SATURDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2024
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m0024x5j)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:30 Money by David McWilliams (m0024x46)
Cheap British Beer
Economist David McWilliams charts the relationship between humanity and money with expertise, insight and humour. From a Stone Age tally stick to the micro-financing scheme revolutionising the developing world, ‘Money’ explores how we have shaped, and been shaped by, money.
Today, he considers the recent history of money as well as its possible future – from a run on the punt to the rise of M-PESA.
Read by the author
Abridged by Rosemary Goring
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
David McWilliams is an economist, author, podcaster, journalist, documentarian and broadcaster. He is the founder of Kilkenomics, the world’s only economics and stand-up comedy festival. ‘Davos with jokes’ takes place in November in Kilkenny.
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0024x5l)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0024x5n)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0024x5q)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m0024x5s)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0024x5v)
They literally always have blank faces
A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Hope Lonergan
Good morning.
A pigeon recently built a nest on top of our garden gazebo. I don’t say this to discriminate against any pigeons out there but their nest building skills are mid. Rubbish. Much to be desired. Still – the nest seemed to be functional; it did the trick.
As the days went on, we watched this lanky, scruffy nestling grow and develop and learn to navigate the world. When it came time to learn flying (textbook pigeon activity) it stood on one of the planks on the gazebo while its Mum – and I’m not sure if this is the usual routine – used her beak to grab it by the beak and jerk its head back and forth, almost like a reprimand for sub-optimal flying. (You should check your own nest-building abilities, luv.) She’d then stand back, observe, and “encourage” the nestling to give it another go.
I watched all of this from a bedroom window, absolutely captivated, really rooting for the baby pigeon. Eventually the nestling flew – and the Mum stood still, blank-faced, as if the crushing realisation that this stage in her life was over had finally dawned on her.
Or not.
Because she’s a pigeon.
And pigeons literally always have blank faces.
Either way, because I had recently been discharged from hospital after a serious illness, this all felt very meaningful. And like some of the most poignant moments in life, it was drained of any meaning almost instantly.
So, today I pray for pigeons, and quiet moments of contemplation and palpable meaning. We all have value and a place in this world, both animals and humans - even if they’re reduced to nothing soon after they’ve passed. Because: well, pigeons.
Amen.
SAT 05:45 Something to Declare (m00252r6)
How to Build for Our Future
Jack Boswell explores northeast India to uncover the ancient, awe-inspiring tradition of Meghalaya’s Living Root Bridges.
Joining him is Dr Wilfrid Middleton, a researcher in Living Architecture, who’s been studying these extraordinary structures since 2017. Grown from the aerial roots of the Ficus elastica tree, these resilient bridges are woven over generations, offering the community not just a passage across rivers but a deeper connection to nature and protection of their land, withstanding monsoon rains and landslides.
Wilfrid explains how these living bridges grow under the hands of villagers, shaped over decades by careful guidance and community collaboration. They thrive and strengthen over time, adapting to the changing landscape around them. The bridges serve both as a literal and symbolic bridge across generations, uniting people in a shared effort that will serve future villagers long after the builders have gone.
Jack also speaks with Morningstar Khongthaw, founder of the Living Bridge Foundation, who passionately describes his mission to preserve and nurture these bridges for future generations. Morningstar reflects on the responsibility he feels to educate younger villagers in the art of building and maintaining the root bridges - a skill passed down through stories, hands-on practice, and the patient guidance of elders. For him, these living bridges embody a philosophy of life that values endurance, harmony with nature, and a vision that stretches far beyond one lifetime.
This episode invites listeners to rethink modern building practices and embrace the wisdom embedded in Meghalaya’s living bridges. These remarkable structures offer a model of regenerative design, resilience, and community spirit, reminding us of the powerful legacy that thoughtful, patient care can create. In an age of rapid construction, the Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya show us that sometimes, the best way forward is to take the long view.
Host: Jack Boswell
Producer: Emma Crampton
Senior Producer: Harry Stott
Executive Producer: Sandra Ferrari
Production Coordinator: James Cox
Audio Supervisor: Tom Biddle
Sound Editor: Alan Leer
A Message Heard production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m0025328)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.
SAT 06:07 Ramblings (m0024x12)
The Old Lags - Bristol
Clare joins a long established group as they embark on their 100th walk. Their route takes them from Leigh Woods, under the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and into the heart of Bristol.
They call themselves The Old Lags, and every member was responsible during their careers for keeping our lights on and our kettles boiled as employees of the Central Electricity Generating Board.
They’re all retired now and David Miller, who runs the Old Lags, is certain they’d have lost touch had it not been for their shared love of a good stomp.
Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002532b)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
SAT 06:57 Weather (m002532d)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m002532g)
Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002532j)
Martin Clunes, Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, Richard Armitage, Ellie Taylor
Actor Martin Clunes, who although now has hung up his stethoscope, will forever be Doc Martin for some. But, these days he's busy meeting remarkable animals; from search-and-rescue dogs to mine-sniffing rats and therapy horses.
The mighty Sabrina Pace-Humphreys is here, she’s a trailblazing ultra-runner, author and activist, who not only tackles gruelling terrain but also breaks down barriers; encouraging diversity every step of the way.
Richard Armitage is an actor, author and voice-over artist who has thrilled us for over two decades - from Spooks, The Hobbit and North & South to Harlan Coben's hit Netflix dramas - making him the only man on the programme for whom spying, dragons and Victorian etiquette are all in a day’s work.
All that, plus we have the Inheritance Tracks of the comedian, broadcaster and soon to be celebrity gladiator contestant...Ellie Taylor.
Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw Stephens
Producer: Ben Mitchell
SAT 10:00 Curious Cases (m002404x)
Series 1
7. Invincible Moss Piglets
Listener Vivienne has heard that tardigrades - aka moss piglets - have special powers of survival. Radiation? Drought? Extreme cold? NO PROBLEM. Does that mean they could survive an apocalypse? And could they even help us master space travel!?
Hannah and Dara learn how to find these little moss piggies in roof gutters and garden corners. And they're amazed by their capacity to dry out and hunker down for decades before springing back to life. But calamity strikes when it turns out that fine glass tubing - in the form of pipettes - is their natural predator. And worse is to come: our curious duo learn that there may be some tardigrades stuck on the moon, and one researcher has even fired them out of a gun. All in the name of science.
But they have survived at least 5 mass extinctions so far. So their chances of surviving the next one are pretty good. As long as pipettes aren't involved.
Contributors
Dr James Frederick Fleming: Natural History Museum of Norway and the University of Oslo
Dr Nadja Møbjerg: University of Copenhagen
Dr Thomas Boothby: University of Wyoming
Producer: Ilan Goodman
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production
SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002532l)
Series 46
World Children's Day Special
To mark World Children’s Day, Jay Rayner and his panel of food experts are at St Paul's Primary School, Whitechapel, answering questions from a room full of inquisitive kids.
Joining Jay for his TKC debut is Young Masterchef judge Big Has, along with materials expert Dr Zoe Laughlin, and chefs Sophie Wright and Tim Anderson.
Jay and the panel answer the most intriguing of questions from their audience of young foodies, including the grossest foods they’ve ever eaten, how to make vegetables taste nice, and the most pressing question of all - which foods make you fart?
Meanwhile, Zoe Laughlin stops the show to make the Gruffalo’s favourite food of all, owl ice cream, using a very special ingredient.
Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
Producer: Bethany Hocken
Senior Producer: Ollie Wilson
A Somethin’ Else production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002532q)
Caroline Wheeler of The Sunday Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster.
Following the publication of the assisted dying bill, Caroline speaks to one of its supporters, the Labour MP and former surgeon, Peter Prinsley, and the palliative care expert and long-time campaigner against assisted dying, Baroness Ilora Finlay.
To discuss what the election of Donald Trump means for the war in Ukraine, Caroline brings together the former Conservative Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, and Nato's former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Sir John McColl.
Dale Vince, founder of the green energy company Ecotricity and one of Labour's biggest donors, discusses the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan and the UK's drive for net zero.
And, as Donald Trump appoints Elon Musk to look at ways to cut trillions from US government spending, Caroline asks if the UK could benefit from a similar endeavour with Labour MP, and chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Meg Hillier, and the former Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs, Mark Littlewood.
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002532t)
North Korea and Russia's flourishing friendship
Kate Adie presents stories from China, Ukraine, Australia, Panama and Lithuania.
Reports of North Korean troops being deployed to join the Russian offensive in Ukraine has compounded fears in Kyiv about its ability to win the war. And it’s proving a headache for Beijing too, which is an ally to both Russia and North Korea. Laura Bicker travelled to Fangchuan, where the borders of all three countries meet.
In Ukraine, the use of drones has become integral to the war strategy for both sides. But since the Summer, there has been signs that Russia may be deliberately targeting civilians with unmanned drones – killing dozens. Yogita Limaye travelled to Kherson, where locals described the terror they face every day.
Youth crime has become a big talking point in Australia, but critics warn tougher punishment may not improve the outcome for locals or young offenders, as Katy Watson heard in Northern Territory.
In Panama, the rainy season lasts around eight months of the year, and yet hundreds of thousands of people struggle to access regular running water. Jane Chambers went to meet some people who've come up with their own solution.
Lithuania became the last country in Europe to convert to Christianity back in the 1300s. But over the last century, many Lithuanians began exploring their pagan past once more, to build a sense of national identity. Simon Broughton went to one of the country’s biggest folk festivals to find out more.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002532w)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002532y)
Water Bills and Inheritance Tax for Farmers
A record number of people in England and Wales are getting help with the cost of their water bills. The number of people on low incomes who have been given a reduction in their bill grew last year by 250,000 to 1.6 million. They are called 'social tariffs' but newly released data from the Consumer Council for Water shows the amount people get varies widely depending on where they live. Water UK, which represents the water industry, says these are average figures with eligible customers able to receive a much higher deduction. Dan Whitworth will have the full details of this story.
In a week where changes to Inheritance Tax for farmers have dominated the headlines, we’ll discuss how the changes will work and who will be affected.
There's a new inflation measure developed specifically for Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Consumer Prices Index allows statisticians to compare how fast prices are rising against the UK rate. We'll find out more about how it's calculated.
Plus, the listener who got a £1,500 refund on his student loan after listening to Money Box.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth, Emma Smith and Eimear Devlin
Researcher: Catherine Lund
Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast
12pm Saturday 16th November 2024)
SAT 12:30 Dead Ringers (m0024x4y)
Series 25
Dead Ringers: Ep 3. New World Disorder
Donald Trump makes some surprising new additions to his team, there’s an unexpected guest at COP29, Nigel Farage accepts that climate change is real, and Justin Welby explains the real reason for his resignation.
This week's impressionists are Jan Ravens, Lewis Macleod, Jess Robinson, Duncan Wisbey and Jason Forbes
The episode was written by: Tom Jamieson and Nev Fountain, Laurence Howarth, Rob Darke, Edward Tew, Joe Topping, Christina Riggs, Pravanya Pillay with additional material by Lizzy Mansfield and Vicky Richards.
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Produced and created by Bill Dare
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
SAT 12:57 Weather (m0025330)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m0025332)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m0024x52)
Baroness Brown, Sarah Champion MP, Lord Elliott, Catherine Pepinster
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from St John's Church in Ranmoor, Sheffield, with Julia King, the Baroness Brown of Cambridge, who chairs the independent Climate Change Committee's adaptation committee; Labour MP for Rotherham Sarah Champion MP, chair of the Commons international development committee; Conservative peer Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell, former chief executive of Vote Leave who is now president of the Jobs Foundation; and Catherine Pepinster, journalist and broadcaster who specialises in religious affairs.
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Lead broadcast engineer: Liam Juniper
SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m0025334)
Call Any Answers? to have your say on the big issues in the news this week.
SAT 14:45 The Archers (m0024x50)
Fallon’s working a shift at The Bull while Jolene laments the fact Lynda’s not putting on a Christmas show. Fallon hopes people won’t pry into why she’s working there, but Jolene reassures Fallon she made the right decision to give up the Charging Station Café. Justin is sympathetic that it didn’t work out for Fallon, cautioning her not to go back to the Tearoom, but to look forward instead. He mentions his bankruptcy, suggesting it was the making of him, having to start afresh. He offers to help Fallon if he can and she appreciates him taking her more seriously as a businesswoman than she does herself. Fallon then decides she won’t go back to her old job and Jolene agrees, she can do much better than that.
At Beechwood Helen has Tom and Natasha over for dinner. They reflect on a happy day, celebrating Peggy’s 100th birthday. Seren and Nova were particularly charming. They share a moment, remembering their brother, John, then mention Emma being upset this morning after George let it be known he doesn’t ever want his family to visit him again. Helen then explains how difficult it would be for her to afford the mortgage on Kirsty’s house and Natasha tells her not to take the risk, in that case. Later, going home, Natasha suggests to Tom that if Helen doesn’t go for the Beechwood house they could buy it instead. Tom’s not keen, for several reasons, including upsetting Helen, but Natasha concludes that Helen doesn’t really want to live there, whereas she does.
SAT 15:00 Breaking the Rules (m0025336)
The Markov File
For those that remember the Cold War, the name Georgi Markov might be familiar. His assassination sent shockwaves around the globe in 1978 and his death was the first instance of Soviet pugilism on British soil. But even more famous than the name, was the infamous weapon of execution - the poison tip umbrella.
In The Markov File, we go beyond the headlines to reveal the truly remarkable life of a writer, dramaturgist, journalist and broadcaster, who used his wit and guile to wage war against the communist state. It's a story about autocracy, rebellion and impunity from the rule of law.
Cast:
Simon McBurney - Georgi Markov
Christopher Eccleston - President Zhivkov
Lucy Phelps - Zlatka Dubova
Ben Onwukwe - Peter Udell / Pesho / Colonel Kolev
Steve Brody - Kiro / Pavel Matev
Joshua James - Zahariev / Anastas Stoyanov
Conrad Nelson - Mihail Antonov
Kate Anstey - Lada Galina
David Burnett - Dr Riley / Vanelin Kostev
Howard Ward - Piccadilly / Nikolai Markov
Writer - Marek Horn
Assistant Producer - Lucy Vallance
Director & Producer - Hunter Charlton
Executive Producer - David Hunter
Sound Design - John Scott
With special thanks to Luke MacGregor, without whom this drama would not have been possible.
An Ember production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m0025338)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: Forgotten Children, Devil Wears Prada, Giovanna Fletcher, Preterm birth, Headteacher Evelyn Forde
A new Woman's Hour series, Forgotten Children, explores the impact on families when one or both parents are sent to prison. Reporter Jo Morris hears from Kerry Wright, who was just 17 and living in Spain with her parents when British police arrived at their door and arrested both of them, from Nan (not her real name), whose daughter received a prison sentence, leaving Nan to care for her five grandchildren and to Emily (not her real name), whose husband was sentenced to prison for domestic abuse. Nuala McGovern also spoke to Sarah Burrows, founder of Children Heard and Seen, a charity supporting children and families with parents or partners serving prison sentences, and Lucy Baldwin who is a research fellow at Durham University and a criminal justice consultant.
As a new musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, with lyrics contributed by the American musician Shaina Taub and music by Elton John, hits London's West End, Anita Rani was joined by the show’s leading ladies, Vanessa Williams, Georgie Buckland and Amy Di Bartolomeo to discuss the enduring appeal of this story.
Nuala spoke to TV presenter and author Giovanna Fletcher from the Himalayas at the start of her trek to raise money and awareness for CoppaFeel! the breast cancer charity.
Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal death in the UK. Today the House of Lords Preterm Birth Committee have published a report calling on the government to do more to reduce the risks of babies being born prematurely and to improve the lives of those families who are affected. Anita discusses proposed changes with Nadia Leake, who gave birth to twins eleven years ago at just 22 weeks and is the author of 'Surviving Prematurity,'
Evelyn Forde was the first black female president of the Association of School and College Leaders, awarded an MBE for services to education, and named Times Educational Supplement Headteacher of the Year in 2020. In her book Herstory: A Leadership Manifesto, Evelyn shares her journey through the education system, her experiences of racism in her career, alongside the testimonies of other black leaders in the sector. With just 1% of headteachers in state schools in England from a black background, she joined Nuala to discuss why she thinks urgent action is needed to address the issue in education.
A new musical – Mozart: Her Story - tells the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s sister Maria-Anna, who taught him how to play the piano. Nuala is joined by the lyricist, Tegan Summer, and actor, Gabrielle Brooks who gives a performance from the new show.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Annette Wells
Editor: Rebecca Myatt
SAT 17:00 PM (m002533b)
Full coverage of the day's news.
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002533d)
The Mark Rowley One
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner reflects on the decision to rejoin the UK's largest police force when it was in crisis.
Sir Mark Rowley sits down with Nick Robinson to outline the challenges the Met faces under his leadership, as well as how he decided as a teenager that policing was his mission.
Producer: Daniel Kraemer
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002533g)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m002533j)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002533l)
Sir Keir Starmer tells Welsh Labour conference he'll defend Budget plans "all day long"
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002533n)
Shazad Latif, Laurie Anderson, Michael Cumming, Sooz Kempner, Trust Fund, Ellen Beth Abdi
Clive Anderson is joined by actor Shazad Latif, who stars as Nemo in 'Nautilus', a new ten part TV series based on Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Latif's TV credits include Spooks, The Pursuit of Love and Toast of London, where he played the fan favourite Clem Fandango.
And he's also joined by Michael Cumming, who directed Latif in three series of Toast of London. He is currently touring his documentary film 'Oxide Ghosts', a collection of outtakes and behind the scenes footage from the cult series 'Brass Eye' only ever shown at special live screenings.
Laurie Anderson is one of the world’s most pioneering creative artists. Her documentary film 'Heart of a Dog' was nominated for an Oscar, and she had a surprise hit in 1981 with her song 'O Superman', which reached number two in the UK singles chart. Her new Multimedia show ARK: United States V has just opened at Manchester's Factory International.
Comedian Sooz Kempner's most recent stand up show is 'Class of 2000'. It takes her back to sitting her GCSE's in a state school in the year 2000 while being preoccupied with horses, EastEnders and the millenium bug. It's also about the architectural wonder of the Viennetta. Sooz is also one of the hosts of The Queen Podcast.
Music is from Trust Fund, the musical project of Ellis Jones. After taking a break from music Jones is back with a new album 'Has it been a while?' And we also have a performance from Manchester based soul-pop artist Ellen Beth Abdi.
Presenter: Clive Anderson
Producer: Jessica Treen
SAT 19:00 Profile (m002533q)
Sahra Wagenknecht
Born in communist East Germany, to a German mother and Iranian father, Sahra Wagenknecht has long been the face of the country’s hard left.
But her own breakaway political movement, supporting a higher minimum wage as well as an end to weapons deliveries to Ukraine, appears to be gaining further support.
And with Germany set to hold elections early next year, following the collapse of the governing coalition, some think the 54-year-old will play a pivotal role in the future politics of the EU's largest economy.
In this edition of Profile, Mark Coles takes a closer look at the leader of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW).
Production team
Producers: Emma Close and Ben Cooper
Editor: Ben Mundy
Sound: Neil Churchill
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele and Janet Staples
Credits
DW
SAT 19:15 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m0024x0l)
Series 31
The Cyber Codebreakers
Brian Cox and Robin Ince head to Bletchley Park with comedian Alan Davies, and cyber experts Victoria Baines and Richard Benham to decode cyberwarfare and discuss its future.
As computers have shrunk from the size of rooms to fitting in our jacket pockets, our cyber sleuths explore the changing nature of cyber-attacks and defence. They decipher the fancy jargon abounding in cyber land, from trojan horses to phishing scams and reveal how prolific these attacks are on nation states, businesses and the public. From digital army battalions to teenage freelance hackers, the cyber-villains are multiple and varied. Our panel discusses the aims of these malevolent forces; from extorting money and holding valuable commercial data hostage to influencing people’s electoral intent.
The panel explores how AI and quantum computing are supercharging cyberwarfare – but in good news, also cyber-defence. Alan Davies shares his susceptibility to being tricked online whilst our experts give some tips for staying safe online, and finally, Alan comes up with his surprising alter-ego hacking name.
Producer: Melanie Brown
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
Researcher: Olivia Jani
BBC Studios Audio production
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002533s)
Lobster Telephone
Matthew Sweet explores a century of surrealism.
In 1924 Andre Breton published the Manifesto of Surrealism, giving shape to a set of ideas that had a profound effect on cultural and artistic life. Despite the manifesto, Surrealism was less a cast-iron ideology than an evolving set of principles. In short, it aimed to loosen the shackles of rationality and to liberate minds. It drew on our dream lives, our unconscious selves and our nightmare visions. Not simply in the service of shock: surrealism sought to upend settled assumptions and change the world.
We might think first of the visual arts – of vivid and puzzling paintings – but Breton was first of all concerned with writing. And Surrealists went on to use any and all methods to dislocate conventional reason: poems, texts, photographs, collages, film. But in our digital age can the juxtapositions of surrealism carry any urgency? Has its emancipatory potential seeped away with familiarity and the easy ability to cut and paste? Can surrealism still be subversive? And, as we tell the stories and discuss the ideas, can we infuse this programme with an authentic surrealist spirit?
With Louisa Buck, Hamed Maiye, Desmond Morris, Adjoa Osei and Perdita Sinclair.
With grateful thanks to Sabina Stent.
SAT 21:00 Moral Maze (m0024wbt)
Does intent matter?
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has pulled his new children's book from the shelves after complaints that it stereotyped Indigenous Australians. Some First Nations leaders have called the book "offensive". Oliver says it was not his “intention".
This case raises philosophical questions about the role of intent in the way we act and in the way we judge the actions of others. If harm is measured by the impact of an action rather than the intention behind it, how much does the intention matter at all? The fact that the law distinguishes between murder and manslaughter suggests that intent is indispensable in assessing moral culpability. On the other hand, being tired or incompetent at the wheel of a car may result in a more deadly outcome than knowingly driving recklessly. In our everyday relationships, we all make excuses for our behaviour when we mess up, but what makes a good excuse – a work-deadline, a wailing infant, ignorance? More complicated still, how can we discern someone’s intent not to cause harm or offense, particularly if we don’t inhabit the same social or cultural reality?
Does intent matter? After all, you know what they say about the road to hell…
Chair: Michael Buerk
Panellists:
Ash Sarkar, James Orr, Mona Siddiqui and Giles Fraser
Witnesses:
Daniel Browning, Brendan O'Neill, Dr Paul Youngbin Kim, Professor Paulina Sliwa.
Producer: Dan Tierney
Assistant producer: Ruth Purser
SAT 22:00 News (m002533v)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m0024x44)
Frankopan on Food
Peter Frankopan, the author of Silk Roads and Earth Transformed, shares his insights with Dan Saladino on food, history and questions for our future.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.
SAT 23:00 Parish Matters (m002533x)
Series 1
2. 'He's not presumed dead yet, Hank'
A brand-new sitcom sketch hybrid made in Belfast and starring voices from all over Ireland. Each week we join the eccentric inhabitants of the Parish in their weekly council meeting to air their problems and grievances.
The Parish is suffering from low morale and the council meets to decide what can be done to cheer everyone up. Can they slow the Parish ‘brain drain’ and stop losing their best and brightest to greener pastures abroad? How might they increase the birth rate in order to secure a brighter and more baby-filled tomorrow? There’s a surprise proposal for a new education campus and award ceremony to celebrate the parishioners and their achievements. But can the best (and only) cop in town solve the mystery disappearance of the beloved, whiskery Parish mascot Brendan?
PARISH MATTERS is a half hour window into an everlasting argument and an energetic and original comedy show written by Michael McCullagh and Phil Taggart and starring the writers alongside Michael Fry, Ciara Knight, Hannah Mamalis, Mary Flanigan, Michael Stranney and Peter McGann. Produced by Keith Martin and Exec Produced by Sam Michell. A FABEL radio Production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 23:30 Brain of Britain (m0024vyy)
Heat 11, 2024
(11/17)
Another four hopeful competitors join Russell Davies at London's Radio Theatre, to decide who takes another of the places in the semi-finals of Brain of Britain 2024. Would you know with which film series Fred Quimby's name is associated, or which English King's consort was called Henrietta-Maria? Or which British folk singer was honoured with a Prom concert this year on the 50th anniversary of his death?
Answering these and many other questions today are:
Suzanne Bosman from South-East London
Joan Dell from Gosport in Hampshire
Farrar Hornby, also from South-East London
Ryan Lewendon from Poole in Dorset.
Brain of Britain is a BBC Studios Audio production.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria
SUNDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2024
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002533z)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 00:15 The Lost Archives of James Baldwin (m0021vyz)
When James Baldwin died at his home in the South of France in December 1987, the world lost a towering intellect and one of America’s literary giants. He was buried in New York a few weeks later. But what remained in France, and still to this day, are thousands of personal and professional effects connected to Baldwin. Journalist Tony Phillips travels to Provence to discover why these items are stored in an Englishwoman’s home on the Côte d’Azur.
Producer Tony Phillips
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0025341)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0025343)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0025345)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m0025347)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m0025349)
All Saints church, Helmsley, North Yorkshire
Bells on Sunday comes from All Saints church Helmsley, in North Yorkshire. Situated in Ryedale there has been a church in Helmsley since before the Norman conquest and the churchyard was used as a market place in Anglo-Saxon times. The tower houses a ring of eight bells all cast by the John Taylor foundry of Loughborough. The Tenor bell weighs fifteen quarter hundredweight and is tuned to F sharp. We hear them ringing St Aelred of Rievaulx Little Place Triples. This method is named after the recently opened 41 mile Pilgrim Trail that links the twelve churches in the Benefice of Helmsley and Upper Ryedale with Rievaulx Abbey.
SUN 05:45 In Touch (m0024vvp)
The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses; Accessible Yoga
The Ray-Ban Meta Glasses is a range of smart glasses that work in conjunction with a smart phone app. We have been hearing excited murmurings about their potential benefits for blind and partially sighted people and now they will soon work in conjunction with the free service, Be My Eyes. This service connects visually impaired people with sighted volunteers to assist with daily tasks. What we are also hearing is that there is some confusion surrounding certain AI capabilities, especially as UK users had to wait before being told it that it can now be accessed here. The picture, however, is not the same for everybody and so we have brought together two visually impaired people who have the specs, to assess the issue.
The charity, Sight Scotland has tried to find a way to make the ancient practice of yoga accessible to blind and partially sighted people. Our reporter Ian Hamilton went along to a class in Edinburgh to find out more.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: David Baguley
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word Radio in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.
SUN 06:00 News Summary (m0025351)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 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
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m0025353)
BBC Food & Farming Awards finalist: Farmer Time
"Farmer Time" links farmers with school teachers, allowing children to video chat with a farmer live from their classroom throughout the year, exploring the school curriculum in a farm setting. Over 10,000 children take part, doing everything from calculating how many seeds you need to drill a field of wheat, to measuring the biodiversity of a flower meadow; from exploring the impact of crime on rural businesses, to understanding genetics through the medium of cattle breeding.
"Farmer Time " was set up Tom Martin, who runs a mixed farm on the Cambridgeshire border with his parents and wife, Lisa. Tom says "Farmer Time" is a way to directly reach their customers. He says he and his fellow farmers are showing children how UK farming can contribute to food production, biodiversity and carbon sequestration. He says the goal for "Farmer Time" is after 5 years to create change in the industry...and after 10 to create social change.
The initiative has been chosen by judges, Charlotte Smith and Lucy Speed, as one of their three finalists in the "Farming for the Future" category of this year's BBC Food and Farming Awards. In this programme, Charlotte and Lucy visit the farm to find out more about how it works.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and Lucy Speed
Produced by Heather Simons
SUN 06:57 Weather (m0025355)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m0025357)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m0025359)
Justin Welby, safeguarding and the future of the Church of England
After a tumultuous week in the Church of England, Emily Buchanan looks at the legacy that Justin Welby will leave behind, how the church can stamp out abuse in future, and what's needed from the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
Plus, an interview with Robert Harris, author of Conclave, on the Oscar-tipped movie of the same name.
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002535c)
BBC Children in Need
Broadcaster Anita Rani makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity BBC Children in Need.
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 'BBC Children in Need’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘BBC Children in Need’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
Registered Charity Number: 802052 in England and Wales and SC039557 in Scotland.
If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit bbcchildreninneed.co.uk
SUN 07:57 Weather (m002535f)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002535h)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002535k)
A Church for Everyone?
Reflecting on the experiences in church of a significant proportion of the population - people who are on the autistic spectrum. With contributions from members of a 'Church For Everyone' - an online community of autistic Christians. The service explores the needs of this community, people who 'process information to create meaning’ in a different way than for most and who often experience senses significantly more or less intensely than others. Members of the group talk about their experiences of negotiating church and what they would like to see change in order to help them participate in worship, with words of reflection by Professor Grant Macaskill from the University of Aberdeen’s Centre for Autism and Theology. Producer: Rebecca Kelly.
SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m0024x54)
Existentialism and an Escaped Monkey
From the escape of Cholmondley the chimp from London Zoo in 1848, to Chichi from the Kharkiv Zoo in 2022, to a group of 43 macaque monkeys from a research facility in South Carolina last week, Megan Nolan reflects on the great annals of animal escapes and why they hold an almost mystical appeal to humans.
She believes the reason they are so potent is that they contain the 'dazzling knowledge that things which ARE so, need not REMAIN so'.
'In a week where it felt especially apparent that we have no meaningful ability to shape the world in which we live', writes Megan, the realisation that we can defy inevitability is intoxicating.'
Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002535m)
Martin Hughes-Games on the Blackbird
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.
Natural history presenter and author Martin Hughes-Games found himself in Tasmania. As dusk fell a familiar song burst through, the evening call of the blackbird. How these birds far away from home got here, is pure guesswork, but that familiar sound at dusk transported him back home and the familiar evening chorus from blackbirds near his home.
Producer : Andrew Dawes for BBC Audio in Bristol
Studio Engineer : Ilse Lademann
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002535p)
Farmer v Starmer
Protests are planned for next week - we go down on the farm and discuss the arguments. Plus has David Attenborough's voice been cloned? The BH press panel reviews the news.
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m00138rg)
Simon Reeve, broadcaster and writer
Simon Reeve is a broadcaster and writer best known for his TV documentaries which combine travel and adventure with investigations into the challenges faced by the places he visits.
His journeys have taken him across jungles, deserts, mountains and oceans, and to some of the most dangerous and remote regions of the world. He’s dodged bullets on front lines, dived with seals and sharks, survived malaria, walked through minefields and tracked lions on foot.
Simon grew up in Acton in west London. He experienced anxiety and depression as a teenager and left school with few qualifications. He eventually found a job in the post room at the Sunday Times and from there progressed to working with the news teams, filing stories on a range of subjects from organised crime to nuclear smuggling.
In the late 1990s he wrote one of the first books about Al-Qaeda and its links to Osama Bin Laden. His expertise in this area was quickly called upon after the 9/11 attacks in the USA, and he became a regular guest on American television and radio programmes.
The current pandemic put Simon’s overseas trips into abeyance and he has turned his attention to the UK, recently making programmes about Cornwall and the Lake District.
DISC ONE: Eskègizéw Bèrtchi by Alèmayèhu Eshèté
DISC TWO: Vissi d’arte - from Puccini’s Tosca, performed by Kiri Te Kanawa with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Pritchard
DISC THREE: It Takes Two by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
DISC FOUR: We Will Rock You by Queen
DISC FIVE: Mr Brightside by The Killers
DISC SIX: Wiley Flow by Stormzy
DISC SEVEN: You’re Lovely to Me by Lucky Jim
DISC EIGHT: Rocket Man by Elton John
BOOK CHOICE: Moonshine for Beginners and Experts by Damian Brown
LUXURY ITEM: Bird seed
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Rocket Man by Elton John
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley
SUN 10:45 More Wow (m0022l0y)
5. Extraordinary People
What is awe, and where do we find it?
Exploring how the elusive emotion of awe can be a vital force in our lives.
As something usually associated with intense experiences and extreme environments, for many of us awe can often seem difficult to attain. Science journalist Jo Marchant tracks down individuals who live awe-filled lives, uncovering where we might find it ourselves and how it can alter body and mind.
Episode five: Jo heads to her local outdoor gym, Steel Warriors, to learn how watching extraordinary physical acts inspires us to achieve better. She meets one of the star competitors, Garvin Gabriel. And she hears from South African cosmologist, mathematician and activist George Ellis, about how watching acts of moral virtue in the civil rights movement of his country inspired him to be better.
Featuring: Dacher Keltner, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley and author of Awe: The Transformative Power of Everyday Wonder;
Helen de Cruz, Professor of Philosophy at St Louis University, Missouri and author of Wonderstruck: How Wonder and Awe Shape the Way We Think.
Presented by Jo Marchant, author of Cure, The Human Cosmos and Decoding the Heavens.
Producer: Eliza Lomas
Editor: Chris Ledgard
SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002535r)
Writer: Katie Hims
Director: Mel Ward
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Helen Archer…. Louiza Patikas
Jolene Archer…. Buffy Davis
Natasha Archer…. Mali Harries
Pat Archer…. Patricia Gallimore
Tom Archer…. William Troughton
Tony Archer…. David Troughton
Harrison Burns…. James Cartwright
Neil Carter…. Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter…. Charlotte Martin
Rex Fairbrother…. Nick Barber
Emma Grundy…. Emerald O‘Hanrahan
George Grundy …. Angus Stobie
Kirsty Miller…. Annabelle Dowler
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
SUN 12:15 Profile (m002533q)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz (m0024w92)
Series 3
South London - home to Stanleys and Georges and two of the Magnificent Seven
Stand-up and quizzer Paul Sinha tests the people of South Norwood on their knowledge of places with SE postcodes, and the people who have lived, worked and studied there.
So if you know your Stanleys from your Stanleys and your Gilberts from your Gilberts, grab yourself a pencil and see how many you can get right.
The audience also test Paul on their favourite questions - such as the connection between Elon Musk and Hilary Mantel, and what makes a particular member of Girls Aloud unique.
Written and performed by Paul Sinha
Additional material: Oliver Levy
Additional questions: The Audience
Original music: Tim Sutton
Recording engineer: David Thomas
Mixed by: Rich Evans
Producer: Ed Morrish
A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 12:57 Weather (m002535t)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002535w)
The EU’s shift to the right on migration
Why countries across the EU are getting increasingly tough on irregular migration. Plus, Pakistan’s melting glaciers, and the French bid for the D-Day beaches to gain UNESCO status.
SUN 13:30 Trusting Trusts (m0023nq3)
Trusts have long been a favoured wealth protection tool for the super-rich, but has this British invention been corrupted by its own tax havens? With potentially trillions tied up in these secretive structures, journalist Rob Byrne follows the trail of a superyacht from the Caribbean to the Channel Islands to try and understand how a centuries-old British concept has evolved into a powerful legal tool, sought after by some of Russia’s richest men.
Producer/Presenter: Rob Byrne
Executive Producer: Philip Sellars
A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m0024x4m)
Birmingham: Emotional Plants, Green Manure and Scents
Do plants have feelings? When should I plant green manure? Why do leaves drop more in autumn than any other time of the year?
Kathy Clugston and a team of gardening experts visit Birmingham Botanical Gardens to solve the gardening issues of the audience. On the panel this week are ethnobotanist James Wong, proud plantsman Matthew Biggs and garden designer Juliet Sargeant.
Later, James Wong and Birmingham Botanical Gardens' Senior Nursery Horticulturist Bethan Collerton discuss some useful tips and tricks on how to protect your tender or less hardy plants during the winter months.
Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m002535y)
Berlin Alexanderplatz
As we approach its hundredth anniversary, John Yorke explores the long-vanished world of German writer Alfred Döblin’s Expressionist masterpiece, Berlin Alexanderplatz.
Set in 1928 at the height of the Weimar Republic, the novel centres around Franz Biberkopf - ‘transport worker, housebreaker, pimp, manslaughterer’ - who is determined to go straight following his release from prison. Weather reports, tales from scripture, popular songs, death tolls, recipes and advertising slogans continuously interrupt Biberkopf’s dizzying journey through a collage-like depiction of Berlin.
Doblin’s novel was a huge bestseller when it was first published and is said to have defined city literature.
John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years and 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. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy, he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative - including many podcasts for R4.
Contributor: Michael Hofmann, translator of Berlin Alexanderplatz.
Researcher/Broadcast Assistant: Nina Semple
Sound: Iain Hunter
Producer: Kate McAll
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 15:00 Dickensian (m0025360)
Our Mutual Friend: Episode 3. The Source of the River
Our Mutual Friend is as relevant now as it was 160 years ago, when it was written. Charles Dickens’s epic novel is all about
“…money, money, money, and what money can make of life!”
Bella Wilfer, Book 3, Chapter 4.
Born and bred Londoner Dan Rebellato, award winning audio dramatist, brings this huge, vivid novel to life for the 21st century, with a dynamic, ensemble cast.
The third and final adaptation for the BBC Radio 4 Dickensian season, Our Mutual Friend is a coruscating picture of then-contemporary London with striking affinities to now: a world of huge inequalities and cruelties, where ignorance is held up as knowledge, where vast wealth is built literally on dust, where predatory citizens defraud and murder each other, and money is made fishing corpses from the Thames. It’s a world of fraud, deception, rapacity, dishonesty and cynicism; but it’s also a book that battles through all of that to affirm honesty, generosity, and love.
It’s also a novel of great joy. This comes from Dickens’s acute observation of the absurdities of life and his usual cast of intriguing characters: the wealthy illiterate Mr Boffin; the scheming fantasist Silas Wegg; the pompous philistine Mr Podsnap; the stylish fraudsters Sophronia and Alfred Lammle; the dandyish shark Fascination Fledgeby. And it's a book with heart: the stories of petulant but vulnerable Bella Wilfer, traumatised and gullible Georgiana Podsnap, and the resourceful survivor Lizzie Hexam are all powerful tales of survival.
Throughout it flows the Thames, filthy and powerful, bobbing with boats and bodies, on and in which key scenes unfold, mixing class and culture to panoramic effect.
Episode 3: The Source of the River
The Lammles resort to even greater betrayal to save themselves from financial ruin whilst Silas Wegg furtively digs deep in the dust to find hidden treasure so that he can swap places with his employer, Noddy Boffin. Will Lizzie finally confess her true feelings to Wrayburn? What is obsessed Headstone planning for his love rival, Wrayburn? And what happens when Georgiana finds out who her beloved Fascination Fledgeby really is? A thrilling conclusion to the drama as the mystery of who killed John Harmon is finally solved.
The cast
Silas Wegg and Rogue Riderhood ..... Mat Fraser
Lizzie Hexam ..... Bukky Bakray
Mortimer Lightwood ..... Sule Rimi
Eugene Wrayburn ..... Issam Al Ghussain
Mr Podsnap and Mr Boffin ..... Gordon Kennedy
Mr Riah, Mr Veneering and R Wilfer ..... Henry Goodman
Mrs Wilfer and Mrs Veneering ..... Liz Sutherland- Lim
John Rokesmith and Headstone ..... Jeremy Ang Jones
Mrs Podsnap and Mrs Boffin ..... Frances Grey
Bella and Sophronia Lammle ..... Bettrys Jones
Jenny Wren and Lavinia Wilfer ..... Delilah Tahiri
Georgiana Podsnap ..... Clare Lawrence-Moody
Fascination Fledgeby ..... Harrison Knights
Alfred Lammle ..... Harley Viveash
Dramatist: Dan Rebellato.
Sound designer: Jon Nicholls
Assistant producer: Nicola Miles Wildin
Production Manager: Darren Spruce
Studio assistant: Louis Blatherwick
Image: YanKi Darling
Executive Producer: Eloise Whitmore
Producer: Polly Thomas
A Thomas Carter Projects production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 16:00 Inside The Wasp Factory (m001w71d)
When it was first published in 1984, Iain Banks' debut novel 'The Wasp Factory', was described as a "a work of unparalleled depravity" and also "a masterpiece". Today the book is considered one of the great novels of the twentieth century, is taught on curricula and sits on many a favourite list. Simon Pegg chose this book on Desert Island Discs, and now he is finding out how it became such a phenomenon.
Forty years after its publication, and over a decade since the author's death, Simon traces how the book was written and its impact on generations of readers since.
The novel centres around Frank Cauldhame, an isolated 16 year old living on an island off the North East coast of Scotland with his father. Frank details his life of strange rituals, confesses to murder and conducts acts of barbarity on the local wildlife. When the news arrives that Frank's brother Eric has escaped from a psychiatric hospital, everything is turned upside down and Frank looks for answers in The Wasp Factory, a huge living contraption presiding in the loft of their old house. As we follow Frank's experiences, even more dark secrets are revealed.
The book is recognised as a biting and witty critique of violent masculinity and the politics of the era, as well as a contemporary gothic classic with indications of the master of Sci Fi that Iain Banks would become. What can we learn from heading inside The Wasp Factory today?
Contributions from:
Irvine Welsh, author of 'Trainspotting', 'Filth' and other novels.
Prof Katharine Cox, formerly Bournemouth University and now The University of Derby.
Ken MacLeod, author of 'The Star Fraction' and other novels.
David Haddock, editor of The Banksoniain Fanzine
Dr Monica Germana, The University of Westminster
Readings by Ian Dunnett Jr.
Extracts from The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks (MacmIllan 1984)
SUN 16:30 Brain of Britain (m0025362)
Heat 12, 2024
(12/17)
It's the last of the twelve heats in the 2024 Brain of Britain tournament, with just one place left to fill in the semi-finals which begin next week. Russell Davies puts the last of this year's 48 quizzing hopefuls through their paces, at the Radio Theatre in London.
Competing are:
Richard Edwards from Bath
Tim Hall from Oxfordshire
Catherine McManus from west London
Adam Vernone from Reading.
There will also be a chance for a Brain of Britain listener to win a prize, by outwitting the competitors with questions he or she has suggested.
Brain of Britain is a BBC Studios Audio production.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria
SUN 17:00 Witness History (m0025364)
Investigating global developments, issues and affairs.
SUN 17:10 Complex (m0022t71)
Episode 2: Healthcare
It's said that it takes a village to raise a child, and never is that more true than for families raising children with complex disabilities. They rely on health, social care and other professionals to help keep their children healthy, happy, and living at home. But this tangled network of support has been worn thin by growing demand and dwindling resources.
Seven year-old Nora has a rare genetic disorder and complex care needs. This three-part series guides us through the concentric circles of Nora’s life. In this second episode, we travel with Nora to school, where she gets to socialise and learn valuable communication skills.
But getting to school is not straightforward. Nora's medical needs are so complex that she couldn't go to school without a nurse. Now, it's her annual continuing healthcare review, assessing the level of support she is entitled to. Can Nora continue to rely on the back-up that has kept her healthy and thriving over the last year?
Presented by Tors and Dave
Produced by Redzi Bernard
Music by Lily Sloane
Executive Producer: Rachel Hooper/Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0025366)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m0025368)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002536b)
A Russian missile and drone attack has targeted power infrastructure across Ukraine
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002536d)
Romy Gill
This week, we descend into the depths of an Indian coal mine, recalling a brave rescue attempt in 1989. Going the opposite way, we also span the heights of the Clifton Suspension Bridge in North Somerset, as Clare Balding joins the people who used to keep the lights on in England and Wales for a stroll. Plus, what is the Plymouth fish finger, and why could it be symbolic of the shifting tides of the UK's fishing industry? And we discover true compassion in the experiences of a former US inmate that sat on death row for 28 years - and who was wrongly charged.
Presenter: Romy Gill MBE
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Co-ordinator: Jack Ferrie
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002536g)
Ruth gets a last minute request to use the Events Barn for a party on Tuesday, but thinks it’s too short notice, especially as they’ve already got other commitments coming up. Jolene tells Ruth not to cancel the booking just yet though, suggesting Fallon could cater the event for Brookfield. Ruth then asks Fallon, who agrees to do it, but the job quickly becomes bigger than originally briefed. Fallon’s kitchen at Woodbine is too small for the preparation needed and the Bull’s kitchen is unavailable. But Fallon reckons that if she can use the kitchen at Brookfield and get Chelsea to assist her it might be doable, so long as Ruth’s okay with that. Otherwise the whole thing’s off. Tracy thinks Fallon looks stressed , but Jolene’s positive it’s a good thing for Fallon to take on new challenges. Ruth isn’t keen on giving up her kitchen though, but Fallon manages to persuade Ruth that she can make it work without interfering too much in the farm’s routine.
At Number 6 The Green Tracy worries that Brad is becoming too distracted from his University work by George, especially now Brad’s the only person George will talk to. Brad denies it’s a problem, before he gets a call - it’s George. Meanwhile, Justin wants Brad to make a video for him, showing the suitability of Ambridge and the Rewilding Site for the introduction of beavers. Brad isn’t sure he’s up to the task, but Justin railroads him into agreeing to have it done by Friday.
SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002536j)
The Last of the Blind Piano Tuners
Composer Aidan Tulloch is fascinated by the physical process of making music – but fears he knows very little. He gains a unique insight from some of the most precise and gifted technicians in the country – members of the Association of Blind Piano Tuners. Aidan traces their journey into this field, goes along to their annual curry lunch, and finds out why the highly skilled craft of piano tuning was once a popular career for blind and partially sighted people: now their numbers are dwindling. They also reflect on how we listen to and perceive sound and music, and the joy it brings.
Presenter: Aidan Tulloch
Producers: Maryam Maruf and Emily Webb
Editor: John Goudie
Mix: Giles Aspen
(Photo: Piano tuner Martin Locke tuning a piano. Credit: Maryam Maruf)
SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001jt2h)
Try Some Turmeric
Turmeric is a close relative of ginger – it has a similar knobbly root-like stem. The golden-hued powder of turmeric adds colour and flavour to food, but it’s also been linked to some surprising health benefits. As well as helping with wound healing and skin conditions, it’s been linked to better brain health. Michael Mosley speaks to Dr. Benny Antony from the University of Tasmania in Australia who has found that turmeric extract was as effective as ibuprofen to reduce pain levels. Meanwhile, our volunteer Yu She cooks up a storm with chicken korma and turmeric pancakes.
SUN 20:00 Feedback (m0024x14)
BBC news service cuts. Johnny Marr's Great British Groups. In Our Time
Andrea Catherwood sits down with Director of BBC News Programmes John McAndrew to get answers on listeners' comments following the announcement of cuts - including the axing of long running World Service programme Hard Talk, with Stephen Sackur, the closure of the Asian Network's news team, a reshuffle for overnight bulletins on Radio 2 and 5Live and cutting R4's News Briefing at 0530.
Two music obsessives drop into our VoxBox to give their views on Johnny Marr's Great British Groups, a recent series on Radio 2. But did the legendary guitarist manage to settle the debate on the UK's best band once and for all?
And following a week of US election news, listeners got in touch about something that might seem unlikely - the discussion of the life and works of 17th century poet George Herbert on In Our Time. A reading of "the most beautiful poem in the world" in which Love welcomes us like a pub landlord, some singing, and the expertise of three Herbert-ologists made for, in some listeners' views, an uplifting audio experience.
Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Pauline Moore
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m0024x4r)
Timothy West, Sir John Nott, June Spencer, Nadia Cattouse
Matthew Bannister on the versatile actor Timothy West whose roles ranged from Shakespeare to soap operas. Sir Ian McKellen pays tribute.
Sir John Nott, the Conservative politician who was Defence Secretary at the time of the Falklands War.
June Spencer who played the matriarch of Ambridge, Peggy Wooley. She was the last original cast member.
Nadia Cattouse, who was born in what is now Belize. She signed up to serve Britain during the second world war and became a singer and advocate for the Windrush generation.
Interviewee: Sir Ian McKellen
Interviewee: Jeremy Howe
Interviewee: Sunny Ormonde
Interviewee: Sir Michael Heseltine
Interviewee: Sir Hugo Swire
Interviewee: Mike Lindup
Producer: Catherine Powell
Archive used:
Arena “ Theatre The Prospect Before Us” BBC Two 20th April 1977; “The Tragedy of King Richard II” 30th July 1970; “Great Canal Journeys, Bristol and North Devon”
Channel 4 Director Mike Taylor October 23rd 2016; “EastEnders” BBC One 17th November 2014; “Churchill & The General” BBC Two 23rd September 1979; The Archers BBC Radio 4 3rd November 2008/ 31st July 2022; Desert Island Discs 28th February 2022; Pick of the Week 14th August 2022; American Masters Digital Archive: “Nadia Cattouse Paul Robeson Here I stand”. 27th July 1998. American Archive of Public Broadcasting; BBC Radio: “Two of a Kind: Amid The Alien Corn. “ 26th November 1963;
“Angels” BBC TV 24th November 1975
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002532y)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002535c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002532t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:30 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002536l)
Ahead of the G20, Ben Wright and guests discuss some of the diplomatic challenges facing Keir Starmer
Ben Wright's guests are the Labour MP Dan Tomlinson, Shadow Wales Secretary Mims Davies and policy expert Sam Freedman. They consider whether the government understands the countryside, with farmers planning a mass protest against inheritance tax changes. They also discuss the foreign policy choices facing the Prime Minister, as he heads to the G20 summit in Rio. Lucy Fisher - Whitehall Editor of the Financial Times - brings additional insight and analysis. And the panel also debate the pros and cons of modernising House of Commons customs and procedures.
SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m0024x0g)
The Antikythera Mechanism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 2000-year-old device which transformed our understanding of astronomy in ancient Greece. In 1900 a group of sponge divers found the wreck of a ship off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera. Among the items salvaged was a corroded bronze object, the purpose of which was not at first clear. It turned out to be one of the most important discoveries in marine archaeology. Over time, researchers worked out that it was some kind of astronomical analogue computer, the only one to survive from this period as bronze objects were so often melted down for other uses. In recent decades, detailed examination of the Antikythera Mechanism using the latest scientific techniques indicates that it is a particularly intricate tool for showing the positions of planets, the sun and moon, with a complexity and precision not surpassed for over a thousand years.
With
Mike Edmunds
Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics at Cardiff University
Jo Marchant
Science journalist and author of 'Decoding the Heavens' on the Antikythera Mechanism
And
Liba Taub
Professor Emerita in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge and Visiting Scholar at the Deutsches Museum, Munich
Producer: Simon Tillotson
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production
Reading list:
Derek de Solla Price, Gears from the Greeks: The Antikythera Mechanism (American Philosophical Society Press, 1974)
M. G. Edmunds, ‘The Antikythera mechanism and the mechanical universe’ (Contemp. Phys. 55, 2014)
M.G. Edmunds, ’The Mechanical Universe’ (Astronomy & Geophysics, 64, 2023)
James Evans and J. Lennart Berggren, Geminos's Introduction to the Phenomena: A Translation and Study of a Hellenistic Survey of Astronomy (Princeton University Press, 2006)
T. Freeth et al., ‘Calendars with Olympiad display and eclipse prediction on the Antikythera mechanism’ (Nature 454, 2008)
Alexander Jones, A Portable Cosmos: Revealing the Antikythera Mechanism, Scientific Wonder of the Ancient World (Oxford University Press, 2017)
Jo Marchant, Decoding the Heavens: Solving the Mystery of the World’s First Computer (Windmill Books, 2009)
J.H. Seiradakis and M.G. Edmunds, ‘Our current knowledge of the Antikythera Mechanism’ (Nature Astronomy 2, 2018)
Liba Taub, Ancient Greek and Roman Science: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2022)
SUN 23:45 Short Works (m0024x4p)
Grace's Cave
‘I haven’t had a birthday since I was ten years old. That makes me sound like I’m immortal or a vampire, but it’s really not like that.’
Kat is about to turn sixteen on the anniversary of her sister Grace’s disappearance 5 years ago and her anxious parents are on overdrive. Everything in Kat’s life since Grace failed to come home has been the result of loss; her life is defined by her sister’s absence. When Kat goes out running with her dog her Mum insists that both she and the dog wear a GPS tracker at all times. A message glimpsed on social media leads Kat to uncover the dark history of the local area but will she find out what really happened to her sister that terrible night 5 years ago?
A Short Work inspired by the history of the Mendip Hills.
Sanjida Kay has had four psychological thrillers published by Corvus Books: Bone by Bone, The Stolen Child, My Mother’s Secret and One Year Later. Bone by Bone went straight into the Amazon kindle best-selling list. It was long listed for the CWA Steel Dagger Award and nominated as one of the best crime and thriller books of 2016 by the Guardian and the Sunday Express. Her books have been optioned for TV, and published in other countries. She’s had two short stories published in collections: The Beautiful Game, in The Perfect Crime, published by Harper Collins, which was shortlisted for a CWA Short Story Dagger; and The Divide in The Book of Bristol (Comma Press), which won the CWA Short Story Dagger.
Under her own name of Sanjida O’Connell, she’s had four novels and four non-fiction books published. She’s also contributed to two encyclopaedias, had poetry and short stories published in anthologies and edited two collections of work by students for the charity, First Story. Sanjida has been shortlisted for the BBC Asia Awards, the Betty Trask Award for Romantic Fiction, the Daily Telegraph Science Writer's Award, Asian Woman of the Year, and was highly commended for BBC Wildlife Magazine's Award for Nature Writing.
https://www.sanjida.co.uk/
Written by Sanjida Kay
Read by Halema Hussain
Produced by Alison Crawford
MONDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2024
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002536n)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
MON 00:15 The Briefing Room (m001t9km)
What can the UK learn from other countries about assisted dying?
Euthanasia is currently illegal in the UK. Attempts to change the law have so far failed.
However other countries have legalised assisted dying and/or euthanasia. In this programme David Aaronovitch finds out what their experience has been and what, if anything, the UK could learn from that.
Joining David on the programme are:
- Imogen Goold: Professor of Medical Law at University of Oxford
- Agnes van der Heide: Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam
- Thaddeus Pope: Professor, Health Law Institute, Mitchell Hamline School of Law (Minnesota, USA)
- Richard Huxtable: Professor of Medical Ethics and Law at the University of Bristol
Production: Kirsteen Knight, Alex Lewis and Claire Bowes
Production Co-ordinators: Jacqui Johnson and Gemma Ashman
Sound: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon
This programme was first broadcast on 14 December 2023 and has been amended to reflect changes since then.
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m0025349)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002536r)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002536t)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m002536w)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 05:30 News Briefing (m002536y)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0025370)
Abigail's Party 2024
A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Hope Lonergan
Good morning.
As a piece of experimental theatre I’ve always wanted to gather a group of people from my life – disparate, unconnected people who hold little significance; people who play a walk-on part in my memories (rather than the key players) – under the pretence of a party. So a few examples from the guest list would be: my dental hygienist; the man who tried to sell me dodgy World War 2 memorabilia in Estonia; the stranger who roped me into walking with him from Chelmsford to Southend at 3 in the morning while he recited a short story he’d written about a reincarnated John Belushi managing a K-Pop band.
It would be a bad party. A wash-out. A night of awkward, syncopated chatter that crunches to a halt at unpredictable intervals, further compounding the awkwardness.
Just maybe – an unexpected thing happens. Connections are forged. Real conversations begin to sprout. And soon people are finding stable ground underneath their common humanity.
I was reminded of this unrealised “artwork” while discussing the interconnectedness of people; the close spiritual bond integral to all of us (if you know where to look for it). And how this prevents us from being truly self-centred, self-sufficient or self-contained. (Though some make a good go of shining a spotlight on such personal qualities!) The friend I was sharing with is a fellow Quaker, so they’re adept at recognising the value of community outreach and civic participation.
To some greater or lesser extent, we’re all community. And if my party ever comes to fruition, I’ll serve cheese strings at this party. That’s it. That’s your lot.
So, today I pray for the big I and the big us of community.
Amen.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m0025372)
18/11/24 - Intensive farming, indoor beef production and NI Food Strategy Framework
There’s a global trend for farms to scale up and intensify their production and the UK is no different. We ask why it’s happening and what impact it’s having.
We visit a beef finishing unit in Yorkshire, which fattens 4,000 cattle a year in pens. The farmer reckons this intensive system can produce beef more efficiently and in half the time of extensively grazed systems.
And the Northern Ireland government has launched its first "Food Strategy Framework". Its aims include tackling diet-related health problems, increasing resilience in the agri-food supply chain, building the "food economy" and creating more of a food culture in Northern Ireland. An "action plan" will follow early next year, setting out what changes the Government will make to meet those aims.
Presented by Caz Graham
Produced by Heather Simons
MON 05:57 Weather (m0025374)
Weather reports and forecasts for farmers
MON 06:00 Today (m00254c4)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m00254c6)
Rise and fall of the political fixer
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (on BBC iPlayer) adapted from the final book in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy, and directed by the BAFTA award winner Peter Kosminsky, traces the final four years of Thomas Cromwell’s life. After the execution of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s fixer and royal secretary, Cromwell, continues his climb to power and wealth, becoming the most feared and influential figure of his time. But as the King becomes more irascible and Cromwell’s enemies circle, it’s only a matter of time before he’s brought down.
George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham was King James I’s favourite and then Charles I’s confidante and first minister. But he too fell spectacularly from grace, amid political and sexual intrigue. In her biography, Scapegoat, Lucy Hughes-Hallett dramatizes the Duke’s transformation from a young man who traded on his beauty to one with immense wealth and political power.
The late novelist Hilary Mantel compared Cromwell with Boris Johnson’s political advisor Dominic Cummings, another outsider whose political influence spread far and wide. The columnist and Associate Editor at the Financial Times, Stephen Bush, considers the role of today’s fixers and ‘special advisors’; how much power they can wield; and as the political cycle turns, whether their downfall is inevitable.
Producer: Katy Hickman
MON 09:45 Café Hope (m00254c8)
Support from the salon
Hair stylist Joe Milazzo and his wife Lina, tell Rachel Burden how after Lina's cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy, they decided to help people cope with hair loss and style hair regrowth.
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
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m00254cb)
Michelle Yeoh, Breastfeeding and depression, Sandi Toksvig and Catherine Mayer
Oscar-winning Michelle Yeoh’s career has spanned four decades. Starting out as a martial arts actor, she became a key figure in the Hong Kong action scene. But it was her role in James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies that catapulted her into Hollywood. She's since starred in many hits including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the multi-Oscar winning movie - including for her own performance - Everything Everywhere all At Once. Now, she’s in the film adaptation of the musical Wicked. She joins Nuala McGovern live in the studio to discuss it.
The Women's Equality Party voted to dissolve the organisation at a special conference this weekend. The political party was launched in 2015 to campaign for gender equality. Citing financial challenges and a changed political landscape, the leadership chose to recommend members vote to close down the party. In an exclusive interview, the two party co-founders - Catherine Mayer and Sandi Toksvig - join Nuala.
In a recent article, the author and writer Alice Vincent asks: Why does nobody speak about post-breastfeeding depression? This was something she experienced after she stopped breastfeeding her son. Alice joins Nuala to discuss her experience of stopping breastfeeding along with Hilda Beauchamp, perinatal and infant mental health lead at the Institute of Health Visiting, and a midwife and health visitor by background.
Es Devlin is the artist and stage designer responsible for some of the most iconic moments in recent popular culture. Her innovative staging is currently on display at the National Theatre's The Lehman Trilogy at the Gillian Lynne Theatre and her new work, Face to Face, is coming soon to Somerset House. She joins Nuala to discuss her career.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Emma Pearce
MON 11:00 Menopause Matters (m002548d)
Pausing the Menopause
Ovarian tissue ages faster than any other part of the body. Because of this, lots of ground-breaking anti-aging research tends to start with the ovaries. There are lots of studies underway right now exploring various ways to stop, pause, push-back or even eradicate the menopause completely.
Is this viable? Ethical? Is it even a good idea?
Science and tech journalist Lara Lewington is fascinated by bio-hacking, and pushing back the boundaries of what's possible for humans. She explores the ongoing studies, and finds out what the future holds for reproductive medicine.
This invites lots of questions about the effect on aging parents, and the knock on effects on society of indefinitely prolonged parenthood. However this is already a reality for men, would it be so bad to extend it for women too? Is the menopause a desperately unfair biological hurdle to overcome, or a safety check on reproduction that we should be wary of meddling with?
Featuring:
Dr Jennifer Garrison, Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Dr Daisy Robinton, Oviva Therapeutics
Professor Simon Fishel, ProFam
Dr Zev Williams, Columbia University
Presented by Lara Lewington
Produced by Emily Knight
MON 11:30 One to One (m001jsj9)
Suzy Wrack: The House I Grew Up In
Football writer Suzy Wrack talks to urban geographer and professor at Boston University, Loretta Lees, about how growing up on council estates shaped their lives, and led them to studying the impact of space and design.
Produced for BBC Audio by Caitlin Hobbs.
MON 11:45 The Shadow of Algiers (m0014pt2)
The Great Seduction
Seventy years after the start of the Algerian War of Independence - and as a divided France struggles to repair its broken politics - Edward Stourton presents stories from a colonial past which still cast their shadow over the present. It's a very different colonial story from our own - even more brutal, more complex and more secret.
In the first of five programmes, Edward tells the surprising story of how an ugly bug - a tiny insect called phylloxera - created the climate for the Algerian War. The insect all but wiped out the French wine industry and caused huge numbers of French people to move to Algeria.
The French were initially seduced by the sun, sea and light of Algeria, exoticism captured in Albert Camus' famous novel, 'The Outsider'.
But the love affair quickly turned sour....
Sound design: Peregrine Andrews
Producers: Adele Armstrong and Ellie House
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
MUSIC
"Nostra Algeria", from "Freedom Fighters of Algeria"
"Killing an Arab", The Cure
"Gnossienne No 1", Erik Satie
MON 12:00 News Summary (m00254cd)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m00254cg)
Data For Discounts, Solar Panels, Real Bread
95% of us will give out our email address in exchange for a discount, according to a new report by security firm Norton. It also found that 25% of us would enter our home address if it meant getting a deal. We hear about the risks associated with giving out personal data and what you can do to safeguard yourself.
Kidults is a growing term used to describe adults that enjoy playing with toys. With less children buying toys, we hear how Kidults are providing a much needed boost to the UK toy industry - contributing roughly £1 billion in the last 12 months.
When you are at the supermarket, what does ‘freshly baked’ or ‘baked in store’ mean to you? We hear from a campaign that believes these types of slogans are misleading consumers.
John Lewis has re-instated a price matching guarantee, and it's not the only high street chain that has one.. They may seem like a good deal for the consumer, but are they?
New research from Energy Saving Trust shows that the time it takes to break even on solar panels has decreased. As the rate of return on people's initial investment increases, some households will be able to pay them off in as little as ten years.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: CHARLIE FILMER-COURT
MON 12:57 Weather (m00254cj)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m00254cl)
American missiles approved for use in Russia
Former defence secretary Ben Wallace gives his view over the decision. Plus, the author Frederick Forsyth talks about his wife's death and the renewed success of Jackal.
MON 13:45 Appetite for Distraction (m00254cn)
Postman's Prophecy?
Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
In this first episode, he seeks answers in the work of the media theorist and educator Neil Postman. Forty years ago Postman wrote 'Amusing Ourselves To Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business'. Postman feared that the rise of television had created a world where the image became more important than information, and that democracy was in danger to becoming entertainment.
Postman cited the author Aldous Huxley as a key influence. Huxley's novel 'Brave New World' depicts a World State where citizens are engineered to focus on pleasure rather than the challenges of life and society. Huxley feared that tyranny may appear not through censorship, but due to "man's almost infinite appetite for distractions."
Matthew speaks to Andrew Postman, Neil Postman's son, and Aldous Huxley's biographer Uwe Rasch, to ask what the ideas of the two writers might mean for us today, in a world where media and entertainment are at our fingertips 24/7. Has the prophecy of either Postman or Huxley come to pass?
Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Sam Peach
MON 14:00 The Archers (m002536g)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Hennikay (m001fclc)
Series 1
1. Close-Contact Paint-Based Combat Manoeuvres
Bill Bailey stars as Guy Starling, a middle aged man who, after 45 years, and for reasons quite unknown to him, is suddenly revisited by his imaginary childhood friend, Hennikay.
After closing the biggest deal in the history of Maidstone, Guy’s boss decides to reward him with an adventure-based, corporate team-building day out, which has him running around the woods shooting paint pellets at middle managers.
Not only does Guy have to deal with his scheming, back-stabbing co-workers, desperate to ruin his career and steal his glory, he also has to cope with Hennikay, his imaginary childhood friend who has turned back up in his life and is stubbornly refusing to leave, running riot in the woods with a paint gun.
But as the paint splatters and the deals sour, Guy soon discovers that in the cut-throat world of grown-up business, the only person who he can trust is the 11-year-old boy he invented back in 1976.
Acclaimed comedian (and Strictly Come Dancing champion) Bill Bailey leads a cast which includes Dave Lamb and Elizabeth Carling in this warm, funny look at childhood, adulthood and some of the follies of modern life - where a man with a confused child in his head might just be the sanest person in the room.
Written by David Spicer
Guy ..... Bill Bailey
Tony ..... Dave Lamb
Marika ..... Elizabeth Carling
Kallie ..... Hollie Edwin
Simon ..... Alistair McGowan
Hennikay ..... Max Pattison
Producer: Liz Anstee
A CPL production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:45 Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (m0017467)
Episode Eight
Helen Fielding's iconic 1996 novel of life as a single thirty-something woman in London.
"Complete panic stations. Mark Darcy is coming round to pick me up in half an hour. Just got home from work with mad hair and unfortunate laundry crisis outfit on."
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 A Good Read (m00254cq)
Naomi Alderman and Abi Dare
The Power author Naomi Alderman, and Nigerian writer Abi Dare discuss favourite books. Naomi chooses Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher, a series of hilarious letters written by a beleaguered academic. Abi champions A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini's tale of two women in Taliban governed Afghanistan and Harriett recommends James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time, two immensely powerful essays.
Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven
Follow us on Instagram: agoodreadbbc
Photo credit: Annabel Moeller
MON 15:30 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley (m0023jl5)
Lady Swindlers with Lucy Worsley
38. Fanny Davies - Uncommon Thief
In this new series Lucy Worsley switches her attention from Lady Killers to Lady Swindlers - con women, thieves and hustlers.
This is where true crime meets history - with a twist. Lucy and her team of all female detectives travel back in time to revisit the audacious and surprising crimes of women trying to make it in a world made for men.
In this episode Lucy is investigating the life of Fanny Davies, a thief who will take everything you have, including your trousers. A pickpocket and prostitute, at the age of 20 in 1785 she pulled off the daring theft of a huge sum of money in an Essex pub which turned her into a national celebrity. Condemned to death for her crime, Fanny’s story was taken up by pamphleteers determined to profit from her story, and they embellished her life with tales of highway robbery and aristocratic seduction.
With Lucy to explore Fanny Davies’ story is the Essex-born barrister Alexandra Wilson. They discuss the glamorisation of female criminals then and now. And consider the reasons why a woman such as Fanny turned to a life of crime, finding uncomfortable parallels with women in the criminal justice system today.
Lucy is also joined by historian Rosalind Crone. They visit Southwark in South East London where Fanny grew up and learned her trade as a prostitute and pickpocket, and they travel to Tilbury in Essex where Ros reveals an extraordinary twist in Fanny’s tale.
Lucy wants to know: why did Fanny’s story capture the 18th century public imagination so powerfully? How can we get behind the celebrity criminal to find out what Fanny Davies’ life is really like? And what does Fanny’s story tell us about the lives of female criminals 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 Trusting Trusts (m0023nq3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
13:30 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002532l)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
MON 17:00 PM (m00254cs)
Starmer, Xi discuss 'respectful' relationship
As the British and Chinese leaders meet, PM examines the scale of the reset in relations with Sherard Cowper-Coles. Plus, how smog has shut down Lahore and the fight to save Britain's oldest railway station.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m00254cv)
The Kremlin has reacted to the US decision to let Ukraine use its long-range missiles.
MON 18:30 Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz (m00254cx)
Series 3
Bradford - a load of bulls
Paul tests his Bradford audience with a series of bull-themed questions, from Oscar winners to epic battles.
Who is the tallest-ever Oscar winner? What's Paul's online pseudonym? And exactly how little news happens in Stamford, Lincolnshire? He also looks back at people and things from 1974, such as that year's biggest sporting over-achiever, and two famous 50-year-olds with a connected love life.
Written and performed by Paul Sinha
Additional material: Oliver Levy
Additional questions: The Audience
Original music: Tim Sutton
Recording engineer: Richard Biddulph
Mixed by Rich Evans
Producer: Ed Morrish
A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4
MON 19:00 The Archers (m0025463)
Helen gives Azra a book and Azra explains that Hilda the cat is now a house guest. Azra works out that Hilda is a terror and Khalil has tricked her. Helen points out that Henry may have had some influence over Khalil. Eddie had also been round trying to sell Azra a turkey for Christmas and for a moment she wondered if it was someone suspicious, ‘til Helen explains who he is.
The cat disappears and later Azra comes across Jakob at the road side. A cat jumped out in front of his car and is now dead. Azra thinks it’s Hilda. They go to the vet surgery to check its microchip. No ID can be found, so it’s not Hilda, as she’s chipped. They’ll do their best to find the owner. Stressed Jakob admits he needs a holiday!
Kirsty needs an answer from Helen on whether she’s going to buy her house. But Helen says no, she can’t make the sums work. At least she and the boys will have some time to sort something out as the house goes on to the open market. Joy’s sad she’ll lose Helen as a neighbour and Mick reports that he’s been ordered by Oliver to move his campervan. Joy lets him park it on her drive – the only problem is that he can’t move it – the gear box has seized up. Helen gets Tony to help with his tractor, but it causes damage to Helen’s (Kirsty’s) front lawn. Kirsty’s horrified – she’ll have to put the estate agent off taking photos, and she wants the house sold asap!
MON 19:15 Front Row (m00254cz)
Malala Yousafzai, The art of writing recipes, Rebecca Hall
Malala Yousafzai talks to Front Row about her new film Bread & Roses, which documents the fight for women’s rights in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, alongside the director Sahra Mani.
We hear from actress Rebecca Hall about haunting new BBC drama The Listeners. And what are the ingredients for writing about food? Is it an exact science or a literary art form? Food writer Bee Wilson and head chef of Quo Vadis Jeremy Lee chew over writers’ recipes.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths
MON 20:00 The Briefing Room (m0024x16)
European defence in the new Trump era
All over Europe and in the corridors of Nato policy makers are discussing the implications for the continent of the Trump victory in the American presidential election. For 70 years the alliance with the USA has been the foundation stone of European defence. During his last term in office, it was reported that Trump wanted to take the US out of Nato. That didn’t happen but he made clear his discontent at the lack of defence spending among member states.
Can that alliance can be maintained, if so on what terms and if not, what then?
Guests:
Heather Conley, a senior advisor to the think tank, the German Marshall Fund's (GMF) board of trustees
Elisabeth Braw, who is now at the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative
Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor, of The Economist
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham
Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m0024x18)
Nuclear medicine shortages and Jane Goodall on COP29
A shortage of medical isotopes used to detect cancer has experts concerned that the shortfall could be delaying diagnosis and could even be costing lives.
Exactly what these nuclear medicines are and how they are made is key to understanding the national scarcity. So, we’re going back to basics and learning all about medical isotopes.
We also speak to world-famous conservationist and primatologist Jane Goodall who, now aged 90, continues to travel the globe campaigning to protect the natural world.
Dame Goodall reflects on a life of studying our closest living animal relatives, chimpanzees, and as COP29 gets under way, speaks about the “closing window of time” to turn the tide on climate change and nature loss.
Also this week, we answer the listener question “Why don’t we just throw nuclear waste into volcanoes?” and can Marnie spot AI vs real poetry?
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Ella Hubber & Gerry Holt
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.
MON 21:00 Start the Week (m00254c6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:45 Café Hope (m00254c8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m00254d1)
Farmers to descend on London for protest over inheritance tax
Thousands of farmers are expected to rally in central London tomorrow for two separate events protesting changes to inheritance tax. The farmers say scrapping agricultural property relief will sound the death knell for the family farm, forcing farm owners to sell up to pay inheritance tax bills. The government has vowed not to unwind the plans, which were announced in Rachel Reeves' Budget last month.
As the US permits Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russia, all eyes are on European powers to see if they'll follow suit. While Britain and France have expressed openness to the idea, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he won't send the country's long-range Taurus missiles.
And a long-forgotten letter from Ernie Wise reveals he planned to break up his famous double-act with Eric Morecambe back in 1950.
MON 22:45 Precipice by Robert Harris (m00254d3)
Episode Six
PRECIPICE by Robert Harris
For Armistice Day - 110 years after the outbreak of the First World War - a story of intrigue and secrets in the corridors of power.
In the summer of 1914, the young aristocrat and socialite Venetia Stanley is having an affair with a married, much older man.
That man is the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith.
As well as meeting regularly at social events they see each other privately on Friday afternoon drives in the Prime Minister’s limousine. In between times, Asquith writes to Venetia obsessively, but when he starts sharing sensitive matters of state and top secret documents, the letters are no longer merely evidence of an illicit relation-ship but a matter of national security …
Episode 6
After tailing the Prime Minister in a bookshop, Deemer is sent to Penrhos to keep Venetia under surveillance.
Author Robert Harris, the master of plotting, is best known for his best-selling fiction, including Fatherland, Enigma, The Ghost Writer, Archangel and An Officer And A Spy. Precipice is his sixteenth novel.
Writer: Robert Harris
Reader: John Heffernan
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4
MON 23:00 Limelight (m0019b49)
English Rose - Series 1
English Rose - Episode 2: Hunted
by Helen Cross.
Eighteen-year-old Rose has travelled from Whitby to New York to work as a nanny to a wealthy and secretive family. Manhattan is a culture shock and she has to stay alert to the dangers all around her.
But it turns out she is quite capable of looking after herself: bloody revenge is her speciality.
She's not like the other girls. And Gulliver is no ordinary baby. This is a world not just of champagne, but shadows, where all is definitely not as it seems.
Stylish and surprising fantasy horror with a comic twist, starring Alexandra Mardell (Coronation Street) and Demetri Goritsas (Ten Percent). With music by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Mercury-nominated band, Porridge Radio.
Helen Cross wrote ‘My Summer of Love’ which won a Betty Trask award and was made into a Bafta-winning film with Emily Blunt (recently rated her best film in The Guardian top ten Emily Blunt films). Mary Ward-Lowery won Best Director in 2020 Audio Drama Awards.
Rose ... Alexandra Mardell
Maya ... Miranda Braun
Austin ... Demetri Goritsas
Siobhan ... Deirdre Mullins
Delphine ... Yasemin Özdemir
Randy ... Michael Begley
Art Guy ... Mathew Durkan
Beatrice ... Alexandra Hannant
Newsreader ... Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong
Jason ... Joseph Tweedale
Mam ... Jane Thornton
Including the voices of Jo Makel, Paul Murphy, James Hoggarth, Freya Pollaidh, Augusta Chapman, Becky Ripley and Ben Casswell.
Original music written and performed by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Porridge Radio, and produced, mixed and engineered by Sam Yardley.
Sound design by Ilse Lademann
Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m00254d5)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as ministers launch a crackdown on profits made by children's home providers in England.
TUESDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2024
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m00254d7)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 00:30 The Shadow of Algiers (m0014pt2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m00254d9)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m00254dc)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m00254df)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m00254dh)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m00254dk)
Talking Dogs in Hospital
A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Hope Lonergan
Good morning.
A couple of weeks ago I had a visit to the hospital – which, as we know, is always a fun, happening place to be. I was last admitted in 2015. Since then there’s been a noticeable decline in some of the “amenities” and a sagging morale amongst the staff. But, in spite of these drawbacks, I also observed the best of the NHS. Especially during long stretches of night where – in-between people watching – I counted cheap, fissured ceiling tiles until morning cracked the horizon.
There was an older guy on a bed in the corridor. He was senile and partially impaired by alcohol withdrawal. He also had a broken back. He kept trying to assert his independent spirit and clamber out of the bed to “take myself to hospital” (even though he was already there). He also wanted to rope in harried, overburdened nurses to sing drinking songs with him; to talk about his favourite dogs (Irish setter). Nurses could have treated a “difficult” patient like this as if they’re an insolent child; a problem to be swatted away. Instead they sang the songs and talked about dogs and didn’t once show a hint of suppressed ire. And throughout a 12 hour night shift, this façade didn’t break even once.
So today, I pray for the people who keep us alive, who keep us well, and who discuss the merits of an Irish setter at 3 in the morning, despite such difficult circumstances. It truly is a vocation and much appreciated by myself and many. My Mum and my Aunty were part of the same work force for the bulk of their lives so I’ve witnessed the strong, upstanding individuals it produces.
Amen.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m00254dm)
19/11/24 Inheritance tax, farmer protests, COP 29 in Baku
Thousands of farmers plan to gather in London today to voice their concerns about changes introduced in the budget. We examine the detail around agricultural property relief and inheritance tax to work out how many farmers will be affected.
It's food and farming day at COP29 in Baku in Azerbaijan. Global warming and agriculture are the focus for discussion. Also, president-elect Donald Trump has chosen climate change sceptic Chris Wright to lead the US Energy Department, what will that mean for work to tackle emissions in the future?
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
TUE 06:00 Today (m002545h)
19/11/24 - Amol Rajan in London and Jonny Dymond at Wiltshire farm
Farmers accuse the government of betrayal ahead of a National Farmers’ Union rally – and a separate protest - in London about plans to impose inheritance tax on some farms. The government insists it's supporting farmers with more financial assistance - and that relatively few will be affected by the tax changes. Jonny Dymond reports from farms in Wiltshire on the wider struggles facing the industry.
World leaders at the G20 summit call for peace in Ukraine, days after the US gave Kyiv the go-ahead to use long range missiles against Russia. General Sir Richard Shirreff, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, talks to Amol Rajan about the possibility of Russian retaliation.
And we go inside the Mercedes F1 racing team with former driver, now team principal, Toto Wolff.
TUE 09:00 The Long View (m002545k)
The Politics of Natural Disasters
Following the recent floods in Valencia, Jonathan Freedland looks at the politics of natural disasters, with
CHRIS COURTNEY - Associate Professor in Modern Chinese History at Durham University and author of The Nature of Disaster in China: The 1931 Yangzi River Flood
LEAH PATTEM – Madrid based freelance journalist specialising in politics, migration and community stories
The readers are Ian Dunnett and Samuel James
Producer: Jayne Egerton
TUE 09:30 Inside Health (m002545m)
Can supervised toothbrushing fix the children's dental crisis?
In the UK, around a third of British children have tooth decay. Just among the under-fives, it's a quarter - a figure that rises significantly in the most deprived areas.
Tooth decay can cause speech development issues, embarrassment for children and in 2023, 15 million school days were missed due to tooth pain or treatment. There’s a financial cost too – in 2023 in England alone tooth extractions under a general anaesthetic cost the NHS £41 million.
And it's totally preventable.
So, how can we stop teeth rotting in the first place? One way initiative announced by the new Labour government is to expand supervised toothbrushing sessions to more children. We find out how these work with Oral Health Team Lead Helen Bullingham who supports nurseries and schools in East Sussex to deliver these programmes.
But what about the evidence to support this intervention? Zoe Marshman, Professor of Dental Public Health at University of Sheffield, explains her findings and dental hygienist and researcher at King's College London Dr Claire McCarthy describes what parents should be doing, in an ideal world, at home.
And finally, what role does sugar play and how can we get consumption down? Dr Nina Rogers from the Population Health Innovation Lab at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine explains her findings into the impact of the Sugar Drinks Industry Levy introduced in 2018.
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producers: Hannah Robins
Content Editor: Holly Squire
Inside Health is a BBC Wales & West production for Radio 4, produced in partnership with The Open University.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002545p)
Lucy Manning, Women farmers, Zainab Johnson, Robyn Malcolm
In Lucy Manning’s words, it started with a phone call... A call from a withheld number late at night in October 2022 where the unknown male caller appeared to be masturbating as he made lewd comments about her. And so began what she describes as a two-year ordeal to get police to arrest and charge the man responsible for making those calls. Lucy joins Nuala McGovern in the Woman’s Hour studio.
As thousands of farmers gather to protest planned changes in inheritance tax rules for agricultural properties, Nuala asks BBC Farming Today presenter Anna Hill how this is affecting women farmers, who according to the National Farmers' Union make up a majority of the farming workforce in England and Wales.
Zainab Johnson, one of America’s freshest voices in stand-up comedy, is making her UK debut this week at London’s Soho Theatre. She joins Nuala to discuss mining her massive family for material, being a gun owner and her thoughts on the recent US election.
New Zealand actor Robyn Malcolm joins Nuala to talk about her morally complex and challenging new drama, After the Party. Robyn co-created the drama and plays the lead character, a woman who has accused her husband of sexually assaulting a teenage boy. She tells Nuala about representing real middle-aged women on screen.
24-year-old product design and technology graduate Olivia Humphreys is a Global Medical Winner of the James Dyson Award 2024. Her invention, Athena, is a portable hair-loss prevention device for chemotherapy patients. She explains how the product works and how her mum inspired it.
TUE 11:00 Screenshot (m00252r8)
Musicals
In the year that Jacques Demy’s beloved Umbrellas of Cherbourg turns 60, Mark Kermode and Ellen E Jones reflect on their favourite aspects of the screen musical.
According to some, we’re currently in the midst of a movie musicals revival, with Jon M Chu’s Wicked hot on the heels of Emila Perez and Joker: Folie à Deux, but will any of them match what Ellen considers to be the pinnacle of the form, the 1950s Hollywood musical?
Her love of the classic MGM musicals primed Ellen to be a huge fan of the TV show Crazy Ex Girlfriend when it came along. This is the musical sitcom that took all of these essential elements of the 1950s Hollywood musical, then recombined them with a very 21st Century approach to relationships and mental health. Ellen speaks with Crazy Ex Girlfriend creator and star Rachel Bloom about Disney, writing jokes for the screen, and spontaneous singing.
But it’s essential to pay proper tribute to the classics, and in particular the work of American lyricist and producer Arthur Freed. Ellen sat down with writer, filmmaker and actor Manuela Lazic to talk about Freed’s masterpiece, 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain which stars Gene Kelly, who also co-directed with Stanley Donen.
And Mark meets Janis Pugh, director of Chuck Chuck Baby, a low budget, British indie charmer set in a chicken processing factory that is deeply influenced by Jacques Demy’s 1964 French hit The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
Janis Pugh is not alone in her love of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. It follows the story of two young lovers whose future together is interrupted by the Algerian war, with the French dialogue entirely sung and set perfectly to the music of Michel Le Grand. Writer and editor of Little White Lies, David Jenkins, is a huge fan of Jacques Demy, and he speaks with Mark about the film’s influences and legacy.
Produced by Freya Hellier.
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 11:45 The Shadow of Algiers (m0014p7r)
Intimate Violence
Seventy years after the Algerian War of Independence began - and as a divided France struggles to repair its broken politics - Edward Stourton presents tales from a colonial past which still cast a shadow over the present.
In the second of five programmes, Edward tells two stories at the heart of the Algerian War.
First the intriguing story of a knife abandoned in a house in Algiers on a night in March 1957. It was allegedly left behind by French paratroopers after the father of the household was tortured and killed. The man's son kept it hidden in the family's sideboard until, many years later, it became a vital piece of evidence in a court case.
And he talks to the 'Milk Bar Bomber', immortalized in the film 'The Battle of Algiers'. Zorah Drif, was twenty when she walked into a cafe in the Algerian capital with a bomb in a beach bag. She planted her bomb and left. The explosion killed three people and injured dozens more. It made the National Liberation Front or FLN a model for insurgent groups throughout the world.
Sound design: Peregrine Andrews
Producers: Adele Armstrong and Ellie House
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
REFERENCES
"The Battle of Algiers" film, 1966.
Jacques Carbonnel reading from "Papa, qu'as-tu fait en Algérie?" by Raphaëlle Branche.
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002545r)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002545t)
Call You and Yours: Electric Vehicles
For our phone-in, we want to hear your experiences of electric vehicles. We know petrol cars are being phased out - but are EVs ready to replace them? Sales of new EVs are not expected to hit targets this year, and prices are being cut to try to increase demand.
Is the drop in prices tempting you? Or do the sums still not stack up? If you've made the switch to electric, how's it gone? Is charging an option where you live?
Tell us whether you're tempted by going electric - email youandyours@bbc.co.uk and leave a number so we can call you back. And after
11am on Tuesday 19 November you can call us on 03700 100 444.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
TUE 12:57 Weather (m002545w)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m002545y)
Ukraine fires on Russia with long-range missiles
Russia says Ukraine has used long range US missiles on a target inside their country for the first time. UK farmer's protests come to Whitehall, two farmers give their opinions.
TUE 13:45 Appetite for Distraction (m0025460)
Have We Always Been Distracted?
Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
In this episode, Matthew looks into history to uncover different approaches to focus. He finds out where the idea of 'attention' came from, whether there has always been a fear that humanity's ability to focus was declining, and what the historical relationship of technology to distraction has been.
He hears from the historian of science D Graham Burnett. Burnett has explored different philosophies of attention across the ages and is an advocate for a change in behaviours regarding our attention today. Professor Nilli Lavie, of University College London's Attention Research Laboratory, provides an insight into modern scientific views of attention.
Matthew looks for answers in a community renowned for their ability to focus...monks. Historian Jamie Kreiner has uncovered how early Christian monks thought about distraction in her book 'The Wandering Mind'. Jamie reveals that there is more to connect the monks of the first millennia with our technological world today than we might think.
Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Sam Peach
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m0025463)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0025465)
The Goddess
Geri returns to India to deal with her estranged father's estate but her Aunt is convinced of foul play in the sale of the family farm. As Geri investigates she finds herself caught up in the clash of values between an older more spiritual India and the new commercialism revolutionising the way people live.
Geri ..... Shelley Conn
Alice ..... Taru Devani
Krishna Rao ..... Vincent Ebrahim
Jeevan ..... Nikesh Patel
Nanda/Bank Manager/ Announcer ..... Sagar Arya
Abhilash/Taxi Driver ..... Neil D’Souza
The Goddess ..... Aroop Shergill
Writer ..... Neil D'Souza
Director ..... Sally Avens
TUE 15:00 Punt & Dennis: Route Masters (m0023zjf)
Series 1: From Beer to Eternity
8 – From Motown to Ed Sheeran
Linking Motown with Ed Sheeran is simple, right? Pick a session musician or two, and the most direct route will reveal itself. So why are Steve Punt, Hugh Dennis and guest Mark Billingham invoking Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Savoy cabbage, the Wombles and trusses?
Because this warm and witty podcast celebrates new and half-remembered trivia in a bid to link random places, people and things.
Across the series, they’re 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… on a bid to travel from “beer” to “eternity”.
Written and hosted by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis
With Mark Billingham
Produced by Victoria Lloyd
Recorded at Maple St Creative
Mixed by Jonathan Last
A Listen production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 15:30 The Birth of Music (m0025468)
The ancient West Kennet Long Barrow burial chamber near Avebury in Wiltshire was built around 3650 BC. Its cave-like spaces, formed by vast rocks, are the setting for Jude Rogers’ exploration of how Neolithic people of that time might have made music.
We can’t know for sure of course, but music, ritual and dance are universal features of human life, and so it must have been even in pre-history. So what might be the links between prehistoric music gatherings and dance music culture today? A rave in the cave?
Jude is joined by Professor Rupert Till from the University of Huddersfield aka Professor Chill, a DJ and electronic music producer who knows about sound frequencies in ancient sites, and Letty Stott, a musician and PHD student who can get a tune from a conch. Historical context is provided by Dr Ben Chan, a highly experienced archaeologist from the University of Bristol who works at Avebury nearby.
We also hear from Ritta Rainio in Finland, whose research into prehistoric pendants culminated in a wild dance in a costume of rattling elk teeth. Artist and musician Jem Finer tells us the story of the Gurdy Stone.
Meanwhile musician ‘Spaceship’ Mark Williamson is hard at work recording sounds inside a neolithic tomb in Anglesey.
Presented by Jude Rogers
Producer: Victoria Ferran
Executive Producer: Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 16:00 Poetry Please (m002546b)
Danez Smith
Danez' choices include British favourites Liz Berry and Carol Ann Duffy, the ever popular Thom Gunn and Mark Doty, Andrea Gibson, a poet who always makes them weep, and even a bit of rap from Kendrick Lamar.
Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven
TUE 16:30 When It Hits the Fan (m002546d)
Has business lost the argument? X versus Bluesky, and Coleen’s jungle PR
Is it time for the business world to enter the great public debates of our time - and is it bad PR if you don’t? Its absence has left a vacuum for misinformation to spread and CEOs like Greg Jackson from Octopus Energy are stepping up.
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss this, as well as a fascinating crisis at ice-cream makers Ben & Jerrys and big pharma in the wake of Robert Kennedy Jr's nomination as the next US health secretary.
Also - what does the exodus from Elon Musk’s X to Bluesky mean for the way we all communicate, and how companies communicate with us?
And Coleen Rooney’s PR coup. What the I’m a Celebrity star can teach the communications great and good about how to get your message across.
Producer: Eve Streeter
Assistant Producer: Ella Blaxill
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 17:00 PM (m002546g)
Ukraine fires US-supplied missiles into Russia
Russia accuses the US of escalating the war in Ukraine by allowing the use of ATACMs, and hints at a nuclear response. Plus, Environment Secretary Steve Reed on farmers' protests.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002546j)
Russia says the strike targeted a border region, and most of the missiles were shot down. Changes to winter fuel payments push pensioners into poverty. Farmers protest in London.
TUE 18:30 Best Medicine (m002546l)
Series 2
1. MV140, Origami Surgical Capsules, Denial, Defibrillators
Joining Kiri Pritchard-McLean this week is comedian Daliso Chaponda who champions Denial as the best medicine (or does he?). Urology Consultant Mr Bob Yang explains how a pineapple-flavoured UTI vaccine is changing lives, Dr Dana Damian takes Kiri on a journey through the body with tiny swallowable Origami Surgical Robots, and paramedic Thomas Martin teaches Kiri how to stay alive with Defibrillators.
And the panel hear from David, one of the few people in the world who can claim he was brought back from clinical death with a defibrillator - and has also watched the whole incident on video.
Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future.
Each week Kiri challenges a panel of medical experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention, to an every-day treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure.
Whether it’s origami surgical robots, life-changing pineapple UTI vaccines, Victorian scandal mags, denial, sleep, tiny beating organoid hearts, lifesaving stem cell transplants, gold poo donors or even crying - it’s always something worth celebrating.
Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean
Featuring: Daliso Chaponda, Dr Dana Damian, Thomas Martin and Mr Bob Yang
Written by Mel Owen, Pravanya Pillay, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ben Rowse
Producers: Tashi Radha and Ben Worsfield
Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones
A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m002546p)
Chelsea’s ill, so Emma takes round a home-made remedy from Clarrie. Emma struggles to get much info from Brad about how George is doing in prison - she’s so grateful to Brad for keeping in touch with George. As Brad gets ready to do a video job for George’s business, Tracy’s worried about Brad being distracted from his studies at a crucial time. Emma implores Brad to keep in touch with George – Brad’s her only connection to her son.
Kirsty and Brad work together to make his promotional video at the rewilding site, and she even offers to help anxious Brad with the edit, and he’s so grateful. But later as Kirsty treats Brad to a drink at the Bull, Tracy’s concern increases, as Brad has now spent a whole day away from his studies – and the video still isn’t finished.
Fallon is busy in Ruth’s kitchen getting everything ready for the big event she’s catering at Brookfield. It’s not ideal for busy Ruth, who gives Fallon strict instructions from Jill, who she has managed to make disappear with Leonard for the day. With helper Chelsea off sick, Fallon’s up against it. But Emma surprises Fallon by arriving to help. Fallon accepts the offer and Ruth thinks Emma’s a lifesaver. After a successful event, everyone’s shattered, and over a cup of tea Ruth is brutally honest with Fallon – Fallon needs to get herself properly set up before they can do business again. Fallon understand and agrees – she’s determined to get her business on to a proper footing.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002546r)
Kathryn Tickell, Liverpool's carbon neutral gigs, drag queen romance film Layla
Kathryn Tickell talks about her new album Return to Kielderside, which reinterprets and updates the tunes and themes of her debut album, On Kielderside, which she released 40 years ago at the age of sixteen.
Nihal is joined by Amrou Al-Kadhi, whose directorial debut feature film Layla tells the story of a British-Palestinian drag queen navigating life and love in London.
As Massive Attack prepares to headline in Liverpool this month, Robert Del Naja, aka 3D, discusses the band's attempts to become carbon neutral with Mark Donne, organiser of their forthcoming Act 1.5 gigs, and Professor Carly McLachlan, who researches the environmental impact of music tours and festivals.
Presenter: Nihal Arthanayake
Producer: Ekene Akalawu
TUE 20:00 File on 4 (m002546t)
The Labour Market: Women who have babies outside the NHS
A series of scandals involving babies and mothers being harmed in hospital have shaken some people’s confidence in NHS maternity care. As a result, many women are looking for alternatives when they give birth. Some are seeking help from outside of the NHS; including paying independent midwives, and even ‘freebirthing’, where they receive no medical support at all. But how safe is this, and is more regulation needed?
Presenters: Rachel Stonehouse and Matthew Hill
Producer: Fergus Hewison
Production co-ordinator: Tim Fernley
Technical producer: Richard Hannaford
Editor: Carl Johnson
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002546y)
Speech Radio, Showdown
The British Wireless for the Blind Fund have a free app called Speech Radio, which is set up to provide easy access to thousands of radio stations. They have recently partnered with radio aggregator Airable, and can now provide thousands more stations from all around the world. BWBF's Head of Technology David Beard tells In Touch about what is now on offer and how the app works.
What is 'showdown' in the context of blind and partially sighted people? It could mean a confrontation intended to settle a dispute, certainly, but we are exploring the specialist sport showdown. It is a fast-paced table top sport that was originally designed to be played by people with visual impairments. Our reporter Fern Lulham tried her hand to see if she would become the next showdown showstopper.
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 The Law Show (m0024w9w)
Inside the Family Courts
Last year, more than a quarter of a million cases started in Family Court in England and Wales.
Yet, to most people, the way they work is a mystery.
Traditionally, they were always held in private, because they discuss sensitive information about peoples' personal lives, and to protect children from harm.
Since 2009 reporters have been allowed to attend hearings. But they weren't allowed to tell anyone what was said without the permission of the court, and judges could exclude them.
Now, a pilot has been operating in 19 areas across England and Wales to allow journalists and legal bloggers to report Family Court cases, subject to strict rules of anonymity. Last week, it was extended to cover both private and public family cases at magistrates courts in the pilot areas.
But will it improve confidence and help people understand how the family courts work?
This week, Dr Joelle Grogan is joined by BBC correspondent Sanchia Berg and Lucy Reed KC, chair of the charity, the Transparency Project, to explain how the family courts work, what people attending them can expect, and why the reporting pilot is vital.
Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan
Producers: Ravi Naik and Arlene Gregorius
Editor: Tara McDermott
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Contributors:
BBC Correspondent Sanchia Berg.
Lucy Reed KC, family law barrister at St John's chambers, legal blogger, and chair of the Transparency Project.
Samantha Woodham, family law barrister at 4PB chambers and co-founder of the Divorce Surgery
TUE 21:30 Rory Stewart: The Long History of... (m0020xyx)
Ignorance
Ignorance: 1. The Pursuit of Knowledge
We prize knowledge, and rightly so. We think of ignorance as a bad thing. But ignorance is inseparable from what we know.
Knowledge can distract us, mislead us and endanger us. While ignorance is often the most fundamental insight about our human condition. Ignorance is not simply the opposite of knowledge, but a positive force with its own momentum that gives meaning to our lives. It drives scientific discovery, fosters creativity and can be psychologically helpful.
That’s why Rory Stewart wants to make a radical case for embracing ignorance. He wants to encourage a way of knowing in which knowledge and ignorance exist in a relationship with each other.
With a cast of global thinkers, drawing on Western and Eastern ideas from the ancient world to the present day, Rory explores how a greater awareness and appreciation of ignorance can help us become more clear-thinking, humble, empathetic and wise.
Writer and and presenter: Rory Stewart
Producer: Dan Tierney
Mixing: Tony Churnside
Editor: Tim Pemberton
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Readings by Rhiannon Neads
Contributions across the series from:
Alex Edmans - Professor of Finance at London Business School.
Ani Rinchen Khandro - a life ordained nun in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
Annette Martin - Assistant Professor in Philosophy at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Antony Gormley - sculptor.
Carlo Rovelli - Theoretical physicist and Professor in the Department of Physics at Aix-Marseille University.
Daniel DeNicola - Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania – and author of ‘Understanding Ignorance: The Surprising Impact of What We Don't Know’ (2018).
Daniel Whiteson - Professor of Physics at The University of California, Irvine.
Derek Black - Author of ‘The Klansman’s Son: My Journey from White Nationalism to Antiracism’ (2024).
Edith Hall - Professor in the Department of Classics and Ancient History, at Durham University.
Fabienne Peter - Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick.
Felix Martin - economist and fund manager.
Iain McGilchrist - Psychiatrist, neuroscience researcher, philosopher and literary scholar.
James C. Scott - Anthropologist and Sterling Professor Emeritus in Political Science at Yale University.
Jay Owens - Author of ‘Dust: The Modern World in a Trillion Particles’ (2023).
John Lloyd - Television and radio comedy producer and writer.
Jonathan Evans, Baron Evans of Weardale - Former Director General of MI5.
Karen Douglas - Professor of social psychology at the University of Kent.
Mark Lilla - professor of humanities at Columbia University, New York City and author of ‘Ignorance and Bliss: On Wanting Not to Know’ (2024).
Martin Palmer - Theologian, sinologist and translator of Daoist and Confucian texts.
Mary Beard - Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge.
Michael Ignatieff - Professor in the Department of History at Central European University in Budapest and former Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
Neil Hannon - singer-songwriter and frontman of The Divine Comedy.
Nicholas Gruen - policy economist and social commentator.
Rik Peels - Professor of Philosophy, Theology and Religion at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and author of ‘Ignorance: A Philosophical Study (2023)’.
Robert Beckford - Theologian and Professor of Climate and Social Justice at the University of Winchester.
Rowan Williams - Theologian and former Archbishop of Canterbury.
Sandrine Parageau - Professor of Early Modern British History at Sorbonne University and author of ‘The Paradoxes of Ignorance in Early Modern England and France’ (2023).
Stuart Firestein - Professor of Biological Sciences at Columbia University, New York City and author of ‘Ignorance: How It Drives Science’ (2012).
Tom Forth - data scientist, Head of Data at ‘Open Innovations’ and co-founder of ‘The Data City’.
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m0025472)
Ukraine fires long-range US-supplied missiles inside Russia
A thousand days into Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has used long-range US-supplied missile to strike targets inside Russia. A senior Republican senator tells us it shouldn't have taken so long to get permission.
Also tonight:
As the Prime Minister vows to plough on with his plans to charge inheritance tax on agricultural assets - how much damage is his row with farmers doing?
And we hear how views on assisted dying are shaped by having a sister who chose to end her life.
TUE 22:45 Precipice by Robert Harris (m0025476)
Episode Seven
PRECIPICE by Robert Harris
For Armistice Day - 110 years after the outbreak of the First World War - a story of intrigue and secrets in the corridors of power.
In the summer of 1914, the young aristocrat and socialite Venetia Stanley is having an affair with a married, much older man.
That man is the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith.
As well as meeting regularly at social events they see each other privately on Friday afternoon drives in the Prime Minister’s limousine. In between times, Asquith writes to Venetia obsessively, but when he starts sharing sensitive matters of state and top secret documents, the letters are no longer merely evidence of an illicit relation-ship but a matter of national security …
Episode 7
Deemer discovers Venetia’s box of letters and returns to London. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister succeeds in going to Penrhos.
Author Robert Harris, the master of plotting, is best known for his best-selling fiction, including Fatherland, Enigma, The Ghost Writer, Archangel and An Officer And A Spy. Precipice is his sixteenth novel.
Writer: Robert Harris
Reader: John Heffernan
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 23:00 Now You're Asking with Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn (m002547b)
Live at Hay Festival 2024
Are your super-sociable new neighbours just a bit too much? Are you a photographer who's been booked for the wedding of the girl who bullied you in school? Does your husband's desire to expose his perineum to the sun fill you with dread? (Are you, like Marian, not even sure if you have a perineum?)
Well, this is the edition of Now You're Asking for you. And even if it's not, you might learn a thing or two as pearls of comic wisdom fall from the mouths of our hosts.
All this, and Marian and Tara also tackle some questions direct from the audience, gathered for this special recording in a tent at Hay Festival 2024.
This is the first edition in a new series of Now You're Asking. Previous series were welcomed by listeners and critics:
"Both are warm and kind enough to not only be funny but also offer genuinely thoughtful, if left-field, advice." (Miranda Sawyer, The Observer)
"Keyes and Flynn are my new favourite double-act." (Jane Anderson - Radio Times)
"I found their compassion endlessly soothing." (Rachel Cunliffe - The New Statesman)
Marian Keyes is a multi award-winning writer, with a total of over 30 million of her books sold to date in 33 languages. Her close friend Tara Flynn is an actress, comedian and writer. Together, these two friends have been through a lot, and now want to use their considerable life experience to help solve the biggest - and smallest - of the things that keep us awake at night.
We have been inundated with emails since the last series but everything gets read and we're always on the lookout for new questions, queries and conundrums to include on the show.
Got a problem you want Marian and Tara to solve? Email: marianandtara@bbc.co.uk.
Producer: Steve Doherty.
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002547g)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the Foreign Secretary is questioned on what the US election result might mean for Ukraine. And the Health Secretary tells worried GPs to 'sit tight'.
WEDNESDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2024
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002547l)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 00:30 The Shadow of Algiers (m0014p7r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002547q)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002547v)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m002547z)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 05:30 News Briefing (m0025482)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0025485)
Finding Delight in Our Slippers
A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Hope Lonergan
Good morning.
Twice a week I care for people with learning disabilities. And during my time caring for them I’ve realised there’s both an immediacy to the way some of them operate – and a way of inhabiting the present moment that cancels out past and future considerations – and a liberatory quality to some of their social conduct.
For instance, there’s a gentleman who loves to show off “new shoes” or “new slippers” or get us to touch his watch every time he’s dressed. And he puts a lot of emphasis on this morning procedure – whereas a lot of us mindlessly breeze through such routines and take them for granted. (I mean, who cares? I’ve worn shoes loads of times, nothing to brag about.) But – and I mean this without a hint of condescension - seeing him get satisfaction from a normal daily activity elevates the everyday. It pushes it closer to the threshold of the mystical.
This same gentleman is also unaware of any “social graces” when it comes to eating. So much so that when we’re at a restaurant, and he’s really enjoying his meal, he’ll pull the table towards him and suck the table. But rather than being “put off” by this, I love the purity of following an instinct to its logical conclusion, regardless of whether you’re breaching polite standards: I’m enjoying my meal so much that I’ll go beyond licking the plate and suck the entire table.
So today, I pray for people who help keep us anchored to the present, and remind us to follow our own compass, even if it’s something as small as finding delight in our own slippers.
Amen.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m0025489)
20/11/24 Farmers rally in central London
Thousands of people have protested in London over changes to inheritance tax for farmers announced in the budget. Farmers from around the country came to an NFU rally in Church Hall and a big march in Westminster. They're worried about changes which mean that from April 2026, inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m, which were previously exempt, will be liable to tax.
The government says it understands farmers' concerns but insists the vast majority of farmers won't be affected.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
WED 06:00 Today (m002546x)
20/11/24 - Nick Robinson at Bulgaria border crossing and Emma Barnett in London
Nick Robinson on illegal migration at a key EU crossing and Emma Barnett in London
WED 09:00 Life Changing (m0025471)
Missing the bus
Dan Edozie was brought up by his mother in London, moving between council accommodation and so constantly shifting from one school to another. He didn't know his father. It was a disrupted childhood that would become even more stressful when they tried to settle with Nigerian relatives in the United States. After unsuccessful trips to New York and Boston, mother and son tried a third time to settle in Los Angeles. Dan had just turned 12.
Life wasn't easy. They outstayed their Visa leading to a life on the fringes of society. Dan learned how to pan-handle, to beg for money to get extra food. They slept where they could, sometimes on public transport, sometimes in the refuges of the city's infamous Skid Row.
Fearing deportation back to the UK they set off at one point for Florida to stay with another distant relative. The journey came to a halt in El Paso when a passport check exposed their illegal status. Before leaving for the UK they returned to LA, continuing their fragile life.
Then one day, Dan had an argument with his mother. She had made plans to stay at another refuge a bus journey away. Dan was hungry and although his mother wouldn't stop for him he went ahead and got some food at a nearby refuge centre. When he caught up with her, she was on a bus. Bewildered, he watched as the bus pulled away from a nearby bus stop and headed out of town.
Although he had a good idea where she was going, Dan decided to take things into his own hands. He started to look for a place for the night. He was twelve years old, with no ID, no money and only a large black bin-bag containing his clothes. After being turned down by two refuges, a lady at a third started asking all the right questions. How old was he? Why was he on his own? She knew something needed to be done.
The next 24 hours saw Dan scooped up by the US authorities. Within days, a foster home was found, and although he and his mother were in contact, a custody hearing went against her and for the first time in his life Dan found the stability he craved.
Life was never easy in his new home, but as he puts it 'he looked after business' at school and started to excel as a Basketball player. By the age of 16 he was in the top 50 players of his age group in California. Scholarships followed and eventually he was picked up by one of the top College teams - Iowa State.
When he turned professional he decided to return to the UK and played for the Bristol Flyers for six years, before opening his own Basketball training Academy, where young people in the St Paul's area of Bristol get a chance to be inspired by a man who has worked his way up from nothing. The height of his Basketball career came when representing England in the Commonwealth Games.
He's still in touch with his mother, and he holds no malice towards her. His focus is on the future and the many things he'd like to achieve.
But he looks back on that moment in Los Angeles when a young boy took control of his destiny and in doing so, changed his life forever.
Producer: Elaina Boateng
WED 09:30 The Gift (m0025475)
Series 2
3. Sold
A breast cancer survivor investigates her genes and uncovers a black market in human life.
It’s the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you’re connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future.
In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe.
For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database.
Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide?
Presenter: Jenny Kleeman
Producer: Conor Garrett
Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett
Editor: Philip Sellars
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0025479)
Gillian Anderson, Nurse Bethany Hutchison, Gisèle Pelicot, Film-maker Elizabeth Sankey
Yesterday, the closing arguments were made in the trial of Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot - a case that has not only shocked France but far beyond that country's borders. To understand what impact the trial has had on women in France, Nuala speaks to Blandine Deverlanges, a feminist activist in the region where the trial is taking place who has been attending the trial of Dominique Pelicot.
Bethany Hutchison is one of eight female nurses who are taking their NHS Trust to an employment tribunal for allowing a trans woman to use their changing facilities at work. Bethany speaks to Nuala about why she feels she needed to bring this case, and how she hopes it will be resolved.
The Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actor Gillian Anderson has compiled a collection of women's sexual fantasies in her book Want. She tells Nuala why she wanted to work on this project, following her role as Dr Jean Milburn in Sex Education, and also responds to the recent Presidential election in the US.
Filmmaker Elizabeth Sankey has long had an affinity with witches – both the fictional depictions we get in film and TV and the women themselves caught up in the Witch Trials of the Early Modern Period. But it was her experience of perinatal mental health issues following the birth of her son that really forged a connection for her between what she'd been experiencing and witches themselves. She's produced a new documentary to look at exactly that.
Presented by Nuala McGovern
Producer: Louise Corley
WED 11:00 File on 4 (m002546t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
WED 11:45 The Shadow of Algiers (m0014pcm)
Operation Resurrection
Seventy years after the Algerian War of Independence began - and as a divided France struggles to repair its broken politics - Edward Stourton presents tales from a colonial past which still cast a shadow over the present.
In this programme, Edward tells the story of how the Algerian War came home to Paris.
On 17th October 1961, Algerians living in Paris held a demonstration against a police order to keep them off the streets at night. Tens of thousands of protestors flooded into Paris. The police were very nervous....there had been many attacks on them in recent months. Their response was merciless and what resulted is now regarded as a massacre. Protestors were beaten, shot and bodies were dumped in the River Seine.
And we hear the story of how General de Gaulle, France's wartime leader, came back to power in 1958. He was seen as a 'saviour' by both sides but by the end of the war he was regarded as public enemy number 1. There were repeated attempts to assassinate him, the most serious immortalized in the film, "The Day of the Jackal". He did, of course, dodge the bullets....and survived.
Sound design: Peregrine Andrews
Producers: Adele Armstrong and Ellie House
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
REFERENCES
Médine - “17 Octobre”.
“Algeria Hails de Gaulle 1958” British Pathe.
“Je vous ai compris”. From “Another War, Another Peace 1940-60” BBC2.
De Gaulle 1961 speech. BBC Radio Digital Archive.
WED 12:00 News Summary (m002547h)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002547m)
Badly Measured Homes, Cashback Boom, Currys Black Friday Guarantee
Most homes in the UK are sold on the number of rooms but more estate agents are including floorspace in home packs. But what if it is wrong and you get less for your money?
It's Black Friday time. In 2022 Which? found that 98% of deals had been cheaper at other times of the year. This year Currys have guaranteed that won't happen on their deals and they've called on rivals to join them in combatting the 'creeping consumer cynicism' around the event, by offering genuine bargains.
Most banks and mortgage companies either won't lend, or will require an expensive survey, for homes that have spray foam insulation in their attic and roof space. So if you have it, what can you do about it?
Affiliate marketing is all the rage among online publications. It means if they publish a link for a product or service, they'll likely earn commission on a sale, but do most consumers know that? Should they worried that, in a review section for example, they are getting an independent opinion?
Cashback has been with us for some years but recently banks have gone big on it, why are they doing that and is it more faff than its worth?
WED 12:57 Weather (m002547r)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m002547w)
Al-Fayed abuse 'could be on the scale of Jimmy Savile'
Jasvinder Sanghera, the advocate for victims of Mohamed Al-Fayed, believes his abuse may extend to many organisations beyond Harrods. Plus, why the US has given Ukraine land mines, and the cancer patients suing Johnson & Johnson.
WED 13:45 Appetite for Distraction (m0025480)
Medium and Metaphor
Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
In this episode, Matthew analyses the medium through which we consume so much our media, the smartphone, and asks how whether it changes the nature of how we read, watch and interpret the world around us.
Matthew looks into the culture of smartphone use around the world and finds out what we can interpret from the growing use of the devices, particularly among younger generations. He looks into the technological advancements in the smartphone that have driven the most change, and considers how information consumption on a phone changes our approach to attention as opposed to the television or a book.
Contributors:
Gloria Mark, Chancellor's Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine and author of Attention Span: Finding Focus for a Fulfilling Life
Daniel Miller, Professor of Anthropology, University College London
Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Sam Peach
WED 14:00 The Archers (m002546p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0025486)
Chloe's Ark
Brooke - a young, queer wheelchair-user - needs someone to do her odd jobs and she's found the perfect handywoman - Chloe, who is affordable, quick, and, well, pretty. A romantic comedy about flooding and carpentry, for a rainy day.
Brooke. ..... Amy Trigg
Chloe. ..... Harmony Rose-Bremner
Ted. ..... Michael Bertenshaw
Jan/Handler. ..... Jane Slavin
Ian/Courier/Operator. ..... Paul Chahidi
Writer ..... Leanne Allen
Sound ...... Martha Littlehailes
Director. ..... Jessica Dromgoole
Producer. ..... Mary Peate
Rising star Amy Trigg is an actor and playwright from Essex. This year, she won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Little Big Things. Amy’s first full length play - Reasons You Should(n't) Love Me, which premiered at the Kiln Theatre - won the inaugural Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2020.
Harmony Rose-Bremner was in the highly-acclaimed production of The Years at the Almeida Theatre earlier this year. Other recent work includes the World Productions / Amazon series Fifteen-love, Hamnet with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and NW Trilogy at the Kiln Theatre. Harmony graduated from RADA in 2020.
Leanne Allen is a talented writer from Solihull, and a wheelchair user. She wrote the well received Jazz and Dice for Radio 4 in 2021, and Janey Takes Off in 2023. She has written for several community drama projects and her play, The Drop, was the standout success of Miniaturists at the Arcola in 2022.
Chloe's Ark was developed through OKRE Experimental Stories supported by Wellcome in consultation with Hannah Cloke, Professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading and Jessica Lamond, Professor of Real Estate and Climate Risk at UWE.
A Hooley production for BBC Radio 4
WED 15:00 The Law Show (m002548b)
Miscarriages of justice and the CCRC
The job of the Criminal Cases Review Commission - or CCRC - is to investigate cases where people may have been wrongfully convicted of a crime in the criminal courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The CCRC has faced criticism over it's actions - or lack of action - in a high-profile miscarriage of justice.
In April this year, the CCRC offered an unreserved apology to Andrew Malkinson. He spent 17 years in prison following conviction for a rape in Salford that he didn’t commit. DNA testing which led to his conviction being quashed was not commissioned by the CCRC, and in July, an independent review found that he could have been freed five years after receiving a life sentence in 2003.
After the report was published, the Justice Secretary called for the resignation of the chair of the CCRC, Helen Pitcher. However, she said she was still the “best person” for the job and that she had no intention of standing down.
So how does the Criminal Cases Review Commission work? How does it make decisions about which cases should go back to the Court of Appeal, and which should be rejected?
Also this week:
- Are the laws around accessing social care for disabled children too complicated?
- And if you’re selling your home - are you legally bound to mention problem neighbours?
Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan
Producers: Ravi Naik and Nathan Gower
Editor: Tara McDermott
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Contributors
Dr Hannah Quirk, a Reader in Criminal Law at King’s College London, who also used to work at the CCRC.
Professor Alison Young, Commissioner for Public and Welsh Law, the Law Commission.
Catriona Moore, policy manager at IPSEA, a charity which helps parents with SEND legislation - Special Educational needs and disabilities.
Tracey Moloney, from Moloney Family Law, also known as the Legal Queen on social media
WED 15:30 Menopause Matters (m002548d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:00 on Monday]
WED 16:00 The Media Show (m002548g)
Investigating abuse in the Church of England, Tyson vs Paul, NYT Games, Leaving X for Bluesky
The resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury has sparked renewed discussion about accountability in the Church of England. Cathy Newman, Presenter and Investigations Editor, Channel 4 News, reflects on her investigation which triggered it. Mark Stibbe, one of Cathy's original sources, discusses the impact of coming forward with his story. Colin Campbell, Investigative Journalist, BBC News, shares his experience of reporting on cover-ups and systemic failures in the Church’s handling of abuse cases.
Friday’s Netflix boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson was more than a fight; it was a media moment. Evan Shapiro, Media Commentator and ‘Media Cartographer,’ sees it as evidence of influencer dominance over traditional media. Oliver Brown, Chief Sports Writer, Daily Telegraph, discusses whether such events mark a shift from genuine sport to spectacle.
Games are more than leisure activities; they are now central to media business models. Zoe Bell, Executive Producer of Games, The New York Times, explains how puzzles like Wordle and its new game Zorse contribute to subscription growth. John Halpern, crossword setter, shares insights into his process for crafting puzzles and the timeless appeal of crosswords.
Katie Martin, Columnist, Financial Times, discusses her move from X to Bluesky. She reflects on the challenges of platform migration, the persistence of echo chambers, and the broader implications for media spaces.
Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Simon Richardson
Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai
WED 17:00 PM (m002548j)
Ukraine uses British-made missiles in Russia
Ex-Defence Secretary Grant Shapps says using the weapons is long overdue. Plus PM is live in Aberdeen, home of oil and gas, discussing the transition to green energy.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002548l)
The launch suggests the UK government has lifted previous restrictions on Kyiv's usage
WED 18:30 You Heard It Here First (m001y7xx)
Series 2
'Dropping a Grandfather clock on your foot!'
Chris McCausland asks Ninia Benjamin and Justin Moorehouse to take on Laura Smyth and Milton Jones. An obscure audio description of a popular film turns out to be Laura Smyth's favourite Christmas Film. The teams must figure out what on earth is being advertised on TV, guess what iconic images children are talking about, and work out which opening scenes of movies are being audio described.
Producer: Sasha Bobak
Assistant Producer: Becky Carewe-Jeffries
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinator: Dan Marchini
A BBC Studios Production
An EcoAudio certified production
WED 19:00 The Archers (m002548n)
Azra does some shopping at Bridge Farm and chats with Helen about the Christmas event at Loxley Barrett school, and how involved Ian has been on the PTA. Azra also wonders how long that camper van is going to be on Joy’s drive. They joke about Hilda the cat faking her own death. Khalil’s scheme to put Azra off cats has worked, she admits, and she’s glad to return the cat to Tony. Khalil wants chickens and Tony warns Azra of the considerations. As Azra congratulates Tony on Henry’s venture with goats, Azra notices a strange smell. Later, Tony realises it’s from Henry’s new Buck. Helen hopes it will only be for a while, while the goat is rutting – they hope it won’t drive people away.
Mick’s feeling frustrated about life and work, and has a heart to heart with Jolene – he admits he’s always had itching feet, but being with Joy has changed things. Jolene reminisces about her singing days, and opens up about her own life changes. When Mick comes to Jolene and Kenton’s aid to help take some attractive photos of the pub for a feature, they are so grateful. In fact, when they learn about Mick’s issue with his motorhome, Kenton invites Mick to park it in the Bull car park. Close by, Mick can be an unofficial bouncer at the Pub! It’s just temporary though, points out concerned Jolene.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m002548q)
Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, Celebrity Children's Books and the Art and Writing of Maud Sulter
Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream speaks about Come Ahead, the band's first new album in eight years.
We discuss how the publication of books for children by celebrities affects the wider industry and reading trends.
And as an exhibition of work by Maud Sulter opens in Glasgow, the curators talk about the widespread influence of this artist, poet, photographer and gallerist, who died in 2008.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m002548s)
Is loyalty a virtue or a vice?
Donald Trump has made some eyebrow-raising, some might say jaw-dropping, appointments to his top team. While a number of the appointees still need Senate approval, they all appear united by one thing – loyalty to Donald Trump.
Some consider loyalty to be a foundational virtue that is central to close friendships. Seneca, called it “the holiest virtue in the human heart”. It is more than simply “support” – it suggests a duty to support “come what may”. Others, however, think loyalty can enable controlling behaviour, hide self-interest, encourage tribalism and threaten independent thought. If a close friend violates your ethical code, to what extent should you stay loyal to them? Or should you only be loyal to the person you thought they were?
Outside the realm of inter-personal relationships, loyalty to an organisation, the government, the Crown or the Church can mean both faithfulness to its principles and deference to its hierarchy. Here, calling out the institution is both an act of betrayal and loyalty, depending on how it is viewed.
Do we value loyalty in our personal and professional lives any less than we did 50 years ago? And is that a good or a bad thing? Perhaps we just have a healthier perspective about who and what deserves our loyalty?
Is loyalty a virtue or a vice?
Chair: Michael Buerk
Panel: Mona Siddiqui, Tim Stanley, Inaya Folarin-Iman and Giles Fraser
Witnesses: Josie Stewart, Major General Tim Cross, Anouchka Grose, Tony Milligan.
Producer: Dan Tierney
Assistant producer: Ruth Purser
Editor: Gill Farrington
WED 21:00 The Long View (m002545k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 The Conflict (m002548v)
Middle East
Israel Declares Independence (1948): Why did Britain leave its mandate in Palestine?
We look back on the region’s history and discuss what it can teach us about the future.
Jonny Dymond brings together a carefully assembled panel of experts, academics and journalists to talk about the conflict in the region.
What has happened in history to lead us to this point? And, what can history teach us about what might happen next?
This week, Jonny is joined by senior BBC correspondent and Middle East expert Jane Corbin, historian James Barr, and the BBC’s Middle East correspondent, Yolande Knell.
They explore the violence and civil war in the run up to Britain’s withdrawal from its Palestine mandate, Israel’s declaration of independence, and the war with Arab states that followed.
This episode was made by Keiligh Baker with Ivana Davidovic. The technical producer was Ricardo McCarthy. The assistant editor is Ben Mundy. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
This episode is part of a BBC Sounds series. It was recorded at
14:00 on Tuesday 19 November 2024.
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002548x)
Ukraine fires UK Storm Shadow missiles into Russia
Ukraine has fired UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles into Russian territory for the first time, the BBC understands. The government has declined to comment on the reports, which first emerged on Russian Telegram channels. We speak to former senior military leaders in the UK and US about what advantage the missiles might bring Ukraine, and hear about the brutal conditions on the front lines.
Also on the programme, Northern Rail has submitted plans to improve services by 2027. We examine the impact the under-fire operator is having on local areas.
And we remember Vic Flick, the man who's unforgettable guitar riff became the soundtrack for James Bond.
WED 22:45 Precipice by Robert Harris (m002548z)
Episode Eight
PRECIPICE by Robert Harris
For Armistice Day - 110 years after the outbreak of the First World War - a story of intrigue and secrets in the corridors of power.
In the summer of 1914, the young aristocrat and socialite Venetia Stanley is having an affair with a married, much older man.
That man is the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith.
As well as meeting regularly at social events they see each other privately on Friday afternoon drives in the Prime Minister’s limousine. In between times, Asquith writes to Venetia obsessively, but when he starts sharing sensitive matters of state and top secret documents, the letters are no longer merely evidence of an illicit relation-ship but a matter of national security …
Episode 8
Venetia starts work as a nurse at the London Hospital. And Deemer gets a surprise in the post.
Author Robert Harris, the master of plotting, is best known for his best-selling fiction, including Fatherland, Enigma, The Ghost Writer, Archangel and An Officer And A Spy. Precipice is his sixteenth novel.
Writer: Robert Harris
Reader: John Heffernan
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:00 Sarah Mills' Bad Bod Squad (m0025491)
Episode 1 - Leaky
Sarah Mills' comedy guide to dealing with a fallible and embarrassing body.
Since losing part of her bowel, comedian Sarah Mills has used a stoma bag. She might tell you that having a bag attached to her belly to collect her poo has made her unembarrassable - but the truth is she has always been completely shameless. Now, with the assistance of her outrageously candid celebrity guests, she wants to smash the taboos around bodily malfunctions and help us all banish bodily embarrassment for good.
Recorded in her home town of Stevenage, in this this week’s episode, Leaky, Sarah explores bodily spills with comedian and writer Ola Labib.
Created and written by Sarah Mills
Starring Sarah Mills with special guest Ola Labib
Recording Engineer and Editor: Jerry Peal
Recording Assistant: Guy Thomas
Script Editor: Zoe Tomalin
Associate Producer: Antonia Gospel
Executive Producer: Alan Nixon
Production Manager:
Co- Producers: Gordon Kennedy and Sarah Mills
Recording in front of a live audience at Stevenage Lytton Players Theatre
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4
Additional information on issues in this episode:
https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-incontinence/
WED 23:15 Influencers (m001r1v0)
Series 1
6. Mushrooms
Katy Brand and Katherine Parkinson write and star in a new comedy about the world of influencing, where they play Ruth and Carla – two wannabe stars of the online business world.
They are bound together by a carefully controlled image that can lead to lucrative product placements and well-paid endorsements - but only if the PR is played just right. And that’s a problem because, behind the scenes, things are not always as harmonious as they seem.
Episode 6: Mushrooms
Ruth and Carla decide to experiment with micro-dosing psilocybin. As the mushrooms kick in there are revelations and home truths everywhere, and a new strategy for their online business emerges.
Carla – Katy Brand
Ruth – Katherine Parkinson
Written by Katy Brand and Katherine Parkinson
Producer: Liz Anstee
A CPL production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0025494)
Susan Hulme reports as the understudies take to the despatch box for Prime Minister's Questions!
THURSDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2024
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m0025496)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 00:30 The Shadow of Algiers (m0014pcm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0025498)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002549b)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m002549d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 05:30 News Briefing (m002549g)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002549j)
Charm Is Not It
A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Hope Lonergan
Good morning.
Charm is a slippery, fraudulent parlour trick. A way to manoeuvre people away from their better judgement or finesse them into providing utility. It’s a performance that’s evaluated on whether it stimulates the interlocutor – and in such a way that it fills them with false hope or satiates their vanity.
I always thought I was immune to the tactical nature of a charmer’s seduction. That I had a shrewd, hardboiled, discerning personality despite a veneer of congeniality. I’ve often seen public figures I’ve previously held a robust disdain for, easily handling a series of soft ball questions. In that setting they might present as quite amiable with a knack for social lubrication and I’ve found myself getting pulled in, starting to question the narratives around them. Maybe they’re flawed, broken people who don’t really understand the warping effect they have on, say, world events or public opinion.
And – as always when trying to rehabilitate reprehensible figures who have some hold on you that’s hard to reconcile with your ethics – I looked towards that powerful religious virtue: forgiveness.
Another controversial figure recently wrote: “Forgiveness is available for all of us”. A noble sentiment. One I feel deeply in my bones. But the thing about forgiveness is it requires a certain amount of sacrifice and accountability – a pound of flesh – to elicit that level of understanding from the world. You can’t expect respite from judgement if you’re avoiding the singeing light of exposure and keep trying to force your misdeeds back into the dark.
So today, I pray for real, soul-searching accountability, and a forgiveness that’s earned by their actions. I pray for those who have the fortitude to approach their bad behaviour head-on and find ways to rectify their mistakes.
Amen.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002549l)
21/11/24 Hedges, intensive pig farming, sustainable food systems
England's hedges are in need of urgent revival - that's the conclusion of a survey of hedges, the first in 17 years. The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has been looking at hedges for Natural England and says that while they are in better condition than 2007, when the last survey was done, the overall length remains largely unchanged. That's bad news for the government which aims to restore or plant 45,000 miles of hedgerow by 2050
Over the past few years there has been a lot of pressure on pig producers and that's meant change. According to the levy board ADHB , just five abattoirs now control 88% of the throughput of pigs, with three big companies now owning around half of the sows in England. The UK has a reputation for higher welfare standards: 50% of piglets are born outside not in farrowing crates, and more than 70% of pigs are fattened indoors on straw. We visit a pig farm in Lincolnshire that produces 800 pigs a week for a large processor as well as local butchers and the farm's own shop.
The campaign group Sustain wants food produced to high welfare standards and in a way that protects nature and tackles climate change as well as providing good jobs. They don't believe intensive farming is the best way of achieving that.
Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
THU 06:00 Today (m002552d)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m002552g)
Italo Calvino
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Italian author of Invisible Cities, If On A Winter's Night A Traveller, Cosmicomics and other celebrated novels, fables and short stories of the 20th Century. Calvino (1923 -1985) had a passionate belief that writing and art could make life better for everyone. Despite his parents being scientists, who dearly wanted him to be a scientist too, and his time fighting with the Partisans in Liguria in WWII during which his parents were held hostage by the Nazis, Calvino turned away from realism in his writing. Ideally, he said, he would have liked to be alive in the Enlightenment. He moved towards the fantastical, drawing on his childhood reading while collecting a huge number of the fables of Italy and translating them from dialect into Italian to enrich the shared culture of his fellow citizens. His fresh perspective on the novel continues to inspire writers and delight readers in Italian and in translations around the world.
With
Guido Bonsaver
Professor of Italian Cultural History at the University of Oxford
Jennifer Burns
Professor of Italian Studies at the University of Warwick
And
Beatrice Sica
Associate Professor in Italian Studies at UCL
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Reading list:
Elio Baldi, The Author in Criticism: Italo Calvino’s Authorial Image in Italy, the United States, and the United Kingdom (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2020)
Elio Baldi and Cecilia Schwartz, Circulation, Translation and Reception Across Borders: Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities Around the World (Routledge, 2024)
Peter Bondanella and Andrea Ciccarelli (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to the Italian Novel (Cambridge University Press, 2003), especially the chapter ‘Italo Calvino and Umberto Eco: Postmodern Masters’
James Butler, ‘Infinite Artichoke’ (London Review of Books, vol. 45, no. 12, 15 June 2023)
Italo Calvino (trans. Martin McLaughlin), The Path to the Spiders’ Nests (first published 1947; Penguin Classics, 2009)
Italo Calvino (trans. Mikki Taylor), The Baron in the Trees (first published 1957; Vintage Classics, 2021)
Italo Calvino, Marcovaldo (first published 1963; Vintage Classics, 2023)
Italo Calvino (trans. William Weaver and Ann Goldstein), Difficult Loves and Other Stories (first published 1970; Vintage Classics, 2018)
Italo Calvino (trans. William Weaver), Invisible Cities (first published 1972; Vintage Classics, 1997)
Italo Calvino (trans. Patrick Creagh), The Uses of Literature (first published 1980; Houghton Mifflin, 1987)
Italo Calvino (trans. Geoffrey Brock), Six Memos for the Next Millennium (first published 1988; Penguin Classics, 2016)
Italo Calvino (trans. Tim Parks), The Road to San Giovanni (first published 1990; HMH Books, 2014)
Italo Calvino (trans. Ann Goldstein), The Written World and the Unwritten World: Essays (Mariner Books Classics, 2023)
Kathryn Hume, Calvino's Fictions: Cogito and Cosmos (Clarendon Press, 1992)
Martin McLaughlin, Italo Calvino (Edinburgh University Press, 1998)
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production
THU 09:45 Strong Message Here (m002552j)
The Deep State
Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.
This week, Helen and Armando spend some time trying to understand the 'deep state', and why it's caught on as a political attack.
What's the difference between The Movement and The Blob? And who is draining the swamp of what? And is it just a convenient thing to blame for your inability to get things done?
Also, you'll find out what music they play in Stalin's bunker as you turn the key to initiate nuclear war.
Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at
9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.
Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King
Production Coordinator - Katie Baum
Executive Producer - Pete Strauss
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.
An EcoAudio certified production.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002552l)
Katarina Johnson-Thompson, IVF pioneer, Age of consent in Iraq, Primary School suspensions
Katarina Johnson-Thompson is the double World and double Commonwealth Games heptathon champion. This year she won the Olympic silver medal in Paris, her first ever Olympic medal. Katarina joins Anita Rani to talk about her new book, Unbroken, in which she opens up about the pressures of representing Great Britain as a 19 year old at the London 2012 Olympics, her complex relationship with her mentor-turned-rival Jessica Ennis-Hill, and the relentless resilience and determination she has shown in coming back from career-threatening injuries.
BBC analysis suggests that the rate at which primary school pupils are being suspended from state schools in England has more than doubled in a decade. Permanent exclusion rates of primary-age pupils have also gone up, by almost 70% in the same period. Campaigners say children excluded from school at a young age experience long-term impacts. It's worth also stating that nearly 90% of those permanently excluded over the past five years also had special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The government has acknowledged the situation is at "crisis point", and says it is determined to "drive up standards" in schools. Anita spoke to Lydia, whose son Eddie has been suspended from school 14 times this year, and Vanessa Longley, chief executive of the charity Chance UK, a charity which supports primary-aged children.
The Iraqi Parliament is currently considering an amendment to personal status law that in effect could remove protections for women and lower the legal age of marriage to nine. There could also be changes to a women's right to divorce, child custody and inheritance. Joining Anita to discuss these proposals are Caroline Hawley, the BBCs Diplomatic correspondent, and Sarah Sanbar, Iraqi researcher for Human Rights Watch.
A new Netflix film tells the story of the invention of IVF, and the woman whose contribution to this world-changing discovery has been largely forgotten, embryologist Jean Purdy. Award-winning actress Thomasin McKenzie talks to Anita about portraying Jean, and her two decades of acting, despite only being 24 years old.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt
THU 11:00 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m002552n)
Series 31
Hedgehogs
Brian Cox and Robin Ince emerge from the hedge row waking up their guests from hibernation to discuss the fascinating lives of Britain’s favourite mammal, the hedgehog. They are joined by hedgehog experts Hugh Warwick and Sophie Lund Rasmussen (also know as Dr Hedgehog), and by broadcaster and poet Pam Ayres. Sophie Lund Rasmussen has crowd sourced 14 freezers worth of dead hedgehogs for her research and has brought one of her more unique samples with her, the penis of the oldest known hedgehog who reached a stupendous 16 years of age! Together our panel snuffle their way through the evolution of hedgehogs, their life cycle and how to stop them getting run over by robotic lawn mowers!
Producer: Melanie Brown
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
Researcher: Olivia Jani
BBC Studios Audio production
THU 11:45 The Shadow of Algiers (m0014pgb)
The Suitcase or the Coffin
Seventy years after the start of the Algerian War of Independence - and as a divided France struggles to repair its broken politics - Edward Stourton presents tales from a colonial past which still cast a shadow over the present.
This is the story of how, at the end of the war, France greeted the tens of thousands of French and Algerians who, virtually overnight, felt they had no choice but to leave Algeria. They feared for their future, and even for their lives.
But the idea that many of them were simply 'coming back' to their homeland was far from the truth.
Sound design: Peregrine Andrews
Producers: Adele Armstrong and Ellie House
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
REFERENCES
"Ceasefire in Algeria announced by de Gaulle 1962” British Pathe.
“In a Savage War of Peace” Alastair Horne.
THU 12:00 News Summary (m002552q)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 You and Yours (m002552s)
Gap Finders - Gousto
Timo Boldt set up Gousto in 2012 as the meal-kit market started to emerge in the UK. He's grown it into a household name, with a turnover of 300 million and celebrity backers such as Joe Wicks. Peter White finds out what sparked the idea, what motivates him, how he coped with slowing demand after Covid and how he believes a meal-kit company can help tackle food waste.
PRESENTER - PETER WHITE
PRODUCER - CATHERINE EARLAM
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002552v)
Toast - Dan-Air
Dan-Air was one of Britain's biggest airlines and took millions of people on their first package holidays.
So, why did such a successful business end up 'toast'?
The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, and the entrepreneur, Sam White look into it.
They are joined by:
-Graham Simons - Dan-Air historian and author of the book 'The Spirit of Dan-Air'
-Jackie Stacey & James Hoffmeister - former Dan-Air cabin crew
Produced by Jon Douglas. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
You can email the programme at toast@bbc.co.uk
Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.
Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in December, where Greg Foot investigates so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread. In the meantime, Toast is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds
THU 12:57 Weather (m002552x)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m002552z)
Arrest warrants issued for Israeli and Hamas leaders
The International Criminal court issues arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister, as well as Hamas's military commander. We hear from a victim of Church of England abuse, who’s calling on the Archbishop of York to resign. And Angela Rayner and William Hague pay tribute to John Prescott, who’s died aged 86.
THU 13:45 Appetite for Distraction (m0025532)
Attention Shortfall?
Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
In this episode Matthew traces the inexorable rise of shortform video and investigates its success. He asks what the increasing popularity of this type of media might mean for our attention and finds out about the people using for purposes that may have surprised Neil Postman.
Apps such as Tik Tok, Youtube and Snapchat are ubiquitous and for many have become the chief way that they consume media. What does watching shorter videos mean for the content, and how do these apps change our habits and possibly, our brains?
The popularity of this medium has driven traditional institutions that are concerned with public affairs to embrace shortform video. So what's the result? Matthew finds out.
Contributors:
Dr Zoetanya Sujon, University of the Arts London
Dave Jorgenson, Senior Video Journalist, Washington Post.
Communications and Media Society, University of Liverpool
Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Sam Peach
THU 14:00 The Archers (m002548n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0025536)
One Hundred and Fifty Days
In 2023, award winning audio dramatist Oliver Emanuel was part way through writing a new play for radio when something happened to him and he found he could no longer read. This is his story: a powerful and poetic drama that is part audio play and part autobiography...
A man and a woman are caught in a rip tide, the life they might have had together - flashing in front of their eyes.
Another man and a woman are caught in an impossible situation, the life they have together - flashing in front of their eyes.
One Hundred and Fifty Days is drawn from The Great Wave - Oliver Emanuel's unfinished audio drama and from All My Reading – his creative response to the experience of brain cancer.
These two pieces of writing were edited together by Victoria Beesley and Kirsty Williams.
Performed by:
Robin Laing
Shauna Macdonald
Robert Jack
Sound Design by Fraser Jackson
Directed by Kirsty Williams
Details of support with cancer are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
You can read more about the author Oliver Emanuel and the background to the creation of his final radio play here:
https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/news/blog-post/150-days-olly-emanuels-last-radio-drama/
THU 15:00 Ramblings (m0025539)
Chief Scout Dwaye Fields in Epping Forest
Clare rambles around Epping Forest with the new Chief Scout, Dwayne Fields. He was appointed in September 2024, taking over from Bear Grylls, and has a wealth of adventure experience under his belt.
Dwayne was born in Jamaica and came to the UK at the age of six. He grew up in inner city London and says his formative years were wrapped up in social stigma, and he became a victim of both knife and gun crime. He managed to break away from this culture by spending time in outdoor spaces like Hackney Marshes, rediscovering a love of the outdoors he had felt deeply as a youngster in Jamaica.
He remembers watching a TV interview with James Cracknell and Ben Fogle who were looking for a third team member to join a polar expedition. Although by the time he applied he was too late for selection, Dwayne did eventually join another trip and became the first black Briton to trek to the north pole.
For Ramblings he leads Clare from the Scout Centre at Gilwell Park into and around Epping Forest.
According to the Epping Forest Heritage Trust, it’s the largest open space in London at just over 6000 acres stretching from Manor Park in east London to just north of Epping in Essex.
Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002535c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Feedback (m002553c)
BBC Radio 3 Unwind, and farmers' inheritance tax.
BBC Radio 3 has unveiled a new online-only stream - Unwind. It's dedicated to calming classical music and broadcasts 24/7 on BBC Sounds. For some listeners it's unlocked the mystery of a good night's sleep, but for others the playlists are more mindless than mindful. Andrea Catherwood puts your comments to Radio 3 Controller Sam Jackson.
In a week where farmers shot to the top of the news agenda following changes to their inheritance tax exemptions in the 2024 Budget, Andrea talks to Dimitri Houtart - who was until recently the Executive Editor of Rural Affairs, and Rural Affairs Champion at the BBC. Has Radio 4's reporting managed to cut through the sound of tractors roaring down Whitehall? And how do you push for fair coverage of rural communities inside the BBC?
And with only a few weeks to go before Feedback unveils the Interview of the Year 2024, one listener nominates John Wilson's conversation with writer Hanif Kureishi, for This Cultural Life.
Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Pauline Moore
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
THU 16:00 The Briefing Room (m002553f)
Why do we have such overcrowded prisons?
Our prisons are overcrowded, the Government recently released a group of prisoners early to ease the pressure. Britain seems to incarcerate more people per head of population compared to any other Western European country. Now the Government has announced there is going to be a Review of Sentencing to see what we can do to reduce the number of people in prison.
Recently an eight week consultation period began, during which members of the public can send in their thoughts on how to tackle these issues.
Why have prisons have become so over-crowded, and what we can do about it?
John Podmore, former prison governor and prison inspector and author of Out of Sight Out of Mind: Why Britain's Prisons Are Failing
Nicola Padfield, Emeritus Professor of Criminal and Penal Justice, at the University of Cambridge
Catherine Heard, Director of the World Prison Research Programme, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research, Birkbeck, University of London
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham
Sound engineers: Rod Farquhar, Neva Missirian
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m002553h)
The climate cost of war
As conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continue to dominate the news, many Inside Science listeners have been in touch with the same question:
What is the carbon footprint of war?
How significant is the impact – and is it crass to even talk about it? We’re joined by Benjamin Neimark from Queen Mary University in London.
Also this week, we chat to the incoming DG of Europe’s particle-smashing facility Cern, what have we learnt by defrosting an extinct big cat and, the beetle that could ruin Christmas...
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Florian Bohr, Ella Hubber & Gerry Holt
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
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 to take the quiz.
THU 17:00 PM (m002553k)
The ICC issues an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu
The EU says the decision should be respected and implemented. Israel calls it anti-Semitic. We'll bring you reaction from the Israeli government and an international lawyer. Plus: the government relaxes its regulations around heat pump installation.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002553m)
The ICC also issued a warrant for Israel's former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant
THU 18:30 Unspeakable (m002553p)
Series 1
4. Heads, mouths and stomachs
Catherine Bohart offers a term for an intriguing state of detachment, Ed Gamble goes where few foodies dare to tread, and Fatiha El-Ghorri captures a way in which children are inspired by their elders.
Ever struggled to find the right word for a feeling or sensation? Unspeakable sees comedian Phil Wang and lexicographer Susie Dent invite celebrity guests to invent new linguistic creations, to solve those all too relatable moments when we're lost for words.
Hosts: Phil Wang and Susie Dent
Guests: Catherine Bohart, Ed Gamble and Fatiha El-Ghorri
Created by Joe Varley
Writer: Matt Crosby
Recorded by Jerry Peal
Producer: Jon Harvey
Executive Producers: Joe Varley and Akash Lockmun
A Brown Bred production for BBC Radio 4
THU 19:00 The Archers (m00254gw)
Leonard is up early in the workshop and David finds him fixing up an old rusty bike. The two discuss the massive farmers’ protest about inheritance tax outside Parliament. Leonard used to be quite the long-distance cyclist and Ruth and David marvel as he zips around the yard on the restored bike. Josh says he can have it, so Leonard takes it for a spin to the shops.
Kenton and Jolene are shocked awake by the noise of Mick working on his van in the pub car park, trying to bring it back to life. Kenton’s roped in to helping, and he complains about how much Brad’s doing for George. They discuss Kirsty’s house sale – Joy’s worried about Helen, Henry and Jack. Mick’s introduced to Leonard, on his bike, and Mick offers him some cycling gear care of Joy. Meanwhile, Jolene comes out to remind oil-covered Kenton that they need to open the pub.
As a thank you for the bike, Leonard takes David and Josh for a drink, where Mick has stored dismantled parts from his van and jokes that they’re never getting rid of him. But Mick has been singing their praises to his mate Errol, who may book the Bull for his birthday bash. Kenton admits to David that it looks like Mick’s van is never going to run again, so Jolene is aghast at the idea of it staying outside the pub. Leonard has enjoyed a cycle but struggles now with hills. Kenton talks about getting an electric bike, but Leonard dismisses the idea. David just asks Leonard to be careful.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m002553r)
Review: Wicked, Cher's memoir, Maddaddam ballet
Tom Sutcliffe is joined by Natalie Jamieson and Matt Cain to review:
Cher, The Memoir, Part one - the pop icon and Oscar winning actor tells the story of her childhood and early success.
The film version of Wicked is the long awaited film adaptation which is also the first of two parts, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo and telling the story of the Witches of Oz.
Maddaddam: renowned choreographer Wayne McGregor has brought Margaret Atwood’s trilogy of sci fi novels to the stage with a ballet, new to London's Royal Opera House.
And a look at how a new play, The Fight, about boxer Cuthbert Taylor has ignited primary school children in Wales to start a campaign. We talk to the play's author, Geinor Styles.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Corinna Jones
THU 20:00 The Media Show (m002548g)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Wednesday]
THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002533n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
THU 21:45 The Warsaw Ghetto: History as Survival (m001ljgt)
9. Krysia'
80 years on from the uprising & destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto, Radio 4 brings to life an extraordinary archive that chronicled day to day existence. With the ghetto in ruins the leader of the Oyneg Shabes archive was now in hiding on the Aryan side, still writing the history of its people & its murders. Episode 9-'Krysia'. Narrated by Anton Lesser with Elliot Levey as Emanuel Ringeblum.
Following the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto in May 1943, historian & activist Emanuel Ringelblum went into hiding on the 'Aryan' side of Warsaw along with his family. His great work of history, the Oyneg Shabes archive-a vast project to chronicle life in the ghetto, was now buried in the rubble of Warsaw. Now he and 38 other souls lived a fragile existence in the underground shelter 'Krysia'. Boredom and the ever present fear of betrayal and discovery filled their days and nights but Ringeblum was determined to continue writing his first draft of history. In regular contact with the Jewish underground, with documents smuggled in and out, he wrote by the dim light of a carbide lamp. Both a history of the Uprising that had already become deeply symbolic and the painful question of Polish Jewish relations since the German invasion. But would Ringeblum live to see his great work of social history, the 'Oyneg Shabes' archive, finally revealed to the world?
Narration by Anton Lesser with Eliot Levey as Emanuel Ringeblum. Translation by Dafna Allon, Danuta Dabrowska & Dana Keren. Historical adviser Samuel Kassow.
Written and 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 (m002553t)
Would Israeli PM face arrest if he travels to UK?
There's been an angry reaction in Israel after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes. We speak to a former prime minister of Israel - and ask the chair of Westminster's Foreign Affairs Committee whether Mr Netanyahu could be arrested if he comes to the UK.
Also on the programme:
Vladimir Putin has tonight issued a warning to Britain after it allowed Ukraine to use long range missiles to target Russia. We're live in Moscow with the latest.
The former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has been hailed as a "working-class hero" after his death at the age of 86. We ask whether it's still a such big deal to be working class in British politics.
And we dip into newly unearthed recordings by the jazz legend Miles Davis, from his time in 1960s Paris.
THU 22:45 Precipice by Robert Harris (m002553w)
Episode Nine
PRECIPICE by Robert Harris
For Armistice Day - 110 years after the outbreak of the First World War - a story of intrigue and secrets in the corridors of power.
In the summer of 1914, the young aristocrat and socialite Venetia Stanley is having an affair with a married, much older man.
That man is the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith.
As well as meeting regularly at social events they see each other privately on Friday afternoon drives in the Prime Minister’s limousine. In between times, Asquith writes to Venetia obsessively, but when he starts sharing sensitive matters of state and top secret documents, the letters are no longer merely evidence of an illicit relation-ship but a matter of national security …
Episode 9
Montagu has proposed marriage to Venetia. In Downing Street, there are the beginnings of plots against the Prime Minister.
Author Robert Harris, the master of plotting, is best known for his best-selling fiction, including Fatherland, Enigma, The Ghost Writer, Archangel and An Officer And A Spy. Precipice is his sixteenth novel.
Writer: Robert Harris
Reader: John Heffernan
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4
THU 23:00 The Today Podcast (m002553y)
Can you smash the gangs to stop the boats?
Keir Starmer has said Labour will “smash the gangs” to stop the small boats carrying migrants across the Channel, so Nick joins Amol from the busiest border crossing in Europe to discuss whether that’s really possible.
They hear from Syrian men living in a Bulgarian refugee camp and meet a sniffer dog who can detect rubber boats being taken across the border. Plus, they answer your questions about the issues raised in Nick’s reporting and what it’s like taking Today on the road.
The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are 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 has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.
To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.
The Today Podcast was made by Lewis Vickers with Nadia Gyane and Joe Wilkinson in London and Jade Bogart-Preleur and Oscar Pearson in Bulgaria. The technical producers were Philip Bull and Joe Lawrence. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0025540)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the prime ministesr faces MPs' questions on war, climate change and diplomacy.
FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2024
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m0025542)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 00:30 The Shadow of Algiers (m0014pgb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0025544)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0025546)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0025548)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m002554b)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002554d)
Books Are Bangin’
A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Hope Lonergan
Good morning.
I’ve always been intent on climbing up and outside of myself; of striving towards a kind of enchantment. I’ve explored different methods of getting to this place: social activism; midnight walking; making my own cold water plunge with a wheelie bin and bits chipped off of the freezer. (It didn’t work.) But the only proven method – the only way I get close to achieving transcendence – is when I’m reading fat theological tomes.
I’m quite an isolated person. As a result I’ve always sought solace in the leaning towers of books that dominate my home. There’s something about the satisfying ‘click’ of good writing, and the integrity of sound scholarship, that allows me to elevate beyond the parameters of self.
It’s hard to speak about a love of reading without coming across as pompous or self-congratulatory (alright, book boy!) but I’ll risk it to stress how much I love reading – and, as a knock-on effect - how worried I am about the disintegration of people’s attention spans.
‘Social media brain is ruining our children’ isn’t a novel bit of insight. Everyone bangs on about it. Even social media people use social media to upload short-form videos about the dangers of short-form videos. But – as a recovering addict – I’m more weary of transitory stimuli and the instant gratification it provides. I’m also a great believer in focus. And if you want cognitive ‘hygiene’, it requires the tenacity of a deep-diving mind. Having said that, this would make a bangin’ short form video to be fair. Please like and subscribe.
So, today I pray for the world’s readers, and those who properly invest in their studies – with time; with attention – instead of scrolling to the edges of the internet.
Amen.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002554g)
22/11/24 Danish methane tax; intensive chicken farm
In order to meet its climate goals, Denmark is introducing a levy on methane emitted by livestock. It will mean a tax of around 300 kroner, or about £34 per tonne of methane from livestock including cattle and pigs. The levy will more than double by 2035. The scheme has been put together after many months of debate between all political parties, Danish farmers, trade unions and environmental groups.
We visit an intensive chicken farm on the Bedfordshire-Cambridgeshire border where birds are reared in sheds of 40,000. To some it's a controversial method, the animals grown rapidly over a period of around 6 weeks - but to others it's a humane way of meeting demand for affordable chicken.
And we meet a former sound engineer working with the likes of Prince and Status Quo who left all that to start an aquaponic trout farm.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Sally Challoner.
FRI 06:00 Today (m00254g6)
22/11/24 - Nick Robinson in Germany and Simon Jack in London
In the last of this week's programmes focusing on migration Nick Robinson reports from Berlin where Germans are preparing for an election in which the leading candidate to be the next Chancellor says it's time the country shut its border to refugees. We hear from Kapitan Andreevo, the busiest land border in Europe between Turkey and Bulgaria, and from Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. Here the energy regulator, Ofgem, has increased the domestic price cap by 1.2% meaning the annual bill for a typical household will rise by £21. The CEO of Octopus Energy, Greg Jackson, and Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizen's Advice, discuss the changes. President Trump's former political advisor, Sam Nunberg, gives his reaction as Matt Gaetz, the President's first pick for Attorney General, drops out. And we hear from 'Wicked' superfan Sarah Cook and vocal coach Carrie Grant as the green witch hits the silver screen.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m00138rg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Uncharted with Hannah Fry (m001qw4s)
1. The Returning Soldier
It’s 1973 and the UK is in crisis: runaway inflation, industrial strike action and political turmoil. Unnoticed at the time - in hospitals and front rooms around the country - something odd is happening with the country’s newborns. A higher proportion of boys are being born than ever before in the 20th Century. What was behind this puzzling trend?
Hannah Fry follows one researcher’s obsessive mission to unravel the mystery.
Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman
Sound Design: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke
A series for Radio 4 by BBC Science in Cardiff.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m00254g8)
Adoption, Female Gladiators, Novelist Pyae Moe Thet War
Adopted children may be allowed much closer contact with their birth families in the future as part of “seismic” changes recommended in a new report published earlier this month. At the moment family courts set out the level of contact the child will have with their birth parents, usually letters sent via an intermediary. But that could change. Anita Rani hears from two women who were adopted, who share their thoughts on what these changes could mean for adopted children, and Prof Beth Neil who helped to write the report.
Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as Lucius and Connie Nielsen returns to her role as Lucilla. The sequel also includes a female gladiator for the first time, Yuval Gonen plays the role of Arishat. Anita is joined by classicist and author Dr Daisy Dunn and the film critic Larushka Ivan-zadeh to discuss how accurate this portrayal is and the role women play in the film.
'I Did Something Bad' is the debut novel by Pyae Moe Thet War. It tells the story of journalist Khin Haymar assigned by Vogue to get a scoop on Tyler Tun, Hollywood’s hottest movie star in exchange for a top job. But along the way a man ends up dead. Will the pair fall in love and can they get away with murder? Pyae joins Anita to talk about wanting to write a rom-com with murder set in her hometown of Yangon, Myanmar and why the novel features some serious social commentary on abortion, corrupt police and representation in film.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Laura Northedge
FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m00254gb)
Once Upon a Mealtime
Whether it's Turkish Delight, chocolate cake or ginger beer - some of our earliest food memories are shaped by the books we read. In this episode Sheila Dillon goes down the rabbit-hole of children's fiction to discover why young readers find descriptions of food so compelling.
She hears from bestselling children's author Katherine Rundell who insists on eating the food she features in her books. Katherine reveals what it's like to sample a tarantula in the name of fiction. Professor of Children's Literature Michael Rosen unpicks the themes of greed, temptation and fear that surface in both his work and that of Roald Dahl. At the Bath Children's Literature Festival Supertato author Sue Hendra and the illustrator Rob Biddulph talk about how children are drawn to the everydayness of food.
The programme concludes in the Children's Bookshop in North London as the Food Programme presenters gather to discuss their favourite food books of the year for both younger and older readers. They are assisted by the bookshop owner Sanchita Basu de Sarkar and the author of The Chronicles of Wetherwhy Anna James.
Presented by Sheila Dillon
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Robin Markwell
This episode features extracts from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis read by Katherine Rundell, The Boy Next Door by Enid Blyton read by Miriam Margolyes (for BBC Radio 4 in 2008) and The Twits by Roald Dahl read by Kathy Burke (for Jackanory, BBC TV in 1995)
FRI 11:45 The Shadow of Algiers (m0014qdb)
The Black Box of History
Seventy years after the Algerian War of Independence began - and as a divided France struggles to repair its broken politics - Edward Stourton presents tales from a colonial past which still cast a shadow over the present.
In the final programme of the series, Edward reveals how the wounds left by the Algerian War remain very close to the surface.
Benjamin Stora, the historian charged with producing a report on the war and its legacy for the French government, says the enormity of the challenge is clear..
Zorah Drif, who planted a bomb in Algiers at the age of 20 and who was immortalized in the film "The Battle of Algiers" tells us that one of the last great joys of her life is seeing young people determined to carry on the struggle. 87 years old when we spoke to her, she remained unrepentant.
But Algeria's leading novelist, Kamel Daoud, says the country's constant reliving of the past is a curse, not a blessing and says keeping the old wounds so raw is catastrophic.
Sound design: Peregrine Andrews
Producers: Ellie House and Adele Armstrong
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
REFERENCES
Paul Aussaresses - "Last Word", Radio 4.
Médine - “Grand Paris”.
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m00254gd)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 Rare Earth (m00254gg)
Who's in charge: us or plastic?
Our love affair with plastic has grown beyond all expectations since we were first introduced to the substance in the mid 20th century, and the rate at which we're using it shows no sign of slowing. But the tidal wave of plastic pollution we've unleashed is causing serious environmental problems. In this programme, Helen Czerski and Tom Heap hear how some of our plastic waste is burnt in incinerators or sent overseas, causing pollution far from our shores. In their search for solutions, they visit the Plastic Waste Innovation Hub at University College London, where Professor Mark Miodownik shows them how science is trying to keep up with the proliferation of plastic pollution. Back in the studio, they're joined by Professor Steve Fletcher from the University of Portsmouth, Sally Beken from Innovate UK, and environmental journalist Leana Hosea from Watershed Investigations, to talk about how we got here and how we can change our relationship with plastic. In the 2000s the amount of plastic waste generated rose more in a single decade than it had in the previous forty years. It's in everything - from our clothes, cars and cosmetics, to the 2.5 billion disposable drinks cups now discarded every year in the UK. It seems we can't live without it. So Helen and Tom ask: who's in charge now - us or plastic?
Producer: Emma Campbell
Produced in association with the Open University
FRI 12:57 Weather (m00254gj)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m00254gm)
Russia warns the West over escalation in Ukraine
The Kremlin says reckless decisions demand a reaction. We hear from the front line in Ukraine. Plus, the sinkholes in China home to the rarest of plants and animals.
FRI 13:45 Appetite for Distraction (m00254gr)
The Future of Attention
Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
In this final episode, he considers where our media consumption might be headed. Many are concerned about smartphone addiction and a disintegration of public discourse, but others see a brighter future and our current times as a turning point to a world where the capacities of technology are used to benefit of society.
Matthew speaks to a former tech engineer who has become a philosopher and activist on attention, a historian who believes that our current era has many precedents, a psychologist who is wary of headlines about collapsed attention spans and a behavioural economist who can see a way that our society will adapt to the digital world.
Contributors:
James Williams, author of Stand Out of Our Light: Freedom and Resistance in the Attention Economy
Matthew Sweet, Historian and Broadcaster
Professor Pete Etchells, Psychologist, Bath Spa University and author of Unlocked: The Science of Screen Time and How to Spend it Better
Michael Muthukrishna, Associate Professor of Economic Psychology and author of A Theory of Everyone: The New Science of who we are, how we got here and where we are going.
Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Sam Peach
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m00254gw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m00254h0)
Aldrich Kemp and The Rose of Pamir
Aldrich Kemp and The Rose of Pamir - Chapter One: Mothers
A break-in at the Linnean Society triggers a race for the mysterious and elusive Rose of Pamir. Clara Page and the Themis Group are on one side, but who is on the other?
Aldrich Kemp and the gang are back with some new faces as the race moves from London to Paris, New York to Amsterdam and the Maldives to Tajikistan.
Chapter One: Mothers
... and daughters take centre stage.
Clara Page - Phoebe Fox
Aldrich Kemp – Ferdinand Kingsley
Mrs Boone – Nicola Walker
Nakesha Kemp – Karla Crome
Aunt Lily – Susan Jameson
The Underwood Sisters – Jana Carpenter
Mrs Bartholomew – Kate Isitt
Lionel – Steven Mackintosh
Selina – Catherine Kanter
Hazlitt & Sir Peregrine – Ben Crowe
Recruitment Consultant – Bec Boey
Written and directed by Julian Simpson
Music composed by Tim Elsenburg.
Sound Design: David Thomas
Producer: Sarah Tombling
Production Assistant: Ethan Elsenburg
Executive Producer: Karen Rose
New episodes available on Fridays. Listen first on BBC Sounds
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:45 Something to Declare (m00254h6)
How to Read Beyond the Room
Jack Boswell explores the Korean concept of Nunchi - a cultural practice that centres on deeply attuning to one’s surroundings and gauging others' unspoken thoughts and emotions. Through the lens of Nunchi, we learn about how silence and observation can speak louder than words.
Joining him is Euny Hong, author of The Power of Nunchi, who shares her own journey with Nunchi and what it reveals about human connection. Euny describes Nunchi as more than mere intuition - it’s a way of tuning into the subtle cues in our environment and adjusting our behaviour accordingly. In one memorable story, she recounts an awkward moment at a party that could have been avoided with a bit more sensitivity to the room’s mood - a stark reminder of how easily we can misread social situations when we’re too focused on ourselves.
Jack also sits down with Dr Jin Park, a professor of philosophy and religion, to delve into the deeper cultural roots of Nunchi. For Koreans, she explains, Nunchi is more than just a social skill - it’s a way of living in harmony with others in close quarters. In South Korea's densely populated cities, where space is limited, people grow up learning to pick up on non-verbal cues and anticipate each other’s needs, creating a collective sense of peace and understanding. Dr Park shares a touching story about a small but powerful gesture that epitomises the care and attentiveness that Nunchi fosters.
This episode offers listeners a chance to reflect on how tuning into our surroundings and being mindful of unspoken cues can enrich our relationships and bring more harmony into our lives. It’s an invitation to cultivate a quieter form of attentiveness, one that values silence and subtlety, and to find ways to truly see and understand the people around us.
Host: Jack Boswell
Producer: Emma Crampton
Senior Producer: Harry Stott
Executive Producer: Sandra Ferrari
Production Coordinator: James Cox
Audio Supervisor: Tom Biddle
Sound Editor: Alan Leer
A Message Heard production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m00254hb)
Postbag Edition: Regent's Park, London
When should we prune roses? What plants grow well in rubble and grass? What's infecting my Prunus avium?
Peter Gibbs and a team of horticultural experts are led on a guided tour of Regent's Park in London, while dipping into the GQT postbag to answer your gardening conundrums.
Leading the tour is head gardener and fellow GQT panellist Matthew Pottage, who's also joined by pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood and head gardener Ashley Edwards.
Later in the programme, head gardeners Anna Rafal and Anne Tuomisto offer advice on pruning roses and designing a Mediterranean garden, as well as winter tidying with hibernating animals in mind.
Producer: Dominic Tyerman
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m00254hg)
Martinmas Wind
New fiction from Zoe Strachan set at the time of year when past and present mingle.
Song and memory combine at Martinmas; a time for feasting marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.
Read by Wendy Seager
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
Professor Zoe Strachan writes novels, short stories, essays, libretti and plays. She is a teacher of creative writing, editor of fiction anthologies and passionate about libraries and literacy.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m00254hj)
Lord Prescott, Stephanie Collie, Dame Janet Nelson, Frank Auerbach
Matthew Bannister on
Lord Prescott, the working-class lad who became Deputy Prime Minister.
Stephanie Collie, whose costume designs for “Peaky Blinders” and “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” inspired street fashion.
Dame Janet “Jinty” Nelson, the leading mediaeval historian who wrote an acclaimed biography of the Frankish King Charlemagne.
Frank Auerbach, one of the twentieth century’s finest artists. We speak to the art historian Catherine Lampert who sat for him every week for over forty years.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
FRI 16:30 Life Changing (m0025471)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m00254hl)
Two plead guilty to vast people smuggling operation
Two men plead guilty to running a vast people smuggling operation from a car wash in South Wales. We also look at the government's plan to overhaul the leasehold system, and speak to the journalist Allison Pearson after Essex Police says it will take "no further action" over one of her social media posts.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m00254hn)
The family of a British woman who died said their "hearts go out" to all those affected
FRI 18:30 Dead Ringers (m00254hq)
Series 25
Dead Ringers: Ep4. Revolting Farmers
Jeremy Clarkson and Nigel Farage weigh in on the new land tax, Rachel Reeves defends her CV and Donald Trump talks turkey.
This week's impressionists are Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Lewis Macleod, Duncan Wisbey and Katia Kvinge.
The episode was written by: Nev Fountain and Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Rob Darke, Edward Tew, Sophie Dickson, Angela Channell Christina Riggs and Joe Topping
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Produced and created by Bill Dare
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m00254hs)
WRITER: Keri Davies
DIRECTOR : Kim Greengrass
EDITOR: Jeremy Howe
David Archer…. Timothy Bentinck
Helen Archer…. Louiza Patikas
Jolene Archer…. Buffy Davis
Kenton Archer…. Richard Attlee
Ruth Archer…. Felicity Finch
Tony Archer…. David Troughton
Leonard Berry…. Paul Copley
Justin Elliott…. Simon Williams
Mick Fadmoor…. Martin Barrass
Emma Grundy…. Emerald O’Hanrahan
Jakob Hakansson…. Paul Venables
Brad Horrobin…. Taylor Uttley
Tracy Horrobin…. Susie Riddell
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Azra Malik…. Yasmin Wilde
Kirsty Miller…. Annabelle Dowler
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m00254hv)
Jess Gillam and Richard Stilgoe launch the new series
Saxophonist and Radio 3 presenter Jess Gillam, and lyricist and songwriter Richard Stilgoe, launch a new series as they join Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe to add the first five tracks of the new playlist. The elements feature in three of the tracks (but Earth, Wind & Fire don't!), before we head to the barber's and round off with a Dylan classic.
Producer: Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
I Feel the Earth Move by Carole King
Earth by Joe Henderson and Alice Coltrane
The Elements by Tom Lehrer
Shave and a Haircut by Billy Watson and His International Silver String Submarine Band
Mr. Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan
Other music in this episode:
Ay Jona by The Bahama Social Club
Will You Love Me Tomorrow by Carole King
Poisoning Pigeons In The Park by Tom Lehrer
Major General's Song from The Pirates of Penzance by W S Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
We Will All Go Together When We Go by Tom Lehrer
Magic Melody by Les Paul and Mary Ford
Unsquare Dance by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m00254hx)
Dr Halima Begum, Emma Reynolds MP, Joe Twyman, Sir John Whittingdale MP
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Layer Marney Tower, near Colchester, Essex, with Dr Halima Begum, Chief Executive of Oxfam GB; Labour MP for Wycombe Emma Reynolds, the Parliamentary Secretary at HM Treasury and Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions; Joe Twyman, the co-founder and director of the public opinion consultancy DeltaPoll; and Sir John Whittingdale, Conservative MP for Maldon and current member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Lead Broadcast Engineer: Rob Dyball
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m00254hz)
The New Centre Ground
John Gray believes the British state is broken, and that we urgently need a new centre ground in British politics.
'Outside the echo chamber of metropolitan opinion', John writes, 'there is a restive electorate perplexed and discomforted by the country the UK has become'.
He says our politicians seem bent on continuing the status quo, seemingly unable to comprehend a surge in support for populist politics.
But he wonders if the election of Kemi Badenoch could be a first step towards creating something radical in a new centre ground.
Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m00254j1)
Diplomacy from Ancient Greece to Trump
Anne McElvoy and guests discuss the art of diplomacy from Ancient Greece to the Tudors and today's shifting international security as well as how its portrayed on screen in dramas like the BBC's Wolf Hall and the Netflix series The Diplomat. Her guests include:
Former EU and US Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald .
Bronwen Maddox from the think tank Chatham House.
Historian Dr Clare Jackson who is the author of Devil Land England Under Seige 1588-1688.
Dr Holly Furneaux, Professor at Cardiff University talks about her research into "enemy intimacy" which is part of a new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London called War and the Mind.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m00254j3)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
FRI 22:45 Precipice by Robert Harris (m00254j5)
Episode Ten
PRECIPICE by Robert Harris
For Armistice Day - 110 years after the outbreak of the First World War - a story of intrigue and secrets in the corridors of power.
In the summer of 1914, the young aristocrat and socialite Venetia Stanley is having an affair with a married, much older man.
That man is the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith.
As well as meeting regularly at social events they see each other privately on Friday afternoon drives in the Prime Minister’s limousine. In between times, Asquith writes to Venetia obsessively, but when he starts sharing sensitive matters of state and top secret documents, the letters are no longer merely evidence of an illicit relation-ship but a matter of national security …
Episode 10
The Prime Minister’s government and his affair with Venetia are both on the brink of collapse. And after meeting Kell, Deemer comes to a startling conclusion.
Author Robert Harris, the master of plotting, is best known for his best-selling fiction, including Fatherland, Enigma, The Ghost Writer, Archangel and An Officer And A Spy. Precipice is his sixteenth novel.
Writer: Robert Harris
Reader: John Heffernan
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 23:00 Americast (p0k5xmrj)
Join the Americast team for insights from across the US.
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m00254j9)
Sean Curran reports on the Lords debate on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report. Also - efforts to engage youngsters in Parliament, and Sean takes a look at some of Lady Thatcher's belongings which are about to go under the hammer.