SATURDAY 03 FEBRUARY 2024
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m001vsqz)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 00:30 Food for Life by Tim Spector (m001vsld)
Ep5 – Says It on the Label
Our choice to eat something is affected by budget, preferences, advertising, labelling, trends, and even DNA, amongst many other things. But how much do we consider the 'risk' of certain foods? And what makes them risky?
In a world of 'breakthrough science' and globalised food trade, how can we be confident about the food we eat being what it says it is?
Written by Tim Spector
Read by John Lightbody
Abriged by Rosemary Goring
Produced by Naomi Walmsley
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001vsr1)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001vsr3)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001vsr5)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m001vsr7)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001vsr9)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, Canon Theologian for the Diocese of Swansea & Brecon.
Good morning. The gap between Candlemas and the start of Lent in eleven days leaves some Christians with a bit of a liturgical anomaly. What do we do with the time in-between?
In ancient times, the answer was to make it a period when people prepared themselves for their Lenten fast. Its three Sundays were given wonderful titles:, Septuagesima, Sexagesima and Quinquegesima. These designated the Sundays that fall within 70 days of Easter. Today, most Anglican churches refer to them simply as Sundays before Lent: more comprehensible perhaps but less colourful.
What’s not usually acknowledged is how familiar the mood of this in-between season is for many people.It leaves observant Christians looking back at the festivities of Christmas time and forward to the forty days of Lenten fasting. In this respect, the Sundays before Lent are the flipside of Advent. If then we look forward to Christmas with hope; now we look forward to Lent with trepidation.
That mood is part of our human condition and thus should be acknowledged honestly before God. But this liturgical pause is also a chance for us to live in the present, to look for the pin-pricks of beauty even in bleak late winter. In this way, we practice stopping to savour the joy that comes with Easter.
Almighty God, who alone can bring order to the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity: give your people grace so to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, among the many changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found. Amen.
SAT 05:45 The Banksy Story (m001nw3r)
5. Crude Oils
James Peak isn't an art critic, or even a journalist. He's a Banksy super-fan, and in this series he, and his soundman Duncan, get closer than close to Banksy's secret world - telling the story of the graffiti kid who made spraying walls into high art, the household name who is completely anonymous, the cultural phenomenon who bites the hand that feeds him.
James persuades a member of Banksy's secret team – someone who worked closely with the artist when they were starting to cut through – to talk about the experience. The story that results is a rollercoaster ride.
In this episode, Banksy's new show, Crude Oils, stars 200 live rats scuttling about the gallery floor. It certainly brings in the crowds.
Written, Produced and Presented by James Peak
Sound & Commentary: Duncan Crowe.
Voices: Keith Wickham & Harriet Carmichael
Music: Alcatraz Swim Team & Lilium
Series Mixing: Neil Churchill
Executive Producer: Philip Abrams
With special thanks to Hadrian Briggs, Pete Chinn, Patrick Nguyen, John Higgs and Steph Warren.
An Essential Radio production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m001vzk6)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.
SAT 06:07 Open Country (m001vsjj)
Reed cutting at Cley
Bernard Bishop has lived and worked on the Cley marshes for his whole life. It's the Norfolk Wildlife Trust's oldest reserve and home to a plethora of birdlife, sealife and grazing saltmarsh cattle. Bernard and his family have been cutting reeds to be used for thatching from the marsh for five generations and counting. Bernard talks to Ruth Sanderson as he cuts this year's reed crop with his son and nephew. With birds calling overhead, he reflects on a life spent working in and loving this very special landscape.
Produced and presented by Ruth Sanderson
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m001vzk8)
All week across Europe farmers have been protesting. In France convoys of tractors blocked roads into Paris, in Brussels campaigners blockaded the streets, threw eggs and started fires. The European Commission and national governments have made some concessions to try and address the farmers' concerns over environmental rules, competition from cheaper imports and taxes on agricultural fuel..
We speak to the President of Copa, one half of Copa Cogeca, which represents millions of farmers and farming coops across the EU and find out from the BBC's Paris correspondent, what's happening there. Also we look at what UK farmers make of the protests and whether they are planning their own direct action.
Presenter = Caz Graham
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
SAT 06:57 Weather (m001vzkb)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m001vzkd)
Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m001vzkl)
Tim Key, Samantha Moore, Andrew Cotter, Jonathan Agnew
Bringing his trademark droll humour and a bit of poetry to proceedings…the actor and comedian Tim Key discusses his new collection and reveals the story behind one of the most remarkable acts kindness he received from a stranger.
He loves dogs, he loves sport and he’s one of the best in the world at commentating on both…we welcome the voice of a thousand sports Andrew Cotter.
Bringing us emotional repair through wool…Samantha Moore, the BAFTA nominated director of Visible Mending talks about the healing power of knitting and the joy of spinning a yarn.
Plus, we have the Inheritance Tracks of Test Match Special’s Jonathan Agnew.
Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Greg James
Producer: Ben Mitchell
SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m001vzkq)
Madam C.J. Walker
In this episode, Greg Jenner is joined by Professor Noliwe Rooks and comedian Athena Kugblenu to learn all about the life and business savvy of nineteenth-century Black American haircare entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker. After working as a sales agent for another haircare brand, Walker founded her own company, selling products to help Black women look after their hair and becoming incredibly wealthy in the process. But how did she make so much money, and what did she spend it on? From impoverished beginnings to a lavish villa in New York, via her charitable and political work, this episode charts Walker's journey to becoming the first self-made woman millionaire in American history.
Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Andrew Himmelberg
Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
SAT 10:30 Alexei Sayle's Strangers on a Train (m001pfcr)
Series 2
Exeter to Newquay
Comedy icon Alexei Sayle continues his series of rail journeys with a trip through Devon and Cornwall from Exeter to Newquay.
Alexei’s mission is to break the golden rule of travelling by train and actually talk to his fellow passengers, in a quest for conversations with strangers that will reveal their lives, hopes, dreams and destinations.
Along the way, Alexei holds a finger into the wind of the thoughts and moods of the great British travelling public. There’s humour, sadness and surprise as people reveal what is going on in their lives and, as Alexei passes through familiar towns and cities, he also delves into his own personal stories of a childhood in Liverpool and a long career as a comedian, actor and author.
Alexei has a life-long ticket to ride in his DNA, as his father was a railway guard. As a child, Alexei travelled on trains with his mum and dad, not only in the UK but also abroad. While other children in Liverpool at the time thought a trip to Blackpool was a big adventure, Alexei travelled to Paris, experienced the Orient Express, had summer holidays in Czechoslovakia and visited mysterious cities with unpronounceable names in the farthest corners of Europe.
In this programme, Alexei meets Finn who has swapped his job at Nandos for a life in the Royal Navy looking after helicopters; Andrew who is about to run up the Cornish coastal path to meet his girlfriend who is running down it the other way; Paula and James who share a love of music, especially in Paula’s case, the harpsichord; Julian who has just returned from being a volunteer crew member on an historic Brixham trawler; and Eta and Rowan who are both determined travellers and tell Alexei of a visit to Chernobyl - while Alexei surprises them with his own very unusual insight into the historic city of Petra in Jordan.
A Ride production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m001vzkv)
Ben Riley-Smith of The Daily Telegraph discusses the latest developments at Westminster in the week that the Democratic Unionist Party ended its boycott of the Northern Ireland Assembly after reaching a deal with the UK government over post-Brexit trading arrangements. Ben speaks to the Conservative chairman of Parliament's Northern Ireland Committee, Sir Robert Buckland MP, and Claire Hanna, MP for the nationalist SDLP.
To discuss Nicola Sturgeon's evidence to the Covid inquiry, and her legacy as Scotland's First Minister, Ben speaks to Ian Blackford MP, former SNP Westminster leader, and Kezia Dugdale, ex leader of Scottish Labour and now director of the John Smith Centre at the University of Glasgow.
The Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, declared this week that the UK is ready to bring forward formal recognition of a Palestinian state. To analyse that Ben is joined by Tom Fletcher, formerly David Cameron's foreign affairs adviser and then UK Ambassador to Lebanon, and Alicia Kearns MP, the Conservative chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
And, as Labour begins formal 'access talks' with the civil service, Ben gets some reflections on how the civil service approaches such talks with the former Cabinet Secretary Robin, now Lord, Butler.
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m001vzkz)
French farmers and the 'siege of Paris'
Kate Adie presents stories from France, Turkey, Cambodia, Canada and Chile.
French farmers have staged nationwide protests this week, blocking roads to vent their anger over falling incomes, rising bureaucracy, and competition from imports. Andrew Harding reflects on how these latest protests are a sign of a broader social and political schism that has been emerging in France.
Next week marks a year since Turkey and Syria were hit by a devastating earthquake, which killed more than 60,000 people and displaced millions more. Victoria Craig travelled to Antakya in southern Turkey, one of the worst-hit regions, and spoke to people trying to rebuild their lives while still dealing with the grief of losing loved ones.
Brick kiln workers in Cambodia work in some of the hottest and harshest conditions in the world. The factories often use a mix of fabric, plastic and rubber to fuel the kiln fires, which emit toxic fumes and trigger health conditions. Laura Bicker went to visit workers on the outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh.
Louis Harnett O'Meara takes to the road in British Columbia, Canada, to see some of the region's iconic redwoods. He hears how efforts to protect these centuries-old trees, along with the wider biodiversity of the region, are being met with opposition from communities dependent on logging for their livelihoods.
In Chilean Patagonia, Kirsty Lang explores a remote region which has been converted into national parkland. encountering sea lions and a lone penguin along the way. It's now one of the world's most protected areas of wilderness, thanks to the work of two American philanthropists.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Coordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m001vznf)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m001vzl7)
Bereavement Support Deadline and Warm Home Discount
Around twelve thousand unmarried parents with dependent children whose partner has died have just a few days to claim their share of an estimated £175 million in bereavement benefits. The figures came from Freedom of Information Requests to the Department for Work and Pensions. People must claim that money before Thursday 8th February. If you think you, or someone you know, may be eligible check by searching for "bereavement support payment" on the gov.uk website.
New figures show £253 billion is sitting in bank accounts which pay no interest at all. Should banks be telling us to move it?
The government is sending out the final cost of living payment for low income households this month. It's £299 straight into bank accounts. We've got all the details.
And some people who got £150 off their electricity bill last year are discovering they are not entitled this year, because their home isn't hard enough to heat. We'll discuss changes to the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth, Tamzin Kraftman, Eimear Devlin
Researchers: Sandra Hardial and Jo Krasner
Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast
12pm Saturday 3rd February 2024)
SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m001vsq0)
Series 113
Episode 5
Andy Zaltzman quizzes the news. Providing all the answers are Simon Evans, Ria Lina, Alasdair Beckett-King, and Anushka Asthana.
In this episode Andy and the panel will be discussing if Power-Sharing will prove to be Power-Caring, and whether anyone anywhere has ever thought of googling "Is it possible to back up WhatsApp messages?”
Written by Andy Zaltzman
With additional material by: Cody Dahler, Alice Fraser, Jade Gebbie, and Adam Greene.
Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
SAT 12:57 Weather (m001vzlc)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m001vzlh)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m001vsqk)
Sir Robert Buckland MP, Thangam Debbonaire MP, Christine Jardine MP, Ann Widdecombe
Alex Forsyth presents political discussion from Bridgwater Arts Centre, Somerset with the Conservative MP and Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Sir Robert Buckland MP, Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire MP, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the Cabinet Office Christine Jardine MP and Reform UK's justice spokesperson Ann Widdecombe.
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
Lead broadcast engineer: Tim Allen
SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m001vzll)
Call Any Answers? to have your say on the big issues in the news this week
SAT 14:45 The Banksy Story (m001p1ld)
6. LA Story
James Peak isn't an art critic, or even a journalist. He's a Banksy super-fan, and in this series he, and his soundman Duncan, get closer than close to Banksy's secret world - telling the story of the graffiti kid who made spraying walls into high art, the household name who is completely anonymous, the cultural phenomenon who bites the hand that feeds him.
James persuades a member of Banksy's secret team – someone who worked closely with the artist when they were starting to cut through – to talk about the experience. The story that results is a rollercoaster ride.
In this episode - a new show in LA, Barely Legal, brings in huge celebrity names and, back in the UK, Steph's life at Pictures on Walls gets trickier.
Written, Produced and Presented by James Peak
Sound & Commentary: Duncan Crowe.
Voices: Keith Wickham & Harriet Carmichael
Music: Alcatraz Swim Team & Lilium
Series Mixing: Neil Churchill
Executive Producer: Philip Abrams
With special thanks to Hadrian Briggs, Pete Chinn, Patrick Nguyen, John Higgs and Steph Warren.
An Essential Radio production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 15:00 Drama on 4 (m0019yt0)
A Close Approximation of You
By Oliver Emanuel.
When Kay first meets Michael he’s singing into a mirror at himself.
But his love of mirrors isn’t narcissism. A theoretical physicist, his job is to explore the possibility that there is a mirror version of our world somewhere. But what happens when theory becomes practice?
Part love story, part psychological thriller, this tender and tense drama takes us through Kay and Michael’s world and beyond.
Cast:
Kay … Anneika Rose
Michael … Sandy Grierson
Detective…Itxaso Moreno
John and Security Guard…Richard Conlon
Jess and the Agent…Gabriel Quigley
Sound recording: Andy Hay and Kris McConnachie
Sound design: Fraser Jackson
Directed by Kirsty Williams
Broadcast in loving memory of Oliver Emanuel
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m001vzln)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: Candace Bushnell, Lisa St Aubin de Terán, Ideological Gender Gap
The creator of Sex and the City, Candace Bushnell, whose column in the New York Observer was the inspiration behind the TV series, joins Anita in the studio. The real-life Carrie Bradshaw is bringing her one-woman show about creating the hit series to the West End and then doing a UK tour.
After 20 years of silence, prize-winning author Lisa St Aubin de Terán is back with a new book. Aged 16, Lisa married a Venezuelan landowner-turned-bank robber; she eventually ran away from him with her young daughter only to end up trapped in a castle with the Scottish poet George MacBeth. From there she eloped to Italy and in 2004 she settled in north Mozambique, establishing the Teran Foundation to develop community tourism. She lived there until 2022 when a cyclone took the roof off her house, and returned to London with a bag full of manuscripts including her memoir, Better Broken than New. She joins Emma in studio.
A new study says that an ideological gap has opened up between young men and women in countries on every continent. These increasingly different world views could have far-reaching consequences. One of the leading researchers in gender studies Dr Alice Evans, Senior Lecturer in the Social Science of Development at King’s College London tells Emma why Gen Z is two generations, not one. Emma also speaks to Professor Rosie Campbell, Director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College London.
Emma talks to the TV presenter Kaye Adams about her 10-year battle with HMRC over their claim she owed almost £125,000 in unpaid taxes. Best known for her role on the Loose Women panel show, she also hosts the morning show on BBC Radio Scotland. She says the protracted legal case has left her feeling “utterly, utterly beat up and gaslit”, despite her vindication.
From cute cat memes to plush toys, a new exhibition at Somerset House explores the power of cuteness in contemporary culture. But is buying into a cute aesthetic regressive or even sexist, or can cute be reclaimed as a form of protest? And how would you feel, as a grown woman, about being labelled 'cute' or 'adorable'? To discuss, Emma is joined by Dr Isabel Galleymore, a consultant on the Cute exhibition; and the journalist Vicky Spratt.
Have you ever thought about where your name came from? Perhaps you were named after a favourite relative, a character in a movie or maybe your parents just liked the sound of it. Photographer Deirdre Brennan wanted to mark the 1500th anniversary of Saint Brigid, one of the patron saints of Ireland. To do this, she photographed Brigids all over Ireland and asked them how they felt about their name. She joins Emma to discuss the project - as does one of the Brigids involved in her project - Brigid McDonnell, a sheep farmer from County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
SAT 17:00 PM (m001vzlq)
Full coverage of the day's news
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m001vzls)
The Jeremy Hunt Chancellor One
Nick Robinson sits down with the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the dining room of No11 Downing Street. They discuss living nextdoor to the Sunaks, how much headroom he will have at the budget, and who he would invite to his dream dinner party
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m001vzlv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m001vzlx)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001vzlz)
Power sharing is restored to Northern Ireland with a new Nationalist First Minister
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m001vzm1)
Sir Tim Rice, Sir David Jason and Jay Blades, Jodie Mitchell, Future Islands, Rosie Frater-Taylor, Athena Kugblenu
Clive Anderson and Athena Kugblenu are joined by Sir David Jason and Jay Blades, Sir Tim Rice, Denise Welch and Jodie Mitchell for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Future Islands and Rosie Frater-Taylor.
SAT 19:00 Profile (m001vzm3)
General Sir Patrick Sanders
General Sir Patrick Sanders has served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Bosnia and Northern Ireland, rising through the ranks from Infantry Officer to Head of the Army. It's not a position he expected to reach and says "my first sergeant would never have seen this coming".
He's spoken candidly about experiencing depression following a tour in Iraq, having lost a number of his own infantry regiment, encouraging others to seek help.
Most recently General Sanders has ignited debate about the size of the army, suggesting that the "pre-war generation" should be prepared for the possibility of a potential land war, stating "Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them."
As he prepares to leave the post of Chief of the General Staff (CGS), Mark Coles looks at the life and career of General Sir Patrick Sanders, speaking to some of the family, friends and colleagues who know him best.
Credits
The Benedictine Monks of Worth Abbey
Centre For Army Leadership Podcast
British Army Time to Talk
BFBS Sitrep Podcast
GB News
Presenter: Mark Coles
Production: Ellie House and Diane Richardson
Production Co-ordinators: Sabine Schereck and Maria Ogundele
Sound: Neil Churchill
Editors: Richard Vadon and Matt Willis
SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m001vzm5)
Juliette Binoche
French actor Juliette Binoche is known for her portrayal of emotionally complex characters. Over a forty year career, her films have included Three Colours Blue, Les Amants de Pont Neuf, Chocolat, and The English Patient, for which she won her Academy Award. Her most recent film is The Taste of Things, a French drama about a cook and the gourmet she works for, in which she stars opposite Benoît Magimel.
Juliette Binoche talks to John Wilson about an early moment of revelation, watching Peter Brookes' production of Alfred Jarry's play Ubu Roi at in Paris in 1977, which first made her realise she wanted to act. She explains the influence of her acting coach Véra Gregh, who helped her to understand the difference between "acting" and "being". She also recalls her experiences working with some of the most acclaimed film directors; Jean-Luc Godard on Hail Mary; Leos Carax on Les Amants du Pont-Neuf; Krzysztof Kieślowski on Three Colours: Blue; and Anthony Minghella on The English Patient.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m001vzm7)
Motorway City
Allan Little examines the impact of the motorway era on Scotland’s biggest city.
Glasgow has more miles of urban motorway than any other city in the UK. Unusually, the M8 directly bisects the urban city centre, encompassing one of the busiest river crossings in Europe, the Kingston Bridge. Work began on the M8 almost 60 years ago in 1965, and was completed just over half a century ago in 1972, fundamentally altering the urban fabric of Glasgow and the central belt as a whole.
Allan explores the modernist thinking of the time to understand the utopian vision of the 20th century urban planners who reshaped post-war Britain, initiating a nationwide infrastructure project that would see the construction of 2,300 miles of motorway. He speaks to architects and urban planners to hear how modern cities might be transformed once more to better meet the needs of their citizens at a human, liveable scale.
He also charts the history of motorway protest, from Newbury to London, Glasgow’s Pollok Free State to the rise of modern day ‘locking on’. He hears about Replace the M8, a group that believes the costs of the motorway slicing through Glasgow are larger than its benefits, and are reimagining an alternative future without it.
Through archival documentary footage and promotional films, Allan looks back on the heyday of the motorway era in Glasgow and beyond, and asks what the future might hold.
Presented by Allan Little
Sound Design by Joel Cox
Produced by Robbie Armstrong
Executive Producer: Mark Rickards
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 21:00 Drama on 4 (m0002rpq)
China Towns
Episode 3
Inspired by the novels of Arnold Bennett, an epic tale of money, passion and defiance set in the Staffordshire potteries. Dramatised for radio by Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan.
It’s the 19th Century and the Industrial Revolution is at full throttle. Only the ruthless thrive in this uncompromising world. Tellwright schemes to rid the Five Towns of unwanted elements while Sophia’s joy at escaping her home town is shortlived.
Ephraim Tellwright . . . Neil Dudgeon
Darius Clayhanger . . . Tim McInnerny
Edwin . . . Cameron Percival
Sophia . . . Alexandra Constantinidi
Gerald Scales . . . Christopher Harper
Chirac . . . Charlie Anson
Janet . . . Saffron Coomber
Hilda Lessways . . . Lucy Doyle
Miss Gailey . . . Clare Corbett
Mr Cannon . . . Gunnar Cauthery
Big James . . . Ian Conningham
Cassie . . . Jeanette Percival
Mr Orgreave . . . Tony Turner
Charlie Orgreave . . . Joseph Ayre
Elliott . . . Paul Bown
Shushions . . . Michael Bertenshaw
Incidental music arranged by Colin Guthrie and performed by Colin Guthrie, Peter Ringrose and Ian Conningham.
Produced and directed by Marion Nancarrow
SAT 22:00 News (m001vzm9)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 Screenshot (m001vsqg)
Divorce
Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode look at divorce in film and TV, from His Girl Friday to The Split.
Ellen looks at comedic takes on divorce, first discussing marriage, divorce and remarriage in the 1930s screwball comedy genre with critic Pamela Hutchinson.
She then speaks to comedian Rob Brydon, who made what she considers to be the greatest TV programme about divorce - the BBC2 sitcom Marion and Geoff.
Meanwhile, Mark talks to screenwriter Abi Morgan about her BBC1 series The Split, which follows a family of high-end divorce lawyers working in London.
He also talks to Los Angeles family law attorney and chief of divorce evolution at Divorce.com, Laura Wasser about how accurate or misleading Hollywood depictions of breakups really are.
Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 23:00 Counterpoint (m001vsc5)
Series 37
Heat 8, 2024
(8/13)
Three more amateur music lovers will be trying to impress Paul Gambaccini with their knowledge of music in all its varieties, whether it's opera, choral music, show tunes, jazz, folk, rock and pop, or music from the world of film and gaming.
Today's competitors are
Stephen Hatcher from Ashbourne in Derbyshire
Annie Hodkinson from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
Leslie Hooper from Glasgow
To earn a place in the semi-finals they'll need to prove the breadth of their musical knowledge, as well as selecting a special musical topic on which they'll get a set of individual questions with no prior warning of the categories on offer.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria
SAT 23:30 Offstage: Inside The X Factor (m001vvkw)
2. It Changed My Life
The X Factor was brilliant at building characters for the audience to love, and hate. Contestants played their roles in each stage, from "bootcamp" to the glitz of the judges' houses.
Join Chi Chi Izundu as she looks back on the world of The X Factor, where contestants perform in front of celebrity judges to realise their dream of becoming household names. It’s a world of glamour and excitement, but also of hard truths, hard words and hard work.
Offstage: Inside The X Factor captures the emotion, the excitement and the drama of the show and features some of the captivating characters that led to its enduring success. But it also looks beyond the glitz and glamour revealing how contestants and staff felt, the toll it took on some of them and what they say happened behind the scenes.
Presenter: Chi Chi Izundu
Producers: Rob Brown, Jo Adnitt, Lucy Burns, Joe Kent
Editor: Clare Fordham
Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
Archive:
The X Factor series 2, 7, 9, 10, 13 (Fremantle/Syco/ITV)
SUNDAY 04 FEBRUARY 2024
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m001vzmc)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 00:15 Jan Pienkowski: Meg and Mog and Me (m001vtb8)
Jan Pienkowski, who died in 2022, remains one of the most celebrated and beloved illustrators in the history of children’s literature, perhaps best known for his work on the ‘Meg and Mog’ series with Helen Nicoll. He was a pioneering force in the development of pop-up books, with the award-winning 3-D explosion that was ‘Haunted House’ becoming an immediate favourite, while his sophisticated silhouette work in titles such as ‘The Kingdom Under The Sea’, and A Necklace of Raindrops’ created mindscapes that have by now entranced generations of children. In this programme Ed Vere, a children’s illustrator who knew Jan since he himself was a child, sorts through some of his friend and mentor’s archive, stored in a giant wooden chest in Jan’s home. He talks to Jan’s husband, David, as well as other writers and illustrators including Nadia Shireen, Frank Cottrell Boyce, SF Said and Chris Riddell - and we hear archive of Jan himself describing his traumatic childhood in war-torn Europe and the impact the enforced exile from his home in Poland had on his life and work.
Produced by Geoff Bird.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001vzmf)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001vzmh)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001vzmk)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m001vzmm)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m001vzmp)
St Bartholomew’s church in Orford, Suffolk
Bells on Sunday comes from St Bartholomew’s church in Orford, Suffolk. As part of the Millennium celebrations the church’s five 17th and 18th century bells were augmented to a ring of eight with the new bells cast with a profile to match the old bells. The Tenor bell weighs ten and a half hundredweight and is tuned to the note of G. We hear them ringing Ambridge Surprise Major.
SUN 05:45 Profile (m001vzm3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 News Summary (m001w0l8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Something Understood (m001w0ll)
99 Words - Episode 1
When Liz Gray found herself limited, forced into a strange period of enforced retreat by a whiplash injury, the following question came to her mind: if you had breath for no more than 99 words, what would they be?
She began asking friends, colleagues, artists and political figures she admired, gathering together a collection of 99 responses.
In the first of a pair of programmes, she describes the genesis of her '99 Words' project and introduces contributions from, among others, Jeanette Winterson, Robert Wyatt, Scilla Elworthy and Diana Athill.
Produced by Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m001w0lx)
Hydebank Prison Sheep Farm
Tomas and Caolan are two young offenders serving their time in Hydebank on the outskirts of Belfast - formerly a young offenders centre, now re-designated a secure training college. At the end of February they'll be spending several weeks not locked in their cells, but out in the prison grounds, lambing. They're trusted to stay overnight, unsupervised, in a small wooden hut, so they are on hand to look after the ewes and the newborn lambs.
Prison officer Ricky Graham, who is also a part time farmer, set up the project eight years ago. He was keen to see whether looking after animals would help rehabilitate young offenders and maybe encourage them to look for employment opportunities in agriculture once they're released. The project started off with four sheep and now has a flock of around twenty. Tomas and Caolan tell Karen Patterson that they enjoy picking up farming skills from Ricky. Last summer two prisoners showed one of the farm's rams at Balmoral, Northern Ireland's leading agricultural show. Ricky's team also look after the lawns and gardens at Hydebank, growing bedding plants and providing hanging baskets to local charities.
"It's not for everyone, " Ricky says, "They are not all success stories, let's not kid ourselves." But he believes that even if the farm only stops one young offender from re-offending, its' proved a success. Last year Ricky was presented with a Butler Trust award, the highest tribute a prison officer can receive. Governor Richard Taylor says that while they can't change the past for young offenders in their charge, they can help change the future. He believes Hydebank Sheep Farm is part of that effort.
Produced by Kathleen Carragher
SUN 06:57 Weather (m001w0mb)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m001w0mq)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m001w0n4)
Asylum conversions, Jaz from Traitors on Sikhism, Siobhan McSweeney on St Brigid
The issue of converting asylum seekers to Christianity has been in the headlines this week with accusations that some clergy are naive or too eager to help asylum seekers stay in the country. We talk to a Baptist elder with experience of converting and helping asylum seekers.
Jaz from Traitors won the respect of TV audiences with the way he played the gameshow, but he revealed it was his Sikh faith that guided him through the show and helped him be a true Faithful.
The film Samsara – which has just reached our cinemas – has attracted some great reviews despite the fact that you are encouraged to watch part of it with your eyes closed. It tells the story of the journey of the soul of an elderly woman in Laos to its reincarnation as goat in Zanzibar. Edward speaks to director Lois Patino and Dechen Pemba from the Tibetan Film Festival who went to see it on our behalf.
There was another bust up over same sex blessings in the Church of England this week. A Bishop resigned from the process, and 130 people wrote a letter in protest at what they believe are delays to a trial to test out separate services of blessing. Edward talks to Professor Helen King and Dr Ian Paul, both members of General Synod and hears from a couple waiting for their special day in church.
A year of celebrations to mark 1500 years since the death of St Brigid are underway in Ireland. Edward talks to Derry Girls actress Siobhan McSweeney and historian Dr Mary Condren about why she's a feminist saint fit for the 21st century.
PRESENTER: EDWARD STOURTON
PRODUCERS: CATHERINE MURRAY & JAMES LEESLEY
EDITOR:TIM PEMBERTON
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m001w0nk)
In Place of War
Ed O'Brien, Radiohead musician and fellow of In Place of War, makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity.
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 ‘In Place of War’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘In Place of War’.
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.
Charity Number: 1182594
SUN 07:57 Weather (m001w0p1)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m001w0pm)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m001w0q2)
In a service from Journey Community Church, Antrim in Northern Ireland, Pastor John Ashe considers how churches can help to meet the needs of the communities around them. The service is led by Christine Neale.
Promises
Praises
In Christ alone
Gratitude
Acts
2.42-47
House of Miracles
SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m001vsqm)
On Ritual
Taking a lead from Confucius - a man who loved a good ritual - Sara Wheeler explores the continuing fascination of rituals.
'Two and a half millennia ago,' writes Sara, 'Confucius famously fiddled about moving his mat so it was exactly straight before he crossed his legs and sat down on it.'
He believed that ritual improves character and that, in turn, benefits society as a whole.
Sara delves into her favourite rituals and ponders the role of ritual today.
Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b09rzm9w)
David Rothenberg on the Song Thrush
Music professor and philosopher David Rothenberg asks a simple question, why is the song thrush with its beautiful, exuberant and melodious song not famous for this Tweet of the Day.
Producer: Tim Dee
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m001w0qh)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell
SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (m001w0qt)
Writer: Liz John
Director: Julie Beckett
David Archer …. Timothy Bentinck
Jolene Archer…. Buffy Davies
Kenton Archer …. Richard Attlee
Lilian Bellamy …. Sunny Ormonde
Harrison Burns …. James Cartwright
Susan Carter ….. Charlotte Martin
Vince Casey …. Tony Turner
Eddie Grundy …. Trevor Harrison
Emma Grundy …. Emerald O‘Hanrahan
Mia Grundy …. Molly Pipe
Brad Horrobin …. Taylor Uttley
Chelsea Horrobin …. Madeleine Leslay
Tracy Horrobin …. Susie Riddell
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
Markie …. Greg Hobbs
SUN 11:15 Desert Island Discs (m001w0r6)
Val Wilmer, writer and photographer
Val Wilmer has photographed and interviewed many of the most significant musicians of the post-war years, including Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and many more.
Val grew up in Streatham in South London, where a local record shop helped to nurture her love of music, especially jazz. Her lifelong passion for jazz and photography began at an early age: when she was just 14 years old, she persuaded her mother to take her to London Airport to see off the jazz legend Louis Armstrong who had been playing in the UK. She asked him for an autograph, then took a picture of him as he broke into a huge smile. The image was the first of many classic shots.
Alongside her work as a photographer, Val has written extensively about music, as a journalist for numerous publications and as an author: her book As Serious As Your Life, examining the evolution of free jazz within the wider context of racial and sexual politics, has been widely acclaimed as a classic text.
In 1983 she co-founded Format, the first all-female photographic agency, which aimed to champion women photographers and to widen the range of images available to newspapers and magazines.
Her photographs are held in the collections of the V&A and the National Portrait Gallery.
DISC ONE: Potato Head Blues - Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven
DISC TWO: Black, Brown And White - Big Bill Broonzy
DISC THREE: Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8_1. By Kodaly, First movement performed by Janos Starker
DISC FOUR: The Weary Blues – Langston Hughes
DISC FIVE: My Lovely Elizabeth - S.E. Rogie
DISC SIX: Criss Cross - Thelonious Monk
DISC SEVEN: Dogon A D - Julius Hemphill
DISC EIGHT: Love and Affection - Joan Armatrading
BOOK CHOICE: The Collective Works of Langston Hughes
LUXURY ITEM: Nail scissors
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Criss Cross - Thelonious Monk
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producers Tim Bano and Sarah Taylor
SUN 12:00 News Summary (m001w0t3)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 12:04 Just a Minute (m001vsdr)
Series 92
4. Kerry Godliman was an Olympic diver
Sue Perkins challenges guests Paul Merton, Kerry Godliman, Zoe Lyons and Daliso Chaponda to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, deviation or hesitation.
The long-running Radio 4 panel game is back for a new series with subjects this week ranging from Living Theatrically, to The Tattoo I Narrowly Avoided.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Producer: Rajiv Karia
An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (m001w0s1)
Destination Food
Many of us are travel looking for food experiences and we often want to eat something that is authentically of that place. So we seek out the local delicacy which hopefully reflects the local landscape, history and people.
However many of the foods we think of as quintessential ‘destination’ foods are elevated in the 20th century with the rise of easier travel and more and more tourism. On the other hand, it’s easier than ever to access to ‘global’ food in the towns and cities we live in. Sheila Dillon explores what travelling to eat looking for authentic experiences means in an increasingly globalised world.
We start the programme hearing the story of Nashville Hot Chicken from journalist Zach Stafford. In recent history, Hot Chicken went from an obscure speciality of a specific community in North Nashville, Tennessee to one if it’s most iconic symbols. Zach tells the story of how Hot Chicken became part of the ‘Disnification’ of Nashville as it has become a popular tourist destination. But like so much of American culture the story is racialised with new white owned businesses making money from a food created by a black community.
Sheila then travels to Brussels to become a food tourist herself. Guided by Elisabeth Debourse, Editor-in-Chief at Le Fooding she explores whether the search for the elusive ‘authentic’ local food is helpful in trying to get a good meal. She visits Rue des Bouchers and restaurant Les Brigittines.
Someone who’s thought a lot about food and place is food writer Anya von Bremzen. It’s something she explores in her latest book is National Dish. She talks about how many iconic foods linked to place are much more modern than we might think.
The Food Programme is based in Bristol and although the city has a distinct culture, it doesn’t have an iconic ‘destination food.’ Sheila talks to is an actor, born and bred Bristolian and the new presenter of ‘A Proper Bristol Breakfast,’ the Radio Bristol morning show about Bristol’s eclectic food identity.
Produced by Sam Grist for BBC Audio in Bristol
SUN 12:57 Weather (m001w0sb)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m001w0sl)
Radio 4's look at the week's big stories from both home and around the world
SUN 13:30 Gangster (p0h2qrpk)
Catching the Kingpins
Catching the Kingpins: 5. Line of Duty
The truth unearthed about Met police officer PC Kashif Mahmood is stranger than an episode of the fictional drama Line of Duty. And it was evidence unearthed in the EncroChat operation which made him plead guilty.
PC Kashif Mahmood had won five awards for his outstanding service as a police officer. But he was secretly working for an OCG in east London.
A detective from the Met police’s anti-corruption unit talks publicly for the first time about the most brazen case of corruption he’s ever seen.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Series Producer: Andrew Hosken
Editor and Executive Producer: Innes Bowen
Catching the Kingpins is a BBC Studios Production for BBC Sounds.
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m001vsn5)
From the Archive: Ponds and Bogs
Kathy Clugston navigates the murky waters of the GQT archives in search of some Pond and Bog related advice throughout the years.
Water is the giver of plant life and nourisher of wildlife, but how do we ensure that we’re using it correctly? The GQT team have sorted through the archives in search for some questions and answers from the past.
The programme's horticultural experts share their knowledge on what to do if your pond liner breaks, how to remove bird poo from the surface of your pond, and what sort of plants you could plant in bogs and ponds to increase biodiversity?
We also listen back to when pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood visited the Exbury Gardens dragonfly pond to learn more about these little creatures.
Producer: Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 14:45 Short Works (m001pfpm)
Acousmatic by Manon Steffan Ros
New short fiction by Manon Steffan Ros.
Read by Sara McGaughey
Why does Elen listen to the voices so much these days? Is it because everybody she lives with has stopped listening to her?
Directed by John Norton
Sound by Nigel Lewis
A BBC Audio Drama Wales production
An original short story specially commissioned by BBC Radio 4.
SUN 15:00 The Medici (m001w0t6)
Series 2: The Inheritors
Episode 2 - Catherine
By Mike Walker
Catherine de Medici, orphaned within weeks of her birth, raised in a nunnery, and sold into a political marriage, becomes the dauphine of France, but her husband is in love with Diane de Poitiers and she is struggling to become pregnant.
CAST
Catherine de Medici - Catrin Aaron
Silvestri - Julian Lewis Jones
Diane de Poitiers - Juliette Aubrey
Prince Henri - Arthur Hughes
King Francis - Aneirin Hughes
Guise - Joel MacCormack
Nurse - Heather Craney
Ippolito de Medici - Jacob Ifan
Pope Clement - Arwel Gruffydd
Young Catherine - Grace Nettle
Series Creator: Mike Walker
Sound: Catherine Robinson
Director: John Norton
A BBC Audio Drama Wales Production
SUN 16:00 Bookclub (m001w0tp)
Graeme Macrae Burnet: His Bloody Project
Graeme Macrae Burnet joins James Naughtie and readers to reveal the secrets behind his award-winning historical novel, His Bloody Project. Set in the Scottish Highlands in 1869, His Bloody Project explores crime, justice and retribution through the confessions of a young man accused of murder, and an account of his trial.
Upcoming recordings at BBC Broadcasting House in London:
Tuesday 26 March 1830 - Clare Chambers discusses her bestselling novel, Small Pleasures.
Wednesday 24 April 1830- Nicholas Shakespeare discusses Six Minutes In May: How Churchill Unexpectedly Became Prime Minister
SUN 16:30 Testament to Rose (m001w0v2)
When beatboxer and poet Testament discovers a mixed-race poet once lived and prospered 200 years ago in his hometown of Manchester, he’s captivated. He sets off to talk to historians, a librarian and even a descendant of one of Robert Rose’s friends to find out what he can about The Bard of Colour – Rose’s self-given title. In Britain’s oldest public library, Chetham’s Library, Testament handles one of Rose’s notebooks, marvelling at his beautiful handwriting.
What was the half-Guyanese Robert Rose doing here, in Victorian Manchester, on a generous private income, wining and dining with people of influence? Educated at public school, who were his patrons? Who were his parents? Why is he obscured from history? And is his poetry any good? A resounding "Yes!" from poet, novelist and fellow Guyanese David Dabydean who, like Testament, is excited to discover the work of Robert Rose.
A radical unafraid to speak up against slavery, a man with a vivid social life and many good friends, Rose was nevertheless far from home. Paterson Joseph brings Rose’s lyrical verse to life, some of it full of longing: "A wanderer here, O! Who for me would mourn/If the vast sea of life should o'er me close?"
Presented by Testament
Contributors: David Dabydeen, Lucy Evans, David Altson, Fergus Wilde, Michael Kelly, Jeanne Carmont
Voice of Robert Rose: Paterson Joseph
Research by Glynis Greenman
Additional recording: Ed Heaton
Produced by Nija Dalal-Small
Executive Producer: Mel Harris
Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore
A Sparklab production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 17:00 File on 4 (m001vsg4)
Ireland's Far Right Riot
When three young children and their carer were stabbed outside a school in Dublin, protests against immigration began, fuelled by rumours on social media. A night of rioting then followed, with shops looted, vehicles set alight, and police attacked. The rioting has placed immigration centre stage of Irish politics, with one of the country’s most famous sports stars, mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, claiming Ireland is “at war” and saying he wants to be president. File on 4 investigates what caused the riots, and asks is Ireland at a turning point in its history?
Reporter: Shane Harrison
Producers: Fergus Hewison and Surya Elango
Technical Producer: Sue Stonestreet
Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley
Editor: Carl Johnston
SUN 17:40 Profile (m001vzm3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m001w0vg)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m001w0vt)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001w0w8)
The Foreign Secretary says Teheran will be held accountable for the actions of its proxies. UK flagship aircraft carrier pulled from NATO exercise, because of a technical problem.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m001w0wr)
Emma Freud
Here’s a question - when hosting Pick of the Week, how do you choose between the following…. Jamie Dornan’s emotional moment on Desert Island Discs… Ellie Taylor’s guide on how to handle life in a thrupple… a scandalous look backstage at vintage X Factor manipulations… or Jon Ronson on the story of American schools putting litter trays into classrooms to accommodate the students who identify as cats. The answer is - you don’t choose… you include them all.
Presenter: Emma Freud
Producer: Elizabeth Foster
Production Co-ordinator: Lydia Depledge-Miller
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m001w0r8)
Alice and Harry are on a fundraising horse ride. They’re both in good spirits when conversation turns to the upcoming meeting with Harry’s mum. Alice is feeling nervous. Harry is reassuring, telling her he thinks his mum will love her, when they spot Chris’s van. Chris tells them he has had an emergency call out to a horse who has lost a shoe. They have an awkward conversation where Harry tries to be jocular. Later, Alice and Harry bump into Chris again, at The Bull, where Harry tries to make a joke, saying they aren’t stalking Chris. But it just leads to another awkward atmosphere. He makes matters worse when Chris mentions he’s there with his parents, exclaiming: “It’s wonderful! I can meet Martha’s grandparents at last.”
Fallon is worrying about Jolene and tells Harrison she is going to The Bull later to help her with Yorkshire Pudding Day preparations. She goes on to ask if he can find out how the investigation is going. Harrison is reticent but he tells her he will see what he can do. He finds Jolene later and gives her an update on the investigation. He says he can’t get involved directly but it’s progressing and the team are doing their best. He reminds her that if she remembers anything – people acting suspiciously or unfamiliar customers – to call the number she has been given. He suggests that he and Fallon could move in until Kenton is back from hospital. Jolene panics and refuses, telling him she’s fine.
SUN 19:15 You're Part of the Problem (m001w0x9)
A brand new sketch show starring Abi Clarke, Aurie Styla, Ed Jones, Lola-Rose Maxwell and Stephen Buchanan, showing us grotesque, everyday characters who are 'Part Of The Problem'.
In this pilot, we hear all manner of problem-makers. A lonely exam invigilator, an incontinent king, strange allergies and a kids toy that isn't as cute as it once was, all create situations which get out-of-hand fast, with hilarious and excruciating consequences.
Recorded at Up The Creek, Greenwich.
Written by the cast, Cameron Loxdale, Cody Dahler, Kate Dehnert and Zoe Tomalin.
Production Coordinators: Sarah Nicholls & Caroline Barlow
Sound Recordists: Paul Brogden and Farid El-Jazouli
Sound Editing and Design: Rich Evans
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
An EcoAudio certified production.
SUN 19:45 Bodies of Water (m001w0xv)
5: Three Coins
A trip to the Trevi Fountain helps a young woman re-assess her life.
The final instalment of Saba Sams' series of stories inspired by bodies of water.
Read by Hannah Tointon
SUN 20:00 More or Less (m001vsp3)
Measles, Traitors and the cost of Brexit
Was there really a 5% measles vaccination rate in Birmingham? Has Brexit already cost 6% of the UKs economy? For how long has crime been falling? And are contestants on the reality gameshow any good at finding traitors?
Tim Harford investigates the numbers in the news.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producers: Nathan Gower and Debbie Richford
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production coordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: Rod Farquhar
Editor: Richard Vadon
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m001vsnt)
Frank Farian, Caroline Richmond, Phil Baines, Norma Izard
Matthew Bannister on
Frank Farian, the German music producer behind the hugely successful group Boney M, who caused controversy when it was revealed that his duo Milli Vanilli had been miming at all their live shows. We hear from Boney M singer Liz Mitchell.
Medical journalist Caroline Richmond who founded the Campaign Against Health Fraud, now known as HealthSense.
Professor Phil Baines, the respected typographer who designed many book covers and public signs as well as the memorial to the victims of the 7/7 2005 bombings in London.
Norma Izard, who managed the England Women’s Cricket team, leading them to win the World Cup and creating the trophy for the women’s Ashes series.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive used:
London Plus, BBC 1 South East, 09/10/1985; Sixty Minutes, BBC 1, 07/06/1984; BBC Breakfast Time, BBC, 25/03/1986; Caroline Richmond’s interviewed on Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio Four, 27/04/2000; England v New Zealand - Women's World Cup Final, 5 Live,
01.08.1993; Phil Baines - Form and content: reflections on the practice and responsibilities of book design, Real Smart Media, 25/04/2012; From Priesthood to Art and Design, Central Saint Martins
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m001vzl7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m001w0nk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 Loose Ends (m001vzm1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m001w0yn)
Ben Wright discusses the prospects for power-sharing at Stormont with two former Northern Ireland ministers: Conservative MP Conor Burns and leading Labour peer, Angela Smith. They're also joined by Whitehall expert Jill Rutter, from the Institute for Government and UK in a Changing Europe think tanks. Ben also interviews Jacob Rees-Mogg about the launch of the "Popular Conservatives" movement. Jason Groves - political editor of the Daily Mail - brings expert insight and analysis. And journalist Paul Waugh tells the programme he has "no regret" about standing - unsuccessfully - to become the Labour parliamentary candidate for Rochdale.
SUN 23:00 Moral Maze (m001vtmx)
The Purpose of Punishment
The last week saw two contrasting examples of how societies treat killers. Valdo Calocane, who killed three people in Nottingham and tried to kill three more, avoided jail and was instead sent to a secure hospital for life because of his mental illness. One of the victim’s relatives protested that he “got away with murder”. Meanwhile in America, convicted murderer Kenneth Smith became the first person in the US to be executed using nitrogen gas.
Calocane’s charge was reduced to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility because of his paranoid schizophrenia. The mother of one of his victims objected and complained that the families were not consulted. The Attorney General will be reviewing the sentence. It’s raised questions about what punishment is for: Is it for criminals – to provide the suffering they deserve, or reform them or deter future offenders? Or is it for victims – providing retribution and a sense of fairness to them? Victims are uniquely placed to appreciate the true impact of crime, so shouldn't their perspective have a greater weight in the judicial process? Would a bigger role for victims improve or hinder justice? What’s the purpose of punishment and can it ever provide justice for the most serious offenders, and their victims?
Presenter: Michael Buerk
Producer: Jonathan Hallewell
Assistant Producer: Linda Walker
Editor: Tim Pemberton
MONDAY 05 FEBRUARY 2024
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m001w0yz)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (m001vtm8)
Traditionalism - Russian Orthodox Converts
Traditionalism and Russian Orthodox Converts – Laurie Taylor talks to Mark Sedgwick, Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies at Aarhus University, about the radical project for restoring sacred order. Traditionalism is founded on ancient teachings that, its followers argue, have been handed down from time immemorial and which must be defended from modernity. How has this mystical doctrine come to have contemporary sway on the political right, inspiring ex President Trump's former chief strategist, as well as the Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, sometimes dubbed as “Putin’s brain”?
They’re joined by Sarah Riccardi-Swartz, Assistant Professor of Religion and Anthropology at Northeastern University, Boston, who has uncovered an extraordinary story of religious conversion in one corner of Appalachia. Here, a group of American citizens has embraced the Russian Orthodox Church and through it Putin’s New Russia. They look to Russian religion and politics for answers to Western secularism and the loss of traditional family values.
Producer: Jayne Egerton
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m001vzmp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001w0zb)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001w0zw)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001w107)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 05:30 News Briefing (m001w10k)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001w10y)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, Canon Theologian for the Diocese of Swansea & Brecon.
Good morning. There are two sounds that identify Britain perhaps more than any other, and both have to do with time. The first is the famous gong of Big Ben. The second may surprise you: the Greenwich Time Signal, better known as the ‘pips’. These are the six short tones broadcast at one-second intervals by many BBC Radio stations.
The pips were introduced on this day in 1924 to mark the precise hour.
Thanks to wristwatches, smart phones, the time counter on our computer screens, and so forth, we’re constantly aware of the exact time. Seconds, which in the past were a meaningless measurement, can now be experienced as an eternity while waiting for an app to download or we’re put on hold.
Such precision can make time a tyrant. Our minds weren’t made to be governed so precisely. That’s why when we read, play music, do art, or go for long walks, we can feel delightfully free, like convicts on furlough.
If that’s true for you, then perhaps the next time you hear those pips, don’t think to yourself, ‘Oh dear, is that the time!’ but ‘What can I do today to forget all about time?’
That’s, at least, how I intend to mark this anniversary.
Eternal Father, help us to see time not as a tyrant but as your gift to us so that we may fill that time with loving actions rather than selfish desires and with loving intentions rather than anxious thoughts. Amen.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m001w118)
A forester from Moray in North East Scotland says he may have to destroy millions of trees after the Scottish Government slashed the budget for new tree planting. Ronald Christie from Fochabers says unless ministers change their mind, ten million young trees will have to be burnt followed by a similar number next year.
The Small Robot Company were hailed as the future of small-scale automation for UK farmers. But in May last year their major investor withdrew its funding. They did find another and launched a crowdfunding campaign, but couldn’t raise the amount needed in time, and now the company has gone into liquidation. One of the founders tells us there's a crisis in UK agtech funding.
All this week we're going to be hearing about working animals, and today it's sheepdogs, Vernon Harwood meets a champion sheepdog handler who has been working with dogs since he was nine years-old.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
MON 05:56 Weather (m001w11m)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03srqz5)
Great Bustard
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Chris Packham presents the great bustard. Great bustards, one of the heaviest flying birds in the world, were most common in Wiltshire and East Anglia but in the past they were hunted to extinction and the last known breeding birds in the UK were in 1832.
Today, great bustards are back on Salisbury Plain, thanks to the work of the Great Bustard Group. The Group aims to establish a self-sustaining population in the UK.
MON 06:00 Today (m001w0mf)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m001w0ms)
Opium trade to synthetic opiates
The trade in opium formed a backdrop to Amitav Ghosh’s best-selling novels, The Ibis Trilogy. In his latest work of non-fiction, Smoke and Ashes, he investigates the impact of that trade on Britain, India and China, and follows the money that was made by some of America’s most powerful and well-respected families. He reveals how the poppy plant enabled the financial survival of Empire and proved catastrophic for Indian farmers and Chinese users.
In the 21st century Afghanistan became the biggest grower of poppies, producing more than 80% of the world's opium. The former soldier, Richard Brittan, set up the company Alcis, to provide an accurate picture of what’s going on on the ground in Afghanistan by using satellite imagery. As well as tracking the workings of the drugs trade, he explains the impact of the Taliban ban on poppy cultivation in 2023.
Professor Fiona Measham, Chair in Criminology at Liverpool University, explains that one of the effects of the disruption to the opium trade has been a large increase in the number of synthetic opiates – fentanyl and nitazenes – filling the vacuum. China has become the centre for the wider development of synthetic drugs that emulate plant-based street drugs, but are much stronger and potentially lethal. The charity The Loop, set up by Measham, is instrumental in checking drugs to better understand what is being sold on the streets.
Producer: Katy Hickman
MON 09:45 Food for Life by Tim Spector (m001w0n5)
Ep6 – Something Fishy
Oily fish being good for your brain, fish being better for your heart, and even fish not feeling pain...there are lots of reasons that people choose fish over mammal meat. But as fish farms take over bodies of water and the natural migration patterns of fish are disappearing, can a fish-based diet be considered sustainable, and is it actually better for us?
Written by Tim Spector
Read by John Lightbody
Abriged by Rosemary Goring
Produced by Naomi Walmsley
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001w0nm)
Ambika Mod, Forgiveness, Grandparent classes, Grammys
Ambika Mod stars as Emma in the new Netflix adaptation of David Nicholls’ much-loved novel One Day. She acts opposite Leo Woodall as Dex, and their comedic romance plays out over 14 episodes and 20 years. You may have seen Ambika as Shruti, the junior doctor with a pivotal plot line in the BBC labour ward drama This is Going to Hurt. She joins Anita Rani in the Woman’s Hour studio to talk about now taking the lead.
A new programme on Radio 4, Forgiveness: Stories from the Front Line, explores how you survive and restore your life, when something truly appalling is done to you. Anita is joined by the founder of the Forgiveness Project, Marina Cantacuzino and Marian Partington, whose sister Lucy was murdered by Fred and Rosemary West in 1973.
Grandparent antenatal classes give grandparents-to-be the chance to brush up on practical skills and get key advice on how to look after young kids again. Anita talks to Dr Francesca Dooley, founder of Happy Parents Happy Baby where she runs grandparent classes, and Francesca’s mother Beverly Bonora who was in her first ever class.
Taylor Swift has made history at the Grammys by winning album of the year for a fourth time. Billie Elish, SZA and Miley Cyrus also took home major awards. Even Jay-Z got in on the act, calling out the fact that his wife Beyonce has never won album of the year. Anita discusses with Jude Rogers, arts and culture journalist for the Guardian and Observer and Tschepo Mokoena, freelance culture writer and author of Beyonce, Lives of Musicians.
MON 11:00 The Gatekeepers (m001w206)
1. We Are as Gods
For years something strange has been happening online, but most of us have no idea what’s really going on.
Ethnic conflict in Myanmar. A chemistry professor is killed in Ethiopia. A teenager dies in her bedroom in London. A mob storms the Capitol in Washington DC.
And that’s the moment that catches Jamie Bartlett’s eye. A few days after the riot, on January 9th 2021, the outgoing leader of the United States is suspended on social media. First Twitter, (renamed X), and then Facebook. A President silenced. It’s a glimpse behind the curtain. For the first time millions of us can see the power of technology companies.
They can delete you. They can amplify you. They can change your life. Social media has conquered the world.
Jamie Bartlett follows the roots of this story back to San Francisco : the home of Big Tech, where he meets one of the early pioneers of social media who tells him about a strange hand bound book, passed around hippy communes in the summer of love, and how it turned the world upside down.
Archive Credits: Wolf of Wall Street, Paramount Pictures; Telecommunications Bill sign in, C-Span 1996; Bloomberg's TicTic 2019; Fox News 2020
Presenter: Jamie Bartlett
Producer: Caitlin Smith
Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore
Music: Jeremy Warmsley
Story Consultant: Kirsty Williams
Researchers: Rachael Fulton, Elizabeth Ann Duffy and Juliet Conway
Executive Producer: Peter McManus
Commissioning editor: Dan Clarke.
A BBC Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4
New episodes released on Mondays. If you’re in the UK, listen to the latest episodes of The Gatekeepers, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3Ui661u
MON 11:30 The Bottom Line (m001vsk5)
Meat
UK consumers are eating less meat than at any point since records began 50 years ago, according to the latest government figures, so how are farmers, processors and retailers responding?
The cost of living crisis is part of the reason for a recent drop-off in demand, but warnings about meat's impact on the planet and our health might also play a role, and plant-based alternatives have been eating into meat’s market share in recent years.
So does the industry feel under attack, or are they adapting their businesses and their products to meet these challenges? And what does it take to get an animal from a field to our plate anyway?
Evan Davis is joined by:
Anna Longthorp, of Anna’s Happy Trotters;
Phil Hambling, head of CSR at ABP Food Group;
Charlotte Mitchell, owner of Charlotte’s Butchery.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Producer: Simon Tulett
Researcher: Paige Neal-Holder
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Rod Farquhar and Neil Churchill
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.
(Picture: A butcher arranging meat at store window in Leeds. Credit: Reza Estakhrian/Getty Images)
MON 12:00 News Summary (m001w0p6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m001w0pq)
Train Fares; Banking Vans; Crochet and Knitting
From the Great British Rail sale and mobile apps, to buying from the counter of a train station or a machine on the platform – buying tickets can become a bit of a challenge for commuters.
So what difference does it make when you buy your tickets on different places, and how can you get the best deals? We’ll hear from commuters in Hebden Bridge about the challenges, before speaking to Mark Smith from the Seat 61 website to get some answers.
Around 54 banks have closed on our high streets every month since January 2015, that approximately 6000 in total. A further 223 are marked for closure in 2024.
One of the alternative offered by the Lloyds banking group was mobile banking vans. However, Lloyds have announced that these will close from May 2024.
We will be talking to a councillor of Calne in Wiltshire about where this leaves the town of 20,000 residents when they need to bank and how they feel about this.
Which?’s money editor also updates us on where we are at with the banking hubs that are set to replace many banking services on our high streets.
And finally, how’s your knitting and crochet skills? Well it seems like a new generation is falling in love with the craft. We’ll be joined by Doncaster’s Motherhookers and Crochemily who has taken her passion to social media and turned it in to a job.
PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL
PRODUCER: DAVE JAMES
MON 12:57 Weather (m001w0q5)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m001w0qk)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
MON 13:45 Forgiveness: Stories from the Front Line (m001w0qw)
In the first of five extraordinary stories of forgiveness, we hear from Paul, whose peaceful life with his wife and daughters was violently interrupted by a gang who broke into the house, in what looked like a case of mistaken identity .
Paul and his wife had a lucky escape as the police arrived promptly. All four assailants were eventually caught and convicted. But later, the family was invited to prison to meet one of the men responsible for the attack.
Marina Cantacuzino, founder of The Forgiveness Project, is in conversation with Paul and hears what happened next.
Presented by Marina Cantacuzino
Produced by Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:00 The Archers (m001w0r8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 This Cultural Life (m001vzm5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:15 on Saturday]
MON 15:00 Counterpoint (m001w0rp)
Series 37
Heat 9, 2024
(9/13)
Another three music enthusiasts from around the UK face Paul Gambaccini's questions in the latest contest from the BBC's studios in Salford. Whether it's chart music, classic rock, jazz, musical theatre, film and TV themes or the whole gamut of the classical repertoire, they'll have to prove the breadth of their knowledge if they're to win the last of the places up for grabs in the semi-finals.
Appearing today are
Andrew Fisher from Sheffield
Caroline McKay from Frodsham in Cheshire
Sarah Wade from Thornton-Cleveleys in Lancashire.
The contenders will also have to select a special musical category on which to answer their own individual questions, with no prior warning of the subject choices they'll be offered.
The semi-finals begin next week.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria
MON 15:30 The Food Programme (m001w0s1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
MON 16:00 The Forensic Jeweller (m001w0tm)
Jewellery can tell us so much about people - the ones that wore it, and the ones that made it. It reveals something about status, or power, or belief systems - religion and relationships. There's so many interesting things that you can uncover about a person, or a group of people, by their jewellery. This makes it an incredibly useful tool for forensic analysis.
Dr Maria Maclennan, is the world's first, and currently only, Forensic Jeweller. In this show, we accompany Maria to the Evros region of Greece, where she, along with her team of Dr Jan Bikker, Professor Pavlidis Pavlos and Filmmaker Harry Lawson, are using the forensic analysis of jewellery to identify deceased migrants.
The goal is to give back a name to many of the missing and unidentified who sadly lose their lives trying to enter Europe.
A single piece of jewellery can unlock an entire identity.
MON 16:30 Beyond Belief (m001w0v1)
Religion and War
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu used biblical references in the early days of Israel's armed response to the October 7th massacre, carried out by Hamas. The covenant of Hamas repeatedly uses Islamist rhetoric in its declaration of purpose and intent. But what does scripture and doctrine actually teach about resorting to armed conflict? When is the use of a religious justification legitimate?
Aleem Maqbool and guests explore the intersection of religion, politics and international law when it comes to justifying the use of violence or military action in conflict.
With Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer, a Jewish lawyer and educator who lives in Jerusalem, who is the head of the Haredi division of the Tikvah Fund, a charity dedicated to promoting Jewish thoughts and ideas; Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan, an Islamic scholar and Imam with a background in researching extremism; and Mary-Ellen O’Connell, Professor of Law and International Peace Studies at the Catholic Notre-Dame University in the US, and author of ‘Self-Defence Against Non-State Actors’.
With additional contributions from Rabbi Yakov Nagen, author and leader in interfaith dialogue between Judaism and Islam; and Rev Dr Muther Isaac, a Palestinian Lutheran pastor and Dean of Bethlehem Bible College.
Producer: Rebecca Maxted
Assistant Producer: Peter Everett, Ruth Purser
Editors: Tim Pemberton and Dan Tierney
MON 17:00 PM (m001w0vf)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001w0vw)
The King is stepping back from public engagements while he undergoes treatment
MON 18:30 Just a Minute (m001w0wb)
Series 92
5. Angela Barnes never scrimps on colonics
Sue Perkins challenges Paul Merton, Eshaan Akbar, Lucy Porter and Angela Barnes to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, deviation or hesitation.
The long-running Radio 4 panel game is back for a new series with subjects this week ranging from witches to paisley.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Producer: Rajiv Karia
An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
MON 19:00 The Archers (m001w0wv)
Susan and Clarrie are looking forward to Adam’s first day in the dairy but they are surprised to find that he’s unusually officious, quizzing them about their work and routines. Susan is annoyed by this and decides to play some tricks on him. While they are making yoghurt Clarrie tells Susan she will be doing a few extra shifts in The Bull to help Jolene out. Later when Adam comes to check on them he complains his wellies are too tight. They tell him it’s ‘Dairyman’s Foot’, where lactose can make people’s feet swell. They quickly let him in on the joke. His behaviour continues and he makes Susan help him with the Borsetshire Blue, reminding her that she did say all the processes could be streamlined. As they are leaving he winds Susan up, telling her that hair is hanging out of her hair net.
Jolene goes to visit Kenton at the hospital. He’s been moved back onto a ward and is starting to get bored and grumpy. He is complaining about the other patients and is feeling frustrated that he’s had to leave Jolene with no help. Later, when Jolene is showing Clarrie how to use the till, Kenton arrives at The Bull having discharged himself against doctors’ wishes. Jolene is shocked and angry with him but he bats away her protestations, saying he’s fine and he’ll manage. His bravado vanishes when trying to climb the stairs leaves him in excruciating pain.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m001w0xf)
Steve McQueen and Bianca Stigter, Jez Butterworth and Declan McKenna
Oscar-winning director and artist Steve McQueen has collaborated with his partner, the writer and historian Bianca Stigter, to document the hidden histories of World War Two beneath the streets of modern day Amsterdam. The couple join Samira to discuss their mesmerising and poetic new film.
Mojo brought him great success when he was just 26. Later came Jerusalem, the greatest play of the 20th century in the Daily Telegraph theatre critic’s opinion. Then, The Ferryman, also highly acclaimed. He has also written a couple of James Bond films. So, Jez Butterworth’s new play The Hills of California is eagerly awaited and has gone straight to the West End. On the eve of press night, the playwright talks to Samira Ahmed about the play that its director, Sam Mendes, says is ‘about love, time, memory, parents and children. And England.’ Lots to talk about.
Singer-songwriter Declan McKenna gives Front Row a preview of his new album What Happened To The Beach? – recorded in LA nearly a decade after winning Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent Competition as a teenager.
MON 20:00 Labour’s Scottish Challenge (m001w0xx)
Political correspondent Nick Eardley finds out if the Labour Party are about to make a major comeback in Scotland.
We begin with what went wrong for the once all-conquering Labour Party north of the border. How the independence debate alienated the party from some of its voters - and saw it nearly wiped out at the 2015 general election. But after a decade in the wilderness, is Scotland at a major turning point? The SNP has lost its popular leader in Nicola Sturgeon and the campaign for independence has faltered. Are the SNP's troubles opening a door for Labour? Is Labour in Scotland back?
With contributions from current Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, and the SNP leader Humza Yousaf. We also hear the thoughts of former Labour leaders Kezia Dugdale and Jim Murphy. Nick talks to former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, and John McDonnell MP, who held the post of shadow chancellor in Jeremy Corbyn's cabinet. The SNP’s Mhairi Black MP and Labour’s former Secretary of State for Scotland, Douglas Alexander remember going head-to-head in the Paisley and Renfrewshire South seat in 2015 which marked Mhairi Black’s ascendancy and Douglas Alexander’s dramatic fall. With the former declaring she won’t be standing for re-election, and the latter about to stand again, are the tables about to be turned?
In this election year, the result north of the border will be a significant factor and could be key to whether Keir Starmer reaches Downing Street.
Presenter: Nick Eardley
Producer: Carol Purcell
Researchers: May Robson and Lucy Small
Executive Producers: Peter McManus and Elizabeth Clark
Mixed by Kris McConnachie
A BBC Scotland Production
Audio Credits:
Clip of Kate Forbes - Scotland's Next First Minister: The Leader's Debate, STV 7 March 2023
MON 20:30 Analysis (m001w0yg)
Has the family had its day?
British politicians love to invoke the family, from John Major's "Back to Basics" campaign, to New Labour's "hardworking families" - and now a prominent strain of the Conservative right says parents sticking together for the sake of the children is "the only possible basis for a safe and successful society".
By turning family values into a political football, are they in denial about the way society has developed this century? For decades, single-person households have been the fastest-growing demographic and younger generations are re-defining romantic commitments and their purpose.
Is the erosion of traditional structure around marriage and family a destructive thing for society, or does it offer the kind of freedom and individual choice denied to previous generations?
Presenter: Zoe Strimpel
Producer: David Reid
Editor: Clare Fordham
Contributors:
Danny Kruger, Conservative Member of Parliament for Devizes and Co-Chair of the New Conservatives: Committing to a Better Politics.
Dr. Ruth Beecher, Historian of Modern Britain and the United States, Birkbeck, University of London
Prof. Deborah Cohen, Richard W. Leopold Professor of History at Northwestern University.
Prof. Sasha Roseneil, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sussex.
Prof. Sylvie Fogelj-Bijaoui, sociologist specialising in gender, human rights, the family and the kibbutz.
Daisy Lees, resident of Old Hall
Chris Lees, resident of Old Hall
Rob Connigale, resident of Old Hall
MON 21:00 Do We Still Need the Pips? (m001w0yw)
To mark the centenary of the Greenwich Time Signal on the BBC, Paddy O'Connell asks the unaskable - Do We Still Need the Pips?
First broadcast at
9.30pm on Feb the 5th 1924, the six pips of the Greenwich Time Signal have become synonymous with Radio 4.
But today digital broadcasting has rendered this time signal delayed and inaccurate. Plus their immovable presence can cause accidents on-air, and no-one wants to crash the Pips.
So after 100 years, should Radio 4 just get rid of them? What is the point of a time signal in 2024 anyway?
Paddy O'Connell looks back across a century of organised beeps, and meets the people who listen to, broadcast and sometimes crash in to the Pips to find out what we really think about these six little characters.
With interviews including Mishal Husain, Robin Ince & Brian Cox, Jane Steel, Richard Hoptroff, Jon Holmes and David Rooney.
Produced by Luke Doran.
Original music by Ed Carter.
MON 21:30 Start the Week (m001w0ms)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m001w0zd)
King Charles diagnosed with a form of cancer
Also:
Is Ethiopia on the verge of another famine ?
And
The scale of the abuse of local councillors is revealed
MON 22:45 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (m001w0zx)
6: 'This is what I was born for.'
Tom Hollander reads the next in Madeline Miller's blistering retelling of the Iliad - an electrifying tale of love, ambition and immortal fame.
In Ancient Greece, in the Age of Heroes, after a tragic accident, the awkward young prince Patroclus, is exiled to the court of King Peleus, where he meets his son Achilles - strong, swift, and beautiful. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men, their bond blossoms into something deeper - a bond that risks the wrath of the gods.
But when news comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Soon the cruel Fates will test them both and demand a terrible sacrifice.
Today: after making his first killing in the war on Troy, Achilles finally understands what he was born to do....
Writer: Madeline Miller
Reader: Tom Hollander
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Justine Willett
MON 23:00 Word of Mouth (m001vsdp)
Unequal English
Michael Rosen is joined by language scholar Ruanni Tupas, to discuss Unequal English - how native English is perceived differently, depending on where you come from.
Ruanni, who's from the Philippines and also spent two decades in Singapore, has spent his career thinking about what it means to be a native English speaker when you come from somewhere other than the West. He chats with Michael about his own experience of speaking four languages (English and three Philippine languages), how being judged by how he spoke English at university affected the rest of his life and research, and what it means for his children speaking English as a first language, havng grown up in Singapore. They also discuss what is really meant by English as a 'global language', and why he prefers thinking of multi-lingualism as having a language repertoire.
Ruanni Tupas is Associate Professor of Sociolinguistics at UCL, London.
Produced by Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio Bristol
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001w108)
Sean Curran reports as MPs send their best wishes to the King,
TUESDAY 06 FEBRUARY 2024
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m001w10l)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 00:30 Food for Life by Tim Spector (m001w0n5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001w10z)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001w119)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001w11n)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m001w11y)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001w127)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, Canon Theologian for the Diocese of Swansea & Brecon.
Good morning. Yesterday, I was thinking about omnipresence: the idea that God, who wholly transcends everything, is also wholly present in everything. That I was reflecting on this may be due to my being a theologian. It may also be because I ate something that didn’t agree with me.
Actually, I knew that today is the sixty-fifth anniversary of the patent of the first integrated circuit.
The technologies it created, have, in turn, allowed countless goods and services to become omnipresent. Travel the world over, and you’ll find the same gadgets, cars, and appliances. You’ll also find people everywhere staring at the same screens.
Thanks to the integrated circuit, our world has grown massively smaller. And yet the space between us seems to have grown wider. The omnipresence of information is making our world confusing, and often destructive. It’s no coincidence that the distance between us and truth now seems impossible to navigate.
God’s omnipresence is different. It’s generative of life; it’s rooted in love…indeed, is the means and presence of love. God’s omnipresence is, therefore, less like the integrated circuit than the fresh air we breathe or the smile of human kindness we encounter in others.
Almighty God, who is closer to us than we are to ourselves and in whom all things consist, may we be so aware of your close love that we may never lose heart nor draw far from you or our neighbours. Amen.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m001w12h)
One in three women, and one in five men in the UK are affected by domestic abuse according to a recent National Rural Crime Network report - it also found that rural victims of domestic abuse tend to suffer for 25% longer than those in urban areas because of geographical isolation and barriers to accessing help and support. We hear from one woman in rural North Wales where she was the victim of domestic abuse at the hands of her ex-partner, who is now in prison.
The presence of microplastics in farmland soil increased by 350% between 1997 and 2005 according to figures in a study by the University of Lancaster. That six-fold increase was largely due to the plastic coatings around fertiliser granules. The study was based on soil sample archives. Another study by the same researchers found the use of plastic to cover crops early in their growing season has also had an impact. We speak to the lead author of the reports.
All week we're looking at working animals. Birds such as starlings and feral pigeons can be a real pest for farmers - eating animal feed, seeds and young crops. An increasing number of farmers are turning away from noisy bird-scarers to a different type of pest control and employing falconers to help them deal with the problem. Hawks are trained to be a deterrent for the unwanted visitors without actually doing them any harm. We visit a farm in Shropshire where they’ve been trying out the idea.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03k279n)
Fieldfare
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Chris Packham presents the fieldfare. Fieldfares are thrushes, and very handsome ones. They have slate-grey heads, dark chestnut backs and black tails and their under parts are patterned with arrows. Although birds will stick around if there's plenty of food available, fieldfares are great wanderers and are quick to move out in freezing conditions.
TUE 06:00 Today (m001w142)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 Things Fell Apart (p0h24g5v)
S2. Ep 5: Things Weren’t Going Back to Normal
How a schism between a mother and her teenage daughter during lockdown contributed to Governor Ron DeSantis enacting new and far-reaching laws in Florida.
Written and presented by Jon Ronson
Produced by Sarah Shebbeare
Original music by Phil Channell
TUE 09:30 The Miners' Strike: Return Journey (m001w14f)
Nottinghamshire
Still seen as one of the most bitter and divisive industrial disputes in the UK, the year long miners' strike, beginning in March 1984, dominated the news for 12 months.
It’s been described as “a site of contested memories,” and it still evokes strong feelings in those who lived through the strike and had direct experience of it. Chris Jackson, in his very first job as a young radio reporter in South Wales, found himself covering the dispute that scarred a generation and more. Now, 40 years after the start of the strike, he’s meeting people from different sides of the difficult and controversial industrial dispute, and together they return to a place that holds some very personal memories.
In this episode, Chris meets Peter Short, who was a miner and union official at Bilsthorpe colliery in Nottinghamshire. Following a ballot in Nottinghamshire, union members there decided not to join the strike. As a result, and despite voting for strike action himself, Peter Short worked throughout the year-long dispute. Now he retraces his daily walk to the pit, talks through his decision and remembers how it felt to cross the picket line over and over again.
Producer: Jo Dwyer
Presenter: Chris Jackson
Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 09:45 Food for Life by Tim Spector (m001w14p)
Ep7 – Eating Green
Food shopping can feel like a minefield where we are overwhelmed with choice but unclear on the true 'cost' of what we eat. What considerations can we make, and is it possible to navigate all of them when planning your weekly grocery budget?
Organic, vegan, sustainable, fairly traded...can we get it 'right'?
Written by Tim Spector
Read by John Lightbody
Abriged by Rosemary Goring
Produced by Naomi Walmsley
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001w14z)
Rhianon Bragg, Women of Substance, ultramarathon runner Allie Bailey
Rhianon Bragg was held hostage at gunpoint by her ex-boyfriend, Gareth Wyn Jones, for eight hours. He was sentenced in 2020 for stalking, false imprisonment, making threats to kill and possession of a firearm. Now, despite a parole board panel saying they are not satisfied it would be safe, he is being released from prison. Rhianon speaks to Emma about how her relationship with Wyn Jones developed, what happened at the end, and how she feels about him coming out of prison.
The Prime Minister has upset some people by seeming to take a bet with TalkTV presenter Piers Morgan over his Rwanda policy. Rishi Sunak told presenter Rachel Burden on BBC 5 Live that he wanted to show his commitment to his immigration policy. Rachel joins Emma to discuss what the bet tells us, alongside Isabel Hardman, Assistant Editor at the Spectator.
Ultrarunner Allie Bailey is the first woman to have run the length of the Panama Canal and she’s completed more than 200 marathons and almost 80 ultramarathons. She joins Emma to talk about her new book “There is No Wall” which details how she was doing a lot of her running at the height of her struggles with alcoholism, depression and mental breakdowns.
What can women artists’ work tell us about their addictions? Sally Marlow is a Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London. She’s been looking at five women artists for a BBC Radio 3 series, Women of Substance, to find out what their work can tell us about their addictions. She joins Emma to discuss researching Billie Holiday in particular, and what the lyrics of Billie's songs reveal about alcohol use in women.
Presenter: Emma Barnett
Producer: Lottie Garton
TUE 11:00 Wild Inside (m001w157)
The Sea Lion
Professor Ben Garrod and Dr Jess French get under the skin (and blubber) of the California sea lion, to crack the key to its success both on land and at sea. Its ability to dive hundreds of meters down, keep warm in icy waters, and run on land, can all be explained through its unique internal anatomy. They are joined by zookeeper and sea lion trainer Mae Betts, who adds insight into the intelligence of these sleek marine mammals.
Co-Presenters: Ben Garrod and Jess French
Executive Producer: Adrian Washbourne
Producer: Ella Hubber
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
TUE 11:30 The Failure of the Future (m001w15h)
A Promise of Peace
For decades, artists and scientists have dreamed up utopias that aim to reform the way we live. But why did they not become the future we are living in today? Is there something in those “what-might-have-beens” that’s worth returning to?
Writer and artist Johny Pitts explores a series of failed visions of the future. But rather than discarding them with the sands of time, he asks what we can learn from those past projections. And might elements of these forgotten worlds propel us towards a brighter tomorrow?
For Johny, there was a time when he felt he was living inside the future. Between 1950 and 1990, Japan was a time of great prosperity, innovation and invention. The nation seemed to be mapping out an advanced reality that could shape the future that the rest of the world might live in. And yet, that didn't come to fruition.
In this final episode, Johny examines Japan's plans for a peaceful world. In the horrific aftermath of the nuclear bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan adopted a new model around disarmament and peace-building which sent reverberations around the world. For a moment in time, global society seemed to be on the cusp of progress. Are there learnings from that era which would help us map out policies for peace today? Or do we need to fundamentally reimagine what peace might look like for our present world?
Presenter: Johny Pitts
Producer and Sound Design: Anishka Sharma
Mix Engineer: Nigel Appleton
Executive Producer: Phil Smith
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m001w15n)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m001w15w)
Call You and Yours - EVs
A House of Lords report out today claims the Government isn't doing enough to get people to adopt EVs. Sales of EVs has slowed according to recent data and the report warns a combination of higher purchase costs, insufficient charging infrastructure and mixed messaging is behind the slow down.
So on today's Call You and Yours we want to know: Does EV driving work for you right now?
Whether you own one already and can tell us about the experience of driving one or if you're reluctant to make the switch because of price, range or charging anxiety - we want to hear from you.
Email youandyours@bbc.co.uk or on Tuesday morning call us on 03700 100 444
PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL
PRODUCER: CATHERINE EARLAM
TUE 12:57 Weather (m001w162)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m001w168)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
TUE 13:45 Forgiveness: Stories from the Front Line (m001w16g)
For 20 years, the disappearance of Marian Partington's sister Lucy was a mystery. What had happened to the 21 year old after she left a friend's house at Christmas time in 1973?
The brutal truth was revealed when Fred and Rosemary West's crimes came to light and it was confirmed that Lucy, buried under concrete in the house in Cromwell Street in Gloucester, was one of the murder victims.
Marina Cantacuzino, founder of The Forgiveness Project, finds out how Marian came to terms with the horrific death of her beloved sister and how she managed to find way a through.
Presented by Marina Cantacuzino
Produced by Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m001w0wv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m001w16m)
The Great Delay
Psychodrama about the toxic legacy of climate change denial by Theo Toksvig-Stewart, starring Luke Treadaway, Olivia Williams and Rhashan Stone.
America in the early 1990s is the setting for this drama inspired by real events, The subjectivity of memory is scrutinised in a story that imagines the hot-house environment of a PR company as it sought to shape the world’s response to climate change.
Bob ….. Luke Treadaway
Sal ….. Olivia Williams
Ken ….. Rhashan Stone
Casey ….. Kitty O’ Sullivan
With Michael Bertenshaw, Rhiannon Neads and Josh Bryant-Jones
Directed by Gemma Jenkins
Rhashan Stone (The Trick, Keeping Faith) and Olivia Williams (The Crown, The Nevers) play the husband and wife team behind these dangerously successful sleights of hand. Luke Treadaway (The Serial Killer’s Wife, Fortitude) plays the former employee who’s desperate to distance himself from what happened.
TUE 15:00 Short Cuts (m001w16v)
Series 37
The Net
Word spirits, back rooms and a reply all-pocalypse - Josie Long presents short documentaries that emerge from the internet.
Word Spirits
With thanks to Caroline Hesse, Donovan McGrath, Mary Dolejsi, Nicole Reinsch, Nalini Kumari, Zen Priest & Buddhist Scholar John Stevens (for permission to include his Classical Aikido Kototama Chant), and Critical Sound Explorer & Artist Matt Parker (for permission to include excerpts from The People's Cloud / Field Recordings of Internet Data Centres): https://www.earthkeptwarm.com
Additional mixing by Maitreya
Produced by HJ Radia
The Back Rooms
Produced by Mae-Li Evans
The Bello Tolls for Thee
Produced by Nadia Mehdi
Curated by Axel Kacoutié, Eleanor McDowall and Andrea Rangecroft
Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 15:30 A Thorough Examination with Drs Chris and Xand (m001w171)
Series 3: Exercise
S3. Ep 1 - The Miracle Cure
Drs Chris and Xand Van Tulleken investigate the science of exercise and the dangers of inactivity.
Is modern exercise a wellness cult? Or is it a vital cure for a world that’s struggling with ill health and stuck on the sofa? Most of us might like to get a bit fitter, but how easy is it to actually start exercising and give up sedentary habits?
In this series Drs Chris and Xand Van Tulleken examine exercise and how best to do it. How much should we be doing? How does it help our bodies? And how does our surrounding environment stand in the way of us getting fitter? Chris is challenged to examine his scepticism towards exercise. Similarly, Xand is asked to look at his new-found exercise evangelism and see what he is really running from.
Recently Xand has discovered the joys of physical activity. He’s running, cycling, heading to the gym and playing ping pong like never before. It’s been a real transformation and a way to keep on top of things after years of unhealthy living.
His twin brother Chris, on the other hand, is really feeling the aches and pains of middle age. With a busy job and a young family, he has precious little spare time for exercise. After a very active period in his 20s and 30s, Chris is now embracing his ‘Dad bod’ and sliding into a creaky middle age. Xand wants to help him turn things around. Can he do it?
In Episode 1 - The Miracle Cure - the twins meet Dr Scarlett McNally, a consultant orthopedic surgeon with a special interest in the benefits of exercise. She explains just how beneficial even moderate exercise can be for our bodies and for the NHS as a whole. Meanwhile, Chris is getting nervous. He has signed up to run a half marathon, but is struggling to do even the most basic training.
Presented by Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
Producer: Tom Woolfenden
Sound Design: Dan King
Series Editor: Jo Rowntree
A Van Tulleken Brothers and Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (m001w17b)
Are you different in another language?
Michael Rosen talks to neuroscientist Dr Julia Ravey about whether we think and act differently when speaking a non-native language.
More and more people are finding themselves speaking multiple languages in our cross-cultural societies. But when we communicate in a different tongue, do we become a different person? From the decisions we make to the memories we form, research in neuroscience and psychology has begun exploring this fascinating area, which not only offers insights into the linguistic brain, but also calls into question if our ‘core self’ is a as stable as we like to think it is…
Producer: Becky Ripley
TUE 16:30 A Good Read (m001w10t)
Rachel Brown-Finnis and Anna Bogutskaya
CRYING IN H MART by Michelle Zauner, chosen by Anna Bogutskaya
SKATING TO ANTARTICA by Jenni Diski, chosen by Harriett Gilbert
THINKING ON MY FEET by Kate Humble, chosen by Rachel Brown-Finnis
Critic, author and podcaster Anna Bogutskaya chooses musician Michelle Zauner's account of growing up as one of the few Asian-American children in Eugene, Oregon, Crying in H Mart, which details her complex relationship with her mother.
Former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis picks Kate Humble's book Thinking on My Feet. It's a book about travel, the outside world, and the act of putting one foot in front of another. Rachel came to it in lockdown and loved the opportunity to virtually go on so many walks with Kate.
Harriett's choice is Jenni Diski's account of a trip she took to the frozen south, but as ever with Diski it is a journey that is accompanied by reflections on the defining moments of her childhood and adult life, in Skating to Antarctica.
Presenter: Harriett Gilbert
Producer: Toby Field for BBC Audio Bristol
TUE 17:00 PM (m001w17h)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001w17m)
Prince Harry has arrived back in the UK to visit his father at Clarence House
TUE 18:30 The Ultimate Choice (m001w17r)
Series 2
6: Crazy Frog v Prince Harry
Steph McGovern asks some seriously funny minds to offer definitive answers to the great questions of our age. Or not.
Welcome to the world's most devious game of Would You Rather? With guests Dane Baptiste and Freya Parker.
Host: Steph McGovern
Guests: Dane Baptiste and Freya Parker
Devised and written by Jon Harvey & Joseph Morpurgo
With additional material from Laura Major
Researcher: Leah Marks
Recorded and mixed by David Thomas
Producer: Jon Harvey
Executive Producers: Ed Morrish and Polly Thomas
Photo: Carolyn Mendelsohn
A Naked production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m001vzxj)
Alice is nervous as she and Harry meet his mum for lunch. He distracts her by asking how things are going at her family’s farm. When Eve arrives she is very charming, rhapsodising about Alice’s dress and her eye for fashion. They get on well during the lunch, with conversation flowing easily, and Eve asks to take a photo of the two of them. Then she asks Alice to join her on a shopping trip to help her choose an outfit for a Valentine’s Ball. Alice excuses herself to go to the loo and Eve’s tone changes as she quizzes Harry about how he is doing in himself. He insists he is fine and, thanks to Alice, the happiest he has been in years.
Jolene turns up unannounced to visit Lynda. She is desperate to find somewhere for Kenton to recuperate. Having discharged himself from the hospital, and unable to negotiate the stairs in The Bull, he had spent the night on Fallon’s sofa. Lynda has the perfect solution. She tells Jolene that Kenton can stay at Ambridge Hall in her accessible room on the ground floor. She and Robert set it up, complete with an en-suite wet room, after she was injured in the explosion at Grey Gables. When Kenton arrives he’s rude and churlish about the offer. Later he apologises, explaining he hadn’t taken his painkillers on time that morning, and they bond over their mutual experiences of injury and trauma – Lynda tells him how horrible she was to Robert after she was injured.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m001w17w)
The Reytons, Phoebe Eclair-Powell, Andrew McMillan
The Reytons' second album, What's Rock and Roll, debuted at No 1 in the charts - a rare feat for a band without a label. They discuss following it up with Ballad of a Bystander which features songs about pulling and politics.
Phoebe Eclair-Powell on her Bruntwood Prize-winning play, Shed: Exploded View, which was inspired by the work of art Cornelia Parker created when she asked the British Army to blow up a garden shed, capturing the fragments in a frozen moment. The play centres on three couples whose conversations coincide, clash, and chime - the play opens at the Royal Exchange in Manchester this week.
Poet Andrew McMillan on his debut novel, Pity, an exploration of masculinity and sexuality in a small South Yorkshire town.
Presenter: Nick Ahad
Producer: Ekene Akalawu
TUE 20:00 File on 4 (m001w180)
A Plan to Kill - The Murder of Brianna Ghey
File on 4 tells the story behind the brutal killing of schoolgirl Brianna Ghey. She was attacked in a park near Warrington in Cheshire on a Saturday afternoon in February 2023. Two teenagers - Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe - who were obsessed with murder and torture, have been convicted of her murder. In the build-up to the killing, they exchanged text messages outlining details of their plan. The girl even wrote a detailed plan of how they would go about the murder which was found by police in her bedroom. File on 4 has discovered how she had been part of a 'managed move' to Brianna's school after she poisoned a younger girl with a cannabis-infused 'gummy' and didn't tell her what was in it. The 13-year-old became very poorly and the police were alerted. The victim's family decided against further action and the matter was referred back to the school. Scarlett Jenkinson was suspended for five days and later transferred to Brianna's school where the two girls became friends. However, before accepting Jenkinson on their register, the school was not given all the details of the incident involving the cannabis sweet. Warrington Borough Council says a child safeguarding review is underway and it will examine all of the issues - including the circumstances surrounding the managed transfer.
Reporter: Katie Barnfield
Producer: Hayley Mortimer
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Journalism Assistant: Tim Fernley
Editor: Carl Johnston
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m001w182)
Blind Baseball and Morris Dancing
Tonight's edition challenges any idea that there are limits to the ways in which visually impaired people can have fun!
Shiraz Cohan is the founder of the UK Blind Baseball Association. He joins us with Lancashire Lions team mate Shoaib Nazir and Ray Clements from the Liverpool blind Trojans. They tell us how the sport has been adapted to make it accessible to blind and visually impaired people and what is being done to grow the number of UK teams.
The UK Blind Baseball Association can be contacted by email at ukblindbaseball@gmail.com
So X sighted is the catchy name of what's thought to be the UK's only group of blind morris dancers. We speak to their Squire, Shirley Sheridan along with dancer Arnold Penney and band member Jean Fray. They share the story of how they got started, how they learned their craft and what it means to them.
So X sighted can be contacted by email at soxmorris@gmail.com
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Fern Lulham
Production Coordinators: Liz Poole and Emma Smith
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image, wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three individual white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch"; and the Radio 4 logo (the word Radio in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one of a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.
TUE 21:00 Inside Health (m001vzy9)
Why recovering from long Covid is a lot like training for the Olympics
BBC health journalist Laura Foster can’t get the first days of the pandemic out of her head; the stunned silence of the newsroom as the first lockdown was announced, the chaos and noise at the supermarket and the empty streets of London.
But even though she was a reporter covering every twist and turn of the story, she still can’t remember the first time she heard about long Covid.
The world was so engrossed by the immediate threat that few paid attention to what was happening around the edges; the people whose lives didn’t move on after that little red line disappeared from their test and whose symptoms never went away.
And that problem was getting bigger and bigger by the day.
We visit the UK’s very first long Covid clinic where healthcare workers started learning about this life-shattering disease in the hospital car park - and we find out why recovering from long Covid is a lot like training for the Olympics.
What did we know back then – and what do we know now? And are we really any closer to seeing the end of long Covid?
Details of organisations offering information and support with long Covid are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Presenter: Laura Foster
Producer: Gerry Holt
Editor: Martin Smith
Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris
TUE 21:30 Things Fell Apart (p0h24g5v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m001w184)
Thousands harmed by pelvic mesh and sodium valproate “should get urgent financial help”
Also:
Wildfires in Chile, torrential rain in California.
And
One year on from the Turkey/Syria earthquake.
TUE 22:45 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (m001w186)
7: 'There is strangeness among the gods.'
Tom Hollander continues Madeline Miller's retelling of Homer's Iliad - an electrifying tale of love, ambition and immortal fame.
In Ancient Greece, in the Age of Heroes, after a tragic accident, the awkward young prince Patroclus, is exiled to the court of King Peleus, where he meets his son Achilles - strong, swift, and beautiful. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men, their bond blossoms into something deeper - a bond that risks the wrath of the gods.
But when news comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Soon the cruel Fates will test them both and demand a terrible sacrifice.
Today: as the was spans years, with no victory in sight, the threat of mutiny looms...
Writer: Madeline Miller
Reader: Tom Hollander
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Justine Willett
TUE 23:00 Icklewick FM (m001w188)
3. The Festival
Amy and Chris are reporting all the action live from the 233rd Icklewick Agricultural Festival! As the festival’s newly crowned “Lady Muck”, Amy is preoccupied with her upcoming performance at the closing ceremony. Whilst first time camper, Chris is trying his best to embrace the countryside in all its beautiful, harrowing glory. Ever the renaissance man, Mr Patel has decided to try his hand at hospitality, which should be simple as long as his customers remember to eat around the teeth.
The extortionate cost of a festival pint sets Simon Toke spiraling but will he make it back in time to interview Toploader, and will Amy be able to overcome her nerves and save Icklewick from another year of blight?
Mr. Patel has managed to get a special sponsor for this episode. ChemNice. Just nice chemicals. Nothing weird.
Created and written by Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill with additional material from the cast
Starring:
Tom Burgess
Tai Campbell
Janice Connolly
Colin Hoult
Ed Night
Nimisha Odedra
Benjamin Partridge
Nicola Redman
Mark Silcox
Sound Design and Music by Jack Lewis Evans.
The Line Producer is Laura Shaw.
Produced by Benjamin Sutton.
Icklewick FM is A Daddy’s SuperYacht Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001w18b)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
WEDNESDAY 07 FEBRUARY 2024
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m001w18d)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
WED 00:30 Food for Life by Tim Spector (m001w14p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001w18g)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001w18j)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001w18l)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 05:30 News Briefing (m001w18n)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001w18q)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, Canon Theologian for the Diocese of Swansea & Brecon.
Good morning. On this day in 1940, Disney animated movie Pinocchio premiered. It’s fascinating to think of people watching that film in an era replete with competing ideologies based on terrible lies. Many people found it just as hard to discern truth as Pinocchio did to tell the truth.
Eighty-four years later, we find ourselves in a world filled even more with fake news and conspiracy theories.. In such a world, truth comes to be valued lightly and every claim but our own with suspicion. In response to this, many experts say that people need to be better educated.
But I think we need to ask a deeper question: why. Why is it that we want to believe some things and not others? Why is it that we treat some claims cynically while embracing others without engaging our critical faculties? Why?
Asking why moves us into the world of rhetoric, the art of persuasive speaking. And rhetoric confronts us with emotion, motivation, and desire rather than just facts.
If we begin to answer why, we can begin to think about how. How can we foster such love of truth, goodness, and beauty that we’ll yearn for a world in which the most attractive stories all end in love? By demonstrating bravery, unselfishness, and love, Pinocchio became fully human. Therein lies a lesson for us all.
O Lord, God of Truth, whom to serve is perfect freedom; fill us with reverence for all that leads to health and wholeness, and pour on us a spirit of justice, gentleness, and mutual goodwill. Amen.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m001w18s)
Protests by European farmers have sparked a wider debate across the UK, about whether farmers here might be tempted away from growing food, by payments for environmental work. We hear from farmers concerned about how environmental policies are affecting food security. We also speak to Professor Tim Benton, Research Director of the Environment and Society Centre at Chatham House who says a clear strategy for food, environment and trade is the key to enabling sustainability in the food chain, and how a 'just transition' from the previous system to the new ones should pull all those areas together.
The pheasant shooting season in the UK has just come to a close. So before it ended, we thought we’d take a look what gundogs do in a shoot, as part of our week-long focus on working animals. We meet a trainer who's been working with gundogs for more than 20 years for the first drive in a day’s shooting organised by Blannicombe Sporting Club in Devon.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03tj99h)
Wigeon
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
John Aitchison presents the wigeon. Wigeon are dabbling ducks and related to mallards and teal but unlike these birds Wigeon spend much of their time out of the water grazing waterside pastures with their short blue-grey bills. The drakes are handsome-looking birds with chestnut heads and a cream forehead which contrasts well with their pale grey bodies.
John Aitchison recorded a flock of wigeon, for Tweet listeners, on a pool in Norfolk where they had found a safe place to roost on an island.
WED 06:00 Today (m001vzt2)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 More or Less (m001vztb)
Council tax weirdness: Hartlepool vs Westminster
Do you really pay more in council tax on a semi in Hartlepool than a mansion in Westminster? How do the Office for National Statistics work out how much the UK population is going to grow by? How much do junior doctor strikes cost? Is home-grown veg worse for climate change than veg grown on a farm?
Tim Harford investigates the numbers in the news.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producers: Nathan Gower, Debbie Richford and Perisha Kudhail
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound Mix: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon
WED 09:30 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001vztn)
Eat Whole Grains
Michael discovers incorporating wholegrains into our diet, is a tasty swap that could really benefit our health. Wholegrains such as wholegrain pasta, bread and brown rice contain more fibre, vitamins and minerals, than refined grains. This simple swap can help reduce blood pressure, improve heart health and boost the gut microbiome. Michael talks to Dr Caleigh Sawicki, from the Brigham and Women’s hospital and Harvard Medical School, whose research suggests that the fibre consumption of wholegrains can keep us fuller for longer and this slow digestion could result in a lower increase in blood sugar.
Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Science Producer: Catherine Wyler
Researcher: Sophie Richardson
Researcher: Will Hornbrook
Production Manager: Maria Simons
Editor: Zoe Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
WED 09:45 Food for Life by Tim Spector (m001vzty)
Ep8 – Telling Dairy Tales
Cow's milk has been hailed as vital for growth and strength and blamed for acne and snotty noses. But what is the reality? Are all dairy products created equal?
From plant-based milk alternatives to yoghurt with mystical origins, which options are best for our gut and our planet?
Written by Tim Spector
Read by John Lightbody
Abridged by Rosemary Goring
Produced by Naomi Walmsley
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001vzv7)
Businesswoman and entrepreneur Emma Grede, Crystal Hefner, Social media algorithms and misogyny
Emma Grede, a native East Londoner, now a thriving businesswoman in the US, is known for her entrepreneurial prowess and successful collaborations with the Kardashian sisters. Emma is a driving force behind iconic brands like Good American and Skims. She will soon be making her mark as a guest investor on an upcoming episode of BBC’s Dragons' Den, and she joins Emma to explain how she's learned more from her business failures, and what she looks for in a potential investment.
The Welsh government has intervened in the running of the fire service in South Wales - after a toxic culture of misogyny and sexual harassment was uncovered during a review. In what's been called an unprecedented move, four Government-appointed commissioners have been brought in to restructure management. Emma speaks to
Hannah Blythyn, Deputy Minister for social partnership and Member of the Senedd.
Crystal Hefner, spent almost ten years of her life inside the Playboy Mansion after meeting founder and editor of Playboy magazine - Hugh Hefner - when she was 21. She became one of his infamous ‘girlfriends’ before marrying him, travelled the world and attended lavish parties. She has now written a book, Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself, in which she provides an insight into her time spent at the mansion and her experiences of beauty standards and objectification.
New research suggests social media algorithms prioritise serving harmful and misogynistic content to young people – with a fourfold increase across just five days shown to the study’s test personas. How do we keep young people safe online – particularly on social media sites? Emma discusses this issue with the report author, Dr Kaitlyn Regehr and Will Gardner from online safety organisation Childnet.
Presented by Emma Barnett
Producer: Louise Corley
Studio Engineer: Steve Greenwood
WED 11:00 Why Do You Hate Me? (m001vzvj)
2. I Believed Conspiracies About the Shooting I Survived
Marianna Spring talks to a survivor of the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017 about how posts on a social media account made him question an event he’d witnessed with his own eyes
Listen to more episodes of Why Do You Hate Me on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. For this series, Marianna Spring (one of the most trolled BBC journalists) dives into her inbox and investigates a different extraordinary case of online hate to find out. She meets the people at the heart of these conflicts, and in some cases brings them together, to see if understanding - even forgiveness - is ever possible. Subscribe to BBC Sounds to hear the episodes first.
And watch the episodes on BBC iPlayer too.
If you have been affected by online abuse, please visit bbc.co.uk/actionline
Host: Marianna Spring
Series Producer: Emma Close
Producer: Ben Carter
Editor: Sam Bonham
Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts
Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
Cellphone footage courtesy of Lindsay Sherk
WED 11:30 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley (p0h3pyng)
25. Women on Trial
Lucy Worsley, Professor Rosalind Crone and barrister Nneka Akudolu KC take a look behind the scenes of Lady Killers.
They shine a light on the detective work required to build the cases of these infamous murderesses, how evidence is pieced together, and how we can hear what these Victorian women are really trying to tell us about their lives.
Nneka shares insights into her work specialising in complex crimes: murder, drug trafficking and serious sexual offences, and how she uses evidence to build a case in the courtroom.
Produced in partnership with the Open University.
Producer: Emily Hughes
Sound design: Chris Maclean
Series Producer: Julia Hayball.
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4
New episodes will be released on Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. But if you’re in the UK, listen to the latest full series of Lady Killers first on BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds - Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley - Available Episodes: http://bbc.in/3M2pT0K
WED 12:00 News Summary (m001vzvz)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m001vzwc)
Mid-contract Price RIses, Northern Ireland Consumers and Michelin Awards
How do telecom companies justify raising prices mid-contract and why Which? want them to scrap it this year.
Manchester played host to the Michelin Awards for the first time this week but did the city win any stars?
E-scooters are illegal to use unless they are rented in a UK pilot scheme area. The government say they won't make a decision on the status of the machines for another two years , which means owners could be fined, have them confiscated and even get points on their drivers licence.
Citizens Advice say it is taking consumers longer and costing them more to follow through with complaints against businesses that let them down. How can you cut through the process?
Northern Ireland has only had a working government for two of the last seven years and those were during the Covid years. What impact has that had on consumers everyday lives?
PRESENTER: PETER WHITE
PRODUCER: KEVIN MOUSLEY
WED 12:57 Weather (m001vzwr)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m001vzx0)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
WED 13:45 Forgiveness: Stories from the Front Line (m001vzx8)
When Mathew Shurka was a teenager in Brooklyn, New York he came out as gay to his father, who put Matthew through highly controversial conversion therapy as an attempt to change his sexuality.
What followed was five years of misery that took Mathew to the edge of suicide - he was made to cut his mother and sisters from his life, to sleep with women with the aid of Viagra, and to hide his true identity. He eventually escaped the therapy. But could he find a way back to his father through forgiveness? Marina Cantacuzino, founder of the charity The Forgiveness Project , finds out.
Presented by Marina Cantacuzino
Produced by Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4
WED 14:00 The Archers (m001vzxj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama on 4 (m001vzxs)
Mediocre White Male
Welcome to Lander Castle and Gardens, one of England's least visited heritage sites. Steeped in history dating back to the Middle Ages, Lander Castle's many attractions include jousting, its bucolic gardens, live actors and, of course, the legendary Turret of Terror, where the spirit of the castle's former owner Sir Fulke Treville is said to still haunt the halls.
It's nearing the end of the day at the castle and visitors are petering out. Up in the Turret, the human statue of Sir Fulke has time on his hands and a story to share.
The drama contains discussion of inappropriate abusive relationships.
Written by Will Close and Joe Von Malachowski.
Performed by Will Close, with additional parts played by Rhiannon Neads, Kitty O'Sullivan, Josh Bryant-Jones, Tyler Cameron and Will Kirk.
Produced by Sasha Yevtushenko for BBC Radio 4.
Photo credit: The Other Richard
WED 15:00 Money Box (m001vzy1)
Money Box Live: Are Savers Getting a Good Deal?
Are savers getting a good return on their cash?
Although times are tight, we are actually saving slightly more according to the Bank of England. In December, we collectively saved £6bn.
But, more than a trillion pounds is sitting in accounts earning around 2% interest - even though the base rate is still at
5.25% - according to analysis by Lightyear of the Bank of England's data.
And £250bn is in accounts that are paying no interest at all.
So are banks doing enough? UK finance which speaks on their behalf, says many of its members have been contacting their customers to let them know about different savings accounts that are available.
As always we've got the experts to answer your savings questions - including where to start as well as some of the many emails you've sent us about when and how to pay tax on your money.
Joining Felicity Hannah is Anna Bowes founder of savingschampion.co.uk, banking analyst Frances Coppola and Chris Gray, independent financial advisor with Forester Boyd Wealth management.
(This episode was first broadcast on Wednesday the 7th of February 2024).
WED 15:30 Inside Health (m001vzy9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (m001vzyf)
Capitalism
Capitalism – what's the story behind the word and a cross cultural survey of peoples attitudes to it. Laurie Taylor talks to Michael Sonenscher, Fellow of Kings College, Cambridge about the evolution of a word which was first coined in France in the early 19th century. How has its meaning changed over time and how can a historical analysis shed light on political problems in the here and now? What’s at stake in our understanding or misunderstanding of the term?
They’re joined by the German sociologist and historian, Rainer Zitelmann, whose latest study argues that many people are buying into myths about Capitalism and includes the largest international survey of attitudes towards our economic system. He finds negative attitudes to be widespread, including in Great Britain, the motherland of Capitalism - only in 12 countries are attitudes more critical. What accounts for this disillusion?
Producer: Jayne Egerton
WED 16:30 The Media Show (m001vzyk)
Tucker Carlson's head to head with Putin
Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News presenter, has travelled to Moscow to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin. What will both men hope to gain from the encounter?
Also in the programme, Anushka Asthana on following Rishi Sunak for a new ITV programme, and the BBC's plans to launch four new music radio stations.
Guests: Francis Scarr, Journalist, BBC Monitoring; Brian Stelter, Special Correspondent, Vanity Fair; Anushka Asthana, Deputy Political Editor, ITV News; Lorna Clarke, Director of Music, BBC; Gill Hind, Chief Operating Officer, Enders Analysis; Phil Riley, co-founder, Boom Radio.
Presenter: Ros Atkins
Producer: Simon Richardson
WED 17:00 PM (m001vzyp)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001vzyt)
The government is being urged to immediately help victims of two medical scandals.
WED 18:30 Clare in the Community (m0009ktd)
Series 12
Ray of Sunshine
The Sparrowhawk office have a visit from an old team member. Ray's gone up in the world, and he's got a proposition for them. At home, Brian is becoming suspicious about Clare's behaviour. But he knows just who to call.
Starring Sally Phillips as, Clare Barker the social worker who has all the right jargon but never a practical solution.
A control freak, Clare likes nothing better than interfering in other people's lives on both a professional and personal basis. Clare is in her thirties, white, middle class and heterosexual, all of which are occasional causes of discomfort to her.
We join Clare in her continued struggle to control both her professional and private life. In today's Big Society there are plenty of challenges out there for an involved, caring social worker. Or even Clare.
Written by Harry Venning and David Ramsden
Producer Alexandra Smith
A BBC Studios production
CAST
Clare.....SALLY PHILLIPS
Brian.....ALEX LOWE
Ray.....RICHARD LUMSDEN
Simon.....ANDREW WINCOTT
Mrs Singh..... NINA WADIA
Joan ..... SARAH THOM
Vaughn.....JENNY BEDE
WED 19:00 The Archers (m001vzyy)
Hilda the cat won’t leave Tony alone as he tries to have breakfast. He blames Pat for giving the animal treats – she calls it positive reinforcement but Tony is angry, telling her it’s not working. He picks Hilda up and puts her in the hallway. Later, while catching up, they realise haven’t seen her since breakfast time. Pat is concerned that Hilda might be missing. What if she has run away or been hurt? Peggy would be devastated! Susan asks Chris whether Alice is seeing Harry that evening as he has Martha. She has her doubts about him, pointing out he says all the right things but seems too smooth. She complains that Adam is being a stick in the mud at work and stopping her and Clarrie from having a chat and a laugh. She has a plan to take him down a peg or two.
Susan puts her plan to prank Adam into action, telling him they need ingredients for a special Valentine’s Day ice cream. As Adam goes off to make a list, Pat reports that Hilda is missing and asks if they’ve seen her. They search in vain, during which Adam asks about the ‘aphrodisiac’ ice cream, confirming his suspicions. He starts planning his revenge. Meanwhile, Tony has had enough of the search and returns to the farmhouse only to find Hilda warm and cosy, curled up in his chair. Pat says Hilda is just a cat but Tony is adamant she is a demon in feline form.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m001vzz2)
The Chosen, Cymande, Tayari Jones
The Chosen, a self-funded TV drama about the life of Christ, has become an international hit with over 100 million views. The creator Dallas Jenkins explains why he wanted to make a bingeable series about Jesus and Priest Lucy Winkett and historian Joan Taylor discuss its impact and significance.
The 1970s Soul Funk band Cymande has had a lasting influence on music globally, but they are little known in the UK where they first formed. Director Tim McKenzie Smith explored their music and impact in the new music documentary 'Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande' and he’s joined by two of the group’s original members, Patrick Patterson and Steve Scipio, to talk about it.
The American writer Diane Oliver died in the 1960s aged just 22 but her short stories are now inspiring a new generation. Tayari Jones, author of the Woman’s Prize-winning An American Marriage, explains why Diane Oliver deserves a place in the in the literary canon alongside Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Olivia Skinner
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m001vzz6)
The morality of immigration
This week it emerged that Abdul Ezedi, hunted by police after an attack on a woman and her daughters with a corrosive liquid, was granted asylum after being convicted of sexual assault. He'd converted to Christianity, which could have put him at risk in his native Afghanistan. It’s just the latest story stirring debate about one of the most divisive issues of our times - immigration.
In 2022 net migration hit a record 745,000. That’s more people than live in many of Britain’s biggest cities. Last week the Office for National Statistics predicted that the population could rise by nearly 10% between 2021 and 2036. The overwhelming majority of immigrants are legal.
Economists are split on the costs and benefits of immigration. Some suggest that it could help tackle a demographic timebomb as our population ages. Britain also attracts some of the world’s most capable and highly qualified people, driving up our wealth-creating potential. National life is enriched culturally and socially. Isn’t there also a moral imperative to open our doors to people from countries troubled by war, oppression and climate change? But immigration has been high for decades without a clear electoral mandate. Some neighbourhoods have been transformed, raising concerns over social cohesion. It’s added to the pressure on housing and on creaking public services. Is it right that whole industries rely on immigrants willing to work for low pay – social care, health and hospitality?
What is a desirable level of immigration? How should the balance be struck between the demands of our economy and social cohesion? What’s the moral case for immigration?
Presenter: Michael Buerk
Producer: Jonathan Hallewell
Assistant Producer: Linda Walker
Editor: Tim Pemberton
WED 21:00 When It Hits the Fan (m001vzzb)
The King's cancer, Facebook PR and Greta Thunberg
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss how the Palace is managing news of the King’s cancer diagnosis. How will the royal communications team be controlling the release of information in the coming weeks?
Also, in the wake of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s apology to parents of children who have suffered on social media, David and Simon look at why real change is so hard in Silicon Valley when it comes to child safety, and the PR fallout. Is there a strategic communications plan that can stop tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s reputation from crumbling? Perhaps the PR industry can learn a thing or two from climate activist Greta Thunberg?
Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Researcher: Sophie Smith
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4
WED 21:30 The Media Show (m001vzyk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m001vzzj)
Labour ditches green spending pledge
After weeks of speculation, Labour is dropping its pledge to spend £28bn a year on a green prosperity plan. We get reaction from a leading environmentalist.
Also on the programme:
Israel's prime minister has rejected a Hamas proposal for a ceasefire deal in Gaza - saying "total victory" is the only way to secure the release of hostages. We hear from the British daughter of one of those being held.
And as the BBC unveils plans for a Radio 2 spin-off aimed at an older, more nostalgic generation - what's the appeal of the tracks of our early years?
WED 22:45 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (m001vzzp)
8: 'Where is your honour?'
Tom Hollander continues Madeline Miller's retelling of Homer's Iliad - an electrifying tale of love, ambition and immortal fame.
In Ancient Greece, in the Age of Heroes, after a tragic accident, the awkward young prince Patroclus, is exiled to the court of King Peleus. There he meets his son Achilles - strong, swift, and beautiful. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men, their bond blossoms into something deeper - a bond that risks the wrath of the gods.
But when news comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Soon the cruel Fates will test them both and demand a terrible sacrifice.
Today: desperate to save Achilles' honour and to protect the slave girl who has become their friend, Patroclus finds himself betraying his over...
Writer: Madeline Miller
Reader: Tom Hollander
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Justine Willett
WED 23:00 What's the Story, Ashley Storrie? (m001vzzt)
2. Raised by Clowns... or 'That’s Not Funny'
Ashley shares the occasionally funny stories of how she went from being raised around gangsters, to comedians. Big difference. Gangsters are a lot cheerier than comics for one...
With a Scottish working-class female comic for a mother, she was put to work selling her show every year during the Edinburgh Fringe. This resulted in some challenging conversations with members of the public, and surprising encounters with famous faces. If only she’d known the difference between the two at the time.
A juicy peek behind the scenes, from the perspective of a child with autism, forced to share her mum – and her bunk bed – with the world of comedy.
With Rosco McClelland
Sound Design by Sean Kerwin
Produced by Julia Sutherland
A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:15 Sarah Keyworth - Are You a Boy or a Girl? (m000pyb4)
Series 1
4: Top Man
In her first stand-up series for Radio 4, Edinburgh Best Newcomer Nominee, Chortle Best Newcomer and Winner of the Herald Angel Award, Sarah Keyworth explores her personal journey with gender fluidity.
Join Sarah as she looks back on her own funny, ridiculous and bizarre experiences, as she attempts to shed light on why gender still remains such an important issue in the 21st Century.
Now in the present day; Sarah reflects that she is now at a point in her life in which she is comfortable in her gender and being androgynous. We hear about a recent trip to Ireland and her love for Rock star Pink...
Producer: Adnan Ahmed
BBC Studios Production
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001vzzy)
Sean Curran reports on Prime Minister's Questions as Rishi Sunak faces calls to apologise for a jibe about Sir Keir Starmer's position on trans people. Also, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins unveils a plan to tackle the shortage of NHS dentists in England.
THURSDAY 08 FEBRUARY 2024
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m001w002)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
THU 00:30 Food for Life by Tim Spector (m001vzty)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001w006)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001w00b)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001w00d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 05:30 News Briefing (m001w00g)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001w00k)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, Canon Theologian for the Diocese of Swansea & Brecon.
Good morning. Today is Charter Day. If you have no idea what that is, then you didn’t attend the College of William & Mary, founded by Royal Charter in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1693. It’s the second oldest university in America.
I was part of William & Mary’s 300th anniversary class. The then Prince Charles spoke at our Charter Day celebration. We were promised Her Majesty the Queen at our graduation. Sadly, we ended up with Bill Cosby.
My College years were among my happiest. I used to value most the way my lecturers there taught me how to think critically. But as I’ve grown older and perhaps wiser, I’ve come to appreciate more its generous culture of wise learning. That culture went beyond just the liberal arts to include enduring friendships with fellow students and faculty members. The College was, in the finest sense of the word, a humane place where we were encouraged to fall in love with wisdom. I hope it still is.
Wisdom differs from mere knowledge, in part, by being oriented towards the good. It involves seeking to understanding things for the benefit of others. Thus to be wise is also to be good. I’m not saying I’ve achieved such wisdom in my own life, but my four years at William & Mary taught me that one of the best ways I can be a Christian is always to reach for it.
Let us pray.
O Eternal God, bless all universities, that they may be lively centres for sound learning and the pursuit of wisdom. Grant that those who teach and those who learn may find you to be the source of all truth. Amen.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m001w00m)
08/02/24 Morecambe Bay cockle picking tragedy: changes to the industry 20 years on; new DAERA minister, working horses.
This week marks 20 years since the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster. 23 Chinese migrants lost their lives after getting cut off by the Bay’s notoriously fast flowing tide while gathering cockles. Those who drowned were found to have been illegally smuggled into the country and were working as forced labour for criminal gangmasters. The tragedy paved the way for the creation of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority in 2005 and to this day, anyone supplying workers into the shellfish sector, and into agriculture and horticulture, requires a licence with what is now the GLAA, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.
The Northern Ireland Assembly has been meeting at Stormont this week for the first time in two years. There’s a whole new executive, finding their desks and their feet, including a new minister for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. It’s Andrew Muir, an Alliance party member, who's been visiting Lough Neagh.
From sheepdogs to birds of prey, we’re hearing about working animals on the programme this week. The shire horse was the original workhorse, essential for heavy farm work like ploughing before the tractor took over. Today the breed is considered endangered but there are still a few working shires left, like the ones at Hook Norton Brewery in Oxfordshireshire, where they’re used for delivering beer.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03k5bwv)
Shelduck
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
David Attenborough presents the shelduck. Shelducks are birds of open mud and sand which they sift for water snails and other tiny creatures. They will breed inland and they nest in holes. Disused rabbit burrows are favourite places and they'll also settle down in tree cavities, sheds, out-buildings and even haystacks.
THU 06:00 Today (m001w0yl)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m001w0z9)
Hormones
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss some of the chemical signals coursing through our bodies throughout our lives, produced in separate areas and spreading via the bloodstream. We call these 'hormones' and we produce more than 80 of them of which the best known are arguably oestrogen, testosterone, adrenalin, insulin and cortisol. On the whole hormones operate without us being immediately conscious of them as their goal is homeostasis, maintaining the levels of everything in the body as required without us having to think about them first. Their actions are vital for our health and wellbeing and influence many different aspects of the way our bodies work.
With
Sadaf Farooqi
Professor of Metabolism and Medicine at the University of Cambridge
Rebecca Reynolds
Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the University of Edinburgh
And
Andrew Bicknell
Associate Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Reading
Produced by Victoria Brignell
Reading list:
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring (first published 1962; Penguin Classics, 2000)
Stephen Nussey and Saffron Whitehead, Endocrinology: An Integrated Approach (BIOS Scientific Publishers; 2001)
Aylinr Y. Yilmaz, Comprehensive Introduction to Endocrinology for Novices (Independently published, 2023)
THU 09:45 Food for Life by Tim Spector (m001w13v)
Ep9 – The Future of Food
With an increasing globabl population and temperatures we are looking at a different future for our food. What does scientific innovation have to offer, and can we get over our squeamish side to embrace new sources of protein?
Written by Tim Spector
Read by John Lightbody
Abridged by Rosemary Goring
Produced by Naomi Walmsley
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001w105)
Vapes, Phoebe Dynevor and Amelia Earhart's legacy
A BBC investigation has uncovered evidence that vapes are being used to groom children into sexual or criminal exploitation. Last week, the Prime Minister announced that disposable vapes are set to be banned as part of plans to tackle the rising number of young people taking up vaping - measures will also be introduced to prevent vapes being marketed at children and to target under-age sales. However, there are concerns that banning the sale of vapes will encourage children to seek them elsewhere. Emma Barnett is joined by the BBC’s Hayley Hassall and the Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza.
Apparently, if you’re a middle-aged couple and your sex life has faded away you may be experiencing the “couplepause”. The therapist and writer Lucy Cavendish joins Emma to explain what this is and how to get the spark back.
Actor Phoebe Dynevor, best known as Daphne Bridgerton in the Netflix blockbuster series, joins Emma in the studio. Her most recent role, as an ambitious hedge fund manager in the film Fair Play, has earned her a nomination for the EE Rising Star award at this year’s Baftas.
New sonar images from deep in the Pacific Ocean might have located the wreckage of Amelia Earhart’s missing plane. Has Earhart’s disappearance finally been solved, or has the obsession with this mystery distracted us from the pioneering woman herself? Pilot Katherine Moloney and historian Dr Darren Reid discuss Amelia Earhart, her legacy, and women in aviation today.
Presenter: Emma Barnett
Producer: Emma Pearce
THU 11:00 From Our Own Correspondent (m001w10h)
America’s Endless Fentanyl Epidemic
Kate Adie presents stories from the US-Mexico border, Chile, Spain, the US and India.
The synthetic opioid Fentanyl is fifty times stronger than heroin, and was responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the US last year. Relatively easy to produce, it is smuggled in large quantities across the Mexico-US border. Will Grant reports from El Paso in Texas, and hears how it is poisoning young lives.
Chile held two days of national mourning this week after wildfires wreaked a path of destruction through the central coastal region of Valparaiso. More than 120 people were killed with many more missing. Jane Chambers has spoken to those directly affected.
Spain has one of the most powerful feminist movements in Europe and the country recently passed new laws to protect women against violence – but only women. Now, some Spaniards are asking, has feminism gone too far? Ellie House reports from Madrid.
Over the past 20 years, a charity has flown hundreds of thousands of military veterans to Washington DC to visit the war memorials built in honour of their service and sacrifice. Sophie Williams went to meet veterans from WW2, and the Korean and Vietnam wars who'd taken these 'honor flights'.
India's economic boom has created some 169 billionaires. Many of India’s super-rich choose Mumbai as their home yet alongside this great wealth is enormous poverty. Half of Mumbai’s population live in slums – some just a stone’s throw from the millionaire mansions. For some, this can be the inspiration they need – after all, Mumbai is known as the city of dreams. Philip McCreery met one teenager who’s close to seeing hers come true.
Presenter: Kate Adie
Producer: Sally Abrahams
Production Co-ordinator: Sophie Hill
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
THU 11:30 A Good Read (m001w10t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
THU 12:00 News Summary (m001w1nt)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 You and Yours (m001w11j)
Gap Finders - Jonny 'Bongo'
Today’s guest is the man behind Bongo’s Bingo, Jonny Lacey – aka “Jonny Bongo.”
Jonny grew up in Belfast before moving to Liverpool, where he started a weekly pub quiz night, but with added extras such as dance-off rounds and unique prizes.
In 2015, he joined forces with his business partner Joshua Burke, and together they decided to apply this same formula to a game of Bingo – creating Bongo's Bingo.
Since then, the game has spread to 40 different locations around the UK, as well as Australia, Dubai, Ibiza and even a brief spell in France, putting on around 130 so-called 'shows' a month.
We speak to Jonny about how the game grew, why he thinks they became front-runners in changing a regular night out into an experience – and explore how much bigger he thinks a game of Bingo can become.
PRESENTER: Shari Vahl
PRODUCER: Kate Holdsworth
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m001w11t)
Face Creams
Are more expensive face creams worth it?
I'm back with a new series of Sliced Bread to investigate more of your suggested wonder products and I'm starting with one of the most-requested so far. Do more expensive moisturisers, serums and oils live up to the hype? Can they result in smoother, brighter, firmer, healthier skin or is it all just marketing BS?
Listener Aristide wants to know whether one of the most expensive products on the market - 'Creme de la Mer' (£80 for 15ml) - has any more evidence to back it up than the cheap moisturiser he uses from the High Street. And listener Fiona is keen to hear about the effectiveness of retinol, one of the most popular ingredients used in creams and serums today.
In this episode I'll get the answers with the help of our expert, consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Wedgeworth.
Once again this series I'm looking for more of your suggestions for wonder products to investigate. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or fad rproduct promsing to make you happier, healthier or greener and want to know if there’s any evidence behind it, then email us: sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or you can send a voice note to our WhatsApp number: 07543 306807
Presenter: Greg Foot
Producer: Simon Hoban
THU 12:57 Weather (m001w125)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m001w12g)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
THU 13:45 Forgiveness: Stories from the Front Line (m001w12k)
Is it possible to forgive a man who took your childhood innocence through years of sexual abuse - especailly if that man is your father?
A woman we are calling Jayne has spent many years working through the trauma of what happened to her - and to her younger brother whose suicide was in no small part prompted by his father's abuse of him as a child.
Now Jayne's father is close to death and she has been one of those responsible for looking after him - but is forgiveness possible after all these years? Marina Cantacuzino, founder of the charity The Forgiveness Project, finds out.
Presented by Marina Cantacuzino
Produced by Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4
THU 14:00 The Archers (m001vzyy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0002mwz)
Sick
Kate is the woman who has it all. She’s the perfect Mum, wife and daughter until – for the first time in her charmed life – things do not go to plan. In her second pregnancy, Kate develops extreme morning sickness (Hyperemesis Gravidarum) and, quite literally, cannot stop vomiting.
So how does all this endless purging, spewing and upchucking (not to mention the non-stop urge to spit into a bucket) change Kate’s understanding of her family, her marriage and, ultimately, her own identity? And, of all the visitors to her bedside offering tea, dry toast, and stories from her childhood, who can she really trust?
This funny, dark and joyfully disgusting “vom com” by Annalisa Dinnella takes inspiration from the playwright’s own experience of this rare and often misunderstood complication of pregnancy – also made famous by the Duchess of Cambridge. Do not try to eat while listening.
Background note:
The classic story of the ‘tortured child’, which is used as a framing device in the drama, first appeared in Dostoyevsky’s The Brother’s Karamazov in 1880. The philosopher William James returned to the theme in 1891 in The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life and,in 1973, Ursula Le Guin used the metaphor as the central conceit of her short story The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.
Cast:
Naomi…………………………......Cariad Lloyd
Kate………………………….…....Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Evelyn………………………….....Alison Steadman
Dr Manning/Smart Phone…Teresa Gallagher
Dan/Nurse Craig………………Alex Lowe
John……………………………....Sean Baker
Young Kate…………………….Kathleen Keaney
Young Naomi………………….Lola Page
Sophie………………………….Sophie Xu
Writer: Annalisa Dinnella
Sound design: David Thomas
Director: Karen Rose
Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
THU 15:00 Open Country (m001w12m)
Tales from the Quoile Riverbank
Over the centuries the River Quoile has carried Vikings, steam ships and cargoes of coal and timber from as far afield as the Baltic and Canada. Today it's a river for leisure pursuits – popular with canoeists, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts.
Cadogan Enright is a councillor, environmental campaigner and chairman of the local canoe club. He takes Helen Mark out on the river to sing its praises, but also to point out concerns. He tells her that Downpatrick and the surrounding countryside were prone to tidal flooding in the past, but now the threat comes from the land - with increasing winter storms leaving the land saturated. Helen meets Robert Gardiner, chairman of the railway museum, who shows her how the water flooded their exhibition gallery last year and has threatened the museum's financial future.
Back on the riverbank, Helen meets Stephen O'Hare, a member of the River Quoile Trust which campaigns for improvements to the river. He shows her the remains of quays along the riverbank, which were once busy dockside areas for cross channel steam ships during the industrial revolution. Trade died out because of the unpredictability of the tides and the difficulties of navigating Strangford Lough out to the Irish sea, and came to a halt in 1957 when a flood barrier was built at the mouth of the river.
As for the Vikings – they haven't quite disappeared. Viking historian Philip Campbell and a group of enthusiasts have built a re-enactment village and a replica longship which they sail on stretches of the Quoile. He tells Helen that, as its dragon head noses through the waters which wind around the gentle drumlin countryside, he is filled with appreciation for the beauty of the river and its importance through the centuries.
Produced by Kathleen Carragher
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m001w0nk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Bookclub (m001w0tp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:00 Wokewash (m001w12p)
Race
Satirist Heydon Prowse offers a tongue-in-cheek investigation into how companies embraced race as the next social justice bandwagon to flaunt their woke credentials.
After the murder of George Floyd organisations suddenly tweeted and posted support for a movement they had never seemed to care about, rushing to be the first to be seen to make donations. CEOs took the knee in the office, a toy company paused its marketing of its police themed range.
Heydon himself was in a panic – should he post a black square with the hashtag #blackouttuesday in support of Black Lives Matter? If he did, he feared the profoundly performative act of solidarity that required zero effort was wokewashing, if he didn’t wouldn’t he look like a full blown racist.
To discover who did it right and who did a facepalm, Heydon meets:
Enes Freedom, former NBA star whose career came to a sudden halt when he chose to protest an issue beyond BLM
Podcaster Zubi, who wonders if wokewashing is a brilliant con to subdue the left
Marketing guru Katie Martell, who hails the advert that got people setting fire to their trainers
Comedian Kae Kurd, who ponders if Pepsi or Dr Pepper is the best drink for a protest
Judd Legum who unearthed financial hypocrisy, and academics Lily Kunda and Francesca Sobande who discuss what, if anything, has changed as a result – and a favourite ice cream.
Producer: Sarah Bowen
Assistant Producer: Oliva Sopel
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m001w12r)
Ancient Roman writings revealed
As part of the Vesuvius Challenge, computer scientists have used machine learning to successfully reveal 2,000 characters from the Herculaneum scrolls. These artefacts were charred to a crisp following the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Papyrologist Federica Nicolardi has been translating the writings, and tells us what exactly has been deciphered.
Following this week’s launch of NASA’s PACE satellite, NASA scientist Dr Susanne Craig tells us how the mission will be giving our planet a health check.
Bird flu is still an issue. This month, scientists have reported that hundreds of penguin chicks have died from the virus in the Falklands. Meanwhile, in Argentina, avian flu has killed huge numbers of elephant seal pups. Professor Wendy Barclay, a virologist from Imperial College London, tells us more about the virus and how it can jump between species.
Sunday 11th February is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Physicist Dr Jess Wade, who has written hundreds of Wikipedia biographies of women and underrepresented scientists, reveals one of her favourite scientists that people haven’t heard of.
Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Florian Bohr, Louise Orchard
Assistant Producer: Jonathan Blackwell
Researcher: Imaan Moin
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
BBC Inside Science is produced in collaboration with the Open University.
THU 17:00 PM (m001w12t)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001w12y)
Sir Keir Starmer confirmed his party's U-turn on green investment
THU 18:30 Olga Koch: OK Computer (m000y0qw)
Series 1
3. Health
Olga Koch and her digital assistant are on a mission to get healthy, but the topic is very tricky to compute. How can we be healthy if we don’t know what health even means? What is a placebo, and why don’t we know any of their songs?
Comedian and Computer Scientist Olga Koch takes a deep dive into the world of computer science with her trusty virtual assistant ALGO as the digital duo take the truths that you hold dear and tear them to shreds using logic, like a teenager on the Internet. By applying computer science to the world around her, Olga and ALGO take a hilarious and pedantic journey to reveal the inherent absurdities of the modern world.
Written by Olga Koch and Charlie Dinkin
Starring Sindhu Vee as Algo
Additional Material from Rajiv Karia
Produced by Benjamin Sutton
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
THU 19:00 The Archers (m001w130)
Alice arrives to collect Eve for their shopping trip but she seems suddenly cold, evasive and makes excuses. When Alice tries to rearrange, Eve tells her that, on reflection, it would be best if they just forget about the whole thing - and shuts the door in her face. Distraught, she finds Harry and says Eve was like a different person, as though she had done something awful. He promises to call his mother and put things right as soon as he has finished dealing with a buyer. Later, Harry confronts Eve, angry at her treatment of Alice. She asks him to calm down so she can explain: her friend Celine Pocock recognised the photo of Alice and filled her in on the terrible incidents she was involved in before she stopped drinking. Harry declares that he knows these things. Eve counters that, nevertheless, for his own sake he must never see her again.
Adam annoys Susan and Clarrie when he brings in milk churns so full that the pair spill some while lifting them. He tells them the council is carrying out a snap inspection the next day. He will struggle to get the paperwork together as he still has to collect ingredients for the aphrodisiac ice cream. Clarrie is just about to confess it’s a prank when they notice Hilda lapping up the spilt milk. As they try to catch her she runs across work surfaces and equipment, contaminating the kitchen. They have to do a full deep clean which will take all day. For Tony this is the final straw - Hilda has to go.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m001w132)
One Day, American Fiction, Beyond Form
Tom Sutcliffe talks to the Evening Standard’s Arts Editor Nancy Durrant and art historian and curator Catherine McCormack about a new adaptation of David Nicholls’s book, One Day, which is released on Netflix today. It follows Emma and Dexter who meet at their graduation in Edinburgh in the late 80s, as they weave in and out of each other’s lives. They also discuss Beyond Form: Lines of Abstraction, a new exhibition featuring the work of women artists who pushed at the boundaries of art-making in the post-war period.
American Fiction has been nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay – which was written by its director Cord Jefferson. He talks to Tom about how the book it’s based on resembled his own life so much it felt like it was written just for him, and how humour plays a crucial role in illustrating how black writers are still pushed into writing “ghetto fiction”.
THU 20:00 The Briefing Room (m001w134)
The crisis in dentistry: why is it happening and what should we do about it?
This week a great queue of dentistless Bristolians appeared outside a new practice offering NHS treatment.
That followed a report on children’s health which specifically referenced the poor and worsening state of their teeth.
This week the government announced a package to try and improve things in England. But did it go anything like far enough to solve the problems of too few dentists being willing or able to treat NHS patients?
David Aaronovitch is joined by the following experts:
Beccy Baird, Senior Fellow, the King’s Fund
Ian Mills, Dentist and Associate Professor of Primary Care Dentistry at the Peninsula Dental School in Plymouth
Thea Stein, Chief Executive of the Nuffield Trust
Professor Claire Stevens CBE, Spokesperson, British Society of Paediatric Dentistry
Production team: Nick Holland, Kirsteen Knight and Charlotte McDonald
Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
Sound: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon
THU 20:30 The Bottom Line (m001w136)
Feedback
It's useful to know how you're doing at work, but feedback from managers and colleagues can often be unhelpful, upsetting, or even non-existent. So what's the best way to give and receive it?
Evan Davis and guests discuss some top techniques, particularly in the tricky area of negative feedback, and the importance of training managers in how to have these conversations. But feedback isn't just about managers - we learn the best ways for employees to receive and act on it.
Plus, how frequently should an employee's performance be measured - we discuss the pros and cons of the annual appraisal - and whether technology helps or hinders.
Evan Davis is joined by:
Catherine Hearn, UK HR director, Amazon
Katie Obi, chief people officer, Advanced
Margaret Cheng, HR consultant, executive coach and author of 'Giving Good Feedback'
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Producer: Simon Tulett
Researcher: Paige Neal-Holder
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Graham Puddifoot and Hal Haines
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.
(Picture: A woman and a man talking at a desk. Credit: Vladimir Vladimirov, Getty Images)
THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (m001w12r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (m001w0z9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m001w139)
Ukraine's top general replaced for war 'reset'
The Women’s Health Ambassador for England on how to improve women's healthcare
What's it like to interview President Putin?
THU 22:45 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (m001w13c)
9: 'You will not be loved for this.'
Tom Hollander continues Madeline Miller's retelling of Homer's Iliad - an electrifying tale of love, ambition and immortal fame.
In Ancient Greece, in the Age of Heroes, after a tragic accident, the awkward young prince Patroclus, is exiled to the court of King Peleus. There he meets his son Achilles - strong, swift, and beautiful. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men, their bond blossoms into something deeper - a bond that risks the wrath of the gods.
But when news comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Soon the cruel Fates will test them both and demand a terrible sacrifice.
Today: as the Greek bodies pile up, with Achilles still refusing to fight, Patroclus comes up with a plan to save his lover's honour...
Writer: Madeline Miller
Reader: Tom Hollander
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Justine Willett
THU 23:00 The Today Podcast (m001w13g)
Why we need to talk about cancer ft. Stephen Fry
In a week in which King Charles III shared his cancer diagnosis, Amol and Nick ask why it’s important to talk about cancer.
Stephen Fry talks about his own diagnosis of an aggressive prostate cancer and we also hear from Paralympian Erin Kennedy, the BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen, broadcaster Edward Stourton and from Steve Bland whose partner, the ‘You, Me and the Big C’ host Rachael Bland, died of cancer in 2018.
Nick also talks to Amol about his own experience of cancer and they speak to Professor Pat Price, one of the country’s leading oncologists, about why survival rates in the UK are lower than other countries.
Episodes of The Today Podcast land every Thursday and watch out for bonus episodes. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories of the week, with insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme.
If you would like a question answering, get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email us Today@bbc.co.uk
The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson, both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the UK’s most influential radio news programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.
The senior producer is Tom Smithard, the producer is Hazel Morgan. The editors are Jonathan Aspinwall and Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Technical production from Jack Graysmark and digital production from Elliot Ryder.
Details of help and support with cancer are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001w13l)
New laws on protests.
FRIDAY 09 FEBRUARY 2024
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m001w13q)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 00:30 Food for Life by Tim Spector (m001w13v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001w143)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001w14c)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001w14m)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m001w14w)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001w154)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, Canon Theologian for the Diocese of Swansea & Brecon.
Good morning. When I worked outside Cardiff, I regularly walked past an old well near Llandaff Cathedral. It’s easy to miss since it’s only a dark hole in the ancient wall blocked by a grating marked by a bronze cross. An old plaque tells passers-by that it’s the well of St Teilo, the second Bishop of Llandaff.
According to ancient historians, Teilo was born near Tenby and was a cousin of the more famous St David. He became both a monk and bishop and founded several churches in Wales and Brittany, including the precursor of Llandaff Cathedral.
Most of the stories told about St Teilo are like those associated with other early Welsh saints. Their admirable holiness tends to be the stuff of legend rather than history. When I wasn’t rushing frantically by, I would stop at the well to pay my respects.
What fascinated me was my sense of the passage of time. In the heart of a modern city lies this holy well where people have come for centuries to find healing and wholeness. Perhaps growing up as I did in Florida, where anything older than 1900 qualifies as ancient, has attuned me to this. But I’m convinced that there’s something about sanctity combined with generations of care that is powerful beyond words. If only we stop to notice.
Let us pray.
Father of all, in every generation you raise up men and women to act as beacons of your love in the storms and perils of life: grant that we who revere the memory of your servant Teilo may, like him, bear witness to your fatherly care. Amen.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m001w15d)
Farmers in Scotland want to see cuts to the Holyrood agriculture budget reversed and an extra billion pounds worth of funding to farmers across the country from the UK Government. Both issues were raised yesterday at the NFU Scotland conference that’s taking place just now in Glasgow. National Farmers Union Scotland members are expecting to be joined by First Minister Humza Yousaf this morning. He’ll be joined by Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Mairi Gougeon, for what may well be a rather heated question-and-answer session.
Conservationists say more should be done to preserve and restore Britain’s temperate rainforests. These ancient woodlands have a mild and damp climate and support species like mosses and lichens. They may once have covered about a fifth of Britain but now just fragments of the forest remain. In December the Government pledged £750,000 for research but campaigners say more needs to be done.
These days it's rare to get eggs delivered. But if you live in the village of Sibford Ferris near Banbury you could get your eggs delivered by goat. All this week we’re hearing about working animals. Sue Sabin has been running an egg round for the last fourteen years with Alan, her pack-goat.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03mzv9d)
Great Northern Diver
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Chris Packham presents the story of the great northern diver. The wailing cries of a great northern diver echo around the lakes where they live. If the bird sounds striking, then its appearance is just as dramatic....a dagger bill, sleek submarine–shaped body, it's plumage covered in graphic patterns of black and white stripes, dots and dashes.
FRI 06:00 Today (m001w19n)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m001w0r6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Food for Life by Tim Spector (m001w1b1)
Ep10 – Sweet Treats
Our sweet tooth comes from our ancestors seeking out honey and sweet berries to provide an instant energy boost that allowed survival against fast-moving predators. Modern diets contain refined sugar and syrups lurking in many foods, and we may not be able to tell just how much we are eating.
From honey to highly processed chocolate, what is the impact of sugar on our bodies? How can we make food choices that support our health and the health of our planet?
Written by Tim Spector
Read by John Lightbody
Abridged by Rosemary Goring
Produced by Naomi Walmsley
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001w1bf)
TikTok sleuths, Widows, Politicising Taylor Swift, Surgery critics 'silenced'
Yesterday, Kate Garraway returned to Good Morning Britain following the loss of her husband, Derek. She spoke about her reaction to being called a widow for the first time, by a delivery man, apologising for her loss. Anita Rani speaks to Poorna Bell, a journalist and author who lost her husband in 2015, and Karen Sutton, host of The Widow Podcast, who became a trained grief coach after her husband passed away in 2016.
Anita Rani talks to a woman who says a cosmetic surgery clinic tried to silence her after she reported concerns about her eye operation. Signature clinic is taking five people in total to court after they posted negative reviews or comments on support groups. A judge has thrown out an attempt to get a gagging order against one of them. BBC reporter Melanie Abbott speaks to the woman concerned. And that woman's solicitor tells Anita what she thinks this judgement means for free speech.
A trend is surfacing on social media, where women reach out to one another with a request - Can you find out if my partner is cheating on me? Anita speaks to Becky Hayes from The Laura and Becky Show podcast, who is creating social media content out of these requests and a journalist who has researched the subject, Beth Ashley, for a discussion on the morality of social media investigators. Although payments are not taken for these requests and identities are kept secret, some might ask whether it’s appropriate to make humorous content, out of what could possibly be very devastating news for someone. And without the context of the relationship to inform them, whether the trend invade people’s privacy.
Fans are eagerly waiting to see if Taylor Swift will make it from Tokyo to Las Vegas in time to support her American footballer boyfriend Travis Kelce at the US Super Bowl this Sunday. Many in the Trump camp are watching closely too, as right-wing conspiracy theories run wild that the pop megastar might use the event to influence the presidential elections. What is going on? Anita talks to BBC reporter Holly Honderich, based in Washington.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt
Studio manager: Emma Harth
FRI 11:00 The Briefing Room (m001w134)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Thursday]
FRI 11:30 You Heard It Here First (m001l2f0)
Series 1
Episode 4
Chris McCausland asks a panel of comedians to live in an audio only world, deciphering brainteaser sound cues for points and pride whilst trying not to muck about too much along the way.
In this episode, contestants try to figure out what on earth is being advertised on the TV, guess what famous objects or locations children are trying to describe, and even work out what names of popular Radio 4 shows Chris is yelling underwater.
The competing comedians are Phil Wang and Nina Wadia, taking on Kerry Godliman and Stuart Mitchell.
Producer: Sasha Bobak
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Co-ordinator: Becky Carewe-Jeffries
Sound editor: Jerry Peal
Theme music ‘Colour me Groovy’ by The Rich Morton Sound
Recorded at the Backyard Comedy Club, Bethnal Green
This episode was first broadcast in April 2023.
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m001w1bw)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 Rare Earth (m001w1c9)
Alien Invasion
Should we celebrate the arrival of new species to the UK or drive them out? Tom Heap and Helen Czerski investigate the role of alien invasive species in the British countryside and beyond.
Tom and Helen hear about non native earthworms invading North America, posing a threat to forests by changing the soil. They discuss whether it's now time to be less judgmental about alien invasive species with Professor Chris Thomas, an expert in Anthropocene Biodiversity at the University of York. Rare Earth meets conservationists 'holding the line' against Grey Squirrels on Tayside, to give Red Squirrels a chance to re-establish. Ecologist Conor McKinney shares his experiences of trying to keep the remote St Kilda archepelago, off Scotland, free of invasive predators which could decimate the islands' globally important seabird breeding colonies.
Produced by Sarah Swadling for BBC Audio Bristol in conjunction with the Open University
FRI 12:57 Weather (m001w1cs)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m001w1d5)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
FRI 13:45 Forgiveness: Stories from the Front Line (m001w1dj)
Trevor Steven's most treasured possession is a photograph album made for him on his 60th birthday by his daughter Tobi . It contains shots of many of the happy times they spent together.
While Trevor and his wife were aware that Tobi had problems with her mental health, they were unaware that the seriousness of her illness would lead to suicide. As a student in Norwich, she was failed by the mental health services that should have saved her as she repeatedly overdosed and threatened to take her own life.
How does forgiveness work when it's an organisation rather than an individual that has fallen short and caused such grief and pain? Marina Cantacuzino, founder of the charity The Forgiveness Project, is in conversation with Trevor for this moving story.
Presented by Marina Cantacuzino
Produced by Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m001w130)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (p0h3s2xx)
Cobalt
Cobalt - Episode 5
The series concludes and everything returns to earth.
Series creators Eno Mfon and Darragh Mortell
Episode 5 by Eno Mfon
ORIGINAL MUSIC by Kaidi Tatham
CAST
Maita - Saffron Coomber
Julian - John Pfumojena
Manfred - Jude Akuwudike
Bevin - Tonderai Munyevu
Lagos Police Officer - Richard Pepple
Criminals - Tyler Cameron, John Lightbody
Sound: Catherine Robinson and Nigel Lewis
Director: John Norton
A BBC Audio Drama Wales Production
FRI 14:45 Child (p0h2r6d0)
5. Birth of a Mother
What does it mean to suddenly take on this role, this mantle of ‘mother’. It’s a powerful world and it’s meaning has changed through time.
We speak to writer and science journalist Lucy Jones about the mind blowing experience of becoming one. Writer and historian Elinor Cleghorn about some of the most influential images of motherhood, and how they have shaped the role of women today, as well as artists Conway and Young about their search for alternative depictions of motherhood.
Presented by India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans.
Series Producer: Ellie Sans.
Executive producer: Suzy Grant.
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts.
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon.
Mix and Mastering by Charlie Brandon-King.
A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m001w1f6)
Pewsey
Which plants should I avoid that are prone to spreading across chalky grassland? Any tips on growing tropical canna plants in the warmest corner of my garden? What’s the panel’s oldest and favourite gardening garment?
Peter Gibbs and a panel of horticultural experts provide some much needed advice to an audience in Pewsey. On the panel this week are pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood, house plant specialist Anne Swithinbank and award winning garden designer Chris Beardshaw.
Later in the programme, regular panellist Kirsty Wilson explores the history of the thistle plant as well as its significance to Scotland's national rugby union team, as this year's Six Nations Championship continues.
Producer: Dominic Tyerman
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m001w1fh)
A Night in Limehouse
Dr Wu Lien Teh would one day be credited with bringing the Manchurian Plague of 1910-11 under control. But in 1896 he was a young student. The story imagines his first days in London after sailing from Penang.
Originally from Malaysia, the writer Elaine Chiew is a twice winner of the Bridport Short Story Competition. She is the author of the short story collection The Heartsick Diaspora. Her novel, The Light Between Us, will be published in May 2024.
Writer: Elaine Chiew
Readers: Chike Chan and Elaine Chiew
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m001w1fq)
Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue, Ian Lavender, Robie Harris, Barry John
Matthew Bannister on
Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue who overcame a traumatic childhood to become one of Australia’s leading campaigners for the rights of indigenous people.
Ian Lavender, the actor best known for playing Private Pike in Dad’s Army.
Robie Harris, whose book explaining sex to children made her one of America’s most banned authors.
Barry John, the Welsh and British and Irish Lions fly-half known simply as “The King”.
Interviewee: Stuart Rintoul
Interviewee: Paul Abbandonato
Interviewee: Hilary Gagan
Interviewee: Rick Wakeman
Interviewee: Michael Emberley
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Archive used:
Dr O’Donoghue speaking at the Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference 2016, Lowitja Institute International, YouTube upload 07/09/2023; Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue, Australian Biography Series 3, Film Australia Collection 1994, Director & Producer Frank Heimans, YouTube upload 01/06/2021; Native Title Act News Report, BBC News, BBC One, 22/12/1993 Barry John: The King, BBC One Wales, 08/032013; Barry John, Scotland v Wales, Five Nations, BBC One, 1971; Barry John, Cardiff v Wales, BBC One Wales, 1969; Barry John playing for Lions v New Zealand, BBC One Wales, 22/03/2013; Barry John, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 12/12/1978; Robie Harris On Kids' Right To Read, National Coalition Against Censorship, YouTube, 01/02/2014; Robie Harris on KidLit TV, 07/11/2014; Ian Lavender, Celebrity MasterMind, BBC One, 01/01/2009; , Dad's Army: Series 5, Asleep in the Deep, BBC One, 04/01/1977; Dads Army, Battle of the Giants!, BBC One, 26/08/1972; Dads Army, The Deadly Attachment, 31/10/1973; Ian Lavender interview, Today, BBC Radio 4, 14/11/2022; Ian Lavender interview, 5’s Company, 1997, Freemantle, YouTube upload 24/08/2018
FRI 16:30 More or Less (m001vztb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m001w1fz)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001w1g8)
The settlement ends a four-year legal battle about phone hacking
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m001w1gj)
Series 113
Episode 6
Coming to you from Belfast this week, Andy Zaltzman quizzes the news with Zoe Lyons, Neil Delamere, Diona Doherty, and Alex Kane.
In this episode Andy and the panel will be asking if turning the Northern Ireland Assembly off and on has made it work again?
Why is Labour keeping the red flag flying?… a Formula 1-style red flag, that is, which they’re waving at their own environment policy to tell it it’s off.
And whose chopper has got them in trouble?
Written by Andy Zaltzman
With additional material by: Cody Dahler, Alison Spittle, John Meagher, and Claire Sullivan
Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m001w1gq)
WRITER: Keri Davies
DIRECTOR: Peter Leslie Wild
Jolene Archer… Buffy Davies
Kenton Archer …. Richard Attlee
Pat Archer…. Patricia Gallimore
Tom Archer …. William Troughton
Tony Archer …. David Troughton
Harrison Burns …. James Cartwright
Alice Carter …. Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter…. Wilf Scolding
Susan Carter …. Charlotte Martin
Eve Chilcott …. Juliet Aubrey
Harry Chilcott …. Jack Ashton
Clarrie Grundy …. Heather Bell
Adam Macy …. Andrew Wincott
Fallon Rogers …. Joanna Van Kampen
Lynda Snell …. Carole Boyd
FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m001w1gw)
Corinne Bailey Rae and Nicky Spence launch a brand new series
It's the start of a new playlist, and to get things going, singer/songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae and the Scottish operatic tenor Nicky Spence join Cerys Matthews and Jeffrey Boakye as they add the first five tracks.
As well as discussing the five compositions, the four are outnumbered by the London Bulgarian Choir who give a special live performance in the Add to Playlist studio. Also, producer Fraser T Smith sends a message about the recording of one of Adele's biggest hits.
Producer Jerome Weatherald
Presented, with music direction, by Cerys Matthews and Jeffrey Boakye
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Povela E Yova / Dilmano Dilbero by The London Bulgarian Choir
Confrontation and Rescue from Satyagraha by Philip Glass
Bad Guy by Billie Eilish
Meditation (Meditação) by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Frank Sinatra
Set Fire to the Rain by Adele
Other music in this episode:
A Fifth of Beethoven by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m001w1h0)
Dame Jackie Baillie MSP, Murdo Fraser MSP, Joyce McMillan, Alyn Smith MP
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from St Matthew's Church in Perth with the Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour party Dame Jackie Baillie MSP, the Conservative spokesperson for Business, Economic Growth and Tourism Murdo Fraser MSP, The Scotsman columnist and theatre critic Joyce McMillan and the SNP's Europe spokesperson Alyn Smyth MP.
Producer: Robin Markwell
Lead broadcast engineer: Kris McConnachie
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m001w1h3)
Why is my handwriting so bad?
Tom Shakespeare reflects on the 'endangered skill of handwriting.'
'The most ambitious thing I author,' writes Tom, 'is the shopping list on my fridge. And several times a week I scrawl with my index finger when something is delivered'.
His handwriting, he says, has gone to pot. He knows he's not alone.
So he resolves to put that right and get more practice.
Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
FRI 21:00 The Cows Are Mad (m001w1h5)
Episodes 1-5
Starting at a meat rendering plant that sparks paranoia in the Kent countryside as early cases of BSE emerge, this omnibus edition of the 10 part series tells the story of the search for answers around mad cow disease.
A vet has the ominous realisation that a new disease is emerging, dissident researchers are convinced the scientific establishment is wrong on BSE, and a grieving mother makes a list of culprits who she blames for her son’s death.
Written, presented and produced by Lucy Proctor.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m001w1h7)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
FRI 22:45 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (m001w1h9)
10: 'I could not make him a god.'
Tom Hollander concludes Madeline Miller's retelling of Homer's Iliad - an electrifying tale of love, ambition and immortal fame.
In Ancient Greece, in the Age of Heroes, after a tragic accident, the awkward young prince Patroclus, is exiled to the court of King Peleus. There he meets his son Achilles - strong, swift, and beautiful. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men, their bond blossoms into something deeper - a bond that risks the wrath of the gods.
But when news comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Soon the cruel Fates will test them both and demand a terrible sacrifice.
Today: floored by Patroclus' death, Achilles vows to kill the man who killed him - Hector. But Achilles knows that if Hector dies, his own death must soon follow.
Writer: Madeline Miller
Reader: Tom Hollander
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Justine Willett
FRI 23:00 Americast (m001w1hc)
‘An Elderly Man with Poor Memory’: Biden’s Age Old Problem
A bombshell report from Special Counsel Robert Hur has raised serious questions about President Joe Biden's memory, which the White House has been quick to rebuff.
The report criticised the president for retaining classified information but rejected prosecution, arguing that Biden would likely present himself at trial as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory".
Americast dissects the details of this breaking story with Sarah Baxter, Director of the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting and a former US correspondent.
And as Tucker Carlson becomes the first Western journalist to sit down one-on-one with Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine, Justin and Anthony give their instant reaction to the interview as it drops.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent
GUEST:
• Sarah Baxter, Director of Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting in New York
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s new BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
This episode was made by George Dabby, Rufus Gray, Catherine Fusillo, and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The series producer is George Dabby. The senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001w1hf)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster where Peers debate calls to ban conversion therapy.
Susan also looks ahead to the next stage of the controversial Rwanda Bill, hears some startling figures about drug abuse and looks into the murky world of funghi.