The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Reverend Clair Jaquiss.
The Food Standards Agency is investigating alleged animal welfare breaches at a halal abattoir in Yorkshire.
MPs publish their verdict on the impact of the superfast broadband rollout on remote rural areas.
And Anna Hill hears what illegal hare coursing means for landowners. There are been more than 1500 cases reported in the East of England over the last year.
Michael Palin presents the iconic bald eagle from Alaska. In days of yore, when bald meant "white" rather than hairless, these magnificent birds with a two metre wingspans were common over the whole of North America. They were revered in native American cultures. The Sioux wore eagle feathers in their head-dresses to protect them in battle and the Comanche celebrated the birds with an eagle dance.
The bird became a national symbol for the United States of America and on the Great Seal is pictured grasping a bunch of arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other.
But pomp and reverence don't always guarantee protection. In 1962 in her classic book "Silent Spring", Rachel Carson warned that bald eagle populations had dwindled alarmingly and that the birds were failing to reproduce successfully. Rightly, she suspected that pesticides were responsible. Bald eagle populations crashed across the USA from the middle of the twentieth century, but fortunately are now recovering following a ban on the use of the offending pesticides.
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
If the statistics can be believed, over the last 30 years the gap between rich and poor in the West has grown as cavernous as it was in the Nineteenth Century.
Income and wealth inequality - seen as almost a good thing back in the 1980s - now raises alarm across the UK political spectrum.
But who are the 1%? How have they made their wealth? And why have the rest of us seemingly been left behind?
Robert Peston speaks to leading policymakers and opinion shapers as he charts the new consensus that inequality is the biggest economic challenge we face.
Charlotte Smith was diagnosed with a rare form of chronic lung disease, lymphangioleiomyomatosis (now known as LAM) three years ago. She immediately went onto the internet and linked up with other sufferers on a dedicated website. Gill Hollis was diagnosed in 1992 before there was a self-help group. Charlotte and Gill discuss the positives and negatives of self help groups for those with chronic illnesses. Does it help or hinder acceptance or simply build up false hope and increase dependency?
Harvard means serious study for Tom, some after-hours jollity, and a love of French decadent poetry. Then he heads for Paris...
A fresh biography of TS Eliot by Robert Crawford, and abridged by Katrin Williams, published to mark 50 years since the poet's death:
Joan Armatrading; The legacy of pill inventor Carl Djerassi; Birds of a Feather actor Linda Robson
Singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading on her music and how the industry has changed during her career. Carl Djerassi, the scientist who invented the first oral contraceptive pill has died aged 91. Dr Audrey Simpson, from the Family Planning Association, considers Djerassi's legacy and the greatest challenges to birth control today. Writer Zarqa Nawaz talks about her memoir Laughing All the Way to the Mosque. As Birds of a Feather features a cancer storyline, Linda Robson talks about how comedy can be used to explore difficult topics. Stylist and frugality blogger Alex Stedman and V&A fashion curator Oriole Cullen discuss the origins and art of selling on clothes.
Filmmaker Jen has arrived in the Antarctic to be part of the skeleton team keeping the British base running over winter. Tensions are running high in camp and Jen has found something half buried in the ice. Winter begins and, as usual, the youngest member of the team lowers the flag. The last sun sets leaving the camp in darkness for three months.
Jen ….. Claire Rushbrook
Tallis ….. Steven Cree
Kate ….. Pippa Bennett-Warner
Chris ….. Ian Conningham
Bob ….. Sam Dale
Millions of us - adults and children - play games like rugby and football every week. But concern is growing that the dangers of concussion, traumatic brain injuries, aren't taken seriously enough in contact sports.
New evidence that head knocks and head bangs could be causing an early onset dementia called CTE, or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, has sent shock waves through sport. It used to be thought that CTE, formerly known as Dementia Pugilistica, was a degenerative brain disease confined to boxers who'd spent a life-time taking punishing head injuries in the ring. But the disease has recently been discovered in the brains of an assortment of elite athletes; first an American footballer, then ice hockey players, rugby players and professional football players. It's raised real fears that playing contact sports, where concussions are a common risk, could be the cause.
Claudia Hammond talks to leading UK neurosurgeon, Dr Tony Belli, Professor of Trauma Neurosurgery at the University of Birmingham, about the short term and long term dangers of repeated concussions. And she hears from Dr Willie Stewart, consultant neuropathologist and head of the Glasgow Traumatic Brain Injury Archive who identified CTE in the UK's first professional football player and an elite rugby player, about his suspicions that many more sports people could, in fact, have died of CTE.
Dawn Astle, daughter of West Bromwich Albion and England footballer, Jeff Astle, describes her family's campaign to get the footballing authorities to find out how many other footballers are at risk from the sports-related dementia, CTE (her father died in 2002 after a diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease, but last year it was discovered he'd died of CTE). And Peter Robinson, who lost his 14 year old son, Ben, after a school rugby match, tells Claudia why he's campaigning for mandatory concussion education with the message that concussion can be fatal. Ben died of Second Impact Syndrome after he suffered three concussions during a match but was left on the pitch to play on.
Claudia Hammond investigates how sport, from grassroots upwards, needs to change to protect players, as the evidence on the risks of cumulative concussions mounts.
The BBC's archive is justifiably and inarguably world-famous, but most of this attention and praise is showered on the riches contained within the Beeb's music archive - the life-changing Peel performances, seminal sessions from Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and David Bowie.
But these musical marvels risk over-shadowing another archive that's just as diverse, rich and rewarding - the BBC's spoken word, music archive.
As long as there have been pop stars, the BBC has spoken to them. Marc Riley and his trusty Time Machine - a rickety rust-bucket, back-firing jalopy - travel back through the years to visit the great and the good, the famous and the infamous, safely ensconced within the treasure trove of the BBC archive. Marc replays candid snapshots at crucial points in the careers of some of the biggest names in music.
In each episode, Marc lines up the Time Machine to travel to two different points in time and revisit two interviews with something in common - a person or place, a shared influence or ideology, a discovery, a misunderstanding.
In the second programme, interviews share a fierce rivalry. Both artists were intent on creating grown-up rock 'n roll, both pushed the boundaries of rock music. Both were anti-establishment, both were anti-hippy. Both were the kings of their exciting new scenes - one in New York, one in LA. Yet, despite the similarities and the common ground, each loathed the other. First there's Frank Zappa in conversation with Radio 1's Andy Batten-Foster from 1984, while the second interview comes from a 1992 interview by Johnnie Walker with Lou Reed.
Kitty discovers that the further she travels, the less she understands.
More than half of all secondary schools in England are now academies, but what difference has it made? Has becoming an academy improved the schools of callers' children?
Reporter Miles Warde talks to Dylan Martinez of Reuters about the drama of the football world cup final, and how he got the shot of the winning goal. This was a bitter sweet experience, because Dylan is half Argentinian, and Argentina lost.
"But in the end there's only one thing you have to do as a photographer at a world cup final, and that is don't screw it up. Relief, pure unadulterated relief pretty much sums up how I felt when I saw these pictures."
Daniel Ryan and Jade Matthew (who won the 2015 BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Debut Performance for her role in A KIDNAPPING) play two British teachers at an international school in Manila who attempt to kidnap the 10-year-old son of a prominent Filipino politician. It's a simple get-rich quick plan that turns out not to be quite as straightforward as they had hoped.
A fast-paced thriller and a grand, comic morality tale set and recorded in the Philippines.
Tom and Helen Castor are back with the programme which shares listener's passion for the past.
This week, Tom is joined by two of our leading historians/biographers - Jenny Uglow and Andrew Roberts. Dr Kate Williams takes a trip to out of season Torquay to re-live the mad summer days when the Emperor Napoleon came to town and Helen Castor discusses a new series of books which deliver a concise and opinionated history of English kings and queens.
Over the next eight weeks, the team will be criss-crossing the United Kingdom and going further afield to discover more about the stories that are really making history - including looking out for missing pre-Raphaelite paintings in Birmingham, asking whether local government cut-backs are leaving our historic landscape unprotected, learning how heritage is helping build new futures in Stoke-On-Trent and visiting the scene of an early aviators' tragic crash-landing some 300 years ago.
The Human Zoo is a place to learn about the one subject that never fails to fascinate - ourselves. Are people led by the head or by the heart? How rational are we? And how do we perceive the world?
There's a curious blend of intriguing experiments to discover our biases and judgements, explorations and examples taken from what's in the news to what we do in the kitchen, and it's all driven by a large slice of curiosity.
Michael Blastland presents. Nick Chater, Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick University, is the experimenter-in-chief, and Timandra Harkness the resident reporter.
In the last programme of the current series, the Zoo team look ahead to the general election: how do we change our minds? What does it take for us to jump allegiance?
This year, 2015, marks the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, a legal document often seen as the cornerstone of British freedoms.
The anniversary is being celebrated by the British Library with an exhibition that brings together the four surviving copies of the "Great Charter" for the first time in 800 years. Two of these extraordinary mediaeval documents are permanently housed at the Library; the other two are normally kept in the cathedrals of Lincoln and Salisbury.
Law in Action is playing its own part in the celebrations with a special programme recorded at the British Library in which a distinguished panel will consider how much of our current law actually comes from Magna Carta; how much of its legacy is little more than myth; and to what extent the protections attributed to Magna Carta are under threat.
Joining presenter Joshua Rosenberg to discuss these matters are: Lord Judge, formerly the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales; Richard Godden, for 25 years a partner at the law firm Linklaters; and Claire Breay, Head of Mediaeval Manuscripts at the British Library.
Frankie Boyle and Maureen Lipman talk about their favourite books with Harriett Gilbert. Under discussion: Michael Blakemore's recollections of testing times under Laurence Olivier at the National Theatre in Stage Blood, Barbara Trapido's first novel, Brother of the More Famous Jack, and Something Happened, Joseph Heller's follow up to Catch 22.
Dame Kelly Holmes, a self-confessed chocoholic, tries her first deep fried Mars bar, but will she try the chocolate covered scorpion?
Marcus Brigstocke persuades his guests to try new experiences: things they really ought to have done by now.
Some experiences are loved, some are loathed, in this show all about embracing the new.
After laying some polythene on Carol's veg patch, Bert takes the opportunity to ask her for some extra dance practice in her lounge. Joe's outraged to see them through the window.
Tina phones Helen in a panic, to report that the shop has had a spot check from Environmental Health. They've found some out-of-date items. Helen rushes over to sort things out. Rob's reluctant when he has to collect Henry from nursery.
While waiting for Henry, Rob gets a call from Jess. Rob makes it clear that he has no intention of taking a DNA test - and he's certainly not paying maintenance for Ethan, his supposed son.
Helen complains to Tina about the state of the stock room, which they go to sort out following a lecture about stock rotation. Dropping Henry off, Rob is surprised that Helen still wants to go to dance class tonight. Who's going to cook dinner? Helen suggests a takeaway.
At the dance class, Carol has to play referee to Joe and Bert's lively rivalry. Joe's more comfortable with the foxtrot and mocks Bert's quickstep.
Rob has stayed at home with Henry, as Helen asks Ian about wedding plans. They are no further ahead, because Adam's been so busy looking for contracting work. One silver lining is that Adam is finally shot of working with Charlie Thomas, says Ian.
Samira Ahmed talks to Professor Diane Roberts about the news that 'To Kill A Mockingbird' author Harper Lee is to publish a second novel.
William Nicholson wrote 'Shadowlands', the screenplay for 'Gladiator' and the acclaimed children's book 'The Wind Singer'. His latest novel for adults, 'The Lovers of Amherst', tells the story of the brother of the great American poet Emily Dickinson and his passionate adulterous love affair with a beautiful woman half his age.
Australian writer Tim Winton's book The Turning, a series of stories set in a coastal community, has now been turned into a film in which each story has been interpreted by a different director. Australian novelist Helen Fitzgerald reviews the film whose cast includes Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving.
South African artist Marlene Dumas discusses her dark and often sexually explicit paintings as a major new retrospective of her work opens at London's Tate Modern.
Is the middle-class in terminal decline? Writer David Boyle, author of Broke: Who Killed the Middle Classes?, explores the split between a small rich elite and those who are argued to be clinging on to a deteriorating lifestyle and falling expectations.
The salaries of financial service workers based in London are soaring away from those in more traditional professions. At the same time, house prices are rising and so-called 'cling-ons' are being forced out to the peripheries of London and beyond. Many of those who might have aspired to private education for their children find the fees are beyond them.
But does it matter? According to the eminent American political scientist Francis Fukuyama, it definitely does - democracy is dependent on a healthy middle class and without it there is a real threat of instability, with demonstrators taking to the streets even in Britain and America.
David Boyle also talks to the distinguished Oxford sociologist John Goldthorpe, who worries that there is no room at the top for today's aspiring young. Deputy Editor Gavanndra Hodge explains why even Tatler decided to print a guide to state schools. And the programme visits Liverpool College, the great Victorian public school, which decided to cross the great divide and become an academy within the state system.
Middle class professionals describe problems buying a house on two doctors' salaries, finding a job as a solicitor and raising the money to pay school fees, and even how an architect's life can be a tough one.
Are the professions themselves under threat from technology undermining traditional ways of working? One GP worries that the discretion he once enjoyed is being destroyed by the computer.
The Payments Council has published a guide for people who occasionally need to ask a third party to make payments on their behalf. Peter White speaks to their Head of Policy and Research Helen Doyle, about the alternatives to handing over your card and pin.
Jane Miller lost her sight suddenly after a short illness, when her two daughters were aged four and seven weeks old. Jane speaks candidly to Peter about her struggle to stay independent and why she decided to reduced the amount of outside help as a way of proving she could look after her children on her own.
Diagnosing Cancer - why does the UK still lag behind much of Europe and what is being done about it? The American dream - personalised medicine based on your genes. Plus do headphones damage hearing?
Commons approves IVF technique that allows creation of babies using DNA from 3 people.
by Andrew O'Hagan.
As Anne's memory fragments at home in Scotland, her grandson Luke toils with his platoon in the fierce heat of Afghanistan.
Andrew O'Hagan's novel follows 82-year old Anne Quirk, a forgotten pioneer of documentary photography who lives quietly in sheltered housing on the west coast of Scotland. A planned restrospective stirs long-buried memories and leads her grandson to uncover the tragedy in her past which has defined three generations.
MPs debate the creation of babies from three people. The Home Affairs Committee hears from the mother and brother of a British-born Jihadist fighter. In the Lords, there are calls for e-cigarettes to be used more widely. Susan Hulme reports from Westminster.
WEDNESDAY 04 FEBRUARY 2015
WED 00:00 Midnight News (b050xgn6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b05102t7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b050xgn8)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b050xgnb)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b050xgnd)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (b050xgng)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b051qvg5)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Reverend Clair Jaquiss.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (b0510b6l)
The price of organic milk has gone up in the shops, but what are farmers getting for it? The organic dairy co-operative OMSCO has published its annual state of the organic milk market report. It says that sales of own-brand supermarket milk are declining.
We hear how the Eurozone crisis could affect the price UK farmers get for lamb. And, our reporter Sally Challoner goes on a course to learn some ovine midwifery skills.
Why beef farmers are angry at plans to change Red Tractor label rules so that cattle would have to be on scheme approved farms for their whole lives, not just the last 90 days.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sarah Swadling.
WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04t0v8k)
Budgerigar
Michael Palin presents the wild budgerigar from Australia. Budgerigars are small Australian parrots whose common name may derive from the aboriginal "Betcherrygah' which, roughly speaking, means "good to eat" though it could mean " good food" as budgerigars follow the rains and so their flocks would indicate where there might be seeds and fruits for people.
Where food and water are available together; huge flocks gather, sometimes a hundred thousand strong, queuing in thirsty ranks to take their turn at waterholes. Should a falcon appear, they explode into the air with a roar of wingbeats and perform astonishing aerobatics similar to the murmurations of starlings in the UK.
Although many colour varieties have been bred in captivity, wild budgerigars are bright green below, beautifully enhanced with dark scalloped barring above, with yellow throats and foreheads. With a good view, you can tell the male by the small knob of blue flesh, known as a cere, above his beak.
WED 06:00 Today (b0510b6n)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Midweek (b0510b6q)
Aaron Rosen; Zack McGuiness; Bonnie Langford; Nick Wisdom; Tom Vaughan.
Libby Purves meets actor Bonnie Langford; Nick Wisdom, son of Norman; Tom Vaughan, co-founder of Juliana's Discotheque; Dr Aaron Rosen who devised the Jewish Museum London's exhibition called Love and student Zack McGuiness.
Zack McGuinness is a student at Kings College, London where Aaron Rosen lectures in sacred traditions and the arts. Aaron devised the Jewish Museum London's new exhibition called Love which features everyday objects, historic artefacts and works of art inspired by love. For the exhibition Zack donated a tin containing the caul which was wrapped around his neck when he was born while Aaron gave a print in memory of his late sister. Your Jewish Museum: Love is at The Jewish Museum London.
Bonnie Langford is a television, film and theatre actor. She stars alongside Robert Lindsay in the West End Musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. As a six-year-old she won TV talent show Opportunity Knocks and made her theatre debut at seven in an adaptation of Gone with the Wind. By the age of 12 she was playing Violet Elizabeth Bott in the TV series Just William. She has appeared in a number of productions including Spamalot, Chicago and Sweet Charity. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is at the Savoy Theatre, London.
Nick Wisdom is the son of legendary actor, singer and comedian, Sir Norman Wisdom OBE. Nick has created an exhibition about his father, A Lifetime in Showbusiness, featuring handwritten scripts, musical instruments and the Gump suit that became synonymous with his father's comedic onscreen persona, Norman Pitkin. A Lifetime in Showbusiness: A Tribute to Sir Norman Wisdom is at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and is part of Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival.
Tom Vaughan is a British businessman and entrepreneur. His first novel, The Other Side of Loss, has just been published. Tom co-founded Juliana's Discotheque with his brother Oliver in 1966. Juliana's started out as a mobile disco and provided the entertainment for debutante balls, country house parties and the Prince of Wales's investiture ball. The Other Side of Loss is published by Pencoyd Press.
Producer: Paula McGinley.
WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b0510b6s)
Young Eliot
Episode 3
In 1914 Tom leaves Harvard for Merton College, Cambridge, to further his studies, refine his poetry, and here he meets his future wife Vivienne.
A fresh biography of TS Eliot by Robert Crawford, abridged by Katrin Williams, published to mark 50 years since the poet's death.
Reader: Tom Mannion
Producer: Duncan Minshull
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2015.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b0510b6v)
The NHS, Film-Maker Deeyah Khan, Women in Construction
A recent poll for Woman's Hour on politics indicated that the NHS was the number one issue among women. BBC Health Correspondent Branwyn Jeffreys reviews the issues and we are joined by GP Dr Catherine Glass and Dr Jennifer Dixon, CEO of the Health foundation to talk about their concerns.
Deeyah Khan signed her first record deal in Oslo aged 13, but repeated harassment and threats from her own community led to her abandoning her career and leaving her family. Since then she has become a film maker and activist, passionate about freedom of expression. She tells Jenni her story.
We hear about parenting in Shakepeare's plays - today focussing on disobedient daughters.
And, as the government launches a new campaign to get more women into construction we're joined by Roma Agrawal, who was a senior member of the team that did the structural engineering on the Shard in London.
Presenter: Jenni Murray
Producer: Corinna Jones.
WED 10:40 15 Minute Drama (b0510b6x)
Beatrice Colin - The Ice Wife
Episode 3
by Beatrice Colin
Filmmaker Jen is in the Antarctic as part of the skeleton team keeping the British base running over winter. It is midwinter's day and, as is traditional, the crew give each other gifts. Little does Jen know that the object she finds to offer as a gift has terrible ramifications both for herself and for the pristine continent.
Jen ….. Claire Rushbrook
Tallis ….. Steven Cree
Kate ….. Pippa Bennett-Warner
Chris ….. Ian Conningham
Bob ….. Sam Dale
Producer/director Gaynor Macfarlane
WED 10:55 The Listening Project (b0510b6z)
Pete and Steve - Guitar Guys
Fi Glover introduces a conversation between two men who have been changed by the guitar-making experience and who now want to spend all their time building them, in the series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
WED 11:00 Tales from the Ring Road (b0510d9t)
Wolverhampton
Anne-Marie Duff narrates a new documentary series for BBC Radio 4, telling stories of survival and resilience on the UK's ring roads - in towns & cities often overlooked.
The ring road is the circulatory system of the city - a perilous place where life can seem fragile, but one which also bears witness to tales of great resilience.
In this episode, Wolverhampton is in the spotlight. Among the tales, the huge fire at leading family firm Carvers which threatened to wipe out the business and the story of Wolverhampton's famous tramp, Fred, who lived on the central reservation of the ring road for decades and was rumoured to have been in the SS.
Producer: Laurence Grissell.
WED 11:30 Alun Cochrane's Fun House (b01rr555)
Living Room
Comedian Alun Cochrane has a 25 year mortgage which he can only pay off by being funny. In this series he takes us on a room by room, stand up tour of his house.
He has a fridge that beeps at him when he doesn't move quickly enough and a fire alarm he can't reach. His relationship with his house is a complicated one.
A hoarder of funny and original observations on everyday life, Alun invites us to help him de-clutter his mind and tidy his ideas into one of those bags that you hoover all the air out of and keep under your bed. This show will help Alun and his house work through their relationship issues and prevent a separation that Alun can ill afford; at least not until the market picks up anyway.
Performers: Alun Cochrane and Gavin Osborn
Writers: Alun Cochrane and Andy Wolton
Producer: Carl Cooper.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2013.
WED 12:00 News Summary (b050xgnj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 Home Front (b0510d9w)
4 February 1915 - Geoffrey Marshall
Despite the obvious profits of war, Geoffrey Marshall, factory owner, can't rest on his laurels while his workforce are heeding the call to enlist.
Written by Shaun McKenna
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole
Sound: Martha Littlehailes
WED 12:15 You and Yours (b0510d9y)
Winterbourne, Which?, Warranties and Wagging Dogs
Learning disability care after Winterbourne.
More on Which? subscriptions.
The people who underwrite the renewable energy work in your home.
More on police seizing cars which were fraudulently sold on to innocent buyers.
Are small-scale developers paying through the nose to build houses?
And people who need a pet on a plane to help them ease the strain.
Producer: Pete Wilson
Presenter: Winifred Robinson.
WED 12:57 Weather (b050xgnn)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 13:00 World at One (b0510ftd)
Analysis of current affairs reports, presented by Edward Stourton.
WED 13:45 Picture Power (b0510db0)
Series 2
The Scottish Referendum on Independence
Reporter Miles Warde meets the photographers of Document Scotland in the run up to the independence referendum. Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert, Sophie Gerrard, Stephen McLaren and Colin McPherson all came together at this historic moment in Scotland's history to document what they saw.
One project - Scotland Sweet Sixteen - features first time voters. They can be heard in the programme seeing their portraits on the walls of a Glasgow gallery for the very first time.
The producer is Miles Warde.
WED 14:00 The Archers (b05108h2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (b0510db2)
The Crossing
It's 2019 and following the UK's exit from the EU, the prime minister is pressurised to seal the nation's frontiers, including the land border shared with the Irish Republic. Immigration and customs posts reappear for the first time since the Good Friday Agreement. At the point where inland waterways north and south meet, security services search boats and inspect passports. Cross border cooperation is a thing of the past.
Conor Glynn, 22, helps his parents run river cruises along the river Shannon and into Lough Erne. But Conor will soon be forced to move away for work, because the family business has fallen victim to political circumstance.
Conor, realising the financial predicament his parents will be in, decides to take one crazy but lucrative risk. He agrees to carry an unusual cargo across the river border and into the UK. Conor is stopped and searched by border security. They find three Eastern European migrants hiding on his boat. Conor is arrested. He faces a jail sentence.
The PM arrives in Ulster to inspect new border facilities and has a secret meeting with the Irish Taoiseach. The Taoiseach is alarmed at how rapidly border security has been restored to its Troubles-era level. Even locals have to queue up and show their passports. In protest, his coalition partners in Dublin, Sinn Féin, are joining their Stormont colleagues in boycotting all Anglo-Irish institutions that grew out of the Good Friday Agreement. The peace process is in danger.
WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b0510db4)
Power of Attorney
Setting up a Power of Attorney or struggling to use one? Phone-in with Ruth Alexander, your questions answered.
Who will take care of your finances and welfare when you no longer can? Putting in place a Power of Attorney means that a trusted relative or friend will be able to make decisions for you if the need arises.
There are different types of Power of Attorney and the rules vary in England and Wales, Scotland and in Northern Ireland.
If you want to find out about when and how to apply, who to appoint, what powers you can give or restrict, our guests will be ready to help.
Or perhaps you've filled in the forms, paid the fees and have the documents in hand but find you still can't use them. How do you sort out the problem?
Joining presenter Ruth Alexander to share their knowledge were:
Alan Eccles, Public Guardian for England and Wales.
Nicola Smith, Cairn Legal, Scotland.
Caroline Wayman, Chief Ombudsman, Financial Ombudsman Service.
WED 15:30 Mum and Dad and Mum (b04fz6lg)
Alana Saarinen is a thirteen year old girl who lives with her mum and dad in Michigan, USA. She loves playing golf and the piano, listening to music and hanging out with friends. In those respects, she's like many teenagers around the world. Except she's not, because every cell in Alana's body isn't like mine and yours; Alana is one of a handful of people in the world who have DNA from three people.
The BBC's Science Correspondent Rebecca Morelle explores how more children like Alana could be born.
This programme examines the safety and health implications of this new science. For some it is controversial. For those who have these specific genetic diseases, it is the way they could have their own healthy child. The UK is playing a pioneering role in developing the technique, called mitochondrial replacement, and Parliament has just voted to make the process legal.
But despite that, there are a small number of children in the world, like Alana Saarinen, who have DNA from three people already. Although a small sample, they could answer some of the questions people have, such as will they be healthy, do they feel like they have three parents and would they like to trace the donor one day in the future?
Producer: Charlotte Pritchard.
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b0510db6)
Inside the Muslim Brotherhood
Inside the Muslim Brotherhood - The first in-depth study of the relationship between the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and its own members. Laurie talks to Hazem Kandil, Lecturer in Political Sociology at Cambridge University, about his intimate portrayal of the organisation's recruitment, socialisation and ideology.
Privately educated girls - a 3 year study of 91 young women at 4 independent schools. Claire Maxwell, Reader in Sociology of Education at the Institute of Education, finds that an elite education doesn't always guarantee class privilege.
Producer: Jayne Egerton.
WED 16:30 The Media Show (b0510ftg)
Head of BBC Trust's first major speech; The battle for sports rights; Sky's Fortitude
The head of the BBC Trust Rona Fairhead has said most people want an independent body to set the level of the licence fee. In her first major speech since joining, she voiced the importance of the public being involved in the BBC's Royal Charter negotiations, which are due to start this year. Steve Hewlett is joined by Tim Suter, former partner at Ofcom and Lis Howell, Director of Broadcasting at City University, to excavate the key points she made, and discuss how the public might get involved in deciding the future shape of the organisation.
Satellite broadcaster Sky has reported that it's added 200,000 new customers in UK and Ireland in recent months- its highest growth in subscribers in nine years. This week, Sky's intervention ended one of sport's longest partnerships, when the BBC formally surrendered the rights to The Open Golf Championship. And this week Sky will go head to head with BT Sport as the deadline approaches for media players to submit sealed bids for the rights to show Premier League Football. Steve Hewlett talks to analyst Claire Enders about Sky's dominance in sports, and whether other media giants might enter the battle.
Staying with Sky, and the launch this week of the broadcaster's own big budget production, Fortitude. The programme, which has cost around £25 million pounds, stars Michael Gambon and Sofie Gråbøl. It launched simultaneously on Sky across Europe, now that Sky, Sky Deutschland and Sky Italia are combined. Steve Hewlett talks to Sky's Head of Entertainment Stuart Murphy about the broadcaster's strategy to diversify away from sport and invest in drama, what success will look like for Fortitude, and how pan European transmission impacts on profits.
Producer: Katy Takatsuki.
WED 17:00 PM (b0510ftj)
PM at
5pm- Carolyn Quinn with interviews, context and analysis.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b050xgnq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 18:30 What Does the K Stand For? (b0510ftl)
Series 2
Sister Dearest
Guests not welcome.
Stephen K Amos's sitcom about growing up black, gay and funny in 1980s south London.
Written by Jonathan Harvey with Stephen K Amos.
Stephen K Amos … Stephen K Amos
Young Stephen … Shaquille Ali-Yebuah
Stephanie Amos … Fatou Sohna
Virginia Amos … Ellen Thomas
Vincent Amos … Don Gilet
Miss Bliss … Michelle Butterly
Jayson Jackson … Frankie Wilson
Jocelyn Jee Esien … Princess
Producer: Colin Anderson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2015.
WED 19:00 The Archers (b0510ftn)
Charlie lures Adam to a farm on the pretence of asking his advice. Charlie admits to Adam that he misses the interactions they used to have. Speaking frankly, Charlie says he's never met anyone like Adam before. Work has been his life - his father always put pressure on. But now it's not enough, nor is casual friendship or dating sites. Adam understands but asks why Charlie is telling him all this. Charlie needs advice - he's ready to commit to someone. Adam avoids the obvious implication.
Jennifer has noticed how much better things look at Ambridge Organics. She updates Jill on the SAVE campaign and response to her blog. Jennifer has called for Justin to answer her questions. The picture of the milk bottle from Brookfield Dairy has also had a response in the form of another picture: a horse-drawn milk cart from the 1930s and a man in a white apron who looks remarkably like Dan Archer. Jill's keen to do more research.
Lilian has had a depressing time picking through paperwork in the wake of Matt's departure. Jennifer tries to cheer her up with talk about a radio interview she has been asked to do. Lilian gets upset thinking about cowardly Matt. Jennifer's had enough of Lilian rattling around the empty house on her own. She can come and stay with her and Brian.
WED 19:15 Front Row (b0510ftq)
Timberlake Wertenbaker, Jupiter Ascending Reviewed, Reading Europe: France
The playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker talks to Kirsty Lang about her new play, Jefferson's Garden, which looks at how the contradictions surrounding the subject of race, that lie at the heart of modern-day America, were established by the Founding Fathers.
Mila Kunis and Eddie Redmayne star in Jupiter Ascending, the latest sci-fi adventure from the Wachowskis, celebrated for The Matrix and Cloud Atlas. Author Sophia McDougall reviews.
As BBC Radio 4 launches Reading Europe, a series of dramatised modern European novels, beginning in France, Damian Barr visits Paris. He talks to critic Sylvain Bourmeau about the recent novels that throw light on contemporary France. He chooses La Petite Foule (The Small Crowd) by Christine Angot; Cendrillon (Cinderella) by Eric Reinhardt; and Vernon Subutex, 1, by Virginie Despentes. He also talks about Soumission (Submission) by Michel Houellebecq, the novel that became embroiled in the recent Charlie Hebdo tragedy.
And in the light of BFI figures showing a surge in film production in the UK last year, Adrian Wootton of the British Film Commission and Film London discusses why the industry is booming.
Presenter: Kirsty Lang
Producer: Sarah Johnson.
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b0510b6x)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:40 today]
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (b0510gvv)
Is Inherited Wealth Immoral?
An academic study by 2 economists of 634 families with rare surnames doesn't immediately sound like it's going to touch one of the rawest nerves in politics, but that's exactly what Professor Gregory Clark and Dr Neil Cummins have done. Their work shows that attempts to promote equality and a more socially mobile society are failing because the rich as so effective at passing their wealth down the generations. Using records of births and marriages and other data going back to 1841 they concluded that there is a significant correlation between the wealth of families five generations apart. You might think all this applies only to a very small number of families in the UK, but figures just released by the Land Registry show there are already 400,000 "homillionaires" - people living in properties worth more than £1 million - and the number is growing by 160 a day. Is inherited wealth and the social privileges it can secure, immoral? Is the transfer of wealth between generations an injustice - an unearned reward for no work, which elevates luck above enterprise and effort which secures access to privileges that would otherwise be beyond reach? Or is the desire to pass on to our children and grandchildren any wealth that we might have at our death, not only a natural desire to help them start out in life, but also a social and moral contract between the generations? With OECD figures showing the gap between the rich and poor in the UK is at its widest for 30 years and growing, the idea of redistributing inherited wealth is a painful matter for the baby-boomer generation. Last year the government raised £3.7 billion in inheritance tax. Was it an immoral and unjustifiable double tax raid on the prudent or a sign that we still care about social justice and meritocracy?
WED 20:45 Why I Changed My Mind (b0510gvx)
Series 1
Mark Lynas
In this series Dominic Lawson interviews people who have changed their mind on controversial matters.
This week he asks the environmentalist Mark Lynas, who was once a prominent figure in direct actions to destroy genetically modified crops, why he now advocates for GM technology and what the reaction has been from his former allies.
Producer: Martin Rosenbaum.
WED 21:00 Gone to Earth (b0499dl1)
Cover from View
Infantry soldiers are trained, challenged and shaped by the Brecon Beacons. Horatio Clare walks with former soldiers to see the Welsh mountains through their eyes.
For decades the Brecon Beacons in South Wales have played an important part in British Army infantry training. Soldiers have walked, crawled, run, taken cover, got cold and wet, cursed and been shaped by the terrain of the Brecon Beacons. Writer Horatio Clare, who grew up in the Beacons, meets ex-infantry soldiers to explore their unique and lasting relationship with this landscape.
2. Cover from View: Horatio spends a night bivouacking in the hills with former Parachute Regiment reserve officer Nic Shugar and Royal Marine Gary Mapletoft who teach him the skills of remaining unseen in the landscape; of using it strategically; of dead ground, cover from view and cover from fire. And they explore inner landscapes as they consider the hills' importance in the healing process for both military and civilian mental health casualties.
The landscape of the Brecon Beacons played an important part in preparing soldiers for the Falklands War. Horatio talks to Col. John Crosland who fought with the Parachute Regiment at the Battle of Goose Green. John recalls how British infantry soldiers felt on familiar terrain in the Falklands because it reminded them of the Beacons where they had trained.
Horatio also meets Maj. Gen Tony Jeapes, a former Commanding Officer of the SAS who ran selection for the regiment in the Brecon Beacons in the early 1960s.
Producer: Jeremy Grange.
WED 21:30 Midweek (b0510b6q)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b0510gvz)
High Court judge from New Zealand to lead the inquiry into historical child abuse.
Government appoints Mrs Justice Lowell Goddard to head inquiry - with extra powers
WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b0510gw1)
The Illuminations
Episode 3
by Andrew O'Hagan.
In Helmand, Luke and his platoon find themeselves in danger. Meanwhile back in Ayrshire, Anne remembers her past as a photographer.
Andrew O'Hagan's novel follows 82 year-old Anne Quirk, a forgotten pioneer of documentary photography who lives in sheltered housing on the west coast of Scotland. A planned retrospective stirs long-buried memories and leads her grandson to uncover the tragedy in her past which has defined three generations.
Abridged by Sian Preece
Reader: Maureen Beattie
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie.
WED 23:00 Irish Micks and Legends (b0511svw)
Series 2
St Brigid of the Curragh
Aisling Bea and Yasmine Akram give props to Aisling's place of birth with the story of how Brigid became a Saint - and got land to build her convent in the Curragh of Kildare.
Series two of the duo's unique comedic, highly irreverent take on Irish folklore.
Still the very best pals, Aisling and Yasmine take their role explaining Irish legends to the British nation very seriously indeed. That said, it would appear that they haven't had the time to do much research, work out who is doing which parts, edit out the chat or learn how to work the sound desk.
With a vast vault of fantastical myths, mixed with 21st century references to help you along, prepare for some very silly lessons in life, love and the crazy shenanigans of old Ireland and modern Irish.
Producer: Raymond Lau
A Green Dragon Media production first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2015.
WED 23:15 Love in Recovery (b0511svy)
Series 1
Danno
The lives of five very different recovering alcoholics.
Set entirely at their weekly meetings, we hear them get to know each other, learn to hate each other, argue, moan, laugh, fall apart, fall in love and, most importantly, tell their stories.
Comedy drama by Pete Jackson, set in Alcoholics Anonymous. Starring Sue Johnston, John Hannah, Eddie Marsan, Rebecca Front, Paul Kaye and Julia Deakin.
In this episode, Danno deals with the death of his father after returning from his memorial service - in the pub down the road.
Danno ...... Paul Kaye
Julie ...... Sue Johnston
Marion ...... Julia Deakin
Fiona ...... Rebecca Front
Simon ...... John Hannah
Andy ...... Eddie Marsan
There are funny stories, sad stories, stories of small victories and milestones, stories of loss, stories of hope, and stories that you really shouldn't laugh at - but still do. Along with the storyteller.
Writer Pete Jackson is a recovering alcoholic and has spent time with Alcoholics Anonymous. It was there he found, as many people do, support from the unlikeliest group of disparate souls, all banded together due to one common bond. As well as offering the support he needed throughout a difficult time, AA also offered a weekly, sometimes daily, dose of hilarity, upset, heartbreak and friendship.
Director: Ben Worsfield
A Lucky Giant production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2015.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b0511sw0)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster.
THURSDAY 05 FEBRUARY 2015
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b050xgpj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b0510b6s)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b050xgpl)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b050xgpn)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b050xgpq)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b050xgps)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b051qvl6)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Reverend Clair Jaquiss.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b0511tlx)
Irish Dairy Technology Centre; Farm Suicides; Sheep Footrot
The Irish Government is investing more than 25 million euros in the country's dairy industry. With the imminent abolition of European milk quotas -which limit the amount of milk a country can produce- it's expected there will be more milk on the market and the Irish government says it's vital to invest in the sector to remain competitive. Dairy products make up about 30% of Ireland's exports. The money, along with some investment from industry will go to two dairy research and innovation centres. We hear from Dr Mary Shire at the University of Limerick.
Today, 5th February, is designated 'Time to Talk' day, an opportunity to openly address mental health issues. Farming has just about the highest incidence of suicide of all the occupational groups. In 2013 - the last full year for official figures - 43 farmers committed suicide and that number has been increasing since 2009. Peter Riley of the Farming Community Network explains why farmers appear to be such a high risk group.
This week Farming Today is looking at the prospects for the sheep industry in 2015, as lambing starts to get underway. Researchers at Warwick University believe they may have cracked one of the most troublesome problems known to sheep, and sheep farmers: foot rot. The researchers estimate that at any one time more than a million sheep in the UK are lame from foot rot, but they found during their fifteen year project that the traditional treatment for the problem made things worse. We hear from the Head of Life Sciences at Warwick University, Professor Laura Green.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Mark Smalley.
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04t0v9m)
Magnificent Frigatebird
Michael Palin presents the magnificent frigatebird a true oceanic bird, and resembling a hook-billed, pterodactyl of a seabird.
Magnificent frigatebirds are some of the most accomplished aeronauts of the tropical oceans. Their huge wingspans of over two metres and long forked tails allow them to soar effortlessly and pluck flying fish from the air, and also harass seabirds. These acts of piracy earned them the name Man-o' War birds and attracted the attention of Christopher Columbus.
Magnifcent Frigatebirds breed on islands in the Caribbean, and along the tropical Pacific and Atlantic coasts of central and South America as well as on the Galapagos Islands. Frigatebird courtship is an extravagant affair. The males gather in "clubs" , perching on low trees or bushes.
Here they inflate their red throat-pouches into huge scarlet balloons, calling and clattering their bills together as they try to lure down a female flying overhead. If they're successful, they will sire a single chick which is looked after by both parents for three months and by its mother only for up to 14 months, the longest period of parental care by any bird.
THU 06:00 Today (b0511tlz)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (b0511tm1)
Ashoka the Great
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Indian Emperor Ashoka. Active in the 3rd century BC, Ashoka conquered almost all of the landmass covered by modern-day India, creating the largest empire South Asia had ever known. After his campaign of conquest he converted to Buddhism, and spread the religion throughout his domain. His edicts were inscribed on the sides of an extraordinary collection of stone pillars spread far and wide across his empire, many of which survive today. Our knowledge of ancient India and its chronology, and how this aligns with the history of Europe, is largely dependent on this important set of inscriptions, which were deciphered only in the nineteenth century.
With:
Jessica Frazier
Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Kent and a Research Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies
Naomi Appleton
Chancellor's Fellow in Religious Studies at the University of Edinburgh
Richard Gombrich
Founder and Academic Director of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies and Emeritus Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Oxford
Producer: Thomas Morris.
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b0511tm3)
Young Eliot
Episode 4
Time spent in Bosham. Then in London, Tom becomes a bank employee. Then lines for The Waste Land begin to take shape.
A fresh biography of TS Eliot by Robert Crawford, abridged by Katrin Williams, published to mark 50 years since the poet's death:
Readers: Tom Mannion and David Acton
Producer Duncan Minshull
First heard on BBC Radio 4 in February 2015.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b0511v9r)
Sterilisation in Your Twenties
Is Jobseeker's Allowance helping women back into work? Amanda Ariss, Chief Executive of the Equality and Diversity Forum who chaired an inquiry into the impact of changes in welfare benefits on women discusses its findings.
From the Woman's Hour archive collection, Eartha Kitt on her life and music.
Sterilisation in your 20s - Should a woman in her twenties be given a sterilisation on the NHS if she has decided that she never wants children? Susanna Starling, a mum of one says that sterilisation in your 20s should be discouraged. Holly Brockwell aged 29 has been refused sterilisation four times. Helen Kara, now aged 50, was sterilised aged 30 and has never regretted it.
What Plaid Cymru is doing to get more women elected on May 7th.
Joanne Mjadzelics, ex-lover of convicted paedophile Ian Watkins talks about meeting the Lostprophets singer and how she tried to bring him to justice.
Presenter: Jenni Murray
Producer: Rebecca Myatt.
THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b0511v9t)
Beatrice Colin - The Ice Wife
Episode 4
by Beatrice Colin
Filmmaker Jen is in the Antarctic as part of the skeleton team keeping the British base running over winter. Winter seems to last forever and for days the team is trapped inside by a huge storm. And then they make a shocking discovery.
Jen ….. Claire Rushbrook
Tallis ….. Steven Cree
Kate ….. Pippa Bennett-Warner
Chris ….. Ian Conningham
Bob ….. Sam Dale
Producer/director Gaynor Macfarlane
THU 11:00 From Our Own Correspondent (b0511v9w)
Into the Line of Fire
Around the world in 28-minutes. Residents of eastern Ukraine fear the war raging around them is set to intensify. A life in hiding -- how the husband of a Pakistani woman accused of committing blasphemy fears for his life and wants the international community to intervene. We visit the heart of the Tata empire in India and, in the wake of the release from an Egyptian prison of the former BBC-correspondent Peter Greste, examine allegations that the justice system there is unfair, unjust and heavy-handed. And in the Malian capital Bamako, some are concerned about what's going to happen to some thousand-year-old manuscripts. Others, however, seem more concerned about the football.
THU 11:30 Virtual Stars (b04vdnc3)
Hardeep Singh Kohli discovers and explores diverse characters from the UK who have escaped mainstream celebrity, but who connect with millions of people across the globe as professional video bloggers and teachers.
YouTube and its associated personalities are a cultural phenomenon of growing significance. The 'personalities' are the people or groups who have come to prominence through their videos on the website. Their associated online pages and channels have massive hit rates and subscriptions into the millions. The videos range from personal video diaries, through entertainment parodies, to tutorials of all types.
The 'virtual stars' reflect a diverse range of online consumers - from young teenagers to the older generation.
Hardeep sets out to find out what it is that brings people to their sites - content, character or something else? He asks what it is that makes these people so successful in their domains, the effects of this and the monetary implications.
Can Hardeep be convinced that this is a new alternative road to celebrity, fame and public exposure?
Produced by Paul Thomas
A Three Street Media production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:00 News Summary (b050xgpy)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 Home Front (b05126yz)
5 February 1915 - Cressida Marshall
It's six weeks since the birth of her third baby, and Cressida is ready to get back in the saddle.
Written by Shaun McKenna
Directed by Lucy Collingwood
Sound: Martha Littlehailes
Editor: Jessica Dromgoole
THU 12:15 You and Yours (b05126z1)
Agency Work; Cavity Walls; Technology in Relationships
Consumer news, investigating the growing world of temporary and agency work.
THU 13:00 World at One (b052qtn1)
Analysis of current affairs reports, presented by Edward Stourton.
THU 13:45 Picture Power (b05126z5)
Series 2
The Flooding of the Somerset Levels
Reporter Miles Warde meets two photographers who covered the relentless flooding of the Somerset Levels. Adam Gray and Jon Rowley describe in detail what was required, and you'll hear from a man photographed in his flooded front living room. What did he make of the endless media interest in the drama of the floods ?
The producer is Miles Warde.
THU 14:00 The Archers (b0510ftn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b0460szp)
Men Who Sleep in Cars
Men Who Sleep in Cars by Michael Symmons Roberts
Three man whose lives have been turned upside down by the recession sleep in their cars, caught in an economic trap.
On one night in the week preceding England's first World Cup fixture , Marley, Antonio and McCulloch spend the night in their cars on the streets of Manchester having lost all their economic and social power . They hide away in disused car parks or in industrial estates, trying to snatch sleep . They listen to the radio for company, hearing the build up to the World Cup where some of the most powerful men in the world of sport compete on the world stage .
As they play develops we gradually learn how these three came to sleep in their cars, and how their lives interconnect. There's an excitement, a freedom even, to living alone out in the world like this, the moments of peace - rain on the car's roof.
Produced in Salford by Susan Roberts.
THU 15:00 Open Country (b05126z9)
Shetland
Shetland is the most northerly part of the UK. The archipelago of islands is home to 23,000 people, who are nearer to Norway than they are to Edinburgh. Helen Mark travels to Lerwick to visit the annual Up Helly Aa fire festival, during which a thousand torches are set alight, and which culminates in the burning of a replica Viking longboat. She also finds out about the wildlife and archaeology of the islands, and visits Scalloway to learn about the "Shetland Bus" - a secret WW2 operation which used undercover fishing boats to send supplies and munitions to the Resistance in Nazi-occupied Norway.
Presented by Helen Mark and produced by Emma Campbell.
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b050y8v2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Bookclub (b050z2vc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:00 The Film Programme (b05126zc)
Ava DuVernay on Selma; Eddie Marsan on Still Life; S&M in the Cinema
With Francine Stock.
Selma recounts the life of Martin Luther King for the first time on the big screen. Its director Ava DuVernay tells Francine what she thinks of the controversy in the United States about the film's portrayal of President Lyndon B Johnson, which some critics say is unfair and unbalanced.
Actor Eddie Marsan talks about the research he undertook for Still Life, in which he plays a funeral officer who has to track down the relatives of people who have died alone. And he reveals why he's refused every offer to play an East End gangster.
February is the month of S + M in the cinema, with 50 Shades Of Grey and The Duke Of Burgundy being released within weeks of each other. The Film Programme takes a strict look at the subject with director Peter Strickland.
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (b05126zf)
Goshawk, Cosmic Renaissance, Carl Djerassi and Charles Townes
As Helen MacDonald's "H is for Hawk" secures 2014's Book of the Year at the Costa Awards, a paper appears describing the hunting tactics of the Northern Goshawk, quite literally, from a birds' eye view. Suzanne Amador Kane of Haverford College in the US describes her work analyzing footage from tiny cameras mounted on the head of the predatory raptor.
The Planck Consortium releases yet more findings from the very beginning of the universe. A new age for the very first stars confirms our best models of the universe. But analysis of the dust in our own galaxy edges out the possibility that last year's BICEP2 announcement did in fact represent evidence of inflation and the first observed primordial gravitational waves.
And in the last two weeks, two giants of the twentieth century passed away. Science writer Philip Ball shares his thoughts on the lives of Carl Djerassi, father (he preferred mother) of the contraceptive pill, and Charles Townes, known as father of the Laser.
Producer Alex Mansfield.
THU 17:00 PM (b052qtpr)
PM at
5pm- Eddie Mair with interviews, context and analysis.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b050xgq4)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 Britain Versus the World (b04v992d)
Series 1
Episode 1
Comedy panel show which pits two British comedians against a team of comics from overseas to find out which side is superior.
Joining the British captain, Hal Cruttenden, is Scottish comedian Susan Calman while the captain of the Rest of the World - Henning Wehn - is teamed with Malawian stand-up Daliso Chaponda.
The contest is overseen by Irishman Ed Byrne who does his very best to stay impartial.
Programme Associate: Bill Matthews
Devised and produced by Ashley Blaker.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2014.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b05126zm)
Brian's sympathetic to Lilian but the idea of her moving in fills him with dread, what with Kate and Phoebe there already. Brian sounds off to Robert and Jim, mentioning that Jennifer will be interviewed on Radio Borsetshire about her SAVE blog. Jim wonders what Lynda will make of that.
Johnny's surprised and delighted to have passed his GCSE Maths and English retakes. He tells Neil as they work in the rain. Tom comes to help and there's clearly a bit of tension from Neil, who can't help making his feelings clear about Tom's choice of location for the pigs - Tom seemed to have his mind made up.
Brian helps Lilian pack her things. She is emotional but determined not to let Matt defeat her. Brian's aghast at the amount of clothing Lilian has to pack, but weakly tells Lilian she must make herself at home.
Jim and Robert enjoy some bird spotting. They realize they have the same book - Bird of Borsetshire - with a check list at the back. Following a minor difference of opinion about getting 'expert' help (Jim has a phone app and Robert relied on Patrick Hennessy for a particular spot), they agree to keep each other informed of their own progress. Accepting this subtle challenge, the two men agree it's just a bit of fun.
THU 19:15 Front Row (b05126zp)
Alfred Molina, Rona Munro, Bookshops Turned Publishers
British actor Alfred Molina discusses his new film Love is Strange, a mainstream Hollywood portrayal of a relationship between an elderly gay couple in New York.
Playwright Rona Munro was compared to Shakespeare when her Scottish history trilogy The James Plays were performed. For her latest play, Scuttlers, she's moved from 15th century Scotland to 19th century Manchester. She talks to Kirsty Lang about finding stories for today in stories of the past.
Henry Layte, who runs The Book Hive in Norwich, and Nic Bottomley, who runs Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath, discuss why they've both made the decision to set up as publishers from their shops.
And Ben Brantley, chief theatre critic for the New York Times, on the phenomenon of British plays transferring from London's West End to Broadway, including Wolf Hall and King Charles III.
Presenter: Kirsty Lang
Producer: Olivia Skinner.
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b0511v9t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 Law in Action (b0510802)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Tuesday]
THU 20:30 The Bottom Line (b05126zr)
Trading Places
Naked bath bombs, in-store coffee shops and customer satisfaction charts: Evan Davis and guests discuss some of the secrets to retailing success. Each of them runs of a chain of stores but with hundreds, even thousands of outlets both here and abroad, how do they maintain their brand identity? And what persuades customers to buy their products ahead of their rivals'?
Guests:
Mark Constantine, Founder and Managing Director, Lush cosmetics
Debbie Robinson, Managing Director, Spar UK
Robert Forrester, Founder and CEO, Vertu Motors plc.
THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (b05126zf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (b0511tm1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b05126zt)
Kerry, Obama to make decision "soon" on whether to arm Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine's president says new Western plan for ending conflict in east of country gives hope of a ceasefire.
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b05126zw)
The Illuminations
Episode 4
by Andrew O'Hagan.
Anne's obsession with her ceramic rabbit has been noticed at the sheltered housing complex.
Andrew O'Hagan's novel follows 82-year old Anne Quirk, a forgotten pioneer of documentary photography who lives in sheltered housing on the west coast of Scotland. A planned retrospective of her work stirs long-buried memories and leads her grandson to uncover the tragedy in her past which has defined three generations.
Abridged by Sian Preece
Reader: Maureen Beattie
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie.
THU 23:00 Brian Gulliver's Travels (b01lz1cj)
Series 2
Chamanoa
Brian Gulliver, a seasoned presenter of travel documentaries, finds himself in a hospital's secure unit after claiming to have experienced a succession of bizarre adventures.
More memories as Brian relives his experiences in Chamanoa, a land where naturites battle nurturites, where genetics is pitted against education.
Neil Pearson stars in series two of Bill Dare's satirical adventure story about a man lost in a fictional world.
Brian Gulliver/ Thake ..... Neil Pearson
Rachel Gulliver..... Mariah Gale
Kath & Hendl ..... Lisa Dillon
Bordle ..... Toby Longworth
Violinist ..... Amy Butterworth
Producer: Steven Canny
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra in June 2012.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b05126zy)
Labour demands the energy regulator, OFGEM, be given the power to force a cut in energy prices.
But the Energy Secretary insists the coalition has improved competition in the industry and that is the best way forward.
Peers defeat the Government insisting decriminalisation of non-payment of the TV licence fee should not happen before 2017.
There is a call in the Commons for more funding for family doctors to ease pressure on hospitals.
The House of Lords hears concerns that strained relations with Russia could lead to a new "Cold War".
And MPs say action is needed to make it easier for people to register to vote.
FRIDAY 06 FEBRUARY 2015
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b050xgrj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b0511tm3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b050xgrl)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b050xgrn)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b050xgrq)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b050xgrs)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b051qywy)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Reverend Clair Jaquiss.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b0512h69)
Scottish Dairy, Upland Lambing, Bird Flu Research
The Scottish government has announced plans to launch a new brand which will promote dairy products from Scotland, especially in export markets. Meanwhile, there's further bad news for farmers who supply Muller Wiseman, with the announcement of a further cut to the price they'll get for their milk as from March.
Research done at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam has confirmed what was suspected back in November: that the strain of bird flu found at a duck farm in Yorkshire last November may have been carried around the world by migratory birds. Scientists are particularly concerned about the type, known as H5N8, because it is more severe than other outbreaks, such as the one this week in chickens at a farm in Hampshire.
As Farming Today continues its week-long look at lambing, we meet a farmer whose sheep don't lamb until May, and do so nearly three thousand feet up in the hills.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Emma Campbell.
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04t0t2k)
Black-nest Swiftlet
Michael Palin presents the black-nest swiftlet deep inside an Indonesian cavern. The Black-nest swiftlet landing on the cave wall, begins work on one of the most expensive and sought- after items connected with any bird; its nest.
The swiftlet's tiny bowl -shaped nest is highly-prized as the main ingredient for bird's nest soup and is built by the male from strands of his saliva which harden into a clear substance which also anchors the nest to the vertiginous walls. Black-nest swiftlets are so-called because they add dark-coloured feathers to their saliva which are then incorporated into their nests.
The nests fuel expensive appetites. A kilo of nests can fetch 2500 US dollars and worldwide the industry is worth some 5 billion US dollars a year. Today in many places in South-east Asia artificial concrete "apartment blocks" act as surrogate homes for the Black-nest swiftlets. The birds are lured in by recordings of their calls, and once they've begun nesting, the buildings are guarded as if they contained gold bullion.
FRI 06:00 Today (b0512h6f)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b050yh93)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b0512h6h)
Young Eliot
Episode 5
Tom still works in the bank, but his verse is published by Virginia Woolf and he dines with James Joyce in Paris. Then comes The Waste Land..
A fresh biography of TS Eliot by Robert Crawford, abridged by Katrin Williams, published to mark 50 years since the poet's death:
Concluded by Tom Mannion and David Acton.
Producer: Duncan Minshull
First heard on BBC Radio 4 in February 2015.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b0512h6m)
FGM; 'Ask Her More'; Holidays Without Children; Author Katharine Norbury
Women and girls at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) must be better protected, so say the Government who have just announced a number of new measures aimed at bringing an end to the practice in the UK.
On the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation Jenni speaks to Crime Prevention minister Lynne Featherstone, FGM survivor Nimco Ali and to the head teacher of Walworth Academy, Yvonne Powell, who last year held the Girl Summit to end FGM.
It's awards season so cue magazine and TV coverage of actresses parading in expensive frocks. The #AskHerMore campaign is a feminist project encouraging journalists to engage with famous women in a way that is more than just "who are you wearing?" or "what's your diet plan?" Just ahead of the Bafta awards Jenni asks Edith Bowman, who will be on the red carpet for BBC Three's Bafta coverage, about the #askhermore red carpet revolution.
Is it ever ok to go on holiday without your children? Jenni discusses with journalist Siobhan McNally and LBC presenter Beverley Turner.
And Jenni speaks to the author Katharine Norbury about her book 'The Fish Ladder' - a story told through a landscape of two searches: the first, to trace a river from the sea to its source, the second, to find her birth mother.
FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b0512h6p)
Beatrice Colin - The Ice Wife
Episode 5
by Beatrice Colin
Filmmaker Jen is working in the Antarctic as part of the skeleton team keeping the British base running over winter. Jen comes to understand that what she found could have repercussions both for her and for the pristine environment of the Antarctic. But there is hope too.
Jen ….. Claire Rushbrook
Tallis ….. Steven Cree
Kate ….. Pippa Bennett-Warner
Chris ….. Ian Conningham
Bob ….. Sam Dale
Producer/director Gaynor Macfarlane
FRI 11:00 Tata: India's Global Giant (b0512j9b)
Dr. Zareer Masani tells the story of how the Tata Group, India's largest business concern, became Britain's biggest industrial employer and asks if it can maintain its reputation for ethical capitalism.
Originating in the 19th century with a Parsi trading family from Bombay, Tata is now a major force in steelmaking, hotels, aviation and ICT. It has recently acquired well-known British brands like Jaguar Land Rover and Tetley tea. Throughout its history, Tata has taken pride in its social conscience, with generous support for philanthropic causes - although it has also provoked criticism on occasion for its industrial and environmental record. Now, the Tata family no longer controls the companies which bear its name - and which are competing in new and tougher markets. Can Tata hold onto its historic values in a world of ruthless multinationals?
Producers: Arlen Harris and Peregrine Andrews.
FRI 11:30 Mark Steel's in Town (b03tt50t)
Series 5
Huddersfield
Mark Steel returns to Radio 4 for a fifth series of the award winning show that travels around the country, researching the history, heritage and culture of six towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness, and does a bespoke evening of comedy in each one.
As every high street slowly morphs into a replica of the next, Mark Steel's in Town celebrates the parochial, the local and the unusual. From Corby's rivalry with Kettering to the word you can't say in Portland, the show has taken in the idiosyncrasies of towns up and down the country, from Kirkwall to Penzance, from Holyhead to Bungay.
This final edition of the series comes from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, the historical home of Luddism and rugby league. From February 2014.
Written and performed by ... Mark Steel
Additional material by ... Pete Sinclair
Production co-ordinator ... Trudi Stevens
Producer ... Ed Morrish.
FRI 12:00 News Summary (b050xgrv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 Home Front (b0512j9d)
6 February 1915 - Robert Lyle
Robert Lyle never expected today to bring this many challenges.
Written by Shaun McKenna
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole
Sound: Martha Littlehailes
FRI 12:15 You and Yours (b0512j9j)
Blacklisted Mobile Phones; Care Home Fees; Ukuleles
We hear from a woman who was presented with a bill by her father's care home weeks after he died, for not giving 28 days' notice of his departure.
The mobile phone industry operates a blacklist to block lost and stolen mobile phones, but finding out anything further about it is difficult, especially for people who bought a new handset only to find - months later - that it's been blocked from ever working again.
And sales of ukuleles have soared in the UK, apparently because they're easy to play. So easy that Peter White can learn a song within minutes? WARNING: contains Peter White singing.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Joel Moors.
FRI 12:57 Weather (b050xgrz)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b052qtv8)
Analysis of current affairs reports, presented by Edward Stourton.
FRI 13:45 Picture Power (b0512j9n)
Series 2
Nick Danziger in Uganda
Reporter Miles Warde travels with Nick Danziger to Gulu in northern Uganda to find three orphan sisters Nick first photographed a decade ago. The trip is part of a massive project about how people's lives are changing in eight of the poorest countries in the world.
"In 2005 one of my abiding memories of being here in Gulu was looking down this road and seeing a river of children, nothing but children, walking as fast as they could towards the night shelter, so that they would reach safety before nightfall, and not be taken by the Lord's Resistance army, who were abducting children in all of the surrounding villages here."
Find out how the sisters' lives have changed since those dramatic days.
The producer is Miles Warde.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b05126zm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b0512jgm)
Laura Lomas - Fragments
Meteorites are more frequent than we might imagine, but few of them ever make it to Earth. They travel towards us at 40,000 mph and burn up the closer they get. Fragments of matter splinter and explode as they disintegrate.
Occasionally these powerful celestial events collide with everyday life.
In this original drama by Laura Lomas, four unconnected people are heading to the North East Yorkshire coast on the day of a forecast meteorite explosion. Katarzyna has just found out her bank account has been emptied, so she cannot bring her younger sister over from Poland. Jamie is just out of prison and paralysed by fear at the thought of clearing out his dead mother's house. Michael is driving back to the spot where he and his now-deceased daughter enjoyed summer holiday. Aaron, 15 years old, believes his absent father will meet him to witness the meteorite.
Fragments is a sharp, warm contemporary drama, mixing ordinary struggles with the theatre of interstellar space.
Recorded on location in North Yorkshire.
Michael....................................David Crellin
Katarzyna.................................Hara Yannas
Aaron....................................Ian Weichardt
Jamie....................................Mark Holgate
Suzanne/Becky.....................Ursula Holden Gill
Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore
Producer: Polly Thomas
Executive Producer: Joby Waldman
A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in February 2015.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b0512lmt)
West Scotland
Eric Robson chairs the programme from West Scotland. Bob Flowerdew, Bunny Guinness and Matthew Wilson join him to answer questions from the audience.
Bob Flowerdew visits Victoria Park's fossilised forest, and Pippa Greenwood and James Wong are out in the garden for some Topical Tips.
Produced by Howard Shannon
Assistant Producer: Hannah Newton
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 15:45 Shorts (b0512lmw)
Scottish Shorts
Spring, by Kirstin Zhang
SHORTS: Scottish Shorts is one of a returning series of short readings featuring new writing from first time or emerging writers.
A family struggle with hardship in Imperial Japan. Claire Knight reads a tale of war seen through the hopeful eyes of a child.
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie.
Kirstin Zhang was raised in Papua New Guinea and studied in Glasgow, London and Tokyo, where she worked as an extra in commercials. She is working on a collection of stories set in Japan in the final year of the Pacific War.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b0512lmy)
Colleen McCullough, Richard von Weizsaecker, Carl Djerassi, Geraldine McEwan and Lotte Hass
Matthew Bannister on
Colleen McCullough, the Australian writer of the bestseller The Thorn Birds who spent her later life on a Pacific island.
Richard von Weizsaecker, President of Germany at re-unification, who gave a highly significant speech about the country's attitude to its troubled 20th Century history.
Carl Djerassi, the chemist who was known as the father of the contraceptive pill.
The actress Geraldine McEwan, who had a distinguished stage career and played Miss Marple on TV.
And the diver Lotte Hass who worked alongside her husband to pioneer underwater films which enchanted TV viewers in the 1950s.
FRI 16:30 More or Less (b0512ln0)
Is Strenuous Jogging Bad for You?
Tim Harford asks whether claims that keen runners might be damaging their health are really true? Joggers will find comfort from an NHS Behind the Headlines analysis of the numbers by Alissia White of consulting firm Bazian.
Has the new tuition fees regime saved money? Newsnight's Chris Cook talks Tim through the numbers.
Is infidelity among cruise ship passengers rife?
How many political seats are genuinely safe? David Cowling, editor of BBC Political Research, looks at the numbers.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Ruth Alexander.
FRI 16:55 The Listening Project (b0512ln2)
Paddy and Mick - Swimming and Philosophy
Fi Glover introduces a conversation between men who share an interest in mindfulness and meditation, and who also brave the icy waters of Northern Ireland's lakes, rivers and seas. Another chat in the series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
FRI 17:00 PM (b052qtvb)
PM at
5pm- Carolyn Quinn with interviews, context and analysis.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b050xgs9)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The Now Show (b0512ln6)
Series 45
Episode 5
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis present the week via topical stand-up and sketches featuring Mitch Benn, Pippa Evans, Jon Holmes and Aditi Mittal.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b0512ln8)
David's all geared up for the last lambing at Brookfield. Eddie's going to miss working for David and Ruth. Ruth tries to keep things positive. BL might give Eddie some work. But Eddie envisages all sorts of new developments that will leave him doing no more than mowing Justin's lawn. Eddie apologises for being a misery.
Ruth mentions that Ed's coming over for some advice. Eddie wonders whether Ed's planning to expand his business.
Jennifer and Jill go through archives of the Borchester Echo. They discover an article from 23 December 23 1937, which features Dan Archer and his milk round, delivering to the cottage hospital.
David and Ruth discuss the rumours circulating about the future of Brookfield. Bert and Freda are worried about losing their bungalow. David's keen to speak to Justin for them.
Jill shares her find with David and Ruth. They discuss the 'open-air dairy' that Dan apparently ran.
Ruth and David listen to Ed but sadly feel rather powerless to help. Ed tells Eddie he has decided to get out of dairy. With luck he can afford to buy himself a tractor and make a go of contracting work. Knowing how difficult it is to compete with big operations like Berrow Farm, Eddie gives Ed credit for trying. But Ed ruefully says he tried hard and failed hard.
FRI 19:15 Front Row (b0512lnb)
Seth Rogen's The Interview, Blake Morrison, Marie NDiaye
John Wilson on Seth Rogen's The Interview, the film which recently caused a major international incident when the US accused North Korea of cyber-terrorism.
Blake Morrison returns with his first collection of poetry in almost 30 years. Shingle Street evokes the landscape of Suffolk.
50 years since the publication of Jennie Lee's 1965 White Paper, A Policy for the Arts, politician and Lee biographer Baroness Hollis discusses the huge impact this document had on the arts in Britain.
And as Marie NDiaye's novel Three Strong Women is dramatized as part of Radio 4's Reading Europe, Damian Barr talks to the best-selling French author.
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b0512h6p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b0512lnd)
Scott Fletcher, Lisa Nandy MP, Molly Scott Cato MEP, Grant Shapps MP
Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from Cheadle Hulme High School in Cheshire with Manchester based businessman Scott Fletcher, Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Lisa Nandy MP, the Green MEP for the South West Molly Scott Cato, and chairman of the Conservative Party, Grant Shapps MP.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b0512lng)
Having Children
Will Self reflects on the growing and vexed divide between people with and without children. "The real indication that we don't know what value parenting currently has is that to either valorise or demonise this state of being seems as ridiculous (if not offensive) as doing the same in respect of childlessness".
Producer: Sheila Cook.
FRI 21:00 Home Front - Omnibus (b0512lnj)
2-6 February 1915 (Season 3 start)
Epic drama series set in Great War Britain exactly a hundred years before it was first broadcast, in this first omnibus edition of Season 3 the focus shifts to industrial Tynemouth, experiencing a quite different war from that felt in Folkestone.
Written by Shaun McKenna
Consultant Historian: Professor Maggie Andrews
Music: Matthew Strachan
Sound: Martha Littlehailes
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b050xgsc)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b0512lnl)
Iran Special - Life Under Sanctions
A special edition of the World Tonight presented by the BBC's Middle East Editor, Jeremy Bowen.
We'll be taking a virtual tour of Tehran - meeting the Rich Kids of the North -- as well as the those struggling in the poorer South.
And we'll be discussing what the future for Iran is, if nuclear talks fail.
FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b0512lnn)
The Illuminations
Episode 5
by Andrew O'Hagan
Luke has a sense of foreboding as the soldiers leave the convoy to go sightseeing in Kandahar, while Anne's artistic achievements are about to be recognised.
Andrew O'Hagan's novel follows 82-year old Anne Quirk, a forgotten pioneer of documentary photography who lives in sheltered housing on the west coast of Scotland. A planned retrospective stirs long-buried memories and leads her grandson to uncover the tragedy in her past which has defined three generations.
Abridged by Sian Preece
Reader: Maureen Beattie
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie.
FRI 23:00 A Good Read (b05108gw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b0512lnq)
Mark D'Arcy reports from Westminster.
FRI 23:55 The Listening Project (b0512lns)
Charlotte and Lyndie - Puppets and People
Fi Glover with a conversation between a founder and a former manager of the Little Angel puppet theatre in Islington, about puppetry and how it can influence life and art. Another chat from the series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)
15 Minute Drama
10:45 MON (b050zpwr)
15 Minute Drama
19:45 MON (b050zpwr)
15 Minute Drama
10:45 TUE (b05102tc)
15 Minute Drama
19:45 TUE (b05102tc)
15 Minute Drama
10:40 WED (b0510b6x)
15 Minute Drama
19:45 WED (b0510b6x)
15 Minute Drama
10:45 THU (b0511v9t)
15 Minute Drama
19:45 THU (b0511v9t)
15 Minute Drama
10:45 FRI (b0512h6p)
15 Minute Drama
19:45 FRI (b0512h6p)
A Good Read
16:30 TUE (b05108gw)
A Good Read
23:00 FRI (b05108gw)
A Modern Magna Carta
20:00 MON (b050zy47)
A Point of View
08:48 SUN (b050c5kj)
A Point of View
20:50 FRI (b0512lng)
Alun Cochrane's Fun House
11:30 WED (b01rr555)
Analysis
21:30 SUN (b050674y)
Analysis
20:30 MON (b050zy49)
Anne Frank's Trees: Keeping the Memory Alive
21:00 MON (b05077kb)
Any Answers?
14:00 SAT (b050rz32)
Any Questions?
13:10 SAT (b050c5kg)
Any Questions?
20:00 FRI (b0512lnd)
Archive on 4
20:00 SAT (b050sbzw)
Are You Inexperienced?
00:30 SUN (b01jhnzq)
BBC Inside Science
16:30 THU (b05126zf)
BBC Inside Science
21:00 THU (b05126zf)
Bells on Sunday
05:43 SUN (b050xq1h)
Bells on Sunday
00:45 MON (b050xq1h)
Book at Bedtime
22:45 MON (b050zy4f)
Book at Bedtime
22:45 TUE (b05108hg)
Book at Bedtime
22:45 WED (b0510gw1)
Book at Bedtime
22:45 THU (b05126zw)
Book at Bedtime
22:45 FRI (b0512lnn)
Book of the Week
00:30 SAT (b050bwpf)
Book of the Week
09:45 MON (b050zkrs)
Book of the Week
00:30 TUE (b050zkrs)
Book of the Week
09:45 TUE (b05102t7)
Book of the Week
00:30 WED (b05102t7)
Book of the Week
09:45 WED (b0510b6s)
Book of the Week
00:30 THU (b0510b6s)
Book of the Week
09:45 THU (b0511tm3)
Book of the Week
00:30 FRI (b0511tm3)
Book of the Week
09:45 FRI (b0512h6h)
Bookclub
16:00 SUN (b050z2vc)
Bookclub
15:30 THU (b050z2vc)
Brain of Britain
23:00 SAT (b0505zwq)
Brain of Britain
15:00 MON (b050zy3s)
Brian Gulliver's Travels
23:00 THU (b01lz1cj)
Britain Versus the World
18:30 THU (b04v992d)
Broadcasting House
09:00 SUN (b050y8v6)
Clinging On: The Decline of the Middle Classes
20:00 TUE (b05108h6)
David Baddiel Tries to Understand
05:45 SUN (b050bk90)
Desert Island Discs
11:15 SUN (b050yh93)
Desert Island Discs
09:00 FRI (b050yh93)
Drama
15:00 SUN (b050z2v9)
Drama
14:15 MON (b04fyz5b)
Drama
14:15 TUE (b03y0l94)
Drama
14:15 WED (b0510db2)
Drama
14:15 THU (b0460szp)
Drama
14:15 FRI (b0512jgm)
Farming Today
06:30 SAT (b050ryyk)
Farming Today
05:45 MON (b050zkrk)
Farming Today
05:45 TUE (b05102sz)
Farming Today
05:45 WED (b0510b6l)
Farming Today
05:45 THU (b0511tlx)
Farming Today
05:45 FRI (b0512h69)
File on 4
17:00 SUN (b05077l5)
From Fact to Fiction
19:00 SAT (b050sbzn)
From Fact to Fiction
17:40 SUN (b050sbzn)
From Our Own Correspondent
11:30 SAT (b05053wy)
From Our Own Correspondent
11:00 THU (b0511v9w)
Front Row
19:15 MON (b050zy45)
Front Row
19:15 TUE (b05108h4)
Front Row
19:15 WED (b0510ftq)
Front Row
19:15 THU (b05126zp)
Front Row
19:15 FRI (b0512lnb)
Gardeners' Question Time
14:00 SUN (b050c1rt)
Gardeners' Question Time
15:00 FRI (b0512lmt)
Gloomsbury
19:15 SUN (b01n1vlc)
Gone to Earth
21:00 WED (b0499dl1)
Hibernian Homicide: New Irish Crime Stories
19:45 SUN (b050z2vm)
Home Front - Omnibus
21:00 FRI (b0512lnj)
Home Front
12:04 MON (b050zy3g)
Home Front
12:04 TUE (b05107zm)
Home Front
12:04 WED (b0510d9w)
Home Front
12:04 THU (b05126yz)
Home Front
12:04 FRI (b0512j9d)
I've Never Seen Star Wars
18:30 TUE (b05108h0)
In Our Time
09:00 THU (b0511tm1)
In Our Time
21:30 THU (b0511tm1)
In Touch
20:40 TUE (b05108h8)
Inside Health
21:00 TUE (b05108hb)
Irish Micks and Legends
23:00 WED (b0511svw)
JD Salinger's Spiritual Quest
10:30 SAT (b050rz2r)
Last Word
20:30 SUN (b050c4sg)
Last Word
16:00 FRI (b0512lmy)
Law in Action
16:00 TUE (b0510802)
Law in Action
20:00 THU (b0510802)
Living World
06:35 SUN (b050xwh1)
Loose Ends
18:15 SAT (b050sbzh)
Love in Recovery
23:15 WED (b0511svy)
Making History
15:00 TUE (b05107zy)
Marc Riley's Musical Time Machine
11:30 TUE (b05107zk)
Mark Steel's in Town
11:30 FRI (b03tt50t)
Midnight News
00:00 SAT (b05053wf)
Midnight News
00:00 SUN (b050xgfv)
Midnight News
00:00 MON (b050xgjb)
Midnight News
00:00 TUE (b050xglg)
Midnight News
00:00 WED (b050xgn6)
Midnight News
00:00 THU (b050xgpj)
Midnight News
00:00 FRI (b050xgrj)
Midweek
09:00 WED (b0510b6q)
Midweek
21:30 WED (b0510b6q)
Money Box Live
15:00 WED (b0510db4)
Money Box
12:04 SAT (b050rz2w)
Money Box
21:00 SUN (b050rz2w)
Moral Maze
20:00 WED (b0510gvv)
More or Less
20:00 SUN (b050c4sj)
More or Less
16:30 FRI (b0512ln0)
Mum and Dad and Mum
15:30 WED (b04fz6lg)
News Briefing
05:30 SAT (b05053wp)
News Briefing
05:30 SUN (b050xgg3)
News Briefing
05:30 MON (b050xgjl)
News Briefing
05:30 TUE (b050xglz)
News Briefing
05:30 WED (b050xgng)
News Briefing
05:30 THU (b050xgps)
News Briefing
05:30 FRI (b050xgrs)
News Headlines
06:00 SUN (b050xgg6)
News Summary
12:00 SAT (b05053x0)
News Summary
12:00 SUN (b050xggj)
News Summary
12:00 MON (b050xgjq)
News Summary
12:00 TUE (b050xgm3)
News Summary
12:00 WED (b050xgnj)
News Summary
12:00 THU (b050xgpy)
News Summary
12:00 FRI (b050xgrv)
News and Papers
06:00 SAT (b05053wr)
News and Papers
07:00 SUN (b050xggb)
News and Papers
08:00 SUN (b050xggg)
News and Weather
22:00 SAT (b05053xd)
News
13:00 SAT (b05053x4)
One to One
09:30 TUE (b05102t5)
Open Country
06:07 SAT (b050bfvk)
Open Country
15:00 THU (b05126z9)
Out of the Ordinary
11:00 MON (b050zpwt)
PM
17:00 SAT (b050rzd5)
PM
17:00 MON (b050zy3z)
PM
17:00 TUE (b05108gy)
PM
17:00 WED (b0510ftj)
PM
17:00 THU (b052qtpr)
PM
17:00 FRI (b052qtvb)
Pick of the Week
18:15 SUN (b050z2vh)
Picture Power
13:45 MON (b050zy3n)
Picture Power
13:45 TUE (b05107zt)
Picture Power
13:45 WED (b0510db0)
Picture Power
13:45 THU (b05126z5)
Picture Power
13:45 FRI (b0512j9n)
Poetry Please
23:30 SAT (b0505t2r)
Poetry Please
16:30 SUN (b051zy5z)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 SAT (b050c6dt)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 MON (b051qrg2)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 TUE (b051qv1v)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 WED (b051qvg5)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 THU (b051qvl6)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 FRI (b051qywy)
Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
13:30 SUN (b050yh99)
Radio 4 Appeal
07:55 SUN (b050y8v2)
Radio 4 Appeal
21:26 SUN (b050y8v2)
Radio 4 Appeal
15:27 THU (b050y8v2)
Saturday Drama
14:30 SAT (b01rtc8p)
Saturday Live
09:00 SAT (b050ryyp)
Saturday Review
19:15 SAT (b050sbzs)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 SAT (b05053wk)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 SUN (b050xgfz)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 MON (b050xgjg)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 TUE (b050xgls)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 WED (b050xgnb)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 THU (b050xgpn)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 FRI (b050xgrn)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 SAT (b05053wh)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 SAT (b05053wm)
Shipping Forecast
17:54 SAT (b05053x6)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 SUN (b050xgfx)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 SUN (b050xgg1)
Shipping Forecast
17:54 SUN (b050xggn)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 MON (b050xgjd)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 MON (b050xgjj)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 TUE (b050xglm)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 TUE (b050xglv)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 WED (b050xgn8)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 WED (b050xgnd)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 THU (b050xgpl)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 THU (b050xgpq)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 FRI (b050xgrl)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 FRI (b050xgrq)
Shorts
15:45 FRI (b0512lmw)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 SAT (b05053xb)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 SUN (b050xggv)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 MON (b050xgjz)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 TUE (b050xgm7)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 WED (b050xgnq)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 THU (b050xgq4)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 FRI (b050xgs9)
Something Understood
06:05 SUN (b050xwgz)
Something Understood
23:30 SUN (b050xwgz)
Spoilsport: Science Stops Play
11:00 TUE (b05102tf)
Start the Week
09:00 MON (b050zkrq)
Start the Week
21:30 MON (b050zkrq)
Sunday Worship
08:10 SUN (b050y8v4)
Sunday
07:10 SUN (b050xwh3)
Tales from the Ring Road
11:00 WED (b0510d9t)
Tata: India's Global Giant
11:00 FRI (b0512j9b)
The Archers Omnibus
10:00 SUN (b050yh91)
The Archers
19:00 SUN (b050z2vk)
The Archers
14:00 MON (b050z2vk)
The Archers
19:00 MON (b050zy43)
The Archers
14:00 TUE (b050zy43)
The Archers
19:00 TUE (b05108h2)
The Archers
14:00 WED (b05108h2)
The Archers
19:00 WED (b0510ftn)
The Archers
14:00 THU (b0510ftn)
The Archers
19:00 THU (b05126zm)
The Archers
14:00 FRI (b05126zm)
The Archers
19:00 FRI (b0512ln8)
The Architects
11:30 MON (b050zpxh)
The Bottom Line
17:30 SAT (b050bhvc)
The Bottom Line
20:30 THU (b05126zr)
The Film Programme
23:00 SUN (b050bfvm)
The Film Programme
16:00 THU (b05126zc)
The Food Programme
12:32 SUN (b050yh95)
The Food Programme
15:30 MON (b050yh95)
The Human Zoo
15:30 TUE (b0510800)
The Infinite Monkey Cage
16:30 MON (b050zy3x)
The Infinite Monkey Cage
23:00 TUE (b050zy3x)
The Listening Project
14:45 SUN (b050z2v7)
The Listening Project
10:55 WED (b0510b6z)
The Listening Project
16:55 FRI (b0512ln2)
The Listening Project
23:55 FRI (b0512lns)
The Media Show
16:30 WED (b0510ftg)
The Now Show
12:30 SAT (b050c4sq)
The Now Show
18:30 FRI (b0512ln6)
The Price of Inequality
09:00 TUE (b05102t3)
The Price of Inequality
21:30 TUE (b05102t3)
The Unbelievable Truth
12:04 SUN (b04yfssy)
The Unbelievable Truth
18:30 MON (b050zy41)
The Week in Westminster
11:00 SAT (b050rz2t)
The World This Weekend
13:00 SUN (b050yh97)
The World Tonight
22:00 MON (b050zy4c)
The World Tonight
22:00 TUE (b05108hd)
The World Tonight
22:00 WED (b0510gvz)
The World Tonight
22:00 THU (b05126zt)
The World Tonight
22:00 FRI (b0512lnl)
Thinking Allowed
00:15 MON (b0507lsd)
Thinking Allowed
16:00 WED (b0510db6)
Today in Parliament
23:30 MON (b050zyss)
Today in Parliament
23:30 TUE (b05108hj)
Today in Parliament
23:30 WED (b0511sw0)
Today in Parliament
23:30 THU (b05126zy)
Today in Parliament
23:30 FRI (b0512lnq)
Today
07:00 SAT (b050ryym)
Today
06:00 MON (b050zkrm)
Today
06:00 TUE (b05102t1)
Today
06:00 WED (b0510b6n)
Today
06:00 THU (b0511tlz)
Today
06:00 FRI (b0512h6f)
Tweet of the Day
08:58 SUN (b04t0t02)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 MON (b04t0v50)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 TUE (b04t0v6r)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 WED (b04t0v8k)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 THU (b04t0v9m)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 FRI (b04t0t2k)
Unreliable Evidence
22:15 SAT (b0507pmp)
Virtual Stars
11:30 THU (b04vdnc3)
War and Peace
21:00 SAT (b04w89tp)
Weather
06:04 SAT (b05053wt)
Weather
06:57 SAT (b05053ww)
Weather
12:57 SAT (b05053x2)
Weather
17:57 SAT (b05053x8)
Weather
06:57 SUN (b050xgg8)
Weather
07:57 SUN (b050xggd)
Weather
12:57 SUN (b050xggl)
Weather
17:57 SUN (b050xggq)
Weather
05:56 MON (b050xgjn)
Weather
12:57 MON (b050xgjs)
Weather
12:57 TUE (b050xgm5)
Weather
21:58 TUE (b050xgm9)
Weather
12:57 WED (b050xgnn)
Weather
12:57 FRI (b050xgrz)
Weather
21:58 FRI (b050xgsc)
Westminster Hour
22:00 SUN (b050z2vp)
What Does the K Stand For?
18:30 WED (b0510ftl)
What the Papers Say
22:45 SUN (b050z2vr)
Why I Changed My Mind
20:45 WED (b0510gvx)
With Great Pleasure
16:00 MON (b050zy3v)
Woman's Hour
16:00 SAT (b050rz5g)
Woman's Hour
10:00 MON (b050zpwp)
Woman's Hour
10:00 TUE (b05102t9)
Woman's Hour
10:00 WED (b0510b6v)
Woman's Hour
10:00 THU (b0511v9r)
Woman's Hour
10:00 FRI (b0512h6m)
Word of Mouth
23:00 MON (b05077ks)
World at One
13:00 MON (b050zy3l)
World at One
13:00 TUE (b05107zr)
World at One
13:00 WED (b0510ftd)
World at One
13:00 THU (b052qtn1)
World at One
13:00 FRI (b052qtv8)
You and Yours
12:15 MON (b050zy3j)
You and Yours
12:15 TUE (b05107zp)
You and Yours
12:15 WED (b0510d9y)
You and Yours
12:15 THU (b05126z1)
You and Yours
12:15 FRI (b0512j9j)
iPM
05:45 SAT (b050c6dw)