The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ed Kessler, from the Woolf Institute in Cambridge.
The farming minister George Eustice talks to Anna Hill from the EU Council of ministers in Brussels as they meet to discuss plummeting dairy prices and the end of EU quotas in April. Meanwhile, Sally Challoner meets a dairy farmer who wants to relabel and rebrand his milk as free range, so as to raise the value of his product. 40% of Anglican Churches are in the countryside, and the Church of England's National rural officer, Canon Dr Jill Hopkinson says more needs to be done to preserve them as hubs of the community. As Scotland gears up for more political devolution, the debate about how, and why land should be used comes to the fore. The Scottish land reform bill is a hot topic as it wants to loosen up the tight hold that a few landowners had on a vast amount of Scotland's land as BBC Scotland reporter Andrew Black explains. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Ruth Sanderson.
Michael Palin presents the common poorwill from an Arizona desert. In the dead of night, loud calls pierce the stillness on a moonlit track, a small shape suddenly sprouts wings and flutters into the darkness ... a Common Poorwill is hunting.
Poorwills are small nightjars that breed mainly in western North America, often in deserts and dry grassland. By day the poorwill sits in the open or among rocks relying on its mottled plumage for camouflage. By night, it emerges to hawk after insects snapping them up with its large frog-like mouth.
This technique works if it's warm enough for insects to be active, but in some places where poorwills live there are sudden cold snaps. Instead of migrating, the poorwill slows down its metabolism and goes into torpor for days or even weeks . This hibernation-like state is very rare among birds and allows the poorwill to get through lean periods and was first scientifically described in 1948, although the phenomenon had been recorded more than 140 years earlier by the great explorer Meriwether Lewis, during the Lewis and Clark Expedition to discover western side of America in 1804.
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
As it celebrates its 750th birthday, BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson asks if Parliament itself might be the obstacle to improving our democracy. Now that the internet and social media are revolutionising the way that information is used, should our politics adopt new ways of engaging support in order to remain relevant?
Broadcaster Adrian Goldberg, who is married to a British Asian woman, explores the topic of mixed marriage for One to One. Today, in the third and final of his interviews, he meets Mandy. Mandy is of Sikh/Hindu heritage and had to deal with the rejection by most of her family when she refused to contemplate the idea of an arranged marriage. She went on to meet and marry an Afro-Caribbean man; something which has brought her happiness, although it hasn't been the smoothest of journeys.
In the early 2000s, Peter Pomerantsev (the son of Russian political exiles) came to Moscow to work in the fast-growing television industry. He was perfectly placed to witness the transformation of the New Russia on its journey from communist collapse to a new form of dictatorship.
In a series of character studies, the subjects of Pomerantsev's reality TV documentaries, we glimpse the ways in which the Russian people have responded to and acted upon the opportunities of Putin's new world order. In this episode we meet Vitaly, the gangster-turned-filmmaker, who studied his favourite American mafia movies and then turned his auto-theft crimes into the subject of a hit drama series.
Tennis player Heather Watson recently blamed 'girl things' for her disappointing performance at the Australian Open. We examine the knock on effect of periods and ask how open we are able to be about menstruation.
Jane is joined in the studio by one of the women longlisted to start a colony on Mars, astrophysics student Maggie Lieu.
As her 1974 novel Fathers Come First is reissued, Rosita Sweetman joins Jane to talk about how much things have changed for girls and women in Ireland over the last fifty years. We also hear from girl's football clubs in Kenya and hear the story behind the play Taken At Midnight about the campaign by the mother of German lawyer Hans Litten who was incarcerated for challenging Hitler.
With the clock ticking down to Lisa's wedding, Maz begins her mission to try and raise the money for her flight to the Seychelles. It is no easy task, for while the job opportunities are out there, Maz's wheelchair quickly becomes a sticking point.
To commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, Michael Rosen examines the ways in which Britain remembers the darkest period in modern history.
From Britain's only day-centre catering solely for Holocaust survivors to the narrow attic staircase of Anne Frank's House in Amsterdam, via an art installation in Huddersfield and a primary school in Potters Bar, Michael looks at the many different ways in which we've chosen to commemorate the unimaginable horror of the Holocaust, aided by schoolchildren, campaigners and a 93-year-old survivor of Auschwitz.
The BBC's archive is justifiably and inarguably world-famous, but most of this attention and praise is showered on the riches contained within the Beeb's music archive - the life-changing Peel performances, seminal sessions from Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and David Bowie.
But these musical marvels risk over-shadowing another archive that's just as diverse, rich and rewarding - the BBC's spoken word, music archive.
As long as there have been pop stars, the BBC has spoken to them. Marc Riley and his trusty Time Machine - a rickety rust-bucket, back-firing jalopy - travel back through the years to visit the great and the good, the famous and the infamous, safely ensconced within the treasure trove of the BBC archive. Marc replays candid snapshots at crucial points in the careers of some of the biggest names in music.
In each episode, Marc lines up the Time Machine to travel to two different points in time and revisit two interviews with something in common - a person or place, a shared influence or ideology, a discovery, a misunderstanding.
In this first episode, the interviews share a geographic connection - Berlin. David Bowie, in conversation with Radio 1's Stuart Grundy from 1977, explains why the city was so good for his creativity. The second interview comes from 1990 when Iggy Pop spoke to Nicky Campbell about how he hooked up with Bowie and offered another perspective on their time together in Germany.
Is technology making us less human? Writer, Tom Chatfield is an enthusiastic downloader of the latest apps, an early adopter of anything small and shiny that promises to smooth his path through life. But Tom can't help feeling a little anxious about the hold that new technology has on his life.
Plato felt much the same, concerned that the new- fangled concept of writing might destroy the ability of the Ancient Greeks to memorise vast swathes of human knowledge. Do car sat-navs destroy our innate sense of direction? Do search engines displace our store of general knowledge?
With the help of the Economist's Digital Editor, Tom Standage and cybernetics expert, Kevin Warwick, Tom looks toward a future when the communication and computing power of our smartphones is inserted directly into our nervous systems. With superfast thought processes and a battery of new senses will we feel upgraded or out of control, superhuman or inhuman?
Winston Churchill was revered by millions as the saviour of Britain in the Second World War, but he wasn't just a great war leader - he wrote millions of words of journalism, he painted, he built brick walls, he owned racehorses, he gambled in Monte Carlo casinos and even wrote screenplays. Yet his personality was mercurial; bouts of hyper-activity were interspersed with black days of depression. While he had a loving marriage, he spent long periods apart from his wife and children, some of whom caused him deep anxiety and distress.
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of his death, celebrated historian Sir David Cannadine, author of In Churchill's Shadow, examines the life and career of Winston Churchill by looking at ten different themes that are less well known, but which are crucial to a fuller understanding of one of the most extraordinary individuals ever to occupy No. 10 Downing Street.
Winston Churchill never knew the names of his secretaries - calling 'get me a miss' when he needed to give dictation. Yet such was his charm that women fell in love with him over the dinner table. How much was he interested in women - or sex? Today, Sir David Cannadine explores Churchill's attitude to women, his relationship with his nanny Mrs. Everest and with the other central woman in his life, his wife Clementine.
Crime drama based on the characters from the best selling novel by the multi-award winning writer, GF Newman. This second series runs from 1961 to 1970.
Spanning six decades, the saga plots the course of one family against the back-drop of a revolution in crime as the underworld extends its influence to the very heart of the establishment, in an uncomfortable relationship of shared values.
At the start of the 1960s, Joey Oldman acquires crafty Arnold Goodman as his solicitor, and buys shares in the civil engineering firm owned by the corrupt Minister of Transport, Ernest Marples.
Prospering with the help of venal bankers, and growing more devious, he and his wife Cath join Macmillan's Conservative Party. They strive without success to keep their son Brian free of the influence of Jack Braden (Cath's brother) as he takes their 'firm' from running illicit clubs, where they entertain politicians and judges, to armed robbery. All the while, Jack and Brian struggle to keep free of the police and further entanglements with the law, the Kray twins and the Richardsons.
Tory councillor, Margaret Courtney, helps Joey corrupt City officials, while continuing their affair.
The Human Zoo is a place to learn about the one subject that never fails to fascinate - ourselves. Are people led by the head or by the heart? How rational are we? And how do we perceive the world?
There's a curious blend of intriguing experiments to discover our biases and judgements, explorations and examples taken from what's in the news to what we do in the kitchen, and it's all driven by a large slice of curiosity.
Michael Blastland presents. Nick Chater, Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick University, is the experimenter-in-chief, and Timandra Harkness the resident reporter.
In this programme, we look at information avoidance and denial: when and how do we resist the facts?
Psychologist Professor Tanya Byron and Michael Rosen discuss the language parents use to talk to their children. Do parents over-praise, and is it ok to say no? How is the way that parents talk to children changing and what effect might that have? With linguist Dr Laura Wright.
Mervyn King, former Governor of the Bank of England tells Matthew Parris why the life of the Prime Minister of Finland Risto Ryti was so remarkable.
Series which persuades guests to try new experiences: things they really ought to have done by now.
Some experiences are loved, some are loathed, in this show all about embracing the new.
Jennifer hints to Kate that Phoebe could do with some comforting. Some time with Hayley would help. Kate offers to drive Phoebe to Birmingham to see Hayley. Kate also plans to have Phoebe move into her cottage with her, so that they can really bond over the next year.
Jennifer confronts Kate over Lucas, wanting the truth. Kate insists that Lucas's interfering parents are to blame for Kate being estranged from her children. Brian warns Jennifer that the situation could be more complicated - there are two sides to every story.
Pat's worried that Helen isn't doing enough to sort out the problems at the shop. Tony can't wait to get better and back to work, which Tom and Pat know is unrealistic. They were shocked at Tony's idea to get another bull. Tom reassures Pat that they can rely on him as Tony recovers properly.
Pat feels that Rob has no right to interfere in the management of the shop, which is missing Helen's touch. Helen's so busy. They'll have to do something. How can they persuade Helen to come back?
Lilian finally reveals to Jennifer that Matt has left for good, and pretty much cleaned her out. Suspecting that Matt is with someone else, Lilian feels alone - and that she always will be, without her Tiger.
Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film is Inherent Vice, an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's seventh novel, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. It describes itself as surf noir. The novelist Lawrence Norfolk joins Samira Ahmed to say whether it captures the style, humour and psychadelic content of the book.
Charlie Lyne, director of Beyond Clueless, a film about the teen films that defined his youth, and Naomi Alderman, critic, author and lover of teen films, discuss the tropes of the classic teen movie and the blend of nostalgia and unease we feel re-watching the films of our own adolescence.
Lead curator Dr Cynthia Johnston discusses Cotton to Gold: Extraordinary Collections of the Industrial North West, a new exhibition that showcases the treasures of several 19th Century Lancashire mill magnates.
Dara is a new play about a ferocious family fight for succession and conflicting visions of Islam. Set in India in 1659, it's the story of two brothers and a sister whose mother's death inspired the Taj Mahal. The writer Shahid Nadeem and adaptor Tanya Ronder talk to Samira.
Where have all the nurses gone? File on 4 looks at the reasons for the nursing shortage in the NHS in England and the cost of plugging the gaps at a time of peak demand.
A decision four years ago to cut training places to save money is still haunting the health service. There's no shortage of people wanting to be nurses but the NHS is badly understaffed.
Recruitment in countries like Spain, Portugal and Italy has quadrupled in the last year as NHS trusts fail to find enough domestic nurses. But with thousands of European nurses encouraged to come here with incentives like relocation bonuses and free accommodation, why are hospitals still breaking guidelines on the level of acceptable vacancies? And how much has that contributed to the winter crisis in Accident and Emergency Units across the country?
Hospitals aren't the only area of concern. Professional bodies like the RCN say there has been a reduction in the number of experienced senior nurses working in the community. Has the recent focus on increasing nurses on hospital wards meant other areas have suffered? And what impact will that have on the Government's long term plan to solve our hospital crisis by caring for more patients at home?
A study by Colorado University has shown that simulating blindness may adversely affect sighted people's perception of the visually impaired. Peter White speaks to the study's lead author Arielle Silverman, who is blind, about her findings.
Tony Shearman visits a pub in Grampound, Cornwall, to meet a blind dart's team.
BeMyEyes is a new iPhone app that connects a blind person wanting a little bit of help, with a sighted volunteer. We hear from a user, and the app's inventor, Hans Wiberg.
Drugs link to dementia, Gluten-free, Heart disease in women, Social jetlag, Boilers on prescription
With widespread reports of a link between dementia and commonly used medicines, Inside Health assesses the risks.
Why women are more likely to die from heart disease than men with cardiologist, Dr Laura Corr.
With more and more people choosing to adopt a gluten free diet, Mark explores the possible health benefits for people who don't have coeliac disease. Is the real problem wheat intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, or too much hype?
Boilers on prescription: a new idea being investigated by one Clinical Commissioning Group.
And new research that links having a weekend lie-in with an increased risk of obesity-related diseases, like diabetes.
PM suggests winter fuel payments and free TV licences will still be protected from welfare cuts, if Conservatives win general election.
The promise of wealth beyond imagining and his every wish granted tempts a young Hawaiian sailor to purchase an enchanted bottle. There's just one catch; if the owner should die before selling it on, his soul will burn in hell forever. Keawe reasons that the bottle should be easy enough to pass on once he has gained his heart's desire - but it must be sold at a loss, and the price drops with every trade...
Witnessing the bottle's sinister power, Keawe is increasingly uneasy and determines to rid himself of it as quickly as possible. But once parted with it, can he avoid the curse of previous owners and remain content with his lot?
The Northern Ireland Secretary admits there could be further cases of people on the run wrongly sent so-called "comfort letters". At Home Affairs Committee, MPs speak to a survivor of Female Genital Mutilation. Sean Curran reports from Westminster.
WEDNESDAY 28 JANUARY 2015
WED 00:00 Midnight News (b05053q3)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by weather.
WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b05077k4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b05053q5)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b05053q7)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b05053q9)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (b05053qc)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b051s5yn)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ed Kessler, from the Woolf Institute in Cambridge.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (b0507lgt)
Scottish Tenant Rights, TB Testing, Welsh Hill Farmers, Vegan Views on the Milk Industry
Radical reform proposals aimed at revitalising tenant farming in Scotland have been announced. Scottish farming minister, Richard Lochhead, explains why.
Also the overhaul of TB testing system in England and Wales. We hear from Simon Hall, the Animal and Plant Health Agency's veterinary director.
And the creation of F4U, Farmers for the Upland, speaking up for upland farmers in Wales.
All this week on Farming Today we hear about the pressures dairy farmers are facing because of declining prices. But there are some groups, who disagree with milk production per se on animal welfare grounds. We hear from The Vegan Society, which supports food production which doesn't involved animals, saying the dairy industry is damaging and we'd be better off without it.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Mark Smalley.
WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04t0t02)
Oilbird
Michael Palin presents the oilbird, from a Venezuelan cavern. Demonic screeching's and the rush of unseen wings mixed with a volley of strange clicks are the sound backdrop to oilbirds.
Oilbirds are known in Spanish as guacharos .."the wailing ones". These bizarre-looking brown birds with huge mouths, long broad wings and long tails were seen in 1799 by the explorer Alexander von Humboldt in 1817 who described their sounds as "ear-splitting". They're similar to nightjars, their closest relatives, but unlike them, oilbirds feed on fruit; ..... they're the world's only nocturnal flying fruit-eating bird.
In their dark breeding caves, they navigate using echolocation like bats. Young oilbirds grow fat on a diet of fruit brought in by their parents and can weigh half as much as again as the adults. These plump chicks were once harvested by local people and settlers for oil which was used in cooking and, ironically for a bird which spends its life in darkness, for lighting lamps.
WED 06:00 Today (b0507lgw)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Midweek (b0507lgy)
Cathy Tyson, Sir Tim Smit, Adam Cohen, Rupert Harry Miller
Libby Purves meets actor Cathy Tyson; Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project; singer and songwriter Adam Cohen and designer Rupert Harry Miller.
Cathy Tyson is a television, film and theatre actor. She plays the title role of Marie Curie in Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie by Alan Alda. She starred opposite the late Bob Hoskins in the 1986 film Mona Lisa for which she was nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe award. She appeared on television in Band of Gold and Grange Hill and on stage in The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice. Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie is at the Tabard Theatre, London.
Rupert Harry Miller is a designer and author. His autobiography, Life of a Salesman, tells how he honed his salesmanship skills in Eastern Europe in the 1990s. The story of his colourful antics is clouded by the death of Rupert's brother, Julian, who suffered from haemophilia and died after developing Aids from the contaminated blood he received as part of his treatment. Life of a Salesman is published by Spiffing Covers.
Adam Cohen is a Canadian singer and songwriter. His fifth album, We Go Home, was recorded in several locations including the Greek Island of Hydra, where he spent most of his childhood, and Montreal, the city of his birth. Adam is the son of Leonard Cohen, celebrated for songs such as Hallelujah, Bird on the Wire and Suzanne. We Go Home is released on Cooking Vinyl. Adam is touring Europe.
Sir Tim Smit is a Dutch-born British businessman who, with John Nelson, rediscovered and then restored the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall. The gardens had slipped into decline after the estate's workers had left to fight in the First World War. Sir Tim is also co-founder of the Eden Project, an environmental tourist attraction. The Lost Gardens of Heligan celebrates the 25th anniversary of its rediscovery with a photographic exhibition of The Lost Images and a walk through the garden.
Producer: Paula McGinley.
WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b0507lh0)
Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible
Episode 3
In the early 2000s, Peter Pomerantsev (the son of Russian political exiles) came to Moscow to work in the fast-growing television industry. He was perfectly placed to witness the transformation of the New Russia on its journey from communist collapse to a new form of dictatorship.
"Black is white and white is black." Like the subject of an absurdist short story by Gogol, businesswoman Yana Yakovleva finds herself accused of drug trafficking and is falsely imprisoned: an innocent victim of political wrangling near the top of the Kremlin.
Written by Peter Pomerantsev
Read by Justin Salinger
Abridged by Robin Brooks
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2015.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b0507lh2)
Should we brief juries involved in sex cases?
Jill Saward, co-founder of Jurors Understanding Rape Is Essential Standard (JURIES) campaign and Helen Reece, Professor in Law at the LSE, speak to Jenni Murray about whether mandatory briefings of juries on myths about rape and sexual violence at the beginning of trials for sexual offences should be introduced.
Award winning poet and playwright Sabrina Mafhouz performs live and reveals what made her move into the arts away from the more formal world of the civil service, her expanding repertoire of written work and why inspiring others to write and perform their poetry is so important to her.
One in ten of the world's adult population is illiterate - nearly two-thirds are women. One charity attempting to tackle the problem is Room to Read. Their Co Founder Erin Ganju talks about the work they're doing to support and educate girls and help them out of poverty.
Are you a die-hard shredder? For the uninitiated, it's a 20 minute workout, which combines cardio and strength training. The woman behind it is Jillian Michaels an American health and wellness expert - she explains why it's so popular and the principle behind it.
WED 10:40 Tinsel Girl (b0507lh4)
Tinsel Girl and the Tropical Trip
Episode 3
Tinsel Girl and the Tropical Trip by Lou Ramsden
Episode 3
Still furiously trying to raise the money to get herself to Lisa's wedding, Maz decides to take handsome temp Ollie up on his offer of a date. It is perhaps not quite the romantic outing he had imagined -
5.30am on a Sunday morning, driving Maz, her wheelchair and a mountain of her household tat to a local car boot sale.
Written by Lou Ramsden
Directed by Charlotte Riches
The drama is inspired by the adventures and experiences of Cherylee Houston.
WED 10:55 The Listening Project (b0507lh8)
Margaret and Geraldine - A Talk with Mum
Fi Glover introduces a conversation between a mother who now speaks through an electronic device and her daughter, about just how precious a chat can be.
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.
WED 11:00 Tales from the Ring Road (b0507lhb)
Coventry
Anne-Marie Duff narrates a new documentary series for BBC Radio 4, telling stories of survival and resilience on the UK's ring roads - in towns & cities often overlooked.
The ring road is the circulatory system of the city - a perilous place where life can seem fragile, but one which also bears witness to tales of great resilience and kindness.
In this first episode, Coventry is in the spotlight. Among the stories, the murder of Eritrea-born Genet Kidane who was pushed to her death from a bridge over the ring road. Also, one man's miraculous survival after a head-on collision with a car going the wrong way round the ring road.
As drivers jostle for space in the busy lanes of traffic, the ring road is contested in other ways too. In Coventry a massive development planned just adjacent to the ring road has provoked a fierce debate about the future of the city.
Also in the series, stories from the roads of Wolverhampton and Bedford.
Producer: Laurence Grissell.
WED 11:30 Alun Cochrane's Fun House (b01rlnhp)
The Kitchen
Comedian Alun Cochrane has a 25 year mortgage which he can only pay off by being funny. In this series he takes us on a room by room, stand up tour of his house.
He has a fridge that beeps at him when he doesn't move quickly enough and a fire alarm he can't reach. His relationship with his house is a complicated one.
A hoarder of funny and original observations on everyday life, Alun invites us to help him de-clutter his mind and tidy his ideas into one of those bags that you hoover all the air out of and keep under your bed. This show will help Alun and his house work through their relationship issues and prevent a separation that Alun can ill afford; at least not until the market picks up anyway.
Performers: Alun Cochrane and Gavin Osborn
Writers: Alun Cochrane and Andy Wolton
Producer: Carl Cooper.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2013.
WED 12:00 News Summary (b05053qf)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 A History of Ideas (b0507lhd)
Historian Justin Champion on Francis Bacon
Historian Justin Champion on Francis Bacon's anxieties about the fallibility of technological innovators. The 17th century polymath Francis Bacon blew a fanfare for the new scientific age: where man would dominate, understand and improve the world and use technology to achieve this. Optimistic about man's ingenuity and the potential perfectibility of human society he saw also that men were weak. Nature might have been laid out by God as a kind of book for man to read but individual humans were as likely to be motivated by greed, folly and pride as good intentions. He explored this idea in his book of 1609, The Wisdom of the Ancients, where he used the example of Daedalus, the most ingenious of inventors from Greek Myth to consider the ambiguities of technical progress. Daedalus inventions were truly marvellous but his pride and lack of forethought led to disaster for all around him, not least his son Icarus who perished testing out one his father's extraordinary inventions.
WED 12:15 You and Yours (b0507lhg)
Green Deal, Computer Games, Tax Fraud
Tax man issues beware warnings as fraud threat rises ahead of the tax self-assessment deadline this weekend
What's it like to be held in an NHS assessment centre because of the logjam of people waiting to be placed in independent living facilities
The Green Deal is two years old but businesses hoping to benefit say they have lost out.
Computer Games sold over $100 billion worth of product last year: how the industry is developing away from blood and gore.
Campaign group say the promises made to reduce sugar by the food industry have made no difference to cereals- some of which have more.
EDF became the last of the big six energy firms to lower prices but only by 1.3%- so who's got the best deal on the market now?
WED 12:57 Weather (b05053qh)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 13:00 World at One (b0507lhl)
Analysis of current affairs reports, presented by Mark Mardell.
WED 13:45 Churchill's Other Lives (b00zlk0h)
Money
Winston Churchill was revered by millions as the saviour of Britain in the Second World War, but he wasn't just a great war leader - he wrote millions of words of journalism, he painted, he built brick walls, he owned racehorses, he gambled in Monte Carlo casinos and even wrote screenplays. Yet his personality was mercurial; bouts of hyper-activity were interspersed with black days of depression. While he had a loving marriage, he spent long periods apart from his wife and children, some of whom caused him deep anxiety and distress.
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of his death, celebrated historian Sir David Cannadine, author of In Churchill's Shadow, examines the life and career of Winston Churchill by looking at ten different themes that are less well known, but which are crucial to a fuller understanding of one of the most extraordinary individuals ever to occupy No. 10 Downing Street.
Winston Churchill's finances were never comfortable. Despite being born in a palace, he had to work as a writer to fund his lavish lifestyle and lack of money was a constant source of anxiety. He spent more than he earned for most of his life, gambled in Monte Carlo casinos and was prevented from selling Chartwell by the generous intervention of supporters. Today, Sir David Cannadine explores Churchill's vexed relationship with money.
Featuring Roger Allam as Winston Churchill.
Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 14:00 The Archers (b05077l1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 GF Newman's The Corrupted (b0507lhn)
Series 2
Episode 8
Crime drama based on the characters from the best selling novel by the multi-award winning writer, GF Newman. This second series runs from 1961 to 1970.
Spanning six decades, the saga plots the course of one family against the back-drop of a revolution in crime as the underworld extends its influence to the very heart of the establishment, in an uncomfortable relationship of shared values.
At the start of the 1960s, Joey Oldman acquires crafty Arnold Goodman as his solicitor, and buys shares in the civil engineering firm owned by the corrupt Minister of Transport, Ernest Marples.
Prospering with the help of venal bankers, and growing more devious, he and his wife Cath join Macmillan's Conservative Party. They strive without success to keep their son Brian free of the influence of Jack Braden (Cath's brother) as he takes their 'firm' from running illicit clubs, where they entertain politicians and judges, to armed robbery. All the while, Jack and Brian struggle to keep free of the police and further entanglements with the law, the Kray twins and the Richardsons.
Episode 8:
Brian gets scared of Jack's madness and asks his dad, Joey, to help him escape his influence.
Written by GF Newman
Produced and Directed by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b0507lsb)
The State Pension
State Pension question? To talk to Paul Lewis and guests, call 03700 100 444 from
1pm to
3.30pm on Wednesday or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk
When will you reach state pension age?
Will you fall under the current or the new state pension rules?
What will your state pension be worth?
How many qualifying years will you need to receive a full state pension?
Will your payment be affected by contracting out?
Where do you stand if you don't work while looking after children or have a caring role?
Can you increase the payments by deferring your State Pension?
Whatever your question, our guests will be ready to explain how it works. Joining presenter Paul Lewis will be:
Chris Curry, Director, Pensions Policy Institute.
Malcolm McLean OBE, Senior Consultant, Barnett Waddingham.
Sally West, Policy Manager, Age UK.
Call 03700 100 444 from
1pm to
3.30pm on Wednesday or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk now. Standard geographic call charges apply.
WED 15:30 Inside Health (b05077n8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b0507lsd)
Social Stigma and Negative Labels - Migraine
Migraine: a cultural history. How did a painful and disabling disorder come to be seen as a symptom of femininity? Laurie Taylor talks to Joanna Kempner, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University, about her research into the gendered values which feed into our understanding of pain. Also, 'chavs' and 'pramfaces': Anoop Nayak, Professor in Social and Cultural Geography at Newcastle University, discusses a study into how marginalised young men and women resist the social stigma attached to negative labels. He's joined by Helen Wood, Professor of Media and Communication at the University of Leicester.
Producer: Jayne Egerton.
WED 16:30 The Media Show (b0507lsg)
The future of news; Entertainment shows; Page 3 and The Sun
The job of public service journalism is to provide news, not noise according to a new report by the BBC into The Future of News. The report makes the case that in an internet age, the BBC is more necessary and valuable than ever. It says the internet is magnifying problems of information inequality, misinformation, polarisation and disengagement. So how is BBC News going to deliver on its mission to inform in an age beyond broadcasting? Steve hears from the BBC's Director of News, James Harding. He also hears from Emily Bell, Director of The Tow Centre for Digital Journalism, at Columbia University's School of Journalism about the increasing tabloidisation of journalism on the web.
A week ago, the media, reported that The Sun had dropped topless models from Page 3. The paper itself neither confirmed nor denied the claims. Just 2 days after the story first appeared in The Times, Page 3 reappeared in sister paper The Sun. Media commentator Roy Greenslade, and publicist, Mark Borkowski discuss the possible PR strategy of the paper.
TV shows Strictly, X Factor and I'm a Celebrity have been entertaining the nation for over a decade. Why are durable entertainment formats proving so hard to find? Steve hears from Mark Wells, former ITV Controller of Entertainment and now Creative Director of Rain Media Entertainment and Jane Lush, former BBC Controller, Entertainment Commissioning who now runs Kalooki Pictures.
Producer: Dianne McGregor.
WED 17:00 PM (b0507lsj)
PM at
5pm- Eddie Mair with interviews, context and analysis.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b05053qk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 18:30 What Does the K Stand For? (b0507mbg)
Series 2
A Royal Visit
Mad about the monarchy.
Stephen K Amos's sitcom about growing up black, gay and funny in 1980s south London.
Written by Jonathan Harvey with Stephen K Amos.
Stephen K Amos … Stephen K Amos
Young Stephen … Shaquille Ali-Yebuah
Stephanie Amos … Fatou Sohna
Virginia Amos … Ellen Thomas
Vincent Amos … Don Gilet
Miss Bliss … Michelle Butterly
Jayson Jackson … Frankie Wilson
Margaret Cabourn-Smith … Fergie
Producer: Colin Anderson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2015.
WED 19:00 The Archers (b0507mbj)
Johnny's dreading getting the results of his Maths and English retakes this week. Even after Tom's help, Johnny doubts he has passed. Tom distracts him with some ploughing work. Tom teaches confident Johnny, who gets to measures a furrow.
Neil arrives and questions Tom's choice of field to move the pigs to. Accepting Tom's reasoning, Neil is still put out that he wasn't consulted.
Neil complains to Susan, who tells him he should have stood his ground. He needs to stop complaining and do something about it.
Ed, Emma and Keira watch as the four cows are taken to be sold at Felpersham Market. They're glad that George (who's with Will) isn't there to witness.
Emma confides In Susan that she's worried about Ed's mood. He keeps calling himself a failure. But Susan knows how hard he works. Like Neil, Ed just needs a bit of a push from Emma, who could learn from her mother.
Ed's pleased to get the expected price for the cows. The hard part now is deciding what to do next. Ed has made an appointment to see a solicitor about dealing with the Estate. Emma offers to postpone the wedding, if it will help things. No way, says Ed. If there's one thing he's sure of, it's that he wants to marry Emma.
WED 19:15 Front Row (b0507pmm)
David Oyelowo; Helen Macdonald; Bob Dylan Album; Joanna Marsh
British actor David Oyelowo discusses taking on the role of Martin Luther King Jr in new film Selma and why it took Hollywood so long to make a film about such an important figure; Mark Ellen reviews Bob Dylan's new album of Sinatra covers; Helen Macdonald reflects on winning the Costa Book of the Year Award for H is for Hawk; and Dubai-based composer Joanna Marsh reveals how she looks to the Arabic landscape for inspiration in her compositions.
WED 19:45 Tinsel Girl (b0507lh4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:40 today]
WED 20:00 Unreliable Evidence (b0507pmp)
The Law and Rape
Convictions for rape in the UK are described as "shockingly low". Why does the law appear to be failing to protect women? Clive Anderson discusses what needs to be done to improve the situation with the Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders, Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner Martin Hewitt and two leading lawyers working in the area.
Solicitor Harriet Wistrich, founder of the campaign group Justice For Women, welcomes moves by the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to improve the way they deal with rape cases. But she says her experience suggests the message is not always reaching individual prosecutors and police officers.
Barrister and law lecturer Catarina Sjolin worries that the police and the CPS don't have the resources to deal with a huge increase in rape cases, pointing out that it can take two years between a rape being reported and a verdict.
How effective is the new Crown Prosecution Service and Police action plan on rape, which is aimed at increasing convictions? How should the CPS approach 'difficult' cases? And to what extent should the Police and CPS pursue women who falsely claim to have been raped?
Producer name: Brian King
An Above The Title production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 20:45 David Baddiel Tries to Understand (b050bk90)
Series 1
Sunni and Shia Islam
In the final episode in the series, David Baddiel tries to understand the difference between Sunni and Shia Islam.
David speaks to senior theologians from both traditions, but can he navigate his way through the complicated theological, political and social distinctions?
Producer: Giles Edwards.
WED 21:00 Gone to Earth (b048n3fb)
The Fan Dance
Infantry soldiers are trained, challenged and shaped by the Brecon Beacons. Horatio Clare walks with former soldiers to see the Welsh mountains through their eyes.
For decades the Brecon Beacons in South Wales have played an important part in British Army infantry training. Soldiers have walked, crawled, run, taken cover, got cold and wet, cursed and been shaped by the terrain of the Brecon Beacons. Writer Horatio Clare, who grew up in the Beacons, meets former infantry soldiers to explore their unique and lasting relationship with this landscape.
1. The Fan Dance: Horatio sets out to walk the infantry training route known as The Fan Dance, so called because it takes you over Pen y Fan, the highest peak in southern Britain. He's joined in the hills by former Parachute Regiment officers Adam Dawson and Evan Fuery and by Ed Butler who commanded British Forces in Afghanistan in 2006. The three soldiers talk about their deep physical and psychological connection with these upland border landscapes and the fact that, wherever they have served, wherever they're from originally, the Brecon Beacons become 'home'.
Horatio also gets first-hand experience of infantry endurance training and skills from Steve Rees, a former Royal Marine physical training and outdoor pursuits instructor. As he shoulders a 55 pound bergen - the military term for a rucksack - and Steve puts him through his paces, Horatio experiences first-hand a soldier's focused, exhausting, exhilarating intimacy with the landscape. He discovers how to turn it to your advantage and use it as cover; and what you see and know if it as you move invisibly through it, gone to earth.
Producer: Jeremy Grange.
WED 21:30 Midweek (b0507lgy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b050bk93)
New Greek prime minister promises to press ahead with anti-austerity policies
Alexis Tsipras tells first cabinet meeting his priority is to address "humanitarian disaster" in his country.
WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b050bk95)
The Bottle Imp
Episode 3
Keawe, a young Hawaiian sailor, buys an enchanted bottle that grants its owner's every wish. There's just one catch; if the owner dies before selling it on, his soul will burn in hell forever. Keawe reasons that the bottle should be easy enough to pass on once he has gained his heart's desire - but it must be sold at a loss, and the price drops with every trade...
Witnessing the bottle's sinister power, Keawe is glad to get rid of it and when he becomes engaged to a beautiful and clever woman his happiness is unbounded. But a shocking discovery forces him to reconsider his decision to sell the bottle.
Read by Ian McDiarmid
Written by Robert Louis Stevenson
Abridged by Kirsteen Cameron
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
WED 23:00 Roger McGough's Other Half (b050bmfk)
Episode 4
Roger McGough is joined by Helen Atkinson-Wood, Philip Jackson and Richie Webb in a hilarious and surreal new sketch show for BBC Radio 4. With sketches about Fandom, Fatherhood and 17th Century France, you'll hear his familiar voice in a whole new light. Expect merriment and melancholy in equal measures, and a whisker of witty wordplay too. Produced by Victoria Lloyd.
WED 23:15 Love in Recovery (b050bmfm)
Series 1
Andy
The lives of five very different recovering alcoholics.
Set entirely at their weekly meetings, we hear them get to know each other, learn to hate each other, argue, moan, laugh, fall apart, fall in love and, most importantly, tell their stories.
Comedy drama by Pete Jackson, set in Alcoholics Anonymous. Starring Sue Johnston, John Hannah, Eddie Marsan, Rebecca Front, Paul Kaye and Julia Deakin.
In this episode, Andy has a date for the first time in....well....longer than he'd like to admit. It's up to the rest of the group to rally round and get him match fit.
Julie ...... Sue Johnston
Marion ...... Julia Deakin
Fiona ...... Rebecca Front
Simon ...... John Hannah
Danno ...... Paul Kaye
Andy ...... Eddie Marsan
There are funny stories, sad stories, stories of small victories and milestones, stories of loss, stories of hope, and stories that you really shouldn't laugh at - but still do. Along with the storyteller.
Writer Pete Jackson is a recovering alcoholic and has spent time with Alcoholics Anonymous. It was there he found, as many people do, support from the unlikeliest group of disparate souls, all banded together due to one common bond. As well as offering the support he needed throughout a difficult time, AA also offered a weekly, sometimes daily, dose of hilarity, upset, heartbreak and friendship.
Director: Ben Worsfield
A Lucky Giant production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2015.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b050bmfp)
The Health Service dominates a busy day in the Commons. Susan Hulme follows the latest robust exchanges between the party leaders at Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons.
Also on the programme:
* An MP speaks out about living conditions in some parts of the privately rented housing sector.
* The Chief Inspector of England's Schools tells MPs standards in state schools are 'mediocre'.
* Frustration over the delays in the reporting of the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq War spreads to the Lords.
THURSDAY 29 JANUARY 2015
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b05053r9)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b0507lh0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b05053rc)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b05053rf)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b05053rh)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b05053rk)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b051s60x)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ed Kessler, from the Woolf Institute in Cambridge.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b050bcdx)
Fracking, Dairy
The Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing has announced a moratorium on fracking north of the border. It comes after a move for a UK wide freeze on fracking consents was heavily defeated at Westminster earlier in the week. Mr Ewing said that there would have to be an assessment of environmental regulation, the possible impact of fracking on public health and a full public consultation on 'unconventional oil and gas extraction' before the Scottish government would go ahead with any new licences.
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04t0vb1)
Black Sicklebill
Michael Palin presents the black sicklebill of New Guinea. The black sicklebill is a breath-taking creature. It's a bird of paradise, and the male sicklebill's black feathers gleam with metallic blue, green and purple highlights. But his most striking features are a slender scythe-like bill, and an extremely long sabre-shaped tail whose central plumes can reach 50cm in length.
During courtship, he transforms his pectoral and wing feathers into a huge ruff which almost conceals his head and exposes an iridescent blue patch. Perching on a dead branch, he displays horizontally, looking less like a bird than a small black comet, all the while producing strange rattling cries.
It is thought that the Black sicklebill and its relative the Brown Sickle bill may have spooked the Japanese in the Second World War. Japanese forces had occupied the North coast of (Papua) New Guinea and during their push south to the capital, Port Moresby, had to cross the mountain territories of the sicklebills. It's said that on hearing the birds' courtship displays; they flung themselves to the ground, thinking that they were under fire from the Allies.
THU 06:00 Today (b050bcdz)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (b050bcf1)
Thucydides
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the ancient Greek historian Thucydides. In the fifth century BC Thucydides wrote The History of the Peloponnesian War, an account of a conflict in which he had himself taken part. This work is now seen as one of the first great masterpieces of history writing, a book which influenced writers for centuries afterwards. Thucydides was arguably the first historian to make a conscious attempt to be objective, bringing a rational and impartial approach to his scholarship. Today his work is still widely studied at military colleges and in the field of international relations for the insight it brings to bear on complex political situations.
With:
Paul Cartledge
Emeritus Professor of Greek Culture and AG Leventis Senior Research Fellow at Clare College, Cambridge
Katherine Harloe
Associate Professor in Classics and Intellectual History at the University of Reading
Neville Morley
Professor of Ancient History at the University of Bristol
Producer: Thomas Morris.
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b050bcf3)
Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible
Episode 4
In the early 2000s, Peter Pomerantsev came to Moscow to work in the fast-growing television industry. He was perfectly placed to witness the transformation of the New Russia on its journey from communist collapse to a new form of dictatorship.
"Old walls and doors know something we can't understand... the true nature of time." Peter tours the city's hidden courtyards and side streets with Mozayev, a 'guardian spirit' of Old Moscow and self-proclaimed defender of its fast-disappearing historic architecture.
Written by Peter Pomerantsev
Read by Justin Salinger
Abridged by Robin Brooks
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2015.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b050bcf5)
Sophie Grabol - Sarah Lund in The Killing; Grey Pound Marketing
Jenni Murray speaks to Sofie Grabol, star of Danish detective drama The Killing. Sophie talks about appearing in brand new television crime thriller Fortitude where she plays the governor of a small Arctic town. She talks to Jenni about filming in Iceland, taking on a marathon work load after surviving breast cancer, and whether we might see the return of that famous jumper any time soon.
Joan Didion, Jessica Lange and Yasmina Rossi have all recently signed deals to become the faces of bigs brands. As we are seeing more over 50s faces in advertising, is this a cynical marketing ploy or symptomatic of a change in attitude to age and beauty? Tiff Stevenson, a comedian whose work draws on her fear of ageing and attitudes to older women in society; Tim Pethick, CEO of Saga Publishing and Sandra Howard, former model and fashion journalist discuss.
Academic Lisa McKenzie talks about her new book Getting By about the people who live on St Ann's estate in Nottingham, and being a working class woman with a PhD.
Forgotten Women of Science: Elsie Widdowson. The Science Museum in London is commemorating this with a special exhibition focusing on Churchill's interest in science. Rachel Boon is a curator of the exhibition and has inside knowledge on the women who made their mark in science during World War Two. Elsie Widdowson may not be a household name, but she was a nutritionist who made a huge impact on life at home during the war.
The Women's Justice Minister Simon Hughes says that the number of women being sent to prison needs to be reduced. But how can this be achieved in practice? BBC presenter Rachel Burden spent a day with women at Styal prison in Cheshire.
THU 10:45 Tinsel Girl (b050bcf7)
Tinsel Girl and the Tropical Trip
Episode 4
Tinsel Girl and the Tropical Trip by Lou Ramsden
Episode 4
A very nervous Maz arrives at the airport for her first trip abroad as a wheelchair user. Her first stop, however, is the security gate, where she has to smuggle through the cannabis which she relies so heavily upon for pain relief.
Written by Lou Ramsden
Directed by Charlotte Riches
The drama is inspired by the adventures and experiences of Cherylee Houston.
THU 11:00 From Our Own Correspondent (b050bfv7)
A Cosy Dinner in Leipzig
What are they talking about? In Germany there's emotional debate about Pegida; Libyans try to lead normal lives amid violence and instability; left-wingers from around Europe descend on Greece hoping a revolution's underway; surprise, subterfuge and misinformation swirl around the fighting in eastern Ukraine while Brazilians explain why they are proud to be the only nation in the region speaking Portuguese.
THU 11:30 Ansel Adams on Tape (b04dk88v)
Miles Warde explores the life of the great American photographer Ansel Adams on tape.
Using extensive archive, the programme builds a compelling picture of the man responsible for some of the most expensive photographic prints in history. He is probably most famous for dramatic black and white images of Yosemite, while a 1948 print of Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico sold for $609,000 in 2006.
With contributions from Ansel Adams, the photographer Greg Bartley, and Hiag Akmakjian, whose recordings of Adams speaking in Carmel, California in the 1980s have never previously been heard.
Producer: Miles Warde
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2014.
THU 12:00 News Summary (b05053rm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 A History of Ideas (b050bfv9)
Surgeon Gabriel Weston on medical technology
Surgeons of the distant past were little more than skilled butchers, trying to minimise the agony of their bone-sawing craft. Surgery itself was a last-resort and one you might not survive, and if you did, one of many brutal contagious diseases might wipe you out instead.
But spool forward through history, past the growth in sanitation, inventions of anaesthesia, antibiotics, radiation therapy and the discovery of germ theory, and look at the world of the present-day medic. Safe, effective drug treatments are par for the course, and surgeons, operating in controlled, clinical environments, can count light-rays and robots-assistants alongside scalpels in their quiver of surgical instruments.
Clearly medical technology has come a long way. But along with changing how we look, how we think and how we live, have these developments changed who we are as a species? And are we heading in a positive direction?
The meteoric rise of elective, 'cosmetic' surgery is testament to the changing expectations we place on our bodies, but the idea of either drugging or cutting ourselves in pursuit of perfection leaves many feeling uneasy.
Not everyone feels this way however; 'transhumanists' believe that it's not just possible, but philosophically noble, to try to break through our biological limitations through drugs, genetic modification, or enhancement therapies. They believe the future of our species relies on actively pursuing the dream of 'Superintelligence, Superlongevity and Superhappiness'. But at what cost?
Surgeon Gabriel Weston looks at the past, present, and the weird and wonderful future of medicine to find the answer.
THU 12:15 You and Yours (b050bfvc)
Green Energy Costs, The Real Cost of Living, Nuisance Calls
Consumer news.
THU 13:00 World at One (b050bfvf)
Analysis of current affairs reports, presented by Mark Mardell.
THU 13:45 Churchill's Other Lives (b00zllkb)
Painting
Winston Churchill was revered by millions as the saviour of Britain in the Second World War, but he wasn't just a great war leader - he wrote millions of words of journalism, he painted, he built brick walls, he owned racehorses, he gambled in Monte Carlo casinos and even wrote screenplays. Yet his personality was mercurial; bouts of hyper-activity were interspersed with black days of depression. While he had a loving marriage, he spent long periods apart from his wife and children, some of whom caused him deep anxiety and distress.
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of his death, celebrated historian Sir David Cannadine, author of In Churchill's Shadow, examines the life and career of Winston Churchill by looking at ten different themes that are less well known, but which are crucial to a fuller understanding of one of the most extraordinary individuals ever to occupy No. 10 Downing Street.
Despite not taking up painting until he was 40, Winston Churchill produced more than 500 canvasses in his lifetime and became an honorary member of the Royal Academy. His show there in 1959 outsold every previous exhibition except one dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci. So why was painting such an important part of Churchill's life? Sir David Cannadine explores the hobby that meant most to Churchill and how it helped to keep what he called the 'black dog' of depression at bay.
Featuring Roger Allam as Winston Churchill.
Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 14:00 The Archers (b0507mbj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 GF Newman's The Corrupted (b050bfvh)
Series 2
Episode 9
Crime drama based on the characters from the best selling novel by the multi-award winning writer, GF Newman. This second series runs from 1961 to 1970.
Spanning six decades, the saga plots the course of one family against the back-drop of a revolution in crime as the underworld extends its influence to the very heart of the establishment, in an uncomfortable relationship of shared values.
At the start of the 1960s, Joey Oldman acquires crafty Arnold Goodman as his solicitor, and buys shares in the civil engineering firm owned by the corrupt Minister of Transport, Ernest Marples.
Prospering with the help of venal bankers, and growing more devious, he and his wife Cath join Macmillan's Conservative Party. They strive without success to keep their son Brian free of the influence of Jack Braden (Cath's brother) as he takes their 'firm' from running illicit clubs, where they entertain politicians and judges, to armed robbery. All the while, Jack and Brian struggle to keep free of the police and further entanglements with the law, the Kray twins and the Richardsons.
Episode 9:
The police are trying to arrest Jack and put pressure on Brian to turn Queen's Evidence.
Written by GF Newman
Produced and Directed by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 15:00 Open Country (b050bfvk)
The Ring of Gullion
Helen Mark visits the Ring Of Gullion in Northern Ireland to discover it's ancient geographical features that are now attracting visitors from all over the world.
The Ring Of Gullion is in South Armagh, near the border with Ireland.
For years the area was an area that was dangerous during the troubles and so overlooked by tourists, but the locals have aware of it's beauty, wildlife and ancient history, packed with myths and legends for centuries. Now the area is trying to attract visitors and put itself firmly on the map as an area with plenty to attract visitors from all over the world.
Presenter: Helen Mark
Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b0505l33)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Open Book (b0505t2p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:00 The Film Programme (b050bfvm)
Paul Thomas Anderson on Inherent Vice; Stephen Daldry on Trash; Kids Clubs; Why we cry in films
With Francine Stock.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson discusses the challenges of writing Inherent Vice, the first ever movie adaptation of a novel by reclusive writer Thomas Pynchon.
Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry talks about the dangers of filming in the favelas of Rio for his caper movie Trash. And reveals why he ripped up the script and let his child actors improvise and decide their own ending.
Listeners sing word-perfect renditions of the Odeon Film Club song and ABC Minors anthem, five decades since they last sang them. They recall a paradise free from parental control, where you could to go to the toilet as often as you liked.
Francine consults neuroscientist professor Jeffrey Zacks about the reasons she cries helplessly when she watches the final moments of Louis Malle's war memoir Au Revoir Les Enfants.
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (b050bhnl)
Climate change belief; Anthropocene era; Eyes on the sea; Origins of multicellular life
We all remember the floods across much of central and southern England this time last year, and the devastating effect they had on people's lives and livelihoods. Today, a group of researchers at Cardiff University published a report on how people's perception of climate change has evolved in the wake of the floods. To what extent has our belief in man-made climate change altered? Do we now regard last year's events as a sign of things to come? Adam Rutherford talks to Nick Pidgeon from Cardiff University's School of Psychology who led this UK wide study
Earlier this week an international group of climate scientists, geographers and ecologists met at the Stockholm Resilience Centre in Sweden to wrangle how we can practically make the best of the Anthropocene - the new geological epoch that many consider that we now find ourselves in. Gaia Vince author of Adventures in the Anthropocene, reports from the Stockholm meeting
At the UK's Satellite Application Catapult in Harwell, a project has been unveiled that seeks to offer real time data on the world's fishing fleet to help governments police illegal fishing.
Pulling together data from shipping registers, satellite images, radar and ships' own transponders, Eyes on the Sea automatically scans for suspicious activity and can alert human users and allow them to see what ships are up to. The Pew Charitable Trusts hope that vessels carrying illegal cargoes can then be tracked across the ocean, and any port receiving them would know where they had been and what they had been up to.
How complex cells evolved is a mystery. Current theories on the evolutionary jump, between 1 and 2 billion years ago, from life forms based on a simple prokaryote cell to the complex multiple eukaryote cells with a cell nucleus and a host of complex internal machinery, fails to explain much of what we see within animal, plant and fungi cells today. Adam talks to Buzz Baum a cell biologist at University College London who has devised a new testable model which appears to explain one of biology's most basic questions.
Producer: Adrian Washbourne.
THU 17:00 PM (b050bhnn)
PM at
5pm- Carolyn Quinn with interviews, context and analysis.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b05053rp)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 Bridget Christie Minds the Gap (b050bhnq)
Series 2
Episode 4
Bridget Christie talks about why she's not grateful Russell Brand has stopped being a sexist.
She reveals what happens when you wear an end FGM badge on a popular TV show?
And discover why politics has a women problem.
Multi-award winning series about modern feminism.
Bridget thought that she'd be able to put her feet up after her last series, she expected it to bomb. Sadly it was a huge success. But it's OK, because actually she's solved the feminist struggle all by herself.
She's assisted by token man, Fred MacAulay.
Written by Bridget Christie.
Producers: Alison Vernon-Smith and Alexandra Smith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2015.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b050bhns)
David's grateful to Justin Elliott for granting him a chat. Justin's impressed that David's moving into robotic milking. He agrees to let the Archers stay on at Brookfield as tenants for a few months while the work is completed at Hadley Haugh. Justin's architect will be pleased. But will three months be long enough, asks Justin?
David updates Kenton on the move.
Joe fascinates David by showing him an old milk bottle from Brookfield Dairy, which he found in the pole barn. Joe still can't fathom the idea of there being no cows at Brookfield in the summer. Joe remembers the heartache of leaving Grange Farm. Ed's there now and Joe hopes he'll get a break one day.
Jennifer and Kate sit Phoebe down for a chat. Phoebe admits she finds it difficult to talk since Kate returned. Kate explains that she'd like Phoebe to live with her in her cottage. But Phoebe has little time for Kate. She blurts out the truth - Lucas threw Kate out because she had another affair. Kate tries to explain herself. Phoebe becomes angry and storms away, wishing Kate wasn't her mother. Jennifer is hurt for being kept in the dark.
Phoebe returns, but only to say that she's going to stay with Hayley tomorrow - and Kate can drive her.
THU 19:15 Front Row (b050bhnv)
Trash, Tom Stoppard's The Hard Problem, Andrew O'Hagan, Chilly Gonzales
Stephen Daldry's new film Trash, about three kids who make a discovery on a Brazilian rubbish dump, is reviewed by Larushka Ivan-Zadeh; The Hard Problem, Tom Stoppard's first play for the stage since Rock 'n' Roll in 2006, is reviewed by Matt Wolf; Andrew O'Hagan discusses his new novel The Illuminations; and Grammy-winning pianist and composer Chilly Gonzales on the influence of classical music on pop, and how he solved a tricky musical issue for Daft Punk.
Presenter John Wilson
Producer Jerome Weatherald.
THU 19:45 Tinsel Girl (b050bcf7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 The Report (b050bhnx)
French, Republican and Muslim, Insha'Allah?
Ahmed Merabet was one of three police officers killed in the recent terrorist attacks in France. All were honoured as heroes, but it was Ahmed's story which captured France, and the world's attention. As a Muslim who died responding to an attack on a publication which satirised the prophet Muhammed, many saw him as the perfect embodiment of the values of the French Republic and its hopes for the integration of its substantial Muslim population. As France now struggles to figure out how to combat radicalism and promote integration, politicians have called for France's muslims to "choose the Republic", in essence to be more like Ahmed Merabet. At his memorial service, Helen Grady meets Muslims who have come to pay their respects, and follows their lives in the aftermath of the attacks to find out whether they need to do more to be French, or whether the Republic's strong insistence on secularism leaves little place for French Muslims.
THU 20:30 The Bottom Line (b050bhvc)
The Price of Time
How should we price services? By the hour? By results? Or by the difficulty of the task? And what impact does each model have on how businesses are run? In the first of a new series Evan Davis and guests look at the history of how we've priced our time and expertise and why this may be about to change.
Guests :
Christopher Saul, senior partner, Slaughter & May
Debbie Klein, UK CEO, The Engine Group
Russell Quirk, Founder, EMoov.
THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (b050bhnl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (b050bcf1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b050bjhg)
Fate of two hostages held by Islamic State militants remains unclear
IS threat to kill Jordanian pilot and Japanese journalist if Iraqi prisoner not released
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b050bjhj)
The Bottle Imp
Episode 4
Keawe, a young Hawaiian sailor, is tempted into buying an enchanted bottle that will grant his every wish. There's a catch; if the owner dies before selling it on, his soul will burn in hell forever. Keawe reasons that the bottle should be easy enough to pass on once he has gained his heart's desire - but it must be sold at a loss, and the price drops with every trade...
Read by Ian McDiarmid
Written by Robert Louis Stevenson
Abridged by Kirsteen Cameron
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
THU 23:00 Colin Hoult's Carnival of Monsters (b050bjhl)
Series 2
Episode 4
Enter the Carnival of Monsters, a bizarre and hilarious world of sketches, stories and characters, presented by the sinister Ringmaster.
A host of characters are the exhibits at the Carnival - all played by Colin himself.
Meet such monstrous yet strangely familiar oddities as: Wannabe Hollywood screenwriter Andy Parker; Anna Mann - outrageous star of such forgotten silver screen hits such as 'Rogue Baker', 'Who's For Turkish Delight' and 'A Bowl For My Bottom'; and a host of other characters from acid jazz obsessives, to mask workshop coordinators.
Producer: Sam Bryant
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2015.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b050bjhn)
MPs criticise delays in the publication of the report into the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The inquiry led by Sir John Chilcot will not release the report until after the General Election. Several members of the Commons give a warning against any attempts to push publication further back.
The Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, moves to expand the role of "counter-extremism" in schools following the Trojan Horse scandal in Birmingham.
The growing use of food banks prompts angry exchanges in the Commons.
And peers call for changes in their own procedures amid complaints about question time in the House of Lords.
Sean Curran and team report on today's events in Parliament.
FRIDAY 30 JANUARY 2015
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b05053t5)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b050bcf3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b05053t7)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b05053t9)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b05053tc)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b05053tf)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b051s6jx)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ed Kessler, from the Woolf Institute in Cambridge.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b050bwp7)
GM fish food, First Milk boss, fines for unfair supermarkets?
The Government has confirmed that supermarkets could be fined millions of pounds by the Groceries Code Adjudicator, if they're found to have treated suppliers unfairly. The measure will be put through Parliament in the next few weeks.
Chairman of the troubled dairy processor First Milk, Sir Jim Paice, tells Charlotte Smith that he's confident the farmer-owned business has a future.
Vegetable oil from GM Camelina plants has been successfully trialled as a feed for farmed salmon. The scientists developing the crop say the oil provides essential long chain Omega 3s which are currently supplied by fishmeal, which many say is unsustainable.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sarah Swadling.
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04t0t44)
Kea
Michael Palin presents the kea from a windswept mountain in New Zealand. A a snow-capped mountain in New Zealand's South Island are not a place where you'd expect to find a parrot, least of all a carnivorous one (and with a penchant for rubber). But this is the home of the kea.
Keas are curious birds in every sense of the word. Drab greenish brown, they're the world's only Alpine parrot. When they can find them, keas eat fruits and berries, but also, especially in winter they descend from the higher slopes and scavenge on animal carcasses at rubbish dumps, cracking bones with their sharp beaks to reach the marrow. They will even attack live sheep, stripping the fat from their backs and damaging vital organs. Although this habit is rare and is now understood to be largely restricted to injured sheep, it led to widespread persecution of the birds and a bounty was paid on the head of each bird killed which led to widespread declines so that keas became endangered.
Today Keas are legally protected. In their mountain homes, the parrots survive to entertain and exasperate tourists as they clamber over cars, strip rubber seals from windscreens and remove wiper-blades ... curious birds indeed.
FRI 06:00 Today (b050bwpb)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b0505l3c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b050bwpf)
Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible
Episode 5
In the early 2000s, Peter Pomerantsev (the son of Russian political exiles) came to Moscow to work in the fast-growing television industry. He was perfectly placed to witness the transformation of the New Russia on its journey from communist collapse to a new form of dictatorship.
In this episode, he reflects upon the fractured nature of a country (and its people) that has moved so quickly from communism to capitalism, where the difference between 'public' and 'private' selves can, by necessity, be extreme. Realising that he can't maintain such psychological divisions, he decides to return to London.
Written by Peter Pomerantsev
Read by Justin Salinger
Abridged by Robin Brooks
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2015.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b050bwpk)
Abortion law; Women and art; Giving up booze; Colleen McCullough; Success stories
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is taking the devolved government in Belfast to the high court over its refusal to reform the abortion law. The Commission wants a change in the law so that women and girls in Northern Ireland have the choice of accessing a termination of pregnancy in circumstances of serious foetal abnormality, rape or incest. What is the basis for their legal challenge?
Are you among the thousands of women who resolved to cut down or stop drinking for January? Or perhaps you're among those who're hoping to give up the booze for good? A new wave of clubs and websites is springing up to support the growing numbers of women who are worried about their alcohol intake, but how do they differ from Alcoholics Anonymous and can they really help?
This weekend a new exhibition exploring the legacy of one of the most important and controversial artists of modern times opens at the Norwich Castle art gallery. The French artist, Edouard Manet's provocative paintings of women scandalised the Paris art world, but they challenged traditional depictions of women, and paved the way for professional female artists of the early 20th century. We discuss the impact of his work.
Australian Author, Colleen McCullough, has died at the age of 77. Her most famous novel, The Thorn Birds, a story of an unlikely affair between a young woman and a priest, sold more than 30 million copies and became a successful mini-series. But how did she come to give up a promising career in neurophysiology to become one of Australia most famous and loved authors?
Success stories: Judy Merry visits Feversham College in Bradford to see how a writing project is helping encourage academic ambition in Muslim girls.
Presenter: Jenni Murray
Producer: Cecile Wright.
FRI 10:45 Tinsel Girl (b050bwpm)
Tinsel Girl and the Tropical Trip
Episode 5
Tinsel Girl and the Tropical Trip by Lou Ramsden
Episode 5
Maz finally arrives in the Seychelles, with the chiselled cheek-boned best man for Lisa's wedding in tow. Yet, with her pain levels riding high, it soon becomes clear to Maz that not everything is as sunny on this island paradise as she had imagined. Maz realises that she needs to work some of her Tinsel Girl magic.
Written by Lou Ramsden
Directed by Charlotte Riches
The drama is inspired by the adventures and experiences of Cherylee Houston.
FRI 11:00 The Sound of Space (b050bwpp)
The previously silent world of outer space is changing. In this audio tour around the Universe, Dr Lucie Green explores the sounds of space.
Some sounds have been recorded by microphones on-board interplanetary spacecraft. Others have been detected by telescopes and sped up until their frequency is tuned to our ears. The rest are sonified X-rays, space plasma or radio waves that reveal tantalising secrets about the universe that our eyes cannot see.
Everyone can recall the sound of the singing comet - a symphony created using measurements from the Rosetta mission. But many other sounds have been created from space data, from lightning on Jupiter to vibrations inside the Sun. From spinning pulsars to black holes and gamma ray bursts, outside our Solar System space becomes even stranger.
Joining Lucie Green on this sonic journey through space are:
- Prof Tim O'Brien (Associate Director of Jodrell Bank Observatory),
- Honor Harger (Executive Director of the ArtScience museum in Singapore) and
- Dr Andrew Pontzen (Cosmology Research Group, University College London)
with archive from Dame Jocelyn Bell-Burnell.
Producer: Michelle Martin.
FRI 11:30 Mark Steel's in Town (b03sztxc)
Series 5
Birkenhead
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 Birkenhead, Wirral, where the landscape may be dominated by the shipyard but the local life has also included monks, a "Bantam Army", one of the quirkiest bands in the country, and a pub inside a barbershop. You will also find out why this edition of Mark Steel's In Town was probably the inspiration for Woody Allen's Manhattan. From February 2014.
Written and performed by ... Mark Steel
Additional material by ... Pete Sinclair
Production co-ordinator ... Trudi Stevens
Producer ... Ed Morrish.
FRI 12:00 News Summary (b05053th)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 A History of Ideas (b050bwpr)
Archaeologist Matt Pope on tools and human evolution
There's a tiny bone needle at Creswell Crags in Derbyshire. For archaeologist Matt Pope it's hugely significant. 13,000 years ago local people used it to construct tailored clothing which allowed them to survive and thrive at the very limits of Ice Age civilisation.
Skip forward millennia and the first human visitor to Mars will be protected by a thin skin of man-made fabric, a suit containing the only biological processes for millions of miles. Our ability to create tools that take us into new and hostile environments is, for Matt Pope, the key to man's evolutionary journey.
It's a view he shares with the first philosopher of technology, Ernst Kapp. Living through Germany's rapid industrial revolution Kapp came to believe that we could extend all the functions of the human mind and body through technology. Together, man and his tools would know no limits.
FRI 12:15 You and Yours (b050bwpt)
Heated Clothes; Hidden Debt; Blue Badge Refusal
It's cold. Would you consider turning off the heating and relying on battery-warmed clothes? We challenge two You & Yours listeners to do that. Find out how they got on and how much money they saved.
Personal debt is spiralling out of control, with the amount we owe up by 41 per cent on last year. And recent research shows we're keeping that debt hidden. Why are we so reluctant to talk about money?
And we hear from the partially-sighted eighty-eight-year old man with reduced mobility and Alzheimer's who's been refused a blue badge for parking. Have attempts to clamp down on misuse of the badges meant people with genuine disabilites are being refused this assistance?
FRI 12:57 Weather (b05053tk)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b050bwpx)
Analysis of current affairs reports, presented by Shaun Ley.
FRI 13:45 Churchill's Other Lives (b050bwpz)
Science
Winston Churchill was revered by millions as the saviour of Britain in the Second World War, but he wasn't just a great war leader - he wrote millions of words of journalism, he painted, he built brick walls, he owned racehorses, he gambled in Monte Carlo casinos and even wrote screenplays. Yet his personality was mercurial; bouts of hyper-activity were interspersed with black days of depression. While he had a loving marriage, he spent long periods apart from his wife and children, some of whom caused him deep anxiety and distress.
Celebrated historian Sir David Cannadine, author of In Churchill's Shadow, examines the life and career of Winston Churchill by looking at ten different themes that are less well known, but which are crucial to a fuller understanding of one of the most extraordinary individuals ever to occupy No. 10 Downing Street.
Sir David ends the series by examining Winston Churchill's lifelong fascination with gadgets and technology, and by a scientific future - as evidenced by his early delight in the novels of H.G. Wells. During the First World War, Churchill was awe-struck by the potential of the tank and, in the inter-war years, his friendship with H.G. Wells gave him the vision to predict the creation of a super-bomb that would kill millions of people. He later became friends with Professor Lindeman, who would become his scientific advisor during the Second World War.
Featuring Roger Allam as the voice of Winston Churchill. Other parts are played by Ewan Bailey, Jasmine Hyde, James Sobol Kelly and Simon Tchernaik.
The theme tune was composed by David Owen Norris, and performed by David Owen Norris on piano, Andrew Lyle on clarinet and Bastwin Terraz on bass.
Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b050bhns)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 GF Newman's The Corrupted (b050bxkb)
Series 2
Episode 10
Crime drama based on the characters from the best selling novel by the multi-award winning writer, GF Newman. This second series runs from 1961 to 1970.
Spanning six decades, the saga plots the course of one family against the back-drop of a revolution in crime as the underworld extends its influence to the very heart of the establishment, in an uncomfortable relationship of shared values.
At the start of the 1960s, Joey Oldman acquires crafty Arnold Goodman as his solicitor, and buys shares in the civil engineering firm owned by the corrupt Minister of Transport, Ernest Marples.
Prospering with the help of venal bankers, and growing more devious, he and his wife Cath join Macmillan's Conservative Party. They strive without success to keep their son Brian free of the influence of Jack Braden (Cath's brother) as he takes their 'firm' from running illicit clubs, where they entertain politicians and judges, to armed robbery. All the while, Jack and Brian struggle to keep free of the police and further entanglements with the law, the Kray twins and the Richardsons.
Episode 10:
Corrupt Tony Wednesday manoeuvres Jack and Brian into court, then gets a big surprise from Joey.
Written by GF Newman
Produced and Directed by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b050c1rt)
Correspondence Edition
Peter Gibbs is at The University of Reading for a Correspondence Edition of the programme, where Bunny Guinness, Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood and James Wong answer questions sent in by post, email and via social media.
While Pippa and Bunny reminisce about their time studying at the University, James and Peter visit a corner of the campus that plays a vital role in the world's ability to grow cocoa.
Produced by Darby Dorras
Assistant Producer: Hannah Newton
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 15:45 Shorts (b050c4sd)
Scottish Shorts
No Numbers, by Pippa Goldschmidt
SHORTS: Scottish Shorts is one of a returning series of short readings featuring new writing from first time or emerging writers.
A woman considers the role of numbers in her life as she sits by the bed of her dying grandmother. Francesca Dymond reads a lyrical exploration of death, permanence and mathematics, written by Pippa Goldschmidt.
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie.
Pippa Goldschmidt is based in Edinburgh and came to creative writing from a previous career as an astronomer. She is the author of Dundee International Book Prize finalist, 'The Falling Sky'.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b050c4sg)
Sir Jack Hayward, Elena Obraztsova, Robert Stone, Jean Stogdon OBE and Demis Roussos
Matthew Bannister on
The businessman Sir Jack Hayward. He made his fortune in the Bahamas, but was obssesed with all things British and bought Wolverhampton Wanderers football club.
The acclaimed Russian mezzo soprano Elena Obraztsova who was a staunch supporter of the Soviet regime.
The novelist Robert Stone who emerged from the counter culture of the 1960s to write novels about the American psyche.
The social worker Jean Stogdon who founded the charity Grandparents Plus.
And the Greek singer Demis Roussos, whose high warbling voice and kaftans made him an unlikely sex symbol.
FRI 16:30 More or Less (b050c4sj)
Cameron's 1000 Jobs
David Cameron says that the Conservatives have created 1000 jobs for every day they've been in office. Is this true?
Do dairy farmers make a loss on each litre of milk that they produce, as is often claimed? Charlotte Smith from Farming Today talks us through the numbers.
England cricketer Stuart Broad has prompted anger after tweeting: "I've heard if you earn minimum wage in England you're in the top 10% earners in the world. #stay #humble." More or Less considers whether this is true or not.
The UK's unhappiest workers are retail staff and teachers, reported the Guardian this week. Really?
How to use maths to find your life partner, with Matt Parker, author of "Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension".
And, what are the chances that two friends, given the same due date for their babies' birth, actually do give birth on the same day? Tim discusses the reliability - or otherwise- of pregnancy due dates with Professor Jason Gardosi of the Perinatal Institute.
"About one-third of American girls become pregnant as teenagers" a New York Times article claimed. More or Less asks if this is true and looks at the long-term pregnancy trends in developed countries.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Ruth Alexander.
FRI 16:55 The Listening Project (b050c4sl)
Moira and Stephanie – Seeing Hope
Fi Glover introduces a mother who hadn't seen her daughter since she was eleven years old, but whose vision has now been partially restored.
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 (b050c4sn)
PM at
5pm- Carolyn Quinn with interviews, context and analysis.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b05053tm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The Now Show (b050c4sq)
Series 45
Episode 4
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis present a comic take on the week's news.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b050c4ss)
Kenton feels a bit of a hypocrite, as he and Jolene help Jennifer spread the fundraising message for SAVE by offering to update their posters. Kenton is impressed by a blog post by Jennifer. It challenges Justin Elliott. Jennifer feels he should come clean about his evil development plans.
Brookfield will be sold in March but things could take longer. Kenton promises to do what he can to speed things up, for Lilian's sake as much as his own.
Jolene invites Lilian to stay at the Bull as she recovers from Matt's betrayal. Lilian has asked Jennifer to tell the family about Matt. She knows she has to start facing life without him.
Phoebe is brisk with Kate, who drives her to Hayley's in Birmingham. When asked about her boyfriend Alex, Phoebe makes a pointed remark about sex and relationships. She has no time for explanations from Kate.
Phoebe complains to Hayley about Kate, who seems obsessed with talking about her affair now that it's out in the open. Hayley is non-judgemental. They hug as Phoebe tells Hayley how much she misses her. Phoebe feels caught in the middle between desperate Roy and Kate. She has a birthday card for her dad. Why not drop it round, suggests Hayley.
FRI 19:15 Front Row (b050c4sv)
Leviathan, Amelia Bullmore, Waterloo at Windsor, Son of a Gun
In Front Row: a new exhibition Waterloo at Windsor 1815-2015 marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Kirsty Lang visits Windsor Castle to see the exhibits which include Napoleon's red cloak which was seized at the scene on the day of battle.
The Oscar-nominated Russian film Leviathan won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, but it has caused controversy in the country, where it has been censored and the film-makers accused of 'blackening Russia's image to gain Western praise'. The film's producer Alexander Rodnyansky responds to criticism of the film on the line from Moscow.
Australian crime thriller Son of a Gun stars Ewan McGregor as Brendan Lynch, a notorious armed robber who takes troubled teenaged boy JR under his wing while in prison. Once he is released, JR quickly realises that Brendon's protection comes at a heavy price. Hannah McGill reviews.
The actress Amelia Bullmore is a familiar face from her roles in Scott & Bailey and Twenty Twelve but she's also a writer - responsible for half of the last series of Scott & Bailey and a successful play about female friendship, Di and Viv and Rose. It's now transferred to the West End. She talks to Kirsty Lang.
FRI 19:45 Tinsel Girl (b050bwpm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b050c5kg)
Tom Crotty, Lord Deben, Margaret Hodge MP and Julian Huppert MP
Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from Dereham Memorial Hall in Dereham, Norfolk with Director of the Energy firm INEOS, Tom Crotty, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, Lord Deben, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, the Labour MP Margaret Hodge and the Liberal Democrat backbench MP Julian Huppert.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b050c5kj)
Losing Touch
Will Self regrets our growing lack of physical contact with one another and with the natural world as a result of the rise of technology. "What the touch screen, the automatic door,online shopping and even the Bagladeshi sweatshop piece-worker who made our trousers are depriving us of is the exercise of our very sense of touch itself, and in particular they are relieving us of the need to touch other people."
Producer: Sheila Cook.
FRI 21:00 A History of Ideas (b050c5p9)
Omnibus
How Has Technology Changed Us?
Omnibus edition of Melvyn Bragg's History of ideas series. Five programmes examining how technology has changed us from flint axe to sat nav.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b05053tp)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b050c5wf)
South African apartheid-era assassin granted parole.
Former death squad commander Eugene de Kock given parole after 20 years in jail.
FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b050c5wh)
The Bottle Imp
Episode 5
Set in 1880s Hawaii, Robert Louis Stevenson's story about an enchanted bottle - its glass tempered in the flames of hell - that grants its owner's every wish. The catch? If the owner dies before selling it on, his soul will burn in hell forever. But it must be sold at a loss, and the price drops with every trade...
Read by Ian McDiarmid
Written by Robert Louis Stevenson
Abridged by Kirsteen Cameron
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b05077kv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b050c5wk)
Mark D'Arcy reports from Westminster.
FRI 23:55 The Listening Project (b050c5wm)
Catherine and Bea - The Art of Inspiration
Fi Glover introduces a mother and daughter who are both artists, debating who inspires whom, and discussing living with art and learning from it too.
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.