SATURDAY 11 JULY 2026

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002ym8x)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 On Thin Ice: A Memoir of Siberia, Surveillance and Survival by Charlie Walker (m002ym7g)
Episode 5

Charlie Walker is an award winning explorer and writer. He has travelled tens of thousands of miles, crossing extreme territories such as deserts, wilderness and jungles, fascinated by the land and the people he meets. He has published books about cycling to the ends of the world (Through Sand and Snow) and through Asia and Africa (On Roads that Echo).

In On Thin Ice, he is in Siberia, the coldest inhabited place on earth where in the long winters temperatures can fall to minus 50 degrees and the rivers are so frozen trucks can drive along them. Your breath can freeze in mid-air: "A strange phenomenon occurs: a delicate hissing can be heard, similar to the sound of running sand, as the moisture in one’s own breath crystallises and falls through the cold, dry air. The indigenous Sakha people call this 'the whisper of the stars.'"

Facing ridiculously low temperatures, he skis and walks his way from one small isolated town or village meeting both kindness and distrust. It quickly becomes clear that the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, the FSB, know he is there. The FSB are suspicious at the best of times, but Charlie’s voyage has unwittingly coincided with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine leaving him shocked how so many he meets do not question Putin’s motives or the lies told about the Ukrainian people, unsure how or if he is ever going to get home, and realising all his bank cards have stopped working.

His expedition ends, unexpectedly, in a Russia jail.

Written and read by Charlie Walker
Abridged by Libby Spurier
Produced by Caroline Raphael
Executive Producer: Peter Hoare
Sound by Matt Bainbridge
Production Coordinator: Dawn Williams

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002ym8z)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002ym91)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:30 News Summary (m002ym93)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002ym95)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002ym97)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection


SAT 05:45 Living on the Edge (m001mt56)
Jaywick Sands

Ten coastal encounters, presented by Richard King.

Today: a tour of Jaywick Sands with Maria Revell.

Not simply town or countryside, the coastline is a place apart – attracting lives and stories often overlooked.

In these ten programmes, the writer Richard King travels around the UK coast to meet people who live and work there – a sequence of portraits rooted in distinct places, which piece together into an alternative portrait of the UK: an oblique image of the nation drawn from the coastal edge.

Producer: Martin Williams


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002yvkd)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 06:07 This Natural Life (m002yl27)
Judi Dench

Judi Dench is one of the nation's best loved actors, but she is also well-known for her love of trees. In this programme, Martha Kearney meets Judi at her woodland garden in Surrey, where she learns that every time a friend dies, Judi plants a tree in their memory. Judi gives Martha a tour of the woodland, and talks about the many references to the natural world which can be found in Shakespeare's plays. She points out some of the trees in her woodland which hold special significance for her.

Producer: Emma Campbell


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002yvkg)
Farming Today This Week 11/07/2026 Crops in a mine, hot livestock, agriculture & water report, scallops, school farm visits.

How practical would it be to grow our food underground? It’s a question being investigated by researchers at the University of Shefffield who are growing crops more than a kilometre below ground-level in a working mine near Whitby.

The Environment Agency has produced its first ever annual report into agriculture and water in England. Taking data from the last five years, it assesses the impact of agricultural pollution from farms, and how water availability is being managed. Non-compliance with water regulations has dropped, but 40% of farmers are still breaking the rules.

We’ve been taking a close look at commercial fishing all this week. Ten years on from the Brexit vote leading to the UK leaving the EU, some in the industry say that decision has had a lasting impact on their businesses, and not a good one. We hear from a scallop business in Scotland which says the industry needs more support.

Many of us have been sweltering in the third official heatwave of the summer. For farmers with livestock, there's the continual worry that their animals might be overheating, or not drinking enough water. We speak to a farm vet about the impact heat stress can have on the health of livestock and the fertility of cows.

Many farms have an education string to their bows nowadays but perhaps not quite on the scale of a farm near Kendal that’s been hosting primary school visits for the Westmorland County Agricultural Society for the last 25 years. Hundreds of children from 42 different schools flock to Roger Mason’s farm to learn what producing food is all about.

Presenter = Caz Graham
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


SAT 06:57 Weather (m002yvkj)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m002yvkl)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002yvkn)
Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.


SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m002yvkq)
Medieval saints: miracles, relics and pilgrimage

Greg Jenner is joined in medieval Europe by historian Dr Simon Yarrow and comedian Rachel Parris to learn all about the cult of saints and their relics. The veneration of saints still plays an important role in the lives of Catholics all over the world, but what did the cult of saints – and especially devotion to their relics – play in medieval Europe? This episode explores all aspects of the topic: who became a saint, and how the canonisation process changed over the centuries as the papacy tried to more tightly control it. What sorts of signs and miracles proved someone’s sanctity. What relics are, and how medieval churches acquired them, both legitimately and illegitimately. What people in the Middle Ages thought saints could do for them, and the pilgrimages they took to their tombs in search of aid. And it asks whether everyone believed in the power of saints’ relics – and the gruesome fate awaiting some sceptics.

If you’re a fan of marvellous miracle stories, the fascinating history of the Catholic Church, and the odd gory martyrdom, you’ll love our episode on medieval saints.

If you want more from Rachel Parris, listen to our episode on Eleanor of Aquitaine. And for more on the history of Catholicism, check out our episodes on the Early Medieval Papacy, Medieval Ghost Stories and Benedetta Carlini.

You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Lily Tidman
Written by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett
Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: Philip Sellars


SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002yvks)
Series 53

Leicester

Jay Rayner and the panel are at the Y Theatre in Leicester discussing offal recipes and Gujarati cooking.

Joining Jay to solve the audience’s kitchen conundrums are chefs, cooks and food writers Rob Owen Brown, Tim Anderson, Sophie Wright, and TKC newbie and Bake Off star, Chetna Makan. The panellists share how to keep their chef whites clean, savoury recipes involving mango and the parts of an animal they’d steer clear of.

Situated just a stone’s throw from Leicester’s 'Golden Mile’, Belgrave Road, the panel is joined by Ashish Gosai from Sharmilee, one of the street's most enduring Gujarati restaurants. They discuss the importance of mango season in India and the remarkable origin story of their Gujarati eatery.

Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
Assistant Producer: William Norton
A Somethin’ Else production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002yvkv)
Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002yvkx)
Iran: the funeral of Ayatollah Khamanei

Kate Adie presents stories on the burial of Ayatollah Khamanei in Iran, a diplomatic correspondent's return to Moscow, a pioneering therapy centre in Ukraine's West, Italian lessons in Argentina and the restoration of the Casbah in Algiers.

The streets of major cities across Iran have been lined with mourners attending the funeral procession of former leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei. But as the coffin was transported between cities, renewed attacks on tankers in the strait of Hormuz threw the region into more turmoil, prompting a heavy US response.
Lyse Doucet has been in Tehran.

Ukraine has been escalating its attacks deeper into Russian territory on refineries and ports. Plumes of black smoke stretching across the Moscow skyline have brought the war with Ukraine closer to home for everyday Russians. James Landale has been back to the Russian capital.

Meanwhile Russia has launched devastating attacks across Ukraine and in Kyiv's centre killing dozens of civilians. And hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are living with the physical and psychological scars of war. Lucy Ash has been to a pioneering psychological retreat.

Two-thirds of Argentina's population can trace their roots back to Italy. Their ancestors arrived during the 19th and 20th century when Argentina was one of the fastest growing countries in the world. But, as the economy stutters, Italian Argentines are increasingly returning home to Europe, finds Jane Chambers

In Algiers, the ancient ‘Casbah’ – the historic citadel and medina - has been the focus of multiple forsaken plans for its regeneration. But now, at last, a restoration is gathering pace, says Philip Sweeney.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production coordinators: Gemma Ashman & Sophie Hill
Editor: Richard Vadon


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002yvkz)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002yvl1)
Making Tax Digital Deadline and Cheques

A deadline approaches for 860,000 self-employed people and landlords who must start reporting their income and expenses in a new way. It is called Making Tax Digital and it affects small businesses with a turnover or gross income above £50,000 a year. They have until 7th August to report their income and expenditure to HMRC. What do they need to know?

It is “unacceptable” that the government has refused to commit to bringing the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme back in-house. That’s according to PCS Union, which says a rare joint committee hearing in Parliament this week highlighted the “catastrophic failures” of the scheme, leaving many members facing “unacceptable delays, errors and distress” when trying to access the pensions they have worked their entire careers to earn. The Cabinet Office, which has overall responsibility for the scheme, says immediately terminating the contract would cause more problems and severely disrupt the pension payroll, jeopordizing the financial security of hundreds of thousands of public servants.

How are rules which make banks reimburse victims of fraud going? A new report evaluates the first year of Mandatory Reimbursement.

And a major high street bank has changed its mind after deciding not to allow customers to deposit their cheques in a Post Office.

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner
Researcher: Catherine Lund
Output Producer: Craig Henderson
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 11th July 2026)


SAT 12:30 Dead Ringers (m002ym8b)
Series 27

The President’s for Overturning

The Dead Ringers team train their vocal firepower on the week’s news. This week: Trump turns tricks, Tuchel talks tactics, and Count Binface is unmasked.

Starring Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Duncan Wisbey and Kieran Hodgson.

Produced by: Jon Holmes
Executive Producer:James Robinson
Production Co-ordinator: Giulia Lopes Mazzu

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.


SAT 12:57 Weather (m002yvl3)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News (m002yvl5)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002ym8j)
Laila Cunningham, Baroness Hodge, Mike Martin MP, Sir Andrew Mitchell MP

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Furze Platt Senior School in Maidenhead, with Reform UK's Laila Cunningham; Labour peer Baroness Hodge of Barking; Liberal Democrat MP Mike Martin; and the Conservative MP Sir Andrew Mitchell.

Producer: Paul Martin
Assistant producer: Jo Dwyer
Production co-ordinator: Sam Grist
Lead broadcast engineer: Kate Barker
Editor: Andrea Kennedy


SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002yvl7)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002ym8d)
Writer: Tim Stimpson
Director: Jessica Bunch
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge … Charles Collingwood
David Archer … Timothy Bentinck
Tony Archer … David Troughton
Alice Carter … Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter … Wilf Scolding
Susan Carter … Charlotte Martin
Ian Craig … Stephen Kennedy
Amber Gordon … Olivia Bernstone
George Grundy … Angus Stobie
Bert Horrobin … David Sterne
Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell
Adam Macy … Andrew Wincott
Fallon Rogers … Joanna Van Kampen
Lynda Snell … Carole Boyd
Lottie Summers … Bonnie Baddoo
Bill Gordon … Matthew Gravelle


SAT 15:00 The Master Builder (m000yyv9)
Episode 2

The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen. Adapted by David Hare. Based on a literal translation by Torkil Heggstad.

Episode 2.
The Master Builder Halvard Solness is infatuated with the new arrival at his house - the mysterious Hilde Wangel. He feels she is a breath of fresh air in his arid emotional life. He has told her everything about the guilt and pain in his marriage. And Hilde flatters and rebuilds his ego. She is back to claim the promise Solness made to her ten years previously when she was thirteen. The concluding part of Henrik Ibsen's searing tale of middle aged hubris, with mystical undertones and resonances for the #MeToo movement.

Solness...........................David Schofield
Aline...............................Siobhan Redmond
Hilde..............................Laura Aikman
Kaja................................Shannon Hayes
Dr Herdal.....................Jonathan Tafler
Ragnar..........................Joseph Ayre
Director/Producer Gary Brown


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m002yvl9)
Highlights from the Woman's Hour week


SAT 17:00 PM (m002yvlc)
Full coverage of the day's news


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002yvlf)
We've got a plan: Louise Haigh on her journey back to power

The former Transport Secretary, sidelined by Keir Starmer, reveals she's been working with Burnham on a plan for government for at least a year, and has already seen the prospective Prime Minister make tough decisions. Also - bringing hope back to politics, navigating an exotic bird auction, and playing football in the House of Commons chamber.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the Crossed Wires Festival in her home town of Sheffield.

Producer: Hannah Wilkinson


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002yvlh)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m002yvlk)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002yvlm)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002yvlp)
Nigel Harman, Daliso Chaponda, Nikki Smith, Liana Flores, Ibibio Sound Machine

Stuart Maconie is joined by Nigel Harman, best known for playing lovable rogue Dennis Rickman in Eastenders, he's also much in demand as a panto villian. Trained in musical theatre, he also started in Shrek the Musical and his latest stage role is playing Bruce Bechdel in a musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel's memoir 'Fun Home' at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. Daliso Chaponda describes himself as a 'comedian, writer and antisocial commentator' and has been touring the country with his latest show Topical Storm. A regular on Radio 4, Daliso tackles not the actual news, but look at news itself. Thriller writer Nikki Smith began her career in finance, and only turned to writing in 2017. Since then she's more than made up for lost time, publishing five best selling books and she's just about to publish book number six, 'The Last Place You Look'.

Music is from Liana Flores who had a viral hit with Rises The Moon in 2022 and has since released her debut album and toured round the world and Ibibio Sound Machine

Presenter: Stuart Maconie
Producer: Jessica Treen


SAT 19:00 Profile (m002yvlr)
Gianni Infantino

The FIFA president grew up in Switzerland as part of an Italian migrant family, and fell in love with football and its administration when he was just a teenager.

Having qualified as a football lawyer and making a name for himself at the European football federation UEFA, Infantino ended up perfectly positioned to take over the presidency of the world body FIFA after the organisation was mired in corruption charges. His promise to give the member associations double the money sealed his bid.

He’s now been president for over 10 years and has overseen FIFA’s expansion, with World Cups in Qatar, Russia and now North America; the growth of the women’s game; more competitions; more controversy - and of course more money.

This week, his love affair with Donald Trump has been thrust into the spotlight after US player Folarin Balogun’s red card was suspended following Trump's appeal to Infantino. Will this latest controversy prove his undoing, or is it just another chapter in a new brazen age?

Production:
Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Tom Gillett, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele, Siobhan Reed
Sound: Neil Churchill
Editor: Justine Lang

ARCHIVE:
FIFA


SAT 19:15 How Boarding Schools Shaped Britain (m0027l57)
1. Building men of Empire

Boarding schools have long been synonymous with leadership, privilege and tradition. Woven into the fabric of British society, these institutions have played a significant role in shaping the nation's leaders - from Empire builders to politicians.

In the first of three programmes, Nicky Campbell unravels the complex history of boarding schools, from their humble origins as day schools for the poor to their transformation into elite institutions that have defined power and influence.

But does early separation from family and loved ones come at a cost? And what impact has Britain's most enduring educational tradition had on the rest of British society?


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002yvlt)
50 Years of Peter Singer's Animal Liberation

In 2026 the philosopher Peter Singer turns 80. He’s a most unusual contemporary philosopher: his ideas reach far beyond the academy, sparking widespread public debate and changing minds. His book Animal Liberation (1975) became the best-selling philosophy book of the 20th century, and is considered the founding text of the animal liberation movement.

Singer argued that the moral status of animals depends on their capacity for suffering, rather than any abstract considerations about whether they have ‘rights’. He coined the phrase ‘speciesism’, to highlight humans’ prejudice that their suffering matters more than the suffering of other species. He argued that if anything humans do to an animal causes it to suffer, it’s morally wrong.

Singer’s views have remained remarkably consistent since the mid 1970s. But a look into the archive suggests the world of animal rights activism has gone through several changes. In 1979 File On Four reported on the rise of an anti-vivisectionist movement named for Singer’s book: the Animal liberation Front. Their main concern back then was to raise awareness of scientific experimentation on animals. By 1983, the World At One was reporting on concerns that the Front was using increasingly violent tactics, but Delia Smith was also exposing viewers to the novelty of vegetarian food. Today the importance of animal suffering is recognised in law, and vegan options appear on many menus.

Throughout this change in the animal liberation movement, Peter Singer has been on the front line of the media battle. But he's also provoked controversy, particularly with his views on euthanasia.

Philosopher Jonathan Egid explores the thought, legacy, and extensive media archive of Peter Singer.

Producer: Luke Mulhall


SAT 21:00 Politically (m002yvlw)
Ten Years After Brexit: Omnibus 1

It is 10 years since the Brexit referendum. Alex Forsyth, a BBC correspondent who’s covered Brexit from both Brussels and Westminster, looks at what impact the decision to leave the EU has had on various aspects of public and political life.

In the first of two programmes, Alex and guests discuss Brexit's effect on the UK economy and trade and immigration, and how the referendum result impacted Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Producers: Ben Carter and Mhairi MacKenzie
Editor: Richard Vadon
Sound mix: James Beard
Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley


SAT 22:00 News (m002yvly)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002ym7d)
How Pistachios Took Over

They’re in your chocolate, your gelato, even your coffee - pistachios seem to be everywhere at the moment - bolstered by the craze for Dubai Chocolate. In this episode Leyla Kazim asks what happens when the world seems to fall in love with one ingredient.

She explores how the United States came to overtake traditional producers in the Middle East to become the world's largest pistachio grower, and hears about the nut's long history in countries such as Iran from Iranian-American food writer Anna Ansari. Meanwhile, Honey & Co.'s Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich demonstrate how versatile pistachios can be, creating both sweet and savoury dishes.

Nick Moss, nuts market reporter at Expana, explains what's happening to pistachio prices and why forecasts for this year's harvest are lower than usual.

Leyla also visits Green Lanes in Haringey, home to many Turkish and Middle Eastern businesses, to discover how pistachios have long been central to traditional desserts - and hears how rising prices are changing that. Finally, she meets Charlie Tebbutt, whose south London company Food & Forest imports nuts, including pistachios, from farms that are either avoiding irrigation or using agroforestry methods, as an alternative to the vast monocrops that supply most of the world's pistachios.

Produced by Natalie Donovan for BBC Audio in Bristol


SAT 23:00 Parish Matters (m002533x)
Series 1

2. 'He's not presumed dead yet, Hank'

A brand-new sitcom sketch hybrid made in Belfast and starring voices from all over Ireland. Each week we join the eccentric inhabitants of the Parish in their weekly council meeting to air their problems and grievances.

The Parish is suffering from low morale and the council meets to decide what can be done to cheer everyone up. Can they slow the Parish ‘brain drain’ and stop losing their best and brightest to greener pastures abroad? How might they increase the birth rate in order to secure a brighter and more baby-filled tomorrow? There’s a surprise proposal for a new education campus and award ceremony to celebrate the parishioners and their achievements. But can the best (and only) cop in town solve the mystery disappearance of the beloved, whiskery Parish mascot Brendan?

PARISH MATTERS is a half hour window into an everlasting argument and an energetic and original comedy show written by Michael McCullagh and Phil Taggart and starring the writers alongside Michael Fry, Ciara Knight, Hannah Mamalis, Mary Flanigan, Michael Stranney and Peter McGann. Produced by Keith Martin and Exec Produced by Sam Michell. A FABEL radio Production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 23:30 Your Number's Up (m002ymwl)
2. How many satanists in Bungay, Suffolk?

A brand-new, number-crunching comedy quiz for Radio 4 hosted by comedian and YouTuber Max Fosh. In the Every Answer Counts round, players must solve general knowledge equations such as multiplying the pH of pure water by the number of PHs in Philadelphia. In Bestimate Guesstimate, quizzers must calculate the value of a solid gold Max Fosh and how long it would take for Dolly Parton to sing Islands in the Stream on every island of the Philippines. And in the fast-paced Facts & Figures round - where extraordinary facts provide frankly useless clues to a series of tricky equations – they must work out the world record for the number of bees in a human mouth… or 763 divided by 7.

Presenter: Max Fosh
Writers: Benjamin Sutton, James Trickey and James Rawson
Line Producer: Natascha McQueen
Assistant Producer: James Rawson
Producer: Benjamin Sutton
Executive Producers: Simon Urwin and Kitty Walshe

A QITV production for BBC Radio 4

SUNDAY 12 JULY 2026

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002yvm0)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 00:15 Bookclub (m002ymwj)
Anne Sebba

Historian and writer Anne Sebba, speaks this month to Bookclub, presented by James Naughtie, about her award-winning biography, That Woman: The life of Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. ‘That Woman,’ as she was referred to by the Queen Mother and other members of the Royal Family, became a hate figure for allegedly ensnaring a British king. Born in 1896 in Baltimore under the name, Bessiewallis Warfield, she had an impoverished and comparatively obscure childhood which, Anne Sebba writes, inflamed a burning desire to rise above her circumstances.

This episode was recorded at the Borders Book Festival.

Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002yvm2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002yvm4)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:30 News Summary (m002yvm6)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002yvm8)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002yvmb)
The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Courteenhall, Northamptonshire

Bells on Sunday comes from the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Courteenhall, Northamptonshire. The church dates from the 12th century and was partially restored in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its tower houses a peal of five bells all of which were cast in 1683 by the Bagley foundry of Chacombe, Northamptonshire. The tenor bell weighs twelve hundredweight and is tuned to f sharp. We hear them ringing Grandsire Doubles.


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002ym2n)
Redress for Failed Passenger Assistance, Funding for Visually Impaired Musicians

Passenger Assistance is a service rail users can book for help with things like navigating unfamiliar stations and catching connecting trains. When it goes right, it can be a service that boosts independence and travel confidence, but it can often go wrong. So now the Office of Rail and Road, who are the regulator for Britain's railways, are consulting on a new framework that aims to make the process of putting things right for passengers fairer. The regulator's Head of Consumer Jacqui Russell explains what is in their framework and how you can respond to their consultation. More details of how to do respond below:

Consultation webpage: orr.gov.uk/search-consultations/consultation-framework-determining-redress-booked-assistance-not-provided
If you need the consultation documents in large print, audio recording or braille, contact ORR on: 0207 282 2000 (select option 3)
You can also email consultation responses to: ATP@orr.gov.uk

The Elizabeth Eagle-Bott Memorial Fund is provided by the RNIB and it helps visually impaired musicians with additional costs, such as access technology, instruments and music tuition. The fund celebrated its 25th anniversary recently with a concert in London and it featured performances from the fund's alumni. Kevin Satizabal Carrascal attended the concert for In Touch and spoke to musicians about the kinds of things the fund has helped them with. RNIB's Daisy Higman also provides information on how you can apply for next year's fund.

Presenter & Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Helen Surtees
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.


SUN 06:00 News Summary (m002yvw4)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Thinking Allowed (m002ym24)
Ageing and Society

What does it mean to grow older in Britain today? Laurie Taylor explores the changing realities of later life, from health and independence to inequality and support.

Professor Judith Phillips OBE, Professor of Gerontology at the University of Stirling, is the former Research Director of the UKRI Healthy Ageing Challenge - a major national programme which brought together researchers, businesses and communities to develop new ways of supporting people to remain active, independent and socially connected as they age. She describes projects including older people using virtual reality headsets to help design better layouts and living spaces in their homes. You can find out more about that here https://www.deshca.co.uk/resources/

Dr Kingsley Purdam, of the University of Manchester, discusses research done with his colleague Jill Ebrey, which examined the quieter, often hidden experience of financial insecurity in later life, and the barriers that prevent many older people from accessing the support they need.

Producer: Natalia Fernandez
Series Editor: Robyn Read


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002yvw6)
Don’t follow the herd: the deer cull making a difference

When Helen Stewart took over her family’s hill farm she was shocked to find hundreds of red deer were the main beneficiaries of the farm’s fine grazing. She refused to bow to the conventional local idea that shooting enough to make a dent in the huge herd would mean buying a digger to bury them. Instead she poured her energy into a social enterprise that’s created half a dozen jobs and helped feed thousands. Richard Baynes visited Knockbarry Farm in Perthshire to meet her, try the venison and hear her story.

Produced and presented by Richard Baynes


SUN 06:57 Weather (m002yvw8)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002yvwb)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002yvwd)
A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002yvwg)
Prison Radio Association

Louis Theroux makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the Prison Radio Association. The charity produces National Prison Radio which is made by people in prison, and is widely listened to by inmates in England and Wales.

The Radio 4 Appeal features a new charity every week.
Each appeal then runs on Radio 4 from Sunday 0755 for 7 days.

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 ‘Prison Radio Association’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Prison Radio Association'.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
- Please ensure you are donating to the correct charity by checking the name of the charity on the donate page.

Registered Charity Number: 1114760. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://prison.radio/
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites

Producer: Katy Takatsuki


SUN 07:57 Weather (m002yvwj)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002yvwl)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002yvwn)
Sea Sunday

Sunday Worship recorded at Portsmouth Cathedral to celebrate Sea Sunday.
The service is led by the Canon Precentor, the Reverend Dr Jo Spreadbury, and the preacher is the Chaplain of the Fleet, the Reverend Canon Dr Mark Davidson. . David Price Organist and Master of the Choristers directs the Portsmouth Cathedral Choir. The organist is Sachin Gunga.

Readings
Genesis 1.1-5

Matthew 14.24-34

Music

Breathe on Me. Freda Swain .

Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us

The Theatre of the Sea.
One part of the new sea wall has a poem inscribed along it. The poem called the Theatre of the Sea was written by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.
It was set to music for this year’s Portsmouth’s City centenary.

Creator and Father. Christopher Gower

Lord the wind and sea obey thee

Michael row the boat
A new arrangement of ‘Michael, row the boat’, combining this with another traditional spiritual, Deep river by Portsmouth Cathedral Sub-Organist Sachin Gunga

Eternal Father, strong to save

Produced by Carmel Lonergan


SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct747g)
World War Two’s Shetland Bus

During World War Two, whilst Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany, a group of Norwegian sailors set up a base on the Shetland Islands and began aiding their country’s resistance.

Named “The Shetland Bus” they made perilous journeys across the North Sea in fishing boats - smuggling agents, equipment and ammunition into Norway.

Their most famous skipper was Leif Larsen. He made more than 50 journeys to and from occupied Norway during the war and became one of the highest decorated naval officers of World War Two.

Tim O’Callaghan tells his story using archive interviews Leif gave to the BBC in 1981 and 1985.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.

For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.

(Photo: The Shetland Bus crew, Leif Larsen second from left next to agent in white coat. Credit: David Howarth)


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002yvwq)
Isabella Tree on the Turtle Dove

In early summer at the Knepp Rewilding Project in West Sussex you're almost guaranteed to hear a turtle dove, one of the UK's rarest birds. Conservationist Isabella Tree writes how its gentle soothing sound tugs at the heartstrings, as today fewer than 3000 breeding pairs remain. But at Knepp, turtle doves can find areas of dense thorny thicket where they like to nest, and wildflower seeds to eat. Now every year they count 20 singing males, which is a quater of the population in Sussex.

Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.

This programme features audio recorded by Hazel Reeves at Knepp.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002yvws)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002yvwv)
Paul Farmer, charity leader

Paul Farmer is a charity leader who has spent his life campaigning, fundraising and changing the national conversation around some of the most challenging issues in our society. Currently at the helm of Age UK, he previously spent 16 years as the CEO of Mind, the UK’s largest mental health charity.

Paul was born in Oxford, the son of a former Benedictine monk and a former nun. He read history at St Peter’s College, Oxford, where he met his future wife, Claire. After graduating, he found a role working for a heritage centre and fell in love with the charity sector, moving to the Samaritans. His experiences taking calls from those struggling with their mental health awakened a passion for working in the mental health sector.

In 2006 he moved Mind, where he became CEO. He led a fifteen-year campaign that helped to change legislation, and the national conversation around mental health. For the past few years, he has campaigned for older people as Chief Executive at Age UK, and encouraged the public to prepare and plan for a happier, healthier later life.

Paul lost his wife, Claire, to cancer in 2019. He lives in West London.

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Sarah Taylor and Hannah Hufford

Desert Island Discs has cast away many campaigners to the island over the years including Marjorie Wallace, Julia Cleverdon, and Sue Ryder, Baroness Ryder of Warsaw. You can hear their programmes if you search through BBC Sounds or our own Desert Island Discs website.


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002yvwx)
4th – 10th July 2026
Writer: Tim Stimpson
Director: Jessica Bunch
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge … Charles Collingwood
David Archer … Timothy Bentinck
Tony Archer … David Troughton
Alice Carter … Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter … Wilf Scolding
Susan Carter … Charlotte Martin
Ian Craig … Stephen Kennedy
Amber Gordon … Olivia Bernstone
George Grundy … Angus Stobie
Bert Horrobin … David Sterne
Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell
Adam Macy … Andrew Wincott
Fallon Rogers … Joanna Van Kampen
Lynda Snell … Carole Boyd
Lottie Summers … Bonnie Baddoo
Bill Gordon … Matthew Gravelle


SUN 12:15 Profile (m002yvlr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m002yknd)
Series 85

5. Chat Up Turn Downs

The godfather of all panel shows visits the Leeds Grand Theatre. On the panel are Joe Lycett, Pippa Evans, Miles Jupp and Ian Smith with Jack Dee in the umpire’s chair. Regular listeners will know to expect inspired nonsense, pointless revelry and Colin Sell at the piano.

Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 12:57 Weather (m002yvwz)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002yvx1)
A look at the week's big stories and preview of the week to come.


SUN 13:30 Currently (m002yvs1)
Decency Politics

As a journalist, historian, constitutional scholar and member of the House of Lords, Peter Hennessy has been observing British public and political life for more than 50 years. But now he's retiring from the House of Lords, and as he does he's struck by the rancour that is corroding our politics. What, he has been asking himself, can we do to restore decency to the heart of political conversation?

In this programme Peter has been putting that question to people who have thought about decency and how we might encourage it. And he's invited them to do it at his house over a cup of tea. From former Prime Minister John Major to Whitehall Fixer Louise Casey, Reform MP Danny Kruger to National Education Union leader Daniel Kebede, the doorbell has rung with its jaunty tune and Peter has sat down to hear what has gone wrong, how a decency economy has emerged on YouTube, and how we might encourage what he calls a 'decency bias' in public life.

Producer: Giles Edwards.


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002ym7y)
Spalding: Ant Infestation, Pot-Bound Olive Tree and Watering Seedlings

Gardeners’ Question Time visits the stunning Springfields Festival Gardens in Spalding, 15 acres of beautifully designed and diverse planting, created for visitors of all ages to explore and enjoy.

Peter Gibbs is joined by a panel of horticultural experts - Matthew Wilson, Christine Walkden and Bunny Guinness - to answer questions from an enthusiastic audience of local gardeners. Together, they tackle a wide range of gardening dilemmas, from reviving a pot-bound olive tree to dealing with ants that have taken up residence in an exotic potted palm.

The panel also offers practical advice on watering seedlings effectively, encouraging a mature philadelphus to flower, and successfully overwintering hollyhocks.

Also, Grow Your Own expert Julia Parker shares her top tips for successional planting, helping gardeners enjoy a continuous harvest throughout the growing season.

Producer: Dominic Tyerman
Producer: Matthew Smith
Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Assistant Producer: William Norton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m002yvrx)
Anna Christie - Episode 2

In this second episode, John Yorke digs deeper into Euguene O’Neill’s 1921 play “Anna Christie” – about an estranged daughter who is reunited with her sea captain father, and falls in love with a sailor. The play examines identity, family and sexual politics, and asks questions about love, faith, redemption, resilience and forgiveness.

John asks how and why the Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning dramatist introduced realist theatre to the US, looks at Eugene O’Neill’s influence and legacy, and asks what we should make of “Anna Christie” today.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for over 30 years and shares his experience as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain; from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. He created the BBC Writers Academy and trained a generation of screenwriters, now with thousands of hours of television to their names. His acclaimed books Into the Woods and Trip to the Moon explore the structure and power of narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of storytelling, including many podcasts for Radio 4.

Contributor:

Robert M. Dowling, professor of English at Central Connecticut State University, author of the biography Eugene O’Neill: A Life in Four Acts.

From the BBC archives:

Playwright Arthur Miller, from Changing Stages: America, 19 Nov 2000.
Actor Natasha Richardson, from Woman’s Hour, 18 June 1990.

Credits:

Excerpts from “Anna Christie” by Eugene O’Neill, 1921, including Ruth Wilson in the 2011 Donmar Warehouse production.
Excerpt from the 1930 film adaptation of “Anna Christie” starring Greta Garbo.

Researcher: Henry Tydeman
Sound: Sean Kerwin
Producer: Jack Soper
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Production Hub Coordinator: Dawn Williams
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4 & BBC Sounds


SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002yvx3)
Anna Christie

Part 2

Anna Christie has found something on the water she never thought possible: a man who wants her, and a version of herself she might be able to live with. But Mat Burke is a Catholic Irishman with an absolute faith in honour, and Anna has not told him the truth about her past. When she does, the consequences are as violent and as tender as the sea itself.

Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama reaches its conclusion in a final reckoning between three people who have spent their lives running from the truth, and must now decide whether love is worth the cost of honesty.

Adapted for radio by Lucy Catherine.

Story of America is a major collection of dramatisations of milestone American titles marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence and the foundation of the United States.

Anna . . . . . Julianna Jennings
Chris . . . . . David Threlfall
Mat . . . . . Ciarán Owens

Director: Sasha Yevtushenko
Technical producers: Keith Graham & Sam Dickinson
Production co-ordinator: Ben Hollands

A BBC Studios production.


SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m002yvx5)
Elizabeth Strout

Presenter James Crawford speaks to award‑winning American author Elizabeth Strout - winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and a two‑time Booker Prize nominee - about her new book The Things We Never Say and its three key literary influences.

In Elizabeth's latest novel, we are taken to the New England coast, where we follow the life of history teacher Artie Dam, who is struggling to cope with the way the modern world is changing around him.

Elizabeth’s three influences are The Stories of William Trevor by William Trevor (1983), Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925), and Middlemarch by George Eliot (1872).


SUN 16:30 Around the World in 80 Ways (m002yvx7)
1. Europe

What's hidden beneath one of Europe's least visited countries? Where can you visit a Museum of Broken Relationships? And what do retired men in Bologna famously enjoy watching? Find out as Intrepid traveller Simon Reeve hosts a geography quiz where two teams race from country to country in a bid to reach the final destination first.

As each answer moves them across the map, they test their knowledge of geography, history, culture and the wider world. Part travel adventure, part quiz, it's a journey where every border crossed has to be earned and the only way to travel is to know where you're going.

Hosted by Simon Reeve
The Teams are:
Amber & Helen
Amy and Harry

Questions set by Paddy Duffy
Sound by Jerry Peal
Programme Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Producer: Carl Cooper

BBC Studios production for Radio 4.


SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct98dv)
Dada: The birth of an art movement

In 1916, Zurich was a beacon for refugees. Fleeing the death and destruction of World War I, artists and free-thinkers from all over Europe fled to the neutral Swiss city.

And it was here that the people who would start the art movement Dada came together. In a rare interview from 1959, held in the BBC archive, Richard Huelsenbeck describes how the group of young artists and pacifists shared a despair about the war and a disgust for bourgeois values.

At the Cabaret Voltaire, he and the Romanian French-born poet Tristan Tzara, the French sculptor Jean Arp and Romanian-Israeli artist Marcel Janco experimented. Performances were known for their spontaneity, chance and absurdity - a departure from the conventional which confronted audiences. It was the beginning of an aesthetic which would spread across Europe and to New York City, eventually influencing Surrealism and later punk. This episode is produced and presented by Josephine McDermott.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.

For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: Scene from the Dadaist film Ballet Mécanique, 1924 from the Collection of Musée national d'art moderne, Paris. Credit: Fine Art Images/Heritage Images via Getty Images.)


SUN 17:10 The Patch (m002ykmj)
North Oxford

One random postcode and a story you probably haven't heard before. In North Oxford, producer Polly Weston is told to visit a salon which has become the centre of the community, and discovers somewhere which does much more than cut hair. A place where nothing goes to waste.

Produced and presented by Polly Weston


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002yvxb)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m002yvxd)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002yvxg)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002yvxj)
Charles Collingwood

This week, I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue starts a French revolution with a rhythm stick in Leeds. Staying in Yorkshire we hear about the dying art of the cricket tea, and how a cricket club near Halifax is championing the tradition of cheese and pickle sandwiches. Of course, there’s plenty happening in Ambridge too with the Borchester Show, and Jazzer takes to the stage with the BBC Concert Orchestra in a special concert celebrating 75 years of The Archers.

Presenter: Charles Collingwood
Producers: Anthony McKee and Caitlin Sneddon
Editor: Steven Hobson
Production Coordinators: Caoilfhinn McFadden and Sylvie Conway

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.

Programmes featured in this episode include:

I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue: Chat Up Turn Downs, 06/07
The Food Programme: Howzat? The Story of the Cricket Tea, 04/07
The Patch: North Oxford, 06/07
Meet David Sedaris: E2 Fresh Caught Haddock, 07/07
Drama on 4: B&B, 09/07
Saturday Live, 04/07
Last Word: Rowan Williams on Sister Maggie Ross, 05/07
This Natural Life: Dame Judi Dench, 09/07
The Archers, 09/07: A surprise guest arrives at the Borchester Show, 09/07
The Archers Podcast: RHS Badminton Flower Show, 03/07
Friday Night is Music Night: Celebrating 75 Years of the Archers, 10/07


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002yvrv)
The Aldridges are left surprised, and some news hits hard for Tom.


SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002yvxl)
Dear Gilbert, Dear Gordon

When museum curator Mark Hignett began buying WWII-era letters online, he believed he was piecing together the life of an ordinary soldier.

At first glance, the letters looked like typical correspondence: full of yearning, daily details, and hopes for peace. But what emerged wasn’t just a wartime chronicle - it was a love story. As he kept on reading, he slowly realised they were letters from one male soldier to another.

At a time when homosexuality was criminalised in Britain and gay soldiers risked court martial, Gilbert and Gordon exchanged intimate, heartfelt correspondence, which are read for this programme by Olly Alexander.

Their letters spoke of longing, joy, fear, and hope. In one, Gordon writes simply: “There is nothing more that I desire in life but to have you with me constantly.” In another, he reflects on how the world would see them: “The rest of the world have no conception of what our love is – they do not know that it is love.” It’s a reminder that while the law branded them criminals, they understood their bond as something deeply human, and deeply right.

That dream, however, sat alongside deep fear. In one letter, Gordon pleaded with Gilbert to destroy their correspondence: "Please darling, do this for me in deadly seriousness" - terrified of the consequences if their relationship were discovered. And yet, in another, he imagined a world that would understand: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all our letters could be published in a more enlightened time?”

In this episode of Illuminated, curator Mark Hignett and producer Ilona Toller assess the content of the letters, which are read by Olly Alexander.

Producer: Ilona Toller
Editor: David Prest

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001scrp)
Walk Backwards

Step out - backwards! The Chinese have a saying that 100 steps backwards are worth 1000 steps forward - and they might be onto something! It may look bizarre to onlookers, but Michael delves into the research and finds some surprising benefits. It’s been used for decades in rehabilitative physical therapy, and recent research reveals that it could even boost memory - by giving your brain a workout! Michael also speaks to biomechanics expert and champion of backwards walking, Professor Janet Dufek from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, whose research suggests that walking backwards could help with lower back pain. They discuss why walking backwards is so beneficial for our muscles and how to do it safely. Volunteer Nina takes her daughter with her for a backward stroll - and gets a laugh out of it!

New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3zqa6BB

Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Science Producer: Catherine Wyler
Assistant Producer: Gulnar Mimaroglu
Trainee Assistant Producer: Toni Arenyeka
Executive Producer: Zoe Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.


SUN 20:00 Feedback (m002yl2c)
BBC Investigative Journalism, and Cuts to Programming

The BBC recently reported that they'd tracked down Twana Jamal, one of the most prolific people smugglers in recent history - who had previously been arrested in France but was living and working in the UK. The investigation was carried out by journalists Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie for Radio 4's Intrigue series To Catch a King, and they found Jamal ahead of the police or the Home Office.

This sparked a question from a listener - about how journalists interact with authorities to uncover serious crimes. Presenter Andrea Catherwood sits down with journalist Sam Poling, whose own work on BBC documentary and podcast Who Killed Emma led to an arrest and later a conviction, to ask how it works.

We also return to the subject of BBC cuts. We'll hear more of your thoughts and from an expert on the topic of the cuts and charter renewal. Dr Tom Chivers from Goldsmiths, University of London, gives his views on how much the cuts will affect the BBC's relationship with the public as the corporation prepares for a new chapter.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Pauline Moore
Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002ym82)
Bonnie Tyler: How the "sweet soul singer" found her growl

Bonnie Tyler, went from a Welsh council house to topping the international charts with songs like: ”Lost In France”, “Holding out for a Hero” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. Born Gaynor Hopkins in South Wales she grew up in a passionately religious family, which is where young Gaynor’s first experience of performing came – singing “All Things Bright and Beautiful” at her local chapel. Fellow Welsh musician and broadcaster Mal Pope tells Matthew about her life. 

Dissident Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee was arrested and held for more than four hundred days by the Chinese authorities. They were investigating the publications sold at his Causeway Bay Bookstore, some of which were critical of the Communist regime on the mainland. He became a symbol of freedom of speech after he revealed his incarceration at a news conference. The journalist and author Emily Feng interviewed him. 

In 1988 Colonel Abdul Ahad Momand became the first, and so far only, Afghan citizen to travel into space. He was part of the three-person crew that launched from Kazakhstan on board the Soviet Soyuz TM-6 spacecraft. During the trip, Colonel Momand, who was a Muslim, became the first person to read from the Koran on TV while in orbit. General Khyan Zadran was a friend and colleague of Colonel Momand.

TV and radio director Kay Patrick was best known for her work on Coronation Street, where she oversaw 250 episodes in 20 years. During that time, she steered some of the show’s most memorable storylines including the death of Hayley Cropper, played by Julie Hesmondhalgh - Julie remembers her sensitive and talented director.

Presenter: Matthew Bannister
Producer: Ben Mitchell
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jesse Edwards

Archive:
BBC One, Top of the Pops, 24/02/1983; BBC Two, On Show, 30/03/2005; BBC World Service, Witness, 22/06/2026; YouTube, Hong Kong Free Press, 21/06/2016; ITV Studios, Coronation Street, Episode 8305, 20/01/2014; Dr Who: Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels, 18/09/2023; BBC Four, The Spaceman of Afghanistan, 13/10/2014


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002yvl1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002yvwg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002yvkx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002yvxn)
Radio 4's Sunday night political discussion programme.


SUN 23:00 Artworks (m002yl1f)
Who Did We Think We Were?

1. National Remembrance and the 1924 Empire Exhibition

75 years after the Festival of Britain offered a tonic to a Blitz-hit nation, Neil MacGregor, former director of the British Museum, returns to Radio 4 with a three-part series, examining how celebrations of British identity and togetherness over the past century or so can help us better understand and define who we are now. 

"The question of who we are, of national identity, of the Union Jack itself, is now the subject of angry political debate," Neil says. "In these three programmes I want to take a step back – to look at six moments over the last hundred years when, as a country, we came together to assert a national purpose, to celebrate and to explore who we thought we were, and to consider our place in the world."

"Asking 'who did we think we were then?' might help us answer the question - 'who do we think we are now?'.  And to understand why – as a country – we have, for over a century, found that question so difficult to answer."

In this first programme, Neil looks at the aftermath of World War One. After conflict in which nearly a million servicemen of the British Empire were killed, how should a nation honour that huge human sacrifice? The immediate answer was to create a National Hall of Remembrance, lined with newly-commissioned memorial art - art that shocked its first viewers. And 1924 saw the opening of a vast Empire Exhibition in Wembley, re-asserting Britain's place in an unstable post-war world. Across two years, the Exhibition attracted 27 million visits - an astonishing number at the time. So what did it say about us? What drew people in such numbers? And what might we conclude from it today?

Producer Katy Hickman


SUN 23:30 More Wow (m0022kt2)
1. The Cosmos

What is awe, and where do we find it? Exploring how the elusive emotion of awe can be a vital force in our lives.

As something usually associated with intense experiences and extreme environments, for many of us awe can often seem difficult to attain. Science journalist Jo Marchant tracks down individuals who live awe-filled lives, uncovering where we might find it ourselves and how it can alter body and mind.

Episode one: Jo discovers how astronaut Ron Garan's experience of looking back on Earth shifted his perspective forever. She takes some of these lessons to cultivate an astronaut's eye-view on life while on a London walk.

Featuring: Ron Garan, former NASA astronaut and ispace-U.S. CEO;
Dacher Keltner, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley and author of Awe: The Transformative Power of Everyday Wonder;
Helen De Cruz, Professor of Philosophy at St Louis University, Missouri and author of Wonderstruck: How Wonder and Awe Shape the Way We Think.

Presented by Jo Marchant, author of Cure, The Human Cosmos and Decoding the Heavens.

Producer: Eliza Lomas
Editor: Chris Ledgard


SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002ym80)
I Love You, Mr Demille

A silent movie writer finds her voice in this new story by Sara Sheridan.

Inspired by the true story of Lorna Moon and her close friendship with darling of the silver screen Mary Pickford.

Sara Sheridan is a writer and activist who is interested in diverse readings of history. She has written more than 20 books. Truth or Dare, her first novel won the Scottish Library Award. On Starlit Seas, was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Prize. In 2022, The Fair Botanists was Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year and was also a season 7 pick for The Queen’s Reading Room. The Secrets of Blythswood Square was longlisted for The Saltire Award in 2024. Val McDermid said she was ’the natural heir of Robert Louis Stevenson’ after reading latest historical novel, The Jewel Keepers. An occasional journalist, Sara has reported for BBC Radio 4's From Our Own Correspondent and on ‘being a lady’ for Women’s Hour. Sara has written 3 radio plays, including Robert Burns: His Psychotherapy and Cure, which was voiced by Elaine C Smith. In 2019 Sara re-mapped Scotland according to women’s history for Historic Environment Scotland – the resulting book, Where are the Women, was one of the David Hume Institute’s Books of the year 2019. In it, she imagined several monuments to Scotland’s accused witches alongside commemorating over 1250, mostly-forgotten Scottish women.

MONDAY 13 JULY 2026

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002yvxq)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 00:15 Inside Health (m002ym1k)
Could CAR-T therapy transform autoimmune disease?

An experimental treatment to “reset” the immune systems of people with autoimmune disease is showing transformative results in early trials.

James visits the NIHR Clinical Research Facility in Manchester to meet Kathy. She was diagnosed with lupus just after the birth of her baby and in 2024 became the first person in the UK to try CAR-T therapy as part of a clinical trial. How is she feeling now?

We’ll also hear from Kathy’s rheumatologist Professor Ben Parker, who led the trial Kathy took part in and explains how the therapy works, the astonishing early results - and whether the effects on the immune system are long lasting.

Also this week, James visits the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to meet some lab-grown British mosquitoes and find out whether they’re out to get us for longer periods of the year and how worried we should be about the threat of disease, with medical entomologist Dr Mojca Kristan and virologist Professor Roger Hewson.

And we look at the latest online trend of “spermmaxxing” with urologist Professor Vaibhav Modgil. Why are men trying to optimise their sperm by dipping their testicles in iced water and abstaining from porn - and is there any evidence for these tactics?

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Gerry Holt
Editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stu Laws
Sound engineer: Mary Stone


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002yvmb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002yvxs)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002yvxv)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:00 News Summary (m002yvxx)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002yvxz)
Does it matter that MPs face a six-week wait before they can question the new prime minister? Sean Curran talks to expert Dr Ruxandra Serban. Also, we look at what Andy Burnham's agenda might mean for Westminster, MPs investigate the fall-out from recent public disorder in Northern Ireland and there's a call for voting to be made compulsory.


MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002yvy1)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002yvy3)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002yvy5)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


MON 05:57 Weather (m002yvy7)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m002yvr1)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Common Ground (m002yvr3)
Values

In Common Ground, Evan Davis travels around the UK to find out how divided we really are. The series asks whether our society is really becoming increasingly polarised and what people across the country are doing to build stronger communities and connections. In this episode Evan looks at values. In recent weeks social unrest and violence prompted by the murder of Henry Nowak in Southampton and the brutal attack of Stephen Ogilvie in Belfast have marked the country. How divided are we by different political views? Evan travels to Southampton to talk to people are how they are really feeling: whether they feel our shared values are under threat, what they feel is fuelling that threat, and how they want to address it. Are we as a country as angry as it seems? He'll also be joined by an expert panel to delve further into these questions.

Presenter: Evan Davis
Reporter: Katie Haseldine
Producers: Sophie Calvert, Katie Haseldine and Emma Close
Editor: Alicia Queiro
Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: James Beard and Neil Churchill


MON 09:30 Politically (m002yvr5)
Reflections: Series 4

Jeremy Hunt

The former Chancellor reflects with James Naughtie on tough choices and political resurrection.

Jeremy Hunt held four Cabinet jobs - including almost six years as Health Secretary, and then Foreign Secretary under Theresa May. After he was defeated by Boris Johnson in their battle for the Conservative leadership, he thought his ministerial career was over, only to be called back by Liz Truss after her mini-budget.

In this episode of Reflections he discusses all that with James Naughtie, as well as a famous radio moment the two shared.

Producers: Giles Edwards and Joel Massey.


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002yvr7)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.


MON 11:00 Church Going, with Giles Fraser (m002yvr9)
Episode 1

Giles Fraser is a priest in the Church of England, concerned about the current state of church attendance. His parish is doing well but like most priests, he's nervous about the numbers and notes the overall decline in worship since the sixties. He considers the poem 'Church Going' by Philip Larkin as his starting point. It imagines what will happen to these buildings, and to Christian faith, when we stop going to church entirely. Is Giles now a missionary in a world that is indifferent to what he has to say? With this thought, he sets off to work out where we are, talking to people on the ground and experts in the field.

In this first episode of three, Giles will find out how fellow clergy cope with the stress that comes with falling numbers, witness the last service at a Methodist church in Northumberland, return to Oxford where he trained as priest and find out why we have so many churches in the first place.

Presenter: Rev Dr Giles Fraser
Producer: Catherine Murray
Asst Producer: Peter Everett
Additonal recording by Jon Douglas
Editor: Tim Pemberton


MON 11:45 Cash Cow by Alev Scott (m002yvrd)
Episode 1

Alev Scott had just given birth to her first child, during lock-down in Amsterdam, when she found herself over producing milk. Anxious not to waste this precious, nutrient rich liquid she began to look into the possibility of donation. Soon she found herself in a bewildering world of online marketplaces, and gradually she came to turn her attention to an industry which commodifies every aspect of the maternal body.

She describes how, ‘'The fertility industry is the only legal industry where one person’s biological bad luck can be another person’s gain. A woman who can carry a pregnancy to term can choose to earn money doing exactly that for someone else; a woman who has plenty of breast milk can sell it; a woman with a healthy ovarian reserve can sell her eggs. This is a more direct, quantifiable form of biological luck than that of a professional athlete or model. The trade is as basic as it gets, and despite its ethical complexities it is largely legal, as opposed to its nearest comparable, large-scale trade: human organ trafficking."

From milk to eggs, to the hiring out of a placenta in the form of surrogacy Alev delves into the commercial, and sometime altruistic, transactions that are fuelled by the age-old desire to have children.

Professor Peter Frankopan describes it as "A powerful, intimate and disturbing exploration of the hidden markets built on women's bodies".

Written by Alev Scott
Abridged and Produced by Jill Waters
Read by Hattie Morahan

The Waters Company for BBC Radio 4


MON 12:00 News Summary (m002yvrh)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002yvrk)
News and discussion of consumer affairs


MON 12:57 Weather (m002yvrm)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m002yvrp)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4


MON 13:45 New Storytellers (m002yvrr)
New Storytellers 2026

Unzipping a Community

Unzipping a Community explores the rich yet devastating history of Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda, North Wales. At the start of the 20th century, the quarry became the site of one of the longest running industrial disputes in British history. In 1900, around three thousand quarrymen walked out demanding better pay and working conditions. The strike lasted three years, forcing families into poverty and dividing the community and it left a legacy which continues to shape Bethesda today.

More than a century later, the quarry has been transformed into a major tourist attraction by Zip World. It is the world’s fastest zip wire and thousands of visitors unleash their adrenaline junkie on the wire every year. Through interviews with local residents spanning three generations and conversations with Zip World employees and customers Luned Elfyn explores how the memory of the strike has left its mark, including through music which is rooted in the community.

Do those who come seeking thrills on the zipwire ever realise what dark history lies beneath them?

New Storytellers presents the work of new radio producers. This series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2026 for the Best Student Radio Feature. These awards are presented every year in memory of radio producer Charles Parker who produced the pioneering series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. This series is introduced by Charles’ daughter, Sara Parker, an award-winning radio producer in her own right.

Producer Luned Elfyn recently graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in Drama and Film Studies and the judges described her prize-winning feature as a project ‘made with passion, memorable, with really strong interviews’ and praised its “great circular structure, mixing the fun of the zip line with the tragedy of the strike... a very strong piece.”

Producer: Luned Elfyn
A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4


MON 14:00 The Archers (m002yvrv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Alone (m001b41s)
Series 4

Episode 1 - Best Upstairs Neighbour Ever

A sitcom, written by Moray Hunter and starring Angus Deayton, Abigail Cruttenden, Pearce Quigley, Kate Isitt and Bennett Arron, about five, mainly single, middle aged neighbours living in flats in a converted house in North London.

Mitch (Angus Deayton) is a widower and part-time therapist who is looking to put his life back together now that he is single and living with Will (Pearce Quigley), his younger, more volatile half-brother. Mitch is currently in a new relationship with Ellie (Abigail Cruttenden) who is a somewhat shy, nervous and sensitive schoolteacher. Overly honest, frustrated actress Louisa (Kate Isitt), and socially inept IT nerd Morris (Bennett Arron) complete the line-up of mis-matched neighbours.

In the series opener, Best Upstairs Neighbour Ever, Mitch and Ellie are trying to work out ground rules for their relationship, with matters such as the frequency of present-giving, meeting up and overnight stays on the agenda. Morris meanwhile fancies a group Sunday roast, if someone else will cook it, and Will and Louisa are just trying to get used to the fact that Mitch and Ellie are now a thing.

Cast:
Angus Deayton - Mitch
Abigail Cruttenden - Ellie
Pearce Quigley - Will
Kate Isitt - Louisa
Bennett Arron - Morris

Written by Moray Hunter
Directed by Moray Hunter and Gordon Kennedy
Script Edited by Ian Brown and James Hendrie
Edited and Studio Managed by Jerry Peal
Production Manager - Sarah Tombling
Production Runner - Kareem Elshehawy
Recorded at The Shaw Theatre, London
Based on an original idea developed in association with Dandy Productions
Producer - Gordon Kennedy

An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4


MON 14:45 Opening Lines (m002yvrx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Sunday]


MON 15:00 A Good Read (m002yvrz)
Joanne Harris and Islam Issa

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, chosen by Joanne Harris
Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy, chosen by Harriett Gilbert
Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth by Naguib Mahfouz, chosen by Islam Issa

Join us over on Instagram @agoodreadbbc

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Sally Heaven


MON 15:30 You're Dead to Me (m002yvkq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Saturday]


MON 16:00 Currently (m002yvs1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002yvks)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


MON 17:00 PM (m002yvs3)
Full coverage of the day's news


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002yvs5)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 18:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m002yvs7)
Series 85

6. Yorkshire Sayings

The godfather of all panel shows returns to Leeds Grand Theatre. On the panel are Joe Lycett, Pippa Evans, Miles Jupp and Ian Smith, with Jack Dee in the umpire’s chair. Regular listeners will know to expect inspired nonsense, pointless revelry and Colin Sell at the piano.

Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random production for BBC Radio 4


MON 19:00 The Archers (m002yvs9)
There’s a reunion for Fallon, and Rex realises he may have put his foot in it.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m002yvsc)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.


MON 20:00 The Briefing Room (m002yl2f)
Relationship recession: Why are fewer people coupling?

For previous generations, coupling was something only trains did. Then it became a word to describe the business of finding a partner. An important business for the future of the species. But today in the developed world - and even beyond - the data shows that coupling is significantly down. Increasingly, people are just not forming those relationships. There are all kinds of theories out there now about why this is happening, ranging from the intriguing to the improbable. So what do we know about this noncoupling and its implications?

Guests:

Dr Alice Evans, visiting Associate Professor at Stanford and author of the upcoming book The Great Gender Divergence
John Burn-Murdoch, columnist and chief data reporter for the Financial Times

Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Ben Carter and Kirsteen Knight
Editor: Richard Vadon
Sound engineer: Gareth Jones, Neil Churchill
Production co-ordinator: Siobhan Reed, Maria Ogundele

Image credit: Malte Mueller, Getty Images


MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct977v)
Are we one step closer to creating life in a lab?

Synthetic biologist Kate Adamal and her team at the University of Minnesota published their research into the lab-created ‘SpudCell’ in a significant step towards building life from scratch. Science journalist, Kai Kupferschmidt, joins us to discuss the implications of this research, as well as the controversies.

Nature reporter Lizzie Gibney tells us how science has helped us better understand the route that the famous Carthaginian general, Hannibal – and not forgetting his elephants – took across the Alps.

Plus, in this week’s scout of science stories behind the ‘beautiful game’ we learn of research carried out at a Tokyo football match, monitoring seismic waves made by the vigorous celebrations of thousands of fans.

Presenter: Tom Whipple
Producer: Kate White, Alex Mansfield, Katie Tomsett, Tabitha Taylor Buck
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


MON 21:00 Common Ground (m002yvr3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:30 Politically (m002yvr5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002yvsf)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


MON 22:45 Kane by Edson Burton (m002yvsh)
Episode 1

Edson Burton’s specially commissioned fiction serial is a coming of age story, set in a slightly alternative version of 21st century Bristol, where slavery has never been abolished. Eighteen-year-old Kane is loveable, funny, sunny in nature. He knows he is treasured in his role as a live-in aide to an admired scientist, a man he regards as a father figure, and who is, moreover, a descendant of the renowned anti-slavery campaigner. Kane loves his ordered life, his little luxuries, his expensive clothes in Wilberforce House.

But when a new manager takes on the leadership of the household, Kane’s perspective begins to unravel. He has to face the shattering truth about his position in a society in which enslaved labour is an accepted and acceptable practice and in which he is unwittingly playing a major role. It’s a world close enough to our own to be recognised, and to pose challenging questions about contemporary social values and prejudices. Society is defined by a ‘natural' hierarchy of the races, with 'Greater Whites’ at the top, then Lesser Whites, Freemen (a Black and Brown workforce) and Wretches, who are regarded as degenerate and deserving of enslavement.

Kane finally has to make a choice: should he accept his life with his much-loved mentor, or resist?

Episode 1: Kane loses his two only friends as a new and unwelcome house manager arrives.

The Writer: Edson Burton is a Bristol-based writer, historian, curator, performer and academic who has written widely for radio, stage and screen. His stage plays have been produced by Show of Strength, Trinity Community Arts, and the Bristol Old Vic. He is co-founder of Black theatre company Dip & Fall Back and is Bristol Old Vic Associate Artist. His areas of expertise encompass the Transatlantic Slave Trade as well as other aspects of Black history and culture, and he has worked as a consultant and coordinator for a range of national and regional history based projects. His radio credits include the supernatural trilogy Deacon starring Don Warrington, and most recently, Man Friday, a re-imagining of Daniel Defoe’s classic story. In recognition of his significant contributions to the arts and the community in Bristol, he was awarded an MBE in 2023.

Credits:

Writer: Edson Burton
Performer: Lewis Shepherd (‘Dear England’, ‘10 Swords and the Moon’, ‘Super High Resolution’)
Production Coordinator: Dawn Williams
Producer/director: Mary Ward-Lowery
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Sound design: Matt Bainbridge

A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4


MON 23:00 Limelight (m001jvvx)
Galapagos

4. The Giant’s Pocket

Speculative thriller about big tech, data manipulation and the undermining of democracy, by Simon Scardifield and Andrew Day.

Bryony is increasingly excited by her new role working for Sydney and Shapeshift, using the very latest data manipulation AI. And Sydney's promised to arrange specialist cancer treatment for sister Gaynor in the US. But journalist Sam is on Bryony's tail and she's asking uncomfortable questions.

Bryony.....Hannah Daniel
Sydney.....Ashleigh Haddad
Gaynor.....Sara Gregory
Omar.....Danny Ashok
Euan…..Jamie Redford
Sam…..Claire Cage
Max.....Ewan Bailey
Station Staff.....Hasan Dixon

Production Co-ordinators.....Eleri McAuliffe and Lindsay Rees
Sound Design.....Catherine Robinson and Nigel Lewis
Directed by Philippa Swallow, John Norton and Emma Harding, BBC Audio Drama Wales


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002yvsl)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament