SATURDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2026

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002rt1w)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 Unspeakable: Survival and Transformation After Trauma by Dr Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne (m002rt0j)
The Trainee

Pioneering forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Dr Gwen Adshead, has spent thirty years as a therapist in secure hospitals, prisons and in the community.

In UNSPEAKABLE we witness her work with patients in the aftermath of distressing and traumatic events and see how speech, language and silence can influence recovery after catastrophe.

Dr Adshead was the BBC Reith Lecturer in 2024.

PART FIVE - THE TRAINEE
Childhood trauma and unspoken secrets impact a trainee at Broadmoor.

Read by Gwen Adshead
Written by Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne
Abridged by Eileen Horne
Producer: Gaynor Macfarlane


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002rt1y)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002rt20)
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 (m002rt22)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002rt24)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002rt26)
St David and the Pilgrim Life

Good morning, bore da, from St Davids, the UK's smallest city.
This is where St David – Dewi Sant in Welsh – settled with his small community of monks, in the sixth century. On Wales’ most westerly peninsula, it can sometimes seem a long way from anywhere – but in those days, travel by sea was quicker, safer, cheaper and altogether more reliable than overland, and so there were excellent connections along the coast to Scotland, over to Ireland, and down to Cornwall, Brittany and beyond.
Indeed, legend has it that he, with two companions, even went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It’s not impossible, as we know from St Jerome. Writing a century earlier, he complained about the large numbers of pilgrims clogging up Jerusalem, British among them.
He argued ‘Access to the courts of heaven is as easy from Britain as it is from Jerusalem for “The kingdom of God is within you”.’
It’s true that we can meet God anywhere, but pilgrims through the ages report particularly deep encounters in their journeying, or at their destination.
St Davids has been a pilgrimage destination since Dewi’s time – and today we continue to welcome pilgrims in droves. So tomorrow, as we celebrate his feast day, we’ll especially be recalling all who travel, outwardly and inwardly, in search of a deeper experience of faith.

Lord Jesus Christ, give us grace to see you, always and everywhere; give us ears to hear your call to follow; and keep us journeying onwards wherever you lead us on life’s pilgrim journey. Amen.


SAT 05:45 Lent Talks (m002rqb1)
Power and Poverty

A series of personal reflections on power inspired by the story of Jesus’ Passion.

Six essays tracing the hidden currents of power in everyday life: how it shapes us, how it works, how it wounds, and how it can be resisted, claimed, and reclaimed.

In this episode, Keely Dalfen – CEO of ‘The Brick’, an organisation tackling homelessness and deprivation in Wigan – explores power and poverty.

Producer: Dan Tierney.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002s36s)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (m002rrwm)
Savernake Forest

It's an ancient hunting ground with thousands of 'veteran' trees. Henry VIII visited often as it was the seat of the Seymour Family at nearby Wolfhall. Martha visits the forest to learn about its past as well as how ecologist Andy Harris and forester Nikki Morgans manage this special site and aim to 'future proof' it protecting the ancient trees and wildlife for the next thousand years. Historian Graham Bathe helps her measure one of the thousand year old trees and Emma Heard who produces the Weird Wiltshire blog recounts tales of hauntings from the forest.

Producer: Maggie Ayre


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002s36v)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside


SAT 06:57 Weather (m002s36x)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m002s36z)
Today (Saturday)


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002s371)
Maggie Aderin, Shipwreck Hunting, Sea Shanties, and the Inheritance Tracks of Andy Zaltzman

Dame Maggie Aderin joins Adrian for extraordinary stories from remarkable people.


SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m002s35n)
History of the Telephone: 150th anniversary special

For our 150th episode, Greg Jenner is joined by historian Professor Iwan Morus and comedian Catherine Bohart to learn about the history of the telephone on its 150th anniversary. The inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, was granted the American patent for his new communication system 150 years ago, on the 7th March 1876, beating out fellow inventor Elisha Gray who had submitted his patent on the very same day. But Bell still had to convince people that this novel form of communication would change their lives, and so he set out on a promotional tour across America and England, showcasing the wonder of his new invention, and even gifting a pair of phones to Queen Victoria. In this episode, we look at the first few decades of the telephone’s existence: the dramatic race between Bell, Gray and an Italian immigrant named Meucci to be the first to patent it, how quickly it was rolled out across America, how the technology actually worked, and its problems, including the ease with which people could eavesdrop on their neighbour’s conversations. We also look at the rise in jobs for women it provided, and the social anxieties it provoked, which mirror many of the worries voiced today about smartphones and social media. And we examine some early telephone etiquette: should you answer the phone with ‘hello’ or ‘ahoy-hoy’, and did a man need to be wearing trousers when speaking on the phone to a woman?

If you’re a fan of the scientific innovations of the past, feuding inventors, and the competing anxieties and opportunities of new technology, you’ll love our episode on the History of the Telephone.

If you want to learn more about Victorian science with Professor Iwan Morus, listen to our episode on Vital Electricity. And for more from Catherine Bohart, check out our episodes on pirate queen Grainne O’Malley, Julie d'Aubigny, or the History of General Elections.

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 and Katharine Russell
Written by: Rosalyn Sklar, 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 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002s35q)
Series 51

Episode 2

Jay Rayner hosts a culinary panel show packed full of tasty titbits.


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002s373)
Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002s2zn)
Mexico's deadly drug cartel feud

Kate Adie introduces stories on Mexico's cartel war, President Trump's State of the Union address, the Russian soldiers escaping the front-line, and a slow boat journey in Benin.

Mexico was rocked by a violent rampage this week, after the drug lord, El Mencho, died following a fire-fight between his bodyguards and Mexican military commandos. It’s stark evidence of the challenges facing President Claudia Sheinbaum as she vows to take on the country’s criminal gangs. Quentin Sommerville reports on the fallout following El Mencho's death and the disturbingly deadly rivalry between the cartels.

'Our country is winning again,' was President Donald Trump’s rallying cry at his State of the Union address this week in Washington DC, citing success in the jobs market and stopping illegal crossings at the southern border. But his sinking approval ratings suggest he’s not necessarily convincing the public. Anthony Zurcher watched on in the House Chamber.

The exact toll on Russian forces in Ukraine has been closely guarded by the Kremlin, but estimates suggest more than a million Russian troops have been killed or injured over the past four years. For those who refuse to fight the consequences can be severe. Ben Steele met Russian troops who have escaped the front-line, at great personal cost.

The small West African nation of Benin is made up of around fifty different ethnic groups and languages. Most of the population is concentrated in the South - home to the country’s main cities, such as the port of Cotonou. While Benin has only a handful of highways, its lush inter-connected lagoons provide a vital commercial artery. Sara Wheeler took a trip down the Black River.

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


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002s375)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002s2zl)
Civil Service Pension Loans and Pokémon Cards

The number of emergency hardship loans issued to former civil servants who are facing long delays for pension payments is "pitiful" according to a senior MP. Clive Betts, the deputy chair of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, has told Money Box the loan system is "not adequate" after figures published for the first time earlier this week show fewer than 600 have been issued - compared to many thousands of people who are missing money. The Cabinet Office says an urgent recovery plan is underway and its immediate priority is to stabilise the service. Capita have previously apologised for the delays.

Nearly one in five adults now use Buy Now, Pay Later - instead of paying the whole cost upfront with a debit or credit card you can spread the cost interest free over three or four monthly payments. At one time it was young people driving the rise. But some new research from the Personal Finance Research Centre at the University of Bristol (commissioned by the Aberdeen Group Charitable Trust) suggests Buy Now, Pay Later is now spreading to older people. The number using it in their forties and sixties has grown by a third, with the biggest rise in the last two years among people in their fifties with the number using it up by half.

And, as a rare Pokémon card sells for 12 million pounds at auction - what's the appeal for collectors - and what should you think about when buying them?

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researcher: Jo Krasner and Niamh McDermott
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson

(First broadcast Saturday 28th February 2026)


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m002rt1b)
Series 119

8. Flight risks and fly-tips

Joining Andy for the final episode of this series are Simon Evans, Zoe Lyons, Cindy Yu and Ahir Shah and not one of them can be deemed a flight risk. Along with the latest on Peter Mandelson’s arrest they discuss how UK politics is no longer a two-party system with the Greens and Reform taking centre stage in Gorton and Denton, why Trump’s State of the Union address could have been mercifully shorter and why the Chagos Islands are off limits.

Written by Andy Zaltzman.

With additional material by: Mike Shephard and Pravanya Pillay
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinator: Giulia Lopes Mazzu
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.


SAT 12:57 Weather (m002s377)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News (m002s379)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002rt1j)
Lord Blunkett, Ellie Chowns MP, Jack Elsom, Baroness Maclean

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from St Alkmund's Church in Derby with Labour peer and former home secretary, Lord Blunkett; the leader of the Green Party in parliament, Ellie Chowns MP; the political editor of The Sun, Jack Elsom; and Conservative peer and former minister, Baroness Maclean.

Producer: Paul Martin
Assistant producer: Catherine Powell
Production co-ordinators: Ishmael Soriano & Sam Grist
Lead broadcast engineer: Phil Zentner
Editor: Glyn Tansley


SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002s37c)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002rt1d)
Writer: Liz John
Director: Kim Greengrass
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge … Charles Collingwood
David Archer … Timothy Bentinck
Helen Archer … Louiza Patikas
Lilian Bellamy … Sunny Ormonde
Alice Carter … Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter … Wilf Scolding
Susan Carter … Charlotte Martin
Rex Fairbrother … Nick Barber
Chelsea Horrobin … Madeleine Leslay
Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell
Akram Malik … Asif Khan
Jazzer McCreary … Ryan Kelly
Kirsty Miller … Annabelle Dowler
Hannah Riley … Helen Longworth
Lynda Snell … Carole Boyd
Finlay … Mark Bonnar


SAT 15:00 Secrets and Lies (m002m90m)
Like a Brother

Paul lives a quiet, tightly controlled life, dividing his time between the gym and his local pub. A former boxer, he keeps his distance from the world. Then he meets Duncan. Charismatic, reckless and impossible to ignore, Duncan draws Paul into an unlikely friendship that begins to change everything.

As their bond deepens, Paul finds himself pulled towards excitement, risk and a sense of belonging he thought he’d lost. But beneath the humour and warmth of their connection lies a growing unease, as trust is tested and lines begin to blur. Told through shifting perspectives, Like A Brother is a tense psychological crime drama about friendship, loyalty and the danger of letting the wrong person too close.

Paul ..... Felix Scott
Duncan ..... Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong
Jennifer ..... Ayesha Antoine
Tommy ..... Tom Cawte
Conor ..... Jason Barnett

Directed by Tracey Neale

Writer:
Philip Palmer, an experienced a talented writer, is incredibly good at writing these types of stories and characters as seen in his previous work for Radio 4 - Keeping The Wolf Out, Hatton Garden Heist and Precious Blood.

Produced and Directed by Tracey Neale
Sound Design, Keith Graham and Andrew Garrett
Production Co-Ordinator, Kate Gray
Casting Manger, Alex Curran

A BBC Studios Production


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m002s37f)
Highlights from the Woman's Hour week


SAT 17:00 PM (m002s37h)
Full coverage of the day's news


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002s37k)
'This is Iran's Berlin Wall moment': Omid Djalili, comedian and actor

The British-Iranian comic on revolutions, Kensington, 9/11 jokes, King Charles and Iran's future.

Omid Djalili has become one of the loudest voices in the Iranian diaspora calling for the overthrow of the regime in Tehran, in favour of US military action.

While the world waits for Trump's next steps, Djalili talks to Nick about growing up in a hub of London's Iranian community, chasing history from Berlin to Czechoslovakia, deciding to perform in Saudi Arabia and turning down Game of Thrones

Producers: Daniel Kraemer and Flora Murray
Sound: Jack Wilfan
Editor: Giles Edwards


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002s37m)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m002s37p)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002s37r)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002s37t)
Joanna Scanlan, Adèle Anderson, Faye Tozer, Elles Bailey, ERNIE

Stuart Maconie talks to the Riot Women and In The Thick Of It actress Joanna Scanlan on her lastest project, Mercy - a dark comic thriller.

Faye Tozer is perhaps best known as part of the crowd pleasing, hearts and flowers pop band Steps, but now she's joining the cast of Mean Girls the musical - what does she make of the world of queen bees and "plastics".

Fascinating Aïda's Adèle Anderson on staying fierce and fabulous while on tour with Priscilla Queen of The Desert the musical without her caberet co-stars.

Plus music from smokey-voiced, Americana-inspired English singer song-writer Elles Bailey and BBC Introducing NorthEast indie pop singer ERNIE.

Presenter: Stuart Maconie
Producer: Olive Clancy


SAT 19:00 Profile (m002s2yd)
Mackenzie Crook

‘Small Prophets’ has quietly taken the world by storm. A whimsy, magical and gentle show providing a tonic to modern life. Its creator, Mackenzie Crook, could arguably described in a similar way.

Born in Sutton-on-hone a village near Dartford in 1971, his creative brilliance was evident to friends early on but instead of drama school he started work at Pizza Hut. Moving to London in his early twenties he shared a flat where dry rot led to the stairs collapsing. But his luck began to change when he took his stand up comedy routine to Edinburgh. He caught the eye of comedian Bob Mortimer and shortly after was cast as Gareth in ‘The Office’ the oddball Territorial Army reservist with one of the worst haircuts on television.

Crook went on to star in quirky independent and blockbuster Hollywood films alike, but aged forty he decided he wanted to write his own material and move behind the camera to direct. His first offering was the critically acclaimed series ‘The Detectorists’. So who is the man behind the magic?

Production team:
Presenter: Becky Milligan
Producers: Annabel Deas, Tom Gillett and Katie Solleveld
Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Gemma Ashman
Sound: Neil Churchill
Editor: Justine Lang

Archive:
BBC Television
Treasure Trove Productions
Blue House Productions
Crooksite


SAT 19:15 The Body Politic (m00274s8)
Pre-natal screening

The politics of the human body is at the centre of intense debate in the UK and beyond. Thanks to science, technology and a fast-moving political landscape, humans are increasingly able to intervene in the natural processes of life – how we are conceived, how we are born and how and when we die. But what are the limits to this intervention, how should we decide and who should decide?

Broadcaster and columnist Sonia Sodha gets behind divides and polarisation to discover nuance, complexity and compelling stories around the beginning and the end of human life.

In this episode we explore the dilemmas facing women in pregnancy as advances in genetic screening and testing offer information about the foetuses they're carrying. We travel to Denmark where a national screening programme has led a to a big drop in the numbers of babies born with Down Syndrome. We talk to families with children with Down Syndrome, doctors and other experts about this controversial area of bio ethics and the societal consequences of individual choice.

Producer: Leala Padmanabhan
Sound design: Hal Haines


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002s37w)
Concorde: The Future We Flew Away From

Everyone thinks they know Concorde. The champagne… the glamour… the mach numbers…the delta wing and droop-snoot… and Phil Collins doing two concerts in one day for Live Aid.

Concorde was an instantly recognisable aeroplane - a beautiful, streamlined dart which could fly a hundred passengers across the Atlantic faster than a rifle bullet.

But for behavioural science guru Rory Sutherland, Concorde isn’t just an aircraft. For him it was also a hugely expensive experiment in human psychology. It was about what we think we need contrasted with what we actually want. In this Archive on 4, marking the 50th anniversary of its first commercial flight, Rory discovers that Concorde satisfied a hunger which had nothing to do with transport.

When it was first mooted in the 1950s it was meant to usher in an exciting, new, supersonic age. Yet fifty years after that first commercial flight – and nearly 25 years after its last – Rory asks why we still fly to New York more slowly than the generation before us. Rather than a sparkling new era of supersonic travel, was Concorde always doomed to be just a brief, fever dream? Were we actually more in love with the idea of supersonic travel - and what it represented - than the reality?

As he explores the broadcast archive, Rory considers just what the Concorde story says about us, as a society, as a nation, as human beings. He discovers a story of pride and propaganda, inspiration and aspiration. Our obsession with speed accelerated in the early 20th century when the 100 mph barrier was first broken by a racing driver and the Futurist Manifesto was published by the Italian poet F.T. Marinetti. The Manifesto celebrated machinery and industry, youth, progress and, above all, speed. In the succeeding decades, human beings pushed the boundaries of technology to travel faster and faster, culminating in Concorde. But often the reason for pushing those boundaries was simply “because we can”.

Rory also considers Concorde as an exercise in nation-building. In the wake of the Second World War, as Britain’s empire and influence waned, it needed a way to signal – both abroad and at home - that it was still a world-beater. And creating the world’s first supersonic airliner seemed a perfect way to do that.

Rory turns to the archive to compare it with another project which was almost exactly concurrent with the development of Concorde - the United States’ Apollo programme to put a man on the Moon. At the height of the Cold War, President Kennedy needed a big statement to reassert his nation on the world stage and an astronaut planting an American flag in lunar soil was the very biggest.

Concorde halved the time it took to fly from London to New York. But Rory asks what we actually achieve by “saving time”. Did any business ever stand or fall by being able to cross the Atlantic in three hours rather than seven? Or was it more about prestige for those who could pay - or whose companies could pay - for a ticket on the Speedbird?

Along the way we meet Concorde’s pilots, passengers and crew, its supporters, its detractors and those who see it as a valuable lesson. With new supersonic ventures emerging just as climate politics tell us to slow down, we revisit Concorde to understand what we learnt from our experiment with supersonic passenger travel. The archive reveals the truth we never said out loud - Concorde proved we can go faster, but it also proved we have absolutely no idea why we want to.

Presenter: Rory Sutherland
Producer: Jeremy Grange
Executive Producer: Michael Surcombe
An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 21:00 Shadow World (m002s37y)
Impulsive: Omnibus (part 2)

Noel Titheradge uncovers the devastating side effects of a class of prescription drugs which can cause hypersexuality and compulsive gambling.


SAT 22:00 News (m002s380)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002rt0g)
Food Stories from the Philippines

Shaped by centuries of colonialism and challenged by a changing climate, what is the future of food for the Philippines?

Recent typhoons and floods were the worst seen in decades and there has been huge biodiversity loss. In the last century 93 per cent of forest cover has been lost.
The archipelago's food system also carried the influence of Spanish and American control.

However, a new generation is attempting to forge a Filipino food identity connected with a deeper history and farmers are looking to lost crops for climate adaptation.

Dan Saladino and reporter Dany Mitzman meet young farmers, producers, chefs and campaigners all attempting to create a sustainable, delicious and indigenous food future.

Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.


SAT 23:00 Stand-Up Specials (m002s382)
Eddie Kadi and Friends

Leroy Brito, Emmanuel Sonubi and Annette Fagon

The first part of a two-part stand-up special featuring highlights from 1Xtra's Comedy Gala with some of the UK's top Black comedians, including Leroy Brito, Emmanuel Sonubi and Annette Fagon. Hosted by Eddie Kadi and recorded at the Hackney Empire in London, the unofficial home of Black British Comedy.


SAT 23:30 Counterpoint (m002rq8y)
Series 39

Heat 8, 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 ‘Make The Connection', 'Pop Goes The Politician' and 'Music And Musicians From Yorkshire'.

Producer: Tom Du Croz
Production coordinator: Jodie Charman

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4

SUNDAY 01 MARCH 2026

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002s385)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m002rq8w)
John Lanchester

Bestselling author John Lanchester speaks to Take Four Books about his latest novel Look What You Made Me Do. Together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works. In black comedy Look What You Made Me Do, the lives of young TV writer Phoebe and 50-something metropolitan Kate become intertwined as the most talked about television show of the year seems to contain eerie similarities to the intimacies of Kate's marriage.

John’s three chosen influences for this episode are Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym from 1953; Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh from 1928; and Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut from 1963.

Producer: Caitlin Sneddon
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This is a BBC Audio Scotland production.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002s387)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002s389)
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 (m002s38c)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002s38f)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002s2zv)
The church of St Botolph without Bishopsgate, London

Bells on Sunday comes from the church of St Botolph without Bishopsgate, London. Lying just outside the city walls the first known written record of the church is from the early 13th century. Narrowly escaping the Great Fire of London of 1666, the building fell into disrepair and was rebuilt in the 18th century and a peal of 8 bells installed. However, after only fifty four years those bells were replaced by a maiden ring of eight by the Patrick and Osborn foundry, the only complete ring by that foundry to survive. The Tenor weighs seventeen and one quarter hundredweight and is tuned to the note of D. We hear them ringing Stedman Triples.


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002rqm8)
SEND Reforms

The government has unveiled its new SEND reform plans, with promises to ensure that every child with additional needs will benefit from better, more tailored support, and to make every school truly inclusive. But with little specific mention of visual impairment within the policy proposals, In Touch digs into what they might mean for visually impaired pupils across England, with the help of a panel of guests and the Minister for Children and Families, Josh MacAlister.

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Paul Holloway
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 (m002s2wp)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Thinking Allowed (m002rqlt)
The demise of Grand Theory?

What explains the apparent decline of grand theory in sociology, and what does this shift mean for the discipline today? Laurie Taylor asks whether sociologists are now less inclined to engage with large, overarching theoretical frameworks, and explores the reasons behind this change.

He is joined by Professor Les Back (University of Glasgow) and Professor Imogen Tyler (University of Lancaster), who consider whether theory still resonates within contemporary sociology and, if so, which thinkers remain most influential. Who are the discipline’s most cited theorists today, and which grand figures - such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim and Foucault - continue to shape sociological thought?

It may be argued that theory remains stronger within feminist and women’s studies traditions, but what does this suggest about long‑standing questions concerning the gendered character of theory itself?

Laurie Taylor and guests set out to consider which new or emerging theoretical approaches offer fresh ways of understanding familiar social phenomena, and whether they signal a transformation in the discipline or simply a reworking of older sociological concerns.

Producer: Natalia Fernandez


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002s2wt)
Smart Water Farming

Anna Hill visits Cedars Farm in Norfolk, where a group of scientists and farmers have installed technology to be able to monitor and use the scarce water more sustainably. As the climate changes and droughts become more frequent, farmers are being asked by the Environment Agency to re-evaluate the abstraction licenses they have, and to use less water where possible.
The local water abstraction group has installed sensors, guages, boreholes and other monitoring equipment, which tells the farmer exactly where and when to take the water they need.

Produced by Sally Challoner. Presented by Anna Hill.


SUN 06:57 Weather (m002s2wy)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002s2x2)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002s2x6)
A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002s2xb)
Build It International

Supporter Liseli Sumbwanyambe makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Build It International. The charity offers training in construction for young people in Zambia so they can develop new skills and then work on projects, like building schools, in their communities.

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 ‘Build It International’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Build It International’.
- 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: 1115989. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://www.builditinternational.org
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites

Producer: Katy Takatsuki


SUN 07:57 Weather (m002s2xg)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002s2xl)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002s2xq)
St David's Day from Highfields Church, Cardiff

A live service from Highfields Church in Cardiff, for a St Davids Day special. The service is led by Jon Reeves, with reflections from Rev Dave Gobbett. In the service we also hear from Dai Hankey who has planted a new church in Cardiff.

The service includes:
Cwm Rhondda: Guide me O thou Great Jehovah.
The God we love
Here is Love Vast as the Ocean
Christ our hope in life and death
Christus Victor

Reading:
Psalm 66


SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct74nl)
Birth of the G7

In November 1975, a summit took place at Rambouillet, France, where the heads of six of the world’s most industrialised nations and their finance ministers came together.

The leaders of the US, France, Germany, Britain, Japan and Italy hoped to solve the ongoing economic crisis. The summit marked the birth of an institution now known as the G7. France’s former Finance Minister, Jean-Pierre Fourcade, was at the conference. He speaks to Ben Henderson.

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: The closing session of the summit at Rambouillet Castle. Credit: AFP via Getty images)


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002s2xv)
Horatio Clare on the Buzzard

The writer Horatio Clare remembers the buzzards of his childhood, which soared above his home in the Black Mountains in south Wales.

Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002s2xz)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002s2y3)
Dwayne Fields, explorer

Dwayne Fields is an explorer and broadcaster who was appointed the UK’s Chief Scout in 2024. He is the first black Briton to reach the Magnetic North Pole. His television work includes fronting the series 7 Toughest Days and co-presenting Endurance: Race to the Pole, and Expedition: Search for the Nile, with fellow adventurer Ben Fogle.

Dwayne was born in Jamaica and was brought up by his great-grandmother for the first few years of his life. When he was six he moved to north London to live with his mother. He struggled to adapt to his new surroundings until he found his way to a Cub Scouts meeting where he experienced a sense of belonging for the first time since his arrival.

As a teenager, he grew up surrounded by gang violence and experienced a serious knife attack when he was 19. A few years later, during a heated confrontation, he had a gun pointed at him. The gun misfired twice and he survived. This shocking incident spurred Dwayne to change his life and challenge himself to inspire other young people to do the same.

In 2010, he walked 400 nautical miles to reach the Magnetic North Pole. In 2019, he co‑founded the WeTwo Foundation with explorer and wild camper Phoebe Smith. The Foundation gives young people from challenging backgrounds the chance to experience life‑changing adventures

Dwayne lives in Peterborough with his wife Angelique, and their five children.

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Paula McGinley


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002s2y7)
Writer: Liz John
Director: Kim Greengrass
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge … Charles Collingwood
David Archer … Timothy Bentinck
Helen Archer … Louiza Patikas
Lilian Bellamy … Sunny Ormonde
Alice Carter … Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter … Wilf Scolding
Susan Carter … Charlotte Martin
Rex Fairbrother … Nick Barber
Chelsea Horrobin … Madeleine Leslay
Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell
Akram Malik … Asif Khan
Jazzer McCreary … Ryan Kelly
Kirsty Miller … Annabelle Dowler
Hannah Riley … Helen Longworth
Lynda Snell … Carole Boyd
Finlay … Mark Bonnar


SUN 12:15 Profile (m002s2yd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 Just a Minute (m002rd1w)
Series 96

4. Do you remember the programme Changing Rooms?

Rachel and Cariad reveal their worst ever birthday presents and hope their families aren't listening. Paterson gets competitive in the Shakespeare round and Sue asks the all important question - what's in your bumbag?

Host: Sue Perkins
Players: Paul Merton, Paterson Joseph, Rachel Parris, Cariad Lloyd
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.


SUN 12:57 Weather (m002s2yh)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002s2ym)
Radio 4's look at the week's big stories from both home and around the world.


SUN 13:30 Currently (m002s2yq)
A Place in Politics for British Muslims

As recent studies suggest British Muslims are facing rising levels of abuse and discrimination, the BBC's Religion Editor Aleem Maqbool explores the political climate, talking to prominent figures from Muslim communities and their elected representatives.

He explores whether there should be more engagement and dialogue between Muslim communities and the government to ensure their voices are heard and to solve problems in communities.

Producer: Leela Padmanabhan


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002rt10)
Postbag Edition: Ninewells Community Garden

Kathy Clugston and GQT team have packed their wellies for a trip to the Ninewells Community Garden in Dundee.

Kathy is joined by Matthew Pottage, Neil Porteous and Kirsty Wilson to explore the grounds whilst delving into the GQT Postbag together.

Among todays questions, the panellists break down which leaves are better to compost than others, tackle a listener’s battle against tomatoes with tough skins, and debate the long‑term impact of weed‑suppressing membranes on soil health.

They also explore the ins and outs of olive tree care, suggest the perfect daisies to plant in a pair of cherished old police boots, and consider which dramatic grasses can bring structure and movement to a no‑mow lawn rooted in very sandy soil.

Later in the show, Garden Facilitator at Ninewells Community Garden, Mary Colvin, leads the team on a tour of the vibrant community garden, sharing how gardening and green spaces can boost wellbeing, support recovery, and promote a holistic approach to health.

Producer: Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m002s2ys)
The Virginian

Owen Wister’s 1902 novel The Virginian did more than any other single piece of art in establishing the parameters of the Western as a genre. Telling the tale of a charismatic tight-lipped cowboy whose actions always speak louder than his words, it was wildly popular with readers and viewers of its many screen adaptations. The book is a celebration of rugged individualism and frontier spirit that spoke profoundly to its audience at the beginning of the twentieth-century - but does it offer any insights into the state of America today?

The programme features James Annesley, Professor of American literature at Newcastle University.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being 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. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative, including many podcasts for Radio 4.

Contributors: James Annesley, Professor of American literature at Newcastle University. Sound: Sean Kerwin
Researcher: Henry Tydeman
Production Hub Coordinator: Dawn Williams
Producer: Geoff Bird
Reader: Eric Stroud
Executive Producer: Sara Davies

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002s2yv)
The Virginian

Story of America, a major collection of dramatisations marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, featuring a new adaptation of Owen Wister’s pioneering work of Cowboy fiction by Theo Toksvig-Stewart.

In this mythic portrayal of the Wild West a lone cowboy must confront the values he lives by when he falls in love.

The Virginian ..... Parker Sawyers
Tenderfoot ..... Alexander Arnold
Molly ..... Jessica Rhodes
Steve ..... Sam Swann
Trampas ..... Fayez Bakhsh
Scipio ..... Christopher Ragland
Shorty ..... Andre Bullock
Mrs Taylor ..... Clare Corbett
Judge Henry ..... Sam Dale

Directed by Gemma Jenkins

Sound Design by Keith Graham and Andy Garratt
Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Powell
Casting Manager: Alex Curran

A BBC Studios Production For Radio 4

As the first American Western novel, runaway bestseller The Virginian (1902) is where it all began. It's set against the backdrop of the Wyoming frontier in the late 1880s, and tells the story of 'the Virginian', a stoical cowboy working on the Sunk Creek Ranch. His values are constantly put to the test through his interactions with cattle rustlers, outlaws, and his long-standing feud with fellow cowboy, Trampas. It's also a love story, as he woos school teacher, Molly Wood, who is from the East and unfamiliar with the ways of the West. It's Molly who makes the Virginian confront himself in ways no one else has before.


SUN 16:00 Bookclub (m002s2yx)
Alan Cumming on Alasdair Gray's Lanark

Led by James Naughtie, this special episode of Bookclub celebrates the late Alasdair Gray's 1981 masterpiece, Lanark, at the Pitlochry Winter Words Festival, with the actor Alan Cumming, who is the voice of the new audiobook recently released by Canongate. Described by the author as 'a life in four books', Lanark follows the interwoven lives of Lanark and Duncan Thaw through the disintegrating cities of Unthank and Glasgow. The book has garnered widespread praise and critical acclaim for sitting realism and surrealism side by side and for daring to be experimental. The Guardian described the novel as "one of the landmarks of twentieth century fiction" while the Times Literary Supplement said it was "profoundly perceptive about the ways in which our society is destroying itself".

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre in February.

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


SUN 16:30 Counterpoint (m002s2yz)
Series 39

Heat 9, 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 ‘Crazy For Gershwin Musicals', 'For The Love Of Luther Vandross' and 'Tim Rice and His Amazing Technicolor Collaborations'.

Producer: Tom Du Croz
Production coordinator: Jodie Charman

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4

If you are interested in taking part in a future series of Counterpoint, please email counterpoint@bbc.co.uk


SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct743m)
The origin of World Book Day

In November 1995, a proposal of having an annual day focused on celebrating books was put forward at the UNESCO conference in Paris.

The idea came from a long-established Spanish celebration ‘The Day of Books and Roses’.

The first World Book Day was on 23 April 1996.

Although some countries now celebrate World Book Day on different dates, it’s marked on 23 April in the majority of countries.

Pere Vicens is a book publisher from Barcelona in Spain and one of the creators of World Book Day. He tells Gill Kearsley the origins of this now annual event.

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 football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: World Book Day in Spain. Credit: John MIlner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)


SUN 17:10 The Verb (m002s2z2)
Sibling relationships with Blake Morrison, Natalie Shapero, Tara Bergin, and the word 'literally'

Ian McMillan is joined by Blake Morrison with the poetry of sibling relationships, Natalie Shapero - who reports poetically from the world of cinema in L.A., and Tara Bergin - who looks at how to escape from a poem, as well as sharing a 'Neon Line' with us. We also have our cartoon for the ear - an 'eartoon' exploring the origins of confusing words in the English language - from Stagedoor Johnny.

Produced by Faith Lawrence


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002s2z4)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m002s2z6)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002s2z8)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002s2zb)
Anneka Rice

This week, Anneka's navigating the globe via audio, as we pay a visit to the school run entirely by children in Thailand, to getting some thumbs up from Koalas in Sydney. There's secret messages to be sought in the music of classical music greats Beethoven and Shostakovich. Plus, we hear the truly affecting story from the former Ukrainian tennis player four years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and how AI is helping to bring one Londoner her voice back.

Presenter: Anneka Rice

Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Coordinators: Caroline Peddle and Caoilfhinn McFadden

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002s2zd)
There’s tension at Bridge Farm, and Rex and Alice finally make it on a date.


SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002s2zg)
Cannon Fodder

Alan Hall and his siblings have a shared story from their childhoods - their mum, Jackie, describes walking through a Liverpool park with her mum, their grandma, Hettie. It must be the 1940s. Hettie is a single mum. She'd fallen pregnant, according to family mythology, while working as a domestic servant in Scotland. Jackie has had spells in foster care. "Don't stare," Hettie says. "Those men over there, they're your uncles."

Years later, after Jackie's death, Alan finds an envelope labelled, 'Mum's Pics'. Inside, there are photographs of two men in military uniforms, one with 'Fred' written on the back, the other, of a soldier in a kilt, 'Brother Bill'. These are Hettie's brothers - or rather, two of them. She was the youngest of nine and the only daughter. Of the other boys, Jackie had told her children, three had been killed in the Great War. A third photograph, of the Foster family gravestone, provides their names - Harry, Sidney and Thomas, "their duty nobly done".

Cannon Fodder traces memory, myth and meaning within one family touched by the catastrophe of World War One.

With contributions from historian Jeremy Banning, Lynelle Howson of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, retired Salvation Army officers Lt-Cols. David and Doriel Phillips, Ruth Anders of St Anne's Church, Aigburth in Liverpool and Hettie's grandchildren - Cathy, Laureen, Alan and Robin.

With music by Robin's daughter, Leila Hall (voice), and Alan Hall (cornet).
Produced by Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Lent Talks (m002s2zj)
Power and Support

A series of personal reflections on power inspired by the story of Jesus’ Passion.

Six essays tracing the hidden currents of power in everyday life: how it shapes us, how it works, how it wounds, and how it can be resisted, claimed, and reclaimed.

In this episode, Miro Griffiths – Associate Professor of Social Policy and Disability Studies, at the University of Leeds, who has spinal muscular atrophy and receives 24-hour personal health care assistance – explores power and support.

Producer: Dan Tierney.


SUN 20:00 Feedback (m002rrwp)
The End of Ukrainecast, Any Questions and The Fibre Factor

The war in Ukraine is still raging on, but is BBC Radio's coverage being faded out? Regular episodes of hugely popular Ukrainecast stopped before Christmas 2025, although the BBC has stated that they will produce pop-up episodes at particularly urgent moments in the conflict. But what do you think? We hear from listeners and Andrea Catherwood talks to Olga Tokariuk, journalist and Academy associate at Chatham about the impact that Ukrainecast made.

There's been some buzz around a recent episode of Any Questions? which broadcast from Dumbarton. The programme in front of a live audience was interrupted several time by protesters and one question from an audience member was changed before it was broadcast. We hear from you on how presenter Alex Forsyth handled it.

It's also the first VoxBox of the series - this time, couple Becky and Alex stepped into our booth to discuss the recent Radio 4 series The Fibre Factor, presented by food writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. But did Hugh's nutrition-focused programme give them food for thought?

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Pauline Moore
Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002rt14)
Martyn Butler, Allan Massie, Professor Nicola Fear, Willie Colón

Matthew Bannister on

Martyn Butler who was a central figure in the UK’s early response to HIV and AIDS. He was a co-founder of the Terrence Higgins Trust and gave his own home phone number as a helpline.

Allan Massie, the Scottish author and critic whose hero was Sir Walter Scott. Sir Ian Rankin pays tribute.

Professor Nicola Fear, the epidemiologist who studied the effects on military personnel of serving in the Iraq War and Afghanistan.

Willie Colón, the American trombonist who was inspired by his Puerto Rican heritage to create salsa music.

Interviewee: Tony Whitehead
Interviewee: Sir Ian Rankin
Interviewee: Professor Sir Simon Wessely
Interviewee: Garth Cartwright

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Editor: Glyn Tansley

Archive used:
Martyn Butler seminar recording, Terrence Higgins Trust, THT YouTube channel, uploaded 26/06/2022; Terrence Higgins Trust actuality recording, Week In Week Out, BBC Wales, 29/10/1985; News report, BBC News, 08/01/1987; Advert: Iceberg, Department of Health and Social Security, Dir Nicolas Roeg, Voiceover: John Hurt, 1987; Allan Massie, The Book Programme: First Novels, BBC Two, 11/02/1978; Allan Massie interview, France Politics, Writers Revealed, BBC Radio 4, 06/07/1992; Allan Massie interview, General Election Report, BBC News, 10/04/1997; Nicola Fear, The Fear Factor: life as a military epidemiologist, King's College London, uploaded to YouTube on 23/04/2018; Iraq War news report, BBC News, 31/03/2009; Afghanistan News Report, BBC News, 27/10/2014; Willie Colon interview, Latin Music USA, BBC Four, 05/02/2010;


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002s2zl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002s2xb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002s2zn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002s2zq)
Radio 4's Sunday night political discussion programme.


SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m002rrvz)
The Columbian Exchange

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the exchange of cultures and biology across the Atlantic and Pacific after 1492. That was when Columbus reached the Bahamas, a time when Europe had no potatoes, tomatoes, sunflowers or, arguably, syphilis in its most virulent form; the Americas had no cattle, bananas, sugar cane or smallpox. The lists of what was then exchanged are long and as these flora, fauna and diseases moved between continents, their impact ranged from transformation to devastation. In parts of the Americas, European viruses helped kill over 90 percent of the population. In parts of Europe, Africa and Asia populations boomed on the new American foods. Sheep from Europe grazed fertile land into deserts in some parts of the Americas, while the lowered populations in others led to local reforestation which, arguably, is linked to a particularly cold period in the Little Ice Age.

With

Rebecca Earle
Professor of History at the University of Warwick

John Lindo
Associate Professor of Anthropology at Emory University

And

Mark Maslin
Professor of Earth System Science at University College London

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list

Steven R. Brechin and Seungyun Lee (ed.), Routledge Handbook of Climate Change and Society (Routledge, 2024), especially the chapter ‘Human Impacts on the Climate Prior to the Industrial Revolution’ by Alexander Koch, Simon Lewis, Chris Brierley and Mark Maslin

Judith Carney and Richard Rosomoff, In the Shadow of Slavery: Africa’s Botanical Legacy in the Atlantic World (University of California Press, 2009)

EJ Collen, AS Johar, JC Teixeira and B. Llamas, ‘The Immunogenetic Impact of European Colonization in the Americas’ (Front Genet, August 2022)

Alfred W. Crosby, The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492 (Greenwood Press, 1972)

Rebecca Earle, ‘‘‘If You Eat Their Food . . .”: Diets and Bodies in Early Colonial Spanish America’ (American Historical Review 115:3, 2010)

Raymond Grew (ed.), Food in Global History (Routledge, 1999), especially ‘The Impact of New World Food Crops on the Diet and Economy of China and India, 1600-1900’ by Sucheta Mazumda

Simon L. Lewis and Mark A. Maslin, The Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocene (Pelican, 2018)

Nathan Nunn and Nancy Qian, ‘The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas’ (Journal of Economic Perspectives 24:2, 2010)

Jeffrey Pilcher (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Food History (Oxford University Press, 2012), especially ‘The Columbian Exchange’ by Rebecca Earle

In Our Time is a BBC Studios production

Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Misha Glenny and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.


SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002rt12)
The Forgotten Voice by Lisa Zahra

Nia believes in what's before her eyes. Tuna nicoise salad from M&S. Lavender bath salts. Instagram cat videos.
She does not believe in the supernatural.
Until something makes her change her mind.

Short story from Lisa Zahra, read by Kimberley Nixon.
Produced by Fay Lomas
Studio Manager: Rhys Morris
Production Co-ordinators: Eleri McAuliffe and Lindsay Rees.

MONDAY 02 MARCH 2026

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002s2zs)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 00:15 Soul Music (m002q244)
Cranes in the Sky by Solange

Marking 25 years of the award-winning series, Soul Music features songs from the last 25 years.

“I tried to drink it away... I tried to run it away...” Solange’s hit song, written in 2008 and released eight years later, muses on themes of isolation, loneliness, and depression. She penned the lyrics to Raphael Saadiq’s instrumental in a Miami hotel room, gazing out at the cranes filling the skyline during the onset of the housing crisis and financial crash.

Solange Knowles released her debut album in 2002 at the age of 16. This single appears on her third album, A Seat at the Table. She's the younger sister of Beyoncé.

Featuring: Journalist Douglas Markowitz; music writer Kiana Fitzgerald; author of Why Solange Matters and Big Joanie guitarist Stephanie Phillips; and Rebecca McNeil.

Producer: Eliza Lomas


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002s2zv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002s2zx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002s2zz)
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 (m002s301)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002s303)
Alicia McCarthy reports on the Lords debate on assisted dying, and takes a look at how former Prince Andrew may be removed from the line of succession. And the problems for kinship carers, where the children they look after face a health emergency.


MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002s305)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002s307)
Divine Discontent and Longing

Good morning. The daffodils are out in force here, in the meadow overlooking St Davids Cathedral. We had a wonderful show for St David’s Day yesterday – it’s one of the best seasons we’ve had in recent years.
Spring is definitely springing. For many of us, this coincides with the church’s season of Lent. The two themes are beautifully woven together in the opening passage of The Wind in the Willows, where Mole is whitewashing his home. Kenneth Graham writes:
‘Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing …’
‘The spirit of divine discontent and longing’ is a marvellous encapsulation of Lenten themes.
Being attentive to the divine discontent within in us resonates with Ash Wednesday’s call to ‘turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ’. Hard though it can be to admit it, acknowledging the nagging feeling that we are not as Christlike as we ought to be, can provide impetus to reorient ourselves in humility and dependence towards him.
Surely too we can tap into the motivation and momentum that come from embracing the divine longing, the deep yearning that God plants within us, to grow into holiness, to grow into the abundance life that he desires for us.

Holy God, this spring, this Lent, as spring emerges, stir up in us afresh your divine discontent and longing for the gift of your newness of life. Amen


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002s309)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


MON 05:57 Weather (m002s30c)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m002s34w)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002s34y)
Why we should read

The UK government has declared 2026, the National Year of Reading. The numbers suggest that reading needs all the public relations it can get. Under a third of school children say they read for pleasure and the number going on to read English Literature at University has shrunk by over a third in the last fifteen years. Their parents are not doing much better, with some surveys suggesting that any where up to half of adults have not read a single book in the last year. So, how can the case for the value of reading and the simple pleasure of picking up a book cut through? Tom Sutcliffe chairs Radio 4's discussion programme which starts the week. His guests are:

Margaret Busby was Britain's first Black woman publisher who has enjoyed a 50 year career at the centre of cultural life and the book trade. Among her achievements she founded a publishing house, edited the ground-breaking international anthologies Daughters of Africa and New Daughters of Africa and championed authors marginalised by the mainstream. Her new book Part of the Story: Writings from Half a Century features her own literary output from between 1966 and 2023.

Sarah Dillon, Professor at the University of Cambridge, has looked at the question 'what are you reading?' The books we encounter shape the choices we make and when it comes to scientists, it appears that ideas from imaginative literature influence their thinking. Storylistening: Narrative Evidence and Public Reasoning, co-authored with Dr Claire Craig, former Director of the UK Government Office for Science, makes the case for the value of attention to stories in decision making.

Lottie Moggach is an arts journalists and writer of literary thrillers - she's also edited, researched and taught writing. Her latest novel, Mrs Pearcey, is Victorian true crime novel. She reflects on historical fiction, her own reading and working as a writer today.

Producer: Ruth Watts


MON 09:45 Like and Subscribe: How YouTube Changed the World (m002b6ny)
How to build a video empire

Ever dreamed of building your own video empire? Here’s how. Sophia Smith Galer dives into the early days of YouTube, exploring how Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction sparked the idea for a platform that would revolutionise the world.

In part one of this five part series, Sophia sits down with Christina Brodbeck, a YouTube founding team member, to reveal how the product was designed. She also chats with product designer Ches Wajda about the platform’s lasting impact, and Chris Stokel Walker, author of YouTubers, shares how a viral video that nearly doomed the company became its breakthrough moment. It's the story of Youtube, told through the content creators who were there.

Presented by Sophia Smith Galer
Producer: George McDonagh
Executive Producer: Leonie Thomas
Commissioning Editor: Tracy Williams
Artwork by Uptown Style
Mix and Mastering by Hannah Varrall

An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002s350)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.


MON 11:00 Toxic! (m002s352)
Time to Pull the Plug?

The bathroom might be the room we most associate with chemicals. From moisturisers and shampoos to makeup and hair dyes, the ingredient lists on everyday products can be long, confusing and often full of substances that most of us have never even heard of. But surely these chemicals can’t be harmful? Manufacturers wouldn’t let us to rub pollutants into our faces and massage toxins into our scalps… would they?

In this final episode of Toxic!, materials scientist Mark Miodownik raids his bathroom cabinet – and dyes his hair purple – all in the name of science! His hunt for PFAS then takes him across the corridor to the bedroom, where he uncovers just how many of our clothes (and our kids’ clothes) contain these forever chemicals.

Finally, Mark gets his own blood tested to see whether PFAS is lurking inside him and – discovering that it’s very likely in almost all of us – takes to the streets to hear what the public already knows about PFAS… and whether anyone actually cares.

Series Producer: Mel Brown
Producer: Geraldine Fitzgerald
Researcher: Alex Rodway
A BBC Studios Production


MON 11:45 This Is the Door: The Body, Pain, and Faith by Darcey Steinke (m002s354)
Episode 1: Spine

Darcey Steinke’s engrossing new book explores the subject of pain – what science tells us and what artists and thinkers have made of it. For Steinke, it all started when she damaged her back.

‘I wake in the dark, crawling backward out of bed, left foot on the floor, then numb right foot. I can’t bend over to put on my jeans. If I sit or lie down for even a few moments, the pain when I get back up is excruciating. How did I get here?

Pain occurs in the bones, muscles, and tissue but also in the brain. Pain affects emotion, cognition, memory, and decision-making. It is a corporal experience, but also a spiritual one that points to the body’s possible calamities, its mysteries, and most of all, its darkness.’

In five episodes, Darcey Steinke journeys towards healing, and searches for an understanding of other people’s pain. In this first episode, she reflects wryly on the bizarre accident which damaged her spine – she just moved in bed, and her back gave way.

‘I felt a muffled snap, like a wet branch breaking. Odd that I’d injure my back not by falling, but in bed, a place I associate more with pleasure than with pain…’

She explores the experience of others in pain, like the painter Frida Kahlo. A bus crash when she was 18 bounced Kahlo’s body forward and a handrail pierced her abdomen. Her spinal column was cracked in three places and she shattered her collarbone and three ribs. Her right leg was fractured and her pelvis was broken. But despite her pain, Kahlo continued to paint. Rather than retreat from it, she confronted her pain directly. Although she wanted to be healed, her idea of what that might mean was unique - pain not cured, but seen, shared, known.

The reader is award-winning actor Elizabeth McGovern, who played the Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey

Adapted and produced by Elizabeth Burke
Executive producer: Sara Davies
Sound design: Jon Calver
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4


MON 12:00 News Summary (m002s357)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002s359)
News and discussion of consumer affairs


MON 12:57 Weather (m002s35c)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m002s35f)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4


MON 13:45 Artworks (m002s35h)
Waugh: What Is He Good For?

Decline and Fall - You're Not One of Us

Many people hold Evelyn Waugh among the best British writers of the 20th Century -Russell Kane is one of them. To mark the 60th anniversary of his death, Russell delves into seven of Waugh’s most important works.

While Waugh has been unfashionable for some time, Kane believes it’s high time to turn back to him. He says he was way ahead of his time and, in his books, he reveals ourselves to ourselves and uncovers clues for how we should live our lives today.

Over seven episodes, Waugh tells us everything we need to know about the cluttered corridors of English culture - its class system, media, cult of masculinity, colonial hang-ups: everything it’s made of, good and bad. Not only does Waugh show our society for what it is, but he demonstrates how it can be hacked - infiltrated by savvy interlopers like himself. And Russell sees a kindred spirit.

Waugh may be a divisive figure, with the public reputation of a pantomime villain. Some say Waugh’s vitriolic streak, cultural insensitivity and idolisation of the upper classes should condemn him to the male, pale and stale literary past - but Russell believes he is prescient, not reactionary, that he was ahead of his time. Waugh holds the least flattering of mirrors up to us - and actually, it’s not Waugh but what we see that we don’t like.

In episode 1, we turn the pages of Decline And Fall (1928) – a book about social mobility. Russell knows what it’s like to be dropped into a social milieu to which you don’t belong. The novel is clever, depicting an array of characters from different backgrounds who all want to join a party they’re not invited to - and none of them behave as they ought. How do you penetrate what it’s vulgar to aspire to, and what do you do when you leave your background behind?

Contributors:
Dr Paula Byrne, author of Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead
Nikesh Shukla, author and screenwriter
Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye magazine

Archive:
Frankly Speaking (BBC Home Service, 1953) - interview with Evelyn Waugh by Charles Wilmot, Jack Davies & Stephen Black

Producer: Dom Byrne & Freya Hellier
Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Sound Mix: Jon Calver

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4


MON 14:00 The Archers (m002s2zd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Relativity (m001cxrl)
Series 4

Episode 6

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 6
Lockdown is over and the family can finally get together in Ken and Margaret’s garden. Margaret is thrilled until Ken gets out the garden hose. Jane is back from her globetrotting adventures. Pete is sober and hopeful they can get back together. And Donny steals the show with his toddler antics.

Cast:
Ken………………….Phil Davis
Margaret……………..Alison Steadman
Ian…………………...Richard Herring
Chloe…………………Emily Berrington
Jane…………………..Fenella Woolgar
Pete…………………..Gordon Kennedy
Holly………………….Tia Bannon
Mark………………….Fred Haig
Nick…..……………..Harrison Knights
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 (m002s2ys)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Sunday]


MON 15:00 A Good Read (m002s35l)
Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Jung Chang

The children's author Frank Cottrell-Boyce and the author of Wild Swans and Big Sister Little Sister Red Sister Jung Chang choose their good reads.

Where Should We Run To by Alan Garner chosen by Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Death of A Naturalist by Seamus Heaney chosen by Harriett Gilbert
Hans Christian Andersen's Fairytales chosen by Jung Chang

Produced in Bristol by Maggie Ayre


MON 15:30 You're Dead to Me (m002s35n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Saturday]


MON 16:00 Currently (m002s2yq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002s35q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


MON 17:00 PM (m002s35s)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002s35v)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 18:30 Just a Minute (m002rd1y)
Series 96

5. That's a real headscratcher

Gyles attempts to sing his own version of a Benjamin Britten opera, Emma explains why she can't remember the plot of The Great Gatsby and one of the players finally gets their first minute.

Host: Sue Perkins
Players: Gyles Brandreth, Emma Sidi, Desiree Burch and Josie Lawrence
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 (m002s35x)
George wants to make amends, and Ruairi’s in a state.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m002s35z)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


MON 20:00 How Did We Get Here? (m002rvn5)
Israel and the Palestinians

4: The Balfour Declaration to the Arab Revolt

In the fourth of ten programmes exploring the origins and tracing the history of the Middle East conflict, presenter Jonny Dymond is joined by Gudrun Kraemer, Professor of Islamic Studies at the Free University of Berlin, author and historian James Barr and Eugene Rogan, Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at Oxford University.

They begin by discussing the origins, significance and consequences of the Balfour Declaration, Britain’s expression of support for a Jewish “national home” in Palestine. They go on to look at the establishment of the British mandate in Palestine, the changing demography of the country as Jewish immigration increased in the inter-war years, the causes and consequences of the Arab Revolt against British rule which broke out in 1936, and the Peel Commission report of 1937 – an early proposal for a “two-state solution”

'How Did We Get Here? Israel and the Palestinians' is a BBC News Long Form Audio production.
The presenter is Jonny Dymond and the editor is Penny Murphy.
The Radio 4 commissioners are Hugh Levinson and Dan Clarke.
The studio engineers are Neil Churchill, James Beard, Rod Farquhar, Mike Regaard and David Crackles.


MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8ty1)
Does new science get us closer to finding out how life on earth began?

Perhaps it’s the biggest question science has left to answer, how did life begin? Now, molecular biologists in Cambridge university have discovered tiny molecules of RNA which they say might provide some clues. Science journalist and author Philip Ball explains what we know and whether we’ll ever find the origins of life on earth.

Professor Michael Wooldridge has given this year’s Royal Society’s Michael Faraday Prize lecture. He speaks to Tom Whipple about why the AI we have is not what he wanted it to be; rational. And science columnist at the Financial Times Anj Ahuja brings her favourite new science to discuss.

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

Presenter: Tom Whipple
Producer: Kate White, Katie Tomsett, Clare Salisbury and Alex Mansfield
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


MON 21:00 Start the Week (m002s34y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:45 Like and Subscribe: How YouTube Changed the World (m002b6ny)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002s361)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


MON 22:45 Fire Ready by Jane Rogers (m002s363)
Day Trip to Glastonbury

The stories in Jane Rogers' second collection shine an unflinching light on the future health of the planet, and the prospects for its greediest tenants - us. With stories spanning hundreds of years – from the far side of the 22nd century all the way back to the darkest days of lockdown – they pose questions about personal responsibility that cannot be easily answered.

Read by Daniel Weyman
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4


MON 23:00 Limelight (p0dl3f11)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Firewall

Episode 7

By James Swallow
Dramatised by Paul Cornell

Episode 7

A thrilling landmark adaptation set in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell universe. Sarah Fisher is onboard Brody Teague's train, her mission is to neutralise him and secure his digital tablet. Meanwhile her father, Veteran Agent Sam Fisher is deployed to Site 5, Oil Rig to secure Gordian Sword. It's now a race against time to stop Brody Teague and his sinister threat to global security.

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
Brody Teague ..... Will Poulter
Samir Patel ..... Nikesh Patel
Stone ..... Mihai Arsene
Andriy Kobin/ Chef Jean Claude ..... Riad Richie
Eighteen ..... Olga Fedori
Guard/Killer..... Roger Ringrose

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

A BBC Audio Drama North Production


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002s366)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament