SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2010

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (b00s0zxc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SAT 00:30 Book of the Week (b00rzrsx)
Michael Chabon - Manhood for Amateurs

Episode 5

Jason Butler Harner continues to read from Pulitzer prize-winning author Michael Chabon's moving, warm and witty memoir about life as a husband, father and son.

In exploring what it means to be a man today, Chabon reflects on the personal and family history that haunts him even as it's being written every day. At the centre of a large and complex family, and with four young children, Chabon evokes memories of his childhood, of his parents' marriage and divorce and of moments of painful adolescent comedy.

In the final episode, Michael Chabon is forced to confront his teenage daughter's emerging sexuality, and his own feelings of protectiveness and helplessness towards her.

"For a while everything about my daughter's entrance into puberty, her emerging new self and the concomitant interest of boys in her, discomfited me. And the part of it that made me squirm the most was how depressingly trite my discomfort was. Was that the kind of father I had turned out to be? Standing on the front porch with my shotgun under one arm, cartoonishly interrogating my daughter's cartoonish dates?"

Michael Chabon is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of seven novels including The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, and The Yiddish Policeman's Union. He has been described by the Guardian as 'a spectacular writer' and by the New York Times as 'one of his generation's most eloquent voices'.

Jason Butler Harner has starred in films such as The Changeling with Angelina Jolie, as well as numerous TV series including Law and Order and John Adams. An accomplished stage actor, he has just appeared on the London stage in Serenading Louie at the Donmar Warehouse.

Producer: Jane Greenwood. This is a Loftus production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00s0zxf)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00s0zxh)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at 5.20am.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00s0zxk)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (b00s0zxm)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00s0zxp)
With the Rev'd Mary Stallard from Wales.


SAT 05:45 Ankle High History (b00jh470)
Episode 3

Scotland has a lost archaeological history - the ruins of thousands of townships and buildings which have never been recorded on any map, yet which tell the tale of life in a period of dramatic change. Mark Stephen follows attempts to uncover those stories before the buildings fade from the landscape.

Along the shores of Loch Tay are the remains of byrehouses, the sort of buildings in which the majority of Scots once lived. Mark hears the story of how these homes came to be abandoned, as a rural way of life disappeared.

Producer Monise Durrani.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (b00s0zxr)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SAT 06:04 Weather (b00s1lp6)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (b00s1lp8)
Show of Hands

Helen Mark visits the landscapes that have inspired award winning folk group Show of Hands who have won many awards for their music depicting rural life in Dorset and the West Country. Helen meets singer/songwriter Steve Knightley in his home town of Topsham on the Exe Estuary in Devon. He talks about his love of the area and explains why he chooses to sing about the countryside and its people in a way that's earned him the reputation for being 'the gravelly voiced spokesman of the rural poor'. The group's song Country Life encapsulates many of the harsher realities of contemporary rural England. Helen meets some of the characters who feature in those songs that have been described as 'music on an inspired and intelligent level... about the desecration of British country life.'
Among them is Dave Kerley, a former fisherman who has given up commercial fishing and now runs a fish business on dry land. Knightley's song The Dive tells the story of how Dave and his father used to dive for scallops until one fateful day when their dive nearly went tragically wrong. Giles Frampton, a long time friend of Steve's, feels strongly about rural poverty and deprivation. His own experiences of seeing the decline of villages and market towns and the closure of his family's butcher shop are the references for the song 'The Cold Heart of England'. The life of the small farmer is frequently referred to in Show of Hands' music and Helen visits a Dorset hill farmer where Steve Knightley's mother spent several years as an evacuee during the second world war which he records in his song, 'The Vale'.

Produced by Maggie Ayre.


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (b00s1n3s)
Farming Today This Week

60% of the UK's food is imported from Europe and beyond. With global freight suffering disruption this week after the volcanic ash from Iceland filled the skies and grounded aircraft, Farming Today discovers why the UK imports food that can be grown here.


SAT 06:57 Weather (b00s1n3v)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 07:00 Today (b00s1n3x)
With John Humphrys and Evan Davis. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (b00s1n3z)
Fi Glover is joined by singing legend and actor Alvin Stardust. Tim Brannigan tells us about coming to terms with the true circumstances of his birth. We'll also hear a guerilla report on the Scout Gang Shows and one listener recalls the sound of her mother's lorry. The poet is Luke Wright.


SAT 10:00 Excess Baggage (b00s1n41)
John McCarthy talks to writer Alistair Moffat about how history is at the heart of tourism in Tuscany. While the weather and the food are obviously big enticements, it is the culture, buildings and art of the Renaissance times, the Roman era and, even before that, the Etruscan period that have attracted visitors, from Dr Johnson to Dylan Thomas, to rediscover the joys of this part of Italy. And Charles FitzRoy who leads art tours of the region gives an insight into how Florence must have appeared to a visitor there in 1490.

Leigh Richardson works as a health and social services manager in Devon and is frightened of cows but that didn't prevent her from falling in love with a farm in northern Brazil. She bought it and has started to raise cattle there and she tells John McCarthy how she manages to juggle her two lives and what it's like to be plunged into the macho world of Brazilian cowboys.

Producer: Harry Parker.


SAT 10:30 Gurinder - the Indian Sequel (b00s1n43)
We're off to Goa with British film director Gurinder Chadha, who's a special guest at India's biggest and most colourful film festival, in Goa.

Her movies - Bend It Like Beckham, Bride And Prejudice, Bhaji on the Beach - are big hits in India. For millions of Indians, her portrayal of life for British Asians is the most realistic view they've had of their diasporic counterparts in the UK. Not only have her films changed our notion of what 'British' means by putting the Asian community firmly in the mainstream consciousness, but the way that Indian audiences respond to her films also tells us something about the changing relationship between India and the UK, and the Indian diaspora who live here.

As a twice migrant herself, she brings elements of Indian, Kenyan, and British themes to her work - a fusion of cinematic methods and subject matter.

In the glamorous setting of the flamboyant Goan film festival, we'll discover how huge Gurinder is there, and talk to Indian cinemagoers, directors, actors, and movie buffs about the larger than life director, her films, and how, whilst they're clad in their designer labels in a country that's a new world power, they see the British Asian community as endearingly old fashioned.

Producer: Lucy Greenwell.

A Just Radio production first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.


SAT 11:00 The Heckler (b00s1n45)
Episode 3

Clive Anderson presents a quirky, irreverent guide to the events of the election campaign.

It's week three of the campaign, and is positive the new negative? How have all the main parties taken to rebuking the others for "squabbling" - or debating policy, as it used to be called? As events continue to be dominated by the Prime Ministerial TV debates, we also get a view from across the Atlantic. What's going on in the letterbox war -- we venture into the murky world of the election leaflet, with Richard Pope of The Straight Choice website. And we take the pulse of the seat the Lib Dems have to win to make Nick Clegg a majority Prime Minister - Redcar. Plus, are their heads in the game? We probe the state of mind of the politicians, with the aid of top sports psychologist Michael Caulfield.

The declared candidates in the Redcar constituency are:
Vera Baird, Labour
Kevin Broughton, British National Party
Martin Bulmer, UK Independence Party
Steve Mastin, Conservative
Ian Swales, Liberal Democrat
Hannah Walter, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Producers: Mark D'Arcy / Peter Mulligan / Leala Padmanabhan
Editor: Martin Rosenbaum.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (b00s1n47)
Life in Bangkok's endless state of political chaos..

Are what Algerians call their "Black Years" finally coming to an end?

Spain forgets the lessons of history, and its orchards start to run dry...

And how Noah's Ark inspired the astonishing inventions of a Holy Man in Ghana..

For several weeks now, the centre of Bangkok has been a political battleground -- the scene of extraordinary tensions. Protestors, known as "Red Shirts", have set up camps and barricades and they've been living in the streets. They're demanding the government's resignation. They say it's illegitimate, having been the product of a parliamentary deal rather than an election. There's been serious violence, and there's always the danger of more. Rachel Harvey has been watching the crisis from the start.

For too long, Algerians have been forced to live in the shadow of violence. All through the 90s the armed forces fought Islamist militants in a conflict that cost more than a-hundred-and-fifty thousand lives. And then in 2007 Al Qaeda began to strike. There was a long string of bombings as the government, the security forces and foreigners were targeted.But more recently there's been an easing of the tensions, and Chloe Arnold sees signs of a gradual..cautious..return to better times.

West Africa is home to countless churches and spiritual groups. Among them is one in Ghana that goes beyond the traditional concerns for the souls of believers. The Kristo Asafo Church puts huge faith in the power of technology. Its leader, the Apostle Asafo sees the act of manufacturing as being a way to raise up and inspire his people. And as Neil McCarthy has been finding out, the church has got into the making of cars, aircraft...and some quite extraordinary lavatories..

Nothing in the world of sport has a history quite like the Marathon. Legend has it that it was first run by a messenger, bringing news of a glorious Greek victory. And the road from Athens to the battlefield at Marathon in the heat of summer will always be the classic route. But these days the great race is run all over the world. And one of my colleagues, Paddy Clark has just taken part in a marathon as far from the sizzling roads of Greece as you could possibly imagine..

Not so very long ago, Spain's Mediterranean coast was rather sleepy and forgotten...a place mostly left to its fishermen and shepherds. But recent decades of prosperity have transformed the Costas. They've become one of Europe's playgrounds, with the massive development of hotels and resorts and golf courses and so on. But of course, all of this consumes more and more water in what is an arid land..and Alex Bell points out, the regions problems are mounting up..


SAT 12:00 Money Box (b00s1n49)
In Money Box with Paul Lewis tomorrow/today

They struggled home - by coach, plane, ferry or hired car. But will those caught up in the volcanic ash travel chaos really get the bulk of their money back?

Plus: we hear from Shadow Chancellor George Osborne about his plans for our personal finances if his party wins the General Election.

And: is now the time to invest in China? Or is it a bubble waiting to burst?

That's all in Money Box at noon tomorrow/today.

Producer: Penny Haslam.


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (b00s0y08)
Series 71

Episode 2

Sandi Toksvig presents another episode of the ever-popular topical panel show. Guests this week are Phill Jupitus, Jeremy Hardy, Fred Macaulay, and Sue Perkins.

Produced by Sam Bryant.


SAT 12:57 Weather (b00s1n4c)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 13:00 News (b00s1n4f)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (b00s0y0b)
Jonathan Dimbleby chairs the live debate from the William Ellis school in north London with questions from the audience for the panel including: the Justice Secretary, Jack Straw; Caroline Spelman, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government; the former Liberal Democrat leader, Ming Campbell; and Justine Roberts, the founder of the parenting website Mumsnet.


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (b00s1n4h)
Jonathan Dimbleby takes listeners' calls and emails in response to this week's edition of Any Questions?


SAT 14:15 When the Politician Meets the Architect (b00b09m5)
Political Buildings

Jonathan Glancey ponders what the landmark buildings of a country tell us about its political life. Have UK politicians always hidden away in the Palace of Westminster.


SAT 14:30 Saturday Drama (b008pcrb)
The Tennis Court

By Jonathan Smith

Sam and Arthur Greenwood confide in each other about everything. But in 1943 Sam is posted to India with the 14th Army while his brother, a haemophiliac, remains at home in Kent. In April 1944 the Japanese Army surround the British forces in the small hilltop town of Kohima and, as the two sides face each other across the tennis court at the back of the Deputy District Commissioner's bungalow, Sam is haunted by a secret he has not shared with Arthur.

Sam ..... Dan Stevens
Arthur ..... Jot Davies
Mother ..... Celia Imrie
Lettie ..... Jasmine Hyde
Pearce ..... Thomas Arnold
Penny ..... Cressida Trew
Tom ..... Martin T. Sherman

Producer/director: Bruce Young.


SAT 15:30 The Music Group (b00s0cn5)
Series 4

Episode 2

Novelist Marina Lewycka joins artist Grayson Perry and self-proclaimed "bird nerd" Professor Nicky Clayton to explain why they've brought along a bittersweet aria, an autobiographical rant about father/son relationships and a popular Argentine tune, in some frank and funny discussion.

Find out what Mozart has in common with a pop song about a polka dot bikini; what happens to cross-dressers when they hit the age of fifty and what the sexual behaviour of birds has to do with the history of tango.

With Phil Hammond.

The Music Choices are:
Dove sono i bei moment from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro
Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini by Brian Hyland
Surviving Twin by Loudon Wainwright
III Pavadita by Alfredo De Angelis y su orquesta

Producer: Tamsin Hughes.
A Testbed production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (b00s1n4k)
Weekend Woman's Hour

Presented by Jane Garvey.
Once the staple of hairdressing salons, the 'shampoo and set' was the popular style for the well groomed woman. Queen of the Retro-Bouff, Nina Butkovich-Budden and top hairdresser Nicky Clarke discuss the revival of interest in vintage hairstyles and remember the setting lotion of choice.

The actor Beverley Callard is one of Coronation Street's best loved characters: landlady of The Rovers Return, Liz MacDonald. Behind the scenes, her life has been just as dramatic. She talks candidly about suffering a breakdown and being treated for clinical depression.

When Britain's naval task force headed for the Falklands to retake the Islands from Argentine forces, the only female military personnel destined for the combat zone were nurses. We hear from women who served on the Hospital Ship Uganda.

The family of a woman who took her own life in prison talked about why they think she was failed by the system. Doctor Seena Fazel, a clinical Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychiatry at Oxford University, and Frances Crook, from the Howard League for Penal Reform discuss what support is available, and why women in prison are at greater risk of suicide and self harm.

Clara Rodriguez is a Venezuelan-born pianist, who came to the UK at the age of 17 when she won a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music. She teaches there now, gives solo recitals around the world, and performs in Woman's Hour's studio.

Once considered the preserve of northern men, ferrets have become a favourite with women with most now owned by women in the south. Bennie Lye, from the National Ferret Welfare Society and Jude Shaw, who runs Dookies ferret rescue centre, discuss why in the presence of Tony Hancock - a twenty inch long ferret.


SAT 17:00 PM (b00s1n4m)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Ritula Shah, plus the sports headlines.


SAT 17:30 iPM (b00s1n4p)
Jennifer Tracey and Eddie Mair present iPM, the programme that starts with its listeners. This week: "Do the parties have policies directed at middle-aged, single, working voters who don't have children?" We explore the winners and losers when politicians focus on "hard working families". Jennifer Tracey returns to the home of a listener whose life is usually blighted by aeroplane noise but, thanks to the Volcano, has this week heard birds and bees. Also, does a history of mental health issues preclude you from standing as an MP? Carole Walker presents this week's Your News bulletin, and Martha Kearney makes a guest appearance in the podcast.


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b00s1n4r)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 17:57 Weather (b00s1n4t)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00s1n4w)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (b00s1n4y)
Peter Curran and guests with an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy.

Peter Curran talks to Paul Merton, who not only appears on Have I Got News For You and regularly wins Just a Minute, but will be clowning around with friends on his Spring/Summer UK tour of Paul Merton's Impro Chums.

Actor, writer and director Noel Clarke, the man behind the gritty West London set Kidulthood and Adulthood stars in the sword and sandals Roman epic 'Centurion'. His latest directorial offering 4.3.2.1 opens in the summer.

Journalist and documentary film-maker Sean Langan works in dangerous and volatile situations; including environments noted for war, conflict and civil unrest. In 2008 he was kidnapped by the Taliban. This time he takes it easy as he takes a ride on The Tazara Railway which links Tanzania and Zambia in his latest programme 'African Railway'.

Ralf Little talks to Tim Bradford about snogging, Panini football stickers and avoiding The French Exchange during his adolescence in small town Britain.

Plus there's music from Australian brother-sister duo Angus and Julia Stone.


SAT 19:00 Profile (b00s1n50)
Lloyd Blankfein

Edward Stourton profiles Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs, the highly successful but controversial global investment bank at the centre of fraud allegations.

Lloyd Blankfein looks like a classic American success story, rising from a tough upbringing to head the top Goldman Sachs bank. But the economic crisis and allegations of fraud have challenged the bank's mythical reputation. Edward Stourton profiles the man at the centre of that storm.


SAT 19:15 Saturday Review (b00s1n52)
Tom Sutcliffe and his guests Christopher Frayling, Miranda Sawyer and Dominic Sandbrook review the week's cultural highlights including The Slap by Australian novelist Christos Tsialkos and Todd Solandz's film Life During Wartime. They also consider Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize winning play Ruined, set in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the British Museum's exhibition Fra Angelico to Leonardo: Italian Renaissance Drawing and the BBC1 drama series Five Daughters, based on the events surrounding the murders of five women in Ipswich in 2006

Producer: Torquil MacLeod.


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (b00s1n54)
The Split Up (and the Almost Inevitable Reunion)

To mark the 40th anniversary of the Beatles disbanding, the Reverend Richard Coles, whose own band The Communards split up, examines how rock groups through the decades have decided to call it a day. From the Beatles through to the Verve who've disbanded several times, Richard trawls the BBC archives to find examples of rock split-ups and to ask whether there can ever be a dignified parting of the ways. He examines the many reasons that bands split and reveals a myriad of circumstances underlying these partings of the ways, from artistic differences to personal animosity, the wish of one singer to go solo or simply the end of a particular zeitgeist which characterised their sound. He also asks whether the energy and drive of the music and early days of a band means that tensions and a sundering is often inevitable.

The programme features a wealth of archive material from bands through the decades, of all kinds of musical styles from the Rubettes to The Verve, and from 10cc to The Eagles. There are also new interviews with the record executive Tony Wadsworth and the artist manager Jazz Summers, which give the view points of those working behind the scenes who have to manage and deal with the fall-out when a band splits up. Extra comment is provided by the rock specialists Stuart Maconie and Laura Lee Davies.

But the story doesn't just stop when the bands split. The members may go off and pursue other careers, but often, the creativity which fuelled them at the beginning still drives them 10 years down the line. In addition, touring is now where the big money is to be made. So, for many different reasons, many of the bands we thought we'd never see again are being coaxed from their separate career paths to reunite and go on the road once more. The Police regrouped, Take That have had a new lease of life and the Spice Girls took their children touring the second time around.

Of course, the reunion doesn't always go well. Perhaps the band is without the lead singer who gave such a distinctive sound. Sometimes the artistic differences which sundered the artists in the first place rear their heads again 10 years later. Maybe the fans have grown up and moved on. And that means that a reunited band can do the split-up all over again...


SAT 21:00 Classic Serial (b00rzmng)
Book 3: Smiley's People

Part 2

Simon Russell Beale stars as the intelligence officer George Smiley in a three-part dramatisation by Robert Forrest of John le Carre's classic novel, first published in 1979 and the third in the celebrated 'Karla Trilogy' following 'Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy' and 'The Honourable Schoolboy.'

Part 2: Smiley has glimpsed the possibility of bringing down his life-long Russian adversary Karla. He turns to former colleagues in the Circus for vital information before taking off alone into hostile territory.

Ann Smiley ..... Anna Chancellor
Oliver Lacon ..... Alex Jennings
Ostrakova ..... Lindsay Duncan
Connie Sachs ..... Maggie Steed
Toby Esterhase ..... Sam Dale
Hilary ..... Alison Pettitt
Claus Kretzschmar ..... Bruce Alexander
Frau Kretzschmar ..... Joanna Monro
Girl ..... Keely Beresford
Walther ..... Nigel Hastings

Producer Patrick Rayner

This episode is available until 3.00pm on Sunday 2nd May as part of the Series Catch-up Trial.


SAT 22:00 News and Weather (b00s1n56)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.


SAT 22:15 Unreliable Evidence (b00s0g1r)
Libel

Clive Anderson and guests discuss fears that Britain's libel laws are being used to stifle free speech.

There is particular concern about 'libel tourism' - that wealthy overseas litigants with little connection to this country, are using the British courts to sue people they claim have defamed them. It's been suggested that in relation to libel, Britain has become the legal equivalent of an offshore tax haven.

It's claimed that our libel laws are exerting a 'chilling effect' on doctors, scientists and campaigners; preventing them from speaking out against powerful organisations, for fear of being sued.

Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, has announced plans for wide-reaching reforms of Britain's libel laws. His proposals, building on a study by a working group of lawyers, academics and newspaper editors, are aimed at discouraging overseas claimants from launching cases in UK courts and the introduction of a 'public interest' defence to protect work done by investigative journalists, scientists and NGOs to inform the public.

The producer is Brian King, and this is an Above the Title production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 23:00 Counterpoint (b00s0b33)
Series 24

2010 Heat 5

Paul Gambaccini chairs the general knowledge music quiz from Manchester.

The questions cover every aspect of music - from the classical repertoire to world music, show tunes, film scores, jazz, rock and pop.

The three contestants from Teesside, London and Torquay are:

David Harman
Dan O’Hara
Valerian Ryland

Producer: Paul Bajoria

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2010.


SAT 23:30 Lost Voices (b00rzmtp)
Series 2

Molly Holden

From her early youth to her death in 1981, Molly Holden was an acute, unsentimental but lyrical poet of the natural world. She was influenced by Hardy and Edward Thomas but her poetry was distinctively her own; her inspiration was topography, archaeology, the ties of the present world with the past. Molly delighted in the outdoors and it was a huge blow when Multiple Sclerosis first slowed her down, then put her in a wheelchair. She continued to write about the world she could see from her window but increasingly the cruel reality of her situation became evident in her poetry. Written and presented by Brian Patten.

The readers are Annette Badland and Nigel Anthony.

Produced in Bristol by Christine Hall.



SUNDAY 25 APRIL 2010

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (b00s1nnn)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SUN 00:30 Afternoon Reading (b009psp0)
What I Learned from the Metaphysical Poets

The Tiny and the Light

By Ruth Thomas.

A funny and profound story on the nature of transience and permanence, tonight's story, by the acclaimed poet and novelist Ruth Thomas, takes its inspiration from John Donne's poem "The Blossom".

A week before moving house, Anna finds distraction from packing by arranging and rearranging the furniture in her daughter's doll's house: "procrastination in miniature".

Reader: Cara Kelly
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00s1nnq)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00s1nns)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00s1nnv)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 05:30 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00s1nnx)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (b00s1nnz)
The bells of Winchester Cathedral.


SUN 05:45 Profile (b00s1n50)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 News Headlines (b00s1np1)
The latest national and international news.


SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b00s1np3)
The Mother as Muse

The writer Sarah Cuddon reflects on the idea of the Mother figure as a muse.

With references to writers Collette, Virginia Woolf and Marguerite Duras, the painter Whistler and the dancer Michael Clarke, she explores some of the ways the mother provides food for creative inspiration.

With music from Montserrat Figueras, John Lennon and Patti Smith.

The producer is Alan Hall, and this is a Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (b00s1np5)
Intensive dairy farm

Adam Henson visits Neil Baker's industrial scale dairy farm near Crewkerne in Somerset. Neil has 950 cows which are mainly kept inside and is hoping to expand his herd soon. Adam takes a tour around the farm and dairy and asks 'what is intensive farming?'.


SUN 06:57 Weather (b00s1np7)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (b00s1np9)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (b00s1npc)
It's been another momentous week for the Catholic Church, as it struggled to deal with more sex abuse scandals, the head of the Church in England and Wales decided the time was right to apologise. Why now and will it be enough?

We are less than two weeks to the election and following on from our examination of where the Christian and Muslims votes may go on May the 6th; we look to the UK's Jewish community and ask what issues are important to them.

We'll also here how Scotland's faith groups are gearing up for the elections to Westminster and how the Church of Scotland, traditionally seen as the voice of political opposition, has seen that particular power fade away since devolution.

Austria is holding elections this weekend to choose a new President; one of the candidates Barbara Rosenkranz has caused huge controversy with her extreme right wing views especially on the holocaust. We will find out how the Catholic Church has joined the attack on her.

Geza Vermes has been one of the foremost religious historians for decades, Edward speaks to him about his writings on Jesus the Jew, the Dead Sea Scrolls and his own life.

And we find out which is the most religious place on earth with the help of a survey across nineteen countries and 25,000 people.

E-mail: sunday@bbc.co.uk

Series producer: Amanda Hancox.


SUN 07:55 Radio 4 Appeal (b00s1npf)
Medair UK

Donations to Medair UK should be sent to FREEPOST BBC Radio 4 Appeal, please mark the back of your envelope Medair UK. Credit cards: Freephone 0800 404 8144. If you are a UK tax payer, please provide Medair UK with your full name and address so they can claim the Gift Aid on your donation. The online and phone donation facilities are not currently available to listeners without a UK postcode.

Registered Charity Number: 1056731.


SUN 07:58 Weather (b00s1p76)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (b00s1p78)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (b00s1p7b)
Called to live for Christ. Good Shepherd Sunday challenges Christians to hear God's call to them. For some it leads to making radical decisions about their lives. The service comes from Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Roman Catholic Church in Cambridge. Led by Mgr Tony Rogers with preacher Sister Gemma Simmonds, lecturer in Spirituality and Pastoral Theology at Heythrop College, part of London University. The music is directed by Nigel Kerry. Producer: Clair Jaquiss. bbc.co.uk/sundayworship.


SUN 08:50 A Point of View (b00s0y0d)
The drama of politics

Simon Schama reflects on the timeless drama of British politics, ranging from his own memories of election night in October 1964 to the 1830s when parliamentary reform prevented social unrest from turning into revolution.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (b00s1p7d)
News and conversation about the big stories of the week with Paddy O'Connell.


SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (b00s1p7g)
Written By: Adrian Flynn
Directed By: Rosemary Watts
Editor: Vanessa Whitburn

Jill Archer ... Patricia Greene
Kenton Archer ... Richard Attlee
Alistair Lloyd ... Michael Lumsden
Shula Hebden Lloyd ... Judy Bennett
David Archer ... Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer ... Felicity Finch
Pip Archer ... Helen Monks
Josh Archer ... Cian Cheesbrough
Tony Archer ... Colin Skipp
Helen Archer ... Louiza Patikas
Brian Aldridge ... Charles Collingwood
Jennifer Aldridge ... Angela Piper
Matt Crawford ... Kim Durham
Lilian Bellamy ... Sunny Ormonde
Ed Grundy ... Barry Farrimond
Mike Tucker ... Terry Molloy
Vicky Tucker ... Rachel Atkins
Kirsty Miller ... Annabelle Dowler
Jazzer McCreary ... Ryan Kelly
Jim Lloyd ... John Rowe
Jude ... Piers Wehner
Paul ... Michael Fenton Stevens
Patrick ... Joseph Kloska.


SUN 11:15 The Reunion (b00s1p7j)
Dunblane

In the fourth programme of the BBC Radio 4 spring series of The Reunion, Sue MacGregor revisits the Dunblane Primary School shootings in 1996.

On the morning of March 13, Thomas Hamilton, armed with four handguns and 700 rounds of ammunition, killed 16 school children and their teacher, and wounded many more in an attack that lasted three minutes before finally turning the gun on himself.

Dunblane's community was shattered in an instant and immediately thrust into the media spotlight. Messages of support flooded in from all over the world.

The shootings sparked a massive call for tighter gun controls. The Snowdrop Campaign, set up by Dunblane residents, was successful in achieving a change in the law in 1997, making it illegal to buy or possess handguns.

Sue is joined around the table by school teacher Eileen Harrild, who was Hamilton's first target in the school gymnasium, but despite being shot four times survived the attack; bereaved parents Mick North and Pam Ross, whose respective five-year-old daughters Sophie and Joanna were killed; social worker Marie Sinclair, who counselled some of the grieving parents, and Sunday Times writer Jenny Shields, who wrote about Dunblane and its consequences and accompanied gun control campaigners on their protests.

Producers: Chris Green and David Prest
A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 12:00 The Unbelievable Truth (b00s0b39)
Series 5

Episode 4

David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they're able to smuggle past their opponents. Marcus Brigstocke, Henning Wehn, Lucy Porter and Graeme Garden are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as: Soap, Pudding, Rabbits and the Taxi Cab.

The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith, the team behind Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

The producer is Jon Naismith, and this is a Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (b00s1p7l)
The School of Artisan Food

The new School of Artisan Food, based near Retford in Nottinghamshire, offers craft skills like bread and cheese making as well as an intensive Diploma course. It uniquely combines those skills with teaching business know-how and food education. It was when the owners couldn't find a craft baker for their own bakehouse that the School was established. Now with funding from the East Midlands Development Agency, the School aims to meet a growing demand for craft baking and cheesemaking skills as well as fostering the aspirations of those wanting to set up their own business.

In the wake of the banking crisis, could such a Centre play a role in the wider economy as small businesses are increasingly seen as a way out of recession? For decades, small food and drink businesses have received little attention from any political party as food and agriculture were sidelined as a serious part of the economy - unless you happened to be running a giant supermarket. But the banking crisis, oil prices, water shortages in the countries that provide us with cheap fruit and veg - and now 'The Volcano' - are all subtly shifting the ground beneath entrenched attitudes. Food is once again becoming a significant business.

Sheila Dillon visits the School and speaks to managing director, Gareth Kennedy as well as to artisan cheesemakers Joe Schneider and Martin Gott. Sam Jackson who runs a Deli in Belper, Derbyshire, did a week-long cheesemaking course and Ben McKinnon who did an advanced breadmaking course, give their view on the experience and how it will help shape their future business hopes.

Dr. John Strak, former managing director of Mey Selections, and economist Prof Wyn Morgan of the University of Nottingham give their views on the wider market.


SUN 12:57 Weather (b00s1p7n)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (b00s1p7q)
A look at events around the world with Shaun Ley.


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b00s0y02)
Panellists Chris Beardshaw, Anne Swithinbank and Matthew Biggs visit gardeners in Blackmore Vale, Dorset. Peter Gibbs chairs the programme.

In our exclusive feature series 'Behind The Scenes At Chelsea', we find out about the Eden Project's entry to this year's competition.

Matthew Biggs explores shade-loving plants from the caves at Cheddar Gorge.

The producer is Howard Shannon. This is a Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 14:45 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's Escape to the Country (b00s1pds)
Feargus O'Connor and the Chartist Land Plan

The legacy of O'Connor's 1842 plan for poor Britons to plough their own furrow for financial independence and social dignity.


SUN 15:00 Classic Serial (b00s1pdv)
Book 3: Smiley's People

Part 3

Simon Russell Beale stars as the intelligence officer George Smiley in a three-part dramatisation by Robert Forrest of John le Carre's classic novel, first published in 1979 and the third in the celebrated 'Karla Trilogy' following 'Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy' and 'The Honourable Schoolboy.'

Part 3: Smiley is ready to spring the trap on his life-long Russian adversary Karla. With Toby Esterhase watching his back, he now moves the operation to Berne in Switzerland. But can he be certain he's the hunter, not the hunted?

Ann ..... Anna Chancellor
Ostrakova ..... Lindsay Duncan
Peter Guillam ..... Richard Dillane
Saul Enderby ..... James Laurenson
Inspector Mendel ..... Kenneth Cranham
Toby Esterhase ..... Sam Dale
Grigoriev ..... Finlay Welsh
Night Registrar/Sister ..... Joanna Monro
Karla ..... Philip Fox
Tatiana ..... Alison Pettitt

Producer Patrick Rayner

This production continues BBC Radio 4's major undertaking of dramatising all of the eight novels that feature the spymaster George Smiley, played throughout by Simon Russell Beale.

'a radio triumph... Simon Russell Beale's pitch-perfect master spy.' (Financial Times)

The Smiley Books:

The bespectacled, tubby, eternally middle-aged, deceptively ordinary, constantly cuckolded, morally perplexed and steel-trap-minded George Smiley - a man said to possess 'the cunning of Satan and the conscience of a virgin' - is one of the most brilliantly realised characters in British fiction, and one of the very few to have an iconic status comparable to Sherlock Holmes.

Gripping as they are as sophisticated thrillers - le Carre is first and foremost a master storyteller - the eight novels are also profound studies of the British governing class and its institutions over the long years of the Cold War.

What the critics have said of The Complete Smiley:

'A cracking adaptation' (Financial Times)

'promised to be delicious, and it was.' (Guardian)

'radio drama at its best. Chillingly good.' (Daily Mail)

'Another utterly gorgeous adaptation.' (Time Out)

The eight and final novel in the Smiley sequence, 'The Secret Pilgrim', will be broadcast in June.

Simon Russell Beale's distinguished career has been concentrated almost entirely on the classical stage, where his parts include Hamlet, Iago and Macbeth. He won the Best Actor Olivier for his performance as Vanya in Uncle Vanya in 2003. He was awarded a CBE the same year.

Robert Forrest has written extensively for radio, where his work has won three Sony Awards. He has dramatised works by, among others, Leo Tolstoy, George Eliot, Robert Louis Stevenson, Conan Doyle, Ford Madox Ford and Vladimir Nabokov. His stage play for children Jason and the Argonauts has toured internationally and on Broadway. He lives in Strathaven, Lanarkshire.

This episode is available until 3.00pm on Sunday 2nd May as part of the Series Catch-up Trial.


SUN 16:00 Open Book (b00s1pdx)
Mariella Frostrup talks to the novelist Andrew O'Hagan, whose latest book is a portrait of Marilyn Monroe as seen through the eyes of her dog, Maf. He explains why a urbane and well-read canine narrator seemed the most appropriate person to restore the reputation of Hollywood's best known sex siren.

The writer Caryl Phillips explains his passion for the work of the Japanese novelist Shusaku Endo, in discussion with the Japanese literature expert Damian Flanagan.

And Jim Crace's latest novel All That Follows takes a saxophonist as its central character. He talks about the influence of jazz on his writing, as do the crime writer John Harvey and the poet and novelist Jackie Kay.

Producer: Thomas Morris.


SUN 16:30 Lost Voices (b00s1pdz)
Series 2

Thomas Blackburn

BBC Radio 4's Poet in Residence, Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's radio poetry with 'Lost Voices: Thomas Blackburn'.

Novelist Julia Blackburn joins Brian Patten to talk about the life and work of her father, Thomas, whose powerful and remarkable poetry reflects the lifelong struggles he had with his demons. Thomas's father handed on to his son a hideous sense of shame which was in due course compounded by alcoholism and an addiction to prescription drugs. Yet Thomas Blackburn's rich and unflinching poetry is still well worth reading, and at the end of his life he was able to make peace with the past and die in contentment.

Poems read by Patrick Romer.
Producer: Christine Hall.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.


SUN 17:00 Biometrics: An Identity Crisis (b00s0djj)
Gerry Northam investigates the reliability of the science behind biometrics and explores how this technology is being deployed in the UK to protect and preserve our identity and security.

Biometrics or bio-identification is the science and technology employed to verify your identity using a biological trait that is unique to you, such as your face, your iris, a set of fingerprints, the way you sign your name or even the sound of your voice. For politicians, the term 'biometrics' has become something of a panacea - universal short hand for safe, reliable and secure: 'don't worry about the details - it's biometric, meaning, its complex science and therefore impossible to crack. Unsurprisingly, scientists who work on biometric systems don't agree.

Biometrics also lie at the heart of a confused and controversial debate around identity politics in the UK. Increasingly, it seems, biometrics will be the means by which you will need to identify yourself in world, to prove who you are not just at airports when you go on holiday (with biometric fingerprint passports from 2012), but, in the not too distant future, commentators are painting scenarios where biometrics will allow you to vote, get a mortgage, shop, access benefits and even healthcare. But what we're lacking, say critics, is any real public debate about how these systems are being deployed and in whose interest.

The UK's policy on identity and the use of biometric technologies seems strangely undercooked given that this has been on the agenda since at least 2002, if not before. In recent years the issue has been mired in (at times) furious arguments about privacy, data theft and data sharing. The central controversy is the creation of a national identity register containing the fingerprint and detailed biographical information of millions of British citizens. This could ultimately be shared with agencies in the UK and around the world, something lobbyists are unhappy with. But some scientists believe that the technology being deployed in the UK to underpin this database - fingerprint biometrics - is the wrong choice. It's a system far less reliable than, say, iris scanning, probably the least error prone of all the systems but which was rejected on the grounds of cost and whose benefits may have even been mis-represented to Parliament. We'll talk to one academic who claims this is the case as well as another whose research seems to show that it is possible to reconstruct meaningful data about an individual from the encrypted fingerprint 'code' (called the minutae points) that would be embedded into a typical biometric ID card - something that is supposed to be impossible.

After a two year hiatus and on the eve of a general election, the Labour Government have come out firmly in favour of implementing a voluntary ID card scheme along with a national ID register that they hope will grow exponentially after 2012 once biometric passports come into force. They see the creation of a biometric ID card as a means of liberation and certainty for millions of people, and perhaps it is. Meanwhile neither Tories nor Lib Dems have yet to make a clear statement about how they might proceed should the election go their way, but it's clear that some elements of the whole scheme could be dismantled whilst others stay in place.

With governments around the world investing billions in these systems and the UK moving towards more widespread use in the next decade, Gerry Northam investigates the myths and realities around biometrics, where both the science and the policy seems to be experiencing an identity crisis.


SUN 17:40 Profile (b00s1n50)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b00s1pg6)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 17:57 Weather (b00s1pmn)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00s1pmq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (b00s1pms)
Hardeep Singh Kohli makes his selection from the last seven days of BBC Radio

The Essay - Radio 3
Here Be Dragons - Radio 4
Today - Radio 4
Meet David Sedaris - Radio 4
Great Lives - Radio 4
Twenty Minutes - Radio 3
Kala Pani - A Forgotten History - Radio 4
The Reunion - Radio 4
The Six Loves of Billy Binns - Radio 4
Madwomen in the Attic - Radio 4
Fly me to the Reverend Moon - Radio 4
Gurinder The Indian Sequel - Radio 4
The Vote Now Show - Radio 4
PM - Radio 3
Archive on 4 - Radio 4
Words and Music - Radio 3

This week's Pick of the Week has a little something for everyone. There's plenty of romance, some in the form of drama with the inimitable Tom Courtenay reflecting on his life and his loves; there's something about the art of running, poetic and reflective; we explore the iconic status of dragons and there is the lighter side of the election. The usual speech-based cornucopia of aural delights. And Bucks Fizz.

PHONE: 0370 010 0400
FAX: 0161 244 4243
Email: potw@bbc.co.uk or www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/potw.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (b00s1sgt)
Lilian shows she can keep a secret, and Brian has some cautionary tales.


SUN 19:15 Americana (b00s1sgw)
Presented by Matt Frei from Washington, DC. Matt Frei talks to Republican legend Newt Gingrich about the calls for change coming from outside the current administration. At the same time, new cracks are forming from within the Democratic Party. North Carolina First party member Chuck Stone explains why he's just as angry as those from the Tea-Party at the other end of the political spectrum.

Also conversation with Richard Clarke, America's first terrorism czar. Up for discussion - just how serious is the threat from home-grown terrorists and what kind of anger is brewing inside the borders of the United States?

And to calm the tattered nerves of this nation, Matt Frei takes time to taste some of America's most beloved comfort foods, the sweet potato pie, collard greens and macaroni and cheese of American 'soul food'.

Our email address is americana@bbc.co.uk, or follow us on Twitter @bbcamericana.


SUN 19:45 Afternoon Reading (b00br88l)
Hay-on-Wye Stories 2008

Travels with a Hydrosextant

With his polaroid hydrosextant in hand, young Willie Paterson, apprentice quantity surveyor, takes us on a tour of his beloved Glasgow. Little does he imagine that most of the streets and buildings he knows are about to be flattened by the wrecker's ball.

For this is the 1960s and over the next decade, the structure and architecture of Glasgow will change beyond all recognition. Whole swathes of tenements and back greens will disappear to make way for the new age of the tower block. And apprentice quantity surveyors are on the front line, helping to tally up the demolitions and measure the concrete on nearly 300 tower blocks all over Glasgow.

Read by Bill Paterson
Producer: Emma Harding.


SUN 20:00 Feedback (b00s0wr8)
Is listening to the Prime Ministerial Debates different from watching them? Why has so much radio time been given to covering them? And could the coverage of the travel chaos caused by the eruption of the Icelandic volcano have been better?

Listeners ask the questions, Roger Bolton gets the answers.

Producer: Brian McCluskey
A City Broadcasting production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 20:30 Last Word (b00s0y04)
Juan Antonio Samaranch/Tom Fleming /Ronald Gregory/Bishop Abel Muzorewa

On Last Word this week:

Juan Antonio Samaranch - President of the International Olympic Committee who was credited with transforming the fortunes of the modern Olympics, but dogged by allegations of corruption and the use of drugs in sport.

The actor, director and writer Tom Fleming who was also the voice of major royal occasions on the BBC. His professionalism guided us through events like the Queens's Coronation, the wedding and funeral of Princess Diana and the Edinburgh Tattoo.

Ronald Gregory who was the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire police at the time of the much criticised investigation into the Yorkshire Ripper murders.

And Bishop Abel Muzorewa who tried to negotiate a peaceful transition to black majority rule in Rhodesia before being trounced at the polls by Robert Mugabe.


SUN 21:00 Money Box (b00s1n49)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:00 on Saturday]


SUN 21:26 Radio 4 Appeal (b00s1npf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:55 today]


SUN 21:30 In Business (b00s0vd6)
Upending the Pyramid: Remembering CK Prahalad

In a changed to the advertised programme, this week's In Business is a tribute to the influential management thinker Professor CK Prahalad, who died on April 16th in San Diego, California at the age of 68 after a short illness.
Professor Prahalad was born in India, but he made his name in the USA as a management expert at Harvard and the University of Michigan's Ross Business School. With Gary Hamel he devised the concept of corporate core competence which became a watchword for international business when it was published in their book "Competing for the Future" in 1994.
But CK Prahalad went on to produce an even more influential idea. In 2002 Peter Day interviewed Prof Prahalad about his Harvard Business Review article on what he called "The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid"... the profits multinational companies could make by turning their attention to producing goods and services for the global poor. This became a best-selling book two years later, and it had a very big impact on the way developing markets were seen by companies, bankers, politicians and policy makers all over the world.
This In Business listens again to Professor Prahalad's thoughts about the rise of the new developing world consumer and the impact on the companies, countries and non government organisations. His ideas changed the way the rich half of the world thinks about the poor half, and they will resonate long after his death.

Producer: Richard Berenger


SUN 21:58 Weather (b00s1t1x)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (b00s1t20)
Reports from behind the scenes at Westminster.


SUN 22:45 What the Election Papers Say (b00s1t22)
Episode 7

BBC Radio 4 brings back a much loved TV favourite - What the Election Papers Say. It does what it says on the tin. Each programme will see a leading political journalist take a wry look at how the broadsheets and red tops treat the biggest stories of the campaign.

Hear all about it - with columnist for The Times Alice Thomson.


SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (b00s0y06)
Ground-breaking documentary maker Frederick Wiseman discusses his career with Francine Stock.

James Cameron on the best-selling film of all time, Avatar.

Francine visits the Corn Exchange in Witney and meets John Richards, who runs the cinema single-handedly

Colin Shindler reports from April 1960.


SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b00s1np3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:05 today]



MONDAY 26 APRIL 2010

MON 00:00 Midnight News (b00s1t5g)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b00s0g1m)
Inequality and nakedness

Nakedness can thrill, it can disgust, it can humiliate, amuse and entertain. The sight of humans without clothes provokes powerful and contradictory impressions: it is both the shame of Adam and Eve as they are expelled from Eden and the purity of Jesus as he is baptised; both the humiliation of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and the exuberance of young people at a rock festival.

The power of the taboo against nakedness in Western Culture has meant that it is a potent form of protest, but as films like the Full Monty and plays like Calendar Girls bring it into the mainstream, have our attitudes to nakedness changed? Laurie discusses A Brief History of Nakedness with its author Philip Carr-Gomm and the sociologist Angela McRobbie.

Also, the geographer Danny Dorling argues that inequality in the rich world is perpetuated by five ingrained beliefs: elitism is efficient; exclusion is necessary; prejudice is natural; greed is good; despair is inevitable. He uses his social research to argue that those beliefs are nothing more than myths.

Producer: Charlie Taylor.


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b00s1nnz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00s1tc2)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00s1tdc)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00s1tnz)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 05:30 News Briefing (b00s1tpc)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00s2msy)
With the Rev'd Mary Stallard from Wales.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (b00s2mvr)
Charlotte Smith hears calls from the RSPCA for cheap, fast-growing chickens to be taken off the shelves. But The British Poultry Council tells Farming Today that intensively reared chickens enjoy high welfare. And with more than a dozen dairy farmers leaving the industry every week, those with small herds are increasingly searching for a cutting edge: we meet one who uses a cow-operated robotic milking machine to improve the efficiency of his business.


MON 05:57 Weather (b00s2v8l)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.


MON 06:00 Today (b00s2n0x)
With Justin Webb and James Naughtie. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (b00s2v8n)
Andrew Marr Starts the Week with Fiona Shaw talking about her new production 'Elegy for Young Lovers' at the ENO, Simon Armitage on his new collection of poetry 'Seeing Stars', Lord Bingham discussing the rule of law and music critic Paul Morley reveals the shortlist for this year's PRS Foundation New Music prize.
Producer: Eleanor Garland.


MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b00s2nsw)
Defending the Guilty

Episode 1

Every day, like every criminal barrister in this country, Alex McBride stands up in court and, with nothing but quick thinking, sharp talking and his hard-won legal expertise, attempts to save people from criminal conviction, prison, even a lifetime behind bars.

In this amusing and revealing series, he takes us behind the scenes of Britain's criminal justice system - in barristers' chambers, in the courtroom, in the cells and on the streets - introducing us to its outlandish personalities, arcane eccentricities and stories of triumph and defeat. Whether he's defending hapless teenagers at Harlow Youth Court or prosecuting gold bullion robbers at the Bailey, his tales reveal all the secrets of courtroom success and what it takes to survive in this chaotic world of fluked escapes and crushed hopes.

In this first episode, Alex has his first experience of a client accused of murder in the cells at the Old Bailey, and explains the grind of his year as a pupil barrister.

The producer is David Roper, and this is a Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00s2n31)
For centuries, members of the aristocracy have entertained in lavish style, with elegant silver platters, and beautifully decorated fine china. Now an exhibition at the Harley Gallery on the Welbeck Estate, historically the home of the Dukes of Portland, explores different aspects of food and drink from the French menus of the family to the beer, bread and meat of the servants' hall. Philippa Glanville, Social historian, is the curator and Lisa Gee is the director of the Harley Gallery. They talk to Jane about the domestic history of a large country estate.

There are significant increases in the number of women who are making a 'lifestyle choice' to stay on their own when becoming a parent. So why is this a growing trend for women? And is it better to have a child on your own than not at all? Jane Garvey talks to Jennie Hunt senior fertility counsellor at Hammersmith Hospital in West London and Louiza Patikas who plays Helen in Radio 4's long-running drama serial, 'The Archers'; a character who is making the choice to 'go it alone'.

In 1852, 19-year-old Theresa Longworth met an Irish aristocrat William Charles Yelverton. After carrying on a clandestine relationship for years, the two of them were married - or so Theresa thought. When Yelverton later married another woman, Theresa accused him of committing bigamy and went to court to prove that she was his valid wife. The story became front page news for months, songwriters dedicated ballads to Theresa, and it allegedly inspired a Wilkie Collins's novel. Jane Garvey talks to Chloe Schama about her debut book, Wild Romance, which tells the story of Theresa Longworth's life and the scandal that gripped Victorian society.

Ta Moko is the Maori art of Tattooing the face and body. Originally it was a mark of beauty and status. Men had their whole faces inscribed while women had only their chins and foreheads done. During the mid twentieth century these facial tattoos began to disappear. Recently however there's been a resurgence of women choosing to wear their Maori birthright on their faces. Candida Beveridge went to meet Dr Ngahuia Te Awekotuku who grew up in a traditional Maori community and is now a professor of Maori Cultural Studies at Waikato University.


MON 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00s5hdg)
An Unsuitable Attachment

Episode 1

1/10

Penelope Wilton stars in Barbara Pym's wonderful story of love - requited and otherwise - in unfashionable north London in 1960. A terrace of newly done-up houses attracts a different kind of resident to Queens Park, and the Reverend Mark Ainger and his wife Sophia are keen to attract them to the church. But the arrival of anthropologist Rupert Stonebird and librarian Ianthe Broom in the congregation does more than swell the collection plate.

An Unsuitable Attachment was turned down by Barbara Pym's publishers, Faber, when she gave them the manuscript in 1963, with very little explanation. Her previous 6 books had met with some success, so she was very upset and according to her correspondence felt very badly treated. It wasn't until 1977, when the Times Literary Supplement published a symposium on the most over and under-rated writers of the century and two contributors named her in the second category - the only living writer to be so distinguished - and her next novel was published before the year was out. She was widely interviewed, appeared on Desert Island Discs, and was the subject of a tv film. She died in 1980. An Unsuitable Attachment was finally published in 1982.

Dramatised by Jennie Howarth.

Narrator ..... Penelope Wilton
Penelope ..... Sophie Thompson
Sophia ..... Lucy Akhurst
Ianthe ..... Raquel Cassidy
Mervyn ..... Stephen Critchlow
Mark ..... Martin Ball
Rupert ..... Ben Crowe
John ..... Tom Andrews
Sister Dew ..... Angela Curran
Lady Selvedge ..... Joanna Wake
Mrs Grandison ..... Frances Jeater
Edwin ..... Robin Bowerman
Basil ..... Joe Coen

The director is Chris Wallis, and this is an Autolycus production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 11:00 China: Saviours of Snooker (b00s2vfy)
When two Chinese players met at the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield, 100 million people tuned in to watch. The growth of this often-derided armchair sport in the Far East is nothing short of remarkable, with players like Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo fast-becoming national celebrities on an unimaginable scale. But these elite players have turned their backs on the bright lights of Beijing, and have moved to the once-thriving industrial city of Sheffield to take advantage of the world-class facilities at snooker's national academy.

Journalist and broadcaster Martin Kelner talks to Ding Junhui about how well he's adapting to a life in Britain, and the impact of the game's popularity in his home country.

He talks to promoter Barry Hearn, the newly installed Chairman of the WPBSA, who pioneered the early trips to China in the mid-80s with his Matchroom stars like Steve Davis, with reflections from Davis on China at that time, and the part it could play in the future of the game.

There are also contibutions from 2009 China Open winner Peter Ebdon, and recordings from the glitzy opening ceremony at this year's tournament.

Hearn also discusses his plans for the modern game, and the steps he deems necessary to inject some life back into the game that has previously been starved of excitement, sponsorship, and prize-money.

Producer: Toby Field


MON 11:30 Thinking of Leaving Your Husband? (b00s2w20)
A Mathematical Improbability

Thinking of Leaving Your Husband is a four-part comedy drama by Charlotte Cory which explores a middle-aged woman's attempts to find herself a new romantic interest by joining an internet dating site. The series gives us two virtuoso acting performances by Lia Williams, who as Sarah, our heroine, appears in every scene, and Henry Goodman who not only plays Sarah's ex-husband Malcolm, but every one of her would-be lovers.

Sarah is distraught that she has been so deceived by her lying Dutchman. She is all for giving up the search to find a perfect partner. But Tania persuades her, for self-interested reasons, to go on a 'speed-dating' evening, where Sarah finally meets Tony, the mathematics professor and lover of ballroom dancing, whom she knows on the internet as 'Midnight Magic'. They are immediately attracted to each other - but leave without exchanging contact numbers and Sarah finds that Tania has wiped her details from the internet dating site. What are the mathematical chances of Sarah and Tony ever meeting again?

Sarah ..... Lia Williams
Tony, and all Sarah's internet dates ..... Henry Goodman
Mother ..... Miriam Margolyes
Tania ..... Frances Barber
Francis Parker ..... Roger Hammond
Phoebe-Jane ..... Hayley Roberts

Sound Design by Lucinda Mason Brown &
Original Music by David Chilton.
Series initiated by Nick Russell Pavier

Director: Gordon House

A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:00 You and Yours (b00s2p5y)
If you think you've been mis-sold a mortgage, a word of caution about companies offering to win you compensation. The Financial Ombudsman Service is warning that promises by some claims management companies of up to fifty thousand pounds back may be too good to be true.

British Gas explains why it's still hounding one customer for a debt that a year ago its own Managing Director admitted belonged to someone else. You can email the Commercial Director, Chris Jansen with your own queries chris.jansen@britishgas.co.uk

And the DVD recorder with the indelible adverts

Julian Worricker presents.


MON 12:57 Weather (b00s2p7r)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 13:00 World at One (b00s2pbj)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.


MON 14:00 The Archers (b00s1sgt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Drama (b00s2w24)
Nick Walker - Life Coach

It takes Derby Anderson forty-three minutes and fifty-nine seconds to get from her car to the hotel room where the Secretary General of the United Nations is waiting for a life-coaching session. And Derby needs to get her own life sorted out in those forty-three minutes or she won't be of any help to anyone.

We hear a real-time journey where we weave in and around Derby and the security aide, Jack, who accompanies her, and whose lives we get to know intimately as they get closer to the door of the hotel suite.

LIFECOACH is a play in JOHN DRYDEN's occasional series, Forty-Three Fifty-Nine, which follows one person's perspective in what plays out as one continuous take. It was recorded on location in Broadcasting House, Portland Place and an underground car park. The cast also features Patrice Naiambana as The Secretary General and Paul Panting.

Writer and director Nick Walker has two published novels on bookshelves worldwide, has written and performed stories, plays and comedy for BBC Radio 4 and toured internationally with some of the nation's finest experimental theatre companies.

Written By Nick Walker
Directed and Produced by Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 15:00 Archive on 4 (b00s1n54)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Saturday]


MON 15:45 The Single Life (b009ttwl)
Episode 1

Thirty Five percent of the British adult population have never been married and are officially single. Is it a world of freedom and fun, or of crushing loneliness? And how is the issue of security, both emotional and financial, affected by being alone? From the women and men in their 20s and 30s searching in desperation to find a partner, to the divorcees suddenly single and part of the dating game, both trying to comprehend its complicated rules.

In this first episode, Hayley and Catherine discuss what it is like to be single women looking for true love, revealing the difficulties modern life throws up to thwart their search, their fears of a ticking biological clock and the problems with speed dating.

This 5-part series, originally broadcast in 2008, explores the lives of the thousands of ordinary people in the UK today who live the single life, uncovering surprising stories.

Producer: Jo Meek
An All Out production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 16:00 The Food Programme (b00s1p7l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 Click On (b00s2w27)
Series 6

Episode 5

Simon Cox explores the digital world.
In this week's show: Twittering Shakespeare; a look behind the scenes of video game development; and how smartphone apps are becoming a tool in some surprising workplaces. Plus the BBC's Broadcasting House gets tagged in a new project that mixes technology with social history.


MON 17:00 PM (b00s2ps2)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00s2px8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (b00s2w3d)
Series 5

Episode 5

David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they're able to smuggle past their opponents.

Tony Hawks, Arthur Smith, Phill Jupitus and Catherine Tate are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as ostriches, toast, spectacles and the colour red.

The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith, the team behind Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

Producer - Jon Naismith.
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 19:00 The Archers (b00s2pjv)
Ed remains sceptical about Vicky's business plans. She will need to get a good price for the calves. Vicky says it's all in hand, and soon Ed will wonder why they haven't been in this new line of business for years.

Jazzer can't bear Mike singing Harry's praises. Jazzer feels queasy looking at Harry's smug new blog, annoyed that he wasn't consulted (Mike left all the web stuff to Brenda). Mike thinks it's good publicity. Jazzer decides he'll start his own blog, to rival Flash Harry, and recruits Ed to help. Jazzer's determined to put "Prince Harry" in his place.

Tom calms a nervous Brenda and tries to give her a bit of confidence before she sets off for her interview. Brenda has a nightmare journey though, and turns up feeling flustered. On her return, Mike and Vicky ask how it went. She tells them everyone seemed very nice, and they said she did a good application, but she's no idea what they really thought.

When Tom arrives, Vicky tells him that Brenda's done brilliantly. As Brenda goes to get changed, Tom tells Mike and Vicky about his concerns, but they think the job sounds perfect for Brenda. They've just got to keep their fingers crossed.


MON 19:15 Front Row (b00s2q99)
Luther; David Greig; Giorgio Moroder

Kirsty Lang reports on how playwright David Greig is creating a new version of Peter Pan for the National Theatre of Scotland; the verdict on the TV crime thriller Luther, starring Idris Elba; the young composers creating fanfares for the Royal Opera House; and electronic music pioneer Giorgio Moroder at 70.


MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00s5hdg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


MON 20:00 The Rise and Fall of Yugoslavia: The Story of Tito (b00s2w9w)
Episode 1

On May 4th 2010 it will be 30 years since the charismatic leader of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia died, leaving a splintered Republic in his wake. For thirty-five years Josip Broz Tito seemingly held together a republic of seven frontiers, six republics, five nationalities, four languages, three religions and two alphabets.
But during his reign ethnic tensions were always bubbling under the surface and ten years after his death they exploded into violence not witnessed in Europe since the Second World War.

In this two part series Martin Bell returns to the region he spent much of the 1990s reporting from, tracing the events that kept the Yugoslav Republic together & subsequently tore it apart. And he asks whether 15 years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, the Balkans is precariously balancing on the edge once more.

Martin takes a journey through history, his own & Tito's, across the mountains of Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia; To Kumrovec, the birthplace of Tito, Jajce the birthplace of the republic & Belgrade, where Tito is buried. During his travels he speaks with the Crown Prince of Serbia at Tito & Milosevic's former Presidential Palace, Stepjan Mesic & Raif Dizdarevic prominent Communist leaders who helped run Yugoslavia with Tito, and after he had died.

Talking with those who knew, respected, feared & loved Tito, Martin looks at the legacy of the man who defied Stalin and turned himself into a World Statesman. Charting the decade from Tito's death - when Yugoslavia hung together by a thread - to the outbreak of war, he investigates whether Tito could have done more to keep his beloved republic together and asks why a man whose funeral was attended by high profile delegates from every corner of the globe was so quickly forgotten by the West.

The producer is Gemma Newby. This is an All Out production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 20:30 The Report (b00s37c9)
Sex Abuse and the Catholic Church

As the Catholic Church struggles to deal with a wave of sex abuse scandals, Radio 4 investigates the Pope's track record in dealing with paedophile priests. When he was elected, Pope Benedict XVI promised to rid his Church of "filth", but he now stands accused of covering up abuse and failing to protect children from paedophile priests. In The Report this week, Simon Cox examines claims that the Pope mishandled two key cases - the first during his time as Archbishop of Munich and the second while leading the Vatican watchdog responsible for dealing with clerical abuse.


MON 21:00 Material World (b00s0hn7)
Quentin Cooper listens in to the judging process for the 'So You Want To Be A Scientist' talent search and announces which four finalists have been chosen to perform their experiments in Radio 4's amateur science search, from this shortlist:

Sam O'Kell, Croupier: I believe the greatest crowd density at a music gig is not at the front but three rows back. I would test this by wearing a pressure sensing vest beneath normal clothes, and take readings at different locations in the crowd.

Ruth Brooks, Retired special needs tutor: What is the homing distance of the Garden Snail that decimates my plants? How far away do I have to dump them before they find their way back to my garden?

Shane Record, Art gallery owner: Because people are reluctant to enter my art gallery I put a realistically dressed mannequin in, her back to the gallery entrance, to bring people in. Does it work or am I just an eccentric artist?

Nina Jones, A-level student: What makes up a typical Facebook profile picture? Adults choose pictures showing an event in their lives - their wedding, or a photo with their children - whereas teenagers show themselves with friends at a party. I will test these predictions and look into why this occurs.

Nick Walthew, Retired farm manager: Who are happier, people travelling north or south on the M1? I would test this by waving at travellers going north and south and counting the number of people who wave back.

Ben Fernando, GCSE student: An investigation to see whether girls prefer pink because they can see further into the far red part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

John Rowlands, Aerial photographer: To investigate the frequency and brightness of noctilucent clouds, which have been linked to climate change.

Annie Trolley, Hospital secretary: Whenever my teenage boys use aerosol deodorants in their bathroom I can smell it from my bedroom. I hate it! Is this something innate, or do we learn by experience?

Owen Griffiths, Artist: I propose to have a piece of music based on the sounds of bees sung to the hive by a choir, and see if this increases the production of honey.

Angus Johnson, Retired computer programmer: Is there a difference between men and women in their visual ability to find one item amid a clutter of objects?

The four finalists will be chosen by our esteemed judging panel from the world of science:
- Prof Lord Robert May, former Government Science Adviser
- Prof Tanya Byron, Clinical Psychologist/broadcaster
- Mark Henderson, Times Science Editor
- Prof Trevor Cox, Acoustic Engineer/EPSRC Media Fellow

Also in the programme: The latest from the Iceland Volcano. Just what does volcanic dust do to a jet engine? Is there a safe level? How to you see the fine dust from the ground, the air and from space? Quentin is joined by Dr Peter Webley from the University of Alaska, Dr Joseph Ulanowski from the University of Hertfordshire, and Dr Colin Brown from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.


MON 21:30 Start the Week (b00s2v8n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:58 Weather (b00s2rgh)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b00s2rp2)
The parties clash over cuts to the NHS, but how will they really deal with the deficit?

A critical vote on Obama's plans to overhaul financial regulation.

And a rare insight into how chimpanzees grieve.

With Ritula Shah.


MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00s2slh)
Henry James - The Aspern Papers

Episode 1

Henry James took as his inspiration for his tale The Aspern Papers the story of a mistress of Byron's who outlived the poet into lonely old age. He transposed the setting to Venice and cast the city he loved as a character in a taut narrative of literary theft and deception.

Episode 1

The lure of previously unseen papers relating to the long-dead poet Jeffrey Aspern brings one of his editors to Venice in the grip of an obsession. He must see them, he must have them; and he will lie and betray in order to do so.

Read by Samuel West.

Abridged and produced by Christine Hall.


MON 23:00 The Vote Now Show (b00s2v6c)
Series 1

Episode 7

Punt and Dennis present a nightly satirical round up of election news and comment from comedians, journalists and commentators. Recorded in front of an audience at the Radio Theatre about 4 hours before transmission, this is a very topical comedy show.


MON 23:30 Soho Stories (b00lqz82)
A Thousand Flowers

Thirty years ago, virtually every home-grown programme on British Television was made by either the BBC or ITV. Today, the biggest and most successful, from Big Brother and Spooks to The Apprentice and X-Factor, are made by independent producers. Television executive, programme maker and broadcaster Paul Jackson goes behind some of these multi-million pound success stories to chart the rise and rise of independent producers - from the isolated minnows of the early 1980's to the global monoliths of today.

It is this transformation over the course of just over quarter of a century that Paul Jackson explores in this three part series, aided and abetted by some of those who made the transition from troublesome outsiders into possibly the most influential, and powerful, players in the industry today responsible for making and supplying as much as 50% of what is broadcast in the UK. People like Simon Cowell (the man behind X-Factor and Britain's Got Talent and star of an American show that reportedly drives 60% of the revenue of the Fox Network), Jimmy Mulville (Co-founder and Managing Director of Hat Trick Productions), Paul Smith (the now millionaire behind Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Slumdog Millionaire), Peter Bazalgette (who brought Big Brother to the UK and helped sell it the world over), and Sir David Frost (one of the earliest independent producers, responsible for such shows from The Two Ronnies to The Nixon Interviews).

Also taking part Sir Paul Fox, Lord Griffiths, Paul Bonner, Lorraine Heggessey, Simon Shaps and Peter Salmon.

With plot twists worthy of Ashes To Ashes, as much tension as Britain's Got Talent and a payday to rival Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Paul Jackson draws on his own experiences in the television industry to trace the development of a sector that earns the country almost half a billion pounds a year in exports alone.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.



TUESDAY 27 APRIL 2010

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b00s1t4z)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b00s2nsw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00s1t6f)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00s1tc4)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00s1tdf)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b00s1tp1)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00s2mqx)
With the Rev'd Mary Stallard from Wales.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b00s2mt0)
Why goose farmers are already thinking about Christmas. Plus, Anna Hill examines plans by a major retailer to pay dairy farmers a bonus for improving the welfare of their cows. And the Somerset dairy farmer who's increased his profits by producing less milk.


TUE 06:00 Today (b00s2mvt)
With Justin Webb and James Naughtie. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 Between Ourselves (b00s2ws2)
Series 5

Episode 6

Olivia O'Leary meets two opera singers, Amanda Roocroft and Geoffrey Dolton.

Amanda was a prodigy who went straight from music school to national and international success but the pressure took its toll and she reached a crisis point where she had to reassess her entire career.

Geoffrey was also a success at music school whose subsequent career was on an upward trajectory. But, dramatically, he entirely lost his voice and his career shattered.

Together they discuss the hugely demanding world of opera: the nerves, the backstage humour, the on-stage antics and the difficulties of being constantly on the road.


TUE 09:30 A Musical Trip to South Africa - with Lenny Henry (b00s2ws4)
Episode 5

Paul Simon's mega-album Graceland showcased South Africa's huge musical talent. Now many more stars are going global. Lenny meets astonishing Buskaid violinists and pop diva, Lira.

The producer is Susan Marling. This is a Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b00s799t)
Defending the Guilty

Episode 2

Criminal barrister Alex McBride describes life in a lawyers' chambers in London's Inner Temple; the tradition, the affluence and the success.

In this amusing and revealing series, he takes us behind the scenes of Britain's criminal justice system, introducing us to its outlandish personalities, arcane eccentricities and stories of triumph and defeat.

The producer is David Roper, and this is a Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00s2n0z)
Presented by Jane Garvey. Is voting behaviour hereditary? Do you follow your parents or rebel against them? Have they ever told you who to vote for? Jane is joined by Kevin Maguire, Associate Editor of the Daily Mirror, Rachel Johnson, Editor of The Lady and former LibDem Director of Communications, Olly Grender.

Writer Helen Dunmore joins Jane to discuss her latest novel, The Betrayal, which is set in Leningrad in the last years of Stalin's regime.

A new report backed by leading mathematicians says that despite the National Numeracy Strategy maths teaching in schools still needs improvement. We hear from one Norfolk school where the teachers have been trained by the charity Catch Up Numeracy. Jane discusses what needs to be done with the report author Belinda Vernon and Professor Celia Hoyles.

Sprucing up for Spring - How to give your home a sunshine make-over. Design gurus Justin and Colin on hand with tips on how to make your house look great this spring - the latest fabrics, colours and designs, and how to bring the outside in.


TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00s2n33)
An Unsuitable Attachment

Episode 2

2/10

Penelope Wilton stars in Barbara Pym's wonderful story of love, requited and otherwise, in unfashionable north London in 1960. Penelope is excited because her sister Sophia has invited the new members of the congregation to dinner at the vicarage, and Rupert Stonebird is coming, but so is Ianthe Broom.

An Unsuitable Attachment was turned down by Barbara Pym's publishers, Faber, when she gave them the manuscript in 1963, with very little explanation. Her previous 6 books had met with some success, so she was very upset and according to her correspondence felt very badly treated. It wasn't until 1977, when the Times Literary Supplement published a symposium on the most over and under-rated writers of the century and two contributors named her in the second category - the only living writer to be so distinguished - and her next novel was published before the year was out. She was widely interviewed, appeared on Desert Island Discs, and was the subject of a tv film. She died in 1980. An Unsuitable Attachment was finally published in 1982.

Dramatised by Jennie Howarth.

Narrator ..... Penelope Wilton
Penelope ..... Sophie Thompson
Sophia ..... Lucy Akhurst
Ianthe ..... Raquel Cassidy
Mervyn ..... Stephen Critchlow
Mark ..... Martin Ball
Rupert ..... Ben Crowe
John ..... Tom Andrews
Sister Dew ..... Angela Curran
Lady Selvedge ..... Joanna Wake
Mrs Grandison ..... Frances Jeater
Edwin ..... Robin Bowerman
Basil ..... Joe Coen

The director is Chris Wallis, and this is an Autolycus production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 11:00 Saving Species (b00s2xhc)
Series 1

Episode 4

This is the edition of Saving Species where we celebrate the dawn chorus of birds as they sing at first light. Across the world woodlands, wetlands, farmlands, rivers, deserts, lake sides and gardens - to name only a few habitats - resound with nature's songsters - largely males defending territories and letting the opposite sex know they are still alive! The dawn chorus is still a real spectacle in the UK and over the world, but is it as rich and diverse as it was? Is the dawn chorus as loud as it has been in the past? In our repeating feature "Memories Are Made of This" we have gone to Thomas Hardy's cottage in Dorset, the house where we understand he wrote "Far from the Madding Crowd". Was the dawn chorus very different to his ears than to ours today? We recorded the dawn chorus from Hardy's house during the air-lock-down, thanks to the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud over Europe. A dawn chorus without aeroplanes - one thing to celebrate about zero air traffic.

Common (European) Crane also feature in this programme. This Crane species is the bird that has triggered a big collaborative project to re-introduce them to the Somerset Levels. Eggs are being driven from a wetland in Eastern Germany to the Wildfowl & Wetland Trust reserve at Slimbridge, where they will be incubated and reared for release in August. We will be with the incubating crane eggs in Slimbridge.

And on another translocation project, we'll be live in Sussex with a Field Cricket catcher - just one of many skilled conservationists re-introducing this rare cricket to a specially prepared nature reserve in the neighbouring county.

And finally we will have our news round-up with Kelvin Boot gathering the wildlife events from around the world.

Presented by Brett Westwood
Producer: Sheena Duncan
Editor: Julian Hector.


TUE 11:30 Charles Hawtrey: That Funny Fella with the Glasses (b00s2xhf)
In their first ever interviews Charles Hawtrey's inner-circle share with us compelling anecdotes and memories of the Carry On star, presenting a unique insight into one of Britain's most memorable comedy actors.

Charles Hawtrey is one the most recognisable characters from the Carry On film series, but it is his hidden talents and tragic decline that this programme reveals.

Hawtrey was a man destined for stardom: a silent film actor by five, England's leading boy soprano by twelve, a self-taught classical pianist, theatrical producer, film director and prolific radio star. He eventually moved into television and found a "worldwide identity" through his twenty four Carry On roles.

However during the latter part of his career he ended up an alcoholic appearing in low-rate stage shows.

His sad decline and life before the Carry Ons is revealed by writer and broadcaster Wes Butters, who after several years of research has collected recordings with the people closest to Hawtrey and has access to unseen private papers which uncover a remarkable story.


TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b00s2p3r)
We discuss a range of disability issues with Jonathan Shaw - the Minister For Disability (Labour), Mark Harper (Conservative) and Lynne Featherstone (Liberal Democrats).

Despite worries over the effect winter grit has had on the nation's trees, experts say this spring is seeing an unusually vigorous display of cherry blossom. The head gardener of the national cherry blossom collection at Batsford Arboretum tells us why.

Police have arrested eight people after thousands of BT customers were tricked into giving their credit and debit card details to fraudsters pretending to be from BT.

You and Yours listener, Trisha Jones, tells us what it was like running the London marathon after the Icelandic volcano turned an ordinary journey from Italy to London into an epic one.

Positive news for one family after You & Yours highlighted a problem with new Home Office rules making a compulsory qualification valid one day then invalid the next.


TUE 12:57 Weather (b00s2p60)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 13:00 World at One (b00s2p7t)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.

Includes Election Call, where listeners put comments to Gordon Brown, the leader of the Labour Party.

The number to call is 03700 100 444. Lines are open from 11.30 on the day of the programme.

Calls cost the same as calls to 01 or 02 numbers, and mobile charges may vary.


TUE 14:00 The Archers (b00s2pjv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama (b00s3d1t)
Frances Byrnes - Mercy

Carl Prekopp stars in this first world war drama about one of the first major operations by the Red Cross.

In 1916, soldiers who had been living terrible, deprived lives in German POW camps were taken to Chateau d'Oex, a holiday resort in Switzerland, to be nursed back to health amongst the clean air and spring flowers, courtesy of the Red Cross. Some of their wives even made the long train journey from Britain to visit them.

It sounds like a fairy tale ending to the horrors of war and captivity, and for many it must have been just that. But what if a man doesn't want to be found and what if he thinks he doesn't deserve to be made better?

Based on newspaper reports of events at the time, Frances Byrnes' play follows two fictional soldiers: number 2301, an angry young sergeant who is ashamed to have been captured and won't reveal his identity, and Havildar Gurung, a young Ghurka who is going blind and longs for the hills of home.

Thrown together in this beautiful, gentle place, and with the winter snows now beginning to fall, is kindness and mercy enough to cure these damaged men?

2301.....Carl Prekopp
Nurse.....Siriol Jenkins
Special Correspondent.....Richard Mitchley
Gurung.....Muzz Khan
Officer.....Gareth Pierce

BBC/Cymru Wales Production directed by Kate McAll.


TUE 15:00 Home Planet (b00s2y20)
The eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull has brought major disruption to thousands of travelers, and has dominated the headlines. On this edition of Home Planet, listeners ask about some other aspects of this spectacular natural event.

Has the reduction in aircraft emissions been balanced by the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the volcano in that time? All volcanoes emit sulphurous gases which have a cooling effect on the Earth. Is it feasible to deliberately pump sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere to counter the effects of global warming? And will the ash landing in the seas around Northern Europe fertilise the ocean this summer, producing a larger than normal algal bloom and hence a bumper catch of fish?

Then there's the curious observation from one listener that the Sun appeared to be much brighter this winter. Is there any scientific evidence to back up this idea and if not, why not?

We finish with the complex but fascinating question of why there is so little lithium in the Universe. The answer takes us back to the origins of time itself.

The panel this week is ecologist Dr Lynn Dicks of Cambridge University; Dr Carolin Crawford, an astronomer also at Cambridge University and Mike Hulme, Professor of Climate Change at the University of East Anglia.

Presented by Richard Daniel.

Producer: Toby Murcott
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00s6n73)
Made in Bristol

Rip Off

Three short stories by Bristol based writers. Chris Bianchi reads the first of three, 'Rip Off' by Rachel Bentham. The tale of an accidental career criminal, who comes across an old ticket machine in a charity shop and has an idea. This idea is to change his life forever.

Produced by Beatrice Fenton.


TUE 15:45 The Single Life (b009xmft)
Episode 2

In part two of the series looking at singletons, Richard and Mark question whether the stereotypes of the modern gay man are true. Is it harder to settle with one person when society so readily labels the gay community promiscuous? Richard and Mark reflect on past relationships and finding Mr Right.

This programme was originally broadcast in 2008.

Producer: Jo Meek
An All Out production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (b00s2ylf)
Michael Rosen on the language used by and about disabled people, and the modern trend in humour of using disability to produce laughs.
With Victoria Wright, Francesca Martinez and Colin Barnes. Also Louise Wallis and Jackie Ryan from the campaign against the "R-word".
Producer Beth O'Dea.


TUE 16:30 Great Lives (b00s2ylh)
Series 21

Buckminster Fuller

Responsible for so many classic comedies of the last 30 years - Blackadder, QI, Not the Nine O'Clock News and Spitting Image among them, John Lloyd selects the maverick American architect, Richard Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome, as his choice of a great life.

Matthew Parris hosts, joined by futurist and business strategist, Hardin Tibbs, as they debate the charge that if Buckminster Fuller - who had a molecule named after him, for its resemblance to his geodesic domes - really was the Twentieth Century's answer to Leonardo da Vinci, then why is he so little known about today? A man, John Lloyd argues, who preached environmentalism before the term was coined, so in advance of his times, but yet whose time has come today. Producer: Mark Smalley.


TUE 17:00 PM (b00s2pjx)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00s2ps4)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 18:30 Baggage (b00lp6dp)
Series 4

The Father, the Mother, the Dead Friend and Her Lover

Comedy series by Hilary Lyon, set in Edinburgh.

It's autumn, but life in the flat is still hotting up. An unplanned dinner party sets the scene for some serious seduction tactics, Hector's secret is finally revealed and there is nothing cool about Caroline's temper.

Caroline ...... Hilary Lyon
Fiona ...... Phyllis Logan
Ruth ...... Adie Allen
Roddy ...... Robin Cameron
Hector ...... David Rintoul
Gladys ...... June Watson

Directed by Marilyn Imrie.


TUE 19:00 The Archers (b00s2pbl)
Kirsty turns up for a coffee at Jaxx, forgetting it's closed for renovation. Kenton asks if she knows anyone who'd be good for evening bar work. Kirsty agrees to put up an ad at Ambridge Organics. Kenton likes her attitude - she's the kind of person he needs. Kirsty thanks him, but she's already got her hands full with Ambridge Organics and The Bull.

Eddie's got Joe a pitch at the livestock market selling compost, and Joe soon comes up with a proposition. If Eddie can squeeze a couple of bullocks into the morning sale, there'll be a nice tip in it. That's enough to persuade Eddie to sort it.

As they celebrate their extra income, Joe discusses allowing campers in their field again. If they advertise a few pitches as "back to basics", they can avoid all licensing and planning permission rules and won't have to worry about toilets or water. Eddie starts to soften and agrees to have a re-think.

After visiting the hairdressers, Lilian picks Peggy up from The Laurels. Peggy's clearly distressed and eventually admits that Jack's been holding hands with Violet. Lilian realises this must have been horrible, even though Jack doesn't know what he's doing. Peggy just wants to go home.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (b00s2pxb)
Mark Knopfler, Psycho, Iron Man, Sir Mark Elder

With Mark Lawson

Natalie Haynes reviews the Robert Downey Jr action adventure movie Iron Man 2.

Mark Knopfler on Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms, one of the top 10 best-selling albums in UK music history, 25 years after its release.

Sir Mark Elder, Musical Director of Manchester's Halle Orchestra, discusses this weekend's performance of Mahler's 8th Symphony in which the Halle Orchestra and their Manchester nieghbours the BBC Philharmonic join forces.

Marli Renfro on being Janet Leigh's body double in the Psycho shower scene.

Producer Jerome Weatherald.


TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00s2n33)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


TUE 20:00 Thank You For My Freedom (b00s2yll)
Former Beirut Hostage John McCarthy has never thanked Giandomenico Picco, the United Nations negotiator who arranged his release. In this documentary John at last travels to meet him and explores the development of the role of the crisis negotiator.

The journey John McCarthy makes is a deeply personal one. He is intensely grateful for the role Picco took in arranging his release - at no small risk to himself - and John's journey to New York provides a compelling holding form for his wider purpose.

John is fascinated by the skills and dedication of men such as Picco, and he explores how the techniques used in negotiation have changed and developed.

With the help of archive and interviews, John contemplates the development of the role of the negotiator. Beginning with the emergence of negotiation as a psychological study in early 70s America, he considers negotiation tactics being used in international crises and domestic incidents - can the same tactics be employed in both arenas?

The programme culminates in John's meeting with Picco. He will endeavour, in the light of his investigations into the role of the negotiator, to answer some of his closer unanswered questions regarding the back room story that led to his own personal freedom.

Producer - Kevin Dawson
A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 20:40 In Touch (b00s2yln)
Peter White hosts an election special edition of In Touch and puts your questions to the spokesmen of the three main UK parties. Jonathan Shaw for Labour, his Conservative shadow Mark Harper and the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Youth and Equalities Lynne Featherstone all take part. What are the policies of the three major political parties of direct concern to blind and visually impaired people? And there's some advice about your rights in the polling booth when it comes to voting day itself.


TUE 21:00 Case Notes (b00s3chp)
Iron Deficient Anaemia

Iron deficient anaemia is common but so are the uncomfortable side effects from the tablets used to treat it. Dr Mark Porter hears the wide ranging causes of this form of anaemia, and visits Birmingham hospitals where new techniques are being used to manage the condition. He asks when the lack of iron may indicate something more serious.
Producer: Erika Wright.


TUE 21:30 Between Ourselves (b00s2ws2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 21:58 Weather (b00s2q9c)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b00s2rnc)
Goldman Sachs faces the Senate over fraud allegations.

Kyrgyzstan's future after the uprising.

And how the budget cuts are playing in the election in Scotland.

With Ritula Shah in London and Robin Lustig in Edinburgh.


TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00s2sks)
Henry James - The Aspern Papers

Episode 2

Episode 2 of The Aspern Papers by Henry James, read by Samuel West.

Jeffrey Aspern's devoted literary editor has broached the palazzo of Aspern's ancient and discarded lover, Miss Juliana Bordereau. He has deceived the fluttering middle-aged niece, Miss Tina, into believing he wants to lodge with them in order to cultivate the garden. Now he has to convince the old lady herself and with great emotion he comes before the Juliana who inspired some of the dead poet's most exquisite lyrics.

Abridged and produced by Christine Hall.


TUE 23:00 The Vote Now Show (b00s2v6f)
Series 1

Episode 8

Punt and Dennis present a nightly satirical round up of election news and comment from comedians, journalists and commentators. Recorded in front of an audience at the Radio Theatre about 4 hours before transmission, this is a very topical comedy show.


TUE 23:30 Soho Stories (b00ltl6n)
Lifestyle or Business?

In 1993, the Sir Alan Sugar of his day, Sir John Harvey Jones stood up at the Edinburgh Television Festival and declared that the independent production sector was less of a business and more of a lifestyle; more like mice running in a large wheel and less something people should invest in.

In the second programme of his series on the history of independent production, Paul Jackson looks at how the foundations were laid for a viable business model. With the help of activist Michael Darlow and head of Margaret Thatcher's policy unit in No 10, Brian (now Lord) Griffiths, he explains how the indies were able to persuade the government that both the BBC and ITV should be compelled to take a proportion of programmes from independent producers. The 25% quota campaign was later described as the most successful political lobby in British modern history.

And Peter Bazalgette (Ready Steady Cook & Groundforce), Paul Smith (Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?), Jimmy Mulville (Have I Got News For You), Jon Thoday (Fantasy Football), David Frank (Wife Swap) and Henry Normal (Marion & Geoff and The Mighty Boosh) are all on hand to describe the artistic and business opportunities that presented themselves (or they were able to carve out) during the 1990's.

With plot twists worthy of Ashes To Ashes, as much tension as Britain's Got Talent and a payday to rival Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Paul Jackson draws on his own experiences in the television industry to trace the development of a sector that today earns the country almost half a billion pounds a year in exports alone.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.



WEDNESDAY 28 APRIL 2010

WED 00:00 Midnight News (b00s1t51)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b00s799t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00s1t6h)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00s1tc6)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00s1tdh)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 05:30 News Briefing (b00s1tp3)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00s2mqz)
With the Rev'd Mary Stallard from Wales.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (b00s2mt2)
What the waggle dance is telling scientists about making the countryside better for bees. Anna Hill visits a new centre which promises to get innovations from the lab to the field. Plus, the Llamas guarding wading birds against foxes, and an ex-dairy farmer describes how leaving the industry has had a positive impact on his life.


WED 06:00 Today (b00s2mvx)
With Sarah Montague and Justin Webb. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 Midweek (b00s3chy)
This week Libby Purves is joined by Blanca Huertas, Robert Sackville-West, Bobby McFerrin and Gail Brand.

Blanca Huertas is butterfly curator at the Natural History Museum. She is responsible for looking after the collection of 3.5 million butterflies housed in the museum's new Darwin Centre. She curates a new exhibition, Butterfly Explorers featuring hundreds of butterfly species, the vast majority of which are never seen in the UK, at the Natural History Museum.

Robert Sackville-West founded Toucan Books, which he combines with chairing Knole Estates, the property and investment company that runs the Sackville family's interests at Knole House in Kent. In 2008, he and his wife and three children moved into the house, which has been occupied by the Sackville family for 400 years, but now owned by the National Trust, and has just written a book 'Inheritance: The Story of Knole and the Sackvilles', published by Bloomsbury.

Bobby McFerrin is a ten-time Grammy Award winner, one of the world's best known vocal innovators and improvisers, and creator of one of the most popular songs of the 20th century, 'Don't Worry, Be Happy'. His new project called 'VOCABularies' is a mix of hundreds of overdubbed voices, lush melodies and a mix of languages which has been seven years in the making and is out on WRASSE records.

Gail Brand has been a trombonist since the age of nine. A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, she is a commissioned composer and has performed on the international jazz and improvising scene since the early 1990s. As well as a trombonist, Gail works as a qualified Music Therapist and is the professor of Group Improvisation skills at the Guildhall School. She is appearing at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival.


WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b00s799h)
Defending the Guilty

Episode 3

Barrister Alex McBride gets a case at Southwark Crown Court - prosecuting. Excitement, however, soon gives way to dread, and the fear of mucking it up.

In this amusing and revealing series, he takes us behind the scenes of Britain's criminal justice system, introducing us to its outlandish personalities, arcane eccentricities and stories of triumph and defeat.

The producer is David Roper, and this is a Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00s2n11)
Can leaving your baby to cry be harmful? Child expert Penelope Leach argues that scientific research now shows that leaving young babies to cry themselves to sleep may actually harm their developing brains. Jenni also talks to Maggie O'Farrell about her new novel and there's a look at the Horrockses Fashions label - one of the best known brands of the 1950's.


WED 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00s4x9y)
An Unsuitable Attachment

Episode 3

3/10

Penelope Wilton stars in Barbara Pym's wonderful story of love, requited and otherwise, in unfashionable north London in 1960. A new member of staff, John Challow, comes to work at the library, and seems very interested in Ianthe Broom.

An Unsuitable Attachment was turned down by Barbara Pym's publishers, Faber, when she gave them the manuscript in 1963, with very little explanation. Her previous 6 books had met with some success, so she was very upset and according to her correspondence felt very badly treated. It wasn't until 1977, when the Times Literary Supplement published a symposium on the most over and under-rated writers of the century and two contributors named her in the second category - the only living writer to be so distinguished - and her next novel was published before the year was out. She was widely interviewed, appeared on Desert Island Discs, and was the subject of a tv film. She died in 1980. An Unsuitable Attachment was finally published in 1982.

Dramatised by Jennie Howarth.

Narrator ..... Penelope Wilton
Penelope ..... Sophie Thompson
Sophia ..... Lucy Akhurst
Ianthe ..... Raquel Cassidy
Mervyn ..... Stephen Critchlow
Mark ..... Martin Ball
Rupert ..... Ben Crowe
John ..... Tom Andrews
Sister Dew ..... Angela Curran
Lady Selvedge ..... Joanna Wake
Mrs Grandison ..... Frances Jeater
Edwin ..... Robin Bowerman
Basil ..... Joe Coen

The director is Chris Wallis, and this is an Autolycus production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 11:00 Love at First Site (b00m67vz)
At 11 we join young British Asians in the marriage market. It used to be simple - if you were Asian, all you had to do is wait for your parents to sort it out. But today many of the younger generation want to choose their partners for themselves, and they are turning to the internet and marriage websites for help. Follow their stories in 'Love at First Site', with Sarfraz Manzoor, at 11.


WED 11:30 House on Fire (b00qjxdz)
Series 1

Hot Water

Episode title: Hot Water

A final dose of house-sharing hell with the last in the current series of 'House on Fire'. Vicky and Matt's boiler's on the blink but fixing it seems likely to get them into even more hot water.

Vicky - Emma Pierson
Matt - JODY LATHAM
Col. Bill - RUPERT VANSITTART
Julie - JANINE DUVITSKI
Peter - PHILIP JACKSON

With Fergus Craig & Colin Hoult

Directed by Clive Brill & Dan Hine
Produced by Clive Brill

A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:00 You and Yours (b00s2p3t)
Peter Burkill was the captain of the BA flight from Bejing that crash-landed at Heathrow in January 2008. As the 777 began its descent, both engines failed. With less than a minute to go before it would have crashed into houses, Captain Burkill adjusted the angle of the plane's flaps. This unorthodox manoeuvre gave the plane just enough time to make a safe but precarious landing. Despite being praised in the official inquiry report and being awarded a safety medal by British Airways, Peter Burkill has been unemployed for almost a year.

Also - the Financial Services Authority says some banks may face action over the poor way they have handled customer complaints.

When there's heavy rainfall some sewage pipes flood into rivers and seas. All perfectly legal but the Environment Agency has tried to impose limits on how water companies use the facility.

An online docu-soap - The Specials - about a group of adults with learning disabilities has been nominated for an international award.

And Winifred Robinson's garden furniture is under attack from wasps.


WED 12:57 Weather (b00s2p62)
The latest weather forecast.


WED 13:00 World at One (b00s2p7w)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.


WED 14:00 The Archers (b00s2pbl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Brief Lives (b00s2y1y)
Series 3

Episode 1

By Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly

Frank Twist and his bunch of legal reps return for another series of adventures on the mean -ish streets of Manchester.

Frank's best mate Mickey has finally met a young Russian woman who will put up with him, his music and his socks. But is she just using him?

Frank....................................................David Schofield
Debbie..................................................Emma Atkins
Sarah....................................................Tracey- Ann Oberman
Doug.....................................................Eric Potts
Micky...................................................Deka Walmsley
Simon..................................................Andonis James Anthony
Burnett.................................................Becky Hindley
Magda.................................................Miranda Keeling
Registrar..............................................Beatrice Kelley

Producer Gary Brown.
Original music by Carl Harms.


WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b00s3fzm)
Subject: How to Complain

Complaining about financial products and services is the subject of Wednesday's/today's Money Box Live.

If you want to know your rights or you're wondering how and when to complain, Paul Lewis and guests will ready with help and advice.

What practical steps should you take and what deadlines need to be met?

Of perhaps you feel your complaint is not being taken seriously?
Whatever your question, Paul Lewis and a team of experts will be waiting for your call.

Phone lines open at 1.30 this afternoon and the number to call is 03700 100 444. Standard geographic charges apply. Calls from mobiles may be higher. The programme starts after the three o'clock news. That number again 03700 100 444.

Producer: Diane Richardson.


WED 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00s2y2j)
Made in Bristol

The Boys In Black

Three short stories by Bristol based writers. In the second of three, Sheila Hannon reads her own writing, 'The Boys in Black'. On a drizzly A road, wearing pink lipstick and dark glasses and the closest to despair she's ever been, Sheila has an extraordinary encounter which appears to make time stand still.

Produced by Beatrice Fenton.


WED 15:45 The Single Life (b009ttwq)
Episode 3

In the third part of this series about singletons, which was originally recorded and broadcast in 2008, divorcee mums Fiona and Yasmine talk about the difficulties of meeting someone new when there is more than just themselves to consider.

Producer: Jo Meek
An All Out production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b00s3fzq)
Capitalism and Development

"Capital is the lifeblood that flows through the body politic of all those societies we call capitalist, spreading out, sometimes as a trickle and other times as a flood, into every nook and cranny of the inhabited world", writes David Harvey, the world's most cited academic geographer. He gives Laurie a radical critique of what governs that flow of capital and what causes the crises which, he claims, will increasingly disrupt that flow with alarming rapidity. Modern economics has buried its head in detail but ignored the systematic character of capital flow, he claims, and it is time for a restore an understanding of how capital works.
Also on Thinking Allowed is the Cambridge development economist Ha-Joon Chang. In his analysis the detailed global programmes on international development amount to little more than poverty reduction, and the rich world is keeping the less developed countries poor in the name of free trade.


WED 16:30 The Media Show (b00s3glt)
Twenty years after the Times took on the Telegraph in the war to become the UK's leading upmarket newspaper, Rupert Murdoch has declared a similar war in New York. This week, his Wall Street Journal has been running local stories in New York, to go head to head with the New York Times. Former Wall Street Journal media reporter Sarah Ellison looks at the motivation for this war and Peter Preston, former editor of the Guardian, recalls the difference that competition made in the 1990s. Sarah Ellison's book, "War at the Wall Street Journal" is out this week - details at www.sarahellison.com

Peter Preston also gives his view on Gordon Brown's microphone gaffe. Why do media-trained politicians still make such fundamental technical mistakes?

In the latest of our series, Labour's Ben Bradshaw talks about his party's media policy. In previous weeks, Steve Hewlett has spoken to the Conservative's Jeremy Hunt and the Liberal Democrat's Don Foster.

And Jane Root, former controller of BBC2, talks about her latest venture ,"America: the Story of Us", a CGI enhanced documentary on the US history since Jamestown. Why is a UK tv producer making such a high profile US series and why are UK documentary formats so successful in the US?


WED 17:00 PM (b00s2pjz)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00s2ps6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 18:30 Mark Steel's in Town (b00s3gq5)
Series 2

Penzance

Comedian Mark Steel visits Cornwall and finally reaches the town of Penzance where the locals revel in their remoteness, pilchards and pasties. Struck by the beauty of this rugged coastal town he is surprised to find a civil war raging...


WED 19:00 The Archers (b00s2pbn)
Brian gives Pat some good news. The council has agreed a grant, so Robert can now start the community shop refurbishment, once it's been passed by the committee. Brian admits he wasn't entirely convinced by the community shop idea but he's glad to be proven wrong.

Tom's pleased that Brenda's still job hunting, and not pinning all her hopes on the job in Leicester. He hopes she'll find something closer to home, and shares his concerns with Tony. Tony believes they're a strong enough couple to be able to make it work. Brenda finds them and gives Tom her good news. She's got the job.

Brenda and Tom discuss her travel arrangements. She's considered staying over in Leicester during the week but it's too expensive. If she drives, she'll at least get to sleep in her own bed each night.

Pat comes out to congratulate Brenda, but her moment of glory is short-lived. Helen arrives, elated with her own news. The fertility clinic has got a cancellation, so she can go two weeks on Friday. Pat thinks it's good news but Tony says nothing. Helen just thinks it's fantastic that this time next month she could be pregnant.


WED 19:15 Front Row (b00s2pxd)
Peter Kay reviewed; Ian Rankin at 50

Peter Kay has written a best-selling memoir and topped the pop charts, and has now returned to the arena of live comedy with a new stand-up show. Dominic Maxwell reviews.
Crime writer Ian Rankin, creator of Inspector Rebus, celebrates his 50th birthday.
The MAC in Birmingham - the Midlands Arts Centre - is about to re-open following a £15 million refurbishment. Mark Lawson reports on the building, and discusses the original vision behind the creation of arts centres in Britain.
Teen star Miley Cyrus returns to British cinemas in The Last Song. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh reviews.


WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00s4x9y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


WED 20:00 Unreliable Evidence (b00s3gq7)
Jury Trial

The British tradition of trial by jury is under threat.

Amendments to the Criminal Justice Act have allowed the first criminal trial to take place without a jury for over 400 years. And a senior judge is recommending the removal of juries from libel trials.

In the last in the current series of Unreliable Evidence, Clive Anderson and guests discuss the future of the jury.

Long-standing critic of the jury system, Sir Louis Blom-Cooper argues that the failure of juries to give reasons for their verdicts, makes them unaccountable. He argues that defendants should at least be given the option to be tried by a judge alone.

Crown Court Judge Simon Tonking, and criminal barrister Chris Sallon QC, both support the jury system, though Judge Tonking admits he doesn't always agree with the verdicts returned by juries. Prof Cheryl Thomas' report for the Ministry of Justice concluded that juries are fair, efficient and effective, but she concedes that there is room for improvement.

An Above the Title production for BBC Radio 4

Producers: Anne Tyerman Brian King.


WED 20:45 What the Election Papers Say (b00s3gq9)
Episode 8

BBC Radio 4 brings back a much loved TV favourite - What the Election Papers Say. It does what it says on the tin. Each programme will see a leading political journalist take a wry look at how the broadsheets and red tops treat the biggest stories of the campaign.

Hear all about it - with Guardian columnist Gary Younge.


WED 21:00 Costing the Earth (b00s3gqc)
Volcanoes: Friend or Foe

'Costing the Earth' looks at the environmental effects of the recent Icelandic eruption. Could volcanoes hold the key to climate change or simply dwarf man's attempt to control his impact on the environment?

The ash cloud from Eyjafallajokull has grounded European and transatlantic flights but before environmentalists cheer at the carbon saved they need to examine the longer term effects on climate.

The volcano erupted beside the 5th biggest glacier in Iceland and could have caused huge glacial melt. Scientists are warning 'increased rumblings from below' mean that Iceland's volcanoes may be about to enter a more active phase. If so it could be a timely reminder that whatever Copenhagen-style summits decide or don't, the environment is not solely in the hands of even the most powerful global leaders.

Looking back in history the 1783 eruption in Iceland killed over half the local livestock, caused crop failure and starvation throughout Europe and even weakened the monsoon season in India. The Geological Society investigated the threat of a much larger 'super volcano' in 2005 and found that it could threaten the fabric of civilisation.

But it's not all gloom. Scientists in Canada and the United States have been arguing that as natural sulphate particles lowered the temperature by 0.5 degrees in 1991 after the Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines volcanoes could hold the key to halting climate change. They want to investigate the possibilities of controlled stimulation, but could small eruptions like the Icelandic one hold at least some of the answers they might need?


WED 21:30 Midweek (b00s3chy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


WED 21:58 Weather (b00s2q9f)
The latest weather forecast.


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b00s2rnf)
Gordon's Gaffe - how damaging was Gordon Brown's "bigot" moment?

Germany has come under further pressure to agree quickly to a financial rescue plan for Greece.

Arizona's tough new immigration laws spark protest.

With David Eades.


WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00s2skv)
Henry James - The Aspern Papers

Episode 3

Episode 3 of The Aspern Papers by Henry James, read by Samuel West.

The collector of memorabilia belonging to the long-dead poet Jeffrey Aspern has secured rooms in the house of Aspern's ancient and withered ex-lover. He has met the old lady and has been startled by her unromantic keenness to relieve him of his money, but he feels any outlay would be worth making to secure the letters and papers he wants. Accordingly, he embarks on a campaign of charming Miss Bordereau's middle-aged niece in order to get her co-operation. Abridged and Produced by Christine Hall.


WED 23:00 The Vote Now Show (b00s2v69)
Series 1

Episode 9

Punt and Dennis present a nightly satirical round up of election news and comment from comedians, journalists and commentators. Recorded in front of an audience at the Radio Theatre about 4 hours before transmission, this is a very topical comedy show.


WED 23:30 Soho Stories (b00lxsqf)
Mergers and Acquisitions and Megabucks

A mere seven years ago, there were some in the industry who dismissed the independent production sector as unsustainable. However following government intervention in 2003, it is now the envy of the world and British television has become responsible for some 53% of all format hours on the planet.

However, with the emergence of a worldwide digital market, its future is once more uncertain. In the final programme of the series, Paul Jackson is joined by the likes of Simon Cowell (X-Factor and Britain's Got Talent), Peter Bazalgette (Big Brother and Deal Or No Deal), Lorraine Heggessey (The Apprentice and The Bill), Paul Smith (Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and Slumdog Millionaire), Jimmy Mulville (Have I Got News For You and Outnumbered), Steve Morrison (Skins and George Gently), David Frank (Wife Swap and Faking It) and Henry Normal (The Mighty Boosh and Gavin & Stacey) to follow the changing fortunes of their industry during the 2000s and to discuss what is needed to maintain our artistic and business supremacy in the future.

With plot twists worthy of Ashes To Ashes, as much tension as Britain's Got Talent and a payday to rival Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Paul Jackson draws on his own experiences in the television industry to trace the development of a sector that today earns the country almost half a billion pounds a year in exports alone.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.



THURSDAY 29 APRIL 2010

THU 00:00 Midnight News (b00s1t53)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b00s799h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00s1t6k)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00s1tc8)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00s1tdk)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 05:30 News Briefing (b00s1tp5)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00s2mr1)
With the Rev'd Mary Stallard from Wales.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (b00s2mt4)
Willow Farmers fear for their future as the English cricket bat industry falters. On Farming Today, Charlotte Smith hears that new EU pesticide laws are at the root of the problem. And the Women's Institute campaign for a fairer deal for dairy farmers, as one farmer a day leaves the industry.


THU 06:00 Today (b00s2mvz)
With Sarah Montague and John Humphrys. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (b00s3h3w)
The Great Wall of China

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Great Wall of China.The Great Wall is not a single Wall. It is not visible from space, contrary to popular belief, as it is much too thin. But it remains a spectacular architectural and historical phenomenon.The Great Wall's military importance, and its symbolic power, have varied widely in its long existence, as its place in Chinese life has shifted with the country's history. It was initially constructed at the command of the first Emperor, from 221 BC, and was a combination of the various protective walls that had been built by the smaller states which he had conquered and merged to form China. The original Wall was made of pounded earth, and in places the wind-carved remains of this two thousand year old construction are still visible. But the Wall which is familiar to us today is the work of the Ming Dynasty, and its vast programme of reinforcement - prompted by a renewed threat from the Mongols in the north. In the 17th century, amazed Jesuits sent back reports to Europe about the Wall, and ever since it has held a powerful place in the imagination of the West. Some scholars argue that this in turn has shaped the modern Chinese appreciation of their astounding inheritance.Julia LovellLecturer in Chinese History at Birkbeck College, University of LondonRana MitterProfessor of the History and Politics of Modern China at the University of OxfordFrances WoodHead of the Chinese Section at the British LibraryPRODUCER: PHIL TINLINE.


THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b00s799k)
Defending the Guilty

Episode 4

We learn some of the criminal barrister's tricks of the trade, chief amongst these being dressing the client. Clothes always make an impression on jury members.

In this amusing and revealing series, criminal barrister Alex McBride takes us behind the scenes of Britain's criminal justice system, introducing us to its outlandish personalities, arcane eccentricities and stories of triumph and defeat.

The producer is David Roper, and this is a Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00s2n13)
Presented by Jenni Murray.

Harriet Walter has been celebrated for her roles on stage as Hedda Gabler, Beatrice and Cleopatra. Now she's taking on the role of the wealthy widow Livia in the Jacobean tragedy "Women Beware Women".

Pre-menstrual symptoms are experienced by many women in varying degrees of severity. One organisation believes some some GPs are still not taking the condition seriously enough.

Agony aunt and writer Bel Mooney on how she changed her life following the break-up of her 35 year marriage.

Is it more offensive when a woman swears? Are expletives from the mouths of women more shocking than from men, or is there a double standard here?


THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00s4xb0)
An Unsuitable Attachment

Episode 4

4/10

Penelope Wilton stars in Barbara Pym's wonderful story of love, requited and otherwise, in unfashionable north London in 1960. Everyone goes off to their Christmas retreats, but Rupert is till no nearer making up his mind, Ianthe or Penelope? So he decides to have a dinner party.

An Unsuitable Attachment was turned down by Barbara Pym's publishers, Faber, when she gave them the manuscript in 1963, with very little explanation. Her previous 6 books had met with some success, so she was very upset and according to her correspondence felt very badly treated. It wasn't until 1977, when the Times Literary Supplement published a symposium on the most over and under-rated writers of the century and two contributors named her in the second category - the only living writer to be so distinguished - and her next novel was published before the year was out. She was widely interviewed, appeared on Desert Island Discs, and was the subject of a tv film. She died in 1980. An Unsuitable Attachment was finally published in 1982.

Dramatised by Jennie Howarth.

Narrator ..... Penelope Wilton
Penelope ..... Sophie Thompson
Sophia ..... Lucy Akhurst
Ianthe ..... Raquel Cassidy
Mervyn ..... Stephen Critchlow
Mark ..... Martin Ball
Rupert ..... Ben Crowe
John ..... Tom Andrews
Sister Dew ..... Angela Curran
Lady Selvedge ..... Joanna Wake
Mrs Grandison ..... Frances Jeater
Edwin ..... Robin Bowerman
Basil ..... Joe Coen

The director is Chris Wallis, and this is an Autolycus production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b00s3h3y)
Can an economist save Peru?

The world famous Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto believes that the key to ending poverty for countless millions is to give them the right to own the land that they live on. If a person owns the land, and has the paperwork to prove it, his theory says, they can use it as collateral to borrow money from banks to help build businesses and improve their quality of life.

But de Soto's ideas have proved controversial. Now they are being tested in the rainforests of the Amazon. The indigenous Peruvians who live there believe that they already own the land and protest against what they see as the encroachment of big business. Last year, protests culminated in more than 30 deaths at Bagua

Linda Pressly journeys from Lima to the heart of the Amazon region with Hernando de Soto to discover how he is working with indigenous people.

Presenter: Linda Pressly
Producer: Paul Vickers.


THU 11:30 The Art of Remastering (b00s3h40)
Sara Mohr-Pietsch explores digital re-mastering: is it the art of restoring music to its original glory; or just another way of selling us music we already own?

The whole of the Beatles back catalogue has recently been re-released in re-mastered form; a quick search of any record store or online shop will reveal that a large number of recordings have been re-mastered, from very old crackly recordings to very recent releases. But what do the words 'digitally re-mastered' on a cd actually mean?

Sara Mohr-Pietsch visits London's iconic Abbey Road Studios (recently awarded Grade II listed status) to meet some of the engineers who re-master recordings there. She asks them and others from the music industry what re-mastering actually means. She learns that sometimes re-mastering can be as much about what to leave in as what to leave out. And is it an advantage to have the original artist involved in the process?

Sara also considers the consumer's point of view; we've already bought these recordings on vinyl and cd (and possibly cassette as well) so why do we need to buy them again? Can the average listener hear any difference between the original version of (for instance) a pop song from the 1960s and the re-mastered version?

Sara looks at the technology that is used to clean up very old recordings, where the music is often buried almost completely beneath noise and the sonic distortions caused by very primitive recording equipment.

Whatever your view is of the value of re-mastering, what is clear is that the re-mastering engineers Sara meets treat the work they do with great care and reverence - they are often uncovering moments in history.


THU 12:00 You and Yours (b00s2p3w)
Ian Leech's daughter Melissa was diagnosed with cancer while at university studying psychology. As she started treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma she decided to defer her studies for a year. It was then she discovered she wasn't entitled to any benefits because she was technically still a student.

We'll be talking to Ian about his successful campaign to get the rules changed. We'll also be talking to MacMillan Cancer Care to find out what other benefits they believe cancer patients should be entitled to.

Also on the programme, what deregulation could mean for your local commercial radio station.

And, the cost to UK taxpayers of retailers setting up parts of their businesses in the Channel Islands.


THU 12:57 Weather (b00s2p64)
The latest weather forecast.


THU 13:00 World at One (b00s2p7y)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.


THU 14:00 The Archers (b00s2pbn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama (b00s3h42)
Tracy-Ann Oberman - Bette and Joan and Baby Jane

Written by Tracy-Ann Oberman.

On 23 July 1961, filming started on "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?" at the Producers Studio, Hollywood. It was a film that industry insiders thought would never be made, as its two female stars had an ongoing feud as famous and as long lasting as both of their glittering screen careers. Bette Davis "the actress" and Joan Crawford "the movie star" both arrived on set determined to prove everyone wrong, including each other...

Tracy-Ann's first radio play tells the story of the making of a legendary film, of the creation of two iconic stars and of the origins of a deep seated hatred that spanned five decades.

Producer: Liz Anstee.
A CPL Production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 15:00 Open Country (b00s1lp8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:07 on Saturday]


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b00s1npf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:55 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00s6n7v)
Made in Bristol

Hidden Depths

Three short stories by Bristol based writers. Joe Sims reads the last in the series, 'Hidden Depths' by Dann Casswell. In the early hours of the morning, two friends don dry suits in Bristol city centre, and embark on a subterranean adventure, by canoe, beneath the city's streets.

Produced by Beatrice Fenton.


THU 15:45 The Single Life (b009ttws)
Episode 4

Thirty-eight percent of all British men have never married. But how does society look upon people who choose not to marry and to enjoy the freedom and other benefits that being single affords? In the fourth part of The Single Life, which was originally recorded and broadcast in 2008, Stephen talks about his life, in which marriage, children and mortgages haven't yet played a part.

Producer: Jo Meek
An All Out production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 16:00 Open Book (b00s1pdx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]


THU 16:30 Material World (b00s3h44)
Quentin Cooper and guests dissect the week's science news. This week:

With oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico following an explosion that sank the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, Professor Chuck Kennicutt of Texas A&M University outlines the threat the oil slick represents, what might be done to mitigate the effects and how the oil will eventually disperse.

Can scientific development and innovation push the economic recovery forward? The authors of a new report "Big Potatoes: The London Manifesto for innovation" believe so. Launched at the Royal Society the report highlights how there is currently very little debate in society about research and development. It has become socially acceptable not to know about science, argue the authors, and this change in public and political attitude is stifling economic recovery as well as limiting future innovation and therefore the creation of new industries and jobs for the future. Quentin is joined by one of the reports co-authors Professor James Woudhuysen and the former vice-president of the Royal Society, Sir Martin Taylor.

Another of our 'So You Want To Be A Scientist' finalists, John Rowlands, starts his experiment on 'noctilucent clouds'. These luminous layers of ice crystals appear high up in the atmosphere between May and August, but no one knows exactly why these mysterious clouds appear. Quentin takes John to meet his mentor, Prof Nick Mitchell from the Centre for Space, Atmospheric & Oceanic Science, who is going to try and help him find out.

Interior Traces is a series of live radio plays that next week go on tour. They explore the effects of brain imaging on individual identity and society through the stories of two characters with different brain conditions. They contrast present understanding with an imagined future in which people can be told in advance that they may develop a tumour or even a violent criminal tendency. Quentin meets writer and neuroscientist Dr Louise Whiteley and Dr Daniel Glaser of the Wellcome Trust and the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience.

Producer: Martin Redfern.


THU 17:00 PM (b00s2pk1)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00s2ps8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 18:30 Arthur Smith's Balham Bash (b00s3h46)
Series 2

Episode 3

Arthur Smith invites us into his Balham flat in south London for comedy, music and entertainment.

With his guests: Doc Brown, Gomez, Henry Paker and Richard Herring.

Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2010


THU 19:00 The Archers (b00s2pbq)
Kathy's surprised to learn that Kenton has offered Kirsty an evening job at Jaxx. Kirsty hasn't said anything at the Bull. Fallon thinks they're a great team. There'll be no problems when Jolene and Sid go to New Zealand.

Jazzer wants to know why Brenda hasn't put his blog on the website. She explains it needs a fair bit of tweaking.

Pat and Kathy are pleased with the proceeds from the community shop raffle. It means they've reached their target.

In Windsor, Lilian meets Paul in the hotel lobby. After a nervous moment they make their way in, and enjoy the dinner dance.

Paul takes a tipsy Lilian to her room. Lilian asks him to stay for a nightcap. When Paul asks about Matt's business plans, Lilian opens her heart. She shares her concerns about Matt's true feelings. Paul tells her that if it was him, he'd be counting the days until he could come home to her. He realises he's said too much but it's the kindest thing anyone has said to Lilian in a long while. Paul thinks it's best if he goes back to his room, but Lilian wants him to stay. Neither knows quite what to do.


THU 19:15 Front Row (b00s2pxg)
Country star Glen Campbell on playing with Elvis

Country star Glen Campbell recalls playing for Elvis and reflects on his ancestral bond with Scotland. Novelist Lawrence Norfolk reviews an exhibition of maps from 1400 onwards at the British Library, including the largest atlas in the world. Cellist Tony Woollard on making the first ever recording of Theme for a Prince, written by Sir William Walton for the Prince of Wales in 1970. Nicola Barker, Booker nominated for her novel Darkmans, discusses her new book, Burley Cross Postbox Theft.


THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00s4xb0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


THU 20:00 The World Tonight (b00s6rbc)
The Prime Ministerial Debates

The Economy

For the first time in a British general election, the leaders of the three largest UK parties are taking part in televised debates. Radio 4 will broadcast the whole of tonight's third and final debate, on the economy, hosted by the BBC live from 8.30pm.

Robin Lustig will be in London with a panel of political watchers to look ahead to the issues being discussed, and afterwards from 10pm to consider how the leaders tackled them.

Ritula Shah will be in Stoke with some unemployed voters, who will be giving their reaction to the debate.


THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00s2skx)
Henry James - The Aspern Papers

Episode 4

The would-be literary thief is no nearer Aspern's letters. Miss Tina's strangeness starts to irritate him. Read by Samuel West.


THU 23:00 The Music Teacher (b00s3h48)
Series 1

Episode 1

An aural feast of a musical comedy written by and starring Richie Webb as multi-instrumentalist music teacher Nigel Penny.

Shut away in a windowless practice room in a regional arts centre, music teacher Nigel endures a succession of pupils: the middle-aged bachelor with his homemade Moog; the six year old trombonist who's arms aren't quite long enough; and the female student who's forever in a state of tearful crisis and never gets her oboe out - all these and more enter Nigel's airless little room.

Nigel also has to contend with the panicked manager of Letchington Arts Centre, Belinda, who's continued struggle to keep the Arts Centre a going concern impacts bizarrely on Nigel's world.

Nigel suffers from crippling stage fright. He hasn't performed in public for years and frankly, he's not looking to rectify this. Belinda, however, is. And not because she appreciates his rare talent, but mainly because she always seems to have some act that's cancelled and needs Nigel to fill in.

We are privy to Nigel's thoughts: conversations and musical performances are littered with the 'real' Nigel's asides, which flit from commenting on what is happening to wandering off on a tangent to becoming consumed with the prospect of performing again.

Musically, though, the show sounds like no other: Accordians; singing dogs; death metal guitar - we hear them all. And the entire show takes place in Nigel's tiny, windowless room. The claustrophobia is audible.

This opening episode sees Nigel having to contend with an atonal Barbershop Quartet and a depressed orchestral timpanist - whilst Belinda is desperate to fill the slot vacated by the Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

Nigel Penny ...... Richie Webb
Belinda ...... Vicki Pepperdine
Other roles: Dave Lamb, Jim North and Jess Robinson.

Producer: Richie Webb
Director: Nick Walker

A Top Dog Production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in April 2010.


THU 23:15 My Teenage Diary (b00jd9x5)
Series 1

Richard Herring

Rufus Hound invites comedians to revisit their formative years by dusting off their teenage diaries and reading them out in public for the very first time.

With Richard Herring.


THU 23:30 Stash: The Dandy Aesthete of Swinging London (b00h6xlm)
Journalist Mark Paytress searches for mysterious 60s personality Stash, friend of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. From March 2009.



FRIDAY 30 APRIL 2010

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b00s1t55)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b00s799k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00s1t6m)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00s1tcb)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00s1tdm)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b00s1tp7)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00s2mr3)
With the Rev'd Mary Stallard from Wales.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b00s2mt6)
Farmers are facing further subsidy chaos and confusion and blame the Rural Payments Agency for sending out inaccurate maps of their land, and Farming Today takes a snapshot of the health of the British Honey-Bee population to find out how colonies and hives have survived the harsh winter.


FRI 06:00 Today (b00s2mw1)
With John Humphrys and Evan Davis. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 The Reunion (b00s1p7j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Sunday]


FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b00s799m)
Defending the Guilty

Episode 5

Criminal barrister Alex McBride has come to the end of his trainee year: his 'pupillage'. Only one of the six trainees in Alex's chambers will be offered a job.

In this amusing and revealing series, Alex takes us behind the scenes of Britain's criminal justice system, introducing us to its outlandish personalities, arcane eccentricities and stories of triumph and defeat.

The producer is David Roper, and this is a Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00s2n15)
Presented by Jenni Murray.

As a new book charting the cultural history of sophistication hits the bookshops we explore to what extent the elusive art of sophistication still survives in 2010. When once we had Katherine Hepburn, and now we have Katie Price as Jordan, has the rise of The Celebrity turned sophistication into a lost art? To discuss Jenni is joined by Faye Hammill, author of 'Sophistication', and by Alice Rawsthorn, design critic for The International Herald Tribune.

We discuss the state of housing for our armed forces with Julie McCarthy of the Army Families Federation who's lobbying all the political parties not to make housing an easy target for spending cuts in the Defence Review that all are committed to after the election, and Mike Codner of the Royal United Services Institute.

A new male version of the girdle, disguised in T shirt form, has been dubbed 'The Mirdle'. With integrated panels designed to visibly control the stomach, and claiming to shave two to three inches off the male waist once on, it seems 'The Mirdle' is not only embracing but being embraced by men. One leading high street retailer of underwear has sold more than 15,000 since January. So is The Mirdle the solution to unwanted beer belly? Join us as we road test the latest in shapewear for men...

And a resurgence in the popularity of buttermilk - the by-product of butter. We visit an artisan dairy in Cumbria which makes handmade butter to find out what it is, and Christina Tilbury, Head Tutor at the Cordon Vert Cookery School will join Jenni Murray in the studio to show how it can be used in baking.


FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00s4xb2)
An Unsuitable Attachment

Episode 5

5/10

Penelope Wilton stars in Barbara Pym's wonderful story of love, requited and otherwise, in unfashionable north London in 1960. John Challow hasn't turned up for work. Ianthe is worried that he is ill, although Mervyn has his doubts. So Ianthe does good work, and goes visiting the sick.

An Unsuitable Attachment was turned down by Barbara Pym's publishers, Faber, when she gave them the manuscript in 1963, with very little explanation. Her previous 6 books had met with some success, so she was very upset and according to her correspondence felt very badly treated. It wasn't until 1977, when the Times Literary Supplement published a symposium on the most over and under-rated writers of the century and two contributors named her in the second category - the only living writer to be so distinguished - and her next novel was published before the year was out. She was widely interviewed, appeared on Desert Island Discs, and was the subject of a tv film. She died in 1980. An Unsuitable Attachment was finally published in 1982.

Dramatised by Jennie Howarth.

Narrator ..... Penelope Wilton
Penelope ..... Sophie Thompson
Sophia ..... Lucy Akhurst
Ianthe ..... Raquel Cassidy
Mervyn ..... Stephen Critchlow
Mark ..... Martin Ball
Rupert ..... Ben Crowe
John ..... Tom Andrews
Sister Dew ..... Angela Curran
Lady Selvedge ..... Joanna Wake
Mrs Grandison ..... Frances Jeater
Edwin ..... Robin Bowerman
Basil ..... Joe Coen

The director is Chris Wallis, and this is an Autolycus production for BBC Radio 4.

Producer CHRIS WALLIS
Repeated on 30:04:2010 19:45:00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Billed Time On-air Time Prog. Title TX Title Ep. Title
Amend 19:45:00 19:45:00 AN UNSUITABLE ATTACHMENT AN UNSUITABLE ATTACHMENT

Short Desc
Penelope Wilton stars in Barbara Pym's story of love in unfashionable north london.

Medium Desc
Penelope Wilton stars in Barbara Pym's wonderful story of love in north London in 1960. John doesn't turn up for work, so Ianthe does good works and goes visiting the presumed sick.


FRI 11:00 Inventing Divorce (b00s3h84)
As recently as fifteen years ago Ireland was the only country in the European Union in which divorce was still illegal. But the ban was overturned by the slenderest of majorities when the country voted in a referendum. In a previous vote in 1986, the result had been a thundering 'no'. In rural areas it was 8 to 1 against. Divorce had not only been illegal in Ireland but sternly frowned upon. Olivia O Leary tells the story of the fight to get the constitution amended and asks whether divorce is now accepted as part of modern life.


FRI 11:30 When the Dog Dies (b00s3h86)
Series 1

The Same Hymn Sheet

Ronnie Corbett reunites with the writers of his hit sitcom Sorry, Ian Davidson and Peter Vincent. Sorry ran for seven series on BBC 1 and was number one in the UK ratings.

In this Radio 4 sitcom, Ronnie plays Sandy Hopper, who is growing old happily along with his dog Henry. His grown up children 'both married to people Sandy doesn't approve of at all' would like him to move out of the family home so they can get their hands on their money earlier. But Sandy's not having this. He's not moving until the dog dies. And not just that, how can he move if he's got a lodger? His daughter is convinced that his too attractive lodger Dolores (Liza Tarbuck) is after Sandy and his money.

Luckily, Sandy has three grandchildren and sometimes a friendly word, a kindly hand on the shoulder can really help a Granddad in the twenty-first century. Man and dog together face a complicated world. There's every chance they'll make it more so.

In this first episode, The Same Hymn Sheet, Sandy wants to protect his grandson Tyson from the harsh training programme and insane sporting ambitions of Tyson's father Blake, and sets out to torpedo Blake's touchline plans. The story takes Sandy all the way to the bank. Unfortunately, it's the bottle bank.

Cast:
Sandy ...... Ronnie Corbett
Dolores ..... Liza Tarbuck
Mrs Pompom ..... Sally Grace
Ellie ..... Tilly Vosburgh
Blake ...... Jonathan Aris
Mr Stott ..... Jon Glover
Tyson ..... Daniel Bridle

Pronunciations:
Lisa - Leeza
Aris - Airis

Producer: Liz Anstee
A CPL Production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b00s2p3y)
The US electricals giant Best Buy opens its first UK store in time for the bank holiday. In coming weeks further outlets will open in Southampton's Hedge End, Liverpool's Aintree and Merry Hill in the West Midlands, as well as a shop in Croydon, London, in the autumn. Best Buy say they'll focus heavily on customer service, both in-store and remotely through their 24-hour home computer support service, Geek Squad.

We investigate reports which suggest Japanese visitors to the Lake District will pay a surcharge to help with the upkeep of footpaths and the like.

And listener Ben Manning emailed to say how excited he'd been when his SciFi novel was accepted for publication with the well known publisher Pegasus McKenzie. However he was less excited when he received the contract which stated the publisher required him to pay £2,500 towards the cost of publishing. Rather than the more traditional non-contributory contract he was being offered a "contributory contract". The publishers concerned say they are not vanity publishers and say that this kind of partnership between publisher and author is now becoming common. But is it?

How does the Gaelic Athletic Association explain its success despite the recession? The purely amateur organisation last year reported £17 million in profits.

And an update on the story about the national newspaper ad for top wines from bankrupt restaurants which were never delivered. West Yorkshire Police have named a man they are trying to trace. If you can help, contact West Yorkshire Police: 0845 6060606 (ask for economic crime unit) or email steven.taylor@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.


FRI 12:57 Weather (b00s2p66)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 13:00 World at One (b00s2p80)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.

Includes Election Call, where listeners put comments to Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National Party.

The number to call is 03700 100 444. Lines are open from 11.30 on the day of the programme.

Calls cost the same as calls to 01 or 02 numbers, and mobile charges may vary.


FRI 14:00 The Archers (b00s2pbq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Drama (b00s3hrm)
Justin Hopper - The Weighing Room

By Justin Hopper.

Noel is a jump jockey anxious to get his career back on track after a spell on the sidelines. Just what does it take to survive in the demanding and dangerous world of National Hunt racing?

Directed by Toby Swift.


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b00s3hrp)
Matt James gives the lowdown on invasive plants: How is the government proposing to restrict the sale of these potent plants?

This week, the team is in Nottinghamshire, The panel members are Pippa Greenwood, Bunny Guinness and Bob Flowerdew. Eric Robson is the chairman.

The producer is Lucy Dichmont. This is a Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 15:45 The Single Life (b009ttwv)
Episode 5

Nearly four million people in the UK are single again after the death of their husband or wife. In the final episode of the series about being single in the modern world, Terry talks about facing life on his own. Widowed after 31 years of marriage, he reflects on trying to reconcile grief and loss with a new found freedom.

Producer: Jo Meek
An All Out production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 16:00 Last Word (b00s3hrr)
The subjects of today's programme include Dorothy Height, described by Barack Obama as "the godmother of civil rights" in the United States. A campaigner from the 1930s, according to the US President she was "at every march and milestone along the way".
Also the prolific writer Alan Sillitoe, who first came to prominence with his novel Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. We hear from his son David.
Professor Fred Halliday, renowned scholar of international relations and expert on the Middle East. His fluency in ten languages helped him to gain a deeper understanding of Arabic culture and politics
And the poet Peter Porter. Russell Davies recalls the long Soho lunches they shared with Clive James, Kingsley and Martin Amis, Ian McEwan and other luminaries.


FRI 16:30 The Film Programme (b00s3hrt)
Francine Stock talks to actor Eddie Marsan about working with Mike Leigh and Martin Scorsese, and about his new thriller, The Disappearance Of Alice Creed

Terence Stamp reveals why being sacked by one legendary Italian director helped him get a job with another.

Three community cinemas around the country offer advice on how to start your own film society.

Orson Welles and a false nose are the stars of Jane Eyre, which is released for the first time on DVD. Jane Graham reviews this 1944 production.


FRI 17:00 PM (b00s2pk3)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00s2psc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (b00s3hrw)
Series 71

Episode 3

Sandi Toksvig presents another episode of the ever-popular topical panel show. Guests this week include Andy Hamilton and Francis Wheen.

Produced by Sam Bryant.


FRI 19:00 The Archers (b00s2pbs)
It's the morning after the night before for Lilian, and Peggy faces a difficult truth.


FRI 19:15 Front Row (b00s2pxj)
Tracey Emin, Kevin Whately and Per Wastberg

Mark Lawson travels to Margate to meet Tracey Emin, who has created a new work for Turner Contemporary, the seaside town's visual arts centre which is due to open in 2011.

Per Wastberg discusses his influential role as the Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Literature, as well as his biographical novel The Journey of Anders Sparrman, about the little-known Swedish naturalist who worked with Captain Cook.

Actor Kevin Whately reflects on his return to the role of Lewis, a part he first played 23 years ago as the sidekick to the late John Thaw's Inspector Morse.


FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00s4xb2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b00s3hry)
Jonathan Dimbleby chairs the live debate from Garston in Hertfordshire with questions from the audience for the panel including: Shaun Woodward, Northern Ireland Secretary; Michael Gove, Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families; Charles Kennedy, former leader of the Liberal Democrats and Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party.


FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b00s3hs0)
When money is just an illusion

Simon Schama reflects on the meaning of money as represented by coins and notes and in art. He celebrates the solidity of coins with their seeming defiance of monetary transience in contrast to paper money which embodies more readily the ephemeral nature of fortunes made and lost. Simon Schama sees the current economic crisis as an ideal moment for artists to emulate their predecessors from earlier times of boom and bust by producing paintings to express financial worthlessness.


FRI 21:00 Friday Drama (b00s5mnq)
The Birds

Daphne Du Maurier's classic horror story about the natural world turning on mankind, starring Neil Dudgeon.

Nat battles to protect his family as birds begin to ruthlessly attack humans.

Nat.....Neil Dudgeon
Sue.....Nicola Walker
Maggie.....Jade Williams
Mr Trigg.....Gerard Horan
Jonathan.....Carl Grose
Newsreader.....John Dougall
Mary.....Rachel Bavidge

Music & Sound Design: David Pickvance
Dramatist: Melissa Murray
Director: Sally Avens.


FRI 21:58 Weather (b00s2q9k)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b00s2rnk)
National and international news and analysis.


FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00s2skz)
Henry James - The Aspern Papers

Episode 5

Episode 5 of The Aspern Papers by Henry James, read by Samuel West.

Aspern's literary editor, having laid out a good deal of money and time in the quest for previously unpublished papers connected with the poet, is growing restless at his lack of results. He has now recruited the pathetic niece Miss Tina to the cause of preserving Aspern's letters from destruction by her aunt; at the same time, he becomes convinced that Miss Bordereau herself has guessed what he's about.

Abridged and produced by Christine Hall.


FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b00s2ylh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]


FRI 23:30 Rockumentary Rollercoaster (b0088nhm)
With a limitless supply of hyperbolic characters, bizarre situations, and in-concert set pieces, the rock world is a gift to the documentary filmmaker. Film critic and music broadcaster Andrew Collins looks at the place where his twin passions meet: the rockumentary.

Taking a personal tour through a vast back catalogue of rockumentaries, he recalls some of the most iconic scenes they've captured. Many of the most abiding images of rock's golden age are drawn from rockumentaries: Jimi Hendrix setting fire to his guitar in "Monterey Pop"; The Beatles' first all-conquering tour of the USA in "What's Happening"; and The Rolling Stones' ill-fated concert at Altamont (where an audience member was murdered), in the Maysles Brothers' Direct Cinema masterpiece "Gimme Shelter".

The programme unearths forgotten films like "Charlie Is My Darling", where an impossibly fresh-faced Rolling Stones tour Ireland. Never released, it was the band's first celluloid outing, made by an unsung hero of British documentaries, the fascinating Peter Whitehead. A few years later, The Stones were stars of another unreleased film: Robert Frank's notorious and banned "C.S. Blues". Susan Steinberg, who edited the film, gives a first hand account.

Collins considers the fond farewells in Scorsese's depiction of The Band's final concert in "The Last Waltz" and Bowie's ultimate performance as "Ziggy Stardust". And of course, no examination of the rockumentary would be complete without considering "This is Spinal Tap". Recent films like Sundance winner "Dig!" show the rockumentary is alive and well. But what impact might digital technology have on the way they are made and consumed in the future?

The producer is Caroline Hughes.
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.