The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
With access to newly released MI5 files and previously unseen family papers, and with the cooperation of former officers of MI6 and the CIA, author Ben Macintyre unlocks the last great secret of the Cold War.
Kim Philby was the most notorious British defector and Soviet mole in history. Agent, double agent, traitor and enigma, he betrayed every secret of Allied operations to the Russians in the early years of the Cold War. Philby's two closest friends in the intelligence world, Nicholas Elliott of MI6 and James
Jesus Angleton the CIA intelligence chief, thought they knew Philby better than anyone - only to discover they had not known him at all.
This is a story of intimate duplicity; of loyalty, trust and treachery, class and conscience; of an ideological battle waged by men with cut-glass accents and well-made suits in the comfortable clubs and restaurants of London and Washington; of male friendships forged, and then systematically betrayed.
In the final episode of A Spy Among Friends Nicholas Elliott confronts Kim Philby who finally admits the scale and depth of his betrayal, the greatest in the twentieth century.
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Dr Janet Wootton.
'To be told "we are all living longer" is an insult to those who may not.' A listener tells iPM why she thinks people who have a life limiting illness should get an early pension. Email iPM@bbc.co.uk.
As part of Radio 4's Character Invasion, Chris Packham presents a unique Tweet of the Day to tell the story of Big Bird.
Avis giganteus, is , as its scientific name suggests, a large, conspicuous and highly vocal species, and one of the few birds for which binoculars are redundant. At a staggering 249 cm high, it is over-topped only by the male ostrich. But while the ostrich is an athletic creature of wild open spaces, our bird is a denizen of urban thoroughfares and film studios.
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
Helen Mark travels to Chelford Cattle Market in Cheshire, along with hundreds of buyers and sellers from across the UK. It was first formed over a century ago and has weathered the storms of the foot and mouth outbreak and BSE crisis which resulted in many others closing down altogether. It still nestles on the edge of the village of Chelford, next to the station, as livestock used to be delivered by rail. Like many others though, it has plans to move out to newer facilities closer to the motorway network.
The market has sales of more than just cattle - sheep, pigs, poultry and goats but also machinery and horticulture. Helen joins auctioneer Gwyn Williams as he balances 'on the plank' above the pigs and sheep but even from that vantage point the subtle nods and winks of the bidders can be hard to spot for a novice.
Not everyone is a buyer though. Helen meets some farmers simply scouting the market for prices and for many it's a great social occasion and an opportunity to catch up on gossip. But keep that between us.
It's the end of March on the Robinson's sheep farm in Worcestershire and that means their flock of 650 ewes has almost finished lambing. But not quite.
With 130 expectant mothers still waiting in the lambing shed, husband and wife team Tim and Cherry admit to feeling "a bit tired" and enlist Charlotte's help with feeding and moving ewes and lambs out of the shed and onto grass for the first time.
Charlotte takes the opportunity to discuss the commercial market for lamb, it's seasonality as a product and what real sheep farmers made of the third series of Lambing Live, aired on BBC Two this week.
We also catch up with its presenters Kate Humble and Adam Henson, hear from a shepherdess lambing in the wilds of Northumberland and look back at the freak spring snow of 2013 - and how farmers have recovered from the worst snowfall in a generation.
Morning news and current affairs. Including Yesterday in Parliament, Sports Desk, Thought for the Day and Weather.
Richard Coles and Suzy Klein with comedian Paul Whitehouse, Lady Churchill's secretary Heather White-Smith, polar explorer Ben Saunders, pargetting plasterer Martin Ward and Francis Urquhart's Inheritance Tracks. Plus JP Devlin in the BBC Radio Theatre with audience members from The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.
Some of the most enduring characters ever created for radio will be heard in a special, live broadcast from London's BBC Radio Theatre, as part of Character Invasion.
The two-headed smooth-talking alien Zaphod Beeblebrox, bemused Earthling Arthur Dent, and Marvin the Paranoid Android will relive some of their adventures, with a very special appearance by the original producer John Lloyd as The Voice of the Book.
Ed Miliband is under pressure from his party to put more flesh on Labour's economic policy, while the Farage-Clegg debates on Europe could see pressure build up for further such debates at the next general election.
Plus what do the cuts in the defence budget mean for Britain's capability in relation to the Crimean crisis? And political dynasties - are they are a feature of Westminster life?
Correspondents' stories. In this edition, Humphrey Hawksley's in a part of Europe where an increase in Russian influence would not be unwelcome. Twenty-five years after the fall of Communism, Monica Whitlock is in Romania where they are still unlocking secrets from the past. As election time approaches in India, Kieran Cooke's visiting Assam and finding remnants of a bygone, colonial era. And not far from high-tech Silicon Valley, Andrew Whitehead finds there's still enthusiasm for the old-style, printed book.
A satirical review of the week's news, chaired by Sandi Toksvig, with regular panellist Jeremy Hardy and guest panellists Susan Calman, Phill Jupitus and Lucy Porter.
Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from Sedgeford in Norfolk with Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude MP, journalist Camilla Cavendish, Shadow Justice Secretary Emily Thornberry MP and the historian and cross bench peer Lord Hennessy.
Removing the "spare room subsidy" was meant to encourage people in social housing with extra bedrooms to move and free up the space for larger families. Your views on why, one year later, 6% of those affected have moved home.
You have your say on why the government has put a ban on books being sent to prisoners.
Anita Anand hears your reaction to these subjects as discussed in Any Questions? by Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, Emily Thornberry, Shadow Attorney General, Camilla Cavendish, Columnist for The Times, Lord Hennessy, Attlee Professor of Contemporary History at Queen Mary, University of London.
You can have your say on any of the subjects discussed on Any Answers? just after the news at
on Saturday. Call 03700 100 444 from
Presenter: Anita Anand.
Darleen is a young woman with learning difficulties who has become obsessed with the emergency services and who occasionally sets fire to things. Helen is a volunteer helper trying to help Darleen to rebuild her life, but she too has her own secret reasons for volunteering.
As part of Radio 4's Character Invasion, Paul Allen meets a collection of well-known authors to explore the pleasures and pain of releasing their best loved characters.
For the writer, their characters can be akin to adored children, shaped and nurtured with deep bonds formed. But what happens when these characters are invited to leave the page and adapted for stage and screen or even killed off? What do writers feel when they let go of their creations?
We hear contributions from PD James, Michael Morpurgo, Joanne Harris, Louis De Bernieres, Mark Haddon, Judith Kerr and William Boyd. We also learn how their readers are affected by seeing characters such as Adam Dalgliesh, Captain Corelli and Logan Mount Stewart distorted and changed as they leave the page.
When an author undergoes the process of letting go, some are heavily involved in the production and casting while others have little control, simply hoping the new interpretation does justice to their creation. As Allen discovers this has sometimes caused resentment and reluctance to continue this practice.
He also examines how writers and readers emotions differ when a decision is made to kill off a character and we hear readings by the author themselves of some of their best known work.
We discuss women, equality and Islam with Sara Khan from Inspire, Salma Yaqoob, Mirina Paananen and Julie Bindell. British Muslim women have low employment rates and poor health compared to many women in the UK. What can or should be done and what role does feminism play?
Fatal Attraction starts a run in the West End - how does the bunny boiler fit into 21st century sexual politics? Sam Roddick on her mum Anita and the impact she had on business ethics and the beauty industry.
BBC News School Reporters discuss exam pressure with Andrew Halls, head teacher at King's College School in Westminster. Business Secretary Vince Cable on the efforts being made to get more women on company boards. Hilary Mantel talks about her favourite character, Thomas Cromwell as part of Radio 4's Character Invasion.
And now lesbians can marry: how to decide what to wear on the big day and what to call yourself when you're a married woman, married to another woman. Melanie Rickie, Alice Arnold and Sue Wilkinson discuss.
Serving the super-rich: what do the seriously wealthy do with their money? How do they preserve or spend their multi-million or even billion pound fortunes? And who is helping them manage those assets? With more billionaires in the world than ever before, working for the very rich is a growth industry. Whether finding staff for their superyacht or helping them give away the money, there's a raft of businesses ready to serve the ultra high net worth individual. Evan Davis talks to three firms whose job is to serve the wealthy elite.
Caroline Quentin, Ade Edmonson, Antonio Carluccio, Julian Garner, Sara Cox, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, London Afrobeat Collective
Clive's a Man Behaving Badly with actress Caroline Quentin, who's currently starring as Moxie in Noel Coward's 'Relative Values.' Set in the early 1950s, Relative Values is about the uproarious culture clash between the glittering world of Hollywood and the stiff upper lip of the English aristocracy.
Clive drops the anchor with Bad Shepherd and former Young One Ade Edmonson, who sets sail to explore Britain's maritime past for his new series 'Ade at Sea.' He discovers how it continues to influence the lives of the people who still depend on the sea.
Sara Cox finds the recipe for perfect pasta with Italian chef and restaurateur Antonio Carluccio, whose new book, 'Antonio Carluccio's Pasta' shares his love of Italy's favourite food.
Clive talks to writer and director Julian Garner about 'Father Nandru and the Wolves', a topical production in light of the recent prejudices about Romanians arriving in the UK. This magical show features larger than life puppetry and a live Gyspy music score to bring to life the whole of Wilton's Music Hall
With music from London Afrobeat Collective, who perform Prime Minister from their EP of the same name. And more music from Rodrigo y Gabriela who perform The Soundmaker from their album '9 Dead Alive.'
Mark Coles profiles Noah. As a new Hollywood movie opens starring Russell Crowe, and as part of a celebration of characters on BBC Radio 4, Mark Coles explores the many sides of a figure we keep returning to.
As a part of Radio 4's Character Invasion, Saturday Review heads to Salford to debate, in front of a live studio audience, whether we are living in a golden age in the invention of fictional characters - or if, on the other hand, the current crop falls short by comparison with former highpoints such as the Victorian novel or the Elizabethan stage. Can modern literature really offer anyone to match Anna Karenina, David Copperfield and so many other eponymous heroes? And if the really strong characters in the modern day come from TV and cinema - such as Walter White in Breaking Bad - or children's books like Harry Potter - does that make them any less significant? Tom Sutcliffe plays host to two teams tussling it out to discover who should have bragging rights - Raskalnikov or Tony Soprano, Elizabeth Bennett or Bridget Jones, Romulus or Rebus?
Actress Maxine Peake meets with actors and, in a series of one to one conversations, discusses the challenges of portraying the real-life character as opposed to the fictional.
Maxine Peake has tackled many factual roles, including Tracey Temple in Confessions of a Diary Secretary, Joan le Mesurier in Hancock and Joan, the title role in The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister, Anne Scargill in Queens of the Coal Age, Stephen Hawking's secretary in the 2015 film The Theory of Everything, and her infamous portrayal of Myra Hindley in See No Evil.
Most actors will only face a critical backlash if their portrayal of King Lear or Jimmy Porter does not meet expectation, but what happens if their subject is real? How does this change the actor's approach to the character research, is it better or worse to meet them, does this restrict the boundaries or increase the empathy? And what happens if that character is regarded as evil in the public psyche?
In discussion with friends and colleagues such as Michael Sheen, Sally Hawkins, Patricia Hodge, Monica Dolan, Shaun Evans and Anne Scargill we discover how different the approach can and has to be.
First broadcast as part of BBC Radio 4's Character Invasion. From 2014.
"The Navidson Record now stands as part of this country's cultural experience and yet, in spite of the fact that hundreds of thousands of people have seen it, the film continues to remain an enigma. Some insist it must be true, others believe it is a trick on a par with the Orson Welles radio romp The War of the Worlds. Many more have never even heard of it."
With these words Zampano preludes the excerpts from an extraordinary film, cut together by Will Navidson from cameras located within his house and those he took with him into the labyrinth that had sprung up there over the course of a few days.
According to the Navidson record, it was when the family returned to the house from a trip to Seattle that they first discovered the additional door and the space behind it. Will Navidson, celebrated adventure photographer, was intrigued, his partner Karen insisted that the door be permanently locked. But one night after a row, Navidson opened the door and went in. He found rooms beyond rooms, all windowless, all unlit, and only narrowly escaped becoming lost forever in the labyrinth. Not long afterwards the spiral staircase appeared, corkscrewing downwards to a dark infinity. So Navidson equipped his brother Tom and others for an expedition, as if they were embarking on a quest into some architectural jungle. The cameras rolled and they descended, and here's the audio.
House of Leaves is the remarkable cult novel by Mark Z Danielewsky, a labyrinth of its own kind with its multiple interwoven narratives and textual tricks. This dramatic piece re-imagines the terrifying heart of the story.
The narrator in this production is Jim Norton who recently received both an Olivier award for the National Theatre production and a Tony for the hit Broadway production of Conor McPherson's The Seafarer, and is currently appearing again at the National in McPherson's new play The Veil.
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.
What place should class have in Britain today? If you've been living in hope of creating a society where the moral character of a man is judged by his actions and not the colour of his old school tie, you may have been sorely disappointed over the last week or so. Too many toffs in the cabinet and patronising adverts about the pastimes enjoyed by hardworking people might suggest that for our politicians at least, it seems class still matters. There was a time when a person's class was defined by their job, but that's become much more tricky since the demise of large scale industries like coal mining. It hasn't though stopped many people from defining themselves as working class - and claiming a Prolier-than-Thou kind of moral superiority, - even though by most measures like income, education and profession, they're anything but. We've all experienced that kind of reverse snobbery, but how many of us would be comfortable in a socially mixed group of saying they were middle class and proud of it? Let alone upper class? It was Alan Clarke who famously dismissed his fellow Conservative MP Michael Heseltine as the kind of person "who bought his own furniture". Not all of us are blessed with his patrician perspective, so what should be the modern indicators of class? Is our obsession with class a sign of our deep sense of fairness and desire for a more open society, or a prejudice that should be consigned to the dustbin? Or is the problem that we need more subtle categories? Beer and bingo? Bolly and ballet? Class on the Moral Maze.
Combative, provocative and engaging debate chaired by Michael Buerk with Melanie Phillips, Claire Fox, Michael Portillo and Matthew Taylor.
Which star, noted for roles in Alfred Hitchcock films, is the mother of the actress Melanie Griffith? And with which waterway is the nautical mirage known as the Fata Morgana most closely associated?
These are among the general knowledge questions Russell Davies puts to the semi-finalists in today's contest, which will decide who gets the one remaining place in the 2014 Final. Today's competitors are from Bristol, Bromley in Kent, Skipton in North Yorkshire, and Oswestry in Shropshire.
As ever, there'll also be a chance for a listener to win a prize by stumping the contestants with questions of his or her own devising.
Poetry has always had an essential role to play in Arab literature, and the tradition is thriving in unexpected ways. Shahidha Bari travels to Abu Dhabi to join the audience of 'Million's Poet', a massive televised competition to find the best poet in the Middle East.
Every year this huge contest takes place under the spotlight of the television cameras in Abu Dhabi. Million's Poet is broadcast live across the Middle East and has a huge following, with judges and viewers both having the chance to vote for their favourite poet. There's plenty at stake, as the top prize is an eye-watering five million United Arab Emirate dirhams, a figure getting close to one million pounds.
So how did this TV contest get started, and why do people tune in to hear poets reading their work? It's not the sort of show that would be likely to take off in the west. Shahidha Bari talks to judges, competitors, and the audience to find out the secret of Million Poet's success.
Poetry, she finds, has a particular role in the Middle East as a valued art form in a changing world. an outlet for expression for anyone from the ruler to the doorman, all of whom are free to enter Million's Poet.
SUNDAY 30 MARCH 2014
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (b03z3gz6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
SUN 00:30 After Wonderland (b03z3kt0)
Yellow Brick Road
The last of three monologues by Sheila Yeger imagining the adult lives of characters from children's literature.
Dorothy de la Rue has become a Grande Dame of Romantic Fiction. But this sharp-tongued southern empress holds a terrible, wonderful secret.
Dorothy is played by Sandra Dickinson; the producer is James Cook.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03z3gzg)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 02:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03z3kzs)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at
5.20am.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03z3gzq)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (b03z3gzs)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (b03z3kt2)
Our Lady and St Nicholas, Liverpool
The bells of the Parish Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas, Pier Head, Liverpool.
SUN 05:45 Lent Talks (b03yqcx1)
Nicholas Shakespeare
The Power and the Passion - Worldly Power. Jesus in the wilderness was offered it and turned it down, but most of us think it's worth having. Novelist, biographer and travel-writer Nicholas Shakespeare considers what power can do for us - and to us.
Producer: Peter Everett.
SUN 06:00 News Headlines (b03z3gzv)
The latest national and international news.
SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b03z3lkl)
Temptation
In this second of two special programmes for Lent, Mark Tully examines the role Temptation plays as a driving force in both spiritual and secular life. Just as all the major faiths encourage periods of abstinence from time to time, so too they all struggle with the perils of temptation.
The Buddha struggled with the temptations of asceticism, Christianity and Islam are shot through with the temptations set by the devil, and in Hinduism demons tempt the gods themselves. However, writers as disparate as Shakespeare and Martin Luther are at pains to emphasise the positive dynamics of temptation.
The programme includes music by Franz Liszt, Nina Simone and Hubert Parry, and readings from the work of R.S. Thomas, John Betjeman and Rosalind Coward.
The readers are Robert Glenister, Francis Cadder and Julie Covington.
Producer: Frank Stirling
A Unique production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (b03z3kt4)
Food and Farming Awards: Finalist Luke Hasell
Adam Henson and fellow judge Mike Gooding meet the first of this year's BBC Food and Farming awards 'Farmer of the Year' finalists.
They join Luke Hasell on his farm in Chew Magna and take a tour of his 550 acre farm. Luke farms organic beef cattle and collaborates with local farmers to provide vegetable and meat boxes for customers in and around Bristol and Bath. He runs a company called 'The Story' and he aims to connect his customers with where their food comes from.
He also runs a community farm which allows volunteers to come and work on the land and he regularly welcomes school children onto his farm tom teach them more about food production.
His business is successful and he is a huge advocate of the whole 'field-to-fork' ethos and regularly stages food events and takes part in pop-up restaurants and local food festivals throughout the South West.
Adam and Mike take a look around Luke's farm and follow his produce from the muddy vegetable beds overlooking the picturesque Chew Valley Lake, via his pack house where a small army of volunteers fill vegetable boxes, to one of his customers: Josh Eggleton, Michelin-starred chef at the nearby Pony and Trap pub.
Presenter: Adam Henson
Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.
SUN 06:57 Weather (b03z3gzx)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (b03z3gzz)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (b03z3ky2)
Archbishop of Canterbury on gay marriage; Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis; Noah - the film and the controversy
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby talks to Edward Stourton about why the renewal of prayer and religious life is his number one priority and, on the historic occasion of the UK's first same sex marriages. The Archbishop sets a new tone in the Churches response to the issue.
The Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has been visiting Manchester - he is six months into the job and talks to Edward Stourton about his aims and the challenges ahead.
David Willey discusses the Pope's audience with the Queen, President Obama - and the nun whose appearance on the Italian version of The Voice has chalked up over 30 million YouTube hits.
As Afghanistan prepares to go to the polls Martin Cottingham reports back from the country following his trip for Islamic Relief and Jehangir Malik discusses the elections and the impact of troop withdrawal.
It's the "least biblical of biblical films" according to its director - Barbara Nicolosi Harrington discusses why the film Noah, which has its UK premier this week, has caused such controversy.
Catholic MP Conor Burns responds to comments by the Bishop of Portsmouth that Catholic MPs who voted for the same sex marriage legislation should be denied Holy Communion.
Producers:
Catherine Earlam
Kathleen Hawkins
Series Producer:
Amanda Hancox:
Contributors:
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis
David Willey
Martin Cottingham
Jehangir Malik
Barbara Nicolosi Harrington
Conor Burns MP.
SUN 07:55 Radio 4 Appeal (b03z3ky4)
Sightsavers
Lorraine Kelly presents The Radio 4 Appeal for Sightsavers.
Reg Charity: 207544 (England/Wales); and SC038110 (Scotland)
To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal, mark the back of the envelope 'Sightsavers'.
SUN 07:57 Weather (b03z3h01)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (b03z3h03)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (b03z3ky6)
Inside Love
"Inside Love" - Live from St George's College Weybridge, the 4th of Radio 4's Lent series for Mothering Sunday with the award winning St George's choir directed by Tansy Castledine.
Leader: Sarah Beresford (Assistant Chaplain); Preacher: Fr Martin Ashcroft (School Chaplain).
Love is universal but love is also complex.
The Greeks used several words to describe different kinds of love expressed, for example in friendship, romance or family love. On occasion, as with a mother and her child, the feeling of love can be overwhelming. A mother will go to any lengths even sacrificing her own good in order to protect and nurture her child. Some have seen in that love a glimpse of what the love of God might be.
Isaiah
66:10-13; Ruth 1:9b-11, 14-16, 18-19a; Luke
6:27-36.
Tell out my soul (Woodlands)
Psalm 27
Magnificat in D (Wood)
For the beauty of the earth (Rutter)
Praise my soul the King of Heaven (Praise my Soul)
Producer: Clair Jaquiss
Through programmes on Radio 4, local radio and online resources for individuals and groups, BBC Religion & Ethics 'Inside Lent', devised by Bishop Stephen Oliver, invites listeners to join a journey of discovery through this Christian season by reflecting on the nature of a number of very human feelings. bbc.co.uk/religion
Lent: Inside love (30th March)
Lent: Inside fear (6th April)
Lent: Inside hope (13th April)
Easter Day - Inside joy (20th April).
SUN 08:48 A Point of View (b03yqz02)
A Disease Called Fame
Sarah Dunant reflects on fame and the cult of celebrity following the recent success of the film "20 feet from Stardom".
The film about backing singers - the unsung heroes of pop music - scooped best documentary at the Oscars. Sarah discusses how celebrity culture has given us a society where the dream is no longer to be the backing singer, but to take centre stage. "Andy Warhol" she writes "with his fifteen minutes of fame, has turned out to be a prophet as much as an artist".
But "in a world where everyone wants to be the lead singer" she asks "who is left to swell the sound? Or more importantly to appreciate it".
Producer: Adele Armstrong.
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b03x45m5)
Egyptian Goose
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Bill Oddie presents the Egyptian goose. Although Egyptian geese are common throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa and in Egypt, they are now officially a British bird. These striking birds attracted the attention of wildfowl collectors and the first geese were brought to the UK in the 17th century. By the 1960's it became obvious that the geese were breeding in the wild in East Anglia and since then they've spread in south and eastern England.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (b03z3l2b)
Sunday morning magazine programme with news and conversation about the big stories of the week. Presented by Paddy O'Connell.
SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (b03z3l2d)
See daily episodes for detailed synopsis.
SUN 11:15 Desert Island Discs (b03z3l2g)
Sir Andre Geim
Kirsty Young's castaway is the Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Professor Sir Andre Geim.
Born in the Soviet Union, his early years were spent in Sochi with his grandmother, a meteorologist. And it was perhaps her small weather station on the beach that sparked an early interest in science. As a student his intellect was rigorous but his timing was also spot on:"glasnost", the political movement that swept open the Iron Curtain, enabled him to travel and study throughout Europe, finally settling at Manchester University.
It was his work developing the substance graphene that won him science's highest prize. Graphene has many exciting properties: it is the thinnest and strongest material ever discovered; using it, electricity can travel a million meters a second; it has unique levels of light absorption and is flexible and stretchable.
Of his research he says, "It's like being Sherlock Holmes but being a detective of science. It's trying to find things out using very limited information ... like a hair on your coat, or dirt on your shoes, or some lipstick - the winner is the one who needs the fewest hints to get the answer".
Producer: Cathy Drysdale.
SUN 12:00 Just a Minute (b03yn83j)
Series 68
Episode 7
This week, the panellists attempting to speak for 60 seconds with no hesitation, repetition & deviation are Paul Merton, Rebecca Front, Alun Cochrane and Russell Kane.
They do so, as always, under the watchful ear of Nicholas Parsons.
Subjects include 'The Metaphysical Poets', 'A Benign Dictatorship' and the less erudite 'Bingo Wings'
Producer: Tilusha Ghelani.
SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (b03z3l4f)
Wild Beer
Dan Saladino meets the brewers transforming the flavours and styles of the British craft beer scene. From experiments with seaweed to efforts to find lost Victorian recipes, it's a diverse and fast moving world, so where are the new ideas for beer coming from and which brewers are leading the way?
The award winning beer writer Pete Brown has described 2014 as the year in which craft beer has gone mainstream. A term first used to describe the renaissance of American brewing in the 1980's "craft" refers to smaller scale breweries, producing in small batches and often working with beer styles packed with flavour.
In the last ten years the overall beer market has crashed by 25 per cent. Although cask ale is holding its own, the beer of this new wave of "craft brewers" is growing at around 70 per cent, year on year. The Food Programme finds out who is behind this trend and what kind of beers they're producing.
Dan hears from Brewdog in Scotland, Thornbridge in Derbyshire, Wild Beer Co in Somerset as well as The Kernel and Meantime breweries in London to hear why sour beers, German styles and Saisons are the order of the day.
Beer archivist Ron Pattinson talks about his efforts to revive some of Britain's lost beer recipes and Garrett Oliver, editor of The Oxford Companion to Beer, explains why experiments in yeast are giving us new beers flavours.
From Copenhagen the man behind the Mikkeller brewery describes why he never brews the same beer twice and why seaweed, popcorn and vanilla are on his list of ingredients.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.
SUN 12:57 Weather (b03z3h05)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (b03z3l4h)
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 Swinging Addis (b03ynfpl)
'There is Swinging Addis just like there is Swinging London, bell-bottom trousers, mini skirts...'
In the 1960s and early 70s, unknown to most of the outside world, Addis Ababa's nightlife was electrified by a blend of traditional folk music, jazz, swing, rhythm and blues. Clubs were full, dance floors packed with young people moved by the music of a new generation of Ethiopian pop stars who were inspired by Elvis and James Brown but gave their sound a unique twist.
'...When we played the record on the loudspeakers, the traffic police had to be sent to disperse the young people dancing on the street.'
The story begins in 1896, following Ethiopia's victory against the invading Italians at the Battle of Adwa, when the Russian tsar Nicolas II sent Emperor Menelik 40 brass instruments. It became the imperial music - and planted a seed.
Then, on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1924, the prince who would become Emperor Haile Selassie met a marching band of young Armenians orphaned in the recent Ottoman massacres. He shipped the "Arba Lijoch" ("Forty Kids") back to Addis Ababa and installed them as the imperial band. The emperor's new big band ensembles proved to be incubators for the stars of a new sound craved by a young generation demanding musical - as well as social and political - change. In 1969, a 26-year-old music producer called Amha Eshete defied an imperial decree giving the state a monopoly over the reproduction of music to release Ethiopia's first-ever independent record with Alemayehu Eshete. When the pair played it on a loudspeaker from Amha's music shop, the young people dancing in the street stopped the traffic. The rest was history.
In Addis Ababa, Courtney Pine meets some of the veterans of the Swinging Addis golden age of Ethiopian jazz, including Mahmoud Ahmed and Alemayehu Eshete - the 'Ethiopian Elvis'. These Ethiopian heroes, now in their 70s, are like the Buena Vista Social Club stars of their country. Courtney speaks to the legendary Ethiopian music producer Amha Eshete, while his guide on his musical journey of discovery is Francis Falceto, the French music producer who 'rediscovered' these artists and brought their music to the west, and has now compiled 30 albums in the Ethiopiques series. Courtney finds Addis Ababa is still swinging, and meets one of the new generation of Ethiopian jazz musicians who are picking up the beat, the young pianist Samuel Yirga, to jam Ethiopian style.
Presenter: Courtney Pine
Producer: Eve Streeter
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b03yqyzh)
Nottinghamshire
Eric Robson chairs GQT from Nottinghamshire. Chris Beardshaw, Matt Biggs and Pippa Greenwood answer a range of horticultural questions from an audience of local gardeners.
Matt and Pippa explore one of Britain's most famous forests, and Peter Gibbs visits Attingham Walled Garden to find out everything you need to know about growing against a wall.
Produced by Howard Shannon
Assistant Producer: Darby Dorras
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
This week's questions:
Q: Can the team suggest how to restrict the growth of a Picea Erich Frahm (Colorado Spruce) or recommend a suitable replacement?
A: These trees are difficult to prune without affecting their shape, so it is best to leave the tree and chop it down when it has grown too big. A replacement tree could be the Picea Abies Nana, which is very small indeed.
Q: What would be the best way to get rid of Viburnum beetles from a hedge of Vibernum Tinus which is 8ft (2.4m) high, 2ft (60cm) wide and 10ft (3m) long?
A: Try to bring small birds such as blue tits into the area. They will eat the beetles. Attract the small birds with peanut feeders. It is an option to treat the hedge with a contact insecticide, but this might be difficult considering the size of the hedge.
Q: What advice does the panel have for a gardener attempting to grow sweet peppers in an unheated greenhouse in a north-facing garden? Currently, the flowers are dropping just as the buds are forming.
A: This plant likes the warmth; it does not like drafts or overwatering (especially with cold water). The plant would ideally be grown in a bright, sunny spot with consistently warm temperatures. High potash fertiliser would also help. If grown from seed, it might also be worth moving the plants outside later in the season when temperatures are warmer. Fleece may be used to protect them from cold nights. The flowers will drop if they have not been pollinated, so opening the door to insects on warmer days or pollinating by hand could prevent the flowers from dropping.
Q: Can the team recommend a Eucalyptus plant that does not need drastic pollarding at least twice a year to retain a compact and attractive shape?
A: All Eucalyptus trees are hard work and need a lot of pruning. Most people go for Eucalypts Gunnii as it is the easiest to manage. Another way to keep the Eucalyptus manageable would be to make a little knife cut in the side of the trunk when it is very young. This small incision into the bark just a few centimetres above the ground encourages early multi-stemming. Other Eucalyptus options include Eucalyptus Coccifera or a Eucalyptus Dalrympleana which are both hardy varieties.
Q: Would the team recommend pruning Twisted Willows, which are getting out of hand? And when would the panel recommend replanting the trees from their pots, into the garden?
A: Pruning twisted willows is not recommended. The sooner they are replanted into ground, the better.
Q: Does the panel have any tips to stop onion sets bolting (going to seed)?
A: Make sure the bulbs have been heat-treated. However, some years, onions will go to seed and there is not much you can do about it. If there is dry spell at the beginning of the season, make sure the soil is kept moist.
Q: What is the best way to prune a Pyracantha?
A: Prune a portion of the plant after it has finished flowering, but only prune back to where the flower heads were formed and no further. This will ensure the next round of flowers will not be affected.
Q: Could the panel give any advice for growing tall, straight Gladioli?
A: Make sure the plant gets plenty of sun, that it is planted in free draining soil and make sure not to give it too much fertilizer. Weed vigilantly around the plant to make sure it gets as much light as possible.
SUN 14:45 Witness (b03z3l4k)
Germany's Guest Workers
In the 1960s Germany recruited hundreds of thousands of foreign workers to help power the country's economic regeneration. Most of them came from Turkey, or Southern Europe. It was a move that meant huge changes for German society, and for the immigrants themselves - like Yilmaz Atalay and Idil Lacin.
SUN 15:00 Classic Serial (b03xtvdp)
Dante Alighieri - The Divine Comedy
1. Inferno
Blake Ritson, David Warner and John Hurt star in Stephen Wyatt's dramatisation of Dante's epic poem - the story of one man's incredible journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise.
Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura,
ché la diritta via era smarrita.
In Episode 1: Inferno, the thirty-five year old Dante (Blake Ritson) finds himself in the middle of a dark wood, in extreme personal and spiritual crisis. But hope of rescue appears in the form of the venerable poet Virgil (David Warner), now a shade himself, who offers to lead Dante on an odyssey through the afterlife, that begins in the terrifying depths of Hell.
Many years later, the older Dante (John Hurt), still in enforced exile from his beloved Florence, attempts to finish his great poem and reflects on the events that have led him to its writing.
Dante the Poet .... Blake Ritson
Older Dante .... John Hurt
Virgil .... David Warner
Ulysees/Giant .... Sam Dale
Charon/Pope Nicholas III .... Michael Bertenshaw
Francesca da Rimini .... Priyanga Burford
Count Ugolino .... David Cann
Tree/ Adam .... Clive Hayward
Vanni Fucci .... Steve Touissaint
Angel .... Cassie Layton
All other parts are played by members of the company
The Divine Comedy is dramatised by Stephen Wyatt
Sound design is by Cal Knightley
Directed by Emma Harding and Marc Beeby
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2014.
SUN 16:00 Open Book (b03z3lbp)
Damon Galgut, Kate Colquhoun, Judith Flanders, AL Kennedy, Julian Gough, Stella Duffy
Twice Man Booker-shortlisted South African novelist Damon Galgut talks to Mariella Frostrup about his latest novel 'Arctic Summer', which evokes the life of E M Forster.
Damon Galgut is perhaps best known for his Man Booker-listed novels, 'The Good Doctor' and 'In a Strange Room'. His new novel, 'Arctic Summer', takes its title from E M Forster's unfinished novel of the same name and explores the writer's life from his first visit to India as an impressionable 33-year-old in 1912 to the publishing of his masterpiece, 'A Passage to India', over a decade later. It charts Forster's most fruitful period as a writer, but also his years of sexual discovery, his unrequited loves, longings and loneliness.
Authors Stella Duffy and Julian Gough discuss whether the new apps for writers can really get the creative juices flowing, while A L Kennedy bravely roadtests a few of the most popular for us.
Finally, a look at the enduring popularity of Victorian true crime with Kate Colquhoun and Judith Flanders. Kate's new book, 'Did She Kill Him?' is the tale of the infamous American heiress Florence Maybrick, who was accused of poisoning her wealthy older husband in 1889. Judith Flanders is the author of 'The Invention of Murder', which explores the Victorian fascination with crime. They explain why Victorian true crime is truly the template for all crime writing today.
Producer: Justine Willett.
SUN 16:30 Poetry Extra (b03z3lbr)
Ask Me: The Poetry of William Stafford
Poet Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's radio poetry archive with 'Ask Me - the Poetry of William Stafford'.
William Stafford's achievement is extraordinary. He wrote over 20,000 poems, 4,000 of which have been published, in more than 80 books and 2,000 periodicals. But it's the quality of his work that distinguishes him. Stafford was the poetry consultant to the Library of Congress - the post that became the Poet Laureate of the United States, for years he was Oregon's Laureate and he won the National Book Award.
Stafford was born in Kansas in 1914, growing up during the Depression. A conscientious objector, he spent the Second World War in camps, working in forestry. Too exhausted after work he took to rising early to write, and he continued this practice of daily writing until his death in 1993. For Stafford it was the act of writing that mattered most. Writers who got stuck he advised to, "Lower your standards - and carry on."
His poems are mostly short and accessible, but acquire great depth. They can be tough, too. He was sensitive to landscape, people, animals, nature and history. So it's not surprising that Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath were both admirers.
Poet Katrina Porteous visits Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where for decades Stafford taught, wrote and developed his ideas. His son Kim takes her to the huge William Stafford Archive, as Katrina hears recordings of his readings, meets people who knew him, and students and poets he continues to influence. And she goes out into the wilderness of Oregon to investigate and reflect on the life, outlook and work of this great American poet.
Producer: Julian May
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2014.
SUN 17:00 PPI: Britain's Biggest Banking Scandal (b03yqp8d)
In February, Lloyds Banking Group set aside a further £1.8bn to compensate its customers who were mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance. It's the sixth time in less than three years the bank has had to revise upwards the level of compensation due and brings the bill so far for Lloyds alone to £9.8bn. Across Britain's banks as a whole, compensation costs have now reached more than £22bn - a sum so large, some economists ironically even credit these payments with having helped boost the economic recovery. How did Britain's biggest ever mis-selling scandal happen and why did it lead to claims management companies being able to rake in billions of pounds from the disaster?
With testimony from insiders, Michael Robinson tells the unbelievable story of PPI. How in their greed to make more and more profit from selling the protection, the banks demanded ever bigger commission payments from providers of cover while ensuring it was less and less likely a claim would ever succeed. The programme hears how industry whistleblowers were repeatedly ignored and asks why the regulators failed to act sooner. And it shows how the banks' reluctance to acknowledge what they'd done opened up the floodgates to complaints and spawned a whole new breed of claims management companies making vast profits from customers who had already fallen victim to bankers' greed.
While the banks now insist they've learned the lesson of the PPI disaster, Michael Robinson asks if they have really changed their ways.
SUN 17:40 Profile (b03z3gh7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b03z3h07)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 17:57 Weather (b03z3h09)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03z3h0c)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (b03z3lhq)
Writer and broadcaster Sheila McClennon presents the best of BBC Radio this week.
Meet the footballing legend who hung up his boots in his fifties, You and Yours most demanding listener and a rare Tweet from Avis Giganteus.
You'll know that BBC Radio 4 has been full of surprises recently, but there's method to the madness as you'll discover, not least with a fine version of the original and the best Danish political whodunit.
Also news of why an organist's shoes are so important and in case you're sitting too comfortably - the race to find potentially deadly asteroids before they find us.
Produced by Stephen Garner
Including;
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Radio 4,
10.15am Saturday 29th March)
The Great Space Hunt (Radio 4,
11am Wednesday 26th March)
Tweet of the Day (Radio 4,
5.58am Saturday 29th March)
5 Live at Twenty (5 Live,
12pm 28th March 28th March)
Victoria Derbyshire (5 Live,
10am)
Just William (Radio 4,
7.15pm 23rd March)
Saturday Live (Radio 4,
9am 29th March)
Today (Radio 4,
7am 29th March)
Lauren Lavern (6Music,
10am 26th March)
Archive on 4 - Portraying Real Lives (Radio 4,
8pm 29th March)
Hamlet (Radio 4,
2.15pm all-week)
One to One (Radio 4,
9.30am 25th March)
Letting Go (Radio 4,
3.30pm 29th March)
Winston Graham Short Stories (Radio 4Extra,
9pm All-Week)
Today - Roy of the Rovers (Radio 4,
7am 29th March)
You & Yours (Radio 4,
12pm 28th March)
Live in Concert (Radio 3,
7.30pm All-Week).
SUN 19:00 The Archers (b03z3lhs)
It's Mother's Day and Josh has taken Ruth breakfast in bed. David worries that she may have picked something up during lambing which caused the miscarriage but Jill says it could have happened for several reasons. Kenton arrives with flowers for Jill and realises something is wrong.
Tom is busy applying for a licence to send some pigs to slaughter. If the lab results are positive for TB, Tony's cows will need testing too.
Later in the Bull, Kenton asks Tom about the night of the stag do. Kenton's memory is very hazy. Just who put him on the train to Machynlleth? He quizzes Kirsty who is adamant that she knows nothing. Tom confesses to Jolene that he feels responsible for Kenton, as it was his drink that Rob spiked which Jazzer then swapped for Kenton's. Kirsty is horrified.
Ruth is adamant that they are going to Shula's for lunch as planned and so David agrees. He gives Ruth a pendant, hoping she will wear it. An emotional Ruth puts the pendant in its box and goes to call her mum for Mother's Day. Jill is worried about both of them. She asks if David were Ruth, who would he want to share things with?
SUN 19:15 Just William - Live! (b03z3lhv)
Series 4
The New Neighbour
As a highlight of the Cheltenham Festival of Literature in October, Martin Jarvis performed the second of two of Richmal Crompton's comic classics, live on-stage.
In The New Neighbour, William Brown is at his lateral-thinking best. How to rid the village of a horrific newcomer who torments his neighbours? William, master of human psychology, devises a brilliant plan. But, when the local policeman intervenes, will it work?
Dazzling stand-up from Jarvis - as William, and every other character. A comic tour de force.
Performed by Martin Jarvis
Director: Rosalind Ayres.
A Jarvis & Ayres production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 19:45 Time (b03z3lkn)
Father Time
These three new tales by Olga Grushin - commissioned specially for BBC Radio 4 - touch upon the lives of five generations and explore the effects of time on one Russian family.
" ... I found a small alarm clock with square black numbers and a picture of a tiny butterfly in the middle of its round face, I took it.
"The hands didn't move at first, but my mother said you just had to wind it; only when she did, I saw that it was broken, because the second hand ran backward, and if you stared at the clock long enough to notice, so did the minute hand."
Programme 2. Father Time
Strange things happen to Professor Lebedev in the middle of the concert hall. Is he dreaming or is there a greater force at work?
Olga Grushin was born in Moscow in 1971 and spent her childhood in Moscow and Prague. In 1989 she became the first Soviet citizen to enrol for a full-time degree in the United States while retaining Soviet citizenship. In 2006 she was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers and named one of Granta's Best Young American Novelists in 2007. She has published two novels: The Dream Life of Sukhanov (2006) and The Concert Ticket (2010). Her story 'The Homecoming' featured in the series 'Platform Three' on Radio 4 (2010) and The Dream Life of Sukhanov was a Book At Bedtime in 2012. Olga lives in Washington D.C.
Reader: David Warner
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 20:00 Feedback (b03yqyzp)
A Today interview is never an easy ride for politicians. But listeners tuning in this week felt Evan Davis's interview with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith, too things too far. We hear those views.
It's an altogether more civilised affair as Roger Bolton drops in on Radio 3's 'pop up' studio at the Royal Festival Hall in London's Southbank Centre. For the past fortnight, Radio 3 have broadcast their live programmes from a perspex box. Radio 3's editorial team, producers and presenters have been meeting audiences. We'll be speaking to In Tune presenter Sean Rafferty and some of his adoring public.
Radio drama can transport you thousands of miles with the power of the voices, evocative music and sound effects. So why was the recent Afternoon Drama serial 'A Kidnapping' recorded on-location in Manila? Many Feedback listeners loved the production, but some felt recording in the Philippines was a waste of their licence fee. 'A Kidnapping' Director John Dryden discusses the serial and the costs of recording radio drama abroad.
Many of you will be more familiar with Jane Garvey, Eddie Mair, and Julian Worricker on Radio 4, but they were all part of the original team at 5Live when it launched in 1994 - twenty years ago this week. While they may have flown the nest to join Radio 4, Peter Allen (Jane Garvey's co-host at 5Live Breakfast) has remained. We'll be speaking to Peter about his memories of the station's early days.
Producer: Will Yates
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 20:30 Last Word (b03yqyzm)
Mickey Duff, John Tyson, Jill Sinclair, Adolfo Suarez, Oswald Morris
Matthew Bannister on
Mickey Duff, the East End character who, for decades, was one of the most powerful figures in boxing.
John Tyson, the cartographer and explorer who set out to chart the unmapped region of Kanjiroba Himal.
Jill Sinclair, the business brains behind the ZTT record label. They had a string of hits in the eighties and nineties, including Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax".
Adolfo Suarez, the Prime Minister who oversaw Spain's transition from Franco's dictatorship to democracy.
And Oswald Morris, the cinematographer who won an Oscar for his work on "Fiddler on The Roof".
Producer: Neil George.
SUN 21:00 How You Pay for the City (b0381hnw)
Episode 2
Institutional investors such as pension funds are the most dominant force in world markets. But how much do we know about the different intermediaries involved in managing our pensions and how much money they take for their work?
David Grossman asks what the data about the dozens of funds in the Local Government Pension Scheme tells us about how all our pensions are being managed. And he investigates the role of the most important bank you've never heard of - the global custodian.
SUN 21:26 Radio 4 Appeal (b03z3ky4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 today]
SUN 21:30 Analysis (b03yn83s)
Why Minsky Matters
American economist Hyman Minsky died in 1996, but his theories offer one of the most compelling explanations of the 2008 financial crisis. His key idea is simple enough to be a t-shirt slogan: "Stability is destabilising". But TUC senior economist Duncan Weldon argues it's a radical challenge to mainstream economic theory. While the mainstream view has been that markets tend towards equilibrium and the role of banks and finance can largely be ignored, Minsky argued that in the good times the seeds of the next crisis are sown as the financial sector engages in riskier and riskier lending in pursuit of profit. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, this might seem obvious - so why did Minsky die an outsider? What do his ideas say about the response to the 2008 crisis and current policies like Help to Buy? And has mainstream economics done enough to respond to its own failure to predict the crisis and the challenge posed by Minsky's ideas?
Producer: James Fletcher.
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (b03z3lkq)
Weekly political discussion and analysis with MPs, experts and commentators.
SUN 22:45 What the Papers Say (b03z3lks)
Ian Burrell of the Independent looks at how newspapers covered the week's big stories.
SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (b03yqjgn)
Director Sally Potter and Muppets production designer Eve Stewart
Francine Stock talks to director Sally Potter as Bradford Film Festival shows a retrospective of her work which include Orlando, Rage and The Tango Lesson. BAFTA winning Production Designer Eve Stewart shares the tricks of the trade in her latest project The Muppets Most Wanted. Although Eve has previously worked on the Kings Speech, the Damned United and Les Miserables, she tells how the lure of Miss Piggy and Kermit was too much to resist. Finnish documentary maker Petri Luukkainen talks to the The Film Programme about the experience of putting all his possessions in storage for his film My Stuff. Iranian born writer and critic Fahri Bradley gives her verdict on Asghar Farhadi's latest offering, The Past.
SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b03z3lkl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:05 today]
MONDAY 31 MARCH 2014
MON 00:00 Midnight News (b03z3h34)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b03yqcwl)
Poverty and 'Shame'; Small-Scale Technology in India
Poverty and 'Shame' - shame was once described as the 'irreducible core' of poverty by Nobel laureate, Amartya Sen. Laurie Taylor looks at new cross cultural research which examines the psycho-social consequences of being poor in countries as diverse as Britain, Pakistan and South Korea. Elaine Chase, Research Officer at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford, considers the way that shame and stigma have been experienced by British people receiving welfare aid throughout history. She found that feelings of unworthiness, guilt and shame were common. In the current day, her study found that poor people accepted that 'other peoples' poverty was the result of personal failures rather than structural factors. The only alibi for their present circumstances was to deflect blame on to the 'undeserving' poor. She's joined by Sohail Choudhry, Research Assistant, also at the University of Oxford, whose Pakistan based interviews offered a contrasting perspective. Pakistanis on the 'breadline' also felt shame, but were also more inclined to blame the government and the 'big guns' for their reduced state.
Also, Professor of History, David Arnold, describes the impact of small scale technology on modern India. How the sewing machine, bicycle and typewriter reinvented every day life and work leading to new ways of thinking about the politics of colonial rule and Indian nationhood.
Producer: Torquil Macleod.
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b03z3kt2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03z3h38)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03z3h3b)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03z3h3d)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 05:30 News Briefing (b03z3h3g)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b03z3lvs)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Dr Janet Wootton.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (b03z3lvv)
Seaweed farming, A million eels, Chicken industry trends
Charlotte Smith talks to a seaweed farming entrepreneur involved in one of 11 projects to have secured a grant from a new Government fund to promote innovation in agriculture. Rory MacPhee works for the Scottish seaweed company, Mara, which is one of the partners looking at commercial growing with the Scottish Association for Marine Science. With dredging due to begin on the River Parrett in Somerset, fishermen and conservationists hope to catch a million elvers to move them upstream, starting tonight. And, we begin our examination of the UK chicken industry.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sarah Swadling.
MON 05:56 Weather (b03z3h3j)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03x45tq)
Ring Ouzel
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Bill Oddie presents the ring ouzel. Ring ouzels are related to blackbirds and because they nest in the uplands, they’re sometimes known as the ‘mountain blackbird’. The male ring ouzel is a handsome bird, sooty black with a broad white ring called a ‘gorget’ right across his chest that stands out like a beacon. Unfortunately these summer visitors are becoming harder to find even in their strongholds, which include the North York Moors and several Scottish and Welsh mountains.
MON 06:00 Today (b03z8ynr)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (b03z8ynt)
AL Kennedy and David Sedaris on matters of the heart
Tom Sutcliffe talks to AL Kennedy about her latest collection of short stories of love and hurt. The poet Lavinia Greenlaw retells the tragic love story of Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde. The philosopher Simon Blackburn unpicks the idea of self-love from the myth of Narcissus to today's tv hair adverts: 'because you're worth it', while the humorist David Sedaris uses his own life and loves as the focus of his writing.
Producer: Katy Hickman.
MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b03yqrhy)
The Unexpected Professor
Episode 1
From Biggles to bee-keeping, John Carey threads together the chapters of his life in books - taking in politics, social history and the skirmishes of academia along the way.
Vignettes of pre-war Hammersmith and Barnes accompany affectionate accounts of Saturday jobs which he was expected to do to compensate the household for staying on at school.
The book is also partly a tribute to the grammar school system. He skewers the snobbishness of Oxford in the 50s but also gives us endearing portraits of the writers and scholars he met and was taught by - including Graves, Larkin and Heaney.
Later in his life, his politics and his sometimes controversial cultural criticism take centre stage, producing a commentator who is not afraid to move between genres and labels, always saying something refreshing and frequently unexpected.
Episode 1
Family fortunes had dwindled into a genteel memory of former wealth by the time the young Carey was born in pre-war south London.
Read by Nicholas Farrell
Abridged and directed by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b03z91wy)
Michelle Collins; Sheila Jeffreys on prostitution; Grand National
Jane Garvey talks to Michelle Collins about East Enders, Coronation Street and her autobiography
The UN special rapporteur on violence against women arrives in the UK today - he hear what women will be telling her and what she'll be talking to MPs about.
Journalist Sally Williams tells us about the impact that small numbers of female police officers are having in Afghanistan.
There's discussion with Professor Sheila Jeffreys and Dr Jackie West about how different countries deal with prostitution and what we might learn.
And Rebecca Curtis, the trainer of race horse TeaForThree will be talking about his chances in the Grand National.
Presenter: Jane Garvey
Producer: Ruth Watts.
MON 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b03z91x0)
Soloparentpals.com
I Do Like to B and B
SOLOPARENTPALS.COM by Sue Teddern
Episode 1. I Do Like To B and B
With their wedding imminent and a nascent B and B business things should be looking up for singleparents Rosie and Tom.
Director: David Hunter.
MON 11:00 The Enfield Thunderbolt (b03jsrm8)
Episode 1
Peter Curran has bought the 40 year old remains of a piece of motoring history. The Enfield 8000 was a prototype electric car built in the early 1970s at the height of the energy crisis, when the British Government feared that the country would grind to a halt at the hands of the oil producing nations of the world.
The car was the result of a secret deal brokered between a Greek shipping billionaire and the Electricity Boards, and was aimed at creating a revolution in the way we thought about transportation.
The Enfield 8000 was shorter than a Mini but had bold styling and came in a range of classic 70's shades. It was powered by four giant tractor batteries and applied the latest electrical circuitry to control the car. It had no gear stick, just a tiny toggle switch which flicked it instantly from forward to reverse. Just over a hundred vehicles were produced, and enthusiastic early owners talked about its delicate handling, impressive pick up speed and natty aero-dynamics.
Peter Curran tells the first of a two-part story of this ground-breaking British car and tries to breathe life into his 40 year old Enfield for one final challenge.
Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in November 2013.
MON 11:30 Agatha Christie - Ordeal by Innocence (b03z91x2)
Episode 3
Now Philip has been found dead, most of the family members now believe that Dr. Calgary was right when he said that their late mother's killer is still amongst them and everyone is on their guard.
MON 12:00 You and Yours (b03z91x4)
What happens to a stray dog when you hand it over to the council?
We take a closer look at the supermarket price war and ask out if the deals really are as good as we're being told. There are big changes on the ways to pay for care in older age. We'll be assessing the options. And new rules for payday lenders.
MON 12:57 Weather (b03z3h3l)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 13:00 World at One (b03z3h3n)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
MON 13:45 Five Hundred Years of Friendship (b03z91x6)
Felons and Oddfellows
As the nature and depth of our friendships comes under scrutiny in an era of Social Networking, a timely history of friendship over the centuries.
Dr Thomas Dixon traces the idea of friendship as a form of practical self-help back to the Friendly Societies of the 18th and 19th centuries. At their peak, there were 9000 of these grass-roots institutions - many with quaint, archaic names, such as The Manchester Unity of Oddfellows - and it is estimated that 40% of the adult male population belonged to one - mobilising the power of friendship in a sort of forerunner of the Welfare State.
The importance of the idea of friendship emerges through the colourful vocabulary of friendship in the period - from cronies, trumps and bloaters to culliles, marrows and rib-stones, and the more familiar, chums and pals.
With contributions from Dr Helen Rogers and Professor Hugh Cunningham.
Producer: Beaty Rubens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2014.
MON 14:00 The Archers (b03z3lhs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Drama (b03z91x8)
Chiwawa
by Melissa Murray
When a writer is discovered to have written scathing reviews of his rivals' work his wife persuades their young assistant to take the blame - with unexpected consequences.
Directed by Marc Beeby
Writers have historically attacked their rivals' work - sometimes their friends' work - via anonymous reviews. But the internet has taken the practice to a whole level. Serious reputable people have been found guilty of slating fellow writers' work, or writing grotesquely self-praising pieces, and publishing these remarks in some very public places. And they are just the ones who got caught...
MON 15:00 Brain of Britain (b03z9gtg)
(17/17)
The four competitors who have come through heats and semi-finals unscathed now face each other in the 2014 Final - with the 61st annual Brain of Britain title at stake.
Russell Davies asks the questions in what promises to be a nail-biting contest between four of the brightest and most determined quizzing minds in Britain. As usual the questions fall entirely at random, and the only rule is that a contestant's turn is over once he or she has answered five correctly in a row.
There's also the usual interval in which the Brains pool their knowledge to tackle a pair of questions as a team rather than as rivals - and, by tradition, the questions for the Final have been set by the reigning Brain of Britain champion.
The programme comes from the BBC Radio Theatre in London.
Producer: Paul Bajoria.
MON 15:30 The Food Programme (b03z3l4f)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
MON 16:00 Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics (b03z9gmm)
Series 1
Sophocles
A fresh look at the ancient world.
Natalie Haynes, critic, writer and reformed stand-up comedian, brings the ancient world entertainingly up to date. In each of the four programmes she profiles a figure from ancient Greece or Rome and creates a stand-up routine around them. She then goes in search of the links which make the ancient world still very relevant in the 21st century.
Episode 2: Sophocles invents modern drama with Oedipus the King. Spoiler alert! – it doesn't end well. This episode includes handy hints on how to get in the mood for a classical tragedy (bring a bottle.) With Professor Edith Hall, poet and playwright Frank McGuinness and TV critic Andrew Collins.
Producer Christine Hall
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2014.
MON 16:30 Beyond Belief (b03z9gmp)
Indian Elections
India is about to go to the polls. 788 million people are eligible to vote in the world's largest democracy. The role of regional, local and caste-based parties is important in Indian politics where Governments tend to rule by coalition, but this election is being represented as an epic struggle between the Indian National Congress party and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by the controversial figure of Narendra Modi, a Hindu Nationalist.
Joining Ernie Rea to discuss the role of religious nationalism in Indian politics are William Gould, Professor of Indian History at the University of Leeds, Atreyee Sen, lecturer in Contemporary Religion and Conflict at the University of Manchester, and Zoya Hasan formerly Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University and currently National Fellow of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR).
Producer: Amanda Hancox, Rosie Dawson.
MON 17:00 PM (b03z9gmr)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03z3h3q)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 18:30 Just a Minute (b03z9gmt)
Series 68
Episode 8
In the last edition this series, the panellists attempting to speak for 60 seconds without hesitation, repetition & deviation are Miles Jupp, Paul Merton, Graham Norton and relative newcomer Holly Walsh.
They do so, as always, under the chairmanship of Nicholas Parsons.
Subjects include 'A Shotgun Wedding' and 'Personal Hygiene in the Tenth Century'
Producer: Tilusha Ghelani.
MON 19:00 The Archers (b03z9gmw)
Shula and Jennifer are discussing Ruth's miscarriage as Brian arrives. To Jennifer's dismay, he has invited Rob and Adam for lunch.
As the men chat, Jennifer takes a call from Lilian inviting her on a ladies only holiday to the Canaries. She tells Adam that it seems unfair to go while Brian is so busy but Adam says she must. Jennifer also needs to tell Brian about Ruth but he is far too busy to talk.
Arriving home on Topper, Shula meets Dan who has been out running before dashing off to Felpersham. Shula wonders why he is suddenly so keen on keeping fit. Later Dan returns with new clothes and aftershave.
Rob asks Ian if they are okay after the events of Tom's stag do. He insists he didn't have an issue with the gay club that Adam took them to but Adam doesn't believe him. He is uneasy at Rob's delight at Kenton's unfortunate experience.
Brian is busy going through paperwork and figures. Jennifer has eventually managed to tell him about her planned holiday and now reveals that Ruth has had a miscarriage. Finally Brian listens and puts his paperwork down. What dreadful news. Jennifer's heart goes out to Ruth and David.
MON 19:15 Front Row (b03z9gn0)
Noah; Rachel Seiffert; Royal Opera House season launch; Phyllida Barlow
With John Wilson
Director Darren Aronofsky's latest film, Noah, is a contemporary take on the Hollywood biblical epic - starring Russell Crowe as the Old Testament patriarch who organises the construction of a vast ship, and Anthony Hopkins as his grandfather, Methuselah. However, Aronofsky's Noah is no saint, but a flawed husband and father. Briony Hanson, the British Council's Director of Film, reviews.
Rachel Seiffert's latest novel, The Walk Home, looks at sectarian tensions in Glasgow through the eyes of Stevie, a young worker on a building site, and - a generation back - Lindsey, his Irish mother who left her family to run her own life and Stevie's uncle Eric, who ran away for love. Rachel herself is half-German, and talks to John about family tensions.
Alex Beard discusses his first season launch in his role as Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House. Having spent six months in the role he discusses creative plans - which includes seven opera and ballet world premieres - and the challenges that lie ahead.
The sculptor Phyllida Barlow shows John Wilson her latest work, dock 2014, which has been commissioned for the Tate Britain's Duveen Galleries. The artwork is made up of seven different sculptures and is inspired by the Tate's location by the river Thames. Phyllida Barlow discusses creating vast sculptures from everyday materials and directing a team of expert riggers to install her work.
Produced by Ella-mai Robey.
MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b03z91x0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
MON 20:00 Stories in Sound (b03z9gn8)
Clearing the Air
Ten years ago, Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in the workplace. On 29 March 2004, the air cleared in Ireland's bars, restaurants and other buildings - and there was hardly any backlash. The pub-loving nation became the model for a global health revolution. In the decade since, countries across the world have passed smoke-free laws of their own. In this programme, the BBC's former Ireland Correspondent Denis Murray looks at the impact of this type of anti-smoking legislation across Europe - and considers the future of tobacco.
Denis's journey begins in Dublin, where he recalls how radical a move the smoking ban was at the time. His old haunt, Mulligan's bar, used to be memorable for its blue, reeking fug. And the success of the ban in Ireland made international news - leading other countries to follow suit.
So Denis travels to two very contrasting cities to compare attitudes to smoking ten years on.
The Czech Republic has the most liberal smoking laws in the European Union. In Prague, going to a bar can feel like stepping back in time - many of them permit smoking.
France, so long synonymous with romantic movies featuring characters speaking to each other through clouds of smoke, has followed Ireland's lead and banned smoking in public places. Paris is a city with a fascinating relationship with tobacco - where the debate is often about philosophy as much as science.
In a journey across three countries, with a cast list of doctors, politicians and businesspeople - with the odd musician and philosopher thrown in - "Clearing the Air" poses and answers many questions about the effect which smoke-free laws are having on health and society.
Producer: Chris Page.
MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (b03yqj39)
Syria: The Silent Enemy
There's a silent enemy at work in the civil war in Syria and it's threatening the lives of young children. The war has placed the country's health system under intense pressure and in certain areas vaccination programmes against a range of preventable diseases have not taken place. In October 2013 the Syrian Ministry of Health verified the first polio case in 15 years. Now there are 25 laboratory confirmed cases in the country with another 13 confirmations pending. With the huge movement of populations across regional borders there are fears that polio, along with other infectious diseases, is spreading. In March UNICEF announced a massive polio vaccination campaign for the whole region. For Crossing Continents Tim Whewell travels to the Turkish border and to Lebanon to talk to the doctors and health care workers struggling to cope with a growing crisis.
MON 21:00 The Great Global Warming Gold Rush (b03ynf5n)
The most convincing evidence that someone really believes something is when they are willing to risk their own money on it. Businesses around the world are doing just that; betting that they can profit from the effects of climate change. Justin Rowlatt meets the entrepreneurs who believe there is money to be made from the world's changing climate.
Producer: Sandra Kanthal.
MON 21:30 Start the Week (b03z8ynt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:58 Weather (b03z3h3s)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b03z9j9n)
George Osborne says he'll aim for full employment.
French PM resigns after poor election results.
Should we adapt to climate change instead of trying to stop it?
With Roger Hearing.
MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b03z9j9q)
Unexploded
Episode 1
A tale of love, art and prejudice set in wartime Brighton.
"Fear was an infection - airborne, seaborne - rolling in off the Channel, and although no one spoke of it, no one was immune to it. Fifty miles of water was a slim moat to an enemy that had taken five countries in two months, and Brighton, regrettably, had for centuries been hailed as an excellent place to land."
In May 1940, Geoffrey and Evelyn Beaumont and their Philip, anxiously await news of invasion on the beaches of Brighton. Geoffrey, a banker, becomes Superintendent of the internment camp on the edge of town while Evelyn is gripped first by fear and then quiet but growing desperation.
A discovery widens a fault-line in family life.
Episode 1:
With Brighton braced for an imminent invasion on its beaches, Geoffrey comes home with some shattering news.
Alison MacLeod lives in Brighton. She was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award in 2011 and her story 'Solo, A Capella', about the Tottenham riots, featured in the Radio 4 series 'Where Were You ...' in 2012. Her previous works include The Changeling and The Wave Theory of Angels. Unexploded was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2013. Alison is Professor of Contemporary Fiction at the University of Chichester.
Reader: Emma Fielding
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 23:00 Short Cuts (b03f9dbr)
Series 4
The Fear
Josie Long gets scared as she presents a sequence of frightening mini documentaries.
From the sound of fear to the feel of terror, we hear the story of a sleepwalking menace stalking through an American summer camp late at night and tales of how the young David O'Doherty was terrorised by his older brother.
Producer: Eleanor McDowall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
The items featured in the programme are:
Dead Man's Hand
Feat. David O'Doherty
Prod. Sophie Black
Welcome to the Inn
Feat. Wolfgang Georgsdorf
Prod. Phil Smith
The Casserole
Music by Cabinet of Living Cinema featuring Zac Gvirtzman
Prod. Sarah Cuddon
Die
From the podcast Random Tape
Prod. David Weinberg
Wilder
Feat. Dave Benson
Prod. Sophie Black.
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (b03z9j9s)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster.
TUESDAY 01 APRIL 2014
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b03z3h60)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b03yqrhy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03z3h62)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03z3h64)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03z3h66)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b03z3h68)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b03zqvlx)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Dr Janet Wootton.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b03z9jxx)
Climate change report, Lab closures, Broiler chickens
The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released its latest report. It warns that the effects of a changing climate are likely to be 'severe, pervasive and irreversible'. They include a higher risk of floods, and changes to crop yields and water availability. But some have criticised the report for being too negative and alarmist. We ask what the changes may mean for agriculture.
Two animal health laboratories close their doors today, as part of cuts to animal health surveillance in the UK. The labs at Luddington in Warwickshire and Preston in Lancashire are among those affected by the decision to shut down half the UK's animal health labs. The Royal College of Pathologists, backed by the British Veterinary Association, is calling for a review of the decision.
And it's estimated that 60 billion broiler chickens are produced globally every year, with increasing demand for meat from emerging economies like China leading to changes in the way chicken meat is produced. Farming Today talks to the president of the American company Cobb, which is the biggest supplier of chicken in the world.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Emma Campbell.
TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03z9k44)
Woodcock
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Kate Humble presents the woodcock. Woodcocks are waders, thickset, long-billed, and superbly camouflaged. On the woodland floor, where they hide by day, their rust, fawn and black plumage conceals them among the dead leaves of winter. Often the first sign that they're about is a blur of russet and a whirr of wings as a woodcock rises from almost under your feet and twists away between the tree-trunks.
TUE 06:00 Today (b03z9k46)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (b03z9k48)
Veronica van Heyningen
Charles Darwin described the eye as an 'organ of extreme perfection and complication'. How this engineering marvel of nature forms out of a few cells in the developing embryo has been the big question for Veronica van Heyningen, emeritus professor at the MRC's Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
Veronica is a world lead in the genetics of the development of the eye. She tells Jim Al Khalili about her part in the discovery of a gene called Pax-6 which turned to be a master builder gene for the eye, in all animals which have eyes - from humans to fruit flies.
As she explains, further research on this gene may eventually help people with the genetic vision impairment, Aniridia. It was Veronica's research on patients with this condition which led to the gene's final discovery. She tells Jim about why it's important for scientists to engage in public discussion on the ethical implications of their work.
Veronica also talks about her arrival in Britain as an 11 year old. Her family escaped from communist Hungary in 1958. Both of her Jewish parents had been sent to Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War.
TUE 09:30 One to One (b03zb49p)
Jane Hill meets Caroline Harding
BBC presenter Jane Hill's father and uncle both lived with Parkinson's disease and, in the first of two programmes about people from families with inherited genetic disorders, she meets Caroline Harding. Caroline talks about her decision whether or not to have her second and third children tested after her first child was born with the rare condition HED (hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia).
Producer: Sally Heaven.
TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b03yqrk2)
The Unexpected Professor
Episode 2
From Biggles to bee-keeping, John Carey threads together the chapters of his life in books - taking in politics, social history and the skirmishes of academia along the way.
Vignettes of pre-war Hammersmith and Barnes accompany affectionate accounts of Saturday jobs which he was expected to do to compensate the household for staying on at school.
The book is also partly a tribute to the grammar school system. He skewers the snobbishness of Oxford in the 50s but also gives us endearing portraits of the writers and scholars he met and was taught by - including Graves, Larkin and Heaney.
Later in his life, his politics and his sometimes controversial cultural criticism take centre stage, producing a commentator who is not afraid to move between genres and labels, always saying something refreshing and frequently unexpected.
Episode 2
Rummaging in the study produced not just books but bullets too.
Read by Nicholas Farrell
Abridged and directed by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b03zb49t)
Courtney Love; game changing politics; Lauren Owen
Courtney Love is back with a new single and will be touring Britain next month. Since her band Hole first came to fame in the early 1990s, Courtney Love has been a controversial and striking figure. She's known, of course, as the widow of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain. But as she approaches 50, has the former wild child grown up? She talks to Jane about her life, her music and what's next.
Lauren Owen's debut novel The Quick is a Gothic romp through Victorian London, sinister gentlemen's clubs and a decaying Yorkshire manor house. The 28-year-old writer, who has received accolades from Hilary Mantel and Kate Atkinson, spent her teenage years honing her skills on Harry Potter fan fiction sites and joins Jane to talk about her fascination with the supernatural.
81-year-old Pauline Oliveros is an American improvisor, accordionist and composer who is considered a pioneer of electronic classical music in 20th century America. This evening she will direct a real-time improvised performance linking musicians in Stanford (California), Troy (New York) and Montreal - her first from the UK with the Birmingham Conservatoire.
As Britain's only female Prime Minister, Baroness Thatcher who died nearly a year ago, achieved a record that looks unlikely to be beaten in the near future. But was she a political game changer? Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston and Labour activist and commentator Emma Burnell join Jane Garvey to talk about how far Margaret Thatcher altered the political landscape. With the reveal of Woman's Hour's Power List 2014 just a week away, they'll also discuss who's doing what to game change politics today, not just to get more women elected but who's helping foster a political culture that people really want to engage with.
TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b03zb49w)
Soloparentpals.com
Flood Damage
SOLOPARENTPALS.COM by Sue Teddern
Episode 2. Flood Damage
Should Rosie be concerned? With days to go to the wedding Tom has decided to stay in the house of his ex-wife Ginny and help her with the flood damage.
Director: David Hunter.
TUE 11:00 The Enfield Thunderbolt (b03kp470)
Episode 2
Peter Curran has bought the 40 year old remains of a piece of motoring history. The Enfield 8000 was a prototype electric car built in the early 1970s at the height of the energy crisis, when the British Government feared that the country would grind to a halt at the hands of the oil producing nations of the world.
The car was the result of a secret deal brokered between a Greek shipping billionaire and the Electricity Boards, and was aimed at creating a revolution in the way we thought about transportation.
The Enfield 8000 was shorter than a Mini but had bold styling and came in a range of classic 70's shades. It was powered by four giant tractor batteries and applied the latest electrical circuitry to control the car. It had no gear stick, just a tiny toggle switch which flicked it instantly from forward to reverse. Just over a hundred vehicles were produced, and enthusiastic early owners talked about its delicate handling, impressive pick up speed and natty aero-dynamics.
Peter Curran concludes his story of this ground-breaking British car as he tries to breathe life into his 40 year old Enfield for one final challenge.
Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2013.
TUE 11:30 Soul Music (b03zb49y)
Series 18
Rhapsody in Blue
"I'm convinced it's the best thing ever written and recorded in the history of things written and recorded" - Moby.
Rhapsody in Blue was first heard exactly 90 years ago when it premiered on February 12, 1924, in New York's Aeolian Hall. Through its use at the opening of Woody Allen's 'Manhattan' it has become synonymous with the city that inspired its creation. But for people around the world, George Gershwin's "experiment in modern music" has become imbued with the most personal of memories.
LA based screen writer Charles Peacock reflects on how this piece has become entwined with his life and how, on an evening at the Hollywood Bowl this music "healed him". When Adela Galasiu was growing up in communist Romania, Rhapsody in Blue represented "life itself, as seen through the eyes of an optimist". For world speed champion Gina Campbell, the opening of that piece will forever remind her of the roar of the Bluebird's ignition as it flew through the "glass like stillness of the water" and brings back the memories of her father, the legendary Donald Campbell - it was played at his funeral when he was finally laid to rest decades after his fatal record attempt on Coniston Lake.
Featuring interviews with Professor of Music Howard Pollock and musician Moby.
TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b03zb4b0)
Call You and Yours: Buying on credit
The consumer credit market's getting a 'tough' new regulator who's promising swift penalties for any firm or individual found not to be putting consumers' interests first. The Financial Conduct Authority's intervention should mean more scrutiny for credit card issuers, hire purchase firms, pawnbrokers and payday lenders. Debt management and collection firms and even providers of debt advice are also part of its new remit.
So is it too hard or too easy now to get into debt? Are we still much too reliant on borrowing in our everyday lives? How can the new regulator wean us off the debts we can't afford and stamp out the worse practices in the industry? Perhaps you've been in trouble with money, perhaps you work for a lender and can give us an inside view?
Call us from
10am on Tuesday on 03700 100444
Email youandyours@bbc.co.uk; text 84844; #youandyours
Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Jon Douglas.
TUE 12:57 Weather (b03z3h6b)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 13:00 World at One (b03z3h6d)
Did the government lose the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds by underpricing Royal Mail shares? Shadow Business Secretary , Chukka Umunna says so .Tory backbencher , Nadhim Zahawi says the privatisation could have gone wrong if the price had been higher.How an Ebola outbreak took hold in Guinea . 80 people have died so far.A study suggests raising the recommended 5 a day daily intake for fruit and vegetables to 7 portions , with more veg than fruit , to ward off cancer.Chef Yotam Ottolenghi tells Martha Kearney how to do it with pleasure.Plus China's President,Xi Jinping invites a new closer relationship with the EU and Italy's latest Premier faces an uphill task to reform his country's economy.
TUE 13:45 Five Hundred Years of Friendship (b03zb4b2)
Education of the Heart
As the nature and depth of our friendships comes under scrutiny in an era of Social Networking, a timely history of friendship over the centuries.
Today, we tend to view friendships among children as a good thing, but in the 18th century, improving "conduct manuals" tended to warn children off friendship, seeing it as fraught with danger. In an era of large families, friendships among siblings were considered far safer.
Dr Thomas Dixon learns from the distinguished expert on the history of childhood, Professor Hugh Cunningham, how the reduction of family size and the spread of mass education in the 19th century began, inevitably to challenge this notion.
But the idea of the dangers of friendship for children persisted.
Thomas Dixon goes on to explore with children's literature specialist, Dr Matthew Grenby, how the classic school stories of the 19th century - from Matthew Arnold's Tom Brown's Schooldays to Angela Brazil's A Fourth Form Friendship - continued to provide moral advice about friendship, buried within their depiction of algebra, lacrosse and midnight feasts in the dorm.
Producer: Beaty Rubens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2014.
TUE 14:00 The Archers (b03z9gmw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama (b03zb4b4)
Silk: The Clerks' Room
Jake
By Mick Collins
Jake thinks that barristers' clerks and Italian-American gangsters are cut from the same cloth. They both demand loyalty, run people's lives and if you want your business to survive, you have to pay them a chunk of your earnings. In the first part of a series on based on the TV drama Silk, Jake inadvertantly continues the analogy, when he finds himself in the firing line after double-crossing Head Clerk Billy.
Based on the BBC1 series Silk created by Peter Moffat.
Executive producer: Hilary Salmon
Director: Sasha Yevtushenko.
TUE 15:00 Short Cuts (b03zb4b6)
Series 5
Waking Life
Josie Long presents a sequence of brief encounters, true stories and short documentaries in which the boundaries between 'real' life and dreaming blur.
From the addictive, perception-altering qualities of romantic love through to a surreal story about recording dreams. We hear from the legendary film editor and director Walter Murch about the dreamlike qualities of cinematic narratives and the psychologist Susan Blackmore's experience of looking down from the ceiling at her own body.
The items featured in the programme are:
Waking Life
Feat. Susan Blackmore
Prod. Sara Parker
Dreaming
Feat. Walter Murch
The Man Who Could Record Your Dreams
Prod. Bob Carlson
Originally broadcast on Unfictional
An extended version of this story can he found here: http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/uf/uf110909the_man_who_could_re
Last Words
Feat. Kester Brewin
Love is a Drug
Feat. Helen Fisher
Prod. Hana Walker Brown
Answer Machine
Found sound from Tape Findings
http://www.sweetthunder.org/tapes/
Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall
A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 15:30 Costing the Earth (b03zb4b8)
A Resilient World?
Following the publication of the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Tom Heap and a group of climate experts debate how nations and populations around the world will have to adapt and prepare for the effects of climate change in the coming decades.
Recent extreme weather events may suggest that the effects of climate change are beginning to show, so what can be done to mitigate the impact?
Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.
TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (b03zb4bb)
Creating Characters
Michael Rosen gathers a gaggle of writers and directors to discuss what makes a great character in a book, on the stage and on the radio. Recorded in front of an audience at Arnolfini Centre in Bristol, as part of Radio 4 Character Invasion Day.
Contributors: Andrew Hilton, Founder & Artistic Director of Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory.
Helen Cross, author of radio plays, novels and screenplays. Her first novel, My Summer of Love, became a BAFTA award winning feature film.
Paul Dodgson, writer and director of radio dramas, and also a composer and teacher.
Producer Beth O'Dea.
TUE 16:30 Great Lives (b03zb4bd)
Series 33
Evelyn Glennie on Jacqueline Du Pre
Evelyn Glennie, solo percussionist talks about her admiration for the cellist Jacqueline Du Pre with presenter Matthew Parris.
Producer: Perminder Khatkar
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2014.
TUE 17:00 PM (b03zb4bj)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03z3h6g)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 18:30 Down the Line (b00zshns)
Series 4
Episode 3
The return of the ground-breaking Radio 4 show, hosted by the legendary Gary Bellamy; brought to you by the creators of The Fast Show.
Down the Line stars Rhys Thomas as Gary Bellamy, with Simon Day, Felix Dexter, Charlie Higson, Lucy Montgomery and Paul Whitehouse,
Special guests are Lee Mack, Adil Ray and Fiona Whitehouse.
Producers: Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (b03zb7dk)
Rob is horrified to find that the wheels have been removed from his car. After Rob complains, Kenton has a visit from PC Burns. Kenton insists it was a joke, as retaliation for the stag night prank. Unimpressed PC Burns insists that the wheels are returned before seeing if Rob wants to take things further.
Rob is horrified at the state the wheels are in, as Kenton hid them in the pig field to try to implicate Jazzer. Kenton protests that there's no harm done, unlike his having to find his way back from Wales. He offers to put the wheels back on and they agree to draw a line under everything.
PC Burns meets Fallon, struggling with heavy bags. As they chat, he says that if ever Fallon hears noises in the night, she has his number.
David is at Felpersham station to meet Heather, Ruth's mum. Arriving back at Brookfield, he tells Ruth they have a visitor. Seeing her mum, Ruth finally breaks down.
As Ruth and her mum talk, Heather reveals that she herself had three miscarriages. Ruth admits that she has so many feelings that she doesn't know what to do with. Heather says she should just accept them. It will take time but Ruth and David will be fine.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (b03zb7dp)
Chris Chibnall, Viktoria Mullova; Honour; Pangaea
With John Wilson
Writer Chris Chibnall talks to John about his new play at the Salisbury Playhouse, Worst Ever Wedding, a comedy about a mother organising her daughter's wedding. Chris is best known for Broadchurch, the gripping TV series about a murder in a close community in Dorset. Chris discusses the step from writing heightened suspense to farcical comedy, and why featuring Dorset in his work is so important to him.
Author Kamila Shamsie reviews Shan Khan's directorial debut Honour, an urban thriller set in west London, starring Paddy Considine and Aiysha Hart. Mona is a young British Muslim girl on the run from her family after they find out about her relationship with a Punjabi boyfriend. In a bid to save their family honour, her mother and older brother hire a bounty hunter to help track Mona down.
Russian violinist Viktoria Mullova is widely recognised in classical music as one of the world's leading virtuosos and has recorded her first album of an eclectic range of Brazilian music - Stradivarius in Rio. She discusses her dramatic defection to the West in 1983, plus learning to improvise the music she played for her new album which was recorded in just two days, and with no rehearsals.
John visits Pangaea. Not the prehistoric supercontinent but the exhibition which hopes to reunite two of the continents which formed that landmass - Africa and South America - through contemporary art.
Produced by Ella-mai Robey.
TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b03zb49w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
TUE 20:00 The Country Formerly Known as London (b03zb7dr)
The year is 2030. What began as a whimsical notion, floated in the long aftermath of the banking crisis, has gathered steam as London powered ahead and the rest of Britain remained in perma-austerity. The campaign to break London and the southeast away from the rest of Britain has triumphed - like Singapore, London is now an independent city-state.
This new country has a population the size of Switzerland, and a banking industry just as dominant. Its population is among the most multicultural in the world. But the new country also has world-class problems - the highest inequality of any rich economy with simmering social tensions to match, and house prices so high that London's cleaners and baristas and firemen commute in from Hastings or further afield.
This programme is a despatch from the future, sketching out the contours of independent London in 2030 - an affluent country with more liberal attitudes, and far more diverse, transient population than Britain, but with a lopsided economy all too dependent on financial services and an increasingly hollowed-out society. The programme also serves as a parable about what could happen if Britain continues along an economic divide between London and the rest. What might the rest of the UK look like in 2030, if London continues to suck in the spending? 'When you pass Stevenage, it's like someone turned the lights out', we're told.
Presenter: Aditya Chakrabortty
Producer: Eve Streeter
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 20:40 In Touch (b03zb7dw)
Accessible websites; VIP Advisor
The European Parliament has voted in a draft law to make all public service websites accessible: what impact it will have in the UK?
Artur Ortega, a web developer, and Paul Warner, a trainer in assistive technology, share their views on whether encouraging social responsibility or more regulation will help to make websites more accessible to the software visually impaired people use such as screen reader technology and screen enlargement software. It is estimated that less than one third of Europe's public sector and government websites, and even less than 10 % of Europe's websites in general, are fully accessible.
VIP-advisor is a virtual repository on the internet where visually impaired people can record in audio, questions or responses to other people's views about visual impairment, and then upload them on the website Audioboo. Users can then browse and listen to advice, comments and debates. We speak to Paul Warner, who runs VIP-advisor about why he has set up this audio exchange of ideas.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Lee Kumutat
Editor: Andrew Smith
(Image: Peter White, Claire Randall and Ben, Paul Hopkins and Usher in the In Touch studio.).
TUE 21:00 Inside Health (b03zx7nd)
Care of the dying, Birdsong in GP surgeries, Sex development
With a replacement of the controversial Liverpool Care Pathway expected over the next few months Professor Keri Thomas, National Clinical Lead at the GSF Centre for End of Life Care, debates the need for change and calls for a more personalised care for the dying. And Inside Health examines differences in sex development, when it is unclear if a new born baby is a boy or a girl. Plus, does the environment of your GP's surgery increase or alleviate anxiety?
TUE 21:30 The Life Scientific (b03z9k48)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b03zb7f0)
NATO suspends co-operation with Russia over its actions in Ukraine
As Brazil prepares for the World Cup we have a special report on the country's transport links and infrastructure
Why five portions of vegetables and fruit a day is not enough - a French chef tells us how to change "meat and two veg" to "seven veg, no meat"
And should the taxpayer be paying for the BBC World Service?
The World Tonight with Roger Hearing.
TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b03zwyjv)
Unexploded
Episode 2
A tale of love, art and prejudice set in wartime Brighton.
"Fear was an infection - airborne, seaborne - rolling in off the Channel, and although no one spoke of it, no one was immune to it. Fifty miles of water was a slim moat to an enemy that had taken five countries in two months, and Brighton, regrettably, had for centuries been hailed as an excellent place to land."
In May 1940, Geoffrey and Evelyn Beaumont and their Philip, anxiously await news of invasion on the beaches of Brighton. Geoffrey, a banker, becomes Superintendent of the internment camp on the edge of town while Evelyn is gripped first by fear and then quiet but growing desperation.
A discovery widens a fault-line in family life.
Episode 2:
After a difficult evening and a restless night, Geoffrey wakes up hoping to reconcile with Evelyn.
Alison MacLeod lives in Brighton. She was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award in 2011 and her story 'Solo, A Capella', about the Tottenham riots, featured in the Radio 4 series 'Where Were You ...' in 2012. Her previous works include The Changeling and The Wave Theory of Angels. Unexploded was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2013. Alison is Professor of Contemporary Fiction at the University of Chichester.
Reader: Emma Fielding
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:00 Shedtown (b03zb7f4)
Series 3
No Rules
The Shedists have fallen off the edge, abandoned ship; they're clinging to driftwood and floating out to sea.
A big, funny, daft poem to the sea. Not burdened by common sense or what's gone before; our Shedists spot a structure in the distance - and are swept up in a dream populated by a pier, no rules, and of course beds, to rest their heads, in brand new made-to-measure 'omnisheds'.
Narrated by Maxine Peake
Written and Directed by Tony Pitts
Music by Richard Hawley and Paul Heaton
Produced by Sally Harrison
A Woolyback production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (b03zb7f6)
The Business Secretary refuses to apologise over the privatisation of Royal Mail following criticism from a spending watchdog.
Vince Cable says he was right to be cautious over the share price. The National Audit Office says too much emphasis was put on rushing the sale, at the expense of value for money. Labour's spokesman, Chuka Umunna, says the sale was "a first-class disaster".
The Health Secretary comes under fire on the first anniversary of the coalition's controversial shake-up of the health service in England.
The Commons debates the Bill which will put the Budget into law.
Representatives of the Police Federation face MPs.
And the House of Lords considers the Government's immigration plans.
Susan Hulme and team report on today's events in Parliament.
WEDNESDAY 02 APRIL 2014
WED 00:00 Midnight News (b03z3h7c)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b03yqrk2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03z3h7f)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03z3h7h)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03z3h7k)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (b03z3h7m)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b03zqvnj)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Dr Janet Wootton.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (b03zbtzx)
Mastitis, Strawberries, Bats
Bovine mastitis, a painful infection of the cow's udder, is estimated to cost the UK dairy industry around £200 million a year. As part of the government's new £70 million Agritech Strategy, researchers from the University of Nottingham, along with a team of vets from Quality Milk Management Services in Somerset, will look at ways to reduce the number of cases in our dairy herds.
Anna Hill visits a fruit grower who hopes to be growing strawberries for the Christmas table. Christopher Andrew-Batchelor in Essex has 3 hectares of glasshouses providing 200 tonnes of strawberries. He's planning to extend their growing season by growing the fruit under LED lights.
And as Farming Today continues to look at the chicken industry, Sarah Swadling visits a chicken farmer in Somerset. According to the British Poultry Council, around 875 million chickens are farmed for meat in the UK every year.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Lucy Bickerton.
WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03zbtzz)
Black Grouse
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Kate Humble presents the story of the black grouse. A black grouse lek is one of Nature's spectacles. Charged with testosterone, the males, known as 'black cocks', compete on 'jousting lawns' for the females or grey hens. Fanning their lyre-shaped tails and displaying a flurry of white undertail feathers, the males rush towards their rivals with harsh scouring sneezes and bubbling cries, known as 'roo-kooing'.
WED 06:00 Today (b03zbv01)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Midweek (b03zbv03)
Steve Hewlett, Jamie Andrew, Ayo, Philip Walling
Libby Purves meets ventriloquist Steve Hewlett; mountaineer Jamie Andrew; singer and songwriter Ayo and former sheep farmer turned barrister Philip Walling.
Steve Hewlett is a comedian and ventriloquist. A ventriloquist since the age of 12, his dummies include Arthur Lager; Simon Cowell and Sinitta and a lamb called Lamb Shank. In 2006 he became the new voice of Archie Andrews - at one time the nation's favourite dummy whose radio programme, Educating Archie, attracted 15m listeners in the 1950s. Steve is touring the UK with his show Thinking Inside The Box.
Jamie Andrew is a mountaineer who lost his hands and feet to frostbite after being stranded in a blizzard in the Alps 15 years ago. His close friend and climbing partner died on the mountain. With the help of physiotherapy and prosthetics Jamie learned how to walk again and returned to mountaineering. The documentary The Limbless Mountaineer follows Jamie's progress as he attempts to climb the Matterhorn. The Limbless Mountaineer is broadcast on Channel 5.
Ayo Ogunmakin is a singer and songwriter. Born in Cologne to a Nigerian father and Romanian Gypsy mother, her childhood was spent in foster homes after her parents divorced and her mother became a heroin addict. Her father, a part time DJ, introduced Ayo to music from an early age. Her new album Ticket To The World is released on Wrasse Records.
Philip Walling is a former sheep farmer who worked as barrister for over 30 years. In his new book, Counting Sheep, he pays homage to his farming roots. The book focuses on the role of sheep in the history of the British countryside and Philip writes about some of the 60 native breeds that thrive in the UK, exploring their past and future. Counting Sheep - A Celebration of the Pastoral Heritage of Britain is published by Profile Books.
Producer: Paula McGinley.
WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b03yn669)
The Unexpected Professor
Episode 3
From Biggles to bee-keeping, John Carey threads together the chapters of his life in books - taking in politics, social history and the skirmishes of academia along the way.
Vignettes of pre-war Hammersmith and Barnes accompany affectionate accounts of Saturday jobs which he was expected to do to compensate the household for staying on at school.
The book is also partly a tribute to the grammar school system. He skewers the snobbishness of Oxford in the 50s but also gives us endearing portraits of the writers and scholars he met and was taught by - including Graves, Larkin and Heaney.
Later in his life, his politics and his sometimes controversial cultural criticism take centre stage, producing a commentator who is not afraid to move between genres and labels, always saying something refreshing and frequently unexpected.
Episode 3
National Service in Egypt was an odd sort of prelude to an Oxford degree.
Read by Nicholas Farrell
Abridged and directed by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b03zbv07)
The Crimson Field; Intersectionality; Caroline Murphy; Suffragette census boycott
Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, the woman who coined the term intersectionality, tells us why feminism can't ignore race.
WW1 drama The Crimson Field - the story of frontline medics at one of the biggest war hospitals in Northern France. We talk to the writer and creator Sarah Phelps.
Heiress Caroline Murphy tells us why she's resigned from the board of The Murphy Group - the company set up by her father.
If women did not count, then they would refuse to be counted! In her new book Vanishing for the Vote, Jill Liddington talks about the suffragette boycott of the 1911 census.
And the politics of parties when you're not invited. Sue Elliott-Nicholls on why some us find it hard to get over feeling left out.
Presenter: Jenni Murray
Producer: Karen Dalziel.
WED 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b03zbv09)
Soloparentpals.com
It's a Family Affair
SOLOPARENTPALS.COM by Sue Teddern
Episode 3. It's a Family Affair
Rosie and Tom have started running a B & B business in his mother's house. However, they haven't told her and her arrival for their wedding is imminent.
Director: David Hunter.
WED 11:00 Rockets in the Desert (b03zbv0c)
At a desolate airfield in the Mojave Desert, a group of entrepreneurs, engineers and rocket scientists is attempting to build a new industry of private spaceflight and exploration.
Some are calling the small town of Mojave the Silicon Valley of space. Others compare what is happening here with Kitty Hawk and the early days of the aviation industry.
Space journalist Richard Hollingham goes inside the workshops and hangars at the Mojave Air and Space Port, where he discovers rockets, space planes and a culture where risk is encouraged.
Richard talks to Virgin Galactic and tours the sixty-year old wooden hangar of lesser-known rivals, XCOR. Both companies are hoping to fly tourists into space. He sees the unremarkable shed where a new lunar lander is taking shape and meets the locals who are pinning their hopes on rocket scientists to revive the depressed local economy.
If the projects being developed in this small desert town are successful, they could ultimately transform access to space and make a difference to all our lives.
Producer: John Watkins
A Boffin Media production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in April 2014.
WED 11:30 Gloomsbury (b03zby85)
Series 2
Anarchy Looms Over Staplehurst
Talk of a General Strike is in the air as Lionel and Ginny Fox pay a visit to Sizzlinghurst Castle to see Vera Sackcloth-Vest and Henry Mickleton.
Green-fingered Sapphist Vera Sackcloth-Vest shares a bijou castle in Kent with her devoted husband Henry, but longs for exotic adventures with nervy novelist Ginny Fox and wilful beauty Venus Traduces. It's 1921, the dawn of modern love, life and lingerie, but Vera still hasn't learnt how to boil a kettle.
Ginny is writing a new book and wants to pick Vera's brains about her aristocratic childhood. But all is not well. Henry thinks that Ginny is a bad influence on Vera because Ginny is so highly strung and Lionel thinks that Vera is too aristocratic and not socialist enough for Ginny.
Terrified that the oppressed people of Staplehurst will rise up and storm the castle, they flirt with a posh kind of socialism until the working class DH Lollipop pops in with his demi-mondaine Venus Traduces and tells them that he likes them just the way they are.
Producer: Jamie Rix
A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:00 You and Yours (b03zby87)
Smart meters, Olympic park reopens
Smart meters will be fitted to all of our homes by 2020 as the government pushes us to improve our energy efficiency and reduce our energy usage. Some of the biggest energy companies are already installing them and we find out how their customers are getting on. We'll also find out who is the most complained about energy company from you - our listeners. We've been through our email box.
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park reopens to the public this week for the first time since London 2012; we'll be there to see what's on offer.
As the birth rate in Denmark falls, we'll hear how one travel agency is incentivising customers to help it rise again.
Ash dieback (Chalara fraxinea) threatened forests and woodlands across the UK last year but as spring gets underway, did the winter help to kill it off and stop it spreading further?
Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Simon Browning.
WED 13:00 World at One (b03z3h7p)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
WED 13:45 Five Hundred Years of Friendship (b03zby89)
Darwin's Best Friend
Dr Thomas Dixon presents a timely history of the changing meaning and experience of friendship over the centuries.
Charles Darwin loved his dog and praised her in letters to friends as "the beloved and beautiful Polly". He believed that dogs shared qualities such as a sense of shame, honour and affection with humans, and wrote about them in The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.
It was in this era that dogs were, for the first time, given the title of "man's best friend".
Thomas Dixon traces the impact of Darwin's own relationship with animals on his theory of evolution, and compares it with his ideas about other, "savage" human beings, whom he encountered in Tierra Del Fuego, during his trip on the Beagle.
He also considers Darwin's deeply affectionate and intimate friendship with his fellow-scientist, Joseph Hooker, at a time when it is often believed men were disinclined towards displays of emotion.
With contributions from Emma Townshend, author of Darwin's Dogs, and Hooker expert Dr Jim Endersby.
Producer: Beaty Rubens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2014.
WED 14:00 The Archers (b03zb7dk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (b03zby8c)
The Great British Bridge Scandal
By Deborah Davis
It is 1965, at the World Bridge Championships in Buenos Aires, and the American team believe they have cracked a code. Could it be true that two British players are guilty of cheating?
Directed by Tracey Neale
The Story:
In 1965, at the World Bridge Championships in Buenos Aires, the American team led by Dorothy Hayden observed Britain's top players, Terence Reese and Boris Schapiro, using finger signals during bidding. Hayden cracked the code: the British pair were signalling the number of cards they held in their hearts suits. Ralph Swimer, Britain's non-playing Captain, was informed. He observed his team playing and confirmed Hayden's suspicions. They reported their findings to the World Bridge Federation. Reese and Schapiro were summoned to defend the accusations and chose to remain silent. The WBF found them guilty of cheating. Swimer conceded the championship on behalf of Great Britain. Reese and Schapiro returned to London, their international reputations destroyed.
But for the four participants, the drama had only just begun. The British Bridge League set up its own inquiry under Sir John Foster QC who imposed a criminal burden of proof; the prosecution was required to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Deborah Davis picks up the story as the case unfolds and the battle for the truth begins.
The Writer:
Deborah Davis, a qualified lawyer and freelance journalist, has written five plays for Radio 4 and a stage play, Court Pastoral, selected for the International Playwriting Festival. Her radio drama, Balance of Power, was selected for the Brit List in 2009 coming in joint 4th place. The script is now in film development.
WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b03zd3hx)
Paying for Childcare
Need help with childcare costs? Can tax credits or employer schemes help and what are the responsibilities of employing a nanny? Call 03700 100 444 from
1pm to
3.30pm on Wednesday or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk
Returning to work when you have a young family can be an emotional time and a tricky balancing act, with decisions about the type and cost of childcare to best suit your needs.
The Family and Childcare Trust say that a full-time nursery place for a child under two now costs over £9,000 a year. The expense could be eased if you claim help through tax credits or if you pay through an employer voucher or direct payment scheme.
If you'd prefer to employ a nanny you'll have to consider tax and national insurance, employment contracts and paid leave.
So what's the best option for you? To answer your questions and explain the rules, Ruth Alexander will be joined by:
Anand Shukla, Family and Childcare Trust.
Helen Harvey, Nannytax.
Anne Longfield, Chief Executive, 4Children
Whatever you want to discuss, call 03700 100 444 between
1pm and
3.30pm on Wednesday or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk now. Standard geographic charges apply.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: Diane Richardson.
WED 15:30 Inside Health (b03zx7nd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b03zd3hz)
Kissing; The British Hitman
Kissing - a cultural history. How do we make sense of the kiss and why did it become a vital sign of romance and courtship? Laurie Taylor talks to Marcel Danesi, Professor of Linguistic Anthropology about his new book 'The History of the Kiss' which argues that kissing was the first act of "free romance" liberated from the yoke of arranged unions. When the kiss first appeared in poetry and songs of the medieval period, it was as a desirable but forbidden act. Since then it has evolved into the quintessential symbol of love-making in the popular imagination. From early poems and paintings to current films, its romantic incarnation coincides with the birth of popular culture itself. They're joined by Karen Harvey, Reader in Cultural History at the University of Sheffield, who has studied the meaning of the kiss across different cultures and periods.
Also, hitmen for hire: David Wilson, Professor of Criminology, examined 27 cases of contract killing committed by 36 men (including accomplices) and one woman. Far from involving shadowy, organised criminals, the reality of killing for cash turned out to be surprisingly mundane.
Producer: Jayne Egerton.
WED 16:30 The Media Show (b03zd3j1)
Local TV in Norwich and London; Johnston Press; Mail on Sunday's Scoop of the Year
Local TV's come to Norwich and London, in the shape of Mustard TV and London Live. They are two very different stations, with Mustard TV being closer to what may be available in dozens of towns and cities in the coming 18 months. They follow the launch of Humber TV at the end of last year. Mustard's MD Fiona Ryder and London Live's launch director, Jane Mote, discuss the challenges ahead.
Johnston Press has increased its operating profit for the first time in 7 years, though overall losses are substantial. Chief Executive Ashley Highfield tells Steve why he believes the business "is no longer on the glide path to oblivion."
And the Mail on Sunday's editor, Geordie Greig, explains how he handled the "Crystal Methodist" story that won his paper the scoop of the year at last night's Press Awards.
Presenter: Steve Hewlett
Producer: Simon Tillotson.
WED 17:00 PM (b03zd3j3)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news. Including Weather at
5.57pm.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03z3h7r)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 18:30 Susan Calman Is Convicted (b03zd3j5)
Series 2
Children
In a new series for Radio 4, Susan Calman explores issues on which she has strong opinions. This week, she explains that she has never been interested in having children, and why they frighten her.
Produced by Lyndsay Fenner.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2014.
WED 19:00 The Archers (b03zd3j7)
Lynda and Neil discuss the May Day celebrations. Christopher arrives in his van, with the cross for the passion play strapped to the roof. Lynda hadn't realised that the production was so ambitious.
Shula and Jill tidy the garden at Glebe Cottage. It's strange being there after so long but Jill's sure it won't take long to settle in once she's back. They discuss Ruth's miscarriage. Shula remembers her own ectopic pregnancy and months of IVF. Jill says she should be very proud of Dan. Shula wonders if the reason for his fitness regime and new aftershave is a girlfriend.
Later, at Jubilee Field, Shula and Jill chat to Lynda as Chris, Neil and Jazzer prepare to practice raising the cross. Jazzer has only agreed to help to impress Alisha, the props girl. As they start to lift the cross, he is distracted by her. The cross topples and falls, landing on Barry's foot!
Barry's foot is broken and he won't be able to play Jesus. But, as Neil points out, Chris has been to rehearsals and has a beard. He's perfect for the leading role. He can be the one who saves the day.
WED 19:15 Front Row (b03zd3j9)
Kate Winslet; The Trip to Italy; Timur Vermes; Lord of the Flies
On Front Row tonight Kirsty Lang talks to Kate Winslet about her new film Divergent - aimed at young adults she plays an arch villain in a dystopian future and she explains why making the film made her feel old; and Kirsty meets German author Timur Vermes who's written a best-selling satire depicting Hitler as a present day celebrity after awakening from a 66-year sleep in 2011.
There's a review of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's new tv series The Trip to Italy and we go backstage at rehearsals for Matthew Bourne's new dance production of Lord of the Flies in Salford.
Plus - as a rail design exhibition opens at the National Railway Museum in York and RIBA shortlists entrants in their aesthetic overhead line structures competition, we consider the design of rail-gantries past and present.
Producer : Dymphna Flynn.
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b03zbv09)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
WED 20:00 Would That Work Here? (b03zd3jc)
Estonian E-Democracy
In a new series of thought-provoking debates, Claire Bolderson looks at something another country does well, or differently, and asks whether it could work here.
The last few decades have seen declining participation in the electoral process, particularly among the younger generation. Only 44% of 18-24 year-olds voted in 2010 compared with 76% of over 65s, and the Hansard Society is predicting it could be as low as 12% in the next election. Could adopting an Estonian style e-democracy re-engage the population?
Estonia is credited with being the world's leading e-democracy, having embraced a determined policy of digitalisation, including electronic internet voting, as part of the push to make itself competitive in the 21st Century. The UK political system is positively antiquarian by comparison. What can the UK learn from the Estonian experience?
The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, recently suggested the UK might follow suit, but what would be the advantages and disadvantages - and how much would it cost? Is our current system fit for purpose, or is it out of touch with the way we live now, already doing our shopping, banking, betting and much else online? Would digitalisation re-engage the young, or merely serve the established political elite?
The Estonian system relies on an ID card system. Would that be a barrier to our adoption of something similar? Could technology liberate us from a 19th Century political rut, or would we lay ourselves open to 21st Century problems of technology - fraud, insecurity and governmental control?
Produced by Jennie Walmsley and Ruth Evans
A Ruth Evans production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 20:45 Lent Talks (b03zd3jf)
Andrew Adonis
The Power and the Passion - Andrew Adonis on people power.
WED 21:00 Costing the Earth (b03zb4b8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
15:30 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 Midweek (b03zbv03)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 21:58 Weather (b03z3h7t)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b03zd3jh)
Nick vs Nigel round 2 - we'll have the latest from tonight's debate, a special report by Ritula Shah in Brazil, and air pollution warning - with Carolyn Quinn.
WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b03zx5jw)
Unexploded
Episode 3
A tale of love, art and prejudice set in wartime Brighton.
"Fear was an infection - airborne, seaborne - rolling in off the Channel, and although no one spoke of it, no one was immune to it. Fifty miles of water was a slim moat to an enemy that had taken five countries in two months, and Brighton, regrettably, had for centuries been hailed as an excellent place to land."
In May 1940, Geoffrey and Evelyn Beaumont and their Philip, anxiously await news of invasion on the beaches of Brighton. Geoffrey, a banker, becomes Superintendent of the internment camp on the edge of town while Evelyn is gripped first by fear and then quiet but growing desperation.
A discovery widens a fault-line in family life.
Episode 3:
Who is the other patient - hidden behind a screen - in the internment camp infirmary?
Alison MacLeod lives in Brighton. She was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award in 2011 and her story 'Solo, A Capella', about the Tottenham riots, featured in the Radio 4 series 'Where Were You ...' in 2012. Her previous works include The Changeling and The Wave Theory of Angels. Unexploded was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2013. Alison is Professor of Contemporary Fiction at the University of Chichester.
Reader: Emma Fielding
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:00 Helen Keen's It Is Rocket Science (b03zd3jk)
Series 3
Episode 1
A new series of Helen Keen's comic but scientifically accurate look at the science and history of space exploration.
This week's episode looks at how we might one day travel to Mars and beyond, and discusses the problems of long space voyages, with tips on a rather unsavoury way to stop cosmic rays and what to do if you feel like eating your crewmates.
Starring Helen Keen, Peter Serafinowicz and Susy Kane
Written by Helen Keen and Miriam Underhill
Produced by Gareth Edwards.
WED 23:15 Bunk Bed (b03zd5lx)
Series 1
Episode 1
Everyone craves a place where their mind and body are not applied to a particular task. The nearest faraway place. Somewhere for drifting and lighting upon strange thoughts which don't have to be shooed into context, but which can be followed like balloons escaping onto the air. Late at night, in the dark and in a bunk bed, your tired mind can wander.
This is the nearest faraway place for Patrick Marber and Peter Curran. Here they endeavour to get the heart of things in an entertainingly vague and indirect way. This is not the place for typical male banter. From under the bed clothes they play each other music from The Residents and Gerry Rafferty, archive of JG Ballard and Virginia Woolf. Life, death, work and family are their slightly warped conversational currency.
Writers/Performers:
PETER CURRAN is a publisher, writer and documentary maker. A former carpenter, his work ranges from directing films about culture in Africa, America and Brazil to writing and presenting numerous Arts and culture programmes for both radio and television.
PATRICK MARBER co-wrote and performed in On The Hour and Knowing Me, Knowing You..with Alan Partridge. His plays include Dealer's Choice, After Miss Julie, Closer and Don Juan in Soho. Marber also wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay for the film Notes on a Scandal.
Producer: Peter Curran.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b03zd5lz)
The controversial privatisation of Royal Mail dominates Prime Ministers' Question time . Sean Curran reports on who came off best in the Commons exchanges. Also on the programme. The latest in the row over so-called On The Runs in Northern Ireland. MPs discuss what lessons should be learned from the severe flooding in England this winter. And should folic acid be added to white bread?
THURSDAY 03 APRIL 2014
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b03z3h8s)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b03yn669)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03z3h8v)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03z3h8x)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03z3h8z)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b03z3h91)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b03zqvpc)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Dr Janet Wootton.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b03zdbqy)
Campylobacter, Fish wars, Dairy collaboration
The Campylobacter bacterium is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK, affecting almost half a million people every year. Undercooked chicken is significant source of the bug. The Food Standards Agency is already focussing on trying to reduce incidents of the disease, but targets for reduction still aren't being met. What are chicken farmers themselves doing to try to combat the problem?
Line fishermen in the South West will meet the Farming Minister George Eustice later today, to raise their concerns about the method of fishing called wreck netting - where fishermen place their nets over wrecks underwater. They say this type of fishing isn't sustainable, and make accusations of overfishing stocks such as pollock and cod, pushing prices down as a result and putting line-fishing under threat. But wreck netting fishermen say their way IS sustainable. Sybil Ruscoe hears from both sides of the argument.
And high levels of air pollution are expected again today. The dust contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. So could it act as a kind of fertilizer?
Presented by Sybil Ruscoe and produced by Emma Campbell.
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03zdbr0)
Willow Warbler
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Kate Humble presents the willow warbler. The first willow warblers return from Africa in late March. Willow warblers were once the commonest and most widespread summer migrant to the UK but in the last two decades numbers in the south and east of England have dropped by two thirds. Fortunately in Scotland, Ireland and the west, numbers seem to be holding up.
THU 06:00 Today (b03zdbr2)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (b03zdbr4)
States of Matter
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the science of matter and the states in which it can exist. Most people are familiar with the idea that a substance like water can exist in solid, liquid and gaseous forms. But as much as 99% of the matter in the universe is now believed to exist in a fourth state, plasma. Today scientists recognise a number of other exotic states or phases, such as glasses, gels and liquid crystals - many of them with useful properties that can be exploited.
With:
Andrea Sella
Professor of Chemistry at University College London
Athene Donald
Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Cambridge
Justin Wark
Professor of Physics and Fellow of Trinity College at the University of Oxford
Producer: Thomas Morris.
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b03yqj33)
The Unexpected Professor
Episode 4
From Biggles to bee-keeping, John Carey threads together the chapters of his life in books - taking in politics, social history and the skirmishes of academia along the way.
Vignettes of pre-war Hammersmith and Barnes accompany affectionate accounts of Saturday jobs which he was expected to do to compensate the household for staying on at school.
The book is also partly a tribute to the grammar school system. He skewers the snobbishness of Oxford in the 50s but also gives us endearing portraits of the writers and scholars he met and was taught by - including Graves, Larkin and Heaney.
Later in his life, his politics and his sometimes controversial cultural criticism take centre stage, producing a commentator who is not afraid to move between genres and labels, always saying something refreshing and frequently unexpected.
Episode 4
Reviewing television programmes meant having to acquire one.
Read by Nicholas Farrell
Abridged and directed by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b03zdbr8)
Friendship
Baroness Shirley Williams and Helge Rubinstein talk about their friendship that's spanned over 60 years.
How does society value female friendship? When Baroness Williams's mother Vera Brittain wrote Testament of Friendship about her close relationship with the author Winifred Holtby, she felt that female friendship had been "mocked, belittled and falsely interpreted." Dawn O'Porter and Baroness Williams discuss whether that's still the case today.
Losing a friend. Jane Plume on her best friend Gina and what it's been like since her death.
Presented by Jenni Murray
Produced by Laura Northedge.
THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b03zdbrb)
Soloparentpals.com
Rosie Loves Tim
SOLOPARENTPALS.COM by Sue Teddern
Episode 4. Rosie Loves Tim
With only two days to go to their wedding Tom's ex-wife Ginny has turned up on the doorstep.
Director: David Hunter.
THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b03zdbrd)
Ukraine: The Paper Trail to Corruption
When the former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych jumped into a helicopter and flew into hiding in mid-February, the Kiev protest movement that had opposed him flung open the gates of his abandoned estate.
Ordinary Ukrainians poured in to visit the 140-hectare grounds and to catch a first glimpse of the luxurious lifestyle Yanukovych had enjoyed at his country's expense. Many gawped at the extraordinary opulence from the gold fittings to the marble floors and the private zoo. But a group of journalists were more excited by a different kind of treasure floating in the nearby lake. Thousands of documents had been dumped in the water by staff when their boss fled. The papers contained proof - not just of Yanukovych's wildly extravagant tastes - but also of systematic bribery, corruption, nepotism and state sponsored violence.
Investigative reporters immediately realised these waterlogged documents could provide crucial evidence for future criminal proceedings. Anxious to preserve them, they worked around the clock painstakingly drying and sorting each sheet of paper. Since then other incriminating papers have been found around the Kiev's city centre. Lucy Ash talks to the journalists on the paper trail and asks why divers, archivists, lawyers, accountants and so many ordinary volunteers are eager to help them.
THU 11:30 A Tale of Two Theatres (b03zdbrg)
Mehmet Ergen is best known to UK theatre audiences as Artistic Director of London's Arcola Theatre. In this programme we learn that his pioneering work in Hackney is only half the story. We follow him to his Turkish homeland, post Gezi Park and post Arab Spring, caught between the Syrian conflict and EU aspirations; an emerging economy with freedom of speech still in jeopardy.
An Istanbul-born former DJ, Mehmet became the toast of London's theatre scene by creating venues- and careers- from scratch. In 2000 he transformed a derelict clothing factory in Dalston into a destination venue, twice recognised by the Peter Brook Empty Space Award. Not content to run 'a powerhouse of new work' (in the words of theatre critic Susannah Clapp) in his adopted city, he later opened its opposite number back in his hometown.
Tensions have been rising in Turkey between artists and politicians ever since the Prime Minister's daughter was mocked on stage, allegedly for wearing a headscarf to the Ankara State Theatre in 2011. In 2012, a performance of Chilean play Secret Obscenities was censored by Istanbul's Mayor Kadir Topbas. Prime Minister Erdogan then threatened to withdraw subsidies of up to 140 million Turkish Lira from approximately 50 venues, employing roughly 1500 actors, directors and technicians. Although wholesale privatisation has yet to be enacted, theatre companies openly opposed to Government tactics during 2013's Gezi Park protests promptly had their funding withdrawn.
Entrepreneurial expat Mehmet Ergen acts as our guide to this politically charged arts scene, as he negotiates national and cultural borders to stage work that is as unpretentious as it is provocative.
Produced by Kirsty McQuire
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:00 You and Yours (b03zdbrj)
Health and social care review, fake parking fines and handbags
Health and social care are urged to merge. A fake parking website sends out summons and handbags replace diamonds.
THU 12:57 Weather (b03z3h93)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (b03z3h95)
DEFRA suspends the badger cull rollout following a critical report by experts . NFU President Meurig Raymond tells Martha Kearney it's very bad news for dairy farmers . Culture Secretary , Maria Miller apologises to the Commons for obstructing an inquiry over inaccurate expenses claims she made on her home but the PM stands by her.As elections approach the Gandhi dynasty fades from Indian politics. The government begins moves to ban product packaging on cigarettes. And why schooling can't start early enough according to OFSTED.
THU 13:45 Five Hundred Years of Friendship (b03zdbrl)
Comrades and Lovers
Dr Thomas Dixon presents a timely history of the changing meaning and experience of friendship over the centuries
Drawing on the intriguingly ambiguous relationship of Frances Power Cobbe with Mary Lloyd and the more open relationship of Edward Carpenter with George Merrill, he explores the Victorian borderland between Platonic friendship and homosexual love.
Professor Barbara Caine discusses Frances Power Cobbe, the largely forgotten Anglo-Irish feminist and journalist, who wrote articles with titles such as, "The Woman Question", "What Shall We Do With Our Old Maids" and "Wife Torture in England". She explains how Cobbe reclaimed friendship for women after centuries of classical and renaissance assumptions that only men had a true capacity for it.
Dr Matt Cook tells the story of Edward Carpenter, whose own unconventional lifestyle and 1908 book, The Intermediate Sex, brought homosexual love out into the open and even introduced the contemporary notion, celebrated in tv series such as Will and Grace, of women enjoying having a "gay best friend".
Producer: Beaty Rubens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2014.
THU 14:00 The Archers (b03zd3j7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b013qzpj)
The Lighthouse
By Alan Harris.
It's 1801 and Lighthouse keepers Howell and Griffith are posted to 6 weeks on the Smalls - a desolate rock 20 miles off the Pembrokeshire coast. But the two men share a past. Because of what happens next, lighthouses would never again have only a crew of two. Based on a true story.
Directed by James Robinson.
THU 15:00 Open Country (b03zdc9x)
British Raj in the Peak District
We might think we know the Peak District quite well, but in reality it has many secrets and many stories still to tell, such as its connection with British Imperial India. Helen Mark travels with National Park Ranger Chamu Kuppuswamy as they discover the Indian heritage tucked amongst the wild hills of The Peak District National Park.
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b03z3ky4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Open Book (b03z3lbp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:00 The Film Programme (b03zdc9z)
Darren Aronofsky on Noah; Mark Cousins on Children and Film
With Francine Stock.
Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky discusses his controversial blockbuster about Noah, which has been loudly condemned by some religious groups in the United States.
Documentary film-maker Mark Cousins considers the history of kids in film and why he thinks children and cinema are made for each other.
In the year that Film 4 won the Oscar for Best Film with Twelve Years A Slave, the news that its controller Tessa Ross has decided to leave the job stunned the British film industry last week. Director Roger Michell, Charles Gant and Briony Hanson reflect upon her legacy and the impact that her departure will have on the business.
Kristin Scott-Thomas reveals how she got her big break and talks about the film that made her a star.
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (b03zddns)
Calorie Restriction; Moon Age; Mars Yard; IPCC.
Calorie restriction
Careful restriction of the number of calories eaten, without causing malnutrition, extends the lifespan of numerous organisms – from worms to mice – but whether it works in monkeys is controversial. Building on results from a long-running primate experiment, a team at the University of Wisconsin show a reduction in mortality, in response to caloric restriction. So there seem to be some benefits, but Tracey Logan asks if this can be applied to humans? And would we want to live longer on a tightly controlled diet?
Dating the Moon
New work by planetary scientists from France, Germany and the USA, has given the most accurate date yet for the birth of the moon. The Moon is believed to have formed out of debris from a massive collision with another Mars-sized planet. The date of this event has always been controversial as radioactive decay readings have produced wildly different results. But this clock uses a different approach, and rules out an early-forming moon. The later the moon formed, the less time for life to evolve.
Mars Yard
In 2016 Europe launches a mission to mars. ESA’s robotic rover will land on Mars in 2019, and in the meantime, needs to practice. To test it, scientists have recreated the surface of Mars, with 300 tonnes of sand. Reporter Sue Nelson went to Stevenage to play in the sandpit, for science.
IPCC
This week sees the most recent report from The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC. And the message is the same: the climate is changing as we continue to add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
Should we concentrate on adapting to climate change, rather than stopping it? Professor of Coastal Engineering at Southampton University, Robert Nicholls and Dr Rachel Warren of the UEA’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research discuss adaptation plans.
Producer: Fiona Roberts
THU 17:00 PM (b03zdfbb)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03z3h97)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 Cabin Pressure (b01l02j9)
Series 4
Timbuktu
Cabin Pressure is a sitcom about the wing and a prayer world of a tiny, one plane, charter airline; staffed by two pilots: one on his way down, and one who was never up to start with. Whether they're flying squaddies to Hamburg, metal sheets to Mozambique, or an oil exec's cat to Abu Dhabi, no job is too small, but many, many jobs are too difficult...
Episode 1:
Hooray hooray, it's Birling Day once more, where the crew traditionally swap their dignity for cash! But where have all the camels gone? And why is Arthur reading a book?
Written by John Finnemore
Produced and directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b03zdfbd)
Tom and Kirsty's wedding invitations have gone out with the wrong time. Now Kirsty will have to spend the day ringing everyone.
Jolene chuckles to herself at something Callum said. Kenton didn't realise they were hiring a comedian as their new barman. Kirsty arrives at the Bull to let Jolene and Kenton know about the mistake on the invitations. Jolene wants to introduce her to Callum but Kenton is disgruntled. He didn't get chance to interview Callum. Jolene thinks Kenton is just jealous.
Brian takes a call from Annabelle who needs to see him today. He arrives at the Bull as Kenton is making coffee for Annabelle. Annabelle tells Brian that a venture capital firm, Damara Capital, has made an approach to Borsetshire Land. It now owns 54% of the shares. Horrified Brian won't sell. But Annabelle tells him there will be a new board voted in, including the Chair. So if Brian isn't selling, he should bow out gracefully.
Brian and Jennifer look up Damara Capital on the internet. They are a big London firm and Jennifer wonders if Brian needs the battle at their age. But Brian is damned if a city slicker is going to take over.
THU 19:15 Front Row (b03zdfbg)
Richard Ayoade; The Crimson Field; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
On Front Row tonight, Richard Ayoade talks to John Wilson about the practicalities of making The Double, a film about a doppelganger - and about why, when directing, he never uses technical jargon. Also in the programme: reviews of the stage musical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and The Crimson Field - a new TV series about nurses in World War 1; and we look back at forty years of the Sunday Times Bestseller list.
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b03zdbrb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 The Report (b03zdfgw)
The Mystery of Flight 370
It may never be known why MH370 crashed into the Indian Ocean with the loss of everyone on board. Melanie Abbott asks how a plane can disappear in the 21st Century, and why nearly a month on we are still no nearer to solving the mystery of what happened on that flight.
THU 20:30 In Business (b03zdfgy)
The New Manufacturing
UK Manufacturing has been under heavy pressure for decades but now there are signs of resurgence. Peter Day reports from Britain's former steel capital, Sheffield, on what it takes to survive and prosper in an intensely globalising world.
Producer: Sandra Kanthal.
THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (b03zddns)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (b03zdbr4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 21:58 Weather (b03z3h99)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b03zdfwc)
2014 is a big year for Brazil on the world stage: it hosts the World Cup and then goes to the polls in presidential elections. But preparations for the tournament have been marred by deaths of workers building the stadiums and continued protests - sometimes violent - against the cost of the event. At the same time, President Rousseff has been accused of turning her back on Brazil's global and regional responsibilities. Is this fair criticism? Is the country retreating from the world?
In a special debate from Rio de Janeiro, Ritula Shah talks to a distinguished panel at the Brazilian Centre for International Relations, CEBRI.
Taking part:
Luis Augusto de Castro Neves, President of CEBRI.
Kjeld Jakobsen from the governing Workers' Party, PT.
Samantha Pearson from the Financial Times.
Paulo Wrobel from the BRICS Institute in Rio.
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b03zx5lp)
Unexploded
Episode 4
A tale of love, art and prejudice set in wartime Brighton.
"Fear was an infection - airborne, seaborne - rolling in off the Channel, and although no one spoke of it, no one was immune to it. Fifty miles of water was a slim moat to an enemy that had taken five countries in two months, and Brighton, regrettably, had for centuries been hailed as an excellent place to land."
In May 1940, Geoffrey and Evelyn Beaumont and their Philip, anxiously await news of invasion on the beaches of Brighton. Geoffrey, a banker, becomes Superintendent of the internment camp on the edge of town while Evelyn is gripped first by fear and then quiet but growing desperation.
A discovery widens a fault-line in family life.
Episode 4:
Relations between Evelyn and Geoffrey remain strained - but Evelyn plans a brief diversion from everyday pressures.
Alison MacLeod lives in Brighton. She was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award in 2011 and her story 'Solo, A Capella', about the Tottenham riots, featured in the Radio 4 series 'Where Were You ...' in 2012. Her previous works include The Changeling and The Wave Theory of Angels. Unexploded was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2013. Alison is Professor of Contemporary Fiction at the University of Chichester.
Reader: Emma Fielding
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:00 So Wrong It's Right (b0100ljr)
Series 2
Episode 5
Charlie Brooker hosts the comedy panel show about the wrong side of life with comedians Frank Skinner and Josie Long plus Harry Hill TV Burp writer Daniel Maier competing to suggest the best in bad ideas.
Charlie's challenges in this episode see the panel recall 'the most embarrassing thing they've done in public' plus suggesting concepts for a terrible chain of shops. Can anyone top Frank Skinner's suggestion of the drinking accessory franchise 'Oddbinge'?
Added to this are the panel's nominations for the worst irritants of modern life - including Josie Long selection of 'comment' sections on the web or as she calls them 'the bottom half of the internet'.
The host of So Wrong It's Right, Charlie Brooker, also presents BBC4's acclaimed Newswipe and Screenwipe series - and is an award winning columnist for The Guardian. He also won Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards 2009.
Produced by Aled Evans
A Zeppotron Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b03zdfwf)
The Government announces that it is moving forward with plans to ban branding on cigarette packs in England.
The Chancellor faces Labour accusations of a "tax grab".
The Culture Secretary, Maria Miller, apologises to MPs after being ordered to repay nearly £6,000 in expenses.
And the Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, drops plans to expand badger culling in England.
Rachel Byrne and team report on today's events in Parliament.
FRIDAY 04 APRIL 2014
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b03z3hb7)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b03yqj33)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03z3hb9)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03z3hbc)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03z3hbf)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b03z3hbh)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b03zqvpm)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Dr Janet Wootton.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b03zdkjs)
Badger cull, Chicken farming, Sheep shearing
The government has announced that it will not roll out the pilot badger cull to more TB areas next year, but it will continue in Somerset and Gloucestershire. Farming Today hears from the Farming Minister George Eustice about the improvements they plan to make after receiving the recommendations from an independent report on the effectiveness and humaneness of the culls. James Cossins, a dairy farmer in Dorset, has lost more than 30 cows after reacting to the TB test. He tells Farming Today that he's disappointed the cull will not be extended to his county.
And Farming Today hears about a planning row over an application to build four poultry broiler units in Worcestershire. Residents near Upton Snodsbury are campaigning against a new development planned by Powys farmer Edward Davies. The poultry units would process over one million birds a year. Sybil Ruscoe meets with the farmer and local protesters.
Presented by Sybil Ruscoe and produced by Lucy Bickerton.
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03zdkjv)
Snipe
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Kate Humble presents the snipe. The snipe is an intricately patterned wader, not much bigger than a blackbird but with an enormously long bill. In the breeding season they fly high above their territories before dashing earthwards and then sweeping upwards again. Throughout this display you'll hear a bleating sound, known as 'drumming'. Find out how the sound is made in today's programme.
FRI 06:00 Today (b03zdkjx)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b03z3l2g)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b03yqwhb)
The Unexpected Professor
Episode 5
From Biggles to bee-keeping, John Carey threads together the chapters of his life in books - taking in politics, social history and the skirmishes of academia along the way.
Vignettes of pre-war Hammersmith and Barnes accompany affectionate accounts of Saturday jobs which he was expected to do to compensate the household for staying on at school.
The book is also partly a tribute to the grammar school system. He skewers the snobbishness of Oxford in the 50s but also gives us endearing portraits of the writers and scholars he met and was taught by - including Graves, Larkin and Heaney.
Later in his life, his politics and his sometimes controversial cultural criticism take centre stage, producing a commentator who is not afraid to move between genres and labels, always saying something refreshing and frequently unexpected.
Episode 5
The perils of being outspoken in the national press sometimes led to unhappy fractures.
Read by Nicholas Farrell
Abridged and directed by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b03zdkk1)
Brazilian women: 'I don't deserve to be raped'
Ahead of the World Cup in Brazil in June, the journalist, Nana Queiroz, has set up a campaign in Brazil to highlight violence against women after 65% of Brazilians said that women who dress in a revealing way "deserve to be attacked". The study from Brazil's Institute for Applied Economic Research revealed nearly 60% of Brazilians had the belief that 'if women knew how to behave, there would be less rape'.
We'll hear from Tansy Hoskins, the author of a book that highlights problems of environmental pollution, exploitation, racism and capitalism within the fashion industry, but according to designer Orsolo de Castro, 'Queen of Upcycling' - things are changing.
How often do you phone home? Research shows that the most common time to call mum is
7pm on a Monday, but with social media as an alternative, is phoning home still the institution it once was? Maureen Lipman and Sathnam Sanghera swap views.
Rosie Wilby, comedian, writer and musician, raises the question of whether lesbian and gay couples should get married. Will it all end in divorce? Rosie is joined by Dr Anna Einarsdottir from Hull University Business School.
And the singer song-writer Kathryn Williams is in the studio. She has just been nominated for Performing Artist of the Year by the Journal Culture Awards for being an artist that has stood out during 2014. Not bad for someone who made their first CD with a budget of eighty pounds.
FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b03zdkk3)
Soloparentpals.com
Something Old
SOLOPARENTPALS.COM by Sue Teddern
Episode 5. Something Old
With only a day to go to the wedding and nursing a badly bruised finger Rosie really doesn't want Tom's ex-wife Ginny in the house.
Director: David Hunter.
FRI 11:00 Podcasting - The First Ten Years (b03zdkk5)
Episode 1
Stuck for a definition of online on demand radio shows, journalist Ben Hammersley coined the term 'podcasting'. Ten years on it's become a global phenomenon.
In this 2-part series, award-winning podcasters Helen Zaltzman and Olly Mann, trace its origins among the geek/tech community, its arrival in mainstream media thanks to Ricky Gervais and Stephen Fry and its development into the niches where conventional broadcasting can't reach.
From the whistle blowing air hostess Betty With A Suitcase to comedian Marc Maron's WTF, from Phil Cornwell's Spurs Show to sex advice on the Savage Lovecast, from the weirdness of Night Vale and Radiolab to personalities like The Grammar Girl and One Bad Mother, it's a whole new world of audio production where programmes meet listeners without the need for radio stations.
In the first of two programmes, Ben Hammersley explains why he regrets inventing the word, self-styled 'podfather' Adam Curry talks about the early pre-iPod days in the US and, while recording their own podcast, Answer Me This!, Helen and Olly take an audio journey through the podosphere.
Producer: Trevor Dann
A Trevor Dann production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 11:30 The Architects (b03zdkk7)
Series 1
Multi-Faith
25 years on, Sir Lucien is still bitter about the rejection of his designs for Shakespeare's Globe in reinforced concrete.
Finally he's going to do something about it.
Sitcom set in a struggling architectural practice by Jim Poyser and Neil Griffiths.
Matt ...... Dominic Coleman
Sarah ...... Ingrid Oliver
Sir Lucien ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
Tim ...... Alex Carter
Hayley ...... Aisling Bea
Justin ...... Ben Crowe
Planning Officer ...... Carolyn Pickles
Dawn ...... Susie Riddell
Director: Toby Swift
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2014.
FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b03zdkk9)
Energy switching schemes; Saving on cars; Indoor gardens
The Government's so keen to help us to switch energy supplier, it gave councils in the UK £5 million to set up collective switching schemes. We've been investigating how many people switched, how much they saved and whether the trade off was worth it in the end. British drivers love buying new cars. We'll have tips on how you can save thousands of pounds. Plus, is there a difference between a bunch of pot plants and an indoor garden?
FRI 12:52 The Listening Project (b03zm52v)
Andy and Hilary - Second Best
Fi Glover introduces teenage sweethearts who got together again in later life and discovered that compromise - at least from one partner - is what makes a relationship work, proving again that it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can upload your own conversations or just learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
FRI 12:57 Weather (b03z3hbk)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b03z3hbm)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.
FRI 13:45 Five Hundred Years of Friendship (b03zdkkc)
A Battalion of Pals
Dr Thomas Dixon presents a timely history of the changing meaning and experience of friendship over the centuries
Two contrasting stories for this examination of the impact of World War One on male friendship.
Dixon begins and ends with the pacifist Bloomsbury Group, focusing on EM Forster and his famous remark, "If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country". Dr Matt Cook places this remark - shocking at the time - in the context of Forster's hidden sexual orientation.
Forster began his masterpiece, A Passage to India, before the war, in optimism about the possibility of friendships and love across the nations. As Dr Santanu Das explains, he completed it, after the War, in a far bleaker mood.
Meanwhile, amongst the less highly educated classes, groups of work-mates were being conscripted into the army. Thomas Dixon explores this new role for friendship - as a recruiting sergeant - and its tragic consequences.
Producer: Beaty Rubens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2014.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b03zdfbd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b0156nfx)
Portrait of Winston
By Jonathan Smith. Dan Stevens and Benjamin Whitrow star in an entertaining drama about a portrait of Winston Churchill by leading British artist Graham Sutherland.
For his 80th birthday on 30th November 1954, an all-party committee of MPs decided to present Churchill, still the Prime Minister, with a portrait of himself. It was to be Churchill's for his lifetime but then to hang in the House of Commons. The commission was given to Graham Sutherland, aged 51, then at the height of his fame. It was a painting which was to prove highly controversial.
Producer/director: Bruce Young
"A Portrait Of Winston" is a follow-up to Jonathan Smith's previous Radio 4 play about Winston Churchill, "The Last Bark Of the Bulldog" which dealt with Churchill's stroke in 1953 while he was still Prime Minister. "The Last Bark Of the Bulldog" - which also starred Benjamin Whitrow as Churchill - was first broadcast in 2003.
Jonathan Smith is a former Head of English at Tonbridge School in Kent. He has written many radio plays over the years, including two series of plays about a headmaster, "The Head Man". His most recent plays for Radio 4 are "The Trenches Trip" (2010) and "The Tennis Court" (2008). His latest book, "The Following Game" was published recently.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b03zdktv)
The Edible Garden Show
Eric Robson chairs GQT from Alexandra Palace, London. Taking audience questions are Chris Beardshaw, Bob Flowerdew and Bunny Guinness.
We take a tour of the Edible Garden Show in the company of Pippa Greenwood, Christine Walkden and James Wong.
Assistant Producer: Darby Dorras
Produced by Howard Shannon
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
Q: Could the panel recommend some exotic plants to grow on a sunny, yet exposed 2nd floor fire escape?
A: Capers, Gherkins, Nasturtiums and either the Siegerrebe or Boskoops Glory varieties of Grapevine. Rhubarb, Asparagus and Seakale can also be grown in small places with limited soil.
Q: Would it by possible to grow Crocus for saffron on a sunny, south-facing roof?
A: Yes. As long as your roof is reasonably weight bearing, you could grow crocuses in pots filled with soil as deep as possible.
Q: Is it a good idea to put fresh, dry, wood ash on beds growing potatoes?
A: Yes and no. Potatoes love potash as it improves the flavour, but they don't like lime because it gives them scabby skins. But it is best to be aware of the PH of your soil to make sure you do not let the soil get too alkaline. Invest in a soil PH testing kit and monitor the levels through the year. You might consider buying high-acidy compost (but be careful because this tends to be high in nitrogen) or ericaceous compost to restore PH balance. You could also add composted pine needles or tea bags to replenish acidity levels.
Q: Should I remove the Ivy that is taking over my shady flowerbeds?
A: Not necessarily. If you want to encourage variety, it is possible to grow Trachystemon Orientalis alongside the Ivy.
Q: I grow the 'Cambridge Favourite' variety of Strawberry, should I be growing another variety?
A: After a few years of growth, it is a good idea to introduce new varieties to boost the health of the crop. You might want to try the Malwina (Milvana) variety for later fruiting plants with a strong flavour. If you are after an early fruiting plant, you could try the Gariguette variety.
Q: What can I plant to fill in the holes beneath my yellow Forsythia hedge?
A: The easy option would be Euphorbia Robbiae, which has green-yellow flowers. Fox Gloves would give a more natural feel. Baltic Parsley and Epilobum Album would also be good editions. If you wanted to impregnate the hedge with other things, you could try a Eucalyptus Gunnii.
Q: I have an organic garden and my next-door neighbours up the hill have recently used heavy-duty weed killer. Will this kill the plants in my garden?
A: If the weed killer was applied by a professional and there hasn't been heavy rain, you're plants will be fine. But if there has been 'spray-drift' then you might begin to see a mottling effect on your plants.
Q: Could the panel suggest some grains (other than wheat) that could be grown in a school garden to make flour and then bread from?
A: Sweet Corn (you could grow your own popcorn, which is also very pretty!). You could also try growing Dahlia flowers, and you can use the tubers to make bread flour. Sweet Chestnuts can also be used to make bread along with Linseed, Rye and Oats.
Q: How does the panel feel about the use of carpets to suppress weed growth?
A: Carpets can be very useful. There is some debate about whether there are any harmful chemicals used in carpet manufacturing. Be careful not to use foam-backed carpets or lino, as they tend to break down and mix into the soil. An alternative would be newspapers, or hand weeding.
FRI 15:45 Sailors' Knots (b01jqbff)
Self-Help
Written by W.W. Jacobs. Read by Mark Williams.
Sailors' Knots, published in 1909, is an anthology of comic stories set around London and the Thames Estuary at the turn of the last century. The 'knots' are the various mix-ups that occur between sailors on shore leave and the local residents. The tales are great fun, full of entertaining characters with names like Silas Winch, Sam Small and Ginger Dick, and often deal with marital spats, misunderstandings, and rascals getting their just rewards.
W.W. Jacobs is best know for his horror story, The Monkey's Paw (1902), but the majority of his writing is comic. He was born in Wapping in 1863, where his father was manager at the South Devon Wharf at Lower East Smithfield, and his early observation of merchant ships and the behaviour of their crews informed his many humorous tales.
Mark Williams is well-known as one of the stars of BBC TV's The Fast Show ("Suits you, sir..!!") and for the role of Ron Weasley's father in the Harry Potter films.
Abridged by Roy Apps
Producer: David Blount
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b03zdm5y)
Margo MacDonald, Frankie Knuckles, Lorna Arnold, Kate O'Mara, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Matthew Bannister on
Margo Macdonald, the leading Scottish politician who fell out with the SNP and became an independent MSP. She also presented programmes here on Radio 4.
The American DJ Frankie Knuckles who was known as "The Godfather of House Music";
Lorna Arnold, the official historian of Britain's nuclear industry;
Kate O'Mara, the actress best known for her roles in Dynasty and Howard's Way;
and the former President of Sierra Leone, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who negotiated an end to the country's bloody civil war.
FRI 16:30 Feedback (b03zdm60)
In a dramatic episode of The Archers at the end of last week, Ruth Archer had a miscarriage and sought comfort from her mother Heather. The moment occurred in Friday's broadcast and was repeated during the omnibus on Sunday - Mothering Sunday. Many Feedback listeners felt the timing of the repeat was inappropriate. But others felt the storyline sensitively explored an issue that affects many women.
On Saturday, The Archers broke out of Ambridge when Lynda Snell was heard on the phone to Any Answers presenter Anita Anand and David Archer burst into Radio 4 continuity. They were just two of the characters that popped up in the Radio 4 schedule as part of Character Invasion. Other fictional interrupters included Big Bird on Tweet of the Day and Roy of the Rovers on Today. But for some listeners mixing fiction with Radio 4's factual output fell flat. We put listeners' comments to Jeremy Howe, Radio 4's Commissioning Editor for Drama.
We'll also be hearing listeners' reaction to a report published on Wednesday by the House of Commons Science and Technology committee. It criticises the BBC's coverage of the Climate Change debate for creating 'false balance' in some of its reports. These findings come as no surprise for some listeners.
Also this week, we try to find out why Radio 4 Long Wave has been disappearing at just after 10 o'clock every morning and returning seven hours later. The answer comes from Alan Boyle, who has the intriguing title of Head of Spectrum and Investigation for BBC Distribution.
And we hitchhike with director Dirk Maggs as we go behind the scenes at the live Radio 4 broadcast of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. On Saturday morning it came home to Radio 4, 36 years after the first series landed, with earth-shattering effect. We'll join the original cast of characters - Arthur Dent, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ford Prefect, Trillian - and the new Voice of the Book, John Lloyd.
Producer: Will Yates
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 16:55 The Listening Project (b03zm52x)
Tommy and Rhys - Knowing Your Own Mind
Fi Glover introduces a conversation between a grandfather who's sure that, once he's no longer active, he'll want to call it a day, and his grandson who understands him perfectly, proving again that it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can upload your own conversations or just learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
FRI 17:00 PM (b03zdm62)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03z3hbr)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (b03zdm64)
Series 83
Episode 8
A satirical review of the week's news, chaired by Sandi Toksvig, with regular panellist Jeremy Hardy and guest panellists Katy Brand, Kevin Day and Romesh Ranganathan.
Produced by Lyndsay Fenner.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b03zdm66)
Jill and Heather chat over breakfast. They agree there's nothing like being in your own home but it's nice having people around.
Ruth helps David with the cows. She's sorry, she feels she's let him down. David says she should never feel that. They could try for a baby if they decided they wanted another? But Ruth thinks they should treasure what they have.
Ruth says goodbye to her mum. Heather hugs her daughter and assures her that everything will be okay.
As David and Ruth share a comforting moment, Jill thoughtfully leaves them together before preparing dinner. David and Ruth agree that it works well having Jill around. Maybe they should ask her to move back in permanently.
Shula is convinced that Dan has a secret girlfriend. Alistair says he's learned to keep out of things connected with Dan's girlfriends. When Dan's mobile phone rings, Alistair tells Shula she should leave it alone.
As Shula grooms one of the horses, Dan arrives. He needs to speak to Shula and Alistair together. Since returning home, he has had time to put things into perspective. He's decided he's not going to study law, in fact he doesn't want to go to university at all. Dan has made his decision. He's joining the Army.
FRI 19:15 Front Row (b03zdm68)
Rory Bremner, Jacqueline Wilson, Anish Kapoor
Kirsty Lang talks to Rory Bremner about satire, snobbery and starring in Noel Coward's play Relative Values; bestselling children's author, and creator of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson takes Kirsty on a tour of an exhibition which recreates her childhood bedroom - and features extracts of her teenage diaries that reveal an early desire to write more realistic books than those of Enid Blyton.
Produced by Nicola Holloway
Photo: Rory Bremner and Patricia Hodge in Relative Values, Harold Pinter Theatre
Image Credit: Catherine Ashmore.
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b03zdkk3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b03zdm6b)
Kirsty Williams AM, Peter Hain MP, Neil Hamilton, Jesse Norman MP
Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from the Drill Hall in Chepstow, Wales, with the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Kirsty Williams, UKIP Deputy Chairman and Campaigns Director Neil Hamilton, Conservative MP Jesse Norman and the former Welsh Secretary Peter Hain MP.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b03zdm6d)
A Lenten Reflection
Taking Lent as his starting point, William Dalrymple contrasts the Christian view of Lent - with all its self-discipline and self-deprivation - with that represented in great Indian art.
He visits the painted caves of Ajanta, dating from the 2nd century BC, and seen as one of the most comprehensive depictions of civilised classical life that we have.
He describes their monasteries, adorned with "images of attractively voluptuous women....because in the eyes of the monks, this was completely appropriate decoration".
But Christianity - he says - "has always seen the human body as essentially sinful, lustful and shameful".
He charts how - throughout India's history - the arts have consistently celebrated the beauty of the human body seen, "not as some tainted appendage to be whipped into submission, but potentially the vehicle of divinity".
He argues that history can make us aware of "how contingent and bound by time, culture and geography so many of our preconceptions actually are".
Producer: Adele Armstrong.
FRI 21:00 Five Hundred Years of Friendship (b03zdm6g)
Five Hundred Years of Friendship: Omnibus
Episode 2
Dr Thomas presents this omnibus edition of his history about the changing meaning and experience of friendship over the centuries
He explores working class Friendly Societies - pre-Welfare State, grassroots insurance schemes - in the 18th and 19th centuries; children's friendships and the invention of the idea of the best friend; the idea of dogs being "man's best friend"; the Victorian borderland between platonic and homosexual love; and the tragic impact of the First World War on male friendships.
Producer: Beaty Rubens.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b03z3hbt)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b03zdm6j)
Hundreds of thousands of troops on streets for Afghan presidential poll. As a German journalist is shot by a policeman, Lyse Doucet and David Loyn report on the mood of voters, and the election runners and riders.
As David Cameron again defends his Culture Secretary Maria Miller, a former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life Sir Alistair Graham criticises MPs' system of policing their expenses.
We hear from Medecins Sans Frontieres in Guinea about the ebola outbreak in West Africa, about the remarkable discovery of a Faberge egg earmarked for scrap, and from Nick Thorpe in Budapest about Hungary's continuing political drift to the right.
Presented by Carolyn Quinn.
FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b03zx663)
Unexploded
Episode 5
A tale of love, art and prejudice set in wartime Brighton.
"Fear was an infection - airborne, seaborne - rolling in off the Channel, and although no one spoke of it, no one was immune to it. Fifty miles of water was a slim moat to an enemy that had taken five countries in two months, and Brighton, regrettably, had for centuries been hailed as an excellent place to land."
In May 1940, Geoffrey and Evelyn Beaumont and their Philip, anxiously await news of invasion on the beaches of Brighton. Geoffrey, a banker, becomes Superintendent of the internment camp on the edge of town while Evelyn is gripped first by fear and then quiet but growing desperation.
A discovery widens a fault-line in family life.
Episode 5:
The Beaumonts are set on ever-diverging paths. Geoffrey has begun to see Leah, while Evelyn - against his wishes - has decided to visit the internment camp.
Alison MacLeod lives in Brighton. She was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award in 2011 and her story 'Solo, A Capella', about the Tottenham riots, featured in the Radio 4 series 'Where Were You ...' in 2012. Her previous works include The Changeling and The Wave Theory of Angels. Unexploded was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2013. Alison is Professor of Contemporary Fiction at the University of Chichester.
Reader: Emma Fielding
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b03zb4bd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b03zdm91)
Mark D'Arcy reports from Westminster.
FRI 23:55 The Listening Project (b03zm52z)
Nathan and Sue - One More Match
Fi Glover introduces a conversation about how an 18 year old's life was changed by a rugby accident -for the better, he insists; he's certainly an inspiration to his mother, proving again that it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can upload your own conversations or just learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.