SATURDAY 16 APRIL 2011

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (b0106x94)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SAT 00:30 Book of the Week (b0106vck)
The Warmth of the Heart Prevents Your Body from Rusting

Episode 5

French psychologist Marie de Hennezel examines western attitudes to ageing and asks if we can transform the way we feel about growing old, making this most feared period one of the best times of our lives.

De Hennezel draws on her experience of working with the dying to argue that one's proximity to death is not to be feared.

Read by Alexandra Mathie.
Abridged by Alison Joseph.

Marie de Hennezel is a respected psychologist and psychotherapist who works with the French government to raise awareness of palliative care. She has written nine books about the end of life, including 'Intimate Death', and is the author of two ministerial reports on caring for those with terminal illnesses.


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0106x96)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0106x98)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at 5.20am.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0106x9b)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (b0106x9d)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b0106x9g)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection presented by the Most Revd David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.


SAT 05:45 iPM (b0106x9j)
'I found my real mum on Facebook.' A listener tells of a family reunited. Plus two opposing views from Ivory Coast and a trip to an HIV respite centre. Mariella Frostrup reads Your News. Presented by Eddie Mair and Jennifer Tracey. iPM@bbc.co.uk.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (b0106x9l)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SAT 06:04 Weather (b0106x9n)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (b010dd3s)
Horseback UK

Helen Mark is in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire to find out how horses and the natural landscape of Royal Deeside are helping wounded and serving military personnel. Set up by ex-marine Jock Hutchison and his wife Emma, Horseback UK is a charity aiming to provide a safe and secure environment for soldiers returning from active service or those that have already left, many of whom have suffered injury or acute stress as a result of active service. The charity uses equine therapy and the value of the great outdoors and nature therapy to provide part of the rehabilitation process for serving personnel and veterans from the UK military. Helen hears from Jock about their hope that those who have lived their lives on the edge will benefit from the opportunities available to them in the peace and tranquillity of the countryside and the quality of life this offers. Fundamental to this is the relationship with the horses and the style of Western riding which gives these guys the experience of being a cowboy high up in the saddle and looking down on countryside that they might previously not have noticed as they passed through. Mixing equine therapy, nature therapy and adventure training the aim is for people to learn about opportunities in the Scottish countryside, including game-keeping, horsemanship, fishing etc. while getting to know their local community. Helen hears from Jay Hare and Rick Anderson, two of the people who have benefited from the centre, and also from Eric Baird at the nearby Glen Tanar Estate, one of the areas that is supporting the charity by encouraging people there to become involved in conservation work. At the heart of everything are the horses and the way in which they are used to integrate the people they carry on their backs into the community and countryside of the Royal Deeside landscape.

Presenter: Helen Mark
Producer: Helen Chetwynd.


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (b010dd3v)
Farming Today This Week

Farming Today This Week discovers the best way to produce beef and dairy calves. Anna Hill meets a farmer who uses both artificial insemination and a bull to raise cattle. He explains the merits of both methods. Farming Today also visits a company responsible for producing over 1.2 million calves in the past twelve months and Anna discovers how the internet is enabling farmers to choose the best stock from around the world to inseminate their herd.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Martin Poyntz-Roberts.


SAT 06:57 Weather (b0106x9q)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 07:00 Today (b010dd3x)
Morning news and currents with John Humphrys and Evan Davis, including:
07:32 A new report says more than one-in-eight councils will have to reduce the number of people qualifying for free adult social care following cuts in government funding.
07:50 Are Colonel Gaddafi's forces using cluster bombs on the city of Misrata?
08:16 Will the driest March since 1961 mean hosepipe bans for England and Wales?


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (b010dd3z)
The Reverend Richard Coles with writer, broadcaster and poker ace Victoria Coren, poet Aoife Mannix, one man who faces some big fences in his chase to become a jockey, and another who does not feel pain. Style guru Peter York takes us on a Daytrip and actress Anne Marie Duff shares her Inheritance Tracks.


SAT 10:00 Excess Baggage (b010dd41)
Welsh wilderness - Harp around the World - Moonlight

John McCarthy explores the pleasure of moonlight, talks to a musician who travelled the world with her harp and meets someone who spent 5 years in the solitude of a remote Welsh cottage without electricity or running water.

Producer Chris Wilson.


SAT 10:30 Sylvie Simmons: The Rock Chick (b010dd43)
Sylvie Simmons left Islington as a teenager in the seventies to freelance as a rock correspondent for the likes of NME, Sounds and Melody Maker. Music journalists were rare on the West Coast back then, female ones even rarer.

Sylvie talks to Nick Barraclough about how it was her dislike of English traditional folk music that drove her from her London home to California, where she encountered a burgeoning music scene. They received her, initially, with scepticism. Her love of the music, though, and her thorough understanding and encyclopaedic knowledge of the scene soon won her respect and affection from musicians and editors alike.

Sylvie recalls the trickier encounters she has had over the years; the blues player who expected more than just a review from her, a shy Michael Jackson who needed an interpreter, an ailing Johnny Cash, awkward but ultimately chummy Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan and a ticking off from Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks.

She reflects on the pros and cons of being a female in what is predominately a male world; the relief of some female stars that they can talk to one who understands, and the fact that of all the genres, heavy rock has the most courteous interviewees, sensitive singer-songwriters not so good, new romantics the worst.

Sylvie also shows Nick her new passion; her impressive ukulele collection and we're treated to an impromptu duet.

Producer: Nick Barraclough
A Smooth Operations production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in April 2011.


SAT 11:00 Beyond Westminster (b010dd45)
Delivering Devolution

As voters in Scotland and Wales prepare to go to the polls, Sheena McDonald takes stock with a panel of experts of more than a decade of devolution and asks what it means for the UK as a whole. Highlighting policies which are strikingly different from those of the government in Westminster, in Wales she looks at higher education and the decision to shield Welsh students from large tuition fee increases; in Scotland she looks at health and patients' benefits such as free prescriptions and free personal care. What will be the impact of the recent increase in law making power for Wales and imminent greater tax raising power for Scotland and what are likely to be the tensions between the different nations in the UK at a time when public spending is being squeezed?
Producer: Sheila Cook.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (b010dd47)
'The Bahrain I had known wasn't there' - Frank Gardner, who used to live on the Gulf island, has been back to report on life there under a state of emergency which is proving increasingly difficult for the Shiite opposition. The 7/7 bombings in London claimed victims of many nationalities: Nick Beake has travelled to Poland to hear more about one of them - a young woman who was a keen student and a member of the local choir. India's huge population has come under scrutiny in the recent census and Mark Tully has been wondering if the country's relatively youthful population will ultimately prove a boon for the economy, or a drain on it. A long-running strike at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra has finally come to an end and Petroc Trelawny's been hearing that it could be a long time before the wounds are healed. And Kathy Flower finds that chemists' shops in the French Pyrenees offer much more than just aspirins - they're places you can visit for advice on wild mushrooms: will they kill you or prove a tasty topping on your omelette?


SAT 12:00 Money Box (b010dd49)
On Money Box with Paul Lewis:

Will the date for scrapping cheques in 2018 get put back?
Plus: how bank faster payments still move slowly for those wanting to pay credit card bills.
And: customers lose from an end of money card.


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (b0106vqy)
Series 74

Episode 1

A satirical review of the week's news, chaired by Sandi Toksvig.


SAT 12:57 Weather (b0106x9s)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 13:00 News (b0106x9v)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 13:15 Questions across the Pond (b0076g1d)
Jonathan Dimbleby dips into the archives to hear how events of the early 1950s in Britain and America were reflected in two radio debate programmes of the time.


SAT 14:00 Bookclub (b0076qc1)
Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson meets readers to discuss his bestselling book A Short History of Nearly Everything, his quest to find out all that has happened since the Big Bang.


SAT 14:30 Saturday Drama (b010dd4f)
One Chord Wonders

Damned, Damned, Damned

One Chord Wonders: Damned, Damned, Damned
3/5
The third of Frank Cottrell Boyce's plays about the punk generation in middle age. Hardman Mick's career in the music business imploded after a brush with an over-enthusiastic fan. Now in prison, can he find salvation in his treasured memories of 'that night' in 1977?

Mick Martindale ... Richard Ridings
Lee ... Lloyd Thomas
Tony ... Chris Pavlo
Wayne ... Richie Campbell
Phil ... Paul Richard Biggin
Announcer ... John Rowe
Guard ... Ben Crowe

Director/Producer ... Toby Swift

************************
ONE CHORD WONDERS is a series of 5 plays by top British screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce. The series looks at the 'punk generation' three decades on, with each play telling a different, but connected, story. Featured actors include Pauline Quirke, Doon Mackichan, Sian Reeves, Richard Ridings, Danny Webb, Manjinder Virk and Fenella Woolgar.

Frank Cottrell Boyce is probably best known for films like '24 Hour Party People', 'A Cock & Bull Story', 'Hilary & Jackie', 'Welcome to Sarajevo' and 'Butterfly Kiss'. He won the CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2004 for 'Millions', his first novel, which was subsequently filmed by British director Danny Boyle.

The series is based on the fictional premise that in March 1977 punk band the Adverts performed a gig in Camberley to an audience of 27 people. Over 30 years later, someone is trying to bring those 27 people back together again for a reunion.

'Damned, Damned, Damned' features Mick who worked in 'personal security' for rock and pop bands until an unfortunate incident with an over-enthusiastic fan saw him jailed for violence. As part of his battle to come to terms with what he has become, Mick has been trying to mentor a volatile young prisoner. The invitation to the reunion arrives, throwing his thoughts back to his young self and deeply unsettling him. He remembers that night in 1977 as the best night of his life. Then he receives a letter from Muttley who was also there that night.

The fourth play in the series - 'This is the Modern World' - catches up with Muttley, now living in an eco-commune deep in rural Wales.

The final play, 'Television's Over', takes us back 34 years to where it all begin; the day punk heroes the Adverts arrived at the Police Club in Camberley.


SAT 15:30 Into the Music Library (b01061hr)
It's the music which has surrounded us our whole lives, but which most of us have never quite heard let alone listened to... and nearly all of it made in the UK.

Sometimes called 'Source music', 'Mood Music' or as it's best known, 'Library music': a hugely important part of British sonic history. Its use and purpose is simple: it's well produced, economic music for film, TV, advertising and radio. Never commercially available to the general public, this music was pressed onto vinyl from the 1950s onwards in short, limited quantities and then sent directly to TV production houses and radio stations for use when necessary.

From the mid 1960s onwards, as TV and radio productions expanded, so did library music usage. As a result the golden age of TV (and our memories of it) is not only punctuated but dominated by classic library music.

Sports themes, situation comedies, game shows, cartoons, talk shows, classic children's tv, the testcards and even Farmhouse Kitchen was brought to us all with the help of library music. Themes for Terry And June, Grange Hill, Mastermind, Match Of The Day and of course that gallery tune from Vision On are all well placed library cues. But there are reels (and reels) of gorgeously crafted, equally great stuff that never made it past the elevator door! We have been surrounded by it forever, but we know so little about it.... Where does it comes from? Who actually makes it? And how do you actually set about making music for the inside of a waiting area, a lift or for a plane before it takes off?

In this first ever documentary about library music we'll look into its history (starting in 1909), speak with the dynastic library owners (de Wolfe, KPM, John Gale), We find out what's it's like to make music to imaginary pictures by speaking to the library music makers (which could include Jimmy Page and Brian Eno), and even have a word with the Musicians Union who banned UK recording of library music throughout the late 60s.

We also talk to the modern day enthusiasts, the collectors (Jerry Dammers) and explore the contemporary influences of this extraordinary musical genre. And of course re-acquaint ourselves with some of the most familiar music we've never listened to!

Presented by collector and archivist Jonny Trunk.

Producer: Simon Hollis
A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (b010dd4h)
Weekend Woman's Hour

Weekend Woman's Hour with Jenni Murray. Cat Deeley talks about her new TV show. We look at the history of women in the American Civil War and ask if freezing your eggs to prolong fertility is a con trick? Last year Kay Gilderdale was tried for the attempted murder of her daughter, Lynn. She had pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of assisting suicide, but was freed and she talks to Jenni about their story. And we talk to Muslim Shanna Bukhari from Blackburn who's contending for the Miss Universe GB title next month.


SAT 17:00 PM (b010dd4k)
A fresh perspective on the day's news with sports headlines.


SAT 17:30 iPM (b0106x9j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:45 today]


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b0106x9x)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 17:57 Weather (b0106x9z)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0106xb1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (b010dd4m)
Peter Curran and guests with an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy.

Peter is joined by the legendary Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May and his protege, West End star Kerry Ellis. After roles in Wicked, We Will Rock You and Oliver! Kerry is joined by Brian as they embark on a nationwide UK tour of Kerry's album, Anthems.

Simon Day brings some of his Fast Show, Down the Line and Bellamy's People characters to life, including unconventional eco-warrior Dave Angel, poet Geoffrey Allerton, pub know-it-all Billy Bleach and reformed criminal Tony Beckton. All recorded in 'The Mallard' Theatre for The Simon Day Show on BBC Radio 4.

Intrepid adventurer Ben Fogle has tackled jungles, desert marathons, mountain treks and Cross Atlantic rowing trips. On Sunday night, Ben gets exclusive access to his hero Captain Scott's Hut in the Antarctic, frozen in time for the last century.

Jo Bunting discusses the influential Vagina Monologues with Mistresses and Marchlands actress Shelley Conn, who stars in a special all-Asian cast of the play alongside Meera Syal and Shappi Khorsandi. Jo also finds out how Shelley was picked by Stephen Spielberg to star in his epic big budget sci-fi drama, Terra Nova.

With music from Dinosaur Jr founder J Mascis who performs 'Not Enough' from his first solo album 'Several Shades of Why'.

And from one-man maverick maestro Muntu Valdo: the Cameroonian, who has played with the likes of Ali Farka Toure, Tony Allen, Staff Benda Billi and Keziah Jones plays Musseing from his new album 'The One and The Many'.

Producer: Cathie Mahoney.


SAT 19:00 Profile (b010dd4p)
Rebekah Brooks

On the day of her resignation, Edward Stourton profiles the former News International Chief Executive Rebekah Brooks. He asks how she became one of the most powerful women in Britain - and charts the mixture of charm and ruthlessness which took her to the top.
Producer: Ben Crighton.


SAT 19:15 Saturday Review (b010dd4r)
Tom Sutcliffe and his guests novelists Dreda Say Mitchell and Liz Jensen and art critic Bill Feaver review the cultural highlights of the week.

The murder of five women in Ipswich in December 2006 forms the background to Alecky Blythe and Adam Cork's play London Road at the National Theatre. It deals with the media attention that the residents of the street where the murderer lived had to endure. The words are taken verbatim from interviews conducted by Blythe and set to music by Cork.

When David Foster Wallace died in 2008 he left behind a vast quantity of material that he had been working on for the follow up to to his critically acclaimed 1996 novel Infinite Jest. His friend and editor Michael Pietsch took sackfuls of notebooks, hard drives, files and floppy discs and pieced together Foster Wallace's final, unfinished novel The Pale King about a young man's year spent working for the IRS.

Writer and director Aaron Katz has been corralled into the American independent film subgenre dubbed 'mumblecore'. His latest film Cold Weather is set in his hometown of Portland, Oregon and concerns Doug, a college drop out and Sherlock Holmes fan, who finds himself turning detective when his ex goes missing.

Kate Summerscale's best-selling non-fiction book The Suspicions of Mr Whicher has been adapted for ITV1 by Ian McKay. Paddy Considine stars as Whicher - a detective from Scotland Yard sent to investigate a murder at a Wiltshire country house in 1860.

Joan Miro: Ladder of Escape at Tate Modern is the first major exhibition of Miro's work to be held in Britain for nearly fifty years. Comprised of over 150 paintings, drawings and sculptures, it brings together for the first time the five large triptychs the artist created between 1961 and 1974.

Producer: Torquil MacLeod.


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (b010dd4t)
Spilling the News

"If you come to work in Washington, you'd better put your big boy pants on."

This is Admiral Thad Allen's reflection on being caught in the middle of a political battle following the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Admiral Allen was the National Incident Commander overseeing a plan which was set up after the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989. This was the first time the plan had been used, and at its core was the idea that BP would carry out the clean up, overseen by the federal authorities.

But BP's role quickly became a political challenge. "British Petroleum" - as many began to call it - were vilified by the media. The chief executive, Tony Hayward, became a deeply unpopular figure, particularly after he said - "I would like my life back".

In Spilling The News, Steve Hewlett examines the political and media response to the spill. He charts how a tragic industrial accident and serious environmental threat became a bitter war of words, often fought over national lines.

Producer: Chris Ledgard.


SAT 21:00 Classic Serial (b0105s46)
Patrick O'Brian - The Mauritius Command

Episode 2

Patrick O'Brian's naval epic set in 1809, dramatised by Roger Danes. Starring David Robb as Captain Jack Aubrey and Richard Dillane as Doctor Stephen Maturin. Episode 2 of 3.

Jack Aubrey is promoted (temporarily) to Commodore to lead a squadron of English ships, charged with taking the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Réunion from the French. Jack must succeed against superior odds at sea and on land (where Stephen's subversive skills are invaluable as ever). Yet, in his new role as Commodore, Jack needs subtlety and subterfuge to win over the crews and subordinate captains of his own fleet, including the flamboyant but erratic, Lord Clonfert.

The story is based on a naval campaign in 1809-10 when Britain and France were bitterly engaged in protecting their trade routes around the southern tip of Africa - and the islands of Mauritius and Réunion (east of Madagascar) were viewed as strategic bases.

The Mauritius Command is the fourth novel in Patrick O'Brian's Nelsonic epic series and the sequel to HMS Surprise which was dramatised for Radio 4 in 2008.

Captain Jack Aubrey ................... DAVID ROBB
Doctor Stephen Maturin .......... ...RICHARD DILLANE
Lord Clonfert.................................SAM DALE
Dr McAdam................................. SEAN BAKER
Lt-Col Keating ............ .......THOMAS ARNOLD
Governor Farquhar ..................... .DAVID RINTOUL
Captain Corbett................. ....CHRISTIAN RODSKA
Captain Pym............................... BRIAN BOWLES
Lt Webber....................................PIP CARTER
Lt Seymour ....................... ...MAX DOWLER
Lt Briggs..................................... NYASHA HATENDI
Midshipman Cotton........................LLOYD THOMAS
Producer/director: Bruce Young.


SAT 22:00 News and Weather (b0106xb3)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.


SAT 22:15 Unreliable Evidence (b0106rvk)
Complexity

Clive Anderson and some of the country's top lawyers and judges discuss legal issues of the day.

The final programme in the current series discusses concerns that our law has become so complex that even judges are struggling to understand it.

The chair of the Law Commission, the appeal court judge Lord Justice Munby, tells Clive Anderson that unnecessary amounts of government legislation over recent years has compounded legal complexity, and made it difficult for the Commission to do its job, clarifying and simplifying the law.

The last Labour Government, for example, created 4,300 new crimes during its years in power - including a ban on swimming in the wreck of the Titanic and on the sale of game birds shot on a Sunday.
The programme hears how legal complexity creates problems in almost all areas of law, making it increasingly difficult for members of the public to understand and therefore exercise their rights.

Lord Justice Mumby says governments have failed to implement a lot of the Law Commissions suggested improvements to the law, and have also failed to introduce a "basic tool of democracy" - an authenticated electronic database of statutory law.

He admits that the Law Commission's ultimate objective, a complete codification of the law, is unlikely ever to be achieved.

Producer: Brian King
An Above The Title production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 23:00 Counterpoint (b0105vty)
Series 25

Episode 2

(2/13)
Do you know which role in classical music has been performed over the years by Boris Karloff, Dame Edna Everage, David Bowie and Sir Sean Connery, among others?

Paul Gambaccini will have the answer, as he takes the chair for the second heat in the 25th anniversary series of the wide-ranging music quiz. Facing his questions this week are contestants from Hertfordshire, Middlesex and the West Midlands.

As usual, the questions cover everything from the classical repertoire to film music, show tunes, classic jazz, rock and pop. There'll be a chance for the contestants to specialise, with a choice of musical topics on which to answer their own individual questions - but they get no advance warning of the categories.

The quiz features plenty of musical extracts, some familiar, others rarely heard.

Producer: Paul Bajoria.


SAT 23:30 Lost Voices (b0105sjz)
Series 3

Anne Ridler

In the first of a new series, Brian Patten explores the life and poetry of Anne Ridler, whose quiet and lucid observations of 20th century life are often overlooked. Born into a literary family, Anne's early employment with the publisher Faber meant that she was working to T.S. Eliot. Her work, however, is very much in her own distinctive voice: quiet, contemplative, but acute in its observation. Juliet Stevenson reads a selection of Anne Ridler's poems on themes of the natural world, relationships, the rhythms of human life.

Producer Christine Hall.



SUNDAY 17 APRIL 2011

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (b00z76ts)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SUN 00:30 Lent Talks (b0106rvn)
This year's Lent Talks sees six well known figures reflect on different elements of conflict found in the story of Jesus' ministry and Passion from the perspective of their own personal and professional experience.

In the fifth Lent Talk of the series, Guardian columnist, Madeleine Bunting, explores the unmet public appetite for justice in the wake of the financial crisis.

The Christian season of Lent is traditionally a time for self-examination and reflection on universal human conditions such as temptation, betrayal, abandonment, greed, forgiveness and love. The main theme for this year's talks will explore conflict in different forms and how it interacts with various aspects of society and culture.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00z76tv)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00z76tx)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00z76tz)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (b00z76v1)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (b010df00)
The bells of St Edward, Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire.


SUN 05:45 Profile (b010dd4p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 News Headlines (b00z76v3)
The latest national and international news.


SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b010dfgl)
First Impressions

Mark Tully asks if we should rely on First Impressions or take more time to form opinions. Can we influence the impact we make on others, and can we be manipulated by those who cultivate misleading first impressions for their own benefit.

Using examples of music inspired by the composers' first impressions of landscapes, and poetry written about first impressions of lovers, and even drawing on the conclusions of research into instinctual judgments, Tully discovers that 'snap' decisions can not only prove trustworthy in the long run, but help to protect us from harm.

But should we always trust our immediate responses, or is there an argument to be made for 'proper' consideration? What are the dangers of acting upon first impressions, and when has it all gone wrong.

Producer: Adam Fowler
An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (b010dfgn)
25 years after the Chernobyl disaster, Caz Graham visits Snowdonia, where radiation from the fallout still affects more than 300 farms.

Father and son Trebor and Emlyn Roberts recall hearing on the radio how a radioactive cloud would pass over their farm. They were told their sheep and land would be affected for 3 weeks, 3 months at the most. A quarter of a century on, they cannot move any animal from their land without testing it for radiation.

Testers from the Welsh Assembly arrive with a Geiger counter to test a batch of sheep set for market. They have not recently been grazing the peat land where the radiation is worst, so Emlyn is hopeful they will be fit for human consumption. He has now been told the radiation will stay in the land forever, and as he reflects on the situation at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, he considers the impact Chernobyl has had on his career, Welsh farming, and family life.

Presenter: Caz Graham Producer: Melvin Rickarby.


SUN 06:57 Weather (b00z76v5)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (b00z76v7)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (b010dfgq)
Edward Stourton with the religious and ethical news of the week. Moral arguments and perspectives on stories, familiar and unfamiliar.

An 'unconscionable betrayal' of the Libyan people if Colonel Gadaffi was left in place. That's the warning from Britain, America and France as they insist on continuing with their military campaign in Libya. But with no clear exit strategy in place is this really a just war? Our presenter Edward Stourton talks to the Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli, Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli and to the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Rt Revd John Packer.

Westminster Council have been accused of 'criminalising compassion' by their proposal to introduce a bye-law to ban rough sleeping and soup runs in the vicinity of Westminster Cathedral in London. Our reporter Trevor Barnes investigates.

A Christian and Buddhist 'Suicide Prevention Project' is being set up in Japan to help those whose loved ones were killed or remain missing following last month's devastating earthquake and tsunami. Dr Stephen Turnbull, Lecturer in Japanese Religion at Leeds University talks to Edward about this multi-faith collaboration.

A major report from Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission is calling on the next Scottish Government to include those people living in poverty, in the shaping and delivering of an anti-poverty policy. The Archbishop of Glasgow, the Most Reverend Mario Conti explains the details to Edward.

Email: sunday@bbc.co.uk

Series producer: Amanda Hancox.


SUN 07:55 Radio 4 Appeal (b010dfgs)
Anti-Slavery International

Richard Branson presents the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity Anti-Slavery International.

Donations to Anti-Slavery International should be sent to FREEPOST BBC Radio 4 Appeal, please mark the back of your envelope Anti-Slavery International. Credit cards: Freephone 0800 404 8144. You can also give online at www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/appeal. If you are a UK tax payer, please provide Anti-Slavery International 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: 1049160.


SUN 07:57 Weather (b00z76v9)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (b00z76vc)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (b010dfgv)
The Unreconciled - Lies and Truth

The last of our series for Lent live from St Arvan's Church, near Chepstow. Preacher: Father Michael Gollop, with the Ardwyn Singers directed by David Michael Legget. Producer: Sian Baker.

In our journey through Lent, we have been looking at issues in Christian reconciliation. Download web resources specially written for the series from the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland website. As we approach the culmination of the events leading to Easter, we prepare ourselves to meet the ultimate reconciling work - what God has done for us in the crucifixion, death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. Separating truth from lies is the preoccupation of Pontius Pilate as he tries to act adroitly in a situation which is both political and personal for him. What can his dilemmas amidst the unfolding drama of Christ's last days in Jerusalem teach us, as this Lent we consider the Unreconciled?


SUN 08:50 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b0106x58)
Series 2

Identities

You get a very different insight into the natural world when you have the opportunity to study the behaviour of individual animals.

Sir David Attenborough recalls with sumptuous delight spotting a blackbird in his garden with a white feather - "whitey" - giving him a window into the life of blackbirds and what's more, that individual. And, he says, he saw what blackbirds get up to!

David remembers filming spiders and filming chimpanzees, both of which benefited from someone knowing about the individuals - and whether you're a spider or a chimpanzee, you have a personality all of your own.

Written and presented by David Attenborough

Producer: Julian Hector

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2011.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (b010dfgx)
News and conversation about the big stories of the week.


SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (b010dfgz)
For detailed synopses see daily episodes

Written by Mary Cutler
Directed by Jenny Stephens
Editor ... Vanessa Whitburn

Jill Archer ... Patricia Green
Kenton Archer ... Richard Attlee
Shula Hebden Lloyd ... Judy Bennett
David Archer ... Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer ... Felicity Finch
Elizabeth Pargetter ... Alison Dowling
Lilian Bellamy ... Sunny Ormonde
Peggy Woolley ... June Spencer
Jolene Perks ... Buffy Davis
Fallon Rogers ... Joanna Van Kampen
Kathy Perks ... Hedli Niklaus
Jamie Perks ... Dan Ciotkowski
Clarrie Grundy ... Rosalind Adams
Will Grundy ... Phillip Molloy
Emma Grundy ... Emerald O'Hanrahan
Ed Grundy ... Barry Farrimond
Susan Carter ... Charlotte Martin
Vicky Tucker ... Rachel Atkins
Roy Tucker ...Ian Pepperell
Oliver Sterling ... Michael Cochrane
Caroline Sterling ... Sara Coward
Lynda Snell ... Carole Boyd
Alan Franks ... John Telfer
Usha Franks ... Souad Faress
Elona ... Eri Shuka
Ted ... Paul Webster.


SUN 11:15 Desert Island Discs (b010dfh1)
Felicity Green

Kirsty Young's castaway is the pioneering fashion journalist Felicity Green.

As hem-lines headed north in the early 60s she was hitting her stride in Fleet Street. She was the first woman on the board of a national paper and, as society changed, she kept right up with it. She introduced readers to Mary Quant, Biba and Twiggy and, on one memorable occasion, gave Harold Wilson's wife Mary a home perm.

Now in her mid-80s she is still mentoring students at St Martin's College and says "I have never been fashionable - fashion needs to be followed at a very, very respectful distance. My blue-print for fashion is to be simple and stylish."

Record: Chan Chan
Book: Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim
Luxury: A bronze sculpture by Giles Penny

Producer: Rachel Simpson.


SUN 12:00 The Unbelievable Truth (b0105ymv)
Series 7

Episode 2

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.

Clive Anderson, Sue Perkins, Henning Wehn and Graeme Garden are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as: dogs, lobsters, Lewis Carroll and the sun.

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.


SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (b010dfh3)
Borough Market

Borough Market, in south east London has been, and is, a food phenomenon. It took off in the 1990s, riding in the wake of the BSE outbreak that had led to a new interest in the source of our food. As it developed it looked as though a few seedy acres on the south bank of the Thames were going to give us, for the first time in decades, a market as good as the very best in France, Spain or Italy.

And Borough's influence stretches beyond London: it served as a model for other local authorities for what a market could be, and how it could regenerate communities and areas. Even supermarkets imitated its ranges as urban wealth reached rural pockets.

But the market's success has latterly been overshadowed by criticisms that it has lost its way, catering now for tourists not local cooks, and introducing rising tariffs on traders that some say threaten their businesses.

Sheila Dillon charts the rise of the market with some of its founders, and asks the Chair of Trustees for the Borough Market, Peter Wilkinson, has this nationally important market lost its way?

Producer Rebecca Moore.


SUN 12:57 Weather (b00z76vf)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (b010gdv0)
The latest national and international news, with an in-depth look at events around the world. Listeners can comment via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #theworldthisweekend.


SUN 13:30 Mind Changers (b00yhv36)
Elizabeth Loftus and Eye Witness Testimony

Elizabeth Loftus is the highest-ranking female in the list of top 100 psychologists. She's gained world-wide renown for her experiments showing that memory, far from being an accurate record, is influenced by subsequent exposure to information and events and is re-constituted according to the biases these create.

Claudia Hammond meets the creator of several classic experiments, who broke new ground with the filmed simulations of road accidents she showed to subjects in the 1970s. These studies revealed that witness reports of the same incident varied according to the wording used by the questioner, giving rise to the development of the 'cognitive interview' - witness-led it avoids questioner-bias. Loftus' work has changed the way witnesses are dealt with throughout the legal system.

Having shown that existing memories can be altered, Loftus was inspired to try to implant a whole false memory by the rise in cases of 'recovered' memories of violence and abuse in childhood. Her 'Lost in the Mall' and 'Bugs Bunny' studies proved that she could - in 30% of subjects - make them believe something that had never happened was part of their childhood history.

Loftus has inspired much work in the field of memory, including that of Barbara Tversky, on how memory reflects the spin put on a story.

Lorraine Hope, of Portsmouth University, has used the Cognitive Interview to develop the Self-Administered Interview (SAI), trialled by Greater Manchester Police. Steve Retford of their Major Incident Team is convinced of its benefits.

Loftus' former friends and teachers at Stanford - Gordon Bower, Lee Ross and Brian Wandell - remember a fun-loving and forceful young woman, while Gillian Cohen reviews her influence in the UK.


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b0106vjb)
Powys, Wales

Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood and Anne Swithinbank join gardeners in Llandeilo and District Gardening Club for a horticultural discussion. Peter Gibbs chairs.

Anne Swithinbank visits the National Botanic Garden of Wales to uncover what uses rare Welsh natives have in the domestic garden.

Produced by Lucy Dichmont
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 14:45 Wonderful Ways to Beat the Recession (b010dgfz)
Episode 3

If you're thinking of going on holiday - but no longer have the cash - then one of Claire Wade's virtual holidays is definitely for you. Her company Holidays From Home offer you the opportunity to travel to New York or Sydney without chewing up the environment or getting jet lag. Instead you get a series of imaginative props, plus a full seven day timetable as to what to do every day. Has to be heard to be believed. The producer is Miles Warde.


SUN 15:00 Classic Serial (b010dgrb)
Patrick O'Brian - The Mauritius Command

Episode 3

Patrick O'Brian's naval epic set in 1809, dramatised by Roger Danes. Starring David Robb as Captain Jack Aubrey and Richard Dillane as Doctor Stephen Maturin.

Jack has been promoted to Commodore to lead a squadron of English ships, charged with taking the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Réunion from the French. Jack faces superior odds at sea and on land (where Stephen's subversive skills are invaluable as ever). Yet, in his new role as Commodore, Jack needs subtlety and subterfuge to win over the crews and subordinate captains of his own fleet, including the courageous but brutal Captain Corbett.

Based on a naval campaign in 1809-10 when Britain and France were bitterly engaged in protecting their trade routes around the southern tip of Africa - and the islands of Mauritius and Réunion (east of Madagascar) were viewed as strategic bases.

The Mauritius Command is the fourth novel in Patrick O'Brian's Nelsonic epic series and the sequel to HMS Surprise which was dramatised for Radio 4 in 2008.

Captain Jack Aubrey ................... DAVID ROBB
Doctor Stephen Maturin .......... ...RICHARD DILLANE
Captain Corbett................. ....CHRISTIAN RODSKA
Governor Farquhar ..................... ..DAVID RINTOUL
Lt-Col Keating ............ ........THOMAS ARNOLD
Admiral Bertie.............................. SEAN BAKER
Lt Seymour ....................... ...MAX DOWLER
Lt Pullings ...................................DAVID HOLT
Lt Tullidge....................................LLOYD THOMAS
Major O'Neil................................ SAM DALE
Midshipman Johnson ....... ...........NYASHA HATENDI
Producer/director: Bruce Young.


SUN 16:00 Open Book (b010dgrd)
Mariella Frostrup talks to former journalist Annalena McAfee about her novel The Spoiler, a story set against the excesses of modern journalism, and featuring not one but two feisty female protagonists.

She also looks back at literary precursors to McAfee's novel, from Evelyn Waugh's Scoop onwards, with the help of former newspaper editor Max Hastings and novelist DJ Taylor.

Plus, American writer Steve Hely on penning a novel all about trying to write a best-selling novel - and what it tells us about our literary pretensions today.

PRODUCER: HILARY DUNN.


SUN 16:30 Lost Voices (b010dgrg)
Series 3

Herbert Read

Herbert Read was a man of many contradictions. Though a dedicated socialist and a committed anarchist, he was knighted by Winston Churchill; he was a pacifist but was twice decorated for bravery in the First World War; he was a strong advocate for Modernism in British art but could not accept the concept of Post Modernism. His towering presence in the post-war art world (he co-founded the Institute of Contemporary Arts) almost totally eclipsed his abilities as a poet, and yet his son - the writer Piers Paul Read - believes he always thought of himself as a poet.

Brian Patten, who met Herbert Read towards the end of his life, revisits his First World War poetry and finds an impressively mature voice; cool in tone but full of humanitarian feeling towards the men - he characterised them as "children" - involved on both sides.

Piers Paul Read contributes to the programme and the poems are read by Samuel West.

Producer Christine Hall.


SUN 17:00 The Sea Gangsters (b01095mf)
The recent murder of four innocent civilian hostages aboard their yacht 'Quest', the kidnapping of children aboard a Danish yacht, and the hi-jack of the giant oil tanker 'Irene' are game changers in the ever growing scandal of international piracy. Piracy Inc. is getting bigger, nastier and richer by the week - at the expense of the freedom of Western sea trade.

The new sea gangsters now have some 20 mother ships, most driven by hostage slave crews operating with virtual impunity on sea lanes stretching from Africa to India. The recent escalation highlights the impotence of the West's navies in facing the threat. Paralysed by indecision, the British and their NATO allies have virtually no authority to disarm, attack or aggressively confront the enemy. Only India, Russia and South Korea have taken the law into their own hands and blasted the Somali pirates out of the water when and where they have caught up with them - but at a price.

What the world sees is a half glamorous image of the Johnny Depps of Somalia. The reality is the new pirates are some 130 separate but highly organised gangs of ruthless operators who sometimes torture their hostages and are holding 760 seafarers, some of them going insane after nearly a year of captivity on filthy boats with minimal food and water.

"We are talking about a new international criminal conspiracy", Joe Angelo, Managing Director of Intertanko.

For BBC Radio 4 investigative reporter Tom Mangold, visits the front line and talks to the key people involved. Reporting from the Gulf from on board a British Royal Navy anti-piracy patrol and talking to victims, perpetrators and insiders about the ever darkening future for commercial shipping he asks what can be done about the gangsters who operate a $100 million dollar a year racket

Producer: Gemma Newby
A Jolt Production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 17:40 Profile (b010dd4p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b00z76vh)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 17:57 Weather (b00z76vk)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00z76vm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (b010dgrj)
Have you ever been inside a volcano? Or had a pillow fight with a Prime Minister? Or met someone with a passion for tracking down theme tunes, jingles - and even the background music for a promotional film on packing, printing and light assembly? Meet them all in Pick of the Week, alongside some powerful, eloquent voices talking about forgiveness and the joy and tenderness which can accompany old age.
Martin Wainwright makes his selection from the past seven days of BBC Radio

Random Edition - 1961 First Man in Space 50th Anniversary Special - Radio 4
Titanium - Radio 4
Jules Verne's Volcano - Radio 4
A Thousand Kisses - Radio 3
Into the Music Library - Radio 4
Sylvie Simmonds - The Rock Chick - Radio 4
Rony Robinson - BBC Radio Sheffield
Book of the Week - The Warmth of the Heart Prevents the Body from Rusting - Radio 4
5Live Breakfast - Your Call - Radio 5 Live
The Prime Ministers - Radio 4
Today - Radio 4
Bronzeville - Chicago Lives - Radio 4
Drive - Radio 5 Live

Email: potw@bbc.co.uk or www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/potw
Producer: Bernadette McConnell.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (b010dgrl)
At The Laurels, Elona asks Peggy if she's fallen out with Ted. Peggy insists it's just a difficult time for new friendships. Elona hints that Ted was disappointed to not see Peggy. Offering Ted some companionship can't hurt anyone, surely. Peggy concedes that Elona may have a point.

Kathy tells Clarrie that her chat with Fallon was helpful, but is worried about how much time and space she can give Jamie. Clarrie comforts her and says that what's important is that she at least knows that Jamie is well and with people who care for him.

Oliver thinks Caroline's decision to not replace Roy and her taking on the role of full time manager should have been a joint decision. He wants more time together to enjoy life, but Caroline wants to be economically efficient. They decide to give themselves six months after which they will review the situation. Until then, Oliver will give Caroline his full support.

Peggy's not the only one baking extra goodies for the Gardener's Question Time recording. Jill reckons it'll take the Gardener's Question Time team a lot of digging afterwards to burn off all the calories. She and Peggy are both looking forward to it.


SUN 19:15 Americana (b010dgrn)
As American companies clock some of the fastest growth in 60 years, with CEOs and executives pocketing salaries and stock options to match, Matt Frei takes a closer look at the widening gap between rich and poor in America.

Film-maker Morgan Spurlock talks about his newest film funded entirely by product placement.

And musician and Louisiana native Tab Benoit, on the edge of the bayou, one year after the BP oil spill.


SUN 19:45 Pavilion Pieces (b00m17ft)
The Indian Hospital

Written by Kellie Jackson

It is 1915 and Brighton's Royal Pavilion is transformed into a hospital for Indian Soldiers. A goodwill visit from the King and Queen has a disturbing impact on two young Gurkha brothers.

Read by Judy Parfitt

Producer/Director: Celia de Wolff
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 20:00 More or Less (b0106vj6)
In the last series we looked at what changes to the tuition fee system in England will cost students. In this programme we examine the other side of the equation: how much will the changes cost the taxpayer? Could the Government be on the hook for more than it thinks?

The US Supreme Court recently issued a judgement on what might seem an unlikely subject: the uses and abuses of statistical significance testing. We explain why it matters.

It seems not a week goes by without a politician claiming to be progressive - or claiming that the other guy is regressive. Everyone seems to assume that progressivity in the tax system is self-evidently a good thing. But is that always true?

This week we were told that inflation has fallen by all measures but with the biggest drop shown in the Consumer Prices Index. What exactly is the difference between CPI and RPI? It's not - as most journalists report - all about housing costs.

Producer: Richard Knight.


SUN 20:30 Last Word (b0106vjd)
Sidney Lumet, Baruch Blumberg, Roger Nichols, Edith Helm and Ishbel MacAskill

Matthew Bannister on

The prolific film director Sidney Lumet - whose movies included Twelve Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon and Network. We have tributes from Omar Sharif and Jenny Agutter.
The nobel prize winning scientist Baruch Blumberg, who saved millions of lives by isolating the Hepatitis B virus and developing a vaccine
Roger Nichols - the innovative studio engineer who gave Steely Dan their distinctive sound.
Edith Helm - the first woman ever to be given a kidney transplant - we speak to the donor - her twin sister.
And the "honey voiced" Gaelic singer Ishbel MacAskill.


SUN 21:00 Money Box (b010dd49)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:00 on Saturday]


SUN 21:26 Radio 4 Appeal (b010dfgs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:55 today]


SUN 21:30 In Business (b0106v1c)
Quick on the Draw

In an age of high technology communications, two long-established companies in a single German city are still battling each other for supremacy in a global marketplace ... in pencils. In Nuremberg Peter Day asks Faber-Castell and Staedtler how they both stay sharp ... and finds out what light (and shade) they can throw on the success of German industry and the viability of Europe as a single economy.
Producer: Caroline Bayley.


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (b010dgw2)
Carolyn Quinn talks to Daily Mail political commentator Iain Martin and polling blogger Mike Smithson about the referendum on changing the voting system used to elect MPs. They also discuss the United Kingdom Independence Party and its prospects in the forthcoming local elections in England.

UKIP's leader Nigel Farage takes part in a live discussion about the big political stories with the Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb and the former Labour minister Pat McFadden. They discuss Britain's role in Libya, immigration and the referendum on the voting system.

Professor Jon Tonge of Liverpool University previews the elections to the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly.

Programme editor: Terry Dignan.


SUN 22:45 What the Papers Say (b010dgw4)
Episode 48

Hugo Rifkind of The Times analyses how the broadsheets and red tops are covering the biggest stories.


SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (b0106vqt)
Matthew Sweet discusses the fashion sense of the Vikings with Tom Hiddleston, who plays the Norse god, Loki, in Kenneth Branagh's latest offering Thor and explores cowboy country with Shirley Henderson, one of the stars of Kelly Reichardt's feminist Western, Meek's Cutoff. You can also hear how Tony Garnett prepared for his groundbreaking film, Prostitute, which is being re-released on DVD and Shirley Anne Field remembers her part in John Mortimer's first feature film script, Lunch Hour...a rarely seen masterpiece from the early Sixties.


SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b010dfgl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:05 today]



MONDAY 18 APRIL 2011

MON 00:00 Midnight News (b010dhc3)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b01064yx)
Catholic Police Officers in Northern Ireland - Facebook

In the wake of the murder of Ronan Kerr, a Catholic police officer in Omagh, Laurie talks to Dr Mary Gethins about her research into the Catholic police officers who have joined the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). She conducted a survey of 300 serving officers followed by in depth interviews with 70 current, trainee and officers and explored the rewards for doing a job which can isolate people from their communities, expose them to prejudice from colleagues and always carries the risk of violence from dissident republicans. Community policing is an enduring problem for the force with some Catholic communities utterly rejecting the legitimacy of the police. Will the PSNI eventually becoming an integrated force, respected by Catholics and Protestants alike? Perhaps the strong reaction against the murder of Ronan Kerr will help establish the authority of the police force across Northern Irish society.

Also on Thinking Allowed, Facebook in Trinidad. Laurie talks to Danny Miller about his ethnographic study of Facebook users in the Caribbean island. He finds it can wreck your marriage, put your job in jeopardy but actually bolsters community and augments many of the positive aspects of modern life.

Producer: Charlie Taylor.


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b010df00)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b010dhc5)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b010dhc7)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b010dhc9)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 05:30 News Briefing (b010dhcc)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b010dhcf)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection presented by the Most Revd David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (b010dhch)
Farmers warn that this year's harvest of fruit and veg will be more expensive unless there is some much needed rain soon. Anna Hill also hears how fertilisers are not being absorbed by crops because of the lack of water.

Of the 90,000 historical objects discovered last year in England and Wales, 95% of them where found on farmland. Will Cumber who found an entire Roman Arena on his arable farm in Oxfordshire. There has been an archaeological dig on his land for the past 11 years.

And the future of food production could be in a windowless building under LED lights with temperature, humidity and air quality all controlled to the finest detail. Anna Hill hears about plans for an underground farm in Holland.

Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Emma Weatherill.


MON 05:57 Weather (b010dhck)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.


MON 06:00 Today (b010dhcm)
Morning news and current affairs with James Naughtie and Evan Davis, including:
07:50 Britain calls for aid agencies to have unfettered access to civilians trapped by the fighting in Libya.
08:10 Taoiseach Enda Kenny on Ireland's economic strategy.
08:50 Who has the most to lose from the AV vote?


MON 09:00 Start the Week (b010dhcp)
Andrew Marr's guests include the neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris, who argues that science ought to influence human morality rather than religion; the writer Masha Gessen who describes the extraordinary story of the Russian maths genius Grigori Perelman who solved a mathematical problem that had remained inscrutable for a century but refused to take the credit - or the million dollar prize; Adam Rutherford, geneticist and journalist on decoding the genome and being human and the Revd Lucy Winkett of St James's Piccadilly, London on how the religious sensibility can contribute to the 'good society'.

Producer: Elaine Lester.


MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b010dhcr)
Edmund De Waal - The Hare with Amber Eyes

Episode 1

By Edmund de Waal. Read by Nicholas Murchie.

264 delicate wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox - that stand as a symbol of the extraordinary events that overtake one family.

Potter Edmund de Waal was entranced when he first encountered this collection in the Tokyo apartment of his great uncle Iggie. Later, when Edmund inherited the 'netsuke', they unlocked a story far larger than he could ever have imagined.

His family the Ephrussis came from Odessa, and at one time were the largest grain exporters in the world; in the 1870s, Charles Ephrussi was part of a wealthy new generation settling in Paris. Charles's passion was collecting; emerging French painters and - when Japanese art and artists became all the rage in the salons - he bought an entire collection of netsuke and sent them as a wedding present to his banker cousin in Vienna.

Later, three children - including a young Ignace - would play with the netsuke as history reverberated around them. The Anschluss and Second World War swept the Ephrussis to the brink of oblivion. Almost all that remained of their vast empire was the netsuke collection, dramatically saved by a loyal maid when their huge Viennese palace was occupied.

Edmund de Waal travels the world to stand in the great buildings his forebears once inhabited. He traces the network of a remarkable family against the backdrop of a tumultuous century and tells the story of a unique collection.

Abridged by Polly Coles

Producer: Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b010dhct)
With Jane Garvey. The secret letters that shed new light on the life of singer Edith Piaf who's the subject of a newly published biography. Official figures in India support the view that the number of girls born there is continuing to decline, despite a legal ban on sex selective abortions. Two guests discuss how to bring about a change in inherent cultural attitudes towards girls. With a referendum on the Alternative Vote weeks away, we look at whether changing the voting system could benefit women. There's music from Europop singer Tatiana, whose musical style has been compared to that of Amy Winehouse.


MON 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b010fn7d)
Sherbet Dolls

Episode 1

Sherbet Dolls 1/5
by Karen Brown

The Ratcliffe family are on a journey, the preparation, organisation, the chaos that is 12 year old Olivia competing in a children's beauty pageant, the Bella Bambino Beauty Pageant finals held in Birmingham.

Cast
Stacey ...... Naomi Radcliffe
Tony ...... John Thomson
Olivia ...... Shannon Flynn
Jin Lin ..... Shamae Griffin
Lift announcer ..... Melissa Jane Sinden
Judy ...... Kathryn Hunt
John ..... Seamus O'Neill
Director ..... Pauline Harris

Further Info.
The mother Stacey is desperate to break away from the working
class small lancashire town they've all grown up in. In her view, fame holds the key to a sparkling future for the whole family. Tony, the husband and father would rather not take part at all and hopes the plastic tiara and sash are worth all the trouble. In contrast to their world Olivia is trying to finish her school project which involves e-mailing her Chinese pen pal Jin Lee; the Puyang Number 1 Middle School in China has been
twinned with Olivia's school in Lancashire, and they're exchanging e-mails over the weekend. Two children from different cultures both taking part in very different competitions.


MON 11:00 Barrow (b010hflh)
Out there at the end of a long peninsula of land extending from the northern tip of Morecambe Bay into the Irish Sea, and on the western edge of the Lake District, the town of Barrow-in-Furness seems to exist in total contrast to its beautiful, windswept surroundings. Barrow's industrial identity seems unalterable, to the extent that it has been described "the most working class town in England", based on the number of working mens' clubs, bookies, and chip shops per head of the town's population. But the town's industry was always specialised. The iron and steelworks are long gone, shipbuilding a fading memory, and the submarines built at BAE Systems' Shipyards now keep busy only a third of the 14,000 workforce employed in the 1980s. Despite the fact that a series of Astute-class hunter-killer submarines is in production, the long-term future of the Trident-based nuclear defence system is uncertain and the recession may have put Barrow's ambitious dockland regeneration plans on hold. The special industrial heritage of this isolated Cumbrian coastal town provides a unique focal point for presenter/ producer Bob Dickinson (whose father came from Barrow) to monitor a year of economic austerity.


MON 11:30 Fags, Mags and Bags (b010dhcy)
Series 4

The Bewerdine Spectrum

The hit Radio 4 series 'Fags, Mags & Bags' returns with more shop based shenanigans and over the counter philosophy, courtesy of Ramesh Mahju and his trusty sidekick Dave.

Written by and starring Donald McLeary and Sanjeev Kohli 'Fags, Mags & Bags' has proved a hit with the Radio 4 audience with this series picking up a Writers' Guild nomination for best comedy in 2011.

In this episode Sanjay goes on work experience at the local paper, The Lenzie Trumpet, and ends up writing the problem page which spells disaster for Ramesh and his loyal customers.

So join the staff of 'Fags, Mags and Bags' in their tireless quest to bring nice-price custard creams and cans of coke with Arabic writing on them to an ungrateful nation. Ramesh Mahju has built it up over the course of 30 years, and is a firmly entrenched feature of the local area. Ramesh loves the art of the 'shop'.

However; he does apply the 'low return' rules of the shop to all other aspects of his life. Ramesh is ably assisted by his shop sidekick Dave, a forty-something underachiever who shares Ramesh's love of the art of shopkeeping, even if he is treated like a slave.

Then of course there are Ramesh's sons Sanjay and Alok, both surly and not particularly keen on the old school approach to shopkeeping, but natural successors to the business, and Ramesh is keen to pass all his worldly wisdom onto them whether they like it or not!

Cast:

Ramesh ..... Sanjeev Kohli
Dave ..... Donald Mcleary
Sanjay ..... Omar Raza
Alok ...... Susheel Kumar
Keith Futures ...... Greg McHugh
Hilly ..... Kate Brailsford
Lovely Sue ..... Julie Wilson Nimmo
Mutton Jeff ..... Sean Scanlan

Producer: Gus Beattie
A Comedy Unit production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:00 You and Yours (b010dhd0)
What is it like to be branded a terrorist when you're nothing of the kind? On Monday's programme we'll find out from a man who has had that very experience. Arrested for being part of a non-existent Islamic plot against the Pope on his visit to London last year, Sami was one of six men released without charge less than two days later. But not before one newspaper had accused him and the others of plotting "to assassinate the head of the Roman Catholic church and slaughtering hundreds of pilgrims.".


MON 12:57 Weather (b010dhd2)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 13:00 World at One (b010fk22)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4. Thirty minutes of intelligent analysis, comment and interviews. To share your views email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


MON 13:30 Counterpoint (b010dhd4)
Series 25

Episode 3

(3/13)
If La Scala is the main opera house in Milan, and La Fenice (fe-NEET-chay) its equivalent in Venice, which Italian city is home to the Teatro San Carlo?

The third heat of the 25th anniversary series comes from the BBC Radio Theatre in London, with Paul Gambaccini asking the questions on a wide range of musical styles and eras.

The winner today will take a place in the semi-finals in June. As usual the questions cover classical music, jazz, film and stage music, vintage chart hits and recent releases. There are plenty of musical extracts, some surprising, others familiar.

Producer: Paul Bajoria.


MON 14:00 The Archers (b010dgrl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Drama (b010dhd6)
Charity

By Daniel Jamieson

When an illegal minicab driver knocks a man off his mobility scooter they begin an unusual and touching relationship that will change both their lives.

Charity ..... Nikki-Amuka Bird
Jason ..... Lloyd Hutchinson
Kizza ..... Kuan Frye
Finn ..... Daniel Rabin
Nikolay ..... Brian Bowles
Doctor ..... Sally Orrock
Cashier ..... Jane Whittenshaw
Passengers ..... Stuart McLoughlin, Alex Tregear, Daniel Rabin, Jane Whittenshaw

Directed by Marc Beeby.


MON 15:00 Archive on 4 (b010dd4t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Saturday]


MON 15:45 Russia: The Wild East (b010dk1x)
Series 1

Rurik, founder of Rus

A major new history series begins this week which traces the development of Russia over a period of 1,000 years. The first five weeks take the listener from the beginning of the Russian state in 862 A.D. up to the cataclysmic revolution of 1917. Martin Sixsmith, who writes and presents the series, was the BBC's Moscow Correspondent in 1991. The series begins with a vivid recording of his report on the events that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

As he says: 'I remember with absolute clarity my conviction that the dissolution of the Communist Party after seventy years in power, meant the monster of autocracy was dead in Russia, that centuries of repression would be thrown off and replaced with freedom and democracy. But I was wrong.

The country is stable and relatively prosperous now, but democracy and freedom again take second place to the demands of the state: the spectre of autocracy is again haunting Russia. Back in 1991, in the grip of Moscow's euphoria, I'd forgotten the lesson of history - that in Russia things change ... only to remain the same. Attempts at reform, followed by a return to autocracy, had happened so often in Russia's past that it was very unlikely things would be different this time. '

In this first programme, Martin travels to the northern city of Novgorod. It was there that, ancient history has it, the warring Slav tribes invited Rurik to come and bring order. He was the first iron fist, and he gave Rus-sia its name. But, as Martin Sixsmith points out, already by the late ninth century, two key leitmotifs of Russian history are beginning to emerge - the tendency towards autocracy, and the urge for aggression and expansion. Today Russia spans eleven time zones and is home to a hundred nationalities and a hundred and fifty languages.

Producers: Adam Fowler & Anna Scott-Brown
A Ladbroke production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 16:00 The Food Programme (b010dfh3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 Click On (b010dk1z)
Series 8

The death of the mouse, and Twitter customer service

Simon Cox delves into what the real impact will be for the new regulation of cookies.

Rupert tries out an eye-tracking laptop and we ask whether the mouse could be on its last legs.

Some of the last diary entries of the explorer David Livingstone are being revealed through imaging technology, Simon hears what other famous historical characters could have previously illegible writings brought to light.

And the ash cloud and snow caused chaos last winter, but it lead to the evolution of Twitter being used for customer service. Are companies learning how to use this medium properly to keep people on the go, on the go?

Produced by Lucy Lloyd.


MON 17:00 PM (b010dk21)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b010dhd8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (b010dk23)
Series 7

Episode 3

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.

Arthur Smith, Tony Hawks, Rhod Gilbert and Charlie Brooker are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as: Mice, Soup, Television and Sir Walter Raleigh.

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 (b010dk25)
Last minute preparations are under way for the recording of Gardeners' Question Time. Vicky reminds Lynda that they only pick the more interesting questions.

As the recording gets under way, Joe appears disappointed that his question hasn't been chosen but the real reason he's upset is that he's learned Vicky's question is about mistletoe propagation. When Vicky goes to the loo, Joe seizes the chance to stop her. He doesn't let her back in, saying that people aren't allowed in during this part of the recording. Refusing to be beaten by Joe, Vicky manages to makes an undignified entrance through a small bathroom window, with a little help from Lilian. She's back in time for her question.

The recording of Gardeners' Question Time is over and a success. Jim's convinced Joe knows more than he's letting on about Vicky's dramatic late entrance, and suggests it must be a bitter blow to learn that he'd propagated far too early. Lynda flirtatiously thanks expert Matthew Wilson for his gardening tips earlier in the day.

With all the excitement, Vicky's not had time to tell people about Roy's new job. Lynda's surprised by the news but asks Vicky to pass on her congratulations.


MON 19:15 Front Row (b010dk27)
Russell Brand and Helen Mirren in Arthur

Comedian Russell Brand steps into Dudley Moore's shoes with his latest film, Arthur, a remake of the 80s classic which co-starred Liza Minelli. The new version retains the main plot of a wealthy playboy who has to marry to keep his inheritance, but casts Helen Mirren in Sir John Gielgud's former role as the sobering influence of the butler.

In the first part of a series looking at how digital innovations will affect arts and culture in the future, the BBC's Director of Archive Content Roly Keating, Director of Sky Arts John Cassy and futurist Ian Pearson discuss what changes might be brought into living rooms as television, the internet and on-demand viewing increasingly merge into one.

Kate Summerscale's best-selling book, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, was based on the real life murder of three year-old Saville Kent, in the grounds of his family's stately home in 1860. The case, as investigated by Scotland Yard inspector Jack Whicher, became a national scandal. Now the story has been made into a two hour TV drama starring Paddy Considine. Kathryn Hughes reviews.

Before I Go To Sleep is the title of a thriller about a woman who wakes up every morning not knowing who she is, where she is or who she's married to. Author S.J. Watson talks about the journey through memory loss in this, his debut novel.

Producer Nicki Paxman.


MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b010fn7d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


MON 20:00 Christie's Through the Looking Glass (b00vc1k9)
Episode 1

In this two-part documentary Miranda Sawyer takes an intriguing peep behind the scenes at London's oldest Fine Art auction house. Christie's operates as an influential barometer of the Art market. In these recessionary times we follow the preparations for their most important sale season of the year.

In this first programme we are introduced to specialists renowned for their discretion and expertise and the dealers, collectors and investors who populate this glittering world. We investigate how artworks come to be sold and values established in the most public marketplace in the Art world.

Producer: Eleanor Thomas
A Harcourt Films production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (b0106tjm)
Egypt: Sisters of the Revolution

Three years ago Bill Law travelled to Egypt for Crossing Continents to meet five extraordinary women who were fighting for human rights and equal pay for women in Egypt. For this programme, Bill returns to Egypt to tell the story of the unfolding revolution through the eyes of those very same five women. Their stories are a unique insight into how the revolution came about and raise questions about its future.
Producer: Daniel Tetlow.


MON 21:00 Material World (b0106tqc)
On this week's programme, Quentin Cooper speaks to Leila Battison, part of the team who have discovered fossils of some of the first life forms on Earth in Loch Torridon in northwest Scotland. The research could change the way we think early life evolved. Also, Dr Drew Endy the director of BIOFAB, the world's first open source synthetic biology factory, explains how he hopes to provide generic genetic parts to bioengineers to speed up developing new organisms. Quentin goes to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich to see one of the oldest chronometers in pieces - it's being studied as part of preparations for the 300th anniversary of the Longitude Act in 2014. Finally Doug Millard, the Space Curator from the Science Museum talks about Yuri Gagarin and the technology used to blast him into space.

The producer is Ania Lichtarowicz.


MON 21:30 Start the Week (b010dhcp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:58 Weather (b010dhdb)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b010fk3y)
The UN gets Libyan agreement for humanitarian access to Misrata, but if the fighting goes on, could this lead to a Bosnia-style imbroglio?

Nigeria hit by unrest in the north following the election of southerner, Goodluck Jonathan, to the presidency.

The world's longest lasting elected Communist government set to lose power.

With Ritula Shah.


MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b010dk2c)
Plague Child

Episode 6

Written by Peter Ransley. Abridged by Eileen Horne.

Tom Neave confronts Lord Stonehouse, making a deal which could secure his future with Anne and her family. He joins forces with Eaton, the man with the scar who once hunted him, to find the pendant which will lead him to his real father...

Read by Jamie Glover

Producer: Clive Brill
A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 23:00 Word of Mouth (b010626m)
Politeness

Michael Rosen takes a well-mannered look at politeness. Is it true that "thank you", "goodbye" and other traditional expressions of courtesy are dying out?

Cora Malinak is a trainer who helps people from other cultures to learn the unwritten rules of communicating politely in English. Geraldine D'Amico discusses French ideas on politeness, and the rules about using "tu" and "vous".

Blogger Sarah Ditum talks us through the "online disinhibition effect". Why is it that emails can seem ruder than other forms of communication?

And Michael talks to the eminent linguist and author Professor Deborah Tannen, who has spent many years studying the language of politeness, and believes that what seems like rudeness can in fact just be a different conversational style.

Producer Beth O'Dea.


MON 23:30 In Living Memory (b00td9pg)
Series 12

Episode 2

In the early 1970s Britain's universities were swept by a wave of student protest and sit-ins. They wanted cheaper meals in their refectories, the right to have visitors of the opposite sex in their rooms after 10pm, and world revolution. Jolyon Jenkins looks at three of the protests that occurred in 1970. At Keele, students tried to levitate the vice-chancellor's residence. At Warwick, they occupied the registry and discovered what appeared to be files monitoring their political activities. And at Liverpool they took over the Senate House, calling for the sacking of the Chancellor, Lord Salisbury, because of his alleged pro-apartheid sympathies. Forty years on, Jolyon Jenkins talks to the veterans of the protests, on both sides, and finds that the resentments still run deep. Among those involved in the Liverpool protest was broadcaster Jon Snow, who says "we were united in our determination to grind the nose of the university into the dust".



TUESDAY 19 APRIL 2011

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b010dnzt)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b010dhcr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b010dnzw)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b010dnzy)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b010dp00)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b010dp02)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b010dp04)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection presented by the Most Revd David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b010dp06)
Caz Graham hears that more than a dozen people have fallen ill after visiting a farm park in Wales. Public health officials are investigating an outbreak of cryptosporidium in Wrexham.

And plans have been submitted for a large-scale pig farm in Derbyshire that will, if given the go-ahead, be one of the biggest pig farms in the UK. But Caz Graham hears claims from the organic group the Soil Association that these large-scale farms could mean bad news for family farming in the UK. But the National Pig Association disagree; insist that large farms can result in good animals welfare, and are good news for the British pig industry.

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Martin Poyntz-Roberts.


TUE 06:00 Today (b010dp08)
Morning news and current affairs with James Naughtie and Evan Davis, including:
07:30 Tesco's new boss Philip Clarke.
07:50 The immigration dispute breaking out on France's border with Italy.
08:10 Prime Minister David Cameron.


TUE 09:00 Between Ourselves (b010dp0b)
Series 6

Multiple Births

Multiple births -

Dawn Richards is the mother of naturally conceived triplets, Emily Carlisle had twins following IVF. They join Olivia O'Leary in the Between Ourselves studio to discuss the joy and the sheer hard work of raising multiples.

Emily's delight at discovering she was having twins was followed by a series of unforeseen events which entirely changed her experience of motherhood.

Dawn describes the confusing moment she and her husband discovered they were having triplets. Following a difficult pregnancy and an emergency birth, three tiny babies were brought home. Through a haze of sleepless exhaustion Dawn changed 15 nappies, and prepared 15 bottles of milk a day.

When the first few months are over, the toddler years bring fresh challenges for parents of multiples:

If you're brave enough to risk a trip to the park, who do you decide to chase when one child runs to the duck-pond and the other towards the road?

And the most basic of needs - how does a mother of multiples go to the loo? According to Emily, with at least one small child sitting on your lap. Or have a shower? With three small faces pressed up against the glass.

And would Emily or Dawn have more children? Join them on this week's edition of Between Ourselves to find out.

producer: Karen Gregor.


TUE 09:30 The Prime Ministers (b010dp0d)
Series 2

Earl Grey

Nick Robinson, the BBC Political Editor, continues his new series exploring how different prime minister have used their power, responded to the great challenges of their time and made the job what it is today. The second of Nick's portraits in power is Earl Grey, whose name is now more usually associated with a blend of tea than with his political achievements. Grey was 66 years old when he became prime minister in 1830 and served for less than four years, but he passed the Great Reform Act and abolished slavery in the British Empire.

Grey's Great Reform Act is widely hailed as the first, crucial step in Britain's gradual evolution towards democracy. But Grey is an unlikely champion of reform since he believed that modest reform was the best way to preserve Britain's constitution and guard against what he saw as the horrors of mass democracy in which everyone can vote.

Nick hears from the historians Jeremy Black, Jane Ridley and Amanda Foreman, who talks about Grey's affair with Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and Georgiana's political influence on the young Grey.

In the first programme in this series, Nick looked at Pitt the Younger, and in later programmes considers William Gladstone, Herbert Asquith, Ramsay MacDonald, Harold Macmillan, Harold Wilson and Edward Heath.

Producer: Rob Shepherd.


TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b010hd99)
Edmund De Waal - The Hare with Amber Eyes

Episode 2

By Edmund de Waal. Read by Nicholas Murchie.

264 delicate wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox - that stand as a symbol of the extraordinary events that overtake one family.

Potter Edmund de Waal was entranced when he first encountered this collection in the Tokyo apartment of his great uncle Iggie. Later, when Edmund inherited the 'netsuke', they unlocked a story far larger than he could ever have imagined.

His family the Ephrussis came from Odessa, and at one time were the largest grain exporters in the world; in the 1870s, Charles Ephrussi was part of a wealthy new generation settling in Paris. Charles's passion was collecting; emerging French painters and - when Japanese art and artists became all the rage in the salons - he bought an entire collection of netsuke and sent them as a wedding present to his banker cousin in Vienna.

Later, three children - including a young Ignace - would play with the netsuke as history reverberated around them. The Anschluss and Second World War swept the Ephrussis to the brink of oblivion. Almost all that remained of their vast empire was the netsuke collection, dramatically saved by a loyal maid when their huge Viennese palace was occupied.

Edmund de Waal travels the world to stand in the great buildings his forebears once inhabited. He traces the network of a remarkable family against the backdrop of a tumultuous century and tells the story of a unique collection.

Abridged by Polly Coles

Producer: Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b010dp0g)
Presented by Jane Garvey. Continuing in our series Cook the Perfect... Brownies. Why are teenage girls so unhappy? Women's football super league and the life and work of children's writer Ursula Moray Williams.


TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b010dhcw)
Sherbet Dolls

Episode 2

Sherbet Dolls 2/5
by Karen Brown
An entertaining drama serial exploring the magnetism and expanding phenomena of children's beauty pageants.
When Stacey discovers other childrens clothes are custom made or designer labels she secretly
takes her daughter out on a shopping spree in preparation for the first category of formal wear.
Cast
Stacey ...... Naomi Radcliffe
Tony ...... John Thomson
Olivia ...... Shannon Flynn
Jin Lin ..... Shamae Griffin
Lift announcer ..... Melissa Jane Sinden
Pageant Compere ..... Ruth Piggott
Judy ...... Kathryn Hunt
John ..... Seamus O'Neill
Alicia ..... Emma Garrett
Director ..... Pauline Harris

Further Info.
The mother Stacey is desperate to break away from the working
class small lancashire town they've all grown up in. In her view, fame holds the key to a sparkling future for the whole family. Tony, the husband and father would rather not take part at all and hopes the plastic tiara and sash are worth all the trouble. In contrast to their world Olivia is trying to finish her school project which involves e-mailing her Chinese pen pal Jin Lee; the Puyang Number 1 Middle School in China has been
twinned with Olivia's school in Lancashire, and they're exchanging e-mails over the weekend. Two children from different cultures both taking part in very different competitions.


TUE 11:00 The Light Switch Project (b010dp0j)
What happens when you switch on a light? The actor Toby Jones discovers it is a question without end.

A simple question has been troubling Toby Jones for some time. Challenged to develop a piece of theatre about climate change, Toby was struggling for ideas. Then it hit him. If we understand what happens when we turn a light switch on we might be better at turning lights off. And so Toby started to learn as much as he could about what happens when you turn on a light switch. And he's still going.

The Light Switch Project follows Toby on a journey into an act we all take for granted every day. Meeting various experts to explain (amongst other things) the evolution of the eye, the workings of the national grid, and the fact that that we don't know what electricity really is. Going all the way to the carboniferous tree that made the lump of coal that burnt to make the light bulb glow. All from the Pandora's Box of a simple question - what happens when you turn on a light switch?


TUE 11:30 The RSC at 50 (b010dp0l)
The New Theatre

James Naughtie explores the history of the Royal Shakespeare Company as it marks its 50th birthday and reopens its main Stratford theatre. Part 3. The new theatre.

The struggle to create a new theatre in Stratford, fit for the diverse work of the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 21st Century, goes right back to its founding in 1961. In the final episode of his three-part series, James Naughtie speaks with the key players about the problems with the Elisabeth Scott Shakespeare Memorial Theatre built in 1932, the triumphant experiments at The Other Place and The Swan, and - built within the original walls - the brand new theatre with its thrust stage which will open with Michael Boyd's production of Macbeth in April 2011.

Former Artistic Directors Trevor Nunn, Terry Hands and Adrian Noble tell Jim about their times with the company while Judi Dench recalls the terror and hilarity of performing with Ian McKellen in Nunn's famously intense production of Macbeth at The Other Place in 1976. Architect Rab Bennetts and current Artistic Director Michael Boyd explain the challenge of creating the new space while the series culminates in an examination of why performing Shakespeare matters to the artistic well-being of the nation.

As Peter Brook says to Jim in a rare interview: "This is Shakespeare. Not "Shakespeare Memorial" but this is Shakespeare as the real, living example that there is something more".

The series as a whole features an exclusive breadth of interviews with the key players of the past half century. With all five artistic directors Peter Hall, Trevor Nunn, Terry Hands, Adrian Noble and Michael Boyd; luminaries such as Peter Brook, Cicely Berry, Greg Doran, Judi Dench, Patrick Stewart and David Tennant; and backstage artists, technicians and craftspeople, James Naughtie explores both the history of the company and the reasons why its work matters to the wider British cultural scene.

Producer: Beaty Rubens.


TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b010gb8z)
How can we make our roads safer for cyclists? A long-term trend had shown improving safety for cyclists but alarm is growing that the boom in cycling is leading to that to be reversed. Provisional Department for Transport figures show 2,700 cyclists were killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads in the year ending June 2010, compared with 2,673 in the previous 12 months.

There is also concern about the disproportionate number of incidents involving HGVs and bikes, whilst the Government is currently considering introducing legislation to deal with riders whose reckless behaviour leads to fatalities.

Cyclist or not we want to hear from you. To share your views, email youandyours@bbc.co.uk or call 03700 100 444 (lines open at 10am Tuesday).


TUE 12:57 Weather (b010dp0q)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 13:00 World at One (b010fk1t)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4. Thirty minutes of intelligent analysis, comment and interviews. To share your views email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


TUE 13:30 Ghost Music (b010dp0s)
In 1939 the BBC recorded the sound of two trumpets discovered in Tutankhamun's tomb.

It was a nail-biting session; one of them had previously shattered, but the British soldier, James Tappern, who played them allowed the haunting music that had been silent for 3000 years to be heard once more.

For three months this year the recording had added poignancy, as one of the trumpets was among the many artefacts stolen from the Cairo Museum during the recent revolution, though it's now been recovered. Archaeologist Christine Finn, who travelled to Egypt upon news of the uprising and chronicled the looting of archaeological sites, tells the story of the trumpet with the help of Egyptologist, Margaret Maitland.

Christine hears an account of the 1939 recording from Peter Tappern, son of the original bandsman, himself a professional trumpeter. And from archive of Rex Keating, who recorded the event for the BBC in Cairo.

Christine also considers how archaeology has revealed other 'ghost music'. Richard Dumbrill talks about his reconstruction of the Silver Lyre of Ur, discovered by Leonard Woolley in modern-day Iraq around the same time that Howard Carter was excavating Tutenkhamun's tomb. She hears from Domenico Vicinanza of the Lost Sounds Orchestra, an international group which re-creates the sound of ancient instruments using technology and synthesis. One of its first projects was the ancient Greek harp often seen on classical vases, the epigonion; this time the instrument is not a faithful re-creation, but a new model reflecting its 21st century incarnation.

And Christine reflects on the role of these musical, archaeological discoveries in modern composition.

Producer: Marya Burgess

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2011.


TUE 14:00 The Archers (b010dk25)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama (b010dp0v)
The Sensitive

A Casualty of War

A woman missing since 1945 is seen in a deserted guest house. Glasgow's psychic detective investigates.

Atmospheric thriller by Alastair Jessiman.

A Casualty Of War is the latest in an occasional series of psychic investigations by the "Sensitive" - Thomas Soutar.

Thomas's mother has been forced to close her guest house due to emergency building work. An old friend, retired hotelier Jack Cameron, offers her the use of his guest house, now lying empty. Reluctant to allow his mother to stay in the house alone Thomas persuades his girlfriend Kat to stay with them.

Soon tensions become evident between Kat, Thomas and his mother. The house sits on a hill, isolated, cold and gloomy. Thomas senses a malignant presence - and he hears an old woman calling out for help. Even Kat detects a strange atmosphere, and one night Thomas's mother is sure she sees a face in her bedroom mirror.

Thomas confesses to Kat that he's been fascinated by the "house on the hill" and its owner - ever since he discovered that Jack's mother had disappeared from here without a trace in 1945.

Producer/director: Bruce Young.


TUE 15:00 Making History (b010dp0x)
Helen Castor and the team explore recent historical research and follow up listener's questions and comments.

Professor Roey Sweet from the University of Leicester and Associate Professor Nicola McLelland join Helen to take a closer look at the Grand Tour of Italy. In particular, did women take part in this eighteenth-century equivalent of our gap year and did the Italians return the favour and come to Britain?

Closer to home, in Brighton, the West Pier Trust which has fought for years to restore this iconic seaside structure, is auctioning off tonnes of architectural salvage. Martin Ellis from Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery travels to the South Coast to find out more about a scheme which would appear to fly in the face of everything conservation stands for but is actually having considerable success in preserving what is left of the West Pier.

Lizz Pearson in Bristol reports on the burial of John Harwood who was hanged for murder in 1821, his body dissected and the skin used to bind books. The family of Harwood have fought for this since first hearing of his case on Making History in 2009.

Finally, Professor Mark Stoyle from the University of Southampton talks to Helen about the role of Prince Rupert's dog 'Boy' in the English Civil War. Mark has researched the Royalist propaganda surrounding the dog which many suspected of having super-natural powers - not least in protecting leading supporters of King Charles 1st from musket shot. Mark thinks that these stories were circulated by Royalists to ridicule Parliamentarian belief in the super-natural. However, such tales were also believed by the wider populace and therefore this became something of a propaganda own goal.

Producer: Nick Patrick
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b010dp0z)
Tales from the Casino

Ten Miles High

'They say the floor at the Casino is amazing - a sprung wood floor! And they can fit 1200 people in the ballroom there. Twelve hundred people dancing!'

David's mate Batty converted him to Northern Soul: lending him obscure records, teaching him dance moves and describing the legendary club. The plan is to hitch-hike to Wigan to experience the Casino for themselves.

Between 1973 and 1981 Wigan Casino was arguably the ultimate venue for Northern Soul music. Young people from all over the UK regularly made the trek to Wigan to dance to the latest Northern Soul artists. Queues to get in were sometimes five or six people deep, and stretched quite a way up the road.

The highlight was the weekly all-nighter, with Russ Winstanley as DJ, which traditionally ended with three songs that became known as the Three Before Eight: "Time Will Pass You By" by Tobi Legend, "Long After Tonight Is Over" by Jimmy Radcliffe and "I'm On My Way" by Dean Parrish.

These three specially-commissioned stories by Laura Barton (herself from Wigan) hark back to a time when the town threw off the image created by George Orwell and the Casino was voted 'Best Disco In the World' by American Billboard Magazine.

Laura Barton was born in Lancashire in 1977. She is a freelance writer of features and music columns, notably 'Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll' for the Guardian. Her first story for radio, The Carpenter, was broadcast in 2009 as part of Sweet Talk's We Are Stardust, We Are Golden series for BBC Radio 4. Twenty-One Locks, her debut novel, was published in 2010. Laura lives in London.

Written by Laura Barton. Read by Bryan Dick.

Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 15:45 Russia: The Wild East (b010dp11)
Series 1

A Church for the State

The first of these selected episodes from Martin Sixsmith's history of Russia reflects on the earliest times, in the 10th century, when Kiev was the capital of all the Russian states. It was a period called Kievan Rus and, among the legacies it left through the centuries and up to the present day, were the choice of religion and the Cyrillic language.

Producers: Adam Fowler and Anna Scott-Brown
A Ladbroke production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (b010dp13)
Academic English

Is English too dominant in academic work around the world? Chris Ledgard visits universities in Sweden to ask staff and students how much they are able to debate, write and publish in their native language.
Producer: Chris Ledgard.


TUE 16:30 Great Lives (b010dp15)
Series 24

Simone de Beauvoir

Actress Diana Quick tells Matthew Parris why she believes that existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir lived a great life, despite living in the shadow of Jean Paul Sartre.

Simone de Beauvoir was a brilliant writer and philosopher in her own right. Her study, The Second Sex, made her an iconic figure for the feminist movement, and she remained true to her intellectual honesty until her death in 1986, aged 78. Yet despite all of her achievements, she is chiefly remembered as the student of her lover and teacher, Jean Paul Sartre.

Joining Matthew Parris and Diana Quick in the studio is de Beauvoir biographer Lisa Appignanesi. The producer is John Byrne.


TUE 17:00 PM (b010dp17)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b010dp19)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 18:30 Down the Line (b010dp1c)
Series 4

Episode 6

The return of the ground-breaking, Radio 4 show, hosted by the legendary Gary Bellamy; brought to you by the creators of The Fast Show.

Down The Line stars Rhys Thomas as Gary Bellamy, with Amelia Bullmore, Simon Day, Felix Dexter, Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse.

Special guests are Adil Ray and Arabella Weir.

Producers: Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse
A Down The Line production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 19:00 The Archers (b010dp1f)
After a heavy night, Jamie oversleeps and almost misses his shift at The Bull. Fallon and Jolene are concerned about Jamie's late nights and where he spends his time. Lilian secretly offers Jolene a cigarette, suggesting she wean herself off rather than give up entirely. Jolene can't resist.

At The Laurels, Lilian and Peggy discuss the recording of Gardeners' Question Time. Lilian reckons Joe will be keeping a low profile. People will be asking for their money back after his mistletoe con.

It's a fine day and Ted invites Peggy for a cup of tea. Peggy accepts gracefully. Over tea at Grey Gables, he invites her to come along to his University of the Third Age meeting. She tells him she might.

Lynda is interested in the vacancy Roy has created. Caroline asks her to keep Roy's news quiet until she makes an announcement about what's happening.

Lynda gives Peggy a leaflet for her campaign for the parish council elections. Peggy's overwhelmed by the amount of text. Lynda confides in Peggy that she's updating her CV but she's not at liberty to say any more on the subject, as it's all very hush-hush.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (b010dp1h)
John Wilson in Iran

With John Wilson

The Cyrus Cylinder is a 2,500 year old clay artifact which contains an inscription regarded as the world's first recorded bill of human rights. It's been on display in Iran's National Museum for seven months, on loan from the British Museum. As the object returns to the UK, John reports from Iran on what the Persian object means to the people in Tehran who have been flocking to see it.

Legendary Canadian guitarist Robbie Robertson discusses how his past with The Band inspired songs on his latest album. He also remembers playing with Bob Dylan on the famous tour of 1966 when Dylan was accused, by a heckler, of being Judas for going electric.

In the second part of Front Row's investigation into the impact of digital technology on the arts, the composer Shirley Thompson moves away from her composing comfort zone to create music on a mobile phone app, as she travels across London.

Beryl Bainbridge, who died last year, was nominated for the Booker prize five times, without ever winning. She has now been granted a posthumous honour, the Man Booker Best of Beryl award, selected from her novels by public vote. Writer Ronald Harwood announces the winning title on Front Row.

Producer: Claire Bartleet.


TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b010dhcw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


TUE 20:00 American Jihad (b010dp1k)
The 11 September attackers came from the Middle East, but now, nearly a decade later, America is confronting a new, homegrown threat from Islamic extremism. This programme traces the story of one all-American boy. Omar Hammami grew up in Alabama, son of a Baptist mother and a Syrian father. He was popular, well-liked, and church-going. He converted to Islam as a teenager and eventually turned to an ever-more-radical version of his new faith.
Across the US the debate over homegrown extremism is raising questions about how America relates with minorities. In Washington, Congress has held hearings on radicalisation and Muslim co-operation with law enforcement. Some Muslims chose to testify, while others have denounced the hearings as an exercise in scapegoating.
American radicalisation hasn't fit a neat pattern, and experts worry most about 'lone wolves'. But some homegrown extremists have already shown the ability to carry out deadly attacks - the worst was a mass shooting which killed 13 at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009.
Omar Hammami's path eventually led him to jihad in Somalia, where he quickly rose the ranks of the violent group Al Shabaab. In this programme we find out how many others might follow him - and why.
Presented by BBC Washington Correspondent Jonny Dymond.


TUE 20:40 In Touch (b010dp1m)
Recent changes to welfare rules mean that blind people can now apply for higher rate Disability Living Allowance but only if you are under 65. We speak to campaigner Jill Allen-King about why blind people over the age of 65 will miss out on extra benefit payments.
We hear your views on our recent programmes including accessible Olympic tickets.
And despite describing himself as being blind, six foot seven, 21 stone and having little natural sense of coordination, Philip Sime tells us about the joys of ballroom dancing and why it's an ideal hobby for blind people.


TUE 21:00 All in the Mind (b010dp1p)
London's East End Baby Language Lab

Presenter Claudia Hammond starts a new series of All in the Mind by joining mothers and babies at a travelling, high-tech language lab in a Children's Centre in London's East End.

The testing session is just one of many to be carried out over the next two years in the communities of two of London's most deprived boroughs, Tower Hamlets and Newham.

Parents and babies are being invited to participate in a novel psychological study to investigate whether researchers can pick up very early indicators of later language or attention problems in infants as young as 6 months. The babies will be retested and assessed again when they are two years old.

The travelling 'babylab' is a high tech computer screen, set up in local children's centres. The baby sits in front of it and is played various videos and sounds aimed at testing how sensitive he or she is to speech and other aspects of their environments. The computer screen also contains a camera and eye movement tracker, so as well as testing the infants it also records all their responses to what they are seeing and hearing.

For example, at 6 months old, babies should be very interested in looking at faces and mouths when people are speaking, learning which mouth shapes match particular speech sounds. At this age they are likely to know the difference between the look of a mouth saying 'ba' as opposed to 'ga'. This is part of their earliest language development. If they are not able to make these and other discriminations, it could be a sign of language and other developmental problems to come.

This seems to be the case from studies of babies in formal university laboratories. But this new project aims to find out whether reliable predictors of language and learning difficulties can be picked up with testing equipment out in the real world. And in particular in communities at the lower end of the socio-economic scale. Children from this section of society are at greater risk of language and other developmental problems than children in better-off areas.

The community testing sessions are also aimed at increasing parents' understanding and appreciation of how their babies learn about language and the world around them, and demonstrating just how clever their infants are - even at 6 months.

The research project is run by the University of East London and Birkbeck College London. The psychologists hope their findings will in the future allow the identification of individual children with potential problems at the youngest age possible. The idea is that the earliest that weaknesses are identified, the greater the chance the children can be helped to catch up in the development of their communication and social skills.


TUE 21:30 Between Ourselves (b010dp0b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 21:58 Weather (b010dp1r)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b010fk3h)
The Syrian government is to lift a national emergency law that has been in place for nearly fifty years. We'll hear the latest from there and discuss the country's significance.

A majority of English universities will charge the highest level of fees permitted. We talk to the universities minister.

And an American couple explain their cryptic marriage proposal.

The World Tonight with Ritula Shah.


TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b010dp1t)
Plague Child

Episode 7

Written by Peter Ransley. Abridged by Eileen Horne.

Tom and Eaton make their way through wartorn Oxfordshire towards Highpoint, where they will both confront ghosts from their past....and Tom will begin to piece together the truth about the day he was born.

Read by Jamie Glover

Producer: Clive Brill
A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 23:00 Laura Solon - Talking and Not Talking (b00p912l)
Series 3

Episode 5

Naive office worker Adrian is offered a job as the new Robson and Jerome, the United Planetary Super Council is invaded by a space-fiend and a strange German woman takes over the Shipping Forecast.

Perrier Award-winning comedian Laura Solon with more sketches, monologues and one-liners.

With:

Ben Moor
Rosie Cavaliero
Ben Willbond

Producer: Colin Anderson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2009.


TUE 23:30 I've Never Seen Star Wars (b00r66c1)
Series 3

Sanjeev Bhaskar

Marcus Brigstocke invites his guest Sanjeev Baskar to try five things he really ought to have done by now, including reading PG Wodehouse.

Whether the experiences are banal or profound, the show is about embracing the new and getting out of our comfort zones.

The title comes from the fact that the show's producer and creator Bill Dare had never seen the film Star Wars.

Producer: Bill Dare

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2010.



WEDNESDAY 20 APRIL 2011

WED 00:00 Midnight News (b010dq65)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b010hd99)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b010dq67)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b010dq69)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b010dq6c)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 05:30 News Briefing (b010dq6f)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b010dq6h)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection presented by the Most Revd David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (b010dq6k)
The National Trust is spending 320,000 pounds vaccinating badgers against bovine TB on a Devon estate. Caz Graham asks if they're hoping to prevent possible future culls on their land.

One of the largest dairy herd sales of recent times takes place today when 800 cows will be auctioned. Government figures show the price of dairy animals has doubled in the last 4 years. Caz asks the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers what this sale says about the industry and how it views British dairy farmers' future.

And Francis Pryor, archaeologist and farmer, claims that modern farming methods have destroyed vast amounts of archaeological sites in the UK. He tells Farming Today better protection is needed to preserve the UK's historical treasures.

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Anne-Marie Bullock.


WED 06:00 Today (b010dq6m)
Morning news and current affairs with John Humphrys and Evan Davis, including:
07:30 Could UK troops be sucked into another Vietnam-type war in Libya?
08:10 Hospital waiting times in England have jumped to their highest rate since April 2008 according to the King's Fund.
08:20 How a quarter of today's children are likely to reach the age of 100.


WED 09:00 Midweek (b010dq6p)
This week Libby Purves is joined by Dion Dublin, Robert Irwin, Gary Wiltshire and Molly Naylor.

Dion Dublin is a retired English footballer turned amateur percussionist and musician. He has invented a percussion instrument called "The Dube". During his football career he played for teams including Norwich City, Manchester Utd, Aston Villa and Celtic and was capped four times for England. Since retiring he has become a football pundit for Sky and has co-presented 5 Live's 606 and currently the BBC's Late Kick Off East programme.

Robert Irwin is a writer on the history and culture of the Islamic world and is Middle East editor of the TLS. In his book, 'Memoirs of a Dervish' he tells of how he left Oxford in the summer of 1964 and went to Algiers, while a military coup was taking place there, in search of enlightenment. 'Memoirs of a Dervish - Sufis Mystics and the 60s' is published by Profile Books.

Gary Wiltshire worked as a market trader, van boy for R. White's Lemonade, porter at Smithfield and betting shop board man before becoming a licenced bookmaker. He became famous for losing £1.4 million when jockey Frankie Dettori rode seven winners at one meeting at Ascot in September 1996. Now a racing pundit for the BBC and Sky Sports, he is also known as 'The Belly from the Telly'. His book 'Winning it Back - the autobiography of Britain's biggest gambler' is published by Racing Post Books.

Molly Naylor is a poet, scriptwriter and puppeteer. Her latest work is inspired by events that took place in London on 7th July 2005. 'Whenever I get blown up I think of you' tells of how Molly moved to London full of naive dreams and high hopes, until that day in July 2005, when she found herself on an underground train blown up by terrorists and her life takes a different direction. During the tour, Whenever I Get Blown Up I Think Of You will be broadcast as a BBC Radio 4 play to mark the anniversary of London's 7/7 terrorist bombings.


WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b010hd91)
Edmund De Waal - The Hare with Amber Eyes

Episode 3

By Edmund de Waal. Read by Nicholas Murchie.

264 delicate wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox - that stand as a symbol of the extraordinary events that overtake one family.

Potter Edmund de Waal was entranced when he first encountered this collection in the Tokyo apartment of his great uncle Iggie. Later, when Edmund inherited the 'netsuke', they unlocked a story far larger than he could ever have imagined.

His family the Ephrussis came from Odessa, and at one time were the largest grain exporters in the world; in the 1870s, Charles Ephrussi was part of a wealthy new generation settling in Paris. Charles's passion was collecting; emerging French painters and - when Japanese art and artists became all the rage in the salons - he bought an entire collection of netsuke and sent them as a wedding present to his banker cousin in Vienna.

Later, three children - including a young Ignace - would play with the netsuke as history reverberated around them. The Anschluss and Second World War swept the Ephrussis to the brink of oblivion. Almost all that remained of their vast empire was the netsuke collection, dramatically saved by a loyal maid when their huge Viennese palace was occupied.

Edmund de Waal travels the world to stand in the great buildings his forebears once inhabited. He traces the network of a remarkable family against the backdrop of a tumultuous century and tells the story of a unique collection.

Abridged by Polly Coles

Producer: Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b010dq6r)
Presented by Jenni Murray. 'Hints to Lady Travellers: at Home and Abroad', first published in 1889, has just been reprinted and offers a glimpse into the world of the travelling Victorian lady. Alasdair Macleod of the Royal Geographical Society and the writer Jane Robinson discuss anecdotes from pioneering female travellers, from Isabella Bird to Mary Kingsley. There's music from folk singer and fiddle player Bella Hardy and we hear about plans to reform legal aid, which critics suggest could put women at increased risk. And coppicing: one woman's life caring for trees.


WED 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b010fn83)
Sherbet Dolls

Episode 3

Sherbet Dolls 3/5
by Karen Brown
An entertaining drama serial exploring the magnetism and expanding phenomona of children's beauty pageants.
When Tony accidentally breaks his daughters backing track cd for the talent category
he rushes out to buy another but then has second thoughts. The pageant seems to be showing the strains in
Tony and Stacey's marriage too.

Cast
Stacey ...... Naomi Radcliffe
Tony ...... John Thomson
Olivia ...... Shannon Flynn
Jin Lin ..... Shamae Griffin
Lift announcer ..... Melissa Jane Sinden
Pageant Compere ..... Ruth Piggott
Judy ...... Kathryn Hunt
John ..... Seamus O'Neill
Alicia ..... Emma Garrett
Director ..... Pauline Harris

Further Info.
The mother Stacey is desperate to break away from the working
class small lancashire town they've all grown up in. In her view, fame holds the key to a sparkling future for the whole family. Tony, the husband and father would rather not take part at all and hopes the plastic tiara and sash are worth all the trouble. In contrast to their world Olivia is trying to finish her school project which involves e-mailing her Chinese pen pal Jin Lee; the Puyang Number 1 Middle School in China has been
twinned with Olivia's school in Lancashire, and they're exchanging e-mails over the weekend. Two children from different cultures both taking part in very different competitions.


WED 11:00 Bronzeville Lives: Chicago's Black Metropolis (b010dq6t)
Episode 2

Bronzeville is a city within a city. Once the teeming heart of Chicago's Black Metropolis on the city's Southside, epicentre of the Great Migration that brought hundred's of thousands from the South, it has shaped the career of President Obama, launched the city's first black Mayor, birthed brilliant writers and poets and made music to entrance the world.

Once it was a proud and self contained black universe remembered by Timuel Black & Sam Greenlee. Banks, department stores and clubs where the world's greatest performers played. But it was also a slum where two thirds of its housing was condemned. A world of de facto segregation made possible by housing covenants and hostile white communities.

Bronzeville began to crumble and change in the late 1950's as the world's largest housing developments, the Projects, rose to create a city within a city within a city. They would become a trap for the poorest of the poor and a base for the rising gangs to deal drugs and death. Now those projects are either empty lots or desirable low rise homes & Bronzeville faces an uncertain future with the prospect of gentrification and a scramble to preserve its fast disappearing landmarks.

A long walk along State St, once a 4 mile concrete corridor and home to 40,000 people brings you finally to the Bishop Roberts Temple. In 1955 Mamie Till brought her son Emmet's corpse here for a funeral that would spark the civil rights movement. Just a few blocks away on 44th St was the world of Coach John Hill which grew increasingly murderous by the late 1960's. Young entrepreneur Tanya Durr still smiles about a childhood in the notorious Ida B.Wells projects. some 40 years separate them. Neither can remember how many friends and students they have buried

Presented & Produced by Mark Burman.


WED 11:30 Beauty of Britain (b010dq6w)
Series 2

The Little Black Shorts

Beauty starts a romance with the handsome but somewhat immature Leon. She also deals with a relationship at the other end of life's journey when she is sent by her agency to look after a warring elderly couple.

Starring Jocelyn Jee Esien.

Beauty's adventures continue as the Featherdown Agency sends her to provide care for the elderly.

Beauty’s Zimbabwean Shona background has taught her to respect age. She sees Britain at its best and its worst

Written by Christopher Douglas and Nicola Sanderson

Beauty ... Jocelyn Jee Esien
Frank ... Geoffrey Palmer
Joan ... Phyllida Law
Leon ... Lloyd Thomas
Mrs Gupte ... Indira Joshi
Anil ... Paul Sharma

Music by The West End Gospel Choir.

Producer : Tilusha Ghelani

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2011.


WED 12:00 You and Yours (b010dq6y)
Consumer news with Winifred Robinson.

Fraudsters are targeting deaf people [and the Facebook friends of deaf people] via Facebook. Victims receive e-mails which appear to be from their Facebook friends [written in the way that deaf people speak] inviting them to invest money in companies claiming that they can guarantee impressive returns. The fraudulent e-mails say that the RNID and the World Federation for the Deaf endorse these companies. In US, 14,000 people have already been defrauded of $7million in this way. Shari Vahl reports.

Silver prices are going through the roof because gold has become so expensive, oil prices are uncertain and banks are giving poor returns.

Last month, South West Trains admitted that 59% of people do not fit into their train seats when elbows are taken into account. And this month, it has been revealed that our children are bigger than their parents were at the same age. Mark Stevenson muses on why spaces getting smaller even though we are getting larger.

Coastal areas in eastern Australia are suffering from a spectacular population growth fuelled by migrants and exasperated residents forced out of some of the world's most expensive cities. The prediction is that more than 6 million people will move to seaside communities over the next 40 years - an increase of almost 95% on present figures. A rapidly ageing population is also driving the rush to the coast. Seaside councils are already feeling besieged and under equipped to cope with demands on health, housing and social services. Phil Mercer reports.

From September 2011, Tewkesbury School will close an hour early every Friday to save money. Headteacher John Reilly joins Brian Lightman from the Association of School College leaders to discuss school budget cuts.

Men suffering from eating disorders who need hospital treatment are being placed on psychiatric and other medical wards rather than in one of the NHS's 85 specialist in-patient units. This is a consequence of the ruling last year which banned mixed gender wards in hospitals. Generally, there aren't enough men to justify separate wards and some Trusts are refusing to offer them any in-patient treatment at all. The charity, Beat, which campaigns on behalf of people with eating disorders wants the NHS to make an exception in their case and allow mixed wards for people with eating disorders.


WED 12:57 Weather (b010dq70)
The latest weather forecast.


WED 13:00 World at One (b010fk1w)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4. Thirty minutes of intelligent analysis, comment and interviews. To share your views email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


WED 13:30 The Media Show (b010dq72)
The BBC Trust begins a service licence review into BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Live extra today. It comes as the Trust rejects a complaint by the commercial radio station talkSPORT that 5 Live, its main competitor, broadcasts too little news and sport. Whilst it's not been upheld, the BBC Trust says the claim raises "significant and valid questions about what constitutes news on 5 Live", which will now be looked at as part of the review. Anne McElvoy asks Moz Dee, talkSPORT's Programme Director, about the commercial impact the BBC station is having on the network, and Jonathan Wall Deputy Controller of Radio 5 Live 5 explains how it makes sure it meets its public service news remit.

This year's Royal Wedding has hardly been out of the headlines as the media gears up to cover one of the biggest events in television history. But how do the logistics of filming the wedding work and how will broadcasters ensure that everything goes smoothly on the day? Anne McElvoy joins APTV's head of operations, Tim Santhouse, in London's Green Park where APTV staff are preparing reporting platforms for the world's media, whilst CNN correspondent Richard Quest joins Anne in the studio to discuss how he's preparing to bring a unique angle to his coverage of the big day.

The Independent's sister paper i has announced a new Saturday edition from May. Costing 30p, it'll be 10p more than its week day edition, with sections on leisure and TV. It comes as i reports a drop in circulation of 2.5 per cent. Editor in Chief Simon Kelner tells us why he's remaining buoyant, despite the fall in numbers, and explains how the new Saturday edition of will go some way to boosting sales.

Presenter: Anne McElvoy. Producer: Kathryn Takatsuki.


WED 14:00 The Archers (b010dp1f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Drama (b010dq74)
Amelia Bullmore - The Bat Man

by Amelia Bullmore.

When his wife died three years ago, Christopher fled London for a simpler existence in Cornwall, where he has settled on bat protection as his mission. Colette and her noisy daughters rent the holiday cottage next door and disturb the peace - both his and that of his beloved bats.

Stars Bill Nighy as Christopher, Katherine Parkinson as Colette, Jenny Agutter as Biddy and Sean Baker as Rory.

directed by Mary Peate.


WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b010dq76)
If you have a question about running a furnished holiday or buy-to-let property you can talk to Vincent Duggleby and a team of experts on Wednesday's Money Box Live.

Whether you need advice about taxation, mortgage costs, regulation or general advice about your holiday or buy-to-let business, the team will be ready to help.

Phone lines open at 1.30pm on Wednesday 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.


WED 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b010dq78)
Tales from the Casino

What Shall I Do?

Rita works in the cloakroom of the Casino, and hasn't been on the ballroom floor since the days when it was called the Wigan Empress. But then Frank starts calling.

Between 1973 and 1981 Wigan Casino was arguably the ultimate venue for Northern Soul music. Young people from all over the UK regularly made the trek to Wigan to dance to the latest Northern Soul artists. Queues to get in were sometimes five or six people deep, and stretched quite a way up the road. The highlight was the weekly all-nighter, with Russ Winstanley as DJ, which traditionally ended with three songs that became known as the Three Before Eight: "Time Will Pass You By" by Tobi Legend, "Long After Tonight Is Over" by Jimmy Radcliffe and "I'm On My Way" by Dean Parrish.

These three specially-commissioned stories by Laura Barton (herself from Wigan) hark back to a time when the town threw off the image created by George Orwell and the Casino was voted 'Best Disco In the World' by American Billboard Magazine.

Laura Barton was born in Lancashire in 1977. She is a freelance writer of features and music columns, notably 'Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll' for the Guardian. Her first story for radio, The Carpenter, was broadcast in 2009 as part of Sweet Talk's We Are Stardust, We Are Golden series for BBC Radio 4. Twenty-One Locks, her debut novel, was published in 2010. Laura lives in London.

Written by Laura Barton. Read by Melanie Kilburn.

Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 15:45 Russia: The Wild East (b010dq7b)
Series 1

Prince Igor and the Polovtsians

The second of these selected episodes from Martin Sixsmith's history of Russia continues the earliest story of Russia's relationship with Ukraine.

From the 10th to the mid-13th centuries, Kiev is the centre of power and the culture and politics of Kievan Rus has brought stability to the emerging nation. But internal squabbles among the princes of different states, and warring tribes on the borders, threaten to destroy what has been achieved.

Even so, these smaller battles were about to be dwarfed by a far bigger threat, which would eventuall bring down Kiev and move the capital to Moscow.

Producers: Adam Fowler and Anna Scott-Brown
A Ladbroke production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b010dq7d)
Demise of a Welsh steel town - Sexual politics of ballroom dancing (BSA 60th Anniversary)

A special edition marking the British Sociological Association's 60th anniversary. Laurie Taylor considers some of the seminal figures who've changed the face of sociology in the UK over more than half a century. He also highlights some of the most interesting research to emerge from this year's BSA conference, including Professor Valerie Walkerdine's study of the demise of breadwinning masculinity in a former South Wales steel town. How do men cope when few options are available other than 'women's work' in supermarkets and industrial cleaning? In addition, he hears about Dr Vicki Harman's exploration of ballroom dancing and traditional gender roles. Is it possible to be a feminist as well as being twirled around in a cloud of chiffon and sequins?
Producer: Jayne Egerton.


WED 16:30 All in the Mind (b010dp1p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]


WED 17:00 PM (b010dqg8)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b010dq7g)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 18:30 Act Your Age (b010dqgb)
Series 3

Episode 5

Simon Mayo hosts the three-way battle between the comedy generations to find out which is the funniest.

Will it be the Up-and-Comers, the Current Crop or the Old Guard who will be crowned, for one week at least, as the Golden Age of Comedy?

Jon Richardson is joined by Carl Donnelly, Lucy Porter is paired with Justin Edwards and Tom O'Connor teams up with Norman Lovett.

Devised and produced by Ashley Blaker and Bill Matthews.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2011.


WED 19:00 The Archers (b010dstz)
Jolene's excited about her trip to Monte Carlo, but guilty about smoking. She encourages Kenton to visit Elizabeth who's working hard getting the fair ready. It's an opportunity for a crafty smoke, but Jolene finds herself snapping with Clarrie. She's relieved when Clarrie leaves, but realises her cigarettes aren't in her bag.

Kenton and Elizabeth discuss childhood memories. Elizabeth is very happy for him and Jolene. Ruth's not very keen on reading The Ghost, so Kenton offers to help her by trying to get some information on it from Jim. Elizabeth also tells Kenton how helpful Roy has been.

Later, their evening is interrupted by Jolene ringing to tell Kenton that Jamie hadn't slept in his bed, and she hasn't heard from him. She thinks his behaviour is thoughtless.

Kathy comes home to find her kitchen in a mess. Jamie has been home. Kathy's upset she didn't see him, but Clarrie reassures her that at least Jamie came back to rest and get some food. Jolene phones Kathy to tell her Jamie stayed out all night. Kathy explains that he's been home but she now needs to get her head round all this and decide what's the best thing to do.


WED 19:15 Front Row (b010dqgd)
Morrissey talks to John Wilson

In a rare interview, Morrissey talks about David Cameron, the Royal Family and the autobiography he has written.

Actor Jim Broadbent discusses his latest screen role. He won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his part in Iris, where he played John Bayley, who supported his wife, the novelist Iris Murdoch, through her decline into Alzheimer's. Now, in Paul Abbott's new television drama, Exile, Broadbent himself plays a man in the first throes of Alzheimer's, with John Simm as his journalist son on the trail of a dark family secret.

In the third part of Front Row's investigation into the impact of digital technology on the arts, Steve Manthorp and Dr Ross Parry discuss the digital future for museums and art galleries. How important will actual exhibits remain and could the future of art be seen through spectacles worn in the street?

Producer Andrea Kidd.


WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b010fn83)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


WED 20:00 Moral Maze (b010drkx)
Celebrity Activism

The days of the tame celebrity being wheeled out by political parties or charities to show their face at the launch of their latest campaign - and keep their mouth firmly shut - have long gone. The rise of social networking and the way celebrity culture has spread to all parts of our society mean that some celebrities, if they chose to wield it, have genuine power. This is the age of the Celebrity Activist. Hugh Grant turning the tables on journalists and arming himself with a hidden microphone to investigate phone hacking for the New Statesman may be one of the unlikelier and entertaining stories in the field, but there's a lot to chose from. Labour politicians won't forget Joanna Lumley's lobbying for the Ghurkhas; Patrick Stewart regularly speaks in favour of assisted dying and celebs are all over the alternative vote referendum. If you think this all seems to be overstating things consider this: Stephen Fry's tweets are followed by 2.45 million people, that's more than the printed copies of the Times, the Telegraph, the Financial Times, the Guardian and the Independent combined. Do people like Stephen Fry have a moral duty to use the power of their status to comment and campaign on issues - to motivate and get people engaged in a way traditional politicians can't? Does such power foster and encourage a sense of social conscience in us all, or have we sacrificed content on the altar of celebrity and allowed a few to use it promote their particular personal interests, career and self worth? Is celebrity activism good for our democratic process?

Combative, provocative and engaging debate chaired by Michael Buerk with Claire Fox, Kenan Malik, Michael Portillo, Matthew Taylor.

Witnesses:
Andrew Darnton, Lead researcher on 'Finding Frames', a year long study looking at new ways to engage the public with global poverty in partnership with leading NGOs
Tim Montgomery, editor ConservativeHome
Kriss Akabusi, former UK Olympic 400m athlete now campaigner on various issues
Maggie Neilson, Partner at Global Philanthropy Group, a for-profit agency that helps celebrities and other wealthy influential people with their philanthropy.


WED 20:45 Lent Talks (b010drkz)
This year's Lent Talks sees six well known figures reflect on different elements of conflict found in the story of Jesus' ministry and Passion from the perspective of their own personal and professional experience.

In the final Lent Talk of the series, the Reverend Mark Oakley, Canon Treasurer at St Paul's Cathedral, talks about the conflict with God - when in the face of disaster and suffering God appears absent.

The Christian season of Lent is traditionally a time for self-examination and reflection on universal human conditions such as temptation, betrayal, abandonment, greed, forgiveness and love. The main theme for this year's talks will explore conflict in different forms and how it interacts with various aspects of society and culture.


WED 21:00 Costing the Earth (b010drl1)
Peak Leak

From the atolls of the Pacific to the Thames Estuary, shipwrecks of World War Two litter the oceans. After seventy years rust is starting to take its toll, breaching steel hulls and sending cargoes of munitions, chemicals and oil into the environment.

For decades governments have turned a blind eye to the risk, anxious to avoid responsibility for ships sunk in foreign waters. However, as the number of pollution incidents rises it's becoming vital for expertise in underwater salvage to be pooled in a worldwide effort to identify and remediate the most dangerous wrecks.

Tom Heap investigates the latest salvage techniques and asks if the cancellation of funding for coastguard rescue tugs could add to the risk of future wrecks in British waters.


WED 21:30 Midweek (b010dq6p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


WED 21:58 Weather (b010dq7j)
The latest weather forecast.


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b010fk3k)
France and Italy join Britain in sending military advisers to help the Libyan rebels, we ask if this is mission creep

Robin Lustig reports from the Gulf state of Oman on how the Sultan has kept the lid on unrest with gradual reform

A special report from Glasgow on a new side to sectarianism as parcel bombs are sent to Celtic's manager and prominent supporters of the club

With Ritula Shah.


WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b010drrj)
Plague Child

Episode 8

Written by Peter Ransley. Abridged by Eileen Horne.

Tom is reunited with Matthew, the man who brought him up in the docks. He begs him to reveal the whereabouts of the Stonehouse pendant. But he is not the only one eager to find it...

Read by Jamie Glover

Producer: Clive Brill
A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 23:00 Living with Mother (b010drrl)
Series 1

Wild Card

This mother and son are as posh as posh can be. An old established family and proud of it. Unfortunately Xander is a drunken idiot who is always getting into all sorts of scrapes.

His mother has run the family home with a rod of iron ever since her husband was imprisoned for dodgy dealings. Has her foolish son inherited his father's genes? When he loses the family jewels, will she be able to bail him out?

Cast:
Mother: Penelope Keith
Xander: Kevin Eldon

Producer: Anna Madley
An Avalon Television production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 23:15 Mordrin McDonald: 21st Century Wizard (b00qj274)
Series 1

Ogre Bin Laden

Written by David Kay and Gavin Smith, Mordrin McDonald is a 2000 year old Wizard living in the modern world where regular bin collections and watching Countdown are just as important as slaying the odd Jakonty Dragon.

In this episode Mordrin takes matters into his own hands to try and solve his erratic bin collections, and decides to magic up a rubbish eating Ogre with disastrous consequences.

Featuring and written by Scottish stand up David Kay and starring Gordon Kennedy and Jack Docherty, Mordrin McDonald mixes the magical with the mundane and offers a hilarious take on the life of a modern day Wizard.

Step into the magically mundane world that is the life of 21st century wizard Mordrin McDonald. An isolated 2000-year-old sorcerer with enough power in his small finger to destroy a town, yet not even enough clout to get his bins emptied on time by the local council. Even for such a skilful sorcerer modern life is rubbish!

Mordrin is deadpan, dry and makes delicious jams. He initially set up as a plc for income tax relief, but has found it a useful vehicle to help him bolster his Wizard skill set and his range of services. (Even a wizard has to diversify). He's been running Fruity Potions from his cave for the past few years, in between completing the odd quest as instructed by the Wizard Council. In the past his services were to help kings in battles of good and evil, or as he prefers to put it, assisting with neighbour disputes.

Cast:
Mordrin: David Kay
Geoff: Gordon Kennedy
Heather: Cora Bissett
Councillor Campbell: Callum Cuthbertson
Flora: Eleanor Thom
Jim The Joiner: Grant O'Rourke

Producer: Gus Beattie
A Comedy Unit production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 23:30 I've Never Seen Star Wars (b00rbkyc)
Series 3

Jon Culshaw

Marcus Brigstocke invites his guest Jon Culshaw to try five things he's never done before, including visiting a casino.

Whether the experiences are banal or profound, the show is about embracing the new and getting out of our comfort zones.

The title comes from the fact that the show's producer and creator Bill Dare had never seen Star Wars.

Producer: Bill Dare

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2010.



THURSDAY 21 APRIL 2011

THU 00:00 Midnight News (b010dst2)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b010hd91)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b010dst4)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b010dst6)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b010dst8)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 05:30 News Briefing (b010dstb)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b010dstd)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection presented by the Most Revd David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (b010dstg)
Caz Graham hears claims that livestock thefts have risen five-fold over the last year. NFU Mutual insurance says rising meat prices will continue to drive sheep rustling.

And Farming Today hears that science is now able to tell whether a prime Scottish steak is the genuine article. Quality Meat Scotland are using methods derived from carbon dating to spot cheap imported meat being passed off as Scottish.

And a visit to one Cumbrian farmer reveals the challenges involved in managing a sheep flock within mediaeval field patterns which cannot be altered.

Presented by Caz Graham. Produced by Angela Frain.


THU 06:00 Today (b010dstj)
Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (b010dstl)
The Pelagian Controversy

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Pelagian Controversy.In the late 4th century a British monk, Pelagius, travelled to Rome, where he became a theologian and teacher, revered for his learning and ascetic lifestyle. But he soon aroused the ire of some of the Church's leading figures, preaching a Christian doctrine which many regarded as heretical. Pelagius believed that mankind was not inherently depraved, and disputed the necessity of original sin. His opinions were highly controversial and led to fierce division. Pelagius's most prominent opponent was the African bishop St Augustine of Hippo. Their dispute resulted in the persecution and eventual condemnation of Pelagius and his followers, and was to be of long-lasting significance to the future of the Church.With:Martin PalmerDirector of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education, and CultureCaroline HumfressReader in History at Birkbeck College, University of LondonJohn MilbankProfessor in Religion, Politics and Ethics and the Director of the Centre for Theology and Philosophy at Nottingham UniversityProducer: Thomas Morris.


THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b010hd93)
Edmund De Waal - The Hare with Amber Eyes

Episode 4

By Edmund de Waal. Read by Nicholas Murchie.

264 delicate wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox - that stand as a symbol of the extraordinary events that overtake one family.

Potter Edmund de Waal was entranced when he first encountered this collection in the Tokyo apartment of his great uncle Iggie. Later, when Edmund inherited the 'netsuke', they unlocked a story far larger than he could ever have imagined.

His family the Ephrussis came from Odessa, and at one time were the largest grain exporters in the world; in the 1870s, Charles Ephrussi was part of a wealthy new generation settling in Paris. Charles's passion was collecting; emerging French painters and - when Japanese art and artists became all the rage in the salons - he bought an entire collection of netsuke and sent them as a wedding present to his banker cousin in Vienna.

Later, three children - including a young Ignace - would play with the netsuke as history reverberated around them. The Anschluss and Second World War swept the Ephrussis to the brink of oblivion. Almost all that remained of their vast empire was the netsuke collection, dramatically saved by a loyal maid when their huge Viennese palace was occupied.

Edmund de Waal travels the world to stand in the great buildings his forebears once inhabited. He traces the network of a remarkable family against the backdrop of a tumultuous century and tells the story of a unique collection.

Abridged by Polly Coles

Producer: Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b010dstn)
Presented by Jenni Murray. Leotards, leggings and ironing-free clothes - we look at the wonder fibre that is Lycra. The twelve-time grammy winner Emmylou Harris joins Jenni to talk about her career and her latest album 'Hard Bargain'. She performs 'Darlin Kate', a song dedicated to the late Kate McGarrigle. Also, Anita Newcourt talks about being named "Anita the Greeter" by Prince Phillip because of her work at the Royal Suites at Heathrow Airport. And often referred to as the 'Claudia Schiffer of North Africa' we hear about the significance of Aisha Gaddafi's recent more frequent public appearances in support of her father.


THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b010fngm)
Sherbet Dolls

Episode 4

Sherbet Dolls 4/5
by Karen Brown
An entertaining drama serial exploring the magnetism and expanding phenomena of children's beauty pageants.
Stacey stands up to protestors claiming child exploitation and daughter Olivia wants to go home after losing
in the Casual Category.

Cast
Stacey ...... Naomi Radcliffe
Tony ...... John Thomson
Olivia ...... Shannon Flynn
Jin Lin ..... Shamae Griffin
Lift announcer ..... Melissa Jane Sinden
Pageant Compere ..... Ruth Piggott
Judy ...... Kathryn Hunt
John ..... Seamus O'Neill
Alicia ..... Emma Garrett
Patrick ..... Jake Norton
Director ..... Pauline Harris

Further Info.
The mother Stacey is desperate to break away from the working
class small lancashire town they've all grown up in. In her view, fame holds the key to a sparkling future for the whole family. Tony, the husband and father would rather not take part at all and hopes the plastic tiara and sash are worth all the trouble. In contrast to their world Olivia is trying to finish her school project which involves e-mailing her Chinese pen pal Jin Lee; the Puyang Number 1 Middle School in China has been
twinned with Olivia's school in Lancashire, and they're exchanging e-mails over the weekend. Two children from different cultures both taking part in very different competitions.


THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b010dstq)
Germany

David Goldblatt looks at whether Berlin's alternative culture is under threat from commercial pressures. Or do developers and artists need each other to exist?

Berlin has long been a magnet for artists from within Germany and abroad. After the wall fell in 1989 they flooded into the vast deserted buildings left in the Mitte area of the former East of the city. But over the last few years developers have been moving into this increasingly fashionable area, increasing rents and evicting squatted buildings.

Today the right and left banks of the Spree river, the district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, has become home to underground clubs and artists studios. But developers are increasing their grip on this area too. A few years ago they joined together to create an consortium called "MediaSpree" with the aim of turning the East bank of the Spree into a media hub. Universal Studios and MTV were two of the first companies to locate themselves in the converted warehouses of a deserted port in 'no man's land' where the border wall once ran. They were attracted, in part, by the alternative vibe of the area.

But now increasing rents in this area are pushing artists and original residents out - and with them the clubs and galleries that attracted the media businesses in the first place. Will developers and the alternative culture find a way to co-exist?
Producer: Jane Beresford.


THU 11:30 The Ladies' Man of Opera (b010dsts)
Composer Richard Strauss lived a long life crowded with splendid women. But to the surprise of his friends he belonged to only one- his formidable wife, soprano Pauline de Ahna.

For Strauss's "other women" belonged to the illustrious gallery of heroines he would bring to the operatic stage, beginning with Freihild in Guntram. Many of his heroines were already immortal in name, Salome, Elektra, Ariadne, Daphne, Helen of Troy. Even his best male roles (Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos) were written for women. Indeed all of Strauss' operas would celebrate the soprano voice, because he composed with his wife's voice in his ear.

In 2009 the actor, Michael Pennington, played Richard Strauss in the West End play, Collaboration. Whilst acting out the Composer's life on the stage he became fascinated with Strauss' life and in particular his marriage.

In The Ladies' Man of Opera Michael Pennington goes on a journey through the music and letters of Strauss to discover the relationship that formed the bedrock of his musical achievements. Examining the works of the composer he reveals the central role that Pauline played in his music and in doing so explores their enduring and eventful marriage.

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


THU 12:00 You and Yours (b010gbbz)
Consumer news with Winifred Robinson. Haulage firms want to 'grow' their lorries by seven feet. As the 'birth place' of the NHS is set for closure we ask does emotion have a part to play in the health service? Parliament have fixed the date of Easter; so why does the date still vary so wildly. An exhibition featuring America's classic motorbike opens in Manchester and funeral directors complain about a lack of respect on the highways.


THU 12:57 Weather (b010dstx)
The latest weather forecast.


THU 13:00 World at One (b010fk1y)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4. Thirty minutes of intelligent analysis, comment and interviews. To share your views email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


THU 13:30 Costing the Earth (b010drl1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:00 The Archers (b010dstz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama (b009tzcd)
Series 1

Dark Horse

On Mardle Fen: Series by Nick Warburton, set in an idiosyncratic restaurant in the Fens. 3/4. Dark Horse: The dark tale of the twisted eel seems about to repeat itself.


THU 15:00 Open Country (b010dd3s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:07 on Saturday]


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b010dfgs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:55 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b010dsw8)
Tales from the Casino

Three Before Eight

It is all about ritual. Saturday comes and Rob, a seasoned DJ at the Casino, is sorting through and packing his records for the night.

Between 1973 and 1981 Wigan Casino was arguably the ultimate venue for Northern Soul music. Young people from all over the UK regularly made the trek to Wigan to dance to the latest Northern Soul artists. Queues to get in were sometimes five or six people deep, and stretched quite a way up the road. The highlight was the weekly all-nighter, with Russ Winstanley as DJ, which traditionally ended with three songs that became known as the Three Before Eight: "Time Will Pass You By" by Tobi Legend, "Long After Tonight Is Over" by Jimmy Radcliffe and "I'm On My Way" by Dean Parrish.

These three specially-commissioned stories by Laura Barton (herself from Wigan) hark back to a time when the town threw off the image created by George Orwell and the Casino was voted 'Best Disco In the World' by American Billboard Magazine.

Laura Barton was born in Lancashire in 1977. She is a freelance writer of features and music columns, notably 'Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll' for the Guardian. Her first story for radio, The Carpenter, was broadcast in 2009 as part of Sweet Talk's We Are Stardust, We Are Golden series for BBC Radio 4. Twenty-One Locks, her debut novel, was published in 2010. Laura lives in London.

Written by Laura Barton. Read by Daniel Rigby.

Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 15:45 Russia: The Wild East (b010dszs)
Series 1

The Mongol Yoke

In 1240, the Mongols arrived at the capital of the Russian lands, the great city of Kiev. After a week-long bombardment that breached the city walls, the Mongols poured in, wreaking death and destruction. It was to change the course of Russian History.

Isolated from Europe, Russia missed out on the Renaissance, and Martin Sixsmith argues, "She would never fully catch up with its intellectual, cultural and social values. Instead, a profound admiration for the Mongol model of an autocratic, militarised state began to enter the Russian psyche.This legacy was so deeply assimilated that its influence has marked the way the country is governed right down to the present day."

The widely accepted view is that the Mongol period was a national catastrophe and the absolutist state model it implanted in Russia was her great misfortune. But drawing on the writings of the great historian Nikolay Karamzin, Sixsmith suggests the political unity it created among the Russian lands outweighed all the negative effects.

He visits Kulikovo Pole, where the Russians marked their the first military victory against the Mongols. In national folk memory this is the place to which Russians came disunited and left as a nation. Alexander Blok, the great Symbolist poet writing 500 years later, sees it as the starting gun for a millennial clash of opposing religions and values that would define Russia's historical identity.

The country united around what soon become a national religious myth -the belief that Rus had been chosen by God for a historic mission - and a consciousness of being a unified nation in opposition to external enemies. And, as we'll see, the leader of that newborn Russia would no longer be Kiev, but Moscow.

Historical Consultant: Professor Geoffrey Hosking

Producers: Adam Fowler & Anna Scott-Brown
A Ladbroke production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 16:00 Open Book (b010dgrd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]


THU 16:30 Material World (b010dw05)
Quentin Cooper presents his weekly digest of science in and behind the headlines. He discovers the impact of the Deepwater Horizon spill on the Gulf of Mexico's wildlife one year on and the ongoing effect of Chernobyl on human health 25 years after the event. We also return to the islands of Tristan da Cunha for an update on the penguins, following the oil spill there and discover a strange exchange taking place between Saturn and one of its moons.

The producer is Ania Lichtarowicz.


THU 17:00 PM (b010dw07)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b010dsv1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 18:30 The Simon Day Show (b010dw09)
Series 1

Geoffrey Allerton

Simon Day and his characters welcome listeners to The Mallard, a small provincial theatre somewhere in the UK. Each week one of Simon's characters come to perform at The Mallard and we hear the highlights of that night's show along with the backstage and front-of-house goings on at the theatre itself.

In show one the theatre is visited by acclaimed Yorkshire poet, Geoffrey Allerton (Simon Day). Geoffrey reads poems and excerpts from his recent memoir "Marking Time" and struggles to get a hot meal from sound and lighting technician, Goose (Felix Dexter). Meanwhile in the bar two local mums are getting to know each other over several bottles of wine.

Cast list:

Geoffrey Allerton ..... Simon Day
Anna / Claire ..... Catherine Shepherd
Sarah ..... Arabella Weir
Goose ..... Felix Dexter
Ron Bone ..... Simon Greenall

Written by Simon Day
Produced by Colin Anderson.


THU 19:00 The Archers (b010dw0c)
Elizabeth's feeling spoiled on her birthday, with flowers from Jill and breakfast in bed from Lily and Freddie. She asks to join Jill on Saturday to place flowers on her dad's grave. Jill thinks that would be lovely. Nigel and Phil would be very proud of Elizabeth.

Jill tells David that the Gardener's Question Time from Ambridge will be broadcast on Sunday, but David's distracted. He just doesn't understand the recent disappointingly poor milk yields.

Jill and Shula discuss Caroline's challenging week. It would be good if Oliver, Christine and Shula each had a set of Village Hall keys. Jill wonders if Jolene's stress is Kenton-related. Shula counters that Kenton's hurt by Jill's attitude towards his relationship.

Candidates for the parish council elections are all busy campaigning. Shula has read Neil's statement. She and Clarrie discuss how Lynda has been covering the town with her posters. It's all getting very competitive.

Kathy has taken the day off work to see if Jamie returns. She spoke to Marty's mother who told her that Jamie has spent a few nights at their house. Kathy's losing her patience, despite Clarrie's reassurance that at least she knows he's safe. Kathy just wants him home.


THU 19:15 Front Row (b010dw0f)
David Tennant in United; Ray Winstone in Tracker

With John Wilson.

David Tennant and Dougray Scott star in the TV drama United, based on the true story of the Busby Babes, Manchester United's star team of young players, who lost eight of their members in the 1958 Munich air crash. Sports writer Jim White reviews.

Word of mouth is a powerful force in the arts - but how will it work in the digital future? Continuing Front Row's digital series, Pulitzer prize-winning author Jennifer Egan and Annette Mees of Coney, creator of immersive theatre and interactive adventures, discuss whether we will trust recommendations from virtual friends, and Alex Woodford, head of AKA's digital marketing department, explains how he nurtures positive word of mouth online.

In the film Tracker, Ray Winstone is a guerrilla fighter from the South African Boer war sent on a manhunt through the landscape of New Zealand, on the trail of a Maori seaman accused of murder. Antonia Quirke reviews.

The film Monsters is the directorial debut of Gareth Edwards, an Emmy-nominated visual effects editor. He reveals how he made his low budget "love story with monsters attached", just released on DVD. The film caught the eye of Hollywood and now he has the chance to make a new big budget Godzilla.

Following the news of the death of the photojournalist and documentary-maker Tim Hetherington whilst under fire in Libya, Front Row pays tribute to him.

Producer Philippa Ritchie.


THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b010fngm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


THU 20:00 The Report (b010dw0h)
Inspecting Britain's Nuclear Power Plants

The stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan missed scheduled safety inspections weeks before the disaster. The Japanese regulation system stands accused of failing to take the risk of an extreme natural disaster seriously enough, and of a lack of openness with the public.

Britain's own regulatory body which oversees nuclear power plants has just re-launched itself after years of concern that it has been secretive, understaffed and overstretched.

In recent years the government's Chief Nuclear Inspector says he has struggled to recruit new staff and that the Nuclear Safety Inspectorate faced major challenges to ensure old nuclear plants are run safely.

As the Office for Nuclear Regulation takes on the challenge of ensuring Britain's nuclear power plants are run safely, Andy Denwood investigates whether it's up to the job.

Producer Ian Muir-Cochrane.


THU 20:30 In Business (b010dw0k)
Watch This Space

America's space effort faces big upheavals as President Obama reigns in government spending and NASA is told to work in partnership with private enterprise. From the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and the Mojave Desert, Peter Day asks what happens next on the USA's journey into space.


THU 21:00 The Light Switch Project (b010dp0j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Tuesday]


THU 21:30 In Our Time (b010dstl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


THU 21:58 Weather (b010dsv3)
The latest weather forecast.


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b010fk3m)
Radio 4's daily evening news and current affairs programme bringing you global news and analysis.


THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b010dw0m)
Plague Child

Episode 9

Written by Peter Ransley. Abridged by Eileen Horne.

Tom finds the pendant and confronts his real father at last, in the midst of the most brutal battle of the Civil War -but this is not a happy reunion...

Read by Jamie Glover

Producer: Clive Brill
A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 23:00 Alice's Wunderland (b010fbyb)
Pilot Show

A trip round Wunderland, the Poundland of magical realms. It's a kingdom much like our own, and also nothing like it in the slightest. Stay a while and meet the waifs, strays, ghosts, murderous pensioners and squirrels of this delightful land as they go about their bizarre business.

Written and performed by Alice Lowe.

Also starring Richard Glover, Simon Greenall, Rachel Stubbings, Clare Thompson and Marcia Warren.

Produced by Sam Bryant.


THU 23:30 I've Never Seen Star Wars (b00rdzv8)
Series 3

Jenny Eclair

Marcus Brigstocke invites his comic guest Jenny Eclair to try five things she's never done before including having a bikini wax.

Whether the experiences are banal or profound, the show is about embracing the new and getting out of our comfort zones.

The title comes from the fact that the show's producer and creator Bill Dare had never seen Star Wars.

Producer: Bill Dare.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2010.



FRIDAY 22 APRIL 2011

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b010fbz3)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b010hd93)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b010fbz5)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b010fbz7)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b010fbz9)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b010fbzc)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b010fbzf)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection presented by the Most Revd David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b010fbzh)
A Herefordshire farmer predicts the recent warm, dry weather will mean a bumper cherry harvest. The blossom is appearing on trees two weeks early.

Caz Graham hears the UK has become the first country in the world to audit its soil bacteria. It could lead to farmers increasing yield and becoming more profitable, as Professor Andrew Whiteley from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology explains.

And a plant dismissed as weed could soon be grown commercially to produce food supplements. The government has funded trials of Corn Gromwell, rich in omega 3.

Presenter: Caz Graham. Producer Angela Frain.


FRI 06:00 Today (b010fbzk)
Morning news and current affairs with John Humphrys and Evan Davis at the South Bank Centre, exploring the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain.


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b010dfh1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Sunday]


FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b010hd95)
Edmund De Waal - The Hare with Amber Eyes

Episode 5

By Edmund de Waal.Read by Nicholas Murchie.

264 delicate wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox - that stand as a symbol of the extraordinary events that overtake one family.

Potter Edmund de Waal was entranced when he first encountered this collection in the Tokyo apartment of his great uncle Iggie. Later, when Edmund inherited the 'netsuke', they unlocked a story far larger than he could ever have imagined.

His family the Ephrussis came from Odessa, and at one time were the largest grain exporters in the world; in the 1870s, Charles Ephrussi was part of a wealthy new generation settling in Paris. Charles's passion was collecting; emerging French painters and - when Japanese art and artists became all the rage in the salons - he bought an entire collection of netsuke and sent them as a wedding present to his banker cousin in Vienna.

Later, three children - including a young Ignace - would play with the netsuke as history reverberated around them. The Anschluss and Second World War swept the Ephrussis to the brink of oblivion. Almost all that remained of their vast empire was the netsuke collection, dramatically saved by a loyal maid when their huge Viennese palace was occupied.

Edmund de Waal travels the world to stand in the great buildings his forebears once inhabited. He traces the network of a remarkable family against the backdrop of a tumultuous century and tells the story of a unique collection.

Abridged by Polly Coles

Producer: Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b010fbzm)
Presented by Jenni Murray. Growing numbers of fathers are being sent to prison for missed child maintenance payments - is this helpful to the mothers who look after the children? Martha's marvellous memory - the writer and psychologist Charles Fernyhough has recorded interviews with his 93 year old grandmother. Charles tells Jenni what he learned about his grandmother's life and the nature of memory. Childbirth and anaesthesia in the developing world; what can be done to improve the high death rates associated with obstetric anaesthesia? And Women in Business: the politics of tea-making in the office.


FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b010fnh0)
Sherbet Dolls

Episode 5

Sherbet Dolls 5/5
by Karen Brown
An entertaining drama serial exploring the magnetism and expanding phenomena of children's beauty pageants.
It's the grand final but when Tony discovers the extent of Stacey's deceit in the name of fame he can take no more.
Cast
Stacey ...... Naomi Radcliffe
Tony ...... John Thomson
Olivia ...... Shannon Flynn
Jin Lin ..... Shamae Griffin
Lift announcer ..... Melissa Jane Sinden
Pageant Compere ..... Ruth Piggott
Judy ...... Kathryn Hunt
John ..... Seamus O'Neill
Alicia ..... Emma Garrett
Director ..... Pauline Harris

Further Info.
The mother Stacey is desperate to break away from the working
class small lancashire town they've all grown up in. In her view, fame holds the key to a sparkling future for the whole family. Tony, the husband and father would rather not take part at all and hopes the plastic tiara and sash are worth all the trouble. In contrast to their world Olivia is trying to finish her school project which involves e-mailing her Chinese pen pal Jin Lee; the Puyang Number 1 Middle School in China has been
twinned with Olivia's school in Lancashire, and they're exchanging e-mails over the weekend. Two children from different cultures both taking part in very different competitions.


FRI 11:00 James and the Giant Eagle (b010fc06)
Like most small boys James Aldred loved climbing trees and now he has grown up, he's still climbing trees; helping scientists and film crews up into the canopy. When he was invited to help a wildlife team film one of the world's largest eagles in Southern Brazil, it was an offer he couldn't refuse. But what happened next was a nerve-wracking and painful encounter with one of the world's most powerful birds. Harpy Eagles have a body length of over 3ft, a wingspan of over 6ft and weigh 10-12 pounds. Their hind talons can grow up to the size of grizzly bear claws, and are used to strike their prey; monkeys, sloths and possums, which they then carry aloft. When James was asked to climb a tree, to assist with moving a camera on an eagle's nest, he found out exactly why these birds have such an awesome reputation.

Harpy Eagles are found in tropical lowland forests from southeast Mexico to northern Argentina and southern Brazil. Their name is derived from the Harpies in Greek Mythology, which were ferocious winged creatures with sharp claws, a woman's face and a vulture's body.

Harpy Eagles are successful predators, owing primarily to their size and strength. They are also highly manoeuvrable fliers. They have excellent eyesight and good hearing, and are acutely observant and opportunistic birds. Taken together these attributes make for a highly impressive predator. Recordings made by James Aldred on location are combined with interviews with ornithologist Ian Newton and field biologist, Marta Curti (who has spent many years working with Harpy Eagles with The Peregrine Fund) in a programme which explores the behaviour and ecology of Harpy Eagles and what happens when a female tries to protect her young.

Producer Sarah Blunt.


FRI 11:30 Meet David Sedaris (b00rp3dy)
Series 1

Six-to-Eight Black Men; Just a Quick Email

From Carnegie Hall to the BBC Radio Theatre - American humorist David Sedaris reads from his extensive collection of published stories and articles.

Christmas traditions in the Netherlands attract David's attention in 'Six to Eight Black Men'; some guilty secrets are revealed in Just a Quick Email and we also hear selected extracts from his diary.

Producer: Steve Doherty
A Boomerang production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b010fd84)
Peter White talks to the Chief Executive of Visit England, Lady Penny Cobham, about the double-edged sword of a late Easter for tourism businesses.

Major hotel chains are angry that rooms they'd sold to the London 2012 organising committee for officials during the Olympics are now being sold by a travel agent, with a substantial mark-up.

And are we really about to see American style intensive farms become an integral part of the British countryside? The National Farmers Union and the Soil Association discuss how big farms might have to get to survive.

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Sarah Swadling.


FRI 12:57 Weather (b010fbzp)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 13:00 World at One (b010fk20)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4. Thirty minutes of intelligent analysis, comment and interviews. To share your views email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on Twitter: #wato.


FRI 13:30 More or Less (b010fd86)
In this week's More or Less:

How well are British schoolchildren doing compared to their international peer group? It's an important question. And there's a way of answering it, using a set of tests called "PISA", the programme for international student assessment. But there are doubts about the validity of the PISA method, and the way the numbers are used by politicians. More or Less investigates.Producer: Richard Knight.


FRI 14:00 The Archers (b010dw0c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Drama (b010fd88)
Mary Toft's Rabbit Tale

Written by Colin Bytheway.

In 1726, 26 year old mother-of-three Mary Toft gave birth to a rabbit. And then another. And then another. All were stillborn, some were just rabbit body parts, but all were the fruit of her loins.

Local surgeon John Howard confirmed the phenomenon, delivering several rabbits himself. He wrote of his findings to the Secretary of George I. The King, intrigued, sent his personal anatomist Nathaniel St Andre to investigate - and he soon concluded that Toft was telling the truth and was preternaturally giving birth to rabbits.

Mary quickly became a national sensation and was brought to London to be studied at length. But, inevitably, Mary broke and she confessed. The whole thing was a hoax.

Mary was imprisoned. She, the medical profession, and even the country, were publicly ridiculed. Mary herself was immortalised in a sketch by Hogarth. After five months of incarceration, she was released, returning to Godalming, her children, her husband and her old life. She later claimed she made up the rabbit tale "to get so good a living that I should never want as long as I lived."

Producer/Director: Celia de Wolff
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 15:00 Good Friday Liturgy (b010fd8b)
On the most solemn day in the Christian calendar, Dr Tina Beattie, Director of Catholic Studies at Roehampton University, travels to Jerusalem to reflect on the last moments of Christ's life. Starting at night, in the Garden of Gethsemene, the place where Jesus was arrested, Dr Beattie re-examines the human and spiritual consequences of Christ's journey to his death on the cross. She visits the Pavement on which Christ was tried by Pontius Pilate and scourged, and reflects on the moment where Mary has to contemplate the death of her son. The programme finishes inside the Church of the Holy Sepluchre, the site Christians believe to be the place of the crucifixion and resurrection. Producer: Mark O'Brien.


FRI 15:30 The Good Conductor (b00ww59f)
In this special talk, the author and former social worker Bernard Hare tells of the train conductor he met on a journey home when he was twenty three. He was desperate to get home to see his mother in hospital but was due to miss the connecting train home. The conductor broke the rules and ensured that Bernard made his connection - and on the way passed on a valuable motto which Bernard has adopted in his own life.
Bernard Hae was born in Leeds in 1958 to a mining family. He became a social worker, but was disillusioned by the system after the miners' strike. He is now an author and describes himself as an 'unofficial freelance social worker' in his spare time, when he regularly passes on the conductor's message.
Producer: Charlotte Pritchard.


FRI 15:45 Russia: The Wild East (b010fd8d)
Series 1

Moscow - The New Capital

In 1453, the Fall of Constantinople and destruction of the Christian Byzantine Empire by the Turks left Russia the sole remaining leader of the Orthodox faith. Directly exposed to the expanding empire of Islam it was a time of immense fear but also of opportunity, and Moscow used the crisis to further its claim to religious and political supremacy.

A mystical prophetic text, known as The Legend of the White Cowl, began to circulate, claiming to consecrate Moscow as the Third Rome, the true guardian of God's rule and causing great excitement among the population. Martin Sixsmith suggests the prophecy was in fact a forgery created for political purposes.

Moscow had begun to emerge a century earlier under the canny Ivan Kalita or Ivan Moneybags, whose wheeling and dealing carved out a rich and powerful place for his city and himself. He persuaded the Mongols to name him Grand Prince and pre-eminent ruler of the Russian lands. The word 'Tsar' was created by his heirs, derived from 'Caesar', and 'Sovereign of all the Russias.'

But the departure of the Mongols had left a power vacuum, and there were three contenders vying to fill it: Lithuania, Poland and the northern city of Novgorod, which had avoided direct Mongol occupation, and preserved the old quasi-democratic values of Kievan Rus.

Moscow needed to deal with each of them, and it did so slowly, creating a fragile national unity under Ivan III's unbending autocracy. It gave him the strength he needed to embark on an unparalleled campaign of territorial expansion, initiating the relentless empire building that would continue unabated to the twentieth century.

Historical Consultant: Professor Geoffrey Hosking

Producers: Adam Fowler & Anna Scott-Brown
A Ladbroke production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 16:00 Last Word (b010fd8g)
Tim Hetherington, Barbara Harmer, TP Flanagan, Prof David Bowen, Elisabeth Sladen

On this week's Last Word Jane Little discusses the lives of the award-winning photographer and filmmaker, Tim Hetherington, who was killed this week in Libya.

Barbara Harmer, the only woman pilot to fly Concorde.

Seamus Heaney pays tribute to his friend, Irish landscape painter, TP Flanagan.

Professor David Bowen, forensic pathologist, who worked on some of the most notorious crimes in recent British history.

And actress Elisabeth Sladen, whose role as Sarah Jane Smith endeared her to generations of Dr Who fans.


FRI 16:30 The Film Programme (b010fd8j)
Francine Stock with what's going on in the world of film, including the latest offerings from Wim Wenders and Alexei Popogrebsky.

Producer: Zahid Warley.


FRI 17:00 PM (b010fd8l)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b010fbzr)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (b010fd8n)
Series 74

Episode 2

Snooping, Superinjunctions, and Sleeping on the Job: iPhone's tracking abilities, celebrity gagging orders and an air traffic controller who watched movies on the job get the News Quiz treatment, in a satirical review of the week's news, chaired by Sandi Toksvig. Guests this week are Susan Calman, Matthew Parris, Will Smith and Jeremy Hardy. Charlotte Green reads the news.

Produced by Victoria Lloyd.


FRI 19:00 The Archers (b010fd8q)
Joe tells Lynda he knows The Ghost backwards, and is looking forward to discussing it at the book club later. Lynda urges Jolene to try creative visualization, imagining herself fit as fit and healthy. Jolene's not convinced this is going to help her attempt to quit smoking.

At the book club, Lynda tells Ruth that Roy will be leaving on 6 May. She's disappointed that Caroline hasn't advertised the vacancy. Ruth's surprised that Caroline may be taking on Roy's tasks herself. Lynda is confident she'll be featured in Sunday's Gardeners' Question Time. The discussion on The Ghost gets underway. It soon becomes clear that not only has Joe not read the book, he's also watched the wrong film: Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze. Lynda's not amused. She also tells Ruth off when she admits she hasn't read it all either.

As Jolene packs for Monte Carlo, Fallon reassures her that everything will be fine while she's away. She's had a text from Jamie, who seems to be scared about coming back. When He does return, Jolene starts to question him, but Fallon steps in and takes a softer approach. Jolene won't tolerate his behaviour though, and Jamie agrees to pull his weight. Fallon rings Kathy to tell her that Jamie is safe.


FRI 19:15 Front Row (b010fd8s)
Depictions of Christ from Dorothy L Sayers to James Frey

Mark Lawson examines dramatic and literary portrayals of Jesus Christ, from Dorothy L Sayers' landmark radio drama of the 1940s to the new novel from James Frey.

We hear from writers A N Wilson, James Frey, John Niven, Russell T Davies, Frank Deasy and Owen Sheers and from the actors Michael Sheen and Christopher Eccleston. Mark also visits the BBC written archives in Caversham to look at the scripts and letters relating to The Man Born to Be King - the drama by Dorothy L Sayers which was first broadcast 70 years ago.

Producers: India Rakusen and Robyn Read.


FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b010fnh0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b010fd8v)
Jonathan Dimbleby chairs the live debate from Brick Lane Music Hall in Silvertown London with panellists Sayeeda Warsi, Chairman of the Conservative Party; Alan Johnson, former Labour Cabinet minister; Rod Liddle, columnist; and Philippe Sands, Professor of International Law at the University of London.

Producer: Victoria Wakely.


FRI 20:50 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b010fd8x)
Series 2

Rats

It might be surprising to hear, but Sir David Attenborough has made it known over the years that rats are not his favourite animal.

In this piece, dedicated to his nemesis, Attenborough with great wit and skill tells us of the living nightmare he endured whilst on location in a place infested with them. If that wasn't enough, whilst making Life of Mammals, he devoted a whole programme to them - and to balance his own personal view went to an Indian temple where the rat is revered and even encouraged to swarm in vast numbers.

But in a clever twist of the story, as is the hallmark of David Attenborough, in no uncertain way he tells us why they should be respected.

Written and presented by David Attenborough

Producer: Julian Hector

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2011.


FRI 21:00 Russia: The Wild East (b010fd8z)
Series 1 Omnibus

Episode 1

A major new history series begins this week which traces the development of Russia over a period of 1,000 years. The first five weeks take the listener from the beginning of the Russian state in 862 A.D. up to the cataclysmic revolution of 1917. Martin Sixsmith, who writes and presents the series, was the BBC's Moscow Correspondent in 1991. The series begins with a vivid recording of his report on the events that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

As he says: 'I remember with absolute clarity my conviction that the dissolution of the Communist Party after seventy years in power, meant the monster of autocracy was dead in Russia, that centuries of repression would be thrown off and replaced with freedom and democracy. But I was wrong.

The country is stable and relatively prosperous now, but democracy and freedom again take second place to the demands of the state: the spectre of autocracy is again haunting Russia. Back in 1991, in the grip of Moscow's euphoria, I'd forgotten the lesson of history - that in Russia things change ... only to remain the same. Attempts at reform, followed by a return to autocracy, had happened so often in Russia's past that it was very unlikely things would be different this time. '

In this first programme, Martin travels to the northern city of Novgorod. It was there that, ancient history has it, the warring Slav tribes invited Rurik to come and bring order. He was the first iron fist, and he gave Rus-sia its name. But, as Martin Sixsmith points out, already by the late ninth century, two key leitmotifs of Russian history are beginning to emerge - the tendency towards autocracy, and the urge for aggression and expansion. Today Russia spans eleven time zones and is home to a hundred nationalities and a hundred and fifty languages.

Historical Consultant: Professor Geoffrey Hosking

Producers: Adam Fowler & Anna Scott-Brown
A Ladbroke production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 21:58 Weather (b010fbzt)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b010fk3p)
Senator John McCain in Benghazi says it's time to recognise the rebels as the legitimate government of Libya and arm them.

The Prince of Wales , the friendly banker and the moneylaundering fines.

What's holding back Britain's export led recovery?

with David Eades.


FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b010fd91)
Plague Child

Episode 10

Written by Peter Ransley. Abridged by Eileen Horne.

Tom exchanges the pendant and his birthright for the deeds to Half Moon Court. He regrets his choice, love struggling with ambition - until one day Lord Stonehouse summons him to Parliament...

Read by Jamie Glover

Producer: Clive Brill
A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b010dp15)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]


FRI 23:30 I've Never Seen Star Wars (b00rms97)
Series 3

Ardal O'Hanlon

Marcus Brigstocke invites his guest Ardal O'Hanlon to try five things he's never done before including bell ringing.

Whether the experiences are banal or profound, the show is about embracing the new and getting out of our comfort zones.

The title comes from the fact that the show's producer and creator Bill Dare had never seen Star Wars.

Producer: Bill Dare.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2010.