SATURDAY 31 AUGUST 2013

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (b038z847)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SAT 00:30 Book of the Week (b0395rgg)
Alyn Shipton - Nilsson: The Life of a Singer-Songwriter

Episode 5

Paul McCartney and John Lennon described him as the Beatles' "favorite group," and yet no figure in popular music is as much of a paradox as Harry Nilsson. A major celebrity at a time when stadium rock was in its infancy and huge concerts and festivals were becoming the norm, Nilsson's instrument was the studio, his stage the dubbing booth, his greatest technical triumphs were masterful examples of studio craft, and he studiously avoided live performance.

He was a gifted composer of songs for a wide variety of performers, having created vivid flights of imagination for the Ronettes, the Yardbirds and the Monkees, yet Nilsson's own biggest hits were almost all written, ironically, by other composers and lyricists. He won two Grammies, had two top ten singles, and numerous album successes. Once described by his producer Richard Perry as "the finest white male singer on the planet," near the end of his life, his career was marked by voice-damaging substance abuse.

Kerry Shale reads extracts from this first ever full-length biography of Nilsson, in which author Alyn Shipton traces Nilsson's life from his Brooklyn childhood to his Los Angeles adolescence, and charts his gradual move into the spotlight as a talented songwriter. With interviews from Nilsson's friends, family and associates, and material drawn from an unfinished draft autobiography Nilsson was writing prior to his death, Shipton probes beneath the enigma and the paradox to discover the real Harry Nilsson, and reveals one of the most creative talents in 20th century popular music.

Credits:

NILSSON: THE LIFE OF A SINGER-SONGWRITER
BY ALYN SHIPTON

ABRIDGED BY LIBBY SPURRIER

Reader: Kerry Shale

PRODUCER: JOANNA GREEN
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b038z849)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b038z84c)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at 5.20am.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b038z84f)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (b038z84j)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b038zt9q)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ed Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths, Cambridge.


SAT 05:45 iPM (b038zt9s)
'I flew a Super Puma through a tornado' - we hear about life as a North Sea Helicopter pilot. And with thousands of refugees leaving Syria, we try to answer one question from a listener - 'who is left in Syria?' Your News is read by John Simpson. Email iPM@bbc.co.uk.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (b038z84l)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SAT 06:04 Weather (b038z84n)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (b038ynz7)
Beer Quarry Caves

The history of Britain's cathedrals is celebrated but much less so that of the quarries and quarrymen, who hewed the stone they're built of. On this week's Open Country, Helen Mark rectifies that. With her hard hat to hand she goes underground in the South West.

She explores Devon's Beer Quarry Caves which supplied Exeter cathedral with the highest quality limestone, reserved for some of the finest carvings in this and many other medieval churches.

Helen meets John Scott who fought hard to make sure that the Beer Quarry Caves weren't demolished in the 1980s. John is a master storyteller who conjures the underground world of generations of anonymous masons and quarrymen at the caves, which are open to the public. They're joined by master mason Peter Dare.At Exeter cathedral the archaeologist John Allan shows Helen the tracery windows and high ribbed ceilings, all carved from the characteristic creamy white Beer stone.

Producer: Mark Smalley.


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (b0397rq3)
Farming Today This Week

Anna Hill journeys into the centre of the Somerset badger cull zone and talks to local people about the impact of the first week of the pilot programme. She meets an anti-cull campaigner who has vowed to patrol the area every night for the duration of the six-week cull, listening out for gunshots and looking out for injured badgers - and still get up for work the next morning! Anna also gets the farmer's view from the NFU's county chairman for Somerset.

And Caz Graham looks into the TB control policies of other areas of the UK, and asks whether events in Somerset are relevant to farmers in Wales, Northern Ireland and TB-free Scotland.

Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Anna Jones.


SAT 06:57 Weather (b038z84q)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 07:00 Today (b0397rq5)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (b0397rq7)
Michael Rosen

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by writer and broadcaster, Michael Rosen, former SOE operative Noreen Riols and senior surgeon David Nott who talks about working in war and disaster zones. They hear the Inheritance Tracks of cook, writer and broadcaster Simon Hopkinson, the soothing sounds of a chess clock and share the memories of Edith Lee-Payne who was 12 and present when Martin Luther King made his famous speech.
Producer: Chris Wilson.


SAT 10:30 Punt PI (b0397vqx)
Series 6

Pitchfork Murder - Lower Quinton

In 1945 on St Valentine's Day the elderly farmworker Charles Walton was found murdered. A pitchfork pinned him to the ground and horrible wounds had been inflicted on person. But seemingly Walton had no enemies and there appeared to be no motive. Who could be the murderer and why?

Various suspects came into the frame: a boot maker, a Nazi, a "swarthy" Italian prisoner of War, and a local farmer .

None of the motives seem credible: a stolen watch, a small amount of money, or could it have been because of witchcraft?

But why had the farmer deliberately left his finger prints on the murder weapon when he discovered the body in front of witnesses? Why was the Italian POW covered in blood? Why had Walton been murdered with a pitchfork, could it have been a copycat witchcraft murder? Even the famous detective Fabian of Scotland Yard was baffled, so will Steve Punt PI do any better?

With the help of Betty Smith, Warwickshire's answer to Miss Marple, Steve unpicks one clue after another and believes he may have an answer.


SAT 11:00 The Forum (b039825r)
Crystals

Bridget Kendall discusses the incredibly varied uses and meanings of crystals with cave scientist Penny Boston, whose work takes her deep underground to study ancient life forms trapped inside the earth's largest crystals; biophysicist Elspeth Garman who, with the help of robots, can spend years growing one perfect protein crystal in her lab; and artist Roger Hiorns who has encrusted many objects with sparkling blue copper sulphate crystals, including the entire interior of a derelict London bedsit.

(Photo: Liberata; taken by Giovanni Badino © SpeleoResearch&Film-LaVenta-C/Producciones)


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (b0397x1v)
A Banquet of Unpalatable Choices

Correspondents tell their stories: Mark Mardell in Washington on difficult decisions for President Obama: Charles Haviland, off for dinner with the departing president of Pakistan, ponders over the milk pudding on the legacy Asif Ali Zardari leaves behind; a different perspective on the state of Chinese justice comes from John Sudworth, who was covering the trial in Jinan of ousted politician Bo Xilai; as immigration tops the election headlines in Australia, Jon Donnison tells the story of a refugee who made it from the civil war in Syria to the offices of a women's magazine in Sydney and Nick Thorpe's unearthed the reason why, somewhere in the dry Hungarian soil, the heart of Suleiman the Magnificent is beating a little faster.
From Our Own Correspondent is produced by Tony Grant.


SAT 12:00 Money Box (b0397x1x)
Low interest rates; How a minor car scrape can still hurt you

The Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney has said he expects no change in Bank Rate until at least 2016. Though economic commentators are divided on whether that will be true. What it does mean is that low interest rates for savers are here to stay. There's also a question mark over how much longer inflation will hover at around the 2.5% mark. Inflation is another key factor to consider when making decisions about saving, investing and converting a pension pot into an annuity. An economist, a savings expert and an annuity guru flag up the issues involved.

Every time you call your car insurer and enquire about whether you can claim for an incident that call is noted down and finds its way to a national database called CUE (Claims and Underwriting Exchange). The information it stores can be used to set the premium on your insurance - not just for the present insurer but any future insurer too. Even if you never make a claim and keep your no claims bonus, if you have made a number of enquiries your premiums could be increased. And as far as we can tell, insurers never tell you about it. Bob Howard will report on the issue.

A financial adviser who simply took over the small amounts of trail commission (perhaps 0.5% a year on your investments) and then gave it back to you or got it paid into your investment pot is closing down after two years of not making sufficient profits to keep going. Commission Cleanser was run by Ivan Massow. He talks about what went wrong and what happens to his customers - and their commission - now. And we get industry comment.

The final settlement has been announced for the 7 million people persuaded by their bank or credit card provider into calling CPP which then mis-sold them card protection insurance or ID theft protection. Money Box explains how the compensation scheme will work.


SAT 12:30 Bremner's One Question Quiz (b038zhbc)
Is Our Democracy Working?

Rory Bremner's new weekly satirical comedy takes one big contemporary question each week and attempts to answer it.

Regular panellists Andy Zaltzman and Nick Doody are joined this week by guests Debra Stephenson and political historian Dr David Runciman, as Rory asks "Is Our Democracy Working"?

Rory's mantra is that it's as important to make sense out of things as it is to make fun of them - only then will people laugh at the truth. So this deconstructed "quiz" has only one question each week, because that question is so big, there's no time for anything else. Expect a mix of stand-up and sketch combined with investigative satire and incisive interviews with a diverse range of characters who really know what they're talking about.

Presenter: Rory Bremner
Producers: Simon Jacobs & Frank Stirling
A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:57 Weather (b038z84s)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 13:00 News (b038z84v)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (b038zl3q)
Nick Boles, Diane Abbott, Shirley Williams, Nigel Farage

Nick Robinson presents political debate and discussion from Broadcasting House, London with Labour MP Diane Abbott who's shadow Public Health Minister, Planning Minister Nick Boles MP, Nigel Farage leader of the UK Independence Party and Liberal Democrat Peer Baroness Shirley Williams.


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (b0397xdr)
Syria. Martin Luther King. Jamie Oliver.

Of course Syria dominates this week. Parliament has spoken but did it say the right thing? Have we witnessed an expression of Britain's independence or abdication of moral responsibility.
Is President Assad free to do as he pleases in the knowledge that we will not act. Or has America been taught a valuable lesson - Britain will not follow like a deputy sheriff any longer.
That and the future of David Cameron's leadership, whether young British workers really are wet behind the ears and Martin Luther King's legacy.

Your thoughts welcome. Call 03700 100 444. E-mail anyanswers@bbc.co.uk, tweet using the hashtag BBCAQ, text 84844.
Presented by Anita Anand.
Producer Joe Kent.

The Questions.
If all that it takes for evil to flourish is that good people do nothing, is it right not to intervene in Syria?
Is it time Britain should stand down as a world's policeman?
Now David Cameron has lost parliamentary authority on such a fundamental issue as war and peace, is it time for him to step down as Prime Minister?
Jamie Oliver was in the news this week praising the average migrant's work ethic versus that of young British workers. Assuming his assessment is correct, what are the panel's suggestions to address this?
How relevant is Martin Luther King's legacy to multicultural Britain?


SAT 14:30 British New Wave (b038p8h9)
This Sporting Life

As part of Radio 4's celebration of British New Wave film and cinema, Johnny Vegas directs a feature-length radio reversioning of This Sporting Life - marking the 50th anniversary of the classic Lindsay Anderson film which starred the young Richard Harris.

This new version is adapted by Andrew Lynch, directly from David Storey's novel. A surprisingly beautiful, yet repressed, northern drama, it contrasts the deep wants and needs of protagonist Arthur Machin with the stark aggression of the rugby pitch.

The sounds are rich - the rugby scrum, the atmosphere of the match, the changing rooms, the dancehall, struggles in the bedroom, arguments by the kitchen hearth.

James Purefoy plays Arthur Machin and Emily Watson is Mrs Hammond, accompanied on the touchline by an ensemble cast including John Thomson, Julia Davis, Sheridan Smith and Philip Jackson.

Commentary for the Rugby League game-play is provided by commentator Ray French, who witnessed some of the filming of the 1963 film with Richard Harris.

Dramatised from David Storey's original novel by Andrew Lynch

Producer: Sally Harrison
Director: Johnny Vegas

A Woolyback production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (b038pxrm)
Weekend Woman's Hour: Internet Dating; Storme Toolis; Midori

After Woman's Hour made a date with 5 Live's men's Hour to look at the world of internet dating we hear your experiences of going online in search of love.

Musician Midori talks about her special relationship with her violin and plays Prelude to Bach's Partita Nos 3

Actress Storme Toolis on her new role in New Tricks and how as a wheelchair user, she sidesteps the inevitable part of hospital patient.

The relationship between a teacher and pupil is inevitably a strong one, so what's being done to stop it crossing the line and becoming abuse?

A look at how throughout our cultural history, women's sexual organs have often been demonised and rendered obscene. So what does this mean for women's identities and how is this issue addressed in literature and culture?

And Jessica Swale makes her play-writing debut at the Globe with Blue Stockings. Set in and around Girton College, Cambridge in the 1890s - it's the story of four young women fighting to be allowed to graduate along with their male counterparts. She joins Jenni to discuss the inspiration for the play and why she thinks the issues it raises are so relevant to young women today.

Highlights from the Woman's Hour week. Presented by Jenni Murray.
Editor: Beverley Purcell.


SAT 17:00 PM (b039825t)
Saturday PM

Full coverage of the day's news.


SAT 17:30 iPM (b038zt9s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:45 today]


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b038z84x)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 17:57 Weather (b038z84z)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b038z851)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (b039825w)
Shirley Anne Field, Peter Rosengard, Peter Millar, Nica Burns, Robin Ince, Kathryn Williams, Rob Heron

Clive spends an evening with actress Shirley Anne Field, who's starring in a dramatisation of 'Saturday Night and Sunday Morning'. Shirley originally played Doreen in the 1960 film about a rebellious, hard-living factory worker juggling relationships with two women. She now takes the role of Aunt Ada on Radio 4, as part of their 'British New Wave' season.

Clive's no stranger to author and founder of London's Comedy Store, Peter Rosengard, who surprisingly holds one of the longest standing Guinness World Records for selling the world's largest life insurance policy for $100m! Peter's memoir 'Talking to Strangers' charts the extraordinary adventures of his unexpectedly glamorous life.

Robin Ince boards the 'Slow Train To Guantanamo' with journalist and author Peter Millar, whose new book is a railway odyssey through Cuba. Travelling from Havana with ordinary Cubans, sharing anecdotes, life stories and political opinions, to the far end of the island where Peter finds a more modern blot of American history, the Guantanamo naval base and detention camp.

Clive chats to Queen of Edinburgh comedy, Nica Burns, fresh from producing the Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards, which she has run for almost thirty years. Nica talks about what it takes to win the prestigious award and about her life as the influential owner of London theatres, sharing strong views on the current state of the West End - and on the Comedy Business.

With music from the relentlessly upbeat Rob Heron and The Teapad Orchestra, who perform 'Hot Bath' from their album 'Money Isn't Everything'.

And a welcome return to Kathryn Williams, who performs 'Heart Shaped Stone' from her album 'Crown Electric'.

Producer: Sukey Firth.


SAT 19:00 Profile (b039825y)
John Kerry

Mark Coles explores the life of US Secretary of State, John Kerry, who is taking a global leadership role over Syria.

As President Obama said when he nominated him for Secretary of State, "Kerry's entire life prepared him for this role."

One of his childhood friends tells us that Secretary Kerry has kept the same principles he held as a young man at Yale. But others see him as a man of contradictions: a Vietnam veteran who lead the anti-war movement, then voted for war in Iraq.

What are his guiding principles and motivations? Is he ready to handle the unfolding crisis in Syria?

Producer: Helena Merriman.


SAT 19:15 Saturday Review (b0398260)
Upstream Colour; The Story of the Jews on BBC 2; new Margaret Atwood book Maddaddam

Simon Schama explores The Story of the Jews, in a big new history strand on BBC 2. Does his personal approach work for this massive subject?
Margaret Atwood's latest novel, Maddaddam, follows a group of survivors after a man-made plague has swept the earth.

In Blue Stockings, Jessica Swale's new play, the year is 1896 and Tess Moffat and her fellow first years are determined to win the right to graduate from Girton College, Cambridge, the first college to admit women.

Upstream Colour, Shane Carruth's new film, is a haunting, enigmatic tale of destiny, free will and mind-controlling bugs.

And Saturday Review asks its guests - this week it's Kathryn Hughes, John Mullen and Dominic Sandbrook - to select just one picture from Tate Britain's permanent collection for a kind of fine art equivalent of A Good Read.

Produced by Anne-Marie Cole.


SAT 20:00 British New Wave (b0398262)
Beyond the Kitchen Sink

To complement Radio 4's British New Wave drama season Paul Allen, presents a first-hand account of it, using the archive to illuminate the social changes which allowed it to flourish.

For ten years after the Second World War the battered British public had been soothed, culturally, by urbanity and charm. In the mid-fifties it was as if a huge wave - the New Wave - had crashed over a quiet beach; frightening and exhilarating.

Paul Allen witnessed this. He was a theatre-struck schoolboy when he read Kenneth Tynan's remark that he "couldn't love anyone who didn't want to see 'Look Back in Anger'". He relished the language and northern working class voices in the novels of Alan Sillitoe such as 'Saturday Night' and 'Sunday Morning' and felt the rage of David Storey's play 'This Sporting Life'. Then came the challenging sexuality of Nell Dunn's 'Up the Junction'.

Paul Allen, was a young reporter in the North of England, then a regional critic and a national broadcaster, presenting 'Kaleidoscope', Radio 4's daily arts show, for 20 years. He interviewed and got to know the leading figures of the New Wave - John Osborne ('Look Back in Anger'), Stan Barstow ('A Kind of Loving'), Barry Hines ('Kes'), Margaret Forster ('Georgy Girl') and Alan Sillitoe.

Using the BBC's and his own archives Paul explores the artistic and social upheavals of the British New Wave. He reveals how it was not a single movement, but a series of progressions in literature and theatre, and in popular forms beyond these, and went way beyond 'kitchen sink' dramas.

Producer: Julian May.


SAT 21:00 Classic Serial (b038x4x3)
The Aeneid

Episode 2

Episode 2 of Hattie Naylor's adaptation of Virgil, from the translation by Robert Fagles.

Unaware that Dido is dead, Aeneas leaves Carthage and sails to Sicily, where he meets the Cumaean Sibyl. She leads him down to the Underworld, where he sees the terrible punishments meted out to the wicked, has a shocking encounter in the Fields of Mourning, and learns more about the future from his father's ghost.

The music was composed by Will Gregory, arranged by Ian Gardiner, and performed by the BBC Singers, conducted by Matthew Hamilton. The soloist was Cherith Milburn-Fryer. Percussion was by Joby Burgess.

Production Coordinator: Scott Handcock

Sound design: Nigel Lewis

A BBC/Cymru Wales production, produced and directed by Kate McAll.


SAT 22:00 News and Weather (b038z853)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.


SAT 22:15 Inside the Ethics Committee (b038ym0m)
Series 9

Lung Transplant Teenager

At the age of 11 John was diagnosed with a condition called pulmonary hypertension. He suffers from shortness of breath, coughing up blood and swelling in the legs. He's seriously ill and is referred to a specialist hospital where he is advised that he needs a lung transplant.

John recovers well from the operation. He goes back home and lives like a normal teenager, albeit one who has to take medication every day to stop his body rejecting the new lungs. John passes his GCSEs and gets a place to study art and design at college.

But at a regular check up John and his family receive bad news. His body is rejecting the lungs and he is becoming ill again. The doctors suggest he needs a second transplant.

Joan Bakewell and her guests discuss the issues around whether John should be given a second transplant and be put through another long and complicated operation. How much should John at 17 years old be told about his condition and its long term prognosis?


SAT 23:00 Quote... Unquote (b038xmd9)
The quotations quiz hosted by Nigel Rees.

As ever, a host of celebrities will be joining Nigel as he quizzes them on the sources of a range of quotations and asks them for the amusing sayings or citations that they have personally collected on a variety of subjects. We find out their least favourite quotes, and discover the most quotable people they have ever met.

This week Nigel is joined by veteran broadcast war reporter and former independent politician - Martin Bell; arts journalist - Viv Groskop; actor, writer and artist - Edward Petherbridge and actor, comedian and writer David Schneider.

Reader ..... Peter Jefferson.
Produced by Carl Cooper.


SAT 23:30 Poetry of Gold and Angels (b038x4x7)
Los Angeles

Poet and Lyricist Stephen J. Kalinich takes us on a poetic tour of Los Angeles for this 2 part series on Californian poetry.

Los Angeles poet and lyricist Stephen J. Kalinich looks to find the real poetic voice of the city - a voice he believes is to be found in the poetry of the streets.

Stephen worked with the Beach Boys as a lyricist in the '60s and also recorded a poetry album with Brian Wilson, 'A World of Peace Must Come' inspired by Vietnam. Indeed peace has been his major theme as a writer. He recently recited poetry at a concert of 'Sugarman' Sixto Rodrigez. As well as reciting some of his own work, Stephen is on a quest to discover the true poetry of LA.

On his journey round the city, he encounters poets such as S.A. Griffin, from the poetry group Carma Bums who talks about his work also to promote peace with his tour of a 'poetry bomb' - a real bomb filled with poems. He also talks about the harshness of living in a town dominated by the movie industry and a desire to be famous from his experience of working as an actor.

We also visit acclaimed song writer P.F. Sloan who talks about his latest work on a musical and the difference between writing lyrics and poetry. He also explains how living in L.A. can sometimes seem like being at a party, being really hungry and the fruit in the fruit bowl is plastic.

Other poets we meet include Gingee, a poet and DJ from the Filipino community who talks about the issues she has encountered and why she needs to represent her community in her work.

Producer: Laura Parfitt
A White Pebble Media production for BBC Radio 4.



SUNDAY 01 SEPTEMBER 2013

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (b0397jy4)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SUN 00:30 Under the Skin (b01cvdds)
Eyebrows, by Kavita Bhanot

Under the Skin is a celebration of the second ever South Asian Literature Festival, which is staged in London and across the United Kingdom.

The relationship between the English language, its literary tradition and writers from South Asia has become an exciting and enduring part of British literary life. The Festival celebrates writers from South Asia and British Asian writing, equally, reflecting the diversity of themes, subjects and literary forms that constitute South Asian writing in 2012.

Under the Skin features three stories by British Asian writers. Kavita Bhanot's Eyebrows introduces us to three generations of women seen through the eyes of Jaya on her weekend visits to her grandmother.

Lyndam Gregory, Deni Francis and Najma Khan are the readers.

Producer: David Roper
A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0397jy6)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0397jy8)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at 5.20am.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0397jyd)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (b0397jyg)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (b039b678)
The bells of Exeter Cathedral.


SUN 05:45 Profile (b039825y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 News Headlines (b0397jyj)
The latest national and international news.


SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b039b67b)
Mending Cracks with Gold

What can we learn from a broken teapot?

According to legend, when a 15th century shogun smashed his treasured pottery, Japanese artists repaired it with gold. Kintsugi, as the practice is known, gives new life to damaged goods by celebrating their frailty and history. Samira Ahmed considers how we might live a kintsugi life, finding value in the ‘cracks' - whether it's the scars showing how we have lived, finding new purpose through loss, or learning to love ourselves despite our flaws.

With readings from The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura, Haruki Murakami's After the Quake, and the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam - and music from Michio Miyagi, the Rolling Stones and Elizabethan composer, John Dowland.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Jo Fidgen
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (b039b67d)
As a trial badger cull is underway in parts of Somerset, and is likely to start in parts of Gloucestershire, Caz Graham joins the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust vaccinating badgers against bovine TB on Greystones Farm in Bourton-on-the-Water.

The trust has embarked on a five year trial, vaccinating badgers on two sites in Gloucestershire to test the vaccine's efficacy. Their staff trap badgers and inject them with a BCG vaccine, before releasing them back into the wild.

Caz visits farmers in the surrounding area to gauge their opinions on both the cull and badger vaccination as ways to tackle the problem of TB in cattle.

Presenter: Caz Graham
Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.


SUN 06:57 Weather (b0397jyq)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (b0397jys)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (b039b67g)
Mary McAleese, the former president of Ireland, discusses the spirituality in the work of Seamus Heaney, who died this week.

In the aftermath of the UK government's decision not to use military intervention in Syria, Janet Symes, Head of Middle East at Christian Aid and Jehangir Malik, UK Director of Islamic Relief, discuss what will happen next.

Reverend Jim Wallis is a bestselling author, theologian, and international commentator on ethics and public life. He joins William to discuss how to serve the Common Good, the theme of his new book.

Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis will today become the twelfth Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Synagogue and the Commonwealth. But what can be expected of him and what is he likely to bring to the office? Lord Maurice Glasman and Justin Cohen discuss.

Australia's election next week pits Kevin Rudd against Tony Abbott. The leaders' faith has helped to define their political outlook, but they have been criticised for their uncompromising stance on asylum seekers. Phil Mercer reports.

God, faith, the universe, the whole of creation..just a few of things comedian Milton Jones considers in his new book, 'Even More Concise 10 Second Sermons'. He joins William to tell him more.

Its forty years since George Harrison gave Bhaktivedanta Manor to the Hare Krishna Movement. Trevor Barnes travels to the manor in Hertfordshire to take part in the celebrations and and look back at the movement's history.

Series Producer: Amanda Hancox
Producers: Annabel Deas, Rosie Dawson
Contributors:
Justin Cohen
Lord Maurice Glasman
Milton Jones
Jehangir Malik
Janet Symes
Jim Wallis.


SUN 07:55 Radio 4 Appeal (b039b67j)
Core, The Digestive Disorders Foundation

Dr Phil Hammond presents the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity Core.
Reg Charity:1137029
To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal, mark the back of the envelope Core.
Give Online www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/appeal.


SUN 07:57 Weather (b0397jyz)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (b0397jz1)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (b039b67l)
The annual Charles Wood Summer School, named after the composer who grew up in Armagh, aims through worship and workshops to develop choral music.

From St. Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, led by the Rev Dr Peter Thompson.

Preacher: the Very Rev Gregory Dunstan, Dean of Armagh.

With the Charles Wood Boys' Choir and the Charles Wood Singers.

Director of Music: Nigel McClintock.

Organist: Ian Keatley.


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (b038zl3v)
Of the People, By the People 4/4

Roger Scruton concludes his series of talks on the nature and limits of democracy. "We in Europe are moving not towards democracy but away from it," he says.

"There is no first-person plural of which the European Institutions are the political expression," he argues. "The Union is founded in a treaty, and treaties derive their authority from the entities that sign them. Those entities are the nation states of Europe, from which the loyalties of the European people derive. The Union, which has set out to transcend those loyalties, therefore suffers from a permanent crisis of legitimacy.".


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b0378xsn)
Common Gull

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about the British birds inspired by their calls and songs.

Michaela Strachan presents the common gull. In spite of their name Common Gulls aren't as common or widespread as some of our other gulls. Most of the breeding colonies in the UK are in Scotland. In North America their alternative name is Mew gull because of their mewing cat-like cries.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (b039b6vk)
Sunday morning magazine programme with news and conversation about the big stories of the week. Presented by Paddy O'Connell.


SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (b039b6vr)
For detailed synopsis, see daily episodes.


SUN 11:15 The Reunion (b039b6w0)
The Kennedy Assassination

On the 22nd of November 1963, President John F. Kennedy was campaigning in Texas. That morning, Air Force One touched down at Dallas Love Field Airport. The President and First Lady waved to jubilant crowds that watched the motorcade move through downtown Dallas.

In Dealey Plaza, Kennedy was shot in the head by an assassin's bullet. Less than half an hour after the shooting, 75 million Americans had heard the news. President Kennedy was declared dead at 1pm, Dallas time.

Within three chaotic days, three murders rocked the city of Dallas. After President Kennedy, police officer J.D. Tippit was shot and killed by the assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, who himself was later fatally shot on live television.

In this special 100th edition of The Reunion recorded in Dallas, Sue MacGregor reunites five people who were intimately connected to the events surrounding the Kennedy assassination: Clint Hill, the former Secret Service agent who frantically climbed up the back of the presidential limousine as the shots rang out; Gayle Newman, who stood with her young family in Dealey Plaza and became one of the closest eyewitnesses; Hugh Aynesworth, then of the Dallas Morning News, who reported on the events in November 1963, Kenneth Salyer, who was part of the medical team at Parkland Hospital, desperately trying to revive the President; and James Leavelle, retired Dallas Homicide Detective, who was famously handcuffed to Lee Harvey Oswald when he was shot by Jack Ruby.

Producer: Colin McNulty
Series Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 12:00 Just a Minute (b038xmf6)
Series 67

Episode 3

Just how hard can it be to talk for 60 seconds with no hesitation, repetition or deviation? Join Sue Perkins, Russell Kane, Paul Merton and new player Henry Blofeld find out. Recorded at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.


SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (b039bg57)
DIY Food

DIY Foods - Tim Hayward meets the people taking ambitious food production into their own hands. Andy Mahoney makes his own cheese in the spare room of his house in South London. Hannes Viljoen makes his own biltong to give the taste of his native South Africa to his friends and family. And three friends in Guildford - Nick McDuff, Dick Nevitt and Nevin Stewart - have invented a new method for making cider in your kitchen.

Presented by Tim Hayward and produced by Emma Weatherill in Bristol.


SUN 12:57 Weather (b0397jz7)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (b039bg59)
The latest national and international news, including an in-depth look at events around the world. Email: wato@bbc.co.uk; twitter: #theworldthisweekend.


SUN 13:30 I Have a Dream (b0395qvq)
In this unique tribute programme, global figures celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King by reading the words of "I Have a Dream."

It is Introduced by Professor Clayborne Carson, editor of the Martin Luther King papers.

Dr Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington D.C. on 28th August 1963.

The readers are:

Congressman John Lewis, who spoke at the 1963 March.
Dr Maya Angelou, American author and Civil Rights activist.
Prof Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Laureate and economist.
Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered British teenager Stephen Lawrence.
Wei Jingsheng, Chinese democracy campaigner.
Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, first female President of Ireland.
John Hume, jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to the peace process in Northern Ireland.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Albie Sachs, anti-apartheid campaigner, judge on South Africa's Constitutional Court.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, first female Head of State in Africa.
Raja Shedadeh, Palestinian lawyer, author and human rights activist.
Ndileka Mandela, granddaughter of Nelson Mandela.
Ariel Dorfman, Chilean-American author and human rights activist.
David Grossman, Israeli author and peace campaigner.
Dr Shirin Ebadi, Iran's first female judge, Nobel Peace Laureate.
Malala Yousafzai, sixteen-year-old student from Swat in Pakistan, shot by the Taliban.
Satish Kumar, Indian peace campaigner and environmentalist.
Maestro José Antonio Abreu, Venezuelan educator and musician.
Joan Baez, American musician and activist, performer at the 1963 March on Washington.
Stevie Wonder, American musician, singer and songwriter. Campaigner for Martin Luther King's birthday to become a national holiday in the United States.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2013.


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b038zhb1)
The Roof Gardens, Kensington

GQT reaches new heights with a programme at The Roof Gardens in Kensington, London. Eric Robson is in the chair with panellists Anne Swithinbank, Matthew Wilson and Bunny Guinness taking the questions.

Bunny explores the history and structure of The Roof Gardens, Kensington and Matthew visits a project at London's Southbank Centre where roof gardening is being used as ecotherapy for people who have suffered from homelessness.

Produced by Victoria Shepherd
A Somethin' Else Production for BBC Radio 4.

Q: I'm going to leave London in the next ten years. If I could choose to move anywhere in the UK on the basis of soil quality and local climate, with an aim to grow a wide range of species, where would be best to move to?
A: The Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall is very mild and sheltered and can grow huge oak trees. It has an acid soil and can grow a large variety of plants including Camellias and palms. However, you will never really satisfy all species so you would be best to choose a smaller selection of plants that would grow well together and find a climate and soil that suits them best.

Q: I was told when I planted a prairie garden that it would be three years weeding, then sit back and enjoy. It is now the fourth year and no sign of the weeding stopping. What can I do to get the grasses and perennials to spread and bulk up?
A: You can do it in less than three years. The main thing is to get the soil right before you put the plants in, so if you planted into a huge seed bank of weeds it will be hard to eliminate them. The best way to do it is to plant from seed at a really high-density, which will stop weeds being able to grow and you can remove the few that do get through. After four years you should have lots of material that you can divide, so you should be bulking up. As we're moving into the autumn it's the ideal time for dividing flowering perennials, but leave the grasses until spring. You could also give the weeds competition with a cover crop of direct-sown annuals sown in the autumn such as Aquilegia, Nigella, Eschscholzia and even some of the cornfield weeds like Agrostemma.

Q: Does the panel have any tips to mitigate obtrusive traffic noise from the road by our back garden? We already have a 6ft (1.8m) wooden fence and a 10ft (3m) conifer hedge.
A: To be honest the conifer hedge won't do a lot. You can buy soundproof fencing that has a high insulation factor, but you need to make sure you place it correctly and it can be worth contacting a sound engineer to help with this. Running water works by deflecting the sound. A compact hedge on a bank can also help. Using plants to try and baffle the noise of large roads is generally unsuccessful because you need the plants to be very dense and most people have not got space. Creating something like a water feature in the foreground is a good way to distract your attention!

Q: My daughter wanted to grow and apple tree. People said she wouldn't get any apples unless it was grafted. After about 20 years we got lots of apples, but it is now too tall to reach the apples. If it could be cut down to about 6ft (1.8m), would we kill it? If not, how long will it live for? It's about 45 years old.
A: Apple trees will produce apples if grown from seed and it will also grow upwards very quickly. If you cut it down to 6ft (1.8m) it is likely to be too brutal and you won't get healthy growth, but just lots of thin water shoots. You could do a prune in January/February when the worst of the weather's gone, then follow up by pruning in early summer to remove growth tips. You could then summer prune it heavily to reduce the vigor and it should grow back. You may have a few years without apples but they should return. Finally, you could ask someone to create a dwarfing stock for you from a graft.

Q: Can you tell me why every houseplant I have dies on me?
A: Positioning is key. Most houseplants like good but not direct light, so finding somewhere not in harsh sunlight but not in a dark corner is the first step. You need to make sure you analyze where is best for each plant individually. You also need to make sure you get the watering right. Most of them need to feel as though they're almost drying out at the surface of the compost before you water again. You can water from the top, but be careful not to over water. Houses that are hot and dry with central heating generally don't help houseplants.


SUN 14:45 The Listening Project (b039bg5c)
Edinburgh Special

Fi Glover introduces a special Sunday Edition of the Radio 4 series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen. These conversations were recorded at the Edinburgh Festival between people inspired by the Listening Project.

The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can upload your own conversations or just learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject

Producer: Marya Burgess.


SUN 15:00 British New Wave (b039bg5f)
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning - Episode 1

Robert Rigby's dramatisation of Alan Sillitoe's seething novel set in 1958 Nottingham - part of Radio 4's celebration of British New Wave film and cinema,.

'Angry young man' Arthur Seaton rages against the boredom of his factory machinist job and home life with 'dead from the neck up' parents.

Determined to avoid a similar slide into domestic drudgery, Arthur is a risk-taking womaniser, enduring each tedious week in the knowledge that the weekend's thrills are to come. But Arthur takes a risk too far, inflicting life-shattering consequences on those around him.

Sound Design: David Chilton
Spot Effects: Alison McKenzie
Production Manager: Sarah Tombling
Director: Carl Prekopp

Producer: Lucinda Mason Brown
A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 16:00 Bookclub (b039bg5h)
Paul Theroux - Dark Star Safari

With James Naughtie. The celebrated travel writer Paul Theroux discusses Dark Star Safari. The book is his account of an overland journey from Cairo to Cape Town, which he made 35 years after first living as a volunteer teacher in Malawi in the early 60s.

In the programme he talks about the pleasures and hazards of travelling across countries that many consider no-go areas. He recalls the joy of wild camping by the little known pyramids of the Sudan, the peril of being shot at on the road, and how the continent has changed since he first knew it as a young man. He explains his theories on western aid, and how he manages the rigours of travelling. He says it's best to travel light and alone, with an open mind, a willingness to make friends - and to never forget a paperback.

October's Bookclub choice : Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel.

Producer Dymphna Flynn.


SUN 16:30 Poetry Please (b039bg5k)
Seamus Heaney

A special programme to mark the death and celebrate the life and work of Seamus Heaney. Heaney's poems have been regularly requested by the Poetry Please audience down the years so Roger McGough goes digging in the archive to present a selection of Heaney's poems read by the poet himself.


SUN 17:00 Before the Mugshot (b038xtdl)
In 2008 a grainy CCTV image appeared in south London newspapers of a young man robbing a cash and carry. Sarah O'Connell tells the story behind the photo.

Everyone has seen similar pictures - of a surly young man who has committed a serious criminal offence. Yet as a society we have not been very successful at stopping them from doing so.

Sarah takes that CCTV picture, and one of Aaron as a baby, and explores what went wrong with Aaron's life in the gap between the two pictures which resulted in him committing a serious, violent criminal offence before he had yet turned 18.

In the programme Aaron himself discusses his life with candour - from his family background to his motivation for committing criminal offences. Sarah also speaks to members of his family, teachers and mentors to give a rich picture of how a life can fall apart - and perhaps what we might do better in the future.

Producer: Giles Edwards.


SUN 17:40 Profile (b039825y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b0397jz9)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 17:57 Weather (b0397jzc)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0397jzf)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (b039bg5m)
This week, Floyd fan Tom Stoppard's dramatic tribute to Dark Side of the Moon which poses the question of whether selflessness is just selfishness in disguise. But good wins out in Pick of the Week with the remarkable true story of Antoinette Tuff who talked down a gunman at an Atlanta primary school, the Doctor who has worked tirelessly to eradicate Guinea worm, a particularly nasty tropical disease in Africa, and the Italian shepherds who risked their lives to hide Prisoners of War after the Armistice.

And "George Foot for Prime Minister!" wrote one listener after hearing about his gruelling hundred mile walk. Find out why with Sheila McClennon's Pick of the Week

Programmes chosen:

The Archers - Tuesday - Radio 4
Lives in a Landscape - Radio 4
The Italian Freedom Trail
Antoinette Tuff recording on 5Live Breakfast - Tuesday - Radio 5Live
Before the Mugshot - Radio 4
Darkside - Radio 2/6Music
Fry's English Delight - Radio 4
God's Trombone: Remembering King's Dream - Radio 4
Outlook - Donald Hopkins interview - World Service
Deep Down Inside - Radio 4
Book of the Week: Nilsson - the Life of a Singer-Songwriter, episode 2 - Radio 4
Comic Fringes - Kill Dilly - Radio 4
Danny Baker - 5Live

Produced by Rachel Ross.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (b039bg5p)
As Jolene and Fallon go through the list of things to arrange for the wedding, Fallon voices her concern over the idea of purple bridesmaids' dresses. Meriel is going to be disappointed. She's already told Jill that it's going to look 'awesome'. Jolene agrees to have a chat with Kenton.

The more Fallon thinks about it, the more convinced she is that purple bridesmaids' dresses would be a disaster. Eventually, Jolene plucks up the courage to call and let Meriel know. But they needn't have worried. Meriel has gone off purple now!

Lynda enquires how Ray's first night as manager has been. She is taken aback when Ray describes Grey Gables as 'quiet as the grave'. She is even more disconcerted when she discovers he has been drinking in the bar with the guests.

Ray asks Lynda and Ian to join him in the bistro for a chat. Lynda and Ian are horrified when Ray informs them that he feels the restaurant is lacking in atmosphere and would benefit from some in-house entertainment. He wants to hold a cocktail evening with canapés and mini tapas, to give the place a 'little sparkle' and wants Lynda to advertise it on the website.


SUN 19:15 Paul Sinha's Citizenship Test (b037vlck)
Episode 1

Paul Sinha is proudly British. He also loves a quiz. So you would have thought that the UK Citizenship Test, which newcomers to this country must pass to become citizens, would have been right up his street. But the questions in the 2012 and 2013 Home Office guides seem either bizarrely easy - "Where is Welsh most widely spoken?" - or infuriatingly vague - "What happened in the First World War?".

So Paul has created his own test, to better reflect the things that aspiring migrants should understand before they can call themselves British. In episode one he deals with the history syllabus, looking at what we know about the most important legal document in our history; the Patron Saints of the Home Nations; provides a guide to our twenty most important cities; and points out a historical error in the official guide. He also tests the studio audience on their knowledge, with those that answer incorrectly being deported.

The series intertwines the sort of comedy Paul has become known for on The Now Show, The News Quiz, and Fighting Talk, as well as his own Radio 4 shows The Sinha Test and The Sinha Games, and the command of facts and figures he demonstrates on the ITV quiz show The Chase.

Written and performed by Paul Sinha.
Producer: Ed Morrish.


SUN 19:45 Tales from the East (b039bg5r)
Blow-Ins

Fenella Woolgar reads D J Taylor's 'Blow-Ins', the first in a series of stories taking their inspiration from the East Anglian coast.

In today's story, the rural idyll turns sour when winter hits a North Norfolk coastal town.

Producer: Justine Willett
Written by: D J Taylor, a Whitbread Award-winning author and journalist, who lives in Norfolk.
Reader: Fenella Woolgar is a British actor who has worked with with Mike Leigh, Conor McPherson and Woody Allen. She's recently starred in 'Dr Who', and BBC1's 'Case Histories' with Jason Isaacs.


SUN 20:00 More or Less (b038zhb7)
What price the life of a badger?

Has the government taken into account the worth of a badger's life in any cost-benefit analysis of the controversial badger cull, which is taking place to tackle the spread of tuberculosis among cattle? Tim Harford considers the problem. And the government aims to kill 70% of badgers in the two cull zones, but Tim discovers that such precision might be tricky. It's terribly difficult to count badgers, you see.

Plus, have blundering doctors and nurses really killed 13,000 people? This was widely reported alongside the publication of the Keogh Report into standards of care at 14 NHS hospital trusts in England. Tim Harford finds out how so-called 'excess' deaths are calculated, and whether they're the best measure of hospital standards.

The shadow immigration minister Chris Bryant has warned that climate change is going to create 200 million more migrants. But More or Less discovers that migration experts disagree.

And, always down with the cool kids, Tim discovers more about this buzz phrase, "big data". Companies and governments are releasing large datasets about us, with our identities obscured, for the purposes of marketing - or even, occasionally, for the purposes of public understanding. But might those apparently anonymous datasets be telling the world our darkest secrets?

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Ruth Alexander.


SUN 20:30 Last Word (b038zhb5)
An Irish poet, a woman stockbroker, a Roma King and a Welsh rugby player

Matthew Bannister on:

Seamus Heaney - the Nobel prize winning poet who combined critical acclaim with popularity

Muriel Siebert - the first woman to buy a seat on the New York stock exchange

Florin Cioaba - the Romanian who was self-proclaimed king of the Roma people

And Cliff Morgan - the Welsh rugby international turned commentator and broadcaster.


SUN 21:00 Money Box (b0397x1x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:00 on Saturday]


SUN 21:26 Radio 4 Appeal (b039b67j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:55 today]


SUN 21:30 In Business (b038ynzp)
Kit of Life

Simon Berry wondered why crates of soft drinks can be found in some of the most remote places in the world, but simple medicines to treat childhood diseases have for decades failed to reach the people who need them. The social enterprise he set up, ColaLife, designed an ingenious package that can slot in between soda bottles, piggybacking on Coca-Cola's supply chain and potentially getting anywhere Coca-Cola does.
Called 'Kit Yamoyo' - roughly translated as 'kit of life' in a number of African languages - it includes oral rehydration salts and zinc to treat diarrhoea, plus a bar of soap. The outer shell also functions as a measure and drinking cup for the medicine. The idea caught the attention of the design world and won Cola Life a top prize in the London Design Awards show earlier this year.
But Simon Berry was already realising that a clever design was not enough, and that the real lesson from Coca-Cola was devising a 'value chain' - and making sure everyone involved in the distribution gets paid.
In this programme (in London and Zambia), he explains to Peter Day how he applied the profit-driven ideas of multinational companies to tackle a disease that kills more African children than HIV, malaria and measles combined.


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (b039bk7y)
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 (b039bk80)
A look at how the newspapers are covering the biggest stories.


SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (b038ynz9)
Shane Carruth, Gravity, film schools

Francine Stock talks to Shane Carruth about his new, complex film Upstream Colour which explores the theme of interconnectedness involving an organism that mutates via various hosts from a nematode worm to a vivid orchid. The director Shane Carruth was already known for an earlier experimental film, Primer, which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance back in 2004.

Whilst Shane Carruth did NOT go to film school, but learnt his craft by doing, the Director of the National Film and Television School Nik Powell, and film maker Asif Kapadia - director of features including The Warrior and Far North and the documentary Senna - discuss how film schools prepare aspiring film makers for a career in the film industry. Thousands of students go to more than 1200 film schools each year around the world and CILECT, which represents the top 160 schools across 90 countries, has judged the UK's National Film and Television School as the winning school across three award categories; fiction, animation and documentary.

This announcement comes just a few days before the BFI names the film schools, universities and independent cinemas that will be partners for its new training schemes for aspiring young filmmakers. So how do film students best learn their craft: and is funding allocated fairly across the diverse film education institutions within the UK?

As the Venice film festival opens this week, Times film critic Kate Muir discusses the film which opened the festival - Gravity starring George Cluney and Sandra Bullock - and provides a round up of the best British films being screened.

And nearly half a century since Patricia Highsmith's novel, The Talented Mr Ripley, was adapted for the screen by French film maker Rene Clement - called Plein Soleil and starring Alain Delon - Sandra Hebron discusses how the representation of the psychopath has changed over time, referencing Anthony Mingella's 1999 version starring Matt Damon and Jude Law.

Producer: Hilary Dunn.


SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b039b67b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:05 today]



MONDAY 02 SEPTEMBER 2013

MON 00:00 Midnight News (b0397k0f)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b038yk6v)
Walter Benjamin - a special programme on his work and influence

What is the value of forgotten histories, of possibilities not realised? What can a quite amble down a backstreet tell us about the nature of modernity? How has technology affected the nature and purpose of art? In the mid-twentieth century Walter Benjamin explored all these questions and brought Marxist thinking to high culture, exploring people's relationship to objects and art. His influence is probably felt now more than ever. Laurie Taylor presents a special programme on the work of this pioneering German intellectual and theorist. He's joined by the philosopher Jonathan Ree and the professor of political aesthetics, Esther Leslie. Revised repeat

Producer: Charlie Taylor


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b039b678)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0397k0h)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0397k0k)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0397k0m)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 05:30 News Briefing (b0397k0p)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b039jb9n)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ed Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths, Cambridge.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (b039c5cn)
UK lamb and mutton exports to China are up 93% on last year and sales to Europe are also booming. Jean Pierre Garnier from the English meat promotion body, EBLEX, explains why. Meanwhile Anna Jones goes on the trail of landscape history on a farm near Llandrindod Wells in Mid Wales. And Anna Hill explores the enduring role of the sheepdog.

Presented by Anna Hill. Produced by Sarah Swadling.


MON 05:56 Weather (b0397k0r)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.


MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b038qhyz)
Robin

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.

Brett Westwood presents the robin. The autumn song of the Robin is the soundtrack to shortening days, gathering mists and ripening fruit. Robins sing in spring but their autumn song is different. It may sound melancholy to us but for the Robin it has clear purpose - to defend the winter territories that male and female robins establish separately after they've moulted.


MON 06:00 Today (b039c5cq)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Fry's English Delight (b039c5cs)
Series 6

Spelling

The spelling of English has always been a strange. As Stephen Fry puts it "I before e except after c. Weird!"

Stephen asks how our spelling became so irregular, and whether we can do anything to simplify it - with the help of Professor David Crystal who explains how a history of attempted language reform has probably made things steadily worse.

The programme starts with a mysterious postcard from a listener, in an almost unrecognisable form of English writing. Stephen eventually gets a translation from his huge band of Twitter followers. He also finds out how the commercial success of My Fair Lady helped fund a 20th Century attempt at reform, and hears from a current member of the English Spelling Society about how she would "tidy up" English spelling.

What emerges is that there is probably only one set of circumstances in which language can be systematically reformed. Lexicographer Noah Webster knew that his fellow countrymen in the New World would welcome a form of writing that distanced them from their British "oppressor" - and his dictionary, with its simplified spelling, was an instant success.

Producer: Nick Baker
A Testbed production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 09:30 Wow! How Did They Do That? (b039c5cv)
Episode 4

Roger Law goes in search of the entrepreneurs who are behind some of the Britain's best designs and inventions.

Charlie Paton may not be able to turn water into wine but he is working on making seawater turn into a cooling system for hot and arid countries. The invention could increase crop yields in the driest parts of Africa as it uses a natural resource to cool greenhouses. As he says, "It's counter-intuitive to most people. Anybody who knows anything knows you don't have seawater in greenhouses and you don't have greenhouses in arid countries. On every level it is the opposite of what we do." Yet he believes this system can and will work, as he explains to Roger Law.

Roger's second guest helped create some of the most useful objects for those with disabilities by recognizing what they themselves wanted. Roger Coleman first got involved in a friend's kitchen after she developed multiple sclerosis. 'I asked her what the most important thing was about the design. She said 'I want the neighbours to be jealous!'. It was a real light bulb moment for me. That's about being like everyone else."

It set Roger on the path of designing a whole range of things that people really wanted, from the big button telephone to brightly coloured seating for kids in special schools which helped integrate them into the classrooms. It also led him to develop medical equipment for the NHS that suited users in hospital, such as a unique design for a resuscitation trolley.

Two contrasting inventors who are changing the world one small design at a time.

Producer Mark Rickards.


MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b039c5cx)
Peter Snow - When Britain Burned the White House

Episode 1

Nearly 200 years ago, Britain attacked the heartland of the United States. The President and his wife had just enough time to pack their belongings and flee the White House before the British army entered and set fire to the building. From here, the British army turned its sights to Baltimore.

Peter Snow tells the story of this extraordinary confrontation between Britain and the United States, the outcome of which inspired America's national anthem. Using eyewitness accounts, Peter describes the colourful personalities on both sides of this astonishing battle - from Britain's fiery Admiral Cockburn, to the cautious but widely popular army commander Robert Ross and the beleaguered President James Madison whose nation was besieged by a greater military force.

In the first episode, the American watchman at Chesapeake Bay wakes one August morning to find fifty ships of the Royal Navy at anchor. The British have arrived to end, decisively, the war of 1812. In Washington, President Madison waits nervously to see where they will attack first.

Read by Jamie Parker

Producer: David Roper
A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b039c5cz)
Jamie Oliver; The sandwich generation of carers

Jamie Oliver cooks the perfect Singapore Noodles and talks about cooking on a budget.

The sandwich generation - we look at the pressures of caring for your parents and your children.
And can reading a novel really help to make you feel better?


MON 10:45 British New Wave (b039c5d1)
Georgy Girl

Georgy Girl - Episode 1

By Margaret Forster
Dramatised by Rhiannon Tise
Georgy is wonderfully sparky, funny and
financially independent. She's living in the
swinging London of 1965 but she's twenty-seven
and never been asked out by a fella, let alone
kissed. She's desperate to fall in love.

Directed by Tracey Neale

The Story:

As part of our British New Wave season the Fifteen Minute Drama brings to the Radio 4 airwaves the compelling story of Georgina Parkin. Georgy is twenty-seven. Brought up in Kensington by her parents, Ted and Doris who are live-in servants of rich socialite James. She lives in her own flat in Battersea with the cool and disdainful Meredith who has the male population at her feet. Georgy thinks her flat-mate is beautiful, witty and clever. Georgy, on the other hand, is a physically awkward, large young woman, who lacks self-esteem, never been taken out on a date, let alone kissed. She is desperate to meet someone and fall in love. This is the Swinging Sixties after all.

And then she falls in love with Jos, a charming and directionless young man. But there's a problem - he's Meredith's fella and there are complications when Meredith announces she is pregnant. A tangled living situation emerges. Then James makes Georgy an unconventional and surprising offer which she agrees to think about. Is his offer the key to Georgy's happiness? Or, will she hold out for true love with Jos?

The Writer:

Margaret Forster is the author of many successful novels, including Lady's Maid, Have the Men Had Enough? and The Memory Box and several acclaimed biographies, including Good Wives. Her most recent books have been Diary of an Ordinary Woman and The Unknown Bridesmaid.

The Dramatist:

Rhiannon won the Richard Imison Award for her first radio play The Waltzer. Her most recent radio play, broadcast earlier this year, was Outside In. Rhiannon has written for the BBC series Doctors and her stage plays have been performed at The Royal Court, The Royal National Theatre, The Traverse Theatre, The Tron Theatre Glasgow, Soho Theatre and The Arcola Theatre.


MON 11:00 Lives in a Landscape (b039c5d3)
Series 14

The Wedding

Mimi and Ryan are getting married. Alan Dein presents a fly-on-the-wedding cake documentary that follows them through the day, from waking up with a hangover to chucking-out time at Sale Rugby Club.

In between there's a church wedding, a christening (their daughter Isabella is six months old), photographs, confetti, a lavish home-made buffet, speeches (ranging from tearful to inappropriate), dancing and a lot of laughter.

'We want to be a proper family,' says Ryan.
'It's the biggest party I'll ever throw in my life,' says Mimi. 'It started out as a budget wedding but it got a bit out of hand.'

Producer: Peter Everett.


MON 11:30 Reception (b039c5d5)
Episode 1

Sitcom by Paul Bassett Davies about two men sitting behind a desk, starring Adrian Scarborough, Morwenna Banks and Amit Shah.

A persuasive visitor with some suspiciously cheap laptops to sell tries to talk his way past the front desk. Brian, naive and nerdish as always, thinks he smells a bargain - but the more streetwise Danny sniffs a rat. Meanwhile, their supervisor, Clarissa, is on the prowl. She has amorous designs on Brian, who persuades Danny to distract her while he rustles up the cash for a deal.

Is Brian being taken for a ride, or is Danny missing the kind of opportunity that his beloved self-help books are always telling him to seize?

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


MON 12:00 You and Yours (b039c5d7)
Delayed Flights, Email Hackers and Home Sprinklers

Compensation for delayed flights after six years, and hunting down the email hackers. Consumer news with Julian Worricker.


MON 12:57 Weather (b0397k0t)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 13:00 World at One (b039c5d9)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


MON 13:45 British Conservatism: The Grand Tour (b039c5dc)
Anne McElvoy tells the stories of big challenges that have spurred leading British conservative thinkers into action, from the French Revolution to the Permissive Society.

Episode 1: How the French Revolution shocked progressive MP Edmund Burke into defending British traditions and privileges - sowing the seeds of British conservatism.

Bourke was no reactionary - he was a supporter of the American Revolution of the 1770s. Many of his fellow progressives saw in the French Revolution a similar push for liberation.

But to their consternation, Burke predicted that the French Revolution would descend into bloodshed.

He questioned abstract French ideas of Liberty and instead championed British tradition, from the right to own property, through the role of the Church, to the stabilizing effect of the House of Lords.

Among the radicals aghast at Burke's heresy was a young Cumbrian poet and student, William Wordsworth.

But having witnessed the impact of the Terror in Paris for himself, he - like other radical champions of the Revolution - began to turn away from it.

Finally, with Burke dead but his influence on conservatism spreading through nineteenth century Britain, Wordsworth hailed the long-dead MP as a genius.

With: Professor Richard Bourke, Professor Dinah Birch

Producer: Phil Tinline.


MON 14:00 The Archers (b039bg5p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 British New Wave (b039c5df)
John Osborne - The Author of Himself

By Stephen Wakelam. One afternoon in 1955 Theatre Manager George Devine sets out in a rickety rowing boat to inspect an actor, John Osborne, living on a Thames barge who has written a play. Look Back in Anger has been returned by many theatres but Devine has seen something in it. The meeting is a pivotal moment in the course of theatrical history.

Director: David Hunter

Look Back in Anger was premiered at London's Royal Court Theatre on 8th May 1956 by the English Stage Company directed by Tony Richardson with the following cast - Kenneth Haigh, Alan Bates, Mary Ure, Helena Hughes and John Welsh. The press release referred to John Osborne as "an angry young man" - a phrase that came to represent a new movement in British Theatre.


MON 15:00 Quote... Unquote (b039c5dh)
The quotations quiz hosted by Nigel Rees.

A host of interesting celebrities will be joining Nigel as he quizzes them on the sources of a range of quotations and asks them for the amusing sayings or citations that they have personally collected on a variety of subjects, including quotes they wish they'd said and the family sayings that they grew up with.

This week Nigel is joined by Actress and Singer - Janie Dee, former editor of Private Eye and current editor of The Oldie - Richard Ingrams, science writer and broadcaster Vivienne Parry and comedian and writer Robin Ince.

Reader ..... Peter Jefferson.
Produced by Carl Cooper.


MON 15:30 The Food Programme (b039bg57)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 on Sunday]


MON 16:00 The Little Prince at 70 (b039c5dk)
Mike Greenwood unlocks the secrets of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic novella, on the anniversary of its publication in 1943.

Barely 100 pages long, The Little Prince is one of the most read books in the world. Like the little prince himself, his creator Antoine de Saint Exupéry has become an enigma. An aristocrat and an aviator, he wrote The Little Prince in exile in America, when the world was at war and France was under Nazi occupation. Barely two years later he was dead - having failed to return from a reconnaissance mission over his homeland. His body was never found.

But the fable-like book he left behind continues to captivate generations of readers, from the child to the adult. Why?

"It is only with one's heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye." Is it a simple children's story engaging with simple truths about love, experience and loss? A manifesto for humanist values in time of strife? Or a manual for living on our fragile planet?

Mike Greenwood journeys to Paris to unravel the origins, meaning and enduring appeal of Le Petit Prince. He meets Saint-Exupery's nephew, Francois d'Agay, now 87, who remembers visits from Uncle Antoine in the 1930s, and Mike enters the inner circle of 'Saint-Exupérians' who have made it their life's work to interpret the symbols, biographical parallels and true message of the book.

The novelist Tracey Chevalier and children's author Michael Rosen also share their personal insights into the French classic, which is featured in a series of evocative readings.

Presenter: Mike Greenwood
Producer: Eve Streeter

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 16:30 Beyond Belief (b039c5dm)
Comedy and Religion

Beyond Belief debates the place of religion and faith in today's complex world. Ernie Rea is joined by a panel to discuss how religious beliefs and traditions affect our values and perspectives.
The late Christopher Hitchins wrote that "The mockery of religion is one of the most essential things". Certainly if you go to any Comedy Club today, you can expect to find that religious belief is an open target. But are there any limits to what is acceptable? Are there any parallels between the role of the priest and his congregation & the comedian with his audience?
Joining Ernie Rea to discuss the relationship between comedy and religion are the Muslim stand-up comedian, Imran Yusuf, the Jewish stand-up, Josh Howie and Patrick McKearney, a Doctoral Researcher in Theology & Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge.


MON 17:00 PM (b039c5dp)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0397k0w)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 18:30 Just a Minute (b039c5dr)
Series 67

Episode 4

Nicholas Parsons hosts the popular panel game. How hard can it be to talk for 60 seconds with no hesitation, repetition or deviation?


MON 19:00 The Archers (b039c5dt)
Kathy tries to boost income at the golf club restaurant by advertising afternoon teas but dismissive Martyn says she is just copying Grey Gables. He has his own money-saving ideas and would like to discuss some issues with her. He has noticed that she has recently given away a few bottles of wine and the odd free meal. Kathy protests that this is to compensate customers unhappy with the reduced level of service. Martyn says that she should address these problems and come up with solutions.

Tom is feeling low when he delivers a crate of carrots to Ambridge Organics. Trying to sound bright, he tells Kirsty what a big help Rob has been with the ready meals. Kirsty cheers him up a bit by suggesting ham and chips at the café. Kirsty knows that something is wrong and asks him outright. Tom admits that he's worried about the deal with Bellingham's and feels that he may have jumped the gun a bit by increasing production.

Eventually, Tom admits to Kirsty that he has a cash flow problem, with bills stacking up. When Kirsty suggests that he talk to his mum and dad, Tom is forced to accept that this may be his only option.


MON 19:15 Front Row (b039c5dw)
About Time reviewed; UB40 interview; school documentaries

With Mark Lawson.

About Time, a new film written and directed by Richard Curtis, is the story a 21 year old, played by Domhnall Gleeson, who is told by his father (Bill Nighy) that he has the ability to travel back in time and change events. He uses this ability to woo future girlfriend Mary, played by Rachel McAdams. Camilla Long reviews.

British reggae group UB40 are back with Getting Over the Storm, their 20th studio album, which includes new versions of country and western songs, including covers of tracks made famous by Jim Reeves and Willie Nelson. Saxophonist Brian Travers and drummer Jimmy Brown, original members of the band, discuss the inspiration behind the album, and reflect on recent financial troubles.

Two new TV documentary series starting this week go behind the scenes at two very different schools. Sky 1's Harrow: A Very British School charts life at one of the UK's most famous boarding schools, while Channel 4's Educating Yorkshire follows staff and pupils at Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury. Former Education Secretary Baroness Estelle Morris and free school founder Toby Young review.

As actor Dominic West makes a cameo appearance on the new album by British rappers Rizzle Kicks, David Quantick examines the tradition of using actors' voices on records, including songs featuring Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed and Sadie Frost.


MON 19:45 British New Wave (b039c5d1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


MON 20:00 Teacher Versus Tutor (b037jn8b)
No longer just for the rich, tutoring is booming in Britain. Last year parents spent over £1bn on tutors for their children. From traditional entrance exam tutoring to the latest online services, there are thousands of companies to choose from.

But it's an unregulated industry. Some even lack Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly Criminal Records Bureau) checks.

Visiting tutoring centres, schools and families, Sushma Puri investigates the factors behind the tutoring boom. She asks whether tutoring works and whether it is worth the money. Emerita Professor Judy Ireson from the Institute of Education reveals some research results which may surprise many.

With the introduction of tutoring in state schools, she examines the roles of teachers and tutors. Can tutors complement classroom teachers or are they on a collision course?

Meanwhile one expert believes 'the Wild West of education' is in urgent need of regulation.

Producer: Hilary Thomson
A Tigereye production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (b038ynyx)
Inside Gay Pakistan

Mobeen Azhar investigates gay life in urban Pakistan and despite the country's religious conservatism and homosexuality being a crime there, he finds a vibrant gay scene, all aided by social media. He meets gay people at underground parties, shrines and hotels and finds out what it's really like to be gay in Pakistan.

As one man tells him, "The best thing about being gay in Pakistan is you can easily hook up with guys over here. You just need to know the right moves and with a click you can get any guy you want."

At a gay party he meets an NGO worker who then takes him to one of Karachi's prime cruising locations - a shrine to a 9th Century Muslim saint. Mobeen meets a "masseur", who works on the street advertising his services. The masseur's real job is selling sexual services to men - with the full knowledge of his wife.

And with great difficulty, Mobeen speaks to a lesbian couple, who conceal their relationship from their own parents. One of them argues that it is too soon for gay Pakistanis to fight openly for political rights and that they must find happiness in the personal sphere. Mobeen discovers that while urban Pakistanis may easily be able to find sex, being in a relationship is far more difficult.

Reporter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Helena Merriman.


MON 21:00 Deep Down Inside (b038xrjf)
Deep Brain stimulation is a brain surgery technique involving electrodes being inserted to reach targets deep inside the brain. Those targets are then stimulated via the electrodes which are connected to a battery powered pacemaker surgically placed under the person's collar bone.

Geoff Watts finds out how the technique has been used successfully for treating the movement disorders of Parkinson's disease, in patients with severe, intractable depression, in chronic pain and how it's also being trialled to see if it can also be successful in treating Obsessive Compulsive disorder, Tourette's syndrome and other disorders.

Geoff meets patients who have had their lives changed by having Deep brain stimulation. He also meets the surgeons at the operating table to find out how it works. At the moment no one has all the answers but one psychiatrist he meets says the success of Deep Brain stimulation means we should radically change the way we understand how the brain works. That the brain is governed by electrical circuitry rather than a chemical soup of neurotransmitters.


MON 21:30 Fry's English Delight (b039c5cs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:58 Weather (b0397k0y)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b039c5dy)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.


MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b039c5f0)
Secrecy

Episode 6

"Some see you as a master craftsman. Others say you're a sorcerer. You're mysterious, obsessive. Controversial."

Zummo - a 17th-century sculptor - makes things out of wax, figures so lifelike they look as if they might move and breathe. He has journeyed throughout Italy over the years in an attempt to flee his past. Now, in 1691, he has been summoned to the Medici court by the Grand Duke of Tuscany. He arrives in Florence, a city in which "everything was forbidden [and] anything was possible." But what does the Grand Duke have in mind for him?

Ten years later, Zummo visits a convent in France and tells the whole story to Marguerite-Louise of Orléans, long-estranged wife of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Secrecy is a tale of love, art, murder and concealment, enacted within a beautifully-realised 17th century Florentine and Tuscan setting.

Some of the 'plague pieces' by Gaetano Zummo (1656-1701) can be found in La Specola, Florence.

Rupert Thomson is the author of eight highly-acclaimed novels including Death of a Murderer, which was shortlisted for the 2008 Costa Novel Award. His memoir This Party's Got to Stop won the Writer's Guild Non-Fiction Award.

Episode Six
Faustina has revealed her dangerous secret to Zummo. And Stufa is on his trail. But for now, Zummo is absorbed in completing his work for the Grand Duke.

Reader: Owen Teale
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne

Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 23:00 Word of Mouth (b038xtd6)
Language Laws

What are we allowed to say to each other? Chris Ledgard looks at the laws surrounding language use, from libel to blasphemy.

Barristers Nicola Cain and Christina Michalos explain defamation law. Professor Laura Gowing from King's College London takes us back to a time when seditious language could land you in the pillory. And barrister Diane Chanteau explains how critical the use of exact language is in court.

Producer: Melvin Rickarby.


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (b039c5f2)
The Defence Secretary rules out giving MPs another vote on military action against Syria unless circumstances change "very significantly".
Philip Hammond also tells MPs that ministers have had discussions with international partners over best how to respond if Syria's stocks of chemical weapons fall into "non-state" or rebel hands.
MPs hear that fewer than one-in-six people who phoned the government's Tax Credit Helpline had their call answered on this year's tax credit renewal deadline day.
The Commons debates a call for greater protection of rural postal services.
And MPs quiz the shopping guru, Mary Portas, over what needs to be done to revitalise high streets and town centres.
Susan Hulme and team report on today's events in Parliament.



TUESDAY 03 SEPTEMBER 2013

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b0397k1s)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b039c5cx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0397k1v)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0397k1x)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0397k1z)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b0397k21)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b039jn7h)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ed Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths, Cambridge.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b039cbsh)
The European Commission is negotiating a new trade deal with Ukraine to import egg products but British producers are concerned they won't meet EU welfare standards. Heath Brooks has 28,000 birds in Norfolk. He tells Anna Hill his investment in welfare friendly cages is a waste of money if egg products can come in from Ukraine unchecked.
Meanwhile, the Happy Egg Company has commissioned chick-lit author - no pun intended - Catherine Alliott to write a romantic novel for laying hens. The hero of the story is a handsome cockerel called Clooney, whose seductive crowing will make the ladies of the coop more broody and, ultimately, lay more eggs.
And the Food Standards Agency has revealed cases of campylobacter are still on the increase, despite spending millions of pounds on trying to bring the bacteria, which is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK, under control. Anna speaks to Catherine Brown, chief executive of the FSA and asks why they can't get on top of the problem.
Presented by Anna Hill, and Produced by Anna Jones.


TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b038qj1l)
Swallow

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.

Brett Westwood presents the swallow. You can see Swallows at this time of year gathering on telegraph wires, strung out like musical notes on a stave, before their long journey south to Africa. The female swallow often rears two broods of young each year but in sunny weather when there are plenty of flying insects, she may manage three broods.


TUE 06:00 Today (b039cgzw)
News and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather, Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (b039cbsn)
Mark Lythgoe

Professor Mark Lythgoe created and runs the largest medical imaging research facility in Europe - the Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging at University College London. That is quite an achievement for someone who spectacularly failed his A levels because he was dancing on the podiums of Manchester clubs or tuning the engine of his motorbike.

Now the Centre does everything from testing new treatments for cancer, stroke and heart disease to probing the homing sense of pigeons. Mark Lythgoe's team develops new techniques to image the living body and its biochemical activities in ever-minute detail, with radio, light and ultrasound waves.

In The Life Scientific, Mark Lythgoe talks about the frontier research at his centre and the thrill he gets from it. As well as a scientist, he is also an intrepid mountain climber and believes there are parallels between the experiences of a mountaineer and those of an inventor of new views of the human brain and body.

Professor Lythgoe talks candidly about his unconventional journey and struggle to make a successful career in science which took him through making plastic pipes in a factory, training Israeli attack dogs and working with Australian Aboriginal people. He describes the deep sense of failure which powered with his progress once he had a foot in the laboratory door.

Mark also discusses his collaborations with artists on sci-art projects. He says one film project about a young girl with a severe brain condition helped to make him the scientist he is today.


TUE 09:30 One to One (b039cbsq)
Frank Gardner talks to Deborah Impiazzi

Frank Gardner was shot several times by terrorists in Saudi Arabia in 2004, and suffered damage to his spinal nerve. He lost the use of his legs and is in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

It was a catastrophic change to his life but having a supportive partner and being able to go back to work and continue with his career as a journalist for the BBC has been a key factor in his own recovery. In his third and final interview for the series 'One to One ', Frank meets Deborah Impiazzi who lost her sight and with it her job and her husband and explores how she is coping with this life changing trauma.

Producer: Perminder Khatkar.


TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b039jg9g)
Peter Snow - When Britain Burned the White House

Episode 2

Nearly 200 years ago, Britain attacked the heartland of the United States. The President and his wife had just enough time to pack their belongings and flee the White House before the British army entered and set fire to the building. From here, the British army turned its sights to Baltimore.

Peter Snow tells the story of this extraordinary confrontation between Britain and the United States, the outcome of which inspired America's national anthem. Using eyewitness accounts, Peter describes the colourful personalities on both sides of this astonishing battle - from Britain's fiery Admiral Cockburn, to the cautious but widely popular army commander Robert Ross and the beleaguered President James Madison whose nation was besieged by a greater military force.

In episode two, the British invaders confront the American militia at Bladensburg, eight miles from the Capitol. The Americans are defeated and scattered. The road to Washington lies undefended.

Read by Jamie Parker

Producer: David Roper
A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b039cbss)
Martha Lane Fox; The Silent Wife

Digital pioneer, dotcom millionairess, and youngest female member of the House of Lords. Powerlister Martha Lane Fox talks to Jane Garvey about achieving success as a young woman, how her life's changed in the ten years since her car accident in Morocco and why she's made it her mission to tackle the nation's digital skills deficit. In the UK, women are 46% of undergraduate students in philosophy, but make up fewer than 25% of permanent staff. So what should female undergraduates know before they start their courses this autumn? Jennifer Saul Head of the Philosophy Department at the University of Sheffield and Professor Helen Beebee of the University of Manchester talk to Jane. The Director of Public Prosecutions has called a meeting on Thursday to discuss the fact that there has not been a single prosecution relating to FGM, the practice of Female Genital Mutilation. And yet, a Newsnight film being broadcast tonight reveals that women who claim they are fleeing to the UK out of fear of FGM are being denied asylum. Newsnight reporter Sue Lloyd Roberts talks to Jane. The Silent Wife by ASA Harrison has now spent 4 weeks in the New York Times bestseller list. The story of a slow, murderous disintegration of a marriage, it is the author's first and last novel, as she died in April this year aged 65, just months before she saw her book published. Jane is joined by the author's friend and agent Samantha Haywood, and Laura Wilson, crime fiction reviewer for the Guardian.
Presented by Jane Garvey.


TUE 10:45 British New Wave (b039cbsv)
Georgy Girl

Georgy Girl - Episode 2

By Margaret Forster
Dramatised by Rhiannon Tise
A tearful Georgy is worried about
facing Jos again and is now
thinking about accepting James's
offer.

Directed by Tracey Neale

The Story:

As part of our British New Wave season the Fifteen Minute Drama brings to the Radio 4 airwaves the compelling story of Georgina Parkin. Georgy is twenty-seven. Brought up in Kensington by her parents, Ted and Doris who are live-in servants of rich socialite James. She lives in her own flat in Battersea with the cool and disdainful Meredith who has the male population at her feet. Georgy thinks her flat-mate is beautiful, witty and clever. Georgy, on the other hand, is a physically awkward, large young woman, who lacks self-esteem, never been taken out on a date, let alone kissed. She is desperate to meet someone and fall in love. This is the Swinging Sixties after all.

And then she falls in love with Jos, a charming and directionless young man. But there's a problem -he's Meredith's fella and there are complications when Meredith announces she is pregnant. A tangled living situation emerges. Then James makes Georgy an unconventional and surprising offer which she agrees to think about. Is his offer the key to Georgy's happiness? Or, will she hold out for true love with Jos?

The Writer:

Margaret Forster is the author of many successful novels, including Lady's Maid, Have the Men Had Enough? and The Memory Box and several acclaimed biographies, including Good Wives. Her most recent books have been Diary of an Ordinary Woman and The Unknown Bridesmaid.

The Dramatist:

Rhiannon won the Richard Imison Award for her first radio play The Waltzer. Her most recent radio play, broadcast earlier this year, was Outside In. Rhiannon has written for the BBC series Doctors and her stage plays have been performed at The Royal Court, The Royal National Theatre, The Traverse Theatre, The Tron Theatre Glasgow, Soho Theatre and The Arcola Theatre.


TUE 11:00 Shared Planet (b039cbsx)
Agricultural Crops and Wildlife

Monty Don presents Shared Planet, the series that looks at the crunch point between human population and the natural world. In this week's programme we have a field report from England with Simon Potts, Professor of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services at Reading University. Simon Potts's research looks specifically at how effective bees and other pollinators are and their abundance in agricultural landscapes - a crucial link in food security. Monty Don explores some of the issues with Vandana Shiva in Delhi, a board member of the International Forum on Globalisation and an author of over 20 books about biodiversity, food and economies.


TUE 11:30 Tom Ravenscroft's One Man Band (b039cbsz)
With a guitar in hand, harmonica in mouth, cymbals and bells and a big drum strapped to the back, Tom Ravenscroft goes in search of the musical characters who prefer to go solo.

One Man Bands have a surprisingly long history, documented in pictures and writings from France and Spain as far back as the middle ages. Entertaining and enterprising men, they started with a flute and a drum and, over the centuries, have literally added whistles and bells - as well as cymbals, harmonica, accordion, trumpet, and the list goes on.

Contemporary one man band legends include North Carolina's Jim Garner, Georgia's Jesse Fuller and West Virginia's Hasil Adkins who have all influenced current players such as Bloodshot Bill and Washboard Hank - who Tom tracks down.

Charmed by their inventiveness and talent, Tom visits the one man band festival, an annual event in Montreal where the world's most musical solitary figures perform. He finds some eccentric characters with rich stories following traditions that stretch way back into British and American folk and blues music. Meeting performers such as Bob Log III, Dana Schecter (also known as Insect Ark) and Spain's 'Hyperpotamus', Tom learns what it takes to become a one man band.

Producer: Jo Meek
A Sparklab production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b039cbt1)
Call You and Yours: Immigration - Threat or Opportunity?

Is immigration really hurting the UK economy as a poll this week suggests? The poll also suggests that Britons are intolerant of racism and believe some immigrants have benefited the UK. Is the national mood changing into something more subtle than being simply for or against immigration.


TUE 12:57 Weather (b0397k23)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 13:00 World at One (b039cbt3)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


TUE 13:45 British Conservatism: The Grand Tour (b039cbt5)
Anne McElvoy tells the stories of big challenges that have spurred leading British conservative thinkers into action, from the French Revolution to the Permissive Society.

Episode 2: By the 1830s and 1840s, the Industrial Revolution had brought vast changes to British life. It delivered innovation and prosperity, but chaos and disconnection too.

In the industrial north of England in particular, unrest was growing.

In this episode, Anne visits the Chelsea home of the great Scottish writer and thinker Thomas Carlyle, to find out how he fought back against the Industrial Revolution and the revolutionary idea it brought in its wake.

Carlyle argued that the concept of Utilitarianism, with its New Poor Law and its attack on older forms of charity, was forging a cold new world of atomized individuals. The only things that now connected people, he contended, were cash and disease.

In response, he called for strong leadership and a return to medieval Christian values.

And Anne visits Newcastle to see how Carlyle's ideas found a profound echo in architecture, through the buildings of Augustus Pugin, still visible across the country today.

With: Professor Dinah Birch, Dr Tristram Hunt MP

Producer: Phil Tinline.


TUE 14:00 The Archers (b039c5dt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 British New Wave (b039cd9g)
Up the Junction

By Nell Dunn. Dramatised by Georgia Fitch.

In Nell Dunn's Sixties classic, a young writer from Chelsea decides to swap her privileged life for a grittier experience in industrial Battersea. We join Lily as she embarks on life in the working class community, forming strong friendships with sisters Sylvie and Rube and working in the local sweet factory. The girls scrape together enough to get by on, live in each other's pockets and shake off whatever drama life throws at them.

The bold energy of Nell Dunn's writing and characters is still like a breath of fresh air - fifty years on from the book's original publication.

Director/Producer ..... Lucy Collingwood

Up the Junction was Eastenders' star Lacey Turner's first radio drama.


TUE 15:00 Making History (b039cd9j)
Tom Holland is joined in the Making History studio by Richard Partington from the University of Cambridge and, in Stirling, by Dr Fiona Watson from the University of Dundee.

With the 500th anniversary of the Scots defeat at Flodden just a few days away, Tom travels to Northumberland to meet Clive Hallam Baker who explains why James VI came a cropper after his invasion.

Back in the studio, journalist Alex Massie joins the discussion as we try and understand why this battle seems so little-remembered.

Another great battle is analysed in a new book by the medieval historian Richard Barber, but Helen Castor wonders whether its title, "Edward III and the Triumph of England" tells us more about the rise of the English nation in the 14th century than it does about military success on the continent.

Finally, Tom hears from Andrew Nicholl about a new project in Scotland which allows listeners to get their hands on over 400 years of history. Transcribe Scottish Places needs volunteers to type out documents that go back to 1645 and these will then become freely available on-line to users around the world.

Contact the programme: making.history@bbc.co.uk

Produced by Nick Patrick
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 15:30 Costing the Earth (b039ctgc)
The Palm Oil Palm Off

In June this year a thick haze descended over Singapore, causing record air pollution levels which left streets empty and forcing children, the sick and elderly to stay indoors. It was attributed to the illegal burning of forests in Indonesia to clear land to plant palm oil. It was a visible reminder of a practice which has been continuing for years but, say environmental groups, which must be stopped.

Palm oil is in hundreds of products, from detergents and cosmetics to biscuits and now biofuels. But the burning of forests is destroying the habitat of endangered wildlife, destroying woodland and releasing carbon dioxide from the peat. Tom Heap asks if we've turned a blind eye to this issue. Some manufacturers have pledged to source sustainably but he asks how sure they are the oil they get is untainted.

Costing the Earth heads to Indonesia to see the level of destruction, find out who's behind it and looks at the impact the haze has had on Singapore. In France politicians have called for a levy on palm oil and consumers have campaigned against it but is this an issue the British still want to know about?

Produced in Bristol by Anne-Marie Bullock.


TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (b039ctgf)
The Rise of the Political Soundbite

Chris Ledgard and guests discuss the art and efficacy of the political soundbite.


TUE 16:30 Great Lives (b039ctgh)
Series 31

Paul Mason on Louise Michel

TV journalist and writer Paul Mason talks to Matthew Parris about the 19th Century French anarchist, Louise Michel, heroine of the Paris Commune. They're joined by historian Carolyn Eichner who says that Michel "expounded action and aggression with a theatrical, infectious elegance."

Known as 'the Red Virgin of Montmartre', Michel fought on the barricades in the short-lived revolution of 1871. Captured and tried by the French government, she told her accusers: "Since it seems that every heart that beats for freedom has no right to anything but a little lump of lead, I demand my share. If you let me live, I shall never cease to cry for vengeance and l shall avenge my brothers. If you are not cowards, kill me!"

She served seven years in a penal colony in the South Pacific and seven thousand Parisians turned out to welcome her home. She was a school teacher, writer, orator, anthropologist, feminist and cat-lover. She wrote some moving poems – and an opera about the destruction of the world.

Producer: Peter Everett

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4in 2013.


TUE 17:00 PM (b039ctgk)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0397k25)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 18:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b039ctgm)
Series 3

Episode 1

John Finnemore, the writer and star of Cabin Pressure, regular guest on The Now Show and popper-upper in things like Miranda, presents a third series of his hit sketch show.

The first series was described as "sparklingly clever" by The Daily Telegraph and "one of the most consistently funny sketch shows for quite some time" by The Guardian. The second series won Best Radio Comedy at both the Chortle and Comedy.co.uk awards, and was nominated for a Sony award.

In this new series, John promises to stop doing silly sketches about nonsense like Winnie the Pooh's honey addiction or how goldfish invented computer programming, and concentrate instead on the the big, serious issues.

This first episode of the series addresses the kind of animals that don't get sanctuaries; why the train manager needs to see the train driver; and why people literally shout at the radio?

Written by and starring John Finnemore, with Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Simon Kane, Lawry Lewin and Carrie Quinlan. Original music is by Susannah Pearse.

Producer: Ed Morrish.


TUE 19:00 The Archers (b039ctgp)
Ruth waits nervously to meet Ben after the first day at his new school. Sympathetic Shula tries to distract her by asking about the Flower and Produce Show.

Shula leaves to catch up with Neil who doesn't want to discuss weddings. Susan is unhappy that Chris and Alice are only invited to Jolene and Kenton's evening do. Shula is worried about Darrell who hasn't been seen at The Elms. She asks Neil to keep his eyes open.

Rob and Helen are looking forward to spending time together later that evening.

As Tom prepares to ask Tony for a temporary loan, they are interrupted by Helen asking if Tony can look after Henry because Pat isn't feeling well. But Tony can't help and he and Tom go off for a cup of tea and, Tom hopes, a chat.

Casually, Tom tells Tony that Bellingham's have stopped their promotional offer. Tony seizes on this. It's the very reason he and Pat advised Tom not to increase production. His pride wounded, Tom leaves without asking for help.

Helen meets up with Rob at Arkwright Lake and has to bring Henry. Rob's surprised but tells Helen he'll make it up to her next time.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (b039ctgr)
Stephen Fry; Liz Lochhead on The Great Tapestry of Scotland; The Great Beauty

With Mark Lawson

The Italian film The Great Beauty was acclaimed at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and now arrives in British cinemas. Set in contemporary Rome, it's the story of an ageing writer looking back with bitterness on his passionate youth. Sarah Crompton reviews.

Stephen Fry is curating the Deloitte Ignite Festival at the Royal Opera House, London. Events focus on Verdi and Wagner, to mark the bicentenaries of their births. Stephen Fry discusses his ideas for the Festival, which include taking QI panellist Alan Davies to his first opera for a scientific experiment. He also talks about the political situation in Russia, and not wanting to make a career out of his personal life.

The Great Tapestry of Scotland, thought to be the longest in the world, is being unveiled today in Edinburgh. It is more than 140 metres long and depicts the history of Scotland from pre-history to the present. The work was conceived by author Alexander McCall Smith, and the panels were designed by artist Andrew Crummy, with input from the historian Alistair Moffat. More than 1000 stitchers from every corner of Scotland have been working on the project for a year. Poet and dramatist Liz Lochhead discusses one of Scotland's biggest community arts projects.

Producer Claire Bartleet.


TUE 19:45 British New Wave (b039cbsv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


TUE 20:00 Michael Ignatieff and the Red Cross Crisis (b039ctgt)
The International Committee of the Red Cross turns 150 this year. Few humanitarian organisations have such long experience of working in war zones, but is their role still relevant?
Today, war is taking on new dimensions; conflict is emerging in new quarters; and technology is transforming the nature of the battlefield. Can the ICRC keep up with the extraordinary speed of change? Can it continue to be of help to victims? And can it hope to persuade combatants to obey the traditional laws of war?

Harvard professor Michael Ignatieff has kept a watching brief on the work of the ICRC since 1997 when he visited its delegation in Afghanistan. Now he returns, this time to the headquarters in Geneva, to explore the challenges the organisation faces.

We hear reports from Medellin in Colombia where the ICRC has started working with victims of narco-violence; we hear the latest from Syria where the ICRC is attempting to support the Arab Red Crescent under desperate conditions; and we find out how the ICRC has negotiated with America over its proven abuses of international humanitarian law during the course of the War on Terror. How can the ICRC preserve confidentiality without becoming complicit in such abuses? We ask whether the principles of neutrality and impartiality come at too great a cost.

The question of technology is a looming problem for the International Committee Red Cross. Michael asks how the organisation can continue to promote the laws of war when drones are dissolving battle lines and cyber threats make the Internet a site of conflict.

'Michael Ignatieff and the Red Cross Crisis' poses tough questions about the future of humanitarian work and the future face of war.

Producer: Isabel Sutton
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 20:40 In Touch (b039ctgw)
Peter White talks to Matt Davis, from RNIB about the 4th annual review of the Work Capability Assessmenet and the charity's call for changes to be made to elements of the assessment wording, to reflect the specific needs of visually-impaired people.
And the Rev Michael Johnson talks about the challenges he faces as a partially-sighted vicar.


TUE 21:00 Seven Ages of Science (b039ctgy)
Age of the Lab

Lisa Jardine explores how scientists became separated from wider society.

Until the end of the 18th century, most scientific endeavour took place in private houses or workshops, often done on a part-time basis by passionate enthusiasts. It was the poet Samuel Coleridge who suggested, in 1833, that men who were neither literary nor philosophers might be called "scientists"; but still there were no public laboratories and certainly no white coats.

The idea that people could be trained in laboratories was pioneered in Germany and it was decades before Britain caught on.

In 1858, an expensive project to lay a telegraph cable under the Atlantic failed; and an inquiry into the failure recommended that Britain needed more men who understood how telegraphy actually worked. Today, the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge is famous for a string of Nobel Prize winning discoveries into the nature of the atom and the structure of molecules including, famously, DNA. But it was set up to train more telegraph engineers.

As more purpose-built laboratories were established, complete with petri dishes, test tubes, and bunsen burners, scientists started to be perceived as somehow different from the rest of us. Trained in specialist techniques, they followed their own methods and rules. They became a separate tribe.


TUE 21:30 The Life Scientific (b039cbsn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 21:58 Weather (b0397k27)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b039cth0)
US defence chiefs questioned on Syria;
Will German voters go green again?
South African miners go on strike
With David Eades.


TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b039cth2)
Secrecy

Episode 7

"Some see you as a master craftsman. Others say you're a sorcerer. You're mysterious, obsessive. Controversial."

Zummo - a 17th-century sculptor - makes things out of wax, figures so lifelike they look as if they might move and breathe. He has journeyed throughout Italy over the years in an attempt to flee his past. Now, in 1691, he has been summoned to the Medici court by the Grand Duke of Tuscany. He arrives in Florence, a city in which "everything was forbidden [and] anything was possible." But what does the Grand Duke have in mind for him?

Ten years later, Zummo visits a convent in France and tells the whole story to Marguerite-Louise of Orléans, long-estranged wife of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Secrecy is a tale of love, art, murder and concealment, enacted within a beautifully-realised 17th century Florentine and Tuscan setting.

Some of the 'plague pieces' by Gaetano Zummo (1656-1701) can be found in La Specola, Florence.

Rupert Thomson is the author of eight highly-acclaimed novels including Death of a Murderer, which was shortlisted for the 2008 Costa Novel Award. His memoir This Party's Got to Stop won the Writer's Guild Non-Fiction Award.

Episode Seven
Zummo has moved to a new apartment in anticipation of his mother's arrival from Sicily. But this doesn't stop Stufa from becoming more and more intrusive.

Reader: Owen Teale
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne

Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 23:00 Detective Sergeant Nick Mohammed (b039cth4)
Series 2

Forgery

Detective Sergeant Nick Mohammed finds himself immersed in the art world, when a forgery ring is discovered.

Series two of the critically acclaimed sitcom written and performed by Nick Mohammed. ("Delightfully bonkers!" The Guardian).

This time around Nick is tackling some major crimes - and assisting with some major public events.

He's also joined by special constables Colin Hoult and Anna Crilly, who aid and abet him in everything he does.

With special guests Margaret Cabourn-Smith, and Wil Andrews.

Producer: Tilusha Ghelani and Victoria Lloyd.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2013.


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (b039cth6)
Sean Curran with the latest news from Westminster.



WEDNESDAY 04 SEPTEMBER 2013

WED 00:00 Midnight News (b0397k3q)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b039jg9g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0397k3v)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0397k43)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0397k45)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 05:30 News Briefing (b0397k47)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b039jh3y)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ed Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths, Cambridge.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (b039ctn3)
The badger cull appears to be underway in Gloucestershire. We hear from farmers and protesters. Presented by Sybil Ruscoe, and Produced by Sarah Swadling.


WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b038qj2c)
Roseate Tern

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.

Brett Westwood presents the Roseate Tern. One of the rarest of the UK's breeding seabirds, the Roseate Tern is exquisitely graceful. Roseate means flushed with pink and seen close this bird does have a faint pinkish wash on its chest in summer, but from a distance, it's the brilliant-white freshly-laundered look of its back and wings that distinguishes a Roseate Tern from its greyer relatives, the Common and Arctic Terns.


WED 06:00 Today (b039ctrv)
News and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather, Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 Midweek (b039ctrx)
Allan Ahlberg, Kiki Dee, Nigel McCrery, Julie Brook

Mariella Frostrup meets children's author Allan Ahlberg; singer Kiki Dee; writer Nigel McCrery and artist Julie Brook.

Writer and former teacher Allan Ahlberg is the author of a series of classic children's picture books including Peepo!, Burglar Bill, Each Peach Pear Plum, and the Jolly Postman. The books were illustrated by his late wife Janet. In his new memoir he writes about his own childhood, growing up in the Black Country in the 1940s. The Bucket - Memories of an Inattentive Childhood is published by Viking.

Kiki Dee - born Pauline Matthews - is celebrating 50 years in the music business with a new album. Best remembered for the 1976 hit with Elton John, Don't Go Breaking My Heart, she was the first white British woman to be signed by Tamla Motown in 1970. Her new album A Place Where I can Go with Carmelo Luggeri is released on Spellbound Recordings.

Nigel McCrery is a former policeman and the creator of BBC television series Silent Witness and New Tricks. His new book, Silent Witnesses - A History of Forensic Science traces the development of scientific discoveries in criminal detection from fingerprinting to DNA. Silent Witnesses - A History of Forensic Science is published by Random House.

Julie Brook is a landscape artist. She takes inspiration for her drawings, paintings and sculptures from inhospitable and remote areas where she spends long stretches of time - often alone. Her latest exhibition Made, unmade features film of her at work digging and moving rocks and stones in the deserts of Libya and Namibia. Made, unmade is at the Wapping Hydraulic Power Station.


WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b039jh40)
Peter Snow - When Britain Burned the White House

Episode 3

Nearly 200 years ago, Britain attacked the heartland of the United States. The President and his wife had just enough time to pack their belongings and flee the White House before the British army entered and set fire to the building. From here, the British army turned its sights to Baltimore.

Peter Snow tells the story of this extraordinary confrontation between Britain and the United States, the outcome of which inspired America's national anthem. Using eyewitness accounts, Peter describes the colourful personalities on both sides of this astonishing battle - from Britain's fiery Admiral Cockburn, to the cautious but widely popular army commander Robert Ross and the beleaguered President James Madison whose nation was besieged by a greater military force.

When the British enter the White House they find it deserted. They feast on President Madison's food and wine before setting they building ablaze. They then turn their attention to other important symbols of American government - and the city is saved only by a timely thunderstorm.

Read by Jamie Parker

Producer: David Roper
A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b039ctrz)
Meg Rosoff; Women's cricket; Mossarat Qadeem; Anya von Bremzen

Carnegie Medal winning author Meg Rosoff discusses her 6th novel, Picture Me Gone.

Charlotte Edwards and Katherine Brunt on their Women's Ashes win.

Peace activist Mossarat Qadeem on her work de-radicalising Pakistani youths. She discusses how to steer them away from extremist groups such as the Taliban and involve them in education and employment.

Food writer Anya von Bremzen has written her memoirs which look at the history of twentieth century Russia and the food that typified Soviet society.

And our series looking at Medieval Women begins today with Christina of Markyate.


WED 10:45 British New Wave (b039cts1)
Georgy Girl

Georgy Girl - Episode 3

By Margaret Forster
Dramatised by Rhiannon Tise
Meredith's baby is on the way
and Georgy and Jos, an adulterer
and his mistress, now have the
long wait for news.

Directed by Tracey Neale

The Story:

As part of our British New Wave season the Fifteen Minute Drama brings to the Radio 4 airwaves the compelling story of Georgina Parkin. Georgy is twenty-seven. Brought up in Kensington by her parents, Ted and Doris who are live-in servants of rich socialite James. She lives in her own flat in Battersea with the cool and disdainful Meredith who has the male population at her feet. Georgy thinks her flat-mate is beautiful, witty and clever. Georgy, on the other hand, is a physically awkward, large young woman, who lacks self-esteem, never been taken out on a date, let alone kissed. She is desperate to meet someone and fall in love. This is the Swinging Sixties after all.

And then she falls in love with Jos, a charming and directionless young man. But there's a problem -he's Meredith's fella and there are complications when Meredith announces she is pregnant. A tangled living situation emerges. Then James makes Georgy an unconventional and surprising offer which she agrees to think about. Is his offer the key to Georgy's happiness? Or, will she hold out for true love with Jos?

The Writer:

Margaret Forster is the author of many successful novels, including Lady's Maid, Have the Men Had Enough? and The Memory Box and several acclaimed biographies, including Good Wives. Her most recent books have been Diary of an Ordinary Woman and The Unknown Bridesmaid.

The Dramatist:

Rhiannon won the Richard Imison Award for her first radio play The Waltzer. Her most recent radio play, broadcast earlier this year, was Outside In. Rhiannon has written for the BBC series Doctors and her stage plays have been performed at The Royal Court, The Royal National Theatre, The Traverse Theatre, The Tron Theatre Glasgow, Soho Theatre and The Arcola Theatre.


WED 11:00 Our Libraries: The Next Chapter (b038xx7b)
Episode 1

As public libraries shut down or cut their opening hours, Michael Rosen opens the book of library history to investigate their journey from the ancient world to the modern and beyond.

In the first of two programmes, Michael goes to Herefordshire where, earlier this year, there was a plan to cut council funding to the library service by 75%. There was a public outcry and the plans have been re-considered. Councillors and library staff discuss how they're trying to find ways through the crisis and protect the Victorian legacy of free libraries for rural communities. In the village of Peterchurch, we hear how volunteers are running the county's smallest library...in a church tower.

Simon Eliot, a Professor of the History of the Book, explains the power of the Victorian library movement; and Brian Ashley, director of libraries at Arts Council England, argues that as we re-shape our idea of a public library service, we have to accept the idea of some neighbourhood libraries shutting down.

Producer: Chris Ledgard.


WED 11:30 Paul Temple (b038xx7d)
Paul Temple and the Gregory Affair

Millgate Steps

Part 9 of a new production of a vintage serial from 1946.

From 1938 to 1968, Francis Durbridge's incomparably suave amateur detective Paul Temple and his glamorous wife Steve solved case after baffling case in one of BBC radio's most popular series. Sadly, only half of Temple's adventures survive in the archives.

In 2006 BBC Radio 4 brought one of the lost serials back to life with Crawford Logan and Gerda Stevenson as Paul and Steve. Using the original scripts and incidental music, and recorded using vintage microphones and sound effects, the production of Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery aimed to sound as much as possible like the 1947 original might have done if its recording had survived. The serial proved so popular that it was soon followed by three more revivals, Paul Temple and the Madison Mystery, Paul Temple and Steve, and A Case for Paul Temple.

Now, from 1946, it's the turn of Paul Temple and the Gregory Affair, in which Paul and Steve go on the trail of the mysterious and murderous Mr Gregory.

Episode 9: Millgate Steps

Temple and Sir Graham take to the river in the hunt for the missing girl.

Producer Patrick Rayner

Francis Durbridge, the creator of Paul Temple, was born in Hull in 1912 and died in 1998. He was one of the most successful novelists, playwrights and scriptwriters of his day.


WED 12:00 You and Yours (b039ctyr)
Forth Bridge, Mary Portas, Wine Glasses, Sat Nav Signs, Click & Collect and Unregistered Landlords

As the Forth Bridge becomes a tourist attraction what can Scotland learn from Sydney?

Mary Portas is under fire over her plans for high street revival. She tells us why she thinks her report to government has helped.

And can the wrong wine glass ruin a good drink?

Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Jon Douglas.


WED 12:57 Weather (b0397k49)
The latest weather forecast.


WED 13:00 World at One (b039ctyt)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


WED 13:45 British Conservatism: The Grand Tour (b039ctyw)
Anne McElvoy tells the stories of big challenges that have spurred leading British conservative thinkers into action, from the French Revolution to the Permissive Society.

Episode 3: In the 1840s, industry, commerce and voting reform gave new power to the cities and the middle classes. But then the feudal aristocracy found an unlikely new champion.

Benjamin Disraeli was a dandy Jewish London novelist, who dressed in peacock waistcoats.

But along with a clutch of youthful aristocrats, he formed a group called Young England.

They tried to revive the romantic idea of rural landowners looking after the poor, and to translate this to the new era.

Disraeli toured the cities of the industrial north, and drew on the suffering he saw in novels that venerated the old ways.

This was not a huge success. But Disraeli found his great cause in the battle over Free Trade.

When Prime Minister Robert Peel decided to abolish the tariffs that protected British farmers from foreign corn imports, Disraeli spied betrayal.

And so did Lord George Bentinck, a true rural aristocrat and a man who was really just interested in horse-racing - until the threat of Free Trade spurred him into action.

Together, 'the Jockey and the Jew', as they were dubbed, led the charge against Peel, arguing that Free Trade would destroy a whole social system.

But they lost - and it was Peel's championing of Free Trade which proved the more effective conservative move.

Instead of Disraeli and Bentinck's diehard defence of the old ways, Peel's more open approach welcomed the new urban middle classes into politics, showing that you didn't have to be a landed gentleman to support the Church and the Constitution.

With: Professor Jon Lawrence, Professor Richard Aldous, Dr Tristram Hunt MP

Producer: Phil Tinline.


WED 14:00 The Archers (b039ctgp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Drama (b039ctyy)
The Watcher on the Wall

To mark the fiftieth anniversary of his death, the story of poet Louis MacNeice's trans-Atlantic love affair with the American short story writer Eleanor Clark and the poetry it inspired, dramatised from his Letters by playwright Lucy Caldwell.

In 1939 Louis MacNeice fell in love. The poet had had a tough few years: his world had fallen apart when his adored wife eloped with their American lodger, and now, with divorce proceedings acrimonious and MacNeice a single parent looking after their young son Daniel, the poet plunges himself into his travels and his work.

Then, in the spring of 1939, MacNeice met Eleanor Clark, a young, beautiful and gifted short-story writer. Their intense, passionate, desperate affair - he in England, she in New York, the war and the Atlantic Ocean between them - consumed the next few years, and the poet's imagination. Communicating through letters, their relationship becomes for MacNeice one of pursuit rather than possession, but nevertheless amid the pressures of parenthood, debts, deadlines and the on-going war, it inspires some of MacNeice's most famous and passionate poetry, most notably "Meeting Point" and "Cradle Song for Eleanor". But can a relationship that exists more in the mind than reality ever endure, or will its fate simply be that of a passing poetic fantasy?

Also a prolific writer/producer of radio drama, the Belfast-born poet began working at the BBC in 1941 where he produced numerous programmes including the acclaimed drama "The Dark Tower." It was while caving in Yorkshire recording sound effects for a radio drama that MacNeice contracted the pneumonia that lead to his death on 3rd September 1963.

The Letters of Louis MacNeice edited by Jonathan Allison were published by Faber & Faber in 2010.


WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b039ctz0)
Student Finance

Worried about paying for higher education? Put your student money queries to Paul Lewis and guests. Call 03700 100 444 from 1pm to 3.30pm on Wednesday or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk

Record numbers of students were accepted into their first choice UK university place on A level results day this year. Chief Executive of admission body UCAS Mary Curnock Cook, said: "The gateway to higher education swings open for many people today based on these results - congratulations to all of them".

Whether you've just been accepted onto a course, you're a returning student or considering an application for next year, you may be wondering about finances.

What will you pay for tuition fees and living expenses?

Will you be able to meet those costs with loans, grants or bursaries?

How will interest build up on loans and when will you repay them?

Whatever your query waiting to help will be:

Miriam Craven, Head of Customer Engagement, Student Awards Agency for Scotland.

Rob Ellis, Swansea University Money Adviser and Co-ordinator for Welsh National Association of Student Money Advisers.

David Malcolm, Head of Social Policy, National Union of Students.

Call 03700 100 444 between 1pm and 3.30pm on Wednesday or email moneybox@bbc.co.uk. Phone lines are open between 1pm and 3.30pm. Standard geographic charges apply. Calls from mobiles may be higher.


WED 15:30 Seven Ages of Science (b039ctgy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]


WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b039cy07)
Erving Goffman - a special programme

Erving Goffman - Laurie Taylor presents a special programme on the work and influence of this groundbreaking Canadian sociologist. He's joined by Professor Gregory Smith, Dr Rachel Hurdley and Dr Susie Scott. Revised repeat.

Producer: Jayne Egerton


WED 16:30 The Media Show (b039cy09)
As a report from the National Audit Office today concludes that severance pay at the BBC provided poor value for money and put public trust at risk, we ask what measures are being put in place to restore confidence.

With just over a year to go before Scotland votes on independence, Steve Hewlett discusses how papers and broadcasters will decide agendas, stimulate interest on both sides of the border, and in the BBC's case, ensure impartiality.

And following the death of Sir David Frost, we ask whether his interview style would work today, in an age of spin, 24 hour news coverage and news pools.

Producer: Katy Takatsuki.


WED 17:00 PM (b039cy0c)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0397k4c)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 18:30 My Teenage Diary (b039cy0f)
Series 5

Sarfraz Manzoor

Another brave celebrity revisits their formative years by opening up their intimate teenage diaries, and reading them out in public for the very first time. In this programme, comedian Rufus Hound is joined by journalist Sarfraz Manzoor.

Sarfraz relives his teenage days living in Luton in a strict Muslim family - when he was obsessed with Bo Derek and pop music, and desperate to buy a computer.

Producer: Harriet Jaine
A Talkback production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 19:00 The Archers (b039d14n)
Helen is horrified when Pat suggests that she enter her jewellery for the Flower and Produce Show. Enlisting Kirsty's help, Helen attempts to make some. When Helen begins to talk about Rob she notices a change in Kirsty's mood and switches the attention back to the job in hand.

As they wait for their lunch at the golf club, Jennifer tells Brian that she can't understand why her children and their partners are only invited to Jolene and Kenton's evening do. Surprised to see Kathy waiting on tables, Brian suggests that Kathy talk things over with Martyn. But as he and Jennifer are leaving, Martyn stops Brian to ask if there have been any problems.

Lynda attempts to talk to Ray about problems with the online booking facility but is taken aback when he disappears to organise some music for later and asks her to enlist more guests for tonight's undersubscribed cocktail evening.

When Kathy arrives, unhappy at having been for a swim to find the changing rooms filthy and the towel bins overflowing, Lynda offers a complimentary cocktail in the bistro. Ray is delighted to meet a kindred spirit in the hospitality business and urges Kathy to drink her Paradise Sunrise!


WED 19:15 Front Row (b039d14q)
Actress Tamsin Greig; novelist Jonathan Coe; Martin Bailey on Van Gogh's Sunflowers

With Mark Lawson.

Tamsin Greig, familiar to Radio 4 listeners as Debbie Aldridge in The Archers, is also well known from TV comedies such as Black Books and Green Wing, along with numerous acclaimed stage roles. This week she stars in the TV drama series The Guilty, as a mother who is also leading a police investigation into the death of a young boy. She reflects on the relationship between comedy and tragedy, corpsing on stage and the importance of pauses.

Jonathan Coe, best known for What a Carve Up! and The Rotters Club, discusses his new novel Expo 58. It's set at the 1958 World Fair in Belgium, where a naïve young civil servant is sent to run the British pavilion against a backdrop of the Cold War. Jonathan Coe discusses spies and intrigue in his latest comic novel.

A rare photograph of one of Vincent Van Gogh's sunflower paintings has been tracked down by writer Martin Bailey. The original painting, Six Sunflowers, was destroyed in Japan, during bombings in 1945. Martin Bailey explains how he found the image, and how he believes it enhances our understanding of Van Gogh's work.

As Cliff Richard prepares to release his 100th album, The Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll Songbook, David Hepworth attempts to chart which band or artist has recorded the most albums.

Producer Nicki Paxman.


WED 19:45 British New Wave (b039cts1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


WED 20:00 Four Thought (b039d14s)
Best of Four Thought

Against the Grain

David Baddiel presents the best of the series which combines new ideas and personal stories. In this fourth and last edition we hear from speakers who have gone against the grain.

Naomi Shragai is a Jewish woman who was expected to find a nice Jewish man to marry, but she then found herself on a very different path. Musa Okwonga tried to give up social media - at least for a while. And James Friel celebrates being single.

Producer: Arlene Gregorius.


WED 20:45 Four Thought (b039d1fp)
Series 4

Alan Bissett

In the 1990s, author Alan Bissett was a lad and women were 'birds'.

In a frank and personal account, Alan talks about why he turned to the work of the late American radical feminist Andrea Dworkin after becoming concerned over his use of internet pornography.

He dissects elements of what he describes as our "sex saturated culture" and argues that men need to start engaging with feminism for the good of all.
Four Thought is a series of talks which combine new ideas and personal stories.

Recorded during the Edinburgh festival, speakers explain their thinking on the trends and ideas in culture and society in front of a live audience.

Producer: Caitlin Smith.


WED 21:00 Costing the Earth (b039ctgc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:30 on Tuesday]


WED 21:30 Midweek (b039ctrx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


WED 21:58 Weather (b0397k4f)
The latest weather forecast.


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b039d1fr)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.


WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b039d1ft)
Secrecy

Episode 8

"Some see you as a master craftsman. Others say you're a sorcerer. You're mysterious, obsessive. Controversial."

Zummo - a 17th-century sculptor - makes things out of wax, figures so lifelike they look as if they might move and breathe. He has journeyed throughout Italy over the years in an attempt to flee his past. Now, in 1691, he has been summoned to the Medici court by the Grand Duke of Tuscany. He arrives in Florence, a city in which "everything was forbidden [and] anything was possible." But what does the Grand Duke have in mind for him?

Ten years later, Zummo visits a convent in France and tells the whole story to Marguerite-Louise of Orléans, long-estranged wife of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Secrecy is a tale of love, art, murder and concealment, enacted within a beautifully-realised 17th century Florentine and Tuscan setting.

Some of the 'plague pieces' by Gaetano Zummo (1656-1701) can be found in La Specola, Florence.

Rupert Thomson is the author of eight highly-acclaimed novels including Death of a Murderer, which was shortlisted for the 2008 Costa Novel Award. His memoir This Party's Got to Stop won the Writer's Guild Non-Fiction Award.

Episode Eight
After the break-in at his house, and with both Stufa and Bassetti closing in, Zummo acts to keep Faustina safe.

Reader: Owen Teale
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne

Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 23:00 The Music Teacher (b039d1fw)
Series 3

Episode 1

Richie Webb returns for a third series as multi-instrumentalist music teacher Nigel Penny.

Nigel inherits a life changing sum of money from a distant relative leading to him considering jacking it all in and starting again. A consideration consistently reinforced by the constant stream of useless pupils.

Meanwhile Belinda is keen to keep Nigel on at the Arts Centre to run free taster sessions. At any cost.

Directed by Nick Walker
Audio production by Matt Katz
Written and produced by Richie Webb
A Top Dog production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 23:15 Helen Keen's It Is Rocket Science (b00z5hrv)
Series 1

Episode 1

Funny, off-beat but factually accurate account of the science of rockets and the brilliant but occasionally warped brains behind it all.

Helen Keen, Peter Serafinowicz and Susy Kane look at the three fathers of modern rocket science:

* 19th Century self-taught Russian visionary Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky and his dreams of orbiting space stations and Martian colonies;

* American Robert H Goddard, derided in The New York Times in the 1920s for his prediction of a lunar landing (A retraction was printed after the Apollo 11 launch);

* Transylvanian-German Hermann Oberth with his brilliant theories about space travel and his horrifying theories about racial supremacy.

Plus Helen reveals the surprising connection between space travel and a coach tour of the Jewels of the Rhineland.

Written by Helen Keen and Miriam Underhill.

Producer: Gareth Edwards

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2011.


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b039d1fy)
The Prime Minister vows to use all of Britain's diplomatic "muscle" to bring Syria's warring factions together for peace talks.
At question time, David Cameron tells MPs the world is letting the Syrian people down and he regrets losing last week's vote on military action.
But Labour leader Ed Miliband says Labour opposed the government's strategy because it was concerned "about preventing a rush to war" and not because it believed Britain should "shirk its responsibility".
The Government denies it has stopped trying to catch illegal immigrants at Britain's borders following a critical report from the National Audit Office.
And Labour accuses the coalition of presiding over a collapse in living standards and wages. But ministers say their strategy is working with economy now growing again.
Susan Hulme and team report on today's events in Parliament.



THURSDAY 05 SEPTEMBER 2013

THU 00:00 Midnight News (b0397k5b)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b039jh40)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0397k5d)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0397k5g)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0397k5j)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 05:30 News Briefing (b0397k5l)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b039jn36)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ed Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths, Cambridge.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (b039d4b0)
National Trust members are to vote on whether it should allow badger culls on its land. The Trust isn't involved in the current pilot culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire though it has said that it wouldn't stand in the way of such culls if the pilots are successful. But the Trust says it won't be bound by its members until the science is settled. Also on Farming Today, death threats, bricks through windscreens and intimidation. These are just some of the things farmers claim they are facing from Hare Coursers trespassing on their land. In Lincolnshire alone, almost a hundred and ninety people were prosecuted, between September 2012 and April 2013. Now that crops have been harvested the bare fields offer the perfect arena for hunting and the gangs have returned. Presented by Charlotte Smith. Produced by Anna Varle.


THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b038qj54)
Greenshank

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.

Brett Westwood presents the Greenshank. The ringing triple call of a greenshank from a pool or marshy area is something to listen out for and a sure sign that autumn migration is under way. It's during their migration north that most of us meet greenshanks because in the UK they breed only in Scotland and even there, they are usually in the most remote bogs and mires of the Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland.


THU 06:00 Today (b039d4b2)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 Last Bus to Serendip (b039d4b4)
Journalist and psychologist Dr Aleks Krotoski sets out to discover what serendipity actually is and why we need it today more than ever.


THU 09:30 The Listening Project (b039bg5c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Sunday]


THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b039j2gj)
Peter Snow - When Britain Burned the White House

Episode 4

Nearly 200 years ago, Britain attacked the heartland of the United States. The President and his wife had just enough time to pack their belongings and flee the White House before the British army entered and set fire to the building. From here, the British army turned its sights to Baltimore.

Peter Snow tells the story of this extraordinary confrontation between Britain and the United States, the outcome of which inspired America's national anthem. Using eyewitness accounts, Peter describes the colourful personalities on both sides of this astonishing battle - from Britain's fiery Admiral Cockburn, to the cautious but widely popular army commander Robert Ross and the beleaguered President James Madison whose nation was besieged by a greater military force.

In episode four, two weeks after their successful invasion of Washington, the British turn on Baltimore. But this time the Americans are prepared and more resolute.

Read by Jamie Parker

Producer: David Roper
A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b039d4b6)
Alexa Chung; Joyce DiDonato

Described by Anna Wintour as "A Phenomenon", Alexa Chung, model, muse and style icon talks to Jenni about the inspiration for her eclectic style, why she deliberately muddies her new trainers, and how she decides what to wear in the mornings.
We look at the new research that shows that women who give up taking the breast cancer drug Tamoxifen are dying needlessly. Many give up because of the side effects which include hot flushes, sweating, tiredness and weight gain - what's been done to help them? And award-winning American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato on how she feels about headlining the Last Night of the Proms this weekend.


THU 10:45 British New Wave (b039d4b8)
Georgy Girl

Georgy Girl - Episode 4

By Margaret Forster
Dramatised by Rhiannon Tise
Georgy's wish has come true. She
loves Jos and he loves her but what
will happen when Meredith comes
home with the baby? ...

Directed by Tracey Neale

The Story:

As part of our British New Wave season the Fifteen Minute Drama brings to the Radio 4 airwaves the compelling story of Georgina Parkin. Georgy is twenty-seven. Brought up in Kensington by her parents, Ted and Doris who are live-in servants of rich socialite James. She lives in her own flat in Battersea with the cool and disdainful Meredith who has the male population at her feet. Georgy thinks her flat-mate is beautiful, witty and clever. Georgy, on the other hand, is a physically awkward, large young woman, who lacks self-esteem, never been taken out on a date, let alone kissed. She is desperate to meet someone and fall in love. This is the Swinging Sixties after all.

And then she falls in love with Jos, a charming and directionless young man. But there's a problem -he's Meredith's fella and there are complications when Meredith announces she is pregnant. A tangled living situation emerges. Then James makes Georgy an unconventional and surprising offer which she agrees to think about. Is his offer the key to Georgy's happiness? Or, will she hold out for true love with Jos?

The Writer:

Margaret Forster is the author of many successful novels, including Lady's Maid, Have the Men Had Enough? and The Memory Box and several acclaimed biographies, including Good Wives. Her most recent books have been Diary of an Ordinary Woman and The Unknown Bridesmaid.

The Dramatist:

Rhiannon won the Richard Imison Award for her first radio play The Waltzer. Her most recent radio play, broadcast earlier this year, was Outside In. Rhiannon has written for the BBC series Doctors and her stage plays have been performed at The Royal Court, The Royal National Theatre, The Traverse Theatre, The Tron Theatre Glasgow, Soho Theatre and The Arcola Theatre.


THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b039d4bb)
Venezuela - Out of Stock

Despite its massive natural oil wealth, Venezuela is a country sliding into recession, and has one of the highest inflation rates in the world. With prices of some products rising as much as 50% or more annually, the crisis presents a simple human predicament - how to lay your hands on the ever-dwindling supply of price-capped essentials that government shops pledge to provide. The trouble is that many of these basic goods like milk and toilet rolls, are disappearing from the supermarkets within a few minutes of getting there.
Ed Butler explores how gossip and the black market have become a part of the answer for many ordinary citizens. He follows one consumer's quest for goods across the capital, and examines the rumours of smuggling and massive corruption, especially in the west near the border with Colombia.
And he hears how the Socialist legacy of the former President Hugo Chavez still casts a big shadow over the nation. Businesspeople complain that his policies have made it almost impossible to produce anything profitably, and have left a legacy of massive red tape. The housing sector has been hit particularly hard with years of under-investment. Ed meets one retired couple unable to reclaim a rented apartment in their own property, who now are forced to live in their own garage.


THU 11:30 Designing the Impossible (b039d4bd)
How would you like to experience a Soyuz rocket launch or a volcanic eruption in your living room? Could you create dark energy in your kitchen sink? Perhaps you dream of becoming an astronaut?

Then enter the world of Nelly Ben Hayoun, acclaimed designer of fantasy experiences, who brings the thrill of cutting edge science within the reach of ordinary people.

Nelly is a graduate of the Royal College of Art's groundbreaking Design Interactions course - one of a new breed of designers who use immersive experiences to stimulate debates about what sort of future we want for ourselves as the limits of technology and science extend ever further.

She plans her experiences like a circus showman, charting precisely the emotional trajectory through which she wants to lead her audiences. Each project is more ambitious than the last, each seemingly impossible at the outset.

For example, how do you share the high drama of the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing? Nelly's idea was to create an opera based on transcripts from the mission control room and have it performed by the world's first International Space Orchestra - made up of NASA space scientists and lunar mission veterans. Astonishingly she pulled it off - the epic Ground Control Opera had its first performance in September 2012. Since then, she has also managed to arrange for a recording of the performance to be broadcast in space.

And Nelly Ben Hayoun's next impossible project? To become an astronaut, of course.

Producer/Presenter: Mukti Jain Campion
A Culture Wise production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:00 You and Yours (b039d4bg)
npower boss, pet insurance and antique furniture

Winifred Robinson speaks to the boss of npower about why some customers are complaining of missing energy bills.

Sportswear designers once looked to the world of fashion for inspiration, now it's the other way round. We'll be asking why?

As AXA becomes the latest company to stop providing pet insurance, what does it mean for you?

And why we are buying fewer items of antique furniture?

Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Helen Brown.


THU 12:57 Weather (b0397k5n)
The latest weather forecast.


THU 13:00 World at One (b039d4bj)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


THU 13:45 British Conservatism: The Grand Tour (b039d4bl)
Anne McElvoy tells the stories of big challenges that have spurred leading British conservative thinkers into action, from the French Revolution to the Permissive Society.

Episode 4: In 1864, as the British economy boomed, the great Victorian critic John Ruskin was invited to Bradford to advise the prosperous merchants of the town on the style of their new Wool Exchange.

But instead Ruskin lambasted them for ditching traditional values of taste and craft. They had become worshippers, he told them, of 'the Goddess of Getting-On, or Britannia of the Market.'

Anne follows Ruskin to Bradford and discovers how, for this child of south London, the north of England came to represent both the crass prosperity of the time - and a very different vision of life.

Ruskin was deeply influenced by the Romantic poet William Wordsworth, who ditched his youthful radicalism for a conservatism that embraced the communal memory embodied in tradition.

And as Anne discovers, Ruskin moved to Wordsworth's native Lake District and set up guilds to foster an alternative to the factories and mills. He encouraged a return to small communal groups working the land and pursuing traditional crafts.

Yet Ruskin described himself as both 'a violent Tory of the old school' and 'the reddest of the red'. He had a great influence on the emerging socialist movement.

Anne suggests that John Ruskin is an example of how some nineteenth century conservatives had a surprising amount in common with socialism, because of their shared hostility to the costs of capitalism.

With: Professor Dinah Birch, Dr Tristram Hunt MP

Producer: Phil Tinline.


THU 14:00 The Archers (b039d14n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama (b039d4bn)
Caroline Quentin - My Brilliant Divorce

Caroline Quentin stars in Geraldine Aron's radio adaptation of her Olivier nominated West End hit - a comedy drama about surviving divorce with your sense of humour intact.

Good-natured, slightly overweight, former window-dresser Angela (declared age 39, real age 51) thinks her marriage will last forever. But suddenly her husband Max, who has an irritatingly round head, loses his heart to beautiful young Rosa and moves out.

Cheerful about her unexpected freedom at first, Angela's spirits begin to droop as she copes with a mother who won't acknowledge the break-up because she considers divorce 'common', a misogynous solicitor, and Christmas alone (apart from Dexter the family dog and a number of help-line counsellors).

She gets regular updates on the wild expenditure and goings-on at the love nest via her cleaner, Meena, whose sister Leena - also a cleaner - works for Max.

As she tells us of the ups and downs of her life and wryly observes how society treats freshly single women of a certain age, Angela learns how to deal with - and even enjoy - life on her own.

Eccentric, poignant and funny, Angela's journey will resonate with anybody who's lived through a break up.

Written by Geraldine Aron
Producer: Liz Anstee
A CPL production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 15:00 Open Country (b039d4bq)
Laurie Lee Land

Helen Mark explores the newly safeguarded 'Laurie Lee Wood' and meets the people who inhabit the 21st Century 'Cider with Rosie' Landscape. Earlier this year Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust had an unprecedented response to its appeal to save a plot of ancient woodland. It had once belonged to Slad Valley's beloved son, Laurie Lee. Having become too much for the author and playwright's remaining family to maintain, the trust launched an appeal to take it over. In this week's Open Country Helen Mark meets the people who saved this land and the community that still find inspiration in this valley today including Julie and Simon Cooper at 'The Cider Farm' where they now handcraft frames for old master paintings, artist Amanda Lawrence who draws inspiration from the natural landscape and captures her work in glass and writer Adam Horovitz who is capturing his own 'Cider with Rosie' experience on paper.


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b039b67j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:55 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Bookclub (b039bg5h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]


THU 16:00 The Film Programme (b039d4c3)
About Time: Richard Curtis and Bill Nighy; Great Beauty: Paolo Sorrentino; Neil Brand; Toronto Film Festival

Richard Curtis, the writer-director of Love Actually, is back with About Time, a time travel rom-com about life, love and avoiding regrets. Francine Stock talks to Richard, along with Bill Nighy who plays a time-travelling father passing on his gift to his son.

As the autumn film festival season gets underway, Cameron Bailey, artistic director of the Toronto International Film Festival, brings us the highlights among the world premieres and gives his tips for the awards season.

Director Paolo Sorrentino discusses the dangers of beauty and distraction, themes of his new film The Great Beauty, which portrays Rome through the eyes of an ageing writer, mourning his youth.

And composer Neil Brand gives us a preview of his new BBC Four series, Sound of Cinema, which explores film scores and found music as used in films by the great directors, from Alfred Hitchcock to Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino.


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (b039d4c7)
Fukushima ice wall; Martian menus; Science practicals; Eye tracker

Dr Adam Rutherford asks whether the proposed ice wall around the Fukushima nuclear plant will finally halt the radioactive leaks they've suffered since the tsunami in 2011.

BBC Tokyo correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes gives an insider's view on the current crisis and public reaction to the £300m rescue plan announced this week. Plus, Prof Neil Hyatt from Sheffield University describes the challenges ahead in building the ice wall, and decontaminating the water used to cool the crippled nuclear reactors.

Amongst the many challenges of sending a manned mission to Mars is the problem of 'menu fatigue'. Eating the same ready meals for several years could send anyone over the edge. NASA recently completed a four month Mars simulation on a barren volcano in Hawaii, their mission was to invent dishes to recreate on the Red Planet. Cooking doesn't get tougher than this.

School practicals may be popular with students and teachers but recent research suggests that they might not be a useful way to teach science. Is the aim to train up the technicians of the future, or teach children how to think scientifically? Science teacher and writer Alom Shaha and Prof Jim Iley, from the Royal Society of Chemistry, discuss how to make science demo more effective. And the best way to make cheese on toast.

Finally, Dr Pete Etchells from the University of Bath shows us his instrument - an eye-tracker used in psychology experiments. Recent applications include discovering why professional cricketers are better than amateurs, and whether horses are conscious.


THU 17:00 PM (b039d4c9)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0397k5q)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 18:30 Fags, Mags and Bags (b01llcp6)
Series 5

Hovering Chops

More shop based shenanigans and over the counter philosophy, courtesy of Ramesh Mahju and his trusty sidekick Dave.

The careful eco-balance of shop is under threat when a new butcher (played by Barry Howard) sets up shop in Lenzie with a dazzling array of award winning sausages and forthright chat. The current butcher incumbent, Mutton Jeff (played by Sean Scanlan), is particularly upset that his chop empire is under threat and calls upon Ramesh and the Lenzie Local Retail Traders Association to put a stop it.

The staff of 'Fags, Mags and Bags' are on a tireless quest to bring nice-price custard creams and cans of coke with Arabic writing on them to an ungrateful nation. Ramesh Mahju has lovingly built the business up over the course of 30 years, and is ably assisted by his sidekick Dave. But then there are Ramesh's sons Sanjay and Alok - both surly and not particularly keen on the old school approach to shopkeeping, but natural successors to the business so Ramesh is keen to pass them all his worldly wisdom whether they like it or not.

Written by and starring Donald Mcleary and Sanjeev Kohli.

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


THU 19:00 The Archers (b039d4cc)
Helen is disappointed when Rob tells her that he has to go back to Hampshire at the weekend for his mum's birthday. Helen stops herself from asking about Jess.

On the evening before the concert, Neil takes a call from Shula to say that the solo cellist has gone down with glandular fever. Shula is trying to find a replacement.

Neil finds Darrell asleep on a bus shelter bench and eventually persuades Darrell to come home for a cup of tea and a sandwich. But when Susan arrives and is perturbed at Darrell's appearance, he feels uncomfortable and leaves.

It's a busy evening of calving at Brookfield. When some of the calves start to have problems, David and Ruth agree to call Alistair. But Alistair is out on another call and so David calls Rob to borrow some of the vet students. Ruth is affronted that David has asked Rob without consulting her first.

As Ruth watches, vet student Steff struggles to get a calf into the right position and tries to assure Ruth that she knows what she's doing. Eventually, the calf arrives and after a moment of worry begins to breathe. Ruth has to admit she' grateful to Rob for his help and David is relieved to see Ruth's change of heart. It's been quite a night.


THU 19:15 Front Row (b039d4ct)
Alan Cumming; Marlowe's Edward II; new feminist comedians

With Kirsty Lang.

Skinny jeans, phone calls and cameramen recording intimate footage all appear in a mediaeval setting, in a new National Theatre production of Christopher Marlowe's Edward II. Making his debut at the National Theatre, director Joe Hill-Gibbins adds a modern twist to this erotic and brutal play, which stars John Heffernan in the title role. Jerry Brotton reviews.

Alan Cumming stars in the film Any Day Now, set in the late 70s and based on a true story about a gay couple who become guardians of an abandoned young boy with Down's Syndrome. Everyone's delighted with the progress the child makes under their care - until the fact that they're gay becomes public knowledge. Alan Cumming discusses institutional homophobia both in the story and today, working on the US TV hit series The Good Wife - and cabaret-singing with Liza Minnelli.

The exhibition Victoriana: The Art Of Revival features new art inspired by the Victorian era, with pieces from 28 artists including Grayson Perry, Paula Rego, and Jake and Dinos Chapman, and work ranging from ceramics to photography to taxidermy. Rachel Cooke reflects on what 21st century artists take from the 19th century.

As the dust settles on this year's Edinburgh Fringe, one of the biggest stories to emerge from the festival was the rise of feminist comedy, culminating when Bridget Christie won the Fosters Comedy Award for her stand-up show, A Bic For Her. Nadia Kamil and Mary Bourke, who both brought feminist shows to Edinburgh this year, discuss how they went about making feminism funny.

Producer Rebecca Nicholson.


THU 19:45 British New Wave (b039d4b8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


THU 20:00 The Report (b039d4cw)
The Fracking Debate

There's a battle for influence taking place over fracking. Should companies in the UK be drilling for the trillions of cubic feet of shale gas lying thousands of metres below the surface of the earth, and hydraulically fracturing (fracking) the wells to get it out?

Demonstrators have already voiced noisy opposition to the plans in the West Sussex village of Balcombe, citing fracking-induced earthquakes in Lancashire and leaks and contamination of water sources near fracking sites in the United States.

The Prime Minister, David Cameron, and the Chancellor, George Osbourne, have both championed fracking saying it will lower energy prices and lead to better energy security for the UK as it has done in America. But is fracking dangerous, and will it be the silver bullet for energy prices? Wesley Stephenson looks at the evidence.


THU 20:30 In Business (b039d4cy)
Civilian Drones

For decades, unpersoned planes have been used by the military in places such as Afghanistan and Pakistan to watch the ground and deliver weapons controlled by remote pilots thousands of kilometres away. But now companies and experts are putting their minds to turning military drones into civilian vehicles that can do things cheaper and better than piloted planes. Peter Day investigates unmanned aerial vehicles and how they are already being used by farmers and the police. Also, could a drone be delivering your pizza in the not too distant future?


THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (b039d4c7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 today]


THU 21:30 Last Bus to Serendip (b039d4b4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


THU 21:58 Weather (b0397k5s)
The latest weather forecast.


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b039d655)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.


THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b039d657)
Secrecy

Episode 9

"Some see you as a master craftsman. Others say you're a sorcerer. You're mysterious, obsessive. Controversial."

Zummo - a 17th-century sculptor - makes things out of wax, figures so lifelike they look as if they might move and breathe. He has journeyed throughout Italy over the years in an attempt to flee his past. Now, in 1691, he has been summoned to the Medici court by the Grand Duke of Tuscany. He arrives in Florence, a city in which "everything was forbidden [and] anything was possible." But what does the Grand Duke have in mind for him?

Ten years later, Zummo visits a convent in France and tells the whole story to Marguerite-Louise of Orléans, long-estranged wife of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Secrecy is a tale of love, art, murder and concealment, enacted within a beautifully-realised 17th century Florentine and Tuscan setting.

Some of the 'plague pieces' by Gaetano Zummo (1656-1701) can be found in La Specola, Florence.

Rupert Thomson is the author of eight highly-acclaimed novels including Death of a Murderer, which was shortlisted for the 2008 Costa Novel Award. His memoir This Party's Got to Stop won the Writer's Guild Non-Fiction Award.

Episode Nine
Zummo rides off to Torremagna in search of Faustina, knowing he must find her before Stufa does.

Reader: Owen Teale
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne

Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 23:00 Colin Hoult's Carnival of Monsters (b036mykr)
Series 1

Episode 1

Enter the Carnival of Monsters, a bizarre and hilarious world of sketches, stories and characters, presented by the sinister Ringmaster.

Master character comedian Colin Hoult's debut comedy series.

Meet such monstrous yet strangely familiar oddities as: Thwor - the mighty (but Leeds-based) god of Thwunder; Len Parker - Nottingham-born martial arts and transformers enthusiast; Anna Mann - outrageous star of such forgotten silver screen hits such as 'Rogue Baker', 'Who's For Turkish Delight' and 'A Bowl For My Bottom'; and many more.

Writers Guild Award-winner Colin Hoult is best known for his highly acclaimed starring roles in 'Being Human', 'Life's Too Short', and 'Russell Howard's Good News', as well as his many hit shows at the Edinburgh Festival. He has also appeared and written for a number of Radio 4 series including 'The Headset Set' and 'Colin and Fergus' Digi-Radio'.

Producer: Sam Bryant.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2013.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b039d65c)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster where the Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith defends big changes to the benefits system in the wake of a damning report from a spending watchdog. Also in the programme: part of the Government's planned changes to legal aid is dropped; MPs highlight the cost of credit; and what to buy Prince George for a christening present. Editor: Rachel Byrne.



FRIDAY 06 SEPTEMBER 2013

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b0397k7k)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b039j2gj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b0397k7m)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b0397k7p)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b0397k7t)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b0397k7w)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b039j4z1)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ed Kessler, Director of the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths, Cambridge.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b039dbjf)
It's now nearly nine months since the horsemeat scandal, which left many supermarkets admitting they could do better when it comes to sourcing meat produced here in the UK. Are they still stocking too much imported lamb? The NFU in Scotland thinks so. Charlotte Smith examines the arguments.

With the summer weather finally expected to break, and heavy rain forecast for this weekend, Farming Today catches up with the harvest. Have farmers managed to beat the weather and win the race against time to get their crops in?

And Caz Graham takes a look at the role of working dogs in the shooting industry, where the work of gamekeepers, beaters and people employed to pick up the birds would be almost impossible without a canine helper.

Presented by Charlotte Smith. Produced in Bristol by Emma Campbell.


FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b038qj9c)
Red Grouse

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.

Brett Westwood presents the Red Grouse. These birds like to eat the shoots of young heather and nest in the shelter of older clumps. For many years Red Grouse were thought to be the only species of bird found in the British Isles and nowhere else, but scientists now believe the Red Grouse is a relative, a subspecies of the Willow Grouse, which is a widespread bird of northern Europe.


FRI 06:00 Today (b039dbjh)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 The Reunion (b039b6w0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Sunday]


FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b039j4z3)
Peter Snow - When Britain Burned the White House

Episode 5

Nearly 200 years ago, Britain attacked the heartland of the United States. The President and his wife had just enough time to pack their belongings and flee the White House before the British army entered and set fire to the building. From here, the British army turned its sights to Baltimore.

Peter Snow tells the story of this extraordinary confrontation between Britain and the United States, the outcome of which inspired America's national anthem. Using eyewitness accounts, Peter describes the colourful personalities on both sides of this astonishing battle - from Britain's fiery Admiral Cockburn, to the cautious but widely popular army commander Robert Ross and the beleaguered President James Madison whose nation was besieged by a greater military force.

In the final episode, the British attack on Baltimore has failed and they retreat to their ships. To celebrate victory, a young American poet Francis Scott Key writes a poem - The Star Spangled Banner.

Read by Jamie Parker

Producer: David Roper
A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b039dbjk)
Reading in schools; Australian election; gay rights in Uganda; medal-winning rower, Helen Glover

Can parents help children improve their reading or should it be left to the teachers? This Saturday voters in Australia's general election go to the polls - but in a campaign in which women candidates have been rated for their "sex appeal" and opposition leader Tony Abbott has bragged about his daughters' attractiveness in a bid to win votes - what can women expect from the 2013 election? Gay rights campaigners on the discrimination blighting the lives of gay people in Uganda; and Olympic and World champion, rower Helen Glover. Jenni Murray presents the programme that offers a female perspective on the world.


FRI 10:45 British New Wave (b039dbjm)
Georgy Girl

Georgy Girl - Episode 5

By Margaret Forster
Dramatised by Rhiannon Tise
Jos has Georgy all to himself once
again but having to care for a baby
has changed everything and a
frustrated Jos takes drastic action.

Directed by Tracey Neale

The Story:

As part of our British New Wave season the Fifteen Minute Drama brings to the Radio 4 airwaves the compelling story of Georgina Parkin. Georgy is twenty-seven. Brought up in Kensington by her parents, Ted and Doris who are live-in servants of rich socialite James. She lives in her own flat in Battersea with the cool and disdainful Meredith who has the male population at her feet. Georgy thinks her flat-mate is beautiful, witty and clever. Georgy, on the other hand, is a physically awkward, large young woman, who lacks self-esteem, never been taken out on a date, let alone kissed. She is desperate to meet someone and fall in love. This is the Swinging Sixties after all.

And then she falls in love with Jos, a charming and directionless young man. But there's a problem -he's Meredith's fella and there are complications when Meredith announces she is pregnant. A tangled living situation emerges. Then James makes Georgy an unconventional and surprising offer which she agrees to think about. Is his offer the key to Georgy's happiness? Or, will she hold out for true love with Jos?

The Writer:

Margaret Forster is the author of many successful novels, including Lady's Maid, Have the Men Had Enough? and The Memory Box and several acclaimed biographies, including Good Wives. Her most recent books have been Diary of an Ordinary Woman and The Unknown Bridesmaid.

The Dramatist:

Rhiannon won the Richard Imison Award for her first radio play The Waltzer. Her most recent radio play, broadcast earlier this year, was Outside In. Rhiannon has written for the BBC series Doctors and her stage plays have been performed at The Royal Court, The Royal National Theatre, The Traverse Theatre, The Tron Theatre Glasgow, Soho Theatre and The Arcola Theatre.


FRI 11:00 The Italian Freedom Trail (b039dbjp)
Episode 2

On September 8th 1943 around 50,000 Allied prisoners broke out of their POW camps in Italy. On the 70th anniversary Edward Stourton presents The Italian Freedom Trails, the incredible story of the biggest mass breakout in history. In the recounting of the history of World War II it's often forgotten that Italy surrendered to the Allies and the Italians threw open the doors of their POW camps. For the prisoners in Italy this was a golden opportunity that amazingly they were ordered to ignore. While their Italian guards put down their rifles and in many cases left the prison camps completely, the order from London was for soldiers to wait for Allied troops to arrive so they could quickly be integrated back in to fighting units - any serviceman making a run for it would be regarded as a deserter. The vast majority of men though didn't hesitate and headed for freedom. All of those who obeyed orders were transported to Germany. Edward Stourton joins an Anglo-Italian memorial walk in the Apennines, along the routes taken by escapers, to tell their extraordinary stories and the stories of those who helped them; stories of bravery, endurance, sacrifice and love, as Eric Newby told in his classic "Love and War in the Apennines." The series includes interviews with Wanda Newby, the woman who helped Newby while he was on the run and who eventually married him, with veterans who escaped and with Italian families who helped them. These are moving stories of individuals and of a mass escape which helped changed the course of the war and subsequent history of Italy.


FRI 11:30 Start/Stop (b039dbjr)
Series 1

Concert

Jack Docherty’s sitcom about love, marriage and despair.

Three couples sail off into the sunset. And sink.

Starring Jack Docherty, Charlie Higson, Katherine Parkinson, John Thomson, Fiona Allen and Kerry Godliman.

With their marriages in various states of disrepair - a trip to a classical music concert poses difficulties for everyone.

Barney ...... Jack Docherty
Cathy ...... Kerry Godliman
Fiona ...... Fiona Allen
David ...... Charlie Higson
Evan ...... John Thomson
Alice ...... Katherine Parkinson

Producer Steven Canny

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2013.


FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b039dbjt)
Army wives' pensions; ultra HD TV

The former wives of servicemen with reduced pensions because of a government mistake.

High definition telly has been a great success so will ultra high definition do even better?

With Peter White.


FRI 12:57 Weather (b0397k7y)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 13:00 World at One (b039dbjw)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


FRI 13:45 British Conservatism: The Grand Tour (b039dbjy)
Anne McElvoy tells the stories of big challenges that have spurred leading British conservative thinkers into action, from the French Revolution to the Permissive Society.

Episode 5: In 1867, a new Reform Act was passed which gave urban working men the vote.

Conservatives of both parties were deeply concerned about what this meant for the future.

The leading conservative thinker and future Conservative Prime Minister Lord Salisbury damned the new Act as surrender. He opposed mass democracy, fearing the tyranny of the majority.

But in a Sheffield pub, Anne learns how other, less exalted conservatives responded to the threat of urban mass democracy more creatively.

They drew on an old Tory tradition, and found the answer in a pint of beer.

They adapted the old idea that each class in society should respect the others' pleasures, even if they were very different.

In opposition to new licensing laws, they began to champion the working man's right to a quiet pint.

Meanwhile, the music halls of the 1860s championed a rough, rumbustious patriotism for the ordinary people - rather than fostering revolution.

And a group of 'Tory Democrats' set up the Primrose League - an organization designed to bolster conservatism in ordinary people.

It offered a mix of loyalty to Queen and Country, medieval nostalgia, and invitations to picnics and summer balls.

At its height, the League amassed a membership of two million, many of them women.

All this showed that conservatism and democracy need not be opposites. In the end, even Lord Salisbury was reluctantly reconciled to the new order.

With: Professor Jon Lawrence, Dr Matthew Roberts, Fern Riddell, Professor Krista Cowman

Producer: Phil Tinline.


FRI 14:00 The Archers (b039d4cc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Drama (b039dbk0)
Red and Blue

Shadow

Tom Wilson runs an oil rig in the North Sea. It's a challenging job at the best of times. But today he's being put through his paces by wargame exercise writer Bradley Shoreham who has invented all manner of crises to push him and his crew to the limit and beyond.

Written by Philip Palmer
Directed by Toby Swift

Part of the 2013 series of Red and Blue, Philip Palmer's drama focusing on the work of Lieutenant Colonel Bradley Shoreham (Tim Woodward). After leaving the British Army, Shoreham became a Consultant Subject Matter Expert. He spends his working life creating war games for training purposes. Fictional they may be but the higher the level of authenticity, the greater their value to the participants. And when governments and major corporations are paying for training, they expect a high return for their money.


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b039dbk2)
Postbag edition at Sparsholt College

Eric Robson chairs a postbag edition from the GQT potting shed at Sparsholt College with Chris Beardshaw, Anne Swithinbank, Pippa Greenwood and Rosie Yeomans answering listeners' questions sent in by post, email and Twitter.

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

Q. What would be the best way to encourage a Eucalyptus Pauciflora Debeuzevillei to form multiple stem? Should the current, single stem be cut back and if so, when? How should cuttings be taken?

A. The younger the plant is, the easier it is to encourage it to produce multiple stems from the base. Pruning should be carried out in June, removing around half of the total height of the plant. Carry the pruning out in stages, especially if it is an older plant. Ensure that the plant has enough moisture. Eucalypti are best propagated by layering, or from seed.

Q. How can manhole covers in a lawn be disguised?

A. There are planters available designed to fit over manhole covers. A decent-sized planter will be heavy, but bases on wheels could be used to move them easily. Informal beds could be created around the manhole covers, with Sun Roses (or Rock Roses) such as Helianthemums, or other ground plants such as prostrate conifers, planted around. Alternatively a path could be created across the lawn that crosses the manhole covers.

Q. What can be done with the multi-purpose compost left over from growing potatoes either in potato bags or large pots?

A. This could be used for planting bulbs, sweet potatoes, salad crops or carrots. Anything from a different family to potatoes (e.g. - not tomatoes, aubergines, peppers or normal potatoes) can be grown. The fertiliser content will be very low after growing potatoes, so the fertility will still need to be improved. It would also be a useful mulch for borders.

Q. How can a wayward Gunnera be removed from a garden and the surrounding area?

A. Use machinery! Herbicides will work on the young shoots, late in spring. To prevent the plant from spreading, cut the flowers out and prevent the plant from setting seed.

Q. Could worms in a worm bin or compost bin overdose on caffeine and tannins from tea and coffee?

A. Use a small amount of lime to keep the acidity levels of a wormery low. Coffee grounds, citrus peel and onion skins should not be added. Even in a regular compost bin, large amounts of coffee grounds or tea leaves could upset the pH balance of the compost.

Q. What is the best method for preventing ants nesting in flowerpots, regardless of content?

A. Ants do not like water, or lime. Standing pots in a 'moat' of water may help - place a deep saucer of water under the pot, with the pot itself resting on pot feet or similar to prevent over-watering. There is also some evidence to suggest using a tea or essential oil of Black Peppermint or Pennyroyal will also dissuade the ants from coming near the plants.

Q. What is the panel's opinion on the theory of watering in a solution of shredded onions to a site on which basal white rot is endemic in order to kill off the rot?

A. The evidence for this technique for white rot is not that good, although there are similar theories for other soil-borne fungi. In allotments this problem tends to be endemic.

Q. How many alpines can be planted in a wooden box planter 0.5m (1.5ft) square and how should the soil be mixed? The current soil is reclaimed compost.

A. Firstly, remove some of the soil and perform a mustard and cress test to check it will grow plants. If it is not contaminated, remove half of the reclaimed soil and replace with John Innes No. 2 and some sharp sand or Cornish grit. The pH balance depends upon the alpine - Rhodohypoxis, for example, likes a slightly acidic soil. Ensure water can escape from the planter, using crocks or shingle at the bottom. Seven to eight plants is probably a good start, but these can be thinned out over time. Echeverias are recommended.

Q. A 30 year old, 2m (7ft) tall Fatsia Japonica is showing new growth after two consecutive years of pruning, but also looks limp and pale-leafed. Is this a result of the pruning or the recent hot spell?

A. Fatsia Japonica is a shade-dweller, so it will not do well in direct sunshine. Provide the plant with shade and organic matter and take a number of cuttings as an insurance policy!

Q. How often can seaweed meal be reapplied to the base of plants (as a slug repellent) before the seaweed meal itself becomes detrimental to the plant.

A. Seaweed meal will raise the local alkalinity of the soil. However, most soils are fairly stable and unless the plant is particularly sensitive to calcium, this is unlikely to be a problem. There are other products on the market such as ground and composted sheep wool pellets or pine needles, which will be more stable in the soil and act as a good repellent.


FRI 15:45 Comic Fringes (b039dbk4)
Series 9

I Bought a Monkey to Stand Out in the New York Art Scene

Story series featuring new writing by leading comedians, recorded live in front of an audience at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

A man goes to great lengths to put his hometown of Bishopbriggs on the map. The title says all. Brilliantly absurd story written and read by actor, writer and comedian Sanjeev Kohli.

Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.


FRI 16:00 Last Word (b039dbk6)
Two broadcasters, a folk singer and a science journalist

Matthew Bannister on

Two much-loved broadcasters.

We review the influential career of Sir David Frost with two former Directors general of the BBC: Lord Birt and Greg Dyke.

And Pete Murray recalls his friendly on air rivalry with the TV and radio presenter David Jacobs.

We also remember the folk singer from Newcastle Lou Killen, who had a sex change operation late in life and became Louisa Jo Killen

And the journalist David Dickson who set up a website to bring scientific knowledge to the developing world.


FRI 16:30 More or Less (b039dbk8)
The Death Toll in Syria

As global leaders remain divided on whether to carry out a military strike against Syria in response to the apparent use of chemical weapons against its people, Tim Harford looks at the different claims made about how many people have been killed. The United States, the UK and France are sharing intelligence, but all quote different estimates of how many people they think died in the attack by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Tim speaks to Kelly Greenhill, a professor of political science at Tufts University in the US, and co-author of Sex, Drugs and Body Counts about why the numbers vary so widely. And he speaks to Megan Price from the Human Rights Data Analysis Group who has been trying to keep a tally of the deaths in Syria since the conflict began.

The cost of care has forced a million families to sell their homes in the past five years, according to the Daily Telegraph. It's quoting research commissioned by NFU Mutual and carried out by ICM. But Tim Harford spots some tell-tale signs that the survey respondents may not all have been telling the truth.
What can statistics tell us about the safety of Super Puma helicopters, used by the offshore oil and gas industry? Tim Harford looks at the numbers, following a fatal accident off Shetland in August - the fifth incident involving Super Pumas in the North Sea since 2009.

Apparently, it's a fact that if there's one thing that's worse for you than drinking, scoffing bacon sandwiches and smoking 80 unfiltered cigarettes a day, it's being left-handed. Left-handers die on average several years earlier than right-handers. Or do they? Tim gets to the bottom of a sinister statistic with Professor Chris McManus, author of Right Hand, Left Hand.

More than 300,000 attempts were made to access pornographic websites at the Houses of Parliament in the past year, official records suggest. But with 15 attempts made in one month and almost 115,000 in another, the figures themselves raised an eyebrow at More or Less HQ - they just don't make sense. Tim speaks to Fergus Reid from Parliament's ICT team.

And finally, was Labour MP Fiona Mactaggart right to calculate that Britons have spent 76 centuries hanging on the phone to get through to government departments in just one year? She checks her sums.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Ruth Alexander.


FRI 17:00 PM (b039dbkb)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news. Including Weather at 5.57pm.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b0397k80)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 18:30 Bremner's One Question Quiz (b039dbkd)
How Should We Educate Our Children?

Rory Bremner's new weekly satirical comedy takes one big contemporary question each week and attempts to answer it.

Regular panellists Andy Zaltzman, Kate O'Sullivan and Nick Doody are joined this week by teacher, author and columnist Tom Bennett and Professor of Education Gordon Stobart.

Rory's mantra is that it's as important to make sense out of things as it is to make fun of them. He believes only then will people laugh at the truth. This deconstructed "quiz" has only one question each week, because that question is so big, there's no time for anything else: expect a mix of stand-up and sketch combined with investigative satire and incisive interviews with a diverse range of characters who really know what they're talking about.

Presenter: Rory Bremner

Panelists: Zaltzman, Kate O'Sullivan and Nick Doody, Tom Bennett and Gordon Stobart.

Producers: Simon Jacobs & Frank Stirling
A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 19:00 The Archers (b039dbkg)
Lynda's not happy that her llama Constanza has eaten the wonderful Peace roses which she was planning to enter in the Flower and Produce Show.

Ray's had an idea for a Mexican themed evening. He isn't dissuaded by Lynda and Ian's reservations that it isn't in keeping with the ethos of Grey Gables. Ray's going to offer a free margarita for the brave souls who attend in fancy dress!

The evening of the St. Stephen's concert has finally arrived and the team has sold the last of the tickets. Luckily, there haven't been too many grumbles about cellist Simone not being able to perform. The replacement plays a beautiful, moving rendition of The Swan.

During the interval, Neil and Susan chat about Darrell. Jazzer spotted him sleeping in the bus shelter. They're both worried about Darrell's mental and physical state. It's great they've raised so much for the organ repairs, but maybe the church should perhaps spend its money helping people like Darrell.

Ian and Lynda catch up. Lynda didn't have the energy to go to the concert as there seems so much to do. She's just had another directive from Ray who wants her to put an advertisement for the Mexican night in the local papers, and to rustle up some posters. They can't escape Ray's wild plans. Like it or not, he's the boss.


FRI 19:15 Front Row (b039dbkj)
Cillian Murphy, Mira Nair, revenge songs, Million Second Quiz

With Kirsty Lang.

Actor Cillian Murphy, who reached a global audience in films such as Batman Begins and Inception, now stars as a gang leader in the BBC Two drama Peaky Blinders, set in Birmingham in 1919. He reflects on the historical background to the drama, and the blurring of the divide between film and TV.

Director Mira Nair discusses her film The Reluctant Fundamentalist, based on the novel by Mohsin Hamid, in which Riz Ahmed plays a Pakistani financier whose life in America is dramatically altered by the attacks of September 11 2001. The film is about to be released on DVD.

The Million Second Quiz is a new high-profile TV show, about to start in America, in which contestants compete over 11 days, 24 hours a day, aiming to win the biggest prize in game show history - $3 million. Stephen Lambert, the British producer who has created the show, talks about his desire to create a TV event for viewers watching live.

Singer Alexandra Burke has released a track called Day Dream, reportedly about her former partner, footballer Jermain Defoe, which contains pointed lyrics about his behaviour. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift accepted an award for her track I Knew You Were Trouble and thanked "the person who inspired this song." Many have assumed that she was talking about Harry Styles from One Direction. Jane Graham discusses the history of revenge songs about high-profile partners, from Carly Simon to Justin Timberlake.

Producer Tim Prosser.


FRI 19:45 British New Wave (b039dbjm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b039dbkl)
Alan Duncan, David Blunkett, Elfyn Llwyd, Revel Guest

Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from Colwyn Bay, North Wales with former Home Secretary David Blunkett MP, International Development Minister Alan Duncan MP, Elfyn Llwyd MP who leads Plaid Cymru at Westminster and Revel Guest who's Chair of the Hay Festival and has lived in Wales for much of her life.


FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b039dbkn)
Real Change

Fear of change can lead us astray. It can keep us from mercy. It can be used by authorities as an excuse for sticking with the status quo. It's a barrier to happiness. AL Kennedy doesn't like change. But she thinks perhaps she should change her mind.


FRI 21:00 British Conservatism: The Grand Tour (b039dbkq)
British Conservatism: The Grand Tour - Omnibus

Week 1 Omnibus

Anne McElvoy tells the stories of big challenges that have spurred leading British conservative thinkers into action.

In this omnibus edition of the first five episodes, Anne traces the story of British conservatism from the French Revolution to the beginnings of mass democracy.

In 1790, the Revolution in France shocked progressive MP Edmund Burke into defending British traditions and privileges - sowing the seeds of British conservatism. Burke was no reactionary - he was a supporter of the American Revolution of the 1770s. But in the French Revolution he saw not liberation but bloodshed. He championed British tradition, from the right to own property, through the role of the Church, to the stabilizing effect of the House of Lords. Among the radicals aghast at Burke's heresy was a young Cumbrian poet, William Wordsworth. But having witnessed the impact of the Terror in Paris for himself, Wordsworth began to turn away from it, later becoming a leading conservative voice in early Victorian Britain.

By the 1830s and 1840s, the Industrial Revolution had brought vast changes to British life. It delivered innovation and prosperity, but chaos and disconnection too. In the industrial north of England in particular, unrest was growing. To the great Scottish writer and thinker Thomas Carlyle, it seemed as big a threat as the Revolution in France. In Carlyle's Chelsea Anne finds out how he fought back against the Industrial Revolution and the revolutionary idea it brought in its wake. Carlyle argued that the concept of Utilitarianism was forging a cold new world of atomized individuals. In response, he called for strong leadership and a return to medieval Christian values.

In the 1840s, industry, commerce and voting reform gave new power to the cities and the middle classes. But then the feudal aristocracy found an unlikely new champion. Benjamin Disraeli, a dandy Jewish London novelist, drew on the ideas of both Edmund Burke and Thomas Carlyle, and toured the cities of the industrial north, drawing on the suffering he saw in his novels. He set out to revive the romantic idea of rural landowners looking after the poor, and adapt it for the new era. Disraeli found his great cause in the battle over Free Trade. When Prime Minister Robert Peel decided to abolish the tariffs that protected British farmers from foreign corn imports, Disraeli united with rural aristocrat Lord George Bentinck to lead the charge against Peel, arguing that Free Trade would destroy a whole social system. But they lost - and it was Peel's championing of Free Trade which proved the more effective conservative move. His more open approach welcomed the new urban middle classes into politics.

By 1864, the troubles of the 1840s had been smoothed away by prosperity. The great Victorian critic John Ruskin was invited to Bradford to advise the prosperous merchants of the town on the style of their new Wool Exchange. But instead Ruskin lambasted them for ditching traditional values of taste and craft. They had become worshippers, he told them, of 'the Goddess of Getting-On.' Anne follows Ruskin to Bradford and discovers how, for this child of south London, the north of England came to represent both the crass prosperity of the time - and a very different vision of life. Ruskin was deeply influenced by William Wordsworth. He moved to the poet's native Lake District and set up guilds to foster an alternative to the factories and mills. He encouraged a return to small communal groups working the land and pursuing traditional crafts. Anne suggests that John Ruskin - like Carlyle and Disraeli - is an example of how some strands of nineteenth century conservatism had a surprising amount in common with socialism, because of their shared hostility to the costs of capitalism.

By 1867, Disraeli was Prime Minister, and championed a new Reform Act which gave urban working men the vote. Conservatives of both parties were deeply concerned about what this meant for the future. The leading conservative thinker and future Conservative Prime Minister Lord Salisbury damned the new Act as surrender. He opposed mass democracy, fearing the tyranny of the majority. But other conservatives found a way to appeal to the new voters. They adapted an old Tory tradition - that each class in society should respect the others' pleasures. They began to champion the working man's right to a quiet pint. And a group of 'Tory Democrats' set up the Primrose League - an organization designed to bolster conservatism in ordinary people. At its height, the League amassed a membership of two million, many of them women. All this showed that conservatism and democracy need not be opposites. In the end, even Lord Salisbury was reluctantly reconciled to the new order.

With: Professor Richard Bourke, Professor Dinah Birch, Dr Tristram Hunt MP, Professor Jon Lawrence, Professor Richard Aldous, Dr Matthew Roberts, Fern Riddell, Professor Krista Cowman

Producer: Phil Tinline.


FRI 21:58 Weather (b0397k82)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b039dbks)
Russia and US no closer on Syria after G20 summit - where does this leave Obama? Prescott says Blair wrong on military action. And Australians set to vote in general election. Presented by Philippa Thomas.


FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b039dbkv)
Secrecy

Episode 10

"Some see you as a master craftsman. Others say you're a sorcerer. You're mysterious, obsessive. Controversial."

Zummo - a 17th-century sculptor - makes things out of wax, figures so lifelike they look as if they might move and breathe. He has journeyed throughout Italy over the years in an attempt to flee his past. Now, in 1691, he has been summoned to the Medici court by the Grand Duke of Tuscany. He arrives in Florence, a city in which "everything was forbidden [and] anything was possible." But what does the Grand Duke have in mind for him?

Ten years later, Zummo visits a convent in France and tells the whole story to Marguerite-Louise of Orléans, long-estranged wife of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Secrecy is a tale of love, art, murder and concealment, enacted within a beautifully-realised 17th century Florentine and Tuscan setting.

Some of the 'plague pieces' by Gaetano Zummo (1656-1701) can be found in La Specola, Florence.

Rupert Thomson is the author of eight highly-acclaimed novels including Death of a Murderer, which was shortlisted for the 2008 Costa Novel Award. His memoir This Party's Got to Stop won the Writer's Guild Non-Fiction Award.

Episode Ten
Zummo concludes his tale with a final showdown with Stufa. But his story sends Marguerite-Louise on a journey of her own.

Readers: Owen Teale and Greta Scacchi
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne

Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b039ctgh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]


FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b039dbkx)
Mark D'Arcy reports from Westminster where there was a call for the UK to make the most of what's under the sea. MPs spent their first Friday back at Westminster following the summer break debating plans to change the law on deep sea mining.
Also tonight, for years it was compared to a sleek Rolls Royce but now an influential group of MPs says it time the British Civil Service had an MOT. The Public Administration Committee has given a warning that unless there is radical change there could be "periodic disasters and shambles" in government.

And what does the Government's defeat on Syria mean for the British constitution?