SATURDAY 18 MAY 2024

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m001z6v3)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 The Immune Mind by Monty Lyman (m001z6s5)
Episode 5

Delving into the recent discovery of the intimate relationship between the brain and the body’s immune system, Dr Monty Lyman reveals the extraordinary implications for our physical and mental health.

Up until the last ten years, we have misunderstood a fundamental aspect of human health. The brain and the body have always been viewed as separate entities – treated in separate hospitals – but science now shows that they are intimately linked.

Startlingly, we now know that our immune system is in constant communication with our brain and can directly alter our mental health. Biological science and cognitive science are inseparable. This has opened up a new frontier in medicine. Could inflammation cause depression, and arthritis drugs cure it? Can gut microbes shape your behaviour via the vagus nerve? Could childhood infections lie behind neurological and psychiatric disorders?

A specialist in the cutting-edge field of immunopsychiatry, Monty Lyman argues that we need to change the way we treat disease, and the way we see ourselves.

Episode Five
Dr Monty Lyman explores the power of the mind to influence our physical health, and discusses ‘contested illnesses’.

Read by Gunnar Cauthery
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Producer: David Blount

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001z6v5)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001z6v7)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001z6v9)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m001z6vc)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001z6vf)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with George Craig, a Methodist local preacher in Cardiff


SAT 05:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001z6pb)
Read a poem

Reading poetry can reduce stress and help give you words to express the things you're feeling. And reading a poem out loud has been shown to be a surprisingly simple way to activate your relaxation response and bring about a sense of calm. It’s all to do with the way it slows and controls your breathing rate, which in turn stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system and can lead to many beneficial effects. Michael Mosley speaks to Dietrich von Bonin from the Swiss Association of Art Therapies, who says as little as 5 minutes of rhythmic poetry read aloud can be even more effective than slow-paced breathing at relaxing your body and mind. Our volunteer Colm dives into the world of Irish poetry and incorporates reading it aloud into his bedtime routine.

Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Editor: Zoë Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m001zfpd)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (m001z6pz)
Gibraltar Point

Martha Kearney explores the shifting sands of Gibraltar Point on the Lincolnshire coast, to witness the effects of beach erosion on both birds and people.

At Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve, wardens go to extraordinary lengths to protect shore-nesting birds from habitat loss caused by beach erosion. They build wooden platforms for the nests of little terns and cages to protect the nests of ringed plover, as well as mounting overnight patrols to keep predators away. In 2023 they tried the platform technique with oystercatchers for the first time, meticulously moving the nests in stages so as not to spook the birds. The shingle where these striking birds prefer to nest is threatened with inundation from high tides, as well as from foxes, sparrowhawks and curious humans with dogs. The birds raised a successful brood and now the wardens are preparing for another season, hoping for more fledgling oystercatchers.

Reserve wardens aren't the only people to take extraordinary measures to deal with beach erosion. The sand on Lincolnshire's beaches has to be replenished every year to protect the coastal population from flooding. Like sandcastles on an enormous scale, 400,000 cubic metres of sand are pumped onto the beaches from offshore dredgers and a sand profile created, in what's known as 'beach nourishment'. It's become a tourist attraction in its own right. The sand works its way a few miles down the coast to Gibraltar Point with the tides, literally shoring up the sea defences.

And then there are the inland pumping stations at every seaside town, which 'evacuate' water from low-lying areas, of which there are many in Lincolnshire: one third of the county is below sea level. Without them, this landscape would be marshland. Martha compares the historic diesel pumps (made in Lincoln) with the automated electric pumps (from Holland).

Producer: Mary Ward-Lowery


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m001zfpg)
18/05/24 - Farming Today This Week: Farm to Form Summit and the Balmoral Show

Anna Hill reports from the second Farm to Fork Summit held this week in Downing Street. To coincide with the event, the Government released it's Food Security Index - which looks at how much of the food we eat is produced here, but also takes into account other things, like fertiliser prices, global trade and biosecurity risks. The Prime Minister said he wants to expand UK fruit and veg production.

Around 120,000 visitors and 4,000 head of livestock have been at the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland this week. Helen Mark reports from the show, and grills the NI Farming Minister over his plans for future farm payments.

And South East Water has launched a 25 Year Environment Plan, which includes creating a new super nature reserve. More than 80% of the area covered by the company across Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, is agricultural - so what will this mean for farmers?

Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons


SAT 06:57 Weather (m001zfpj)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m001zfpl)
Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m001zfpn)
Anthony Horowitz, Preet Chandi, Kimberley Nixon, Reece Shearsmith

The bestselling, prolific screenwriter and author of the Hawthorne series Anthony Horowitz… whose creative achievements may be further admired and perhaps understood when he reveals what he’s overcome with the relationship with his father.

Possessed with a similar drive, Capt. Preet Chandi is with us, now the fastest woman to cross Antarctica she shares the passion that drives her to keep breaking world records!

And BAFTA winning actor Kimberley Nixon, famous for her roles in Fresh Meat and Cranford, but has found new fame thanks to the silly jokes she shares to open up the conversation about her perinatal OCD.

All that, plus the Inheritance Tracks from one of the minds behind League of Gentleman and Inside Number 9, Reece Shearsmith.

Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw Stephens
Producer Ben Mitchell

If you've been affected by any of the topics discussed in this programme you can find links and information to organisations who can help on the BBC Action Line: www.bbc.co.uk/actionline


SAT 10:00 Your Place or Mine with Shaun Keaveny (m001zfpq)
Sammi Kinghorn: Safari in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Sammi shares her joy at going on safari in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, meeting leopards, lions and hippos. Although as the world's fastest female wheelchair racer, she could probably get away. Unlike Shaun, who would rather stick to seeing sheep and cows. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence joins them with some wild facts.

Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn’t going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it’s worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.

Producers: Beth O'Dea and Caitlin Hobbs

Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.


SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m001zdf6)
Series 44

Letchworth

Jay Rayner and his panel of chefs, cooks and food writers are in Letchworth.

Joining Jay are drinks expert Alice Lascelles, food historian Dr Annie Gray, and chefs and food writers Jeremy Pang and Tim Hayward.

Jay discusses a variety of kitchen do's and don'ts, whether it be their favourite vegetarian feasts, or the best way to cook green veg. The panel also offer their advice on a range of kitchen conundrums, from the most appealing food fragrance for selling a house, to the contentions question - should we serve seafood with cheese?

Situated in the world's first garden city, Jay stops for a chat with Gardeners' Question Time panellist and horticultural guru Christine Walkden about the best fruit and veg to grow at home.

Senior Producer: Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m001zfps)
Sonia Sodha of The Observer assesses the latest developments at Westminster. Following the Prime Minister's speech on global insecurity she speaks to former Conservative Defence Secretary, Sir Liam Fox MP, and former Labour International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander. Theo Bertram, director of the Social Market Foundation and a former Labour adviser, discusses whether election 'pledge' cards are a good idea following Sir Keir Starmer's campaign event this week. After a knife-edge vote on excluding from Parliament MPs accused of serious offences, Sonia speaks to Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP and Conservative MP Nigel Mills. And, after claims a Liberal Democrat candidate was deselected because of his Christian faith, Sonia brings together the Rt Rev Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, and Polly Toynbee, journalist and vice president of Humanists UK, to discuss whether Christianity and modern politics are compatible.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m001zdjt)
Inside the trial of Donald Trump

Kate Adie presents stories from the US, Russia, Afghanistan, Germany and Bhutan

It’s been a week of high drama in Manhattan as Donald Trump’s former ally and fixer, Michael Cohen testified in the former President’s criminal trial. Kayla Epstein was watching events unfold in the courtroom and reflects on what it might mean for Donald Trump’s re-election chances.

A new front opened up in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this week in the country’s north-east. Ukraine is still suffering from a lack of ammunition and personnel, even as the US aid begins to filter through to the frontline. Vitaliy Shevchenko relays how Russian troops are being supplemented by fighters from Cuba.

It’s been nearly three years since the Taliban took back control of Afghanistan in a rapid offensive. Since then, the freedoms that women had come to know have been curtailed. John Kampfner has met one woman who embarked on a perilous journey to Canada

The island of Fehmarn, off Germany’s north-east coast is something of an oasis for holidaymakers. But it’s also soon to be the entrance to the world’s longest underwater rail and road tunnel. Rail travel times from Hamburg in Germany to Copenhagen in Demark will reportedly be cut from around five hours to less than three. But for those living on the island – it’s changing a long-cherished way of life, and many are concerned about the threats to the region’s eco-system. Lesley Curwen has been speaking to some of the locals.

At soaring altitudes, foragers in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan seek out a special parasitic fungus, highly prized for its therapeutic qualities. Sara Wheeler’s been hearing about the special status afforded to those who harvest the delicacy.

Note: The programme script incorrectly stated that the the Denmark-Germany tunnel will connect Germany and Denmark for the first time.

Editor: Bridget Harney
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinator: Janet Staples


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m001zfpv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m001zdjr)
Carers Allowance and HMRC helpline

Money Box can reveal that the government is recouping more than £250m pounds from over 100,000 carers who it says broke the earnings rule and should have lost their carer's allowance. The numbers came from a Parliamentary Question this week asked by the chair of the work and pensions select committee, Twice as many women as men are being chased for these overpayments.

We hear from a carer who has around £5000 worth of debt as well as finding out more about rights for carers affected.

The Department for Work and Pensions told us, “The total amount of Carer’s Allowance overpayments includes historical debts which the department is seeking to recover. In comparison, Carer’s Allowance expenditure is forecast to be £4.2 billion this year alone.”

“Carers across the UK are unsung heroes who make a huge difference to someone else’s life, and we have increased Carer's Allowance by almost £1,500 since 2010.”

Also on the programme, a report by spending watchdog the National Audit Office has revealed callers to HMRC helplines were on hold for a total of 789 years in 2022/23.

Are we saving enough for our retirement? Pensions and investment mutual Royal London gives Money Box exclusive figures.

And how do you spend a £50 note? We get to the bottom of what shops are allowed to accept.

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Sandra Hardial
Researcher: Jo Krasner
Editor: Sarah Rogers


SAT 12:30 Dead Ringers (m001z6t0)
Series 24

Episode 4

Politics, world affairs, the culture wars, and Mr Blobby.

With writing from Tom Jamieson, Nev Fountain, Laurence Howarth, Ed Amsden & Tom Coles, Rob Darke, Edward Tew, Sophie Dixon, Sarah Campbell, Cody Dahler and Joe Topping.

With additional material by Jennifer Walker, Touissaint Douglass, Christopher Donovan and Sarah Dempster.

Producer: Bill Dare
Exec Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Coordinator: Dan Marchini
Sound Designer: Rich Evans


SAT 12:57 Weather (m001zfpx)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m001zfpz)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m001z6tf)
Fatima Ibrahim, David Johnston MP, Tim Montgomerie, Karin Smyth MP

Alex Forsyth presents political discussion from Tetbury Goods Shed Arts Centre in Gloucestershire with the Co-Executive Director of the Green New Deal Fatima Ibrahim, the Minister for Children David Johnston MP, the political commentator Tim Montgomerie and the Shadow Health Minister Karin Smyth MP.


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m001zfq1)
Call Any Answers? to have your say on the big issues in the news this week.


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m001z6t5)
Chelsea thinks George is living his best life – what with the free family meal at The Bull tonight as well as Oliver’s magnum of champagne. When George says he hopes things will die down soon, Chelsea doubts it and shows George Fallon ’s post telling the world he’s superman. George spots a comment from the Borchester Echo wanting to do a feature on him, but isn’t sure he feels comfortable doing it.

Alice gets cold feet as she packs to leave for London with Ruairi tomorrow. She doesn’t want to leave Martha, but she doesn’t want Martha to see her in this state. Alice checks if she can still drink when she’s in London and Ruairi agrees, but with some rules including only drinking in Ruairi’s company. In the meantime they decide to get some fresh air and walk Martha’s Shetland pony, Champion.

Chris admits to Tracy that he’s struggling to cope with not only his job and Martha, but also with wondering whether Alice has had a drink or not. When Tracy calls Alice a piece of work, Chris reminds her that alcoholism is an illness. Later Tracy bumps into Ruairi and Alice on their walk, telling Alice that Chris, Martha and everyone else would be better off if she didn’t come back from London.

Later while Alice is reading Martha’s bedtime story, Chris explains to Ruairi that he’d hoped that Alice would go back to rehab – it would be one good thing to come from the accident. When it’s time for Alice to go, Chris says he’ll miss her, and Alice says she’ll miss Martha – and Chris too.


SAT 15:00 Drama on 4 (m001zfq3)
Song from Far Away

Will Young revives his witty and tender stage performance, written by Olivier Award-winning Simon Stephens and Mark Eitzel. Willem is a young Dutch man, who has deserted his conventional family to live in New York as a high-flying financier. When his younger brother dies unexpectedly, he reluctantly returns home.

The drama includes a striking musical arc, integral to the performance. Throughout the drama, Willem is haunted by a song, which we eventually hear fully toward the end, as he finally acknowledges his grief. The music is composed by Mark Eitzel, of American Music Club.

Song From Far Away was first performed as an original commission for Ivo van Hove’s Toneelgroep Amsterdam in 2015 and then a short run at the Young Vic.
Its UK revival in early 2023 at HOME and then at Hampstead Theatre was its first production since then and was enthusiastically received by audience and critics alike.
The play came about through Simon and Mark’s fascination with Amsterdam, its liberal/capitalist roots and its links to its sister city New York. The ‘Far Away’ in the title is a reference to the Dutch imperial venture capital company Compagnie van Verre - 'Company of Far Lands’.

“…the idea of writing about somebody whose sense of self was built on these cities and this contradiction: a character defined by a hunger for making money, the kind of unimaginable unquantifiable money that the two cities were built on, and at the same time punctured into humanity by grief...” Simon Stephens, January 2023

Willem returns home for the funeral of his younger brother, Pauli, who died unexpectedly, throwing the family into confusion. Willem is the hard-nosed businessman; Pauli was the softer-edged musician - this imbalance between the two underpins the story. The drama charts Willem’s return, his attempts to re-connect with his family and his conflicting feelings of loss and humanity, in the form of letters that Willem writes to his dead brother. He shares his feelings about being back in Amsterdam after 12 years' absence, the difficulties, griefs and absurdities when he meets up with his family, his painful encounter with the boyfriend he left to go to New York but still yearns for, and unexpectedly tender meditations on love and acceptance. The letters strip away Willem’s hard-shell exterior to reveal a movingly intimate portrait of a solitary life.

“…if ever there was an actor born to sing, it is Will Young… He plays the part of the disconnected Willem… with melodic grace… he glides between a pretty sing-song speaking voice and a brash Manhattan bass. At turns louche, comic and fragile, he has a musician’s sense of rhythm. When he actually sings, as he does in the cathartic pay-off, it is delicate and angelic.”
Mark Fisher, The Guardian 4 star review, February 2023

A BSL/subtitled film is available on the BBC Sounds website, coinciding with the broadcast on Radio 4, to increase access.

Cast:
Willem ..... Will Young

Writers: Simon Stephens and Mark Eitzel

Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls
Assistant Producer: Louis Blatherwick
Image: Michael Wharley
Additional Composer/Musical Supervisor original stage production: Paul Schofield
Additional musical content: Julian Starr
BSL and subtitled transcript: Marcel Hirshman, Weald BSL
Production Manager: Darren Spruce
Producer: Polly Thomas
Executive Producer: Eloise Whitmore

Recorded by John Merriman, at Crown Lane Studios.

Based on the original stage production directed by Kirk Jameson, from Thomas Hopkins, Guy Chapman and HOME.

A Thomas Carter Projects production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m001zfq5)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: Royal Navy exclusive, Tamsin Greig, Period Tracker Apps, Formula One, Sleepwalking, Choral music

A female officer in the military says she was raped by a senior officer who was responsible in the Royal Navy for behaviours and values, including sexual consent. Speaking exclusively to Woman’s Hour, the female officer, who we are calling Joanna, reported the incident and her allegations to the military police who brought charges against the officer. However, the Services Prosecution Authority later said that they wouldn’t be taking the case forward to a military court. The female officer, who feels she has been forced to leave the military, says that her career has been left in ruins, whilst his continues. The Royal Navy has said “sexual assault and other sexual offences are not tolerated in the Royal Navy and anything which falls short of the highest of standards is totally unacceptable" and that since the alleged incident they "have made significant changes to how incidents are reported and investigated." Nuala spoke to Joanna and the Conservative MP and member of the Defence Select Committee, Sarah Atherton.

Period tracker apps claim to help women to predict when they might start their period and calculate the best time to attempt to conceive. The Information Commissioner's Office has said that a third of women have used one. A report out this week, however, has raised serious questions about the way in which this data is used. The study, by Kings College London and University College London, examined the privacy policies and data safety labels of 20 of the most popular of these kind of apps. Anita discusses the findings and implications with BBC Technology Reporter Shiona McCallum and the lead author of the study Dr Ruba Abu-Salma from Kings College London.

Known for her dramatic and comedic roles on TV, stage and film the Olivier award-winning actor Tamsin Greig is currently performing in The Deep Blue Sea - Terence Rattigan’s 1950’s study of obsession and the destructive power of love - at the Theatre Royal Bath. She joined Nuala to explain the appeal of her latest role and why in 1952 legendary actor Peggy Ashcroft said she felt she had no clothes on when playing this part.

Talking about her new book, 'How To Win A Grand Prix', Formula One expert Bernie Collins takes Anita behind the scenes of an F1 team, and explains how she forged a career working as a performance engineer at McLaren for names such as Jenson Button, then became Head of Strategy at Aston Martin, with world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Journalist Decca Aitkenhead regularly sleepwalks. She talked to Nuala about her night-time escapades which include finding herself locked out in the middle of the night, eating food she’d find disgusting when awake and incredible strength that has seen her smash furniture to pieces. She’s joined by neurologist and sleep expert Prof Guy Leschziner who explains what’s going on in our brains when we sleepwalk, and how women are affected.

How has the role of women in choral music changed? With girls as well as boys now singing in cathedral choirs and more music by female composers being commissioned and performed, women’s voices are becoming increasingly prominent. Composer Cecilia McDowell and singer Carris Jones talk about championing and celebrating women in this traditionally male world.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Annette Wells
Editor: Rebecca Myatt


SAT 17:00 PM (m001zfq7)
Ukraine tries to mobilise more soldiers

As Ukraine's mobilisation law takes effect, we look at the state of the country's armed forces as it fights to defend Kharkiv.


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m001zk1y)
The Victoria Atkins One

After a damning report into maternity services in England, the Health Secretary opens up about her own traumatic childbirth experience in the NHS.

Victoria Atkins also speaks to Nick Robinson about a change of tone in dealings with doctors' unions, growing up as child of an MP and what she thought when Natalie Elphicke defected to Labour.


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m001zfq9)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m001zfqc)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001zfqf)
Thousands of people in south Devon have been told they can safely drink tap water again.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m001zdx3)
Frank Skinner, Maxine Peake, Kathryn Hughes, Rachel Fairburn join Stuart Maconie with music by Willy Vlautin and Phoebe Green

Joining Stuart Maconie in our Salford studio are the comedians Frank Skinner and Rachael Fairburn. In Frank's latest stand up show '30 years of Dirt' he has his comedic eye firmly on the dirty joke, while Rachel Fairburn's showgirl finds her moving away from boozing and towards crystals - will it last?

Maxine Peake stars in Robin/Red/Breast at Manchester's Factory International. Based on John Bowen's cult TV play Robin Redbreast, Maxine plays Norah, a woman who has escaped the city for village life. But it is not exactly the idyll she dreamed off... The movement director is Imogen Knight, the writer is Daisy Johnson, and it is directed by Sarah Frankcom and features music from Gazelle Twin.

In her latest book the biographer and historian Kathryn Hughes tells the story of how we fell in love with cats, and illuminates the life of the man who did so much to change their image, the artist Louis Wain.

Music is from Willy Vlautin, novelist, songwriter and musician who was the lead singer in Richmond Fontaine. Willy also chats about his new novel 'The Horse', his most personal book yet, it examines the trials of a life on the road. And we also hear from BBC Introducing Rising Star Phoebe Green.

Presenter: Stuart Maconie
Producer: Jessica Treen


SAT 19:00 Profile (m001zdj1)
Baroness Floella Benjamin

You may know her from Play School, Bafta or the House of Lords, Baroness Floella Benjamin doesn’t sit still, she’s even appeared in panto.

Stephen Smith hears about the remarkable life of the Trinidad-born actress, TV presenter and author, who campaigns passionately for children and the Windrush generation.

Contributors
Colin Webb, Publisher, 'Coming to England'
Nero Ughwujabo, Senior Strategy Adviser - Equality Diversity and Inclusion, The Prince's Trust
Lord Simon Woolley, Principal at Homerton College, Cambridge University
Johnny Ball, Children's TV presenter
Paul Nicholas, Actor
Linzi Beuselinck, Actress
Jeremy Swan, Children's TV producer
Ros Edwards, TV producer

Credits
BAFTA
Aladdin and The Forty Thieves, BBC 1984
Desert Island Discs, Baroness Floella Benjamin, BBC Radio 4, October 2020

Presenter: Stephen Smith
Producers: Diane Richardson and Drew Hyndman
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Sound: Neil Churchill
Programme Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Sabine Schereck


SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m001z6pg)
John Adams

The work of composer and conductor John Adams blends the rhythmic vitality of Minimalism with late-Romantic orchestral harmonies. He emerged alongside Philip Glass, Steve Reich and other musical minimalists in the early 1970s, and his reputation grew with symphonic work and operas that tackle recent history including Nixon In China, the Death Of Klinghoffer and Dr Atomic. He is the winner of five Grammy Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Music, and is one of America’s greatest and most performed living composers.

Born and raised in New England, Adams learned the clarinet from his father and played in marching bands and community orchestras during his formative years. He began composing at the age of ten and heard his first orchestral pieces performed while still a teenager. He tells John Wilson about the huge influence the composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein and his televised Young People's Concerts had on him. He also reveals how jazz band leader and composer Duke Ellington influenced how he writes for the orchestra, and how Charles Dickens inspired him to embrace accessibly in his compositions.

Producer: Edwina Pitman

Extract from Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concert, What Does Music Mean? CBS, 18 January 1958, © The Leonard Bernstein Office


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m001zfqh)
Turning 50: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

The stories say it was rejected by 121 publishers, reaching the Guinness Book of Records. After finally being published, Robert Pirsig's 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance', became an era defining text. The story of a man's motorbike trip across the American West soon appeared in college dorm rooms and on bedside cabinets around the world, but what was it about Pirsig's book that captivated readers?

Part travelogue, part philosophical treatise into the nature of 'quality'. It's a spiritual quest on two wheels, powered by Eastern and Western philosophy and a fragile father-son bond. A fan of the book since he was a teenager, cultural historian and broadcaster Christopher Harding speaks to fellow devotees, about what the book means to them and how two of its greatest themes speak to us now more than ever. The first is Pirsig's conviction that at the root of much mental illness - his own included - lies a crisis of meaning. No creed or ideology can solve this, he thought; the answer is a renewed way of living that infuses every aspect of a person's life. Pirsig's second great theme is another major concern of our times: a crisis of masculinity, often playing out in fractured relationships between fathers and sons.

Chris' journey includes archive interviews with Robert Pirsig and landmarks of the book's cultural impact. It also features a lecture by Pirsig, given in 1974, that has never been broadcast before. Chris interviews Wendy Pirsig, Robert's wife and Jim Landis, the editor of the book. He also speaks to others who have been influence by the book, including the philosopher Jonathan Rowson, the actor Rufus Hound and the poet Ann Tweedy.

Contributors:
Wendy Pirsig, Archivist and widow of Robert Pirsig
Jim Landis, Editor of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Jonathan Rowson, Philosopher and Chief Executive of the Charity Perspectiva
Ann Tweedy, Poet and Law Professor, University of South Dakota
Rufus hound, actor and Comedian

Archive Credits:
'The Young and the Restless' (2010) CBS
Robert Pirsig Lecture at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (1974), the Pirsig family.
Robert Pirsig interview (1974) NPR
With thanks to the Robert Pirsig Association

Presented by Chris Harding
Produced by Sam Peach & Luke Mulhall
Research by Tyler Hall
Readings by Juliana Lisk


SAT 21:00 Shadow War: China and the West (m001zfqk)
Shadow War - Omnibus, Part 1

Could growing tensions lead to conflict? The rise of China is the defining challenge of our times – how far to co-operate, compete or confront? But has the West taken its eye off the ball? BBC Security Correspondent Gordon Corera looks at the points of friction in recent history, from espionage to free speech, the battle over technology and claims of political interference. This is a story about the competition to shape the world order. He speaks to politicians, spies, dissidents and those who’ve been caught up in the growing tension between China and the West.

Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producer: Olivia Lace-Evans
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore (Naked Productions)
Programme Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


SAT 22:00 News (m001zfqm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m001z6s3)
The Hong Kongers finding a new home through food

Jimi Famurewa meets the Hong Kongers who are serving, growing and eating the food of their home country to connect with their own food heritage and find a new sense of belonging.

Almost 200,000 Hong Kongers have arrived in the UK since a new government visa offered safe passage and the chance of a new life in January 2021. And, as they settle into communities across the UK, including in New Malden, Manchester and Reading, there’s been a noticeable impact on food culture. At Holy Sheep, in Camden, Jimi tastes the spicy rice noodles beloved by this new generation of Hong Kongers, before visiting Hong Kong's most famous organic farmer who relocated and now helps new migrants grow the culturally-significant Choy Sum and other Asian vegetables.

As he talks to Hong Kongers about the role food has played in settling into the UK, Jimi also finds out how, for some, food has become an act of resistance and a way to express political solidarity. From the so-called 'yellow economy' of pro democracy restaurants and food shops in Hong Kong, to choosing to travel miles to buy ingredients that don't come from China, Jimi starts to realise how food has become more than just a taste of home.

Produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.


SAT 23:00 Michael Spicer: No Room (m001yzzz)
1. Yellow

Can men called Tim change the world? Comedian Michael Spicer on the good, the great and the awful.

No Room features an up to the minute take on current events, alongside character-filled sketches which brilliantly capture everything that provokes us - culture, politics, work...and other people.

Michael is famous for his Room Next Door sketches which have amassed more than 100million views. Now he's pouring his cutting-edge online presence directly into your ears in this original, topical, and very funny new series.

Writer, Performer and Co-Editor: Michael Spicer

Composer and Sound Designer: Augustin Bousfield

Producer: Matt Tiller

A Tillervision production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 23:15 Michael Spicer: No Room (m001z001)
2. Orange

Louis Theroux attempts to win another BAFTA. An MP parachutes into a local election campaign. A football pundit considers a manager's future.

Comedian Michael Spicer brings his satirical talents to this original, topical, and very funny series. No Room features an up-to-the-minute take on current events, alongside character-filled sketches which brilliantly capture everything that provokes us - culture, politics, work... and other people.

Michael is famous for his Room Next Door government advisor character whose withering takedowns of politicians have amassed more than 100 million views and helped keep his audience sane in fractured times.

Writer, Performer and Co-Editor: Michael Spicer

Composer and Sound Designer: Augustin Bousfield

Producer: Matt Tiller

A Tillervision production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 23:30 Round Britain Quiz (m001z640)
Programme 10, 2024

(10/12)
Wales and Northern Ireland face off in the cryptic quiz for the last time this season. A win for either team could put them in a very strong position to take this year's series title. Kirsty Lang asks the questions, with Cariad Lloyd and Myfanwy Alexander playing for Wales, opposite Freya McClements and Paddy Duffy for Northern Ireland.

The questions today are:

Q1 (from Daniel Kitto) Where in the world do the day's end, Augustine's mother, an Ace detective and La Serenissima share a common route?

Q2 Why might bringing together a politician who gets a lot of letters, an overseer of Apprentices, and an Irish footballer and pundit (now retired) create a happy family?

Q3 Music: Where are we?

Q4 Why could a Wicked composer, a unit of frequency and the main constituent of granite find their end with a mining company founded on a Spanish river?

Q5 (from Adrian Perry) What's the masterful connection between a fictional Los Angeles detective, the first racing driver to compete in 300 Grand Prix races, and the pop group best known for introducing friends? And what kind of beard might suit them best?

Q6 (from Simon Meara) Music: Listen to these pieces and explain why none of them is the cause.

Q7 (from Anne Mitchell) Explain how, from a bad beginning, you might: keep the doctor away; cause fever, nausea, vomiting and death; use an incorrect word to humorous effect; succeed a 'dead butcher'; or be awarded the George Cross?

Q8 (from Karl Sabbagh) What might hold together charged particles in a magnetosphere, a group of iron oxides, and a huntsman of legend?

Producer: Paul Bajoria

SUNDAY 19 MAY 2024

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m001zfqp)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 00:15 Open Book (m001z63y)
Hari Kunzru

Hari Kunzru speaks to Shahidha Bari about his new novel, Blue Ruin, about money's influence on art.

Plus the writing of historical crime fiction writer CJ Sansom. Following his sad passing two fellow writers guide us through his work and life: his friend William Shaw, who writes as GW Shaw, and also Stephanie Merritt, pen name SJ Parris.

And an audio postcard from Istanbul. Writer Andrew Finkel has lived there for over thirty years and describes how novelists have variously tried to unlock the city’s mysteries.

Presenter: Shahidha Bari
Producer: Emma Wallace

Book List – Sunday 12 May

Blue Ruin by Hari Kunzru
White Tears by Hari Kunzru
Red Pill by Hari Kunzru
The Impressionist by Hari Kunzru
Dissolution by C. J. Sansom
Heartstone by C.J. Sansom
Revelation by C.J. Sansom
The Shardlake Series by C. J. Sansom
Dominion by C. J. Sansom
Tombland by C. J. Sansom
Sovereign by C. J. Sansom
Winter in Madrid by C. J. Sansom
The Wild Swimmers by William Shaw
Alchemy by S. J. Parris
The Adventure of the Second Wife by Andrew Finkel
Istanbul: The Imperial City by John Freely
Candide by Voltaire
Orlando by Virginia Woolf
Fog by Tevik Fikret
Sailing to Byzantium by WB Yeats
Stamboul Train by Graham Greene
The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye: Five Fairy Stories by A.S. Byatt
The Maltese Falcon by Samuel Dashiell Hammett


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001zfqr)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001zfqt)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001zfqw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m001zfqy)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m001zdk0)
The Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury in Portsmouth

Bells on Sunday comes from the Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury in Portsmouth. Originally founded as a 12th century chapel it was rebuilt in the 17th and early 18th centuries. The central tower features an octagonal wooden cupola with a lantern as a navigational aid to shipping, and a ring of twelve bells all cast by the Taylor foundry of Loughborough. The tenor bell weighs twenty five and a half hundredweight and is tuned to the note of E flat. We hear them ringing Cambridge Surprise Maximus.


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m001z6jk)
Travelling Abroad

Hayley Kennedy, Amar Latif and Dawn Hopper are all experienced visually impaired travellers and we have brought them together to discuss the positives and pitfalls of travelling around the world when visually impaired. We discuss booking airport assistance, getting your guide dog on an airplane, allocations of special assistance seats on airplanes and why it can be important to have a positive attitude.

Hayley Kennedy is considered to be the only disabled person, let alone visually impaired person, to have travelled to every country recognised under the United Nations. Amar Latif founded the assisted holiday company for visually impaired people 'Traveleyes', who are celebrating their 20th year and Dawn Hopper has family in both Switzerland and Spain, and travels regularly with her new guide dog, Micky.

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


SUN 06:00 News Summary (m001zdh6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Beyond Belief (m001z6j1)
Monsters and Gods

Bunny Love-Schock is an interfaith minister and practising witch. She has a devotional practice to the figure of Lilith, a character who has appeared in myth and religious storytelling for centuries. She’s been a demoness, a monster linked to owls, screeching and with wings. In the middle ages you might have been afraid of her harming your unborn or young children.

Now, Bunny tells us how she’s seen as a Goddess figure, in all her ambivalence.

Giles Fraser explores the monsters that have snarled at us from religious writings. What is their relationship to the divine? What are they trying to tell us and how do we see them now?

He’s joined by Professor Esther Hamori, author of ‘God’s Monsters’ who reminds us of the fearsome nature of angels, Dr Bihani Sarkar who has stories from classic Hindu literature and Natalie Lawrence, whose fascination with folklore and ancient myth inspired her book 'Enchanted Creatures'.

Producer: Rebecca Maxted
Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser
Editor: Jonathan Hallewell


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m001zdh8)
Zerodig!

Robin Markwell takes a closer look at a pilot project to measure the benefits of not digging the soil. He meets Ed Bonn who is conducting this scientific trial on seven acres of land next to the Royal Agricultural University near Cirencester in Gloucestershire. Ed tells Robin it's the largest trial scheme of its kind in the country. Ed believes that overlaying his new beds with alternate lengths of compost and woodchip will help promote the growth of fungal networks. He says that will then improve the soil health and boost productivity. Now he wants to prove it using science!

As part of the project run by Zerodig Earth and The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), vegetables at the site will be grown using the "Zerodig" method, a form of regenerative horticulture designed by Christopher Upton and Dr Mario Peters. Students will help tend the site during term-time and the local community will pitch in during the holidays. Robin also hears from the landowner Lord Bathurst and his land agent Tristan Chippendale as well as Dr Karen Rial-Lovera from the Royal Agricultural University and Jenny Phelps from FWAG.

It's hoped the project will eventually become a commercially viable fruit and vegetable business, supplying produce to the local community.

Presented and produced by Robin Markwell.


SUN 06:57 Weather (m001zdhb)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m001zdhd)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m001zdhg)
Glasgow Requiem, SEND in Faith Schools, Vatican Supernatural Rules

The Necropolis in Glasgow is a Victorian graveyard sitting on the slopes of the East End of the city, the final resting place for thousands of Glaswegians. The historic cemetery, known as 'the great city of the dead' was built in 1832, and is home to an array of ornate memorials to powerful merchants and significant city figures. But not everyone who lies there is memorialised - in fact, thousands rest, forgotten, in unmarked graves. Now, a new arts project called 'Glasgow Requiem' is celebrating those lives through poetry, music and the planting of flowers.

A report claims that faith schools in England admit fewer children with special educational needs and disabilities than their non-faith counterparts. Are faith schools really less inclusive? We hear from the author of the report, Dr Tammy Campbell, and Headteacher at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Jocelyn Baker.

As the Vatican issues new guidance on signs, wonders and miracles, we're joined by Sister Dr Gemma Simmonds and the Bishop of Salford, Rt. Reverend John Arnold, to discuss where the line should be drawn between the truly mysterious and mere superstitious nonsense.

Plus, we speak to Dr George Pattison about his new book: Conversations with Dostoevksy: On God, Russia, literature, and life.

Presenter: Edward Stourton
Producer: Amanda Hancox
Assistant Producer: James Leesley
Production Coordinator: David Baguley
Editor: Jonathan Hallewell


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m001zdhj)
Lumos Foundation

Evanna Lynch, ambassador for Lumos Foundation 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 ‘Lumos Foundation’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Lumos Foundation’.
Please note that Freephone and online donations for this charity close at 23.59 on the Saturday after the Appeal is first broadcast. However the Freepost option can be used at any time.

Registered charity number: 1112575


SUN 07:57 Weather (m001zdhl)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m001zdhn)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m001zdhq)
Conversation Under Trees

Conversation Under Trees

From the garden at St James’s Piccadilly, a service of Scripture, music, readings and conversation explores the interdependence of human beings with the earth.

Poetry from Zena Edwards and Diane Pacitti with music from St James’s Singers, the service lead by the Rector of St James’s, Lucy Winkett and the Director of Music was Michael Haslam, singers were St James’s music scholars and the viola was played by Dominic Stokes.

St James’s Church Piccadilly has a garden in the Chelsea Flower Show May 2024 called ‘Imagine the World to be Different’. It opens Tuesday the 21st May 2024.

Producer: Carmel Lonergan
Editor: Tim Pemberton


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m001z6tk)
A Clean Break

Tom Shakespeare calls for new thinking to fix the current crisis in our prisons. Against a backdrop of overcrowding, violence and high rates of reoffending, he says we need a clearer vision of what prisons are really for.

"We want them to do lots of rather different things: punish people who have broken our laws; protect the public from violent criminals; rehabilitate offenders and teach them useful employment skills. Yet we are guilty of stigmatising people who have spent some time in prison."

Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Bridget Harney


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m001zdhs)
Jackie Morris on the Raven

A new series of Tweet of the Day for Sunday morning revealing personal and fascinating stories from some fresh voices who have been inspired by birds, their calls and encounters.

For author, artist and illustrator Jackie Morris the language of the raven is as much poetic as they are intelligent. Her prose narration to this member of the crow family dispels the commonly held view that raven are dark malevolent beings of the natural world., they are a species to simply enjoy.

A BBC Audio Production from Bristol

Producer Andrew Dawes
Studio Manager : Ilse Lademann


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m001zdhv)
Do public inquiries bring justice?

The infected blood scandal report is released tomorrow. Do public inquiries bring justice? Also, the programme goes live to Rochester Cathedral, to hear choirs 100 years apart.


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m001zdhx)
Dame Sarah Storey, athlete

Dame Sarah Storey is Great Britain’s most successful Paralympian, winning 17 gold, eight silver and three bronze medals. She was just 14 when she took two weeks off school to compete as a swimmer in the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics, where she won her first two gold medals. Since then, she has competed in a further seven Paralympics, switching to cycling from 2005.

A TV documentary inspired Sarah's childhood ambition to take part in the Paralympics, even though her swimming club coach told her that it was too late - at the age of 10 - to start training for an elite career.

After competing in four Paralympics in the pool, she decided to try cycling after persistent ear infections and chronic fatigue. She was immediately successful and has continued to win medals at both the Paralympics and World Championships in numerous events, breaking many world records. She is supported on and off the track by her husband, Barney Storey, who is also a gold medal-winning cyclist. They have two children, who were born in 2013 and 2017.

Sarah is the Active Travel Commissioner in her home city of Manchester, and is still training with the aim of competing in the 2024 Paralympics in Paris – which would be her ninth games, at the age of 46.

DISC ONE: Livin’ on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
DISC TWO: Spinning Around – Kylie Minogue
DISC THREE: It Only Takes a Minute - Take That
DISC FOUR: A Different Beat - Boyzone
DISC FIVE: This is the One - The Stone Roses
DISC SIX: Heroes - David Bowie
DISC SEVEN: Wannabe - Spice Girls
DISC EIGHT: Step On – Happy Mondays

BOOK CHOICE: The Chimp Paradox by Professor Steve Peters
LUXURY ITEM: A snorkel and mask
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Livin’ on a Prayer - Bon Jovi

Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Sarah Taylor


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m001zdhz)
WRITER: Sarah Hehir
DIRECTOR: Rosemary Watts
EDITOR: Jeremy Howe

Jolene Archer…. Buffy Davis
Kenton Archer…. Richard Attlee
Pip Archer…. Daisy Badger
Harrison Burns…. James Cartwright
Alice Carter…. Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter…. Wilf Scolding
Ruairi Donovan…. Arthur Hughes
George Grundy…. Angus Stobie
Jakob Hakansson…. Paul Venables
Chelsea Horrobin…. Madeleine Leslay
Tracy Horrobin…. Susie Riddell
Alistair Lloyd…. Michael Lumsden
Paul Mack…. Joshua Riley
Adam Macy…. Andrew Wincott
Kirsty Miller…. Annabelle Dowler
Freddie Pargetter…. Toby Laurence
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
Mick…. Martin Barrass
Lisa…. Rhiannon Neads


SUN 12:15 Profile (m001zdj1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m001z66n)
Series 81

Episode 1

Radio 4's multi award-winning ‘antidote to panel games’ promises yet more quality, desk-based entertainment for all the family. The series begins at the New Theatre in Oxford where Rachel Parris and the Reverend Richard Coles are pitched against Tony Hawks and Alexander Armstrong, with Jack Dee in the role of reluctant chairman.

Regular listeners will know to expect inspired nonsense, pointless revelry and Colin Sell at the piano.

Producer - Jon Naismith.

A Random production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 12:57 Weather (m001zdj3)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m001zdj5)
What drives the populist right in Europe?

A look at populist right wing politics ahead of the European Parliament elections, hearing from former EU leader Jose Manuel Barroso. Also: Can AI learn how to be sarcastic?


SUN 13:30 Broken Politicians, Broken Politics (m001zdf4)
Are British politicians at breaking point?

In this new digital age with its high level of public scrutiny, the sheer amount of abuse, disdain and direct threat politicians get is causing their mental health to take a real hit.

And this matters. Broken politicians equal broken politics and that’s bad news for us all.

Few can dispute that in the wake of a near constant stream of scandals, public perceptions of politics and politicians have become increasingly cynical and toxic.

So what impact is this all having on our politicians and our politics?

Jennifer Nadel - Co-Founder of Compassion in Politics - hears raw personal testimony from MPs across the House who have reached breaking point and worse, asking what this means for the health of our democracy?

In this Radio 4 investigation into the mental health and wellbeing of politicians, MPs talk candidly about the incessant pressures of the job and the escalating mental health crisis in parliament.

The programme reveals shocking testimony including one former government minister who tells us ‘Politics has left me a broken human being.’ A young MP describes attempting to take his own life, revealing to the BBC that he is not alone.

This programme asks whether the mental health crisis is affecting MPs' ability to govern. Many say it does, and that good people are simply being driven out or away from public life.

In the face of these mounting personal testimonies Radio 4 asks MPs what can be done?

If you have particular experiences or a story related to this programme that you would like to share confidentially with the producer, you can e mail:
Daniel.Tetlow.ext@bbc.co.uk

Producer: Daniel Tetlow
Presenter: Jennifer Nadel
Studio Manager: Rod Farquhar
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Vadon
The music was composed by Daniel Tetlow and Benjamin Bushakevitz and performed by Ammiel Bushakevitz


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m001z6sm)
Trinity College

Any tips on how I can successfully grow heavy potatoes in a bucket? Is there any way to get rid of slugs without killing them? Do you recommend the use of Coir in compost and how would you use it?

Peter Gibbs and his team of horticultural experts are at Trinity College in Oxford for this week's episode of Gardeners' Question Time.

Joining Peter to resolve the audience's horticultural dilemmas are passionate plantswoman Christine Walkden, garden designer Chris Beardshaw, and Head of Oxford Botanical Gardens Dr Chris Thorogood.

Later in the programme, Chris Beardshaw speaks with head gardener of Trinity College Kate Burtonwood to discuss the potential trials and errors of redesigning their north lawn border.

Producer: Dan Cocker

Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 Singing with the Nightingales (b044m17b)
Late in the evening on 19th May, 1924, the BBC made its first live wildlife outside broadcast, from the cellist Beatrice Harrison's garden. A nightingale joined in, singing as she played and listeners were entranced.

100 years to the day, Radio 4 mark the anniversary, broadcasting again 'Singing with the Nightingales'. In this the folk musician Sam Lee finds, somewhere in southern England, "some melodious plot/ Of beechen green, and shadows numberless", as Keats puts it in his 'Ode to a Nightingale', where the birds are singing "of summer with full throated ease".

Sam, with the cellist Francesca Ter-Berg, violinist Flora Curzon and viola player Laurel Pardue, sings traditional songs that feature nightingales, such as 'The Tan Yard Side', to the nightingales as they sing in the thickets. Sam also considers our relationship with this amazing songster, which appears in so many songs and poems. We hear, too, Beatrice's reminiscence of that first nightingale broadcast, 100 years ago.

So popular was Beatrice Harrison's original duet that the cello and nightingale concerts were broadcast annually, eagerly awaited by listeners around the globe. We hear, too, how in 1942 this beautiful, fragile collaboration was silenced by war.

Producer: Julian May


SUN 15:00 Electric Decade (m000plwp)
Electric Decade: The Good Soldier

By Ford Maddox Ford
Adapted by Sebastian Baczkiewicz

A new adaptation of Ford Maddox Ford’s classic novel. John Dowell is the original unreliable narrator in a twisted tale of sex, money and murder.

John Dowell (Kyle Soller) recounts the ‘saddest story ever told’, in which ‘good soldier’ Edward Ashburnham's libido leaves countless lives in ruins. Sharp, menacing and ultimately deadly, The Good Soldier can be seen as the prototype for the psychosexual drama. In charge of the story is Dowell - the impotent, voyeuristic husband of Florence, whose love affair with Edward ultimately ends in tragedy. But how much can we trust Dowell’s account of events? How does he know such intimate details of his wife’s affair? And who is really responsible for the dramatic tragedies that hang over the story?

Of The Good Soldier Graham Greene said, 'I don't know how many times in nearly forty years I have come back to this novel'. While Julian Barnes simply described it as 'a masterpiece'.

John Dowell…. Kyle Soller
Florence Dowell…. Tonya Cornelisse
Edward Ashburnham…. Patrick Baladi
Leonora Ashburnham…. Fiona O’Shaughnessy
Major Hazleton…. Mark Bonnar
Nancy Rufford…. Ashna Rabheru
Jimmy Doyle…. Ronan Summers
Maisie Maidan…. Cecilia Appiah

Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production


SUN 16:00 Open Book (m001zdj8)
Sarah Perry

Sarah Perry talks to Shahidha Bari about her new book, Enlightenment.

Plus authors Rosie Andrews and Bridget Collins on combining history, myth and imagination in their new novels: Rosie's The Puzzle Wood, and Bridget's The Silence Factory.

And author Abir Mukherjee on his Book I'd Never Lend - The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.

Presenter: Shahidha Bari
Producer: Emma Wallace

Book List – Sunday 19 May

Enlightenment by Sarah Perry
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Melmoth by Sarah Perry
The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins
The Puzzle Wood by Rosie Andrews
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Hunted by Abir Mukherjee


SUN 16:30 Round Britain Quiz (m001zdjb)
Programme 11, 2024

(11/12)
The Midlands and the South of England teams join Kirsty Lang for the penultimate contest in this series of the cryptic quiz. For the final time this year, Frankie Fanko and Stephen Maddock face Paul Sinha and Marcus Berkmann.

Today's questions are:

Q1 In Edinburgh someone shows you to your seat at a wedding. In Poole you're in a place that sends warnings to ships. In Manchester you'd find Simon & Garfunkel's last album with the middle missing. So where has a herb recently become a prison?

Q2 Someone who put his signature on a urinal, two people of very different heights, and Robert John Lange: what kind of dog might they all own?

Q3 (from Daniel Kitto) Music: Why might these all lead to recognition?

Q4 The Hasmonean dynasty, the sweetest innovation of Catherine de Medici, Yankee Doodle's feathered cap, and somewhere you'd go to gamble in China: shouldn't they be Scottish?

Q5 Why do Stravinsky's operatic Turk, an artistic hobby-horse, Cass Elliot and an Ottoman royal tutor appear to be caught in a lava flow?

Q6 Music: Why might you unearth this piece of music, and Bathsheba's feckless husband, and the creator of Z-Cars, at Hissarlik?

Q7 (from Isabel Evans) What links a Scottish dialect and one used by Dante and Petrarch, a sporting individual, and a chemical bond? And why might all of this interest a hermit near Aleppo?

Q8 (from Tom Peach) If the sports stars Michael Slater, Lionel Messi and John Milburn invited you for dinner, who might be on the menu?

Producer: Paul Bajoria


SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct4xbm)
La Haine: The film that shocked France

In 1993, film director Mathieu Kassovitz started work on what would become a cult cinema classic, La Haine.

La Haine would follow three friends from a poor immigrant neighbourhood in the Paris suburbs 24 hours after a riot.

The film was released in 1995 to huge critical acclaim and Mathieu won best director at the Cannes Film Festival.

It was heavily critical of policing in France and it caught the attention of high profile politicians in the country, including then Prime Minister, Alain Juppé.

Thirty years on, Mathieu has been sharing his memories of that time with Matt Pintus.

(Photo: Vincent Cassel "Vinz" in La Haine. Credit: Studio Canal+)


SUN 17:10 The Invention Of... (m001z65x)
China

The life and times of Chairman Mao

Misha Glenny and Miles Warde travel east to tell the story of China - what it is and where it came from.

"Twentieth century China is the most extraordinary place, and Mao is at the heart of nearly all of it."

With the help of Tania Branigan, Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China's Cultural Revolution; plus Chris Buckley, Chief China correspondent of the New York Times, Frances Wood, Paul French, Ian Johnson, the author of Sparks, and Jonathan Fenby, former editor of the South China Morning Post.

The producer for BBC studios is Miles Warde.


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m001zdjf)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m001zdjh)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001zdjk)
Rescuers are battling rain and thick fog to reach the site of a helicopter accident.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m001zdjm)
John Gallagher

Do bees have feelings? What would a Radiohead cover of the Hokey Cokey sound like? Is there a stew that can make you have twins? This week’s best radio takes us from camping on campus to the ancient Roman holiday from hell, and has tips on bringing down a government and catching an international criminal (you have to start in Nottingham). We dig into the ethics of lying to our loved ones and find out how a granny of good character can get her hands on a dirty book in 1930s Ireland...

Presenter: John Gallagher
Producer: Elizabeth Foster
Production Co-ordinators: Pete Liggins & Paul Holloway


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m001zddz)
Fallon and Harrison both agree that it’s great that Fallon’s back at Woodbine Cottage after her stay at The Bull. Harrison’s relieved Alice has gone to London – at least he won’t bump into her.

Ambridge is playing Layton Cross at cricket and Kirsty pops by to wish the team luck on her way to an appointment with Rex’s pigs – she’s looking after them while Rex is away. George and Pat are mildly concerned when Kirsty reckons it’ll be a breeze. They chat about Mick inviting Joy’s daughter Rochelle to her surprise birthday tea on Friday – that’s if Mick can get hold of Rochelle. Later Kirsty rings Jazzer for some advice about Rex’s pigs, but when she asks about a limping boar, Jazzer says she needs to treat him herself and Kirsty wonders what on earth she’s doing!

Everyone’s surprised when Harrison turns up to play cricket. Pat’s not impressed when he rides rough-shod over Tracy’s batting order, reminding them that he is the captain and then starts sledging the opposing team. George mentions that Harrison’s asked him to be vice-captain, but he agrees when Pat says that Tracy would’ve been the obvious choice. Ambridge win the match and Harrison’s celebratory but Pat asks for a quick word. She didn’t think Harrison’s attitude towards Layton Cross was appropriate and thinks Harrison shouldn’t have overlooked Tracy for vice-captain. Harrison retorts that before getting into the bigger decisions, perhaps Pat should look at her bowling. She needs to earn her spot on the team.


SUN 19:15 How Much Can You Say? (m001zdjp)
"The north London heroin trade is almost folklore at this stage."

For decades, calculated gang warfare involving Turkish, Turkish Cypriot, and Kurdish heroin dealers has played out on the streets of north London, in the midst of dry cleaners, empty market stalls, and oddly abundant carpet shops. In this intimate documentary, we hear the careful accounts of women and young people on the edges of that world.

"It is a life-or-death situation to say the wrong thing."

Featuring creative direction and original poetry from Tice Cin, an award-winning interdisciplinary artist from Tottenham and Enfield.

"The best way to put it is if you look at the Turkish word ‘suskunluk’ ... It's the honour thing, you can't be bad-mouthing your own community."

Presented by Tice Cin
Produced by Jude Shapiro with Tice Cin
Executive Producer: Jack Howson
Mixed by Arlie Adlington - including music composed by Tice Cin with Oscar Deniz Kemanci

A Peanut & Crumb production for BBC Radio 4

(Programme Image by Peri Cimen & Tice Cin; © Neoprene Genie)


SUN 19:45 Why Do We Do That? (m001fwf1)
Why Do We Sit Down to Poo?

You might think sitting is a recent technological advancement, but both squat and sit-down toilets have been around for millennia. Today Westerners have embraced the sit-down toilet, whereas billions in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and even parts of Europe use toilets that are designed specifically for squatting. But which is better for us - sitting or squatting? Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to gastroenterologist Dr Rohan Modi who has been investigating the best way to do your business, and gets personal with comedian Eshaan Akba.


SUN 20:00 Word of Mouth (m001z6q1)
Disaster Dialogue

Professor Lucy Easthope explains why language is important in the aftermath of a disaster, why some words are useful and some can be damaging.

Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m001z6sr)
Dame Shirley Conran, Doreen Massey, Beverley LaHaye, Steve Albini

Matthew Bannister on

Dame Shirley Conran, the journalist and author best known for her books “Superwoman” and “Lace”.

Baroness Doreen Massey, the educator and former director of the Family Planning Association

Beverly LaHaye the founder of Concerned Women of America who campaigned to stop the Equal Rights Amendment.

Steve Albini, the controversial musician who worked many influential albums including Nirvava’s “In Utero”.

Producer: Ed Prendeville

Archive used:
National Women’s Coalition for Life, National Cable Satellite Corporation, C-Span, 03/04/1992; Former President Trump Speaks at Concerned Women for America Summit, National Cable Satellite Corporation, C-Span, 15/09/2023; Beverly LaHaye, Concernedwomen.org, 23/02/2017; President Reagan's Remarks at Convention of Concerned Women for America, Reagan Library, YouTube upload, 28/11/2017; The PTL Club, The PTL Club – Heritage USA, YouTube upload, 12/08/2022; Woman's Hour, 07/11/2014; Woman's Hour, 02/08/2012; Graham Norton, BBC Radio 2, 14/07/2012; The Stephen McCauley Show, BBC Radio Ulster, 29/08/2022; House of Lords, parliament.tv, 24/04/2019; Baroness Massey Stories of Democracy, House of Lords, YouTube upload, 22/11/2012


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m001zdjr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m001zdhj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m001zdjt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m001zdjw)
Ben Wright's guests are the Conservative MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti and Professor of Politics, Tim Bale. They discuss the infected blood scandal ahead of the final report of the public inquiry under Sir Brian Langstaff. They also talk about developments in politics, including potential further measures to curb disruptive protests. And the programme includes a "farewell" interview with the long-serving Labour Cabinet minister and former acting party leader, Dame Margaret Beckett - as she prepares to step down from the Commons at the general election.


SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m001z6p8)
Philippa Foot

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most significant philosophers of the twentieth century, Philippa Foot (1920 - 2010). Her central question was, “Why be moral?” Drawing on Aristotle and Aquinas, Foot spent her life working through her instinct that there was something lacking in the prevailing philosophy of the 1950s and 1960s which held that values could only be subjective. Could there really be no objective response to the horrors of the concentration camps that she had seen on newsreels, no way of saying that such acts were morally wrong? Foot developed an ethics based on virtues, in which humans needed virtues to flourish as surely as plants needed light and water. While working through her ideas she explored applied ethics and the difference between doing something and letting it happen, an idea she illustrated with what became The Trolley Problem.

With

Anil Gomes
Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at Trinity College, University of Oxford

Sophie Grace Chappell
Professor of Philosophy at the Open University

And

Rachael Wiseman
Reader in Philosophy at the University of Liverpool

Producer: Simon Tillotson
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production

Reading list:

Philippa Foot, Virtues and Vices (Oxford University Press, 1978)

Philippa Foot, Moral Dilemmas (Oxford University Press, 2002)

Philippa Foot, Natural Goodness (Oxford University Press, 2001)

John Hacker-Wright, Philippa Foot's Moral Thought (Bloomsbury, 2013)

Benjamin Lipscomb, The Women Are Up To Something (Oxford University Press, 2021)

Clare Mac Cumhaill and Rachael Wiseman, Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back to Life (Chatto, 2022)

Dan Russell (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Virtue Ethics (Cambridge University Press), especially ‘Virtue Ethics in the Twentieth Century’ by Timothy (now Sophie Grace) Chappell


SUN 23:45 Short Works (m001z6sp)
An Affliction by Lottie Mills

A specially commissioned short story for BBC Radio 4 by the award-winning Lottie Mills. In this fantastical tale, a strange illness takes hold of those living at the Saint Francis Invalid Colony...

Lottie Mills won the BBC Young Writers Award in 2020, and her debut collection, Monstrum is published in 2024. In her stories, Lottie delights in the uncanny, the unusual and the unique power of outsiders.

Reader: Hayley Atwell
The producer is Di Speirs
The director is Justine Willett

MONDAY 20 MAY 2024

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m001zdjy)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


MON 00:15 Crossing Continents (m001z6jm)
Return of the Benin Bronzes

In 1897 British colonial forces attacked and looted the ancient Kingdom of Benin in what is now southern Nigeria. Thousands of precious objects were taken including stunning sculptures made of bronze, brass, ivory and terracotta. Some were decorative, some were sacred. Known collectively as the Benin Bronzes, they were famed for their craftsmanship and beauty. The majority ended up in museums around the world. But ever since Nigerians have been demanding their return. The Bronzes became symbols of the wider global campaign for restitution by former colonial powers. Now finally, some have been handed back. For Crossing Continents, Peter Macjob travels to Nigeria to track the return of the Bronzes, and find out what it means for Nigeria to have these lost treasures come home.

Producer: Alex Last
Studio mix: Neil Churchill
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m001zdk0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001zdk2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001zdk4)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001zdk6)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:30 News Briefing (m001zdk8)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001zdkb)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with George Craig, a Methodist local preacher in Cardiff


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m001zdkd)
20/05/24 Illegal waste; Environmental benchmarking; Flower industry

There's an update on the saga of illegal waste dumping at a protected woodland in Kent. The BBC has learnt that the Government is planning an emergency intervention to clear thousands of tonnes of rubbish. Locals say that as many as 30 lorries a day were illegally dumping rubbish at Hoads Wood near Ashford at the height of the problem last year. The woodland is in an area of outstanding natural beauty and is site of special scientific interest . Now one conservation group describes the site as a 'desolate wasteland' and it's estimated that a clean up operation will cost £10 million.

170 farms are to have their carbon footprint measured to create a more accurate picture of the emissions they produce and the carbon they sequester. The project, led by the levy body the AHDB, aims to give both farmers and the rest of us, a better understanding of agriculture's environmental impact. It's a pilot scheme which will measure greenhouse gas emissions, landscape and soil carbon stocks and water run-off, as well as using soil analysis of individual farms. The AHDB hopes to see it rolled out to all farms in the future.

It's the RHS Chelsea Flower show and all week we're looking at flowers and plants. As a nation of gardeners we spend around £3 billion a year on plants and trees for our gardens, according to the Horticultural Trades Association. Chelsea's a highlight in the calendar for the industry, but they're facing many challenges: from the use of peat, to the wet weather and the new inspection regime at the UK border.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


MON 05:57 Weather (m001zdkg)
Weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m001zdd6)
Iran’s president dies

President Raisi killed in helicopter crash. Infected blood inquiry due to report.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (m001zdd8)
Art: market, money and malfeasance

The National Gallery in London is displaying Caravaggio’s last painting, The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula (until 21 July 2024), an extraordinary work depicting the violence and intense naturalism of the scene, and the painter’s revolutionary use of dramatic lighting. The curator Francesca Whitlum-Cooper says Caravaggio changed the art world in the 17th century. But the painter was as famous for his personal life as his art: he left murder and mayhem in his wake as he attempted to evade the law.

For most of its existence The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula languished in private collections and was sold for just £3,500 in the 1970s, with few believing it was by Caravaggio. Now it’s been identified as an original it’s worth millions. The fortunes to be made and lost in the art market, the risks, the greed and the deals are the subject of Orlando Whitfield’s book All That Glitters. He details his friendship with the contemporary art dealer Inigo Philbrick, a young man whose spectacular rise is matched only by his dramatic fall, convicted and imprisoned for fraud owing $86.7 million.

The art market is often shrouded in secrecy and is one of the very few unregulated markets left in the global economy. Angelina Giovani-Agha is an art historian who has specialised in provenance research. She understands that each painting has a story to tell and a unique record of acquisition. Her work involves investigating ownership history and highlighting any murky inconsistencies, as well as specialising in looted artworks.

Producer: Katy Hickman


MON 09:45 Café Hope (m001zddb)
Believing in Belfast

Rachel Burden hears from David Boyd who set up Belfast Child, a social enterprise to help get young people of the street with mentoring and sports activities.

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

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

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

Presenter: Rachel Burden
Producer: Uma Doraiswamy
Sound Design: Nicky Edwards
Researcher: Katie Morgan
Editor: Clare Fordham


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001zddd)
Infected blood scandal, Anita Pallenberg, Feminist theatre

The long awaited final report of the public inquiry into the infected blood scandal is published today, The inquiry was announced in 2017 after years of campaigning by victims. From the 1970s to the early 1990s, approximately 30,000 people were infected with blood contaminated with HIV and Hepatitis C. Over 3,000 have since died, with one person estimated to die every four days in the UK. The affected groups include those who received infected blood via blood transfusions, such as women following childbirth, and individuals with haemophilia—predominantly males—and others with similar bleeding disorders who received contaminated blood products. Around 1,250 people with bleeding disorders, including 380 children were infected with HIV. Fewer than 250 are still alive today. Some transmitted HIV to their partners. Nuala McGovern speaks to Clair Walton, who gave evidence to the inquiry. She has been campaigning for years for the wives and partners who became infected to be heard and acknowledged.

Anita Pallenberg was the quintessential 1960s Rock and Roll 'It' girl. A model, actress and artist, she is best remembered as a muse for The Rolling Stones. But a new film about her life, Catching Fire: The Story Of Anita Pallenberg, puts her experiences front and centre and explores her unique creativity and her influence on the sound and swagger of The Stones. Her son Marlon Richards, who is an executive producer on the film, tells Nuala about her wild and intense life.

The book Feminist Theatre – Then and Now brings to life the lived experiences of three generations of women working in British theatre over the last 50 years and reveals the struggle to succeed in an industry where gender, race, sexuality, class and parenthood were, and still can be, serious obstacles to success. Nuala is joined by the book’s editor Cheryl Robson and a contributor, the playwright Moira Buffini.

Mary Morton has built up an army of 'street stitchers' - volunteers who sit in the parks and streets of Edinburgh and offer to advise on repairing the clothes of passers-by. Mary has not bought clothes for five years after becoming concerned about the impact of textiles on the environment and wants to teach people the skills to be able to repair and continue to wear their clothes. She joins Nuala.


MON 11:00 The Tourist Trap (m001zddg)
Episode 1

The travel industry is booming with millions more people holidaying abroad each year. In this first episode of The Tourist Trap, seasoned BBC TV travelogue presenter Rajan Datar focuses on the relentless rise of global tourism and the impact that’s having on local communities. He hears how the Indian travel market is gearing up to conquer the world. He visits the Austrian village that regularly gets swamped by ten times as many tourists as there are residents. He is in Venice as it begins charging visitors to enter the city on certain days. He’ll also be hearing how people have come to the end of their tether in Tenerife. Are we now in danger of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs – ruining the very natural beauty and attractions that we seek out so keenly?

Produced by Bob Howard.


MON 11:45 A Body Made of Glass by Caroline Crampton (m001zddk)
Episode 1: The People Made of Glass

Caroline Crampton explores the history of hypochondria, drawing together cultural history and moving personal memoir.

When she was 17, Caroline Crampton developed a blood cancer which was diagnosed when a tumour appeared on her neck. After several rounds of gruelling treatment, including chemotherapy and weeks in an isolation ward, the doctors announced that her cancer was cured. But – understandably – Caroline herself was not so sure. Ever alert to new symptoms, feeling anxiously for new tumours on her neck, she worries continually that the cancer has returned.

‘The fear that there is something wrong with me, that I am sick, is always with me.’

This personal experience becomes the starting point for an exploration of the history of hypochondria or health anxiety, from the ancient Greeks to the modern wellness industry. It is, she says, ‘an ancient condition which makes itself anew for every age’.

In this first episode, Caroline tells the extraordinary story of the ‘people made of glass’. From the 14th to the 17th Century, people who felt fragile and extremely brittle believed that their internal organs had literally been transformed into glass.

"One report from the early 17th Century by a French royal physician concerned a Parisian glassmaker who suffered from a form of the delusion focused on the buttocks. He supposedly went around with a small cushion fastened to his behind at all times, in case they broke when he sat down. He was apparently cured by a doctor who beat him severely..."

Caroline Crampton is a writer and critic whose work has appeared in The Guardian, Granta, the New Humanist, and the Spectator. Her previous book The Way to the Sea (2019) is a journey down the Thames from source to sea. She hosts the Shedunnit podcast about detective fiction.

The reader, Tuppence Middleton, is a British actress known for her stage and screen roles in Downton Abbey, The Imitation Game, His Dark Materials and The Motive and the Cue.

Find all the latest books at the bottom of the Sounds homepage. Just click on the Books collection.

Produced and abridged by Elizabeth Burke and Heather Dempsey
Executive Producer: Jo Rowntree
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
This is an EcoAudio certified production.


MON 12:00 News Summary (m001zddn)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m001zddq)
Volatile Incomes, Karaoke Pubs, Spanish Tourism

It's estimated that around 25 million people have a volatile income - this is when the income in to the house is irregular in amount and timing.
A new report from Nest Insight highlights the challenges faced by these people when the vast majority of financial services are based on those with fixed incomes.
We will hear from someone with a volatile income and the difficulties forward planning, the constant money management, and how they try to navigate this in the current systems.

Pubs have had a difficult time over the past few decades, many have closed and those remaining have to find ways to attract more customers. Well the latest attempt to diversify and get more people through the door involves the likes of Abba, Elvis, and Amy Winehouse…yes, it’s karaoke.
We’ll be talking to one landlord who has ripped out their pub kitchen and replaced it with a karaoke room, and it appears to be working.

And are you still thinking of booking a holiday this year? Well if you are thinking of heading to Spain, the most popular place for Brits, there may be a few differences since the last time you were there. Some areas in Spain have growing concerns about over-tourism and are tightening rules around alcohol, boats, beaches, and more.
We’ll be talking to ABTA about how this will impact holiday punters, and also we will hear from a travel journalist in Spain about the reason for these changes.

You can contact You & Yours by emailing youandyours@bbc.co.uk or using the hashtag #youandyours

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Dave James


MON 12:57 Weather (m001zdds)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m001zddv)
Infected Blood Inquiry finds 'chilling' cover-up

The Infected Blood Inquiry has found evidence of a 'chilling' cover-up of the infections of more than 30,000 people. Victims say their fight for truth is won. Plus, the International Criminal Court requests arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders and Israel's Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.


MON 13:45 The History Podcast (m001zddx)
Shadow War: China and the West

Shadow War - 6. Under Pressure

Could growing tensions lead to conflict? The rise of China is the defining challenge of our times – how far to co-operate, compete or confront? But has the West taken its eye off the ball? BBC Security Correspondent Gordon Corera looks at the points of friction in recent history, from espionage to free speech, the battle over technology and claims of political interference. This is a story about the competition to shape the world order. He speaks to politicians, spies, dissidents and those who’ve been caught up in the growing tension between China and the West.

Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producer: Olivia Lace-Evans
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore (Naked Productions)
Programme Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


MON 14:00 The Archers (m001zddz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 The Train at Platform 4 (m0013swn)
Gilbert

Episode four of Punt and Dennis's new sitcom, set in the claustrophobic carriages of a cross-country rail service.

When First Class Steward Gilbert discovers his step-sister is a passenger on the train, he's forced to spend the journey hiding from her. It seems that his whole life Gilbert has been living a lie. Meanwhile, Sam must contend with a carriage full of Roundheads on their way to a re-enactment of the Battle of Naseby, armed with a collection of very realistic pikes.

Our heroes are the long-suffering train crew who manage to scrape through every shift like a dysfunctional family – Train Manager, Sam (Rosie Cavaliero; Inside No. 9) First Class Steward, Gilbert (Kenneth Collard; Cuckoo), Catering Manager, Dev (Ali Shahalom; Muzlamic) and Trolley Operator Tasha (Amy Geldhill; Life). The passengers are made up of a rolling roster of guest stars, which includes the odd cameo from Punt and Dennis themselves.

Sam…. Rosie Cavaliero
Gilbert…. Kenneth Collard
Dev….. Ali Shahalom
Tasha….. Amy Gledhill
Jocasta.... Anna Crilly
Colleague.... Justice Ritchie
Roundhead 1.... Hugh Dennis
Roundhead 2.... Steve Punt

Written by....Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis
Producer… James Robinson
A BBC Studios Production


MON 14:45 Felicity Ward - Appisodes (m000qm0y)
Series 2

Weddings

The series in which stand-up Felicity Ward uses phone apps to help her cope with modern life. In the final episode of this series, Felicity explores the world of wedding help in the form of app “I do this all the time” (voiced by Tom Allen).

Written and performed by Felicity Ward.
Script Editor: Gareth Gwynn
Producer: Adnan Ahmed

This programme was first broadcast in December 2020.


MON 15:00 Great Lives (m001zdf1)
Harriet Harman on Maria Callas

The legendary opera star Maria Callas was lauded for her magnetic stage presence and extraordinary vocal range. Born in New York in 1923 to Greek immigrant parents, she moved with her mother and sister to Greece aged 13. In 1939 she attended the Athens Conservatoire where she embarked on a rigorous vocal training in the Italian "bel canto" tradition. After the Second World War she moved to Italy, where she was mentored by the leading conductor Tullio Serafin, and became one of the most celebrated opera stars of the day, making triumphant appearances at La Scala in Milan, Covent Garden in London and the Metropolitan in New York.

Labour MP and former Deputy Prime Minister Harriet Harman is a lifelong fan, who says that despite Callas' tremendous talent and hard work she was unfairly vilified for behaving like a "diva" in the pejorative sense. She says that Callas was one of the first celebrities to get the full "tabloid treatment", and endured prurient press interest in her relationship with the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. We hear from Robert Sutherland, a pianist who accompanied Maria Callas during her world tour in 1973-1974, about their friendship. Joining Harriet and Matthew in the studio is singer, musician, teacher and researcher Nina Horrocks, also known by her stage name Ziazan. She specialises in the "bel canto" technique that Callas trained in, and has a YouTube channel dedicated to the subject called Phantoms of the Opera (https://www.youtube.com/c/PhantomsoftheOpera).

Archive includes:
Maria Callas in conversation with Edward Downes, 1967, Angel Records
Maria Callas: Today interview with Barbara Walters, 1974, NBC

Presenter: Matthew Parris
Producer: Beth McLeod for BBC Studios Audio


MON 15:30 History's Secret Heroes (p0hm0r3g)
18. Andrée De Jongh and the Comet Line

A 24-year-old Belgian woman masterminds an escape line, spanning eight hundred miles of Nazi-occupied territory, stretching from Belgium to Spain. Can Andrée de Jongh save the lives of hundreds of stranded airmen?

Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two. Join her for incredible tales of deception, acts of resistance and courage.

A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Producer: Suniti Somaiya
Edit Producer: Melvin Rickarby
Assistant Producer: Lorna Reader
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann
Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts


MON 16:00 Broken Politicians, Broken Politics (m001zdf4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m001zdf6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


MON 17:00 PM (m001zdf8)
Inquiry finds the contaminated blood scandal was 'no accident'

We speak to a former health minister who was among the first to raise the alarm over the infected blood disaster about why it took so long to for the victims to get a resolution.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001zdfb)
Patients were infected with HIV and hepatitis C between the 1970s and early 1990s


MON 18:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m001zdfd)
Series 81

Episode 2

This series of Radio 4's multi award-winning ‘antidote to panel games’ promises more homespun wireless entertainment for the young at heart.

This week the programme pays a return visit to the New Theatre in Oxford where Rachel Parris and the Reverend Richard Coles are pitched against Tony Hawks and Alexander Armstrong, with Jack Dee in the chair.

At the piano - Colin Sell
Producer - Jon Naismith

A Random production for BBC Radio 4


MON 19:00 The Archers (m001zdfg)
Lily notices a distressed cow stuck in a ditch on her way back from visiting Ruth and calls Ben. Whilst waiting for David to arrive with hoisting equipment, they ring Alistair. They discuss the chaos on the roads caused by the crash on Heydon Bridge. Alistair’s going to have to reach them via the ford. As Alistair starts to wade through it, he feels panicky but succeeds in crossing it. The cow’s successfully rescued and treated, but Ben notices that Alistair’s white as a sheet. Alistair admits he had a minor panic attack in the ford because of the river rescue. Ben’s supportive and offers to drive him back to his car.

When Freddie praises George about his part in the crash rescue, George is dismissive. Freddie remembers how he felt after the Grey Gables explosion and rescuing Lynda - Robert tried to give him his dad’s war medal. George shares he had the same sort of experience with Kenton with the engraved pint glass. They both agree that they didn’t do anything special – most people would have done the same. George wonders whether if he’d been quicker rescuing Fallon, she’d still be pregnant, but Freddie counters that the crash may not be the reason for Fallon’s miscarriage. Anyway, if anyone’s to blame, it’s Alice who may end up in prison. She wouldn’t survive very well there, as Freddie knows from his brutal experience in Young Offenders. George states that he wouldn’t cope in prison either. Freddie surmises that as Alice did the crime, she should do the time.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m001zdfj)
George Miller, Miranda July, Orchestral Qawwali Project

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the latest film from the writer director George Miller, 45 years after the first Mad Max film with Mel Gibson aired. He joins us to talk about where the vision for the film came from and how it's evolved, and about working with stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth.

The visual artist, filmmaker, and novelist, Miranda July, discusses her second novel “All Fours” where a middle-aged woman’s detour from a planned road trip across America becomes a wry and provocative odyssey of self-exploration.

Orchestral Qawaali Project is the brainchild of composer Rushil Ranjan and multi-instrumentalist and singer Abi Sampa. Fusing devotional south Asian qawwali singing with the western classical tradition, it has grown from a lockdown project that went viral to a performance at the Royal Albert Hall later this month involving 135 performers on stage. We hear a taster of their work live in the studio.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Corinna Jones


MON 20:00 The Briefing Room (m001z6q3)
Avian flu is evolving but what risk does it pose to us?

The H5N1 strain of avian flu isn't new. It was discovered in China in 1996. But in recent years it's started passing from mammal to mammal and it's now rife on cattle farms in the United States. How much should humans worry?

David Aaronovitch speaks to:

Professor Wendy Barclay, action medical research chair in virology at Imperial College London
Kai Kupferschmidt, science journalist and molecular biologist
Dr Caitlin Rivers, epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
Professor Ian Brown, avian virology group at The Pirbright Institute

Production team: Sally Abrahams, Kirsteen Knight and Ben Carter
Editors: Richard Vadon and Emma Rippon
Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
Sound engineers: Rod Farquhar


MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m001z6q5)
Is gene therapy the future?

Last week, a girl who was born deaf had her hearing restored following gene therapy. In the US, the first commercial gene therapy for sickle cell disease has just begun. And Great Ormond Street Hospital has found great success in their trials and a gene therapy for children lacking an immune system. Gene therapy is clearly having a moment. But how do these groundbreaking therapies actually work? And will they ever be truly accessible to everyone? Geneticist Professor Robin Lovell-Badge answers all.

Also this week, atmospheric scientist Laura Wilcox answers an interesting listener question about the effect volcanoes can have on the weather and sticks around to dig into the connection between aerosols and weather in different regions.

The exhibition “Bees: A Story of Survival” opened at the World Museum in Liverpool this month. Part of the show explains the how honeybees communicate through vibration. Physicist Martin Bencsik, who collected and studies these vibrations, plays us a few and explains their meaning.

And did you get a chance to see the auroras that covered a large part of the Northern Hemisphere last weekend? The intense solar activity that caused them has some people alarm. Jim Al-Khalili, who has written a science fiction novel based on the concept, talks what is protecting us from solar flares and what could go wrong.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Ella Hubber, Sophie Ormiston and Hannah Robins
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


MON 21:00 Start the Week (m001zdd8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:45 Café Hope (m001zddb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m001zdfl)
'Day of shame' says Prime Minister as he apologises to infected blood scandal victims

"On behalf of this and every government stretching back to the 1970s, I am truly sorry." These were the words of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as he responded to the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry's final report. Sir Brian Langstaff, chair of the inquiry, found the authorities exposed people to unacceptable risks in administering tainted blood products, and at times covered up the scandal.

In Israel even some leaders opposed to him have responded angrily to the news that the International Criminal Court is seeking an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The ICC is also seeking warrants for Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and for three Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes carried out during the Gaza conflict.

And when a group of Irish primary school kids recording a drum and bass track for fun, they'd no idea it would go viral online.


MON 22:45 Making Amends (m000yzvp)
Jo

Five wry stories on the nature of and need for apology, by Nick Walker, the writer of Annika Stranded.

Making Amends is a therapeutic process that encourages people to recognise behaviour in their past which, because of addiction problems, goes against their values and standards. But the need to make amends and apologise for lapses of behaviour is not just confined to the addicted.

1/5. Jo
Until last week, Jo had been drinking heavily for 30 years. She sets off to find and apologise to Kieran, her ex-boyfriend from her student days.

Nick Walker is the writer of Annika Stranded, which ran for six seasons on BBC Radio 4 between 2013 and 2020. Annika - a TV version - will be broadcast in 2021. He has also written two critically-acclaimed novels , Blackbox and Helloland. His plays and other short stories for radio include The First King of Mars, Life Coach and Stormchasers.

Writer: Nick Walker
Reader: Hermione Norris
Sound Design: Jon Calver
Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4


MON 23:00 Limelight (m0010xtx)
Harland

Harland - Episode 1: Tuesday

Lucy Catherine's supernatural thriller set in the new town of Harland, built on the site of a village abandoned 900 years earlier. DI Sarah Ward returns to work to investigate the disappearance of a child.

Sarah ..... Ayesha Antoine
Dan ..... Tyger Drew-Honey
Sadie ..... Melissa Advani
Lori ..... Grace Cooper Milton
Pete ..... Michael Begley
Jess ..... Lizzie Mounter
Counsellor ..... Christine Kavanagh
Jerry ..... Joseph Ayre
Aldo ..... Sam Dale
DJ ..... Justice Ritchie
Police Control ..... Chris Jack

Sound design by Caleb Knightley
Directed by Toby Swift


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001zdfn)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the Prime Minister answers MPs' questions about the inquiry into the infected blood scandal.

TUESDAY 21 MAY 2024

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m001zdfq)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 00:30 A Body Made of Glass by Caroline Crampton (m001zddk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001zdfs)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001zdfv)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001zdfx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m001zdfz)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001zdg1)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with George Craig, a Methodist local preacher in Cardiff


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m001zdg3)
21/05/24 - Planning rules change, growing roses and no Spring flush

Changes to planning law will allow more freedom for farmers and landowners in England to convert unused buildings into new homes, or new businesses like farm shops. The relaxed rules make it possible to alter buildings to create up to 10 homes, without planning permission. In addition, the amount of floorspace that can be changed from agricultural to commercial use has been doubled.

When you pick up a potted rose in a garden centre do you think about how long it's taken to get there? At Whartons Gardens Roses, based on the Suffolk / Norfolk border, it takes them 4 years to produce a rose, from land cultivation, through growing the root-stock and bud grafting. They produce 1 and a half million rose plants each year for garden centres across the UK.

And at this time of year, as dairy cows are out eating the lush spring grass the industry normally sees a glut of milk, known as the Spring Flush. But this year, its been more of a Damp Squib, as the persistent heavy rainfall has left some pasture struggling to grow, and milk production is reportedly a million litres a day less than expected.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons


TUE 06:00 Today (m001zg4p)
Will the infected blood victims get justice?

We speak to Heather Evans whose husband Perry died five weeks ago, mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and cabinet minister Mel Stride.


TUE 09:00 Being Roman with Mary Beard (m001zdrj)
9. Soldiering for Softies

The image of the battle-hardened, well regimented Roman soldier has been set in stone by movies, novels and video games. The letters of Claudius Terentianus reveal something very different. A terrible moaner, the young soldier has to beg his father to send the most basic of equipment, from sandals to swords. Stuck in the marines, the poorly paid squad tasked with guarding grain supplies, he bribes and wangles his way into a more illustrious legion, but still seems to spend more time shopping than fighting.

Mary Beard catches up with Terentianus at the British Museum's Legion exhibition and discovers more about his uncanny ability to avoid conflict and ensure a prosperous retirement.

Producer: Alasdair Cross

Expert Contributors: Carolina Rangel de Lima, British Museum; Livia Capponi, Pavia University and Claire Holleran Exeter University

Cast: Terentianus played by Robert Wilfort


TUE 09:30 All in the Mind (m001zdrl)
Why is exercise good for your mental health?

As part of the BBC’s mental well-being season, All in the Mind takes a deep dive into the evidence on the relationship between exercise and mental health. Not just whether getting moving can make a difference, but why.

Claudia Hammond laces up her running shoes and goes for a jog on the seafront in Eastbourne with a group of people who are running for their mental health. Claudia meets the founder of 'Run Talk Run', Jess Robson, and talks to other members of the group about why they find exercise to be helpful.

Back in the studio, Claudia speaks to Jonathan Roiser, Professor of Neuroscience and Mental Health at University College London. He’s about to embark on a major piece of research that should help us understand a lot more about what exercise does for people with depression. As well as explaining what they’re hoping to discover, he tells her about the latest research into exercise and mental health. Why does it work for some people and not others, and what’s the best exercise for your brain?

Then there’s the commonly held belief that exercise is good for your mood because it ‘gets the endorphins going’, but we know that endorphins are not able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Claudia talks to Dr Hilary Marusak from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit about one of the possible alternatives – the endocannabinoid system.

Throughout the programme Claudia is joined by Dr Peter Olusoga, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University. Together they discuss the many barriers people face to improving their physical activity, including the fact that poor mental health itself can stop you wanting to exercise in the first place.

And if getting more exercise really does sound like the worst idea you can think of, it turns out that watching sport on TV might also be good for you.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Ben Motley
Content Editor: Holly Squire
Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001zg4r)
Solving historic rape cases, British cyclist Lizzy Banks, Margaret Leng Tan

A new documentary on BBC Two is looking at how new forensic techniques can help police re-examine old cases involving sexual assault and rape, helping to convict perpetrators from decades ago. Cold Case Investigators: Solving Britain’s Sex Crimes tells the story of three cases that were re-examined. One is that of Karen, who was raped in 1983. She joins Nuala McGovern alongside Detective Constable Hayley Dyas, who helped work on her case and finally get a conviction.

On 28 July last year the British cyclist Lizzy Banks received an email from UK Anti Doping to say she had return two Adverse Analytical Findings. The letter stated she faced the prospect of a two-year ban unless she could establish the source. Thus began a ten-month journey investigating, researching and writing submissions to establish how the contamination event occurred. Absolved of any blame, having proved on the balance of probabilities that her test was contaminated, Lizzy speaks to Nuala about how the process destroyed her mentally, emotionally and professionally.

The toy piano virtuoso Margaret Leng Tan is a leading force within avant-garde music and the first woman to earn a doctorate from the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in the US. She’s currently in London, performing her sonic autobiography Dragon Ladies Don’t Weep at the Southbank Centre this week. It’s a combination of spoken text, projected images and original music for toy piano, prepared piano, toys and percussion. It focuses on the obsessive compulsive disorder Margaret has had since her childhood. She explains how music helped her accept OCD as an integral part of who she is.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Kirsty Starkey
Studio Manager: Duncan Hannant and Neva Missirian


TUE 11:00 Screenshot (m001z6t9)
Meryl Streep

From early, Oscar-winning roles in The Deer Hunter and Sophie's Choice, through to Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady, Meryl Streep has earned a reputation as the greatest actress of our times. As the star receives an honorary Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode discuss the remarkable depth, breadth and legacy of her career.

Ellen speaks to writer Michael Schulman, author of Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep, about the actor's beginnings in the 1970s, and the power of a Meryl acceptance speech. And she discusses the actress' breakout comedic role alongside Roseanne Barr in 1989's She-Devil, with the film's director Susan Seidelman.

And Mark speaks to actor Kate Winslet about her decades-long love for Meryl's work, from Angels In America to Death Becomes Her, and about how it felt to beat her heroine to a Best Actress Oscar.

Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 11:45 A Body Made of Glass by Caroline Crampton (m001zg4t)
Episode 2: All Disease Begins in the Gut

Caroline Crampton explores the history of hypochondria, drawing together cultural history and moving personal memoir.

When she was 17, Caroline Crampton developed a blood cancer which was diagnosed when a tumour appeared on her neck. After several rounds of gruelling treatment, including chemotherapy and weeks in an isolation ward, the doctors announced that her cancer was cured. But – understandably – Caroline herself was not so sure. Ever alert to new symptoms, feeling anxiously for new tumours on her neck, she worries continually that the cancer has returned.

‘The fear that there is something wrong with me, that I am sick, is always with me.’

This personal experience becomes the starting point for an exploration of the history of hypochondria or health anxiety, from the ancient Greeks to the modern wellness industry. It is, she says, ‘an ancient condition which makes itself anew for every age’.

In this episode, we learn about the earliest understandings of hypochondria from the time of Hippocrates, and how the word at first referred to a physical region of the body, the abdomen.

"A strong cultural association remains between the digestive system and our emotional state: we still talk of having a ‘gut feeling’. This sense of an instinctive understanding rooted in the abdomen, separate from more ‘rational’ knowledge in the brain, is a survivor from this era of medical theory. It’s also a key component of hypochondria. I can know logically that my every shiver is not the arrival of a fever, nor my every sneeze an indication that I have caught a deadly virus, but when the anxiety overrides this rational certainty, it can feel like a different part of me is in charge. It’s in the stomach region that I experience those ungovernable lurches of fear, as if that is still where the hypochondria rests within me, just as those Ancient Greek practitioners believed."

Caroline Crampton is a writer and critic whose work has appeared in The Guardian, Granta, the New Humanist, and the Spectator. Her previous book The Way to the Sea (2019) is a journey down the Thames from source to sea. She hosts the Shedunnit podcast about detective fiction.

The reader, Tuppence Middleton, is a British actress known for her stage and screen roles in Downton Abbey, The Imitation Game, His Dark Materials and The Motive and the Cue.

Find all the latest books at the bottom of the Sounds homepage. Just click on the Books collection.

Produced and abridged by Elizabeth Burke and Heather Dempsey
Executive Producer: Jo Rowntree
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
This is an EcoAudio certified production.


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m001zg4w)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m001zg4y)
Call You and Yours: Side Hustles and Second Incomes

In this week's phone-in we'd like to know, do you have a side hustle or second income?

Google searches for 'how to make money' have shot up in recent years as more people look for ways to boost their income. The internet is full of suggestions for the best side hustles but how do you spot the ones that are achievable and safe?

Have you done it? Have you turned a hobby into a small business or a craft skill into an income? Do you have a second job to make ends meet or as a way of moving into a new direction career wise? Do you earn extra cash through selling clothes online, renting out your drive or walking dogs?

Whether out of necessity, the need for a more flexible work-life or the desire to try something new, we'd like to hear from you.

Call us on 03700 100 444. Lines are open at 11 am on Tuesday 21st May.

You can also email us now at youandyours@bbc.co.uk. Don't forget to include a phone number so we can call you back.

PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: CATHERINE EARLAM


TUE 12:57 Weather (m001zg50)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m001zg52)
Victims of the infected blood scandal await detail on compensation

The government is to set out a multi-billion pound compensation for the victims of the infected blood scandal. Plus: we examine Labour's new plan for housing.


TUE 13:45 The History Podcast (m001zg54)
Shadow War: China and the West

Shadow War - 7. The Abduction

Could growing tensions lead to conflict? The rise of China is the defining challenge of our times – how far to co-operate, compete or confront? But has the West taken its eye off the ball? BBC Security Correspondent Gordon Corera looks at the points of friction in recent history, from espionage to free speech, the battle over technology and claims of political interference. This is a story about the competition to shape the world order. He speaks to politicians, spies, dissidents and those who’ve been caught up in the growing tension between China and the West.

Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producer: Olivia Lace-Evans
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore (Naked Productions)
Programme Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m001zdfg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m001zg56)
The Invitation

Comedy drama by Katherine Chandler, starring Siwan Morris and Kimberley Nixon.

When her eight-year-old daughter is the only one in the class who doesn't get a party invitation, Lizzie challenges the birthday girl's mum, Jo. As their two world views collide, all hell breaks loose. What are the rules here?

CAST

Jo - Siwan Morris
Lizzie - Kimberley Nixon
Huw - Tomos Eames
Ritchie Tyne- Nathan Sussex
Mrs Wilson - Zoe Davies
Margaret - Hannah McPake
The Postman - Anthony Corria
Micha - Joséphine López-Norton
Ellie - Raphaëlle López-Norton

Production Coordinator: Eleri McAuliffe
Sound Design: Catherine Robinson and Nigel Lewis
Producer: John Norton

A BBC Audio Wales Production


TUE 15:00 Short Cuts (m001zg58)
Devotions

Life and love. Josie Long presents short documentaries and audio adventures exploring the language of care.

Life or Death
By Marc Kalani
Featuring Cessie Alfonso and Carmeta Albarus author of The Making of Lee Boyd Malvo: The D.C. Sniper.

Buzz
By Luca Evans (they/them)
Featuring Joules Huang Duze (they/them) and Smokey Black (he/they)
Additional recording by Aisha Lomax (she/her).
Joules is a part-time organiser with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice and The LUNAR Collective, a volunteer with the Black Trans Liberation Kitchen, and a community educator for the Early Relationship Abuse Prevention Program.
Smokey is a barber at Mutiny in Brooklyn NY. @Smokey.Black
Please listen with headphones.

Patient as the Horizon
By Tej Adeleye
Sarah Long from London Equine Therapy and Astrologer, Psychic Medium and Animal Communicator, Jessica Lanyadoo

Curated by Axel Kacoutié and Eleanor McDowall
Produced by Axel Kacoutié
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 15:30 Thinking Allowed (m001zk1g)
Richard Sennett

Richard Sennett, leading cultural and social thinker and Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics, talks to Laurie Taylor. Growing up in a housing project in Chicago, he originally trained in music. An accident put paid to his cello playing and he turned to sociology. Over five decades he’s documented the social life of cities, work in modern society and the sociology of culture. His latest study explores the relations between performing in art (particularly music), politics and everyday experience. It draws personally on Sennett's early career as a professional cellist and explores the dangerous and ambiguous nature of performance, from the French theorist, Michel Foucault's hypnotic lectures to the demagoguery of contemporary politicians. He describes the tragic performances of unemployed dockworkers in New York City in the 1960s, as they competed for a dwindling number of jobs, and Aids patients in a Catholic hospital doing a reading of As You Like It and displaying defiance in the face of death and religious disapproval.

Producer: Jayne Egerton


TUE 16:00 Michael Sheen Gets Into Character (m001zg5b)
From System to Method

Michael Sheen explores the strange art of acting.

When the Moscow Art Theatre performed at Jolson’s 59th Street Theatre in New York in January and February of 1923 they were a huge success. It is said that they received a thirty-minute standing ovation on the first night. How did they manage to create such powerful performances? One of the answers to that question was found in the approach to acting of the company’s director Constantin Stanislavski. Over the previous three decades he had codified, adjusted and refined his own approach to actor training, which he called the System.

Stanislavski never spoke English and his System was taught by a sequence of associates. And, as happens, things get lost in translation.

The Moscow Art Theatre were an inspiration to the Group Theatre in New York, which aimed to emulate its artistic principles – and its approach to acting. Under its director, Lee Strasberg, the Group Theatre took Stanislavski’s System – particularly the elements relating to the use of an actor’s own emotion and psychology – and transformed it into what became known as the Method.

However, when another leading member of The Group, Stella Adler, went to study personally with Stanislavski, she discovered that he had moved on from that emphasis on psychology and emotion and considered it damaging – he now emphasised a deep immersion in the context of the script and the importance of finding character through the process of action within that context.

Stella Adler’s news about the truth of Stanislavski’s teaching was not well received by Lee Strasberg and it precipitated a split within the Group Theatre, within the personal relationship between Adler and Strasberg – and, it might be said, within our own understanding of what exactly Stanislavski’s System and Strasberg’s Method actually are.

Michael Sheen explores the transformation of Stanislavski’s ‘system’ into The Method, with the writer Isaac Butler, the actor Anne-Marie Duff and journalist Michael Goldfarb, an ex-student of Stella Adler.

Isaac Butler’s history of Stanislavski and the Method is called 'The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act'.


TUE 16:30 When It Hits the Fan (m001zg5d)
UK water crisis, the Rich List and PR wellbeing

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss South West Water’s handling of the Brixham water contamination and what this tells us about the fundamental problems in the UK water industry. Why were the people of South Devon told their water was safe when it was not? And when a crisis hits, who is the best person to speak on behalf of a company. Is it the 'chief customer officer'?

Also, in the week The Sunday Times Rich List is published, Simon and David share some secrets about how the blue chip PR world tries to get people on the list - and also get people off it!

And does the PR industry look after the mental health of its own people well enough? They take a look at a concerning report.

Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 17:00 PM (m001zg5g)
British man dies during turbulence on flight to Singapore

Evan Davis hears from a passenger on the Singapore Airlines flight where a 73-year-old British man died from a heart attack during severe turbulence.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001zg5j)
Seven people were also left in critical condition


TUE 18:30 Thanks a Lot, Milton Jones! (m001zg5l)
Series 6

6. Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Nostrils

Star of Mock The Week Milton Jones gathers the gang together for one last nose job.

Complete with his unmissable jokes and a fully-working cast.

“The best one-line merchant in British comedy...” - Chortle

"King of the surreal one-liners" - The Times

“Milton Jones is one of Britain’s best gagsmiths with a flair for creating daft yet perfect one-liners” – The Guardian

Written by Milton Jones, James Cary and Dan Evans

Starring Milton Jones, Tom Goodman-Hill, Josie Lawrence, Dan Tetsell & James Akka

With music by Guy Jackson

Produced and directed by David Tyler

A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m001zdr0)
Neil checks in on George because Emma mentioned he seemed a bit down and wasn’t keen on being the vice-captain of the cricket team. George admits Harrison’s made things awkward with Tracy and he was behaving weirdly at the cricket match on Sunday, particularly when he was rude to Pat. Neil tells George he’s really proud of him for his part in the crash rescue and offers to be there for his Borchester Echo interview. But George says it’s fine - he’s cancelled the interview as he wasn’t in the mood.

Lily waits with Kirsty for George to help inject one of Rex's boars with anti-inflammatories. Lily mentions that Mick hasn’t got hold of Rochelle yet for Joy’s surprise birthday party. Kirsty’s confused when Lily talks about Rochelle’s local address – Kirsty’s sure she lives up north. With George’s help, Kirsty successfully injects the boar. George offers to help any time but cringes when Kirsty tells him he’s already a hero around Ambridge and now he’s saving Rex and Kirsty.

Neil bumps into Harrison at St Stephens. Harrison promises to sort it when Neil explains that George doesn’t want to be vice-captain. Neil adds that he heard that Harrison was disrespectful to Pat on Sunday and checks if he’s alright. Harrison shares his feelings about Fallon’s miscarriage and Alice’s part in it. Neil thinks Alice's behaviour isn’t deliberate; she self-sabotages and with alcoholics a relapse is sadly all too common. Neil’s faith and forgiving Alice has bought him enormous relief. Harrison’s understanding but it’s all a bit much at the moment. Neil says he’s there if Harrison needs him.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m001zg5n)
Colm Tóibín, Miranda Rutter & Rob Harbron, Iain Sinclair on John Deakin

Colm Tóibín's not a fan of follow-ups so why has he written a sequel to his bestseller Brooklyn, which was made into a film starring Saoirse Ronan? He talks to Tom Sutcliffe about not overwriting sex - and how Domhnall Gleeson's screen performance as a "quiet Irishman" in Brooklyn inspired him.

Miranda Rutter and Rob Harbron's new folk album, Bird Tunes, is inspired by birdsong they hear in woods in the Cotswolds. They perform a track on fiddle and concertina and talk about how manipulating the sounds made by blackbirds, wrens and cuckoos helped to inspire musical phrases in different keys.

Photographer John Deakin is now often overlooked, but he chronicled the artistic underbelly of mid-century Soho with iconic pictures, including those used by Francis Bacon. Iain Sinclair, whose new book Pariah/Genius revives Deakin, retraces his footsteps around town.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Paula McGrath


TUE 20:00 File on 4 (m001zg5q)
Long Covid: Mind Over Matter?

There are some two million people with long Covid in the UK - and most of them - around one and a half million - have symptoms that interfere with day to day activities. Fatigue, breathlessness, heart palpitations and severe dizziness are just some of the conditions people experience.

Currently there’s no test for long covid and it could be years before we know for sure how best to treat the condition. This struggle to get help is leaving some very unwell people desperate - and willing to try anything to get better. There are treatments to wash your blood, high pressure oxygen chambers normally used by deep sea divers. A rainbow of supplements. All with varying degrees of evidence. And perhaps most strongly dividing opinion - programmes that claim to retrain long Covid patients' brains to stop their symptoms. They say they can help people recover from illness by rewiring the brain using techniques to influence physical changes in the body. Rachel Schraer - the BBC's health and disinformation correspondent - hears from people with long Covid who say the programmes didn't work and in some cases made them feel worse. Others say they fully recovered.

Reporter: Rachel Schraer
Producer: Paul Grant
Technical producers: Cameron Ward and Nicky Edwards
Production co-ordinator: Tim Fernley
Editor: Carl Johnston


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m001zg5s)
The UK's First Blind Overseas Ambassador; Travelling Tips & Tricks

Victoria Harrison is the UK's first totally blind ambassador to be posted overseas. In August she will take up the role as Ambassador to the Republic of Slovenia, and will be accompanied by her guide dog Otto. Victoria tells Peter about how she got into the diplomatic service, coming up against peoples perceptions of visual impairment and her capabilities to be a diplomat, and about the positive interactions that can stem from being blind when negotiating with others who may have very different political views.

Visually impaired globe-trotters Dawn Hopper, Hayley Kennedy and Amar Latif share their tips and tricks for efficient travel when you are visually impaired and about some of the sometimes surprising cultural differences they have experienced.
Hayley Kennedy is considered to be the only disabled person, let alone visually impaired person, to have travelled to every country recognised under the United Nations. Amar Latif founded the assisted holiday company for visually impaired people 'Traveleyes', and Dawn Hopper has family in both Switzerland and Spain, and travels regularly with her new guide dog Micky.

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


TUE 21:00 Crossing Continents (m001zg5v)
The Caspian Crisis

The Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the world. Bordered by Kazakhstan, Russia, Iran, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan it spans 371,000 square kilometres and bridges Europe and Central Asia. It’s fed mainly by Russia’s Volga and Ural rivers and the sea is not only rich in oil and gas but is also home to numerous rare and endemic species, including the Caspian seal and 90% of the world’s remaining wild sturgeon. But the Caspian Sea is in crisis. Climate change and the damming of Russia’s rivers are causing the coastline to recede at an alarming rate. The sea’s levels have fallen by a metre in the last 4 years, a trend likely to increase. Recent studies have shown that the levels could drop between 9 and 18 metres by 2100. Last June Kazakh government officials declared a state of emergency over the Caspian. Iran has also raised the alarm with the UN. Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent travels to Kazakhstan for Crossing Continents to report from the shores of the Caspian Sea on what can be done to prevent an environmental disaster.

Presented by Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent
Produced by Caroline Bayley
Editor, Penny Murphy
Sound Engineer, Rod Farquhar
Production coordinator, Gemma Ashman
Dombyra played by Yelnar Amanzhol


TUE 21:30 The Bottom Line (m001zg5x)
The Decisions That Made Me A Leader

The Decisions That Made Me A Leader: Lastminute.com's Martha Lane Fox

Martha Lane Fox was first catapulted into the public eye during the dot.com boom as co-founder of lastminute.com the online agency she set up with Brent Hoberman in the late 1990s.

It was valued at three quarters of a billion pounds when it floated on the London stock exchange in 2000.

She then experienced a life change road accident while on holiday in Morocco when she was thrown from the passenger seat of an open-top car. She says she very nearly died. ‘They rank you in trauma I was a 37, 39 is dead’

Her career has ranged from launching karaoke chain Lucky Voice to serving as the government’s digital champion and being on the board of twitter, during one its most complex times. She is currently the President of the British Chamber of Commerce

Evan asks about the key personal and business-related decisions that got her to where she is today.

The Decisions That Made Me A Leader is a mini-series from The Bottom Line. It features one-on-one interviews with entrepreneurs and business leaders, including Duncan Bannatyne, Martha Lane Fox, and the boss of Depop, Simon Beckerman. All of these episodes are available on BBC Sounds and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer. To find the series, just search: The Decisions That Made Me A Leader. You can also watch the series on BBC iPlayer. To find the series, just search: The Decisions That Made Me A Leader.

Host: Evan Davis
Producers: Paige Neal-Holder and Farhana Haider
Assistant Editor: Matt Willis
Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham
Commissioning Editor: Hugh Levinson

A BBC News Long Form Audio production.


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m001zg5z)
British man died during severe turbulence on flight named

73-year-old Geoff Kitchen died of a suspected heart attack during the flight from London to Singapore. Is flight turbulence getting worse? We’ll hear a former airline pilot.

Also in the programme:

Tory MP Craig Mackinlay breaks his silence after losing his hands and feet to sepsis; and how the greater spotted eagle's travel and breeding habits are being affected by the war in Ukraine?


TUE 22:45 Making Amends (m000z5p2)
Kieran

Five wry stories on the nature of and need for apology, by Nick Walker, the writer of Annika Stranded.

Making Amends is a therapeutic process that encourages people to recognise behaviour in their past which, because of addiction problems, goes against their values and standards. But the need to make amends and apologise for lapses of behaviour is not just confined to the addicted.

2/5. Kieran
In prison, Kieran had time to reflect on his past mistakes. Newly released, he aims to make amends to Gina.

Nick Walker is the writer of Annika Stranded, which ran for six seasons on BBC Radio 4 between 2013 and 2020. Annika - a TV version - will be broadcast in 2021. He has also written two critically-acclaimed novels , Blackbox and Helloland. His plays and other short stories for radio include The First King of Mars, Life Coach and Stormchasers.

Writer: Nick Walker
Reader: Stuart McQuarrie
Sound Design: Jon Calver
Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 23:00 Uncanny (m001zg61)
Series 4

S4. Case 4: The Hairy Man

Tribal elder Fred and his cousin and uncle are travelling through the Alaskan wilderness when they are surrounded in their cabin by terrifying creatures resembling the “Hairy Man” legend they were always warned about as kids.

As Fred recounts the terrifying story of what happens next, Danny Robins wonders if this story could hold the answer to one of America’s most enduring mysteries – the legend of Bigfoot.

Written and presented by Danny Robins
Experts: Deborah Hyde and Lyle Blackburn
Editing and sound design: Charlie Brandon-King
Music: Evelyn Sykes
Theme music by Lanterns on the Lake
Script editor: Dale Shaw
Development producer: Sarah Patten
Production manager: Tam Reynolds
Commissioning executive: Paula McDonnell
Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts
Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard

A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001zg63)
Susan Hulme reports as details of the infected blood compensation scheme are announced. Also, MPs investigate patient safety and peers demand action over water pollution.

WEDNESDAY 22 MAY 2024

WED 00:00 Midnight News (m001zg65)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 00:30 A Body Made of Glass by Caroline Crampton (m001zg4t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001zg67)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001zg69)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001zg6c)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 05:30 News Briefing (m001zg6f)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001zg6h)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with George Craig, a Methodist local preacher in Cardiff


WED 05:45 Farming Today (m001zg6k)
22/05/24 - Farm labour, flower growers and live export ban

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show a record number of people are not employed due to long term sickness. The Government's launching a new task force with the aim of getting people who are off work and on benefits, back on the payroll. The Prime Minister has suggested they could they be persuaded to get out into the fields to pick fruit and veg.

The wet weather is impacting farmers across the country - and flower growers are being hit too. For many of those exhibiting this week at the Chelsea Flower Show, the heavy rain has meant losses of precious stock. Some haven't been able to exhibit this year at all.

And animal welfare organisations have welcomed a ban on exports of some live animals from Great Britain for slaughter and fattening, which has come into law this week. Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses are covered by the ban - but animals can still be exported live, for breeding and competitions.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons


WED 06:00 Today (m001zdqf)
Inflation falls to lowest level in nearly three years

Interviews with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Labour’s Darren Jones as inflation drops to 2.3%. Plus two former postmasters look ahead to ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells' appearance at the inquiry.


WED 09:00 More or Less (m001zk2d)
MP misconduct, NHS waiting lists and gold (gold)

Is it going to take 685 years to clear NHS waiting lists in England?

Are 10 per cent of MPs under investigation for sexual misconduct?

How does gold effect the UKs export figures?

What does it mean to say that a woman has 120% chance of getting pregnant?

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producers: Nathan Gower and Bethan Ashmead Latham
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound mix: Neil Churchill
Production coordinator: Brenda Brown
Editor: Richard Vadon

Produced in Partnership with The Open University.


WED 09:30 Intrigue (m001z75l)
To Catch a Scorpion

To Catch a Scorpion – 2. Trading in People

Sue and Rob hear transcripts of police surveillance tapes, broadcast for the first time as officers eavesdrop on calls between members of the Scorpion people smuggling gang.

Barzan Majeed - codenamed Scorpion - leads the Scorpion gang. He's on international most-wanted lists. He started his criminal career in Britain and went on to build a smuggling empire which now spans the globe.

An international police surveillance operation trapped more than 20 of his gang and almost netted Scorpion himself, but he was tipped off and escaped. BBC journalist, Sue Mitchell, and former soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, team up to try to do what the police have been unable to achieve: to find Scorpion, to speak to him, to ask him to account for his crimes and to seek justice to those families he has harmed.

Their investigation takes them to the heart of an organised criminal gang making millions from transporting thousands of migrants on boat and lorry crossings that in some cases have gone dangerously wrong, causing serious injury and putting lives at risk. They witness his operation in action and record as intense situations unfold, where vulnerable people desperate for a better future, put their lives in the hands of ruthless and dangerous criminals.

To Catch a Scorpion is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 and is presented and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie.
The series is produced by Sue Mitchell, Winifred Robinson and Joel Moors
The Editor is Philip Sellars
Commissioning Editor is Daniel Clarke
Commissioning Exec Tracy Williams
Assistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital, Will Drysdale
Original music is by Mom Tudie
and Sound Design is by Tom Brignell


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001zdqh)
Endurance runner Imo Boddy, love bombing, fake food artist

The endurance runner Imo Boddy has smashed the 45-year-old world record and become the fastest known woman to complete the UK Three Peaks. She joins Nuala McGovern live on the programme.

Do you know what love bombing is? One of our Woman’s Hour listeners Lynn got in touch to say it’s something we should be discussing. She joins Nuala alongside relationship therapist Simone Bose to explain more about what love bombing is, and how we can all look out for the warning signs.

Nuala is joined by the artist Kerry Samantha Boyes whose work you may have seen in the Barbie Movie, or the Lord of the Rings. Kerry makes fake food for a living and her studio, The Fake Food Workshop, will be one of 104 studios open to the public for the Spring Fling art event, which takes place across Dumfries and Galloway this weekend.

Some of Britain’s most vulnerable children are being detained and having their freedoms restricted under court orders known as “deprivation of liberty”. The most senior family court judge for England and Wales has called the growing use of the order a “crisis”. The BBC’s Ashley John-Baptiste has heard from young people who have spent parts of their childhood under these orders. Plus, social worker Beverly Bennett-Jones joins Nuala.

The Japanese Royal Family is one of the oldest in the world, the same dynasty has ruled for more than 2,500 years. But the current law means that only a male heir can inherit the Chrysanthemum throne and become the Emperor. This has caused a succession crisis in recent years as the Royal Family kept having girls. The BBC’s Tokyo Correspondent Shaimaa Khalil joins Nuala.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Emma Pearce


WED 11:00 File on 4 (m001zdqk)
Detained and Restrained: Britain's Vulnerable Kids

The most senior family court judge in England has described the growing use of Deprivation of Liberty orders for vulnerable children as a 'crisis.' File on 4 hears from young people who were held under the order supposedly for their own safety. But they say they were under constant supervision, denied access to their phones and the internet and kept away from their families. Some say they were subjected to physical restraints and even supervised when they were having a shower. And one teenager who was on a Deprivation of Liberty order tells the programme he preferred being in prison.

Reporter: Ashley John-Baptiste
Producer: Phil Marzouk
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Production coordinator: Ellie Dover
Editor: Carl Johnston


WED 11:45 A Body Made of Glass by Caroline Crampton (m001zdqm)
Episode 3: The Rise and Rise of the Quack

Caroline Crampton explores the history of hypochondria, drawing together cultural history and moving personal memoir.

When she was 17, Caroline Crampton developed a blood cancer which was diagnosed when a tumour appeared on her neck. After several rounds of gruelling treatment, including chemotherapy and weeks in an isolation ward, the doctors announced that her cancer was cured. But – understandably – Caroline herself was not so sure. Ever alert to new symptoms, feeling anxiously for new tumours on her neck, she worries continually that the cancer has returned.

‘The fear that there is something wrong with me, that I am sick, is always with me.’

This personal experience becomes the starting point for an exploration of the history of hypochondria or health anxiety, from the ancient Greeks to the modern wellness industry. It is, she says, ‘an ancient condition which makes itself anew for every age’.

In this episode, Caroline charts the rise and rise of the ‘quack’, as fraudulent healers offered seductive alternative treatments to hypochondriacs through the ages – at a price. She tells the stories of some ingenious 18th century businessmen whose remedies promised to heal all ills:

"Joshua Ward, a pickle seller from the banks of the Thames, made a name for himself in France by selling a pair of remedies that he claimed could cure all human ailments. On his return to England, he successfully masqueraded as the Member of Parliament for Marlborough for several months, before being discovered and struck from the records of the House of Commons. He fell back on his medical wheeze, and quickly turned ‘Ward’s Pill and Drop’ into a city-wide sensation, even though its main effect on a sick person was to make them much sicker."

Caroline Crampton is a writer and critic whose work has appeared in The Guardian, Granta, the New Humanist, and the Spectator. Her previous book The Way to the Sea (2019) is a journey down the Thames from source to sea. She hosts the Shedunnit podcast about detective fiction.

The reader, Tuppence Middleton, is a British actress known for her stage and screen roles in Downton Abbey, The Imitation Game, His Dark Materials and The Motive and the Cue.

Find all the latest books at the bottom of the Sounds homepage. Just click on the Books collection.

Produced and abridged by Elizabeth Burke and Heather Dempsey
Executive Producer: Jo Rowntree
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
This is an EcoAudio certified production.


WED 12:00 News Summary (m001zdqp)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 You and Yours (m001zdqr)
Inflation Impact, Bus Franchising and Latest UK Fraud Figures

Inflation has returned to close to the Bank of England target and is now the lowest for nearly three years, but how has it impacted on consumers and businesses?

More metropolitan mayors say they'll follow Greater Manchester and bring buses back under public control. Bus operators say they stand ready to support their efforts but warn it will take more than a change in ownership to fix Britian's declining bus use problem.

The entrepreneurs who have built thriving businesses by selling other people’s clothes online for them.

The Chelsea Flower Show , has been dominated by stories of the havoc caused by record rain fall in recent months, how will this play out for the rest of us when we come to buy our plants and bulbs this year?

Latest fraud figures published by the financial industry show a slight dip in overall losses. According to UK Finance new consumer security measures, like bio-metrics and two step authentication, managed to stop criminals getting their hands on 64 pence of every pound they attempted to steal.


WED 12:57 Weather (m001zdqt)
The latest weather forecast


WED 13:00 World at One (m001zdqw)
Ex-Post Office boss apologises for sub-postmasters' suffering

Paula Vennells speaks publicly about her role in the Horizon scandal. Also the devastating effects of sepsis following Craig Mackinlay's return to Parliament.


WED 13:45 The History Podcast (m001zdqy)
Shadow War: China and the West

Shadow War - 8. Pulling the Strings

Could growing tensions lead to conflict? The rise of China is the defining challenge of our times – how far to co-operate, compete or confront? But has the West taken its eye off the ball? BBC Security Correspondent Gordon Corera looks at the points of friction in recent history, from espionage to free speech, the battle over technology and claims of political interference. This is a story about the competition to shape the world order. He speaks to politicians, spies, dissidents and those who’ve been caught up in the growing tension between China and the West.

Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producer: Olivia Lace-Evans
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore (Naked Productions)
Programme Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


WED 14:00 The Archers (m001zdr0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 The Interrogation (m0006tzh)
Series 7

Nadine

Today Detectives D.I. Matthews and D.S. Armitage have to interview Nadine, who Sean has known since childhood and what's more, she's a police officer, so it's uncomfortable for everyone.

Max ..... Kenneth Cranham
Sean ..... Alex Lanipekun
Nadine ..... Bianca Stephens

Writer ..... Roy Williams
Music ..... David Pickvance
Director ..... Mary Peate
Producer ..... Jessica Dromgoole


WED 15:00 The Law Show (m001zdr2)
Protest, Lasting power of attorney and the Green belt

Weekly conversation led by Dr Joelle Grogan that gives you an in-depth understanding of the law stories making the news and the legal decisions that could have a bearing on everyone in the UK. Whether it’s unpicking a landmark legal ruling, explaining how laws are made or seeking clarity for you on a legal issue, The Law Show will be your guide.

This week:

Protest law has been tightened up a lot in the last year, giving the police more leeway to stop disruption. But parts of the new powers have now been deemed unlawful by the High Court. So what is and isn't legal when it comes to protest? And how should the police handle protesters? Joelle explores all this with barrister Dr Sam Fowles and with Andy Walker from the College of Policing.

Is it legal to build on greenbelt land? Campaigners in Greater Manchester are taking legal action after Bury council announced plans to build 1500 homes on greenbelt.

And: why you may need a "Lasting Power of Attorney", even if you're married. If your spouse were to be incapacitated, being next of kin is not enough to make financial or health decisions about them. Social media's "legal queen", solicitor Tracey Maloney, talks us through how and when to get an LPA.

Producers: Ravi Naik and Arlene Gregorius
Editor: Tara McDermott
Production coordinator: Maria Ogundele


WED 15:30 Behind the Crime (m001thx9)
Marc

This is the story of a man who learnt early on in life that he couldn’t trust the police, and that his group of older friends could protect him from harm. It happened that those friends were into committing crime.
Between the ages of 15 and 21, Marc only spent one Christmas out of prison. He graduated from stealing hubcaps to committing armed robberies.
During his last sentence, he ended up in HMP Grendon – a prison run on the principles of a ‘therapeutic community’ – where, for the first time, Marc was forced to confront his own actions and account for them not to the authorities, but to his peers.
HMP Grendon was ‘the hardest prison’ Marc had ever done. He cried for the first time inside Grendon.
And then, in an extraordinary twist, Marc was forced to use some of the ‘skills’ he had learned during his criminal career to save the lives of others – and he was labelled a hero.
Is it possible to prevent crime by understanding the root causes of offending behaviour?

Sally Tilt and Dr Kerensa Hocken are forensic psychologists who work in prisons.

They help people in prison to look at the harm they’ve caused to other people, understand why it happened and work out how to make changes to prevent further harm after they’ve been released.

In Behind the Crime, they take the time to understand the life of someone whose crimes have led to harm and, in some cases, imprisonment.

The job of the forensic psychologists is to dig deep into Marc’s story, to understand the sequence of events that got Marc to the point where he committed a crime.
For details of organisations that can provide help and support, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline

Producer: Andrew Wilkie
Editor: Clare Fordham
Behind the Crime is a co-production between BBC Long Form Audio and the Prison Radio Association.


WED 16:00 The Media Show (m001zdr5)
Newsnight: end of an era

At the end of this week Newsnight as we know it comes to an end. From Tuesday, its format will change – and it’ll be shorter too. To discuss the end of an era, Katie and Ros speak to an all-star Newsnight line up: Kirsty Wark, Peter Snow, Michael Crick. They're also joined by Professor Suzanne Franks, who researches changing broadcast news consumption.

On Saturday, Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury to become boxing's undisputed heavyweight champion. The high-profile match was held in the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which has been accused of ‘sportswashing’. Alex Pattle from The Independent reveals what it was like reporting from the event, and Prof Simon Chadwick analyses the Saudi sports investment strategy.

The actor Scarlett Johansson has accused OpenAI of deliberately copying her voice for its latest chatbot ‘Sky’. OpenAI said that it would remove the voice, but insisted that it was not meant to be an "imitation" of the star. Lawyer Susan Aslan assesses if the actor has a case, and tech journalist Takara Small updates us on the latest AI releases.

Guests: Kirsty Wark, broadcaster; Peter Snow, broadcaster; Michael Crick, broadcaster; Alex Pattle, Combat Sports correspondent, The Independent; Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy, Skema Business school; Takara Small, technology journalist; Susan Aslan, Partner, ACK Media Law.

Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Simon Richardson


WED 16:55 PM (m001zdr7)
The general election is called. A PM special brings the latest from Downing Street with political and public reaction.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001zdr9)
It will be held in six week time on 4th July


WED 18:30 Tudur Owen: United Nations of Anglesey (m0013zpd)
Episode 2

In 1978 a Japanese film crew came to 11-year-old Tudur Owen’s farm on Anglesey to make a programme about his life for a TV show called Children of the World. Then a Patagonian gaucho turned up. As did a man claiming to be a geology student called Hector. But were they all what they seemed?

Written and narrated by Tudur Owen with additional voices from Lisa-Jên Brown, Richard Harrington, Gwenno Hodgkins and Yuriko Kotani.

Script editor: Gareth Gwynn
Production co-ordinator: Katie Baum
Sound design: David Thomas
Producer: Richard Morris

A BBC Studios Production


WED 19:00 The Archers (m001zdrc)
Lily finalises the catering with Fallon for tonight’s barn dance, advising extra delivery time because of the Heydon Bridge diversion. Joy tells Fallon she’d been looking forward to the barn dance, but because of her sling she can’t go. Later at Joy’s they both agree they’re lucky to have made it through the crash. Fallon opens up about Harrison; she feels like she’s treading on eggshells. He’s obsessed about her miscarriage, but they can’t talk about it because they’re on such different pages. Ben turns up, offering to drive Joy to the barn dance, mentioning a special job Lily’s found for her. Later at the barn dance everyone’s delighted when Joy calls out the dance instructions.

When Inspector Norris checks how Harrison’s doing, he asks if Alice’s blood tests are back, but Norris can’t talk about it. Seeing that Harrison isn’t himself, Norris invites him into her office for a chat. Harrison asks how sentencing would be affected by the crash being the cause of Fallon’s miscarriage. Norris sympathetically explains that it doesn’t count in law. Harrison becomes distraught and Norris sends him home. When Fallon gets back from the barn dance, Harrison tells her the reasons for being told to leave work. He’s going to write an impact statement for consideration in sentencing Alice. Harrison’s surprised when Fallon says that if it’s going to make things worse for Alice, then she won’t be doing one. Distraught Harrison can’t believe there’ll be no consequences for losing their baby. Fallon thinks he should do what he thinks is right, but so will she.


WED 19:15 Front Row (m001zdrf)
Vicky McClure, LS Lowry and the sea, International Booker Prize 2024

Line of Duty star Vicky McClure on her new TV thriller Insomnia, in which she plays a lawyer losing her grip on the daily juggle of family life and work as old traumas start to make their presence felt.

The German writer Jenny Erpenbeck and translator Michael Hofman on winning the International Booker Prize with the novel Kairos which marries a love story with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

As a new exhibition - Lowry and the Sea – opens this weekend at the Maltings’ Granary Gallery in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, art historian and Lowry specialist Jonathan Horwich, and contemporary seascape painter Jo Bemis discuss this little-known side of L. S. Lowry's work and the challenge of capturing the everchanging sea on canvas.

Presenter: Nick Ahad
Producer: Ekene Akalawu


WED 20:00 AntiSocial (m001z6s9)
Pro-Palestinian student camps

The debate about protestors calling for their universities to cut ties with Israel.

Encampments of students protesting about Israel’s military action in Gaza have been popping up on campuses across the UK. They’re calling for their institutions to divest from - sell their stakes in - companies linked to the conflict or Israel, but others say they’re demonising the country and stoking antisemitism. How did the movement start and how have universities been responding? What’s the history of political activism around university investments? And what does the law say about pitching tents on university land?

Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Maybin, Simon Tulett, Ellie House, Jameel Shariff


WED 20:45 Uncharted with Hannah Fry (m001r1p4)
8. In the Habit

What is the secret to ageing well?

Humankind has been in search of an answer for millions of years. But one man believes he may have found the beginnings of an answer, and it’s hiding in a convent.

Hannah Fry tells a tale of a single scatter graph which might reveal the key to longevity.

Episode Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter
Sound Design: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke

A series for Radio 4 by BBC Science in Cardiff.


WED 21:00 Being Roman with Mary Beard (m001zdrj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Tuesday]


WED 21:30 All in the Mind (m001zdrl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Tuesday]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m001zdrn)
Prime Minister surprises Westminster by calling summer election

In a wet and noisy Downing Street, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the rumours that had been swirling since early morning and called a general election for 4th July. Despite being far behind in the polls, Sunak said the Conservatives are the only party with a plan to maintain economic stability. Welcoming the election announcement, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was time to "stop the chaos" and vote for change. We speak to people around the country: MPs, the shadow cabinet, grassroots party activists and voters.

Also, as former Chief Executive of the Post Office Paula Vennells gave an at times tearful testimony to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, we hear from one of those she apologised to, Lord Arbuthnot, who as an MP campaigned on behalf of subpostmasters.


WED 23:00 Gary Little: At Large (m001zdrq)
4. Out of the Frying Pan, and into the Pyre

This final episode of the series sees Glaswegian comedian Gary Little staying on the straight and narrow, but finding new deals to obsess over, and starkly facing mortality.

He’s turned 60 and is suddenly more aware of how much time he has left - and what his legacy will be. Agonising over an extravagant new purchase, he fears it might become an overlooked heirloom, his health woes become the stuff of local gossip, and the deaths of people close to him seem to come in the most ludicrous of circumstances.

More true criminal than true crime, this stand-up comedy series gives a different perspective of life before, behind and beyond bars.

Written and performed by Gary Little
Produced by Julia Sutherland
A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:15 Tom Mayhew Is Benefit Scum (m0019k7l)
Series 2

Everybody’s Changing

Comedian Tom Mayhew is joined by his mate Sian Davies to talk about cheap dates, love and relationships as Tom’s stand up explores sexuality and feelings among the working class.

Tom Mayhew Is Benefit Scum is an autobiographical stand-up series where the comedian shares stories about his life growing up working class and his time on benefits. The show takes a wry, sideways look at the prejudices that people have towards benefits claimants and turns those assumptions on their head.

Written and Performed by Tom Mayhew
Featuring Chris Cantrill and Sian Davies
Additional Material – Olivia Phipps
Production Coordinator – Katie Baum
Producer – Benjamin Sutton
A BBC Studios Production.


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001zdrs)
Alicia McCarthy reports from Westminster as Rishi Sunak calls a general election, leaving MPs hurrying to pass this parliament's final legislation.

THURSDAY 23 MAY 2024

THU 00:00 Midnight News (m001zdrv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 00:30 A Body Made of Glass by Caroline Crampton (m001zdqm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001zdrx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001zdrz)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001zds1)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 05:30 News Briefing (m001zds3)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001zds5)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with George Craig, a Methodist local preacher in Cardiff


THU 05:45 Farming Today (m001zds7)
23/05/24 General election and rural vote; Daffodils; New planning rules and land values.

The date's been set for a general election. Some would argue all the main political parties have been wooing the farming and rural vote for months now, Rishi Sunak was the first PM in 16 years to appear at the NFU conference this spring, Labour’s promising a rural crime strategy and the Lib Dems say they’d put an extra billion pounds into farming budgets. According to the Rural Service Network 40% of constituencies are rural, and that rural vote will be a key battleground, especially in the light of the recent local elections where the Conservative party had its worst results in years.

The wet weather we’ve experienced this year has been a real challenge for farmers and that's affected flower growers too. As part of our week-long look at the flower-growing industry in the UK, we’ve been finding out how the weather’s affected this year’s daffodil harvest with a visit to a grower in Cornwall.

Changes to planning law came into effect this week making it easier for farmers to convert unused farm buildings into new homes and new businesses like farm shops. It means buildings can be altered to create up to 10 homes, without planning permission. Some are worried that this is going to push up the value of land with farm buildings, and price smaller farmers and new entrants out of the market.

Presenter = Caz Graham
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


THU 06:00 Today (m001zdvy)
General election campaign gets underway

Nick Robinson and Emma Barnett speak to all the main parties as Rishi Sunak calls July election.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (m001zdw0)
Empress Dowager Cixi

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the woman who, for almost fifty years, was the most powerful figure in the Chinese court. Cixi (1835-1908) started out at court as one of the Emperor's many concubines, yet was the only one who gave him a son to succeed him and who also possessed great political skill and ambition. When their son became emperor he was still a young child and Cixi ruled first through him and then, following his death, through another child emperor. This was a time of rapid change in China, when western powers and Japan humiliated the forces of the Qing empire time after time, and Cixi had the chance to push forward the modernising reforms the country needed to thrive. However, when she found those reforms conflicted with her own interests or those of the Qing dynasty, she was arguably obstructive or too slow to act and she has been personally blamed for some of those many humiliations even when the fault lay elsewhere.

With

Yangwen Zheng
Professor of Chinese History at the University of Manchester

Rana Mitter
The S.T. Lee Professor of US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School

And

Ronald Po
Associate Professor in the Department of International History at London School of Economics and Visiting Professor at Leiden University

Producer: Simon Tillotson
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production

Reading list:

Pearl S. Buck, Imperial Woman: The Story of the Last Empress of China (first published 1956; Open Road Media, 2013)

Katharine A. Carl, With the Empress Dowager (first published 1906; General Books LLC, 2009)

Jung Chang, Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China (Jonathan Cape, 2013)

Princess Der Ling, Old Buddha (first published 1929; Kessinger Publishing, 2007)

Joseph W. Esherick, The Origins of the Boxer Uprising (University of California Press, 1987)

John K. Fairbank and Merle Goldman, China: A New History (Harvard University Press, 2006)

Peter Gue Zarrow and Rebecca Karl (eds.), Rethinking the 1898 Reform Period: Political and Cultural Change in Late Qing China (Harvard University Press, 2002)

Grant Hayter-Menzies, Imperial Masquerade: The Legend of Princess Der Ling (Hong Kong University Press, 2008)

Keith Laidler, The Last Empress: The She-Dragon of China (Wiley, 2003)

Keith McMahon, Celestial Women: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Song to Qing (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020)

Anchee Min, The Last Empress (Bloomsbury, 2011)

Ying-Chen Peng, Artful Subversion: Empress Dowager Cixi’s Image Making (Yale University Press, 2023).

Sarah Pike Conger, Letters from China: with Particular Reference to the Empress Dowager and the Women of China (first published 1910; Forgotten Books, 2024)

Stephen Platt, Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age (Atlantic Books, 2019)

Liang Qichao (trans. Peter Zarrow), Thoughts From the Ice-Drinker's Studio: Essays on China and the World (Penguin Classics, 2023)

Sterling Seagrave, Dragon Lady: The Life and Legend of the Last Empress of China (Vintage, 1993)

Jonathan D. Spence, The Search for Modern China (first published 1991; W. W. Norton & Company, 2001)

X. L. Woo, Empress Dowager Cixi: China's Last Dynasty and the Long Reign of a Formidable Concubine (Algora Publishing, 2003)

Zheng Yangwen, Ten Lessons in Modern Chinese History (Manchester University Press, 2018)


THU 09:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001zdvw)
Yoga

Although yoga is thought to have been practised for over 5,000 years, its myriad benefits for our health and wellbeing are still being uncovered. Professor Rima Dada from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi reveals the extraordinary findings into the benefits of yoga - how half an hour a day can slow down ageing at a cellular level by protecting your mitochondria and your DNA. It can also improve your brain health and even reduce symptoms of depression. Just a few sessions are enough for our volunteer James to catch the yoga bug!

Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Editor: Zoë Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001zdw2)
Show-women, Women and the general election, Smartphone-free kids

There will be a general election on 4 July. Campaigning will start at the end of next week, but already some of the key players are speaking out. What are women's top concerns in this election? What do women want addressed? Anita Rani speaks to Professor Rosie Campbell, professor of politics and director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College London, who has been looking at women's voting behaviour for many years.

Head teachers who are a part of St Albans Primary Schools Consortium have urged parents not to give their children a smartphone until they are aged 14. Anita speaks to Rachel Harper, principal of a primary school in County Wicklow in Ireland about what advice she would offer one year after she and seven other headteachers in her town asked parents not to allow their children phones until they were older.

Olivier award-winning theatre maker Marisa Carnesky is taking over an entire street at this years Brighton Festival with her show, Carnesky's Showwomxn Sideshow Spectacular, honouring the forgotten women of the circus. Marisa shares with Anita the lost history of ground-breaking women magicians, aerial artists and sword climbers and how their stories are being explored through a new generation of performers.

A Chinese blogger who was jailed for four years for her reporting on the first Covid outbreak in Wuhan, has been released from prison. The media watchdog Reporters Without Borders shared a video showing the blogger, Zhang Zhan, saying she had been released on schedule and thanking everyone for their concern. The former lawyer was jailed after she travelled to Wuhan to document the outbreak in a series of widely-shared online videos. She was due to be freed last week but friends and supporters were concerned when they were unable to contact her. Anita speaks to the Guardian's senior China correspondent Amy Hawkins, who is following the story.

Gemmologist Helen Molesworth is the Senior Jewellery Curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and Professor of Jewellery at the Geneva University of Art and Design. In her new book, Precious: The History and Mystery of Gems, she explores the geology, symbolism and history of gemstones through some of their famous owners and those that have courted controversy. Helen explores their enduring fascination with Anita.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt
Studio manager: Bob Nettles


THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m001zdw4)
Lily Allen

Renowned for the autobiographical candour of her lyrics, Lily Allen has sung about the pitfalls of fame, drugs, broken relationships and motherhood. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for her debut album Alright Still and after the release of It’s Not Me, It’s You in 2010 won a Brit Award and three Ivor Novello Awards, including Songwriter of the Year. In 2021 she embarked on a stage acting career starring in 2.22 A Ghost Story, for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award. More recently, with her childhood friend Miquita Oliver, she launched her BBC podcast series Miss Me.

Talking to John Wilson, Lily recalls a sometimes sad and troubled childhood. Her father, the actor and comedian Keith Allen, had left the family home when she was four, and her film producer mother Alison Owen was often away working. She chooses as her first formative experiences a school concert in which she performed the song Baby Mine from the Disney movie Dumbo and captivated the audience. She recalls how the first started writing and recording her own songs, and built up a fanbase with the on-line platform MySpace. She chooses, as key musical influences the 1979 song Up The Junction by Squeeze, and the 2004 album A Grand Don’t Come For Free by Mike Skinner, otherwise known as The Streets. Lily Allen also reflects on the pressures of juggling life in the spotlight with motherhood, and how theatre acting has offered her a new creative challenge.

Producer: Edwina Pitman


THU 11:45 A Body Made of Glass by Caroline Crampton (m001zdw6)
Episode 4: All in my Head

Caroline Crampton explores the history of hypochondria, drawing together cultural history and moving personal memoir.

When she was 17, Caroline Crampton developed a blood cancer which was diagnosed when a tumour appeared on her neck. After several rounds of gruelling treatment, including chemotherapy and weeks in an isolation ward, the doctors announced that her cancer was cured. But – understandably – Caroline herself was not so sure. Ever alert to new symptoms, feeling anxiously for new tumours on her neck, she worries continually that the cancer has returned.

‘The fear that there is something wrong with me, that I am sick, is always with me.’

This personal experience becomes the starting point for an exploration of the history of hypochondria or health anxiety, from the ancient Greeks to the modern wellness industry. It is, she says, ‘an ancient condition which makes itself anew for every age’.

In this episode, Caroline explores the psychology of hypochondria through the lives and writings of Kant, Freud and the poet Philip Larkin – who was one of literature’s most famous hypochondriacs. She concludes:

"It seems to me that, at its simplest, hypochondria is a fear of death. In this sense, hypochondria is merely the human condition with the comforting fictions stripped away."

Caroline Crampton is a writer and critic whose work has appeared in The Guardian, Granta, the New Humanist, and the Spectator. Her previous book The Way to the Sea (2019) is a journey down the Thames from source to sea. She hosts the Shedunnit podcast about detective fiction.

The reader, Tuppence Middleton, is a British actress known for her stage and screen roles in Downton Abbey, The Imitation Game, His Dark Materials and The Motive and the Cue.

Find all the latest books at the bottom of the Sounds homepage. Just click on the Books collection.

Produced and abridged by Elizabeth Burke and Heather Dempsey
Executive Producer: Jo Rowntree
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
This is an EcoAudio certified production.


THU 12:00 News Summary (m001zdw8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 You and Yours (m001zdwb)
Gap Finders: Chris Sheldrick from What 3 Words

In a sign of our times, we’re getting fewer letters each week but increasingly rely on the postcodes designed to sort them to transport ourselves.

For many of us this isn’t a huge problem. However Chris Sheldrick thinks it is. One that’s bigger than waiting for a parcel that doesn’t arrive, a curry that turns up cold or driving in endless circles looking for a seemingly imaginary car park.

Although he grew up in the countryside, Chris didn’t give this problem much attention until he his work took him to cities. After a sleepwalking accident cut short a career as a musician he organised concerts instead. He quickly found drivers of tour buses carrying orchestras and instruments had recurring nightmares finding the stage doors to even the most well-equipped venues. Eventually, enough was enough and he decided to do something about it.

Sitting down with a mathematician friend the pair divided up the globe into 3x3 metre squares and worked out each one could be identified by a unique combination of three commonly used words.

The result was a system called What Three Words. It was launched in 2013. Since then the app has now been downloaded 50 million times and is available in dozens of languages and 193 countries. Its users range from car manufactures to emergency services.

We find out how it works, how it makes money and the route Chris plans to take himself for the serious challenges that lie ahead.

Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Julian Paszkiewicz


THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m001zdwd)
Sustainable Period Products

Lots of different types of period products claim to be eco friendly, from menstrual cups to period pants and reusable pads. But how do their environmental credentials stack up? That's what listener Sam wants to know - and she's not the only one asking about not just the impact of these so called sustainable period products on planetary health, but also on women's health too. Joining Sam and Greg for this one are Natalie Fee, founder of the non profit City to Sea, who campaigns for "plastic-free periods", and Dr Nicola Tempest, a senior lecturer in gynaecology at Liverpool University.

And if you've seen something promising to make you happier, healthier or greener and want to know if it is SB or BS please do send it over on email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or drop us a message or voicenote on Whatsapp to 07543 306807

PRESENTER: GREG FOOT
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY


THU 12:57 Weather (m001zdwg)
The latest weather forecast


THU 13:00 World at One (m001zdwj)
Sunak: Vote Tory to send migrants abroad

Rishi Sunak warns voting for Labour would spell the end of the Rwanda migrants plan. Labour's would-be home secretary Yvette Cooper responds.


THU 13:45 The History Podcast (m001zdwl)
Shadow War: China and the West

Shadow War - 9. Designing the Future

Could growing tensions lead to conflict? The rise of China is the defining challenge of our times – how far to co-operate, compete or confront? But has the West taken its eye off the ball? BBC Security Correspondent Gordon Corera looks at the points of friction in recent history, from espionage to free speech, the battle over technology and claims of political interference. This is a story about the competition to shape the world order. He speaks to politicians, spies, dissidents and those who’ve been caught up in the growing tension between China and the West.

Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producer: Olivia Lace-Evans
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore (Naked Productions)
Programme Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


THU 14:00 The Archers (m001zdrc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m000v9by)
Camberwell Green. Part 2

A two-part crime thriller set in a London bus control centre, inspired by the everyday heroism of keyworkers during Covid.

Part 2: On Diversion

With her husband Steve held hostage by Bianca’s armed robbers, bus controller Marilyn is forced to engineer traffic chaos to help their escape.

When torrential rain creates flooding, then gridlock, Marilyn is conflicted in her responsibility to her job and drivers, and fears for Steve and daughter Nell. Haunted by the death of a colleague early in the pandemic, can she regain control?

Unable to protect her family alone, she recruits the help of Frankie and the community of drivers to track the criminals to Camberwell Green.

Set against the backdrop of Covid and its impact on key workers who kept the country running despite enormous personal risks.

Cast:
Marilyn ..... Chizzy Akudolu
Vincent ..... Lloyd Hutchinson
Frankie ..... Michelle Greenidge
Steve ..... Nicholas Gleaves
Nell ..... Tia Bannon

Other roles played by:
Nick Armfield, Ginny Holder, Alice Hoskyns, Sean Kearney and Finlay Paul

Written by Nicola Baldwin
Directed by Celia de Wolff

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


THU 15:00 Open Country (m001zdwn)
Bats on Punts

Martha Kearney is in Cambridge to explore wildlife at night. She takes an evening trip on a punt to see and hear the creatures which come out after the tourists have gone to home bed. She learns about the bats which at this time of year are just emerging from hibernation - hungry and on the hunt for insects. They swoop low over the waters of the Cam, their echo-location picked up and relayed for human ears by the clicking of a bat detector. A bat enthusiast from the Wildlife Trust tells Martha about bats' habits and identifies the species flitting through the trees around them.

Punts have not always been used in this benign way around wildlife. At the Museum of Cambridge, Martha is shown a punt gun - a huge weapon which was widely used in the 19th and early 20th century. It would have been mounted on a punt, with the huntsman paddling into a flock of wildfowl in order to shoot them in large numbers for food.

Martha also visits Cambridge University Botanic Garden, where a long-running moth research project is in progress. She watches as a moth trap is set out in the evening, and then returns early the next morning as a team of volunteers checks which moths have turned up in the trap, before releasing them back into the wild. She learns about the importance of these nocturnal species, and asks why night-time creatures like bats and moths always seem to get such a bad press.

Produced by Emma Campbell


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m001zdhj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Word of Mouth (m001zdwq)
The Irish Language

In conversation with Michael about his book "32 Words For Field" Manchán Magan reveals Ireland's deep connection with the landscape expressed through the Irish language. The author traces his country's relationship with the natural world and its corresponding belief system that encompasses the 'otherworld'. He lists many similarities between Irish and Sanskrit and even Arabic - suggesting a link between the ancient Islamic word Shamrakh and the Irish Seamróg (shamrock). It's a fascinating discussion of a rich and poetic language that survives in traditional communities on the west coast and is being enthusiastically revived in the cities. Manchán also lists the many words that we use in English that have come from Irish and Scots Gaelic: words like 'bog' 'whisky' 'hooligan' and Tory.
We also learn a bit of Hiberno-English along the way.

Producer: Maggie Ayre for BBC Audio Bristol

A longer version of this programme is available on the podcast


THU 16:00 The Briefing Room (m001zdws)
How much trouble are UK universities in?

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the current financial crisis facing UK universities and ask what can be done about it.

Guests:

Branwen Jeffreys, BBC Education Editor
Nick Hillman, Director of The Higher Education Policy Institute
Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford and member of the Migration Advisory Committee
Alan Manning, Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics

Production team: Sally Abrahams, Kirsteen Knight, Miriam Quayyum and Ben Carter
Editors: Richard Vadon
Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
Sound engineers: Neil Churchill


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m001zdwv)
Micro Nuclear Reactors

Guest presented by Liz Bonnin.

As the UK strives to achieve net zero by 2050, nuclear energy is looking more and more likely as a key player in reaching this goal. But it’s not just massive power plants like Hinkley point C - there’s are newer smaller reactors on the scene: small and micro modular reactors. 100 to 1000 times smaller than a conventional reactor, faster to build, and put together entirely in a factory before being shipped out, theoretically, anywhere: are micro modular reactors the future of nuclear energy or too good to be true? Dean of Engineering at the University of Liverpool, Eann Patterson, has just published a paper proposing a fleet of micro modular reactors to bear the burden of our energy load and he joins us to discuss the reality.

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Science writer, broadcaster and now egg expert Jules Howard joins us to answer this age old question. His book Infinite Life tells the story of how the egg propelled evolution – whether it’s bird, insect, or mammal.

This month, scientist Alexandra Freeman’s appointment to the House of Lords was announced. With a background in risk and evidence communication, Alexandra tells us why she applied, what she hopes to achieve, and how the public can get involved.

Presenter: Liz Bonnin
Producers: Hannah Robins, Ella Hubber, Sophie Ormiston
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


THU 17:00 PM (m001zdwx)
The election campaign hits the road. So does PM

PM reports from Blackpool on the first full day of campaigning. Reform make its pitch to voters and says it'll target Tory seats. And Ian Hislop on why it's a great time for satire


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001zdwz)
The Prime Minister insisted the "preparation work" for the scheme had already taken place


THU 18:30 Unspeakable (m001wgzv)
Ever had an emotion or sensation on the tip of your tongue, but you just can't find the word? Finally, here's the show for you.

Stand-up Phil Wang and lexicographer and etymologist Susie Dent challenge guests to dream up new words for universal, shared concepts and experiences which have always lacked names. Until now!

We've got our best people on the case. Linguists? Anthropologists? Nope. Comedians!

Phil Wang and Susie Dent welcome guests putting forward a new word suggestion, hilariously picking apart each other's pitches. Unspeakable is a celebration of language and shared experiences and it's a cure for that relatable moment when we're lost for words.

Hosts: Phil Wang and Susie Dent
Guests: Stephen Fry, Laura Smyth and Maisie Adam
Created by Joe Varley
Writer: Matt Crosby
Recorded by Jerry Peal
Programme Associate: Andy Brown
Producer: Jon Harvey
Executive Producers: Joe Varley and Akash Lockmun

A Brown Bred production for BBC Radio 4


THU 19:00 The Archers (m001zdtg)
Freddie and Elizabeth are on their way to a meal with Vince at a Filipino restaurant. Freddie will pay for the meal, if in return Elizabeth nods and agrees with him. She’ll understand why once they’re inside. They bump into Mick who tells them he hasn’t heard back from Rochelle about Joy’s surprise birthday party. He might go and knock on her door. Later Mick rings to say that when he went to Rochelle’s address, the person answering the door didn’t know who she was.

Vince smells a rat at the meal when Freddie and Elizabeth over-enthuse about the food. Freddie comes clean explaining the chef there is willing to train the abattoir catering manager, so that they could offer Filipino food to boost staff morale. Later Vince says he's done a deal with the restaurant manager; Vince will supply cheaper meat in return for training. Freddie’s delighted.

Harrison catches up with Tom to discuss T20 tactics but talk turns to Fallon’s miscarriage and Tom sympathises, remembering how gutted he felt after Kirsty lost Wren. The hardest thing was not knowing how he was supposed to feel. When Tom mentions visiting the Remembrance Garden where Wren’s ashes were scattered, Harrison wishes there was some way to commemorate his and Fallon’s loss. He opens up about being on different pages with Fallon about it. Harrison had accepted that Fallon never wanted children, but now he’s not so sure. Tom thinks there’s a chance Fallon will change her mind once she’s processed it all. But Harrison and Fallon need to have an honest talk with each other.


THU 19:15 Front Row (m001zdx1)
The Sympathizer, Ivor Novello Awards, Michelle Terry on Richard III

Samira Ahmed is joined by the Guardian’s music editor Ben Beaumont-Thomas plus cultural sociologist and music researcher Dr. Monique Charles to review espionage thriller and cross-culture satire The Sympathizer, a 7-part series based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel. They also discuss the winners of the Ivor Novello Awards, and Samira talks to Michelle Terry about playing Richard III at the Globe theatre.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Claire Bartleet


THU 20:00 The Media Show (m001zdr5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Wednesday]


THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m001zdx3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


THU 21:45 Why Do We Do That? (m001g38h)
Why Do We Wear Make-Up?

Make-up has a long history - from the surprising use of lipstick in ancient Greece to today's Tiktok trends - and though fashions may have changed, some things, like red lips, cheeks, and defined eyes, keep cropping up. So in this episode, Ella Al-Shamahi investigates if there is any biological basis to make-up? Joined by Journalist and BBC Radio 1 presenter Katie Thistleton, and psychologist Professor Richard Russell, Ella discovers fascinating research on how make-up can change the way we perceive faces and ponders on a slightly strange theory about make-up and orgasm.


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m001zdx7)
Party leaders hit the campaign trail

On the first full day of campaigning for the general election - party leaders have been road-testing their slogans. On a day of claims and counter-claims about immigration - we do some fact-checking - and reflect on the campaign with our political editor.

Also on the programme:

A rare report from inside military-controlled Myanmar - on the human cost of the rebel insurgency.

And, at the Chelsea Flower Show, a garden that helps torture victims cope with their trauma.


THU 22:45 Making Amends (m000zlkf)
Alyssa

Five wry stories on the nature of and need for apology, by Nick Walker, the writer of Annika Stranded.

Making Amends is a therapeutic process that encourages people to recognise behaviour in their past which, because of addiction problems, goes against their values and standards. But the need to make amends and apologise for lapses of behaviour is not just confined to the addicted.

4/5. Alyssa
Alyssa combines a trip to Athens with making her peace with her ex-partner, Bruce.

Nick Walker is the writer of Annika Stranded, which ran for six seasons on BBC Radio 4 between 2013 and 2020. Annika - a TV version - will be broadcast in 2021. He has also written two critically-acclaimed novels , Blackbox and Helloland. His plays and other short stories for radio include The First King of Mars, Life Coach and Stormchasers.

Writer: Nick Walker
Reader: Rosie Cavaliero
Sound Design: Jon Calver
Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4


THU 23:00 The Today Podcast (m001zdxc)
Rishi Sunak Talks to Today

Less than a day after calling the general election, Rishi Sunak kicked off his campaign with a set-piece interview with Nick on Today.

Amol and Nick explore what clues it provides for the coming campaign – and Nick talks though his interview strategy.

Also, with inflation now down to 2.3% we bring together two of the leading economic thinkers from the left and the right to talk tax-and-spend: Kate Bell, assistant general secretary of the TUC, and Robert Colvile, director of centre-right think tank the Centre for Policy Studies.

Plus. comedian Angela Barnes provides her moment of the week.

Episodes of The Today Podcast usually land on Thursdays. 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 producers are Hatty Nash and Joe Wilkinson. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Technical production from Daffyd Evans and digital production from Elliot Ryder.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001zdxg)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as plans to clear the victims of the Post Office IT scandal are officially backed by Parliament.

FRIDAY 24 MAY 2024

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m001zdxl)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 00:30 A Body Made of Glass by Caroline Crampton (m001zdw6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001zdxr)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001zdxw)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001zdy1)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m001zdy5)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001zdy8)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with George Craig, a Methodist local preacher in Cardiff


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m001zdyc)
Farmers from different parts of the industry say what they want from the next government.

A woman who swapped a life in the luxury hospitality business in Jamaica for mushroom farming on Scotland’s west coast.

And an arable farm which specialises in growing flowers for the British market.

Presented by Caz Graham

Produced by Alun Beach


FRI 06:00 Today (m001zdsw)
Starmer speaks to Today

Today interviews the Labour leader, Conservative Energy Secretary and the SNP deputy.


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m001zdhx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001zdsy)
India's women voters, Dame Harriet Walter on Clara Schumann, Climate medal winner

As India goes to the polls in the penultimate round of voting in their general election, Anita speaks to the BBC’s Divya Arya in Delhi. They discuss what political issues are most important to women in this election, and how the main parties have been wooing them.

Valérie Courtois was recently announced as the winner of the 2024 Shackleton medal for her work revolutionizing climate conservation in the Canadian arctic, most notably for her vision connecting Indigenous Guardians as ‘the eyes and ears on the ground’ to preserve ecosystems. Valérie talks to Anita about leading the movement for indigenous-led conservation and land stewardship.
 
Carys Holmes is a 17-year-old girl with an ambition to join the British Army. She passed all of her army selection tests but says she was later taken aside and told she was being rejected because of an 'extensive' history of breast cancer in her family. Anita is joined by Carys who explains that the army has now retracted its decision. Emma Norton, a lawyer and Director of the Centre for Military Justice, also joins.

Clara Schumann was one of the greatest female musicians of the 19th Century – a virtuoso performer who gave over 1,500 concerts in a 60 year career, all while raising eight children and financially supporting her household. Concert pianist Lucy Parham and actress Dame Harriet Walter join Anita to discuss their concert I, Clara which celebrates the ground-breaking life and work of Clara Schumann in her own right.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Studio managers: Donald McDonald and Bob Nettles


FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m001zdt0)
The Fight to Improve School Food in 2024

Sheila Dillon hears stories of how headteachers are transforming food in their schools in difficult economic conditions, as well as how flagship universal free primary school meal policies in Scotland and London are playing out so far.

Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.


FRI 11:45 A Body Made of Glass by Caroline Crampton (m001zdt2)
Episode 5: We Know Too Much

Caroline Crampton explores the history of hypochondria, drawing together cultural history and moving personal memoir.

When she was 17, Caroline Crampton developed a blood cancer which was diagnosed when a tumour appeared on her neck. After several rounds of gruelling treatment, including chemotherapy and weeks in an isolation ward, the doctors announced that her cancer was cured. But – understandably – Caroline herself was not so sure. Ever alert to new symptoms, feeling anxiously for new tumours on her neck, she worries continually that the cancer has returned.

‘The fear that there is something wrong with me, that I am sick, is always with me.’

This personal experience becomes the starting point for an exploration of the history of hypochondria or health anxiety, from the ancient Greeks to the modern wellness industry. It is, she says, ‘an ancient condition which makes itself anew for every age’.

In this episode, Caroline explores how the internet feeds health anxiety, ‘acting like a megaphone for a hypochondriac’. She tells the story of how Tik Tok videos produced during lockdown sparked an epidemic of symptoms, around Tourette’s syndrome in particular. And she reflects on what she’s learned in the five years spent researching the history of hypochondria:

"There are no perfect neat endings, no matter how much our instincts tell us to seek them out. During an early discussion about the book, someone asked me whether I would be giving it a happy ending. “Perhaps you could talk about the cure for hypochondria?” she said, hopefully. I think I made a joke, probably something about how it would make for a better story if I died from one of my imaginary ailments…"

Caroline Crampton is a writer and critic whose work has appeared in The Guardian, Granta, the New Humanist, and the Spectator. Her previous book The Way to the Sea (2019) is a journey down the Thames from source to sea. She hosts the Shedunnit podcast about detective fiction.

The reader, Tuppence Middleton, is a British actress known for her stage and screen roles in Downton Abbey, The Imitation Game, His Dark Materials and The Motive and the Cue.

Find all the latest books at the bottom of the Sounds homepage. Just click on the Books collection.

Produced and abridged by Elizabeth Burke and Heather Dempsey
Executive Producer: Jo Rowntree
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
This is an EcoAudio certified production.


FRI 12:00 News Summary (m001zdt4)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 AntiSocial (m001zdt6)
'Anglo-Saxon' and racism

Should the term “Anglo-Saxon” be dropped because it’s been adopted by racists?

People online are angry because a history journal has dropped “Anglo-Saxon” from its title. Critics say it is pandering to American academics who are unduly worried about the term being used by white supremacists. The journal says that’s got nothing to do with it. It’s part of an ongoing debate about whether “Anglo Saxon” is useful and appropriate. How did the argument start? Where did the term actually come from? And how has it been used in modern times to talk about race?

Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Tulett, Simon Maybin, Natasha Fernandes
Editors: Bridget Harney, Sam Bonham


FRI 12:57 Weather (m001zdt8)
The latest weather forecast


FRI 13:00 World at One (m001zdtb)
Unite warns Labour over oilfield plans

As Labour launches its Scotland campaign, Unite demands guarantees for oil and gas workers. Plus, can former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn win as an independent?


FRI 13:45 The History Podcast (m001zdtd)
Shadow War: China and the West

Shadow War - 10. Collision

Could growing tensions lead to conflict? The rise of China is the defining challenge of our times – how far to co-operate, compete or confront? But has the West taken its eye off the ball? BBC Security Correspondent Gordon Corera looks at the points of friction in recent history, from espionage to free speech, the battle over technology and claims of political interference. This is a story about the competition to shape the world order. He speaks to politicians, spies, dissidents and those who’ve been caught up in the growing tension between China and the West.

Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producer: Olivia Lace-Evans
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore (Naked Productions)
Programme Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


FRI 14:00 The Archers (m001zdtg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Limelight (p0hsvyq0)
Money Gone

Money Gone – 5. Ok Computer

Grace gets some help from an unexpected source. The Prime Minister works with MI5 in a final race to solve the financial chaos, but there are unintended consequences.

A fast-paced satirical drama starring Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet, Toast of London), Charlotte Ritchie (Ghosts, Call the Midwife), Aaron Heffernan (War of the Worlds, Brassic) and Josette Simon (Wonder Woman, Blakes 7).

Pascal ..... Robert Bathurst
Patricia ..... Josette Simon
Emily ..... Charlotte Ritchie
Ross ..... Aaron Heffernan
Grace ..... Lauren Douglin
Stuart ..... Raj Ghatak
Chris ..... Fergus Craig
Karen ..... Melody Brown
Glenn ..... Simon Darwen
Bex ..... Sylvie Churnside-Reed
Journalist ..... Zoe Kleinman

Including the voices of Ruby Evans, Megan Maguire, George Styman, Molly Diamond, Lawrence Carter, Samuel Carrera Briega, Maya Dhokia, Marco Bosin Salome, Christopher Hoop, Evie Barrow, Neve Clark, Niamh Brockbank, Ruby Mutluay, Ryan Gaul

Written by Ed Sellek
Directed by Tony Churnside

Production: Leah Marks and Louis Blatherwick
Original Music and Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore and Tony Churnside
Theme sung by Ellie Akhgar
Series Photographer: Simon Bray
Illustrator: Pete Hambling
Producer: Eloise Whitmore
Exec Producer: John Dryden

A Naked production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds


FRI 14:45 Child (p0hhrsxf)
24. Attachment

Attachment is an interesting word. It conjures up images of love, security, but also a specific focus and intensity that has encircled modern parenting. India Rakusen speaks to Child Psychotherapist Graham Music about attachment styles and people behind the theory.

We hear from Marvyn Harrison, founder of Dope Black Dads, about his experience of becoming a father and India talks to Dr Charlotte Faircloth about how attachment parenting and other intensive parenting methods are impacting parents today.

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 and Eska Mtungwazi
Mix and Mastering by Olga Reed

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m001zdtl)
Chelsea Flower Show 2024: Postbag Edition

Do I need to worry that I don't have slugs in the garden? How do I stop my buddleia from growing out of control? Is there a ground cover that can prevent weeds from growing in my yard?

Kathy Clugston is joined by experts Matthew Wilson, Anne Swithinbank and Pippa Greenwood as they navigate this year's Chelsea Flower Show. While enjoying the various exhibitions through out the Chelsea grounds, the panel also dip into the GQT inbox to answer some of your horticultural queries.
 

Throughout the programme we hear from roving reporter Peter Gibbs, as he speaks with the founders of She Grows Veg, Lucy Hutchings and Kate Cotterill, about the rise in popularity of heirloom vegetables. And later he gets tips on how to create a child-friendly garden by speaking to garden designer Harry Holding.

Producer: Dom Tyerman
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 15:45 Short Works (m001zdtn)
Dŵr by Catrin Kean

An original short story by Catrin Kean. A woman is late for her father's funeral. She hardly knew him, but she spends the night in his empty house, trying to feel his presence.

Catrin Kean won the 2021 Wales Book of The Year Award for her debut novel "Salt".

Reader: Catrin Stewart
Sound: Nigel Lewis
Producer: John Norton
A BBC Audio Drama Wales Production


FRI 16:00 Last Word (m001zdtq)
Sir Tony O'Reilly, President Ebrahim Raisi, Penny Simkin, Professor Alasdair Geddes

Matthew Bannister on

The Irish rugby star and businessman Sir Tony O’Reilly. He made billions but ended up bankrupt.

The hardline President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi.

Penny Simkin, who championed the role of birth doulas to help mothers during and after labour.

Professor Alasdair Geddes, the infectious diseases expert who diagnosed the world’s last ever case of smallpox – in Birmingham.

Producer: Ed Prendeville

Archive used:
Penny Simkin, YouTube upload, PSfromPenny, 27/10/2009; Penny Simkin, YouTube upload, PSfromPenny, 22/03/2011; Today Programme, Radio 4, BBC, 20/05/2024; Newshour, BBC World Service, 20/05/2024; News report by Philip Hayton, Sound Archive, BBC Radio 4, 11/02/1979; Ebrahim Raisi interviewed by Lesley Stahl, CBS Interactive Inc., YouTube upload, 60 Minutes, 19/05/2024; BBC profile on Tony O’Reilly, 24/01/1975; Conversation Piece, Radio 4, 02/12/1985; People in profile, Radio Ulster, 06/09/1980; The Last Case of Smallpox in the UK, BBC News, 31/08/2016


FRI 16:30 More or Less (m001zk2d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]


FRI 17:00 PM (m001zdts)
Can Labour win Scotland over?

Anita Anand speaks to Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar about the party's hopes in Scotland. Also, the International Court of Justice orders Israel to halt military operations in Rafah


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001zdtv)
Israel has expressed anger at the landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice


FRI 18:30 Dead Ringers (m001zdtx)
Series 24

Episode 5

Recorded at the Hay Festival 2024. Mordant topical satire from the usual team with voices by Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Duncan Wisbey and Jess Robinson.

With writing from Tom Jamieson, Nev Fountain, Laurence Howarth, Ed Amsden & Tom Coles, Rob Darke, Edward Tew, Sophie Dixon, Sarah Campbell, Cody Dahler, Joe Topping, Rachel Thorne and Christopher Donovan.

Producer: Bill Dare
Exec Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinator: Dan Marchini
Sound Designer: Rich Evans


FRI 19:00 The Archers (m001zdtz)
Guests gather at Helen’s house ready for Joy’s surprise birthday party, where Kirsty confesses to Elizabeth that George has taken over looking after Rex’s pigs while he’s away. Joy’s overwhelmed when she arrives – she couldn’t have better friends. Mick has another surprise for her – he’s landed a job on the Grey Gables security team. When Joy hears they’d tried to invite Rochelle and her children to the party, she snaps at Mick telling him he had no right to steal her address book and knock on people’s doors. Mick wonders why he hasn’t met Rochelle before, especially since the accident. Joy’s enraged when Mick adds that Rochelle’s supposed to care for Joy. and upset mick heads off. Joy tells awkward Elizabeth that Rochelle’s been a fabulous daughter to her. How dare Mick think otherwise.

Harrison tells Fallon that they need to talk. Harrison can’t believe that the miscarriage isn’t affecting Fallon, Harrison can’t think of anything else. He hopes Alice goes to prison for what she’s done. When Fallon reminds Harrison that he knows Fallon doesn’t’ want children, Harrison explains he thought he could live with it, but that was before Fallon got pregnant. He needs to grieve that baby. He wonders if the accident hadn’t happened, they would just have got on with the pregnancy. Fallon is very clear that this wouldn’t have been the case – she doesn’t want children. They are both on the edge of tears as Harrison heads upstairs saying he doesn’t think he can take this. Fallon can’t either.


FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m001zdv1)
Series 9

Natalie Duncan and Neil Brand take us on a manic journey

Add to Playlist returns for its ninth series and Jeffrey is joined by a new co-host, the violinist and composer Anna Phoebe.

To kick off the new six-part series, Jeffrey and Anna are joined in the studio by the composer and silent film specialist Neil Brand and jazz singer and composer Natalie Duncan, who create a playlist of five tracks which take us from a manic Monday to Blondie’s biggest-selling single, via Sergei Prokofiev’s children’s masterpiece.

Cerys Matthews is taking a temporary pause from presenting the programme in order to pursue other musical and literary projects.

Producer: Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe

The five tracks in this week's playlist:

Manic Monday by The Bangles
The Knight Bus from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by John Williams
Peter and the Wolf: The Duck, Dialogue with the Bird, Attack of the Cat by Sergei Prokofiev
Matte Kudasai by King Crimson
Call Me by Blondie

Other music in this episode:

Mr Vain by Culture Beat
Manic Monday by Apollonia 6
Manic Monday by Prince
Apparition on the Train from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by John Williams
Double Trouble from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by John Williams
I Put a Spell on You by Nina Simone
Move on up a Little Higher by Mahalia Jackson


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m001zdv3)
Anneliese Dodds MP, Kate Forbes MSP, Alister Jack MP, Christine Jardine MP, Lorna Slater MSP

Alex Forsyth presents political discussion from Gairloch Community Hall with the Chair of the Labour Party Anneliese Dodds MP, the Deputy First Minister at Holyrood Kate Forbes MSP, the Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack MP, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Scotland at Westminster Christine Jardine MP and the co-leader of the Scottish Greens Lorna Slater MSP.
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
Lead broadcast engineer: Ken Garden


FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m001zdv7)
Left and Right - still relevant in British and Global Politics?

British politics has long been defined by the labels of left and right but the terms are now often seen as defunct with research showing voters increasingly struggle to identify policies as being from one wing or another.
We look at the historical origins of the terms and whether it is parties, voters, or both who have shifted in recent years. Our guests, the cross bench peer Gisela Stuart who heads the Foreign Office Executive Agency Wilton Park, Author and broadcaster David Aaronovitch, right wing thinker Phillip Blond from the ResPublica Think Tank and Margaret MacMillan, Emeritus Professor of International History at Oxford University, will talk about their own political journeys as well as discussing the wider geo political environment and the future of liberal democracy.

Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Studio Manager: Andrew Garrett.


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m001zdv9)
Michael Gove joins exodus of MPs

The Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has announced he won't be defending his Surrey constituency in July's general election, ending a political career that's lasted almost 20 years. His departure is the latest in a mass exodus of MPs choosing to leave the Commons. We'll ask what Mr Gove's decision may reveal about Conservative morale.

Also on the programme:

The UN's top court has ruled Israel must "immediately halt its military offensive" in Rafah in southern Gaza. We get reaction from a senior Israeli MP.

And why do Chinese viewers appear so enarmoured of Clarkson's Farm?


FRI 22:45 Making Amends (m000zt84)
Bruce

Five wry stories on the nature of and need for apology, by Nick Walker, the writer of Annika Stranded.

Making Amends is a therapeutic process that encourages people to recognise behaviour in their past which, because of addiction problems, goes against their values and standards. But the need to make amends and apologise for lapses of behaviour is not just confined to the addicted.

5/5. Bruce
Still troubled by something he said to Jo when they were both 8 years old, Bruce goes back to his hometown.

Nick Walker is the writer of Annika Stranded, which ran for six seasons on BBC Radio 4 between 2013 and 2020. Annika - a TV version - will be broadcast in 2021. He has also written two critically-acclaimed novels , Blackbox and Helloland. His plays and other short stories for radio include The First King of Mars, Life Coach and Stormchasers.

Writer: Nick Walker
Reader: Tony Gardner
Sound Design: Jon Calver
Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 23:00 Americast (m001zdvc)
Why is Biden falling behind Trump in the polls?

With both candidates gearing up for the first presidential debate and national party conventions, the Americast team takes a step back to look at where the race stands now.

Justin Webb and Sarah Smith give their analysis on recent polling and ask whether the Biden camp should be worried, and how polls could influence the next six months.

Also, the Trump campaign reposted a video this week which referenced a “unified reich.” Marianna Spring looks into where this video came from and why it matters that staffers are posting videos that they did not make themselves.

HOSTS:
* Sarah Smith, North America Editor
* Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
* Marianna Spring, Disinformation & Social Media Correspondent

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 Purvee Pattni with Rufus Gray, Catherine Fusillo, and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.


FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001zdvf)
Sean Curran reports as parliament closes down for the general election and departing MPs make their farewells.