SATURDAY 31 MAY 2025
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002cq6b)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:30 Holding the Line by Barbara Kingsolver (m002cq4v)
Episode 5: Planting Fruit Trees
As the strikes grinds to its inevitable conclusion, the women prepare to take on the struggle outside their communities.
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Barbara Kingsolver's first book is now published in the UK for the first time. In her eye witness account of the Great Arizona Mine Strike of the 1980s, Kingsolver captures a cast of fascinating women at a transformative point in their lives.
Read by Laurel Lefkow
Abridged by Eileen Horne
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
In the decades since Kingsolver wrote 'Holding the Line', she has become the global prize-winning and bestselling author of ten novels including 'Unsheltered', 'The Poisonwood Bible' and 'Demon Copperhead'. Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages and has earned literary awards and a devoted readership at home and abroad. She has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction twice, and the Pulitzer. She lives with her family on a farm in southern Appalachia.
A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002cq6d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002cq6g)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
SAT 05:30 News Summary (m002cq6j)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002cq6l)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002cq6n)
Gongoozling at Still Water
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Canon Simon Doogan
Good morning.
Gongoozling, I lately discovered, is the continuous tense of a verb meaning to gaze longingly at still water. But does ‘longingly’ imply a conscious, specific desire, or something more subconscious and general? Could it extend to the spiritual?
I ask, because of the famous testimony of a celebrated sixteenth century Christian, who had been passing through an extremely dark period in his life. In the midst of a deep spiritual dryness and worrying obsessively about his sins, thoughts of suicide had crossed his mind. Until one day he was walking the bank of a river, deep in prayer.
Sitting down, he turned his face toward the water, and in that moment, as he records in his autobiography, “the eyes of his understanding began to be opened”. He saw no vision, as such, but he found himself suddenly clear about many spiritual things, so clear, that everything seemed new to him.
The river was the Cardoner, in the small Spanish town of Manresa, and the man’s name was Ignatius Loyola. His sense of union with God unlocked at that river became the turning point of his life. I hear in it, echoes of St John’s testimony in Revelation: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Alright: as running water rather than still, perhaps technically it falls short of a proper gongoozle. The longing was there, though – the same longing which for many if not most, seems a prelude for divine revelation.
Father help us to stop. Settle our gaze on something living and pure and vital which might flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Meet our longing with yours, Lord, and release us from all that holds us torturously in its grip. Amen
SAT 05:45 Child (p0hhrq63)
Series 1
21. Sleep
Go on, be honest. Is this the first episode you clicked? It drives people crazy. It’s a firecracker of a topic, and emotions run high around sleep.
So let’s talk about it. When did we start getting so anxious about baby sleep, and what’s ‘normal’ for a baby anyway? India talks to anthropologist Dr Helen Ball about all this and the controversial topic of bed sharing as well as economist Emily Oster, who’s crunched the numbers and research on… sleep training.
Presented by: India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans.
Series producer: Ellie Sans.
Executive producer: Suzy Grant.
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon and Eska Mtungwazi.
Mix and Mastering by Olga Reed.
A Listen Production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002cz9z)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
SAT 06:07 Ramblings (m002cqr0)
Camino Francés with Maggie McLean
Clare walks with Reverend Maggie McLean today on a stretch of the Camino de Santiago, the world famous pilgrimage route that concludes at Santiago de Compostela’s glorious Cathedral in northern Spain. The Camino can be completed in numerous ways, with one of the most popular routes being the French Way otherwise known as the Francés. It begins in the French town of St. Jean Pied de Port and ends 790km/490miles later in Santiago. Maggie is trekking part of this route and Clare joins her at Triacastela to hear her story as they make their way to the Benedictine Monastery at Samos, which is about 150km from Santiago itself.
Maggie is a lifelong keen walker, and was one of the first women to be ordained in the Church of England. She works as a Canon at York Minster, and would like to see some kind of pilgrimage established there, so her time on the Camino is not just a spiritual journey, it’s also a way of conducting some research. On their walk she tells Clare about her life and journey in faith, including working in homeless centres, probation hostels and a seafarers’ mission in Australia.
En route Clare and Maggie bumped into Arthur, a pilgrim who has spent several weeks every year for seven years on the Camino, which he started by walking out of his front door in Switzerland. Despite suffering cancer three times, and having one quarter of a lung removed, he still carries a 10kg backpack and never plans where he’s going to stay overnight.
Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002czb1)
31/05/25 Farming Today This Week: Drought in north west England; new reservoirs; national parks; golden eagles.
The Environment Agency says the north west of England is in drought. One farmer tells us this year's crops are already ruined because of a lack of water.
Two proposed reservoirs have been given 'nationally significant' status by the government to speed up the planning process. Decisions on the Lincolnshire Reservoir which is planned for an area near Sleaford and the Fens Reservoir near March in Cambridgeshire will now be accelerated. Ministers say the law will also be changed so that in the future all projects which are, as they put it, 'fundamental to national water resilience' will automatically be designated as 'nationally significant'. Farming communities are concerned about the impact on productive farmland, and one farmer says the Lincolnshire scheme will wipe out her home and her business.
All week we're talking about the nation's national parks. The Scottish Government's decided not to go ahead with plans for a new national park in Galloway. After a long legal battle supreme court judges ruled that wild camping is allowed on Dartmoor, we speak to the park's chief executive. In Wales we report on a nature recovery project in Pembrokeshire which works with farmers to enhance farmland by the coast. In The Broads Norfolk farmers and environmentalists are trying to tackle the damage being caused by deer.
Golden Eagles have been extinct in England since 2015 when a solitary bird died in the Lake District. But could that be about to change? A conservation project in the south of Scotland which began in 2018 has seen a huge increase in the eagle population there, and some of those birds have begun exploring places like the Northumberland National Park where one was spotted just a few weeks ago
Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
SAT 06:57 Weather (m002czb3)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m002czb5)
Today (Saturday)
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002czb7)
Ashley Walters, Rhys Darby, Helen Lederer, Georgia Mann
Ashley Walters, the powerhouse actor, producer and rapper, who’s delivered unforgettable performances in Top Boy and the recent global Netflix hit Adolescence, his memoir unveils a tapestry of his inner workings, woven with candour and introspection.
Rhys Darby is one of New Zealand’s finest comedy exports. Famous for his boundless curiosity and for blending quirky wit and brilliance he’ll tell us about being a real-life soldier and on-screen pirate. Plus his current stand-up tour.
And Helen Lederer joins us. The actor-writer-comedian who is busy rehearsing for her performance in Fawlty Towers on stage.
Plus we have the Inheritance Tracks of the broadcaster and writer Georgia Mann.
Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon Kay
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
SAT 10:00 Curious Cases (m002c718)
Series 23
Nano Sharks
Think of a shark and you'll probably conjure up images of Jaws, but it turns out their skin is also covered in tiny teeth. Hannah and Dara investigate the incredible properties of these so-called dermal denticles, to find out whether they could be replicated at a nanoscale to increase vehicle speeds. They learn that while sharks might look like they have beautifully sleek surfaces, up close their skin is covered in something extremely rough and textured, a property that helps them swim up to 12 percent faster. And it's already inspiring airlines to design ultra-thin films that can reduce drag and increase efficiency.
Contributors
Dr Jess Wade
Professor Manish Tiwari
Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production
SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002czb9)
Series 48
Postbag Edition
Jay Rayner and a panel of expert chefs, cooks and food writers dip into the TKC postbag with the goal of answering various culinary conundrums, sent to the inbox. Joining Jay are Jocky Petrie, Sophie Wright, Tim Anderson and Dr Zoe Laughlin.
The panellists explore what to do with excess bottles of prosecco, the best method for resting meat, and which pan truly delivers the perfect grilled steak. They’ll also reveal their least favourite kitchen chores and share their secrets for identifying top-quality butter.
Producer: Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
A Somethin' Else Production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 11:00 Loud (m002b6wr)
Are we surrounded by an invisible killer?
James Gallagher, BBC health and science correspondent and presenter of Inside Health on Radio 4, investigates how our noisy world is damaging our health.
We’ll find out why noise increases our risk of health problems, like heart attacks, disrupted sleep and anxiety, and can even affect how long we live.
James has two days in Barcelona – one of the noisiest cities in Europe – to meet the people whose health is being ruined by noise and the scientists and doctors trying to turn down the volume. James also visits London where he'll be experimented on in a sound lab to find out exactly how noise changes the body.
James discovers that even when we think we’ve tuned out loud noise it can still be damaging our health and why we all need to start paying attention to the noise around us.
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Gerry Holt
Dhaka reporter: Salman Saeed
Content editor: Martin Smith
Production coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002cz92)
America's Russian Orthodox converts
Kate Adie presents stories from the US, Canada, Mexico, Myanmar and the Netherlands
An increasing number of Americans - especially young men - are converting to the Russian Orthodox Church, enticed by its embrace of unabashed masculinity and traditional family values. Lucy Ash met some recent converts in Texas.
The diplomatic fallout between the US and Canada continues over Donald Trump's repeated desire to make Canada the 51st state. The issue was forefront in Canadian minds as King Charles visited Ottawa this week, with locals looking for signs of support for the country’s sovereignty. Royal correspondent Sean Coughlan watched the King walk a diplomatic tightrope.
Mexico will become the first country in the world to elect its entire judiciary by direct vote, following a controversial reform last year. Will Grant went to Ciudad Juarez to meet a candidate who has had doubts raised over her suitability as a judge after she once defended notorious drug lord, El Chapo.
Chinese criminal gangs have established lucrative scam centres in Myanmar, staffed by workers lured from across the world with the promise of well-paid work. Once there, they face exploitation and no way home. Olivia Acland tells the story of one man from Sierra Leone, who was tricked into the con trade.
More than a quarter of journeys in the Netherlands are made by bike – which made it all the more maddening for correspondent Anna Holligan, when she recently had her bike stolen in The Hague. But the experience had an upside, as she discovered the softer side to the pragmatic Dutch, who understood the nature of her loss.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison & Sophie Hill
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002czbc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002cz90)
Avoiding Scams and Changes to Wills
Hundreds of millions of pounds was stolen from people in 2024 by thieves who tricked them, manipulated them, and then drained their bank accounts. The latest figures from UK Finance show that more than £450m was handed over to criminals in that way. That was slightly less than in 2023 but there were fewer cases - down 20% to just under 186,000. So those who were robbed lost more - an average of more than £2,400. What kind of scams were most common and what can you do to avoid them?
There have been several high profile cyber attacks on businesses recently. But apart from downed deliveries and empty shelves, what impact can they have on other areas of a business that weren’t directly attacked?
Major changes to the laws about making a will have been proposed to the government by the Law Commission. Its job is to recommend changes in the laws in England and Wales to improve or simplify them.
And what should people do if they think they’re owed compensation by their energy company following the prepayment meter scandal?
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Sarah Rogers
Researcher: Eimear Devlin and Jo Krasner
Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast at
12pm on Saturday 31st May, 2025)
SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m002cq5r)
Series 117
7. Tariff Turmoil
Andy Zaltzman is joined by Armando Iannucci, Ria Lina, Ian Smith and Cindy Yu for more topical comedy quizzing. This week they explore Trump’s tariff turmoil, the King’s Canadian holiday, mixed messages in the Middle East and how the Department of Justice is having trouble finishing its sentences.
Written by Andy Zaltzman.
With additional material by: Mike Shephard, Peter Tellouche, Sascha LO and Eve Delaney.
Producer: James Robinson
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
SAT 12:57 Weather (m002czbf)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News (m002czbh)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002cq5y)
Justin Madders MP, Christina McAnea, Fraser Nelson, Baroness Stowell
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Liverpool Hope University with the business minister and Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Bromborough, Justin Madders; Christina McAnea, the general secretary of Unison; Times columnist Fraser Nelson; and Conservative peer Baroness Stowell of Beeston.
Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Jonathan Esp
SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002czbk)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?
SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002cq5t)
At the Shop Jim tries a super-courteous approach to get Lilian to fill in the survey, while Jazzer adds a mocking commentary. It’s only when Jim spells out the existential threat Underwoods Local poses that Lilian agrees to answer the questions. Between them Jazzer and Lilian come up with several suggestions for improvements. Then Jazzer points out the biggest issue is friendliness – or the lack of it - and despite Jim’s denial Lilian agrees that it’s an issue. Later on Jazzer snatches Lilian’s completed survey, reading out her score for friendliness: three out of five. He tells Jim it’s not going to save the shop. Jim confesses how exhausting he finds maintaining the façade of friendliness and his relief at going to stay at his daughter’s next week. But Jazzer loves it when Jim is grumpy!
While Chris is relatively relaxed before the meeting about Martha at the nursery, Alice can’t help thinking there must be a serious problem. The manager tactfully points out that Martha has haphazard concentration levels and limited attention span. She suggests working together with the staff to get Martha to focus on tasks for longer. Chris is happy to go along with this but Alice seems more troubled. Back at the Stables Lilian pushes Alice to confess her fear that her drinking during pregnancy is now affecting Martha’s development. And if Lilian leaves Ambridge then that’s another huge plank of Alice’s support network gone, after Jennifer and Peggy. Lilian tells her she’s changed her mind and she’s not going anywhere.
SAT 15:00 Spotlight (m001zgfw)
Antigone by Jean Anouilh
Antigone by Jean Anouilh
Translated by Barbara Bray
After the deaths of Antigone’s brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, the new king, Creon, declares that Polyneices must be left unburied - his body exposed to the sun as punishment for treason. Antigone defies the edict. Determined to honour her brother, she chooses burial, knowing full well it will cost her life. In resisting tyranny, she finds a fierce kind of freedom - to act, to speak, and finally, to be herself.
First staged in Paris in 1944, this powerful play was an immediate sensation. Written during Nazi occupation, it became a thinly veiled rallying cry for the French Resistance against the Vichy regime. Today, its themes of liberty, conscience, and resistance feel as urgent as ever - a profound exploration of personal courage versus political compliance.
Sean Bean won the Best Actor award at the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2025 for his performance as Creon.
Prologue-Chorus ..... Jonathan Keeble
Creon ..... Sean Bean
Antigone ..... Rosy McEwen
Ismene ..... Norah Lopez-Holden
Nurse ..... Maureen Beattie
Haemon/Messenger ..... Joseph Ayre
Jonus ..... Owen Whitelaw
Introduction by Professor Emma Smith from Hertford College, Oxford
Production Co-ordinator - Gaelan Davis-Connolly
Sound by Andrew Garratt, and Alison Craig
Adapted, and directed by Pauline Harris
A BBC Studios Audio Production
This marks the first audio production of Antigone in over 40 years - and Sean Bean’s return to audio drama after 25 years. Bean is a BAFTA and International Emmy-winning actor, acclaimed for his performances in Jimmy McGovern’s Time, Broken, and Accused (BBC One). He also starred in Marriage (BBC), described by The Guardian as “Pitch Perfect”.
Rosy McEwen makes her audio drama debut as Antigone. McEwen won Best Lead Performance at the British Independent Film Awards in 2022 for her role in Blue Jean, beating nominees including Sally Hawkins, Florence Pugh and Bill Nighy. Her portrayal was hailed as a “revelation,” “riveting,” and “a powerful, internalised performance.”
SAT 16:30 Woman's Hour (m002czbn)
Weekend Woman's Hour: Carey Mulligan, Mary Earps’ England retirement, International Aid, Folk trio I'm With Her
Three-time Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan, known for roles in films such as Maestro, Promising Young Woman and Suffragette, returns to our cinema screens in the comedy drama The Ballad of Wallis Island. She talked to Anita Rani about playing ex-folk singer Nell, working on a film set with a young baby, and why she loves musicals.
Earlier this week, goalkeeper Mary Earps, one of England's most high profile footballers, announced her retirement from the international game. Her decision comes just five weeks before the Lionesses go to the European Championships to defend their title. Jessica Creighton was joined was joined by football writer for the Guardian Suzy Wrack, and sports lecturer at the University of Worcester and professional goalkeeping coach, Dr Julia West, to discuss why Mary took this decision.
Announcements of cuts to foreign aid this year from both the UK and US governments, amongst others, have left many organisations facing funding issues and putting their programmes at risk. As humanitarian crises continue across the world, including in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, with many vulnerable people suffering including women and girls, the need to provide aid remains as high as ever. Dr Helen Pankhurst, Senior Advisor on Gender Equality for Care International UK, and Sofia Calltrop, the UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Aid, discussed with Kylie Pentelow the effects of these cuts on women and girls globally and the importance of gender equality programming.
The American folk trio I’m With Her have routinely taken time out from their individual careers to dream up songs together. On their long-awaited second album Wild and Clear and Blue, they sing about reaching into the past, navigating a chaotic present, and bravely moving forward into the unknown. They joined Kylie in the studio.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Annette Wells
Editor: Sarah Jane Griffiths
SAT 17:00 PM (m002czbq)
Confusion over Trump's new tariff
President Trump increases steel tariffs - prompting confusion in UK industry. We speak to a steel exporter.
Also: Hamas submits a response to the Gaza ceasefire proposal; vapers prepare for a ban on disposable vapes; and we look at how historical figures are brought to the small screen.
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002czbs)
The Tanni Grey-Thompson One
After 15 years as a member of the House of Lords, Tanni Grey-Thompson reflects on how a career at the top of sport prepared her for the world of politics.
The crossbench peer speaks to Nick about what she sees as a dangerous relationship between benefit reforms and legalising assisted dying.
Producer: Daniel Kraemer
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002czbv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m002czbx)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002czbz)
Beijing reacts furiously to America's claim that China could soon invade Taiwan
Beijing has mounted a furious response to an American warning that China poses an "imminent" threat to Taiwan. It says the US represents the biggest threat to regional stability.
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002czc1)
Patrick Grant, Jason Donovan, Sophie McCartney, The Young'Uns, Mychelle, Stuart Maconie
Jason Donovan won the hearts of millions alongside Kylie Minogue in the Australian soap Neighbours; then his debut album was the biggest seller of 1989 and he topped the UK singles chart 4 times. In the 1990s he reinvented himself in musical theatre with acclaimed roles in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and now he's playing Frank-n-furter in the Rocky Horror Show tour. Its safe to say he knows a thing or two about eye catching costumes, as does Great British Sewing Bee judge and designer to the stars Patrick Grant. His book - Less - is a plea to us to stop buying so much rubbish, buy better, mend more and think about wearing woollen knit swimming costumes or at least cotton running gear. The comedian Sophie McCartney is best known for poking fun at parenting and her viral mum-parody to the tune of Ed Sheeran. But she likes a costume too - thigh high silver boots and leather shorts for her latest show One Foot In the Rave, full of advice on how best to turn 40, how to parent questioning teenagers and say a loud "no thanks" to a midlife crisis.
With music from BBC Folk Award winners The Young'Uns and indie-soul singer Mychelle who's supporting Jorja Smith on tour.
Presented by Stuart Maconie
Produced in Salford by Olive Clancy
SAT 19:00 Profile (m002cz82)
Tom Fletcher
Tom Fletcher heads the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and has been at the forefront of recent efforts to deliver aid into Gaza.
Last week, he was criticised for making inaccurate claims about the impact of the Israeli blockade.
No stranger to tough jobs, he was previously a foreign policy advisor to three British Prime Ministers and the UK Ambassador to Lebanon as the country dealt with the civil war in neighbouring Syria.
He once fought the mayor of Nairobi in a boxing match and had a mortar round land in his swimming pool at the British embassy in Beirut.
One of four siblings, he was born in Folkestone, where he attended the Harvey Grammar School before studying at Oxford University.
Prior to his UN role he was Principal of Hertford College and has written books on diplomacy as well as novels.
Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Tom Gillett, Lucy Pawle and Jo Casserly
Editor: Nick Holland
Sound: Gareth Jones
Production Coordinator: Sabine Schereck
SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m002cqq9)
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson’s breakthrough television role in the sci-fi series The X Files made her a global star in 1993, and she played cool-headed Agent Dana Scully for nearly a decade. She also starred in period dramas, including an acclaimed film adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel The House Of Mirth and, on television, in Bleak House, Great Expectations and War and Peace. Her theatre credits include A Doll’s House, A Streetcar Named Desire and All About Eve, all of which saw her nominated for Olivier Awards. Gillian Anderson has won Golden Globe and Emmy Awards for the X Files, and also for The Crown in which she played Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. More recently, she found a new generation of fans for role as a sex therapist in the series Sex Education. Her latest film is The Salt Path, adapted from the bestselling memoir by Raynor Wynn.
Gillian Anderson tells John Wilson how, after being born in Chicago, she moved with her parents to Crouch End, London, when she was five, and then to Michigan at the age of 11. After what she describes as ‘rebellious' teenage years, she studied at Chicago’s DePaul University with drama teacher Ric Murphy, whom she cites as a major influence on her early acting ambitions. After a series of minor stage roles in New York, she auditioned for The X Files and the role of Agent Scully changed her life. She also chooses the actor Meryl Streep as a major inspiration after seeing her with Robert Redford in the 1985 romantic drama film Out Of Africa. Gillian also reveals how the work of the Serbian-born conceptual performance artist Marina Abramović has also been an influential cultural figure for her.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m001psl0)
Scoop
From the disputed origins in the 1920s of the name 99, via the turf wars between ice cream van men in the 1980s, to the persistent myth that Margaret Thatcher helped to invent Mr Whippy soft-serve ice cream, Scoop offers a creamy, nutty, fruity knickerbocker glory of history, personal testimony and unexpected twists,
With James Sinclair of Rossi in Southend, whose job is to "sell happiness" - he tours his ice cream factory and the Rossi seafront parlour; Leyla Dervish of Magic Foods, a third generation ice cream seller in south-east London, who shares the magical send-off her father received from his fellow ice cream van men; food historian Dr Annie Gray; the composer of the mobile sound creation Music for Seven Ice Cream Vans, Dan Jones; and ice cream vendor Akan driving the streets of south-east London.
With archive from Radio 4's The Food Programme, featuring Dan Saladino and his ice cream van Dad, Bobo; coverage of the 'Glasgow ice cream wars' of the 1980s; Jim Carey's documentary, The Ice Cream Van Cometh, that includes Francis Rossi and Banksy (courtesy of Jim Carey and Loftus Media); and a special recording from an ice cream van man's funeral.
Produced by Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
(Image of Leyla Dervish's Mum, Sheree, courtesy of the Dervish family.)
SAT 21:00 Artworks (m002bhx5)
Paul Simon's Political Storm
The pairing of joyful Black South African music with Paul Simon’s cinematic lyricism is either a high point in cultural exchange, or an outrageous betrayal of the anti-apartheid movement. How should we view Simon's Graceland album now - in a time when cultural boycotts, cultural appropriation, and cancel culture are on the tip of everyone's tongue?
Forty years on, and through a distinctly South African lens, New York Times reporter Lynsey Chutel considers the legacy of one the most popular, controversial, and contested record releases ever. Was Paul Simon arrogant? Ignorant? And did his music really aid the struggle against apartheid?
Contributors:
Stanley De Klerk, Lynsey's uncle
Professor Sean Jacobs, Director of International Affairs at The New School
Bakithi Kumalo, bassist on Graceland
Billy Bragg, singer-songwriter
Dali Tambo, founder of Artists Against Apartheid
Sonti Mndebele, singer on the Graceland tour
Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi, music writer
Presented by Lynsey Chutel
Produced by Seun Matiluko & Jack Howson
Mixed by Louis Blatherwick
With thanks to Tom Bonnett for inspiration, as well as Rose-Anna Hyde, Richard Power and Saskia Cookson for additional research
A Peanut & Crumb production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 21:30 The Drug Death Detectives (m0021qsl)
Is a lethal drug killing more people in the UK than official records suggest? Nitazenes are a synthetic opioid that were originally designed and made for medical purposes. However, clinical trials on the drug were stopped because it was discovered even minuscule amounts were enough to kill a patient and it was impossible to administer a safe dose. Recently though the drug has been found lacing supplies of heroine and other drugs coming to the UK. It’s likely the users have no idea that the strength of what they’re taking has been turbo-charged by this synthetic drug. Sadly, there have already been a number of deaths with nitazenes identified as the cause. But now a group of forensic toxicologists, who run blood tests on victims to help determine a cause of death, suspect it is likely the drug has claimed more lives than we know about. That's because they fear the drug can’t be detected in the bodies of some of its victims. But how and why? The BBC’s Nick Holland has spent a year following the team’s investigation as they try to unlock the secrets of Nitazenes, a drug they believe could be an invisible killer.
Produced and presented by Nick Holland
Editor Clare Fordham
Sound Engineer James Beard
SAT 22:00 News (m002czc3)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002cq4s)
Sourfaux
Campaigners are calling for the ingredients of sourdough to be laid out in law. So are there too many loaves on sale that are more sourfaux than sourdough? Leyla Kazim investigates.
This programme features a visit to the Batch event at the Long Table in Stroud to meet baker and author David Wright as well as Chris Young from the Real Bread Campaign. Nutritionist Dr Vanessa Kimbell discusses how sourdough impacts on our gut health and bread historian Professor Steven Kaplan chews over whether more regulation is strictly necessary and questions how it would be enforced.
Cereal scientist Stanley Cauvain shines a light on a huge moment in British baking - the invention of the Chorleywood process - and Jules Chambe from the award-winning Wild Frog Bakehouse in Oxfordshire looks to his native France where the government did act to protect the beloved baguette.
Produced in Bristol by Robin Markwell for BBC Audio
Featuring the "Happy Knocker-Upper" 1960s Mother's Pride television advert featuring Dusty Springfield
SAT 23:00 The Matt Forde Focus Group (m002cqrd)
Episode 2 - The Political Silver Bullet
Can politics be funny? Absolutely.
Top political comedian Matt Forde returns with his focus group in front of a live theatre audience - with guests comedian Ahir Shah, journalist Miranda Green and former Conservative special advisor, Salma Shah - to see if a few sparks fly as they examine different ways the 'Silver Bullet' has been deployed in politics.
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
SAT 23:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002cncw)
Programme 3 - The North vs The Midlands
(3/12)
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.
This third contest features The North of England and The Midlands.
You can follow the questions in each edition on the Round Britain Quiz webpages. Each week's questions will be posted on the day of transmission.
Teams:
Stewart Maconie and Jenny Ryan - The North
Frankie Fanko and Stephen Maddock - The Midlands
Questions in today's edition:
Q1 What can you draw from this report on tonight’s football fixtures?
“There was a peaceful turnout here in Darlington this evening, but Plymouth are at the start of a very long journey, Southampton are seeking their salvation, and in Woking, the faithful donned their traditional crimson robes.”
Q2 Where might you find these hidden in Asia?
A chandelier-swinging singer
Plans for future wealth
A boy in striped pyjamas
A ship’s tracking system
Wonder’s ‘always’ song
And thus, in Spain, it is thereabouts–like this. ,
And yes.
Q3 Music: What ties these tracks together? And why would adding the first two and subtracting the third one make the perfect score?
Q4 In this rhyme we’re looking for three people and another ditty that links them all…
A Clement soap matriarch with earrings so grand,
A flame-haired drummer with sticks in hand,
A big, sleepy novelist, noir in shade-
what links their names in the world of trade?
Q5 (from Sam Fugill) What connects all of these:
Where might Peter and Pat,
try to stop Paul and Jenny,
as they cross paths with Judith, Athol, Keith, and Bruce,
and who might they hope to find working on a grouse moor, to help drive away Australian Loafers.
Q6 (from Daniel Kitto) Music: Think about why you might be particularly wary of this combination in Prague?
Q7 (from Susan Chlopicki) What connects these four women, and who was the lucky one?
One ruled in an 80s dynasty and survived a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp.
She served dinners in a Manchester canteen and found love in Halifax.
She sold shampoo and fed imaginary milk to a controversial politician.
She sang her heart out in a notorious women’s prison.
Q8 Why would… a chemist and part-time composer, a city of the Otago peninsula, Hanna Diyab’s Chinese tale, the first Sultan of Egypt, and a ‘cow whisperer’ (who was the subject of a 2010 film), all cause a racket on a networking site?
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.
SUNDAY 01 JUNE 2025
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002czc5)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m002cnct)
Seán Hewitt
Take Four Books presents Open, Heaven, the debut novel from Seán Hewitt - an award-winning poet renowned for his critically acclaimed 2022 memoir of heartbreak and queer identity, All Down Darkness Wide.
Open, Heaven is a tale of suppressed adolescent desire set in the pastoral surroundings of rural northern England. In this episode, Seán reflects on three literary influences that shaped his novel: The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley, Maurice by E. M. Forster, and The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien.
The supporting contributor is author and lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Brighton, Dr Bea Hitchman.
There is also an extract from The Go-Between audiobook, narrated by Sean Barrett and published by Naxos AudioBooks.
Producer: Rachael O’Neill
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002czc7)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002czc9)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:30 News Summary (m002czcc)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002czcf)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002cz9d)
The Parish Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas, Pier Head, in Liverpool
Bells on Sunday comes from the Parish Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas, Pier Head, in Liverpool. Bells have hung in the church tower since at least 1636 and by 1814 there were twelve bells, all cast by the Dobson foundry of Downham Market. The church was extensively damaged during a fire in 1940 and the old bells were removed. For the opening of the new church in 1952 a new ring of twelve were installed. They were were cast by John Taylor & Sons of Loughborough with a tenor bell weighing forty one and three quarter hundredweight and tuned to the note of C. We hear them ringing Stedman Cinques
SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002cpnv)
Joking about Blindness
In Touch invites three stand-up comedians - Jake Donaldson, Sydney May and Lizzy Lenco - to discuss how they use their blindness as a source of material in their comedy routines.
For more information on our three comedians and where to see them live:
Jake Donaldson: linktr.ee/jakedonaldson
Sydney May: sydneymay.co.uk and Sydney May on social media.
Lizzy Lenco on social media.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Jack Thomason
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 (m002cz77)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Heart and Soul (w3ct5tgd)
Spirituality in Sin City
In Spirituality in Sin City, presenter Rajeev Gupta takes listeners on an unexpected journey through the hidden spiritual side of Las Vegas—a city famed for its glitz, glamour, and indulgence. Beyond the flashing lights and high-stakes casinos, Las Vegas is home to a growing community of spiritual practitioners and seekers, drawn to the city in search of transformation and meaning.
The documentary explores stories of resilience and renewal, including Erin Raymond, a mother navigating profound personal loss while seeking healing in the spiritual community. It also features Chaplain Ryan from Westcare, who supports addiction recovery through a unique blend of Christian and Eastern spiritual practices. Together, their experiences paint a vivid picture of how spirituality thrives in a place known for excess.
From meditation sessions to spiritual detoxing and the serene Brahma statue on the Strip, Spirituality in Sin City reveals a side of Vegas few would expect—a city where faith and transformation flourish in the most surprising ways.
Produced and Presented by Rajeev Gupta.
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002cz79)
A Passion for Rare Breeds
Ryan Perry started off feeding the pigs at his local city farm in Gateshead at the age of 7. They were Tamworth pigs, and from there his passion for rare breed livestock grew and grew. He bought the farm's Hebridean sheep, and got a smallholding to keep them on.
Now, he keeps three breeds of sheep, alongside pigs, goats, poultry and cattle. As well as his smallholding, he uses his stock to provide conservation grazing services on council nature reserves and private land all around Gateshead. But all this is done on top of a full time job in the NHS as a biomedical scientist.
In this programme, Caz Graham meets Ryan - as well his animals - to learn about the many different breeds, and to find out what drives him.
Presented by Caz Graham
Produced by Heather Simons
SUN 06:57 Weather (m002cz7c)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002cz7f)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002cz7h)
Sudan; Elvis Presley; Catholic church closures
With the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine top on the news agenda, it may be easy to miss ongoing war in Sudan. The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has this week highlighted the extensive use of sexual violence against women and girls - some of them very young indeed - in the Darfur region. We hear testimonies from survivors and Edward Stourton speaks to Ruth Kauffman, the MSF Medical Emergency Manager for Sudan and by Dr Harun Issack Muslim Aids Country Director for Sudan.
The King? A healer? An American shaman? We explore Elvis’ little known fascination with the occult, spirituality and a quest for higher consciousness with Miguel Connor, author of ‘The Occult Elvis: The Mystical and Magical Life of the King.’
It's been a busy week for the new Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool. Installed on Tuesday, his first mass was overshadowed by violence at the victory parade in the city which saw 79 people injured by a car driven into the crowd at high speed. And now, John Sherrington has another job on his hands: deciding the future of an historic church in Lancashire, one with links to the martyr St Edmund Arrowsmith, executed for his faith in 1628. Parishioners like Bren Cook at Brindle St Joseph's were shocked to hear their building would be closed and the congregation dispersed to neighbouring churches after their priest was recalled to Ampleforth Abbey in North Yorkshire- the Sunday programme also hears from Liam Kelly the company secretary of the trust.
Presenter: Edward Stourton
Producers: Bara'atu Ibrahim & Linda Walker
Studio Managers: Jack Morris & Chris Hardman
Editor: Tim Pemberton
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002cz7k)
Full Fact
Journalist Martha Kearney makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Full Fact. It's an independent fact-checking charity which aims to counter the harm caused by misinformation to health, democracy and communities.
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 ‘Full Fact’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Full Fact’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
Registered Charity Number: 1158683. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://fullfact.org/
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites
Producer: Katy Takatsuki
SUN 07:57 Weather (m002cz7m)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002cz7p)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002cz7r)
The Hay Festival
This service comes from The Hay Festival, and is led by Dr Belle Tindall. The preacher is Nathan Munday, a Welsh writer and church minister. Walking around the festival site, meeting authors and visitors, and climbing a local mountain, Munday explores the doctrine of the ascension, contained within the line in the Nicene Creed: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
During the programme we meet Hay regulars, authors Oliver Balch, Jon Gower, and illustrator Caryn Schafer.
Music:
Psalm 121 - recorded by Skimra.
Pererin Wyf / Amazing Grace.
See what a morning - recorded at St Michaels Church, Aberystwyth.
Guide me O thou Great Jehovah - recorded by the Morriston Orpheus Choir.
Ye Gates Life up Ye Heads.
Producer: Jonathan Thomas
SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct3c1d)
The 'Nixon Shock' and the end of the Gold Standard
In 1971, inflation was a huge problem in the USA so the President, Richard Nixon, made one of the most drastic moves in economic history: abandoning the Gold Standard. It became known as the 'Nixon Shock' and nearly caused a trade war between America and its allies. But, it also saved the US's economy from a crisis. Ben Henderson spoke to Bob Hormats, an economic adviser in the Nixon administration, who was at the heart of decision-making.
(Picture from Bettmann via Getty Images: President Nixon with his economic advisers in 1971)
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002cz7t)
Anita Sethi on the Lapwing
Nature author and travel writer Anita Sethi describes a vivid experience of seeing - and hearing - lapwings while walking on the West Pennine Moors. While being too fast for her to capture on camera, she recognised their distinctive call, and was stuck by their "acrobatics of sound" as they soared above her. Anita has also seen lapwings up close too, admiring their "funky hairdo" and the way their iridescent green and purple sheen lights up in the sun. Lapwings can be seen throughout the UK and their display flights are most visible during the breeding season, which typically runs from mid-March to June. Lapwings are now on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to significant population declines – so every sighting makes Anita's heart soar.
Producer: Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002cz7w)
Strategic Defence Review previewed
We analyse what's likely to be in the government's imminent defence review with the head of the RUSI think tank, and we hear about at the threats facing Europe and the UK with Poland's foreign minister Radek Sikorski. Plus, Björn Ulvaeus from Abba pays tribute to the band's sound engineer, who's died at the age of 80.
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002cz7y)
Romesh Ranganathan, comedian and broadcaster
Romesh Ranganathan is a comedian and BAFTA-winning broadcaster who has been a fixture on British television screens for the past decade. In addition to his TV shows and stand-up tours he presents the Weakest Link on BBC One, Radio Two’s Saturday morning show and another weekly Radio Two programme in which he shares his passion for hip hop music.
Romesh was born in Crawley in West Sussex where he still lives. His parents came to the UK from Sri Lanka in 1975. His father Ranga was an accountant who spent time in prison for fraud during Romesh’s teenage years. At that point Romesh and his brother were brought up by their mother Sivashanthini – known as Shanthi – who has appeared alongside Romesh on several of his television programmes.
In 2001 Romesh became a maths teacher at the school where he’d previously been a pupil. A few years later he started taking part in open mic evenings where he developed his skills as a stand-up. In 2011 he quit his teaching job to pursue a career in comedy.
He has spoken candidly about his own mental health and in 2023 he became a patron of the charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably).
Romesh lives in Crawley with his wife Leesa and their three sons.
DISC ONE: Lose Yourself - Eminem
DISC TWO: Let’s Hear it for the Boy - Deniece Williams
DISC THREE: The Power of Love - Huey Lewis & The News
DISC FOUR: Through the Wire - Kanye West
DISC FIVE: Broken Clocks - SZA
DISC SIX: Back at One - Brian McKnight
DISC SEVEN: I Wish - Stevie Wonder
DISC EIGHT: Bring the Noise - Public Enemy
BOOK CHOICE: Life of Pi by Yann Martel
LUXURY ITEM: An unlimited supply of aubergine curry
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Back at One - Brian McKnight
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 Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley
SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002cz80)
Writer: Liz John
Director: Marina Caldarone
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Helen Archer…. Louiza Patikas
Jolene Archer…. Buffy Davies
Lilian Bellamy…. Sunny Ormonde
Alice Carter…. Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter…. Wilf Scolding
Susan Carter…. Charlotte Martin
Ian Craig…. Stephen Kennedy
Justin Elliot…. Simon Williams
Clarrie Grundy…. Heather Bell
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Jim Lloyd…. John Rowe
Adam Macy…. Andrew Wincott
Jazzer McCreary…. Ryan Kelly
Hannah Riley…. Helen Longworth
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
Dane…. Stravros Demetraki
Imaani…. Theo Angel
SUN 12:15 Profile (m002cz82)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 It's a Fair Cop (m002cprh)
Series 9
1. Bus Stop Assault
In this week’s case Alfie investigates an assault on an elderly man at a bus stop. But what could have provoked such a cowardly crime?
Join former-cop turned stand-up comedian, Alfie Moore and his audience of sworn-in deputies as they ask if compassion is a thing of the past.
It's a Fair Cop is the show where you, the audience, help deal with the cases Alfie's unearthed from 20 years of policing experience, to take a comic look at the law.
Written and presented by Alfie Moore
Script Editor: Will Ing
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: Sam Holmes
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
SUN 12:57 Weather (m002cz84)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002cz86)
Radio 4's look at the week's big stories from both home and around the world.
SUN 13:30 Currently (m002cz88)
Madeira's Drugs Crisis
The beautiful Atlantic island of Madeira has a chronic problem with a cheap synthetic drug imported through the post.
The drug - nicknamed Bloom - is so easy to get hold of, so cheap and so addictive that authorities are struggling to cope.
Helen Clifton has spent time with police and frontline services to get an idea of how big a problem Bloom now is across Madeiran society. She comes face to face with addicts, and hears about the desperate social impact of a drug more addictive than heroin.
With authorities trying - but failing - to stop the supply, Bloom addicts are in full sight on the streets amongst locals and tourists.
So how can Madeira get a grip on its Bloom problem, before it grows out of control?
Presenter/Producer: Helen Clifton
Additional reporting: Erica Franco
Research: Liliana Jardim
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002cq5c)
RHS Chelsea Bandstand Show
How do I take care of a kokedama? How do you take care of a sedum living roof? Why won't my trollius flower?
For the first time ever, GQT sets up shop at the heart of the iconic RHS Chelsea Flower Show, broadcasting from the charming bandstand. Kathy Clugston is joined by a panel of horticultural heavyweights, including Bunny Guinness, Matthew Wilson, and James Wong.
Keep your ears pricked up for some familiar voices - among the questioners are none other than Scott Mills, David Tennant and Zoe Ball, each bringing their own garden problems to the table.
Later, Peter Gibbs takes a tranquil detour to the stunning Songbird Survival Garden on Main Avenue. There, he chats with designer Nicola Oakey and dedicated volunteer Bee about how we can turn our outdoor spaces into welcoming sanctuaries for Britain’s beleaguered songbirds.
Producer: Daniel Cocker
Producer: Dominic Tyerman
Producer: Matthew Smith
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali
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 – I’ve got a floppy snake plant – is this because I’ve overwatered it? (01'17")
Q - Why do the flower buds fall off my chameleon each year? (02'38")
Q - Hello, it's David Tennant here. I've been gifted a beautiful kokedama. How do I water this? How do I not kill it? (05'26")
Q – Could you recommend some pretty and low maintenance for flowers for window boxes? (07'34")
Bunny Guinness –
Verbena officinalis 'Bampton', vervain ‘Bampton’
Polystichum setiferum, soft shield fern
Salvia rosmarinus (Ro), rosemary
Matthew Wilson –
Thymus vulgaris, common thyme
Thymus praecox
James Wong –
Portulaca, porcelain
Mesembryanthemum
Delosperma.
Q- My trollius hasn’t flowered this year. What am I doing wrong? (12’58")
Feature – Peter Gibbs visits the ‘Songbird Survival Garden” on main avenue, where he meets with designer Nicola Oakey and volunteer Bee (17’22”)
Q - We've got a garden room with a sedum living roof – how do we look after it? (22'20")
Q – Hello! Zoe Ball here! How do I stop squirrels from eating all my plants? (32'06")
Q - My trachycarpus and dicksonia antarctica. They're getting thinner and thinner each year – how do I appropriately thin them out? (28'54")
Q – Hi GQT, it’s Scott Mills. How do I stop my dog’s pee from ruining my lawn? (28'54")
Q – I’d like you to recommend plants for a red hot, south facing gravel garden? (36'25")
James Wong –
Hardy aloes
Aloe polyphylla
Eschscholzia californica, california poppy
Bunny Guinness –
Salvia confertiflora, sabra spike sage
Matthew Wilson –
Rosa 'Sally Holmes' (S), rose 'Sally Holmes'
Dasylirion wheeleri, spoon flower
Aloiampelos striatula, striped-stemmed aloe
Beschorneria yuccoides, yucca-leaved beschorneria
SUN 14:45 Why Do We Do That? (m0027vth)
Series 2
8. Why does nature make me feel calmer?
Nature is charismatic, a good view can take our breath away and a walk in the woods can help de-stress our frazzled minds. But have we always been this way? Because after all, our early ancestors didn’t have cities to escape from. Is an affinity with the natural world around us, something we inherited? Ella Al-Shamahi asks psychologist Dr Gregory Bratman and Robin Muir Head of Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre Manchester what are the benefits of spending time in green spaces.
SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002cz8b)
Next Season
Episode 2
It is 1959 and actor Sam Beresford has his first big break when he is asked to join the repertory theatre company in Braddington.
Sam has had some success playing the doctor in The Duchess of Malfi but is struggling to make an impact with his small part in Way of the World despite gaining the trust and respect of Ivan Spears. Sam's relationship with local lass Valerie has hit a rocky patch and there is a definite romantic spark with fellow company member, Amanda Maitland. Will Sam manage to successfully navigate his love life and his professional life and be asked to return for next season?
This is an authentic, insider's view: the adventures of the Sam Beresford, are based on those of the writer, Michael Blakemore. For those who work in theatre it is a legendary novel. This is really how it is, this is really how it feels.
SAM......Luke Thallon
AMANDA MAITLAND.....Megan Louise Wilson
VALERIE/ HELEN……Katie Bernstein
IVAN SPEARS.....Roger Allam
MARTIN DANES/ RICHARD WAYLAND.....Joseph Kloska
TOM CHESTER / PAUL POULSON .....Calam Lynch
TOBY BURTON/ SIDNEY COHEN……Elliot Cable
FRED BELL.....Jonathan Tafler
All other parts played by members of the company
Written by Michael Blakemore
Dramatised by Jonathan Tafler
Directed by Nadia Molinari
Sound Design by Sharon Hughes
Technical Producers: Keith Graham, Neva Missirian, Oliver Nelson
Production Co-ordinators: Vicky Moseley and Ben Hollands
BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 16:00 Bookclub (m002cz8d)
Joanne Harris: Chocolat
Led by presenter James Naughtie, the writer Joanne Harris takes questions from a BBC Bookclub audience on her best-selling novel, Chocolat. Published in 1999, the book follows the character of Vianne Rocher, a chocolate-maker and sometime witch, who arrives in the village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes with her six-year-old daughter Anouk at the beginning of Lent and opens a chocolaterie opposite the church. Francis Reynaud, the local priest, disapproves of her instantly and Vianne's arrival polarizes the villagers.
The book sold over a million copies in the UK and won the Creative Freedom and Whitaker Gold awards. It was later turned into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.
Producer: Dom Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 16:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002cz8g)
Programme 4 - Scotland vs The South of England
(4/12)
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.
This fourth contest features Scotland and The South of England.
Teams:
Paul Sinha and Marcus Berkmann - The South of England
Val McDermid and Alan McCredie - Scotland
Questions in today's edition:
Q1 If a former Makar, The Body, and Clara Blandick from Kansas were to take a holiday, which airline might they fly with? And where will they land when they return home?
Q2 Can you unscramble these clues to find the works of someone who is honoured in The Television Academy Hall of Fame. And why wouldn’t he be happy with the way we’ve laid them out.
We have
‘The Lot above’
‘Trashy Tchs & UK’
‘Achilles angers’
‘Andy sty’
And ‘Overly Bill’s Heiress, 01209’
Q3 Music: If you were sharing this playlist, which emoji would you sign off with?
Q4 Despite their differences, why might a megalomaniacal Kryptonian, a Kaleesh cyborg, a chimpanzee full of Roth, the chief of Ef-rafa and the dictator of San Theodoros, all have a shared understanding?
Q5 (from Ivan Whetton) If their respective origins are: a Russian city from a Welsh writer's novel, a famous beach in a bossa nova song, the university city of Wyoming in a 50s western (and song), a juice brand in a commercial, and a father's brother initially on TV – who is the odd one out?
Q6 Music: Have a think about what might connect them with Synsepalum dulcificum.
Q7 (from Maya Davies) What we are looking for in this little rhyme…
Barrow’s and Fleming’s shine golden and bright,
Jekyll, Jessop, and Jill count five in their sight.
De Waal’s glow amber, Hardy’s are blue,
But what of Coppélia’s? What shade holds true?
Q8 Why would Viggo Mortensen, William Shatner, Milla Jovovich, Malcolm McDowell, and Jodie Foster, all be speaking in tongues? And which one would be most widely understood?
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 (w3ct74pn)
The Wonder Woman of DC Comics
In 1976, Jenette Kahn took on one of the biggest roles in comic books - publisher of DC Comics, home to superheroes like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. She was only 28, and the first female boss.
Her first mission was to change the company name. For decades it had been known as National Periodical Publications but, with sales stalling, Jenette reverted back to the original name: DC Comics.
It wasn’t her only shake-up. The illustrator Milton Glaser created a new logo, and rules were brought in to make sure artists kept the rights to their own characters and ideas.
The changes worked, bringing in more comic titles, new characters and a wider readership. Jenette was later promoted to president of the company, and then editor-in-chief, eventually leaving in 2002.
By the time she left, the staff had grown from 35 people to 250, half of whom were women. Jenette tells her story to Jane Wilkinson.
With movie trailer excerpts from the Warner Brothers films: Superman (Dir: Richard Donner, 1978), Batman Forever (Dir: Joel Schumacher, 1995) and Wonder Woman (Dir: Patty Jenkins, 2017).
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: The DC Comics superheroes. Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images)
SUN 17:10 The Verb (m002cz8k)
Hedges and poetry
Ian McMillan's guests celebrate hedges, with poetry from Alison Brackenbury and Testament, singing from Sam Lee, Michael Symmons Roberts explores a poem with a nightingale at its centre, and hedgelayer Paul Lamb records himself walking a hedgerow that's rich in wildlife.
This hedge-themed special features a haunted hedge from poet Alison Brackenbury, part of the anthology 'Lincolnshire Folk Tales Reimagined' (ed, Anna Milon and Rory Waterman). Alison's hedge started off life as a talking hedge in her non-fiction book 'Village' which is all about her childhood home in Lincolnshire (to be published online in July)
Testament, a world record-breaking beatboxer, rapper and poet, performs a poem called 'The Lig', based on his experiences observing three generations of farmer hedge-layers in Cumbria. Testament is a member of the Hot Poets Collective which explores climate change through spoken word poetry.
Sam Lee's most recent album is 'Songdreaming' - and he sings, not only in front of human audiences, but also with and alongside nightingales. Sam takes musicians and small groups of people into woodland for annual 'Singing With Nightingales' events - events which celebrate this vulnerable bird and our creative connection with it. Sam sings 'Bushes and Briars' on the show and explores the poetry of 19th century poet John Clare.
Poet and professor Michael Symmons Roberts chooses a 'neon line' for The Verb's ongoing series about stand-out lines in poems . His choice is from a poem that features a 'deconstructed hedge' and a singing blackbird. Michael listened carefully to the blackbirds in his garden whilst writing his new book 'Quartet for the End of Time: On Music, Grief and Birdsong', - inspired by his relationship with the music of the composer Olivier Messaien.
Ian also dips in and out of a very long hedge with the help of Paul Lamb, a hedge-layer who walks the Gower Peninsula to bring us hedge language. Paul's new memoir is called 'Of Thorn and Briar - A Year with the West Country Hedgelayer'
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002cz8m)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m002cz8p)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002cz8r)
Ukraine claims 40 bomber planes were left "burning" at four airbases in Russia. The raids were apparently called Operation Spiders Web and overseen personally by President Zelensky. Also: Home Office figures show nearly 1,200 migrants crossed the Channel yesterday -- the most in a single day so far this year. And a one-two victory for McLaren at the Spanish Grand Prix.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002cz8t)
Bob Harris
This week, Bob joins The Patch's Polly Weston as she visits the many art galleries of Bruton, asking why some people are describing this Somerset town as the new "Notting Hill". Speaking of Notting Hill, Richard Curtis makes an appearance on a Radio 4 drama as himself, a self-certified Bobaholic (Dylan, not Harris). We peer into the mind of Ray Dolby - the man behind the art of noise reduction - but there’s no need for it in the performance by Britpop legends Pulp at the Radio Theatre in London: Radio 2's Jo Whiley gets a backstage pass to the gig. Plus, Anita Rani puts on her wellies and gets stuck in at the milking parlour on a farm in Devon on Woman’s Hour.
Presenter: Bob Harris
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Coordinator: Caroline Peddle
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002cz8w)
Joy gives Susan the latest batch of Shop surveys, while Ben is asked what he’d like them to change. Joy suggests letting dogs in, but Susan’s not keen, preferring Azra’s idea of introducing a hardware section. Later, Ben catches up with Joy, grateful to her for remembering when he broke down at the Shop over Bess, knowing that’s why she suggested allowing dogs. Joy admits the guilt she feels over Rochelle turning out the way she has, but Ben reminds Joy of the role she played in his recovery – their conversation on the Green that day was a turning point for him. He’s certain something similar could happen to Rochelle.
Alice has brought Martha to Chris’s flat, where he’s planned a day in and around Ambridge, inviting Alice to join them at the playground. Alice wants to talk about the effect her drinking during pregnancy had on Martha’s development. Chris thinks it’s a massive leap, but Alice has been dreading the thought of foetal alcohol syndrome for years and the nursery visit on Friday hasn't helped. At the playground later Chris tries convincing Alice there’s nothing wrong with Martha, but she wants to see a doctor as soon as possible. Chris worries she’s torturing herself unnecessarily, while Alice suggests he’s more worried she’ll start drinking again. When Susan approaches they’re happy to talk about letting dogs in the shop instead. Afterwards Chris says he’ll go to the doctors with Alice, who’s really grateful. She wouldn’t blame Chris for hating her after what she’s done to Martha.
SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002cz8y)
A Walk in Time
Where do we begin to think about time without humans to count it? Chris Gasson spends every spare moment on his local beach, Seatown on the Jurassic coast of Dorset, looking out for fossils and stones that speak of a past and future too vast for us to easily imagine.
On his walks, Chris has found countless time capsules - including a mammoth tooth, plesiosaur vertebrae and the remains of an ichthyosaur 190 million years old, now under research by Craig Chivers.
'It's a fantastic find,' says Craig. 'Fossils are a snapshot in time a bit like paintings and writings. Trace fossils that show where a dinosaur once stepped and left a footprint behind, or an ammonite has rolled along the sea floor and left an impression in the sediment, really stir the imagination.'
Our walk along Seatown beach is accompanied by readings by geologist and writer, Marcia Bjornerud, Walter Schober Professor of Environmental Studies and Professor of Geosciences at Lawrence University, Wisconsin. Her essay Wrinked Time imagines humans as wandering in a vast, labyrinthine library of time.
'We are like squatters living amid the remains of earlier empires, worlds defined by different geographies,' she writes in a work that first appeared in Emergence Magazine. Marcia shows us how fragments from that library still exist in the most synthetic, human-made products like phones and computers if only we have eyes to see them.
Produced by Jon Nicholls and Monica Whitlock
Sound design and music by Jon Nicholls
Photograph by Monica Whitlock
A Storyscape production for BBC Radio 4
For many more creative and surprising one-off documentaries like this, just search for Illuminated on BBC Sounds.
SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001yqp5)
Nordic Walking
We all know that walking is hugely beneficial for our health and wellbeing, but we can get even fitter, and use nearly twice as many muscles, by introducing some poles and a simple technique. Join Michael Mosley as he delves into the science of Nordic walking to find out how it can enhance our walks by burning more calories and helping to ease back pain. He speaks to Dr Jennifer Reed from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute about her research, which has demonstrated why Nordic walking is one of the best forms of exercise for improving your heart health. Our volunteer Jessica picks up some poles and transforms her regular walks into a full-body workout.
Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Editor: Zoë Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
SUN 20:00 Word of Mouth (m002cqr2)
The Welsh Language with Huw Stephens at the Hay Festival
In a special recording at the Hay Festival, Michael Rosen talks to bilingual Welsh radio and television presenter Huw Stephens about the Welsh language. And then Huw gets Michael to try reading 'Dyn Ni yn Mynd i Hela Arth, also known as We're Going on a Bear Hunt.
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
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002cq5h)
Alan Yentob, Richard Garwin, Dr Joy Schaverien, Anne Merriman
Matthew Bannister on Alan Yentob, the BBC’s only Creative Director, who commissioned many successful TV programmes, was known as an impresario of talent and also presented Imagine.
Richard Garwin, the American physicist who developed the Hydrogen bomb, but then devoted his life to nuclear disarmament.
Dr. Joy Shaverien, the psychoanalyst who identified “boarding school syndrome” suffered by some who were sent away to school at an early age.
Dr Anne Merriman, the former nun who made it her life’s work to bring effective palliative care to Africa.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive used
ichard Garwin Interview, Voices of the Manhattan Project – Atomic Heritage Foundation, Los Alamos Historical Society, The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, 22/09/2018; Pride and Prejudice, Episode 2, BBC Four, Drama, Classic & Period; imagine...: Winter 2004 – Arthur Miller: Finishing the Picture, BBC; Desert Island Discs: Alan Yentob, BBC Radio 4, 08/10/1995; Cracked Actor: David Bowie, BBC, 04/04/2013; Boarding School Syndrome: In Conversation with Joy Schaverien, Interviewed by Joana de Waal, British Psychotherapy Foundation (bpf), YouTube Upload, 23/09/2019; Dr Anne Merriman Interviewed by Scott Murray, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 2023; orth West Tonight, BBC, 21/07/2009; Anne Merriman – Harvard University Talk; Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 13/05/2011
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002cz90)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002cz7k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002cz92)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:30 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002cz94)
Ben Wright and guests discuss the defence review and government spending
Ben Wright discusses the Defence Review and public spending pressures with Labour MP Polly Billington, Conservative frontbencher Richard Holden and Bronwen Maddox, director of the Chatham House think tank. The political editor of the Financial Times, George Parker, brings additional insight and analysis. The programme also includes an interview with the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham - who says the government needs to make a "radical offer" to voters to improve their everyday lives, and calls for a pause on proposed welfare reforms.
SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m002cqq3)
Hypnosis
Ever since Franz Anton Mesmer induced trance-like states in his Parisian subjects in the late eighteenth century, dressed in long purple robes, hypnosis has been associated with performance, power and the occult.
It has exerted a powerful hold over the cultural imagination, featuring in novels and films including Bram Stoker’s Dracula and George du Maurier’s Trilby - and it was even practiced by Charles Dickens himself.
But despite some debate within the medical establishment about the scientific validity of hypnosis, it continues to be used today as a successful treatment for physical and psychological conditions. Scientists are also using hypnosis to learn more about the power of suggestion and belief.
With:
Catherine Wynne, Reader in Victorian and Early Twentieth-Century Literature and Visual Cultures at the University of Hull
Devin Terhune, Reader in Experimental Psychology at King’s College London
And
Quinton Deeley, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, where he leads the Cultural and Social Neuroscience Research Group.
Producer: Eliane Glaser
Reading list:
Henri F. Ellenberger, The Discovery of the Unconscious: The History and Evolution of Dynamic Psychiatry (Vol. 1, Basic Books, 1970)
William Hughes, That Devil’s Trick: Hypnotism and the Victorian Popular Imagination (Manchester University Press, 2015)
Asti Hustvedt, Medical Muses: Hysteria in Nineteenth-Century Paris (Bloomsbury, 2011)
Fred Kaplan, Dickens and Mesmerism: The Hidden Springs of Fiction (first published 1975; Princeton University Press, 2017)
Wendy Moore, The Mesmerist: The Society Doctor Who Held Victorian London Spellbound (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2017)
Michael R. Nash and Amanda J. Barnier (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Hypnosis Theory, Research, and Practice (Oxford University Press, 2012)
Judith Pintar and Steven Jay Lynn, Hypnosis: A Brief History (John Wiley & Sons, 2008)
Amir Raz, The Suggestible Brain: The Science and Magic of How We Make Up Our Minds (Balance, 2024)
Robin Waterfield, Hidden Depths: The Story of Hypnosis (Pan, 2004)
Alison Winter, Mesmerized: Powers of Mind in Victorian Britain (Chicago University Press, 1998)
Fiction:
Thomas Mann, Mario and the Magician: & other stories (first published 1930; Vintage Classics, 1996)
George du Maurier, Trilby (first published 1894; Penguin Classics, 1994)
Bram Stoker, Dracula (first published 1897; Penguin Classics, 2003)
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio production
SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002cq5f)
Girl at a Window by Dermot Bolger
An original short story specially commissioned by BBC Radio 4 from the Irish author and playwright Dermot Bolger. Read by Michelle Fairley.
The Author
Born in Dublin in 1959, the poet, playwright and novelist Dermot Bolger worked as a factory hand, library assistant and small press publisher before settling for the precious life of a full-time writer in 1984. Bolger is the author of fourteen novels including Tanglewood and An Ark of Light. He is a member of the artist's association Aosdána and received an honorary doctorate in literature from the National University of Ireland in 2022. He lives in Dublin.
Writer: Dermot Bolger
Reader: Michelle Fairley
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
MONDAY 02 JUNE 2025
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002cz98)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 00:15 Intrigue (m0021cx6)
Worse than Murder
1. Muriel Is Missing
In December 1969, Alick McKay, an executive at Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited, arrives home to find his wife, Muriel, had vanished without a trace. He calls the police to report her missing, and soon places another call too – this time to the editor of The Sun newspaper, Larry Lamb, a colleague.
Lamb’s presence only raises police suspicions - has Muriel really disappeared, or is this just a press set-up, an effort to boost circulation? Then the phone rings. A mysterious man calling himself M3 says that he has taken Muriel McKay and he’s holding her to ransom for £1 million.
Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.
One winter’s night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch’s wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.
Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon Farquhar
Produced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan Oyinka
Sound design and mixing by Basil Oxtoby
Story editor: Andrew Dickson
Executive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami Tzabar
Development by Paul Russell
Voice acting by Red Frederick
Original music composed by Richard Atkinson for Mcasso
With special thanks to Simon Farquhar, author of 'A Desperate Business: The Murder of Muriel McKay'
A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002cz9d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002cz9j)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002cz9l)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
MON 05:00 News Summary (m002cz9n)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:04 Last Word (m002cq5h)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:30 on Sunday]
MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002cz9q)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002cz9s)
The Waters Engulf
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Canon Simon Doogan.
Good morning.
The flash flooding in Valencia last November in which more than 230 people lost their lives, was like nothing I’d ever seen before. Most eye-popping, were the images of cars swept onto streets on top of each other, like so many flattened and discarded drinks cans. It turns out, Valencia has suffered disastrous floods since the fourteenth century. In fact, when 81 people died in 1957, authorities reacted by diverting an entire river, the Túria three kilometres from its original source.
Engineers around the world will be kept busy if such drastic measures continue to be called-for, though it seems not every river will allow itself to be tamed. Unprecedented El Niño rains in Kenya last year claimed 150 lives and left 400,000 homeless. In that situation and to pre-empt further flooding, the government felt it had no choice but to demolish a large number of family homes along the Mathare riverbank near Nairobi.
And that’s the thing about the nightmare of violently rising water which recurs so often in the Bible whether physical or figurative,
Then the waters would have engulfed us, states a breathless Psalm 124,
The stream would have swept over our soul.
Yet God’s assurance isn’t a diversion or rerouting of the torrent; it’s support and bolstering to stand firm in the face of it.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, spurs on Isaiah,
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
Lord whatever is threatening to sweep us off our feet, stand with us.
And where water carves its natural course and extreme weather turns that process sudden and deadly, we pray for those who lie helpless in its path. Amen
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002cz9v)
02/06/25 - Possible DEFRA budget cuts, falcon breeding and farm innovation
There are concerns from wildlife and farming groups that the upcoming Spending Review will see the budget for nature-friendly farming schemes being cut, with money targeted only at smaller farms. We hear from farmers about what that could mean.
We visit a falcon breeding facilities which supplies birds to the Middle East for the sport of falcon racing.
And £5 million pounds is on offer as part of the Farming Innovation Investor Partnerships competition, which offers government money alongside private investment to agri-tech companies.
Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced by Heather Simons
MON 05:57 Weather (m002cz9x)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers
MON 06:00 Today (m002d069)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002d06c)
The uses and abuses of the atom
Professor Frank Close looks at how the quest to understand radioactivity and the atomic nucleus was initially fired by scientific curiosity and then by more human motives. What began as collaboration between scientists in the pursuit of atomic energy was overwhelmed by politics and opened the way to the possibility of nuclear war. Frank Close’s Destroyer of Worlds: The Deep History of the Nuclear Age: 1895-1965 shows how scientific knowledge is often advanced by personal convictions and relationships and takes us into the rooms where discoveries and decisions were made.
Nuclear energy is the most promising tool that we have to tackle the climate emergency, so argues Tim Gregory in his new book Going Nuclear How the Atom Will Save the World. He says it is time to debunk the myths about nuclear waste and radiation and that nuclear power is reliable and safe. Harnessing the atom is our best hope of providing abundant and clean energy to ensure an equitable and prosperous future.
For Baroness Natalie Bennett, former leader of the Green Party, nuclear has been a continual disaster. As an energy source nuclear it has been impractical, inflexible and unreliable; a dinosaur technology whose use has declined. She believes that the continued appearance of nuclear in policy debates is a distraction from renewables and energy conservation. She believes that we have not found an adequate solution to the problem of nuclear waste. And in the field of defence, the majority of countries want a ban on nuclear weapons.
Presenter: Shahidha Bari
Producer: Ruth Watts
MON 09:45 At Your Own Peril (m0027lv5)
Cassandra
The modern world is full of risks, from natural hazards such as flooding to the existential threat of nuclear war, artificial intelligence and climate change.
With the scientific and technological progress of the past few centuries, we’ve created new hazards that threaten our very survival and in this series, emergency planner and disaster recovery expert Lucy Easthope explores the history of risk to find out how it’s understood, perceived and managed, and to ask how we can become more resilient as individuals, as a society and as a planet.
The theory of risk that emerged from the Renaissance and Enlightenment was based on the idea of the individual as rational and self-interested - ‘homo economicus' - and decision-making as an objective science. But as Lucy Easthope discovers, risk is ultimately a subjective construct, and our perception of it is shaped not only by our psychology and feelings but by our beliefs and values.
Risk is political - which has a number of significant consequences for our management of risk, for if we can’t agree on the risks that face us as a society then how are we supposed to prevent these hazards from becoming a disaster?
Presenter: Lucy Easthope
Producer: Patrick Bernard
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
Lucy Easthope is the co-founder of the After Disaster Network in the Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience at the University of Durham, Professor in Mass Fatalities and Pandemics at the University of Bath and the author of “When The Dust Settles”.
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002d06f)
Intimacy co-ordinator Ita O'Brien, Heart disease trials, Celebs & beauty brands
Ita O'Brien is the world renowned intimacy co-ordinator. She is behind the kisses, embraces and sex scenes in Normal People, I May Destroy You, It's A Sin and Gentlemen Jack, to name a few. She is also the creator of the Intimacy On Set guidelines, which are now used around the globe. She has used her expertise on set to inform her debut book, Intimacy, and joins Nuala McGovern to discuss it.
A group of experts have highlighted that in global heart disease clinical trials, less than 30% of the people taking part are women. This is despite more than 30,000 women being admitted to hospital in the UK each year due to a heart attack. One of these experts, Vijay Kunadian who is Professor of Interventional Cardiology at Newcastle University, joins Nuala.
An open letter organised by UK aid organisations has been delivered to 10 Downing Street today - signed by Sudanese activists, UK aid leaders and high profile figures demanding the UK government take urgent action to addresss the rapidly worsening crisis in Sudan. This comes as the charity Medecins Sans Frontières reported that of 659 survivors of sexual violence in South Darfur between January 2024 and March 2025 86% reported they were raped. Nuala speaks to Eva Khair, Campaigner and Founder of Women4Sudan and Sudan Transnational Consortium, one of the signatories of the letter.
Flat racing jockey Hollie Doyle just surpassed the record set by her hero, Hayley Turner, who recently bowed out of the sport. At Ascot in May, Hollie had her 1,023rd win, becoming Britain’s ‘most winning’ female jockey of all time'. She joins Nuala.
Model Hailey Bieber has sold her make-up company Rhode in a deal worth up to $1 billion. She joins a list of other celebrities earning millions from their cosmetic brand. Nuala is joined by make-up artist to the stars Val Garland and Beauty Editor for the Telegraph, Sonia Haria, to discuss.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Emma Pearce
MON 11:00 The Patch (m002d06h)
Longframlington, Northumberland
One random postcode and a story you probably haven't heard before.
Today, producer Polly Weston is sent to a postcode in Northumberland. It's a very rural postcode, of just under ten square miles of countryside around the village of Longframlington, north of Morpeth. A recent planning application for the expansion of a falcon breeding facility leads her into the extraordinary world of falcon breeding, and the story of the thousands of birds being bred across the UK for the new sport of falcon racing in the Middle East.
Produced and Presented in Bristol by Polly Weston
Editor: Chris Ledgard
Mixed by Caitlin Gazeley
MON 11:45 Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth (m002d06k)
Episode 1
In 2011, a young wolf named Slavc set out from Slovenia, only a few months after researchers had trapped and fitted him with a GPS collar. Remarkably, they were able to follow his journey in waypoints transmitted every 190 minutes, as he travelled well over a thousand miles through mountains and wooded valleys, arriving four months later on the Lessinian plateau, north of Verona.
There had been no wolves in northern Italy for a century, but here fate intervened and he met a female wolf on a walkabout of her own. A decade later and there are more than a hundred wolves back in the area, the result of their remarkable meeting.
In Lone Wolf, Adam Weymouth walks Slavc's path, using the GPS route to make the journey as the wolf had made it. Along the way he examines the changes facing these wild corners of Europe. Here, the call to protect and rewild meets the urge to preserve culture and tradition. In local and regional politics, a fierce nationalism has risen up in opposition to globalisation; climate change in Europe and beyond is radically changing lives; and migrants, too, in response to these changes are also on the move.
The result is a multifaceted account of a region caught in a moment of kaleidoscopic flux.
Adam Weymouth’s first book, Kings of the Yukon, tells the story of his 2000-mile canoe trip across Alaska. It won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, the Lonely Planet/ Stanfords Adventure Travel Book of the Year and the Prix Paul-Emile Victor.
Sound Effects Credit: The recording ‘Lone Wolf Howls in Winter Night’ was made in 2024, by the Croatian producer and field recordist Ivo Vicic and used by permission.
Written by Adam Weymouth
Read by Tom Mothersdale
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters
The Waters Company for BBC Radio 4
MON 12:00 News Summary (m002d06m)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002d06p)
Singing Waiters, Shopping with AI and Preppers
The Best Singing Waiters promised spectacular displays of ordinary table staff who suddenly burst into song at weddings. In December, we heard from couples across the UK who said they lost thousands of pounds when singers booked by the company didn't turn up. Performers it used were also out of pocket after their gigs were either cancelled or went unpaid. Back then we revealed how the firm was trading while insolvent. Now that's been confirmed by an official investigation by the Insolvency Service. We meet the man who led the probe to find out the scale of the story along with reaction from someone who lost out.
When it comes to shopping and AI, most of us think of those customer service chatbots and all the frustration they can bring. Now, a growing body of evidence shows around a third of us are using AI to find products, plan holidays and get the best deals. That's become even easier after three major AI services have incorporated tools to make online shopping easier. We discover what they can do, how you can make the most of them and what it means for your data.
Finally, we take a look at the rise of "prepping" shops. They sell things like wind up solar radios and long life ration packs that last 25 years. The numbers of these online and on our streets have been growing over the last decade. Their owners say they equip their customers for disasters before they happen. We meet the owner of one to find out what people buy from him and why.
Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Julian Paszkiewicz
MON 12:57 Weather (m002d06r)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m002d06t)
Starmer says UK moving to 'war-fighting readiness'
The country is moving to war-fighting readiness, says the Prime Minister as he unveils his defence plans. We speak to a former head of the British military and a Defence Minister. And as minds behind the iPhone and the artificial intelligence revolution tease their latest gadget – we’ll consider the possibilities of AI in your pocket
MON 13:45 Shadow World (m002d06w)
The Smuggler
6. The Vietnamese Connection
Nick is paid thousands of pounds to bring Vietnamese migrants into the UK. But at what cost?
MON 14:00 The Archers (m002cz8w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Conversations from a Long Marriage (m002d06y)
Series 6
3. Moving On
Joanna and Roger decide to put the house on the market but Roger has an awkward encounter with some potential buyers.
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, they discuss moving from their ‘money pit’ house to a smaller home by the sea. Joanna is furious when the estate agent labels their ‘lovely’ home ‘tired’ and a ‘do-upper’. Roger puts his back out, filling a skip, so Joanna goes house-hunting with Sally. She returns, excited ‘I’ve found the perfect house!’ while Roger reveals he has had an awkward encounter with potential buyers.
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 (m001t35v)
Episode 10
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 her dramatic confession roundly ignored, Barbara Buncle has little choice but to pick up her pen and write about Silverstream once more. After the scandalous success of her first book, publisher Arthur Abbott for one is delighted.
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 50 years after the author’s death.
MON 15:00 Great Lives (m002clhz)
Sir Seretse Khama, first president of Botswana
Seretse Khama was born in 1921 in Bechuanaland when it was still a British Protectorate. In 1966 he became Botswana's first president. In between he married a white Londoner, Ruth Williamson, was exiled by the British, and made to renounce his interest in succeeding as head of the Bangwato. It's an extraordinary and notable life, and he's been nominated by Professor Mike Bode, an astrophysicist and visiting professor to Botswana.
As well as archive of Seretse Khama, the programme includes contributions from Bishop Trevor Mwamba and Susan Williams, author of Colour Bar: The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation.
The producer for BBC Studios Audio in Bristol is Miles Warde
MON 15:30 Curious Cases (m002c718)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Saturday]
MON 16:00 Currently (m002cz88)
[Repeat of broadcast at
13:30 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002czb9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
MON 17:00 PM (m002d070)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002d072)
Major review of the UK's military unveiled
A major review of the UK's armed forces has called for a national shift to war-fighting readiness, in the face of serious and immediate security threats. Also: Russia and Ukraine have held a second round of pace talks, with little sign of progress. And: A prestigious honour for the Welsh language translator who helped two Hollywood actors put Wrexham on the map.
MON 18:30 It's a Fair Cop (m002d074)
Series 9
2. Freedom of Expression
In this week’s case, Alfie investigates the boundaries of freedom of expression when a dispute develops between a gay couple and their local church.
Join Alfie and his audience of sworn-in deputies in Brighton, as they ask when does prejudice cross the thin blue line?
Written and presented by Alfie Moore
Script Editor: Will Ing
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: Sam Holmes
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
MON 19:00 The Archers (m002d076)
At Brookfield, David’s talking through the events they’ve planned for Open Farm Sunday. Ruth senses how concerned he is about security, even though they’ve got Rex, Ed and Will keeping an eye on things. While Ruth mulls over the details of the day and possibly having more “fun” events, David suggests a bag search on the gate, then admits he’s having flashbacks to what happened in the boardroom at Casey Meats and can’t help projecting his fears onto Open Farm Sunday. He wishes he'd been more proactive, despite everyone saying how fantastic he was, keeping people calm. Ruth sits David down with a coffee and does her best to reassure him, before suggesting it might be better to cancel Open Farm Sunday if it’s causing him so much anxiety.
Alice’s self-laceration continues at the doctor’s surgery. Both she and Chris cover when Fallon appears. Fallon checks they’re coming to Harrison’s party tomorrow night and still providing the salads and playlist they promised. After Fallon’s gone, Chris and Alice confess they’d completely forgotten. When they see Azra she doesn’t think there’s anything obviously delayed about Martha’s development, but noting Alice’s concern she suggests referring Martha to a paediatrician. Later, after dropping Martha at nursery, Chris is relieved they’ve got the referral. But Alice can’t help worrying about the possibility of a delayed onset and there’s nothing Chris can do to help. Fallon calls with more stress about Harrison’s party, before Alice admits to Chris what she really wanted Azra to say was that Alice didn’t hurt Martha and everything’s alright.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m002d078)
Fiddler on the Roof returns to the stage
Samira discusses the Olivier award-winning production of Fiddler on the Roof with its star Adam Dannheisser and director Jordan Fein.
Sarah Dunant talks about the women in the Renaissance who became art patrons, as she publishes her novel The Marchesa, about Isabella d'Este of Mantua.
Screenwriter Frederic Raphael, whose films include Far From the Madding Crowd, Darling and Eyes Wide Shut, on the art of writing film scripts.
Producer: Harry Graham
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
MON 20:00 Rethink (m002cqr4)
Rethink...social housing
For most of this century, the UK has had a housing shortage, but for one section of society, that shortage has become a crisis.
Prices have risen so much that people who need social housing are completely locked out of the private renting market, and owning a home for many is only a pipe dream. And when politicians speak about "affordable homes", these are also out of reach for many people. "Affordable" means homes available at 80% of the market rate. Typical social housing rents are much lower- around 30% of the full rate.
And this type of home is in very short supply. In 1980, there were around seven million dwellings in the social rent sector, largely owned by councils. Today that's just over four million, the majority of which are owned by housing associations instead.
To the average person, the answer seems simple - just build more homes.
And that’s being done, but not enough are being built - only around 10,000 social homes are constructed each year - far lower than the estimated 90,000 we need every year. So how can we speed up the process to help the million households in England currently sat on council waiting lists?
Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Ravi Naik
Contributors:
Anna Minton, Reader in Architecture at the University of East London and author of the book "Big Capital, Who is London For?"
Jasmine Basran, Head of Policy at the homelessness charity Crisis.
Richard Hyde, founder of Thinkhouse.org, an open library of housing research, and chair of Solihull Community Housing.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester.
Graham Kauders, commercial director at EDAROTH, an AtkinsRéalis company.
Rethink is a BBC co-production with the Open University
MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m002cqr6)
Your science questions answered
We’ve been rummaging through the Inside Science mailbox to pick out a selection of the intriguing science questions you’ve been sending in, and assembled an expert panel to try to answer them.
Marnie Chesterton is joined by Penny Sarchet, managing editor of New Scientist, Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at University College London, and Catherine Heymans, Astronomer Royal for Scotland and Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh, to get to the bottom of your scientific mysteries.
Why is the moon sterile when the earth is so full of life? Are new organisms going to evolve to eat microplastics? And did Nikola Tesla really find a way of creating free electricity?
Listen in as we try to uncover the answers.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Dan Welsh & Debbie Kilbride
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
MON 21:00 Start the Week (m002d06c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:45 The Shipping Postcards (m002d07b)
Irish Sea
To mark the centenary of broadcasting of the Shipping Forecast, members of the Radio 4 Continuity team, the voices of the on-air forecast, leave the Radio 4 studio behind and travel the UK visiting some of the iconic areas we only know by their official descriptions on the daily forecast. Dogger, Irish Sea, Wight, Lundy and Forth. They meet the residents, sailors, fishermen, radio lovers and many others who live and work on the coastal areas – and who have a connection to the Shipping Forecast.
Episode 2 - Irish Sea
Having grown up on the Isle of Man, Amanda Litherland returns home to explore its connection to the forecast area of Irish Sea Along the way she learns more about the Manx language, sees the Tower of Refuge, and hears about some seabirds that are very familiar to Radio 4 listeners.
Presenter - Amanda Litherland
Producer - Julian May
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002d07d)
Will extra defence spending boost UK economy?
As the government says it will invest billions of pounds to move the UK to war-fighting readiness, we hear about the contents of the Strategic Defence Review - and ask whether there is a broader economic upside from a "defence dividend".
Also on the programme:
The former US Ambassador to Ukraine tells us why she resigned in April - over the Trump administration's approach to Russia.
And the archives of the Belfast News Letter - the world's longest continuously published English-language newspaper - are made available online.
MON 22:45 Disco by Nick Walker (m002d07g)
1. Functional Fixedness
DISCO by Nick Walker
People don’t always notice Marnie Crawford, but they underestimate her at their peril. She is a huge fan of Sister Sledge; she knows about cognitive bias theory, she uses voice notes to help her think, and in the police she has an 85% crime solve rate.
Seeking to improve their declining arrest record, the Ministry of Defence has set up a new unit of the Military Police and have asked Marnie, a civilian, to head it up.
The new unit is D:SCO (Defence: Serious Case Operations). And, of course, everyone calls it DISCO …
Episode 1: Functional Fixedness
DISCO’s first ever case takes them to a working men’s club in Burnley, to investigate the murder of a military bandsman.
Nick Walker is the author of two novels and any number of plays and short stories for radio including ‘The First King of Mars’, ‘Life Coach’ and ‘Stormchasers’. He is also the writer of ‘Annika Stranded’, which ran for six seasons on BBC Radio 4 between 2013 and 2020, and has since translated to TV as ‘Annika’, both starring his near name-sake, Nicola Walker.
Writer: Nick Walker
Reader: Bryony Hannah
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4
MON 23:00 Nuremberg (m0010hpr)
Death by Hanging
After 216 days in the courtroom, the judges must arrive at their verdicts. And while they wait, the Accused are allowed visitors for the first time.
Seen through the eyes of Emma Schwabenland, an American interpreter who is given the job of organising the Visitors Room.
Upstairs, the eight judges (two from each country) debate the verdicts and sentences – the Russians want everyone found guilty and hanged, other judges take a more nuanced view.
On 30th September 1946, they announce their verdicts.
Cast:
Emma Schwabenland - NATALIE DORMER
Colonel Burton Andrus - JOSEPH ALESSI
Hermann Goering - NIGEL LINDSAY
Edda Goering and other roles - ROSIE SHEEHY
Emmy Goering - SOPHIA PETTIT
Rudolf Hess - JOSEPH MYDELL
Sir Geoffrey Lawrence - NICHOLAS WOODESON
Francis Biddle - CLIVE WOOD
Judge John Parker and other roles - NATHAN WILEY
Iona Nikitchenko - HENRY GOODMAN
Henri De Vabres and other roles - JONATHAN CULLEN
Sir Norman Birkett and other roles - ANDREW WOODALL
Pastor Gerecke - ILAN GOODMAN
Guard and other roles - MARK EDEL-HUNT
Joachim von Ribbentrop and other roles - JASPER BRITTON
New York Post Reporter and other roles - HARI DHILLON
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 (m002d07j)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the government sets out its Strategic Defence Review.
TUESDAY 03 JUNE 2025
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002d07l)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 00:30 Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth (m002d06k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002d07n)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002d07s)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:00 News Summary (m002d07x)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002d07z)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament.
TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002d081)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002d083)
What a River Can Be
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Canon Simon Doogan.
Good morning.
Following the driest start to the year in northern regions for almost a century, many of the UK's rivers are running exceptionally low. Without the rainfall that should currently be seasonal, water supplies to households, farmers and businesses could all be affected. The meteorological fact is, when it doesn’t rain, rivers feel the shortage first.
A poem called From This River, When I Was a Child, I Used to Drink caught me out spiritually on this. Its author Mary Oliver discovers that the body of a girlhood river she returns to, is dying – still singing out its old songs, but only faintly. Accused by someone of being melodramatic, the poet defends her right to grieve, among other things, “For the children who will not know what a river can be - a friend, a companion, a hint of heaven.”
Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, describes Canaan as a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. According to the later prophet Nahum, on the other hand God makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. For avoiding spiritual dryness, Jesus’ advice to thirst after righteousness remains timeless.
However, widening that out to the shrivelled watercourses causing such concern around the planet, stage one of acknowledging God’s ultimate sovereignty over creation, has to be penitential.
How else will we learn to treat them properly if we don’t first examine the ecological imbalance that seems to be all around us for evidence of our own fingerprints,
Lord of earth and heaven, as we remember the precious streams and waterways which formed the landscape of our lives, we pray for those whose shrinking rivers pose a growing threat, to sanitation, irrigation, livelihoods – even survival. Amen
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002d085)
03/06/25 - Welsh Environment Bill, small abattoirs and smart cattle tech
A new law which is intended to protect nature and reverse the loss of wildlife has been introduced by the Welsh Government. The Environment Bill aims to allow members of the public to challenge organisations in Wales, including councils, on environmental issues such as water pollution. If passed, it will set up a new Office of Environmental Governance, to enforce environmental law, and Ministers in the Senedd will have to set targets to reduce pollution and manage ecosystems.
We visit Down Land Traditional Meats in West Sussex, where the owner says increasing financial strain and red tape is putting the future of small abattoirs at risk. The closure of abattoirs has been a long standing trend - in the 1970s the UK had 2 and half thousand abattoirs...but that had dropped to just 203 by 2023.
And we find out about a high-tech cattle handling crate that incorporates software to monitor animals. It can minimise manual handling by drafting animals - where a herd is separated into smaller groups - by itself.
Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Heather Simons
TUE 06:00 Today (m002d0c0)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m002d0c2)
Catherine Heymans on the lighter side of the dark universe
Have you ever considered the lighter side of dark matter?
Comedy has proved an unexpectedly succesful way to engage people with science - as today's guest knows first-hand.
Astrophysicist Catherine Heymans is a Professor at the University of Edinburgh and the current Astronomer Royal for Scotland. She’s spent her career studying dark matter and dark energy: the mysterious ingredients that make up an estimated 95% of our cosmos, but which we still know surprisingly little about. Using increasingly powerful telescopes, both on earth and in space, Catherine has spent years building detailed maps of dark matter - even to the extent of capturing rare images of this mysterious cosmic component.
On top of her research achievements, she's committed to making science accessible to all; not least by taking an astronomy-themed comedy show to the Edinburgh Festival and beyond.
In conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Catherine talks about her passion for sharing the joys of astrophysics - and reveals how health challenges over the last few years have forced her to readdress her career, her ambitions and even her sense of self...
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Lucy Taylor
TUE 09:30 All in the Mind (m002d0c4)
Are you flourishing? And why a playful approach can help us cope
Do you feel like you’re flourishing?
If you’ve not heard that term before, it’s not just about wellbeing, it’s about your whole life being good.
Guest psychologist Dr Peter Olusoga joins Claudia in the studio to discuss the results of the Global Flourishing Study, a huge new study of more than 200,000 people in 22 countries.
What are the key takeaways on how we might help ourselves to flourish?
Pete also brings the science on a new psychological term – ‘lemonading’. It’s all about bringing a playful approach to life to help us cope in difficult times.
And we reveal more of our All in the Mind Awards finalists ahead of this month’s ceremony, including the story of a lifesaving breastfeeding group, and a nurse who was a rock for someone going through difficult psychiatric treatment.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producers: Gerry Holt & Hannah Fisher
Studio Manager: Phil Lander
Editor: Glyn Tansley
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002d0c6)
Ms Tina Knowles, Madeleine McCann search, Mother and baby units in NI
Tina Knowles, the mother of icons Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Solange Knowles and bonus daughter Kelly Rowland, has just published her memoir Matriarch. It tells the story of how a resilient little girl, born in difficult times, became a powerhouse, guiding her daughters to their potential. How she, the great-granddaughter of two enslaved women, went from what she describes as a little, two-bedroom “poor house” with seven people in Galveston, Texas, to being the head of one of the most successful and high-profile families in the world. Ms Tina joins Nuala McGovern in the Woman’s Hour studio.
A new search has been launched in Portugal by police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Madeleine was just three years old when she vanished while on holiday with her family in the resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007. Her disappearance sparked a Europe-wide police investigation and is one of the most high-profile unsolved missing person cases. German detectives are leading the search as they suspect she was murdered by a man who's currently in prison in Germany. BBC correspondent Daniel Sandford joins us from Praia da Luzh.
Northern Ireland doesn’t have a Mother and Baby unit to treat mums who are diagnosed with severe post-natal depression including post partum psychosis. Instead women are admitted to a General Psychiatric ward where they are separated from their babies. A BBC investigation has found that around 100 mums in Northern Ireland are admitted to a general psychiatric ward each year where they will be among other men and women who have a range of complex mental health issues. And these can be mixed wards. We hear from BBC’s Northern Ireland correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly who has made a Spotlight programme called Mums in Crisis and Dr Julie Anderson, consultant perinatal psychiatrist and Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatry in NI.
We know that there are structural barriers that women face to take the leap and start up a new business. Less than 2% of venture capital private investors funding goes to women only start-ups, according to Government figures. But Imperial College London are taking some big steps to address the barriers through a programme they run for women in the evenings called “WE Innovate” which gives women coaching and the practical skills and tools they need to figure out if their business idea has legs, how to pitch it to investors and how to develop it into a fully formed product. We’re joined by the head of the programme, Sarah Ranchev-Hale, and Dr Olivia Ahn, a success story of the programme who has invented the first certified flushable period pad which will be launched in shops soon.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Kirsty Starkey
TUE 11:00 Add to Playlist (m002cq5w)
Claire Booth and Gavin Higgins on a few very famous notes
Composer Gavin Higgins and soprano Claire Booth take us from a massive Wembley chant to a ground-breaking early rap by a famous white rock group as they join Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe to add five more tracks to the playlist.
Producer: Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
The Alien by Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow
Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple
In a Foolish Dream by Stravinsky
Rapture by Blondie
Other music in this episode:
Tickle Toe by Lyle Lovett and his Large Band
Horn Concerto III: Mycelium Rondo by Gavin Higgins
Rata de Dos Patas by Paquita La Del Barrio
Firestarter by The Prodigy
Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin
Highway to Hell by AC/DC
Enter Sandman by Metallica
I Love Rock 'n Roll by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Walk This Way by Aerosmith
Stay Another Day by East 17
TUE 11:45 Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth (m002d0c8)
Episode 2
In 2011, a young wolf named Slavc set out from Slovenia, only a few months after researchers had trapped and fitted him with a GPS collar. Remarkably, they were able to follow his journey in waypoints transmitted every 190 minutes, as he travelled well over a thousand miles through mountains and wooded valleys, arriving four months later on the Lessinian plateau, north of Verona.
There had been no wolves in northern Italy for a century, but here fate intervened and he met a female wolf on a walkabout of her own. A decade later and there are more than a hundred wolves back in the area, the result of their remarkable meeting.
In Lone Wolf, Adam Weymouth walks Slavc's path, using the GPS route to make the journey as the wolf had made it. Along the way he examines the changes facing these wild corners of Europe. Here, the call to protect and rewild meets the urge to preserve culture and tradition. In local and regional politics, a fierce nationalism has risen up in opposition to globalisation; climate change in Europe and beyond is radically changing lives; and migrants, too, in response to these changes are also on the move.
The result is a multifaceted account of a region caught in a moment of kaleidoscopic flux.
Adam Weymouth’s first book, Kings of the Yukon, tells the story of his 2000-mile canoe trip across Alaska. It won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, the Lonely Planet/ Stanfords Adventure Travel Book of the Year and the Prix Paul-Emile Victor.
Sound Effects Credit: The recording ‘Lone Wolf Howls in Winter Night’ was made in 2024, by the Croatian producer and field recordist Ivo Vicic and used by permission.
Written by Adam Weymouth
Read by Tom Mothersdale
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters
The Waters Company for BBC Radio 4
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002d0cb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002d0cd)
Call You & Yours: Private Healthcare
On this week's Call You and Yours we're asking: How easy is it for you to access healthcare?
A new report by the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) shows that almost a million people were admitted for private medical treatment in the UK last year – which is a record high. Lengthy NHS waiting lists have been a factor, but there has also been significant growth in the number of people that are covered by private medical insurance. So, if you've chosen private medical treatment, we want to know why? If not, is this something you're thinking about?
Likewise, many people feel no need to even consider private medical treatment as they receive fantastic care in the NHS. Does this sound like you?
Get in touch - email youandyours@bbc.co.uk and please include a number so we can call you back. And after
11am on Tuesday 03 June you can call us on 03700 100 444.
Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Charlie Filmer-Court
TUE 12:57 Weather (m002d0cg)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m002d0cj)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
TUE 13:45 Shadow World (m002d0cl)
The Smuggler
7. A Dangerous Journey
Nick evades the police in France. But his boat is broken and taking on water. Meanwhile, journalist Annabel Deas hears about the dangerous journeys taken by Vietnamese migrants.
Presenter - Annabel Deas
Producer - Hayley Mortimer
Sound design - Neil Churchill
Researcher - Isabel Kimbrey
Editor - Matt Willis
Commissioning Executive - Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor - Dan Clarke
Series music - Ambit Sound
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002d076)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m000z020)
Leni Goes to Hollywood
Colin Shindler’s new drama about German filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl. Leni’s star is riding high in Europe following the success of her film, Olympia, and she turns her attention to conquering Hollywood.
Leni Riefenstahl ….. Elinor Coleman
Marlene Dietrich ….. Gwendoline Christie
Ernst Jaeger ….. Shaun Mason
Goebbels/Walt Disney ….. Simon Ludders
Walter Winchell/Georg Gyssling ….. Sam Dale
Hedda Hopper ….. Nancy Crane
Olympic Commentary ….. Joseph Ayre
Directed by Gemma Jenkins
In a blend of fact and fantasy, this psychological portrait becomes an exploration of artistic obsession and driving ambition. It poses the question, to what extent can the art ever be separated from the artist?
Colin Shindler is the Bafta award winning television writer and producer behind the long-running TV series Lovejoy and the motion picture Buster, for which he wrote the screenplay.
TUE 15:00 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley (m002crv8)
Lady Swindlers with Lucy Worsley - Series 2
44. Celia Cooney - Bobbed Haired Bandit
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.
In this episode Lucy is investigating the bobbed hair and flapper dresses of New York’s Jazz Age, on the heels of a 20 year old bandit, Celia Cooney. She and her husband Ed hold up local grocery stores and pharmacies in the hope of achieving a better life for their unborn child. But, as Lucy discovers, the papers quickly latch on to two key details - Celia’s stylish bobbed hair, and the fact she is a woman with a gun.
With Lucy to explore Celia Cooney’s story is the Emmy Award winning journalist and CBS news correspondent Erin Moriarty, who gives us an insight into why the press were so enthralled by Celia, and can tell us how Celia’s New York compares to the city today.
Lucy is also joined by historian, author and Pulitzer Prize winner Debby Applegate, who explains more about the Jazz Age - there was a dark side lurking alongside the flappers and parties.
And in a Lady Swindlers first, Lucy speaks to Kat Palmiotti, the granddaughter of Celia Cooney, to find out how her family discovered her grandmother’s biggest secret.
Lucy wants to know: what makes a woman like Celia Cooney, with a steady job and a baby on the way, turn to crime? And how much was the mania that surrounded her fuelled by the fact she was a woman, and one with a stylish hairstyle?
Producer: Hannah Fisher
Readers: Laurel Lefkow and Jonathan Keeble
Historical consultant: Rosalind Crone
Sound design: Chris Maclean
Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 15:30 Thinking Allowed (m002d0cn)
Solidarity
Laurie Taylor is joined by Jennifer Chudy, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wellesley College, Boston, who discusses her pioneering exploration of racial sympathy. She looks at the reasons why racial inequality in America prompts distress amongst some white people, but not others, and why that sympathy does not necessarily translate into solidarity and political action. Andrea Sangiovanni, Professor of Philosophy at King's College, London explores the nature of solidarity and how definitions have changed. Calls for solidarity are heard everywhere but what does it mean, in practice, and how is it distinct from altruism, justice and fellow-feeling?
Producer: Jayne Egerton
TUE 16:00 Artworks (m002d0cq)
Monstrous Regiment
Playwright April de Angelis tells the dramatic story of pioneering women’s theatre company Monstrous Regiment, 50 years on from its creation.
In the 1970's, the newly founded Women's Liberation Movement rocked the world. But British theatre was still a largely male preserve. Actresses found themselves in left-leaning fringe productions auditioning for minor roles as sidekicks to male protagonists. Sick and tired of being marginalised, a group of actresses led by Gillian Hanna, Chris Bowler and Mary McCusker decided to form their own company to focus on the lives of women and promote roles for women in all areas of theatre, on and off stage.
Monstrous Regiment was born, named ironically after John Knox's vituperative description of Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots.
Across two decades of extraordinary social and political upheaval, this group of women changed theatre history, fuelled by ambition, passion and ideology.
Presented by April De Angelis
Sound mix by Steve Bond
Production Coordinator - Anna de Wolff Evans
Executive Producer - Sara Davies
Produced, recorded and edited by Nicolas Jackson
With special thanks to Monstrous Regiment, Mary McCusker, Russell Keat, Helen Glavin, Lily Susan Todd, Roger Allam, Bryony Lavery, Susan Croft, Gerda Stevenson, Rosa Slade, Adrian Berry, Jackson’s Lane and Unfinished Histories.
Songs courtesy of Monstrous Regiment and Helen Glavin.
For more information about Monstrous Regiment visit https://monstrousregiment.co.uk/
An Afonica production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002d0cs)
Menopause - is HRT for you?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast show where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
In recent years, long-overdue conversations around the menopause have begun to break taboos and change perceptions. But it can still be a confusing or misunderstood topic, especially with the explosion of menopause marketing that’s come alongside increased awareness.
In this episode, they’re joined by Professor Mary Ann Lumsden, gynaecologist and academic at the University of Glasgow, to ask about the challenges she’s seen in her clinic and whether growing awareness has actually translated into better outcomes for women.
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: Professor Mary Ann Lumsden
Producers: Emily Bird and Jo Rowntree
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Assistant Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Social Media: Leon Gower
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 (m002d0cv)
Trump's steel tariffs: deadline looms
50% tariffs on steel imports to the US are to be introduced tomorrow. Can the UK get a last minute deal? Also is the UK reintroducing blasphemy laws? And data centres in space.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002d0cz)
27 people killed near new aid distribution centre in Gaza
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says at least 27 people have been killed by Israeli gunfire - and dozens injured - in another shooting near a new aid distribution centre in the southern city of Rafah. Also: The future of Thames Water is unclear after a rescue deal collapses as ministers say they are ready to intervene. And: Abandoned buildings in the Algarve are being searched by police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
TUE 18:30 Unspeakable (m002d0d1)
Series 2
4. A Chorus of Quignogs
This episode we hear Jo Brand's word for lazy texting, Maisie Adam's term for the witty comeback you think of too late, and John Cooper Clarke's categorisation of ugly rulers.
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: Maisie Adam, Jo Brand and John Cooper Clarke
Created by Joe Varley
Writers: Matthew 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 (m002d0d3)
Having decided to go ahead with Open Farm Sunday, David and Ruth have been working hard to get things ready at Brookfield and are still checking up with each other about the various events booked for the day. Jill wants David to look over the eulogy she’s written for Peggy’s funeral and Ruth wonders what happened to all Peggy’s money. Jill then asks David if he will read the eulogy during the service, before he reads it out loud. Jill has written that after arriving in Ambridge in 1957 she and Peggy were friends for sixty-eight years. And it was Peggy who helped make her feel that one day she might belong in Ambridge. She valued Peggy’s honesty and straight talking and will miss her more than she can say. When David finishes Ruth proposes a toast to Peggy.
Alice and Chris meet on the way to Harrison’s surprise party at Woodbine Cottage, neither of them in the mood for it. When they get there Fallon quickly has them helping with last-minute preparations. Kirsty is there too, while Dane, on his second date with Helen, is reportedly looking forward to some karaoke, with Fallon having bought Harrison a karaoke machine. Kirsty thinks Chris and Alice are a bit on edge, while Fallon frets over Harrison not being there yet. And then she tells everyone that Harrison’s had to turn around and go back to Yorkshire! Fallon despairs. How can she have a fortieth birthday party for Harrison without him?
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002d0d5)
Nick Mohammed on comedy and improvisation
Comedian Nick Mohammed on his stand-up show Mr Swallow, and Deep Cover, his action thriller about a group of comedy improvisers.
Kate Wasserberg, Artistic Director of Theatr Clywd on the theatre's £50 million redevelopment, and opening the new auditorium with a production of the musical Tick Tick... Boom!
Ulrich Birkmaier, senior conservator of paintings at the J Paul Getty Museum in LA on restoring a work by Artemisia Gentileschi damaged during the catastrophic Beirut explosion in 2020.
Theatre critic Michael Coveney pays tribute to pioneering stage designer William Dudley.
Presenter: Nick Ahad
Producer: Ekene Akalawu
TUE 20:00 Today (m002d0d7)
The Today Debate
The Today Debate is about taking a subject and pulling it apart with more time than we would have during the programme in the morning. Today presenter Anna Foster is joined by a panel of guests to explore the war in Gaza. With claims from both sides in this conflict, we are considering whether we have witnessed war crimes in Israel and Gaza. And we will be trying to unpack this complicated subject with expert guests.
TUE 20:45 In Touch (m002d0d9)
Visually Impaired People in Space; NASA on SANS
NASA tells In Touch about a condition that affects the vision of around 70% of their astronauts. It is called SANS and although the space agency aren't currently seeing hugely negative affects to their astronaut's vision upon returning to Earth, they are concerned about what could happen once we begin longer-term space exploration, with this being considered a 'red risk' of reaching Mars.
Dr Sheri Wells-Jensen is a huge space enthusiast and within her role as a Linguistics professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, her focus is on welcoming disability as necessary part of future space exploration and potential occupation. Sheri describes the concept of her work and also shares her experience of flying in micro-gravity.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Jack Thomason
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 The Law Show (m002cqln)
Wrongful convictions: why private prosecutions face reform
Wrongful convictions in the Post Office scandal and for train fare evasion have been described by the Government as ‘catastrophic failures’, and it's held a consultation in England and Wales to reform private prosecutions.
It covers private prosecutions brought by organisations, and also, the SJP - the single justice procedure - where a minor criminal offence is decided by a magistrate behind closed doors. Tens of thousands of rail fines have been quashed, after train companies were found to have misused the SJP system.
So how should private prosecutions be reformed?
Also on the programme:
how "No Further Action" and police cautions can leave a lasting mark on safeguarding and criminal records checks.
(Note that in Scotland, the nearest equivalent to a police caution is a Procurator Fiscal warning which is usually issued for low level offences such as street drinking or breach of the peace).
Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan
Producers: Ravi Naik and Charlotte Rowles
Editors: Tara McDermott and Nick Holland
Contributors:
Dr Jonathan Rogers, part of the campaign group Criminal Justice Reform Now and Co-Deputy Director of the Cambridge Centre for Criminal Justice
Tristan Kirk court correspondent at the London Evening Standard
Nathalie Potter head of DBS at Olliers solicitors in Manchester
TUE 21:30 Stakeknife (m002d0dc)
9. No Harm Will Come to You
Shauna tells the story of her mother Caroline Moreland. We hear how her campaigning has helped others connected to the the Stakeknife case and how other families have come forward to Mark since the start of this series.
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 (m002d0df)
More killings near US-Israeli backed Gaza aid site
More Palestinians have been killed near an aid distribution site in Gaza. Israel says it will investigate. The Labour Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee says it's time to sanction Israeli government ministers.
Also tonight:
The government is under pressure to spend even more on defence than planned - just a day after publishing its defence review. We ask one of the report's authors whether its figures are already out of date.
As the Dutch government collapses, we examine how rows over immigration are reshaping European politics.
And as the Serpentine Pavilion celebrates 25 years, the leading Bangladeshi architect behind this year's creation has been giving me a tour.
TUE 22:45 Disco by Nick Walker (m002d0dh)
2. Anchoring Bias
DISCO by Nick Walker
People don’t always notice Marnie Crawford, but they underestimate her at their peril.She is a huge fan of Sister Sledge; she knows about cognitive bias theory, she uses voice notes to help her think, and in the police she has an 85% crime solve rate.
Seeking to improve their declining arrest record, the Ministry of Defence has set up a new unit of the Military Police and have asked Marnie, a civilian, to head it up.
The new unit is D:SCO (Defence: Serious Case Operations). And, of course, everyone calls it DISCO …
Episode 2: Anchoring Bias
Marnie visits the widow of Adam McTavish - the murdered soldier - and looks for clues in his past.
Nick Walker is the author of two novels and any number of plays and short stories for radio including ‘The First King of Mars’, ‘Life Coach’ and ‘Stormchasers’. He is also the writer of ‘Annika Stranded’, which ran for six seasons on BBC Radio 4 between 2013 and 2020, and has since translated to TV as ‘Annika’, both starring his near name-sake, Nicola Walker.
Writer: Nick Walker
Reader: Bryony Hannah
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 23:00 The Witch Farm (m001fw41)
Episode 8: The Final Battle
The series builds to a shocking climax as Liz and Bill prepare for the exorcism to end all exorcisms, with celebrated ghost hunter Eddie Burks. But can even Eddie help them? And as Bill finally reveals the secrets he’s been hiding, does a dark moment in his past hold the key to solving the mystery? As Danny uncovers incredible new revelations about the possible causes of the haunting, could this be the case that finally proves ghosts exist?
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
Eddie Burks ...... David Shaw-Parker
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: 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 (m002d0dl)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster as MPs debate the future of the Thames Water after a rescue deal for the firm fell through.
WEDNESDAY 04 JUNE 2025
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002d0dn)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 00:30 Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth (m002d0c8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002d0dq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002d0ds)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
WED 05:00 News Summary (m002d0dv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002d0dx)
Alicia McCarthy reports as doubts grow about the future of the UK's biggest water company. Also, Wales's first minister admits she's "annoyed" by the UK government.
WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002d0dz)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002d0f1)
A Blight on the Lough
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Canon Simon Doogan.
Good morning.
Northern Ireland’s Lough Neagh, the UK’s largest fresh-water lake, has been blighted over recent years by large blooms of a potentially toxic blue-green algae. Because dry weather promotes it, sightings this year are already reported. Since the lough supplies half of Belfast’s drinking water and 40% of the Province’s water overall, that’s worrying.
Not that neglect or abuse of vital waterways is confined to local shores. Perhaps you saw the alarming pictures from Argentina a few months ago after a dump of chemical waste turned a canal in Buenos Aires bright red It brought arrestingly to mind, the first plague God visited on Egypt to compel Pharoah to release the Israelites from slavery. The river of blood, plays to an almost primal environmental fear: the fish shall die, the river shall stink, warns Exodus, and the people shall be unable to drink its water.
Although in Exodus Pharoah’s magicians replicate the devastation, it’s a somewhat dubious sign of progress that in our own age dark arts aren’t required. And yet lots I’ve read about nature’s ability to repair itself undoubtedly points to a power that if it isn’t beyond human understanding is certainly beyond mine.
There’s a world of evidence to suggest, that given the right encouragement most rivers have the capacity to recover and revive. And that hope too, lo and behold, finds unlikely pre-scientific expression, in the book Ezekiel: every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live, says Ezekiel, everything will live where the river goes.
Show us, Lord, in Jesus’ name, the ultimate power of purity over pollution, forgiveness over sin, and resurrection over death, as we pray for projects around the world to restore rivers and protect water sources, to cleanse and refresh. Amen
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002d0f3)
04/06/25 - Animal disease outbreak preparedness, world hoof trimming cup and algae fertiliser
The government is unlikely to be able to cope with a severe outbreak of animal disease like Foot and Mouth, according to the National Audit Office. In a new report, it says key public bodies including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, have been working so hard to manage outbreaks of diseases like avian flu over the last six years, that long term resilience is being undermined and there is no long-term strategy.
The artificial fertilisers that farmers put on their crops are generally produced using the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch method. The process has a large carbon footprint, but we find out about research to find a biological alternative to chemical fertiliser.
And we meet cattle foot trimmer, Dave Phillips from Dorset, who will be representing England at this year's World Foot Trimming Cup!
Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Heather Simons
WED 06:00 Today (m002d10z)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 More or Less (m002czpj)
Does the average American have fewer than three friends?
Tim Harford is here to sprinkle a refreshing shower of statistical insight over the parched lawns of misinformation.
This week, we try to unpick the confusion over a claim made by London Mayor Sadiq Khan about the contribution skilled immigrants make to the nation’s finances.
Mark Zuckerberg says that the average American has fewer than 3 friends. Is he right?
Two doctors claim that up to 90% of Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented. Are they wrong?
And Tim interviews an American, Catholic, philosopher of religion called Robert Prevost. Is he the pope?
If you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should look at, email the team – moreorless@bbc.co.uk
More or Less is produced in partnership with the Open University.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Reporter: Lizzy McNeill
Producers: Nicholas Barrett and Nathan Gower
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: Nigel Appleton
Editor: Richard Vadon
WED 09:30 The History Podcast (m002cfq7)
Half-Life
5. The Road Through the Mountains
A letter from Joe’s great-grandfather, leads him to the east of Turkey and the story of a massacre, kept silent for many years
Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
With thanks to Jaclynn Ashly and David McDowall
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002d111)
Bernardine Evaristo, South Korean Elections, The Crucible
Bernardine Evaristo is the winner of The Women’s Prize Outstanding Contribution Award - a one-off literary honour to mark the 30th anniversary year of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Bernardine joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her huge body of work and career highlights including winning the Booker Prize in 2019 for her novel Girl, Woman, Other, and her role as a champion for women and women of colour in the creative industries.
Yesterday South Korea voted in its new president Lee Jae-myung, but many women are concerned about the leader’s silence on gender equality in a country where the gender pay gap is one of the largest in Asia. Min Hee Go is Professor of Political Science at Ewha Women’s University in Seoul, she tells Nuala McGovern about the growth of anti-feminist rhetoric within South Korea’s political establishment, and the future of women’s rights in the country.
Hundreds of historic child sex abuse cases could be re-opened after police forces carried out reviews ordered by the Home Secretary to tackle grooming gangs. Some 287 closed cases have been identified so far by police in England and Wales to be looked at again by a national task force on child sexual exploitation, the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the Home Affairs Committee yesterday. Nuala gets reaction from Maggie Oliver, the former detective who blew the whistle on the failure to tackle grooming gangs in Rochdale.
Consumed by paranoia, superstition and a ruthless sense of justice, a climate of fear and mass hysteria sweeps through the town of Salem, Massachusetts when rumours grow that a group of girls are practising witchcraft. What lies are the townspeople prepared to tell themselves in order to survive? A new production of The Crucible is currently on stage at the Globe Theatre in London. Nuala is joined by Ola Ince the director and Hannah Saxby who plays Abigail Williams – the primary instigator of the witch trials that follow.
WED 11:00 Today (m002d0d7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
WED 11:45 Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth (m002d113)
Episode 3
In 2011, a young wolf named Slavc set out from Slovenia, only a few months after researchers had trapped and fitted him with a GPS collar. Remarkably, they were able to follow his journey in waypoints transmitted every 190 minutes, as he travelled well over a thousand miles through mountains and wooded valleys, arriving four months later on the Lessinian plateau, north of Verona.
There had been no wolves in northern Italy for a century, but here fate intervened and he met a female wolf on a walkabout of her own. A decade later and there are more than a hundred wolves back in the area, the result of their remarkable meeting.
In Lone Wolf, Adam Weymouth walks Slavc's path, using the GPS route to make the journey as the wolf had made it. Along the way he examines the changes facing these wild corners of Europe. Here, the call to protect and rewild meets the urge to preserve culture and tradition. In local and regional politics, a fierce nationalism has risen up in opposition to globalisation; climate change in Europe and beyond is radically changing lives; and migrants, too, in response to these changes are also on the move.
The result is a multifaceted account of a region caught in a moment of kaleidoscopic flux.
Adam Weymouth’s first book, Kings of the Yukon, tells the story of his 2000-mile canoe trip across Alaska. It won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, the Lonely Planet/ Stanfords Adventure Travel Book of the Year and the Prix Paul-Emile Victor.
Sound Effects Credit: The recording ‘Lone Wolf Howls in Winter Night’ was made in 2024, by the Croatian producer and field recordist Ivo Vicic and used by permission.
Written by Adam Weymouth
Read by Tom Mothersdale
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters
The Waters Company for BBC Radio 4
WED 12:00 News Summary (m002d115)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002d117)
Fried Chicken, Contested Wills and Unbound Authors
Fried chicken is becoming posh. Research from the data analysts Mintel suggests that chicken shops are proving particularly appealing to households with an income of £75K and above.
Some authors are facing the fact they are owed thousands of pounds and in some cases, have been left unsure whether their books will even be published.
The publisher, Unbound went into administration recently, leaving many writers out of pocket after managing to crowdfund the money to get their books published. We hear from Sunday Times Best Selling Author Tom Cox about his experience with Unbound...
There are lots of reasons people will contest a will. Sometimes its because there's a fear that it's been written when the person doesn't have capacity, under undue influence or simply a fraudulent document ...and also children or the spouse of the person who's died, where no provision has been left for them.
In recent years more law firms have been offering a no win no fee service for people who think they’re entitled to get something from a will.
And there's concern some of the claims on people's estates aren't legitimate. Shari Vahl has been investigating this emerging issue.
PRESENTER: PETER WHITE
PRODUCER: JAY UNGER
WED 12:57 Weather (m002d119)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m002d11c)
The Chancellor announces billions in transport spending in England
The Chancellor promises more trams, trains and buses outside London. We'll hear the impact on the ground and talk through the numbers and the politics of the announcement, as Rachel Reeves also gives more details of her winter fuel U-turn.
WED 13:45 Shadow World (m002d11f)
The Smuggler
8. The Boat Theory
After a near escape, Nick vows to never smuggle again. Meanwhile, police build a theory that Nick is smuggling Vietnamese migrants to work on cannabis farms.
WED 14:00 The Archers (m002d0d3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 The Citadel (m001p79r)
Series 9
Episode 2
The Citadel by Tom Needham based on the book by A J Cronin.
Episode 2
Andrew and Christine are worried that they might have lost their baby. Meanwhile Denny is infatuated with aristocratic birth control campaigner Frances Pemberton. But are her aims benign?
Denny................................Matthew Gravelle
Manson.............................Richard Fleeshman
Christine...........................Catrin Stewart
Frances..............................Emily Pithon
Dai/Father Michael.......Stephen Marzella
Olwyn.................................Sacha Parkinson
Gwynnie............................Juno Robinson
Production Co-ordinator - Jessica Bellamy
Tech Team- Sue Stonestreet, Simon Highfield
Sound Design - Sue Stonestreet
Producer/Director - Gary Brown
A BBC Audio Drama North Production.
WED 15:00 The Law Show (m002d11h)
Should killers be forced to attend sentencing hearings?
The Victims and Courts Bill is progressing through Parliament, and will force convicted criminals to attend their sentencing hearings.
If criminals convicted of the most serious offences in England or Wales refuse to attend, or are disruptive in court, they will face an extra two years in prison. There are other sanctions too, including missing out on family visits.
‘Reasonable force’ can also be used to get criminals to attend.
The families of three women killed in London - Sabina Nessa, Jan Mustafa and Zara Aleena - have been campaigning for a new law. In each case, the men who murdered their loved ones refused to come to their sentencing hearings.
Their families are not alone; the mother of 9 year old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was fatally shot in August 2022, has also been calling for a change in the law. The man who murdered her daughter also refused to come to court to be sentenced.
But will the changes improve the court system for the families of victims?
Also on the programme:
The first purely-AI legal service has been given the go ahead in England and Wales - what does it mean for the UK legal sector?
And who gets the dog? Why all couples might want to consider a "pet-nup" in case they split up.
Presenter: Joelle Grogan
Producers: Ravi Naik and Charlotte Rowles
Editor Tara McDermott
Contributors
Charlie Sherrard KC, criminal justice barrister and judge
Claire Waxman, Victim's Commissioner for London
Dr Giulia Gentile, Department of Law, University of Essex and expert on AI and digital regulation
Samantha Woodham, barrister and co-founder of The Divorce Surgery.
WED 15:30 The Artificial Human (m002d11k)
What Do I Do if AI Gets Me Wrong?
When a Norwegian man idly asked ChatGPT to tell him something about himself he was appalled to read that according to the chatbot he'd been convicted of murdering two of his children and had attempted to kill a third. Outraged, he contacted Open AI to have the information corrected only to discover that because of how these large language models work its difficult if not impossible to change it. He's now taking legal action with the help of digital civil rights advocate.
Its an extreme example of Large Language Model's propensity to hallucinate and confabulate, ie make stuff up based on what its training data suggests the most likely combination of words, however far from reality that might be.
Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong find out exactly what your rights are and whether GDPR (general data protection regulations) are really fit for purpose in the age of genertive AI.
Presenters: Aleks Korotoski & Kevin Fong
Producer: Peter McManus
Researcher: Jac Phillimore
Sound: Gav Murchie
WED 16:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002d11m)
'Humanity Deserves Better'
What do you get if the designer of the iPhone teams up with the founder of OpenAI? Unbelievable hype, that's what.
This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis examine the huge buzz created by the news that Jony Ive and Sam Altman have joined forces to create 'the coolest bit of tech the world will have ever seen'. The claims don't end there - even though we have no idea what their new product will be. So how do you PR something that doesn't yet exist?
Also, on the extended version on BBC Sounds, we all saw it but did it even happen? The bizarre attempt to blame President Macron being shoved by his wife on AI fakery. How the best laid PR plans can dissolve in a moment.
And from golden keys to black eyes, Simon and David break down the Trump/Musk press conference.
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 (m002d11p)
Reporting from the Hajj at Mecca, Katherine Maher from National Public Radio in America takes on President Trump's funding cuts
Ros Atkins with some of the week's biggest media stories:
Katherine Maher the CEO of National Public Radio in America on the attempts by President Trump to cut federal funding for the network.
How does the global media cover the Hajj at Mecca, we talk to ITV reporter Shehab Khan who has visited as a journalist and a pilgirm.
The journalist Patrick McGee talks about his new book "Apple in China: The capture of the World's Greatest Company."
And what does the future hold for voice over artists in the AI era? We hear from Gayanne Potter who believes her voice has been used to train an AI generated voice and also to the General Secretary of Equity Paul Fleming.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai.
WED 17:00 PM (m002d11r)
Chancellor announces transport investment
Billions of pounds of investment in transport infrastructure in England have been announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002d11t)
The Chancellor confirms changes to the winter fuel allowance will be in place this year
Rachel Reeves has said that changes will be made to ensure more pensioners receive the winter fuel allowance this year. A fortnight ago, Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to allow more people to get the payment, but no time-scale was given. Also: The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross says people living in Gaza are being entirely stripped of their human dignity. And the National Trust has removed a work of art featuring the name of the Harry Potter author, JK Rowling, from one of its country houses.
WED 18:30 Stand-Up Specials (m002d11w)
Live from the UK
Gavin Webster, Melina Fiol, Scott Bennett & Susie McCabe
Live from the UK brings you the best comedy talent from around the country, all from the comfort of your own headphones.
Host Angela Barnes travels to comedy clubs across the country. In the last of the series, we hear about Newcastle's inventions, Birmingham's architecture and Manchester's ethical eating habits.
Also hear stand up sets that pinpoint exactly when this country went downhill, tell you why you should never guess a man's height, extolls the benefits of scheduling romantic liaisons, and describe the perils of attending music festivals in your 40s.
In the last of the current series, you can hear;
Gavin Webster at The Stand, Newcastle
Melina Fiol at the Frog and Bucket, Manchester
Scott Bennett at the Glee Club, Birmingham
and headliner Susie McCabe at The Stand, Glasgow
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 (m002d11y)
While doing some gardening at the Dower House Lilian and Justin agree it was a clever plan of Peggy’s to get Natasha and Fallon working together for her funeral. They were at Harrison’s party last night too, which was a great success, despite his absence. Lilian then gets a message from Christine at the Laurels: they want to talk to her about Peggy. Intrigued, Justin goes with Lilian, joking that they’re about to find out what Peggy did with her money. A regular visitor to The Laurels, Arthur, introduces himself as a good friend of Peggy’s. He tells Lilian that the charity where he volunteers, a local dementia support network, is very grateful for Peggy’s generous donation. Arthur suffers from dementia himself, although it isn’t obvious, and impresses Justin with his Savile Row background. Justin and Lilian agree, he’s an inspiring example and that Peggy made absolutely the right decision. And of course Arthur should come to Peggy’s funeral.
Ruth asks Ben to tidy up the Events Barn – Fallon will be setting up there from tomorrow to serve teas on Sunday. Ruth then asks Ben what he knows about catastrophising. She thinks it’s what David’s doing about Sunday - only she knows David would hate her even mentioning it. Later, David finds Ben and asks him to put everything back that he’s just cleared out of the Barn. Ben broaches the subject of how David’s feeling, but David shuts down the conversation. Later though he tells Ben he appreciates his support, but actually he’s okay now and excited about Sunday. They’re both really glad it wasn’t cancelled.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m002d120)
Daisy Goodwin on her play about the late Queen and her dresser
Daisy Goodwin discusses her debut play, By Royal Appointment, which stars Anne Reid as Queen Elizabeth and Caroline Quentin as her dresser, and which opens this week at Theatre Royal, Bath.
The life and legacy of Irish novelist playwright and poet Edna O'Brien is discussed by writer Jan Carson and the director of the documentary Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story, Sinead O’Shea.
And we hear from the curator of Design & Disability, an exhibition at the V&A in London which showcases the contributions of Disabled, Deaf, and neurodivergent people to contemporary design and culture since the 1940s.
Plus Booker Prize winner Alan Hollinghurst pays tribute to American writer Edmund White, whose death has just been announced.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m002d122)
AI: Promise or Peril ? Recorded at the Hay Festival
Almost the first thing the newly chosen Pope Leo XIV did was to warn of the dangers of Artificial intelligence, of technological advance outstripping human wisdom. AI promises unapparelled efficiency, streamlined lives, complex problems solved in milliseconds. But will it make humans redundant literally and metaphorically? Will it hijack creativity? Will it imprison us in our prejudices? Will it destroy the concept of objective truth? AI: Promise or Peril? was recorded at The Hay Literary Festival
Witnesses:
Dr Kaitlyn Regehr, author of Smartphone Nation: Why We're All Addicted to Our Screens and What You and Your Family Can Do About It
Marcus Du Sautoy, author, mathematician and Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford,
Dorian Lynskey
Sir Nigel Shadbolt, longterm researcher of AI, Professor in Computer Science at Oxford University and government advisor.
Panellists:
Anne McElvoy
James Orr
Mona Siddiqui
Matthew Taylor
Presenter: Michael Buerk
Producers: Catherine Murray & Peter Everett
Production Co-ordinators: Brigid Harrison-Draper &Sam Nixon
Thanks to Lucy Newman and the whole team at Hay.
WED 21:00 The Life Scientific (m002d0c2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 All in the Mind (m002d0c4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 on Tuesday]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002d124)
Trump says Putin "will have to respond" to Ukraine drone attack
Donald Trump had a "good conversation" with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over the phone, the US President said in a post on Truth Social. President Trump wrote that Putin "will have to respond" to Ukraine's drone attack on Russian bombers, and therefore the call would not "lead to immediate peace".
The US has vetoed a UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which the UK supported.
As popstar Jessie J reveals her breast cancer diagnosis, we explore the increase in diagnoses among younger women.
And it's been called the "biggest console launch of all time" - the Nintendo Switch 2 is released at midnight.
WED 22:45 Disco by Nick Walker (m002d126)
3. Belief Perseverance
DISCO by Nick Walker
People don’t always notice Marnie Crawford, but they underestimate her at their peril. She is a huge fan of Sister Sledge; she knows about cognitive bias theory, she uses voice notes to help her think, and in the police she has an 85% crime solve rate.
Seeking to improve their declining arrest record, the Ministry of Defence has set up a new unit of the Military Police and have asked Marnie, a civilian, to head it up.
The new unit is D:SCO (Defence: Serious Case Opera-tions). And, of course, everyone calls it DISCO …
Episode 3: Belief Perseverance
Marnie and the team raid the house of a new suspect - a fellow musician from the military band.
Nick Walker is the author of two novels and any number of plays and short stories for radio including ‘The First King of Mars’, ‘Life Coach’ and ‘Stormchasers’. He is also the writer of ‘Annika Stranded’, which ran for six seasons on BBC Radio 4 between 2013 and 2020, and has since translated to TV as ‘Annika’, both starring his near name-sake, Nicola Walker.
Writer: Nick Walker
Reader: Bryony Hannah
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:00 Michael Spicer: No Room (m002d128)
Series 2
6. The Labour Party Immersive Experience
The Tims are tasked by Number 10 to come up with ideas to reboot Sir Kier Starmer's premiership and take inspiration from a children's theme park. And it's Soccer Aid again where celebrities live out their football dream for some charity or other.
Stand out satirist Michael Spicer targets the lunacy of the modern world in this sketch comedy show where he plays all the characters.
This second series of No Room comes after a critically acclaimed first run that built on Spicer's social media output, which took off when he created his Room Next Door government advisor character. His withering takedowns 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 Welcome to the Neighbourhood with Jayde Adams (m001946q)
Sarah Keyworth
Jayde Adams and guest Helen Bauer dive into the feisty world of community apps and messageboards, sifting through the angry neighbourhood bins to find disgruntled comedy gold.
From biggest beefs to weirdest news, Jayde discovers a hotbed of (largely unintentional) hilarity with graffiti-daubed wheelie bins, stray cats, e-scooters and more.
Jayde and the production team would like to hear about what's riling up the neighbours around Britain. Are your groups kicking off? Listeners can submit screenshots of the funniest and freakiest posts and threads to welcometotheneighbourhood@bbc.co.uk.
Presenter: Jayde Adams
Producer: Cornelius Mendez
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002d12c)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the Prime Minister faces questions on winter fuel payments. And - delight and disappointment as the Government announces transport projects for England.
THURSDAY 05 JUNE 2025
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002d12f)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 00:30 Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth (m002d113)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002d12h)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002d12k)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
THU 05:00 News Summary (m002d12m)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002d12p)
Sean Curran reports on Prime Minister's Questions.
THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002d12r)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002d12t)
On the Other Bank
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Canon Simon Doogan.
Good morning.
Following the eightieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a parishioner passed me a book on the subject by BBC journalist Laurence Rees. I felt there were one-point-one million reasons why I should read it.
The final chapter shared the testimony of survivors, and after the SS had fled, ten-year old twins Eva and Miriam Moses Kor were left largely on their own. Breaking through the perimeter fence, Eva walked to the edge of the Sola River bounding one side of the camp to crack the ice and get water.
Suddenly, she saw a little girl about her own age on the opposite bank. To Eva, wearing rags and swarming with lice, the sight of a prettily dressed child with ribboned hair and carrying a satchel was almost unbelievable. ‘There was a world out there with children who looked like children, and who went to a school’, she said.
The Promised Land on the other side of the Jordan must have acquired a similarly mythic quality for the children of Israel. Where according to Deuteronomy it was revealed to Moses that he would die without crossing the river, most of Auschwitz’s victims received no prior warning. But Eva’s incredulity also raises for me the real or perceived differences that often emerge between life on one side of a river and life on the other.
If it took God to stop the water of the Jordan, and bring Israel over on dry ground, perhaps all the great gulfs require a miracle to cross them from captivity to freedom, deprivation to plenty, adversity to opportunity.
Thank you, Lord, that in Christ you reach out to us still across the water, bridging the gap, and calling us to that place you prepared for us in the beginning. Amen
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002d12w)
05/06/25 - Innovation in agri-tech, Crofting Bill, Open Farm Sunday
The Society of Chemical Industries says the Government should invest more in science to stop new agri-technologies developed in the UK from leaking away to other countries. More than £200m and around a decade: that's the estimated cost and timeline for bringing a new agri-chemical product from idea to farm. All this week we've been looking at innovation and those two stats are a good indication of the challenges.
This weekend, hundreds of farms will welcome visitors, on Open Farm Sunday. The event's an opportunity for people to learn about food production, and how farming affects our everyday lives. But entertaining and educating, whilst keeping everyone safe, takes a lot of planning.
The rules and regulations around crofting in Scotland should be made simpler by a new law published by the Scottish Government this week.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
THU 06:00 Today (m002d1b2)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m002d1b5)
The Vienna Secession
In 1897, Gustav Klimt led a group of radical artists to break free from the cultural establishment of Vienna and found a movement that became known as the Vienna Secession.
In the vibrant atmosphere of coffee houses, Freudian psychoanalysis and the music of Wagner and Mahler, the Secession sought to bring together fine art and music with applied arts such as architecture and design.
The movement was characterized by Klimt’s stylised paintings, richly decorated with gold leaf, and the art nouveau buildings that began to appear in the city, most notably the Secession Building, which housed influential exhibitions of avant-garde art and was a prototype of the modern art gallery. The Secessionists themselves were pioneers in their philosophy and way of life, aiming to immerse audiences in unified artistic experiences that brought together visual arts, design, and architecture.
With:
Mark Berry, Professor of Music and Intellectual History at Royal Holloway, University of London
Leslie Topp, Professor Emerita in History of Architecture at Birkbeck, University of London
And
Diane Silverthorne, art historian and 'Vienna 1900' scholar
Producer: Eliane Glaser
Reading list:
Mark Berry, Arnold Schoenberg: Critical Lives (Reaktion Books, 2018)
Gemma Blackshaw, Facing the Modern: The Portrait in Vienna 1900 (National Gallery Company, 2013)
Elizabeth Clegg, Art, Design and Architecture in Central Europe, 1890-1920 (Yale University Press, 2006)
Richard Cockett, Vienna: How the City of Ideas Created the Modern World (Yale University Press, 2023)
Stephen Downes, Gustav Mahler (Reaktion Books, 2025)
Peter Gay, Freud, Jews, and Other Germans: Masters and Victims in Modernist Culture (Oxford University Press, 1979)
Tag Gronberg, Vienna: City of Modernity, 1890-1914 (Peter Lang, 2007)
Allan S. Janik and Hans Veigl, Wittgenstein in Vienna: A Biographical Excursion Through the City and its History (Springer/Wien, 1998)
Jill Lloyd and Christian Witt-Dörring (eds.), Vienna 1900: Style and Identity (Hirmer Verlag, 2011)
William J. McGrath, Dionysian Art and Populist Politics in Austria (Yale University Press, 1974)
Tobias Natter and Christoph Grunenberg (eds.), Gustav Klimt: Painting, Design and Modern Life (Tate, 2008)
Carl E. Schorske, Fin-de-siècle Vienna: Politics and Culture (Vintage, 1979)
Elana Shapira, Style and Seduction: Jewish Patrons, Architecture and Design in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna (Brandeis University Press, 2016)
Diane V Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds and Megan Brandow-Faller, Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902-1911 (Letterform Archive, 2023)
Edward Timms, Karl Kraus: Apocalyptic Satirist: Culture & Catastrophe in Habsburg Vienna (Yale University Press, 1989)
Leslie Topp, Architecture and Truth in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna (Cambridge University Press, 2004)
Peter Vergo, Art in Vienna, 1898-1918: Klimt, Kokoschka, Schiele and Their Contemporaries (4th ed., Phaidon, 2015)
Hans-Peter Wipplinger (ed.), Vienna 1900: Birth of Modernism (Walther & Franz König, 2019)
Hans-Peter Wipplinger (ed.), Masterpieces from the Leopold Museum (Walther & Franz König)
Stefan Zweig, The World of Yesterday: An Autobiography (University of Nebraska Press, 1964)
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production
Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.
THU 09:45 Strong Message Here (m002d1b9)
Weird Turkish Barber Shops (with Stewart Lee)
Comedy writer Armando Iannucci decodes the utterly baffling world of political language.
This week, Helen Lewis is away, so comedian and writer Stewart Lee joins Armando to look at Robert Jenrick's flashy video in which he takes aim at 'weird Turkish barber shops', among other things. They discuss how the way politicians, entertainers and journalists are changing and overlapping, and Armando recalls the time he read politician's jokes in a comedy club (spoiler alert, it was a disaster).
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 Chris Maclean
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 (m002d1bf)
Victims' Right to Review, Dr Grace Spence Green, Mums in coaching, New play Elephant
The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP joins Anita Rani to discuss piloting changes to the Victims’ Right to Review in cases of rape and serious sexual assault. Anita is also joined by survivor and campaigner Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott, who has been calling for change.
New research by UK Coaching reveals that mums could be key to reversing the sharp decline in the number of female volunteer sports coaches, down 10 percent in just two years; Over a third of mums who aren’t currently involved in their child’s sports clubs want to give coaching a go, but are put off by a lack of confidence and knowledge of individual sports. Joining Anita to discuss this is former England defender Anita Asante and Alison Walters, a volunteer coach at Faversham Strike Force FC.
Dr Grace Spence Green’s spine was broken when a man fell on her in a shopping centre. At that time, Grace was part-way through her medical degree, and found herself going from being a trainee doctor learning about how to work with patients, to being a patient herself with serious injuries. Ten months after her injury, Grace continued her degree and later qualified as a doctor who is also a wheelchair user. Grace tells Anita about her experiences, as described in her new book, To Exist As I Am.
Singer, songwriter and actress Anoushka Lucas’s award-winning debut play, Elephant, looks at her experiences of growing up mixed race and navigating the music industry as a young woman through the materials that make up a piano. She joins Anita to talk about the play, and to perform one of the songs from the show.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt
THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m002d1bk)
Alan Menken
Composer Alan Menken is the winner of more Academy Awards in competitive categories than any other living person. He’s best known for his scores for the animated Disney films including The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. His first big hit was the musical Little Shop Of Horrors - one of several he created with lyricist Howard Ashman, his longtime writing partner. Other stage musicals include Sister Act, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, and Hercules, which recently opened in London's West End. Alan Menken also wrote the scores for Disney films Mirror Mirror, Enchanted and Tangled. As well as eight Academy Awards, he has also won eleven Grammys, seven Golden Globes, two Emmys and a Tony Award.
Alan talks to John Wilson about his childhood in New York and the expectations of his parents that he would follow family tradition and become a dentist like his father. A musical talent from a young age, he recalls how seeing Walt Disney’s Fantasia was the start of thinking about the marriage of music with story and images.
Despite initial ambitions to be a singer-songwriter, enrolling in a workshop in New York for musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists led by composer Lehmann Engel taught him how to write for the stage. It is also through Engel that he met lyricist and director Howard Ashman with whom he went on to write many of the hit scores credited as the driving force behind the Disney Renaissance of the 1980s and 1990s. Tragically, Howard Ashman was diagnosed with HIV in 1988 and died at the age of 40 in 1991.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
THU 11:45 Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth (m002d1bn)
Episode 4
In 2011, a young wolf named Slavc set out from Slovenia, only a few months after researchers had trapped and fitted him with a GPS collar. Remarkably, they were able to follow his journey in waypoints transmitted every 190 minutes, as he travelled well over a thousand miles through mountains and wooded valleys, arriving four months later on the Lessinian plateau, north of Verona.
There had been no wolves in northern Italy for a century, but here fate intervened and he met a female wolf on a walkabout of her own. A decade later and there are more than a hundred wolves back in the area, the result of their remarkable meeting.
In Lone Wolf, Adam Weymouth walks Slavc's path, using the GPS route to make the journey as the wolf had made it. Along the way he examines the changes facing these wild corners of Europe. Here, the call to protect and rewild meets the urge to preserve culture and tradition. In local and regional politics, a fierce nationalism has risen up in opposition to globalisation; climate change in Europe and beyond is radically changing lives; and migrants, too, in response to these changes are also on the move.
The result is a multifaceted account of a region caught in a moment of kaleidoscopic flux.
Adam Weymouth’s first book, Kings of the Yukon, tells the story of his 2000-mile canoe trip across Alaska. It won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, the Lonely Planet/ Stanfords Adventure Travel Book of the Year and the Prix Paul-Emile Victor.
Sound Effects Credit: The recording ‘Lone Wolf Howls in Winter Night’ was made in 2024, by the Croatian producer and field recordist Ivo Vicic and used by permission.
Written by Adam Weymouth
Read by Tom Mothersdale
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters
The Waters Company for BBC Radio 4
THU 12:00 News Summary (m002d1bq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 The Bottom Line (m002d1bs)
Made in China: How To Get A Product Manufactured In The Far East
President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports have shaken up the global economic order, but why have so many brands turned to China to make their products in the first place, and how exactly do they do it?
Evan Davis talks to three company bosses to find out what it’s really like doing business in the Far East and whether it's still as cheap and easy as it used to be. And if high tariffs persist, or get higher, where else in the world could do China's job?
Evan is joined by:
Nick Grey, founder and CEO, Gtech;
Kate Sbuttoni, founder, The Ginger Jar Lamp Co.;
Jonathan Duck, CEO, Amtico International
Production team:
Producer: Simon Tulett
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Jonny Baker and Nigel Appleton
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002d1bv)
Toast - Freeserve
Freeserve rapidly became the UK's number one internet service provider within months of its launch in 1998, yet the brand disappeared almost as quickly. So, what happened?
The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates.
Alongside him is the entrepreneur, Sam White, who at the end of the show has to reach her own conclusions, based only on what she has heard and her own business acumen.
Sean and Sam hear from expert guests including:
- Rory Cellan-Jones OBE - the BBC's former technology correspondent who covered Freeserve's rise and later dedicated a chapter to it in his book 'Dot Bomb - the Rise and Fall of Dot Com Britain'.
- Ajaz Ahmed - a 'Freeserve founder' who badgered bosses to start an ISP while working as a store manager at PC World in Leeds. He later became Freeserve's Business Development Manager.
- Mark Danby - a former Chief Operating Officer at Freeserve.
Produced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
You can email the programme at toast@bbc.co.uk
Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.
THU 12:57 Weather (m002d1bx)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m002d1bz)
Bodies of two hostages recovered from Gaza
As the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages are recovered from Gaza, we get reaction and assess Israel's war aims. The former US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to us about the global effort to protect our oceans. Plus, as the Conservatives attempt to disown Liz Truss's mini-budget, we examine the art of the political apology.
THU 13:45 Shadow World (m002d1c1)
The Smuggler
9. The Arrest
Nick arrives in Kent with four Vietnamese migrants on his boat. But he’s met by police who arrest him for people smuggling.
THU 14:00 The Archers (m002d11y)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002d1c3)
Shed
Amber claims she needs a place to store her bikes and she and her dad, Jim, are long overdue a bonding experience.
What better way to finally get to know him than to spend a few weekends together in her garden building a shed from scratch, the old-fashioned way? It doesn’t matter that they’ve barely spoken in 34 years. As long as they follow the instructions, what could possibly go wrong? But as the generation gap becomes a seismic shift, Amber and Jim’s bonding experience soon descends into a furious battle of wills – one that threatens to damage relations between them forever.
An epic family drama in miniature filled with twists and turns, as the source of the tensions in Amber and Jim’s relationship is gradually revealed. Ultimately, both will learn a valuable lesson: that there’s no instruction manual for parenthood.
AMBER...................................Sacha Parkinson
JIM..............................................Pearce Quigley
CHARLIE....................................Nico Mirallegro
SUNITA......................................Lauren Patel
NARRATOR/ KEITH..............Jonathan Keeble
Written by Paolo Chianta
Sound design by Sharon Hughes
Production Co-ordinator Pippa Day
Producer/ Director Lorna Newman
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
THU 15:00 Ramblings (m002d1c5)
Living on the Camino de Santiago
Clare meets a man who completely changed his life after walking the Camino de Santiago. Andrea Abbatemarco is originally from Milan, and first completed The Way in 2005 in memory of a friend who died a year earlier in the Indian Ocean tsunami. A few years later, he walked it again with his girlfriend and just a matter of months after returning to Italy, they packed up their lives, bought a house along the Camino, and now run a hostel for pilgrims.
The Camino de Santiago is a network of footpaths that run across western Europe, all converging upon the Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. One of these trails is the Sanabrés which begins in Granja de Moreruela and stretches for around 225 miles to Santiago de Compostela.
Clare met Andrea on the Sanabrés, around 30km out of Santiago where he runs Casa Leiras, an Albergue, or hostel, specifically designed for Camino pilgrims.
Joining them is Manni Coe, a guide who leads walks on the Sanabrés, who's known Andrea for years. Manni also featured in episode one of this series which is entirely themed around the Camino.
Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002cz7k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Word of Mouth (m002d1c7)
Lists
Most of us make lists in some form or other - from essential groceries to reasons to feel positive about life. In this programme Linguistics Researcher Jo Nolan talks to Michael about her interest in the language we use in their making and their uses in literature and society.
Jo says the language we use in our lists is idiolectal - it reflects our inner selves, whether in our abbreviations, our choice of spelling, in-words, jokes etc. Her interest some would say obsession with lists extends to her collecting other people's shopping lists discarded in supermarket trolleys to gain what Michael and Jo describe as portholes and portals into people's lives.
Producer: Maggie Ayre
Produced in partnership with The Open University
THU 16:00 Rethink (m002d1c9)
Rethink...the civil service
Across many countries, civil services, once seen as the backbone of stable governance, are facing growing scrutiny. Long viewed as the impartial and efficient machine of government, the role of civil servants is now being questioned as political polarisation intensifies and trust in traditional institutions declines.
In the UK, the United States and other democracies, critics question its effectiveness, arguing that the civil service has become opaque, unwieldy and inefficient, and process is getting in the way of outcomes.
The modern British civil service emerged in the 19th century, and was designed to carry out the day-to-day tasks of government in an unbiased and professional manner.
However, is a bureaucracy that was created and designed more than a century ago still fit for purpose - or are we witnessing a turning point in its role in modern governance?
Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Eleanor Harrison-Dengate
Editor: Clare Fordham
Contributors:
Gus O’Donnell, former Cabinet Secretary, 2005 - 2011
Jennifer Pahlka, former United States government’s deputy chief technology officer
Aaron Maniam, scholar at the Blavatnik School of Government, and former Singaporean civil servant
Hannah White, Director and CEO of Institute for Government
Joe Hill, Policy Director, Reform
Rethink is a BBC co-production with the Open University
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m002d1cc)
Can science save our oceans?
More than 2,000 marine scientists have come together at the One Ocean Science Congress in Nice, France. It is a gathering that will bring marine experts from all over the world together to share the latest discoveries about the health of our seas and oceans.
It is an issue at the centre of the world’s attention, because from 9th June, leaders and negotiators from 200 countries will arrive in Nice for the crucial United Nations Conference on the Oceans (UNOC3).
Presenter Victoria Gill is joined by Murray Roberts, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Edinburgh to find out what is at stake when leaders come together to work out a global plan to save our oceans from multiple threats, including climate change, pollution and overfishing.
Professor Amanda Vincent from the University of British Columbia in Canada joins the Inside Science team to reveal her insights into the destruction caused by the controversial fishing practice of bottom trawling, which she explains is devastating marine life.
Victoria also joins a team of acoustic marine scientists on their research boat the “We Explore” off the coast of Nice to listen for whales and dolphins under the surface. Their sound recordings reveal how animals of different species eavesdrop on each other and how to stop boat noise from drowning out whale communication.
We also meet a team from a charity in Plymouth that is helping people who are living with poor mental health by prescribing ocean-based activities. Freyja Thomson-Alberts from the organisation the Ocean Conservation Trust explains why the ocean is central to our physical and mental wellbeing.
Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producers: Dan Welsh, Clare Salisbury, Jonathan Blackwell
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
THU 17:00 PM (m002d1cf)
Government announces expansion of free school meals
Katie Razzall presents as we assess how families in England will benefit from the expansion of free school meals to all children whose parents receive Universal Credit. Germany’s Chancellor heads to the White House for an Oval Office meeting. Plus we discuss the pros and cons of using an AI chat bot as a therapy tool.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002d1ch)
Zia Yusuf has resigned as chairman of Reform UK
The chairman of the Reform UK party, Zia Yusuf, has resigned. In a post on X, he said that working to get a Reform government elected was no longer a good use of his time. Also: Two aid stations in Gaza, which were closed after dozens of Palestinians were shot dead nearby, are re-opened. And after a series of high-profile withdrawals, the manager of the England women's football team names her squad for the Euros.
THU 18:30 The Matt Forde Focus Group (m002d1ck)
3. The politics of 'Cancellation'
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 Kate Cheka, Member of The House of Lords, Daniel Finkelstein and Sky News Political Editor, Beth Rigby
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 (m002czp8)
Ben finds Susan at the Shop struggling under a mountain of deliveries and helps her clear some space for customers. The deliveries are part of Susan’s initiative to expand the Shop’s range of products, but it looks like it’ll be a struggle to put new shelves up and fit everything in before Joy’s next shift on Saturday. Then Joy turns up, dismayed to find the stock room full and boxes all over the place. Susan tries to sell Akram some screws and is delighted she can offer him a mallet, before he starts revelling in the cornucopia of hardware items Susan has ordered. Susan’s convinced everything’s going to be fine now.
When Justin tells Lilian he’s changed his mind about going on a months-long cruise she replies that it’s too late, she’s committed to staying in Ambridge, looking out for Alice, Tony, the Stables and The Bull. Lilian wonders why Justin’s made a U-turn. He can’t exactly say why, but the meeting with Arthur has prompted thoughts about looking after one another as they get older. Justin fancies doing some good in the world, taking Arthur as his example. They go to see Kirsty at the Rewilding, wanting to talk about the art installation Peggy’s donation will be funding. They’re looking for something to attract more visitors, but not too many. While visiting the pond Lilian recalls a childhood game and pushes Justin in. Luckily he sees the funny side and ends up laughing with Lilian and Kirsty, imagining Peggy looking down and laughing too.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m002d1cm)
Review show: Paris Lees drama What It Feels Like for a Girl
Tom and guests review What it Feels Like for Girl, the BBC's coming-of-age drama based on the memoir of Paris Lees; Taylor Jenkins Reid's new novel, Atmosphere, set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program and new film, Lollipop, about a young woman released from prison battling to regain custody of her children, written and directed by Daisy-May Hudson. We also talk to former Vice President of Washington's Kennedy Center, Marc Bamuthi Joseph about being fired by President Trump and the administration's latest interventions in the arts world.
Guests: Scott Bryan, TV critic and broadcaster; Caroline O’Donoghue, author and podcaster; Marc Bamuthi Joseph, former Vice President and Artistic Director of Social Impact at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington; Zachary Small, arts reporter, New York Times
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Claire Bartleet
THU 20:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002d11m)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Wednesday]
THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002d11p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:15 on Wednesday]
THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002czc1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m002d1b9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002d1cp)
President Trump and Elon Musk's relationship implodes
We speak to Ryan Mac, a reporter for the New York Times and the co-author of 'Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter.'. Also: polls close in the Hamilton by-election where Reform UK's candidate was trying to win votes - just as the party's chairman quit; Robert De Niro and the Tribeca film festival; planned moon landing fails; and a new BBC project to help parents get their children to sleep.
THU 22:45 Disco by Nick Walker (m002d1cr)
4. Hot Hand Fallacy
DISCO by Nick Walker
People don’t always notice Marnie Crawford, but they underestimate her at their peril. She is a huge fan of Sister Sledge; she knows about cognitive bias theory, she uses voice notes to help her think, and in the police she has an 85% crime solve rate.
Seeking to improve their declining arrest record, the Ministry of Defence has set up a new unit of the Military Police and have asked Marnie, a civilian, to head it up.
The new unit is D:SCO (Defence: Serious Case Opera-tions). And, of course, everyone calls it DISCO …
Episode 4: Hot Hand Fallacy
Marnie flies to Jordan to meet Adam McTavish’s former Commanding Officer and makes an alarming discovery.
Nick Walker is the author of two novels and any number of plays and short stories for radio including ‘The First King of Mars’, ‘Life Coach’ and ‘Stormchasers’. He is also the writer of ‘Annika Stranded’, which ran for six seasons on BBC Radio 4 between 2013 and 2020, and has since translated to TV as ‘Annika’, both starring his near name-sake, Nicola Walker.
Writer: Nick Walker
Reader: Bryony Hannah
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4
THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002d1ct)
Populism, conspiracies and... Doctor Who
The creator of The Thick of It and Veep discusses the rise of populism and the evolution of political language.
And Nick compares Amol to Billie Piper in Dr Who as they announce some news about The Today Podcast regenerating into not one, but two podcasts.
Radical with Amol Rajan will be available on this feed, so make sure you hit subscribe on BBC Sounds to make sure you don’t miss an episode.
Political Thinking with Nick Robinson is available here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p04z203l
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 with Izzy Rowley and David Pittam. Digital production was by Izzy Rowley. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002d1cw)
Sean Curran reports on plans to give more pupils in England a free school lunch, Portugal opens its e-gates to British citizens and MPs share their love of maths.
FRIDAY 06 JUNE 2025
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002d1cy)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 00:30 Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth (m002d1bn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002d1d0)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002d1d2)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:00 News Summary (m002d1d4)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002d1d6)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament
FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002d1d8)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002d1db)
Beside the River
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Canon Simon Doogan
Good morning.
There’s a clachan or close of holiday cottages in the Mountains of Mourne lovingly restored from the 1600s, and with access to the Kilkeel River. Beside the water, a granite chair by renowned local stonemason Joe Rooney is carved with Seamus Heaney’s words: “You are everything you feel beside the river.”
It’s from a poem called Casting and Gathering and it depicts two fishermen with very different approaches to their craft. One’s technique is free and unfussy; the other’s is taut and tetchy. Their contrasting styles reflect their personalities and even outlooks. They are friends despite holding fundamentally irreconcilable opinions, and the river represents the uncrossed line.
In the water’s polyphony of sounds Heaney hears the river baiting and playing them, though as a friend of both he trusts their respective integrities, and can go with either angler’s temperament and worldviews. Yet in that moment, “You are everything you feel beside the river” points to something none of them can disguise about themselves.
The voice in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan, comes from heaven rather than the river. But God’s You are my Son, the beloved, with you I am well pleased can only be read as one heart speaking to another. There is a directness in the sentiment, which, presumably, met with a correspondingly direct resonance in the one who received it - and the setting can’t be coincidental.
If Heaney is right, and rivers do free us up physically and emotionally, surely they can open us up spiritually as well?
Our Father, you know us and love us as we really are. Help us strip away the layers that separate us from one another and from you, and so discover our true identity as your children, brothers and sisters of Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002d1dd)
060625: Farm incomes, skills gap, AI drone
Defra says UK farm incomes are up by £1.6bn on last year. Input costs like fertilizer are down, while beef and dairy prices are up. the NFU says it also shows how volatile the industry is as the arable sector struggles with the recent drought.
The Society of Chemical Industries says there's a huge skills gap in horticulture as the number of universities and colleges teaching plant science courses is down. They're holding an event to encourage contact between the industry and academia.
The government will give more details of its strategy to combat bovine TB in an announcement next week, which is also expected to give details of this year's badger cull.
We look at how AI can be used to interpret data gathered by drones on farms to give accurate analysis.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Sally Challoner.
FRI 06:00 Today (m002cznn)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m002cz7y)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Sunday]
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002cznq)
Weight-loss jabs, The Salt Path director, Tennis at Queens, Part-time teaching
It's been reported that 1.5 million people are taking GLP1 weight-loss jabs and a huge majority are buying online without a face-to-face appointment with a doctor.
Yesterday, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warned that women using weight-loss jabs must use effective contraception - and it is not known whether taking the medicines could harm an unborn baby. To discuss whether people using the jabs are aware of these issues and getting the right advice, Anita Rani is joined by GP Dr Sarah Jarvis and BBC Health Reporter Philippa Roxby.
The Salt Path is a new film based on Raynor Winn’s international bestselling memoir, starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years has a rare neurodegenerative condition, their home is taken away and they lose their livelihood. With nothing left to lose, they walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path. It’s the first film directed by the acclaimed and award-winning theatre director Marianne Elliott, whose celebrated productions include War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. She joins Anita in the studio.
For the first time since 1973 women will walk out to compete at Queen's Club as the Queen's Tennis tournament gets underway. To mark this moment, the Lawn Tennis Association is launching a series of initiatives to support the health and wellbeing of British women's tennis players. Anita speaks to the LTA's Chief Medical Officer Dr Guy Evans and former British Number One and Tournament Director of Queen's, Laura Robson.
A look at teaching today. Is increased part-time working the solution to female teacher retention? A new report is out, which is a large scale analysis of what happens to teachers after maternity leave. They have studied data from 150,000 teachers across 7,000 schools in the UK over the past four years, and have looked at the impact of part-time working versus full time during the first four years after returning back after maternity leave. Anita is joined by Nicola West-Jones, Director of Insight and External relations at The Key Group and co-author of the report, and Jess Edwards, a primary school teacher and Chair of Policy, Research and Campaigns at the National Education Union executive.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones
FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002czns)
The BBC Food & Farming Awards 2025 Launch
The BBC Food & Farming Awards are back for 2025!
Jaega Wise visits River Cottage HQ to meet returning head judge Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. They talk about what Hugh is looking for in this year's awards, what makes the West Country a special place for food and farming and some of the history of River Cottage. She also visits previous winners Westcombe Dairy who not only have been thriving since winning in their award, they have been something of an incubation hub sharing a site with other artisanal food businesses like Brickell's Ice Cream, Woodshedding brewery and Landrace Bakery. She also talks to Farming Today's Charlotte Smith and Mali Harries who plays Natasha Archer on the Archers about the Farming for the Future Award.
To nominate in this year's awards go to bbc.co.uk/foodawards where you can also find the terms and privacy notice. You have between
6am on 6th June and midday 30th June 2025 to nominate.
Presented by Jaega Wise
Produced in Bristol by Sam Grist
FRI 11:45 Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth (m002cznv)
Episode 5
In 2011, a young wolf named Slavc set out from Slovenia, only a few months after researchers had trapped and fitted him with a GPS collar. Remarkably, they were able to follow his journey in waypoints transmitted every 190 minutes, as he travelled well over a thousand miles through mountains and wooded valleys, arriving four months later on the Lessinian plateau, north of Verona.
There had been no wolves in northern Italy for a century, but here fate intervened and he met a female wolf on a walkabout of her own. A decade later and there are more than a hundred wolves back in the area, the result of their remarkable meeting.
In Lone Wolf, Adam Weymouth walks Slavc's path, using the GPS route to make the journey as the wolf had made it. Along the way he examines the changes facing these wild corners of Europe. Here, the call to protect and rewild meets the urge to preserve culture and tradition. In local and regional politics, a fierce nationalism has risen up in opposition to globalisation; climate change in Europe and beyond is radically changing lives; and migrants, too, in response to these changes are also on the move.
The result is a multifaceted account of a region caught in a moment of kaleidoscopic flux.
Adam Weymouth’s first book, Kings of the Yukon, tells the story of his 2000-mile canoe trip across Alaska. It won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, the Lonely Planet/ Stanfords Adventure Travel Book of the Year and the Prix Paul-Emile Victor.
Sound Effects Credit: The recording ‘Lone Wolf Howls in Winter Night’ was made in 2024, by the Croatian producer and field recordist Ivo Vicic and used by permission.
Written by Adam Weymouth
Read by Tom Mothersdale
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters
The Waters Company for BBC Radio 4
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002czny)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 Rare Earth (m002czp0)
Is Net Zero a toxic brand?
In 2008 the UK made an all-party legally-binding commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Since then the consensus has broken down and analysts doubt that current government policy has any chance of reaching that goal. Tom Heap, Helen Czerski and an expert panel stress-test net zero. Is it still achievable? Is it even politically possible in a world of trade wars, Trump's anti-environment agenda and the rise of Reform?
Producer: Emma Campbell
Rare Earth is produced in association with the Open University
FRI 12:57 Weather (m002czp2)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m002czp4)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
FRI 13:45 Shadow World (m002czp6)
The Smuggler
10. A Hidden Network
Journalist Annabel Deas speaks to experts who fear Nick’s routes and methods are a back door for other people smugglers
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002czp8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m002crqy)
Pretender Prince
Episode 4: Heavy Is the Head That Wears the Crown
In 1745 as Charles and his Highland army march through England in their bid to take over the British throne, there’s panic on the streets of London - with English newspapers full of stories of raping, murdering Highland savages heading towards the city.
But then, unexpectedly, the invading Highland army retreats back to Scotland. It’s a fateful decision that leads to Culloden - the last major battle on British mainland soil.
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
Clan Chief MacDonald…………...Iain Macrae
Dudley Bradstreet…………………..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 (p0hhrs3x)
Series 1
22. Baby Food
Baby food is about so much more than mashed carrot. It’s another important foundation for the rest of the child’s life. But it isn’t an equal playing field and it’s another minefield of parenting.
India Rakusen talks to feeding specialist Kim Grenawitzke about the importance of learning to eat, and how to introduce solids. Historian Amy Bentley describes how the rise of commercial baby food affected parenting and babies, and Dr Vicky Sibson from First Steps Nutrition takes us down the baby food aisle.
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 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 (m002czpb)
Crowthorne: Caterpillars, Rusty Spots and Up-Cycled Objects
Why do my ferns have rusty spots? Any tips for stopping caterpillars eating my cabbages? Have you upcycled any objects in the garden?
Peter Gibbs and a panel of plant and gardening experts are in Crowthorne, Berkshire and offer advice to an audience of keen gardeners. Joining Peter are pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood, head gardener Matthew Pottage and proud plantswoman Christine Walkden.
Later in the programme, house plant expert James Wong visits the Of The Oak exhibition at The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, which celebrates the Lucombe oak and oak trees as a vital hub of biodiversity. He's joined by visual artist Ersin Han Ersin and arborist Cecily Withall.
Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker
Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
Plant List
Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.
Q – The council have recently cleared a raised flowerbed at the front of the Morgan Centre. It previously had in it a giant prickly pyracantha. What would the panel suggest? (02'02")
Matthew Smith –
Callistemon rigidus, stiff bottlebrush
Alstroemeria Indian Summer ('Tesronto'PBR) (Summer Paradise - Summer Series), Peruvian lily [Indian summer]
Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna', Balkan clary 'Caradonna'
Salvia rosmarinus Prostrata Group (Ro), rosemary Prostrata Group
Q - Why have my ferns developed rusty looking spots – is it caused by a disease? (06'31")
Q – Any tips on growing miss Willmott's ghost? (09'08")
Q – I have a bank of mature Heathers. Can I prune them as they're quite tall now or do I need to replace them as they get straggly? (13'13")
Q- How do I stop caterpillars from eating my cabbages? (17’05")
Feature – James Wong visits the 'Of the Oak' at The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, which celebrates the Lucombe oak. He's joined by Ersin Han Ersin and Cecily Withal (21’28”)
Q - How do we encourage our Camellia to flower? (25'56")
Q – I would like to plant some other more interesting climbing plants in a shady spot – what do the panel recommend? (29'13")
Matthew Pottage –
Hydrangea petiolaris, climbing hydrangea
Hydrangea petiolaris 'Silver Lining'PBR hydrangea 'Silver Linng'
Hedera colchica 'Dentata Variegata' (v), ivy 'Dentata Variegata'
Christine Walkden –
Ampelopsis quinquefolia, Virginia creeper
Dactylicapnos scandens, yellow bleeding heart vine
Pippa Greenwood –
Lonicera, honeysuckle
Q – How often do Clematis Clematis’ flower? (34'02")
Q – Can the panel recommend any other ways to repurpose objects? (36'26")
Q – I’d like you to recommend plants for a red hot, south facing gravel garden? (36'25")
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m002czpd)
Who is the cello playing? by Tim Pears
A man tells his doctor about his son's strange obsession, while another truth about the family is slowly revealed. An original short story for radio, written by Tim Pears and read by Jasper Britton.
Tim Pears grew up in Devon and is the award-winning author of the West Country trilogy and and the short story collection Chemistry and Other Stories. His novel In a Land of Plenty was made into a 10-part BBC TV series and his latest is Run to the Western Shore.
Writer: Tim Pears
Reader: Jasper Britton
Producer: Beth O'Dea
A BBC Audio Bristol Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002czpg)
Valmik Thapar, Nancy Blaik, Norma Meras Swenson, Dr Stuart Farrimond
Kirsty Lang on
Wildlife conservationist Valmik Thapar who spent five decades trying to protect India’s tigers
Nancy Blaik, the driving force behind the creation of Scotland’s first children’s hospice
Norma Meras Swenson, the co-author of the influential book ‘Our Bodies, Ourselves’
Doctor Stuart Farrimond who became a popular science writer after being diagnosed with a brain tumour
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive used:
Tony Livesey – Steffan Powell sitting in, BBC Radio 5 Live, 28/04/2025; Tiger Crisis: Update, BBC Two, 08/01/1997; Wild: The Natural World – The Tigers' Fortress, BBC Two, 29/10/2000; Wild: Search for Tigers, BBC Two, 19/10/2003; My Tiger Family, BBC Two, 12/08/2024; Life in a Children's Hospice, BBC Radio Scotland, 20/02/2006; Reporting Scotland, BBC One Scotland, 05/12/1994; Reporting Scotland, BBC One Scotland, 11/03/1996
FRI 16:30 More or Less (m002czpj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m002czpl)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002czpn)
Donald Trump has said he's not that interested in making up with Elon Musk
The White House has played down speculation Donald Trump and Elon Musk could recover their relationship today. There had been suggestions they could speak on the phone, but the chances of the men making up appear to be fading. Also: The leader of Scottish Labour, Anas Sarwar, has said he's confident of becoming Scotland's next first minister after securing victory in a Holyrood by-election. And David Beckham is to be awarded a knighthood.
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m002czpq)
Series 117
Musk and Trump Break Up
Andy Zaltzman is joined by Glenn Moore, Felicity Ward, Athena Kugblenu and Marie Le Conte to break down the week in news. The panel discuss Musk and Trump's messy break up, getting Britain ready for a war and why children shouldn't be trusted to do town planning.
Written by Andy Zaltzman.
With additional material by: Eve Delaney, Jade Gebbie, Cameron Loxdale and Alexandra Haddow.
Producer: Pete Strauss
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 (m002czps)
At the Rewilding Justin assures Kirsty that having his expensive Italian shoes ruined is a small price to pay for seeing Lilian laugh again, admitting he can be pretty selfish sometimes. Justin’s pleased the planning for summer rewilding activities is well in hand, but then Tony appears, furious that the Longhorns are being allowed to wander freely without fences, but no-one told him. Kirsty and Justin smooth Tony’s hackles, assuring him they did tell him, then show him the GPS app they’ve had installed to keep track of the cattle. Tony still feels he’s been left out of the loop. Treading on eggshells around Tony’s grief Justin explains it wasn’t deliberate and Kirsty apologises, before Tony heads off to organise the Goat Gymkhana. Justin then admits to Kirsty he’s planning something but won’t say what it is.
Alice turns up at Woodbine Cottage where Fallon tells her Harrison didn’t come back at all, after she told him it wasn’t worth driving all that way for four hours together at most. Fallon then confesses she doesn’t actually miss him. Having the freedom to do whatever she likes is simply too lovely – and in the end Harrison never knew about the party anyway. Fallon feels bad, but everyone who came really enjoyed themselves. Alice tells Fallon her fears about Martha, but Fallon agrees with Chris: Martha is a bright shiny button who’s simply developing at her own pace. Alice thinks her life is too focused on Martha, while Fallon feels she’s drifting away from Harrison and worries about their future together.
FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m002czpv)
Nicky Spence and Heidi Fardell drop in on the Honky Château
Operatic tenor Nicky Spence and recorder player and Baroque flautist Heidi Fardell are the studio guests of Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe. In today's five-track journey they head from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Belgium, a rural French château, a charitable institution in Venice, finishing up in Ireland where the past casts a long shadow.
Producer: Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Spoiler by Baloji
Panis Angelicus by César Franck
Honky Cat by Elton John
Flautino Concerto in C by Vivaldi
The Magdalene Laundries by Joni Mitchell
Other music in this episode:
The Third Man by Anton Karas
Rapture by Blondie
Rocket Man by Elton John
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002czpx)
Josh Babarinde MP, Sarah Elliott, Baroness Smith, Dr Ben Spencer MP
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Rogate Village Hall in West Sussex, with Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Josh Babarinde MP; Sarah Elliott, director of the UK-US special relationship unit at the Prosperity Institute and a spokesperson for Republicans Overseas UK; Baroness Smith of Malvern, Jacqui Smith, who is the minister for skills and also minister for women and equalities; and Dr Ben Spencer MP, the Conservatives' shadow minister for science, innovation and technology.
Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Rob Dyball
FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002czpz)
June 2nd - June 8th
Fascinating, surprising, and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
BBC Radio 4 explores the history books and archives to see what 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. June 2nd - June 8th
- 5th of June 1989. On Chang’an Avenue in Beijing one man stands alone, blocking of a column of tanks leaving Tiananmen Square. Captured on film, the image of the 'Tank Man' protestor goes around the world.
- 4th of June 1913. At the 133rd Epsom Derby, the suffragette Emily Davison walks in to the path of the onrushing King's Horse.
- 6th of June 1962. Performing at Abbey Road studios for the first time, The Beatles meet George Martin for the first time.
Presented by Ron Brown and Caroline Nicholls
Produced by Luke Doran and Stuart Ross
FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m002czq1)
Podcasting difficult histories
Personal Identity is at the heart of contemporary culture. Political philosophies are built around it and family history is a hobby undertaken by hundreds of thousands. Understanding where you came from is seen as central to understanding who you are. But what if the things that are uncovered are uncomfortable, upsetting or even life-changing?
Matthew Sweet is joined at the Hay Festival by three writers who have hosted podcasts which raise these questions – Joe Dunthorne, whose memoir Children of Radium and BBC Radio 4 series Half Life explore his great-grandfather's work with chemical weapons; Kavita Puri, whose series Three Million told the story of the Bengal Famine, and of British culpability in it; and Jenny Kleeman, whose BBC Radio 4 podcast The Gift tells the stories of lives upended by DNA testing kits. How does the format of the podcast help them explore these complicated subjects?
Three Million, The Gift and The History Podcast, Half Life are all available now on BBC Sounds
Producer: Luke Mulhall
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002czq3)
No sign of reconciliation between Trump and Musk
US President Donald Trump is "not particularly interested" in speaking to Elon Musk after the tech billionaire and former close political ally turned on him in a bitter and public war of words. Initial reports that the pair had scheduled a phone call came to nothing. With some among the MAGA branch of Trump's supporters rounding on Musk, we explored the factional infighting and what impact it might have on the Big Beautiful Bill which Trump wants the Senate to pass, but which Musk opposes.
Also on the programme, can supporters of the European Convention on Human Rights head off criticism by adapting the treaty? That's what the Secretary General of the Council of Europe seems to suggest. We hear from former Attorney General Dominic Grieve.
And we speak to the Hollywood actor turned cryptocurrency sceptic about his new documentary on the phenomenon, premiering at the SXSW festival in London.
FRI 22:45 Disco by Nick Walker (m002czq5)
5. Hostile Intent Bias
DISCO by Nick Walker
People don’t always notice Marnie Crawford, but they underestimate her at their peril. She is a huge fan of Sister Sledge; she knows about cognitive bias theory, she uses voice notes to help her think, and in the police she has an 85% crime solve rate.
Seeking to improve their declining arrest record, the Ministry of Defence has set up a new unit of the Military Police and have asked Marnie, a civilian, to head it up.
The new unit is D:SCO (Defence: Serious Case Opera-tions). And, of course, everyone calls it DISCO …
Episode 5: Hostile Intent Bias
Marnie closes in on the identity of Adam McTavish’s kill-er, but not without personal cost.
Nick Walker is the author of two novels and any number of plays and short stories for radio including ‘The First King of Mars’, ‘Life Coach’ and ‘Stormchasers’. He is also the writer of ‘Annika Stranded’, which ran for six seasons on BBC Radio 4 between 2013 and 2020, and has since translated to TV as ‘Annika’, both starring his near name-sake, Nicola Walker.
Writer: Nick Walker
Reader: Bryony Hannah
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 23:00 Americast (m002czq8)
Join the Americast team for insights from across the US.
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002czqb)
Susan Hulme reports on an emotional debate about babies born too early.