SATURDAY 18 JANUARY 2014

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (b03pmdr4)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SAT 00:30 Book of the Week (b03pmddb)
Priscilla

Episode 5

Nicholas Shakespeare writes about his aunt, a glamorous English woman whose life in Paris during the German Occupation grew more and more mysterious. Abridged in 5 episodes by Katrin Williams.

5. D-Day and the whole of Paris is jumping, dancing, clasped in embrace. But Priscilla the eternal party girl is in a very quiet place, with a dubious past hot on her heels.

Reader Nicholas Shakespeare

Producer Duncan Minshull


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03pmdr8)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03pmdrg)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at 5.20am.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03pmdrn)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (b03pmdrx)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b03pml0v)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Revd Richard Frazer, Minister of Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh.


SAT 05:45 iPM (b03pml0x)
'Nothing is ever the same' - we speak to one iPM listener who lived through a nuclear disaster. Your News is read by Kate Adie. Email iPM@bbc.co.uk.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (b03pmds7)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SAT 06:04 Weather (b03pmdsc)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (b03pmb52)
Falkland Centre for Stewardship

The Falkland estate in rural Fife is very different to traditional family-owned estates in Scotland. Felicity Evans meets Ninian Stuart, who is using his inheritance to increase public access to the woods and fields that make up this 1,900 hectare estate, which is 35 miles north of Edinburgh. She hears how Ninian's set up the Centre for Stewardship which actively involves schools, playgroups and many others in Fife's wider community to make the most of the estate's varied landscape.

It's a former royal hunting estate where Felicity meets Dr Simon Taylor who's been researching Falkland's Trenches, now understood to have been a way of funnelling red deer towards the royal hunting parties. She also meets playgroup leaders who bring children to the estate's woods so that they can benefit from playing in nature. Ninian Stuart explains why he's using some of his prime arable land for the benefit of people who'd like to start new smallholdings from scratch.

Producer: Mark Smalley.


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (b03q4mlq)
Farming Today This Week

How can small British family farms survive and remain sustainable businesses? And what happens when the next generation takes over?

In Farming Today This Week, Charlotte Smith looks at family farms. She meets Tom Heritage and his son Paul near the village of Oxhill in South Warwickshire.

The Heritage family farm around 900 acres with commercial sheep and crops. Paul is the third generation of the family to be involved in the farm after his grandfather bought it in the 1930s. Whilst Tom is in his seventies, he still remains active on the farm and together, father and son share the workload between them. Charlotte hears about Tom's plans for the succession of the family business though, as Tom says, he has no plans for retirement from his work.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation has designated 2014 as the year of family farming and Charlotte speaks the campaign's chief who highlights the importance of family-run agriculture businesses around the world.

She also hears what can happen when farmers don't put plans for the succession of a family farm in place, and the impact this can have on both the farming family and their business.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Jules Benham.


SAT 06:57 Weather (b03pmdsh)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 07:00 Today (b03q4mls)
Morning news and current affairs with Sarah Montague and John Humphrys, including:

0810
President Obama has announced a series of changes to American spying operations at home and abroad. Philip Mudd, a former FBI and CIA officer, gives his assessment of the new measures to Sarah Montague.

0815
120 Liberal Democrat members have signed a letter to Nick Clegg calling for Lord Rennard to be barred from any party activity. Linda Jack, chair of Liberal Left, gives her analysis.

0819
French President Hollande gave his first press conference of the year this week, and was asked about his alleged affair. But what did it show about the difference between French and English attitudes to the press? French broadcaster Christine Ockrent debates alongside Paris-based author Stephen Clarke.

0832
A body has been found in the search for missing three-year-old Mikaeel Kular. Vicky Redpath, Labour Councillor for the Forth Ward where Mikaeel lived, has been out searching with local residents.

0839
There will be another round of talks next week to try to find a way of ending the civil war in Syria. The BBC's Diplomatic Correspondent James Robbins explains how the Assad regime has managed to survive since the start of the conflict. Sir Andrew Green, former UK ambassador to Syria, discusses the likelihood of next week's talks succeeding.

0849
Back in 2011 British Christian and care worker Rory Green sent a letter to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Guantánamo Bay inmate alleged to have orchestrated the 9/11 attacks. Three years later, he's received a lengthy reply. Rory Green explains to Today's Sarah Montague what prompted him to write his first letter.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (b03q4mlv)
Will Gompertz

Suzy Klein and JP Devlin with BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz who talks about his unpromising beginnings in the arts and a project to find the Art of the Nation. Appropriately they also hear the Inheritance Tracks of popular artist Jack Vettriano and why the mandolin is so widespread from musician Simon Mayor. Zoe Lemon tells what happened to a message in a bottle she threw into the sea twenty three years ago and Brian Conaghan explains how the late diagnosis of Tourette's syndrome affected his life. Princess Michael of Kent reveals a secret passion for singing and Jan Prebble reveals her secret passion - a married man whose his clandestine mistress she was for over forty years. And there are the unspoken thanks of listeners, spoken at last.

Producer: Harry Parker.


SAT 10:30 Piano Pilgrimage (b03q4mlx)
Episode 3

In the final part of his pilgrimage, Jamie finds out what the piano means to its biggest fans. Starting outside York Minster, he comes across two fellow jazz pianists whose passion keeps them coming out on to the streets to busk on a specially modified upright.

Next, Jamie heads to a retirement village in Sheffield where he performs with musicians from a charity, Lost Chord, that uses the piano to help people living with dementia.

Jamie hears from Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger about the piano playing challenge he set himself, before learning about left hand alone repertoire from one-handed pianist Nicholas McCarthy.

In Northern Ireland, Jamie meets the talented young piano players being mentored by Adele's piano player, Neil Cowley. Over a pint at Bennigan's Bar, Jamie finds out from the pub's legendary landlord Joe, how a piano turned the place into the heart of Derry's music scene. Jamie then tests the ivories for a moving final performance together with Joe and local musician Põl.

Produced by Andrea Rangecroft.
A Folded Wing production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (b03q4mlz)
Sue Cameron of the Daily Telegraph looks behind the scenes at Westminster:
The Labour leader's plans to reform the structure of the banking system, what the cost of living crisis really means, civil service reform, and David Cameron's pledge to tighten oversight of the police. Plus is the French press too deferential when it comes to reporting on the misdemeanours of its politicians?

The Editor is Marie Jessel.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (b03q4mm1)
Kerouac's Back

Story telling: Kerouac the runaway dog returns from his adventures in Mali and the police present their bill; our camera crew in Cairo set out to film a poster which the military authorities strongly disapprove of; violence against women is on the rise in Afghanistan as the withdrawal of western troops gathers pace; there's despondency in the world's newest nation, South Sudan, as foreign troops join the fighting there and, in a sauna deep in the Ural Mountains, our correspondent meets two hunters and asks questions about bribery, corruption and gay sex.


SAT 12:00 Money Box (b03q4mm3)
Major broker overhauls charges; Diamond investing dangers; Small claims process; 0% balance transfers confusion

INVESTMENT CHARGES OVERHAUL
The biggest online investment broker, Hargreaves Lansdown, is changing the charges for its 520,000 customers. The March price change is to conform with new regulatory rules about pricing transparency. In future It will take 0.45% for doing its administration job and then an average 0.65% for the actual costs of the funds the money is invested in. However, some investors could end up paying more. Danny Cox, head of financial planning, Hargreaves Lansdown and Justin Modray from Candid Money debate the issue.

DIAMONDS FROM NEVER-NEVER LAND
Unlike the jewels, money invested in diamonds may last a very short time indeed. Our colleagues from Five Live Investigates tell us about a pensioner who lost more than £90,000 investing, as he believed, in diamonds. Phil Kemp reports.

SMALL CLAIMS
Nowadays, suing for debt in England and Wales should be easy and relatively cheap using the online small claims website moneyclaim.gov.uk. There is no need to go to court and you can do the whole thing sitting in your own home. But although taking the case is easy getting the judgement enforced if you win can be difficult and expensive. Bob Howard reports and the programme also talks to Peter Stonely lead officer for civil law at the Trading Standards Institute.

ZERO PERCENT INTEREST COST £30
If you transfer a debt onto a 0% balance transfer credit card when should you be told that the deal is finishing? One listener was shocked to find a charge of £30 on her statement as she hadn't realised the interest free period had come to an end. She says the card issuer had not told her clearly when the deal was expiring. What are the rules? And whose job is it to note the end date? Paul speaks to Mike Dailly from the FCA's Consumer Panel.


SAT 12:30 The Now Show (b03pmk7r)
Series 42

Episode 2

Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are joined by special guest Sara Pascoe for a comic romp through the week's news. With Mitch Benn and Jon Holmes.

Written by the cast, with additional material from Jane Lamacraft, Sarah Morgan and Paul Davighi. Produced by Colin Anderson.


SAT 12:57 Weather (b03pmdsm)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 13:00 News (b03pmdsp)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (b03pmksw)
Christine Tacon, Andrew Mitchell MP, Andy Burnham MP, Tony Caldeira

Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from Greenbank High School in Southport with the former Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham, Supermarket Ombudsman Christine Tacon, Defence Minister Anna Soubry, and Liverpool based textiles businessman Tony Caldeira.


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (b03q4mm5)
The minimum wage, regulating the food industry, protecting our privacy

Employers and employees discuss the minimum wage. Your views on whether there should be a stricter regulation of the food industry to help curb obesity. The scale of US spying activities and what you think of the balance between protecting our privacy and keeping track of terrorism suspects.

Julian Worricker hears your reaction to the subjects discussed in Any Questions? by Andrew Mitchell, the Former Government Chief Whip; Andy Burnham, the Shadow Secretary for Health; Christine Tacon, the Supermarket Ombudsman; businessman Tony Caldeira.

You can have your say on any of the subjects discussed on Any Answers? just after the news at 2pm on Saturday. Call 03700 100 444 from 12.30, e-mail anyanswers@bbc.co.uk, tweet using #BBCAQ, or text 84844.


SAT 14:30 Saturday Drama (b03q4pss)
Four Quartets

Jeremy Irons reads Four Quartets by T.S.Eliot.

Four Quartets is the culminating achievement of T.S. Eliot's career as a poet. While containing some of the most musical and unforgettable passages in twentieth-century poetry, its four parts, 'Burnt Norton', 'East Coker', 'The Dry Salvages' and 'Little Gidding', present a rigorous meditation on the spiritual, philosophical and personal themes which preoccupied the author. It was the way in which a private voice was heard to speak for the concerns of an entire generation, in the midst of war and doubt, that confirmed it as an enduring masterpiece.

With an introduction by Michael Symmons Roberts, Lord David Alton and Gail McDonald.


SAT 15:45 The Island at the End of the World (b03mtkbm)
It may be the most isolated inhabited place on earth. Palmerston Island in the South Pacific is visited by a few yachts each year and the occasional container ship. Otherwise, the 62 inhabitants are untroubled by the outside world.
Thomas Martienssen makes the 8-day yacht journey to meet the native Palmerstonians, who are all descendants of an Englishman, William Marsters, who settled on the island in the 19th century with his three Polynesian "wives". He hears about the strong Christian faith of the islanders, listens to the ballad recounting the story of the community's founder and learns how they regularly salvage the wreckage of boats which have come to grief on the coral reefs. And he hears how fishing, the island's only source of commercial income, may now be threatened by over-exploitation of fish stocks. How long can the Palmerstonians continue to survive on their island at the end of the world?
Producer: Julie Ball.


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (b03q4psv)
Weekend Woman's Hour: Body image; Relationships and Children; Campaigning families

Child-free couples are happier than those with children - according to a new Open University report out this week. So can you have children and a good relationship?

Sajda Mughal, Director of JAN Trust and a survivor of the 7/7 London bombings, on why she's working with isolated mothers from the Muslim community to educate them about the dangers of being radicalised online.

Why so many of us worry that we're too fat, too thin, too old, or simply, just not attractive enough?

Sports presenter, Charlie Webster who was sexually attacked as a child, talks about embarking on a 250 mile run between 40 football grounds to raise money for Women's Aid.

The star and director of Opera North's new production of Puccini Opera The Girl of the Golden West.

The mother who has been campaigning for more than 15 years on behalf of her son who she believes was murdered by a racist gang. The Police believe it was an accident

Plus is the fashion for Brazilians and Hollywoods over? And novelist Ann Cleeves on her latest Vera Stanhope book Harbour Street.

Presented by Jane Garvey.
Produced by Katie Langton
Edited by Beverley Purcell.


SAT 17:00 PM (b03q4psx)
Saturday PM

Full coverage of the day's news.


SAT 17:30 iPM (b03pml0x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:45 today]


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b03pmdsr)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 17:57 Weather (b03pmdst)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03pmdsw)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (b03q4psz)
Jack Cheshire, Paul Cotgrove, Catherine Johnson, Ardal O'Hanlon, Jessica Raine, Eddi Reader

Clive meets Ardal O'Hanlon, stand-up stalwart and best known to many for his role as Dougal in Father Ted. Ardal's currently starring in the highly acclaimed revival of Conor McPherson's award winning play, The Weir. How does appearing in a tense play on the London stage about an isolated Irish pub compare with performing in a much loved television sit-com about an isolated Parochial House in Ireland? The Weir, Wyndham's Theatre, London from 16 January

After thrilling and chilling hundreds of film fans for the first time in 2013, the spook-tacular Horror-on-Sea is returning to Southend-on-Sea once again in January 2014. Clive tries to extract the secret attraction of the horror film genre - and his now infamous Zombie Walk - from Festival Director Paul Cotgrove. Horror-on-Sea 17-19 January, Park Inn Palace Hotel, Southend-on-Sea

Emma Freud is taken back to her youth by Catherine Johnson - the writer of the international stage and screen smash Mamma Mia! Her latest play, Shang-a-Lang, is the story of youthful nostalgia, friendship, hitting forty and The Bay City Rollers. Has Emma still got her old Rollers' LPs, and tartan trews? Shang-a-Lang is at the Kings Head Theatre, Islington, London from 22 Jan - 15 Feb.

Finally, Clive meets Jessica Raine - one of the stars of 'Call the Midwife. Jessica graduated from RADA in 2008, and by 2009 was picked by both The Observer and the Daily Telegraph as being 'one to watch'. She's equally at home on stage and screen: how will she fare in the Loose Ends studio? Call the Midwife Series 3 Episode 1 is on BBC1 Sunday 19 January at 8pm

Producer: Sukey Firth.


SAT 19:00 From Fact to Fiction (b03q4pt1)
Series 15

A Severe Case of the Blues

In A SEVERE CASE OF THE BLUES Peter Bradshaw takes an imagined look at the Oscar nominations and a certain simmering scandal across the Channel. A hapless talent agent pulls out all the stops to reach a client and another potential client. But why won't they speak to him?

Produced by Duncan Minshull.


SAT 19:15 Saturday Review (b03q4pt3)
Scorsese, Beckett, & Sons

Martin Scorsese's new film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a dodgy stock dealer in 1980s New York. The Wolf of Wall Street shows the life of wild excess and reckless financial and personal abandon that eventually came tumbling down.

Usually we review one play per week on the programme, but this time it's 3 plays - and they take less than an hour all in. Samuel Beckett's Not I, Footfall and Rockaby are currently at The Royal Court Theatre and will be touring the country later this year.

& Sons is David Gilbert's new novel. It's the story of a famous J.D. Salinger-type novelist and his complicated relationships with his sons and with friends and associates outside his own family.

An exhibition of art by Hannah Hoch looks at the work of the often-overlooked Dadaist pioneer who was an originator of photo-montage. Do her critiques of 1920s Germany still resonate nowadays?

A new TV series looking at the heyday of gangsters in Chicago; Mob City, is just starting - what new angle can TV bring to this much-exploited genre?


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (b03q4pt5)
A Life Less Ordinary

Marcia Shakespeare

When two teenage girls were murdered on the streets of Birmingham following a New Year's party, it immediately became a massive media story. Marcia Shakespeare, one of the girls' mothers, was confronted not only with the terrible loss of her child, but was also forced to face enormous attention from the press - much of which she initially found intrusive. As time went on, though, she recognised that the media could play a useful part in helping her keep the issues around gun crime in the public consciousness, and provide a platform for her to make a plea to witnesses reluctant to come forward and help track down the killers. In spite of facing threats to keep a lower profile she has conducted hundreds of interviews in the 11 years since. In this, the second part of 'A Life Less Ordinary', she describes what those years have been like, and talks with some of the journalists involved in covering the shootings themselves and the lengthy court case that finally saw four men convicted sent to prison.


SAT 21:00 Classic Serial (b03pqsdf)
The World According to Garp

Episode 2

John Irving's acclaimed novel is dramatised by Linda Marshall Griffiths.

Garp writes his first novel and marries Helen. When his mother publishes her autobiography she becomes a feminist icon overnight and Garp's adolescent adventures become public property. It isn't easy being the son of the famous Jenny Fields. Jenny inspires a whole generation of women, including the radical Ellen Jamesians. Lust, lunacy and loss thread their way through Garp's life as he vainly tries to protect those he loves.

This is the second episode of a three part dramatisation of a novel that is both acclaimed for its originality, and controversial for its dark representation of gender politics and sexual violence. Published in 1978 it went on to win the US National Book Award and was made into a film in 1982, it placed Irving firmly on the map as a leading novelist.

Dramatist Linda Marshall Griffiths adapted Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany for Radio 4 in 2009.

Directed by Nadia Molinari.


SAT 22:00 News and Weather (b03pmdsy)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.


SAT 22:15 Bringing Up Britain (b03pjfj1)
Series 7

Money Matters

Spending or saving - Mariella Frostrup and guests discuss children, parenting and money. How should our kids learn about money and how much should we tell them about our finances?

With Christmas over, many children will have money they were given burning a hole in their pockets. Should we let them spend it on whatever they like or should we impose parental controls? What are the best ways to teach children about the value of money?

Bringing Up Britain takes a look at money matters by investigating how the subjects of money and finance are being taught at home and in school. Mariella and her guests explore which are the most useful lessons for youngsters and how perceptions of money change as children grow.

We also investigate what parents tell youngsters about their own money situations. Whether we're challenged by austerity or seeing the green shoots of recovery, most parents will have found themselves pre-occupied by money matters in recent years. How much of that should we pass on to our children?

Mariella and her guests also discuss how we can talk to youngsters about changing financial circumstances - if a parent loses their job and money becomes tight for instance. Surveys have shown that kids understand more than we think and get worried about money too. How can we help ourselves and our children through the financial minefield?

On the panel are Anna Foster, Head of Services at P-FEG, the Personal Finance Education Group which works in schools, Dr Elizabeth Kilbey, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who has been working with the Money Advice Service, Dr Rajiv Prabhaka, lecturer in personal finance at the Open University and author of "The Assets Agenda" and Dr. Esther Dermott from Bristol University who is one of the key researchers on the survey "Poverty and Social Exclusion in the UK".

Producer: Emma Kingsley.


SAT 23:00 Brain of Britain (b03phd4c)
(6/17)
Russell Davies welcomes competitors from Thames Ditton, Portsmouth, Twickenham and Henley on Thames, in the latest heat of the nationwide general knowledge quiz. This week's contest comes from the BBC's Maida Vale studios.

The winner will take his or her place in the series semi-finals, and move a step closer to being named the 61st Brain of Britain champion in the spring.

As always they'll have to prove the breadth of their general knowledge, with questions covering everything from Classical mythology to information technology, and from classic literature to current affairs.

Producer: Paul Bajoria.


SAT 23:30 Radio Heaney (b03pdh7d)
In his acceptance speech as newly anointed Nobel Laureate, Seamus Heaney recalled how vital a role the wireless had played in his early life growing up on a farm in Mossbawn Co. Derry. On the radio, he heard dispatches from the front line during the Second World War, was gripped by Dick Barton Special Agent and revelled in the musicality of the Shipping Forecast. As an up and coming published poet, Heaney wrote and presented many programmes for schools in Northern Ireland, exploring and celebrating fellow writers and the local landscape. He also made for a compelling contributor and interviewee to any discussion on the purpose of poetry and was ultimately crowned with the medium's greatest accolade, an invitation to Radio 4's Desert Island. This programme compiles many of Heaney's greatest radio moments.



SUNDAY 19 JANUARY 2014

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (b03q4jfk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SUN 00:30 Jennifer Egan - Emerald City and Other Stories (b01f5c03)
Puerto Vallarta

2011 was a phenomenal year for the young American author, Jennifer Egan. Her novel, 'A Visit From The Goon Squad' became a run-away bestseller and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Now a collection of her short stories has been re-published by Constable and Robinson.

Entitled Emerald City, the stories are a pithy and sometimes poignant look at contemporary life in the United States. Young and middle-aged characters change, grow and regret in a series of tales that traverse the United States and the state of modern marriage, parenting and ambition. Egan is heralded as one of the best writers to emerge in the past decade and this collection underlines her ability to bring a spotlight on the particular and to reflect a nation in challenging times.

Today's story, Puerto Vallarta, is a portrait of a family, where the truth is not as it seems and where a daughter has to make a choice and so find her own freedom.

The Reader is Sasha Pick
The Abridger is Miranda Davies
The Producer is Di Speirs.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jfm)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03q4jfp)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at 5.20am.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jfr)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (b03q4jft)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (b03q4q9j)
St Edward's Church, Eggbuckland in Plymouth

The bells of St. Edward's Church in Eggbuckland, Plymouth.


SUN 05:45 Four Thought (b03q4twq)
Series 4

Curtis Blanc

Curtis Blanc, a former prisoner turned award-winning sound and music entrepreneur, says prison works, but only if you want it to.

Four Thought is a series of thought-provoking talks in which the speakers tell personal stories that give rise to their thinking on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect culture and society.

Producer: Sheila Cook.


SUN 06:00 News Headlines (b03q4jfz)
The latest national and international news.


SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b03q4w8q)
The Strange Familiar

Sarah Cuddon reflects on the conjunction of the familiar and the strange in our lives.

Our lives are full of everyday habits and routines that provide a familiarity of experience. But they're also rich with strangeness, with oddity, with the unreal and the uncanny. Can we control how the strange and the familiar permeate our lives or is it all a question of perspective?

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


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (b03q4w8s)
Panto Farmers

He's behind you! Anna Jones meets a talented troupe of farmers who tread the boards...oh yes they do! Now in its 35th year, the Rhydycroesau Village Pantomime is a much-loved tradition on the Welsh-Shropshire border near Oswestry.

Ever since their first production of Robinson Crusoe in 1979, a cast of local farmers and residents have rehearsed throughout the winter months, to put on a real show for sell-out audiences. Some members of the cast are now local celebrities, including Trev Jones the hedge-layer who always forgets his lines and panto stalwart Bryan Evans who practises in front of his cattle.

Anna explores the stories behind the pantomime and finds out how theatre brings a remote rural community closer together. So pull up a seat and put your hands together for the 2014 performance of 'Puss in Boots'!

Presented and produced by Anna Jones.


SUN 06:57 Weather (b03q4jg1)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (b03q4jg3)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (b03q4w8v)
Cardinals; Fresh expressions; Girl Guides promise

Former Pope Benedict XVI laicized nearly 400 priests in 2 years, the figure emerged from a UN hearing into child sex abuse by Roman Catholic Clergy. Our Presenter Edward Stourton talks to Paddy Agnew, Vatican Correspondent for the Irish Times.

How far is the violence in Central African Republic a 'religious' conflict ? Our World Affairs Correspondent Mike Wooldridge asks Reverend Nicolas Geurekoyame-Gbangou, Head of the Evangelical Alliance in CAR.

A growing 'conspiracy of silence' over the institution of marriage, that's the warning from a group of Conservative MP's. Trevor Barnes asks what provisions do Churches have for failing marriages.

Vincent Nichols, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, will become one of 19 new Cardinals next month. But what is a Cardinal really for? Edward speaks to Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor.

Father Nadim Nassar, an Anglican Priest from Syria, World Vision UK's CEO, Justin Byworth and Malik Al Abdeh, a British-Syrian Journalist tell us what they want to hear from the Geneva 2 Conference on Syria.

When the Girl Guides Association revised their Promise last year, they deleted the reference to God. But some Units are still refusing to accept it. They now face an ultimatum, to reconsider or face disbandment, as Bob Walker reports.

Are Fresh Expressions of Church the way forward? A new report says they're having a major impact on growth in the Church of England. Kevin Bocquet joins worshippers in a Messy Church and Edward discusses the issue with Bishop Graham Cray, Archbishops' Missioner and Team Leader of Fresh Expressions and Rev. Dr Alison Milbank, a Theologian and co-Author of 'For the Parish': A Critique of Fresh Expressions.

Producers: Jill Collins and Annabel Deas
Series Producer: Amanda Hancox.


SUN 07:55 Radio 4 Appeal (b03q51p7)
The Green Belt Movement International - Europe

Jonathon Porritt presents the Radio 4 Appeal for The Green Belt Movement International - Europe.
Reg Charity: 1112638
To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal, mark the back of the envelope 'The Greenbelt Movement'.


SUN 07:57 Weather (b03q4jg5)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (b03q4jg9)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (b03q56kl)
from Jordanhill Parish Church, Glasgow. Led by The Revd Sandra Black; Preacher: The Revd Colin Renwick.

The service takes its theme from Psalm 40 on the rewards of patience. What does 'waiting on the Lord' mean for those in terrible conditions in a Syrian refugee camp, or those living with grief; for someone trying to find a job, or living with illness? Is the Lord trying to 'teach' us something through such sufferings?

Strathclyde University Chamber Choir directed by Alan Tavener. Organist: David Hamilton.
Producer: Mo McCullough.


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (b03pmkzm)
Sex and the French

Adam Gopnik reflects on the attitude of the French to the sex lives of their statesmen and gives his opinion that the price of privilege is prudence. "Puritanical societies are less morally alert than ones like France that aren't, because the puritanical societies have the judgments prepackaged and their hypocrisies, too. Instead, in France, the moral rights and wrongs, I've learned, are adjudicated case by case."

Producer: Sheila Cook.


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b03mztqw)
Bewick's Swan

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

David Attenborough presents the story of the Bewick's Swan. This year is the 50th anniversary of Bewick Swan studies, begun by Sir Peter Scott, at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. Bewick Swans return here and to other UK sites each winter to escape the icy grip of the Arctic tundra and studies have identified individuals through their varying bill patterns.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (b03q56kn)
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 (b03q56kq)
For detailed synopses, see daily episodes.


SUN 11:15 Desert Island Discs (b03q56ks)
Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin.

The first black woman to be chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen and also to the Speaker of the House of Commons, she's also kept busy with her work in less rarefied surroundings - ministering to two churches in the east London borough of Hackney.

It's all a long way from the crystal waters and swaying palms of her birthplace, Montego Bay, where brought up by her Auntie Pet she coped with poverty and separation from her mother. She did however have a sense, from the age of just 14, that her future lay in faith.

She wasn't wrong and the combination of her belief and dynamism has taken her to as close to the top as The Church of England will currently allow. If they do eventually permit women bishops it's easy to imagine she'd be a shoe in.

She says "Oh I have lots of ambition. You can't be Jamaican and not be ambitious. My ambition is to enjoy life. My ambition is to do everything I do to the best of my ability."

Producer: Cathy Drysdale.


SUN 12:00 The Unbelievable Truth (b03phd4m)
Series 12

Episode 3

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

Henning Wehn, Graeme Garden, Jeremy Hardy and Victoria Coren Mitchell are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as trees, doctors, newspapers and Spain.

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

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


SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (b03q56lv)
Food and the Future of Pubs

Sheila Dillon hears the latest on the role of food in the future of the British pub. From traditional Asian curries to the influence of Michelin starred chefs.

Producer: Perminder Khatkar.


SUN 12:57 Weather (b03q4jgc)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (b03q56lx)
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 David Attenborough: My Life in Sound (b03lnzxh)
In an exclusive interview for Radio 4 David Attenborough talks to Chris Watson about his life in sound.

One of Sir David's first jobs in natural history film making was as a wildlife sound recordist. Recorded in Qatar, David Attenborough is with wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson, there to make a film about a group of birds he is passionate about, The Bird of Paradise. It is in Qatar where the worlds largest captive breeding population is and it is in this setting Chris Watson takes Sir David back to the 1950's and his early recording escapades, right through to today where David Attenborough narrates a series of Tweet of the Day's on Radio 4 across the Christmas and New Year period.


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b03pmk7h)
Myerscough College, Preston

Eric Robson hosts the show from Myerscough College, Preston. Taking questions from an audience of horticultural students are Chris Beardshaw, Pippa Greenwood and Christine Walkden.

In 2013 an RHS survey revealed that 70% of eighteen-year-olds considered gardening as something to do if you couldn't find anything else. A year on, the GQT Team have gone to meet young students and career changers who say that horticulture is thriving and a job to be proud of.

Produced by Howard Shannon.
Assistant Producer: Darby Dorras.
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.

This week's questions:

Q. How can I get rid of slugs from my potato crop?

A. Line the trench with grass or throw the slug pellets straight into the trench. There are lots of tricks such as using olbas oil, salt, tea bags or grit. Improve your drainage and make sure that the pH is right for the crop. Also try planting resistant varieties. Talk to your local growers and find out which crops prosper in your area.

Q. Is moss on the surface of the soil an indication of infertility as well as a sign of damp? How can I keep it at bay?

A. There are numerous species prospering in many different soil types. Therefore this isn't necessarily an indication of infertility. Wait a while to remove it because you don't want to be disturbing the soil surface at this point in the year. Roughing up the surface of the soil, combined with improved weather conditions, should get rid of it later in the year. Whilst it can be a problem, we must not forget that these sorts of plants actually create our soil by breaking down the rock, so make sure you don't completely eradicate it from your garden.

Q. Could the panel offer some tips for setting up a polytunnel?

A. Build raised beds in the polytunnel and line them with timber. This will provide you with room to build up a good soil. Do it early enough in the season to allow the soil to warm. Studies suggest that if you have a polythene tunnel closed at both ends you can increase your cropping by one month at either end of the season. Be warned that warm and moist conditions will attract pests. You need a good amount of ventilation once the season gets going and a good variation of small crop patches so that you are less likely to get a build up of any one pest.

Q. Has the panel ever left a sucker on a rose? I have left an attractive flowering sucker on a Falstaff Rose. Do you think that the plant will cope if I feed it well?

A. It is tempting to leave suckers on plants because they always appear promising. However, the rootstock should be the engine of the plant. The sucker will take over and the main plant will suffer. When pruning a sucker, do not use secateurs because you will leave the bud behind. This will in turn throw up two new suckers and so on. Instead, excavate all the soil away from the plant and grasp the sucker, pulling away from its direction of growth. You will remove the heel that includes the bud.

Q. My Hybrid Hellebore are stunted and have black veins. I have looked up the systems and it appears to be a Hellebore disease called The Black Death. Is there anything I can do to save the plants?

A. There is still a level of disagreement about what causes it. It is thought to be a viral problem, but there are also suggestions that it may involve a bacterial element. The best solution is to get rid of the infected plants and introduce fresh stock on a new site. Be very careful about where you source your new plants from so that you don't risk reinfecting the site. Perhaps try a Hellebore specialist. A lot of disease can be spread by greenfly and it is surprising how early on they appear and can last late into the season. It is important to check the leaves for aphids and remove them.


SUN 14:45 Witness (b03q59sq)
The Execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa

In 1995, the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and 8 other activists were executed by the Nigerian military regime. They'd been campaigning against oil pollution in their native Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta. Their deaths led to Nigeria's expulsion from the Commonwealth. Ledum Mitee was a fellow campaigner who was spared execution.


SUN 15:00 Classic Serial (b03q59ss)
The World According to Garp

Episode 3

John Irving's best selling novel of lunacy and sorrow is dramatised by Linda Marshall Griffiths.

Jenny becomes a nurse again as she helps Garp to piece his life back together following the tragic car accident. Battling with loss and heartbreak, Garp finds salvation in his writing until violent and unexpected events strike.

This is the concluding episode of a three part dramatisation of a novel that is both acclaimed for its originality, and controversial for its dark representation of gender politics and sexual violence. Published in 1978 it went on to win the US National Book Award and was made into a film in 1982, it placed Irving firmly on the map as a leading novelist.

Dramatist Linda Marshall Griffiths adapted Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany for Radio 4 in 2009.

Directed by Nadia Molinari.


SUN 16:00 Open Book (b03q59sv)
Horatio Clare and Christopher Nicholson on winter; Jeffery Deaver; Anna Whitwham

In the last in our series on how the seasons influence literature, authors Horatio Clare and Christopher Nicholson discuss the importance of Winter in the novel, from Scandinavian crime to writers such as Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens and Jack London.

For many young boys, the boxing clubs of the East End were a haven from the grim realities and hardships of poverty stricken London. One such young man was John Poppy, a featherweight boxer at the Crown and Manor Boys Club in Hoxton in the 1920s. His granddaughter, Anna Whitwham, inspired by clubs such as this one and her grandfather's early life as an amateur boxer, has written her debut novel Boxer Handsome. Bringing the action into a more contemporary setting, she delves into the sometimes raw and brutal world of both the amateur boxing ring and the surrounding community.

We return to our occasional series, The book you'd Never Lend and it's the turn of the internationally bestselling thriller writer Jeffery Deaver, who managed to get the thousands of books he owns down to not one, but two treasured tomes.

Producer: Andrea Kidd.


SUN 16:30 Poetry Please (b03q59sx)
Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti

Roger McGough begins a new series with requests for poems by Christina Rossetti. Shirley Henderson gives a beguiling rendition of what is arguably Rossetti's most famous poem 'Goblin Market', published in 1862. It is a heady fairy tale about temptation involving two sisters, Laura and Lizzie. The poem has a sexual undertone and a menacing quality that lurks among the persistent pleas of the fruit selling Goblin men to 'come buy, come buy.' Visits to your greengrocer may never be the same again. There is also a reading of another of Rossetti's much requested and moving poems 'Remember,' as well as a lesser known poem of pilgrimage, 'Up-hill'.
Producer: Sarah Langan.


SUN 17:00 File on 4 (b03phrwz)
Liquid Assets

As water companies submit their spending plans for the next five years, Lesley Curwen investigates what happens to the money once the household water bill has been paid.

Half of England's water companies are now in the ownership of global investment funds. In many cases these corporate bodies are run and financed from abroad behind closed doors. They use a web of companies some in off-shore tax havens to provide a steady flow of dividends to their shareholders.

But is their mechanism for generating shareholder income at the expense of the customers who are looking for lower bills and sustained investment in their water supply?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.


SUN 17:40 From Fact to Fiction (b03q4pt1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jgf)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 17:57 Weather (b03q4jgh)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03q4jgk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (b03q59sz)
This week we meet a pop star who is embroiled in corruption and bribery scandals.
And a pop star who is really a comedian or maybe a satirist.
A poet who doesn't tell poems.
Folk musicians who are really dissidents.
We have dictators, survivors, archaeologists dramatists and comics.
And grief, loss and heartbreak and that is just in a Pam Ayers clip.

Crossing Continents: Searching for Googoosha (Radio 4 - 11am 16th January)

Transylvanian Blues: Story of Muzsikas (Radio 4 - 11:30am 14th January)

Mark Steel's in Town - Londonderry (Radio 4 - 6:30pm 15th January)

Tim Key's Late Night Poetry Programme (Radio 4 - 11pm 15th January)

Beyond Belief (Radio 4 - 4:30pm 13 January)

Life Less Ordinary (Radio 4 - 8pm 18th January)

Afternoon Drama: Ambiguous Loss - 477 Days (Radio 4 - 2:15pm 14th January)

Spoonface Steinberg (Radio 4 Extra - 3pm 13th January)

From Our Own Correspondents (World Service - 9:50pm 15th January)

Getting the Picture 1of2 The Camera Has Attitudes (Radio 4 - 4pm 13th January)

Breast Cancer Diary (BBC Radio Leeds Breakfast 19th January)

North By Northamptonshire (Radio 4 - 11:30am 13 January)

Ayres on the Air (Radio 4 - 11:30am 17 January R4)

Johnnie Walker's Long Players (Radio 2 - 10pm 16 January)

Chain Reaction (Radio 4 - 6:30pm 14 January).


SUN 19:00 The Archers (b03q59t1)
Emma is helping Peggy prepare food, ready for the rest of the family later.

Meanwhile, as Pat and Tony unload leeks, Tony is sure that Peggy has called them together to discuss Jack's will. It will be nice not worrying about the mortgage in future.

Peggy has arranged some of Jack's belongings for the family to choose mementoes. There's a silver-plated pheasant and a bronze Staffordshire bull terrier which the family bought to remind Jack of his dog, Captain. Peggy points out a photo of a racing car that Tony admired as a child and which she thought he would like

As the family gather around, Peggy reminisces about her marriage to Jack. He had always wanted to put things right for his own daughter Hazel, and so has left her the bulk of his estate. Peggy has the Lodge and enough to live on.

Peggy talks about her own will. She has no reason to worry about Jennifer or Lilian and their families. Tony has worked hard but Peggy feels that it hasn't provided the same security. So she intends to leave Helen the Lodge and the rest of the estate to Tom. Now that's out of the way, who wants more tea...or a fondant fancy?


SUN 19:15 Warhorses of Letters (b03q59t3)
Series 3

Episode 2

By Robbie Hudson and Marie Phillips

Stephen Fry and Daniel Rigby star as Napoleon's horse Marengo and Wellington's horse Copenhagen, with an introduction by Tamsin Greig, in the world's first epistolary equine love story.

Still cruelly sundered by fate despite the war having ended, Marengo is put rather unwillingly out to stud and discovers the overwhelming and exhausting joys of parenthood, and Copenhagen finds a new way of passing the time - writing racy horse fan fiction, a genre for which he turns out to have a remarkable flair...

Produced by Gareth Edwards.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2014.


SUN 19:30 Political Animals (b01m179f)
Series 1

Humphrey

The notoriously photo-shy Humphrey, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office 1989 to 1997, a cat with a robust vocabulary and a pretty earthy view of political life, looks back on his struggles with all things New Labour.

Series of scurrilous talks given by well-known, if unreliable, Downing Street cats, who relate their trials and tribulations under four different Prime Ministers.

Starring James Fleet.

Written by Tony Bagley.

Director: Marc Beeby

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2012.


SUN 19:45 A Shepherd in London (b03q59t5)
Flocking to Selfridge's

In the 1920s and 30s, sheep were used in London parks to keep the grass down. Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Clapham Common and Hampstead Heath all had sheep grazing on them, and there was much competition between shepherds to get their flocks chosen for the privilege. There was considerable profit to be made too - for when they were good and fat, the sheep were herded to Smithfield Meat Market to be prepared for the table.

In Flocking to Selfridges, writer Jerome Vincent imagines the experiences of George Donald, a shepherd from Aberdeenshire, who has brought his flock (aided by his faithful sheepdog Birk) to graze in Hyde Park. George is no stranger to the capital, but is always astonished by the way in which Londoners behave, likening the crowds in Oxford Street to mindless flocks of sheep.

It's 1925, and technology is moving on apace. One day in the park, George bumps into a fellow Scot - a young man at the cutting edge of the next new thing. He's John Logie Baird, the inventor of television, and George Donald is able to give him a word of advice.

Reader: Bill Paterson
Producer: David Blount
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 20:00 More or Less (b03pmk7p)
Fact-checking obesity crisis claims

Estimates that half the UK population will be obese by 2050 "underestimate" the problem, according to a report published this week by health campaigners, the National Obesity Forum. Tim Harford looks at the evidence, and discovers that health statistics contradict the report.

After the inquest into the fatal police shooting of Mark Duggan concluded, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson told the BBC that there had been about 10,000 armed police operations in the past four years in the capital, during which officers had fired on only six occasions . Tim Harford and Charlotte McDonald look at the numbers.

Britain has been gripped by 'the worst winter storms for 20 years', according to media reports. How scientific is this assessment? Tim Harford interviews Liz Bentley, from the Royal Meteorological Society.

Channel 4 documentary Benefits Street focuses on the residents of one street in Birmingham, and it's been proving controversial. The media reports that 90% of people living on the road in question, James Turner Street, are on benefits. But is this true? Gavin Fischer looks into the matter.

An apple-a-day will actually keep the doctors away, according to a study in the Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal. The authors had their tongue firmly in their cheek, but the media largely took them at their word. Tim interviews one of the study's authors and critic Paul Marantz.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Ruth Alexander.


SUN 20:30 Last Word (b03pmk7m)
Roger Lloyd Pack, Prof Julian B Rotter, Hiroo Onoda, Rae Woodland, Ariel Sharon

Matthew Bannister on

The actor Roger Lloyd Pack, best known for playing Trigger in Only Fools and Horses and Owen Newitt in the Vicar of Dibley. We have a tribute from Sir David Jason.

Also Professor Julian B Rotter - the psychologist who came up with the social learning theory.

The versatile British soprano Rae Woodland, who had close links to Sadler's Wells and Glyndebourne.

And we assess the former Israeli military leader and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Producer: Laura Northedge.


SUN 21:00 Money Box (b03q4mm3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:00 on Saturday]


SUN 21:26 Radio 4 Appeal (b03q51p7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:55 today]


SUN 21:30 In Business (b03pmbjg)
Cyber Town Malvern

The historic spa town of Malvern in Worcestershire is rapidly becoming the centre of a hub of small companies specialising in a very 21st century occupation: defending people from Internet crime. Unlikely as it sounds, Malvern has been a centre of science expertise for decades. Now it's a place where innovation thrives outside big corporate labs. Peter Day finds out why.


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (b03q59v7)
Weekly political discussion and analysis with MPs, experts and commentators.


SUN 22:45 What the Papers Say (b03q5b20)
Hugh Muir of the Guardian looks at how newspapers covered the week's biggest stories.


SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (b03pmbj2)
Wolf of Wall Street; Night of the Hunter; composer Neil Brand

As Martin Scorsese's latest film, The Wolf of Wall Street, picks up five Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Director, Francine Stock talks to actor Jonah Hill, nominated for Best Supporting Actor. He describes how improvisation played an important part in the film which is based on the memoir of trader and convicted fraudster Jordan Belfort. We also hear from editor and long-time Scorsese collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker about the alchemy of the cutting room.

The composer Neil Brand explores the use of found, or pre-existing, music in film scores from Saving Mr Banks to Inside Llewyn Davis, Raising Arizona and Black Swan. He explores how the often well-known music can be re-invented and manipulated to work on audiences in sometimes surprising ways.

Plus The Night of the Hunter, first released in 1955, directed by British actor Charles Laughton and starring Robert Mitchum, is back on limited re-release. Nick James from Sight and Sound and broadcaster Michael Carlson discuss why it has had such an influence on film makers and inspired a genre of brooding southern Gothic.


SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b03q4w8q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:05 today]



MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014

MON 00:00 Midnight News (b03q4jht)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b03pjfbb)
Waiting in A&E; Faith and Doubt

Faith and doubt: an ethnographic study into political and spiritual convictions in an age of uncertainty. Laurie Taylor talks to the Lecturer in Anthropology, Dr Mathijs Pelkmans, about wide ranging research which suggests that the foundations of religious and secular 'faiths' are surprisingly fragile. Drawing on a diverse range of cases, from spirit mediums in Taiwan to right-wing populists in Europe, he analyses the ways that belief systems are either sustained or collapse. He's joined by Alpa Shah who has studied Maoists revolutionaries in India. Also, Alexandra Hillman discusses her new paper on 'waiting' in hospital emergency departments.

Producer: Jayne Egerton.


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b03q4q9j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jhw)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03q4jhy)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jj2)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 05:30 News Briefing (b03q4jj4)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b03q5d6t)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Revd Richard Frazer, Minister of Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (b03q5d6w)
Farmers in a remote Northumbrian valley are campaigning to be connected to mains electricity. They say living without it is hindering the development of their farms. At the moment they rely on diesel powered generators. However, with the price of diesel increasing it can cost some families ten thousand pounds a year to run.

There is concern from farmers in Wales as next year their single farm payments will be based on how much land they have as opposed to how much they produce on the farm. This is part of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. From January 2015, land in Wales will be classified into a three tier system and the money will then be divided up accordingly. This comes after the Welsh Government announced it will move 15% of the funding from direct payments to farmers into environmental and rural development schemes.

And erosion and compaction are just some of the problems facing soil on UK farms. Over the past 5 years surveys and reports across the UK and Europe have pointed to soil erosion as a problem that could threaten food security. All of this week Farming Today will look at the issues surrounding this and at some of the solutions that can boost soil health.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Lucy Bickerton.


MON 05:56 Weather (b03q4jjb)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.


MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03mzv53)
Mandarin Duck

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

Chris Packham presents the story of the Mandarin Duck. A drake mandarin has orange whiskers, red bill, a broad creamy eye-stripe and an iridescent purple chest, set off by a pair of extraordinary curved orange wing feathers which stand up like a boat's sails. Today there are seven thousand birds living in the wild and the numbers are increasing.


MON 06:00 Today (b03q5d6y)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (b03q600h)
Neuroscience and Free Will

Tom Sutcliffe talks to the neuroscientist Dick Swaab who argues that everything we do and don't do is determined by our brain. He explains why 'we are our brains'. The philosopher Julian Baggini doesn't dispute the pre-eminence of brain processes but believes it doesn't tell the whole story. As a writer Helen Dunmore must get into the minds of her characters - the latest a war-damaged soldier from the trenches. Natalie Abrahami only has the heads of her characters to play with as she directs Samuel Beckett's Happy Days about the amazing ability of a woman to survive by denying her ever-diminishing world.
Producer: Katy Hickman.


MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b03kpnjq)
Gold: The Race for the World's Most Seductive Metal

Episode 1

From the Pizzaro brothers, who pillaged Peru for Inca gold in the 16th century, to the modern-day Mponeng mine in South Africa, the deepest in the world, where the ghost miners illegally siphon off millions - the pursuit of gold has led to wars, insurrections, betrayals and bloodshed.

Matthew Hart charts a course through history and across continents to tell the story of the world's most coveted metal. Part history, part journalism and part economic analysis, Gold tells the story of a human obsession that shows no sign of abating.

In 2008, when the financial crisis rattled economies, investors inevitably resorted to the perceived safety of gold – and its price escalated from $800 to $1900 an ounce. This, in turn, accelerated the exploration for yet more gold.

Matthew Hart is a journalist, whose work has appeared in The Times, Granta, The Atlantic Monthly and The Globe and Mail. He has written two IMAX films, numerous TV documentaries, and appeared on CNN, Sixty Minutes and the National Geographic channel. His previous books include Diamond: The History Of A Cold-Blooded Love Affair, which was filmed as a documentary by ABC.

Abridged by Pete Nichols

Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b03q600k)
Men and body image; Emilia Fox and Emma Fielding; Talking about suicide

Jane Garvey is joined by the actors Emilia Fox and Emma Fielding to talk about their roles in a new play about the choices and regrets of a stay at home mum and a successful academic. We discuss how men feel about their body image and how it affects their self-esteem. In the first of a three part series we hear from mothers of disabled children: Hannah talks about the challenges of combining paid work with caring for a disabled child. And when four young people take their own lives everyday, we ask how we could have a better conversations with them about the subject of suicide.

Presenter: Jane Garvey
Producer: Lucinda Montefiore
Editor: Ruth Watts.


MON 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b03q600m)
November Dead List: Series 1

Episode 1

By Nick Perry.

Nicola Walker stars as a detective in our gritty new crime drama.

Each Roman Catholic parish compiles a Book of the Dead from the lists of departed loved ones submitted by parishioners. Printed on the front of the envelopes are three words: November Dead List. In our drama, a young priest opens one such envelope and discovers - not a list of the dead but a list of people he knows to be alive, and members of his congregation. At first he thinks it's someone's idea of a joke. Then the people named start turning up dead.

Director: Sasha Yevtushenko.


MON 11:00 One Day in Winter (b03q66cf)
December 21st is the darkest time of year, the winter solstice, and this year it was also one of the wettest. Following on from Radio 4's very successful One Day in Summer, six producers set out from Bristol to follow another set of characters - travellers, farmers, druids. All are travelling, setting out in the dark, but their various destinations may not be immediately clear. The run up to Christmas is a time of preparation and stress, but we expect some our travellers to have other festivities in mind. With contributions from the police, English Heritage, farmers David Johnson and Hugh Morrison, Lou Purplefairy, Arthur Pendragon, plus Lister and his friends from Leeds.

The producer is Miles Warde.


MON 11:30 North by Northamptonshire (b03q69c1)
Series 3

Episode 5

It's Jan's birthday and she's determined to do something unexpected.

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

Written by Katherine Jakeways.

As is well-known: Yorkshiremen wear flat caps and Essex girls wear short skirts; Liverpudlians are scallies and Cockneys are wideboys. Northamptonians gaze wistfully at these stereotypes and wish for an identity of any kind and a label less ridiculous than Northamptonians. Northamptonshire, let us be clear, is neither north, nor south nor in the Midlands. It floats somewhere between the three eyeing up the distinctiveness of each enviously.

Katherine Jakeways gives Northamptonshire an identity. And she waits, eagerly, for her home-county to thank her. And possibly make her some kind of Mayor.

The Narrator ..... Sheila Hancock
Mary ..... Penelope Wilton
Jan ..... Felicity Montagu
Norman ..... Geoffrey Palmer
Jonathan ..... Kevin Eldon
Rod ..... Tim Key
Orson ..... Nathaniel Parker
Esther ..... Katherine Jakeways
Frank ..... Rufus Wright

Producer: Steven Canny

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2014.


MON 12:00 You and Yours (b03q69c3)
Fake car claims; Calls to halt the smart meter roll-out

What happens when someone makes a false claim on your car insurance. We're in the United States to find out what difference fracking makes to house prices. Winifred assess the Government's smart meter programme with a former advisor who says the roll-out should be stopped before it has begun. Plus, wel meet the man who makes money from his energy bills.


MON 12:57 Weather (b03q4jjm)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 13:00 World at One (b03q4jjp)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


MON 13:45 Acts of Union and Disunion (b03q69c5)
Transatlantic

On September 18th this year, the voters of Scotland will decide in a referendum whether they want their nation henceforth to be independent of the United Kingdom, or remain within the union that has bound Britain together since the Act of Union of 1707.

In "Acts of Union and Disunion", Linda Colley, Professor of History at the University of Princeton, examines the forces that bind together the diverse peoples, customs and loyalties of the United Kingdom. And the often equally powerful movements that from time to time across the centuries threaten to pull Britain apart.

11: Transatlantic

"In the 1600s, some 400,000 people from these islands, most of them from England, crossed the Atlantic, many of them settling in mainland America. In the 18th century, emigration from all parts of the British Isles ran much higher. Between 1760 and 1775 alone, over 100,000 men and women left these shores for America. To many Britons, the Thirteen Colonies - though 3000 miles of ocean away - were nonetheless bound up with their own experience and identities. American colonists were "our own people, our brethren".

So American resistance after 1776 and ultimate violent separation was a kind of amputation from the British body politic which has arguably never completely healed over."

Producer: Simon Elmes.


MON 14:00 The Archers (b03q59t1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Drama (b011pkg2)
The 40 Year Twitch

Yvonne's having a wobble. Her husband's always been one for the birds and now she's worried she's finally lost him. But do blue tits really lure men into midlife crises? Can sparrows be a bad influence? Comedy drama by Daniel Thurman.

Directed by Toby Swift

When Yvonne loses her job at the age of 64, she starts to fear that husband Neil's devotion to birding - birdwatching to the uninitiated - is actually all about escaping her and their humdrum life together. Thus begins a somewhat overenthusiastic pursuit of the truth as she trains her binoculars firmly on Neil's every move. Can best friend Wendy bring her back to earth?


MON 15:00 Brain of Britain (b03q6bqg)
Russell Davies asks the questions in the seventh heat of the nationwide general knowledge quiz.


MON 15:30 The Food Programme (b03q56lv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 on Sunday]


MON 16:00 Getting the Picture (b03q6bqj)
2. He Seduces Everybody!

David Bailey discusses with Tim Marlow the less well-known - but just as definitive - aspects of his portraiture. These include the documentary photographs he has taken on trips around the world which date back to his National Service in Singapore in the 1950s.

Bailey explains how the writer Rudyard Kipling and the explorer Sir Richard Burton fired his youthful imagination. He also talks about his reaction to the New York of the early 1960s and meeting Andy Warhol there. To a doubtful Tim, who wonders if there will be a change of heart, Bailey initially claims his recent punishing trip to India's Nagaland will also be his last foreign foray. This programme reveals if Bailey will in fact do more work abroad and, if so, where.

Bailey also discusses the joint ventures he has undertaken, including those with his wife Catherine, and with the artist Damien Hirst. Hirst, in turn, reveals how he and Bailey came to work together and what their collaborations have achieved.

As the opening of his show at London's National Portrait Gallery draws near, Bailey looks back on some of the shots that give him special pleasure.

And Catherine tells Tim that Bailey "seduces everyone from behind the camera". She adds, "He does it to me, he does it to everybody!"

The second of two programmes about Bailey’s work.

Producer Simon Coates

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2014.


MON 16:30 Beyond Belief (b03q6bql)
Eve

In the trailer for the final run of Desperate Housewives, viewers are seduced into watching the series with a variety of tantalising images. Four beautiful women in provocative poses, attracting the longing gazes of their easily led men. Snake like belts draped sinuously around their waists are provocatively removed or loosened. And there's an apple, red and luscious, newly plucked from a tree. A 21st century television hit makes its appeal by drawing on an ancient biblical character which it assumes will resonate with the viewer.

Joining Ernie Rea to discuss the Biblical figure Eve, and what has been made of her down the centuries are Katie Edwards, lecturer in Biblical Studies at Sheffield University; Amy Orr Ewing, Director of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics; and Maureen Kendler, head of Educational Programming at the London School of Jewish Studies.

Producer: Rosie Dawson.


MON 17:00 PM (b03q6bqn)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03q4jjr)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (b03q6crl)
Series 12

Episode 4

David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they're able to smuggle past their opponents. Lloyd Langford, Lucy Porter, Tom Wrigglesworth and Fred MacAulay are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as women, Japan, owls and potatoes.

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

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


MON 19:00 The Archers (b03q6crn)
Cheerful Tom heaves bales with Jazzer. Twigging Tom's plans for expansion, Jazzer asks about Jack's will. How much money will Tom get? Tom puts him straight He's not getting any money now, but knows he has Peggy's backing for the future.

Elizabeth has put the insurance claim in for the burglary at Glebe Cottage. She comforts Jill, who's hurt to lose sentimental items to burglars. Although grateful to Kenton, David and Elizabeth for helping make the home secure again, Jill is still on edge.

Outside, Jill notices how untidy the garden is as they sweep up leaves. As Elizabeth talks about planning her music festival, Jill still muses on the theft. Elizabeth suggests she comes back to Lower Loxley for a break. But Jill insists she'll be fine on her own.

Pat senses that something's wrong with Tony and eventually he opens up. He recalls one Christmas when he had been led to expect a toy car and his disappointment at being given a chess set. By expecting more than Peggy could give, Tony feels he let her down. When she mentioned the car yesterday, she had been trying to warn him not to get his hopes too high. Peggy's made her mind up and nothing will change that now.


MON 19:15 Front Row (b03q6crq)
Kate Atkinson; Outnumbered; August Osage County

With Mark Lawson.

Conductor Simon Rattle remembers Claudio Abbado, the acclaimed Italian conductor and former musical director of La Scala, Milan, who has died aged 80.

The Pulitzer prize-winning play, August: Osage County, a dark comedy looking at the lives of a group of women brought back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, has been adapted for the screen. The all-star cast includes Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, both nominated for Academy Awards, alongside Ewan McGregor and Benedict Cumberbatch. Diane Roberts comments on whether the translation from stage to screen is successful.

In the first of five interviews with the authors who have won their categories for this year's Costa Book Awards, Mark talks to Kate Atkinson. She discusses winning the best novel category for her book Life After Life, the unusual structure of the book - in which the protagonist dies and is re-born - and imagining alternative futures.

BBC One's family comedy, Outnumbered, is returning for a fifth series. Hugh Dennis and Tyger Drew-Honey talk about their roles as father and son, the development of the show from improvised to scripted scenes, and watching the family drama with their own families.

Producer: Olivia Skinner.


MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b03q600m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


MON 20:00 Declared Interests: The Business of Politics (b03q6crs)
Our politicians are now required to declare many of the outside interests that they have. There are registers for the Lords, the Commons and all the political parties. But is that enough?

Owen Bennett Jones explores the business of members' declared interests, Lords on boards, party funding, All Party Parliamentary Groups, sponsored assistants, and gifts. Owen reports on the ways in which outside interests try to gain access to the corridors of power without anyone breaking the rules. He considers whether the declaration of an interest is sufficient to ensure that no one is "buying" our political leaders.

In 2010, David Cameron said that lobbying was 'the next scandal waiting to happen' - but it has been going on for decades in a system that sanctions and encourages outside interests to come inside parliament. Can the government's proposed lobbying bill realistically turn back the tide? The current parliamentary system emphasises transparency - if it's properly declared, then by and large it is legal - but is it ethical and good for democracy?

Producer: Gemma Newby
A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (b03pmb4r)
Uzbekistan: Searching for Googoosha

Natalia Antelava goes in search of Gulnara Karimova - pop star, philanthropist, socialite, intellectual - oh, and incidentally (according to leaked US Embassy cables) the most hated woman in Uzbekistan. The image that graces the screens and billboards of Tashkent is one of a glamorous, dynamic, celebrity who flits from Cannes to New York to Moscow, fronting glossy music videos under her musical alias GooGoosha, with stars like Julio Iglesias and Gerard Depardieu. She runs charities and helps children all in an attempt to win the hearts of the Uzbek people for what some say is a bid to succeed her father as president. But her ambitions have taken a hit and the princess of Uzbekistan's star is falling. Described as a 'robber baron' in cables from the US Embassy, her business dealings are getting her into trouble. Natalia travels to Sweden to find that Karimova us connected to a bribery case which is linked with a money laundering investigation in Switzerland and France. Karimova's rivals for power are now taking advantage. Her TV stations have been shut down and her charity has been subject to a tax investigation. With the story hitting the headlines, Karimova has taken to Twitter to defend herself, including a virtual encounter with Natalia herself. What is the future for GooGoosha and what does this power struggle say about the nature of power in one of the world's most repressive states?

Producer: Wesley Stephenson.


MON 21:00 Shared Planet (b03phpft)
Community Protection

Worldwide, with an increasing human population using more and more natural resources, it is often local people and local communities who are the first to notice when something is out of balance in the natural world. In Britain it was otter hunt records that first led to the realisation that otter numbers were in steep decline in the late 1950's, a result of chemical leachate into watercourses from adjoining farmland. So how much influence can a local community have in protecting a species for the benefit of the wider community? In this programme Monty Don explores this question through a field report looking at the decline in Napoleon wrasse around the coral reefs of Palau after commercial fishing arrived from other parts of Micronesia in the 1980's. Local fishermen noticed the wrasse were disappearing and brought about their own initiatives to protect the species. This episode also explores the level of success these local initiatives can have in a wider context.

Producer Andrew Dawes.


MON 21:30 Start the Week (b03q600h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:58 Weather (b03q4jjt)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b03q6crv)
Syria peace conference - will Iran attend?
Lib Dem Rennard allegations - the latest;
Ukraine - more protests on streets;
China's one-child policy.
With Ritula Shah.


MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b03q6crx)
Dissident Gardens

Episode 1

By Jonathan Lethem

A Twentieth Century American epic by Jonathan Lethem, applying his sharp, funny and perfectly crafted prose to an alternative history of America which puts a woman at its heart - a Jewish, Communist woman, a single mother, a second generation immigrant deeply involved in the civil rights movement.

In 1955 Rose Zimmer is kicked out of the American Communist party for her affair with a black policeman. Her rage and her radicalism, her incendiary disappointment in the Twentieth Century, prove inescapable for the generations that come after her - her idealistic hippy daughter Miriam, black stepson Cicero and her lost grandson Sergius.

Jonathan Lethem is perhaps best known for 'Motherless Brooklyn', his noir-ish novel about a private detective with Tourettes which won the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the New York Times bestselling novel 'Fortress of Solitude' (named after Superman's ice cave hideaway) engaging with race, culture, comic books and cool music in the latter decades of the Twentieth Century. His novels tease the boundaries of genre and literary fiction.

Read by Laurel Lefkow
Abridged by Elizabeth Reeder

Produced by Allegra McIlroy.


MON 23:00 Word of Mouth (b03phrwl)
Office Jargon

Michael Rosen and guests "drill down" into the subject of office jargon. With guests including columnist Steven Poole, broadcaster Simon Fanshawe and Business Consultant, Julia Chanteray.

Most people profess to loathe it, yet eavesdrop on office meetings across the UK and you are bound to catch a "Heads-up" a "paradigm shift", or at the least a "going forward". So why does it proliferate, and why exactly does it get under the skin of so many of us. Michael asks his guests if office jargon is in fact just another example of a language that has evolved to represent complex technical issues. They also make an attempt at re-branding the programme.

Producer: Sarah Langan.


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (b03q6crz)
News from Westminster.



TUESDAY 21 JANUARY 2014

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b03q4jkx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b03kpnjq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jkz)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03q4jl1)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jl3)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b03q4jl5)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b03q6dzh)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Revd Richard Frazer, Minister of Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b03q6dzk)
It's one of the biggest debates in farming - is big bad? A new book due to be published at the end of this month says it is. 'Farmageddon' claims large-scale, intensive farms across the world are monocultures devoid of wildlife and that farm animals are disappearing from fields and into industrial-sized barns. But is it that simple? Anna Hill chats to its author Philip Lymbery - who is also chief executive of Compassion in World Farming - and David Alvis, a published Nuffield scholar who wrote 'Can Big Be Beautiful?', which looks at the relationship between size and sustainability.

Natural England is asking farmers and landowners to start preparing their applications for badger control licences in 2014. This comes ahead of the Independent Panel of Experts report on the safety, effectiveness and humaneness of the pilot culls in Gloucestershire and Somerset. Defra hasn't confirmed yet if the badger culling policy will be rolled out to other areas of the UK so is Natural England jumping the gun, so to speak? Anna speaks to Matt Heydon, Natural England's principal specialist for species regulation.

Continuing our 'soil week', Anna visits Robert Salmon on his farm in mid-Norfolk. He takes such an interest in keeping his land in 'good heart' that he's actually changed what he grows to protect it.And we hear from the Brassica Growers Association on the day of their biennial conference in Lincolnshire.

Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Anna Jones.


TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03mzv59)
Lesser White-fronted Goose

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

Chris Packham presents the story of the Lesser White-Fronted Goose. The lesser white-fronted goose is now a very rare bird in the UK, but the siting in Bristol of the BBC's Natural History Unit, owes much to this bird.


TUE 06:00 Today (b03q6dzm)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 The Long View (b03q6dzp)
The Working Poor

Jonathan Freedland presents the programme which looks at the past behind the present.
Although there's unease in the air and many caveats included in any reports on the subject it would seem that the British economy is now strengthening. And yet a new challenge is growing, the growing number of people in work who are also facing poverty.
That's the story today with a report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation showing that the number of working families in poverty has now outstripped those without employment.
And it was also the story in the late 18th century where farm labourers, particularly in the South of England, found that their wages were being outstripped by the rising price of bread. It was an inflation made worse by a series of bad harvests and the disruption to food imports from war torn France.
But when Magistrates met at Speenhamland near Newbury to try and resolve the issue they may well have been concerned not merely by the conditions of local workers but by the upheavals of the French Revolution. Something had to be done.
IN this programme Jonathan and his guests tell the story of the Speenhamland system which encouraged local employers to improve their wages but also obliged Parish councils to support labourers with bread to make up for their straightened circumstances.
The Speenhamland system spread very quickly but it was roundly criticised as a way of creating a dependency culture and trapping people in poverty and the situation was eventually resolved by the Poor Law amendment act of 1834 and the institution of the Workhouse.
How much can we learn from Speenhamland today when the language of poverty appears to be very similar with notions of the 'deserving' and the 'undeserving' poor familiar in the news headlines.
That's the Long View of the Working Poor.

Producer: Tom Alban.


TUE 09:30 One to One (b03q6dzr)
Professor Iain Hutchison

Anita Anand knew she was meant to be a journalist from the moment she covered her first news story. An instinct she followed proved to be correct, and convinced her that she should pursue journalism.

In this series of interviews for 'One to One', Anita discovers what drives people to pursue certain careers. Was there an epiphany, something in their very core, or a series of events that motivated them?

This week's guest is world-renowned facial surgeon, Professor Iain Hutchison. In the very early part of his career he spent a year working in casualty. He treated many young men with facial injuries sustained in car accidents. He realised that - simply by stitching them up under local anaesthetic - he could make not just a medical, but an emotional difference to their lives. It was this that led him onto his career in facial surgery, and to the establishment of a charity that researches the prevention and treatment of facial diseases and injuries.

Next week Anita speaks to Mathew Waddington, a partner in a law firm who chose to specialise in children's law following the death of his daughter.

Producer: Karen Gregor.


TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b03kqdzw)
Gold: The Race for the World's Most Seductive Metal

Episode 2

From the Pizzaro brothers, who pillaged Peru for Inca gold in the 16th century, to the modern-day Mponeng mine in South Africa, the deepest in the world, where the ghost miners illegally siphon off millions - the pursuit of gold has led to wars, insurrections, betrayals and bloodshed.

Matthew Hart charts a course through history and across continents to tell the story of the world's most coveted metal. Part history, part journalism and part economic analysis, Gold tells the story of a human obsession that shows no sign of abating.

In 2008, when the financial crisis rattled economies, investors inevitably resorted to the perceived safety of gold – and its price escalated from $800 to $1900 an ounce. This, in turn, accelerated the exploration for yet more gold.

Matthew Hart is a journalist, whose work has appeared in The Times, Granta, The Atlantic Monthly and The Globe and Mail. He has written two IMAX films, numerous TV documentaries, and appeared on CNN, Sixty Minutes and the National Geographic channel. His previous books include Diamond: The History Of A Cold-Blooded Love Affair, which was filmed as a documentary by ABC.

Abridged by Pete Nichols

Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b03q6dzt)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Sophie Ellis-Bextor performs live in the studio from her new album, Wanderlust, and talks to Jane Garvey about her music, family, Strictly Come Dancing, being a woman and mother in music, and growing up with her mum, Blue Peter's Janet Ellis

The UN estimates that 14 million girls enter into child marriage each year and that this becomes the basis for other forms of abuse including rape, domestic violence and the removal of future opportunities. This week the charity Equality Now! has published a report on the issue and it is calling for 18 to be the new global minimum age for marriage.

Lord Rennard the Liberal Democrats' strategist was suspended from the party yesterday. He's refused to apologise to the 4 women who've accused him of sexual harassment. It's a messy and complicated affair that doesn't appear to cover the Liberal Democrats in glory. Where's this all leave women in Westminster?

Have you still got it? When Kate Moss turned 40 last week many of the papers headlined 'Kate still got it at 40'. But what exactly does that mean?

In the next in our series of working lives of mothers who have disabled children, we meet Jill Carter and her 23 year old daughter Jessie. Jessie has an undiagnosed moderate to severe learning disability but that does not stop her mum being positive and ambitious for her future.
When Jessie was a teenager - like her friends - she wanted a part-time job but when it became clear there was nothing suitable Jill created the opportunity for her.

Presenter Jane Garvey.
Producer Emma Wallace
Programme Editor Beverley Purcell.


TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b03q6dzw)
November Dead List: Series 1

Episode 2

By Nick Perry.

Nicola Walker stars as a detective in our gritty new crime drama.

Each Roman Catholic parish compiles a Book of the Dead from the lists of departed loved ones submitted by parishioners. Printed on the front of the envelopes are three words: November Dead List. In our drama, a young priest opens one such envelope and discovers - not a list of the dead but a list of people he knows to be alive, and members of his congregation. At first he thinks it's someone's idea of a joke. Then the people named start turning up dead.

Director: Sasha Yevtushenko.


TUE 11:00 Shared Planet (b03q6dzy)
The Medicinal Planet

In recent years some conventional medicines such as anti-biotics have become less effective in treating diseases and infections. With an increasing human population worldwide, the need to discover new medicines for the benefit of human health will potentially become a major issue in the coming years. Many commercially available medicines today can trace their origins to compounds found in the natural world, yet many of those natural compounds are found in rare species, often in natural environments that are now vulnerable due to human activity. Are we in danger of losing these potentially valuable resources before they are even discovered? Monty Don explores this question through a field report from the Elan Valley in mid Wales where a tree lungwort, ravished by pollution and climate change, could provide a potential cure for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Across the world, pharmaceutical companies have begun to revisit the natural world for compounds that may prove beneficial to the future of human health. How many compounds can be sourced from the natural world is impossible to know as until they are discovered and their benefit is unknown, but with increased pressure from human activities in natural areas, what can be done now to ensure the survival of the unknown for future generations?

Producer : Andrew Dawes.


TUE 11:30 Who Killed Classical Music? (b03q6f00)
The Composer Gabriel Prokofiev (grandson of Sergei Prokofiev) looks at the increasing disconnection between classical music and its audience. He investigates the argument that composers such as Schoenberg killed off 20th century classical music for all but a small elite audience.

Until the early 20th century, each composer of classical music developed his own style built on the traditions of previous composers. Then Arnold Schoenberg changed all this, by devising 'Serialism' where melodies were no longer allowed.

In the 1950s, composers such as Pierre Boulez created 'Total Serialism'. Every aspect of a piece of music - rhythms and loudness as well as notes - was rigidly controlled by a fixed formula.

And the sense of composers being remote from their audience was exacerbated by the elevation of musical performance to a kind of ritual.

But even at a time when Serialism gripped major parts of the classical music establishment, music that was overtly emotional was still being written by composers such as Shostakovich and Prokofiev in Russia. Ironically, in these countries, the State continued to support classical music, whereas in more liberal regimes in Europe it retreated to the intellectual margins.

Now the Serialist experiment has been largely abandoned and a whole new generation of composers - including Gabriel himself - is embracing popular culture, just as composers used to in the past when folk music or dance music were a major source of inspiration.

So has the death of classical music been exaggerated? Will it find new homes and new means of expression to attract the audiences of the future?

With contributions from Arnold Whittall, Stephen Johnson, Alexander Goehr, David Matthews, Ivan Hewett and Tansy Davies.


TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b03q6f8x)
How can mental health care be improved?

The government has announced changes to mental health care. What kind of help can people with mental health conditions expect from now on, and how exactly will it be different?


TUE 12:57 Weather (b03q4jl7)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 13:00 World at One (b03q4jl9)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


TUE 13:45 Acts of Union and Disunion (b03q6f8z)
Greater Britains

On September 18th this year, the voters of Scotland will decide in a referendum whether they want their nation henceforth to be independent of the United Kingdom, or remain within the union that has bound Britain together since the Act of Union of 1707.

In "Acts of Union and Disunion", Linda Colley, Professor of History at the University of Princeton, examines the forces that bind together the diverse peoples, customs and loyalties of the United Kingdom. And the often equally powerful movements that from time to time across the centuries threaten to pull Britain apart.

12: Greater Britains

"Between 1815 and 1930, some 19 million people left Great Britain and Ireland permanently in order to live in North America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Initially, many of these outgoing men and women chose to voyage to the lost empire of the United States, but gradually this changed. By the first decade of the 20th century, two thirds of these out-goers opted for Britain's existing settlement empire, the Dominions as they came to be called. If the millions of English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish men and women settling overseas in the empire were to be regarded as "communities of citizens" still owning "the name of Britons" - then what new acts of union would be required in order to sustain their cohesion and allegiance? On what kinds of foundations could Greater Britain, as many commentators chose to call it, durably be constructed?"

Producer: Simon Elmes.


TUE 14:00 The Archers (b03q6crn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama (b03q69c7)
Paradigm

'Shameless' meets 'The Truman Show' in a new dark comedy by Sean Grundy.

Members of the Kilmartin family struggle with deception, betrayal and a local authority official who knows jujitsu when they discover that their lives aren't quite what they thought they were.

Directed by Alison Crawford.


TUE 15:00 Making History (b03q8z3x)
Tom Holland is joined by the author of Britain Against Napoleon The Organisation of Victory, 1793-1815, Professor Roger Knight and the leader of a new oral history project which is capturing the social and cultural impact of National Service, Dr Matthew Grant from the University of Essex.

Nearly 200 years ago, in April 1814, King Louis XVIII of France left Hartwell House near Aylesbury to reclaim the throne of France after more than twenty years in exile. Seven of these were in England, two at Gosfield Hall in Essex and five at Hartwell. The biographer of Napoleon's Josephine, Dr Kate Williams, went to Hartwell to find out more about Louis in England.

As Louis traipsed around Europe, the Continent was in turmoil. Britain had been humbled just a few years earlier in the War of American Independence so how did she reorganise to fight the French?

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

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


TUE 15:30 The Human Zoo (b03q8z3z)
Series 3

The stories we use

Cast an objective eye back over our lives, and, if we are brutally honest, it's a whole set of random events that brought us to where we are today. Yet if you ask someone, or even yourself, about that life we get a coherent story of cause and effect - the holiday that led to a career as a ski instructor, the missed train that got you talking to your future spouse or the serendipitous meeting outside a pub that kick started your career as a radio journalist.

We need to tell stories to survive, the argument goes, to make sense of the terrifying confusion that is our existence. So how deeply is this embedded in our psychology - can we design experiments to explore and explain our ability to make sense out of chaos?

In this week's Human Zoo, Michael Blastland delves into our storytelling brains - the story of our stories.

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


TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (b03q8z41)
How accurate are scientific metaphors?

Gravity is like a bowling ball sitting on a bed sheet; the atom is like a mini solar system, genes are selfish and the forces of evolution are blind...

We're familiar with the metaphors from school, from books and various science docs on the telly. But how accurate are these metaphors and could we find better ones?

Michael Rosen talks to science explainers across the country to find out how you get across ideas in science that are only properly expressed in highly technical language or in maths. Are they necessarily vague, even misleading, or are some just perfect for the concept they express.

Michael looks at the evolution of scientific metaphors in history and celebrates some of the great science explainers of the past. But he also asks whether some metaphors are not only inaccurate but dangerous as they lead to misunderstandings in the public conversation about science and scientific ideas.


TUE 16:30 Great Lives (b03q8z43)
Series 32

Mark Constantine on Kahlil Gibran

Businessman Mark Constantine chooses Lebanese-American author of ‘The Prophet’, Khalil Gibran. With Matthew Parris.

Snubbed and practically ignored by the literary establishment in the West, but regarded by millions as a world-class poet his work, The Prophet, published in 1923, has never been out of print and next to the bible is the biggest selling book in America.

Businessman Mark Constantine champions the poet and together with the actor Nadim Sawalha. Matthew Parris is the presenter.

Producer : Perminder Khatkar

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2014.


TUE 17:00 PM (b03q8z45)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03q4jlf)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 18:30 Chain Reaction (b03q8z47)
Series 9

Neil Innes talks to Graham Linehan

Ex-Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band member and Monty Python collaborator Neil Innes continues the chain talking to comedy writer and director Graham Linehan.

Chain Reaction is the long-running host-less chat show where last week's interviewee becomes this week's interviewer.

Producer: Carl Cooper

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2014.


TUE 19:00 The Archers (b03q8z49)
Helen and Rob discuss Helen eventually inheriting the Lodge from Peggy. Helen wants to thank Peggy in person and is surprised when Rob asks to come. He wants to get to know all the family properly.

Rob's delighted for Helen and Henry, but hopes they'll be living with him long after inheriting the Lodge. It's Henry who will really benefit. Rented out, the Lodge could provide income for his university fees. Helen is touched by Rob's thoughtfulness.

Lynda has exciting information for Neil about the Lives of the First World War project. The Imperial War Museum is creating a digital archive of pictures and stories and Lynda's keen to be involved. Jennifer is putting an appeal on the village website. Neil thinks there will be interest in Ambridge.

They discuss Jack's bequest to St Stephen's, which will fund a stained glass window. Jack was keen for this to reflect Ambridge's wartime efforts.

Ed feels they should never have moved puppy Holly to Will's. Emma hopes that George will see that the arrangement doesn't work. Ed is determined that George doesn't feel more at home with Will. It might be what Will wants but Ed's not going to let it happen.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (b03q8z4c)
Josie Rourke, Nathan Filer, Julie Hesmondhalgh

As Conor McPherson's multi-award-winning play The Weir opens in the West End, director Josie Rourke talks about reviving this modern Irish ghost story whilst preparing to screen her production of Coriolanus, starring Tom Hiddleston, in cinemas worldwide.

Julie Hesmondhalgh has been making headlines as her Coronation Street character Hayley Cropper, suffering from terminal pancreatic cancer, leaves the soap by taking her own life. She discusses being involved in a storyline that has generated a national debate, and about her latest role in Blindsided, a new play by Simon Stephens.

Nathan Filer, the winner of the Costa Book Award for the first novel category, discusses his debut The Shock of the Fall. Following a protagonist who suffers from mental health problems, the novel explores themes of guilt, grief and mental illness. Nathan Filer discusses his other career as a mental health nurse and his plans for a second novel.

Classical violinist Vanessa Mae has qualified to compete with the Thai ski team in this year's Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Violinist Tasmin Little explains why violinists and skis are an unusual combination.


TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b03q6dzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


TUE 20:00 File on 4 (b03q8z4f)
Default by Design?

Last month a report by a government advisor, Lawrence Tomlinson, accused The Royal Bank of Scotland of forcing some viable businesses into insolvency. The Bank has denied Tomlinson's claims and has asked a leading law firm to carry out an independent investigation. With their findings due to be published shortly, File on 4 assesses the evidence.

Jane Deith speaks to families who claim their companies were unfairly forced to the wall and their lives ruined as a result of the actions of the Bank's Global Restructuring Group.

Billed as the equivalent of an intensive care unit designed to help nurse distressed businesses back to health, did the Global Restructuring Group kill some of them off instead? And was RBS able to profit as a result?

With a rising tide of complaints against the taxpayer-owned bank, the Financial Conduct Authority is beginning its own investigation.

So, was RBS being predatory or prudent?

Reporter: Jane Deith
Producer: Nicola Dowling.


TUE 20:40 In Touch (b03q8z4h)
Gene therapy; Talking buses feedback

Professor Robert MacLaren, from Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, updates us on the latest gene therapy treatment as a cure for sight loss and explains who it may be able to help in the future.

James White from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (GDBA) explains the points on which the charity disagrees, regarding comments made on last week's programme by Baroness Kramer, relating to the number of new buses being fitted with audio-visual equipment.

Plus listener David Williams provides us with this week's column, in which listeners take on a subject from the point of view of visual impairment.


TUE 21:00 Inside Health (b03q8z4k)
Care data, New gastric balloon, Vocal dysphonia, Antacids

Recent reports say that as many as 2 million people in England could be eligible for bariatric surgery. Dr Mark Porter investigates if a new gastric balloon swallowed in a capsule could be a valuable new tool for weight loss. Targeted for people whose BMI is lower than those who would be eligible for weight loss surgery, Inside Health finds out what the new balloon involves and asks two NHS bariatric surgeons - Sally Norton in Bristol and Guy Slater in Chichester - is this a boon to the arsenal of weight loss surgeons or is it a just slimming aid?

Proton pump inhibitors are a family of drugs which reduce stomach acids to stop the symptoms of heartburn and ulcers. But they are being widely overused according to many gastroenterologists and doctors. Mark talks to gastroenterologist, Anton Emmanuel about the scale of the overuse, the potential side effects of being on them for too long as well as what people can do if they think they should come off the drug.

Margaret McCartney and Mark Porter ask whether the anonymity of patient records on a new NHS database can be guaranteed? And using botox to treat vocal dysphonia, a kind of writer's cramp for the voice.


TUE 21:30 The Long View (b03q6dzp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 21:58 Weather (b03q4jlh)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b03q8z4m)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.


TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b03q8z4p)
Dissident Gardens

Episode 2

By Jonathan Lethem

A Twentieth Century American epic by prize-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem, applying his sharp, funny and perfectly crafted prose to an alternative history of America which puts a woman at its heart - a Jewish, Communist woman, a single mother, a second generation immigrant deeply involved in the civil rights movement.

In 1955 Rose Zimmer is kicked out of the American Communist party for her affair with a black policeman. Her ire and her radicalism, her incendiary disappointment in the Twentieth Century, prove inescapable for the generations that come after her - her idealistic hippy daughter Miriam, black stepson Cicero and her lost grandson Sergius.

Episode 2: Teenage Miriam plays on her parents' Communist credentials to impress her friends, and risks her mother's despair-fuelled rage when she sneaks a boy home.

Read by Laurel Lefkow
Abridged by Elizabeth Reeder

Produced by Allegra McIlroy.


TUE 23:00 Shappi Talk (b00x41ng)
Series 2

History

Shappi Khorsandi looks at a variety of subjects close to her Iranian heart - including Politics, Addiction and, in this programme, History.

Having an incident filled, historical background herself, Shappi looks back at a variety of historical figures and moments in history, comparing our current lives.

Joining her is iconic comedian Simon Evans, who puts his own idiosyncratic spin on history, and TV historian Adam Hart-Davis, who has a chat with Shappi about his love of everything historic. There's also a comic song from Duncan Oakley.

Producer: Paul Russell
An Open Mike production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (b03q8z4r)
The Foreign Secretary tells the Commons that the UN's decision to withdraw Iran's invitation to attend the Syrian peace talks saved the process.

But MPs insist that any settlement of the Syrian conflict will have to involve Tehran.
The bosses of the UK's energy distribution firms face accusations of "complacency" as they defend their response to storms that led to power cuts over Christmas.

The medical director of the NHS in England answers MPs questions about the pressures facing hospital A&E departments.

And peers raise concerns over the fortifying of flour.

Susan Hulme and team report on today's events in Parliament.



WEDNESDAY 22 JANUARY 2014

WED 00:00 Midnight News (b03q4jmf)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b03kqdzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jmh)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03q4jmk)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jmm)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 05:30 News Briefing (b03q4jmp)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b03q96bv)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Revd Richard Frazer, Minister of Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (b03q96bx)
In the past year average farm incomes in Wales have fallen by almost a third. The severe weather last spring has been blamed in part, but the Welsh government is looking at ways to ensure financial security for farmers in the future. Farming Today hears from the Welsh Minister for Natural Resources and Food, Alun Davies, who explains why the government believes its decision to move 15% of CAP funding away from single farm payments will actually help in the long term.

With sales of tractors down across most of the country, will anyone be buying at this year's LAMMA event in Peterborough? It's day one of the machinery show and tens of thousands of people are expected to gather to find out about the latest equipment on offer.

And do you know what really lies beneath your feet? A soil scientist explains that the biology of soil is as relevant to farmers as it is to scientists.

Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Lucy Bickerton.


WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03mzv5m)
Coot

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

Chris Packham presents the story of the Coot. The explosive high-pitched call of the coot is probably a sound most of us associate with our local park lakes. Coot are dumpy, charcoal-coloured birds related to moorhens, though unlike their cousins, they tend to spend more time on open water, often in large flocks in winter.


WED 06:00 Today (b03q96bz)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 Midweek (b03q96c1)
Robert Powell, Mike Rutherford, Catherine Weate, Harry Shearer

Robert Powell is an actor who is known for his TV and film appearances in projects ranging from Doomwatch to Holby City and the Italian Job to The Thirty Nine Steps. Nominated for a BAFTA award for his role as Jesus in Franco Zefferelli's Jesus of Nazareth, he has appeared on stage in Alan Bennett's Single Spies and Keith Waterhouse's Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell. This year he plays Agatha Christie's Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in a new production of Black Coffee, her first play. Black Coffee is currently on a UK tour.

Mike Rutherford is a musician and songwriter. He is a founding member of rock band Genesis and wrote the lyrics to many of the band's songs including Turn It On Again and Throwing It All Away. He formed his band Mike + The Mechanics in 1985. In his memoir, The Living Years, Mike writes about his career in music and his relationship with his late father. The Living Years - A Tale of Two Generations is published by Constable.

Catherine Weate is a voice and dialect coach who has trained students and actors around the world. She has just launched the Real Accent App with her business partner Gavin Howard. For their first project the pair travelled across the US to record ten regional dialects and created a tool to help actors tackle auditions for American parts. The Real Accent App: USA is available on the Apple iTunes App Store.

Harry Shearer is an actor, comedian, author and musician. He is best known as the voice of Mr Burns in The Simpsons and Derek Smalls in the mocumentary film This is Spinal Tap. In his latest project he reprises his role as former US President Richard Nixon for TV series Nixon's The One. The series is based on thousands of hours of recordings made by Nixon in the Oval Office between 1971 and 1973. Nixon's The One is broadcast on Sky Arts 1.

Producer: Paula McGinley.


WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b03ktz05)
Gold: The Race for the World's Most Seductive Metal

Episode 3

From the Pizzaro brothers, who pillaged Peru for Inca gold in the 16th century, to the modern-day Mponeng mine in South Africa, the deepest in the world, where the ghost miners illegally siphon off millions - the pursuit of gold has led to wars, insurrections, betrayals and bloodshed.

Matthew Hart charts a course through history and across continents to tell the story of the world's most coveted metal. Part history, part journalism and part economic analysis, Gold tells the story of a human obsession that shows no sign of abating.

In 2008, when the financial crisis rattled economies, investors inevitably resorted to the perceived safety of gold – and its price escalated from $800 to $1900 an ounce. This, in turn, accelerated the exploration for yet more gold.

Matthew Hart is a journalist, whose work has appeared in The Times, Granta, The Atlantic Monthly and The Globe and Mail. He has written two IMAX films, numerous TV documentaries, and appeared on CNN, Sixty Minutes and the National Geographic channel. His previous books include Diamond: The History Of A Cold-Blooded Love Affair, which was filmed as a documentary by ABC.

Abridged by Pete Nichols

Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b03q96c3)
Aileen Graham Jones; Menopause

Aileen Graham-Jones: Woman's Hour archive recording of one of the first women to qualify as a motor mechanic who talks about her summer of driving Emmeline Pankhurst in 1911. And Professor Krista Cowman of the University of Lincoln joins Jane on women in early motoring.

Menopause symptoms and treatments. Jane talks to Dr Heather Currie an Associate Specialist Gynaecologist at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary and founder of Menopause Matters.

The third in our series looking at the working lives of mothers who have a child with a disability. Linda Roberts, mum of Paralympic gold medallist Jonnie Peacock, talks about the difficulties of 'letting go'. And 31 year old Chris Whitaker, who has Cerebral Palsy explains to Jane how important it is to lead an independent life.

And we look ahead to today's Face the Facts which investigates the growing number of women suffering complications associated with an implantable plastic mesh known as a trans-vaginal tape, or TVT.

Presenter: Jane Garvey
Producer: Bev Purcell
Output Editor: Jane Thurlow.


WED 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b03q96c5)
November Dead List: Series 1

Episode 3

By Nick Perry.

Nicola Walker stars as a detective in our gritty new crime drama.

Each Roman Catholic parish compiles a Book of the Dead from the lists of departed loved ones submitted by parishioners. Printed on the front of the envelopes are three words: November Dead List. In our drama, a young priest opens one such envelope and discovers - not a list of the dead but a list of people he knows to be alive, and members of his congregation. At first he thinks it's someone's idea of a joke. Then the people named start turning up dead.

After questioning by police in connection to a murder enquiry, a parish priest suddenly absconds. The detective travels to Ireland in pursuit.

Director: Sasha Yevtushenko.


WED 11:00 Return to Angola (b03m43g7)
Luanda, the capital of Angola, is currently the most expensive city in the world. Along the seafront, recently revamped at a cost of $350 million, Africa's most expensive one-bedroom apartment was snapped up for $9million, and a hamburger will set you back $30.

Yet forty years ago it was a war zone. Angola won its independence and hundreds of thousands of Portuguese colonialists fled in panic.

Now they're coming back and BBC Africa Editor Mary Harper finds out why. She meets some of the Portuguese who are leaving the economic crisis at home to cash in on Angola's oil-driven boom, and uncovers the tensions this reversal of fortunes is creating between the once-colonised and their former rulers. The migrant flood has been recent and rapid. In 2006, only 156 Portuguese emigrated to Angola. In 2012, there were 30,000.

Among the Portuguese returnees, is a scuba diving instructor from the Algarve, now earning double in Luanda, and a young family from Portugal raising their children as Angolans.

As well as providing jobs, and lucrative construction and engineering contracts, Angolans are also propping Portugal up by investing heavily on Portuguese soil - in the banking, energy and telecoms sectors. But just days before the Radio 4 team arrived in Luanda, the usually taciturn Angolan president, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, gave an outspoken speech, saying all was not well with Portuguese relations.

Producer: Eve Streeter

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 11:30 Clare in the Community (b03q98yj)
Series 9

Away Day Wey Hey

Clare and the rest of the Sparrowhawk team are forced to take part in a team-building away day, much to Clare's disapproval.

Sally Phillips is Clare Barker the social worker who has all the right jargon but never a practical solution.

A control freak, Clare likes nothing better than interfering in other people's lives on both a professional and personal basis. Clare is in her thirties, white, middle class and heterosexual, all of which are occasional causes of discomfort to her.

Clare continually struggles to control both her professional and private life

In today's Big Society there are plenty of challenges out there for an involved, caring social worker. Or even Clare.

Written by Harry Venning and David Ramsden.

Clare ...... Sally Phillips
Brian ...... Alex Lowe
Ray ...... Richard Lumsden
Helen ...... Liza Tarbuck
Simon ...... Andrew Wincott
Libby ...... Sarah Kendall
Joan ...... Sarah Thom
Student ...... Alex Tregear
Young Clare ...... Alex Tregear
Jenny ...... Carolyn Pickles

Producer: Alexandra Smith.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2014.


WED 12:00 You and Yours (b03q98yl)
The former Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell unveils the latest report on the Care Quality Commission. A study shows how a flood can cause emotional stress long after the waters subside and the European Union's changes to renewable energy targets.


WED 12:30 Face the Facts (b03q9dc8)
Tried and Tested?

New drugs undergo strict testing. New medical devices often don't have to. But with thousands of women damaged by vaginal surgery, surgeons and patients are calling for tougher safety rules. It's the latest in a series of controversies around new medical devices stretching back years - including metal-on-metal artificial hip joints and PIP breast implants.

Concerned surgeons say a compulsory register for all devices is long overdue, so we can track success and failure. But might insisting on too rigorous a testing regime have the unintended consequence of stifling medical innovation and making it too expensive for all but the biggest companies?

Presenter: John Waite
Producer: Paul Waters
Editor: Andrew Smith.


WED 13:00 World at One (b03q4jmr)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


WED 13:45 Acts of Union and Disunion (b03q9dcb)
Europe

On September 18th this year, the voters of Scotland will decide in a referendum whether they want their nation henceforth to be independent of the United Kingdom, or remain within the union that has bound Britain together since the Act of Union of 1707.

In "Acts of Union and Disunion", Linda Colley, Professor of History at the University of Princeton, examines the forces that bind together the diverse peoples, customs and loyalties of the United Kingdom. And the often equally powerful movements that from time to time across the centuries threaten to pull Britain apart.

Programme 13: Europe

"At intervals these islands were politically linked to parts of Continental Europe, and ruled by monarchs who viewed their position very much in European terms. And, while the sea could deter invasions and operate as a psychological barrier, it was also a highway and a bridge. It was not just money and culture that rendered elite Britons such incorrigible European Grand Tourists in the 18th century. Nor was it simply politics that made London such a haven for Continental exiles in the 19th century. In both cases, the seas around these islands and the easy transport they afforded aided European-wide contacts and exchanges..."

Producer: Simon Elmes.


WED 14:00 The Archers (b03q8z49)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Drama (b03q9q2j)
Demon Brother

Episode 1

By Matthew Broughton

When Jasper finds his father dead, a dark mystery begins to unfold. His dad kept a secret - Jasper has a twin brother, Eddie, whom he's never met. After the funeral the two brothers decide to swap lives. As Jasper escapes the confines of his faltering marriage and attempts to track down his father's killer, he soon discovers that with his new found freedom comes the threat of extreme danger.

A dark thriller in two parts that reflect each other: The first tells Jasper's story. The second tells Eddie's.

Demon Brother is a story about identity, sex and death. Shaun Dingwall (New Tricks, Young Victoria, Doctor Who) stars opposite himself as the two brothers, Jasper and Eddie - one good and one very bad. Valene Kane (The Fall) makes her radio debut as Jasper's wife Caitlin. With supporting performances from Vera Filatova (Peep Show) and Kenneth Cranham (Made in Dagenham, Layer Cake, Shine on Harvey Moon).

Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production.


WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b03q9q2l)
Need help managing borrowing costs, paying off Christmas excess or dealing with debt problems? Paul Lewis and guests will be ready with help and advice on Wednesday's Money Box Live. Call 03700 100 444 from 1pm to 3.30pm on Wednesday or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk

Are you looking for a better credit card rate or a 0% interest deal to help you pay off existing borrowing?

If you need to take out a loan, which charge the least and what are the pros and cons?

How do you improve your credit rating to access cheaper finance?

And if your monthly costs are becoming unmanageable where can you turn for free help to get your finances back on track?

Maybe you need to know about bankruptcy, Bankruptcy Debt relief orders (DROs) or Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs)?

To answer your questions Paul Lewis will be joined by:

Laura Howard, Money Editor, MoneySuperMarket.com
Dennis Hussey, Money Adviser, National Debtline
James Jones, Head of Consumer Affairs, Experian
Liz McVey, Debt Advisor Manager, StepChange Debt Charity, Scotland

To talk to the team call 03700 100 444 between 1pm and 3.30pm on Wednesday or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk now. Standard geographic charges apply. Calls from mobiles may be higher.

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Producer: Diane Richardson.


WED 15:30 Inside Health (b03q8z4k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]


WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b03q9q2n)
Why Music Matters?; Bhangra and Belonging

Why Music Matters: David Hesmondhalgh, Professor of Music and Media Industries, examines the role of music in our lives and the ways in which it enriches people and society, or fails to do so. What is music's political and social significance beyond the pleasure it brings? He's joined by Caspar Melville, Lecturer in Global Creative and Cultural Industries. Also, 'Bhangra and Belonging': Falu Bakrania, US lecturer in Race and Resistance Studies, discusses her research into the social life of British Asian musical culture in the late 90s. From Bhangra to Asian underground, she talked to the male artists and female club goers. What impact did this musical explosion have on British Asian identity?

Producer: Jayne Egerton.


WED 16:30 The Media Show (b03q9q2q)
Birds of a Feather, The Telegraph, diversity in the TV industry

Ed Vaizey, minister for UK Culture, Communications and Creative Industries is today asking senior figures in TV, film and arts to explain the lack of diversity in their industries. We talk to two people attending that meeting; playwright and actor Kwame Kwei Armah and senior TV executive Pat Younge, and ask the founder of the Cultural Diversity Network, Clive Jones, why he thinks black, asian and minority ethnic representation in the creative world is low and is actually going down.

Tony Gallagher, editor of The Daily Telegraph, left the newspaper yesterday as part of an editorial restructure. The Telegraph Media Group said that Mr Gallagher was leaving the company as the business "moves to the next phase of its digital transformation". The newspaper has introduced new apps and subscription packages, and last year began using a metered model for access to its internet edition, which gives readers a numbers of articles for free. So, what further changes does it want to make to remain viable?

With Birds of a Feather, writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran bucked the trend and found a formula to create a much-loved ratings smash. The British sitcom placed as its heart the adventures of a group of female lead characters; and now Dorian, Sharon and Tracy are back on our screens. The new series, being shown on ITV, has been the highest rating comedy launch on ITV in over a decade, with every episode drawing audiences way above the slot average. Laurence Marks joins Steve to discuss the success of the new series, the public's enduring love of the original Essex girls, and his views on why the biggest barrier to successful comedy is fear.

Producer: Katy Takatsuki.


WED 17:00 PM (b03q9w0l)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03q4jmt)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 18:30 Mark Steel's in Town (b03q9w0n)
Series 5

St Davids

Mark Steel returns to Radio 4 for a fifth series of the award winning show that travels around the country, researching the history, heritage and culture of six towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness, and does a bespoke evening of comedy in each one.

As every high street slowly morphs into a replica of the next, Mark Steel's in Town celebrates the parochial, the local and the unusual. From Corby's rivalry with Kettering to the word you can't say in Portland, the show has taken in the idiosyncrasies of towns up and down the country, from Kirkwall to Penzance, from Holyhead to Bungay.

This edition comes from St Davids, Pembrokeshire, which is technically a city - with the emphasis on the technically. He discusses lifeboats, art and wildlife, and discovers that in this sleepy coastal community, they are sometimes very rude but sometimes very, very friendly. Almost too friendly. But only if you're into that sort of thing. From January 2014.

Written and performed by ... Mark Steel
Additional material by ... Pete Sinclair
Production co-ordinator ... Trudi Stevens
Producer ... Ed Morrish.


WED 19:00 The Archers (b03q9w0q)
While waiting to take George for the school bus, Will shows him a net he has set up for Mitch to jump over. One day, they can teach Holly some tricks too. Nic comes out, irritated. Holly has made a mess in the kitchen and Nic asks if they really have to have her there.

Later, Will's mobile rings and it's Emma. George is in floods of tears. His teacher says he's been distraught all day because Holly will be missing him and he thinks that Will is going to train her to do some tricks that night. Will suggests that George come to stay for the night. He can explain that George needs to get used to not seeing Holly most days.

Matt and Lilian are trying to find somewhere to hang Jack's gypsy girl painting. Lilian muses how such a lovely man could have such awful taste. Pat arrives unexpectedly. She'd like a chat about Peggy's plans.

Everyone was stunned by Peggy's decision and Lilian admits to being disappointed. Pat suggests they all go to see Peggy and ask her to reconsider but Lilian won't hear of it. Pat and Tony should enjoy what Lilian sees as their good fortune. She doesn't realise how unhappy Pat is about it.


WED 19:15 Front Row (b03q9w0s)
Simon Russell Beale; Lucy Hughes-Hallett

With Mark Lawson.

Simon Russell Beale is playing King Lear at the National Theatre, in a new production directed by Sam Mendes. Last night one of the actors lost his voice, prompting Mendes to apologise and bring on the understudy. Simon Russell Beale discusses his approach to the challenging role and what happened behind the scenes last night.

Costa biography prize-winner Lucy Hughes-Hallett talks about The Pike, her biography of the Italian poet and daredevil Gabriele D'Annunzio, which also won the 2013 Samuel Johnson prize for non-fiction.

Quentin Tarantino has announced that he is dropping his new film Hateful Eight, a follow-up to Django Unchained, after the script was leaked. Film critic Mark Eccleston discusses some of the more extreme examples of script security and why film-makers are so keen to keep their scripts secret.

Producer: Timothy Prosser.


WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b03q96c5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


WED 20:00 Bringing Up Britain (b03q9w0v)
Series 7

Sibling Rivalry

From Cain and Abel to today, Mariella Frostrup and guests explore sibling rivalry, how parents should deal with it and whether it can be ended.

Recent reports suggest sibling rivalry can have an even more sinister impact - what starts out as simple bickering can become sibling bullying with traumatic and long-lasting effects.

Joining Mariella to discuss the issues are Professor Juliet Mitchell from Jesus College Cambridge, a literature scholar and an expert in the field of psychoanalysis, who's currently working on a book about siblings in Shakespeare.

Professor Dieter Wolke from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick , who's been researching sibling relationships for many years. He is shortly to publish work on sibling bullying.

Karen Doherty, co-author of the parent's guide Sibling Rivalry, Seven Simple Solutions,

And Tim Lott, a journalist on the Guardian's Family section and writer whose book "Under the Same Stars" was based on his often fraught relationship with his older brother.

Producer: Emma Kingsley.


WED 20:45 Four Thought (b03qg8bk)
Series 4

Emile Simpson

Former soldier Emile Simpson draws on his experience in Afghanistan to argue that we need to rethink the way we fight wars now the boundary with politics has been blurred.

Four Thought is a series of thought-provoking talks in which the speakers tell personal stories that give rise to their thinking on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect culture and society.

Presenter: David Baddiel
Producer: Sheila Cook.


WED 21:00 Beauty and the Brain (b03qb093)
Dr Tiffany Jenkins asks what our brains can tell us about art. Can there ever be a recipe for beauty? Or are the great works beyond the powers of neuroscience?

She talks to Professor Semir Zeki of University College London, the first person to coin the term, neuroaesthetics, about what happens in the brain when people in a scanner see paintings or hear music.

Professor Gabi Starr at New York University tells Tiffany Jenkins why she thinks there are parts of the brain that light up when we like an art work.

Tiffany visits Christie's auction house to explore whether the best art always commands the best prices.

She also talks to Martin Kemp, Emeritus Professor of Art History at Oxford University, about our different responses to authentic paintings and to fakes.

And Tiffany discusses with art critic J J Charlesworth why neuroscience is having an influence in some areas of art appreciation.


WED 21:30 Midweek (b03q96c1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


WED 21:58 Weather (b03q4jmw)
The latest weather forecast.


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b03qb095)
Ukraine protest violence flares, bitter start to Syria talks, unemployment drops but minister warns on productivity, with Carolyn Quinn.


WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b03qb097)
Dissident Gardens

Episode 3

By Jonathan Lethem

A Twentieth Century American epic by prize-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem, applying his sharp, funny and perfectly crafted prose to an alternative history of America which puts a woman at its heart - a Jewish, Communist woman, a single mother, a second generation immigrant deeply involved in the civil rights movement.

In 1955 Rose Zimmer is kicked out of the American Communist party for her affair with a black policeman. Her ire and her radicalism, her incendiary disappointment in the Twentieth Century, prove inescapable for the generations that come after her - her idealistic hippy daughter Miriam, black stepson Cicero and her lost grandson Sergius.

Episode 3: Miriam sneaks a boy home and ignites a life changing row. Single mother Rose and teenage Miriam are caught in a dramatically escalating argument with consequences that spool out into both of their lives.

Read by Laurel Lefkow
Abridged by Elizabeth Reeder
Produced by Allegra McIlroy.


WED 23:00 Tim Key's Late Night Poetry Programme (b03qf2rn)
Series 2

Medicine

Tim Key grapples with the concept of medicine by telling poems.

He also attempts to cure his guitarist, Tom Basden, of an ailment.

Written and presented by Tim Key.

With Tom Basden.

Producer: James Robinson.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2014.


WED 23:15 iGod (b00wwc1r)
Robot

iGOD is a highly original and funny new late-night comedy series for Radio 4. It stars Simon Day (The Fast Show) and David Soul (Starsky & Hutch) and is written by one of the head writers of the BAFTA award-winning The Thick Of It, Sean Gray and produced by Simon Nicholls (Ed Reardon's Week / News At Bedtime).

We all worry about the end of the world, as economists and environmentalists speak in apocalyptic terms everyday. iGOD says that trying to predict the end of the world is as pointless as moisturising an elephant's elbow.

In each episode, an unnamed, all-seeing narrator (David Soul - Starsky and Hutch) shows us that it is stupid to be worrying, as he looks back at some of the most entertaining apocalypses on parallel Earths. Each week our case study is a normal bloke called Ian (Simon Day) who manages to accidentally initiate the apocalypse of a different parallel world through a seemingly harmless single act (telling a lie, being lazy, cooking some lambshanks). A succession of comic vignettes ensue that escalate to the end of a parallel world.

With a full-range of sound effects and wonderfully funny and surreal twists, iGOD will be a true aural extravaganza.

Writer: Sean Gray

Producer: Simon Nicholls

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b03qf3mb)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster.



THURSDAY 23 JANUARY 2014

THU 00:00 Midnight News (b03q4jnx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b03ktz05)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jnz)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03q4jp1)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jp3)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 05:30 News Briefing (b03q4jp5)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b03qf7qq)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Revd Richard Frazer, Minister of Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (b03qf7qs)
This week academics, beekeepers and environmentalists are holding a bee health summit in London to examine the latest research and try to reach an agreement on how to deal with declining populations. Meanwhile, leading figures from the farming and agri-chemical industries have held their own summit at NFU headquarters in Warwickshire to discuss pesticide regulation. The two summits come after one of the biggest battles of 2013 - the decision to ban neonicotinoid pesticides. It divided farmers, who use the seed treatment on crops such as oilseed rape, and conservationists, who believe the chemicals have contributed to a decline in the number of bees. Charlotte Smith asks both sides of debate whether they are talking to each other, and how meaningful consensus will be achieved.

Sarah Swadling reports from the slopes of the Tamar Valley in Cornwall and meets an organic beef farmer who looks after the microbes in his soil as much as his cattle.

And Jules Benham is at LAMMA, the UK's largest farm machinery show in Peterborough, where she hears from farmers in a spending mood.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced in Bristol by Anna Jones.


THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03mzv60)
Moorhen

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

Chris Packham presents the story of the Moorhen. Almost anywhere there's freshwater you might hear or see a moorhen. They're easy to identify from their red and yellow bill, red shield on the forehead and green-ish yellow legs with a red patch that looks like a garter.


THU 06:00 Today (b03qf7qv)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (b03qf7qx)
Sources of Early Chinese History

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the sources for early Chinese history. The first attempts to make a record of historical events in China date from the Shang dynasty of the second millennium BC. The earliest surviving records were inscribed on bones or tortoise shells; in later centuries, chroniclers left detailed accounts on paper or silk. In the last hundred years, archaeologists have discovered a wealth of new materials, including a cache of previously unknown texts which were found in a sealed cave on the edge of the Gobi Desert. Such sources are are shedding new light on Chinese history, although interpreting ancient sources from the period before the invention of printing presents a number of challenges.

With:

Roel Sterckx
Joseph Needham Professor of Chinese History at the University of Cambridge

Tim Barrett
Professor of East Asian History at SOAS, University of London

Hilde de Weerdt
Professor of Chinese History at Leiden University

Producer: Thomas Morris.


THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b03kv1dq)
Gold: The Race for the World's Most Seductive Metal

Episode 4

From the Pizzaro brothers, who pillaged Peru for Inca gold in the 16th century, to the modern-day Mponeng mine in South Africa, the deepest in the world, where the ghost miners illegally siphon off millions - the pursuit of gold has led to wars, insurrections, betrayals and bloodshed.

Matthew Hart charts a course through history and across continents to tell the story of the world's most coveted metal. Part history, part journalism and part economic analysis, Gold tells the story of a human obsession that shows no sign of abating.

In 2008, when the financial crisis rattled economies, investors inevitably resorted to the perceived safety of gold – and its price escalated from $800 to $1900 an ounce. This, in turn, accelerated the exploration for yet more gold.

Matthew Hart is a journalist, whose work has appeared in The Times, Granta, The Atlantic Monthly and The Globe and Mail. He has written two IMAX films, numerous TV documentaries, and appeared on CNN, Sixty Minutes and the National Geographic channel. His previous books include Diamond: The History Of A Cold-Blooded Love Affair, which was filmed as a documentary by ABC.

Abridged by Pete Nichols

Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b03qf7qz)
Angelique Kidjo; Child marriage

African singer-songwriter and activist Angelique Kidjo talks to Jenni about her upbringing in Benin, human rights campaigning and her commitment to helping African women and girls fulfil their potential.

Twitter abuse, is the current law adequate for dealing with internet trolls?

What makes someone share the details of their life-threatening illness online? Jane talks to two women who blog about their cancer treatment: Kate Granger and Sadie Nine.

And ahead of Radio 4's documentary Mad About the Boy, we discuss the phenomenon of the female fan with broadcaster Ruth Barnes and psychologist Jo Hemmings. What lies behind the image of 'screaming crazy obsessives'?

Presenter: Jane Garvey
Producer: Steven Williams
Output Editor: Alice Feinstein.


THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b03qf7r1)
November Dead List: Series 1

Episode 4

By Nick Perry.

Nicola Walker stars as a detective in our gritty new crime drama.

Each Roman Catholic parish compiles a Book of the Dead from the lists of departed loved ones submitted by parishioners. Printed on the front of the envelopes are three words: November Dead List. In our drama, a young priest opens one such envelope and discovers - not a list of the dead but a list of people he knows to be alive, and members of his congregation. At first he thinks it's someone's idea of a joke. Then the people named start turning up dead.

Director: Sasha Yevtushenko.


THU 11:00 From Our Own Correspondent (b03qf7r3)
As athletes turn up to the winter Olympic games, what might they find? The Thai fishing industry is accused of using slave labour; Syrians can only look across the border from Turkey at their old homes and hope to return one day; an Italian priest takes on militia groups in the Central African Republic to save Muslims and Christians alike; and we hear of one of Britain's worst military defeats which is still a source of great pride for Zulus.

Kate Adie introduces these reports from around the world.


THU 11:30 Trollope (b03qf7r5)
This is the story of Anthony Trollope, an (apparently) utterly English and conservative writer, whose life cuts against what Barchester readers might expect of him. This was a man raised by high born parents who had lost their money, who was bullied in his teens, who joined the Post Office and took an assignment in Ireland to escape professional and financial difficulties. He took to the Irish people so much that the English literati accused him of 'going native', yet he became one of our best loved novelists. He wrote over 50 books, insisted that he only wrote for money, and penned many of them on trains en route to inspect rural post offices. What kind of a man was he? And why does his work still resonate so strongly for readers across the English-speaking world. Is it, as WH Auden said, because he's one of the only English novelists truly to understand money and work? Presented by the poet Michael Symmons Roberts - who has been adapting Trollope's novels for Radio 4.

The Voice of Trollope: Hamilton Berstock
Producer: Faith Lawrence.


THU 12:00 You and Yours (b03qflhc)
Green Deal

The Green Deal is a year old but has it created more energy efficient homes? Latest figures show the take up has not reached the target the government set themselves.

From the nineteenth century to the twenty first - how the wool mills of West Yorkshire are weaving their way back into action.

Would you foster an elderly person? Why councils are looking to recruit carers to alleviate loneliness.

And should you pay to check whether your home is in the right council tax band. We'll be speaking to a company that charges for something you can do yourself for free.


THU 12:57 Weather (b03q4jp7)
The latest weather forecast.


THU 13:00 World at One (b03q4jp9)
National and international news. Listeners can share their views via email: wato@bbc.co.uk or on twitter: #wato.


THU 13:45 Acts of Union and Disunion (b03qflhf)
Constitutions

On September 18th this year, the voters of Scotland will decide in a referendum whether they want their nation henceforth to be independent of the United Kingdom, or remain within the union that has bound Britain together since the Act of Union of 1707.

In "Acts of Union and Disunion", Linda Colley, Professor of History at the University of Princeton, examines the forces that bind together the diverse peoples, customs and loyalties of the United Kingdom. And the often equally powerful movements that from time to time across the centuries threaten to pull Britain apart.

Programme 14: Constitutions

"The absence of a British written constitution has become so familiar that it is easily taken for granted, or treated as a subject for self-congratulation or (increasingly) for mockery. Yet, how did this now eccentric situation come about, and what does it tell us about identities and civic belonging in these islands?"

Producer: Simon Elmes.


THU 14:00 The Archers (b03q9w0q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama (b03qflhh)
Demon Brother

Episode 2

By Matthew Broughton

When Eddie finds out he has an identical twin brother, Jasper, he sees an opportunity to escape his seedy life of petty crime. He decides to steal Jasper's life. But as Eddie begins to fall in love with Jasper's wife, Caitlin, he discovers a side of himself he never knew existed.

A dark thriller in two parts that reflect each other: The first tells Jasper's story. The second tells Eddie's.

Demon Brother is a story about identity, sex and death. Shaun Dingwall (New Tricks, Young Victoria, Doctor Who) stars opposite himself as the two brothers, Jasper and Eddie - one good and one very bad. Valene Kane (The Fall) makes her radio debut as Jasper's wife Caitlin. With supporting performances from Vera Filatova (Peep Show) and Kenneth Cranham (Made in Dagenham, Layer Cake, Shine on Harvey Moon).

Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production.


THU 15:00 Open Country (b03qflhk)
Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage

Helen Mark explores the aviation heritage of Lincolnshire, a county criss-crossed with former airfields, and finds out how they are being used today.

She visits Woodhall Spa's airfield, once home to the Dambusters squadron and until recently, a sand and gravel quarry. Bordered by nature reserves, the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust aim to buy the airfield and return it to the heathland it once was, as described by local Victorian naturalist, Joseph Burdett-Davey. Evidence of its past remains in the form of concrete and tarmac runways, lakes which were formed by sand excavation and more surprisingly, alien plants that arrived on the kit of the Australian and New Zealand air-crews who worked here in the 1940s.

Helen meets Dora Garner who lived on the edge of the airfield in 1942. She recalls playing on the planes, writing messages on bombs in chalk, and one morning discovering the nose of a Lancaster bomber three yards from the bedroom window, after it slipped its moorings in the night.

Open Country takes a trip to the Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby to meet Harold Panton and his family. Harold and his brother Fred built a chicken farm on the old runway there, which now sits side-by-side with their privately owned museum. It's the only place in the country where you can still take a taxy-ride in a Lancaster Bomber.

Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery.


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b03q51p7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:55 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Open Book (b03q59sv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]


THU 16:00 The Film Programme (b03qflhm)
Meryl Streep; Oscar Isaac; Sundance festival; National Trust film locations

Francine Stock talks to Meryl Streep about her role as vicious matriarch in August: Osage County, based on a widely-praised play by Tracy Letts. Streep has picked up a record 18th Oscar nomination for the part, starring alongside Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor and Juliette Lewis. The plot follows a family gathering to bury the head of the family after his suicide. Meryl describes how she revels in the freedom of playing a character without limits and discusses her next project Into the Woods, which has been filming in Richmond Park, London.

The National Trust provides a surprisingly diverse range of film locations from elf cottages to Russian love nests. Film Unit Manager Harvey Edgington shows us around, including Ham House which has featured in Anna Karenina and A Little Chaos.

Plus Oscar Isaac on playing a failing folk musician in the latest offering from the Coen Brothers, Inside Llewyn Davis. He explains why it was so important to play the music live himself and why it's never fun working with cats..

The critic Catherine Bray picks up on the highlights of the Sundance Festival which aims to promote the best of independent film making. She praises Frank, starring Michael Fassbender, The Trip to Italy the new outing from Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan as well as Skeleton Twins, starring Kristen Wiig.


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (b03qflhp)
Higgs Boson; Neutrinos; Antarctic echo locator; Rainforest fungi; Alabama rot

The Higgs boson has been discovered, providing the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle for the Standard Model of particle physics, a description of how the universe works. But what physicists haven't found yet, which they should have, are supersymmetry or SUSY particles. Roland Pease attended a recent meeting of top physicists, and shares with Adam Rutherford the latest discussions about where to look next.

The history of neutrinos is littered with interesting characters. It was Wolfgang Pauli who first suggested their existence. Pauli was so unsettled by his proposal that he bet a case of champagne against anyone being able to discover these "pathologically shy" particles. Since then, scientists have built ever more elaborate experiments to try and detect these particles. Ray Jayawardhana, Professor of Astrophysics and author of a new book "The Neutrino Hunters" explains more about the most abundant particle in the universe.

This week's Show Us Your Instrument is a tool used to help scientists measure the glaciers in the Antarctic. Julian Dowdeswell, a glaciologist from the University of Cambridge, uses an echo-locator to look at the dynamics of large ice masses and their response to climate change.

Fungi, not viewed favourably by gardeners, can be good for rainforest biodiversity. Dr Owen Lewis from Oxford University tells Melissa Hogenboom that plots sprayed with fungicide soon become dominated by a few species at the expense of many others, leading to a marked drop in diversity.

A mysterious illness killing dogs has been in the headlines this week. David Walker a veterinary specialist, says that although it's not clear what's causing the disease, people should not panic.


THU 17:00 PM (b03qflhr)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03q4jpc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 18:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b015brnj)
Series 1

Episode 3

John Finnemore, writer and star of Cabin Pressure, regular guest on The Now Show and popper-up in things like Miranda and That Mitchell and Webb Look returns with half an hour of his own sketches, each funnier than the last. Although, hang on, that system means starting the whole series with the least funny sketch. Might need to rethink that. OK, it's a new show filled with sketches written and performed by John Finnemore, but now no longer arranged in strict order of funniness. Also, he's cut the sketch that would have gone first.

In this third edition, the show visits some documentary-makers, has a big debate, and then treats itself to a little trophy.

John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme is written by and stars John Finnemore. It also features Carrie Quinlan (The News Quiz, The Late Edition), Lawry Lewin (The Life & Times of Vivienne Vyle, Horrible Histories) and Simon Kane (Six Impossible Things).

Producer: Ed Morrish.


THU 19:00 The Archers (b03qflht)
Lynda and Robert are out bird watching. They meet Jim and discuss Jill and the robbery. It's lucky she's such a tough character. Lynda' s excited by the Lives of World War One project. Something interesting has turned up relating to an uncle of Phil Archer.

Jim thinks he has seen something unusual - a jack snipe. He's keen to report it as a first for the reserve, although Robert isn't convinced. As the bird takes flight, it's apparent that it's a regular snipe. Jim makes out that he knew that all along, to Lynda's indignation.

Tom apologises to Tony for not seeing things his way regarding Peggy's intentions. Tom had assumed that Tony and Pat were happy to see money coming to the farm. Tony's heartened for a moment, until Tom talks grandly about his plans for expansion and to look after Tony and Pat in their retirement.

Emma has seen Tracy who has no idea that Susan has won any money. Ed goes with Emma to collect George from Greenwood Cottage, but Emma's annoyed when Ed makes a fuss about wanting to see Holly. Ed wants George to realise he's not a monster. He just wants his boy back.


THU 19:15 Front Row (b03qflhw)
Sir Kenneth Branagh; Michael Symmons Roberts; Sensing Spaces

With Mark Lawson

Sir Kenneth Branagh talks about his latest film: the return of Tom Clancy's iconic creation, Jack Ryan. In Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, the CIA analyst is up against a ruthless Russian oligarch, played by Branagh - who also directed the thriller. He discusses the parallels between directing multi-million dollar action films and stage-productions of Shakespeare, and the influence of Laurence Olivier.

Costa poetry prize winner Michael Symmons Roberts discusses his latest collection, Drysalter. The book is his sixth collection of poetry, consisting of 150 poems, each one fifteen lines long. He explains why it was helpful to have formal constraints to hold the poems together, and the social uses of poetry.

The main galleries of the Royal Academy have been transformed by its latest exhibition, Sensing Spaces, in which seven architectural practices from around the world have been commissioned to allow visitors to engage with structures, perspectives, sounds, textures - even scents. Mark visits the exhibition, together with author and critic Rachel Cooke.

Producer: Gabriella Meade.


THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b03qf7r1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


THU 20:00 The Report (b03qflhy)
Oakwood Prison

Following the recent riot at Britain's largest prison, in which around 20 prisoners caused damage to cells and prison property, Hannah Barnes investigates what caused it.

Oakwood has faced a troubled history since it opened in April 2012, with several rooftop protests and a number of damning reports into its operation to contend with. The Report speaks to those who have spent time at the prison, both as inmates and staff, and asks why there have been so many challenges in less than two years.

The programme explores the changes taking place across the prison estate, and examines whether the most recent incident at HMP Oakwood is a sign of wider problems facing the UK prison estate.


THU 20:30 In Business (b03qflj0)
Peter Day travels to Cork in Ireland to find out what life is really like in a country just recently released from the constraints of an EU bailout.


THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (b03qflhp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 today]


THU 21:30 In Our Time (b03qf7qx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


THU 21:58 Weather (b03q4jpf)
The latest weather forecast.


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b03qflj2)
Northern Ireland special

Northern Ireland special: how much has changed since the Good Friday Agreement? Presented by David Eades from Titanic Centre in Belfast docks; he also reports from Derry/Londonderry and speaks to Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein + DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson.


THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b03qflj4)
Dissident Gardens

Episode 4

By Jonathan Lethem

A Twentieth Century American epic by prize-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem, applying his sharp, funny and perfectly crafted prose to an alternative history of America which puts a woman at its heart - a Jewish, Communist woman, a single mother, a second generation immigrant deeply involved in the civil rights movement.

In 1955 Rose Zimmer is kicked out of the American Communist party for her affair with a black policeman. Her ire and her radicalism, her incendiary disappointment in the Twentieth Century, prove inescapable for the generations that come after her - her idealistic hippy daughter Miriam, black stepson Cicero and her lost grandson Sergius.

Episode 4: Miriam takes teenage Cicero under her wing. Years later he meets her adult son Sergius.
Read by Laurel Lefkow

Abridged by Elizabeth Reeder

Produced by Allegra McIlroy.


THU 23:00 Brian Gulliver's Travels (b00yyc83)
Series 1

Juradia

by Bill Dare

Brian Gulliver, a seasoned presenter of travel documentaries, finds himself in a hospital's secure unit after claiming to have had a number of bizarre adventures.

This week we hear about his travels in Juradia, a country where every other person is a lawyer.

Produced by Steven Canny

Brian Gulliver's Travels is a new satirical adventure story from Bill Dare. The series has attracted an excellent cast led by Neil Pearson and award winning star of the RSC's current season, Mariah Gale. Cast includes fantastic actors Tamsin Greig, John Standing, Paul Bhattacharjee, Christopher Douglas, Catherine Shepherd, Vicky Pepperdine, Phil Cornwell, Antonia Campbell Hughes, Jo Bobin and Katherine Jakeways.

For years Bill Dare wanted to create a satire about different worlds exploring Kipling's idea that we travel, 'not just to explore civilizations, but to better understand our own'. But science fiction and space ships never interested him, so he put the idea on ice. Then Brian Gulliver arrived and meant that our hero could be lost in a fictional world without the need for any sci-fi.

Satirical targets over the series: the medical profession and its need to pathologize everything; the effect of marriage on children; spirituality and pseudo-science; compensation culture; sexism; the affect of our obsession with fame.

Gulliver's Travels is the only book Bill Dare read at university. His father, Peter Jones, narrated a similarly peripatetic radio series: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b03qflj6)
The Government announces that around 1,500 personnel are to lose their jobs in the armed forces' fourth and final round of redundancies as part of defence cut.

Labour MPs demand the release of papers relating an industrial dispute over 40 years ago which led to pickets being jailed.

Ministers say they will investigate claims that some of Britain's top employment agencies have been mis-selling insurance to thousands of workers.

And there are calls in the House of Lords for the continued funding of a taskforce that has been instrumental in cutting metal thefts.

Alicia McCarthy and team report on today's events in Parliament.



FRIDAY 24 JANUARY 2014

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b03q4jqc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b03kv1dq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jqf)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b03q4jqh)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b03q4jqk)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b03q4jqm)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b03qflzj)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Revd Richard Frazer, Minister of Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b03qflzl)
Fat cows, soil, and badger cull

British cows have become too fat, according to experts at Scotland's rural college. Their research suggests that thanks to a good grass-growing season, combined with top quality silage and hay, some cattle ate too much last year. If farmers don't get the diet of their cows right, the scientists say the larger size of some animals could cause complications, particularly when calving.

New figures obtained by the wildlife charity Care for the Wild suggest that only a quarter of the total number of badgers in the two pilot cull areas were killed using the free shooting method.

However, Defra say that the figures, obtained by a freedom of information request, are misleading maths and that over half of the total number of badgers culled in Gloucestershire and Somerset last year were dispatched using free shooting with the rest being culled by cage trapping.

The formal independent report into the two pilot badger culls is still to be published. However the NFU are concerned that delaying the roll out of the badger cull in 2014 could mean it may not happen at all this year.

And we hear from the New Zealand academic who says we need more formal policies in order to protect our soils, and we find out about the latest soil-friendly crop cultivation technology at the LAMMA 2014 machinery show.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Jules Benham.


FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03mzv6d)
Merlin

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

Chris Packham presents the story of the merlin. These diminutive falcons nest in deep heather on moorland, mainly in the north and west. In winter they also hunt over open country, hillsides and coastal marshes. The male merlin or jack is our smallest falcon, about the size of a mistle thrush.


FRI 06:00 Today (b03qflzn)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b03q56ks)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Sunday]


FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b03kv6kz)
Gold: The Race for the World's Most Seductive Metal

Episode 5

From the Pizzaro brothers, who pillaged Peru for Inca gold in the 16th century, to the modern-day Mponeng mine in South Africa, the deepest in the world, where the ghost miners illegally siphon off millions - the pursuit of gold has led to wars, insurrections, betrayals and bloodshed.

Matthew Hart charts a course through history and across continents to tell the story of the world's most coveted metal. Part history, part journalism and part economic analysis, Gold tells the story of a human obsession that shows no sign of abating.

In 2008, when the financial crisis rattled economies, investors inevitably resorted to the perceived safety of gold – and its price escalated from $800 to $1900 an ounce. This, in turn, accelerated the exploration for yet more gold.

Matthew Hart is a journalist, whose work has appeared in The Times, Granta, The Atlantic Monthly and The Globe and Mail. He has written two IMAX films, numerous TV documentaries, and appeared on CNN, Sixty Minutes and the National Geographic channel. His previous books include Diamond: The History Of A Cold-Blooded Love Affair, which was filmed as a documentary by ABC.

Abridged by Pete Nichols

Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b03qflzz)
Edith Cavell; Part-time working men; Women and blindness; Children's Emergency Rescue

Sheila McClennon is joined by neonatal consultant Dr Hazel Talbot and Lisa, the mother of Chance, a 14-year-old boy who urgently needs a heart transplant. Both are featured in a new series for BBC2, Children's Emergency Rescue, narrated by Fiona Bruce and made by BBC Yorkshire.

Sheila asks whether more part time men could be the key to unlocking women's potential in the workplace and talks to Professor Tom Schuller about his theory, 'The Paula Principle', of why women aren't fulfilling their potential in the workplace, and why there needs to be a transformation of attitudes to part-time working if women are to get ahead.

There is a new online petition to have Edith Cavell's image on a limited edition £2 marking the centenary of WW1, Cavell's biographer discusses her life.

And escaping the perceptions of, and stereotypes around, blindness, isn't it harder women than it is for men?

Presenter: Sheila McClennon
Producer: Rozina Breen
Editor: Nicola Swords.


FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b03qflzq)
November Dead List: Series 1

Episode 5

By Nick Perry.

Nicola Walker stars as a detective in our gritty new crime drama.

Each Roman Catholic parish compiles a Book of the Dead from the lists of departed loved ones submitted by parishioners. Printed on the front of the envelopes are three words: November Dead List. In our drama, a young priest opens one such envelope and discovers - not a list of the dead but a list of people he knows to be alive, and members of his congregation. At first he thinks it's someone's idea of a joke. Then the people named start turning up dead.

Director: Sasha Yevtushenko.


FRI 11:00 Germany's New Children (b03qfzgd)
Southern Europeans are moving to Germany in large numbers. Because of the German economic boom but also because of Germany's low birth rate. John Laurenson explores the flaw at the heart of the German economic miracle.

With its labour force likely to decline by 6.5 million people by 2025, huge numbers of people are moving to Germany. Net migration is running at 400,000 people a year, many of them are fleeing the struggling, unemployment-ridden economies of Italy, Spain and Greece.

But there's a deeper reason behind this extraordinary, sudden demographic shift at the heart of Europe than Germany's new 'economic miracle': the Fatherland can make the euros but it can't make the babies.

Demographic crisis has been creeping up on Germany for years. It has been called "the most important political and social challenge in the coming decades for Germany".

At 1.39 children per woman, Germany has one of the lowest birth rates in the world. Much worse, it has been like this since the early 70s.

Now, with its industry in acute need of new manpower, the population has started to shrink.

John explores the reasons Germans have been failing to reproduce and looks at the government's efforts that have so far failed to reverse the trend.

Business leaders and some politicians say the current high-level of immigration into their country is a God-send for Germany but are Germans really ready to accept the changes that huge scale immigration might bring?

Presenter/ John Laurenson
Producer/ Richard McIlroy for the BBC.


FRI 11:30 Ayres on the Air (b03qfzgg)
Series 5

Horses

Pam Ayres presents poems, stories and sketches about a subject close to her heart: Horses.

Pam recalls going to the races as a little girl and ponders the significance of leg positioning in statues of horses.
Plus an intriguing story of being flattered by a stranger's attentions at the Badminton Horse Trials.

With:
Felicity Montagu
Geoffrey Whitehead as Pam's long-suffering husband 'Gordon'.

Poems include: The Racehorse Fred, The Stuffed Horse & Dreaming of Fresh Fields.

Sketch writers: James Bugg, Jan Etherington, Grainne McGuire, Andy Wolton and Tom Neenan.

Producer: Claire Jones.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2014.


FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b03qfzgj)
Superfast broadband

There are downsides to living in the city but poor communications shouldn't be one of them. So why are some people unable to connect to superfast broadband when their neighbours have it?

After horsemeat burgers, we find out what the supermarkets are doing to try to head off the next food scandal.

And fitting a black box in your car can bring down the cost of your motor insurance. But does it make you a better driver?

Presented by Peter White
Produced by Natalie Donovan.


FRI 12:57 Weather (b03q4jqp)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 13:00 World at One (b03q4jqr)
Ministers announce new measures which they say will limit the size and duration of government IT contracts after failures which have cost the taxpayer billions.The chief Inspector of Borders , John Vine condemns laxities at Stansted Airport which have created a 'light' regime on narcotics possession. UN Under Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, Baroness Amos tells presenter, Shaun Ley why talks in Geneva must succeed if relief is to reach millions in Syria.Are GM crops with fish genes progress or a diversion from sustainable resource management?And a British astronaut prepares to relaunch Man in space.


FRI 13:45 Acts of Union and Disunion (b03qfzgl)
Pasts and Futures

On September 18th this year, the voters of Scotland will decide in a referendum whether they want their nation henceforth to be independent of the United Kingdom, or remain within the union that has bound Britain together since the Act of Union of 1707.

In "Acts of Union and Disunion", Linda Colley, Professor of History at the University of Princeton, examines the forces that bind together the diverse peoples, customs and loyalties of the United Kingdom. And the often equally powerful movements that from time to time across the centuries threaten to pull Britain apart.

Programme 15: Pasts And Futures

"As a historian, I do not believe that major developments and events in the future can be pre-ordained, or are somehow inevitable. The past matters. But, in regard to countries and peoples, the past contains the seeds of many possible futures. As far as the United Kingdom is concerned, fragmentation on the one hand and the maintenance of the status quo on the other, are not the only outcomes that may be available in prospect..."

Producer: Simon Elmes.


FRI 14:00 The Archers (b03qflht)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Drama (b03qfzgn)
Ian Curteis - The Road to Yalta

February 1945. Hitler's exhausted armies are in full retreat before the triumphant advance of American and British troops from the West, and Russians from the East. It becomes imperative that Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin meet face-to-face, to decide the future shape of Europe. They meet at the tiny Russian resort of Yalta, each ready to play their hand in a high-speed game of poker, and each relying on their diplomatic and intelligence communities to deal them the winning hand.

Meanwhile, in Ian Curteis' drama, loosely based on real events, diplomats at the British Embassy in Washington are discussing their high-flying First Minister - an impeccably-connected young man called Donald Maclean.

Directed by Jonquil Panting.


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b03qfzgq)
Correspondence at Sparsholt

Peter Gibbs hosts from the GQT potting shed at Sparsholt College as Chris Beardshaw, Bob Flowerdew and Pippa Greenwood tackle listeners' questions sent in by post, email and social media.

Matthew Wilson goes to meet the original gorilla gardener, Richard Reynolds, to explore an urban forest in the depths of a London council estate.

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

This week's questions:

Q. I have a large, noticeable dip in my garden, which often floods after heavy rainfall. It does drain but as it is clay soil it is a very slow process. I have been told I should fill it in, could the panel suggest plants to use to make a feature of this area?

A. Hostas and Astilbe would grow well in both damp and boggy areas. Marsh Marigolds and Bog Irises are also recommended in wetter areas. Blackcurrant plants are resistant to water logging.

Q. Could the panel suggest plants that would thrive on the Hampshire Downs under the shade of large conifers and would be relatively easy to maintain?

A. Native Bluebells may work - however, there is a possibility the soil may be too dry in a dry, shaded environment. Another more unusual suggestion would be Paris Quadrifolia which has a small central flower and will spread naturally. Daphne Laureola, an evergreen with a scented small flower, cyclamen and wooden Anemones should also grow well.

Q. Why does some Ivy flower and not others?

A. As a young plant Ivy is in what is known as a 'juvenile state', during which it is full of vigour and energy and upward ascendancy. Whilst in this youthful state the plant will not flower. However once the Ivy reaches the point of maturity (which usually means it has run out of enthusiasm or support to continue growing) it will engage in a different mode of growth habit, the leaves will get larger and flowers should grow.

Q. Do the panel have any suggestions for a brown, carbon-rich material to use in my compost heap now that newspapers are read online?

A. Office waste would be a good substitute. Baled straw or sawdust would also work. Cardboard boxes would be great because worms love the glue. Consider adjusting the compost content by putting on dry deciduous foliage. Hay crop would also be a great natural option.

Q. Could the panel suggest a tree to replace a Norway Spruce in our southwest facing and exposed garden, 800ft (250m) up on the south edge of the Derbyshire Peak District? We would love a fruit tree.

A. Damson should be able to take on the conditions the location presents. It may not fruit for several years due to wind and frost, but when it does it could be a good crop. Plus, you get the spring blossom and Damsons tend to hang on until the autumn unlike plums. Another suggestion would be to try one of the Amalancier trees because they are wind resistant and have a large spring display of blossom. Finally Malus and Prunus are worth considering, particularly the Malus Tschonoskii, which is not a fruiting form but you will get early season flowers and great autumn colours. For something narrower try the Prunus Hillieri Spire or a Grayswood Ghost Birch. Or if you would like to grow from seed try the Hunza Apricot.


FRI 15:45 The Time Being (b03qfzgs)
Series 7

Closer, by CD Rose

4 Extra Debut. The Time Being provides a showcase for new voices, none of whom have been previously broadcast.

Previous series have brought new talent to a wider audience and provided a stepping stone for writers who have since gone on to enjoy further success both on radio and in print, such as Tania Hershman, Heidi Amsinck, Sally Hinchcliffe and Joe Dunthorne.

Closer by C.D. Rose:
In the 'anni di piombo' (Years of Lead), groups such as Lotta Continua, Prima Linea and Brigate Rosse (Red Brigades) are active, and Italian cities are tense places to be. In Rome 1977, an ordinary young woman seems more than curious about the daily routines of a lawyer and academic.

C.D. Rose has published a trail of short stories over the last ten years. One of them was listed for the Sunday Times/EFG Private Bank short story award, and another for the Bridport Prize. He is the editor of The Biographical Dictionary of Literary Failure, which will be published in autumn 2014. C.D. Rose is currently working on a PhD in the short story at Edge Hill University, lives in Norwich, and makes bread.

Reader: Bryony Hannah

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


FRI 16:00 Last Word (b03qfzgv)
Lord McAlpine, Jocelyn Hay, Amiri Baraka, Sir Christopher Chataway, Claudio Abbado

Matthew Bannister on

Lord McAlpine, the colourful bon viveur who raised millions for the Conservative Party.

Jocelyn Hay, who founded the pressure group Voice of the Listener and Viewer to campaign for high quality public service broadcasting.

Amiri Baraka, the African American poet who was influenced by jazz and blues.

Sir Christopher Chataway, the successful long distance runner who became a government minister.

And the conductor Claudio Abbado, who led some of the world's greatest orchestras.

Producer: Simon Tillotson.


FRI 16:30 More or Less (b03qfzgx)
Counting the contribution of immigrants

Now the initial furore about Romanian and Bulgarian people being allowed to work in the UK has subsided, what does a more detailed look at immigration statistics tell us about the benefits, or otherwise, of welcoming overseas citizens? The picture is mixed, More or Less discovers.

"Today, by the age of 60, more than twice as many women as men are single," according to a recent article in The Guardian. "Older men are often living with younger women, which is why twice as many young men as young women live alone," author Lynne Segal wrote. Can this be right? Charlottle McDonald investigates.

Do two large glasses of wine triple your risk of mouth cancer, as claimed on an NHS leaflet spotted by a sceptical listener? Tim Harford examines the difficulties of extracting smoking from the equation.

Surprising as this may seem, one of the world's best tennis players of all time, Roger Federer, is also the worst ranked player on one scale. The scoring system makes it possible to lose a match despite winning more points, and Federer has lost the highest percentage of these types of games. Tim speaks to sports number-cruncher Ryan Rodenberg about why this might be the case.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Ruth Alexander.


FRI 17:00 PM (b03qfzgz)
Coverage and analysis of the day's news. Including Weather at 5.57pm.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b03q4jqt)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 18:30 The Now Show (b03qfzh1)
Series 42

Episode 3

Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are joined by special guests Lloyd Langford and Grace Petrie for a comic take on the week's news. With Jon Holmes and Laura Shavin.

Written by the cast with additional material from Andy Wolton, Sarah Morgan and Kev Cor. Produced by Colin Anderson.


FRI 19:00 The Archers (b03qfzh3)
Susan has been busy shopping for their exotic holiday. Neil's keen for her to model her new swimsuit . When Jazzer pops round, Neil tries to get rid of him but not before Susan breezes in showing off her outfit. She's mortified and warns Jazzer not to say a word to anyone. Ever hungry, he says cheese on toast will keep him quiet.

Tony has given Jazzer the photo of an old racing car which Peggy gave him. Jazzer hopes to sell it online.

Rob impresses Brian by sorting out a few problems at Berrow Farm. Brian says it's good to see Helen dating someone with common sense for a change.

Pat arrives hoping to see Jennifer. She's cool with Rob. Jennifer isn't in but Brian offers to chat. He admits he has reservations about the way Peggy dealt with Jack's affairs but can see the logic. Aggrieved Pat wonders what kind of message Peggy gave, leapfrogging Tony to Tom and Helen. Brian points out that Peggy is entitled to leave her money wherever she wishes. But Tony is hurt and Pat feels that Peggy is implying she doesn't trust him. She infers that Brian thinks the same. If no-one else can see how unjust Peggy is being, then Pat will have to go and tell her.


FRI 19:15 Front Row (b03qfzh5)
Sunflowers; Chris Riddell

With Kirsty Lang.

Two versions of Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers have been reunited for the first time in more than sixty years. Sunflowers is one of The National Gallery's best-loved paintings and it will be shown alongside another version from the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. Art critic Martin Bailey discusses what seeing the paintings side-by-side tells us about Van Gogh's methods, and why the paintings are so captivating.

In the film, Grudge Match, Hollywood heavyweights Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone star as old boxing rivals who come out of retirement for one final match. Hal Cruttenden, comedian and recent winner of Celebrity Mastermind - with, as his specialist subject, The Rocky Films - reviews.

Author and political cartoonist, Chris Riddell, discusses his gothic novel for eight year olds, Goth Girl: And The Ghost Of A Mouse, which has won the children's category for the Costa Book Awards. Chris Riddell talks about the overlap between the world of Westminster and children's books, and his love of puns and literary references - including the ghost of a mouse who says "call me Ishmael".

Following the publication of Justin Bieber's surprisingly cheerful police mug-shot, Daily Mail columnist Viv Groskop joins Kirsty to assess the art of the celebrity mug-shot.

Theatre director, Max Stafford-Clark, former Artistic Director of The Royal Court, talks about his new book, Journal Of The Plague Year. Described as a 'howl of rage' against the drastic funding cuts to his renowned theatre company, Out Of Joint, the book details Max's correspondence with the Arts Council, and he makes his case to Kirsty for public funding of the arts.

Producer: Rebecca Nicholson.


FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b03qflzq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b03qfzh7)
Michael Fabricant MP, Jill Evans MEP, Lord Steel, Carwyn Jones

Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from the Gwyn Hall in Neath, with the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, Jill Evans Plaid Cymru MEP for Wales, Conservative Vice Chairman for Campaigning, Michael Fabricant MP, and the former leader of the Liberal Party Lord Steel.


FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b03qfzh9)
Self-Drive Manhood

Adam Gopnik hails the development of the self-drive car as the way to rescue his male identity after years as a non driver. He also muses on the need for such cars to have "ethical engines" capable of moral judgements.

Producer: Sheila Cook.


FRI 21:00 Acts of Union and Disunion (b03qfzhc)
Acts of Union and Disunion: Omnibus

Episode 3

On September 18th this year, the voters of Scotland will decide in a referendum whether they want their nation henceforth to be independent of the United Kingdom, or remain within the union that has bound Britain together since the Act of Union of 1707.

In "Acts of Union and Disunion", Linda Colley, Professor of History at the University of Princeton, examines the forces that bind together the diverse peoples, customs and loyalties of the United Kingdom. And the often equally powerful movements that from time to time across the centuries threaten to pull Britain apart.

In tonight's third and final Omnibus Edition, Professor Colley explores Britain's relationships with North America, with Europe, with its far-flung expatriate Britons and its own (unwritten) Constitution. She then posits some possibilities about how the UK may develop in the years following next September's Independence vote in Scotland...

Producer: Simon Elmes.


FRI 21:58 Weather (b03q4jqw)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b03qg7rw)
Bridget Kendall reports from the Syria peace talks in Geneva. A former UN negotiator tells the programme about the difficulties involved in managing discussions such as these. David Campbell Bannerman - the man described by UKIP's leader Nigel Farage as an idiot who wrote a 'drivel' manifesto in 2010 - gives his response to the programme. He says the UKIP leader is a joker. Steve Rosenberg reports from Lviv in western Ukraine, where anti-government protests have spread from the capital, Kiev. And new research suggests a quarter of Americans have not read a book in the past year... the best-selling author Lionel Shriver joins us to talk about the future of reading.

With Philippa Thomas.


FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b03qfzhf)
Dissident Gardens

Episode 5

By Jonathan Lethem

A Twentieth Century American epic by prize-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem, applying his sharp, funny and perfectly crafted prose to an alternative history of America which puts a woman at its heart - a Jewish, Communist woman, a single mother, a second generation immigrant deeply involved in the civil rights movement.

In 1955 Rose Zimmer is kicked out of the American Communist party for her affair with a black policeman. Her ire and her radicalism, her incendiary disappointment in the Twentieth Century, prove inescapable for the generations that come after her - her idealistic hippy daughter Miriam, black stepson Cicero and her lost grandson Sergius.

Episode 5: A reflection on the men who have mattered in Rose Zimmer's life.

Read by Laurel Lefkow
Abridged by Elizabeth Reeder

Produced by Allegra McIlroy.


FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b03q8z43)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]


FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b03qfzhh)
Mark D'Arcy reports from Westminster.