SATURDAY 27 APRIL 2019

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m0004f78)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 Book of the Week (m0004f5l)
Losing Earth

Episode 5

Nathaniel Rich tells the story of efforts made by a number of passionate activists, scientists and politicians who worked tirelessly in the 1980s to halt climate change. In this episode, Rich looks at how the fallout from the Dutch summit in 1989 continues to resonate.

Read by Kyle Soller
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0004f7b)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0004f7d)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0004f7g)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m0004f7j)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0004f7l)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Rev Lynne Gibson, Rector of St Mark’s Church, Ballymacash, Lisburn.


SAT 05:45 The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry (m0004f3k)
Series 13

The Lunar Land Pt 1

A double episode to mark the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, and the first humans to walk on the Moon.

Harley Day emailed curiouscases@bbc.co.uk to ask “Why do we only have one Moon and what would life on Earth be like if we had more? I'll be over the moon if you can help me solve this mystery.”

In this first episode, Hannah and Adam look at how the Moon was formed and why we only have one. Featuring Maggie Aderin-Pocock space scientist and author of 'The Book of the Moon' and cosmic mineralogist Sara Russell from the Natural History Museum.

Presenters: Adam Rutherford, Hannah Fry
Producer: Michelle Martin


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m0004myy)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (m0004cq7)
George Eliot Country

‘She was a woman ahead of her time, she pushed every boundary.’

For this week’s Open County, Helen Mark heads to the Warwickshire landscape of Nuneaton where she walks in the footsteps of one of Britain’s greatest authors and through the locals who are celebrating her legacy today, Helen comes face to face with the woman herself – 200 years after her birth.

Mary Anne Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880) is best known by her pen name George Eliot. An English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era, her novels reflected the landscape and the lives of those she lived amongst. 200 years on from her birth we meet the community that continue to celebrate her life today and the shifting landscape that still holds traces of Mary Anne’s rural beginnings.

Presented by Helen Mark
Readings by Eleanor Charman from Sudden Impulse Theatre
Produced by Nicola Humphries


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m0004mz0)
Farming Today This Week

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside


SAT 06:57 Weather (m0004mz2)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 07:00 Today (m0004mz4)
News and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m0004mz6)
Dame Stephanie Shirley and Duff McKagan

Richard and Aasmah are joined by Dame Stephanie Shirley who arrived in the UK aged 5 as a refugee on the Kindertransport. She became a ground breaking IT entrepreneur who has since become a philanthropist and given over £60 million away. Her son inspired her to set up a school for children with Autism, and fund vital research.
We also have Duff McKagan who joined Guns N' Roses as bass player aged 19 but only just survived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. He battled addiction by taking up martial arts and studied accountancy, writing books and his own music as well as touring again with the band.
and Libby Page, who enjoyed water as a child but had become fearful of donning a swimsuit in her teens. She finally faced her fears and learnt to swim in her 20s and has discovered the meditative and therapeutic benefits of swimming, in particular, outdoors and it helped her get a publishing deal.
and Paul Jacobs, a listener whose wife got in touch with us. A PE teacher in the same school for 29 years, he was voted Melton Mowbray’s sports personality of year 2016, and uses sport to inspire young people. We heard how he would “run a marathon, drive home and do the ironing”, so we had to meet him.
TV presenter June Sarpong gives us her inheritance tracks which are Superwoman by Stevie Wonder and Love Train performed by The O'Jays.
Producer: Corinna Jones
Editor: Beverley Purcell


SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m0004l8v)
Dundee

Jay Rayner and the panel are in Dundee. Dr Zoe Laughlin, Sue Lawrence, Andi Oliver and Rob Owen-Brown answer this week's culinary questions.

The panellists offer advice on flavouring home-brewed vinegar, give recipe suggestions for lobster and discuss the best method for making meatballs.

They also taste ample helpings of Dundee cake from Martin Goodfellow of Goodfellow’s Cakes, award winning smoked haddock from Ian Spink of Original Smokies of Arbroath, and traditional Forfar Bridies supplied by Karen Murray of McLaren & Son Bakers.

Producer: Darby Dorras
Assistant Producer: Rosie Merotra

Food Consultant: Anna Colquhoun

A Somethin’ Else production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m0004mz8)
Helen Lewis of the New Statesman looks behind the scenes at Westminster.
Political divisions in Westminster and Stormont but when it comes to the environmental agenda is there a consensus emerging?
The Editor is Marie Jessel


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0004mzb)
Sudanese street protests

As street protests gain momentum in Sudan, Alastair Leithead asks if revolutionary change will be sustainable. Vicky Spratt visits a safe house in Nepal to find out how people traffickers are exploiting women online. In the Philippines Howard Johnson discovers how some of the country's Christian faithful prove their devotion at Easter by nailing themselves to wooden crosses. Rahul Tandon finds out how Brexit's twists and turns are interpreted in India. And Lizzie Porter tours Saddam Hussein's once extravagant, now abandoned, palace in Iraq.
Presenter: Kate Adie
Producer: Rosamund Jones


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m0004mzd)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m0004lc5)
The latest news from the world of personal finance plus advice for those trying to make the most of their money.


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m0004f6r)
Series 99

Episode 3

Among the stories this week - a round up of the candidates announced so far in a crowded EU Election field; activist Greta Thunberg's visit to the UK in support of the Extinction Rebellion protests; and the risk of spying as Chinese telecom company Huawei are invited to work on 5g provision in the UK.

Miles Jupp is joined by Mark Steel, comedians Ellie Taylor and Andy Zaltzman, and former advisor to Gordon Brown, Ayesha Hazarika.

Alan Smith reads the news.

Produced by Victoria Lloyd
A BBC Studios Production


SAT 12:57 Weather (m0004mzg)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News (m0004mzj)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m0004f6y)
Jake Berry MP, Andy Burnham, Harry Cole, Christine Jardine MP.

Jonathan Dimbleby presents topical debate from Merchant Taylors' Boys' School in Crosby with a panel including Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry MP, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Deputy Political Editor of the Mail on Sunday newspaper Harry Cole and Christine Jardine MP the Liberal Democrat's Spokesperson on Welfare and Pensions.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m0004mzl)
Have your say on the issues discussed on Any Questions?


SAT 14:30 Ambler (m0004mzn)
The Battle of San Pietro

By Nick Perry

In 1944, British spy novelist Eric Ambler and Hollywood film director John Huston were paired up to make a film to support the Allied war effort. Neither Huston nor Ambler had made a documentary before; they were used to writing the script then shooting and now they were going to shoot before writing. They agreed that there would be no staging, no re-enactment, nothing fake or artificial in their production. But the ethics of both men were tested by the reality of crafting a story in a war zone.

Part of the Eric Ambler season on BBC Radio 4, which also includes two-part adaptations of his novels Journey Into Fear and Epitaph for a Spy.

Eric Ambler's pre-war novels remain the base upon which his reputation rests. Fresh and exciting, they laid out the ground for writers such as John Le Carré and Len Deighton. During the years before WWII, Ambler created the image of the modern spy. He was hailed by Graham Greene as ''our greatest thriller writer''.

These are novels of education. The protagonist typically thinks of himself as a skilled reader of personality and motive - and then gets everything wrong. Ambler thrusts his hapless heroes - teachers, engineers and writers - into a world of political intrigue. Set mostly in Europe, the novels paint haunting panoramas of intrigue and villainy. Credible heroes, realistic settings and vivid evocations of the nervous, politically-charged years that led to World War II, evoke the queasy atmosphere and conspiratorial politics of 1930s Europe.

John Huston . . . Elliot Cowan
Eric Ambler . . . Joseph Kloska
Jules Buck . . . Joseph Ayre
Colonel Gillette . . . Nathan Osgood
The Interviewer . . . Lorelei King
David MacDonald . . . Christopher Harper
General Harrison . . . Kenny Blyth
Elsie . . . Helen Clapp
Director . . . Sasha Yevtushenko


SAT 15:15 Short Works (m0004dwh)
Rise Above It by Kiare Ladner

In acclaimed writer Kiare Ladner's funny and touching story, Melody takes part in a most unusual yoga class and discovers something new about her mother.

Kiare Ladner was shortlisted for the 2018 BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University for Van Rensburg's Card. Her debut novel, Nightshift, will be published in late 2019. Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies including Lightship Anthology 1, New Contrast and Wasafiri. Kiare was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and is now based in the UK.

Produced by Elizabeth Allard.


SAT 15:30 The Art of Now (m0004f1p)
Race and Fashion

Deputy Editor of Elle Magazine UK, Kenya Hunt, celebrates the work of black designers in fashion and investigates how the fashion world is grappling with conversations around race.

Kenya meets different generations of black designers, exploring their creative processes and inspirations, alongside the challenges they face in building their careers. She speaks to established innovator and curator Duro Olowu, the London-based Nigerian-Jamaican designer who is one of a few black designers to have achieved luxury level success. He shares insights into his career, how he has changed the way fashion collections are presented and the importance of remembering black British fashion designers.

Kenya also talks to emerging designer and filmmaker Bianca Saunders, whose debut collections have met with international critical acclaim. She discusses the inspirations for her work and the challenges of growing an independent fashion label.

Recent years have seen as increase in representation of black models in fashion, off the runway and away from editorial pages, but there has still been recurring racist imagery from leading global design houses, and few black designers showcase their collections on runways. However, Edward Enninful has set a new tone as Editor of British Vogue, and Virgil Abloh has become the artistic director at Louis Vuitton.

With leading voices from different parts of the industry, including the veteran activist and model Bethann Hardsion, Kenya explores the opportunities for continued change in the sector.

Produced by Tej Adeleye and Paul Smith
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m0004mzq)
Weekend Woman's Hour: Women's fascination with true crime, Parental alienation, Borscht

With countless television documentaries dedicated to true crime cases, why do women make up the majority of the audiences? We hear from Julia Davis editor of Crime Monthly Magazine, Jacqui Hames former police officer and presenter of Crimewatch and Dr Gemma Flynn a Criminologist.

Parental alienation is the process, and the result of psychological manipulation of a child into showing unwarranted fear, disrespect and hostility towards a parent. We look at whether there is a growing understanding of this concept with Charlotte Friedman a psychologist with a background in family law and mediation and with Paula Rhone Adrien a Family Law Barrister.

What is the best way to support a partner who is suffering from depression? The journalist and author Poorna Bell, the psychiatrist Linda Gask, Nicole Krystal Crentsil a public speaker and couple Alan and Karen Phillips discuss.

It’s six years since the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh where more than a 1000 garment workers died, over half were women. How do we raise awareness of where and how our clothes are made and how do we all learn how to consume less? Fashion industry insiders Alice Wilby and Bernice Pan explain.

The author Jennifer Eberhardt Professor of Psychology at Stanford University talks about her years of research into unconscious racial bias.

When Josie Rourke became the artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse she was one of the first female theatre directors to be appointed to that role in a major London theatre. Eight years on she tells us why she has picked the musical Sweet Charity as her swan song and how theatre has changed in the last 10 years.

And the food writer Alissa Timoshkina cooks the perfect borscht.

Presented by Jenni Murray
Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed
Editor: Jane Thurlow


SAT 17:00 PM (m0004mzs)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news, plus the sports headlines.


SAT 17:30 The Inquiry (m0004mzv)
Why has the crisis in Kashmir lasted so long?

In February a bomb blast killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police officers in Kashmir; the worst attack by Pakistani militants in years. Indian military jets were deployed and one was shot down. As concerns over the pilot’s fate grew, fears mounted that India and Pakistan might go to war over Kashmir – again. The countries have been at war four times since partition in 1947. And Kashmir, which both countries claim in entirety but each one controls only in part, has been a key factor in the conflicts. But even when there is no war, there is no stable peace in Kashmir. Violent protests and street fighting are commonplace and daily life is made hard in numerous other ways. Unemployment is high, communication blackouts frequent and security fears constant. The Inquiry explores why the crisis has been so difficult to solve and what it might take for a resolution to emerge.

Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: Rosamund Jones


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0004mzx)
The latest shipping forecast.


SAT 17:57 Weather (m0004mzz)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0004n01)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m0004lfb)
Kiefer Sutherland, Bill Pullman, Andi Oliver, Angelique Kidjo, YolanDa Brown, Nikki Bedi

Nikki Bedi and YolanDa Brown are joined by Kiefer Sutherland, Bill Pullman and Andi Oliver for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Angélique Kidjo and Kiefer Sutherland.

Producer: Sukey Firth


SAT 19:00 Profile (m0004lb1)
Loyle Carner

Mark Coles looks at the life and career of British hip hop artist Loyle Carner, as he releases his second album, Not Waving, But Drowning.


SAT 19:15 Saturday Review (m0004n04)
Eighth Grade, All My Sons, Lux by Elizabeth Cook, Stanley Kubrick, Curry House Kid

Youtube star/standup comedian Bo Burnham has now turned his hand to film directing and his debut work is a coming-of-age tale: Eighth Grade. It's about a 15 year old girl dealing with the trials and tribulations of high school life, discovering how the world works and why.
Arthur Miller's All My Sons was his breakthrough work when it debuted on Broadway in 1947. A new production at London's Old Vic theatre stars Sally Field and Bill Pullman
Lux is the latest historical novel by Elizabeth Cook, it continues her fascination with exploring classical themes; this time the story of David and Bathsheba interwoven with the life of 16th century poet Thomas Wyatt
There's a new exhibition celebrating the work of film director Stanley Kubrick which has just opened at The Design Museum in London. On display are items from his personal archive directly related to his long career on groundbreaking films including 2001 A Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket and Spartacus
Curry House Kid on Channel 4 is a documentary about Akram Khan's upbringing above a curry house and his desire to dance. it includes a new work about the world of the migrant

Tom Sutcliffe's guests are Amber Butchart, Bob and Roberta Smith and Kerry Shale. The producer is Oliver Jones


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m0004n06)
1979: Democracy's Nightmares

Britain has been in political flux for a decade. So what can we learn from the last time we were in this state? 40 years on, documentary-maker Phil Tinline traces the political fears and hopes swirling in Britain on left and right alike, in the period leading up to Mrs Thatcher's 1979 election victory.

In 1978 and early 1979, Britain was divided. There were street protests and marches; a government with no majority battled to keep its authority. Immigration was controversial; so was racist violence. By the time of the 'Winter of Discontent' strike wave, institutions were under such pressure that the status quo seemed to be breaking down. Who knew what awaited Britain just a few months ahead?

On the left, many worried about the rise of the National Front, and a broader shift towards authoritarianism, including the actions of the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group. Plays, articles and pop songs anticipated an oppressive right-wing government.

On the right, meanwhile, many foresaw the ever-greater extension of state and trade union power. Novels, TV dramas and political essays and speeches pictured a coming left-wing dictatorship.

And underpinning all this was a broader fear: of social breakdown.

Yet even as the barriers that had kept post-war Britain relatively stable seemed to be collapsing, something else was stirring. Young people, galvanised both by punk and by political fear, began to challenge other barriers, through movements like Rock Against Racism. So did all that fear and chaos also reach beyond party politics to forge an unexpected new way of being British?

Interviewees include: Avtar Brah, Lord Donoughue, David Edgar, Professor Steven Fielding, Lord Lawson, Mykaell Riley, Tom Robinson, Lucy Whitman

Producer: Phil Tinline


SAT 21:00 The Art of Intimacy (m00027xt)
Part 1

What should good ‘sexual consent’ look, sound and feel like?

Eimear McBride broke new ground with her writing about sex in the novels ‘A Girl is a Half-formed Thing’ and ‘The Lesser Bohemians’. She was praised for her ‘truth-spilling, uncompromising’ ability to take us right inside the experience of sex. Now Eimear wants to explore the moments just before sex – when consent is still molten and evolving. So where in our literature can we find good examples of this kind of intimacy?

Eimear looks back to Samuel Richardson’s 17th century novel ‘Pamela’ ( one of the most influential writers on later courtship narratives, including the work of Jane Austen), to D.H.Lawrence’s depiction of consent and rejection, to Shakespeare’s comedy cross-dressers, to W.H. Auden and to contemporary writers such as Sarah Hall, Sarah Waters, and the US Romance writer Nora Roberts. She also meets Dr Fern Riddell to explore the possibilities of non-verbal consent (the language of hats and fans), as practised by the Victorians.

Music: composed by 'Scanner'
Producer: Faith Lawrence

Interviewed in this programme:
Sarah Hall, novelist and short story writer - author of ‘The Wolf Border’; editor ( along with Peter Hobbs) of the anthology ‘Sex and Death: Stories’
Professor Judith Hawley (interviewed at the British Library with a first edition of Samuel Richardson’s ‘Pamela’), Royal Holloway, University of London.
Dr Jarlath Killeen, Trinity College, Dublin
Dr Fern Riddell, author of ‘The Victorian Guide to Sex’ and the forthcoming ‘Death in Ten Minutes:The Forgotten life of radical suffragette Kitty Marion’
Dr Catherine Brown, New College of the Humanities
Andrew McMillan, poet and senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University
Professor Emma Smith, Hertford College, The University of Oxford, author of ‘This is Shakespeare’ (May 2019)
Professor Jacqueline Rose, Birkbeck College, University of London

In part two, Eimear explores ‘consent’ in the performing and visual arts.


SAT 21:30 The Art of Intimacy (m0002cfn)
Part 2

Our age is confused about sexual consent; what should it look, sound and feel like?

Novelist and winner of The Women's Prize for Fiction, Eimear McBride, finds out what artists and performers can tell us about our intimate interactions and conversations, and asks whether we can learn something from them that might help our own relationships.

Eimear meets the cast of Dracula who are working with an Intimacy Director to ensure the sexual contact (in this new interpretation of the play) is authentic and ethical; she finds out how comedy, and drag can help us address the greyest areas of 'consent' with the comedian Natalie Palamides, and takes a fresh look at the way some of the old masters in our galleries depict sexuality. She also challenges the art historian Sara Riccardi to find outstanding 'consensual' depictions of sex in modern art. Sara takes Eimear to see the Arts Council Collection, and shows her works by David Hockney. the Norwegian artist AK Dolven, Clive Hodgson and Jock McFadyen.

Music: composed by Scanner
Producer: Faith Lawrence

Interviewees include:
Ross McGregor, Beatrice Vincent, Conor Moss, and Christopher Tester from Arrows and Traps Theatre Company
Yarit Dor from Theatrical Intimacy
Letizia Treves and Bart Cornelis from The National Gallery
Sara Riccardi from Art Across
Natalie Palamides as 'Nate'

Artworks:
AK Dolven's 'The Kiss';
http://www.artscouncilcollection.org.uk/explore/artist/dolven-k

Jan Steen's 'An Interior with a Man offering an Oyster to a Woman'
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jan-steen-an-interior-with-a-man-offering-an-oyster-to-a-woman

Guido Reni's 'The Rape of Europa'
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/guido-reni-the-rape-of-europa


SAT 22:00 News and Weather (m0004n08)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 22:15 FutureProofing (m0004f4t)
Apocalypse

Will 21st century technology avert or accelerate the Apocalypse?

Humanity has always featured stories and fears about the end of the world. But never before have we possessed such power to influence the dangers, manage the risks or cause such existential disaster.

Presenters Timandra Harkness and Leo Johnson travel to NASA’s Los Angeles laboratory, and the site of the nuclear catastrophe at Chernobyl to understand the risks of disaster that face us in the next century. They discover how artificial intelligence might accelerate the demise of humankind, whilst also offering us a pathway to survival and redemption. And they learn how titanium wafers containing the entire library of human achievement and knowledge could safeguard our civilisation in the farthest corners of the universe.


SAT 23:00 Brain of Britain (m0004f02)
Heat 5, 2019

(5/17)
Russell Davies is joined by another four competitors at the Radio Theatre in central London as the quest continues for 2019's Brain of Britain. Today's Brains will need to know about the stories of Hemingway, the characters in Waiting for Godot, the teams in the 2018 World Cup and how to make eggs Benedict.

They are:
Allen Clarke, a retired air traffic control engineer from Southampton
Steve Goddard, a lecturer in French from Oxford
Rob Hemming, an author from Evesham in Worcestershire
David Sherman, a hospital administrator from Chelmsford.

Producer: Paul Bajoria


SAT 23:30 Poetry Please (m0004dyk)
Ben Okri

Poet and Booker prize winner Ben Okri joins Roger McGough to talk about his selection of poetry from the listener request database. Derek Walcott, Jackie Kay and WB Yeats all make an appearance, and the writer reads some of his own work. Producer Sally Heaven.



SUNDAY 28 APRIL 2019

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m0004n0b)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 00:30 Short Works (m0004f6c)
A Traditional Sunday Roast

Written by Yvvette Edwards. Muma Rose surprises her grand-daughter, Anthea, by announcing she is in a new relationship with an octogenarian called Alfie. She wants them all to meet over a proper Sunday lunch - and Anthea must shape up.

Yvvette Edwards is a British East Londoner of Montserratian origin and, in addition to writing short stories, she is author of two novels - A Cupboard Full of Coats and The Mother. Her work has been nominated for a number of literary awards, including the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Man Booker Prize. She was a judge for the inaugural Jhalak Prize for Writers of Colour and mentors emerging writers for the National Centre for Writing.

Writer: Yvvette Edwards
Reader: Cherrelle Skeete
Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0004n0d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0004n0g)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0004n0j)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m0004n0l)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m0004lcm)
St George's Church, Benenden

Time now for Bells on Sunday, which this morning comes from St. George’s Church, Benenden in Kent. The oldest bell in the tower dates from 1719, and the tenor, which weighs 18¼ hundredweight, is tuned to E flat. We now hear them ringing now Grandsire Triples.


SUN 05:45 Profile (m0004lb1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 News Headlines (m0004l7g)
The latest national and international news headlines.


SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b08cqq71)
We're Not out of the Woods

Michael Symmons Roberts goes into the depths of the forest to find out the meaning of the cliché "we're not out of the woods yet". From the time we are children, woods and forests are portrayed as places of menace and foreboding, where dangerous creatures like wolves and gruffalos lurk, intent on causing us harm. Normally they are places we want to escape from, but not everyone is so keen to get out.

For authors, poets and composers, the woods can be places of creativity, testing and transformation and a symbol not only of fertility - as it is for DH Lawrence - but also for the very health of a nation, as W.H Auden so powerfully expresses: "This great society is going to smash; They cannot fool us with how fast they go, How much they cost each other and the gods. A culture is no better than its woods."

Modern poetry and music also engage with the symbolism of the woods. We hear from Emily Berry and her beautiful poem Canopy, as well as Alice Oswald's Wood Not Yet Out and - perhaps surprisingly - from rock star Prince, whose song The Cross powerfully captures the emotion of the crucifixion. Roberts revisits the notion that, in literature, it is hard to escape the link between wood and the cross of Christ. He quotes the great Anglo Saxon poem The Dream of the Rood, where the cross itself is the narrator.

Roberts concludes that maybe being in the woods is not all bad. "Like all the richest metaphors...there's something so deep rooted about the woods, the forest, trees as symbols and metaphors that we can't leave them alone... We're not out of the woods yet, but perhaps we don't want to be."

Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts
Producer: Michael Wakelin
A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m0004l7l)
Farming for Mental Health

Around one in four of us experience a mental health problem every year according to the charity Mind. Recovering from poor mental health can be a long, complicated and lonely journey but a growing body of evidence suggests that work on farms can help control anxiety, depression and other complex mental health conditions. To hear how Caz Graham visits Growing Well, a mental health charity based on an organic vegetable farm in south Cumbria.

Its ‘volunteers’ - or farmers - are referred by GPs and local mental health services. Over the last 15 years it’s helped hundreds of people find their feet again through the down to earth process of planting, growing and harvesting in a safe supportive environment. But it’s not just therapy. The farm is a thriving business with commercial contracts and deadlines to meet. We hear the stories of people who’ve found their way back to normal life by volunteering here, sample the delights of the field kitchen and hear why manager Mary Houston is off to visit farms which do the same thing in Norway and the USA.

Presented and Produced by Caz Graham


SUN 06:57 Weather (m0004l7q)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m0004l7v)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m0004l7z)
Sunday morning religious news and current affairs programme.


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m0004l83)
Prisoners of Conscience

John Simpson makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Prisoners of Conscience.

To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal. (That’s the whole address. Please do not write anything else on the front of the envelope). Mark the back of the envelope ‘Prisoners of Conscience'.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Prisoners of Conscience'.

Registered Charity Number: 213766


SUN 07:57 Weather (m0004l87)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m0004l8c)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m0004l8h)
The promise of new life

Focussing on the resurrection and the promise of new life, the Chaplain of Rugby School, the Reverend Richard Horner uncovers new ways of telling familiar stories. Music to celebrate the second Sunday of Easter includes "The day of resurrection" (Ellacombe), Stanford's Jubilate in C, John Scott's "The Easter Anthems" and "Mine eyes have seen the glory" (Battle Hymn). Readings are from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians and the Gospel of John. The choir is directed by the School's Director of Music, Richard Tanner and the organist is James Williams. The producer is Janet McLarty.


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m0004f70)
Get Mad, Then Get Over It!

"While I would love to find a poetic way into this", writes Sarah Dunant, "I think it best just to spit it out. I'm angry. And I have been angry for quite a while now".

Sarah says she doesn't see herself as an angry person - but wonders why aggression and outrage seem to have become so much part of our emotional diet.

She proposes some solutions - including an National Anger Day - a great moment of catharsis to help us all be a little less....angry!

Producer: Adele Armstrong


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b09sn13x)
Helen Moncrieff on the Black Guillemot

Helen Moncrieff, Shetland Manager for RSPB Scotland recalls some of her encounters with the Black Guillemot or Tystie as they are known locally in Shetland after their piercing whistle. These include watching one disappear into the jaws of an Orca.
Tweet of the Day has captivated the Radio 4 audience with its daily 90 seconds of birdsong. But what of the listener to this avian chorus? In this new series of Tweet of the Day, we bring to the airwaves the conversational voices of those who listen to and are inspired by birds. Building on the previous series, a more informal approach to learning alongside a renewed emphasis on encounter with nature and reflection in our relationship with the natural world.

Producer: Sarah Blunt
Photograph: Brian Burke.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m0004l8m)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell


SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (m0004l8r)
Writer ….. Adrian Flynn
Director ….. Rosemary Watts
Editor ….. Jeremy Howe

Jill Archer ….. Patricia Greene
Kenton Archer ….. Richard Attlee
Tony Archer ….. David Troughton
Tom Archer ….. William Troughton
Natasha Archer ….. Mali Harries
Susan Carter ….. Charlotte Martin
Chris Carter ..... Wilf Scolding
Ruairi Donovan ..... Arthur Hughes
Alan Franks ..... John Telfer
Will Grundy ….. Philip Molloy
Mia Grundy ….. Molly Pipe
Emma Grundy ….. Emerald O'hanrahan
Ed Grundy ….. Barry Farrimond
Shula Hebden Lloyd ….. Judy Bennett
Jim Lloyd ….. John Rowe
Jazzer McCreary ..... Ryan Kelly
Elizabeth Pargetter ….. Alison Dowling
Freddie Pargetter ….. Toby Laurence
Peggy Woolley ...... June Spencer
Lynda Snell ….. Carole Boyd
Leonard Berry ….. Paul Copley


SUN 11:15 The Reunion (m0004l8w)
The Scottish Parliament

Sue MacGregor brings together those who campaigned for and then secured a Scottish Parliament – the first in the country for almost 300 years, since the Acts of Union in 1707.

It was the election of Tony Blair in 1997 that saw the UK Government publish a white paper on Scottish devolution, proposing the creation of a Parliament for Scotland.

On September 11th of that year, a referendum was put to the Scottish electorate and 74% voted yes.

A little under two years later, on May 6th 1999, voters elected 129 MSPs. No overall party won and so Scottish Labour led by First Minister Donald Dewar and the Scottish Lib Dems led by Jim Wallace entered tricky discussions on forming a coalition. The SNP became the official opposition.

The Scottish Parliament has gone on to have its fair share of tribulations with the death of Donald Dewar in October 2000, the resignation of his successor Henry McLeish just a year later, and escalating building costs of the Parliament’s new home at Holyrood.

Guests joining Sue to look back on the opening of the parliament include former First Minister of Scotland Henry McLeish, special adviser to Donald Dewar, Labour MSP Wendy Alexander, the leader of the Scottish Lib-Dems Jim Wallace, the SNP's Roseanna Cunningham and the Parliament's first Presiding Officer, David Steel.

Producer: Howard Shannon
Series Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 12:00 News Summary (m0004l90)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 12:04 The Unbelievable Truth (m0004f0f)
Series 22

Episode 4

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

Richard Osman, Holly Walsh, Luisa Omielan and Jack Dee are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as names, frogs, paper and parrots.

Produced by Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (m0004l94)
How reassuring are food assurance labels?

Food assurance labels come in all sorts of forms, appearing on all sorts of ingredients available from shops across the UK. Their logos promise certified standards in a range of production attributes - from environmental impact to animal welfare to safety to chemical usage.

But how well are these schemes understood? What does the general public really want to be assured about? How much impact can assurance labels have, in a world where we're eating more and more processed food? And what could such schemes contribute to a post-Brexit UK food system?

Sheila Dillon is joined by an expert panel to discuss some of the questions around food assurance labels: Dr Siobhan Mullan, a Senior Research Fellow in Farm Animal Science at the University of Bristol Veterinary School, who's currently helping to develop a new food standard, the Global Federation of Higher Animal Welfare Assurance; Erik Millstone, a Professor of Science Policy at the University of Sussex, whose work focuses on how we structure our food system; and Phil Brooke the Research and Education Manager at the animal welfare lobbying organisation Compassion in World Farming - which has an ongoing 'Honest Labelling' campaign.

Presenter: Sheila Dillon
Producer: Lucy Taylor


SUN 12:57 Weather (m0004l98)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m0004l9d)
Global news and analysis, presented by Mark Mardell.


SUN 13:30 A Job for the Boys (m0003t9y)
Women once made up 80% of the computer industry. They are now less than 20%. Mary Ann Sieghart explores the hidden and disturbing consequences of not having women at the heart of the tech.

Who is the in room today when technology is designed determines how society is being shaped. Justine Cassell, from Carnegie Mellon University, says young men in Silicon Valley are told, “Design for you. Design what you would want to use” and so virtual assistants, such as the ever-female Siri, Alexa and Cortana play with “cute talk” and female game characters still have their “tits hanging out of their blouses.”

Artificial Intelligence is now making life-changing choices for us - about our health, our loans, even bail. But it isn’t faultless; it is biased. AI is only as good as the data it’s been fed and if it’s learning from prejudice, it will only amplify it.

Apps designed by men are overlooking women’s health, algorithms are rejecting women outright and as MIT Professor Catherine Tucker explains, they aren’t even being sent jobs adverts “because their eyeballs are more expensive.”

Mary Ann looks at why women left the computer industry and what still deters them today. She hears the challenges that tech entrepreneur Steve Shirley faced in the 1960s are almost identical to those voiced by organisers of the Google walkout last year. Women are harassed, side lined and not taken seriously; they are put off by a cult of genius and techno-chauvinism.

But there is hope. Mary Ann meets campaigners trying to regulate AI gender bias and those succeeding in getting more women into tech, finding a small tweak in classroom design or style of university marking can make a real difference.

Producer: Sarah Bowen.


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m0004f69)
Manchester

Eric Robson and the team are in Manchester for a historic edition of GQT - Eric’s last as chairman after presenting the programme for 25 years.

Along with the usual audience questions, the panel spring several surprises on Eric - including special guests, trips down memory lane and some carefully-selected gifts to keep his green fingers busy in retirement.

On the panel are Bunny Guinness, Anne Swithinbank, Matthew Wilson and Pippa Greenwood.

Produced by Dan Cocker
Executive Producer: Darby Dorras.

A Somethin’ Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 The Listening Project (m0004l9j)
Sunday Omnibus - Challenges of Parenthood

Fi Glover presents the omnibus edition of the series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen with three conversations - between friends and fellow carers of adult children; on the challenges of having a baby born with a heart defect; and on the impact of losing a new-born baby.

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: Mohini Patel


SUN 15:00 Ambler (m0004l9n)
Journey into Fear (Part 1)

By Eric Ambler
Adapted by Nick Perry

As clouds of war gather over Europe, Alec Graham, a mild-mannered arms expert, is in Istanbul, having just completed consultation work with the Turkish government. And now somebody wants him dead. Shots are fired at Graham as he steps into his hotel room, so, terrified, he escapes in secret on a boat bound for Genoa, from where he will take a train back to England. As he journeys home, he enters a dangerous world and struggles to distinguish friend from foe.

Part of the Eric Ambler season on BBC Radio 4, which also includes a two-part adaptation of Epitaph for a Spy, and a biographical drama about Eric Ambler and Hollywood director John Huston's collaboration on war film The Battle of San Pietro.

Eric Ambler's pre-war novels remain the base upon which his reputation rests. Fresh and exciting, they laid out the ground for writers such as Le Carré and Deighton. During the years before WWII, Ambler created the image of the modern spy. He was hailed by Graham Greene as ''our greatest thriller writer''.

These are novels of education. The protagonist typically thinks of himself as a skilled reader of personality and motive - and then gets everything wrong. Ambler thrusts his hapless heroes - teachers, engineers and writers - into a world of political intrigue. Set mostly in Europe, the novels paint haunting panoramas of intrigue and villainy. Credible heroes, realistic settings and vivid evocations of the nervous, politically-charged years that led to World War II, evoke the queasy atmosphere and conspiratorial politics of 1930s Europe.

Alec Graham . . . Daniel Rigby
Berlinksy . . . Simon Scardifield
Jose . . . Simon Scardifield
Dr Haller . . . Matthew Marsh
Josette . . . Olivia Ross
Mr Kuvetli . . . Atilla Akinci
Colonel Haki . . . Raad Rawi
Mme Mathis . . . Carolyn Pickles
Mathis . . . Sam Dale
Steward . . . Ronny Jhutti

Director . . . Sasha Yevtushenko


SUN 16:00 Open Book (m0004l9s)
Working Class Writing

In a special edition of Open Book, Mariella Frostrup and guests discuss the rich heritage and bright future of working class writing and consider how it can be defined today.

Mariella is joined in the studio by Professor Simon Kövesi of Oxford Brookes University, writer and academic Lisa Blower, journalist and writer Anita Sethi and editor at Trapeze Katie Brown, who is also co-chair of Hachette's All Together Network.

Plus novelist James Clarke argues that kitchen sink realism is a thriving literary genre, despite its mid-Century origins.


SUN 16:30 Poetry Please (m0004l9x)
John Hegley

John Hegley joins Roger McGough with his selection of poems from his own and others' work. They're joined by writer and comedian Arthur Smith to help them read a compilation of favourite poems chosen by listeners and by John himself to reflect his love of words and rhythm. The programme contains very strong language

The selections are:

What Is Poetry by Adrian Mitchell

Almond Blossom by Fiona Benson

Hire Car by John Cooper Clarke (contains very strong language)

Dunce by Jacques Prevert

Je Regrette Quelque Chose by John Hegley

Rainbow by John Agard

Two Lighthouses by Julia Darling read by Jackie Kay from Tina Gharavi's film of the same name

A View of Things by Edwin Morgan

Potato Poem by John Hegley

London Airport by Christopher Logue

New Poem by Roger McGough

Short poem by Fiona Benson

Dear Sir by Adrian Mitchell

Producer: Maggie Ayre


SUN 17:00 The Populist Curtain (m0004f2l)
Austria and Italy

In 1946, Winston Churchill coined a memorable phrase: “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the continent,” . Today the Soviet Union has gone, but populist parties are in government in every country along the route of the Iron Curtain, as defined by Churchill. In this series, political scientist Yascha Mounk travels that route, and finds out what is changing under these new governments in smaller cities, far away from the capitals. He speaks to supporters and opponents of the populist parties and builds up a complex picture of Europe in a time of flux.

In this episode, Yascha stays in countries which were on the West of the former Iron Curtain. Graz in Austria is the birthplace of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Here, populists have been brought into the fold – with the coalition between the centre-right Austrian People's Party and the far-right Freedom Party of Austria running the country. But Graz subverts expectations: the Communist Party is locally strong here too. His journey ends in the Italian city of Trieste, which was contested city after both WWI and WWII. Here Italy’s peculiar coalition between the Five Star and Lega parties is accused of attacking minorities and immigrants. Will Italy’s numerous smaller opposition parties manage to unite against the coalition?

Producer: Kate Lamble


SUN 17:40 Profile (m0004lb1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0004lb5)
The latest shipping forecast.


SUN 17:57 Weather (m0004lb9)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0004lbf)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m0004lbj)
Chris Hawkins

The best of BBC Radio this week with Chris Hawkins.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m0004lbn)
Tom is distracted following recent events and Jolene has a brainwave.


SUN 19:15 Stand-Up Specials (m0004lbs)
Lucy Porter in the Family Way… Again

Radio 4 favourite Lucy Porter returns with another examination of domestic life, covering everything from the dramatic to the dreary.

Following up last year's In the Family Way, Lucy looks at the question of legacy - what do we receive from our parents, and what do we pass on to our children?

Lucy hasn’t entirely been a winner in the genetic lottery. She has inherited dodgy knees, terrible teeth and a small third nipple. Her collection of family heirlooms consists of glass clowns, porcelain horses and offensive jam lids. Lucy does, however, want to instil in her own kids some of the values her parents taught her, including patience, courage and charity.

Talented comedian and impressionist Luke Kempner is on hand again to help Lucy illustrate the points she wants to make. As always, he displays his range of comic voices, including an impressive impersonation of Lucy’s Welsh great-grandmother.

In The Family Way... Again is a kind of love letter from Lucy to her mum, and a tender reflection on the things our parents do that drive us mad - things we’ll inevitably end up doing ourselves.

Recorded live at Circus Stratford

Written by Lucy Porter
With Additional Material by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch

Performed by Lucy Porter and Luke Kempner
Directed by Marilyn Imrie
Engineered and Edited by Jerry Peel
Production Managed by Sarah Tombling
Production Runner: Abbigayle Bircham

Produced by Gordon Kennedy
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Strictly Stories (m0004lbx)
Viennese Waltz

Every Thursday evening a young woman forgets about her obsession with food when she waltzes with a stranger at the Pink Lemon Dance Studio. Written by Bethan Roberts and read by Nelly Harker.

The music is Shostakovich Waltz No 2.

Directed by Kate McAll
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 20:00 More or Less (m0004f6h)
Hottest Easter, Insects, Scottish villages

Was it a surprise that Easter Monday was so hot?

A heatwave struck the UK over Easter – and in fact Easter Monday was declared the hottest on record in the UK. But listeners asked - is it that surprising that it was the warmest when the date fell so late in April? We crunch the numbers supplied by the Met Office.

Insectageddon

Insects live all around us and if a recent scientific review is anything to go by, then they are on the path to extinction. The analysis found that more than 40% of insect species are decreasing and that a decline rate of 2.5% a year suggests they could disappear in 100 years. And as some headlines in February warned of the catastrophic collapse of nature, some More or Less listeners questioned the findings. Is insect life really in trouble?

Collecting income tax from the 1%

Recently Lord Sugar said in a Tweet “The fact is if you taxed everyone earning over £150k at a rate of 70% it would not raise enough to pay for 5% of the NHS.” Is that true? Helen Miller, Deputy Director and head of tax at the Institute for Fiscal Studies looks at how much such a policy might raise from the 1% of tax payers who earn over £150,000.

Where is Scotland’s highest village?

A battle is brewing in the Southern Scottish uplands between two rival villages. How can statistics help determine which village should take the crown? Wanlockhead and Leadhills both lay claim to the title of Scotland’s highest village but there can only be one winner. More or Less attempts to settle the age old dispute once and for all.


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m0004f6f)
Lyra McKee, Una-Mary Parker, Mira Markovic, Doreen Spooner, Edward Kelsey

Pictured: Lyra McKee

Matthew Bannister on

Lyra McKee, the 29 year old Northern Irish journalist who was shot dead by the New IRA.

Una-Mary Parker who was the social editor of Tatler, a commentator on the Royal family and the author of best-selling novels.

Mira Markovic, the wife of the Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who denied her husband's responsibility for atrocities during the Bosnian war.

Doreen Spooner, the first woman to work as a staff photographer on a Fleet Street newspaper.

And Edward Kelsey, the actor who played Joe Grundy in The Archers for 34 years.

Interviewed guest: Sarah Kay
Interviewed guest: Baba Hobart
Interviewed guest: Adam Lebor
Interviewed guest: Cathy Vandeputte
Interviewed guest: Felicity Green
Producer: Neil George

Archive clips from: BBC News, 24/04/2019; Stephen Nolan, 5 Live 19/04/2019; TEDxStormont Women, November 2017; Just A Nimmo: Gossip and Gossip Columnists, BBC Two 03/02/1977; Best Behaviour, Radio 4 25/09/1991; HARDtalk, BBC News 10/09/2001; BBC News 28/06/2001; The World Tonight, Radio 4 01/11/1996; Breakfast Time, BBC One 29/01/1988; PM, Radio 4 13/10/1986; Woman's Hour, Radio 4 15/02/1988; BBC News, 02/10/1983; The Archers, Radio 4 17/03/2015; Breakfast Time, BBC One 26/03/1985; The Archers, Radio 4 18/07/2018.


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m0004lc5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m0004l83)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 In Business (m0004cqy)
Green Shoots: growing food in UAE’s deserts

Can the United Arab Emirates grow its own food? The Desert kingdoms today import 90% of their own food, at great cost. And each year consumption increases by 12%. This raises issues of food security, price and environmental damage – flying in fruit from California is not environmentally sustainable.
This is a region with little soil and few water resources. On average it rains just five days a year. So why is agriculture now considered one of the most exciting growth areas in the UAE? Farmers here depend on desalinated water from the Arabian Sea – expensive and, once again, costly to the environment. But new agricultural technologies are being developed. Starting at a small scale, can such businesses really be built up? Or are they vanity projects reliant simply on oil wealth? Georgia Tolley examines if the Emiratis can make their desert bloom and ensure their business of food production grows.

Producer: John Murphy


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m0004lc9)
Radio 4's Sunday night political discussion programme.


SUN 23:00 TED Radio Hour (m0004fxc)
Series 5

Spoken and Unspoken

A journey through fascinating ideas based on talks by riveting speakers on the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) stage.

Guy Raz explores how words and methods of communication affect us, more than you might expect.

First broadcast in the USA on National Public Radio in 2013.


SUN 23:50 A Point of View (m0004f70)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:48 today]



MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m0004lch)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (m0004f4d)
No-Go Zones and Dangerous Holidays

Laurie Taylor discusses the complex relationship between danger, travel and tourism.

Ruben Andersson asks whether Western powers should reconsider their treatment of some no-go zones and move away from a politics fired by fear.

How can we best calculate the risks of visiting countries where there is the possibility of unrest or worse? Debbie Lisle turns the lens on tourism in areas of conflict and considers what happens when soldiers become tourists and tourists enter war zones.

Producers: Natalia Fernandez and Alice Bloch


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m0004lcm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0004lcr)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0004lcv)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0004lcx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


MON 05:30 News Briefing (m0004lcz)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0004ld1)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Rev Lynne Gibson, Rector of St Mark’s Church, Ballymacash, Lisburn.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m0004ld3)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


MON 05:56 Weather (m0004ld5)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.


MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b09snn7p)
Helen Moncrieff on the Fulmar

Fulmars defend their nests by launching their stomach contents at an intruder. Now this may not seem like an appealing behaviour but as Helen Moncrieff, Shetland Manager with RSPB Scotland describes, it was a tactic she used to her advantage as a child and has felt protective of these cliff-nesting birds ever since.

Tweet of the Day has captivated the Radio 4 audience with its daily 90 seconds of birdsong. But what of the listener to this avian chorus? In this new series of Tweet of the Day, we bring to the airwaves the conversational voices of those who listen to and are inspired by birds. Building on the previous series, a more informal approach to learning alongside a renewed emphasis on encounter with nature and reflection in our relationship with the natural world.

Producer: Sarah Blunt
Photograph: Andrew Thompson.


MON 06:00 Today (m0004ldy)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (m0004lf0)
Freedom: From Kierkegaard to Black Lives Matter

'Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced', wrote the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. His new biographer, Clare Carlisle, explores the life experiences that moulded Kierkegaard's ideas as he struggled to understand how to be a human being in this world. She tells Amol Rajan that Kierkegaard was very much a philosopher of the heart.

DeRay Mckesson’s reality became one of struggle and action after he quit his job as a school teacher and became a key figure in the Black Lives Matter movement in the US. He spent 400 days on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, often walking day and night after a new law was introduced making it illegal to stand still. In his memoir, On the Other Side of Freedom, he explores the intellectual and political framework of the liberation movement that has dominated American life in the 21st century.

The award-winning poet and playwright Inua Ellams’s latest work also explores freedom and power, but in a world where fate and vengeful gods hold sway. His epic poem The Half-God of Rainfall begins with a game of basketball in Nigeria with the Yoruba gods looking on, and ends with a demonstration of female revenge – both human and mythological.

While Kierkegaard was focused on the subjective experience of being a human, and how we create ourselves through our action, the writer Elizabeth Day is interested in what happens when those actions go awry. ‘How To Fail’ is a painfully honest exploration of things going wrong, and what we can learn from our mistakes.

Producer: Katy Hickman


MON 09:45 Book of the Week (m0004lh3)
Underland

Episode 1

In his eagerly awaited new book, Robert Macfarlane muses on the worlds beneath our feet. Abridged for radio by Katrin Williams.

In this the Anthropocene Age, life underground is ecologically and delicately poised... And then he recalls a vivid cave journey in the Mendips, with his friend Sean - "The entry is awkward, a body-bending downwards wriggle before a drop..."

Read by the author

Producer Duncan Minshull


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0004lf4)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world


MON 10:45 Curious Under the Stars (m0004lf6)
Series 8: The Owl and the Ivy

The Owl and the Ivy, Part 1

By Alan Harris

First in the latest series of the magical drama set in Glan Don, a mysterious village perched on the wild Welsh coast.

Gareth picks up a naked hitchhiker on the road into Glan Don. She seems to have sprung to life from the forest.

Starring Elis James (Josh), Emma Sidi (Pls Like) and Ifan Huw Dafydd (Gavin and Stacey).

Gareth.... Elis James
Diane.... Emma Sidi
Emlyn..... Ifan Huw Dafydd
Megan.... Aimee Ffion Edwards
Fleur…. Catrin Stewart

Series created by Meic Povey
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production


MON 11:00 Surviving McCarthy (m0004lf8)
Science writer Ehsan Masood has been searching for the last survivors among the writers and academics accused decades ago of plotting communist subversion within the United States in the McCarthy era.

There are a few still living from among the tens of thousands of writers and academics fired from jobs or blacklisted following accusations that they were Communists. Many left the country voluntarily, some were deported, and others served time in prison. A tap on the shoulder from the FBI or a mention in one of the public hearings is all it took for careers to be wrecked with little opportunity for redress.

Ehsan Masood has tracked people down and researched in the libraries and archives of universities such as MIT and Harvard, whose former staff and students found their lives upended when confronted with allegations of subversive activity.

Producer: Peter Snowdon


MON 11:30 Loose Ends (m0004lfb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


MON 12:00 News Summary (m0004ljm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 Machines Like Me (m0004lfg)
Episode 1

Ian McEwan's new novel reimagines life and times in the 1980s, and is abridged in ten episodes by Penny Leicester.

Against a backdrop of Britain's loss of the Falkland Islands and mounting social unrest, Charlie invites Adam into his modest London home and introduces him to Miranda, a resident upstairs. Adam is a synthetic human and both neighbours decide to 'shape' his personality for everyday use. Others are doing it too, with an Adam or with an Eve.

Reader Anton Lesser

Producer Duncan Minshull


MON 12:18 You and Yours (m0004lfj)
News and discussion of consumer affairs.


MON 12:57 Weather (m0004lfl)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m0004lfn)
Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague.


MON 13:45 The Five Faces of Leonardo (m0004lfq)
Leonardo's Heart

Papworth heart surgeon Francis Wells examines the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci as an anatomist.

His interest in the Renaissance artist and polymath has not only impacted on his work as a surgeon but also inspired him to write a book, The Heart of Leonardo, with the support of the Royal Collection.

Windsor Castle houses 64 pages of anatomical drawings and writings in its print room - a selection of which have been on loan for temporary exhibitions to 12 art galleries in the UK, culminating in a major exhibition at the Queens Gallery in London in May 2019. Art historian Martin Clayton, who is head of prints and drawings for the Royal Collection, has been curating the exhibitions.

Producer: Sara Parker
Executive Producer: Samir Shah

A Juniper Connect production for BBC Radio 4


MON 14:00 The Archers (m0004lbn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Drama (m0004lfs)
The Ferryhill Philosophers

Two Georges and An Epigram of Epicurus

By Michael Chaplin. A sad farewell and a glad welcome to the world. Life goes on triumphantly in Ferryhill as Joe welcomes his first grandchild and faces a family dilemma, while Hermione says goodbye to George.

Alun Armstrong and Deborah Findlay star once again as the unlikely duo of ex miner and philosopher facing life’s big questions together.

Cast:
Joe Snowball ... Alun Armstrong
Hermione Pink ... Deborah Findlay
George ... Geoffrey Palmer
Gloria ... Tracy Whitwell
Lucy ... Lauren Kellegher
Peter ... Dean Bone
Rose ... Linda Broughton

Directed by Marilyn Imrie
A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4


MON 15:00 Brain of Britain (m0004lfv)
Heat 6, 2019

(6/17)
Russell Davies asks the questions in the sixth of this year's heats. Who were the architects of Paris's Pompidou Centre? Which superhero was played by Chadwick Boseman in 2018? Which 20th century Prime Minister had the shortest tenure in office?

Today's contest comes from MediaCityUK in Salford, and the winner today will take another of the automatic places in the semi-finals in the summer.

The competitors are:
Bob Currie, a legal investigator from Bramall in Stockport
Michael Harrington, a retired teacher from Rochdale
Liz Hartley, a retired university librarian from Lancaster
Mike Meakin, a hospital operating department practitioner from Harrogate

Producer: Paul Bajoria


MON 15:30 The Food Programme (m0004l94)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 on Sunday]


MON 16:00 Journey of a Lifetime (m0000pdb)
2018: Karen Darke. From Source to Sea via Me

Winner of this year's prestigious BBC/RGS dream journey award is Paralympian Karen Darke who rides along the length of Australia's Murray River on hand-cycle

Fresh from competing in the para-triathlon at this year's Commonwealth Games, Rio gold medallist Karen Darke heads for Australia's Snowy Mountains and the source of the 'Mighty' River Murray. On hand-cycle she takes a very personal journey down along its 2000 miles from source to sea.

She reflects on the challenges facing the river as it flows through a drought stricken landscape and she also sees the river as a metaphor for her own fragility- Karen is paralysed from the chest downwards - as she contemplates the end of her athletic career.

Burnt out by the pressure she's experienced in pushing herself to achieve, this cycle journey alongside the powerful and vulnerable Murray River makes her more aware than ever of her own vulnerability. Can something be learned from the river and it’s people about how to maintain the ability to flow and flourish whilst still delivering?

About the Journey of a Lifetime award
Are you passionate about radio and podcasting? Are you excited about finding new ways to tell original stories in sound? And are you itching to explore and understand the world around you?

Then we have exciting news for you. The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), in partnership with BBC Radio 4, is offering a £5,000 grant to help you make a journey - near or far - and a radio programme telling the world about it. You will be given BBC training and ongoing support from a BBC documentary producer.

If this sounds fun to you, you can find out how to apply by clicking on this link: http://bit.ly/1wBNKHB.


MON 16:30 Beyond Belief (m0004lfz)
Notre-Dame

The dreadful fire in Notre Dame Cathedral produced an enormous emotional reaction. In secular Paris people knelt and sang the Ave Maria. Clearly Notre Dame holds a central place in people’s hearts. The impact on the French psyche was enormous, but no lives were lost. It seems almost certain that Notre Dame will be restored, despite the fact that France is a secular country and the Catholic Church is in decline. What is it about Cathedrals? Why do they play such an important role in national and civic life? And can it be morally right to spend such vast sums on restoration?

In this programme Ernie Rea discusses the significance of Cathedrals in the lives of modern cities with Becky Clark, Director of the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division of the Church of England, John Laurenson, a Paris based BBC journalist and the Rev Michael Smith, Canon of York Minster.

Producer: Catherine Earlam


MON 17:00 PM (m0004lg3)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0004lg7)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (m0004n7k)
Series 22

Episode 5

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

Sindhu Vee, Susan Calman, Graeme Garden and Tony Hawks are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as kings, snakes, make up and hats.

Produced by Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4


MON 19:00 The Archers (m0004l8l)
There's a shock for Clarrie while Alistair and Shula share a heart to heart.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m0004lgc)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


MON 19:45 Curious Under the Stars (m0004lf6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


MON 20:00 My Name Is... (m0004lgh)
My Name Is Elizabeth

Chef Elizabeth Haigh asks whether the UK restaurant industry needs its own #MeToo moment.

After a number of high profile chefs in the US were accused of patterns of sexual harassment, bullying and assault, there has been an intense conversation globally about what it would take to eliminate such practices in the industry. Kitchens are known for long hours, highly pressurised working conditions and rigid hierarchies with all powerful chefs at the top. All these things have made it easier for bullying and harassment to go unnoticed - many female chefs have experienced abuse, but felt unable to speak up or have been punished when they do.

Elizabeth Haigh is a Michelin starred chef - and former Masterchef contestant - whose passion for cooking has seen her rise through the industry to become her own boss. But in that time she's seen a great deal of behaviour she considers inexcusable and ,on occasions, she has had to quit kitchens as a result of being bullied by colleagues.

She takes us on a journey through her world - talking frankly with chefs, people trying to inspire change and even her old employer.

Producer: Will Yates
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (m0004cpk)
Bangladesh versus Yaba

Thousands of Bangladeshi addicts are hooked on Yaba - a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine. It's a powerful drug that gives big bangs for small bucks. The Yaba epidemic has ripped through the population of Bangladesh, urban and rural, poor, middle-class and rich. This is a drug that's manufactured in industrial quantities in the jungles of neighbouring Myanmar. As the economy of Bangladesh has boomed, drug lords have worked to create new markets for their product. And the Rohingya crisis - when nearly a million fled Myanmar for Bangladesh - has created further opportunities for the traffickers, as desperate refugees have been employed as drug mules. The Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, declared a 'war on drugs' last May. Thousands have been arrested. But critics see a disturbing trend - hundreds of suspected Yaba dealers have been killed by law enforcement.

Presenter / producer: Linda Pressly with Morshed Ali Khan


MON 21:00 The Bubble (m0004f1m)
Social media, especially Twitter has changed the way we consume the news. Articles, commentaries and opinions are put into our news feeds by the people we choose to follow. We tend to only follow the people we agree with and like, and block and unfollow the people we disagree with. We're creating our own echo chambers and social media bubbles.

These bubbles are making us more polarised than ever, and we’re less likely to listen to views that are different from ours. Are we missing out on hearing the other side, because we're not hearing why they think the way they do?

In this programme, for two weeks, two people with opposite views swap Twitter news feeds. One Labour voting Remainer, and one Conservative Leaver. They’ll keep audio diaries using their smartphones documenting what they’re consuming. Are they angry at what their opposite is consuming? Will it change their viewpoint on politics and world events?

At the end of the experiment they’ll meet each other for the first time to discuss what they learned. Will they confront each other, or will they be ashamed of themselves? Will they be disappointed by how the opposite side thinks or will they learn from each other?

Presenters: Joanna Fuertes and Cameron Bradbury
Producer: Lydia Thomas


MON 21:30 Start the Week (m0004lf0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m0004lgq)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


MON 22:45 Machines Like Me (m0004lfg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 today]


MON 23:00 Word of Mouth (m0004f26)
Biscuit Names

Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright look into the weird and wonderful world of biscuit names while munching some in the studio with Anastasia Edwards, author of Biscuits and Cookies, A Global History. Why is it a Garibaldi and how about a Jammie Dodger?
Producer Beth O'Dea


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0004lgv)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament



TUESDAY 30 APRIL 2019

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m0004lgz)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (m0004lh3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0004lh7)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0004lhb)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0004lhd)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m0004lhg)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0004lhj)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Rev Lynne Gibson, Rector of St Mark’s Church, Ballymacash, Lisburn.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m0004lhl)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b09sqvxm)
Helen Moncrieff on the Shag

Ever since her first encounter with a Scarf as they are known locally when she was a child and her Mum rescued a casualty of an oil spill, Helen Moncrieff, Shetland Manager for RSPB Scotland has had a particular fondness for these birds seeking them out in in the darkness of sea caves where they nest on ledges and fill the air with their strange sounds.

Tweet of the Day has captivated the Radio 4 audience with its daily 90 seconds of birdsong. But what of the listener to this avian chorus? In this new series of Tweet of the Day, we bring to the airwaves the conversational voices of those who listen to and are inspired by birds. Building on the previous series, a more informal approach to learning alongside a renewed emphasis on encounter with nature and reflection in our relationship with the natural world.

Producer: Sarah Blunt
Photograph: Paul Lee.


TUE 06:00 Today (m0004l71)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 The Long View (m0004l75)
Gender in women's sport

Jonathan Freedland takes the Long View of the gender debate in women's sport. There are currently two points of contention. The success of the Canadian Cyclist Rachel McKinnon, a trans gender athlete, in a master's world cycling event, lead to a number of senior female athletes objecting to the inclusion of trans gender women in international sporting competition. Their development as men, the argument runs, gives them a huge advantage when competing against women who matured as women. At the same time the Court for arbitration for sport is hearing the South African runner Caster Semenya's challenge against an International Amateur Althletics Federation ruling that says she must reduce her natural Testosterone levels in order to compete in women's sport. So where should the line be drawn between mens and women's competition? That's the story today, but it was also the story back in the 1930's when a Polish American runner Stanislawa Walasiewicz was the favourite for the women's 100 metres at the Berlin Olympics.
Walasiewicz had settled with her parents in Cleveland and was better known as Stella Walsh. By 1932 she was also known as the Cleveland Flyer, but faced with unemployment she took up the offer to run for Poland at the Los Angeles Olympics and won Gold in the 100m. Already she was viewed by many as unusually manly in her running style and build. In the years between 1932 and the Berlin Olympics in 1936 insinuations continued but there was no action taken and she went on to compete successfully. However, in Berlin a French journalist suggested that Stella had to shave twice a day. She was favourite to win the 100m again.
In the event she came second to the American Helen Stephens. The Polish team and press raised objections to Stephens suggesting that she was a man. What appears to be the first ever gender identity test was called for and Helen Stephens was its first victim. It would later be described by the legendary British Pentathlon Olympic Gold Medal winner,Dame Mary Peters, some forty years later as 'what in modern parlance, amounted to a grope.” Helen Stephens was exonerated and kept her medal, but it was a crude and profoundly humiliating way of dealing with the problem of gender verification in women's sport.
Jonathan is joined by an Olympic athlete and a trans gender sportswoman to take the Long View of gender verification in women's sport.


TUE 09:30 The Genius of Accidents (b0bc6hqx)
Series 1

The Big Bang

Evidence for the Big Bang at the start of the universe was discovered by accident, using technology developed to record radio waves from space, that were themselves found by accident. Adam Hart explores serendipity in radio astronomy with Professor Nial Tanvir of Leicester University, and Professor Sarah Bridle of Manchester University, in a story involving not a small amount of pigeon poo, and a persistent odd noise detected from space.

Producer: Rory Galloway.


TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (m0004lc0)
Underland

Episode 2

In his eagerly awaited new book, Robert Macfarlane describes his travels in various worlds beneath our feet.

This time the adventure is urban. He travels towards a city's catacombs - "Late in the morning we drop down a set of staircases to a point named on the maps as Hell Well."

Read by the author

Producer Duncan Minshull


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0004l79)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world


TUE 10:45 Curious Under the Stars (m0004l7c)
Series 8: The Owl and the Ivy

The Owl and the Ivy, Part 2

By Alan Harris

Second in the latest series of the magical drama set in Glan Don, a mysterious village perched on the wild Welsh coast.

Under Fleur’s influence, Gareth gets a tattoo and Diane suggests an experiment in sleeping arrangements.

Starring Elis James (Josh), Emma Sidi (Pls Like) and Ifan Huw Dafydd (Gavin and Stacey).

Gareth.... Elis James
Diane.... Emma Sidi
Emlyn..... Ifan Huw Dafydd
Bethan…. Hannah Daniel
Fleur…. Catrin Stewart
Matty…. Siw Hughes

Series created by Meic Povey
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production


TUE 11:00 The Great Science Publishing Scandal (m0004l7k)
In 2020 European research paid for by the public purse has to be free to read. Matthew Cobb asks how open access is changing science publishing. Who are the winners and losers?


TUE 11:30 Pursuit of Beauty (m00019mw)
The Spider Orchestra

The Berlin-based Argentinian artist, Tomás Saraceno, trained as an architect. He was struck by the beauty of spider webs, their structural intricacy and began making them into sculptural works. Then he realised that every time a spider tugs a string as it spins a web, or moves along the silken strands, this causes vibrations. Using microphones and amplifiers it is possible to hear the tiny music they make. The different species create various sounds - bass, treble, percussion - and the result is an orchestra of arachnids.

On Air is Saraceno's latest and most ambitious exhibition. He has filled the Palais de Tokyo in Paris with extraordinary, beautifully lit spiders' webs, some connected to microphones so their occupant's movements echo round the gallery.

There is an African spider that spins large webs which lift in the wind and so they travel, gliding places new. This inspires Saraceno's lightweight sculptures that do the same, and an aeolian harp of spider silk, which sings in response to the turbulence caused by gallery visitors. In another piece, the amplified sound of a spider's movements cause dust motes in a beam of light to move, and these, too, produce sound. A whole room is strung with elaborate patterns of tensed ropes. Visitors move among them, plucking and stroking the strings which sound, the floor itself vibrating - the closest humans can get to the experience of a spider in its web.

Saraceno's work is a collaboration between artist, spiders and people, a kind of jam session. He also invites musicians to respond to them, to play along with spiders. The famous experimental composer Alvin Lucier does this in a concert, featured in this programme (and he bounces the sound of his heartbeat off the moon).

In the gallery in Paris, and his Berlin studio, Saraceno reveals his thinking and observations. The Spider Orchestra captures these, and all these sounds in a sonic web, and combines them. It, too, is a collaboration, between artist, spiders, people and producer - creating a compelling composition, for radio.

Producer: Julian May


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m0004n6j)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 Machines Like Me (m0004l7t)
Episode 2

Ian McEwan's new novel reimagines life and times in the 1980s, and is abridged in ten episodes by Penny Leicester.

Neighbours Charlie and Miranda are growing close and one joint interest is to 'shape' the personality of Adam, a synthetic human, who warns infatuated Charlie that his partner has a dark past. Charlie will need to know the details..

Reader Anton Lesser

Producer Duncan Minshull


TUE 12:18 You and Yours (m0004l80)
News and discussion of consumer affairs.


TUE 12:57 Weather (m0004l84)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m0004l88)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.


TUE 13:45 The Five Faces of Leonardo (m0004l8d)
Leonardo's City

Melissa Sterry, the design scientist behind the concept of Bionic City, visits Milan to discover the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci.

For Melissa, the trip is as much about the legacy Leonardo has left to urban planning as it is about seeing his iconic painting The Last Supper. She visits some of the most important Da Vinci sites in Milan including the Ambrosiana Library which houses the largest collection of Leonardo's drawings and writings, and the Codex Atlanticus focussing on his talents as engineer, scientist and inventor.

Melissa discovers a connection with the Renaissance polymath in the use of the natural world to influence built environments.

Meanwhile at Windsor Castle print room, which houses another of the world's major collection of Leonardo papers, head of prints and drawings Martin Clayton shows maps which demonstrate his city planning talents.

Producer: Sara Parker
Executive Producer: Samir Shah

A Juniper Connect production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m0004l8l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama (m0004l8q)
Original drama written by Rachel Smith.

Kate is desperate to get her gaming brother out of the attic before the family home is sold. But as Ryan’s attempts to build his online world erupt into a psychiatric crisis, she’s forced to confront uncomfortable truths about their past - live on the Tricky Milo channel. A drama about siblings coming to terms with loss, and finding each other in unexpected ways.

KATE.....Christine Bottomley
RYAN.....Mike Noble
JOHN.....Wyllie Longmore
MAEVE.....Angela Lonsdale

Other parts played by: Dora Davis, Lucy Greenaway, Isaac Lane, Noah Lane, Joe Pass, Luca Rawlinson, Eloise Westwood.

Programme consultant: psychiatrist Dr CM Shaw

Directed by Nadia Molinari


TUE 15:00 The Kitchen Cabinet (m0004l8v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


TUE 15:30 Costing the Earth (m0004l8z)
The Youth Are Revolting

Greta Thunberg and the global youth strikes for the climate have directed the worlds attention to the potential future they face on a warming planet. The words and actions of these young people have been noted by global leaders and promises of change have been made but for their efforts to have a lasting impact the promises need to become policy. Tom Heap asks one of the young organisers Tom Bedford if young people are really changing the narrative on climate change.

The strikers' demands that the UK government recognises that we are living through a climate emergency has been taken up by some local councils whilst in the US proposals for a 'Green New Deal' are being taken seriously and Greta Thunberg has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. It seems young people's hope and energy is having an impact but to really change the planet's trajectory they need to bring more of their generation with them and convince the rest of society that their future demands sacrifice today.

Producer Helen Lennard


TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (m0004l93)
Jeffrey Boakye on black-related words

Jeffrey Boakye talks to Michael Rosen about exploring black British identity, including his own, through the words used by and about black men and women.
Producer Beth O'Dea


TUE 16:30 Great Lives (m0004l97)
Series 48

Conductor and composer Ferruccio Busoni

Pianist Kirill Gerstein chooses the conductor and composer Ferruccio Busoni. Matthew Parris presents.

When Busoni died in Berlin in 1924, his pupil Kurt Weill said, "We did not lose a human being but a value." Unravelling exactly what this means is the pianist Kirill Gerstein, a great admirer of Busoni and also a performer of his work. Busoni was a thinker as well as a composer. His book from 1907, Sketch of a New Esthetic of Music, has influenced generations of musicians.

The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde.


TUE 17:00 PM (m0004l9c)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0004l9h)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 18:30 Ed Reardon's Week (m0004l9m)
Series 13

The Wooden Spoon

Comedy series written by Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds.

Ed Reardon, author, pipe smoker, consummate fare-dodger and master of the abusive email, attempts to survive in a world where the media seems to be run by idiots and lying charlatans.

In the first episode of this new series, Ed and Elgar return to London (from their failed jaunt living in a shepherd's hut in the country) destitute and on the lookout for a new roof over their respective heads. Could a carrier bag filled with wooden spoons be the answer to their problems?

Ed Reardon ...... Christopher Douglas
Olive ...... Stephanie Cole
Pearl ...... Brigit Forsyth
Maggie ...... Pippa Haywood
Jaz ...... Philip Jackson
Ping ...... Barunka O'Shaughnessy
Stan ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
Elgar..... Colin the cat

With Sarah Ovens, Dan Tetsell and Ellen Thomas

Written by Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds

Producer Simon Nicholls

A BBC Studios Production


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m0004l9t)
Ed fears he is out of his depth and Fallon attempts some reverse psychology.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m0004l9y)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


TUE 19:45 Curious Under the Stars (m0004l7c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


TUE 20:00 We Do Do God (m0004lb2)
Woolf Institute director Ed Kessler examines the rise of fundamentalists in the three main Abrahamic religions - Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

He talks to faith leaders and adherents among some of the more strictly observant - the Jewish Haredi, the Muslim Salafis and the Christian Pentacostalists. He tries to get a sense of what the term 'fundamentalist' means in the context of these religious movements - to many, it conjures up frightening images of violence but, in its true sense, fundamentalism is really only a return to the early tenets and practices of these religions.

A Spools Our production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m0004lb6)
News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted


TUE 21:00 All in the Mind (m0004lbb)
Programme exploring the limits and potential of the human mind.


TUE 21:30 The Long View (m0004l75)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m0004lbg)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


TUE 22:45 Machines Like Me (m0004l7t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 today]


TUE 23:00 Fred at The Stand (m0004lbm)
Series 2

Dana Alexander, Christopher Macarthur-Boyd, Helen Bauer and Alun Cochrane

Fred MacAulay is back at The Stand Comedy Club in Glasgow doing what he does best - making people laugh.

This new series brings another selection of some of the best of stand-up comedians working in the UK right now. Some you’ll know and some you won’t - yet.

This episode sees Fred earn the highest honour of his career before introducing the wonderful Canadian Dana Alexander on to the famous stage. Glasgow's own Christopher Macarthur-Boyd is a well kent face around these parts, especially as he battles with the problems of living at home with his parents, while Helen Bauer's challenges with her mother are much more theatrical.

Headlining the show is the immovable Alun Cochrane, who truly captures the cool essence of the blues as he metaphorically - and almost literally - rips the roof off the venue.

Fred At The Stand is the closest thing your ears are going to get to an actual night in a comedy club.

A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0004lbr)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament



WEDNESDAY 01 MAY 2019

WED 00:00 Midnight News (m0004lbw)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 00:30 Book of the Week (m0004lc0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0004lc4)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0004lc8)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0004lcd)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


WED 05:30 News Briefing (m0004lcj)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0004lcn)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Rev Lynne Gibson, Rector of St Mark’s Church, Ballymacash, Lisburn.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (m0004lcs)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b095qmbn)
Melissa Harrison on the Tawny Owl

Nature writer Melissa Harrison describes how the call of a tawny owl takes her back to childhood, reminding her of people and a feeling that slipped into memory.

Tweet of the Day has captivated the Radio 4 audience with its daily 90 seconds of birdsong. In this latest series of Tweet of the Day, we bring to the airwaves the conversational voices of those who listen to and are inspired by birds. Building on the previous series, a more informal approach to learning alongside a renewed emphasis on encounter with nature and reflection in our relationship with the natural world.

Producer: Tom Bonnett
Picture: Jim Thurston.


WED 06:00 Today (m0004mbr)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 New Ways of Seeing (m0004mc4)
Digital Justice

How is technology changing the way we see? The artist James Bridle reimagines John Berger’s Ways of Seeing for the digital age and asks if we can make machines without prejudice.

“If the new language of images were used differently, it would, through its use, confer a new kind of power.” (John Berger).

In 1972, Berger’s seminal TV series and book changed perceptions of art and set out to reveal the language of images.

Of course, that was before the internet, smartphones, and social media took hold.

How do we see the world around us now? And, who are the artists urging us to look more closely?

James Bridle writes about the development of technology on our lives. His work has been exhibited at the V&A, the Barbican, in galleries worldwide, and online. In this series of four programmes, he updates Berger’s Ways of Seeing, inviting contemporary artists to explore how the technology we use every day has transformed the ways in which we see and are seen.

In the third episode, Digital Justice, James reveals how certain outdated attitudes and prejudices seem to have been hardwired into today’s technology. How can we all work towards reshaping the machines we use every day? Artists Morehshin Allahyari, Stephanie Dinkins and Zach Blas explain how they’re reimagining our digital tools to better represent us all.

Producer: Steve Urquhart
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4

Photo: Morehshin Allahyari


WED 09:30 The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry (m0004mcb)
Series 13

The Lunar Land Pt2

In the second installment of our double episode on the Moon we ask what life would be like if we had more than one Moon.

From the tides to the seasons, the Moon shapes our world in ways that often go unnoticed. And, as we'll find out, it played a vital role in the creation of life itself. This week we celebrate the many ways the Moon and the Earth are linked.

If one Moon is so great, why not have two? We discover why multiple moons could spell disaster for our planet, from giant volcanoes to cataclysmic collisions.

Featuring astronomer Brendan Owens from the Royal Observatory Greenwich and physicist Neil Comins, author of 'What if the Earth had two Moons?'.

Presenters: Adam Rutherford, Hannah Fry
Producer: Michelle Martin


WED 09:45 Book of the Week (m0004mhx)
Underland

Episode 3

In his eagerly awaited new book, Robert Macfarlane is on his travels in various worlds beneath our feet.

On the Italian-Slovenian border he goes underground with the guide Sergio. Underneath the Karst, that is, where - "a path winds down past blocks of limestone, to a brick hut. The hut is built over the entrance to the abyss..."

Read by the author.

Producer Duncan Minshull


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0004mcr)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world


WED 10:41 Curious Under the Stars (m0004mcy)
Series 8: The Owl and the Ivy

The Owl and the Ivy, Part 3

By Alan Harris

Third in the latest series of the magical drama set in Glan Don, a mysterious village perched on the wild Welsh coast.

As spring continues to bloom, both Gareth and Diane find temptation too much to bear.

Starring Elis James (Josh), Emma Sidi (Pls Like) and Ifan Huw Dafydd (Gavin and Stacey).

Gareth.... Elis James
Diane.... Emma Sidi
Emlyn..... Ifan Huw Dafydd
Bethan…. Hannah Daniel
Megan…. Aimee-Ffion Edwards
Fleur…. Catrin Stewart
Matty…. Siw Hughes

Series created by Meic Povey
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production


WED 10:55 The Listening Project (m0004md4)
Emily and Ro - Work Skills

Friends and housemates Emily and Ro talk about how working in the arts has helped them to discover what their strengths are. Fi Glover presents another conversation in a series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.


WED 11:00 My Name Is... (m0004lgh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Monday]


WED 11:30 Just William - Live! (m0004mdb)
William and the School Report

Award-winning Martin Jarvis performs the first of two Richmal Crompton comic classics, live on-stage. It's Just William as stand-up!

It’s the last day of term. William is depressed. He’s got to have holiday coaching unless his school report is a really good one.

It isn’t. It’s the worst he’s ever had.

As he walks slowly home through the woods he meets an old lady. She’s lost. It’s his father’s aunt who is coming to lunch at his house. Then William has one of his most brilliantly lateral ideas.

A packed house at The Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, Surrey rocks with laughter as Martin Jarvis performs as William and the batty aunt.

Director: Rosalind Ayres.
A Jarvis and Ayres production for BBC Radio 4


WED 12:00 News Summary (m0004n7x)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 Machines Like Me (m0004mdq)
Episode 3

Ian McEwan's new novel reimagines life and times in the 1980s, and is abridged in ten episodes by Penny Leicester.

Charlie, helped by his lover Miranda, has fully programmed the synthetic human called Adam, who now roams between both neighbours' flats. One night this leads to a devastating moment. Devastating for Charlie, that is.

Reader Anton Lesser

Producer Duncan Minshull


WED 12:18 You and Yours (m0004mdx)
News and discussion of consumer affairs.


WED 12:57 Weather (m0004mf3)
The latest weather forecast


WED 13:00 World at One (m0004mf9)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.


WED 13:45 The Five Faces of Leonardo (m0004mfh)
Leonardo at War

Military historian David Willey examines Leonardo Da Vinci's ambition to realise a career as a military engineer in the court of the Duke of Milan.

Curator of the Tank Museum in Dorset, David examines how Leonardo attempted to address the age-old needs of a soldier for protection, mobility and fire-power through an early design of a tank-like machine - housed at the British Library where Renaissance prints and drawings curator Sarah Vowles takes up the story. Sarah shows the small but detailed drawing which has led art historians and engineers to conclude it is one of the first designs for an armoured vehicle.

At the Tank Museum, there is a chance to experience the inside of today's fighting machine, while at the National Science and Technology Museum in Milan there is a spectacular exhibition of attempts to build models of Leonardo's military designs.

Producer: Sara Parker
Executive Producer: Samir Shah

A Juniper Connect production for BBC Radio 4


WED 14:00 The Archers (m0004l9t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Drama (b0bclvxx)
Where This Service Will Connect

By Katherine Jakeways

Five months after they last met, Suzie turns up unannounced at David's office. The latest installment of the romantic comedy.

Suzie arrives at the swish reception of a London office block. She's wearing last night's clothes, her make-up is smeared, hair bedraggled. She's here to see David Edwards. He's not expecting her. But she needs his help to deal with the morning after the night before. Suzie and David have only met twice before - it's nearly two years since they sat next to each other on a train journey from London to Penzance. Both married, they shared an intense and unforgettable five and a half hours. Now, out of the blue, Suzie's landed in David's life again.

A romantic comedy from writer Katherine Jakeways. The Radio Times described Katherine as the 'new Victoria Wood' saying "her character comedy is so acutely observed and so sharp that it's in danger of causing permanent injury." Starring Rosie Cavaliero (Prey) and Justin Edwards (The Thick of It).

Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production.


WED 15:00 Money Box (m0004mfp)
The latest news from the world of personal finance plus advice for those trying to make the most of their money.


WED 15:30 All in the Mind (m0004lbb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]


WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (m0004mfw)
New research on how society works.


WED 16:30 The Media Show (m0004mg2)
The programme about a revolution in media with Amol Rajan, the BBC's Media Editor


WED 17:00 PM (m0004mg8)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0004mgh)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 18:30 Simon Evans Goes to Market (m0004mgp)
Series 5

Karl Marx

Radio 4's premier comedy-economics hybrid is five series old and the time is right to take a step back, and perhaps two steps up, and tackle the big, competing theories of Macro Economics. These are little short of religions to their proponents, and the figures who devised them dominate the intellectual landscape in a way that mere politicians can only dream of. These are the Big Beards, the Glinting Eyes, the Bristling Moustaches and Eyebrows of "Worldly Philosophy" and their insights, calculations and hallucinations remain as contentious today as they were when first inked into place.

In this series Simon Evans, with the help of Undercover Economist, Tim Harford will advance through the modern industrial era using three great beacons as their guide - Adam Smith, Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes - and reflect on how they continue to shape our world today.

In episode 2, from Adam Smith last week, we leap forward a hundred years to Karl Marx. A towering figure in world, let alone economic, history, and endlessly fascinating as much as for his personal foibles as for his vast influence on the course of twentieth century history. Few figures are more divisive. Yet is he fully or even remotely understood by one tenth of those who have strong views on him? Are his central ideas now discredited by history, or are we still waiting for his philosophy to stop merely describing the world, as for many it still does, and instead, as he famously declared, to start changing it? Is Marxism genuinely gaining ground even as his economic predictions gather dust? And what exactly is Dialectical Materialism? All this plus jokes in 28 minutes.

Producer: Richard Morris
Presenters: Simon Evans and Tim Harford
Writers: Simon Evans, Tim Harford, Dan Evans and Robert Ledger


WED 19:00 The Archers (m0004mf8)
Susan makes a worrying discovery and Freddie is given a ray of hope.


WED 19:15 Front Row (m0004mgw)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


WED 19:45 Curious Under the Stars (m0004mcy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:41 today]


WED 20:00 Across the Red Line (m0004mh2)
Series 3

01/05/2019

Anne McElvoy returns with the series that invites figures from opposing sides of a political issue to listen to each other - and to come to an understanding of the beliefs, aims and experiences that inform their position.

Producer: Phil Tinline


WED 20:45 The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry (m0004mcb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


WED 21:00 Costing the Earth (m0004l8z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:30 on Tuesday]


WED 21:30 New Ways of Seeing (m0004mc4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m0004mhc)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


WED 22:45 Machines Like Me (m0004mdq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 today]


WED 23:00 Bunk Bed (m0004mhj)
Series 6

RHYS IFANS

In the dark and in a bunk bed, your tired mind can wander away from the hurly burly of the day.

Bafta-winning Welsh actor Rhys Ifans joins Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on the spare mattress, getting down to the subject of pocket globes, his desire to be a Stone Age cave painter, and the versatility of the kitchen whisk.

Produced by Peter Curran
A Foghorn production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:15 Kieran Hodgson's Earworms (b091w6kw)
Series 1

Schnittke

Critically-acclaimed comedian Kieran Hodgson is joined by Georgie Glen and Colin Hoult, in the first of a new series of comedy intros to the great composers. Can self-described 'music educator and inspiration' Ralph Lewis, the man behind ''Tchaikovsky Abs Blast' or 'Holst for the Homeless'. persuade self-confessed 'enemy of culture' Paul, that Schnittke's worth a listen?

Written and starring Kieran Hodgson
With Colin Hoult and Georgie Glen
Producer: Sam Ward
A BBC Studios Production.


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0004mhn)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament



THURSDAY 02 MAY 2019

THU 00:00 Midnight News (m0004mhs)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 00:30 Book of the Week (m0004mhx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0004mj1)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0004mj5)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0004mj9)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


THU 05:30 News Briefing (m0004mjg)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0004mjk)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Rev Lynne Gibson, Rector of St Mark’s Church, Ballymacash, Lisburn.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (m0004mjm)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b095sy8g)
Melissa Harrison on the Kingfisher

Nature writer Melissa Harrison braves a dip in a Dorset river and hears the high 'pip' of a kingfisher. She realises she must be sharing with the water with one of her favourite birds.

Tweet of the Day has captivated the Radio 4 audience with its daily 90 seconds of birdsong. In this latest series of Tweet of the Day, we bring to the airwaves the conversational voices of those who listen to and are inspired by birds. Building on the previous series, a more informal approach to learning alongside a renewed emphasis on encounter with nature and reflection in our relationship with the natural world.

Producer: Tom Bonnett
Picture: Lynn [Mrs Birds].


THU 06:00 Today (m0004mbk)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (m0004mbx)
The Gordon Riots

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the most destructive riots in London's history, which reached their peak on 7th June 1780 as troops fired on the crowd outside the Bank of England. The leader was Lord George Gordon, head of the Protestant Association, who objected to the relaxing of laws against Catholics. At first the protest outside parliament was peaceful but, when Gordon's petition failed to persuade the Commons, rioting continued for days until the military started to shoot suspects in the street. It came as Britain was losing the war to hold on to colonies in North America.

The image above shows a crowd setting fire to Newgate Prison and freeing prisoners by the authority of 'His Majesty, King Mob.'

With

Ian Haywood

Catriona Kennedy

and

Mark Knights

Producer: Simon Tillotson


THU 09:45 Book of the Week (m0004mhr)
Underland

Episode 4

In his eagerly awaited new book, Robert Macfarlane travels to various places beneath our feet.

This time we find him in remotest Norway. His aim is to reach some caves near Moskenes, containing some amazing treasures. As he tells us: "some of the most striking painted rock art is found in the decorated sea caves of the country's western coastline..."

Read by the author.

Producer Duncan Minshull


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0004mc9)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world


THU 10:45 Curious Under the Stars (m0004mch)
Series 8: The Owl and the Ivy

The Owl and the Ivy, Part 4

By Alan Harris

Fourth in the latest series of the magical drama set in Glan Don, a mysterious village perched on the wild Welsh coast.

With events spiraling out of control, the Druids Rest is forced to close its doors for the first time since Gareth and Diane arrived in Glan Don.

Starring Elis James (Josh), Emma Sidi (Pls Like) and Ifan Huw Dafydd (Gavin and Stacey).

Gareth.... Elis James
Diane.... Emma Sidi
Emlyn..... Ifan Huw Dafydd
Bethan…. Hannah Daniel
Fleur…. Catrin Stewart
Matty…. Siw Hughes

Series created by Meic Povey
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production


THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (m0004mcp)
Empty Spain and the Caravans of Love

How does a lonely, Spanish shepherd find love when single women have left for the city? Antonio Cerrada lives north of Madrid, in the heart of what’s been nicknamed the, ‘Lapland of Spain’ because its population density is so low. With only a handful of families left in his village, and people continuing to leave for the cities, Antonio struggled to find a partner. Then Maria Carvajal arrived. She came in a bus full of single women – a ‘caravana’ - to attend an organised party with men like Antonio.
The Caravans of Women - or Caravans of Love as they are known - began as a response to Spain’s epic story of rural depopulation. More than half the country is at risk, and in nearly 600 municipalities there isn’t one resident under the age of 10. But as Linda Pressly finds out, there are many initiatives now to reverse the decline of the Spanish countryside, including a movement of young people – the ‘neo-rurales’ – who have begun to occupy abandoned villages.

Presenter and producer: Linda Pressly
Producer in Spain: Esperanza Escribano

(Image: Antonio Cerrada, a shepherd who found love. Credit: BBC, Esperanza Escribano)


THU 11:30 The Song Hunters (m0004mcw)
The Black Mountains' Lament

Singer and song collector Sam Lee travels to the remote mountains of Greece and discovers the haunting sound of Europe's oldest folk music.

High in the black mountains of Epirus, close to the northwestern tip of Greece, winding its way through the thick forest, is the river Acheron, the river of woe. According to Greek mythology, the newly dead must travel across this river before entering Hades - the underworld.

An otherworldly music pours from these mountains. It's an ancient music. Filled with sadness. Filled with longing. Filled with dread.

Sam journeys to Epirus, an unforgiving mountain range housing 46 tiny villages, each with its own distinct style of folk music. The nature of the harsh terrain means that the ancient musical tradition of these villages is remarkably well preserved - an intoxicating blend of violin and clarinet dancing between wild frenzy and hypnotic solemnity.

Speaking to writer, record producer and song collector Chris King, whose book A Lament From Epirus first brought the strange music of this region to a wider audience, Sam hears about the riotous festivals in Epirus when musicians play around the clock for three days straight while entire villages come together to dance.

Sam discovers that the sadness saturating the music of Epirus is often attributed to "xenetia", the pain and longing caused by the separation of emigration. In a region plagued by dwindling population as people abandon traditional village life for jobs in urban centres, the sadness of the music looks set only to intensify.

Presenter: Sam Lee
Producer: Max O'Brien
A TBI production for BBC Radio 4


THU 12:00 News Summary (m0004n7f)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 Machines Like Me (m0004md8)
Episode 4

Ian McEwan's new novel reimagines life and times in the 1980s, and is abridged in ten episodes by Penny Leicester.

Charlie learns about Miranda's night with Adam, their synthetic human companion, but any discord between the three must be avoided as there is little Mark to be taken care of. And the darkly worrying problem of Gorringe, now living in Salisbury.

Reader Anton Lesser

Producer Duncan Minshull


THU 12:18 You and Yours (m0004mdg)
News and discussion of consumer affairs.


THU 12:57 Weather (m0004mdn)
The latest weather forecast


THU 13:00 World at One (m0004mdv)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.


THU 13:45 The Five Faces of Leonardo (m0004mf2)
Leonardo's Robots

Robots may be 21st Century, but the concept of a "mechanised human" has been around since Leonardo Da Vinci's time when he designed futurist automatons for entertainment and to impress at court.

In the 1990s, mechanical engineer and roboticist Mark Rosheim was amongst the first to build working models of Leonardo's designs - such as a self-driving cart which he documented in his book Leonardo's Lost Robots.

Since then, there have been many attempts to realise Leonardo's designs, including a life size lion rebuilt by Mario Teddei, technical director at the World of Leonardo Museum, Milan. The lion was used as an act of diplomacy between the Florentines and France when it opened up its chest to present a bouquet of lilies to the King.

To create authentic movement through a mechanism of cogs and pulleys, Leonardo was inspired by nature and, in particular, his anatomical studies where he would analyse animal and human movement with an engineer's eye. This approach has inspired present day work on 21st Century robots at research centres such as the Bristol Robotics Centre at the University of West England.

Other contributors include Oxford University's Matthew Landrus and Ben Russell of the Science Museum who curated an exhibition on Robots in 2017.

Producer: Sara Parker
Executive Producer: Samir Shah

A Juniper Connect production for BBC Radio 4


THU 14:00 The Archers (m0004mf8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama (b08wn9m4)
Keeping the Wolf Out

Behind the Wall

Special Investigator Bertalan Lázár returns in Philip Palmer's crime drama set in communist Hungary in 1963. Fighting the criminals is hard enough but there are other more sinister battles raging in higher places.

The violin was played by Sam McGregor

Directed by Toby Swift


THU 15:00 Open Country (m0004mfg)
Sussex Weald Ironworking

Ian Marchant visits the Sussex Weald, once the epicentre of the international arms trade, owing to its ironstone reserves and subsequent iron-making expertise. It's a personal story too: 'Marchant' is one of the Sussex names associated with metal-working migrants from Belgium in the late 15th century.

Hammer and furnace ponds and former forges are now dotted about the landscape, rich habitat for wildlife, according to naturalist Richard Jones. A walk on the Weald is a treasure hunt for history-of-iron enthusiasts (of whom there are an unusual number in Sussex). They frequently come across previously undiscovered remains, some dating back to medieval times.

Ian takes a walk at Newbridge with Jeremy Hodgkinson and Roger Prus, who can interpret the bumps in the woodland that most people would pass without noticing. They might be old furnace sites or even remains of buildings used by iron workers.

He meets Emma O'Connor to explore the Anne of Cleves House collection of iron artefacts in Lewes. These range from items with military uses to all kinds of domestic and industrial products, most of which are beautifully preserved and attest to our ancestors' habits of recycling, repairing and preserving the things they owned.

Ian visits Glynde Forge, where blacksmith Ricky Delaney demonstrates the living craft of working with metal in Sussex. Will Ian discover that forging metal is in his blood?

Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m0004l83)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Open Book (m0004l9s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]


THU 16:00 The Film Programme (m0004mfn)
Rebecca Lenkiewicz

With Antonia Quirke.

Writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz talks about Colette, the true story of the author who had to use her husband's name to publish her novels.


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m0004mfv)
Dr Adam Rutherford and guests illuminate the mysteries and challenge the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.


THU 17:00 PM (m0004mg1)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0004mg7)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 18:30 Meet David Sedaris (m0004mgf)
Series 7

Episode 5

The globetrotting, trash-picking, aisle-rolling storyteller is back with more words of wit and wisdom.

With his sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humour writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves him a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today. This week, a story called Active Shooter and some more extracts from the diary he has kept daily for forty years.

David Sedaris's first book, Barrel Fever (1994) which included The SantaLand Diaries, was a critical and commercial success, as were his follow-up efforts, Naked (1997), Holidays on Ice (1997) and Me Talk Pretty One Day (2000). He became known for his bitingly funny recollections of his youth, family life and travels, making semi-celebrities out of his parents and siblings.

David has been nominated for three Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word and Best Comedy Album. His latest international best-selling book is a collection of stories entitled Calypso. A feature film adaptation of his story C.O.G. was released after a premier at the Sundance Film Festival (2013). He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and has been a appearing on BBC Radio 4 since 1996.

Producer: Steve Doherty
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4


THU 19:00 The Archers (m0004mc5)
Lily's past comes back to haunt her and will Helen get to the truth?


THU 19:15 Front Row (m0004mgm)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


THU 19:45 Curious Under the Stars (m0004mch)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


THU 20:00 The Briefing Room (m0004mgv)
David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news.


THU 20:30 In Business (m0004mh1)
Getting Hired

The face-to-face interview can be life-changing.
But it comes with risks attached, of bias on the part of the interviewer, or nerves on the part of the candidate.
Lesley Curwen looks at the fast-changing process of getting hired in companies, big and small.
Large companies are increasingly using recruitment tools including artificial intelligence to weed out the weakest candidates, in order to find the right candidate for the right job. But there is resistance in some quarters from some small employers who believe in the old ways of sifting through CVs by hand to produce a short-list.
So can the traditional face-to-face interview survive longterm?

Producer Smita Patel
Editor Penny Murphy


THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (m0004mfv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 today]


THU 21:30 In Our Time (m0004mbx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m0004mhb)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


THU 22:45 Machines Like Me (m0004md8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 today]


THU 23:00 Alone (b0b2mgj6)
Series 1

The Reunion

A sitcom, written by Moray Hunter and starring Angus Deayton, about five single, middle aged neighbours living in flats in a converted house in North London.

Mitch (Angus Deayton) is a widower and part-time therapist who is looking to put his life back together now that he is single and living - supposedly temporarily - with Will (Pearce Quigley), his younger, more volatile and unhappily divorced half-brother.

Elsewhere in the building are schoolteacher Ellie (Abigail Cruttenden) who is shy, nervous and desperately missing her ex-boyfriend, overly honest, frustrated actress Louisa (Kate Isitt), and socially inept IT nerd Morris (Bennett Arron).

In The Reunion, Mitch's get together with an old university chum is not at all the reunion he expects - while the rest of the gang are disappointed to have to attempt the local pub quiz without their main man, Mitch.

Guest stars Frances Barber and Clive Mantle.

An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0004mhh)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament



FRIDAY 03 MAY 2019

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m0004mhm)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (m0004mhr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0004mhw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0004mj0)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0004mj4)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m0004mj8)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0004mjd)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Rev Lynne Gibson, Rector of St Mark’s Church, Ballymacash, Lisburn.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m0004mjh)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b095tkgs)
Melissa Harrison on the House Sparrow

Nature writer Melissa Harrison presents the case for why we should love the humble and rather noisy 'spadger', better known as the house sparrow, though she won't waste her breath trying to win round her dog.

Tweet of the Day has captivated the Radio 4 audience with its daily 90 seconds of birdsong. In this latest series of Tweet of the Day, we bring to the airwaves the conversational voices of those who listen to and are inspired by birds. Building on the previous series, a more informal approach to learning alongside a renewed emphasis on encounter with nature and reflection in our relationship with the natural world.

Producer: Tom Bonnett
Picture: Feathers [Allan].


FRI 06:00 Today (m0004mb0)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 The Reunion (m0004l8w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Sunday]


FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (m0004mgg)
Underland

Episode 5

In his eagerly awaited new book, Robert Macfarlane discovers various worlds beneath our feet.

This time he heads to the ice mass of the Knud Rasmussen glacier - "An hour short of dusk on the evening of our arrival, the fog bank disperses to reveal the calving face of the glacier..." But what is meant by 'calving', exactly?

Read by the author

Producer Duncan Minshull


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0004mb6)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world


FRI 10:45 Curious Under the Stars (m0004mb8)
Series 8: The Owl and the Ivy

The Owl and the Ivy, Part 5

By Alan Harris

Last in the latest series of the magical drama set in Glan Don, a mysterious village perched on the wild Welsh coast.

As the village prepares for the raucous May Day celebrations, Gareth makes a life-changing discovery.

Starring Elis James (Josh), Emma Sidi (Pls Like) and Ifan Huw Dafydd (Gavin and Stacey).

Gareth.... Elis James
Diane.... Emma Sidi
Emlyn..... Ifan Huw Dafydd
Bethan…. Hannah Daniel
Fleur…. Catrin Stewart

Series created by Meic Povey
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production


FRI 11:00 Tara and George (m0002g8y)
Beyond Tara and George

In the six months since Radio 4 shared the stories of Tara and George, a pair of rough sleepers on the streets of east London, the Government has published statistics that reveal the true toll of being homeless - last year there were nearly six hundred deaths on the streets of the UK and the average life expectancy has fallen again.

Tara and George, as well as being familiar figures in their neighbourhood, are also on the radar of local agencies and charities. George has a regular hostel place; Tara's situation is more complex. But, as they revealed to Audrey Gillan in an intimate series of documentaries last summer, sleeping rough is typically a symptom of myriad other issues.

In this follow-up documentary recorded during the new year's first Severe Weather Emergency Protocol, Audrey catches up with Tara and George to see how they're coping with the cold and she pursues a simple question, prompted by attendance at a memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields for those who've died on the streets in the last year - what would it take to prevent the unnecessary deaths of homeless people?

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


FRI 11:30 Hugo Rifkind's Search For Power (m0004nl8)
MPs

Who, in modern Britain, has power? That's the question Hugo Rifkind asks in this new series of stand-up journalism. Each week, Hugo looks at a group of people generally consider powerful, and examines what they actually can and can't do.

Hugo ought to know about power. Born into a political family, he attended Cambridge and has spent 18 years writing for The Times. During that period, he has met prime ministers, royalty, Eurocrats, lawyers, judges, celebrities, billionaires and, of course, other members of the media elite - including his fellow regular panellists on The News Quiz. Yet in all that time, none of these people have seemed truly to be ruling the world.

And if they aren't, who is?

This week, Hugo looks at the power of Members of Parliament. He speaks to Stella Creasy MP about the limits to which she can help her constituents, to Damian Collins MP about what the Chair of a Select Committee can order people to do, and to Andrew Mitchell MP about how Whips can keep MPs in check - which sometimes involves tears.

Presented by Hugo Rifkind
Written by Hugo Rifkind and James Kettle
Reader: Susan Rae
Produced by Ed Morrish

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 12:00 News Summary (m0004nlc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 Machines Like Me (m0004mbd)
Episode 5

Ian McEwan's new novel reimagines life and times in the 1980s, and is abridged in ten episodes by Penny Leicester.

Charlie and Miranda are pondering the problem of Peter Gorringe. Adam their synthetic human companion is churning out poems. And one evening at a birthday dinner, the couple see an illustrious figure they decide to approach..

Reader Anton Lesser

Producer Duncan Minshull


FRI 12:18 You and Yours (m0004mbg)
News and discussion of consumer affairs.


FRI 12:57 Weather (m0004mbl)
The latest weather forecast


FRI 13:00 World at One (m0004mbs)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.


FRI 13:45 The Five Faces of Leonardo (m0004mbz)
Flight of Imagination

Cartoonist Ralph Steadman started his working life as an apprentice with the aeronautical firm De Havilland. He had been fascinated by flight and Leonardo since a small boy and, even when his career took a different turn, he pursued his interest through an illustrated book.

I-Leonardo tells of the Renaissance polymath's life and, in particular, his many attempts to design a flying machine. A fan of Steadman and his book, head of prints and drawings for the Royal Collection Martin Clayton took time out from curating exhibitions of Leonardo's work to visit the cartoonist at his Kent home.

Despite a keen understanding from observing birds and other flying creatures, Leonardo never achieved his dream to fly - although he inspired many of the pioneers of flight and those who fly today. Philip Whiteman, editor of Pilot Magazine, talks about the joy of flying and introduces us to some early planes and aeronautical sports which have remarkable similarities to Leonardo's designs, even though the technology and aeronautical engineering wasn't available to get them off the ground.

Producer: Sara Parker
Executive Producer: Samir Shah

A Juniper Connect production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 14:00 The Archers (m0004mc5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 First World Problems (b0b5ts26)
What Country, Friends, Is This?

What would happen if the UK broke apart?

In this everyday story of British folk, David and Ruth Fletcher face our next civil war.

3/5 What Country, Friends, Is This?

Forced to flee their home, the Fletchers are racing in two cars towards sanctuary in North Wales. But there are dangers on the road - and not just from the tanks.

Martin Jameson's drama draws on detailed research from BBC correspondents to analysts, contingency planners, and those with first hand experience of the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s, to make the Fletchers' adventures a compelling account of what civil war could do to us all.

Starring Jeremy Swift and Maureen Beattie.
Produced and directed by Jonquil Panting.

Script Consultants:

Tamara Kovacevic - Senior BBC journalist with first hand experience of the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s
Richard Vergette - Writer and teacher for advice on parenting a teenager with Down Syndrome

With thanks to:

Malcolm Barnard
Peter Barnes - BBC Senior Political Analyst
Louisa Brooke-Holland - Senior Research Analyst, International Affairs and Defence section, House of Commons Library
Rory Cellan-Jones - BBC Technology Correspondent
Gabrielle Garton Grimwood - Senior Research Analyst in Emergency Planning
Mike Livingstone - Former Strategic Director of Children's Services, Manchester City Council.
Jonathan Marcus - BBC Diplomatic Correspondent
Prof Bill McGuire - Professor Emeritus; Geophysical & Climate Hazards, UCL
Dr Gemma Sou - Lecturer in Disaster Studies, University of Manchester
Peter Wynne-Wilson - Course Director, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (for advice on Birmingham and its demographics)
Imogen Woolrich and the Octagon Bridges Theatre Group,
Harri Chambers - for Welsh translations,
and Steve Pearce, Eric Bradley & John Rudin for IT advice.

Cast:

Dave Fletcher ... Jeremy Swift
Ruth Fletcher ... Maureen Beattie
Maggie Pelling ... Elizabeth Counsell
Jonny Fletcher ... Sam Barnard
Tricia Ince ... Elinor Coleman
Helena Fletcher ... Lauren Cornelius
Philippa Fletcher ... Kerry Gooderson
Emrys Driscoll ... Kai Owen
Olwen Driscoll ... Cara Chase
Janice ... Emma Handy
Nathan ... Ifan Meredith
Mick ... Ryan Early
Kyle ... Joseph Ayre
Radio 4 ... Stephen Hogan
Radio Free Manchester ... John Lightbody
Writer ... Martin Jameson
Director ... Jonquil Panting
Producer ... Jonquil Panting.


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m0004mcg)
Essex

The horticultural panel is in Essex. Christine Walkden, Matthew Wilson and Matt Biggs answer questions from local gardeners.

Produced by Hannah Newton
Assistant Producer: Laurence Bassett

A Somethin’ Else production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 15:45 Short Works (m0004mcm)
The Ice Child

Birth, growth and magic in an original short work by Kirsty Logan, read by Nicola Ferguson.
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie


FRI 16:00 Last Word (m0004mct)
Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently.


FRI 16:30 More or Less (m0004md0)
Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.


FRI 16:55 The Listening Project (m0004md6)
David and Henry - I Struggle Too

David and Henry are in their 20s and have 11 children between them. They talk frankly about the fragility of their own and each other’s mental health. Fi Glover presents another conversation in a series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.


FRI 17:00 PM (m0004mdd)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0004mdl)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m0004mds)
Series 99

Episode 4

The lovely Miles Jupp is joined for a ramble through the week's news with comedians Angela Barnes, Kerry Godliman and Kemah Bob, and Theresa May's former PR advisor Katie Perrior.

Produced by Victoria Lloyd
A BBC Studios Production


FRI 19:00 The Archers (m0004mdz)
Writer ….. Sarah McDonald Hughes
Director ….. Julie Beckett and Dave Payne
Editor ….. Jeremy Howe

Kenton Archer …. Richard Attlee
Jolene Archer ..... Buffy Davis
Helen Archer ..... Louiza Patikas
Tom Archer ….. William Troughton
Susan Carter ….. Charlotte Martin
Chris Carter ….. Wilf Scolding
Clarrie Grundy ….. Heather Bell
Will Grundy ….. Philip Molloy
Mia Grundy ….. Molly Pipe
Ed Grundy ..... Barry Farrimond
Shula Hebden Lloyd ….. Judy Bennett
Tracy Horrobin ….. Susie Riddell
Alistair Lloyd ….. Michael Lumsden
Jim Lloyd ….. John Rowe
Jazzer Mccreary ….. Ryan Kelly
Elizabeth Pargetter ….. Alison Dowling
Freddie Pargetter ….. Toby Laurence
Lily Pargetter ….. Katie Redford
Fallon Rogers ….. Joanna Van Kampen
Lynda Snell …… Carole Boyd
Russ Jones …… Andonis James Antony
Tim Oatey ..... Carl Prekopp
Leonard Berry ….. Paul Copley
Bailiff ..... Franchi Webb


FRI 19:15 Front Row (m0004mf4)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


FRI 19:45 Curious Under the Stars (m0004mb8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m0004mfb)
Jon Ashworth MP, Jonathan Bartley, Camilla Tominey, Helen Whately MP

Ritula Shah presents topical debate from St Peter's Church Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, with the Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth, Co Leader of the Green Party for England Wales Jonathan Bartley, the Associate Editor of the Telegraph newspaper Camilla Tominey and the Deputy Chair of the Conservative Party Helen Whately.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson


FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m0004mfj)
A weekly reflection on a topical issue.


FRI 21:00 Archive on 4 (b095fvqy)
As the Statues Fall

From Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College or Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville - public statuary is a lightning conductor for popular protest and unrest. But why are these figures of the past - often erected in another era with different moral expectations - so often in the front line of political conflict today? Lawrence Pollard and guests gather in the sound archives to listen to the symbolic moments that statues fall and explore the difference between iconoclasm by the powerful and powerless and what these events tell us about history, identity and nature of collective memory. With Dr Madge Dresser, Dr Rahul Rao, Afua Hirsch and Dr Tiffany Jenkins.

Producer: Viv Jones.


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m0004mfq)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


FRI 22:45 Machines Like Me (m0004mbd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 today]


FRI 23:00 Great Lives (m0004l97)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]


FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0004mfx)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament


FRI 23:55 The Listening Project (m0004mg3)
Neil and Sai - Canine Responders: Search and Recovery

Friends Sai and Neil talk about dogs trained in search and recovery work - Neil has been a dog trainer and has also spent many years doing behavioural work with dogs. Fi Glover presents another conversation in a series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.