SATURDAY 31 JANUARY 2026

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002qh36)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 Craftland (m002qh1m)
Episode 5

Britain has always been a craft land. For generations what we made with our hands defined our identities, built our communities and shaped our regions. Craftland chronicles the vanishing skills and traditions that once governed every aspect of life on these shores.

For as long as there are humans, there will be craft. It's all around us, hiding in plain sight, enriching even the most modest things. And in this increasingly digital age, it is perhaps more valuable than ever.

Craftland is a celebration of that deeply necessary connection between our creative instincts and the material world we inhabit, revealing a richer and more connected way of living.

James Fox is an academic and multi-award-winning nominated broadcaster. He is Director of Studies in History of Art at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and Creative Director of the Hugo Burge Foundation, a charity dedicated to supporting the arts and crafts across Britain.

Written and Read by James Fox
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters
The Waters Company for BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002qh38)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002qh3b)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:30 News Summary (m002qh3d)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002qh3g)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002qh3j)
Winter this one out

Good morning!

And if you’ve been observing ‘dry January’ – the increasingly popular habit among drinkers of abstaining from alcohol for the first month of the year to atone for Christmas excess – congratulations, you’ve reached the last day of your month-long fast.

Despite the habit of new year resolutions, January has always seemed to me a cruel time of year in the northern hemisphere to take on austere practices.

Sure, the turn of the year chimes well with the idea of new beginnings. But who actually relishes the prospect of embarking on a new exercise or diet regime when the weather is so cold and often miserable?

Wintering Out is one of my favourite poetry collections by the late Co. Derry poet and Nobel laureate Séamus Heaney.

Heaney saw ‘wintering out’ as perseverance in difficult times.

“If we winter this one out, we can summer anywhere,” he famously said of his inspiration - offering comfort and hope that overcoming difficult times would lead to better days.

It is hope like this that has sustained people is some of the most difficult moments in human history.

It’s true in our own lives too. Dark and cold times are lived in the knowledge that one day there will again be light and warmth.

Farmers and people close to the land know that you have to have faith that what you plant in the ground will one day blossom, even if it often lies hidden from view while it slowly grows.

Today, I pray to have the patience to winter this one out, knowing that as sure as the daylight follows the darkness of night – the spring will soon follow the winter.

Amen.


SAT 05:45 Materials of State (m002mp9t)
Black Rod

David Cannadine continues examining the origins, symbolism and contemporary significance of the objects and emblems that underpin the British constitution.

In episode 4, he’s looking at Black Rod, which is unusual among our ‘materials of state’ for being both a person and an object.

Black Rod refers to both a senior parliamentary officer and the physical ebony staff carried by that officer. The role dates back nearly 600 years to King Edward III and the founding of the Order of the Garter. By the 16th century, the role became a fixture at the Palace of Westminster, responsible for access, order and discipline, functions that continue today. David meets the newly appointed Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, Ed Davis, and a former Black Rod, David Leakey, to discuss what the role entails.

The most public and iconic part of Black Rod's duties is during the State Opening of Parliament. Dressed in ceremonial costume, Black Rod is sent to summon MPs from the House of Commons to listen to the Monarch’s speech in the House of Lords, but the door is traditionally slammed in their face to symbolise the Commons' independence from the Crown. The officer then knocks three times with the base of the rod before being admitted. Despite objections to this pomp and ceremony from people like Dennis Skinner MP, David concludes the role and tradition of both the person, and the object, remains secure for now.

Contributors in order of appearance:
Ed Davis, Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
David Leakey, former Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
Eloise Donnelly, Curator of Historic Furniture and Decorative Art at the Houses of Parliament

Presented by Professor Sir David Cannadine
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Sound Mixing: Tony Churnside

The series has been made in association with the History of Parliament Trust

A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002qr9w)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SAT 06:07 Ramblings (m002qj8w)
Ghosts of the Farm with Nicola Chester

Clare joins writer Nicola Chester for a circular walk from her home in the village of Inkpen in West Berkshire. Despite recently breaking her leg in an unfortunate tangle of dog zoomies, Nicola is back on her feet and eager to share the landscapes that have shaped both her life and her books. Their route takes them through Manor Farm, the setting for her latest work, and up towards Inkpen Beacon, a hill familiar to Clare from childhood climbs.

As they walk, Nicola reflects on her lifelong desire to farm, the barriers faced by women in agriculture, and the remarkable story of Miss Julia White, a pioneering farmer whose life she explores in her new book Ghosts of the Farm: Two Women’s Journeys Through Time, Land and Community.

Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002qr9y)
31/01/26 Farming Today This Week: Sustainable Foods 2026, extreme weather and rural resilience, octopus bloom

Sustainable Foods 2026: a conference in London which brings together big food companies, supermarkets, producers and scientists in a drive to transform our food systems - but what does it mean for agriculture?

Flooded farmers say government needs to spend more on infrastructure to make rural communities are more resilient in the face of climate change.

The secret lives of octopus, revealed in new report. Their numbers have increased dramatically - what is the impact on the fishing industry?

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


SAT 06:57 Weather (m002qrb0)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m002qrb2)
Today (Saturday)


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002qrb4)
Amanda Owen, Curious Incidents, Brain Rest, and the Inheritance Tracks of Mika.

We have a writer, a shepherdess, and a man in favour of doing more of nothing.

Our writer wrote one of the biggest books of the last 25 years. The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-time has brought joy to millions of children, and adults. And now Mark Haddon’s written a memoir just as memorable.

Our Shepherdess is almost certainly the only Shepherdess you can name. The Yorkshire Shepherdess herself, Amanda Owen, whose new tv series suggests her love of her farming life burns as brightly as ever.

And the man who wants us to give our brains a break is a neuroscientist who’s applied his considerable brain to the importance of giving all our tormented minds a bit more downtime. Dr Joseph Jebelli has a fascinating story to tell.

Also, we’ll be asking how many clowns can you fit into a church as we speak to the clown organising the 80th anniversary Joseph Grimaldi Service - and we’ll be enjoying the Inheritance Tracks of Mika.

Presenter: Adrian Chiles
Producer: Ben Mitchell
Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Colin Patterson


SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m002qrb6)
Geoffrey Chaucer: the medieval father of English literature

Greg Jenner is joined in medieval England by Professor Marion Turner and comedian Mike Wozniak to learn all about Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales. Since the fifteenth century, Chaucer has been referred to as the father of English literature. He was one of the first authors to champion the use of Middle English for poetry instead of Latin, and after the invention of the printing press, his works became the foundation of the English literary canon – long before Shakespeare ever put quill to parchment. But Chaucer’s life was as extraordinary as his legacy, living as he did through the Black Death, the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, and the Peasants’ Revolt. In this episode, Greg and his guests explore Chaucer’s dramatic biography: growing up the son of a wine merchant in fourteenth-century London, his work for the royal court and long career as a medieval civil servant, his relationship with John of Gaunt through his mistress Katherine Swynford, and his travels throughout Europe. They also examine the poets that influenced him – including Petrarch, Bocaccio and Dante – and take a deep dive into the famous Canterbury Tales.

If you’re a fan of medieval literature, historical courtroom dramas, and the tumult of fourteenth-century England, you’ll love our episode on Geoffrey Chaucer.

If you want more literary history with Mike Wozniak, listen to our episodes on Charles Dickens at Christmas and the Legends of King Arthur. And for more fourteenth-century lives, check out our episode on medieval Muslim traveller Ibn Battuta.

You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Rosalyn Sklar
Written by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett
Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: Philip Sellars


SAT 10:30 Rewinder (m002qrb8)
Ping Pong Pussy

Greg James is back for another trip into the BBC Archives, and into the past, using the big stories of the week and your suggestions to guide him to audio gold.

This week, as Alex Honnold scales a skyscraper live on Netflix, Greg finds out that the BBC was there first. In 1967 they undertook a colossal logistical operation to bring viewers a live programme over two days following six climbers as they ascended the Old Man of Hoy, a 450-foot rock stack off the coast of Orkney. With no electricity or accommodation available the BBC drafted in the army, and 15 million viewers were gripped by the pictures of climbers hanging off the edge of the crumbling rock.

A listener request takes Greg to the children's TV programme Why Don't You, which ran from 1973 to 1995, was presented by children, and showed a range of crafts, tricks and hobbies that kids could do rather than watching TV. Stamp collecting...brass rubbing...and hovercraft building.

With social media full of people posting their pictures and videos from 2016, Greg goes one step further and searches the archive for 1916 instead. He finds an extraordinary and moving firsthand account of the Battle of the Somme.

And as Timothee Chalamet earns multiple award nominations for playing a ping pong supremo in Marty Supreme, what happens if you put the words 'ping' and 'pong' into the archive? You find a ping pong playing cat, of course.

Producer: Tim Bano

An EcoAudio Certified production


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002qrbb)
Sonia Sodha assesses the latest developments at Westminster.

This week Sir Keir Starmer became the first Prime Minister in eight years to visit China. To discuss the visit Sonia is joined by Labour MP and Chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee Liam Byrne, and the Conservative MP Sir Andrew Mitchell, who served as Deputy Foreign Secretary in Rishi Sunak’s government.

Following the Home Secretary's announcement of reforms to the police services in England and Wales Sonia spoke to two MPs, both former police officers, to discuss the proposals. Labour's Jonathan Hinder served in London for nine years, reaching the rank of inspector. He was also the head of the Police Now training academy and the Liberal Democrat Wendy Chamberlain, worked for the Scottish Police College as well as the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland.

To discuss the issue of loneliness in young men, Sonia is joined by MP Mims Davies, who is a former Conservative Minister for Loneliness and now co-chairs the parliamentary group on Men and Boys' Issues and Chris Hemmings, the Founder of Men’s Therapy Hub, who is also a psychotherapist who specialises in working with men and boys.

And, this week saw the launch of a new Conservative group for, what it calls, the 'politically homeless' on the centre right. So what role do political movements play in political parties? To discuss this Sonia speaks to Amber Rudd, a former Conservative Cabinet Minister and vice chair of Prosper UK, and Labour peer Stewart Wood, who is a former adviser to Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband. He is also a signatory to Mainstream, which says it is the home for 'Labour's radical realists'.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002qrbd)
Iran: Stories of a massacre

Kate Adie introduces stories from Iran, Myanmar, China, South Africa and Lithuania.

The number of Iranian people killed by government forces in the crackdown on recent protests is now estimated to be at least 6000, with thousands more deaths being investigated by human rights groups. BBC Persian’s Parham Ghobadi has been speaking to people in Tehran about their experience of the protests.

The final round of elections took place in Myanmar last weekend, five years after a coup returned the military junta to power - though many observers regard the whole affair as a sham. Jonathan Head was given rare permission to report from within Myanmar - though found fear and surveillance at every turn.

Sir Keir Starmer’s trip to Beijing was the first by a UK Prime Minister since 2018 and has been seen as a critical moment in the British government’s attempt to reboot its relationship with China. Laura Bicker reflects on what's in it for President Xi - and how he is looking to take advantage of Donald Trump's rocky relationship with the world.

Over the last decade South Africa has made steady progress on bringing down the infection and mortality rates of Tuberculosis. However, that progress is now under threat as foreign aid cuts begin to bite. Sandra Kanthal reports from Cape Town.

Lithuania's Jewish community numbers just a few thousand, though prior to World War Two the population was around 200,000 - the majority of whom were murdered in the Holocaust. Today Lithuania is home to several memorial sites remembering those who died and Max Eastermann recently visited to trace the homes - and graves - of his recently discovered ancestors.

Producer: Serena Tarling
Production coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002qrbg)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002qrbj)
Report Fraud and Student Loans

Billions of pounds is lost each year to fraud, be that by criminals simply stealing someone's money or by thieves tricking victims into giving them their details before draining their bank accounts. It's a crime that is massively under-reported, with very low conviction rates too. To tackle this, a new agency's been created called 'Report Fraud'. It replaces the problematic "Action Fraud" which had been the place for victims to report fraud for over a decade. Paul Lewis interviews Chief Superintendent Amanda Wolf who's the Head of Report Fraud.

There are calls for a cut in the interest rate on some student loans. In recent weeks some graduates have been saying they feel they were missold their loans, because they're only paying off interest on what they owe, despite high levels of payments. The Department for Education says that its making what it called "tough but fair" decisions to protect taxpayers and students. We'll discuss that with the Higher Education Policy Institute.

There is growing pressure from charities and MPs for the government to introduce statutory regulation of the bailiff sector in England and Wales as a matter of urgency. Campaigners say it's about making sure people who are in debt aren't on the receiving end of bad practice form bailiffs breaking the rules.

And half a million households on heat networks now have new protections when it comes to their heating bills.

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Bisi Adebayo and Dan Whitworth
Researcher: Niamh McDermott
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast on Radio 4 12pm Saturday 31st January 2026)


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m002qh2l)
Series 119

4. By-elections, hello defections

On the agenda this week is Starmer vs Burnham in Labour's latest civil war, Suella Braverman’s defection to Reform, and working out how to save The Great British pub. To get to the bottom of all this, Andy is joined by Daliso Chaponda, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Hugo Rifkind and Holly Walsh.

Written by Andy Zaltzman.

With additional material by: Christina Riggs, Cameron Loxdale and Sarah Mills
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.


SAT 12:57 Weather (m002qrbl)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News (m002qrbn)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002qh2s)
Stuart Andrew MP, Annabel Denham, Lilian Greenwood MP, Ash Sarkar

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from St Paul's Church in Fazeley, near Tamworth in Staffordshire with the shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew MP; senior political commentator at The Telegraph, Annabel Denham; transport minister Lilian Greenwood MP; and the contributing editor of Novara Media, Ash Sarkar.

Producer: Paul Martin
Assistant producer: Jo Dwyer
Production co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano
Lead broadcast engineer: Phil Zentner
Editor: Robin Markwell


SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002qrbq)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002qh2n)
After working a night shift Ben’s late getting up for his graduation ceremony and has to be chivvied along by David and Ruth. Before the ceremony starts David spots that Ben has fallen asleep. For alphabetical reasons Ben will be first up to collect his degree, so Ruth calls his phone, assuming the vibration will wake Ben. It rings loudly instead, immediately waking Ben, who apologises before going on stage to be greeted by the amused Chancellor. Afterwards Ben and David tease Ruth about the phone call and having a cry, but they are all very proud of what Ben’s achieved.

Amber encourages George to stay positive about getting a job, before Esme calls, asking him over to Meadow Farm at lunchtime. George assumes it’s a “maybe”, which Amber tells him he needs to turn into a “yes”. He’d be perfect for the job and Esme would be lucky to have him. When George gets there, he advises Esme on replacing some rotting fence posts. Esme knows about his criminal past, spelling out that she’s looking for someone trustworthy and reliable. George assures her he won’t let her down, emphasising how much he cares for livestock and how he needs to step up for Amber, now she’s pregnant. Esme reveals she has worked previously with ex-offenders, before offering George a two months’ trial of part-time work milking, looking after cows and doing general farm work, starting on Monday. George is dead chuffed, going to meet Amber after work. She’s thrilled and they both vow to work hard for their future as a family.


SAT 15:00 Spotlight (m001v1mt)
Bacon in Moscow

How Francis Bacon became the first major Western artist to have a solo exhibition in the Soviet Union. Written by Stephen Wakelam, based on the memoir by James Birch.

In 1986, Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev and his advisers had adopted glasnost (openness) as a political slogan, together with the terms perestroika (restructuring or regrouping) and demokratizatsiya (democratisation). Glasnost reflected a commitment of the Gorbachev administration to allowing Soviet citizens to discuss publicly the problems of their system and to explore potential solutions.

On the 22nd September 1988 a retrospective of paintings from all periods of Francis Bacon’s work opened at the Central House of Artists in Moscow. The exhibition was the result of a complex and convoluted negotiation by London gallerist James Birch. In his early 30s, Birch had known Bacon since childhood. The highs and lows of his struggles; with Soviet officialdom and the 79 year old artist, form the basis of this play.

Francis Bacon …Timothy Spall
James Birch … Luke Norris
Sergei Klokov … Simonas Mozura
Elena Khudiakova/ Valerie Beston/ TV Interviewer … Amrita Acharia
Johnny Stuart/ John Edwards … John Hopkins
Bob Chenciner/ British Council/ Taxi Driver … Al Barclay
Russian Official/ Guard/ Vasili … Michael Tcherepashenets

Sound design by Markus Andreas and Alisdair McGregor
Directed and produced by Jeremy Mortimer
Production coordinator Annie Keates Thorpe
Executive Producer Joby Waldman
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3


SAT 16:30 Woman's Hour (m002qrbt)
Weekend Woman's Hour: Pensions gender gap, Winter Olympics, Paris Paloma

There's been a stark warning to MPs about the number of women pensioners living in poverty. The House of Commons Work and Pensions committee has been hearing the pension system is dysfunctional, and contributing to more gender disparity, that's according to the feminist economic think tank the Women's Budget Group, which gave evidence this week. Anita Rani is joined by their incoming director Dr Daniella Jenkins and Sarah Pennells, consumer specialist at Royal London finance company.

It's less than a week to go until the Winter Olympics gets underway in Italy. With a record 47% of female athletes competing, the games will be the most gender-balanced in Winter Olympic history. Two women who are gearing up to cover every twist and turn of these Games are former two-time Winter Olympic snowboarder and broadcaster Aimee Fuller and Jeanette Kwayke, who'll be fronting the BBC's coverage as part of an all-female line up alongside Clare Balding and Hazel Irvine.

The writer and performer Paris Paloma has a new single out today about women’s bodies called Good Girl. Paloma joins Anita to sing and talk about her music, including her 2023 track Labour about women’s unpaid work which started a social media trend as women around the world related the song to their own experiences with sexism.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Dianne McGregor


SAT 17:00 PM (m002qrbw)
Epstein files reveal new photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

We speak to a former Royal Press Secretary following the release of a new photo of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in the files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and as Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer calls for closer alignment with the EU, General Sir Richard Shirreff gives his vision for future defence co-operation.


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002qrby)
Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv: From boxing to politics

How did the world heavyweight champion end up running a city of 3 million people in wartime?

Vitali Klitschko joins Nick from the Ukrainian capital in the midst of a Russian campaign to descimate the city's energy infrastructure.

He talks about what peace could look like, the lessons he learned from living under Soviet rule as a child, and why he decided to abandon a lucrative life in the US to enter Ukrainian politics.

Senior producer: Daniel Kraemer
Producer: Flora Murray
Sound: Ged Sudlow
Editor: Giles Edwards


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002qrc0)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m002qrc2)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002qrc4)
Latest Epstein Photos Appear to Feature Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Photos in the Epstein files appear to show a barefoot Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor crouching on all fours over a female. Elon Musk and Sir Richard Branson also feature in the latest release of documents. Elsewhere: The Hamas-run civil defence agency in Gaza says at least 30 Palestinians, inluding several children, have been killed by a wave of Israeli strikes; and Sir Keir Starmer has said the relationship between the UK and Japan is the "strongest" it has been "in decades".


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002qrc6)
Marcus Brigstocke, Ashley Storrie, Louise Welsh, Stuart Maconie, Rum Ragged, Hen Hoose Collective

Stuart Maconie is in Glasgow for the city's annual folk, roots and world music festival - Celtic Connections.

He's joined by comedian Marcus Brigstocke, whose tour Vitruvian Mango sees him trying to figure out what it is to be a man, and why he feels like more of one when his wife asks him to reach something from a high shelf.

Ashley Storrie will be chatting all about the new series of her award-winning BBC show Dinosaur. Autistic palaeontologist Nina is knee-deep in mud on an Isle of Wight dig site, living the dream. Well, either that or she's desperately missing reality tv marathons on her own sofa with some sausage rolls.

In writer Louise Welsh's latest novel The Cut Up, Glasgow auctioneer Rilke is once again drawn in to drama, murder and detective work, as he curses his very loyal but very troublesome friends.

With performances from Newfoundland folk band Rum Ragged who are keeping the music of their Canadian island home alive. Plus Glasgow-based female and non-binary music collective Hen Hoose share a track from new album The Twelve.

Producer: Caitlin Sneddon
Production Coordinator: Lauren Stewart
Engineers: Andrew Hay, Fiona Johnstone, Sean Mullervy


SAT 19:00 Profile (m002qrc8)
Stephen Miller

The fatal shooting of two Minnesota residents by federal agents has contributed to the fiercest public backlash yet against the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policy. The man widely seen as the driving force behind this controversial approach, is White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller.

Born in 1985 and raised in liberal Santa Monica, California, Miller is the grandson of Jewish refugees. Outspoken from an early age, he made his name as a teenager through conservative talk radio appearances and student newspaper columns, before gaining national attention at Duke University defending members of the lacrosse team falsely accused of rape.

From fringe political outsider to trusted adviser, Miller has gone on to shape some of the most consequential policies of the Trump era, including the so-called Muslim travel ban and family separations at the border. So, as immigration once again dominates the US news agenda, Becky Milligan examines how he got here.

Production Team:
Presenter: Becky Milligan
Producers: Laurie Kalus, Katie Solleveld, Sophie Van Brugen and Keiligh Baker
Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Gemma Ashman
Sound: James Beard
Editor: Justine Lang

Archive:
Fox News
Paramount
Miller Brewing Co.
ABC


SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m002qj8c)
Jonathan Pryce

Award-winning actor Sir Jonathan Pryce talks to John Wilson about his cultural influences and career. He made his name with the 1975 Trevor Griffiths play Comedians, his role as a stand-up comic winning him a Tony Award after it moved to Broadway. He won an Olivier Award for a landmark production of Hamlet in 1980, and another Tony for his role as The Engineer in Miss Saigon. His huge and diverse list of film credits include Terry Gilliam’s 1985 dystopian drama Brazil, the musical Evita alongside Madonna and, an Oscar nominated performance as Pope Francis in The Two Popes. And he’s been increasingly prolific in the age of television streaming with acclaim for his roles in Game Of Thrones, The Crown, Taboo, Slow Horses and Wolf Hall. He was knighted for services to drama in 2021.

Producer: Edwina Pitman

Archive used:
Listen With Mother, BBC Home Service, 7 February, 1950
Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?, Whitehall Theatre, BBC1, 1940s
Protests on Broadway, 6 April 1991
Comedians by Trevor Griffiths, 2nd House, BBC2, 15 March 1975
Jonathan Pryce in Hamlet, The Southbank Show, ITV, 1988
Brazil, Terry Gilliam, 1985


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002qrcb)
Taxi Driver at 50: New York, Then and Now

It’s 50 years since the film Taxi Driver was released in 1976. The story of Travis Bickle, a loner and cab driver, who tries to save a 14-year-old sex worker from the mean streets of 1970s New York was controversial at the time for its violence and sexual theme but is considered a classic today.

Michael Goldfarb tells the story of the film's creation and how New York decayed into the condition which forms the backdrop for the story - and what the city is like today, half a century later.

Producer: Julia Hayball
A Certain Height production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 21:00 Artworks (m002f8lq)
Three Transformations of Virginia Woolf

1. Inner Lives

'Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.'

A century on from the publication of Mrs Dalloway, Fiona Shaw explores what Virginia Woolf has to say to us today. With Clarissa Dalloway as our guide, we discover how Woolf captured and critiqued a modern world that was transforming around her, treated mental health as a human experience rather than a medical condition, and challenged gender norms in ways that seem light years ahead of even our present day discourse.

In this episode, Fiona Shaw speaks with authors, academics and artists inspired by Virginia Woolf, about how Woolf foregrounded interior lives.

Fiona hears from authors Michael Cunningham, Mark Haddon and Naomi Alderman; Woolf biographer Alexandra Harris; filmmaker Sally Potter; Professor of Modernist Literature, Bryony Randall; Professor of English, Mark Hussey; and Professor of Twentieth Century Literature, Anna Snaith.

Extracts read by Gwendoline Christie.

Produced by Ellie Richold for BBC Audio Wales


SAT 22:00 News (m002qrcd)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002qh1k)
The Honey Trap

After concerns that honey from overseas is being watered down with cheap rice and corn syrups, Sheila Dillon investigates the scale of global honey fraud. It's a story of complex international supply chains with the world's food security at its heart.

In 2023, the European Commission found that 46 per cent of the honey it sampled was suspected to be fraudulent. Just last year at the World Beekeeping Awards the prize for Best Honey had to be cancelled after fears that adulterated honey might be entered. The fake version can be very difficult to detect and beekeepers warn that it is forcing down the price of honey, potentially driving them out of business.

So how serious an issue has international honey fraud become and how concerned should consumers in the UK be? Sheila visits Bermondsey Street bees in Essex in search of answers and speaks to the UK's two biggest honey producers - Rowse and Hilltop Honey. Food fraud expert Professor Chris Elliott from Queen's University Belfast analyses the situation and Robin Markwell reports from Copenhagen where the world's largest convention of beekeepers was recently held.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Robin Markwell


SAT 23:00 Dan Does Dating (m002qrcg)
Series 1

3. Chloe

Think of the worst date you've been on, or heard about. Now imagine having to go through that every week. That's what happens to Dan Dickerson in Dan Does Dating, a new non-audience sitcom by Michael Beck. And his dates feel the same way.

This week, Dan tries dating up the social ladder, and goes to an art gallery with a much posher woman. Can he convince her that he could live a posh life with her?

Dan … Christopher Macarthur-Boyd
Chloe… Eleanor Morton

Chris … Ray Bradshaw
Jack … Stephen Buchanan
Jamila … Nalini Chetty
Diane … Zara Gladman

Waiter / Boy … Kougar Baatarkhuu
Barman ... Jonny Donahoe
Quizmaster … Sanjeev Kohli
Random Woman… Lisa Livingstone
Babysitter / Girl … Amy Matthews
Paramedic … Sophie Wilkinson

Written by Michael Beck

Recorded and edited by Diane Jardine at Sonido Studios, Clydebank

Produced and directed by Ed Morrish

A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 23:30 Counterpoint (m002qgml)
Series 39

Heat 4, 2026

Paul Gambaccini hosts radio's most challenging music quiz. Now in its 39th series, contestants from around the country have assembled to be tested on their knowledge of music from across the centuries, and across every genre.

This week, our three contestants pick from topics including ‘Teenage Stars’, ‘XTC's English Vision' and ‘All That Acid Jazz’.

Producer: Tom Du Croz
Production coordinator: Jodie Charman

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4

SUNDAY 01 FEBRUARY 2026

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002qrcj)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m002qgmj)
Ali Smith

Acclaimed author Ali Smith speaks to Take Four Books about her latest book, Glyph. Together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works. Glyph tells a story hidden within Smith’s 2024 novel Gliff. Once again, the plot centres on two siblings and a horse, and delves into the power of storytelling.

Ali’s three chosen influences for this episode are: The Wild Ass’ Skin by Honoré de Balzac (1831); A Book of Nonsense by Edward Lear (1846); and Strider: The Story of a Horse by Leo Tolstoy (circa 1886).

Producer: Hayley Jarvis
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002qrcl)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002qrcn)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:30 News Summary (m002qrcq)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002qrcs)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002qrcv)
The Cathedral Church of St Peter in Bradford, West Yorkshire

Bells on Sunday comes from the Cathedral Church of St Peter in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Built on the site of an Anglo-Saxon church the current building is largely 15th century. In 1921 a new peal of ten bells was installed and dedicated as a War Memorial. These were augmented to a peal of twelve in 1975 with the donation of two bells from the nearby Parish Church of St. John, in Little Horton. The Tenor bell weighs twenty five and a half hundredweight and is tuned to the note of D. We hear them now ringing Grandsire Cinques.


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002qjcb)
Disability Confident Scheme, Blind Sailing

The Disability Confident Scheme is a government programme that aims to help employers recruit and retain disabled people. Organisations can volunteer to sign up and move through three tiers that have varying levels of commitments. As part of a series of measures to try to help with the recruitment of disabled people, the government are planning to overhaul the scheme and make certain criteria more robust. Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms tells In Touch about their plans.

GBR Blind Sailing recently achieved great success at the World Sailing Inclusion Visually Impaired Championships in Oman. Lucy Hodges MBE is commodore of GBR Blind Sailing and nine-time World Champion and she, along with long-term sailor Vicki Sheen, tell In Touch about their success in Oman and about their aims to get more visually impaired people involved in the sport and to get blind sailing into the Paralympics in its own class.

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Helen Surtees

Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.


SUN 06:00 News Summary (m002qrdq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Thinking Allowed (m002qjbw)
Colour in Film

How did the arrival of colour and film technology transform cinema and its cultural politics? Laurie Taylor explores the intertwined histories of technology, aesthetics, and identity.

Swarnavel Eswaran, filmmaker and scholar at Michigan State University, introduces us to the remarkable story of Kodak Krishnan – Eastman Kodak’s “man from the East.” Krishnan played a pivotal role in bringing American film technology to India during the mid-20th century, a period when cinema was becoming a powerful medium for shaping ideas of modernity and national pride.

Kirsty Sinclair Dootson, Associate Professor in the History of Art department at University College London, is one of the organisers of the Bombay Colour Research Network. Her book The Rainbow’s Gravity asked how new colour media transformed the way Britain saw itself and its empire between 1856 and 1968. Her research also examines how colour technologies – from early tinting processes to the vibrant palettes of Bollywood musicals became part of debates over race, class, and cultural representation.
Kirsty Sinclair Dootson is one of the academics who has been a New Generation Thinker, on the scheme run by the BBC and the Arts and Humanities Research Council to share research on radio.

Producer: Natalia Fernandez


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002qrds)
The Farmer’s Boy – The legend and legacy of Eric Freeman

Clifford Freeman farms at Redmarley beside the River Leadon in the ancient border landscape where Gloucestershire meets Worcestershire. His 16th century farmhouse was once an inn on the old Welsh Drovers' route and sits in sight of Pauntley Court, the ancestral home of Dick Whittington (the real Richard Whittington who was Lord Mayor of London four times). But as Vernon Harwood discovers that's not the whole story because Clifford has found himself as the custodian of his father’s remarkable legacy.

His dad was the rare breeds pioneer, conservationist and broadcaster Eric Freeman, famous for his role in saving Gloucester cattle from extinction in the early 1970s. Eric also championed the other county breeds of Gloucestershire; Cotswold sheep and Old Spots pigs. He grew endangered fruit varieties, collected vintage farm waggons and revived centuries-old rural traditions such as Wassailing and Harvest Home.

Now Clifford has questions to ponder and difficult decisions to make. What’s the future for his dad’s beloved breeds and the old country customs he rekindled? Is there a place for Eric’s impressive collection of farming bygones and heirlooms? And importantly, how does he untangle his own legacy from his father’s? The programme centres around the Harvest Home celebration on Clifford’s farm – the first to be held since Eric’s death and a day full of poignancy and meaning.

Produced and presented by Vernon Harwood.


SUN 06:57 Weather (m002qrdv)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002qrdx)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002qrdz)
Church funding, pilates in a mosque, the latest in the ‘quiet revival’ debate

Churches across the country are bracing themselves for a significant new financial challenge. Until now, they’ve been able to reclaim VAT on essential repairs for everything from leaky roofs to dilapidated towers. But from April, that protection goes, and they'll have to pay a 20-per-cent tax to the government. William Crawley speaks to Sir Philip Rutnam, Chair of the National Churches Trust.

At the start of the year, the Jamia Usmania mosque in Bradford posted a video on social media of its pilates class for older men, and it went viral. William hears from the mosque’s general secretary Mohammed Ilyas and pilates instructor Zafar Kayani and tries a few pilates moves in the studio.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve devoted a series to faith and Gen Z: rising Bible sales, social media influencers, and the online “orthobro” phenomenon. We've also previously reported on the battle between statisticians about whether or not the data points to a "quiet revival". But this week, Humanists UK offered a new analysis of the British Social Attitudes Survey which, they say, ends the debate once and for all. To explore what’s really going on, we hear from Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UK and Linda Woodhead, professor of Theology and Religious Studies at King’s College London.

PRESENTER: William Crawley
PRODUCERS: Katy Davis & James Leesley
STUDIO MANAGERS: Mike Smith & Lyndsey Akehurst
EDITOR: Dan Tierney


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002qrf1)
Radio 4 Appeal Fund

Charlotte Smith makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the Radio 4 Appeal Fund. The fund gives listeners the opportunity to donate to all of the weekly Radio 4 appeals by sharing donations equally between all the broadcast appeal charities from that year.

The Radio 4 Appeal features a new charity every week.
Each appeal then runs on Radio 4 from Sunday 0755 for 7 days.

To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal. (That’s the whole address. Please do not write anything else on the front of the envelope). Mark the back of the envelope ‘Radio 4 Appeal Fund’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Radio 4 Appeal Fund’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
- Please ensure you are donating to the correct charity by checking the name of the charity on the donate page.

Registered Charity Number: 327489. If you’d like to find out more, visit https://www.bbc.com/charityappeals/donate/radio4-fund

Producer: Katy Takatsuki


SUN 07:57 Weather (m002qrf3)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002qrf5)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002qrf7)
Candlemas in Wrexham

Sunday Worship comes from St Giles' in Wrexham, and is led by Rev James Tout. The music in this Candlemas service is provided by the congregation and Fron Choir.

Readings:
Malachi3:1-5
Luke 2:22-40

Music:
Love Divine
Faithful Vigil Ended
Tell out my Soul
The Lord’s Prayer
Tydi a Rhoddaist
Sanctus from the German Mass by Shubert


SUN 08:48 Tweet of the Day (m002qrf9)
George McGavin on the Gannet

As a child, the entomologist George McGavin found a dead gannet on the beach, and set about extracting the skull for his collection. He was fascinated to discover the hundreds of pointed barbs in its mouth. Now years later he marvels at this clever bit of evolution which prevents fish falling out of gannets' beaks as they dive into the water then become airborne again.

Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.


SUN 08:50 In Other News (m002qrfc)
Welcome to the programme which sidesteps the main news headlines and delves more deeply into what’s going right in the world.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002qrff)
More trouble for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

A second woman claims that Jeffrey Epstein sent her to the UK for sex with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. What next? Also on BH trouble at the opera as the tenor loses his voice.


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002qrfh)
Professor Michele Dougherty, scientist

Professor Michele Dougherty is President of the Institute of Physics and Professor of Space Physics at Imperial College London. She was appointed Astronomer Royal last year – the first woman to hold the post in its 350-year history.

She was brought up in Durban in South Africa and studied for a Bachelor of Science degree in applied maths at Natal University. After completing a Master’s and PhD she took up a fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany where she investigated solar wind and galactic wind outflows.

In 1991 she joined Imperial College London where she helped devise a magnetic field model for the Ulysses mission. In 1997 she became principal investigator for the magnetometer instrument on board the Cassini probe which was sent to study Saturn and its system.

She is currently lead investigator for the J-MAG magnetometer instrument on the European Space Agency's JUICE mission (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) which launched in 2023. It will reach Jupiter in 2031 and spend at least three years observing the planet and three of its largest moons, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa.

Michele was appointed CBE in the 2018 New Years Honours List for services to UK Physical Science Research.

DISC ONE: Puccini: Turandot, Act III: Nessun dorma! Performed by Luciano Pavarotti (tenor), John Alldis Choir, Wandsworth School Boys Choir and London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta
DISC TWO: Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85: III. Adagio. Composed by Elgar. Performed by Jacqueline du Pré (cello) and London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Barbirolli
DISC THREE: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 19: III. Moderato. Composed by Tchaikovsky. Performed by Frank Peters Zimmerman (violin), and Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Lorin Maazel
DISC FOUR: We Three Kings of Orient Are - Robert Shaw Chamber Singers
DISC FIVE: Dancing Queen - ABBA
DISC SIX: Dance With My Father - Luther Vandross
DISC SEVEN: Franck: Panis Angelicus. Performed by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano), English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Barry Rose
DISC EIGHT: Pie Jesu (From Requiem) Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Performed by Malakai Bayoh, Schola Cantorum of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School and London Mozart Players, directed by Scott Price

BOOK CHOICE: The Lord of The Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
LUXURY ITEM: An assortment of wine
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85: III. Adagio. Composed by Elgar. Performed by Jacqueline du Pré (cello) and London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Barbirolli

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Paula McGinley

Desert Island Discs has cast many space experts away to the island over the years including NASA's Dr Nicola Fox, the astronomer Carl Sagan and the astronauts Tim Peake and Chris Hadfield. You can hear their programmes if you search through BBC Sounds or our own Desert Island Discs website.


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002qrfk)
Writer: Liz John
Director: Peter Leslie Wild
Editor: Jeremy Howe

25th - 30th January

Ben Archer.... Ben Norris
David Archer.... Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer.... Felicity Finch
Lilian Bellamy.... Sunny Ormonde
Neil Carter.... Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter.... Charlotte Martin
Justin Elliott.... Simon Williams
Mick Fadmoor.... Martin Barrass
Rex Fairbrother.... Nick Barber
Amber Gordon.... Olivia Bernstone
George Grundy ... Angus Stobie
Joy Horville.... Jackie Lye
Akram Malik.... Asif Khan
Azra Malik.... Yasmin Wilde
Jazzer McCreary.... Ryan Kelly
Kirsty Miller.... Annabelle Dowler
Esme Mulligan.... Ellie Pawsey


SUN 12:15 Profile (m002qrc8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 The Unbelievable Truth (m002qj0s)
Series 32

6. Men, Statues, Theft and Martial Arts

David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they’re able to smuggle past their opponents.

Miles Jupp, Celya AB, Michelle Wolf and Frankie Boyle are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as men, statues, theft and martial arts.

The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith

Producer: Jon Naismith

A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 12:57 Weather (m002qrfm)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002qrfp)
Iran's supreme leader warns of regional war if US attacks

As American pressure on Iran grows, we hear what life is like in Tehran and assess the strength of the government. One of the founders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards - now a pro-democracy activist exiled in the USA – joins us live.


SUN 13:30 Currently (m002qrfr)
RAAC and Ruin

Between the 1950s and 1990s the material known as RAAC, Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, was used mostly in flat roofing, but also in floors and walls. It offered a cheaper alternative to standard concrete, but the discovery of its short lifespan has meant serious problems. It made the headlines when it was found in schools and hospitals, but it has been used in housing as well.

A political storm is brewing in Scotland after thousands of homeowners have been told their properties are no longer safe because of RAAC. Some are living on ghost estates under threat of demolition. Others have even been forcibly removed. Local authorities are offering a percentage of the market value before the faults were identified, but homeowners say this will leave them homeless and in debt, paying mortgages on rubble.

Karin Goodwin investigates the human cost of a flawed building material.

Presenter: Karin Goodwin
Producers: Liza Greig and Halina Rifai
Executive Producer: Mark Rickards

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002qh26)
Postbag Edition: Seaton Delaval Hall

Kathy Clugston and the GQT team visit the Seaton Delaval Hall in Newcastle, to answer questions from the GQT postbag.

Today, the panel helps choose roses for a shaded memorial bed, investigates the sudden collapse of a once‑glorious wisteria, and unpicks the mystery of a white flag iris that decided to flower again in autumn, but this time in blue.

Kathy is joined by Matthew Wilson, Bethan Collerton and Dr Chris Thorogood.

Alongside these questions, Sarah Peilow, Head Gardener at Seaton Delaval Hall takes us on a tour of the Parterre and the South East Garden.

Producer: Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m002qrft)
Walden

During the mid-19th century America was undergoing unprecedented change. New railroads and canals allowed people and goods to criss-cross the country, as the old agrarian economy was replaced by a fast-paced industrialised one. This rapid market expansion was driven by profit and underpinned by slavery.

As the lives of Americans began to speed up, Henry David Thoreau took time out to ask himself a question - is this the best way to live? In 1845, when he was 27 years old, he built a one-roomed cabin next to Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, and began an experiment in what he called ‘living deliberately’.

During the two years he spent at Walden Pond, Thoreau lived simply. He studied, read widely, went for long walks, and often just sat and contemplated the natural world around him. The journal he kept during the two years he lived in his microhouse would become Walden, a genre-defying mix of memoir, essay, nature diary, philosophical treatise and self-help guide. The book was not an immediate success but steadily grew in popularity after Thoreau’s early death at the age of 44. Walden is now regarded as a foundational work of both American literature and Transcendentalist philosophy. It has been continuously in print since 1862.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for over 30 years and shares his experience as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. He created the BBC Writers Academy and trained a generation of screenwriters - now with thousands of hours of television to their names. His acclaimed books Into the Woods and Trip to the Moon explore the structure and power of narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of storytelling, including many podcasts for R4.

Contributors:
Laura Dassow Walls, author of Henry David Thoreau: A Life. Professor Emerita of English at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana.
Kristen Case, poet and Thoreau scholar. Editor of the Oxford Handbook of Henry David Thoreau. Editor of essays on Thoreau and author of Thoreau’s Kalendar – Charts and Observation of Natural Phenomena.
Tracy Fullerton, game designer, educator and writer, best known for Walden, a game. Professor in the USC Interactive Media & Games Division of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and Director of the Game Innovation Lab at USC.

Reader: Eric Stroud
Production Hub Coordinator: Dawn Williams
Researcher: Henry Tydeman
Sound: Iain Hunter
Producer: Kate McAll
Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002qrfw)
Walden

"I went to the woods, because I wished to live deliberately..."

Henry David Thoreau's account of his year living in a cabin in the woods next to Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Matthew Needham (House of the Dragon, Stutterer, Summer and Smoke) stars as Henry in Paul Farley's evocative dramatisation of an attempt to live lightly on the earth, in tune with the rhythms of the natural world and to pay attention to the local and immediate.

Henry.....Matthew Needham
The Hostess.....Antonia Bernath
Sceptical Diners.....Nathan Osgood and Adam Silver
Railway Workers.....Jonathan Forbes and Jos Vantyler
Mrs Field.....Aisha Lawal
Sam Staples.....Clive Haywood
The Poet.....Django Bevan
Fenda Freeman.....Lorna Lowe
William Taylor.....Kel Matsena

Walden was dramatized by Paul Farley
Sound design was by Rhys Morris

A BBC Audio Wales production, directed by Emma Harding


SUN 16:00 Bookclub (m002qrfy)
Sarah Bernstein

The Canadian writer Sarah Bernstein speaks to a Bookclub audience about her Booker-shortlisted 2023 novel, Study For Obedience. Published by Granta, the story follows an unnamed protagonist who is moved to a remote northern country to be a housekeeper for her brother, but as soon as she arrives a series of unfortunate events occur. The novel won the Giller prize in 2023.

Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.


SUN 16:30 Counterpoint (m002qzbk)
Series 39

Heat 5, 2026

Paul Gambaccini hosts radio's most challenging music quiz. Now in its 39th series, contestants from around the country have assembled to be tested on their knowledge of music from across the centuries, and across every genre.

This week, our three contestants pick from topics including ‘Pop into 1976', 'Seventies isco at the movies' and 'The Wayne Shorter Report'.

Producer: Tom Du Croz
Production coordinator: Jodie Charman

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4


SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct74js)
The secretary who made millions from her typos

In the 1950s, secretary Bette Graham from Texas was struggling to cope with her new electric typewriter.

“My fingers would hang heavy on the sensitive keyboard and the first thing I'd know, I'd have a mistake with a deposit of carbon which I simply couldn't erase,” she said.

A budding artist, she wondered if there was a way she could paint over her typos.

At home, in her kitchen, the single mum cooked up the first correcting fluid. It was a hit with other secretaries and, by 1973, Bette had turned her creation into a multi-million dollar business.

Bette died in 1980 so Vicky Farncombe tells her story using archive from University of North Texas Special Collections.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.

For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.

(Photo: Correction fluid. Credit: Getty Images)


SUN 17:10 The Verb (m002qrg1)
Rilke's life-changing poems and Paul Farley, Kate Fox, Griot Gabriel

Ian McMillan explores Rainer Maria Rilke's life advice, and is joined by Paul Farley, Griot Gabriel, Kate Fox and Ulrich Baer

Paul Farley brings us the sound of planes, and the world of the usher - as well as a life-long connection to Robert Louis Stevenson's 'A Child's Garden of Verses'. Paul's latest collection 'When it Rained for a Million Years' was shortlisted for this year's T.S.Eliot Prize.

'Can poetry change your life'? - poet and Verb regular Kate Fox - and writer and scholar Ulrich Baer explore a 'neon line' (an outstanding line of poetry' ) by the German language poet Rainer Maria Rilke; an enigmatic line that has left the page and entered popular culture. So why is Rilke's poetry so popular in 2026 - a hundred years after his death?
Kate's latest book is 'On Sycamore Gap' - Ulrich's writing on Rilke includes 'Dark Interval: Rilke's Letters on Grief, Loss and Transformation'.

Griot Gabriel is from Manchester, and founded The Poetry Place. In 2025 he won the Forward Prize for 'Best Single Poem – Performed' for ‘Where I’m From’. Here he shares extracts of new work and explores the resonance of the word 'hand-me-down'.


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002qrg3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m002qrg5)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002qrg7)
Lord Mandelson Faces Questions As Files Suggest Eptein Payments

Documents released in the US suggest that Jeffrey Epstein made three payments totalling $75,000 to accounts associated with Peter Mandelson. Lord Mandelson said he had no recollection of receiving the money and has questioned the authenticity of the documents. Elsewhere: Officials in Ukraine say at least twelve people were killed when a Russian drone hit a bus carrying mine workers; and Israel has partially reopened the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002qrg9)
Myra Anubi

This week, we follow the journey of those men "forged in steel" through archive, and the story of how Britain is built on the foundations of crafting. Meanwhile, the First Nation musician Dyagula is crafting new heritage for a critically endangered language on Soul Music. Plus, we find ourselves forest bathing, and building a house in the middle of the Massachusetts woods in 1845. And if you aren’t hugely interested in trees being your next door neighbours, maybe the story of a secret apartment in a Rhode Island mall appeals more.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production coordinators: Caroline Peddle and Caoilfhinn McFadden


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002qrgc)
David and Ruth realise they’ve committed to an event in the barn on Valentine’s Day. Ruth was hoping to offer to babysit for Pip and Stella. David’s affronted – maybe they might want to go out themselves. Ruth comments it looks like they’ll be behind the bar in the barn now anyhow. They can always go out another night. Later David’s disappointed when Kenton tells him the Bull’s Valentine’s event is all booked up. Kenton eventually finds a small space to squeeze them in, if David doesn’t mind sitting at the bar. David’s happy with this. Ruth arrives and suggests Pip and Stella could come to the Bull for Valentine’s if she and David babysit. David hurriedly covers, saying they should probably stick with doing the bar in the barn, to save money.

Pip and Hannah admire the art installation at the rewilding site: stained glass set in wood from a fallen oak. Pip admits ruefully that she and Stella don’t get much time together at the moment, though it’s good she’s enjoying her job. Pip wonders whether Stella’s mentioned a cruise for her birthday – she’s being secretive and Pip can’t work it out. She doesn’t fancy being cooped up at sea so she hopes not. Hannah confirms she’s heard nothing, but suggests Pip just asks Stella. Pip duly tackles the topic later but realises Stella had fallen asleep and hadn’t heard a word she’d said. Recounting this to Hannah, Pip asserts there’s definitely something on Stella’s mind. One way or another she intends to find out what it is.


SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002qrgf)
Bolton: The Happiest Town on Earth?

In the 1930s a group of researchers descended on the northern mill town of Bolton to observe the natives. They christened their chosen case-study 'Worktown'. It was a ground breaking study of working class culture - and one thing they wanted to know was what makes people happy.

The people of Bolton were asked a simple questions "What is happiness to you and yours?" The letters written in response reveal a snapshot of the innermost thoughts and feelings of ordinary people, living ordinary lives almost a century ago.

Katharine Longworth returns to Bolton to discover whether this town still holds the secret to happiness. Exploring the town centre, markets, pasty shops and pubs; she asks the same question, bringing the original letters to life as modern day Boltonians reflect on the insights of their predecessors.

We knock on the doors of those who live in the same spot as the original correspondents, linking them to the past through the words of the letters, and hearing their own reflections on happiness. Have things changed? Is it more difficult to be happier today? And is Bolton the happiest town on earth?

Original letter written by:
J.E. Nelson
G. Taylor
J. Warburton
Joseph Roberts
A. Thornley
F. Fielding
L. Bollington
E. Horrocks

Producer: Katharine Longworth
Sound Design: Michael Smith
Actors: Paul Brennan, Jasmine Hyde and Mike Rogers

With thanks to Professor Jerome Carson and Dr Sandie McHugh at The University of Greater Manchester.


SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m000vy1l)
Green Spaces

Michael explores the science behind the soothing power of nature, revealing how nature not only makes us feel good in the moment, but how it also has a more lasting effect on our stress levels and our mental health. Michael speaks to Professor Ming Kuo at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who has been looking into the surprising ways nature could be having an effect on your immune system and mind. They discuss everything from mood boosting microbes in the soil, to the aromatic chemicals released by plants that could be enhancing your immune system.


SUN 20:00 Word of Mouth (m002qj8y)
Aphorisms: Sayings to Live By

Michael Rosen talks to James Geary about his lifetime obsession, aphorisms. These short, witty philosophical sayings have been coined by everyone from Emily Dickinson and James Baldwin to Hallmark, and even Michael's mum.

Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven, in partnership with the Open University.
Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002qh2b)
Sir Mark Tully, Dame Gillian Wagner, Dr Gladys West, Richard Larn OBE

Matthew Bannister on

Sir Mark Tully who reported on India for the BBC for decades, covering some of the most significant events in the country’s recent history.

Dame Gillian Wagner who campaigned to raise the standards of residential care in the UK.

Dr. Gladys West, the mathematician whose work paved the way for the development of GPS.

Richard Larn OBE, the diver who was one of the UK’s leading experts on shipwrecks.

Interviewee: Sarah Tully
Interviewee: Qurban Ali
Interviewee: Lucy McCarraher
Interviewee: Carolyn West Oglesby
Interviewee: Steve Roue

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Colin Paterson

Archive used:
Mark Tully interview with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Outlook, BBC World Service, 1975; Mark Tully interview, Desert Islands Discs, BBC Radio 4, 15/06/2003; Mark Tully news analysis, BBC World Report, 12/07/1971; Mark Tully report from Bhopal, BBC News, 04/12/1984; Mark Tully report from Ayodhya, BBC News, 06/12/1992; Mark Tully presenting, Something Understood, BBC Radio 4, 30/07/2000; Gillian Wagner, The Barnardo Family, BBC Radio 4, 23/04/1979; Gillian Wagner interview, Scene on Six, BBC News NI, 15/10/1981; Gillian Wagner, The Flower of the Flock, BBC Radio 4, 31/07/1981; Dr Gladys West interview, Today, BBC Radio 4, 31/12/2022; Gladys West interview, PBS News Hour, PBS, 20/01/2026; Hannah Fry: The Secret Genius of Everyday Life, BBC Two, 17/11/2022; Richard Larn interview, BBC News at One, 19/08/2010; Richard Larn , Richard Larn, Shipwrecks, Countryfile, BBC One, 25/02/2007; Richard Larn interview, The Mullion Pin Wreck, BBC, 07/08/1975; The Raising of the Mary Rose, BBC Radio 4, 10/10/1982; Richard Larn, Divers Midweek, 29/08/1974;


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002qrbj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002qrf1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002qrbd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002qrgk)
Reaction to Lord Mandelson's resignation from Labour

Ben Wright is joined by the Labour backbencher Gordon McKee; Conservative peer and former health minister, James Bethell; and former government special adviser, Salma Shah. They respond to the breaking news of Lord Mandelson's resignation from the Labour Party, following the release of more documents from the Epstein files. Jessica Elgot - deputy political editor of The Guardian - brings additional insight and analysis. The panel also discuss claims members of the House of Lords are trying to talk out the Bill to allow assisted dying. And Ben reports from Suella Braverman's constituency of Fareham on whether local people think there should be a by-election, following her defection from the Conservatives to Reform UK.


SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m002qj85)
The Roman Arena

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the countless venues across the Roman Empire which for over five hundred years drew the biggest crowds both in the Republic and under the Emperors. The shows there delighted the masses who knew, no matter how low their place in society, they were much better off than the gladiators about to fight or the beasts to be slaughtered. Some of the Roman elites were disgusted, seeing this popular entertainment as morally corrupting and un-Roman. Moral degradation was a less immediate concern though than the overspill of violence. There was a constant threat of gladiators being used as a private army and while those of the elite wealthy enough to stage the shows hoped to win great prestige, they risked disappointing a crowd which could quickly become a mob and turn on them.

With

Kathleen Coleman
James Loeb Professor of the Classics at Harvard University

John Pearce
Reader in Archaeology at King’s College London

And

Matthew Nicholls
Fellow and Senior Tutor at St John’s College, Oxford

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list:

C. A. Barton, The Sorrows of the Ancient Romans: The Gladiator and the Monster (Princeton University Press, 1993)

Roger Dunkle, Gladiators: Violence and Spectacle in Ancient Rome (Pearson, 2008)

Garrett G. Fagan, The Lure of the Arena: Social Psychology and the Crowd at the Roman Games (Cambridge University Press, 2011)

A. Futrell, Blood in the Arena: The Spectacle of Roman Power (University of Texas Press, 1997)

A. Futrell, The Roman Games: A Sourcebook (Blackwell Publishing, 2006)

Keith Hopkins and Mary Beard, The Colosseum (Profile, 2005)

Luciana Jacobelli, Gladiators at Pompeii (The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003)

Eckart Köhne and Cornelia Ewigleben (eds.), Gladiators and Caesars: The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome (University of California Press, 2000)

Donald Kyle, Spectacles of Death in Ancient Rome (Routledge, 1998)

F. Meijer, The Gladiators: History’s Most Deadly Sport (Souvenir, 2004)

Jerry Toner, The Day Commodus killed a Rhino: Understanding the Roman Games (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014)

K. Welch, The Roman Amphitheatre from its Origins to the Colosseum (Cambridge University Press, 2007)

T. Wiedemann, Emperors and Gladiators (Routledge, 1992)

In Our Time is a BBC Studios Production


SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002qh28)
Lahinch by Rachel Gough

An original short story specially commissioned by BBC Radio 4 from the writer Rachel Gough. Read by Jessica Regan.

The Author
Rachel Gough is a writer from County Cork. Her work includes short fiction published in The Waxed Lemon, Outpost, Bealtaine, The National Flash Fiction Anthology, and Best Small Fictions and poetry published in Quarryman. In 2021 her short story ‘December 25th 2022’ was shortlisted for Best Short Story at the Wild Atlantic Words Festival. In 2022 she received the Editor’s Choice Award from the National Flash Fiction Day Anthology. In the same year she was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. In 2025, she was awarded first place in the flash fiction category at the Write by the Sea Literary Festival.

Writer: Rachel Gough
Reader: Jessica Regan
Producer: Michael Shannon

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.

MONDAY 02 FEBRUARY 2026

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002qrgp)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 00:15 Crossing Continents (m002qjcd)
Nigeria: Killings, Land and Cattle

On Christmas Day 2025, the US carried out missile strikes on suspected Islamist militants in Nigeria. They came after President Trump said he would intervene to protect Christians amid controversial claims of a “Christian genocide” in the country. The Nigerian government rejects such claims, saying both Muslim and Christian communities have been affected by insecurity in the country. Alex Last visits Plateau state in central Nigeria one area where ethnic and sectarian violence that has been the focus of US concern, to hear from both sides and meet those trying to bring peace.

Produced and presented by Alex Last


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002qrcv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002qrgt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002qrgy)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.


MON 05:00 News Summary (m002qrh2)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002qrh7)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament


MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002qrhc)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002qrhh)
Journey has long been a metaphor for life

Good morning!

As long as I can remember, I’ve gone on pilgrimage.

One of my earliest memories is my parents piling my four brothers and I into our bright red Fiat Strada for the long journey to the Marian Shrine of Knock in the west of Ireland.

This was long before the European Union generously provided for the beautiful network of motorways we now enjoy.

No, back in the 1980s we went through every town and village, and felt every bump on that long road – my poor parents.

Pilgrimage as a practice is found in nearly every major world religion, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Sikhism. as well as indigenous and ancient faiths.

Pilgrimages serve as journeys to sacred sites to reinforce faith, seek blessings, or fulfil religious duties.

Journey has long been a metaphor for life.

Sacred texts are full of journeys, while in literature from ancient epics to modern fiction, the journey represents a quest for self-discovery, growth, and transformation.

T.S. Eliot wrote:
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

Perhaps he was making the point that true understanding comes not from endless searching, but from returning to your origins with newfound wisdom. Realising your starting point was more profound than you knew, and seeing it with fresh, enlightened eyes.

It’s a paradox: exploration is essential to gain the perspective needed to truly comprehend the familiar, making the familiar new again.

I pray for wisdom to see the journey often brings us back to where we began, but transformed by experience, we recognise it with deeper insight. Amen.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002qrhm)
02/02/26 Scottish Environment Bill, Ramblers report, new entrants.

Scotland has introduced legislation to set legal targets on nature restoration and halt the loss of biodiversity. The Scottish Government says this will ensure that the country is 'on a bold ambitious journey to be nature positive by 2030'. The Natural Environment bill, which was passed by the Scottish parliament last week, also gives ministers new powers over land use and deer management.

The right to roam in Scotland, which gives people access rights, is being 'hollowed out' by a lack of money according to a new report from the walkers’ group Ramblers Scotland. It says that some of the essential infrastructure needed to ensure the rights of both walkers and land managers has disappeared, with too few local staff to handle issues when people don't stick to the rules, and not enough money spent on maintaining paths.

All week we're talking about new entrants: the people who come into farming with no family farm to work on, or inherit. The vast majority of farmers who own land pass it on to other members of the family, so it can be hard for people from outside the industry to get hold of land. Land is expensive too, which forms another barrier. Tenant farms where all or some of the land is rented make up about a third of farmland in England, but getting a tenancy is hard work and again requires some capital. One rural charity, The Addington Fund, has set up a new new entrant scheme to help people get a foot on the farming ladder.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


MON 05:57 Weather (m002qrhq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m002qrw6)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002qrw8)
Censorship

A lawyer, artist and curator discuss different examples of censorship and self censorship in Radio 4's weekly discussion of ideas to kick off the week. Tom Sutcliffe's guests are:

Ai Weiwei: a major name in contemporary art and for decades a leading voice for freedom of expression in his native China – and the wider world. In 2011 he was detained for eighty-one days in a secret location, unable to communicate with the outside world. His new book, On Censorship moves from authoritarian regimes to the pervasive influence of corporate power, social media and dominant interest groups in democracies.

Baroness Helena Kennedy has written the introduction to collected writings of Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian journalist who was murdered outside her home in Moscow twenty years ago. With continued attacks in Russia on press freedom, the way she spoke truth to power remains inspirational for Baroness Kennedy.

The figure of the Samurai is often associated with ideas about discipline, sacrifice and war but a new exhibition at the British Museum (on until May 4th) looks at the way this warrior class became consumers and patrons of culture. Rosina Buckland has co-curated the show.

Producer: Ruth Watts


MON 09:45 Café Hope (m002qrwb)
Patient friends

Jamie McDonald, founder of Ward Buddies, tells Rachel Burden how the team spend time with young children in hospital when the parents or carers can't be there. The charity's trained volunteers might read stories, play games or just provide comfort through touch and presence.

Café Hope is our virtual Radio 4 coffee shop, where guests pop in for a brew and a chat to tell us what they're doing to make things better in big and small ways. Think of us as sitting in your local café, cooking up plans, hearing the gossip and celebrating the people making the world a better place.

We're all about trying to make change. It might be a transformational project that helps an entire community or it might be about trying to make one life a little easier. And the key here is in the trying. Not everything works, and there are struggles along the way. But it's always worth a go.

You can contact us on cafehope@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rachel Burden
Series Producer: Jill Collins
Sound Design: Cameron Ward
Editor: Clare Fordham


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002qrwd)
Undercover Police Inquiry, Anne Boleyn, The Puppini Sisters, Cyber voyeurism

The ongoing Undercover Policing Inquiry starts again today, having already uncovered "appalling practices in undercover policing" over the past 50 years in England and Wales, since the inquiry was first established in 2015. It is believed at least 50 women were duped into intimate relationships with undercover officers over decades. Alison, not her real name, spent five years living with a man she knew as Mark Cassidy, who was in fact a married undercover Police Officer whose real name was Mark Jenner. She joins presenter Nuala McGovern along with BBC London journalist Ayshea Buksh, who has been following this inquiry.

A hidden detail has been found in one of the most famous portraits of Anne Boleyn, which historians argue proves it was painted as a rebuttal against accusations of witchcraft. In Anne Boleyn’s Hever “Rose” portrait she wears her “B” pendant and holds a red rose in her right hand and it's the hand that's holding the rose which people are saying is significant. Scientific analysis of the painting at Hever Castle, her childhood home in Kent, has uncovered evidence that an Elizabethan artist sought to create a visual rebuttal to claims she was a witch with a sixth finger on her right hand. Nuala is joined by historian and author Tracy Borman to find out more.

A BBC investigation has found that some social media accounts which are claiming to document the nightlife of cities are instead focussing on women in dresses and skirts, filmed from angles that at times show intimate body parts. The BBC has identified 65 YouTube accounts posting these videos, with a combined total of more than three and a half billion views. BBC Reporter Shona Elliott shares what she has found, along with Rebecca Hitchens from the End Violence Against Women Coalition.

The Puppini Sisters are celebrating 20 years of their antique pop, neo-burlesque swing music. Their new album The Birthday Party marks two decades since their debut, Betcha Bottom Dollar, spent almost a year on the Billboard chart in the US. It became the fastest-selling jazz album in UK chart history, with their fans including Robbie Williams and King Charles. The Puppini Sisters are Marcella Puppini, Kate Mullins and Rosanna Schura and join us in the studio.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Andrea Kidd


MON 11:00 Understand (m002qrwg)
An American Journey

3. Establishing Justice

James Naughtie continues his look at the ideas tying America's founding to the modern United States, asking how 'justice' has been understood by different generations of Americans.

In this third episode, James travels to Alabama in the American South, to understand how the Civil Rights movement sought to connect American reality with the promises in its founding documents. He hears from people in Texas on both sides of the debate about abortion, revealing how a movement built to oppose abortion rights brought millions of Christians into politics and dramatically shifted the politics of America's highest court. And in Midwestern Wisconsin, he hears how political division has come to the administration of justice itself.

Producer: Giles Edwards


MON 11:45 Constable's Year by Susan Owens (m002qrwj)
Episode 1: Suffolk

Celebrating the 250th anniversary of John Constable’s birth, Susan Owens offers a fresh look at how his life and work were shaped by his abiding love for his native Suffolk and the annual cycle of the natural world.

Today Constable is often considered to be a traditional artist, but he was a radical in his own time. Susan Owens describes how he rejected lazy, second-hand versions of nature; instead, he subjected the land, its people and its industry to intense scrutiny, and developed a new kind of painting to reflect the landscape and weather he saw with his farmer’s eye. He knew intimately the lanes, fields and millponds around his childhood home in East Bergholt in Suffolk, and he painted and understood the countryside as a place of labour as well as natural beauty.

Enriched with quotations from Constable’s funny, tender and acerbic letters, we follow him from his youth in the late 1700s, through the great love story of his marriage, to the final months of his life in 1837.

In this first episode we explore Constable’s early life in Suffolk as the son of a prosperous miller and famer in the Stour Valley, and how his intimate connection with the landscape stayed with him as he began to navigate life in London as a young artist.

Dr Susan Owens is an expert on British landscape art, and while Curator of Paintings at the V&A she was involved in the major exhibition Constable: The Making of a Master. Her latest book, The Story of Drawing: An Alternative History, was Apollo magazine’s Book of the Year in 2024.

Reader: Susannah Harker
Abridger and producer: Jane Greenwood
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Studio Production: Jon Calver
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds


MON 12:00 News Summary (m002qrwl)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002qrwn)
Cabin Bags, Petrol Prices and Phone-Free Gigs

When is a cabin bag a 'large' cabin bag? Last week the budget airline Easyjet was told it could no longer say you could bring a cabin bag on a plane "from £5.99" after failing to provide evidence you could. We hear from a listener who was confused by in-flight bag pricing - and find out how to navigate the increasingly complicated cabin baggage rules across all airlines.

Would you lock your phone away for a couple of hours to enjoy a concert or a drink in peace? Wherever you go these days - to see a match, a gig, an exhibition - it's striking how many people there are seeing it through their mobile phone screens. Sir Paul McCartney recently insisted that four and a half thousand fans who came to see him in California, watched him phone-free. They had to put their phones into locked pouches for the duration of the concert. Is this a trend that's going to catch on?

Motorists will now be able to use an app to compare the cost of fuel offered by petrol stations across the UK. The government has made it compulsory for garages and fuel stations to report their prices. But will it save you money at the pump?

And is the quality - and price - of chocolate you buy leaving you in a twirl? We hear from chocolate lovers who think manufacturers are being very flaky with their ingredients!

PRESENTER - WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER - JAMES WICKHAM


MON 12:57 Weather (m002qrwq)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m002qrws)
Files suggest Lord Mandelson shared government emails with Epstein

We get reaction from a former special advisor in the Treasury as it is revealed that Lord Mandelson may have leaked private government emails to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. We hear from a mother who has been separated from her children for over 800 days as the Rafah crossing into Gaza is set to be partially re-opened, and we discuss if the current student loan system is fair.


MON 13:45 In Detail... (p0m50kcd)
Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance

Episode 1

A Sri Lankan man begs for sanctuary in a church in 1986.

Viraj Mendis says he faces death if sent back to his home country. Father John Methuen protects him from arrest, risking his reputation and the safety of Ascension church and allows a devoted group to protect him in the church.

Presenter Father Azariah France-Williams is the current rector of Ascension Church. He goes on a journey of discovery, finding out how the Sanctuary gamble leads to a two year culture war that defies Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's authority before crashing down.

Presenter: Father Azariah France-Williams.
Producer: Jen Dale.
Sound design: Kasel Kundola.
Online producer: Rachael Smith.
Executive producer: Ciaran Tracey.
Additional sound recording by Seb Rabas, Graham Kirk and Jan Seebeck.
Original material recorded and licensed by Big City Nights.
Executive editor: Andrew Bowman.
Commissioning editor: Alistair Miskin.
Artwork photograph of Viraj Mendis: Paul Mattsson.


MON 14:00 The Archers (m002qrgc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Relativity (m001bs51)
Series 4

Episode 2

Drawing on his own family, the fourth series of Richard Herring’s popular comedy drama has warm, lively characters and sharply observed family dynamics of inter generational misunderstanding, sibling sparring and the ties that bind.

Amid the comedy, Richard broaches some more serious highs and lows of family life. In this series, set during the first year of lockdown. he draws on his own experience of testicular cancer at that time, as well as the comedic escapades of the four generations of the Snell family. Love, laughter and malapropisms abound.

Richard Herring is a comedian, writer, blogger and podcaster and the world's premier semi-professional self-playing snooker player.

Episode 2
Ian’s visit to the doctor leads to growing uncertainty about his health. Ken tries ineptly to bring Jane and Ian back together in an ill-advised surprise meeting. The grandchildren are delighted and horrified in equal measure when they find out that Margaret and Ken have been watching Naked Attraction.

Cast:
Margaret ..... Alison Steadman
Ken ..... Phil Davis
Jane ..... .Fenella Woolgar
Ian ..... Richard Herring
Chloe ..... Emily Berrington
Pete ..... Gordon Kennedy
Holly ..... Tia Bannon
Mark ..... Fred Haig
Nick ..... Harrison Knights
Dr Kulkarni ..... Ahir Shah
Donny ..... Rafael Solomon

Writer Richard Herring
Director Polly Thomas
Sound Design Eloise Whitmore
Producer Daisy Knight
Executive Producers Jon Thoday and Richard Allen Turner

An Avalon Television production for BBC Radio 4


MON 14:45 Opening Lines (m002qrft)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Sunday]


MON 15:00 Great Lives (m002qrww)
Daisy Dunn on Marcus Agrippa, ancient Rome's king of cement

Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was a Roman general best known for his military victories, but he also helped rebuild Rome, providing aqueducts, statues and the original Pantheon. Nominating him is Dr Daisy Dunn, author of The Missing Thread, who dubs him ancient Rome's king of cement. Joining her is Dr Shushma Malik from Cambridge University who throws light on the man who won the battle of Actium and was for many years second in command to the emperor Augustus.

The programme is presented by historian Helen Carr and was produced in Bristol by Miles Warde.


MON 15:30 You're Dead to Me (m002qrb6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Saturday]


MON 16:00 Currently (m002qrfr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 Rewinder (m002qrb8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


MON 17:00 PM (m002qrwy)
Mandelson allegedly shared government emails with Epstein

The Prime Minister has ordered an 'urgent' investigation into contact between the two men. Also on PM, we look ahead to the Winter Olympics and explore the rise of men’s hair replacement systems.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002qrx0)
US documents suggest Lord Mandelson shared government information with Jeffrey Epstein

Documents released by the US authorities from their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein have shed new light on the extent of Lord Mandelson's dealings with the convicted sex offender. Also: The serial killer, Steve Wright, has pleaded guilty to the murder of a 17-year-old girl, Victoria Hall, in Suffolk in 1999. And British artists saw a wave of success at last night's Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.


MON 18:30 Just a Minute (m002qrx2)
Series 96

1. The best curry in Bradford

This week Just A Minute returns to the glorious city of Bradford, 24 years after we last recorded there way back in 2002. Comedian Chris Cantrill was born and bred in Bradford and is making his debut on the show. How will he get on when he plays with regulars Paul Merton, Lucy Porter and Zoe Lyons on subjects like singing in the shower, heartbreak hotel and Alan Bennett?

Host: Sue Perkins
Players: Paul Merton, Lucy Porter, Zoe Lyons, Chris Cantrill
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Additional material by Ruth Husko

An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.


MON 19:00 The Archers (m002qrkl)
Will prepares George an early hot breakfast for his first shift at Meadow Farm. Amber wakes up too and both of them wish George luck as he sets off, before admitting to one another they’re both anxious for him to do well. Esme’s grateful as enthusiastic George offers to fix a blocked gutter once he’s done the milking. Josh arrives and is thrown to find George up a ladder – he was intending to do the repair himself. Esme declares that George has been great, adding that she can manage at the farm now if Josh wants to take a step back and focus on his own business. Josh warns her to be careful that George doesn’t take advantage and expect to be paid extra. Esme counters there’s been no hint of this so far, but Josh isn’t convinced. He’s happy to carry on helping, so why pay George to do the jobs? Later George realises Josh has told Esme his suspicions. George insists he’s just doing his job, before telling Josh he’s off his head.

Amber’s shocked when her mum Anne Marie turns up unexpectedly. Anne Marie’s found out about Amber’s pregnancy, and expresses her concern for her welfare. Amber assures her she’s fine and all’s well, but Anne Marie wants to talk further and invites Amber to dinner on Thursday. She misses Amber and just wants to be there for her. Later as Amber, George and Will celebrate George’s successful first day, Amber doesn’t want to break the mood and says nothing about her encounter, insisting all is good.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m002qrx5)
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - on stage

Author Rachel Rachel Joyce and musician Passenger discuss the new musical based on Rachel's hit book The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

Eric Schlosser’s book Fast Food Nation has been republished after 25 years as a Penguin Classic. Samira Ahmed talks to the author about the impact of the book.

Emily Itami and comedian Iszi Lawrence review the British Museum's new exhibition "Samurai".

Critic Tim Robey on the work of Catherine O'Hara, following news of her death.


MON 20:00 Rethink (m002q39b)
Rethink... the promise of AI

In 2023, ChatGPT took Artificial Intelligence into the mainstream. Now there's a bewildering choice of human-like chatbots to choose from. Generative AIs can produce pictures and video from a text prompt, and many websites and apps are now labelled "Powered by AI".

This new technology can do lots of things and tech companies have raised vast amounts of money from investors based on its potential.

But what is AI actually for?

Certain specialised AIs have a clear purpose. AlphaFold2 can predict how proteins fold-up and won its creators the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, and Google Translate is an AI with a purpose that’s clear from its name.

But so far there is no must-have or "killer" application for the Large Language Models and Generative AIs.

The future of AI is equally hazy. Will AI somehow lead to all-purpose "Artificial General Intelligence", autonomous robots or even machine consciousness? Or is this all just the stuff of fantasy and nightmares?

Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Ravi Naik
Editor: Lisa Baxter

Contributors:
Mike Wooldridge, the Ashall Professor of the Foundations of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Oxford.
Rosalind Picard, Grover M. Hermann Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and director of the Affective Computing Research Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab.
Ethan Mollick, Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and AI researcher.
Pip Finkemeyer, author of "One Story" and software designer and researcher.
Tracy Dennis Tiwary, Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology and Developmental Psychology at the City University of New York.

Rethink is a BBC co-production with the Open University.


MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txx)
Should we rethink navigating by GPS?

This week 14 European countries warned that “maritime safety and security” was being put in jeopardy by Russian interference. The Royal Institute of Navigation says GPS is so vulnerable to so called ‘spoofing’ and ‘jamming’ that we need to rethink the navigation systems on which shipping relies. Tom Whipple speaks to Ramsey Faragher, CEO of the Institute.

Something else with the potential to affect navigation systems are solar storms. Tom visits Professor Tim Horbury and Helen O’Brien at Imperial College London whose instrument strapped to the Solar Orbiter probe, and speeding through space, is giving us more warning about solar activity which could affect us here on earth.

And science journalist Caroline Steel brings you the latest scientific research.

To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.


MON 21:00 Start the Week (m002qrw8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:45 Café Hope (m002qrwb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002qrx7)
Met Police assess reports of alleged misconduct after Mandelson emails published

Police are reviewing reports of alleged misconduct in a public office after Lord Mandelson was accused of passing on sensitive government information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Scottish National Party and Reform UK have reported the peer to police. We hear from a journalist who spoke to Lord Mandelson on Sunday evening.

Also on the programme: it's not just Britain's monarchy that's been left reeling from the release of the Epstein files, Norway's royal family is also facing difficult questions. BBC Africa Eye investigates human rights abuses after a disputed election in Tanzania, and Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky faces criticism for series of AI films about the American Revolutionary War.


MON 22:45 The White Lady of Morecambe by Jenn Ashworth (m002qrx9)
1. The Drowned Shore

Julie Hesmondhalgh kicks off an original five-part ghost story for Radio 4, from the award-winning writer Jenn Ashworth.

Set in the near future, on the shifting sands of Morecambe Bay, old stories face new realities. Britain’s coastline is now at risk, and while the sea takes bites out of the land, and the once prosperous town slowly shuts down, some hang on here in the Bay, clinging to hope, or perhaps to superstitions from the past. Others move inland, to the resettlement areas, fearful of the brutal new tides. Among those stubborn few remaining are cafe-owner Helen, her daughter Ruby and old friend Margery.

Today: as the next big King Tide approaches, Helen fears she's losing control of her teenage daughter...

Reader: Julie Hesmondhalgh is an acclaimed actor, known best for her award-winning roles in Coronation Street, Broadchurch and Happy Valley. She is a founding member of political theatre collective, Take Back
Writer: Jenn Ashworth is an award-winning writer of short fiction, memoir and novels. Her novel A Kind of Intimacy won the Betty Trask Award, and her work has been shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize, The Portico Prize and the BBC National Short Story Award. She teaches writing at Lancaster University.
Producer: Justine Willett


MON 23:00 Limelight (m001g389)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Firewall

Episode 3

Based on the novel by James Swallow
Dramatised by Paul Cornell

Episode 3

A thrilling landmark adaptation set in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell universe. Veteran Fourth Echelon agent Sam Fisher, and his daughter Sarah, are tasked with a simple extraction mission. But they picked the wrong night for an easy capture. Will they secure the asset in one piece? Meanwhile, Charlie Cole meets with an old colleague.

Recorded in 3D binaural audio; please listen on headphones for a more immersive experience.

Sam Fisher ..... Andonis Anthony
Sarah Fisher ..... Daisy Head
Anna Grímsdóttir ..... Rosalie Craig
Charlie Cole ..... Sacha Dhawan
Andriy Kobin ..... Riad Richie
Nabil ..... Ali Gadema
Delim ..... Lloyd Thomas

Sound design by Steve Brooke
Directed by Jessica Mitic
Series Co-Produced by Jessica Mitic, Nadia Molinari, Lorna Newman

A BBC Audio Drama North Production


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002qrxc)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as MPs call for action against Lord Mandelson after files released in the US revealed more details about his contacts with Jeffrey Epstein.