SATURDAY 29 OCTOBER 2022
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m001df1v)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 00:30 The Climate Book created by Greta Thunberg (m001ddw5)
Book of the Week: Ep 5 - What Next?
Today's selected essays on climate change are by Greta Thunberg, the Kenyan environmentalist and activist, Wanjira Mathai and Robin Wall Kimmerer, writer and founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment in the US. Here they explore ways to create a more hopeful future for our planet. We also Greta Thunberg, Weruche Opia and Nancy Crane read.
Greta Thunberg’s school strikes and speeches shook the world and inspired leaders and people around the world address the urgency of climate change.
Now, with The Climate Book she has created a deep understanding of how the problems we face are all interconnected and what’s at stake, by partnering with more than a hundred scientists, engineers, philosophers, journalists, activists and writers. Alongside them Greta shares her own views on what she’s learned and what’s next.
The Climate Book is a portrait of a planet on the brink of a climate catastrophe. It shows us what needs to be done so that our world can remain habitable for all of humanity for generations to come.
You can watch Amol Rajan interview Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, 18th October on BBC2.
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001df21)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001df27)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001df2f)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m001df2m)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001df2t)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, canon theologian for the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon.
Good morning. This past week, we witnessed a political second chance: Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister only a few weeks after losing that opportunity to Liz Truss.
We like to believe that second chances are either deserved or undeserved. We seem to assume that merit determines their goodness. But that’s actually not how second chances work at all.
Someone can deserve a second try and yet squander it entirely. Or someone may be entirely undeserving and yet still amaze everyone with what he or she does with their second chance. Indeed, second chances, like forgiveness, can have a far greater impact on those who don’t deserve them than on those who do, like criminals who go on from prison to dedicate themselves to their local community. Life is complicated that way. We never really know if the second chance was really deserved until we know what its consequences are.
In point of fact, we probably never live entirely up to the second chances we’re given. In that sense, we never really deserve them. This is where forgiveness comes in. Jesus repeatedly taught his followers to forgive, not because others may deserve it, but because we ourselves always stand in need of forgiveness, of a second chance. So, even when we disagree when someone else is forgiven or given a second chance, perhaps we can at least be mindful of the times when we’ve been forgiven and be thankful.
Let us pray.
God of second chances, who has commanded us to forgive even as we are forgiven, help us and others so to make use of second chances that we may give no cause for regret; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
SAT 05:45 One to One (m0017tgn)
The Beat of Change: Faranak Amidi and Dr Martha Newson
Faranak Amidi, World Service radio presenter and women's affairs reporter, talks to anthropologist Dr Martha Newson, who has studied rave, about why humans have always partied, how it can bond us, and whether rave can change society for the better.
Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m001dmjm)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.
SAT 06:07 Open Country (m001df5n)
The Plock
The Plock of Kyle is a promontory on the North West coast of Scotland, beside the Skye Bridge and close to the villages of Plockton and Kyle of Lochalsh. This old community parkland is a striking landscape with native woodland, meadows and rocky coastline, but it is an area tourists tend to just drive through to get to Skye. Helen Mark discovers how a local community trust is working on projects designed to put Plock on the map. There are plans to reconstruct a village, based on archaeological evidence of the Vikings presence in the area. Park ranger, Heather Beaton, gives Helen a tour of the Plock's newly restored meadows, ponds and nature trails. She extols the benefits of scything and gives Helen a lesson on how to improve her skills. Heather aims to hold an annual scything festival.
Helen also ventures under the Skye Bridge, to the small island of Eilean Ban, which was the final home of naturalist and writer Gavin Maxwell, author of The Ring of Bright Water. Otters are regularly spotted around the island and a small museum maintained by a local trust commemorates his life story.
Many local people still recall the heady days of protests over the cost of tolls on the impressive Skye Bridge when it opened in 1995. Helen talks to leading rebel and Highland councillor, Drew Millar, who remembers driving sheep across the new bridge in protest and spending a night in jail for non-payment. Thirty people were convicted of non-payment. After nearly a decade of dissent, the protestors finally won and the tolls were dropped. Drew says the protest shows that peaceful civil disobedience can be successful.
Produced by Kathleen Carragher
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m001dmjr)
What is at the top of the agenda for the new environment secretary Therese Coffey? She says ELMS – the Environment, Land Management schemes - are safe.
Fishing crews give their thoughts on the mass die-off of shellfish on the North East coast, and should the Red Tractor farm assurance scheme do more to prevent pollution from farms.
Faster government compensation is promised for farmers hit by bird flu, growing nuts and seeds for profit, and cultivating pumpkins for Hallowee'n, is a bit of a treat for farmers.
Presenter: Charlotte Smith
Producer: Alun Beach
Editor: Dimitri Houtart
SAT 06:57 Weather (m001dmjx)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m001dmk2)
Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m001dmk7)
Nick Grimshaw
Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Radio 1 presenter Nick Grimshaw and Bez from Happy Mondays.
They also have Dr Katriona O’Sullivan who grew up in poverty to parents who were addicted to heroin. Her journey has taken her from working as a dinner lady in the university canteen to becoming an academic. Rainbow Mbuangi plays blind football for England. Fresh from the blind football Euros, where England came third, he joins us to tell us how the game works.
SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m001dmk9)
Series 38
Coventry
Jay Rayner hosts this week's culinary panel show from Coventry. Marinating the audience with food knowledge are Shelina Permalloo, Angela Gray, Melissa Thompson, and Dr Annie Gray.
The panellists reveal their favourite “unadorned” food while things get a little heated around the question of what constitutes a humble vegetable. Whether you fancy a carrot or a Jerusalem artichoke, the recipes offered up by the team are enough to whet anyone’s appetite.
Bringing the panel together in agreement is 2-Tone Café chef Angela Knight whose speciality is Jamaican cooking. Melissa Thompson talks of the fascinating origins of pimento berries and jerk in the mountains of Jamaica, and Dr Annie Gray looks at the history of the island's cuisine in the UK.
Producer: Daniel Cocker
Assistant Producer: Bethany Hocken
Executive Producer: Louisa Field
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m001dmkc)
Isabel Hardman from The Spectator reviews a dramatic week in Westminster following Rishi Sunak's arrival in Downing Street. The former Conservative Cabinet minister Greg Clark discusses the Prime Minister's first few days in office with the Shadow Leader of the House Thangam Debbonaire. As Northern Ireland prepares for new elections to Stormont, the former DUP leader in Westminster Lord Dodds explains why his party refused to share power with Sinn Fein.
Also in this week's programme, the SNP's Brendan O’Hara and Conservative MP and former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers debate legislation to remove the legal status of all retained EU law by 2023. Not since the early 1980s have three former prime ministers sat in the House of Commons. The veteran documentary-maker Michael Cockerell, who interviewed Harold Wilson, James Callaghan and Edward Heath, joins Catherine Haddon from the Institute of Government to reflect on whether Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss's presence on the backbenches will be a help or hindrance to Rishi Sunak.
Editor: Peter Snowdon
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m001dmkf)
Ukraine's Eastern Frontline
The battle on Ukraine’s eastern frontline in Donbas has turned into a protracted artillery war, which Ukraine has described as the biggest on European soil since World War Two. Jeremy Bowen recently embedded with a Ukrainian artillery unit to meet soldiers who have engaged in months of fighting and who must now prepare for winter.
The conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region has left a population facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Although formal peace talks are currently underway in South Africa, fighting is still on-going. Catherine Byaruhanga has been speaking to health workers dealing with the fallout of this conflict.
The southern state of Georgia looks set to be a crucial battleground for Democrats and Republicans in the forthcoming mid-term elections in the United States. Kayla Epstein has been following the campaign of the high-profile Republican candidate, Herschel Walker.
Bullfighting is a centuries old tradition in Spain, and while the popularity of traditional arena bull fights seems to be dwindling, smaller, regional bull festivals are thriving. Victor Lloret travelled to LLucena del Cid to get up close to these local festivities.
French overseas territories don’t run their own domestic affairs like their British equivalents, but elect representatives to the French parliament and vote for a presidential candidate. This year, the far-right leader Marine Le Pen scored her best presidential first round result in Mayotte, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean. Tim Fenton went for a visit.
Presenter: Kate Adie
Producers: Serena Tarling and Ellie House
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m001dmvy)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m001dmkk)
Broadband and the costs of being disabled
Broadband providers have been told by the regulator Ofcom to 'think carefully' before making significant price rises. Most providers of telecoms and broadband raise their prices each spring in line with inflation plus three or four percentage points. That means some firms could put up prices by 16% next year - an extra £5 a month in some cases, and most have yet to confirm their plans.
Stories of economic turmoil and falling share prices have led many investors to wonder what they can do about their investments. Especially when they get financial statements telling them the value of their pension fund or savings have fallen sharply. We'll speak to Kirsty Stone who's an independent financial adviser at The Private Office about that.
The government has recently been encouraging claims for what is called Pension Credit - a top-up to the state pension for people aged 66 or more whose income is low. In June, the Department for Work and Pensions held its annual Pension Credit Day of Action to encourage people to claim this benefit. But has it been too successful? The Department says applications are at an all-time high but some listeners are telling us they're experiencing long delays.
And, what's it like trying to pay for energy bills when you're disabled. We'll hear from a woman with cerebral palsy who's got £5,000 of energy debt.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Sarah Rogers
Researchers: Sandra Hardial and Star McFarlane
Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast
12pm, Saturday 29th October, 2022)
SAT 12:30 The Now Show (m001ddzj)
Series 61
Episode 1
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis present the week via topical stand-up and sketches. They're joined by Cally Beaton, Emmanuel Sonubi and Christy Coysh.
Cally takes inspiration from primates, Emmanuel fights his news addiction and Christy delivers a ballad to a national icon.
The show was written by the cast with additional material from Catherine Brinkworth, Alex Kealy, Peter Tellouche and Jade Gebbie.
Voice actors: Gemma Arrowsmith and Ed Jones
Sound: Marc Willcox & Gary Newman
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Producer: Rajiv Karia
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
A BBC Studios Production
SAT 12:57 Weather (m001dmkm)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m001dmkp)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m001df0v)
Dame Angela Eagle MP, Helen Morgan MP, Adam Price MS, Sam Rowlands MS
Ben Wright presents political debate and discussion from FSC Rhyd-y-creuau, Betws-y-Coed, with the Labour MP Dame Angela Eagle, the Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan MP, the leader of Plaid Cymru Adam Price MS and the Conservative Local Government spokesperson in the Senedd Sam Rowlands MS.
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
Lead broadcast engineer: Phil Booth
SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m001dmkr)
Have your say on the issues discussed on Any Questions?
SAT 14:45 39 Ways to Save the Planet (m000z79l)
New Nuclear
Nuclear power should be a powerful ally in the fight against climate change but cost and safety issues hold it back. Could a new generation be safer and cheaper? Tom Heap meets the team behind the molten salt reactor that can use nuclear waste as fuel and is claimed to be significantly cheaper and safer than current reactors.
Ian Scott was a senior scientist at Unilever, pioneering research into skin-ageing, but when he retired from the field of biological sciences he became fascinated by the costs of nuclear power. Why had nuclear electricity- which we'd once been promised would be 'too cheap to meter'- become one of the most expensive forms of energy generation. The answer lay with the safety mechanisms that have to be built-in to reduce the risk of another Chernobyl or Fukushima. If he could develop a system that would be much safer then it would, almost certainly, be much cheaper.
Scott's central idea- to use molten salt as a coolant rather than water- caught the eye of energy authorities in Canada and Ian's company, Moltex, has plans to build its first reactor in New Brunswick. Significant safety concerns remain, with some in Canada concerned about Moltex plans to use spent fuel from conventional reactors and others raising fundamental issues about the corrosive qualities of molten salt and the generation of radioactive tritium
Tom visits the Moltex laboratories and climate scientist, Tamsin Edwards, gauges the potential impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
Producer: Alasdair Cross
Researcher: Sarah Goodman
Produced in association with the Royal Geographical Society. Special thanks for this episode to Professor Ian Farnan and Dr Eugene Shwageraus from the University of Cambridge.
SAT 15:00 The Tomb (m001dmkv)
Episode 2
Following the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, pressure builds for lead archaeologist Howard Carter and his assistant Shafiq Tadros. Chief funder Lord Carnarvon’s deal with The Times of London for exclusive media coverage causes resentment among other news organisations in Egypt and beyond.
The British team controlling the excavation come under increasing pressure from the Department of Antiquities. When Carnarvon contracts a mysterious illness, rumours of a curse abound.
In November 1922, the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb became the biggest news story in the world. Virtually untouched for over 3,000 years, the tomb contained priceless artefacts including a solid gold coffin, thrones, archery bows, trumpets and fresh linen underwear. Egypt, newly liberated from British rule, hailed the discovery of Tutankhamun as a symbol of its glorious rebirth as an independent nation. Who should control the terms of the dig, and who should keep the treasure?
Original drama based on true events. Written by Sebastian Baczkiewicz.
Cast
Shafiq ….. Noof Ousellam
Howard Carter ..... Neil Stuke
Fahima ….. Sarah Agha
Pierre Lacau ….. Philip Arditti
Mounira ….. Helene Maksoud
Ahmed ….. Rami Nasr
Policeman ...... Liran Nathan
Doria ….. Ajjaz Awad
Evelyn ..… Isabella Inchbald
George Carnarvon .…. Tim McMullan
Boy ….. Ali Khan
Producer: Joby Waldman
Director: Steve Bond and Joby Waldman
Music and Sound Design: Sami El-Enany
Sound Recording: Steve Bond
Script Advisor: Monica Hanna
Language Consultant: Kareem Elshehawy
Production Assistant: Louis Blatherwick
Production Coordinator: Darren Spruce
Executive Producer: Jeremy Mortimer
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m001dmkx)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: Climate activist Vanessa Nakate, Rogue landlords, Deepfake porn, Goth fashion, Childcare in the UK
According to the OECD, the UK is the third most expensive country for childcare. ‘March of the Mummies’ organised by the campaign group Pregnant then Screwed are demanding for government reform. Its founder Joeli Brearley told Elaine Dunkley why.
25-year-old Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate who launched her own climate movement in 2019 protesting outside the gates of the Ugandan parliament. Now a UNICEF ambassador she joined Jess to discuss her book ‘A Bigger Picture’ and what COP27 next week.
A new BBC documentary looks at how deepfake technology is being used to create hardcore pornography of women without their consent. Presenter of the documentary Jess Davies and leading deepfake and synthetic media expert Henry Ajder joined Krupa.
In a report out this week, MPs say too many women who’ve survived domestic abuse are ending up in appalling accommodation operated by rogue landlords who exploit housing benefit loopholes to cash in on a ‘gold rush’ of taxpayers’ money. Krupa talked to Becky Rogerson, CEO of Wearside Women in Need & the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Select Committee for Housing and Communities, Clive Betts Labour MP.
Fashion librarian Katie Godman's book 'Gothic Fashion - From Barbarian to Haute Couture' traces the roots of this long-lived, popular and adaptable look. She joined Jess and listeners share their stories of when and why they went Gothic.
Flo & Joan, the multi-award-winning British musical comedy duo Nicola and Rosie Dempsey. They cover everything from women’s safety to dating apps to mental health through their witty comedy songs. Their sell-out 140-date international tour, Sweet Release, has just been extended.
Presenter: Elaine Dunkley
Producer: Surya Elango
Editor: Lucinda Montefiore
SAT 17:00 PM (m001dmkz)
Full coverage of the day's news
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m001dml1)
The Angela Rayner Deputy Leader One
Nick Robinson talks to Labour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner, about how her own experience of poverty has shaped her views on the cost of living crisis, her relationship with Labour's leader Keir Starmer and whether working class politicians need to shout louder about their roots.
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m001dml3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SAT 17:57 Weather (m001dml5)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001dml8)
Russia is suspending participation in the Black Sea grain deal after what Moscow's described as a massive drone attack on its naval fleet off Crimea.
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m001dmld)
Dawn O'Porter, Connor Allen, Ian Moore, Nikesh Patel, Eva Lazarus, Rachael Dadd, Anneka Rice, Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson and Anneka Rice are joined by writer and TV presenter, Dawn O'Porter, comedian Ian Moore, actor Nikesh Patel and Children’s Laureate of Wales, Connor Allen for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Eva Lazarus and Rachael Dadd.
SAT 19:00 Profile (m001dmlj)
Nicola Benedetti
This month, the multi-award-winning violinist has started work as the first Scottish and first female director of the Edinburgh Festival since it began in 1947. Nicola Benedetti's passion for culture also extends well beyond performing; she's used her high profile to advocate for the importance of the arts in education. Mark Coles charts Nicola Benedetti's journey from first picking up the violin at age four to overseeing one of the world’s biggest annual cultural events.
Researchers: Matt Toulson and Alice Struthers
Producers: Ben Cooper and Bob Howard
Production Co-ordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Maria Ogundele
Sound Engineer: Graham Puddifoot
Editor: Simon Watts
SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m001dmln)
Florence Pugh
Florence Pugh was Oscar and BAFTA nominated for her role as Amy March in the adaptation of Little Women. She has won huge acclaim for films including Midsommer, Lady Macbeth, and the Marvel adventure Black Widow. She also played the lead in the television adaptation of John Le Carré’s The Little Drummer Girl. More recently she’s been on the big screen in Don’t Worry Darling, and 18th century Irish drama The Wonder.
Florence tells John Wilson how her performing ambitions during a primary school nativity show in which she played Mary with a northern accent, borrowed from her Grimsby-born grandparents. She chooses, as one of her most significant creative inspirations, a woman called Linda Mace who made costumes for all the school productions, and whose store room full of period clothes fuelled Florence’s imaginations. She recalls her breakthrough role in The Falling, about a fainting phenomenon at an English girls’ school in the late 1960s, and how she was inspired by the film’s director Carol Morley. She also pays tribute to casting director Shaheen Baig who helped her secure roles in subsequent films including Lady Macbeth, and remembers working alongside Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson when she played Cordelia in a television version of King Lear.
Florence Pugh chooses the song She’s Only Happy In the Sun by the American singer songwriter Ben Harper as source of inspiration, and reflects on her own musical ambitions which started as a teenage singer-songwriter posting videos on YouTube under the name Flossie Rose. She also discusses the pressures of fame, gossip columns and why she’s learned to stop searching for references to herself in social media.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m001dmls)
Our Archive Century
Breaking News
The first in a series marking one hundred years of the BBC through the riches to be found in the corporation's broadcast archive. In each programme two leading figures in their field select material that illustrates the unique value of this written, audio and audio-visual record of Britain over the past century.
Today veteran broadcaster and news presenter James Naughtie and editor and journalist Helen Lewis demonstrate what the archive can tell us about the gathering and delivering of breaking news, from the careful patrician announcements of the 20s and 30s to the fizzing pace and punchy headlines of instant digital delivery.
Their choices include the foibles of an age of deference and the mixed merits of news delivered at speed as opposed to news of momentous events distilled and delivered in tranquillity. It's the story of the way Britain has received its news as a narrow field of broadcasters expanded to the plethora of outlets and the rise of social media that defines our online age.
There's space for humour and human stories, and an attempt to make sense of the impact sound and moving images have had on the way we understand our recent history.
Producer: Tom Alban
SAT 21:00 No Place But the Water (m000lmzn)
Part 2
Linda Marshall Griffiths' drama series set in a flooded future world.
When there is no place but the water, where do you go?
No-one believes Birdie when she says they are being watched, that there is someone else in the hotel, but she has found a voice recording on an old phone and someone saved her from a swarm of bees. Then an unexpected arrival of a boat forces everyone to confront the truth.
CALEB ..... Cel Spellman
GIL ..... Rupert Hill
LAURIE/SELENE ..... .Jenny Platt
MAURICE ..... Pearce Quigley
JESSIE ..... Sade Malone
BIRDIE ..... Poppy O’Brien
THE ANGEL ..... Vinette Robinson
Directed by Nadia Molinari
Sound Design by Steve Brooke
Programme consultants: Dr James M Lea and Dr Ian Dawson
SAT 21:45 Life at Absolute Zero (b08nk59f)
Series 2
The Limit
Lynne Truss observes the inhabitants Meridian Cliffs, a small wind-battered town on the south coast of England.
Carpet fitter Jack has always been a bit obsessive about rules. So living next to a road with a 20 mph limit, which is routinely ignored by every other motorist apart from himself, is particularly testing. But when someone keeps littering the grass verge opposite his house with empty pre-mixed gin and tonic cans, one per day, it threatens to tip him over the edge.
Directed by Kate McAll
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 22:00 News (m001dmlz)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 Behind the Crime (m0019z5b)
Behind the Crime: Khamran
As a society, we send close to 100,000 people to prison each year. Criminal behaviour costs the country around £60 billion every year, according to Home Office research.
Is it possible to prevent crime by understanding the root causes of offending behaviour?
Sally Tilt and Dr Kerensa Hocken are forensic psychologists who work in prisons.
Their role is to help people in prison to look at the harm they’ve caused to other people, understand why it happened and work out how to make changes to prevent further harm after they’ve been released.
In Behind the Crime, they take the time to understand the life of someone whose crimes have led to harm and, in some cases, imprisonment.
In this second episode they talk to Khamran, who received a prison sentence as a teenager for a series of aggravated robberies.
Khamran was a boy who learned at school that putting on a cocky attitude was a way of deflecting some of the racist taunts and bullying that came his way. Sally and Kerensa get behind that front to discover what was really making Khamran tick. They pick up the key moments that could have changed the course of his life, and the lives of his victims.
The job of the forensic psychologists is to dig deep into Khamran’s story, to understand the sequence of external influences that got Khamran to the point where he was causing harm to himself, to others and to society as a whole.
Today, Khamran is married with a child and studying business alongside working part-time.
For details of organisations that can provide help and support, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline
Producer: Andrew Wilkie
Editor: Hugh Levinson
Behind the Crime is a co-production between BBC Long Form Audio and the Prison Radio Association.
SAT 23:00 Brain of Britain (m001dddv)
Semi-final 1, 2022
The 2022 season of the prestigious general knowledge tournament enters the semi-final stage, with the first set of heat winners returning to compete for a place in the Final.
The competition promises to be fierce, as the contenders grapple with questions such as which New York thoroughfare is known as the Avenue of the Americas, who is currently Team GB's youngest ever Olympic medal winner, and which multiple Grammy-award-winning composer and record producer has the middle name Delight?
Appearing in today's semi-final are
Dan Afshar from London
Isabelle Heward from Lincolnshire
Gill Taylor from West Yorkshire
Ian Wilkinson from Hull.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria
SAT 23:30 Reading the Air (m001dd9d)
“I mustn't speak, neither must I breathe. It really is something sacred coming towards me...”
In the depths of mid-winter, in the corner of a field on the Wiltshire-Dorset border, naturalist and writer Chris Yates has taken up his position. A fisherman for over 60 years, his rods and reels are gathering dust at home. Now in his mid 70s, he’s let go of his lifetime’s obsession to follow something new - the wintering hen harrier.
Chris now spends his winters in search of this most elusive of birds. We join him over two days as he looks to the skies, reading the air for clues as to when and where “the illustrious one” might just make an appearance. Even the briefest of sightings fills him with joy.
We follow Chris along a wind-whipped hillside and through tree-chattering woods, hoping to catch a glimpse of the harrier’s slow-motion flight, and all the while delighting in the sights and sounds of an English mid-winter landscape.
Photo; Dan Shepherd
Original music; Ozzy Moysey (double bass), Phil Smith (piano) and Joel Whitaker (cello)
Produced by Dan Shepherd and Phil Smith
A Far Shoreline production for BBC Radio 4
SUNDAY 30 OCTOBER 2022
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m001dmm3)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 00:15 Bhopal (m001brf6)
1. A Friend Dies
The Bhopal gas tragedy was the worlds worst industrial accident. Tens of thousands of people died and many more suffered long term illnesses when lethal methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide plant in the city in central India on 2nd December 1984.
For the previous two years one man had been predicting that Bhopal was an accident waiting to happen. Forty years ago this month the Bhopali journalist Rajkumar Keswani wrote his first article warning of the dangers posed by safety lapses at the plant. During a dogged investigation pitting him against political power, corporate money and the indifference of the media and public opinion, he never gave up. This cinematic documentary series tells his story for the first time.
Episode 1. A Friend Dies
Keswani is the kind of journalist who finds his stories on the ground, talking to people in his native Bhopal. One evening he learns from his friend Ashraf, a worker at the Union Carbide chemical plant, that there are regular safety lapses and leaks. Shortly afterwards, Ashraf dies when he's exposed to lethal gases. A grief stricken Keswani decides he must find the truth behind safety concerns at the plant. But when questioning government officials he finds nothing but support for the multinational company that had chosen Bhopal as its base. He hears more worrying accounts from local union officials and when they are published in a small article, retribution follows. Keswani feels sure that something troubling is going on behind the scenes.
Narrator Narinder Samra
Written and researched by Anubha Yadav and Radhika Kapur
Music and Sound Design by Shreyan Chatterjee
Studio Mix by Donald McDonald
Producer Neil McCarthy
With thanks to Down To Earth
SUN 00:30 The Poet and the Echo (m001ddy9)
Dawn
Writers choose poems as inspiration for new stories.
Episode 3/3
Dawn
Two young women struggle to find places within a society that denies their freedom.
A bold tale from performance storyteller Mara Menzies, inspired by African poet Gladys Casely-Hayford's unexpected take on a topic much loved by poets.
Credits
Written and performed by Mara Menzies
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
A BBC Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001dmm7)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001dmmf)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001dmmk)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m001dmmm)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m001dmmp)
St Mary’s Church in Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire.
Bells on Sunday comes from St Mary’s Church in Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire. Grafton Regis was the birthplace of Elizabeth Woodville, the Queen Consort to Edward the Fourth. The church tower contains five bells, the two oldest of which were cast in 1625 by John Keene of Woodstock in Oxfordshire. The 19th century tenor bell weighs nine hundredweight and is tuned to G sharp. We hear them ringing Plain Bob Doubles.
SUN 05:45 Profile (m001dmlj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 News Summary (m001dmnw)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b01c6s8c)
Superstition
Irma Kurtz reflects on why humans often abandon common sense and resort to superstition to deal with life under stress. Superstitions, she reflects, originated long before scientific knowledge as primitive tactics in the human war for survival, their origins unknown and having no basis in logic or reason.
Irma concludes that although anyone today living by superstition would probably qualify as having an obsessive compulsive disorder, nevertheless superstitions are still handed down from generation to generation and are stored in our subconscious. We might not believe in them, but we don't forget them.
To illustrate her theme, we hear readings from W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, Alexander Pushkin and Rudyard Kipling. The music is by Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Wagner, and Frederick Chopin .
Read by Liza Sadovy and Greg Hicks.
Producer: Ronni Davis
A Unique production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m001dmny)
BBC Food & Farming Awards finalist: Wakelyns
Wakelyns is 56 acre agroforestry farm in Suffolk run by David Wolfe and Amanda Illing. It was set up originally by David's parents as an experiment into how agroforestry could be used to improve productivity on British farms. Now David and Amanda have started on a journey to make this small farm into a viable business. To do this they have gathered many other businesses together - all based around produce from the farm. A bakery uses the cereals, fruits and nut; a community supported agriculture scheme has been set up between some of the aisles of trees to produce veg boxes for locale people; an artist is growing hemp to make clothes for Fashion Week.
David says: "For my parents it was very much a project around improving farming productivity. For us, we see this piece of land as much more socially useful. We see it as being about producing food but also about producing craft products, about employing people, about housing people, about climate change, about tackling the biodiversity crisis."
Wakelyns has been chosen by Charlotte Smith as one of the three finalists in the "Farming for the Future" category of this year's BBC Food and Farming Awards. In this programme, she visits the farm to find out how it's system of "enterprise stacking" works.
Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced by Heather Simons
SUN 06:57 Weather (m001dmp0)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m001dmp2)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m001dmp4)
Hindu PM; Brazil elections; Religious relics; Nasheed choir
We have a new Hindu Prime Minister! It's the first time this has happened in the UK. So how will Rishi Sunak's faith inform his leadership? We find out from two experts.
Many are dreading the cost of fuel bills this Winter - but a new faith-led campaign is offering people the chance to use free, safe, warm spaces across the UK. The Warm Welcome campaign, set up by the ChurchWorks Commission, has signed up more 2,200 organisations to the scheme and has an interactive map on its website showing where they are. We hear from one organisation and a young mum who uses it.
The trial of Cardinal Zen, the former Catholic bishop of Hong Kong, is re-opening. It comes days after the renewal of the Vatican's provisional agreement with Beijing over the appointment of bishops - a deal which the 90 year old Cardinal has openly criticised.
We hear the views of Lord Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, who is himself a Catholic.
And, in what's believed to be the first time in the UK, a cathedral has hosted a performance of Islamic nasheeds. The Bradford Nasheed
Choir, which is made up of boys aged between six and 14, combines the Islamic tradition of nasheed, sung with one line of harmony, with the Western tradition of polyphony, so that nasheeds are sung in two, three or four-part harmony. Hussnain Hanif, a well-known nasheed artist, joins us to tell us how the performance went.
Presented by Emily Buchanan.
Produced by Julia Paul and Fiona Leach.
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m001dmp6)
British Exploring Society
Actor, director and producer Andy Serkis makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity British Exploring Society.
To Give:
- UK Freephone 0800 404 8144
-You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal. (That’s the whole address. Please do not write anything else on the front of the envelope). Mark the back of the envelope ‘British Exploring Society’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘British Exploring Society’.
Please note that Freephone and online donations for this charity close at
23.59 on the Saturday after the Appeal is first broadcast. However the Freepost option can be used at any time.
Registered charity number: 802196
SUN 07:57 Weather (m001dmp8)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m001dmpb)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m001dmpd)
Transfigurations on Ben Nevis
The second of four programmes of pilgrimage from the highest peaks of the UK’s nations, marking the BBC's Centenary.
Writer and broadcaster Anna Magnusson and Quaker and community activist Alastair McIntosh find their thoughts drawn to the story of Jesus' transfiguration on the holy mountain, as they brave the elements among the wild crags of Ben Nevis, Scotland's highest mountain.
Alastair and Anna explore the roots of faith as their reflections survey the rock, soil and water of Scotland's landscape where saints have walked, and from earliest times people have found awe and inspiration.
Producer: Mo McCullough
Mountain guide: Rich Parker
SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m001df13)
Darkness Made Visible
As warnings are sounded of possible power cuts and lights going out this winter, Rebecca Stott reflects on our relationship with darkness.
She looks at how our ancestors experienced the dark and our enduring fascination with celebrating the dark season of winter.
Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Iona Hammond
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b09m165l)
Kathy Hinde on the Knot
"Its one of the most breathtaking experiences I've witnessed" says Kathy Hinde as she recalls watching thousands of Knot being forced by the incoming tide into the air above the mudflats at Snettisham In Norfolk. Here she shares that experience with us.
Producer: Sarah Blunt
Photograph: Ian Redman
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m001dmpg)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell
SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (m001dmpj)
Writer, Naylah Ahmed
Director, Gwenda Hughes
Editor, Jeremy Howe
Ben Archer ….. Ben Norris
Kenton Archer ….. Richard Attlee
Ruth Archer ….. Felicity Finch
Pip Archer ….. Daisy Badger
Lilian Bellamy ….. Sunny Ormonde
Alice Carter ….. Hollie Chapman
Beth Casey ….. Rebecca Fuller
Rex Fairbrother ….. Nick Barber
Mia Grundy ….. Molly Pipe
Brad Horrobin ….. Taylor Uttley
Chelsea Horrobin ….. Madeleine Leslay
Tracy Horrobin ….. Susie Riddell
Kate Madikane ….. Perdita Avery
Jazzer McCreary ….. Ryan Kelly
Kirsty Miller ….. Annabelle Dowler
Elizabeth Pargetter ….. Alison Dowling
Oliver Sterling ….. Michael Cochrane
SUN 11:15 Desert Island Discs (m001dmpl)
Professor Angela Gallop, forensic scientist
Professor Angela Gallop is a forensic scientist who has helped solve some of the most notorious violent crimes in recent British history including the killings of Stephen Lawrence, Damilola Taylor and Rachel Nickell.
After completing a degree in botany and a doctorate on the biochemistry of sea slugs, Angela joined the Home Office’s Forensic Science Service in 1974, and four years later attended her first crime scene, where 18-year-old Helen Rytka was killed by Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper.
Over the years cold cases became her speciality and in 1992 she investigated the death of the Italian banker Roberto Calvi. He was found hanging from scaffolding under Blackfriars Bridge, London, in a suspected suicide ten years before. Angela’s work established that suicide was unlikely and that, in all probability, he’d been murdered. His killers were never found.
In 1999 Angela and her team investigated the murder of Lynette White who was killed in her flat in Cardiff in 1988. Five men had been tried for her death and three - known as the ‘the Cardiff Three’ - were sent to prison although their convictions were quashed by the Court of Appeal two years later. Angela’s investigation made history when the murderer was identified and convicted through his familial DNA.
Angela first worked on the Stephen Lawrence case in 1995 – two years after his murder - and returned to it in 2006. The forensic evidence that was found during this investigation helped to convict his killers in 2012.
Angela has written a book about her career in forensics and another which outlines the challenges the discipline faces today.
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley
SUN 12:00 News Summary (m001dn8x)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 12:04 It's a Fair Cop (m001ddf8)
Series 7
Student Officer
In this week’s episode, copper turned stand up Alfie Moore, takes us through the 10 week journey of training a new recruit, preparing them to be a bobby on a beat.
When Alfie took young recruit Zoe under his wing on the streets of Scunthorpe, neither of them knew how that journey would end. How would you deal with the situations that a student officer faces? Unruly kids, difficult drivers, and the real threats of physical violence.
Written and presented by Alfie Moore
Script Editor: Will Ing
Production Co-ordinator: Becky Carewe-Jeffries
Producer: Sam Holmes
SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (m001dmpq)
Best Food Producer: Meet the Finalists of 2022
Sheila Dillon and chef Michael Caines meet the three Best Food Producer finalists of 2022, a community farm in Sussex, a business making cultured butter, and processor of wild Scottish venison.
Ardgay Game is a family run business which sources the highest quality wild venison from the Highland estates of Scotland. Their team of expert butchers turn this source of sustainable wild meat into a premium product which is exported all over the world.
The Edinburgh Butter Co produce cultured butter made with traditional methods to create deep, rich flavours. Nick and Hilary Sinclair started the business from scratch in 2018 out of the desire to make delicious butter made from locally sourced cream, and now their products are used in hospitality, catering and deli shops as well as by artisanal bakers.
Tablehurst Farm is a 500 acre community farm and social enterprise founded in the mid-1990s. They produce their own meat, poultry, vegetables, raw milk and arable crops to biodynamic and organic standards. At the core of their ethos is to involve the community at Tablehurst, inspiring others to farm and think about how food is produced.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.
SUN 12:57 Weather (m001dmps)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m001dmpv)
Radio 4's look at the week's big stories from both home and around the world
SUN 13:30 The Coming Storm (m0014p7b)
8. Epilogue
QAnon and the plot to break reality...
Gabriel Gatehouse has something to confess. Throughout the making of the series he’s been developing his own conspiracy theory. It’s about a book, called The Sovereign Individual, written by two men who were also pushing stories about the Clintons in the 1990s.
Were the people who seeded the myths that led to QAnon involved in a vast conspiracy to break reality, to divide and conquer and divvy up the spoils?
Gabriel seeks to understand the book, a favourite amongst the tech billionaires of Silicon Valley. They think a new version of the web, based on crypto and blockchain, will bring about the next step in the societal shift driven by the internet. What would that mean for democracy?
Producer: Lucy Proctor
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m001ddy4)
From the Archives: Autumn Advice
Kathy Clugston looks back over 75 years of autumn gardening advice on this special archive edition of GQT.
As the leaves fall from the trees and flowers are no longer in bloom, there is still much to be done in the garden. Whether you are looking for a way to add some colour into your borders during the colder months or are wondering how to prepare plants for the upcoming frosts – our horticultural experts are here to help.
Past panels share their knowledge on everything from how to get bright red Poinsettia in time for Christmas to how to overwinter your fruit and vegetable plants.
Producer: Daniel Cocker
Assistant Producer: Bethany Hocken
Executive Producer: Louisa Field
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 14:45 What Really Happened in the Nineties? (m001740w)
The Maastricht Treaty
Here we are in 2022 navigating cancel culture, Brexit, identity politics, war in Europe. How did we get here? Did we miss something?
Robert Carlyle, who played the wildcard Begbie in the '90s hit Trainspotting, is here to show us that we did. That the world we live in was shaped by the forgotten decade: the 1990s.
Episode 6: The Maastricht Treaty In this programme Robert returns to the controversial Maastricht Treaty of 1992 which transformed Europe into a political union rather than just an economic one. This unleashed a civil war in the Conservative Party which has echoed down the ages and arguably resulted in Brexit. David Davies MP was in the thick of that battle as Chief Whip to Prime Minister John Major. He takes us back to pivotal moments of that drama when the future of the country hung in the balance and the consequences of which we're living with today.
Historical Consultant Anand Menon
Music and Sound Design Phil Channell
Producer Neil McCarthy"
SUN 15:00 Working Titles (m001dmpx)
Miss Nobody: Part 2
Miss Nobody episode 2/2
by Ethel Carnie, dramatised by Mary Cooper
A musical adaptation, following the lives of two working women in 1911 Lancashire. Carrie has returned from the countryside and joins Rachel to work in the mill. Rachel rallies the workers to join the union and strike. Tensions rise as mill workers are brought in from the Midlands to replace the strikers.
Ethel Carnie - Jenny Platt
Carrie - Evie Hargreaves
Rachel - Helen O'Hara
Robert/Dawson/Jones - Conrad Nelson
Sarah/Gran - Alexandra Mathie
Mrs. Martin/Jane - Fionnuala Dorrity
Jack/Blackleg/Barstock- Chris Hannon
Nancy - Poppy O'Brien
Singers: Janet Swan, Rosie Swan, Jules Gibb, Katherine Watson, Grainne Gordon,
Victoria Knott, Mark Mukerji and Huw Johnson and all members of the cast.
Accordion - Hannah James
Music composed, arranged and played by Rowan Rheingans,
Production co-ordinators Pippa Day and Vicky Moseley
Sound by Simon Highfield, and Sharon Hughes
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris
SUN 16:00 Open Book (m001dmpz)
Colm Tóibín essays, and revisiting Shirley Hazzard
Chris Power talks to Colm Tóibín about A Guest at the Feast, a collection of essays which span his illness, Wexford upbringing, religion and banned books.
Plus with a new biography of Australian-born Shirley Hazzard, its author Brigitta Olubas talks about her extraordinary life and work. Stephanie Merritt, also known as SJ Parris, joins to discuss why The Transit of Venus may be one of the great, overlooked 20th century novels.
Presenter: Chris Power
Reader: Joanna Monro
Producer: Ciaran Bermingham
Book List – Sunday 30 October and Thursday 3 November
A Guest at the Feast by Colm Tóibín
The South by Colm Tóibín
The Heather Blazing by Colm Tóibín
The Country Girls by Edna O’Brien
Couples by John Updike
The Age of Reason by Jean-Paul Sartre
The Dark by John McGahern
The Pornographer by John McGahern
Shirley Hazzard: A Writing Life by Brigitta Olubas
The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard
The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard
Defeat of an Ideal by Shirley Hazzard
Countenance of Truth by Shirley Hazzard
Greene on Capri: A Memoir by Shirley Hazzard
The Collected Stories of Shirley Hazzard
SUN 16:30 John Burnside: From the Other Side (m001dmq1)
"I was suffering from heart failure. Long story short, they thought I was going to die, told my wife to 'prepare for the worst'. In hospital, while I was 'on the other side', as it were, part of a poem came to me, out of nowhere (I have no memory of composing it)."
This is poet and novelist John Burnside's poetic exploration of his near-death experience following heart failure. Profoundly serious, and yet extremely trippy - he recalls bizarre hallucinations, after being rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties, which resembled William Burroughs' Naked Lunch.
This was followed by the realisation that he was dying. And in something John compares to an out-of-body experience, he watched his naked body as if it were a slab of meat viewed through a movie screen. Then an entirely different, deeply profound encounter after his heart stopped - an experience that was less religious and more akin to a psychedelic trip.
From his garden in Fife, two years on, John explains the impact of this near-death experience (NDE) on his life and work today. He reads part of the poem that came to him while recovering in hospital, from his recent collection Learning To Sleep. He shares a brand new work inspired by his NDE and anatomy lesson paintings, in addition to recalling beloved poems by Arthur Rimbaud and Emily Dickinson which have taken on new meaning.
Dr Penny Sartori also provides some medical context for John's experience. She is a senior lecturer in adult nursing at Swansea University and worked in intensive care for 17 years, where she carried out extensive research for a PHD on NDEs.
Reader: Ruth Sillers
Photo Credit: Robbie Lawrence
Because I Could Not Stop for Death performed by Susan McKeown and The Chanting House
Produced by Victoria Ferran
Executive Producers: Sara Jane Hall and Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 17:00 File on 4 (m001ddtn)
Roblox: A Dangerous Game?
Before Covid the US gaming platform Roblox was one of many online games children played. Following lockdown and millions of children isolating at home, the company now has a market value of $22bn and is the most popular gaming platform for British children. But is the platform doing all it can to protect them? Concerns have been raised about financial exploitation, grooming, gambling and access to inappropriate content.
Reporter: Hayley Hassall
Producer: Jim Booth
Editor: Carl Johnston
SUN 17:40 Profile (m001dmlj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m001dmq3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SUN 17:57 Weather (m001dmq5)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001dmq7)
South Korea has been mourning the scores of young people who were crushed to death as they celebrated Halloween. Flags at government buildings have been flying at half-mast.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m001dmq9)
Nicola Beckford
Journalist and presenter Nicola Beckford with a personal selection of highlights from the past week on BBC radio.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m001dmqc)
Lilian is suffering from a nasty cold. Lynda persuades her that she can’t possibly be a witch in the rewilding woods. Faced with the possibility of disappointed children, Lynda volunteers. Lilian shows her the rather haphazard ropes, and Lynda quails a little. Nervously, she awaits the children and her cue to flit through the woods. Once they arrive, she is swept up in it all. Her performance is lovely. She accepts congratulations with great relief.
David and Ruth have brought Pip and Rosie to the Halloween in the woods. But David is still bitter and angry. Ruth tries to help him understand, but he blames Ben for what he’s done. While the others are enjoying the Halloween Trail, he phones Ben, but gets no reply. Ruth is thinking how awful it must be for Chelsea and Tracy. She gives Tracy a call. Words are hard to find, but she wants them to know she’s thinking of them. Focussed on Chelsea, Tracy finds it hard to respond.
Chelsea is hiding away in her room, pleading college work, but worrying about the procedure she faces tomorrow. Tracy and the whole family are caring and want to help. Tracy brings her specially chosen food, all her favourites, which she doesn’t really want. She tells her mum to thank Brad for the chocolate he’d given her, and thanks her mum for being there. She might just eat a little. She doesn’t think she’ll sleep tonight. Tracy comforts her daughter.
SUN 19:15 Now You're Asking with Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn (m001dmqf)
The Boring Husband Problem
Has your husband suddenly become boring? What should you do if you’re invited to a swingers party - or, perhaps more pressingly, if you’ve not been invited? Can holiday romances ever work out – even ones in Switzerland? All these subjects have been sent in by our listeners and are given the Marian and Tara treatment in the latest instalment of their popular advice podcast.
The first series was welcomed by listeners and critics.
"Both are warm and kind enough to not only be funny but also offer genuinely thoughtful, if left-field, advice." (Miranda Sawyer, The Observer)
"Keyes and Flynn are my new favourite double-act." (Jane Anderson - Radio Times)
"I found their compassion endlessly soothing." (Rachel Cunliffe - The New Statesman)
Marian Keyes is a multi award-winning writer, with a total of over 30 million books sold to date in 33 languages. Her close friend Tara Flynn is an actress, comedian and writer. Together, these two friends have been through a lot, and now want to use their considerable life experience to help solve the biggest - and smallest - of their listeners' problems.
From dilemmas about life, love and grief, to the perils of laundry or knowing what to say at a boring dinner, we’ll find out what Marian and Tara would recommend - which might not solve the problem exactly, but will make us all feel a bit better.
Recorded in Dublin with emails received from listeners around the world, the hosts invite you to pull up a chair at their virtual kitchen table as they read and digest their inbox.
Got a problem you want Marian and Tara to solve? Email: marianandtara@bbc.co.uk.
Producer: Steve Doherty.
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
SUN 19:45 Voices in the Valley (m001dmqh)
1: The Barrowbeck Survey
Ten strange and unsettling tales from the British folk-horror author Andrew Michael Hurley.
The village of Barrowbeck, in the north of England, has a reputation for strangeness. It is a place that brings out the sin in people. But despite the dark, the cold, the isolation, people have managed to live there for centuries - until the river finally got the better of them.
Today: it is 2048. The valley is flooded, and the village submerged. But the past voices of Barrowbeck demand to tell their tales...
Writer: Andrew Michael Hurley is a British folk-horror writer, and the author of the Costa-winning The Loney, as well as Devil's Day and Starve Acre.
Reader: Maxine Peake - other readers in the series include: Siobhan Finneran, Reece Shearsmith, Tamsin Greig and Toby Jones.
Producer: Justine Willett
SUN 20:00 Feedback (m001ddyn)
Andrea Catherwood explores what it’s like to report on an unprecedented week in politics with Deputy Political Editor of BBC News, Vicki Young, who responds to audience comments on the news coverage.
Alexei Sayle joins Andrea to discuss impartiality in comedy and listeners give us their views on his Imaginary Sandwich Bar, back for a fourth series on Radio 4.
Toby Jones and his brother Rupert are in the Vox Box this week to listen to their dad, actor Freddy Jones’s Desert Island Discs, recently uncovered in a haul of more than 90 lost editions of the programme.
Presented by Andrea Catherwood
Produced by Gill Davies
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m001ddyh)
Dame Carmen Callil, Ivy Jo Hunter, Kathleen Booth, Dietrich Mateschitz
Matthew Bannister on
Dame Carmen Callil (pictured), the Australian-born publisher who founded the feminist Virago Books.
Ivy Jo Hunter, known as the 'forgotten man of Motown', he co-wrote Dancing In The Street for Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.
Kathleen Booth the mathematician and pioneering computer designer.
Dietrich Mateschitz, the billionaire who turned the Red Bull energy drink into a global success by sponsoring sports clubs and daring stunts, including backing two Formula One motor racing teams.
Producer: Neil George
Interviewed guest: Harriet Spicer
Interviewed guest: Graham Betts
Interviewed guest: Ian Booth
Interviewed guest: Amanda Booth
Interviewed guest: Nina Baker
Interviewed guest: Chris Medland
Archive clips used: BBC Radio 4, Desert Island Discs – Carmen Callil; Audible Audio/ Spoken Realms, My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin 30/03/2021; The Red Bull Company, Rapunzel commercial 1991; BBC One, Formula 1 – The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 14/11/2010; Red Bull Stratos, Red Bull Space Dive 14/10/2012; TikTok.com @pianograndad – Alan Melinek.
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m001dmkk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m001dmp6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 Analysis (m001ddfv)
Can Effective Altruism really change the world?
If you want to do good in the world, should you be a doctor, or an aid worker? Or should you make a billion or two any way you can, and give it to good causes? Billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried argues this is the best use of his vast wealth. But philosophers argue charitable giving is often driven not by logic, but by a sense of personal attachment. David Edmonds traces the latest developments in the effective altruism movement, examining the questions they pose, and looking at the successes and limitations.
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m001dmql)
Carolyn Quinn discusses the challenges facing the home secretary and looks ahead to the chancellor's Budget choices with Conservative MP Stephen Hammond; shadow international development secretary, Preet Gill; and journalist Henry Hill, from the Conservative Home website. George Parker - political editor of the Financial Times - provides additional insight and analysis. Carolyn also reports from a reception held by the Commons speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, to mark Black History Month - hearing reflections from Baroness Floella Benjamin and Lord Paul Boateng on BAME representation in Parliament, and the appointment of the UK's first British Asian prime minister.
SUN 23:00 Loose Ends (m001dmld)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b01c6s8c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:05 today]
MONDAY 31 OCTOBER 2022
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m001dmqp)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (m001ddzd)
The NHS
The NHS and the 'sick note': Laurie Taylor talks to Gareth Millward, Assistant Professor in the Department of History at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) in Odense, and author of a new study which explores the history of the British welfare state via the story of the ‘sick note’. It turns out that the question of ‘who is really sick? was never straightforward. At various times, it was understood that a signed note from a doctor was not enough to 'prove' whether someone was really sick, yet with no better alternative on offer, the sick note survived in practice and in the popular imagination - just like the welfare state itself.
They’re joined by Sally Sheard, Professor of History at the University of Liverpool, who charts the cultural history and changing understandings of healthcare and the NHS in Britain.
Producer: Jayne Egerton
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m001dmmp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001dmqr)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001dmqt)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001dmqw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
MON 05:30 News Briefing (m001dmqy)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001dmr0)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, canon theologian for the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon.
Good morning. Most listeners will know that Halloween is a much bigger holiday in the States than here. Tonight, throughout America, streets will be heaving with children and even some grownups dressed in outlandish fancy dress. It’s one of the few occasions when most Americans walk rather than drive, and so it’s a day when many chat with neighbours they otherwise hardly ever see. There’s nothing remotely like it here in Britain.
What I enjoyed about Halloween, when I used to take my son trick-or-treating, was the chance to get to know my neighbours better. I forged some local friendships as we chaperoned our kids up and down the streets in our neighbourhoods. This wasn’t peculiar to me; it’s a common feature of Halloween in America.
What I didn’t appreciate at the time is the irony of this phenomenon. On a night when people wear masks, we spend time unmasking the fascinating personalities of our neighbours. We unmask them by chatting with each other while our children are trick-or-treating. One of the most heart-felt conversations I had with a man on my street was when he was disconcertingly dressed like Dolly Parton. That conversation brought knowledge, and that knowledge allowed us to be better and more attentive neighbours. You might say, therefore, that Halloween strangely provides Americans with a reminder that we can’t honestly love those around us unless we first get to know them. I suspect that’s a lesson we can learn here, even if we don’t do much to celebrate Halloween.
Let us pray.
God of love, to whom no secrets of our hearts are hidden; Give us the confidence to unmask ourselves to those around us and to be active in getting to know our neighbours so that with such knowledge we may learn to love them as ourselves. Amen.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m001dmr2)
31/10/22 Bird flu compensation 'not fit for purpose', rural housing, Gloucester cattle
If the Government doesn't improve the compensation scheme available to farms hit by avian flu, more will go out of business. The stark warning comes from one of England's leading turkey producers as the UK is in the midst of the worst ever outbreak, with 200 confirmed incidents and hundreds of thousands of farmed birds culled. It's also having what the RSPB has called a 'catastrophic' effect on wild birds. Paul Kelly of Kelly Bronze Turkeys says the way the compensation system works isn't fair and is putting smaller producers out of business.
Where we build, what we build and the challenges for people who want to work and live in the countryside: we are going to be looking at this all week, from homelessness to affordable homes.
One of Britain’s oldest and rarest cattle breeds, the Gloucester, is at the forefront of a push for more kitchens to serve traditional breed beef. But when budgets are being squeezed, is now the right time to promote such a premium product?
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
MON 05:56 Weather (m001dmr4)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03thswl)
Canada Goose
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
John Aitchison tells the story of the Canada goose. These large black-necked geese with white cheeks and chinstraps are native to Canada and the USA. The first reference to them in the UK is in 1665 when English diarist, John Evelyn, records that they were in the waterfowl collection of King Charles II at St. James' Park in London.
MON 06:00 Today (m001dmxw)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m001dmy0)
Building the Body, Opening the Heart
The Pulitzer-winning oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee recalls the thrill of seeing for the first time the extraordinary ‘luminosity’ of a living cell. In his latest work, The Song of the Cell, he explores the history, the present and the future of cellular biology. He tells Adam Rutherford that without understanding cells you can’t understand the human body, medicine, and especially the story of life itself.
‘Once upon a time I fell in love with a cell.’ So recalls the leading cardiologist Sian Harding, when she looked closely at a single heart muscle cell, and she found a ‘deeper beauty’ revealing the ‘perfection of the heart’s construction’. In her book, The Exquisite Machine, she describes how new scientific developments are opening up the mysteries of the heart, and why a ‘broken heart’ might be more than a literary flight of fancy.
The prize-winning science fiction writer Paul McAuley was once a research scientist studying symbiosis, especially single-celled algae inside host cells. He has since used his understanding of science to write books that ask questions about life on earth and outer-space, and about the implications of the latest cutting edge research, from nanotechnology to gene editing. His 2001 novel The Secret of Life, which features the escape of a protean Martian microorganism from a Chinese laboratory, has just been reissued.
Producer: Katy Hickman
MON 09:45 Disaster Trolls (m001dpnp)
1. Darkness in the Glade of Light
Daren is haunted by his experience of the Manchester Arena bombing. So why do people taunt him with conspiracy theories which falsely claim the attack didn’t happen?
On 22 May 2017, a terrorist bomb was detonated in the foyer of the arena at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people and the bomber. Daren, who had been in the audience with his son, rushed to help the injured. He has lived with the trauma of that night ever since.
But to Daren’s disbelief, it wasn’t long before sinister claims began circulating online, wild allegations that the attack was faked. He and other survivors were accused of being “crisis actors” paid to play a part in a massive deception by evil forces in the government.
So who is propagating these baseless claims?
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring, investigates how survivors of UK terror attacks and tragedies are targeted with horrific conspiracy theories, online abuse and threats. Some are even tracked down offline too. Now they want answers and justice.
Across this series - and in this episode - there are graphic descriptions of violence. This episode contains audio from Richard D Hall’s website.
Presenter: Marianna Spring
Producer: Ant Adeane
Editor: Ed Main
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001dmy6)
Donna Patterson, Running in the dark, Tammy Faye Musical
After Donna Patterson's maternity leave, her employer Morrison’s gave her a full-time role, despite her only working part time. She represented herself in a tribunal and she won a £60k pay-out for maternity discrimination. Donna joins Emma Barnett in the studio.
As the clocks go back - and the nights draw in- it can get harder to find the motivation to get outdoors and exercise as the couch beckons. At the weekend the Olympic champion cyclist Chris Boardman wrote about this issue as he was aware that his wife and daughters were affected by this. Rather than putting the onus on women to keep safe he wants men to take more responsibility, he joins Emma alongside Robyn Vinter, the North of England correspondent of the Guardian, who is a runner and also wrote about this issue very recently.
Tammy Faye – A New Musical tells the story of rise and fall of American TV evangelists Tammy Faye and her husband Jim Bakker, who preached to millions across the country via their own television satellite channel PTL, Ministry and theme park. The musical written by James Graham features original songs by Elton John and Jake Shears of the Scissor sisters. Olivier award winning actor Katie Brayben takes on the role of Tammy at the Almeida theatre in London.
It’s just one week until the midterm elections in the United States. The Republican Party are widely expected to take the House of Representatives – but the Senate could still go either way. So what does this mean for women in America, and how could their opinions on political issues such as Roe v Wade swing the vote? Emma Barnett talks to republican political strategist and talk show host Jennifer Kerns.
Presenter: Emma Barnett
Producer: Emma Pearce
MON 11:00 The Untold (m001dmyd)
Quest for the Pink-Headed Duck
Richard fell in love on his lunchbreak. It was the late 90s and he was browsing in his local library when he saw a face he’d never forget. Elegant, feathery, and more than likely extinct: the long-lost pink headed duck.
The sight of that picture would change his life forever. Over the last two decades he’s plunged all his time, energy and money from his job as an ambulance car driver into the search for the bird, not seen since the 1940s. That search has meant repeated trips to Myanmar, contending with remote environments and a volatile military regime. Now, building on his hard-won experience with a totally new approach and an upcoming expedition that will once again take him halfway round the world, could this finally be the year he proves his beloved duck is still out there?
This is not only the story of one man’s all-encompassing quest, but a look at what it means to be extinct – or not – and the ardent amateurs who try to bring species back from the edge.
Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
Editor: Chris Ledgard
Picture credit: Tim Halliday (courtesy of Carolyn Halliday)
MON 11:30 The Bottom Line (m001df6m)
The business of being a GP
Since the very beginning of the NHS, GP surgeries have been, in effect, businesses with contracts to do the work the Health Service needs. But in recent decades, patient numbers have grown, surgeries have become larger and the services offered more varied. Many GP surgeries now employ administrative staff, nurses, physiotherapists and paramedics, as well as doctors.
What's it like to be a clinician and run a small business at the same time? What are the pressures? How do you get the books to balance? And how do you attract more people to join one of the front lines of the NHS? Evan Davis and guests discuss.
GUESTS
Dr. John Lynch, GP Partner, Framfield House Surgery, Woodbridge Suffolk
Dr. Matt Noble, GP Partner, GP@hand, Bablyon Health a 'digital first' practice
Dr. Yazmin Razak, Single GP practitioner, North Kensington
and Dr. Rebecca Rosen, Senior Fellow, Health Policy at the Nuffield Trust and part-time GP, South London
Producers: Julie Ball and Kirsteen Knight
Researcher: Louise Byrne
Sound Engineers: Graham Puddifoot and Rod Farquhar
Editor: Simon Watts
MON 12:00 News Summary (m001dmyj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m001dmyp)
M&S stores, Gambling addiction, Haunted house sales
The numbers of people opting to exclude themselves from online betting sites has risen by nearly 10 percent year on year. That's according to the organisation GAMSTOP, which runs the national self-exclusion register. People who sign up ban themselves from using websites and apps run by gambling companies regulated in the UK. We hear from a former gambling addict about how self-exclusion helped her recovery. We also speak to Fiona Palmer, GAMSTOP's CEO, and Matt Zarb-Cousin, the co-founder of Gamban, computer blocking software that restricts access to gambling sites.
We examine the future of Marks and Spencer, once a giant of the High Street in towns and cities across the UK. Three years ago, the company announced plans to shut 110 stores and earlier this month it said it was speeding up the closure of almost 70 of them. However, M&S is opening more than 100 new Simply Food stores - many of them outside traditional high street locations. Our reporter Bob Walker talks to people in Newark, Nottinghamshire, who lost their M&S in 2019. We also hear from the company's property director, Sacha Berendji.
In a special report for Halloween, we ask if selling a haunted house really does scare off potential buyers or reduce the value of your property. Research by the House Buyer Bureau, a cash buying property firm, says haunted houses sell for 17 percent less than other properties nearby. So if you think you have a resident ghost should you declare it when you come to sell? We speak to Beth Rudolf the Conveyancing Association and Yvette Fielding, a TV presenter and author specialising in the paranormal.
Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Tara Holmes
MON 12:57 Weather (m001dmyt)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m001dmyy)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Sarah Montague.
MON 13:45 The Threat to American Democracy (m001dmz1)
Russia, if you're listening
Owen Bennett-Jones explores the threats facing America’s electoral system - from Russian interference to voter suppression and from cyber-attacks to conspiracy theories. How vulnerable is American democracy? And can US citizens still trust the system to deliver a fair result?
As the Republican and Democratic parties prepare for November’s mid-terms, the last major polling day before the 2024 Presidential election, we hear what is being done to counter these threats. And with Donald Trump's Stop the Steal campaign bringing doubts about the electoral system into the political mainstream, is an erosion of faith in democracy now the greatest threat of all?
In Episode One, a young cyber-security expert in Georgia stumbles upon a trove of highly confidential information about thousands of voters - a potential gift to hackers and hostile foreign governments. We also learn of Russian attempts to hack the infrastructure of American elections.
Presenter: Owen Bennett-Jones
Producer: Leo Hornak
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:00 The Archers (m001dmqc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 This Cultural Life (m001dmln)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:15 on Saturday]
MON 15:00 Brain of Britain (m001dmz4)
Semi-final 2, 2022
The semi-finals of the 2022 season continue, with another three outright heat winners and one of the top-scoring runners-up taking their place in the spotlight. One of them will go through to the Final and stand a real chance of becoming the 69th person to take the title Brain of Britain.
Russell Davies asks the questions, which encompass computer-generated music, the beliefs of Rastafarianism and the layout of a Monopoly board - among many other topics. The competition at this stage of the tournament is stiff, and the contenders need speed on the buzzer as well as wide knowledge. It's sure to be close.
Taking part are:
Catherine Bates from West London
Jamie Hall from Manchester
Ned Pendleton from Northamptonshire
Sarah Trevarthen from Manchester
As always, there will be a chance for a listener to win a prize by beating the Brains with questions he or she has devised.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria
MON 15:30 The Food Programme (m001dmz6)
Best Food Producer: Meet the Finalists of 2022
Sheila Dillon and chef Michael Caines meet the three Best Food Producer finalists of 2022; a community farm in Sussex, a business making cultured butter, and processor of wild Scottish venison.
Ardgay Game is a family run business which sources the highest quality wild venison from the Highland estates of Scotland. Their team of expert butchers turn this source of sustainable wild meat into a premium product which is exported all over the world.
The Edinburgh Butter Co produce cultured butter made with traditional methods to create deep, rich flavours. Nick and Hilary Sinclair started the business from scratch in 2018 out of the desire to make delicious butter made from locally sourced cream, and now their products are used in hospitality, catering and deli shops as well as by artisanal bakers.
Tablehurst Farm is a 500 acre community farm and social enterprise founded in the mid-1990s. They produce their own meat, poultry, vegetables, raw milk and arable crops to biodynamic and organic standards. At the core of their ethos is to involve the community at Tablehurst, inspiring others to farm and think about how food is produced.
Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.
MON 16:00 Music to Scream To - The Hammer Horror Soundtracks (m001f6bj)
Curse of the Werewolf, The Brides of Dracula, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell – films from the height of Hammer Films’ prolific output in the late 1950s and 1960s. Many of the horrific music soundtracks, carefully calibrated to set the pulse racing, were composed by leading British modernists of the late 20th century. Hammer’s music supervisor Philip Martell hired the brightest young avant-garde composers of the day – the likes of Malcolm Williamson (later Master of the Queen’s Music), Elisabeth Lutyens, Benjamin Frankel and Richard Rodney Bennett made a living scoring music to chill the bones to supplement their concert hall work.
Prising open Dracula’s coffin to unearth the story of Hammer’s modernist soundtracks, composer and pianist Neil Brand explores the nuts and bolts of scary music – how it is designed to psychologically unsettle us – and explores why avant-garde music is such a good fit for horror. On his journey into the abyss, Neil visits the haunted mansion where many of the Hammer classics were made, at Bray Studios in Berkshire, and gets the low-down from Hammer aficionado Wayne Kinsey, film music historian David Huckvale, composer Richard Rodney Bennett, and one of Hammer’s on-screen scream queens, actress Madeline Smith.
Producer: Graham Rogers
MON 16:30 The Digital Human (m001dmz8)
Series 26
Bona Fide
Aleks was once asked by a friend to track down an invisible man - a character with no digital footprint at all. How does someone not exist in this media-saturated moment, and why does that make it seem like he has something to hide?
Find the right balance between personal privacy and personal transparency, Aleks speaks with information security professionals who hunt for bad guys by puzzling together the pieces of leaked databases and hacked accounts, digital analysts who peer into our devices to catch us out when we’re acting out of character, and undercover operatives who build believable online legends to slip unnoticed into the daily life of the internet. As we grapple with what it means to be able to edit our personal histories in an age when every moment of our lives is expected to be available at the click of a button, how do we demonstrate that beyond a shadow of a doubt, a fake person is real?
In this episode, Aleks stumbles over the line between fiction and reality to see what the people scrubbing themselves clean and the people fabricating entirely new personas can tell us about what we expect a human being to be.
MON 17:00 PM (m001dmzb)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001dmzd)
Suella Braverman has defended her handling of immigration policy after days of criticism. And Russian attacks have left much of Ukraine without power.
MON 18:30 It's a Fair Cop (m001dmzl)
Series 7
Caravan Conundrum
In this week’s episode, copper turned stand-up Alfie Moore is called to a camping site to investigate a suspected break-in.
What's he finds inside one caravan creates a storm of competing interests. Should Alfie follow the letter of the law, focus on police targets or be led by his empathy and common sense? What do you do when self-interest comes up against your personal morals?
Written and presented by Alfie Moore
Script Editor: Will Ing
Production Co-ordinator: Becky Carewe-Jeffries
Producer: Sam Holmes
MON 19:00 The Archers (m001dmzs)
David and Ruth are struggling in different ways, knowing what Chelsea is going through today. It’s shaken David’s faith in their parenting. While Ruth wants to nurture Ben, David is glad Ben is finding it difficult. He thinks he should be. He tries to talk to Ben but can’t find the words. Ben says he’s let David and Ruth down as well as Chelsea. When David says his mum thinks Beth would have stuck by him, Ben insists Beth’s better off without him. He tells David he knows how David really feels, but he couldn’t hate Ben more than Ben hates himself.
Ben goes round to see Chelsea before she goes into hospital. He tells her he’s not going to university today, and she rounds on him. They’ve both been idiots already; Ben and Beth have split up over this. Why be more stupid still? In hospital, Chelsea is frightened. Tracy is there for her. So is the nurse, who is practical and kind. She tells Chelsea to look to the future.
When Ben finds out that it’s all over, he goes for a walk with Bess.
Tracy settles Chelsea at home, and Chelsea asks her to wait with her until she sleeps. There’s a tender moment between them, as they remember a favourite children’s book, and how Chelsea loved it. Tracy thinks that the nurse was right. There’s a promising future out there, waiting for Chelsea.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m001dmzz)
Alison Lapper on Sarah Biffin, Ric Renton, Plastics at the V&A Dundee
Artist Alison Lapper and co-curator Emma Rutherford discuss a new exhibition Without Hands: The Art of Sarah Biffin, which takes a fresh look at the work of the pioneering Victorian painter.
Actor and writer Ric Renton talks about his new play One Off at Theatre Live in Newcastle. Inspired by the time he spent in prison as a young man, it addresses a crisis in the prison system.
As a new exhibition about Plastic opens at the V&A Dundee, critic Anna Burnside takes a look at the 20th Century’s most intriguing and controversial materials.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Ellie Bury
Image Credit: Sarah Biffin (1784-1850) Self-portrait , 1821 © Philip Mould & Company
MON 20:00 Uncaged (m001dn04)
2. The Zoo
We've hit the 19th century, and the Golden Age of zoos.
Spearheaded by the Zoological Society of London and their iconic zoo in Regent's Park, zoos begin to spring up all over the country, and then all over Europe, and the world. Zoos are many things to many people, all at once. A high-minded scientific institution, dedicated to zoology and the emerging theory of evolution. A place of 'rational recreation', drawing the common rabble out of the drinking-houses and into something a little more civilised. A nice day out, feeding buns to the elephants. And a tool of Empire, reinforcing colonial attitudes to the animals that are kept on show, and the places they were taken from. Science and spectacle; wildness tamed; dangerous beasts petted or ridden; they're a paradox, and phenomenally popular.
In this episode Emily Knight finds out how the design of zoos changed over the century, bringing animals out of cramped cages and putting them in naturalistic 'enclosures'. How the scandalous practice of 'ethnographic displays' (that's human beings in cages, to you and me) caught on, and was eventually brought down. And how our feelings about animal welfare evolved throughout the century, and our understanding of animals too.
MON 20:30 Analysis (m001dn0b)
Is 'Political Blackness' gone for good?
Over the decades, a string of umbrella terms and acronyms have been used in the UK to describe people who aren’t white. “Politically Black”, Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME), ethnic minorities, or people of colour.
Virtually all of them have been rejected by the people they describe, but is there still value in a collective term for Britain’s ethnic minorities? Mobeen Azhar hears stories of solidarity and schism between different groups in modern Britain to find out whether any sense of unity still exists and whether we need a new label.
Contributors:
Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South
Asad Rehman, Executive Director, War on Want
Professor Jason Arday, Professor of Sociology of Education, University of Glasgow
Ada Akpala, writer and podcaster
Dr Rakib Ehsan, research analyst specialising in social integration and community relations
Dr Lisa Palmer, Deputy Director of the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University
Sunder Katwala, Director, British Future
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Dan Hardoon
Editor: Clare Fordham
Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar
Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Helena Warwick-Cross
MON 21:00 The Treasury Under Siege (m001dfff)
The Treasury has been under siege. Attacks on Whitehall’s most powerful and prestigious department escalated during the Tory leadership campaign of the summer, when the former prime minister Liz Truss and her supporters blamed 'Treasury orthodoxy' for holding the UK back, suppressing growth and productivity.
The Truss team attacks spectacularly backfired after the collapse of their ill-fated mini budget and all the convulsions which followed, but criticism of the Treasury has echoed through the ages. Sceptics say the 800-year-old institution, which sets economic policy and controls the UK's finances, is too powerful, too obsessed with bean-counting, too cautious, too short-termist and arrogant. There have been several attempts to reduce its influence – but the Treasury has fended them off .
Mark Damazer, a former controller of Radio 4 and BBC News executive, talks to insiders who have been at the heart of the Treasury to ask why it attracts so much criticism and what constitutes the orthodoxy that the critics want to challenge. Do wily civil servants use their influence to dilute the political will of elected politicians ? What lies behind the institution’s mystique ?
And, following the extraordinary unravelling of the Truss and Kwarteng premiership, we explore how 'Treasury orthodoxy' is striking back.
Guests include former Chancellor George Osborne, ex ministers Michael Gove and Justine Greening, Treasury historian and former Labour minister Ed Balls and two men with experience at the top of the civil service, Gus O’Donnell and Nick Macpherson.
Producer: Leala Padmanabhan
MON 21:30 Start the Week (m001dmy0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m001dn0m)
Home Secretary says immigration system is "broken"
In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
MON 22:45 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (m001dn0w)
Episode 1
Dickens’ David Copperfield is reimagined for the modern age by one of our best-loved novelists in this compelling, atmospheric tale of redemption.
Young Demon Copperhead is a good-hearted boy with the misfortune to be born into a broken society. As Demon battles through foster care, child labour and a dysfunctional education system, Kingsolver’s righteous anger is leavened with compassion for her glorious cast of characters in this epic tale of love, loss and community.
Barbara Kingsolver is the prize-winning author of novels, essays, poetry and journalism. Her books include 'The Poisonwood Bible', 'The Lacuna' and 'Unsheltered' and she established the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, America's largest prize for an unpublished first novel.
Read by Carl Prekopp
Written by Barbara Kingsolver
Abridged by Siân Preece
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
MON 23:00 The Witch Farm (m001dn16)
Episode 3: The Old Woman
Liz witnesses a terrifying apparition, and suddenly the haunting is no longer invisible. But is seeing believing? As she tries to solve the mystery of the apparition’s identity, Bill is becoming increasingly worried about Laurence. Could he really have become possessed by the sinister presence in the house or is the remote, lonely location playing with all their minds? Danny Robins investigates.
The Witch Farm reinvestigates a real-life haunting – a paranormal cold case that has been unsolved for nearly 30 years - until now. Set in in the beautiful, remote Welsh countryside, this terrifying true story is told through a thrilling blend of drama and documentary.
Written and presented by Danny Robins, creator of The Battersea Poltergeist, Uncanny and West End hit
2:22 – A Ghost Story, The Witch Farm stars Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Alexandra Roach (No Offence), with original theme music by Mercury Prize-nominated Gwenno. This 8-part series interweaves a terrifying supernatural thriller set in the wild Welsh countryside with a fascinating modern-day investigation into a real-life mystery.
Cast:
Bill Rich ..... Joseph Fiennes
Liz Rich ..... Alexandra Roach
Laurence Rich ..... Jonathan Case
Bethan Morgan ..... Rhian Morgan
Written and presented by Danny Robins
Experts: Ciaran O’Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow
Sound Design by Charlie Brandon-King and Richard Fox
Music by Evelyn Sykes
Theme Music by Gwenno
Researcher: Nancy Bottomley
Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard
Directed by Simon Barnard
Consultant: Mark Chadbourn, author of the book on the case, Testimony
A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001dn1f)
All the news from today's sitting at Westminster.
TUESDAY 01 NOVEMBER 2022
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m001dn1m)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 00:30 Disaster Trolls (m001dpnp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001dn1s)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001dn1x)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001dn21)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m001dn25)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001dn29)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, canon theologian for the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon.
Good morning. Today, many churches celebrate All Saints, the day when men and women who have been special models of faith and virtue are commemorated. It’s one of my favourite holy days, because it feels a little like a family reunion.
Although I know many dismiss a lot of medieval saints’ lives for being almost comically unbelievable, I personally don’t see why they’re any more incredible than half the things we believe about celebrities. I find it no harder to accept that otters kept St Cuthbert warm in the North Sea or St Denis carried his lopped-off head to his burial site than to believe that our world can be saved or improved by billionaires.
The saints model virtues such as faith, sacrifice, humility, and love: virtues that we’re disinclined by nature to desire for ourselves. I understand why some aspire to be rich and famous; I find it miraculous that some should want to be humbler or more sacrificial. Even so, those who venerate saints have an advantage over those who adore celebrities. They may enjoy nothing like the lifestyles of the rich and famous, but they can share some of the virtues of the saints. You or I may not be successful in practising those virtues, but that doesn’t mean we can’t aspire to be more like the saints. With a dollop of grace and love, we may even become like them where it most counts: in the lives of those around us.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those inexpressible joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you. Amen.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m001dn2f)
The Government is to order all farmed birds in England - including those kept in back yards – to be confined indoors to prevent the spread of bird flu.
Green campaigners demand to know why the Government has missed the deadline of the 31st of October to publish its ‘nature recovery’ targets.
The Waste and Resources Action Programme, and WWF, are calling for more action to prevent food waste on farms.
And how difficult is it to find housing in the remotest parts of Scotland?
Presenter: Anna Hill
Producer: Alun Beach
Editor: Dimitri Houtart
TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04hkysz)
Vampire Finch
Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.
Miranda Krestovnikoff presents the blood sucking vampire finch. On Wolf Island in the remote Galapagos archipelago, a small dark finch sidles up to a booby with a taste for blood. Sharp-beaked ground finch is found on several islands in the Galapagos and is one of the family known as Darwin's finches. Several species of ground-finches have devolved bill sizes which vary depending on their diet and the competition for food. Usually seeds, fruits, nectar and grubs. But one sharp-beaked ground-finch has gorier ambitions. On the isolated islands of Wolf and Darwin where seeds are scarcer in times of drought this bird has taken to drinking the blood of other seabirds, especially boobies. It pecks at the bases of their feathers and greedily laps up the flowing blood. For this reason it's often known as the, the vampire finch.
Producer : Andrew Dawes
TUE 06:00 Today (m001dn5l)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 Room 5 (m001dn5s)
Series 2, Episode 1: Holly
Aged 39, Holly Smale was a successful author - the creator of the bestselling series of children’s books, Geek Girl. One afternoon, while talking to her therapist, Holly breaks down, says she feels broken. And so begins her journey to understand why she’s always felt different to other people.
We track back through Holly’s difficult childhood, her short-lived modelling career and her traumatic time at university - all the way to the moment she was diagnosed as autistic.
Psychologist Dr Sarah Lister Brook - Clinical Director for the National Autistic Society - tells us why so many autistic girls and women still go undiagnosed. And Holly Smale shares some life advice with a newly diagnosed eight-year-old girl.
In Room 5, Helena Merriman interviews people who - like her - were changed by a diagnosis.
Written, presented and produced by Helena Merriman
Composer: Jeremy Warmsley
Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore
Production Co-ordinator: Janet Staples
Researcher: Drew Hyndman
Editor: Emma Rippon
#Room5
End song: Miffed by Tom Rosenthal
TUE 09:30 Flight of the Ospreys (m001dn5x)
The British Leg
Scotland's ospreys have started their epic Autumn flight to West Africa. A team of conservationists headed up by biologist Sacha Dench is following them all the way, aiming to discover much more about the journey that the ospreys make and the challenges they face along the way. Climate change is making weather patterns less predictable, crucial wetlands on their route are being poisoned by pesticides and depleted by drought and the birds have the unfortunate habit of electrocuting themselves when they land on powerlines with freshly caught fish.
Today, the Conservation Without Borders team choose which of the British birds they'll follow on their epic journey. They'll be stopping at key osprey breeding sites in Mid Wales, Rutland and at Poole on the south coast, before Sacha and the ospreys tackle the crossing of the English Channel.
Producers: Emily Knight and Alasdair Cross
TUE 09:45 Disaster Trolls (m001dn61)
2. Sharpening the spike
Martin and his daughter suffered life-changing injuries in the Manchester Arena bombing, but one conspiracy theorist claims to have gone to great lengths to try to prove otherwise.
Eve, then 14, and her father were the closest people to the blast to survive the 2017 terror attack, in which 22 people and the bomber were killed.
During the months that followed, Martin was shocked to be told about false claims, promoted by conspiracy show host Richard D Hall, that the bombing was faked. Hall accused him and other survivors of lying about their injuries. But then to Martin’s even greater horror, he discovered Hall had shared a video with his followers online where he demonstrated how he would set up a camera to film Eve - now profoundly disabled and in a wheelchair - to see whether she could in fact walk.
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast series, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring, investigates how survivors of UK terror attacks and tragedies are targeted with horrific conspiracy theories, online abuse and threats.
Across this series - and in this episode - there are graphic descriptions of violence. This episode contains audio from Richard D Hall’s website.
Presenter: Marianna Spring
Producer: Ant Adeane
Editor: Ed Main
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001dn6b)
What's a feminist city look like? Female doctors and the menopause. Jan Etherington on bickering.
Glasgow has become the first city in the UK to officially adopt a feminist town-planning-approach. Emma Barnett speaks to the woman behind the proposal Scottish Green Councillor Holly Bruce and the author of ‘Feminist City’ Leslie Kern. What's a feminist city look like and what changes can we expect to see in Glasgow.
One in five female doctors say they have considered early retirement due to menopause symptoms. A new report warns that without better support there could be ‘an exodus’ of female doctors from the NHS. Emma talks to Dame Jane Dacre, President of the Medical Protection Society, a not-for-profit protection organisation for healthcare professionals, who conducted the survey. Plus, Dr Nadira Awal, a GP who specialises in Women’s Health.
The Treasury has warned of "inevitable" tax rises as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak seeks to fill a "black hole" in public finances. They agreed "tough decisions" were needed on tax rises, as well as on spending. The Treasury gave no details but said "everybody would need to contribute more in tax in the years ahead". So how did we get here, what are the changes announced in a couple of weeks' time likely to be and how will they affect you? We hear from two women in the know Claer Barratt the consumer editor at the Financial Times and Dame DeAnne Julius a Fellow in Global Economy and Finance at Chatham House, and a founder member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England
Plus Jan Etherington the writer of Radio 4’s comedy Conversations from a Long Marriage joins Emma to discuss the highs and lows of bickering.
Producer Beverley Purcell
Presenter Emma Barnett
TUE 11:00 A Walk on the Supply Side (m001dn6k)
In September, the UK's new government took power heralding a ‘supply-side’ revolution.
But what is supply-side economics, and what do its origins in the battles of the 1970s and 1980s tell us about the rapid rise and fall of ‘Trussonomics’, and where we go from here?
The economics writer Duncan Weldon talks to Arthur Laffer about his campaign for tax rate reductions in the America of the 1970s - all the way from a dinner in Washington with Donald Rumsfeld in 1974, through a populist campaign to cut California property taxes in 1978, through to his work with President Reagan in the 1980s.
Duncan hears from the historian Rick Perlstein about why he assesses the 'Reagan tax cuts' to have failed - and what he makes of the fact that, rather surprisingly, he is reportedly Liz Truss' favourite historian. And the economist Patrick Minford, whose ideas influenced Truss, reflects on how his thinking had earlier influenced the Thatcher project. Can Thatcherism be recreated, and was it ever quite the same as Reaganomics?
Duncan also speaks to Gemma Tetlow of the Insitute for Government, Geoff Tily of the Trades Union Congress and Mark Littlewood of the Institute of Economic Affairs about the current viability of supply-side economics, whether in terms of tax cuts, deregulation or interventions on skills and infrastructure - and asks what all of this has to offer to the effort to revive the UK's sluggish rate of growth, now that the Sunak government has jettisoned Truss's plans.
Producer: Phil Tinline
TUE 11:30 Moving Pictures (m001dn6v)
A Bar at the Folies-Bergère by Édouard Manet
Cathy FitzGerald invites you to discover new details in old masterpieces.
Each episode of Moving Pictures is devoted to a single artwork - and you're invited to look as well as listen, by following a link to a high-resolution image made by Google Arts & Culture. Zoom in and you can see the pores of the canvas, the sweep of individual brushstrokes, the shimmer of pointillist dots.
This episode takes us to Paris in the 1880s and a popular music hall, the Folies-Bergère. A barmaid stares out of the painting, surrounded by bottles of beer and champagne. Behind her, a fashionable crowd gossip and flirt.
It's easy to think we know her, given how often she pops up on biscuit tins, mouse-mats and mugs. But take a closer look.
Cathy FitzGerald and her guests discover the secrets and delights of Édouard Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, now held in the collection of The Courtauld, London.
To see the super high-resolution image of the work made by Google Arts & Culture, visit www.bbc.co.uk/movingpictures. Scroll down and follow the link to explore the high-resolution image of A Bar at the Folies-Bergère.
Interviewees: Karen Serres, Barnaby Wright, Leah Kharibian, Colin Jones and Emily Beeny.
Producer and Presenter: Cathy FitzGerald
Executive Producer: Sarah Cuddon
Mix engineer: Mike Woolley
Art History Consultant: Leah Kharibian
A White Stiletto production for BBC Radio 4
Édouard Manet, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, 1882, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) © The Courtauld
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m001dn77)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m001dn7l)
Call You and Yours: Are you worried about water pollution and have you been affected?
On Call You and Yours this week we're asking are you worried about water pollution and have you been affected?
Last weekend a sewage spill off St Agnes beach in Cornwall prompted calls for more to be done tackle the issue. Just last month pollution warnings were in place for more than 100 British beaches after untreated sewage was discharged into the sea. According to the Environment Agency raw sewage was dumped into rivers and lakes across England over 370,000 last year.
Have you been affected by pollution of our rivers and seas? Are you a swimmer, a surfer or the parent of children who like to paddle or swim? Are you a dog walker or do you fish and are worried about what impact it might have? Have you noticed issues in your area - are you worried about water pollution?
Email to let us know: youandyours@bbc.co.uk
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: CATHERINE EARLAM
TUE 12:57 Weather (m001dn7s)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m001dn81)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Sarah Montague.
TUE 13:45 The Threat to American Democracy (m001dn89)
Glitch in the machine
Owen Bennett-Jones explores the threats facing America’s electoral system - from Russian interference to voter suppression and from cyber-attacks to conspiracy theories. How vulnerable is American democracy? And can US citizens still trust the system to deliver a fair result?
As the Republican and Democratic parties prepare for November’s mid-terms, the last major polling day before the 2024 Presidential election, we hear what is being done to counter these threats. And with Donald Trump's Stop the Steal campaign bringing doubts about the electoral system into the political mainstream, is an erosion of faith in democracy now the greatest threat of all?
In Episode Two, an election analyst spots an impossible result at a polling station in Memphis, Tennessee. Owen examines whether America’s reliance on electronic voting machines has made preventing and detecting fraud more difficult and we hear how the Stop the Steal movement has exploited fears of electoral fraud.
Presenter: Owen Bennett-Jones
Producer: Leo Hornak
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m001dmzs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama (m001dn8h)
The Owl and the Nightingale
In this highly engaging new translation of the lively medieval poem The Owl and the Nightingale, Simon Armitage communicates this twitter spat with all the energy, humour and theatricality of the original. A narrator overhears a firey verbal contest between the two birds which moves from the philosophical to the ridiculous. The disputed issues resonate today - concerning identity, class, cultural attitudes and the right to be heard. They argue about everything from toilet habits to parenting skills, the song of one trying to outdo the other .
Narrator - Simon Armitage
Owl - Maxine Peake
Nightingale - Rachael Stirling
TUE 15:00 The Kitchen Cabinet (m001dmk9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
TUE 15:30 Costing the Earth (m001dn8p)
CSI Oceans
Anna Turns investigates what over 30 years of post mortems on dolphins, porpoises, and whales has revealed about the state of the seas. The Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme in England and Wales, and the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme, have carried out thousands of autopsies. Anna goes into the pathology lab with Rob Deaville from ZSL as he examines a Harbour Porpoise for clues about how it died, and how it lived. As Anna finds out from toxicologist Dr Rosie Williams and veterinary pathologist Dr Andrew Brownlow, evidence from post mortems shows animals' ability to survive and breed is threatened by pollution from long banned but peristent chemicals, known as PCBs. To find out how these chemicals could still be leaching into the environment Anna travels to the Thames Estuary with Professor of Environmental Geochemistry Kate Spencer.
Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol : Sarah Swaddling
TUE 16:00 Law in Action (m001dn90)
Scrapping European law
The government is currently committed to a bonfire of laws which were inherited from the EU after Brexit - including things like the right to four weeks' paid annual leave. The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022 requires government departments to check over 2400 laws; then decide which ones to keep, which ones to amend, and which ones to let disappear from the statute books. Those chosen to be kept or amended will have to get through parliament by the end of next year, if they are to remain in force. A useful cleansing of the statute books, or a loss of consumer, worker and environmental rights?
Why does Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister want to raise the age of criminal responsibility? It's currently set at the age of ten, the same as that of England and Wales, although not Scotland. This is very low by international standards.
Are young adult defendants being unfairly pressurised into pleading guilty? The campaigning organisation Fair Trials says that 18-24-year olds sometimes get as little as 30 minutes to make a potentially life-changing decision. There is an incentive of getting a third off a prison sentence for pleading guilty at the first opportunity - Fair Trails say young defendants can fail to realise the long-term consequences of making such a plea.
Can podcasts help bring about justice or do they run the risk of prejudicing trials? We hear about the Australian true crime podcast ‘The Teacher’s Pet’, which has now helped solve a murder from 1982. The victim’s husband was convicted and is about to be sentenced.
Presenter: Joshua Rozenberg
Producer: Arlene Gregorius
Researcher: Diane Richardson
Sound engineer: Graham Puddifoot
Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Helena Warwick-Cross
Editor: Simon Watts
TUE 16:30 A Good Read (m001dn98)
Ria Lina and Otegha Uwagba
The comedian Ria Lina - who's appeared on the BBC’s Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News for You and Mock the Week - joins Otegha Uwagba - author of Little Black Book, Whites and We Need to Talk About Money - to talk to Harriett Gilbert about the books they love.
Ria chooses Moll Flanders, the 18th-century classic by Daniel Defoe. Otegha picks the popular romance story Like Water for Chocolate by Mexican author Laura Esquivel and Harriett Gilbert brings a book about motherhood; Making Babies by Anne Enright.
Produced by Eliza Lomas
Comment on Instagram at @agoodreadbbc
TUE 17:00 PM (m001dn9k)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001dn9y)
Several coach loads of migrants have left Manston in an attempt to relieve overcrowding.
TUE 18:30 The Missing Hancocks (m0009zcs)
Series 4
The Diamond Ring
The Missing Hancocks recreates those episodes of the classic Hancock's Half Hour that have been wiped or lost from the archive.
The first modern sitcom, Hancock's Half Hour made stars of Tony Hancock, Sid James and Kenneth Williams, and launched Ray Galton and Alan Simpson as one of the most successful comedy-writing partnerships in history. But 20 episodes of the show were missing from the BBC archives. Now, after four highly successful series, the final batch of those episodes have been lovingly re-recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC Radio Theatre.
Tonight's episode: Hancock finds a diamond ring, but when Moira gets it into her head that marriage is in the air, Tony is forced to turn to Sid for help.
Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and with the classic score re-recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra, the show stars Kevin McNally, Kevin Eldon, Simon Greenall, Robin Sebastian and Margaret Cabourn-Smith. The Diamond Ring was first broadcast on 9th November 1954.
Produced by Neil Pearson & Hayley Sterling.
Written by Ray Galton & Simpson
Music recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Levon Parikian.
A BBC Studios Production.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m001dnbb)
Vince has had a long trip, and is Ben getting the cold shoulder?
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m001dnbl)
Nick Hornby, dancer Cecilia Iliesiu, Derek Owusu and Anthony Anaxagorou
Author Nick Hornby on the similarities of Dickens and Prince, as he publishes his new book on the “genius” of the Victorian novelist and the sex-funk pop musician.
On the eve of World Ballet Day, we talk to Pacific Northwest Ballet Principal Dancer, Cecilia Iliesiu, about the new project she has co-founded – Global Ballet Teachers - to make the teaching of ballet more accessible to ballet teachers worldwide. We also hear from Vivian Boateng, a ballet teacher based in Accra, Ghana, who has been taking part in the Global Ballet Teachers project.
Derek Owusu has written a book about his mother, who came to Britain from Ghana. But rather than a prose memoir he has imagined the journey of her life as a long poem titled Losing the Plot. Anthony Anaxagorou also writes about his family, life here and in Cyprus, where they came from, in his new collection Heritage Aesthetics. Rather than interviewing the two writers separately Front Row asked each to read the other's. Derek Owusu and Anthony Anaxagorou join Front Row to discuss their work.
Photo credit for Nick Hornby: Parisa Taghizadeh
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Kirsty McQuire
TUE 20:00 File on 4 (m001dnbr)
High Anxiety: The Deadly Trade in Street Valium
They’re cheap – but they’re also deadly. Illegal pills costing as little as 50p each are contributing to the deaths of hundreds of people each year in Scotland. Now an expert is warning benzodiazepines, or street Valium, could pose a growing threat elsewhere.
Jane Deith talks to those whose lives have been destroyed by benzodiazepines, a category of drugs usually used to treat anxiety that can be prescribed, but which have become a major feature of the illegal drugs market in Scotland and now elsewhere in the UK.
The so called “street benzos” are a class C drug manufactured in huge quantities in illegal factories and sold for as little as 50p each, less than a bar of chocolate.
But in combination with other drugs benzodiazepines can be fatal, significantly increasing the risk of an overdose. In recent years the number of people dying has risen sharply. Last year in Scotland more than 800 people died with illegal street benzos in their system. In England and Wales the death toll was over 500, with 171 of those who died having used benzodiazepine analogues, fake versions that can vary widely – and dangerously - in strength.
From the Clyde to Cornwall, File on 4 hears the stories of those dealing with the fallout from the trade in the drugs, including people who have been addicted to them; a mother in North East England who lost her daughter to a fatal overdose; a teenager who bought them on social media, and an expert who believes their influence is spreading, with potentially dangerous consequences.
Reporter: Jane Deith
Producer: Fergus Hewison
Research: George Crafer
Journalism Assistant: Tim Fernley
Production Manager: Sarah Payton
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Editor: Carl Johnston
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m001dnbz)
DWP High Court Case; The Esterman Visual Field Test for Driving
The Department for Work and Pensions will soon appear in the high court in a case brought against them by Dr Yusuf Ali Osman. Dr Osman has repeatedly requested that communications over his benefit payments be sent to him in his preferred accessible format but has not received them. We invited him onto the program to provide further details on which his case is being brought. Mike Lambert has had a similar problem with the DWP and he shares those with us.
For those who have certain eye conditions with enough sight to continue to drive, you may have heard of the Esterman Visual Field test. It is designed to test your peripheral vision but concerns have been raised over the test's validity and appropriateness to be used by the DVLA. We have these laid out by Lou, who has glaucoma and has had a negative experience when taking the test. We also invited Roger Anderson, who is a Professor of Optometry at Ulster University and sits on the DVLA's Advisory Committee of Vision and Visual Disorders, to share his thoughts on the matter.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Paul Holloway
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image. He is wearing a dark green jumper with the collar of a check shirt peeking at the top. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo, Across Peter's chest reads "In Touch" and beneath that is the Radio 4 logo. The background is a series of squares that are different shades of blue.
TUE 21:00 Inside Health (m001dnc5)
How can a cold home affect your health?
James is in South Wales where he's wired up and locked inside a cryo-lab to discover the impact of cold on the human body. A temperature of 10C seems pretty mild doesn’t it - yet James is shocked at the profound stress it puts on his body. Today we discover why cold is a killer and what you can do about it if you’re struggling to heat your home.
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Gerry Holt
TUE 21:30 Room 5 (m001dn5s)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m001dncc)
Bolsonaro breaks silence after election
In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
TUE 22:45 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (m001dnck)
Episode 2
Dickens’ David Copperfield is reimagined for the modern age by one of our best-loved novelists in this compelling, atmospheric tale of redemption.
Young Demon Copperhead is a good-hearted boy with the misfortune to be born into a broken society. As Demon battles through foster care, child labour and a dysfunctional education system, Kingsolver’s righteous anger is leavened with compassion for her glorious cast of characters in this epic tale of love, loss and community.
Although Demon is thrilled that his mom has embraced sobriety, he's finding living in the trailer with his new step-father difficult.
Barbara Kingsolver is the prize-winning author of novels, essays, poetry and journalism. Her books include 'The Poisonwood Bible', 'The Lacuna' and 'Unsheltered' and she established the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, America's largest prize for an unpublished first novel.
Read by Carl Prekopp
Written by Barbara Kingsolver
Abridged by Siân Preece
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
TUE 23:00 Now You're Asking with Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn (m001dmqf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:15 on Sunday]
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001dncr)
Sean Curran with all the news from parliament, including MPs' concerns that the government isn't tackling Chinese "police stations" in the UK.
WEDNESDAY 02 NOVEMBER 2022
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m001dncx)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
WED 00:30 Disaster Trolls (m001dn61)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001dnd3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001dnd9)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001dndk)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (m001dnds)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001dndx)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, canon theologian for the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon.
Good morning. Little distinguishes us more from our ancestors than our attitude towards the dead. Where I live in Wales, I can easily visit any number of prehistoric burial mounds and cairns: ancient monuments to the dead. For almost all of human history, we have sought to keep our dead close by, to give them a place among the living. Perhaps this is invariably so among those for whom death and dying are ever-present realities.
Today, many churches remember the “faithful departed”, all who have died in the faith to whose names no one has ever officially affixed the title ‘Saint’. In this way, we keep them close by, conjuring them up annually to our collective memory, so that their lives may speak to us who are still living. We share each other’s company, and though this can cause tears among the grieving, it’s also a source of strength and comfort.
It was a common practice through at least Roman times for the living not only to remember their dead but also to share meals with them. On many Sundays, my communion prayers include this line: “We pray for the faithful departed, those whom we have known and loved, and who share with us in this Eucharist…” It serves as a reminder that at our own meal, the one instituted by Christ as a memorial of his own death, both the living and the dead are present. If having a meal together is what families do, how comforting it is to know that at our most important meal, the Eucharist, our dead remain very much…family.
Let us pray.
Father of all, we pray for all those whom we love but see no longer. Grant to them eternal rest. Let light perpetual shine upon them. May the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m001dnf3)
Could gene editing of farmed birds be the solution to bird flu?
A scientist explains how it works and an environmentalist explains why he thinks it isn’t the answer.
And how short term holiday lets are making life difficult for rural people to afford to live in the countryside.
Presenter: Anna Hill
Producer: Alun Beach
Editor: Dimitri Houtart
WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b08v8946)
Lindsey Chapman on the Cetti's warbler
When Springwatch presenter Lindsey Chapman went walking with fellow Springwatch host Brett Westwood it was the first time she had heard a call so boisterous that now she recognises it instantly whenever she hears it, the Cetti's warbler.
Producer Tom Bonnett.
WED 06:00 Today (m001dndj)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Life Changing (m001dndw)
Meal deal
It’s 2011 and Nicola Shaughnessy is on her way to an academic conference when she stops to buy herself some lunch. As she reaches for a sandwich she suddenly hears a familiar voice from her childhood. That moment and that voice lead to years of psychiatric care and upheaval but ultimately to answers and a better understanding of herself. Now a university professor, she tells her story to Dr Sian Williams.
BBC Action Line support:
Autism: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2637nQGtTK1D8YPkCSnlyDN/information-and-support-autism
Eating disorders: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2DRkg4JC7SLT3B7hlrn6DKN/information-and-support-eating-disorders
WED 09:30 One Dish (p0cldlms)
Moqueca Fish Pie with Ixta Belfrage
Food writer and cook Ixta Belfrage is Andi’s guest, and her One Dish is actually one of her own invention: a historic and important Brazilian fish stew - Moqueca - adapted into a British-style potato-topped fish pie. Ixta shares the history of Moqueca, and how it evolved from an indigenous Tupi Brazilian dish to contain ingredients like coconut milk and azeite de dende (red palm oil) which arrived in Brazil with enslaved people from Africa and Portuguese colonisers. Andi explores the history of pies being made with potato tops rather than pastry cases.
This dish is emblematic of Ixta’s approach to cooking; she grew up in Italy and England with a Brazilian mum and English dad, and has a strong family connection to Mexico too. The astonishing family history that she recounts is reflected in how she uses ingredients in dishes like this Moqueca fish pie. Plus, Kimberley Wilson has a fascinating science segment on a key element of Ixta’s dish: the heat from Scotch bonnet chili.
Food Scientist: Kimberley Wilson
Food Historian: Neil Buttery
Producer: Lucy Dearlove
Exec Producer: Hannah Marshall
Sound Design: Charlie Brandon-King
Assistant Producer: Bukky Fadipe
A Storyglass production for BBC Radio 4
WED 09:45 Disaster Trolls (m001dnjg)
3. The insider
What sort of person spreads false claims about survivors of terror attacks? An unexpected source gives Marianna Spring the inside track on conspiracy show host Richard D Hall.
Neil Sanders has moved in the same sort of conspiracy-minded circles as Hall for years. He’s been a regular guest on Hall’s show. Neil even says he probably wouldn’t have written his book without Hall’s encouragement. In this episode, he helps Marianna chart Hall’s evolution from a UFO enthusiast obsessed with alien abductions to someone who promotes toxic conspiracy theories.
Neil rejects Hall’s theories about so-called “crisis actors” and faked terror attacks, and he recognises the distress those false claims cause to survivors.
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring, investigates how survivors of UK terror attacks and tragedies are targeted with horrific conspiracy theories, online abuse and threats. Some are even tracked down offline too. Now they want answers and justice.
This episode contains audio from Richard D Hall’s website.
Presenter: Marianna Spring
Producer: Ant Adeane
Editor: Ed Main
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001dnf9)
Cat Power, US Midterms, Hope Boxes, writer Yasmin El-Rifae
Chan Marshall, better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer, songwriter and producer. After three decades in the music industry, she has eight original albums under her belt but has also made three cover albums. The most recent saw her singing everything from the work of The Pogues to Lana Del Rey. This Saturday she will be recreating Bob Dylan’s iconic 1966 Royal Albert Hall concert. It was one of the most controversial tours in the history of rock & roll, where Dylan enraged fans for electrifying his songs. Power will be performing them in the same order as Dylan himself: the first half of the show will be acoustic before an electric band join her for the second half. Chan joins Emma to talk music, motherhood and honouring a rock and roll icon.
With just five days to go until the US midterms, Emma takes a look at what matters to women voters. On Monday we heard from a former Republican strategist, today Emma will be joined by Democratic Party political strategist and former head of EMILY’s List, Stephanie Schriock.
A new project, led by Lancaster University, has created memory boxes, designed to help women whose babies are taken into care at birth while a court determines their child’s future. We hear why these ‘Hope boxes’ are so important to the women who developed the idea and Research Fellow, Claire Mason who supported them. And discuss why the number of newborns in care proceedings in England and Wales has increased over the past decade.
We revisit the events of the Egyptian protests in 2012-2013 in Tahrir Square in Cairo, with the author Yasmin El-Rifae. Her book, ‘Radius, A Story of Feminist Revolution', tells the story of the women and men who formed Opantish – Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment and Assault to intervene in the spiralling cases of sexual violence against women in the square. The group members often risked assault themselves and Yasmin was also one of their organisers.
WED 11:00 Uncaged (m001dn04)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Monday]
WED 11:30 Meet David Sedaris (m000v9ck)
Series 8
Instalment 6
What with the whole world grinding to a viral halt and everything, this special series of essays and diary entries is recorded at the Sussex home of the world-renowned storyteller.
In 2021, it's 25 years since David Sedaris first shared his very particular world view with the listeners to BBC Radio 4, having brought us The SantaLand Diaries back in 1996. In this eighth series of Meet David Sedaris, he continues to entertain with sardonic wit and incisive social critiques.
David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humour writers and, in 2019, was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that he's a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.
Sedaris's first book, Barrel Fever (1994), which included The SantaLand Diaries, was a critical and commercial success, as were his follow-up efforts, Naked (1997), Holidays on Ice (1997) and Me Talk Pretty One Day (2000). He became known for his bitingly funny recollections of his youth, family life and travels, making semi-celebrities out of his parents and siblings.
David Sedaris has been nominated for three Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word and Best Comedy Album. His latest international best-selling book is a collection of stories entitled Calypso. A feature film adaptation of his story C.O.G. was released after a premier at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013.
Producer: Steve Doherty
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4
WED 12:00 News Summary (m001dnjq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m001dnfq)
Land Registry, Tenants Deposits and Price of Fuel
Students are worried that they are being docked money from rental desposits. More than one in five mentioned the concern in a recent survey. What is reasonable for a landlord to deduct and what can you do about it if you do not agree?
You & Yours has told you about the extraordinary story of homes being stolen from owners. As a result many listeners contacted the Land Registry to check that their homes would be proetcted from such a scam. Unfortunately for some securing such comfort has not been easy, if possible at all.
Petrol prices are on the up and the difference in price between petrol and diesel is close to its widest. What's happening at the pumps and how is it impacting on your car usage?
Gamblers are complaining that online bookies are using rules about ID verification, designed to combat money laundering and problem gamblers, to delay or deny pay out to some punters.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: KEVIN MOUSLEY
WED 12:57 Weather (m001dnfz)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m001dng7)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Sarah Montague.
WED 13:45 The Threat to American Democracy (m001dngf)
How to choose your voter
Owen Bennett-Jones explores the threats facing America’s electoral system - from Russian interference to voter suppression and from cyber-attacks to conspiracy theories. How vulnerable is American democracy? And can US citizens still trust the system to deliver a fair result?
As the Republican and Democratic parties prepare for November’s mid-terms, the last major polling day before the 2024 Presidential election, we hear what is being done to counter these threats. And with Donald Trump's Stop the Steal campaign bringing doubts about the electoral system into the political mainstream, is an erosion of faith in democracy now the greatest threat of all?
In Episode Three, a pro-Trump politician runs for governor in Kansas on a platform of protecting elections from fraud. His opponents believe projects like his are the real threat to democracy - a process of ‘voter suppression’.
Presenter: Owen Bennett-Jones
Producer: Leo Hornak
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
WED 14:00 The Archers (m001dnbb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (m000p107)
Talk to Me: Ayn Rand
By Sara Davies and Abigail Youngman.
1974. Ayn Rand, darling of the Alt-Right, and allegedly President Trump's favourite writer, has secrets she will never reveal. But her husband Frank just might. And now, after nearly forty years without contact, her sister Nora is coming to visit from the Soviet Union.
Ayn Rand is the inspiration behind the slogan 'Greed is Good'. She believed that 'rational self interest' should guide an individual's actions; that 'society' and altruism are evil, and that the State should not exist. For Rand, love consists of the 'selfish pleasure' of two individuals acting on reason. She chose her husband, Frank O'Connor, for his film-star looks and heroic aspect, but it's hard to live up to that image in real life.
Award-winning director Mary Ward-Lowery meets members of Rand's household: husband Frank, her sister Nora, housekeeper Eloise and Rand herself, to piece together the story of how these ideas play out in real relationships. How selfish pleasure can also cause pain and humiliation to those closest to you. The truth is shocking, explosive and sometimes funny.
With an interview with writer and entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan.
Cast
Ayn Rand ..... Diana Quick
Nora Drobysheva ..... Tracy-Ann Oberman
Frank O'Connor ..... Rupert Wickham
Eloise Huggins ..... Kerri McLean
Music by Tom Constantine
Director Mary Ward-Lowery
WED 15:00 Money Box (m001dngp)
Money Box Live: Your Pension
Are you one of the nearly three million people who has lost track of a pension? There is almost £27 billion that has been paid in by individuals and employers into a pension pot, but the firm holding the money has lost track of the owners. We'll give advice on how you can track your lost pension and take listener questions.
Email your question now to moneybox@bbc.co.uk
Featuring, Lauren Wilkinson, Senior Policy Researcher at Pensions Policy Institute, Duncan Stevens, CEO at Gretel and Nigel Peaple, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Producer: Amber Mehmood
Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast
3pm, Wednesday 2nd November, 2022)
WED 15:30 Inside Health (m001dnc5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 16:00 Sideways (m001dngz)
The Social Contagion
On Armistice Day 2015, Mel gets a phone call from her son’s school, asking her to come in. When she arrives, she finds the car park filled with ambulances and police cars, emergency services buzzing around.
It began with someone fainting in assembly and then, like dominoes, more teenagers began to collapse. Students were sent back to their classrooms, but the outbreak spread, with more and more people feeling dizzy and sick.
In this episode of Sideways, Matthew Syed tells the story of a strange fainting outbreak at a school and delves into these types of events which affect dozens - sometimes hundreds - of people. What looks unexplained turns out to have a fascinating psychological explanation. But, as Matthew discovers, sometimes our desire to explain things can lead to us explaining them away.
With Professor Sir Simon Wessely, psychiatrist and epidemiologist at Kings College, London and Dr Johanna Braun, artist and researcher at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna.
Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Pippa Smith
Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey
Sound Design and Mix: Rob Speight
Theme music by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
WED 16:30 The Media Show (m001dnhc)
Elon Frees the Bird
Does it matter that the world’s richest man now owns Twitter? Elon Musk is the latest American billionaire to take control of an influential social media platform. How much will change?
Also in the programme, how the BBC's Africa Eye team investigated a tragedy on the Moroccan – Spanish border.
Guests: Peter Kafka, host of Recode Media, Danielle Citron, professor of law at University of Virginia and advisor to Twitter, Shona Ghosh, UK Deputy Editor at Insider, Benjamin Strick and Suzanne Vanhooymissen, journalists on BBC Africa Eye's Death on the Border investigation.
Presenter: Katie Razzall
Studio Engineer: Donald MacDonald
Producer: Helen Fitzhenry
WED 17:00 PM (m001dnhj)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001dnhq)
Rishi Sunak says he will go to the COP27 climate summit in Egypt.
WED 18:30 Rob Newman (m001dnhs)
Rob Newman On Air
Episode Two: On Therapy
Rob Newman, one of Britain's finest comedians, explores the rise of online therapy, geological time periods and why he makes sure he always arrives early to gigs. In doing so he takes us on a journey through Spinoza, Tom Lehrer, Peter Gabriel, Einstein versus spiders, and the unlikely concept of Rapper's Remorse.
Written by and starring Rob Newman
With Claire Price
Original music by Boo Hewerdine and Chris Pepper
Recorded by David Thomas
Executive Producer: Polly Thomas
Produced by Jon Harvey and Eloise Whitmore
A Naked production for BBC Radio 4
WED 19:00 The Archers (m001dnhv)
Lilian, Kirsty and Lynda get together to open the bottle that they found in the woods. They tease out the paper inside it. There’s writing on it. It’s an affecting letter from a child to Father Christmas, asking for a guitar, and for their parents to stop arguing all the time. It’s signed, but they can’t make it out. Lynda is inspired. She’ll get out all the old Christmas cards and try and match the handwriting. They set about it, and Lynda exclaims the author is Tony Archer. Lilian is quiet. If it was him, then he was talking about her mum and dad too.
Natasha bumps into Chelsea on the Green. Chelsea’s having some time away from Tracy, who’s hugging her every five minutes. Natasha finds out that Chelsea has had a termination, and she can see that she’s vulnerable. She has an idea. Thinking they need to cheer each other up, she invites Chelsea to April Cottage. She’ll do Chelsea’s makeup, and Chelsea can do her hair.
Chelsea wonders how it could have taken her so long to decide what to do. Natasha tells her she was juggling two different futures. Chelsea describes how she’s been, saying she woke up very relieved, but felt bad about that. Natasha tells her firmly that she didn’t plan to get pregnant, and she didn’t want to have a baby. Which means she made the right choice. Then she’s amazed by what Chelsea has done with her hair. Chelsea has a real talent – she’s going to be okay.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m001dnhx)
Live from Cardiff with Connor Allen, Zoë Skoulding and music from Catrin Finch and Aoife Ni Bhriain
Playwright, poet and Children’s Laureate for Wales Connor Allen talks about his grime-theatre mash-up The Making of a Monster, a semi-autobiographical production about a young man struggling to find his place in the world.
Harpist Catrin Finch and Irish violinist Aoife Ni Bhriain perform live in the Front Row studio and discuss their appearance at the Other Voices Festival in Cardigan, which will celebrate connections between Ireland and Wales.
Poet Zoë Skoulding talks about her latest collection, A Marginal Sea, written in Ynys Mon, Anglesey, on the edge of Wales.
Bilingual rapper, Sage Todz, on turning O Hyd - Still Here - a song from the '80s rallying people to the cause of the Welsh language, into one rallying them in support of the Welsh national football team, which is still here, in the World Cup competition.
Presenter: Huw Stephens
Producer: Julian May
WED 20:00 Life Changing (m001dndw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 20:30 Net Zero: A Very British Problem (m001c6wp)
Road Transport
The UK is a global success story when it comes to reducing carbon emissions. Committed to reaching net zero by 2050, we've surpassed targets for 2012, 2017 and - already - 2022. We are ahead of all EU countries and other leading economies.
On paper we look good, but it's about to get a lot tougher…
The carbon savings we've made so far have been the easy ones. To reach Net Zero, we need to start changing the way we live and work. We need to rethink our homes, our heating, our transportation and our food. We can’t reach net zero without these changes impacting on each and every one of us.
In this series, comedian and environmental economist Matt Winning looks at the ways in which unique aspects of British culture have shaped how we generate carbon, how we've managed to reduce emissions, and the challenges we now face to eliminate them completely. Travelling around Britain - from terraced houses to the tiniest of crofts, and from golf courses to cement factories – Matt reveals how our energy consumption is bound up with who we are.
The big question now is: can we change?
Produced by: Victoria McArthur & Alice Mckee
Presented by: Matt Winning
Sound mix by: Lee McPhail
Senior Producers: Peter McManus and Megan Jones
Based on an original idea by: Kate Bissell & Glyn Tansley
WED 21:00 Costing the Earth (m001dn8p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
15:30 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 The Media Show (m001dnhc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m001dnj0)
US Fed raises rates by 0.75%
In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
WED 22:45 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (m001dnj6)
Episode 3
Dickens’ David Copperfield is reimagined for the modern age by one of our best-loved novelists in this compelling, atmospheric tale of redemption.
Young Demon Copperhead is a good-hearted boy with the misfortune to be born into a broken society. As Demon battles through foster care, child labour and a dysfunctional education system, Kingsolver’s righteous anger is leavened with compassion for her glorious cast of characters in this epic tale of love, loss and community.
With his mom in hospital recovering from an overdose, Demon faces his first night in foster care.
Barbara Kingsolver is the prize-winning author of novels, essays, poetry and journalism. Her books include 'The Poisonwood Bible', 'The Lacuna' and 'Unsheltered' and she established the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, America's largest prize for an unpublished first novel.
Read by Carl Prekopp
Written by Barbara Kingsolver
Abridged by Siân Preece
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
WED 23:00 The Skewer (m001dnjf)
The Skewer: 100 Years of the BBC
Jon Holmes' multi award winning The Skewer twists itself into the past, as it sets about dismantling 100 Years of the BBC.
The archive is plundered, the BBC's history is revisited, and it's all cut up and smashed about via The Skewer's no holds-barred and unforgiving approach.
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001dnjp)
All the news from today's sitting at Westminster.
THURSDAY 03 NOVEMBER 2022
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m001dnjy)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
THU 00:30 Disaster Trolls (m001dnjg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001dnk4)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001dnkc)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001dnkn)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (m001dnkz)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001dnlc)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, canon theologian for the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon.
Good morning. Today, on the Feast of St Winifred, I’m reminded of one of the most remarkable places in Britain: St Winifred’s Well in Flintshire. It’s arguably the oldest site of pilgrimage in Britain, welcoming people in search of miracles centuries before Chaucer’s pilgrims set out for Canterbury. Protected from the worst depredations of the Reformers, it remains remarkably intact: a site that today attracts tourists and pilgrims of all faiths and none.
We know little about St Winifred herself. According to some accounts, she was among those early Welsh virgin saints who fell victim to a violent man’s lust. Although all ends well with her restoration to life, her story sadly remains a perennial experience for too many women. Thus, she is venerated as a protector of those coping with unwanted advances.
St Winifred inspired a devotion that has endured more than twelve centuries. Our world could not be more different from the 7th-century Wales she knew; the location of her well today bears no resemblance to the spot of her death. And yet Winifred is still remembered, still venerated, and her holy well is still visited. I find that miraculous, showing, as it does, that through faith even the most vulnerable can bring hope and healing to others.
Let us pray.
Lord God, the fountain of all life, who call us through the waters of baptism to die and rise with Christ: grant that we who call to mind the life and death of your servant Winifred, may, like her, consider ourselves dead to sin but alive to you in Christ Jesus. Amen.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m001dnlm)
As avian flu forces birds in England into lockdown, Scottish farmers say their flocks too should be coming inside. We hear why Scotland's Chief Vet disagrees.
Some of the world's biggest food companies have signed up to an action plan to move their businesses and suppliers to regenerative farming.
All week we're talking about rural housing, or lack of it. In one rural county, Wiltshire, the council is currently dealing with around 360 assessments a month from people who're worried about losing their homes. The Doorway project in the market town of Chippenham helps homeless people, often sleeping rough in the countryside.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b099ylnb)
Samuel West on the Long-tailed Tit
Keen Birdwatcher and actor Samuel West recalls the chattering calls of the long tailed tit, the first bird he ever identified by sound.
Producer: Tom Bonnett
Photo: Kevin Mayhew.
THU 06:00 Today (m001dnlb)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m001dnlr)
The Morant Bay Rebellion
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the rebellion that broke out in Jamaica on 11th October 1865 when Paul Bogle (1822-65) led a protest march from Stony Gut to the courthouse in nearby Morant Bay. There were many grounds for grievance that day and soon anger turned to bloodshed. Although the British had abolished slavery 30 years before, the plantation owners were still dominant and the conditions for the majority of people on Jamaica were poor. The British governor suppressed this rebellion brutally and soon people in Jamaica lost what right they had to rule themselves. Some in Britain, like Charles Dickens, supported the governor's actions while others, like Charles Darwin, wanted him tried for murder.
The image above is from a Jamaican $2 banknote, printed after Paul Bogle became a National Hero in 1969.
With
Matthew J Smith
Professor of History and Director of the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery at University College London
Diana Paton
The William Robertson Professor of History at the University of Edinburgh
And
Lawrence Goldman
Emeritus Fellow in History at St Peter’s College, University of Oxford
Producer: Simon Tillotson
THU 09:45 Disaster Trolls (m001dnp2)
4. Hall’s stall
Marianna Spring finally comes face to face with Richard D Hall. Will she be able to get answers for the terror survivors targeted by his conspiracy theories?
In earlier episodes, we heard how Hall has spread false claims that the Manchester Arena bombing and other terror attacks were faked or actually carried out by the government. He even boasted about placing a hidden camera outside the home of a teenage survivor to try to prove her injuries weren’t real.
He even describes how he tracks down survivors of the attack to determine whether it was faked. When Hall repeatedly refuses to be interviewed, Marianna heads to Wales to visit the market stall where he sells his merchandise.
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast series, Marianna Spring, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, investigates how online trolls deepen the trauma suffered by people caught up in terror attacks and other horrific events.
This episode contains audio from Richard D Hall’s website.
Presenter: Marianna Spring
Producer: Ant Adeane
Editor: Ed Main
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001dnm3)
Dame Sharon White - Chair of John Lewis, Beth Mead, Caroline and Rose Quentin
Dame Sharon White is the first ever female chair of John Lewis Partnership and was recently named the UK’s most influential black person in the 2023 Powerlist. She became the chair of the John Lewis Partnership in January 2020 just as the Covid pandemic hit and is responsible for turning around the fortunes of John Lewis and Waitrose in what is widely seen as the most challenging time in the company’s history. She joins Emma.
The accolades just keep coming for Beth Mead, she won the Golden Boot - meaning she scored the most goals - and Player of the Tournament at the Euro's earlier this year, and last month she was runner-up in the Ballon d'Or which decides the best player in the world. Beth, who plays for Arsenal in the Women's Super League, has a new book out called Lioness: My Journey To Glory and joins Emma in the studio.
Men Behaving Badly star Caroline Quentin is joined by her daughter Rose for a new touring production of the George Bernard Shaw play, Mrs Warren’s Profession. They play Mrs Warren and her daughter Vivie, who suffers a crisis of conscience when she discovers that her comfortable life has been funded by her mother’s work in the sex industry. Caroline and Rose join Emma to discuss their relationship and their first experience of working together.
THU 11:00 From Our Own Correspondent (m001dnm9)
The Return of Lula
Brazil's left-wing Presidential candidate Lula da Silva made a political comeback this week, narrowly beating the incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro. In Lula’s victory speech, he promised to tackle hunger, which is affecting more than 33 million people there. Sofia Bettiza travelled to Northeastern Brazil, where many people voted for Lula.
This week, Lebanon entered unchartered territory with no president, a caretaker cabinet and deeply divided parliament. And with the Lebanese currency losing around 90 per cent of its value, the country’s citizens have been taken matters into their own hands. More than a dozen banks have been raided this year by customers demanding to take out their own money rather than see their savings diminish further. Leila Molana-Allen spoke to several of those affected by the rapidly falling exchange rate.
In September, clashes erupted along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The hostilities marked the most serious escalation since 2020, when they fought a bloody war over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. A tentative ceasefire is now in place. But Gabriel Gavin found increasing numbers of Armenian women signing up to defend the country.
Norway this week put its military on a raised level of alert in response to the war in Ukraine. David Baillie was recently on Norway’s border with Russia where he encountered some young students manning the border posts.
In Senegal, we hear how a certain food staple introduced by the former French colonisers has become a much-loved feature of the diet of the Serer people. Tim Whewell recently went to seek out the story of how this food item came to be so cherished.
Presenter: Kate Adie
Producers: Serena Tarling and Ellie House
Editor: Simon Watts
Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond
THU 11:30 Hold on Tight: The Women of The Waste Land (m001dnmh)
"All the women are one woman," wrote TS Eliot in his deliberately difficult notes to his extraordinary modernist poem, The Waste Land. But who were all the women that race around his poem, and why did they inspire him so much, despite his unease with them?
Published in 1922, The Waste Land is often read as a response to the devastation of the First World War. But Eliot's poem is equally fascinated by women – some who are revered for their purity and remoteness, others who are repulsively and threateningly sexual.
One woman who has remained fascinated with the poem is arts journalist Jude Rogers. She still dreams of the modernism doctorate she never did and recently went on a TS Eliot study week for a treat for her 40th birthday. Despite her own struggles with the problematic poet, the beauty and bleakness of The Waste Land still draws her in, leading her to immerse herself in the worlds and the voices of the women inside and outside of the poem.
She meets other female experts fascinated by Eliot - biographer Lyndall Gordon, who’s just published The Hyacinth Girl: TS Eliot's Hidden Muse, and Frances Dickey, Eliot scholar and Associate Professor of Modern Literature at the University of Missouri. They discuss what it was like to be among the first to read more than a thousand love letters written by Eliot, from an archive that was recently opened after being hidden from the public for more than 50 years. We also hear from Beci Carver, Lecturer in 20th Century Literature at the University of Exeter, and Megan Quigley, Associate Professor of English at Villanova University, who discuss Eliot’s problematic if compassionate representations of women in The Waste Land.
Presenter: Jude Rogers
Producer: Georgia Moodie
An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4
Collage by Catrin Saran James
THU 12:00 News Summary (m001dnpc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 You and Yours (m001dnmx)
Gap Finders: Laura Winson, Zebedee Talent
Winifred Robinson talks to Gap Finder Laura Winson on co-founding a revolutionary talent agency for people with disabilities and visible differences.
Laura came up with the idea with her sister-in-law Zoe back in 2017. They both felt there was a lack of inclusion among fashion brands, advertising and media for those with disabilities or a visible difference of any sort.
Zebedee Talent was born and now has around 800 models on its books - some of whom have worked with big name brands such as Disney, Gucci, Estee Lauder, Amazon, Primark and Marks and Spencer.
The models include wheelchair users, amputees, dwarfism and the company also represents the trans and non-binary community.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: CRAIG HENDERSON
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m001dnn3)
Natural Deodorants
The Natural Deodorant market has recently expanded, with plenty of products out there promising to keep you fresh, and dry, without the use of traditional ingredients such as aluminium salts.
Listener PC Hollie got in touch on WhatsApp after she’d seen claims that regular deodorants and antiperspirants containing aluminium salts might be bad for our health, and wanted to know if natural deodorants are really better for us?
She also wanted to know why they’re more expensive, if it’s worth paying more, and if they can do the same job and keep her dry while she’s fighting crime.
Greg Foot finds out by speaking with a dermatologist, a chemist specialising in the makeup of natural products, and by performing a “sweat test” where he convinced fellow gym goers to sniff his pits, and assess his sweat patches.
This series, we’re testing and investigating your suggested wonder-products. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there’s any evidence to back up a claim, drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a voice note to our new WhatsApp number: 07543 306807.
PRESENTER: Greg Foot
PRODUCER: Kate Holdsworth
THU 12:57 Weather (m001dnnc)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m001dnnm)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Sarah Montague.
THU 13:45 The Threat to American Democracy (m001dnnz)
'Stop the Steal'
Owen Bennett-Jones explores the threats facing America’s electoral system - from Russian interference to voter suppression and from cyber-attacks to conspiracy theories. How vulnerable is American democracy? And can US citizens still trust the system to deliver a fair result?
As the Republican and Democratic parties prepare for November’s mid-terms, the last major polling day before the 2024 Presidential election, we hear what is being done to counter these threats. And with the Stop the Steal campaign bringing doubts about the electoral system into the political mainstream, is an erosion of faith in democracy now the greatest threat of all?
In Episode Four, a data-breach at an election office in Georgia leads to the leak of highly sensitive voting software. The perpetrators believe that they are working to protect the future of American democracy. Elsewhere, the pro-Trump Stop the Steal movement is attempting to take control of key electoral posts ahead of the next presidential election.
Presenter: Owen Bennett-Jones
Producer: Leo Hornak
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
THU 14:00 The Archers (m001dnhv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Pilgrim by Sebastian Baczkiewicz (m000ntz5)
The Timbermoor Imp (Part 2)
It's Hallowe'en, the night of the Timbermoor Dance, when the townsfolk bring offerings to the Sun Stone and dance around, while - unbeknownst - beneath and around them, the recent dead dance to freedom. But the Timbermoor Imp is out and about, and disrupting the traditions of the town.
Cast
William Palmer ..... Paul Hilton
Rabbit Owens ..... Louis Jay Jordan
John Wayne ..... Stefan Adegbola
Janice Wayne ..... Ellie Piercy
Amy Lister ..... Charlotte East
Piper Lawrence ..... Katie Redford
Ginger Richards ..... Emma Handy
Vaughan Richards ..... Luke Nunn
Eddie/Mr Buttoner ..... Roger Ringrose
Sally Mop ..... Jane Whittenshaw
Writer, Sebastian Baczkiewicz
Directors, Marc Beeby and Jessica Dromgoole
THU 15:00 Open Country (m001dnp8)
Tolkien Land
Tolkien once remarked that reviewers, "seem to think that Middle-earth is another planet!" In fact the Shire, Isengard and the horses of Rohan are much closer to home than you think. Tolkien had a car in the 1930's and used to drive out of Oxford and visit sites that definitely filter into the books he wrote. Now Miles Warde has been out with Tolkien expert John Garth to find traces of Tolkien Land at Faringdon Tower and the Rollright Stones. There's also a brief appearance for Sarehole near Birmingham, where the young Tolkien grew up, plus archive of the great writer talking about where his books may have been based.
John Garth is the author of The Worlds of JRR Tolkien - the places that inspired Middle-earth.
The producer for BBC audio in Bristol is Miles Warde
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m001dmp6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Open Book (m001dmpz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:00 Knives at the School Gate (m001d00w)
What happens in a small community after a child is stabbed to death? Last month in Fartown, Huddersfield, a 15 year old was killed outside his school. In his community, the youth workers, the police and the families try and make sense of it. Reporter Annabel Deas knows this place well; she spent a year there drawing together all the strands that entwine and trap some British youngsters. Now she goes back to find out what this tragedy means to the local people, and meets those trying hard to make sure this will be the last needless death.
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m001dnpk)
Monkeypox
A new study published in the British Medical Journal suggests monkey pox might be passed from person to person before symptoms show. Esther Freeman, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School and Director of Global Health Dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, has been following the current wave of transmission and gives us her analysis of this latest finding,
The COP 27 climate summit kicks off next week. To discuss some of the issues we are joined by Simon Lewis, Professor of global change science at University College London and Swenja Surminski, Professor in Practice at the Grantham Research Institute and a member of the UK's Committee on Climate Change.
Mark Miodownik, the UCL Professor of Materials & Society, tell us the results of his citizen science project looking at composting plastics.
And from the short list for the Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize, we hear from Professor Rose Anne Kenny on her book Age Proof: The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life.
THU 17:00 PM (m001dnpr)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001dnq1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar (m001dnq5)
Series 4
The Way We Live Now
Alexei discusses the motivations of the rich and considers a historic counter-factual involving a young Jacob Rees Mogg.
A mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of an imaginary sandwich bar.
Written and performed by Alexei Sayle.
Producer: Joe Nunnery
A BBC Studios Production
THU 19:00 The Archers (m001dnq9)
Jolene asks Lynda about her plans for a Christmas show but Lynda says she’s not doing one and suggests Jolene takes it on. Jolene declines even though she craves a creative project. Lynda apologises to Lilian about her insensitivity when she discovered the message in the bottle was from Tony. Lilian admits it was hard reading that Tony wished their parents would stop arguing. It reminded her how unsafe she felt at home as a child. When Lynda points out that she and her siblings have all made a success of their lives, Lilian agrees. But she can’t remember if Tony ever got his wish of a guitar for Christmas. She’ll investigate and if there’s a chance of granting Tony’s wish, then she wants to try.
Leonard visits Ben to offer support but Ben says he finished with Beth, so he doesn’t deserve to be heartbroken. Leonard decides the best thing is to take Ben to the Bull for a meal. Vince appears and spying Ben, tells him he’s a coward and a cheat. Ben seduced Chelsea, got her pregnant and packed her off for an abortion and then threw Beth on the street. Jolene intervenes and asks Vince to leave. Afterwards Jolene apologises to Tracy for believing the rumours that Tracy was pregnant when all the time it was Chelsea. When Tracy worries about word getting around the village, Jolene is reassuring saying she thinks it was just her and Leonard who were close enough to hear. Tracy hopes Jolene is right.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m001dnqf)
The English and Living reviewed, Royal Opera's Director of Opera Oliver Mears
Joan Bakewell and Hanna Flint give their verdicts on Hugo Blick's new TV Western on BBC2 starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, 'The English'. They've also watched new film 'Living' starring Bill Nighy and Aimee Lou Wood with a screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro, based on an Akira Kurosawa film, 'Ikiru', about a man at the end of his life.
Royal Opera House Opera Director Oliver Mears discusses his new production of Benjamin Britten’s 'The Rape of Lucretia' and the challenges he’s faced staging a work that deals with sexual violence.
Image: 2022 The English (c) Drama Republic/BBC/Amazon Studios Photographer: Diego Lopez Calvin
Presenter: Shahidha Bari
Producer: Sarah Johnson
THU 20:00 Law in Action (m001dn90)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Tuesday]
THU 20:30 The Bottom Line (m001dnqj)
A new era for the housing market?
What will higher interest rates on borrowing money mean for the property market and what happens if house prices fall? Evan Davis discusses mortgages and housing in new economic times.
Guests:
Vanessa McCallum, Owner of Vanessa McCallum Estates
Ray Boulger, Senior Technical Manager at John Charcol Mortgage Brokers
David Miles, Professor of Financial Economics at Imperial College London
Production coordinators: Siobhan Reid and Helena Warwick-Cross
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producers: Louise Byrne, Kirsteen Knight and Nick Holland
Editor: Simon Watts
THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (m001dnpk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (m001dnlr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m001dnqm)
Largest interest rate rise for 30 years
In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
THU 22:45 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (m001dnqp)
Episode 4
Dickens’ David Copperfield is reimagined for the modern age by one of our best-loved novelists in this compelling, atmospheric tale of redemption.
Young Demon Copperhead is a good-hearted boy with the misfortune to be born into a broken society. As Demon battles through foster care, child labour and a dysfunctional education system, Kingsolver’s righteous anger is leavened with compassion for her glorious cast of characters in this epic tale of love, loss and community.
Demon struggles to make sense of the shocking events of his eleventh birthday.
Barbara Kingsolver is the prize-winning author of novels, essays, poetry and journalism. Her books include 'The Poisonwood Bible', 'The Lacuna' and 'Unsheltered' and she established the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, America's largest prize for an unpublished first novel.
Read by Carl Prekopp
Written by Barbara Kingsolver
Abridged by Siân Preece
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
THU 23:00 BBC Radio Fjord: Breaking Britain (m0016885)
Following a much-publicised split, legendary Norwegian dance music icons Lars Larsson and Ulrik Untersson have reunited on the airwaves. Accompanied by producer Pete Santini, they’re taking up their roles as BBC Radio 4’s Heads of Electronic Music. But can they put their differences aside and come together to host a banger of a show? No. No they cannot.
A brand new sitcom created and written by Barney Fishwick and Will Hislop. Starring Barney Fishwick, Will Hislop, Arnab Chanda, Emma Sidi, Rob Carter and Sophie Bentinck. Original songs produced by Jack Martin.
Producer - Pete Strauss
Production Co-Ordinator - Katie Baum
Executive Producer - Julia McKenzie
BBC Radio Fjord is a BBC Studios Production.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001dnqr)
All the news from today's sitting at Westminster.
FRIDAY 04 NOVEMBER 2022
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m001dnqt)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 00:30 Disaster Trolls (m001dnp2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001dnqw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001dnqy)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001dnr0)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m001dnr2)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001dnr4)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, canon theologian for the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon.
Good morning. My wife has become a bit of a forager. Our kitchen is filled with jars of wild mushrooms, everything from porcini and parasols to shaggy inkcaps and field mushrooms. We also have a bottle of rose syrup made from rosehips and petals. We should have more, but I accidentally poured it out when doing the dishes! Add these to the cobnuts and mountains of apples from our garden, and you can begin to imagine the state of our kitchen. I’ve stuck to making tomato sauce and drying herbs.
Like gardening, foraging renews our gratitude to nature. Nothing we’ve collected has cost the earth anything. It’s all included within her bounty, there for us to enjoy every bit as much as for any other creature. The mushrooms we gather today like Hobbits will be there next year; and there’ll again be more rosehips to be turned into syrup for hapless husbands to pour down the drain. Next year, we may find time to gather chestnuts too.
The ecological benefits of this are obvious. But I most appreciate the way these activities make me feel even more at home. Like a stray dog settling down with the owner of the hand that feeds it, I have settled down deeply in these hills of plenty. Our foraging has enabled us to enjoy our countryside differently than before, which is saying something for people like us who spend so much time walking. Now, I know it to be not only beautiful, but positively delectable too.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, who is the treasury of all good things and giver of life, come and abide with us in the bounty of your creation; open our eyes to the nourishing beauty of that creation and teach us to enjoy and nurture it as a gift and token of your love. Amen.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m001dnr6)
The Government says it's £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme is delivering more affordable, quality homes for communities - but is the money reaching rural areas? 189,000 affordable homes have been delivered by the programme since 2015, but a report from the National Audit Office from the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities 'is at high risk of not meeting a sub-target for rural homes'. We hear from a planning expert who says change is needed.
In many places, the rise in the number of houses used as holiday lets or holiday homes can be a real problem for local people looking for somewhere to live. In West Wales, the difficulties young people are having getting on the property ladder or finding a place to rent are also having a knock on effect on farmers, who are struggling with recruiting staff.
And could regenerative agriculture reduce the carbon footprint of farming, as well as making it more profitable? We visit a regenerative farm on the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire border where Jake Freestone says his approach has also lead to increased biodiversity.
Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b09nvrcl)
Jane Smith on the Barnacle Goose
Wildlife artist Jane Smith is captivated by Barnacle geese arriving from the Arctic Tundra and filling the air with their barking yapping sounds and wonderful black and white markings.
Tweet of the Day has captivated the Radio 4 audience with its daily 90 seconds of birdsong. But what of the listener to this avian chorus? In this new series of Tweet of the Day, we bring to the airwaves the conversational voices of those who listen to and are inspired by birds. Building on the previous series, a more informal approach to learning alongside a renewed emphasis on encounter with nature and reflection in our relationship with the natural world.
Producer: Sarah Blunt
Photograph: Whistling Joe.
FRI 06:00 Today (m001dp1s)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m001dmpl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Disaster Trolls (m001dp1v)
5. Who believes this stuff?
How widespread is the belief in conspiracy theories that falsely claim UK terror attacks are faked? Marianna Spring reveals the results of a survey carried out for the BBC.
There’s a moment of revelation when she talks to Alicia, a fan of Richard D Hall, to learn more about the appeal of the online conspiracy show host. We also hear how Hall’s online reach has grown during the pandemic.
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast series, Marianna Spring, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, investigates how survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing and other tragedies, are targeted with online abuse and false claims that deny the reality of the horrific events they have lived through.
How popular are these extreme conspiracy theories? What are the factors that make people more susceptible to believing them? This episode provides some insight from the results of an online survey carried out for the BBC. King's College London interviewed more than 4000 adults in the UK, between 1-9 October 2022.
Presenter: Marianna Spring
Producer: Ant Adeane
Editor: Ed Main
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001dp1x)
Anne Longfield, Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, Sudha Bhuchar, Claire Mason, Romy Gill
Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers are the producing partners behind some of the biggest American TV dramas of modern times – and they are always female character led. They include Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and of course the Netflix hit Bridgerton – adapted from Julia Quinn’s racy novels set in the Regency era in England. The first series was released at the end of 2020, and is well known for having racially diverse cast and steamy sex scenes. Anita Rani speaks to Shonda and Betsy about their work and new projects.
We hear how primary school pupils, as well as youngsters from middle class ‘leafy suburbs’, are being lured into gangs and county lines drug running according to Anne Longfield in her new report for the Commission on Young Lives.
A new project, led by Lancaster University, has created memory boxes, designed to help women whose babies are taken into care at birth while a court determines their child’s future. We hear why these ‘Hope boxes’ are so important to the women who developed the idea and Research Fellow, Claire Mason who supported them. And discuss why the number of newborns in care proceedings in England and Wales has increased over the past decade.
The actor and playwright Sudha Bhuchar discusses ‘Evening Conversations’ currently on stage at the Soho Theatre in London.
And Inspired by the epic Himalayan scenes featured in Bollywood films, chef and food writer Romy Gill details her journey from Kashmir to Ladakh, sharing recipes she learned along the way.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Studio Manager: Michael Millham
FRI 11:00 Fallout: Living in the Shadow of the Bomb (m001dp1z)
Episode 4: Christmas Island
Malden Island and Kiritimati (Christmas Island) were the small islands in the South Pacific, which now form the Republic of Kiribati, where Britain tested its next level of nuclear weapon, the Hydrogen Bomb. The series of tests there in 1957 and 1958 were codenamed Operation Grapple.
Kiritimati was part of what was then referred to as the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, a British colony until 1976. To prepare for and monitor the tests, the British utilised service personnel including National Servicemen and Fijian soldiers, with long term consequences. Many have fought a long campaign for recognition of what they experienced.
With contributions from nuclear test veterans including Doug Hern, who was a 21-year-old Royal Navy chef at the time, Fijian academic Talei Mangioni, members of the Kiribati Tungaru Association and journalist Susie Boniface.
Presented by Steve Purse,
Produced by Hannah Dean.
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 11:30 Beta Female (m001dp21)
Series 2
Kids
Sitcom by Amna Saleem, starring Kiran Sonia Sawar. Amna makes a meal out of a family gathering that should have been child's play.
Kiran Sonia Sawar ... Amna
Sukh Ojla ... Maya
Omar Raza ... Haris
Evelyn Lockley ... Nora
Layla Kirk ... Sunnah
Atta Yaqub ... Issa
Nadia Kamil ... The Child / The Parent
Sanjeev Kohli ... The Waiter / The Priest
Sudha Bhuchar ... Mum
Bhasker Patel ... Dad
Production co-ordinator Lily Hambly
Producer Ed Morrish
Sound design by Rich Evans at Synbox Post
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m001dp23)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 Archive on 4 (m001dmls)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Saturday]
FRI 12:57 Weather (m001dp26)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m001dp28)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Jonny Dymond.
FRI 13:45 The Threat to American Democracy (m001dp2b)
Bracing for 2024
Owen Bennett-Jones explores the threats facing America’s electoral system - from Russian interference to voter suppression and from cyber-attacks to conspiracy theories. How vulnerable is American democracy? And can US citizens still trust the system to deliver a fair result?
As the Republican and Democratic parties prepare for November’s mid-terms, the last major polling day before the 2024 Presidential election, we hear what is being done to counter these threats. And with Donald Trump's Stop the Steal campaign bringing doubts about the electoral system into the political mainstream, is an erosion of faith in democracy now the greatest threat of all?
In Episode Five, we hear about a national campaign of threats and violent abuse directed at election volunteers when it became clear that Donald Trump had lost the last Presidential election. Will a future election trigger an even greater backlash if the result is controversial with some voters? And could some officials simply refuse to follow precedent and begin taking the electoral process into their own hands?
Presenter: Owen Bennett-Jones
Producer: Leo Hornak
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m001dnq9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m001dp2d)
Series 2
Harland - 2. Tīwesdæg
More from Harland New Town in Lucy Catherine's supernatural thriller. Failing security guard Dan and guilt stricken former vicar Lindsay have joined forces in the search for missing police officer Sarah Ward.
Dan ..... Tyger Drew-Honey
Lindsay ..... Jasmine Hyde
Sadie ..... Melissa Advani
Morris ..... Rupert Holliday Evans
Fordingbridge ..... Sean Baker
Serena ..... Chloë Sommer
Bob ..... David Hounslow
Sarah ..... Ayesha Antoine
Leeta ..... Joanna Monro
Sound Design by Caleb Knightley
Directed by Toby Swift
A BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:45 Why Do We Do That? (m001dp2g)
Why Do We Do Things That Are Bad For Us?
Ella Al-Shamahi is joined by psychologist Prof Laurence Steinberg and DJ / presenter Arielle Free to explore why we are drawn to do things that are bad for us. If our evolutionary purpose is to survive long enough to pass on genes, why do we knowingly put our lives at risk? Ella delves into a theory called costly signalling which may explain why we do risky things when there are others watching – is it just a way of showing off good genes? Dr Laurence Steinberg, Professor of Psychology at Temple University talks about dopamine sensitivity, brain imaging and our biological drive to take more risks during adolescence.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m001dp2j)
Forfar
Kathy Clugston hosts the horticultural programme from Forfar. This week, she's joined by Kirsty Wilson, Matt Biggs, and Chris Beardshaw who will be answering questions from the audience.
The panellists discuss the key to cultivating successful seedlings, and share their tips for establishing a wildlife friendly garden. Things get a little lost in the weeds as they discuss what a garden should look like.
On a break from the questions, Kathy speaks to Professor Patricia Wiltshire whose work as a forensic ecologist helps crack the grizzliest of garden crimes.
Producer - Dominic Tyerman
Assistant Producer - Aniya Das
Executive Producer - Louisa Field
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m001dp2l)
Happiness by Chetna Maroo
Uma would be a happy if she wasn't haunted by her school reports. How can she hide them from her parents?
Chetna Maroo is winner of the 2022 Plimpton Prize for Fiction and author of the highly-anticipated forthcoming novel Western Lane.
Reader: Sabrina Sandhu
Producer: Ciaran Bermingham
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m001dp2n)
Baroness Blood, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ian Jack, Hilaree Nelson
Matthew Bannister on
Baroness Blood (pictured), the trade unionist, community worker and peace campaigner who became the first woman from Northern Ireland to be given a life peerage.
Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock 'n' roll pioneer whose turbulent private life included bigamy, violence and drug addiction.
Ian Jack, the journalist known for his long form articles and for editing the Independent on Sunday and the literary magazine Granta.
Hilaree Nelson, the intrepid ski mountaineer who completed more than forty challenging expeditions in 16 countries.
Producer: Neil George
Interviewed guest: Monica McWilliams
Interviewed guest: Joe Bonomo
Interviewed guest: Bill Paterson
Interviewed guest: Sigrid Rausing
Interviewed guest: Richard Williams
Interviewed guest: Emily Harrington
Archive clips used: Newsline Belfast/ YouTube, NI Women's Coalition Launch and Forum 1996; BBC News, Lady Blood being sworn into the House of Lords 02/11/1999; BBC Radio 4, The House of Ladies - The Mouldbreakers 17/08/2005; YouTube, Jerry Lee & Myra Lewis interview 1958; BBC Radio 3, Night Waves 16/05/2007; The North Face, Mentors - Hilaree Nelson 04/09/2018; Men's Journal/ YouTube, The Line Between Good and Evil 20/01/2021; OutsideWatch/ YouTube, Failure Is Next To Success - Hilaree Nelson Elements 26/06/2020; AP Archive, US extreme skier cremated in Nepal 02/11/2022; The North Face, Lhotse ft. Hilaree Nelson and Jim Morrison 15/10/2019.
FRI 16:30 Feedback (m001dp2s)
Andrea Catherwood puts listeners’ comments on the proposed BBC Local Radio cuts to Jason Horton, Acting Director BBC England.
Jeremy Howe, Editor of The Archers, and actor Maddie Leslay, who plays Chelsea Horrobin, answer listeners’ comments on the big storyline in recent weeks - Chelsea’s pregnancy.
We hear audience views on former leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage’s appearance on The World at One to discuss immigration.
And Radio 3’s Soundscape of a Century, celebrating the BBC’s 100th anniversary, featured music and audio from the BBC Archive. Listeners tell us what they thought of the marathon eight-hour broadcast.
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 17:00 PM (m001dp2x)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001dp32)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The Now Show (m001dp35)
Series 61
Episode 2
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis present the week via topical stand-up and sketches. They're joined by Colin Hoult, Laura Lexx and Jordan Gray.
Anna Mann (Colin Hoult) shares advice about the cost of living crisis, Laura Lexx looks ahead to Prince Harry’s autobiography, and musical guest Jordan Gray debunks a controversy about Mr Potato Head.
The show was written by the cast with additional material from Rebecca Bain, Laura Major, Nathan Cowley and Jade Gebbie.
Voice actors: Luke Kempner and Katie Norris
Sound: Marc Willcox & Gary Newman
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Producer: Rajiv Karia
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
A BBC Studios Production
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m001dp37)
Writer ….. Sarah Hehir
Director ….. Jess Bunch
Editor ….. Jeremy Howe
David Archer ….. Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer ….. Felicity Finch
Ben Archer ….. Ben Norris
Jolene Archer ….. Buffy Davis
Natasha Archer ….. Mali Harries
Lilian Bellamy ….. Sunny Ormonde
Leonard Berry ….. Paul Copley
Beth Casey ….. Rebecca Fuller
Vince Casey ….. Tony Turner
Chelsea Horrobin ….. Madeleine Leslay
Tracy Horrobin ….. Susie Riddell
Kirsty Miller ….. Annabelle Dowler
Elizabeth Pargetter ….. Alison Dowling
Freddie Pargetter ….. Toby Laurence
Lynda Snell ….. Carole Boyd
Nurse ..... Deborah Tracey
FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m001dp3f)
The joy of the overture with Kathryn Tickell, Joe Stilgoe and Ruairi Glasheen
Kathryn Tickell - composer, performer and the foremost exponent of the Northumbrian pipes - is joined by singer pianist and songwriter Joe Stilgoe and percussionist Ruairi Glasheen as they help Cerys Matthews and Jeffrey Boakye add the next five tracks to the playlist.
It's a serendipitous musical journey which takes them from Quebec to New Orleans via Egypt.
Presenters Cerys Matthews and Jeffrey Boakye
Producer Jerome Weatherald
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Expansions by Lonnie Liston Smith
Ouverture by La Bottine Souriante
Overture from Candide by Leonard Bernstein
Khusara Khusara by Hossam Ramzy Egyptian Ensemble
Basin Street Blues by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five
Other music in this episode:
Green Onions by Booker T. and the M.G.'s
Ché Ché Colé by Héctor Lavoe and Willie Colón
Hushabye Birdie by Kathryn Tickell
La Valse D'Orphelin by Christine Balfa
Toxic by Britney Spears
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m001dp3k)
Dame Margaret Beckett MP, Dr Maya Goodfellow, Sherelle Jacobs, Lee Rowley MP
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from East Midlands Airport with the Labour MP Dame Margaret Beckett, the writer and academic Dr Maya Goodfellow, the Daily Telegraph columnist Sherelle Jacobs and the Housing and Planning Minister Lee Rowley MP.
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
Lead broadcast engineer: Phil Booth.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m001dp3q)
A Brit Abroad
As Americans prepare to go to the polls in the US midterm elections and the COP27 environment conference gets underway, AL Kennedy takes the temperature of debate and of the environment from a barn in upstate New York.
And she reflects on being a Brit these days in the US. 'In the normal course of events,' she writes, 'it's Brits who like to make fun of Americans. Now, Americans are bewildered by us'.
Producer: Adele Armstrong
Production coordinator: Iona Hammond
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
FRI 21:00 Journey of a Lifetime (m001dddy)
On a Mission
Lynne Anderson is this year's winner of the 'Journey of a Lifetime' travel bursary where the Royal Geographical Society -in conjunction with Radio 4 - awards £5000 to someone with a brilliant idea for a radio adventure. Details on how to apply below.
Lynne used to be a missionary in the Mormon church. The church became a integral part of her life until she left it years later having suffered a faith crisis. Returning to Salt Lake City 20 years on for a reunion of her former mission sisters, Lynne is forced to face her past and lay some ghosts to rest.
Traveling onwards through the US state parks of Utah, whose modern history is intertwined with the Mormons, she finds inner peace in the majesty of nature. Ending up in Las Vegas, the chaos of Sin City is a far cry from the conservatism of Salt Lake City and the sublime landscapes surrounding it.
Journey of a Lifetime Award
Each year the BBC - in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society - offers an award of £5000 to somebody with a winning idea for a dream adventure in any corner of the globe. And they get to turn their ‘Journey of a Lifetime’ into a documentary on Radio 4. The award isn’t meant for holidays or expeditions, but for storytellers with inspiring ideas which involve the pursuit of exploration and knowledge.
If you’d like to apply for this exciting award you have until
12:00 Noon, Monday 14 November 2022. Applicants must be aged 18 years or over and all the information you need , including how to apply, is on the link below or here: https://www.rgs.org/in-the-field/in-the-field-grants/expedition-grants/journey-of-a-lifetime-award/
Producer Neil McCarthy
Photo credit Lynne Anderson
FRI 21:30 The Truth About Tourette’s (m0017tgv)
Aidy Smith has Tourette Syndrome - commonly thought of as a swearing disorder. But in reality, 90% of people with Tourette’s don't swear. Over the decades, popular culture has built up a skewed picture of Tourette Syndrome. Documentaries have focused on those with extreme symptoms and Coprolalia. Hollywood movies have used it as a means of manufacturing cheap laughs. Comedians have used it as a punchline.
In this programme, Aidy meets people with incredible talents and successful careers who have overcome the struggles and the stigma. People like Pete Bennet, who rose to fame in 2006 after winning the seventh series of the Channel 4 reality show Big Brother, and Dr Wilson Tsai, a thoracic surgeon in the US who hopes to inspire others by sharing how martial arts and practicing medicine gave him confidence and a sense of worth.
A Rosa production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m001dp3x)
In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
FRI 22:45 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (m001dp43)
Episode 5
Dickens’ David Copperfield is reimagined for the modern age by one of our best-loved novelists in this compelling, atmospheric tale of redemption.
Young Demon Copperhead is a good-hearted boy with the misfortune to be born into a broken society. As Demon battles through foster care, child labour and a dysfunctional education system, Kingsolver’s righteous anger is leavened with compassion for her glorious cast of characters in this epic tale of love, loss and community.
When a more permanent placing arises with the impecunious McCobb family, Demon is shocked to meet an old friend from foster care.
Barbara Kingsolver is the prize-winning author of novels, essays, poetry and journalism. Her books include 'The Poisonwood Bible', 'The Lacuna' and 'Unsheltered' and she established the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, America's largest prize for an unpublished first novel.
Read by Carl Prekopp
Written by Barbara Kingsolver
Abridged by Siân Preece
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
FRI 23:00 Americast (m001dp4d)
A history of US political violence
President Biden says there is no place for "political violence in America". His warning follows an attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, last week. Within hours of that attack a series of unsubstantiated claims began circulating on social media contradicting official accounts of what had happened. Those misleading claims then went viral after being amplified by new Twitter chief Elon Musk.
The Americast team look at how the attack has led to the sharing of disinformation on social media and Justin and Sarah speak to author Josh Zeitz about the history of political violence in the US.
Donald Trump Jr. tweets about our 'undercover voters' and Marianna Spring, the BBC's Social Media and Disinformation correspondent responds. And Anthony returns from Virginia to look at Biden’s record ahead of the midterms.
Americast is presented by North America editor Sarah Smith, Today presenter Justin Webb, North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher and Marianna Spring.
Find out more about our ‘undercover voters’ here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-62742687
Email Americast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, to +443301239480
This episode is made by Phil Marzouk and Alix Pickles. The studio director is Michael Regaard. The assistant editor is Louisa Lewis. The senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001dp4r)
Mark D'Arcy reports on how Westminster has been gearing up for COP 27 and looks at what makes a good select committee chair.