SATURDAY 10 DECEMBER 2011

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (b017x3rs)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SAT 00:30 Book of the Week (b018v874)
Simon Garfield - Just My Type

Episode 5

"Just My Type" - a book about fonts by Simon Garfield.

Read by Julian Rhind Tutt

From type on the high street and book covers, to the print in our homes and offices, our world is surrounded by and spelt out by fonts. Little do we realise how our everyday choices are subtly informed and manipulated by these miniature works of art. Simon Garfield explores the history of the font and the people who brought them into being.

The Font in politics. How Barack Obama used a font to win a presidency.

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


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b017x3rv)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b017x3rx)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at 5.20am.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b017x3rz)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (b017x3s1)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b017x78q)
with Revd Canon Stephen Shipley.


SAT 05:45 iPM (b017x78s)
The man who cleaned up the riots is nominated for an iPM New Year's Honour, we find out why people suffer from false memories and Peter Snow reads Your News.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (b017x3s3)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SAT 06:04 Weather (b017x3s5)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (b017x3pn)
Lancashire: Shale Gas

Does the British landscape hold the key to a new and revolutionary form of energy? Jules Hudson is in Lancashire to find out about shale gas, a by-product of shale rock which forms much of the geology of the county's landscape. Using a technique known as 'fracking', which involves using a high pressure combination of water, sand and chemicals, the rock is then fractured in order to release the gas.
For Cuadrilla, the company responsible for the drilling, these are exciting times. But opponents to the process are concerned about the environmental damage this may cause and also about the possibility of earthquakes after drilling was halted earlier this year following two quakes close to Blackpool.
Should we unlock the vast resources of shale gas deep under our landscape? Jules Hudson visits Lancashire to meet the people responsible for the drilling and to find out what is so special about the Bowland Shale.

Presenter: Jules Hudson
Producer: Helen Chetwynd.


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (b0184nl0)
Farming Today This Week

Farming v Forestry: As the Independent Panel of Forestry releases its progress report, Charlotte Smith investigates the future of English woodlands.

Earlier this year, the government announced plans to sell off or lease England's public forest estate, the land currently managed by the Forestry Commission. This caused public outcry, so the idea was shelved and the Independent Panel on Forestry was commissioned to report on the future for England's woodlands and the role of the public forest estate. On Thursday they released an interim report which outlines a future for England's public owned forests, and a need for more woodlands for all parts of the UK.

Charlotte meets farmer Mike Deakin in South Derbyshire who's given up 65 acres of his arable land to create new woodlands. And Sophie Churchill from The National Forest Company explains how forest cover within their remit has more than trebled from 6% to 19% since the 1990s.

The chairman of the Independent Panel of Forestry, the Bishop of Liverpool the Right Reverend James Jones tells Farming Today that the forests initially earmarked for sell-off should remain in public hands.

And while in England forest cover is only 8.6%, in Scotland that figure is nearer to 17%. But the Scottish Government say that isn't enough and have set a target of 25% by 2050 which means planting about twenty five thousand acres of trees every year.

Plus Charlotte visits Thames Chase Community Forest. It was set up 20 years ago and is staffed by volunteers to put trees into an area which had lost them. And Caz Graham looks at wood share schemes in Cumbria, asking if woodlands are an untapped fuel resource.

Presented by Charlotte Smith. Produced by Clare Freeman.


SAT 06:57 Weather (b017x3s7)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 07:00 Today (b0184nl2)
Morning news and current affairs, with John Humphrys and Sarah Montague, featuring:
08:10 Lord Heseltine on the UK's EU treaty 'veto'.
08:30 George Osborne explains his view that the UK will "gain" from being outside a European financial agreement.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (b0184nl4)
Ann Widdecombe, Matt Harvey, John Lennon's housesitter, Amanda Whittle, Chi Chi, Carole Wright, Simon Callow

Richard Coles with politician turned panto star Ann Widdecombe, poet Matt Harvey, one man who lives in the house where John Lennon grew up, and another who cared for celebrity panda Chi Chi, a woman who lost two thirds of her body weight and another who reclaimed the park behind her house for the local teens who wrecked her garden, and the Inheritance Tracks of actor Simon Callow.

Producer: JP Devlin.


SAT 10:00 Excess Baggage (b0184nl6)
Historic walks - Fast and slow trains

John McCarthy takes a look at historic walks in the company of archaeologist Bill Bevan who selects Britain's top prehistoric sites best approached by foot and walks webmaster David Stewart who tells how you can follow ancient pathways all over the country from packhorse routes to corpse roads. John also compares fast and slow trains with journalist Tom Chesshyre maintaining that high speed railways have opened up Europe for passengers and travel editor Michael Kerr favouring a more leisurely approach to rail journeys.

Producer: Harry Parker.


SAT 10:30 The iPod Series (b0184nl8)
Thomas Hardy's iPod

David Owen Norris and guests listen to Thomas Hardy's favourite songs in the house he built for himself - Max Gate, in Dorset. Hardy's playlist is extraordinarily varied; it begins with music his violinist father played, and which he later used in one of the great novels.

We hear Hardy's favourite song as a young man about town, 'How Oft Louis', a song which obsessed him because he was in love with an unobtainable girl called Louisa. There is the now-forgotten opera version of 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles', which Hardy thought was so good that he considered a career as a professional song-writer.

And there is the music he listened to with his friend Lawrence of Arabia, on a wind-up gramophone with a huge horn, the two men spending evenings together in a tiny attic room in Lawrence's house 'Cloud's Hill'.

Guests for this programme are Professor John Mullan, Professor Derek Scott, and Dr Jacqueline Dillion, a Hardy scholar who lives at Max Gate. They listen to the music and discuss what it reveals about Hardy's life.

Presenter David Owen Norris is a broadcaster, composer and concert pianist. He has arranged the songs, which are performed by Thomas Guthrie and jazz singer Gwyneth Herbert.

Producer: Elizabeth Burke
A Loftus Audio production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (b0184p3s)
George Parker of the Financial Times looks at the week's events as they played out in Brussels .
David Cameron came back from the EU summit having vetoed the proposed treaty to enforce fiscal discipline on eurozone countries The safeguards he sought for the financial sector in this country could not be secured. So has he isolated Britain or stood up for its interests, or both?
Sir Graham Watson Leader of the Liberal Democrat group of MEPs and Nadhim Zahawi one of the 2010 intake of Conservative with sceptical views on Europe,consider how well he played his hand.

We rarely hear from the Eurocrats who manage the details of EU agreements. Jonathan Faull has been in Brussels since 1978 and is now Director General of the Internal Market and Services. He tells us how he sees his role in the European Commission.

Can we afford to invest in new green technologies in an age of austerity? Conservative MP David Ruffley thinks the government should be pragmatic on the issue, while Liberal Democrat Julian Huppert says we must invest to avoid soaring energy costs in the years to come.

The prospect of low growth for the foreseeable future will make it difficult for political parties to promise improved living standards when it comes to fighting the next election. The historian Lord Hennessy and Paul Richards of the Blairite pressure group Progress, ask if the language of politics will have to change.

The editor is Marie Jessel.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (b0183dzj)
'A political system which had considered itself as solid as rock has started to show cracks.' Steve Rosenberg's in Moscow on a weekend where more demonstrations are planned. The Americans are preparing for their withdrawal from Iraq and Gabriel Gatehouse has been considering what exactly's been achieved during their nine years there. There's a view from Hungary where Nick Thorpe's been looking at how the country's affected by the crisis in the Eurozone. It's forty years since Bangladesh came into being and Mark Tully, who remembers the long struggle which preceded its birth, wonders if too much celebration of that anniversary will lead to further bitterness. And Linda Pressley's in eastern Cuba climbing mountains and asking awkward questions about the love life of Fidel Castro.


SAT 12:00 Money Box (b0183dzl)
On Money Box with Paul Lewis:

Anyone hiring a car can find themselves having to pay a hefty deposit. But what happens if you return the vehicle as promised, undamaged and no money is refunded? Money Box has been contacted by two listeners who found themselves in this position with the same company. One has had to wait six months in order to get £900 returned to her. Bob Howard reports and Money Box speaks to Maurice Goodwin, director of St Leonard's based firm Car-Hire-UK.com and Rochelle Turner from Which?

HSBC has been fined £10.5 million for mis-selling long term investments to 2,485 people with an average age of 83 by one of its subsidiaries, NHFA. Compensation will cost the bank another £29.3 million. Those customers affected are those who invested in asset-backed products, typically investment bonds to fund long-term care, between 2005- 2010. HSBC has said it will also consider claims by NHFA customers who bought investment bonds from NHFA before 2005. Gill Cardy, from the IFA Centre and Tracey McDermott from the City watchdog, the FSA, join the programme.

Last week the programme looked at the large charges being made by banks when their customers exceed their overdraft limits by small amounts. Our research showed that the cost of borrowing £100 from banks without permission could cost as much as £100 in charges.The APR's - or annual percentage rates - run into several hundred thousand percent. Ben Carter has a further report. And the minister for consumer affairs, Ed Davey, speaks to the programme.

A new investment fund is being launched in January with what it claims is a zero per cent management fee. The fund only earns money from investors if it grows faster than an index of 1600 shares in an index called MSCI World TR. If it beats that index then the managers get a fifth of the gains and the investor keeps four fifths. Although it claims the fee is 0% fee there is an adminstrative charge of 0.25% that goes to a separate company. The man behind the fund is Nigel Legge who speaks to the programme.


SAT 12:30 The Now Show (b017x76w)
Series 35

Episode 5

Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are joined by David Quantick, Paul Sinha, Laura Shavin and Mitch Benn to mine comedy nuggets from this week's news.

Producer: Katie Tyrrell.


SAT 12:57 Weather (b017x3s9)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 13:00 News (b017x3sc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (b017x772)
Dudley

Jonathan Dimbleby presents a panel discussion of news and politics from High Arcal School, Sedgley, Dudley, West Midlands, with Secretary of State for Defence, Philip Hammond; Shadow Minister for Crime Prevention, Gloria de Piero; former Chief Constable and now vice-chairman of restorative justice charity, Why Me?, Sir Charles Pollard; and Daily Telegraph columnist, Mary Riddell.

Producer: Victoria Wakely.


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (b0183dzn)
Your chance to call Jonathan Dimbleby on 03700 100 444 or email any.answers@bbc.co.uk or tweet using #bbcaq on last night's topics including: Cameron's decision to Veto EU treaty, Changing attitudes to the jobless, Should we means test free bus passes and TV licenses for the over 60s and are mandatory life sentences always just?


SAT 14:30 Saturday Drama (b0183dzq)
Penelope Fitzgerald - The Gate of Angels

by Penelope Fitgerald, dramatised by Yvonne Antrobus

Penelope Fitzgerald's 1990 novel, set in Edwardian London and Cambridge, exploring love, religion, physics and the random nature of chance.


SAT 15:30 Ken Clarke's Jazz Greats (b017wy71)
Series 9

Clifford Brown

In the last programme of the current series, Ken Clarke and his guest Abram Wilson discuss the life and music of the 1950s trumpeter Clifford Brown.
Given a trumpet by his father at the age of 15, Clifford's natural talent was immediately apparent. After only a few years of practising the instrument he was playing gigs with artists such as Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham and Fats Navarro. By 22 he already had an original style and the quintet he went on to form with Max Roach is regarded as one of the best of the 1950s.
Sadly his professional career was bookended by two horrific car crashes. The first was nearly ended his life and left him in hospital for a year. And only five years later he was involved in a second accident, but this time he was tragically killed. But, as Ken and Abram explain, in the short time he was playing and recording he did enough to put him up there with the all time Jazz Greats.

Abram Wilson is an award winning New Orleans trumpeter and vocalist based in the UK.


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (b0183gl9)
Sue Lawley, Mary Berry and music from Lotte Mullan

Highlights from the Woman's Hour week. Presented by Jane Garvey.


SAT 17:00 PM (b0183glc)
Saturday PM

Ritula Shah presents a fresh perspective on the day's news with sports headlines.


SAT 17:30 iPM (b017x78s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:45 today]


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b017x3sf)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 17:57 Weather (b017x3sh)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b017x3sk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (b0183glf)
The Flying Circus is in town! Always looking on the bright side of life, Monty Python legend Eric Idle will be talking to Clive about 'Spamalot', which he lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'. Since the show began, there have been 7 onstage moustache incidents, 36 coconuts and 1 outbreak of nits! Spamalot begins touring at The Theatre Royal, Brighton from 15th December

Former Billingsgate fish porter and comedian Micky Flanagan recalls his working class upbringing where alphabetti spaghetti was a luxury in his DVD 'Micky Flanagan Live: The Out Out Tour'.

Ground floor perfumery, stationery and leather goods, wigs and haberdashery, kitchenware and food...going up! Emma Freud is being served by comedy writer Jeremy Lloyd, AKA Captain Beaky, co-writer of such classic sitcoms as 'Are You Being Served? and 'Allo Allo'. Jeremy will be talking about 'The Wonderful World of Captain Beaky' at London's Royal Albert Hall on 11th December in aid of UNICEF

The extremely colourful British fashion icon Zandra Rhodes talks to Clive about her book 'Zandra Rhodes: Textile Revolution', which tracks the first decade of her career, with never before seen reproductions of designs from her RCA sketchbooks and portfolios.

Smoove and Turrell have a new album out called 'Eccentric Audio'. We hear the acoustic version of their latest single 'Gabriel' with John Turrell on vocals and Dave Wilde on piano.

'Doom Soul' songstress Cold Specks performs her debut single 'Holland', ahead of her UK tour in February 2012.

Producer: Cathie Mahoney.


SAT 19:00 Profile (b0183glh)
Newt Gingrich

Samira Ahmed profiles Newt Gingrich, the American former Speaker of the House who is now a leading contender for the Republican nomination to run against Barack Obama in next year's US presidential election.

Earlier this year he was largely written off as a presidential contender when many of his staff left his campaign. But now he has made a dramatic comeback.

In the 1990s he was one of the Republicans who led the impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton for perjury over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Yet at the same time Mr Gingrich was engaged in his own extra-marital affair with the woman who became his third wife.

Samira Ahmed talks to people who have known and worked with Newt Gingrich throughout his career. She hears of similarities between Gingrich and Clinton: both had difficult relationships with their step-fathers, dominating mothers, and both wanted to be transformational figures. But Gingrich appears to lack Clinton's personal charm.

Gingrich is both attacked and admired as an ideological politician, although some say he is driven by pragmatism and has an acute sense of what will play well with his supporters.

With a controversial past - he was fined $300,000 for ethics breaches in Congress - how has he turned things round?

Who is the real Newt Gingrich, and would he make a good president?

Producers:
Ben Crighton and Arlene Gregorius.


SAT 19:15 Saturday Review (b0183glk)
Tom Sutcliffe and his guests review the week's cultural highlights including The Ladykillers, starring Peter Capaldi at the Gielgud Theatre in London

Producer: Torquil MacLeod.


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (b0183glm)
Ted Hughes: Memorial Tones

On the 6th December a memorial stone to the poet Ted Hughes will be unveiled in poet's corner at Westminster Abbey. To mark the occasion Melvyn Bragg presents a special edition of Archive on 4. With poets, writers and those who knew him well, Melvyn will look back over Ted Hughes' life and work to fashion a memorial in sound to accompany that of stone.

The programme will centre on the many facets of Hughes' own voice; not only reading and discussing his work but in his many radio talks and his advocacy of other poets. It will make a critical appreciation of Hughes work; from his first poetry collection, A Hawk in the Rain, in 1957 to his last, Birthday Letters, in 1998.

But Melvyn will also speak to those who saw at first hand a life touched by both great success and searing tragedy.

Producer: James Cook.


SAT 21:00 Classic Serial (b017vk97)
Stefan Zweig - Beware of Pity

Episode 2

By Stefan Zweig. Dramatised for radio by Stephen Wyatt.

What had seemed to Hofmiller to be merely a social blunder has had unforeseen consequences and he's now embarked on a most perilous course of deception.

Stefan Zweig is a remarkable writer who had a remarkable life, but is not nearly as well known as he deserves to be, as Simon Gray discovered when he was attracted by the cover of his only novel, Beware of Pity.

Simon Gray took the book on holiday with him and used it as an escape from worrying about his cancer and the likely prognosis, "it being too good to read except with the closest attention" and he became immersed in the story of "a young man betrayed by his own unwonted impulses, his own nature........ it's the way that the novel single-mindedly, almost obsessively, illustrates and analyses the destructive power of a single emotion -if that's what pity is - that makes it unique, at least in my experience."

Simon Gray embarked on a dramatisation of the book for Radio 4, but it was unfinished at his death in 2008. Another writer, Clare McIntyre, was also attracted by the story and wrote a stage version, but she too died before it was completed. Stephen Wyatt has taken on the task of writing a two part radio version based on Clare McIntyre's material, which will be broadcast on Radio 4 on 27 November and 4 December, with a cast that includes Piers Wehner, Bryony Hannah, Ronald Pickup, Jasper Britton & Michael Jayston.

Cast:
Anton Hofmiller ..... Piers Wehner
Edith ...... Bryony Hannah
Kekesfalva ....... Ronald Pickup
Dr Condor ..... Jasper Britton
Colonel/ Josef ...... Michael Jayston
Ilona ..... Mabel Clements
Ferencz ..... Jack Chedburn

Director: Jane Morgan
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 22:00 News and Weather (b017x3sm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.


SAT 22:15 Moral Maze (b017x0w0)
NHS patient data

The government has announced new plans to open up the NHS to the life-science industry. The Prime Minister said the health service should be working hand in glove with the industry and that could involve the sharing of the huge wealth of patient data held by the NHS. The idea is said to be win-win; supporting the industry, which is one of the most important in the UK worth £50bn a year and employing 160,000 people and at the same time will get new drugs in to NHS hospitals more quickly. But at what cost to our privacy? Drugs companies already have a certain amount of access to anonymised patient data held by hospitals, but the proposals would widen this to included GP records. Names would still be withheld, but critics argue that data such as postcodes could still be accessed making links to individuals easy to make. We are open with our doctors because we're confident that our privacy will be protected, but with high profile data breaches from organisations such as banks, local authorities and various government departments, are we really happy having such sensitive material, including things like lifestyles, shared? And what about the issues of informed consent? Should drug companies be allowed to use the data in fields that some people might find morally objectionable - for example in foetal stem cell research? Is it our duty to share this information freely, not only for the potential benefit of our nearest and dearest, but also all of human kind? Or is this a commercial Trojan Horse being driven right in to the heart of the NHS for the benefit of the multi-billion pound drug industry and its shareholders?

Witnesses: Professor John Harris -University of Manchester, Medical Ethicist, Sir Mark Walport -Director, Welcome Trust, Nick Pickles -Director, Big Brother Watch, Rebecca Wood -Chief Executive, Alzheimer's Research UK.

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


SAT 23:00 Brain of Britain (b017vp96)
(4/17)
Russell Davies chairs the latest heat in the contest to become the 59th Brain of Britain. The competitors tackling the age-old general knowledge quiz this week are from Scotland and North-West England. As always, there's also a chance for a Brain of Britain listener to 'beat the brains' with teasing questions of his or her own.

Producer: Paul Bajoria.


SAT 23:30 The Poetry of Aran (b017vk9c)
For centuries The Aran Islands, three limestone rocks of the west coast of Ireland, have been an inspiration to writers, artists and intellectuals, in search of an authentic Irish experience.

As the future of the Irish language in Ireland is far from secure, award-winning poet Daljit Nagra visits the islands where Irish is still the first language, and explores their rich poetic heritage.

He speaks to the poet Seamus Heaney about why he wrote three poems about the Aran Islands in his first collection and Heaney reads some poetry in Irish for the first time around 40 years; Daljit also visits the cottage where Anglo-Irish playwright John Millington Synge wrote his influential journal of island life - a mouthpiece for the Gaelic-seeking spirit of the Irish literary revival.

We also hear from a local poet who continues the tradition of oral poetry on the islands; and explore the life of one of the key modern, Irish language poets, Martin O Direain, who took his inspiration from his birthplace on Aran.

Producer: Jo Wheeler
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4.



SUNDAY 11 DECEMBER 2011

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (b0183crx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SUN 00:30 Afternoon Reading (b012438r)
The British at Table

Episode 1

By Christopher Driver.

Christopher Driver's eloquent and passionate insights into British attitudes to food.

Christopher Driver was a passionate writer, broadcaster, second-hand bookshop owner, conscientious objector and controversial hand-picked successor to Raymond Postgate as editor of The Good Food Guide through the 1970s. His descriptions of our changing attitudes towards what we allowed to grace our plates between the end of rationing and the affluent 1980s, and caustically witty observations of the marvels of British catering (such as the waitress who uncorked the wine with her teeth), made both informative and amusing reading. It is, as he said, "a book about the way we eat now in the light of the way we used to eat within middle-aged-memory. It is about ourselves as shoppers, cultivators, cooks and consumers."

Driver saw the shape of food to come thirty years before the rest of us and his accuracy is extraordinary: "The march of regulation and technology means that to obtain good bacon it will be once again necessary to kill and cure your own pig, as in the eighteenth-century. Progress takes odd forms."

It is sixty years since Postgate (known as "Public Stomach Number One" after founding his "Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Food") first published the Good Food Guide. Here is an opportunity to enjoy part of its history in the words of its most eloquent editor, revealing everything from the lost world of whale steaks, coypu vindaloo and sweet and sour barracuda, to the language of food description that embraces such evocative phrases as "the flavour of unploughed fields" and "the texture of compressed string."

Read by: Tony Gardner
Abridged by: Neil Cargill

Producer: Neil Cargill
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0183crz)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0183cs1)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0183cs3)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (b0183cs5)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (b0183h35)
The bells from the church of St Mary the Virgin, Hanbury in Worcestershire.


SUN 05:45 Profile (b0183glh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 News Headlines (b0183cs7)
The latest national and international news.


SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b0183h37)
99 Words - Episode 1

When Liz Gray found herself limited, forced into a strange period of enforced retreat by a whiplash injury the following question came to her mind: if you had breath for no more than 99 words, what would they be?

She began asking friends, colleagues, artists and political figures she admired, gathering together a collection of 99 responses.

In the first of a pair of programmes, she describes the genesis of her '99 Words' project and introduces contributions from, among others, Jeanette Winterson, Robert Wyatt, Scilla Elworthy and Diana Athill.

Produced by Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (b0183h39)
Charlotte Smith looks at the British veal industry. There was a time when many male dairy calves would be shot or exported to veal systems which would be illegal in the UK. But in this country some calves are now being raised for Rosé Veal, which farmers describe as new-era, high welfare meat.

Over 100 thousand calves enter the food chain in the UK each year, but veal is still a small market in this country. It hasn't yet become a large part of our food culture. After years of pressure from protesters, the UK was ahead of the EU in banning veal crates, which became illegal across Europe in 2006, but continental systems still allow animals to be fed only milk, a restricted diet which keeps their iron levels low and produces a white meat. This is illegal in the UK, and On Your Farm visits a farm near Daventry to see the conditions used in modern British veal production.

Producer: Melvin Rickarby Presenter: Charlotte Smith.


SUN 06:57 Weather (b0183cs9)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (b0183csc)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (b0183h3c)
Samira Ahmed with the religious and ethical news of the week. Moral arguments and perspectives on stories familiar and unfamiliar.

The Chief Rabbi will have a historic meeting with Pope Benedict in the Vatican on Monday. Samira speaks to Ed Kessler from the Woolf Institute at Cambridge who is coordinating the trip.

On Sunday parliamentary elections will be held in the Ivory Coast. Babatope Akinwande from British NGO Tearfund has just returned from the capital Abidjan and tells how the country is recovering after the recent civil war.

In Morocco, imams have been holding protest demonstrations against King Mohamed the Sixth. The King, who holds the title of Commander-of-the-Faithful, has long been able to take the support of the country's religious employees for granted. Now, the government is facing calls to loosen tight controls on preaching. Its response so far has been to dismiss some of the leading dissenters from their jobs. John Laurenson reports.

The Bishop of Bolton the Rt Rev Chris Edmondson will be bringing in some chocolate which will carry cards telling the story of the nativity. A recent report said that 8 out of 10 people think that celebrating the birth of Christ is still an important part of Christmas, but is the real Christmas message alive and well?

The Committee that will select Britain's next Chief Rabbi meets for the first time this week. However some in the Jewish community are questioning whether the office is still needed. Samira talks to our religious affairs correspondent Robert Piggott.

As the Durban Climate Change Conference ends we talk to South African Bishop Geoff Davies who earlier in the week compared rich countries behaviour at the talks with apartheid, saying wealthy nations were trying to keep power and wealth for themselves.

This week the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton criticised African countries that discriminate against homosexuals and said America will take this into account when deciding on the future provision of aid. Kevin Bocquet examines the hard line stance the US, and UK is now taking, and asks whether this will be enough to force a u-turn by the African governments, and churches who are so vigorously promoting it.

The latest British Social Attitudes report is out. This year, the headline theme is selfish individualism. Julian Baggini and Jamie Whyte debate the luxury of being selfish.

Series Producer: Amanda Hancox.


SUN 07:55 Radio 4 Appeal (b0183h3f)
Haven Distribution

Erwin James presents the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity Haven Distribution, which provides books for prisoners.
Reg Charity: 1089868
To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal, mark the back of the envelope Haven Distribution
- Give Online www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/appeal.


SUN 07:57 Weather (b0183csh)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (b0183csk)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (b0183p63)
Advent 3: Longing for Unity

A service from St Peter's Church, Peterston Super Ely in the Vale of Glamorgan, led by the Reverend Rachel Lewis, with Camerata directed by Andrew Wilson-Dickson.
Preacher: Rev Edwin Counsell, Education Officer for the Church in Wales. Organist: John Cheer.
Producer: Sian Baker

As Christmas approached, worship in the early centuries of the Christian church would direct thoughts towards the coming of Christ: looking back to his birth and forward to his return at the end of time. Lines inspired by scripture would be sung as a reminder of these events and humanity's continual longing for the kingdom of God. This week's service looks at the desire for unity in a diverse world

O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.


SUN 08:50 A Point of View (b017x776)
Beware the Experts

The historian Lisa Jardine recalls CP Snow for lessons on the dangers of leaving political decisions to technocrats and experts and calls for better informed debate by politicians and public alike in the fields of science and economics.

Producer: Sheila Cook.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (b0183p65)
Paddy O'Connell with news and conversation about the big stories of the week.


SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (b0183p67)
For detailed synopsis, see daily episodes

Written by ..... Adrian Flynn
Directed by ..... Julie Beckett
Editor ..... Vanessa Whitburn

Jill Archer ..... Patricia Greene
Shula Hebden Lloyd ..... Judy Bennett
David Archer ..... Timothy Bentinck
Josh Archer ..... Cian Cheesbrough
Elizabeth Pargetter ..... Alison Dowling
Tony Archer ..... Colin Skipp
Pat Archer ..... Patricia Gallimore
Helen Archer ..... Louiza Patikas
Tom Archer ..... Tom Graham
Christine Barford ..... Lesley Saweard
Kathy Perks ..... Hedli Niklaus
Joe Grundy ..... Edward Kelsey
Eddie Grundy ..... Trevor Harrison
William Grundy ..... Philip Molloy
Nic Hanson ..... Becky Wright
Neil Carter ..... Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter ..... Charlotte Martin
Vicky Tucker ..... Rachel Atkins
Robert Snell ..... Graham Blockey
Lynda Snell ..... Carole Boyd
Jim Lloyd ..... John Rowe
Sharon ..... Celia Nelson.


SUN 11:15 Desert Island Discs (b0183p69)
Eve Pollard

Kirsty Young's castaway is the journalist and former editor Eve Pollard.

She was groomed for success by Rupert Murdoch, but made an editor by Robert Maxwell. Her career has spanned glossy magazines and tabloid journalism, breakfast television, biographies and novels. When she first worked on Fleet Street, she says, women were such a rarity that the male reporters didn't know what to make of her. "Any woman who has a high flying job, they don't know who to compare you to - you're not their mum, you're not their sister, you're not their wife - so they make you a sort of monster-nanny figure."

Producer: Leanne Buckle.


SUN 12:00 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (b017vsjf)
Series 56

Episode 4

The nation's favourite wireless entertainment with a second show from Sage Gateshead. Regulars Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor are joined on the panel by Marcus Brigstocke with Jack Dee in the chair. Colin Sell attempts piano accompaniment. Producer - Jon Naismith.


SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (b0183p6c)
The Price of Food

Dan Saladino exlores how higher food prices are changing what we buy and how we eat. From increases in food related crime to shortages of ingredients, what else is in store?


SUN 12:57 Weather (b0183csm)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (b0183p6f)
Shaun Ley presents the latest national and international news, with an in-depth look at events around the world. Email: wato@bbc.co.uk; twitter: #theworldthisweekend.


SUN 13:30 The Blood Telegram (b0183r3l)
In 1971 U.S. diplomat Archer K. Blood took a heroic stand against Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger. Blood was the U.S consul general to East Pakistan - now the independent nation of Bangladesh. Blood and his team were witnesses to a brutal military crackdown and asked for the U.S to denounce the atrocities on humanitarian grounds, but the Nixon team remained silent. Finally Blood's team sent a dissent telegram accusing the government of being "morally bankrupt". The 'Blood Telegram' marked the first time a whole U.S mission had dissented from their own government.

On the fortieth anniversary of the birth of Bangladesh Jonny Dymond unravels Blood's story to uncover one of the most courageous diplomatic stands in history. Dymond speaks to Blood's family and signatories of the telegram to unpick the events leading to Blood's decision to risk everything and make his stand, and finds out why Nixon and Kissinger remained silent. He reveals that Blood was a victim of a grander cold war game driven by the realpolitik of Nixon and Kissinger.


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b017x5zk)
Scottish Borders

Eric Robson chairs a horticultural Q&A with Pippa Greenwood, Bunny Guinness and Matthew Wilson. How a rambling rose can ward off the burglars: Bob Flowerdew discusses allotment security. Anne Swithinbank considers colourful winter planting.

Also, encouraging blue-tits in order to fight off Woolly Aphid and an alternative to pruning Daphnes.

Questions addressed in the programme were:
My Labrador always gets at the bone meal I add to my flowerbeds. What shall I do?
What is the white fuzz growing on my apple trees?
My wife is an over-enthusiastic pruner. What to do?
What can I grow in tubs for a wedding next May?
Suggestions include: 'Spring Green' Tulips, Geranium Sanguineum, Cineraria & Silver birch
I would like to move my Rhododendron. When is the best time to do this?
Since August, my Fuchsias have lost all their leaves. Why is that?
Can the panel suggest permanent planting for a large patio pot? Has to survive a winter without fleece.
I've a 5x5ft Daphne bush. Should I trim it or let it go straggly?
Does the panel have any bad gardening habits?

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


SUN 14:45 Coming Out (b0183r3n)
Rosie

Five programmes exploring the ways in which we decide how far to be honest about ourselves, and in doing so make ourselves vulnerable to the judgements of others.

4. Rosie

Rosie was 20 and at university when her son was born. In desperate financial and emotional circumstances, she agreed that he should live with his father while she finished her PhD, but a temporary solution became permanent and from the age of three and a half her son lived apart from her. 38 years on, Rosie at last feels able to be open about what happened and wants to get away from the shame, the guilt and the sorrow that has haunted her for so long. This is her story.

Producer Christine Hall.


SUN 15:00 Classic Serial (b0183r3q)
François Rabelais - Gargantua and Pantagruel

Gargantua

Gargantua and Pantagruel by Francois Rabelais. Dramatised by Lavinia Murray.

Ep 2 - Pantagruel.

Concluding the bawdy and scatological adventures of Medieval giants. This episode concentrates on the story of Gargantua's son, Pantagruel and his morally dubious friend Panurge, as they go on a quest to discover whether marriage is for them. On the way they have many adventures before they come before the Seer of the Holy Bottle who gives them a definitive judgement.

Rabelais.....David Troughton
Gargantua....Robert Wilfort
Pantagruel....Justin Edwards
Panurge...Conrad Nelson
Friar Jean....Jonathan Keeble
Jacqueline/Seer...Fiona Clarke
Librarian/Secretary...Mark Chatterton

Producer Gary Brown

This tale is a dizzying blend of fantasy, comedy, philosophy and scatological humour. The world's a messy place. All the big mock-heroic novels that followed - Don Quixote, Tristram Shandy, Gulliver's Travels, Ulysses - are about mess, they're about slops and slime, encyclopedic in their efforts to encompass humanity in all its bawdy, chaotic, grungy, and painful reality. And like Gargantua and Pantagruel they're also very funny. The Rabelaisian world view is founded on the assumption that the humourless are not yet wise - and these tales insist you learn to laugh at humanity.

Gargantua and Pantagruel is dramatised by Lavinia Murray, one of our leading radio playwrights whose credits include 'The Anatomy of Melancholy' and 'The Confessions of an English Opium Eater'.


SUN 16:00 Open Book (b0183r3s)
Mariella Frostrup continues Open Book's celebration of funny books with writer and comedian Jo Brand, whose choice for Open Book's Funniest Book is "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 and Three Quarters" by Sue Townsend which was first published in 1982. Selling millions of copies world wide a further seven novels featuring Adrian Mole have been published in the intervening 30 years with titles such as "Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years" and "Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction".

In Open Book's Mini History of Comic Writing Professor of Literature at UCL, John Mullan, is joined by former politician, writer and Dickens fan Roy Hattersley to discuss the genius of Dickens comedy as immortalised through such comic creations as Mrs Gamp, Uriah Heep and Mr Squeers. How much of Dickens's humour is derived through the character's use of speech, and how much through grotesque, exaggerated description so beloved by his readers - and where can we see his influence on contemporary comic novelists?

And novelists as critics - how carefully do writers have to proceed when reviewing the work of fellow writers? DJ Taylor - Booker-nominated for his novel Derby Day - discusses the potential embarrassment of the literary hatchet job with fellow writer Lev Grossman, chief book reviewer for Time Magazine.

Producer Hilary Dunn.


SUN 16:30 Guns, Roses and Poetry Readings (b017c9ph)
Poet and translator W.N. Herbert and sound artist and editor of Poetry Wales Zoe Skoulding share their experiences of worldwide poetry festivals and performance.

They tell us how in many Eastern European countries, poetry festivals attract people in their thousands - particularly to the town of Struga in Macedonia which has become one of the most important poetry festivals in the world. Despite the fall of Yugoslavia, the war in Bosnia, the Kosovo crisis and the political and ethnic clashes in the whole of the region - this particular poetry festival attracts hundreds of international poets all wanting to take part. We discover why.

We also hear why in South America, poets from all over the world gather not only to share their work, but each year decide to "bury" a philosophical thought that the poets feel the world can do without. But we also hear how, in places like China and Burma, poetry can be seen as subversive and is only shared with great risk of imprisonment or torture. Bill Herbert and Zoe Skoulding share all this and more - as they take us on a personal tour to experience poetry, performance and festivals that celebrate this sometimes marginalized art form.

Presented by Bill Herbert.

Producer: Neil Cargill
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 17:00 Greece: Broken Marble, Broken Future (b017x7kf)
Modern Greece has lived through the Asia Minor disaster of 1922, Axis occupation in 1940s, civil war and military dictatorship. But in those critical times there was at least an enemy, a cause and the belief that popular action could bring about significant change. But the current national crisis feel different. Different every day, different every week, different every month.

As the most recent 48 hour national strike gripped the nation, the writer Maria Margaronis navigated her way through her beloved country to hear - above the din of protest and the hiss of the tear gas - those voices trying to make sense of this spiralling crisis in Athens and in the mountains and villages beyond.

Prod: Mark Burman.


SUN 17:40 Profile (b0183glh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b0183csp)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 17:57 Weather (b0183csr)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0183cst)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (b0183r3v)
Sarah Montague makes her selection from the past seven days of BBC Radio

In Pick of the Week, we rock out with the sweet transvestites of Transylvania, as well as dancing with the fabulous Gene Kelly as we waltz through his life with Len Goodman. There's sex too with the ever-so modest French philosopher Bernard Henri Levy. And we can't do without a bit of money - or should that be a lot of money - as we hear a surprising account of how it feels to become suddenly, seriously rich.

Email: potw@bbc.co.uk or www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/potw
Producer: Jessica Treen.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (b0183r3x)
Will finally discovers what Roy's got planned for his stag night - a comedy club and then onto Felpersham Tandoori. Roy's been glad to have something to think about; with Phoebe not around it's been too quiet.

Nic worries about whether she should invite Emma to her hen party, even though she probably won't want to go. Fallon sorts the dilemma, by inviting Emma but giving her an easy get-out. Nic decides that Joe can take her and Will round the green in Bartleby's trap after their reception. Everyone's happy!

Pat and Tony agree not to tell Tom and Helen that Pat's spoken to Sharon. Tony books a table at The Bull for tomorrow evening. He thinks it'll do them both good to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Pat hopes it will distract her but she can't stop thinking about how Sharon behaved and how she's now stopping them from seeing Rich. It's brought back all the pain of losing John. Pat can't stop thinking that John might not have died if he'd stayed with Hayley. Pat believes that seeing Rich could help her but has to agree with Tony that all they can do is try to accept how it is and move on - somehow.


SUN 19:15 Dilemma (b0183rb5)
Series 1

Episode 5

Sue Perkins puts John Finnemore, Danielle Ward, Alun Cochrane and Dame Ann Leslie through the moral and ethical wringer in the show where there are no "right" answers - but some deeply damning ones...

Hypothetical situations involve old ladies shoplifting, gentlemen "pocket-patting", unqualified doctors and fake psychics.

The panel also debates which figure least deserves their place in history out of Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, and David Attenborough.

Devised by Danielle Ward.

Producer: Ed Morrish.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2011.


SUN 19:45 Stories from Earth Music Bristol (b0183rb7)
Birthday Crow

Birthday Crow. A new story from Tessa Hadley. A girl begins to hear noises after she escapes from a family party she doesn't want to be at. Inspired by the themes of the Earth Music Bristol festival and recorded in front of an audience there. Producer: Tim Dee.


SUN 20:00 More or Less (b017x76r)
Children's Books:
The National Literacy Trust said this week that one in three children does not own a book. The national media lamented, but we take a closer inspection of the report and the data collected, and find some better news.

Supermarket price wars:
Tim Harford and Anthony Reuben work out how all supermarkets can claim to be cheaper than each other, without being slapped down for false advertising.

Eurostats II:
We continue to scrutinise the enormous numbers emerging from the Eurozone crisis. Do Italian tax payers really pay 2 billion euros a year for their politicians to be chauffered around? Wesley Stephenson checks out the figures.

Amazing?
What are the odds of breaking four double-yolk eggs into your baking bowl, one after another? That's what happened to our colleague Jennifer Clarke and her friend Lynsey as they prepared profiteroles at the weekend. Tim Harford works out the probabilities for the amazed bakers...before Jennifer then breaks the remaining two eggs in the box...will they too be double yolkers?

Producer: Ruth Alexander
Editor: Richard Vadon.


SUN 20:30 Last Word (b017x76p)
Dev Anand, Christopher Logue, Sócrates, Helen Forrester, Wilfred Lambert

John Wilson on:

Christopher Logue, the performance poet who translated Homer, wrote for Private Eye, and acted alongside Jonathan Pryce in Hamlet.

Socrates - doctor of medicine, political activist and Brazilian World Cup captain.

We hear about Professor Wilfred Lambert , a scholar whose unrivalled knowledge of ancient Babylonian languages helped unlock historical mysteries.

Dev Anand - the matinee idol of Hindi cinema.

And Helen Forrester who wrote about childhood poverty in Liverpool in the 1930s.


SUN 21:00 Money Box (b0183dzl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:00 on Saturday]


SUN 21:26 Radio 4 Appeal (b0183h3f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:55 today]


SUN 21:30 In Business (b017x3q3)
The Curse of the Bonus

THE CURSE OF THE BONUS
It started off as a nice pat on the back for exceptional work. But then the bonus became some people's primal motivation..first in the financial markets in the City of London, then in big business, and then in the way public services are run too. Peter Day traces the rise and rise of the bonus culture, and asks how much damage it causes.
Producer Caroline Bayley
Editor Stephen Chilcott.


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (b0183rb9)
Preview of the week's political agenda at Westminster with MPs, experts and commentators. Discussion of the issues politicians are grappling with in the corridors of power.


SUN 22:45 What the Papers Say (b0183rbc)
Episode 82

Andrew Porter of The Telegraph analyses how the newspapers are covering the biggest stories in Westminster and beyond.


SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (b017x3pq)
Truth - as they say - is stranger than fiction. Mike Cahill's science fiction morality tale, Another Earth, came out this week just days after it emerged that scientists had found Kepler 22b - a planet which, it seems, may share many of the attributes of our own bluey green globe. Francine Stock has been talking to Mike about coincidence, the genesis of his film and, of course, the multiverse. She's also taken a trip to the parallel world of American politics with Nick Broomfield to discuss his new documentary, Sarah Palin - You Betcha! and delved into the murky realm of Ben Wheatley's hit horror film, Kill List. And to dispel any notion of idleness she put herself through the initiation ceremony for Secret Cinema.... a new and playful way of screening films which draws you in through carefully calculated mystery and makes you an actor as much as a spectator.

Producer: Zahid Warley.


SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b0183h37)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:05 today]



MONDAY 12 DECEMBER 2011

MON 00:00 Midnight News (b0183ctj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b017x0vm)
Parents, Teens and the Culture of Sex: The Claims of Parenting

Laurie Taylor examines research into the advice offered to parents with Judith Suissa from the Institute of Education and Frank Furedi from Kent University and looks at comparative research in America and Holland into teenage sex in the parental home with sociologist Amy Schalet from the University of Massachusetts.
Producer: Chris Wilson.


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b0183h35)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0183ctn)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0183ctq)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0183cts)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 05:30 News Briefing (b0183ctv)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b0183rsj)
with Revd Canon Stephen Shipley.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (b0183rsn)
Home grown coriander which would normally be ready to be harvested next March has grown so well in the recent mild weather that growers are selling it three months early. But farmers warn any cold snap could damage the mature plant.

This week marks the beginning of the Christmas rush for British vegetable growers. For Brussels sprout producers the demand for the veg increases four-fold and farmers have to work around the clock to pick, process and pack the crop.

Over the past 10 years the number of British butterflies has dropped by three quarters, according to the organisation Butterfly Conservation. It says that some schemes which pay farmers to farm in an environmentally friendly way could do more to help boost numbers.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Angela Frain.


MON 05:57 Weather (b0183ctx)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.


MON 06:00 Today (b0183rsq)
Morning news and current affairs with John Humphrys and Sarah Montague, including former foreign secretary David Miliband (07:25) and Liberal Democrat Treasury secretary Danny Alexander (08:10) on Cameron's EU veto. Also on the programme, the FSA's Lord Turner on his report into the failings of RBS (07:50) and Lord Stern on the Durban climate deal (08:35).


MON 09:00 Start the Week (b0183rss)
On Start the Week Andrew Marr asks if sport still embodies a notion of fair play and Corinthian spirit, or whether it has become mired in corruption, money and celebrity. Mihir Bose argues that sport is no longer just a game, but has become one of the most powerful political tools in the world. The social historian Janie Hampton looks back to a time when amateur wasn't a dirty word, while Brian Moore the 'pitbull' of the scrum, looks back at a disastrous year for the professionalism of English rugby. The philosopher Julian Savulescu believes the nostalgia for the age of the amateur is blinding people to the reality of today, and that far from penalising those who take performance enhancing drugs, we should merely set a safe limit and allow free rein.
Producer: Katy Hickman.


MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b018hhmq)
Craig Taylor - Londoners

Episode 1

By Craig Taylor. Abridged by Pete Nichols.

Craig Taylor's book has given new voice to Londoners; the rich and the poor, the native and the immigrant; men and women. It continues an oral tradition that goes back to Henry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor, published in the mid-nineteenth century.

Taylor gives us the squatter and the teacher; the bicycle mechanic and the registrar; the plumber and the rickshaw rider; the lost property clerk and the Wiccan priestess, who casts the remnants of her spells into the Thames.

These remarkable snapshots of the city dwellers are moving, funny and informative.

"What makes Londoners as valuable as any sociological treatise is Taylor's appreciation of the ways in which his subjects are themselves surveying, analysing and theorising the turbulent city in which they live.... At more than 400 pages, the book could easily have been twice as long... But this remains a remarkable volume, from the heaving, contradictory energy of its countless funny, terrifying, epic stories" Sukhdev Sandhu in The Guardian.

The Teacher ..... Emerald O'Hanrahan

Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b0183rsv)
The Snow Queen; summer riots; the winter garden; Dame Mary Perkins

The enduring appeal of the Snow Queen, unpicking the causes of the summer riots, Gardeners World's Carol Klein on the winter garden, and billionaire businesswoman Dame Mary Perkins on building her company from scratch. Presented by Jenni Murray.


MON 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b0183rsx)
Legacy: High Green Walls

Episode 1

Cath Staincliffe's drama series returns with High Green Walls. When the weekly list of unclaimed estates is published, probate researchers, brother and sister team Dan and Rachel, search backwards through the family line to find the true heir and get a slice of the fortune.

Susan Pellier, a 73 year-old recluse, died intestate with no known next of kin, Dan and Rachel's quest to find an heir leads them to a heartbreaking discovery .

DAN.....William Ash
RACHEL.....Claire Keelan
MORELLI.....Russell Dixon
BARBARA.....Kellie Shirley
SUSAN.....Ellie Meigan Rose

Directed by Nadia Molinari.


MON 11:00 The Wedding Gold Thefts (b0183t46)
An exploration of an unexpected side of economic downturn and a heartbreaking story of an attack on the person and a culture.

Zille has just been burgled - so have three of her neighbours on the small Bradford cul-de-sac where she lives. The thieves are after one thing only - the wedding gold passed through families over generations and now worth a considerable amount giving its soaring value on international markets.

In this programme Zille explores something which is well known in her own community but hasn't been acknowledged nationally - the increasingly violent thefts in which Asians are being targeted and even tortured to reveal where their gold is kept.

As a result of the fear of this crime there is now a long waiting list for safety deposit boxes - as an alternative those with extended families try and ensure their homes are never left empty, whilst others are buying CCTV systems or working out what to hide where. According to the police it isn't just burglaries - the gold is also being snatched in streets robberies where Asians are being targeted and in a recent cases a newly married bride was robbed whilst at the wedding celebration itself.

Producer: Sue Mitchell.


MON 11:30 Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off (b0183t48)
Series 5

Festival of Yumsk

When Giles tries to put Budleigh Salterton on the gastronomic map, he inadvertently serves up a full-scale biohazard lockdown instead. Yumsk!

Budleigh Salterton's most famous citizen is back! But this time, he's got a computer! Giles Wemmbley Hogg has been grounded by both the Home Office and his father, so he's set up GWH Travvel ("2m's 2g's 2v's, bit of a mix up at the printers").

Run from his bedroom in Budleigh Salterton, with the help of his long-suffering former Primary Schoolteacher Mr Timmis and the hindrance of his sister Charlotte, it's a one-stop Travel/Advice/Events Management/Website service, where each week, his schemes range far and wide - whether it's roaming the country lecturing would-be overlanders on how to pack a rucksack ("If in doubt, put it in. And double it"), or finding someone a zebra for a corporate promotion ("I'll look in the Phone Book - how hard can it be? Now, "A to D".....), GWH Travvel stays true to its motto - "We do it all, so you won't want to".

Cast
Giles ..... Marcus Brigstocke
Mr. Timmis ..... Vincent Franklin
Charlotte Wemmbley Hogg ..... Catherine Shepherd
Monsieur Delabouche ..... Ben Willbond
The Commissioner ..... Laura Solon
Breville-Toaster ..... Justin Edwards
Tim McBride ..... Tim Downie
General Watson ..... Rupert Vansittart

Written by Marcus Brigstocke, Jeremy Salsby & Toby Davies

Produced & directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:00 You and Yours (b0183t4b)
Consumer news with Julian Worricker.

What would you do if you received a letter saying you owed five pounds? We hear how hundreds of people have received such letters and are sure they don't owe the money.

There is concern over a fall in number of district nurses in England - it has dropped by a third to more than nine a half thousand in the past ten years. How does this compare with the rest of the UK?

We examine EU proposals for a way of resolving online retail dispute.


MON 12:57 Weather (b0183ctz)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 13:00 World at One (b0183t4d)
National and international news with Martha Kearney. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


MON 13:45 The People's Post: A Narrative History of the Post Office (b0183t4g)
The Penny Black

The arrival of Universal Penny Postage in 1840 marked the beginning of the post office as a genuine public service. Introduced by the social reformer, Rowland Hill, he argued that lowering the cost of postage would mean more people would send more letters leading to wider social benefits and increased profits. As secretary of the post office, Hill oversaw the implementation of the world's first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black.

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. The Post Office has become a cherished social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world.

It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,
Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman
A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 14:00 The Archers (b0183r3x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Drama (b00qvnj9)
Charlotte Grieg - Against the Grain

Gemma, a promising young journalist, is sent to interview former restaurateur, Milo Markhov, whose glossy new cookery book, Against the Grain, is the latest publishing sensation. Milo has retired to the Perigord where he spends his time preparing experimental dishes in his search for the most pleasurable taste sensations. Gemma's disturbing experiences at the house of the reclusive chef lead her to contemplate a whole new way life. By Charlotte Greig.

Gemma ..... Jasmine Hyde
Milo ..... Robert Harper
Herve .... Felix Callens
Ruth ..... Nickie Rainsford

Producer: Kate McAll
A BBC Cymru Wales Production.


MON 15:00 Brain of Britain (b0183t4j)
(5/17)
What name is given to the curved surface of a liquid as it stands in a tube, caused by surface tension? And what kind of creature is a great curassow?

Russell Davies is in the questionmaster's chair for the fifth heat in the current series. Aiming to become the 59th Brain of Britain champion are competitors from Aberdeenshire, the West Midlands, Berkshire and Essex. Today's winner will progress to the semi-finals in the new year.

There'll also be a chance, as usual, for a Brain of Britain listener to outwit the contestants with questions of his or her own.

Producer: Paul Bajoria.


MON 15:30 The Food Programme (b0183p6c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 on Sunday]


MON 16:00 When the Levee Breaks (b0183t4v)
Mark Lamarr looks at the little-known story of Memphis Minnie, known for her guitar skills, her rowdy ways and the song 'When the Levee Breaks' a musical celebration of a key moment in Blues history.

'Levee', later made famous by Led Zeppelin and Dylan, was released in 1929, long before guitars found amplification, in reference (like many blues songs of the time), to the great Mississippi flood of 1927.

The flood was a huge factor in the Migration of African Americans into what would become the great RnB and Blues towns of Detroit, Memphis & Chicago. When the Levee Breaks is its most famous telling.

Neither born in Memphis nor called Minnie, the musician who wrote and recorded it travelled that now well worn blues journey both physically and musically in the first wave of blues musicians emerging from the Delta in the late 20s.

When the Levee Breaks was one of over two hundred songs written by Minnie during her lifetime, many are blues classics. Though her story has been largely ignored when compared to Robert Johnson, Leadbelly and other Blues artists of the time.

In a journey that starts along the banks of the Mississippi in a post Katrina New Orleans and ends in the promised land of the Blues, Chicago, Mark Lamarr explores her story, the flood itself and the development of the Blues that emerged around the Great Migration.

Producer: Rob Alexander
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 16:30 The Infinite Monkey Cage (b0183tlt)
Series 5

The Science of Sound

Robin Ince and Brian Cox head north for the second time this series, and take residence for one episode in the BBC Philharmonic's headquarters to talk about the science of sound. They are joined by the University of Salford's acoustic expert Professor Trevor Cox, neuroscientist Professor Chris Plack and comedian and former acoustics student Tom Wrigglesworth to talk about all things noise related. With some musical accompaniment, they'll be discussing why some sounds sound nice and some sound horrible. Why certain sounds are noise and others are literally music to our ears, and whether specific sounds can trigger specific emotions. But perhaps the biggest question of all is, are there any clues in the chord sequences to D:Ream's hit "Things can only get better" that made it the perfect soundscape for to a political leadership campaign?..maybe that's something that even science can't answer!

Producer: Alexandra Feachem
Presenters: Robin Ince and Brian Cox.


MON 17:00 PM (b0183tlw)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0183cv1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 18:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (b0183tly)
Series 56

Episode 5

The godfather of all panel shows pays a first visit to the brand new Colosseum in Watford. Old-timers Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor are joined on the panel by Andy Hamilton, with Jack Dee in the chair. Colin Sell accompanies on the piano. Producer - Jon Naismith.


MON 19:00 The Archers (b0183tm0)
As Elizabeth and Lily watch Freddie ride Caspar, Lily looks forward to her trip to France. Lily and Freddie later agree that they need to make out they're having a really great birthday, and the same for Christmas, for their mother's sake.

Helen's arranged childcare for when she goes back to work. Her friend Sarah also works part time so they'll take it in turns to look after Henry and Sarah's daughter Rowan. She and Tom are pleased Pat hasn't taken things any further with Sharon (so they believe). They also think it's great that Lilian has offered to organise a celebration for Pat's 60th. That's one less thing for them to worry about.

Tony and Pat agree it's not the easiest anniversary they've had. Tony talks about the good times, and how they help them battle through the bad. He assures Pat that they'll pull through, but Pat's not so sure this time. What if they run out of the fight to keep going?

Back home, Helen's concerned that Pat's not herself, and worries she might slip back into a deep depression. Tony insists it won't be like before. He simply won't let it happen.


MON 19:15 Front Row (b0183tsv)
Meryl Streep on playing Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady

With Kirsty Lang.

Meryl Streep is hotly tipped for Oscar success for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in the forthcoming film The Iron Lady. She discusses how she mastered Thatcher's famous voice, why she decided to donate her fee for the film to charity and how she feels about her daughters following her into the acting profession.

Director Shane Meadows continues the story of a group of young skinheads who first appeared in his film This is England, set in 1983. This is England 88 is the second in a series of television sequels, and stars Vicky McClure as Lol, now struggling to cope with life as a single mother. Dreda Say Mitchell reviews.

Reviewers Georgia Coleridge and Damian Kelleher offer their pick of the year's children's books, ranging from picture books to teenage fiction.

Producer Nicki Paxman.


MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b0183rsx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


MON 20:00 How New Is the New Philanthropy? (b0183tsx)
Episode 1

Dame Stephanie Shirley was once worth £150 million. Now, she's given so much of her wealth away in philanthropic gifts (along with the bursting of the dot.com bubble) that she is no longer on the Sunday Times Rich List. And she's proud of the achievement.

As the debate about wealth in British society continues, Professor Hugh Cunningham presents a timely history of philanthropic giving in Britain from the 18th to the 21st century, not simply celebrating philanthropy but also assessing the role that it plays or might play today.

The first person to be called a "philanthropist" was John Howard, the 18th century penal reformer, but philanthropy is far more complex and ever-changing than Dr Johnson's definition - love of mankind, good nature - suggests. What's more, the last decade has seen a reinterpretation of the term, with the so-called New Philanthropy. Curious to discover just how new this City-based version of philanthropy really is, the historian Hugh Cunningham sets off on a journey to learn more about the history of philanthropy and to explore its role in austerity Britain.

He starts in St Paul's Cathedral beside the monument to John Howard, then travels on to an 18th century almshouse in Norwich, to the original site of the Royal Infirmary in Manchester and back to St Paul's.

He speaks with historians as well as with one grateful beneficiary of traditional philanthropy and with an advocate of the New Philanthropy.

And he hears from Britain's first Ambassador for Philanthropy, Dame Stephanie Shirley.

At the heart of this first programme, Hugh Cunningham asks fundamental questions about philanthropy - why did people give in the past, why do they give today and why don't more people give more?

Producer: Beaty Rubens.


MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (b017x3pb)
Exposing Bali's Orphanages

Ed Butler reports on a cycle of abuse in the orphanages of Bali. Some seventy orphanages now populate the island, housing thousands of children, many recruited from poor families, on the promise of a decent diet, education, and healthcare. But in some cases the promises are empty, as unscrupulous owners abuse and exploit the children - using them for free labour over long hours, and forcing them to beg. The most lucrative profits come from well-meaning tourists, who are often convinced by the tough living conditions to give generously - the hope being the money will benefit the children, not the owner. Is such charity actually intensifying the misery of Bali's most vulnerable children?


MON 21:00 Material World (b017x3ps)
Quentin Cooper asks if it's worth extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and how it might be done with carbon nanotubes. He hears how industry is planning for a world shortage of rare elements. A 500 million year old monster eye with 16 000 lenses and the first finalists shortlisted from listeners who want to be a scientist.

Producer: Martin Redfern.


MON 21:30 Start the Week (b0183rss)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:58 Weather (b0183cv3)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b0183tsz)
Ritula Shah presents national and international news and analysis.


MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b0183tt1)
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Episode 6

Written by Helen Simonson.
The Major and Mrs Ali take a walk along the cliff tops and read Kipling, as the day of the shoot approaches and the plan for the development of Edgecombe St Mary is revealed. The Major's mind, however, is on accompanying Mrs Ali to the forthcoming golf club dinner dance.
Abridged by Nigel Lewis.
Read by Sam Dastor.
A BBC Cymru/Wales production directed by Nigel Lewis.


MON 23:00 Off the Page (b017wy7c)
The Making of You

Dominic Arkwright talks to three guests about their formative years: The Making of You.

Sports writer Julie Welch recalls boarding school days of innocence, lusting after her Games Captain. Social entrepreneur, Gwilym Gibbons, remembers growing up in a commune, feeling an outsider from the mainstream world. Psychotherapist Paul Welcomme, whose schooldays were far from halcyon, argues that the decisions adults make for their children can have a devastating and lasting affect on their lives.

Producer: Sarah Langan.


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (b0183tt3)
Susan Hulme with the day's top news stories from Westminster .
MPs have packed the Commons to hear David Cameron mount a robust defence of his decision to use his veto during last week's European summit. Mr Cameron said the proposed EU treaty, designed to bolster the Eurozone, was not in Britain's interests. But the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, said that by vetoing the treaty, the Prime Minister had left Britain without a voice in Europe.



TUESDAY 13 DECEMBER 2011

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b0183cvr)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b018hhmq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0183cvt)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0183cvw)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0183cvy)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b0183cw0)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b018mgsj)
with Revd Canon Stephen Shipley.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b0184rft)
Despite a rise in the price of food, Anna Hill hears a quarter of fruit and veg growers in England lost money last year. The National Farmers' Union says fruit and veg promotions by the supermarkets are resulting in farmers being paid less. But the British Retail Consortium, which represents the major UK supermarkets, says promotions boost sales and don't block profits.

Rural homeowners are being urged to protect their oil tanks after new figures showed a doubling in the value of heating oil thefts over the last year. NFU Mutual warns the crime has cost homeowners £250,000 so far this year.

There are nearly two million dairy cows in the UK, and Farming Today is following one of them through a year of milk production. Sarah Swadling catches up on Bradley Cora 289's progress in Somerset.

Producer: Clare Freeman Presenter: Anna Hill.


TUE 06:00 Today (b0184rfw)
Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather, Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (b0184rfy)
Tim Hunt

Tim Hunt is an experimental wizard, a flamboyant thinker and a stickler for scientific procedure.

As a young man at Cambridge in the sixties, he heard Francis Crick (of DNA fame) ask questions "that made him sound rather stupid"; broke into workshops and performed experiments through the night with Bach and Pink Floyd playing at top volume.

True eureka moments are, in fact, quite rare in science but, at the age of 39, Tim Hunt performed an experiment on sea urchin eggs that changed both his life and our understanding of every living thing. He had very little idea what exactly it all meant but had a strong sense that he was onto something important. And he was.

Back in the early eighties, it just wasn't obvious that all life worked in the same way. But what Tim Hunt showed was that the process by which cells divide (and therefore live and grow) is the same in all living things and that this process is controlled by a protein that appears and disappears in the most startling fashion.

It was a most unexpected result that many believed was rather insignificant but Hunt pursued it. Accused by some of "wild speculation based on faulty logic": that same logic led to him winning the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine in 2001.

In 1990, he joined Cancer Research. In theory his discovery should shed light on why cancerous cells multiply out of control but, in reality, he says, progress in cancer research has been disappointingly slow. In fact, he says all the money that poured into cancer research did more to help us tackle HIV than it did to help cure the big C.

Producer: Anna Buckley.


TUE 09:30 One to One (b0184rg0)
Lucy Kellaway with Jeremy Middleton

Lucy Kellaway of The Financial Times, explores the complexities of having considerable personal wealth by talking to the super rich. Twenty five year ago Jeremy Middleton set out to make money. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it but he wanted the freedom and autonomy he felt it would bring. When Homeserve, the company he'd co-founded, was floated on the stock market, he achieved his goal and made the Rich list. So did it bring him the freedom he wanted? Lucy talks to him about the trappings of wealth and what they mean, the problems of lending money to friends and if he still gets a buzz from business.

Producer: Lucy Lunt.


TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b018scrk)
Craig Taylor - Londoners

Episode 2

By Craig Taylor. Abridged by Pete Nichols.

Craig Taylor's book has given new voice to Londoners; the rich and the poor, the native and the immigrant; men and women. It continues an oral tradition that goes back to Henry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor, published in the mid-nineteenth century.

Taylor gives us the squatter and the teacher; the bicycle mechanic and the registrar; the plumber and the rickshaw rider; the lost property clerk and the Wiccan priestess, who casts the remnants of her spells into the Thames.

These remarkable snapshops of the city dwellers are moving, funny and informative.

"What makes Londoners as valuable as any sociological treatise is Taylor's appreciation of the ways in which his subjects are themselves surveying, analysing and theorising the turbulent city in which they live.... At more than 400 pages, the book could easily have been twice as long... But this remains a remarkable volume, from the heaving, contradictory energy of its countless funny, terrifying, epic stories" Sukhdev Sandhu in The Guardian.

The Wiccan priestess ..... Lesley Manville
The rickshaw rider ..... Tom Brooke

Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b0184rg2)
Exam reform; civil partnerships; bullying

It's been all rows and revelations in education recently - the Education Secretary Michael Gove's plan to make it easier for popular schools to grow bigger and the exposure of exam board staff giving tips to teachers about what was coming up on tests. So Jenni asks former deputy heads Katharine Birbalsingh and Ollie de Botton whether we need to shake up the way we educate our children? In March 2010 the House of Lords supported a proposed amendment to the Equality Act to permit civil partnerships to take place on religious premises. Now a debate will take place attempting to annul this on the basis that it will compel religious authorities to host same-sex partnerships against their will. Chris Bryant MP and Ella Leonard from Catholic Voices discuss with Jenni. Every Saturday morning a group of refugees gather at human rights organisation, the Helen Bamber Foundation, to learn each others' traditional songs with the help of volunteer musicians. Known as Woven Gold, Jennifer Chevalier went to meet the group as they were preparing a new song for Christmas. School children believe that being left out affects them more than any other type of bullying according to a new report. The report's author Tom Benton from the National Foundation For Educational Research joins the programme with Head Teacher Alision Shaw, to consider whether we need to extend our definition of bullying and how we tackle it.


TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b0184rg4)
Legacy: High Green Walls

Episode 2

Cath Staincliffe's drama series returns with High Green Walls. When the weekly list of unclaimed estates is published, probate researchers, brother and sister team Dan and Rachel, search backwards through the family line to find the true heir and get a slice of the fortune.

Dan and Rachel have discovered that Susan had a twin sister Barbara who may be the rightful heir if she is still alive. Susan was a significant artist in the US in the 1960's, her most famous paintings known as High Green Walls were destroyed but Dan and Rachel guess her estate might still be worth a substantial amount and take a chance by visiting her studio in a remote area of upstate New York where they make a surprising discovery.

DAN.....William Ash
RACHEL.....Claire Keelan
MR WHITE.....Malcolm Raeburn
SUSAN.....Ellie Meigan Rose
MR CARLSON.....Jonathan Keeble

Directed by Nadia Molinari.


TUE 11:00 Saving Species (b0184rg6)
Series 2

Episode 30

30/30 For the final live programme of the series there will be an update from the BTO on the location of the five tagged cuckoos in the forests of Central Africa. For now, the cuckoos - Lyster, Martin, Kasper, Clement and Chris - have settled in their wintering grounds. But in the months ahead they will begin their long journey back to the UK for the Spring.

Also on the move but on a much shorter journey are shags. Leaving their summer breeding cliffs they disperse for the winter along the coastline, and can be found anywhere from Orkney to Yorkshire. Bob Swann reports from his well-monitored seabird cliffs at North Sutor in Scotland where he has been checking the ring numbers of the shags. Brett also speaks to Jane Reid who is collecting information from such sightings - information which is helping reveal why and where the shags winter.

We then travel to the other end of the country where Peter Burgess from the Devon Wildlife Trust takes Chris Sperring on an end of year update on the beavers who are being used to manage rare culm grassland. Before finally we travel abroad, this time to Brazil, where our globetrotting reporter Mark Brazil reports on the conservation of the rare Lear's Macaw.

And Kelvin Boot joins Brett in the studio with the latest Wildlife news roundup, and to throw down a gentle challenging gauntlet with a new Open University i-spot initiative "New Life" which we hope to report back the results of this in the spring.

Keep an ear out for the Saving Species special debate on "Sustaining Life" pre-recorded for broadcast on Friday 23rd December at 8pm.

Presenter: Brett Westwood
Producer: Sheena Duncan
Editor: Julian Hector.


TUE 11:30 Blue Notes, Cold Nights (b0184rg8)
Thanks to films like "Round Midnight" we all know about black American musicians escaping racism and putting down roots in Paris. But the story of the African-American and African presence in Scandinavia has been one of Europe's best-kept secrets. Country blues singer-guitarist Eric Bibb, who learned his craft in the coffee houses of Greenwich Village but has spent much of his career in Sweden and Finland, explains how jazz and blues players such as trumpeter Don Cherry - step-father of R&B star Neneh Cherry - built new lives in exile. Dexter Gordon - the star of '"Round Midnight" was one of the pioneers, settling in Copenhagen in the early 1960s. Over the decades generous state support for musicians has helped the music scene in the region to flourish. But now that the host nations are facing their own immigration crisis, will musicians continue to find a welcome? And how easy is it to sustain creativity thousands of miles from your roots?


TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b0184rgb)
Call You and Yours

Call You and Yours with Julian Worricker. Mary Portas' report on the high street is published today. Here's a flavour of what she's proposing. Relaxing licensing rules for market stalls to make it easier for people to set up stands, a national market day helping to drive traffic towards nearby shops, a relaxation - too - of the restrictions on night-time deliveries. She also wants free parking in certain areas, some form of high street management system to form coherent policies as well as a review of business rates and shop rents. On out-of-town shopping centres she says there are compelling instances where they have drained trade from a nearby town, but it would be naive and far too easy to think that they are to blame for the decline of the high street. She says the fact is that the major supermarkets and malls have delivered highly convenient, needs-based retailing, which serves today's consumers well.

She's had support from some quarters; Richard Dodd from the British Retail Consortium said there were a good number of sensible ideas in the report. But council leaders have been critical because they haven't been consulted. Peter Box of the Local Government Association said that councils play a crucial role in growing local economies and improving high streets, and need to be suitably consulted if that's to be achieved.

If you work in retail, what do you think of Mary Portas' proposals? Are you based in a struggling high street, or out of town? When you shop, what changes are you seeing....maybe you've changed your shopping habits in recent times? More online, less in the store? What about the issues of parking charges and of a greater emphasis on markets? 03700 100 444 is the number to call - dialling it will cost you the same as a call to an 01 or an 02 number - you can e-mail via bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours, or you can text to 84844....and if you do that it will cost you your standard operator message rate, and we may call you back on that number. And just to say we've decided to concentrate on this issue in today's programme because it's something we've followed very closely on You & Yours in recent times....Europe, as trailed yesterday, we will no doubt return to in the near future.


TUE 12:57 Weather (b0183cw2)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 13:00 World at One (b018c5gr)
Martha Kearney presents national and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


TUE 13:45 The People's Post: A Narrative History of the Post Office (b0184rgd)
Business Post

The post office played a vital role in the spread of mass consumerism.

Thanks to cheap postage, businesses could advertise and interact with people in their own homes. When it took over the Parcel Post in 1883 the Post Office offered the first genuinely joined up postal service, leading to a boom in mail order catalogues.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,
Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman
A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 14:00 The Archers (b0183tm0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 McLevy (b0184rgg)
Series 8

A Fine Deception

Victorian detective series starring Brian Cox and Siobhan Redmond.

Episode 3: A Fine Deception.

A stage magician arrives in town just before a jewel robbery at Edinburgh Castle.

McLevy........................................................................BRIAN COX
Jean Brash......................................................SIOBHAN REDMOND
Mulholland.......................................MICHAEL PERCEVAL-MAXWELL
Roach....................................................................DAVID ASHTON
Charles Boniface.............................................................ALAN COX
Inspector Dunsmore.............................................FORBES MASSON
Matthew Nevin.........................................................CARL PREKOPP
Sarah Nevin................................................................ALEX RIVERS
Fergus Dundee.......................................................TAM DEAN BURN
Callum..............................................................................ALI CRAIG

Producer/director: Bruce Young.


TUE 15:00 Home Planet (b0184rgj)
Is renewable energy truly renewable?

We know now that the dark side of the Moon is not dark, but it does always point away from the Earth. This week you want to know why and does it ever show another face? One listener challenges the panel to explain how some baby newts and toads got into a steep sided trough and why they could not get out again? Is renewable energy truly renewable or could we ever extract so much wind and tidal energy that it could effect our climate? And what did the dinosaurs ever do for us?.

On the panel this week are science writer Jo Baker of the journal Nature; marine and freshwater biologist Professor Graham Underwood of Exeter University and Professor Philip Stott and environmental scientist of the University of London.

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


TUE 15:30 Off the Page (b0184rgl)
Birmingham

Dominic Arkwright and guests Adrian Goldberg, Shazia Mirza and Luke Bainbridge discuss Birmingham; its flaws and its fabulousness.

According to a recent survey, the majority of the population believe that Manchester is the UK's second city and not Birmingham. Lord Digby Jones added further fuel to that debate when he suggested earlier this year that Manchester has a more legitimate claim to that crown. But is there anything to be gained from being classified as second? Is it a title that either cities want?

Brummies Adrian Goldberg and Shazia Mirza and Mancunian Luke Bainridge join Dominic Arkwright to discuss why coolness is the one adjective that has eluded the city of a thousand trades. Blighted by dialectic prejudice and the stereotypes borne of Crossroads and the like, Birmingham is about to embark on another architectural city revamp. Is Birmingham happy with itself?

Producer: Sarah Langan.


TUE 16:00 How Dolly Got Rotherham Reading (b012ql5c)
Dolly Parton grew up in poverty in rural East Tennessee, where children only attended school if there was no work to be done on the farm. She came to regard good literacy skills as one of the key passports to enhanced life chances and in 1995 she launched the 'Imagination Library'.

The idea was quite simple. All children in the area were sent one book a month from birth until five years. In 2007 she took South Yorkshire by surprise when she turned up in Rotherham - not a city used to celebrity visits. But what happened next? Did her library capture the imagination of Rotherham's children? We follow up to ask whether it was just a flash in the pan or a serious project.

Travelling to Dollywood for an Imagination Library conference, Sarfraz Manzoor meets people from all over the world who have signed up for the literacy project. From Alaskan children in remote communities to young readers in Nottingham, Sarfraz finds that Dolly's influence is global.

Sarfraz will meet Dolly Parton in Dollywood to talk about her life and work. We'll hear from those who knew her as a child and understand the motivations for this charitable work she undertakes with such passion.

It will be a journey to the glamourous heart of country music, but one which reveals much more about one of the world's best loved country singers. Dolly Parton in her own words and in her own personal world of the Imagination Library.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.


TUE 16:30 Great Lives (b0184rgn)
Series 26

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Ludwig Wittgenstein, the fascinating and misunderstood genius who changed the course of philosophy, is chosen by writer Raymond Tallis. With biographer Ray Monk, he brings alive this most enigmatic of men and his singular life. And to make sure that they don't get lost in Wittgensteinian thought, presenter Matthew Parris brings along a whistle to blow whenever he feels in danger..

Producer Beth O'Dea.


TUE 17:00 PM (b018h8q5)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0183cw4)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 18:30 Mark Steel's in Town (b0184rgq)
Series 3

Holyhead

In this third series comedian Mark Steel visits 6 more UK towns to discover what makes them and their inhabitants distinctive.

He creates a bespoke stand-up show for that town and performs the show in front of a local audience.

As well as shedding light on the less visited areas of Britain, Mark uncovers stories and experiences that resonate with us all as we recognise the quirkiness of the British way of life and the rich tapestry of remarkable events and people who have shaped where we live.

During the series 'Mark Steel's In Town' Mark will visit Berwick-Upon Tweed, Holyhead, Basingstoke, Douglas (Isle of Man), Bungay and Wigan.

Episode 2 - In this episode Mark performs a show for the residents of Holyhead in Anglesey, where he talks about sinking ships, fishy foot nibbling, the town's newest locals, Kate and Wills, and a mayor whose eccentricity puts Boris to shame... From December 2011.

Written by Mark Steel with additional material by Pete Sinclair.
Produced by Sam Bryant.


TUE 19:00 The Archers (b0184rgs)
Brian's back from holiday and back to reality. Annabelle fills him in on how Pete Wilkes, a possible supplier, has asked Martyn Gibson about the potential start-date for the dairy - even though Brian spoke to Pete in complete confidence. Martyn is up in arms that Brian has been talking outside the Board. Annabelle suggests Brian needs to be more discreet in future.

Elizabeth's pleased with the Christmas arrangements at Lower Loxley. Shula and Jill agrees it all looks fabulous, especially the German market. Elizabeth and the children will be going to Shula's for Christmas lunch but Elizabeth's still not decided about going to The Bull afterwards. Jill suggests it would be nice for the children but Shula knows that there's no point trying to press Elizabeth. She worries how Elizabeth will cope with New Year, especially 2 January. Jill wants to support Elizabeth but can't condone her attitude to David. It's so difficult.

Tony calls Sharon's husband, and pleads with him as one father to another. He explains what Pat's going through. Although Eamonn eventually agrees to ask Sharon if they can see Rich, just once, Eamonn assures Tony that Sharon won't listen. He's been wasting his breath.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (b0184rgv)
Sir David Jason and the return of Sherlock Holmes

With Mark Lawson

Two decades after the last series of Only Fools and Horses, Sir David Jason returns to BBC One as the star of a new comedy series. He discusses his role as the incompetent bodyguard of the Queen, his close relationship with Ronnie Barker, and whether he can predict which lines will get the best laugh.

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law have joined forces again for a second Sherlock Holmes film, directed by Guy Ritchie. In A Game of Shadows, Holmes and Dr. Watson take on their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty. Crime writer Natasha Cooper reviews.

Hit or miss? The Front Row Jukebox Jury delivers its verdict on a sackful of this year's festive releases. Music critics David Hepworth and Rosie Swash discuss songs from Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber, the cast of The Only Way Is Essex, Michael Buble, The Killers and many more.

Producer Claire Bartleet.


TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b0184rg4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


TUE 20:00 Boundaries of Blood (b0184rgx)
In December 1971, after just two weeks of a hot war with India, Pakistan suffered a humiliating defeat and a new country, Bangladesh, was born. The BBC's South Asia Editor, Shahzeb Jillani, was born in what was then West Pakistan as the bombs were falling. 40 years later, Shahzeb, now the BBC World Service South Asia Editor, returns to the region to find out how these traumatic events have shaped contemporary Pakistan. It is a personal journey of discovery to challenge the contradictions in the Pakistani narrative he was taught while at school.

There he learned little, if anything, of the injustices visited in the 1950s and 1960s on Eastern Pakistan by the Western half - with government spending and political power overwhelmingly biased towards the the West. The discrimination came to a head in the bid for Bangladeshi independence and then a brutal war which Pakistan expected to win. When India entered on the side of the Bangladeshi independence fighters, Pakistan suffered the ultimate humiliation: surrender on December 16th 1971.

Through this programme, Shahzeb will explore how the memory of defeat at the hands of India has shaped the thinking of the Pakistani military - that the country faces a continued external threat from its much larger neighbour. Does that go some way to explaining Pakistan's determination to acquire the bomb and, as is widely suspected, to support militant groups active in South Asia? And Shahzeb will explore the hidden legacy of violence, coming face to face with Bangladeshis who witnessed the widespread rape, torture, and killings by Pakistani forces and to understand the resentment many Bangladeshis still feel towards Pakistan.


TUE 20:40 In Touch (b0184rgz)
Planned changes to Braille meet opposition, and more tips on useful gadgets. 13/12/2011

What we read and how we read it.
Planned changes to Standard English Braille have caused unrest amongst some Braille users. The RNIB say it will be simplify the system and make it easier for children to learn. Critics feel there's been a lack of consultation with current users and fear that a two code system could be confusing.

More advice for people who find themselves losing their sight or have only recently become blind in our Blindness for Beginners series. Today, easy ways of accessing and reading post. Cheap and cheerful gadgets for under a tenner to hi-tech readers which will set you back up to two thousand. Plus if you're working and receiving an Access to Work allowance could hiring a personal reader be the answer.

Presenter Peter White
Producer Cheryl White.


TUE 21:00 All in the Mind (b0184rh1)
Taxi Drivers - Mental Illness and Work - Neuroscience and the Law

London Taxi drivers have to learn 25 000 streets and 20 000 landmarks to qualify and get the Knowledge. New research by Professor Eleanor Maguire from University College London has followed trainee taxi drivers over the years they learn the knowledge and found an area of their brains important for memory and navigation grows in response to learning. Does this mean all our brains have this plastic capacity?

Should you disclose if you have any mental health problems to your employer? Listeners give their opinion and Seaneen Molloy, author of the Secret Life of a Manic depressive talks about her experiences of going back to work.

The Royal Society publishes its latest Brain Waves report on Neuroscience and the Law. Claudia explores what the latest developments in neuroscience could mean for the legal process and asks what kind of new brain based information might be submissible as evidence in court? What are the ethical and legal issues raised by the possibility of predicting criminal behaviour? Could sentencing and probation decisions be influenced by a better knowledge of the brain basis for certain kinds of behaviours? Professor of psychology, Nick Mackintosh and Joanna Glynn, QC discuss what this means for our understanding of decision-making, notions of free will and responsibility and the law.

Producer: Pam Rutherford.


TUE 21:30 The Life Scientific (b0184rfy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 21:58 Weather (b0183cw6)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b0184rh3)
Robin Lustig presents national and international news and analysis.


TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b0184rh5)
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Episode 7

Written by Helen Simonson.
The Major attracts attention when he accompanies Mrs Ali to the annual golf club dinner-dance, this year themed as "An evening at the Mughal Court". The evening ends on a sour note when an inappropriate entertainment is performed, and Mrs Ali delivers some devastating news to the Major.
Abridged by Nigel Lewis.
Read by Sam Dastor.
A BBC Cymru/Wales production directed by Nigel Lewis.


TUE 23:00 The Infinite Monkey Cage (b0183tlt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Monday]


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (b0184rh7)
Sean Curran presents the day's top news stories from Westminster. MPs debate the UK's relationship with the European Union. The Director General of the BBC presents the Corporation's Annual Report to the Culture Committee. And in the House of Lords, peers start early to consider the Health and Social Care Bill.



WEDNESDAY 14 DECEMBER 2011

WED 00:00 Midnight News (b0183cws)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b018scrk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0183cwv)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0183cwx)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0183cwz)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 05:30 News Briefing (b0183cx1)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b018mh2j)
with Revd Canon Stephen Shipley.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (b0184s28)
Will you be eating Brussels sprouts this Christmas? Anna Hill gets to work harvesting cauliflower and sprouts as vegetable growers prepare for the winter food rush.

Latest government figures report a quarter of vegetable growers in the UK are losing money. And the month up to Christmas can be make or break - sales in December provide a third of their year's profit. Anna helps out in the field with farmer Andrew Williams in Ipswich.

And, how much and who should pay to drain farmers' land? Whilst, the Environment Agency used to be responsible for drainage, now it's not legally obliged to protect farmland from flooding. And so with reduced budgets it's pulling the plug on two Cumbrian flood defence schemes that mainly benefit farmers. Caz Graham hears the heated debate from farmers and local residents on who should be responsible.

Presented by Anna Hill. Produced by Clare Freeman in Birmingham.


WED 06:00 Today (b0184s2b)
Morning news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague and Justin Webb, discussing psychological domestic abuse (08:10), Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond's criticism of the EU veto (07:50) and author Alexander McCall Smith's worry over the arrangement of his bookshelves (08:47).


WED 09:00 Midweek (b0184s2d)
This week Libby Purves is joined by Susie McKenna, Peter Bougourd, Professor John Wallwork and Matthew Herbert.

Susie McKenna is Creative Director of the Hackney Empire. A professional actor by training, she grew up in the world of variety, travelling all over the country with her performer parents, and first took to the stage when she was three. She has written and directed this year's Hackney Empire pantomime, 'Cinderella'.

Peter Bougourd was second Cox of the St Peter Port lifeboat, Guernsey. This month is the 30th anniversary of two of the RNLI's most memorable launches: the St Peter Port lifeboat was launched to the cargo ship Bonita, in hurricane force conditions. Of the 29 that the lifeboat rescued, only one died from his injuries in hospital. Six days later, the Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne was launched to the coaster Union Star which had foundered against the Cornish cliffs. The lifeboat was lost and there were no survivors from either boat. It is the worst disaster in the recent history of the RNLI.

Professor John Wallwork performed the world's first triple transplant - heart, lungs and liver, the UK's first successful heart lung transplant and oversaw the UK's first mechanical heart transplant. He features in a BBC Inside Out documentary, 'The Heartman', which follows him as he performs his last transplant at Papworth Hospital before he retires after forty years. 'The Heartman' is on BBC East.

Matthew Herbert is a musician and composer who works principally turning everyday sounds into music. His latest work is an album called ONE PIG, which records the 24 week lifecycle of a pig from birth to table and beyond. ONE PIG is released on Accidental Records.

Producer: Lucinda Montefiore.


WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b018scss)
Craig Taylor - Londoners

Episode 3

By Craig Taylor. Abridged by Pete Nichols.

Craig Taylor's book has given new voice to Londoners; the rich and the poor, the native and the immigrant; men and women. It continues an oral tradition that goes back to Henry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor, published in the mid-nineteenth century.

Taylor gives us the squatter and the teacher; the bicycle mechanic and the registrar; the plumber and the rickshaw rider; the lost property clerk and the Wiccan priestess, who casts the remnants of her spells into the Thames.

These remarkable snapshots of the city dwellers are moving, funny and informative.

"What makes Londoners as valuable as any sociological treatise is Taylor's appreciation of the ways in which his subjects are themselves surveying, analysing and theorising the turbulent city in which they live.... At more than 400 pages, the book could easily have been twice as long... But this remains a remarkable volume, from the heaving, contradictory energy of its countless funny, terrifying, epic stories" Sukhdev Sandhu in The Guardian.

The plumber ..... Ruby King
The squatter ..... Adrian Bower
The personal trainer ..... Osi Okerafor

Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b0184s2g)
Strictly Come Dancing; unemployed children; morning after pill

Presented by Jane Garvey. What can parents do to help young people into work? Strictly Come Dancing dresses - what happens after the show ends?, Redefining Liberal Democrat policy on Domestic Violence, and the new row over the morning after pill sex advert.


WED 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b0184s2j)
Legacy: High Green Walls

Episode 3

Cath Staincliffe's drama series returns with High Green Walls. When the weekly list of unclaimed estates is published, probate researchers, brother and sister team Dan and Rachel, search backwards through the family line to find the true heir.

Spurred on by their discovery of Susan Pellier's most famous paintings, Dan and Rachel are desperate to discover what happened to her twin sister Barbara. If they find an heir they are guaranteed a slice of a substantial fortune.

DAN.....William Ash
RACHEL.....Claire Keelan
SUSAN.....Ellie Meigan Rose
MR WHITE.....Malcolm Raeburn
BARBARA.....Kellie Shirley

Directed by Nadia Molinari.


WED 11:00 Random Edition (b0184s2l)
Prince Albert

Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria and the love of her life, died on December 14th 1861. Nine children were left fatherless.

To mark the 150th anniversary of Albert's demise, Peter Snow uses reports and comment in a single copy of an archive newspaper - the London Daily News - to describe the circumstances of his death and the significance of his loss to the nation. The Daily News carries detail of Albert's slow decline in his last days and the team of doctors who were powerless to revive him. There are accounts of how news of his death spread, not least via the ringing of church bells in a world without radio and telephone. We learn of Victoria's imminent departure for Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, unable to face her husband's funeral. There are accounts of services at which churchgoers grieved at the nation's loss. We read fulsome assessments of Albert's importance in the field of the arts...and of his crucial role in the success of the 1851 Great Exhibition. All these features of the coverage will be brought alive, along with other reports in the paper less obviously a significant part of the story.

With the Daily News reporting the Prince of Wales's return to Windsor from Cambridge University, Peter Snow assesses how far Albert's admonitory visit to his wayward son a few days before in terrible weather contributed to his demise. The Daily News also carries detail on preparations for possible hostilities with the Northern US states, during the Civil War: how far was Albert instrumental in his last days in averting conflict?

The programme includes the latest thinking on Albert's fatal illness, and assesses his behind-the-scenes political significance. Locations include Madingley Hall in Cambridge, Osborne House, Windsor Castle and the Royal Albert Hall

Contributors include: Helen Rappaport, latest biographer of Prince Albert.

Historians Kathleen Burk, Roland Quinault, Adam Smith and Rohan McWilliam.

Michael Hunter of Osborne House. Sue Pemberton of Madingley Hall, Cambridge.

Producer: Andrew Green
An Andrew Green production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 11:30 People In Cars (b00r7rfr)
Sat Love

A businessman spices up his life with excursions to extramarital assignations.

But why is his new sat-nav directing him back home?

One of three comedies set in cars written by Simon Brett.

He ...... Bruce Alexander
She ...... Maureen Beattie

Director: Peter Kavanagh

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2010.


WED 12:00 You and Yours (b0184s2n)
We spent £4.3 billion last year on our pets - that's more than we paid for cakes and bread. Winifred investigates what we spend on our animals - particularly our dogs.

We hear from Geography graduate Cait Reilly who was told to stack shelves at Poundland for 2 weeks in order to claim Jobseekers Allowance. She's launching a legal challenge against the DWP whose new Jobseeker rules
came in earlier this year.

Plus Facebook is working with a 'not for profit' company to set up a 'University' to help unemployed young people develop and create apps.

We have information on a new birth and death 'One Stop Shop' which, it's claimed, will save the government millions of pounds. One phone call should trigger a process in which up to 28 different government departments are contacted on your behalf.

And we speak to the man who owns Britain's oldest fridge.... when was it built?


WED 12:57 Weather (b0183cx3)
The latest weather forecast.


WED 13:00 World at One (b018c5hg)
Martha Kearney presents national and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


WED 13:45 The People's Post: A Narrative History of the Post Office (b0184s2q)
Love Letters

Universal penny postage meant people from all backgrounds could afford to sustain long distance relationships. But it also led to increased pressure: lovers were expected to write two or three times a week, even if they lived in the same town. Sales of letter-writing manuals rocketed, allowing people to copy model examples of the perfect love letter.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,
Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman
A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 14:00 The Archers (b0184rgs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Drama (b0184s2s)
The Lamp

In a remote Scottish library, a farmer's widow and a visiting Kenyan librarian bond unexpectedly over a shared love of books.

Written by Linda Cracknell and recorded on location at Innerpeffray Library in Perthshire, a museum celebrating Scotland's first public lending library.

Directed by Eilidh McCreadie.


WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b0184s2v)
On Money Box Live Paul Lewis and guests take your calls on banking.

2011 has been a busy and expensive year for the banks. Thousands of people are owed billions of pounds for mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance products. Are you one of them and are you yet to receive your money?

Overdraft charges is another hot topic. Do you feel you've been unfairly penalised? What is a fair rate for going into the red without telling your bank beforehand?

Savers in Britain are frustrated at continued low interest rates. With inflation running at around 5% are the banks offering any accounts that provide you with a reasonable rate of return?

Are you one of the growing number of people that bank online? Does it make life easier? Do you worry whether it's safe to manage your money using a computer?

What are your rights if you are in dispute with your bank?

Phone lines open at 1.00 pm 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 All in the Mind (b0184rh1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]


WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b0184s2x)
Tipping points

Laurie Taylor explores the idea of the Tipping Point using a multidisciplinary project at Durham University as a springboard to examine what tipping points are, how they happen and what effect they have. Professor Tim Clark and Professor Pat Waugh from Durham University and Professor Alex Bentley from Bristol University are all involved in the Durham Tipping Points project and they are joined by Dr Shahidha Bari from Queen Mary, London to discuss the idea of the tipping point and what it might tell us about ourselves and our environment - and how, perhaps, we can use our understanding of it to prevent significant problems in areas as diverse as banking and sociology.
Producer: Chris Wilson.


WED 16:30 The Media Show (b0184s2z)
Harriet Harman MP is the new shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport, replacing Ivan Lewis MP. So what are Labour's policies on the media generally and, specifically, on the BBC and on cross-media ownership?

Neville Thurlbeck was chief news reporter at the News of the World when it closed in July, where he had worked for twenty years. He was the reporter on the Max Mosley story and, separately, his name came up in reports of the Gordon Taylor phone hacking scandal when the phrase "for Neville" appeared on an emailed transcript of hacked voicemails. He denies involvement in phone hacking and tells Steve how he tried to clear his name when his connection with it was first suggested.

The producer is Simon Tillotson.


WED 17:00 PM (b0184s31)
Eddie Mair presents the day's top stories. Including Weather.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0183cx5)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 18:30 Heresy (b0184s33)
Series 8

Episode 3

Victoria Coren presents another edition of the show which dares to commit heresy.

Her guests this week are comedian David Mitchell, the Rev Richard Coles and Diane Abbott MP. Together they have fun exposing the wrong-headedness of received wisdom and challenging knee-jerk public reaction to events.

Diane Abbott is happy to argue against the received wisdom that "the Labour Party chose the wrong Miliband" though she can't help observing that the party really should have chosen her, the Rev Richard Coles is happy to speak in defence of parents who go to church just to get their kids into the local faith schools, and David Mitchell is incredulous that anyone would believe that "if a friend is doing something for charity you should sponsor them.

Producer: Brian King
An Avalon Television production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 19:00 The Archers (b0184s35)
Ed has asked if Clarrie will look after Keira and George when Emma goes back to work in January. Joe knows Clarrie's still looking for work herself, and doesn't want her to give up hope. Clarrie assures Joe that it's been agreed. If she gets a job, they'll make other childcare arrangements. She's pleased to be asked. It's nice to know the family still need her.

Neil moans to Tom that Susan's doing too much on Christmas day. She's organising a drinks party straight after church, and cooking a full Christmas dinner which her dad and Gary will be staying on for.

Pat tells Kathy that she wants to find out where Rich goes to school. She's thinking of driving up to Leeds to talk to him. Kathy insists it's not a good idea. It would make Sharon furious, and might turn Rich against her. Pat insists she'd be very careful. She admits Rich doesn't even know she exists but can't see how else she's ever going to see him. Kathy carefully suggests that it might never be possible. Pat can't bear the thought. Her head is full of questions and she has to see him. Kathy begs her not to do it.


WED 19:15 Front Row (b0184s37)
Simon Schama interviewed

With John Wilson.

Historian Simon Schama has selected his pick of works from the Government Art Collection for an exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery. While hanging the exhibition, he reveals how his choices were inspired by the British romance with travelling.

Dame Edna Everage, Ann Widdecombe and Vanilla Ice are all making their pantomime debuts this year. Danny Robins has seen all three and considers the qualities needed for panto success.

A large crane has been lowering a new art project onto the roof of the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London's South Bank today. Created by artist Fiona Banner and architect David Kohn, A Room for London is designed to look like a boat, and is going to be available for people to live and sleep in for a night. The Artangel/Living Architecture project will be there for the whole of 2012. John reports from the site.

Producer Philippa Ritchie.


WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b0184s2j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


WED 20:00 Bringing Up Britain (b0184s39)
Series 4

Feral Kids and Feckless Parents

Programme 1: Feral Kids and Feckless Parents

The August riots in parts of England showed youngsters out of control on the streets, and put huge focus onto parenting skills.

MPs and council leaders warned parents that they should know where their children were at night and keep them indoors and out of trouble.

But parents themselves were saying they were unable to discipline their kids, either because they feared repercussions by the authorities, or because their children were simply physically too strong.

In the first of the new series of "Bringing Up Britain", Mariella Frostrup is joined by a panel of experts to discuss parental discipline right across British society.

How easy is it for us to control our children, especially after they stop being biddable toddlers and begin to assert their own personalities?

Have we given children too many rights and ignored those of parents?

Can you really stop a large teenage child going out, and what restraining measures can you legally use?

And, if your child is going off the rails, how do you break the cycle and get them back into good habits?

Joining Mariella to explore these issues will be:

Charlie Taylor, headteacher and behaviour advisor to the Department of Education;
Sheldon Thomas, who founded "Gangsline" to help youngsters caught up in gangs and their families;
Clem Henricson, social policy analyst and Member of the University of Oxford Centre for Research into Parenting and Children;
Guardian journalist Zoe Williams.

We also find out the results of a poll commissioned by the programme into attitudes to parental discipline.

Producer: Emma Kingsley.


WED 20:45 Four Thought (b0184s3c)
Series 2

Anthony McGowan: Seeing Ourselves as Villains

Anthony McGowan, award-winning author of novels for young adults and teenagers, thinks that the world would be a better place if we cast ourselves as the villains rather than the heroes of our own life stories and he has a personal confession to make.

Four Thought is a series of talks which combine thought provoking ideas and engaging storytelling.

Recorded live in front of an audience at the RSA in London, speakers air their latest thinking on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect our culture and society.

Producer: Sheila Cook.


WED 21:00 Post Mortem (b0184s3f)
Pathologist Professor Sebastian Lucas performs a 'consented' post mortem. As he wrestles with the uncertainties surrounding the patient's death, he shows Geoff Watts why he believes this once common practice remains valuable to modern medicine.

The majority of post mortems today are requested by a coroner, when an unnatural cause of death is suspected. In contrast, 'consented' post mortems are performed when there's uncertainty about a natural death. They're requested by a doctor with permission from relatives.

Until the 1960s, these post mortems played a crucial role in medical practice. Professor Lucas remembers performing about a dozen a week to clarify why people died, teach medical staff and students, and improve clinical practice.

But over his career he's witnessed a sharp decline, and today he performs just one a week.

Understanding why people die matters. Even though developments in scanning and biopsy techniques have improved diagnosis in the living, studies spanning a hundred years show that doctors get the cause of death wrong on the death certificate in up to thirty percent of cases.

Given that mortality statistics affect how resources are allocated within the NHS, Professor Lucas believes crucial public health information is being buried with the dead.

His solution? To boost the number of post mortems on people dying of the diseases upon which most public money is being spent.

Beth Eastwood.


WED 21:30 Midweek (b0184s2d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


WED 21:58 Weather (b0183cx7)
The latest weather forecast.


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b0184n4m)
Unemployment has gone up in the UK to its highest level for 17 years. How much are government policies to be blamed? How much is it due to the crisis in the eurozone? We hear from the Swedish Finance Minister, Anders Borg, on unemployment, growth and the future of the euro.

Also, the Scottish Parliament is to vote today legislation on sectarianism in football and the internet.

Tonight, with Robin Lustig.


WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b0184s3h)
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Episode 8

Written by Helen Simonson.
With Mrs Ali absent from the village shop, Major Pettigrew finds himself visiting Grace for tea and sympathy. Roger drops a bombshell on Christmas morning and the Major finds himself making an unscheduled trip north.
Abridged by Nigel Lewis.
Read by Sam Dastor.
A BBC/Cymru Wales production, directed by Nigel Lewis.


WED 23:00 Detective Sergeant Nick Mohammed (b0184s3k)
Series 1

Episode 1

by Nick Mohammed

"Gosh, there's been a Murder... Ouch!" Join Nick and co. as they attempt to fathom who killed the man with the missing head. No clues as to how he might have died.

Starring Nick Mohammed, Anna Crilly and Colin Hoult

Produced by Victoria Lloyd.

Set at Tilford Road Police Station, Nick is joined by Sergeants Anna Crilly (Lead Balloon, Anna & Katy), Colin Hoult (Life's Too Short, Russell Howard's Good News) as they attempt to solve a different crime each week.

Never have serious crimes been made more entertaining, whilst remaining utterly, utterly tasteful!

About Nick Mohammed...

Nick has just completed filming a lead role in Sky One's new comedy series Gates, due to air later next year and currently features in Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant's latest comedy Life's Too Short, on BBC Two.

Last year Nick featured in BBC One's Reggie Perrin and as a lead in hit new BBC Three comedy series The King Is Dead alongside Simon Bird and Katy Wix. He also starred in BBC Two's Pete & Dud: The Lost Sketches, Miranda, as a guest lead in the season finale of BBC Three's How Not to Live your Life and in all three series of the triple-BAFTA-nominated sketch show Sorry, I've Got No Head for CBBC.

He is currently developing The Making of Mr. Swallow for BBC Television and has just completed his first original film Magic for Channel 4 as part of this year's Coming Up Scheme, and which was shown at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June.


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b0184s3m)
David Cameron faces challenges over the latest rise in unemployment and his decision last week to veto a new European Union treaty.
The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, accuses the Prime Minister of "betraying" a generation. Mr Cameron says the Government will do "all it can" to get people back to work.
Ministers announce a trial badger cull, ahead of an opposition-led debate on the latest jobless figures - the highest in 17 years.
Senior bankers give evidence on plans for a radical shake-up of the industry, while peers debate coalition changes to the welfare system.
David Cornock and team report on today's events in Parliament.



THURSDAY 15 DECEMBER 2011

THU 00:00 Midnight News (b0183cxt)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b018scss)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0183cxw)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0183cxy)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0183cy0)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 05:30 News Briefing (b0183cy2)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b018mgv5)
with Revd Canon Stephen Shipley.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (b0184v2d)
Finally its official, two pilot badger culls will go ahead in England as the government tries to control TB in cattle. Charlotte Smith talks to Secretary of State for the Environment Caroline Spelman. And Farming Today hears from the Food Standards Agency how to avoid the bacteria causing hundreds of thousands of cases of food poisoning each year - Campylobacter.

British farmers are planning to turn Hyde Park in London into a huge advert for British farming in September 2013. The Duke of Edinburgh says the event Farming In The Park will be 'of benefit to a whole generation of urban consumers'. Charlotte hears from director and farmer Andrew Brown that the huge market at the Champs-Elysees was his inspiration.

Presented by Charlotte Smith. Produced by Clare Freeman in Birmingham.


THU 06:00 Today (b0184v2g)
Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather, Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (b0184v2j)
The Concordat of Worms

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Concordat of Worms. This treaty between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire, signed in 1122, put an end, at least for a time, to years of power struggle and bloodshed. The wrangling between the German kings and the Church over who had the ultimate authority to elect bishops, use the ceremonial symbols of office in his coronation and even choose the pope himself, was responsible for centuries of discord. The hatred between the two parties reached such a pinnacle that it resulted in the virtual destruction of Rome at the hands of the Normans in 1084.Nearly forty years later Emperor Henry V and Pope Calixtus II came to a compromise; their agreement became known as the Concordat of Worms, named after the town where they met and signed the treaty. The Concordat created a historic distinction between secular power and spiritual authority, and more clearly defined the respective powers of monarchs and the Church. Although in the short term the Concordat failed to prevent further conflict, some historians believe that it paved the way for the modern nation-state.With:Henrietta LeyserEmeritus Fellow of St Peter's College, University of OxfordKate CushingReader in Medieval History at Keele University John Gillingham Emeritus Professor of History at the London School of Economics and Political Science Producer: Natalia Fernandez.


THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b018scvj)
Craig Taylor - Londoners

Episode 4

By Craig Taylor. Abridged by Pete Nichols.

Craig Taylor's book has given new voice to Londoners; the rich and the poor, the native and the immigrant; men and women. It continues an oral tradition that goes back to Henry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor, published in the mid-nineteenth century.

Taylor gives us the squatter and the teacher; the bicycle mechanic and the registrar; the plumber and the rickshaw rider; the lost property clerk and the Wiccan priestess, who casts the remnants of her spells into the Thames.

These remarkable snapshots of the city dwellers are moving, funny and informative.

"What makes Londoners as valuable as any sociological treatise is Taylor's appreciation of the ways in which his subjects are themselves surveying, analysing and theorising the turbulent city in which they live.... At more than 400 pages, the book could easily have been twice as long... But this remains a remarkable volume, from the heaving, contradictory energy of its countless funny, terrifying, epic stories" Sukhdev Sandhu in The Guardian.

The registrar ..... Claire Rushbrook
The bike mechanic ..... Sophie Stanton

Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b0184v2l)
Yotam Ottolenghi - Cook the Perfect... Baba Ganoush

Presented by Jane Garvey. Do Sex offenders use the same language as lad's mags? Yotam Ottolenghi - Cook the Perfect...Baba Ganoush, Rana Jawad on women and the Arab Spring and is there a shift towards strong female leads in film.


THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b0184v2n)
Legacy: High Green Walls

Episode 4

Cath Staincliffe's drama series returns with High Green Walls. When the weekly list of unclaimed estates is published, probate researchers, brother and sister team Dan and Rachel, search backwards through the family line to find the true heir and get a slice of the fortune.
Their quest to find out what happened to deceased artist Susie P's twin sister Barbara leads them to a heartbreaking discovery.

DAN....William Ash
RACHEL.....Claire Keelan
SUSAN.....Ellie Meigan Rose
MR WHITE ..Malcolm Raeburn
MR COTTESLOE.....Jonathan Keeble
CLERK/ KELLY.....Fiona Clarke

Directed by Nadia Molinari.


THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b0184v2q)
China's Migrant Worker Mega-City

The world economy has pinned its hopes on China's economy, which depends on over 150 million migrant workers and their labour. The system of internal migration, based on the idea that workers do not settle in the places they work, has sustained an economic miracle and rapid development. But the country has seen a summer of unrest, with rioting among migrants in the Pearl River Delta and angry reactions to the injustices of the system. Mukul Devichand visits Guangzhou, the southern metropolis where 7 million migrants form half the population. There is anger and frustration with the hukou, China's "internal passport." Meanwhile, the city is now also home to communities from around the world, with 100,000 Africans adding to the already sensitive ethnic mix. How will the city change under the pressure of migration, and will its economic success survive the social tensions?


THU 11:30 The Unsettled Dust: The Strange Stories of Robert Aickman (b0184v2s)
Screenwriter Jeremy Dyson praises the supernatural stories of British author and conservationist Robert Aickman and argues they should receive greater recognition for their contribution to literature.

Robert Aickman was the grandson of the prolific Victorian novelist Richard Marsh whose occult thriller The Beetle (1897) was in its time as popular as Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Aickman is best remembered today for co-founding the Inland Waterways Association, but his Grandfather's work influenced him to write around fifty so called "strange" stories involving the supernatural and macabre over a thirty year period starting in the late forties.

In recent years League of Gentlemen writer Dyson has adapted Aickman's work into various forms of Drama including the BBC Radio Four play 'Ringing the Changes'.

By speaking with fans of Aickman and introducing students to his work for the first time, Dyson argues that Aickman's literary gifts have been undervalued and during his lifetime he should have received greater critical acclaim.


THU 12:00 You and Yours (b0184v2v)
The UK's first try before you buy shop

Do parking charges help or hinder high street trade? Westminster Council in London plans to introduce charges on Sundays and weekday evenings, but other councils are dropping theirs to encourage trade. Businesswoman and potter Emma Bridgewater joins us to talk about her experiences of running a business in areas with and without charges.

More than 95 percent of primary school children spend at least two hours a week doing PE, according to government figures. But You and Yours has found out that the reality is rather different.

And 'try - vertising'. We hear about the shop that lets people take home five items a month to try - so long as they complete a questionnaire on each product, and pay a small annual fee. Will it catch on or is it a marketing gimmick?

Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Steven Williams.


THU 12:57 Weather (b0183cy4)
The latest weather forecast.


THU 13:00 World at One (b018c5lv)
Martha Kearney presents national and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


THU 13:45 The People's Post: A Narrative History of the Post Office (b0184v2x)
A Community Hub

During the nineteenth century the post office became a central pillar in the community; a symbol of order, stability and public service. As well as stamps and stationary, sub-postmasters supplied news, advice and local gossip. From 1862 the Post Office Savings Bank offered savings accounts to poorer people for the first time.

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,
Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman
A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 14:00 The Archers (b0184s35)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama (b00qpq1q)
Ray Connolly - God Bless Our Love

An uplifting, romantic comedy about a priest and a nun who fall in love and leave their orders to marry and begin a new life together. By Ray Connolly

Michael................David Neilson
Eleanor............Alexandra Mathie
Jane..............Fiona Clarke
Darrell..............Joe Ransom
Fr Dermot..............Stephen Tomlin
Suzy............Cherylee Houston

Produced by Charlotte Riches.


THU 15:00 Open Country (b0184v2z)
Snowdonia: Search and Rescue Dog Association

The Search and Rescue Dog Association (SARDA) Wales is a specialist element of Mountain Rescue in England and Wales responsible for the training and deployment of dogs to search for missing people in the mountains and on the moorlands of Britain as well as lowland, rural and urban areas. When someone is missing in a rural or mountain environment, a dog team can be more effective than 4 teams of people, covering large areas much faster and effectively. For the handlers and trainers who bring their dogs along to be trained in this work, this work is voluntary and something that they do out of their sheer love of the great outdoors and, of course, the reward of working so closely with their dogs to search for missing people. Helen Mark joins some of the experienced, and not so experienced, dogs and handlers at the foot of Cader Idris in the Snowdonia National Park to find out what this work involves, how important it is to the search teams and to the people they help and to hear why 'one man (or woman!) and their dog are such a fundamental part of the British landscape.

Helen meets Helen Howe, an experienced trainer and handler, who explains how the dogs and their handlers are trained to search and rescue missing people. It can take around 3 years to train a new puppy to become a fully qualified Search Dog and Helen Howe explains how this is done. Between then, Helen and Cluania have had several successful finds. However, it is impossible to train a search dog without the invaluable help of a team of people called 'dogsbodies' and Helen Mark then meets up with Emmer Litt who has been volunteering herself as a 'body' for over four years. At each training event, Emmer spends her time hiding out in the hills that she loves with a good book and a flask of tea waiting to be 'found' by the dogs in training. Without the help of people like Emmer it is impossible to train a search dog because they need someone to search for and so Helen joins trainee handler, Rob Johnson, and his dog Skye as they set off in the hunt for Emmer who is now hidden somewhere under Snowdonia's autumn sunshine in the foothills of Cader Idris.

Finally, Helen joins handler Iain Nicholson and his dog, Mij, who is a trailing dog. Together they demonstrate for Helen how Mij works in a scent specific way by following the actual scent of the person that is missing. Iain and Mij work from the place that the missing person was last seen and have been extremely successful in locating people in more lowland and urban areas as well as helping out with the Mountain Rescue Teams of the Lake District.

Being part of SARDA is extremely important to the handlers and dogs that are involved but their continued presence on the British landscape is just as vital to the people that they help to rescue each year.

Presenter: Helen Mark
Producer: Helen Chetwynd.


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b0183h3f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:55 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Open Book (b0183r3s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]


THU 16:00 The Film Programme (b0184v31)
Francine Stock talks to two of the brightest stars in British cinema, the actor, Eddie Marsan and the director, Carol Morley.

Carol's documentary, Dreams of a Life, is being hailed as one of the most accomplished and disturbing films of the year. Its a story of casual neglect -- no harm intended more a case of someone just slipping off the radar -- but it ends in death. A young woman's body is discovered in a North London flat ...there are three years worth of bills on the floor and the television is still playing....all the ingredients for a film noir...or a modern morality tale.

Dreams of a Life inhabits the same recognisably contemporary world as Paddy Considine's award winning, Tyrannosaur -- just one of the films featuring Eddie Marsan this year. He's also in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Junkhearts and next year he'll appear in Spielberg's Warhorse and, as a dwarf, in Snow White and The Huntsman. As Francine discovered he believes in mixing and matching and revels in the variety.

Francine hears from the critics too -- Andrew Collins gives his verdict on the nominations for this year's Golden Globes and Jonathan Romney and Hannah McGill pick the year's best foreign language films and look forward to 2012.

Producer: Zahid Warley.


THU 16:30 Material World (b0184v33)
Quentin Cooper presents the latest on the search for the Higgs particle, hears about a scheme to pair scientists with members of Parliament, announces the next group of shortlisted candidates for So You Want to Be a Scientist and sniffs the smell of the Moon from a lunar exhibition in Liverpool.

Producer: Martin Redfern.


THU 17:00 PM (b0184v35)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0183cy6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 18:30 Elvenquest (b016pynv)
Series 3

Episode 3

The third episode in series of the sitcom set in Lower Earth. The Questers, continuing their search for the Sword of Asnagar, the only weapon capable of ridding their land from the tyranny of the evil Lord Darkness, find themselves needing to take a short cut through the mysterious mines of Grazak-Dun. The only man who can help them enter the mines, however, is the Master Stonemason of Grazak-Dun.

Luckily, the Master Stonemason of Grazak-Dun also happens to be Dean's dad. Problem is, Dean's dad hates Dean. So the Questers must hatch a plan that'll help Dean win back the respect of his father...

Meanwhile, Lord Darkness is given the honour of writing the "Big Book of Evil", a task which he takes on with relish. But he soon finds that, as everyone knows, it's one thing to say you'll write a book, and quite another to actually sit down and write one...

Starring:

Darren Boyd as Vidar
Kevin Eldon as Dean/Kreech
Dave Lamb as Amis, aka The Chosen One
Stephen Mangan as Sam
Alistair McGowan as Lord Darkness
John Sessions as Little Dick
and
Sophie Winkleman as Penthiselea

Writers: Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto
Producer: Sam Michell.


THU 19:00 The Archers (b0184v37)
Fallon's impressed by the provisional list of dishes for the Christmas cabaret. Lynda's pleased that tickets look like selling out, so Fallon could well be catering for a full house.

Although Eamonn and Sharon wish Tony had never got in touch, they've talked it through and are prepared to let Tony and Pat see Rich - once and once only. It has to be a short meeting in a public place and they're not to tell Rich that they're his grandparents. They're just to say they're old friends. Eamonn will let Tony know when they've decided on a venue and a date.

Bert alerts David to a pool of slurry leaking into the pasture. It's bad, and David fears it might get into the brook, which would be a disaster. Clem the engineer confirms that something's given way in the lagoon. He agrees it could well be the result of badgers. The lagoon must be drained but Clem is unable to find anyone with spare capacity to take the offending slurry. David has no option but to confess the breach to the Environment Agency. David knows that even by doing everything by the book, he could still be fined. At the moment, dairy farming is one problem after another.


THU 19:15 Front Row (b0184v39)
David Fincher; Crime Books; Vikram Seth

With Mark Lawson.

David Fincher's directing credits include The Social Network, Fight Club, Se7en and Alien3, and his latest film is an adaptation of Stieg Larsson's book The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, starring Daniel Craig. Fincher discusses his approach to filming a book that has already sold 65 million copies worldwide and been made into a successful trilogy of movies in Swedish.

Mark Lawson and Jeff Park make their selection of crime books for Christmas including works by P D James, Umberto Eco and Anthony Horowitz.

Vikram Seth is best known for his novel A Suitable Boy, but he's also written a series of opera libretti, as part of a collaboration with composer Alec Roth, and now published as The Rivered Earth. Vikram Seth discusses the working process and how a former owner of his house made a mark on the project.

Producer Nicki Paxman.


THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b0184v2n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


THU 20:00 The Report (b0184v3c)
Computer Hacking

As police from Operation Tuleta warn former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain that his computer may have been hacked, Jane Dodge investigates the use of the practice by the press. Tom Watson MP tells 'The Report' that computer hacking could potentially 'dwarf' the phone hacking scandal.

The Leveson Enquiry into media ethics has been hearing from celebrities and victims of crime whose phones have been hacked. But other witnesses including former military intelligence officer Ian Hurst have given details of how their computers were hacked. One of his correspondents tells us how the detail revealed could have put lives at risk.

The Report talks exclusively to Joe Poulton - not his real name - who as an undercover operative spent time amid the culture of lawbreaking in the offices of private detective firm, Southern Investigations in London. The former police officer was there for nearly a decade until 2006 gathering intelligence on an unrelated matter. He reveals that computer hacking along with other unlawful techniques, was used in connection with stories for News International and other newspapers.

The Report has spoken to another victim, also involved in Northern Ireland, who believes he was hacked to supply information to the press.

The nature and character of the targets of computer hacking raise questions about personal safety and national security. Tom Watson MP a high profile critic of the press tells The Report that the computer hacking scandal could "potentially dwarf the phone hacking scandal'.

Producer: Paul Grant.


THU 20:30 In Business (b0184v3f)
Cuba Now

CUBA NOW

After 53 years of revolution, President Raul Castro is trying to change the state-controlled Cuban economy with moves to promote private employment, and an open market in secondhand cars and home. Peter Day reports from Havana on an island where in many ways time has been standing still for half a century.

Producer Julie Ball
Editor Stephen Chilcott.


THU 21:00 Saving Species (b0184rg6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Tuesday]


THU 21:30 In Our Time (b0184v2j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


THU 21:58 Weather (b0183cy8)
The latest weather forecast.


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b0184n5v)
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin hits back at his critics - he says the recent parliamentary election was fair and claims protestors have been paid to demonstrate. We hear reaction from the activists

The Governor of the French Central Bank says ratings agencies are incomprehensible and irrational - and that the UK should be downgraded. Does he have a point?

And the 'Occupy' movement digs in for winter in Bristol.

With Robin Lustig.


THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b0184v3h)
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Episode 9

Written by Helen Simonson.
Major Pettigrew meets Mrs Ali's family and finds out why she's been ignoring his letters. They plan their escape back to Edgecome St Mary, where the Major effects a dramatic rescue.
Abridged by Nigel Lewis.
Read by Sam Dastor.
A BBC Cymru/Wales production directed by Nigel Lewis.


THU 23:00 Weird Tales (b01nrrbs)
Series 3

The Burial of Tom Nobody by Richard Vincent

The Reverend Braiden is forced to embark on a through-the-night road trip by a mysterious trio who threaten him with a terrifying test of faith at its end.

Series of chilling plays for winter nights.

Peter ..... Geoffrey Streatfeild
Silas ..... James Lailey
Sarah ..... Lynne Verrall
Michael ..... Simon Bubb
Eleanor ..... Tracy Wiles
Police Officer .. Paul Moriarty

Director: Gemma Jenkins

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2011.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b0184v3m)
Sean Curran presents the day's top news stories from Westminster.



FRIDAY 16 DECEMBER 2011

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b0183cyv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b018scvj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0183cyx)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0183cyz)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0183cz1)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b0183cz3)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b018mgvk)
with Revd Canon Stephen Shipley.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b0184vgy)
Charlotte Smith asks why haven't there been home-grown cranberries before? We've been eating them for decades, but now we can grow them too. Farming Today hear the first British cranberries are in the shops.

And a Happy Christmas from dairy cows in the Midlands and North East. Moos were recorded and digitally remastered into Christmas songs, now available as Mootunes ringtones. Charlotte talks to John Chapman - a dairy farmer from Middlesbrough, one of the farmers to blame.

The next week is going to be busy in the shops and fields as farmers race against time to get their winter Christmas veg into the shops. Veg which once was traditional, staple Christmas fare could now be on the way out. Charlotte discusses our changing tastes with Christopher Stocks on a visit to Brixton Market in South London.

Presented by Charlotte Smith. Produced by Clare Freeman in Birmingham.


FRI 06:00 Today (b0184vh0)
With James Naughtie and Evan Davis. Including Yesterday in Parliament, Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b0183p69)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Sunday]


FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b018scwh)
Craig Taylor - Londoners

Episode 5

By Craig Taylor. Abridged by Pete Nichols.

Craig Taylor's book has given new voice to Londoners; the rich and the poor, the native and the immigrant; men and women. It continues an oral tradition that goes back to Henry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor, published in the mid-nineteenth century.

Taylor gives us the squatter and the teacher; the bicycle mechanic and the registrar; the plumber and the rickshaw rider; the lost property clerk and the Wiccan priestess, who casts the remnants of her spells into the Thames.

These remarkable snapshots of the city dwellers are moving, funny and informative.

"What makes Londoners as valuable as any sociological treatise is Taylor's appreciation of the ways in which his subjects are themselves surveying, analysing and theorising the turbulent city in which they live.... At more than 400 pages, the book could easily have been twice as long... But this remains a remarkable volume, from the heaving, contradictory energy of its countless funny, terrifying, epic stories" Sukhdev Sandhu in The Guardian.

The lost property clerk ..... Paul Ritter

Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b0184vh2)
The case for free child care; How not to nag; The agony and ecstasy of the school play

With Jenni Murray.

Following the execution earlier this week of a woman in Saudi Arabia convicted of 'practising witchcraft', we discuss why and where women are still being murdered following sorcery accusations.

Free child care would raise millions of pounds for the government by enabling mothers to return to work, according to a new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). The think tank says tax revenues that would result would exceed the cost of providing care for all pre-school children. Graham Cook Associate Social policy director from the IPPR and Jill Kirby, Policy Analyst and writer join the programme to discuss how this could this boost the economy and if it would mean living in a nanny state?

Meanwhile with only ten days left to go until Christmas many of us are still frantically trying to get everything done and are probably in very real danger of being accused of being a 'nag'. Lucy Cavendish and Martin Kelner
join the programme to discuss how to stop, and still get your way.

And, Jenni explores the emotional rollercoaster of the Christmas school production with Maggie Fox, one half of comedy duo, 'Lip Service' and with music teacher , Hannah Black . You've made the costume, the whole family knows the lines , and finally the curtain goes up. Watching your child perform on stage - is it agony, ecstasy or possibly a little bit of both.

Producer Helen Roberts.


FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b0184vh4)
Legacy: High Green Walls

Episode 5

Cath Staincliffe's drama series returns with High Green Walls. When the weekly list of unclaimed estates is published, probate researchers, brother and sister team Dan and Rachel, search backwards through the family line to find the true heir and get a slice of the fortune.

The search for deceased reclusive artist Susie P's heir is finally over. Twin sister Barbara is still alive but Dan and Rachel are disturbed to discover that she has been living in an institution since the 1950's following a leucotomy that left her severely disabled.

DAN.....William Ash
RACHEL.....Claire Keelan
SUSAN.....Ellie Meigan Rose
BARBARA.....Kellie Shirley
MR WHITE.....Malcolm Raeburn
KELLY.....Fiona Clarke

Directed by Nadia Molinari.


FRI 11:00 The Bob Graham Round (b0184vh6)
The Bob Graham Round is perhaps the most gruelling of all Fell Running challenges. Athletes have to climb 42 peaks, run about 70 miles and ascend 27 000 feet - which is about the height of Everest from sea level - all in a period of 24 hours. The run takes place in the glorious beauty of The Lake District, with its rapidly changing weather and underfoot conditions. It's a challenge which unites two diverse motivators of great art : human endeavour and the beauty of nature.

This year, while determined runners made their attempts at the Bob Graham Round, a young Italian composer has been writing a brand new piece of music that celebrates fell running in The Lakes. Maurizio Malagnini had never visited Cumbria before and had never heard of fell running. Ironically these were two of the reasons he was asked to write a new piece of work for the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, they wanted to see how fresh eyes would be inspired.

The programme follows two stories: the development of Maurizio's composition and the attempt of two runners seeking to complete The Bob Graham Round.


FRI 11:30 North by Northamptonshire (b0184vh8)
Series 2

Episode 3

A visiting choir sets hearts aflutter amongst the ladies of Wadenbrook, while Mary's dad, Norman, has an adventure of his own.

Sheila Hancock narrates the bittersweet adventures of the residents of a small town in Northamptonshire.

Written by Katherine Jakeways.

John Biggins................................Keith
Mackenzie Crook...........................Rod
Felix Dexter...............................Arnold
Kevin Eldon...................Jonathan / Ken
Shelia Hancock....................... Narrator
Jessica Henwick...........................Helen
Katherine Jakeways........ Esther / Jacqui
Felicity Montagu..............................Jan
Geoffrey Palmer........................Norman
Lizzie Roper..............................Angela
Penelope Wilton............................Mary
Rufus Wright................................Frank

Producer: Victoria Lloyd

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2011


FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b0184vhb)
What's an emergency and what's not, when it comes to getting health treatment under your travel insurance policy? We speak to the family facing a £20,000 medical bill.

We investigate how companies blacklisted by the Olympic Games organisers are still managing to advertise tickets for London 2012.

And we speak to Baroness Margaret Ford s chair of the company, which was set up to develop and manage the Olympic Park after the Game.

Presented by Peter White
Producer Beverley Purcell.


FRI 12:57 Weather (b0183cz5)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 13:00 World at One (b018c5n8)
Shaun Ley presents national and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


FRI 13:45 The People's Post: A Narrative History of the Post Office (b0184vhd)
The Postal Worker's Strike

By 1890, Britain had a state of the art postal service with six daily deliveries in Britain's towns. To achieve this service, delivery staff often worked six day weeks with shifts split over a twelve or fourteen hour day. In sorting offices, postal staff complained of leaky roofs and inadequate toilets. Worse still, postmen weren't permitted their own independent union, and in 1890 frustration turned to industrial action.

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook
Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart
Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman
A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 14:00 The Archers (b0184v37)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Drama (b0184vhg)
Mike Walker - Beyond Borders

Written by Mike Walker.

1950, much of Europe still lies in ruins from the Second World War. Germany is crushed and the Allies are divided about allowing the country to rebuild in the face of a growing Soviet threat.

Jean Monnet is charged with planning the reconstruction of France. Appalled by the devastation of two world wars, he is a highly efficient technocrat and a thinker who knows how to influence politicians. For years he has believed in European collaboration to secure a peaceful and prosperous future. Monnet's vision is for a radical realignment of Europe, not by one nation asserting itself over another, but by negotiation, integration and ultimately, through political and economic unification.

Monnet knows he has to move swiftly. Within days the Allies will decide the future of Germany at a conference in London. He gathers a small group in his cottage outside Paris to thrash out a revolutionary plan to bring the coal and steel industries of France and Germany together. Working with the Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman, Monnet plots how far to press his idea. His grand vision of unification remains in the background - the focus is on the practicalities of getting the two nations on board.

Monnet's team produces 9 drafts, arguing intensely about what can be achieved and how it should be implemented. With a radical plan agreed, Schuman dispatches a secret envoy to the German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer to bring him on board.

When on 9th May Schuman outlines the plan that bears his name and leads to the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community, many in the room are taken aback at its boldness, but few predict how the Schuman Declaration will become the founding document for the European Union, and a catalyst for those pursuing Monnet's vision of a United States of Europe.

Producer: Richard Clemmow
A Perfectly Normal production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b0184vhj)
Sutton Coldfield

Eric Robson chairs a Q&A with Anne Swithinbank, Bob Flowerdew and Matthew Wilson.
How to: prune a Forest Pansy as well as how best detect truffles. In addition, the panel's favourite fruit and vegetable varieties.

Questions were addressed in the programme:
I've oak saplings impregnated with summer truffle. Will I see a crop?
Suggestions for Christmas plant decorations for a church (not Holly)
Suggestions included: Cornus Alba, Cotoneaster Watereri and of course spray-painting leek heads.
Can I prune my Forest Pansy to encourage upward growth?
What is the panel's view on irrigation during drought etc.?
Should I cut off all the foliage on my Hellibores before it flowers or just the damaged ones?

Produced by Howard Shannon
A Somethin' Else production by BBC Radio 4.


FRI 15:45 Afternoon Reading (b00szzmz)
A Little More Love in the Afternoon

Thursdays

Written by Adele Parks.

Read by Francesca Dymond.

As she celebrates her thirty-first birthday eating left-over shepherd's pie in the company of her whining young children and disinterested husband, Ginny longs to find a way to make her life thrilling again.

Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.


FRI 16:00 Last Word (b0184w5r)
Christopher Hitchens, Lynn Margulis, George Whitman and Jerry Robinson

John Wilson on:

Christopher Hitchens, a giant of modern political journalism, who targeted tyranny, corruption and religion in print.

Microbiologist Lynn Margulis, whose theories about evolution brought about new understanding of cellular development.

George Whitman, owner of the world famous Shakespeare and co. bookshop in Paris.

And Jerry Robinson, the comic strip artist who created the character of Batman's faithful sidekick Robin and his arch villain The Joker.


FRI 16:30 More or Less (b0184w5t)
Higgs Boson:
In the week that scientists at the Large Hadron Collider announced that the most coveted prize in particle physics - the Higgs boson - may have been found, Tim Harford hears how everyone is getting confused about how to report statistical significance. Robert Matthew of Aston University says the meaning of 2, 3 and 5-sigma evidence is being misinterpreted by science journalists and some of the physicists themselves.

Medieval mathematics:
Tim Harford talks to author Keith Devlin about how Fibonacci revolutionised trade by introducing medieval businessmen to simple arithmetic.

How (not) to corner a market:
Performance artist Jamie Moakes is trying to corner the market in a 1980s plastic doll from cartoon series He- Man. Tim Harford explores the difficulties of Jamie's quest to push up the price of something that for many years no one has much wanted. He hears from Professor Eric Smith of the University of Essex who says that there is no saying why certain items gain value, although in this instance Jamie may struggle to achieve his goal. He also hears lessons from history from John Gapper of the Financial Times.

Producer: Ruth Alexander
More or Less is made in association with the Open University.


FRI 17:00 PM (b0184w5w)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0183cz7)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 18:30 The Now Show (b0184w5y)
Series 35

Episode 6

Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are joined by Jon Holmes, Alun Cochrane, Laura Shavin and Mitch Benn for the last in the current series.

Back in February 2012.

Producer: Katie Tyrrell.


FRI 19:00 The Archers (b0184w60)
Brian and Jennifer agree that Ruairi seems to have enjoyed his first term at Saint Francis School. Jennifer tells Brian that she's confirmed they'll go to Neil and Susan's for drinks on Christmas morning. She wishes Debbie would be home in time to join them. Brian wishes he didn't have to socialise with the entire Horrobin clan.

Eamonn calls Tony again. The meeting needs to be this Sunday, before Sharon talks herself out of it, at the Christmas market in Leeds. Eamonn emphasis that they're not to mention John, and once it's over there'll be no more contact, unless Rich ever asks about his past.

David tells Pip about the leaking slurry lagoon. He's proved the damage has been caused by badgers. Clem the engineer can put in a repair to get them through to the time when it's legal to spread slurry again. But they need a long-term fix, and lining it is going to cost £20k.

Tony confesses to Pat that he's been in touch with Eamonn, and explains their brief opportunity to see Rich. Pat's stunned, but clutches at straws and suggests they might allow more contact. Tony tells her that won't happen. A moment's chat is all there is. She has to decide if it's enough.


FRI 19:15 Front Row (b0184w62)
Former Python Terry Jones, young James Herriot and Morse on TV

With Mark Lawson.

Former Monty Python star Terry Jones has now written 26 books. His latest, Evil Machines, is a collection of 13 short stories which explore what happens when everyday objects take on a life of their own. He discusses the inspiration for the book, life as a Python and his relationship with the group now.

The young lives of James Herriot and Inspector Morse will soon arrive on our TV screens. Glasgow in the 1930s is the setting for the adventures of James Herriot as an idealistic student vet; and Endeavour turns the clock back to 1965, when the young Morse is in Oxford to hunt for a missing schoolgirl. Rebecca Nicholson and Chris Dunkley assess the new portrayals of two much-loved TV characters.

And conductor Jeremy Summerly gives an illustrated guide at the keyboard to those underrated Christmas carols which deserve to be better known.

Producer Jerome Weatherald.


FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b0184vh4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b0184w64)
Stepney, London

Jonathan Dimbleby presents a panel discussion of news and politics from Sir John Cass Red Coat School in Stepney, London with broadcaster and former Cabinet minister, Michael Portillo; poet Andrew Motion; veteran foreign correspondent and broadcaster, Dame Ann Leslie; and vice-chair of the Liberal Democrats' National Policy Committee and Hacked Off activist, Dr Evan Harris.

Producer: Victoria Wakely.


FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b0184w66)
Climate Change Belief

Lisa Jardine thinks selective hearing skews the debate over climate change and urges climate scientists to fully engage in a conversation with their sceptical critics. "Graphs and pie charts have evidently failed to convince. Perhaps a more discursive approach which focuses on observable change backed up by scientific evidence may be more persuasive."

Producer: Sheila Cook.


FRI 21:00 The People's Post: A Narrative History of the Post Office (b0184w68)
Becoming the People's Post

The arrival of Universal Penny Postage in 1840 marked the beginning of the post office as a genuine public service. Introduced by the social reformer, Rowland Hill, he argued that lowering the cost of postage would mean more people would send more letters leading to wider social benefits and increased profits. As secretary of the post office, Hill oversaw the implementation of the world's first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black.

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. The Post Office has become a cherished social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world.

It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,
Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman
A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 21:58 Weather (b0183cz9)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b0184nbd)
EU and IMF walk out on Hungary bail-out talks.More economic trouble in Europe as France and Britain fight a war of words.

Papua New Guinea has two governments. We hear about a constitutional wrangle that's got out of hand.

Bradley Manning to appear in court.Should whistleblowers have rights if they're in the military?

with Ritula Shah.


FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b0184w6b)
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Episode 10

Written by Helen Simonson.
The Major is accidentally injured during a showdown at the clifftop but all ends happily for Roger, Mrs Ali and himself when Major Pettigrew finally wins his prize.
Abridged by Nigel Lewis.
Read by Sam Dastor.
A BBC Cymru/Wales production directed by Nigel Lewis.


FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b0184rgn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]


FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b0184w6d)
Mark D'Arcy with the day's top news stories from Westminster.