The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
Fraud is costing the UK's food industry £11bn a year according to a report by Professor Lisa Jack of the University of Portsmouth's Business School. She presented her findings to the Food Crime Conference in London yesterday. Anna Hill hears what can be done to reduce food fraud.
One of Britain's biggest wind farm developers says he's giving up applying for new schemes in England, because the Government is making it too difficult. The owner of Ecotricity, Dale Vince, tells Farming Today that he's spent millions of pounds on applications and appeals, only for the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to refuse them. For their part, the Department for Communities and Local Government said the Government had intentionally and transparently changed official planning guidance and appeal rules, to ensure that the issues created by inappropriately-sited wind turbines are better taken into account.
This week on the programme we're looking in depth at how young people train to become farmers, and what opportunities are available to them. Some choose to take up apprenticeships where they not only learn, but earn as well. The EDGE apprenticeship scheme in East Anglia was set up in March 2013 by a large group of partners including County Councils, agricultural colleges and farmer buying groups. We hear that so far it's placed more than 150 apprentice as we meet some of those who started in September at Easton and Otley College.
'Sustainable Intensification' sounds contradictory - but the term tries to describe how farming can increase food production while minimising its effect on the environment. It's the subject of the 'Farming for the Future' conference being held today, by the Institute of Agricultural Management. Among the speakers will be Professor Jude Capper of Washington State University, who is a consultant on sustainable livestock farming. She believes her task is to debunk some of the myths around the environmental impact of meat production.
Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.
Chris Packham presents the superbly camouflaged great snipe of Eastern Europe. A thin drizzle of tinkling notes mingled with rhythmic tapping drifts across a Polish marsh in spring a sign that great male snipes are displaying. Great snipe are wading birds with short legs and very long two-toned bills, which they use to probe bogs and wet ground for worms. Across much of Europe having newly returned from its sub-Saharan wintering grounds a number of northern and eastern European marshes, set stage as breeding sites for the larger, great snipe. They court females at traditional lekking or displaying grounds where several males vie for attention. Perched on a small mound, males gather at sunset to fan their white outer tail feathers, puff out their chests and produce a medley of very un-wader-like calls. The females, looking for a mate, are attracted to the dominant males at the centre of the lek.
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
Libby Purves meets concert pianist Janina Fialkowska; tailor Edward Sexton; Dolores Payas who translated books written by the travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor and voice coach Gary Catona.
Edward Sexton has been designing and making suits for over 40 years. In 1969 he and Tommy Nutter opened Nutters, the first new establishment on Savile Row for 120 years. Nutters' suits for men and women appealed to the celebrities of the day including the Beatles, Mick and Bianca Jagger, Twiggy and Elton John. Edward, who trained as a master cutter, continues to design stylish and sharply tailored suits from his Knightsbridge studio.
Dolores Payás met the late writer and adventurer Patrick Leigh Fermor in 2009 and translated three of his books into Spanish. The two became great friends and in her book Drink Time! Dolores remembers the days they spent together at his house in Greece towards the end of his life. Drink Time! In the Company of Patrick Leigh Fermor by Dolores Payás is published by Bene Factum Publishing.
Janina Fialkowska is an award-winning concert pianist who is regarded as one of the world's foremost interpreters of Chopin. She started to study the piano as a child and her career was launched after she won Arthur Rubinstein's inaugural Master Piano Competition in 1974. In 2002 she was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in her left shoulder which left her unable to move her left limb. She proceeded to learn the concertos and works originally written for the left hand only and transcribed them for her right hand. Her new CD, Chopin Complete Mazurkas, is released on ATMA Classique. She is performing at Wigmore Hall and is touring with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Gary Catona describes himself as a vocal builder. He has worked with a range of performers including Andrea Bocelli, Whitney Houston and Seal. His technique involves working the voice muscles to help build a stronger singing and speaking voice. His new show, the Maestro Presents: The Ultimate Diva, is an online talent show which aims to find and train the next great diva. The Ultimate Diva goes online in 2015.
I was born on May 25, 1938, in the front bedroom of a house in Orton Road, on the outer edges of Raffles, a council estate. I was a lucky girl.'
So began Margaret Forster's journey through the houses she's lived in, from the sparkling new council house, built as part of a utopian vision by Carlisle City Council, to her beloved London house of today, via Oxford, Hampstead and the Lake District. Forster's houses aren't just bricks and mortar, but homes which have all meant something to her and which have all had a profound effect on her - from her writer's 'room of one's own', to the family hub and finally a sanctuary in times of illness. It is also a sideways look at the life of one of the greatest contemporary British novelists.
Listener week day 3: Is there too much pressure to breastfeed? Listeners interview Queen of Slapstick Miranda Hart. Dilemma - how should people without family plan for their old age? What the best and most cost effective way to keep fit over 50? Lawyer turned Country singer Rebecca Bains.
Hassan, Jamil and Samara have taken the hazardous journey across the Syrian border to Idlib with a convoy of lorries loaded with nappies, baby milk and food parcels.
The school where Samara was teaching has been bombed and Hassan has gone AWOL. Jamil is fuming.
Fi Glover introduces a conversation between two volunteers on the historic Talyllyn narrow-gauge steam railway, who compare notes on how working on it benefits them personally.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Leah Marks is a renter from Bristol who likes renting but is coming under pressure from friends, family and partner to buy. She knows that, in the UK, it's getting harder to find your feet on the property ladder. And she also knows that even though the rental market is growing, young people are struggling with high rents, insecure tenancies, and often poor quality housing.
Meanwhile Germany is often held up as a model for renting where, for decades, it's been easy, socially acceptable, and common to rent for often long periods of time. So Leah travels to Berlin, a city with one of the highest proportion of people renting in the country.
There she meets her counterparts and compares the legal, social, psychological, economic and emotional realities of life when you rent, especially when there is very little peer and parental pressure of 'when are you going to buy?'.
When an enormous sinkhole opens up, useless police officers Geoff and Nigel need to do a little more than just "look into it".
Britain's longest serving PCSO (police community support officer) is paired with the laziest in Dave Lamb's sitcom.
Geoff ....... Richie Webb
Nigel ....... Nick Walker
The Guv ....... Sinead Keenan
Nina ....... Pooja Shah
Bernie ....... Chris Emmett
Geoff's Dad. ....... Noddy Holder
Dave Lamb is the voice of Channel 4 TV's Come Dine With Me.
The eighteenth century writer Jeremy Bentham thought that telling right from wrong as simple: morally right things were the ones that increased the total of human happiness. Wrong things were the ones that increased the stock of suffering. His principle is known as utilitarianism.
It sounds rational, but does it do justice to the way we actually think about morality? Some things seem wrong even when, according to utilitarianism, they are right.
Recently, philosophers and psychologists have started to apply experimental methods to moral philosophy. In this programme, neuropsychologist Paul Broks looks at the recent research. Some experimenters, such as Guy Kahane in Oxford, have been putting people in scanners to see which bits of the brain are most active when they struggle with moral dilemmas. Fiery Cushman at Harvard has been getting people to carry out simulated immoral acts (such as asking volunteers to fire a fake gun at the experimenter) to see how they react to unpleasant but essentially harmless tasks. And Mike Koenigs at Wisconsin Madison University has been looking at how psychopathic criminals and people with brain damage deal with moral puzzles. One school of thought now suggests that utilitarianism, far from being the "rational" way to decide right from wrong, is actually most attractive to people who lack the normal empathic responses – people very like Jeremy Bentham, in fact.
This programme is part of a week of programmes looking at the history of ideas around Freedom.
How dementia patients - and their families - are being offered extra support to help deal with cancer.
Fergal Keane on the first stirrings of Islamic fundamentalist violence in Afghanistan. How and why did this remote country earn its reputation as the crucible of global terror?
With journalist Ahmed Rashid; former CIA officer, Milt Bearden; aide to Ahmad Shah Massoud, Massoud Khalili; and South Asia Correspondent of the Guardian and Observer, Jason Burke.
In the early 1960s Wally Funk and Jerrie Cobb were two of thirteen young women pilots who secretly took NASA's gruelling astronaut selection tests. They passed with flying colours, in some cases beating the scores of the men. Anita Sullivan's drama-documentary explores why they were never allowed to go into space.
Narrated by Laurel Lefkow and featuring an interview with astronaut candidate, Wally Funk.
Need financial help or support to care for a relative or friend? Call 03700 100 444 from
Over 6 million people across the UK provide care for a loved one who is disabled, seriously ill or no longer able to look after themselves.
While many people try to maintain a job and a caring role, others have to leave work altogether resulting in financial hardship. The charity Carers UK say that around 6 in 10 carers face debts because of their responsibilities and that carers often miss out on the help they are entitled to.
What are your rights if you want to work flexibly, reduce your hours or begin work again after time off?
Or perhaps you're a small employer whose staff need to combine work and a caring role?
Whatever you need help with, presenter Paul Lewis and guests will be waiting for your call. Joining Paul will be:
Marian Gell, Contact a Family.
Eddy Graham, Carers UK.
on Wednesday or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk now. Standard geographic charges apply. Calls from mobiles may be higher.
Creative Britain: Laurie Taylor explores its rise and fall with the British historian, Robert Hewison, who provides an assessment of the cultural policies of New Labour and the Coalition. Why has culture failed to escape class? Also, a new Sexology exhibition prompts an analysis of the changing field of sex research. Kaye Wellings, Professor of Sexual & Reproductive Health Research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, charts a history involving book burning, scandal and shame.
Sun editor on white van man; The National launches in Scotland; Kenyan Young Journalist; Local TV in Birmingham
Shadow Minister Emily Thornberry resigned last week after posting a picture on Twitter showing a house in Rochester draped in the St. George's flag, and a white van outside. The homeowner Dan Ware, in an exclusive interview with The Sun, branded her 'a snob', and had his own manifesto published in the paper. Steve hears from Lauren Fruen, the graduate trainee who secured the story for the Sun, and editor David Dinsmore about what this story, and the latest expose of David Mellor's exchange with a cab driver, tell us about the newspaper's wider strategy.
Kaleidoscope TV has been awarded the licence to broadcast a new local TV channel for Birmingham. It was originally given to City TV, but the company failed to get it off the ground, and subsequently went into administration. Kaleidoscope TV now has just three months to get the channel to air. Chris Perry, Director of Kaleidoscope explains why he thinks they can make the channel work, when others have failed.
A new daily paper that "supports an independent Scotland" has launched this week. The National, published by Newsquest - which also publishes the Sunday Herald, has already had its print run increased from 60,000 to 100,000 copies. But does it have a long term future as a daily newspaper in Scotland? Steve speaks to its editor Richard Walker.
Kenyan journalist Maurice Oniang'o last night won the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist from the Developing World Award. His winning entry included a story about two child soldiers who provide security for their village from Ethiopian raiders. Steve Hewlett talks to him about sourcing stories from some of the most remote areas of the world.
Paul Sinha looks through all of human history and examines how we came to be where we are.
He starts with something every day, something we all know to be true; he then reveals the quirks of history and the fascinating stories that led up to this point.
Paul kicks off with Football, taking as his starting point the World Cup Final in June 2014.
It was the biggest sporting event on the planet, a billion people watching 25 or so Germans and Argentinians play football in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
How did we end up here? it's a story that takes in 15th-century explorers, the slave trade, mass immigration, industrialisation, and British Army medical tests. Because no-one and nothing exists in a vacuum.
Paul Sinha is an acclaimed stand-up who was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy award for his show Saint or Sinha?. He frequently appears on The News Quiz, The Now Show, and Fighting Talk. He is a resident 'chaser' on the ITV quiz show The Chase with several of his own series on BBC Radio 4.
Lilian has been to visit Tony. She tells Jennifer how hard it is to see him with tubes in his throat but at least the drugs seem to be working. Lilian is worried about Pat who is in a terrible state and still hasn't been able to get in touch with Tom.
David tells Kenton, Elizabeth and Shula about the offer of £7.5m from Damara Capital and their plan to sell. Everyone starts to think about the share they will get. Kenton doesn't care who they sell to, they'll all be rich. David asks his siblings to think about it. But for now it must be kept between themselves.
Jennifer meets Richard Grenville, Carol's son, in Felpersham. Over tea, they chat about Richard's deceased stepfather, John Tregorran. Jennifer was surprised not to see Richard at the funeral but he couldn't face his mother after what she did. Jennifer leaps on this. Does he thinks Carol was in some way involved in John's death? Richard means that it broke his father's heart when Carol left him.
Appalled Lilian teases Jennifer, calling her DI Tennison. Jennifer has been reading too many Miss Marple stories and Lilian says she must leave this alone. But Jennifer is adamant that she will find out what happened. She owes it to John.
Actor Idris Elba discusses his album, mi Mandela, inspired by the experience of portraying Nelson Mandela in The Long Walk to Freedom. He also explains why he won't be reprising his role as John Luther in a forthcoming US remake of the BBC drama Luther.
Painter Howard Hodgkin talks to John in his studio about 30 gouaches inspired by India which he painted between 1990-91, and are on show for the first time in London.
As the V&A Museum prepare to open the newly refurbished Italian Courts, under the new name Weston Cast Courts, curator Marjorie Trusted talks about the renovations and highlights some of the great Italian sculptures in the collection, including a cast of Michelangelo's David.
Our programme has been taking the moral temperature of the nation for nearly 25 years now. One of the most regularly recurring issues, and one which is still driving the headlines today, is immigration. This week's Maze will explore how the moral texture of debate on immigration has changed over the years and what those changes tell us about the nature of our society. All our witnesses have appeared on the programme sometime over the past 2 decades talking about this issue. Over the years the debate has attracted allegations of racism and bigotry. Of class and self-interest and out of touch elites imposing their views on the majority. Of ruthless instrumentalisation and cost benefit analysis reducing people to figures on a balance sheet. Over the years the nature of immigration has changed too with the enlargement of the European Union. There's also been the question of the competing claims of multiculturalism and integration and our moral responsibility to asylum seekers. In the recent years of austerity the arguments over immigration seemed to have intensified. Is this a rational and necessary reaction? A movement to re-establish fundamental principles of national self-determination? Or in an interdependent globalised economy is it time to accept that the whole idea of a divide between "us" and them" - an indigenous population and immigrants - is a morally unjustifiable anachronism?
Is it time to radically re-think pet ownership? In this highly challenging and thought provoking Four Thought the writer Esther Woolfson argues that a lifetime spent sharing her home with a variety of birds and animals - rook, magpie, crow, starling, canaries, parrots, rats and rabbits - has led her to understand just how little we really know about the capacities and feelings of other beings. Pushing us to consider why we own pets in the first place Esther's talk promises to have you looking at Rover, Ginger, Fluffy or Socks in a whole new light.
Many people are living with chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel conditions in which the body attacks itself. Although drug treatments have improved over recent years they do not work for everyone and can have serious side effects.
Now researchers such as neurologist Dr Kevin Tracey of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, and rheumatologist Professor Paul-Peter Tak of Amsterdam University, are trying a new approach to improving the lives of these patients. They are firing electrical pulses along the vagus nerve, a major nerve that connects the brain with all the organs. The technology to do this has been around for some decades as stimulating the vagus nerve has been used to help people who have epilepsy that isn't controlled with drugs since the 1990s.
Gaia Vince talks to these pioneers of this new field of research. And she hears how there may be ways of improving the tone of the vagal nerve using meditation.
Ferguson - and Obama. Should - and could - the President have done more for the African-American community in his time as President ?
"[He] unfolds a portrait of himself in gouache [...] It is a good likeness, he thinks, if a little tragic, and big-eared. She has drawn a man - given him something to grow into."
Esmond Lowndes's father is a leading light in the British Union Of Fascists. In 1937, Esmond is sent down from Cambridge in disgrace and dispatched instead to Florence to set up Radio Firenze - an English-language radio station aiming to form closer ties between Fascists in Italy and England.
Esmond finds love and loss, and his journey of self-discovery becomes increasingly and - as Italy moves into war - more tightly intertwined with the fortunes of Florence, the city he has made his home.
And at every turn, he comes up against the local Blackshirt leader, the brutal Mario Carita.
The party at the British Institute to celebrate the coronation of King George VI doesn't go according to plan.
Alex Preston lives with his family in London. His first novel, This Bleeding City, was selected as one of Waterstones New Voices 2010. His second, The Revelations, was shortlisted for the Guardian's Not the Booker Prize. Alex is a journalist and a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Kent.
4. Paint
Triple Foster's nominated comedian James Acaster presents the results of his research. This week, he's been investigating 'Paint'. With Nathaniel Metcalfe ('Fresh from the Fringe') and Bryony Hannah ('Call the Midwife').
Tim Key tells the tale of Mike Figg, an intensely superstitious man. Tom Basden plays the xylophone and has brought his own beaters.
THURSDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2014
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b04pr5b4)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b04snky9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b04pr5b6)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b04pr5b8)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b04pr5bb)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b04pr5bd)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b04pv732)
Short reflection and prayer with Glenn Jordan.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b04pv734)
TB penalties, Farm fraud, Farming newcomers
Farmers in Wales will face penalties if they are just one day late with their TB testing. The Welsh government has announced that from the start of next year, farmers will lose money from their Single Farm Payment if they're not testing their cattle for TB on time. Farming Today hears from the Chief Vet for Wales and NFU Cymru.
Farmers are being warned this Christmas to be vigilant and not be tricked by fraudsters after their CAP money. The money from the EU Single Payment Scheme goes into farmers' accounts in early December. The body set up by the banking industry to fight fraud, Financial Fraud Action UK, says farmers are an attractive target for scammers who can steal thousands of pounds in one phone call.
It's difficult for young people to get into farming and this morning Farming Today continues to look at the next generation of young farmers. In Scotland, the Forestry Commission has taken positive action in helping them start their future and is leasing seven 'starter' farms on a 10 year lease on small parcels of land. Ninety people applied for the farms and Nancy Nicolson met one of the successful couples.
Presented by Sybil Ruscoe and produced by Lucy Bickerton.
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04mlpfd)
Wild Turkey
Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.
Chris Packham presents the wild turkey of North American woodlands. We are so used to seeing mass-produced captive turkeys (the centrepiece for many a Thanksgiving meal in the United States and Canada) that the sight and sound of a displaying male wild turkey is a real surprise. With his tail fanned and red wattles a-quiver; he struts-his-stuff in a woodland clearing to win the favours of the less flamboyant hens. There are now around 7 million wild turkeys in the USA. But it wasn't always so. Wild turkeys were nearly wiped out in many states by over-shooting and woodland clearance. Their numbers fell from tens of millions in pre-Columbus days, to about thirty thousand by the last Century. Land which had been previously cleared for farming was allowed to return to woodland. Wild turkeys were released back into areas where they'd been wiped out. This along with hunting controls and behavioural research allowed their numbers to increase and their spectacular displays are once again a common sight in many areas of the USA.
THU 06:00 Today (b04pv736)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (b04pv8j1)
Kafka's The Trial
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Franz Kafka's novel of power and alienation 'The Trial', in which readers follow the protagonist Joseph K into a bizarre, nightmarish world in which he stands accused of an unknown crime; courts of interrogation convene in obscure tenement buildings; and there seems to be no escape from a crushing, oppressive bureaucracy.
Kafka was a German-speaking Jew who lived in the Czech city of Prague, during the turbulent years which followed the First World War. He spent his days working as a lawyer for an insurance company, but by night he wrote stories and novels considered some of the high points of twentieth century literature. His explorations of power and alienation have chimed with existentialists, Marxists, psychoanalysts, postmodernists - and Radio 4 listeners, who suggested this as our topic for listener week on In Our Time.
GUESTS
Elizabeth Boa, Professor Emerita of German at the University of Nottingham
Steve Connor, Grace 2 Professor of English at the University of Cambridge
Ritchie Robertson, Taylor Professor of the German Language and Literature at the University of Oxford
Producer: Luke Mulhall.
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b04snl04)
My Life in Houses
Secure and Safe
After the frenzy of North London life in the 1960s, a fairy-tale cottage in the North of England offers rest and refuge.
I was born on May 25, 1938, in the front bedroom of a house in Orton Road, on the outer edges of Raffles, a council estate. I was a lucky girl.'
So began Margaret Forster's journey through the houses she's lived in, from the sparkling new council house, built as part of a utopian vision by Carlisle City Council, to her beloved London house of today, via Oxford, Hampstead and the Lake District. Forster's houses aren't just bricks and mortar, but homes which have all meant something to her and which have all had a profound effect on her. It is also a sideways look at the life of one of the greatest contemporary British novelists.
Read by Sian Thomas.
Writer: Margaret Forster
Abridger: Sally Marmion
Producer: Justine Willett
First broadcast on BBC Radio in November 2014.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b04pv8j3)
Listener Week: Money; Body Image; Stained Glass
We talk money - what we earn, what we spend and how we really feel about our relationship with money. One fifteen-year-old listener tells Jenni all about her campaign to give teenage girls body confidence. We find out about the stained glass artist who has been hidden from history and why it's time to look again at Margaret Rope's work. A chance to catch your advice on calling out sexist colleagues. And, what it's like finding out you're asexual and how you deal with others.
Presenter: Jenni Murray
Producer: Ruth Watts.
THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b04sn2y9)
Syria: Bread and Bombs
Episode 4
Black comedy by Tina Pepler.
Hassan, Jamil and Samara have taken the hazardous journey across the Syrian border to Idlib with a convoy of lorries loaded with nappies, baby milk and food parcels.
Jamil has been taken prisoner.
Director...Mary Ward-Lowery.
THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b04cfhm1)
Searching for Annie in Liberia
Gabriel Gatehouse reports from the Liberian capital Monrovia on the devastating impact of Ebola upon its people. In one case, a patient called Annie, 38, was discovered in her crowded shared house in harrowing conditions. She was taken away to hospital but disappeared into the system. Gabriel and his team go in search of Annie and along the way meet the medics and families on the front line of the Ebola crisis.
THU 11:30 Arnold of the Five Towns (b0477m6z)
Writer Arnold Bennett was a man of many worlds.
Born in 1867 amidst the roar and industry of The Potteries, he became a giant of the London literati, renowned far beyond the capital for works such as The Old Wives' Tale, The Card and Anna of the Five Towns.
But Bennett was not just a novelist. From screenplays to 'how to' books, Evening Standard articles to Woman magazine, he was wildly prolific, unashamed of earning a living from his art, and as capable of describing the minutiae of grand hotels as he was the life of the charwoman.
Mourned by the likes of Lord Beaverbrook and Somerset Maugham when he died in 1931, Arnold Bennett earned a level of wealth and celebrity in his lifetime of which many writers might now only dream.
So why does this man - who once wrote in his journal that he "would not care a bilberry for posterity" - seem to have somewhat fallen from fame? What's his legacy in his hometown? And what could his life and work say to 21st century Britain?
Bennett fan Samira Ahmed reappraises the reputation of this self-made man from the Potteries, visiting places as diverse as The Savoy Hotel and Stoke City FC. She tours Burslem's Bennett landmarks, delves into the archive at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery and walks the floorboards of the Middleport Pottery as she hears how it inspired one of Bennett's best-loved works.
Interviewees include Dame Margaret Drabble, historian and MP Tristram Hunt, writer Sathnam Sanghera and many others.
Producer: Alice Bloch
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in June 2014.
THU 12:00 News Summary (b04pr5bg)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 A History of Ideas (b04pvc0g)
Lawyer Harry Potter on Morality and the Law
Criminal Barrister Harry Potter asks whether the law should enforce morals, and if so, which morals?
Should the law tell us what we can and can't do? Or should it go further and tell us what is right, and what is wrong?
Criminal Barrister Lawyer Harry Potter asks what a moral law might be, in a multi-faith multi-cultural Britain. His key thinker is Jeremy Bentham – 18th century English eccentric and radical – whose theory of Utilitarianism fused law and morality.
Harry introduces the grisly tale of cannibalism which challenged the Victorian version of Christian law; he surveys the transformation of the law from the 1960s, with former Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge: from the imprisonment of homosexuals to gay marriage. And Professor Philip Schofield from University College London explains Bentham's radical concepts, which promised the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people and would have resulted in the tearing down of our great institutions.
This programme is part of a week of programmes looking at the history of ideas around Freedom.
THU 12:15 You and Yours (b04pvc0j)
Supermarket Chickens; Fixed Odd Betting; Global Moving Systems
The poisonous bug campylobacter has been found in 70% of all fresh whole supermarket chickens. For the first time, the Food Standards Agency names the shops with the highest rates of contamination, and the British Retail Consortium tells us what the supermarkets are doing to clean up the problem.
Nearly 100 councils in England are demanding the Government reduce the stake gamblers can place on fixed-odd betting machines. Currently a single roulette spin can cost £100, councils want to reduce that to £2.
And missing belongings: the company that promised to help customers move abroad fails to deliver. Peter White finds out what they can do now.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Natalie Donovan.
THU 12:57 Weather (b04pr5bj)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (b04pvc0l)
Analysis of current affairs reports, presented by Martha Kearney.
THU 13:45 Terror Through Time (b04pvc0n)
Tiger, Tiger
Fergal Keane visits Sri Lanka to reassess the impact of the suicide bombers of the Tamil Tigers.
In 2009, the Sri Lankan government claimed an unprecedented and highly controversial victory in the history of counter terrorism.
After 26 years of conflict, it annihilated the separatist group by military force. In this edition of "Terror Through Time", Fergal Keane returns to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, to recall the Tamil Tigers' long struggle and the way they made one, devastating weapon of modern terror their own.
With Dr. Atreyee Sen, lecturer in Contemporary Religion and Conflict at Manchester University; Dr. Miranda Alison, Associate Professor in Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick; Ananthi Sasitharan, Tamil activist; Mia Bloom, Professor of Security Studies at the University of Massachusetts- Lowell; and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka's Secretary of Defence.
Producer: Isobel Eaton.
THU 14:00 The Archers (b04pss55)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b01j5j2n)
Homeowners
Homeowners
Written by Kellie Smith
Wrapped up in the excitement of moving into their first home, Kate and Mark receive the shock of their lives when they discover that the house's previous owners have neglected to move out. Their dream home suddenly turns into a nightmare. A dark, unsettling thriller starring Frances Barber.
Produced by Pauline Harris
Directed by Charlotte Riches.
THU 15:00 Open Country (b04pvdhh)
Brownsea Island, Dorset
After a trip to Brownsea Island in 1818, George, the Prince Regent declared "'I had no idea I had such a delightful spot in my kingdom'. It may only be 1.5 miles long and
0.75 miles wide but this 500 acre island is full of history, mystery and wildlife.
Felicity Evans takes a boat across and meets Claire Dixon of The National Trust, who took over the island in 1963.
As Claire explains, many previous inhabitants have left their mark on Brownsea. Colonel Waugh and his wife Mary were walking along the beach in the early 19th century when she got her umbrella stuck in the sand, pulled it out and discovered clay. They built the village of Maryland and started a pottery. At a newly excavated site, you can see some of the cottages that were built for the potters. She also tells the story of the eccentric recluse, Mrs Mary Bonham Christie who threw all the inhabitants off the island and patrolled the beaches with a shotgun. She handed it back to nature and for 45 years, animals, birds and the rhododendron ran wild.
Then it's a walk to spot red squirrels with ranger John Lamming, who's lived on the island for over 30 years. Brownsea is one of the few places you can see this highly protected animal and in autumn they are easy to spot, burying food on the woodland floor.
Felicity then heads to a low hide over the saltwater lagoon, to meet Reserve manager, Chris Thain, of the Dorset Wildlife Trust to see and hear about the huge diversity of birds that frequent this area.
Finally, to the flattest part of the island where Lord Baden Powell hosted his first experimental Scout camp in 1907. Next to a huge memorial stone to the movement, Scout Commissioner, Kevin Philips explains how Brownsea is still visited by thousands of Scouts and Guides every year. Youth group leader and Girl Guide, Amanda Shorey encourages Felicity to have a go at den building, low ropes and archery, just some of the activities going on in The Outdoor Centre.
Presenter: Felicity Evans
Producer: Julia Hayball.
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b04pr6rq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Open Book (b04pr9hy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:00 The Film Programme (b04pvdhk)
2001: A Space Odyssey Special
As 2001: A Space Odyssey is re-released in cinemas, Francine Stock presents a special edition on Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece.
'My God, it's Full of Stars' were the last words of Dave Bowman before he journeyed through the Stargate, according to writer Arthur C. Clarke but it's an apt description for this edition of The Film Programme. Francine journeys through time and space to uncover the mysteries of this 1968 classic. Searching for the mind of H.A.L. and lost alien worlds among the delights of the Stanley Kubrick Archive at London's University of the Arts. Joining Francine on her voyage of discovery are 2001 chronicler Piers Bizony, former urbane spaceman Keir Dullea and the woman who built the moon! Other voices include production designer Harry Lange, make-up genius Stuart Freeborn, editor Ray Lovejoy, all now so much stardust, as well as those of lead ape 'Moonwatcher' (Dan Richter) & Stargate deviser Douglas Trumbull. Open the Pod Bay Doors HAL!
Producer
Mark Burman.
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (b04pvdhm)
Campylobacter in Chicken; Artificial Intelligence Guru Demis Hassabis; Sexology; Lucy
Food Standards Agency report reveals 70% of supermarket chicken contaminated.
Chicken: It's the nation's favourite meat. But today, a report released by the Food Standards Agency has revealed that around three quarters of that chicken is infected by campylobacter - a family of bacteria, 12 species of which are known to cause food poisoning. The estimated cost to the UK economy is £900 million per year. All supermarkets are implicated and all supply chains too. It doesn't cause outbreaks and thorough cooking kills all the bugs. Professor Hugh Pennington tells Dr Adam Rutherford why campylobacter is such a tough bug to crack.
Can machines think?
Neuroscientist, chess master and world-champion gamer, Demis Hassabis is this week's winner of the Royal Society's Mullard Award. In 2011, he founded an AI company, Deep Mind which was acquired by Google earlier this year for £400million.He tells Adam why he believes one of the best tests for artificial intelligence is an ability to learn how to play computer games.
Why scientists study sex
Sex between humans has long been something of a taboo for scientists. But the Institute of Sexology is tackling it head-on. It's a new exhibition at London's Wellcome Collection, a frank exploration of sex and the scientists who've studied it for the past century or so. Tracey Logan went to preview the display, and asked: Why do scientists study sex?
Australopithecus discovery 40 years on
23rd November 2014 was a significant 40th birthday. Or, to be a bit more precise, it was a 3 million, 200 thousand and 40th birthday. On that day in 1974, Donald Johanson and his team in Ethiopia discovered the fossilised remains of AL 288-1, who became universally known as Lucy. Don talks to Adam Rutherford about the young woman who changed his life.
Producer: Anna Buckley & Fiona Roberts
Assistant Producer: Jen Whyntie.
THU 17:00 PM (b04pvdhp)
PM at
5pm- Eddie Mair with interviews, context and analysis.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b04pr5bl)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 My Teenage Diary (b04pvf6l)
Series 6
Terry Wogan
Comedian Rufus Hound is joined by the broadcaster Terry Wogan, whose diary describes his life in Limerick when he was 15.
The young Terry serves his first Mass, spends hours in the cinema, loves playing Subbuteo with his friends and - when he's tired - simply eats his lunch in bed.
Produced by Harriet Jaine
A Talkback production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b04pvfbg)
As Fallon delivers a refurbished table, Carol gives her a secret herbal remedy for a headache. Fallon gives Carol a tip on where to get large sheets of brown paper, and also tells Carol about playing Elvira in Blithe Spirit.
Susan encourages Helen to come along to the Grundy Turkey Pardon, as a distraction from her worries.
Carol admires Eddie's costume, but he's been given a Turkish outfit rather than a turkey one. He ends up replacing it with a chicken costume. Joe's togged up as Uncle Sam, putting on a US accent.
Clarrie serves up cider and tasty morsels as Joe introduces the mystical fortune telling turkey - answering yes or no questions. Fallon gets a yes when asking if she will regret a particular decision she's made. Henry also gets a yes when he asks if Grandad Tony will be home for Christmas. Helen feels awkward.
When George discovers that the 'pardoned' turkey will still probably be killed, he insists it won't be.
Out of the blue, Tom arrives at Bridge Farm. He was in a remote cabin in Canada and has only just got the messages about Tony. Practical Tom is aware that Tony could take a while to recover, if at all. Helen begs him not to think that way.
THU 19:15 Front Row (b04pvfbj)
PD James Remembered; William Hill Sports Book of the Year; Maggi Hambling
Front Row pays tribute the writer PD James who has died aged 94. Fellow crime writer and friend Ruth Rendell reflects on James's life and work and, in a clip from our archive, James describes the four key motives for murder in a good crime story.
Rugby player Gareth Thomas, footballer Bobby Moore and ice skater John Curry are among the subjects of the books shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, the longest-running prize for sports writing. At the awards ceremony, John Wilson talks to the seven shortlisted authors and speaks to the winner of the £26,000 prize.
Maggi Hambling, who was the National Gallery's very first artist in residence in 1980, has returned to the gallery with "Walls of Water" a new exhibition of her paintings of the sea. She talks to John Wilson about painting raging storms, her tribute to Amy Winehouse and why, in her late sixties, she feels much younger than she used to.
Presenter: John Wilson
Producer: Ellie Bury.
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b04sn2y9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 The Report (b04pvfbl)
Virgin Galactic
The fatal explosion of a Virgin Galactic space plane at the end of October 2014 was a major set-back to Sir Richard Branson's dream of a flourishing space tourism venture. Lesley Curwen tells the story behind the crash and asks whether the highly lucrative Virgin brand will survive the tragedy.
Producer: Simon Coates
Researcher: Kirsteen Knight.
THU 20:30 In Business (b04stlw4)
A Tale of Two Sanctions
Peter Day talks to companies affected by economic sanctions imposed against Russia, and by retaliatory sanctions imposed by Russia, and asks how they cope when they suddenly lose a key market. He also asks how effective sanctions are and who they hit the hardest.
Producer: Caroline Bayley.
THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (b04pvdhm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (b04pv8j1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 21:58 Weather (b04pr5bn)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b04pvfrv)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b04snf35)
In Love and War
Episode 4
"[He] unfolds a portrait of himself in gouache [...] It is a good likeness, he thinks, if a little tragic, and big-eared. She has drawn a man - given him something to grow into."
Esmond Lowndes's father is a leading light in the British Union Of Fascists. In 1937, Esmond is sent down from Cambridge in disgrace and dispatched instead to Florence to set up Radio Firenze - an English-language radio station aiming to form closer ties between Fascists in Italy and England.
Esmond finds love and loss, and his journey of self-discovery becomes increasingly and - as Italy moves into war - more tightly intertwined with the fortunes of Florence, the city he has made his home.
And at every turn, he comes up against the local Blackshirt leader, the brutal Mario Carita.
Episode 4 (of 10)
While Goad recovers in hospital after Carita's attack, Esmond falls under the spell of Fiamma and Goad's son, Gerald.
Alex Preston lives with his family in London. His first novel, This Bleeding City, was selected as one of Waterstones New Voices 2010. His second, The Revelations, was shortlisted for the Guardian's Not the Booker Prize. Alex is a journalist and a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Kent.
Reader: Carl Prekopp
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Produced by Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:00 Another Case of Milton Jones (b012wzpg)
Series 5
Gardening Expert
Milton crosses stamens with a deadly rival in the vicious cutthroat world of gardening. He's joined in his endeavours by his co-stars Tom Goodman-Hill ("Camelot"), Dave Lamb ("Come Dine With Me") and Margaret Cabourn-Smith ("Miranda").
Milton Jones returns to BBC Radio Four for an amazing 9th series - which means he's been running for longer than Gardeners' Question Time and answered more questions on gardening as well.
Britain's funniest Milton and the king of the one-liner returns with a fully-working cast and a shipload of new jokes for a series of daffy comedy adventures
Each week, Milton is a complete and utter expert at something - brilliant Mathematician, World-Class Cyclist, Aviator, Championship Jockey...
... and each week, with absolutely no ability or competence, he plunges into a big adventure with utterly funny results...
"Milton Jones is one of Britain's best gagsmiths with a flair for creating daft yet perfect one-liners" - The Guardian.
"King of the surreal one-liners" - The Times
"If you haven't caught up with Jones yet - do so!" - The Daily Mail
Written by Milton with James Cary ("Think The Unthinkable", "Miranda"), the man they call "Britain's funniest Milton," returns to the radio with a fully-working cast and a shipload of new jokes.
The cast includes regulars Tom Goodman-Hill ( "Spamalot"), Lucy Montgomery ("Down The Line"), Dave Lamb ("Come Dine With Me") and Ben Willbond ("Horrible Histories")
David Tyler's radio credits include Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive, Cabin Pressure, Bigipedia, Another Case Of Milton Jones, Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation, Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off, The 99p Challenge, The Castle, The 3rd Degree and even, going back a bit, Radio Active. His TV credits include Paul Merton - The Series, Spitting Image, Absolutely, The Paul & Pauline Calf Video Diaries, Coogan's Run, The Tony Ferrino Phenomenon and exec producing Victoria Wood's dinnerladies.
Produced & directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b04pvh14)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster.
FRIDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2014
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b04pr5cl)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b04snl04)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b04pr5cn)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b04pr5cq)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b04pr5cs)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b04pr5cv)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b04pvk17)
Short reflection and prayer with Glenn Jordan.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b04pvk19)
Dairy Update; Campylobacter; Succession planning
70% of fresh chickens sold by UK supermarkets are contaminated with campylobacter, says the Food Standards Agency. What can be done to reduce the 280,000 cases of food poisoning caused by chicken infected with the bacteria? Charlotte Smith speaks to Arnoud van Vliet, a lead scientist at the Institute of Food Research.
Dairy farmers are continuing to hold protests over the price they get for milk. Earlier this week around 200 farmers staged blockades, one in Cheshire and one in Wiltshire. They're targeting milk processors, and also supermarkets which sell milk at a discount, saying that devalues their product. We hear from Neil Madeley who's been a dairy farmer in Shropshire for the last 30 years. He's just sold his entire herd of Shorthorn and Pedigree Holsteins, because of falling milk prices.
And we report from the Fertile Minds conference in Penrith, which brought together 150 young farmers from all over the UK. High on the agenda was the thorny topic of succession - when does the next generation take over the business and what happens when Dad doesn't want to even discuss retiring, let alone actually do it? John Dunning is a Cumbrian sheep farmer who's diversified into motorway service stations. He's just handed over the running of the business to his daughter, Sarah.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Mark Smalley.
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04mlvz1)
Madagascar Harrier-hawk
Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.
Chris Packham presents the Madagascan Harrier-hawk from Madagascar. Among the branches of a Madagascan forest, there's a flutter of wings and a flash of double-jointed feet. The Madagascan harrier-hawk is a striking bird, uniform grey above and finely-barred beneath with black wing-tips and a white-banded black tail. There's a patch of sulphurous skin around its bill and eyes: and its long legs are also bright yellow. Those long legs help the harrier-hawk hunt for food that's beyond the reach of most other birds of prey. Using its wings for balance and twisting its flexibly-jointed legs at seemingly impossible angles, the harrier-hawk inserts its talons into tiny holes, relying on its sense of touch to locate its prey. Madagascar harrier-hawks do hunt more conventionally by gliding over the forest, seizing small birds, reptiles and mammals such as the Verreaux's sifaka.
FRI 06:00 Today (b04pvk1c)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b04pr6rz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b04snl1n)
My Life in Houses
Inside My House, I Can Cope
As Margaret Forster's struggle with cancer continues, she reflects the importance of home, and why, inside her own home, she can cope.
I was born on May 25, 1938, in the front bedroom of a house in Orton Road, on the outer edges of Raffles, a council estate. I was a lucky girl.'
So began Margaret Forster's journey through the houses she's lived in, from the sparkling new council house, built as part of a utopian vision by Carlisle City Council, to her beloved London house of today, via Oxford, Hampstead and the Lake District. As well as a poignant reflection on home and the effect of home on us, My Life in Houses is also a sideways look at the life of one of the greatest contemporary British novelists.
Concluded by Sian Thomas.
Writer: Margaret Forster
Abridger: Sally Marmion
Producer: Justine Willett
First broadcast on BBC Radio in November 2014.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b04pvk1f)
Listener Week: Tribute Bands; Review of the Week.
The Listener Week finale. Karel Lush got in touch wanting to share her passion for live music. She missed out on seeing her idols first time around and now spends her spare time going to see tribute bands. Karel's favourite are the Stylistics tribute Sing Baby Sing, were playing at a Soul and 60s legends weekend at Brean Sands in Somerset. We sent our reporter Felicity Finch to join Karel as she got ready for her big night out.
Jane contacted the programme because she is unsure how to talk to her 15 year-old daughter about sex. She would also like to know how to protect her daughter from sexual exploitation and whether it's possible to ensure her daughter uses contraception once she is an adult. Jane puts her questions to child psychologist Laverne Antrobus and family solicitor Elspeth Thomson.
Angela has raised the issue of helping people with dementia with personal grooming, which can help raise their self esteem. Jenni is joined by the Guardian's beauty editor Sali Hughes and by Kathryn Smith from the Alzheimer's Society, to hear the suggestions.
Plus advice for a mum who's now in a same sex relationship and wants to tell her daughter.
Plus two of our listeners, who regularly tweet their opinions, join Jenni in the studio to review the week.
FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b04sn50x)
Syria: Bread and Bombs
Episode 5
Black comedy by Tina Pepler.
Hassan, Jamil and Samara have taken the hazardous journey across the Syrian border to Idlib with a convoy of lorries loaded with nappies, baby milk and food parcels.
Jamil has had a visit from Khaled, pretending to be his son. Hassan has a plan to get him out of prison.
Director...Mary Ward-Lowery.
FRI 11:00 Hot Gossip! (b04pvb7m)
1. Origins
If language elevates us above other animals, why does human society seem to spend so much time gossiping? Perhaps it's because without gossip there would be no society and language would be much less interesting. In the first of two programmes, Geoff Watts explores our fascination with small talk and chit chat. Where did gossip come from, why did it evolve and how has it changed (and changed us) in the digital age?
If your guilty pleasure is rifling through gossip magazines, then here's a reassuring message: you are merely fulfilling an evolutionary drive. The brain is 'hard-wired' to be fascinated by gossip - which not only helps members of your social group to bond but can also help to police those in the group who transgress. Biologist call them ‘free-riders’ and in large social groups, free-riders can wreak havoc with the society unless they’re policed – by gossip.
For anthropologist Robin Dunbar, author of the now classic text, ‘Grooming, Gossip and The Evolution of Language’, it is not the pearls of wisdom that makes the world go round but everyday tittle tattle: “we are social beings and our world is cocooned in the interests and minutiae of everyday social life. They fascinate us beyond nature”. Gossip, which Dunbar says can be traced back to social grooming in apes, makes up around two-thirds of general conversation according to his research. Without gossip says Dunbar “there can be no society”.
Of course, historically, culturally, morally gossip has rarely been seen as anything but good. In Judaism where derogatory speech about another person has a special name – ‘Lashon Hara’ or 'evil tongue', it is, says Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, “…regarded it as one of the worst of all sins’. Gossip is said to kill three people, “the one who says it, the one he/she says it about, and the one who listens in. Gossip is not just a sinful act but one that contaminates others”. Nowhere is this more evident than recent cases of internet trolling and cyber bullying. “we need a new ethic” argues Sacks. But are we even capable of changing our nasty habits?
Producer: Rami Tzabar
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2014.
FRI 11:30 The Missing Hancocks (b04pvk1j)
Series 1
The New Neighbour
Between 1954 and 1959, BBC Radio recorded 102 episodes of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson's comedy classic Hancock's Half Hour. The first modern sitcom, it made stars of Tony Hancock, Sid James and Kenneth Williams, and launched Galton and Simpson on one of the most successful comedy-writing partnerships in history. But 20 episodes of the show are missing from the BBC archives, and have not been heard since their original transmission nearly sixty years ago. Now, five of those episodes have been lovingly re-recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC Radio Theatre, featuring a stellar cast led by Kevin McNally as The Lad Himself.
Tonight's episode: The New Neighbour. Tony has a new neighbour, whose night-time routine is very, very suspicious.....
Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and with the classic score newly recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra, the show stars Kevin McNally, Kevin Eldon, Simon Greenall, Robin Sebastian and Susy Kane. The New Neighbour was last broadcast in March 1956.
Produced by Ed Morrish and Neil Pearson.
FRI 12:00 News Summary (b04pr5cx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 A History of Ideas (b04pvp7l)
Philosopher Angie Hobbs on the Value of Conscience
Philosopher Angie Hobbs examines the concept of conscience or moral intuition and asks whether it stands up to rational scrutiny.
In his Novel 'The Brothers Karamazov' the 19th century Russian writer Dostoevsky posed a moral dilemma – would it be morally right to murder an innocent child in exchange for Paradise on earth for all other humans.
In other words does the end ever justify the means or are there actions which are simply unacceptable whatever the benefit?
Angie Hobbs examines our moral intuitions and our sense of 'conscience' by talking through Dostoevsky's dilemma and asking what we really mean when we declare an act unconscionable.
This programme is part of a week of programmes looking at the history of ideas around Freedom.
FRI 12:15 You and Yours (b04pvp7n)
Unicom, Toys for Girls, Autographs
The telecoms company Unicom has been criticised before - but never in Parliament. We'll hear why he claimed in Parliament that the ombudsman charged with dealing with complaints is "toothless".
Also - the days of waiting outside a stage door with a soggy piece of paper to grab an autograph are long gone. It's all about the selfie now. But what has leaning in to a celeb with an outstretched smartphone done to the market for autographs? We talk to a man who sells them all - from Elizabeth I to Barack Obama.
We'll also bring you an update on the commissioning Group which is considering not offering free hearing aids to people whose hearing loss is moderate.
There's a report from a house which stores its solar energy underground to be retrieved in the dark days of winter, and a report from the front line of the retail bonanza that is... Black Friday.
And do you get annoyed by toys which are branded "for girls"? We'll speak to three sisters to get their take on whether they want gender-defined toys.
FRI 12:57 Weather (b04pr5cz)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b04pvp7q)
Cameron seeks EU support for new migration curbs; Farage says another failure; Tory backbenchers and Labour also respond; reaction from Poland, and Emma Jane Kirby reports from Denmark on plans to crack down on migrants' benefits there.
Also, ahead of the Chancellor's Autumn Statement next week, we look at likely targets for further spending cuts in the next parliament.
Presented by Mark Mardell.
FRI 13:45 Terror Through Time (b04pvp7s)
Northern Ireland: The End Game
Fergal Keane is joined by Tony Blair's Chief of Staff, Jonathan Powell and by Professor Richard English of St Andrews University to discuss the peace deal that brought the long conflict with the IRA to an end.
Producer: Owen McFadden.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b04pvfbg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b04pvp7v)
Maxine Peake - My Dad Keith
Maxine Peake writes and stars in this tale of teenage angst, mid-life crisis and drumming.
The play debuts Mike Joyce the drummer from The Smiths in his first acting role.
Reaching her 40th birthday and with her grandad in hospital, Steph begins to reflect on her life, loves and the quest to find out who her dad was. As a teenager a fractious relationship with her mother pushes Steph towards her grandad and together they set out to piece together the clues to the identity of her dad. They come to a startling conclusion about him.
Steph loves drumming - on anything. She's not got a drum kit but taps out her life using kitchen utensils and releases her tensions and worries on any surface available.
Steph ...... Maxine Peake
Carole ...... Siobhan Finneran
Jeff ...... Mike Joyce
Young Jeff ...... Nico Mirallegro
Young Steph ...... Rebecca Ryan
Lily ...... Rachel Austin
Grandad ...... Roger Morlidge
Director: Michelle Choudhry
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2014.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b04pvp7x)
North Wales
Eric Robson hosts the horticultural panel programme from North Wales. Toby Buckland, Bob Flowerdew and Anne Swithinbank take questions from the audience.
Produced by Howard Shannon
Assistant Producer: Claire Crofton
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
This week's questions and answers:
Q Can you tell me what it the secret of success with Florence Fennel? Ours looked spectacular but the stem has not swollen.
A. Florence Fennel is difficult to grow - requiring warmth and rich soil that never dries out. Taking off the older leaves can encourage swelling at the base, keep the plant warm, well watered and well fed. However, you can still use the stems for flavouring. Sow the plant after the longest day of the year so that it produces the bulb at the base. Use a mulch of newspaper sheets to keep it warm.
Q. Can you cut back Phormiums? What is the best way to do this? How should I feed the plants?
A. Toby suggests using secateurs. Anne suggests digging up the clump and separating it out to reduce the size. If you would like a less vigorous species, try the 'Alison Blackman' variety. Don't feed the plants as growth is vigorous enough. They require a lot of watering though.
Q. Why do my Courgette plants produce loads of male flowers, very few female flowers and thus very few courgettes?
A. The plants tend to produce lots of male flowers at the beginning of the season and then later on female flowers and fruits - so if the plants are somewhere cool, you're less likely to get fruit. Likewise, if the plants are too hot or too dry, you'll only get male flowers. Mulching could help to keep the moisture in. It's important to sacrifice the first fruits for a bigger crop.
Q. I'm having trouble growing plants in my rockery. I've heard that ferns can poison other plants - could this be the problem?
A. Bob isn't sure it's true that ferns can poison other plants but ferns tend to thrive in places that other plants don't. The problem might be more to do with the lack of soil in your rockery. You might be better trying to grow alpines in the little niches in the rocks. Alternatively, you could dismantle the rockery, kill off the ferns, improve the soil and reassemble the rocks so that plants have enough room to put their roots down below ground level.
Q. This year my lettuce sowings went straight to seed despite regular thinning.
A. They flower when they are stressed - drought and heat can cause stress. Iceberg Lettuce is a good variety to grow in hot summers where heat and drought are likely. In future, plant thinner and thin out in the early stages of growth and water regularly to prevent this from happening.
Q. None of my Camellias grown from seed have flowered - what can I do to encourage flowering?
A. The plants flower well in the warmth. Some plants take a long time to flower.
Q. I've fallen in love with many different plant families, what plant families have the panel fallen for and are they still together?
A. Anne loves Irises, particularly bearded Irises - one called 'Celebration Song' is particularly lovely. She also loves Asclepiads, the Hoyas, Stephanotis and the Stapeliads. Toby loves the Labias and the Indian Bean Tree for its Latin name - Bignoniodes. Bob loves the Rosaceae family.
FRI 15:45 Short Rides in Fast Machines (b04pvp7z)
The Fall of Paris by Toby Litt
A multi-contributor series of specially-commissioned radio stories about speed.
Every generation observes that life is getting faster - the pace of change, of action, or communication. Our cars, trains, boats and planes are faster than ever. And as every world-record on the athletic track confirms, we're still getting faster ourselves. The title is inspired by the minimalist composition by John Adams ('Short Ride In A Fast Machine').
Episode 2:
"The Fall Of Paris" by Toby Litt
A video-clip goes viral online with unforeseen and different consequences for the film-maker and his subject.
Toby Litt was born in 1968 and grew up in Bedfordshire. In 2003, he was named one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists. His stories 'The Melancholy' (2010), 'People Carry Roses' (2011) and 'The Sandy' (2012) featured in previous Sweet Talk series for BBC Radio 4. His latest collection of short stories 'Life-Like' will be published in November 2014.
Reader: Julian Rhind-Tutt
Produced by Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b04pvp81)
PD James, 'Mad' Frankie Fraser, Glen A Larson, Medlin Lewis-Spencer, Arthur Butterworth MBE
Matthew Bannister on
Baroness James of Holland Park - the crime novelist P.D. James - who was also a Governor of the BBC.
Then a real life criminal: 'Mad ' Frankie Fraser - an East End gangster noted for his violence who spent a total of 42 years in prison.
Also: TV director Glen A. Larson who brought us Quincy, Magnum PI and Battlestar Galactica.
Medlin Lewis-Spencer, the Mayor of Hackney who defected from Labour to the Conservatives
And the composer Arthur Butterworth who was often inspired by the British landscape.
FRI 16:30 Feedback (b04pvp83)
The BBC World Service is now funded by the licence fee which means the UK public is now paying for a service that many rarely use. Roger Bolton talks to the service's outgoing director, Peter Horrocks, about the challenges facing his successor.
Radio 4's PM programme continues to keep its audience up to date with Michael Buerk's progress on I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. Many listeners love these light-hearted jungle moments; many others feel they have no place in a serious news programme. PM's editor Joanna Carr defends the programme's character and explains why the esteemed presenter of the Moral Maze is fair game for a bit of leg-pulling.
As part of Listeners' Week, Radio 4's In Our Time asked for suggestions for the topic of this week's programme. Roy Bailey and Lauren Hall's idea of Franz Kafka's The Trial was chosen from over 900 entries. They give their verdict on the programme, and Melvyn Bragg and his producer Tom Morris talk to Roger about what made Roy and Lauren's Kafkaesque proposal stand out.
Produced by Will Yates
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 16:55 The Listening Project (b04pvp85)
Grace and Marie - Big Schools and Big Changes
Fi Glover introduces a conversation between eleven year olds in their first term at secondary school about the challenges of the transition to 'big school'.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
FRI 17:00 PM (b04pvp87)
PM at
5pm- Eddie Mair with interviews, context and analysis.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b04pr5d1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (b04pvp89)
Series 85
Episode 6
A satirical review of the week's news, chaired by Sandi Toksvig, who is joined by Rebecca Front, Hugo Rifkind and Andrew Maxwell, alongside regular panellist Jeremy Hardy.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b04pvp8c)
Roy buys chocolates for Phoebe, who is still at Home Farm. Roy's sure that Phoebe will want to spend Christmas with Hayley and Abbie and so he's agreed to work on Christmas Day.
Jennifer can't make the SAVE meeting this evening so Jim brings her up to date with the traffic census. It looks like traffic has actually reduced, but they need to do an overnight survey to confirm it.
Roy asks Jennifer to persuade Phoebe to come home but Jennifer doesn't think she can. It's clear that Phoebe wants to be at Home Farm. Roy needs to be patient.
Tom is shocked to see Tony in hospital. He thought he was prepared but Tony looks so old. Emotional Tom opens up to a silent Tony. He's sorry for how he behaved and for leaving Tony to pick up the mess. Tom vows to make his dad proud, to be a good son and farmer, just like Tony.
Peggy thinks that seeing Tom must have been a tonic for Tony. She feels guilty. Tony went into beef to prove a point after the upset over her will. Peggy is delighted when Tom says he's back for good.
Helen has worrying news. Tony has to have a tracheostomy. Every time there's improvement, something else goes wrong. Where will it all end?
FRI 19:15 Front Row (b04pvp8f)
Annie Lennox; James Franco; Philippe Sands; How to Win an Oscar
Annie Lennox talks to Kirsty Lang about her new album Nostalgia, on which she covers songs from The Great American Songbook. Hollywood actor and director James Franco shows Kirsty round his latest art venture Fat Squirrel. The international human rights lawyer Philippe Sands discusses A Song of Good and Evil, a show he developed when he realised that both a Nuremberg prosecutor and defendant shared a passion for Bach. And with the New York Film Critics Circle Awards kicking off the awards season this weekend, film critic Tim Robey gives us his advice on how to win an Oscar.
Producer Jerome Weatherald.
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b04sn50x)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b04pvp8h)
Natalie Bennett, Alan Johnson MP, Mark Reckless MP, Baroness Stowell
Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from the Skegness Academy School in Lincolnshire with the Leader of the Green Party Natalie Bennett, former Home Secretary Alan Johnson MP, the new UKIP MP for Rochester and Strood in Kent, Mark Reckless, and the Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Stowell.
If you would like tickets to Any Questions in Skegness on 28th November 2014 then please email any.questions@bbc.co.uk.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b04pvp8k)
Thinking the Unthinkable
John Gray argues that "thinking the unthinkable" as a way of making policy does nothing more than extend conventional wisdom to the point of absurdity and fails to take account of the complexities of reality. "Capitalism has lurched into a crisis from which it still has not recovered. Yet the worn-out ideology of free markets sets the framework within which our current generation of leaders continues to think and act."
Producer: Sheila Cook.
FRI 21:00 A History of Ideas (b04pvp8m)
Omnibus
How Do I Tell Right from Wrong?
A new history of ideas presented by Melvyn Bragg but told in many voices.
Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week the question is 'How do I tell wrong from right?'
Helping him answer it are Neuropsychologist Paul Broks, Philosopher Angie Hobbs, Theologian Giles Fraser and Lawyer Harry Potter.
For the rest of the week Paul, Angie, Giles and Harry will take us further into the history of ideas about morality with programmes of their own.
Between them they will examine the idea of conscience and moral intuitions, the relationship between morality and the law, whether moral systems can work on the battlefield and what the brain seems to do when we are making moral decisions.
In this omnibus edition all five programmes from the week are presented together.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b04pr5d3)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b04pvp8p)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.
FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b04sngfy)
In Love and War
Episode 5
"[He] unfolds a portrait of himself in gouache [...] It is a good likeness, he thinks, if a little tragic, and big-eared. She has drawn a man - given him something to grow into."
Esmond Lowndes's father is a leading light in the British Union Of Fascists. In 1937, Esmond is sent down from Cambridge in disgrace and dispatched instead to Florence to set up Radio Firenze - an English-language radio station aiming to form closer ties between Fascists in Italy and England.
Esmond finds love and loss, and his journey of self-discovery becomes increasingly and - as Italy moves into war - more tightly intertwined with the fortunes of Florence, the city he has made his home.
And at every turn, he comes up against the local Blackshirt leader, the brutal Mario Carita.
Episode 5 (of 10)
Borrowing Father Bailey's car, Esmond, Gerald and Fiamma help Norman Douglas to flee from Florence.
Alex Preston lives with his family in London. His first novel, This Bleeding City, was selected as one of Waterstones New Voices 2010. His second, The Revelations, was shortlisted for the Guardian's Not the Booker Prize. Alex is a journalist and a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Kent.
Reader: Carl Prekopp
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Produced by Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 23:00 A Good Read (b04ps71w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b04pvp8r)
Mark D'Arcy reports from Westminster as the government is challenged over the latest immigration figures and MPs hear a call for a ban on revenge evictions.
FRI 23:55 The Listening Project (b04pvp8t)
Kate and Rachel - Limestone beneath My Feet and above My Head
Fi Glover with a conversation between a poet fascinated by the limestone landscape of her home and a theatre director who values the secrets hidden beneath the limestone.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.