SATURDAY 07 MAY 2011

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (b010t7vy)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SAT 00:30 Book of the Week (b010t6np)
Millions Like Us: Women's Lives in War and Peace 1939-1949

Episode 5

Virginia Nicholson's evocative account of the Second World War is told through a multitude of individual women's experiences. As their stories unfold we discover how they loved, suffered, laughed, grieved and dared. Today, as the celebratory atmosphere of VE day fades, many women are left wondering what the future holds.

Virginia Nicholson's books include Among the Bohemians - Experiments in Living 1900-1939, and Singled Out - How Two Million Women Survived Without Men after the First World War which was broadcast as a Book of the Week.

Read by Fenella Woolgar
Abridged by Doreen Estall
Produced by Elizabeth Allard.


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b010t7w0)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b010t7w2)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at 5.20am.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b010t7w4)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (b010t7w6)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b010t7w8)
With Dr Mike Ford.


SAT 05:45 iPM (b010w3yn)
"My son has been promised his first shotgun for his 7th birthday": a listener tells us why he wants his children to grow up handling guns. We also hear from a counter-insurgency expert with historic links to Abbottabad, and an all-female barbershop chorus. Presented by Eddie Mair and Jennifer Tracey.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (b010t7wb)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SAT 06:04 Weather (b010t7wd)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (b010xvnk)
Welsh Highland Railway

Helen Mark takes a ride on the new Welsh Highland Railway, which eaves Caernarfon and takes in the stunning Snowdonian landscape, before arriving at its destination in Porthmadog. Along the way Helen hears about the back-breaking work undertaken by hundreds of volunteers to get the railway up and running and about the history of slate mining in the area, which used to rely so heavily on the railways. She also stops off at the RSPB's Osprey Project at Glaslyn to catch sight of the only breeding pair of ospreys in Wales.

Presenter: Helen Mark
Producer: Helen Chetwynd.


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (b010y0wz)
Farming Today This Week

While sunworshippers have enjoyed the warmest April on record the countryside has been suffering. Fires have ravaged forests and gorseland across the UK, spreading quickly in the dry conditions and causing damage that will take decades to recover. Meanwhile farmers are seeing crops wilting and river levels dropping due to the lack of rainfall and high temperatures.

Charlotte Smith visits Ragley Home Farms in Warwickshire to see for herself the damage already done to wheat stocks which will see yields drop. Having been stopped from abstracting water from the river they're having to make careful decisions about how to use the limited water they have and which crops to use it on. Farm Manager John Parker says rainfall over the next few days will be crucial.

Presented by Charlotte Smith. Produced by Anne-Marie Bullock.


SAT 06:57 Weather (b010t7wg)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 07:00 Today (b010y1wk)
08:10 Lady Butler-Sloss, coroner at the inquest into Princess Diana's death, and Graham Foulkes, whose son David was killed in the Edgware Road tube bombing, debate the role of inquests.
08:23 Sir Andrew Motion discusses his first play.
08:30 Business Secretary Vince Cable on the shattered Lib Dem dream.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (b010y1wm)
Richard Coles with composer Howard Goodall, poet Salena Godden, mannequin revolutionary Kevin Arpino, and civil servant turned boxing promoter Miranda Carter. There's a Sound Sculpture of an intensive care unit and Country legend Emmylou Harris shares her Inheritance Tracks.


SAT 10:00 Excess Baggage (b010y1wp)
Liberia - Evacuation - Algeria

John McCarthy looks at Liberia and Sierra Leone with journalist and author Tim Butcher who retraced a journey without maps made by Graham Greene in 1935. The dangers of heat and disease are still there but on his 350 mile walk through the jungle Tim also encountered a region riddled with post-conflict tensions and superstitions.

Photographer Marion Bull tells John about her travels usually made on her own to physically challenging places - in particular to the deserts of Algeria, where she is fascinated by rock paintings but is also drawn to the harsh and sometimes risky life among the Tuareg people.

And when life in a country becomes too risky for visitors, they may well call on their insurance company to repatriate them. John meets specialist Ted Jones who organises the evacuation of clients from political, medical or natural crises such as recent events in Libya, Egypt or Japan after the tsunami.

Producer: Harry Parker.


SAT 10:30 Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus! (b010y1wr)
Roll up, it's Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus! This is the extraordinary tale of when the Pythons went Bavarian.

German Comedy Ambassador, Henning Wehn, tells the story of how in 1971 the Pythons were flown into Bavaria, full of new original ideas for sketches, including pieces about the German artist Albrecht Durer, William Tell and The Merchant of Venice. They also adapted the popular Flying Circus Lumberjack Song into German and planned to sing it with the Austria Border Police Choir.

Only Michael Palin and John Cleese were capable of delivering lines in 'understandable' German. Despite extensive language coaching, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Graham Chapman were virtually incomprehensible. This may have added to the Pythons' trademark absurdity and surrealism, but was somewhat confusing to the German TV audience.

Realising this dream was becoming a nightmare, Alfred Biokek took the decision to make the second programme in English, with German overdub added later. It proved to be a major hit on German TV, but all concerned decided it best not to repeat the experience.

We hear clips from both programmes and Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Alfred Biolek, the man who persuaded them to take their comedy to Germany, talk about how they came up with the material for the German shows - and how life on set began to imitate a Monty Python sketch.

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


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (b011hz51)
Jackie Ashley of The Guardian looks behind the scenes at Westminster.

The president of the Lib Dems Tim Farron gives his verdict on his party's performance at the polls.

The Editor was Peter Mulligan.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (b011027f)
Weeks of violent confrontation in Uganda: Will Ross is in the capital Kampala where lawyers are the latest group to come out in protest against the regime of President Museveni. Demonstrations against his rule have been broken up violently by police. The main opposition leader's being treated in hospital in neighbouring Kenya. What will happen when he returns to his homeland? Mishal Husain is in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad, where the life of Osama bin Laden, the world's most wanted man, was brought to an end last Sunday. Mishal talks of the new interest in this location which she remembers as a place her family went on holiday. President Obama was at Ground Zero this week and coincidentally, a little earlier, our correspondent Paul Adams was there with his two young sons who had awkward questions to ask about that day when the Twin Towers came crashing down. There's a new predator in the Caribbean - the Lionfish. Tim Ecott's been to the Cayman Islands to get an idea of the scale of the problem it's brought with it. And Jonathan Fryer waits and waits for the night bus to Bolivia. But at least he has some company in the shape of a large, and affectionate, wild pig!


SAT 12:00 Money Box (b010xykm)
On Money Box with Paul Lewis:

As one major bank throws in the towel over a controversial insurance product - will others follow suit?
Plus: can the Department for Work and Pensions help itself to money it is owed from the estate of someone who has died without telling the executors?
And: we unpick exactly how many times you get charged for paying for foreign currency in sterling.


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (b010t6f2)
Series 74

Episode 4

A satirical review of the week's news, chaired by Sandi Toksvig. Featuring Jeremy Hardy, Rebecca Front, Richard Herring and Susan Calman.

Produced by Sam Bryant.


SAT 12:57 Weather (b010t7wj)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 13:00 News (b010t7wl)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (b010t6by)
Jonathan Dimbleby chairs the live debate from Harrow High School in London with Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Quentin Letts, Daily Mail columnist, Shirley Williams, the Liberal Democrat peer and Douglas Alexander, Shadow Foreign Secretary.

Producer: Victoria Wakely.


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (b010y1ww)
After last night's Any Questions? programme in Harrow, North London, it's your chance to comment on the panel's views. Douglas Alexander MP, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Shirley Williams and Quentin Letts, the Daily Mail columnist discussed: AV, the Lib Dems' election drubbing, the future of the NHS, Scottish independence, and the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Call Any Answers? on 03700 100 444 or email us at any.answers@bbc.co.uk with your views.


SAT 14:30 Saturday Drama (b010y1wy)
Ian Buchan - A Change in the Willows

Toad is back on a spending spree and dismissive of his friends - until he needs their help for a rather irritating ghost problem! Ratty finds himself flooded out of his river side home by rising river levels.

Mole tries to understand the link between the pang in his stomach and the desire all animals have to be amongst their own kind. And good old Badger is upset that nobody listens to him and his friends take him for granted.

Cast:
Toad ..... Tim McInnerny
Mole ..... Stephen Mangan
Ratty ..... Julian Rhind-Tutt
Badger ...... Andrew Sachs
Dove ..... Issy van Randwyck
Sheep .....Ian Buchan
Mole 2 ..... Yolanda Kettle
Mole 3 ..... Ilker Kaleli
Mole 4 ..... Jonathan Sayer
Mole 5 ..... Natalie Carrington

Written by Ian Buchan

Director: Eoin O'Callaghan
Producer: Julian Stevens
An Artists Studio production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 15:30 The Music Group (b010t6gy)
Series 5

Episode 2

John Cooper Clarke and psychiatrist Sube Banerjee are joined by the actress Samantha Morton to discuss three personally significant pieces of music.

Amongst their choices are a classic slice of secular gospel, a 1970s punk rock call to arms; and a song that is guaranteed to get one music group member dancing, exactly one minute fifty seconds into the track.

Along the way we find out what head teachers like to play to pupils in assembly and the influence Joe Strummer had on dementia strategy at the Department of Health. We also discover the difference between song writing and poetry, in the English language, and who stole John Cooper Clarke's hair.

The Music Choices are:
Please, Please, Please by James Brown
The Famous Flames White Man (In Hammersmith Palais) by The Clash
Scarlet Fields by The Horrors

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


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (b010y1x0)
Weekend Woman's Hour

Highlights from the Woman's Hour week presented by Jane Garvey. As one of Margaret Thatcher's handbags goes under the auctioneer's hammer for charity, we look at how she used this iconic accessory and its place in fashion history. How should children be disciplined in schools? Are women in Liverpool taking the brunt of the jibes that used to be levelled at the girls from Essex and we look at the tyranny of children's parties. As speculation mounts that President Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni is expecting a baby, we look at how this might effect his electoral fortunes. We hear about allegations of sexism at Ivy League universities and the little known short story by Daphne Du Maurier about a male sex doll.


SAT 17:00 PM (b011027h)
A fresh perspective on the day's news with sports headlines.


SAT 17:30 iPM (b010w3yn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:45 today]


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b010t7wn)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 17:57 Weather (b010t7wq)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b010t7ws)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (b010y1x2)
Clive Anderson and guests with an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy.

Clive is joined by the Hollywood actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who after roles in American Gangster and Endgame takes the lead in BBC Two's conspiracy thriller The Shadow Line.

Proudly holding the title as the '41st Best Stand Up Ever', cult comic Stewart Lee brings his knowing irony and charmed cynicism to the Loose Ends studio. His BAFTA nominated TV series, Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle returns to BBC Two and he's also curating his own weekend, Stewart Lee's Austerity Binge, as part of the Southbank Centre's Festival of Britain Celebrations.

Neil Strauss made his name with his best selling expose on the pick up artist community, The Game. But he delves into his music journalism for his latest book Everyone Loves You When You're Dead, revealing the wild adventures and surprising disclosures of stars including Lady Gaga, Tom Cruise, Brian Wilson, Marilyn Manson and Britney Spears. From talking death with Johnny Cash and sex with Russell Brand to buying nappies with rap star Snoop Dogg.

Emma Freud talks to camper extraordinaire Emma Kennedy about the follow up to her best selling childhood memoir, The Tent, The Bucket and Me. Her new book, I Left My Tent in San Francisco, charts her hapless attempt to cross America, in glorious ineptitude and humour. Jack Kerouac it ain't...

There's music from 'The recession's soul voice of reason...' Aloe Blacc, performing one of this years biggest hits I Need A Dollar, which has been hailed as the anthem of our time.

Sunshine by name, Sunshine by nature - sun soaked soul from Atlanta singer, songwriter and pianist, Avery Sunshine who plays her single I Got Sunshine from her eponymous debut album.

Producer: Cathie Mahoney.


SAT 19:00 From Fact to Fiction (b010xy8h)
Series 10

In Order of Preference

By Hugh Costello. Paul Weeks is a "NO" man - he thinks AV is expensive and flawed and not the British way. In the week of Bin Laden's killing, he finds the AV referendum an embarrassing sideshow. But his wife, Sophie, has been actively campaigning for a YES vote, with a vigour that has surprised Paul. Now, as polling day arrives, and as the fault lines are exposed in the coalition's façade of unity, Paul and Sophie's marriage also starts to unravel. Does Sophie's passion for change have as much to do with their relationship as with electoral reform..?


SAT 19:15 Saturday Review (b010y1x4)
Tom Sutcliffe and his guests poet Craig Raine and writers Susan Jeffreys and David Aaronovitch review the cultural highlights of the week.

Saoirse Ronan plays the title role in Joe Wright's film Hanna. Raised by her father (Eric Bana) in the seclusion of northern Finland and trained as a clinical killer, the teenager is pursued by a rogue CIA agent (Cate Blanchett) when she ventures into the wider world.

At Last is the last in the series of Edward St Aubyn's novels featuring Patrick Melrose and his family. At his mother's funeral Patrick finds that his transition to orphanhood isn't necessarily the liberation he had so long imagined.

All's Well That Ends Well comes to Shakespeare's Globe in London for the first time. Janie Dee is the Countess of Roussillon in Jonathan Dove's production and Sam Crane is her son Bertram who flees to the battlefront when the King of France compels him to marry the low-born Helena (Ellie Percy).

The BBC2 documentary strand Wonderland returns with an unusual insight into the work of the relationship counselling organisation Relate. Producer/director Zac Beattie was allowed to record some of the charity's clients during their counselling, but then replaced the visuals with Jonathan Hodgson's animated images, thus allowing the individuals to remain unseen.

When Simon Norfolk discovered the pictures which fellow photographer John Burke had taken in Afghanistan during the Second Afghan War between 1878 and 1880 he felt compelled to return to the country and record his own complimentary images of conflict involving the British and their allies there over a century later. The resulting exhibition - Burke and Norfolk: Photographs from the War in Afghanistan - at Tate Modern brings the two men's work together in the same gallery.

Producer: Torquil MacLeod.


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (b010y1x6)
Julian Huxley and the Invention of the Public Scientist

Through the life and work of Julian Huxley, Jim Al-Khalili explores the idea of the public scientist. Huxley was a member of the BBC's Brains Trust and a founder of UNESCO. He also invented the Children's Zoo at London Zoo. He wrote accessible books on evolution. But how did being a media figure, committed to the public understanding, square with the world of academic science? And where does Huxley's influence lie to this day? Without Huxley no Brian Cox?
Producer Tim Dee.


SAT 21:00 Classic Serial (b010t3jw)
Jorrocks's Jaunts and Jollities

Episode 2

Jorrocks's Jaunts and Jollities gives a brash, honest, funny portrait of an innocent, naive England which is only just beginning to register the profound social changes brought on by the industrial revolution.

It depicts an almost Shakespearian world-order where everyone happily occupies their place in the scheme of things....a world-order which we see being taken over and transformed by the grasping, shameless Victorian nouveau riche.

Surtees (and Scott Cherry) gives us a gallery of unforgettable comic characters - and, at the programme's heart, a true Falstaff, in the irrepressible, loveable, indefatigable rogue that is John Jorrocks - fighting to preserve the English way of life he knows and loves.

Scott Cherry - who previously gave us somewhat irreverent versions of "Humphry Clinker" (Smollett) and "Mr Sponge's Sporting Tour" (Surtees) - once again turns his comic imagination and free inspiration to the recreation of the world of Jorrocks and Handley Cross.

The gentry of Handley Cross look on in horror as the fox hunting craze begins to sweep through their town. In a classic comedic clash between high and low brow - the citizens are thrown into alternate modes of consternation and celebration.

Cast:
Jorrocks ..... Danny Webb
Nash ..... Clive Swift
Doleful ..... Charles Edwards
Miss Barnington ..... Rebecca Saire
Mello/Moonface ..... Gareth Armstrong
Julia Jorrocks ..... Emma Pierson
Muleygrubs ..... Christian Rodska
Pigg/Bray ..... Rob Hudson
Simpkins ..... Geoffrey Beevers
Barnington ..... Grant Gillespie

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


SAT 22:00 News and Weather (b010t7wv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.


SAT 22:15 Moral Maze (b010t7s5)
The Killing of Osama Bin Laden

For the tens of thousands of Americans celebrating on the streets of New York and Washington the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of US special forces was justice done at last. But for many the joy wasn't just prompted by the justice of his death; there was also retribution and revenge. The fact that he wasn't brought before a court and given the due process that our democracy demands didn't seem to trouble many, if any of them. And why should it? bin Laden was undoubtedly directly responsible for ordering the deaths of thousands of people and had inspired others to carry out many more horrific murders in his name. We don't know if those sent to get him had a shoot to kill policy, but a dead bin Laden conveniently avoids the messy prospect of a drawn-out trial, imprisonment and probable death sentence anyway. If anyone deserved it, surely it was him and didn't the nature of his crimes demand the retribution of his death?

Should we worry about the niceties of judicial process when it comes to the likes of terrorists? There are many who'd say that after the bombing of the US embassy in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, where more than 200 lost their lives and over 5000 were injured, that there was enough evidence and opportunity to justify killing bin Laden then. If we'd have been pro-active at that time the world would have been spared 9/11, the invasion of Afghanistan and possibly Iraq and countless lives would have been saved. And if we ruthlessly use lethal force against terrorists like bin Laden, because of the threat they pose to our lives and democracy, why not against someone like Colonel Gaddafi who arguably has just as much blood on his hands through the sponsoring of terrorism around the world and who, with his oil wealth and the power of the state behind him, has the means to produce weapons of mass destruction which really would threaten our civilisation.

Witnesses:
Abdel Bari Atwan - Editor in chief in Al-Quds Al-Arabi, an Arab daily newspaper
Met and interviewed Bin Laden in November 1996. He spent three days with him in Bora Bora, author of the Secret History of Al Qaeda
Stephen Powles - Barrister specialising in international criminal law and criminal justice.
Alexandros Petersen - Director of Research
Graham Foulkes - Lost his son David in the Edgware Road bomb on 7th July 2007.

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


SAT 23:00 Counterpoint (b010t5wr)
Series 25

Episode 5

(5/13)
Do you know which famous piano concerto has been described as sounding like 'Orpheus taming the Furies'?

Paul Gambaccini has the answer to this, and many other questions on music of every genre, as he's joined by three more contestants for the fifth heat of the music quiz. This week's trio of music lovers are all from the South East of England.

In addition to the classical repertoire, Paul's questions cover film music, show tunes, jazz, rock, and sixty years of the pop charts. As usual, the contestants will have to answer questions on a special subject of which they've had no prior warning - and there are plenty of musical extracts, both familiar and surprising.

Producer: Paul Bajoria.


SAT 23:30 Lost Voices (b010t3k0)
Series 3

Robert Service

As a young man, Brian Patten was fascinated by the life and work of Robert Service, who in the early years of the 20th century left a banking job in Glasgow for the excitement of the goldrush in the Yukon. He almost immediately found himself working in a bank again, but he was now in a romantic wilderness. In the bars of Whitehorse he heard wonderful stories of life in the Gold Rush which he transmuted into Kipling-inspired verse, and he was soon the best-paid poet in the western world. Yet despite his huge popularity, he remained the self-described "man who wouldn't fit in." Now, though honoured in Canada, his work is almost forgotten.

The poems are read by James Cosmo.

Producer Christine Hall.



SUNDAY 08 MAY 2011

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (b010xy27)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SUN 00:30 Perspectives (b00lxfbj)
Attendance

By Elizabeth Reeder. A man comes to a life-changing decision as he observes his lover tending to a dying relative. Read by Robin Laing.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b010xy29)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b010xy2c)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b010xy2f)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (b010xy2h)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (b010xy2k)
The bells of St Thomas, Norbury, Cheshire.


SUN 05:45 Four Thought (b010t7tx)
Series 2

Jonathan Sumption: Don't Apologise

Judge and historian Jonathan Sumption discusses modern apologies for historical events.

Starting with Tony Blair's apology for the Irish potato famine and Pope John Paul II's 94 such apologies, he argues that the trend is turning into a tide.

He argues that such apologies rely on a concept of inherited guilt, and asks whether the benefits ever outweigh the serious moral and philosophical objections.

Producer: Giles Edwards.


SUN 06:00 News Headlines (b010xy2m)
The latest national and international news.


SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b010xy2p)
The Two Sides of Hope

We think of hope as such a positive thing but Mark Tully considers the dangers of false optimism, and the despair that can follow the collapse of great expectations.

He takes two examples.

On New Year's Eve 1918, the ship, the Lolaire (Pro: You Lair Uh) was bringing over 300 survivors of the First World War back to their loved ones on the Hebridean Island of Lewis and Harris. This return was one of great hope - for those returning, for those waiting, for the Island, and for the world after such a catastrophic war which had ended just six weeks before.

The following day would be a New Year. But in the small hours the ship was caught in a storm as it approached the harbour and sank within sight of the crowds on the shore. Most were drowned. It seems the amount of despair is sometimes exponentially linked to the amount of positive expectation.

And Mark Tully also looks at a contemporary story of infertility, where regular hope is followed by regular despair, and there can often be a desire not to hope, at all, for fear of the disappointment that follows.

But it's not all doom and gloom. Mark Tully also looks at how enduring hope can be a respite, and one that can be continually reached. And the words of Martin Luther King, and the music of Frank Sinatra add another positive note in favour of Dreams, and High Hopes.

Presented by Mark Tully
Produced by Adam Fowler
An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 06:35 Living World (b010xy2r)
Dymock Daffodils

Writer and naturalist Paul Evans visits the famous daffodils of Dymock.

This corner of north Gloucestershire is home to some of the very best wild daffodil spectacles in the British Isles, plants whose pale primrose flowers with egg-yolk trumpets spill over motorway verges, infiltrate hedgerows and crowd into copses for a few precious weeks in late March and early April.

The area is also famous for hosting a remarkable collection of poets just before the First World War, lured there by the idea of a rural idyll. Among them were Edward Thomas, who was killed in action, and the visiting American poet Robert Frost, whose verse, "The Road Not Taken" includes the well-known line "two roads diverged in a yellow wood". Was this perhaps a reference to the tides of Dymock daffodils?

Paul finds out from his guides Roy Palmer, folklorist and chairman of the Dymock Poets Society, and botanist Ray Woods, who reveals the resilience and also the vulnerability of this surprising flower, which is showing promise as a relief for dementia.

Blending literature, history and wildlife, Living World takes the poets' path into the heart of wild daffodil country in this unique corner of England and revels in the coming of spring.

Producer: Brett Westwood

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2011.


SUN 06:57 Weather (b010xy2t)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (b010xy2w)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (b010xy2y)
Edward Stourton with the religious and ethical news of the week. Moral arguments and perspectives on stories, familiar and unfamiliar.

Father Nadime Nasir, an Anglican priest, talks to Edward about the situation for Christians in Syria and discusses the moral implications for non-intervention.

Sister Nora Nash from a convent in Pennyslvania takes on Goldman-Sachs - Matt Wells reports

The campaign for the living wage has been running in the UK for ten years. But how successful is it? Edward talks to Catherine Howarth who was there at the beginning.

Manchester Cathedral defends itself against BNP critics for its liturgy celebrating a black St George - Trevor Barnes reports.

Last week, American preacher David Wilkerson died in a car accident in Texas. 40 years ago Wilkerson wrote a book, The Cross and the Switchblade, which has been printed 15 million times. We look at the impact of the book and how it has shaped the life and work of thousands of young Christians since.

William Morris, Bishop of Toowoomba Diocese in Queensland talk about why his support for the ordination of women has led him to step down from his post, after a letter from Pope Benedict XVI.

A week after the death of Osama Bin Laden we discuss the reaction amongst Muslims in the UK and ask whether his death will further radicalise young Muslims with Tahir Shah from EMPAC and Dr Taj Hargey from the Muslim Education Centre of Oxford.

E-mail: sunday@bbc.co.uk

Series producer: Amanda Hancox.


SUN 07:55 Radio 4 Appeal (b010xy30)
Home Start

David Jason presents the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity Home Start.

Donations to Home Start should be sent to FREEPOST BBC Radio 4 Appeal, please mark the back of your envelope Home Start. 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 Home Start 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: 1108837.


SUN 07:57 Weather (b010xy32)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (b010xy34)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (b010xy36)
The Resurrection and the Life

40 years after the foundation of Greater Manchester's largest hospice, the Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, preaches at this service giving thanks for a tradition of end of life care inspired by the Christian belief that every individual has a unique dignity before God. Such a belief lies behind the compassionate approach which seeks to embrace every person, regardless of faith or conviction, who comes into contact with the hospice movement right across the UK. Leader: Deborah Hollamby. Live from Emmanuel Church Didsbury with the St Ann's Festival Choir directed by John Pomphrey and with organist Jeffrey Makinson. Producer: Stephen Shipley.


SUN 08:50 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b010t6c0)
Series 2

Butterflies

When massing for their winter torpor in Mexico, the pine trees laden with Monarch Butterflies are one of the most mystical and magical places to be.

David Attenborough is one of many naturalists, writers and broadcasters to marvel at this species migration feat and the spectacle of their over wintering - one of the natural wonders of the world.

David guides us through the butterfly's migration to Canada from Mexico - and back again - gently unpacking their natural history and wonder. And he immerses us in other butterfly congregations during filming trips over the years - but in a clever twist brings us back to his garden with an intriguing thought about the evolution of butterfly behaviour.

Written and presented by David Attenborough

Producer: Julian Hector.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2011.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (b010xy38)
News and conversation about the big stories of the week.


SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (b010xy3b)
For detailed synopses, see daily episodes

Written by: Simon Frith
Directed by: Rosemary Watts
Editor: Vanessa Whitburn

Jill Archer ..... Patricia Greene
Kenton Archer ..... Richard Attlee
David Archer ..... Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer ..... Felicity Finch
Pip Archer ..... Helen Monks
Pat Archer ..... Patricia Gallimore
Phoebe Tucker ..... Lucy Morris
Kate Madikane ..... Kellie Bright
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
William Grundy ..... Philip Molloy
Nic Hanson ..... Becky Wright
Emma Grundy ..... Emerald O'Hanrahan
Edward Grundy ..... Barry Farrimond
Roy Tucker ..... Ian Pepperell
Hayley Tucker ..... Lorraine Coady
Oliver Sterling ..... Michael Cochrane
Caroline Sterling ..... Sara Coward
Lynda Snell ..... Carole Boyd
Spencer Wilkes ..... Johnny Venkman
Ted Griffiths ..... Paul Webster.


SUN 11:15 Desert Island Discs (b010xy3d)
Molly Parkin

Kirsty Young's castaway is the doyenne of bohemian living, Molly Parkin.

She left the Welsh valleys to train as a fine artist in London and was a successful painter then teacher before becoming a fashion writer and novelist. She is as well known, though, for her lifestyle as her work. She adopted a hedonistic approach to life - smoking and drinking through the night and picking up numerous lovers along the way.

Now aged 79 she prefers to live alone and says she has found a calmer way of living. "I have been blessed, and made it my business, to surround myself with larger than life characters," she says, "love, on a very profound level comes unexpectedly and brilliantly."

Record: Good Golly Miss Molly
Book: The History of the Colony by Sophie Parkin
Luxury: Her entire outfit including her Andrew Logan brooch

Producer: Leanne Buckle.


SUN 12:00 The Unbelievable Truth (b010t64r)
Series 7

Episode 5

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

Clive Anderson, Sue Perkins, Henning Wehn and Graeme Garden are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as: Sheep, Furniture, The Ancient Greeks and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

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 (b010xy3g)
Climate Change Farm

Investigating every aspect of the food we eat. Presented by Sheila Dillon. Produced by Rebecca Moore.


SUN 12:57 Weather (b010xy3j)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (b0110406)
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 Manchester and Liverpool: Britain's American Civil War (b010xy3l)
Historian Tristram Hunt tells a tale of two cities.

In the 1860s, the great port of Liverpool and the industrial powerhouse that was Manchester and its surrounding towns were both deeply involved with America and its great export industry: cotton. But when the American Civil War erupted in 1861, it began to pull the two cities in very different directions.

Tristram begins at the house of Charles Kuhn Prioleau, a South Carolina cotton trader who set up home in Liverpool.

Prioleau took it upon himself to start privately - and illicitly - funding a fleet of deadly warships for his embattled Confederate homeland. Merseyside shipbuilder Laird's was happy to help.

What's more, under Abraham Lincoln, the American North blockaded the South and stopped it exporting cotton. Tristram hears how this angered many Liverpool businessmen, who began to back the Confederacy, helping to smuggle supplies through the North's blockade.

There was even a Bazaar at Liverpool's palatial new St George's Hall, to raise money for the Confederate prisoners.

Meanwhile, the choking-off of cotton supplies from the American South had a terrible impact on the mill-workers of Lancashire, who suddenly found themselves out of work, and increasingly short of food.

This led some to hope for a swift end to the war. And yet, even in the throes of 'Cotton Famine', many cotton workers gathered at Manchester's Free Trade Hall and issued an extraordinary message to President Lincoln.

They assured him that, though his blockade was imposing great hardship on them, they still supported his battle against slavery.

And this extraordinary gesture led not just to a grateful response from Lincoln, but a rich political reward....

Presenter: Tristram Hunt MP
Producer: Phil Tinline

With: Thomas Sebrell, Jerry Williams, Michael Benbough-Jackson, David Brown and Alan Kidd.


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b010t6jk)
Carmarthenshire, Wales

Peter Gibbs chairs a gardening Q&A in Carmarthenshire, Wales. He is joined by Pippa Greenwood, Bob Flowerdew & Anne Swithinbank.

In addition, Matthew Wilson reports on a recent set of daffodil trials taking place at RHS Wisley.

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


SUN 14:45 15 by 15 (b010xy3q)
Series 1

Trifle

What's in a word? Where did it come from? Where does it lead? In a new series of five programmes Hardeep Singh Kohli chooses a word and sees where it leads him. In 15 minutes he expects to learn 15 things he didn't know before.

In the second programme 'Trifle', Hardeep meets head pastry chef Jocky Petrie who went on a mission to make the perfect trifle, Shakespeare scholar Luke Healy, and remembers the inimitable TV cook Fanny Cradock.

Producer: Richard Bannerman
A Ladbroke Production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 15:00 Classic Serial (b010xy3s)
The Prelude

Episode 1

William Wordsworth's autobiographical poem The Prelude is arguably the most important piece of poetic writing in our language. Recorded in Wordsworth's home in Grasmere, Cumbria, Wordsworth looks back over events in his early life .

Wordsworth believed that poetry should be written in the natural language of common speech, and in that way it was revolutionary in its time.

Parts of the poem are famous, with lines quoted often such as the description of the young Wordsworth stealing a boat.
Other parts are more introspective. The young poet leaves Grasmere to go to University in Cambridge, and is homesick. Wordsworth grapples with his political feelings - travelling to France at the time of the French revolution. He enjoys the hustle and bustle of London, and is euphoric when crossing the Alps. All the time this poem is accessible, bursting with colour and description, full of gripping storytelling.

The Prelude is read by Sir Ian McKellen with specially composed music by John Harle, performed by John Harle on Saxophone and Neill MacColl on guitar.

The Prelude is directed in Manchester by Susan Roberts.


SUN 16:00 Open Book (b010xy8c)
Mariella Frostrup talks to Booker winning author Anne Enright about her new novel, The Forgotten Waltz, a story of love and memory set in Dublin in the days prior to the financial crash.

Plus - the profound literary friendship between Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins, examined by Dickens fan Roy Hattersley and academic John Bowen. Dickens and Collins wrote, walked and shared their literary passions together, most notably in The Tale of Two Idle Apprentices, a comic travelogue in which they send themselves up.

Mariella also speaks to young adult author Patrick Ness about picking up the literary baton, after he completed a novel by fellow writer Siobhan Dowd following her death from cancer.

PRODUCER: AASIYA LODHI.


SUN 16:30 Poetry Please (b010xy8f)
Roger McGough returns with half an hour of pure poetry. With poems about teachers, moons, notable pauses, railway trips, and other journeys including poems by Edward Thomas and Carol Ann Duffy. Keen fell walker and poetry fan Stuart Maconie reads Scafell Pike by the Cumbrian poet, Norman Nicholson, and Roger finds out what a discobolus is in a strange, ranting verse by the painter poet Samuel Butler. The readers are Jonjo O'Neill, Alison McKenna and Peter Marinker.
Producer: Sarah Langan.


SUN 17:00 Lebanon: The Next Generation (b010t6l7)
Twenty-five years ago John McCarthy first set foot in Lebanon. Twenty years ago he left. In the years between he had been blindfolded, chained and beaten - as one of the Western hostages caught up in the turmoil of the Lebanese civil war.

Now he returns for BBC Radio 4, with a set of questions he is keen to answer. What has happened to Lebanon in the years of comparative peace? Has the cycle of violence finally been broken? What has happened to the civil war generation? And, more importantly for John, what are the post-war generation of young Lebanese doing to reshape their society? Are they creating their own version of the Arab Spring?

In the week of his visit John encounters two mass demonstrations that illustrate the possibilities of change - and also the barricades set against it.

Event one is a rally of close to a million people in Martyrs' Square. At this event the vast crowd roars approval as the acting Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, calls for his main political rival, Hezbollah, the Party of God, to give up its weapons. Old Politics.

Event two is more modest, but its impact on Lebanese society could conceivably be more profound. Thirty-thousand people, most of them young, march through the city streets to a hip hop beat. They believe that for Lebanon to really become a post-war society it must introduce a secular system, based on individual human rights. The present system, they believe, inevitably leads to conflict. New politics.

John meets people from both sides of the great debate. Nadim Gemayel, the son of an assassinated warlord who believes that the days of warlords must be ended. Or Walid Jumblatt, a current warlord, who feels trapped by the system that sustains his power.

And John meets a host of young people, determined to change the world.

Producer: Geoff Dunlop
A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 17:40 From Fact to Fiction (b010xy8h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b010xy3v)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 17:57 Weather (b010xy3x)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b010xy3z)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (b010xy8k)
Caz Graham makes her selection from the past seven days of BBC Radio.

In Pick of the Week tonight we discover why Harrison Birtwhistle is composing a Requiem for a Moth, the best way to catch a basking adder, and ask does Matthew Parris deserve a BAFTA for a stellar performance as Lewis Carroll's Plum Pudding?

There's a trip to Bavaria with the Monty Python team, a saunter round the Festival of Britain and also, following the death of Osama Bin Laden, we have moving testimony from the New York banking boss who lost more than 500 staff and his own brother on September the 11th.

All that and another chance to hear a smashing bit of cricket commentary, an excellent listen even if you don't like cricket.

Today - Radio 4
The Jam Generation Takes Power - Radio 4
78 Revolutions - Radio 4
Costing The Earth - Radio 4
The Simon Day Show - Radio 4
Great Lives - Radio 4
Lost Property - The Wrong Label - Radio 4
PM - Radio 4
Crossing Continents - Radio 4
A Tonic For The Nation -Radio 2
Requiem For A Moth - Radio 4
Saving Species - Radio 4
The Unbelievable Truth - Radio 4
Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus
Email: potw@bbc.co.uk or www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/potw
Producer: Helen Lee.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (b010xwf5)
Ruth's impressed by the new paddock that David's preparing. It should be good for the milk yields. Elizabeth's concerned that Lower Loxley's parkland pasture may be underperforming. David agrees to check it tomorrow.

At Grey Gables, frantic Lynda has found a leak in one of the rooms. Caroline must make a special effort to appease the guests, the Cadwalladers. The ceiling and roof tiles need extensive repair work too.

George has enjoyed helping Will check on the poults. Ed's keen to take George and baby sister Keira to see the animals at Lower Loxley, but George seems reluctant to leave. Mia's keen to go, which makes Will comment on his big happy family.

At the tree top walk, Ed encourages George. Keira's going to love having a big brother who can teach her things.

Will tells David how the cricket team's missing him. David suggests what the team really needs is new blood. Umpire Tony's doing well and hopefully Jamie will be on board after his exams.

Will has an idea for Clarrie's birthday. He'll invite Clarrie, Eddie and Joe round for a birthday meal on Thursday night. Nic tentatively agrees that it's a good idea.


SUN 19:15 Americana (b010xyfy)
University of Risk
Americana examines the value of higher education in a debt laden nation. Education experts Claudia Dreifus and Peter Brooks debate the popularity of higher education in the US.

Self-Made Man
The pioneering spirit- that persevering, climb-to-the-top work ethic, is largely responsible for the nation's image of the "self-made man." Presenter Matt Frei talks to David Walker Howe about why pulling yourself up by your bootstraps continues to go in and out of fashion.

Barbara Carroll
Jazz pianist Barbara Carroll hasn't always enjoyed the fame and popularity she has today. She fought through the man's world of jazz to be heard and seen as a musician, and woman, of talent in her own right. She plays a few songs and shares her story with Americana.

A week for the history books
David Remnick reflects on the impact of the week's announcement that Osama Bin Laden was killed and what it means for future security and leadership of the United States.


SUN 19:45 The Heart of Saturday Night (b00mbxfb)
Muriel

Ed Stoppard reads the next in the series of stories inspired by the distinctive world created by the legendary musician Tom Waits - a sleazy world peopled by down-at-heel characters on the edge of society, or outcasts and deadbeats singing of loss and longing. In US author Willy Vlautin's story, a small-town forklift truck-driver returns to his old neighbourhood and the bar he used to drink in before his breakdown. All the characters are still there, but he can't help but notice how they all do their best to avoid mentioning his dead wife Muriel.

The reader is Ed Stoppard.

The Author: US novelist and singer/songwriter Willy Vlautin grew up in Reno, Nevada. His first novel, The Motel Life, was published by Faber & Faber in 2006. He is also the songwriter and vocalist for the internationally acclaimed band, Richmond Fontaine, whose album The Fitzgerald (2005) was described by Q magazine as 'the most beautiful sad album of the year'.

Produced by Justine Willett.


SUN 20:00 More or Less (b010xykh)
In this week's programme:

The blogosphere has been awash with accusations of a climate change conspiracy. The UN, it's claimed, tried to cover up a prediction made about "climate refugees". More or Less investigates.

What really happened immediately after Henry Cooper knocked Cassius Clay to the floor in their famous 1963 fight?

In late April, the OECD (the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) released a report stating that progress in reducing child poverty in the UK has stalled. But how is child poverty measured? And is the official measure the best way to think about it?

And finally: Professor Danny Dorling, a geographer at the University of Sheffield, offers a surprising statistical overview of Britain.

Producer: Richard Knight.


SUN 20:30 Last Word (b010t6jp)
Osama bin Laden, Sir Henry Leach, Sir Henry Cooper, Hubert Schlafly and Arthur Laurents

On Last Word this week:

Face to face with Osama Bin Laden. We talk to three men who met the leader of Al Qaeda.

Admiral Sir Henry Leach, the First Sea Lord who persuaded Margaret Thatcher to send a task force to re-take the Falkland Islands.

Sir Henry Cooper, who had a successful track record as a heavyweight boxer but is best remembered for a fight against Cassius Clay (otherwise known as Muhammad Ali) that he lost.

Hubert Schlafly - the television pioneer who came up with the teleprompter machine.

And Arthur Laurents, playwright and screenwriter whose best known works were the musicals West Side Story and Gypsy.


SUN 21:00 Money Box (b010xykm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:00 on Saturday]


SUN 21:26 Radio 4 Appeal (b010xy30)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:55 today]


SUN 21:30 In Business (b010t7t8)
Keep it Local

As pubs struggle to survive, Peter Day travels through villages in Yorkshire and Cumbria to talk to local activists and find out how easy it is to buy and successfully run one of the focal points for any community - the village pub. He looks at the successes and failures and asks whether sheer enthusiasm and community spirit is enough to win through. Is there an economic case for these sorts of projects or can they only survive through grants and subsidies?


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (b010xy41)
Carolyn Quinn interviews the Liberal Democrat MP and adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister, Norman Lamb. She asks him how relationships between his party and the Conservatives within the coalition will change?

The political editor of the Spectator, James Forsyth, and the Chief Political Correspondent of the Guardian, Nick Watt, discuss the big political stories at Westminster. The topics include planned reforms of the health service in England, the prospect of elections to the House of Lords and Labour's performance in the local elections.

The MPs' panel is made up of Charles Walker, vice chairman of the backbench Conservative 1922 Committee, and Kevin Brennan, Labour shadow education minister.

David Torrance, a Scottish political commentator and biographer of the SNP leader Alex Salmond, explains what he believes Mr Salmond's strategy will be following his victory in the elections to the Scottish Parliament. He says he does not believe there will be an early referendum on Scottish independence.

Programme editor: Terry Dignan.


SUN 22:45 What the Papers Say (b010xykp)
Episode 51

What the Papers Say comes from Edinburgh with Alan Cochrane of The Telegraph, as the papers try to make sense of the nationalist landslide in Scotland and the AV referendum result.


SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (b010t6jr)
In the Film Programme this week Francine Stock talks to the director of Atonement, Joe Wright about his new film, Hanna; the charismatic Christoph Waltz, who stars in Water for Elephants, discusses the craft of screen acting; and the film historian Neil Brand reflects on cinema's ironic use of music. There's also a look back to two cult films released in 1968 - Bob Rafelson's Head and the even rarer Joanna, directed by Mike Sarne, which has just been released on DVD.

Producer: Zahid Warley.


SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b010xy2p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:05 today]



MONDAY 09 MAY 2011

MON 00:00 Midnight News (b010xvtg)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b010t7rz)
The Poor on Poverty and Radical Gardening

Gardening is the epitome of a peaceful pasttime, associated as it is with semi-somnolent suburban weekends, the sound of hedges being carefully clipped and the reassuring aroma of freshly mown grass. The notion of 'radical' gardening implies little more than a concerted attack on the mass of weeds accumulated in an herbaceous border or a garden makeover culminating in a fully decked patio. However, there is a radical history to gardening and it has been the site of protest and counterculture in Britain from the Levellers and the Diggers in the 17th century to today's so-called Guerrilla Gardeners. On today's Thinking Allowed Laurie is joined by George McKay and Tim Jordan to discuss the protest, politics and plots of the garden.
Also on the programme, Tracy Shildrick on her illuminating study of the underprivileged of Teesside and why nobody describes themselves as poor.
Producer: Charlie Taylor.


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b010xy2k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b010xvtj)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b010xvtl)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b010xvtn)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 05:30 News Briefing (b010xvtq)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b010xvvc)
With Dr Mike Ford.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (b010y34t)
This year more oil seed rape will be processed than ever before in the UK. Farmers are producing 2.3 million tonnes of the seeds which can be used in animal feed or turned into oil for food. Meaning more fields of gold across seven hundred thousand acres of the UK.
A world expert on renewable energy says it's impossible for the UK to meet its targets on green energy. By 2020 the Government aims for the UK to produce 15 per cent from renewable sources.
Also in the programme, gay farmers can feel isolated, depressed and some even consider suicide according to a unique church-run service in Cheshire set up to support them. Charlotte Smith finds out why. Presenter; Charlotte Smith. Producer; Angela Frain.


MON 05:57 Weather (b010xvts)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.


MON 06:00 Today (b01105hc)
Including Sports Desk at 6.25am, 7.25am, 8.25am; Weather 6.05am, 6.57am, 7.57am; Thought for the Day 7.48am.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (b010y34w)
Andrew Marr talks to the MP Denis MacShane about the political situation in France. It's 30 years since the election of the country's first socialist president, Francois Mitterrand. The People's Pledge is campaigning for a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, and its founder Ruth Lea argues that it's time to disregard the wishes of Brussels. The Turkish artist Kutlug Ataman explores the spirit of Mesopotamia in his latest works, where his films of water defy national boundaries. And the so-called 'godfather' of the Young British Artists, Michael Craig-Martin, showcases the art of drawing, from his original sketches using tape forty years ago, to the computer-generated drawings of today.
Producer: Katy Hickman.


MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b010xw10)
Lost in Shangri-La: Escape from a Hidden World - A True Story

Episode 1

"Colonel Prossen searched for ways to ease the stress among his staff. On the 13th May 1945 he had arranged the most sought after prize, one certain to boost morale - a trip to Shangri-la. Margaret was at her desk when the invitation came..."

The members of Base G camp in Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, are given time out to fly over this wonderful hidden valley, where time stands still. The only inhabitants are the 'Stone Age' Yali and Dani tribes-people, who populate the jungle swathes. The flight in a plane called 'The Gremlin Special' should be a real eye-opener, but then something goes badly wrong...

1. This tale of a forgotten land is abridged in five
parts by Katrin Williams, and we first learn how the plane
is forced down in empty, verdant nowhere. But are there
any survivors?

Reader Nathan Osgood
Producer Duncan Minshull.


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b010xw4x)
Presented by Jane Garvey. The women who struck out west with the wagon trains in 1840s America - why they endured such hardship, and how their lives were changed. Should schools teach girls to say no to teen sex? We discuss a bill that would give extra sex education lessons, offering information and advice on the benefits of abstinence. Jazz singer and broadcaster Clare Teal performs live. We hear the personal stories of women in Afghanistan gathered by Zarghuna Kargar when she presented Afghan Woman's Hour on the BBC World Service.


MON 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b010xw7w)
Ancient Mysteries

Episode 1

A series of monologues adapted from two books, 'Ancient Mysteries' and 'Tell Mrs Mill her husband is still dead' (compiled, edited and published by David Clegg).

They are adapted from interviews in which dementia sufferers recall their lives. The pieces are funny, sad, moving and mysterious in what they say about the human spirit and mind.

Read by Richard Briers and Anne Reid

Sound Engineer: Tom Jenkins

Produced by Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse
A Down The Line production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 11:00 Gone Today, Hair Tomorrow (b01104bx)
For centuries hair has been used as a symbol of remembrance; from a simple lock kept to the more intricate practice of weaving hair into bracelets or its use in art and jewellery.

Historian and biographer Juliette Barker traces these practices through history and talks to some modern collectors.

Now that it's become apparent that hair offers us the chance to retrieve good quality DNA, could it be about to enjoy a renaissance as favoured medium once more by which we remember our loved ones and ancestors?

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2011.


MON 11:30 Fags, Mags and Bags (b010y376)
Series 4

John Craven's Fjällräven

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 Dave and the boys are busily organising a surprise 50th birthday party for Ramesh, but will Sanjay manage to keep his trap closed long enough without spilling the beans before the big day.

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 up the business over the course of thirty years, and is a firmly entrenched feature of the local area. However, he does apply the "low return" rules of the shop to all other aspects of his life.

He 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 they are 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
Dr Southwell ..... Kevin Eldon
Mrs Begg ..... Marjory Hogarth
Mrs Armstrong ..... Maureen Carr
Lovely Sue ..... Julie Wilson Nimmo
Bra Jeff ..... Steven McNicol

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


MON 12:00 You and Yours (b01104bz)
How much of an appetite is there for eating rabbit farmed in the UK? Can British bunnies compete with foreign imports on quality and price?

And we find out why one Suffolk village get its mail delivered on alternate days only.

Plus, how one American entrepreneur is advising the government on how to get the long-term unemployed back to work.


MON 12:57 Weather (b010xvtv)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 13:00 World at One (b01104c1)
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 (b010y378)
Series 25

Episode 6

(6/13)

Which serious Anglo-Irish composer of the 20th century secretly wrote comic songs and passed them off as the work of a fictional composer called Karel Drofnatsky?

The answer to this, and many other musical teasers, will be supplied by Paul Gambaccini, in the latest heat of Counterpoint, the general knowledge music quiz. For the sixth heat in the 25th anniversary series of the quiz, Paul welcomes competitors to the BBC Radio Theatre in London.

The questions cover all the usual musical bases, from the core classics to jazz, show tunes, film scores, chart favourites and recent releases.

Producer: Paul Bajoria.


MON 14:00 The Archers (b010xwf5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Drama (b010y37b)
Judith Kampfner - Unfinished Business

Judith Kampfner's play about how a quick Internet search can change the lives of two families who never knew of each other's existence.

Based on the actual story of one man's impulse to discover more about his absent father and the fragile friendship he then forms with the man who was perhaps closest to the dad he never knew. The words of the letters they send are taken from the real email correspondence they exchanged. All names have been changed and additional characters invented.

After a family tragedy, fifty-year old Simon decides to discover all he can about the mystery that has haunted him for decades. Neither Simon nor his mother, know anything about the whereabouts of Simon's dad. The last they knew of him was that he was a flamboyant artist in Florence, some time in the 1970s.

A chance search on the Internet leads to an artist in Tucson Arizona. Jeff Rodriguez was once taught by Simon's dad and became his business partner. After some initial suspicion from Jeff, the men exchange messages that are more like old-fashioned letters, revealing more to each other as trust grows between them.
Just when Simon thinks he's learns the truth, new revelations complicate the story.

Meanwhile, his relationship with his only child, his teenage son Owen, is put under increasing strain, as Simon appears to be abandoning his responsibilities in favour of exploring a distant and unreachable past.

Cast:
Simon Sachanah ..... Daniel Gerroll
Owen Sachanah ..... Tom Datnow
Marjorie Robinson ..... Sandra Shipley
Dr Anna Carter ..... Christa Scott-Reed
Jeff Rodriguez ..... Shawn Elliot
Tina Rodriguez ..... Leslie Lyles
Radio Announcer ..... Sydney Beveridge

Technical Direction: Scott Lehrer

Producer/Director: Judith Kampfner
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 15:00 Archive on 4 (b010y1x6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Saturday]


MON 15:45 Russia: The Wild East (b010y396)
Series 1

The Downtrodden Serfs

Over 700 years successive Tsars had extended the grip of Russia on new territory. The Empire needed a huge peasant class to work the land, and out of this need came the underdog of Russian society - 17 million serfs, or, as they were also called, souls. The plight of the serf pricked the conscience of the Russian intelligentsia, and for writers they were a fact of life that in the 19th century became a cause.

As pressure for change mounted, this programme traces the role serfdom has played in the history of Russia. As early as Kievan times in the 11th and 12th centuries, slaves were a valuable commodity. In many ways serfdom had been a relatively benign arrangement between landowner and peasant - and despite the many stories of brutality, the music that emerged is surprisingly joyful. "The inherited willingness to pull together in the face of shared problems helped the nation expand into an empire and defend itself against its enemies," argues Martin Sixsmith. "But it also hindered the development of private property, political freedoms and the law-governed institutions that Western Europe was beginning to take for granted."

In the 19th century serfdom had developed into the worst form of slavery and by the 1850's abolition was under serious discussion in Russia and America. An emerging Russian intelligentsia expressed their own guilt over the horrors of serfdom. But unpicking centuries of class division would have to wait for the 20th century before it erupted.

Historical Consultant: Professor Geoffrey Hosking

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


MON 16:00 The Food Programme (b010xy3g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 Who'd be a Social Worker (b010m3ft)
Episode 2

As four new social workers start their careers in adult services, Simon Cox gets a unique opportunity to follow them and see how well their training has prepared them.

These are the people we rarely hear from. When something goes wrong in social work, it's the directors who appear in the news; the anonymous workers who get lambasted in the press. But we don't hear the social worker's side of the story. Now they get a chance to tell us.

All four graduates have just finished their training at Birmingham University. Jobs are scarce and what they do find is temporary or unqualified. But all are excited about their new careers.

Ali has been invited back to the hospice where she did her training. She gives us a touching insight into the practicalities of dying as she tries to help patients fend off the bailiffs. Others are keen to ensure their treasured possessions go to the right people.

Lucy is working as a mental health recovery worker in a day centre in Norwich. Its users are up in arms about changes to the service, which they say will leave them isolated and suicidal. Just two weeks into the job, Lucy finds herself the focus of blame.

Agency worker, Lara, is 22. Every day she goes out to assess the needs of the elderly to see what help they can get with limited funding available. She meets a woman in her eighties living alone with advanced Alzheimer's. Her son is her only carer and his boundless patience and good humour touch Lara who tries to get them more help.

Tabitha loves her job helping adults with learning disabilities. But so soon after starting there's a round of redundancies and she's on the list. There's nothing going locally. Will she have to leave her young children for a job elsewhere in the country?

Presenter: Simon Cox presents The Report and Click On on Radio 4, and previously fronted The Investigation.
Producer: Deborah Dudgeon
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 17:00 PM (b01104c3)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b010xvtx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (b010y39b)
Series 7

Episode 6

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: Ears, Divorce, Badgers and Ice Cream.

The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith.

Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment for BBC Radio 4.


MON 19:00 The Archers (b010xwdv)
Out in the Lower Loxley grounds, Elizabeth briefs Roy before the next wedding. They discuss other upcoming events and Roy's role. Keen Roy has lots of questions, and resolves to brush up a bit.

David checks on the grassland for Elizabeth. It'll need a good aerating to avoid more decaying vegetation. David kindly sorts out the machine hire for grateful Elizabeth, and even offers to do the job himself. The aerator will be delivered by the end of the week and it will only take a couple of days.

Clarrie's in pain since losing a filling from one of Joe's humbugs. On her way to the dentist, she drops in on Kathy. Clarrie has no plans for her birthday on Thursday, but Kathy has to work. They also discuss Jamie. Kathy feels they may be turning a corner.

Will pops round to see Clarrie and quickly invites her, Eddie and Joe over on Thursday for her birthday meal. They discuss Helen, who Will says is looking really happy and glowing with little Henry. They also discuss Pat and Tony. Will readily agrees when Clarrie says you should always respect your children's choices.


MON 19:15 Front Row (b010xwhh)
Terry Gilliam's The Damnation of Faust

With Kirsty Lang.

Terry Gilliam, of Monty Python fame, is the latest in a series of film directors to be invited to direct for English National Opera. His choice of piece - The Damnation of Faust by Berlioz - is an unconventional work, based on Goethe's Faust, which lies somewhere between opera and oratorio and has long orchestral sections inviting plenty of theatrical interpretation. Critic Andrew Dickson gives his verdict.

In the new film The Way, Emilio Estevez directs his father Martin Sheen, who plays an American in France, recovering the body of his estranged son, who has died whilst travelling "el camino de Santiago" pilgrimage. Kate Saunders is Front Row's reviewer.

Singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier discusses her highly personal latest album, The Foundling, in which she writes about the ongoing pain of being left by her mother at an orphanage shortly after she was born.

How do directors of arts festivals draw in audiences and balance the books at a time of financial constraint? Maria Bota from the Salisbury Festival and William Galinsky from the Norfolk and Norwich Festival discuss how they plan to meet the challenge.

Producer Rebecca Nicholson.


MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b010xw7w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


MON 20:00 Fighting The Power of Pink (b010y39d)
Any parents of a little girl will tell you that they are strangely drawn to the colour pink. But is it in their genes or is it all down to culture? Kat Arney investigates, talking to parents, scientists, and the toy industry. She discovers that while women are more drawn than men to reddish shades of blue, boys and girls don't seem to develop different preferences until they are over the age of two. But long before then, they have very different preferences for toys. So maybe we all just like different colours because we like the things that come in those colours.

Or maybe women really do prefer pink because in the distant past they needed to be able to see red berries against green leaves, while men needed to see brown bison against a blue sky?

Producer Jolyon Jenkins

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.


MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (b010t6lp)
South Africa: Aurora Mine Controversy

In South Africa a mining company whose owners include the grandson of Nelson Mandela and the nephew of President Jacob Zuma has left thousands of its employees without work and, they claim, without pay.

Back in 2009 the company, Aurora Empowerment Systems, bid R605 million (£55 million) to take over two gold mines on the outskirts of Johannesburg, despite having no experience in mining industry. Aurora promised steady jobs, housing and bursaries for miners' children.

The reality has been poverty, despair and even suicide, and mining unions claim the company still owes workers around R12 million in unpaid wages (£1.1 million). Aurora denies this, and says they have paid 80 per cent of the outstanding salaries.

Martin Plaut travels to South Africa and sees first hand the personal despair of the affected mine workers, and learns how the Aurora debacle has created a schism between the ruling ANC party and the working-class black South African voters, who feel the country's political elite no longer care about their plight.

Producer: Richard Fenton-Smith.


MON 21:00 Material World (b010t7qp)
Quentin Cooper presents his weekly digest of science in and behind the headlines. He talks to the scientists who are publishing their research in peer reviewed journals, and he discusses how that research is scrutinised and used by the scientific community, the media and the public. The programme also reflects how science affects our daily lives; from predicting natural disasters to the latest advances in cutting edge science like nanotechnology and stem cell research.


MON 21:30 Start the Week (b010y34w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:58 Weather (b010xvtz)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b01104mx)
The House of Commons debates NHS Reforms. Will they work if GPs are allowed to opt out?

Desperate African refugees die at sea after leaving Libya.

Is Twitter killing off the 'super injunction'?

with Ritula Shah.


MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b010m60f)
The Yacoubian Building

Episode 1

By Alaa Al Aswany. Read by Mido Hamada.

In one of the finest old apartment buildings in Cairo, sixty five year old playboy Zaki Bey has a romantic misadventure...

Once home to the creme de la creme of Egyptian society, The Yacoubian Building is now past its prime. Older residents cling to the faded glories and old-world charm of its past, while newer tenants busily prevent eager arrivals from usurping more space in a building that reflects 70 years of Egypt's social and political upheavals.

Structured as a series of intersecting vignettes, The Yacoubian Building follows Taha, the studious doorman's son; his first love, Busayna, who struggles to support her family; Zaki Bey el Dessouki, an elderly yet elegant lothario; Hatim Rasheed, the homosexual editor of a leading newspaper; rags-to riches millionaire and political aspirant Hagg Azzam; and the wheeler-dealer tailor Malak Khilla, among others, as they conspire, romance, suffer, and dream in the shadow of the historic edifice. Bursting with life, The Yacoubian Building vividly provides a revealing glimpse into contemporary Egypt, where a cosmopolitan past clashes with a tumultuous present.

Alaa Al Aswaney studied to be a dentist and in fact had his first surgery in The Yakoubian building before turning his hand to writing and becoming a worldwide bestselling author. The Yakoubian Building was made into a film in 2006.

He now lives in Chicago but has been commentating on and supporting the call for democracy in Egypt.

Produced by Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 23:00 Word of Mouth (b010t6h8)
We do it at college, at work, and even in pursuit of happiness. But what are the rules of engagement for an interview? Michael Rosen finds out how to get into university; how to keep your job or get a better one, and how to impress the love of your life.

Getting a place at university is more competitive than ever. So just how level is the university playing field? Does the process reward the most intelligent or the most articulate? And are the skills developed for the college interview ones that will come in handy later on....down the pub?

Producer: John Byrne.


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (b010y3b5)
MPs debate the Government's controversial plans for reorganising the health service in England.
Labour attacks the proposal to hand a large part of the health budget to GPs demanding fundamental change to the legislation.
The debate comes as the Royal College of GPs says the Bill risks "unravelling and dismantling" the NHS in England.
The Home Secretary defends the coalition's plan for elected police commissioners, while lawyers give MPs their view of moves to end "libel tourism".
Susan Hulme and team report on today's events in Parliament.



TUESDAY 10 MAY 2011

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b010xvv1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b010xw10)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b010xvv3)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b010xvv5)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b010xvv7)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b010xvv9)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b011073z)
With Dr Mike Ford.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b010xzxf)
As the government considers responses to its consultation on renewable energy, Anna Hill looks at how farmers could cash in on solar power. Farming Today hears from one Herefordshire farmer who expects to generate £75,000 a year from his solar grid.

And as the dry weather continues, Anna Hill travels to Framlingham Mere in Suffolk to see how water voles, otters and other aquatic mammals are coping as water levels fall.

Presenter: Anna Hill. Producer: Melvin Rickarby.


TUE 06:00 Today (b010xzxh)
Including Sports Desk at 6.25am, 7.25am, 8.25am; Weather 6.05am, 6.57am, 7.57am; Yesterday in Parliament 6.45am; Thought for the Day 7.48am.


TUE 09:00 The Jam Generation Takes Power (b010xzxk)
Episode 2

Political columnist Anne McElvoy meets leading figures from the new generation at the top of British politics, including Ed Miliband, George Osborne and Nick Clegg, who grew up in the 1980s listening to bands like The Jam.

In the second programme, she explores how the Blair years saw them begin their careers in politics and what lessons they now draw from that very different political period, in terms of both spin and substance.

Producer: James Cook.


TUE 09:30 The Prime Ministers (b010xzz7)
Series 2

Ramsay MacDonald

Nick Robinson, the BBC Political Editor, continues his series exploring how different prime ministers have used their power, responded to the great challenges of their time and made the job what it is today.

The fifth of Nick's portraits in power is Ramsay MacDonald, who became the first Labour Prime Minister in 1924 but seven years later came to be seen as a traitor by his party when he agreed to lead a Conservative-dominated National Government.

MacDonald's rise to the premiership was a remarkable achievement for someone who began life in the Victorian era as the illegitimate child of a servant girl and a farm labourer. As prime minister and foreign secretary in Labour's first, short-lived government, MacDonald established his party's fitness to govern, despite lacking a majority in parliament. Five years later, he returned to Number 10 when Labour became the largest party but he still lacked an overall majority. His government was overwhelmed by the world economic depression and its orthodox policies were inadequate for tackling mass unemployment. In August 1931, the government sought to restore confidence by cutting its spending, but MacDonald's Cabinet split over proposed cuts in unemployment benefit. MacDonald's Labour colleagues were shocked when he accepted the King's invitation to lead a coalition government. The National Government won a landslide victory later in 1931 and MacDonald remained prime minister until 1935, but he almost destroyed the party that he did so much to build.

Helping Nick to reassess MacDonald are his biographer, David Marquand, and the politician and writer, Roy Hattersley. In the rest of his series, Nick considers Harold Macmillan, Harold Wilson and Edward Heath.

Producer Rob Shepherd.


TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b010xzz9)
Lost in Shangri-La: Escape from a Hidden World - A True Story

Episode 2

"Colonel Prossen searched for ways to ease the stress among his staff. On the 13th May 1945 he had arranged the most sought after prize, one certain to boost morale - a trip to Shangri-la. Margaret was at her desk when the invitation came..."

Members of Base G camp in Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, are given time out to fly over this wonderful hidden valley, where time has stood still. The only inhabitants are the 'Stone Age' Yali and Dani tribes-people who populate the jungle swathes. The flight in a plane called 'Gremlin Special' should be a real eye-opener, but then something goes badly wrong...

2. There are three survivors after The Gremlin Special goes down
in verdant jungle. Margaret, McCollum and Decker struggle making
it up to high land, then find out they are not alone...

Reader Nathan Osgood.


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b0112b61)
Woman's Hour with Jane Garvey.

On today's programme, restorative justice for rape victims; the costume designer of Mad Men; in the Women in Business series: how to do a presentation; and Estonian writer Sofi Oksanen talks about her book 'Purge'.


TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b01121gy)
Ancient Mysteries

Episode 2

A series of monologues adapted from two books, 'Ancient Mysteries' and 'Tell Mrs Mill her husband is still dead' (compiled, edited and published by David Clegg).

They are adapted from interviews in which dementia sufferers recall their lives. The pieces are funny, sad, moving and mysterious in what they say about the human spirit and mind.

Read by Amelia Bullmore and John Woodvine

Sound Engineer: Tom Jenkins

Produced by Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse
A Down The Line production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 11:00 Saving Species (b010xzzc)
Series 2

Episode 3

Saving Species has sent its reporters around the UK to report how wildlife is reacting to this years most unusual spring - high seasonal temperatures, very low rainfall and habitat fires.

Also in the programme - latest reports suggest that the population of Mountain Gorillas in forested central Africa is picking up - but what about the sub-species, Eastern Lowland Gorilla? The Mountain Gorilla became emblematic of the plight of species being shot for body parts - this species was poached for hands and heads, the young orphans sold to the pet trade - And they remain vulnerable to being killed for bush meat. Ian Redmond, one of the pioneering Mountain Gorilla scientists who brought this issue to the world media, returns regularly to the area and says "the conservation effort is meeting the threat" - In the national parks conservation is working. Ian has returned with saving Species recording equipment to report on the plight of Lowland Gorillas whose fortunes are very different. We get the latest.

Also in the programme - the translocation of Desert Tortoises in the Mojave desert. We sent Howard Stableford into the deserts near Las Vagas to report on the re-introductions: 30 year old tortoises liberated into the desert bristling with technology to help both the US Fish & wildlife Service and San Diego Zoo monitor the success of the conservation programme.

Presenter: Brett Westwood
Producer: Mary Colwell
Editor: Julian Hector.


TUE 11:30 The Mystery of Father Brown: Ann Widdecombe Investigates (b010xzzf)
2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of The Innocence of Father Brown. Ann Widdecombe goes on the trail of G.K.Chesterton's crime solving priest whose unlikely methods make him one of the great heroes of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. She talks to fans A.N.Wilson and Simon Brett, and traces the creation of Father Brown to the friendship between Chesterton and Mgr John O'Connor, an Irish Priest who later converted Chesterton to Catholicism.


TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b010xzzh)
On Call You and Yours with Julian Worricker, thousands of disabled people are expected to take part in 'The Hardest Hit' march on Westminster on Wednesday over council cuts and welfare reform. We ask are disabled people more severely affected by the spending cuts and welfare reform than anyone else?

To contribute your views to the programme, email youandyours@bbc.co.uk or call 03700 100 444 (lines open at 10am).


TUE 12:57 Weather (b010xvvh)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 13:00 World at One (b01107xz)
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 The Music Group (b010xzzk)
Series 5

Episode 3

Julian Assange's lawyer, Mark Stephens and the British Museum's Irving Finkel are joined by TV presenter Konnie Huq to discuss three personally significant pieces of music.

Amongst their choices are an inspirational seven minutes of time-wasting Seventies introspection; an 80s club classic from some British soul pioneers and a delicate French love song from an English soprano, which was originally recorded at 78rpm.

Along the way we find out who has played opposite Jude Law in a theatre production, what Arthur Scargill bought in a high end fashion outlet and how a 1950s reel to reel tape recorder can bring love into your life.

The Music Choices are:
Time by Pink Floyd
Back To Life (Back To Reality) by Soul II Soul
Tu N'es Pas Riche from Offenbach's La Parichole sung by Dame Maggie Teyte

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


TUE 14:00 The Archers (b010xwdv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama (b010xzzm)
Katie Hims - Lost Property

The Year My Mother Went Missing

It's 1979, and it's not the first time that Ruthie's mother Queenie has gone missing, but usually she leaves a note. The second in Katie Hims' trilogy of plays.

Cast

Narrator ..... Rosie Cavaliero
Ruthie ..... Shannon Flynn
Vincent ..... Ceallach Spellman
Marcus ..... Elliot Griffiths
Dad ..... Ralph Ineson
Ray ..... Daniel Rabin
Alice ..... Jane Whittenshaw
Queenie ..... Sally Orrock
PC O'Hara ..... Stuart McLoughlin
DI Driscoll ..... Sean Baker

Directed by Jessica Dromgoole

The Year My Mother Went Missing is the second in a trilogy of plays by acclaimed radio dramatist Katie Hims charting one family's tragi-comic history of heartbreak and redemption. The trilogy won the 2011 BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Drama, where Rosie Cavaliero also picked up the Best Actress award.


TUE 15:00 Making History (b010xzzp)
Tom Holland and the team explore recent historical research and follow up listeners' questions and comments.

8,000 years ago a day trip to the Isle of Wight would have been a healthy walk from Lymington to Yarmouth. Today's ferry journey takes passengers over a submerged landscape, flooded by a steady inundation as the ice sheets retreated. Incredibly, marine archaeologists working off the coast of the Isle of Wight have found pieces of wood that were worked by the people who lived in this landscape. Tom Holland takes the ferry to find out more about one of Europe's most important Mesolithic sites.

Following on from last week's assertion by Professor Tom Williamson that lines of Scots Pines in the sandy East Anglian 'Brecks' could be remnants of hedges planted to prevent soil erosion, David Harvey at the University of Exeter discusses similar landscape features in West Country.

He played host to the King but helped a servant ride for the Parliamentarians, how did Thomas Appletree survive the English Civil War? Making History listener Anne Heyman is an ancestor of Appletree and she went to Deddington in Oxfordshire to discover just how families managed to negotiate the politics that split a nation.

Who were the Gepids? A listener's question takes us to Central and Eastern Europe in the third century AD and a race of people who fail to make much of a mark on history because they were at arms' length from Rome.

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


TUE 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00rt9gd)
EM Forster Short Stories

The Story of the Siren

The Story of the Siren is the first in our series of short fiction by EM Forster. It is an unsettling story about a sea nymph and an ill fated young Sicilian. The novelist best known for twentieth century classics including A Passage to India, A Room with a View and Maurice was also a prolific writer of short stories. In them he explored many of the themes central to his novels, including the morals of the middle classes in the early twentieth century, and his fascination with culture and mores of the beguiling South. The reader is Dan Stevens.
Abridged by Richard Hamilton. Produced by Elizabeth Allard.


TUE 15:45 Russia: The Wild East (b010xzzr)
Series 1

The Murder of the Tsar

The cultivation of Russia's great lands depended on the labour of millions of serfs, and they had for hundreds of years been at the very bottom of the social ladder. But, under a new Tsar, it seemed, at last, that their lowly place was going to change. On March the 3rd 1861 Alexander II took a step that many tsars before him had considered taking, but had always drawn back from.

The Manifesto on the Emancipation of the Serfs did something that had petrified previous rulers: it offered freedom to twenty three million Russians who for centuries had been little more than slaves. The liberation of the peasants was the biggest shake-up in Russian society since the time of Peter the Great. It affected nearly every member of the population, placed the whole economic and social structure on a new footing, and created shock waves that would rumble through the nation for decades.

The reform was long overdue. Peasant unrest had been growing since the end of the Napoleonic invasion, turning to violent uprisings during and after the recent military disaster of the Crimean War. The Manifesto is full of pleas for restraint that betray the very real fear of conflict. But as Martin Sixsmith points out, the Emancipation was 'a botched job - too little, too late - it disappointed and angered nearly everyone'.

And in 1881 an extremist revolutionary threw a bomb at the Tsar's carriage with fatal results. "Why," asks Sixsmith "did the man who brought emancipation, peace and the possibility of democracy in Russia end up with his legs blown off, his face shattered, bleeding to death?' The question's all the more poignant because in the minutes before he set off on his last, fatal carriage ride Alexander had just put his signature on a document that could have changed Russia forever.

Historical Consultant: Professor Geoffrey Hosking

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


TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (b010xzzt)
Michael Rosen takes a look at the history and usefulness of the mysterious art of shorthand, with a look at its uses in Ancient Rome, Elizabethan England and the present day. There's a trip to Bath to hear from Sir Isaac Pitman himself, recorded in 1891, and a visit to the University of Sheffield's Journalism department.

Producer Luke Hollands.


TUE 16:30 Great Lives (b010xzzw)
Series 24

Petra Kelly

Matthew Parris presents the biographical series in which his guests choose someone who has inspired their lives. Green MP Caroline Lucas nominates German Green politician Petra Kelly. Kelly was one of the first Green parliamentarians to be elected anywhere in the world. Intense, charismatic and beautiful, she became an international political superstar who rejected the idea of conventional politics. But she fell out with her colleagues and became reliant on her lover, a former German army General turned peace activist, Gert Bastian. Bastian, possibly fearing exposure as a Stasi agent, murdered Kelly and himself in 1992. Joining the discussion is Kelly's biographer and former Green Party activist, Sara Parkin.


TUE 17:00 PM (b01108k4)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b010xvvk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 18:30 Clare in the Community (b00slqvv)
Series 6

Luck of the Irish

Clare is delighted to discover she has an Irish ancestor...

Clare Barker is the self-absorbed social worker who has the right jargon for every problem she comes across, though never a practical solution. But there are plenty of challenges out there for an involved, caring social worker. Or even Clare.

The team at the Family Centre has been shaken around and shuffled about. Clare is now Acting Team Leader, as Irene has job-swapped. And whilst Irene is in Melbourne the team here are joined by Libby – an Aussie and a lezzie, proud to be both, and after Clare’s job.

But it is in the nature of hell to be unchanging, and most of the regulars are present and correct for a further round of frustration, despair, disappointment, team meetings and 11 o’clock cakes at the Sparrowhawk Family Centre.

Clare ... Sally Phillips
Helen ... Liza Tarbuck
Brian ... Alex Lowe
Ray ... Richard Lumsden
Libby ... Sarah Kendall
Ptolemy … Philip Pope
Megan/Na ... Nina Conti

Written by Harry Venning and David Ramsden

Producer: Katie Tyrrell.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2010.


TUE 19:00 The Archers (b010xwdx)
Telling distracted Ed all about Caroline's woes at Grey Gables, Oliver senses something on Ed's mind. Ed confides he's concerned about George staying over with Will for longer than usual recently. Ed wants to make sure that George and Keira get to bond at home. Should he put his foot down? Oliver says Ed should do what's right for his family.

At the Bull, Nic and Shula discuss the upcoming single wicket competition, and Nic mentions her menu planning for Clarrie's birthday dinner. Ed asks Nic for a word. He's concerned about George's routine, and would rather George spend more time at home with Keira. Nic agrees to mention this to Will, who's furious. Put out, Nic explains that Ed has George's best interests at heart. She also reassures Will that George won't feel rejected just because he's not with them so much.

Jill reflects that Meriel will be 10 years old tomorrow. How time flies. Distracted. Elizabeth admits she's worried about the future of the falconry enterprise at Lower Loxley. It's not paying its way. After checking the figures, Elizabeth resolves that despite the project being Nigel's 'baby', the birds will have to go for the sake of the business.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (b01108k6)
Hugh Laurie, Attack the Block, Conrad Shawcross

Not content with being the highest paid television actor in the world, Hugh Laurie has now released his debut album as a musician. Let Them Talk is a disc of New Orleans blues, which he discusses with Mark Lawson.

The new film Attack the Block features a gang of South London hoodies confronting invading aliens. It's Joe Cornish's directorial debut. Gaylene Gould reviews.

Sculptor Conrad Shawcross gives us a tour of his studio, where he is preparing artworks to go on display alongside the mathematical models in the Science Museum in London.

The Trouble with Love and Sex is a BBC Two documentary using real audio recordings from relationship counselling sessions at Relate, but hiding the identities of the people involved through the use of animation. Chris Dunkley reclines on the couch to discuss the pros and cons of using animated characters to tackle intimate topics.

Producer Andrea Kidd.


TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b01121gy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


TUE 20:00 Giving Voice to the Victims (b010xzzy)
Winifred Robinson hears from the victims of crime and finds out what more could be done to help them

In an age of mass-grieving, where flowers are placed by strangers at murder scenes and politicians promise to place victims at the heart of the criminal justice system - how much do we really know or care about the victims of crime? How are they really served by the police, the courts and the ministers who call on them at times of public unease to share crime summits and photocalls?

For the past year Louise Casey the first Victims' and Witnesses' Commissioner for England and Wales has been hearing their stories first hand. A Radio 4's documentary team - reporter Winifred Robinson and producer Sue Mitchell - have been given unique access to these meetings.

Louise is a controversial figure. In past roles advising the government on tackling homelessness and anti social behaviour she told charities to abandon soup runs and said offenders on community service should wear florescent jackets so local communities could see the reparations being made.

As Commissioner for Victims she says they are too often brushed off and ignored by officialdom as public servants and funding swing into action supporting the perpetrators of crime.

Producer: Sue Mitchell.


TUE 20:40 In Touch (b010y3bp)
Is it possible to earn a living as a blind artist? And the latest report on drugs for AMD

Partially-sighted Rachel Gadsden began losing her vision four years ago, yet she says it's only since her eyesight has deteriorated that her career has blossomed. We explore the opportunities for visually impaired artists and ask whether it is possible to earn a living in this field.

Plus we look at the latest report on two drugs used to treat macular disease. A new American study by the National Eye Institute, suggests that Avastin is as effective in halting the loss of sight as Lucentis. Currently in the UK only Lucentis is licensed and approved by NICE for eye treatments. Avastin isn't approved and there are claims that it has potentially dangerous side-effects. Although Avastin cannot be prescribed here, it is available privately and is widely used in many parts of the world.


TUE 21:00 All in the Mind (b010y000)
Ostracism - Anorexia

Why is being ostracised a painful experience? This is one of the questions Professor Kip Williams explores in experiments in his psychology lab at Purdue University, along with measuring aggressive behaviour which ostracism can stir up in someone given the silent treatment. He tells Claudia Hammond that the tools of his trade include a computer game called Cyberball and bottles of hot chilli sauce.

An 'All in the Mind' listener describes her state of mind when she attempted suicide several years ago. She contacted the show after last week's item on bereavement by suicide. She says she was not able to think rationally about the consequences of her actions on her family.

Claudia talks to people involved in a coaching scheme called Expert Carers Helping Others for the parents of people with anorexia. Looking after someone with the eating disorder can be extremely stressful and family emotional turmoil can make the anorexic person's symptoms even worse. To combat this, Professor Janet Treasure of the Maudsley Hospital set up a national skills coaching course where experienced carers of people with anorexia train other parents on how best to help their daughters or sons recover from their eating disorder.

If listeners are interested in joining the ECHO scheme, we advise them to approach the unit where the person with anorexia is being treated to see if that unit is taking part in the project.


TUE 21:30 The Jam Generation Takes Power (b010xzxk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 21:58 Weather (b010xvvm)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b01113s4)
The UN calls for a temporary halt in the fighting in Libya - will NATO agree?

Mixed messages over university places?

Is Australia becoming too expensive to move to?

With Ritula Shah.


TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b010p6cj)
The Yacoubian Building

Episode 2

Written by Alaa Al Aswany. Read by Mido Hamada.

As Zaki Bey's feud with his sister Dawlat escalates he contemplates the mess he's made of his life...

Once home to the creme de la creme of Egyptian society, The Yacoubian Building is now past its prime. Older residents cling to the faded glories and old-world charm of its past, while newer tenants busily prevent eager arrivals from usurping more space in a building that reflects 70 years of Egypt's social and political upheavals.

Structured as a series of intersecting vignettes, The Yacoubian Building follows Taha, the studious doorman's son; his first love, Busayna, who struggles to support her family; Zaki Bey el Dessouki, an elderly yet elegant lothario; Hatim Rasheed, the homosexual editor of a leading newspaper; rags-to riches millionaire and political aspirant Hagg Azzam; and the wheeler-dealer tailor Malak Khilla, among others, as they conspire, romance, suffer, and dream in the shadow of the historic edifice. Bursting with life, The Yacoubian Building vividly provides a revealing glimpse into contemporary Egypt, where a cosmopolitan past clashes with a tumultuous present.

Alaa Al Aswaney studied to be a dentist and in fact had his first surgery in The Yakoubian building before turning his hand to writing and becoming a worldwide bestselling author. The Yakoubian Building was made into a film in 2006.

He now lives in Chicago but has been commentating on and supporting the call for democracy in Egypt.

Produced by Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 23:00 Jon Ronson On (b010y002)
Series 6

The Fine Line Between Good and Bad

Writer and documentary maker Jon Ronson returns for another series of fascinating stories shedding light on the human condition.

Recorded on location in Fremont, New Hampshire, Jon meets the sisters who were part of the girl group from the 1960s 'The Shaggs'. Created by their father, the sisters were home schooled and made to practice every day. Their album, Philosophy of the World was ridiculed and a flop, but remarkably many years later they were re-discovered and hailed as way ahead of their time and a major contribution to music. The other story in this programme is told by Simon Hollis who recalls the time he worked as a designer in Calvin Klein's New York flag ship store and made a major mistake with too many red candles.

Producers: Laura Parfitt and Simon Jacobs
An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (b010y3br)
Sean Curran with the day's top news stories from Westminster.



WEDNESDAY 11 MAY 2011

WED 00:00 Midnight News (b010xvvp)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b010xzz9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b010xvvr)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b010xvvt)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b010xvvw)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 05:30 News Briefing (b010xvvy)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b01114kq)
With Dr Mike Ford.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (b010xvw0)
From the lorry-load of rotten food to the turbines powered by methane - Farming Today tours an Anaerobic digestion plant which turns 65 tonnes of organic waste into electricity every year. Then, did you know the plastic milk bottle in your fridge is made from around 10% recycled material? The dairy industry explains how it hopes to use 50% recycled bottles by 2020. Every year the UK gets through 120 thousand tonnes of plastic milk bottles. Recycling experts say the change could save up to 60 tonnes of carbon emissions. Also in the programme the harvest of dulse, a seaweed eaten in Northern Ireland as a snack. Presenter; Anna HIll. Producer; Angela Frain.


WED 06:00 Today (b01114ks)
Including Sports Desk at 6.25am, 7.25am, 8.25am; Weather 6.05am, 6.57am, 7.57am; Yesterday in Parliament 6.45am; Thought for the Day 7.48am.


WED 09:00 Midweek (b010y0s9)
This week Libby Purves is joined by Jon Cousins, Paul Broda, Suggs and Patsy Rodenburg.

Jon Cousins set up the website 'Moodscope' to help people manage their moods. Through his own personal experience of suffering from depression he used research by an American psychologist to create a site that lets fellow sufferers monitor their own wellbeing through a brief, daily online test. The results produce a "happiness number" that comforts those worried about their own state of mind, and the results can also be e-mailed to concerned friends or relatives.

Paul Broda is a micro-biologist. His memoir 'Scientist Spies', centres on the lives of his mother, father and stepfather, the latter two spies who passed nuclear secrets to the Russians in the 1940s. He also describes how from early childhood his own life was shaped by his family life and influences. 'Scientist Spies - a memoir of my three parents and the Atom Bomb' is published by Matador.

Suggs, real name Graham McPherson, is the singer, actor, broadcaster, but is probably best known as the frontman of the pop/ska band 'Madness'. He is performing his first solo show 'LIVE SUGGS! The Rambunctious Recollections of the Madness Front Man' - a 'stand-up memoir' - as he looks back on his life as he reaches fifty. He's also in the Radio 4 Saturday play Deep Down and Dirty Rock 'n' Roll about two musicians in mid-life meltdown.

Patsy Rodenburg has been Head of Voice at the Guildhall School for the last twenty-six years. She is about to direct Richard III at the school. Recently listed number 15 in the Times' most influential people in theatre list, she is acknowledged as one of the world's leading voice coaches. Richard III is at the Bridewell Theatre, Fleet Street, EC4.


WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b010y0sc)
Lost in Shangri-La: Escape from a Hidden World - A True Story

Episode 3

"Colonel Prossen searched for ways to ease the stress among his staff. On the 13th May 1945 he had arranged the most sought after prize, one certain to boost morale - a trip to Shangri-la. Margaret was at her desk when the invitation came..."

The members of Base G camp in Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, are given time out to fly over this wonderful hidden valley, where time has stood still. The only inhabitants are the 'Stone Age' Yali and Dani tribes-people, who populate the jungle swathes. The flight in a plane called 'Gremlin Special' should be a real eye-opener, but then something goes badly wrong...

3. The survivors spend more time in the company of 'Pete'
and co, witnessing ancient rituals never before revealed to
the world. Then more sky-spirits descend to amaze the
tribes-people..

Reader Nathan Osgood.


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b01114kv)
Presented by Jenni Murray: Town versus country: where's the best place to live? Authors Mavis Cheek and Daisy Waugh debate the issue. We hear about a new art gallery inspired by the sculptor Barbara Hepworth. Are women bearing the brunt of measures aimed at cutting the budget deficit. And Marcia Clark, the prosecutor who took on O J Simpson, talks about her new book.


WED 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b01121n3)
Ancient Mysteries

Episode 3

A series of monologues adapted from two books, 'Ancient Mysteries' and 'Tell Mrs Mill her husband is still dead' (compiled, edited and published by David Clegg).

They are adapted from interviews in which dementia sufferers recall their lives. The pieces are funny, sad, moving and mysterious in what they say about the human spirit and mind.

Read by Felix Dexter, Kathy Burke and Charlie Higson

Sound Engineer: Tom Jenkins

Produced by Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse
A Down The Line production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 11:00 The Wheels of Power (b010y0sf)
Ben Wright speaks to the best-informed people in politics: ministerial car drivers. And he hears some extraordinary behind-the-wheel tales from these previously discreet public servants.

Ministerial car drivers have become almost legendary, appearing as wise Whitehall sages in everything from ministers' memoirs to Yes, Minister! They have never spoken for themselves: until now. In this programme, Ben speaks to former drivers and reveals what the official history of the Government Car Service - long hidden within Whitehall and only released after a Freedom of Information request - contains.

The drivers discuss the dramatic changes to the service over the years, and take us behind closed (car) doors at some of the most memorable moments in modern political history.

Producer: Giles Edwards

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2011.


WED 11:30 Beauty of Britain (b010y0sh)
Series 2

Life in the UK

Series 2 of this Radio 4 comedy follows Beauty's continuing adventures among the cauliflower-cheese eating population as the Featherdown Agency sends her to provide care for those who need it - and occasionally some who don't, but all of whom have relatives with guilty consciences. Beauty sees herself as an inspiration to other African girls hoping to live the dream in Britain. Until she gets the nod from God about which sector of the economy would most benefit from her entrepreneurial skills, Beauty will carry on grating the Extra Mature Cathedral City, running the assisted baths and trying to understand the British character.

The series breaks the embarrassed silence about what happens to us when we get old and start to lose our faculties. Beauty sees Britain at its best, its worst and also sometimes without its clothes on running the wrong way down the M6 with a toy dog shouting 'Come on!'

In this episode, Beauty Oolonga, a Southern African care worker, shares her quirky view of Britain. Beauty's visa to work in the U.K. is about to run out. Will she pass her citizenship test and be granted indefinite leave to remain and will the handsome, mature Ade be her saviour? Last in series.

Beauty ..... Jocelyn Jee Esien
Liz ..... Rita May
Helen ..... Nicola Sanderson
Mrs Gupte ..... Indira Joshi
Anil ..... Paul Sharma
Jodie ..... Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Waiter/Receptionist ..... Christopher Douglas
Ade ..... Paterson Joseph

The music for the series was performed by The West End Gospel Choir.
Written by Christopher Douglas and Nicola Sanderson.
The producer is Tilusha Ghelani.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2011.


WED 12:00 You and Yours (b010y0sk)
Shari Vahl examines new calls for changes to the way people with health conditions whose symptoms can fluctuate daily - such as MS, HIV and Parkinson's - are assessed for benefits.


WED 12:30 Face the Facts (b010y0sm)
Advertising Space

John Waite investigates a businessman who has been selling perimeter advertising at televised rugby league and cricket matches to charities and companies. The problem is they have not got everything they paid for missing match tickets, hospitality that never happened, charity auctions that went AWOL and advertising hoardings that didn't go up. The programme reveals how a well-known sports star has had his name and photo used without his knowledge in a sales pitch to prospective clients and how a 'unique' opportunity sold to one charity has actually been sold to several others.


WED 12:57 Weather (b010xvw2)
The latest weather forecast.


WED 13:00 World at One (b01112fd)
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 (b010y0sp)
Questions about privacy and freedom of the press have dominated the headlines this week. Twitter users allegedly breaking super-injunctions, Max Mosley losing his case for stronger privacy laws in the European Court and a complaint from the Middletons to the PCC have re-ignited the debate about public figures' right to privacy. But is there a real threat to freedom of the press? And are tabloid exposes more about boosting newspaper sales than upholding public morals? Dominic Lawson, Kelvin MacKenzie and Professor Roy Greenslade discuss whether privacy legislation poses a challenge for the media.

Channel 4 releases its annual report today, following suggestions that the broadcaster could be doing better than expected. Media commentator Maggie Brown joins Steve Hewlett, straight from Channel 4's chief executive David Abraham's announcement, to discuss whether this has been a good financial year for Channel 4.


WED 14:00 The Archers (b010xwdx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Father Brown Stories (b010y0sr)
Father Brown - The Secret Garden

By G. K. Chesterton.

Dramatised by Bert Coules.

Paris, 1911. A dinner party given by Aristide Valentin, Chief of the Paris Police, is disturbed by the discovery of a stranger lying murdered within the grounds of his high-walled garden. Who is he? How did he get there? And which of the distinguished guests has committed the gruesome crime?

Time for Father Brown to step forward. Intuitive and unassuming, his unremarkable exterior conceals a profound knowledge of human frailty. Who better than a priest to understand the nature and prevalence of evil?

Directed by Kirsteen Cameron.


WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b01114kx)
If you are lucky enough to be planning a holiday and you're curious about travel money, insurance or your rights when things go wrong, why not call Wednesday's Money Box Live.

Whether you are looking forward to a peaceful break or a round the world adventure, Vincent Duggleby and a team of travel experts 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 (b00rt9gg)
EM Forster Short Stories

The Road from Colonus

Misunderstandings thwart plans for a sojourn in the idyllic Greek countryside in The Road From Colonus, the next in our series of short fiction by EM Forster. The novelist best known for twentieth century classics including A Passage to India, Where Angels Fear to Tread and Howard's End was also a prolific writer of short stories. In them he explored many of the themes central to his novels, including the morals and mores of the middle classes in the early twentieth century, and his fascination with the Mediterranean.
Read by Andrew Sachs. Abridged by Richard Hamilton. Produced by Elizabeth Allard.


WED 15:45 Russia: The Wild East (b010y0st)
Series 1

Seeds of Revolution

In 1881 an assassin's bomb, thrown into the carriage carrying Tsar Alexander II, ended his life with an act of extreme violence. Despite Alexander's good intentions of reform, anger over the power of the ruling class had blazed into the open. The punishment for the assassins was unsparing.

Following on from the assassination, Martin Sixsmith looks at the origins of the revolutionary movement in Russia - and where it would lead. He begins with Camus' description of the execution of Alexander II's assassins in St Petersburg. The perpetrators belonged to the People's Will Movement, which had declared a merciless, bloody war to the death.

Sixsmith looks at the rise of socialism through the writers of the time, such as Chaadayev and Herzen. Their diagnosis of Russia's social and political backwardness crystallized a deep-seated ideological schism. By the 1840s both Westernisers and Orthodox Slavophiles agreed change was needed .... it was just that they had very different ideas of the form it should take, and they missed their chance.

In a few turbulent years, the cautious liberals were swept away by a new generation of angry radicals - Men of the Sixties - "much less squeamish and much readier to use violence to impose their views". Nikolai Chernyshevsky's book What Is To Be Done? published in 1864 determined the future of the whole revolutionary movement. The plot glorifies the 'new men', disgusted by tsarist society and selflessly dedicated to socialist ideals. The love affair of the two principal characters climaxes not in bed, but in the founding of a women's cooperative. Its glorification of 'cold blooded practicality and calculating activity' set the tone for the violence of the coming years and Lenin himself regarded it as a pivotal precursor of Bolshevism.

Historical Consultant: Professor Geoffrey Hosking

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


WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b010y0sx)
Russian Children in Custody - Paranormal Media

Why is modern media teeming with vampires, witches, ghosts and ghouls? Laurie Taylor explores representations of the paranormal. Also, how Russia deals with criminal youngsters.


WED 16:30 All in the Mind (b010y000)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]


WED 17:00 PM (b01114kz)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b010xvw4)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 18:30 Arthur Smith's Balham Bash (b01075pz)
Series 3

Episode 2

Arthur Smith with more music and comedy from his actual flat in Balham, south London.

Jenny Eclair is in the front room, Simon Evans on the landing, John Smallshaw delivers poetry and Alex Wilson and his salsa combo are in the kitchen.

Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2011.


WED 19:00 The Archers (b010xwdz)
Jolene rejects Lilian's crafty plan to keep her in cigarettes. She's determined to quit, especially as Kenton has been so supportive. She speculates on possibly visiting Meriel with Kenton, and shares that Kenton's worried about Elizabeth. Lilian reckons things will improve with Roy working for her.

Lynda offers an olive branch to Lilian, as well as an invitation to drinks at Ambridge Hall. She also gossips about James and Leonie, who are going on an exotic holiday.
Lilian reports to Matt on the work on 3, The Green. She's concerned by Matt's planned shortcut, which he's confident will save money.

At The Bull, Jolene's anxious about Jamie, who's giving Kenton the cold shoulder. Time will tell if he's really starting to grow up, it seems.

Jennifer's thrown that Susan's keen to be involved in the next book group. She's suspicious that Susan's not really into Cranford, but would rather not be left out.
Brian's more concerned about Ruairi, who should be doing better at school and being stretched. He decides to look at a list of prep schools Bridget's preparing. Going over the options, Brian considers boarding schools. He and Jennifer agree they owe it to Ruairi to consider it.


WED 19:15 Front Row (b01114l1)
Elmore Leonard, Tony Robinson and Mark Billingham, Ai Weiwei reviewed

With Mark Lawson, who reports on new British exhibitions of work by the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who was detained by the authorities in China in April. Artist Mark Wallinger and critic Sarah Crompton share their views.

Elmore Leonard, American novelist behind books including Get Shorty (later made in a film starring John Travolta and Gene Hackman) and Rum Punch (later made into the Quentin Tarantino film Jackie Brown) talks about his 10 rules of writing, defining a 'western', and the series Justified, the US drama based on Leonard's creation Raylan Givens.

Tony Robinson and Mark Billingham share their memories of writing and acting in the children's TV series Maid Marian and her Merry Men.

Producer Robyn Read.


WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b01121n3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


WED 20:00 Moral Maze (b010y0t1)
The Future of Privacy

The newspapers are once again full of stories about celebrities and gagging orders as a user on Twitter used their 140 characters to out, wrongly it appears in some cases, people who've taken out super injunctions. There's nothing quite like the sight of the British Press in full blooded hue and cry; It's the combination of beautifully crafted righteous anger and self serving pomposity. For some time now it's been targeted on super-injunctions, where the courts have granted orders banning the publication of embarrassing details mostly about the private lives of a number of celebrities and in a Kafkaesque twist, even banned the reporting of the ban. This, thundered the leader writers, is an outrageous infringement by the courts in the freedom of the press. The orders have been granted because Article 8 of the European Human Rights Act recognises that people have a right to a private and family life. The trouble is article 10 of the same act says that everyone has the right to freedom of expression. What moral calibrations should we make to balance these often conflicting rights? A free press is one of the cornerstones of our democracy and why shouldn't public figures be called to account for their sexual morality - or lack of? And of course sex sells a lot of papers. Is anyone fair game? How many of us lead such blameless lives that we could survive a bunch of hacks rooting around in it? Perhaps we need a privacy law to protected us from a press that hacks in to people's mobile phone messages? But this isn't just about what's in the public interest and what interests the public. Our very notion of what is and isn't private is being transformed as we live and publish more about our lives on social networks. Does the more we connect with other people encourage open-mindedness, or just an environment where any sense of judgment or moral boundary is thrown out of the window? We claim to value privacy highly, yet increasingly behave, especially in our online lives, as though we don't. Where do we draw the line between privacy and the right to know?

Witnesses:
Anna Robbins - Senior Lecturer in theology and Contemporary Culture at London School of Theology
Gavin Millar QC - Specialist in media law and freedom of expression
Max Mosley - Former president of the FIA who has been involved in several high profile cases.
Jeff Jarvis - He is author of 'What would Google do?'

Combative, provocative and engaging debate chaired by David Aaronovitch with Clifford Longley, Kenan Malik, Michael Portillo and Melanie Phillips.


WED 20:45 Four Thought (b010y0t3)
Series 2

Johann Hari: Dying for a New Phone

Writer Johann Hari argues that our demand for gadgets has helped to drive the war in the Congo.

He says it is a resource war, being fought for minerals like coltan, which finds its way into everything from mobile phones to games consoles. He asks why our governments have not taken forceful action to stop the trade.

Producer: Giles Edwards.


WED 21:00 Costing the Earth (b010y0t5)
The Real Avatar

James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver are the latest to wade into the battle to stop the Belo Monte Dam in Brazil but it seems celebrity causes are less likely to win ecological battles than they were 20 years ago and with oil and gas prices spiralling big dams are back on the menu everywhere.

In the 1990s Sting and the Xingu tribal people succeeded in creating enough worldwide protest to stop the Belo Monte dam being put into construction. Since then the World Bank has stepped away from financing big dams, distancing itself from projects which have often caused as many problems as they solve.

One fifth of the world's freshwater is found in the Amazon. The Belo Monte dam will divert a significant amount of the Xingu river flooding 640km including much of the city of Altamira and displacing upwards of 20,000 people. It will cost $17 billion and environmentalists argue that this is only viable because it will lead the way for dams further upstream which could produce far more energy and because the electricity will power aluminium smelters and iron ore mines. They also site the devastating impact on wildlife and migratory fish which are staples for indigenous tribes, a likely increase in malaria from the stagnant water and significant methane release from the river bed as it dries.

The Brazilian government, and many Brazilian people, argue that the dam is absolutely necessary and that this is renewable energy. With one of the world's fastest growing economies they need fuel, and hydro already provides 80% of the country's energy needs. Should privileged Western stars be listened to when they may not fully understand the issues and what is more important to the environment movement, conservation or carbon?


WED 21:30 Midweek (b010y0s9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


WED 21:58 Weather (b010xvw6)
The latest weather forecast.


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b01114l3)
Radio 4's daily evening news and current affairs programme bringing you global news and analysis.


WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b010p7l5)
The Yacoubian Building

Episode 3

Written by Alaa Al Aswany. Read by Mido Hamada.

Newspaper editor Hatim has fallen in love with a young soldier and installed him in a room on the roof of the Yacoubian building.

Once home to the creme de la creme of Egyptian society, The Yacoubian Building is now past its prime. Older residents cling to the faded glories and old-world charm of its past, while newer tenants busily prevent eager arrivals from usurping more space in a building that reflects 70 years of Egypt's social and political upheavals.

Structured as a series of intersecting vignettes, The Yacoubian Building follows Taha, the studious doorman's son; his first love, Busayna, who struggles to support her family; Zaki Bey el Dessouki, an elderly yet elegant lothario; Hatim Rasheed, the homosexual editor of a leading newspaper; rags-to riches millionaire and political aspirant Hagg Azzam; and the wheeler-dealer tailor Malak Khilla, among others, as they conspire, romance, suffer, and dream in the shadow of the historic edifice. Bursting with life, The Yacoubian Building vividly provides a revealing glimpse into contemporary Egypt, where a cosmopolitan past clashes with a tumultuous present.

Alaa Al Aswaney studied to be a dentist and in fact had his first surgery in The Yakoubian building before turning his hand to writing and becoming a worldwide bestselling author. The Yakoubian Building was made into a film in 2006.

He now lives in Chicago but has been commentating on and supporting the call for democracy in Egypt.

Produced by Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b010y0tb)
Susan Hulme with the day's top news stories from Westminster.
Including David Cameron and Ed Miliband's clash at Prime Minister's Questions over the future of England's NHS.



THURSDAY 12 MAY 2011

THU 00:00 Midnight News (b010xvw8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b010y0sc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b010xvwb)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b010xvwd)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b010xvwg)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 05:30 News Briefing (b010xvwj)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b011157c)
With Dr Mike Ford.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (b010xvwl)
Charlotte Smith hears claims that farmland needs legal protection from development to safeguard UK food supplies. 14% of the UK's farmland has been developed over the past 40 years, and Conservative MP Laura Sandys says as sea level rises, and demand for food increases, grade 1 land should not be built on.

130 million gallons of cider is now produced annually, and more than two million new cider apple trees have been planted since 1995. Farming Today visits one cider factory in Herefordshire, where local farmers are trying to meet the increasing demand.

And those people putting a bee box in gardens to help halt the decline in the bumblebee population are wasting their time, according to new research by the University of Stirling. It found that over 90% of these bumblebee homes are just lying empty. Dr John Holland from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust tells Charlotte Smith how planting more wild flowers is a better was to help the 6 endangered species of bumblebee.

Presenter: Charlotte Smith. Producer: Melvin Rickarby.


THU 06:00 Today (b01115dn)
Morning news and current affairs, with Evan Davis and Sarah Montague, including:
07:50 Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith on youth unemployment.
08:10 US Attorney General Eric Holder says Osama Bin Laden was not assassinated.
08:20 Is classic music relevant to young people?


THU 09:00 In Our Time (b010y30m)
The Anatomy of Melancholy

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Robert Burton's masterpiece The Anatomy of Melancholy.In 1621 the priest and scholar Robert Burton published a book quite unlike any other. The Anatomy of Melancholy brings together almost two thousand years of scholarship, from Ancient Greek philosophy to seventeenth-century medicine. Melancholy, a condition believed to be caused by an imbalance of the body's four humours, was characterised by despondency, depression and inactivity. Burton himself suffered from it, and resolved to compile an authoritative work of scholarship on the malady, drawing on all relevant sources.Despite its subject matter the Anatomy is an entertaining work, described by Samuel Johnson as the only book 'that ever took him out of bed two hours sooner than he wished to rise.' It also offers a fascinating insight into seventeenth-century medical theory, and influenced many generations of playwrights and poets.With:Julie SandersProfessor of English Literature and Drama at the University of NottinghamMary Ann LundLecturer in English at the University of LeicesterErin SullivanLecturer and Fellow at the Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham.Producer: Thomas Morris.


THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b010xyhh)
Lost in Shangri-La: Escape from a Hidden World - A True Story

Episode 4

"Colonel Prossen searched for ways to ease the stress among his staff. On the 13th May 1945 he had arranged the most sought after prize, one certain to boost morale - a trip to Shangri-la. Margaret was at her desk when the invitation came..."

The members of Base G camp in Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, are given time out to fly over this wonderful hidden valley, where time has stood still. The only inhabitants are the 'Stone Age' Yali and Dani tribes-people who populate the jungle swathes. The flight in a plane called 'Gremlin Special' should be a real eye-opener, but then something goes badly wrong...

4. Hollywood comes to the Valley as a wobbly
figure with cameras attached falls from the skies
into the long grasses. He's here to film the tribes
of course...

Reader Nathan Osgood.


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b01115hc)
Kate McCann

Kate McCann will talk live to Jenni Murray about how she and her family have coped in the years that have followed the disappearance of her daughter Madeleine. It's four years since Madeleine went missing on a family holiday in Portugal: the case has dropped from the headlines, but Kate is determined to keep her daughter's profile in the news. She'll be talking about her new book - Madeleine - which is being published on Madeleine's 8th birthday.

How much is a girl's character formed by the traditional notions we have of "feminity"? In a new report for the thinktank Demos, Yvonne Roberts considers some of the figures that have been dreamt up in the past and how they've shaped our view of ourselves - from Wonder Woman to our present day celebrities. Are we free to be the people we want to be without a veneer of acceptable feminity? She'll be talking to Jenni with Professor Carrie Paechter, the author of "Being Boys, Being Girls".

Jenni will also be joined by Dr Rachel Graham from Belize who is a finalist in this year's Whitley Gold Awards for conservation leadership. Rachel has dedicated 20 years to protecting Belize's sharks, rays and other ocean giants - a valuable eco-tourism attraction but increasingly at risk from unsustainable fishing by other countries and coastal development.

And singer-songwriter Rumer will be playing live in the studio.

Producer: Dianne McGregor.

ENDS.


THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b01123p4)
Ancient Mysteries

Episode 4

A series of monologues adapted from two books, 'Ancient Mysteries' and 'Tell Mrs Mill her husband is still dead' (compiled, edited and published by David Clegg).

They are adapted from interviews in which dementia sufferers recall their lives. The pieces are funny, sad, moving and mysterious in what they say about the human spirit and mind.

Read by Rosie Cavaliero, Sian Phillips and Amelia Bullmore

Sound Engineer: Tom Jenkins

Produced by Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse
A Down The Line production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b010y30p)
The Pakistan Connection

Following the discovery that Osama Bin Laden was living close to the heart of Pakistan's military establishment in Abbotabad, Owen Bennett-Jones investigates the ties between elements of Pakistan's army, intelligence and government with jihadi and Taleban forces.
Producer: Rebecca Kesby.


THU 11:30 Australian Rap (b010y30r)
Rapping out dreamtime stories: a new outlet for Australian Aboriginal youth.
For years the Australian Aboriginal community have struggled to be heard. But as Mark Rickards discovers, today the youth have found a new voice through music and 'desert rap'.

Speaking to the first rappers to use their own Aboriginal language, Mark Rickards finds that the traditions of dreamtime storytelling have been reinvigorated by rap music. Although the style originated in the USA, Aboriginal youth have adapted it to suit their own needs. It can be used to tell the stories of life in the outback or life in the city, and to represent the often unheard voices of the Aboriginal people.

Mark visits an Aboriginal radio station which has helped bring indigenous rap to a wider audience, and looks at the challenges of getting mainstream recognition.

Today younger rappers are talking about a brighter future for the Aboriginal people, and their music shows hopeful signs for the gradual evolution of Australia itself.


THU 12:00 You and Yours (b010y30t)
Winifred Robinson meets Howard Schultz, the chief executive of the coffee chain Starbucks.

We investigate why subsidies for renewable energy are driving up the price of furniture.

And were you marooned in the snow on a motorway, in a train or at an airport last Christmas? The chair of the Transport Select Committe tells us where travel companies got it wrong and what they should be doing to put it right.


THU 12:57 Weather (b010xvwn)
The latest weather forecast.


THU 13:00 World at One (b011162h)
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 (b010y0t5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:00 The Archers (b010xwdz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama (b00v73zm)
Every Child Matters

The second linked drama dealing with the fall out of the case of Debbie Hurst who was vilified as the most repulsive woman in Britain for allowing her ten year old daughter to dance semi-naked on the internet for paedophiles. It is six months since the case exploded on to the red tops and Joanne was the social worker who took the flak. She feels as though she was hung out to dry and wants to know why.

Joanne.....Sarah Lancashire

David.....George Costigan

Producer Gary Brown

Six months ago, Joanne found herself at the centre of a major scandal. Her client Debbie Hurst was caught exhibiting her ten year old daughter over the internet to paedophiles. Joanne was suspended on full pay, pending a disciplinary tribunal.

But then worse, much worse, her name and identity were leaked to the press and she found herself in tabloid hell. Today, the client is back in court for sentencing. Word has it she'll get at least eight years. Meanwhile, Joanne has been secretly fed information that the client's children are to be fostered out to their grandfather. So despite the injunction that she contact no colleagues whilst suspended, Joanne has persuaded David to meet her in secret.

Sarah Lancashire shot to stardom as Coronation Street's Raquel Watts. Sarah went on to star in such dramas as Clocking Off, Rose and Maloney, and more recently Five Daughters.

George Costigan is best known for the cult movie Rita, Sue And Bob Too. He has also appeared in Shirley Valentine and Calendar Girls, and television shows Doctor Who, A Touch Of Frost, Midsomer Murders and most recently Emmerdale.


THU 15:00 Open Country (b010xvnk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:07 on Saturday]


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b010xy30)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:55 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00rt9gj)
EM Forster Short Stories

The Obelisk

In The Obelisk, the next in our series of short stories by EM Forster, a chance encounter leads an unhappily married couple to find solace in forbidden ways. Throughout his career the novelist best known for some of the twentieth century's best loved novels including A Passage to India, Where Angels Fear to Tread and Howard's End wrote short stories which reveal much about his outlook on life. Many of his stories including The Obelisk were unpublished until after his death because of their homosexual theme and only shown to his circle of friends, among them Christopher Isherwood and T.E. Lawrence.

Read by Ruth Wilson. Abridged by Richard Hamilton. Produced by Elizabeth Allard.


THU 15:45 Russia: The Wild East (b010y30y)
Series 1

Censorship and Suppression

The assassination of Alexander II in March 1881 resulted in sheer panic amongst the ruling elite - revealed in the private correspondence between Konstantin Pobedonostsev, the right wing conservative adviser of the new tsar, and Alexander III.

Within days of ascending the throne, Alexander denounced his father's plans for a quasi-liberal constitution, thus signalling the end of yet another of Russia's brief flirtations with the ideas of liberal democracy and a return to the autocratic rule, which has always been her default position.

In an argument which Martin Sixsmith suggests is as relevant today as it was in 1881, Pobedonostsev contends that the vast size of Russia and its many ethnic minorities mean Western style democracy can never work there. Under his influence, censorship was tightened, the secret police reinforced and thousands of suspected revolutionaries packed off to Siberia. Ethnic tensions were met with a campaign of forced Russification which fostered resentment and sowed the seeds of future conflict in regions like Ukraine, the Caucasus, central Asia and the Baltic Provinces.

Alexander wanted to unify the country by turning a Russian empire into a Russian nation, with a single nationality, a single language, religion and sovereign authority. He had a pathological fear of political opposition and was quick to declare emergency rule, suspend the law and restrict civil liberties. For a while revolutionary activity was driven underground, and to the countryside. But it never went away and it returned with a conviction that if the people were not ready for revolution it must be brought about and imposed on society by a clique of dedicated professionals.

Historical Consultant: Professor Geoffrey Hosking

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


THU 16:00 Open Book (b010xy8c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]


THU 16:30 Material World (b010y310)
Quentin Cooper presents his weekly digest of science in and behind the headlines. He talks to the scientists who are publishing their research in peer reviewed journals, and he discusses how that research is scrutinised and used by the scientific community, the media and the public. The programme also reflects how science affects our daily lives; from predicting natural disasters to the latest advances in cutting edge science like nanotechnology and stem cell research.


THU 17:00 PM (b011162k)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b010xvwq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 18:30 The Simon Day Show (b010y312)
Series 1

Billy Bleach

With no headliner at The Mallard, newcomer Billy Bleach is asked to extend his stand-up set. With Simon Greenall. From May 2011.


THU 19:00 The Archers (b010xwf1)
Elizabeth confides to Roy that they simply can't sustain a home for Jessica and her falcons. She tells Jessica, who's very upset. Elizabeth vows to phone round places that may be able to offer Jessica and her birds a home.

There's better news from the Vineyards Association. Their wines have achieved regional status again. With English Wine Week coming up, Roy suggests they put their heads together to tackle the advertising and marketing. Elizabeth also mentions that Jennifer has been in touch. She asked for advice on boarding schools, enquiring why Elizabeth and Nigel decided not to send their children away.

Will's keen to spoil Clarrie on her birthday, and Nic's also making a cake. Will's grateful to Nic for the help, but Nic's cheeriness during the evening is a bit forced. Clarrie mentions Joe's new found interest in the book club, while George becomes unhappy to have to be returned to Ed and Emma. Will promises they'll have fun on Saturday.

Over drinks, Clarrie becomes sentimental about having children. As Nic moves away from the group, Clarrie comments that Nic's been quiet this evening. But Will says everything's fine.


THU 19:15 Front Row (b011162m)
Documentaries on big and small screens; Wayne McGregor

Molly Dineen, Kevin Macdonald, Sue Bourne and Leo Regan discuss documentary making on film, TV and the internet with Mark Lawson.

Choreographer Wayne McGregor discusses the links between military manoeuvres and ballet and why he doesn't want to see performers marching in formation for the Olympics.

Arts Council England Chief Executive Alan Davey discusses the repercussions of their recent funding decisions.

Producer Robyn Read.


THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b01123p4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


THU 20:00 The Report (b010y314)
African Refugees in Europe

In the aftermath of the conflicts in North Africa a new wave of migrants is heading to Europe, but the 27 member states are divided over how to share the responsibility.

Simon Cox explores the growing dispute and asks whether it could result in changes to the EU's fundamental principle of open borders and how it deals with migration in the future.

Reporter: Simon Cox
Producer: Gail Champion.


THU 20:30 In Business (b010y316)
Watch Your Language

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE
There is no reason why the words used in corporate communications should be pompous and jargon-ridden but that is how it often turns out to be. Peter Day goes into a huddle with a group of enthusiasts determined to improve the way business language works.
Producer: Sandra Kanthal.


THU 21:00 Saving Species (b010xzzc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Tuesday]


THU 21:30 In Our Time (b010y30m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


THU 21:58 Weather (b010xvws)
The latest weather forecast.


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b01115dq)
Radio 4's daily evening news and current affairs programme bringing you global news and analysis.


THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b010p7xt)
The Yacoubian Building

Episode 4

Written by Alaa Al Aswany. Read by Mido Hamada.

The death of Abduh's son spells disaster and tragedy for the love-struck Hatim..

Once home to the creme de la creme of Egyptian society, The Yacoubian Building is now past its prime. Older residents cling to the faded glories and old-world charm of its past, while newer tenants busily prevent eager arrivals from usurping more space in a building that reflects 70 years of Egypt's social and political upheavals.

Structured as a series of intersecting vignettes, The Yacoubian Building follows Taha, the studious doorman's son; his first love, Busayna, who struggles to support her family; Zaki Bey el Dessouki, an elderly yet elegant lothario; Hatim Rasheed, the homosexual editor of a leading newspaper; rags-to riches millionaire and political aspirant Hagg Azzam; and the wheeler-dealer tailor Malak Khilla, among others, as they conspire, romance, suffer, and dream in the shadow of the historic edifice. Bursting with life, The Yacoubian Building vividly provides a revealing glimpse into contemporary Egypt, where a cosmopolitan past clashes with a tumultuous present.

Alaa Al Aswaney studied to be a dentist and in fact had his first surgery in The Yakoubian building before turning his hand to writing and becoming a worldwide bestselling author. The Yakoubian Building was made into a film in 2006.

He now lives in Chicago but has been commentating on and supporting the call for democracy in Egypt.

Produced by Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 23:00 Sparkhill Sound (b010y31b)
By Adil Ray and Anil Gupta

Sparkhill Sound is a local radio station serving... Sparkhill. Sparkhill is a part of Birmingham. Birmingham is a city in the West Midlands. All human life is there. Pakistanis, Indians, Somalians, Iraqis, Irish. Even some English. Sparkhill Sound brings them all together on a radio station that tries - but usually fails - to promote harmony.

Performed by Adil Ray, Felix Dexter, Gary Pillai, Vineeta Rishi.
Produced by Bill Dare

Adil Ray is one of the key voices behind Down the Line - playing Mr Khan and MC Raa. He's the creative force behind this spoof radio station based in an ethnically diverse part of Birmingham, Ray's home town.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b010y32w)
Sean Curran with the day's top news stories from Westminster.



FRIDAY 13 MAY 2011

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b010xvwv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b010xyhh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0111hnj)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0111hnl)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b010xvwx)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b010xvwz)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b010xymy)
With Dr Mike Ford.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b010xvx1)
Scientists have confirmed that farmers in Southern England are experiencing drought conditions. The Climate Change minister Greg Barker tells Charlotte Smith that he wants farmers to be more involved in generating renewable energy and heat, but he admits meeting the UK's target of 15% of energy coming from renewable sources by 2020 will be a very tall order. And, the sounds of the dawn chorus are sweet but a naturalist tells us it's really about sex and violence.

Presenter: Charlotte Smith
Producer: Sarah Swadling.


FRI 06:00 Today (b010xyn0)
Morning news and current affairs with Sarah Montague and Evan Davis, including:
07:50 Some 70 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack on a military academy in Pakistan.
08:10 Is the UK Border Agency fit for purpose?
08:20 Should famous gay men try to be better role models?


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b010xy3d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Sunday]


FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b010xyp3)
Lost in Shangri-La: Escape from a Hidden World - A True Story

Episode 5

"Colonel Prossen searched for ways to ease the stress among his staff. On the 13th May 1945 he had arranged the most sought after prize, one certain to boost morale - a trip to Shangri-la. Margaret was at her desk when the invitation came..."

The members of Base G camp in Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, are given time out to fly over this wonderful hidden valley, where time has stood still. The only inhabitants are the 'Stone Age' Yali and Dani tribes-people, who populate the jungle swathes. The flight in a plane called 'The Gremlin Special' should be a real eye-opener, but then something goes badly wrong...

5. The top brass at Base G hatch an audacious plot to get all
survivors and paratroopers out of the hidden valley. But will
the attempted acrobatics with three aeroplanes ever succeed?

Reader Nathan Osgood.


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b010xyp5)
Presented by Jenni Murray. Super-injunctions - how fair are they to women? How to set up a secret supper club; is boarding school good for children? And Bernadette Ségol - first woman General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation.


FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b010xyqq)
Ancient Mysteries

Episode 5

A series of monologues adapted from two books, 'Ancient Mysteries' and 'Tell Mrs Mill her husband is still dead' (compiled, edited and published by David Clegg).

They are adapted from interviews in which dementia sufferers recall their lives. The pieces are funny, sad, moving and mysterious in what they say about the human spirit and mind.

Read by Paul Whitehouse and Brigit Forsyth

Sound Engineer: Tom Jenkins

Produced by Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse
A Down The Line production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 11:00 Irish Blood English Hearts (b010xyqs)
The Queen is to visit Ireland for the first time on 17th May. She's visited nearly every country on the globe, yet never her nearest neighbour. Even 5 years ago the suggestion of a state visit to Ireland was politically impossible. But the Celtic Tiger brought a new confidence and for the first time Ireland was ready for a meeting as equal allies, rather than as a former colony.

What's fascinating is that up at the level of politics and official ideology, there's always been a nexus of misunderstandings and anxieties about the Anglo Irish relationship. Talk of a state visit provoked one Irish newspaper to say it 'ought to be a matter for mild curiosity or benign indifference. And yet, even now, it touches one of those twitchy, tender nerves that remain inert most of the time'.

But down at the level of real life as it is lived, no two peoples on the face of the planet are closer.

Writer and broadcaster Joseph O Connor knows this first hand. 'The book that reveals most about the relationship between Ireland and England is no novel or history textbook or learned tome, but the telephone directory of any major British city, in which hundreds of people bearing my own surname will be found. The Irish and the English are far more intertwined than they ever acknowledge officially, but privately we all know this to be true.'

In 'Irish Blood English Hearts' Joseph considers the complex cultural relationships between Britain and Ireland. He writes letters to Queen Elizabeth and her great, great grandmother Queen Victoria (who last visited Dublin over 100 years ago) about the land that they will visit and the nature of the reception they can expect.

Producer: Rachel Hooper
A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 11:30 The Gobetweenies (b010xyy8)
Series 1

Sniffing Stevie and the Gym Horse

David Tennant and Sarah Alexander star as the exes determined their marital failures will not get in the way of good parenting.

This week son Tom feels guilty about not wanting to be mates with a boy with a permanent snot bubble. The divorced pair confuse him about the morality of befriending losers. Meanwhile a visit to a tattoo parlour gives Lucy a great idea about getting some attention. Joe finds a new job and a visit to The Wellcome Institute provides Mimi with some useful information about Syphilis.

If it's Wednesday... it must be Holloway...

Cast List:
Joe ..... David Tennant
Mimi ..... Sarah Alexander
Tom ..... Finlay Christie
Lucy ..... Phoebe Abbott
Bobby ..... Stephen Critchlow
Stevie ..... Ben Baker
Ms Smart .... Morwenna Banks
Donald ..... Gordon Kennedy

Writer: Marcella Evaristi

Director: Marilyn Imrie
Producer: Gordon Kennedy
An Absolutely Production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b010xyyb)
The ten million pound fund to protect playing fields in England - but is it enough money to save the many pitches under threat of developers?

How half of rail passengers travelling for leisure are missing out on ticket discounts by not booking in advance.

Whether Ryanair's new ten pound charge to pre-book a seat constitutes a shift in the budget airline's business model.

Why exhibition galleries may opt to limit visitor numbers... and how landscape paintings of this green and pleasant land have shaped our view of the British countryside.

The presenter is Peter White and the producer is Kathryn Takatsuki.


FRI 12:57 Weather (b010xvx3)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 13:00 World at One (b010xyyd)
National and international news, featuring analysis, comment and interviews. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on Twitter: #wato.


FRI 13:30 More or Less (b010xzs5)
In More or Less this week:

Are public sector workers paid 43 per cent more than those in the private sector, as the think tank Policy Exchange claimed this week?

If all over 55-year-olds were given cholesterol and blood pressure-lowering drugs - as researchers recently suggested - how many people would take those drugs unnecessarily?

Jonah Lehrer on the "decline effect", the disturbing finding that many scientific results appear to fade over time.

Kelly Greenhill from Tufts and Harvard universities tries to calculate the civilian death toll in Iraq since the 2003 invasion.

Is modern science too complicated to be left to the scientists? Darrel Ince on a scandal in academia.

And we try to patch things up with poor old Fireman Dibble.

Producer: Richard Knight.


FRI 14:00 The Archers (b010xwf1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Drama (b010xzs7)
Nick Perry - Referee

By Nick Perry.

Geoff is football referee at the top of his profession. But after a controversial game, he's heavily criticised and dropped from the upcoming Cup Final. Geoff's frustration builds and his scruples are soon tested.

Andrew Scott's performance as Walter Koch won the 2011 BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Cast:

Geoff . . . . . Mark Addy
Don . . . . . Ralph Ineson
Koch . . . . . Andrew Scott
Pritchard . . . . . Sean Baker
Lisa . . . . . Denise Gough
Karen . . . . . Sally Orrock
Jamie . . . . . Rielly Newbold
Manager . . . . . Brian Bowles
Players . . . . . Stuart McLoughlin & Daniel Rabin.

Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko.

Studio Managers: Colin Guthrie and Mike Etherden
Editors: Caleb Knightley and Peter Ringrose
Production Co-ordinator: Selina Ream.


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b010xzs9)
Wentworth Castle Gardens

Pippa Greenwood, Bob Flowerdew and Anne Swithinbank answer questions posed at Wentworth Castle Gardens near Barnsley.

Eric Robson delves into the story of local plant-hunter, Reginald Farrer.

Producer: Howard Shannon
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 15:45 Russia: The Wild East (b010y0qs)
Series 1

The Last Tsar

It is the turn of the century and the days of Imperial Russia are numbered. Nicholas II was crowned in May 1896. Nearly 1400 men, women and children were crushed to death in the crowds at his coronation, which was quickly seen as a bad omen. Within a year, disturbances had broken out in Russian universities and the Socialist Revolutionaries were disrupting government by murdering senior government ministers close to the Tsar. Double agents used their privileged position to mount further assassinations.
By the end of 1904, Russia was close to turmoil and a strike at the Putilov Engineering works in St Petersburg spread quickly to other factories. Within a month a hundred thousand workers had downed tools.

Dmitry Shostakovich's eleventh symphony - The Year 1905 - portrays the bloody culmination of the strikes on Sunday the 9th of January, when soldiers opened fire on protesters bringing a petition to the Tsar, leaving more than a hundred dead in the snow.

And trouble at home was soon to coincide with disaster abroad. Aggressive expansionism in the far-east had brought Russia into conflict with Japan, and the catastrophe of Tsushima in which Russia lost eight battleships and four cruisers, with 4000 men dead and 7000 taken prisoner. That and the uprising in Odessa, immortalised in Eisenstein's film Battleship Potemkin, dealt Tsarism an immortal blow from which it would never recover. Suddenly the mighty tsarist system didn't look so mighty after all.

The resulting concessions introduced by the Tsar were seen as an admission of the regime's fragility. As Martin Sixsmith hints, 'It wouldn't take much for the whole edifice to come crashing to the ground.'

Historical Consultant: Professor Geoffrey Hosking

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


FRI 16:00 Last Word (b010y0qv)
Seve Ballesteros, Richard Holmes, Dana Wynter, Enid Seeney and John Walker

Matthew Bannister on

Seve Ballesteros - hailed as Europe's finest golfer - we speak to his former caddy and hear about his overwhelming compulsion to win.

Professor Richard Holmes - the military historian and territorial army brigadier who brought to life great battles on TV. We have a tribute from General Sir Mike Jackson.

Dana Wynter the actress best known for her role in Invasion of the Bodysnatchers

And Enid Seeney, the designer who brought us the iconic 1950s Homemaker pottery.


FRI 16:30 The Film Programme (b010y0qx)
From multiplex to art house - Francine Stock talks to the man behind the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Jerry Bruckheimer and probes him on the reasons for their perennial appeal.

There are interviews too with three of the directors behind this weekend's film releases - Emilio Estevez speaks about his movie The Way, staring his father Martin Sheen; Chad's Mahamat-Saleh Haroun explains why he's thrilled to follow his success with A Screaming Man at last year's Cannes festival with a place on this year's judging panel; and Joe Cornish comes into the studio to talk about his new British film Attack the Block.

Producer: Zahid Warley.


FRI 17:00 PM (b010y0qz)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b010xvx5)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (b010y0r1)
Series 74

Episode 5

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


FRI 19:00 The Archers (b010xwgn)
Ruth and David discuss Pip's dedication to her exams. David's also busy, with the NFU and preparing for a couple of days' work at Lower Loxley. He's optimistic that if the weather holds he can start silaging in a week or so as well.

Shula sympathises with Caroline, who's coping with the damage from the water leak. It's the worst start to her first week without Roy. Oliver's also busy preparing the puppy show, for which Shula agrees to do the catering.

Clarrie's annoyed that Eddie's forgotten to give her a lift back from Bridge Farm, so tells him to get a wriggle on. She's also annoyed by Eddie's drunken performance last night, falling asleep and snoring during the serving of the cake. Clarrie admits that what's really on her mind is Will and Nic. Something's not right there.

Shula and Ruth discuss Pip's new boyfriend Spencer, and also how relaxed David seems. Although Shula's initially concerned by David being away helping Elizabeth at this busy time, she and Ruth agree that he seems happier. Ruth thinks his chat with Alistair must have done him the power of good.


FRI 19:15 Front Row (b010y0r3)
Holburne Museum in Bath; Cannes; Staff Benda Bilili

Lesley Sharp and Suranne Jones play a pair of Manchester detectives in the new ITV1 series Scott and Bailey.
Crime writer Dreda Say Mitchell reviews.

Pop artist Peter Blake officially opens the £11.2 million extension at the Holburne Museum in Bath tomorrow. Kirsty Lang talks to him about his collection A Museum for Myself and hears from architect Eric Parry and museum director Za Sturgis.

Jason Solomons reports from the Cannes Film Festival.

At last year's Cannes festival, the film Benda Bilili received an extended standing ovation. Now out on DVD, it is a documentary about a Congolese band, Staff Benda Bilili, five of whom lost the use of their legs from childhood polio. Their visually striking performances - they sing and play seated in adapted tricycles - have been electrifying music festivals all over the world. Now they're about to begin a UK tour. Front Row talks to bandleader Papa Ricky, and to the Frenchmen film-makers who recorded the group's lives on the streets of Kinshasa, and helped set them on the path to international success.

Producer Robyn Read.


FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b010xyqq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b010y0r5)
St John's College, Cambridge

Jonathan Dimbleby chairs the live topical discussion from St John's College Cambridge, which is celebrating its quincentenary, with panellists including Professsor of History and former St John's student, Peter Hennessy; Labour peer and human rights lawyer, Helena Kennedy; universities and science minister David Willetts; and the writer AN Wilson.

Producer: Victoria Wakely.


FRI 20:50 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b010y0r7)
Series 2

Chimps

They say, David Attenborough reports, that we share more of our genes with chimpanzees than any other species alive today. And this proximity of Homo Sapiens to the chimpanzee motivated Sir David even more to film behaviour never before seen.

It had been known for some time that chimps hunt monkeys for meat, but it would be a first to film it for TV audiences. To film such a hunt required days of waiting and tracking a troop through the Equatorial African forest - and when the hunt came and was over it changed Attenborough's view of chimps and their importance to us, forever.

Written and presented by David Attenborough.

Producer: Julian Hector

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2011.


FRI 21:00 Russia: The Wild East (b010y0r9)
Series 1 Omnibus

Episode 4

Over 700 years successive Tsars had extended the grip of Russia on new territory. The Empire needed a huge peasant class to work the land, and out of this need came the underdog of Russian society - 17 million serfs, or, as they were also called, souls. The plight of the serf pricked the conscience of the Russian intelligentsia, and for writers they were a fact of life that in the 19th century became a cause.

As pressure for change mounted, this programme traces the role serfdom has played in the history of Russia. As early as Kievan times in the 11th and 12th centuries, slaves were a valuable commodity. In many ways serfdom had been a relatively benign arrangement between landowner and peasant - and despite the many stories of brutality, the music that emerged is surprisingly joyful. "The inherited willingness to pull together in the face of shared problems helped the nation expand into an empire and defend itself against its enemies," argues Martin Sixsmith. "But it also hindered the development of private property, political freedoms and the law-governed institutions that Western Europe was beginning to take for granted."

In the 19th century serfdom had developed into the worst form of slavery and by the 1850's abolition was under serious discussion in Russia and America. An emerging Russian intelligentsia expressed their own guilt over the horrors of serfdom. But unpicking centuries of class division would have to wait for the 20th century before it erupted.

Historical Consultant: Professor Geoffrey Hosking

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


FRI 21:58 Weather (b010xvx7)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b010y0rc)
Pakistan reels from an Al Qaeda revenge attack

Allegations that rebel hit squads are executing Gaddafi agents in Benghazi

Can Scotland go it alone ? Is its economy strong enough to carry the burden of independence?

with Robin Lustig in London and Ritula Shah in Edinburgh.


FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b010p7zh)
The Yacoubian Building

Episode 5

Written by Alaa Al Aswany. Read by Mido Hamada.

Taha, son of the doorkeeper, is thrown into the arms of the Islamist Brotherhood after a bitter disappointment...

Once home to the creme de la creme of Egyptian society, The Yacoubian Building is now past its prime. Older residents cling to the faded glories and old-world charm of its past, while newer tenants busily prevent eager arrivals from usurping more space in a building that reflects 70 years of Egypt's social and political upheavals.

Structured as a series of intersecting vignettes, The Yacoubian Building follows Taha, the studious doorman's son; his first love, Busayna, who struggles to support her family; Zaki Bey el Dessouki, an elderly yet elegant lothario; Hatim Rasheed, the homosexual editor of a leading newspaper; rags-to riches millionaire and political aspirant Hagg Azzam; and the wheeler-dealer tailor Malak Khilla, among others, as they conspire, romance, suffer, and dream in the shadow of the historic edifice. Bursting with life, The Yacoubian Building vividly provides a revealing glimpse into contemporary Egypt, where a cosmopolitan past clashes with a tumultuous present.

Alaa Al Aswaney studied to be a dentist and in fact had his first surgery in The Yakoubian building before turning his hand to writing and becoming a worldwide bestselling author. The Yakoubian Building was made into a film in 2006.

He now lives in Chicago but has been commentating on and supporting the call for democracy in Egypt.

Produced by Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b010xzzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]


FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b010y0tl)
Mark D'Arcy reports on the day's top news stories from Westminster.
Tonight: Should St George's Day be a bank holiday?
And what next for Nick Clegg's plans for constitutional change and his proprosals to reform the House of Lords?