SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2024
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m00237ns)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:30 The Siege by Ben Macintyre (m00237m9)
Book of the Week: Episode 10 - Inside the Iranian Embassy Sounds of Battle Reverberate
Ben Macintyre’s latest book about the 1980 siege at the Iranian Embassy concludes. The SAS operation to bring the siege at the Iranian Embassy to an end is underway, but one minute in, it does not appear to be going well. Jamie Parker reads
Ben Macintyre sets the pulse racing in his new book when he looks back to the spring of 1980. On 30th April, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian Embassy on Princes Gate in London, taking 26 people hostage. What followed was an intense set of events involving police negotiators, decisions makers at the highest levels, and the SAS. Jamie Parker reads.
In The Siege Ben Macintyre takes us inside the minds of all of those who were part of the crisis, painting a minute by minute picture of six days filled with terror and uncertainty for the hostages, the gunmen and the authorities.
Throughout efforts were made to resolve the crisis bloodlessly, while the SAS laid daring plans for a daring rescue. Millions gathered around their televisions to watch the unprecedented events unfold.
Ben Macintyre’s previous titles include, Colditz, Agent Sonya, and The Spy and The Traitor. Several have been adapted for film and television – Operation Mincemeat, A Spy Among Friends and SAS Rogue Heroes.
Jamie Parker is known for his work on radio – Hamlet, Going Infinite, The Goldfinch; on stage – The History Boys, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Next to Normal, and on screen - Becoming Elizabeth, The Crown and Des.
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m00237nv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m00237nx)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m00237nz)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m00237p1)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m00237p3)
New beginnings
Good morning.
September, for some, can be a time of new beginnings. Having spent a rather long time in education, first as a student and then as a teacher, this month meant preparing new timetables, new registers, and making sure that I had all the necessary equipment and materials for the academic year ahead.
The uncertainty of a new season can be both exciting and daunting. Think of a child that has started at a new school, or a young person leaving home for the first time. For me, leaving London to head to university in Scotland was immense. I remember being rather tearful with my roommate on the first evening, after our families had helped us unpack and then left. There we were, the two of us, surrounded by boxes, crying, and realising that this was the start of a new stage of our lives. Yet, I had no idea that this new beginning would bring lifetime friendships, adventure, and useful life lessons. It was a special time. I learnt so much about who I was, and wasn’t, and what I felt I could contribute to the world.
And isn’t that what new beginnings are all about? Holding what you already know and making room for new learning, new ways of thinking and being. As a Christian, my faith has helped me navigate so many new seasons. It’s not that I always felt that everything would be ok. I couldn’t claim that. Rather, my faith always pointed me to the fact that I wasn’t alone.
So today, I pray for courage, clarity and openheartedness in the face of new beginnings and to be reminded that there are people there to walk alongside me. Amen.
SAT 05:45 Glued Up: The Sticky Story of Humanity (m001y8cm)
How rubber changed the world
In this series, materials scientist Mark Miodownik charts the journey of human progress through the sticky substances that have shaped us.
In episode two he explores how latex, the sticky sap of the rubber tree, transformed the world we live in.
He learns how rubber is an ancient Mesoamerican innovation dating back at least 3,600 years, used by the Olmec people for its incredible stretchiness and bounciness.
And he hears how scientists of the industrial revolution were captivated by rubber, but struggled to harness its miraculous properties. Eventually, one man would solve this sticky problem – but the quest nearly killed him, and cost him everything he had.
Contributors:
Charles Slack, Author and historian
Mike Tarkanian, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sound effects: DeLorean DMC-12 (V6 PRV engine) by SkyernAklea, from Freesound
Producer: Anand Jagatia
Presenter: Mark Miodownik
Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem
BBC Studios Audio Production
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m0023fng)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.
SAT 06:07 Open Country (m00237zj)
The 100 Mile Wildlife Corridor
Martha Kearney follows the River Ouse, from the High Weald to the Sussex coast and - finally - into the sea itself. Along the way, she discovers how one of the UK's largest nature recovery projects is taking root.
The project is called 'Weald to Waves' - it's a wildlife corridor that has been mapped out over more than 100 miles of Sussex landscape and coastline, to encourage biodiversity on a huge scale, connecting food, farming, nature and people. Encompassing more than 20,000 hectares of contiguous habitat, it is a huge coming-together of farmers, land managers, councils, utility companies, wildlife charities, schools, gardeners and community groups. Martha meets some of the people who have pledged to be a part of this huge collaborative effort.
Producer: Becky Ripley
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m0023fnj)
28/09/24 Farming Today This Week: Henry Dimbleby, Environmental Land Management Schemes, Planning, Cider Apples
We’ve been reporting over the last couple of weeks about a £358m underspend over the last three years from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' £2.4 billion agriculture annual budget for England. Now, former DEFRA director and author of the National Food Strategy, Henry Dimbleby says it’s critical that this money isn’t lost from the farming budget.
He also tells us what he wants to see in the government's new Environmental Land Management schemes, especially for upland farmers. Some upland farmers who’ve spent years in what are called Higher Level Stewardship agreements, which pay for farming in a way that benefits the environment and wildlife, say there is nothing they can apply for under ELMs at the moment. We hear from one farmer in the Lake District about his frustrations with the new schemes.
Increases in offshore wind means in turn that the electricity generated has to brought inland, often requiring new infrastructure. Miles of underground cabling is being channelled through the countryside, with some farmers having little choice about whether it goes across their land.
The weather over the last year has had a huge impact on food producers across the UK. With the apple harvest underway, we speak to a cider apple producer who says he's lost trees because of waterlogged orchards.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Jo Peacey.
SAT 06:57 Weather (m0023fnl)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m0023fnn)
28/09/24 - Justin Webb and Simon Jack
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m0023fnq)
Lindsey Hilsum, Robert Harris, Jon Watts, Celia Imrie
Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.
SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (p0f7sjkw)
Frederick Douglass
Greg Jenner is joined by special guests Prof Emily Bernard and comedian Toussaint Douglass in 19th-century America to meet Frederick Douglass. Born into an enslaved family, Frederick fought against all odds to secure his freedom and went on to become a famed abolitionist, orator, writer and statesman.
You’re Dead To Me is a production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4
Research by Anna-Nadine Pike and Jess White
Written by Emma Nagouse, Anna-Nadine Pike and Greg Jenner
Produced by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner
Assistant Producer: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow
Project Management: Isla Matthews
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m0023fnv)
Series 45
Harpenden
Jay Rayner and his panel of food experts are answering questions from an audience of keen home cooks in Harpenden. Joining Jay for the first time is cook, writer and former Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain, alongside chefs Jocky Petrie and Tim Anderson, and food historian, Dr Annie Gray.
The panellists offer their star recipes to win a baking competition, discuss how they’d use up a glut of cooking apples, and decide whether cinnamon should be banned.
And if you’re thinking of throwing away your banana peels, orange skins, or eye-filled potatoes, think again, and find out how to make use of all of these items instead.
Producer: Dominic Tyerman
Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
A Somethin’ Else production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 11:00 Americast (m00237nq)
Arizona… and the battle for the Latino vote
Latinos are the second-largest group of eligible voters in the US, making their influence in the presidential election potentially pivotal.
Sarah is investigating their sway in Arizona - a state that could help decide the outcome of the race. Which party benefits the most from winning The Grand Canyon State? And is Donald Trump or Kamala Harris making more in-roads with Latino voters?
Americast brings in Mike Madrid, a veteran Latino pollster and strategist. What are demographic trends telling us about how Latinos will vote, and do Democrats need to shift their messaging to connect with this key voting bloc?
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GUEST:
• Mike Madrid, Latino Republican pollster & author of ‘The Latino Century’
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
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• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by Purvee Pattni and George Dabby with Rufus Gray, Catherine Fusillo and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
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Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, The Today Podcast, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
The Today Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0023fnx)
War Looms in Lebanon
Kate Adie presents stories from Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Cuba and Somalia.
Israel says it has killed the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, as it continued its air offensive in Lebanon. It says this week’s airstrikes are in response to rocket attacks across the northern border into Israel by Hezbollah. More than 90,000 Lebanese have been displaced over the past week. Hugo Bachega spoke to those who fled their homes.
Sri Lanka has elected left-wing President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who's seen something of a meteoric rise. His election heralds a paradigm shift in the country, which has had a history of right-wing administrations - but his rise is perhaps best understood through the prism of the country's dire economic crisis says Samira Hussain in Colombo.
Vlodymyr Zelensky travelled to the US this week as he continues to seek approval for the use of long-range Western missiles, and to set out his 'victory plan' to President Biden. Back in Ukraine, the threat of Russian forces is ever-present, as Abdujalil Abdurasulov found on a recent trip to the eastern front.
Cuba has become known among tourists for its low crime rate - though reputation has been tarnished in the eyes of many Cubans, who say they now are genuinely worried about rising crime, especially with the emergence of a cheap new drug on the island, reports Will Grant.
Somalia has been torn apart by more than 30 years of overlapping conflicts and now faces a further threat: climate change. But even as a warming world is turbo-charging Somalia’s problems, Justin Rowlatt discovered that it's also inspiring entrepreneurs to find solutions that could prove transformative.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m0023fnz)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m0023fp1)
Working on Benefits and Banking Hubs
A new report given exclusively to Money Box is calling for more help for working families on Universal Credit. The University of Bath’s Institute for Policy Research wants the government to raise earning thresholds for extra help like free school meals, NHS prescriptions, council tax support and NHS dental help. The government says it's committed to supporting low-income families by extending the Household Support Fund by £421 million. It also told us its commitment to reviewing Universal Credit so people receive the support they need, saying it is taking "bold action" to help people into work so they can gain financial independence and break down the barriers to opportunity.
Banking Hubs should start offering more help for customers with advice on scams, getting online and creating Power of Attorneys according to the former chair of the watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority. Charles Randell, who’s now a member of the Financial Inclusion Committee, says banks need to invest more in the hubs as bank branch closures continue to hit communities with more than 6,000 having closed since 2015. UK Finance, which represents banks, says significant ongoing investment is being made to support customers with access to cash and day to day banking needs.
What changes could the Chancellor make to ISAs and Dividends in her October Budget?
And energy prices go up next week - what does it mean for you and how does it work?
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Catherine Lund
Researchers: Emma Smith and Jo Krasner
Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast
12pm Saturday 28th September 2024)
SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m00237n6)
Series 115
Conference & Confidence
Robin Morgan, Ian Smith, Alice Fraser, and Ash Sarkar join Andy Zaltzman to quiz the news
This week on The News Quiz the panel plough through Keir Starmer's first Labour conference as PM, analyse the effectiveness of the UN, and celebrate the coming of Earth's new moon... All hail Moon 2!
Written by Andy Zaltzman
With additional material by: Jade Gebbie, Mark Granger, Sharon Wanjohi, and Christina Riggs
Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
An Eco-Audio certified Production
SAT 12:57 Weather (m0023fp3)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m0023fp5)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m00237nd)
Lord Hammond, Fran Heathcote, Sarah Jones MP, Iain Martin
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Salfords Village Hall in Surrey with former chancellor and foreign secretary Lord Hammond; PCS Union general secretary Fran Heathcote; industry and decarbonisation minister Sarah Jones MP; and Times columnist Iain Martin.
Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Kevan Long
SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m0023fp7)
Call Any Answers? to have your say on the big issues in the news this week.
SAT 14:45 The Archers (m00237n8)
At the Cricket Club’s Division Five end-of-season dinner, Kenton senses there’s some new information about the Flower and Produce investigation that Lynda’s not divulging. Kenton also presses a coy Harrison on whether he’s told Fallon he’s considering quitting the Police. Harrison admits instead that he’s considering going back full-time.
After Lynda’s speech as Cricket Club Chair Kenton approaches her, having learned the truth about the collapsed table from Jim. At Kenton’s prompting, in front of Harrison, Lynda makes to go back onstage and confess she caused the accident by not fastening the legs correctly. But Kenton stops her and tells Lynda he’s not serious before whisking her off for a dance.
Ed tries getting reluctant George to talk about his court hearing, before joining him in a video game, which breaks the ice. They work together to complete a difficult level, before Ed opens up on how he loves George just as much as if he was his biological son. George admits he’s scared at the prospect of going to prison and saying goodbye to everything he knows. Ed tells him to just focus on getting through it. George feels bad for not getting Ed a birthday present, but Ed knows exactly what he’d like. The two of them surprise Emma, who’s shocked but delighted to see her son come to make up with her. George then goes to see Keira and Emma tells Ed she thought George would never forgive her. But now he’s got his whole family around him and they can face whatever comes next together.
SAT 15:00 Drama on 4 (m000pdrc)
Clash. Part 2
Ellen Wilkinson's political romance, set during the General Strike, looking at the clash between North and South, work and life, tradition and emerging roles. Joan Craig bridges all these divides with energy and talent, but ultimately has to choose whose side she's on.
Cast
Kate O’Flynn ..... Joan Craig
Paul Ready ..... Tony Dacre
Luke Nunn ..... Gerry Blain
Jane Whittenshaw ..... Mary Maud Meadowes
Roger Ringrose ..... William Royd
Emma Handy ..... Bunny Royd
Stefan Adegbola ..... Ben Lewis
Charlotte East ..... Dolly
Ian Dunnett Jnr ..... Alaric
Cecilia Appiah ..... Sally
Adaptation - Sharon Oakes
Sound - Peter Ringrose
Directors - Ciaran Bermingham and Jessica Dromgoole
Notes
Ellen Wilkinson is an all too rare working class, female voice from early 20th century literature. As one of the first ever women MPs and cabinet members, she is better known as a political pioneer. Joan's story echoes Wilkinson's own life. A woman with major personal and political dilemmas: Joan is born into a working class family, fights for social equality but is enchanted by world of ease and luxury represented by Mary Maud Meadowes and Tony Dacre.
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m0023fp9)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: Demi Moore, Sexual assault allegations at Harrods, Pregnancy loss language
Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor Demi Moore is a name recognised by many, from her standout role as Molly Jensen in the film Ghost, to Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway in A Few Good Men. But it’s her role as Elisabeth Sparkle in new movie, The Substance, which has got a lot of people talking. Many see it as a commentary on Hollywood’s beauty standards and fear of ageing. Demi joined Kylie Pentelow live to discuss it.
The BBC recently broadcast Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods, a documentary and podcast which alleged that former Harrods chairman Mohamed Al Fayed sexually assaulted women who worked at the store. Kylie spoke to the woman who was the catalyst for the documentary - Sophia Stone and to her husband Keaton Stone. Sophia alleges that she was groomed and then sexually assaulted by Al Fayed. Keaton was determined to help her and approached other women who had worked at Harrods. The BBC has heard testimony from more than 20 female ex-employees who say Al Fayed, who died last year, sexually assaulted or raped them. The current owners say they are "utterly appalled" by the allegations and are seeking to settle claims "in the quickest way possible”.
The language used by healthcare professionals to describe pregnancy loss exacerbates the grief and trauma experienced by some individuals. Words such as incompetent cervix, products of conception, and empty sac to name but a few. That’s according to a study published this month by University College London. We hear from Dr Beth Malory, Lecturer in English Linguistics at UCL who led the study.
It's officially the start of cuffing season, apparently that time of the year where you want to stay home, under a blanket, with a takeaway and someone you love. But how are people looking for partners nowadays? Are we over dating apps and looking to return to meeting people in real life? Anita was joined by Olivia Petter, author or Millenial Love, and Oenone Fobart, co-host of the Everything is Content podcast.
What would happen if a mysterious woman on a flight began predicting the deaths of her fellow passengers? This is the premise of Australian writer Liane Moriarty’s latest book, Here One Moment. Liane joined Krupa to discuss her novels, which include the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Big Little Lies.
Presenter: Krupa Padhy
Producer: Annette Wells
Editor: Deiniol Buxton
SAT 17:00 PM (m0023fpc)
Hezbhollah's leader killed in air strike
After 32 years as one of the most powerful figures in the Middle East, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been confirmed dead in an Israeli air strike. We hear from the Israel Defence Force, as well as a former advisor to the Iranian government. We also reflect with our international editor about a dangerous moment for the world.
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m0023fpf)
The Wes Streeting Health Secretary One
The Health Secretary sits down with Nick Robinson at the end of the Labour conference in Liverpool.
Wes Streeting reflects on how his family role-models led him to become a political fighter, rebukes those who criticise him for being too gloomy about the NHS, and reveals why an Oasis classic was his kareoke song of choice at the previous night's party.
Producer: Daniel Kraemer
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0023fph)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m0023fpk)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023fpm)
Hezbollah leader killed in Beirut
Hezbollah confirms that its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed by an Israeli airstrike.
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m0023fpp)
Nihal Arthanayke, Henry Normal, Donna Ashworth, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Mike Harding, The Lovely Eggs
Nihal Arthanayake presents Loose Ends from the third annual Morecambe Poetry Festival. He's joined by Henry Normal. Henry is a writer, poet, TV and film producer who has been involved with many of our most loved comedies, such as The Mrs Merton Show, The Royal Family, Gavin and Stacey and Alan Partridge. He's a prolific poet, and his latest collection is 'A Moonless Night'. He also presents the occasional 'A Normal...; series for Radio 4 combining stand-up, poetry and stories about his life and family. Henry explains how, prematurely old at 23 he turned his back on a traditional career path and entered the worlrd of comedy and performance.
Donna Ashworth's lockdown poetry went viral in 2020 and her popularity has been credited with 2023 being the best year for poetry sales in Britain since records began. Her new collection is 'Growing Brave'. She tells us about her days as a Butlin's red coat, celebrating overlooked kinds of bravery, and her dogs Dave and Brian.
Mike Harding is a stand-up comic, musician and poet. He's been performing since the 1970's, and has released over a hundred books and recordings. He presented the Folk show on Radio 2 for 15 years. He's performing alongside Henry Normal at the Morecambe Poetry Festival. His latest poetry collection is 'The Lonely Zoroastrian', and he also tells us about the luck involved in his hit single, 'The Rochdale Cowboy'.
Lisa Goodwin-Allen is Morecambe born and bred. She's the executive chef at the nearby Northcote and appears frequently on TV including on The Great British Menu and James Martin's Saturday Kitchen. Lisa's ingredients for success in the kitchen include imagination, being an adreneline junkie and a passion for seasonal and local produce.
And we have music from the Lancaster based musical duo The Lovely Eggs, from their seventh album. 'Eggsistentialism'. The album is personal, inspired by their lives, particulary their struggle to save the Lancaster Music Co-op.
The Lovely Eggs are Holly Ross and David Blackwell and the show is dedicated to David's mum, Anne Blackwell, who died shortly before this programme was broadcast. A former acress and headteacher, Anne was a was known Morecambe character. A keen member of Morecambe Speaker's Club, she lived and breathed theatre and performing and was much loved within the community.
Presenter: Nihal Arthanayake
Producer: Jessica Treen
SAT 19:00 Profile (m0023dtd)
Eben Upton
It’s a tiny computer with a catchy name: Raspberry Pi. But what's the story behind the man who thought up this affordable device?
His name is Eben Upton. He has gone from being a child desperate to make computer games, to the head of a company described as a ‘city darling’.
The firm reported higher than expected profits in its first report, after being listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Stephen Smith has been speaking to Eben Upton’s childhood friends, former colleagues and some big hitters in tech and business.
Contributors
Holly Williams - Business Editor, Press Association news agency
Hermann Hauser - Entrepreneur, venture capitalist and co-founder of Amadeus Capital Partners
Harriet Green - Investor, philanthropist. Former chair and CEO of IBM Asia Pacific
Pete Thornhill - School friend
Victoria Drew - School friend
David Cleevely - Entrepreneur and former Raspberry Pi chairman
Production team
Producers: Julie Ball, Farhana Haider, Ben Morris, Michaela Graichen
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Sound: Gareth Jones
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Archive
Centre for Computing History, Cambridge
Kerbal Space Program: Take-Two Interactive, publisher Private Division, developer Squad
Sensible Soccer: developer Sensible Software
SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m00237yy)
Marina Abramović
For over more than five decades the Serbian conceptual and performance artist Marina Abramović has used her own body as her artistic medium, exploring the human condition in works that are often feats of endurance, exhaustion and pain. From her earliest works such as Rhythm 0, in which Abramović invited audiences to freely interact with her however they chose, to her long-durational work The Artist is Present, she has put herself in danger at the mercy of audiences all in the name of art.
Abramović talks to John Wilson about her unhappy childhood in the former Yugoslavia with strict parents who had both been war heroes. She recalls how at age 14, a dangerous game of Russian roulette led her to Dostoevsky's novel The Idiot and how the book and its author's life sparked her creative imagination. She also reveals how two films, Alain Resnais' enigmatic 1961 French New Wave classic Last Year at Marienbad, and Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1968 movie Teorema, starring Terence Stamp, have inspired aspects of her work.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m0008pfw)
Panorama Broke My School
The personal story of how a single TV documentary affected a London secondary, and had a role in creating today's school system.
1977 was the year of the Yorkshire Ripper, Star Wars, the Silver Jubilee and Roots. It was also the year the BBC came to Faraday High School, a large comprehensive in East Acton, to make a remarkable fly-on-the-wall documentary for Panorama, called ‘The Best Days?’ It was a vision – or a nightmare – of everything critics thought was wrong with progressive, comprehensive multicultural education at its height. Viewers saw chaotic classrooms where teachers with few resources were out of their depth, working amidst an almost total lack of discipline. They also saw caring, sympathetic teaching - but this was largely forgotten.
The school found its name in the national newspapers every day, as part of a rising concerns about what was going on in classrooms. This was only two years before Mrs Thatcher – a former education secretary – swept to power, promising a radical shakeup in British schooling. Her policies - a national curriculum, more testing, strengthened school inspections and league tables - were largely continued by subsequent Labour governments, especially in England and Wales.
Shabnam Grewal was a Faraday student when the Panorama team filmed in her school and her very class. She later became a BBC journalist and herself produced episodes of Panorama. For Archive on 4, she tracks down and speaks to the film's director, teachers who featured in it, academics researching the changing nature of secondary education, experts in education policy and her fellow former pupils.
Researcher: Eleanor Biggs
SAT 21:00 Living on the Edge (m001ptnw)
Omnibus 1
Ten coastal encounters, presented by writer Richard King.
Not simply town or countryside, the coastline is a place apart – attracting lives and stories often overlooked.
In these ten programmes, Richard King travels around the UK coast to meet people who live and work there – a sequence of portraits rooted in distinct places, which piece together into an alternative portrait of the UK: an oblique image of the nation drawn from its coastal edge.
SAT 22:00 News (m0023fpr)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m00237m7)
The Brain Gut Connection
Why does food do our heads in?
This episode is a panel recording from 2024 Abergavenny Food Festival with a live audience.
Sheila Dillon is joined by Chef Heston Blumenthal, who recently went public about his diagnosis of bi-polar, and having ADHD (Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder); chartered psychologist Kimberley Wilson, the author of "Unprocessed: How the Food We Eat is Fuelling Our Mental Health Crisis"; Natalie Hackett the Headteacher of New Lubbesthorpe Primary School in Leicestershire who was crowned School Leader Food Hero of 2024, at the Jamie Oliver School Food Awards; and Dr Ally Jaffee, co-founder of Nutritank, an organisation set up to make sure that future doctors learned that food, along with exercise, is central to health. Dr Jaffee is now a resident doctor specialising in psychiatry.
The discussion focussed on the known connections between food and mental health, from childhood through to old age.
Presented by Sheila Dillon
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan
SAT 23:00 Randy Feltface's Destruction Manual (m0023fpt)
2. Fire
Randy Feltface is burning to tell you just how much we’re burning ourselves into oblivion. Coming from a hemisphere where deadly fires are an ever-present threat, it’s just so great to see us in the north take a leaf out of that book, roll it up and smoke it. Plus we hear from a Siberian Brown Bear discussing the effect of wildfires on habitat destruction & smoke particles on the Earth’s albedo through the medium of statistics, charts and growling.
This head-on charge into possibly the most important subject facing humanity comes to you via a show where you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll learn, you’ll laugh again between the learny bits and most of all, you’ll be able to say “I was there when Radio 4 decided to have a show hosted by a puppet”.
Randy Feltface has been seen on Netflix, ABC, NBC, and has a huge & devoted following across the globe (1m+ social media followers, 1.6m TikTok followers, 833k subscribers, 79m YouTube views). His hour-long specials are YouTube cult classics, his world tours are sold-out sensations, and he's the only Radio 4 presenter to be entirely made of felt.
With Margaret Cabourn-Smith & William Hartley
Produced & directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 23:30 Brain of Britain (m00236ry)
Heat 4, 2024
(4/17)
What name is shared by both a wind-powered sculpture in the Pennines and an East German children's film of the 1960s? Which city in Southern Britain was Alfred the Great's capital? In classic DC Comics, which team originally included the Green Lantern, the Spectre and Doctor Fate?
These and many other general knowledge questions await the contenders in the latest heat, chaired by Russell Davies at London's Radio Theatre. Another of the semi-final places will be decided today.
The contenders are:
Paula Dempsey from south-east London
Annabel Lloyd from Wantage in Oxfordshire
Simon Mason from Hampshire
Jim Murdock from Bangor in County Down
There will also be the chance for a listener to win a prize by Beating the Brains with questions he or she has devised.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria
A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.
SUNDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2024
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m0023fpw)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 00:15 Open Book (m00236rw)
Rachel Kushner
Octavia Bright talks to Rachel Kushner, author The Flamethrowers and The Mars Room about her new novel Creation Lake.
The novel tells the story of spy-for-hire Sadie Smith who infiltrates an eco activists group in South West France, their leader is the mysterious Bruno Lacombe who is never present but communicates his radical missives by email.
Sarah Moss, best known for her novels The Fell, Summerwater, and Ghost Wall, talks about her new creative memoir, My Good Bright Wolf, her story of crisis in midlife and on what led her there.
And in the last ever, Book I'd Never Lend, the novelist Adam Thirlwell talks about his treasured teenage copy of Picasso by Gertrude Stein and gets to the heart of why some books can't ever be replaced.
Book List – Sunday 22 September
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner
Picasso by Gertrude Stein
The Future Future by Adam Thirwell
Summer Water by Sarah Moss
Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss
The Fell by Sarah Moss
My Good Bright Wolf by Sarah Moss
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
Little House on the Prairie Laura Ingalls Wilder
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023fpy)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023fq0)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023fq2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m0023fq4)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m0023fq6)
Blessed Virgin Mary in Woolpit, Suffolk
Bells on Sunday, comes from the church of Blessed Virgin Mary in Woolpit, Suffolk. Much of the church was built in the 15th century and features a fine double hammer-beam roof. There was also a popular shrine to Our Lady of Woolpit, an object of pilgrimage that was visited twice by King Henry the Sixth, however this was removed during the reformation. There are six bells with the tenor bell weighing just over eight hundredweight and tuned to the note of A flat. We hear them ringing Plain Bob Minor.
SUN 05:45 In Touch (m00237r0)
Access to the Beautiful Game, Open Water Swimming
For many years, we've been used to in-stadium commentaries on football matches for people with no or only a little sight, but Crystal Palace have become the first Premier League club to offer another permanent high-tech accessibility feature to their partially sighted fans. It is called the GiveVision device. It provides people who have some remaining vision with an enhanced view of the game, up close to their eye. Fans Susan Vernon and Phil Green tell us of their experiences using the headset device at Selhurst Park stadium and Joanna Liddington from GiveVision describes the kind of interest they have received from other clubs.
Couple Emma Tracey and Robin Spinks allow us to tag along as they attend their regular cold water swimming spot. They describe the benefits they experience from cold water submersion, along with some of the more specific benefits of this activity for visually impaired people.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Pete Liggins
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 (m0023fsg)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Thinking Allowed (m00237q4)
Sight and Power
Laurie Taylor talks to Becca Voelcker, Lecturer in the Art Department at Goldsmiths, University of London, about her research into the relationship between sight and power. Everyday life is full of moments where we are seen, often without our knowledge, even in the virtual world, where cookie trails and analytics make us visible to profit making companies. Going back in time, Jeremy Bentham's panopticon depended on seeing its occupants to control them. If we cannot control who sees us today are we also being controlled? How does that square with the many moments when being seen is also a means of social recognition?
Also, David Lyon, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Law at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario explores the surveillance which permeates all aspects of our lives today. Every click on the keyboard, every contact with a doctor or the police, each time we walk under a video camera or pass through a security check we are identified, traced, and tracked. So how does surveillance make people visible, how did it grow to its present size and prevalence, and what are the social and personal costs?
Producer: Jayne Egerton
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m0023fsj)
Off-Grid Crofters
The last of the old indigenous inhabitants left Scoraig in the 1960s, too old for its hard, off-grid life. They were replaced by would-be crofters wanting a simpler way of life, who created a new community on the isolated headland near Ullapool in the north-west Highlands, raising crops and livestock and running businesses to support themselves. Still dependent on renewable energy, and with no road in, there are now 70 inhabitants. Richard Baynes meets crofter Cathy Dagg and her neighbours in Scoraig and finds history could be about to repeat itself.
Produced and presented by Richard Baynes.
SUN 06:57 Weather (m0023fsl)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m0023fsn)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m0023fsq)
Theology of Hezbollah; Abortion buffer zones; Sacred Sikh music
As Hezbollah confirms the death of its leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on Beirut, hear about the religion and politics behind Hezbollah from Fawaz Gerges - Professor of International Relations and Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies at the LSE. And William talks to Myriam Shwayri from the Al-Khafat Foundation about efforts to evacuate disabled adults and children from areas affected by explosions in the city.
Abortion clinic 'buffer zones' have come into force in Scotland with similar areas on the way for England and Wales by the end of October. William talks to two women on either side of the debate.
'He was ebullient, generous-hearted, kind to many, and an inspirational figure. But alongside that, hiding in plain sight, was someone who manipulated and controlled others, bullied and sought to abuse his power.' That is how Mike Pilavachi, the disgraced Anglican priest and former leader of the Soul Survivor church and festivals, is described in the latest report into the scandal. We hear from Richard Scorer, head of abuse law at Slater and Gordon solicitors, about the ‘Independent Review into Soul Survivor’ led by Fiona Scolding KC.
Sikh sacred music, also known as Kirtan, has officially become part of the musical examination system in the UK. This has all been pioneered by Harjinder Singh, a music teacher from Birmingham who set up an academy to teach young people how to play traditional stringed Indian instruments.
PRESENTER: WILLIAM CRAWLEY
PRODUCERS: CATHERINE MURRAY & KATY DAVIS
STUDIO MANAGERS: KELLY YOUNG & SIMON HIGHFIELD
EDITOR: CHLOE WALKER
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m0023fss)
BRAC UK
Journalist Reshmin Chowdhury makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of BRAC UK. The charity helps women in Asia and Africa develop small businesses to help lift them out of poverty.
To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- 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 ‘BRAC UK’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘BRAC UK’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
Registered Charity Number: 1115482. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://www.bracuk.net
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites
Producer: Katy Takatsuki
SUN 07:57 Weather (m0023fsv)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m0023fsx)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m0023fsz)
God's Love Across the Generations
Sunday Worship from Middlefields House, Chippenham. Join the residents, family, volunteers and staff of one of the households at Middlefields House residential care home in their daily gathering of worship, fellowship as they celebrate the International Day of Older People (1st of October).
Producer: Carmel Lonergan
Audio Engineer: Michael Smith
Editor: Tim Pemberton
SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m00237ng)
Kamala
From Kamala Harris' 'word salads' to her views about wealth redistribution, Zoe Strimpel finds little to like in a Harris presidency.
But it's her views on Israel that Zoe finds particularly hard to stomach.
'In those halcyon days of my youth,' says Zoe, 'our family's concerns that the leader of the free world protect Israel was normal, uncontroversial and, with Clinton and Bush at the helm, not a particular worry... But Kamala's hazy demands for instant deals and ceasefires,' she writes, 'are like nails on a chalkboard to me.'
Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator Gemma Ashman
Editor: Tom Bigwood
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m0023ft1)
Anneka Rice on the White-Tailed Eagle
A new series of Tweet of the Day for Sunday morning revealing personal and fascinating stories from some fresh voices who have been inspired by birds, their calls and encounters.
With the largest wingspan of any British bird the White-tailed eagle is a welcome sight flying over the Solent near broadcaster Anneka Rice's home. Yet despite its size, this bird has a surprisingly weak call. Since they were re-introduced to the area these magnificent birds have become a bit of a tourist attraction for those on the ferry crossing over to the Isle of Wight.
Producer : Andrew Dawes for BBC Audio on Bristol
Studio engineer : Caitlin Gazeley.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m0023ft3)
Lebanon: a return to war?
Will the killing of of Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah create a return to war? Lebanon veteran Jim Muir gives his assessment. Also Rory Bremner on Keir Starmer and Donald Trump.
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m0023qbc)
Adrian Edmondson - Extended Edit
This is an extended version of a programme first broadcast on Sunday 17 September 2023.
Adrian Edmondson first shot to national fame in 1982, playing the studded punk Vyvyan in the TV sitcom The Young Ones, set in a seedy student flat. The cast largely came from the developing alternative comedy scene, and included Rik Mayall and Alexei Sayle.
Adrian was born in Bradford in 1957. He spent time as a child in Cyprus, Bahrain and Uganda, following his father who worked as a teacher for the armed forces. He attended a boarding school in Yorkshire from the age of 11, where he often rebelled against its rules and restrictions, but enjoyed performing in school plays.
He headed to Manchester University to study drama, where he soon met Rik Mayall. They bonded over their shared interests in comedy, double acts, violent slapstick and the plays of Samuel Beckett. It was the start of a long performing partnership and friendship, which included the anarchic TV comedy and long-running touring show Bottom and a production of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot on the West End stage.
Adrian has also worked widely as an actor and musician, including an acclaimed appearance as Scrooge for the RSC, and performances with the reunited Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
Adrian married Jennifer Saunders in 1985, and they have three daughters.
DISC ONE: Downtown - Petula Clark
DISC TWO: A Song of the Weather - Flanders & Swann
DISC THREE: Sugar, Sugar - The Archies
DISC FOUR: On My Radio - The Selecter
DISC FIVE: Jole Blon - Vin Bruce
DISC SIX: Saturday Gigs - Mott the Hoople
DISC SEVEN: I’m Bored - Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band
DISC EIGHT: Wide Open Spaces - The Chicks (formerly The Dixie Chicks)
BOOK CHOICE: Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
LUXURY ITEM: A tab of acid
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Wide Open Spaces - The Chicks
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Sarah Taylor
SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m0023ft6)
Writer: Tim Stimpson
Director: Pip Swallow
Editor: Jeremy Howe
David Archer…. Timothy Bentinck
Jolene Archer…. Buffy Davies
Kenton Archer…. Richard Attlee
Pat Archer…. Patricia Gallimore
Tony Archer…. David Troughton
Harrison Burns…. James Cartwright
Usha Franks…. Souad Faress
Ed Grundy…. Barry Farrimond
Eddie Grundy…. Trevor Harrison
Emma Grundy…. Emerald O‘Hanrahan
George Grundy…. Angus Stobie
Tracy Horrobin…. Susie Riddell
Alistair Lloyd…. Michael Lumsden
Jim Lloyd…. John Rowe
Jazzer McCreary…. Ryan Kelly
Lynda Snell…. Carole Boyd
Oliver Stirling…. Michael Cochrane
SUN 12:15 Profile (m0023dtd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 Just a Minute (m00237hn)
Series 93
2. A Punk Band Called The Sticky Carpets
Sue Perkins challenges Lucy Porter, Gyles Brandreth, Desiree Burch and Glenn Moore to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, deviation or hesitation. Subjects include doomsday bunkers, coriander, and polite conversation between enemies.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Producer: Rajiv Karia
An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
SUN 12:57 Weather (m0023ft8)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m0023ftb)
One million people displaced in Lebanon
The Lebanese economic minister calls for foreign aid to help the country cope. Also on the programme: how can Labour tackle the problem of economic inactivity?
SUN 13:30 American Paradox (m0023ftd)
Abortion
James Naughtie travels to Arizona to examine the deep roots of the current political moment in the United States.
In this second episode of two, he considers the political debate over abortion. Since the national right to an abortion was overturned in 2022, Arizona's politics has been consumed by the debate about how far to limit that right, with conservative Republicans often prevailing. But as James hears, this November voters will be given their say, and many expect a liberal measure to pass, perhaps spurring turnout which will benefit Democrats - a pattern which may be repeated across the United States.
However, as Kamala Harris's presidential campaign emphasises her liberal abortion stance in an effort to win over women voters, has she done enough to appeal to men, particularly Black and Latino who have been targeted by Donald Trump's campaign? In this most marginal of swing states, the outcome may hinge on them.
Producer: Giles Edwards
Assistant producer: Patrick Cowling.
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m00237mt)
Uxbridge: Floating Gardens, mealybugs and garden envy
Any tips on setting up and maintaining a floating garden that produces tasty produce? Do the panel suffer from garden envy? How do I get rid of the mealybug infesting my cacti?
Kathy Clugston and her team of horticultural champions are in Uxbridge, to solve the gardening grievances of the audience. On the panel this week are house plants expert Anne Swithinbank, proud plantsman Matthew Biggs, and ethnobotanist James Wong.
Later, Matthew Biggs re-visits Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, where he meets Ginny Abu Bakr and Billy Styles to discuss how they’ve introduced gardening to patients receiving chemotherapy.
Producer: Bethany Hocken
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m0023ftg)
Hard Times - Episode 1
Charles Dickens’ novel Hard Times is set in a northern factory town at the height of the industrial revolution, far away from the writer’s normal stamping ground of London - but it certainly doesn’t lack the overlapping plots, the wide array of characters and the incorporation of melodrama, humour and tragedy that we associate so closely with the author.
Dickens had travelled north himself as a journalist to cover a cotton strike in Preston and seen first hand the various ways in which the factory system was oppressing the people living and working within it.
In the first of two episodes looking at the book, John Yorke considers how Dickens transformed that eye-witness experience into the fictional world of Coketown, with its soot-blackened bricks and serpents of smoke.
John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. From EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless, he has been obsessed with telling big popular stories. He has spent years analysing not just how stories work but why they resonate with audiences around the globe, and has brought together his experience in his bestselling book Into the Woods. As former Head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of BBC Drama Production and MD of Company Pictures, John has tested his theories during an extensive production career working on some of the world’s most lucrative, widely viewed and critically acclaimed TV drama. As founder of the hugely successful BBC Writers Academy, John has trained a generation of screenwriters.
Contributors:
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, screenwriter and current Children’s Laureate
Dr Emily Bell, University of Leeds
Deborah McAndrew, writer, director and actor
Researcher/Broadcast Assistant: Nina Semple
Sound: Sean Kerwin
Producer: Geoff Bird
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 15:00 Dickensian (m0023ftj)
Hard Times: Episode 1
"Now, what I want is Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life."
Charles Dickens' novel - subtitled 'For These Times' - is a vivid story for our own age - a short, sharp satire of target-driven education, business, and the denial of the imagination. Headmaster Thomas Gradgrind has developed a rigid, facts-driven curriculum for his school. And at home, he raises his two children, Tom and Louisa, within a similar system of utilitarian metrics. But the human spirit has an inherent thirst for wonder and Louisa struggles inside the constraints of her education.
Dramatised by Graham White
Thomas Gradgrind…..David Morrissey
Louisa Gradgrind…..Rachel Harper
Tom Gradgrind…..Ike Bennett
Josiah Bounderby…..Shaun Dooley
Sissy Jupe…..Janey Orchard
Mrs Sparsit…..Jan Ravens
James Harthouse…..Will Close
Stephen Blackpool…..Arthur Hughes
Rachael…..Claire Cage
Mrs Gradgrind/Margaret/Josephine…..Julie Barclay
Mr M’Choakumchild/Slackbridge/Collins…..Richard Elfyn
Bitzer…..Aaron Anthony
Sleary…..Patrick Robinson
Production co-ordinators Lindsay Rees and Eleri Sydney McAuliffe
Sound by Rhys Morris, Nigel Lewis and Catherine Robinson
Directed by Emma Harding, BBC Audio Wales
SUN 16:00 Open Book (m0023ftm)
Alan Hollinghurst
Chris Power talks to Alan Hollinghurst. His novels from The Swimming-Pool Library to The Sparsholt Affair, and the Booker-winning The Line of Beauty, have over the last 30 years mapped a unique landscape of queer desire, art, politics, class and sense of Englishness.
In his latest book, Our Evenings, we follow the life of Dave Win, a mixed race child who lives with his mother in a provincial English town from his bursary funded 1960s public school, to Oxford University, through his radical acting career of early adulthood and on to older age and the pandemic of 2020. Dave Win's intimate memories of maternal bond, friends and lovers illuminate larger cultural and political shifts in the landscape.
The American writer Rumaan Alam talks about Entitlement the follow up novel to the highly successful Leave the World Behind. He explores why he wanted to write about money, and it's corrupting effect on a young woman who realises that doing the right thing may not always bring you the rewards you've earned.
And with long nights ahead, we have a recommended read of ghost stories from Drummond Moir of Atlantic Books.
Book List - Sunday 29 September
The Swimming-Pool Library by Alan Hollinghurst
The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst
Haunted Tales by Adam Macqueen
Entitlement by Rumaan Alam
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
SUN 16:30 Brain of Britain (m0023ftp)
Heat 5, 2024
(5/17)
Four more quizzers from around the UK join Russell Davies for the UK's longest-established general knowledge quiz. Today's winner will take another of the semi-final places and increase their chances of being named BBC Brain of Britain 2024.
The competitors today are
Andrew Bingham from Woolwich in London
Eithne Cullen from East London
Sean Lea from Lewisham in London
Hannah Reilly from Clarkston near Glasgow.
A Brain of Britain listener will also have a chance to win a prize if the competitors fail to answer questions he or she has submitted.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria
A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.
SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct5ykb)
The 1965 Freedom Riders of Australia
A warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners - this programme contains the names of people who have died.
Nearly 60 years ago, a group of university students set out on a bus to challenge the discrimination of Australia’s indigenous people.
Led by Sydney University’s first indigenous undergraduate, Charles Perkins, they toured north-western New South Wales highlighting the public pools, cinemas, theatres and pubs in country towns where Aboriginal people were excluded or segregated from white people.
Darce Cassidy was recording the journey for a radio programme. We hear 19-year-old Brian Aarons demonstrating at a swimming pool in Moree where Aboriginal children were not normally allowed to swim.
He and Gary Williams, an indigenous student, recall the Freedom Ride to Josephine McDermott, including the moment when they made the national news by ordering a beer together in a Bowraville pub.
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: The 1965 Freedom Riders. Brian Aarons and Gary Williams sit fifth and fourth from the right, one row from the back. Credit: Reproduced with permission of Wendy Watson-Ekstein and Ann Curthoys)
SUN 17:10 The Verb (m0023ftr)
Gardens, balloons, parties and whales feature in this week's cabaret of the word. Ian's guests include Toby Litt, Roger Robinson, Hannah Silva and Caleb Femi.
Novelist, poet and librettist Toby Litt has wrestled Ian, written stories backwards, and been limited to a single verb, in previous Verb commissions. This week he has to write something surreal for us, and then write something even more surreal by the end of the show - whilst blowing up two balloons. Toby is also mine of writing advice and genre-challenging playfulness in his novels, in his book 'A Writer's Diary' and in his substack.
Roger Robinson's 'A Portable Paradise' won the T.S.Eliot Prize and there's no one better placed to unpick a poem and explain its most extraordinary lines for The Verb. He shows us how language really works on this week's show, as he does in his books 'On Poetry' and 'On Creativity'.
Caleb Femi is an award-winning poet and film-maker. He has said he wants to be a merchant of joy, and there's lots of joy in his celebration of the true meaning of parties in his new collection 'The Wickedest'. Caleb shares new poems with Ian.
Hannah Silva is a poet who truly understands how sound can let us into meaning. She performs a brand new commission for The Verb on the balloon - and asks Ian and his guests to play keepy-uppy during the show. Her latest book is 'My Child, the Algorithm' .
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0023ftt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m0023ftw)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023fty)
Israel has also launched attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m0023fv0)
Fiona Stalker
This week, we hear in depth poetic criticism of the feline sort, with one long-titled poem in particular becoming the subject of Brian Bilston's critical review; they shouldn't take his harsh review too close to heart, as it was written by his pet cat. Plus, did you know they colour code queen bees? We’re given a handy mnemonic to remember by an eight-year-old beekeeper from Tarland in Aberdeenshire. And Just a Minute stalwart Gyles Brandreth adds another “little victory” to his long tally of small sixty-second wins.
Presenter: Fiona Stalker
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Co-ordinator: Jack Ferrie
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m0023fv2)
Alice picks Martha up from Chris’s for a fun day out. When Chris mentions it was George’s plea hearing on Friday, Alice says she doesn’t want to talk about that, she just wants some mother and daughter bonding time. But the day doesn’t go well with Martha screaming for Chris. Gutted Alice abandons the day out and takes Martha back to Chris’s.
Ben’s walking Bess on a country lane when Zainab on her motor scooter narrowly misses Bess. They blame each other and part with Zainab telling Ben to keep his dog away from her. But as Zainab tries to head off her scooter won’t start.
At the Events Barn David sorts through cricket memorabilia which was on display at the Cricket Dinner on Friday. He returns Chris’s bat, signed by Mike Gatting, which David reckons should be put in pride of place next to Chris’s Bowler of the Year trophy. They chat about Jill’s upcoming birthday; she just wants a family tea, but is insisting on making the cake herself. Ben appears, saying he thinks he’s spotted an Asian Hornet in the orchard. As he goes to grab his phone, he bumps into Zainab, who’s peering through the open kitchen door. Ben asks what she’s doing. Zainab explains her scooter’s broken down and Ben mentions the hornet. They join David as he photographs the hornet for an identification App. David worries there may be a nest nearby. Zainab suddenly gets stung in the face and when Ben offers to give Zainab a lift home he discovers she’s Azra’s daughter
SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m0023fv4)
Lasting Lessons
Alongside their A-levels, five 17 year-olds volunteer for six months at a hospice in Surrey. These are young people who hope to work in healthcare one day and, for one reason or another, feel drawn to helping others.
Their hopes and fears are similar to most people who've never been to a hospice, which includes their parents, and they have have no idea what they'll encounter. Above all, there are worries that it will be very sad, and too much for people of their age to handle.
Pretty quickly, they get to know the nurses at the hospice, who have a great sense of humour and are not in the least bit despairing. The volunteers feel awkward at first, and scared of getting things wrong, but with the nurses' encouragement, they begin talking with patients, feeding them, moving them, brushing their teeth, and helping them to the toilet.
Little by little, they get to know patients, gain confidence and maturity and start to form a new understanding of dying and death.
With many thanks to the staff of the Princess Alice Hospice and to Lizzie Leigh in particular.
Presented by Farida Abdelhamid
Produced by Tim Moorhouse
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 19:45 Buried (m001hp3f)
Series 1
Series 1 - 7. How to Make a Mafia
In the Comorrah’s neighbourhood in Naples, Dan and Lucy learn how waste can fuel a mafia. They’re warned that the UK is playing a dangerous game.
"All you have to do... is dig it up."
A trucker’s deathbed tape plays out. It’s urgent, desperate.
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast series, investigative journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor deep-dive into one of the worst environment crimes in UK history - the secret dumping of a million tonnes of waste near a city. But when they uncover missing documents, fears of toxicity and allegations of organised crime, they realise they’ve stumbled into something much bigger. As they pick at the threads of one crime, they begin to see others. Could Britain be the home of a new mafia, getting rich on our waste?
In a thrilling ten-part investigation, the husband-and-wife duo dive into a criminal underworld, all the time following clues left in a deathbed tape. They’re driven by one question - what did the man in the tape know?
Presenters and Producers: Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor
Assistant Producer: Tess Davidson
Original Music and Sound Design: Phil Channell
Sound Design and Series Mixing: Jarek Zaba
Executive Producers: Phil Abrams and Anita Elash
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
A Smoke Trail production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 20:00 Word of Mouth (m00237zl)
How Animals Talk
Michael hears from zoologist Arik Kershenbaum about the latest research on how and why different types of animals communicate, from wolves howling to dolphins whistling: a world of soundscapes. He also explains how animal communication can help to shed light on the human variety.
Dr. Arik Kershenbaum is a zoologist and the author of: Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication.
Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Beth O'Dea.
Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m00237my)
Peter Jay, Ed Johnson, Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll, Deborah Roberts
Matthew Bannister on
Peter Jay, who was economics editor at the Times and the BBC and also Britain’s Ambassador to the United States.
Ed Johnson, the CIA agent who played a key role in the Argo operation to smuggle US diplomats out of Iran – but kept his involvement secret until his death. His wife tells us she had no idea what his work involved.
Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll, who made controversial changes aimed at bringing more visitors to the Victoria and Albert Museum
Deborah Roberts, the acclaimed soprano who co-founded the Brighton Early Music Festival.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive
Norman Acgroyd, BBC, Artists in Print, 09/03/1981; Argo, Declassified Trailer, Warner Bros Entertainment, YouTube Upload 09/02/2013; BBC News, 09/1/1979; BBC News, 04/11/1979; BBC Desert Island Discs 20/10/1991; BBC Newsnight, 13/12/94; TV-am First Broadcast – Good Morning Britain (1983), Uploaded to Youtube “Things”, 9/02/19; That’s Life, BBC 1, 25/01/1981
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m0023fp1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m0023fss)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0023fnx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:30 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m0023fv6)
Radio 4's Sunday night political discussion programme.
SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m00237yt)
Wormholes
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the tantalising idea that there are shortcuts between distant galaxies, somewhere out there in the universe. The idea emerged in the context of Einstein's theories and the challenge has been not so much to prove their unlikely existence as to show why they ought to be impossible. The universe would have to folded back on itself in places, and there would have to be something to make the wormholes and then to keep them open. But is there anywhere in the vast universe like that? Could there be holes that we or more advanced civilisations might travel through, from one galaxy to another and, if not, why not?
With
Toby Wiseman
Professor of Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London
Katy Clough
Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at Queen Mary, University of London
And
Andrew Pontzen
Professor of Cosmology at Durham University
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Reading list:
Jim Al-Khalili, Black Holes, Wormholes and Time Machines (Taylor & Francis, 1999)
Andrew Pontzen, The Universe in a Box: Simulations and the Quest to Code the Cosmos (Riverhead Books, 2023)
Claudia de Rham, The Beauty of Falling: A Life in Pursuit of Gravity (Princeton University Press, 2024)
Carl Sagan, Contact (Simon and Schuster, 1985)
Kip Thorne, Black Holes & Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy (W. W. Norton & Company, 1994)
Kip Thorne, Science of Interstellar (W. W. Norton & Company, 2014)
Matt Visser, Lorentzian Wormholes: From Einstein to Hawking (American Institute of Physics Melville, NY, 1996)
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production
SUN 23:45 Short Works (m00237mw)
Rainbow Day by Soula Emmanuel
An original short story commissioned by BBC Radio 4 from the author Soula Emmanuel. Read by Holly Hannaway.
Soula Emmanuel was born in Dublin to an Irish mother and a Greek father. She currently lives on Ireland’s east coast. She has written for IMAGE magazine, Rogue Collective and the Project Arts Centre, and has had fiction published by The Liminal Review. She was longlisted for Penguin’s WriteNow programme in 2020, took part in the Stinging Fly fiction summer school in 2021 and was a participant in the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency’s mentorship programme for 2021-22. In 2024 her debut novel Wild Geese won the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction, and the Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize at the UK Society of Authors Awards.
Writer: Soula Emmanuel
Reader: Holly Hanaway
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
MONDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m0023fv8)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
MON 00:15 World Of Secrets (w3ct793k)
Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods
Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods: 1. Golden opportunity
A dream job offer arrives from Harrods, to the surprise of debutante teenager, Cheska. Why is one of the world’s most famous luxury shops interested in her? How do they know where she lives - where to send the letter? It’s the 1990s in London. Cheska and other rich girls are being introduced to high society, as part of an centuries old tradition. What should she do next? Soon after she gets the job offer, Cheska is working in owner Mohamed Al Fayed’s personal office in London’s exclusive Park Lane. Can Al Fayed help her with her ambition to act?
This season of World of Secrets is about sexual abuse, and includes descriptions which some listeners might find distressing. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support for survivors of sexual abuse, go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m0023fq6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023fvb)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023fvd)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023fvg)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 05:30 News Briefing (m0023fvj)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0023fvl)
Holding on and letting go
Good morning.
Clearing out old things can be quite the task. I have old boxes to go through that have been on my to do list for quite some time. Boxes that are taking up space and filled with stuff that I have kept as a history and record of my life. Yet, I know that some things must go, to make room for the new, though it’s hard to know what to let go of and what to keep.
Recently, an old friend wrote to me. She was having a clear out after moving house and found her journal that was almost 25 years old. In one of the entries, she had written about coming to my house and the day we had spent together. We had actually prayed together, too, sharing some of our fears about that stage of our life, as we moved out of our teenage years into young adulthood. I had completely forgotten about that day, but it all came back to me as I read her words.
I am so glad that my friend had kept that journal and then found it decades later. And how good of her to remind me of my own faith journey and the roads we had travelled together.
Memory can weave its own tapestry, with some threads fading over time. Sometimes we can carry physical stuff around with us, and other things in our minds, long after we have any use for them.
So today, at the start of a new week, may I be granted the wisdom to know what to hold to, and what to set aside, so that I can see more of the truth of who I am. Amen.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m0023fvn)
30/09/24 - Council farms sell-off, health checks at livestock markets, the problem with deer
As cash-strapped local authorities put more of their council farms up for sale, there are concerns about the loss of a valuable entry route into agriculture for those who can’t afford to buy land. Following a government review into its finances, Peterborough council was advised to sell off its farms to solve its financial difficulties.
The farms make up more than 1,200 hectares with more than 20 tenants. Council farms often offer fixed term tenancies on small pieces of land, which can be more accessible to people wanting to start out in farming. But as councils need to balance the books, selling off the land can provide a source of quick cash. George Dunn from the Tenant Farmers Association told me this is a familiar and worrying story.
Last week the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, promised more personalised care and preventative treatment in his speech about the NHS. But for that to happen we have to engage with medical professionals in the first place, and for many farmers, especially at busy times in the farming year, it’s hard to find time to visit their GP.
Rural health hubs at livestock markets are trying to address this. Farmers can turn up without an appointment and see a nurse, a chiropodist or even a psychologist.
We’re going to be discussing deer all this week, both wild and those farmed for venison. They look magical when you catch a glimpse of one in the countryside, but can be a real headache for farmers and land managers. The Government ran a consultation into how best to control deer numbers back in 2022 with a view to publishing a Deer Management Strategy, but it’s never materialised. Charles Smith-Jones from the British Deer Society says there needs to be a plan.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
MON 05:57 Weather (m0023fvq)
Weather reports and forecasts for farmers
MON 06:00 Today (m0023g5s)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m0023g5v)
Ancient India and China: from golden to silk roads
The best-selling historian William Dalrymple presents India as the great superpower of ancient times in The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World. He argues that for more than a millennium India art, religions, technology, astronomy, music and mathematics spread far and wide from the Red Sea to the Pacific, and its influence was unprecedented, but now largely forgotten.
China’s significance has long been celebrated and understood, with reference to the ancient trading routes linking the east and west. The historian Susan Whitfield is an expert on the Silk Roads. She talks to Adam Rutherford about the extraordinary discovery of manuscripts in a cave in Dunhuang, in Northern China, which provide a detailed picture of the vibrant religious and cultural life of the town. An exhibition of the manuscripts, A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang, runs at the British Library until 23rd February 2025.
But what of India’s cultural and artistic influence and expression in modern times? Shanay Jhaveri is the new Head of Visual Arts at the Barbican and curator of their new exhibition, The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975-1998 (October 2024 until January 2025). This landmark group show explores the way artists have responded to a period of significant political and social change in India in the 20th century.
Producer: Katy Hickman
MON 09:45 Café Hope (m0023g5x)
Run to recovery
Rachel Burden hears from Connor Shannon who set up Addicts to Athletes after he found that running helped with his recovery from addiction.
Café Hope is our virtual Radio 4 coffee shop, where guests pop in for a brew and a chat to tell us what they’re doing to make things better in big and small ways. Think of us as sitting in your local café, cooking up plans, hearing the gossip, and celebrating the people making the world a better place.
We’re all about trying to make change. It might be a transformational project that helps an entire community, or it might be about trying to make one life a little bit easier. And the key here is in the trying. This is real life. Not everything works, and there are struggles along the way. But it’s always worth a go.
You can contact us on cafehope@bbc.co.uk or Whatsapp us on 0330 678 47 27
Details of organisations offering information and support with addiction are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0023g60)
The Tuam babies scandal: A Woman's Hour special
For this special edition of Woman's Hour, Nuala McGovern travels to Tuam, County Galway in Ireland to visit the site of a former mother and baby home which came to the world’s attention in 2014. It was revealed that up to 796 babies and young children who died in the care of the nuns who ran the home, had been disposed of in a disused sewage tank. Now, more than a decade since the scandal broke, work is starting on a full excavation.
Nuala has an exclusive interview with Daniel MacSweeney, who is in charge of the excavation, and hopes to provide answers for families who want to give their children a decent burial. She also speaks to the women who uncovered the scandal - Catherine Corless and Anna Corrigan, as well as journalist Alison O'Reilly who broke the story, and to Paul Forde, a survivor of the Tuam home, whose baby sister's remains may be in the mass grave.
If you believe you are related to a child buried in Tuam, please contact Daniel MacSweeney's team. The confidential phone line is 00 353 1 5391777 or email info@dait.ie
The postal address is: Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam (ODAIT), Custom House, Flood Street, Galway, H91 XV2C, Ireland.
And we're inviting you to also share your story with us, you can email Woman's Hour via the 'Contact Us' tab above.
Contributors:
Catherine Corless, campaigner and Tuam resident
Paul Forde, Tuam mother and baby home survivor
Daniel MacSweeney, Director of Authorised
Intervention at Tuam
Anna Corrigan, Tuam Babies Family Group
Alison O'Reilly, journalist at the Irish Examiner
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Sarah Crawley
AP/Digital: Claire Fox
MON 11:00 On the Run (m0023g63)
At Their Feet
Writer, Poet and Runner Helen Mort tracks a history of running, from prehistoric times to present day to chart the development of humanity's relationship with running.
In this episode, Helen examines the role running played in societies from Europe's Dark Ages to the early 20th century. She'll be finding out who the runners were, what inspired them to ran, and the impact it made on their social status.
Helen will discover the surprising religious origins of Britain's modern-day position in global athletics. She'll chart the ups and downs of the participation and perception of women runners. And she'll learn how 17th century foot messengers became a powerful tool in the struggle between indigenous North Americans and European colonisers.
Interviewees:
Neil Baxter - Sociologist and running historian
Sam Edwards - Historian, Loughborough University
Bill Hillmann - Bull runner and writer
Katie Holmes - Women's running historian
Dustin Martin - Executive Director of Wings of America
Peter Radford - Olympian and sports historian
Roger Robinson - Runner and author of 'Running in Literature'
Thanks to Thor Gotaas, author of 'Running: A Global History'
Producer: Becca Bryers
MON 11:45 The Kindness of Strangers by Kerry Hudson (m0023g66)
Belief
In these five specially commissioned essays, Kerry Hudson explores the kindness of strangers - how tiny encounters (and larger actions) have turned the tide repeatedly in desperate circumstances.
They encompass topics such as the psychology of kindness in childhood, the vulnerability of travelling alone in places with troubled histories, how Kerry had to learn to rely on the strangers working in an underfunded health service in a foreign country while suffering from a life-threatening illness, the perils of life on the water and the generosities of the boating community experienced whilst living on a canal boat, and how kindness can sometimes come with unexpected caveats and conditions depending on what you look like and where you are from.
Born in Aberdeen, Kerry Hudson grew up in poverty and fear, in a succession of council estates, B&Bs and caravan parks with a single parent mother who suffered from challenging mental ill-health, compounded by addiction.
Kerry's first novel, Tony Hogan Bought Me An Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma, was published in July 2012 and was shortlisted for eight literary prizes, including the Guardian First Book Award and Green Carnation Prize, and won Scottish First Book of the Year. Kerry's second novel, Thirst, was developed with support from the National Lottery through an Arts Council England grant, and published in July 2014 before being shortlisted for the Green Carnation Prize. Her first work of non-fiction, Lowborn (2019) became a Times bestseller and was hailed as ‘One of the most important books of the year’ by The Guardian. A follow-up to Lowborn, titled Newborn, was published in February 2024.
Written and Read by Kerry Hudson
Commissioned and Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4
MON 12:00 News Summary (m0023g69)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m0023g6c)
Energy Bills, Alcohol-Free Bars, iPhone Access
Tomorrow, the new energy price cap comes into play that will increase an average household’s bills by around £150. We discuss what consumers can do to minimise their costs and what the future looks like for our utility bills.
Can you gain access to a loved one’s phone in the event of their death? We’ve had many responses following our story last week on people in this situation that have been unable to recover photos and videos from phones after bereavement. However, it is possible. We hear how one person took the matter to court and won.
Would you eat dinner at a restaurant at
5:30pm if it meant receiving 50% off the bill? We explore whether a new app is making dynamic pricing work for restaurants and customers alike.
Have you ever been to an alcohol-free bar? Despite sales of low and no alcohol drinks booming, a number of alcohol-free bars across the country are closing their doors. A former bar owner explains the challenges of running one of these spaces.
PRODUCER: CHARLIE FILMER-COURT
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
MON 12:57 Weather (m0023g6f)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m0023g6h)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
MON 13:45 Continental Divides (m0023g6k)
Episode 1 - Winners and Losers
Misha Glenny explores a number of political divides facing Europe and asks whether the continent is undergoing the same crises it went through in the 1930s.
In this first episode, he investigates two countries that have elected ultra-conservative leaders over the last 15 years – Viktor Orban in Hungary in 2010 and Giorgia Meloni in Italy in 2022. Speaking to a range of voices from former politicians to academics, journalists and economists, Misha unpacks the importance of economic and social crises in their electoral success, whether it was the 2008 financial crash in Hungary or the Covid pandemic in Italy.
Producer: Artemis Irvine
Executive Producer: Robert Nicholson
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:00 The Archers (m0023fv2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Plum House (m000hn51)
Series 3
5. All in Good Faith
The third series of Plum House returns and the team welcome a new vicar to their parish (played by Robert Bathurst). Peter is his biggest fan, but the others have varying levels of interest. Maureen and Alan try in their own way to help with church repairs and maintenance, to disastrous effect, and Julian is mainly miffed that Peter's found a new best friend. Tom meanwhile is still trying to patch things up with Emma...
Plum House features Simon Callow, Jane Horrocks, Miles Jupp, Pearce Quigley, Tom Bell and Louise Ford.
Guest starring Robert Bathurst and Alex Lowe
Written by Ben Cottam and Paul McKenna
Directed by Paul Schlesinger
Produced by Claire Broughton
It is a BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
MON 14:45 Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (m0016x9w)
Episode One
Helen Fielding's iconic 1996 novel of life as a single thirty-something woman in London.
"Ugh. First day of New Year has been day of horror. Cannot quite believe I am once again starting the year in a single bed in my parents’ house."
Bridget Jones begins the new year full of resolutions. She pledges in her diary to drink less, smoke less, lose weight, find a new job, stay away from unsuitable men and learn to programme the VCR. But her resolve is tested by the horrors of attending dinner parties with the "smug marrieds", the confusing behaviour of her charming rogue of a boss Daniel Cleaver, and her increasingly embarrassing encounters with human rights lawyer Mark Darcy.
Bridget Jones's Diary started life as a weekly column in the pages of The Independent in 1995, when Fielding worked on the news desk. Helen’s column chronicled the life and antics of fictional Bridget Jones as a thirty-something single woman in London trying to make sense of life and love. It was first published as a novel in 1996 and has gone on to sell more than 15 million copies worldwide and has been adapted into a series of films.
Read by Sally Phillips
Abridged by Sara Davies
Produced by Mair Bosworth and Mary Ward-Lowery
MON 15:00 The Kitchen Cabinet (m0023fnv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
MON 15:30 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley (m0023jkp)
Lady Swindlers with Lucy Worsley
31. Alice Diamond - Queen of 40 Thieves
In this brand new series Lucy Worsley switches her attention from Lady Killers to Lady Swindlers - conwomen, thieves and hustlers.
This is where true crime meets history - with a twist. Lucy and her team of all female detectives travel back more than 100 years to revisit the audacious and surprising crimes of women trying to make it in a world made for men.
In this first episode Lucy is investigating the career of Alice Diamond, the queen of the UK’s most famous all female crime syndicate in the early 20th century. By the age of 18 Alice is leading a gang of incredibly successful professional shoplifters from South East London, known as the Forty Thieves, whose audacious and carefully planned raids on London’s new department stores make them notorious.
With Lucy to explore Alice Diamond’s story is Professor Lorraine Gamman, the founder of the Design Against Crime Research Initiative at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London, which works to reduce shoplifting. Lorraine also has a fascinating personal connection to Alice Diamond through Alice’s apprentice, Shirley Pitts, and she helped Shirley write her memoir ‘Gone Shopping’.
Lucy is also joined by historian Rosalind Crone to visit Southwark in South East London where Alice spends her childhood moving from one set of dismal lodgings to another to avoid the rent man. And they visit another of Alice’s haunts: Marlborough Street Magistrates’ Court, where she faces dozens of charges of shoplifting.
Lucy wants to know: is Alice Diamond a beacon of female liberation or is she just a serial criminal? How were opportunities for women changing in the early 20th century? What does Alice’s story tell us about the lives of women born into poverty then, and asks how much has changed for women today?
Producer: Jane Greenwood
Readers: Clare Corbett and Jonathan Keeble
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Executive Producer: Kirsty Hunter
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4.
If you're in the UK, listen to the newest episodes of Lady Killers first on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/3M2pT0K
MON 16:00 American Paradox (m0023ftd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
13:30 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 Marianna in Conspiracyland (m0023drb)
Why Do You Hate Me? USA
2. Counting The Threats: 'I just work in IT – why am I getting threats from election deniers?'
What are the real-world consequences of the belief that almost anything and everything can be staged or rigged – from assassination attempts to elections?
In Why Do You Hate Me? USA, BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring is investigating how what’s happening online can shape the 2024 presidential election.
In this episode, Marianna continues her journey through Colorado to hear about what happens when some people no longer trust systems and institutions – and then send hate to the people they see complicit in unproven plots and conspiracies.
She meets the election workers who feared for their safety after Donald Trump and some of his supporters falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen and public officials were overwhelmed with abuse and threats online. Could it possibly get worse this time around?
Host: Marianna Spring
Producers: Daniel Wittenberg & Emma Close
Story Editor: Matt Willis
Editor: Sam Bonham
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Sound Designer: Tony Churnside
Production Co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
MON 17:00 PM (m0023g6m)
Netanyahu sends dramatic warning to Iran
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Iranians their regime is bringing them 'closer to the abyss', saying 'there is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach'
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023g6p)
Reports from the US suggest a limited ground offensive is imminent
MON 18:30 Just a Minute (m0023g6r)
Series 93
3. Rhymes with Touché and Suché and John Belushé
Julian Clary, Jenny Eclair, Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Josie Lawrence join host Sue Perkins for the long-running quick-thinking panel game, aiming to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, deviation or hesitation. Subjects include John O'Groats, The Perfect Outfit, and Adding Insult To Injury.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Manager: Jerry Peal
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Producer: Rajiv Karia
An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
MON 19:00 The Archers (m0023dqd)
Ben goes round to Azra’s to check how Zainab’s doing after her Asian Hornet sting. Azra explains that Zainab’s mortified and has taken to her room. Ben confirms that it was an Asian hornet and that the investigating team have mobilised the National Bee Unit. They’re coming tomorrow to destroy the suspected nest. When Azra thanks Ben for looking after Zainab, he explains that he’s training to be a nurse. They chat about Azra’s work as a GP, and she suggests that Ben thinks about doing community nursing.
Pat visits Alice to explain why she’s written a character reference for George. Whilst she thinks George should face serious consequences, she’s not sure whether locking him up would do any good. As Alice talks about the impact of it all they’re interrupted by Lilian at the door. She wonders what Pat’s doing there, considering she’s chosen to take George’s side against Alice. When Pat defends her actions, Lilian calls her a hypocrite, reminding Pat about her treatment of Alan over Rob’s baptism. And yet Pat’s writing references for a boy who nearly destroyed Alice’s life. Later Pat tells Tony that Alice’s reaction was controlled but Lilian was really horrible and vindictive about George. George will be sentenced next week, and Pat wanted the court to have as full a picture as possible. Tony admires Pat’s ability to look at all sides, but she can’t expect the family to see it that way. When Tony visits Lilian later, it’s clear she won’t change her mind about Pat. Lilian just hopes that Peggy doesn’t get to hear about what Pat’s done.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m0023g6t)
David Oyelowo, Regulating the entertainment industry, Ralph Steadman
David Oyelowo talks about playing Coriolanus in the National Theatre's new production. He explains why it's the role he's always wanted to take on - encompassing tragedy, politics and the challenge of stage combat. Dame Eileen Atkins talks about her late friend, the great actress Dame Maggie Smith. We visit the studio of cartoonist Ralph Steadman and get an insight into the range of his work from children's book illustrations to eco-activism. And, what progress has been made to tackle harassment and exploitation in the entertainment industry? Heather Rabbatts has spent three years setting up the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority and Jenny Tingle is from the trade union BECTU and they join Samira to discuss what's happening.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Ruth Watts
MON 20:00 Rethink (m00237zn)
Rethink... voting
One person, one vote - we're all equal in the voting booth, right?
But it hasn't always been this way, and just who can vote has changed many times since the Second World War.
Until 1951, business owners and some university graduates were allowed multiple votes. 18 year olds could vote for the first time in the 1970 general election, and In 2024 British expats who had lived outside the UK for longer than 15 years were given the vote.
There are anomalies too. Irish and Commonwealth citizens who have just arrived in the UK can vote as long as they're registered, but an EU citizen who's lived here for 20 years cannot, unless they become a British citizen.
And when it comes to the results, smaller parties say the First Past the Post system leaves them with few seats that don't reflect their level of support.
So is there a better way? Quadratic voting, which allows people to vote multiple times could be the answer. Ben Ansell speaks to one of its inventors, and asks, "is it time to rethink voting?"
Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Ravi Naik
Editor: Clare Fordham
Contributors
Glen Weyl, Microsoft Research
Rosie Campbell Professor of Politics at King's College London
Dr Hannah White the CEO of the Institute for Government
Rob Ford Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester
MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m00237zq)
How green is space travel?
The images beamed back to Earth of the first civilian spacewalk have prompted a very pertinent question from one Inside Science listener:
What effect is space travel having on our climate?
We're used to delving into the carbon footprint of Earth-bound travel – so this week we’re going to explore the impact of the rapidly growing space industry on our climate.
How does a rocket launch compare to a flight taking off? Do we even know the true cost yet – and if it’s significant, what might the solution be?
Also on the programme, a personal perspective from a remote island on worrying seabird declines, the results of a project to refreeze Arctic sea ice, and why new evidence unearthed about the Falkland Islands suggests it may once have looked very different...
Presenter: Vic Gill
Producers: Ella Hubber & Gerry Holt
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Andrew Rhys Lewis
Studio Manager: Rhys Morris
BBC Inside Science is produced in partnership with the Open University.
If you want to test your climate change knowledge, head to bbc.co.uk - search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to the Open University.
MON 21:00 Start the Week (m0023g5v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:45 Café Hope (m0023g5x)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m0023g6w)
Israeli ground forces poised for ground incursion into Lebanon
A BBC reporter in Beirut has heard explosions in the south of the city after Israel's army ordered an evacuation of three areas. Israel is reportedly poised to mount a ground incursion into Lebanon. Hezbollah's deputy leader Naim Qassem says the group is ready for an Israeli ground offensive and says the battle "may be long".
The Conservative mayor of Tees Valley, Lord Houchen, has told the BBC that all four candidates for the party leadership need to be "more honest" on how they plan to deliver the policies they're advocating.
And we speak to the cruise ship passengers who met while stranded in Belfast and became engaged, as they finally prepare to set off on their delayed voyage.
MON 22:45 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (m002130w)
Episode 1
This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love.
When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one morning he is catapulted straight back to childhood, and the hours they spent immersed in playing games.
Their spark is instantly reignited and sets off a creative collaboration that will make them superstars. It is the 90s, and anything is possible.
What comes next is a decades-long tale of friendship and rivalry, fame and art, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.
Written by Gabrielle Zevin
Abridged by Joseph Bedell
Read by Zoe Maltby
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
MON 23:00 Limelight (m001r7tn)
The System - Series 3
The System - Method 5: Die
Five Methods for Overcoming Mortality.
Season finale of Ben Lewis’ propulsive thriller.
When the Children of the Green Man open the castle gates to a mob of gamers, it becomes clear that a storm is coming.
The fate of everyone is now in the hands of the few. But whose version of reality will win out?
Cast:
Maya… Siena Kelly
Jake … Jack Rowan
Coyote…Divian Ladwa
Robin…Ryan Sampson
Matt Finch…Rhashan Stone
Original music and sound design by Danny Krass
A BBC Scotland Production directed by Kirsty Williams
MON 23:30 American Paradox (m0023ftd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
13:30 on Sunday]
TUESDAY 01 OCTOBER 2024
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m0023g6y)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 00:30 The Kindness of Strangers by Kerry Hudson (m0023g66)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023g70)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023g72)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023g74)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m0023g76)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0023g78)
Common Ground
Good morning.
Happy Nigerian Independence Day! As a British Nigerian woman, today holds memories of the smell of mum’s cooking: jollof rice, a variety of vegetables, fish and meat, all prepared to celebrate Nigeria establishing a coalition parliament in 1960 and gaining freedom from colonial rule.
Celebrations like this can be stirring, or simply an excuse to gather with family and friends, with the politics and history relegated to second and third place. Today makes me think of how we cope with the big stuff, the history and history making that is happening around us, and even before we were born. What is our place in all of this? How do we make sense of our life in the grand stories of time? I remember thinking when the family moved back to London, following a spell in Lagos, that it was like a bit of an earthquake, at least for the little girl that I was then.
And so it can be, too, for anyone who has to move home, towns, cities or countries even. A new chapter begins in our story in unfamiliar surroundings. We may have some control, but we may also feel utterly overwhelmed. Perhaps all we can do is seek to connect with what is around us, with those who share the same story and those who do not, so that we can deepen our understanding, and theirs, of what has been.
So, today, I pray that I may listen more deeply, and also with my heart, to the stories of others, and see the common ground we share.
Amen.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m0023g7b)
01/10/24 New kept-bird register, US certification scheme for regen ag, deer cull.
From 1 October, all owners of poultry in England and Wales, must be registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, even if it's just one hen in the back garden. This can be done online, through the DEFRA website. The aim is to be able to track all kept birds, in the event of more bird flu outbreaks. The new rule also applies to pet birds such as budgies, cockatiels, parrots and finches, if they are given access to the open air. All birds either kept outdoors, or taken outdoors, must be registered. Failure to do so could result in a fine of £2,500. However some owners say it’s unfair that they have to comply in the same way as poultry farms which house almost a million birds.
Waitrose says the orchard and vineyard on its Leckford farming estate in Hampshire is now certified as regenerative, as defined by an American certification scheme called 'Regenified'. Currently around 1.8 million acres are signed up to the scheme, most of it in the USA but 32 UK farms are signed up with the company. We speak to the American founders of the company and find out why Waitrose has signed up to it.
All week we're taking stock of deer. They may look wonderful in the wild, but in large numbers they can damage woodland and crops. In England and Wales there is no national strategy for managing herds, but the Scottish Government is encouraging land managers to shoot deer in a controlled way, to keep numbers down. So far it’s just a pilot scheme, run in three areas. If it’s a success it could be rolled out across Scotland, but there are already questions over whether the extra venison can be handled.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
This programme has been edited since broadcast.
TUE 06:00 Today (m0023dpp)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Long View (m0023dpr)
Small Boats, Refugees and Migrants
The late 1500s saw waves of migration into England as Protestants from France and what are now Belgium and the Netherlands sought refuge from wars and persecution. Historian John Gallagher joins Jonathan Freedland to draw out the evidence for people smuggling routes across the English Channel, and discusses how 'strangers' (as migrants were called in the 16th century) were received once they'd made the crossing. With BBC News Correspondent Tim Symonds, and Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory.
Reader: Ruth Everett
Producer: Luke Mulhall
TUE 09:30 All in the Mind (m0023dpt)
Mental health of military drone operators, conspiracy theories, the All in the Mind Awards
Members of the UK military piloting unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, operate from Lincolnshire - a long way from frontline battlefields in the Middle East. Via their drones' cameras, they can watch their enemy targets for days or even weeks at a time. But while they might be physically safe, their close-up views of traumatic events can cause mental harm.
In this episode, Claudia Hammond speaks to a former pilot of military drones. They are joined by Professor Dominic Murphy, who is head of research at the Combat Stress Centre for Applied Military Health Research, and Professor Peter Lee, an ethicist from the University of Portsmouth. Together, they discuss the issues faced by military drone pilots.
In the studio, Claudia is accompanied by Professor Catherine Loveday, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Westminster. They discuss the news that a new type of drug for schizophrenia has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the USA, and what this could mean for those with the condition. They also pore over a recent piece of research that revealed AI chatbots might be able to pull people out of the rabbithole of conspiracy theories.
And the All in the Mind Awards 2025 are open for nominations! You can nominate the individual, group or professional who really helped with your mental health. In this episode, we hear from Josephine Barclay, who won the individual category in 2023, along with her daughter Maudie, who nominated her. If you'd like to nominate someone, you’ll find everything you need to know by going online to bbc.co.uk/radio4/allinthemind. Full terms and conditions are available there too. You have until
1pm on Wednesday the 8th of January 2025 to get your nominations in.
If you are affected by anything in this programme, details of organisations offering support with mental health and self-harm, or feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell
Editor: Holly Squire
Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0023dpw)
Menopause, Female Victorian detectives, Hair thinning
Menopause campaigner and Labour MP Carolyn Harris, and Dr Paula Briggs from Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust join Nuala McGovern to discuss the findings of the BBC’s latest Panorama: The Menopause Industry Uncovered.
Who was the first detective? You might be thinking of Sherlock Holmes. In a new book by Sara Lodge, she reveals that the first detectives were actually women, 40 years earlier than Sherlock. Sara joins us to tell us more.
Hair loss comes in many forms, from thinning to complete loss. In his new YouTube series, Hair Stories, hairstylist Michael Douglas, with over 37 years of experience working with women’s hair, explores women’s unique stories and the personal connection they have with their hair. Joining Michael is Katie O'Callaghan, who experienced hair loss and ultimately chose to undergo a hair transplant.
Conservative MP Mims Davies has said that the number of women wanting to work for and with the Conservative Party is "diminishing". To discuss this and the ongoing Tory leadership contest, Nuala is joined by Lara Spirit, Redbox Editor for The Times, and Ailbhe Rea, Associate Editor, Bloomberg UK.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Emma Pearce
TUE 11:00 Add to Playlist (m00237nb)
Errollyn Wallen and Neil Brand round off the series
Belize-born British composer Errollyn Wallen, recently announced as Master of the King's Music, and composer and silent film music specialist Neil Brand, join Anna Phoebe and Jeffrey Boakye to round off the current series.
From the first winner of the Eurovision Song contest to a Marvin Gaye masterpiece, via warring brothers, Add to Playlist wraps up before returning for a new series in November.
Producer: Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Refrain by Lys Assia
The Honeysuckle and the Bee by Stanley Holloway
Champagne Supernova by Oasis
Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Other music in this episode:
1st Movement of Concerto Grosso by Errollyn Wallen
Trenulețul (Eurovision 2022) by Zdob și Zdub
All in Your Head by New Jack & Lys Assia
Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Disco Inferno by The Trammps
TUE 11:45 The Kindness of Strangers by Kerry Hudson (m0023dpy)
In other Countries
In these five specially commissioned essays, Kerry Hudson explores the kindness of strangers - how tiny encounters (and larger actions) have turned the tide repeatedly in desperate circumstances.
They encompass topics such as the psychology of kindness in childhood, the vulnerability of travelling alone in places with troubled histories, how Kerry had to learn to rely on the strangers working in an underfunded health service in a foreign country while suffering from a life-threatening illness, the perils of life on the water and the generosities of the boating community experienced whilst living on a canal boat, and how kindness can sometimes come with unexpected caveats and conditions depending on what you look like and where you are from.
Born in Aberdeen, Kerry Hudson grew up in poverty and fear, in a succession of council estates, B&Bs and caravan parks with a single parent mother who suffered from challenging mental ill-health, compounded by addiction.
Kerry's first novel, Tony Hogan Bought Me An Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma, was published in July 2012 and was shortlisted for eight literary prizes, including the Guardian First Book Award and Green Carnation Prize, and won Scottish First Book of the Year. Kerry's second novel, Thirst, was developed with support from the National Lottery through an Arts Council England grant, and published in July 2014 before being shortlisted for the Green Carnation Prize. Her first work of non-fiction, Lowborn (2019) became a Times bestseller and was hailed as ‘One of the most important books of the year’ by The Guardian. A follow-up to Lowborn, titled Newborn, was published in February 2024.
Written and Read by Kerry Hudson
Commissioned and Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m0023dq1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m0023dq3)
Call You and Yours: Have you switched your heating on yet?
It's getting colder - and our energy is getting more expensive. That's because the energy price cap - which covers 28 million households in England, Wales and Scotland - is kicking in, with gas and electricity prices going up by 10%. So for Call You and Yours, we want to know how you feel about this. Is your heating on yet, and how are you feeling about your bills going into the colder months? Prices rocketed two years ago - has that changed your heating habits? Have you adapted your home so it's more insulated? Are you one of the 10 million people who will be losing the Winter Fuel Payment?
Call us from
11am on Tuesday on 03700 100 444 or email us, youandyours@bbc.co.uk and please add your phone number so we can call you back.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
TUE 12:57 Weather (m0023dq5)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m0023dq7)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
TUE 13:45 Continental Divides (m0023dq9)
Episode 2 - Cities, Suburbs, Towns and Villages
Misha Glenny explores a number of political divides facing Europe and asks whether the continent is undergoing the same crises it went through in the 1930s.
In this second episode, he investigates three countries where rural decline and urban growth have fuelled political change,
First, Bulgaria, where the exodus from villages is driving a near existential problem in terms of national population. In Poland, he hears from the Mayor of Warsaw, who is hoping to ride Poland's growing young, urban and liberal voter base to the Presidency of the whole country. And in France, Misha digs into how both a historic vision of the countryside and the reality of France's declining "in between" places are playing into a new, far right vision for French politics.
Producer: Artemis Irvine
Executive Producer: Robert Nicholson
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m0023dqd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0023dqg)
Daniel is Free by Hugh Costello
New drama, inspired by the recent early-release of prisoners.
Given his freedom sooner than expected thanks to a government early-release scheme, 26-year-old Daniel returns to his parents’ home – and faces a choice between atoning for his sins or profiting a second time from his crime.
Daniel was sentenced to 10 years for helping to create a fake crypto-currency that scammed ordinary people out of substantial sums of money. Like most prisoners, he expected to serve 50% of the sentence. But the government, determined to reduce the prison population, introduces a new pilot-scheme where prisoners like Daniel, whose crimes were non-violent and who have shown a strong commitment to reforming their ways, are released after serving 40% of their term.
Daniel’s release does not go unnoticed. Questions are asked in the media. Should a man who cynically swindled members of the public be returned to society before paying his dues? How can it be guaranteed that he won't ruin more lives?
Daniel’s parents, Alice and Frank don’t see eye to eye about the release and there are complications.
His parole officer Sheena spells out how careful Daniel has to be to avoid re-incarceration. , but his only friend on the outside is his former cellmate, Mark.
DANIEL Shaun Chambers
ALICE Jane Slavin
FRANK Ian Conningham
CATHERINE Lizzy McInnerny
SHEENA Alex Constantinidi
MARK Matthew Aubrey
Written by Hugh Costello
Director Eoin O’Callaghan
A Big Fish Radio production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 15:00 Punt & Dennis: Route Masters (m0023dqj)
Series 1: From Beer to Eternity
1 - From Beer to Jurassic Park
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are on a mission from Beer to Eternity, in this warm and witty new podcast that celebrates new and half-remembered trivia as they try to find entertaining links between random places, people and things.
Could you make your way from The Starship Enterprise to the Air Fryer, armed only with A-Level Economics and a Geography degree? Hugh Dennis is going to have to. While Steve Punt will have to pick his way across Africa, to find what links Machiavelli and Madagascar. Across the series, they’ll be joined by guests including Ken Cheng, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Isy Suttie and Marcus Brigstocke, on a scenic route which takes in Shampoo, The Gruffalo, Watford Gap Services and Yoghurt.
Written and hosted by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis
With Jessica Fostekew
Produced by Victoria Lloyd
Recorded at Maple St. Creative
Mixed by Jonathan Last
A Listen Production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 15:30 Thinking Allowed (m0023dqn)
Architecture and Hope
Yvonne Jewkes, Professor of Criminology at the University of Bath, talks to Laurie Taylor about the design of prisons and the importance of an architecture of hope which nurtures the possibility of rehabilitation, from Limerick to Norway. They’re joined by Lynne McMordie, Research Associate at the Institute for Social Policy, Housing and Equalities Research at Heriot-Watt University, whose research suggests that the congregate nature of hostels and shelters for homeless people often compound the problems of residents, rather than providing a safe space or route to secure housing.
Producer: Jayne Egerton
TUE 16:00 Surrealism Remixed (m0023dqq)
Under the Surface
For Russell Tovey, the modern world is getting more surreal at a time when the original art movement is 100 years old. Surrealism was pioneered by a group of young disrupters in Paris, and it was as meaningful and resonant then, as it is now, but for different reasons.
Today, Russell explores the roots of the movement. The first 'Surrealist Manifesto' was published in Paris in October 1924 by Andre Breton, who presented Surrealism as nothing short of a revolution to liberate mankind, proposing that the world could be re-made by unlocking the power of dreams.
Surrealism emerged when Europe was disfigured by war and Breton and his fellow Surrealists were disillusioned by the strict rationality that had led to mechanised mass destruction. Many of the Surrealists were committed Marxists and, for them, exploring their unconscious minds was a political act, designed to have a revolutionary impact. The Surrealist’s desire to remake their world by plumbing the depths of the unconscious mind was also inspired by Sigmund Freud.
While Breton's manifesto was mainly concerned with writing, the ideas of Surrealism were also nurtured by visual artists, including Rene Magritte, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst and, most famously, Salvador Dalí. Surrealism rippled out from Paris via the ground-breaking International Surrealist Exhibition in London, during the Summer of 1936. This seemed to open a ‘portal into another way of seeing the world’ for many people who were interested in what this would mean for the future.
With Dawn Ades, Louisa Buck, Kate Conley, Martin Creed, Felicity Gee, Darian Leader, Lisa Mullen, Mark Polizzotti, Vic Reeves, David Shrigley, Abigail Susik and Gavin Turk.
Producers: Melissa FitzGerald and Eliane Glaser
Sound Design: Tony Churnside
A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4
Cover Photo: Martin Creed and Russell Tovey
TUE 16:30 When It Hits the Fan (m0023dqt)
Ozempic, Philip Schofield and PR on screen
Is there such a thing as too much good PR? It seems everyone is talking about the weight-loss drug Ozempic - David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at why might this be causing jitters in the company boardroom.
Also, Phillip Schofield’s desert island TV return - will the "last roll of the dice” PR strategy work for him, or is Hillary Clinton's 1992 interview alongside her under-fire husband a cautionary tale?
And with the release of the drama series A Very Royal Scandal, David and Simon look at how PR people are portrayed on film and TV. Useless, posh, drunk or sinister - is it myth, or is it reality?
Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 17:00 PM (m0023dqw)
Iran missile attack on Israel imminent, US says
The US says Iran is preparing to 'imminently' launch a missile attack on Israel, as Israeli troops invade Lebanon in a 'limited, localised and targeted' operation against Hezbollah
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023dqy)
Last night Israel sent ground troops into southern Lebanon to attack Hezbollah positions
TUE 18:30 Janey Godley: The C Bomb (m001n1rf)
1: Shall We Start at the Beginning?
This show was first broadcast in June 2023, as Janey faced a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Last week, Janey revealed she is now receiving end-of-life care.
This is another chance to hear Janey's powerful personal story of strength and survival, all told in her brutally honest, brutally funny signature style.
In this episode, Janey does what she’s always done: turning her own dark and difficult experiences into laugher, as she paints a vivid picture of life in the East End of Glasgow in the 60s, and recounts a childhood steeped in poverty and abuse. As she faces her own mortality, she and daughter Ashley Storrie talk, laugh and cry as they unpick some of the experiences she shares onstage.
Relentlessly authentic, she's also had to face up to her own mistakes - taking responsibility and apologising both publicly and onstage, as well as sharing the shame of being ‘cancelled’ and the very dark place that took her to.
Then, just months later…. the hand grenade of a cancer diagnosis forced her to start fighting for her life.
Now, after finally admitting that after everything she’s been through in life, maybe she‘s not “fine”, and with a terminal diagnosis, she’s submitted to the ultimate ‘C bomb' for many men and women of her generation - counselling.
And as a result of this insight, she’s more hilarious and compelling onstage than ever.
Janey’s experienced a life of extremes but has come out the other side with rare insight, still able to make light of all its trials and tribulations in her signature dark and uncompromising style.
Recorded live in front of an audience in her hometown, Glasgow.
A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m0023dr0)
Tracy chats to Brad about how he’s getting on at Felpersham University. When she wonders if he’s made any friends, Brad explains that although it’s not been easy he thinks he’s found his ‘tribe’. Brad’s been in touch ‘as friends’ with Mia and she’s loving it at her university. George turns up to see how Brad’s getting on, but Tracy isn’t happy to see him. Brad steps in explaining that although he doesn’t condone George’s behaviour he can see what a state George is in. But Tracy asks George to leave, so Brad suggests a walk instead. George admits he’s scared about the sentencing next Thursday and thinks he’ll be sent down. He would do anything to go back to that car and make a different decision. When Brad wishes he could help, George asks if he’ll keep his online video business going while he’s inside. Brad reluctantly agrees.
Emma’s working in the dairy with Susan while Helen’s visiting a customer up north. Pat tells them that some of Friday’s yoghurt’s have been mislabelled. Emma thinks it’s her fault and suggests deducting the cost from her wages. But Pat’s fine and offers some of the mislabelled yoghurts to take home, but Emma refuses. Later Susan realises it was her mistake and they laugh when Emma says she’ll take some yoghurt’s home after all! But they’re stopped in their tracks when an egg’s thrown at the viewing window. Upset Emma thinks it was aimed at her because of George. Pat sends Emma home and then suggests checking the CCTV. But Susan saw Poppy and wonders if she should tell anyone else.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m0023dr2)
The BBC National Short Story Award 2024 with Cambridge University
Tom presents live from The Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House the BBC National Short Story Award and the Young Writers' Award, now in it's tenth year.
Chair of NSSA judges and presenter of Broadcasting House Paddy O'Connell, and chair of the YWA, Radio 1's Katie Thistleton tell us about this year's entries and announce the winners.
We discuss the art of the short story with writers and judges Michael Donkor and Katherine Webber and hear from the first winner of the Young Writers' Award, Brennig Davies.
The NSSA finalists:
Will Boast with The Barber of Erice
Lucy Cauldwell with Hamlet, a love story
Manish Chauhan with Pieces
Ross Raisin with Ghost Kitchen
Vee Walker with Nice Dog
The Young Writers Award finalists:
Basmala Alkhalaf with A Human, a Robot and a Gosling Walk into a Post-Apocalyptic Bar
Amaan Foyez with The Quiet
Vivienne Hall with Confession
Lulu Frisson with Special
Aidan Vogelzang with Nathalie’s Flatmate
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producers: Corinna Jones and Claire Bartleet
TUE 20:00 File on 4 (m0023vnp)
Lucy Letby: The Killer Questions
File on 4 examines some of the most contentious statistical, scientific and medical evidence in the Lucy Letby trial. The programme reveals new concerns involving medical evidence presented in court where Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others.
Reporter: Stephanie Hegarty
Producers: Fay Nurse, Ben Robinson and Hayley Mortimer
Technical Producers: Richard Hannaford and Nicky Edwards
Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley
Editor: Carl Johnston
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m0023dr6)
Peer Support
When you need help or information, where is best to turn? Perhaps reaching out to peers via online methods, or perhaps finding a group that you can meet up with in-person.
Has the prevalence of social media and online meetings discouraged in-person get togethers and has it meant that the quality of our interactions has been diminished? Or does it make accessing information and help from peers and organisations much easier and more efficient. The answers will naturally differ from person to person, depending on preference and whether you are able access to online methods. This episode is dedicated to peer support; where you get it from, who you get it from, and in what form you prefer it.
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 World Of Secrets (w3ct793l)
Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods
Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods: 2. Executive suite
Sophia is working in Harrods and is spotted by Mohamed Al Fayed. She’s handed an incredible career opportunity. Soon she moves to work with her billionaire boss in his executive suite. Not everything is as it seems.
On the shop floor, Mohamed Al Fayed is known for the way he makes a dramatic entrance, flanked by security guards. “He’s coming, he’s coming”, staff call out, as they spring to attention. Celebrity customers in the 1990s, like pop superstar Michael Jackson, are shopping in the store.
This season of World of Secrets is about sexual abuse, and includes descriptions which some listeners might find distressing. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support for survivors of sexual abuse, go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Presented by Cassie Cornish-Trestrail and Shaimaa Khalil, and produced by Neal Razzell and Sally Abrahams. The editor is Matt Willis. It’s a Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service.
TUE 21:30 The Bottom Line (m00237z4)
How Smart Is the Smart Energy System?
The UK's power grid is undergoing a huge shift towards renewable energy, but running homes and businesses solely on this new form of electricity will be a delicate balancing act and will pose new choices for consumers.
Evan Davis and guests discuss the challenge of matching supply - from wind and solar - with an increased demand from electric vehicles and homes using heat pumps rather than gas boilers.
Part of the solution could be consumers themselves - homes with EVs, solar panels or battery storage could act like mini power plants, sending energy back to the grid, as well as taking from it, and getting paid in the process. But that two-way exchange could bring harder decisions - would you let your energy company switch off your fridge for an hour to ease pressure on the grid?
Evan is joined by:
Cordi O’Hara, president of UK electricity distribution, National Grid;
Hamish Phillips, net zero business development director, Centrica;
Jordan Brompton, co-founder and chief marketing officer, Myenergi.
Production team:
Producer: Simon Tulett
Researcher: Drew Hyndman
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Jonny Baker and Tim Heffer
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m0023dr8)
Israel vows "powerful response" to Iran's attack
Israel has vowed a 'powerful response' to a wave of missile strikes by Iran. Tehran says it was in response to Israeli attacks on its allies, Hezbollah and Hamas.
The UK and US have condemned the Iranian attack and reiterated that Israel has the right to defend itself. The strikes came after Israel launched its cross-border ground operation against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
TUE 22:45 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (m00213hx)
Episode 2
This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love.
When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one morning he is catapulted straight back to childhood, and the hours they spent immersed in playing games.
Their spark is instantly reignited and sets off a creative collaboration that will make them superstars. It is the 90s, and anything is possible.
What comes next is a decades-long tale of friendship and rivalry, fame and art, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.
Written by Gabrielle Zevin
Abridged by Joseph Bedell
Read by Zoe Maltby
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 23:00 Marianna in Conspiracyland (m0023drb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Monday]
TUE 23:30 The Gift (m001r30k)
4. Race
The anxieties of navigating a newfound racial identity.
It's the go-to Christmas present for the person who already has everything. A gift that promises to tell you who you really are and how you're connected to the world.
Millions of us have spat into a tube and sent a vial of our DNA to a company like Ancestry and 23andMe. Their tests promise to unlock the truth of our heritage - perhaps even a future foretold in our genes.
Across six episodes, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collide.
Presenter: Jenny Kleeman
Producer: Conor Garrett
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Executive Producer: Philip Sellars
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett
WEDNESDAY 02 OCTOBER 2024
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m0023drd)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 00:30 The Kindness of Strangers by Kerry Hudson (m0023dpy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023drg)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023drj)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023drl)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 05:30 News Briefing (m0023drn)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0023drq)
In body and mind
Good morning.
I love sports. Ever since I was a little girl, playing football and tennis. Though in recent years, I have become more of an armchair athlete. So, following a summer of watching the Euros, Wimbledon, the Olympics and Paralympics, I felt totally inspired to make a change. For me, that meant returning to regular sports, more daily walks, and fewer packets of crisps.
In doing this, I became more conscious of the fact that my body is not where it was years ago and that it, too, has had its evolution. The creaks here and there, and the slower recovery after some ‘proper’ exercise means that I have to recognise my age and all that my body has been through.
Looking after our health can be a complicated business because of the lives we lead and what we inherit through our genes. I can still remember feeling particularly vulnerable after a health scare years ago. We can suddenly feel very mortal at times like these. We may need to make adjustments to the way we eat and live. Something about these necessary changes brings us back to ourselves and to the reality of our embodied nature. And that can be both empowering and scary.
The good news is that there are individuals and groups to help us. It’s good to recognise that, and to know that it’s a step-by-step process to living as best as we can.
So today, I pray for the discipline and gentleness to treat myself with kindness as I work to look after body and mind. Amen.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m0023drs)
02/10/24 Flood task force, Conservative party conference, farmed deer.
There's been more flooding across the country. Last winter saw the wettest period since records began in the 1830s and government figures show that more than a third of river catchments in England have reported either the wettest, or second wettest September to August period since 1871. We catch up with two farmers whose farms are flooded and the NFU about the government's new flood resilience taskforce and what it needs to do to make a difference.
It's party conference season and we've been catching up with the main political parties and their plans for rural England - agriculture is of course a devolved issue. We've heard from the Lib Dems' Tim Farron and the Secretary of State for the Environment in the new Labour Government Steve Reed. Now we hear from the other Steve, the Conservative's Steve Barclay who until the election had the job he now shadows.
All week we're talking about deer. We've already heard there are too many wild deer in the UK, and that they need culling. However deer are also farmed and producers say they are seeing good demand as the market increases. We visit a venison farm in Oxfordshire.
Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
WED 06:00 Today (m0023ds4)
Netanyahu says Iran will pay after missile attack: Emma Barnett and Mishal Husain hear from BBC correspondents in Israel and Lebanon and speak to the Israeli ambassador to London, a Lebanon government minister, and former CIA chief David Petraeus.
WED 09:00 More or Less (m0023ds6)
How do you breed seventeen octillion rats?
Are GPs really working less hours per week?
Does Wetherspoons really pay one in every £1000 of tax in the UK?
Are more people in the UK economically inactive?
How long does it take two rats to produce 17 octillion rats?
Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Reporters: Natasha Fernandes and Bethan Ashmead-Latham
Producer: Nathan Gower
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound mix: Sarah Hockley
Editor: Richard Vadon
WED 09:30 The Coming Storm (m0023ds8)
S2: 4. The Jump
In the summer of 2023 a small budget thriller becomes a smash hit. Sound of Freedom is based on the true story of Tim Ballard, a former officer at the Department for Homeland Security, who spent years undercover busting child sex trafficking rings before he quit and set up his own organisation.
The film was linked to QAnon, the conspiracy theory about a satanic cabal of paedophiles secretly running America. Q, the anonymous figure who posted cryptic messages in online forums, isn’t mentioned in the film. He’s stopped posting and the movement has withered. But Q’s ideas have seeped into the mainstream. Now they’ve merged with a bigger story about dark forces that have captured the institutions of America - the Federal Reserve, the FBI, and…. Hollywood.
Producer: Lucy Proctor
Sound design and mix: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon
Script consultants: Richard Fenton-Smith and Afsaneh Gray
Commissioning editor: Dan Clarke
Original music: Pete Cunningham
Credits:
Opening sequence includes sound from from:
Sound of Freedom, Official Trailer, Angel Studios
Jim Caviezel on Bannon’s War Room, Rumble
Woke Hollywood FURIOUS Over Sound Of Freedom HUGE Box Office Success! | They CAN'T STOP This Movie! Ryan Kinel, Youtube
Controversial movie becomes a surprise summer hit, CNN
How 'Sound of Freedom,' controversial child sex trafficking film, became a hit in theaters, USA today
O.U.R documentary audio from The Abolitionists, FletChet Entertainment
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0023dsb)
Women and Prison, Acid Attacks, Women piano composers, Dr Beth Shapiro
In her speech at Labour conference the Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood said: "for women, prison isn’t working." To discuss her latest announcement, as well as the launch of the Women's Justice Board, Nuala is joined by the former Chief Inspector of Prisons, Dame Anne Owers, and Lily Blundell, Head of Community Programmes at the charity, Women in Prison.
A manhunt is continuing following a suspected acid attack outside a school in west London. The attack took place outside Westminster Academy in Westbourne Park, after school, on Monday afternoon. The school was closed yesterday, with lessons taking place online and many staff working from home.
Acid attacks increased by 69% in England and Wales last year, with female victims exceeding the number of male victims for the first time, according to one leading charity. Nuala discusses the incident with BBC's Steve Knibbs and Ayesha Nayyar, who is a campaigner and solicitor.
The London Piano Festival runs at Kings Place from Friday 4 - Sunday 6 October. Nuala is joined by Katya Apekisheva, co-founder of the festival, a Professor of Piano at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and prize-winning pianist Rose McLachlan, to explore of the lives and music of women piano composers from the last two centuries.
Dr Beth Shapiro is an evolutionary biologist working in de-extinction. She is a pioneer in the ancient DNA field, and features in a new documentary: Hunt for the Oldest DNA. Her work goes towards saving species from extinction and fighting against climate change. She joins Nuala to talk about her work and why it’s so important.
Presented by Nuala McGovern
Producer: Louise Corley
WED 11:00 File on 4 (m0023vnp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
WED 11:45 The Kindness of Strangers by Kerry Hudson (m0023dsf)
In Sickness
In these five specially commissioned essays, Kerry Hudson explores the kindness of strangers - how tiny encounters (and larger actions) have turned the tide repeatedly in desperate circumstances.
They encompass topics such as the psychology of kindness in childhood, the vulnerability of travelling alone in places with troubled histories, how Kerry had to learn to rely on the strangers working in an underfunded health service in a foreign country while suffering from a life-threatening illness, the perils of life on the water and the generosities of the boating community experienced whilst living on a canal boat, and how kindness can sometimes come with unexpected caveats and conditions depending on what you look like and where you are from.
Born in Aberdeen, Kerry Hudson grew up in poverty and fear, in a succession of council estates, B&Bs and caravan parks with a single parent mother who suffered from challenging mental ill-health, compounded by addiction.
Kerry's first novel, Tony Hogan Bought Me An Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma, was published in July 2012 and was shortlisted for eight literary prizes, including the Guardian First Book Award and Green Carnation Prize, and won Scottish First Book of the Year. Kerry's second novel, Thirst, was developed with support from the National Lottery through an Arts Council England grant, and published in July 2014 before being shortlisted for the Green Carnation Prize. Her first work of non-fiction, Lowborn (2019) became a Times bestseller and was hailed as ‘One of the most important books of the year’ by The Guardian. A follow-up to Lowborn, titled Newborn, was published in February 2024.
Written and Read by Kerry Hudson
Commissioned and Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4
WED 12:00 News Summary (m0023dsh)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m0023dsk)
Building Control Collapse, Cardigan Scam Update, Mega Pubs
Today, we investigate the collapse of a major building control firm which went into liquidation in August. PWC Building Control Limited owes millions to its 14,000 customers who may have to wait months if not years for their building work to be signed off. We hear from two people affected, plus Charlotte Banks from Construction News and Lorna Stimpson from Local Authority Building Control.
Last week we reported on the knitted cardigan scam and we received dozens of emails from others who'd been caught out by it. We hear from one, plus we track down the Dutch knitter whose beautiful designs were copied by the scammers about the huge impact scams can have on small businesses.
Plus we report on the rise of the mega-pub, as we go inside two of the newest ones on the block, and hear from futurologist and the founder of Future Food Service, Simon Stenning about whether bigger pubs are a thing of the future.
PRESENTER - WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER - CATHERINE EARLAM
WED 12:57 Weather (m0023dsm)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m0023dsp)
How will Israel respond to Iran's missile attack?
Benjamin Netanyahu has said Iran will "pay", after it launched around 180 missiles into Israel yesterday. We report from across the Middle East and examine the shape that a retaliation could take. Plus: we'll hear how the four Conservative leadership contenders performed on the final day of their party's conference.
WED 13:45 Continental Divides (m0023dsr)
Episode 3 - People Movers
Misha Glenny explores a number of political divides facing Europe and asks whether the continent is undergoing the same crises it went through in the 1930s.
In this third episode, he examines three countries where the politics of migration are driving sea changes.
First, Denmark, where the politically dominant centre left Social Democrats have lurched away from their traditional stance of openness, reaping political dividends while worrying economists. In Austria, the Freedom Party, a hardline far right party, has been stoking anti-migrant feeling and targeting broader changes that might upend the rule of law. And in Germany, the concerns of history repeating itself are felt sharply - but experts tell Misha that the legacy of the post war, and the division of Germany between East and West, is currently playing out in a unique way when it comes to rising hostility to migration.
Producer: Artemis Irvine
Executive Producer: Robert Nicholson
Sound Design and Mix: Simon Jarvis
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
WED 14:00 The Archers (m0023dr0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Riot Girls (m000dqgv)
Dykes
Episode 3
Episode 3: Cis Man that is born of Cis Woman. An original three part series by Sarah Daniels, which follows the friendship of three radical lesbian feminists from the 1970s to today, and takes in the pioneering campaigning of the ‘70s, the backlash of Clause 28 in the late '80s, and the more recent fractures in the LGBTQ+ community. Starring Nichola McAuliffe, Jessica Turner and Jelena Budimir.
This fourth season of Riot Girls - provocative writing by women - offers no-holds barred dramas that explore themes of gender identity, lesbian relationships and the intersections between the feminist and LGBTQ+ movements.
CAST
Pat.....Nichola McAuliffe
Lynn/Liam.....Jelena Budimir
Miley.....Katie Angelou
Andrea.....Heather Craney
Directed by Emma Harding
WED 15:00 Money Box (m0023dst)
Money Box Live: Will You Pay More Tax?
This month the new government will reveal its plans for the nation's finances in the Budget.
We've been told 'difficult decisions' lie ahead as the Chancellor Rachel Reeves seeks to plug what she says is a £22bn black hole left by the previous government.
There's been plenty of speculation around Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance Tax and pensions tax relief - but what are they and who pays them?
Our email inbox has been full of questions from listeners - so on this weeks Money Box Live we will be answering as many as we can.
Felicity Hannah is joined by Elsa Littlewood, Tax partner at accountancy and business advisory firm BDO and Kirsty Stone a financial planner at The Private Office.
We also have a new way to get in touch, WhatsApp Money Box on 03306 783183.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Sarah Rogers
Editor: Jess Quayle
(This episode was first broadcast on Wednesday the 2nd of October 2024)
WED 15:30 The Artificial Human (m0023dsw)
Can AI read emotions?
Ever wondered what others are feeling but can’t quite read their emotions? Chris, a listener, emailed us with this exact dilemma. Partly due to being neurodivergent, he struggles to interpret the emotions of those around him—and even his own emotional reactions. So, he asked us: Could AI translate emotions for him?
In this episode, Aleks and Kevin dive into the fascinating and complex world of Emotional AI. They start with Professor Andrew McStay, head of the Emotional AI Lab at Bangor University, who shares the long—and surprising—history of humans trying to decode emotions through technology. He also uncovers the potential risks of trusting an AI system to get inside people’s heads.
Then, they meet Dr. Amir-Hossein Karimi, whose team at the University of Waterloo has developed an AI specifically designed to recognise emotions—just like what Chris is looking for. Could this be the solution? Dr. Karimi breaks down how this cutting-edge AI works, how it was created, and how a mix of tech innovation and human expertise could potentially help people better understand the emotions of others.
But should this type of AI be used at all? Do the potential benefits outweigh the risks? Aleks and Kevin explore both sides.
Got a question about AI? Email us at theartificialhuman@bbc.co.uk.
WED 16:00 The Media Show (m0023dsy)
Middle East crisis, Sony's video game flop, The Sidemen
As the Israeli offensive against targets in Lebanon continues, we discuss the challenges for journalists reporting the story from Beirut and Jerusalem. We also look at how the media is reporting on the story and how the fast-moving nature of the conflict makes verifying information difficult. And we hear about one of the biggest flops in video game history as Sony pulls its new game Concord just days after launch. We explore why it failed and what it tells us about the state of the industry. Plus the manager of the biggest YouTube creators in Europe, The Sidemen. Jordan Schwarzenberger reveals their creative process and business strategy.
Guests: Lyse Doucet, Chief International correspondent, BBC; Alex Crawford, Special correspondent, Sky News; Yolande Knell, Middle East correspondent, BBC; Shaina Oppenheimer, Journalist, BBC Monitoring; Hesham Shawish, Journalist, BBC Monitoring; Shayan Sardarizadeh, Senior Journalist, BBC Verify; Keza MacDonald, video games editor, The Guardian; Jordan Schwarzenberger, Co-founder, Arcade Media.
Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Content Editor: Richard Hooper
Assistant Producers: Martha Owen and Lucy Wai
WED 17:00 PM (m0023dt0)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023dt2)
Israel has committed more troops to the invasion and said eight soldiers have been killed
WED 18:30 Ivo Graham's Obsessions (m0023dt4)
Series 1
1. Phil Wang & Su Pollard
In a new series for Radio 4, comedian Ivo Graham chats to celebrity obsessives about the things they love.
This week, comedian Phil Wang and national treasure Su Pollard join Ivo. Phil shares his obsession with Crooners and the golden age of Jazz, while Su Pollard tells Ivo why Tomatoes are her fixation.
Ivo also delves into the audience to hear their obsessions, and he's joined on stage by Very Obsessed Person, or VOP, Adam 'Tango' Holland, who lives for extreme endurance running.
Hosted by Ivo Graham
Featuring Phil Wang, Su Pollard and Adam 'Tango' Holland
Written by Ivo Graham and Matthew Crosby
Additional Material by Sharon Wanjohi and Peter Tellouche
Recorded at RADA Studios by Chris MacLean
Sound editing by Charlie Brandon-King
Production Coordinators: Katie Baum and Jodie Charman
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies, a BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4
An EcoAudio certified production
Show image: Matt Stronge
WED 19:00 The Archers (m0023dt7)
David tells Ben that he’s booked Ed and Emma to take down the Asian hornet’s nest. Later at Ben’s request David pops round to the Maliks, to update them on the hornets. Azra’s not in and David tells Khalil that the nest has been destroyed. When David asks how Zainab’s doing after her sting, Khalil explains that Zainab’s in a bad way and won’t leave her room. There may even be psychological damage and David might be in a lot of trouble and have to pay out for the damage. But later when David bumps into Azra and asks how Zainab is, Azra explains that Zainab’s doing alright. David wonders whether Khalil’s a bit of a wind-up merchant. When Azra asks why David mentions that Khalil said that Zainab’s in a really bad way. Khalil also suggested that Azra might be suing David. David thinks it’s funny, but Azra doesn’t and will be making that very clear to Khalil!
Alice pays a social visit to Azra who checks how Alice is doing – not as a GP but as a neighbour. Alice is in a good place, off the drink and going to regular meetings. She’s also working again with her sponsor, Lisa. So, she’s in a much better place to cope with life’s setbacks, like Martha struggling to re-adjust to normality. And Alice has decided to go and see George, because there’s something he needs to hear. When Azra spots Khalil creeping past, she tells him to go to Brookfield tomorrow to apologise to David. It’s either that or she’s confiscating his games console for a month!
WED 19:15 Front Row (m0023dt9)
Paula Hawkins, Photojournalism, Tape Letters Archive project
Bestselling writer Paula Hawkins, whose book The Girl on the Train was a publishing phenomenon back in 2015, discusses her latest novel, The Blue Hour, a thriller set in the contemporary art world.
As a new book of photographs of America by Magnum photographers is published, two photographers discuss the role of photojournalism in the contemporary world.
And as three exhibitions of Tape Letters from the British Asian community open, we hear about the little-known custom of conducting conversations via audio cassette between the UK and Pakistan.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan
WED 20:00 AntiSocial (m00237mf)
Claims children are identifying as animals
Are the claims true? What are “furries”? And is it all really about gender identity?
Reports that a school child in Scotland identifies as a wolf have gone viral on social media. Some say stories like it are whipped up to attack trans gender identity; others that they are a sign of gender ideology running rampant in the education system. What do we know about the latest example? The child is said to identify as a “furry” - what does that mean? And what really happened when a child in south-east England was reported to identify as a cat?
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Maybin, Arlene Gregorius, Beth Ashmead Latham, Caroline Bayley
Production coordinator: Janet Staples
Editor: Richard Vadon
WED 20:45 Profile (m0023dtd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
WED 21:00 The Long View (m0023dpr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 All in the Mind (m0023dpt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 on Tuesday]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m0023dtg)
Israel mulls response to Iran as first IDF deaths reported in Lebanon
Israel says it has lost eight IDF soldiers in fighting in southern Lebanon, as it continues its operation against Hezbollah. Meanwhile Beirut suffered further Israeli air strikes. Netanyahu's government is also considering how to respond to Iran's massive missile attack yesterday.
The four MPs vying to become leader of the Conservative Party delivered keynote speeches on the final day of the party conference.
And after the south-eastern US was battered by Hurricane Helene, we spoke to a man who braved a seven hour drive and five hour walk through storm-ravaged areas to reach his daughter's wedding.
WED 22:45 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (m00213wk)
Episode 3
This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love.
When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one morning he is catapulted straight back to childhood, and the hours they spent immersed in playing games.
Their spark is instantly reignited and sets off a creative collaboration that will make them superstars. It is the 90s, and anything is possible.
What comes next is a decades-long tale of friendship and rivalry, fame and art, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.
Written by Gabrielle Zevin
Abridged by Joseph Bedell
Read by Zoe Maltby
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:00 Follow the Rabbit (m0023dtj)
5. The Hotel on the Hill
Follow the Rabbit is a new comedy series following Chris Relish, an amateur paranormal investigator and podcast maker who is on a mission to prove the existence of supernatural forces after claiming he's had a romantic experience with a ghost.
Chris is struggling to find paranormal proof and is feeling sorry for himself. But when his mum tells him about a haunted local hotel, he is thrust into an exciting new case. The hotel is owned by Philip and Jasper. Philip denies the hotel is haunted but Jasper is convinced paranormal activity is occurring - with several claims from guests backing him up. Chris is about to begin his investigation when he bumps into Danny Robins, who is at the hotel doing his own investigation. But who will be the first to find the ghost?
Cast
Chris Relish: Tom Lawrinson
Kathleen Relish: Jo Enright
Jasper: James Baxter
Philip: Joby Mageean
Hotel Man 1: Owen Cooper
Hotel Man 2: Steve Brody
Sharon: Chelsea Halfpenny
With a special guest appearance by Danny Robins
Written and produced by James Boughen
Executive Producers: Simon Mayhew Archer and Michelle Farr-Scott
Original music by Sam O'Leary and Jacob Howard
A Motif Pictures production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:15 The Skewer (m0023dtl)
Series 12
Episode 4
The week’s biggest stories like you’ve never heard them before. The news remixed into a satirical comedy concept album.
This week - Jo-Keir: Folie à Deux, Netanyahu's Way, and Whole Lotta Rosie (Duffield).
Jon Holmes presents the multi-award-winning The Skewer. Headphones on.
Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:30 The Gift (m001r7hf)
5. Health
How can life change when a home DNA test reveals you may be predisposed to serious illness?
It's the go-to Christmas present for the person who already has everything. A gift that promises to tell you who you really are and how you're connected to the world.
Millions of us have spat into a tube and sent a vial of our DNA to a company like Ancestry and 23andMe. Their tests promise to unlock the truth of our heritage - perhaps even a future foretold in our genes.
Across six episodes, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collide.
Presenter: Jenny Kleeman
Producer: Conor Garrett
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Executive Producer: Philip Sellars
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett
THURSDAY 03 OCTOBER 2024
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m0023dtn)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 00:30 The Kindness of Strangers by Kerry Hudson (m0023dsf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023dtq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023dts)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023dtv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 05:30 News Briefing (m0023dtx)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0023dtz)
Hope of each new day
Good morning.
A few months ago, I experienced what I would call a ‘Godincidence’. I was having coffee with a parishioner when I recognised an old friend, there in the same café, who I had not seen for 20 years. What a blast from the past that was!
We met up recently to catch up on decades worth of news. It’s always humbling to talk with someone who knew you when you were bright eyed and bushy tailed, and with less grey hair. After reminiscing about people from the good old days, the conversation moved on to more serious matters. My friend was going through a separation. It was a painful, uncertain time, yet there was hopefulness, too. We both talk about grief and the support networks available.
Though not comparable to my friend’s experience, I was reminded of an old friendship that has ebbed away in recent years, one which I thought would last a lifetime, and the sadness of that ending.
It seems that our society only recognises grief when someone or a beloved pet dies. Yet there is also grief in the ending of relationships, be they friendships or romantic ones, and whether they have been short or long-term. We grieve what has been, what could have been different, and what will no longer be. And that needs time. Taking the space to recognise and process the loss is perhaps a useful next step on the road ahead.
So today, I pray for the space to mourn what has been lost, to make time for healing, and to hold on to the hope of each new day.
Amen.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m0023dv1)
03/10/24 - Crisis in dairy recruitment, deer damage to trees, imported carrots
Dairy farmers are finding it a real struggle to recruit new staff, according to the farmer-owned dairy coop Arla. They spoke to nearly 500 UK dairy farmers and just under 90% of them said they had advertised jobs and had few or no applicants at all. So what’s holding young people back from a life working with dairy cows in a career that can also involve robotics, veterinary science and data analysis to mention just a few of the skills involved in modern milk production?
The UK is 97% self-sufficient in carrots, according to the British Carrot Association, but poor weather over the last year has meant supermarket shelves stocked with bags of carrots imported from China, Israel and other countries. Is that a trend that’s likely to continue?
We’re talking about deer all this week, their impact on the environment and how to manage their growing population. Trees and woodlands are a key tool for combating climate change, improving biodiversity, building flood resilience and increasing the UK’s supply of homegrown timber. But rising numbers of deer make planting more trees, and maintaining existing woodlands, a challenge because deer both graze on them and cause damage with their antlers.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
THU 06:00 Today (m0023gm0)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m0023gm2)
The Haymarket Affair
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the notorious attack of 4th of May 1886 at a workers rally in Chicago when somebody threw a bomb that killed a policeman, Mathias J. Degan. The chaotic shooting that followed left more people dead and sent shockwaves across America and Europe. This was in Haymarket Square at a protest for an eight hour working day following a call for a general strike and the police killing of striking workers the day before, at a time when labour relations in America were marked by violent conflict. The bomber was never identified but two of the speakers at the rally, both of then anarchists and six of their supporters were accused of inciting murder. Four of them, George Engel, Adolph Fischer, Albert Parsons, and August Spies were hanged on 11th November 1887 only to be pardoned in the following years while a fifth, Louis Ling, had killed himself after he was convicted. The May International Workers Day was created in their memory.
With
Ruth Kinna
Professor of Political Theory at Loughborough University
Christopher Phelps
Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of Nottingham
And
Gary Gerstle
Paul Mellon Professor of American History Emeritus at the University of Cambridge
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Reading list:
Paul Avrich, The Haymarket Tragedy (Princeton University Press, 1984)
Henry David, The History of the Haymarket Affair (Collier Books, 1963)
James Green, Death in the Haymarket: A Story of Chicago, the First Labor Movement and the Bombing that Divided Gilded Age America (Pantheon, 2006)
Carl Levy and Matthew S. Adams (eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Anarchism (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018), especially 'Haymarket and the Rise of Syndicalism' by Kenyon Zimmer
Franklin Rosemont and David Roediger, Haymarket Scrapbook: 125th Anniversary Edition (AK Press, 2012)
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production
THU 09:45 Glued Up: The Sticky Story of Humanity (m001y86n)
How glues helped us fly
In this series, materials scientist Mark Miodownik charts the journey of human progress through the sticky substances that have shaped us.
In episode three he explores how adhesives have unlocked radically new designs for aircraft, letting us build planes that flew higher, faster and further than ever before.
He learns how, during WWII, adhesives allowed Britain to build a fighter plane that could outstrip anything else in the sky.
And he hears how glues are used to create the strong and lightweight stuff that planes are made out of today – materials that will be central to the goal of environmentally sustainable flight.
Contributors:
Christopher Wilk, Victoria and Albert Museum
Ginger Gardiner, Composites World
Producer: Anand Jagatia
Presenter: Mark Miodownik
Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem
BBC Studios Audio Production
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0023gm4)
SEND transport, Lucy Worsley, Children of the Cult, T20
Mums who give up work or cut their hours because they have a child with special educational needs and disabilities say problems with school transport is one of the reasons. An opinion poll from Opinium commissioned by Woman's Hour for a programme on SEND last month revealed 12% of mothers flagged lack of appropriate funded transport as a problem. Woman's Hour hears from three mums, Ellie Partridge, Ramandeep Kaur and Sabiha Aziz, who are struggling to transport their children with SEND to school, and in some cases are having to pay hundreds of pounds a month. Kylie Pentelow is joined by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Amerdeep Somal as she exclusively shares the outcome of a complaint against Sandwell Council in the West Midlands for failing to provide transport for a disabled child.
Today the Women's T20 cricket World Cup kicks off in the UAE. For some, this will be a tournament of firsts; At
11am, Scotland will be making their T20 debut against Bangladesh. Joining Kylie to look ahead to the event is the cricket commentator Alison Mitchell.
In 2021, Netflix premiered the documentary Wild Wild Country which drew global attention to the Rajneesh movement, a group of around 30,000 people at the movement’s height, who followed an Indian spiritual guru called Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. But what really drew the attention of many of the people who had grown up as part of this international community was that the experience of children was barely reflected in the six-part series. Maroesja Perizonius and her mother were part of the Rajneesh movement, joining when Maroosha was six. Maroesja has created a new documentary, Children of the Cult. She joins Kylie to talk about this very deeply personal project along with Sargam, another woman whose family became followers when she was a child.
Who were Alice Diamond, the Queen of 40 Thieves, and the Fake Heiress? In a brand new series of Lady Killers, the historian Lucy Worsley switches her attention to swindlers, con women and hustlers. From queens of the underworld, hoaxers and scammers, Lucy and a team of all female detectives travel back in time to revisit the audacious and surprising crimes of women who were trying to make it in a world made for men. Lucy joins Kylie to discuss the stories of some of these women and what their crimes teach us about women’s lives.
Presenter: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Rebecca Myatt
THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m0023gm6)
Margaret Drabble
The novelist, biographer and critic Dame Margaret Drabble published her debut novel in 1963. She quickly went on to become a bestselling and critically acclaimed chronicler of the lives of modern women in a series of contemporary realist stories, often based on her own life and experiences. Her 19 novels include The Millstone, The Waterfall, The Ice Age and The Radiant Way, and her non-fiction includes books on Thomas Hardy, William Wordsworth and Arnold Bennett. She has also edited the Oxford Companion to English Literature.
Dame Margaret tells John Wilson about her upbringing in Sheffield and how winning a scholarship to Newnham College, Cambridge, shaped her literary tastes. It was there that she heard the lectures of the academic F R Leavis and first discovered contemporary novels by Angus Wilson and Saul Bellow. She became an actress and worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company before her first novel, A Summer Birdcage, the story of the relationship between two sisters, was published in 1963. She recalls how her literary career began in the wings of the RSC and talks candidly about her often strained relationship with her older sister, the late novelist A S Byatt.
Dame Margaret also discusses the influence of her friend, the Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
THU 11:45 The Kindness of Strangers by Kerry Hudson (m0023gm8)
On the Water
In these five specially commissioned essays, Kerry Hudson explores the kindness of strangers - how tiny encounters (and larger actions) have turned the tide repeatedly in desperate circumstances.
They encompass topics such as the psychology of kindness in childhood, the vulnerability of travelling alone in places with troubled histories, how Kerry had to learn to rely on the strangers working in an underfunded health service in a foreign country while suffering from a life-threatening illness, the perils of life on the water and the generosities of the boating community experienced whilst living on a canal boat, and how kindness can sometimes come with unexpected caveats and conditions depending on what you look like and where you are from.
Born in Aberdeen, Kerry Hudson grew up in poverty and fear, in a succession of council estates, B&Bs and caravan parks with a single parent mother who suffered from challenging mental ill-health, compounded by addiction.
Kerry's first novel, Tony Hogan Bought Me An Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma, was published in July 2012 and was shortlisted for eight literary prizes, including the Guardian First Book Award and Green Carnation Prize, and won Scottish First Book of the Year. Kerry's second novel, Thirst, was developed with support from the National Lottery through an Arts Council England grant, and published in July 2014 before being shortlisted for the Green Carnation Prize. Her first work of non-fiction, Lowborn (2019) became a Times bestseller and was hailed as ‘One of the most important books of the year’ by The Guardian. A follow-up to Lowborn, titled Newborn, was published in February 2024.
Written and Read by Kerry Hudson
Commissioned and Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4
THU 12:00 News Summary (m0023gmb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 The Bottom Line (m0023gmd)
The truth about side hustles
Side hustlers are seemingly everywhere - some surveys suggest they account for around half of UK workers - and stories of getting rich quick and abandoning the 9-5 are plenty. But the reality for many is much less glamorous: long hours; a precarious balancing act with the day job; and a good chance of failure.
Evan Davis speaks to side hustlers, and their employers, to find out what it’s really like balancing two jobs at once. Plus, why is side hustling so popular anyway? Does it reveal a flourishing entrepreneurial spirit in the UK, particularly among young workers, or is it a symptom of a changing relationship between employer and employee?
Evan is joined by:
Julian Douglas, global CEO, VCCP;
Ewen MacPherson, chief people officer, Havas UK;
Karen Burke, founder, Go Goosey.
Production team:
Producer: Simon Tulett
Researcher: Drew Hyndman
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Nicola Brough and Rod Farquhar
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m0023gmg)
Float Tanks
Does a session in a float tank work wonders for your mental health and exercise recovery?
Listener Maddy has heard a lot about float tanks and joins Greg Foot to find out if it really is the latest product worth spending money on.
She’s a keen runner and wants to know if claims that it can help with exercise recovery stack up. And what about the effects on the brain? When Maddy's partner recently paid for a session in a float tank he reported a sense of both relaxation and euphoria, which helped him through a period of poor mental health. But is any of that backed up the science?
Greg speak to two experts in the field to run the studies through the evidence mill.
All of the ideas for out investigations come from you, our listeners, and we’re always on the lookout for more. If you have seen a wonder product that claims to make you happier, healthier or greener, and want to know if it is SB or BS, then please do send it over on email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or drop us a message or voice note on WhatsApp to 07543 306807.
PRESENTER: GREG FOOT
PRODUCER: SIMON HOBAN
THU 12:57 Weather (m0023gmj)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m0023gml)
UK to hand over Chagos Islands sovereignty
The UK agrees a deal to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Plus the latest from the Middle East.
THU 13:45 Continental Divides (m0023gmn)
Episode 4 - The Eastern Front
Misha Glenny explores a number of political divides facing Europe and asks whether the continent is undergoing the same crises it went through in the 1930s.
In this fourth episode, he explores how different European countries are dealing with the war in Ukraine.
First, in Serbia, a historic Russian ally is turning towards Europe - but not without political controversy. And in Sweden, politicians are plotting an uncertain future after long held principles of neutrality were finally abandoned in favour of NATO membership. Has Europe's role in NATO reached a crucial turning point?
Producer: Artemis Irvine
Executive Producer: Robert Nicholson
Sound Design and Mix: Simon Jarvis
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
THU 14:00 The Archers (m0023dt7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0023gmq)
The Real Agatha Christie - A Daughter's a Daughter
Adapted by Malcolm McKay from the novel by Agatha Christie
Ann Prentice ….. Nancy Carroll
Dame Laura Whitstable ….. Sylvestra Le Touzel
Sarah Prentice ….. Natalie Mitson
Richard Cauldfield ….. Tom Goodman-Hill
Gerry Lloyd ….. Tom Glenister
Lawrence Steene ….. Taheen Modak
Directed and Produced by Catherine Bailey
In her autobiography Agatha Christie refers several times to her regret that she has never been regarded as a serious novelist. Perhaps to rectify this she wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott; one of which is A Daughter’s A Daughter. The books, now published under the Agatha Christie name, are generally regarded by many as her finest work and show a very different side of her talent.
Attractive widow, Ann Prentice, lives a quiet life with her vivacious and lively daughter, Sarah. While her daughter is away, Ann decides to marry Richard Cauldfield, a reliable but uninspiring businessman. On her return Sarah takes violently against Richard and begins a campaign to get rid of him. Resentment and jealousy corrode the relationship between the two women.
Finally, Anne reluctantly terminates her engagement and she and her daughter attempt to resume the close relationship they once had. But neither is happy. Both begin to seek solace in alcohol and shallow relationships.
All this is overseen by Laura Whitstable, an old friend of Anne’s. She questions both mother and daughter to see if they can discover what they truly want from their lives. Finally, the two women confront their darkest desires and previous actions. In an extraordinary scene they realise how much jealousy and revenge has coloured their relationship. After a series of painfully honest and powerful admissions they achieve peace.
THU 15:00 Open Country (m0023gms)
These Debatable Lands
Helen Mark visits 50 square miles that were neither England nor Scotland. The Debatable Lands, between Carlisle and Gretna, were home to untameable crime families that petrified the most powerful of Lords and Kings. For hundreds of years governments in London and Edinburgh left the region to its own laws and moral codes. When they did intervene, the result was an explosion of violence that's still visible in the landscape of derelict towers and still audible in the Border Ballads collected by Walter Scott.
Author, Graham Robb guides Helen through the region's complex history and Ian Scott Martin takes her to the ramparts of Gilnockie Tower- the fearsome stronghold of the Armstrong family, one of the most notorious clans of Border Reivers.
The Union of the Crowns in the early 17th century brought the age of the Debatable Land to an end, ushering in a long period of peace broken abruptly in 1915. On the Western Front the British Army was running out of shells. In Westminster the government fell and the decision was made to build an enormous 9 mile long munitions factory, stretching across the region. Rebecca Short of the Devil's Porridge Museum guides Helen around the remains of the industrial landscape in which 30,000 people- 16,000 of them women- worked in the production of the cordite that propelled shells across the battlefields of Belgium and France.
The western tip of the Debatable Land reaches out to the saltmarshes of the Solway Firth. This apparently peaceful landscape soon yields its secrets. The land is constantly battered and transformed by the tides while animals and plants have to adapt to survive the harsh and dynamic conditions. Helen explores the creeks, bogs and rivers with David Pickett of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and Chris Miles of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland.
Producer: Alasdair Cross
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m0023fss)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Word of Mouth (m0023gmv)
Social media language
Michael talks to linguist Dr Andreea Calude about her research into how language is used on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter/X. And he asks if we're witnessing the death of email.
Dr Andreea Calude is the author of The Linguistics of Social Media: An Introduction.
Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Beth O'Dea.
Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz Read less
THU 16:00 Rethink (m0023gmx)
Rethink... wealth
Rethink considers how we might take a different approach to the issues of our time, asking some of the brightest minds what we could do to make the world a better place.
This week: billionaires. They are some of the wealthiest people who have ever lived - a tiny group with a large influence on politics, society and the lives of millions.
The gap between the super rich and everyone else is huge. According to Credit Suisse, just fourteen billionaires own fourteen percent of the world’s entire wealth.
Should we cap the wealth of the super rich? Philosopher Ingrid Robeyns has developed the concept of "limitarianism". This would limit an individual's wealth to 10 million dollars, pounds or euros - or whatever the local currency is - with anything beyond that point confiscated by governments.
So is this theft?
Socialism gone mad?
A good idea?
Or something that governments must do?
Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Lucy Burns
Editor: Clare Fordham
Contributors:
Ingrid Robeyns, professor of Ethics of Institutions at Utrecht University and author of "Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth"
Liam Byrne, Labour MP and author of the book "The Inequality of Wealth"
Sam Dumitriu, author and head of policy at campaign group Britain Remade
Helen Miller, Deputy Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies and head of their tax sector
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m0023gmz)
Could coal shut-down mark new era for energy?
“That’s the end of coal in the UK for electricity.”
The UK’s last coal-fired power station has closed, ending Britain's 142-year reliance on coal.
But what difference will the closure of Ratcliffe-on-Soar make – and could it mark a new dawn for clean energy?
After 20 years of research into microplastics and headline upon headline on their potential harms, how much do we really know about these tiny particles?
Also this week, Marnie turns lab rat for a navigation experiment, and why are we all so obsessed with Moo Deng?
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Ella Hubber & Gerry Holt
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Andrew Rhys Lewis
BBC Inside Science is produced in partnership with the Open University.
If you want to test your climate change knowledge, head to bbc.co.uk - search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to the Open University.
THU 17:00 PM (m0023gn1)
Oil price spikes after Biden comments
The price of crude oil shot up 5% this afternoon after President Biden said the US and Israel are discussing striking Iran’s oil industry.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023gn3)
The proposal would give terminally ill people in England and Wales the choice to die
THU 18:30 Olga Koch: OK Computer (m0023gn5)
Series 3
Love
Comedian and computer scientist Olga Koch tackles the thorny issue of love with her digital assistant Algo. Join them for the third series of award-nominated stand-up as they ask the question: “What is love?” Baby don’t hurt me.
Performed by Olga Koch
Written by Olga Koch and Charlie Dinkin
Featuring Rajiv Karia as Algo
Additional material from Rajiv Karia, Peter Tellouche and Christina Riggs
Produced by Benjamin Sutton
A BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4
THU 19:00 The Archers (m0023gk1)
Emma and Ed are at Brookfield to take down the Asian Hornet nest from the tree. Jill says the hornets have attacked her beehives, but David adds that because they picked this up early the damage has been contained. It’s Jill’s birthday and she offers Emma some cake to take home with her. The whole family are coming round for tea and the more far-flung ones are joining by video-call.
Azra forces Khalil to go to Brookfield to apologise to David for lying about Zainab’s hornet sting. Khalil admits that he may’ve, but he didn’t mean to cause any harm. David chastises him before thanking him for coming round. But as Khalil’s leaving, Jill invites him in to join her tea party. Later Azra and Zainab turn up worried about Khalil’s whereabouts, to discover that he’s been entertaining Jill’s party guests with his tales. Khalil asks if he can come back again, and David says Jill would be pleased to see him.
Susan tells Will about seeing Poppy throwing an egg at Bridge Farm dairy window. Susan thinks Poppy’s angry that she and Emma dobbed George into the police. Later Will tells Emma that he confronted Poppy about it all and she fell apart and was frightened by what she did. Emma thinks Poppy’s obviously devastated at the prospect of losing George, and both Will and Emma admit that they are too. They wonder how everything got into such a mess. They’re interrupted by a text from Alice; she needs to speak to George tomorrow
THU 19:15 Front Row (m0023gn8)
Review: Film: Joker Folie a Deux; Book: Alan Hollinghurst's Our Evenings
This week's big cinema release Joker: Folie a Deux is under scrutiny from Tom Sutcliffe's reviewers, broadcaster Ayesha Hazarika and film critic Tim Robey. They have also read Alan Hollinghurst's new novel Our Evenings. Gramophone Artist of the Year soprano Carolyn Sampson performs in the Front Row studio - and on National Poetry Day Tom and the critics pick their favourite poems.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Paula McGrath
THU 20:00 The Media Show (m0023dsy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Wednesday]
THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m0023fpp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
THU 21:45 The Warsaw Ghetto: History as Survival (m001l975)
2. The Coming of the Ghetto
The extraordinary Oyneg Shabes archive that secretly recorded daily Jewish existence in the Warsaw Ghetto – brought to life 80 years on from the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.
Between 1940-43 a group of dedicated writers, led by historian Emanuel Ringeblum, clandestinely recorded daily life & death in the Warsaw Ghetto. The project became a race against time -history as survival. Anton Lesser narrates. Episode 2-The Coming of the Ghetto. With Elliot Levey as Emanuel Ringeblum.
In the middle of Europe, in the middle of the 20th Century, a half million Jewish men, women & children were herded into a prison city within a city. How do you tell the world about your life and fate? Historian and activist Emanuel Ringelblum devised and directed a clandestine archive- codename Oyneg Shabes (Joy of the Sabbath) to chronicle every aspect of their existence. He recruited over 60 gatherers to write, collect & compile; diaries, essays, poems, photographs, statistical studies, art, ephemera -a historical treasure buried as the Ghetto was extinguished so that the world might read and understand. Listen to their stories
Episode 2-The Coming of the Ghetto. In the first months of the German occupation the young social historian & aid worker Emanuel Ringeblum began to nightly compile notes on everything he saw & heard. The origins of Oyneg Shabes.
Narration by Anton Lesser with Elliot Levey. Warsaw Streetscape Helen Beer and Mame Loshn/ Krystena Bell & Syrena Youth Theatre. Translation by Elinor Robinson. Historical adviser Samuel Kassow. Written & produced by Mark Burman.
For more information on the Oyneg Shabes/Ringeblum archive go to the website of the Jewish Historical Institute https://cbj.jhi.pl/
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m0023gnb)
Parliament to vote on assisted dying bill
Proposals to change the law to give terminally-ill people in England and Wales the choice to die are to be voted on in parliament for the first time in nearly a decade. We hear from the Labour MP putting forward the bill, from an opponent and from a terminally-ill woman.
Our international editor Jeremy Bowen interviews the most senior leader of Hamas outside Gaza.
And on National Poetry Day we have a reading by Michael Rosen.
THU 22:45 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (m002138f)
Episode 4
This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love.
When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one morning he is catapulted straight back to childhood, and the hours they spent immersed in playing games.
Their spark is instantly reignited and sets off a creative collaboration that will make them superstars. It is the 90s, and anything is possible.
What comes next is a decades-long tale of friendship and rivalry, fame and art, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.
Written by Gabrielle Zevin
Abridged by Joseph Bedell
Read by Zoe Maltby
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
THU 23:00 The Today Podcast (m0023gnd)
Iran, Israel and the Middle East crisis explained
In the week that Israel invaded Lebanon and Iran attacked Israel with missiles, Nick and Amol take a step back to ask how we got here.
They’re joined in the studio by Sir Simon Gass, one of the UK’s most experienced Iran watchers who was the UK ambassador to Tehran and political director at the Foreign Office.
How powerful is Iran? What might happen now both Hezbollah and Hamas appear to have been weakened? And what are his hopes and fears for the wider Middle East?
Plus, newsreader and Radio 4 continuity announcer Jane Steel drops in to share secrets from behind the scenes at Radio 4.
And finally, to celebrate the first anniversary of the podcast, we hear your Moments of the Year!
If you have a question you’d like Amol and Nick to answer, get in touch by sending us a message or voice note on WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or send an email to today@bbc.co.uk.
To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories of the week, with insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme, subscribe to The Today Podcast on BBC Sounds so you don’t miss an episode.
You can also listen any time on your smart speaker by saying “Smart Speaker, ask BBC Sounds to play The Today Podcast.”
The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson, both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today 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 was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before and was also ITV’s political editor.
The senior producer is Lewis Vickers, the producer is Hatty Nash, research and digital production from Joe Wilkinson. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Technical production from Mike Regaard.
THU 23:30 The Gift (m001rgrb)
6. Secrets
In this last episode, as Jenny's own results land in her inbox, she hears how at home DNA tests have brought family secrets - once thought long buried - out into the light.
It's the go-to Christmas present for the person who already has everything. A gift that promises to tell you who you really are and how you're connected to the world.
Millions of us have spat into a tube and sent a vial of our DNA to a company like Ancestry and 23andMe. Their tests promise to unlock the truth of our heritage - perhaps even a future foretold in our genes.
Across six episodes, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collide.
Presenter: Jenny Kleeman
Producer: Conor Garrett
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Executive Producer: Philip Sellars
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett
FRIDAY 04 OCTOBER 2024
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m0023gng)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 00:30 The Kindness of Strangers by Kerry Hudson (m0023gm8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023gnj)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023gnl)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023gnn)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m0023gnq)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0023gns)
Changing status
Good morning.
In this my fifth decade, I have decided to take up the challenge, once more, of learning to drive. I had taken some lessons in my twenties, but that seems like a lifetime ago now. It’s now time to take on this mission impossible, and invest the emotional energy and hard work to pass my practical test.
It’s fair to say that it hasn’t been easy. After a false start with a first instructor, I find myself on solid ground with my second, who has been encouraging yet also firm. We are making good progress together, though roundabouts need an awful lot of prayer. To be honest, I’ve not really felt the need to drive, having lived in big cities or university towns all my life. All were very well served by good public transport. Though I am aware that there has been privilege in that, as I have not had to negotiate a disability and fight for equal access to what should be accessible to all.
As my status moves from passenger to driver, safety is at the fore, as is having due regard for other road users. There is so much to learn, and adapt to, and practise over and over again. I expect that is the same for anyone whose role changes at home or in a place of employment: from being a partner to becoming a partner and carer, for example, or moving from a junior to a middle or senior role. And with these changes, we have a new set of expectations to meet, and new duties to take on.
So, today, at the end of the week, may I be granted the patience, awareness, and care to navigate new roles and responsibilities with grace.
Amen.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m0023gnv)
04/10/24 Poultry register, fishing and offshore wind farms, TB in deer
Poultry keepers say they can't access government websites to register their birds. From 1st October anyone who keeps birds has to register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, to help with monitoring bird flu outbreaks, even those with just one or two chickens. Failure to comply could mean a fine of £2,500. However bird owners who've tried to register say the system is not working. Defra says it's had a high number of applications and is working at pace to process them. It says it will be improving its technology to make it more effective for people to register.
Fishermen in the South West of England say they are "beyond frustrated" by proposals to expand offshore wind farm sites off the coast of Devon and Cornwall. The Crown Estate's latest plan includes thousands of square miles off Land's End and the Isles of Scilly, currently prime fishing grounds, and an expanded zone off north Devon. Fishermen claim they - and other EU boats - will be squeezed into ever more pressurised fishing grounds. Meanwhile, those in favour of an expansion of offshore wind are wondering why it's taking so long to get anything off the ground.
All week we've been talking about deer, just like cattle, wild deer are susceptible to tuberculosis, and there’s concern that they could transmit the disease to other wild deer, and cattle. In the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, a group of farmers, land owners, vets and deer-stalkers are one year into a project, looking into this. They’re monitoring the prevalence of TB in wild deer through drone surveys and blood tests, and giving hands-on training on how to spot TB in deer carcasses.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
FRI 06:00 Today (m0023gjg)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m0023qbc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Sunday]
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0023gjj)
Lebanon latest, Fell running, Breast cancer poetry
The current conflict in Lebanon has forced thousands of women and children in refugee camps to once again leave their homes for their own safety. Kylie Pentelow is joined by the BBC’s Senior International Correspondent Orla Guerin to get the latest on the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, and speaks to CEO and co-founder of the Alsama Project, Meike Ziervogel, to hear what impact it is having on women and children.
Woman’s Hour listener Fran Blackett got in touch with us because she wanted to talk about fell running, and why she wants more women involved in the sport. She joins Kylie to explain what fell running is, why she’s so passionate about it, and more about her women’s running group, Run Like a Haggis.
Are you in your 'protective hag' era? That's what the author and journalist Poorna Bell calls the position she finds herself in. Recently she’s written about feeling an increasing sense of protectiveness towards younger women. Poorna joins Kylie to talk about this stage of life and what it means to her.
It's being reported that Melania Trump - the wife of former President Donald Trump - has expressed explicit support for abortion rights - one of the key dividing lines in the US presidential election. Her stance appears to be in sharp contrast with the position of her husband, as he enters the final leg of the US presidential race. Gina Yannitell Rheinhardt, Professor of Government and an expert in US politics at the University of Essex, joins Kylie to discuss.
When Cathy Hollingworth was first diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, she decided to document her journey through poetry. Now she’s publishing a collection of 22 poems called Getting It Off My Chest. She joins Kylie to discuss the poems and how they helped her get through her treatment, as well as what she hopes others can learn about talking to people with cancer.
Presenter: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Lottie Garton
FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m0023gjl)
A Food Revolution in Ten Ideas.
Dan Saladino looks at 10 potentially planet changing ideas for the future of food, from a farm out at sea to a pioneering rethink on how we can feed cities. Dan meets the scientists, entrepreneurs and risk-takers focused on transforming the health of the planet, and us.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.
FRI 11:45 The Kindness of Strangers by Kerry Hudson (m0023gjn)
At Home
In these five specially commissioned essays, Kerry Hudson explores the kindness of strangers - how tiny encounters (and larger actions) have turned the tide repeatedly in desperate circumstances.
They encompass topics such as the psychology of kindness in childhood, the vulnerability of travelling alone in places with troubled histories, how Kerry had to learn to rely on the strangers working in an underfunded health service in a foreign country while suffering from a life-threatening illness, the perils of life on the water and the generosities of the boating community experienced whilst living on a canal boat, and how kindness can sometimes come with unexpected caveats and conditions depending on what you look like and where you are from.
Born in Aberdeen, Kerry Hudson grew up in poverty and fear, in a succession of council estates, B&Bs and caravan parks with a single parent mother who suffered from challenging mental ill-health, compounded by addiction.
Kerry's first novel, Tony Hogan Bought Me An Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma, was published in July 2012 and was shortlisted for eight literary prizes, including the Guardian First Book Award and Green Carnation Prize, and won Scottish First Book of the Year. Kerry's second novel, Thirst, was developed with support from the National Lottery through an Arts Council England grant, and published in July 2014 before being shortlisted for the Green Carnation Prize. Her first work of non-fiction, Lowborn (2019) became a Times bestseller and was hailed as ‘One of the most important books of the year’ by The Guardian. A follow-up to Lowborn, titled Newborn, was published in February 2024.
Written and Read by Kerry Hudson
Commissioned and Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m0023gjq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 AntiSocial (m0023gjs)
Pop stars, boundaries and toxic fandom
Music artists are cancelling gigs to protect their mental health but what do they owe their fans?
American singer Chappell Roan pulled out of two appearances at short notice - not for the first time - saying she needed a few days to prioritise her health. Earlier in the summer, she called out fans’ “creepy behaviour” and said abuse and harassment of famous people shouldn’t be normalised. Her critics say she’s ungrateful and her cancellations cost fans money. But supporters argue she represents a new generation of artists who are no longer willing to put up with the industry’s damaging demands.
How has Chappell Roan’s relationship with fans evolved as her career has taken off? How have radical changes to the music industry’s business model affected demands on artists? And what has social media done to the connection between pop stars and their followers?
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Maybin, Ellie House, Caroline Bayley
Production coordinator: Janet Staples
Editor: Richard Vadon
Archive: British Pathe; Netflix.
FRI 12:57 Weather (m0023gjv)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m0023gjx)
Israel expands strikes on Iran-backed militias
Israeli bomb attacks target the presumed leader of Hezbollah in Beirut as it expands its war against Iran's proxies in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank. Plus, can Britain lead the world in carbon capture technology?
FRI 13:45 Continental Divides (m0023gjz)
Episode 5: Politics versus the Past
Misha Glenny explores a number of political divides facing Europe and asks whether the continent is undergoing the same crises it went through in the 1930s.
In this final episode, he explores the memory wars where extreme voices look to revise our understanding of past atrocities. In Spain, he hears from archaeologists on the front line of unearthing - literally - victims of Francoist repression. And historians in Croatia describe war crimes at a concentration camp run by Croatian fascists in WWII and explain how it has become an explosive political football.
Producer: Artemis Irvine
Executive Producer: Robert Nicholson
Sound Design and Mix: Simon Jarvis
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m0023gk1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m00238rb)
Central Intelligence
Central Intelligence: Episode 4
The inside story of the CIA from the perspective of Eloise Page (Kim Cattrall), who joined on the Agency’s first day in 1947 and, in a 40-year career, became one of its most influential figures. Eloise takes the listener on a journey through the highs and lows of US foreign policy, spanning the staggering world events that shaped her career, as well as portraying her relationships with early CIA leaders, Allen Dulles (Ed Harris) and Richard Helms (Johnny Flynn).
New episodes available on Fridays. Listen first on BBC Sounds.
In Episode 4, with failures mounting, a US war hero is appointed to shake up the CIA. But there is a spy hiding in plain sight.
Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
Clover Dulles..........Laurel Lefkow
General Bedell-Smith..........Kerry Shale
Kim Philby..........Rufus Wright
James Jesus Angleton..........Philip Desmeules
Virginia Hall..........Jennifer Armour
President Truman..........Eric Meyers
Admiral Hillenkoetter..........Matthew Marsh
Colonel Smiley..........Wayne Forester
David Lilienthal..........Adam Sina
Macy Dulles..........Will Hislop
Bido..........Andi Jashy
Original music by Sacha Puttnam
Production:
Created by Greg Haddrick & Jeremy Fox
Episode 4 written by Felicity Packard
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Archive Research: Andy Goddard & Alex Lynch
Production Assistant: Jo Troy
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Mat Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony Diaz
Margarita Mix, Santa Monica Sound Engineer, LA: Bruce Bueckert
Mirrortone Sound Engineers, NY: Collin Stanley Dwarzski & James Quesada
Director: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn.
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott Dryden.
A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:45 Buried (m001hp90)
Series 1
Series 1 - 8. The Screams of the Dead
Crowds gather as a woman speaks. Her child is dead from cancer. And there are countless more. Are the dumps to blame? Under armed guard, one priest decides to speak out at risk of his life.
"All you have to do... is dig it up."
A trucker’s deathbed tape plays out. It’s urgent, desperate.
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast series, investigative journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor deep-dive into one of the worst environment crimes in UK history - the secret dumping of a million tonnes of waste near a city. But when they uncover missing documents, fears of toxicity and allegations of organised crime, they realise they’ve stumbled into something much bigger. As they pick at the threads of one crime, they begin to see others. Could Britain be the home of a new mafia, getting rich on our waste?
In a thrilling ten-part investigation, the husband-and-wife duo dive into a criminal underworld, all the time following clues left in a deathbed tape. They’re driven by one question - what did the man in the tape know?
Presenters and Producers: Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor
Assistant Producer: Tess Davidson
Original Music and Sound Design: Phil Channell
Sound Design and Series Mixing: Jarek Zaba
Executive Producers: Phil Abrams and Anita Elash
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
A Smoke Trail production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m0023gk3)
Postbag Edition: Henry Moore Studios and Gardens
What do you do with lily stems once the flowers have fallen off? Any tips on growing chanterelle mushrooms? When's the best time to prune fig trees in the northeast?
Peter Gibbs and his panel of horticultural experts take a visit to Henry Moore's Studio and Gardens, while dipping into the GQT postbag to answer your gardening conundrums.
Joining forces with Peter are proud gardeners Matthew Biggs and Christine Walkden, and garden designer Bunny Guinness. The panellists are escorted around the seventy acres of outdoor studio space by Sebastiano Barassi, head of the Henry Moore Collections and Programme.
Later in the programme, the panel discusses foreign seeds and the potential issues that planting them would have on our environment.
Producer: Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m0023gk5)
Andrew, Is That You?
Katie has just moved out to the suburbs with her husband Patrick. She misses London, her friends, her life, and feels isolated and a little lonely. She finds solace in Andrew, her neighbour, who she develops feelings for – “Andrew loves Labradors, is obsessed with the sound of the rain, musicals and Jean-Claude Van Damme films…are you kidding me?! It’s like someone made a male version of me…”
When Andrew dies, Katie spirals. She’s unable to process her grief, which leads her to believe that a stray dog who turns up on their doorstep is the reincarnation of Andrew.
The Cullen Brothers are a pair of award-winning writers from Bristol. The worlds and stories they create often blend genres, featuring hyper-real dialogue and characters that an audience can root for. The brothers wrote the R4 series ‘The Attendant’ starring Will Merrick, Patricia Allison and Kenneth Collard which was based on their internationally acclaimed short film of the same name and starred Isy Suttie and Robert James-Collier.
Written by The Cullen Brothers
Read by Isy Suttie
Sound Design by Ilse Lademann
Produced by Alison Crawford
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m0023gk7)
Kris Kristofferson, Camilla Carr, Hassan Nasrallah, Maria Benitez
John Wilson on
Kris Kristofferson, the singer, songwriter and actor who appeared with Barbra Streisand in ‘A Star is Born’
Camilla Carr, the aid worker who along with her partner was kidnapped and held hostage for 14 months in Chechnya.
Hassan Nasrallah, for over 30 years he was the leader of Lebanon’s militant Shia Islamist movement, Hezbollah. The group was designated as a terror organisation by Israel, the US, UK and other countries.
María Benítez, a dancer, choreographer, and director. She was celebrated for her significant contributions to Spanish dance and flamenco.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
FRI 16:30 More or Less (m0023ds6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m0023gk9)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023gkc)
Ayatollah Khamenei also defended Iran's missile attack on Israel this week
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m0023gkf)
Series 115
Peace & Peaks
Alasdair Beckett-King, Zoe Lyons, Scott Bennett, and Cindy Yu join Andy Zaltzman to quiz the news
This week on The News Quiz the panel look for the solution to world peace, check in with the Conservative final four, and tackle Everest (not literally).
Written by Andy Zaltzman
With additional material by: Jade Gebbie, Cody Dahler, Dee Allum, and Pete Tellouche
Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
An Eco-Audio certified Production
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m0023gkh)
Writer: Keri Davies
Director: Kim Greengrass
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Ben Archer…. Ben Norris
David Archer…. Timothy Bentinck
Jill Archer…. Patricia Greene
Pat Archer…. Patricia Gallimore
Tony Archer…. David Troughton
Lilian Bellamy…. Sunny Ormonde
Alice Carter…. Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter…. Wilf Scolding
Susan Carter…. Charlotte Martin
Ed Grundy…. Barry Farrimond
Emma Grundy…. Emerald O’Hanrahan
George Grundy…. Angus Stobie
Will Grundy…. Philip Molloy
Brad Horrobin…. Taylor Uttley
Tracy Horrobin…. Susie Riddell
Azra Malik…. Yasmin Wilde
Khalil Malik…. Krish Bassi
Zainab Malik…. Priyasasha Kumari
FRI 19:15 Screenshot (m0023gkk)
Prisons
As The Shawshank Redemption turns 30, Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode explore life behind bars as seen on screen, investigating how film and TV have shaped our ideas about the prison system. Why do prisons make such good settings for cinema?
Ellen investigates the relationship between prison exploitation and prison reform, talking to director S Craig Zahler about his ultra-violent 2017 film Brawl In Cell Block 99 and the movies that inspired it, from Birdman of Alcatraz to Riot in Cell Block 11. And she speaks to Dr Kalima Young about the impact of Netflix's hit series about a women's prison, Orange Is The New Black.
Meanwhile, Mark talks to writer and broadcast Richard Weight about the enduring relevance of the classic British sitcom Porridge. And he speaks to 'the daddy' of prison dramas - Ray Winstone - about the impact of his breakout role as a borstal boy in the controversial, banned TV play Scum.
Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m0023gkn)
Rushanara Ali MP, Annabel Denham, Tobias Ellwood, Adrian Ramsay MP
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Beccles Public Hall & Theatre in Suffolk with Rushanara Ali MP, the building safety and homelessness minister; Telegraph columnist and deputy comment editor Annabel Denham; former Conservative MP and foreign office minister Tobias Ellwood; and Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay MP.
Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Kevan Long
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m0023gks)
Paranoids and Publicists
Adam Gopnik revisits two famous American essays from the 1960s and finds a remarkably contemporary vision - and one 'that seems to have an application to our own time and its evident crisis.'
He couples Richard Hofstadter's 1964 essay, 'The Paranoid Style in American Politics' with Daniel Boorstin's 1962 classic on 'image' and America's tenuous relationship with facts.
'It is the admixture of Hofstadter's political paranoia with Boorstin's cult of publicity,' writes Adam, 'that makes Trump so very different from previous political figures.'
Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Tom Bigwood
FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m0023gkx)
Why we read
"I never read novels" is something you hear people say. What is the point of reading - be it histories or fiction? Does it help us empathize with the situation of other people or shed insights into our historical moment? With the news story that university students these days are, apparently, unaccustomed to reading entire books, cover to cover, favouring excerpts, abridgements, and introductions and ahead of the biggest date in the publishing calendar (Super Thursday on Oct 10th)
Shahidha Bari is joined by
novelist Elif Shafak - winner of the British Academy's President's Medal, her latest novel is called There Are Rivers in the Sky;
journalist Gabriel Gatehouse - host of the podcast and Radio 4 series The Coming Storm;
New Generation Thinkers Janine Bradbury - a poet, and Jonathan Egid - a philosopher;
Tiffany Watt Smith - a historian of emotions and author of a book on schadenfreude
and by the historian of China Professor Rana Mitter - chair of the judges for this year's Cundill History Prize. The winner will be announced on October 30th and the books in contention are:
Judgement at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia by Gary J. Bass
Native Nations: A Millennium in North America by Kathleen DuVal
Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights by Dylan C. Penningroth
Producer: Luke Mulhall
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m0023gl1)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
FRI 22:45 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (m002143t)
Episode 5
This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love.
When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one morning he is catapulted straight back to childhood, and the hours they spent immersed in playing games.
Their spark is instantly reignited and sets off a creative collaboration that will make them superstars. It is the 90s, and anything is possible.
What comes next is a decades-long tale of friendship and rivalry, fame and art, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.
Written by Gabrielle Zevin
Abridged by Joseph Bedell
Read by Zoe Maltby
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 23:00 Americast (m0023gl5)
Will conflict in the Middle East impact the US election?
How important is the United States when it comes to resolving conflict in the Middle East, and how much power does the U.S. president really have in the region? With the election just weeks away, Justin and Sarah look at how the conflict might affect voters, and what it means for both Donald Trump’s and Kamala Harris’s presidential campaigns. CNN’s Chief International Anchor, Christiane Amanpour joins Justin and Sarah, sharing her insights and contacts from the region.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
GUEST:
• Christiane Amanpour, CNN Chief International Anchor
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
This episode was made by Purvee Pattni with Rufus Gray, Alix Pickles, and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
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Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, The Today Podcast, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
The Today Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm
FRI 23:30 The Gift (m001w6z0)
Bonus Episode: Hacked
October 6th, 2023 - the day before Hamas launches its attack on Israel - a data set stolen from at-home DNA testing company 23andMe is posted on the dark web. A hacker under the username Golem claims it contains millions of data points relating to Ashkenazi Jews living globally. A vast repository of 23andMe's account holder's personal information is then offered to anyone willing to pay for it - including names, birth dates, genetic ancestry and location details. Not only is it 23andMe's biggest ever security breach but apparently it's been motivated by racism.
Jenny Kleeman recently confirmed her Ashkenazi Jewish identity through a 23andMe test. Her mum and dad had done so a few years previously. In this bonus episode of The Gift, Jenny investigates the 23andMe breach to discover what happened, who was targeted and if information as sensitive as our genetic code - including her own - can ever be stored safely.
Presenter: Jenny Kleeman
Producer: Conor Garrett
Commissioning Editor: Hugh Levinson
Executive Producer: Philip Sellars
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett