The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
Jeans on a journey: Laurie Taylor talks to Andrew Brooks, Lecturer in Development Geography at Kings College London, about his study of the hidden world of fast fashion and second hand clothes.
Following a pair of jeans in an around-the-world tour, this research reveals the commodity chains which perpetuate poverty - from Mozambican markets to London's vintage clothing scene.
Fur, family and inheritance. Siobhan Magee, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, discusses her research into the convention of passing down fur clothes from grandmother to granddaughter in the Polish middle class.
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Venerable Sheila Watson, Archdeacon of Canterbury.
From April 1st this year all English fishermen operating vessels 12m long or above must log all details of their operations and catch online, or face having their licence withdrawn. This is called Electronic - or E - logging, and replaces paper forms.
The European Commission says the change will mean better data on stocks and make it easier to clamp down on illegal fishing.
But some fishermen says the system is overcomplicated, and difficult to operate - especially while at sea.
A spokeswoman for the Marine Management Organisation - which operates the system of behalf of Defra - told us the system had been introduced gradually to minimise disruption, and the industry has been supported throughout. She added that some vessels are already successfully using e-logs.
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
John Aitchison tells the story of the Canada goose. These large black-necked geese with white cheeks and chinstraps are native to Canada and the USA. The first reference to them in the UK is in 1665 when English diarist, John Evelyn, records that they were in the waterfowl collection of King Charles II at St. James' Park in London.
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
On Start the Week Andrew Marr talks to Robert Douglas-Fairhurst about the life of Lewis Carroll. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has become an influential part of our cultural heritage but beneath the fairy tale lies the complex history of the author and his subject. Gillian Beer explores the links between Darwin and Carroll and the struggle to define and classify a changing world. The children's author Katherine Rundell enjoys the chaos and ambivalence in the Alice stories, and brings a sense of adventure to her own work. Centuries earlier, as intrepid travellers returned from distant lands with tales of wonder and exotic beasts, fearful hybrid monsters were all the rage as Damien Kempf describes in his Medieval Monsters.
Robert Macfarlane visits some inspiring places, to meet the people and 'collect' the words that evoke the area.
In this opening episode, he recalls happy days at Walnut Tree Farm, Suffolk, home to a famous swimmer of moats and ponds, lakes and rivers.
Self-harm trends triggered by One Direction's Zayn Malik's decision to quit - what's the role of social media? Lives that depend on a food bank, writer and artist Louise Stern on her debut novel, and counting down to the General Election - it's your vote they're after.
Liverpudlian shop assistant Hanna tries to help out a couple of friends who are down on their luck, and before she knows it, it's turned into a mission to tackle the widening economic gap in her community.
Mike Bartlett's comic look at the morality of economics and how the financial crisis feels on the street.
Hanna ..... Laura Dos Santos
Susie ..... Samantha Robinson
David ..... Justin Salinger
Mark ..... Shaun Mason
Director ..... Mary Peate
A Steal explores our reaction to the current economic crisis, dramatising how it affects the fabric of society and community. What happens if a citizen takes matters into their own hands, how would they go about it and how would everyone else react?
Mike Bartlett is one of Britain’s foremost contemporary playwrights. In theatre productions includes the highly acclaimed GAME (Almeida Theatre) 2015; KING CHARLES III (Almeida Theatre/Wyndham's Theatre) 2014/2015 and AN INTERVENTION (Paines Plough/Watford Palace Theatre) 2014.
Mike's TV series The Town (December 2012) was nominated for a Breakthrough Talent BAFTA. His play Bull (2013) received excellent reviews at the Sheffield Crucible, transferred to New York and was revived this year at the Young Vic. His dramatisation of Chariots of Fire (2012) at Hampstead transferred to the Gielgud. Love Love Love at the Royal Court won TMA Best Play 2011. Love Contract (2008), Liam (2009) and The Core (2011) were three outstanding radio listens. Earthquakes In London (2010) and 13 (2011) received critical acclaim at the National Theatre. My Child (2007) and Cock (2009) won awards at the Royal Court and Cock transferred to Broadway. In 2007 'Not Talking' for R3 scooped the Imison and Tinniswood Awards for best newcomer and best radio play.
Jolyon Jenkins asks why our children are hooked on the computer game Minecraft. Does its alternate universe stimulate creativity, or make them disengage from planet Earth?
To the adult onlooker, Minecraft might seem to be a low-resolution digital version of Lego, albeit one where you never run out of blocks and they never topple over. Yet it's very different: here you can walk among your own creations, play online with other people who are in the same world, and battle monsters when they come out after dark.
But many parents worry that their children find the Minecraft universe so rewarding that they are losing interest in the real world, in face to face contact, or in non-screen-based play. Even when not playing the game themselves, millions of children enjoy watching other people playing, in Youtube videos.
And there's a darker side to Minecraft - one in which children are "griefed" by having their digital property vandalised or stolen, and older teenagers go online specifically to bully younger children and post the resulting videos. Minecraft seems to be inducting children into a world with property but no policemen.
But the things children are building in Minecraft are extraordinary, and their commitment to understanding the game and mastering its technicalities is impressive. Rather than having a moral panic about it, maybe we should be harnessing children's enthusiasm and taking Minecraft into schools, as some educationalists propose?
Ronnie Corbett returns to Radio 4 for a third series of his popular sitcom by Ian Davidson and Peter Vincent.
Ronnie plays Sandy Hopper, who is growing old happily along with his dog Henry. His grown up children - both married to people Sandy doesn't approve of at all - would like him to move out of the family home so they can get their hands on their money earlier. But Sandy's not having this. He's not moving until the dog dies. And not just that, how can he move if he's got a lodger? His daughter is convinced that his too attractive lodger Dolores is after Sandy and his money.
Luckily, Sandy has three grandchildren and sometimes a friendly word, a kindly hand on the shoulder can really help a granddad in the twenty-first century. Man and dog together face a complicated world. There's every chance they'll make it more so.
Sandy is haunted by the song 'Green Grow the Rushes Oh' and recent events seem to match its verses. Is it all a countdown? What will happen when the song gets to "One"?
Each week Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week he's asking 'How do I live a good life'?
Helping him answer it are historian Justin Champion, neuropsychologist Paul Broks , theologian Naomi Appleton and philosopher Jules Evans.
For the rest of the week Jules, Paul, Justin and Naomi will take us further into the history of ideas about the good life with programmes of their own. Between them they will examine Aristotle's idea of flourishing, selfishness, the Protestant work ethic and Buddhism's Four Noble Truths.
Dementia patients and their families are given a boost for calls to let relatives stay in hospitals to help look after their loved ones. We hear from one campaigner who took the issue to the Government in person.
Tourism bosses are targeting the pink pound. We look at how Visit Scotland want to make their country a gay tourism destination.
We hear why the National Parks is selling off some of the most picturesque sites.
Mobile phone companies want to review the cost of putting up mobile phone masts in rural areas, but could that slow down plans to improve networks out in the sticks?
Can you beat the clock and read the terms and conditions before you are timed out by online ticket sites?
Healthy Visions offers five expert views of how healthcare can and must change if current levels of provision are to be maintained and grown - meeting the high level of expectation from patients as medical advances continue and as the population becomes larger and older. In this edition Dr Michael Dixon argues that the idea of doctor as ultimate dispenser of all medicine, may have to be sacrificed, with the expertise of a wide range of health practitioners called upon to get best care. Dixon has been implementing his views successfully in his Devon GP practice for a number of years and his ideas are now being extended elsewhere. The programme visits a Brighton surgery which practices "narrative" surgery - instead of patients turning up for specific treatment for specific ailments, they tell their "health story", throwing up a list of possible medical issues which can be treated as a whole. Recommendations include singing and writing sessions which can help deal with some of the underlying causes of ill health. The emphasis is, not just making people "better" in the conventional sense, but helping them to be well - in a wider and deeper sense.
Tom Hollander (Rev, Pirates of The Caribbean) stars as Patrick Moore, with Patricia Hodge as his mother Gertrude.
It's 1957 and the little known Patrick Moore is living with his mother in East Grinstead, from where he studies the heavens and writes popular factual works on astronomy, as well as science fiction under a pseudonym.
When Moore's latest book 'Suns, Myths and Men' gets a terrible review from the stuffy academic Dr Henry King, Patrick is in despair and, when the phone rings, he braces himself for more bad news.
Sean Grundy's drama is both a moving and at times laugh out loud funny telling of a key moment in the life of Patrick Moore.
This is the story of how the self taught astronomer, whose Moon maps were later used by the Apollo missions, became the presenter of The Sky At Night. But it's also the story of a mysterious love affair, and a window into the mind of one of the nation's favourite broadcasters.
Lorna ...... Felicity Duncan
Gertrude Moore ...... Patricia Hodge
Patrick Moore ...... Tom Hollander
Dr Henry King ...... Anton Lesser
Eileen Wilkins ...... Charlotte Ritchie
Leonard Miall ...... David Shaw-Parker
Arthur C Clarke ...... Simon Treves
Paul Johnstone ...... Daniel Weyman
Competitors from Worcestershire, Hampshire, Norfolk and North Yorkshire join Russell Davies for the second semi-final of the 2015 series.
One of them will take another of the places in the Final, and stand a real chance of joining the roll of honour as the 62nd Brain of Britain champion.
Russell's questions in this semi-final encompass Indian politics, the 2014 football World Cup, and Wagnerian opera - among many other topics. There's also the customary chance for a listener to outwit the competitors with devious questions of his or her own.
Is India at a major cultural crossroads? Its Constitution states that the country is a secular democracy. Recent events, since last year's election of a Hindu nationalist government, suggest the reality may be different, and changing fast.
The BBC broadcasts a film about India's most notorious case of gang rape. The Government gets a court order banning it. 'PK', a Bollywood comedy, sends up bogus Indian holy men. Cinemas showing the film are trashed. A scholar publishes a history that notes the importance of sexuality to Hinduism. A lawsuit puts a stop to it. School textbooks are being changed to teach Hindu mythology as historical fact. Churches and Christian schools are attacked. Muslim men are accused of 'love jihad', luring Hindu women into marriage and conversion to Islam. A Muslim newspaper editor is in hiding, in fear of her life from extremists in her own community. The criminality of homosexuality is upheld by India's Supreme Court. A list of phrases and words forbidden in films is announced - including the word 'Bombay', the old name for Mumbai that is still commonly used. Opening a new hospital, the recently elected Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, hails the Hindu elephant-headed god, Ganesh, as proof of ancient Hindu expertise as plastic surgeons - and he's in earnest.
In 'Saffron Censorship: India's Culture Wars', Dr Zareer Masani talks to artists, film-makers, scholars, politicians and the man who brought the law suit against that history book, to find out whether growing religious zealotry, moral policing and state censorship are threatening freedom of expression and cultural pluralism in the world's largest democracy.
This is the Holy Week; the time when Christians remember the events leading up to the trial and execution of Jesus of Nazareth. It came to a climax on a Cross on a hillside outside Jerusalem, when Jesus laid down his life, according to Christian belief, as an atonement for the sins of the world. He was a scapegoat, an innocent man who suffered the punishment which by rights should have been ours. The scapegoat motif has resounded throughout history. Jews, held responsible for Christ's death, have been made scapegoats right up to the present day. The scapegoat is nearly always "the other;" the stranger who can be made to bear the responsibility for the problems the rest of us don't want to own.
Joining Ernie Rea to discuss the Scapegoat are Rabbi Dan Cohn Sherbok, Professor Emeritus of Judaism at the University of Wales: Sharon Dirix, Tutor at the Centre for Christian Apologetics at Oxford; and Peter Stanford, writer and broadcaster whose latest book on Judas came out last week.
After an incredibly successful debut earlier in this series, David Tennant is back on the show, joining Julian Clary, Stephen Fry and Paul Merton.
But will he manage to speak for an entire minute this time..? Subjects include "To Be or Not to Be" and "My Dog's Got No Nose".
Nicholas Parsons rules over BBC Radio 4's classic panel game in which the contestants are challenged to speak on a given subject for a minute without hesitation, repetition or deviation.
David's keen for Ruth to attend the flood meeting on Thursday about the local flood action plan. David could use some moral support. They organise for Josh to collect Heather from Prudhoe.
Fallon's worried that Hazel may decide to increase her rent when the flat and the shop are refurbished. Susan worries that Hazel may close the shop altogether.
After several unsuccessful efforts to get Susan's attention, Susan agrees to let Helen and Tom sell their produce in the shop.
Pip's thinking seriously about the future at Brookfield. David and Ruth will be hosting the village meal and Tom and Helen will contribute their pork and cheese.
Having finished Emma's wedding dress, Susan and Clarrie need to decide what they are going to wear to the ceremony. Meanwhile, Tony's worried about HSE inspection.
John Wilson talks to Tracey Emin, as her infamous artwork My Bed returns to public display at Tate.
As Ridley Scott's Blade Runner: The Final Cut is re-released in cinemas, Tim Robey looks at the idea of the director's cut.
Clark Tracey on his father Stan Tracey's seminal jazz album Under Milk Wood, inspired by the Dylan Thomas play, as he prepares to mark the record's 50th anniversary with a string of performances.
Inside the booming and lucrative business of multinational companies suing governments. The strangely-named investor state dispute settlement (ISDS) system is built into thousands of treaties between countries around the world. It is a key part of negotiations for a new trade and investment treaty between the US and the EU. Yet on both sides of the Atlantic, resistance is mounting. Michael Robinson digs into the ISDS mechanism to find out if the fears are justified. Are these little-known lawsuits threatening the democratic process?
It has been hidden away in a dusty corner of an abandoned theatre, unplayed and almost forgotten - a magnificent instrument allowed to moulder away in a territory whose Islamist rulers banned public performances of music. But now Gaza's only grand piano is getting a new lease of life. A small Brussels-based charity is restoring it to its former glory and at the same time is working to bring music back into schools. With Hamas control steadily weakening the charity has begun a unique project to train teachers in Gaza to re-introduce music into the curriculum - not through music classes but through subjects such as mathematics and geography. It is helping disturbed children in this war torn territory to concentrate - and it is exciting teachers. Tim Whewell gets exclusive access to the story of Gaza and its grand piano.
Infectious bacteria are becoming resistant to the drugs that used to kill them. The last new class of antibiotics was discovered in the 1980s. There is little in the development pipelines of the world's pharmaceutical industry. Drug companies got out of antibiotics as their attention switched to much more lucrative daily medicines for chronic diseases. Public funding on antibiotic research has also withered.
Now that the gathering crisis of antibiotic resistance is becoming recognised by politicians, what are the options? Roland Pease explores how business, academia and governments might work together to avert a return to the medical dark ages.
David Cameron says voters have a "stark choice" between him and Ed Miliband in Downing Street
On a sweltering July day, three people are found dead in a dilapidated house in London's elegant Primrose Hill. Reading the story in a newspaper as she prepares to leave the country, Marie Gillies has an unshakeable feeling that she is somehow to blame.
How did these three people come to live together, and how did they all die at once? The truth lies in a very different England, in the double life of Marie's father Arthur, and in the secret world of the ladies of the house...
Julia Davis and Marc Wootton star as a couple of maternity nurses who run their own business Sleepy Tigers' in this dark comedy drama. As they move into the home of some very new parents (played by Alex Macqueen and Rosie Cavaliero) the nurses quickly start to take over and dish out the advice: 'You are setting a pattern for baby's future the minute he comes out of the womb. Four days in and you could have a serial killer on your hands. Six weeks on and it's a lost cause, the personality is formed. But help is at hand!'.
Sanjeev Bhaskar, star of Goodness Gracious Me, presents his favourite pieces of writing and comedy to the audience at the Radio Theatre. His readers are Adrian Lester and Claire Benedict. Sanjeev's picks include Monty Python, Alan Alda, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and a stirring speech by Frederick Douglass, who after escaping from slavery became a leader of the abolitionist movement.
TUESDAY 31 MARCH 2015
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b05nkdsc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
TUE 00:30 Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane (b05plghr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b05nkdsg)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b05nkdsj)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b05nkdsl)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b05nkdsn)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b05pt7tm)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Venerable Sheila Watson, Archdeacon of Canterbury.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b05nv0ld)
Neospora, Rural Transport, Free-Range Hen Habitats
New measures are being put in place to tackle the most common cause of abortions in cattle, the parasitic disease Neospora. One farmer describes the effect it has had on him financially and emotionally.
We visit a free range chicken farm to see how they try to the make birds' surroundings as suited to their natural behaviour as possible.
Transport is an important issue for many voters in rural areas. One woman in Somerset explains what she did to retain a bus service for her rural community.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03tht7c)
Skylark
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
John Aitchison tells the story of the skylark. No other UK bird is capable of sustaining such a loud and complex song while hovering high above the ground, rapidly beating its wings to stay aloft. Some songs can last 20 minutes or more and their performance is likely to be as much a territorial display as an exhibition of the male's physical fitness to impress a female.
TUE 06:00 Today (b05nv1wb)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (b05nv1wd)
Jane Francis on Antarctica
Just twenty years ago, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) would not allow women to camp in Antarctica. In 2013, it appointed Jane Francis as its Director. Jane tells Jim Al-Khalili how an intimate understanding of petrified wood and fossilised leaves took her from Dorset's Jurassic coast to this icy land mass. Camping on Antarctic ice is not for everyone but Jane is addicted, even if she does crave celery and occasionally wish that she could wash her hair. Fossils buried under the ice contain vital clues about ancient climates and can be used to check current computer models of climate change. The earth can withstand a great range of temperatures: Antarctica was once covered in lush forest. But the question is: can humans adapt? As the ice caps melt, sea levels will continue to rise. And, says Jane, the time to start planning for that is now.
TUE 09:30 One to One (b05nv23y)
Christina Lamb talks to Ziauddin Yousafzai - Malala's dad.
Christina Lamb is an author and foreign correspondent for the Sunday Times and in this series of One to One she explores the issues around family legacies.
Christina looks at what can happen when you build a legacy only to find it overshadowed by your child's fame. Ziauddin is father of the schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, whose name became known around the world after she was shot dead by the Taleban in October 2012.
Malala was standing up for her rights to an education. While extremely proud of his daughter's bravery and her campaigning, he tells Christina where her passion stems from and that for him it's important to return to his home village and continue with his own work.
Other programmes from Christina's series can be found on the BBC iPlayer
Producer : Perminder Khatkar.
TUE 09:45 Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane (b05pn3sy)
Episode 2
Robert Macfarlane visits some inspiring places, to meet the people and 'collect' the words that evoke the area.
One day he sees a 'quick dark curve' - and recalls a particular bird of prey, made majestic in print by John Alec Baker.
Abridged for radio by Penny Leicester
Readers: Tobias Menzies and the author
Producer: Duncan Minshull
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2015
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b05nv240)
Poldark, Clare Grogan, Charlotte Metcalf
Martin Daubney and Tanya Gold on the objectification of men by women. Clare Grogan explains how life as a teenage pop star inspired her series of children's books. Carol Povey, from the National Autistic Society and playwright Ella Greenhill talk about how autism affects families. Charlotte Metcalf talks about the story behind her documentary School Girl Killer.
Presented by Jane Garvey
Produced by Claire Bartleet.
TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b05nxz3f)
Mike Bartlett - A Steal
Episode 2
Liverpool shop assistant Hanna's little bit of wealth redistribution has given her a taste for it. And she is getting fonder of Mark, the teacher she met in her Department Store...
Written by by Mike Bartlett
Hanna ..... Laura Dos Santos
Susie ..... Samantha Robinson
David ..... Justin Salinger
Mark ..... Shaun Mason
Len ..... Jude Akuwudike
Denise ..... Annabelle Dowler
Man ..... Ian Conningham
Director ..... Mary Peate
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
TUE 11:00 The Lariam Legacy (b05nv242)
An investigation into why the Ministry of Defence continues to use a drug that has been shown to cause psychosis, hallucinations, paranoia and confusion.
Lariam, also known by its generic name Mefloquine, is a highly effective anti-malarial drug, but in some people it can cause unpleasant neuropsychiatric reactions, problems with balance and vision, tinnitus and seizures. The drug manufacturer warns that, "Lariam may cause serious mental problems in some people". It also reports a link between Lariam and suicide.
In 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration applied the most serious kind of warning to the drug label, adding that the neurologic side effects may "persist or become permanent". US Special Forces soon banned the drug and launched an investigation into potential cases that may have been previously overlooked or misdiagnosed.
The wider US Army has "drastically reduced" its use of mefloquine, prescribing it only to soldiers who cannot tolerate the alternative anti-malarial drugs - as is also the case in Australia.
So why does the MOD continue to issue it to approximately 2,500 British Service Personnel each year? And is enough being done to ensure its safe use by British Armed Forces? We hear claims from ex-soldiers who felt compelled to use the drug and unable to report the side effects.
Producer: Deborah Dudgeon
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 11:30 My Pakistani Jazz Orchestra (b04n31w6)
Izzat Majeed could have retired quietly, but instead he formed the Sachal Jazz Ensemble and built a music studio in Lahore. The London-based father of three was born and brought up in Lahore. He recalls a vibrant city full of music and culture. When he was a child, Lollywood - Pakistan's film industry - was producing 100 movies a year. He recalls seeing the Dave Brubeck Trio playing in the city as part of America's Jazz Ambassador's Tour. This was the start of a lifelong affection for jazz. As the years passed, a more religious and less culturally tolerant society took shape in Pakistan. Izzat was extremely disheartened by this. Lollywood all but disappeared, and the classical musicians at it's heart disappeared with it. They had to make ends meet in any way they could. when he retired, he decided to do something about it, and the Sachal Jazz Ensemble was born.
TUE 12:00 News Summary (b05nkdss)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 A History of Ideas (b05nv3t8)
Philosopher Jules Evans on Aristotle and Flourishing
Philosopher Jules Evans wants to prove there's been a revival of Aristotle's ideas about flourishing and how to live a good life. "These ideas, which many of you might think are a bit dusty, they are central to modern politics, so the National Office of Statistics now measures national eudaimonic wellbeing, their flourishing."
To prove his point he visits Gus O'Donnell, former head of the civil service, who explains: "If you think of one thing governments could do, it would be to get rid of misery. Making multi-millionaires a little happier, to me that's not one the pressing public policy issues of our age."
And James O'Shaughnessy explains why he's helping to set up a chain of schools called Floreat based on Aristotle's flourishing concept.
Jules Evans is the author of Philosophy for Life.
The producer is Miles Warde.
TUE 12:16 You and Yours (b05nv3tb)
Call You and Yours: What will drive up nursing standards?
A new set of professional standards will apply to every nurse and midwife working in the UK. They will be expected to speak out when something goes wrong and to immediately raise any concerns they have at work.
Nurses and midwives will be obliged to take action in emergencies when off-duty and asked to act responsibly on social media. This will cover every form of nursing and midwifery, from hospital to nursing home, community to private from birth centre to intensive care.
Are you somebody who wishes this could've come earlier to improve the care you or a loved one has had? Do you think a written code of practice is enough to restore trust after a string of NHS scandals? Maybe you're a nurse who feels this is yet another responsibility placed on already strained workers? We want to hear from you. Email the programme now - youandyours@bbc.co.uk
And join Melanie Abbott at quarter past 12.
TUE 12:57 Weather (b05nkdsv)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 13:00 World at One (b05nv3td)
Analysis of current affairs reports, presented by Martha Kearney.
TUE 13:45 Healthy Visions (b05q13vv)
The Patient in Charge?
2/5
Most health care is delivered face to face with a highly and expensively qualified practitioner who acts as gatekeeper to any treatment we receive. If we seek advice from our GP, they will generally either prescribe medication, refer us for investigative tests or send us to a specialist consultant who will in turn assess our need for treatment.
In the second programme of this Healthy Visions series, Dr Charles Alessi argues that this model of how we access and interact with our health care system will be required to undergo considerable change in the future. Not only do NHS resources need to be saved, but people are becoming increasingly knowledgeable and interested in their health and want to be more involved and in charge of their own care.
In the digital age it is now becoming much easier to access and share information about health. Patients Know Best is the world's first patient controlled online medical records system and is based on the premise that patients have the right to, and are best placed to be in control of their own records. By having their own unique profile on a website, patients are able to gain access to their data via a computer or smartphone. Linking together the care teams that treat them, management of any condition is made much easier for all involved.
Patients are also becoming more active in their own care as treatment moves away from solely being provided by health care professionals. An illustration of this is the self-care kidney dialysis unit in Harrogate, Yorkshire, the first of its kind in the country, where patients undertake their own dialysis at times that are most convenient for them. This affords them much greater flexibility and can substantially improve their quality of life.
Presenter:Dr Charles Alessi
Producer:Helena Selby
Editor:Andrew Smith.
TUE 14:00 The Archers (b05nt9bh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama (b05nvdv0)
Three Soldiers
Three Soldiers by Amanda Dalton is set in Manchester during spring 2015, and in South Sudan in 2013/14 during conflict.The action takes place over one weekend when three teenagers lives intersect. They have all been affected by war in one way or another . Ryan's place, where they meet is a scrap of scrubland just off a neglected path by the river.
Sound design Steve Brooke
Directed in Salford by Susan Roberts
Angel , age 15 is a refugee who has escaped fighting in South Sudan where she was forced to become a child soldier. She takes us back to a vivid sound world of village life, war, music, the natural world, the journey...
Angel is traumatised and rarely shows emotion despite the terrible things she has been through. She is volatile and breaks down as she relives moments of her trauma. Beneath this is a warm, eager teenager who was once at ease.
Ryan Parr, 15, a solitary boy . He struggles at school but wants to do something with his life that has status; he's desperate to 'do well' and to belong to something bigger and hopes the army will give him this. He loves the outside world - the woods and his birds. He is building a bird hide. He has a natural authority in this place - and it's the one place where he knows more than Carly.
Carly also 15, is confused, unhappy, angry, off balance and struggling. She is bright but hates school and has a bad reputation. She is private with a storm of mixed emotions about her home situation. She's always felt lied to and never felt 'let in' or trusted with confidences - until Angel shares her story with her. .
TUE 15:00 Children on the Front Line (b05nvdv2)
Following the afternoon play "Three Soldiers,"
Mike Thomson reports from Northern Iraq on the changing role of child soldiers.
Aid organisations estimate that there are around 300,000 children involved with armed groups worldwide, but with the escalation of the conflict in Syria the number is likely to be much greater.
Children are on the Front Line as never before. They're being recruited in new ways and used in more roles. Many will bear arms - others will act as porters or cooks. 40% of them are girls, who may be married off to combatants or otherwise sexually exploited.
The traditional image of the child soldier is of the boy forced to fight after being abducted.....now many are volunteering after being ideologically groomed or encouraged by their parents and communities. Should such youngsters continue to be seen as victims or held responsible for their actions? And what can be done to stop this trend and keep children out of conflicts?
Producer: Rosie Dawson.
TUE 15:30 Costing the Earth (b05nvdv4)
Climate Change: Inconvenient Facts?
With arctic sea ice shrinking and Antarctic sea ice growing, Tom Heap asks what is happening to the climate.
Despite the consensus of scientists around the world, there are still some anomalies in the computer models of the future climate. Tom Heap is joined by a panel of experts to tackle some of the difficult questions that lead to uncertainties in our understanding of the changing climate.
The perceived wisdom in the scientific community is that the climate is warming but evidence shows that even though Arctic sea ice is melting, there has actually been a growth in Antarctic sea ice. That, along with a documented slow down in the warming of the climate since 1998, has been a 'stone in the shoe' of the climate change story. So what is happening?
Tom is joined by BBC and Met office weather presenter John Hammond to put these 'difficult' climate scenarios to a team of experts: Mark Lynas is an author and environmental campaigner, Mike Hulme is professor of Climate and Culture at Kings College London and Dr Helen Czerski is a broadcaster and 'bubble physicist' at UCL.
With the help of this panel, Costing The Earth discusses how best to communicate anomalies that don't appear in climate models and make the science sometimes hard to comprehend.
Presenter: Tom Heap
Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.
TUE 16:00 Allergic to the 21st Century (b05nvfqz)
Every day we're exposed to a multitude of man-made chemicals in the food we eat, the air we breathe and the products we clean our homes and wash our bodies with. For some people, like journalist Jane Little, the burden can be almost too much to bear. Certain chemicals trigger extreme physical reactions, leaving her ill and exhausted for days at a time. It's a debilitating condition for her and many thousands of fellow sufferers. Some estimates suggest that 15% of the American population believe they experience ill effects from domestic chemicals.
The trouble is that most members of the medical establishment in the US and the UK refuse to accept that Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is a disease. It's not a straightforward allergy and there's no diagnostic test or clearly defined treatment programme. So what is Jane actually suffering from? To find out she takes a global road trip from the foothills of Cumbria to the deserts of Arizona.
Jane suffered her first extreme reaction whilst staying on the family farm in Cumbria. Exposed, alongside her father, to the cocktail of disinfectants used during the Foot and Mouth outbreak of 2001, she believes this could be the origin of her condition. In Texas she meets clinicians who say that they can explain MCS with a new theory of disease whilst in Arizona she drops in on a community that's retreated completely from a chemically-based society. Living in self-built homes stripped of plastics and petro-chemicals they discourage visitors tainted by perfumes, deodorants and detergents.
Producer: Alasdair Cross.
TUE 16:30 A Good Read (b05nvfr1)
Ian Rankin and Joe Boyd
Crime writer Ian Rankin and record producer Joe Boyd talk to Harriett Gilbert about some of the great books they've read, including The Wilder Shores of Love by Lesley Blanch, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid and The Islanders by Pascal Garnier.
Producer Beth O'Dea.
TUE 17:00 PM (b05nvfr3)
With the latest news interviews, context and analysis.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b05nkdsy)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 18:30 Ayres on the Air (b03t37cz)
Series 5
Beauty
Poet Pam Ayres presents poems, stories and sketches on the subject of beauty and, that newly-coined term, wellness.
Pam recalls meeting Phyllis Diller and finding out about 'chin brown' - and recalls buying a very unsuitable outfit having admired it on someone else
She also explains how you know when you've put on a little too much weight.
With:
Felicity Montagu
Geoffrey Whitehead as Pam's long-suffering husband 'Gordon'.
Poems include: Too Much of a Fag, Did I Turn Off My Tongs?, Had a Little Work Done, Pilates, Once I Was a Looker and So Was My Spouse, and the legendary I Wish I'd Looked After Me Teeth.
Sketch writers: James Bugg, Grainne McGuire, Claire Jones, Andy Wolton and Tom Neenan.
Producer: Claire Jones.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2014.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (b05nvfr5)
The devastation of the floods has flagged up worrying issues with the soil at Home Farm for Adam. He lets Brian know how unhappy he is.
Kate's jealous of Phoebe being with Hayley and Abbie over Easter. Kate's reluctantly due to help Adam with planting strawberries next week. Jennifer's busy finishing her flood article for the Borchester Echo and getting more SAVE leaflets. Kate offers to do the cooking for the Easter weekend. Vegan of course. Surprised Jennifer's happy to hand it over.
Tony fears the outcome of the HSE inspection. He and Pat will have to wait for the outcome and it's not clear how long the assessment period will be. They could face a fine. But worse, thinks Tony, is the potential damage to the Bridge Farm reputation.
TUE 19:16 Front Row (b05nvfr7)
The Dark Horse, Sara Taylor, 70 Years of The Glass Menagerie
New Zealand film The Dark Horse is based on the life of Genesis Potini, a bipolar chess champion who inspired young people to avoid gangs and crime by getting involved with chess. Larushka Ivan-Zedah reviews.
Author Sara Taylor has been nominated for the Bailey's Prize for her debut novel The Shore. She discusses the interlinked series of stories set in the isolated community she grew up in on the eastern shore of Virginia.
It's 150 years since the death of Abraham Lincoln, who was famously assassinated in a theatre. Lincoln was watching the play Our American Cousin by British playwright Tom Taylor, a rarely-performed play which is currently on at the Finborough Theatre in London. The director Lydia Parker and the historian Dr Adam Smith talk about the English country house farce.
The Glass Menagerie was the play that launched the career of Tennessee Williams, which premiered on Broadway 70 years ago today. John Lahr, the author of a biography of Williams, reflects on that momentous night.
Presenter: Kirsty Lang
Producer: Olivia Skinner.
TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b05nxz3f)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
TUE 20:00 Inside the Sex Offenders' Prison (b05nvfr9)
The documentary film-maker Rex Bloomstein gains unprecedented access to HMP Whatton in Nottinghamshire, the largest sex offender prison in Europe, to investigate how its inmates are rehabilitated for release.
There are now more sex offenders in the prison system than ever before - around 11, 000 out of a total prison population of nearly 86,000 in England and Wales. HMP Whatton, with its capacity of 841 prisoners, is a specialist treatment centre for sex offenders - 70% of whom have committed offences against children, the rest against adults.
Rex Bloomstein has been given a unique opportunity to explore the methods used to get prisoners to confront their offending behaviour and to prepare them to go back into the community.
The prison's governor Lynn Saunders describes Whatton as "a great leveller, prisoners come from all walks of life". Offenders against both children and adults are mixed together in the prison's many Sex Offender Treatment Programmes.
Candid interviews with prisoners are at the heart of this documentary as they reveal the impact of these treatment programmes.
But Bloomstein discovers a paradox. Many sex offenders feel intense shame and guilt about their crimes as society would expect - however, he learns that such emotions can be a huge barrier to the treatment process, as Whatton's staff work hard to restore offenders' self-esteem which is deemed crucial to their rehabilitation.
As the majority of Whatton's prisoners will be released, Bloomstein ultimately considers the issue of risk - how certain can we be that these men won't commit terrible crimes again?
Producer: Simon Jacobs
A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 20:40 In Touch (b05nvfrc)
Blind in Business; Darren Murinas
The charity Blind in Business helped paralympian Jessica Luke get paid work. She tells Peter why it was so effective and how it could benefit others.
Tom Walker talks to Darren Murinas who is partially-sighted and has served a prison sentence for drug dealing. Darren now works for Stoke Expert Citizens group and is actively helping others keep their lives on track.
TUE 21:00 Beating the Detector (b05nvg7p)
Anjana Ahuja asks if polygraphs - or lie detectors - should be used to monitor sex offenders in the UK, when it can reportedly take just five minutes to learn how to beat them.
After successful trials, where sex offenders made more disclosures after their use, legislation was brought in to implement polygraph testing for those with a high risk of reoffending. The tests are now being introduced nationally with members of the police undergoing polygraph training.
However, interpretation of the science is under dispute and, according to critics, the test is not only unreliable, but it can easily be beaten. Two of the United States' most notorious serial killers both passed polygraphs. Former US policeman Doug Williams, who has been teaching people how to beat the detector for decades, claims it can be done in just five minutes. He is currently awaiting trial in the United States accused, according to the FBI, of "training customers to lie and conceal crimes during polygraph examinations".
Science columnist for the Financial Times, Anjana Ahuja, argues that the introduction of polygraphs for sex offenders in the UK requires further ethical scrutiny and academic oversight. .
The programme includes interviews with Doug Williams, psychologist Professor Chris French, polygraph historian Ken Alder, Jeremy Wescombe from the British Polygraph Association, Professor of forensic psychiatry Don Grubin, Professor of criminal justice Phil Rumney and DC Andrew Tinker from South Yorkshire Police, one of the first police forces to trial the use of polygraphs with sex offenders.
Producer: Sue Nelson
A Boffin Media production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 21:30 The Life Scientific (b05nv1wd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 21:58 Weather (b05nkdt0)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b05nvfrn)
Goodbye Goodluck.
A profile of the new President as Buhari wins the Nigerian election.
TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b05nvfrq)
The Ladies of the House
Episode 2
Rita's story. Born in a northern town, wild and bold and beautiful Rita didn't care what people thought of her. Her good looks brought men's attention - and trouble. In this episode we discover the twists and turns that led her to a Soho peepshow and, eventually, to the door of Arthur Gillies's high-class brothel in Primrose Hill.
Molly McGrann's new novel centres around the fallout from the discovery of the double life led by the late Arthur Gillies - on the surface a respectable businessman, whose widow and daughter have no idea that he made a fortune running brothels, for several decades, in some of London's most exclusive areas.
Read by Susan Jameson
Written by Molly McGrann
Abridged by Robin Brooks
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
TUE 23:00 Julia Sutherland: Fat Chance (b05nvg7r)
Comedian Julia Sutherland spent over a decade battling with eating disorders and obesity. When she finally lost six-and-a-half stone, it felt like she had another shot at life.
A new body, a new perspective on the world – but was it really a new Julia? She attempts to find out through stand up, sketches and stories.
Producer: Sean Kerwin
A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 23:30 With Great Pleasure (b050zy3v)
Carol Klein
Writer and gardener Carol Klein shares her favourite pieces of writing, from Graham Greene's 'Our Man in Havana' to Clare Leighton's 'Four Hedges', as well as poetry by Roque Dalton and Seamus Heaney. With inspiration from environmentalist Wangari Maathai and a taste of Carol's beatnik roots from Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road'.
Funny, touching, lyrical and down-to-earth readings to reflect Carol's taste and personality.
With special guest readers Jo Brand and Phil Davis, and music composed and performed by Alastair Caplin.
Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery.
WEDNESDAY 01 APRIL 2015
WED 00:00 Midnight News (b05nkdtv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
WED 00:30 Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane (b05pn3sy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b05nkdty)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b05nkdv0)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b05nkdv2)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (b05nkdv4)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b05pt4z6)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Venerable Sheila Watson, Archdeacon of Canterbury.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (b05nvgg2)
Storms Halt Bird Migration
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03tht5z)
Chough
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
John Aitchison tells the story of the chough. Our healthiest chough populations are in Ireland, southwest and north Wales and western Scotland. The last English stronghold was in Cornwall and Choughs feature on the Cornish coat of arms. Even here they became extinct until wild birds from Ireland re-colonised the county in 2001. Now the birds breed regularly on the Lizard peninsula.
WED 06:00 Today (b05nvgpy)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Midweek (b05nvgq0)
Richard Goldstein, Sir Anthony Seldon, Paul Wayne Gregory, Kimmie Rhodes
Libby Purves meets headmaster and writer Sir Anthony Seldon; former rock critic Richard Goldstein; chocolatier Paul Wayne Gregory and singer and songwriter Kimmie Rhodes.
Paul Wayne Gregory is an award-winning chocolatier who provided chocolates for the Queen's 80th birthday celebrations. He trained as a pastry chef before learning the art of chocolate artistry in France and Spain under chefs Jean Valentine and Oriol Balaguer. He is currently working on a chocolate art exhibition which will feature sculptures, casts, copies of famous pieces of art such as the Mona Lisa and original chocolate art work by Paul himself.
Richard Goldstein is acknowledged as one of the founders of rock criticism who started his career at the Village Voice in 1966. He championed the idea that rock music was a serious art form long before it was acceptable. In his memoir, Another Little Piece of My Heart, he tells how he toured with Janis Joplin, hung out with Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys and was in the front row when Jimi Hendrix burnt his guitar. Another Little Piece of My Heart: My Life of Rock and Revolution in the Sixties is published by Bloomsbury.
Sir Anthony Seldon is the headmaster of Wellington College in Berkshire. He introduced happiness - or well-being - lessons at his school and co-founded Action for Happiness which aims to create a happier and more caring society. In his book, Beyond Happiness, Sir Anthony distinguishes between pleasure, happiness and joy and offers an eight-step approach on how to make our lives more meaningful and rewarding. Beyond Happiness: The Trap of Happiness and How to find Deeper Meaning and Joy is published by Hodder & Stoughton.
Kimmie Rhodes is a singer and songwriter whose songs have been record by a range of performers including Willie Nelson, Wynonna Judd, Trisha Yearwood, Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris. She grew up in Lubbock, Texas and began her singing career at the age of six with her family gospel trio. Her new album, Cowgirl Boudoir, is dedicated to her mentor - singer and record producer Cowboy Jack Clement. Cowgirl Boudoir is on Sunbird Records. Kimmie Rhodes is on tour.
WED 09:45 Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane (b05pntyn)
Episode 3
Robert Macfarlane visits some inspiring places, to meet the people and 'collect' the words that evoke the area:
He travels to the Lake District, to meet another collector of words. Beforehand, he reads a folk epic called the Kalevala, which makes some eerie connections with his project.
Abridged for radio by Penny Leicester
Readers: Tobias Menzies and the author
Producer: Duncan Minshull
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2015
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b05nvhct)
Katie Brayben as Carole King
Katie Brayben currently playing Carole King in the West End performs live; Journalist Chaedria LaBouvier, whose brother died in a shooting, talks about raising boys in the USA after Ferguson; Artist, Unity Spencer - her autobiography and new exhibition; Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and her new book, 'Exotic England: The Making of a Curious Nation' on what it means to be English.
WED 10:41 15 Minute Drama (b05nxz5k)
Mike Bartlett - A Steal
Episode 3
Hanna's unorthodox way of helping out some friends in need is going from strength to strength. But she's not going to be able to get away with it for much longer...
Written by Mike Bartlett.
Hanna ..... Laura Dos Santos
Susie ..... Samantha Robinson
David ..... Justin Salinger
Mark ..... Shaun Mason
Barry ..... Sam Dale
Denise ..... Annabelle Dowler
Rogers ..... David Acton
Man ..... Ian Conningham
Director ..... Mary Peate
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
WED 10:55 The Listening Project (b05nvj7d)
Joe and Kevin - Barstool Philosophy
Fi Glover introduces a conversation about how working in a bar in Derry has changed over a generation, and how the emigration of Ireland's young continues, in the series that shows it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
WED 11:00 Ken, Madge and the Strange Rock (b05nvj7g)
In January 2013 on Morecambe beach, Ken Wilman and his dog Madge found something they believed to be ambergris - an extremely unusual, rare and valuable product of sperm whales. What happened next turned Ken's world upside down.
Overnight, the story hit the international news with excitement at the prospect of a happy financial outcome for Ken. But things turned out not to be so straightforward.
Peregrine Andrews followed the story from the beginning - and he discovered that authenticating and selling one of the world's most mysterious substances is far from easy.
Produced by Peregrine Andrews
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 11:30 Thanks a Lot, Milton Jones! (b03vgnjl)
Series 1
Wedding Planner
Mention Milton Jones to most people and the first thing they think is 'Help!'.
King of the one-liners, Milton Jones returns BBC to Radio 4 for an amazing 10th series in a new format where he has decided to set himself up as a man who can help anyone anywhere - whether they need it or not. Because, in his own words, "No problem too problemy".
But each week, Milton and his trusty assistant Anton set out to help people and soon find they're embroiled in a new adventure. So when you're close to the edge, then Milton can give you a push.
This week, Milton has decided to become a wedding planner. But when a distraught bride comes to the door with the case of the vanishing groom-to-be, Milton is all set to help.
Written by Milton with James Cary ("Bluestone 42", "Miranda") and Dan Evans (who co-wrote Milton's Channel 4 show "House Of Rooms") the man they call "Britain's funniest Milton," returns to the radio with a fully-working cast and a shipload of new jokes.
The cast includes regulars Tom Goodman-Hill ("Spamalot", "Mr. Selfridge") as the ever-faithful Anton, and Dan Tetsell ("Newsjack"), and features the one and only Josie Lawrence working with Milton for the first time.
Producer David Tyler's radio credits include Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive, Cabin Pressure, Bigipedia, Another Case Of Milton Jones, Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation, The Brig Society, Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off, The 99p Challenge, The Castle, The 3rd Degree and even, going back a bit, Radio Active.
Produced and Directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:00 News Summary (b05nkdv9)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 A History of Ideas (b05nvj7j)
Justin Champion on Max Weber and the Protestant Ethic
Hardworking families, alarm clock Britain, shirkers and strivers...there's no doubt that ideas about the moral power and value of hard work are embedded in our culture. But where did these ideas come from? The historian, Justin Champion, explores the ideas of the German thinker and father of sociology Max Weber.
In his most famous book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Weber set out his idea that the roots of our beliefs about the value of hard work and material success are to be found in the religious thinking of Protestantism, the Puritans especially and Calvin in particular. For them finding a vocation, working hard and achieving material success were evidence that they were one of the elect: the people God had saved from eternal damnation.
Those religious ideas have resonance today, albeit translated into a secular setting: Justin talks to Steve Finn, a former armed robber now involved in running, Blue Sky, a social enterprise that offers employment to ex-offenders so they can turn their lives around. He also hears from the entrepreneur Sara Murray for whom work and life are happily intermingled and whose sense of mission around the success of her company, Buddi, drives her.
Justin also looks at the darker side. With the writer Madeleine Bunting, he explores how our culture's obsession with the "work ethic" can leave people unable to participate feeling deficient and judged.
Producer: Natalie Steed.
WED 12:16 You and Yours (b05nvj7l)
NHS Fines, Pet Food Labels, Organic Food Sales, University Fees
We hear how hospitals in England could be fined £200 million by NHS Trusts this year - and it could cost patients in the long run.
Universities are told to make sure the stick to the consumer laws when they tell students what they'll get on their courses.
Organic food sales in the UK are rising - but organic food production is down. We ask why.
Dogs seem to eat what they want - but do owners care what's in pet food? New research suggests pet food labels may not tell the whole story.
Has DIY had its day? After B&Q announced store closure - we ask expert DIY Tommy Walsh if we've had enough of doing it for ourselves.
And we hear how some people who want to appeal their business rates may not be getting the help they pay for.
PRESENTER: PETER WHITE
PRODUCER: ROB CAVE.
WED 12:57 Weather (b05nkdvc)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 13:00 World at One (b05nvj7n)
Analysis of current affairs reports, presented by Martha Kearney.
WED 13:45 Healthy Visions (b05q1406)
Wellness at Work
Dame Carol Black argues that it is important to promote health and well-being at work. Both employers and employees need to do their part. If they do, it will benefit everybody - companies, staff and the NHS.
Achieving improved health in the workplace, she says, can help to significantly reduce demand on stretched NHS services. But the benefits are not just for the NHS. Healthier staff will feel better, be more productive, and happier at work. And employers can save money on sick pay or the costs associated with high staff turnover.
Some companies are at the forefront of this, such as the Ipswich Building Society. They have a points scheme, for example, whereby staff can earn points for walking or exercising at lunchtime. These can then be cashed in for time off work. They also offer lunchtime team walks, pedometers and "couch to 5k" podcasts that help non-runners to gradually build up to running five kilometres. One member of staff says that as a result, she not only feels more valued at work but has also not had a day off sick in seven years.
Presenter: Dame Carol Black
Producer: Arlene Gregorius
Editor:Andrew Smith.
WED 14:00 The Archers (b05nvfr5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (b01jrjfz)
Moya O'Shea - Digging for Victory
By Moya O'Shea
When a family decide they have no option than to take destiny into their own hands they discover digging another room under their flat isn't as simple as they first thought.
Directed by Tracey Neale
Moya O'Shea's radio work includes 'Theo' which was voted most popular drama by the listeners of Radio 7 (now Radio 4Extra) and 'A Town Like Alice' winner of a Sony Award.
WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b05nvjb2)
Pension Freedom
Wondering what to do with your pension pot? Should you take a cash lump sum, buy an annuity, a drawdown plan or maybe all three? To ask about pension freedom and retirement choices, call 03700 100 444 from
1pm to
3.30pm on Wednesday or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk
The retirement income market is changing radically and you may be faced with an array of options but you need to plan carefully so that you don't face surprise tax bills, fees and risks or lose out on built in pension guarantees.
If you've got a question or a concern about retirement planning, Paul Lewis and guests will be ready to help on Wednesday's Money Box Live
Joining Paul to share their experience will be:
Nick Bamford, Chartered Financial Planner, Informed Choice.
Michelle Cracknell, The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS).
Tom McPhail, Head of Pensions Research, Hargreaves Lansdown.
Call 03700 100 444 from
1pm to
3.30pm on Wednesday or e-mail your question to moneybox@bbc.co.uk now. Standard geographic call charges apply.
WED 15:30 Beating the Detector (b05nvg7p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b05nvjhp)
Citizenship Ceremonies; Family Ties and Genetics
Making citizens: how countries make public rituals out of endowing new citizens with citizenship. Laurie Taylor talks to Bridget Byrne, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Manchester, about her in-depth comparative study of citizenship ceremonies. In a mobile, transnational world passports and rights matter now more than ever. So how do states draw and establish the boundaries of citizenship? Using empirical research in the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, and Ireland, Dr Byrne roots contemporary concepts of national belonging in colonial history.
Family ties in genes and stories: Janice McLaughlin, Professor of Sociology at Newcastle University, discusses her study of families referred to a paediatric genetic service. An increasing number of children are referred for genetic investigation due to physical & learning difficulties. This study found that the clinical discussions which ensue bring family histories to the fore in surprising and unpredictable ways. Sociologists have long recognised the importance of narrative to forming and maintaining family ties. But how are such stories altered as a result of geneticists' involvement in family relations? Which stories can and can't be told?
Producer: Jayne Egerton.
WED 16:30 The Media Show (b05nvjhr)
Spider Memos, Dermot Departs The X Factor, Mental Health Headlines, Plaid Cymru Media Policy
The Supreme count has ruled that 27 letters written by Prince Charles to Ministers, the so-called 'spider letters', should be made public. It follows a ten year campaign by the Guardian newspaper and reporter Rob Evans, who first submitted a Freedom of Information request to see the letters back in 2005. Steve Hewlett talks to Rob about the ruling, what it means for press freedom, and what he has learnt about the content of the memos.
Talk of the Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz being "depressed" appeared on Friday's front pages. Headlines included "Killer pilot suffered from depression" (Daily Mirror), "Madman in cockpit" (The Sun) and "Why on earth was he allowed to fly?" (Daily Mail). Mental health campaigners came out against the coverage, including Alastair Campbell, former spin doctor, and now ambassador for Time For Change. Steve speaks to him about his call to sack news editors who had published 'hideous' front pages, the role of the press in combating stigma, and why he thinks there's a danger in making a correlation between depression and violence.
Dermot O'Leary will no longer present the X Factor after 8 years on the show. An X Factor spokesperson has said 'no decisions have been taken' on who will replace him, but the Sun revealed in a scoop on Saturday that Olly Murs and Caroline Flack are being lined up as his replacement. Steve speaks to the Mirror's TV critic Kevin O'Sullivan about what the story exposed about showbit and former BBC controller of commissioning entertainment, Jane Lush about the crucial role of the presenter in ensuring a programme's success.
And in the third of seven interviews with political parties in the run up to the general election, we hear from Plaid Cymru about their media policy.
Producer: Katy Takatsuki.
WED 17:00 PM (b05nvjht)
With the latest news interviews, context and analysis.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b05nkdvf)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 18:30 Tim FitzHigham: The Gambler (b05nvjm7)
Series 2
Episode 1
Adventuring comedian Tim FitzHigham recreates an 18th century bet.
Can he walk from London's Royal Academy to the Royal Exchange building while blindfolded in under one hour?
Written by and starring Tim FitzHigham.
Additional material by Jon Hunter and Paul Byrne.
Producer: Joe Nunnery.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
WED 19:00 The Archers (b05nvjm9)
Ed and Jazzer have hot their sheep shearing business, 'Ambridge Shearers', up and running. Also keen to get set up as a contractor, Ed welcomes Eddies offer to help him look for a suitable new tractor.
Lynda tells Eddie that the insurers have given the go ahead so he can start to clear out the debris from her conservatory. Some handy paid work for Eddie.
Roy's working all through Easter and missing the Messiah. Lynda won't be singing - her role is more of a facilitator.
Joe has lost Daphne the ferret at Grey Gables. Roy and Lynda are puzzled by reports of scratching noises from other guests . The Grundys go undercover, doing their best to throw Roy off the scent. There's no joy - they'll have to keep searching.
WED 19:16 Front Row (b05nvjmc)
Sweeney Todd, Nick Cave, Peter Ackroyd, Eric Ravilious
Emma Thompson and Bryn Terfel star in English National Opera's new production of Sweeney Todd, the first production in the ENO's new strategy of staging musicals as well as operas. Critic and Sondheim fan Peter Kemp reviews the show.
John Wilson visits musician, writer and film-maker Nick Cave at his Brighton home to discuss Cave's latest book The Sick Bag Song, written partly on sickbags during a recent US tour.
Alexandra Harris reviews a new exhibition of the English painter, designer and illustrator Eric Ravilious, best known for his watercolours of the South Downs.
Novelist and critic Peter Ackroyd has written biographies of Londoners including Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens and William Blake. His latest subject is Alfred Hitchcock, whom he identifies as fitting into his 'Cockney Visionary' template. He explains what interested him about the controversial director.
Presenter: John Wilson
Producer: Ellie Bury.
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b05nxz5k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:41 today]
WED 20:00 Leader Conference (b05prrvv)
Election Special
In a special edition of Leader Conference, to mark the start of the 2015 general election campaign, Andrew Rawnsley was joined by Mary Ann Sieghart, Torcuil Crichton of the Daily Record; Emma Duncan of the Economist; Trevor Kavanagh of the Sun; and Rafael Behr of the Guardian.
We discussed:
Away with the taboos!
The contours of the general election campaign are becoming clear and we lament what we see. The issues which voters should hear being debated are being sidelined, while the politicians fixate on those they like to argue about among themselves. Voters deserve better. So what is to be done?
We first want to see politicians accept reality – hard though they may find it. The era of single party government is on the ebb, so politicians should manage that better when more than just one party has a stake in the process.
Second, the politicians need to be less evasive and instead clarify their stances in certain key policy areas to be credible. The Conservatives should spell out the welfare cuts they would make; Labour needs to be clearer about its tax plans.
More broadly, we want the parties to discuss openly such critical issues as how the country is to earn its living. The slump in productivity since the start of the financial crisis is unprecedented. It needs to be tackled boldly if people’s living standards are to rise again. This will include discussing, for example, how far immigration can make the economy more productive rather than just focusing on the numbers of migrants.
Other taboo subjects that should be addressed include the quality of teaching in schools and the adaptability of the workforce. It may be easier to sack workers in the UK than in other countries. But that flexibility shouldn’t be confused with ensuring British workers can adjust to changing market conditions because they are well-educated and multi-skilled.
The deal that must be done
The world could be forgiven for thinking negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme will never end. This week’s deadline for progress has come and gone and still they talk in Lausanne. For Tehran’s critics, especially in Israel and much of the US Congress, this is proof of Iran’s bad faith and the West needs to bring a halt to the farce. However, we believe there is still value in continuing to talk.
The purpose of the talks is unchanged – to bring Iran’s nuclear programme under international supervision, to prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons and so to diminish tensions in the Middle East.
The problem in Switzerland is over the sticking points to a nuclear deal. First, there is the technical question of how many centrifuges Tehran should be permitted to have. This matters because it determines how readily it could construct a nuclear bomb. Second, there is the vexed question of the inspection regime to ensure compliance with any deal.
Proper supervision and unimpeded inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency are essential. They would be important gains and precedents in the fight against nuclear proliferation. But they would also begin a process of integrating modern Iran into international institutions that could provide significant longer-term benefits.
Sanctions imposed by Western countries helped bring Tehran to the negotiating table; relaxing them after a deal could strengthen reformers there. A more responsible Iran is potentially an important gain for Western interests, closely though it would have to be watched.
We have no illusions about Tehran’s intention to be the principal player in the Gulf region or about its support for Hamas and Hizbollah and backing for Shia militias across the Middle East. The failing state of Yemen is merely the latest site of its long-standing rivalry with Saudi Arabia. But that does not mean the nuclear talks are not worth pursuing. On the contrary, they underline the importance of trying to get a deal.
Love letter to Suffolk
While many of Britain’s cities have been reinvented as temples of culture and consumerism thanks to money from the taxpayer, old harbours, fishing ports and coastal towns have been sorely neglected. It’s time they received better treatment.
Take Lowestoft. Once a thriving fishing port on the Suffolk coast where each year the annual herring fishery ended, the harbour enjoyed a boom in the first part of the 20th century, hence the fishermen’s affectionate description of herring as “silver darlings”.
Decline, though, was abrupt and large scale fishing for herring effectively ended fifty years ago. Lowestoft has like many other such towns fallen on harder times.
It needs hope, specifically a new bridge. The town is divided in two by a bascule bridge which opens and closes frequently each day, but it needs a new one which could be a hope for the future and a beacon of renewal. We warmly commend the idea to whoever should win the general election.
Producer: Simon Coates.
WED 20:45 Lent Talks (b05nvkmg)
Sir John Eliot Gardiner
Producer: Phil Pegum.
WED 21:00 Costing the Earth (b05nvdv4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
15:30 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 Midweek (b05nvgq0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b05nvkmj)
Labour hits back at accusations that it's anti-business
Miliband dismisses a warning by leaders of some of Britain's best-known companies
WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b05nvkmn)
The Ladies of the House
Episode 3
Molly McGrann's new novel centres around the fallout from the discovery of the double life led by the late Arthur Gillies - on the surface a respectable businessman, whose widow and daughter have no idea that he made a fortune running brothels, for several decades, in some of London's most exclusive areas.
Tonight's episode flashes back to the arrival of Rita and Annetta at one of Arthur's 'houses' in the early 1960s. Then moves forward to the present, where a mistake at the bank leads Arthur's daughter, Marie, to discover the true value of her father's estate, which has been held in trust since his death.
Read by Susan Jameson
Written by Molly McGrann
Abridged by Robin Brooks
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
WED 23:00 Jigsaw (b01qmbk2)
Series 1
Mousetrap
Stand-up comedians Dan Antopolski, Tom Craine and Nat Luurtsema combine their talents to piece together a rapid-fire and surreal sketch show.
Produced by Colin Anderson.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2013.
WED 23:15 The Music Teacher (b039d1fw)
Series 3
Episode 1
Richie Webb returns for a third series as multi-instrumentalist music teacher Nigel Penny.
Nigel inherits a life changing sum of money from a distant relative leading to him considering jacking it all in and starting again. A consideration consistently reinforced by the constant stream of useless pupils.
Meanwhile Belinda is keen to keep Nigel on at the Arts Centre to run free taster sessions. At any cost.
Directed by Nick Walker
Audio production by Matt Katz
Written and produced by Richie Webb
A Top Dog production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:30 With Great Pleasure (b051ryq6)
Jonathan Coe
The novelist Jonathan Coe, author of The Rotters' Club and What a Carve Up!, chooses the pieces of writing that have meant the most to him and inspired his own work.
His choices - including Lydia Davis, ee cummings, Henry Fielding and Thomas Hardy - are read by Eleanor Tremain and Peter Marinker for an audience at the Birmingham Literature Festival.
Producer: Mair Bosworth.
THURSDAY 02 APRIL 2015
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b05nkdwb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane (b05pntyn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b05nkdwf)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b05nkdwh)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b05nkdwk)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b05nkdwm)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b05p7cqf)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Venerable Sheila Watson, Archdeacon of Canterbury.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b05nxg19)
Food Standard Scotland, Planting, Vintage Tractors, Farm Bird Count, Fancy Eggs
Scotland gets its own control over food labelling and safety. Ross Finnie is Chairman of the newly formed Food Standards Scotland. He says it will mean they can tailor safety and nutrition to Scottish needs.
More than a million acres of land have been monitored by the second annual Big Farm Bird count, Director of the project Jim Egan says its an encouraging year for wildlife.
As spring hits UK farming, Farming Today hears from John Sedgewick who is the chief agronomist for Produce World, who grow salad and vegetables all over the UK, he gives Caz Graham a round up of whats being sown, planted and picked.
All this week Farming Today is looking at eggs. And there's a growing market for exotic fancy birds' eggs like partridge, goose, rhea and ostrich. Richard Kempsey is technical director of Clarence Court in Cornwall who sell specialist eggs, he explained why they can be so expensive to buy.
500 vintage tractors are set to line the roads around Gretna Green this Easter weekend. Enthusiasts from around the British Isles take part in a 25 mile convoy to show off their pride and joys. Organiser John Johnson told Farming Today that he has had a lifelong obsession with tractors.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced in Bristol by Ruth Sanderson.
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03thtfs)
Parrot Crossbill
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
John Aitchison tells the story of the parrot crossbill. The Parrot Crossbill lives only in a few native pinewoods in Scotland. When they're at the top of pine trees a view of the Parrot Crossbill is tricky, so crossbill experts use the birds' calls to tell them apart from Common and Scottish Crossbills. Parrot crossbills have a deeper call than the others.
THU 06:00 Today (b05nxgd9)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (b05nxgdd)
The California Gold Rush
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the California Gold Rush. In 1849 the recent discovery of gold at Coloma, near Sacramento in California, led to a massive influx of prospectors seeking to make their fortunes. Within a couple of years the tiny settlement of San Francisco had become a major city, with tens of thousands of immigrants, the so-called Forty-Niners, arriving by boat and over land. The gold rush transformed the west coast of America and its economy, but also uprooted local populations of Native Americans and made irreversible changes to natural habitats.
With:
Kathleen Burk
Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London
Jacqueline Fear-Segal
Reader in American History and Culture at the University of East Anglia
Frank Cogliano
Professor of American History at the University of Edinburgh.
THU 09:45 Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane (b05pqskb)
Episode 4
Robert Macfarlane visits some inspiring places, to meet the people and 'collect' the words that evoke the area:
He recalls the Victorian author Richard Jeffries, inhabitant and walker of Surbiton, which made him an early 'edgelander'.
Abridged for radio by Penny Leicester
Readers: Tobias Menzies and the author
Producer Duncan Minshull
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2015
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b05nxh9v)
Sex by Numbers, Ageism in Teaching, Pregnant Women in Detention
Sex by Numbers - What statistics can tell us about sexual behaviour. David Spiegelhalter, Professor of Statistics at Cambridge University, analyses new data from Britain's National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles and tells us how much sex Britons are really having.
Ageism in recruiting women teachers - Chris Keates from the teachers' union NASUWT says that discrimination against women aged 50-plus is on the increase.
Pregnant Women in Detention - Cross-party MPs have called for an end to the detention of pregnant women. Midwife Morag Forbes and Theresa Schleicher, casework manager at Medical Justice say they have evidence that some pregnant women in detention are receiving sub-standard medical care.
Mamie Smith was a celebrated black singer from the jazz era who in 1920 recorded the song Crazy Blues. This went on to sell a million copies in one year. Judi Herman reports on how Mamie was a pioneer, paving the way for other women blues singers who followed her.
Business development projects for women in Syrian Refugee Camps - A project led by the charity Women for Women International, has taught 20 Syrian widows business skills. Mandana Hendessi visits them in Kawergosk Camp.
Presenter: Jenni Murray
Producer: Rebecca Myatt.
THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b05nxzk4)
Mike Bartlett - A Steal
Episode 4
From ordinary young woman to Robin Hood figure. Now everything is out in the open, Hannah feels she can really make a difference.
Written by Mike Bartlett.
Hanna ..... Laura Dos Santos
Rogers ..... David Acton
Gail ..... Jane Slavin
Director ..... Mary Peate
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2019.
THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b05nxh9x)
Escaping Tanzania's Cutting Season
In northern Tanzania there is a tradition of FGM - female genital mutilation. The 'cutting season' lasts for six weeks. Afterwards, the adolescent victims are often expected to marry. But girls in Serengeti District are saying 'no' to FGM. And dozens of them have fled to a new safe house in the town of Mugumu to escape this bloody, life-threatening rite of passage. For Crossing Continents, Linda Pressly travels to Mugumu to meet the girls - and the woman who has given them refuge, Rhobi Samwelly. She listens in as Rhobi engages in delicate and often emotional negotiations with parents intent on mutilating their daughters. Will the girls ever feel safe enough to return home?
THU 11:30 360 Arts (b05nxhj4)
Jessica Lack tells the tale of one city's attempt to commission their first piece of public art for years and discovers a system heavy on stakeholders and short on artistic bravery.
She calls nationwide expert witnesses to explain why commissioning public art is so much easier said than done - and why it matters, even in times of austerity.
Producer: Catherine Carr
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:00 News Summary (b05nkdwq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 A History of Ideas (b05nxhj6)
Naomi Appleton on the Buddha's Four Noble Truths
Naomi Appleton explores the Buddha's Four Noble Truths in a week of programmes asking how do I live a good life. She speaks to a buddhist nun in Edinburgh who used to be a model, and investigates the link between mindfulness and the Four Noble Truths. With contributions from Ani Rinchen Khandro and Professor Willem Kuyken.
Naomi Appleton is the Chancellor's fellow in Religious Studies at the University of Edinburgh.
The producer is Miles Warde.
THU 12:16 You and Yours (b05nxhj8)
E-Cigarettes, £3000 of Wi-Fi, Buying Titles
As e-cigarettes have become more popular, concerns have been raised about their contents. The European Commission has ruled that anyone selling them by 2016 must be able to show exactly what's in it. But will the extra regulations mean extra cost?
A civil servant living in London denies using more than 110GB in three days this January. But Vodafone says Lucy Hayes must pay the almost £3000 bill she racked up within ten days of buying the mobile wifi device.
Plus the man who tried to buy himself a noble title. Some websites charge people thousands of pounds to call themselves the Lord or Lady of the Manor, but are the titles worth anything more than the paper they are printed on?
Presented by Peter White
Produced by Natalie Donovan.
THU 12:57 Weather (b05nkdws)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (b05nxj3k)
Analysis of current affairs reports, presented by Martha Kearney.
THU 13:45 Healthy Visions (b05pw69t)
Healthier Homes?
4/5. In 1900 about 4% of the population was aged over 65 - now it is over 20%. And within the foreseeable future we can expect most people to live to the age of 90 . This, says Professor John Ashton of the Faculty of Public Health, means we need big changes to how older people live - especially how they are housed.
In his "Healthy Visions" programme, John Ashton inverts the usual terms of the housing debate. He believes that by concentrating on the needs of older people, the housing problems of younger people can be tackled too.
Living to your dying day in the house you've lived in for fifty years will often not be the wisest option. Instead, planned new types of housing should be encouraged that support living in the neighbourhoods where people have recently lived. These new units would be built on a human scale, with the flexibility to adapt rooms to changing needs as people get older and their health deteriorates. They would be close to health centres and would be underpinned by local people actively supporting independent living.
Escalating property prices, economic growth and rising living standards have all helped many baby boomers get richer. Now, argues John Ashton, it's time for them to help themselves and other generations in a new compact. The properties they move out of can help younger people get on the housing ladder.
John Ashton visits examples of future living and community support in north-west England to illustrate how his vision can be realised.
Presenter: Professor John Ashton
Producer: Simon Coates
Editor: Andrew Smith.
THU 14:00 The Archers (b05nvjm9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b05nxmzy)
Duchamp's Urinal
A documentary fiction about how a men's urinal changed the face of the art world at the turn of the 20th century.
Presented by art-historian Ben Street, and a cast of other subversive characters.
Written by Al Smith and Ben Street.
Merce ...... Chris Pavlo
Bellows/Wyatt/Sophisticate/American Voice ...... Sam Dale
Arensberg/Taxi Driver/French Voice/Steiglitz ...... Nick Underwood
John Cage/Joseph Stella/German voice ...... Finn Den Hertog
Marcel Duchamp ...... Samuel Barnett
Johns ...... Mark Edel Hunt
Rauchenberg ...... Neet Mohan
Producer: Lu Kemp.
A BBC Scotland production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in April 2015.
THU 15:00 Open Country (b05nxn00)
CS Lewis Nature Reserve, Oxfordshire
65 years after the first publication of The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe, Helen Mark discovers a real life Narnia in the form of a tranquil Oxfordshire woodland that once belonged to CS Lewis.
It is said that Lewis enjoyed wandering here while writing his children's book series which includes The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and that he and his brother 'Warnie' planted trees amongst the woodland. The reserve - now owned and managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust - was Lewis's back garden. At that time, the area of Risinghurst was a rural escape on the fringes of Oxford. Today, with the A40 nearby and surrounded by houses, this small area of land has managed to keep its sense of stillness.
Lewis's red brick home 'The Kilns', still nestles to the edge of the reserve. Today it is cared for by The CS Lewis Foundation and as Helen discovers, it still holds strong memories for CS Lewis's former secretary and friend, Walter Hooper.
CS Lewis was laid to rest in the grounds of the church where he worshipped, just a short walk away, at Holy Trinity Church Headington Quarry.
Including interviews with Reserve Warden Mark Bradfield, local historian Mike Stranks, Rev David Beckmann and Walter Hooper.
Presented by Helen Mark
Produced by Nicola Humphries.
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b05ns8pj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Open Book (b05nsgbm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:00 Cells and Celluloid: A Science and Cinema Special (b05prsc5)
Artificial Intelligence and Cinema
Adam Rutherford and Francine Stock return in a sequel of the film and science special. This time it's personal.
As Blade Runner returns to the big screen in the wake of Ex Machina and Chappie, Adam and Francine investigate the role of artificial intelligence in cinema. Professor Christopher Frayling presents a brief history of the robot in movies, Dr Andy Philippides demonstrates why scientists are not that interested in humanoid robots. As part of the BBC's Make It Digital campaign, computer programmer Bill Thompson reveals the best and worst examples of coding in film history, and games reviewer Helen Lewis shows Francine how A.I. is changing the future of gaming. Adam asks the big question: can we really replicate human consciousness ? He hears from professors Anil Seth and Roger Luckhurst, and from novelist Naomi Alderman.
THU 17:00 PM (b05nxn06)
With the latest news interviews, context and analysis.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b05nkdww)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 Ed Reardon's Week (b03hnhjw)
Series 9
The Intern
Ed Reardon leads us through the ups and down of his week, complete with his trusty companion, Elgar, and the curmudgeonly attitude to life that he's mastered over years of failure.
This week, the council is taking a holistic approach to cost-cutting and decides that Ed's writing class needs to get paid for some of their work. When it transpires that the class feels that they are wasting their time and thinking of joining the 'Bonkers About Baking' class Ed decides to set them the task of writing 'Hedgerow Jottings' and 'Tales from the Towpath' in an attempt to earn money and become real writers. Meanwhile, when the new intern at the agency turns out to be more than he seems, Ed finds himself maintaining his non-tax paying status by becoming the oldest intern in town and sharing an office with Ping.
Written by Andrew Nickolds and Christopher Douglas
Produced by Dawn Ellis.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b05nxn08)
Heather arrives at Brookfield. Jill and Heather discuss the family's change of heart over the move. Heather says she never quite believed David and Ruth could leave Brookfield, just as she couldn't up-root from Prudhoe. Heather is looking into sheltered housing.
Kenton and Lynda discuss his plans for a 'pop up' Bull on the green.
David chairs the flood meeting wanting to look forward. Jim and Lynda express concerns about people who are leaving the village because of the flooding. The insurance situation for those who decide to stay is also an issue. They don't feel they can look forward until everyone has come to terms with what has happened recently. Kenton takes every opportunity to give David a hard time at the meeting. In his view, David was prepared to abandon the village. David has a real nerve, setting himself up as a selfless defender of the community.
THU 19:16 Front Row (b05nxn0b)
National Poetry Competition, Dead Sheep, Code of a Killer, Attica Locke
On an important night for poetry, the winners will be announced of the National Poetry Competition - open to anyone for a £6 entrance fee - and The Ted Hughes Award rewarding new work. Roger McGough, President of the Poetry Society, tells Kirsty Lang who's won.
Jonathan Maitland, best known as a journalist and correspondent, has written his first play Dead Sheep about Geoffrey Howe's famous speech which led to Thatcher's downfall. Jonathan Maitland and Steve Nallon, who was the voice of Thatcher in Spitting Image and plays her in the play, discuss political satire on stage.
Attica Locke's latest novel features murder, powerful, dirty oil companies, and corrupt politicians, set in Pleasantville: a neighbourhood that, when it was built in 1949, had been advertised as "a planned community of new homes, spacious and modern in design, and built specifically for Negro families of means and class." She explains to Kirsty why this provided the perfect setting for her book.
And crime writer Mark Billingham reviews Code of a Killer, the new ITV drama starring David Threlfall and John Simm telling the true story of the discovery of DNA.
Presenter: Kirsty Lang
Producer: Sarah Johnson.
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b05nxzk4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 The Report (b05nxn0d)
The Murder of Meredith Kercher
Amanda Knox has been cleared for a second time of murdering British student Meredith Kercher at the cottage they shared in Italy in November 2007. The decision handed down by Italy's highest court puts an end to seven years of legal wrangling.
Knox, together with her former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, were originally convicted of the murder in 2009. They were acquitted on appeal two years later because of doubts over the forensic evidence, but their convictions were reinstated in January 2014.
Ruth Alexander asks what might have influenced the Italian Supreme Court's decision as she returns to interviews gathered last year with some of the key players in the case.
The programme features contributions from:
Rafaelle Sollecito
Francesco Maresca - Kercher family solicitor
Giancarlo Costagliola - Prosecutor in the case
The original version of this programme was broadcast 20 February 2014.
Reporter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: Helen Grady
Update Producer: Hannah Barnes
Translation by Santo Cullura and Helen Grady
The readers were:
Matthew Watson (reading the words of Francesca Maresca)
Clive Hayward (reading the words of Valter Biscotti)
David Cann (reading the words of Giancarlo Costagliola)
Wilf Scolding (reading the words of Antioco Fois).
THU 20:30 In Business (b05nxn0g)
The Freelance Economy
In Business returns with a new series.
This week Peter Day explores the growing freelance and micro-business economy. He asks why so many people are setting up on their own and whether it will be a decision they'll come to regret?
Also, what impact will the rise in the number of sole traders and micro-business owners have on the strength of the UK economy?
Producer: Rosamund Jones.
THU 21:00 Cells and Celluloid: A Science and Cinema Special (b05prsc5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 today]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (b05nxgdd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b05nxpky)
Leaders of 7 parties take part in main televised debate of 2015 general election campaign.
Only chance during campaign for Miliband and Cameron to confront each other face-to-face
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b05nxpl0)
The Ladies of the House
Episode 4
Molly McGrann's new novel centres around the fallout from the discovery of the double life led by the late Arthur Gillies - on the surface a respectable businessman, whose widow and daughter have no idea that he made a fortune running brothels, for several decades, in some of London's most exclusive areas.
As Arthur's illegitimate son Joseph fears he'll lose his home, his daughter Marie - oblivious to her half-brother's existence - makes plans for her future. Meanwhile, one of Arthur's former employees, elderly sex worker Rita, prepares for a date with a punter.
Read by Susan Jameson
Written by Molly McGrann
Abridged by Robin Brooks
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
THU 23:00 Chat Show Roulette (b05nxpl2)
Episode 3
Justin Edwards is the host of the new improvised chat show. His guests are Charlie Higson, Mike Wozniak and Cariad Lloyd, and Matt Lucas - with musical accompaniment from James Sherwood.
Devised by Ashley Blaker and Justin Edwards.
Produced by Ashley Blaker
A John Stanley production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:30 With Great Pleasure (b052hptg)
Raymond Blanc
Chef Raymond Blanc chooses his favourite writing, with readers Sinead Cusack and Julian Rhind-Tutt. Recorded at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. Raymond's deep love of literature encompasses poetry by Rimbaud, and excerpts from Cooking in Ten Minutes by Edouard de Pomiane, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, The Belly of Paris by Emile Zola and The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Also the words of a song, Ne Me Quitte Pas, by Jacques Brel.
Producer Beth O'Dea.
FRIDAY 03 APRIL 2015
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b05nkdxt)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane (b05pqskb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b05nkdxx)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b05nkdxz)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b05nkdy1)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b05nkdy3)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b05pr2l4)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Venerable Sheila Watson, Archdeacon of Canterbury.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b05p9w7s)
Farming and Climate Change
How should British farmers respond to the challenges posed by climate change? Charlotte Smith speaks to Lord Krebs of the Climate Change Committee which advises the government, Helen Browning of the Soil Association and others.
Produced by Mark Smalley.
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03thvkt)
Slavonian Grebe
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
John Aitchison tells the story of the Slavonian grebe. In winter, Slavonian Grebes, with their vermilion eyes, bright and shiny as redcurrants, fly south from Scandinavia and Iceland to spend the winter around our coasts. Their winter plumage is black, grey and white but in spring they moult into their breeding plumage with a rich chestnut throat and belly and golden ear-tufts. A small population breed on a few Scottish Lochs where you might hear their trilling calls.
FRI 06:00 Today (b05pr2l6)
Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b05nsb47)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:16 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane (b05pr507)
Episode 5
Robert Macfarlane visits some inspiring places, to meet the people and 'collect' the words that evoke the area:
Children, he reckons, are uniquely imaginative on their nature rambles, often inventing a language to express their little adventures.
Abridged for radio by Penny Leicester
Readers: Tobias Menzies and the author
Producer Duncan Minshull
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2015
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b05pr389)
Food Writer Rosemary Moon
Rosemary Moon is a food writer with a passion for whisky. Her new ambition to find the perfect blend to complement food.
We look at why many young women are increasingly choosing to go on holiday on their own..
Plus we speak to to three young women Kim, Liz and Sophina with very different experiences of the care system.
And we meet the lawyer whose company is based on family-friendly policies.
Presented by Jenni Murray
Producer Beverley Purcell.
FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b05nxzpg)
Mike Bartlett - A Steal
Episode 5
Hanna is really in trouble now, but at least she'll be able to make her case; tell the world why she has done what she's done. Hopefully.
Written by Mike Bartlett.
Hanna ..... Laura Dos Santos
Mark ..... Shaun Mason
Susise ..... Samantha Robinson
Reporter ..... Jude Akuwudike
Director ..... Mary Peate
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
FRI 11:00 High Explosive: The Tambora Story (b05ny11s)
On its 200th anniversary, the story of far and away the worst volcanic eruption in the record of human history.
The Mount Tambora event, in Indonesia, killed tens of thousands in the immediate vicinity. But its impact was felt much further afield. The explosive power of the eruption sent material high into the stratosphere, which then spread around the globe, blocking sunlight and cooling surface temperatures over wide areas.
The 'Tambora effect' was also seen in severe drought and way-above-average rainfall elsewhere - 1816 was dubbed 'The Year Without A Summer' in many parts, but at least two more summers were seriously affected. Hunger and disease resulted.
BBC weatherman John Hammond tells the Tambora story and then looks at the ongoing significance of volcanoes today. His journey takes him to the British Library to trace first-hand accounts of the impact of the eruption, then to Tate Britain to examine a sunset by Turner which may reflect the presence of volcanic dust in the atmosphere at the time he was painting. And was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein a by-product of the Tambora eruption?
Hammond visits the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge to examine historic ice cores containing direct evidence of Tambora material. There's also a trip to his HQ, the Met Office in Exeter, to look at research on how even modest volcanoes affect weather, climate and air quality.
The programme closes with a look at the recent excavation of a township close to Tambora which took the full force of the 1815 eruption - the 'Pompeii of the East'.
Producer: Andrew Green
A Singing Wren production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 11:30 Paul Temple (b036vvqy)
Paul Temple and the Gregory Affair
The Madrid
Part 3 of a new production of a vintage serial from 1946.
From 1938 to 1968, Francis Durbridge's incomparably suave amateur detective Paul Temple and his glamorous wife Steve solved case after baffling case in one of BBC radio's most popular series. Sadly, only half of Temple's adventures survive in the archives.
In 2006 BBC Radio 4 brought one of the lost serials back to life with Crawford Logan and Gerda Stevenson as Paul and Steve. Using the original scripts and incidental music, and recorded using vintage microphones and sound effects, the production of Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery aimed to sound as much as possible like the 1947 original might have done if its recording had survived. The serial proved so popular that it was soon followed by three more revivals, Paul Temple and the Madison Mystery, Paul Temple and Steve, and A Case for Paul Temple.
Now, from 1946, it's the turn of Paul Temple and the Gregory Affair, in which Paul and Steve go on the trail of the mysterious and murderous Mr Gregory.
Episode 3: The Madrid
Steve takes an eventful taxi ride to a louche Mayfair night club.
Producer Patrick Rayner
Francis Durbridge, the creator of Paul Temple, was born in Hull in 1912 and died in 1998. He was one of the most successful novelists, playwrights and scriptwriters of his day.
FRI 12:00 News Summary (b05nkdy7)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 A History of Ideas (b05ny11v)
Ayn Rand and Selfishness
The Russian-American novelist Ayn Rand believed that behaving rationally meant putting your own interests first: you actually have a moral duty to be selfish. Altruism or self-sacrifice are immoral, she claimed, as is asking for help from others. Clearly this goes against most traditional views of ethics, but Rand's views have become influential, particularly in some corners of American politics.
Rand's protege, Nathaniel Branden, developed her ideas to stress the importance of self-esteem - the route to personal fulfilment was feeling good about yourself. Many people, even those who would reject Ayn Rand's core philosophy, have subsequently believed that low self-esteem is at the root of social problems such as crime and educational underachievement, and that we should aim to boost it.
But is self-esteem really such a good thing? As Paul Broks discovers, the research suggests that some people have too much self-esteem, not too little. Maybe the route to a good life is not through feeling good about yourself, but being resilient to knocks that fate deals you.
FRI 12:16 You and Yours (b05pr38c)
Housing shortage, Bad airports, Smart meters
Government forced to pull adverts for pension advice service
The best and worst of airports
Calls to scrap the multi-billion pound smart meter project
Why do we have a housing crisis and what could be done to solve it?
Why you are not always covered by your credit card if you buy faulty goods or if they don't arrive.
Food and Farming Awards: The runners and riders in the community shop category.
How are passengers coping with widespread shutdowns and reduced services on our rail network.
FRI 12:57 Weather (b05nkdy9)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b05pr38f)
Analysis of current affairs reports, presented by Martha Kearney.
FRI 13:45 Healthy Visions (b05pxbtr)
A Health-Creating Society
5/5. The NHS is under huge strain as it struggles to cope with an ageing population and illnesses caused by unhealthy lifestyles on top of increasingly expensive drugs, procedures and treatments. It's an unsustainable situation, says former NHS chief executive Nigel Crisp, and requires a complete rethink of the way we think about and manage health.
In the final programme of the "Healthy Visions" series Lord Crisp develops the ideas covered in the previous four programmes to argue that all of society must take responsibility for health. Citizens must become partners in health promotion and health care. Planners and designers must put health at the centre of new projects. And the NHS must change from a hospital-centred and illness-based system to one where patients and communities are in the driving seat.
Lord Crisp visits the St Paul's Way Transformation Project in Tower Hamlets to see how housing, health care facilities, education and leisure can be planned to promote good health and prevent disease, with a particular focus on preventing diabetes. And he suggests practical ways to manage the financial and political implications of this radical shift in focus.
Presenter: Lord Crisp
Producer: Lucy Proctor
Editor: Andrew Smith.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b05nxn08)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b05ny7nx)
A Book by Lester Tricklebank
Lester has never left home, maybe because he's got a secret that's too big to carry around the world, maybe because he loves Derbyshire too much.
But now its time to tell all so Lester decides to face up to the past and write a book. But where to start?
Stephen Tompkinson stars in Richard Lumsden's drama
Lester ...... Stephen Tompkinson
Florence ...... Rebekah Staton
Stanley ...... Jack Hollington
Janice ...... Jane Slavin
Bill ...... Stephen Critchlow
Jean ...... Jessica Turner
Dad ...... David Hounslow
Librarian ...... Rhiannon Neads
Nurse Irene ...... Ayesha Antoine
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2015.
FRI 15:00 Good Friday Meditation (b05ny7nz)
To lay down your life for others; we're told there is no greater love than this, and that's the subject of the Good Friday Meditation. 350 years ago, when the Plague tore through the community of Eyam in Derbyshire, the villagers' first instinct was to flee - but their agreement with their local clergy's brave decision that all should stay - keeping the plague within the village - probably saved thousands of lives throughout the North of England...
Just last year, self-imposed isolation was also the choice of British doctor, Dr Nathalie MacDermott. She was unsure whether she was incubating the deadly Ebola virus already contracted by two close medical colleagues in Liberia. Emerging from a lonely confinement, at least safe in the knowledge that she did not have the virus - this time - she returned to Liberia for a third tour of duty, struggling to bring care and comfort to communities that have lost thousands to this modern-day plague. Guided by the present Rector of Eyam, the Revd Mike Gilbert, and local school pupils, she hears heart-rending stories of this historic sacrifice at locations around the village; but also how genetic research on descendants of Eyam's plague survivors is bringing hope to fight both plague and HIV in the world today. With music and readings illustrating the timeless story of Good Friday, presenter Dr Nathalie McDermott shares her own Christian perspective of why she, too, is still prepared to risk her life for strangers. Reader: Robert Lindsay. Producer: Rowan Morton-Gledhill.
FRI 15:30 Witness (b05p9w83)
The Sophiatown Removals
In February 1955 the apartheid government in South Africa began forcibly evicting residents from Sophiatown, a multi-racial suburb of Johannesburg. It was demolished and turned into a whites-only area called Triomf. Victor Mokine was a child at the time and shares his memories with Witness.
(Photo: Victor Mokine at the Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre in Sophiatown. Credit: THMC).
FRI 15:45 Stories by Teffi (b05ny7p1)
Marquita
A series of tales by Teffi, a literary star in pre-revolutionary Russia who has been published again:
1. In Marquita, translated by Robert Chandler, the shy chanteuse and single mother puts more passion into her date with a wealthy Tartar. Does her new approach succeed?
Reader Hattie Morahan
Producer Duncan Minshull.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b05pbn7z)
Cynthia Lennon, Anthony Scrivener, Martyn Goff, John Renbourn
Julian Worricker on:
The first wife of John Lennon, Cynthia, who met him before he was famous; their relationship endured through the early days of the Beatles but foundered when he met Yoko Ono
Anthony Scrivener QC, whose high-profile clients included Gerald Conlon of the Guildford 4, Dame Shirley Porter, and the Norfolk farmer, Tony Martin
Martyn Goff, the man credited with persuading the Booker Brothers to sponsor a new literary prize in the late 1960s
And the folk guitarist, John Renbourn, who rose to fame in the 1960s and 70s in the jazz-folk band, Pentangle.
FRI 16:30 Feedback (b05pb06z)
It's five weeks to Polling Day. As part of our investigation into how different BBC networks are covering the election, Roger Bolton talks to the political team of Radio 1's Newsbeat. Young listeners ask editor Louisa Compton how the coverage will be tailored to the age and interests of the Radio 1 audience.
And what effect did the sounds of a glacier, a football crowd and a dawn chorus have on our listeners? Sound recordist Chris Watson produced a series of audio postcards - each Exploring the sound of a spectacular natural event in compressed time. Chris Watson explains how he risked life and limb in the middle of the Kalahari Desert - but which of the sounds was the most challenging to record?
Sound also infiltrated the Today Programme this week. Sarah Montague visited the café of the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle as part of their coverage of '100 constituencies in 100 days' - but did clattering background noise make it too difficult to listen.
Radio 4 Drama 'Far Side of the Moore' brought astronomer and former BBC presenter Patrick Moore's voice back to life. Listeners praise actor Tom Hollander for his authentic portrayal of the late astronomer's quirks and eccentricity.
And the results of the Feedback twitter challenge are revealed - did anyone correctly guess which animal inspired our alternative Tweet of the Day?
Producer: Karen Pirie
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 16:56 The Listening Project (b05pb1qt)
Celia and Mary-Jane - The Bucket List
Fi Glover introduces a conversation about the many reasons against re-marrying and the many opportunities still to be seized after one reaches a hundred, in the series that shows it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
FRI 17:00 PM (b05pb8hd)
PM at
5pm- Eddie Mair with interviews, context and analysis.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b05nkdyc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (b05ny7p3)
Series 86
Episode 7
A satirical review of the week's news hosted by Susan Calman with regular panellist Jeremy Hardy and guests Holly Walsh, Mark Steel and Romesh Ranganathan.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b05ny7p5)
Alan and Jolene discuss Easter, the forthcoming 'Heads up Hen' event and Fallon's future business plans. Jolene's worried that with their current run of luck Sunday's event could be a disaster.
Kenton tells them about the meeting last night and the election of the Action Group Committee. Bitter Kenton's sorry that he couldn't prevent David being selected to chair it. Jim and Jennifer are going to make a record of people's experiences of the recent flooding.
Jill tells Alan that she is going to read Christina Rossetti's poem 'Beneath Thy Cross' for the Good Friday service.
Ruth tells Heather about the tensions between David and Kenton. Heather suggests inviting Jolene and Kenton over for tea to try to make things better. But Kenton tells Jolene that he wants nothing to do with his brother, ever again.
FRI 19:16 Front Row (b05p9wjc)
Clive James talks about his new poetry collection Sentenced to Life
Clive James is a poet, essayist, novelist, documentarist, critic, memoirist, talk show host, translator, travel writer and cultural commentator.
Since Clive announced he is in the latter stages of a terminal illness he has produced a series of heart-rending yet clear-eyed poems called Sentenced to Life, looking back over his life and considering his situation.
Kirsty Lang went to Clive's home in Cambridge to talk to him about the poems which are full of regret and guilt. He admits he was a faithless husband and absent father, especially during the 80s and 90s when his phenomenal television success took him away from home, and brought him over ten million viewers. The poems, he says, are his way of getting 'square with the world'.
The poem Japanese Maple went viral last summer - it's a beautiful account of a man at the end of his days, who's never been interested in botany, watching the changes in the tree his daughter planted for him. In autumn the leaves turn a flame red, and Clive never thought he would live to see it. As he tells Kirsty, he loves this extra time, reading, writing, listening to music and enjoying the company of his family, who all live nearby. He also explains that people have two choices when they get very sick - to kiss everybody goodbye and lie there and wait, or to go ahead as if you're going to live forever. He has chosen the latter.
Presenter : Kirsty Lang
Producer : Dymphna Flynn.
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b05nxzpg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b05ny7p7)
Rhun ap Iorwerth, Vince Cable, Angela Eagle, Francis Maude
Jonathan Dimbleby presents political debate and discussion from the Radio Theatre at BBC Broadcasting House with Plaid Cymru's spokesman on the economy, Rhun ap Iorwerth AM; Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable; Labour's Angela Eagle; and Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b05ny7p9)
Mankle Image Crisis
Howard Jacobson thinks the current focus of male fashion on the ankle region or "mankle", revealed by the trousers of skimpily cut suits, shows men are suffering from a self-image crisis.
"It would be a brave person who argued that what we wear counts for more than what we say, but in an image-driven culture our attention is always liable to drift away from words, however well chosen, to tailoring."
Producer: Sheila Cook.
FRI 21:00 A History of Ideas (b05ny7pc)
Omnibus
How Do I Live a Good Life?
A new history of ideas presented by Melvyn Bragg but told in many voices.
Each week Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week he's asking 'How do I live a good life'?
Helping him answer it are historian Justin Champion, neuropsychologist Paul Broks , theologian Naomi Appleton and philosopher Jules Evans.
For the rest of the week Jules, Paul, Justin and Naomi will take us further into the history of ideas about the good life with programmes of their own. Between them they will examine Aristotle's idea of flourishing, selfishness, the Protestant work ethic and Buddhism's Four Noble Truths.
This Omnibus edition has all five programmes together.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b05nkdyf)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b05ny7pf)
Iran nuclear deal: Rouhani says "we will not cheat"
We ask if the agreement struck by Tehran and Washington will hold
FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b05ny7ph)
The Ladies of the House
Episode 5
"Attractive, well-spoken older woman seeks someone to dine with." Elderly sex worker Rita goes on a date, hoping that it might lead to more than just dinner and a room somewhere.
Molly McGrann's frank and atmospheric novel centres around the fallout from the discovery of the double life of the late Arthur Gillies - on the surface a respectable businessman, whose widow and daughter have no idea that he made a fortune running brothels, for several decades, in some of London's most exclusive areas.
Read by Susan Jameson
Written by Molly McGrann
Abridged by Robin Brooks
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
FRI 23:00 A Good Read (b05nvfr1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:27 With Great Pleasure (b0480341)
Terry Wogan
Sir Terry Wogan chooses the prose and poetry that mean the most to him, with the help of special guests, David Jason and Frances Tomelty who read works by a variety of writers from Yeats to Robert Frost and PG Wodehouse. Finbar Furey provides live music.
Producer: Maggie Ayre
Sir David Jason reads Vitai Lampada by Sir Henry Newbolt
Frances Tomelty reads When You Are Old by WB Yeats
Finbar Furey sings Sweet Sixteen
Sir David Jason reads an excerpt from Elegy In A Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray
Sir David Jason reads Gussie's Prizegiving Speech from Right Ho Jeeves by PG Wodehouse
Frances Tomelty reads Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost and In Westminster Abbey by Sir John Betjeman
Finbar Furey sings Raglan Road.
FRI 23:55 The Listening Project (b05ny7pk)
Mike and Pip – Our Place in the Sun
Fi Glover with a conversation about beginning again abroad, and whether there will be more to regret than leaving the cat behind, in the series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess
LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)
15 Minute Drama
10:45 MON (b05nszld)
15 Minute Drama
19:45 MON (b05nszld)
15 Minute Drama
10:45 TUE (b05nxz3f)
15 Minute Drama
19:45 TUE (b05nxz3f)
15 Minute Drama
10:41 WED (b05nxz5k)
15 Minute Drama
19:45 WED (b05nxz5k)
15 Minute Drama
10:45 THU (b05nxzk4)
15 Minute Drama
19:45 THU (b05nxzk4)
15 Minute Drama
10:45 FRI (b05nxzpg)
15 Minute Drama
19:45 FRI (b05nxzpg)
360 Arts
11:30 THU (b05nxhj4)
A Good Read
16:30 TUE (b05nvfr1)
A Good Read
23:00 FRI (b05nvfr1)
A History of Ideas
12:04 MON (b05nt099)
A History of Ideas
12:04 TUE (b05nv3t8)
A History of Ideas
12:04 WED (b05nvj7j)
A History of Ideas
12:04 THU (b05nxhj6)
A History of Ideas
12:04 FRI (b05ny11v)
A History of Ideas
21:00 FRI (b05ny7pc)
A Point of View
08:48 SUN (b05ns9mt)
A Point of View
20:50 FRI (b05ny7p9)
Allergic to the 21st Century
16:00 TUE (b05nvfqz)
Analysis
21:30 SUN (b05mr9mc)
Any Answers?
14:00 SAT (b05nk2d3)
Any Questions?
13:10 SAT (b05n1lrs)
Any Questions?
20:00 FRI (b05ny7p7)
Archive on 4
20:00 SAT (b05nk3r0)
Ayres on the Air
18:30 TUE (b03t37cz)
Beating the Detector
21:00 TUE (b05nvg7p)
Beating the Detector
15:30 WED (b05nvg7p)
Bells on Sunday
05:43 SUN (b05ns8p8)
Bells on Sunday
00:45 MON (b05ns8p8)
Beyond Belief
16:30 MON (b05nt9b9)
Book at Bedtime
22:45 MON (b05ntzhs)
Book at Bedtime
22:45 TUE (b05nvfrq)
Book at Bedtime
22:45 WED (b05nvkmn)
Book at Bedtime
22:45 THU (b05nxpl0)
Book at Bedtime
22:45 FRI (b05ny7ph)
Book of the Week
00:30 SAT (b05nvb6f)
Brain of Britain
23:00 SAT (b05mqrcx)
Brain of Britain
15:00 MON (b05nt1vd)
Broadcasting House
09:00 SUN (b05nsb41)
Cells and Celluloid: A Science and Cinema Special
16:00 THU (b05prsc5)
Cells and Celluloid: A Science and Cinema Special
21:00 THU (b05prsc5)
Chat Show Roulette
23:00 THU (b05nxpl2)
Children on the Front Line
15:00 TUE (b05nvdv2)
Company vs Country
20:00 MON (b05ntj7p)
Copenhagen Curios
19:45 SUN (b05nsvd6)
Costing the Earth
15:30 TUE (b05nvdv4)
Costing the Earth
21:00 WED (b05nvdv4)
Crossing Continents
20:30 MON (b05n1dnc)
Crossing Continents
11:00 THU (b05nxh9x)
Desert Island Discs
11:16 SUN (b05nsb47)
Desert Island Discs
09:00 FRI (b05nsb47)
Drama
14:30 SAT (b05nk2d5)
Drama
21:00 SAT (b05mq8wr)
Drama
15:00 SUN (b05nsgbc)
Drama
14:15 MON (b05nt1vb)
Drama
14:15 TUE (b05nvdv0)
Drama
14:15 WED (b01jrjfz)
Drama
14:15 THU (b05nxmzy)
Drama
14:15 FRI (b05ny7nx)
Ed Reardon's Week
18:30 THU (b03hnhjw)
Farming Today
06:30 SAT (b05nk25l)
Farming Today
05:45 MON (b05nswjf)
Farming Today
05:45 TUE (b05nv0ld)
Farming Today
05:45 WED (b05nvgg2)
Farming Today
05:45 THU (b05nxg19)
Farming Today
05:45 FRI (b05p9w7s)
Feedback
20:00 SUN (b05ns9mr)
Feedback
16:30 FRI (b05pb06z)
File on 4
17:00 SUN (b05mt3gt)
From Our Own Correspondent
11:30 SAT (b05mppm0)
Front Row
19:16 MON (b05ntj7m)
Front Row
19:16 TUE (b05nvfr7)
Front Row
19:16 WED (b05nvjmc)
Front Row
19:16 THU (b05nxn0b)
Front Row
19:16 FRI (b05p9wjc)
Gardeners' Question Time
14:00 SUN (b05n1l3k)
Good Friday Meditation
15:00 FRI (b05ny7nz)
Healthy Visions
13:45 MON (b05pb23c)
Healthy Visions
13:45 TUE (b05q13vv)
Healthy Visions
13:45 WED (b05q1406)
Healthy Visions
13:45 THU (b05pw69t)
Healthy Visions
13:45 FRI (b05pxbtr)
High Explosive: The Tambora Story
11:00 FRI (b05ny11s)
In Business
20:30 THU (b05nxn0g)
In Our Time
09:00 THU (b05nxgdd)
In Our Time
21:30 THU (b05nxgdd)
In Touch
20:40 TUE (b05nvfrc)
Inside the Sex Offenders' Prison
20:00 TUE (b05nvfr9)
Jigsaw
23:00 WED (b01qmbk2)
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme
19:16 SUN (b01n1rpw)
Julia Sutherland: Fat Chance
23:00 TUE (b05nvg7r)
Just a Minute
12:04 SUN (b05mqtj5)
Just a Minute
18:30 MON (b05nt9bf)
Ken, Madge and the Strange Rock
11:00 WED (b05nvj7g)
Landmark Poetics
16:30 SUN (b05nsgc2)
Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane
09:45 MON (b05plghr)
Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane
00:30 TUE (b05plghr)
Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane
09:45 TUE (b05pn3sy)
Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane
00:30 WED (b05pn3sy)
Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane
09:45 WED (b05pntyn)
Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane
00:30 THU (b05pntyn)
Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane
09:45 THU (b05pqskb)
Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane
00:30 FRI (b05pqskb)
Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane
09:45 FRI (b05pr507)
Last Word
20:30 SUN (b05ns9mp)
Last Word
16:00 FRI (b05pbn7z)
Leader Conference
20:00 WED (b05prrvv)
Lent Talks
05:45 SUN (b05n00dl)
Lent Talks
20:45 WED (b05nvkmg)
Loose Ends
18:15 SAT (b05nk3gk)
Midnight News
00:00 SAT (b05mpplf)
Midnight News
00:00 SUN (b05nkdnt)
Midnight News
00:00 MON (b05nkdqp)
Midnight News
00:00 TUE (b05nkdsc)
Midnight News
00:00 WED (b05nkdtv)
Midnight News
00:00 THU (b05nkdwb)
Midnight News
00:00 FRI (b05nkdxt)
Midweek
09:00 WED (b05nvgq0)
Midweek
21:30 WED (b05nvgq0)
Minecraft: More than a Game
11:00 MON (b05mqpgl)
Money Box Live
15:00 WED (b05nvjb2)
Money Box
12:04 SAT (b05nk25x)
Money Box
21:00 SUN (b05nk25x)
Moral Maze
22:15 SAT (b05mtcwt)
My Mother's Visit
00:30 SUN (b05ns7ss)
My Pakistani Jazz Orchestra
11:30 TUE (b04n31w6)
News Briefing
05:30 SAT (b05mpplp)
News Briefing
05:30 SUN (b05nkdp0)
News Briefing
05:30 MON (b05nkdqy)
News Briefing
05:30 TUE (b05nkdsn)
News Briefing
05:30 WED (b05nkdv4)
News Briefing
05:30 THU (b05nkdwm)
News Briefing
05:30 FRI (b05nkdy3)
News Headlines
06:00 SUN (b05nkdp2)
News Summary
12:00 SAT (b05mppm2)
News Summary
12:00 SUN (b05nkdpd)
News Summary
12:00 MON (b05nkdr4)
News Summary
12:00 TUE (b05nkdss)
News Summary
12:00 WED (b05nkdv9)
News Summary
12:00 THU (b05nkdwq)
News Summary
12:00 FRI (b05nkdy7)
News and Papers
06:00 SAT (b05mpplr)
News and Papers
07:00 SUN (b05nkdp6)
News and Papers
08:00 SUN (b05nkdpb)
News and Weather
22:00 SAT (b05mppmh)
News
13:00 SAT (b05mppm6)
On Your Farm
06:35 SUN (b05ns8pd)
One to One
09:30 TUE (b05nv23y)
Open Book
16:00 SUN (b05nsgbm)
Open Book
15:30 THU (b05nsgbm)
Open Country
15:00 THU (b05nxn00)
PM
17:00 SAT (b05nk3gh)
PM
17:00 MON (b05nt9bc)
PM
17:00 TUE (b05nvfr3)
PM
17:00 WED (b05nvjht)
PM
17:00 THU (b05nxn06)
PM
17:00 FRI (b05pb8hd)
Paul Temple
11:30 FRI (b036vvqy)
Pick of the Week
18:15 SUN (b05nsgqx)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 SAT (b05n1mvj)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 MON (b05p79n7)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 TUE (b05pt7tm)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 WED (b05pt4z6)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 THU (b05p7cqf)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 FRI (b05pr2l4)
Profile
19:00 SAT (b05nk3gm)
Profile
17:40 SUN (b05nk3gm)
Radio 4 Appeal
07:54 SUN (b05ns8pj)
Radio 4 Appeal
21:26 SUN (b05ns8pj)
Radio 4 Appeal
15:27 THU (b05ns8pj)
Ramblings
06:07 SAT (b05n1dq1)
Restarting the Antibiotic Pipeline
21:00 MON (b05mrptb)
Saffron Censorship: India's Culture Wars
16:00 MON (b05nt2bx)
Saturday Live
09:00 SAT (b05nk25q)
Saturday Review
19:15 SAT (b05nk3gp)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 SAT (b05mpplk)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
02:00 SUN (b05nkgww)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 MON (b05nkdqt)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 TUE (b05nkdsj)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 WED (b05nkdv0)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 THU (b05nkdwh)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 FRI (b05nkdxz)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 SAT (b05mpplh)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 SAT (b05mpplm)
Shipping Forecast
17:54 SAT (b05mppm8)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 SUN (b05nkdnw)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 SUN (b05nkdny)
Shipping Forecast
17:54 SUN (b05nkdpj)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 MON (b05nkdqr)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 MON (b05nkdqw)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 TUE (b05nkdsg)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 TUE (b05nkdsl)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 WED (b05nkdty)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 WED (b05nkdv2)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 THU (b05nkdwf)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 THU (b05nkdwk)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 FRI (b05nkdxx)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 FRI (b05nkdy1)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 SAT (b05mppmd)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 SUN (b05nkdpn)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 MON (b05nkdrb)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 TUE (b05nkdsy)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 WED (b05nkdvf)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 THU (b05nkdww)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 FRI (b05nkdyc)
Sleepy Tigers
23:00 MON (b05nv074)
Something Understood
06:05 SUN (b05ns8pb)
Something Understood
23:30 SUN (b05ns8pb)
Start the Week
09:00 MON (b05nsx41)
Start the Week
21:30 MON (b05nsx41)
Stories by Teffi
15:45 FRI (b05ny7p1)
Sunday Worship
08:10 SUN (b05ns8pl)
Sunday
07:10 SUN (b05ns8pg)
Thanks a Lot, Milton Jones!
11:30 WED (b03vgnjl)
The Archers Omnibus
10:00 SUN (b05nsb45)
The Archers
19:00 SUN (b05nsgqz)
The Archers
14:00 MON (b05nsgqz)
The Archers
19:00 MON (b05nt9bh)
The Archers
14:00 TUE (b05nt9bh)
The Archers
19:00 TUE (b05nvfr5)
The Archers
14:00 WED (b05nvfr5)
The Archers
19:00 WED (b05nvjm9)
The Archers
14:00 THU (b05nvjm9)
The Archers
19:00 THU (b05nxn08)
The Archers
14:00 FRI (b05nxn08)
The Archers
19:00 FRI (b05ny7p5)
The Bottom Line
17:30 SAT (b05n1fsp)
The Clocks Go Forward Tonight
10:30 SAT (b05nk5qq)
The Clocks Go Forward Tonight
23:30 SAT (b05nk5qq)
The Film Programme
23:00 SUN (b05nd4ys)
The Food Programme
12:32 SUN (b05nsb49)
The Food Programme
15:30 MON (b05nsb49)
The Lariam Legacy
11:00 TUE (b05nv242)
The Life Scientific
09:00 TUE (b05nv1wd)
The Life Scientific
21:30 TUE (b05nv1wd)
The Listening Project
14:45 SUN (b05nsddb)
The Listening Project
10:55 WED (b05nvj7d)
The Listening Project
16:56 FRI (b05pb1qt)
The Listening Project
23:55 FRI (b05ny7pk)
The Media Show
16:30 WED (b05nvjhr)
The Moment That Made Putin
13:30 SUN (b05nsd2b)
The Music Teacher
23:15 WED (b039d1fw)
The News Quiz
12:30 SAT (b05n1lrn)
The News Quiz
18:30 FRI (b05ny7p3)
The Report
20:00 THU (b05nxn0d)
The Week in Westminster
11:00 SAT (b05nk25v)
The World This Weekend
13:00 SUN (b05nsd28)
The World Tonight
22:00 MON (b05ntj7r)
The World Tonight
22:00 TUE (b05nvfrn)
The World Tonight
22:00 WED (b05nvkmj)
The World Tonight
22:00 THU (b05nxpky)
The World Tonight
22:00 FRI (b05ny7pf)
Thinking Allowed
00:15 MON (b05mt8vh)
Thinking Allowed
16:00 WED (b05nvjhp)
Tim FitzHigham: The Gambler
18:30 WED (b05nvjm7)
Today
07:00 SAT (b05nk25n)
Today
06:00 MON (b05nswn9)
Today
06:00 TUE (b05nv1wb)
Today
06:00 WED (b05nvgpy)
Today
06:00 THU (b05nxgd9)
Today
06:00 FRI (b05pr2l6)
Tweet of the Day
08:58 SUN (b03x474w)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 MON (b03thswl)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 TUE (b03tht7c)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 WED (b03tht5z)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 THU (b03thtfs)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 FRI (b03thvkt)
Weather
06:04 SAT (b05mpplt)
Weather
06:57 SAT (b05mpplx)
Weather
12:57 SAT (b05mppm4)
Weather
17:57 SAT (b05mppmb)
Weather
06:57 SUN (b05nkdp4)
Weather
07:57 SUN (b05nkdp8)
Weather
12:57 SUN (b05nkdpg)
Weather
17:57 SUN (b05nkdpl)
Weather
05:56 MON (b05nkdr0)
Weather
12:57 MON (b05nkdr6)
Weather
21:58 MON (b05nkdrf)
Weather
12:57 TUE (b05nkdsv)
Weather
21:58 TUE (b05nkdt0)
Weather
12:57 WED (b05nkdvc)
Weather
12:57 THU (b05nkdws)
Weather
12:57 FRI (b05nkdy9)
Weather
21:58 FRI (b05nkdyf)
Westminster Hour
22:00 SUN (b05nsvd8)
What the Papers Say
22:45 SUN (b05nsvdb)
When the Dog Dies
11:30 MON (b01qfkh6)
With Great Pleasure
23:30 MON (b05061z8)
With Great Pleasure
23:30 TUE (b050zy3v)
With Great Pleasure
23:30 WED (b051ryq6)
With Great Pleasure
23:30 THU (b052hptg)
With Great Pleasure
23:27 FRI (b0480341)
Witness
15:30 FRI (b05p9w83)
Woman's Hour
16:00 SAT (b05nk2d7)
Woman's Hour
10:00 MON (b05nsxyq)
Woman's Hour
10:00 TUE (b05nv240)
Woman's Hour
10:00 WED (b05nvhct)
Woman's Hour
10:00 THU (b05nxh9v)
Woman's Hour
10:00 FRI (b05pr389)
World at One
13:00 MON (b05nt09f)
World at One
13:00 TUE (b05nv3td)
World at One
13:00 WED (b05nvj7n)
World at One
13:00 THU (b05nxj3k)
World at One
13:00 FRI (b05pr38f)
You and Yours
12:16 MON (b05nt09c)
You and Yours
12:16 TUE (b05nv3tb)
You and Yours
12:16 WED (b05nvj7l)
You and Yours
12:16 THU (b05nxhj8)
You and Yours
12:16 FRI (b05pr38c)
iPM
05:45 SAT (b05n1mvl)