SATURDAY 22 AUGUST 2020

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m000ltfp)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 00:30 Following Pappano (b09534g7)
Episode 5

The final episode in the series following the Music Director of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Sir Antonio Pappano, as he and his team prepare for a brand new staging of Puccini's Opera La Boheme.

All major opera houses rely on well established productions of repertoire classics. Puccini's La bohème is a permanent fixture in the world's top five Operas as measured by performance numbers and John Copley's 1974 staging at Covent Garden was a familiar and much loved favourite. However the time has come to replace it with a new production and the challenge to do that with a fresh staging falls to the team of Music Director Sir Antonio Pappano and stage director Richard Jones.
In five programmes across the week Radio Four follows Maestro Pappano as the new production takes shape. He works with singers, discusses the particular challenges of operating at the very highest level of Operatic performance and expectation and gives candid insights into the often perilous journey to an opening night.
We also hear from the team both on and off stage who work alongside Pappano, including the young cast who are acutely aware that the production they are replacing opened with singers like Placido Domingo and Sir Thomas Allen. There are also stage directors, set-builders, movement directors and Maestro Pappano's trusted repetiteur. But at the heart of it, in the weeks leading up to opening night and as the curtain rises, is the Music director himself, combining the orchestral brilliance of Puccini's score and the dazzling qualities of the singers on stage to produce what they all hope will be a worthy addition to the Royal Opera House's Puccini tradition.

Producer: Tom Alban.


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000ltfr)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000ltft)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000ltfw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m000ltfy)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000ltg0)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Dr Calvin T Samuel

Good morning.

On the 22nd of March 2020, like many churches across the country, we cancelled Mothering Sunday services hoping to return within a few weeks. Today marks 5 months since the Prime Minister announced #Lockdown measures in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since then, the world has changed in unforeseeable ways. Things we took for granted, freedom of movement, or the stability of global economies, proved to be illusory. Items of little significance suddenly became premium goods. Who could have predicted that toilet rolls, hand sanitizer, and eggs would number among the most highly sought consumer goods or foods?

The toll of the pandemic has been enormous: deaths in the tens of thousands and a loss of over 100,000 jobs in the UK alone. And it’s not over.

One of the things that the pandemic and #Lockdown have begun to teach us is how to live with uncertainty. In truth, uncertainty has not increased. Rather, we’ve seen how little we actually control, despite our best efforts to the contrary.

This pandemic is a lesson in learning to live in the now, because the future is unpredictable. If, like me, you’re a bit of a control freak, this is a bitter pill to swallow.

Sovereign God,
who alone holds the future,
teach us by your Spirit
how to live in the present.
In your Son, give us eyes that see
ears that hear and
hearts that gratefully apprehend,
even in the midst of great trial and loss,
something of your goodness and grace
in the world.

Amen.


SAT 05:45 Four Thought (m000ls8m)
The Craft of Surgery

Sam Gallivan examines the similarities between surgery and sculpture.

Sam is an orthopaedic surgeon, and in this talk takes us into the operating theatre to experience how it sounds, and how it feels. And it's the sense of feeling - of drilling into a bone or cutting through a ligament - where she finds unexpected similarities between surgery and sculpture. What, she asks, can each learn from the other? And how might this sense of surgery as a craft challenge the dominant way of seeing the medical world? After all, she reasons, 'to accept surgery as a craft is to accept that there are unexpected ways of knowing in medicine that we might not be able to pin down in numbers or statistics.'

Producers: Giles Edwards and Peter Snowdon.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m000m043)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (m000lvcp)
Pete Waterman at Braunston Marina

Pete Waterman, is best known as part of the hugely successful music production and song-writing partnership, Stock Aitken Waterman, creating hits for artists like Kylie Minogue and Rick Astley. But he grew up in Coventry close to the canal, and years of fishing with his father while on holiday at Braunston Marina gave him an interest in the canals and their history.

Braunston Marina is situated at the junction of the Grand Union and Oxford canals, not far from Daventry. In this programme, Pete revisits his childhood holidays at the Marina and learns more about the important role it has played as the heart of the canal network.

2020 marks 50 years since the last regular commercial canal contract came to an end. It was called the Jam 'Ole Run and involved boats taking coal from around Coventry to a jam factory in London, going via Braunston. Pete finds out more about it, and gets to see one of the boats that was present on the last ever run.

Produced by Heather Simons


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m000m045)
Farming Today This Week

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside


SAT 06:57 Weather (m000m047)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m000m049)
Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m000m04c)
Joanne Harris

Richard Coles and Michelle Ackerley are joined by writer Joanne Harris; broadcaster Peter Snow; wildlife journalist and wasp expert Ben Aldiss and chef Joshna Maharaj.

Born in Barnsley, writer Joanne Harris MBE was a teacher for 15 years during which time three of her novels were published including Chocolat in 1999 which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliet Binoche. Since then, she has written 15 more novels, two novellas, two collections of short stories, a Dr Who novella, guest episodes for the game Zombies Run, the libretti for two short operas, several screenplays, a musical and three cookbooks. She is guest director of this year's Yorkshire Festival of Story and her new book Orfeia is out in September. You can find more information about the festival via yorkshirefestivalofstory.com

Most of us get as far away as possible when we spot a wasp, but Ben Aldiss does just the opposite. A wildlife journalist and teacher who was known as Dr Wasp by his students, Ben studied wasps for his doctorate and is an expert in their behaviour and what provokes them to sting. He joins us to discuss some of the myths people believe about the insects, how to avoid getting stung, and some of his own experiences working closely with them.

Joshna Maharaj is a chef who lost her sense of smell about six years ago. She talks about the devastating effect of anosmia, how she coped with her loss in the kitchen environment and why she kept it a secret for many years. She is now undergoing smell training to help her regain her lost sense and talks about her olfactory experiments and how smell is directly connected to memory and emotion. Take Back the Tray by Joshna Maharaj is out now.

There isn’t much ground that broadcaster, journalist and historian Peter Snow hasn’t covered in his career: the first presenter of Newsnight when it launched in 1980, and the face of the election swingometer - he’s since moved on to making documentaries with his son, Dan, and now, writing books with his wife, Canadian journalist Ann MacMillan. He joins us to chat about their new book which uses 50 documents to illustrate global history. He also reminisces about his career as a journalist, surviving a plane crash and the story of his unwitting audition for the role of James Bond. Treasures of World History: The Story of Civilisation Told Through the 50 Most Important Documents by Peter Snow and Ann MacMillan is out now.

Writer Matt Haig chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Don't You Want Me by the Human League and It's Quiet Uptown from the Hamilton soundtrack. And there's a thank you to a stranger who saved a dog's life.

Producer: Paula McGinley
Editor: Eleanor Garland.


SAT 10:30 You're Dead To Me (p07qrwq7)
Stonehenge

Greg Jenner digs into the history and mystery surrounding Stonehenge. Is it really the symbol of fertility and scene of sacrifice it’s portrayed to be, and what part of Stonehenge is the henge exactly?

Featuring podcasting legend Richard Herring alongside archaeologist Susan Greaney from English Heritage. It’s history for people who don’t like history!

Produced by Dan Morelle
Script by Greg Jenner
Research by Emma Nagouse

A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 11:00 The Briefing Room (m000lvd2)
Belarus: the end of a dictatorship?

Belarus is gripped by nationwide protests, triggered by what is seen as an unfair election, rigged in favour of the country’s authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko.

Violent clashes have led to the arrest of more than 6000 people, with many reporting beatings and torture at the hands of the police.

President Lukashenko has told protestors they would have to kill him before there was another election – but are the days numbered for the man described as Europe’s last dictator?

Contributors:

David Marples, professor of history, University of Alberta

Brian Klaas, associate professor in global politics, University College London

Olga Dryndova, editor of Belarus-Analysen, University of Bremen

Elena Korosteleva, professor of international politics, University of Kent

Team: Richard Fenton-Smith, Beth Sagar-Fenton, Kirsteen Knight
Studio Manager: James Beard
Editor: Jasper Corbett


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m000m0g0)
Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers from around the world


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m000m0g2)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 The Money Clinic (m000lz7j)
Maggie and Declan

Eavesdrop as a couple open up to a relationship counsellor about their personal finances and their feelings.

Money worries are known to put a big strain on relationships, and it can be hard to talk openly and honestly without tempers flaring or heads burying deep into the sand.

In this episode, Maggie and Declan split their finances 50:50, but have significantly different living costs. Maggie spends generously on Declan and his children, but feels guilty if she spends anything on herself. They sit down with Dee Holmes, a counsellor from the relationship charity Relate, to explore why Maggie feels this anxiety, and what they both might be able to do to ease it.

Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: Smita Patel


SAT 12:30 Summer Comedy Festival (m000ltsn)
Sara Pascoe

Superstar stand-up Sara Pascoe curates her dream festival; one for the miserable. Featuring readings from Rhik Samadder, comedy from Sophie Duker, music from Emmy the Great and a new character from Steen Raskopoulos, join Sara as she celebrates all of the things that make us tick.

Producer: Leila Navabi
Production co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
Sound design: Chris MacLean
A BBC Studios Production


SAT 12:57 Weather (m000m0g4)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News (m000m0g6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m000ltfb)
Charles Clarke, Stella Creasy MP, Michelle Donelan MP, Toby Young

Anita Anand presents political debate from Broadcasting House London with former Cabinet Minister Charles Clarke, the Labour MP Stella Creasy, Universities Minister Michelle Donelan and the General Secretary of the Free Speech Union Toby Young.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m000m0g8)
Have your say on the issues discussed on Any Questions?


SAT 14:40 One to One (m000jvxs)
Taking Control - Karen Darke talks to Louai Al Roumani

How do you take control of your life when you find yourself facing a crisis or unexpected events turn everything that is familiar and certain upside-down? Paralympic cyclist and athlete Karen Darke began her working life as a geologist until a climbing accident resulted in her paralysis from the chest down. Overnight her life radically changed but today she’s a full time athlete and became Paralympic Champion in Rio in 2016. In the first of three conversations about taking control of your life she talks to former Syrian Banker and author of 'Lessons from a Warzone', Louai Al Romani. When the war broke out in Syria in 2011, Louai was Head of Finance and Strategy at Banque Bemo Saudi Fransi. Here, Louai describes what he learned about coping in such difficult conditions, and how he developed the resilience and skills to ensure the bank not only survived the first 4 years of the Syrian crisis, but even thrived in the most challenging of times. Producer Sarah Blunt.


SAT 14:55 Drama (b06y8ny3)
God of Carnage

What happens when two sets of parents meet up to deal with the unruly behaviour of their children? A calm and rational debate between grown-ups about the need to teach children how to behave properly? Or does it turn into a night of name-calling, tantrums and tears?

Lenny Henry stars in Yasmina Reza's play, translated by Christopher Hampton, which won a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy with its London West End Production and Tony for Best Play on Broadway. It contains very strong language.

The author, Yasmina Reza, is a French playwright and novelist. Her plays Conversations after a Burial, The Passage of Winter, Art, The Unexpected Man, Life x 3 and A Spanish Play have been produced worldwide and translated into thirty-five languages.

Christopher Hampton’s work for the theatre includes The Philanthropist, Savages, Treats, Tales from Hollywood. He is also known for his translations of Ibsen, Horvath, Moliere and Chekhov Movies: A Dangerous Method, Dangerous Liaisons, Atonement, Total Eclipse, The Quiet American, Carrington, The Secret Agent and Imagining Argentina.

Cast:
Michael ..... Lenny Henry
Veronica ..... Rosie Cavaliero
Alan ..... .Joseph Millson
Annette ..... Monica Dolan

Directed by James Macdonald
Produced by Catherine Bailey

A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m000m0gb)
Can sex offenders change? Camilla Thurlow, Cook the perfect with Ravinder Bhogal, Childless older women

Becky's father went to prison for sex offences against children. For a BBC documentary, Can Sex Offenders Change?, Becky met three sex offenders who didn’t go to jail, but had rehabilitation treatment in the community. We hear from Becky and Professor Belinda Whynder, Research Director Centre for Crime Offending, Prevention and Engagement at Nottingham Trent University and a co-founder of the charity Safer Living Foundation.

Former Love Island contestant Camilla Thurlow worked in explosive ordinance disposal, finding and clearing landmines in some of the world’s most dangerous and inhospitable places. She has written a book - Not the Type – Finding my place in the real world.

The Office for National Statistics has estimated that the number of women who reach 80 without children will almost triple in the next 25 years. As a result demand for paid care in nursing homes is expected to increase sharply. Why is the focus on childless women and not men, and how is the data being reported in the media? Jody Day is a psychotherapist, author and founder of Gateway Women, a global organisation for women who are involuntarily childless.

Ravinder Bhogal is a chef and restaurateur whose book, Jikoni is subtitled as proudly inauthentic recipes from an immigrant kitchen. She tells Jenni how to Cook the Perfect Coffee Rasgullas with Mascarpone Ice Cream and Espresso Caramel.

Sixteen year old Rhea from Shetland put out an appeal using an anonymous app, to anyone who wanted to share their personal stories about sexual violence. She received more than 60 responses within 24 hours. Rhea, and Lisa Ward, manager of Rape Crisis Shetland, talk about what those stories say about sexual violence within rural areas.

Mary Stewart has been called one of the great British storytellers of the 20th century. Her 1954 best-seller Madame, Will You Talk? has been dramatised in two parts for Radio 4. We speak to the writers Jane Casey and Harriet Evans who are both fans of her work.

Presenter: Jane Garvey
Producer: Dianne McGregor


SAT 17:00 PM (m000m0gd)
Full coverage of the day's news


SAT 17:30 The Inquiry (m000m0gg)
How close are we to a vaccine for Covid-19?

Researchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 170 candidate vaccines now in development. Most vaccines take years of testing and additional time to produce at scale, but scientists are hoping to develop a coronavirus vaccine at record speed. Several potential vaccines are now in the final phase of testing but it could still be months before we discover if they are safe and can effectively prevent people from being infected. If a vaccine can be found, there are concerns about how the world will manufacture enough. There may be challenges in storing it at the right temperature and transporting it safely around the world. Plus, rich countries might hoard supplies. Although hopes are high it is entirely possible that a safe and effective vaccine is a long way off, or never discovered. Experts warn that ‘waiting for a vaccine syndrome’ could be distracting us from finding other solutions for controlling the spread of Covid-19.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m000m0gj)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SAT 17:57 Weather (m000m0gl)
The latest weather forecast.


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000m0gn)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m000m0gq)
Ruthie Henshall, Harry Hill, Tom Ellis, Katie Melua, The Golden Dregs, Sara Cox, Clive Anderson

Clive Anderson and Sara Cox are joined by Ruthie Henshall, Harry Hill, Tom Ellis for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Katie Melua and The Golden Dregs.


SAT 19:00 The Long View (m000k9rp)
Rethink

The Unexpected Impact of World War Two on British Society

Jonathan Freedland returns with a special series of The Long View for the Radio 4 Rethink season. As the country looks for the best ways to recover from the pandemic and examine how it might change society for the better in its aftermath, Jonathan and his guests consider national crises in our past and ask how those in power at the time sought to rethink their future.

Episode Five - Prof David Kynaston on the unexpected outcomes of wartime thinking on how to rebuild post-war Britain.

Producer: Philip Sellars


SAT 19:15 Simon Schama: The Great Gallery Tours (m000kw4s)
The Courtauld

Simon Scharma introduces visits the Courtauld Gallery in London where he picks out the cream of the Impressionist collection from Cézanne, Manet and Gauguin.

Simon was inspired to make the series because, "Like many of you I'm badly missing the joy of museums and galleries. So I'm really delighted to be able to talk about four of my favourite treasure-houses of great art - the Prado, the Rijksmuseum and the Whitney in New York, and, first of all, the Courtauld Gallery in London. I hope to convey in full-colour radio the transforming power of some of their greatest paintings.“

Choosing the Courtauld also unlocked a personal story for Simon. The collection was started by the textile magnate Samuel Courtauld and the firm had become rich producing the silk substitute Rayon. Simon's father, a textile merchant, bought huge amounts of Courtauld's Rayon and Simon remembers being taken to the factory to watch production. It awakened in him an awareness of colour for the first time.

He also remembers, as a young man, being transfixed in front of Cézanne's painting Montagne Sainte-Victoire - one of an exceptional collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings assembled by Sam Courtauld, at a time when the 'French rebels' were regarded with great suspicion by the Englist art establishment. This is his first choice in his tour for this programme.

The other choices are A Bar at the Folies-Bergère by Manet - full of the life of late-19th-century Paris but also the mystery of how we should regard its central figure, the lovely but preoccupied barmaid - and Nevermore, Gauguin's haunting portrait of his naked teenage lover, painted in Tahiti in 1897.

You can find the names of the paintings and a link to the gallery on the Great Gallery Tours’ programme website.

Written and Presented by Simon Schama
Produced by Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 19:45 The Californian Century (m000fpn7)
A Body on the Backlot

Stanley Tucci imagines the story of modern California as a movie screenplay, tracing the dramatic history of the state from Hollywood to Silicon Valley.

In this episode, the first man to direct a full movie in California meets a dramatic end. In 1911, 41 year old Francis Boggs was on the up, a pioneering movie director. But his luck was just about to run out.

California wants to dazzle you with its endless sunshine and visions of the future – but that’s just a mirage. Stanley Tucci plays a hard-boiled screenwriter uncovering the full, sordid truth. He knows exactly where all the bodies are buried.

His screenplays tell the stories of ten women and men who built California. It's a high risk, high reward state. A place where, if you make it, you're on top of the world. But if you don't, there's a long, long way to fall.

Also in the series, the men who lied and lied and lied again to bring water to arid LA, and the story of the superstar revivalist preacher who was as big as Chaplin – before she disappeared without trace. We'll also hear about the genius who first brought silicon to Silicon Valley, right before he became a passionate eugenicist - Silicon Valley's dirty little secret.

Over ten episodes, Stanley Tucci tells the real story of California: a story littered with dead bodies, disasters and duplicity.

Academic consultant: Dr Ian Scott, University of Manchester

Written and produced by Laurence Grissell


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (b0bfwzy1)
Working Class Heroes

What do the working class heroes of 1960s cinema say about class in the Britain of 2018?

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, A Taste of Honey and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner - Woodfall films from a time when the working class was at the forefront of visions of the future. Danny Leigh, former senior curator at the BFI, looks through films when the working class was shown on the big screen as a force to be reckoned with for the first time, bringing energy and anger to transforming the world.

He takes the films back to their original settings - Nottingham, Salford, and Blackpool - to the contemporary working-class communities, to find out how people relate to them today. Danny asks if, where and why this cinematic vision of the future has been lost - and what it now means to be working class.

He reflects on when and how working class women, and communities other than an indigenous white working class were included in films. He explores the importance of the first generation of immigrant workers and how they have shaped class identity.

Danny also explores his own relationship to the films. His parents were working class children from Nottingham and Bradford of the 1950s - one becoming socially mobile and the other not. In both cases, it was film that helped him to know what they came from.

The programme also tells the story of Woodfall Films itself. The company was founded in Chelsea, around the corner from the Royal Court Theatre, although there isn't a Woodfall film set in London.

At a time when the whole issue of class is hotly contested and even the term "working class" is sometimes claimed to be outdated, Danny Leigh uses film archive to suggest a new sense of working class identity - distinct from, but connected to, big-screen visions of the past.

Producer: Jo Meek
An Overtone production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 21:00 Tracks (m000118l)
Series 3: Chimera

Chimera: Episode Two

Part two of the conspiracy thriller by Matthew Broughton. Starring Hattie Morahan and Jonathan Forbes.

In the aftermath of the Slate disaster, Helen investigates another building that collapsed 30 years ago – a fertility clinic in Snowdonia run by medical pioneers, Mayflower.

A gripping thriller, chart-topping podcast and winner of Best Sound (BBC Audio Drama Awards) and Best Fiction (British Podcast Awards), now Tracks is back with another 9 part headphone-filling thrill-ride.

Helen…. Hattie Morahan
Freddy….. Jonathan Forbes
Mark….. Rhodri Meilir
Claire….. Eiry Thomas
Tim….. Stewart Wright

Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production


SAT 21:45 Rapunzel (b060bwdn)
A Shaggy Bob Story

The second of three specially-commissioned tales by Julie Mayhew - her first stories for radio - taking their inspiration not only from the Rapunzel story made familiar by the Brothers Grimm, but also from some of the traditional European tales that influenced them.

In modern settings, each story features a girl with a tall tower of her own and the possibilities of an open window...

Episode 2: A Shaggy Bob Story
A story of very long hair - and head lice.

Julie Mayhew has written three plays for radio, including A Shoebox Of Snow which was nominated for Best Drama at the BBC Audio Drama Awards in 2012. Her first novel, Red Ink (2013), was nominated for the 2014 CILIP Carnegie Medal. Her second, The Big Lie, will be published in the summer of 2015. Julie is a founder and host of the short story cabaret, The Berko Speakeasy.

Reader: Julie Mayhew

Produced by Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:00 News (m000m04j)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 Grounded with Louis Theroux (p08g4wm2)
7. Miriam Margolyes

In Grounded with Louis Theroux, Louis’s using the lockdown to track down some high-profile people he’s been longing to talk to – a fascinating mix of the celebrated, the controversial and the mysterious.

in this episode, Louis speaks to actor and documentary-maker, Miriam Margolyes. In a wide-ranging and provocative conversation, they discuss sexuality, anti-Semitism in the UK and her hatred of housework.

Produced by Paul Kobrak
A Mindhouse production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 23:00 Brain of Britain (m000lv71)
Heat 8, 2020

(8/17)
Russell Davies chairs the latest heat of the general knowledge quiz from the studios of Media City UK in Salford. Once again this week's competitors answer Russell's questions without an audience present - but there's no less at stake, as the winner goes through to the series semi-finals and, come the autumn, could even find themselves taking home the silver trophy as the official 2020 BBC Brain of Britain.

The Beat the Brains interlude also provides a chance for a listener to win a prize by outwitting the panel with questions of his or her own devising.

Today's competitors are
Graham Barker, a former dental surgeon from Merseyside
Rev Wayne Clarke, a Baptist minister from Manchester
James MacKenzie, a client director from Bradford
Steve Peek, from Wilmslow in Cheshire, who's retired.

Producer: Paul Bajoria


SAT 23:30 Tongue and Talk: The Dialect Poets (m000lsv2)
A Festival of Dialect

In this first programme of the series, actor and writer Catherine Harvey heads to Blackpool for the annual Dialect Festival, which took place before lockdown.

The festival is a celebration of dialect speaking and writing - with participants from as far afield as Cornwall and Northumberland, Kent and Cumbria, gathering for a weekend of poetry, storytelling and song.

Catherine catches up with festival founder Sid Calderbank at a hotel on the seafront to discuss this unique meeting of dialect enthusiasts, and enjoys dialect performances from all over England. She talks to Rod Dimbleby, Chair of the Yorkshire Dialect Society, about Joseph Wright and the first Dialect Dictionary, and to writer and historian Paul Salveson about the future of dialect in our modern world, before the Festival draws to a close at nearby Little Marton windmill - now a museum to local dialect writer Allen Clarke (aka Teddy Ashton) whose work once inspired Tolstoy.

Other episodes in this series look at dialect poetry in East Lincolnshire, The Black Country and The Forest of Dean.

A Made in Manchester production for BBC Radio 4



SUNDAY 23 AUGUST 2020

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m000m04l)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 00:15 The Way I See It (m000bx00)
Bryan Stevenson on Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features the choice of American lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson. He has chosen The Migration Series, a set of paintings by African-American painter Jacob Lawrence. Depicting the migration of African Americans to the northern United States from the South that began in the 1910s, this a moving piece for Bryan Stevenson - but what does a civil rights lawyer see in the work that others might not?

Producer: Tom Alban.

Main Image: Jacob Lawrence, And the migrants kept coming, 1940-41. Casein tempera on hardboard, 12 x 18" (30.5 x 45.7 cm). Gift of Mrs. David M. Levy. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 28.1942.30. © 2019 Jacob Lawrence / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York


SUN 00:30 The Poet and the Echo (m000ltsb)
A Nocturnal Reverie

Writers choose poems as inspiration for new stories.

A Nocturnal Reverie

Poet and courtier Anne Finch was writing in the late 17th and early 18th centuries; one of the earliest published female poets, her work was praised by Wordsworth.

Jenni Fagan takes inspiration from Finch's poem in praise of the night to create a dreamlike meditation on power and rebellion.

Credits

Writer .... Jenni Fagan
Reader ... Eileen Walsh
Producer ... Eilidh McCreadie

A BBC Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000m04n)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000m04q)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000m04s)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m000m04v)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m000lz7q)
St. Nicholas, Sandhurst in Kent

Bells on Sunday comes from the medieval church of St. Nicholas, Sandhurst in Kent. The tower has a ring of six bells with the tenor weighing over twelve hundredweight and tuned to F sharp. We now hear them ringing Grandsire doubles


SUN 05:45 The Long View (m000k9rp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 News (m000lz5x)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b00tndgz)
Tiny Survivals

Classicist Llewelyn Morgan has a knack for piecing together the past through disparate objects and fragmented bits of information. So when he stumbled across an old Russian samovar in his grandmother's attic, he was compelled to track down its owner by trawling through the thousands of names and places that appear in the census.

In this edition of Something Understood, Llewelyn Morgan recounts his search to identify the samovar's owner and explores how objects that seem to tell us little when taken at face value can in fact reveal a rich and vivid picture of the past.

With a contribution from the late Flemish philosopher Jaap Kruithof (courtesy of VRT), readings from John Donne, Keith Douglas and Lionel Shriver and music by Maurice Ravel, Alfred Schnittke and Fridge.

Readers: Adjoa Andoh and Jonathan Keeble
Producer: Katie Burningham
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m000lz60)
Dartmoor Tea Harvest

Few people would think of Dartmoor when they consider the farming story behind their morning brew, but not so for Jo Harper. Five years ago he took a punt and bought 1000 tea plant seeds from an online auction site late one winter night. A disastrous first germination left him and partner Kathryn dusting themselves off and determined to try again, and what has since unfolded brought about the establishment of Dartmoor Estate Tea.

The couple had no experience of farming any type of crop commercially, let alone tea, which it turns out is not so straightforward. Preparing the leaves to make the tea itself is an art form in itself too, as they later discovered. Rachel Lovell joins them as they pluck their first significant harvest, and hears how their journey has taken them from Dartmoor to Nepal, through snow storms, tea ceremonies and meditative picking, to a deep reverence for this extraordinary drink.


SUN 06:57 Weather (m000lz62)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m000lz64)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m000lz66)
A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m000lyyy)
Child Rescue Nepal

Journalist Thomas Bell makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Child Rescue Nepal.

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 ‘Child Rescue Nepal’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Child Rescue Nepal’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4

Registered Charity Number: 1078187


SUN 07:57 Weather (m000lz68)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m000lz6b)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m000lz6d)
The inspiration of listening

Exploring the inspiration of listening with Anna Magnusson and Pádraig Ó Tuama.
During this strange summer, the usually busy travels of poet and theologian, Pádraig, and writer and broadcaster, Anna,
have been replaced by more stillness, offering opportunities to find solace in time spent listening deeply - to voices of the past, to nature, to breath and to spirit. Producer: Mo McCullough


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m000ltfd)
Tolerance: the Unfashionable Virtue

"The strange kind of liberalism that is currently in fashion," writes John Gray, "has rejected tolerance in favour of enforcing what it is sure is the truth."

He says these new "illiberal liberals" who allow freedom of expression only to those they regard as progressive, risk smothering "the contradictory and enlightened ideas that make us human."

Producer: Adele Armstrong


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b0378tmb)
Long-tailed Tit

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

Michaela Strachan presents the long-tailed tit. They are sociable birds and family ties are vital. They even roost together at night, huddled in lines on a branch, and this behaviour saves lives in very cold winter weather. The nest of the Long-Tailed Tit is one of the most elaborate of any UK bird, a ball of interwoven moss, lichen, animal hair, spider's webs and feathers.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m000lz6g)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell


SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (m000lz6j)
Writers, Daniel Thurman & Sarah McDonald Hughes
Director, Kim Greengrass
Editor, Jeremy Howe

Natasha Archer ….. Mali Harries
Emma Grundy ….. Emerald O’Hanrahan
Fallon Rogers ….. Joanna Van Kampen
Lynda Snell ….. Carole Boyd
Robert Snell ….. Graham Blockey


SUN 10:55 Tweet of the Day (m000lz6l)
Tweet Take 5 : Song Thrush

Perched high in a tree the song thrush has a varied and rather liquidescent call which can travel a far distance across the countryside. Listening to this song, more often a melody of two notes from the darkest days of winter, is a favourite of nature lovers and poets alike. With over 100 variations in song recorded, some have even described it as like following a small stream bubbling over uneven pebbles so providing an ever varied repertoire of sound twists and turns. For this extended version of Tweet of the Day we hear from Sir David Attenborough and from music philosopher David Rothenberg.

Producer Andrew Dawes


SUN 11:00 The Reunion (m000lz6n)
The Collapse of British Leyland

Kirsty Wark gathers management, workers and union leaders from the giant car-maker British Leyland.

In 1968, the Labour Government instigated the merger of two leading motoring manufacturers to form the British Leyland Motor Company. The ambition was to create an industrial powerhouse, capable of building more than a million cars a year and challenging the global dominance of America's Ford and Vauxhall.

At its peak, British Leyland employed 250,000 workers in scores of plants, but throughout the 1970s the model range was incoherent, bitter internal rivalries dogged production and industrial relations were atrocious. Successive governments poured in millions of pounds to stop the company from going bankrupt and forcing a spike in the dole queue.

In the 1980s, state support faded. Margaret Thatcher's government clamped down on the unions and privatised nationalised businesses. British Leyland was broken up and sold off, bringing an end to British-owned motor manufacturing.

Joining Kirsty to discuss those turbulent times are five people who were in the thick of it:

Harold Musgrove started in 1945 and rose through the ranks to become chairman and chief executive of what became the Austin Rover Group.

John Power started at Cowley in the 60s on the brand new Mini and became a shop steward on his first day.

Chris Green was 16 when he started as a commercial apprentice at British Leyland’s vast Longbridge plant.

Alison Harper was the company’s first female design sculptor.

The motoring journalist and former Top Gear presenter Chris Goffey test drove the cars and watched as the company fell by the wayside.

Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Karen Pirie
Series Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 11:45 The Alien Birds Have Landed (b01m1835)
The Rose-Ringed Parakeet

Alison Steadman tells the story of how and why the Rose-ringed Parakeet became a British bird. Are alien birds apt expressions of our botched tenancy of the planet? Should we be more careful about how we meddle with nature?
Producer: Tim Dee


SUN 12:00 News Summary (m000lz6q)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 12:04 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (b07jyrdj)
Series 65

Episode 3

The nation's favourite wireless entertainment pays a visit to Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre. Old-timers Barry Cryer and Tony Hawks are joined on the panel by locals Susan Calman and Fred Macaulay with Jack Dee in the chair. Colin Sell provides piano accompaniment.

Producer - Jon Naismith.

It is a BBC Studios production.


SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (m000lz6s)
Plate of the Nation

This year has already been a big one for food-related events and announcements - from the impact of Covid-19 and panic buying stripping supermarket shelves, to high-profile campaigns around school holiday hunger, to the government's plan to tackle obesity, to the recent launch of Part One of the National Food Strategy.

So what does all this mean for the UK's food future?

Sheila Dillon is joined by industry experts, to discuss how our food system could and should change in future, and answer questions from listeners and special guests about what those changes might mean and involve.

The panellists are Helen Munday, chief scientific officer for the Food and Drink Federation and President of the Institute of Food Science and Technology; Dee Woods, a food educator, co-founder of Granville Community Kitchen and member of the Food Ethics Council; and Chris Elliott, Professor of food safety at Queen's University Belfast and founder of the Institute for Global Food Security.

Sheila also speaks to Henry Dimbleby, author of the National Food Strategy, about the first instalment.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Lucy Taylor.


SUN 12:57 Weather (m000lz6v)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m000lz6x)
Global news and analysis, presented by Mark Mardell.


SUN 13:30 Punt PI (b064ww02)
Series 8

The murder of Hollywood director William Desmond Taylor

Steve Punt returns with a brand new series of investigations - starting with the unsolved murder of major Hollywood director William Desmond Taylor in 1922.

Taylor was one of Tinseltown's biggest names - until he was shot dead in his bungalow in February 1922. Despite a multitude of suspects, Taylor's killer was never caught.

It's a bizarre case with a multitude of suspects. Was the murderer former child star Mary Miles Minter or her controlling mother Charlotte Shelby? Or was it Taylor's rather shady private secretary Edwards Sands?

Steve casts a fresh eye over the evidence and returns to Taylor's native Ireland where he makes some surprising discoveries about the murdered movie director's past.

Producer: Laurence Grissell


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m000lts8)
GQT At Home: Episode Twenty-one

Kathy Clugston chairs this week's horticultural panel show, with Bunny Guinness, Matthew Wilson and James Wong answering questions from green-fingered listeners.

This week the panel suggests small aquatic plants for an indoor water fountain, advises on rooting plants and shares favourite autumn activities in the garden for new listeners keen to keep up their new found love of gardening after summer.

Away from the questions, Kathy visits an alleyway in Belfast with a community who have discovered gardening and have transformed their space during lockdown. And Alex Young explains how humidity can affect houseplants.

Producer - Hannah Newton
Assistant Producer - Jemima Rathbone

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 The Way I See It (m000cbfr)
Stanley Tucci and Giacometti's Head of a Man on a Rod

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, takes us on a deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Leading cultural figures in the series include Grammy- and Emmy-award-winning Hollywood actor and comedian Steve Martin, one of the founders of minimalism – composer Steve Reich and stand-up comedian Margaret Cho. Each episode introduces us to an important art work in the collection, but asks how our own perspective affects our appreciation of the piece.

In this edition, American actor Stanley Tucci chooses Alberto Giacometti's "Head of a Man on a Rod" from 1947.

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image:
Alberto Giacometti, Head of a Man on a Rod, 1947. Bronze, 23 1/2" (59.7 cm) high, including bronze base 6 3/8 x 5 7/8 x 6" (16.0 x 14.9 x 15.1 cm). Gift of Mrs. George Acheson. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 595.1976. © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris


SUN 15:00 Madam, Will You Talk? (m000lz6z)
Episode 1

Set in the South of France in the early 1950s, the heat is intense, roads are dusty and parched, cicadas are noisy, the coffee is strong and une omelette aux fines herbes at the local café is almost exotic.

This is Charity’s dream holiday after the austere greyness of England and the death of her husband in the war. At her hotel, she meets David, a lonely English schoolboy there with his stepmother. She discovers that his father has been accused of murder and he is in France for his own safety.

Charity soon finds herself caught up in a plot to kidnap him and she begins to mistrust everyone. Is the man she keeps bumping into a foe or friend? She flees to Marseille where the war still casts a shadow. Collaborators with the occupying Germans are still being hunted down and fugitive Nazis are living in disguise.

Mary Stewart invented the romantic suspense novel. Originally published in 1954, this was her first book and an instant best-seller. She caught the spirit of the post-war world - her heroines are all independent, educated young women who enjoy travelling, drive fast cars and stand up for themselves. Never out of print and with over five million copies sold, Mary Stewart's been called one of the great British storytellers of the 20th century.

Cast:
Charity Selbourne ..... Scarlett Courtney
Louise Cray ..... Esme Scarborough
David Bryon ..... Frankie Milward.
Loraine Bristol ..... Harriet Collings
Paul Very ..... Sam Alexander
Mrs Palmer ..... Karen Ascoe
Richard Byron ..... Tim Dutton

Sound Engineer and Design: David Thomas
Production Co-ordinators: Sarah Tombling & Phoebe Izzard-Davey
Programme Illustration: Mahla Bess
Dramatised by Marcy Kahan from the novel by Mary Stewart

Produced and Directed by Caroline Raphael
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 16:00 Open Book (m000lyz0)
Sarah Moss

In a special edition of Open Book, Sara Collins speaks to author and academic Sarah Moss about history, holidays and her latest novel Summerwater


SUN 16:30 Tongue and Talk: The Dialect Poets (m000lz72)
East Lincolnshire

Alan Mumby, Chairman of Far Welter’d, the East Lincolnshire Dialect Society, explores dialect poetry written and spoken in his native county.

The Society’s name has Danish roots, referring to a sheep that’s fallen on its back and is struggling to recover - and Alan asks whether Lincolnshire dialect, so rarely featured in today’s media, is in similar distress.

Travelling to the tiny hamlet of Somersby, he visits the birthplace of the county’s most famous poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson, whose little-known dialect poetry reveals his cherished memories of the villagers who he grew up with.

Many members of Far Welter’d are themselves poets – like Wolds farmer Andy Robinson (aka Billy Woldsworth) and George Danby, who farms on the Fens. Alan talks to them about their writing and how dialect varies throughout the area. While enthusiastic ‘yeller-belly’ Rod Stones discusses the influence of his Danish ancestors on the dialect he speaks today, and Maureen Sutton, Lincolnshire’s Poet Laureate, explores the changing perceptions of dialect in our modern world.

A Made in Manchester production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 17:00 Scotland’s Uncivil War (m000lv4w)
On 23rd March 2020 Scotland's former First Minister Alex Salmond stood outside Edinburgh's High Court. He'd just been acquitted of thirteen counts of sexual assault against nine women.

"There is certain evidence I would like to have seen led," he told the media huddle. Everyone knows what he means. He's saying it's not over.

Salmond believes there is a conspiracy against him; that the civil service in Holyrood, along with certain political figures within the SNP, encouraged a group of women to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against him in order to stop return to front line politics. Commentators say he wants revenge.

Nicola Sturgeon insists there was no plot, but has been implicated and asked to provide evidence for what she knew when. The Parliamentary Inquiry is set to begin in mid-August.

Once close political allies, Salmond and Sturgeon are no longer in contact, with Sturgeon comparing the breakdown of her relationship with Salmond to a "grieving process".

An uncivil war has broken out within the SNP, but it’s been a long time coming.

Acclaimed journalist Dani Garavelli covered every day of the trial, and discovered how deep the schism runs, as she herself was targeted by those who believe dark forces are afoot.

Here, she explores the flash points running through Scotland's governing party. How might these divisions affect Scotland's future and even its place within the UK?

Producer: Caitlin Smith


SUN 17:40 The Long View (m000k9rp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m000lz74)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SUN 17:57 Weather (m000lz76)
The latest weather forecast.


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000lz78)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m000lz7b)
Johny Pitts

This week, a late summer stroll through space and time with tape cassettes that cross seas and decades, imaginative geographies, vanishing souls and haunted futures.

There’s poetry, music and thought-provoking words inspired by the experiences of lockdown. Linton Kwesi Johnson talks bass lines, Alabama’s historic quilters sing and sew their secrets and we hear the challenges television drama face during these new days of social distancing .

Presenter: Johny Pitts
Producer: Stephen Garner
Production support: Kay Whyld
Studio Manager: Celia Hutchinson

Contact potw@bbc.co.uk


SUN 19:00 The Whisperer In Darkness (m000lz7d)
Episode 4

An unexpected phone call turns Matthew Heawood’s attention to a mystery in the gloom of Rendlesham Forest. Folklore, paranormal, otherworldly? Up for debate, but fertile ground for a new investigative podcast, that’s for sure. One question still lingers, will our host be re-joined by his roaming researcher, Kennedy Fisher?

The duo’s last venture patched together frantic updates from Baghdad, as they pursued suspected occultists in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Very little hope lingered of solving the mystery, and maybe even less that Kennedy would return home safe. But for now, a new investigation calls.

Following the success of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, (Silver, British Podcast Awards) Radio 4 commissions a return to this HP Lovecraft-inspired universe. Once again, the podcast embraces Lovecraft’s crypt of horror, braving the Sci-Fi stylings of The Whisperer in Darkness.

Episode Four
Kennedy and Heawood start to doubt Henry Akeley’s sanity.

Cast:
Kennedy Fisher.........................JANA CARPENTER
Matthew Heawood....................BARNABY KAY
Henry Akeley.............................DAVID CALDER
Albert Wilmarth.........................MARK BAZELEY
Perry..........................................ROBERT GLENISTER
Peniston....................................BEN CROWE
Child's voice..............................EDIE SIMPSON

Producer: Karen Rose

Director/Writer: Julian Simpson

Sound Recordist and Designer: David Thomas
Production Coordinators: Sarah Tombling and Holly Slater

Music by Tim Elsenburg
Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds


SUN 19:15 Tom Wrigglesworth's Hang-Ups (b07qbstb)
Series 4

Big Tom and the Hendersons

Episode 2 - Big Tom and The Hendersons. Dad tries to fight off an unwanted invasion while Granny turns to smuggling.

Series 4 of Tom Wrigglesworth's Hang-Ups presents another hilarious helping of down-the-line adventures from Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated Tom. Listen in on Tom's weekly phone calls home to his Mum, Dad and Gran in Sheffield and get a glimpse into the triumphs and tribulations of the Wrigglesworth clan in all its dysfunctional glory.

Starring Tom Wrigglesworth, Paul Copley, Kate Anthony, Elizabeth Bennett and Ed Kear.

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

Producer: Richard Morris
A BBC Studios Production.


SUN 19:45 The New Adventures of Baron Munchausen (m000lz7g)
Episode 2

With the Baron’s trip to Easter Ross cut short, he spends his flight south reminiscing about his famous ancestor’s unlikely travels.

This specially commissioned series from James Robertson celebrating travel, adventure and the importance of storytelling is read by William Gaminara.

Our hero is a descendant of the original 18th century Baron Munchausen, whose tall tales inspired a book that would forever link the family name with fibs and exaggeration. Eager to redress the balance, the current Baron dedicates himself to setting down the unvarnished truth about his own exploits.

James writes, “The present-day Baron’s adventures are no less incredible, but in his case every detail has a rational explanation and not one word is an exaggeration or a lie. He flies with swans, sails, sledges and balloons his way round the world, is swallowed by a whale, encounters wolves and alligators, fights bush fires in Australia, orbits the moon and plays golf with the President of the USA. He does the kind of things, in other words, that have been denied to the rest of us for the last five months. Realism, escapism or a mixture of the two? Judge for yourselves.”

James Robertson is an award-winning poet, novelist and short story writer whose books include ‘Joseph Knight’, ‘And The Land Lay Still’ and ‘To Be Continued...’.

Produced by Eilidh McCreadie


SUN 20:00 Feedback (m000ltsg)
An in-depth interview with the Controller of Radio 4, Mohit Bakaya.

He has been in charge of Radio 4, Radio 4 Extra and Radio 4 podcasts for almost a year, and before that had been a commissioning editor at the network since 2008.

He responds to listeners’ questions about The Archers, Desert Island Discs, Woman’s Hour, coronavirus coverage and his plans for the future.

Presenter: Roger Bolton
Producer: Kate Dixon
Executive Producer: Paula Prynn

A Juniper Connect production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m000ltsd)
Julian Bream CBE, Elizabeth Ward OBE, Chris Graham-Bell, Stuart Christie

Pictured: Julian Bream

Matthew Bannister on

Julian Bream, said by many to be the greatest classical guitarist of all time.

Elizabeth Ward, who campaigned for the introduction of the kidney donor card after her son went through three transplants.

Chris Graham-Bell, the founding publisher of the Gay Times magazine.

Stuart Christie, the anarchist who was involved in a plot to blow up the Spanish dictator General Franco.

Interviewed guest: Lord Michael Berkeley CBE
Interviewed guest: Andrew Green
Interviewed guest: Sally Taber
Interviewed guest: Nigel Bell
Interviewed guest: Robert Hanwell
Interviewed guest: Branwen Christie
Interviewed guest: Duncan Campbell

Producer: Neil George

Archive clips from: Julian Bream: My Life in Music, Avie 2006; Man With A Guitar, BBC Sound Archive 25/09/1961; East Midlands Today, BBC One 22/05/1997; Man Alive, BBC Two 14/02/1980; Newsroom South East, BBC One 17/06/1991; Profile: Stuart Christie, Radio 4 10/07/1981; By Fair Means or Foul, Radio 4 20/11/1973; Angry Brigade Trial, Sound Archive, Radio 4 06/12/1972.


SUN 21:00 The Money Clinic (m000lz7j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m000lyyy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 In Business (m000lvd4)
Black Business Matters

Sparked by the Black Lives Matter protests around the world that followed the death of George Floyd, companies are wading into the conversation on racial inequality. With a focus on diversity in business, there was also interest and investment in a lot of companies run by black people in the UK.

Tobi Oredein, founder of media company Black Ballad, asks businesses including a home-ware maker, an interior design firm and a global bank if this is all a trend or if there will be substantial and long-term change.

Producer: Darin Graham
Presenter: Tobi Oredein


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m000lz7l)
Radio 4's Sunday night political discussion programme.


SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (m000lvcr)
Earl Cameron

With Francine Stock

Earl Cameron, who died earlier this year aged 102, was one of the pioneers of British cinema, one of the first black actors to get a starring role in a British movie. Francine spoke to Earl in 2009, just after he'd been awarded the CBE, and he revealed how he entered show business almost by accident, about the racism he encountered during the war and why he didn't think BAME actors received the recognition they deserved in the British film industry.

Earl's debut was the thriller The Pool Of London, and Francine also hears archive of his co-star Leslie Phillips, and from James Dearden and Simon Relph, the sons of the producing and directing team Basil Dearden and Michael Relph.


SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b00tndgz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:05 today]



MONDAY 24 AUGUST 2020

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m000lz7n)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (m0002r0w)
Skateboarding - Parkour

Skateboarding and parkour: Laurie Taylor explores lifestyle sports in the hyper regulated city. Iain Borden, Professor of Architecture and Urban Culture at UCL, considers the origins, history and thrill of skateboarding. They're joined by Thomas Raymen, a senior lecturer in the Social Sciences department at Northumbria University, who followed a group of Newcastle free running enthusiasts, from wall to rooftop, and probed the contradictions between transgression and conformity to the values of consumer capitalism. Revised repeat.

Producer: Jayne Egerton


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m000lz7q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000lz7s)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000lz7v)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000lz7x)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


MON 05:30 News Briefing (m000lz7z)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000lz81)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Dr Calvin T Samuel

Good morning.

Our son recently turned 20. And his sister’s even older! This means we no longer have teenagers at home. I know! You’re thinking I sound far too young to have 20-something year-old children. But, sadly, I am that old.

Over the past few months we’ve spent far more time with our children than usual. Being locked in with adult children who would otherwise have been living elsewhere with flatmates has been, shall we say, a mixed blessing.

On the one hand, there were the predictable frictions which result from putting four adults, accustomed to their own space, practices and rhythms, unexpectedly into a shared space, and simultaneously withdrawing their freedom of movement for months on end.

On the other hand, we can’t remember the last time that we spent this much time together as family. It’s been years. And given that our children are at about the right age to begin to flee the nest, it’s entirely possible that we’ll never spend this amount of time together again. Moreover, we’re well aware that for many, the forced separation from loved ones was the most traumatic element of Lockdown.

The people we love, if we’re honest, are often both those with whom we experience greatest friction and those whose companionship we most treasure. Perfect families don’t exist. So, let’s thank God for whatever family we may have.

God of love and friendship,
laughter and forgiveness,
learning and failing;
thank you for those
you have put into our families:
whether blended or blood–kin,
adopted or grafted–in,
in–law, out–law, Great Aunt or cousin,
or just people living in the same bubble.
By your grace, teach us to love one another
as we are loved by you.

Amen.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m000lz83)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


MON 05:56 Weather (m000lz85)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.


MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b0378wy3)
Common Redstart

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

Michaela Strachan presents the common redstart. Redstarts are summer visitors from sub-Saharan Africa. The males are very handsome birds, robin-sized, but with a black mask, white forehead and an orange tail. John Buxton gave us a fascinating insight into their lives when, as a prisoner of war in Germany, he made a study of them.


MON 06:00 Today (m000m0nr)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 The Patch (m000m0nt)
Camborne

The random postcode generator takes producer Polly Weston to a residential area of Camborne, Cornwall.

This pioneering town of industry, famous for its tin mines and as the place where the steam engine was invented, has fallen on hard times in recent decades.

Today, some areas of this postcode are among the most deprived in Cornwall, and Britain as a whole. As lockdown has lifted the local beaches have flooded with people holidaying from all over the UK, yet it is said that some children in this postcode have never visited the sea before. The nearest beach is three miles away. Is it true?

Produced and presented by Polly Weston in Bristol


MON 09:30 Laws That Aren't Laws (m000m3dp)
Betteridge's Law of Headlines

If a newspaper headline ends in a question mark, is the answer always no? And if so, are journalists who use them being lazy and cynical?


MON 09:45 Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (m000m0pg)
Tekels Park

Helen Macdonald reads from her new collection of essays about "love for the glittering world of non-human life around us."

Vesper Flights is the hotly anticipated essay collection by Helen Macdonald - her first book since the publication of her award-winning and best-selling H is for Hawk. Each essay by the acclaimed nature writer explores humanity’s connection with the natural world, our curiosity about it and our love for it, as well as its increasingly urgent fragility. The essays are also a reminder that we inhabit a beautiful world and they celebrate its “quality of wonder".

Helen Macdonald is a writer, poet, naturalist and historian of science. H is for Hawk won several prestigious prizes, including the Samuel Johnson and the Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger in France.

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000m0ny)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world


MON 10:45 Electric Decade (m000m0p6)
The Alice B Toklas Cookbook

Onion Soup

In this new drama by Sarah Woods the story of the first half of the twentieth century, the modern age, is told through the lens of the food grown, purchased, cooked and served by Alice B Toklas for her partner Gertrude Stein and their eclectic and talented guests.

First published in 1954 and one of the bestselling cookbooks of all time, a "mingling of recipes and reminiscence", we follow this couple as they eat their way around France and America, being painted by Picasso and written about by Hemingway.

In human terms, this is a story about Gertrude's determination and desire for success and it explores the lives of two women whose lives challenged so many norms - yet who knew that, in France, a potato salad must always be served surrounded by chicory.

Episode 1: Onion Soup
In which Gertrude is photographed by a new arrival in Paris and Alice shares her recipe and thoughts:

'Onion soup is a slow evolution in a new direction, which is the way great art is created - that is , everything is ready for it, and one person having the vision does it, discarding what they find unnecessary in the past.'

CAST:
ALICE ..... Deborah Findlay
GERTRUDE STEIN ..... Sharon D Clarke
MAN RAY ..... Rupert Evans

Writer: Sarah Woods
Producer/Director: Celia de Wolff
Sound Engineer: David Thomas
Production Co-ordinator: Sarah Tombling

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


MON 11:00 My Name Is... (m000lzjp)
Roman: What's wrong with screen time?

Eleven-year-old Roman is adjusting to a new three-day limit on his use of screens.
He's a huge fan of Minecraft and he also uses Tik Tok and You Tube.
Mum Louisa and dad Ben think during the pandemic there has been too much time spent on screens and they're trying to restore a balance - but what do the experts say?
Cambridge Research Fellow Dr Amy Orben and Professor Andrew Przybylski of the Oxford Internet Institute take Roman through research, which suggests that there may not be a great deal of evidence to show that screens have a major impact on young people's happiness.
But the views of mum and dad are the ones that matter. They chart their reasons for wanting to bring more balance to the use of screens at home.
Sebastian Suggate shares his research with Roman - discussing the impact of media on young children's capacity for forming their own mental images.
Along the way Roman hears about the difficulty of age verification for sites like Tik Tok - but also that increasingly scientists wanting to study how screens affect us are kept in the dark by tech companies' reluctance to share data about how we use their platforms. The information our time on screens gives them is a valuable commodity - one which they're keen on protecting.

Presented by Roman
Produced by Kevin Core


MON 11:30 Loose Ends (m000m0gq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


MON 12:00 News Summary (m000m0z6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham (m000m0pb)
Episode 6

Winston Graham’s series of novels set in Cornwall follow the lives of the Poldark family and their friends, neighbours, rivals and enemies. Life in Cornwall is governed by the sea and by the fortunes of the tin and copper mines that provide work for the local community.

The Miller’s Dance finds Ross Poldark now 52 yrs old and still happily married to Demelza, who is ten years younger than him. Their eldest son Jeremy is approaching 21 and their eldest daughter Clowance is 17, both of them navigating the changeable weather of first love. The Poldark family is completed by young Isabella-Rose although neither Ross nor Demelza will ever forget the grief of losing their first born, Julia, before her third birthday.

A series of courtships begin their complicated dance, some fuelled by lust and others by love, money or ambition. All this takes place against a backdrop of England’s continuing military campaign against Napoleon’s army in Spain and Portugal. The damage that war has done to the nation’s commerce and those who rely on it gives rise to political tensions which are played out in complex schemes of power and influence amongst the governing classes in London. A world which seems so far away from the pressing concerns of Cornish life and which nevertheless beckons Ross to attend to his duties in parliament as an MP.

The story told here (Book 9 in the famous series of novels) rejoins the characters in 1812 – about ten years after the point where BBC television’s hugely popular series concluded. This is a chance to return to Cornwall and the passions of the Poldarks and at the same time to reflect on what marriage and courtship are really about and whether love can ever hope to conquer all.

Author : Winston Graham
Read by Richard Goulding
Abridged by Jill Waters and Isobel Creed
Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4


MON 12:18 You and Yours (m000m0z8)
News and discussion of consumer affairs


MON 12:57 Weather (m000m0zb)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m000m0zd)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.


MON 13:45 A History of the World in 100 Objects (b00qsvjm)
The World in the Age of Confucius (500 - 300 BC)

Oxus Chariot Model

Neil MacGregor's world history told through objects at the British Museum arrives in Persia 2500 years ago. Throughout this week, Neil is looking at powerful leaders across the ancient world. Today he focuses on Cyrus, the first Persian emperor who created the largest empire the world had ever known. It stretched from Turkey to Pakistan and required a hugely sophisticated network of communications and control.

At the heart of today's programme is a gold chariot pulled by four gold horses. This hand-sized model helps explain the rule of Cyrus, the "king of kings", and his ambitions for his vast territory - with contributions from the historian Tom Holland and Michael Axworthy of the University of Exeter. How does this glorious pre-Islamic past sit with the people of Iran today?


MON 14:00 Electric Decade (m000m0zh)
Break of Day

This largely biographical story, written in 1928, charts French author Colette’s retreat from her Parisian life for her first summer alone, in her Provencal home.

She needs to lick her wounds after a messy second divorce and to be back in the garden, held in the arms of the natural world, with her animals and at peace, and she means to renounce love forever. She's 55 and, for the first time since she was 16, will live without her life depending on love.

But an unexpected encounter with her long-deceased mother, through finding her letters, leads Colette to a bruising reality check. And they negotiate an acceptance, of sorts, of each other’s deficits – and assets.

The temptation presented by a beautiful neighbour, Vial, 20 years her junior, tests Colette's resolve to the full. She could have him. In all her middle age ‘gigantic mermaid’ glory, she still has the power for her age to lay claim on his youth. She creates a ‘cover’ as matchmaker, setting Vial up with the pretty Helene, also holidaying here among the beau monde, but in reality she is toying with them both as she considers her options. Abstention is alien to her, as her mother reminds her. She is trying to learn a new way to live. And not succeeding.

Cast includes:
Colette...………...Frances Barber
Sidonie…………..Siân Phillips
Helene...………...Elle McAlpine
Vial...……………...Timothy George

Writer: Nicholas McInerny
Director: Marina Caldarone
Sound Engineer and Design: David Thomas
Prod Co-ordinator: Sarah Tombling

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


MON 14:45 Museum of Lost Objects (b072mq8v)
The Genie of Nimrud

The Museum of Lost Objects traces the histories of 10 antiquities or cultural sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.

The ancient Assyrians were fond of protective spirits. They had sculptures of all manner of mythological creatures lining the walls of their palaces. One such sculpture was a stone relief of a genie. This was a powerful male figure - a bountiful beard and muscular thighs but with huge wings sprouting from his back. Three thousand years ago, it adorned the walls of Nimrud, one of the great strongholds of Mesopotamia, near Mosul in modern day Iraq. During the 1990s, this genie disappeared - believed to have been taken during the chaos of the first Gulf war - and ended up in London around 2002 - just before the mire of the second Gulf war. It’s been kept by Scotland Yard for these last 14 years - locked in legal limbo, and unlikely to ever reemerge or return to Iraq. We explore the cost of looting to a country’s cultural heritage, and tell the story of another valuable Mesopotamian antiquity that was looted, eventually uncovered, but managed to stay in Iraq. This is a tablet, and holds a new chapter from the oldest tale ever told - the Gilgamesh epic.

This episode was first broadcast on 9 March, 2016.

Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor
Producer: Maryam Maruf

Picture: Assyrian winged-genie from Nimrud
Credit: Brooklyn Museum

Contributors: Mark Altaweel, Institute of Archaeology UCL; Augusta McMahon, University of Cambridge; Mina al-Lami, BBC Monitoring; the readings are by Martin Worthington, George Watkins, and Susan Jameson

With thanks to Vernon Rapley, V&A; Sarah Collins, British Museum; Andrew George, SOAS; and John Russell Massachusetts College of Art and Design


MON 15:00 Brain of Britain (m000m0zk)
Heat 9, 2020

(9/17)
What was the full name of Brian's mother, as played by Terry Jones in Monty Python's Life of Brian? And can you name three British Prime Ministers since the Second World War who didn't go to university?

Another four competitors join Russell Davies for the eighth heat of the general knowledge tournament, recorded under socially-distanced conditions without an audience. There's still plenty of tension as they compete for another of the places in the 2020 semi-finals. As well as the outright winner, a high enough score could send one or more of the runners-up through too. This week's contest comes from MediaCity UK in Salford, and the participants are:

Brett Bostock, a retired mental health worker from Rochdale
Paul Hopkins, a software developer from the Wirral
Helen Shrimpton, a pensions administrator, also from the Wirral
Roy Smith, a retired management accountant from Warrington in Cheshire.

A listener could also win a prize if his or her questions are chosen to test the contestants in the 'Beat the Brains' interlude.

Producer: Paul Bajoria


MON 15:30 The Food Programme (m000lz6s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 on Sunday]


MON 16:00 Sketches: Stories of Art and People (m000m0zn)
The writer Anna Freeman presents a showcase of true stories about lives changed by art. This week, stories of people using their homes as a canvas and of the meaning behind the art and objects we surround ourselves with in our domestic space.

We hear stories of an incredible find inside a rental flat after the occupant's death; a teenage taxidermist treating roadkill with care and respect; an expectant mother painting a mural for her new child; and of a photographer documenting people's mantelpieces and the incredible stories behind the objects on display.

Produced by Mair Bosworth and Maggie Ayre


MON 16:30 Beyond Belief (m000m0zq)
Bathing

If you are a follower of one the main religions, it is more than likely that you will have undergone a bathing ritual. Cleansing with water is an integral part of Christian Baptism, Muslim Prayer and Jewish purification. Hindus aspire to bathe in the waters of the River Ganges. Why are rituals in water important to so many faiths? What do they mean? And how do they differ from religion to religion?

Joining Ernie to discuss ritual bathing are Dr Diana Lipton (Teaching Fellow in the Department of Biblical Studies at Tel Aviv University), Sudipta Sen (Professor of History at the University of California, Davis and author of 'Ganges: the Many Parts of an Indian River') and the Venerable Peter Robinson (Dean of Derby whose doctoral thesis was on Christian Initiation focusing on Baptism).

Producer: Helen Lee


MON 17:00 PM (m000m0zs)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000m0zv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 18:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (b017vsjf)
Series 56

Episode 4

The nation's favourite wireless entertainment with a second show from Sage Gateshead. Regulars Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor are joined on the panel by Marcus Brigstocke with Jack Dee in the chair. Colin Sell attempts piano accompaniment. Producer - Jon Naismith.


MON 19:00 The Archers (m000m0p2)
Ed demands answers at Home Farm and Chris has regrets


MON 19:15 Front Row (m000m0p4)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


MON 19:45 Electric Decade (m000m0p6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


MON 20:00 On the Menu (m000k9r5)
Shark, bear and crocodile attacks tend to make the headlines but humans fall prey to a much wider variety of predators every year, from big cats and snakes, to wolves, hyenas and even eagles that’ve been known to snatch the odd child. The details can be grim and gory as many predators have developed specific techniques for hunting us humans down. But it was always so, as biologist Professor Adam Hart discovers. Archaeological evidence suggests early hominins in Africa were more hunted than hunter, spending much of their lives scavenging for food and fending off attacks from the likes of sabre-tooth-cats and giant hyenas. Much more recently, legends abound about some of the more infamous serial killers of the animal kingdom, such as the 'man-eaters' of Tsavo and Njombe - the latter, a pride of about 15 lions in Tanzania who, it is claimed were responsible for an astonishing 1500 deaths between 1932 and 1947.

Today, estimates and sources vary but most suggest carnivorous predators are responsible for hundreds if not thousands of human deaths every year. But how much of this is active predation and how much is mistaken identity or sheer bad luck? Adam speaks to experts in human-wildlife conflict dedicated to reducing attacks on both humans and predators in Africa and India, where the tensions between protecting agricultural interests and preserving predator habitats are most problematic. He discovers the grim reality for many poor rural populations dealing with the sharp end of living in close proximity to large carnivores and discusses the potential solutions for driving down attacks on both humans and predators that are caught up in the struggle for survival. Closer to home, Adam meets a wolf-tracker, who helps to monitor wild wolf populations that have spread up through Italy and France, attacking livestock with increasing confidence. Could humans be on the menu next?
Producer: Rami Tzabar


MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (m000lvc6)
Spain: the elephant in the palace

Spain’s King Juan Carlos – a story of entitlement and dynasty… The emeritus king, Juan Carlos, has left Spain. But the man who propelled his nation from dictatorship to democracy is under intense public scrutiny. At the heart of allegations against the former king is a $100 million gift from the Saudi Royals. The Supreme Court in Madrid is investigating whether Juan Carlos can be accused of any crimes related to this cash. Spain’s often unquestioning acceptance of its monarchy began to unravel in 2012 when King Juan Carlos fractured a hip during an elephant-hunting trip to Botswana. Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, his former lover, was with him in Africa. She talks exclusively to Crossing Continents about a multi-million Euro gift from the king, claims she was pursued by Spain's intelligence service, and - that elephant.

Presenter / producer: Linda Pressly
Presenter / producer in Spain: Esperanza Escribano
Editor: Bridget Harney


MON 21:00 Sharing the Baby (m000gtnf)
Just 3% of new parents took any shared parental leave entitlement last year. In many other countries where shared leave is offered, uptake has soared. Fi Glover examines what the policy actually offers, what the experience is like on the ground for couples and why the take-up has been so low.

Fi also discovers how financial and cultural barriers and fear of workplace discrimination are impacting on the experience of taking the leave. One dad who works as an employment lawyer for a large company explains how anxious he felt even asking to take shared leave.

Another recent study found that the majority of those benefiting from SPL are white middle-class parents who own their own homes. Has SPL in fact deepened the divide between people or can we look to a future where parental leave really is a choice?

Produced by Sarah Cuddon
A Somethin' Else production for Radio 4


MON 21:30 The Patch (m000m0nt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m000m0p8)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


MON 22:45 The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham (m000m0pb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 today]


MON 23:00 Word of Mouth (m000lv4m)
Black masculinity and language

Teacher and writer Jeffrey Boakye, sitting in for Michael Rosen, and poet and writer JJ Bola, look at the construction of black masculinity in contemporary society and the impact of colonialism. They explore how language is used to define or constrain male identity and ask how modern society might transcend these inherited ideas. If you're not a roadman or a baller, who are you?
Producer Beth O'Dea. Photo copyright: Antonio Olmos
More about Jeffrey Boakye and JJ Bola:
Jeffrey Boakye is an author, commentator, writer and English teacher. He has a particular interest in issues surrounding education, race and popular culture.
Jeffrey, originally from Brixton in London, has taught English to 11- to 18-year-olds since 2007.  He began teaching in West London, moved to East London where he was Head of English, and then moved on to Yorkshire where he now lives with his wife and two sons.
Jeffrey started writing his first book, Hold Tight, in 2015 when cradling his first born son in the early hours. Hold Tight was published in 2017 and is recognised as one of the first seminal books on grime music. He started writing his second book, Black, Listed, when cradling his second born son in the early hours. Published in 2019, Black, Listed was praised by David Lammy MP as ‘a book that gives a voice to those whose experience is persistently defined, refined and denied by others’. Jeffrey’s third book, What is Masculinity?, a book for children on masculinity, broke with tradition and was not written when cradling a newborn son.
JJ Bola's website is jjbola.com, twitter: https://twitter.com/JJ_Bola, instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jj_bola and facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jjbola
You can listen to Jeffrey Boakye's conversation with Michael Rosen on Word of Mouth here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0004l93


MON 23:30 Lights Out (m000gt6s)
Series 2

Into This World

Two new parents-to-be contemplate what it means to navigate the limitations of the identities their son will inherit.

The desire to protect and shelter is fraught with the anticipation that one day he will move in a world having to know in some way what it means to be racialised as black, gendered as a man and everything in between.

Featuring the voices of Kate Williams, Dean Atta and Ansel Wong.

Produced by Axel Kacoutié with Maz Ebtehaj
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4



TUESDAY 25 AUGUST 2020

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m000m0pd)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 00:30 Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (m000m0pg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000m0pj)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000m0pl)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000m0pn)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m000m0pq)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000m0ps)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Dr Calvin T Samuel

Good morning.

On the 25th of August 325 the Council of Nicaea concluded its business. This was the first of the great ecumenical Councils, where Bishops, their representatives, and assistants from churches across the world, both East and West, gathered to clarify and to formalise key doctrines of the Church.

Nicaea, in modern day Turkey, was near Nicomedia, the seat of power of the Emperor of Rome, the singular global superpower of the day. The Council was held in the presence of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman Emperor. His presence, prestige, and power helped to ensure that the outcomes of the Council had a lasting impact on Christian faith and practice.

The Council of Nicaea wrestled with and set out its understanding of the divinity of Jesus. Even if you’ve never heard of it, you’re a beneficiary of the Council if you’ve ever recited the Nicene Creed, or sung the second verse of the Christmas carol, O Come All Ye Faithful, which declares:
True God of True God, Light of Light eternal
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Very God, Begotten, not created:

The Council had mixed outcomes. It failed to reach agreement on the date of Easter, the oldest and most important Christian festival, and many of the issues on which they did reach agreement continued to be hotly contested for another 50 years.

Nonetheless, Nicaea brought people together to seek common ground, in the face of profound disagreement. And in that regard, Nicaea proved in the long run to be successful.

God of all,
by your Spirit, give us grace and courage
to seek common ground
with those with whom we profoundly disagree,
recognising even in them
ones for whom Christ also died.

Amen.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m000m0pv)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b0378wz1)
Bullfinch

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

Michaela Strachan presents the Bullfinch. The males have rose-pink breasts and black caps and are eye-catching whilst the females are a duller pinkish-grey but share the black cap. Exactly why they're called Bullfinches isn't clear - perhaps it's to do with their rather thickset appearance. 'Budfinch' would be a more accurate name as they are very fond of the buds of trees, especially fruit trees.


TUE 06:00 Today (m000m100)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m000m102)
Heather Koldewey on marine conservation

Professor Heather Koldewey wants to protect our oceans from over-fishing and plastic pollution. An academic who is not content to sit back and let the science speak for itself, she wants to turn science into action and has found conservation allies in some unexpected places. Working with a carpet manufacturer, she created Net-Works, a business that turns old fishing nets into high-end carpet tiles and she has collaborated with Selfridges Department Store to give marine conservation a make-over. A research career that began studying the genetics of brown trout in Welsh rivers took her to the Philippines to save seahorses and a job running the aquarium at London Zoo. In 2018, she was made a National Geographic Fellow. Heather tells Jim Al-Khalili why, despite all the challenges to marine life, she remains an ‘ocean optimist’ and how she learned to drop her ‘scientific seriousness’.
Producer: Anna Buckley


TUE 09:30 One to One (m000m104)
Introverts & Extroverts: Russell Kane & Angela Barnes

What are you: an introvert or an extrovert? Russell Kane is a comedian, so he has always assumed he's a textbook loud-mouthed extrovert. But now he's not so sure.

Across this series of interviews, Russell explores exactly what we mean by the terms "introvert" and "extrovert". He questions whether it is useful to define people in this way and whether we have a cultural bias towards one personality type over the other.

In this third and final interview, Russell talks to fellow comedian Angela Barnes about playing the extrovert for work. Is there a disconnect between her on-stage and off-stage versions of self? And if so, are both authentic?

Producer: Becky Ripley


TUE 09:45 Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (m000m10s)
High Rise

Helen Macdonald reads from her new essay collection. Today, she is on the observation deck at the Empire State Building, and more than a thousand feet up she finds that the skies are 'teeming with unexpected biological abundance.'

Vesper Flights is Helen Macdonald's first book since the publication of the award-winning and best-selling H is for Hawk. Each essay in this collection by the acclaimed nature writer explores humanity’s connection with the natural world, our curiosity about it and our love for it, as well as its increasingly urgent fragility. The essays are also a reminder that we inhabit a beautiful world, and celebrate it in all its wonder.

Helen Macdonald is a writer, poet, naturalist and historian of science. H is for Hawk won several prestigious prizes, including the Samuel Johnson and the Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger in France.

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000m108)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world


TUE 10:45 Electric Decade (m000m10g)
The Alice B Toklas Cookbook

A Flan of Mushrooms

In this new drama by Sarah Woods the story of the first half of the twentieth century, the modern age, is told through the lens of the food grown, purchased, cooked and served by Alice B Toklas for her partner Gertrude Stein and their eclectic and talented guests.

First published in 1954 and one of the bestselling cookbooks of all time, a "mingling of recipes and reminiscence", we follow this couple as they eat their way around France and America, being painted by Picasso and written about by Hemingway.

In human terms, this is a story about Gertrude's determination and desire for success and it explores the lives of two women whose lives challenged so many norms - yet who knew that, in France, a potato salad must always be served surrounded by chicory.

Episode 2: A Flan of Mushrooms
In which Gertrude talks frankly to Ernest Hemingway and Alice prepares a creamy flan while 'I thought about ... how such big events like wars change our habits, our cooking and eventually our way of life.'

CAST:
ALICE ..... Deborah Findlay
GERTRUDE STEIN ..... Sharon D Clarke
ERNEST HEMINGWAY ..... Carl Prekopp

Writer: Sarah Woods
Producer/Director: Celia de Wolff
Sound Engineer: David Thomas
Production Co-ordinator: Sarah Tombling

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 11:00 From Our Home Correspondent (m000m13b)
Mishal Husain presents despatches from journalists and writers across the UK.


TUE 11:30 With Great Pleasure (b0b4zwz6)
Ruth Rogers

Ruth Rogers of iconic Italian restaurant The River Cafe shares some of her favourite pieces of writing, including F Scott Fitzgerald, Norman Mailer, Hanan al-Shaykh, Sigrid Rausing, Craig Raine and Lord Richard Rogers. With readings by the authors and by Ralph Fiennes.

Producer: Mair Bosworth.


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m000m13d)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham (m000m10n)
Episode 7

Winston Graham’s series of novels set in Cornwall follow the lives of the Poldark family and their friends, neighbours, rivals and enemies. Life in Cornwall is governed by the sea and by the fortunes of the tin and copper mines that provide work for the local community.

The Miller’s Dance finds Ross Poldark now 52 yrs old and still happily married to Demelza, who is ten years younger than him. Their eldest son Jeremy is approaching 21 and their eldest daughter Clowance is 17, both of them navigating the changeable weather of first love. The Poldark family is completed by young Isabella-Rose although neither Ross nor Demelza will ever forget the grief of losing their first born, Julia, before her third birthday.

A series of courtships begin their complicated dance, some fuelled by lust and others by love, money or ambition. All this takes place against a backdrop of England’s continuing military campaign against Napoleon’s army in Spain and Portugal. The damage that war has done to the nation’s commerce and those who rely on it gives rise to political tensions which are played out in complex schemes of power and influence amongst the governing classes in London. A world which seems so far away from the pressing concerns of Cornish life and which nevertheless beckons Ross to attend to his duties in parliament as an MP.

The story told here (Book 9 in the famous series of novels) rejoins the characters in 1812 – about ten years after the point where BBC television’s hugely popular series concluded. This is a chance to return to Cornwall and the passions of the Poldarks and at the same time to reflect on what marriage and courtship are really about and whether love can ever hope to conquer all.

Author : Winston Graham
Read by Richard Goulding
Abridged by Jill Waters and Isobel Creed
Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 12:18 You and Yours (m000m13g)
News and discussion of consumer affairs


TUE 12:57 Weather (m000m13j)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m000m13l)
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 A History of the World in 100 Objects (b00qsvj1)
The World in the Age of Confucius (500 - 300 BC)

Parthenon Sculpture: Centaur + Lapith

Neil MacGregor's telling of the story of humanity through individual objects at the British Museum. This week he is looking at the emergence of powerful new forces across the globe around the 5th Century BC, from Confucius in China to Cyrus in Persia.

Today he looks at the emotionally charged sculptures that were made for the Parthenon in Athens. Carved out of marble around 440BC these beautiful figures continue to generate huge controversy around the world for the fact that they remain in London and have not been returned to Greece. In today's programme the British Museum's director acknowledges the political controversy of the Elgin Marbles (named after the British Lord who carried them off) but concentrates on their artistic story and on exploring the ancient Greek world that created them. He describes a culture besotted with the myths and imagery of battle. The Greek archaeologist Olga Palagia and the classicist Mary Beard help conjure up the extraordinary city of antiquity.


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m000m0p2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama (m0001kbz)
Holding Back the Tide

Chips

by Nick Warburton

John Hector is meant to be taking things easy but it's all too easy to become annoyed especially when listening to Test Match Special on the radio.
And when Jonathan Agnew comes to town John Hector is waiting for him.

John Hector ..... Ronald Pickup
Richard Wells ..... Paul Ritter
Clare Wells ..... Kate Duchêne
Trafford ..... Gerard McDermott
Robust Betty ..... Emma Handy
Seasider ..... Lewis Bray

With a special guest appearance from Jonathan Agnew.

Directed by Sally Avens


TUE 15:00 Short Cuts (m000m13p)
The Question

Short documentaries and adventures in sound about quiz shows and queries for an uncertain future. Presented by Josie Long.

Production team: Andrea Rangecroft and Alia Cassam
Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 15:30 The Last Songs of Gaia (m000kp57)
3: Mammals

In the last year, the scale of the climate and wildlife crises has been laid bare by scientists around the globe. A frightening number of species are falling silent as a result. How are the world’s musicians, sound artists and poets responding?

In this episode, Verity Sharp asks what role mammals have in our collective imagination. What might we lose culturally if species go extinct, and how do the stories we tell and the music that’s inspired by mammals affect how we feel about them today - for better or worse?

Verity heads into the studio to sit in on an exclusive session recording inspired by the elephant. A Malagasy lemur expert tells us an ancient story about the Indri as we hear its cry resounding across continents. And how do artists respond when entire human communities are threatened with destruction?

Featuring contributions from Stuart Hyatt (aka Field Works), Katherine Rundell, Antye Greie-Ripatti (aka AGF), Jonah Ratsimbazafy, Sarathy Korwar, Abel Selaocoe and Jay Baza Pascua.

Produced by Chris Elcombe
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4

Additional material:
Taylor Deupree - ‘Echo Affinity’, and Kelly Moran - ‘Sodalis’, from Ultrasonic by Field Works

AGF: INDRI indri produced in the context of Extinction Room by Sergiu Matis
using field recordings with permission from the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Xeno-canto Foundation.

Photo © Iraki Relazon


TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (m000m13r)
Protest Slogans

Playwright Sabrina Mahfouz, sitting in for Michael Rosen, discusses the often provocative language of protest slogans with artist Zoe Buckman and writer Siana Bangura.
Image copyright : Greg Morrison


TUE 16:30 Great Lives (m000m0bl)
Jessie Ware on Donna Summer

Jessie Ware is a singer, songwriter and podcaster. Her latest, critically acclaimed, album, What's Your Pleasure?, draws inspiration from soul, funk, boogie, and disco - and, notably, the work of the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer.
Jessie joins Matthew Parris and Pete Bellotte, co-producer and co-writer of many of Donna Summer's biggest hits - I Feel Love, Love to Love You Baby, and Hot Stuff, among others - to explore the life and work of her musical heroine.
Jessie, Pete and Matthew discuss Donna's Protean vocal abilities, her eventful childhood and how post-war Munich provided the perfect environment to create some of disco's most momentous hits. Pete reveals how a three-minute demo of Love to Love You Baby became a seventeen-minute breakout hit and together they explore why disco has endured despite an early backlash. Jessie ponders whether life has changed for a woman in the music industry and reflects on Donna's personal legacy.
With additional contributions from Danyel Smith, author of Shine Bright: A Personal History of Black Women in Pop (published Spring 2021).
Produced in Bristol by Camellia Sinclair


TUE 17:00 PM (m000m13t)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000m13w)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 18:30 The Lenny Henry Show (m000m13y)
Episode 1

Character-based sketch comedy from Lenny Henry, featuring old favourites like Deakus (musing about Covid from his care home) and Brixton-based DJ Delbert Wilkins who's with his mate Winston talking about homeschooling.

There's also new characters such as Mr Stone the former Special Forces operative-turned-teacher, and paranoid Aaron who sees crime everywhere. And there's an outtake from the Repair Shop, an advert for a new website Compare The Token.com, and a debut from Northern grime artist The Yorkshire Moor, rapping about lockdown.

Cast includes Lenny Henry, Vas Blackwood, George Fouracres, Llewella Gideon, Freya Parker, and Cherrelle Skeete.

Written by Lenny Henry and Max Davis, with Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, Tasha Dhanraj, Kim Fuller, Benjamin Partridge and Nathan Roberts.

Music by Lawrence Insula, with Lockdown based on an original song, Shutdown by Skepta.

Produced by Sam Michel.

A Douglas Road and Tiger Aspect production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m000lzj4)
Alice is forced to come clean and Lynda wants an honest opinion


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m000m10d)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


TUE 19:45 Electric Decade (m000m10g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


TUE 20:00 Code-Switching (m000ls8x)
Like many young black people, Lucrece Grehoua is an expert in code-switching - used to changing her voice, accent and mannerisms when she enters white-majority spaces. But should she really have to? In this programme, Lucrece reveals the cost of hiding who we really are in the workplace and explores the mechanics of code-switching, a term first used to describe the experience of African-American students in the 1970s. She shares her own story of being taught to become “a palatable black girl with a soft voice and an unceasing smile”. And she talks to other young professionals about the steps they’ve taken to fit in – from switching to a “white voice” in the office to changing how they dress, what they talk about and how they style their hair. We also hear from those who, tired of code-switching, are daring to be themselves in the corporate world.


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m000m10j)
News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted


TUE 21:00 Science Stories (b06101bj)
Series 1

Seeing is Believing - The Leviathan of Parsonstown

Today, astronomers believe the universe is a violent, constantly changing place. But it was not always the case.

At the beginning of the 19th century, many believed fervently that the celestial sky was a constant, divinely perfected, completed creation.

But as telescopes got larger, the mystery of the number, origin and role of the "nebulae" - those colourful, cloud-like smudges on the sky – grew and grew. Were they really vast clouds of gas and dust as they sometimes appeared? Or were they merely closely packed, very distant clusters of stars, as some of them allegedly appeared when magnified through the great reflecting telescopes?

When some astronomers and writers suggested they were in fact a vision of creation in action, matter condensing to form stars and planets like our own, some establishment religious figures cried foul, fearing the social implications.

Could bigger telescopes resolve the crisis?

For most of the 19th century, the biggest telescope in the world was in Birr, Ireland, then known as Parsonstown. It was built by an Anglo-Irish nobleman, Willam Parsons, Earl of Rosse, in the midst of the Irish famine. 50 feet long, 6 feet in diameter, the monster instrument was dubbed "The Leviathan".

But even thus equipped, in the days before photography and spectroscopy, observers could only describe and sketch what they saw, and it was hard to be objective.

As Simon Schaffer, James Bennet, and Chris Lintott narrate, the debate as to the truth of the "Nebular Hypothesis", and the concern as to whether the Irish astronomers really saw what they claimed to see, paved the way for the Darwinian debates in the coming decades.

Producer: Alex Mansfield


TUE 21:30 The Life Scientific (m000m102)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m000m10l)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


TUE 22:45 The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham (m000m10n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 today]


TUE 23:00 Fresh From the Fringe (b03brqlm)
Fresh from the Fringe: 2013

Mark Watson hosts a showcase of up-and-coming comic talent from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, recorded at Bush Hall in London.

Featuring a mixture of performers who are new to Radio 4 (Phil Wang, Tim Renkow, Ellie White, Liam Williams), along with one or two names you might already recognise (Romesh Ranganathan - "28 Dates Later", Aisling Bea - "Irish Micks and Legends"), Fresh From the Fringe is our pick of the people who made us laugh this August.

This programme is an edited highlights show of a live gig hosted by Radio 4 at Bush Hall on 18th September 2013. A filmed programme - featuring different edited highlights - will be playing out on the Red Button service throughout this week, and material from all the acts will be available to view on the Fresh From the Fringe website.

Produced by Lyndsay Fenner.


TUE 23:30 Lights Out (m000h2db)
Series 2

Speaking Sabar

Documentary adventures that encourage you to take a closer listen.

The N'diaye Rose family of Senegal are masters of Sabar drumming. They are the descendants of the late Doudou Ndiaye Rose, the legendary griot drummer famous for sharing the deep and complex rhythms of Sabar with the rest of the world.

Today, in the capital, Dakar, electronic musicians Beatrice Dillon, Nkisi and LABOUR try to interpret and translate the encoded language of the drums.

With thanks to the N'diaye Rose family and Berlin Atonal
Photo credit: Sandhya Ellis

Produced by Zakia Sewell
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4



WEDNESDAY 26 AUGUST 2020

WED 00:00 Midnight News (m000m10q)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


WED 00:30 Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (m000m10s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000m10v)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000m10x)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000m10z)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


WED 05:30 News Briefing (m000m111)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000m113)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Dr Calvin T Samuel

Good morning.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than four years since the Brexit Referendum took place. The referendum uncovered our deep divisions as a nation. Tumultuous times followed. Between 2016 and 2019 we had three different Prime ministers and two General Elections.

The dominant political topic in that period was Brexit, Brexit and more Brexit. We even developed Brexit fatigue. We grew tired of talking, arguing, disagreeing, preaching and even praying about Brexit.

Once we were in the grip of a global pandemic, however, Brexit became far less of a priority for most of us. That experience raised the question, ‘What are our priorities?’

It’s often remarked, that no one on their deathbed ever says, ‘I wish I’d spent more time at work.’ As we draw near to the end of life we often begin to see that some things to which we’ve given priority, might not be that important, after all.

It’s caused me to wonder, what might be some of the things which we’re currently making a priority, but which upon reflection, may well turn out to be of lesser importance in the long run? And what steps might we need to take now, so that by the time we get to our death bed, however near or far that might be, the list of things we wish we’d done differently, and given more time to, is a short one?

God of beginnings and endings,
Creator of Time and Space:
in your Wisdom,
give us clarity of insight
to discern and to focus
on those things that matter most.
Enable us, by your Spirit, to elevate
the important above the immediate
and to expend our energies on
building a future better than our past.

Amen.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (m000m115)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b0378x0n)
Rock Pipit

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

Michaela Strachan presents the rock pipit. The sight of a greyish bird no bigger than a sparrow, at home on the highest cliffs and feeding within reach of breaking waves can come as a surprise. In spring and early summer, the male Pipits become wonderful extroverts and perform to attract a female, during which they sing loudly to compete with the sea-wash.


WED 06:00 Today (m000lzgt)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 More or Less (m000lzgy)
Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.


WED 09:30 Four Thought (m000lzh2)
The Other Mother

Claire Lynch describes how she navigated motherhood.

When Claire arrived at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit shortly after the birth of her daughters, the nurse on duty looked alarmed, then flustered, and finally realised, in Claire's words, 'that I have not risen, Lazarus-like, from an epidural, but might just be another kind of mother all together.' This is how Claire begins her beautiful meditation on what it means to be a mother - reflecting on her experiences trying to get pregnant, of what she has experienced of motherhood, and what she has not.

Producers: Giles Edwards and Peter Snowdon


WED 09:45 Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (m000lzh6)
Eclipse

Helen Macdonald reads from her new essay collection which explores the wonders to be found in the natural world.. Today, she considers crowds, community and the overwhelming experience of witnessing an eclipse.

Vesper Flights is Helen Macdonald's first book since the publication of the award-winning and best-selling H is for Hawk. Each essay in this collection by the acclaimed nature writer explores humanity’s connection with the natural world, our curiosity about it and our love for it, as well as its increasingly urgent fragility.

Helen Macdonald is a writer, poet, naturalist and historian of science. H is for Hawk won several prestigious prizes, including the Samuel Johnson and the Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger in France.

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000lzhb)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world


WED 10:45 Electric Decade (m000lzhg)
The Alice B Toklas Cookbook

Bass for Picasso

In this new drama by Sarah Woods the story of the first half of the twentieth century, the modern age, is told through the lens of the food grown, purchased, cooked and served by Alice B Toklas for her partner Gertrude Stein and their eclectic and talented guests.

First published in 1954 and one of the bestselling cookbooks of all time, a "mingling of recipes and reminiscence", we follow this couple as they eat their way around France and America, being painted by Picasso and written about by Hemingway.

In human terms, this is a story about Gertrude's determination and desire for success and it explores the lives of two women whose lives challenged so many norms - yet who knew that, in France, a potato salad must always be served surrounded by chicory.

Episode 3: Bass for Picasso
In which Gertrude mourns her friend and looks forward to the arrival of Basket and Alice reflects on how 'I have met many important people, several great people, but only three times in my life have I met a genius.'

CAST:
ALICE ..... Deborah Findlay
GERTRUDE STEIN ..... Sharon D Clarke
PICASSO ..... Paterson Joseph

Writer: Sarah Woods
Producer/Director: Celia de Wolff
Sound Engineer: David Thomas
Production Co-ordinator: Sarah Tombling

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


WED 11:00 The City That Sings (m000gt5p)
To sing, all you need is a voice.

Makhanda is a South African city with a colonial past, a challenging present and an uncertain future. It struggles with huge issues of social inequality, crumbling infrastructure, administrative mismanagement and racial misunderstanding. For many of its residents every day is a struggle.

But it has another heritage.

It's a city rich in creative talent and is home to South Africa’s National Arts Festival. Masicule is an annual choir event, created by the Festival, with the aim of bringing people together to do the one thing that South Africans do best – sing.

Local vocalist, Nombasa Maqoko, brings you the story of Masicule 2020, a chance to hear some of its wonderful music and to discover how singing creates a brief flicker of light in Makhanda’s current darkness.

A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4


WED 11:30 Stand-Up Specials (b0b0m84n)
Lucy Porter in the Family Way

In recent years, Lucy Porter has become a mum of two and a middle-aged orphan. Now she explores her relationship with the concept of family, and the lasting effects of a childhood spent in Croydon.

Lucy gives helpful tips for children, parents and grandparents alike, explaining helicopter parenting, the value of benign neglect, and the rise of the tiger mother - a mother who comes to tea, eats all the buns and drinks all of daddy's beer!

As she charts the life cycle of a typical nuclear family, Lucy addresses issues like siblings. Why do we all think "it'll be nice for them to have each other to play with" when no siblings have ever played together nicely since the dawn of time?

Lucy takes us right to the end of the parenting process - when you end up having to parent your own parents. How do you tempt your parents out of the Morrison's cafe? Why is it essential to carry a pound coin at all times? What do you do when your dad insists he's a major international songwriter?

This is a warm and witty new show recorded at Stratford Circus Arts Centre, with a lot of laughs and a dollop of poignancy.

Cast:
Lucy Porter
Luke Kempner

Written by Lucy Porter
Additional Material by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch
Studio Manager and Editor- Jerry Peal
Production Manager- Sarah Tombling

Produced by Marilyn Imrie and Gordon Kennedy
Directed by Gordon Kennedy
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:00 News Summary (m000lzhl)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham (m000lzhq)
Episode 8

Winston Graham’s series of novels set in Cornwall follow the lives of the Poldark family and their friends, neighbours, rivals and enemies. Life in Cornwall is governed by the sea and by the fortunes of the tin and copper mines that provide work for the local community.

The Miller’s Dance finds Ross Poldark now 52 yrs old and still happily married to Demelza, who is ten years younger than him. Their eldest son Jeremy is approaching 21 and their eldest daughter Clowance is 17, both of them navigating the changeable weather of first love. The Poldark family is completed by young Isabella-Rose although neither Ross nor Demelza will ever forget the grief of losing their first born, Julia, before her third birthday.

A series of courtships begin their complicated dance, some fuelled by lust and others by love, money or ambition. All this takes place against a backdrop of England’s continuing military campaign against Napoleon’s army in Spain and Portugal. The damage that war has done to the nation’s commerce and those who rely on it gives rise to political tensions which are played out in complex schemes of power and influence amongst the governing classes in London. A world which seems so far away from the pressing concerns of Cornish life and which nevertheless beckons Ross to attend to his duties in parliament as an MP.

The story told here (Book 9 in the famous series of novels) rejoins the characters in 1812 – about ten years after the point where BBC television’s hugely popular series concluded. This is a chance to return to Cornwall and the passions of the Poldarks and at the same time to reflect on what marriage and courtship are really about and whether love can ever hope to conquer all.

Author : Winston Graham
Read by Richard Goulding
Abridged by Jill Waters and Isobel Creed
Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4


WED 12:18 You and Yours (m000lzht)
News and discussion of consumer affairs


WED 12:57 Weather (m000lzhw)
The latest weather forecast


WED 13:00 World at One (m000lzhy)
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 A History of the World in 100 Objects (b00qsvj3)
The World in the Age of Confucius (500 - 300 BC)

Basse Yutz Flagons

Neil MacGregor's history of the world recounted through objects at the British Museum arrives in Northern Europe two and a half thousand years ago.

Neil explores the early world of the Celts through two bronze drinking flagons, considered to be the most important and earliest examples of Celtic art. The writer Jonathan Meades and one of the world's leading experts on this period, Barry Cunliffe, help describe the Celts, dissect the stereotypes and consider their celebrated love of drink.


WED 14:00 The Archers (m000lzj4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Power Out (m000lzj6)
Part 1/2

If this is power, then POWER OUT

What happens when the power system we’re hooked up to fails? When things we thought were solid, that we thought would protect us, fail?

A new thriller about power and protest on a dying planet, starring Vinnie Heaven and written by Sarah Woods.

Sean …… Vinnie Heaven
Xarea …… Jeanette Percival
Skimmer …… Ayden Brouwers
Qiqi …… Celia Dominguez
Cathy …… Deb McAndrew
Mr Graham …… Jason Done
Sameera …… Bhavna Limbachia
Moth .........Saul Woods
MP …… Jonathan Keeble

Directed by Susan Roberts

Recorded in binaural sound to give you a fully immersive sound experience when listening on headphones.

A BBC Drama North Production.


WED 15:00 The Money Clinic (m000lz7j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


WED 15:30 Science Stories (b06101bj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]


WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (m0004mfw)
The Politics of Memorials

The Politics of Memorials: Remembering Emmet Till – in 1955, a young African-American was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 at the age of 14, after being accused of offending a white woman in her family's grocery store. Driving through the Mississippi Delta today and you’ll find a landscape dotted with memorials to major figures and moments from the civil rights movement, none more tragic than this murder.The ways in which his death is remembered have been fraught from the beginning, revealing the political controversies which lurk behind the placid facades of historical markers. Dave Tell, Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas, analyses the various ways that this landmark event in the civil rights movement has been commemorated. Also, Margaret O’Callaghan, Reader in History, Queen’s University Belfast, discusses commemoration in the context of Irish history. How has the marking of the Easter Rising shifted over time? What roles are played by memorials in any society? And what forces dictate what gets remembered and what is forgotten?

Producer: Jayne Egerton


WED 16:30 The Media Show (m000lzjb)
Topical programme about the fast-changing media world


WED 17:00 PM (m000lzjd)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000lzjg)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 18:30 Paul Sinha's General Knowledge (m000lzjj)
Series 2

Episode 3

Paul Sinha is an award-winning comedian, the reigning British Quiz Champion and also, according to the Radio Times, the UK's "funniest fund of forgotten facts". He returns to Radio 4 with a second series of his General Knowledge, recounting the amazing true stories that lie behind fascinating nuggets of information.

This episode is all about the famous people who've fallen from the public eye, such as the model who appeared on the cover of Vogue UK with Turlington, Evangelista, Campbell and Schiffer - four women so famous we didn't need to tell you their first names - who you have probably never heard of.

The programme was recorded virtually, with an audience of 200 people watching him from the comfort of their own home.

Written and performed by Paul Sinha
Additional material by Oliver Levy
Recording engineered by Lee Chaundy & Marc Willcox
Produced by Ed Morrish

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


WED 19:00 The Archers (m000lyyt)
There’s more than one surprise for Ed and Chris attempts to make amends for his actions


WED 19:15 Front Row (m000lzjl)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


WED 19:45 Electric Decade (m000lzhg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


WED 20:00 Grounded with Louis Theroux (p08grz6g)
8. Troy Deeney

In Grounded with Louis Theroux, Louis’s using the lockdown to track down some high-profile people he’s been longing to talk to – a fascinating mix of the celebrated, the controversial and the mysterious.

In this episode, the guest is footballer and Watford FC captain, Troy Deeney. Troy tells Louis about growing up on one of the biggest council estates in Europe, his time in prison and the reason he won’t fix his teeth.

Produced by Paul Kobrak
A Mindhouse production for BBC Radio 4


WED 20:45 Four Thought (m000lzh2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


WED 21:00 My Name Is... (m000lzjp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Monday]


WED 21:30 The Media Show (m000lzjb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 today]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m000lzjr)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


WED 22:45 The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham (m000lzhq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 today]


WED 23:00 Woof (m000lzjt)
Honest Mistakes at Home and Abroad

Hamburg Noir

In this third series, Chris Neill continues his comedic exploration of affairs of the heart, the unexpected humiliations of ageing, and what bloody good luck it is that he has met his boyfriend, Rory.

In earlier series, episodes revolved around the terrible blind date Chris was set up on, his fantasy French boyfriend inspired by a school textbook, making a fish pie for his dying neighbour, and his failure to write a novel. As ever, Chris remains entirely willing to expose himself to a late-night, possibly bed-bound, audience and this third series of Woof recounts more autobiographical stories of his life in love, lust and mediocrity.

In programme two: "Wie gehts?" This week's story involves slightly awkward small talk with a German police officer investigating the unexpected death of Chris’s neighbour on a visit to Hamburg. And some confusion over recycling.

Written by Chris Neill
Starring: Chris Neill, Isy Suttie and Martin Hyder
Producer: Steve Doherty
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:15 Bunk Bed (b0bclbn1)
Series 5

Episode 4

Patrick Marber and Peter Curran escape from the hurly-burly of the day into their nearest faraway place - the Bunk Bed. Recorded in the dark and in bed, this is the perfect place for letting thoughts to drift without rhyme or reason.

Tonight they grapple with whether it's disrespectful to read literature in the nude and describe in detail an imagined death-scene for each other.

There's strange BBC archive describing what the Ancient Greeks did with their domesticated hyenas, and a frank discussion on the horrors attendant during a country walk with family and friends.

Produced by Peter Curran
A Foghorn production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 23:30 Lights Out (m000h8h9)
Series 2

Prison Sentences

The UK prison population has risen by 69% in the last 30 years.

Lots of people have lots of opinions about prison - politicians, newspapers, artists and, of course, former prisoners themselves. Prison Sentences offers a meditation on the efficacy of prison through opinions, statistics, statements of policy and the testimony of those who've experienced it first hand.

24% of prisoners were brought up in care
29% of prisoners were abused as children
42% of prisoners were excluded from school
62% of prisoners have a reading age of 11 or under
15% of prisoners were homeless before entering prison
33% will be homeless when they leave

"We know not whether laws be right
Or whether laws be wrong
All we know who lie in gaol
Is that the walls are strong
And each day is like a year
A year whose days are long.”
The Ballad of Reading Gaol, Oscar Wilde

With music from The Clash, Olivier Messiaen, Sam Cooke, Zimbo Freemind, Johnny Cash, The Band, Remtrex, Fox, Lady Unchained, Malvina Reynolds and Nina Simone. And archive from Porridge, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Cool Hand Luke, Rupert Everett reading Wilde, Benjamin Zephaniah, The Shawshank Redemption, Hooked, John Cooper Clarke and Midnight Express,

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



THURSDAY 27 AUGUST 2020

THU 00:00 Midnight News (m000lzjw)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


THU 00:30 Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (m000lzh6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000lzjy)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000lzk0)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000lzk2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


THU 05:30 News Briefing (m000lzk4)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000lzk6)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Dr Calvin T Samuel

Good morning.

‘Forgive us our trespasses. As we forgive those who trespass against us.’

These are, I think, some of the most challenging words of the Lord’s Prayer.

To forgive is a deeply costly undertaking. Some might remember the Revd Julie Nicholson, a priest in Bristol, who could not forgive the terrorist who killed her daughter in the 7/7 bombings of 2005. She, therefore, bravely concluded that she could no longer with integrity exercise her ministry as a priest, leading others in saying those words of the Lord’s Prayer, for example, whilst she herself remained unable to forgive.

Forgiveness is a deeply costly undertaking. For it requires that we acknowledge the wrong done to us, or even worse, to those we love, and to choose no longer to seek personal redress from the wrongdoer, though, of course, wrong actions often bring consequences of their own, and justice appropriately includes repreparation.

Paradoxically, forgiveness is costly not only to the forgiver, but also to the forgiven. We who have been forgiven much, knowing that our forgiveness is by definition unmerited and underserved often carry a debt of gratitude towards those who have forgiven us because we know all too well that we do not deserve it. Therefore, it can be in some cases nearly as hard to receive forgiveness as it is to offer it.

Yet some of the most complex and entangled circumstances we face can be unlocked only by the power of forgiveness, precisely because it both acknowledges that have been wronged and yet chooses no longer to seek personal redress. But it is always deeply costly.

Forgiving God,
teach us by your grace
to forgive those who trespass against us
as you have already forgiven our trespasses.

Amen.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (m000lzk8)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b0378x67)
Arctic Skua

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

Michaela Strachan presents the arctic skua. Arctic Skuas are the pirates of the bird world and cash in on the efforts other seabirds make to find food. They are elegant birds with long angular wings, projecting central tail feathers and a hooked bill. The dashing flight of an Arctic Skua as it chases a hapless gull is always thrilling to watch.


THU 06:00 Today (m000lyxx)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m000lyxz)
Series 22

The Human Brain

Brian Cox and Robin Ince look at the amazing capabilties of the super adaptable, ever changing human brain. They are joined by US talk show host Conan O'Brien, and neuroscientists David Eagleman and Gina Rippon to find out how the 3 lb organ that sits in our skull allows us to live on every corner of the planet, adapt to any habitat, argue with each other, and ourselves, and think about ideas such as free will. They learn whether being a successful comedian is really down to having a brain disorder and how the connections we make in our brain are changing and forming throughout our life, not just when we are young, so you really can teach an old dog, or human, new tricks. And talking of old dogs, a surprise guest makes a genuinely unexpected special appearance!

Producer: Alexandra Feachem


THU 09:30 Laws That Aren't Laws (m000lyy1)
The Peter Principle

Comedian Robin Ince explores laws that govern our lives that really aren't, but should be.


THU 09:45 Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (m000lyzs)
Wicken & In Spight of Prisons

Helen Macdonald reads from her new essay collection on nature in all its wonder. Today's themes are nature reserves and our precious relationship with the natural world.

Vesper Flights is Helen Macdonald's first book since the publication of the award-winning and best-selling H is for Hawk. Each essay in this collection by the acclaimed nature writer explores humanity’s connection with the planet, our curiosity about it and our love for it, as well as its increasingly urgent fragility.

Helen Macdonald is a writer, poet, naturalist and historian of science. H is for Hawk won several prestigious prizes, including the Samuel Johnson and the Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger in France.

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000lyy5)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world


THU 10:45 Electric Decade (m000lyy7)
The Alice B Toklas Cookbook

Scheherezade's Melon

In this new drama by Sarah Woods the story of the first half of the twentieth century, the modern age, is told through the lens of the food grown, purchased, cooked and served by Alice B Toklas for her partner Gertrude Stein and their eclectic and talented guests.

First published in 1954 and one of the bestselling cookbooks of all time, a "mingling of recipes and reminiscence", we follow this couple as they eat their way around France and America, being painted by Picasso and written about by Hemingway.

In human terms, this is a story about Gertrude's determination and desire for success and it explores the lives of two women whose lives challenged so many norms - yet who knew that, in France, a potato salad must always be served surrounded by chicory.

Episode 4: Scheherezade's Melon
In which Gertrude is invited to Cambridge and Alice thinks she should go: 'I do feel that your actual presence in England would help the cause. A personality does help to convince half-intelligent people.'

CAST:
ALICE ..... Deborah Findlay
GERTRUDE STEIN ..... Sharon D Clarke
EDITH SITWELL ..... Jane Slavin
LEONARD WOOLF ..... Robert Glenister
DEAN ..... Carl Prekopp
DON ..... Tom Glenister

Writer: Sarah Woods
Producer/Director: Celia de Wolff
Sound Engineer: David Thomas
Production Co-ordinator: Sarah Tombling

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (m000lyyb)
Reza's Story

A death-defying migrant's story... Said Reza Adib was a TV journalist in Afghanistan. In 2016, about to break a story about the sexual abuse of children by Afghan men in authority, he received a threat to his life. Reza fled across the border to Iran. But journalism was in his blood, and in Iran he began to investigate sensitive stories related to the war in Syria. When Iranian authorities confiscated his lap top, he knew his life was again in danger. That same day, with his wife and two small children, he began a perilous journey to safety in Finland – an odyssey that would last four years. The family would survive shooting on the Turkish border, a voyage across the Aegean Sea on an overcrowded makeshift vessel with fake lifejackets, and then the nightmare of refugee camps in Greece. It was here that Chloe Hadjimatheou met Reza, and for Crossing Contintents she tells the story of a remarkable journalist who’s continued to ply his trade - in spite of the odds stacked against him.

Producer: Linda Pressly


THU 11:30 The Empty Cases (m000lyyd)
On 7th June 2020, protestors in Bristol rewrote the city’s history by pulling down a statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston, and dumping it in the harbour. The damaged statue has since been retrieved and there are plans to display it elsewhere, complete with the red daubs of protestors’ paint, and Black Lives Matter placards.

The event has triggered a discussion amongst Britain’s curators about what objects are acceptable for display in museums and galleries in 2020. Some museums have entire collections established on the wealth of the slave trade or acts of colonial plunder, others have items that might now be deemed racially or culturally insensitive. For some, it’s the context and settings of collections that reveal a distinctly racist interpretation of history. As one museum curator has put it, “in Britain, you’re never more than 150 miles from a looted African object”.

Gary Younge speaks to the curators as they currently review what's on display in UK museums and how they’re re-writing the way we revere, remember and acknowledge Britain's historical moments.

As Gary finds out, when the public is re-admitted to museums after the current lockdown, there is a distinct possibility that some display cases may have notable absences.

Producer: Candace Wilson
Editor: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Photo credit: Candace Wilson


THU 12:00 News Summary (m000lzyj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham (m000lyyj)
Episode 9

Winston Graham’s series of novels set in Cornwall follow the lives of the Poldark family and their friends, neighbours, rivals and enemies. Life in Cornwall is governed by the sea and by the fortunes of the tin and copper mines that provide work for the local community.

The Miller’s Dance finds Ross Poldark now 52 yrs old and still happily married to Demelza, who is ten years younger than him. Their eldest son Jeremy is approaching 21 and their eldest daughter Clowance is 17, both of them navigating the changeable weather of first love. The Poldark family is completed by young Isabella-Rose although neither Ross nor Demelza will ever forget the grief of losing their first born, Julia, before her third birthday.

A series of courtships begin their complicated dance, some fuelled by lust and others by love, money or ambition. All this takes place against a backdrop of England’s continuing military campaign against Napoleon’s army in Spain and Portugal. The damage that war has done to the nation’s commerce and those who rely on it gives rise to political tensions which are played out in complex schemes of power and influence amongst the governing classes in London. A world which seems so far away from the pressing concerns of Cornish life and which nevertheless beckons Ross to attend to his duties in parliament as an MP.

The story told here (Book 9 in the famous series of novels) rejoins the characters in 1812 – about ten years after the point where BBC television’s hugely popular series concluded. This is a chance to return to Cornwall and the passions of the Poldarks and at the same time to reflect on what marriage and courtship are really about and whether love can ever hope to conquer all.

Author : Winston Graham
Read by Richard Goulding
Abridged by Jill Waters and Isobel Creed
Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4


THU 12:18 You and Yours (m000lyyl)
News and discussion of consumer affairs


THU 12:57 Weather (m000lyyn)
The latest weather forecast


THU 13:00 World at One (m000lyyq)
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 A History of the World in 100 Objects (b00qsvj5)
The World in the Age of Confucius (500 - 300 BC)

Olmec Stone Mask

Neil MacGregor, in his history of mankind as told through objects at the British Museum, selects a miniature mask to tell the story of the Olmec - the mysterious people of ancient Mexico who lived before the time of the Aztecs or Maya.

As the Parthenon was being created in Greece and the Persians were expanding the world's biggest empire, what was life like for the "mother culture" of Central America? Neil explores the life of the Olmec and visits the remains of one of their greatest legacies. He considers their remarkable skills in mask making with the Olmec specialist Karl Taube and the Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes.


THU 14:00 The Archers (m000lyyt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama (m00057my)
Keeping the Wolf Out

Spider's Web

Philip Palmer's Cold War crime drama set in Hungary, 1964. What looks like a straightforward case of GBH proves to be something quite different and leads Special Investigator Lázár to a rogue cop.

Bertalan Lázár .... Leo Bill
Franciska Lázár .... Clare Corbett
József Szabados .... Joseph Ayre
Dmitri Dragunov .... Simon Scardifield
Márk Mészáros .... Michael Bertenshaw
András Vásáry .... David Hounslow
Hanna Krivosik .... Franchi Webb
Fabenyi .... Kenny Blyth
Police Officer .... Chris Pavlo
Priest .... Christopher Harper

Directed by Toby Swift


THU 15:00 Open Country (m000lyyw)
Brett Westwood's Summer Nature Diary

Brett Westwood shares his audio-diary of the natural world in summer including nectar-robbing bees, hover flies which resemble hornets, and murderous crab-spiders.

Producer: Karen Gregor


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m000lyyy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Open Book (m000lyz0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]


THU 16:00 The Film Programme (m000lyz2)
I Am Spartacus (Remix)

With Francine Stock

"I Am Spartacus" is one of the most famous lines in film history and Francine tells the turbulent backstory of that line and how it involved the so-called Hollywood witch-hunt, in which writers had to secretly change their names to get work.

She hears from actor Kerry Shale and historians Pamela Hutchinson and Colin Shindler.


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m000lyz4)
Dr Adam Rutherford and guests illuminate the mysteries and challenge the controversies behind the science that's changing our world


THU 17:00 PM (m000lyz6)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000lyzb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 18:30 Between Ourselves with Marian Keyes (m0008j6q)
The Family

Marian Keyes is a publishing sensation - her works of fiction (Rachel's Holiday, The Break and others) have sold in their millions, across the globe. In this new series, Marian reads selections from her non-fiction writing while in conversation with her friend and actor Tara Flynn.

This week's theme is the family. Alongside the craic, Marian reads Rapunzel, Rapunzel Throw Down Your Hairdryer from her collection Under The Duvet, and Big Night Out from Further Under The Duvet.

Presenters: Tara Flynn and Marian Keyes
Producer: Steve Doherty
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4


THU 19:00 The Archers (m000lyzd)
Disaster strikes for Robert and Lynda issues an apology

Writers, Katie Hims & Naylah Ahmed
Director, Marina Caldarone
Editor, Jeremy Howe

Lilian Bellamy ….. Sunny Ormonde
Alice Carter ….. Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter ….. Wilf Scolding
Ed Grundy ….. Barry Farrimond
Lynda Snell ….. Carole Boyd
Robert Snell ….. Graham Blockey


THU 19:15 Front Row (m000lyzg)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


THU 19:45 Electric Decade (m000lyy7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


THU 20:00 The Briefing Room (m000lyzj)
David Aaronovitch and guests explore major news stories.


THU 20:30 In Business (m000lyzl)
The March of Robots

Robots and Artificial Intelligence have been moving into our workplaces for years.
But is now the time that they will become fully established and take over some jobs entirely? Is the march of the robots going to get louder now that everything seems to be changing ? David Baker investigates.

Produced by Sandra Kanthal


THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (m000lyz4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 today]


THU 21:30 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m000lyxz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m000lyzn)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


THU 22:45 The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham (m000lyyj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 today]


THU 23:00 Jack & Millie (b0bd911s)
Series 1

The Kids Are Alright

All grandkids make mistakes, but only Jack and Millie's do it quite so loudly - and on video.

The annual Summer show at the Royal Academy and a record-breaking sauna set the scene for a philosophical disquisition on the perils of parenting and the lure of lycra.

So Millie's son Melvin has given her a new tablet with a voice recorder?

So suddenly Jack and Millie have decided to record everything that happens to them? And for this, we should be grateful?

Well Yes! Because this is a new comedy show written by Jeremy Front (writer of the Charles Paris mysteries for Radio 4) and starring Jeremy Front and Rebecca Front as Jack and Millie Lemman, an older couple who are fully engaged with contemporary life while being at war with the absurdities of the modern world.

Written by Jeremy Front
Produced by David Tyler

A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 23:30 Lights Out (m000hdkw)
Series 2

The Outside World

Slow radio which weaves together tropical thunderstorms in Australia, parrots heard through a window in Italy and erupting applause amid the skyscrapers of Manhattan.

Audio-makers reflect on the sonic worlds they want to inhabit in this moment in time. With contributions from Daria Corrias in Italy, Ariana Martinez and Benjamin Riskin in America and Caddie Brain in Australia.

Featuring recordings from the archive of the Field Recordings podcast, including:
Starling Murmuration, Nobber, Co. Meath, Ireland in January 2019 by Zoë Comyns
42nd St and 1st Avenue, New York, USA on 7th April 2020 by Benjamin Riskin
Hollow Tree, Sergiyev Posad, Russia on 11th March 2011 by Vladimir Kryuchev
Frogs, Hilo, Hawaii, USA in 2018 by Helen Zaltzman
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire April 2018 by Axel Kacoutié
Backyard storm, Darwin, Australia by Nyah Bertschi and Caddie Brain
Sinharaja tropical rainforest, South West of Sri Lanka, at daybreak by Alannah Chance
Hogsback, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, last summer by Neroli Price
Terrace, Rome, Italy, during the lockdown by Daria Corrias
Combate, Puerto Rico by Ariana Martinez.

Produced by Eleanor McDowall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4



FRIDAY 28 AUGUST 2020

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m000lyzq)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 00:30 Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (m000lyzs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000lyzw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000lyzy)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000lz00)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m000lz02)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000lz04)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Dr Calvin T Samuel

Good morning.

On 28th of August 1963 Martin Luther King delivered his best–known speech, I have a Dream. On that same date in 1955, 14-year–old Emmet Till was murdered for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Till’s murder was a catalyst for the civil rights movement.

Forty five years to the day after King’s speech, Barack Obama, accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 2008.
175 years earlier, 28th August 1833, the Abolition of Slavery Act received Royal Assent, abolishing slavery in British colonies.

So repeatedly significant is this date that the Smithsonian National Museum of African–American History and Culture commissioned a film called: August 28: A Day in the Life of a People.

Earlier this year, systemic racism was laid bare in the police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. But Systemic racism is not unique to the United States.

According to the Government’s 2017 Race Disparity Audit, a Black or Asian child in the UK today is twice as likely as her White peers to live in poverty, three times as likely to be in a young offenders’ institution, and 2½ times as likely to be unemployed as an adult. And 6 times as likely to stopped and searched by the police. These are the outcomes of systemic racism in the UK today.

King’s dream that one day children could be judged, not by the colour of their skin but the content of their character, is as yet, not fully realised.

Almighty God,
we give thanks today
for all who have gone before us
seeking to make the world less unjust.
Help us to follow in their footsteps
and bring to an end, in our generation, systemic racism.

Amen.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m000lz06)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b0378x87)
Yellow Wagtail

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

Michaela Strachan presents the yellow wagtail. Arriving in April, Yellow Wagtails are summer visitors to the UK, breeding mostly in the south and east. The Yellow Wagtail has several different races which all winter south of the Sahara and all look slightly different. The birds which breed in the UK are the yellowest of all.


FRI 06:00 Today (m000m095)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 The Reunion (m000lz6n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Sunday]


FRI 09:45 Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (m000m097)
Vesper Flights

Helen Macdonald reads from her eagerly awaited new essay collection. Today, she considers swifts, finding them 'magical in the manner of all things that exist just a little beyond understanding.

Vesper Flights is Helen Macdonald's first book since the publication of the award-winning and best-selling H is for Hawk. Each essay in this collection by the acclaimed nature writer explores humanity’s connection with the natural world, our curiosity about it and our love for it, as well as its increasingly urgent fragility. The essays are also a reminder that we inhabit a beautiful world, and celebrate it in all its wonder.

Helen Macdonald is a writer, poet, naturalist and historian of science. H is for Hawk won several prestigious prizes, including the Samuel Johnson and the Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger in France.

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000m099)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world


FRI 10:45 Electric Decade (m000m09c)
The Alice B Toklas Cookbook

Alice's Cookies

In this new drama by Sarah Woods the story of the first half of the twentieth century, the modern age, is told through the lens of the food grown, purchased, cooked and served by Alice B Toklas for her partner Gertrude Stein and their eclectic and talented guests.

First published in 1954 and one of the bestselling cookbooks of all time, a "mingling of recipes and reminiscence", we follow this couple as they eat their way around France and America, being painted by Picasso and written about by Hemingway.

In human terms, this is a story about Gertrude's determination and desire for success and it explores the lives of two women whose lives challenged so many norms - yet who knew that, in France, a potato salad must always be served surrounded by chicory.

Episode 5: Alice's Cookies
In which Gertrude and Alice set off on their travels, meeting up with their friend Lily de Gramont and attempting to persuade a tenant to vacate their dream house. As our travels and reflections with Alice and Gertrude draw to a close, Alice reflects that 'To cook as the French do, one must respect the quality and flavor of the ingredients. Exaggeration is not admissible. Flavours are not amalgamative. These qualities are not purchasable, but they may be cultivated.'

CAST:
ALICE ..... Deborah Findlay
GERTRUDE STEIN ..... Sharon D Clarke
LILY DE GRAMONT ..... Nimmy March

Writer: Sarah Woods
Producer/Director: Celia de Wolff
Sound Engineer: David Thomas
Production Co-ordinator: Sarah Tombling

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 11:00 The Talking Mongoose (m000hvb9)
Drama-documentary by Robin Brooks telling the strange but true story of Gef the Talking Mongoose, and the dreadful trouble he caused at the BBC.

In the 1930s, a BBC employee called Richard Lambert, who was interested in psychic phenomena, investigated the story of Gef the Talking Mongoose - a supernatural creature with a foul mouth and disturbing habits, said to haunt a remote farmhouse on the Isle of Man. Thinking to amuse the public in the silly season, Lambert published an account of his findings, little knowing that Gef would cause a national scandal, prompt questions in the House, drag in Lord Reith himself, and provoke a front-page court-case.

This drama-documentary tells the story of Gef and his unfortunate chronicler Richard Lambert, with rather more input from the Mongoose and rather less attention to documentary realism than is either customary or decorous.

Written by Robin Brooks.

Cast:
Adrian ..... Patrick Marlowe
Gef ..... Jasmine Naziha Jones
Auntie ..... Gilian Cally
Katherine ..... Helen Vine
Other parts played by the Mongoose.

Director / Producer : Fiona McAlpine
Sound: Bill Vine

An Allegra production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 11:30 Mr Muzak (m000m09f)
Series 2

Football's Coming Home

Richie Webb stars as performance-shy cocktail pianist Nigel Penny.

Nigel Penny’s attempts to live his life like his music, in the background, are constantly thwarted by his entrepreneurial half-brother, Pav (Paul G Raymond) who is desperate to find gigs for Nigel and his musical partner, wannabe singer Rachel (Jess Robinson).

Attempting to entertain the crowd at a football match is a hard enough gig as it is, but when you hate football as much as Nigel does it’s an even trickier ask. Factor in Pav’s desire to make a quick buck, Stan’s paranoia that the Russians are still after him and Rachel’s obsession with Gary Lineker's Twitter account, and it’s a recipe for a pitch invasion.

Cast:
Nigel Penny ..... Richie Webb
Pav Penny ..... Paul G Raymond
Rachel ..... Jess Robinson
Stanislav ..... Dave Lamb
Marco ..... Jim North
Lucy ..... Anna Morris

Directed by Nick Walker
Audio Production by Matt Katz
Written and produced by Richie Webb
A Top Dog production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 12:00 News Summary (m000m09j)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham (m000m09l)
Episode 10

Winston Graham’s series of novels set in Cornwall follow the lives of the Poldark family and their friends, neighbours, rivals and enemies. Life in Cornwall is governed by the sea and by the fortunes of the tin and copper mines that provide work for the local community.

The Miller’s Dance finds Ross Poldark now 52 yrs old and still happily married to Demelza, who is ten years younger than him. Their eldest son Jeremy is approaching 21 and their eldest daughter Clowance is 17, both of them navigating the changeable weather of first love. The Poldark family is completed by young Isabella-Rose although neither Ross nor Demelza will ever forget the grief of losing their first born, Julia, before her third birthday.

A series of courtships begin their complicated dance, some fuelled by lust and others by love, money or ambition. All this takes place against a backdrop of England’s continuing military campaign against Napoleon’s army in Spain and Portugal. The damage that war has done to the nation’s commerce and those who rely on it gives rise to political tensions which are played out in complex schemes of power and influence amongst the governing classes in London. A world which seems so far away from the pressing concerns of Cornish life and which nevertheless beckons Ross to attend to his duties in parliament as an MP.

The story told here (Book 9 in the famous series of novels) rejoins the characters in 1812 – about ten years after the point where BBC television’s hugely popular series concluded. This is a chance to return to Cornwall and the passions of the Poldarks and at the same time to reflect on what marriage and courtship are really about and whether love can ever hope to conquer all.

Author : Winston Graham
Read by Richard Goulding
Abridged by Jill Waters and Isobel Creed
Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 12:18 You and Yours (m000m09n)
News and discussion of consumer affairs


FRI 12:57 Weather (m000m09q)
The latest weather forecast


FRI 13:00 World at One (m000m09s)
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 A History of the World in 100 Objects (b00qsvj7)
The World in the Age of Confucius (500 - 300 BC)

Chinese Bronze Bell

This week Neil MacGregor is exploring the emergence of sophisticated new powers across the world 2500 years ago, from the Parthenon in Greece, to the great empire of Cyrus in Persia and the forgotten people of the Olmec in Mexico.

Today he arrives in China at the time of Confucius. He explores the Confucian view of the world with a large bronze bell - with help from the writer Isabel Hilton and the percussionist Evelyn Glennie. Confucius believed in a society that worked in harmony. How do his teachings go down in China today?


FRI 14:00 The Archers (m000lyzd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Drama (m000m09w)
The Other Tchaikovsky

The story of self-confessed outlaw and villain, activist, fraudster, lesbian club owner and visionary, Chris Tchaikovsky - a woman who defied definition and found homes in multiple worlds.

A collaboration between writer Harriet Madeley and the Prison Radio Association, the charity that invented and runs the world's first national radio station for people in prison, National Prison Radio.

Chris Tchaikovsky's life impacted countless people and sent shock waves through the Ministry of Justice, but the details of her story are little known. Here, fragments of her story are recounted by people who knew her, voiced by actors.

The Other Tchaikovsky takes us from the 1950s to the 90s, from Dartmoor to gangland Soho, Holloway prison to Lombok. We hear about Chris’s creation of fraudster gang The Happy Firm in the 60s, the iconic Women’s City Disco in the 80s, and finally, Women in Prison, the charity that remains at the forefront of campaigning for penal reform for women today.

In prison herself, Chris encountered women locked in a cycle of incarceration, an overwhelming number of them victims of abuse, and a system that couldn't deal with the needs of the women in its care. During her final sentence at Holloway, a woman burned to death in her cell. It was said the alarm bell had been cut so that staff could sleep.

The story of a remarkable woman, The Other Tchaikovsky also tells the stories behind many other women in the criminal justice system.

Cast:
Sheila Atim
Harriet Madeley
Jenna Russell
John Madeley
Victoria Ebun

SCRIPT: Harriet Madeley
SOUND DESIGN: Tom Foskett-Barnes
DIRECTOR: Jessica Edwards
PRODUCER: Andrew Wilkie

Includes excerpts from 'Criminal Women' (Tchaikovsky, O'Dwyer et al), published by Polity Books. Used with permission.

A Prison Radio Association production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m000m09y)
GQT At Home: Episode Twenty-Two

Kathy Clugston hosts this week's gardening panel show, joined by Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood and James Wong to answer listeners' horticultural quandaries and queries.

Producer - Laurence Bassett
Assistant Producer - Rosie Merotra

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 15:45 Short Works (m000m0b0)
Krusso

An original short story for BBC Radio 4 by the Irish writer June Caldwell. Read by Emmet Kirwan.

June Caldwell is the author of 'Room Little Darker', a collection of short stories. She is the winner of the Moth Short Story Prize and has been shortlisted for writing.ie Short Story of the Year; Calvino Prize in Fabulist Fiction; Colm Toíbín International Short Story Award; Lorian Hemingway Prize; and Sunday Business Post/Penguin Ireland Short Story Prize.

Reader: Emmet Kirwan
Writer: June Caldwell
Producer: Michael Shannon

A BBC Northern Ireland production.


FRI 16:00 Last Word (m000m0b2)
Matthew Bannister tells the life stories of people who have recently died, from the rich and famous to unsung but significant.


FRI 16:30 More or Less (m000lzgy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]


FRI 17:00 PM (m000m0b4)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000m0b6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 18:30 Summer Comedy Festival (m000m0b8)
Episode 6

Comedians curate their dream festivals, hosting a line-up of their favourite performers.


FRI 19:00 Front Row (m000m0bb)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


FRI 19:45 Electric Decade (m000m09c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m000m0bd)
Iain Dale, Caroline Nokes MP, Dr Philippa Whitford MP

Anita Anand presents political debate and discussion from London Broadcasting House with a panel including the LBC presenter and political commentator Iain Dale, the Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee Caroline Nokes MP and the SNP Spokesperson on Health and Social Care at Westminster Dr Philippa Whitford MP.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson


FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m000m0bg)
Weekly reflections on topical issues from a range of contributors.


FRI 21:00 Drama (m000k1cw)
Lockdown Theatre Festival: The Mikvah Project

By Josh Azouz. The Orange Tree Theatre production of The Mikvah Project was halfway through its run when UK theatres closed in March 2020. Lockdown Theatre Festival gives it a new lease of life on radio, using technological solutions to record the actors at home.

Eitan is 17 and at college, and Avi is 35 and married. Their lives couldn’t be more different. But every Friday they meet at the Mikvah, to share in the Jewish ritual of immersion. This is a play about the courage it takes to confront our hidden desires.

Cast:
Avi…Alex Waldmann
Eitan…Josh Zaré

Directed by Georgia Green
Theatre Sound Design by Lex Krosanke
Produced by Jeremy Mortimer and Steve Bond
Additional production by Jack Howson
Sound Editing by Adam Woodhams
Production Coordinator: Gabriel Francis
Production Manager: Sarah Kenny
Executive Producers: Bertie Carvel and Joby Waldman
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4

Josh Azouz’s plays Buggy Baby and The Mikvah Project had extended sold out runs at The Yard Theatre. He has been invited onto writers groups at the Royal Court and The Bush, and is an associate artist for The Yard and MUJU (Muslim-Jewish Theatre Company). He recently completed the 2018 BBC Drama Room scheme.

Lockdown Theatre Festival was set up by Bertie Carvel as a positive, creative response to the coronavirus crisis, which has forced theatres all over the world to close, with no knowing when - or, in some cases, if - they will reopen. It captures in audio form some of the stage productions which had their performances unexpectedly cut short. Using innovative techniques, actors record from isolation, linked with each other and with the director via video conferencing.


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m000m0bj)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


FRI 22:45 The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham (m000m09l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 today]


FRI 23:00 Great Lives (m000m0bl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]


FRI 23:30 What If Everyone Was Disabled? (m000kx1l)
“Every single day, I’m reminded of my disability. Yeah, it doesn’t stop me from doing much… but the reminders are always there.”

Mat Fraser – writer, actor, rights activist, punk drummer, thalidomide survivor – isn’t afraid to challenge, to provoke and to ask awkward questions. Sometimes he allows his imagination to run riot. In this programme, he wonders how different things might be if the vast majority of people, rather than the minority, had a disability.

Mat assesses how far we’ve come with accessibility and inclusivity, particularly in the last two decades, and considers what’s stopping us from going further. Money, power, politics, legislation and technology all play their part, but what about social attitudes towards disability?

Mat invites designers, architects, advisers and campaigners to share some great and not-so-great examples of inclusive design. He imagines having grown up in a world “where Sandy from Crossroads wasn’t the only disabled bloke I saw on TV”. And, his friend and fellow actor Liz Carr (Silent Witness) tells Mat about a public transport wheelchair experience that blew her mind.

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