SATURDAY 17 MAY 2025
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002c3lh)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:30 The North Road by Rob Cowen (m002b76s)
Episode 5 - Achavanich
The award-winning writer's journey along the Great North Road concludes with an archaeological discovery, and reflections on family and community. Jospeh Ayre reads.
In his new book Rob Cowen sets out to explore The Great North Road, the 400 mile highway which has run like a backbone through Britain in one form or another for 2000 years. As Rob walks the route he uncovers stories of those who went before him, from wealthy merchants terrified by murderous highwaymen, to boxers locked in a brutal and bloody fight. In Doncaster, where his great-grandfather Bill Cowen made a living down the mines, he learns about the high price paid by many who worked in the collieries. Lastly, he takes a journey with his mum to the road's end leading to profound reflections on time past and time passing.
Rob Cowen is an award-winning writer. His first book, Skimming Stones, won the Roger Deakin Award from the Society of Authors. His best-selling debut book of poetry, The Heeding, was published in 2021. Rob has contributed to the New York Times, the Guardian and the Independent.
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002c3lk)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002c3lm)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SAT 05:30 News Summary (m002c3lp)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002c3lr)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002c3lt)
A Tapestry of Tongues
Good morning.
I’m really looking forward to the end of next month because I am going to Copenhagen to celebrate our son’s marriage. Josh is half British, half Maltese and his fiancé, Sasha, is Ukrainian. They live in Germany, go walking in Austria at the weekends and are getting married in Denmark for administrative reasons. They are currently thinking about what languages they will speak at home once their first child is born.
Sasha has brought such blessing to our family. This is mostly because she is a wonderful person! But it’s also because she has brought with her a whole new world of Ukrainian culture food and language, not least some really helpful new words. For instance, I gather that Ukrainian has two different words for cherries, depending on whether they are sour or sweet.
I’ve officiated at and attended lots of weddings, but of course this one will be extra special, largely because it’s our own son, but also because of the opportunity to encounter a whole host of cultures and languages. It feels a little like the first Pentecost in the Bible when the holy spirit enabled the first followers of the risen Jesus to speak all kinds of different languages. The world would be a really boring place if we all spoke the same language and ate the same food. Our family’s experience has been that cultural diversity has brought richness and colour to our lives.
God of Pentecost,
you made women and men in your image and likeness, and yet no two of us are alike.
This tells us that you are a God of infinite variety and complexity, and that you rejoice in difference.
Help us to see those of other cultures and religions as a blessing to us and not a threat,
In the name of Jesus, who welcomed the outsider,
Amen.
SAT 05:45 Child (m001xl5g)
Series 1
19. Time Warp
We’re taking a pause to lose ourselves down the rabbit hole of time. Because something strange happens to time in those first weeks of a baby's arrival. The rest of the world still seems to, mostly, rise with the sun, and sleep with the dark - but the world of a new parent has turned on its head.
So what would happen if we looked at time in a totally different way?
In this episode, India Rakusen explores the relatively new concept (but ancient experience of) Maialogical time with historian Joanna Wolfarth, discusses the impact of the first few months with Perinatal psychiatrist Trudi Seneviratne, and talks to musician and mother Eske Mtungwazi about her experience in the world of neonatal care.
Presented by India Rakusen
Producer: India Rakusen
Series Producer: Ellie Sans
Executive Producer: Suzy Grant
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by Eska Mtungwazi
Mix and Mastering by Olga Reed
A Listen production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002ccds)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 06:07 Open Country (m002c3c8)
Flutterings on the Fleet
Tucked in behind Dorset's famous Chesil Beach is a unique and beautiful place - the Fleet Lagoon. Martha Kearney explores a thousand year history of human guardianship of birds on the lagoon. On the way she gets a close-up view of little tern dating platforms on the Fleet itself, learns why the swans of the ancient Abbotsbury Swannery are much safer now and who they hate the most, and - of course - learns to build a nest.
Contributors include:
Angela Thomas - Assistant Warden, Chesil and Fleet Nature Reserve
Chris Goding - RSPB Project Officer & Assistant Warden, Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project
Steve Groves - Swanherd, Abbotsbury Swannery
With thanks to Dorset Wildlife Trust.
Presenter: Martha Kearney
Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002ccdv)
17/05/25 - Farming Today This Week: US Agriculture Secretary, chlorine chicken, call for inheritance tax pause, Balmoral Show
The first member of Donald Trump’s cabinet to visit the UK is Brooke Rollins, his Agriculture Secretary. Secretary Rollins told journalists the 'historic' trade deal would create billions of dollars in opportunity for U.S. export markets and more choice for British consumers. She also described their notorious 'chlorinated chicken' as a myth. Is it? We look for some clarity.
MPs have written to the Government calling for a year’s delay to the inheritance tax changes on farms.
It’s agricultural show season. This week we visit the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
SAT 06:57 Weather (m002ccdx)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m002ccdz)
Today (Saturday)
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002ccf1)
Francesca Simon, Jude Kelly, Sophie Pierce and Alex Murdin
Writer Francesca Simon swapped Californian sunshine for life in the UK, where she created one of the most iconic characters in children’s literature — Horrid Henry. She joins us to talk fairy folklore, presidential ambitions, and the stories that shaped her.
Jude Kelly, founder of Women of the World and one of the UK’s most influential cultural figures, shares her journey from Toxteth to the South Bank.
Writer Sophie Pierce and artist Alex Murdin open up about how the wild beauty of Dartmoor helped them process the loss of their son, Felix — and how grief, love, and nature are deeply connected.
We’ll spin the wheel with potter Caitlin Jenkins, whose love of ceramics is rooted in family history.
And the landscape-loving writer and environmentalist Professor Robert Macfarlane brings us his Inheritance Tracks.
Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon Kay
Producer: Catherine Powell
SAT 10:00 Curious Cases (m002c70n)
Series 23
Don't Bite Me!
Ever wondered why some people are mosquito magnets and other people barely get bitten? Hannah and Dara grapple with the question of whether these insects are evil or genius, discovering how they’re experts at finding blood when they’re hungry, even using a specially designed syringe to suck it out. But when Professor Leslie Vosshall tells them some people are more than 100 times likely to be attacked than others, the pair start wondering which one of them is more attractive? So they put the science to the test, and reluctantly agree to send their stinky socks to Professor Sarah Reece. She reveals that one of them smells extra special to these annoying little animals, possibly because of their cheesy feet. But can you guess who?
Contributors:
Professor Sarah Reece
Professor Leslie Vosshall
Professor John Pickett
Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production
SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002ccf3)
Series 48
Bridport
Jay Rayner and a panel of chefs, cooks and food writers are at the Bridport Arts Centre in Dorset discussing local favourites- Dorset Knobs and blue vinny cheese. Joining Jay to offer their tips, recipes and techniques are Melissa Thompson, Melek Erdal, Jocky Petrie and Shelina Permaloo.
The panellists share their favourite recipes involving quail and the best ways to use up a large supply of crackers, and discuss the question 'why does tomato ketchup exist?'. We also hear some useful tips for assessing the spiciness of a chilli and whether the panel are for or against minimalist restaurant menus.
Producer: Matt Smith
Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
A Somethin’ Else production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002ccf5)
Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002ccf7)
Evacuating Gaza's sick children
Kate Adie presents stories from Gaza, Indian-administered Kashmir, Pakistan, Eswatini and Italy.
Amid a deteriorating situation in Gaza, as Israel continues its bombardment and the blockade of aid, some Palestinian children are being evacuated to Jordan for medical treatment. As Fergal Keane travelled with two young cancer patients, he reflects on a week of haunting images and words.
A recent attack by militants in Indian-administered Kashmir saw direct military action between India and Pakistan for the first time in six years. And although a ceasefire was agreed, nerves have been shattered in the region, as Aamir Peerzada discovered from the Indian-administered side of the Line of Control.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared a ‘Day of the Battle of Truth’ to commemorate the country’s self-proclaimed victory in the latest confrontation with India. Azadeh Moshiri reports from Pakistan on the army’s efforts to regain public confidence through social media.
The landlocked Kingdom of Eswatini is one of the last remaining absolute monarchies in the world. But critics have accused King Mswati III of repressing political opposition. In 2021, several dozen people were killed during weeks of pro-democracy protests. Tim Hartley went to a football match to gauge the mood among protesters today.
Popular tourist cities around the world are keeping a watchful eye on Venice’s experimental access fee – a ticket into the city that’s meant to deter day-trippers. But this new initiative is being met with mixed reviews by locals, as Simon Busch discovered.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002ccf9)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002ccfc)
Fraud Crackdown and Is Cash King?
The fight against what is called push payment fraud - when victims are groomed and manipulated into transferring money to criminals - took a huge step forward in October when new regulations for banks and other finance companies were introduced to make the banks involved liable for the losses. It was the result of years of campaigning which Money Box has reported on from the very beginning. Now the first set of figures since then shows it is working better, but still not perfect. We'll hear from David Geale the Chief Executive of the Payment Systems Regulator.
This week, some of Britain's biggest pension funds have pledged to invest more of the money they look after into UK assets. Seventeen major workplace pension providers have signed the Mansion House Accord, a voluntary initiative which commits them to invest at least 10% of the pension funds into what it calls 'private markets' with half of that invested in the UK. The Treasury says this commitment will drive more investment into infrastructure and businesses, while driving higher returns for savers and reducing risk through diversified asset holdings. We'll speak to the Chief Executive of The People's Pension which is the UK's largest workplace pension fund.
If you get child benefit for a child aged 16 or over it will stop on 31 August unless you tell HMRC to continue paying it. What do you need to know?
And are we becoming too reliant on digital banking when we should all have some cash for emergencies?
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth, Eimear Devlin and Catherine Lund
Researcher: Jo Krasner
Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast
12pm Saturday 17th May 2025)
SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m002c3kx)
Series 117
5. An Island of Strangers
Andy Zaltzman is joined by Alasdair Beckett-King, Sara Barron, Daliso Chaponda and ITV Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana. Discussion points include this week's immigration White Paper, tighter controls on international students looking for gainful employment, the elusive definition of a 'skilled job', chimpanzees utility in medical emergencies, and the returns policy on a returns hub.
Written by Andy Zaltzman.
With additional material by: Samira Banks, Catherine Brinkworth, and Cody Dahler.
Producer: Rajiv Karia
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
SAT 12:57 Weather (m002ccff)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News (m002ccfh)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002c3l3)
Dame Jackie Baillie MSP, Jim Fairlie MSP, Douglas Ross MSP, Lorna Slater MSP
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Ardfern on the Craignish peninsula in Argyll & Bute in the West of Scotland. On the panel: Dame Jackie Baillie, the deputy leader of Scottish Labour; the agriculture and connectivity minister in the Scottish Government, the SNP's Jim Fairlie; the former leader of the Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross; and Lorna Slater, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens.
Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Joanne Willott
SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002ccfk)
Topical discussion posing questions to a panel of political and media personalities
SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002c3kz)
Rex calls on Rochelle. He’s sorry, but he can’t stop thinking about her and suspects she feels the same about him. Rochelle shuts him down. They can’t be together. Rex leaves and Rochelle calls her mum. She admits to Joy that she’s heartbroken. She still really likes Rex.
Joy spots a small burn on Lilian’s hand. Lilian admits she’s clumsy at the moment. Joy observes that grief is distracting and exhausting. Lilian sighs she’s got so much to organise but she’d rather be dealing with one of Peggy’s weekly lists. She shows Joy one she’s kept. Joy thinks the lists are a beautiful memory. Lilian thanks her for being a good friend and shoulder to cry on.
Tom confronts Helen over her comments to Natasha. Helen maintains she was simply reminding Natasha of the truth – that Tom had received handouts from Peggy more than once over the years. When Tom points out that Natasha wasn’t even around at that time, Helen calms down. Helen admits that rightly or wrongly, she was hoping for more from her gran’s will. Later Lilian gives them the news that Peggy’s wish was for everyone to go on a family holiday together. Lilian’s quite excited. She hopes the small legacies Peggy left doesn’t cause issues for the family. The last thing she and Tony want is in-fighting and arguments. Tom and Helen agree. But Tom thinks this still doesn’t make sense. He wants to be sure Peggy wasn’t cheated of her money. Something doesn’t add up; where has all the money gone?
SAT 15:00 Devils (m000s16h)
Part 3
Jonathan Forbes, Charlotte East and Joseph Arkley star in Dostoevsky’s unsettling tale of revolution and betrayal. As the young revolutionaries turn their guns on each other, despair and self-destruction takes hold of the hearts and minds of the town’s inhabitants and Darya must decide if she can ever forgive Nicholai for the hideous things he has done.
Dramatised by Melissa Murray.
Stepan ..... Gary Lilburn
Mrs Stavrogina ..... Jane Whittenshaw
Nicholai ...... Joseph Arkley
Pyotr ..... Jonathan Forbes
Darya ..... Charlotte East
Shatov ..... Stefan Adegbola
Lisa ..... Cecilia Appiah
Krillov ..... Hasan Dixon
Virginsky ..... Ian Dunnett Jr
Marie ..... Emma Handy
Written by Melissa Murray
Directed by Carl Prekopp
Produced by Marc Beeby and Anne Isger
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m002ccfm)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: Abandoned babies, Isabel Allende, ADHD and menopause, Teaching 'grit', Anna Lapwood
Police have said they are searching for the parents of three new-born babies, all abandoned in East London between 2017 to 2024. The search is focusing on about 400 nearby houses. Anita Rani spoke to Met Police Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford and clinical psychologist Professor Lorraine Sherr, head of the Health Psychology Unit at UCL.
Nuala McGovern was joined by the best-selling author Isabel Allende about her latest book My Name is Emilia Del Valle. It follows a young female journalist intent on covering the civil war in Chile in 1891 despite having to write under a man’s name.
It’s thought that around 3 to 4% of people in the UK have ADHD - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. But many women remain undiagnosed for decades, with those in their 40s, 50s and 60s only now discovering they have it for the first time. Jo Beazley was diagnosed with ADHD just two years ago at the age of 49, after her symptoms worsened during the menopause. She joined Nuala along with Amanda Kirby, former chair of the ADHD Foundation and a professor in the field of neurodiversity.
Imagine you’re preparing to host a party at your house when a lost elderly woman shows up at your door. What would you do? This actually happened to writer and director Nadia Conners. Nadia explained to Nuala why the interaction stuck with her for years and has now inspired her debut feature film, The Uninvited.
How do we teach children to have grit? That's what the Government is suggesting needs to be a new focus in schools, to bolster children's mental health. To discuss how parents can help their children develop resilience, Anita was joined by Sue Atkins, parenting coach and author of Parenting Made Easy and child psychologist Laverne Antrobus.
Anna Lapwood is one of the world’s most famous organists and an internet sensation, with over two million social media followers. Hailed as ‘classical music’s Taylor Swift', she told Anita about co-curating a special BBC Prom, the music she has included in her album Firedove which is out later this month, and what it meant to her to be appointed the first ever official ‘Organist of the Royal Albert Hall.’
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Annette Wells
Editor: Rebecca Myatt
SAT 17:00 PM (m002ccfp)
Full coverage of the day's news
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002ccfr)
The Richard Tice One
Reform UK’s deputy leader reflects on a year of political success, a privileged upbringing and the cabinet job he’s eyeing up
Producer: Daniel Kraemer
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002ccft)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m002ccfw)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002ccfy)
Second man arrested over fires on properties linked to Sir Keir Starmer.Three Iranians appear in court on espionage charges.
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002ccg0)
Jess Gillam, Stevie Martin, Georgia Ruth, Emma Jane Unsworth, Ben Aitken, Stuart Maconie
The comedian and podcaster Stevie Martin is currently battling it out in the latest series of Channel 4’s award winning show Taskmaster - you might have enjoyed her "most snooty possession" which was a portrait of her pet tortoise in military uniform. She'll be here to tell us all about getting "the call" and her favourite games...sorry... tasks. Its also tricky-book-titles week on Loose Ends. The award winning novelist and screenwriter Emma Jane Unsworth likes a one word name for her books - the best selling Adults and Animals, which went on to become a feature film starring Holliday Grainger, and scooped Emma a British Independent Film Award - for the script. Her new book is called Slags, Stuart'll be finding out why. And travel writer Ben Aitken went to twelve of the least popular spots in the UK and Ireland for his book - Sh**ty Breaks. He'll be explaining the joys of travelling in the opposite direction to everybody else and still managing to get a great instagram photo.
Music will be from the Jess Gillam Trio and former Welsh Music Prize winner Georgia Ruth.
Presented by Stuart Maconie
Produced by Olive Clancy
SAT 19:00 Profile (m002ccg2)
Marco Rubio
Earlier this month the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also made President Trump's National Security Advisor. The last person to undertake both roles simultaneously was Henry Kissinger in the 1970s. The son of Cuban immigrants, Mr Rubio has had a turbo-charged career; rising from junior positions in his home city of Miami, to the US Senate which he reached before he turned 40 and now a Cabinet position where he dominate US foreign policy.
As a boy he dreamed of being President and he made his first attempt in 2016. The Republican primaries were brutal, with candidates trading deeply personal insults. It was assumed that Mr Rubio's relationship with the eventual winner of that contest - Donald Trump - had been fatally damaged. But they continued their working relationship and today Rubio serves as one of the President's most trusted advisors.
Will Marco Rubio be tempted to run once again for the White House? And what forces have shaped his stellar political career?
Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Tom Gillett and Lucy Pawle
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: David Crackles
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m002c3bt)
James Rhodes
Pianist James Rhodes was a relative latecomer to a professional music, and was 30 when he performed his first concert. In 2010 he became the first core classical pianist to be signed to the world’s biggest rock music label, Warner Brothers. He has recorded nine albums, including his most recent one, Mania, which features work by Bach, Chopin Brahms and other composers. He has also presented television documentaries about classical music and written five books, including his international bestselling memoir, Instrumental. But James Rhodes’ adult life story is also one involving mental illness, addiction and suicidal despair in the wake of violent sexual abuse over several years as a small child.
Talking to John Wilson, James remembers how hearing a recording of Bach’s Chaconne from his Partita no. 2 transcribed for piano, was a life-changing experience, offering a sense of hope and wonder at a time when he was suffering terrible abuse. He also chooses his secondary school piano teacher Colin Stone as a major inspiration, although his early musical ambitions were thwarted at the age of 18. After some years working in the City, then suffering breakdowns and periods in psychiatric institutions, he returned to music after a decade away from he piano. He also credits a chance meeting with his future manager as a moment that led to him becoming an internationally acclaimed concert pianist.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
Details of organisations offering information and support with mental health and self-harm, and for victims of child sexual abuse, are available at: www.bbc.co.uk/actionline
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m0017f1b)
A Succession of Repetitive Beats
Political journalist Tom Barton recalls the rave that changed Britain, at Castlemorton Common in West Worcestershire in May 1992.
In the weeks leading up to Castlemorton, New Age Travellers had tried to establish small festivals in Gloucestershire and Somerset - but had been moved on by police at every turn.
Arriving in West Worcestershire, they parked up at Castlemorton with the intention, they claim, of gathering just a few hundred people.
But, to the horror and outrage of local people, between 20,000 and 30,000 people arrived, with many staying at the site for an entire week.
The law that was created in response to the gathering, Part V of the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, makes it a criminal offence to hold an unlicensed gathering playing any music that is “wholly or predominantly characterised by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats.”
The festival is now widely regarded as the tipping point in a culture war which saw many aspects of the Traveller lifestyle outlawed in the UK.
Presented, written and produced by Tom Barton
Sound Design: Barney Philbrick and Joel Cox
A Bespoken Media production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 21:00 You Do Not Have to Say Anything (m002ccg4)
Omnibus (2)
Defence Barrister Joanna Hardy-Susskind lifts the curtain on the real criminal justice system and the real people working within it - beneath the wigs, behind the uniforms and in the dock.
Presenter: Joanna Hardy-Susskind
Producer: Georgia Catt
Assistant Producer: Danita McIntyre
SAT 22:00 News (m002ccg6)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002c3k3)
From York to Dubai: The Rise of Chocolate
Leyla Kazim visits York, the UK's 'chocolate city', on the centenary of Joseph Rowntree’s death, to find out how the Quaker entrepreneur pioneered both social reform and iconic chocolate brands like Smarties and Kit Kat.
Today, many independent chocolate makers still call York home, as do some of the word's biggest multinational confectionary makers. Leyla Kazim wanders through York Chocolate Festival to trace the city’s unique chocolate heritage and find out what changed when global companies got involved.
As the so-called 'Dubai chocolate' drives a frenzy of demand for filled bars and imitations, Leyla meets a Newcastle chocolate maker with a penchant for wacky flavours and who inspired the original sell-out hit.
Leyla also hears how falling global production and high prices of cocoa could be the end of chocolate as we know it.
Produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.
SAT 23:00 Call Jonathan Pie (m002ccg8)
Series 2
8. So Long, and Thanks for all the Cash.
In the final episode, as an illustrious career comes to an end, there are new beginnings for all of the team.
Call Jonathan Pie is written and performed by Tom Walker
With additional material from Nick Revell and Daniel Abelson
Jules ….. Lucy Pearman
Sam ….. Aqib Khan
Roger ….. Nick Revell.
Agent ….. Daniel Abelson
The callers: Laura Shavin, Daniel Abelson and Ed Kear
Voiceover - Bob Sinfield
Newsreader - Rob Curling
Original Music - Jason Read
Producers: Alison Vernon-Smith and Julian Mayers
A Yada-Yada Audio production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 23:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002c2jm)
Programme 1 - The Midlands vs Northern Ireland
(1/12)
Teams from all over the UK will face Kirsty Lang's cryptic questions across the series, with Kirsty offering support and the odd hint where it might be needed.
The rivalry promises to be fierce as last year's champions Frankie Fanko and Stephen Maddock representing The Midlands, face Paddy Duffy and Freya McClements for Northern Ireland.
As always, they'll drop points every time they need a clue from the chair to steer them towards the right solution.
You can follow the questions in each edition on the Round Britain Quiz webpages.
Teams:
Frankie Fanko and Stephen Maddock - The Midlands
Paddy Duffy and Freya McClements - Northern Ireland
Host: Kirsty Lang
Recorded by: Phil Booth
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: Carl Cooper
Questions set by:
Lucy Porter, Alan Poulton, and public contributors.
Questions in today's edition:
Q1 (from Ed Porter) What kind of question might occupy you while visiting Ecuador, Mongolia, Pakistan and Croatia - and why would it be absolutely unique?
Q2 On your way here to our Darlington retreat, you’ll have passed the junction for the A66 and seen a road sign - only to find yourself craving a warming bowl of lamb and barley soup, a snack invented by Fortnum & Mason in 1738, or even a staple of Caribbean cuisine.
But why might you also be searching for something that doesn’t exist?
Q3 Music: why might this trio love Italian food?
Q4 (from Phil Ware) Which selfish author is responsible for this short story:
"A Distracted Boyfriend can’t resist Mocking SpongeBob. Pikachu watches in surprise as Roll Safe taps his head with a knowing smile. A little girl gives them all the side eye, clearly unimpressed, as a Dancing Baby, cha-cha’s its way into Calista’s dreams?"
Q5 Why would a Gabonese president, a leading Rezillo, a Diversity pioneer, 'the man who invented the 80s' and an EGOT-winning actress, all together aboard a mysteriously deserted ship, not be the most harmonious combination?
Q6 Music: while you’re listening to these three extracts, have a think about why they might make you angry.
Q7 (from Patrick Haigh) What order would you arrange the following to release the fumata bianca?
-Britain’s smelliest cheese
-An 18th-century poet who counselled self-examination
-A small baton for killing fish or game
-An 80s Glaswegian band that might be thought melancholy
-North, South, East, and West on the compass
Q8 (from David Piper) In this Crime Conundrum…
The deuteragonist behind a well mannered Windsor Gardens resident…went off to town on the
8:21…to meet an earthy diamond thief…only to find that a member of Anthony E. Pratt’s original cast had vanished after the first edition.
Can the encyclopedic boy detective narrow down the suspects and solve the mystery? Or can you tell us Whodunit?
SUNDAY 18 MAY 2025
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002ccgb)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m002c2jj)
Ben Okri
Booker-prize winning writer and poet Ben Okri talks to Take Four Books, presented by James Crawford, about his new novella - Madame Sosostris & the Festival for the Broken-Hearted - and its three key influences. Ben's new book takes us to a forested chateau in the South of France for a special, one-night-only event – a fevered fancy dress ball attended by anyone, and everyone, who has been wounded by love. His three literary influences for this episode are: The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot from 1922 ; Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare from 1600; and The Outsider by Albert Camus from 1942. Our rule-breaking bonus book, was Alain-Fournier’s Les Grand Meaulnes, known as The Lost Estate in English and originally published in 1913.
The supporting contributor for this episode was the Oxford academic and writer Emma Smith.
Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002ccgd)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002ccgg)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:30 News Summary (m002ccgj)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002ccgl)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002ccgn)
St Mary’s church in Dymock, Gloucestershire
Bells on Sunday comes from St Mary’s church in Dymock, Gloucestershire. The building is mainly Norman and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The tower dates from the 15th Century and holds six bells all of which were originally cast at the Rudhall foundry of Gloucester. Following the COVID shutdown three bells were found to be un-ringable and in 2024 all six were rehung by Taylors foundry of Loughborough. The Tenor weighs sixteen and a quarter hundredweight and is tuned to the note of E. We hear them ringing April Day Doubles.
SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002c3gp)
Visual Impairment Registration; An Interview with Meta
The Association of Optometrists will be asking MPs to amend what they regard as an outdated administrative task that is delaying thousands of patients getting their certificates of visual impairment. These certificates allow people to get access to essential care services after a diagnosis, but at the moment only ophthalmologists can sign them off. Adam Sampson is the Association's Chief Executive and he tells In Touch about the situation and about how thousands of optometrists across the country could help with this problem.
The Rayban Meta Smart Glasses have been on the market in the UK for a little while now, but for some months, many visually impaired users have been waiting for a particularly helpful AI feature to land in the UK. The roll out of the Look and Tell feature has been happening over the past few weeks, but some visually impaired users had questions about the seemingly random way in which is was rolled out. We ask this, and other listener's questions to Chris Yiu who is Director of Public Policy at Meta.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Liz Poole
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.
SUN 06:00 News Summary (m002ccj8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Heart and Soul (w3ct5tgn)
Kai Höss: My Grandfather - the Commandant of Auschwitz
In a cinema in south-west Germany an audience is gathered to watch an Oscar winning film, Zone of Interest, about the life of Rudolf Höss, Commandant of Auschwitz. Those present comprise Jewish people from around the world, and the special guest is Rudolf’s grandson.
The topic was rarely visited during Kai's childhood. It was only after a school history lesson that Kai began to comprehend Rudolf’s role as head of the largest mass murder site in history.
Reporter Shiroma Silva travels to his home in Germany to interrogate Kai on his personal struggle. She tracks Kai’s outlook today through Christianity, in which he uses his past to look forward and understand the particular place of Jewish people in the Bible. He questions how anti-Semitism thrived in Christian societies and his grandfather’s early life in a devout Catholic family.
Awaiting execution at Nuremberg in 1947, Rudolf Höss returned to Catholicism, regretting his unquestioning pursuit of Nazi ideology and crimes against humanity. But little was said about the Jewish prisoners who made up the majority of the dead at Auschwitz.
Today his grandson speaks to Jewish communities globally, and Shiroma Silva talks to Pastor Kai Höss as he seeks to disabuse congregations of the thinking that has all too often blamed Jewish people for all the world’s ills, and describes himself as a Gentile who has been saved by Jewish leaders.
Producer/presenter: Shiroma Silva
Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
(Photo: Kai Uwe Höss attends the Berlin premiere of Der Schatten Des Kommandanten at Delphi Lux,10 June, 2024, Berlin, Germany. Credit: Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)
This content was edited on 02/04/25
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002ccjb)
Top Tatties
A Northumbrian potato farmer walks into a fish and chip shop... It's not the start of a joke, but the start of a business venture. Farmer Mark Robson wanted to know where the shop got their potatoes from - and it turns out they came from Egypt! That led to Mark setting up a new business processing the potatoes he grew himself into chips and other chopped spuds to sell to restaurants in the area.
Now, Mark's two sons are in the process of taking on the farm and the potato processing business. In this programme Caz Graham meets Will and Alastair Robson and learns about the delicate art of growing potatoes, climbs to the top of the potato storehouse, and finds out how a "hydro-cutter" works to produce the perfect chip.
Presented by Caz Graham
Produced by Heather Simons
SUN 06:57 Weather (m002ccjd)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002ccjg)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002ccjj)
Pope Leo Inauguration; Jewish merger; Archbishop of Canterbury delays
William Crawley talks to Cardinal Vincent Nichols ahead of the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV and hears from correspondent Bethany Bell in Rome.
He hears what is causing a delay in appointing the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
There's news of an historic vote to merge Liberal and Reform Judaism.
And as talks get underway for a ceasefire in Gaza, we hear from Fr Gabriel Romanelli from the only Catholic parish in the strip.
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002ccjl)
Kidasha
Broadcaster Mary Nightingale makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Kidasha. The charity helps vulnerable children in Nepal by providing them with individualised support, including school uniform and books, vocational training, counselling or emergency food or medical care.
To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal. (That’s the whole address. Please do not write anything else on the front of the envelope). Mark the back of the envelope ‘Kidasha’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Kidasha’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
Registered Charity Number: 1106156. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://kidasha.org/
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites
Producer: Katy Takatsuki
SUN 07:57 Weather (m002ccjn)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002ccjq)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002ccjs)
Choral Matins from Ipswich Minster
A Service of Choral Matins celebrating the dedication earlier this year of St Mary-le-Tower in Ipswich as Ipswich Minster. The preacher is the Vicar, the Rev Tom Mumford, who reflects on themes of hope and calling. The Choir of Ipswich Minster is directed by Christopher Borrett.
Producer: Andrew Earis
Music
Hymn: Lord you gave the great commission Abbots Leigh)
Responses: Smith
Psalm 148 vv.1-6
Reading: Genesis 22:1-18
Jubilate: Howells Collegium Regale
Anthem: The Call - Randall
Hymn: Christ is made the sure foundation
SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct5ydp)
Conservative wipe-out in Canada
In Canada's 1993 election, the governing Progressive Conservative Party was routed, ending up with just two seats.
In the 1980s, the party won the largest majority in Canadian history. But by 1993, it was in crisis and the new Prime Minister, Kim Campbell, called an election. But she didn’t bank on the emergence of a new populist party called Reform, which stormed Canada’s traditionally two-party system, claiming 52 seats. The Progressive Conservatives never recovered.
Ben Henderson speaks to the former Prime Minister, Kim Campbell, and Preston Manning, founder and former leader of Reform.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Preston Manning. Credit: Peter Power/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002ccjv)
Mike Dilger on the Bullfinch
The piping contact call of the male bullfinch is a familiar sound to ecologist Mike Dilger, as he often hears it on his daily dog walks through Somerset's Chew Valley. However it's the bullfinch's unusual, wheezing song, only heard briefly in the Spring, that makes it particularly special to him.
Male bullfinches are instantly recognisable thanks to their bright, pink-red breast feathers, white rump, glossy black cap and stubby bill. The females are a duller pinkish-brown rather than the vivid pink of the males. Bullfinches are found across most of the UK in a range of habitats, from woodland and farmland to parks and gardens.
Presented by Mike Dilger and produced by Jo Peacey. Tweet of the Day is a BBC Audio Bristol production.
Bullfinch recordings via Xeno-Canto:
1. Eurasian Bullfinch call - XC704729 - recorded by Dominique Guillerme
2. Eurasian Bullfinch song - XC315469 - recorded by Gerard Olivier
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002ccjx)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002ccjz)
Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, scientist
Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu is Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience at University College London and President of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge.
She has devoted her career to harnessing the potential of nanoparticles – which are less than a thousandth of the width of a human hair - to take medicines to hard-to-reach areas of the body such as the back of the eye and the brain. Using nanoparticles in this way is said to increase the efficacy of medicines and reduce side effects.
Ijeoma was born in London where her parents had settled from Nigeria. At 13 she moved with her family to Nigeria where she developed an enduring love of chemistry.
In 2010 she co-founded a pharmaceutical company Nanomerics with her husband. The company is currently developing eyedrops to treat blindness and a nasal spray to target pain which she hopes will go some way to addressing the opioid crisis. Earlier this year Ijeoma was appointed a DBE in the King’s New Years Honours List.
Ijeoma lives in Cambridge with her husband Andreas.
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley
DISC ONE: Chop My Money (I Don’t Care) - P-Square
DISC TWO: Joromi - Sir Victor Uwaifo
DISC THREE: Love to Love You Baby - Donna Summer
DISC FOUR: Zombie - Fela Kuti
DISC FIVE: Coat of Many Colours - Dolly Parton
DISC SIX: I Have Nothing - Whitney Houston
DISC SEVEN: Touch Me in The Morning - Diana Ross
DISC EIGHT: I’m So Glad I’m Standing Here Today - The Crusaders with Joe Cocker
BOOK CHOICE: Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
LUXURY ITEM: A variety of seeds
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: I’m So Glad I’m Standing Here Today - The Crusaders with Joe Cocker
SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002cck1)
Writer: Sarah Hehir
Director: Pip Swallow
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Brian Aldridge…. Charles Collingwood
David Archer…. Timothy Bentinck
Helen Archer…. Louiza Patikas
Henry Archer…. Blayke Darby
Natasha Archer…. Mali Harries
Pip Archer…. Daisy Badger
Tom Archer….. William Troughton
Tony Archer…. David Troughton
Lilian Bellamy…. Sunny Ormonde
Rex Fairbrother…. Nick Barber
Alan Franks…. John Telfer
Usha Franks…. Souad Faress
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Rochelle Horville…. Rosie Stancliffe
Lily Pargetter…. Katie Redford
Lynda Snell….. Carole Boyd
SUN 12:15 Profile (m002ccg2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 The Unbelievable Truth (m002c2d9)
Series 31
Episode 5
David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they’re able to smuggle past their opponents.
Lucy Porter, Ian Smith, Zoe Lyons and Henning Wehn are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as weddings, teeth, shoes and board games.
The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith.
Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 12:57 Weather (m002cck3)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002cck5)
A look at the week's big stories and preview of the week to come.
SUN 13:30 Currently (m002cck7)
NHS: Painful Decisions
The latest figures on NHS finances don't make pretty reading. NHS England alone faces a projected deficit of £6.6 billion for this financial year and the situation looks as bleak right across the NHS in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
The NHS has always had to make tough choices about what to prioritise but this deficit is prompting health bosses to make decisions that were previously unthinkable to balance the books.
New research shared exclusively with the BBC by the independent think tank The Kings Fund, surveyed Chief Executive and financial leaders across the NHS in England about the kind of difficult decisions they are having to make because of the huge deficits
But faced with having to make efficiency savings, cutting staff numbers and rolling back on patient services, BBC Health correspondent Dominic Hughes learns how painful these decisions really are, from the people having to make them.
Presenter: Dominic Hughes
Producer: Jay Unger
Editor: Richard McIlroy
Executive Editor: Pete Wilson
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002c3kl)
From the Archives: Foliage Frenzy
Kathy Clugston prunes through the extensive GQT archive, which includes some much needed advice on all things Foliage.
With 77 years of experience in providing ample advice, our various GQT panellists are more than equipped to solve your gardening conundrums. They provide tips on the best plants for a foliage border, banana plants that can withstand the winter, and plants for a bed that never sees any sunshine.
Away from the questions, Matthew Wilson heads over to Sienna Hosta nursery to speak with Chris Potts, who explains how they keep their hostas slug and snail free.
Producer: Daniel Cocker
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
Plant List
Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.
Q - What would be the best plants for a foliage border? (01'07")
Matthew Biggs –
Euonymus fortunei f. radicans 'Silver Queen', spindle ‘Silver Queen’
Euonymus fortunei var. radicans, wintercreeper
Anne Swithinbank –
Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'PBR , Siberia bugloss ‘Jack Frost’
Cornus canadensis, dwarf cornel
Matthew Wilson –
Hosta, plantain lily
Hosta sieboldiana, siebold’s plantain lily
Hosta 'Big Daddy' (_sieboldiana_ hybrid) (v), plantain lily ‘Big Daddy’
Q- Why isn't my Christmas berry 'Red Robin' in here a lovely bright colour, like others? (04'22")
Q- Can banana plants stay outside during the winter? (08'10")
Matthew Pottage –
Musa acuminata 'Dwarf Cavendish', banana 'Dwarf Cavendish'
Q – Why has my 12-year-old smoke bush has turned brown overnight? (11'19")
Feature – Matthew Pottage speaks with Managing Director of Sienna Hosta Nursery Chris Potts about how they nurture their Hosta’s to be pest free (17'07")
Q- What type of ferns should I use in my fernery? (22'40")
Matthew Wilson –
Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance', copper shield fern 'Brilliance'
Polystichum setiferum (Divisilobum Group) 'Herrenhausen', soft shield fern 'Herrenhausen'
Matteuccia struthiopteris, shuttlecock fern
Pippa Greenwood –
Primula vulgaris (Pr/Prim), primrose
Wild violets
Q - What could I plant in a bed that never sees any sunshine? (27'51")
Matthew Wilson –
Pulmonaria 'Blue Ensign', lungwort 'Blue Ensign'
Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance', copper shield fern 'Brilliance'
Matteuccia struthiopteris, shuttlecock fern
Deschampsia cespitosa, tufted hair grass
Christine –
Rheum palmatum, Chinese rhubarb
Heuchera, cora bells
Ligularia
Q- How do I properly mow my lawn without ruining the foliage surrounding it? (32'33")
Q - What can I do to take care of my 3ft Poinsettias? (37'35")
SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m002cck9)
Underfoot in Show Business
The series that examines books, plays and stories and how they work. John Yorke looks at the 1962 theatre memoir Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff. The text is a comic account of Hanff’s attempts to break into New York theatre in the early 1940s, which found a new audience after the success of Hanff’s later epistolary memoir 84, Charing Cross Road.
Underfoot in Show Business is a dispatch from a golden era in New York theatre, in which Eugene O’Neill, Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams were actively producing plays.
John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years and shares his experience as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy, he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative - including many podcasts for R4.
Contributor:
Howard Sherman, US writer for The Stage
Readings from Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff (Futura Publications, 1980)
Audio from Friday Night, Saturday Morning (BBC Television, 1980) and Desert Island Discs (BBC Radio 4, 1981)
Reader: Madeleine Paulson
Sound: Sean Kerwin
Researcher: Henry Tydeman
Production Hub Coordinator: Nina Semple
Producer: Lucy Hough
Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002cckc)
Underfoot in Show Business
Helene Hanff's fascinating and funny memoir about attempting to become a famous Broadway playwright.
Hanff is known to many for her best selling book "84 Charing Cross Road " but prior to that success she wrote about her life as a struggling writer on the fringes of show business. From great expectations about her career to the lows of attempting to keep a roof over her head; Helene's story is packed full of witty anecdotes about getting by on no money, the many other jobs she must do to survive plus a parade of fascinating characters she meets as she attempts to get taken seriously as a writer on Broadway
Helene Hanff ..... Rosalie Craig
Maxine Stuart ..... Antonia Bernath
Jacob Wilk/Frank Doel ..... Kerry Shale
Irving Caesar./ Laurence Langner .... Nigel Lindsay
Theresa Helburn..... Laurel Lefkow
Joe Heidt/Gene Burr/Joey ..... Ian Dunnett Jnr
Lois/Helene's mother ..... Kerry Gooderson
Dramatised by Marcy Kahan
Directed by Sally Avens
A BBC Studios Audio Production
SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m002cckf)
Ocean Vuong
In this episode of Take Four Books James Crawford is joined by the multi-award winning Vietnamese-American poet and author, Ocean Vuong. Together with the writer and editor Heather Parry, they discuss Ocean’s latest novel - ‘The Emperor of Gladness’ - and three key influences behind its creation.
Set in the fictional town of East Gladness Connecticut in the early years of the 21st century, the ‘Emperor of Gladness’ is centred on nineteen-year-old Hai, and the unlikely bond he forms with with Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia. This vivid, poetic epic explore loss, hope, class and the power of human connection in the post-industrial opioid infused margins of the American Dream.
Ocean’s literary influences include, 'The Brothers Karamazov'by Fyodor Dostoevsky, 'The Town and the City' by Jack Kerouac, and 'Class Fictions' by Pamela Fox.
Producer: Elizabeth Ann Duffy
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production, made in Glasgow.
SUN 16:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002cckh)
Programme 2 - The South of England vs Wales
(2/12)
Teams from all over the UK will face Kirsty Lang's cryptic questions across the series, with Kirsty offering support and the odd hint where it might be needed.
In the second match in the series The South of England faces Wales.
Teams:
Paul Sinha and Marcus Berkmann - The South of England
Myfanwy Alexander and Cariad Lloyd - Wales
Questions in today's edition:
Q1 (from Bill March) As autumn creeps in, how might we connect:
-A video game turned TV series about a mutated fungus.
-A Leatherstocking Tale featuring Natty Bumppo or Hawk-eye.
-A singing Sophie.
-An 1855 painting of departing emigrants.
-A 1969 Neil Simon comedy about a middle-aged man's attempt at infidelity…
… and connect them to the final drops of Tinto de Verano?
Q2 Where might you find huddled: Patrick Bateman’s creator, the writer of the Summerhouse Trilogy and an EastEnders actor turned dancer, eating a mass of oysters?
Q3 Music: Why might these tracks take us on a world tour?
Q4 With Anne’s manipulative ambition, Diane’s quirky charm, Leslie’s elegant grace, Jessica’s quiet wisdom, and the haunting void of a woman whose presence is defined by her absence, what type of film would you make and why would it stand out from 91 others?
Q5 A prince, an unmarried butcher, an orphan, a boxer, and a composer all possess a piece of work by George Stanley. You know their names. What are they, and why are they the only ones to receive such an honour?
Q6 Music: I’d like you to think about how all of these people might be travelling?
Q7 (from Patrick Haigh) How, specifically appended, might ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ lead you to:
-A Scottish lager
-A wizard eternally imprisoned in a rock
-Both a general pastime and a particular footballing game
-A picaresque pickle?
Q8 A legendary manager, a red-legged crow, a golfer’s nightmare, a poetic target of bombs, and a ventriloquist walk into a pub. Which one stands out? And what type of pub lunch might they order when they get there?
Host: Kirsty Lang
Recorded by: Phil Booth
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: Carl Cooper
Questions set by:
Lucy Porter, Alan Poulton, Paul Bajoria and public contributors.
SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct4xhd)
Axis Sally: World War II traitor who broadcast for the Nazis
In 1949, Mildred Gillars – otherwise known as Axis Sally – became the first woman in American history to be convicted of treason.
The former Broadway showgirl broadcast antisemitic Nazi propaganda on German State Radio during World War Two.
Her weekly shows were heard by thousands of American servicemen who gave her the nickname Axis Sally.
After her capture, she denied being a traitor, but a jury in Washington convicted her of treason, and she served 12 years in prison. Jane Wilkinson has been looking through the BBC archives to uncover her story.
(Photo: Mildred Gillars. Credit: Bettmann, Getty Images)
SUN 17:10 Indispensable Relations (m002c2cf)
Maturing
Tom Bateman concludes the story of the special relationship between the United States and Israel.
The alliance, going back decades, is one of the most consequential between two single countries on earth – and one of the most contested. The dynamics in the relationship not only amount to a matter of life and death for both societies on the land – Israelis and Palestinians – but form a bedrock of US policy for the entire Middle East.
In this series Tom will go back to 1947, when President Harry Truman had to decide whether to back the Zionist dream for a Jewish state. He'll examine the wars and crises which have gripped the region. But he will also venture well beyond the political, diplomatic and military relationships to examine the religious and cultural connections between the two countries. He'll explain how books, museums, Holy Land tours and newspaper coverage have profoundly affected what Americans think and feel about Israel, in a variety of different ways. As he does, he'll reveal how much the relationship has changed, as well as what has stayed the same.
In this final episode, Tom brings the story right up to the present. He'll take us inside the peace processes, examine the extraordinary impact of 9/11, consider the growing importance of Christian Zionism, and ask how political realignments in both countries have begun to shift the relationship.
Tom is the BBC's State Department Correspondent, covering US foreign policy, and was previously a Middle East Correspondent based in Jerusalem for 7 years.
Producer: Giles Edwards.
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002cckl)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m002cckn)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002cckq)
Israel launches ground offensive
Israel says it is sending troops into Gaza -- after days of missile strikes.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002ccks)
Jenny Kleeman
This week, Jenny hears about the role rats are playing in saving lives in Cambodia, and how they could go on to save more in the near future. Meanwhile, shepherd's pie is causing plenty of outrage on The Kitchen Cabinet, and David Sedaris muses on the importance of imperfect pronunciations. Plus, it's Wellbeing Week on the BBC, and there are in-depth discussions shared on connection and community wherever you have an ear available, with 6 Music's Nemone bringing a psychotherapy touch to her interviews, the Van Tulleken brothers learning about tough conversations, and Jeremy Vine receiving therapy from a professional cuddler.
Presenter: Jenny Kleeman
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Coordinator: Caroline Peddle
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002cckv)
Henry informs his granddad that he and Khalil have a place on the cricket team. He wonders if Tony’s upset, but Tony’s genuinely pleased for them. Henry’s apprehensive about the match but Tony reassures him – they’ll all support him all the way.
Tom and Natasha speculate on the proposed extended family holiday. Natasha thinks it might be fun, though they agree it wouldn’t be something they’d choose to do. Tom wonders again where Peggy’s money’s gone. Natasha dismisses this – maybe it just ran out. Natasha looks forward to sampling Fallon’s cricket tea pies. She goes to collect Henry, who’s engrossed in his phone. He hurriedly puts it away saying he was looking at the weather.
The match is disappointing despite Henry and Khalil’s efforts in the field. Tony remarks that Ambridge seem to have given up. Zainab wonders when it’ll be over – at least Fallon’s pies were delicious. Natasha sympathises with Tom over the loss. Henry isn’t impressed with his play. He can barely hit the ball. He doesn’t think he’ll go in for the T20 next week. Encouraging Tony offers to give him some tips.
Natasha’s concerned over Henry hiding his phone earlier. Tom thinks it’s normal for teenagers to conceal what’s on their phones but Natasha persists. Tom offers to have a word with him. Tom begins the conversation awkwardly and Henry soon works out Natasha’s spoken to him. He assures Tom he wasn’t looking at anything inappropriate, repeating that he was just checking the weather.
SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002cckx)
Doctor Dolittle and the Exploding Trout
It's the glorious summer of 1966 and Hollywood has taken over England’s prettiest village. The residents of Castle Combe have made way for the cast and crew of the biggest budget musical of the decade- Doctor Dolittle.
Where sheep once grazed there are two-headed llamas, talking macaws, singing chimps and enormous catering trucks. Propping up the bar at the local pub are hot actors Anthony Newley, Richard Attenborough and one of the biggest stars of the day- the man who talks to the animals- Rex Harrison.
Locals are divided about the pros and cons of the Hollywood invasion but one thing they’re all annoyed about is the destruction of the local trout stream, dammed to create a lake for filming. Native fish and plants are gone, replaced by movie props and trained ducks.
Four young chaps decide to make their feelings clear. For three of them that means fireworks and noisy protests but ring leader, Ranulph Fiennes, intends to take things a little further. He’s just joined the SAS, the crack Army regiment that gives him access to high explosives- more than enough to blow the dam sky high.
Environmental historian and broadcaster, Eleanor Barraclough gathers together the protagonists to publicly share their stories of the Dolittle affair for the first time.
Producers: Alasdair Cross of BBC Audio Wales and West and Matt Dyas for Good Productions
SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001y8fr)
Play an Instrument
Humans have been making music for thousands of years, but for Michael Mosley and our volunteer Matthew, the musical journey is only just beginning. Playing a musical instrument has been shown to strengthen your memory and lift your mood. It can even reduce chronic inflammation. Dr Sofia Seinfeld from the Open University in Catalonia tells Michael why it’s never too late to start making music, and how it can enhance your cognitive abilities by activating regions of the brain associated with motor co-ordination and the processing of emotions. Meanwhile, Matthew gets to grips with the ukulele to see if he can master a tune and boost his wellbeing.
Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Editor: Zoë Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
SUN 20:00 Word of Mouth (m002c3cb)
The End of the Full Stop?
The use of punctuation is rapidly changing within the quickfire back-and-forth of instant messaging. Are these changes causing misunderstandings? Presenter Michael Rosen and his guest Dr Christian Ilbury discuss. Is the full stop on the way out? What about capital letters? Exclamation marks and question marks seem to be holding their ground, but what about the rest?
Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley, in partnership with The Open University.
Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002c3kq)
Sir Tom Farmer, Elaine Wynn, Sue Stapely, Joseph Nye
Matthew Bannister on:
Sir Tom Farmer, the Edinburgh born businessman who built up the tyre and exhaust company Kwik Fit.
Elaine Wynn, who worked with her husband Steve to create a casino empire in Las Vegas.
Sue Stapely, who transformed the way the legal profession communicates with the public and the media.
Joseph Nye, the American political analyst who came up with the concept of “soft power” in international relations
Interviewee: Michael Welch
Interviewee: Douglas Fraser
Interviewee: David Sanger
Interviewee: David McNeill
Interviewee: Christina Binkley
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Archive used:
Tom Farmer interview, Workwise Scotland, BBC Scotland, 03/02/1989; Tom Farmer, The House I Grew Up In, BBC Radio 4, 06/08/2008; Tom Farmer, First Light, BBC One, 22/11/2016; Joseph Nye On Soft Power, Foreign Policy Association, YouTube
22.02.2016; "Soft power" explained by the man who coined it, Council on Foreign Relations, uploaded to YouTube 09/05/2025; Joseph Nye on "The Future of Power", Harvard University, Centre for Public Leadership, uploaded to YouTube 04/02/2011; Doctor Who, Season 6, Episode 6, The Invasion, by Derrick Sherwin, Director: Douglas Camfied, BBC Television, 07/12/1968; An Interview with Sue Stapely, Fantom Films and Alex Moore, YouTube, uploaded 22/09/2021; PM, BBC, Radio 4, 31/03/1998; Coronation Street, Director: Michael Kerrigan, written by Tony Warren, Granada Television, ITV, 1998; The Archers, Omnibus Edition, BBC Radio 4, 21/07/1985; Mirage Resort Opens, 8 News Now, KLAS-TV, YouTube 13/07/2013; Elaine Wynn interview, KTVN Channel 13, YouTube, 03/11/2015; The Mirage Volcano erupts, 8 News Now - Las Vegas, YouTube 17/07/2024; Musings with Elaine Wynn, TheLifeYouCanSave.org, YouTube uploaded 27/09/2023;
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002ccfc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002ccjl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002ccf7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:30 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002cckz)
Lookahead to the week in politics, including the UK/EU "reset"
Ben Wright looks ahead to the UK-EU summit with the Chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Labour's Dame Emily Thornberry; Conservative MP Neil Shastri-Hurst; and Liberal Democrat Victoria Collins. Brexit expert Professor Anand Menon and political journalist Rosa Prince from Bloomberg bring additional insight and analysis. Ben also interviews the newest Reform UK MP, Sarah Pochin and the German MEP David McAllister, from the European Parliament's UK contact group. The panellists also consider President Trump's approach to diplomacy and a review of sentencing by the former Conservative Justice Secretary, David Gauke.
SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m002c3bm)
Copyright
In 1710, the British Parliament passed a piece of legislation entitled An Act for the Encouragement of Learning. It became known as the Statute of Anne, and it was the world’s first copyright law.
Copyright protects and regulates a piece of work - whether that's a book, a painting, a piece of music or a software programme. It emerged as a way of balancing the interests of authors, artists, publishers, and the public in the context of evolving technologies and the rise of mechanical reproduction.
Writers and artists such as Alexander Pope, William Hogarth and Charles Dickens became involved in heated debates about ownership and originality that continue to this day - especially with the emergence of artificial intelligence.
With:
Lionel Bently, Herchel Smith Professor of Intellectual Property Law at the University of Cambridge
Will Slauter, Professor of History at Sorbonne University, Paris
Katie McGettigan, Senior Lecturer in American Literature at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Producer: Eliane Glaser
Reading list:
Isabella Alexander, Copyright Law and the Public Interest in the Nineteenth Century (Hart Publishing, 2010)
Isabella Alexander and H. Tomás Gómez-Arostegui (eds), Research Handbook on the History of Copyright Law (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2016)
David Bellos and Alexandre Montagu, Who Owns this Sentence? A History of Copyrights and Wrongs (Mountain Leopard Press, 2024)
Oren Bracha, Owning Ideas: The Intellectual Origins of American Intellectual Property, 1790-1909 (Cambridge University Press, 2016)
Elena Cooper, Art and Modern Copyright: The Contested Image (Cambridge University Press, 2018)
Ronan Deazley, On the Origin of the Right to Copy: Charting the Movement of Copyright Law in Eighteenth Century Britain, 1695–1775 (Hart Publishing, 2004)
Ronan Deazley, Rethinking Copyright: History, Theory, Language (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2006)
Ronan Deazley, Martin Kretschmer and Lionel Bently (eds.), Privilege and Property: Essays on the History of Copyright (Open Book Publishers, 2010)
Marie-Stéphanie Delamaire and Will Slauter (eds.), Circulation and Control: Artistic Culture and Intellectual Property in the Nineteenth Century (Open Book Publishers, 2021)
Melissa Homestead, American Women Authors and Literary Property, 1822-1869 (Cambridge University Press, 2005)
Adrian Johns, Piracy: The Intellectual Property Wars from Gutenberg to Gates (University of Chicago Press, 2009)
Meredith L. McGill, American Literature and the Culture of Reprinting, 1834-1853 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002)
Mark Rose, Authors and Owners: The Invention of Copyright (Harvard University Press, 1993)
Mark Rose, Authors in Court: Scenes from the Theater of Copyright (Harvard University Press, 2018)
Catherine Seville, Internationalisation of Copyright: Books, Buccaneers and the Black Flag in the Nineteenth Century (Cambridge University Press, 2006)
Brad Sherman and Lionel Bently, The Making of Modern Intellectual Property Law (Cambridge University Press, 1999)
Will Slauter, Who Owns the News? A History of Copyright (Stanford University Press, 2019)
Robert Spoo, Without Copyrights: Piracy, Publishing and the Public Domain (Oxford University Press, 2013)
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio production
SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002c3kn)
Flash Annie by Lisa Blower
Amy Parker reads a new short story for Radio 4 from the award-winning short story writer, Lisa Blower.
A meeting at a supermarket cheese counter sparks memories of loss, grief and friendship - and perhaps an answer to a ghost story that has haunted Stoke-on-Trent's old steelworks for decades.
Writer: Lisa Blower is an acclaimed novelist, playwright and prize-winning short story writer from Stoke-on-Trent.
Reader: Amy Parker
Producer: Justine Willett
MONDAY 19 MAY 2025
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002ccl1)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 00:15 Crossing Continents (m002c3gs)
Syria - Return to Ruins
Thirteen million Syrians - half the population - left their homes during their country's 13-year civil war. Seven million were internally displaced. Six million fled abroad. Bringing them home is perhaps the biggest challenge facing Syria's new rulers. But many can’t return, because their homes are in ruins, and jobs and essential services are lacking. Tim Whewell follows a variety of returnees back to Homs, Syria’s third city, which saw some of the worst destruction of the war. A private charity organises convoys of families wanting to return from camps in the north of the country. But once returnees like Fatima Hazzoura get back, they're left to cope on their own. Some who came back earlier have managed to repair their homes. But others find their houses are just empty, burnt-out shells. Meanwhile, some in Homs who stayed throughout the war - members of the Alawite minority, whose neighbourhoods remained intact - are thinking of leaving now, fearful that the new government of former Islamist rebels will not protect them. And Homs people who made new lives abroad are hesitant to return permanently while the situation is so unstable , and the economy still crippled by international sanctions. Can the fabric of an ancient and diverse city be rebuilt? Tim finds grief and fear among the ruins - but also laughter, and flashes of Homs's famous humour.
Production: Tim Whewell
Research/field production/translation: Aref al-Krez
Translation: Maria Mohammad
Security/photography: Rolf Andreason
Sound mixing: James Beard
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002ccgn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002ccl3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002ccl5)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:00 News Summary (m002ccl7)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002ccl9)
Alicia McCarthy reports as MPs debate plans to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales
MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002cclc)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002cclf)
An unexpected helper
Good morning.
I have a friend who is autistic and has great difficulty coping with social interactions. Because of this, Lisa is often misunderstood. She’s found it hard to engage with the authorities which could help her, because she often doesn’t understand how to communicate well with them.
However, of late, Lisa’s come across a new friend who’s been able to help her through all this. Unlike me, this friend is completely unflappable, and never gets upset when Lisa gets irritated at the difficulty of getting her meaning across. The friend has helped Lisa draft a business plan, and has suggested ways that Lisa might be able to deal with her anxiety, and provided her with further medical advice on her mental health diagnosis, while being quite clear that Lisa needs to check this with a professional. The friend is on hand 24 hours a day, but doesn’t impose any needs on Lisa.
Now, you might be expecting me to say that the friend is Jesus. But in fact, it’s an AI. Lisa has given the AI a name, and it’s changed his her life. Pope Leo is of course right to say that AI poses “new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour”, but Lisa’s experience has taught me that it can also be a real gift from God.
God of Wisdom,
You have blessed us with extraordinary intelligence that allows us to create technologies that can shape our lives.
We pray for those responsible for producing AI technology, and those in charge of legislating for its use. Give them wisdom, insight and compassion, so we can all benefit from its blessings while being protected from its dangers.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002cclh)
19/05/25 Summit to 'reset' trading between EU and UK. Bovine TB.
Sir Keir Starmer welcomes EU leaders to London today for a summit to improve cooperation and "re-set" relations in a post Brexit world. Fishing quotas are being talked about as a possible deal breaker. Leaving the EU has had a huge impact on some UK fishing businesses which is why industry leaders are adamant their interests shouldn’t be bartered away as part of a deal. We hear from Cornish fishermen who say the summit comes too late for their businesses.
All week we're talking about bovine TB. Each year more than 40,000 cattle are slaughtered across the UK as part of an effort to eradicate the disease, and the wider bovine TB eradication programmes cost UK taxpayers around £150 million per year, with more costs falling to the cattle industry. The different parts of the UK are taking different approaches to tackling the disease. In England, there has been a decade-long programme of enhanced cattle testing, increased biosecurity and culling badgers - which can also catch and pass on bovine TB. Now, after promising to "end the ineffective badger cull" in their manifesto, the Government says it's "working at pace" on a revised TB eradication strategy for England. We speak to Professor James Wood, a veterinary epidemiologist and government advisor about the overall rates of the disease in cattle and whether they're coming down because of the badger cull.
Presenter = Caz Graham
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
MON 05:57 Weather (m002cclk)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers
MON 06:00 Today (m002cdkz)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002cdl1)
Mathematics, Symbiosis and Japanese art
In his new book, Blueprints, Marcus du Sautoy traces the connections between mathematics and art and the ways in which creatives use numbers to underpin their work – unconsciously or otherwise. From the earliest stone circles to the unique architecture of Zaha Hadid, du Sautoy shows us that there are blueprints everywhere and how logic and aesthetics are intrinsically intermingled.
Sophie Pavelle is also interested in connections and her forthcoming book, To Have or To Hold, explores symbiotic relationships in nature. Focusing on eight key examples, Sophie Pavelle explains how these mutually beneficial connections are crucial for the survival of our natural world and how they play an integral role in regulating ecosystems and strengthening resilience. She asks if we are capable of restoring and nurturing our environment or will we continue to exploit the Earth’s resources, till death do us part?
The British Museum’s new exhibition illuminates the captivating work of the nineteenth-century Japanese artist, Utagawa Hiroshige (from 1st May to 7th September 2025). He was fascinated by the natural world and many of his pictures take flora and fauna as their subject matter. Hiroshige was one of Japan’s most talented, prolific and popular artists and his influence was not only felt in his home country, but spread globally – influencing artists such as Vincent Van Gogh and contemporary artists such as Julian Opie. The curator of the exhibition, Alfred Haft, shines a light on the oeuvre of Hiroshige, his techniques and enduring legacy.
Producer: Natalia Fernandez
MON 09:45 Café Hope (m002cdl3)
Lost rings and things
Founder of the National Ring Recovery Service, Morley Howard, tells Rachel Burden how metal detecting turned from his hobby, into a way of helping people find their lost belongings for free. Being a full time carer for his son who has cystic fybrosis, Morley helps raise money for charity by giving away any donations for his work.
Café Hope is our virtual Radio 4 coffee shop, where guests pop in for a brew and a chat to tell us what they’re doing to make things better in big and small ways. Think of us as sitting in your local café, cooking up plans, hearing the gossip, and celebrating the people making the world a better place.
We’re all about trying to make change. It might be a transformational project that helps an entire community, or it might be about trying to make one life a little bit easier. And the key here is in the trying. This is real life. Not everything works, and there are struggles along the way. But it’s always worth a go.
You can contact us on cafehope@bbc.co.uk
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002cdl6)
Swimming coaching, LGB Alliance, Welsh women's football, Author Emma Stonex
A world-record breaking swimmer has told the BBC she was left 'broken' by the training regime of one of the UK’s most successful swimming coaches. Rūta Meilutytė - who won gold at the London 2012 Olympics at the age of 15 – said coach Jon Rudd’s focus on her weight and diet contributed to her struggle with an eating disorder. Mr Rudd, who has faced multiple allegations of bullying and verbal abuse of teenage swimmers, has not responded to the BBC. Panorama's Rebecca Woods joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her investigation, The Dark Side of Swimming Clubs, which raises wider questions about an alleged toxic culture for young swimmers in the UK.
Woman's Hour is hearing different perspectives on the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act, and how it could and should be interpreted on the ground. Today Nuala speaks to Kate Barker, CEO of LGB Alliance. They were part of a coalition along with Scottish Lesbians and the Lesbian Project, that intervened in the case.
Today the BBC launches the Women’s Summer of Sport, marking the start of a bumper summer of coverage including the Euros, the Rugby World Cup and Queen’s tennis tournament. The Welsh women’s football team have been called 'history makers' after qualifying for the European Championship for the first time. Three of the players, Josie Green, Lily Woodham and Elise Hughes, tell us what this means for them and how they are preparing for their debut tournament.
The author Emma Stonex joins Nuala to talk about her new suspense novel The Sunshine Man. Set it 1989, it tells the story of Birdie, set on taking revenge on the man who she believes murdered her sister. Emma tells us how she approached writing the book, and touches on some of its themes, including the bonds between sisters and parental abandonment.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths
MON 11:00 The Patch (m002cdlb)
Bulford
One random postcode, and a story you probably haven't heard before. The series returns with a new set of destinations.
Today, the military town of Bulford, Wiltshire. When producer Polly Weston first arrives, she's a little puzzled about where to begin, in a postcode where everyone is likely to be subject to the Official Secrets Act. But it turns out that this postcode is the home of the Bulford Military Court. It's the service equivalent of the Crown Court, and it's a public court, so she is free to go and visit.
The British Military has its own justice system, which isn't just responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes associated with service, like desertion, but everything up to rape and murder. On her first visit, the court is sentencing an Army Sergeant for rape. Polly starts out by trying to understand why the court exists and how it differs from the civilian system, but soon discovers that it is the tip of a military justice iceberg - and that this postcode is also home to something called the Defence Serious Crime Unit. It's the CID of the military, and it's their job to investigate the most serious crimes. The unit was formed in 2022, for reasons which are fascinating and timely... and this particular random postcode takes us into a world most of us won't even have realised existed.
Produced and presented in Bristol by Polly Weston
Editor: Chris Ledgard
Mixed by Suzy Robins
MON 11:45 Me and the Farmer (m0020qtj)
1. Born to be a Farmer
Comedian and farmer Jim Smith is a proud teuchter. What is a teuchter? Well, Jim will tell you.
Me and the Farmer is a stand up show chronicling Jim's life as a working farmer in rural Perthshire. This isn't an act. By day, Jim works the land and looks after his sheep and by night he performs stand up to sold out venues across Scotland.
In each episode, Jim tells anecdotes about life on his family farm to a live audience in his nearest city of Perth. This is an honest, behind the scenes look at what it takes to be a modern farmer.
Written and Performed by Jim Smith
Produced by Lauren Mackay
Sound by Andy Hay and Barry Jackson
Photo credit: Chris Quilietti
MON 12:00 News Summary (m002cdlf)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002cdlh)
BNPL Rules, Car Safety Systems, Cyber Attack latest
After a number of years of delay, the Government has announced new rules to regulate Buy Now Pay Later including affordability checks due to come in next year. Last week the FCA's Financial Lives survey found that the use of buy now pay later is at record levels with nearly 11 million people using these services in 2024. Shari Vahl talks to someone who got into debt after using BNPL and Peter Tutton from debt advice charity Step Change about what the new rules could mean for shoppers.
Over half of drivers switch off car safety systems because they find them annoying or that they don't work as they're suppose. Two drivers talk to Shari about their experiences and Yousif Al-Ani from Thatcham a company that tests them for insurers explains more about how they work.
And with empty shelves in the Co-op and no online orders at Marks and Spencer weeks after the retailers were hit by cyber hackers we get the latest on when shoopers can see normal service resume with Steve Farrell from the Grocer and cyber expert Jake More.
PRESENTER - SHARI VAHL
PRODUCER - CATHERINE EARLAM
MON 12:57 Weather (m002cdlk)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m002cdlm)
UK agrees new deal with European Union.
New settlements on defence, fishing and trade - including some dynamic alignment. Plus, Netanyahu says Israel will control all of Gaza and allow in 'minimal' aid.
MON 13:45 Mary Bourke: Who Cares? (m002cdlp)
Episode 1: Being thrown into the system
Five years ago, Mary Bourke’s husband had a stroke - and she immediately became his carer. It’s a job no one wants - and one that comes with no formal training, and very little support. Guilt, isolation, toilets, and endless, endless admin - welcome to the day-to-day reality of being a carer. There are more than 5 million carers in the UK - but who cares for the carers?
Through a mixture of interviews and stand-up comedy, comedian and carer Mary Bourke investigates, with the help of friends and fellow comedians with caring responsibilities.
In episode one, Mary discovers what it’s like to be thrown into the system - with guest Dreenagh Darrell and stand-up from Al Barrie.
Presenter: Mary Bourke
Producer: Katie Sayer
Executive Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:00 The Archers (m002cckv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Conversations from a Long Marriage (m002cdlr)
Series 6
1. Here You Come Again
This week Joanna comes home to Roger. But will she stay?
Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam return as the loving, long-married couple, in the 6th series of Jan Etherington’s award-winning comedy.
This week, Joanna returns home, after three months away, still trying to come to terms with the fact that Roger has an adult son, from a brief fling in the 70s. She’s cat-sitting for a friend, so can’t stay but suggests Roger takes her out to dinner in town. The evening goes well but as they head back to the flat, Roger’s phone rings. It’s his son…
Conversations from a Long Marriage is written by Jan Etherington and produced by Claire Jones.
Wilfredo Acosta - Sound Engineer
Jon Calver - Sound Designer
Sarah Nicholls - Production Coordinator
An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4
MON 14:45 Miss Buncle's Book by DE Stevenson (m001t3h3)
Episode 8
As ripples from the Great Depression reach a cosy English village, Barbara Buncle finds an inventive way to supplement her meagre income. Life in Silverstream will never be the same once her thinly fictionalised novel has laid bare the life, loves and eccentricities of her neighbours.
With the village abuzz over the identity of troublesome author ‘John Smith’, Miss Buncle struggles to hide her secret. Meanwhile Sally next door is about to meddle in the Vicar’s love life.
Read by Madeleine Worrall
Written by D.E. Stevenson
Abridged by Clara Glynn
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
An EcoAudio certified production
Scottish author D.E. Stevenson was a prolific name in the light romantic fiction genre, topping best seller lists from the 1930s to the 1960s. MISS BUNCLE’S BOOK, her best-known publication, is a delight; funny, engaging and well worth rediscovering just over 50 years after the author’s death.
MON 15:00 Great Lives (m002cdlv)
Tina Turner
Rock Icon Tina Turner proposed by the actress and author Rebecca Humphries.
Tina Turner began life as Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tennessee, joining Ike Turner's band in St Louis at the age of 17. Her presence, her performances and her voice captivated audiences, but this is really a story of triumph over abuse. After she left Ike Turner with nothing but her name, she built a successful solo career in her 40s and rose to become one of the best-selling artists of all time, filling arena into her 70s.
Tina Turner is nominated by Rebecca Humphries.
Presented by Matthew Parris, produced in Bristol for BBC Studios Audio by Ellie Richold
MON 15:30 Curious Cases (m002c70n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Saturday]
MON 16:00 Currently (m002cck7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
13:30 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002ccf3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
MON 17:00 PM (m002cdlx)
Full coverage of the day's news
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002cdlz)
The Prime Minister signs a new agreement with the EU
Britain and the European Union have signed what Sir Keir Starmer has described as a "landmark" deal that takes in trade, security, fishing, and travel arrangements. Speaking at the first summit between UK and EU leaders since Brexit, the prime minister said the arrangement was good for both sides. Also: Israel says five aid trucks carrying baby food, medicines and flour have entered Gaza after an eleven-week blockade. And Gary Lineker has apologised for the "hurt" caused by sharing a social media post with anti-semitic connotations and confirmed that he will step down from his role as the BBC's main football presenter earlier than expected.
MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (m002cdm1)
Series 31
Episode 6
David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they’re able to smuggle past their opponents.
Angela Barnes, Mark Steel, Ria Lina and Alan Davies are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as wheels, cows, condiments and toys.
The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith.
Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4
MON 19:00 The Archers (m002cdgg)
Oliver and Ian await the arrival at Grey Gables of the new temporary manager, who’s late. Oliver lists his credentials and Ian admits he does sound very good. Ian reckons he’ll run a tight ship; Oliver thinks that’s just what they’re looking for/need. Dane arrives and proves to be chatty and quirky. Both Ian and Oliver are slightly stunned. Dane’s a breath of fresh air, but not quite what either of them was expecting.
Natasha prompts Tom to tell Helen about Henry hiding his phone from her. He does so and Helen tackles Henry in a quiet moment as he makes a birthday card for Jack. He’s defensive at first, worrying that Helen will be mad at him. Eventually he admits he was checking up on some of the names in a dating app Helen’s joined. Helen’s shocked Henry’s been looking at her phone, but understands when it becomes clear he’s fearful for her safety. She reassures him, reminding him that it’s her job to look after him, not the other way round. She puts Natasha and Tom in the picture. Natasha’s excited that Helen’s online dating, though equally shocked at Henry’s actions. Tom thinks it's quite sweet – Henry’s obviously looking out for Helen. Helen points out Henry’s clearly worried about the possibility of another Rob. Tom doesn’t think so. But Helen reckons she’ll delete the dating app. Natasha persuades her to give it a chance. It’s great Helen’s being proactive about finding someone. Natasha’s happy to be her wingwoman; it’s very exciting.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m002cdm3)
Joanne Harris on the return of Chocolat
25 years after Joanne Harris introduced readers to the soothing delights of Chocolat, she's released her new book Vianne. It’s the prequel that explains how her heroine found her way into the world of high end French confectionery.
A new exhibition at the British Museum sheds light on the provenance of popular images of the Hindu god Ganesha, the Buddha and Jain enlightened teachers. We talk to curator Sushma Jansari about Ancient India: living traditions, alongside expert in Indian ritual art, Professor Partha Mitter.
The 2025 Cannes Film Festival is well underway. We get the latest from Daily Telegraph Critic, Robbie Collin.
Rumours abound about the planned axing of the Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. Alison Cole, head of the Cultural Policy Unit think tank, tells us what this could mean for the arts.
Presenter Samira Ahmed.
Producer Harry Graham
MON 20:00 The Briefing Room (m002c3cd)
What is Israel's plan for Gaza?
Dire warnings of famine in Gaza, a broken ceasefire and the start by the Israeli government of a new “intense” offensive which could forcibly displace Palestinians to an area in the south of Gaza and perhaps out of the strip altogether, plus the latest release of a US hostage. This is the war between Israel and Gaza 19 months on from the deadly attack by Hamas which killed 1200 people in Israel and took 251 hostages.
So what chance of peace between Israel and Hamas? Can a new ceasefire be negotiated with US backing or will Israel go it alone and forcibly occupy most of Gaza?
Guests:
Yolande Knell, BBC Middle East Correspondent
Anshel Pfeffer, Israel Correspondent at The Economist,
Yossi Mekelberg, Senior Consulting Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House
Shibley Telhami, Professor of Government and Politics at University of Maryland and a non resident senior fellow at Brookings Institution.
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Nathan Gower, Kirsteen Knight
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound Engineer: David Crackles
Editor: Richard Vadon
MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m002c3cg)
Will the Hole in the Ozone Layer Close?
40 years ago scientists in Antarctica discovered a hole in the Ozone layer. The world acted quickly, phasing out harmful CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons. Evidence suggests the hole has been getting smaller. But in 2025, there are new pollutants threatening to slow progress. Eloise Marais is Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Quality at University College London and tells Victoria Gill about her work monitoring the impact of space travel on the Ozone layer.
It's the first day of the traditional ‘bathing season’ when wild swim spots are regularly tested throughout the UK summer. Victoria asks Professor of Environmental Microbiology and Health at Lancaster University, Roger Pickup to break down the science behind our water quality classifications. And May also means wildflowers. Dr Sarah Scott is pollinator ecologist and toxicologist at Cambridge university. She has a warning that planted in the wrong place, wildflowers could be harming bumble bees.
Gareth Mitchell, broadcaster and lecturer in science communication at Imperial College London is in the Inside Science studio to bring Victoria new scientific findings which will shape our future.
Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producers: Clare Salisbury, Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
MON 21:00 Start the Week (m002cdl1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:45 Café Hope (m002cdl3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002cdm5)
Is UK's EU reset deal a 'win-win'?
Is the government's deal with the EU really a reset - and one the public is looking for? We speak to the Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Also tonight:
Israel says five trucks carrying baby food, medicines and flour have entered Gaza - after an 11-week aid blockade. In his interview with us, the Foreign Secretary says it's "simply not enough".
We have a read-out on the marathon phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Is the Russian leader really serious about discussing compromises?
And as The Who fire their drummer Zak Starkey for the second time in a month - what's the best way for a bands to get rid of unwanted members?
MON 22:45 The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr (m002cdm7)
Episode Six
In 1973 on the west coast of Ireland, a baby is found abandoned on the beach. Who is he? Where is he from? What changes will he bring?
Ambrose Bonnar, a local fisherman, is far more interested in who he will become and – with a curious community looking on – takes the baby home and adopts him. But for Declan, the baby’s new brother, this arrival is surely bad news . . .
Set over twenty years, Garrett Carr’s 'The Boy from the Sea' is about a restless boy trying to find his place in the world, and a town caught in the storm of a rapidly approaching future.
The Author
Garrett Carr was born and brought up in the harbour town of Killybegs, County Donegal where his father was a fisherman. Garrett now teaches Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queen’s University Belfast. His non-fiction book ‘The Rule of the Land: Walking Ireland’s Border’ was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. ‘The Boy from the Sea’ is his debut novel.
Reader: Niall Cusack
Author: Garrett Carr
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 23:00 Nuremberg (m00100j6)
Statues All Over Germany
The army psychologist assigned to Nuremberg Prison has a never-to-be repeated chance to examine evil, close-up. What made these 22 men capable of such horrific acts? He spends time with them, he runs tests - what will it reveal?
Seen through the eyes of Gustav Gilbert, German-speaking US psychologist assigned to examine and watch over the defendants. In turn, they valued the chance to speak to him. He then wrote up copious notes of his conversations and also reported back to the Prison Commandant. Would he find the mystery of human evil?
And when the Defence case opens, Hermann Goering is first into the witness box but he seems unashamed, proud of what the Nazis achieved. He doesn’t pretend to be ignorant of what happened or claim that his signature was faked. He is proud of what the Nazis achieved for Germany and intends to go down in a blaze of Wagnerian martyrdom.
This wrong-foots Jackson during his cross-examination but, when Maxwell-Fyfe steps up, he forces Goering to admit to the shabby, gangsterism of the Nazi machine.
Cast:
Gustav Gilbert - ED STOPPARD
Robert H Jackson - JOSEPH MYDELL
Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe - FORBES MASSON
Sir Geoffrey Lawrence - NICHOLAS WOODESON
Hermann Goering - NIGEL LINDSAY
Alfred Seidl - HARI DHILLON
Julius Streicher - HENRY GOODMAN
Douglas Kelley and other roles - ILAN GOODMAN
Otto Kranzbühler and other roles - MARK EDEL-HUNT
Admiral Nimitz and other roles - NATHAN WILEY
Joachim von Ribbentrop and other roles - JASPER BRITTON
Ernst Kaltenbrunner and other roles - JONATHAN CULLEN
Hans Frank and other roles - ANDREW WOODALL
Sound Designer - ADAM WOODHAMS
Studio Manager - MARK SMITH
Casting Director - GINNY SCHILLER
Original Score - METAPHOR MUSIC
Writer and Director - JONATHAN MYERSON
Producer - NICHOLAS NEWTON
A Promenade Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002cdm9)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as the home secretary warns that malign foreign state organisations could threaten the UK's security.
TUESDAY 20 MAY 2025
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002cdmc)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 00:30 Ten Second Showdown (m0020xvn)
Allan Wells
The explosive drama of a 100m sprint makes it one of those events that seems to transcend sport. Like the world heavyweight boxing championships, the crown of fastest man or woman in the world has an iconic status, drawing people in – captivating even those who might never watch another athletics event in their life.
For decades, legendary commentator Mike Costello described these mini blockbusters live on BBC radio. But that 10 seconds only tells part of the story. In this series he also explores what went on behind the races.
In episode one, sport and international politics collide with the US leading a boycott of the Moscow 1980 Olympics. Scotland's Allan Wells is under huge pressure from the UK government to stay away. But he refuses - setting up a 10 second showdown in the Central Lenin Stadium with his Cuban rivals.
PRESENTER: MIKE COSTELLO
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002cdmf)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002cdmh)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:00 News Summary (m002cdmk)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002cdmm)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the government is defeated in the House of Lords over its AI plans and a minister defends the UK's new deal with the EU.
TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002cdmp)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002cdmr)
High-resolution
Good morning.
On this day in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope sent its first photos from space. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versatile, and it’s still in operation today. Because Hubble operates outside the distortion of the earth’s atmosphere, it can capture extremely high-resolution images.
The problem of factors that distort our ability to see things clearly is not restricted to space telescopes, however! We all have factors which cloud our vision, preventing us from seeing people and situations clearly, and impairing our judgement. Sometimes these are events in our past which colour the way that we experience things, and sometimes they may be problems in the present. Perhaps the most dangerous factors are those which we are completely unaware of.
In John’s gospel Jesus gets into trouble for healing a blind man, leading to a debate over what true blindness means. Jesus comments on the spiritual blindness of the religious leaders, whose hearts are preventing them from clearly seeing the wonderful miracle performed before their very eyes. He says to them: “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
God of light,
In you there is no darkness at all. But we find it hard to see clearly, and our past pains, our present prejudices and our future fears obscure our vision.
Heal our eyes, restore our vision, and help us to see others with your gaze of love. Where there are things that cloud our vision, remove them with your gentle and skilful hand.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002cdmt)
The Prime Minister has re-set the trade relationship between the UK and the EU, with a new, and extremely wide-ranging deal. In this programme Anna Hill digs into the impact of changes around fishing and a new agreement around Sanitary and Phytosanitary rules that govern safety and hygiene.
Bovine TB costs the tax payer at least a hundred million pounds a year - in compensation for culled cattle, and measures to control the spread. But it also costs farmers - financially as well as emotionally. We visit one farmer in South Gloucestershire how has just been declared TB-free.
Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Heather Simons
TUE 06:00 Today (m002cdfv)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m002cdfx)
Claudia de Rham on playing with gravity
Claudia de Rham has rather an unusual relationship with gravity.
While she has spent her career exploring its fundamental nature, much of her free time has involved trying to defy it - from scuba diving in the Indian Ocean to piloting small aircraft over the Canadian waterfalls. Her ultimate ambition was to escape gravity’s clutches altogether and become an astronaut, a dream that was snatched away by an unlikely twist of fate.
However, Claudia has no regrets - and says defying gravity for much of her life has helped her to truly understand it.
As Professor of theoretical physics at Imperial College London, she now grapples with deep mathematics, where the fields of particle physics, gravity and cosmology intersect, on a quest to understand how the universe really works. She is a pioneer of the theory of massive gravity, a theory which could take us beyond even Einstein’s theory of relativity and shed light on why the universe is expanding at an ever-increasing rate.
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Beth Eastwood
TUE 09:30 All in the Mind (m002cdfz)
The state of mental health services and more All in the Mind Awards finalists
This week, we're taking a look at the state of mental health services in the UK. Claudia Hammond is joined in the studio by the BBC's social affairs correspondent Michael Buchanan to dissect how long people are having to wait for care and what is being done to tackle the issues.
We also hear from two more finalists in the All in the Mind Awards.
First up is Duncan who nominated psychiatrist Dr Ilenia Pampaloni, who in 2023 treated him on the UK's only inpatient OCD ward. Claudia hears how Dr Pampaloni's treatment has helped Duncan have his first year of stability in 20 years.
And Claudia visits the group KidsTime Haringey, nominated by Chuks. KidsTime works with families where the parents have mental health disorders, and we hear how the group has helped Chuks rebuild his relationship with his children through specialised workshops and sessions.
The All in the Mind Awards ceremony takes place at the BBC Radio Theatre in London on 18 June, and there is a ballot for free tickets which closes at midday on 31 May. You can enter online by going to www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows.
If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Hannah Fisher, Gerry Holt
Studio Manager: Tim Heffer
Editor: Glyn Tansley
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002cdg1)
Shopping addiction, Gaza, 'Trad Wives', Rape cross-examination
Mental health nurse Rachel Luby has been discussing her shopping addiction with a UK newspaper. She says it led to her ordering thousands of pounds worth of presents for staff and patients on her ward and was receiving parcels every day. She feels her shopping addiction was trivialised - rather than being seen as a red flag. So how common is this? And why is it a problem to think that shopping is just something women do and enjoy? Nuala McGovern hears from financial psychotherapist and author of Money on Your Mind: The Psychology Behind Your Financial Habits, Vicky Reynal.
Why are survivors of sexual assault being cross-examined at trial about the fact that they made a previous disclosure of another sexual offence by a different perpetrator? The Centre for Women’s Justice, Rape Crisis and other women’s groups have launched a campaign to clarify the law around this. Nuala is joined by Katrin Hohl, independent advisor to the government on sexual violence and professor of criminology at City St Georges University in London, who has spent months investigating how and why this is happening.
Liane Child’s novel The Trad Wife’s Secret is inspired by influencers who believe in traditional gender roles in marriage. So is this a wholesome phenomenon or a dangerous and sexist regression? And what is the appeal to the millions of people who follow 'trad wives' online? Liane Child joins Nuala along with British “traditional housewife” and influencer Charlie Gray.
Israel has announced a reprieve in its 11-week blockade of aid into Gaza. Nuala speaks to the BBC’s Paul Adams and Humanitarian Director at Save the Children, Rachael Cummings, to find out more about the impact of this block of aid on women and children.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Kirsty Starkey
TUE 11:00 Screenshot (m002c3l1)
Summer Blockbusters
Fifty years ago this summer, Jaws was released in the US. Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the bestselling novel by Peter Benchley, the film - about a coastal resort town threatened by a great white stark at the busiest time of the year - was a groundbreaking box office phenomenon.
Jaws changed the industry overnight - pioneering new marketing and release patterns, and altering the focus and mix of movies that Hollywood made - some say for the worse.
From Jaws and Star Wars through to the double whammy of Barbenheimer, summer blockbusters have dominated cinemas. But is this changing? And is there more to the summer blockbuster than big box office and a summer release date? Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode join the queue for popcorn to explore the genre.
Mark speaks to critic and author Tim Robey about how Jaws went from potential disaster to record-breaking hit, and about the summer blockbusters that followed. And he also speaks to Jenny He, senior exhibitions curator at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, about the museum’s forthcoming ‘Jaws: The Exhibition’ and the marketing techniques that helped make the 1975 film such a success.
Meanwhile, Ellen talks to pop culture critic Kayleigh Donaldson about box office mega-hits for the modern age - and how the inescapable megalith of Marvel has impacted the summer film landscape.
And Ellen also speaks to Canadian filmmaker Nyla Innuksuk about her 2022 film Slash/Back - a Spielberg-influenced summer-blockbuster-in-spirit sci-fi adventure movie set in the remote Arctic fishing town of Pangnirtung.
Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 11:45 Me and the Farmer (m0020y3q)
2. Young, Free Range and Single
Comedian and farmer Jim Smith always knew he was going to be a farmer, but his parents insisted he got an education. So, it was off to agricultural college for Jim in the big city of Aberdeen. 4 years of dancing, drinking and Dave Pearce's Dance Anthems mean Jim has a fair few stories to tell.
Me and the Farmer is a stand up show chronicling Jim's life as a working farmer in rural Perthshire. This isn't an act. By day, Jim works the land and looks after his sheep and by night he performs stand up to sold out venues across Scotland.
In each episode, Jim tells anecdotes about life on his family farm to a live audience in his nearest city of Perth. This is an honest, behind the scenes look at what it takes to be a modern farmer.
Written and Performed by Jim Smith
Produced by Lauren Mackay
Sound by Andy Hay and Barry Jackson
Photo credit: Chris Quilietti
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002cdg3)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002cdg5)
How Much Do You Spend Keeping Fit?
For Call You and Yours, we want to know how you stay active and escape from it all - and how much are you prepared to spend doing it.
Whatever you do - from posh gym memberships, to gardening or a simple walk in the countryside - get in touch now and tell us.
Thirty five thousand people have just taken part in the Great Manchester Run. Running is more popular than ever - but as its popularity has grown, so has the amount you can spend on fancy kit. Or how about gardening, as the Chelsea Flower Show gets under way? That's another sector that's booming as people try to spend more time outside - but again, there are lots of ways the costs can rack up.
Whatever you do - we'd like you tell us about it. We'll be joined by a sports psychologist to discuss the things that motivate us, and the barriers that stop us.
Perhaps you have some tips for keeping fit on a tight budget. Or are you more the 'all the gear, no idea' type?
How do you look after yourself and escape from it all - and how much are you prepared to spend doing it?
Email youandyours@bbc.co.uk, and please include a number so we can call you back. After
11am on Tuesday 20 May you can call us on 03700 100 444.
PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
TUE 12:57 Weather (m002cdg7)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m002cdg9)
UN to move 100 aid trucks into Gaza
Israel allows more aid into Gaza but UK PM says it’s not enough. The World at One speaks to a doctor in the area. Also: Man Utd and Spurs fans trying to get to Spain for cup final.
TUE 13:45 Mary Bourke: Who Cares? (m002cdgc)
Episode 2: When the system fails
Five years ago, Mary Bourke’s husband had a stroke - and she immediately became his carer. It’s a job no one wants - and one that comes with no formal training, and very little support. Guilt, isolation, toilets, and endless, endless admin - welcome to the day-to-day reality of being a carer. There are more than 5 million carers in the UK - but who cares for the carers?
Through a mixture of interviews and stand-up comedy, comedian and carer Mary Bourke investigates, with the help of friends and fellow comedians with caring responsibilities.
In episode two, Mary learns what happens when the system fails - with stand-up from guest Josephine Lacey.
Presenter: Mary Bourke
Producer: Katie Sayer
Executive Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002cdgg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m000rdl7)
Safe from Harm
Thought-provoking winning drama by the inaugural Wales Writer in Residence award winner Rhiannon Boyle.
Safe From Harm tells the frank and powerful story of Alys, a teacher and mother whose life unravels when a colleague is arrested for possessing indecent images of children. Unable to cope, Alys contacts a celibate paedophile in an attempt to better understand the danger they pose. Her primal urge to forever protect her children becomes so all consuming Alys slowly loses her grip on reality. Sian Reece-Williams (Hidden, Emerdale) plays Alys.
The Wales Writer in Residence is a prestigious scheme, aimed at furthering a writer’s career across stage, sound and screen. It is a partnership between BBC Cymru Wales and National Theatre Wales, along with BBC Writersroom Wales, with the intention of supporting new writing talent.
Alys ….. Sian Reece-Williams
Christian ….. Oliver Ryan
Ianto ….. Sion Pritchard
Mum ….. Rhian Morgan
Tyler ….. Alfie Ford
Taya ….. Nerys Stocks
Kyden ….. Iolo Reynolds
Sound design was by Catherine Robinson
Safe From Harm was a BBC Writersroom Wales production
Directed by Helen Perry
TUE 15:00 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley (m002cdgj)
Lady Swindlers with Lucy Worsley - Series 2
42. Annie Gordon Baillie - Serial Swindler
Lucy Worsley is back with a brand new series of Lady Swindlers, where true crime meets history - with a twist. Lucy and her team of all female detectives travel back more than a hundred years to revisit the audacious and surprising crimes of swindlers, hustlers and women on the make. Women trying to make it in a world made for men.
Producer: Jane Greenwood
Readers: Clare Corbett and Jonathan Keeble
Sound design: Chris Maclean
Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 15:30 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vnm)
Guns, grief and god
On 4 September 2024, the town of Winder in the US state of Georgia became the latest scene of a school mass shooting. Two students and two teachers were killed. The suspect was 14 years old. The deadly attack at Apalachee High School left a community torn apart by guns and brought together in grief. In each of the previous four years there have been more than 600 mass shootings in the United States - almost two a day on average.
Edward Stourton has been to Georgia to visit the church community attached to the high school, as they try to make sense of the senseless violence in their hometown. He meets Pastor Frank Burnat and his pastoral team, who are ministering to a community in which both God and guns are a part of everyday life. Where is God in such a tragedy and its aftermath?
Producer: Dan Tierney
Presenter: Edward Stourton
Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
(Photo: From left to right, Edward Stourton, Megan Gomez, Matthew Brown, Frank Burnat. Credit: Dan Tierney)
TUE 16:00 Artworks (m002cdgm)
Three Faces of DH Lawrence
2. Class
Michael Symmons Roberts presents the second part of this new series on DH Lawrence, examining this time the important role that class played in Lawrence’s life and work.
Lawrence was born in the Nottinghamshire mining town of Eastwood, his father a collier and his mother a former teacher with aspirations for her son. While he was keen to escape a life down the mine through his writing, when Lawrence’s success saw him taken up by the middle and upper classes, he was both attracted by their grandeur and repelled by what their substitution of polite discourse for real feeling. He railed against the establishment - “the snivelling, dribbling, dithering palsied pulse-less lot” - and for many the chief obscenity of Lady Chatterley’s Lover was that it saw a gamekeeper win the love of an aristocratic woman married to a Lord.
Actor Robert Lindsay describes the deep connection he feels with Lawrence having grown up near Eastwood and attended the school where Lawrence taught, while Joan Bakewell recognises in her own life the conflict he clearly felt moving between his working class origins and his new life among the intelligentsia and the well-to-do. Meanwhile writer Alison Macleod and Professor Phil Davis consider how seriously we should consider accusations of proto-fascism laid against Lawrence by Bertrand Russell.
Produced by Geoff bird
Readings by Michael Socha
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002cdgp)
Should I worry about microplastics?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
In this episode, they delve into the issue of microplastics - minute fragments of plastic material that have been found in every environment on the planet, as well as in our brains and bodies. How did they get there, are they doing us harm and, if they are, what can we do about it? They speak to Environmental Toxicologist Dr Stephanie Wright from Imperial College, London about the evidence behind the dramatic headlines and why trying to measure the impact of microplastic on health is a challenge.
If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.
Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
Guest: Dr Stephanie Wright
Producer: Jo Rowntree
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Assistant Producers: Maia Miller-Lewis and Mary Holditch
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Social Media: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby
At the BBC:
Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 17:00 PM (m002cdgr)
UK suspends Israel trade talks over Gaza offensive
Foreign secretary also summons Israel's ambassador, Tzipi Hotovely, over 'intolerable' Gaza conditions. Plus, we explore proposals to extend the tagging of criminals on parole.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002cdgt)
The UK hardens its stance on Israel
The UK has suspended trade talks with Israel, the Israeli ambassador to the UK has been summoned to the foreign office and fresh sanctions have been imposed on some settlers in the West Bank. Hundreds of people have been killed in Gaza over the past few days. Also: senior figures in the government discuss whether to row back on the policy restricting winter fuel payments. And the British man, William Goodge, claims to have set a new record for running across Australia.
TUE 18:30 Unspeakable (m002cdgw)
Series 2
2. Curiosity should have got a dog
This episode we hear Jessica Knappett's word for undeserved promotions, Rhys James's word for being jilted by his own cat, and Griff Rhys Jones's word for not finishing your...
Ever struggled to find the right word for a feeling or sensation? Unspeakable sees comedian Phil Wang and lexicographer Susie Dent invite celebrity guests to invent new linguistic creations, to solve those all too relatable moments when we're lost for words.
Hosts: Phil Wang and Susie Dent
Guests: Rhys James, Jessica Knappett and Griff Rhys Jones
Created by Joe Varley
Writers: Matt Crosby and Katie Storey
Recorded by Jerry Peal
Producer: Jon Harvey
Executive Producers: Joe Varley and Akash Lockmun
A Brown Bred production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m002cdgy)
Oliver asks Lily to help with interviews for a new receptionist at Grey Gables. Dane will be on the panel as well; Oliver comments that his style is very informal. Sure enough, Dane and Lily are soon giggling together and try to compose themselves as Oliver brings in the first candidate, Zainab Malik. As Dane excitedly engages her in conversation about her scooter, Oliver attempts to get back to the job in hand. Zainab answers some unconventional questions competently, and declares she’s enjoyed herself. Dane and Lily are impressed and convince Oliver to give her a try out despite his concerns that she didn’t have many relevant questions to answer. Lily reckons Zainab will have no problem getting her head around the hotel’s systems.
Natasha’s disappointed to hear Helen’s not keeping on top of her dating app. Helen shares her latest status and they laugh about some of the profiles that have come up. Natasha spots one of them is Martyn Gibson. She jokes she might swipe right on Helen’s behalf. They fill Ian in on the dating site, Helen insisting it’s not a big deal, she just wants to see how she feels about dating. Then she notices she’s a match with Martyn, and realises to her horror that Natasha must have swiped the wrong way earlier. She can’t ignore him, but doesn’t know how to reply to his message of condolence about Peggy. Ian suggests telling Martyn the truth but Natasha thinks this will break his heart. Helen’s at a loss. She wishes she’d never downloaded the app!
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002cdh0)
Musician Rhiannon Giddens on returning to her North Carolina roots after working with Beyoncé
Musician Rhiannon Giddens on returning to her North Carolina roots after working with Beyoncé. As a huge retrospective of the work of the artist Helen Chadwick opens at The Hepworth Wakefield, art critic Louisa Buck and the exhibition's curator, Laura Smith, discuss why Chadwick should be viewed as the godmother for a golden generation of British contemporary artists, and another chance to hear Daniel Swift, author of The Dream Factory: London's First Playhouse and the Making of William Shakespeare, investigate an important piece of theatre history.
Presenter: Nick Ahad
Producer: Ekene Akalawu
TUE 20:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002ckqb)
Missing Billions
File on 4 Investigates: Missing Billions examines the changes to the financial system over the past ten years, including bank branch closures and the digitisation of the finance industry which has led to many financial assets being lost, mislaid or forgotten. It examines the scandal of £100 billion belonging to you and me, but kept by Britain's trusted financial institutions.
The documentary solves the mystery of some missing church silver, helps a frustrated ambulance worker hunt an elusive pension and hears from the valiant individuals leading the charge to make changes to the finance industry.
Featuring contributions from: Steve Webb (Former Pensions Minister), Helen Boyd (Reclaim Fund Ltd), Derek French (Campaign for Community Banking Services), Duncan Stevens (Asset Tracing Service Gretel), Tom Storey (Vaults Group), Les Clarke (Assets Recovered Ltd) plus responses from the NHS, South East Coast Ambulance Service, Santander UK and Lloyds bank.
Presenter, Simon Barnes
Readings, Russell Bentley, Olivia Mace
Research, Bethanie Depreaux
Editor, Ross Burman
Producer, Ashley Golder
Executive Producer, Kris Dyer
A Rakkit production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002cdh4)
The European Accessibility Act; The Audio Description Association
The European Accessibility Act is a new piece of legislation that will apply to EU member countries from the end of June, but what effects might it have on the UK given that it is no longer an EU member state. The Act covers a wide range of products and services that blind and partially sighted people use daily. To help analyse this are Antoine Fobe, head of advocacy and campaigns with the European Blind Union and Léonie Watson, Director of accessibility consultancy and auditing company TetraLogical.
The Audio Description Association is looking for more visually impaired people to join their organisation as members, with the aim of shaping the future of audio description provision for consumers. They are currently offering some free memberships and to find out more, email: membership@audiodescription.co.uk
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Liz Poole
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.
TUE 21:00 Crossing Continents (m002cdh6)
Colombia's webcam women
Colombia’s second largest city, Medellín, is booming and one of the biggest industries revolves around the city’s live webcam studios which stream women performing sex acts.
It’s estimated there are hundreds of studios in the city employing thousands of women and turning over millions of pounds as men – primarily in the US and Europe – pay to watch the women perform.
The work is legal with studios running glossy websites to attract models - and even hosting their own annual trade show. Though despite its success, Colombia's president has himself criticised the country's burgeoning industry.
Sofia Bettiza meets two women with contrasting experiences of the webcam business, and asks if their work is exploitation - or a pragmatic way to earn a living in a country where wages for women are often low and where opportunities are limited.
Presented and produced by Sofia Bettiza
Produced by Bob Howard
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy and Richard Fenton-Smith
TUE 21:30 Stakeknife (m002cdh8)
7. The Beginning of the End
In 1990, a man called Sandy Lynch was tied up, blindfolded and interrogated by Scappaticci. He survived to document his experience. Marks speaks to an IRA man who “guarded” Lynch.
Credits
Reporter: Mark Horgan
Produced and written by: Mark Horgan and Ciarán Cassidy
Co-Producer: Paddy Fee
Editing and Sound Design: Ciarán Cassidy
Composer: Michael Fleming
Sound mixing: Ger McDonnell
Theme tune by Lankum
Artwork by Conor Merriman
Assistant Commissioners for BBC: Lorraine Okuefuna and Sarah Green.
Commissioning Editor for BBC: Dylan Haskins
Stakeknife is a Second Captains & Little Wing production for BBC Sounds.
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002cdhb)
UK suspends trade talks with Israel
The UK government has suspended trade talks with Israel and summoned its ambassador over the decision to allow a basic amount of food to enter the enclave and its continuation of the military offensive in Gaza. The European Union also says it's reviewing its trade agreement with Israel.
Also on the programme: is the government planning to row back on its policy of restricting winter fuel payments? And comedian Lenny Henry makes a return to stand-up.
TUE 22:45 The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr (m002cdhd)
Episode Seven
In 1973 on the west coast of Ireland, a baby is found abandoned on the beach. Who is he? Where is he from? What changes will he bring?
Ambrose Bonnar, a local fisherman, is far more interested in who he will become and – with a curious community looking on – takes the baby home and adopts him. But for Declan, the baby’s new brother, this arrival is surely bad news . . .
Set over twenty years, Garrett Carr’s 'The Boy from the Sea' is about a restless boy trying to find his place in the world, and a town caught in the storm of a rapidly approaching future.
The Author
Garrett Carr was born and brought up in the harbour town of Killybegs, County Donegal where his father was a fisherman. Garrett now teaches Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queen’s University Belfast. His non-fiction book ‘The Rule of the Land: Walking Ireland’s Border’ was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. ‘The Boy from the Sea’ is his debut novel.
Reader: Niall Cusack
Author: Garrett Carr
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:00 The Witch Farm (m001fd4w)
Episode 6: The Devil Rides Out
The haunting steps up another terrifying gear as another apparition appears, and Bill and Liz are forced to flee Heol Fanog. Desperate, they turn to a new exorcist – the Reverend David Holmwood, who is convinced that the paranormal activity is caused by something truly evil. Have their prayers finally been answered?
The Witch Farm reinvestigates a real-life haunting – a paranormal cold case that has been unsolved for nearly 30 years - until now. Set in the beautiful, remote Welsh countryside, this terrifying true story is told through a thrilling blend of drama and documentary.
Written and presented by Danny Robins, creator of The Battersea Poltergeist, Uncanny and West End hit
2:22 – A Ghost Story, The Witch Farm stars Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Alexandra Roach (No Offence), with original theme music by Mercury Prize-nominated Gwenno. This 8-part series interweaves a terrifying supernatural thriller set in the wild Welsh countryside with a fascinating modern-day investigation into a real-life mystery.
Cast:
Bill Rich ...... Joseph Fiennes
Liz Rich ...... Alexandra Roach
David Holmwood ...... Guy Henry
Anita Dick …… Laura Dalgleish
Bethan Morgan ...... Rhian Morgan
Ben Rich …… Tom Barnard
Becca Rich ….. Isabelle Hall
Written and presented by Danny Robins
Experts: Ciaran O’Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow
Sound design by Charlie Brandon-King and Richard Fox
Music by Evelyn Sykes
Theme Music by Gwenno
Researcher: Nancy Bottomley
Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard
Directed by Simon Barnard
Consultant was Mark Chadbourn, author of the book on the case 'Testimony'
A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002cdhh)
Alicia McCarthy reports as MPs give their verdict on the prime minister's new deal with the EU and as the foreign secretary condemns the actions of the Israeli government.
WEDNESDAY 21 MAY 2025
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002cdhk)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 00:30 Ten Second Showdown (m0020xs3)
Ben Johnson
When Ben Johnson surged over the finish line in the 100m at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, it seemed that inside a world record-breaking
9.79 seconds he had settled his bitter rivalry with Carl Lewis once and for all. But then it all began to fall apart.
At
4am, the phone rang in the hotel room of the Colin Hart, who was covering the Olympics for The Sun. "There's a major story about to break", the bleary-eyed Hart was told. Shortly afterwards, BBC host Des Lynam delivered the bombshell news. Johnson had tested positive for Stanozylol, a banned performance-enhancing steroid.
In this episode of Ten Second Showdown, Mike Costello hears from people who were on the front line as one of the biggest drugs scandals of all time unfolded.
This is the dramatic story of the 100m that become known as the dirtiest race in history.
PRESENTER: MIKE COSTELLO
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002cdhm)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002cdhp)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:00 News Summary (m002cdhr)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002cdht)
Susan Hulme reports as MPs question the prime minister about his trade deal with the European Union.
WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002cdhw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002cdhy)
'In the twilight of life'
Good morning.
This last month I’ve been reading with a friend the poetry of the sixteenth century Spanish Roman Catholic priest, Carmelite friar and mystic, whom we call John of the Cross. John is the patron saint of mystics, contemplatives and all Spanish poets. Many listeners will be familiar with him, but, as I know from teaching ministerial students, some Christians can be a bit suspicious of theology written as poetry! And perhaps it's a suspicion which is deepened by John’s emphasis on a love between God and our soul which he often describes in romantic and passionate language. And that suspicion is a shame, because rather like Song of Songs, John brings much-needed refreshment to a theological world that can feel dry at times. Here’s a quotation of his that we found particularly helpful and may also offer something to all of us who worry whether we are achieving enough: and gives us another way to measure our value.
“In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but rather on how much we have loved.”
God of love,
We thank for your servant John, for his poetry and prose where he shares with us the wisdom he learned along the way, and encourages us to follow in his footsteps. Thank you above all for his revealing to us that you are a God of infinite love, that you have created us for love, and that in the final analysis, love is all that matters.
In the name of your son Jesus, who was love made flesh,
Amen.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002cdj0)
Border post facilities set up since Brexit to handle import checks could now be scaled down or even dismantled. The UK's new deal with the EU promises progress towards an agreement to reduce the paperwork and border checks involved in trading foods like meat and dairy. It also includes a deal on fishing which would allow EU boats to fish in British waters for a further 12 years. The Scottish Fishermen's Federation has called it "a horror show", but the DEFRA Secretary, Steve Reed, says it's a "reasonably good deal" for UK fishing.
In its manifesto the Labour party promised to end what it described as “the ineffective badger cull". The Government now says it's working on a revised TB eradication strategy, which includes increased badger vaccination and a national wildlife surveillance programme to better understand the disease. So how much difference could that make?
And a new set of targets to tackle climate change have been recommended to Scottish Government ministers, replacing those scrapped last year. A report from the Climate Change Committee suggests effectively delaying short term progress by six years, but keeping Scotland on track to meet its long-term goal of net zero emissions by 2045.
Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Heather Simons
WED 06:00 Today (m002cdzk)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Life Changing (m002cdzm)
The Singing Bus Driver
Phillip Browne was born into a large and loving Windrush generation family in Birmingham. Church and singing were an important part of his upbringing, and when he struggled at school it was singing that gave him an escape and a status. But just as he was beginning to show signs of real potential, a devastating ear infection robbed him of his hearing completely in one ear - and Phillip was told by a doctor that a singing career was out of the question. Phillip's struggle in the aftermath of his illness and his need to find a job resulted in him becoming a London bus driver. He knew the security of employment was a relief to his father who had spent a lifetime working on the railways, but it seemed to be leading him further and further away from his dream. Until a chance meeting with an old college friend turned his life in an extraordinary new direction.
Phillip tells Dr Sian Williams about that Life Changing moment - and his incredible journey to the bright lights of the West End stage.
Producer: Tom Alban
WED 09:30 The History Podcast (m002cdzp)
Half-Life
3. Lost
Joe's research into his great-grandfather's work takes him to Ammendorf, south of Berlin - one of the key sites of Nazi Germany's chemical weapons production.
Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002cdzr)
Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Fifth anniversary of the death of George Floyd, Sarah Pochin MP
In the last of our interviews about the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act, Nuala McGovern speaks to Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. As the body responsible for enforcing the Act, the EHRC gave evidence in the Supreme Court case. In the first BBC interview since launching a consultation on updating their Code of Practice in light of the judgment, Baroness Falkner explains who they want to hear from and why.
Five years after the murder of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis, a new BBC documentary is reflecting on the wave of Black Lives Matter protests that followed, including in the UK. Backlash: The Murder of George Floyd tells the story through the eyes of some of those who found themselves on the frontline during the spring and summer of 2020, including Khady Gueye, who made headlines after a local protest she planned in the Forest of Dean was initially cancelled. She joins Nuala, along with author, producer and speaker Nova Reid, to reflect on the impact the events of that time have had on their lives, and what has changed since then.
Nuala is also joined by Sarah Pochin, the first female MP for the Reform UK Party. The Runcorn and Helsby by-election was won by just six votes - the closest result in modern history. A former Conservative Councillor and mayor for Cheshire East, Sarah was a magistrate for 20 years. During her maiden speech she focussed on immigration, the cost of living and sexual violence against women.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Andrea Kidd
WED 11:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002ckqb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
WED 11:40 This Week in History (m002cdzt)
May 19 - May 25
Fascinating, surprising, and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
BBC Radio 4 explores the history books and archives to see what else has happened on this same week throughout history.
With short looks at the events that have shaped the world and made us who we are today.
This week. May 19th – May 25th
- 20th of May 1948. It used to be a German owned boat, used throughout the Second World War. But in May 1948 the HMT Empire Windrush first set sail from the Caribbean, bringing new settlers to the United Kingdom.
- 20th of May 1570. The Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius changes how we viewed the world with the publication of his atlas, the 'Theatrum Orbis Terrarum'.
- 21st of May 1916. William Willett spent his years campaigning against the 'Waste of Daylight’ but was not around to see British Summer Time introduced in 1916.
Presented by Caroline Nicholls and Jane Steel
Produced by Stuart Ross and Kerry McCarthy
WED 11:45 Me and the Farmer (m00213wm)
3. Mucking In and Mucking Out
Comedian and farmer Jim Smith grew up on a family farm with his mum, dad, sisters and his granny and grandad all in the one place. Being in such close proximity had its ups and its downs, with company never being an issue but tension and friction always a possibility.
Me and the Farmer is a stand up show chronicling Jim's life as a working farmer in rural Perthshire. This isn't an act. By day, Jim works the land and looks after his sheep and by night he performs stand up to sold out venues across Scotland.
In each episode, Jim tells anecdotes about life on his family farm to a live audience in his nearest city of Perth. This is an honest, behind the scenes look at what it takes to be a modern farmer.
Written and Performed by Jim Smith
Produced by Lauren Mackay
Sound by Andy Hay and Barry Jackson
Photo credit: Chris Quilietti
WED 12:00 News Summary (m002cdzw)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002cdzy)
Inflation Rate Rise, Luxury Offices, Driving Tests
The inflation rate in the UK increased to 3.5% in April. It is thought to be due to significant increases in household bills as well as the impact of so-called 'Awful April' – which included rises in national insurance contributions and the minimum wage. Claer Barret from the Financial Times explains what the inflation rate rise means and what you can do to keep your bills down.
Delivery firm Evri has been Ofcom's worst parcel delivery firm for the last two years. It is now merging with DHL, a delivery company that is often near the top of rankings. Evri completed over 700 million package deliveries in the UK last year, so will the merger raise standards for its 12 million UK customers?
Since the pandemic, companies have tried to persuade workers to return to the office more frequently. This is fuelling growth in ‘Super-Prime’ offices, which provide everything from climbing walls to Gordon Ramsay restaurants, in the hope of luring workers back to the office. But does this work? According to new data from King’s College London, almost half of staff say they would quit if forced to return to the office full-time.
The Charities Aid Foundation says that only half of people gave money to charity last year, which was down from 58% in 2019. Whilst fewer people are giving money, those that are still donating are giving more. We discuss why this is and why young people and those living in cities are giving the least.
The backlog for driving tests reached a new high at the end of April – with over 600,000 drivers currently waiting to take their booked test. The government has pledged to cut the wait, but how?
WED 12:57 Weather (m002cf00)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m002cf02)
Prime Minister announces partial U turn on winter fuel allowance
The PM makes a partial U turn on winter fuel allowance, a panel of MPs discuss at what cost? Also prominent UK Jewish leader Lord Levy on Gaza.
WED 13:45 Mary Bourke: Who Cares? (m002cf04)
Episode 3: The professional caring industry.
Five years ago, Mary Bourke’s husband had a stroke - and she immediately became his carer. It’s a job no one wants - and one that comes with no formal training, and very little support. Guilt, isolation, toilets, and endless, endless admin - welcome to the day-to-day reality of being a carer. There are more than 5 million carers in the UK - but who cares for the carers?
Through a mixture of interviews and stand-up comedy, comedian and carer Mary Bourke investigates, with the help of friends and fellow comedians with caring responsibilities.
In episode three, Mary learns about the professional care system from Pope Lonergan (comedian and care worker) and Michael Akadiri (comedian and junior doctor).
Presenter: Mary Bourke
Producer: Katie Sayer
Executive Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
WED 14:00 The Archers (m002cdgy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 The Citadel (m000x0yd)
Series 8
Episode 2
The Citadel episode 2/2 - written by Christopher Reason and Tom Needham, based on the novel by AJ Cronin.
1930, South Wales. Dr. Manson, returns in haste from London. As Medical Officer, he enforces quarantine on a local village which doesn't go down well. And the former soldier, Trevithick, in a botched attempt to quell unresolved feelings, is rushed to hospital but with no ambulances available, it's Dr. Denny who takes him.
Dr. Andrew Manson ...................... Richard Fleeshman
Phillip Denny ..................... Matthew Gravelle
Christine Manson .................. Catrin Stewart
Frank Trevithick ............ Carl Prekopp,
Mrs. Trevithick/Mrs. Thomas ........ Jennie Platt
Dylan Thomas .......... Luca Rawlinson
Freddy/Policeman ........... Rupert Hill
Mrs. Roberts /Mrs. Powell................ Kath Weare
Eleanor..............Emily Pithon
Gwyneth................ Charlotte Sienna Lee
Producers: Pauline Harris and Gary Brown
Directed by Pauline Harris
WED 15:00 The Law Show (m002cf06)
My data's been stolen in a cyberattack - can I sue?
What legal responsibilities does a company have to keep your data secure?
M&S, and the Co-op are picking up the pieces after their systems were hacked.
The cyber criminals claim to have the private information of 20 million people who signed up to Co-op's membership scheme, but the firm have not confirmed that number. The Co-op says the breach did not include members’ passwords, bank or credit card details. However, experts say seemingly innocent information can be used to commit fraud or identity theft.
Companies aren’t the only target; on Monday this week, the Ministry of Justice revealed that the Legal Aid Agency was also hacked in April.
So can you sue if your private data is stolen in this way? And if you're the employee who clicked on a hacker's dodgy link in an email, how liable are you for any losses that occur?
Also on the programme:
How survivors of domestic violence in Scotland want to be told if their attackers make plea deals.
Presenter: Joelle Grogan
Producers: Ravi Naik and Charlotte Rowles
Editor: Tara McDermott
Contributors
Joe Tidy, BBC Cyber Correspondent
Tim Capel, Legal Counsel for the Information Commissioner’s Office
Ian Jeffrey, Chief Executive of the Law Society
Brian McConnachie KC, a former crown prosecutor and now a senior advocate:
WED 15:30 The Science of Dad (m000gn5z)
Whilst most men become fathers, and men make up roughly half the parental population, the vast majority of scientific research has focused on the mother.
But studies have started to reveal the impact of fatherhood on both dads themselves and on their children. We're seeing how fathers play a crucial role in children's behaviour, happiness, and even cognitive skills.
Oscar Duke, a doctor, new dad and author of How To Be A Dad, discovers how pregnancy, birth and childcare affect the father, bringing about profound physiological and hormonal changes. Only 5% of mammal fathers invest in their offspring, and human males have evolved to undergo key changes when their children are born.
Involved fathers can expect their levels of the 'love hormone' oxytocin to rise, nature's way of helping parents bond with their children. At birth, a dad's testosterone levels dramatically fall, increasing affection and responsiveness, and discouraging polygamy.
With more fathers taking on a hands-on role in bringing up their children, how can these new discoveries about the science of dad help support them, and inform social and healthcare policies?
Presented by Dr Oscar Duke and produced by Melanie Brown and Cathy Edwards
WED 16:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002cf08)
Robotaxis: Look, no hands!
How do you PR the future? That's the question David Yelland and Simon Lewis are wrestling with this week. As Uber says it's 'ready to go' with driverless cabs, can the British public be persuaded to jump in?
How do you sell a vision?
Also, in the extended edition on BBC Sounds, they look at Gary Lineker's departure from the BBC and the PR rules around staying silent or speaking out. And when is a gift not just a gift? Possibly when it's a $400m plane. David and Simon pull back the covers on the world of freebies.
Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
WED 16:15 The Media Show (m002cf0b)
Gary Lineker fallout
Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins on some of this week's big media stories.
As Gary Lineker leaves the BBC we talk to the former Grandstand presenter Steve Rider, and current sports commentator Henry Winter.
The Sunday Times Media Editor Ros Urwin discusses her scoop on Huw Edwards as well as the persistance needed in investigative journalism with BBC correspondent Sanchia Berg who has been reporting on Baby Elsa, one of three infants abandoned by the same mum.
We'll also be talking to the journalist who has just won Private Eye's Paul Foot Award which was announced last night.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson and Lucy Wai
Assistant producer: Emily Channon
WED 17:00 PM (m002cf0d)
Full coverage of the day's news
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002cf0g)
The government makes a U-turn on winter fuel
Sir Keir Starmer has announced plans to ease cuts to winter fuel payments in a U-turn following mounting political pressure. Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, he said the change would allow "more pensioners" to receive the benefit. Also: A White House meeting between South Africa's president and Donald Trump in front of the world's media descended into an awkward confrontation. And the Supreme Court rules in favour of wild camping on Dartmoor.
WED 18:30 Stand-Up Specials (m002cf0j)
Live from the UK
Lindsey Santoro, Jay Lafferty, Barry Dodds and Brennan Reece
Live from the UK brings you the best comedy talent from around the country, all from the comfort of your own headphones.
Host with the most Angela Barnes talks to Birmingham about being the youngest city in the UK, Glasgow about their charity shops, and Newcastle about the the perils of the Great North Run.
She brings you acts from all of these places and more, with stories about breastfeeding, children's parties, dieting with your partner and being 100% British.
This week you can hear;
Lindsey Santoro at The Glee Club, Birmingham
Jay Lafferty at The Stand, Glasgow
Barry Dodds at The Stand, Newcastle
and headliner Brennan Reece at the Frog and Bucket, Manchester
Additional Material by Eve Delaney
Recorded by Sean Kerwin and David Thomas
Sound design by David Thomas
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.
An EcoAudio Certified Production.
WED 19:00 The Archers (m002cf0l)
Kenton’s surprised David’s now going ahead with Open Farm Sunday. David explains he doesn’t feel he should cancel so he’s putting increased security in place. Lilian’s late for a pub shift and Kenton’s reluctant to push it as her mood’s so low at the moment. David volunteers to jump behind the bar to help out. Lilian arrives but soon needs a break to regroup. With Justin out at a function, she insists she’d still rather be working than sitting alone at home.
A customer approaches the bar and asks for Angela, but David misunderstands the signal and the woman goes and sits down again. Lilian spots the man she’s sitting with is behaving aggressively towards her. It becomes clear David’s made a mistake and missed the woman’s coded request for help. Lilian’s appalled at the error, and finds a subtle way of extricating the woman from the situation. Safely upstairs, the woman, Naomi, explains she’d been set up with this man by a friend, and whilst initially charming, her date became angry when she declined a second meet-up with him. Naomi’s very grateful for Lilian swooping in like a fairy godmother to rescue her. After Naomi’s gone, Lilian suggests refresher training for everyone who might be working in the bar. The incident has shaken her. She’s frustrated too that the man got away with his bad behaviour and may well just carry on with it in the future. Kenton’s worried about Lilian and checks in again with her; is she alright? Lilian admits she’s not really, but there’s nothing anyone can do.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m002cf0n)
Shirley Manson of Garbage
Frontwoman of Garbage, Shirley Manson talks about the band's latest album Let All That We Imagine Be The Light, which is inspired by contemporary events including the killing of George Floyd in Los Angeles, but which presents an optimistic perspective on a dystopian world.
We hear from the winner of the International Booker Prize, which was announced at a ceremony last night.
And Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller talks about how he has curated joyful and exuberant events in towns and cities around the UK - Derry-Londonderry, Dundee, Llandudno and Plymouth - to celebrate the bicentenary of the National Gallery.
WED 20:00 AntiSocial (m002c3k7)
Island of strangers?
As the Prime Minister announced reforms to the UK's immigration system, he warned that without these changes we risk becoming an "island of strangers". This has drawn criticism comparing his remarks to historical examples of inflammatory language on immigration. Others say this comparison is unfair and his comments were part of a sensible conversation about immigration.
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Bethan Ashmead Latham, Josephine Casserly, Viv Jones and Nik Sindle
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Janet Staples
Studio Engineer: Hal Haines
WED 20:45 The Prophets of Profit (m0027d3p)
Going for Growth
It’s been called the dumbest idea in the world. But many believe shareholder value is the most important, the most consequential idea of the last hundred years.
In Prophets of Profit the BBC’s Business Editor Simon Jack discovers why so many believe the prime responsibility of business is to increase profits and maximise returns to shareholders. Simon reveals how this powerful idea was propelled by a few influential individuals from academic cloisters to dominate boardrooms across the world from the 1980s onwards. He shows how the consequences have enriched many people but devastated many too. How the separation of the idea of money-making from other social obligations has led to severe social tensions and a profound misunderstanding of business within communities and governments alike.
Speaking to investors managing trillions, the most powerful union boss in Britain, and CEOs who’ve been at the very top of some of the world’s biggest companies, Simon tracks how a simple idea became so powerful and why it shapes all of our lives today. In this final episode he considers how the idea of shareholder value might change and adapt in the next decade.
WED 21:00 The Life Scientific (m002cdfx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 All in the Mind (m002cdfz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 on Tuesday]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002cf0r)
Trump ambushes South Africa leader in White House meeting
In an extraordinary moment, Donald Trump used an Oval Office meeting with South Africa's president to play him a video claiming to show a white genocide in his country. A South African government minister gives us his reponse to that diplomatic ambush.
Also:
We ask how much political damage the government has suffered over its climbdown on Winter Fuel Payments.
And jubilation for Spurs fans in the Europa League final against Manchester United. We're live in Bilbao.
WED 22:45 The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr (m002cf0t)
Episode Eight
In 1973 on the west coast of Ireland, a baby is found abandoned on the beach. Who is he? Where is he from? What changes will he bring?
Ambrose Bonnar, a local fisherman, is far more interested in who he will become and – with a curious community looking on – takes the baby home and adopts him. But for Declan, the baby’s new brother, this arrival is surely bad news . . .
Set over twenty years, Garrett Carr’s 'The Boy from the Sea' is about a restless boy trying to find his place in the world, and a town caught in the storm of a rapidly approaching future.
The Author
Garrett Carr was born and brought up in the harbour town of Killybegs, County Donegal where his father was a fisherman. Garrett now teaches Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queen’s University Belfast. His non-fiction book ‘The Rule of the Land: Walking Ireland’s Border’ was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. ‘The Boy from the Sea’ is his debut novel.
Reader: Niall Cusack
Author: Garrett Carr
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:00 Michael Spicer: No Room (m002c42v)
Series 2
4. This is a case for Inspector Sands
With no more murder mystery book series to adapt, a crisis has hit TV drama. Time for Inspector Sands to come to the rescue, but who will play the lead? Quake beneath the intellect of the Guardian Columnist who understands culture better than you and isn't afraid to tell you.
With his unique satirical voice and playing every character in the show, Michael Spicer takes aim at everything from politics and culture to CGI ducks.
Michael is famous for his Room Next Door government advisor character whose withering take downs of politicians have amassed more than 100 million views and helped keep his audience sane in fractured times.
Writer, Performer and Co-Editor: Michael Spicer
Composer and Sound Designer: Augustin Bousfield
Producer: Matt Tiller
A Tillervision production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:15 The Skewer (m002cf0w)
Series 13
Liability Lineker and The Eurovision Fishing Rights Contest.
Fresh from winning a Best Comedy Award at the Radio Academy Awards for the sixth time, Jon Holmes remixes the news into a satirical current affairs comedy concept album. News meets popular culture in a satirical mash up.
This week - Liability Lineker and The Eurovision Fishing Rights Contest.
Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002cf0y)
Susan Hulme reports on Prime Minister's Questions - and more.
THURSDAY 22 MAY 2025
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002cf10)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 00:30 Ten Second Showdown (m0020y31)
Florence Griffith Joyner
In the summer of 1988, Florence Griffith Joyner - better known as FloJo - ran times the world had never seen before.
And she did it wearing outfits the world of track and field had never seen before - with her vibrant one-legged suits and brightly-painted nails inspiring a future generation of athletes.
In this episode of Ten Second Showdown - a series telling the stories behind some of the most iconic 100m races of all time - Mike Costello takes us to the Seoul Olympics, and the jaw-dropping world record FloJo had set two months earlier.
PRESENTER: MIKE COSTELLO
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002cf12)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002cf14)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:00 News Summary (m002cf16)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002cf18)
Alicia McCarthy reports from Westminster as the Prime Minister U-turns on Winter Fuel payments for pensioners.
THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002cf1b)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002cf1d)
The King and the Pawn
Good morning.
On this day in 337, the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great died. Despite having had a famous conversion to Christianity, he never got baptised until his final illness a quarter of a century later. And on his deathbed he’s said to have taken off his imperial purple robes and put on the white robes of a new convert.
Historians disagree as to why Constantine waited so long before getting baptised. Some conjecture that he may have been too busy, while the more cynical claim that he just didn’t want to stop killing people just yet. But whatever the reason, it seems that at the end Constantine wanted to be defined by the white robes of a baptismal candidate rather than the purple robes of an emperor.
“Death comes equally to us all, and makes us all equal when it comes”, wrote John Donne. The author of the book of Genesis has God saying to the first humans:
By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.
As an Italian proverb has it, "When the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box. "
God of life and death,
We know that we cannot take our riches, achievements and possessions with us when we die, but sometimes we live as though we can. Neither do we take our failures, our humiliations and our mistakes with us, but sometimes we live as though we will. Help us to live not as those who are afraid of death, but as those who make the most of every opportunity to live lives of joy, celebration and love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, who came to give us life in all its fulness,
Amen.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002cf1g)
22/05/25 - Border control posts dubbed the "white elephants of Brexit", seed potato trade, bovine TB in Northern Ireland
Have the millions of pounds spent on border control posts been a waste of taxpayers' money? Ports call the newly built facilities the "white elephants of Brexit".
Before Brexit, Europe was a key market for Scottish seed potatoes but once the UK left the EU that trade ended because of the EU's plant protection rules. Will that market now re-open?
We’re taking an in depth look at bovine TB throughout this week, the impact of the disease, the financial and emotional costs, and the ongoing attempts to eradicate it from the national cattle herd. Agriculture is a devolved power and there are different approaches to tackling it across the UK. In Northern Ireland 1 in every 10 herds of cattle are affected and there’s a new government blueprint working to eradicate the disease.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
THU 06:00 Today (m002cfjx)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m002cfjz)
Paul von Hindenburg
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and role of one of the most significant figures in early 20th Century German history. Paul von Hindenburg (1847-1934) had been famous since 1914 as the victorious commander at the Battle of Tannenberg against Russian invaders, soon burnishing this fame on the Western Front and Hindenburg was to claim he would have won there too, if enemies at home had not 'stabbed Germany in the back'. He won Germany’s Presidential election twice during the Weimar Republic, as a candidate of national unity and, while he gained his second term as a ‘stop Hitler’ candidate, President Hindenburg was to appoint Hitler as Chancellor and transfer some of his charisma onto him – a move so disastrous that Germans were later to ask if the myth of Hindenburg had always been an illusion.
With
Anna von der Goltz
Professor of History at Georgetown University, Washington DC
Chris Clark
Regius Professor of History at the University of Cambridge
And
Colin Storer
Associate Professor in Modern European History at the University of Warwick
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Reading list:
William J. Astore and Dennis E. Showalter, Hindenburg: Icon of German Militarism (Potomac Books, 2005)
Benjamin Carter Hett, The Death of Democracy: Hitler's Rise to Power (William Heinemann, 2018)
Andreas Dorpalen, Hindenburg and the Weimar Republic (first published 1964; Princeton University Press, 2016)
Jürgen W. Falter, 'The Two Hindenburg Elections of 1925 and 1932: A Total Reversal of Voter Coalitions' (Central European History, 32/2, 1990)
Peter Fritzsche, 'Presidential Victory and Popular Festivity in Weimar Germany: Hindenburg's 1925 Election' (Central European History, 32/2, 1990)
Larry Eugene Jones, Hitler Versus Hindenburg: The 1932 Presidential Elections and the End of the Weimar Republic (Cambridge University Press, 2016)
Martin Kitchen, The Silent Dictatorship: The Politics of the German High Command under Hindenburg and Ludendorff, 1916-1918 (first published 1976; Routledge, 2021)
John Lee, The Warlords: Hindenburg and Ludendorff (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005)
Frank McDonough, The Weimar Years: Rise and Fall, 1918-1933 (Apollo, 2023)
Nadine Rossol and Benjamin Ziemann (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the Weimar Republic (Oxford University Press, 2022)
Richard Scully, 'Hindenburg: The Cartoon Titan of the Weimar Republic, 1918-1934' (German Studies Review, 35/3, 2012)
Colin Storer, A Short History of the Weimar Republic (Revised Edition, Bloomsbury, 2024)
Anna von der Goltz, Hindenburg: Power, Myth and the Rise of the Nazis (Oxford University Press, 2009)
Alexander Watson, Ring of Steel: Germany and Austria-Hungary at War, 1914-1918 (Penguin, 2015)
J. W. Wheeler-Bennett, Hindenburg: The Wooden Titan (first published 1936; Macmillan, 1967)
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production
THU 09:45 Strong Message Here (m002cfk1)
The Island of Strangers and the Manacled Gimp of Brussels
Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.
This week, we're looking at inflammatory language. From Immigration to EU deals, we've heard talk of of 'betrayal' 'surrender' 'invasion' and of course 'an island of strangers'. When is this hyperbole appropriate and when is it egregious? And, can we ever forgive Boris Johnson for the mental image of the Prime Minister as the 'orange ball-chewing manacled gimp of Brussels'?
Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at
9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.
Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King
Production Coordinator - Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer - Pete Strauss
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.
An EcoAudio Certified Production.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002cfk3)
Women up for Ivor Novellos, Chronic UTIs, How do women listen?
Tonight sees the 70th Ivor Novello awards taking place at Grosvenor House in London. They are coveted in the UK music industry because they specifically celebrate songwriting. Singer-songwriter Lola Young leads the nominations this year including one for 'best song musically and lyrically' for her breakthrough hit Messy, which spent a month at number one in the UK earlier this year. Does this spell good news for women in the music industry? Anita Rani is joined by Linda Coogan-Byrne to discuss.
If you've ever had the bad luck of getting a UTI - or Urinary Tract Infection - you'll know how painful they can be. It's a bacterial infection which can affect the bladder, urethra or kidneys and give a burning or stinging sensation when you urinate. Yesterday, in a powerful parliamentary session, the Labour MP Allison Gardner spoke through tears as she described her experiences of chronic UTIs. The MP for Stoke on Trent is now hoping to launch a cross-party parliamentary group to look at chronic UTIs - Allison joins Anita, as does the GP Ellie Cannon.
A major new exhibition opens this week at The Imperial War Museum in London. Called Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict, it looks at the atrocities inflicted during war and conflict from the First World War until the present day. Helen Upcraft is the exhibition’s lead curator and Sara Bowcutt is the Managing Director of Women for Women International, one of the NGOs working in the field of sexual violence in conflict, who’ve also contributed to this exhibition. They join Anita in the studio.
Women and listening... how do women listen? How good a listener are you? Two books out this month focus on listening, from listening to sounds to listening more deeply to other people. Anita speaks to writers Alice Vincent, and Emily Kasriel.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones
THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m002cfk5)
Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend is the songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of The Who. The band first stormed the pop charts sixty years ago, with teenage anthems including I Can’t Explain, Substitute and My Generation. Broader songwriting ambitions led him to create the rock opera Tommy in 1969, and the concept album Quadrophenia four years later. Both projects were adapted as films, and Quadrophenia has now been staged as a ballet by Sadlers Wells. Throughout the seventies, The Who were regarded as the biggest and loudest live act in the world. They played at Woodstock, at Live Aid, Live 8 and the 2012 Olympic closing ceremony. Despite the deaths of drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwhistle, Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey continue to perform as The Who.
Pete Townshend talks to John Wilson about the influence of his parents, who were both musicians. His father, the saxophonist Cliff Townshend, played in the popular dance band The Squadronaires, but it was his mother Betty, a singer, who was most supportive of Pete's early musical talent. Seeing Bill Haley and The Comets at Edgware Road Odeon in 1956 was another formative moment that introduced the teenage Townshend to the possibilities of a rock 'n' roll performance.
Pete also reveals how his art school tutor Roy Ascot, who was head of the Ground Course at Ealing Art School, shaped his his approach to his band that was to become The Who. He also recounts how reading Labyrinths, a book of short stories by Jorge Luis Borges on the first US Who tour in 1967 opened his imagination and helped him expand his musical storytelling.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
THU 11:45 Me and the Farmer (m0021b0d)
4. Passionate about Potatoes
Jim's dad was passionate about tatties (that's potatoes!) and it's a passion he shared with his son. This episode is all about the folk who came to help pick the tatties and the berries in the local area - with people coming from all over Scotland the fields were full of parties and good banter.
Me and the Farmer is a stand up show chronicling Jim's life as a working farmer in rural Perthshire. This isn't an act. By day, Jim works the land and looks after his sheep and by night he performs stand up to sold out venues across Scotland.
In each episode, Jim tells anecdotes about life on his family farm to a live audience in his nearest city of Perth. This is an honest, behind the scenes look at what it takes to be a modern farmer.
Written and Performed by Jim Smith
Produced by Lauren Mackay
Sound by Andy Hay and Barry Jackson
Photo credit: Chris Quilietti
THU 12:00 News Summary (m002cfk7)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 You and Yours (m002cfk9)
Gap Finders: Luke Tyson from Fell Audio
Today's Gap Finder is Luke Tyson from Fell Audio, a start up manufacturing and selling Hi-Fi separates. It promises its electronics are British made and cheaper than their "British made" rivals.
Fell Audio is the brainchild of the Tyson family, the family business behind Peter Tyson chain of electronics shops in the North of England and are known for being specialists in Hi-Fis.
Luke, the grandson of Peter Tyson who has worked in the Hi-Fi floor of the shop saw that there was an appetite for British made products from customers, but they were often out of their price range, especially younger people. He also saw that young people wanted to invest in high quality speaker systems for their homes, as vinyl and CD sales have boomed in recent years.
Many audiophiles seek out British companies because of the "British Sound" - a reputation for producing high quality speakers, amps and other equipment to make records sound their absolute best.
Other Hi-Fi companies from overseas offer cheaper products, but the reputation of it being "British made" set Luke the challenge to see if he could make an amp and CD player at a lower cost.
Using their Hi-Fi expertise and thinking outside the box Fell Audio found manufacturers outside of the Hi-Fi world where parts are expensive. For example they use recycled plastic from a firm that makes shower heads.
Having only launched in November the company has seen sales of its amp and CD player match its closest rivals.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: LYDIA THOMAS
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002cfkc)
Menopause Supplements
Can supplements claiming to make menopause symptoms more bearable, really help?
Going through menopause can result in a myriad of symptoms, leaving women stressed, exhausted, and desperate for anything that might make it easier to deal with.
In recent years, a huge range of products have become available in supermarkets, pharmacies and online, all promising to help alleviate some of these symptoms – for a price. So listener Susie, who said she felt she was experiencing some of these symptoms, got in touch with Sliced Bread, to ask if it might be money well spent?
Greg Foot drills down into the top ingredients of these supplements and their claims, alongside GP Dr Helen Wall who runs a Menopause Clinic in Greater Manchester. They look at what the science says, and ask if these supplements really can support women through the menopause?
RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM
PRODUCER: KATE HOLDSWORTH, PHIL SANSOM & GREG FOOT
THU 12:57 Weather (m002cfkf)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m002cfkh)
Labour reveals plans to reform the UK's justice system
Labour reveals penal reforms. Violent criminals could be released early and a chemical castration pilot expanded. The head of the Probation Service and a Justice Minister discuss.
THU 13:45 Mary Bourke: Who Cares? (m002cfkk)
Episode 4: The carer relationship
Five years ago, Mary Bourke’s husband had a stroke - and she immediately became his carer. It’s a job no one wants - and one that comes with no formal training, and very little support. Guilt, isolation, toilets, and endless, endless admin - welcome to the day-to-day reality of being a carer. There are more than 5 million carers in the UK - but who cares for the carers?
Through a mixture of interviews and stand-up comedy, comedian and carer Mary Bourke investigates, with the help of friends and fellow comedians with caring responsibilities.
In episode four, Mary investigates how your relationship with your loved one changes when you become their carer - with stand-up from guests Susan Murray and Imran Yusef - and we speak to Mary’s husband, comedian Simon Clayton, about his experience.
Presenter: Mary Bourke
Producer: Katie Sayer
Executive Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
THU 14:00 The Archers (m002cf0l)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002cfkm)
Melophobia
After a freak accident wrecks his hearing, a musician finds music - and life - distorted beyond recognition. With Sartre and Heidegger arguing in his head, he must face the biggest question of all: if you can’t trust what you hear, who are you?
A raw, funny, existential audio journey through trauma, recovery, and the messy art of being alive.
Written and performed by award-winning writer/ Musician Paul Sirett
And playing herself, artistic director of Graeae Theatre Company, Jenny Sealey
Cast also includes;
Kate Isitt, Ben Crowe, David Holt, Sudha Bhuchar and Amandine Vincent.
Sound by David Thomas
Production manager Sarah Tombling
Producer Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4
With thanks to;
Ian Dury and the Blockheads & Graeae's 2017 cast of ‘Reasons To Be Cheerful’
John (lead vocals) – John Kelly
Vinie - Stephen Lloyd
Colin - Stephen Collins
Janine - Beth Hinton-Lever
Pat - Karen Spicer
Bill / Bobby - Gerard McDermott
Nick / Dave (guitar) – Max Runham
Cousin Harry (keyboards) Also MD Joey Hickman
Nixon (bass guitar) - Nixon Rosembert
Paul - (guitar) Paul Sirett
Paula (Drums) – Paula Faircloth
Louis (Saxophone) - Louis Schultz-Wiremu
Debbie (SLI) - Jude Mahon
Pickles (AD) - Wayne 'Pickles' Norman
Music Supervisor: Robert Hyman
Doctor Schwamp
One Foot in the Groove
Music & Lyrics & guitar: Paul Sirett
Christos Chatzispyrou (guitar)
Nixon Rosembert (bass) John McCarthy (drums)
Sean McGloin (vocals and harmonica)
Gold Digger
Music & lyrics & drums: John McCarthy
Paul Sirett (guitar) Harrison Cole (trumpet) Arthur O’Hara (bass)
Sean McGloin (vocals and violin)
In memory of Sean McGloin the multi-instrumentalist and incredible front man of Ta Mere and Dr Schwamp.
THU 15:00 Ramblings (m002cfkp)
Camino de Santiago with Manni Coe
This is a very special series of Ramblings. To mark Clare’s 25th year of presenting Radio 4’s walking programme she is off to Spain to fulfil her long held desire of hiking one of the world’s most famous pilgrimage footpaths, the Camino de Santiago. Translated roughly as The Way of St. James, the Camino isn’t just one route, rather it’s a network of trails across western Europe converging on Santiago de Compostela, the reputed burial place of St. James.
Clare's first companion is Manni Coe. He first walked the Camino 22 years ago with his brother Reuben, following the Francés, or French, path. This is probably the most famous route, which starts in the French town of St Jean Pied de Port. Reuben has Down’s Syndrome and Manni recalls their journey together as the most magical yet challenging time of their lives.
Manni now lives in Spain and works as a tour guide, including leading pilgrims along the Sanabrés which begins in Granja de Moreruela and stretches around 225 miles to Santiago.
Manni is also an author about to publish his second book, ‘Little Ruins’. As he explains to Clare, the simple act of walking has been invaluable in enabling him to complete this personal project which is about recovery from childhood trauma.
This is the second time Clare has walked with Manni: search in our episodes list for ‘Brotherly Love in Burton Bradstock’ to hear Manni and Reuben walking in Dorset. For this episode, Manni and Clare walked from Bendoiro (What3Words: tuxedos.unwed.enjoys) to Silleda (W3W: expecting.shortcuts.outsells)
Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002ccjl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Word of Mouth (m002cfkr)
The language that changed the world
Michael Rosen hears the fascinating story of the origin of all Indo-European languages from Laura Spinney, the author of Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global. Today, nearly half of humanity speaks an Indo-European language and Laura has been investigating how that came to be.
Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Beth O'Dea, in partnership with the Open University.
Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz
THU 16:00 The Briefing Room (m002cfkt)
What is ransomware and what can be done to stop it?
In the past few weeks Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods have all been grappling with the effects of cyber attacks. The most profitable form of cyber attack at the moment is ransomware where criminals infiltrate computer systems, shut them down and then demand a ransom to restore services, or even to stop them publishing data they’ve stolen. This is now a global criminal industry which can affect the running of whole businesses. Marks & Spencer said this week that disruption to its online ordering service would continue throughout June and into July. David Aaronovitch asks his guests how ransomware works, who is responsible and what can be done to stop it.
Guests:
Emily Taylor, CEO of Oxford Information Labs and co-founder Global Signal Exchange
Geoff White, investigative journalist and author and co-host of the BBC’s podcast series, The Lazarus Heist
Susan Landau, Professor of Cyber Security and Policy at Tufts University
Professor Alan Woodward, a computer security expert at the University of Surrey
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight and Nathan Gower
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound Engineers: James Beard and Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m002cfkw)
Does the pandemic agreement make the world safer?
The World Health Organisation has agreed a treaty looking at tackling the issue of future pandemics. It’s hoped it will help to avoid some of the disorganisation and competition for resources like vaccines and personal protective equipment that were seen during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Victoria Gill speaks to global health journalist Andrew Green from the World Health Assembly in Geneva to ask if this will help to make the world a safer, fairer place.
Marnie Chesterton visits Kew Gardens in London to speak to some of the artists and scientists behind a new installation that’s digitally recreated one of the site’s most famous trees.
As it’s announced the iconic American children’s TV programme Sesame Street is moving to Netflix, Victoria speaks to the programme’s scientific advisor and Associate Professor of Elementary and Environmental Education at the University of Rhode Island, Sara Sweetman, about exactly how the likes of Elmo, Big Bird and the Cookie Monster go about informing young people about science.
And Caroline Steel joins Victoria in the studio to look through the most fascinating highlights from the world’s scientific discoveries this week.
Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producers: Clare Salisbury, Jonathan Blackwell, Dan Welsh
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
THU 17:00 PM (m002cfky)
Full coverage of the day's news
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002cfl0)
Large drop in UK net migration
New estimates show that net migration stood at an estimated 431,000 in the year ending December 2024, down from 860,000 in 2023. This is the biggest fall since the pandemic. Also: The Justice Secretary accepts a series of proposals about the sentencing of offenders in an effort to cut prison numbers. Shabana Mahmood also extends a trial of chemical castration. And the government announces its public sector pay offers.
THU 18:30 The Matt Forde Focus Group (m002cfl2)
1. Political Pandering
Can political discussion be funny? Er - yes!
Top political comedian Matt Forde convenes his focus group in front of a live theatre audience with guests comedian Pierre Novellie, Baroness Ayesha Hazarika and former Director of Communications at Number 10, Guto Harri - to see if a few sparks fly as they examine different ways people are pandered to and whether they have ever done any pandering themselves.
Written and performed by Matt Forde
Additional writing from Karl Minns, Katie Storey and Richard Garvin
Producer: Richard Garvin
Co Producers: Daisy Knight and Jules Lom
Broadcast Assistant: Jenny Recaldin
Sound Design and Editing: David Thomas
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4
THU 19:00 The Archers (m002cf3r)
Emma and Ed are irritable after a long day working on trees at Grey Gables. It’s their anniversary but Emma can’t be bothered to do anything special. However Oliver surprises them with the offer of an overnight stay at the hotel with spa passes and dinner, as an anniversary gift. They accept graciously, but over dinner they continue to bicker as Emma can’t let Ed’s attitude to her work go. His constant instructions to her from the ground today weren’t welcome or helpful. Oliver checks in to make sure they’re having a great evening. They assure him they are. They realise they shouldn’t be arguing – it’s the tiredness talking. Emma suggests they skip dinner and have an early night.
Helen wonders to Ian how Adam’s doing. Ian thinks he’s ok but sad. Helen reports much the same from her side of the family, particularly Lilian. They speculate on possible explanations as to where Peggy’s money’s gone; Ian jokes she probably invested in a donkey sanctuary. He’s looking forward to the big family holiday though. He’s impressed with Helen’s adept brushing off of Martyn Gibson’s advances. Helen admits someone else has caught her eye. Ian’s flabbergasted to learn it’s Dane from Grey Gables. He comments Dane’s nice enough but always ‘on’ and cracking jokes. Helen ventures that this could be a good thing. Ian agrees; he’s sure they’ll have a great time. Helen admits she’s nervous, putting herself back out there. Ian assures her everyone feels this way. He stays positive for her, and Helen thanks him for the chat.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m002cfl5)
Mission Impossible & Benicio Del Toro
Benicio Del Toro talks about playing a business tycoon in Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme. This aesthetically stylised film, by the director who also made The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel, is reviewed by Tom and critics Larushka Ivan-Zadeh and Rachel Cooke. They also give their verdict on Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, the 8th and final film in the franchise, and discuss fictional portrayals of food as Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle is published.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Harry Graham
THU 20:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002cf08)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Wednesday]
THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002cf0b)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:15 on Wednesday]
THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002ccg0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m002cfk1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002cfl7)
Government signs deal to hand over Chagos Islands
The UK has signed a deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and lease back the military base there for an average of £101m a year. Keir Starmer says the deal is in the UK's national interest. We hear from a Chagossian woman who tried to stop the deal with a last minute legal challenge.
The Trump administration has barred Harvard from enrolling international students -- marking an escalation between Washington and America's richest university. We speak to one of the international students affected.
And 30 years since the release of Pulp's Common People, we explore the legacy of the Brit Pop classic.
THU 22:45 The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr (m002cflc)
Episode Nine
In 1973 on the west coast of Ireland, a baby is found abandoned on the beach. Who is he? Where is he from? What changes will he bring?
Ambrose Bonnar, a local fisherman, is far more interested in who he will become and – with a curious community looking on – takes the baby home and adopts him. But for Declan, the baby’s new brother, this arrival is surely bad news . . .
Set over twenty years, Garrett Carr’s 'The Boy from the Sea' is about a restless boy trying to find his place in the world, and a town caught in the storm of a rapidly approaching future.
The Author
Garrett Carr was born and brought up in the harbour town of Killybegs, County Donegal where his father was a fisherman. Garrett now teaches Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queen’s University Belfast. His non-fiction book ‘The Rule of the Land: Walking Ireland’s Border’ was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. ‘The Boy from the Sea’ is his debut novel.
Reader: Niall Cusack
Author: Garrett Carr
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002cflh)
Gary Lineker, the BBC and celebrity influencers
It’s the end of an era for Match of the Day – with Gary Lineker hosting for the final time after 25 years in the hot seat. He will now leave the BBC a year earlier than expected in the wake of an antisemitism row.
Amol – who recently sat down with Lineker for a long television interview – reflects on the former footballer’s run-ins with the BBC over impartiality and use of social media – and his legacy both as a presenter and a modern celebrity influencer.
He’s joined by former culture minister, Conservative peer Lord Vaizey, and by former Sun editor David Yelland, now co-host of BBC Sounds podcast When It Hits the Fan.
To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you hit subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.
GET IN TOUCH:
* Send us a message or a voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346
* Email today@bbc.co.uk
The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.
This episode was made by Lewis Vickers and Tom Smithard with Izzy Rowley. Digital production was by Izzy Rowley. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002cflm)
Alicia McCarthy reports as MPs question the government about the review into sentencing.
FRIDAY 23 MAY 2025
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002cflr)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 00:30 Ten Second Showdown (m0020xzj)
Jonnie Peacock
Nineteen-year-old Jonnie Peacock crouches in his blocks as 80,000 spectators fall silent. He knows the difference between triumph and disaster will be about the time it takes to blink an eye.
'You sit there, and you think - in 10 seconds, this is going to be done. Four years of my life,' he recalls.
In Ten Second Showdown, Mike Costello revisits some of the most iconic 100m races of all time. This time he's at London 2012 for the culmination of Thriller Thursday - perhaps the greatest night in Paralympic history.
Mike speaks to Jonnie Peacock and his co-commentator from that night, Tanni Grey-Thompson.
PRESENTER: MIKE COSTELLO
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002cflt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002cflw)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:00 News Summary (m002cfly)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002cfm0)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as the government set out reforms to sentencing in England and Wales.
FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002cfm2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002cfm4)
Spiritual reflection to start the day with the Rev Dr Rosa Hunt.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002cfm6)
23/05/25 - Vet meds, octopuses off Devon, Welsh bTB policy
Veterinary medicine is not part of the agri-trade agreement sketched out between the EU and the UK earlier this week. It's left vets increasingly concerned that some veterinary medicines won’t be available in Northern Ireland after the end of this year when a ‘grace period’ under the Windsor Framework allowing medication from Great Britain to cross the Irish sea and be sold there runs out.
The warming of coastal waters means a change in the species that can thrive in them. Fishermen in the South West of England are reporting an invasion of octopuses turning up in lobster and crab pots. It's good news for some fishermen who are catching and selling the octopuses, but disastrous for others.
And getting bovine TB on a farm can be a huge financial blow and the emotional impact on farmers can be devastating. We visit one dairy farmer in Pembrokeshire who's been working with the Welsh Government to improve their policies on dealing with the disease, and the emotional impact it can have.
Presented by Caz Graham
Produced by Heather Simons
FRI 06:00 Today (m002cf37)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m002ccjz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Sunday]
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002cf39)
The manosphere, Bowel cancer, Daytime TV cuts
We hear a lot about the pressures boys and young men are under and how many of them are looking to the online world - or manosphere as it's sometimes called - to find answers. Prompted by the drama Adolescence on Netflix, the topic has been in the news regularly in recent weeks. This week the Women and Equalities Select Committee heard evidence on the manosphere. Anita Rani is joined by Will Adolphy, who was a dedicated follower of the manosphere until, in his mid 20s, he had a breakdown. He went offline for five years and rebuilt his life. He is now a psychotherapist, coach, and goes to schools to speak about healthy masculinity.
This week ITV has announced a shake up of the scheduling and production of its popular daytime shows including Lorraine, Loose Women and Good Morning Britain. Whilst Good Morning Britain will be extended, both Lorraine and Loose Women will see their number of shows cut. Entertainment journalist and expert on all-things TV Scott Bryan unpicks why this is happening.
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 – is a new BBC factual drama series. Based on the true story of the bombing of a passenger flight over a small Scottish town of Lockerbie on 21 December 1988, in which 270 people were killed. Kathryn Turman was Assistant to a federal Senator at the time of the bombing. After the trial she joined the FBI where she founded the agency’s first ever Victim Services Division. Her experience in the aftermath of the Pan Am bombing proved invaluable to the FBI’s response to the 9/11 attacks, and she has aided victims and families throughout major moments in history including the Las Vegas shooting and the Boston marathon bombing. She discusses her mission to help victims, and what inspired her work in public service.
Next month marks three years since the journalist and host of BBC's You, Me and the Big C podcast Deborah James - known to many as Bowel Babe - died, aged 40, five years after her stage four bowel cancer diagnosis. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer type and cause of cancer death for women. Since the early 1990s, the incidence rate in women aged 25-49 has increased by almost 60%. Bowel cancer is treatable if diagnosed early. Heather James, Deborah’s mother, is fulfilling a promise to her daughter and continuing with Deborah’s awareness-raising work - she and Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, are in the Woman's Hour studio.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Kirsty Starkey
FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002cf3c)
Coffee Crisis: Why are Prices Breaking Records?
Dan Saladino hears from coffee industry insiders about the current spike in global prices.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.
FRI 11:45 Me and the Farmer (m0021jbl)
5. A Tup and Bull Story
It's all about the animals in this episode - from lambing nightmares to runaway collies and gassy cows.
Me and the Farmer is a stand up show chronicling Jim's life as a working farmer in rural Perthshire. This isn't an act. By day, Jim works the land and looks after his sheep and by night he performs stand up to sold out venues across Scotland.
In each episode, Jim tells anecdotes about life on his family farm to a live audience in his nearest city of Perth. This is an honest, behind the scenes look at what it takes to be a modern farmer.
Written and Performed by Jim Smith
Produced by Lauren Mackay
Sound by Andy Hay and Barry Jackson
Photo credit: Chris Quilietti
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002cf3f)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 AntiSocial (m002cf3h)
Grit and resilience
The government has launched a new initiative to help teachers address a crisis in mental health among young people and a sharp drop in school attendance since the pandemic. The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson says she wants schools to teach children greater "grit and resilience" to handle "life's ups and downs".
It's the latest in a long line of interventions from education secretaries seeking to encourage the values they think children should be learning in school.
Is this the promotion of an important life skill or the latest gimmick burdening teachers?
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Josephine Casserly, Viv Jones, Jason Murugesu and Nik Sindle
Editor: Penny Murphy
Production Coordinator: Janet Staples
Studio Engineer: Hal Haines
FRI 12:57 Weather (m002cf3k)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m002cf3m)
Benjamin Netanyahu accuses Keir Starmer of siding with Hamas
After Benjamin Netanyahu accuses Sir Keir Starmer of siding with Hamas, we get reaction from a former senior Israeli diplomat - and gauge public opinion inside Israel. Plus, the actor David Harewood speaks to us about reprising his role as Othello after almost 30 years.
FRI 13:45 Mary Bourke: Who Cares? (m002cf3p)
Episode 5: Burnout
Five years ago, Mary Bourke’s husband had a stroke - and she immediately became his carer. It’s a job no one wants - and one that comes with no formal training, and very little support. Guilt, isolation, toilets, and endless, endless admin - welcome to the day-to-day reality of being a carer. There are more than 5 million carers in the UK - but who cares for the carers?
Through a mixture of interviews and stand-up comedy, comedian and carer Mary Bourke investigates, with the help of friends and fellow comedians with caring responsibilities.
In episode five, Mary speaks to all our guests about how being a carer has affected them - and how they deal with the inevitable burnout.
Presenter: Mary Bourke
Producer: Katie Sayer
Executive Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002cf3r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m002cf3w)
Pretender Prince
Episode 2: The Devil’s in His Head
Can Charles and his rag-tag Highland army seize control of Scotland’s capital city?
In 1745 British Government troops are massing near Edinburgh at Prestonpans - and thousands of Highland clansmen must prepare for the fight of their lives in their daring bid to restore Prince Charles to the British throne.
Jack Lowden presents the dramatic story of the rise and fall of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the 1745 Jacobite rebellion.
Written by Colin MacDonald with original music by Duncan Chisholm.
Narrator……………………………………………..…....Jack Lowden
Bonnie Prince Charlie ……………….…………....Lorn Macdonald
Colonel John O’Sullivan ………………………...Gavin Mitchell
Lord George Murray……………………………….Robert Jack
Allan Ramsay………………………….……………....Kenny Blyth
Donald Cameron………………….………………..Sam James Smith
Allan Cameron……………………………………….Douglas Yannaghas
Catherine Cameron………………………..………Helen Mackay
Written by.............................................................Colin MacDonald
Music arranged by.............................................Duncan Chisholm
Music performed by Duncan Chisholm, Ingrid Henderson,
Martin O’Neill and Ross Ainslie.
With contributions by historians, Jacqueline Riding, Alistair Moffat
and Maggie Craig
Edited by..............................................................Kris MacConachie
Studio Managers..............................................Sean Mullervy and Kris MacConnachie
Executive Producer..........................................Gordon Kennedy
Broadcast Assistant.........................................Clare Hipkiss
Producer/Director............................................Bruce Young
Recorded at BBC Scotland Drama Studios, Pacific Quay, Glasgow
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:45 Child (p0hhrq1b)
Series 1
20. Playtime
As parents start to think about the development of the child within, they might head out to classes. The advice on how a baby ‘should be’ and the pressures on parents to ‘get it right’ can be a lot, but does it all matter? Lucy Jones, journalist and author, guides us through the history of why there is so much pressure on carers.
We also hear more from Rebecca Saxe, a cognitive neuroscientist and Dean of Science at MIT about what babies are learning from play, and from Graham Music about what makes good play.
But, put down your wallet - the best toys for a baby are free, and with you all the time.
Presented by India Rakusen
Producer: Lucy Hunt
Series Producer: Ellie Sans
Executive Producer: Suzy Grant
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon
Mix and Mastering by Charlie Brandon-King
A Listen production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002cf40)
Postbag Edition: RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Kathy Clugston and a panel of green-fingered gurus, Kirsty Wilson, Pippa Greenwood, and Dr Chris Thorogood, explore the spectacular Chelsea Flower Show!
Meanwhile on the vibrant main avenue, roving reporter Peter Gibbs explores gardens shaped by climate challenges. He steps into the thought-provoking Save for a Rainy Day Garden to chat with designer Baz Granger about clever water-saving ideas. Then, he ventures into the lush creativity of the Hospitalfield Arts Garden, where he meets celebrated garden designer Nigel Dunnett for a conversation on art, ecology, and sustainable planting.
Producer: Dom Tyerman
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod and Suhaar Ali
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m002cf44)
A Survival Thing
A middle-aged woman’s secret tree climbing habit is disrupted by a group of teenage boys. When one of them is rejected by the group, he joins her in the branches.
An original short fiction for radio by Philippa Holloway, author of the The Half-life of Snails and the Parthian Books short story collection Untethered.
Reader: Catrin Powell
Sound: Nigel Lewis
Producer: John Norton
A BBC Audio Wales Production
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002cf46)
Hannah Deacon, Andrew Norfolk, Dame June Clark, Martin Graham
Matthew Bannister on
Hannah Deacon who ran a successful campaign to allow her son – and many others – to be treated with cannabis after he was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy.
Andrew Norfolk, the journalist who exposed the Rotherham grooming gang scandal.
Dame June Clark, the President of the Royal College of Nursing who argued for more education to increase the skills of the nursing profession.
Martin Graham the businessman who built his own opera house in the Cotswolds so he could stage Wagner’s Ring Cycle.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive used:
No More Nightingale, BBC, 1991; One O’Clock News, BBC, 03/04/1989; Open Country, BBC Radio 4, 27/06/2019; The Longborough Ring 2024: Wagner – Der Ring des Nibelungen, Longborough Festival Opera, Music Director Anthony Negus, Director Amy Lane; Today, BBC Radio 4, 2013; Utopia: In Search of the Dream, BBC Four, 05/05/2020; Sportsday, BBC News 24, 15/09/2016; BBC Breakfast, BBC, 19/02/2018; This Morning: Should Medical Cannabis Be More Accessible, ITV, Uploaded to YouTube, 29/10/2018; Morning Live, BBC, 07/11/2022; The Today Programme, BBC Radio 4, 19/06/2018; ITV News, ITV, 19/06/2018; Wogan, BBC, 19/01/1990; Raising a Glass to Cheers, BBC Radio 4, 26/07/2012; Cheers, TV Programme, Produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions; Groomed for Sex, BBC Three, 06/12/2011; The Media Show, BBC Radio 4, 27/08/2014; Frontlines of Journalism, BBC Radio 4, 04/07/2023; Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, KV 543: Adagio. Allegro, Performed by Bruno Walter, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Siegfried, Act II Scene 3: Willkommen, Siegfried, Performed by Manfred Jung, Heinz Zednik, Bayreuther Festspielorchester, Conductor Pierre Boulez, Composed by Richard Wagner; Le nozze di Figaro, K.492, Act 3: Ricevete, o padroncina, Performed by Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, RIAS Kammerchor, Conductor Ferenc Fricsay, Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Das Rheingold, Scene 1: Lugt, Schwestern! Die Weckerin lacht in den Grund, Performed by Norma Sharp, Ilse Gramatzki, Marga Schiml, Hermann Becht, Bayreuther Festspielorchester, Conductor Pierre Boulez, Composed by Richard Wagner
FRI 16:30 Life Changing (m002cdzm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m002cf48)
Full coverage of the day's news
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002cf4b)
White House blocked from banning foreign students at Harvard
A judge blocks the White House from banning foreign students at Harvard University.
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m002cf4d)
Series 117
6. Big Deals
Andy Zaltzman is joined by Andrew Maxwell, Ian Smith, Alex Kealy and Times columnist, Cindy Yu. They cover a triumph or a surrender (depending on who you ask) as well as reflecting on where you're most likely to spot a billionaire in the wild and the death of the semi-colon.
Written by Andy Zaltzman.
With additional material by: Christina Riggs, Laura Major and Christian Manley.
Producer: Gwyn Rhys Davies
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m002cf4g)
With things still frosty between Ed and Emma, they’re horrified when they get stuck in the Grey Gables lift. They manage to alert Zainab, but it’s her first day and she’s still feeling her way. Emma suggests she calls an engineer, and Zainab assures them she’s on it. Akram arrives and sees Zainab’s predicament. He also points out she’s done everything right so far and doesn’t need to stress. Meanwhile the atmosphere in the lift thaws and Emma and Ed apologise to one another. They admit it can be hard working together but it’s mostly brilliant. They pledge to move their anniversary celebration to tonight, staying in at Little Grange. When they’re finally free, relieved Zainab tells them Dane’s offered another night at Grey Gables by way of compensation. Ed reckons they’ll stay home tonight and save the offer for another time.
Naomi brings some flowers as a thankyou for Lilian, who’s tearful and caught unawares. She shares that she’s having a difficult time, and the two chat. Naomi’s kicking herself about her date, but Lilian assures her it’s not her fault. They laugh about the objectionable Darren. Naomi hopes things get brighter for Lilian. Later worried Kenton calls in on Lilian. Lilian comments it was nice to chat with Naomi, but nothing’s making her feel better. She guesses you just have to go with grief, but it’s exhausting. Her heart is broken at the loss, and she has nothing to tether her any more. Ambridge doesn’t feel like home without Peggy. Perhaps it’s time to leave.
FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m002cf4j)
Errollyn Wallen and Neil Brand launch a brand new playlist
Errollyn Wallen, composer and Master of the King's Music, and musician and writer Neil Brand are the studio guests of Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe as they launch a brand new series. From Lady Gaga to an early Disney classic and ending up in Mexico, the journey begins.
Producer: Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Abracadabra by Lady Gaga
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas
Never Let Her Slip Away by Andrew Gold
You’re So Vain by Carly Simon
Rata de Dos Patas by Paquita La Del Barrio
Other music in this episode:
Good Thing by Fine Young Cannibals
Spellbound by Siouxsie and the Banshees
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002cf4l)
Annabel Denham, Rachael Maskell MP, Neil Shastri-Hurst MP, Matthew Taylor
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire, with Annabel Denham, columnist and acting comment editor at the Telegraph; Labour MP Rachael Maskell; Conservative MP Neil Shastri-Hurst; and Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation and former government adviser.
Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Andy Lenton
FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002cdzt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:40 on Wednesday]
FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m002cf4n)
Wolves
Wolves were once hunted and persecuted to the point of near extinction but are now enjoying a come back across Europe, if not the UK. What can explain the way they've been targeted, and even demonised, given the low risk they pose to human beings? Shahidha Bari talks to Adam Weymouth, author of Lone Wolf, which describes his journey tracking a wolf called Slavc across the Alps, folklore experts Zoe Gilbert and Daisy Black, the environmentalist, Ben Goldsmith and Brian Zimmerman, the Director of Conservation and Science at Bristol Zoological Society. Are we seeing a change in wolves' troubled fortunes in the context of debates about rewilding?
Producer: Jayne Egerton
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002cf4q)
Harvard v Trump
Harvard University has taken President Trump to court over his order to bar foreign students. It's won a temporary reprieve. A student from the UK set to collect his degree in six days time, tells us he's breathing a sigh of relief.
Also:
The government will delay publication of its child poverty strategy. Is it responding to MPs pushing for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped?
On Sunday, it'll be five years since the murder of George Floyd in the United States. What impact did the Black Lives Matter movement his death galvanised have on the lives of people here?
And, we speak to a couple in Norway who woke up with a new garden ornament - a container ship.
FRI 22:45 The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr (m002cf4s)
Episode Ten
In 1973 on the west coast of Ireland, a baby is found abandoned on the beach. Who is he? Where is he from? What changes will he bring?
Ambrose Bonnar, a local fisherman, is far more interested in who he will become and – with a curious community looking on – takes the baby home and adopts him. But for Declan, the baby’s new brother, this arrival is surely bad news . . .
Set over twenty years, Garrett Carr’s 'The Boy from the Sea' is about a restless boy trying to find his place in the world, and a town caught in the storm of a rapidly approaching future.
The Author
Garrett Carr was born and brought up in the harbour town of Killybegs, County Donegal where his father was a fisherman. Garrett now teaches Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queen’s University Belfast. His non-fiction book ‘The Rule of the Land: Walking Ireland’s Border’ was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. ‘The Boy from the Sea’ is his debut novel.
Reader: Niall Cusack
Author: Garrett Carr
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 23:00 Americast (m002cf4v)
Why did Trump ambush the South African president?
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa went to the White House in hope of a ‘reset’ with the USA on trade and asylum laws. What he got was a choreographed presentation from Donald Trump with allegations of a white genocide taking place in South Africa, with stark parallels to the infamous Zelensky meeting in the Oval Office.
Justin, Anthony, and Sarah convene to check the fact on Trump’s assertions, and discuss why the confrontation might really be a message to his MAGA supporters.
Plus, Justin speaks to Robyn Cunrow, former CNN correspondent in Johannesburg and host of the Searching for America podcast, to find out more about the relationship between the US and South Africa.
HOSTS:
- Justin Webb, Radio 4 Presenter
- Sarah Smith, North America Editor
- Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GUEST:
- Robyn Curnow, former CNN Africa correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
- Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
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- Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
- Or use #Americast
This episode was made by George Dabby with Rufus Gray, Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002cf4x)
Why are millions of adults not registered to vote? Sean Curran reports. Also, the challenges of kinship caring - looking after children in place of their parents; and stand by for the AI-assisted museum of the prime minister.