SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER 2015

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (b06r0dmz)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SAT 00:30 Book of the Week (b06r88pp)
Alive, Alive Oh! And Other Things That Matter

A Life of Luxuries

Stephanie Cole reads from Diana Athill's essay collection.

Written from the vantage point of her great age, Athill's writing is honest, cheering and thought-provoking. In "A Life of Luxuries", she looks back on the things that have brought her simple pleasure through the different stages of her long life.

Photo credit: Mark Crick

Read by Stephanie Cole

Written by Diana Athill

Abridged and Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b06r0dn1)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b06r0dn3)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at 5.20am.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b06r0dn5)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (b06r0dn7)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b06r8j2f)
A short reflection and prayer with Jonathan Rea.


SAT 05:45 iPM (b06r8j2h)
'I'm a free-range human again'

Detention under the Mental Health Act - in the eyes of a listener who was sectioned, and a mental health professional who makes that call. Michael Buerk reads Your News. iPM@bbc.co.uk.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (b06r0dn9)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SAT 06:04 Weather (b06r0dnc)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (b06r8583)
Lincolnshire Coast Revival

On the 5th of December 2013 the Lincolnshire community saw the worst flooding in 60 years. A tidal surge two metres above normal levels flooded coastal nature reserves and Gibraltar Point visitor centre was severely damaged. Two years on and Helen Mark finds a remarkable transformation taking place here and along the coastline with a series of iconic buildings and art installations including a new marine observatory, a cloud watching bar and a new visitor centre built on stilts to protect it from future floods.
The impact on wildlife and habitat is still being assessed, local farmers have lost productive land but there are signs of hope. At Donna Nook the seal colony continue to thrive and Helen visits as the last of this year's pups are being born.


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (b06rdxvb)
Farming Today This Week: Livestock Rustling

Charlotte Smith is on a farm in Gwent to discuss what farmers can do to protect themselves against the growing threat of organised livestock rustling. According to NFU Mutual around 90,000 animals were stolen last year, costing farmers £6.6 million. Caz Graham hears about a scheme in Lancashire which brings farmers, police and auction marts together; we ask where the stolen meat ends up; and Charlotte meets a farmer who's invested in CCTV cameras. Produced by Sally Challoner.


SAT 06:57 Weather (b06r0dnf)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 07:00 Today (b06rdxvd)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Yesterday in Parliament, Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (b06rdxvg)
Michael Morpurgo, Dr Helen Sharman

Michael Morpurgo joins Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles. He describes how stories from his mother, and a decorated soldier from WWI, have inspired his latest novel; the importance of daydreaming and his reimagining of the Nativity.
Helen Sharman became the first Briton in space in 1991. She recalls how that experience affected the rest of her life as we countdown the days to Tim Peake's launch.
Tony talks about his experience of being homeless for nine months, before being helped by The Connection at St. Martins.
We have tracked down last week's mystery muralist: Ron Brocklehurst tells us about his painting in listener Philip Farmer's house. The photographer Derek Ridgers on documenting British youth tribes - from punks to skinheads and new romantics.
JP Devlin chats on the sofa with Steph and Dom from Gogglebox.
And Hayley Mills shares her Inheritance Tracks. Blue Skies by Willie Nelson, and the theme from the soundtrack to the film Whistle Down the Wind.

Horizon: Tim Peake Special: How to Be an Astronaut BBC Two, 8.00pm (Scotland, 10.00pm) on Sunday 13 December.
Tuesday 15 December - Blast Off Live: a Stargazing Special, BBC One, from 10.30am-11.15am and Stargazing Live: Brit in Space, BBC Two, from 7.00pm with Brian Cox and Dara O'Briain talking to him live from the ISS.
An Eagle in the Snow, by Michael Morpurgo, is published by Harper Collins Children's Books.
The Dark Carnival - Portraits from the Endless Night by Derek Ridgers is published by Carpet Bombing Culture.
Steph and Dom's Guide to Life, published by Coronet Books, is out now.
Gogglebox is on Channel 4 on Fridays at 9pm.
Hayley Mills is appearing as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at Richmond Theatre.

Producer: Louise Corley
Editor: Karen Dalziel.


SAT 10:30 Strictly Russian (b06rdxvj)
BBC Diplomatic Editor Bridget Kendall finds out why Russian dancers, like Strictly's Kristina Rihanoff and Gleb Savchenko, are one step ahead in the world of ballroom dance.

Russian dancers feature heavily in Strictly Come Dancing, its American counterpart Dancing with the Stars, and in ballroom dance championships worldwide. So what makes them so good?

Growing up in Soviet Russia in the 1980s, Kristina Rihanoff was groomed for success from an early age, but her parents could not afford to pay for dance lessons and travel to competitions - everything was paid for by the state.

For dancers from previous generations, it was a very different story. Former Russian champions, Marina and Taliat Tarsinov and Leonid Pletnev began their dance career in the 1970s. So determined were they to pick up dance steps, they learned from books and films smuggled into the country and took part in secret ballroom dance competitions at night. To the Soviet authorities, they were 'agents of bourgeois ideology'.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, times were tough for Gleb Savchenko's family in Moscow. Strictly's latest Russian recruit, Gleb, would beg his father for money for dance lessons and drove him into a rage when he announced he wanted to move to Miami. Now many Russians like Marina and Taliat Tarsinov have bought into the Fred Astaire Dance School franchise in America, passing on their dance skills and picking up skills in business.

The new Russian elite attend international balls that hark back to those of 19th century Tsarist Russia with their debutantes and Tchaikovsky waltzes. Do the next generation of Russian ballroom dancers have the same drive to succeed?

Producer: Gill Davies
An Overtone production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (b06rf3mp)
George Parker of The Financial Times reflects on Jeremy Corbyn's links to the Stop the War Coalition. Should 16-year olds be able to vote in the EU referendum? Is the House of Lords about to get its wings clipped? And why can't politicians make a decision to expand airports?

The editor is Peter Mulligan.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (b06r0dnh)
Turning to Trump

The programme with the bigger picture. Why the controversial comments and adverse publicity surrounding Donald Trump may not be harming the billionaire businessman's bid for the US presidency. Seismic shifts in Spanish politics - we get a view of the upcoming general election there from the Valley of the Fallen, where the country's late dictator Francisco Franco is buried. The talk in Malaysia's of scandal stalking the prime minister and of fears for the future of a country loved by many for its relaxed, inclusive and multicultural nature. The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is one of the wonders of the world, so no wonder visitors have been trekking up there in huge numbers. Now the Peruvian government wants to make it easier for them to get there. But its plans have met spirited opposition. And from Germany we hear about the 12-people who're being paid to do everything lying down. And that includes exercising -- and going to the loo.


SAT 12:00 News Summary (b06r0dnk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (b06rf3mr)
Gift Aid, Aviva, Self-invested personal pensions

When you give to charity do you tick the box that says please Gift Aid this donation? If you are a UK taxpayer George Osborne kindly adds 25% to the gift. So if you give £100 it is worth £125 to the charity. This scheme costs taxpayers more than £1 billion a year. But should we subsidise charities? One woman who thinks not is Lady Moyra Bannister, who wrote to the Times to say ''All Gift Aid should be scrapped. It is preposterous that taxpayers are subsidising charities, even those with apparent merit. '' Lady Bannister debates the issues with John Low, from the Charities Aid Foundation.

An ex-employee of Aviva was sentenced last week in Manchester Crown Court for stealing data from his employer and selling it to a 'data broker'. It ended up with a claims management company, now out of business, and then two solicitors. Bob Howard tracks the path - and the value - of this stolen data and asks was there a weak link where it could have been stopped? The programme also hears from Andrew Morrish at Aviva.

Some cash deposits held in Self-Invested Personal Pensions will be put in the same risk category as investments in foreign property and storage pods under new rules from the Financial Conduct Authority. That could mean that SIPP providers will be wary of cash deposits and may charge higher fees, pricing cautious investors out of using cash as a pension asset.
Claire Trott, head of pensions technical at the SIPP provider Talbot and Muir and IFA Mark Meldon highlight the issues involved.


SAT 12:30 The Now Show (b06r8gn3)
Series 47

Episode 5

Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are joined by Mitch Benn, Andy Zaltzman, Tez Ilyas, Dr Gabrielle Walker and Pippa Evans for a comic look at the week's news.

Written by the cast with additional material from Jon Hunter, Gabby Hutchinson-Crouch, Liam Beirne and Tom Whalley.

Produced by Alexandra Smith.


SAT 12:57 Weather (b06r0dnm)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 13:00 News (b06r0dnp)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (b06r8gn9)
Dominic Grieve MP, Isabel Oakeshott, Chuka Umunna MP, Jeanette Winterson

Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from Cardinal Wiseman School in Middlesex with a panel including the Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee Dominic Grieve MP, the political commentator and author Isabel Oakeshott, Labour MP Chuka Umunna and the author Jeanette Winterson.


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (b06rf3mt)
Unregistered schools, Banning Donald Trump from the UK

Anita Anand takes your calls on unregistered schools and on whether Donald Trump should be banned from the UK.
Producer Beverley Purcell
Editor Karen Dalziel.


SAT 14:30 Drama (b06rf3mw)
Inspector Chen Novels

A Loyal Character Dancer

Shanghai, early 1990s. A badly mutilated body turns up in Shanghai's Bund Park. It bears all the hallmarks of a triad killing.

Then former dancer and party loyalist Wen Liping vanishes in rural China just before she was to leave the country. Her husband, a key witness against a smuggling ring suspected of importing aliens to the US, refuses to testify until she is found and brought to join him in America.

The US immigration agency, convinced that the Chinese government are hiding something, send US Marshal Catherine Rohn to Shanghai to join the investigation.

Inspector Chen, an astute young policeman with twin passions for food and poetry, is under political pressure to find answers fast. When Catherine Rohn joins him he must tread very carefully.

Written by Qiu Xiaolong and dramatised by John Harvey

Starring Jamie Zubairi as Inspector Chen.

Chen ...... Jamie Zubairi
Yu ...... Dan Li
Catherine Rohn ...... Pippa Bennett-Warner
Party Secretary Li ...... Daniel York
Peiqin ...... Sarah Lam
Wen Liping ...... Liz Sutherland
Old Hunter ...... David Hounslow
Qian ...... Caolan McCarthy
Lihua ...... Sam Dale
Qiao ...... Debra Baker
Liu ...... Chris Pavlo

Director: David Hunter

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2015.

Qiu Xiaolong was born in Shanghai, China. As well as writing the award-winning Inspector Chen series of mystery novels, he is also the author of two books of poetry translations, Treasury of Chinese Love Poems (2003) and Evoking T'ang (2007), and his own poetry collection, Lines Around China (2003). Qiu's books have sold over a million copies and have been published in twenty languages. He lives in St. Louis, USA with his wife and daughter.


SAT 15:30 Soul Music (b06r50wk)
Series 21

Mack the Knife

The Brecht/Weill song, 'Mack The Knife' first appeared in 'The Threepenny Opera' in Berlin in 1928. Sung about the criminal MacHeath, the 'play with music' is based on John Gay's 'The Beggar's Opera', who was inspired by the real-life English highwayman, Jack Sheppard.

The song became a hit when performed in 1959 by Bobby Darin. Ella Fitzgerald famously forgot the words when performing live in Berlin in 1960 and her improvised version won a Grammy.

Suzi Quatro talks about how she performed it with her father as a child, playing bongos to accompany him, and Lenny Kaye from the Patti Smith Group recalls how he and Patti did a version of 'Mack The Knife' at their first ever performance together at St Marks Church in New York on 10th February 1971, as it was Brecht's birthday.
Film-maker Malcolm Clark tells the story of the song's first public performer, Kurt Gerron, an actor and director, who took the song into the darkest places of the Third Reich.


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (b06rf3my)
Lily Tomlin, Romance Fraud, Amy Peake, The Unthanks

The US comedy actress Lily Tomlin tells us about her new film Grandma, and her experience of four decades as a gay woman in the film and television industry.

New figures from City of London Police reveal that 65 per cent of all romance fraud cases reported last year affect women and a third of the victims are aged over 56. We hear from one pensioner who was conned out of twenty-six thousand pounds and from Detective Chief Superintendent Maria Woodall on how the police are dealing with this crime.

Anna Kessel sports writer for the Guardian and Sarah Shepherd from Sport Magazine discuss the controversy over the inclusion of boxer Tyson Fury in the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year, after he made sexist and homophobic comments.

We hear from Chlo Winfield who set up the Speak Out Project to raise awareness of domestic abuse in young people's relationships. Chlo set up the project after suffering domestic abuse for three years. She took her abuser to court and he was convicted.

Amy Peake tells us why she got involved with a project to bring sanitary protection to refugees in Jordan.

We discuss the rush to couple-up over Christmas so you don't have to spend the winter months alone - with dating expert Charley Lester and author Jenny Stallard.

And we have music and chat from the English Folk band The Unthanks.

Presenter: Jenni Murray
Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed.


SAT 17:00 PM (b06rf3n0)
Saturday PM

Full coverage of the day's news.


SAT 17:30 iPM (b06r8j2h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:45 today]


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b06r0dnr)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 17:57 Weather (b06r0dnt)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b06r0dnw)
12/12/15 Historic Agreement on Climate Change Reached in Paris

Delegates at climate change summit in Paris agree a deal to limit global warming.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (b06rf5t4)
Clive Anderson, Phil Gayle, Len Goodman, Sonya Kelly, Henning Wehn, Steve Punt, Kim Wilde

Clive Anderson and Phil Gayl are joined by Len Goodman, Sonya Kelly, Steve Punt and Henning Wehn for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Kim Wilde.

Producer: Sukey Firth.


SAT 19:00 Profile (b06rf5t6)
Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury should be enjoying his best-ever press. He has, after all, just become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. But his comments about women, homosexuality and abortion have triggered a backlash this week. Thousands signed a petition calling for the BBC to ban him from its Sports Personality of the Year awards. Chris Bowlby profiles a man who calls himself the 'Gipsy King', because of his Irish traveller heritage, and who - his family say - is widely misunderstood.

Producer: Katie Inman.


SAT 19:15 Saturday Review (b06r0dny)
Wonder.land, Grandma, Nureyev, Adam Roberts, V&A Europe Galleries

www.Wonder.land is Damon Albarn's re-imagining of Lewis Carol's tales of Alice, the White rabbit et al, transferred from The Manchester International Festival to London's National Theatre.
Lily Tomlin plays the feisty Grandma who has to help her granddaughter find the money needed for an abortion
Nureyev - Dance to Freedom, is a BBC4 drama-documentary which tells the story of the famous dancer's dramatic defection to The West in 1961
Adam Roberts' novel The Thing Itself deals with Emmanuel Kant, the search for extra-terrestrial life, time-hopping and so much more
London's V+A Museum has reopened refurbished European Galleries. With an embarrassment of riches from which to choose, how have they updated the display?
Tom Sutcliffe's guests are John Tusa, Louise Doughty and Lynn Nead. The producer is Oliver Jones.


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (b06rf5t8)
When Britain Had the Right Stuff

Richard Hollingham uncovers the forgotten history of Britons in space and asks why - after decades of indifference - the British government is now supporting space flight.

When Tim Peake flies to the International Space Station, he will become Britain's first official astronaut. But he won't be the first Briton in space. At the end of the Second World War, Britain had the skills to develop its own human space flight programme. But the government decided to invest in satellite technology.

Drawing on little-heard radio and television archive from the 1950s, Richard Hollingham discovers that, despite government indifference, there was a widely-held belief that Britain would soon have its own astronauts.

Richard tells the forgotten story of two servicemen, Nigel Wood and Richard Farrimond, who joined the Space Shuttle programme as satellite payload specialists. Their flight was cancelled after the Challenger explosion in January 1986. In 1991, Helen Sharman became Britain's first cosmonaut when she spent eight days on the Russian spaceship Mir. In new interviews, Richard talks to them about their contributions to the history of British space flight.

Presenter: Richard Hollingham
Producer: John Watkins
A Boffin Media production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 21:00 Drama (b06r1b2h)
The Arabian Nights

Episode 1

The immortal stories of The Arabian Nights are brought to life in an inventive fresh adaptation by Glen Neath, reviving favourites such as Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves and The Fisherman and The Demon along with lesser known tales.

This is a world of wonder, magic and comedy - but also of contemporary realism. Successive generations in the east and the west have reinterpreted these tales, recognising the inept rulers, the resourceful slaves and the wondrous magicians. That’s why this is one of the most enduring and influential books in literature.

In this opener, we join Ata Madri (Indira Varma) as she heads to modern day Cairo to track down an elusive medieval copy of The Nights - one that is said to contain the original ending. A sea of stories awaits her.

An extraordinary ensemble of actors from east and west come together to tell the tales.

Narrator....................Nadim Sawalha
Madri.........................Indira Varma
Clive, King Yunan.......Ewan Bailey
Taxi Driver, Hasan......Nayef Rashed
Ali Baba......................Muzz Khan
Ali Baba's wife............Noa Bodner
Cassim, King of the City's Vizier......Noof McEwan
Cassim's wife.............Alyssa Kyria
Marjaneh....................Laura Hanna
Cobbler, Vizier............Niall Ashdown
Robber........................Waleed Elgadi
Captain.......................Alexei Sayle
Ali Baba's son, Young Man..............Amir El-Masry
Shopkeeper, Fisherman..................Nabil Elouahabi
Professor, Demon........Stewart Scudamore
Sage Duban.................Renu Setna
King of the City............Bhasker Patel
Evil Wife.......................Sharlit Deyzac

Sound design by Alisdair McGregor
Music by Michael Ward with David Lewin and Peter Rophone

Director: Boz Temple-Morris

A Holy Mountain production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2015.


SAT 22:00 News and Weather (b06r0dp0)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.


SAT 22:15 Moral Maze (b06r81v7)
Selfie Culture

The wobbly mobile phone footage and someone calling out "you ain't no Muslim bruv" has given us a powerful rallying cry. It was filmed by a bystander as police restrained a man who's since been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. What it doesn't show is how one very brave man fought to try and disarm the attacker, while people stood around filming it all on their phones. Mobile phone footage has now become a staple of our news and not so private lives. Which one of us hasn't clicked on a link and experienced a vicarious thrill from watching the latest talked about clip of death, disaster or embarrassment? It is undeniably useful too, but what are the moral consequences of videoing and displaying everything in public? Does looking through the prism of a phone camera create a kind of moral distance that atrophies human capacities like empathy, compassion and self--reflection? The instinct to say 'I was there' is immensely strong, but earlier this year there were a number of cases bystanders filming distressed people as they threatened to jump to their deaths. Are we trying to give life meaning by creating a permanent record of it, instead of by thinking more deeply about it and living life in the moment? Is the craze for selfies just a harmless piece of fun or are we gradually being infected with a narcissistic personality disorder? Or is the drive to record everything and to make our lives public, part of what makes us human? And mobile phone footage is just today's equivalent of ancient cave paintings of hunting scenes? Live our life on film - the Moral Maze. Combative, provocative and engaging debate chaired by Michael Buerk with Matthew Taylor, Giles Fraser, Anne McElvoy and Claire Fox. Witnesses are Madeleine Bunting, Jane Finnis, James Temperton and Justine Hardy.


SAT 23:00 Round Britain Quiz (b06r4gpn)
Programme 8, 2015

(8/12)
The North of England take on The Midlands in the latest clash of cryptic clues and convoluted connections, with Tom Sutcliffe in the questionmaster's chair. Jim Coulson and Adele Geras are the North of England team, playing opposite Rosalind Miles and Stephen Maddock of the Midlands.

The Midlands will be on their mettle, having been narrowly beaten by Wales in their last appearance a couple of weeks ago, while the North will be looking for their first victory of the 2015 season.

Without wishing to give the teams too much of a leg up, it would help if they knew a little bit about Shakespeare, strange rural place names of England, vampire novels and the history of football in Manchester.

Producer: Paul Bajoria.


SAT 23:30 Postcards from the Village: An East-West Dialogue (b06r1bqd)
An exchange of two villages at the margins of Europe - one in Transylvania, one in Oxfordshire - inspires new poems from Romanian poet Ioana Ieronim and UK poet Fiona Sampson.

Both poets have written extensively about their own villages - Rasnov and Coleshill - so what happens when they visit each other's 'great good place'? Ioana and Fiona find some curious parallels between two villages that on first encounter seem very different.

Produced by Emma Harding.



SUNDAY 13 DECEMBER 2015

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (b06rk5yb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


SUN 00:30 Through the Wardrobe (b03jysr8)
Tilly's Tale

In tribute to Belfast-born C.S. Lewis who died on 22nd November 1963, three new short stories take us though doors and portals into unexpected worlds and situations. While novelist and playwright Lucy Caldwell charts a defining moment in the life of someone struggling with their sense of identity, a woman gets to know her neighbours a little more intimately than she could ever have expected in a story from novelist and screenwriter Glenn Patterson. And finally in a new story from Frank Cottrell Boyce we discover what might happen if C.S. Lewis himself were to discover an opening to another world. What might such a world contain?

Tilly's Tale by Glenn Patterson
Read by Michelle Fairley
Produced in Belfast by Heather Larmour.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b06rk5yd)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b06rk5yg)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at 5.20am.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b06rk5yj)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (b06rk5yl)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (b06rl6fp)
Bells from the Church of St Augustine, Brooklands in Kent.


SUN 05:45 Profile (b06rf5t6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 News Headlines (b06rk5yn)
The latest national and international news.


SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b06rl6ft)
The Myth of Christmas

In the season of Advent, Mark Tully asks what we can learn from the stories of Christmas as we prepare for an increasingly secular holiday.

Many of those who will crowd into Churches for Midnight Mass or other services at Christmas will find it difficult to believe the gospel stories literally or to accept the traditional view of Jesus as God come down to earth. But they might well be so moved by the liturgy, the carols, their memories of Christmas past, the sense that this is one day when the world does stop that they wish they could find some meaning in the Christmas story. Mark Tully explores the idea that regarding the story as myth can give meaning to Christmas without belief in the traditional Christology.

A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (b06rl88h)
Mini Salads

Anna Hill meets a chef who decided to step out of the kitchen and into the kitchen garden, and is now one of the largest growers of "micro leaves" and micro veg, used by the top chefs in the UK.

Allan Miller describes how he connects directly with chefs to grow miniature leaves from plants around the world, which add flavour and style to dinner plates in restaurants across the country.

Produced and presented by Anna Hill.


SUN 06:57 Weather (b06rk5yq)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (b06rk5yv)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (b06rl88r)
Brighton's Advent calendar, Donald Trump, The pope's Year of Mercy

In the last two weeks over three thousand people in Iceland have joined a spiritual organization that follows Zuism, the religion of the ancient Sumerian people. It's become so popular there are now more Zuists than Muslims in the country. So is a crisis of faith pushing people towards this ancient form or worship or are there other motives?
Holger Páll Sæmundsson, a recent convert and one of the leading 'elders' talks to Edward.

The number of Muslims attacked each week in London has more than tripled since the terrorist attacks on Paris attacks last month. Trevor Barnes has been talking to the Metropolitan police about the rise in incidents, and to Muslims who have experienced them.

Pope Francis has launched the Year of Mercy by opening the Holy Door at St Peter's Basilica in Rome, the first time it has been opened since the turn of the century.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols tells Sunday what the Year of Mercy might mean - for individual Catholics, the wider Church and the World.

There's a new trend in Advent calendars this year - no chocolate and cardboard, but large art installations in public places. Sunday reports from Brighton and Hove where it has been doing this for years with the ritual opening every night of one of its beach huts.

Producers: Rosie Dawson
Zaffar Iqbal

Series Producer: Amanda Hancox.


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (b06rl88w)
Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children

Jon Bentley presents The Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children
Registered Charity No 1001817
To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal, mark the back of the envelope 'Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children'.
- Cheques should be made payable to 'Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children'.


SUN 07:57 Weather (b06rk5yx)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (b06rk5yz)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (b06rl895)
Paying Attention

The third in an Advent series, 'Learning to See', from St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, on the theme of 'Paying Attention', inspired by French philosopher and activist Simone Weil, who said 'Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity'. We consider where God in Christ is to be found, and how to develop the practice of attention in seeking Christ in others. The service will be led by the Associate Vicar for Ministry, Rev Katherine Hedderly and the preacher is the Vicar, the Revd Dr Sam Wells. The music is directed by Andrew Earis and features a special live performance of 'I see you', a song written by John Telfer especially for this year's BBC Radio 4 St Martin-in-the-Fields Christmas Appeal. The accompanist is Jeremy Cole. Producer Stephen Shipley.


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (b06r8gnc)
Howard Jacobson: Second-Hand Books

Howard Jacobson reflects on his life-long passion for buying second hand books and the meaning of literature in the digital age.

"When all the books have gone our mental state will have changed. It's a question whether we'll survive."

Producer: Sheila Cook.


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b04t0nhb)
Spoon-billed Sandpiper

Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.

Liz Bonnin presents the diminutive spoon-billed sandpiper of the high Russian tundra. Spoon-billed sandpipers are wading birds, no bigger than a house sparrow. They have rust-coloured feathers and a black, spoon-shaped bill for sifting tiny creatures from the mud or catching insects on the tundra of eastern Russia, where they breed. In winter they fly down to south-east Asian estuaries. Here they are increasingly threatened by the reclamation of mudflats for development and by local people who trap the waders in fine nests to eat. Today, there may be fewer than a thousand birds left. Now conservationists have taken some birds into captivity to establish a breeding stock, but others are being helped on their breeding grounds by headstarting, whereby adults are encouraged to lay a second clutch of eggs after the first are removed. Its hope that this work, plus encouraging local hunters in Asia to release any sandpipers caught in nets, will secure the spoon-billed sandpiper for future generations.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (b06rk5z3)
Sunday morning magazine programme with news and conversation about the big stories of the week. Presented by Paddy O'Connell.


SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (b06rl8wl)
Please see daily episodes for a detailed synopsis.


SUN 11:15 Desert Island Discs (b06rl9s5)
Kylie Minogue

Kirsty Young's castaway is Kylie Minogue.

With seven number ones and ten million singles sold in the UK, she is the third-biggest selling female artist in Britain and has sold around 70 million records worldwide.

Born in Melbourne in 1968, Kylie and her sister Dannii began their careers as child actors on Australian television. At 17, Kylie landed the role of Charlene Mitchell in the soap opera Neighbours and her on-screen wedding to Jason Donovan's character Scott Robinson was watched by twenty million people in the UK alone.

Her recording career began after she was spotted singing at a charity event in 1987. Within months she had released a cover version of "Locomotion" which became the biggest-selling Australian single of the decade. Following the single's success, her first hit with record producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman was "I Should Be So Lucky": her debut album sold seven million copies.

At the age of 21, a romance with INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence led to a change in her image. In 2000, inspired by 1970s disco and assisted by gold hot pants, her single "Spinning Around" became her first British number one for a decade. She also sang to an estimated global audience of 3.7 billion at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics.

In May 2005 she was diagnosed with breast cancer: following treatment she resumed the tour 18 months later.

Producer: Cathy Drysdale.


SUN 12:00 News Summary (b06rk5z5)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 12:04 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (b06r4gps)
Series 64

Episode 2

The 64th series of Radio 4's multi award-winning antidote to panel games promises more homespun wireless entertainment for the young at heart. This week the programme pays a return visit to the Dorking Halls. Regulars Graeme Garden, Barry Cryer and Tim Brooke-Taylor are once again joined on the panel by Tony Hawks with Jack Dee in the chair. At the piano - Colin Sell. Producer - Jon Naismith. It is a BBC Radio Comedy production.


SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (b06rwgcx)
Juliet Harbutt: A Life Through Food

As she readies herself for an imminent move back to her native New Zealand after three decades in the UK, Juliet Harbutt, cheese educator and campaigner, shares her life in food with Sheila Dillon.

Born and raised in Auckland, an experience with some French cheeses in Paris changed everything for Juliet, who decided there and then that cheese would be her life's focus.

She sold her deli-restaurant in Wellington and moved all the way to London, to open up a cheese shop based on her experiences in France. This was the start of a journey that coincided with a huge change in the way Britain approaches, and makes, cheese. This is the story of that period, and Juliet's life in food.

Along the way, Juliet founded The British Cheese Awards and edited the World Cheese Book, which won a Guild of Food Writers Award for Food Book of the year in 2010.

Looking back on those three decades, it's a time in which cheese has become one of Britain's great food successes, but it has not been a smooth ride - and things nearly turned out very differently. At its heart, this is a tale about one person's fascination with and passion for cheese, which is, as Juliet says - "a combination of man's ingenuity and one of Mother Nature's finest miracles, milk".

Presenter: Sheila Dillon
Producer: Rich Ward.


SUN 12:57 Weather (b06rk5z7)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (b06t0t9p)
Global news and analysis, presented by Shaun Ley.


SUN 13:30 Shoah in Jerusalem (b06rwgd1)
The extraordinary story of the day an epic Holocaust documentary was premiered in Israel.

Thirty years ago Claude Lanzmann released his epic, nine and a half hour documentary of the Holocaust, Shoah. Watching it the day it was screened in Israel for the first time, were the country's prime minister, president, chief rabbi and head of the military. It was all but a state occasion.

But also in the audience were survivors of the Holocaust, some watching their story told in public for the first time. The occasion would become remarkably intense, with one survivor collapsing following a heart attack, another fainting from the emotional strain.

Writer and broadcaster Jonathan Freedland saw the film as a teenager. Now he speaks to those present at that unique premiere - from the prime minister of the time, Shimon Peres, to Claude Lanzmann himself. He discovers that much more than a film was on display that day in Jerusalem. The occasion would also prove to be a moment when Israel would confront the most traumatic event in Jewish history, the event that had preceded Israel's own creation and which had haunted the country from its birth.

Now he tells, for the first time, the story of those extraordinary hours in the dark in a Jerusalem cinema - and charts Israel's complex and troubled relationship with the Holocaust.

An Open Audio production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b06r8gmv)
New North London Synagogue

Eric Robson hosts the horticultural panel programme from the New North London Synagogue.

Chris Beardshaw, Matt Biggs and Anne Swithinbank answer this week's gardening questions, on matters including trampolines, horse manure, and leaf-blowers - to blow or not to blow?

Chris Beardshaw takes a turn round Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg's garden to discuss the history and purpose of faith gardens.

Also, RHS Wisley's Matthew Pottage aims to convince James Wong that conifers can be exciting.

Produced by Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Hannah Newton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 14:45 The Listening Project (b06rwgd3)
Sunday Omnibus

Fi Glover with conversations about living the farming dream, making retirement worthwhile, and recovery from a childhood spent in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, in the Omnibus of the series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.

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.


SUN 15:00 Drama (b06rwgd7)
The Arabian Nights

Episode 2

The Hunchback Cycle is told in this episode, including the story of The Barber (Alexei Sayle) and his brothers, as well as lesser known stories.

The immortal stories of The Arabian Nights brought to life in an inventive fresh adaptation by Glen Neath, as present and past merge into one.

Ata Madri (Indira Varma) is in Cairo attempting to retrieve a lost manuscript of The Arabian Nights that is said to contain the real ending of the book. As we follow her search we slip into this sea of stories.

These tales of wonder and imagination have beguiled both east and west over generations and remain as seminal and influential as ever. Here, the stories are told in a rich world of sound by an ensemble of actors from around the world.

Narrator.....................Nadim Sawalha
Madri..........................Indira Varma
Clive, Steward............Ewan Bailey
Ali Zum, Thief, Chief....Waleed Elgadi
Tailor...........................Bhasker Patel
Tailor’s Wife................Alyssa Kyria
Christian, Old Man.......Niall Ashdown
Lame Young Man,
Al-Haddar....................Muzz Khan
Mother,
Beautiful Woman..........Noa Bodner
Barber..........................Alexei Sayle
Jewish Physician’s maid,
Judge’s Daughter.........Sharlit Deyzac
Caliph...........................Renu Setna
Bakbook,
Jewish Physician...........Amir El-Masry
Young Woman..............Laura Hanna
Bakbak.........................Nabil Elouahabi
Blind Beggar.................Noof McEwan
Watchman, Al-Ashar.....Stewart Scudamore
Hasan, Taxi Driver........Nayef Rashed

Sound design by Alisdair McGregor
Music by Michael Ward with David Lewin and Peter Rophone

Director: Boz Temple-Morris

A Holy Mountain production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2015.


SUN 16:00 Open Book (b06rwgd9)
Tom Drury

On Open Book this week Mariella Frostrup talks to American novelist Tom Drury -who is often described as 'the greatest novelist you've never heard of'. His books, which include The End of Vandalism and Pacific have received great critical acclaim in his home country and are now being published here in the UK. He tells Mariella about what it's like to be rediscovered, and how getting locked in a London communal garden might inspire his next novel.

Also on the programme, crime for Christmas - we look at some of the great seasonal stories from the Golden Age of detective fiction; and a guide to the works of Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon whose 1932 novel Sunset Song has just been adapted for the big screen.


SUN 16:30 The Echo Chamber (b06rwgdc)
Series 6

James Fenton

Paul Farley meets the poet James Fenton who has, in his varied life, also been a war reporter, a gardener and and a lyricist. He has just received the 2015 Pen Pinter prize for his writing. His poems of exile, emigration and conflict written over forty years of travelling into assorted bad lands remain extraordinarily telling documents. Producer: Tim Dee.


SUN 17:00 What Should We Teach Our Kids? (b06rjr01)
What will the world economy look like 30 years from now? And how should we be preparing British schoolchildren today to find employment in it? Robert Peston travels to four cutting edge schools that claim to provide the way forwards for secondary education.

Should the focus be on languages and cultural knowhow for an increasingly globalised world? Should we be striving to create more of the engineers and programmers that so many employers are crying out for? Or - with the unstoppable march of the robots gobbling up ever more human jobs - should we be preparing kids with the social skills to be future entrepreneurs, employing their own personal fleets of automatons? Or is a traditional academic education the answer.

Robert Peston tries to get answers to perhaps the most important question all parents must ask from economists, scientists and teachers - and argues that what matters may not be the detail of the curriculum but the way children are taught to learn.


SUN 17:40 Profile (b06rf5t6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b06rk5zc)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 17:57 Weather (b06rk5zf)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b06rk5zj)
R4 1800 Dec 13th

The last British resident held at Guantanamo Bay -- Shaker Aamer -- speaks for the first time about his 14 years in detention -- alleging torture witnessed by a British official.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (b06rxfsm)
Catherine Bott

Catherine Bott selects the best of BBC Radio this week.

Tis the season to listen to the radio, where the pictures are better and the voices make every word count.

This week, Angie Dickinson takes a shine to Frank Sinatra, Matthew Sweet discovers how we learn to lie and Martin Jarvis makes himself clear. Diana Athill chooses a surprising luxury, Tony Hancock wants a wife, Tony Hawks tells us the meaning of chagrin. And Helen Titchener can't have a new dress.
No body stockings in the studio - that would ruin the mise-en-scene.

The week's BBC iPlayer clip is Radio 3's The Early Music Show

Produced by Stephen Garner.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (b06rxb33)
Roy and Kirsty feel bad for the Grundys who are leaving Grey Gables - the industrial cleaners look set to go in to Joe's room. Kirsty and Roy go over their lines for Calendar Girls. Roy admits he has painful memories of this time last year when he miserably worked through the work Christmas party. He's inclined to miss it this year.

Ian can't wait for his wedding tomorrow, and the Bull is thriving for his low-key stag party. Kenton livens up the stag night with drinks and drinking games. Adam and Ian are surprised to see Rob at the party. Rob talks up his role at the farm shop to Adam - he's doing what he can to support Helen. Rob gets Ian talking about relationships and reveals to Ian Adam's fling with the fruit picker, Pawel, and also Adam's interest in Charlie. Rob does this innocently, as if he assumes Ian and Adam have an open relationship.

Charlie gets drunk during the drinking games with Jazzer. Having turned Charlie down on Friday, Adam suggests they can still be friends. But Charlie says they shouldn't keep in touch - clean break and all that. Ian spots Charlie and Adam talking and tells Adam he'll see him at home.


SUN 19:15 Trodd en Bratt Say 'Well Done You' (b06rxgtc)
Series 2

Episode 4

The vaguely European owners of the Fings and Bobs Novelty Shop make a return visit to Wherever-we-come-from-Land, Evelyn and Gertie try to be nice and - there's been a murder!

A fun packed second series from comedy duo Lucy Trodd and Ruth Bratt. Sketches and songs from a whole range of new characters, with the occasional appearance from some old favourites.

Performers:
Lucy Trodd
Ruth Bratt
Adam Meggido
Oliver Senton

Written by: Ruth Bratt and Lucy Trodd
Script Editor: Jon Hunter
Original music: Duncan Walsh Atkins

Producer: Steve Doherty
A Lucky Giant production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 19:45 Natural Histories: Short Stories (b06rxgtf)
Series 1

A Total Neanderthal

Lionel Shriver reads her short story commissioned as part of the collaboration between Radio 4 and the Natural History Museum. She was taken behind the scenes at the museum, and that inspired this story. A modern woman falls for one of the few of our remaining genetic close relatives, because he has all the masculine qualities that in male homo sapiens in the West are dying out.. Producer Beth O'Dea.


SUN 20:00 Feedback (b06r8gmz)
Radio 4's forum for listener comment.


SUN 20:30 Last Word (b06r8gmx)
Marcus Klingberg, William McIlvanney, Setsuko Hara, Joel Elkes and John Peel

Matthew Bannister on

The Israeli chemical weapons expert Marcus Klingberg, who was revealed to have been spying for the Soviet Union.

The Scottish writer William McIlvanney, best known for his Jack Laidlaw crime novels. Val McDermid pays tribute.

Setsuko Hara, one of Japan's most popular film actresses.

Joel Elkes, the pharmacologist who pioneered the use of drugs to treat schizophrenia.

And John Peel, the anthropologist who studied Nigeria's Yoruba people.


SUN 21:00 Money Box (b06rf3mr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:26 Radio 4 Appeal (b06rl88w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 In Business (b06r885t)
Truckers: Women behind the Big Wheel

A global industry is facing a staffing crisis, with tens of thousands of new recruits needed across Europe and the United States - yet many people would never consider the job, or even believe it's a job they could do. Why? Because it's truck-driving - an industry with an image problem, where the work is still very much seen as men-only.

Could the solution to this staffing crisis lie in attracting more women to get behind the wheel? Caroline Bayley hits the road with some of the female drivers already heading up and down roads of the UK. She speaks to Pakistan's first and only female truck driver, and asks why aren't there more of them?

Producer Nina Robinson.


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (b06rk5zn)
Weekly political discussion and analysis with MPs, experts and commentators.


SUN 22:45 What the Papers Say (b06rxgth)
Dan Hodges of The Telegraph looks at how the newspapers are covering the week's stories.


SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (b06r885c)
The Lost Star of The Fallen Idol, Andy Serkis on his film studio

With Francine Stock.

Andy Serkis, best known as Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings, and producer Jonathan Cavendish, discuss their new version of The Jungle Book which was made at The Imaginarium Studios, the centre they set up for performance capture technology.

Bobby Henrey reveals what it's like to be a child star at the age of nine, why he quit the business at ten, and why he didn't tell anyone about his brief encounter with fame until several decades later.

Sir Christopher Frayling uncovers the work of designer Harry Lange, responsible for the futuristic look of 2001: A Space Odyssey, who drew upon his experience at NASA to create the film's spaceships that are still cutting-edge technology.


SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b06rl6ft)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:05 today]



MONDAY 14 DECEMBER 2015

MON 00:00 Midnight News (b06rk60q)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b06r5y7b)
Land Ownership, Home at work

Land ownership in Britain: Laurie Taylor explores our forgotten acres. He talks to Peter Hetherington, writer and journalist, as well as author of a new book which asks if food security and the housing of the nation is being thwarted by record land prices and speculation. They're joined by Michael Edwards, from the Bartlett School of Planning at University College, London. Also, how employees create a sense of 'home' at work. Rachel Hurdley, Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cardiff, discusses her study of the ways in which people conjure feelings of belonging and intimacy in impersonal work spaces.

Producer: Jayne Egerton.


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b06rl6fp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b06rk60s)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b06rk60v)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b06rk60x)
The latest shipping forecast.


MON 05:30 News Briefing (b06rk60z)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b06t114s)
A short reflection and prayer with Jonathan Rea.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (b06rx36s)
Geese, Dairy 'road map', Microbrewery

With Christmas only ten days away, Farming Today takes a look at some of our traditional festive foods. Ben Jackson visits a farm in Leicestershire which has been producing geese for nearly thirty years. In that time, their flock has grown from the 30 they started out with, to the 5000 they have today.

The Dairy Roadmap's latest report is published today. The "roadmap", which started in 2008, defines environmental targets for the dairy industry and monitors the progress it's making on reducing its environment impact. Charlotte asks Rob Harrison, chair of both the Roadmap and the NFU Dairy Board, whether the industry is achieving its targets.

And we meet the couple who have diversified into producing beer, with a microbrewery on their farm in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Emma Campbell.


MON 05:56 Weather (b06rk611)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.


MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04mlvxt)
Ivory Gull

Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.

Chris Packham presents the ivory gull from the northern polar seas. Ivory gulls breed on rocky outcrops and cliffs and has a near-circumpolar distribution, spending most of the year near the edge of the pack ice throughout Arctic Europe, Arctic Russia, Greenland and Canada. They regularly venture farther north than any other bird. The adults are brilliant white with black legs and black eyes; their only splash of colour is on the bill which is a pastel rainbow of blue, green, yellow and pink. At rest they look rather dove-like. Although their colour suggests purity, their tastes are definitely not. Ivory gulls are scavengers. Dead seals or whales will draw them from miles around and those birds which have turned up as rare winter visitors to the UK have often shown an uncanny ability to locate strandline corpses of porpoises, dolphins or seals. Diet aside these are entrancing gulls to watch as they loaf on icebergs or waft angelically over arctic seas.


MON 06:00 Today (b06rx45z)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (b06rx461)
Cultural Lifespans

On Start the Week Tom Sutcliffe picks through the remains of vanished buildings with the writer James Crawford. In his book, Fallen Glory, Crawford looks at the life and death of some of the world's most iconic structures. The conductor Semyon Bychkov explores why some music fades, and the enduring appeal of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. Julia Sallabank studies endangered languages and whether it's possible to revive indigenous languages on the verge of extinction. And it is origins which feature on Peter Randall-Page's latest sculpture: a naturally eroded glacial boulder carved with stories of creation myths from cuneiform to text speak.
Producer: Katy Hickman.


MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b06rx463)
My History

Episode 1

The early life of historian Lady Antonia Fraser. Her memoir describes growing up in the 1930s and 1940s but its real concern is with her growing love of History. The fascination began as a child - and developed into an enduring passion. She writes, 'for me, the study of History has always been an essential part of the enjoyment of life'.

Born Antonia Pakenham, the eldest of the eight children of the future Lord and Lady Longford, her childhood was spent in Oxford where her father was a don at Christ Church. Evacuation at the beginning of the war to a romantic Elizabethan manor house near Oxford was an inspiration for historical imaginings. There were adventures in Anglo-Ireland at Dunsany Castle and Pakenham Hall, each offering her treasured links to the past, which became private obsessions.

North Oxford wartime life included four years as one of the few girls then admitted to the Dragon School for Boys, followed by time at a convent school after her family's conversion to Catholicism. Antonia's father joined the Labour Government in 1945 as a Minister, which provided an odd background for exploits such as working in a Bond Street hat shop and a season as a self-made debutante. A job in publishing, by a fortunate coincidence, followed Oxford University and then the dramatic leap forward with the publishing of Mary Queen of Scots, which became a worldwide bestseller to general amazement - including that of the author.

The first episode of My History begins with the 4-year-old Antonia Pakenham being given Our Island Story by her godmother, a book whose impact reverberated through her life and inspired her to write history.

A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b06rx465)
Tina Fey

Local council elections in Saudi Arabia this weekend are the third in the nation's modern history, but the first in which women will be allowed to both vote and stand. Jane is joined by Rothna Begum Woman's Rights Researcher at Human Rights Watch for the Middle East and North Africa to discuss what the results of the elections mean for Saudi women.

Tina Fey, the American writer, actress, comedian and producer is described by many as a comic genius. Best known for the teen classic 'Mean Girls', Saturday Night Live and the Emmy award winning television series 30 Rock she joins Emma Barnett to discuss her latest film 'Sisters', which stars her friend and frequent collaborator Amy Poehler.

Sophia Gore is the author of a new book, The Rustle of a Wing: Finding Hope Beyond Anorexia. Sophia has been living with severe anorexia for more than fifteen years. She is now twenty-nine. She has been sectioned and force fed several times. After many years of mostly unsuccessful and very costly treatment it was finally agreed in the autumn of 2013 that Sophia would be offered palliative care. In a powerful and upsetting interview, she talks to Jane about her treatment over the years.

Dasha Nicholls, Chair of the Eating Disorders Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, talks to Jane about care for the most extreme cases of anorexia.

Presenter: Jane Garvey
Producer: Kirsty Starkey.


MON 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b06rx8j3)
A Speck of Dust

Episode 1

By Sarah Woods.

'This is the story of the small, the almost invisible. A single speck of life.'

Zoe's is like any other family - she has a husband (Ben) two kids (Marcus and Naomi), a house, a car, and two salaries that just about stretch to the end of the month. But when her marriage implodes, she is suddenly faced with running the family on her own.

They say that you're only ever two pay cheques away from destitution, so what happens when one of those pay cheques moves out of the family home to live with a woman called Caroline? A Speck of Dust tells the story of a newly single parent struggling to navigate a modern world of zero hours contracts, benefits sanctions, online dating and dust. Lots of dust. Her journey is one that many people in the UK are taking.

Between 1979 and 2008, the number of people living in poverty in the UK almost doubled, from 7.3 million to 13.5 million people, and inequality reached levels last seen in the 1920s. Between now and 2020 an additional 1.5 million working-age adults are expected to fall into poverty.

A Speck of Dust explores these big questions by focusing on a small story - a single speck of life.

Written by Sarah Woods
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production.


MON 11:00 Hippy Internet - The Whole Earth Catalog (b06rx8jc)
Sukhdev Sandhui travels to the epicentres of countercultural America in Woodstock and San Francisco to tell the story of a book of hippy philosophy that defined the 1960s and intimated how the internet would grow long before the web arrived. With Luc Sante, Eliot Weinberger, Kenneth Goldsmith, Ed Sanders, Lois Britton, and Fred Turner Producer: Tim Dee.


MON 11:30 The Missing Hancocks (b06rx8jh)
Series 2

A Visit To Russia

Between 1954 and 1959, BBC Radio recorded 102 episodes of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson's comedy classic Hancock's Half Hour. The first modern sitcom, it made stars of Tony Hancock, Sid James and Kenneth Williams, and launched Galton and Simpson on one of the most successful comedy-writing partnerships in history.

Sadly, 20 episodes of the show went missing from the BBC archives, and had not been heard since their original transmission, until this series of faithful re-imaginings. These episodes have been lovingly re-recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC Radio Theatre, featuring a stellar cast,

This episode: ‘A Visit To Russia’. With East/West relations in crisis, Tony takes it upon himself to launch his very own diplomatic mission...

Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and with the classic score newly recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra. ‘A Visit To Russia’ was first broadcast on the Light Programme on 14th December 1955.

CAST:

Tony Hancock …. Kevin McNally
Bill Kerr …. Kevin Eldon
Sid James …. Simon Greenall
Kenneth Williams …. Robin Sebastian
Andree Melly …. Susy Kane

Produced by Ed Morrish and Neil Pearson.

A BBC Radio Comedy Production first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2015.


MON 12:00 News Summary (b06rk613)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 2015 Hashtags of the Year (b06rx8jl)
#DistractinglySexy

#Distractingly sexy - Following comments made by the Nobel scientist Sir Tim Hunt, the hashtag #distractinglysexy started a worldwide debate on sexism in science with female scientists poking fun at the idea that they were a cause of distraction in the lab.
But the hashtag also led to a polarised debate about whether Sir Tim Hunt had been fairly treated amidst the Twitter storm his comments provoked.
A debate that still rages on, and that - some argue - is distracting from the original intention of the hashtag.

Correction: Connie St Louis was mistakenly described as a professor of journalism at City University. She is in fact a senior lecturer.


MON 12:15 You and Yours (b06rx8jt)
Charity Christmas cards, Recycled teenagers, Safeguarding adults in care

Once again there are complaints in the press that not enough money from the sale of Charity Christmas cards is passed on to good causes. Every year, charities receive around £50 million from Christmas cards and generally, supermarkets donate around 10% of the sale price whilst department stores pass on between 20% to 25%. To discuss the charity Christmas card market and to explore why more of the money it raises does not find its way into charity coffers, Winifred is joined by Dame Hilary Blume, founder of CardAid, and by the CEO of the Greeting Card Association - Sharon Little.

The Strawberry Duck pub in East Manchester has become a point of contact for lonely elderly people in the area and on the final Thursday of every month, the landlady organises a knees-up for the Clayton, Droylsden and Openshaw Recycled Teenagers Club. Reporter Geoff Bird has visited their Christmas Party.

Somerset County Council has been severely criticised for holding a teenager in care against the wishes of her family. The girl - who has severe learning disabilities and can't be named for legal reasons - went into respite care for a fortnight to give her mother a break but ended up being detained for thirteen months. Her grandmother and her solicitor, Catrin Blake, have been talking to You and Yours about what went wrong in a case that highlights the confusion surrounding DoLS (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards) - orders put in place to protect the human rights of those in care.


MON 12:57 Weather (b06rk615)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 13:00 World at One (b06rxb2x)
The Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, has said Britain is willing to listen to ideas from other countries on how to reduce the flow of EU migrants into the UK. One Conservative MEP - Daniel Hannan - tells us it's not enough. We look ahead to Thursday's summit and assess what kind of deal the Prime Minister can get.
Some Nurofen painkillers are to be taken off the shelves in Australia after a court ruled that the British manufacturers had misled consumers. We hear from the company. And, it's predicted to be the biggest selling film of all time, but as the new Star Wars film premieres, we'll bring you a bluffer's guide to all the others.


MON 13:45 British Liberalism: The Grand Tour (b06rxb2z)
Millicent Fawcett and Votes for Women

Anne McElvoy retraces a votes for women march, led by the non-violent Suffragist movement, to rediscover the story of its liberal leader, Millicent Fawcett.

With Elizabeth Crawford and Ben Griffin.

Producer: Phil Tinline.


MON 14:00 The Archers (b06rxb33)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Drama (b03ln04f)
The Morpeth Carol

by Timothy X. Atack.

9 year old Harry goes on a mysterious Christmas Eve road trip with a very unusual and very dangerous Santa.

Directed by Marc Beeby

Nine-year-old Harry lives on the edge of a housing estate in an un-named Northern town, a serious and intelligent lad with a troubled mum and dad. Late on Christmas Eve he escapes his rowing parents and ventures out into the night. and on a snow-covered precinct in between high-rises he finds what looks like a crashed sled, burning presents scattered in its wake, and mortally wounded reindeer all around. There's also a very scary looking man, gaunt, unshaven and hooded, who skulks around the crash site, finishing off the dying animals with a shotgun...

The Writer

Tim Atack is a writer, musician and film-maker based in Bristol. His work has been commissioned by Paines Plough, Bristol Old Vic, BAC, Arnolfini and BBC Film Lab amongst others.

He's a founder member of the performance group Sleepdogs, and his short film All My Dreams On VHS won the audience award at NexT International Film Festival 2009 in Bucharest. His one-man show The Bullet and the Bass Trombone was recently to be seen at The Shed - the National Theatre's new space - following a nationwide tour.

In the past he has toured with the comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams, writing the music for several of their TV and radio projects. He is currently developing a comedy series for television, Dave, Consumed By Fire with Simon Winstone and Tony Jordan at Red Planet Pictures.


MON 15:00 Round Britain Quiz (b06rxd48)
Programme 9, 2015

(9/12)
The South of England team of Marcus Berkmann and Simon Singh square up to Northern Ireland in the shape of Brian Feeney and Polly Devlin. This week's contest is the last-but-one occasion in which either of these teams will appear this season, and both will be keen to add a victory to their score-sheet so far.

'Can you turn DeForest Kelley into the creator of Harry Hole by way of some French soap?' is just the first of the cryptic puzzles which face them. Tom Sutcliffe chairs the contest and will be providing helpful hints and nudges wherever necessary - with the proviso that the teams score fewer points the more help they need.

Several of today's questions are the work of Round Britain Quiz listeners who've submitted them to the programme in recent months. And, as always, Tom will have the answer to the teaser he left hanging at the end of the previous edition - as well as setting a new puzzle to be thinking about until next week.

Producer: Paul Bajoria.


MON 15:30 The Food Programme (b06rwgcx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 on Sunday]


MON 16:00 Tales from the Stave (b054qc1t)
Series 11

Beethoven's Spring Sonata

Although the Austrian National Library has a spectacular array of autographed classical music manuscripts by Bruckner, Brahms, Schubert, Mozart and Richard Strauss, the choice for this final programme in the latest series of Tales from the Stave comes from the Librarian Dr Thomas Leibnitz.

Beethoven's Spring Sonata of 1801 might lack the grandeur of his 7th or 9th Symphony but it was commissioned by the same Viennese banker as the former. It's not even his most taxing Violin sonata. That accolade usually goes to the Kreutzer. However the manuscript, complete with a relatively young Beethoven's grumblings about his copyist, is full of examples of detailed reworking and careful crafting that give a vivid insight into a man with far more than a sense of Sturm und Drang, gravity and drama.

Violinist Florian Zwiauer and pianist Jan Jiracek von Arnim join Dr Leibnitz as they work through the three manuscript movements of a work which was eventually published in four.
As well as trying to establish where the missing movement has gone they examine the unusually neat handwriting which makes it equally unusually clear how the composer set about his work and sought to refine it and deliver a meticulous score for the publisher.

While the opening theme was later described, and more importantly marketed by 19th century publishers, as an evocation of Spring, Florian Zwiauer believes it's the slow and reverential second movement that should have given the piece an altogether more anglophile name - the Evensong sonata.

Producer: Tom Alban.


MON 16:30 Beyond Belief (b06rxfm2)
Childlessness

Birth rates in Western Europe have been dropping steadily. In the 1970s, one in ten British women reached the menopause without having children. Today it is one in five. Earlier this year Pope Francis told an audience in St Peter's Square that, "The choice not to have children is selfish. Life rejuvenates and acquires energy when it multiplies; it is enriched, not impoverished." Is he right? Does the biblical injunction to "Go forth and multiply" still hold true? To what extent does the stigma of infertility still exist within society?

Ernie Rea discusses issues around childlessness with Khola Hasan, an Islamic scholar, writer and broadcaster who sits on the Islamic Shariah Council; Dovid Lewis, who is the Rabbi of South Manchester Synagogue; and Dr Dawn Llewellyn, Senior Lecturer in Christian Studies at the University of Chester who has carried out research into voluntary childlessness among Christian women in Britain.

Producer:
Dan Tierney

Series producer:
Amanda Hancox.


MON 17:00 PM (b06rxfm4)
News interviews, context and analysis.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b06rk617)
Man convicted of plotting Remembrance Day terror attack
Nurses jailed for faking results


MON 18:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (b06rxn53)
Series 64

Episode 3

The nation's favourite wireless entertainment pays a visit to the Grand Opera House in York. Regulars Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor are joined on the panel by Sandi Toksvig, with Jack Dee in the chair. Colin Sell provides piano accompaniment.
Producer - Jon Naismith. It is a BBC Radio Comedy production.


MON 19:00 The Archers (b06rxn55)
It's Adam and Ian's wedding day. Jennifer's pleased that Brian has accepted their relationship. Brian points out that Adam, unlike Kate, has his private life managed well (Jennifer agrees, not letting on to what she knows).

Ian seems to need some reassurance form Adam, who tells him he's eager to get married and spend the rest of his life with Ian. Helen's surprised that Rob went to the stag and is coming to the wedding, but he points out that he wants to support her. There, Rob says he's surprised they've gone through with it, knowing Adam's track record. And Ian's rather cool with Helen.

Charlie seems nervous to Jennifer. He'll be working over Christmas but she insists that he pops round to Home Farm for a Christmas drink. Awkward Charlie eventually leaves the wedding rather early. Justin Elliot seems to have something important to discuss with Brian. Rob schmoozes Jennifer and assures her that their secret (about Adam's fling) is safe with him.

In other news, Carol has had to pull out of Calendar Girls, to be with her daughter in Bristol who's going through a messy break up.

Adam and Ian exchange vows. Then Ian discards his planned speech and talks about Adam being the only man for him, and how things can be difficult. He hopes they'll one day look back and know that they did the right thing. In a rather awkward silence, Rob is prompted to offer an awkward toast - "to the happy couple".


MON 19:15 Front Row (b06rxn57)
We're Doomed, The Dazzle, The Waterstone's Book of the Year, The impact of touring musicals on original regional theatre

We're Doomed is Private Fraser's catchphrase from Dad's Army and the title of a new BBC drama which reveals what went on behind the scenes in the making of the comedy series before the first episode was aired in 1968. Chris Dunkley reviews.

Kirsty Lang talks to Coralie Bickford-Smith about her beautiful children's book The Fox and The Star which won the Waterstones Book of the Year, 2015.

Andrew Scott, who played Moriarty in Sherlock, returns to the stage, in a disused art studio full of junk. Director Simon Evans and designer Ben Stones talk about staging The Dazzle, about two brothers who filled their elegant New York house with, altogether, 136 tons of discarded objects.

And a discussion on the impact of big musicals on tour have on original theatre being made around the country.


MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b06rx8j3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


MON 20:00 The Philosopher's Arms (b06rxn59)
Series 5

Weakness of Will

The Philosopher's Arms asks how we can, at the same time, both want and not want a cream cake. In the pub we have a philosopher, neuroscientists and champion dieter. And a lot of sugar.


MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (b06r84r4)
Malaysia's Runaway Children

The deaths of five school children in Malaysia have provoked an anguished debate about education and what it means to be Malay. The children ran away from their boarding school in Kelantan State and died of starvation in the jungle. They were afraid of harsh punishment from their teachers. Two girls survived eating grass and wild fruits but were found emaciated and close to death 47 days later. The children came from the Orang Asli community, one of the poorest and most marginalised in the country. For Crossing Continents, Lucy Ash travels to the remote region where the children came from and talks to their bereaved parents. Many families are now refusing to send their children to school and campaigners accuse the government of not doing enough to protect rights of the Orang Asli community. Jane Beresford producing.


MON 21:00 The Singing Fish of Batticaloa (b04bn086)
"It is said to be heard the clearest on a full moon night... One has to go by boat, plunge an oar into the water, put the other end of the oar to one's ear, and listen..."

Since the 18th century, Tamil fishermen have claimed to navigate by the mysterious music of the singing fish of the Batticaloa lagoon in eastern Sri Lanka. The fishermen's ancient name for the creature is oorie coolooroo cradoo (crying shells); scientists believe that the underwater choristers are some kind of fish. But, after thirty years of civil war and the ravages of the tsunami, does any evidence of this strange nocturnal chorus remain?

Restrictions and curfews made it impossible to visit the lagoon at night and locals, suffering the deprivation of a bitter conflict, had other priorities. The people of Batticaloa became disconnected from this ancient cultural symbol. Very few have heard the aquatic music, and many believe it's a myth.

But for Father Lorio, a Jesuit priest present at one of the earliest recordings of the phenomenon made using a homemade hydrophone in the 1950s, the singing fish are the soundtrack to sixty years of profound turmoil and change he's witnessed in the region. And for Prince Casinader, a Tamil journalist in his eighties, there's the belief that they could bring a sense of community and hope to his hometown.

Now a group of young Tamil scientists have joined the effort to rediscover this lost symbol. Guided by local fishermen, they embark on an unusual odyssey into the muddy lagoon to capture a new recording and establish if this elusive watery wonder has survived to enchant another generation with its song.

With music composed by Adam Nicholas.

Producers: Cicely Fell & Kannan Arunasalam

A Falling Tree production first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2014.


MON 21:30 Start the Week (b06rx461)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:58 Weather (b06rk61d)
The latest weather forecast.


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b06rxn5c)
South China Sea - BBC Exclusive

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes special report ; Was FN defeat "democratic" ?; Merkel CDU ovation

(Photo taken from a plane shows China's reclamation of Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Credit: Ritchie B. Tongo/Pool Photo via AP).


MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b06rxn5f)
Slade House

The Right Sort, 1979

Behind a small iron door in a twisting alley lies Slade House, an eerie mansion that is somehow too large for the space it occupies. Every nine years, a 'guest' is summoned to the house but why has that person been chosen, and by whom? David Mitchell's chilling new novel unfolds over decades and is a spine-tingling, wintry delight.

The Right Sort, 1979
Nathan Bishop is dragged to Slade House by his pianist mother, who is desperate to make the right impression on her potential patron Lady Grayer. Read by James Anthony Pearson
Abridged by Sian Preece
Producer Eilidh McCreadie.


MON 23:00 Wireless Nights (b06rxn5h)
Series 4

The Nightclub

Jarvis Cocker invites you to a night out in Soho on his nocturnal exploration of the human condition. Below street level he finds drama and delirium as clubbers play out their lives after dark.

From a dimly lit ska joint to an after hours speakeasy, Jarvis is night guide to the smoke and mirrors of underground Soho - brushing shoulders with a club angel, a psychic mod and a singing waitress in among the shadows.

(Free dance lesson included)

Producer Neil McCarthy.


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (b06rxntw)
Susan Hulme reports as the Government comes under fire for deferring a decision on airport capacity and MPs call for action over minimum wage allegations against Sports Direct.
The House of Lords backs down in its clash with the Commons over lowering the voting age for the EU referendum and ministers hail the 'historic' agreement to tackle climate change reached by 200 countries in Paris.



TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2015

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b06rk62j)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b06rx463)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b06rk62l)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b06rk62p)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b06rk62r)
The latest shipping forecast.


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b06rk62t)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b06t0ybs)
A short reflection and prayer with Jonathan Rea.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b06rxq34)
Climate change deal, Stilton, Farming computer games

Following the historic deal to combat climate change hammered out in Paris, we talk to the Sustainable Food Trust about the implications for farmers. Livestock contribute to the world's methane - a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. But soil and forests can also act as carbon sinks, so a balance needs to be met.

Farming Today continues its search for a name for English sparkling wine - and we also hear from a wine expert, who explains the difference between British and English wine.

And all this week we're hearing about the Christmas food produced on farms. Today, it's Stilton.

Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Emma Campbell.


TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04mlvyv)
Red-billed Tropicbird

Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.

Chris Packham presents a true global ocean going mariner, the red-billed tropicbird. These elegant birds are masters of the winds and tides. There are three species of tropicbirds and all of them nest on tropical islands, spending the rest of the year roaming the open ocean. All are instantly recognisable by their very long whippy central tail-feathers which can be longer than the rest of the bird. With scarlet beaks, black wing-tips and white-tail streamers from a distance they look all-white, but a closer view reveals a narrow black mask. Red-billed Tropicbirds nest on the ground and use their impossibly long tails in courtship displays, moving the feathers to register excitement or aggression. In flight they are graceful soarers and swoopers, and often call a trill chattering rattle in mid-air chases. This sound which resembles a bosun's (boatswain's) whistle, gave rise to their alternative name of 'Bosun Bird'.


TUE 06:00 Today (b06rxql4)
Morning news and current affairs. Includes Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 The Infinite Monkey Cage (b06rxqw8)
An Infinite Monkey's Guide to General Relativity

Episode 2

Brian Cox and Robin Ince explore the legacy of Einstein's great theory, and how a mathematical equation written 100 years ago seems to have predicted so accurately exactly how our universe works. From black holes to the expanding universe, every observation of the universe, so far, has been held up by the maths in Einstein's extraordinary work. So how was he able to predict the events and behaviour of our universe, long before the technology existed to prove he was right, and will there ever be another theory that will supersede it? Brian and Robin head up the iconic Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank to explore Einstein's theory in action, and talk to scientists who are still probing the mysteries hidden within General Relativity.


TUE 09:30 The Misogyny Book Club (b064kk6j)
Mother Love

Why does the character of the devouring mother have such force? Jo Fidgen and company discuss D. H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers, regarded by many critics as a classic depiction of Sigmund Freud's Oedipus Complex. Gertrude Morel has a passionate and controlling relationship with her son, Paul.

At the same time as Lawrence was writing, Freud was making a splash with his theories about women's sexual fantasies and penis envy. Detractors say he gave a modern legitimacy to age-old misogyny by giving support to the belief that women are less rational than men.

In the fourth in a series of programmes exploring how some of our most read books have distilled and influenced negative attitudes to women, writers Blake Morrison and Lisa Appignanesi defend Lawrence and Freud and discuss how we should interpret them. Are women still facing the consequences of their school of thought?


TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b06sxsmf)
My History

Episode 2

The early life of historian Lady Antonia Fraser. Her memoir describes growing up in the 1930s and 1940s but its real concern is with her growing love of History. The fascination began as a child - and developed into an enduring passion. She writes, 'for me, the study of History has always been an essential part of the enjoyment of life'.

Born Antonia Pakenham, the eldest of the eight children of the future Lord and Lady Longford, her childhood was spent in Oxford where her father was a don at Christ Church. Evacuation at the beginning of the war to a romantic Elizabethan manor house near Oxford was an inspiration for historical imaginings. There were adventures in Anglo-Ireland at Dunsany Castle and Pakenham Hall, each offering her treasured links to the past, which became private obsessions.

North Oxford wartime life included four years as one of the few girls then admitted to the Dragon School for Boys, followed by time at a convent school after her family's conversion to Catholicism. Antonia's father joined the Labour Government in 1945 as a Minister, which provided an odd background for exploits such as working in a Bond Street hat shop and a season as a self-made debutante. A job in publishing, by a fortunate coincidence, followed Oxford University and then the dramatic leap forward with the publishing of Mary Queen of Scots, which became a worldwide bestseller to general amazement - including that of the author.

In today's episode, the teenage Antonia immerses herself in the world of Georgette Heyer and sees the world very much through romantic eyes, but she still enters the school history prize competition.

A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b06rxycr)
Noma Dumezweni, Helen Sharman, pain relief, Women and Swearing, Marital Rape in India, Neko Case

On the day that UK astronaut Tim Peake makes his landmark flight to the International Space Station a chance to hear again part of Jenni's interview with Dr. Helen Sharman who blasted off for a seven day mission to the Mir space station in 1991 becoming the first Briton in Space.
Is there a specific kind of pain relief for women? With Dr. Sarah Jarvis
Women and Swearing with the stand-up comedian Ava Vidal and Alice Vincent Arts and Entertainment writer at The Telegraph.
US singer songwriter Neko Case talks to Jane about her career and performs in the Woman's Hour Studio. Her new vinyl box set Truckdriver, Gladiator, Mule has just been released.
The Indian government have recently announced plans for legal reforms to outlaw rape in marriage. This is the same government that earlier this year said India wasn't ready for a law against marital rape, saying marriage must remain sacred. So is their "comprehensive review" of current laws likely to change anything? With Namita Bhandare Gender Editor at the Indian newspaper Mint.
Noma Dumezweni describes standing in for Kim Cattrall with only two weeks notice as she takes on the role of Linda Wilde in Penelope Skinner's new play "Linda" at the Royal Court in London.
Presented by Jane Garvey
Produced by Caroline Donne.


TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b06s1r8z)
A Speck of Dust

Episode 2

By Sarah Woods

When Zoe is made redundant, she hopes that the money will help her to buy Ben out of the house and so keep the kids in the family home. But will she be able to persuade her mother-in-law to help?

They say that you're only ever two pay cheques away from destitution, so what happens when one of those pay cheques moves out of the family home to live with a woman called Caroline? A Speck of Dust tells the story of a newly single parent struggling to navigate a modern world of zero hours contracts, benefits sanctions, online dating and dust. Lots of dust. Her journey is one that many people in the UK are taking.

Between 1979 and 2008, the number of people living in poverty in the UK almost doubled, from 7.3 million to 13.5 million people, and inequality reached levels last seen in the 1920s. Between now and 2020 an additional 1.5 million working-age adults are expected to fall into poverty.

A Speck of Dust explores these big questions by focusing on a small story - a single speck of life.

Written by Sarah Woods
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production.


TUE 11:00 Putting Science to Work (b06rxyct)
Air Pollution

As the recent VW scandal reminds us, the exhaust from petrol and, in particular, diesel cars are damaging our health. So what can science do to help? Jim Al-Khalili invites three scientists into the studio to explain how their research or technology could help reduce pollution from dirty car exhausts. Professor of Chemistry, Tony Ryan makes the case for smart materials that absorb noxious gases. If only everyone could treat their jeans with nanoparticles that that clean up the air as they walk around town. Professor Clare Grey and her team are working on the next generation of batteries for electric cars. And engineer, Bernard Porter is a champion of hydrogen fuel cells. So, which technology is best designed to help us reduce air pollution in our cities? Who deserves the lion's share of Jim's imaginary pot of research funding to help us tackle this problem?

Producer: Anna Buckley.


TUE 11:30 Soul Music (b06ry20g)
Series 21

Nimrod

Edward Elgar's incomparable Nimrod, and the part it plays in people's lives, is explored this week:

Composed as part of the Enigma Variations in the latter part of the 19th century, Nimrod was inspired by Elgar's friend and music editor, Augustus Jaeger.

In an interview for this programme, Jaeger's granddaughter, Gillian Scully, talks about her grandfather and describes hearing her own granddaughter playing Nimrod at a school concert.

It wasn't what Elgar intended, but Nimrod is now - and, probably, forever - associated with Remembrance. The Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch - National Chaplain to the Royal British Legion - talks about hearing it played at the Festival of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall stirring memories of his own father who died in WW2, and serving as a reminder of all those lost or injured in war.

Margaret Evison's son, Lieutenant Mark Evison of the Welsh Guards, was killed in Afghanistan in 2009. Nimrod played an important part in his funeral which was held at The Guard's Chapel in London.

For Lord Victor Adebowale, Chief Executive of the charity Turning Point, Nimrod is a piece that reminds him of his father and the struggles he had as a Nigerian immigrant to the UK.

Composer and conductor, Paul Spicer, plays through Nimrod at the piano exploring why it is a piece that stirs such deep emotions.

Producer: Karen Gregor.


TUE 12:00 News Summary (b06rk62w)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 2015 Hashtags of the Year (b06ssxgj)
#JeSuisCharlie

#JesuisCharlie - How a fringe newspaper became a worldwide symbol for freedom of expression - and tested the limits of satire.

Ever since it was created in the 1960s, Charlie Hebdo has always prided itself on being "mean and nasty" and on holding nothing sacred. And yet, earlier this year after 10 of its staff were killed in a shooting, its name has inspired one of the world's most recognisable slogans "Je suis Charlie", a rallying cause for free speech, which spread around the world via social media and inspired many causes.

The recognition and support brought the paper wealth and an international audience, but also a level of scrutiny it had never experienced, with its past and current covers now being shared around the world, debated and often criticised as people argue over the limits of satire.


TUE 12:15 You and Yours (b06ry20j)
Call You and Yours: The Gender Pay Gap

Melanie Abbott asks: What's your experience of the gender pay gap? The earnings gap between UK men and women can be as high as 20 per cent. We'll hear how MPs at Westminster are launching an inquiry aimed at reducing this gap. And why is there such a difference between men and women in the workplace?


TUE 12:57 Weather (b06rk62z)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 13:00 World at One (b06ry20n)
The British astronaut Major Tim Peake is on his way to the International Space Station. Professor Monica Grady explains the scientific advances resulting from experiments on the International Space Station.
GPs have told this programme that patients are at risk of dying in terrible pain because home office licences for pain-relieving drugs are too expensive. We have a special report.
As Saudi Arabia announces a grand coalition of Islamic states to fight terrorism - we look at the war in Yemen and what implication peace talks have for the wider region.
And later - as some of Baroness Thatcher's iconic clothes and accessories go on sale, just how much do the public judge a politician by their appearance? Dame Tessa Jowell and Ann McElvoy discuss.


TUE 13:45 British Liberalism: The Grand Tour (b06ry20q)
Keynes v Hayek - Liberals in the Slump

Anne McElvoy explores rival solutions to the 1930s Depression. The ideas of JM Keynes and Friedrich Hayek were often seen as opposed - but Anne explores why both men were liberal.

With Richard Cockett, Edmund Fawcett and Jon Lawrence.

Producer: Phil Tinline.


TUE 14:00 The Archers (b06rxn55)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 McLevy (b06ry20s)
Series 11

A Price to Pay

New series. 1/4. A Price To Pay.

Victorian detective drama starring Brian Cox and Siobhan Redmond.

Written by David Ashton.

The mild-mannered wife of a town councillor admits to murdering her husband.

And Jean Brash is finding it hard to forgive McLevy - but he doesn't know what he's done wrong.

Other parts played by the cast.
Producer/Director: Bruce Young
BBC Scotland.


TUE 15:00 The Educators (b06ry369)
The World's Best Teachers

Studies have shown that the most important thing in a child's education is the quality of their teacher. A child at a bad school with a good teacher can learn more than someone at a good school getting bad tuition.

Doug Lemov has trained thousands of teachers in the UK in how to use their classroom time effectively - keeping children focused with the most subtle of techniques and gestures. His work is based on identifying the most successful teachers in the world, filming them, and studying their methods.

He believes that weak teachers can be turned into strong performers, and that the children who benefit most a well-run classroom are those from the most disadvantaged families.

Presenter: Sarah Montague
Producer: Joel Moors.


TUE 15:30 Shared Experience (b06ry7gl)
Series 4

Born in the Wrong Body

When do you know you've been born the wrong gender? Fi Glover meets three people who have made the at times painful decision to become the man or woman they have always felt themselves to be.

Producer: Maggie Ayre.


TUE 16:00 The Human Zoo (b06ry7gn)
Series 7

The Lives of Things

Storms rage and floods take their toll - is this nature taking its revenge? Michael Blastland turns the lens of psychology on how we treat objects and other entities as if they are 'alive'.

Not just the weather - we rail against a crashed laptop, dote on our cars and have conversations with our pets. Why do we anthropomorphise the things around us?

In fact, we tend to exaggerate what psychologists call 'agency' in all kinds of ways - as if there's a mind behind what goes on in the world, with feelings and intentions. Does this mean we see conspiracy, blame, praise, and power where it doesn't belong?

Michael Blastland investigates with resident Zoo psychologist Nick Chater, Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School, and roving reporter Timandra Harkness.

Producer: Dom Byrne
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 16:30 Great Lives (b06ry7gq)
Series 38

Roger Saul chooses Gertrude Jekyll

Matthew Parris invites fashion designer Roger Saul, who created the Mulberry brand, to nominate a great life. He has chosen the early 20th century garden designer Gertrude Jekyll whose beautiful gardens instilled in him a love of plants and landscaping.

Inspired by William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement, together with architect Edward Lutyens, Gertrude Jekyll designed many great gardens including Hestercombe in Somerset and at her home in Surrey.

Producer: Maggie Ayre

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.


TUE 17:00 PM (b06ryrms)
Eddie Mair with interviews, context and analysis.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b06rk63m)
British astronaut Tim Peake begins space mission; LA security threat closes schools


TUE 18:30 Gloomsbury (b042jpk4)
Series 2

Two Broads Broadcasting

Vera is terrified when she receives a letter inviting her to do a lecture tour of America, and instantly begins a search for plausible excuses. But when Ginny asks her to help present a programme on BBC Radio about modern poetry. her anxiety is swiftly forgotten. Vera sees a chance to read one of her poems on the radio and share the limelight with those two wonderfully modern poets, TS Jellitot and DH Lollipop.

Henry warns Vera not to underestimate Ginny, however, who won't allow Vera to read anything unless Ginny agrees to it... and Ginny does not think that Vera's poem is modern enough to be in her programme.

What Ginny has not bargained for is the prudery and authority of Lord Reith who will not allow TS Jellitot to appear on her programme, because his American accent will corrupt the listeners and banishes DH Lollipop from Broadcasting House because of the constant sexual references in his language.

It falls to Vera to save the day by impersonating TS Jellitot and DH Lollipop live on air and then to get one over on Ginny by reading out her poem before Ginny can stop her. The broadcast falls apart, but Vera returns Sizzlinghurst the victor. Back at home, over a brandy or two, Henry reminds Vera about the prohibition movement in America. Reason enough for Vera to wriggle out of her lecture tour. Chin chin!

GLOOMSBURY - THE SERIES
Green-fingered Sapphist Vera Sackcloth-Vest shares a bijou castle in Kent with her devoted husband Henry, but longs for exotic adventures with nervy novelist Ginny Fox and wilful beauty Venus Traduces. It's 1921, the dawn of modern love, life and lingerie, but Vera still hasn't learnt how to boil a kettle.

Producer: Jamie Rix
A Little Brother Production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 19:00 The Archers (b06ryrmv)
Clarrie can't wait for Christmas at Grange Farm, but Joe wishes they'd sold more turkeys - them pesky Fairbrothers! Toby gossips to Rex about Matthew the milker and Pip, but awkward Rex is more concerned with how they'll dress their geese. To kill two birds with one stone, Toby asks Clarrie to help, and in return the Grundys can share their market stall when they flog their birds at the market.

Jill has refused to step in to play Carol's part in Calendar Girls. Meanwhile, Matthew and Pip work together and he invites her for a Christmas drink. Spotting Matthew's skill with a paring knife, Pip's keen to get some training herself in the new year. Nostalgic Jill enjoys seeing the youngsters enjoying farming.

It's David and Ruth's anniversary but Ruth's away in New Zealand and David, who's keen to mark it, also has other things on his mind. Josh needs to get his UCAS form in before his skiing trip and David shares his worries about the farm with Jill. He and Ruth haven't had a chance to have a proper chat and David doesn't want to give Ruth bad news. Jill remembers Phil's trials on the farm. David's not sure when Ruth will be home from New Zealand. He leaves Ruth a voice mail wishing her a happy anniversary, and to say "I love you".


TUE 19:15 Front Row (b06ryrmx)
Harry Price: Ghost Hunter, Poets as novelists, Rosie Hood, The Haunting of Hill House

Rafe Spall stars as a conman medium in the supernatural ITV drama Harry Price: Ghost Hunter. Viv Groskop reviews.

The poetry of Muriel Spark, George Orwell and Angela Carter - all important 20th century novelists - have recently been published. Front Row asks their editors what it reveals, and whether the poetry matches up to their prose.

Rosie Hood is a young folk singer who is just coming to the end of a year-long BBC Performing Arts Fellowship. She discusses the fellowship and how she has used it to research songs which were collected in her native Wiltshire a century ago.

Stephen King described Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel, The Haunting of Hill House, as one of the finest horror stories he'd ever come across. Jackson's tale of a troubled young woman's visit to an old and abandoned house has now been adapted for the stage at Liverpool Playhouse. Novelist MJ Hyland reviews.

Presenter Kirsty Lang
Producer Jerome Weatherald.


TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b06s1r8z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


TUE 20:00 Volunteer Nation (b06ryrmz)
Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane explores a hidden engine of the British economy - its volunteers. The UK has an unpaid army of workers which hides in plain sight. "This is a fantastic success story, which is largely missed. And it could be even more of a success story if people knew about it," says Haldane, the country's most senior economist. He speaks both from his professional expertise and his personal experience, as he is a volunteer himself. This makes him one of the estimated 15 million people who volunteer in Britain regularly. Their efforts keep the country's sports clubs, libraries, hospitals and countless other facilities open and running. But their efforts are often unmeasured, unrecognized and sometimes used, it is argued, as a substitute for services and employment once provided by the state. Haldane explores the impact this volunteer army has on our economy and our communities and asks what more we could do to harness their efforts for the greater good of us all.
Producer: Sandra Kanthal.


TUE 20:40 In Touch (b06ryrn1)
Mobility instructors, Ellen Watson

We speak to a senior mobility instructor about how she and her colleagues in the UK are helping children to get around safely and as independently as possible. And we speak to university student, Ellen Watson, about her Usher Syndrome, and what it's like to manage hearing loss, as well as sight loss.


TUE 21:00 All in the Mind (b06ryrn3)
Psychology of a Mars mission, Superforecasters, MPs guide to mental health, Recovery College

As Tim Peake is launched on his trip to spend 6 months on the International Space Station Claudia Hammond talks to Alexander Kumar, the doctor who has been to Antarctica to investigate the psychology of a human mission to Mars. How will the confined spaces, the dark and distance from planet Earth affect Mars astronauts of the future? Professor Philip Tetlock explains why his newly discovered elite group of so-called Superforecasters are so good at predicting global events. Claudia talks to MP James Morris about why some of his constituents are coming to him and his staff for help in a mental health crisis. He talks about the advice available for other MPs and constituency staff in the same situation. Claudia visits the South London and Maudsley Recovery college to find out how their educational courses are helping people in south London with their mental health.


TUE 21:30 The Infinite Monkey Cage (b06rxqw8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 21:58 Weather (b06rk63t)
The latest weather forecast.


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b06rys49)
LA schools shut over email threat

LA schools shut over email threat - we hear from an LA congressman. Prince of Wales has been receiving confidential documents, like the Queen. We debate if and why it's necessary.


TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b06t0j88)
Slade House

Shining Armour, 1988

Behind a small iron door in a twisting alley lies Slade House, an eerie mansion that is somehow too large for the space it occupies. Every nine years, a 'guest' is summoned to the house but why has that person been chosen, and by whom? David Mitchell's chilling new novel unfolds over decades and is a spine-tingling, wintry delight.

Shining Armour, 1988
Detective Inspector Gordon Edmonds reckons he's on a fool's errand. He's been sent to find a mysterious mansion called Slade House, following up the sighting of a missing mother and son nine years earlier. Read by Robin Laing.
Abridged by Sian Preece
Producer Eilidh McCreadie.


TUE 23:00 The Show What You Wrote (b06rys4c)
Series 3

Body & Soul

John Thomson, Shobna Gulati, Fiona Clarke, Chris Jack, and Gavin Webster star in the themed sketch show made entirely from contributions sent in by the public.

The best ideas have been chosen from thousands of submissions from new writers resulting in a show like no other.

The theme of "Body & Soul" sees an innovative approach to teaching, a relaxing new type of massage, and the most important component of British culture being exported around the world (whether the world wants it or not).

Written by: James Bugg, Josh Cluderay, Mark Cowling, Jay Droch, Neil Hickey, Tony Hickson, Dan Hobson and Jon Bridle, Scott Kingsnorth, Dan Kiss, Jay Roach, David Salisbury and Mike Whalley.

Script Editor: Jon Hunter

Producers: Ed Morrish and Paul Sheehan

A BBC Radio Comedy production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2015.


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (b06rys4f)
Sean Curran hears MPs debate the impact of recent floods and climate change. The boss of TalkTalk tells of hacking. And why doctors need to show more respect to people with learning difficulties.

Editor: Peter Mulligan.



WEDNESDAY 16 DECEMBER 2015

WED 00:00 Midnight News (b06rk65h)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b06sxsmf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b06rk65n)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b06rk65q)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b06rk65s)
The latest shipping forecast.


WED 05:30 News Briefing (b06rk65v)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b06t0xqf)
A short reflection and prayer with Jonathan Rea.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (b06rz7bw)
Scottish fishing quotas increase, Brussels sprouts, Alpacas

Increases in fish quotas spell good news for Scottish fishermen. Following scientific advice that stocks in the North Sea have shown signs of recovery, significant increases have been announced for haddock and cod quotas. The Scottish Government says the total package agreed could offer potential opportunities worth more than £15 million for the Scottish fishing industry.
Tucked away in the fields of Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire is a herd of more than a hundred alpacas.
Sarah Falkingham visits a sprout farm in East Yorkshire.

Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04mlvyx)
Flightless Cormorant

Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.

Chris Packham presents the flightless cormorant adapted to its Galapagos world. The isolated Galapagos Islands are famous for their unique wildlife which has evolved to adapt to a landscape free of predators. This absence of predators has allowed the native cormorant to dispense with the need to fly, why waste energy when there's nothing to fly away from? This is the only flightless member of the cormorant family, which feeds on fish and for that reason it has developed stronger feet for swimming after its prey. They nest on the rocky coasts of Fernandina and Isabela islands and the population can dip below a thousand birds especially after hurricanes or collapses in local fish numbers. They recover quickly though, but are vulnerable to introduced dogs which nearly eliminated the cormorants on Isabela Island.


WED 06:00 Today (b06rz7gt)
Morning news and current affairs. Includes Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 Midweek (b06rz89d)
Patricia Cornwell, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Benedict Allen, Simon Nicol

Libby Purves meets crime writer Patricia Cornwell; astrophysicist Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell; musician Simon Nicol and adventurer Benedict Allen.

Patricia Cornwell is a writer. Her new novel Depraved Heart features medical examiner Kay Scarpetta who is working on a suspicious death scene when a story involving her niece Lucy demands her investigative skills. Patricia Cornwell has sold over 100 million books. She sold her first novel, Postmortem, while working as a computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. Depraved Heart is published by Harper Collins.

Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell is an astrophysicist and is visiting Professor of Astrophysics at Mansfield College, Oxford. This year she won the Women of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award. She is best known for discovering pulsars, one of the most significant scientific achievements of the 20th century. At the time she was a PhD student in radio astronomy at the University of Cambridge. Her supervisor Antony Hewish went on to win the 1974 Nobel Prize for Physics, sharing it with the head of the group, Martin Ryle.

Benedict Allen is an adventurer known for travelling to extremes without backup. He is the only person known to have crossed the Amazon Basin at its widest and completed the first documented journey of the length of the Namib Desert. He will be appearing at The Adventure Travel Show talking about his 3000 mile journey by horse and camel through Mongolia in the 1990s. The Adventure Travel Show is at London's Olympia.

Simon Nicol is a founding member of Fairport Convention, joining the band at its inception in 1967. After vocalists Sandy Denny and Iain Matthews left the band, Simon found himself taking a more prominent role on stage. During the 1970s, Simon took a four-year break from Fairport, rejoining in 1976. He has been the band's main guitarist and lead singer ever since. Fairport Convention is on tour from January.

Producer: Paula McGinley.


WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b06sxsw3)
My History

Episode 3

The early life of historian Lady Antonia Fraser. Her memoir describes growing up in the 1930s and 1940s but its real concern is with her growing love of History. The fascination began as a child - and developed into an enduring passion. She writes, 'for me, the study of History has always been an essential part of the enjoyment of life'.

Born Antonia Pakenham, the eldest of the eight children of the future Lord and Lady Longford, her childhood was spent in Oxford where her father was a don at Christ Church. Evacuation at the beginning of the war to a romantic Elizabethan manor house near Oxford was an inspiration for historical imaginings. There were adventures in Anglo-Ireland at Dunsany Castle and Pakenham Hall, each offering her treasured links to the past, which became private obsessions.

North Oxford wartime life included four years as one of the few girls then admitted to the Dragon School for Boys, followed by time at a convent school after her family's conversion to Catholicism. Antonia's father joined the Labour Government in 1945 as a Minister, which provided an odd background for exploits such as working in a Bond Street hat shop and a season as a self-made debutante. A job in publishing, by a fortunate coincidence, followed Oxford University and then the dramatic leap forward with the publishing of Mary Queen of Scots, which became a worldwide bestseller to general amazement - including that of the author.

In this third episode, Antonia has converted to Catholicism as is pressured to become a nun. But she wants to be a journalist in the tabloid press and become a Deb - choices that come under critical gaze from the nuns who teach her and the Socialist mother who regards Court as frivolous.

A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b06rz89g)
Gloria Steinem

Feminist icon Gloria Steinem joins Jenni to discuss her new book and the influences on her activism, her journalism and her feminism of a life spent on the road. Observer journalist, Yvonne Roberts and, comedian and feminist activist, Kate Smurthwaite reflect on Gloria's significance to the international women's movement and how her feminism shaped her politics and made her a household name.

Presenter:Jenni Murray
Producer: Kirsty Starkey.


WED 10:41 15 Minute Drama (b06s1rmd)
A Speck of Dust

Episode 3

By Sarah Woods

Zoe starts a new job, and with her redundancy money on its way she's in buoyant mood. But when an estate agent values the house, her dreams of buying Ben out begin to slip away.

They say that you're only ever two pay cheques away from destitution, so what happens when one of those pay cheques moves out of the family home to live with a woman called Caroline? A Speck of Dust tells the story of a newly single parent struggling to navigate a modern world of zero hours contracts, benefits sanctions, online dating and dust. Lots of dust. Her journey is one that many people in the UK are taking.

Between 1979 and 2008, the number of people living in poverty in the UK almost doubled, from 7.3 million to 13.5 million people, and inequality reached levels last seen in the 1920s. Between now and 2020 an additional 1.5 million working-age adults are expected to fall into poverty.

A Speck of Dust explores these big questions by focusing on a small story - a single speck of life.

Written by Sarah Woods
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production.


WED 10:55 The Listening Project (b06rz89j)
Lebanon: Ahmad and Safa - To Live Like A Human Being

Fi Glover with a married couple facing an impossible choice: Ahmad feels he has to leave Lebanon, even risking the sea crossing to Europe. Safa fears for his life and her future. This is the first time The Listening Project has recorded abroad. The conversation was facilitated by Oxfam.

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 Online Shopping, Indian Style (b06s1rmg)
Mukti Jain Campion discovers how Indians are embracing the online shopping revolution.

Shopping in India is an intensely hands-on experience - no vegetable or item of clothing is bought without thorough inspection, discussion and haggling. But all over the country, millions of Indians are now taking advantage of new online shopping opportunities.

While few people own credit cards, internet access remains patchy and delivery of the last mile is rife with problems, e-tailers are working hard to meet India's particular challenges.

At the peak of the Diwali seasonal shopping frenzy, Mukti Jain Campion spends a day with a motorbike courier on his rounds in Bangalore, meeting customers on their doorsteps to discover what Indians are buying and why. And she travels beyond the city limits to discover an innovative approach to bring online shopping to less tech-savvy consumers in the villages and small towns where the majority of Indians still live.

She also talks to Amit Agarwal who launched Amazon India two years ago and predicts India will become the second biggest Amazon market globally. The key will be the arrival of faster and cheaper mobile data access, expected over the next couple of years, which will allow more Indian consumers to shop on smartphones, avoiding the need for laptops and broadband access.

Amit Agarwal says, "Mobile internet is probably the most effective social leveller in a diverse country like India. Anyone, anywhere, can shop for anything. Small entrepreneurs can access huge markets and become global brands. It's something unique that's happening and a very important chapter in the history of India."

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


WED 11:30 The Stanley Baxter Playhouse (b06rz89l)
Series 7

The Flying Scotsman

A whodunit set on the great Flying Scotsman in the days of steam.

A rookie Detective Constable and a world weary Detective Inspector combine forces with a recalcitrant train guard to solve a murder and expose Soho gangland supremo Mickey Two Eyes and his side kick Legs Leona.

Stanley Baxter is the guard who rules over the passengers and the timetable with a rod of iron.

Series of comic plays starring Stanley Baxter.

Train Guard..................Stanley Baxter
DI Ross.........................David Mara
DC Sarah McLeod.........Beth Marshall
Lil.................................Cathy Sara

Written by Rona Munro

Director: Marilyn Imrie

A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2015.


WED 12:00 News Summary (b06rk65z)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 2015 Hashtags of the Year (b06ssy1t)
#AylanKurdi

#AylanKurdi picture - How one picture changed the nature of the debate about migrants in Europe.

On the 2nd of Sept, a picture showing a 3 year old Syrian boy dead on the beach first appeared on social media, where it became widely shared. Traditional media soon followed suit, and Aylan Kurdi's picture became the defining image of Europe's migrant crisis.

Credited with prompting a major shift in public opinion, it bolstered the #RefugeesWelcome movement, and sparked a response from Europe's leaders after months of shifting the blame. In Britain, within 3 days of the picture being posted, David Cameron announced that the country would welcome 20,000 more refugees by 2020.

But was it right to share the picture of a dead child in the first place?


WED 12:15 You and Yours (b06rz91g)
Elderly care in Japan, Embroidery in fashion, Fostering

Figures out today say that the UK's top 8 private fostering agencies, that find families for vulnerable children, earned over £400 million last year. These private agencies now account for a third of all fostering placements, and the market is growing. But one woman who was signed up as a foster carer with one agency says she went 18 months without any work, which drove her in to debt. How do these agencies operate, and does the system need to change?

Embroidered clothes were back on the catwalk at fashion week, and the industry predicts embroidery will be a big trend on the high street next Spring. Not only that, but the Royal School of Needlework says the demand for short courses in embroidery is increasing every year. We explore the great British tradition for needlework, both in high fashion and at home.

95% of disabled people have experienced disability-related problems when trying to book tickets for a concert or event, according to a survey by charity Attitude to Everything. For example, they complain of having to call premium rate numbers to book disabled-access tickets, rather than book online like anyone else. So how can the ticketing industry improve?


WED 12:57 Weather (b06rk663)
The latest weather forecast.


WED 13:00 World at One (b06rz91j)
As David Cameron prepares to travel to a summit of EU leaders, the former Prime Minister John Major weighs into the Europe debate. We hear from UKIP MP Douglas Carswell, and discuss the Government's strategy with our panel of senior MPs.
The last time interest rates went up in the United States the iPhone hadn't been invented and Facebook was a novelty. But tonight the US Central Bank may raise them. We hear from the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England about the chance of a rate rise here.
And The Darling Buds of --- December ? It feels more like spring than Christmas across large parts of the UK -- we ask the Met Office what's going on - and find out what it means for your Christmas tree.


WED 13:45 British Liberalism: The Grand Tour (b06rz91l)
The Cold War

Anne McElvoy explores the distinctively embattled liberalism that emerged in the Cold War.

Producer: Phil Tinline.


WED 14:00 The Archers (b06ryrmv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Tumanbay (b06rz91n)
Series 1

Coming of Age

In the third episode of this epic saga inspired by the Mamluk slave-dynasty, fourteen year old daughter (Olivia Popica) of slave merchant Ibn (Nabil Elouahabi) is adrift at sea in a small boat and captive to an escaped slave (Akin Gazi). Now she must depend on her slave captor for her survival. Madu (Danny Ashok), the spoilt nephew of the Sultan, also has to grow up quickly as he swaps palace life for hard graft in the army.

Tumanbay, the beating heart of a vast empire, is threatened by a rebellion in a far-off province and a mysterious force devouring the city from within. Gregor (Rufus Wright), Master of the Palace Guard, is charged by Sultan Al-Ghuri (Raad Rawi) with the task of rooting out this insurgence and crushing it.

Cast:
Gregor.....................................Rufus Wright
Heaven....................................Olivia Popica
Slave.......................................Akin Gazi
Cadali......................................Matthew Marsh
Al-Ghuri...................................Raad Rawi
Sarah......................................Nina Yndis
Ibn..........................................Nabil Elouahabi
Shajar.....................................Sarah Beck Mather
Madu.......................................Danny Ashok
Daniel.....................................Gareth Kennerley
The Hameed Brothers............Christian Hillborg and Alec Utgoff
Shamsi....................................Laure Stockley
General Qulan........................Christopher Fulford
Sergeant................................Nadir Khan
Maid........................................Laure Stockley

Music - Sacha Puttnam
Sound Design - Steve Bond, Jon Ouin
Editors - Ania Przygoda, James Morgan
Producers - Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan, John Dryden

Written by Mike Walker
Directed by John Dryden

A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4


WED 15:00 Money Box (b06rz91q)
Money Box Live: Saving and Investing

Your calls about saving and investing. To ask about cash, ISAs, funds or stock markets call 03700 100 444 or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk now.

The Bank of England voted to keep UK interest rates at 0.5% again this week and Mark Carney recently predicted that interest rate moves, when they come, will be limited and gradual.

With low interest rates prevailing you need to keep your eye out for the best deals, particularly if your savings rate has whittled away. The Financial Conduct Authority has named and shamed banks and building societies who pay savers as little as 0.1%, the poorest rates being offered in branch and on accounts which have been held for a long time.

As high interest current accounts currently pay close to 5%, regular saving accounts offer 3% to 4% and the simplest instant access accounts around 1.5% why not move your money? Savings Champion Anna Bowes will be ready with all the best rates on Wednesday.

If you want to invest long term you may want to ask about riskier investments such as stocks and shares, but it's been a volatile year for stock markets and commodity markets such as gold, silver, copper and oil. The FTSE 100 index, the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, fell from 6,547 in January to 5,958 in September before nudging back up again, affecting not just investors but also those with pension funds.

If you think the highs and lows of stock market investing are for you why not ask Russ Mould, Investment Direct from AJ Bell and Nick Hungerford, CEO of Nutmeg for their views and opinion and to explain the options.

Chartered Financial Planner Claire Walsh from Aspect 8 will also be here to answer your questions about financial planning.

If saving and investing is on your mind, Paul Lewis and the team will be waiting for your question on Wednesday.

Call 03700 100 444 from 1pm to 3.30pm on Wednesday 16 December or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk now. Standard geographic charges from landlines and mobiles will apply.

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Producer: Diane Richardson
Editor: Andrew Smith.


WED 15:30 All in the Mind (b06ryrn3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]


WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b06rz91s)
Chess worlds, Competitive entrepreneurs

Chess players: Laurie Taylor talks to Gary Fine, Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University, and author of a study into the complex, committed and conflict ridden worlds of chess communities, both amateur and professional. They're joined by John Saunders, chess player and writer. Also, the competitive culture of the self-made man. Simon Down, Professor of Management at Anglia Ruskin University, discusses his study of businessmen whose talk of luxury cars and loads of cash represented a bid to gain a higher position in the hierarchy of their group.

Producer: Charlie Taylor.


WED 16:30 The Media Show (b06rz91v)
Leveson part 2?, BBC News at Ten, David Rose on Shaker Aamer

In 2011 the Prime Minister announced the two part Leveson inquiry into the role of the press and police in the phone-hacking scandal. Part 1 examined the culture, practices and ethics of the press. However, Part 2 could not commence until police investigations and criminal proceedings had been completed. This week, the CPS announced it would cease any ongoing criminal investigations. So, will Leveson Part 2 now happen? The BBC's legal correspondent Clive Coleman, Prof. Natalie Fenton from Goldsmiths University and campaign group Hacked Off, and journalist Neil Wallis, who was tried and acquitted for phone hacking, discuss.

The BBC's News at Ten is to run 10 minutes longer in the New Year, with the bulletin set to end at 22:45 GMT on every weekday except Friday. According to the corporation, "the extended Ten will give audiences even more news analysis and explanation". But does the audience want a longer programme? Steve Hewlett talks to Gavin Allen, BBC controller of Daily news programmes, and Jonathan Baker, former BBC editor of the 1, 6 and 10'o clock news bulletins.

The last British person to be held at the American military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba has been telling his story this week. Shaker Aamer was released and sent back to the UK two months ago - after 14 years in captivity as a terror suspect. During that time, he was never charged or put on trial. In a broad-ranging interview with the Mail on Sunday this week, he made allegations about his treatment. Journalist David Rose wrote that story, and has led the campaign for Aamer's release for many years. Steve Hewlett speaks to David about his work, and meeting Shaker for the first time.

Producer: Katy Takatsuki.


WED 17:00 PM (b06rz9hv)
Eddie Mair with interviews, context and analysis.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b06rk667)
Unemployment is at its lowest level in 10 years with a record number of people in work.


WED 18:30 Tom Wrigglesworth's Hang-Ups (b06rz9hx)
Series 3

How to Make a Killing

A neighbourly good deed lands Tom in trouble while his parents throw themselves into some evening classes.

Series 3 of the sitcom where Tom Wrigglesworth phones home for his weekly check-in with his Mum, Dad and Gran, giving listeners a glimpse into his family background and the influences that have shaped his temperament, opinions and hang-ups.

Tom ...... Tom Wrigglesworth
Dad ...... Paul Copley
Mum ...... Kate Anthony
Granny ...... Elizabeth Bennett

Written by Tom Wrigglesworth and James Kettle with additional material by Miles Jupp

Producer: Richard Morris

A BBC Radio Comedy production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2015.


WED 19:00 The Archers (b06rz9hz)
Come and get Eddie's finest quality mistletoe! Rob has an idea about Christmas.


WED 19:15 Front Row (b06rz9j1)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Roman poet Horace, Christmas TV

Star Wars: The Force Awakens reviewed. Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo (played by Harrison Ford) and his allies face a new threat in the seventh instalment in the franchise.

For centuries great writers and powerful people have translated the work of the Roman poet Horace. With the publication of a new edition of all his poems - including versions by Elizabeth I, William Gladstone and poets ranging from Sir Philip Sidney to Ezra Pound - Samira talks to the editor, Paul Quarrie, and comedian and classicist Natalie Haynes about the enduring attraction of the old Roman bard.

With a visit to the museum or gallery gift shop increasingly being an integral part of the visitor experience, and one it is often hard to avoid, Elinor Morgan from MIMA in Middlesbrough, Jennifer Harris from The Whitworth in Manchester, and Rosey Blackmore from Tate, discuss the economic importance of the gift shop and how selective galleries need to be in what they choose to stock.

And what to watch this Christmas? Critic Boyd Hilton provides his guide to must-see TV.

Presenter Samira Ahmed
Producer Ella-mai Robey.


WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b06s1rmd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:41 today]


WED 20:00 What Is IS? (b06sdlmb)
David Aaronovitch and a range of experts untangle the ideological threads that make up the 'Islamic State'.

Following its attacks in Paris, debate has raged about whether the so-called Islamic State is a political movement or a religious one.

But what if it's both, and more besides? David Aaronovitch calls on testimony from journalists, historians, political scientists and philosophers to explore the complex, sometimes conflicting elements that have shaped this organisation.

He examines its place in the long tradition of Apocalyptic anti-Westernism - a tradition that has also appeared in a European Christian context, in Japan, and elsewhere. David traces the role of senior figures from Saddam Hussein's regime in its creation and thinking, and asks whether avenging the invasion of Iraq has simply given IS its opportunity to prosper, or provides its guiding mission.

He explores the role of IS in the relationship between Sunni and Shia Islam, and its use of Islamic history in its worldview and its propaganda. And finally, David asks, how unusual is the Islamic State?

Producers: Phil Tinline and Wesley Stephenson.


WED 21:00 Would You Eat an Alien? (b06rzbdq)
Emotional Aliens

Jake the Spaceman (aka comedian Jake Yapp) has crash-landed on a remote planet and doesn't have much food to keep him going until he is rescued. Fortunately, the planet is teeming with alien life forms that are edible, but which ones should he eat? He wants to cause the minimum amount of pain and distress to the creatures, so what does he need to know about the nature of the beings on the planet? Can they feel pain? If so, how can he minimise suffering? Will eating an alien cause distress to others? Is the alien so aware and sensitive to its environment that Jake needs to consider whether it is a non-human person?
Christine will interview animal welfare scientists, philosophers and wildlife biologists to get under the skin of animal sentience and the potential consequences of accepting that animals are conscious, aware creatures.
These big questions generate surprising and challenging insights into our attitudes to other life. When you know absolutely nothing about the alien in front of you, what do you need to know before eating it?


WED 21:30 Midweek (b06rz89d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b06rzbwr)
The Fed raises US interest rate

The Fed raises US interest rate, what does it mean for the UK and for the global economy?

(Picture of a one dollar bill; BBC copyright).


WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b06t0k7f)
Slade House

Oink Oink, 1997

Behind a small iron door in a twisting alley lies Slade House, an eerie mansion that is somehow too large for the space it occupies. Every nine years, a 'guest' is summoned to the house but why has that person been chosen, and by whom? David Mitchell's chilling new novel unfolds over decades and is a spine-tingling, wintry delight.

Oink Oink, 1997
After joining the university's Paranormal Society to get closer to a boy, Sally Timms goes on her first field trip. Slade Alley is the destination; site of several mysterious disappearances over the years. Read by Rebecca Hamilton.
Abridged by Sian Preece
Producer Eilidh McCreadie.


WED 23:00 Little Lifetimes by Jenny Eclair (b06rzbwt)
Series 2

A Slight Alteration

by Jenny Eclair

A dressmaker finds herself doing a dress alteration for a young woman who is on the verge of getting married. But the dress is fated never to be worn.

Read by Tessa Peake-Jones
Produced by Sally Avens


WED 23:15 Before They Were Famous (b03fdjsy)
Series 2

Episode 3

Even the most successful of writers have, at some point, had to take day jobs to pay the bills.
Ian Leslie presents the second series of this Radio 4 spoof documentary, which sheds light on the often surprising jobs done by the world's best known writers in the days before they were able to make a living from their art.

In a project of literary archaeology, Leslie unearths archive examples of early work by great writers, including Fortune Cookie messages written by Germaine Greer, a political manifesto by the young JK Rowling, and a car manual written by Dan Brown. In newspaper articles, advertising copy, and company correspondence, we get a fascinating glimpse into the embryonic development of our best-loved literary voices.

We may know them today for their novels, plays or poems but, once upon a time, they were just people with a dream - and a rent bill looming at the end of the month.

Producers: Anna Silver and Claire Broughton
A Hat Trick production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b06rzcpc)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster on the last PMQs of the year; plus an update on the Syria air-strikes and the BBC Director General is asked about the Tyson Fury controversy. Editor: Rachel Byrne.



THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER 2015

THU 00:00 Midnight News (b06rk68h)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b06sxsw3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b06rk68k)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b06rk68p)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b06rk68r)
The latest shipping forecast.


THU 05:30 News Briefing (b06rk68w)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b06t43q1)
A short reflection and prayer with Jonathan Rea.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (b06rzcqj)
GM insects, Christmas nuts, Fishing quotas

The House of Lords has recommended that field trials of genetically modified insects should take place. The Science and Technology committee says GM insects have the potential to combat diseases like malaria and to minimise their threat to animals and crops. It held a four month investigation into the issue. The committee's chairman Lord Selborne explains what the benefits might be

Morrisons is changing the labeling on its "Milk for Farmers" brand, which is designed to increase the amount of money dairy farmers get for their milk. We reported last month that some consumers thought it was misleading.

There's good news for UK fishermen, with an increase in the quotas for the amount of fish they're allowed to land.

And in our week-long look at festive foods, Charlotte Smith visits a farm in Kent producing nuts for Christmas table.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Emma Campbell.


THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04mlvyz)
Great Snipe

Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.

Chris Packham presents the superbly camouflaged great snipe of Eastern Europe. A thin drizzle of tinkling notes mingled with rhythmic tapping drifts across a Polish marsh in spring a sign that great male snipes are displaying. Great snipe are wading birds with short legs and very long two-toned bills, which they use to probe bogs and wet ground for worms. Across much of Europe having newly returned from its sub-Saharan wintering grounds a number of northern and eastern European marshes, set stage as breeding sites for the larger, great snipe. They court females at traditional lekking or displaying grounds where several males vie for attention. Perched on a small mound, males gather at sunset to fan their white outer tail feathers, puff out their chests and produce a medley of very un-wader-like calls. The females, looking for a mate, are attracted to the dominant males at the centre of the lek.


THU 06:00 Today (b06rzd42)
Morning news and current affairs. Includes Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (b06rzd44)
Circadian Rhythms

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the evolution and role of Circadian Rhythms, the so-called body clock that influences an organism's daily cycle of physical, behavioural and mental changes. The rhythms are generated within organisms and also in response to external stimuli, mainly light and darkness. They are found throughout the living world, from bacteria to plants, fungi to animals and, in humans, are noticed most clearly in sleep patterns.

With

Russell Foster
Professor of Circadian Neuroscience at the University of Oxford

Debra Skene
Professor of Neuroendocrinology at the University of Surrey

And

Steve Jones
Emeritus Professor of Genetics at University College London.


THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b06sxty4)
My History

Episode 4

The early life of historian Lady Antonia Fraser. Her memoir describes growing up in the 1930s and 1940s but its real concern is with her growing love of History. The fascination began as a child - and developed into an enduring passion. She writes, 'for me, the study of History has always been an essential part of the enjoyment of life'.

Born Antonia Pakenham, the eldest of the eight children of the future Lord and Lady Longford, her childhood was spent in Oxford where her father was a don at Christ Church. Evacuation at the beginning of the war to a romantic Elizabethan manor house near Oxford was an inspiration for historical imaginings. There were adventures in Anglo-Ireland at Dunsany Castle and Pakenham Hall, each offering her treasured links to the past, which became private obsessions.

North Oxford wartime life included four years as one of the few girls then admitted to the Dragon School for Boys, followed by time at a convent school after her family's conversion to Catholicism. Antonia's father joined the Labour Government in 1945 as a Minister, which provided an odd background for exploits such as working in a Bond Street hat shop and a season as a self-made debutante. A job in publishing, by a fortunate coincidence, followed Oxford University and then the dramatic leap forward with the publishing of Mary Queen of Scots, which became a worldwide bestseller to general amazement - including that of the author.

In the fourth episode, the author falls in love with a young man, as her love of history matures and deepens at university. However, work struggles to compete for the attention of a young woman living and working in London with a new found appreciation for nightclubs.

A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b06rzd46)
Katie Hopkins, Infanticide, The Nutcracker, Manjinder Virk

Columnists Katie Hopkins and David Aaronovitch discuss whether it is ever morally right to criticize someone for how they look.

Infanticide law - As a 15-year-old girl was granted unconditional bail after being charged with concealment of birth, infanticide and manslaughter, legal journalist Joshua Rozenberg explains how long the infanticide law has been in place and how it works.

The Nutcracker - Principal dancer Lauren Cuthbertson plays the Sugar Plum fairy in the Royal Ballet's production at the Royal Opera House. She told Henrietta Harrison how she prepares for one of ballet's most famous roles.

Diana Henry the food writer shows Jane Garvey how to make chutney.

Manjinder Virk made headlines earlier this year when she was named as the first regular Asian lead character in the ITV series Midsomer Murders. She also appears in Memsahib Emma, Radio 4's adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, set in mid-19th Century India. Jenni speaks to the award winning actor about her varied career.


THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b06s1rr6)
A Speck of Dust

Episode 4

By Sarah Woods

Zoe discovers the pitfalls of a zero hours contract when her shifts go down to zero. She and the kids now face up to the prospect of losing the family home.

They say that you're only ever two pay cheques away from destitution, so what happens when one of those pay cheques moves out of the family home to live with a woman called Caroline? A Speck of Dust tells the story of a newly single parent struggling to navigate a modern world of zero hours contracts, benefits sanctions, online dating and dust. Lots of dust. Her journey is one that many people in the UK are taking.

Between 1979 and 2008, the number of people living in poverty in the UK almost doubled, from 7.3 million to 13.5 million people, and inequality reached levels last seen in the 1920s. Between now and 2020 an additional 1.5 million working-age adults are expected to fall into poverty.

A Speck of Dust explores these big questions by focusing on a small story - a single speck of life.

Written by Sarah Woods
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production.


THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b06rzd48)
Cambodia: Trust Me, I'm not a Doctor

The Cambodian government has recently announced a clampdown on unlicensed doctors. This comes after a mass infection of HIV in a rural village, blamed on an unlicensed doctor re-using syringes. The "doctor", recently convicted of manslaughter, has just begun a 25 year prison sentence.

For millions of people, self-taught, unlicensed doctors are often their cheapest - and only - option if they fall ill. Cambodia has one of the world's lowest numbers of doctors per head of population, on a par with Afghanistan. For Crossing Continents, John Murphy travels outside the capital Phnom Penh to see whether the government clampdown is having an effect. He finds evidence that self-taught doctors are still operating in villages, without hindrance - and with plenty of local support. Producer Helen Grady.


THU 11:30 Singing Piaf with No Regrets (b06rzd4b)
The Paris-based singer Caroline Nin listens to those drawn to sing the music of the legendary French performer, born 100 years ago this week in the working class Parisian district of Belleville.

Edith Piaf's influence on French popular song and, more widely, on French and European culture has barely waned since she first found fame and, to this day, her legend lives on - in the myths that surround her life and in the songs that people still sing.

Caroline Nin is intimate with Piaf, through her own show based on the singer's legacy. For this anniversary programme, she meets some of those - including employees at the French National Library, a Japanese tribute singer, Piaf's biographer Carolyn Burke and Rosen, a former prostitute who worked the bars of Pigalle - who can't resist singing Piaf. With no regrets.

Caroline Nin's performance of l'Accordéoniste is accompanied by pianist Antoine Lefort and doublebass player Shankar Kirpalani.

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


THU 12:00 News Summary (b06rk690)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 2015 Hashtags of the Year (b06ssyrr)
#TheDress

#Thedress - How a dress from Birmingham became the year's biggest talking point as people debated which colour it was - dark blue & black or white & gold. For some, the debate suggested an existential crisis over the nature of sight and reality, which could go as far as harming interpersonal relationships. Others expressed their dismay at the triviality of the whole dispute. Was discussing the dress a huge waste of time, or did we learn something in the process?


THU 12:15 You and Yours (b06rzd4d)
Coping with dementia in Japan, HMRC call waiting, Forth Road Bridge closure

4.5 million people have dementia in Japan, compared with 850,000 in the UK. Japan has the oldest population in the world, and it has been forced to deal with many problems the UK still struggles with, such as with organisation and paying for care. In the second of her reports from Japan, Samantha Fenwick reports on how people with dementia are being kept active and visible in the community.

Research has found people ringing HM Revenue & Customers are on average waiting 38 minutes to speak with an operator, with much lengthier call waiting times after 6pm. The consumer magazine Which? has criticised the government department, saying it must be more responsive especially ahead of the Self-Assessment tax return deadline. Winifred Robinson speaks to Ruth Owen from HMRC about the changes it has introduced.

Plus the 14 year old who was donated a helicopter ride to get to her cancer treatment. Megan Fletcher was facing a five hour journey after the Forth Road Bridge was closed. We find out how the closure has been affecting health services.

Presented by Winifred Robinson
Produced by Natalie Donovan.


THU 12:57 Weather (b06rk692)
The latest weather forecast.


THU 13:00 World at One (b06rzd4g)
As David Cameron travels to Brussels for a big summit it is emerged the Government is keeping secret figures that would show the number of European Union migrant in the UK - they say it might damage the negotiations. We'll be asking if that is a good enough reason.

it seems at the end of a year of chaos in Libya, the factions may be about to sign a peace deal and form a national government -- and we hear from one conservative MP who says if they do -- he hopes it will lead to British air strikes against the Islamic State group in Libya.

And it is the last day this year that the house of commons is sitting - and the government puts out 36 written statements - we can't look at them all - but we will be asking if the one on pole funding leaves some forces worse off.


THU 13:45 British Liberalism: The Grand Tour (b06rzd4j)
Roy Jenkins and Margaret Thatcher

Anne McElvoy explores the rise and fall of the 1960s liberals like reforming Home Secretary Roy Jenkins, and how economic liberals like Margaret Thatcher took a different path.

Producer: Phil Tinline.


THU 14:00 The Archers (b06rz9hz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama (b06rzdnp)
Community Service

By Jonny O'Neill

Daniel Mays stars as Tommy, a young man in court for the first time and facing consequences that risk putting his whole life in jeopardy.

Tommy has spent his life being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whether it's problems at school or scrapes with the law, he has a fabled knack of attracting trouble. But this time his predicament is harder to laugh off. Writer Jonny O'Neill's moving and funny character study follows Tommy over the course of his first day in a London Magistrates' Court, and sees him face some uncomfortable, but perhaps necessary, truths.

Director: Sasha Yevtushenko

Writer Jonny O'Neill was born, raised, educated and is a proud product of the East End of London. Having enjoyed himself for many years barely paying attention in school he finally found a creative outlet in writing and managed to eventually obtain a Masters with distinction in Writing at the university of (you guessed it) East London. Jonny was selected as one of 12 writers commissioned to treatment, and then one of six to deliver a script for a 90-minute film for Coming Up 2014 (Channel 4). His first episode of BBC1's EastEnders was broadcast in September 2014, and his second in April 2015. This follows his selection for BBC Writers' Room 10, the BBC Continuing Drama Playwrights Scheme and a successful trial episode for the series.


THU 15:00 Open Country (b06s0njl)
The Northern Lights at Christmas

For a Christmas special Helen Mark visits the snow covered landscape of Swedish Lapland in search of the mythical, and often elusive, Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. In Sami culture the lights are thought to emanate from the souls of the dead and must be treated with immense respect. Traditionally the Sami remained indoors during a display but today the chance of seeing the Northern Lights brings many visitors to this remote part of Sweden. Helen Mark hears about the mythology which surrounds the Aurora and travels by sled, snowmobile and foot to try to catch a glimpse for herself. Along the way she uncovers a dramatic mountainous landscape.


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b06rl88w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Open Book (b06rwgd9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]


THU 16:00 The Film Programme (b06s0njn)
Star Wars - do you remember the first time?

Francine Stock asks listeners: Do you remember the first time with Star Wars ?

She hears from people who have seen the first film over 20 times, who could recite every line of dialogue, and were inspired to become pilots, designers and IT boffins thanks to Star Wars. And from an extra whose hair can be briefly viewed in his role as a X-Wing pilot and a listener whose father played the oboe on the famous soundtrack. Francine is joined in studio by scientist and presenter Adam Rutherford who has felt the Force on more than one occasion, and still has the toys to prove it.


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (b06s0njq)
Tim Peake's mission to the ISS, Spaceman Chris Hadfield, AGU round-up, Air pollution, Human Evolution at the NHM

Two times shuttle captain, and with 6 months on the ISS, Commander Chris Hadfield is best qualified to pass on his advice to Major Tim Peake about the science and life in general on the International Space Station.

Polar bears walk further
Polar bears are having to walk further to stay in the same place. As ice melts in the Arctic, the thin ice is blown around by the wind, making it harder for polar bears to stick to their traditional hunting grounds.

Elephant Deterrent
By combining a seismic element to the infrasound of recordings of elephant alarm calls, researchers hope to finally develop an audio deterrent to keep marauding elephants from destroying farmland in Africa.

Tracking air pollution from space
The US space agency satellite, Aura has been tracking trends in emissions of nitrogen oxides for over a decade. It's seen big falls in the pollutant in the US and Europe, while at the same time recording significant increases in some developing nations, such as China and Bangladesh.

Air pollution
Even if the air pollution trends are getting better in the West, the picture is still very complicated. Not least in London, where nitrogen oxides are still at dangerous levels. Added to this is a rise in smoke pollution from the increasing number of wood burning stoves in the city.

Human Evolution Gallery at the Natural History Museum
A new gallery of Human Evolution at the Natural History Museum opens on Friday 18th December. Adam gets a sneak preview with Professor Chris Stringer and Dr Louise Humphrey. Spanning 7 million years of evolution, the gallery brings together key fossils and recent evidence such as a reconstructed skull and hand of Homo naledi. It builds up a picture of where we come from and what makes us human. And the picture is far more complex than previously thought, with multiple species living at the same time.


THU 17:00 PM (b06s0njs)
Eddie Mair with interviews, context and analysis.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b06rk698)
David Cameron says he will battle hard for EU reform at a summit in Brussels


THU 18:30 Tina C (b06s0njv)
Tina C: Herstory

Episode 3

It's 2003 and Tina has geo-political aspirations, and a role promoting US values overseas.

Ritula Shah asks about her role as a special advisor to US President George W Bush.

Written & Performed by Christopher Green.
Additional voices: Debra Baker & Leo Wan.
The band: Duncan Walsh-Atkins, Mark Hardisty & Phil Wraith.
Guest Interviewer: Ritula Shah.
Produced by Victoria Lloyd.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.


THU 19:00 The Archers (b06s0njx)
Brian's keen for Lilian to move back to her own home at the Dower House, dropping hints and offering help with the move. But Lilian won't think about it until the New Year. Lilian's helping Kate with ideas for her business - yoga and detox days - and Brian's taking over Phoebe's driving lessons, thinking Roy has been too casual.
Brian and David attend the Borchester NFU's AGM and discuss some worrying figures about the Dairy industry. They have a few drinks and discuss other local farmers and the farmer's lot.

Lynda and Susan are pleased for the Grundys, and Susan will be joining them for Christmas dinner. Lynda questions why she puts herself though the stress of directing a Christmas show, but agrees with Robert that they're looking forward to a cosy Christmas at Ambridge Hall. Lynda's delighted to have pulled off a casting 'coup' in securing the legendary Am-Dram actress Jean Harvey to take over from Carol Tregorran. However, Lynda finds Jean to be quite a handful, demanding changes and adding new things. Lilian and Susan complain. Lynda worries to Robert - but at this stage what other choice have they got?


THU 19:15 Front Row (b06s0qy7)
Star Wars, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Edith Piaf celebrated

As the latest instalment of Star Wars hits cinema screens around the world, director J.J. Abrams discusses how he decided on his approach to the seventh film in the franchise: The Force Awakens.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses for the stage, Samira Ahmed talks to writer Christopher Hampton and director Josie Rourke about their new production for the Donmar Warehouse.

As the centenary of Edith Piaf's birth approaches, biographer Carolyn Burke and singer Barb Jungr discuss the singer's enduring appeal.


THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b06s1rr6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


THU 20:00 The Report (b06s0qy9)
Al Qaeda in Syria

Peter Oborne investigates claims that Britain and the West embarked on an unspoken alliance of convenience with militant jihadi groups in an attempt to bring down the Assad regime.

He hears how equipment supplied by the West to so called Syrian moderates has ended up in the hands of jihadis, and that Western sponsored rebels have fought alongside Al Qaeda. But what does this really tell us about the conflict in Syria?

This edition of The Report also examines the astonishing attempt to re brand Al Nusra, Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, as an organisation with which we can do business.

Producer: Joe Kent.


THU 20:30 In Business (b06s0qyc)
The Sexy Salaryman

The white collar worker has become a central figure in TV series and comic books in Japan.

Ruth Alexander travels to Tokyo to explore the rise of the middle manager as cult hero, speaking to best-seller novelists, manga artists and TV directors about why the workplace makes such good drama.

She finds out what the fictional exploits of the 'salaryman' tell us about doing business in Japan, and hears about the emergence of a new character getting attention in popular culture - the salarywoman.

Presented and Produced by Ruth Alexander.


THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (b06s0njq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 today]


THU 21:30 In Our Time (b06rzd44)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b06s0qyf)
Curbing Islamic State's Funds

(Photo credit: Chris Radburn/PA Wire).


THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b06t0mgt)
Slade House

You Dark Horse You, 2006

Behind a small iron door in a twisting alley lies Slade House, an eerie mansion that is somehow too large for the space it occupies. Every nine years, a 'guest' is summoned to the house but why has that person been chosen, and by whom? David Mitchell's chilling new novel unfolds over decades and is a spine-tingling, wintry delight.

You Dark Horse You, 2006
Journalist Freya Timms arrives at the 'Fox and Hounds' pub near Slade Alley to meet a witness who claims to have information about her sister's disappearance, nine years earlier. Read by Debra Baker.
Abridged by Sian Preece
Producer Eilidh McCreadie.


THU 23:00 Tim Samuels' Sleepover: Paris (b06srqhb)
In the days after the recent terror attacks in Paris, documentary-maker Tim Samuels spent a weekend living in a notorious 'banlieue' - one of the neglected suburbs on the edge of the city, seen as breeding grounds for radicalism.

At least four of the killers from the January and November attacks came from these poor suburbs, but are politicians and the media right to make a direct connection between the banlieues and extremism? What repercussions have the attacks had on those living in the estates, who already feel highly marginalised?
Tim stays with a Moroccan single mother and her young son who live in La Grande Bourne on the south side of Paris - a concrete mass penned in on all sides by main roads, and a far cry from its initial vision as a 1960s utopia. The estate is now a byword for extremism - it was home to Amedy Coulibaly, who killed four shoppers in a kosher supermarket and a policewoman at the time of the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Yet Tim finds his host and many others are resolute that their community has been wrongly demonised.

He meets some of those who knew Coulibaly. They say he appeared perfectly normal just days before he launched his murderous assault, and suggest his radicalisation took place in prison.
For all the defiance of some, other locals tell Tim that they feel like 5th-class citizens - living in an area where even the police won't respond to their calls. Tim also finds many shops shuttered up, open drug dealing and taxis refusing to enter the area.

As he says farewell to his host family, Tim leaves the estate filled with conflicting narratives - hope and defiance rubbing up against despair and extremism. He is then given some surprising news by his taxi driver...

A Tonic Media production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b06s0qyh)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster, where the government is considering a proposal to curb the powers of the House of Lords.



FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER 2015

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b06rk6d3)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.


FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b06sxty4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b06rk6d7)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b06rk6db)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b06rk6df)
The latest shipping forecast.


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b06rk6dk)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b06t4c20)
A short reflection and prayer with Jonathan Rea.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b06s1b8k)
Badger Cull Numbers Released

Defra has revealed that nearly 1500 badgers were shot in this year's badger cull, which is part of the government's strategy to eradicate bovine TB. Targets were met in the three areas where the cull took place - parts of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and for the first time this year, Dorset. The Badger Trust, which campaigns against the cull, says there's still no evidence that the policy is reducing TB in cattle. But the NFU say they have anecdotal evidence that rates are improving.
We also hear about free range pork as part of our series on Christmas food.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.


FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04mlvwc)
Arabian Babbler

Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.

Chris Packham presents the Arabian babbler of a Yemeni Desert. Arabian babblers could almost be described as feathered meerkats. They're sociable, charismatic and always on the alert. These energetic and curious birds are found around the Arabian peninsula and in Egypt, often in dry scrubby places. They have long tails, curved bills and a bounding gait, and their sandy plumage is superb camouflage against the parched ground where they roam in search of insects and seeds. If on their travels, a group of babblers discovers a snake they will mob it with loud shrieks, raising their wings and calling to each other until they see it off. Arabian babblers don't use their social skills just to chase away predators. They spend all their time in groups of usually four to six adult birds and in these groups their relationships are fluid. They are also co-operative breeders and help each other to rear their chicks, a communal way of life that helps to forge bonds between these very vocal birds.


FRI 06:00 Today (b06s1b8m)
18//12/2015

Clarification note

In an interview on Today on December 18th, Pat Nevin asked whether Cesc Fabregas was the Chelsea player who allegedly said in the heat of the moment he would “rather lose than win for Jose Mourinho.”

Pat Nevin has subsequently apologised for his comment on BBC Radio 4 and has said that Fabregas was “definitively not” responsible for the alleged statement.

Fabregas himself has said he had “an excellent relationship” with Mourinho.

We are happy to clarify Pat Nevin’s comments and apologise for any misunderstanding.


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b06rl9s5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Sunday]


FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b06sxw4z)
My History

Episode 5

The early life of historian Lady Antonia Fraser. Her memoir describes growing up in the 1930s and 1940s but its real concern is with her growing love of History. The fascination began as a child - and developed into an enduring passion. She writes, 'for me, the study of History has always been an essential part of the enjoyment of life'.

Born Antonia Pakenham, the eldest of the eight children of the future Lord and Lady Longford, her childhood was spent in Oxford where her father was a don at Christ Church. Evacuation at the beginning of the war to a romantic Elizabethan manor house near Oxford was an inspiration for historical imaginings. There were adventures in Anglo-Ireland at Dunsany Castle and Pakenham Hall, each offering her treasured links to the past, which became private obsessions.

North Oxford wartime life included four years as one of the few girls then admitted to the Dragon School for Boys, followed by time at a convent school after her family's conversion to Catholicism. Antonia's father joined the Labour Government in 1945 as a Minister, which provided an odd background for exploits such as working in a Bond Street hat shop and a season as a self-made debutante. A job in publishing, by a fortunate coincidence, followed Oxford University and then the dramatic leap forward with the publishing of Mary Queen of Scots, which became a worldwide bestseller to general amazement - including that of the author.

In the final episode, Antonia Pakenham - now Fraser after her marriage to MP Hugh Fraser - writes her first serious book, a biography of Mary Queen of Scots, transforming her life.

A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b06s1b8p)
Festive nails, Eleanor Bron, Beautiful heroines

Some people like to decorate their nails with Christmas trees and others prefer a classic block colour, like Santa Claus red. But what looks best? Jenni asks the founder of WAH Nails, Sharmadean Reid, what the latest trends are for this season's nails.

Forget Me Not currently at the Bush Theatre in London examines the consequences of the policy of sending so called 'vulnerable' British children to Australia in the 50's and 60's, many of whom then grew up in appalling conditions. Actor, Eleanor Bron talks about her role in the play alongside Margaret Humphreys, director of the Child Migrant Trust.

As a a High Court judge declares the current law on abortion in Northern Ireland is "incompatible" with human rights law - what's the next step?

Emotional labour is a concept that sociologists introduced as a way of recognising the requirements of a job where an employee might need to display required emotions toward customers or others. Many feminists argue that recognising emotional labour is vital to adequately valuing the caring roles that so many women take on in our society. So do we fully recognise the emotional work we do? Jenni is joined by journalist and writer Madeleine Bunting journalist and Professor Candida Yates, Professor of Culture and Communication at Bournemouth University, to discuss.

And have you ever wondered why so many heroines in novels and film are described as beautiful? Is their appearance making them more worthy of the title of heroine? Writer Claire Harman, author Maggie O'Farrell and film critic Catherine Bray discuss the notion of female characters being defined by how they look.

Presented by Jenni Murray
Producer Beverley Purcell.


FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b06s1s5v)
A Speck of Dust

Episode 5

By Sarah Woods

Naomi is unimpressed by the groceries that Zoe brings back from the food bank, but Marcus resolves to help his mum. And Zoe is determined not to be down-trodden.

They say that you're only ever two pay cheques away from destitution, so what happens when one of those pay cheques moves out of the family home to live with a woman called Caroline? A Speck of Dust tells the story of a newly single parent struggling to navigate a modern world of zero hours contracts, benefits sanctions, online dating and dust. Lots of dust. Her journey is one that many people in the UK are taking.

Between 1979 and 2008, the number of people living in poverty in the UK almost doubled, from 7.3 million to 13.5 million people, and inequality reached levels last seen in the 1920s. Between now and 2020 an additional 1.5 million working-age adults are expected to fall into poverty.

A Speck of Dust explores these big questions by focusing on a small story - a single speck of life.

Written by Sarah Woods
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production.


FRI 11:00 Ancient Ways with Bettany Hughes (b06s1b8r)
Episode 3

Bettany Hughes follows the ancient road from Rome to Istanbul. Tracing its route through Albania, Macedonia and Greece, she explores how the Egnatian Way helped to shape Europe and the Middle East.

Founded in the second century BC, the Via Egnatia was a critical axis of the Roman Empire. It joined Rome to the riches of the east, and became the site of some of the most significant turning points of its history - the place where the forces of the Roman republic lost to the heirs of Julius Caesar, and the route on which St Paul brought Christianity to Europe. Later it was the route the Crusaders took to the holy land, a vital Byzantine communication link and the base from which the Ottoman Turks controlled their vast European holdings.

In the third episode, Bettany completes the final section of the road through Turkey to Istanbul, tracking the movement of stories along the road and discovering the way the Ottomans adapted it to their new empire.

Written and presented by Bettany Hughes.

Producer: Russell Finch
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 11:30 Michael Frayn's Matchbox Theatre (b06s1b8t)
Episode 4

Michael Frayn: the most comic philosophical writer of our time.

An all-star cast has great fun with his hilarious view of us all. And the ways we attempt to communicate. And explain.

In this final part, we start by taking listeners direct from the Matchbox studio to a report from outside the National Theatre, where some long speeches are going on inside. Our reporter (Martin Jarvis) tells anchor Rosalind Ayres that it seems to be all about Hamlet. A couple (Lisa Dillon and Lloyd Owen), who have just been on a street demo, can't quite cast off their hectoring demeanour when ordering tea and buns. And Tom Hollander at a dinner party embarrasses a fellow guest with some surprisingly anti-social behaviour. A husband (Adam Godley) may have a communication problem.

In a bravura solo performance, Julia McKenzie attempts (on the phone) to communicate with the 'sofa disposal' department, but are they actually listening? And language becomes a problem for Ian Ogilvy as a hospital visitor - but who is really speaking gibberish?

With:
Rosalind Ayres
Lisa Dillon
Adam Godley
Tom Hollander
Julia McKenzie
Lloyd Owen
Ian Ogilvy
Martin Jarvis
Nigel Anthony
Matthew Wolf

Producer: Rosalind Ayres
Director: Martin Jarvis

A Jarvis and Ayres production for BBC Radio 4 irst broadcast in December 2015.


FRI 12:00 News Summary (b06rk6dr)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 2015 Hashtags of the Year (b06ssz04)
#BlackLivesMatter

#Black Lives Matter - Police killings of young black men in the US have not escalated in number - they've been alarmingly frequent for years. But this hashtag, started in 2014 but with tens of millions of uses this year, has galvanised a protest movement at a scale not seen since the 1960s. Why now?


FRI 12:15 You and Yours (b06s6vf3)
Food poisoning, Football flights, Gyms with pools

From next year restaurants and takeaways face hugely increased penalties if they sell food that makes you ill. Currently if a company is taken to court after a case of food poisoning, fines are in the region of a few thousand pounds. But new guidelines, issued to the courts, could mean fines of millions of pounds for big companies in the worst cases. But will the fines succeed in improving standards of hygiene and reducing the number of cases of food poisoning?

Football fans in Northern Ireland were delighted last month when their team qualified for Euro 2016. It's the first time they've got into a major tournament in thirty years. Thousands are expected to make the journey to France next summer, but fans are protesting at how the price of flight tickets rocketed when their team qualified. We examine the options for die-hard fans and find the cheapest way of getting to the game.

There is growing evidence of the health benefits of joining a choir. A study published this year in the British Journal of Psychiatry suggested that singing in a community choir can have a positive impact on the mental health of older people. Separate research has found that organised singing can give a big boost to people with speech problems following a stroke. We hear from members of the recently-formed Bristol Neurological Choir and ask how singing can improve health.

The fitness company, Pure Gym, is planning to close the pools in its gyms. They say it will reduce costs for their members. But it's prompted a public campaign for the pools to be retained, with some prominent supporters, among them the TV presenter, journalist and peer, Joan Bakewell, and the swimmer and Olympic gold medallist, Duncan Goodhew.

Producer: Jonathan Hallewell
Presenter: Peter White.


FRI 12:57 Weather (b06rk6dw)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 13:00 World at One (b06s6vy7)
David Cameron has suggested there is still work to be done to find 'solutions' on Britain's re-negotiations on the EU. What might those solutions involve - and could young British workers find their benefits cut in order to achieve a deal with Brussels?

Senior politicians and diplomats are gathering in New York to work out a potential UN resolution paving the way for a peace plan for Syria. Our chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet has recently returned from Damascus and offers her assessment.

Also we hear from the dogs who are sniffing out cancer in humans and meet the steam enthusiasts who've saved a vintage railway for posterity.


FRI 13:45 British Liberalism: The Grand Tour (b06s1b8w)
The Limits of Liberalism

Anne McElvoy explores how, since its 1960s highpoint, liberalism has come under pressure, and what this tells us about liberalism's limits, and its future.

Producer: Phil Tinline.


FRI 14:00 The Archers (b06s0njx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Drama (b06s1s5x)
A Greek Drama

This summer, as Greece and its creditors argued over the terms of a bailout, the fate of nations - and perhaps the whole European project - was held in the hands of just a few people. They met behind closed doors. There, in secrecy, they took each other, and all of us, to the very edge of the abyss.

This original drama, tells the inside story of those extraordinary months.

Music: Sacha Puttnam
Sound Design: Steve Bond
Sound Editor:James Morgan
Writer: Matthew Solon
Researcher: Chloe Hadjimatheou
Director: John Dryden
Producer: Emma Hearn
Executive Producer: Richard Knight

A Goldhawk and BBC Radio Current Affairs production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b06s1b8y)
Harpenden

Eric Robson hosts the horticultural panel programme from Harpenden in Hertfordshire.

James Wong, Matt Biggs, and Anne Swithinbank answer the audience's gardening questions on misshapen potatoes, unsightly fairy rings and how to contain an unruly Crabapple.

The panellists also offer their topical tips regarding post-flood garden care.

And in the features, RHS Wisley's Matthew Pottage investigates what could be the country's oldest Christmas tree.

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


FRI 15:45 Shorts (b06s1b90)
New Irish Writing

Redoubt

A new series of original stories from some of Ireland's most exciting writers.

In wintry Newry an elderly man embarks on a new adventure in a story by Eugene O'Hare while Lisa McInerney brings us a kid doing a bunk off school, and a man thinks fondly of his glamorous new girlfriend in Kevin Maher's story of love and leather jackets.

Writer ..... Lisa McInerney
Reader ..... Don Wycherley
Producer ..... Jenny Thompson.


FRI 16:00 Last Word (b06s1b92)
Mick Murphy, Ahmed Chalabi, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Brajraj Mahapatra and Holly Woodlawn

Matthew Bannister on

The Irish cyclist, strong man and farm labourer Mick Murphy who won a famous victory in the 1958 round Ireland race.

The Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi who boasted that he tricked the Americans into invading his country.

The American soprano Mattiwilda Dobbs, who was the first black singer to appear at La Scala in Milan.

Ther last surviving Indian king from the days of the British Raj. Brajraj Mahapatra ended his days in poverty.

And Holly Woodlawn, the transgender actress who starred in Andy Warhol's film "Trash" and Lou Reed's song "Walk On The Wild Side"


FRI 16:30 Feedback (b06s6vy9)
On Wednesday James Naughtie made an emotional sign off on the Today programme as he left the presenter seat after 21 years. What were listeners' favourite Naughtie moments? We hear highlights from two decades of broadcasting, from discussion of Auberon Waugh's nipples to the famous Jeremy Hunt gaff.

In the aftermath of the Scottish referendum, and the SNP's success in the general election, BBC Scotland is also having a debate around the extent of its own independence. A committee in Holyrood has called on the BBC to release more budgetary power for BBC Scotland, with more money and services. With that as the backdrop, BBC Radio Scotland introduced a more analytical schedule to suit the new political landscape, but with more live music as well. Is it working for the listeners? Roger Bolton talks to Jeff Zycinski, the head of BBC Radio Scotland.

BBC Radio 3 are looking ahead to the New Year with a brand new production of Artist Descending a Staircase, a radio play written over 40 years ago by Sir Tom Stoppard, one of the greatest living dramatists. Roger speaks to Sir Tom about the peculiarities and creative opportunities that come with writing for radio.

In the world of The Archers, the Grundy family has had a tough start to the festive season but listeners welcomed an emotional twist in the story this week, ushering in a happier Christmas for 94-year-old Joe.

Producer: Katherine Godfrey
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 16:55 The Listening Project (b06s1gcb)
Lebanon: Sarah and Hani - The Family I Don't Have Here

Fi Glover introduces a conversation between friends who have found that their mutual support keeps them going in Lebanon, and may even tip over into romance...

This is the first time The Listening Project has recorded abroad. The conversation was facilitated by Oxfam.

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 (b06s1gcd)
Eddie Mair with interviews, context and analysis.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b06rk6f8)
The PM said his reform agenda was winning support in the EU, but disagreements remain. Divisions at the top of UKIP. UN to discuss a US-Russian plan to end the war in Syria.


FRI 18:30 The Now Show (b06s1gcg)
Series 47

Episode 6

Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are joined by Jon Holmes, John Finnemore, Jess Ransom, Jasper Rees, Jake Yapp and Harry the Piano for a festive look at the week's news.

Written by the cast with additional material from Gareth Gwynn, Max Davis, Liam Beirne, Sarah Campbell and Rebecca Channon.

Produced by Alexandra Smith.


FRI 19:00 The Archers (b06s1gcj)
Shula's keen to help David however she can, with Christmas coming up. With Matthew the milker on board, says David, they're coping. David could do with some of Jill's energy - she's delivering beef orders and her cake is going down well at the Ambridge Tea Room. Meanwhile, Toby and Rex are dressing their birds, with help from Clarrie - they have their work cut out, despite the help.

Shula drops a housewarming gift to Richard Locke (before taking a donkey to church for the Nativity). Richard is the new tenant at Keepers Cottage will be spending Christmas with Chloe, his ex, and their daughter Sasha. Shula's delighted that Richard asks to join her at the Nativity. There, Richard seems to vaguely recognise Rob, who can't seem to recall them having met. Richard invites Rob and Helen to his housewarming party, but Rob suggests they'll be busy. Helen runs out during the performance, needing some air. Worried Rob tells her she needs to take care of herself - and their baby son.

David and Pip are stunned to find out that Ruth has decided to stay on in New Zealand over Christmas. David rationalises that Ruth is clearly getting a lot from her trip, but Pip can't believe it - she thought her Mum would want to be at home with them over Christmas. Yes, so did I, says David, holding back tears.


FRI 19:15 Front Row (b06s6vyc)
Bette Midler, Neil MacGregor, Christmas ghost stories

Bette Midler discusses her new album of love songs, her concerts with Barry Manilow in the gay bath houses of New York, and cuts up rough when he describes her film Beaches as a 'weepie'.

As Neil MacGregor bows out from his role as Director of the British Museum today after more than 13 years, in his final interview he discusses the Museum's last acquisition under his directorship. The Lampedusa Cross was made from the wreckage of a boat that sank off the coast of the small Italian island on 3rd October, 2013, while carrying refugees from Eritrea and Somalia with the loss of 350 lives. Neil MacGregor explains the importance of the artefact and reflects on his tenure at Britain's most-visited attraction.

It's Christmas so it's time to tell ghost stories - this year on television Neil Spring's novel Harry Price: Ghost Hunter has been adapted for ITV, while the BBC's Dickensian draws on A Christmas Carol. Even Sherlock on New Year's Day will see him and Watson transported into their original Victorian setting for a ghoulish adventure. The writer Roger Clarke, author of A Natural History of Ghosts, has been contemplating where our fascination with ghosts comes from - as the winter equinox draws near.

Today the last deep coal mine in Britain, Kellingley Colliery, in Yorkshire closed. The last tonne of coal cut from the seam will not be going to a power station but to the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield, where it will be displayed next to portraits of the pit's last miners by the photographer Anton Want. Andy Smith, mine manager and acting director at the museum, reflects on how the industrial revolution is ending in an art installation.

Presenter John Wilson
Producer Julian May.


FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b06s1s5v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b06s1gcl)
Kate Hoey MP, Bernard Jenkin MP, Laura Sandys, Roland Rudd

Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from Figheldean Village Hall near Salisbury with a panel including the Labour MP Kate Hoey, Conservative MP and Chair of the Public Administration Committee Bernard Jenkin, Chair of the European Movement Laura Sandys and the Chair of Business for New Europe Roland Rudd.


FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b06s1gcn)
Howard Jacobson: Christmas

Howard Jacobson recalls the healthy mongrel mix of traditions in his Jewish family's festivities at Christmas.

"Let's rejoice in the eclecticism, I say, and find in the varieties of ways people choose to mark or miss the point of Christmas the universal love that is its message."

Producer: Sheila Cook.


FRI 21:00 British Liberalism: The Grand Tour (b06s1gcq)
Omnibus

From Millicent Fawcett to Multiculturalism

Anne McElvoy traces liberalism's development since the Suffragists.

Producer: Phil Tinline.


FRI 21:58 Weather (b06rk6fj)
The latest weather forecast.


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b06s1gcs)
Rwanda President Seeks Third Term

And a history of Christmas carols.


FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b06t0p7w)
Slade House

Astronauts, 2015

Behind a small iron door in a twisting alley lies Slade House, an eerie mansion that is somehow too large for the space it occupies. Every nine years, a 'guest' is summoned to the house but why has that person been chosen, and by whom? David Mitchell's chilling new novel unfolds over decades and is a spine-tingling, wintry delight.

Astronauts, 2015
A shifty man in his early twenties waits near Slade Alley to greet psychiatrist Dr Iris Marinus-Fenby, who has followed a trail from the late Fred Pink's diaries. Read by Amelia Lowdell.
Abridged by Sian Preece
Producer Eilidh McCreadie.


FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b06ry7gq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]


FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b06s1gcv)
Mark D'Arcy reports from Westminster.


FRI 23:55 The Listening Project (b06s1gl8)
Lebanon: Hana and Rana - A Refugee Is a Person

Fi Glover with a conversation between cousins, both educated young women, who find their nursing and teaching qualifications discounted in Lebanon; only their looks have any value.

This is the first time The Listening Project has recorded abroad. The conversation was facilitated by Oxfam.

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.