SATURDAY 20 JULY 2024

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m0021440)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 Child (p0h2r6d0)
Series 1

5. Birth of a Mother

What does it mean to suddenly take on this role, this mantle of ‘mother’. It’s a powerful world and it’s meaning has changed through time.

We speak to writer and science journalist Lucy Jones about the mind blowing experience of becoming one. Writer and historian Elinor Cleghorn about some of the most influential images of motherhood, and how they have shaped the role of women today, as well as artists Conway and Young about their search for alternative depictions of motherhood.

Presented by India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans.
Series Producer: Ellie Sans.
Executive producer: Suzy Grant.
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts.
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon.
Mix and Mastering by Charlie Brandon-King.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0021442)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0021444)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0021446)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m0021448)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002144b)
Snail Mail: we live by faith all the time

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Ennette C Lainchbury

Good Morning Everyone,

When we first moved to the UK, I don’t know why but I was absolutely obsessed with sending postcards and old school snail mail to my friends back home. This was way back when in the noughties, instant messaging and emailing was all the rage. To be honest I’m still such a fan of sending a little snail mail today, there’s nothing quiet as lovely as receiving a surprise letter or card in the post.

Whether or not you’d call yourself a person of faith, I think sending old school snail mail requires a leap of faith. Nowadays we can track our packages and pay online and trust that the package will arrive, we have the confirmation email and the order number and the tracking number, there’s a whole lot of certainty. But with a letter, you put the stamp on, triple check the address, and then fingers crossed put it into the black void of the letterbox slot, not knowing exactly when it will get to its intended destination.

In the Bible, it says that ‘faith is confidence in what we hope for and certainty about what we do not see.’ I find it so encouraging that every day, in little ways as simple as sending a letter, we operate by faith without even realising it.

Even when doubt creeps in and emotions bubble up, every day we can choose to anchor our faith and hope in God’s steadfast love. This thing that we cannot see or often feel. This is what keeps me going through seasons of uncertainty, when my soul feels weary, and situations or relationships feel strained.

So, I’ll end with this little prayer from my heart to yours:

Hold my soul close, O Lord, that I may feel your nearness even now in this silence, that I would find within me a wellspring of faith especially when so often I cannot feel it. Fill me with confidence in those things that I am longing and waiting for. Fill me with certainty in the things that I hope for even as they are yet unseen.

Amen


SAT 05:45 Frontlines of Journalism (m001jkt1)
2. Not in your shoes

What happens when the world is divided about the rights and wrongs of a conflict, and a story generates a lot of heat?

Nothing does that more than the most contentious story Jeremy Bowen has covered: Israelis and Palestinians.

BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen speaks with: BBC Gaza producer and journalist Rushdi Abu Alouf, journalist Shlomi Eldar and Emily Bell - professor at Columbia University School of Journalism, a director of the Guardian Media Group and former editor-in-chief across the Guardian’s websites.

Presenter: Jeremy Bowen
Producer: Georgia Catt
Assistant Producer: Sam Peach
Additional research: Rob Byrne
Series mixing: Jackie Margerum
Series Editor: Philip Sellars


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002197q)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.


SAT 06:07 Ramblings (m002137q)
Every Body Outdoors in Gloucestershire

Clare is in the Cotswolds this week with a fantastic group called Every Body Outdoors. They begin their walk in the village of King’s Stanley, Gloucestershire and complete a five mile circuit taking in a stretch of Stroudwater Canal, before heading up to the top of Selsley Common.

Co-founded by Steph Wetherell, Every Body Outdoors is a walking group specifically aimed at plus size people who want to build confidence in the outdoors. Many had tried to join conventional groups but either didn’t feel welcome or had bad experiences.

Another aim of the group is to work with outdoor brands and retailers to encourage them to provide better designed plus-size kit and clothing . Most technical gear, Steph says, stops at a size 16-18 and there’s little available above a size 20.

The group has been so successful they’ve recently trained a group of volunteers who now lead plus size walks all around the UK.

Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002197s)
20/07/24 - Farming Today This Week: Housebuilding, solar farms and Welsh farm policy

What will this week's announcement by the Government on changes to the rules on planning permission for large scale housing projects and for solar farms on agricultural land mean for the countryside?

The Welsh minister in charge of policy on climate change and rural affairs has drawn up new payment schemes for farmers to apply for as the EU's Common Agricultural Policy is replaced.

And one of the country’s large dairy processors is ending contracts with many smaller farms because it says they don’t supply enough milk and there are welfare and sustainability concerns.

A BBC Audio Bristol production presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Heather Simons


SAT 06:57 Weather (m002197v)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m002197x)
Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002197z)
Matt Forde, Zandra Rhodes, Simon Parker, Carrie and David Grant

Welcome to the brightest and boldest of Saturday Lives as fashion-designer Dame Zandra Rhodes arrives. Perhaps as famous as the garments which have adorned the likes of Princess Diana and Freddie Mercury as she is for her neon-pink hair - She has now published her memoir through the prism of 50 of her most precious items.

Matt Forde has, I think it’s safe to say, had a tough year health-wise, he’ll explain how he’s still able to see the funny side of life – and take inspiration from Taylor Swift as he heads back out on tour for the first time since his cancer treatment.

Anyone who dreams of living on a deserted island needs to hear the story of Simon Parker. His island is in the Bristol Channel, it’s owned by the local council, and it used to be home to Vikings and cholera victims. Simon will tell us why he has chosen to call Flat Home “home”.

All that, plus the Inheritance Tracks of the musical power couple, Carrie and David Grant.

Presenters: Jon Kay and Kiri Pritchard-McLean
Producer: Ben Mitchell


SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m0021981)
LGBTQ Life in Weimar Germany

In this episode, Greg Jenner is joined in twentieth-century Germany by Dr Bodie Ashton and comedian Jordan Gray to learn all about LGBTQ life and culture during the Weimar Republic. After the failure of the First World War and the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II, German politics underwent something of a revolution. With the end of the old imperial order came the questioning of its conservative social values, and feminist and socialist campaigners sought to rethink old assumptions about gender roles, family life and sexuality. Part of this included a flourishing of LGBTQ life and culture in the 1920s and early 1930s. In this episode, Greg and his guests explore the political and economic circumstances of Weimar Germany, queer club culture, magazines and filmmaking; alongside research into sexuality and campaigns for transgender and gay liberation, to discover why Weimar Germany was such a focal point for LGBTQ life in this period.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Jon Norman Mason
Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: James Cook


SAT 10:30 Alexei Sayle's Strangers on a Train (m0021983)
Series 3

Nottingham to Skegness

Comedy icon Alexei Sayle begins a new series of rail journeys with a trip from Nottingham to the seaside town of Skegness.

Alexei’s mission is to break the golden rule of travelling by train and actually talk to his fellow passengers, in a quest for conversations with strangers that will reveal their lives, thoughts, dreams and destinations.

Along the way, Alexei holds a finger into the wind of the interests of the great British travelling public. There’s hilarity, humour, sadness and surprise as people talk about what is going on in their lives and, as Alexei passes through familiar towns and cities, he also delves into his own personal stories of a childhood in Liverpool and a long career as a comedian, actor and author.

Alexei has a life-long ticket to ride in his DNA, as his father was a railway guard. As a child, Alexei travelled on trains with his mum and dad, not only in the UK but also abroad. While other children in Liverpool at the time thought a trip to Blackpool was a big adventure, Alexei travelled to Paris, experienced the Orient Express, had summer holidays in Czechoslovakia and visited mysterious cities with unpronounceable names in the farthest corners of Europe.

In this programme, Alexei meets Leyla and Cecelia who are off to Skegness to spend an 80s weekend packed with bands from the golden era of their youth; Ashton, who has bought a caravan to live in and is working at a seaside bar; Karen and Donna, who are seaside bound too, with Karen having her hen party after deciding to finally get married following 20 years of being engaged; Rick and Dawn who are part of the army of volunteers who adopt railway stations and care for them; Fabian, who is now at Nottingham university, and reflecting on how his life is different after leaving his small Lincolnshire home town and his childhood friends - and as a keen film buff is astonished when Alexei reveals that he has acted in a Steven Spielberg film; and James, who tells Alexei that working on the railway changed his life.

A Ride production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m0021986)
Pippa Crerar, political editor of The Guardian looks back at the political week in which the new Labour government presented its first KIng's Speech in fifteen years. To discuss the government's legislative programme Pippa is joined by former Conservative Minister George Freeman MP and by Labour MP Mary Creagh, who was re-elected to Parliament earlier this month - having lost her seat in the 2019 election.
Former EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Baroness Cathy Ashton and Lord Kim Darroch, who was Ambassador to the United States during the Obama and Trump presidencies, discuss the foreign policy challenges facing Sir Keir Starmer.
Following the announcement, in the King's Speech, that the government will remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in Parliament's upper chamber, Pippa Crerar speaks to Charles Courtenay, the Earl of Devon, about his thoughts on the plan.
And, what books should a new Prime Minister read? Conservative peer, journalist and author Daniel Finkelstein and Helen Lewis, author and staff writer at The Atlantic magazine, offer their selection of books.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0021988)
Republicans anoint Donald Trump

Kate Adie presents stories from the US, the West Bank, India and Italy

Donald Trump was confirmed as the Republican party's presidential candidate this week at their National Convention in Wisconsin. He also announced his running mate, JD Vance. Anthony Zurcher was at the convention and reflects on the impact of this last week, and the attempted assassination, on the Presidential campaign.

The Israel-Gaza war has exacerbated tensions in the occupied West Bank where around three quarters of a million Israeli settlers live, including East Jerusalem, alongside three million Palestinians. Under Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, settler expansion has risen sharply. Tim Whewell travelled across the West Bank and heard from both Palestinians and Israelis.

In India, Hindu nationalism had been growing in prominence throughout Narendra Modi’s first terms in office. Its impact was pervasive – and left many Muslims feeling increasingly marginalised, even at risk. But the two communities share far more culturally than the febrile political atmosphere of the recent election campaign would lead you to believe, says Samira Hussain.

The ancient Roman city of Pompeii holds a certain fascination for archaeologists across the world. The current dig is the biggest in a generation and is underlining Pompeii's unique window on the people and culture of the Roman empire. Natasha Fernandes went to explore.

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania has shaken the US and triggered several Congressional investigations. Gary O’Donoghue was at the scene and reflects on a defining moment both in the presidential campaign – as well as US history.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002198b)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002198d)
Tackling Mobile Fraud and Savings Tax

New tactics to fight mobile phone fraud are being rolled out across England and Wales. It's when mobile phones are stolen not for the value of the physical handset but for criminals to access the banking and financial apps and steal money from victims. Paul Lewis speaks to the national lead on robbery, Commander Richard Smith, about how new intelligence and techniques to pursue suspects have led to arrests and prosecutions going to court.

More and more of us are paying tax on our savings. Recent figures suggest that in April over 6 million savings accounts were set to earn enough interest to have to pay tax. That is more than double the number of accounts the year before, according to analysis by the lender Shawbrook. In November, HMRC told us that for the majority of customers this tax on savings interest is automatically collected using their tax code, but many listeners get in touch concerned they will have to pay tax and wondering how to do it. What should they do?

Listeners and lawyers who are court appointed deputies say banks won't let them act properly for the person they protect. We’ll speak to the Association of Lifetime Lawyers about what they're seeing. UK Finance, which represents banks, says it knows there's more to be done and that it's working with members and government bodies to look at how greater consistency can be achieved across the industry.

And, what's a children’s pension and how do they work?

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Catherine Lund
Researcher: Jo Krasner
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 20th July 2024)


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m002143f)
Series 114

Episode 7

Hugo Rifkind, Susie McCabe, Scott Bennett and Lucy Porter join Andy Zaltzman to quiz the news.

The team are in Nottingham this week, where they're discussing a bumper King's Speech, the goings on of the Republican National Congress, and Vaughan Gething's brief stint as First Minister.

Written by Andy Zaltzman
Additional material by: Christina Riggs, Mike Shephard, Rebecca Bain and Lizzy Mansfield

Producer: Gwyn Rhys Davies
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Co-ordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Jerry Peal

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
An Eco-Audio certified Production


SAT 12:57 Weather (m002198g)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m002198j)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002143m)
Lord Davies, Jo Stevens MP, Baroness Smith, Zia Yusuf

Alex Forsyth presents political discussion from Tŷ Pawb in Wrexham with the Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Lord Byron Davies, the Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens MP, Baroness Carmen Smith from Plaid Cymru and the chair of Reform UK Zia Yusuf.
Producer: Robin Markwell
Lead Broadcast Engineer: Sharon Hughes


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m002198l)
Call Any Answers? to have your say on the big issues in the news this week.


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002143h)
Pip’s intrigued as Lottie practices her tarot card skills on her, pointing out a card that says someone won’t change how they are to fit with her desires. Pip thinks of Stella, and there’s even a card about cats. They talk about the hen party planning and how the budget is stretched. Natasha pops by to speak with Pip and explains how the Tea Room will now be involved in the hen party, tempting them with suggestions of special things they can source, especially to appeal to the Ukrainian bride. Pip worries about costs, but intrigued Lottie points out one of the cards showed sunflowers – there must be something in that!

Lily catches up with evasive Freddie and pins him down about Vince, who Freddie admits has done nothing about Freddie’s bullying troubles. Lily insists that he pursue it, and she has been looking into employment law. But Freddie complains, showing his insecurity – he has a criminal record, and no one trusts him to look after Lower Loxley which he’s due to inherit. But Vince, at least, has some faith in him. Vince catches them chatting and invites them to join him and Elizabeth for dinner. As they talk about Milo Haywood, Freddie squirms as Lily drops pointed comments about bullying. Things become tense as Vince talks of his own experience and the importance of having a thick skin. Away from Elizabeth and Freddie, Lily confronts Vince about his lack of action for Freddie. He brushes it off, until Lily starts quoting employment law and demands that a rather staggered Vince meet his obligations towards his employee.


SAT 15:00 Breaking the Rules (m002198n)
Cry If You Want To

by E.V Crowe.

Single parent Ana is pretty sure she isn't being paid fairly at work.
She's tried her boss; she's tried HR - to no avail.
So now she needs to find out how much her colleague Dave earns in order to make her case.
So one night, she turns up at his flat to ask him...

Crackling two-hander from award-winning writer E.V Crowe that asks: how far would you go to get what's fair?

Ana....Ellie Kendrick
Dave....Sam Swann

Production co-ordinator....Gaelan Davis-Connolly
Sound by Ali Craig, Keith Graham and Andrew Garratt
Written by E.V Crowe
Directed by Abigail le Fleming

The Writer
E V Crowe is a graduate of the Royal Court Young Writers Programme Super Group, and a writer for Theatre, Film, TV, Radio and Dance. She has had four plays on at the Royal Court. Her work for radio includes the award-winning How To Say Goodbye Properly and two series of comic but political two-hander Cry Babies.


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m002198q)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: Nelly Furtado, Woman in Myanmar, Woman’s Hour from Lord’s, Taking children out of school

The Portuguese-Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and won awards including a Grammy. Her upbeat, genre-defying pop music dominated the charts in the 2000s, from her break out hit I’m Like A Bird to her 2006 album Loose and its stand out hit Maneater. After finding that her music had been rediscovered by a whole new generation of fans on social media, she’s back with 7, her first album since 2017.In February 2021, a coup returned

Myanmar to military rule, overthrowing the democratically elected government. Under the regime, violence against civilians has escalated, with thousands jailed, tortured and killed – although the numbers are believed be much higher. At least three million people have been displaced. Just two weeks ago, a UN Report outlined the gendered impact of the coup: It found that military forces have committed widespread forms of sexual violence. However, despite the coup's devastating impact, women and girls are taking on key roles within the resistance movement. Also this month, there have been separate news reports that women are being conscripted into the military. Nuala discussed the situation with Tin Htar Swe, the former head of The BBC's Burmese Service.

Woman's Hour broadcast from Lord's Cricket Ground as England faced New Zealand for the culmination of a five-match T20 International series and to mark 25 years since the Marylebone Cricket Club, that runs Lord’s, allowed women to become members. During the programme she spoke to World Cup winning cricketer Ebony Rainford-Brent and the England and Wales Cricket Board’s Head of the Women’s professional game, Beth Barrett-Wild. She also spoke to girls about why they love playing cricket. Nuala was also given a tour of Lord’s – taking in the spots of most significance to women’s history at the ground. She heard about Baroness Rachel Heyhoe Flint and Martha Grace, the mother of a player who is considered one of the all time greats, W. G. Grace. Her tour guide Rachel Pagan met her just outside the ground.

Taking children out of school during term time was in the news this week as the new Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said there "will have to be consequences" for parents who fail to keep their children in school. It’s illegal to take children out without the school’s permission. Minimum fines, imposed by local authorities, for taking children out of class without permission for five school days will rise from £60 per child to £80 per child from August.. In her first interview since taking up the post, the education secretary spoke to the BBC's education correspondent Branwen Jeffries. We hear from parent, Laura Melling who recently went viral on TikTok for discussing a fine she'd received after taking her young daughters out of school for a holiday during term time and we spoke to journalist and parenting author Lorraine Candy.

Annie Garthwaite’s second novel, The King’s Mother, tells the story of historical figure Cecily Neville, mother of Edward IV and Richard III. Annie believes Cecily’s role in the Wars of the Roses has been hugely underestimated by historians and her novel places her firmly at the heart of the action. Essie Fox has written five historical novels and her most recent, The Fascination, is set in the world of Victorian theatres and travelling fairs. They join Nuala to discuss the challenge of writing the stories of women who have been overlooked by the history books.

Adele, one of the world's best-selling music artists, has revealed in an interview ahead of her concerts in Munich next month, that she will be stepping back from music temporarily after growing tired of the slog of fame and missing her old life. She talks about her "tank being empty" and the author and broadcaster Emma Gannon joined Anita to talk about when it all gets a bit much.

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


SAT 17:00 PM (m002198s)
IT failure prompts fears about the dangers of going 'cashless'

After an IT failure sparked disruption to financial services, PM asks whether society has become too reliant on card and digital payments. Also, the Israeli prime minister prepares for his visit to Washington, and a medical trial raises hopes of a single vaccination to protect against all strains of flu.


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m00201w6)
The Robert Jenrick 2024 One

Robert Jenrick on what went wrong for the Conservative Party and how to turn it around


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002198v)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m002198x)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002198z)
The government says air and rail systems are back to normal after yesterday's meltdown.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m0021991)
Nina Conti, Tom Kerridge, Samantha Spiro, Donna Leon, Clive Anderson, That Woman, Braimah Kanneh-Mason & Plínio Fernandes

Clive will talk monkeys, masks and improvisation with comic Nina Conti who is honing a brand new show Whose Face is it Anyway? and about to release her directing debut a feature film called Sunlight; Chef Tom Kerridge's been on a culinary tour of the UK for a new cookbook and TV show and has plenty to say about our food, farming and how to pronounce "scone"; Actress Samantha Spiro stars in an acclaimed new RSC production of "Shakespeare's sitcom" - The Merry Wives of Windsor - where the women get the last laugh; Best selling crime writer Donna Leon on her much-loved detective hero Commissario Brunetti and why she's been moved to become an "eco-detective" herself.
With music by Braimah Kanneh-Mason and Plínio Fernandes ahead of their appearance at the BBC Proms and from That Woman, aka Josie from Oh Wonder who is realeasing a solo album.

Presented by Clive Anderson
Produced by Olive Clancy


SAT 19:00 Profile (m0021993)
JD Vance

From ‘hillbilly’ roots to becoming Donald Trump’s nominee for vice-president. At 39, if JD Vance is elected, he would be one of America’s youngest ever Vice-Presidents. A lot has been laid bare in his own words, in ‘Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis’. He talks about being raised by his grandparents who moved from the Appalachian Mountains area of Kentucky to Ohio, to a Middle America Rust Belt town looking for a better life. His mother struggled with drug addiction and a string of chaotic relationships. So how did he go from a sometimes unstable, sometimes violent, upbringing to being in the running to take one of the highest offices in American politics? There’s another transformation many wonder about too: why did he change his mind on Trump? Only in 2016 JD Vance said ‘I can't stomach Trump. I think that he's noxious and is leading the white working class to a very dark place.’ Mark Coles finds out.

Credit: NPR Fresh Air

Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Phoebe Keane, Diane Richardson
Editor: Penny Murphy


SAT 19:15 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m0021373)
Series 30

Science of Board Games - Jess Fostekew, Marcus du Sautoy and Dave Neale

Brian Cox and Robin Ince go past jail, climb a ladder and build a civilisation as they explore the science behind our favourite board games. Joining them in the library (or was it the conservatory?) is mathematician Marcus du Sautoy, who discusses the global history of games as well as his tips for winning at Monopoly. Joining him is games designer and play researcher Dave Neale who explains how key games are to developing a theory of mind, alongside Jessica Fostekew, comedian and gaming enthusiast who admits to becoming a more ruthless gamer as time goes by.


Producer: Melanie Brown
Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem
BBC Studios Audio Production


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m0021995)
Sinéad O'Connor - A Life in Ten Songs

To commemorate the one year anniversary of Sinéad O'Connor's death, Jo Whiley looks back at her music and legacy through ten of her most personal and inspiring tracks, from her debut single Troy in 1987 to Trouble of The World in 2020.

Jo first interviewed Sinéad in the late 80s for a BBC Radio 4 schools programme and their paths would cross multiple times on Channel 4, Radio 1 and Radio 2. Using archive interviews from across the decades, in addition to new insight from collaborators, friends and admirers, we shine a light on Sinéad's often overlooked talent for writing politically-engaged, deeply spiritual and healing songs which reveal crucial messages for our time.

Producer: Victoria Ferran
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 21:00 Moral Maze (m00213wf)
How can we reduce the temperature of politics?

The attempted assassination of former US president Donald Trump was a dark day for American politics. We don’t know whether the gunman was induced to kill - as some commentators have suggested - by the current political climate. Nevertheless, it appears that the line between passionate criticism and incitement to violence is becoming increasingly blurred. Words matter, but calls to curb speech beyond current laws are immediately met with opposition by those who see freedom of speech as essential to democracy.

And yet, the abuse and intimidation of politicians also threatens democracy. In the UK the government’s adviser on political violence, Lord Walney, has written to the Home Secretary saying there has been a "concerted campaign by extremists to create a hostile atmosphere for MPs within their constituencies to compel them to cave into political demands".

All parties seek to control the narrative through forceful language, hyperbolic rhetoric, and attacks on opponents, but when do words become dangerous? Politics is tribal, but when does tribalism become toxic?

If democracy is a system in which citizens – and tribes – can disagree without resorting to violence, what can be done to strengthen democracy? Is it possible to turn down the political heat without losing the passion?

PANEL:
Mona Siddiqui
Matthew Taylor
Sonia Sodha
Inaya Folarin Iman.

WITNESSES:
Hannah Phillips - from the Jo Cox Foundation
John McTernan - Political Secretary to UK PM Tony Blair, and Director of Communications for Australian PM Julia Gillard
Brian Klass - Associate Professor in Global Politics at University College London
Nicholas Gruen - policy economist and visiting professor at King's College London's Policy Institute

Producer: Dan Tierney
Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser


SAT 22:00 News (m0021997)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002142q)
Off the Rails: The Story of Train Food

As the summer holidays kick off and people plan for journeys far and near, Sheila explores what food is provided on trains and at train stations across the country. A new report by the Office for Road and Rail suggests passengers pay around 10 per cent more for food inside stations, where catering leases often roll over automatically with limited opportunities for new food businesses to enter the market. Sheila finds out who the biggest players are in rail food and speaks to a range of people from station operators, food retailers and train companies to find out: is train food as bad as it once was?

Not many people spend their lives in constant motion, but travel writer Caroline Eden is one of them. Sheila shares a train picnic with Caroline on the train line leading up to Scotland's walking country, and hears stories of food shared and meals eaten on remote routes during Caroline's travels through Central Asia and beyond. Pasties are one of Caroline's favourite journey foods, and she's not alone. From the tin miners of Cornwall's past to their omnipresence at stations today, pasties might just be one of the UK's longest-standing foods eaten on the move.

Sheila also hears from travel correspondent Simon Calder, reporting from a station cafe on the Swiss-Italian border, with his perspective on how train catering has changed and his top tops for eating well on the move. How does food on trains compare in other countries and is there anything we can learn from the food cultures of others? Tokyo food tour host Yukari Sakamoto explains the tradition of Japan's Bento boxes, nutritious, freshly-cooked boxed meals bought at stations and eaten on trains across the country.

Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.


SAT 23:00 Time of the Week (m00212rs)
3. Perfume, the Menopause, Gen Z

Chloe Slack balances hosting the programme with looking after her niece. Today's topics include perfume, private members’ clubs and Stonehenge.

Sian Clifford stars as self-important journalist Chloe Slack in this comedy series parodying women’s current affairs and talk shows, surrounded by an ensemble cast of character comedians.

Chloe Slack - Sian Clifford

Ensemble cast:
Ada Player
Alice Cockayne
Aruhan Galieva
Em Prendergast
Jodie Mitchell
Jonathan Oldfield
Lorna Rose Treen
Mofé Akàndé
Sara Segovia

Created by Lorna Rose Treen and Jonathan Oldfield

Writing team:
Alice Cockayne
Catherine Brinkworth
Jodie Mitchell
Jonathan Oldfield
Lorna Rose Treen
Priya Hall
Will Hughes

Script Editor - Catherine Brinkworth
Photographer - Will Hearle
Production Coordinator - Katie Sayer
Producer - Ben Walker

A DLT Entertainment Production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 23:30 The 3rd Degree (m00213dr)
Series 13

1. University of Leicester

This episode coming from the University of Leicester, “The 3rd Degree” is a funny, upbeat and brainy quiz show.

The Specialist Subjects this week are French, Genetics and Criminology so we’ll meet a five-legged sheep, some Italian cheekbones and the one thing Hannibal Lecter really shouldn’t eat, plus there’ll be tips on how to tell your Larkin from your Lineker.

The show is recorded on location at a different University each week, and pits three Undergraduates against three of their Professors in this fresh take on an academic quiz. The General Knowledge rounds include a quickfire bell-and-buzzer finale and the ‘Highbrow & Lowbrow’ round cunningly devised to test not only the students’ knowledge of history, art, literature and politics, but also their Professors’ awareness of TV, music and sport. Meanwhile there are the three Specialist Subject rounds, in which students take on their Professors in their own subjects, and where we find out whether the students have actually been awake during lectures...

In this series, the show goes to Leicester, St Andrews, Loughborough, Falmouth, the University of East Anglia and Robinson College, Cambridge.

Producer: David Tyler

A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4

SUNDAY 21 JULY 2024

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m0021999)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 00:15 Open Book (m00213dp)
Garth Risk Hallberg

Johny Pitts speaks to Garth Risk Hallberg about his new novel, The Second Coming.

Book Banks - the new initiative offering free books in food banks: we hear from founder and director Emily Rhodes, and Baroness Liz Sanderson of Welton, who conducted an independent review of English libraries, discusses how this sits with library provision in the community.

Plus Daisy Buchanan describes the 'book she would never lend' - Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins.

Presenter: Johny Pitts
Producer: Emma Wallace

Book List – Sunday 14 July

The Second Coming by Garth Risk Hallberg
City on Fire Garth Risk Hallberg
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Herzog by Saul Bellow
Long Island by Colm Tóibín
Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins
Pity Party by Daisy Buchanan


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002199c)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002199f)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m002199h)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m002199k)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002199m)
St Andrew’s church in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire

Bells on Sunday comes from St Andrew’s church in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. Much of the present building dates back to the early 14th and 15th centuries. In the early 1700’s the medieval tower collapsed and was rebuilt with a ring of five bells cast by Thomas Russell of Wootton. In 1912 a new ring of eight bells with a tenor of thirteen hundredweight in F was cast by the Gillett and Johnston foundry. These were augmented in 2016 to a ring of tten with a tenor weighing thirteen and a quarter hundredweight and a bell-ringing training centre established. We hear them ringing Grandsire Caters, rung by a Bedfordshire band, a performance which won a recent inter-county ringing contest.


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m00213hs)
Cathy Yelf Retirement; Audio Description at Gigs

After 15 years, Cathy Yelf is retiring as the CEO of the Macular Society. Over those years, Cathy has demonstrated a great passion for and has been instrumental in generating wider awareness for macular related diseases. She has also been a regular and trusted contributor to In Touch on issues relating to the diseases. Peter conducts a farewell interview with Cathy Yelf, discussing what has changed since her beginning with the charity and what the situation has evolved into, relating to the progress of treatments and research into macular related diseases.

Audio description (AD) has become a popular access feature for some visually impaired people who enjoy TV, film and the theatre. It is experiencing something of a boom period, with its latest application being at music gigs. A new initiative by the Audio Description Association Scotland (ADAS) has recently seen the application of AD at some big-name concerts in Scotland. But, will it soon be available in the rest of the UK?

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 (m00219bw)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Beyond Belief (m00213h7)
Spreading the Word

Street evangelist Marios Kaikitis tells Giles Fraser why he stands on Leicester Square with a sketch board trying to engage passers by with his message of Jesus Christ.

And Giles explores how different religious groups, within Christianity and Islam, evangelise today. Perhaps crucially, does it work?

He's joined by Daryl A Watson, a mission leader at the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, also known as the Mormon church, Dr Shuruq Naguib, a lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Lancaster University and Reverend Dr Hannah Steele, Director of St Mellitus theological college in London, who writes about evangelism and mission today.

They discuss the practical, moral and spiritual issues faced by those who want or feel compelled to share their religious beliefs with others. In an increasingly secular country, it it getting more difficult?

Producer: Rebecca Maxted
Assistant Producer: James Leesley
Editor: Tim Pemberton


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m00219by)
The Future of Organic

Sophie Gregory tells Sarah Swadling about the journey she made from accountancy to managing an organic dairy herd. Sophie and her husband Tom took on a tenant farm in Dorset when they were in their mid twenties. Soon, she swapped the juggle of office work, family, and the farm for looking after the cows full-time. Sophie reflects on the difficult economics of organic farming during a cost of living crisis and the scholarship taking her around the world, examining the future for organics.

Produced and presented by Sarah Swadling


SUN 06:57 Weather (m00219c0)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m00219c2)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m00219c4)
Trump as 'God's anointed'; Conditional Aid; Bahrain's Christian history

The language around the attempted assassination of Donald Trump as divine intervention or miraculous and the consequence naming of him in Republican circles as 'God's anointed one' has brought into focus the key role of religion in US politics. How do Trump and his followers use religion and why did he pick a recent convert to Catholicism to be his VP? We speak to Lauren Kerby, Visiting Fellow in Religious Studies at Princeton.

Nigeria’s Catholic bishops are objecting to a European Union aid agreement that comes with strings attached – it insists that the governments being helped should adopt progressive policies. Should aid to developing countries be conditional on progressive reforms? To discuss we’ll be joined by Gideon Rabinowitz, Policy Director of Bond, and Professor Sir Paul Collier.

Details have emerged of the first archaeological evidence of the Christian community in Bahrain before it was overtaken by Islam in 600s. We speak to Professor Tim Insoll, from the University of Exeter and honorary archaeological advisor to the King of Bahrain, about what it tells us about the religious history of the country and wider Muslim-Christian dialogue.

An enormous mural on the side of a Jewish community centre in Finchley Road, Hampstead, was unveiled on this week. Measuring 87 feet high and 47 feet wide it celebrates Jewish London history with a montage of famous people and events. The artist who has designed and painted it, Leon Fenster, meets Emily Buchanan on site to discuss his work.

Presenter: Emily Buchanan
Producers: Alexa Good and Rosie Dawson
Production Coordinator: David Baguley
Studio Managers: Mitch Goodall and Kelly Young
Editor: Tim Pemberton


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m00219c6)
Schoolreaders

Patron of Schoolreaders Gyles Brandreth makes the Radio 4 Appeal on the charity's behalf. It runs a network of over two and a half thousand volunteers across England who visit schools, for an hour or two a week, to listen to children read.

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 ‘Schoolreaders'.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Schoolreaders’.
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: 1159157


SUN 07:57 Weather (m00219c8)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m00219cb)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m00219cd)
The Centenary of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral

The Very Reverend Dr Sue Jones, Dean of Liverpool, leads a service to mark 100 years since the consecration of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. The Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverand Dr John Perumbalath delivers the sermon. With contributions from Head Guide Brian Dowling, former Canon Precentor Myles Davies and Lady Anne Dodd. The music is sung by the Liverpool Cathedral Choir: Cantate Domino (Pitoni); All My Hope on God Is Founded; Ephesians 2: 19-22; Immortal Love, Immortal Love Called God (Anderson/Todd); Praise to the Lord The Almighty, the King of Creation; Jeremiah 29: 5–7; Psalm 127; O Taste and See (Vaughan Williams); Lord For The Years; Prelude on "Nun Danket Alle Gott" (Bach/Tracey). Director of Music: Stephen Mannings; Organist: Ian Tracey; Producer: James Mountford


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m002143p)
Empire of Sweat

Adam Gopnik muses on why he'll always love the steam baths in New York.

'My own pet answer,' Adam says, 'justified by intuition and half-heard rumours, is that it helps sleep to have a low internal body temperature. All that sweating lowers my own burning inner furnace and makes me more able to sleep.' This is, he admits, 'a perfectly sound scientific explanation that I have no intention of checking.'

Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Liam Morrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m00219cg)
Martin Hughes-Games on the Snipe

A new series of Tweet of the Day for Sunday morning revealing personal and fascinating stories inspired by birds, their calls and encounters.

It's called 'aero elastic flutter' and for television producer and presenter Martin Hughes-Games the sound of a snipe drumming in the landscape is a strange but remarkable thing. Something which baffled ornithologists until the nineteenth century scientist Wilhelm Meves tied snipe tail feathers to a 4 foot long stick, whirled the stick around and hey presto managed to produce the sound. of a snipe drumming.

Producer : Andrew Dawes of BBC Audio in Bristol
Studio Engineer : Ilse Lademann


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m00219cj)
Protests in Palma as tourist season begins

Palma prepares for protests against tourists as the British holiday season begins. Plus Broadcasting House waves off Team GB as they head to Paris for the Olympic Games.


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m00219cl)
David Nicholls, writer

The writer David Nicholls is best known for his 2009 novel One Day which has sold 6 million copies, been made into a film and a Netflix series which reached the top 10 in 89 countries. He’s written six novels and his work as a screenwriter has won him a BAFTA and an Emmy nomination.

He was born in 1966 and studied Drama and English Literature at Bristol University. This partly inspired his novel Starter for Ten. After university he spent one year in New York studying acting before returning to the UK to try and forge a career as an actor. He spent three years at the National Theatre but was mostly an understudy which inspired his novel Understudy.

After a few years, David left acting and pursued a writing career and had success as a TV screen writer. Alongside his award-winning career as a TV writer he has won many prizes for his novels.

David lives in London with his partner, Hannah and their two children.

Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Sarah Taylor

DISC ONE: I Say a Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin
DISC TWO: Cloudbusting - Kate Bush
DISC THREE: Life on Mars? - David Bowie
DISC FOUR: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and performed by Glenn Gould (piano) Coyote - Joni Mitchell
DISC FIVE: Coyote - Joni Mitchell
DISC SIX: We Belong Together - Rickie Lee Jones
DISC SEVEN: Who Knows Where The Time Goes? - Fairport Convention
DISC EIGHT: Protection - Massive Attack featuring Tracey Thorn

BOOK CHOICE: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
LUXURY ITEM: A piano and sheet music
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: I Say a Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m00219cn)
Writer: Tim Stimpson
Director: Dave Payne
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Natasha Archer…. Mali Harries
Pip Archer…. Daisy Badger
Ruth Archer…. Felicity Finch
Neil Carter…. Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter…. Charlotte Martin
Vince Casey…. Tony Turner
Chelsea Horrobin…. Madeleine Leslay
Tracy Horrobin…. Susie Riddell
Alistair Lloyd…. Michael Lumsden
Paul Mack…. Joshua Riley
Jazzer McCreary…. Ryan Kelly
Denise Metcalf…. Clare Perkins
Freddie Pargetter…. Toby Laurence
Lily Pargetter…. Katie Redford
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
Stella Pryor…. Lucy Speed
Oliver Stirling…. Michael Cochrane
Lottie Summers…. Bonnie Baddoo


SUN 12:15 Profile (m0021993)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 Mark Steel's in Town (m002130m)
Series 13

Stoke-on-Trent

Mark Steel's in Town - Stoke-on-Trent

This week, Mark is visiting the town of Stoke-on-Trent, in Staffordshire.

This is the 13th series of Mark's award-winning show where he travels around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness. After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.

As well as Stoke-on-Trent, in this series, Mark be will also be popping to Margate, Malvern, East Grinstead, Coleraine in Northern Ireland and Nether Edge in Sheffield.

There will also be extended versions of each episode available on BBC Sounds.

Written and performed by Mark Steel

Additional material by Pete Sinclair
Production co-ordinator Katie Baum
Sound Manager Jerry Peal
Producer Carl Cooper

A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4


SUN 12:57 Weather (m00219cq)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m00219cs)
Chancellor hints at inflation-busting pay rises

Chancellor Rachel Reeves hints that public sector pay rises may outstrip inflation. Plus, Democrat voters and donors give their verdict on whether President Biden should run again. Veteran strategist James Carville presents his plan for selecting a new candidate.


SUN 13:30 Donald Trump and Black America (m00219cv)
Black voters could prove pivotal in the US presidential election in November and an increasing number are choosing to support Donald Trump.

Back in the 1980s, Donald Trump emerged as an icon for Black America. The brash, playboy billionaire symbolised the wealth and power many African-Americans could only dream of, and over the decades his name became a lyrical motif in hundreds of rap songs from emcees who wanted to be just like him.

But that relationship soured pretty quickly once Mr Trump entered the White House in 2017, not least because of what many saw as an insensitive response to the death of George Floyd, and his dismissal of the Black Lives Matter movement. The rap stars who once lauded him, now publicly loathed him. It was a massive fall off.

But slowly Donald Trump has re-established his affinity among black Americans – particularly among black men.

The BBC’s North America correspondent, Nomia Iqbal, meets some of Donald Trump’s black supporters - including Ron J Spike, who describes himself as a conservative hip hop artist and is part of Project 21, which promotes the views of right-wing African-Americans.

She hears why an increasing number of black voters are spurning the Democratic party in favour of the Republicans, and reveals how their support in key swing states could prove decisive in determining whether Mr Trump returns to the White House.

Presenter: Nomia Iqbal
Producer: Beth McLeod
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Sound Engineer: Sarah Hockley
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Music includes:

Chains Off Me by Ron J Spike
2024 by Loza Alexander


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m0021433)
From The Archive: Grasses and Lawns

Kathy Clugston sows the seeds of knowledge on the topics of lawn care and grasses, with help from the extensive GQT Archive.

Now that we’re well into the summer season, grass maintenance and lawn care have become top priority for most gardeners.

GQT’s various horticultural experts from over the years share their tips and knowledge on how to restore patchy lawns, what variety of bamboo would thrive in small gardens, and how to get rid of moss without damaging the healthy plants around it.

Later, we listen back to when Anne Swithinbank met with ornamental grass guru Neil Lucas, to discuss if there’s truly a variety for everyone.

Producer: Dan Cocker


Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod


Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 Short Works (m0020phv)
Quadratic Equations and Other Love Stories by Sharon Dempsey

An original short story commissioned by BBC Radio 4 from the author Sharon Dempsey. Read by Eimear Fearon.

Sharon Dempsey is the author of three crime novels and two novellas. She graduated with a creative writing doctorate from Queen’s University in 2023. Sharon has also published three non-fiction books and has many short stories published in anthologies, literary journals, magazines and broadcast on radio. Sharon was named as one of the Seamus Heaney Centre’s inaugural Ciaran Carson Writing and the City Fellows for 2024-2025.

Writer: Sharon Dempsey
Reader: Eimear Fearon
Producer: Michael Shannon

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 15:00 A Vindication of Frankenstein's Monster (m00219cx)
Episode 3

Vic successfully implants the AI consciousness into Lizzie's body but when 'the Creature' starts to access Lizzie's memories she remembers her daughter. Vic hadn’t accounted for the Creature’s capacity to love nor her ability to escape.

As Lizzie’s consciousness is re-awakened in the Creature she begins to reinvent the world and will stop at nothing to realise Wollstonecraft’s visions and create a world fit for her daughter to live in.

Creature.....LYDIA WILSON
Vic.....VINETTE ROBINSON
Max.....SACHA DHAWAN
Eli.....JOEL FRY
Polly.....ANNEIKA ROSE
Mary.....DAISY HEAD

A Vindication of Frankenstein’s Monster written by Linda Marshall Griffiths based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

Sound design by Sharon Hughes
Production co-ordinators Vicky Moseley and Lorna Newman
Directed by Nadia Molinari

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.

Artwork by Lydia Wilson.


SUN 16:00 Open Book (m00219cz)
Irenosen Okojie

Irenosen Okojie talks to Johny Pitts about her new book, Curandera.

Plus summer reading: Irenosen and critic Max Liu share a wide range of book recommendations for the coming weeks.

And EM Forster's secret stories. Historian Diarmuid Hester tells us all about Forster's secret gay fiction.

Book List – Sunday 21 July
Curandera by Irenosen Okojie
The Rich People Have Gone Away by Regina Porter
The Light Between Us by Elaine Chiew
The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord
The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing
I Will Crash by Rebecca Watson
Summer in Baden-Baden by Leonid Tsypkin. Translated by Roger Keys and Angela Keys.
Living Things by Manuir Hacheim trans Julia Sanchez
The Life To Come And Other Stories by E. M. Forster ; Introduced by Diarmuid Hester
Nothing Ever Just Disappears: Seven Hidden Histories - An Investigation Into Place And The Queer Imagination by Diarmuid Hester

Presenter: Johny Pitts
Producer: Emma Wallace


SUN 16:30 The 3rd Degree (m00219d1)
Series 13

2. University of St Andrews

This episode coming from the University of St Andrews, The 3rd Degree is a funny, upbeat and brainy quiz show.

The specialist subjects this week are English, Computer Science and Philosophy so we’ll be meeting a glistering goldfish, a Belgian biscuit, a Peruvian bird and Nietzsche. Oh, plus Bambi and a Japanese Water Zither.

The show is recorded on location at a different University each week, and pits three undergraduates against three of their professors in this fresh take on an academic quiz. The general knowledge rounds include a quickfire bell-and-buzzer finale and the Highbrow & Lowbrow round cunningly devised to test not only the students’ knowledge of history, art, literature and politics, but also their Professors’ awareness of TV, music and sport. Meanwhile there are the three specialist subject rounds, in which students take on their professors in their own subjects, and where we find out whether the students have actually been awake during lectures.

In this series, the show goes to Leicester, St Andrews, Loughborough, Falmouth, the University of East Anglia and Robinson College, Cambridge.

Producer: David Tyler

A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct5yh1)
The 1924 Paris Olympics

The last time Paris held the Olympic Games was 100 years ago in 1924.

More than 3,000 athletes from 44 nations took part, of which only 135 were women, in 17 sports.

Rachel Naylor goes through the BBC archive for interviews with two British medallists - the sprinter Harold Abrahams and the tennis player Kitty Godfree.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

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

(Photo: Harold Abrahams winning gold at the Olympics in Paris, in 1924. Credit: Jewish Chronicle / Heritage Images / Getty Images)


SUN 17:10 The Verb (m00219d4)
Crocodile-like men, fireflies, a soul hitching a ride on a bee, the coolness of Switzerland, anagrams, and a mysterious rhyming poem - all this and more from
Ian McMillan's guests this week - as they explore the way a poetic image can change the way we see things,

Arji Manuelpillai is a poet and creative facilitator. His poetry collection 'Improvised Explosive Device' (Penned in the Margins) emerged through research and interviews with academics, sociologists, and former members of extremist groups and their families. He also presents a poetry podcast: 'Arji's Pickle Jar'.

Mona Arshi is a poet, and was a human rights lawyer. Her poetry collections are 'Small Hands' and 'Dear Big Gods' (Pavilion), and she recently published her first novel 'Somebody Loves You'. Mona's third poetry collection will be published next year.

John McAuliffe is a poet, and a director of the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester. He has published six poetry collections - and his latest - 'National Theatre' (Gallery) will be out shortly. John unravels our 'neon' line this week ( a stand-out line in a classic poem) and explains why it works so well.

Tom Chatfield is a novelist, writer and tech philosopher - and now author of 'Wise Animals: How technology has made us what we are' (Picador). He helps us pit human poets against AI or more precisely - against Large Language Models - to see what human poets can still do best.


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m00219d6)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m00219d8)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m00219db)
The Chancellor hints at inflation-busting pay rises for some public sector workers


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m00219dd)
Guvna B

This week, we go on an audio journey with a musical tinge of sorts, where we hear music from journalists on the front line, a mixtape battle brewing between Clara Amfo and Jordan Stephens, a lyrical reflection from The Grime Journalist on England's Euros defeat, and what two strangers on a train have to say about their love of classic 80s icons. Plus, time to throw on your maillot jaune - who knew the peloton could be so poetic?

Presenter: Guvna B
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Co-ordinator: Jack Ferrie

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m00219dg)
Fallon has to bear Tom’s gushing praise for Natasha as they mark World Ice Cream Day at the Tea room. Tom’s also confident the Tea room will make Pip’s friend’s hen party special. Pip also chats with Tom about the good weather prompting Stella to get out on the combine – Tom prays for a dry harvest. Pip confides in Fallon – she’s worried that they don’t have the budget for all the things Natasha is organising for the hen party. Can Fallon talk to Natasha?

Hilda the cat is covered in ticks and giving Tom and Pat the runaround. Tom also reports back from chatting with Roy online – he’s loving life with Lexi and her girls in Bulgaria. Pat encourages Tom to take the family out to see Roy. As they discuss plans for Seren and Nova’s birthday party, Pat deflects Tom’s attention from the garden, but can’t hide the surprise anymore - they’ve put together an organic veg patch for Seren and Nova, complete with cute little named boiler suits for the pair. Tom promises not to tell Natasha until the birthday party.

Elizabeth is concerned about a falling out between Freddie and Lily, based on the atmosphere between them last Friday at dinner. Elizabeth finds Vince reading up on Bullying and Harassment policy and wonders what’s going on. Vince is cagey – just some horseplay at work. Elizabeth playfully reprimands Vince on his lack of seriousness about the issue and he asks her advice about handling it – he only reveals there’s a lad being bullied, and settles on the idea of having an informal chat with both parties.


SUN 19:15 God Next Door (m00219dj)
James lives in Manchester and earns his living as a landscape gardener. Since he was a child he has believed himself to be God, and is on a mission to bring peace to the world. He is part of an organisation that runs community events, fitness sessions, games evenings and he shares his ideas at regular Q&A meetings with a group of people, including many who share his belief that he is a divine figure. 

Over the last four years journalist Darryl Morris has been spending time with James and some of the members of the group, and attending some of the events they stage. He’s trying to find out what it’s like for James to live his life understanding himself to be God, what he is hoping to achieve, and what he offers those who consider themselves lucky enough to be among the first to recognise his presence.

Producer: Geoff Bird
Executive Producer: Jo Meek

An Audio Always production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Communicating with Ros Atkins (m0020z5g)
5. Sabrina Ghayour, chef and food writer

Ros speaks to chef and award winning food writer Sabrina Ghayour. We all communicate multiple times a day but could we be getting better results? From a simple text or phone call, to a job interview or big presentation, the way we express ourselves and get our point across can really matter. Ros Atkins and his fascinating guests reveal the best ways to communicate and how simple changes in the way we make our point can be really effective.

In this episode, Ros and Sabrina discuss the importance of instilling confidence, the power of admitting you’re ‘human’ too, and the value of a second opinion.

Series Producer: Hannah Newton
Producer: Olivia Cope
Executive Producer: Zoë Edwards
Mix Engineer: Jonathan Last
Original Music Composed by: Tom Wrankmore
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 20:00 Feedback (m002137v)
BBC News Podcasts, Alex Forsyth, Geoff Norcott's Working Mens Club

Andrea Catherwood brings Feedback listeners' thoughts and views on news and politics podcasts to the BBC's Senior News Editor Sam Bonham and Political Correspondent Alex Forsyth - and asks if this was the first real podcast election.

Two listeners enter the Feedback Vox Box to talk about the new Radio 4 comedy series, Geoff Norcott's Working Mens Club. And the comedian himself joins Andrea to respond to the review and talk about the role of the right leaning comic on Radio 4.

Presented by Andrea Catherwood
Produced by Pauline Moore
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m0021437)
Dr Ruth Westheimer, Mike Corfield, Shelley Duvall, Veronica Smith

Matthew Bannister on Dr Ruth Westheimer who offered frank advice about sex on TV and radio.

Mike Corfield, the conservator who developed new methods of preserving archaeological artefacts in the places where they were discovered.

Shelley Duvall, the actor who worked closely with Robert Altman, played Wendy in The Shining and Michal Palin’s star-crossed lover in Time Bandits. Michael shares his memories.

Veronica Smith, who, as a young woman, was forced to give up her baby for adoption. She later founded the “Movement for an Adoption Apology”.

Producer: Ed Prendeville

Archive used
Barry Normal on Shelley Duvall. Film 80, BBC1, 29/09/1980; The Shining, Official trailer, 1980; Director Stanley Kubrik; Based on a novel by Stephen King; Warner Bros; Time Bandits, 1980; Original Trailer, Handmade Films; "Late Night" with David Letterman, 27/09/1984; Popeye, 1980, Trailer; Director: Robert Altman; Writers: Jules Feiffer (screenplay), E.C. Segar (based on characters by); Stars: Robin Williams, Shelley Duvall, Ray Walston; From 1981: Shelley Duvall talks working on 'The Shining', Interview with Gene Shalit on TODAY, 10/11/1981; BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, 10/08/2022; BBC Radio London: Forced adoption, Peabody and Tim Arthur, 26/02/2014


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002198d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m00219c6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0021988)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m00219dl)
Ben Wright is joined by the new Culture and Digital Minister, Chris Bryant; Shadow Leader of the Commons, Chris Philp; and Bronwen Maddox - Director of the Chatham House foreign affairs think tank. They respond to news of Joe Biden's withdrawal from the US presidential race, and talk about how Labour will handle demands for public spending on key workers' pay awards and to tackle child poverty. Rosa Prince - deputy editor of Politico UK - adds context and analysis. The programme also includes a discussion about the significance of Prime Minister's Questions - ahead of the first encounter between Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak, since their roles were reversed by the general election.


SUN 23:00 The Human Subject (m00219dn)
The Prisoners Used for Their Skin

Humanity’s journey to understanding the body has been a gory one, littered with unethical experiments, unintended consequences and unimaginable endurance.

In The Human Subject, Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Julia Shaw investigate the threads connecting modern day medicine to its often brutal origins. With every episode they explore some of that dark history and ask - is our present day knowledge worth the suffering it took to get us here?

The year is 1964 and 20 year old Edward Anthony is being checked into Philadelphia’s Holmesburg prison, also known as ‘The Terrordome’, about to serve a 23-month sentence for dealing marijuana.

Only two weeks into being at the prison he agrees to the first of many medical experiments run by Dr Albert Kligman and the University of Pennsylvania dermatology department. This first experiment, a 'bubble bath test', leaves him feeling like his back is on fire. To his cellmates he yells, ‘It’s killing me’. This is the story of Edward and hundreds of other prisoners who were exploited in this Philadelphia prison. in the pursuit of knowledge and for financial gain.

Presenters: Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Julia Shaw
Series Producer: Simona Rata
Assistant Producer: Mansi Vithlani
Executive Producer: Jo Meek
Sound Design: Craig Edmondson
Commissioner: Dan Clarke

An Audio Always production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 23:30 Frontlines of Journalism (m001jkt1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:45 on Saturday]


SUN 23:45 Short Works (m0021435)
The Doghouse

A specially-commissioned comic story by Tom Basden about a man plagued by his own sense of uselessness who finally commits a heroic act, only to meet his wife’s irritation, his son’s indifference and the object of his rescue’s bafflement.

Tom Basden is the writer of “Plebs” and the recent award-winning adaptation of “Accidental Death Of An Anarchist” and the reader is Jason Watkins, star of W1A, The Crown and The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies

Reader: Jason Watkins
Producer: David Tyler

A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4

www.pozzitive.co.uk

MONDAY 22 JULY 2024

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m00219dq)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


MON 00:15 Being Roman with Mary Beard (p0gr2sw2)
6. Love in the Borderlands

At the very edge of Empire, inscribed on a beautifully carved tombstone, there’s a story of love across the tracks. On Hadrian’s Wall a slave girl from Hertfordshire and a lonely traveller from Syria meet and marry. The story of Regina and Barates has inspired poets and writers eager for a simple love story to illuminate a dark and dangerous world. But how true might this be? What brought this couple together across cultures and thousands of miles? Was their alliance true love or forced marriage?

Mary Beard tracks our couple from Palmyra to South Shields, revealing the cultural mix of the Empire and the power dynamics of slave and master with the help of Syrian poet, Nouri Al-Jarrah.

Producer: Alasdair Cross

Expert Contributors: Greg Woolf, University of California Los Angeles and Frances McIntosh, English Heritage

Cast: John Collingwood Bruce played by Josh Bryant-Jones and reading of The Stone Serpent by Tyler Cameron

Translation of The Stone Serpent: Catherine Cobham

Arabic Translation: Samira Kawar

Special thanks to Alex Croom and Tyne and Wear Museums


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002199m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m00219ds)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m00219dv)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m00219dx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:30 News Briefing (m00219dz)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m00219f1)
The slow enduring wisdom of the seasons.

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Ennette C Lainchbury

Good Morning Everyone,

Anyone who’s ever met me will tell you I’m an infectiously bubbly person. And I find this so ironic because in reality I'm actually pretty melancholic. Cut to like 13-year-old me listening to Avril Lavigne and Green Day writing emo poetry. You know, very few people in my life know just how deeply I struggle sometimes with an overwhelming despondency or negativity.

Earlier this year and one of my sadder seasons, I took myself out for a coffee and as I gazed outside the window, there was a tree barely in bloom. This was a while ago now but if you squinted against the sunlight, you could see tiny shoots of life beginning to poke through. Immediately, I was gripped by this thought: if the world was truly doomed and without hope, this tree would not blossom.

No matter how harsh or dark or desolate the winter has been, every spring the buds push through the soil reaching towards the light. Every year, the seasons roll around. Every year, beautiful peach and pale pink buds blossom – their tiny shoots are these little beacons of hope and a promise of goodness. Goodness still in existence, and it’s so worth seeking it out and rejoicing in it. Unlike maybe the excessive positivity slogans all over my social media, the slow enduring wisdom of the turning seasons is one of my way-markers for hope.

Very present God, grant me grace to lament the truth of my pain held in the knowledge that it will not devour me. Remind me, oh God, that you are there in my waiting; present, tender, and kind. However melancholic or joyful I feel, remind me that you are with me. Like the little spring buds, help me to push through and see past the darkness to the sunshine all around.

Amen


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m00219f3)
New figures out today confirm that farming is the most dangerous job in the UK, the Health and Safety Executive says 35 people lost their lives on farms last year.

A Kent nursery which imports more than £3 million worth of plants a year has built a control point on its premises to help it save money on post Brexit checks on the UK border.

And there were a record number of flood warnings for England's best farmland last winter, according to analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. The ECIU warns that climate change 'presents a systemic risk to our best farmland, and therefore our food security.'

Presented by Charlotte Smith

Produced by Alun Beach


MON 05:57 Weather (m00219f5)
Weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m0021b0z)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Orwell vs Kafka (m00201wl)
Ep 3: Doublethink

George Orwell’s 1984 gave us a whole vocabulary to describe the techniques of modern tyranny: from Newspeak, to Doublethink, the Thought Police, and Big Brother, in many ways the language he created is Orwell’s biggest legacy.

In today’s world of half-truths and ‘alternative facts’, Orwell's 1984 has never felt more relevant. The novel remains the book we turn to when facts are questioned, the truth is distorted and power is abused. Franz Kafka’s work plays a similar role: in February 2024, Russian human rights defender Oleg Orlov sat reading ‘The Trial’ in a Moscow courtroom during his own trial.

Helen Lewis and Ian Hislop find out how and why our duo’s writing is still so potent today.

Guests:
Masha Karp, author of “George Orwell and Russia”
Dorian Lynskey, author of “The Ministry of Truth: A Biography of George Orwell's 1984”
Professor Carolin Duttlinger of Wadham College, Oxford
Steve Rosenberg, BBC Russia Editor.

Producer: Sarah Shebbeare


MON 09:30 Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics (m0021b11)
Aphrodite

The Greek goddess of love, sex, desire and beauty, Aphrodite is mostly depicted naked and/or wet. And depending on your age and taste, that could be by Botticelli, Bananarama or Lady Gaga.

Born from the sea foam, you can still visit her rock in Cyprus, where there's always a crowd of tourists. No one is immune to her charms, says Hesiod. In fact we can all learn from Aphrodite's stress-busting strategy: when something annoying or stressful happens, she goes to Cyprus - for a bath.

'Rock star mythologist’ and reformed stand-up Natalie Haynes is obsessed with the ancient world. Here she explores key stories from ancient Rome and Greece that still have resonance today. They might be biographical, topographical, mythological or epic, but they are always hilarious, magical and tragic, mystifying and revelatory. And they tell us more about ourselves now than seems possible of stories from a couple of thousand years ago.

Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0021b13)
Biden drops out and backs Harris, Maternal health in Gaza, Female coaches, Sculptor Dominique White

President Biden has bowed to pressure and made the decision to drop out of the US presidential race. He’s endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the potential Democrat Party nominee to run against Donald Trump – but is America ready for another female presidential nominee? Nuala McGovern is joined by Kelly Dittmar, Director of Research at the non-partisan Center for American Women and Politics and Kimberly Peeler- Allen, co-founder of Higher Heights, an organisation that works to mobilise black women voters, and which endorsed the Vice President yesterday.

The Paris Olympics starts on Friday and it looks like they will be the first Games ever to have equal numbers of male and female athletes – but not of coaches. The figure for female coaches at the last Olympics in Tokyo, was just 13%. So what’s happening to try and shift that dial? Nuala speaks to Dr Elizabeth Pike from Hertfordshire University who leads the Women in Sport High Performance pathway, and Emily Handyside, Head Coach for Wales Netball, and Coaching Performance Pathway Manager at UK Coaching.

Nine months since the current Israel-Gaza war began, we look at pregnancy and giving birth in a war zone. Nuala hears from a mum in Gaza who recently gave birth, and also from a midwife trying to deliver care under constant bombing. We also speak to Hiba Al Hejazi from CARE International UK about the humanitarian support available for women in Gaza. Plus, Nuala is joined by Washington Post Middle East correspondent Louisa Loveluck to talk about the wider situation, including the worries of some of the Israeli hostages' families about the passing of nine months since their loved ones were abducted.

The sculptor Dominique White has a new exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in London. It is four large sculptures made of iron, driftwood and detritus from the sea, lit in such a way to suggest that you are submerged, or looking at a shipwreck on the seabed. It was created during Dominique’s six-month residency in Italy, the time granted to her when she won the Max Mara art prize for women in 2023.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Studio manager: Sue Maillot


MON 11:00 Policing Protest (m0021b15)
Police Force

The story of policing is bound up with the history of protest. Far more than dealing with demonstrations on the street, policing owes its very existence to fears of political unrest and to help protect the state from public disorder. In this wide-ranging three-part series, BBC Home Affairs Editor Mark Easton, with the help of former Police Assistant Commissioner Rob Beckley, tells the story of policing protest in the UK from Peterloo to the present - and beyond.

Episode 1: Police Force

Modern policing in Britain has its origins in protest. The Metropolitan Police was founded by Robert Peel in 1829 in the shadow of the Peterloo massacre ten years earlier where, under instruction from the government, local militia fired directly into the crowd gathered in Manchester in support of voting rights for working men. Peel devised the notion of ‘policing by consent’ as a way of securing support for police within communities, as opposed to using coercive force from without. So simultaneously a police force, an arm of the state tasked with controlling public order and crowd control, that would also be a community service - sensitive and responsive to citizens.

This tension lies at the heart of policing even today and is part of a deeper story of how society contains and manages dissent.
This first episode goes back to the public order roots of modern policing, and explores the secret plan circulated during the Thatcher years to move the police away from 'policing by consent' into something much more militaristic.

Today, policing protest and the control of public order remain at the heart of modern policing. Every week in the capital and cities around the UK the sheer scale, diversity and number of protests is increasing - from domestic issues to climate change and international affairs, with large protests on events in the Middle East. There are huge variations in tactics and the use of social media by different groups – from marching and procession to occupation and ‘static’ protest, direct action and disinformation. And all of this requires policing.

In an era of what police are calling ‘chronic’ protest, resources are being stretched to breaking point. Live social media means the police are under more scrutiny and pressure than ever. Organisations like Extinction Rebellion have brought the capital to a standstill while other groups, like Black Lives Matter, have targeted policing itself as an object of protest. Police tactics like containment (or ‘kettling’) remain controversial, along with recent legislation brought in to increase police powers, such as potentially restricting the length and volume of protest or targeting specific tactics like ‘locking on’, used regularly by Just Stop Oil.

Hearing from police officers of all ranks, activists and agitators from across the protest spectrum, historians, political thinkers, lawyers and journalists – and rich with archive - this series goes deep into the philosophical foundations and real tactics of public order policing. It explores the future of AI in policing protest and new technologies deployed by protestors, the police’s use of crowd psychology, the testing of ‘operational independence’ in the face of political pressure and the regulation of what spaces may or may not be used for public dissent today – the erosion of the protest space, reclaiming our political commons.

Where does the future of protest lie - and with new powers at their disposal, how will it be policed?

Contributors include Matt Twist, Assistant Commissioner for Met Operations; author and police strategy adviser Tom Gash; Melissa Carrington from Just Stop Oil; public order Bronze Commander Jack May-Robinson; Police Sergeant Harriet Blenman; historian Katrina Navikas; crowd psychologist Clifford Stott; founding member of the Race Today Collective Leila Hassan Howe; journalists and authors Matt Foot and Morag Livingstone; human rights lawyer Michael Mansfield KC and Rick Muir, director of the Police Foundation.

Presented by Mark Easton, with reporting by Rob Beckley
Produced by Simon Hollis

A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4


MON 11:45 Child (p0h5h3cf)
Series 1

6. The Unforeseen

Talking about pregnancy loss, miscarriage and unexpected news in pregnancy is difficult, not just for those going through it but for the whole society. But why?

India speaks to Clea Harmer, the CEO of the baby loss Charity Sands about the idea of what is and isn’t a person and how the law, science and our own feelings are at odds with each other on this topic.

We also unpick foetal testing and screening in pregnancy. What syndromes are tested for, and why? And what does this say about our approach to disability and the idea of risk? Dr Garath Thomas is a reader in social sciences at Cardiff University and has researched Down's Syndrome Screening and Reproductive Politics.

For details of organisations which offer support with child bereavement and pregnancy related issues, go online to bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Presented by India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans.
Series Producer: Ellie Sans.
Executive Producer: Suzy Grant.
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts.
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon.
Mix and Mastering by Olga Reed.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds


MON 12:00 News Summary (m0021b18)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m0021b1b)
Customer Service, Shared Ownership, Postal Delays

A new report by consumer champions Which? calls out customer service at Virgin Media, British Gas and Scottish Power. We discuss their findings and hear some useful tips on how to navigate AI chat bots.

Are charity shops becoming more expensive? With increased competition from second-hand resell platforms, and a decrease I the quality of donations, we look at the future of the charity shops and the role they play.

Shared ownership was created to try and help people buy a property without needing as much of a deposit. However, a ministerial report from earlier this year suggests it has not had the desired effect. With solving the housing crisis at the top of the new government’s agenda, will shared ownership play a part in their plans?

Citizens Advice found that 7.2 million people experienced postal delays this spring, having a disproportionately large impact on those most vulnerable. With a potential change of ownership on the horizon, what service can we expect from the Royal Mail going forward?

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: CHARLIE FILMER- COURT


MON 12:57 Weather (m0021b1d)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m0021b1g)
Democrats line up behind Kamala Harris

As Democrats line up behind Kamala Harris, the World at One hears a profile of the vice president. Also, the prime minister announces a shake-up of skills training in England, and Galloway is named as the proposed location for Scotland’s next national park


MON 13:45 The History Podcast (m0021b1j)
Escape from the Maze

Escape from the Maze: 6. A Sea of Screws

Knowing they have strength in numbers, the Prison Officers seize their chance...

Across 10 twisting and turning episodes, Carlo Gebler navigates a path through the disturbing inside story of the 1983 escape from Northern Ireland's Maze Prison - the biggest jailbreak ever to take place on British or Irish soil. As former IRA inmates reveal how they pulled off a mass breakout that creates shockwaves at the heart of government - key security personnel explain why they're unable to stop them.

Presenter: Carlo Gebler
Producer: Conor Garrett
Editor: Philip Sellars
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett
Original Music Score: Phil Kieran
Archive: Cyprus Avenue Films


MON 14:00 The Archers (m00219dg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Ed Reardon's Week (m001nvsh)
Series 15

2. Pallet Wood Inspirations

It’s been six weeks since the loss of Elgar and Maggie decides that Ed needs to re-engage with the world. Whilst he declines her offer to attend a weekend of ‘yarning and darning’ at a festival in Hebden Bridge, his interest is piqued when Maggie introduces him to the delights of old pallets. Thus, he decides to dust off his woodworking skills and enters the growing world of making with pallet wood. Ping might have even found a writing opportunity related to Ed’s new interest but he wonders if this could be the start of a whole new career.

Ed Reardon - Christopher Douglas
Ping - Barunka O’Shaughnessy
Maggie - Pippa Haywood
Stan - Geoffrey Whitehead
Olive - Sally Grace
Winnie - Ellen Thomas
Shop Assistant/WPC - Rachel Atkins

Written by Andrew Nickolds and Christopher Douglas
Produced by Dawn Ellis
Production Co-ordinator - Katie Baum
Sound - Jon Calver

This programme was first broadcast in July 2023.


MON 14:45 Gambits (m0012pk9)
8: The Queen

Tracy-Ann Oberman continues Eley Williams' short story series, set in what might seem like and ordinary Essex village, but is anything but. Today, in 'The Queen', the mother of the local chess prodigy has some startling revelations of her own...

Reader: Tracy-Ann Oberman
Writer: Eley Williams is the author of Attrib. and Other Stories, and a debut novel, The Liar's Dictionary.
Producer: Justine Willett


MON 15:00 A Good Read (m0021b1l)
Sarah Phelps and Irenosen Okojie

RADIO ROMANCE by Garrison Keillor, chosen by Sarah Phelps
PERSEPOLIS by Marjane Satrapi, chosen by Irenosen Okojie
ABSOLUTELY AND FOREVER by Rose Tremain, chosen by Harriett Gilbert

Two authors pick books they love with Harriett Gilbert.

Screenwriter, playwright and television producer Sarah Phelps (The Sixth Commandment, A Very British Scandal, EastEnders) brings us the trials and tribulations of a small-town radio station in the Midwest. Told with humour and irony, but also packs a punch.

Novelist and short story writer Irenosen Okojie (Hag, Butterfly Fish, Speak Gigantular) chooses Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, an autobiographical graphic novel charting the writer's childhood in Iran, set against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution, before her move to Austria.

Harriett Gilbert brings Absolutely and Forever by Rose Tremain, a story about the all-consuming power of first love, set 1960s London.

Produced by Sally Heaven for BBC Audio Bristol
Join the conversation on Instagram @bbcagoodread


MON 15:30 God Next Door (m00219dj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:15 on Sunday]


MON 16:00 Donald Trump and Black America (m00219cv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 Alexei Sayle's Strangers on a Train (m0021983)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


MON 17:00 PM (m0021b1n)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0021b1q)
Democrat governors and members of Congress are backing Kamala Harris to replace him


MON 18:30 Mark Steel's in Town (m0021b1s)
Series 13

Nether Edge

Mark Steel's In Town - Nether Edge

“...a place where all the baristas know your name..."

This week, Mark is in Nether Edge, a leafy suburb of Sheffield which wants to become a village. Here he samples the local honey, visits the local shops and cafes, a rum keg, the bowls club that once threw out Ronnie Wood for inappropriate behaviour, and he talks to the passionate locals about a campaign by the council to make the area less leafy by cutting down half of the trees.

This is the 13th series of Mark's award-winning show where he travels around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness. After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for a local audience.

As well as Nether Edge, in this series, Mark be will also be popping to Margate, Malvern, East Grinstead, Stoke-on-Trent and Coleraine in Northern Ireland.

There will also be extended versions of each episode available on BBC sounds.

Written and performed by Mark Steel

Additional material by Pete Sinclair
Production co-ordinator Katie Baum
Sound Manager Jerry Peal
Producer Carl Cooper

A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4


MON 19:00 The Archers (m0021b1v)
George reluctantly helps Ed use a tub of offal designed to attract and kill flies and prevent fly strike. Ed reckons with a healthy flock they can do well at agricultural shows this Summer. Emma mentions covering Fallon at the tea room so Fallon can work the hen party, and raves about George’s latest video of the discovered kittens. Ed gets an urgent call from Stella – a tree has fallen across a lane, blocking a combine – they need to get the barley in before the weather turns. Ed, Emma and George spring into action.

They make a great team and Ed passes on a cash tip from grateful Brian to George, but George seems reluctant to accept it. Emma admits she can’t keep up with George’s moods lately. Ed and Emma are happy about work picking up - and today won’t have hurt. The best thing is they’re working as a family.

Paul tells Denise all about the pig snout incident and she agrees Vince needs to act for Freddie. Paul’s disappointed when Denise turns down his offer of a night out on Friday, and he confides in Alistair that his Mum isn’t being open with him. Alistair offers advice and Paul’s pleased Denise has Alistair to confide in. Alistair feels awkward and tells Denise about their conversation. Enough is enough, says Denise – she needs to tell Paul about them. As Alistair comforts upset Denise, Paul comes in having overheard them. He knows what’s going on. He feels sick and runs away. Denise is left sobbing and wondering what she is going to do.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m0021b1x)
Fangirls musical, countertenor Jakub Jozef Orlinski, Sam West

Tom talks to the creators of the hit Australian musical Fangirls, Yve Blake and Paige Rattray, as it opens in London.

Countertenor Jakub Jozef Orlinski makes his Proms debut tomorrow night, and talks about combining his career as a top international soloist with breakdancing and modelling.

Actor Samuel West discusses a new report from Campaign for the Arts, which reveals new findings about the state of the arts in the UK.

Children's literature expert and broadcaster Bex Lindsay recommends summer books for younger children.

Race to Imagination island: Mel Taylor Bessent
The Nine night mystery: Sharna Jackson
Super sunny murder club (collection)
Mysteries at Sea: the royal jewel plot by AN Howell
Ramzee: The cheat book
Starminster: Megan Hopkins
Fantastically great women, Sports stars and their stories: Pete Pankhurst

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Rebecca Stratford


MON 20:00 The Briefing Room (m002137x)
Health special 2. Why is anxiety and depression increasing in the UK?

Surveys suggest that at least one in four of us will suffer from anxiety and depression during our lifetimes. The prevalence of these conditions is one of the reasons given for poor school attendance. And it's estimated that these mental health disorders account for 12.5% of all sickness leave in the UK. So what’s caused such an explosion in mental distress and what, if anything, can be done to bring down the numbers? Join David Aaronovitch and a panel of guests to find out.

Guests:
Professor Jennifer Wild, a consultant clinical psychologist and professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford
Dr Jennifer Dykxhoorn, a psychiatric epidemiologist at University College, London
Dr Sharon Neufeld from Cambridge University Medical School and
Thalia Eley, professor of developmental behavioural genetics at Kings College, London

Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Rosamund Jones and Sally Abrahams
Sound engineers: Rod Farquhar and Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon


MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m002137z)
Should Antarctica be off limits?

Antarctica is a 'natural reserve, devoted to peace and science' - that’s according to an international treaty.

But with visitor numbers at a record high, how does tourism fit into that – and what kind of impact is it having on its fragile ecosystem? We discuss whether tourists – and even scientists – should be allowed to go at all.

Swimming in the Seine has been banned for more than a century because of pollution concerns. The main culprit? Human waste. We find out if it really will be safe in time.

And every summer we ready ourselves for 'flying ant day' – that one day where winged ants take to the skies across Britain. Or do they?

Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Ella Hubber and Gerry Holt
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


MON 21:00 History's Secret Heroes (m001y3v6)
13. Christine Granville: The Spy Who Skied In from the Cold

Thrill-seeker Christine Granville offers to ski across enemy lines and over the deadly Carpathian mountains, into Nazi-occupied Poland to gather intelligence for the British. Churchill would later call her his favourite spy.

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 21:30 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


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m0021b1z)
Can Harris beat Trump?

Nancy Pelosi has become the latest leading democrat to back Kamala Harris after Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race. We ask how she could fare with voters against Donald Trump.

As the US considers electing its first Black woman as president, we get an insight into what Kamala Harris could bring to the job from the former Mayor of San Francisco who dated her when she was a young prosecutor 30 years ago.

Also on the programme:

The Conservatives have revealed their plans for electing the party's next leader - who won't be in post until November. We have the latest from Westminster.

And, fresh from opening the Proms, the acclaimed pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason on her call for the government to back music in schools.


MON 22:45 Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang (p0g1b9yw)
Episode Six

June is the centre of a social media storm, but she’s desperate to hold onto her success…

Yellowface, the bestselling novel by Rebecca F Kuang, is a darkly funny mystery with a deeply flawed narrator. June Hayward is a young white American writer whose promising debut novel is quietly sliding into insignificance. She’s intensely jealous of her friend from Yale Athena Liu, who by contrast has been wildly successful. This novel explores racism and cultural appropriation within a fast paced, sharply satirical thriller.

Reader ….. Ashleigh Haddad
Abridger ….. Robin Brooks
Producer ….. Allegra McIlroy

Yellowface is a BBC Books Production for BBC Sounds


MON 23:00 Limelight (p0ccgngq)
The System - Series 2

The System - Step 5: Let the Golden Age Commence

Or How to Save the World in 5 Easy Steps

Step 5: Let the Golden Age Commence

Can the extremists change the world?
And if they can, what would it look like?

Season finale of Ben Lewis’s award-winning thriller.

Cast:
Jake … Alex Austin
Maya… Siena Kelly
Coyote … Divian Ladwa
Jess … Chloe Pirrie
Liv … Jemima Rooper
Richard…Pip Torrens
Matt … Rhashan Stone

Original music and sound design by Danny Krass
Featuring tracks from Equiknoxx music collective

A BBC Scotland Production directed by Kirsty Williams


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0021b24)
Alicia McCarthy reports as Sir Keir Starmer faces MPs' questions about summits. MPs debate the King's Speech - more than a dozen of the new intake make their maiden speeches.

TUESDAY 23 JULY 2024

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m0021b26)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 00:30 Child (p0h5h3cf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0021b28)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0021b2b)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0021b2d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m0021b2g)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0021b2j)
We are one another’s memory keepers

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Ennette C Lainchbury

Good Morning Everyone,

So one of the weirdest traumas I’ve had to process from my parents’ rocky relationship is the loss of my childhood photo albums. My dad insists my mother took them and burnt them in a fit of rage, my mother wholeheartedly denies the accusations and maintains that my father did it. All I know is that I loved flipping through those albums, a collection of memories and stories I was too young to remember yet here was evidence that they did happen.

An entire childhood of firsts and highlights and happy moments captured and kept safe for me. In lieu of my childhood photos, I make do with family get-togethers. When we’re all together I always make us relive and share stories again and again and sometimes in the retelling, new different stories are unearthed, like finding an old photo tucked away in between photo album sleeves.

And this had made me realise, more than the pictures, we’re one another’s memory keepers. Whilst I love sharing stories in this way, this bizarre childhood experience is probably also why I love taking photos, capturing moments that can be relived decades to come. So today, take the photo! It doesn’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to post it, just keep it as evidence of a life well lived.

Lord, thank you for our phones and the chance to take photos. Thank you for all that those photos represent: lives littered with good things that are so easy to forget about. May the photos we take be a reminder of good times. And when things are harder and the days a bit colder, may we look at these photos and feel our spirits buoyed by the memory of all the love and joy we have had the privilege of experiencing. May these good memories serve as a reminder of your goodness to us.

Amen


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m0021b2l)
Three conservation groups say farming budgets need to rise substantially to meet legally binding targets on nature and climate.

Scotland is to have a new national park and Galloway, in the south west of the country, has been chosen as the preferred location. Not everyone is happy, a local farmer gives his views.

Avon and Somerset Police have confirmed it will switch officers from their rural crime team to other roles for the next few months because staffing is so stretched.

UK households spent around £8 billion pounds on gardening products last year according to the Horticulture Trades Association, which is complaining border delays are hitting its industry hard.

Presented by Caz Graham

Produced by Alun Beach


TUE 06:00 Today (m0021b7y)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m0021b04)
Dawn Bonfield on inclusive engineering, sustainable solutions and why she once tried to leave the sector for good

The engineering industry, like many other STEM sectors, has a problem with diversity: one that Dawn Bonfield believes we can and must fix, if we're to get a handle on much more pressing planetary problems...

Dawn is a materials engineer by background, who held roles at Citroën in France and British Aerospace in the UK. But, after having her third child, she made the difficult decision to leave the industry - as she thought at the time, for good. However a short spell working in post-natal services and childcare gave her new skills and a fresh perspective. This led to Dawn rehabilitating the struggling Women in Engineering Society and creating ‘International Women In Engineering Day’, which has just celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Today, she’s Professor of Practice in Engineering for Sustainable Development at King’s College London, and the founder of Magnificent Women: a social enterprise celebrating the story of female engineers over the past century. She’s also President of the Commonwealth Engineers’ Council and has had her work supporting diversity and inclusion recognised with an MBE.

Dawn talks to Professor Jim Al-Khalili about why 'inclusive engineering' should not be dismissed as tokenism, and why she's optimistic about the engineering sector's power to change the world.

Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Lucy Taylor


TUE 09:30 Inside Health (m0021b06)
Is watching sport good for you?

As the emotional roller coaster of the Euros comes to a close and the summer Olympics begin, James joins Professor Damian Bailey for an experiment to measure the ups and downs of watching sport. We monitor brains, hearts, lungs and hormones to try to out if watching sport is good or bad for us.

But is there an additional risk for sports fans attending the summer Olympics in Paris? As climate change drives the tiger mosquito northwards there are concerns over the potential spread of Dengue in France’s capital. James talks to disease ecologist Dr Jennifer Lord to discover what France are doing to prepare for this mosquito-transmitted virus.

Plus, Professor Peter Openshaw joins James to digest the latest Covid-19 inquiry and what lessons we can learn for the next pandemic. Together, they discuss why we are currently experiencing a summer wave of Covid-19.

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant producer: Katie Tomsett
Editor: Holly Squire


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0021b80)
Megan Davis, Cambridge Vice-Chancellor, Kate Lister on banning partners from social events

What makes women become whistleblowers? And what happens after they’ve brought wrongdoing to light? Nuala McGovern talks to lawyer-turned-author Megan Davis about her experience blowing the whistle on financial crime, how it inspired writing her new thriller Bay of Thieves, and how a whistle-blower can make the perfect character for crime fiction.

When is it socially acceptable to bring your partner to hang out with your friends? According to academic and writer Kate Lister the answer is never. In her recent i Paper column, Kate explains that the presence of a partner alters the dynamic, and that friendships ought to be safe havens from romantic relationships. While some couples prefer to socialise together, Kate argues that time and effort should be invested into individual friendships. Kate joins Nuala for a frank discussion on the murky friendship politics of bringing your partner to lunch.

It’s been just over a year now since the University of Cambridge appointed its first American vice-chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice. Before she moved to Cambridge, she was provost at Princeton, where she spent 34 years of her academic career as a psychologist specialising in the study of social norms that govern human behaviour, including gender stereotypes. She joins Nuala to reflect on what she has learnt since arriving in the post.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Laura Northedge


TUE 11:00 Screenshot (m002143k)
Do the Right Thing

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode take a deep dive into Spike Lee’s incendiary 1989 drama about simmering racial tension in and around a Brooklyn pizzeria.

We celebrate 35 years of a film that announced itself like a beat box on full blast. Set within a single inner city block in Brooklyn, New York City on the hottest day of the summer, the movie depicts racial tensions that simmer, as things look set to explode.

Ellen speaks to the film's director Spike Lee to find out how this extraordinary, legacy-defining film originated, and his reaction to its initial mixed reception. And we hear from film critic and Spike Lee biographer, Kaleem Aftab - to discuss the impact of the film, and the United States that it depicts.

Meanwhile, Mark meets upcoming film director, Dionne Edwards to find out how the title sequence of Do the Right Thing inspired her own opening scene in the movie, Pretty Red Dress.

Long time Spike Lee collaborator and cinematographer on Do The Right Thing, Ernest Dickerson, joins Mark to share his classical and dramatic visual influences, and how his use of colour palette and lighting rigs created such a scorching viewing experience.

Producer: Mae-Li Evans
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 11:45 Child (p0h5h43b)
Series 1

7. Are They What You Eat?

India explores the complicated world of nutrition with the help of Dr Emma Derbyshire. How much of the advice out there is crucial, and how much is just another stress on a new parent? And could the food we eat during pregnancy impact the future tastes of an unborn baby? Nadja Reissland shares her research.

Food is one thing, but what are we not exploring when it comes to our influence over an unborn baby? Child psychotherapist Graham Music and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Christine Ekechi share some other significant factors that can impact a foetus.

Presented by India Rakusen.
Producer: Georgia Arundell.
Series Producer: Ellie Sans.
Executive Producer: Suzy Grant.
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts.
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon.
Mix and Mastering by Olga Reed.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m0021b82)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m0021b84)
Call You and Yours: Good or bad, share your customer service experiences

Issues with energy bills, problems with your broadband, gripes with your online deliveries, complications with holiday flights, dispute with your auto renewal…most of us, at some point, come to a point that we need someone to help us. So who do we turn to? Customer services.
However, it’s been widely reported over the last decade about the declining satisfaction of the standard of customer service that is offered. The latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index shows that satisfaction across the UK is at its lowest level since 2010, it’s falling at the quickest rate on record, and is threatening the nation’s economic recovery.

We want to hear about your experiences of dealing with customer service – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Tell us about the positive experiences you had, how did it make you feel, and did it change the way you felt about the organisation who provided it?
Also, what’s it like when things go bad, share your frustrations, and how did it get resolved?

Email us at youandyours@bbc.co.uk, share your stories, and leave a telephone number where we can contact you.

From 11am on Tuesday you can call us on 03700 100 444.

Presenter: Shai Vahl
Producer: Dave James


TUE 12:57 Weather (m0021b86)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m0021b88)
BBC apologises over Strictly Come Dancing claims

The BBC's director general apologises following claims of abusive behaviour on Strictly Come Dancing. Also, a report from the National Audit Office warns that changes to HS2 might actually reduce rail capacity between Birmingham and Manchester


TUE 13:45 The History Podcast (m0021b8b)
Escape from the Maze

Escape from the Maze: 7. A Question of Faith

The IRA tells a mother they must take away her 12-year-old son...

Across 10 twisting and turning episodes, Carlo Gebler navigates a path through the disturbing inside story of the 1983 escape from Northern Ireland's Maze Prison - the biggest jailbreak ever to take place on British or Irish soil. As former IRA inmates reveal how they pulled off a mass breakout that creates shockwaves at the heart of government - key security personnel explain why they're unable to stop them.

Presenter: Carlo Gebler
Producer: Conor Garrett
Editor: Philip Sellars
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett
Original Music Score: Phil Kieran
Archive: Cyprus Avenue Films


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m0021b1v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0021b8d)
The Words

by Maryam Hamidi.

A rich, poetic and thought-provoking drama about the differing experiences of fleeing your homeland and starting again as an adult and as a child.

Ashraf is nervous. It’s the day of his substantive interview for asylum. Sitting next to him is Interpreter 691.

And sitting across from them is an interviewer that Ashraf cannot fully understand.

Everything he says matters. But everything he says, will be resaid and reinterpreted by another.

Nahid is Interpreter 691. Her family sought asylum when she was a child. Now she listens and interprets the stories of other refugees.

But when she meets Ashraf years later in a different context, the experiences they share and the experiences they don’t are brought into sharp relief.

Cast in Order of Appearance:

Ashraf … Mohsen Ghaffari
Nahid … Shireen Farkhoy

Music performed by Dr Parmis Mozafari

Directed by Kirsty Williams

An EcoAudio certified production from BBC Audio Scotland for BBC Radio 4


TUE 15:00 The Gatekeepers (m001xd93)
7. Rest of World

Jamie Bartlett travels to Minnesota to meet Abrham Meareg Amare.

The young academic is seeking asylum in the States following the murder of his father in Ethiopia in 2021.

In December 2022, Abrham became the lead complainant in a $2 billion lawsuit against Meta. Abrham believes that company is partly responsible for the death of his dad - a renowned chemistry professor - who was slandered and doxxed on Facebook, before being shot outside his home.

Abrham says he reported the posts multiple times but they were not taken down, until eight days after the killing.

Jamie meets the Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who tells him that her decision to leak Meta's internal documents was driven by grave concerns about the way Meta operates in the Global South.

Producer: Caitlin Smith
Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore
Story Consultant: Kirsty Williams
Composer: Jeremy Warmsley
Senior Producer: Peter McManus
Commissioned by Dan Clarke for BBC Radio 4.

Archive: C:Span, October 2021

New episodes released on Mondays. If you’re in the UK, listen to the latest episodes of The Gatekeepers, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3Ui661u


TUE 15:30 Beyond Belief (m0021b8g)
Poetry: Reaching for Divine Heights

Recorded live at the Bradford Literature Festival three poets join Giles Fraser to consider the relationship between poetry and the divine.

Some of our most feted poets, from Rumi to John Donne, Tagore to William Blake – have found that poetry opens up a space to explore the divine. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare praised the poet’s eye, glancing ‘from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven’ as ‘imagination bodies forth the forms of things unknown’.

In front of a live audience, a fascinating panel of contemporary poets and wordsmiths join Giles to discuss whether poetry can help bridge the gap between the physical and metaphysical worlds. Camille Ralphs, Testament and Kate Fox consider how their forebears have used words to try and climb spiritual ascents. Reading some of their own work, they’ll also share their own relationships between art and faith.

Producer: Rebecca Maxted
Assistant Producers: James Leesley and Ruth Purser
Editor: Tim Pemberton


TUE 16:00 Art That Conquered the World: The Hay Wain (m0021b8j)
We have been making art for tens of thousands of years. But very few of these many millions of images have become truly famous.

Only a handful of artworks have entered popular culture, as fridge magnets, greetings cards and biscuit tins – becoming instantly recognisable all over the world.

Art historian Dr James Fox tells the story of one such painting, John Constable's The Hay Wain.

For more than a century, The Hay Wain has been all around us. It's been reproduced in magazines and on merchandise, in cartoons and advertisements and featured on propaganda posters and at protests. But why did it hit the big time?

Christine Riding of The National Gallery and the photomontage artist and activist Peter Kennard contribute as James traces The Hay Wain's progress through the artistic stratosphere to global celebrity.

Producer: Julia Johnson
A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 16:30 You're Dead to Me (m0021981)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Saturday]


TUE 17:00 PM (m0021b8l)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0021b8n)
He faces a lengthy jail term for his role in the banned group Al-Muhajiroun


TUE 18:30 Rhysearch (m00212rn)
Series 2

5. Are There Enough Babies?

Comedian Rhys James investigates topics that the rest of us are too busy to be bothered with.

5. Are There Enough Babies?

Across the Western world, birth rates are dropping rapidly. Many experts believe this to be one of the biggest crises of our time. Rhys explores whether we should be having more babies, less babies or if we're having the exact right amount of babies.

Written and presented by Rhys James
Guest... Stephen J Shaw

Production Co-Ordinator: Dan Marchini
Produced by Carl Cooper
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss

This is a BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4

An EcoAudio Certified production


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m00219zh)
Ben is surprised about Alistair and Denise, but Lily is more defensive. Ben also learns that Freddie has been bullied at work and grills Lily for more info, quickly realising that it was Lily who influenced Vince to act – but she insists that Freddie is not to know.

At the shop, Neil and Susan chat about how well Ed and Emma are doing with the tree surgery business. Meanwhile, Ed’s looking for ideas for Emma’s upcoming 40th birthday. Susan encourages Neil to take George for a pint and chance to bond. Neil makes small talk with Alistair about the under 16s’ cricket training and the Cantering On event – Susan is keen to ensure that Alice isn’t blamed for Strangles at the Stables. Unsympathetic Alistair’s drawn into talking about the night of the crash into the Am, and talk of Alistair and Denise that night prompts Paul to make a revealing comment about the pair in front of Neil and Susan.

Paul storms home and opens up to Lily about how he’s been left questioning everything. As Paul defends his broken Dad, Lily tries to get him to see things from Denise and Alistair’s perspective, drawing on her own experience falling for Russ. Life is messy. Ben pops his head in – Alistair is at the door.

Alistair tries to explain himself – it’s genuine, not a tawdry affair, but he never intended to come between Paul’s parents. Paul finds Alistair disgusting – he took advantage of his mum when she was vulnerable. Paul has no intention of working with Alistair – he can take his job and shove it!


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m0021b8t)
Arts Sponsorship in Crisis?

Samira discusses the perilous situation facing arts sponsorship in the UK, amid growing protests and campaigns, with leading figures from the worlds of arts and finance.

As literary and music festivals have been engulfed in sponsorship rows this summer, resulting in many severing ties with major donors such as the investment firm Baillie Gifford. what are the implications for the future of arts institutions?

She is joined by Peter Bazalgette, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non Fiction.
David Ross, co-founder of Carphone Warehouse, founder of Nevill Holt Opera Festival and Chair of the National Portrait Gallery.
Julia Fawcett, Chief Executive of The Lowry in Salford.
Noreen Masud, author and lecturer in 20th Century Literature at the University of Bristol.
Author and journalist John Kampfner.
Luke Syson, Director of The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
City Financier Malcolm Le May.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Timothy Prosser


TUE 20:00 Today (m00219z3)
The Today Debate: What's at stake for America and the world in the 2024 US elections?

The Today Debate is all about taking a subject and pulling it apart with more time than we could ever have in the morning.

Mishal Husain is joined by a panel of guests to discuss the 2024 US elections in front of a live audience.

The panel will explore what's at stake in the presidential elections, both for America and for the wider world.


TUE 20:45 In Touch (m0021b8w)
New Glaucoma Research; Artificial Intelligence in Eye Care

Researchers from Moorfields Eye Hospital and University College London (UCL) have identified markers in the blood that may predict which Glaucoma patients are likely to continue losing vision despite treatment that aims to lower the pressure that causes their sight loss. Professor Ted Garway-Heath tells In Touch more about their clinical trial.

On In Touch, we've always tried to be careful not to raise false hopes about new eye treatments, but occasionally its too irresistible to not take a peek into the future and look at how modern technology might help us. Developments such as Artificial Intelligence are happening so rapidly, even in the world of eye care. Pete Thomas is the Executive Director of Digital Development at Moorfield's Eye Hospital and he tells In Touch about the application of AI which is already having an effect on the rate of diagnosis of eye conditions, and therefore the speed with which they can be treated.

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.


TUE 21:00 Crossing Continents (m0021b8y)
A Slogan and a Land (Part 1)

Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas last year, the cry “From the River to the Sea” has been heard more and more as a pro-Palestinian slogan. But what river? What sea? And what exactly does the phrase mean? It’s the subject of intense controversy. In this two-part series, reporter Tim Whewell travels from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea, across a tiny stretch of land that’s perhaps the most argued-over in the world.

Along the way, he meets shepherds and teachers, soldiers and gardeners, artists and activists - Palestinians and Israelis of many different views and backgrounds. The shortest line from the River to the Sea doesn’t pass through Gaza. But everyone Tim meets on his journey across the Israeli-occupied West Bank of the River, and in Israel, is living in the shadow of the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel and the war that’s followed. The future of the often-beautiful, fast-changing, overcrowded region he crosses will be at the heart of any solution to the Middle East conflict. In this first programme, he goes from the Jordan, through the Israeli settlement of Argaman, the Palestinian herding community of al-Farisiyah and the Palestinian village of Duma, ending up at the Israeli settlement of Shilo. What do people in those places think now – and do they have any hope for the future?
(In Part 2, Tim leaves the West Bank and travels through Israel.)

Presenter/producer: Tim Whewell
Sound mixing: Andy Fell and Neil Churchill
Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy
(Photo: Some people Tim meets in the series. Clockwise from top left: Ben Levy, Israeli nature ranger; Sulieman Mleahat, Palestinian development worker; Susie Becher, Israeli political activist; Okayla Shehadi, retired Palestinian citizen of Israel.)


TUE 21:30 The Bottom Line (m0021377)
The business of private schools

Private schools in the UK are mostly registered as charities – but they are also businesses – businesses in the sense that they sell a service to paying customers.

They’ve recently been in the news because the new government has said it will remove their exemption from VAT.

In this episode we take a look at the business of private education: how it works, how much money is made and what will happen when exemption from VAT is removed from school fees.

Evan Davis is joined by:
Geoffrey Stanford, Head of Royal Grammar School Newcastle
Jesse Elzinga Head of Sevenoaks School
Cheryl Giovannoni, CEO, Girls' Day School Trust (GDST)
Duncan Murphy, Director of Education, MTM Consulting

PRODUCTION TEAM:
Producers: Drew Hyndman and Alex Lewis
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Rod Farquhar
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge and Janet Staples


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m0021b90)
The downfall of US Secret Service chief

The head of US Secret Service has resigned following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump - hours after facing an extraordinary grilling in Congress. We have reaction from one of the Republican lawmakers on the committee that questioned her.

Also on the programme:

Seven Labour MPs have had the whip suspended after voting against the government in favour of scrapping the two-child benefit cap. We have the latest from Westminster.

We hear from the husband of an American journalist who's been jailed for six and a half years in Russia for allegedly spreading "false information".

And as Team GB says it'll offer athletes military-style “decompression” counselling at the end of the Paris Olympics to help them deal with the “post-Games blues”, we speak to the swimmer Rebecca Adlington about sporting moodswings.


TUE 22:45 Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang (p0g1bbjw)
Episode Seven

June has discovered who’s behind the social media account attempting to blackmail her…

Yellowface, the bestselling novel by Rebecca F Kuang, is a darkly funny mystery with a deeply flawed narrator. June Hayward is a young white American writer whose promising debut novel is quietly sliding into insignificance. She’s intensely jealous of her friend from Yale Athena Liu, who by contrast has been wildly successful. This novel explores racism and cultural appropriation within a fast paced, sharply satirical thriller.

Reader ….. Ashleigh Haddad
Abridger ….. Robin Brooks
Producer ….. Allegra McIlroy

Yellowface is a BBC Books Production for BBC Sounds


TUE 23:00 Jon Holmes Says the C-Word (m0021b94)
3. Diagnosis: Cancer

In episode three, Jon and his guests discuss scans, biopsies and the awkward moment you’re told that you have cancer.

In 2023, Jon Holmes was diagnosed with cancer – which came as a bit of a surprise because, quite frankly, he was far too busy for all of that nonsense. After a very odd, intense, unexpected, ridiculous year, Jon realised that men don’t tend to talk openly about the preposterous indignity of dealing with cancer. So he decided he would, with other men who are going through it, or who’ve been through it.

Here – inevitably – comes his new chatty podcast.

Across the series, Jon will be joined by the comedians Stephen Fry, Mark Steel, Richard Herring, Matt Forde and Eric Idle, actors Colin McFarlane and Ben Richards, rock star and The Alarm frontman Mike Peters, and journalists Jeremy Langmead, Nick Owen and Jeremy Bowen. Jon and his guests will demystify all things cancer in raw, honest, difficult, often absurd and – yes – funny detail, from fingers up the bum to blood tests via biopsies, surgery, catheters, stomas, feeding tubes, penis pumps (no, really) and incontinence pads.

Jon wants to stop the stigma and embarrassment associated with these issues (and by "issues", we mean "body parts and what happens to them"), to raise awareness and encourage listeners to ‘get checked’ as he aims to remove the fear from the whole diagnosis and treatment process in an accessible, honest and entertaining way.

Throughout the series, Jon will also be encouraging listeners to get involved and share their own experiences, whether it's something they have been through themselves or are supporting someone with cancer.

Jon Holmes Says The C-Word aims to humanise what is often a completely de-humanising process, because, honestly, the cancer road is paved with frequently hilarious unexpected moments - and Jon maintains that retaining a sense of humour is all important.

As Jon says: “If there had been a podcast like this when I was diagnosed - one full of other people’s stories, advice and light moments to illuminate the darkness of the whole sorry process - I’d have lapped it up. But there wasn’t, so I spoke to Radio 4, and now there is.”

In Jon Holmes Says The C-Word Jon will be wearing his heart - and, quite frankly, all of his body parts - on his sleeve.

Written and presented by Jon Holmes
Produced by Laura Grimshaw
Commissioning Editor for the BBC - Rhian Roberts
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0021b96)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster as the government faced its first Commons rebellion over the removal of the two child benefit cap.

WEDNESDAY 24 JULY 2024

WED 00:00 Midnight News (m0021b98)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 00:30 Child (p0h5h43b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0021b9b)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0021b9d)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0021b9g)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 05:30 News Briefing (m0021b9j)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0021b9l)
Whisky tastings and yutori: the art of slowing down

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Ennette C Lainchbury

Good Morning Good Morning,

To my surprise, my husband has been dipping his toes into whisky tasting. When we were on our date night earlier this week, he ordered a whisky neat with a little jug of water. If you’re out there and you’re listening and you’re a whisky drinker, you’ll know this is the proper way and the fancy way to enjoy whisky!

I ordered my fruity mocktail, but then of course we had the obligatory “do you want to try mine, let me try yours”. Like a glutton for punishment I said “of course, let me try this whisky” knowing full well I don’t like whisky. So first, I felt the inevitable chemical burn of the liquid in my throat, but this was followed by a very surprising, unexpected smoky loveliness and then minutes later a leathery, woodsy taste filled my mouth. It was this entire flavour journey that required tiny sips with long breaks in between; each sip essentially slowing down time and stretching out the evening we were having in the subtlest and most wonderful of ways.

The slow whisky sipping experience got me thinking of the Japanese word yutori. It’s a beautifully poetic word layered with meaning: more than intentionally slowing down, it means to savour the world around you, taking time to appreciate life, reflecting and finding balance in it, and experiencing a spaciousness of the soul. Gosh in my busy, fast-paced life, I know I definitely want more yutori.

Lord, I’m learning to discover you in the minute and the ordinary. God, your kingdom is as miniature as it is vast. Amidst the social media temptation to compare, prove, perform, and pretend, may I have the courage to live a smaller slower life. May I learn the discipline of lingering and savouring the small things that are a little taste of your kingdom here on earth now.

Amen


WED 05:45 Farming Today (m0021b9n)
A report by the National Audit Office into farming published today shows much room for improvement.

A tree nursery in Fife has been working hard to become better for the environment, and is now pushing to become carbon-negative.

The longest running scientific study into the impact of cereal farming on invertebrates, the Sussex Study which is run by the Game and Conservation Trust, has just published a new paper analysing 50 years’ worth of data.

Presented by Caz Graham

Produced by Alun Beach


WED 06:00 Today (m00219yx)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 Sideways (m00219yz)
A New Frontier

A New Frontier: 3. Life on Mars

Matthew Syed continues his four-part mini-series from Sideways examining the ethics of space exploration in a rapidly expanding era of travel and transformation.

In this episode, he explores the role and ambitions of the new actors in space exploration. More people than ever before can now aspire to travel into space with private companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic. This democratisation of space allows those who can afford it to become astronauts and view our world from a different perspective.

But new actors and new purposes bring new challenges. Spacefaring billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos openly share their ambitions to settle on celestial bodies like the Moon or Mars. With a limited body of space laws, questions about land ownership and governance in space - and on Earth - arise.

With sculptor and new astronaut Ed Dwight, anthropologist Deana Weibel, NASA consultant Linda Billings and space Lawyer Michelle Hanlon.

Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producers: Vishva Samani and Julien Manuguerra-Patten
Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey
Sound Design and Mix: Rob Speight
Theme music by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4


WED 09:30 Intrigue (m0021cx6)
Worse than Murder

Worse Than Murder: 1. Muriel Is Missing

In December 1969, Alick McKay, an executive at Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited, arrives home to find his wife, Muriel, had vanished without a trace. He calls the police to report her missing, and soon places another call too – this time to the editor of The Sun newspaper, Larry Lamb, a colleague.

Lamb’s presence only raises police suspicions - has Muriel really disappeared, or is this just a press set-up, an effort to boost circulation? Then the phone rings. A mysterious man calling himself M3 says that he has taken Muriel McKay and he’s holding her to ransom for £1 million.

Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.

One winter’s night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch’s wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.

Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon Farquhar
Produced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan Oyinka
Sound design and mixing by Basil Oxtoby
Story editor: Andrew Dickson
Executive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami Tzabar
Development by Paul Russell
Voice acting by Red Frederick
Original music composed by Richard Atkinson for Mcasso

A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m00219z1)
Kamala Harris and 'brat summer', Holocaust documentary, Comedian Sashi Perera

Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has been inspired by Charli XCX and her recent album release, brat. The link between the two is all over social media – but what does it all mean? Nuala McGovern is joined by former Editor-in-Chief of Vice and co-host of the Good Bad Billionaire podcast on BBC World Service to explain the trend, and columnist for The Times, Alice Thomson on Kamala Harris’ appeal to women.

A new film, The Commandant’s Shadow, follows Hans Jürgen Höss, the 87-year-old son of Rudolf Höss, the camp commandant of Auschwitz who masterminded the murder of more than a million Jews. While Hans enjoyed a happy childhood playing with many toys in the family villa, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch played cello in the orchestra to survive the notorious concentration camp. Eight decades later, the two come face-to-face, together with their children, Kai Höss and Maya Lasker-Wallfisch. Anita and Maya join Nuala to tell their story.

A new study has found that women in Scotland have reached a landmark moment in business - with the number of female entrepreneurs matching the number of men for the first time. Nuala is joined by primary school teacher turned tech entrepreneur Genna Masterton who runs a business in Glasgow.

Former refugee lawyer turned comedian Sashi Perera joins Nuala to discuss who we choose as our emergency contacts and her new stand-up show, Boundaries.

A new malaria vaccine, licenced for children five months and older, began its roll out in the Ivory Coast last week. Nuala is joined by Dr Mehreen Datoo, who played a pivotal role in the vaccine’s development, after her own experience of malaria almost took her life.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Emma Pearce


WED 11:00 Today (m00219z3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Tuesday]


WED 11:45 Child (p0h6wb9r)
Series 1

8. Mother Brain

The huge changes that occur during pregnancy have been felt by people for millennia, but it's only in recent years that we've had data to back those feelings up. India Rakusen talks to Herman Potzner about just how energetically taxing pregnancy is, and to Elseline Hoeksma about the changes in the maternal brain.

Presented by India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans.
Series Producer: Ellie Sans.
Executive Producer: Suzy Grant.
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon.
Mix and Mastering by Olga Reed.

A Listen production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.


WED 12:00 News Summary (m00219z5)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 You and Yours (m00219z7)
Facebook Ticket Scam, Business Nimbys and Smart Meter Update

The Facebook moderators that aren’t. They look like the real thing that run millions of special interest groups on the platform but in fact they are criminals gaming the system - their latest wheeze is selling fake tickets for Taylor Swift's extra London dates.

When they launched, energy companies had difficulty giving them away for free. Today smart meters make more sense. If you want to export energy from your solar panels or power your EV, for example, you’ll need one. The complaint now is energy companies can't keep up with demand or are botching installations.

Beach huts sell for some crazy prices, although latest data shows demand has plateaued. Still, the most prized could set you back hundreds of thousands of pounds- but what's the appeal of what is basically a box on the beach.

The Crowdstrike outage caused chaos and cancellations at airports and it pointed up something most travellers probably don’t know – it is better to trust your airline app than the airport departure boards, a mistake that cost a Y&Y listener £700.

Nimbys may be the bane of home-builders but small businesses aren’t keen on them either. New research shows a quarter of businesses have had growth plans blocked by planning objections.

PRODUCER: KEVIN MOUSLEY
PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL


WED 12:57 Weather (m00219z9)
The latest weather forecast


WED 13:00 World at One (m00219zc)
Keir Starmer faces first PMQs

Keir Starmer has been facing MPs in his first Prime Minister's Questions since the election. Also: video emerges after Charlotte Dujardin withdraws from the Olympics.


WED 13:45 The History Podcast (m00219zf)
Escape from the Maze

Escape from the Maze: 8. Break for the Border

As more escapees are recaptured, no amount of effort can hide the state's humiliation...

Across 10 twisting and turning episodes, Carlo Gebler navigates a path through the disturbing inside story of the 1983 escape from Northern Ireland's Maze Prison - the biggest jailbreak ever to take place on British or Irish soil. As former IRA inmates reveal how they pulled off a mass breakout that creates shockwaves at the heart of government - key security personnel explain why they're unable to stop them.

Presenter: Carlo Gebler
Producer: Conor Garrett
Editor: Philip Sellars
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett
Original Music Score: Phil Kieran
Archive: Cyprus Avenue Films


WED 14:00 The Archers (m00219zh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Drama on 4 (m000tlvm)
Oak Tree Close

A boy who believes he has magical teeth meets a King in a tree in Boscobel in 1651. A ballad in seven scenes, tracing the life of a protective oak, with a new song - Where My Tooth Once Grew - by Johnny Flynn.

Cast
Thomas (1651) ..... Rui Greaves
Charles ..... Johnny Flynn
Helen ..... Maya Coates
Lizzie ..... Elinor Coleman
Arthur ..... Taylor Simner
Harry ..... Laurie Kynaston
George ..... Joel MacCormack
Padma (1981) ..... Jiyan Kaur Deol
Mr Andrews ..... Stewart Campbell
Thomas (2021) ..... Laurie Kynaston
Padma (2021) ..... Priyanga Burford

Writers, Maud Dromgoole (1651), Sonia Jalaly (1727), Hatty Jones (1787), Joel MacCormack (1891), Margaret Perry (1919), Priyanga Burford (1981) and Max Levine (2021)
Where my Tooth Once Grew - Lyrics Johnny Flynn and Robert MacFarlane, Music, Johnny Flynn
Musical director, Peter Ringrose
Production Coordinator, Anne Isger
Director, Jessica Dromgoole


WED 15:00 Money Box (m00219zk)
Money Box Live: Your Power of Attorney Questions

Felicity Hannah looks at giving someone Lasting Power of Attorney - that's the authority to manage your financial affairs in the event that you couldn't.

What are they, how do they work and how much do they cost? This programme is dedicated to answering your questions.

On the panel we have Sam Cox, knowledge officer from the Alzheimer's Society and Melinda Giles, partner and head of court protection at Giles Wilson Law.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Neil Morrow
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 24th July 2024)


WED 15:30 The Science Of... Knife Crime (m00219zm)
Knife crime in Britain gets called an 'epidemic', so could a scientific approach be the solution to saving lives? From the moment a stabbing takes place, into the ambulance and through to the operating table and the aftercare, we join emergency medicine doctor Saleyha Ahsan to see the journey victims take through hospital and the science that underpins the efforts to save their life.

With lessons from Formula 1 and the policing of late night drinking, she sees how looking sideways is helping us adapt to the challenges of preventing and treating knife injuries.

Presenter: Dr Saleyha Ahsan
Producer: Tom Bonnett
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Holesworth
Executive Editor: Martin Smith


WED 16:00 The Media Show (m00219zp)
“The UK’s wildest climate trial”

The trial of five activists who disrupted the M25 in London in 2022 concluded last week with them receiving the longest ever UK sentences for non-violent protest. Summing up, the judge thanked a journalist from The Sun newspaper who provided key evidence after secretly recording a Just Stop Oil meeting. Damien Gayle describes how he navigated reporting restrictions to cover dramatic scenes in court as the defendants attempted to draw attention to their cause. Jack Chapman is a producer who has also been covering the group's tactics in his Channel 4 documentary, Chris Packham: Is It Time to Break the Law? We explore the ethical and legal challenges of following these activists. It's a subject that divides opinion. Meera Selva explains why she feels the media as a whole gets the story wrong.

Plus we discuss Kamala Harris's social media strategy; the findings of the BBC's annual report and how journalists are covering the Paris Olympics, which start this week.

Guests: Damien Gayle, Environment Correspondent, The Guardian; Jack Chapman, Producer, Chris Packham: Is It Time to Break the Law?; Meera Selva, CEO, Internews Europe; Mimi Mihailescu, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Bath; Nicole Auerbach, Senior Writer, The Athletic; Max Miller, Sport & Tech Reporter, Broadcast Magazine; Dade Hayes, Business Editor, Deadline

Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Simon Richardson


WED 17:00 PM (m00219zr)
Protestors gather in Washington ahead of Netanyahu's Congress address

Analysis as the Israeli Prime Minister prepares to address the House of Representatives, nine months after the war in Gaza began. Plus: how do you construct a new town?


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m00219zt)
He has suspended seven MPs for backing an amendment to abolish the two-child benefit cap


WED 18:30 Geoff Norcott's Working Men's Club (m00219zw)
Episode 3

Geoff Norcott examines modern masculinity in this stand-up series for Radio 4, by creating the safe space of a working men’s club so he can speak freely about the problems men are facing and how we might go about fixing them in a way that benefits everyone.

This week, Geoff looks at male friendship. Are men capable of forming better bonds with other men, beyond stag dos and pub crawls? With the help of his studio audience, Geoff looks at why so many men seem lonely, and why they seem reluctant to do anything constructive about it.

Written and presented by Geoff Norcott

Recorded by Richard Biddulph

Production manager: Sarah Wright
Executive producer: Caroline Raphael
Producer: Ed Morrish

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


WED 19:00 The Archers (m00219zy)
At the tearoom, Elizabeth teases old-school Vince who’s pleased with how the mediation chat went. But Vince carelessly mentions Freddie, and Elizabeth is horrified to realise he was the bullying victim. Lynda talks about the village fête – it has a cost-of-living theme and Lynda insists that Joy and the committee need her expertise, not least working with local business leaders such as Vince. Annoyed, Elizabeth leaves Vince to talk with Lynda and he agrees to supply meat for Ian’s budget cookery demos, and to liaise with Ian about it. When Vince checks the date of the fête – 25 August - horrified Lynda learns that it clashes with the Stables’ ‘Cantering On’ event. Why did no one tell her?!

Elizabeth spots something on Hilda’s face – ticks, says Emma. Elizabeth grills Vince to explain himself – now she knows it was Freddie being bullied, she presses for more serious action. Vince assures Elizabeth that the problem has now been dealt with.

News of Alistair and Denise’s affair has spread and Emma and Fallon gossip. Pip’s worried about how Natasha is ploughing on with purchasing things for the hen party and Fallon’s persuaded to phone Natasha, managing to negotiate the ‘extras’ as freebies in return for some written testimonials. Pip’s chuffed, and is really keen she is to support Fallon’s enterprise. Not mine, Natasha’s, corrects Fallon.

Emma spots that Fallon is a bit flat and Fallon opens up about how she feels she’s going nowhere professionally. Emma mentions the EV charging station, where they are looking for someone to run the new cafe. Fallon doesn’t have to stay here.


WED 19:15 Front Row (m0021b00)
Keanu Reeves & China Miéville, The Cultural Olympiad in Paris, Making in Blackburn

Hollywood star Keanu Reeves and award-winning author China Miéville have joined forces for The Book of Elsewhere, which is based on Keanu's hit comic book series BRZRKR and tells the story of an immortal warrior and his journey through time.

As Paris prepares to welcome the world for the Olympic and Paralympic Games this week, the writer and broadcaster Agnés Poirier reports on the City of Light's Cultural Olympiad.

Nick visits Blackburn to meet co-founder and co-director of the National Festival of Making, Elena Jackson, and to see two of this year's festival commissions - Breathing Colour by textile artist and designer Margo Selby, and Invisible Hands by ceramic artist Nehal Aamir.

Presenter: Nick Ahad
Producer: Ekene Akalawu


WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m0021b02)
The Modern Olympics were founded in 1896 by a Parisian with serious moral principles . Pierre De Coubertin even made up a word for it: Olympism: ‘a way of life based on the joy of effort ..and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles. He thought that sports at an international level could foster respect and peace between nations. This week as the Games get underway in De Coubertin’s city, athletes have been meeting to do just that, talk about the role that sport plays in building bridges. But how much does the modern games live up to these highminded ideals? For detractors, it’s a bloated megagames, always billions over overbudget that displaces communities and marginalises the excluded.
What about nationalism and the place of the politics in the competition? The way De Coubertin conceived the idea with nations competing for international glory, means it’s impossible to put nationalism and politics aside. He insisted it was individuals, not countries in competition but the medal tables tell a different story. And the Olympics has often been the battleground to show the triumph of one ideology over another, particularly during the Cold War. Does the Olympics really promote peace as it’s goals suggest or is just ‘war minus the shooting’ as George Orwell wrote. Do the Olympics cause more harm than good?
WITNESSES: Dr Shakiba Moghadam, Dora Pallis, Prof David Case Large, Prof David Papineau
PANELLISTS:Giles Fraser, Anne McElvoy,Ash Sarkar, Mona Siddiqui
Presenter: Michael Buerk
Producer: Catherine Murray
Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser
Editor Tim Pemberton


WED 21:00 The Life Scientific (m0021b04)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Tuesday]


WED 21:30 Inside Health (m0021b06)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Tuesday]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m0021b08)
Netanyahu tells US Congress "our fight is your fight"

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a landmark address before a joint session of the United States Congress in which he enjoined US politicians to continue supporting his country's war against Hamas in Gaza and its confrontation with Iran. "When we fight Iran, we're fighting the most radical and murderous enemy of the United States of America," Mr Netanyahu said. But protesters outside the Capitol building labelled him a "war criminal" and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

A whistleblower who released a video of Olympian Charlotte Dujardin, appearing repeatedly to whip a horse she was training, says she did so in order to "save dressage". What impact could the video have on the equestrian sport?

And we spoke to the biographer of celebrated Canadian author Alice Munro, who passed away in May. Her daughter now says she was sexually abused by her stepfather, and accused her mother of turning a blind eye.


WED 22:45 Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang (p0g1bbx7)
Episode Eight

June couldn’t resist turning to Athena Liu’s notes again for inspiration, with major consequences…

Yellowface, the bestselling novel by Rebecca F Kuang, is a darkly funny mystery with a deeply flawed narrator. June Hayward is a young white American writer whose promising debut novel is quietly sliding into insignificance. She’s intensely jealous of her friend from Yale Athena Liu, who by contrast has been wildly successful. This novel explores racism and cultural appropriation within a fast paced, sharply satirical thriller.

Reader ….. Ashleigh Haddad
Abridger ….. Robin Brooks
Producer ….. Allegra McIlroy

Yellowface is a BBC Books Production for BBC Sounds


WED 23:00 Me and the Farmer (m0021b0d)
4. Passionate about Potatoes

Jim's dad was passionate about tatties (that's potatoes!) and it's a passion he shared with his son. This episode is all about the folk who came to help pick the tatties and the berries in the local area - with people coming from all over Scotland the fields were full of parties and good banter.

Me and the Farmer is a stand up show chronicling Jim's life as a working farmer in rural Perthshire. This isn't an act. By day, Jim works the land and looks after his sheep and by night he performs stand up to sold out venues across Scotland.

In each episode, Jim tells anecdotes about life on his family farm to a live audience in his nearest city of Perth. This is an honest, behind the scenes look at what it takes to be a modern farmer.

Written and Performed by Jim Smith
Produced by Lauren Mackay
Sound by Andy Hay and Barry Jackson
Photo credit: Chris Quilietti


WED 23:15 Maisie Adam: The Beautiful Game (m001n8tr)
2. 'There's just not enough demand for it, sorry'

Stand-up comedian Maisie Adam presents her stand-up special where she discusses her love of football and her experience of the women’s game ahead of the Women's World Cup 2023.

For Maisie, football has always been there, even when all the signs have been screaming that this wasn’t a sport for her. At school, where the girls curriculum neglected football in favour of the skirt-adorning Hockey and Netball. In the park, where boys wouldn’t pass to girls “because they’ll lose the ball”. And in adult life, where the local sports centre advertises Men's 5-a-side, and women's Yoga.

But it’s a game where all you need is players and a ball. That’s it. Well, we have women. We have footballs. Time to pass the ball, lads.

This week, Maisie reflects on football infrastructure in the UK and why it felt like you had to move to the USA, Bend It Like Beckham style, if you wanted to pursue football professionally as a woman. She's joined by the leading global scholar of women's football, Professor Jean Williams, to help her find out why this was the case for well over a hundred years.

Written by and starring Maisie Adam

Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Co-ordinators: Caroline Barlow and Dan Marchini
Sound editor: David Thomas
Photo credit: Matt Crockett

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

This programme was first broadcast in June 2023.


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0021b0g)
First PMQs for Sir Keir Starmer as PM

THURSDAY 25 JULY 2024

THU 00:00 Midnight News (m0021b0j)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 00:30 Child (p0h6wb9r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0021b0l)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0021b0n)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0021b0q)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 05:30 News Briefing (m0021b0s)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0021b0v)
Mental resilience and yoga: shifting the culture around us

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Ennette C Lainchbury

Good morning everyone,

So I’ve been thinking a lot about mental resilience and self-discipline. One of the best quotes I read about self-discipline earlier this year has really sort of transformed the way that I think about it. It was simply the statement that ‘self-discipline is the greatest form of self-love'. Because self-discipline is the ability to look after and love your future self more than the current comfort you might feel in this moment.

All this got me thinking about yoga, where these seemingly simple movements or poses the instructor gets me to hold can be so incredibly hard. If you’ve ever done yoga, you know the struggle! Even as a yoga teacher myself, every time I stand there in Warrior II my muscles are straining under the effort of trying to maintain this pose. And in these moments, I have to chose to remind myself that this experience on my mat translates to a more profound truth in my life off the mat.
The fact that we all get up, brush our teeth, have a shower, get to where we need to be on time amidst juggling all the other myriad of things going on, it just requires like a huge effort and is in fact an incredibly challenging thing to maintain.

So in the yoga class, a moment where I want to compare and feel weak and frustrated that I’m not better, is actually a moment to bring a bit more radical self compassion. And yeah this isn’t self care for the sake of the trend but rather the more awareness and empathy we can have for ourselves, the more it will spill out to those around us. This is how we can slowly begin to shift the culture around us at work at home.

So Lord, where it’s so easy in this life to be our own harshest critics, where we so often feel alone in carrying the weight of our lives to wishing we were better or different, where we accidentally find ourselves perpetuating exacting standards on ourselves and those around us, may your grace come and soothe those harsh places within us, may we drink deep of our loving kindness and mercy. Resting in the truth that today, as I am, is enough.

Amen.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (m0021b0x)
25/07/24 - The Royal Welsh Show 2024

This programme comes from the 120th Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells. 250,000 people are expected to attend across 4 days, with 7000 livestock entries.

It comes during an eventful week in Welsh politics, with the Cabinet Secretary of Climate Change and Rural Affairs in the Welsh Government set to become the new Deputy First Minister. So what does it all mean for future farming policy?

Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced by Heather Simons


THU 06:00 Today (m0021bcp)
Emma Barnett and Amol Rajan present as Joe Biden makes an address to explain why isn't running for a second term. Also on the programme Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announces the creation of GB Energy, and Quentin Sommerville reports from Ukraine.


THU 09:00 Politically (m0021bcr)
Reflections

Reflections: Charles Clarke

The former Home Secretary reflects with Jim Naughtie on life at the heart of the Labour Party.

What was it like to be at Neil Kinnock's side during Labour's wilderness years, running the Home Office on 7/7, and being sacked by Tony Blair?

Producers: Daniel Kraemer and Giles Edwards

This episode was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 25 July 2024


THU 09:30 Rory Stewart: The Long History of... (m0021bct)
Ignorance

Ignorance: 3. Ignorance and Inspiration

We prize knowledge, and rightly so. We think of ignorance as a bad thing. But ignorance is inseparable from what we know.

Knowledge can distract us, mislead us and endanger us. While ignorance is often the most fundamental insight about our human condition. Ignorance is not simply the opposite of knowledge, but a positive force with its own momentum that gives meaning to our lives. It drives scientific discovery, fosters creativity and can be psychologically helpful.

That’s why Rory Stewart wants to make a radical case for embracing ignorance. He wants to encourage a way of knowing in which knowledge and ignorance exist in a relationship with each other.

With a cast of global thinkers, drawing on Western and Eastern ideas from the ancient world to the present day, Rory explores how a greater awareness and appreciation of ignorance can help us become more clear-thinking, humble, empathetic and wise.

Writer and presenter: Rory Stewart
Producer: Dan Tierney
Mixing: Tony Churnside
Editor: Tim Pemberton
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

Readings by Rhiannon Neads

Contributions across the series from:

Alex Edmans - Professor of Finance at London Business School.
Ani Rinchen Khandro - a life ordained nun in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
Annette Martin - Assistant Professor in Philosophy at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Antony Gormley - sculptor.
Carlo Rovelli - Theoretical physicist and Professor in the Department of Physics at Aix-Marseille University.
Daniel DeNicola - Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania – and author of ‘Understanding Ignorance: The Surprising Impact of What We Don't Know’ (2018).
Daniel Whiteson - Professor of Physics at The University of California, Irvine.
Derek Black - Author of ‘The Klansman’s Son: My Journey from White Nationalism to Antiracism’ (2024).
Edith Hall - Professor in the Department of Classics and Ancient History, at Durham University.
Fabienne Peter - Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick.
Felix Martin - economist and fund manager.
Iain McGilchrist - Psychiatrist, neuroscience researcher, philosopher and literary scholar.
James C. Scott - Anthropologist and Sterling Professor Emeritus in Political Science at Yale University.
Jay Owens - Author of ‘Dust: The Modern World in a Trillion Particles’ (2023).
John Lloyd - Television and radio comedy producer and writer.
Jonathan Evans, Baron Evans of Weardale - Former Director General of MI5.
Karen Douglas - Professor of social psychology at the University of Kent.
Mark Lilla - professor of humanities at Columbia University, New York City and author of ‘Ignorance and Bliss: On Wanting Not to Know’ (2024).
Martin Palmer - Theologian, sinologist and translator of Daoist and Confucian texts.
Mary Beard - Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge.
Michael Ignatieff - Professor in the Department of History at Central European University in Budapest and former Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
Neil Hannon - singer-songwriter and frontman of The Divine Comedy.
Nicholas Gruen - policy economist and social commentator.
Rik Peels - Professor of Philosophy, Theology and Religion at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and author of ‘Ignorance: A Philosophical Study (2023)’.
Robert Beckford - Theologian and Professor of Climate and Social Justice at the University of Winchester.
Rowan Williams - Theologian and former Archbishop of Canterbury.
Sandrine Parageau - Professor of Early Modern British History at Sorbonne University and author of ‘The Paradoxes of Ignorance in Early Modern England and France’ (2023).
Stuart Firestein - Professor of Biological Sciences at Columbia University, New York City and author of ‘Ignorance: How It Drives Science’ (2012).
Tom Forth - data scientist, Head of Data at ‘Open Innovations’ and co-founder of ‘The Data City’.


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0021bcw)
Kamala Harris and female votes, Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell, Poet Zara Sehar

Kamala Harris has spoken about making childcare and eldercare more affordable, securing universal paid maternity leave and signing into law a bill that would restore and protect the right to abortion. So could these policies win her female votes, and how does this fit in with her strategy to try and beat Trump in the US presidential election? Anita Rani speaks to Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, director of Chatham House's US and Americas programme.

Zara Sehar recently won the audience vote at the Roundhouse Poetry Slam competition, and joins Anita to talk about her work and perform from one of her poems, (Hon)our Killings. In it she mentions spoons in knickers, a tactic suggested to young girls being taken out of the country who are at airports and at risk of forced marriage. Natasha Rattu, Executive Director at Karma Nirvana explains why they give this advice to British-Asian girls.

Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell was the first black woman to swim for Great Britain. Born in the UK, her family moved to Kenya when she was four. She started swimming competitively from the age of six and was world number one in the 50 metres breaststroke, aged 15. But Rebecca walked away from the sport ahead of the London 2012 Olympics. She has written a memoir, These Heavy Black Bones, in which she delves into how she achieved success but also what it cost her, physically and mentally, and why she gave it all up.

It's 50 years since the death of the American singer Cass Elliot. She died at just 32, and her musical legacy includes some of the best-known songs of the 60s and 70s, from both her time in The Mamas & the Papas and her solo career. Eddi Fiegel, author of Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Life of 'Mama' Cass Elliot, tells Anita who she was.


THU 11:00 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m0021bcy)
Series 30

'Beastly Bodies' Kids Special - Steve Backshall, Jess French and Adam Kay

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by adventurer and naturalist Steve Backshall, veterinarian Jess French, and comedian and former doctor Adam Kay, as they are put to the test by an audience of curious children at Cheltenham Science Festival. We find out who would win in a battle between a shark and a crocodile (the answer involves a tennis court), why dogs don’t sweat like humans, whether macrophages might help us overcome antibiotic resistance and if AI might one day enable us to understand and directly communicate with animals.

Producer: Melanie Brown
Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem
BBC Studios Audio Production


THU 11:45 Child (p0h6wcqr)
Series 1

9. Birth Plan

How can we truly plan for something as big and unknowable as birth? What are we forgetting to prepare for - or not being told? India Rakusen talks to obstetrician and gynecologist Dr Ranee Thakar about tearing during birth, and to Siobhan Miller, founder of the Positive Birth Company, about hypnobirthing.


Presented by India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans.
Series Producer: Ellie Sans.
Executive Producer: Suzy Grant.
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon.
Mix and Mastering by Charlie Brandon-King.

A Listen production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.


THU 12:00 News Summary (m0021bd0)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 The Bottom Line (m0021bd2)
The Bottom Line (unofficial) Business Awards

Every year has its business highs and lows which we don't often get an opportunity to chew over on The Bottom Line.

This year is different.

To mark our end of term, we thought we’d reflect on the business year and look at some of the highs and lows across the business landscape, creating our very own (and very unofficial) Bottom Line Business Awards.

Three panellists, three categories, three nominations.

Joining Evan are:
JESSICA SPUNGIN, Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School
SIR KEN OLISSA, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London and Chair and founder of Restoration Partners, a bank for entrepreneurs
And NISHMA PATEL ROBB, current Executive Member of Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership, founder and CEO of The Glittersphere and formerly Marketing Director at Google UK

PRODUCTION TEAM:
Producers: Drew Hyndman and Alex Lewis
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Rod Farquhar
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge


THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m0021bd4)
Dough - Vacuum Cleaners

Why do we buy so many vacuum cleaners?

Dough is a new series from BBC Radio 4 which looks at the business behind profitable, everyday products and considers how they might evolve in the future.

In this episode, the entrepreneur Sam White speaks with experts from the world of vacuum cleaner manufacturing, including:

Grahame Capron-Tee - who has seen many significant changes during his long career in the industry;

Nick Grey - the inventor and founder of Gtech;

Anthony Williams - a global director at the data insights company, GFK.

Also joining them is the technology expert and applied futurist Tom Cheesewright, to offer his insight and predictions on what might be coming beyond the current production pipeline.

Together, they explore how vacuum cleaners went from exterior, horse-drawn contraptions to interior, automatic robots scuttling around on the floor, explain why UK households buy so many vacuum cleaners and give their expert views on game-changing - and pointless - product innovations.

There's a debate about bagged versus bagless vacuum cleaners and a discussion on when robotic vacuum cleaners might be able to clean more than just the floors.

Dough looks at where the smart money's going now and what that could mean for all of us in the years ahead.

Produced by Jon Douglas. Dough is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in August when Greg Foot will investigate more of the latest so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread.

In the meantime, Dough is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds


THU 12:57 Weather (m0021bd6)
The latest weather forecast


THU 13:00 World at One (m0021bd8)
Police officer suspended after airport kicking video

A police officer has been suspended after a video shows a man being kicked in the head at Manchester Airport. Also: What are Labour's plans for Great British Energy?


THU 13:45 The History Podcast (m0021bdb)
Escape from the Maze

Escape from the Maze: 9. Ripples in the Water

The government inquiry into the escape is about to have deadly consequences...

Across 10 twisting and turning episodes, Carlo Gebler navigates a path through the disturbing inside story of the 1983 escape from Northern Ireland's Maze Prison - the biggest jailbreak ever to take place on British or Irish soil. As former IRA inmates reveal how they pulled off a mass breakout that creates shockwaves at the heart of government - key security personnel explain why they're unable to stop them.

Presenter: Carlo Gebler
Producer: Conor Garrett
Editor: Philip Sellars
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett
Original Music Score: Phil Kieran
Archive: Cyprus Avenue Films


THU 14:00 The Archers (m00219zy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0021bdd)
The Poor Olympics and the Flying Housewife

Uplifting, poignant and funny Olympic sports drama based on true events, premiering on the eve of Paris 2024.

It’s 1948. London is picked to host the Olympics. But GB is skint, hungry and tired after eight years of rationing and a £7,000 million war debt. It has nothing left, including hope. This Olympics are set to be an embarrassing failure.

In the middle of impending doom, young GB athletes Dorothy Manley, Maureen Gardner and Evelyn Betchley arrive, all set to race veteran Dutch runner Fanny Blankers-Koen (‘FBK’). At 30, mother-of-two FBK is considered too old to compete and battles with the anti-sportswomen male Establishment, led by Avery Brundage, President of the International Olympic Committee, who preaches how sport endangers female fertility.

When Brundage turns the press on FBK (dubbed ‘The Flying Housewife’) for neglecting her children, matters escalate. Just before the Games begin, FBK discovers she is three months pregnant. When team GB find out, will FBK be hounded out of the Games?

This inspiring drama chronicles a remarkable journey. It shows how the poor Olympics defied all odds to become a beacon of hope and unity, epitomised by ‘The Flying Housewife’ and the GB team. It shows how everyone pulled together to create one of the most unforgettable and heart warming Olympics in history.

Starring Martin Bonger, Hollie Burgess (‘Gudrun’), AK Golding, Sandra-Mae Lux (‘The Sandman’), Remmie Milner, Wilf Scolding (‘The Archers’) and Kerry Shale (‘Yentl’).

Soundtrack by pioneering 1940s women musicians Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Ella Fitzgerald.

Written and directed by Sean Grundy
Executive Producer: Boz Temple-Morris
Recorded by Wilfredo Acosta
Sound Design by Alisdair McGregor
Produced by Cara Jennings
A HandDrawn production for BBC Radio 4


THU 15:00 Ramblings (m0021bdg)
Surrey - from Oaks Park to Kingswood

Clare meets the founders of Walking Post on a hike from Oaks Park to Kingswood in Surrey. Walking Post is a not-for-profit website run by friends who have designed, mapped and now share multiple walking routes around London, Surrey, Kent, Essex and beyond. Every walk is accessible by public transport, something key to web-designer Lucy Maddison who doesn’t own a car.

The project has expanded from a personal project into what is now a free public resource, and even though Lucy and her friend, Emily Morrison, both have ‘proper’ jobs they even offer monthly walks to anyone who wants to come along.

Find them at walkingpost.co.uk

Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m00219c6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Feedback (m0021bdj)
Behind the Crime, World Service and Any Answers

Andrea Catherwood gets under the skin of Radio 4's Behind the Crime, putting listeners' views to Dr Sally Tilt and Dr Kerensa Hocken, the forensic psychologists who devote each programme to interviewing one former criminal in depth, to unpick how their life experiences contributed to their decisions to offend.

The Director of the World Service recently resigned from her post. Liliane Landor talks about the challenges of budget cuts and her concerns for the station's future, while World Service listeners say what the World Service means to them.

Feedback is always keen to hear listeners' nominations for the programme's Interview of the Year - anything that made you stop in your tracks, cry, laugh-out-loud, or completely change your thinking on a subject. The latest nomination comes for a chat between Alex Hartley, Kate Cross and Olivia Thomas - all members of the Lancashire Thunder Cricket team - on the No Balls Podcast on BBC Sounds.

And listeners have been in touch about the unflappable Any Answers presenter Anita Anand and the technical issues she dealt with on last weekend's programme. It was every live broadcasters' nightmare - a phone in with no phones!

Presented by Andrea Catherwood
Produced by Pauline Moore
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


THU 16:00 The Briefing Room (m0021bdl)
Health special 3: How far could artificial intelligence transform medicine?

Machine learning has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years. Bigger, more powerful computers can crunch ever more amounts of data, analysing complex information just as accurately, it’s claimed, as the best specialists and at speeds humans can never achieve. With the potential to make a significant difference to healthcare - helping to diagnose disease, summarise patients’ medical notes, even predict health conditions years before any symptoms appear. But how long before the potential benefits become a reality? And what are the possible pitfalls? Join David Aaronovitch and a panel of guests to find out.

Guests:
Madhumita Murgia, Artificial Intelligence Editor, Financial Times and author of Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI
Mihaela van der Schaar, Professor of Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Medicine at Cambridge University
Pearse Keane, Consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital and a Professor of Artificial Medical Intelligence at UCL
Dr Jessica Morley, Post-doctoral researcher at the Digital Ethics Centre, Yale University

Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Sally Abrahams and Rosamund Jones
Sound engineers: Dafydd Evans and Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m0021bdn)
CERN’s Supercollider Plan

CERN’s plans to build a bigger, faster particle collider, with a hefty 17 billion Euro price tag, are in question. Physicists Andrew Pontzen and Harry Cliff discuss if the new machine is really worth it.

A place on the podium or disappointment in the Olympics can come down to the precise position of a foot or angle of the hips. Science reporter Ella Hubber visits the University of Bath to check out the motion capture tech that makes these measurements.

New research suggests our close cousins, the chimpanzees, chat just as fast as humans. Professor Cat Hobaiter from the University of St Andrews tells us what chimp chats can teach us about the evolution of language.

75 years after making a groundbreaking discovery, Rosemary Fowler has finally been awarded with an honorary doctorate. University of Bristol chancellor, Sir Paul Nurse, shares how important it is to celebrate and recognise Rosemary’s achievements.

Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producers: Ella Hubber and Sophie Ormiston
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


THU 17:00 PM (m0021bdq)
Police officer suspended after airport kicking video

Police officer suspended after airport kicking video, a training expert gives their assessment. Which of his children will benefit from Rupert Murdoch succession plans and the PM Olympic desk of news preview.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0021bds)
One of the men arrested on Tuesday has been found to have a cyst on his brain


THU 18:30 The Train at Platform 4 (m002194m)
Series 2

1. See It, Say It, Sorted

A suspect package is discovered, in the return of the comedy set in the claustrophobic carriages of a cross-country rail service. Starring Rosie Cavaliero and written by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis.

Sam is tired of having to ‘sort it’ when passengers ‘see it’ and ‘say it’, but when an actual suspect package is found, the team leap into action.

The Train at Platform 4 follows a 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, Noel (Hugh Dennis; Outnumbered), and Trolley Operator Tash (Amy Gledhill; Alma’s Not Normal). The passengers are made up of a rolling roster of guest stars.

Sam…. Rosie Cavaliero
Noel…. Hugh Dennis
Tash….. Amy Gledhill
Man…. Steve Punt
Woman…. Gemma Arrowsmith

Written by.... Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis
Producer…. James Robinson
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4


THU 19:00 The Archers (m0021bdv)
Alistair needs Paul to help him work out what to say to Head Office since Paul isn’t turning up for work. But Paul reveals he has written his resignation. Lilian comes in with Hilda who has a nasty tick bite and Paul’s sense of duty makes him stay to help. Later at the Bull, Lilian’s full of praise for the whole Vet team. Alistair implores Paul not to resign. Paul tells Alistair to enjoy his free drink from Lilian. Meanwhile, Lilian and Lynda lock horns over their clashing community events.

Neil convinces George to join him for a pint and catchup at the Bull, where Lynda complains about the clash of the fete and the Stables’ ‘Cantering On’ event in August – how can the fete compete? Neil startles George with news that Alice is coming home from rehab next week, and Neil speculates on Martha’s future if Alice goes to jail. With a sudden thirst on him, away from Neil George orders a whiskey from Lilian, and then another. He makes to buy Neil another drink, but Neil slows George down so they can chat. He’s a good lad and Neil is proud. Guilty George protests – rambling that he’s not a hero, and he has to stand up in court, and it’ll be his fault if Alice goes to prison. He knocks his special glass over and it smashes. George continues, pointing out to Paul that Alistair and Denise are the heroes. Neil learns that George has been drinking shots and takes George off, as George continues spouting about how Neil shouldn’t be proud of him.


THU 19:15 Front Row (m0021bdx)
Review: theatre: Hello Dolly; TV: The Decameron; film: About Dry Grasses

Novelist Stephanie Merritt and literary editor of the Spectator Sam Leith are Tom Sutcliffe's guest reviewers.

They give their verdict on the new production of Hello Dolly at London's Palladium starring Imelda Staunton, Netflix's The Decameron - which depicts the haves and the have-nots in plague-ridden 14th century Florence - and the 3 hour long Turkish film, About Dry Grasses, which features the travails of a teacher posted to a rural school in a bleak but beautiful landscape.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Corinna Jones


THU 20:00 The Media Show (m00219zp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Wednesday]


THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m0021991)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


THU 21:45 Empire of Tea (m001tb9s)
6. Tough, Tiring, Difficult

The introduction of industrial tea production in India in the 19th Century created huge demand for tea pickers. Many were employed under a system of indenture. These contracts often meant five years of work in return for bed and board. Jo Sharma of the University of Toronto tells Sathnam Sanghera about the harrowing conditions people found themselves working in. He also considers claims that some of the modern problems in the industry, like low wages and poor health and safety conditions, are a legacy of that imperial system.

Produced by Paul Martin for BBC Audio Wales


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m0021bdz)
Protests after Manchester Airport incident

Protestors in Manchester have gathered tonight outside the offices of the Mayor Andy Burnham, after a video was circulated on social media of a man being kicked and stamped on by a police officer at Manchester Airport. We get reaction from the city.

Also on the programme:

President Biden is pushing for a Gaza ceasefire with Israel's Prime Minister.

What does the private sector make of the new GB Energy company intended to turn Britain into a "green energy superpower"?

And as the Paris Olympics kicks off tomorrow, there’s been an international outcry at one member of the Dutch team: a convicted rapist.


THU 22:45 Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang (p0g1bcc7)
Episode Nine

After a fierce social media backlash June is determined to use the controversy to reclaim her success…

Yellowface, the bestselling novel by Rebecca F Kuang, is a darkly funny mystery with a deeply flawed narrator. June Hayward is a young white American writer whose promising debut novel is quietly sliding into insignificance. She’s intensely jealous of her friend from Yale Athena Liu, who by contrast has been wildly successful. This novel explores racism and cultural appropriation within a fast paced, sharply satirical thriller.

Reader ….. Ashleigh Haddad
Abridger ….. Robin Brooks
Producer ….. Allegra McIlroy

Yellowface is a BBC Books Production for BBC Sounds


THU 23:00 The Today Podcast (m0021bf3)
Mary Beard on power, succession and rebellions

This week Keir Starmer dealt with a Labour rebellion on the two-child benefit cap that saw the whip removed from seven of his MPs. Meanwhile in America, Kamala Harris has moved quickly to mobilise her campaign and define her Republican rival.

To make sense of it all, Nick and Amol turn to Prof Mary Beard for a classical perspective on power, succession, and rebellions. What was Cicero’s advice for winning elections? Which Latin quote did John F Kennedy incorrectly use in a famous speech? And why does she hate being asked which Roman emperor most resembles Donald Trump?

She also updates them on her campaign for membership of the - until very recently - male-only private members’ club, the Garrick.

If you have a question you’d like to Amol and Nick to answer, 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

Episodes of The Today Podcast continue to land twice a week post-election. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to get Amol and Nick's take on the new government, with insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme.

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.

You can listen to the latest episode of The Today Podcast any time on your smart speaker by saying “Smart Speaker, ask BBC Sounds to play The Today Podcast.”

The producer is Hatty Nash, the editor is Tom Smithard. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Digital production from Joe Wilkinson and Charlie Henry, technical production from Jack Graysmark.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0021bf5)
Sean Curran reports as MPs agree to change their code of conduct and tighten the rules on outside work.

FRIDAY 26 JULY 2024

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m0021bf7)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 00:30 Child (p0h6wcqr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0021bf9)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0021bfc)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0021bff)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m0021bfh)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0021bfk)
The Olympics: we need a team around us

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Ennette C Lainchbury

Morning Everyone,

The Olympics have started this week and for some reason, this year has bought all these wonderful memories of school flooding back. The long jump, the high jump as well, and the relay race – if I was pushed though, I’d have to say the high jump was my absolute favourite. I was always genuinely shocked at the way my back would like contort mid-air, defying gravity and somehow getting me over the bar. Honestly it felt like the closest thing to flying really. It’s just so inspiring to see all the athletes doing super human things and having all these nostalgic school memories, for the first time I’ve really appreciated that. Whilst the race or event might be individual success is a team effort.

These incredible athletes have a whole team of people training, equipping, supporting, and cheering them on over that finish line.
It’s made me reflect on my own life and the team of people I have cheering me on. But if I’m honest, I think it also makes me squirm a little.

Some of my biggest heartbreaks have actually been with dear friends, and I still find myself feeling slightly lonely or bereft of strong community from time to time. If, like me, you’re longing for more meaningful relationships and people that cheer you on as you journey through life, this prayer is for you:

Lord, even when I feel lonely, thank you that you’re always with me. As I yearn for belonging and true friendship, may you help me extend these very same things to those around me, not waiting to first receive before I give the gift of my friendship. Bring to mind a person I can reach out to today. And may your grace fill the space where loneliness seeks to come and rob me of authentic connection and meaningful interactions with the people you’ve already blessed me with in my life.

Amen


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m0021bfm)
Angling groups have warned that illegal fishing is an "out of control" problem on rivers in Wales with serious impacts for endangered species like salmon, and physical danger for anglers.

Mobile sheep shearers are hard at work on a farm near Edinburgh, before the head woman Una Cameron tries to break the world record for shearing in a few weeks' time.

A Cumbrian flower nursery specialises in wildflowers, and growing them can be a far more complex business than garden varieties.

And the farm dog with a difference - it’s a robot!

Presented by Caz Graham

Produced by Alun Beach


FRI 06:00 Today (m0021bgj)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m00219cl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0021bgl)
Mercury Prize Nominees, Paris Olympic Athletes, Adoption

The Paris 2024 Olympics start this evening with the opening ceremony. It's the first time an equal number of men and women will compete in a summer Games. To discuss the sportswomen you should keep an eye out for, Anita Rani is joined by Jeanette Kwakye, a former Olympian herself and now BBC pundit, and also BBC Sport reporter Laura Scott.

Adoption England have described an ‘unprecedented’ decline in adoption rates. For the first time in recent years, there are now more children in need of adoption than those looking to adopt. To discuss why, Anita is joined by Sarah Johal, National Adoption Strategic Lead for Adoption England and Hollie Mortimer, who adopted her daughter two years ago.

There are a record-breaking number of women on the shortlist of nominees for the Mercury Prize 2024. Eight out of the 12 nominations are women or female-fronted bands. To talk about the impact of this, Anita is joined by nominees Corinne Bailey Rae and Nia Archives, alongside music journalist Mary Mandefield.

So much is known about the causes of disease and death in women all over the world – so why are so many women still dying? Sophie Harman, Professor of International Politics at Queen Mary University of London, has written a new book: Sick Of It, that examines this question. She joins Anita to talk about how she thinks women’s health gets caught in the crossfire of global politics, and what the solutions could be.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Lottie Garton


FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m0021bgn)
Becoming Michelin

A meeting with top chef Hélène Darroze at Mayfair's Connaught Hotel leads Sheila Dillon to ask the question, why aren't there more female Michelin starred chefs?

Statistics from the Office for National Statistics suggest 37% of all chefs working in the UK are female, but when you look at the numbers leading Michelin starred restaurants, the number drops to around 8% (according to analysis by Chefs Pencil, 2022).

Includes interviews with Nigerian-born chef Adejoké Bakare, who in February, became the first Black woman in Britain to earn a Michelin star; chef Sally Abé who has recently published her first book, "A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen" and Sarah Francis who returned her Michelin star after 8 years running The Checkers (a restaurant in Montgomery, Powys).

Plus we hear from young upcoming female fine-dining chefs about how they feel the industry is set up for women wanting to reach the top jobs.

Presented by Sheila Dillon
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan


FRI 11:45 Child (p0h6wfb1)
Series 1

10. Due Date

At the end of a pregnancy, a lot is going on. The baby might be descending and moving into place, and the pregnant body is changing every day. It’s the baby’s time to arrive and it’s going to happen, one way or another. But what is a due date?

India speaks to Holly Dunsworth, a biological anthropologist who’s challenging the obstetrical dilemma. Exploring the idea of why the due dates exist, India looks at the inaccuracies of how they are measured whilst questioning - how does labour begin? Midwife and author Leah Hazard provides insights into what we do know, and the possible influence of full moons.

Presented by India Rakusen.
Producer: Lucy Hunt.
Series Producer: Ellie Sans.
Executive Producer: Suzy Grant.
Commissioning Editor Rhian Roberts.
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon.
Mix and Mastering by Olga Reed.

A Listen production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.


FRI 12:00 News Summary (m0021bgq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 Rare Earth (m0021bgs)
The Seabed: out of sight, out of mind?

Over the centuries, bottom-trawling activities have transformed our coastal seas both ecologically and physically, mostly for the worse. As the habitat has declined, so has the success of fisheries. Is it time we said goodbye to bottom trawling? Or can we manage our coastal seas more effectively to protect nature and provide seafood and jobs?

Tom Heap and Helen Czerski discuss the issues with a panel of experts.

Producer: Emma Campbell

Assistant Producer: Toby Field and Christina Sinclair

Rare Earth is a BBC Audio Wales and West production in conjunction with the Open University


FRI 12:57 Weather (m0021bgv)
The latest weather forecast


FRI 13:00 World at One (m0021bgx)
Sabotage in France on Olympic opening day

Disruption in France as saboteurs target the high speed rail network on the official opening day of the Olympics. We hear from a French MP and a security advisor to the Paris bid. Also, new guidance to the Office of Students, will it bring an end to the "culture wars"?


FRI 13:45 The History Podcast (m0021bgz)
Escape from the Maze

Escape from the Maze: 10. Mothballed

Can Northern Ireland ever Escape from the Maze...?

Across 10 twisting and turning episodes, Carlo Gebler navigates a path through the disturbing inside story of the 1983 escape from Northern Ireland's Maze Prison - the biggest jailbreak ever to take place on British or Irish soil. As former IRA inmates reveal how they pulled off a mass breakout that creates shockwaves at the heart of government - key security personnel explain why they're unable to stop them.

Presenter: Carlo Gebler
Producer: Conor Garrett
Editor: Philip Sellars
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett
Original Music Score: Phil Kieran
Archive: Cyprus Avenue Films


FRI 14:00 The Archers (m0021bdv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Limelight (m0020z5b)
The Skies Are Watching

The Skies Are Watching – 4. Aftermath

In the aftermath of the UFO Festival, as Vance’s warnings about the extraterrestrials seem to come true, Jana wonders who she can trust. The search for the shooter leads to a surprising discovery.

The Skies Are Watching was the 2024 recipient of the Audio Fiction Award at the Tribeca Festival.

Cast:
Heather - Caitlin Stasey
Vance - Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts
Rodney - David Yow
Jana - Caroline Morahan
Constance - Guinevere Turner
J.D. - James Bacon
Lee - Jameson Cush
Andie - Elizabeth Halpern
Officer - Ayla Glass

Created and Produced by Jon Frechette and Todd Luoto
Music - Lars Koller, Jon Frechette, Blue Dot Sessions
Editing and Sound Design - Jon Frechette
Written by Jon Frechette
Directed by Jon Frechette and Todd Luoto
Production Manager - Kurt Koller
Executive Producer - John Scott Dryden

A Goldhawk production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds


FRI 14:45 Communicating with Ros Atkins (m0020z5k)
6. Isabella Greenan, teacher

Ros talks to teacher Isabella Greenan. We all communicate multiple times a day but could we be getting better results? From a simple text or phone call, to a job interview or big presentation, the way we express ourselves and get our point across can really matter. Ros Atkins and his fascinating guests reveal the best ways to communicate and how simple changes in the way we make our point can be really effective.

In this episode, Ros and Isabella explore how to react when someone isn’t listening and why it’s important not to take things personally.

Series Producer: Hannah Newton
Production Support: Olivia Cope
Executive Producer: Zoë Edwards
Mix Engineer: Jonathan Last
Original Music Composed by: Tom Wrankmore / Eliphino
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m0021bh1)
Hexham

How wide should a garden path be? How do I get rid of bindweed? Should I be concerned by my garden soil's high lead content?

Peter Gibbs and his team of horticultural heroes are on hand to tackle the gardening queries of a hopeful audience in Hexham. The panellists are garden designers Matthew Wilson and Bunny Guinness, and house plants expert Anne Swithinbank.

Later in the programme, Matthew Wilson shares some of his garden designing expertise by providing a plant structuring masterclass to aid your next garden design project.

Producer: Dan Cocker

Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 15:45 Short Works (m0021bh3)
Everlasting Light

In this new short work by Victoria MacKenzie, a physics teacher at the end of her long career considers time, light and memory.
Read by Anne Lacey
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie

Victoria MacKenzie is a fiction writer, poet and essayist whose debut novel was published in 2023. "For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain" explores the lives of two medieval mystics, Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe, who wrote the first known books in English by women.


FRI 16:00 Last Word (m0021bh5)
Dr Mildred Stahlman, Ray Reardon, Val McIver, Eddie Spence

Matthew Bannister on Dr Mildred Stahlman, the American paediatrician whose discovery helped to improve the outcomes of premature babies around the world.

Ray Reardon, the former miner and police officer who was a World Snooker Champion six times.

Val McIver, the Scottish local councillor who campaigned to set up the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Eddie Spence, who decorated elaborate wedding cakes for members of the royal family for decades.

Interviewee: Dr Meg Rush
Interviewee: Martha Lott
Interviewee: Ken Doherty
Interviewee: Jen Mackenzie
Interviewee: Dawn Pennington

Producer: Catherine Powell

Archive used:
Great Welsh Sporting Moments, BBC 2 Wales 17/12/2008; Ray Reardon: The Welsh Master, BBC 1 Wales 01/03/2022; Ray Reardon at 80, BBC 1 Wales,29/04/2012; Ray Reardon, BBC Two 19/04/1984; Highland University, Reporting Scotland, 19/04/1996; Insiders Inverness, BBC One Scotland, 18/10/1991; Radio Scotland News, 09/09/92; Installation of the first Chancellor of the University of the Highlands and Islands, music by students of the university and members of the Highland Youth Orchestra, via YouTube uploaded 27 /6/2012; The Royal Wedding, BBC Television, 20/11/1947; On the Eve of the Royal Wedding, BBC, Richard Dimbleby Thu 05 May 1960; Wedding of HRH The Prince of Wales & Lady Diana Spencer, BBC 29/07/1981; Silver Jubilee: A day of Celebration, BBC 2, 07/06/1977; Vic Minett BBC Radio CWR 23/02/2018


FRI 16:30 Sideways (m00219yz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]


FRI 17:00 PM (m0021bh7)
French travel chaos after arson attacks

Arson attacks are causing travel chaos in France hours before the Olympics open. Also, the Manchester Airport incident police officer faces a criminal investigation for assault.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0021bh9)
Incendiary devices were placed on rails to the north, west and east of the French capital


FRI 18:30 Catherine Bohart: TL;DR (m0021b6z)
Series 1

1. We Need To Talk About Kamala

Columns. Analysis. The Guardian's Long Read. Who has time? Catherine Bohart, that's who, and she's going beyond the headlines to give you the lowdown on one of the biggest stories this week, alongside a guest journalist and roving correspondent Sunil Patel.

This week: Biden steps down, Kamala steps up, but what's going to happen next? Puzzled by US politics? We've got you, babes.

Katy Balls, political editor of The Spectator, and US politics junkie, is our guide through it all; and Professor Sarah Churchwell joins to look deeper into how a younger candidate might affect the vote.

Meanwhile, in the TL;DR Sidebar, comedian Sunil Patel throws his hat in the ring to be the Vice Presidential nominee. For both Trump and Harris.

Written by Catherine Bohart, with Madeleine Brettingham, Sarah Campbell and Ellen Robertson.

Produced by Victoria Lloyd & Lyndsay Fenner

Recorded at the Museum of Comedy, and Edited by David Thomas

Production Coordinators - Beverly Tagg & Katie Sayer

A Mighty Bunny production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 19:00 The Archers (m0021bhc)
Worried Susan grills hungover George about last night’s drinking. What got into him – was it about the car accident? She knows that George was saying strange things. Pat can tell that George is hungover, and Susan thinks George is worried about going to court. Pat goes to George and shares how awful it was when she was in court for Helen’s hearing. George simply needs to say what happened, exactly as he remembers it. It won’t be pleasant, but if he tells the truth he’ll be fine.

Alistair feels optimistic that things seem to be improving with Paul at work, but Denise fears losing Paul forever and feels so alone. Alistair tells her to go and talk to Paul – he’ll hold the fort at the Vets’.

After a tense confrontation on the doorstep, Paul allows Denise in and demands all the details. Denise admits the affair started when Paul and his Dad were away in St Lucia. As pieces fall into place, Paul realises that Jakob knew, and learns about Jim and Jazzer knowing as well. There was no injured sheep on the night of the crash, as Denise admits she had a night in a hotel with Alistair planned, so even Mick lied too. Denise begs Paul not to resign from the Practice. But Paul comes in to the Vets’ and has made a decision – he’s not going anywhere. He’s done nothing wrong – so the deal is, they will be professional, and he’ll only communicate with them about work matters. If they can’t deal with that than they can find somewhere else to work. Agreed?


FRI 19:15 Screenshot (m0021bhf)
Pop Idols

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode look at how popstars - and their fans - have been depicted in film and TV over the years.

Mark speaks to record producer and documentary director Jeremy Dylan about some of the most memorable pop idols on screen, from A Hard Day’s Night to Spice World.

And he talks to legendary songwriter Paul Williams about his dual role as both star actor and music composer on Brian DePalma’s prescient 1974 pop fable Phantom of the Paradise.

Meanwhile, Ellen looks at portrayals of pop fans on screen with critic Kayleigh Donaldson, and screenwriter Janine Nabers, who co-created the recent Beyonce-inspired satirical comedy-horror TV miniseries Swarm.

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


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m0021bhh)
Douglas Alexander MP, Angela Haggerty, Lord Offord, Pete Wishart MP

Alex Forsyth presents political discussion from the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine with the Trade Minister Douglas Alexander MP, the journalist Angela Haggerty, the Conservative peer Lord Malcolm Offord and the Deputy Leader of the SNP in Westminster Pete Wishart MP.
Producer: Robin Markwell
Lead Broadcast Engineer: Joanne Willott


FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m0021bhk)
Olympics Now and Then

As the Olympics gets underway, Michael Morpurgo says we need to take care that the event doesn't stray too far from the ideals of the Olympics and the Paralympics.

'The announcement this year,' writes Michael, 'that athletes at the Olympics will, for the first time, be awarded prize money - $50,000 for each gold medal - sets a precedent in the Games' 128 year history.'

But, he says, 'over the next two weeks, I should like to think that the Olympics will uphold the spirit that has sustained the Games for so long... that the glory is in the laurel wreath or the medal, that the heroism is in the triumphs and disasters.'

Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Tom Bigwood


FRI 21:00 Archive on 4 (m0007b0y)
The British Black Panthers

The untold story of the years when Black Power came to Britain and forever left its mark - the coming together, political ideas, leaders and legacy.

Inspired by the American Black Panther Party, the British Black Panthers were founded in London’s Notting Hill in 1968 – the first Panther organisation outside the United States. Their mission was to change the terms of engagement about race in Britain, promote self-determination and challenge the British state.

Writer Kehinde Andrews, who launched the first UK Black Studies degree in Birmingham, meets key former Panthers and the generations that followed them, and – hearing from critics, artists and historians, drawing on a wealth of archive – explores their legacy.

From the late 1960s, following Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech, and throughout the early 1970s, the British Black Panthers drew on the example of their American counterparts. The politics of Black Power travelled across the Atlantic and took unique form on British soil, inspiring a generation of multi-racial Black British youth. Putting aside revolutionary rhetoric, the British Panthers focused on policing the police at street level and on educating their members in Saturday schools. They championed racial equality - better housing, legal aid, immigrants’ rights and non-racist employment practice. They took on the criminal justice system and won. They agitated, argued, demonstrated, printed a weekly paper and marched under the flag of the same logo as their American counterparts - the leaping Panther.

Special Branch responded to the movement with its own Black Power Desk, while the 1970 trial of the Mangrove Nine, following a clash between police and Black Panther demonstrators in Notting Hill, evoked Magna Carter and changed racial justice in Britain forever.

Members included Darcus Howe, Altheia Jones-LeCointe, Farroukh Dhondy, the photographer Neil Kenclock and dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson. The movement was inclusive, embracing members from Asian as well as West Indian and African descent. The Panthers were the new, multi-racial Black youth of Britain - children of immigrants, educated in British schools and more radical and defiant than their parents.

Contributors include poet Benjamin Zephaniah, former Panthers Farrukh Dhondy, Neil Kenlock and Beverley Bryan, historian David Olusoga and Mykaell Riley of Steel Pulse, US Black Panther leaders Bobby Seale and Elaine Brown, Ian Macdonald QC and British rapper and writer Akala.

Presenter: Kehinde Andrews
Producer: Simon Hollis

A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m0021bhm)
Paris kicks off Olympics with ceremony on the Seine

The world's athletes sailed up the River Seine for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. The flotilla was peppered with performances of music and entertainment including Lady Gaga, dancers of the Moulin Rouge, and French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura, in a tribute to the French capital's cultural history. The Olympic flame was a cauldron shaped like a hot air balloon that rose high above the Parisian sky.

In the US, Kamala Harris is reaching the end of week one as the Democratic presumptive nominee in the Presidential election. We speak to a pollster about her chances of success.

And what must it be like to experience scuba diving without sight? A visually impaired diver describes the orchestra of ocean sounds she hears every time she plunges below.


FRI 22:45 Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang (p0g1bcq2)
Episode Ten

June Hayward watched Athena Liu die. But now she’s convinced Athena wants to meet her…

Yellowface, the bestselling novel by Rebecca F Kuang, is a darkly funny mystery with a deeply flawed narrator. June Hayward is a young white American writer whose promising debut novel is quietly sliding into insignificance. She’s intensely jealous of her friend from Yale Athena Liu, who by contrast has been wildly successful. This novel explores racism and cultural appropriation within a fast paced, sharply satirical thriller.

Reader ….. Ashleigh Haddad
Abridger ….. Robin Brooks
Producer ….. Allegra McIlroy

Yellowface is a BBC Books Production for BBC Sounds


FRI 23:00 Americast (m0021bhr)
Can You Buy The White Hou$e?

In the days after Kamala Harris announced her presidential bid, the Democrats raised more than $100 million. Now, Donald Trump's team have filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, challenging whether she can take over Joe Biden's campaign funds.

Where does all this money come from? And what's it used for? This week we're joined by Sarah Bryner from OpenSecrets, an organisation dedicated to tracking the money in US politics to find out why presidential candidates are spending more than ever before on their campaigns, and what motivates people to donate to their cause.

HOSTS:
* Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
* Marianna Spring, Disinformation & Social Media Correspondent
* Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

GUEST:
Sarah Bryner, Director of Research & Strategy at OpenSecrets

GET IN TOUCH:
* Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
* Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
* Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
* Or use #Americast

US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s new BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155

This episode was made by George Dabby with Rufus Gray and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.


FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0021cpy)
Susan Hulme reports as a minister promises more help for the families of victims of the infected blood scandal. Also, Westminster's standards watchdog on advice for new MPs as they continue to deliver their maiden speeches: one shares his Gaelic language skills and another name-checks Chas & Dave and Eric Morecambe.