02yl2ft)
Writing the Century: Vera 'Jack' Holme
Episode 4
Vera 'Jack' Holme
1918-1921. Louise Ironside dramatises the diaries of Vera 'Jack' Holme A former actress and suffragette, Vera had spent the war years as a member of the Women's Volunteer Reserve serving with the Scottish Women's Hospital in Serbia. At the end of the war Vera - known as 'Jack' - was busy finding a role for herself both in love and duty. Estranged from her long term partner, Evalina Haverfield, Vera spends much of 1918 fundraising for relief work in Serbia. But Vera is drawn back to the country she loves when Eve invites her to help establish an orphanage for the children of the Serbian war dead. But Vera's delight at being back in Serbia with Eve is shattered when Eve dies of pneumonia. In the aftermath of the unexpected death Vera must cope with mounting responsibilities at the orphanage as well as her own grief.
Dramatised by Louise Ironside
Other parts played by members of the cast.
Additional research by Jane Mackelworth
Producer/Director: David Ian Neville.
THU 11:00 From Our Own Correspondent (b02yl46k)
The Story That Never Was
It's the great reconciliation story which never happened -- Andrew Hosken in Libya on a homecoming which didn't take place. Nigel Wilson tells us of the dangers involved in trying to provide a taste of home to Syrians stuck in Jordan. Marie Keyworth on the Portuguese struggling to get by as the long recession continues. In Croatia, Mick Webb finds many enthusiastic about joining the EU - the country's set to become a full member next month. And who's for some red-braised wallaby tail with native fruits? Not many Australians apparently. Fuchsia Dunlop says there's a reluctance to tuck in to some of the local wildlife.
Tony Grant produces From Our Own Correspondent.
THU 11:30 Stuart: A Face Backwards (b01k2df5)
Stuart Freeborn's face launched a thousand space ships, his hands fashioned the Dawn of Man.
Freeborn was the self-made genius of British make-up. A career that began in the Denham dream factory of Alexander Korda in the late 1930's culminated in the creation of Yoda for the original Star Wars Trilogy.
Freeborn, desperate to escape the humdrum fate of City clerking, longed to emulate his hero Jack Pierce, the man who transformed Karloff into Frankenstein's monster. Despite the almost total lack of information available he devised increasingly elaborate make-up's in his bedroom. Testing them by leaping out to terrify unsuspecting neighbours. Dreaming and drifting from a succession of jobs just to pay for his materials, Freeborn's parents despaired. It took a moment of fate to finally enter professional film-making at Alexander Korda's new dream factory of Denham Studios.
From the very beginning Freeborn was an innovator, experimenting with new plastics and later engineering and early radio control. He created the controversial Fagin makeup for Alec Guinness in Lean's Oliver Twist, the many faces of Peter Sellers in Kubrick's Dr Strangelove and the near impossible design of the ape families for the Dawn of Man sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
A career littered with achievements culminated in the creation of Yoda for George Lucas in 1979. The wizened Jedi master drew on all Freeborn's skill and experience and took make-up into a new age. Back in 1997, producer Mark Burman spent a week in Freeborn's company amidst a shed of delights since sold off to collectors around the world. What he got was the story of a make-up genius, the history of a face backwards.
Presenter/Producer: Mark Burman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.
THU 12:00 You and Yours (b02yl2fw)
Green Deal take-up, lower-alcohol wine
The Government releases the official figures for the take-up of its Green Deal scheme, designed to incentivise people to insulate their homes. Andy Street tells us about his rise from the shop floor to becoming the Managing Director of John Lewis. We look at the burgeoning market for lower alcohol wines and we'll find out why cold calls to your mobile when you're abroad could hit you in the pocket.
THU 12:57 Weather (b02xcc85)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (b02yl46m)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
THU 13:45 Found (b01s09yx)
A Brother's Tale
Found tells the emotional and fascinating stories of families reunited after being separated by conflict, tragedy or family circumstances. As well as hearing the life stories we will also hear how various organisations help to reunite families.
In this programme, Richard found his mother through The Salvation Army's tracing service. What he didn't know was that he had a brother. Richard had left the family home as a child with his father after a row on holiday. He made contact with his mother many years later only to find he had a brother.
THU 14:00 The Archers (b02ykygl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b02yl46p)
Sarah Cartwright - The Means to an End
When Barney's dog is run over he wonders if life is worth living but then fate in the shape of a Spanish veterinary nurse and a parrot called mittens intervenes.
Directed by Sally Avens.
Barney hates everything about his life. Everything, but his dog. His dog doesn't care that he's an awkward loser. That he's 36, single and broke. That he sweats when he's nervous. That he's been stuck in the same job for seven years and three months and still doesn't know how to work the cappuccino machine. That he's scared of his pubescent boss, and lusts after a girl who doesn't know he exists.
So when his dog is run over, Barney realises he's got nothing left to lose, but then a motivational talk from his boss is the beginning of a series of apparently life-changing events.
THU 15:00 Ramblings (b02yl46r)
Series 24
Tara Bariana recalls his long walk home to India
Clare Balding walks on Cannock Chase with Tara Bariana who recalls his extraordinary walk home to India.
Tara Bariana was born in Punjab, and at the age of 13 came to the UK with his mother. His father and older brother had arrived four years earlier, in 1958.
In 1995 Tara decided he needed an adventure and made the decision to walk from the Midlands - where he'd grown up, married and settled - back to his home village in India.
He walked to Southampton where he caught the ferry to Cherbourg. There he realised he didn't speak any French, he couldn't even say 'bonjour'... but, despite being hit by the reality of what he'd decided to do, he couldn't turn back.
Nineteen months later, of almost non-stop walking, he arrived in his home village but instead of returning home, remembers thinking 'is that it?', and stayed in India for a further 18 months.
On this walk, around Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, Tara is accompanied by his son, Clive, Clive's wife, Jodie, and their two children.
Producer: Karen Gregor.
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b02y0wlt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Open Book (b02y0wq3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:00 The Film Programme (b02yl46t)
This Is the End; The Act of Killing; Stories We Tell; The Brood
Director Evan Goldberg talks to Francine Stock about This Is The End, an apocalypse comedy with a diverse range of celebrities playing versions of themselves including James Franco, Rihanna and Jonah Hill as well as co director Seth Rogen.
Filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer explains how he came to make The Act of Killing, a documentary in which Indonesian gangsters re-enact the massacres of the 1960s. He follows their progress as they make movies about their crimes, heavily influenced by Hollywood films, even musicals.
Plus further discussion of the ethics of documentary making with Sarah Polley who describes turning the camera on her family secrets. Her film follows her search for her biological father.
And as David Cronenberg's 1979 classic The Brood is released on Blu Ray and DVD, critic Kim Newman and biologist Adam Rutherford explore how the contemporary scientific advances informed this psychotherapy horror film.
Producer: Elaine Lester.
THU 16:30 Material World (b02yl46w)
Ancient horses; Uncertainty; How cutlery affects taste
New DNA sequencing techniques have helped reveal the genetic make-up of a horse dating back more than 700,000 years. Gareth Mitchell speaks to paleoecologist Prof Keith Dobney on the challenges and wider importance of this scientific breakthrough and they ponder which ancient genomes will most likely be laid bare in the future.
Uncertainty is an integral part of scientific research, and drives our quest for discovery. Expressions like "limits of confidence" are often treated by the public as a weakness and an indication that scientists don't really know anything "for sure". Sometimes commentators interpret uncertainty as a license for claiming anything could be true. How does scientific truth sit with uncertainty? Professor Ian Stewart, a mathematician from Warwick University, and Professor Angela McLean, from the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford, discuss why uncertainty is part of science and how acknowledging uncertainty is a strength rather than a weakness.
Effort spent carefully flavouring and seasoning your food could all be wasted if you don't pay attention to the cutlery you to eat it with. Prof Charles Spence joins the show from Oxford to explain why and possibly provide advice on which cutlery to use.
The producer is Ania Lichtarowicz.
THU 17:00 PM (b02yl46y)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b02xcc87)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 My First Planet (b01fjt0g)
Series 1
The Landing Has Landed
Day 1 on the colony and they've lost the food, the air, the Commander and the Mood Music. Meanwhile, Chief Physician Lillian makes a terrible discovery about Project Adam...
A sitcom set on a shiny new planet where we ask the question - if humankind were to colonize space, is it destined to succumb to self-interest, prejudice and infighting? (By the way, the answer's "yes". Sorry.)
Welcome to the colony. We're aware that having been in deep cryosleep for 73 years, you may be in need of some supplementary information.
Unfortunately, Burrows the leader of the colony has died on the voyage, so his Number 2, Brian (Nicholas Lyndhurst) is now in charge. He's a nice enough chap, but no alpha male, and his desire to sort things out with a nice friendly meeting infuriates the colony's Chief Physician Lillian (Vicki Pepperdine - "Getting On"), who'd really rather everyone was walking round in tight colour-coded tunics and saluting each other. She's also in charge of Project Adam, the plan to conceive and give birth to the first colony-born baby. Unfortunately, the two people hand-picked for this purpose - Carol and Richard - were rather fibbing about being a couple, just to get on the trip.
Add in an entirely unscrupulous Chief Scientist, Mason and also Archer, an idiot maintenance man who believes he's an "empath" rather than a plumber, and you're all set to answer the question - if humankind were to colonize space, is it destined to succumb to self-interest, prejudice and infighting? (By the way, the answer's "yes". Sorry.)
Written by Phil Whelans
Produced & directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b02yl4wj)
Ruth's delighted that Pip's passed her exam. David's disappointed she only got a 2:1 but Ruth's just glad she got back on track.
Clarrie assures Brenda that Lilian gave her permission to cut some roses for her Flower Festival display. It's something else Lilian didn't tell Brenda before swanning off on holiday. While cutting some of Vicky's flowers, Clarie asks Roy if he's seen Neil, as he might know where the church extension lead is. Roy wonders what she's up to. Clarrie assures him it's nothing dangerous but her display will be quite a sight.
When Oliver rings to find out where Caroline's got to, she tells him their anniversary meal will have to be cancelled. A guest has been taken ill at Grey Gables and she's waiting for the paramedics. The guest has a baby and a toddler, so Caroline can't delegate this to anyone else. Oliver's disappointed, and cross that Caroline hadn't phoned him earlier.
Brenda senses something's not right and realises that Phoebe and Abbie are fed up with sharing a room. Brenda tells Roy it's time she moved on - everyone needs their own space. Brenda will start looking tomorrow and promises Roy she'll sort something out.
THU 19:15 Front Row (b02yl4wl)
Mary, Queen of Scots; Mike Figgis; Marianne Jean-Baptiste on Miles Davis
With John Wilson.
Mary, Queen of Scots: betrayed Catholic martyr or murdering adulteress? A new exhibition at the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh re-examines Mary Stewart through portraits, documents, jewellery and furniture. Poet and dramatist Liz Lochhead - whose play, Mary Queen Of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off, looked at the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth I - reviews the exhibition.
Film director Mike Figgis is best-known for Timecode and Leaving Las Vegas, for which he was nominated for an Oscar. His latest project is Suspension Of Disbelief, a noir thriller which focuses on the art of film-making and narrative. He discusses storytelling in cinema, the current state of the UK film industry and his experiences directing James Gandolfini on the set of The Sopranos.
Front Row pays tribute to stage designer Mark Fisher, who completely transformed the way that rock shows took place, and designed for The Rolling Stones, U2, Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd, as well as for the Beijing and London Olympics, and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert.
Oscar-nominated actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste, currently starring in The Amen Corner at the National Theatre, reveals her choice for Cultural Exchange: jazz trumpeter Miles Davis's influential album, Kind Of Blue.
Producer Rebecca Nicholson.
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b02yl2ft)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 Law in Action (b02ykrdy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Tuesday]
THU 20:30 The Bottom Line (b02yl4wn)
Start-ups
Entrepreneurs discuss how much money you need to start a business - and where to get it from - with Evan Davis.
Why do some start-ups require millions and others just a few hundred pounds? And what are the benefits and pitfalls of finding investors on the web? It's called crowd-funding and many consider it to be the next big thing in venture capital.
Guests:
Mark Popkiewicz, founder, MirriAd
Julie Deane, founder, The Cambridge Satchel Company
Jonathan Medved, venture capitalist and founder, Our Crowd
Producer : Rosamund Jones.
THU 21:00 Material World (b02yl46w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (b02ykzh7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 21:58 Weather (b02xcc89)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b02yl4wq)
Fresh claims about police snooping on Macpherson inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence.
Is it right for the Royal family to get a bigger budget?
Greece's unemployed youth.
President Obama visits Africa.
And the unlikely movie hit - a North Korean romantic comedy.
With Philippa Thomas.
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b02yl4ws)
The Professor of Truth
Episode 4
Peter Firth reads from James Robertson's powerful work of fiction inspired by some of the aspects and events surrounding the Lockerbie bombing.
Twenty-one years after his wife and daughter were murdered in the bombing of a plane over Scotland, Alan Tealing, a university lecturer, still does not know the truth of what really happened that night.
Tealing has received a visit from a former CIA agent called Ted Nilsen. Terminally ill, and keen to salve his conscience, Nilsen claims to have vital information about the flawed investigation. When Tealing loses his patience with the prevaricating American, Nilsen finally reveals the true purpose of his visit.
Read by Peter Firth.
Written and abridged by James Robertson.
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
THU 23:00 The Show What You Wrote (b01r52xj)
Series 1
Sci-Fi and Fantasy
The Show What You Wrote is a brand new sketch show, which is made up entirely from sketches sent in by the public. Recorded in Manchester in front of a live audience, and starring John Thomson, Helen Moon, Fiona Clarke and Gavin Webster, with a special appearance by Gyles Brandreth.
We've picked the best sketches from thousands of submissions to make each show, and every week we'll be covering a different theme, from kitchen sink drama, to suspense heavy thrillers. This week's episode is Sci Fi and Fantasy.
Script editor ...... Jon Hunter
Producers ..... Carl Cooper and Alexandra Smith
Written by..... Jack Bernhardt, Elise Bramich, Peter Brush, Alex Buchanan, Simon Carter, Andy Flood, Robert Frimston & Edward Rowett, Gabby Hutchinson-Crouch, Peter Jump, Adam Perrott, Melissa Phillips, Eddie Robson, Paul Solomons, Jimmy Weeks & Jess Bunch, and Ash Williamson.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b02yl842)
Rachel Byrne reports from Westminster.
FRIDAY 28 JUNE 2013
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b02xcc94)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b02ykzh1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b02xcc96)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b02xcc98)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b02xcc9b)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b02xcc9d)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b0368x8b)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Frank Sellar.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b02ymgvx)
Charlotte Smith discusses cuts to DEFRA's budget with Minister for the Natural Environment Richard Benyon and the RSPB's Martin Harper and asks how the needs of the Treasury can be balanced with needs of the environment and farming.
Friends of the Earth is hosting a landmark 'Bee Summit' to look at ways of protecting threatened pollinators. It will be attended by Government, conservation charities, supermarkets, farming organisations and campaign groups. Charlotte chats to the general secretary of The Bee Farmers Association about what's causing the decline in bee numbers and what a meeting of minds can achieve.
And continuing our rural services theme, Farming Today looks at the importance of rural bus routes - and how small communities would cope if they were lost.
Presented by Charlotte Smith, produced by Anna Jones.
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b020xvgf)
Reed Warbler
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Miranda Krestovnikoff presents the Reed Warbler. Reed warblers are summer visitors from Africa, one of the few long-distance migrants that are faring well in northern Europe - possibly because we're creating more gravel pits and conservation reedbeds.
FRI 06:00 Today (b02ymgw6)
News and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather, Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b02y0wn6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b02ymgwl)
David Mitchell - The Reason I Jump
Episode 5
By Naoki Higashida
Translated by David Mitchell and KA Yoshida, and introduced by David Mitchell
Read by Kasper Hilton-Hille
Thirteen year old Naoki Higashida invites us into his world, an intimate astonishing insight into the perceptions and feelings of a child with autism. He explains his simple delight in spinning objects, and his own pleasure in movement, which is deeply calming for him and stems from a feeling that in stillness his very soul might detach itself from his body.
Naoki's autism is so severe that he finds it difficult to hold a conversation, and he wrote the book painstakingly, using an 'Alphabet Grid', Japanese character by character. His writing reveals a young teenager sensitive to the feelings and perceptions of others but often isolated from those he loves.
When the author David Mitchell, whose own son has autism, discovered this extraordinary book, he felt that for the first time his own son was talking to him about what was going on inside his head, through the words of the young author.
Abridged and Produced by Allegra McIlroy.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b02ymgx1)
Child refugees in Syria; childcare; oversharing online
Helping child refugees in Syria; childcare - who should pay? Prof Nancy Rothwell on breaking the rules; how much should you share online about your relationship?
Jenni Murray presents the programme that offers a female perspective on the world.
FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b02ymgx6)
Writing the Century: Vera 'Jack' Holme
Episode 5
Vera 'Jack' Holme
1918-1921. Louise Ironside dramatises the diaries of Vera 'Jack' Holme A former actress and suffragette, Vera had spent the war years as a member of the Women's Volunteer Reserve serving with the Scottish Women's Hospital in Serbia. At the end of the war Vera - known as 'Jack' - was busy finding a role for herself both in love and duty. Estranged from her long term partner, Evelina Haverfield, Vera spends much of 1918 fundraising for relief work in Serbia. . But Vera is drawn back to the country she loves when Eve invites her to help establish an orphanage for the children of the Serbian war dead. But Vera's delight at being back in Serbia with Eve is shattered when Eve dies of pneumonia. In the aftermath of the unexpected death Vera must cope with mounting responsibilities at the orphanage as well as her own grief. Now as her time in Serbia draws to a close Vera is faced with shaping a new life for herself - but where, and with who?
Dramatised by Louise Ironside
Other parts played by members of the cast.
Additional research by Jane Mackelworth
Producer/Director: David Ian Neville.
FRI 11:00 Lives in a Landscape (b02ymxrs)
Series 13
New School: The First Year
In the second of two programmes, Alan Dein follows the mixed fortunes of a new primary school on a housing estate just outside Peterborough over the course of a year.
As the school opens its doors, the school is still struggling to attract the number of children headteacher Jackie Ashley hopes for. She leaflets the entire estate in the hope of boosting numbers.
Alan speaks to parents and joins the school at key moments in its first year from the Christmas play to the end of year disco.
Producer: Laurence Grissell.
FRI 11:30 Tom Wrigglesworth's Open Letters (b00yjs4c)
Series 1
Bankers
Through the medium of four open letters, the comedian Tom Wrigglesworth investigates the myriad examples of corporate lunacy and maddening jobsworths in modern Britain.
In this series his subjects range from traffic wardens to estate agents, with Tom recalling his own funny and ridiculous experiences as well as recounting the absurd encounters of others.
Tom wonders how the bankers keep getting away with it.
FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b02ymxs4)
Easyjet baggage changes, dormant bank accounts, Silverstone tickets, spending at Glastonbury
As Easyjet makes hand luggage even smaller by guaranteeing to carry only a new size of bag, seasoned traveller, Sandi Toksvig, gives her top packing tips.
The government promised to make the most of the many millions of pounds forgotten in dormant bank accounts. So which good causes are now benefitting and why is only a relatively small portion of available funds being released for use?
And we're at both Silverstone and Glastonbury to figure out whether top events offer value for money.
Presenter: Peter White.
FRI 12:52 The Listening Project (b02ymxs8)
Andy and Fran - What Makes Us Who We Are
Fran knows that her husband Andy was adopted, but they've never really spoken about how he feels about it. Fi Glover introduces a conversation in which she finally finds out, 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 12:57 Weather (b02xcc9j)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b02ynfq3)
The Moors Murderer Ian Brady has been told he is staying in a secure mental hospital despite his efforts to be moved to a prison. David Fearnley, the Medical Director of Ashworth Hospital, where he's being detained, tells us he doesn't expect Brady every to leave.
As statistics are published to show how successful surgeons are at operations, we ask if the numbers are likely to be useful to patients.
In a plot reminiscent of a cheesy novel, a Monsignor in the Vatican has been arrested in for allegedly trying to bring millions of euros into the country illegally.
We hear of continued discontent in Egypt with plans for rival demonstrations across Cairo.
And we learn how courts in England and Wales are seeking to end their reliance on paper.
FRI 13:45 Found (b01s4g6y)
The Parents' Choice
A five part series of stories following family members who are reunited after separation through family circumstance, tragedy or conflict.
As well as hearing the emotional stories of people who have been searching for others for many years, we also hear the stories of the organisations who help them - including the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Missing Person's Bureau.
The internet has increased the possibility of finding people through social networking and other websites - such as a site set up recently by Missing Person's Bureau and featuring details of unidentified bodies.
The stories have a range of outcomes, not always happy.
Episode 5 (of 5): Haiti Family
As poor subsistence farmers in Haiti, parents Carnise and Dieuseul couldn't afford to look after their children properly. So they made the difficult decision to send them away to an orphanage with promises of a good education and better life. Little did they know their children would be mistreated and exploited by a pastor who has since been jailed for child trafficking and slavery. Their situation was further worsened by the 2010 Haiti earthquake - after which neither the children nor the parents knew each other's fate for two years. Now reunited, the family are just one case of many helped by the International Rescue Committee throughout the world.
Producer: Sara Parker
A White Pebble Media production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b02yl4wj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b02ynfq9)
Birthday Shoes
By Pat Davis
When Kate finds a little pair of red shoes
hidden in her Mum's linen cupboard, she
remembers the day of her sixth birthday
as if it were yesterday...
Directed by Tracey Neale
The Story:
On the eve of her 40th birthday Kate keeps a vigil at the hospital bedside of her mother Maisie. Although Maisie treated her badly as a child, favouring her younger sister Sarah, it is Kate who is seeing her through this last illness.
While searching Maisie's linen cupboard for another nightdress, Kate is shocked to find a box containing a pair of red shoes. They were the beautiful shoes Kate was given for her sixth birthday but her "happiness soon cracked across" when her mother took the shoes away from her in a burst of anger because Kate had come back from the shops with scuffed shoes. The opening of the shoebox triggers childhood memories for Kate and she is determined to confront her mother with the red shoes that have been hidden away for thirty-four years.
When Sarah finally arrives back from America, too late to say her goodbye to her mother, she is full of remorse for not having being around more. Kate tells her that she let Maisie believe she was Sarah and so allowed Maisie to die content believing "her little angel" had returned in time. The sisters talk of the past and Sarah tells Kate how hard it was to be the favourite and see her sister suffer at their Mother's hands. The air is cleared and when Kate tells Sarah she is pregnant her sister is overjoyed. As one life has ebbed away another has begun to grow and Kate finds herself able to forgive Maisie and let the past go too.
The Writer:
Pat Davis has written another beautiful play in BIRTHDAY SHOES. This story is told with poignancy, humour and shows how complex relationships can be healed through forgiveness. Pat has had seven plays broadcast on Radio Four, five on RTE and her play SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE was awarded a Sony Silver in 2002. She has also had two stage plays performed at the King's Head.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b02yqh70)
Glenarm Castle
Chaired by Eric Robson, the GQT team is in Northern Ireland, visiting Glenarm Castle, for this week's episode of Gardeners' Question Time. Taking the audience's questions are Pippa Greenwood, Bob Flowerdew and special guest panellist Reg Maxwell.
Produced by Howard Shannon
A Somethin' Else Production for BBC Radio 4.
Q. How should I treat a Lemon tree that is plagued with scale insect - avoiding pyrethrum?
A. Try dabbing on a mentholated spirit to erode the waxy coating of the scale, which, after repeating, kills the insect. After, wrap the compost and shower the tree, ideally with tepid water, to wash off the scales. Another method is to take a stiff paintbrush and vigorously brush off the insects, this will need to be repeated every couple of weeks. Also, try to ensure ants are not on the plant, as ants will reintroduce the species even after you have cleaned it.
Q. Can Tulips be grown in pots all year round?
A. This is not recommended due to the small soil volume and root growth in pots meaning the bulbs may degenerate. It is best to feed the Tulip in the ground in the growing season and when the foliage dies down lift them. However, the best way to grow them in pots if necessary would be to treat them as you would in the ground, feeding during the growing season and lifting when the foliage dies down, take the bulbs out, dry them and store until late November, then re-plant into pots again. Additionally, bone meal is recommended to help Tulip growth.
Q. How do I clear a garden completely full of overgrown weeds including Dandelions and Switchgrass?
A. Avoid rotavating, as this can spread and increase the number of plants. Skim off the top couple of inches of the weeds, stack the off-cuts and cover with a plastic sheet. In approximately 12 months spread this back on the garden. Then dig the land over; a good method is called "bastard trenching" or "double digging".
Q. My blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes in my garden grow vigorously but with very little fruit, why is this?
A. Blackcurrants fruit on the wood that grew a year previously. Therefore hard pruning means you may be at risk of removing the fruiting wood. For blackcurrants it is recommended to remove a third of the bush to the ground every year, always removing the oldest third. Gooseberry bushes are a little more difficult as they grow on spurs, so avoid cutting everything back and focus on removing whole branches. Additionally try to cut down on feeding the bushes, slowing growth and therefore minimising the necessity to prune.
Q. Many evergreen hedges seem to have struggled to survive in the recent cold winters, what other plants could you suggest to replace these so they would cope with the cold conditions?
A. If you want to replace with alternative Evergreens then Yew would be recommended, it can be grown into a hedge and can be trained into many shapes and sizes, other suggestions include Privet, Holly and Laurel. A more unusual choice would be Berberis Darwinii, which has small orange flowers in spring or Sarcococca, which is slow growing but can be used as a hedge. Alternatives to evergreens are Capensis or Beech, as they still have leaves in the winter.
Q. My 20-year-old Portuguese Laurel is threatening to push over a 6ft fence. Can I restrict its exuberance by cutting the offending branches?
A. You can prune Laurels quite severely. It is best to do so in autumn, making sure wounds are clean and the cut is clean to the stem. Avoid having stumps because they will die back. Pippa Greenwood would suggest not painting wounds, allowing them to heal on their own. However Bob Flowerdew recommends sealing the surface of the dead wood in the middle of the wound, whilst avoiding the bark. Alternatively Reg Maxwell would opt to sealing the cambium layer, which is immediately under the bark.
Q. What would be good to plant following early potatoes and peas to keep my plot productive over the winter?
A. Many saladings, including loose-leaf lettuces, small beet, onions and garlic could all be planted in autumn. Leaks can be planted in July and in August Japanese onions would be recommended. Also Rocket, Mizuna, Pak Choi and Mooli are great alternatives.
Produced by Howard Shannon
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 15:45 Home Sweet Home (b02yqh75)
On the Road
2/3. On the Road. Writer and stand-up performer AL Kennedy wonders if it's so important to her, then why does she spend so little time there?
After all, a writer these days is seldom at home. There are therefore, she muses, all manner of things to be learned about your accommodation options: avoid rooms over pubs where the new day's clean linen is dumped on the carpet outside every door; try and insist on running water, maybe of two different temperatures and only from the taps. How to deal with posh room service, dodgy room service, in-room picnics and the lack of kettles across Europe.
Is it, she wonders, worth learning conversational breakfast phrases in other languages?
Perils to avoid: noise, light, the crazy people next door, the people having sex next door, the lift
doing TARDIS impersonations all night, free-floating despair, the ventilator that funnels smoke into your bathroom, the mayhem that breaks out in the streets at
3am, wildlife, health difficulties and the
almost universally insane people who run B&B's.
Producer: Mark Smalley.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b02yqh78)
An archaeologist, a psychoanalyst, a former Lord Advocate, a writer and an aboriginal singer
Professor Mick Aston, the archaeologist best known for his work on the TV programme Time Team. His colleagues Sir Tony Robinson and Phil Harding pay tribute.
Betty Joseph, the psychoanalyst who analysed the process of psychoanalysis.
Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, the Scottish Conservative politician, who as Lord Advocate presided over the investigation of the Lockerbie bombings.
Michael Baigent, the co-writer of a book called Holy Blood Holy Grail which suggested that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had a child by her.
And the aboriginal singer Mr Yunupingu who brought indigenous music to a world wide audience.
FRI 16:30 Feedback (b02yqh7f)
Is any discussion too adult for Radio 4? When the Moral Maze took on the subject of internet pornography, Feedback listeners were diametrically opposed on whether the discussion went too far. Roger Bolton talks to Moral Maze producer Phil Pegum about how and why he chose to tackle the subject, live on air, and when he has to intervene to rein in contributors.
Plus, Jazzer from The Archers and acting Archers editor Julie Beckett discuss the controversial outburst that has been the most talked about Radio 4 event this week.
Also this week: Radio 4's Recycled Radio has proved to be divisive - a type of Marmite radio - loved by many on Twitter but generally loathed by Feedback listeners. Roger puts your feedback to its producer Miles Warde and invites Radio 4 commissioning editor Mohit Bakaya and Wireless Nights producer Laurence Grissell to discuss experimental radio on Radio 4.
Last week the Editor of the BBC Radio Science Unit, Deborah Cohen, gave the reasons for the removal of Material World and its long-serving presenter Quentin Cooper. Many of you thought the reasons were less than satisfactory. We hear from those lamenting the departure of Material World and those who welcome the change.
And, a celebration of the bonkers in this week's Tweet of the Week. Every week we ask our Twitter followers on @BBCR4Feedback to tweet us their reviews of BBC Radio programmes that have caught their ear this week. If you hear something you loved or loathed tweet us your very best poetry and prose reviews and you could win: our gratitude; admiration; and the coveted title of 'Tweet of the Week' during next week's Feedback.
Producer: Will Yates
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 16:55 The Listening Project (b02yqh7m)
Margaret and Kathleen - African Love Affair
Fi Glover presents a conversation between friends, one of whom is haunted by the fact that she could have had more time with the love of her life, if she'd made a different choice, proving 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 (b02yqh7r)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b02xcc9l)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (b02yqh7y)
Series 81
Episode 1
A satirical review of the week's news, chaired by Sandi Toksvig. With Jeremy Hardy, Andrew Maxwell, Miles Jupp and Katy Brand.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b02yqh85)
Clarrie and Nic put the final touches to their Flower Display, while Clarrie spies on Christine's. Nic's dumbfounded when their display is completed with green fairy lights and 'fake' milk flowing out of the milk churn. Christine puts together her minimalistic arrangement and is bemused when Clarrie asks where her water feature and fairy lights are.
Later Pat catches Jazzer hiding from Clarrie. But Clarrie spots him and asks what he's been playing at. She's not impressed when Jazzer says Christine must've changed her mind - all the time she's been feeding him lovely dinners and he was feeding her fairy stories! Things are awkward when Jolene, not realising the display is Clarries, comments on how OTT it is.
Clarrie wishes someone had advised her against her design, but Nic says that she and Eddie did try. The only consolation is when Jazzer tops up his tea from the churn thinking it's real milk - hurriedly spitting it out when he learns otherwise!
Pat's distracted as the rest of the herd are picked up from Bridge Farm. Later Tony comforts her when she tearfully says that Bridge Farm is a very different place now they're not dairy farmers any more.
FRI 19:15 Front Row (b02yqh89)
Amy Winehouse; Alex Gibney on Wikileaks.
With John Wilson.
American film-maker Alex Gibney won the 2008 Best Documentary Oscar for Taxi To The Dark Side - about the American government's use of torture. He talks to John about Julian Assange, the subject of his latest film, We Steal Secrets: The Story Of Wikileaks, and reveals that his next project is about the disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Amy Winehouse's personal pictures, outfits, record collection and items from her school days are in a new exhibition co-curated by her brother Alex. As the second anniversary of her death approaches, Rosie Swash assesses what this exhibition reveals about the singer, and considers her posthumous influence on fashion, writers and other musicians, including Patti Smith and Green Day.
Amanda Levete, the architect whose buildings include the Media Centre at Lord's Cricket Ground and the Selfridges Department Store in Birmingham, chooses a house - Casa Malaparte on Capri - for her Cultural Exchange. She explains how the unusual building, which is on an isolated cliff top on the Italian island, captured her imagination.
Stories We Tell is a new documentary from Oscar-nominated director Sarah Polley. The film follows Polley, through interviews with her family members and old friends, as she attempts to find out the truth about her biological father. The genre-bending documentary investigates narrative, the nature of story-telling and the complexity of family relations. Briony Hanson reviews.
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b02ymgx6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b02yqh8g)
John Denham, Bernard Jenkin, Maura McGowan, Lord McNally
Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from Titchfield in Hampshire with John Denham MP, Chair of the Public Administration Select Committee Bernard Jenkin MP, Chair of the Bar Council Maura McGowan QC and Minister of State for Justice Lord McNally.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b02yqh8l)
Anyone for Art?
Isn't it time to democratize art? Shouldn't we, the public, be allowed to borrow works of art from our national collections? That way we could have an affair with art, rather than a one-night stand. Tom Shakespeare presents the last of his four essays.
FRI 21:00 Friday Drama (b02yqqd9)
The Forbidden
A run down housing estate fizzes with supernatural forces.
The Forbidden is a chilling, urban horror dramatised for radio by Duncan MacMillan. It's adapted from
Clive Barker's original novella, first published in 1985 and the inspiration for the cult 1992 horror film, Candyman.
The film was set in America, but the original short story was located in Britain, on a dilapidated council estate. This radio dramatisation takes it back to its roots: the story has been modernised, but set in a post-riot Britain, where materialism and greed are increasingly prevalent in all spheres of society.
Helen and her husband Trevor have recently moved into a gated community in the area where she originally grew up. She is becoming more and more disturbed by a nightmare, where she finds herself in a basement on her old estate and knows someone else is there. But who? And what do they want from her?
As Helen insists on exploring the old estate, meeting an old friend and encountering mysterious, frightened teenagers, her home life is affected badly. As she grows increasingly suspicious that Trevor is being unfaithful, she returns to the basement which now haunts her sleep. What she discovers there is both a horrific shock and a sense of coming home, at last.
Recorded on location in London, with an original score from composer John Coxon (Spring Heel Jack, Spiritualized).
Music composed by John Coxon, recorded and mixed by Rupert Clervaux and John Coxon.
Sound design by Eloise Whitmore.
Producer: Polly Thomas
Executive Producer: Joby Waldman
A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b02xcc9n)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b02yqqdz)
With Philippa Thomas
Egyptian protestors gather in Cairo, we find out what their aims are
Does transparency always lead to trust?
Croatia gets ready to join the European Union
And why so many successful people can be defined as psychopaths.
FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b02yqqfh)
The Professor of Truth
Episode 5
Peter Firth reads from James Robertson's powerful new novel inspired by some of the aspects and events surrounding the Lockerbie bombing.
Alan Tealing has spent two decades conducting his own investigation into the bombing of the airplane in which his wife and daughter were killed. After an enlightening visit from a former CIA man, Tealing must decide whether to trust the information he's been given and travel to Australia to confront the trial's key witness face-to-face.
Read by Peter Firth.
FRI 23:00 A Good Read (b02ykrf0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b02yqqg2)
Mark D'Arcy reports from Westminster.
FRI 23:55 The Listening Project (b02yqqgg)
Michael and Florian: Always Punctual and Efficient?
Fi Glover introduces a conversation between two Germans who grew up in East Berlin and now live in London, about dealing with stereotypic assumptions and a communist upbringing, 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.