SATURDAY 28 JUNE 2025

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002f02b)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 Causing a Scene (m001gjnr)
Dreams

Carol Morley, Asif Kapadia and Hossein Amini discuss the art of the dream sequence and why it might have gone to our heads. And Antonia asks them if they've ever dreamt up a scene for a movie they were writing, or whether a movie has ever entered their subconscious minds. And we reveal why nobody has ever had a dream like Gregory Peck in Hitchcock's classic Spellbound.


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002f02d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002f02g)
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 (m002f02j)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002f02l)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002f02n)
The learning never stops

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Mariama Ifode-Blease.

Good morning.

I’ve been thinking a lot about learning recently, as this month ends, because June is the month associated with exams, and especially if you’re between 16 and 23. It’s a month that can feel heavy. I can really empathise. What an absolute nightmare these periods in my life were!

It’s true that it can be a tricky time, if you’re supporting a young person through exam season. While it’s clear who has been doing the learning, and trying to retain what they have learnt.

Those who have sought to be there for young people during this time, have learnt to navigate around the tension, nervousness and anxiety, that this month often produces. Words have had to be chosen carefully; it’s not a time for taking outbursts personally. Rather, we the adults have had to be available, to hold tears and worry, in the lead up to summative assessments, and the adrenalin and ecstasy, when the dreaded exams are finally over. It is for such a time as this, that our learning becomes practical. We learn to simply be alongside.

Being alongside without being judgy, or the ability to necessarily make things better, can be hard. Yet we learn, how to do it, because we see what this journeying, can offer others: constancy, a non-judgemental presence, hope, friendship, safety.

So today, I pray for greater insight, to be able to continue learning, and to see how new learning, can shape my being, and how I support others.

Amen.


SAT 05:45 Child (p0hhrtjl)
Series 1

25. Lullaby

Lullabies. Simple, soothing… nonsense. Right? Wrong. Here we’re getting behind the importance of music and singing in a baby's development. India speaks to Dr Nina Polytimou about her research into how music can help with speech and communication and also be a powerful tool for bonding. India then visits a Singing Mamas group to hear how coming together as mothers to sing is a powerful, important, and missing slice of community. Kate Valentine, the founder, describes the impact it has on maternal mental health.

Presented by: India Rakusen.
Producers: India Rakusen And Georgia Arundell
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.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002f6v9)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SAT 06:07 Ramblings (m002dzys)
Camino Memories in Penicuik

Clare is in Penicuik for the penultimate episode of this Camino de Santiago themed series. The first five programmes were recorded in Spain, and the final two episodes are in the UK with people reflecting on their past experiences of The Way. Today Clare meets a true Camino veteran: Rev. Nick Bowry has walked it seven times, and on different routes, including when he was making the decision to give up his long-standing career to become a Priest.

Joining Clare and Nick on today's walk are Nick's friends, Cat and Liz, who share their own Camino memories as they enjoy the beautiful local scenery on a fine day.

They completed a circular walk starting at Nick's church, St. James the Less, taking in the River North Esk, Serpentine Wood, and views of the Pentland Hills.

Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor

Here's a poem Nick wrote about his time on the Camino in 2016:

Santander a Muxia, Camino 2016

Come, it's been a while,
And walk, talk, sing, and pray,
My way, your way, our way,
In silence, in company, together, apart, each day,
Never lonely, I'm pleased to say,
One foot in front of the other.

Consciously clearing clutter from my mind,
Allowing time to forgive, seventy times seven and once again,
Making friends with myself and letting go what drains,
I feel my load lighten, less and less remains,
New days dawn and the true self gains,
One foot in front of the other.

Conversations words and gestures,
All allow acquaintances to grow,
Many mark a mile, some many more - going with the flow,
Intimate confessions and burdens off loaded, I know,
Now I have time and patience to listen, to help the speaker let go,
One foot in front of the other.

Calmed and caught in the cadence of walking,
Applied compeed, insect repellent and sun cream,
Mass at noon - seeing it swing - has it been a dream,
Indisputably not, my calf muscles know where they have been,
Now with great anticipation, mi amigo is seen,
One foot in front of the other.

Companions on the way, four between us,
And now we start our one at last,
Minding all that has gone on, the past,
In perspective, in sorrow and joy our minds cast,
New beginnings both, carpe diem, life goes so fast,
One foot in front of the other.

Conclusions - I have a few,
Appreciate each day and what you learn,
Make new friends, be generous but make time for yourself to discern,
Invite new experiences and try them out,
Now is the time, without a doubt, and…
Oh, just put… one foot in front of the other.


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002f6vc)
28/06/25 Farming Today This Week: Illegal waste cleanup, agricultural emissions report, imported beef in supermarkets

The Climate Change Committee report shows little progress on the reduction of emissions from agriculture and substantial action still needed.

Many UK supermarkets have made public commitments to sourcing 100% of their beef from the UK. But in recent months some seem to be moving away from these pledges. We ask how much beef is being imported, from where, and why.

A group of farmers are seeking a judicial review over the decision to re-impose inheritance tax on some farm businesses.

Work has begun to clear more than 30,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste from a Kent woodland, in an operation led by the Environment Agency.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


SAT 06:57 Weather (m002f6vf)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m002f6vh)
Today (Saturday)


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002f6vk)
Sir Lenny Henry, William Ivory, Aoife Ní Bhriain, Nick Grimshaw

Dudley’s finest, Sir Lenny Henry, has always used his comedic and acting talents to infuse characters with humour and heart - his Comic Relief work turned laughter into social impact and he now has a list of ‘brilliant things’ to share.

Violinist and Daughter of Dublin Aoife Ní Bhriain has, through her music, blended traditional Irish sounds with modern innovation, turning cultural roots into contemporary expressions.

And, hailing from Nottingham, former refuse worker turned screenwriter William Ivory’s discusses a cannon of films, which include Made in Dagenham, and lifts the curtain on how he elevates the mundane and gives voice to the overlooked.

All that plus, to get into the festival mood, the Inheritance Tracks of 6 Music’s Breakfast presenter Nick Grimshaw.

Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Kiri Pritchard-McLean
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies


SAT 10:00 Curious Cases (m002c71h)
Series 23

Clever Crows

The term 'bird brain' might suggest our feathered friends are stupid, but Hannah and Dara learn it's completely untrue. They play hide and seek with a raven called Bran, and hear how his behaviour changes depending on his mood. Corvid expert Nicola Clayton explains these creatures are actually cleverer than the average 8-year-old, and can learn how to choose specific tools for different scenarios. And neurobiologist Andreas Nieder tells them that while crows evolved totally different brains from humans - 300,000 years apart - they might just be capable of the same type of intelligence.

Contributors:

Bran the raven
Lloyd Buck, bird handler
Professor Nicky Clayton, University of Cambridge
Professor Andreas Nieder, University of Tubingen

Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Audio Production


SAT 10:30 Soul Music (m0026999)
Sailing By

Written in 1963, 'Sailing By' by Ronald Binge was chosen by the BBC as the musical interlude to be played every night before the Shipping Forecast. These are the stories of some of the people for whom this piece has a powerful emotional connection.

After Cyrilene Tollafield's parents left Barbados for the UK, Cyrilene heard 'Sailing By' whilst cuddling up to her grandmother and her cousins during hurricane warnings. Writer Henrietta McKervey spent a night in Fastnet lighthouse and listened to 'Sailing By' as she drifted off to sleep. Having spent years of his life out at sea, Captain Harry McClenahan marvels at how the piece mirrors the rises and falls of the sea. Chris Binge would interrupt his dad whilst he was composing at the piano in his music room, the air thick with cigarette smoke, and says whenever people find out who his father was it's 'Sailing By' that they know. Helen Harrison conducted the piece at a concert in Blackpool and at the piano she unpacks the musicality and orchestration of the piece. The best part of Jane Heiserman's day is the hour in the evening when she and her adult son, who has autism and lives at home, study together. 'Sailing By' became a firm favourite of theirs when they were looking for music as part of a module on the Intertropical Convergence Zone. She says it brings a sense of calm to their day and serves as confirmation that everything is going to be alright.

With recordings of 'Sailing By' by The Perry/Gardner Orchestra, Helen Harrison, Dave Spooner (Ronald Binge's Grandson) and Baked A La Ska.

Producers: Maggie Ayre and Toby Field
Technical Producer: Ilse Lademann
Editor: Emma Harding

Soul Music is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002f6vn)
Ben Riley-Smith of The Daily Telegraph assesses the latest developments at Westminster.

He discusses the government's u-turn on its cuts to disability benefits with Anna Dixon, one of the 127 Labour MPs who had threatened to rebel and Jonathan Ashworth, Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow work and pensions secretary who now runs the Labour Together think tank.

Cathy Ashton, Labour peer and former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Sir Mark Lyall Grant, former British Ambassador to the UN and former National Security Adviser discuss this week's NATO summit and the Iran-Israel conflict.

Sir Dieter Helm, Professor of Economic Policy at Oxford University and an expert on climate and the environment looks at the Climate Change Committee’s annual review on progress towards net zero.

And, Angela Rayner stood in for Keir Starmer at PMQs for the second week in a row. To discuss what it is like to stand in at PMQs, Ben spoke to
Sir Oliver Dowden, who as Rishi Sunak's deputy often faced Angela Rayer across the despatch box and Dame Emily Thornberry, who stood in for Jeremy Corbyn when he was Opposition leader.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002f6pw)
Iranians anxious over what comes next

Kate Adie introduces dispatches from the Turkey-Iran border, Russia, the USA, Paraguay and Transylvania.

Israel’s attacks on Iran led thousands of people to flee cities under fire - now they must decide whether to return home, fearing further strikes and a regime still in power. Orla Guerin has been on the Turkey-Iran border, where she spoke to Iranians escaping the war, and others going back home to their families still in the country.

As Western leaders gathered for the G7 and NATO summits, President Putin held his own annual international gathering: the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. While an economic summit in name, Steve Rosenberg found the focus this year to be much more geared towards the promotion of Russia’s military might.

Donald Trump’s sudden decision to attack Iran’s nuclear sites was met with concern by many in Washington – including some of his most ardent supporters. But the dissenters were quick to fall back in line, says Bernd Debusmann Jr in Washington DC.

The herbal drink Mate is hugely popular in Argentina - football legend Lionel Messi is a big fan. But across the border in Paraguay, Jane Chambers finds Mate enthusiasts are miffed that their bigger neighbour is seen as the originator of Mate, claiming Paraguay is the true home of Mate culture.

And finally, in Transylvania, Sara Wheeler explores the ebb and flow of a centuries-old Saxon settlement nestled amid ancient forests.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill & Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002f6vq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002f6pt)
Warm Home Discount and Teachers' Pension

Six million people will have £150 knocked off one winter electricity bill this winter. The Government has announced an expansion of the Warm Home Discount scheme which will almost double the number getting it. Who is eligible and how will people get the payment?

Money Box has been receiving a steady stream of emails from members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme complaining about how their pensions are being managed. With more than 2 million members and liabilities of £278 billion the TPS is one of the largest in the UK. So what is going on? Dan Whitworth investigates.

Child maintenance is a regular financial payment made by a parent who doesn't live with their child to help support the child's living costs. This week the government has announced plans for some significant changes to the way those payments are collected and transferred. We'll explain what's changing.

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researchers: Eimear Devlin and Jo Krasner
Studio Producer: Sarah Rogers
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 28th June 2025)


SAT 12:30 Dead Ringers (m002f01r)
Series 26

Episode 3. Glastonbury, Benefits, and Bombs.

The Dead Ringers team are back to train their vocal firepower on the week’s news with an armoury of impressive impressions. This week: Trump drops the F-Bomb, Lammy drops another clanger, and money saving expert Martin Lewis drops into NATO.

Cast: Jan Ravens, Jon Culshaw, Lewis Macleod, Jess Robinson, Duncan Wisbey and Kieran Hodgson.

The episode was written by: Nev Fountain and Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Tom Coles, Sophie Dickson, Toussaint Douglass, Peter Tellouche, Rob Darke, Edward Tew, Jon Holmes, Alice Bright, Katie Sayer, Davina Bentley, Rachel E Thorn, Chris Ballard and Pete Redfern

Created by Bill Dare
Producer: Jon Holmes
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow


SAT 12:57 Weather (m002f6vs)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News (m002f6vv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002f01y)
Baroness Laing, James Murray MP, Tom Newton Dunn, Polly Toynbee

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Doveridge Village Hall in Derbyshire with the Conservative peer and former deputy speaker of the House of Commons, Baroness Laing of Elderslie; Labour MP and Treasury minister James Murray; politics and defence commentator Tom Newton Dunn of the Times; and author and Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee.

Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Simon Tindall


SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002f6vx)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002f01t)
Emma does a major clean-up at Little Grange in anticipation of Amber’s visit, telling Will and Ed she’s doing it for George. When Amber arrives she mistakes Ed for Will, George’s dad. They exchange awkward pleasantries, but Amber keeps being distracted by posts on her phone. She explains it’s her real work: being an influencer. After the meal Ed and Will agree with Emma that Amber would not be their perfect choice for George, but are caught out when Amber overhears them laughing at one of her remarks. Amber though is oblivious to criticism, telling them how lucky she is to have bagged George and what a nice family they are, before leaving to attend to all the posts from her followers. Stunned Emma, Ed and Will head for The Bull, not knowing what to make of Amber.
When Harrison points out that Jolene can’t go to the ID parade with Kenton she persuades him to drive Kenton there instead. Later, Kenton is irritated to discover Jolene is on the phone to Harrison, checking up on how the parade went. Kenton insists nothing happened and he didn’t recognise anybody in the photos. Back at The Bull Jolene insists Harrison find out what really happened. Kenton then admits to Harrison that he panicked at the police station, lying about not recognising anyone. But he couldn’t face the idea of going to court again. Harrison tells him if he admits that he’ll be painted as an unreliable witness, meaning Markie and his gang are more likely to get away with it.


SAT 15:00 Spotlight (m001w8w8)
Oleanna

Carol is worried about her grades so she goes to see her Professor. What follows develops into an explosive series of events that will eventually involve the college authorities. This is David Mamet's most controversial play that divided audiences but captured the zeitgeist. It is an incendiary exploration of gender, education, class, power and perception. With very strong language.

John ..... Mark Bonnar
Carol ..... Cecilia Appiah

Director: Gary Brown
Production Co-ordinator: Lorna Newman
Sound Design: Sharon Hughes
Technical Producer: Alison Craig

A BBC Studios Audio production.


SAT 16:20 Woman's Hour (m002f6vz)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: SEND, Christiane Amanpour, Self Esteem, Return of the bullet bra

The Department for Education has just released the latest figures that show another rise in the number of Education, Health and Care Plans, or EHCPs, in England. These are the legal documents that outline what support a child or young person with special educational needs and disabilities is entitled to. The BBC’s education reporter Kate McGough, Jane Harris, vice chair of the Disabled Children's Partnership, and Jacquie Russell from West Sussex County Council joined Clare McDonnell.

Christiane Amanpour has been at the forefront of international news for more than 40 years, reporting from all over the world as a journalist and war reporter as well as being CNN’s Chief International Anchor, steering the helm of several programmes including CNN International's nightly interview programme Amanpour. She’s now launched a podcast, Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex-Files with Jamie Rubin. It's a weekly foreign affairs show, co-hosted with Jamie, a former U.S. diplomat and Assistant Secretary of State and also her ex-husband. Christiane joined Clare to discuss.

The musician, songwriter and actress, Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self Esteem won the 2021 BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year Award and achieved a nomination for the Mercury Prize in 2022 with Prioritise Pleasure. More recently she has performed the lead role of Sally Bowles in the West End production of Cabaret. She talks to Anita Rani about her new album, A Complicated Woman, and performing on the Park Stage at Glastonbury this weekend.

The bullet bra has made a recent return to the catwalk and to the cover of British Vogue, where singer Dua Lipa can be seen sporting a blush satin Miu Miu creation in the July issue. But will the silhouette, once favoured by Marilyn Monroe and Madonna, cut through to the high street? And what does that mean for the comfortable t-shirt bras that have been going strong since lockdown? Julia Hobbs, British Vogue’s contributing senior fashion features editor has recently road-tested the bullet bra. She joins Clare to discuss the experience, along with Karolina Laskowska, a lingerie designer and the director of The Underpinnings Museum.

Presenter: Clare McDonnell
Producer: Annette Wells
Editor: Rebecca Myatt


SAT 17:00 PM (m002f6w1)
Full coverage of the day's news


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002f6w3)
Trump's America: The Scott Perry One

A Republican Congressman outlines the values that lie behind his conservative politics.

Scott Perry is the Representative for Pennsylvania's 10th District, a Trump ally, an Iran hawk who sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and a veteran, who flew combat missions in Iraq before turning his attention to politics.

He joins Nick down the line from Washington DC, in the aftermath of his President's decision to drop bombs on Iran.

Perry tells the story of how he went from growing up in a household with no electricity or running water, to being elected to the "most important deliberative body on the planet".


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002f6w5)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m002f6w7)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002f6w9)
State funeral in Iran for those killed by Israel

People gather in Tehran for the state funeral of soldiers and scientists killed by Israel


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002f6wc)
Dawn French, Fern Britton, Edward Rowe, Gwenno

This week Loose Ends is coming from the Homecoming festival at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall. Clive Anderson is joined by comedian, actor and writer Dawn French, who moved to Cornwall to give her more space to write and Fern Britton, who has written eleven novels set in Cornwall, and has lived here on and off since starting her career in regional television here in 1980. He also chats to Edward Rowe, who starred in Mark Jenkin's acclaimed film 'Bait' and who performs comedy as The Kernow King, and there's music from the Welsh-Cornish singer-songwriter Gwenno who will be performing tracks from her upcoming album 'Utopia'.

Presenter: Clive Anderson
Producer: Jessica Treen


SAT 19:00 Profile (m002f6nw)
Charli xcx

Charlie xcx is known to fans for her avant-garde, innovative approach to pop music. For many, the singer-songwriter, who’s won 5 BRIT awards and 3 Grammys, is one of the most influential figures in 21st century pop. Born Charlotte Aitchison in Cambridge in 1992 and raised in Essex, she was still at school when she began posting songs on MySpace and performing at warehouse raves, eventually landing a record deal in 2010. Her stage name, Charli xcx is a nod to her MSN screen name from when she was younger. Charli xcx first had success writing and collaborating on hits for other people. Her 2024 album, Brat, became a global pop culture phenomenon and was even embraced by US Presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, for a while. Mark Coles charts her career from wannabe teenage rave DJ to major label star.

Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Natasha Fernandes and Sally Abrahams
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound: David Crackles
Editor: Nick Holland

Credits:
CBS “America Decides”, July 2024. Abigail De Kosnik, associate professor for the Berkeley Center for New Media.
BBC 3 Charli XCX: Alone Together, D&Productions
Ivor Novello Awards 2025
!Franceskaar! Charli xcx, 2008
CBS News Shorts, 2024


SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m002dzyb)
Katherine Rundell

Children’s writer and academic Katherine Rundell is the multi-million selling author of adventure stories including Rooftoppers, The Wolf Wilder and The Explorer which won the Costa Children’s Book of the Year. Impossible Creatures, the first of a five book series, was named Waterstones Book Of the Year in 2023. Her biography of the 17th century poet John Donne was a non-fiction bestseller and she became the youngest ever winner of the £50,000 Bailey Gifford Prize. At the age of 36, Katherine Rundell was named author of the year at the 2024 British Book Awards.

Talking to John Wilson, Katherine Rundell recalls Saturday morning bus journeys from her home in south London to Covent Garden where her father would take part in amateur dance classes. Along the route of the 176 bus he would point out cultural landmarks and helped instil in Katherine a lifelong love for the city. She also explains how her father’s job as a civil servant took her family to live in Zimbabwe when she was a child, an experience that fuelled her imagination and fascination with the natural world. She also remembers the profound loss she felt at the death of her foster sister, and reveals that much of her writing for children has been driven by this tragedy. She chooses the Chronicles Of Narnia series of books, especially The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, by CS Lewis as a huge influence on her own fantasy writing and the poetry of John Donne which she describes as her "greatest literary passion". Katherine also reflects on the importance of encouraging children to read and the current state of children's publishing.

Producer: Edwina Pitman


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002f6wf)
Simpson's Dictators

The BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson looks back at the many dictators and autocrats he has met or reported on during his 60-year career.
He digs into his extensive archives to tell the stories of these ruthless leaders, of how they came to power, and how they finally lost it.

What was it like to be "in the room" with them - a room that could be a multi-coloured tent in the Libyan desert, a run-down chateau, or even a courtroom. John reunites with former colleagues to reminisce about travelling to meet these men (and they were all men...) who oppressed millions to satisfy their cravings for power or wealth, or allowed themselves to be led by their misguided beliefs that only they could save their country or keep it together.

What drives people like that, what does it take to end their regimes, and what is it like to meet someone who has ruined, or even ended, the lives of thousands?

Presenter: John Simpson
Producer: Arlene Gregorius
Production coordinator: Brenda Brown
Editor: Sara Wadeson


SAT 21:00 Moral Maze (m002dzkc)
Is Privacy an outdated concept or a moral right?

ID cards are back on the political agenda, digital this time, being pushed by an influential group of Labour MPs, and – surveys suggest – public opinion, which is increasingly worried about illegal immigration and benefit fraud. Time was, when privacy was a free-born Briton’s birthright and a policeman asking for your papers anathema, the mark of foreign dictatorships. We live in a different world now where even your household gadgets are capable of gathering information on you. Is privacy out of date, or a moral good that’s the basis of freedom? Can we no longer tell the state – or Big Tech – to mind their own business, and does it matter?

WITNESSES:
Kirsty Innes, Director of Technology at Labour Together
Rebecca Vincent, Interim director of Big Brother Watch
Dr Hazem Zohny, University of Oxford
Tiffany Jenkins, Cultural Historian

PANELLISTS:
Rev Dr Giles Fraser
Anne McElvoy
Lord Jonathan Sumption
Matthew Taylor

Chaired by Michael Buerk
Producer: Catherine Murray
Assistant Producer: Peter Everett
Editor: Tim Pemberton


SAT 22:00 News (m002f6wh)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002f00z)
English Olive Oil

With the price of olive oil soaring in the shops after drought disrupted production in Spain, Leyla Kazim looks into the English farms planting olive groves in the hope of bottling their own oil. She meets a farmer in Essex who explains that English growing conditions are more suitable than you might think and discovers a producer in Cornwall who has already started pressing his own extra virgin olive oil. So will olive oil from Essex or Cornwall become the new English sparkling wine?

Dan Saladino reports from Sicily where hotter conditions due to climate change are presenting new challenges for growers. Food historian Dr Annie Gray debunks some of the myths around olive oil consumption in England and Leyla learns the correct way to approach an oil-tasting from one of the country’s biggest suppliers.

Produced by Robin Markwell for BBC Audio in Bristol.


SAT 23:00 The Matt Forde Focus Group (m002dzz5)
6. The Politics of 'The End of the World'

Can politics be funny? Yes it can!

Top political comedian Matt Forde convenes his focus group in front of a live theatre audience with guests James Cleverly, Isabel Hardman and Ria Lina - to see how we really all feel about the end of the world.

Written and hosted 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 (m002dz3v)
Programme 7 - Northern Ireland vs The Midlands

(7/12)

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 seventh contest features the second meeting of Northern Ireland 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:
Paddy Duffy and Freya McClements - Northern Ireland
Stephen Maddock and Frankie Fanko - The Midlands

Questions in today's edition:

Q1 (from James Douglas) What trip transforms…
Francis into a Frank, David into a Michael, Albert into a Fred, Alf into an Archie, and Basil into a Royal?

Q2 Why would a French refusal bookending a roman nine allow you to get intimate with the following …
Basil Brush’s first ever magical mister
Eisenhower’s running mate
One of the gal pals from Sex in the City
And Marilyn and Audrey’s ghost singer

Q3a - MAIN
Music: (from Phil Ware)
Can you tell me, why might Miles have united these artists a very long time ago?

Q3b - ONLINE VERSION
Why would a world tour by the bands behind Ventura Highway, Heat of the Moment, and Carrie have been much easier a very long time ago, especially if they’d gone on stage after Agharta?

Q4 What is the ecclesiastical connection between:
Francesco Stephen Castelluccio
Artichoke, tomato, mushroom and prosciutto
A gardening business in Philadelphia
And a 1725 contest between Harmony and Invention?

Q5 Look closely at this travel itinerary and see if you can uncover the secret destinations:
Take a promenade around the Colosseum, or an opportunist visit to the land of Carthage.
Enjoy origami at the Freedom Monument or talk about the climate at Machu Picchu.
Search a comparison site near the Eiffel Tower, or hibernate in The Alps.
What's the hidden link between these sentences?

Q6a - MAIN
Music: What’s the connection. There's a common thread here, but don't be fooled… One of them is not all that it seems…

Q6b- ONLINE VERSION
A solo keyboard piece named for a harpsichordist
A riff-heavy track from an Ohio garage-rock band at the height of their commercial powers
A swaggering Manchester groove from the late ’80s
A brooding 1970s track from a famously fraught album
Each of these tracks hints at something precious, yet one’s shine is a clever illusion. What ties them together, and which stands apart?

Q7 (from Simon Meara) What links…
Some Dutch Caribbean islands
A lifesaving mnemonic
An Agatha Christie novel featuring Mr. Cust
A defunct cinema chain
And why might they make you think of Mississippi’s capital?

Q8 What links …
A composer who taught Liszt and wrote exercises for nimble fingers
Jamie Lee’s father
Dostoevsky’s final masterpiece
A reggae band who Don’t Turn Around
& A famous TV matchmaker.
And which of them is the imposter?

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 29 JUNE 2025

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002f6wk)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m002dz3s)
Wendy Erskine

Presented by James Crawford, Take Four Books, speaks to the award-winning short story writer Wendy Erskine about her first novel - The Benefactors - and explores its connections to three other literary works. The Benefactors is a polyphonic immersion into modern day Belfast and follows the events surrounding a teenage house party. Three mothers close ranks against the girl who is accusing their sons of sexual assault. For her three influencing texts Wendy chose: The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas (2008); Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievich (1997); and This Is The Place To Be, by Lara Pawson (2016).

The supporting contributor for this episode was the journalist, writer, and author of Dance Your Way Home, Emma Warren.

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


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002f6wm)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002f6wp)
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 (m002f6wr)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002f6wt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002f6q2)
St Dingad’s Church in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire

This week's Bells on Sunday comes from St Dingad’s Church in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire. The Church is grade ll listed with a 14th century nave and then enlarged in the 15th century including the addition of a Tower. There are six bells, all cast by John Taylor of Loughborough in 1933. The Tenor weighs eight and three quarter hundredweight and is tuned to A sharp. We hear them now ringing Single Canterbury doubles.


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002dzgt)
Benefits Bill

The government have published their Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill, but there is growing concern among visually impaired people about what all of this actually means for their benefits. In Touch reconvenes some people in the know to try to provide information about what the bill, in its current form, means for visually impaired people.

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Paul Holloway
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 (m002f6n1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Thinking Allowed (m002dzg9)
Russian Propaganda

Laurie Taylor talks to Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs at The New School in New York City about her research into the propaganda formulas deployed by Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin over the last two decades. As the great granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev, the Prime Minister of the Soviet Union between 1958 and 1964, she offers personal, as well as political insights, into these developments, drawing on previous periods of oppression in Russian history. She argues that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has intensified 'hard' propaganda, leading to a pervasive presence of military images in every day life and the rehabilitation of Josef Stalin, the former dictator of the Soviet Union, as a symbol of Russian power. She suggests that lessons from past eras, described by such Soviet classics as Alexander Solzhenitsyn's The Gulag Archipelago, can offer small grounds for optimism and hope, as ordinary people absorb alternative narratives. How else to explain the fact that George Orwell's dystopian novel, 1984, has been a bestseller for many years and has seen a surge in popularity since the start of the war in Ukraine?

Producer: Jayne Egerton


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002f6n3)
Grass Fed Restaurant

A farm rearing slow-grown, pasture fed, organic beef cattle is making it pay by selling the meat in their own restaurant.
Lilliput Farm in Somerset near Bath, site of the Battle of Lansdown in 1643 and with links to Jonathan Swift, has been farmed with nature in mind for 26 years. The Stanley family raise beef cattle on their pastureland, feeding them only grass all year round. Compared to conventional beef cattle, they take longer to be ready for slaughter and so are more expensive to produce. With costs rising and environmental farm payments from the Government looking uncertain, they’ve taken on a new venture and opened their own farm restaurant to sell their beef.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


SUN 06:57 Weather (m002f6n5)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002f6n7)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002f6n9)
Church of England Stalking Case; Global Religion Study; Faith at Glastonbury

The Church of England is facing serious criticism from a stalking victim for failing to keep him safe. The victim was a male volunteer church warden, the stalker a woman lay preacher. He says he reported what was happening to the Church authorities - including Martyn Snow, the Bishop of Leicester. Ed Stourton is joined by the BBC's Religion Editor, Aleem Maqbool, who has helped uncover this story.

The American Pew foundation has just published the results of one of its most ambitious projects - plotting How the Global Religious Landscape has changed over the past decade. They sifted through some 2,700 new sources of data - for the results we spoke to the lead author, Conrad Hackett.

It’s Glastonbury weekend and we’re exploring faith on the farm. We hear from Chris North at the festival’s church tent where he’s planning Sunday’s service.

Presenter: Edward Stourton
Producers: Katy Davis and James Leesley
Studio Managers: George Willis and Sam Mills
Editor: Dan Tierney


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002f6nc)
Hear me out

Beneficiary Kwaku Acheampong makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Hear Me Out. The charity holds music sessions in immigration detention centres and temporary asylum accommodation.

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 ‘Hear me out’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Hear me out’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4

Registered Charity Number: 1080046. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://hearmeoutmusic.org.uk
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites

Producer: Katy Takatsuki


SUN 07:57 Weather (m002f6nf)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002f6nh)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002f6nk)
O clap your hands

A service of choral matins from the Chapel of The Queen's College, Oxford marking the 400th anniversary of the death of Orlando Gibbons and the accession of King Charles I. Gibbons was born in Oxford, and is one of the most celebrated English composers of the Seventeenth Century, having held prestigious roles within the Chapel Royal under James I and then Charles I. The service explores why the composer's music continues to be used to enhance worship in many places, and includes some of his hymns, his Jubilate, and his most famous anthem 'O clap your hands', which is a setting of Psalm 47. The service is led by the Chaplain, The Reverend Alice Watson, with readers from the College community. Director of Music: Owen Rees. Organ Scholar: Arthur Barton. Producer: Ben Collingwood.


SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct743q)
Rescuing Palmyra’s treasures from the Islamic State group

In May 2015, when the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria was about to fall to jihadist fighters, a group of men risked their lives to load centuries-old artefacts from the city’s museum onto trucks and drive them to safety.

Before their advance to Palmyra, members of the group that called itself Islamic State had already been filmed for social media smashing statues that dated back to religious life in the Middle East before the Prophet Muhammad.

Khalil Hariri, an archaeology expert who worked at Palmyra’s museum, tells Josephine McDermott about his passion for its history and the personal price he has paid for the daring rescue.

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 damaged site of Palmyra in 2016. The graffiti reads ‘We remain’. Credit: Reuters)


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002f6nm)
Amy-Jane Beer on the Reed Warbler

For naturalist and writer Amy-Jane Beer, the scratchy song of a reed warbler reminds her of a superstar DJ. In a marshy corner of a lake in Yorkshire she comes across this tiny brown-beige bird – or ‘classic little brown job’. But Amy finds the reed warbler’s song anything but nondescript – from his spot in the reedbed he is holding space like a DJ in an Ibiza club, scratching and mixing a hypnotic blend of sound.

Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio Bristol Production


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002f6np)
The government partners with supermarkets in battle against obesity

The health secretary explains his new plan to cut calories in our weekly shop. We track temperatures across the UK and Sir Tim Rice casts his verdict on a new twist to Evita.


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002f6nr)
Sir Gregory Doran, director

Sir Gregory Doran is the former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He spent a total of thirty five years with the RSC directing fifty productions in the UK and abroad. He’s been called “one of the great Shakespeareans of his age” and has won multiple awards for his work.

Born in 1958, Greg was brought up near Preston and played a number of female Shakespeare roles when he was a young pupil attending an all-boys secondary school.

He went on to study English and Drama at Bristol University followed by a stint studying classical acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

After a few bit parts in TV sitcoms and a spell at Nottingham Playhouse, Sir Greg decided that he would prefer to carve out a career as a director. He went on to stage some of the most critically acclaimed theatre productions – including an all-black cast of Julius Caesar and took Titus Andronicus to South Africa.

More recently, he has been touring the globe on his Shakespeare’s First Folio tour to look at as many different copies of the texts as possible.

He survives his husband, the actor Sir Anthony Sher whom he met in 1987 whilst they were both part of a production of the Merchant of Venice at the RSC in Stratford. Sir Greg lives in London.

DISC ONE: Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17, Act 1: Duetto. "Son nata a lagrimar" (Cornelia, Sesto) Composed by Georg Friedrich Händel and performed by Nathalie Stutzmann (contralto) Philippe Jaroussky (counter tenor) Oreo 55 (Orchestra)
DISC TWO: Sicut cervus – The Choir of Preston Catholic College
DISC THREE: Born Free - Matt Monro
DISC FOUR: It’s Raining Men - The Weather Girls
DISC FIVE: Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes - Paul Simon
DISC SIX: J.S. Bach: Cantata \"Ich habe genug\" BWV 82: I. \"Ich habe genug, ich habe den Heiland\". Performed by Thomas Quasthoff (bass-baritone), Berliner Barock Solisten, conducted by Rainer Kussmaul
DISC SEVEN: Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, K.414: 2. Andante. Composed by Mozart and performed by Alfred Brendel (piano) and Academy of St Martin in the Fields, conducted by Sir Neville Marriner
DISC EIGHT: Where the Bee Sucks - Paul Englishby, Royal Shakespeare Company

BOOK CHOICE: A 1609 copy of Shakespeare’s Sonnets
LUXURY ITEM: A shelf of photo albums
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, K.414: 2. Andante. Composed by Mozart and performed by Alfred Brendel (piano) and Academy of St Martin in the Fields, conducted by Sir Neville Marriner

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Sarah Taylor


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002f6nt)
Writer: Shaun McKenna
Director: Dave Payne
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge…. Charles Collingwood
Jolene Archer…. Buffy Davis
Kenton Archer…. Richard Attlee
Pip Archer….. Daisy Badger
Harrison Burns…. James Cartwright
Justin Elliott…. Simon Williams
Ed Grundy…. Barry Farrimond
Emma Grundy…. Emerald O’Hanrahan
George Grundy…. Angus Stobie
Will Grundy…. Philip Molloy
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Jazzer McCreary…. Ryan Kelly
Stella Pryor…. Lucy Speed
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
Lynda Snell…. Carole Boyd
Amber Gordon…. Charlotte Jordan


SUN 12:15 Profile (m002f6nw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 It's a Fair Cop (m002dz5t)
Series 9

5. The Steelworks

This week's case begins with an ambulance hurtling down the streets of Scunthorpe and the patient inside, struggling to breathe.

A mysterious illness is striking down workers at the Steelworks, and the DI wants his best man on the job. Unfortunately his best man's busy, so he sends Alfie instead.

Written and presented by Alfie Moore
Script Editor: Will Ing
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: James Robinson

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4


SUN 12:57 Weather (m002f6ny)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002f6p0)
Year Two of the Labour Government

What challenges await Sir Keir Starmer for his second year in power? We assess the potentials and pitfalls. Plus, St Paul's Cathedral is marking its 350th birthday by training the next generation of stonemasons - we meet the team.


SUN 13:30 Currently (m002f6p2)
Crossing the Line

Louise Lancaster - approaching 60 - received one of Britain's longest ever jail terms for peaceful protest, in July 2024.

She served part of her sentence in HMP Bronzefield, the UK's highest security women's prison, alongside some of Britain's most notorious killers.

Louise was one of five Just Stop Oil activists involved in bringing much of the M25 to a standstill in November 2022, and has taken part in several other high profile acts of direct action climate protest.

The judge, in sentencing Louise and a number of co-defendents, told them:

"Each of you has some time ago crossed the line from concerned campaigner to fanatic.

"You have appointed yourselves as the sole arbiters of what should be done about climate change, bound neither by the principles of democracy nor the rule of law."

Journalist and producer Patrick Steel has been following Louise's story for several years, and has intimately recorded access to Louise, and her family and friends.

In this documentary, Patrick explores Louise's transition from law-abiding Middle England mum and special educational needs teacher, to law-breaking direct action eco-activist, and criminal.

Has Louise indeed 'crossed the line'? Are her actions a heroic self-sacrifice for the greater good of tackling climate change, or are they damaging and reckless fanaticism?

Presenter: Patrick Steel
Producers: Patrick Steel and Carys Wall
Sound Design: Tom Drew
A Bespoken Media / Fat Toad Films production, from an idea by Terry Macalister


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002f01f)
Postbag Edition: Belvoir Castle

What is stunting the growth of my Japanese maple tree? My red tip Photinia keep falling and dying, what’s causing this? What's the best way to get rid of moss from a pond?

Peter Gibbs and the GQT panel take root in the historic grounds of Belvoir Castle, a site steeped in history since the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Joining Peter are garden designer Bunny Guinness, horticulturist Matthew Wilson, and Belvoir Castle’s Head Gardener, Andy Tudbury. Together, they tackle a thorny selection of questions from the GQT postbag.

This week, the panel shares expert advice on safely transplanting roses, taming an unruly Potentilla, and uncovering the reasons why some flowers lose their scent over time.

Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker
Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.Plant List
Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.

Q – My garden is filled with roses, but they’ve lost their scent, why is this? (03’31”)

Q – What’s the best way to transplant and plant from one environment to another? (06’24”)

Q – My garden has been completely taken over by Potentilla, how do I control it without using chemicals? (09’31”)

Q – My red tip Photinia keep falling and dying, what’s causing this? (11’49”)

Q – What is the problem with my Japanese maple tree? (17’40”)

Q – My 10-year-old rainwater pot pond in a black plastic barrel has become overgrown with moss – What’s the best way to get rid of it? (21’22”)

Q – Is it possible to cover the base of a 175-year-old copper beach tree with fallen moss? (24’19”)

Q – Can I use sawdust as a mulch? (25’49”)

Q – My mature Mahonia has flowered and ripened at two different time this year – what’s the reason for this? (31’20”)

Q – We have recently moved into a new property. We would like advice, please on where to position a new greenhouse. (35’11”)

Q – Could the panel suggest a way to keep our Melia azedarach whilst we’re away on holiday? (38’28”)


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m002f6p4)
The Girls of Slender Means

John Yorke takes a look at The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark. Published in 1963, two years after the success of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, it’s set in the summer of 1945. A group of young women live, love and lodge together in the shabby but respectable May of Teck Club in the months between VE Day and the ending of the war 99 days later with the final victory in Japan.

It’s a riveting yet disconcerting read - simple, yet knotty and complex, and it’s not at all about what it seems. With contributions from the writer AL Kennedy, John explores the pleasures of this short yet wonderfully satisfying novella.

John has worked in television and radio for 30 years and shares his experience as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless.  As creator of the BBC Writers Academy, he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names.  He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative - including many podcasts for R4.

Contributor: A.L. Kennedy

Reader: Ruth Sillers
Producer: Laura Grimshaw
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Sound: Sean Kerwin
Researcher: Henry Tydeman
Production Hub Co-ordinator: Nina Semple

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002f6p6)
The Girls of Slender Means

Simon Scardifield’s new dramatization of Muriel Spark’s startling portrait of peacetime in London.

Summer, 1945. Victory in Europe has just been announced. A group of young women brace for the future as the shattered world around them is put back into place. Neither they, nor Britain, will ever be the same again.

The intelligent, but plain, Jane Wright is pursuing her dream career in the ‘world of books’. Jane lives at the May of Teck Club, a London hostel for girls of ‘slender means’. Also resident is the dazzling Selina Redwood, who values elegance above everything. And Joanna Childe, an elocution teacher whose poetry recitations keep the world at arm’s length. The slimmest girls of the May of Teck like to escape via a small toilet window to sunbathe on the roof. This summer feels full of possibility, novelty and thrill.

But – unbeknownst to all - a danger is lying in wait. And it will threaten to destroy the world as they know it.

We follow Jane, hungry for life and freedom, through the unpredictable, transformative summer months of 1945.

CAST (in order of appearance)
Narrator ….. Maggie Service
George/Felix ….. Joseph Kloska
Jane ….. Rose Basista
Anne ….. Madeleine Gray
Tilly ….. Tanvi Virmani
Greggie ….. Rhiannon Neads
Joanna ….. Ell Potter
Selina ….. Cecilia Appiah
Rudi ….. Mihai Arsene
Nicholas ….. Barney Fishwick

Dramatist ….. Simon Scardifield
Director ….. Anne Isger
Sound ….. Andrew Garratt, Neva Missirian
Production Co-ordinator ….. Gaelan Davis-Connolly

A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m002f6p8)
Madeleine Thien

Presented by James Crawford, Take Four Books, speaks to the writer Madeleine Thien about her new novel and explores its links to three other literary works. The Book Of Records is an epic, time-warping exploration of individual lives shaped by migration, exile, war and oppression. The book follows the story of Lina, a young girl who has been forced to emigrate from her homeland, and together with her father winds up at a mysterious place called 'the Sea', which turns out to be a shapeshifting and time-shifting fantasy of a refugee camp. Fictional characters are based on real people from history, we have the German philosopher Hannah Arendt fleeing Europe during the Second World War, the Jewish scholar and philosopher Baruch Spinoza, and the eighth century Chinese poet, Du Fu all coming to life on the page. The supporting contributor for this episode is the writer and lecturer Sarah Bernstein, whose 2023 novel Study for Obedience was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

For her three influences, Madeleine chooses: Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities (1972); Men in Dark Times by Hannah Arendt (1968); and Touch by Adania Shibli (2010).

Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan

This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.


SUN 16:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002f6pb)
Programme 8 - Wales vs The South of England

(8/12)

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 eighth contest features the second meeting of Wales and The South of England.

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:
Myfanwy Alexander and Cariad Lloyd
Paul Sinha and Marcus Berkmann

Questions in today's edition:

Q1 - (from James Rossdale) Why might meeting a Welsh star and a high-ranking policeman end up with you feeling sorry for them, but ultimately considering it a happy accident?

Q2 - Where would you find these people fighting over a hot potato in the 70s and 80s?
Alfonso Joseph d’Abruzzo
Harry Bratsburg
Jameel Joseph Farah
Loretta Jane Szwed

Q3a - MAIN
Music: once you’ve heard these three pieces I’d like you to tell me why they might lead to aposiopesis

Q3b - ONLINE VERSION
The following clues to our musical tracks might leave you… hanging. But why?
A meticulous feline from a hit stage musical.
The final, incomplete opera by an Italian maestro.
A legendary British soap character, known for her sharp tongue and endless cigarettes.

What connects them — and how might they lead to aposiopesis?

Q4 - Why might the creator of a famous fictional attorney, a prolific Bond novelist, someone who becomes a presidential adviser by mistake, and TWO Barefoot Contessas, all be prepared to get their hands dirty if they came round to my house?

Q5 - What sound reducing method would end this sequence? A naval friend, the dispensing of a punishment, a parasitic arachnid and a parable from the Sermon on the Mount?

Q6a - MAIN
Music: What link can you conjure up between the following tracks?

Q6b- ONLINE VERSION
See if you can conjure up the link between these four clues to our musical tracks:
A synth-pop classic that drifts into monochrome.
A disco anthem about a shadowy historical figure with a mystical reputation.
A haunting protest song from the 1930s, part of its title now shared with a Marvellous movie character.
A show tune from a Hollywood star, crazy about a boy who lived… long before his most famous version appeared.
What binds these four songs together, and which festive band might they help bring to mind?

Q7 - Why might you confuse a Billy Wilder romantic heroine, one of Charlie’s (original) Angels, a girl with a cat called Salem and a young singer with Taste?

Q8 - (from Nick Miller) In which atlas would you find the following? And where are they exactly?
The Island of Reil
The Haversian canals
The Sylvian aqueduct
Passavant’s Ridge
McBurney’s Point
and the Torcula of Herophilus/Herophilos – also called Herophilus’s Winepress.

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 (w3ct74mt)
Cecil the lion

On 1 July 2015, a much-loved lion was killed in Zimbabwe by an American trophy hunter.

Black-maned Cecil was one of the star attractions at Hwange National Park. He was baited outside the park and shot with a bow.

American dentist Walter Palmer, who reportedly paid a local guide $50,000 to shoot Cecil, was widely condemned. He said he didn’t know Cecil was a known local favourite and had relied on the expertise of a local professional guide to carry out a legal hunt.

He was cleared of any wrongdoing but the killing became international news and sparked a global debate about trophy hunting and its role in conservation.

Prof Andrew Loveridge, who had been tracking Cecil for the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, tells Vicky Farncombe about the moment he was told the lion had died.

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: Cecil the lion. Credit: Brent Stapelkamp)


SUN 17:10 The Verb (m002f6pf)
Forrest Gander, Laurie Bolger, SJ Fowler, Rachel Segal Hamilton

Pulitzer prize-winning poet Forrest Gander discusses the Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships. An initiative which awards $50,000 to poets of literary merit appointed to serve in civic positions to enable them to create projects that enrich the lives of their neighbours, through responsive and interactive poetry activities.

In awarding Laurie Bolger The Moth Poetry prize, Nobel Laureate Louise Glück said, "I respond to poems that surprise me". Laurie reflects on the impact of this assessment of her poetry, and explains why her first full poetry collection, Lady, is like a romcom blockbuster.

Marking the arrival of this year's European Poetry Festival, its founder and director, SJ Fowler, joins The Verb to share his approach to bringing poets together to create new work. With a little help from Ian, he performs one of the poems - Levels of Care - that he co-wrote for the festival with Latvian poet Krišjānis Zeļģis.

Writer and editor Rachel Segal Hamilton who specialises in photography, assesses the marriage of photography and poetry with two new examples of the form - A Difficulty Is A Light by Rebecca Norris Webb, and The Dereliction by Liz Berry and Tom Hicks.

Presented by Ian McMillan
Produced by Ekene Akalawu


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002f6ph)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m002f6pk)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002f6pm)
Israel orders evacuations of parts of Gaza

Israel orders people in Gaza to move towards areas where recent airstrikes have occurred


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002f6pp)
Kathy Caton

This week, prepare to be whisked away to several worlds via radio, as we make a splash in Moominvalley, and find ourselves adrift in the Arctic celebrating the Sun Festival. Jocky Petrie of The Kitchen Cabinet provides us one surprising use of a bain marie which had the audience of Bath agog. Plus as Pride Month comes to an end, we hear some indepth interviews from LGBTQ+ icons like Grace Petrie and Billy Porter.

Presenter: Kathy Caton
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Coordinator: Caroline Peddle

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002f6pr)
While watching the cricket against Greenbury Usha tells Joy she just needs to be herself at her interview tomorrow for the kitchen job at The Bull and she’ll be fine. On the field Henry is last man out, while Brad can’t stop sneezing. As the players come in for tea Clarrie appears upset when Helen asks how her dinner lady job is going. Henry tells Helen he saw some older kids at school being rude to Clarrie when she told them to sit down, but didn’t intervene because it would have made things worse. When Henry goes Clarrie tells Helen how humiliating the incident was. She always thought she was good at supervising kids, but this generation don’t have any respect. After the match Henry tells Clarrie that the only way to deal with those kids is to be firm and not take any nonsense. Clarrie is doubtful she can do that, but Henry reminds her what she was like at Bridge Farm, never a passenger. Do the same at school and she’ll be fine.
Brad tells Usha and Joy he hasn’t got hay fever, but Tracy’s accused him of getting the Ambridge score wrong. The Greenbury scorer, Terence, agrees with Brad’s tally, but both Usha and Joy remember a second four hit by Will while Brad left the score box to blow his nose and Terence took over. Later, Terence claims he missed the extra four by mistake and has rectified it. But the extra runs don’t alter the fact that Ambridge lost and Brad has hay fever!


SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m00269b2)
Sea Like a Mirror

An atmospheric gathering storm of a documentary exploring the extraordinary history of the Beaufort Scale - a system designed to help find language for the wind.

Sea like a mirror
Whistling heard in telegraph wires
Umbrellas used with difficulty...

In this programme we climb to the top of a lighthouse in the Outer Hebrides, labelled the windiest point in Britain by the Guinness Book of Records, and travel deep into the Met Office archives. With contributions from the writer Scott Huler, author of Defining the Wind; Ruairidh Macrae, the retained lighthouse keeper for the Butt of Lewis and Eilean Glas lighthouses in the Outer Hebrides; Catherine Ross, the library and archive manager at the Met Office; and John Morales, a hurricane specialist and meteorologist with 40 years experience in the field.

The Beaufort scale is read by Charlotte Green
Original music composed by Jeremy Warmsley, with additional music by Eleanor McDowall
Mix by Mike Woolley

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


SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001zmcl)
Volunteer

In this episode, Michael Mosley discovers that, as well as being a very rewarding thing to do, volunteering your time, labour or spare room can really benefit your health too. Michael speaks with Dr Edith Chen from Northwestern University in the US, who has been investigating the power of helping others. She tells Michael about her studies showing that by boosting your mood and empathy, volunteering can lower chronic inflammation, cholesterol and even help you lose weight. It’s also a great way to meet new people! Meanwhile, Matt gives back to his local community by volunteering at a food bank.

Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Editor: Zoë Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.


SUN 20:00 Feedback (m002dzyv)
Radio 4's The Patch. What's up Docs. Add to Playlist.

Radio 4 has a new health and wellness offering, What's Up Docs? It's a weekly podcast helmed by twin brothers Dr Chris and Dr Xand Van Tulleken, covering everything from low testosterone to creaky knees. But has its chatty style been a hit with listeners? and how are they getting on with a podcast being transmitted as part of the Radio 4 schedule? Presenter Andrea Catherwood puts your thoughts to Rhian Roberts, Head Commissioner for Podcasts and Formats.

In an unstable world, you might want to distance yourself from busy news schedules by taking a trip to somewhere else. That's what The Patch has been doing on BBC Radio 4 for the last few years, by generating a random UK postcode and then telling a unique or unheard story from the area. Two listeners from places featured on The Patch enter our VoxBox to give their views on the series. Andrea follows up with the programme's presenter and producer Polly Weston to hear her take on their discussion.

And one listener was so moved by the 100th episode of Add to Playlist that she pulled over to the side of the road to send us a message - we'll hear it in full here.

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

A Whistledown Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002f01k)
Michael Lachmann, Pik-sen Lim, Leon Krier, David 'Syd' Lawrence

Matthew Bannister on

The TV director Michael Lachmann who made some of the most acclaimed documentaries about science. Professor Brian Cox and Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock pays tribute.

Pik-sen Lim who became one of the most recognisable East Asian actors on British TV.

Leon Krier, the master planner behind King Charles’s controversial Poundbury development.

David “Syd” Lawrence, the fast bowler who was the first British-born black cricketer to play for England.

Interviewee:
Professor Brian Cox
Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock
Sara Houghton
Ben Pentreath
Dean Wilson

Producer: Ribika Moktan

Archive used:

Wonders of the Solar System: Order out of Chaos, BBC 2, BBC Production, written & directed by Michael Lachmann, series producer Danielle Peck, A BBC/ Science Channel Co-Production, BBC MMXVI, 14/03/2010; Wonders of the Universe: Stardust, produced and dir by Michael Lachmann, Series Producer James Van Der Pool, BBC Production, A BBC/ Discover/ Science Channel Co-Production BBC MMXVI, BBC Two, 04/07/2011; The Sky at Night: Planet 9 from Outer Space, Series Producer Michael Lachmann, BBC Science Production London, BBC MMXVI, BBC 4, 14/02/2016, bbc.co.uk/skyatnight; Human Universe: A Place in Space Time, produced & directed by: Stephen Cooter & Michael Lachmann, BBC Production, A BBC/ Science Channel Co-Production, BBC 2, 02/11/2014; Emergency Ward 10, script by Tessa Diamond, Directed by Peter Sasdy, An ATV Production, ITV, 1957-1967; Mind Your Language, creator Vince Powell, directed by Stuart Allen, London Weekend Television, ITV, 1977-1986; Celebrating & Connecting BESEA Women in Film, TV & Theatre, YouTube Upload KakiLang, 27/04/2021; Doctor Who, Season 8; The Mind of Evil, Episode 1, Producer Barry Letts, directed by Timothy Combe, BBC TV, 1971; Jenny: The Doctor's Daughter - Volume 1, Neon Reign, June 2018, written by Christian Brassington, directed by director Barnaby Edwards, Big Finish Productions; Newsnight, BBC Two, 26/07/1985; BBC News, 10/02/1992; BBC Points West 19/11/2014; BBC News, 15/10/1991; Third Ear: Leon Krier, BBC Radio 3, 21/02/1992; What Revival?, BBC Radio 3, 03/06/1983


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002f6pt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002f6nc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002f6pw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002f6py)
The Labour welfare row and Keir Starmer's first year as PM

Helen Catt's guests are the Labour MP Dan Tomlinson; shadow Treasury minister Gareth Davies; and the political commentator and Reform UK supporter, Tim Montgomerie. They discuss the government's attempts to change the welfare system, with Labour rebel Simon Opher explaining why the concessions made don't go far enough to persuade him to support the legislation. Lizzy Buchan - political editor of the Daily Mirror - brings additional insight and analysis. And the political biographer and historian Sir Anthony Seldon gives his assessment of Sir Keir Starmer's first year as Prime Minister.


SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m002dzy4)
Dragons

Melvyn Bragg and guests explore dragons, literally and symbolically potent creatures that have appeared in many different guises in countries and cultures around the world.

Sometimes compared to snakes, alligators, lions and even dinosaurs, dragons have appeared on clay tablets in ancient Mesopotamia, in the Chinese zodiac, in the guise of the devil in Christian religious texts and in the national symbolism of the countries of England and Wales.

They are often portrayed as terrifying but sometimes appear as sacred and even benign creatures, and they continue to populate our cultural fantasies through blockbuster films, TV series and children’s books.

With:

Kelsey Granger, Post Doctoral Researcher in Chinese History at the University of Edinburgh

Daniel Ogden, Professor of Ancient History at the University of Exeter

And

Juliette Wood, Associate Lecturer in the School of Welsh at the University of Wales.

Producer: Eliane Glaser

Reading list:

Paul Acker and Carolyne Larrington (eds.), Revisiting the Poetic Edda: Essays on Old Norse Heroic Legend (Routledge, 2013), especially ‘Dragons in the Eddas and in Early Nordic Art’ by Paul Acker

Scott G. Bruce (ed.), The Penguin Book of Dragons (Penguin, 2022)

James H. Charlesworth, The Good and Evil Serpent: How a Universal Symbol became Christianized (Yale University Press, 2009)

Juliana Dresvina, A Maid with a Dragon: The Cult of St Margaret of Antioch in Medieval England (Oxford University Press, 2016)

Joyce Tally Lionarons, The Medieval Dragon: The Nature of the Beast in Germanic Literature (Hisarlik Press, 1998)

Daniel Ogden, Dragons, Serpents, and Slayers in the Classical and Early Christian Worlds: A Sourcebook (Oxford University Press, 2013)

Daniel Ogden, The Dragon in the West (Oxford University Press, 2021)

Christine Rauer, Beowulf and the Dragon (D.S. Brewer, 2000)

Phil Senter et al., ‘Snake to Monster: Conrad Gessner’s Schlangenbuch and the Evolution of the Dragon in the Literature of Natural History’ (Journal of Folklore Research, vol. 53, no. 1, 2016)

Jacqueline Simpson, British Dragons: Myth, Legend and Folklore (first published 1980; Wordsworth Editions, 2001)

Jeffrey Snyder-Reinke, Dry Spells: State Rainmaking and Local Governance in Late Imperial China (Harvard University Press, 2009)

Roel Sterckx, The Animal and the Daemon in Early China (State University of New York Press, 2002)

Roel Sterckx, Chinese Thought: From Confucius to Cook Ding (Pelican Books, 2019)

J. R. R. Tolkien, The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays (first published 1983; HarperCollins, 2007)

Christopher Walter, The Warrior Saints in Byzantine Art and Tradition (Routledge, 2003)

Juliette Wood, Fantastic Creatures in Mythology and Folklore: From Medieval Times to the Present Day (Bloomsbury Academic, 2018)

Yang Xin, Li Yihua, and Xu Naixiang, Art of the Dragon (Shambhala, 1988)

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.


SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002f01h)
The Kiss

Catrin is living the dream. A stolen weekend in Paris with her younger lover. So why is she struggling to enjoy herself? An original short story by Francesca Rhydderch, read by Carys Eleri.

Production Co-Ordinator.....Eleri Sydney McAuliffe
Sound Design.....Nigel Lewis
Producer......Ryan Hooper

A BBC Audio Wales production

MONDAY 30 JUNE 2025

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002f6q0)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 00:15 Intrigue (m00224js)
Worse than Murder

5. A Sense of Evil

After weeks of dead ends, police finally have a breakthrough in Muriel McKay's kidnapping case. A suspicious blue Volvo leads them to Rooks Farm in rural Hertfordshire. As they raid the property, they find mounting evidence implicating brothers Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein. But there's still no sign of Muriel herself.

As detectives interrogate the brothers, a disturbing picture emerges of their backgrounds and possible motives. Meanwhile, the search of the sprawling farmland intensifies. Police are now certain they won't find Muriel alive, but can they find enough evidence to bring a murder charge without a body? The press descend on the scene, complicating the investigation. As the case builds, the question remains - what has happened to Muriel McKay?

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 (m002f6q2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002f6q4)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002f6q6)
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 (m002f6q8)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002f6qb)
Alicia McCarthy reports from Westminster on the history of parliamentary rebellions after Sir Keir Starmer was forced to offer major concessions to avoid a backbench revolt.


MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002f6qd)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002f6qg)
Mid-year MOT

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Mariama Ifode-Blease.

Good morning.

For those of us born in June, it can be a reflective time of year. For me personally, I get to this mid-point of the year, and look back as well as forward. What did I think I would have achieved by my birthday say, and what is there still to do before the end of the year? Have I managed to clear out that junk room, I’ve been meaning to do since moving in? No. Am I still persevering with weekly driving lessons, agonising though they may be? Yes. Have I given up my mild addiction to crisps and moved onto healthier snacks? No.

At this point of the year, we may also start to see patterns. What has worked well so far this year? What hasn’t? Who has shown up when it really mattered? Who has disappeared slowly, or perhaps rapidly, into the background of our lives? Where has there been growth and deep learning?

The shape of the year, if it hasn’t already started to do so, becomes a little clearer after the first six months. And that clarity can offer new possibilities, and options, for your patterns of living. This mid-year MOT can be a wake-up call, or a gentle affirmation that things are going in the right direction.

As the years have rolled by, I’ve learned to be less hard on myself. Rome wasn’t built in a day, I remind myself. It’s about the direction you’re facing, and whether what is before you, inspires hope in you.

So today, at the start of a new week, may I be granted the grace, to accept what has been, and to anticipate with joy, what is to come.

Amen.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002f6qj)
30/06/25 Bluetongue restrictions, telecoms leases, regenerative agriculture

From July, livestock going from England to Wales or Scotland must be tested for bluetongue, and farmers are warning the new system could be "catastrophic" for their businesses. The virus is spread by biting midges. It doesn't affect humans but can cause fever and lameness in cattle and sheep. From July 1st, the whole of England will become a bluetongue restriction zone, meaning livestock can move freely around. Governments in Cardiff and Edinburgh, however, have decided that animals coming from England must test negative for the virus before they're allowed in.

Farmers renting land for mobile phone masts may be about to lose money. The government is considering changing the rules, which would allow companies to re-write rental agreements and potentially impose rent cuts retrospectively. The guidelines are part of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill, part two. There were changes to the rules in 2017 which, critics say, caused a lot of problems. The Country Land and Business Association or CLA thinks the new proposals will make things worse.

All week, we're talking about regenerative agriculture. It's a way of farming which aims to restore and protect soils. Regen methods include farming without ploughing, using cover crops so fields are never left bare, growing a range of crops, and using animals to fertilise the ground. But there is no one definition of "regenerative". Professor Andy Neal, a soil microbiologist at Rothamsted Research, explains why he thinks that's a good thing.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


MON 05:57 Weather (m002f6ql)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m002f8sx)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Marianna in Conspiracyland (m002fcbh)
Marianna in Conspiracyland 2

1. The Dove and the Pigeon

What happened to Paloma? Aged 22, Paloma Shemirani has her whole life ahead of her. She’s recently graduated, moved into a flat and found a job. But just days before Christmas in 2023 she receives bad news, she has cancer - an aggressive but treatable form of Lymphoma. Despite a good prognosis, Paloma decides - at least initially - to reject chemotherapy. The BBC’s social media investigations correspondent Marianna Spring investigates what happened and what this tells us about the mainstreaming of anti-medicine ideas.

Host: Marianna Spring
Producer: Anna Harris
Story Editor: Matt Willis
Sound Designer: Tony Churnside
Editor: Sam Bonham
Commissioning producer: Nathan Jones
Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts

This was a BBC collaboration with Panorama.


MON 09:30 Fool's Gold (p0kz4ny8)
1. Buried Treasure

June 2015, Herefordshire. Two Welsh detectorists - George Powell and Layton Davies - stumble upon a Viking hoard estimated to be worth up to £12m.

They could have become very rich and been celebrated as heroes in museums across the land. But instead, they began to hatch a criminal plot. Narrated by Aimee-Ffion Edwards (Detectorists/Slow Horses), this is the story of how to go from the luckiest treasure hunters on earth, to Newport’s most wanted.

Narrator: Aimee-Ffion Edwards

Contributors: Holly Morgan, Dawn Chipchase & Simon Wicks

Sound design: Peregrine Andrews,

Production co-ordinator: Dan Marchini

Additional Research: Holly Morgan

Associate Producer: David James Smith.

Producer: Aron Keller

Exec Producer: James Robinson

A BBC Studios Audio Production


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002f8sz)
Paternity Leave, Wimbledon, Sudan civil war, Women footballers

Introduced in 2003, statutory paternity leave, allows most new fathers and second parents in the UK to take up to two weeks off work. As a result, according to a new report from the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Bath, women continue to shoulder most of the care burden after childbirth. The report calls on the UK government to introduce six weeks of well-paid paternity leave, arguing the move would promote gender equality, support working families and boost economic growth. Nuala McGovern is joined by co-author of that report Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg.

This summer, women's sport takes centre stage across the BBC and especially here on Woman's Hour where we'll be keeping you up to date across all the action. The UEFA Women's Euro 2025 championship starts on Wednesday but today is the first day of the Wimbledon tennis championships. A total of 23 British players are competing in the men's and women's singles this year - that's the most since 1984. And the women's line is reported to be the strongest since the 80s. Playing today are British number 2 Katie Boulter and British Number One, Emma Raducanu who faces another Brit- 17 year old, Mimi Xu. Molly McEl-wee, tennis journalist and author of a new women's tennis book 'Building Champions' and Naomi Cavaday, former British player and part of the BBC commentating team at Wimbledon this year discuss.

The French-Tunisian documentary filmmaker Hind Meddeb joins us to discuss her latest film Sudan, Remember Us. For four years she was embedded with Sudanese activists in the country capturing the start of a sit in protest at Army headquarters in Khartoum in 2019 which led to a massacre and subsequent civil war. She is joined by Yousra Elbagir, Sky News’ Africa Correspondent who will explain the significance of that sit-in in 2019 and why the war in Sudan shouldn’t be dismissed as just another civil war but as an uprising that affects us all more globally.

The women’s Euros start this week, with teams from both England and Wales taking part. The Lionesses won the Euros in 2022 and much was made of the number of openly lesbian players both in the England squad and across the other teams. In a new graphic novel called Florrie a football love story, Anna Trench tells the story of the ground breaking women footballers from the end of the First World War and highlights the pioneering lesbians players of the past. Rachael Bullingham, Senior Lecturer of Sport and Exercise at the University of Gloucestershire joins the discussion.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Kirsty Starkey


MON 11:00 Starmer's Stormy Year (m002f8t1)
In July 2024, Sir Keir Starmer swept to Downing Street with a landslide majority, returning Labour to power after 14 years in the wilderness.

He promised a mission-led Government, ‘a decade of national renewal’ in which he would return his party and the country to the ‘service of working people’.

But Labour’s political honeymoon was short-lived: within a few months, confidence in the government was faltering amid plunging poll ratings and anger over decisions such as the removal of winter fuel payments to pensioners.

Having reported from Westminster throughout a turbulent year, BBC Chief Political Correspondent Henry Zeffman revisits the most dramatic moments – the arrival in Downing Street, early crises including summer riots, the 'freebies' scandal, a controversial Budget, economic turmoil following Trump’s tariffs, policy twists and u-turns and mould-breaking local elections heralding the rise of Reform UK.

He interviews insiders, senior figures in and around government, some of whom are speaking in detail for the first time, including former cabinet secretary Simon Case.

Why did the government have such a shaky start? Ministers blame the inheritance from the Conservatives but were some of the crises self-inflicted? Are critics right to claim the government was chaotically ill-prepared? Can Labour win back confidence and support from voters? Will the PM's confident performance on the global stage help turn fortunes around?

As we explore, we ask a fundamental question: what is this government for? ‘Change’ was Labour’s core message at the general election. How does Keir Starmer want to change Britain and how far is he succeeding?

Producer: Leela Padmanabhan
Sound design: Hal Haines


MON 11:45 Unearthing the Past by Sarah Dunant (m002f8t3)
1. The Past Is a Foreign Country

The acclaimed novelist Sarah Dunant explores the craft of blending fact and fiction to understand the past in a beguiling series of essays centred on the Renaissance icon Isabella d'Este, The Marchesa of Mantua. Written and read by Sarah Dunant.

The best-selling author of the acclaimed Italian Renaissance novels The Birth of Venus, Blood and Beauty and now, The Marchesa, takes us into the archives where she uncovers a wealth of letters and other documentation charting the wonders of the high Renaissance and the life and times of its first female art collector, fashion icon and political operator, Isabella d'Este, marchesa of Mantua. In this illuminating series Sarah Dunant unearths wonders that bring alive the past, how people lived, their values and their beliefs. Taking as her starting point the novelist L.P. Hartley's line 'the past is a foreign country' Sarah explores how we must sometimes suspend our own judgements to understand the social, political and cultural forces that determined the outcome of world events and every day life. From the acquisition of assets, art and horses, to the fealty of pets, the vicissitudes of motherhood, sex and marriage, and the wielding of cultural influence, Unearthing the Past gives us insights into how we might better understand and appreciate our colourful forebears.

You can hear more from Sarah Dunant about Isabella d'Este on Not Just The Tudors, available now on BBC Sounds. From the Aztecs to witches, Prof Suzannah Lipscomb talks all aspects of the Tudor period.

Produced by Elizabeth Allard


MON 12:00 News Summary (m002f8t5)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002f8t7)
RTS Deadline U-Turn; Festival Tents; Outlet Shopping

Today - 30th June - was meant to be the day that all RTS electricity meters were to be switched off. Over the past few months we've been following this story and discovered that the energy companies were so far behind in fitting replacement meters that the deadline of the 30th June looked impossible. Many listeners contacted us concerned that they would be left without hot water or heating if the meters were switched off. Now the deadline has been scrapped and the meters will be phased out rather than switched off, as originally planned. We hear from one frustrated listener about their attempts to get their meter replaced and Energy UK about their handling of situation and what happens next.

As the massive clean-up operation kicks off at Glastonbury the issue of abandoned tents will once again be on the radar. 1000s of tents are abandoned at festivals every year. One approach to deal the issue comes from sports and outdoor wear retailer Decathlon. It's offering people their money back for certain tents bought for festivals to discourage people from leaving them behind. We hear from them about how it works and what they do with the returned tents - plus we hear from someone who turns abandoned tents into outdoor clothing.

And outlet shopping has come a long way since it first arrived in the UK as a US import over 30 years ago. Many outlet centres are more successful than mainstream, full priced shopping centres today and have better weathered the cost-of-living storm. But are the bargains really what they seem? We hear from two insiders on how it all works.

PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: CATHERINE EARLAM


MON 12:57 Weather (m002f8t9)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m002f8tc)
Government tries to win over rebels on welfare reform bill

As the government aims to prevent a backbench rebellion over its welfare reform bill, we will hear from Westminster on the mood of Labour MPs and speak to one who is yet to be convinced. A former content regulator at Ofcom lends his view to the controversy around the broadcasting of punk duo Bob Vylan's Glastonbury performance, and we hear how people across Europe are handling record temperatures.


MON 13:45 Politically (m002f8tf)
Postwar

16. The Result

David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age.

The 1945 general election was one of the biggest shocks in British parliamentary history: a decisive rejection of Winston Churchill and his leadership. The election of Clement Attlee's Labour government in a landslide marked a break with the past and signalled a strong desire on the part of the British people for something new. But it was also a product of Britain's wartime experiences and revealed the many ways in which the country had already changed.

The years that followed -- the postwar years -- would bring about bold and radical reform, the building of a new nation, a 'New Jerusalem'. The Britain of the National Health Service and the welfare state, of nationalised industry and the so-called 'postwar consensus' -- all were ushered into place with this election. This is the Britain that most have us have grown up in and which still shapes an idea of who we think we are.

Voting took place on Thursday 5th July 1945 – eight weeks after VE Day – and when the polls closed there were no overnight counts, no race to be the first to declare. All around the country ballot boxes were sealed, transported to police stations and town hall basements – and locked away until the votes of servicemen and women overseas were shipped back to their constituencies.

The immediate result of the general election, then, was silence: a three-week hiatus. But it was a natural assumption that Winston Churchill, the war hero, would emerge from that hiatus as the winner. Labour leader Clement Attlee certainly thought so. He had no idea what was coming when the ballot boxes were opened.

Featuring David Kynaston and Robert Saunders.


MON 14:00 The Archers (m002f6pr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Ed Reardon's Week (m002f8th)
Series 16

1. A Crumbling Edifice

Ed is still mourning his beloved companion Elgar. Whilst being bombarded with mail from retirement homes.

This week, his quest continues to try to find a new source of income to replace the one he’s lost from his writing class, whose third age students’ property wealth has become so vast they’ve all relocated to Dubai. Never one to be defeated, Ed applies for an ostler's job at The Countrywoman magazine and clears his storage cupboard to illegally sub-let it as an ‘opportunity for boutique capsule living’. He may be lucky and get a human being to live there – or maybe an actor.

Ed Reardon, failed writer, master of the diatribe and a man with a never-ending capacity to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory hits the milestone of his 20th anniversary on Radio 4.

First broadcast in 2005 Ed Reardon continues to be a social commentator of considerable comic depth and the show attracts some of the UK’s finest actors with the roll call since its start including Jenny Agutter, Jonathan Bailey, Raquel Cassidy, Stephanie Cole, Monica Dolan, John Fortune, Sally Hawkins, Don Gilet and Maggie Steed. In series 16 the alumni are joined by Adrian Scarborough, Robert Powell, Stephen Mangan and Joe Thomas.

Ed Reardon - Christopher Douglas
Eli - Lisa Coleman
Christos/Uncle Beastly - Simon Greenall
Ping - Barunka O’Shaughnessy
Shelia/Francesca - Nicola Sanderson
Ross - Dan Tetsell
Simon - Joe Thomas

Written by Christopher Douglas

Produced by Dawn Ellis

Production Co-ordinator : Katie Baum

Sound : Jon Calver & Alison McKenzie


MON 14:45 Dance Move by Wendy Erskine (m001d5rz)
Episode 5 - Secrets Bonita Beach Krystal Cancun

In Dance Move, the new collection of stories from Wendy Erskine, we meet characters who are looking to wrest control of their lives, only to find themselves defined by the moment in their past that marked them. In these stories – as in real life – the funny, the tender and the devastating go hand in hand. Full of warmth, the familiar and the strange, they are about what it means to live in the world, how far you can end up from where you came from, and what it means to look back.
Shortlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize 2022.

The Author
Wendy Erskine lives in Belfast. Her fiction and non-fiction have been published by Repeater, Dostoyevsky Wannabe, Faber & Faber, Tangerine Press, No Alibis Press and Rough Trade Books. Sweet Home, her first collection of stories, was shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize and the Republic of Consciousness Prize. It was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and won the 2020 Butler Literary Award.

Reader: Roísín Gallagher
Author: Wendy Erskine
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Michael Shannon
Executive Editor: Andy Martin

A BBC Northern Ireland Production.


MON 15:00 A Good Read (m002f8tl)
Budgie and Juhea Kim

NAUSEA by Jean-Paul Sartre
GO WENT GONE by Jenny Erpenbeck
LAURUS by Evgeny Vodolazkin

Budgie is best known as the drummer with Siouxsie & The Banshees and The Creatures, as well as The Slits. His memoir The Absence: Memoirs of A Banshee is published in July 2025. Together with the Korean novelist Juhea Kim he chooses his favourite book to discuss with Harriett Gilbert. His choice is Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre because he it resonated with him as a young man finding his place in the world.

Juhea Kim is the author of two critically acclaimed novels - Beasts of A Little Land and City of Night Birds. Juhea's choice is set in 15th century Russia and is the story of Arseny, a healer who makes a pilgrimage through plague ridden Europe to Jerusalem. Laurus by Evgeny Vodolazkin is a densely packed novel that deals with fundamental questions about the purpose of life and death. It's also extremely humorous in parts.

Go Went Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck is Harriett's choice. Set in Berlin, it is the story of a newly retired German Professor and how he becomes involved with a group of African asylum seekers trapped within a bureaucratic system that bounces them back and forth between Italy and Germany with no resolution in sight.

It's produced by Maggie Ayre for BBC Audio in Bristol

Photo credit Billy & Hells


MON 15:30 Curious Cases (m002c71h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Saturday]


MON 16:00 Currently (m002f6p2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 Soul Music (m0026999)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


MON 17:00 PM (m002f8tn)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002f8tq)
Police begin a criminal investigation into anti-Israel chants at Glastonbury

Avon and Somerset Police has said it's opened a criminal investigation into Bob Vylan's performance at Glastonbury. They are also conducting a separate investigation into the Northern Irish band, Kneecap's, set at the festival. The force said it would "closely consider all appropriate legislation, including relating to hate crimes." Also: The government lays out the concessions to its welfare reforms. And warnings about extreme heat are extended across much of England.


MON 18:30 It's a Fair Cop (m002f8ts)
Series 9

6. Misrepresentation

A new police initiative forces Alfie to hand out his personal business card, quickly drawing him into a peculiar case. He soon finds himself navigating a world of hidden identities and questionable motives, from an an "MBE" with a penchant for private clamping to suspicious strangers in parked cars.

Join Alfie and his audience of sworn-in deputies as they ask: when does misrepresentation actually become a crime?

Written and presented by Alfie Moore
Additional Material: Will Ing
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: Carl Cooper

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4


MON 19:00 The Archers (m002f8mc)
During her interview at The Bull Joy admits her catering industry experience is limited, while Kenton’s attention is elsewhere. Joy clearly has the passion, and Fallon is supportive. But when Kenton leaves abruptly, followed by concerned Fallon, Joy is left with Tracy, who fills her in on Kenton’s troubled weekend after the ID parade. Joy then comes to the rescue as the pub is inundated with roadworkers wanting sandwiches and Tracy can’t cope on her own. Meanwhile, outside in the car park, Kenton confesses to being haunted by the dog that attacked him. Fallon’s sympathetic, suggesting he take some time out, but Kenton can’t - they’re far too busy. Fallon then helps Joy complete the order for the roadworkers and is very impressed by the way Joy coped and stuck to their house style: classy but not fussy. Joy recommends Usha to Kenton for helpful advice on legal matters, before Fallon offers Joy the job, with Kenton’s backing.

At school dinner time Clarrie tells Henry she’s getting much less grief from the kids now she’s being more assertive. Henry agrees, having seen her in action. But later Henry tells Helen he’s worried Clarrie might have overdone things and become too outspoken. Clarrie then turns up at Beechwood with an apple bake for Natasha and the girls, taking the opportunity to offer Henry a lift home from school, if ever he needs one. That’s a step too far for Henry, who confides in Helen that he fears he may just have helped create a monster!


MON 19:15 Front Row (m002f8tv)
Jurassic World Rebirth director Gareth Edwards

British director Gareth Edwards talks to Samira Ahmed about how his love of the films of Steven Spielberg inspired his new film Jurassic Park Rebirth, the latest chapter in the blockbuster dinosaur film franchise. He also talks about the making of his film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which is gaining even more acclaim after the huge success of the hit prequel series Andor.

The EU has brought in new anti-terror laws aimed at stopping groups like so-called Islamic State from profiting from the trade of antiquities. But art dealers are worried the new red tape will hit their legitimate trade too. Art world analyst Ivan Macquisten and investigative journalist Riah Pryor discuss the situation.

Lena Dunham’s latest series Too Much is a Rom-Com, inspired by her own life, moving to London and unexpectedly finding love with an indie musician, Luis Felber.

The Oscar-winning film and TV composer Lalo Schifrin died recently. He wrote hundreds of theme tunes and scores including Bullit, Enter The Dragon, THX 1138 and Dirty Harry. Also on TV: Starsky and Hutch, Planet of the Apes. His most famous work came in 1966 with the theme tune for Mission: Impossible. Neil Brand pays tribute

Presenter Samira Ahmed
Producer Harry Graham


MON 20:00 Rethink (m002dzyx)
Rethink... summer holidays

Two weeks in the sun - it's the classic summer getaway. For many of us, summer holidays are something to look forward to all year.

But some of the most popular destinations for British holidaymakers are under strain. Protesters in Barcelona and Majorca have been pushing back at the number of visitors they host - even spraying them with water pistols. Locals are unhappy at being priced out of the housing market and feeling pressure on public services - but they also need tourists to support their economies.

At the same time, many destinations are experiencing increasingly hot summers, with sometimes catastrophic results. Two years ago, 20,000 tourists in Rhodes were forced to evacuate their hotels to get away from wildfires. Climate models suggest future summers will be hotter still.

So is it time to rethink how we approach the summer holiday?

Should we be considering different destinations for our holidays - swapping Mediterranean beaches for northern Europe or British destinations? Would those places be ready for more summer visitors? How can tourist destinations change to meet shifting demands? Is it time for schools to move away from the long summer break?

We'll look at the history of the beach holiday, and try and imagine what summer holidays will look like in the future. And we'll ask - what is a summer holiday for?

Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Lucy Burns
Editor: Clare Fordham

Contributors

Sarah Stodola, author of The Last Resort: A Chronicle of Paradise, Profit and Peril at the Beach
Simon Calder, travel journalist
Christos Giannakopoulos, research director, the National Observatory of Athens
Rowland Rees-Evans, chair of the Wales Tourism Alliance
Lee Elliot-Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter

Rethink is a BBC co-production with the Open University


MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m002dzyz)
What happens when you bomb a uranium enrichment site?

All eyes have been on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities this week. The targets of an attack on Saturday by the United States. Marnie Chesterton asks Professor Simon Middleburgh, nuclear materials scientist at the Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor University what the impact could have been.

As the first images are revealed from the world’s most powerful optical telescope, Professor Chris Lintott brings us news of how you can get involved in scouring the depths of the universe. Caroline Steel brings us the science news that has scientists excited this week, and Marnie visits the first new dinosaur to go on show at London’s Natural History Museum for more than a decade.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell & Clare Salisbury
Editor: Glyn Tansley
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


MON 21:00 Archive on 4 (m0026rpq)
The Shipping Forecast at 100: Shipshaped

The Mary Rose, The Mayflower, The Cutty Sark, The Golden Hind, The Victory, The Fighting Temeraire...

As a nation we are defined by the sea that surrounds these islands, and the sailing ships that left our shores. Some remain preserved in museums as monuments to a lost age, now that the ‘age of sail’ has long since passed. Nobody in the British Isles lives more than seventy miles from the sea. However much we might feel landlocked, what came from the sea shaped these islands: our ports, our towns and cities, the law, trade, politics, the economy, art and literature, even our dreams.

To mark 100 years of the Shipping Forecast, the historian Jerry Brotton explores the sea shapes left in the land. He asks, where are the traces of this lost world and how have we been defined by our maritime past, now that the sailing ships are gone? How are we ship shaped?

Using archive to find resonances in the modern world and including contributions from Aditi Anand, Andrea Clarke, Louise Devoy, Corinne Fowler, Katherine Gazzard, Richard Hamblyn, Rebecca Higgitt, Laura Howarth, Aaron Jaffer, Andrew Lambert, David Olusoga, Philip Pearson, Fariha Shaikh, James M. Turner and Chris Wilson.

Featuring music from the London Sea Shanty Collective.

Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Development producer: Eliane Glaser
Sound design: Tony Churnside

A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002f8tx)
Has government done enough to see off welfare rebellion?

On the eve of the vote on its welfare reform bill, the government has tried to defuse a backbench rebellion. But has it done enough? We speak to one rebel MP.

Also on the programme:

A new dimension to the violence in the Middle East, as Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank attack Israeli troops.

And we pay tribute to ITN newsreader Sandy Gall who has died. His former colleague, Sir Trevor McDonald, pays his respect.


MON 22:45 Summer by Edith Wharton (m002f8tz)
1: 'I'm a lonesome man.'

Edith Wharton's tale of forbidden passion and sexual awakening that created a sensation on publication in 1917.

Charity Royall is desperate to escape the dull, rural New England backwater where she works as a librarian - as well as her hard-drinking adoptive father. When a young city architect walks into the town, he seems to offer her hope for a new life. But will her past overshadow their relationship? And can their illicit affair ever bring her the freedom she craves?

Considered by some to be Wharton's finest work, Summer was one of the first novels to deal honestly with a young woman's sexual awakening, and darker themes of incest.

Today: Charity Royall is bored of her dull life in North Dormer. But when city architect Lucius Harney walks in one June day, Charity begins to dream of a new life...

Reader: Lydia Wilson
Writer: Edith Wharton was famous for her novels including The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence, for which she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, in 1921.
Abridger: Julian Wilkinson
Producer: Justine Willett


MON 23:00 Whodunnits (m000jx47)
A Charles Paris Mystery - A Doubtful Death

4. Smile and be a Villain

Charles is in Oxford appearing in a re-imagining of Hamlet by a high-concept theatre group, but the actress playing Ophelia has been found dead.

Charles has accused the director of murdering both his production of Hamlet - and his actress lover.

It doesn't go down well.

So who did kill Jenny?

Starring Bill Nighy.

Another case for loveably louche actor-cum-sleuth, Charles Paris.

Conclusion of Simon Brett's crime novel.

Dramatised by Jeremy Front.

Charles Paris .... Bill Nighy
Frances .... Suzanne Burden
Maurice .... Jon Glover
Dan .... Will Kirk
Tomasz .... Ian Conningham
Cassie .... Heather Craney
Fortinbrass .... Ikky Elyas

Director: Sally Avens

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2020.


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002f8v1)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster where some Labour MPs say they're still unhappy about the government's proposed welfare reforms, despite the weekend's U-turn.

TUESDAY 01 JULY 2025

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002f8v3)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 00:30 Unearthing the Past by Sarah Dunant (m002f8t3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002f8v5)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002f8v7)
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 (m002f8v9)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002f8vc)
Alison McCarthy reports as MPs question the government about changes to its welfare policy.


TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002f8vf)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002f8vh)
Wait a Minute, Mr Postman

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Mariama Ifode-Blease.

Good morning.

I’ve had a love affair with the post office for as long as I can remember. Family and friends know for example, that I’ve always chosen where to live, based on its distance from the nearest post office.

It’s hard to pin down when the post office became so important to me. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been blessed by friends, who lived overseas, since I was a teenager. Perhaps it’s because I’ve had great epistolary friendships, choosing the pen over the keyboard.

So, the building came to symbolise connection, and friendship, and happy memories. Through postcards, letters, birthday and Christmas cards, I’ve felt the post office, as central to my wellbeing. There’s something about getting a letter in the post, that still feels different to an email.

Last month, I received a lovely card and letter, from the parents of a wedding couple, I had recently married. It was from the groom’s parents, thanking me for the wedding, and saying some very kind things. It was so unexpected and so generous, that I was overwhelmed with emotion. This was not the usual letter from a charity, or the usual bill. I didn’t expect the note, as I was simply doing my job as a priest, but it was so special to read their words. It reminded me, that thanking people, has such an impact. A sincere thank you, with specifics, to someone who would not have expected it, can transform their day. I wonder who you could thank in this way today?

So, today, I pray for a thankful heart, and for the opportunity, to be able to thank someone deeply.

Amen.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002f8vm)
01/07/25 Early harvest, regenerative agriculture, farmers' data

Harvest has begun early in some parts of the country, combine harvesters were out in several different counties last week. The early start is really down to exceptionally low rainfall, throughout the spring and now the sunny, hot weather. Last year, the wet autumn meant planting crops then was delayed but crops planted this spring went in early. Breaking records for starting harvest isn’t always a celebration and it seems this year, yields could be significantly down, although it’s a little early to be definitive. We speak to Olly Harrison in Merseyside who's farming in an area where drought was declared in May.

Regenerative farming used to be seen as niche, but as we’ll hear all this week, that’s gradually changing. With more farmers working their land regeneratively, how much of a market is there for what they're growing and the livestock they're rearing? Does the public understand what it is? That’s what farmers, buyers and industry experts have been discussing at Carbon Calling, a regenerative farming conference held in Cumbria.

Agricultural shows across the country this summer are a fun day out for some, and all about showing animals for others but many also provide an important public forum to discuss the latest issues concerning farmers. At the Royal Norfolk show, this year’s big debate was about data. Farms harvest massive amounts of data, on crops, markets, carbon footprints and profitability but how that data is used, who can see it, and who owns it are serious issues all the way along the food supply chain.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


TUE 06:00 Today (m002f8ln)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 Artworks (m002f8lq)
Three Transformations of Virginia Woolf

1. Inner Lives

'Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.'

A century on from the publication of Mrs Dalloway, Fiona Shaw explores what Virginia Woolf has to say to us today. With Clarissa Dalloway as our guide, we discover how Woolf captured and critiqued a modern world that was transforming around her, treated mental health as a human experience rather than a medical condition, and challenged gender norms in ways that seem light years ahead of even our present day discourse.

In this episode, Fiona Shaw speaks with authors, academics and artists inspired by Virginia Woolf, about how Woolf foregrounded interior lives.

Fiona hears from authors Michael Cunningham, Mark Haddon and Naomi Alderman; Woolf biographer Alexandra Harris; filmmaker Sally Potter; Professor of Modernist Literature, Bryony Randall; Professor of English, Mark Hussey; and Professor of Twentieth Century Literature, Anna Snaith.

Extracts read by Gwendoline Christie.

Produced by Ellie Richold for BBC Audio Wales


TUE 09:30 Inside Health (m002f8lt)
Are we being too safe in the sun? How to balance the risks

When the sun shines, out come the warnings that we all need to be careful in the sun to avoid burning and the risk of skin cancer. There are, though, those who believe that sort of public health messaging isn't positive enough about the benefits of the sun.

As James Gallagher hears on the streets of Brighton, many of us know about the health benefits of vitamin d but new research suggests other benefits could be important for our health too.

Should we working harder to get a balance of taking care in the sun but making sure we get enough exposure to it?

James Gallagher looks at the evidence with Dr Richard Weller, Personal Chair of Medical Dermatology and Honorary Consultant Dermatologist at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Zoe Venables, a dermatologist with an interest in skin cancer epidemiology at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, and Dr Margaret McCartney, GP, expert in evidence-based medicine.

This episode is produced in partnership with The Open University.

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Tom Bonnett
Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett
Editor: Glyn Tansley


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002f8lw)
Fiona Shaw, Prositution Law, Director Rebecca Frecknall

Award-winning actor Fiona Shaw has starred in Killing Eve, Bad Sisters, Fleabag, True Detective: Night Country, Echo Valley and even as Aunt Petunia in Harry Potter, among many other things. She’s won and been nominated for several Laurence Olivier awards for her work on stage and she’s even directed opera. Now starring in a new film adaptation of Deborah Levy’s novel, Hot Milk, Fiona plays Rose, who goes to Almería, Spain with her daughter, Sofia, played by the brilliant Emma Mackey, to try to find a cure for Rose’s mysterious paralysis at an experimental clinic. Fiona joins Nuala McGovern live in the studio to discuss it.

The Scottish Parliament is looking for opinions on a proposed bill which would change the laws on prostitution in the country. It targets those who buy sexual services by creating a new criminal offence of paying for a sexual act. If passed, it would criminalise those buying sex, while decriminalising those selling it. The woman behind the bill, MSP Ash Regan, speaks to Woman’s Hour about why she wants the change, and responds to criticisms that it could make sex work less safe.

Today government ministers have launched a review of UK parental leave and pay to reset the system and speaking yesterday the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said people were scared of having children because of the high costs and she wanted “more young people to have children, if they so choose”. But getting to become a parent can sometimes require ongoing fertility treatment meaning time away from work. And Fertility Matters at Work are calling for those undergoing this support to have the legal right to take time off for their appointments. They've published a report on it and the author Becky Kearns joins Nuala. She's the co-founder and CEO of Fertility Matters at Work.

A new production of Eugene O’Neill’s A Moon for the Misbegotten, starring Ruth Wilson, is on at the Almeida theatre in London. Nuala is joined by multi award-winning director Rebecca Frecknall to discuss the central character Josie, and why the father-daughter relationship at the heart of the play spoke to her.

Women’s cricket in England has been through trials and tribulations recently. The team lost 16-0 to Australia in the Women's Ashes at the start of this year, and were knocked out of the T20 World Cup at the end of last year. But in June, after the appointment of a new coach and captain, had a clean sweep in their T20 series against the West Indies. Now they’re facing India in a series of T20 matches, and suffered a defeat in their first match. Player, commentator and podcast host Melissa Story shares her thoughts on the team’s performance, as well as what’s happening in women’s cricket on a local level.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Emma Pearce


TUE 11:00 Add to Playlist (m002f01w)
Debbie Wiseman and Ben Gernon round off the series

Wolf Hall composer Debbie Wiseman and conductor Ben Gernon join Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe as they add the final five tracks to the playlist for the current series. From the UK's first Eurovision winner to a heavy metal classic via Europe's second-longest river, the team wrap up the series before returning in August.

Producer: Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe

The five tracks in this week's playlist:

Puppet on a String by Sandie Shaw
The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II
Hai, Dunărea mea by Elena Roizen
3rd movement of the Piano Concerto in A Minor by Edvard Grieg
Overkill by Motörhead

Other music in this episode:

Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye
Petit Pays by Cesária Évora
Always Something There To Remind Me by Sandie Shaw
Congratulations by Cliff Richard
Back Home by the 1970 England World Cup Squad
Shang-a-Lang by The Bay City Rollers
1st movement of the Piano Concerto in A Minor by Edvard Grieg


TUE 11:45 Unearthing the Past by Sarah Dunant (m002f8ly)
2. Renaissance Menageries

Fidelity, companionship and wonder - in her next essay the acclaimed novelist Sarah Dunant turns her attention to the role played by pets and animals in the courts of the Italian Renaissance.

The best-selling author of the acclaimed Italian Renaissance novels The Birth of Venus, Blood and Beauty and now, The Marchesa, takes us into the archives where she uncovers a wealth of letters and other documentation charting the wonders of the high Renaissance and the life and times of its first female art collector, fashion icon and political operator, Isabella d'Este, marchesa of Mantua. In this illuminating series Sarah Dunant unearths wonders that bring alive the past, how people lived, their values and their beliefs. Taking as her starting point the novelist L.P. Hartley's line 'the past is a foreign country' Sarah explores how we must sometimes suspend our own judgements to understand the social, political and cultural forces that determined the outcome of world events and every day life. From the acquisition of assets, art and horses, to the fealty of pets, the vicissitudes of motherhood, sex and marriage, and the wielding of cultural influence, Unearthing the Past gives us insights into how we might better understand and appreciate our colourful forebears.

Written and read by Sarah Dunant

Produced by Elizabeth Allard


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002f8m1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002f8m3)
Call You and Yours - How do you eat healthy food and keep costs down?

Food businesses are being told to make it easier for us to buy healthy food. It's part of the government's plans to reform the NHS by preventing disease as well as treating it.

Research by the Food Foundation found that 1,000 calories of healthy food such as fruit and veg costs £8.80, compared to £4.30 for the equivalent amount of less healthy food, like ready meals and processed meats.

How do you eat healthy food and keep costs down?

You can email us at youandyours@bbc.co.uk

Our phone lines open at 11am on Tuesday, you can call 03700 100 444.

PRODUCER: JAY UNGER
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON


TUE 12:57 Weather (m002f8m5)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m002f8m7)
Three former bosses of Lucy Letby arrested

Three former senior staff at the hospital where the nurse Lucy Letby worked are arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter – we get a briefing. Ahead of a vote on the government’s welfare bill, we assess the likely size of the rebellion. Plus, could we see the return of the lynx to the UK? A leading re-wilding expert tells us why he thinks we will.


TUE 13:45 Politically (m002f8m9)
Postwar

17. A New Jerusalem?

David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age.

The 1945 general election was one of the biggest shocks in British parliamentary history: a decisive rejection of Winston Churchill and his leadership. The election of Clement Attlee's Labour government in a landslide marked a break with the past and signalled a strong desire on the part of the British people for something new. But it was also a product of Britain's wartime experiences and revealed the many ways in which the country had already changed.

The years that followed -- the postwar years -- would bring about bold and radical reform, the building of a new nation, a 'New Jerusalem'. The Britain of the National Health Service and the welfare state, of nationalised industry and the so-called 'postwar consensus' -- all were ushered into place with this election. This is the Britain that most have us have grown up in and which still shapes an idea of who we think we are.

The Clement Attlee government's efforts to renew the nation after 1945 is sometimes referred to as a New Jerusalem. But that reference to William Blake's poem – with its vision of “pleasant pastures” – is also evidence of a certain nostalgia for an idea of Britain – of England – that’s rooted deep in the country’s past. And it gives voice to a central question faced by the Labour government in 1945: how much of Britain’s past were they willing to jettison in order to build Jerusalem in England’s – Britain’s – green and pleasant land.

Featuring David Kynaston and Robert Saunders.


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002f8mc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 McLevy (m002f8mf)
McLevy in the New World (Series 3)

2/2. Names in the Dust

Brian Cox stars in series 3 of the comedy drama by David Ashton, set in San Francisco in 1849. McLevy tracks down the men who blew up a river but can he solve the murder of a gold miner and the kidnap of a rancher, without facing a gunfight with a notorious killer?

Created and Written by David Ashton
Produced and Directed by Bruce Young

Cast
Brian Cox............................McLevy
Siobhan Redmond..........Jean
Gunnar Cauthery.............George S Taylor
Rosie Cavaliero.................Regina Perez
Aidan Redmond...............Vallance
Shaun Chambers.............Cyrus
Jason Barnett....................Billy/Diego
Joseph Baldemarra.........Juan

Production Manager....Tayler Norris
Studio Engineer...............Paul Clark
Editor...................................Joanne Willot
Executive Producer........Gordon Kennedy

Recorded at Sonica Studios, London
Edited at BBC Scotland, Glasgow

An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 15:00 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley (m002f8mh)
Lady Swindlers with Lucy Worsley - Series 2

48. Amelie Decuzpere - International Art Thief

Lucy Worsley is back with another episode 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 exploring the lodging houses and pawnbrokers of Victorian London on the trail of French art thief Amelie Decuzpere. She and her husband Paul make a habit of moving into new lodgings and swiftly disappearing, taking with them everything that isn’t nailed down. But, as Lucy discovers, they also have an eye for a valuable old master painting.

With Lucy to explore Amelie Decuzpere’s story is the illustrator and graphic artist Malika Favre, who shares Amelie’s experience of living in London as a young French woman.

Lucy is also joined by historian Rosalind Crone, Professor of History at the Open University. Lucy and Ros visit the Bow Street Museum of Crime and Justice to find out how the police went about tracking down Amelie, and the site of a London pawnbroker’s shop where Amelie was a frequent visitor.

Lucy wants to know how different women’s lives were in England and France in the mid-19th Century. And how does a foreign Lady Swindler navigate the English justice system?

Producer: Jane Greenwood
Readers: Jonathan Keeble and Alex Phelps
Sound design: Chris Maclean
Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter

A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 15:30 Thinking Allowed (m002f8mk)
The Irish in the UK

Laurie Taylor talks to Louise Ryan, Professor of Sociology at the London Metropolitan University, about her oral history of the Irish nurses who were the backbone of the NHS for many years. By the 1960s approximately 30,000 Irish-born nurses were working across the NHS, constituting around 12% of all nursing staff. From the rigours of training to the fun of dancehalls, she explores their life experiences as nurses and also as Irish migrants, including those times when they encountered anti Irish racism. They’re joined by Bronwen Walter, Emerita Professor of Irish Diaspora Studies at Anglia Ruskin University, who discusses the way that Irish migration offers an unusual opportunity to explore wider questions about the experience of immigrants and how ethnic identities persist or change over time.

Producer: Jayne Egerton


TUE 16:00 Poetry Please (m0025cn6)
The Shipping Forecast at 100

Poetry Please celebrates 100 years on our airwaves for the Shipping Forecast, or what could also be considered that little slice of accidental nonsense poetry we get to tune into twice a day.

Roger McGough is joined by fellow poet and Liverpudlian Paul Farley to share poems inspired by, reminiscent of or relating to the Shipping Forecast. The pair chat about what makes those gale warnings and sea area names so poetic, and why the Forecast's mantra-like quality lends itself to being a muse. Featuring well-loved classics by Seamus Heaney and Carol Ann Duffy, evocative works from Sylvia Plath, AC Bevan and Wendy Cope, and a couple from Paul and Roger.

Produced by Eliza Lomas in Bristol.


TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002f8mm)
Why does our hair fall out?

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken untangle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.

In today’s episode, the Doctors explore hair loss. Chris and Xand, who've both battled the receding tide of hair loss (and the accompanying existential dread), are getting to the follicle of the matter.

They'll be digging into what causes it, how different types of hair loss affect men and women, and asking if there’s anything we can do about it. Cures for baldness are almost as old as medicine itself, but what does the evidence actually say about those treatments constantly being marketed to us?

Chris and Xand get the bald truth from Dr Christos Tziotzios, Consultant Dermatologist and Senior Lecturer at King's College London, who has recently pioneered treatments for some auto-immune forms of alopecia as well as investigating the psychological impact of hair loss in both men and 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: Dr Christos Tziotzios
Producer: Jo Rowntree
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Assistant Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Assistant Producer and Researcher: William Hornbrook
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Social Media: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby

At the BBC:
Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 17:00 PM (m002f8mp)
Government makes welfare reform concessions

The government announces key concessions to its welfare reform bill in order to prevent a rebellion. We hear the thoughts of Labour grandee Alan Johnson on the situation the Prime Minister finds himself in and, as Europe continues to face scorching temperatures we hear how those in Paris have been dealing with the heat.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002f8mr)
Labour MPs force another concession from the government over its planned welfare changes

The government has offered another concession to potential rebels, ahead of a vote on its benefits changes. The timing of eligibility changes to the Personal Independence Payment will now wait until a review is published next year. Also: 20,000 people have crossed the Channel in the first six months of the year. And a happy ending for the Disney cruise ship passenger who rescued his daughter from the waves.


TUE 18:30 Maisie Adam: The Beautiful Game (m002f8mt)
Euros Fever

Are you excited to watch England and Wales this summer?

Comedian and football obsessed Maisie Adam can’t wait for the Euros and wants to capture the magic you only get before a big international tournament. This is her ultimate guide to the Euros and guarantees to get you in the mood for the highs, the lows and the drama of the Women’s Euros 2025.

Maisie has encouraged the audience to come in their favourite footie strips, scarves and hats, the sillier the better – just no flares up any arses please. She’s joined by comedians Rhys James and Harriet Kemsley to chat about the glorious summer of footie we have ahead of us. They re-live some of their best/worst Euros moments, play games and give their predictions for the summer – is football coming home again? Plus Maisie gets some very special advice from former Lioness and Euros winner, the one and only Jill Scott MBE.

If you can't get enough of the tournament, search ‘Women’s Euros’ on BBC Sounds for more coverage and reaction. Plus you can listen live to the games, including every England and Wales match, on 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

Host: Maisie Adam
Guests: Rhys James and Harriet Kemsley
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Co-ordinator: Jodie Charman
Production Assistant: Danita McIntyre
Additional material by Matthew Crosby and Eve Delaney
Sound Design by Arlie Adlington
Recorded by Jerry Peal and Atharva Bankar at Backyard Comedy Club

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m002f8mw)
Brad scrolls through Amber’s posts online while listening to George on the phone, boasting about his gorgeous girlfriend. When Brad mentions Tilly Button George is scathing – Amber is in a different league. Brad reckons George should slow down, but George insists that Amber is the one. She gets him like no one else does. George then asks Brad to retrieve the t-shirt from his room that he was wearing when Amber first saw him. She wants to wear it next time she visits. Outside No. 1 The Green Brad remembers Amber from school, telling her she looks really different, but Amber shuts him down. Once inside Brad becomes irritated by Amber’s patronising attitude, reminding her how she used to look at school before she grabs the t-shirt and goes.

Usha drives Kenton to the police station, having persuaded them to let him do the Identification again. She gives him a pep talk, but Kenton just wants it all to be over. Afterwards, Kenton buys Usha lunch, telling her he definitely identified the right man. He’d still rather not give evidence in court though. Harrison warned Kenton that the defence team will more than likely use him bottling out the first time to discredit him. Usha mulls over the pros and cons of what Kenton has done, before concluding it demonstrates Kenton’s strength of character in overcoming his fears. But the only way to stop Markie and his gang from doing this to someone else is by giving evidence. Kenton agrees, saying that it would put an end to the nightmare of shame he’s been suffering.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002f8my)
Tim Key on his sleeper hit The Ballad of Wallis Island

Comedian and poet Tim Key on writing and starring in The Ballad of Wallis Island which has become one of the surprise film hits of the year.

Novelists Saima Mir and Marcia Hutchinson on setting their stories in Bradford.

Playwright Ntombizodwa Nyoni on reimagining the 5th Pan African Congress which took place in Manchester in 1945 for her new play, Liberation.

As the Japanese art form, Manga, makes its presence felt at this year's Bradford Literature Festival, writer and comic specialist Paul Gravett who has curated the exhibition, Make Mine Manga, and Manga artist, Eira Richards, discuss the visual vocabulary of this distinctive art genre.

Presented by Nick Ahad
Produced by Ekene Akalawu


TUE 20:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002dzgr)
File on 4 Investigates: Stalker in the Church

When a Church of England volunteer in Leicester rejected a proposal to go on a date, it started a (sinister) stalking campaign against him. His stalker was a female preacher. As her harassment worsened, her victim pleaded for help to the police and the Church, including to a cleric tipped to be the Church’s next leader. File on 4 Investigates reveals how their mistakes left the victim feeling they had failed to protect him…


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002f8n0)
RNIB on the Benefits Bill; Visually Impaired Tennis

In Touch hears from the RNIB about their plans to participate in the Government's consultation on the Benefits Bill. They describe their position on the bill as it stands and how they will involve the voices of blind and partially sighted people in any consultations.

With Wimbledon 2025 underway, In Touch looks at grassroots visually impaired tennis and a Yorkshire league, set up by an enthusiastic exponent of the adapted sport. The LTA outlines how visually impaired people can get involved with tennis in their area.

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


TUE 21:00 Intrigue (m002839y)
Word of God

2. Roberta Investigates

A threatening message leads a papyrologist into the shadowy world of online antiquities trading.

On a September morning in 2017, Dr Roberta Mazza opens her WhatsApp to find menacing messages and warnings to "watch her back". How did a respected academic specialising in ancient texts find herself at the crossroads of biblical scholarship and antiquities looting?

Through exclusive interviews, investigative journalist Ben Lewis reveals how Dr Mazza's chance discovery at a Vatican exhibition three years earlier set her on a collision course with one of the world's most ambitious collecting projects. When she spots a rare biblical fragment she'd previously seen listed on eBay, Roberta begins pulling threads that lead from online auction sites to a prestigious museum collection.

Her investigation intensifies as she uncovers connections between anonymous online sellers and the Museum of the Bible's massive acquisition programme. Going undercover to expose the trade in potentially looted artefacts, Roberta finds herself drawn into an increasingly dangerous world where ancient treasures, scholarly research and outright illegality intersect.

Her digital sleuthing uncovers the true identity of a mysterious Turkish dealer - and his possible connections to the museum's inner circle. But her determination to expose the truth comes at a personal cost, as threats escalate and she realises she may have waded too deep into dangerous waters.

Presented by Ben Lewis
Produced by Clem Hitchcock
Executive producers: Philip Abrams and Jago Lee
Story editor: Andrew Dickson
Sound design by Richard Courtice
Original music composed by Max de Wardener
Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Assistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital: Chris Walsh-Heron

A TellTale production for BBC Radio 4.

Episodes of Intrigue: Word of God are released weekly on Wednesdays, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.


TUE 21:30 The Bottom Line (m002dzyg)
Presentations: How to Avoid 'Death By PowerPoint'

Few things in working life are as familiar or as dreaded as presentations, but done well they can persuade and even inspire. So what are the tricks to getting them right?

From nerves to narrative, Evan Davis explores how structure, delivery and storytelling shape the way ideas land, and why clarity and connection matter more than ever.

And is there still a role for the much-maligned PowerPoint slide?

Evan is joined by:

Abi Eniola, practitioner, RADA Business;
Rory Sutherland, vice chairman, Ogilvy UK;
Simon Gallagher, UK CEO, Euronext.

Production team:

Producer: Osman Iqbal
Series Producer: Simon Tulett
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Neil Churchill and Pat Sissons
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002f8n2)
Where does last-minute welfare climbdown leave government's authority?

Chaos and confusion as the government gets its welfare bill through a key parliamentary hurdle. But at what price? We speak to an MP who backed the government - and one who voted against it.

Also on the programme:

After a popular Gaza seafront cafe is badly damaged in a deadly Israeli air strike, we hear from one of its regulars.

And from fleeing bombs in Ukraine, to serving aces at Wimbledon - the teenage tennis prodigy hoping to be the new Andy Murray.


TUE 22:45 Summer by Edith Wharton (m002f8n4)
2: 'I ain't ashamed.'

Edith Wharton's tale of forbidden passion that caused a sensation on publication in 1917, read by Lydia Wilson.

Charity Royall is desperate to escape the dull, rural New England backwater where she works as a librarian - as well as her hard-drinking adoptive father. When a young city architect walks into the town, he seems to offer her hope for a new life. But will her past overshadow their relationship? And can their illicit affair ever bring her the freedom she craves?

Considered by some to be Wharton's finest work, Summer was one of the first novels to deal honestly with a young woman's sexual awakening, and darker themes of incest.

Today: as rumours fly about her friendship with city boy Lucius Harney, Charity fears what will happen if they reach her guardian, Mr Royall...

Reader: Lydia Wilson
Writer: Edith Wharton was famous for her novels including The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence, for which she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, in 1921.
Abridger: Julian Wilkinson
Producer: Justine Willett


TUE 23:00 Havana Helmet Club (m002ddb3)
1. Psychological Fortitude

It takes a certain type of person to be a CIA agent in Havana. Subjected to constant harassment and surveillance, it is a claustrophobic and eerie world to navigate. And when one agent hears a mysterious sound causing him real-world symptoms, it raises fears of a covert weapon.
New episodes will be released weekly, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you are in the UK, you can listen to the latest episodes a week early, first on BBC Sounds.

Credits
Havana Helmet Club is written and presented by Jennifer Forde and Sam Bungey
Editor: Guy Crossman
Story editing: Mike Ollove Producer: Larry Ryan
Sound designer: Merijn Royaards
Additional mixing: Peregrine Andrews
Theme music: Tom Pintens, with additional music composed by Merijn Royaards
Fact checking: Stanley Masters. Additional reporting: Isobel Sutton, Pascale Hardey Stewart and Stanley Masters
Archive producers: Miriam Walsh and Helen Carr
Production executive: Kirstin Drybrugh
Editorial advisor: Jesse Baker
Commissioner: Dylan Haskins
Assistant commissioners: Sarah Green and Natasha Johansson
Havana Helmet Club is a Yarn production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Our archive was sourced from:
US Department of State
KCRW


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002f8n8)
Alicia McCarthy reports as ministers abandon a key part of their welfare reforms in the face of a revolt by Labour MPs.

WEDNESDAY 02 JULY 2025

WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002f8nb)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 00:30 Unearthing the Past by Sarah Dunant (m002f8ly)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002f8nd)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002f8ng)
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 (m002f8nj)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002f8nl)
Susan Hulme reports on a dramatic day at Westminster as the Government wins a vote on welfare reform - after making major concessions.


WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002f8nn)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002f8nq)
It’s all about that base

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Mariama Ifode-Blease.

Good morning.

It’s the start of the Women’s Euro 2025 tournament in Switzerland tonight. Sixteen teams will be vying to be champions of Europe. And let me tell you, I am prepared. The wall chart has been printed. Profiles of players and countries have been read. And a plethora of snacks, with varying nutritional value, has been purchased.

The Lionesses, that is the England team, are reigning champions, having won the trophy in spectacular fashion in 2022. After the sad and very difficult years of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was as if the Lionesses gave us permission to celebrate, to laugh again, to hug one another again.

I should confess that I work for the England Women’s Football Teams, with the junior squads, as part of a multi-disciplinary team, that focuses on wellbeing, welfare and safeguarding. I combine this with being a priest, and can see the points of divergence between the two roles. It’s really about people, and walking with them towards flourishing and being fully alive.

The base upon which future success is built, has simple roots: love and encouragement from family and friends, a safe environment for body and mind, making friends and lifelong positive connections, and someone seeing something in you, that you couldn’t possibly see in yourself. Everyone should have this opportunity to thrive, though sometimes we know that the starts we’ve had in life, may not have been helpful. Sometimes, we have to write a new story, with the love and support of others.

So today, I pray for the imagination, and creativity, to imagine new narratives for my life, and the confidence to write different endings.

Amen.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002f8ns)
02/07/25 Profitability of nature-friendly farming, regenerative dairy farming, inheritance tax court case

A new study published by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology shows that nature-friendly farming is not currently as profitable as intensive food production. Its authors say the report is the first of its kind and shows that agroecology improves biodiversity and can boost crop yields. However, the cost of creating habitats and the loss of some productive land, they say, means lower profits. Dr Ben Woodcock led the four year study which studied 17 farms.

More big food companies are paying producers who farm regeneratively a premium, encouraging them to improve soil health, increase on-farm biodiversity and reduce their carbon footprint. Nestle is working with the farmers' cooperative First Milk to collect data from 80 UK farmers who supply them with milk and are being paid a premium to farm regeneratively. We visit one of their dairy farmers in Cumbria.

One of the farmers seeking a judicial review of the treasury's decision to impose inheritance tax on farm businesses says the government failed to consult properly on changes to the tax. Tom Martin from Cambridgeshire tells us why he's taking part in the legal action.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


WED 06:00 Today (m002f9bl)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 More or Less (m002f8wq)
Is the UK seeing a Christian revival?

Tim Harford looks at some of the numbers in the news and in life. This week:

Is church-going making a comeback in the UK?

Is it true that every day, 1000 people begin claiming personal independence payments, or PIP?

When the government talks about how it “returns” illegal immigrants, what does it mean?

Can a new telescope really see golf balls on the moon?

If you’ve seen a number you think looks suspicious, email the More or Less team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

More or Less is produced in partnership with the Open University.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producers: Lizzy McNeill, Nicholas Barrett, David Verry
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: Gareth Jones
Editor: Richard Vadon


WED 09:30 The Coming Storm (m002fcbv)
Live at Hay Festival

Gabriel Gatehouse and producer Lucy Proctor were on stage at the Hay Festival in May 2025. They discuss the second Trump administration, making the second series and how the storm seems to be progressing in 2025. Chaired by Horatio Clare.

Editor: Richard Vadon
Mix: Neil Churchill


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002f9bq)
Rachel Brosnahan, Jenny Evans, Annie MacManus on football

Lots of boys have grown up wanting to be Superman but perhaps you grew up wanting to be award-winning journalist Lois Lane? Actor Rachel Brosnahan is known for her Emmy-winning portrayal of Midge Maisel in the TV series, The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, her Emmy-nominated performance in House of Cards and her work on Broadway. Now she’s playing Clark Kent's love interest, Lois Lane in the upcoming DC Universe film, Superman. She tells Nuala McGovern about the unusual circumstances in which she found out she had the role and the difficulties of working with CGI.

A British teenager who is currently held in prison in Georgia says she was 'tortured' into smuggling drugs. Bella Culley who is 19 and from Teesside, has appeared at a Tbilisi court this week. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of possession and trafficking a large amount of illegal drugs. The BBC's Caucasus correspondent Rayhan Demytrie tells Nuala what's been happening.

Jenny Evans was a young actress riding high on the success of her first feature film when she was sexually assaulted by someone who was in the public eye. When she later found the courage to report this crime to the police, details of what she had experienced were printed in a tabloid newspaper. Jenny decided to retrain as a journalist to try and figure out how this could have happened. She went on to help expose the abuses of power in the press and police that have become known as the 'phone-hacking scandal'. Nuala speaks to Jenny about her memoir Don't Let it Break You, Honey.

To mark the start of the UEFA European Women's Championship Nuala speaks to BBC Sport's Correspondent Katie Gornall live from Switzerland. She's also joined by DJ, author and podcaster Annie Macmanus who was so inspired by the Lionesses Euro's win in 2022 that she decided to take the sport up herself, in her 40's.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Andrea Kidd


WED 11:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002dzgr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Tuesday]


WED 11:40 This Week in History (m002f8x5)
June 30th - July 6th

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 vignettes of the events that have shaped the world and made us who we are today.

This week: June 30th - July 6th
1. 1st of July 1858 - The theory of evolution is first heard in public at The Linnean Society
2. 30th of June 1971 - The death of 3 cosmonauts shocks the USSR
3. 4th of July 1925 - The Shipping Forecast is broadcast for the first time on the BBC

Presented by Viji Alles and Caroline Nicholls
Produced by Luke Doran and Chris Pearson


WED 11:45 Unearthing the Past by Sarah Dunant (m002f9bs)
3. Unto Us a Child Is Born

The novelist and historian Sarah Dunant delves further into the archives where documents reveal the perils of marriage and motherhood for the Renaissance icon, Isabella d'Este, marchesa of Mantua.

The best-selling author of the acclaimed Italian Renaissance novels The Birth of Venus, Blood and Beauty and now, The Marchesa, takes us into the archives where she uncovers a wealth of letters and other documentation charting the wonders of the high Renaissance and the life and times of its first female art collector, fashion icon and political operator, Isabella d'Este, marchesa of Mantua. In this illuminating series Sarah Dunant unearths wonders that bring alive the past, how people lived, their values and their beliefs. Taking as her starting point the novelist L.P. Hartley's line 'the past is a foreign country' Sarah explores how we must sometimes suspend our own judgements to understand the social, political and cultural forces that determined the outcome of world events and every day life. From the acquisition of assets, art and horses, to the fealty of pets, the vicissitudes of motherhood, sex and marriage, and the wielding of cultural influence, Unearthing the Past gives us insights into how we might better understand and appreciate our colourful forebears.

Written and read by Sarah Dunant

Produced by Elizabeth Allard


WED 12:00 News Summary (m002f9bv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002f9bx)
Fly Parking, Water Compensation, Pensions

From today, water companies will have to increase the amount of money they pay consumers to compensate for a poor service. This is the first increase in compensation for 25 years and comes at a time when customer trust in water companies is at an all time low. Emma Hardy, the UK’s Minister for Water and Flooding, talks us through the changes.

Passenger numbers at Manchester, Stanstead and East Midlands Airports have recently hit record highs. As airport parking gets harder to come by and much more expensive, holidaymakers are choosing to park in residential roads nearby for free. It’s known as “fly parking” and it is infuriating many local communities.

People are opting out of making pension payments in order to deal with cost of living pressures. According to data from the Sunday Times, there was an increase of over 70% in the number of people opting out of their NHS pensions last year compared to 2021. With three in five freelancers and people who are self-employed also saying they cannot afford to save for a pension, we discuss what else can be done to plan for retirement.

Tickets to Glastonbury festival have increased in price by 50% in the last five years. As festival costs continue to rise, more people are buying tickets with payment plans so they can spread the expense over several months. However, payment plans aren't without their risks. For some festivals, if you miss an instalment and are unable to pay within a certain time frame, you not only lose your ticket - but also all of the money you have paid towards it so far. We'll look at your rights if you miss a payment.


WED 12:57 Weather (m002f9bz)
The latest weather forecast


WED 13:00 World at One (m002f9c1)
Sir Keir Starmer faces Parliament after Welfare Bill U-turn

Sir Keir Starmer appears for a dramatic PMQ's after Welfare reform row: Labour and Conservative Ministers respond. Also, a senior Israeli politician says the war could soon end.


WED 13:45 Politically (m002f9c3)
Postwar

18. Churchill: Lion in Winter

David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age.

The 1945 general election was one of the biggest shocks in British parliamentary history: a decisive rejection of Winston Churchill and his leadership. The election of Clement Attlee's Labour government in a landslide marked a break with the past and signalled a strong desire on the part of the British people for something new. But it was also a product of Britain's wartime experiences and revealed the many ways in which the country had already changed.

The years that followed -- the postwar years -- would bring about bold and radical reform, the building of a new nation, a 'New Jerusalem'. The Britain of the National Health Service and the welfare state, of nationalised industry and the so-called 'postwar consensus' -- all were ushered into place with this election. This is the Britain that most have us have grown up in and which still shapes an idea of who we think we are.

David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age. What happened to Winston Churchill in the years after the 1945 general election?

Featuring David Reynolds.


WED 14:00 The Archers (m002f8mw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Fault Lines: Money, Sex and Blood (m000nc23)
Series 2: Sex

In Real Life

Bella is a teacher, but she has a secret life. She gains confidence from this secret life and feels safe. But then she falls for a client and her life unravels.

Constance . . . . . Glenda Jackson
Bella . . . . . Gillian Kearney
Judy . . . . . Emily Pithon
Ross . . . . . Chris Jack
Jack . . . . . Jason Done
Petra . . . . . Fiona Clark

Written by Tom Fry & Sharon Kelly
Directed by Gary Brown


WED 15:00 Money Box (m002f9c5)
Money Box Live: Behind Bars

In this special programme Money Box Live has been given exclusive access to a centre working with former prisoners to find out how money works behind bars.

There are around 98,000 people serving prison sentences in the UK right now, but how does money work on the inside and why do offenders even need it?

Felicity Hannah meets former prisoners working in the centre as they rebuild their lives. They talk about so-called 'bang up' pay, how much you can earn in prison, and the struggle some ex-offenders have getting basic financial products like a bank account on release.

Around one third of ex-offenders will go on to reoffend costing taxpayers £18 billion a year as well as causing great distress to victims. So, what role can financial security play in reducing that?

Felicity Hannah is joined by Andrea Coady, Head of Policy at Nacro, a social justice charity that works with offenders and Ana Caldeira, in charge of Finance, Benefit and Debt Services at the charity Catch 22, which provides money advice and support to ex-offenders.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Sarah Rogers
Editor: Jess Quayle

(This episode was first aired on Radio 4 at 3pm on Wednesday the 2nd of July 2025)


WED 15:30 The Artificial Human (m002f9c7)
Everything You Always Wanted to Ask About AI

Haven’t had your A.I. question answered yet? We’re making up for it. Aleks and Kevin are in the hot seat for an episode dedicated to tackling the A.I. questions left in our inbox.

With insights from experts, and questions from you the listener, they'll cover everything from AI verbal abuse and how AI is being used on our streets, to how it can help with your overflowing inbox, and whether AI dreams like we do.

Presenters: Aleks Krotoski & Kevin Fong
Producer: Rachael O’Neill
Researcher: Juliet Conway
Sound: Sean Mullervy


WED 16:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002f9c9)
Dynasty PR: Can the Trumps learn from the Royals?

Siblings at war, power struggles, a well-earned reputation in need of protection - who doesn't love a family dynasty drama?

As Eric Trump hints he could try and run for President, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at how you PR a dynasty, in both business and politics. How do you build momentum and create an inevitability about succession?

And on the extended edition on BBC Sounds, why the world of PR loves an anniversary. As Keir Starmer marks a year in power, David and Simon explain why it can be great (not to mention easy and lazy) to celebrate notable dates - but how it can also leave you a total hostage to fortune.

Plus whether the PR rules applied to big multinationals can also be used in the smallest of settings.

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 (m002f9cc)
Broadcasting Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, Tim Franks, F1’s media strategy

As Channel 4 airs the Gaza documentary that the BBC has shelved, we speak to Dorothy Byrne, former Head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 4; Rosamund Urwin from The Sunday Times; and Chris Banatvala, former Director of Standards at Ofcom, about why the broadcasters took contrasting decisions. They also analyse the BBC’s much criticised broadcasting of Bob Vylan’s IDF chants at Glastonbury.

What’s it like to do your job when people assume you’re biased due to your personal identity? Newshour presenter Tim Franks discusses his new book The Lines We Draw: The Journalist, the Jew and an Argument About Identity.

As the British Grand Prix kicks off this Sunday, we discuss the F1’s media strategy with F1 journalist Rebecca Clancy and broadcaster Steve Rider.


WED 17:00 PM (m002f9cf)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002f9ch)
Sir Keir Starmer defends welfare reforms.

The Prime Minister has given the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, who was tearful in the Commons, his full backing. Also: the rapper, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, is found guilty of prostitution charges, but cleared of racketeering and sex trafficking. And: the Princess of Wales calls her experience of cancer treatment a 'rollercoaster'.


WED 18:30 Your Mum (m002f9ck)
2. Jess Fostekew and Bobby Mair

Jess tells us about getting busted in her secondary school ‘orgy’, her mum’s strong opinions on condoms and why her mum firmly believes her grandson is Mozart. Bobby shares some of his adopted mum’s wildest fibs and outrageous ploys, before telling the unbelievable account of how he discovered his birth mother and what happened when she passed away.

In this series, Laura Smyth sits down with some incredible guests to find out about their mums and explore the many faces of ‘motherhood’. Join her for a nostalgic, shameless, cathartic ride that asks what (if anything) our folks have taught us.

Producer: Sasha Bobak
Production Coordinator: Katie Baum
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.


WED 19:00 The Archers (m002f9cm)
At Berrow Jazzer and Neil discuss what they’ve been told about Amber by Brad and Emma, neither of whom seem that impressed. Brad did say the relationship’s very serious, which surprises Neil, given that George is in prison. Neil and Jazzer then grumble about Martyn’s interference in their work. They presume he’s taking out his frustration with Justin on them, but for the time being they’ll continue sprucing up the arks, as ordered. When Martyn comes to check on their progress Jazzer gently mocks Martyn’s appearance: new haircut, all geared up in jeans and boots for his riding lesson. Oblivious Martyn leaves them cakes, burbling about a happy team, before heading off to The Stables. Later, Jazzer speculates that Martyn’s joined a cult, but Neil’s convinced there’s a new woman in Martyn’s life.

Despite Justin’s newly-won pariah status amongst her relatives Lilian is supportive of his legacy project, continuing what Peggy started with Rewilding Ambridge. Lilian mentions that Martyn has booked a riding lesson at The Stables. Justin assumes he’ll try to get Lilian to change her mind about his proposal, but she relishes the challenge. When Martyn arrives she introduces him to Aziz, Justin’s horse, before making her position perfectly clear supporting Justin’s plans – and he won’t change her mind. Martyn insists he’s there to learn how to ride, nothing more. At the end of the lesson Martyn’s dismount goes wrong and he catches himself painfully in a tender spot. Lilian points him in the direction of the men’s room, while Justin assumes Martyn is still up to something.


WED 19:15 Front Row (m002f9cp)
Reaction to the Sean 'Diddy' Combs court case verdicts, and Back to the Future at 40

As the jury in the trial of music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs delivers its verdicts, author and cultural critic Mikki Kendall discusses how Americans will react.

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of its release, The Independent's chief film critic Clarisse Loughrey and Dan O'Brien of the University of Essex discuss Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale's influential film Back to the Future.

Egyptian artist Wael Shawky talks about his operatic films which reframe Middle Eastern history from an Arab perspective.

And we bring you news of the Grand Egyptian Museum a vast, state-of-the-art space close to the Pyramids in Giza, which is home to 100,000 artefacts. 60% of the museum is now open to the public, but the official opening ceremony this week has been postponed due to tensions between Israel and Iran.

Also, we hear about a new collection, Nature Matters: Vital Poems from the Global Majority, from the editor Karen McCarthy Woolf and the featured poet Nick Makoha, who will be talking about his own collection The New Carthaginians at this year's Ledbury Poetry Festival.

Presenter: Nihal Arthanayake
Producer: Mark Crossan


WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m002f9cr)
Is social cohesion a moral good? And can governments influence it?

Are we at risk of becoming “an island of strangers”? The Prime Minister, backtracking on many fronts, has apologised for the phrase - he says he hadn’t read it properly before he said it – but he’s backed a grand-sounding Independent Commission that’s now at work to fix a society it says is a “tinderbox of division”.
Is it? Social attitude surveys suggest we’re one of the most tolerant countries on earth.
What do we mean by social cohesion? Is it something wider than community cohesion? What about the class divisions?
Is it important for us all to mix with each or a natural human instinct to cleave to those who are like you?
Is social cohesion a moral good in itself? And is ‘getting on with each other’ something that can be achieved by government fiat?

PANELLISTS: INAYA FOLARIN-IMAN, LORD JONATHAN SUMPTION, PROF MONA SIDDIQUI, SONIA SODHA
WITNESSES: MATTHEW SYED, Journalist
SIMON LEVINE from ODI, a global affairs think tank
JULIE SIDDIQI, Community relations consultant
RAVI GURUMURTHY, CEO of NESTA, the UK innovation foundation for social good
Chaired by Michael Buerk

PRODUCER: Catherine Murray
ASST PRODUCER: Peter Everett
EDITOR: Tim Pemberton


WED 21:00 Walt Disney: A Life in Films (m0019r47)
1. Snow White

Walt Disney - the name is truly iconic, but how much do we really know about this titan of the entertainment industry? Who was the real Walt and why did a man who moulded Western pop culture in his image end up on his deathbed, afraid that he’d be forgotten?

Through the stories of ten of his greatest works, Mel Giedroyc examines the life of this much mythologised genius. A man to whom storytelling was an escape from an oppressive father and a respite from periods of depression.

Our story begins with the turbulent creation of Walt's very first feature film, the iconic Snow White. Walt wanted to deliver animation on a grand scale, pushing his cartoons into exciting new territory. The naysayers said he should "stick to shorts", the financial pressures were almost unbearable and yet Walt produced a masterpiece that would shape popular culture forever.

A Novel production for BBC Radio 4


WED 21:30 Inside Health (m002f8lt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Tuesday]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002f9ct)
Starmer backs Reeves after tears during PMQs

Sir Keir Starmer says Rachel Reeves will remain Chancellor of the Exchequer "for a very long time to come" after she could be seen crying during Prime Minister's Questions earlier. Speaking to Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4's Political Thinking podcast, the Prime Minister backed the Chancellor and said Reeves' tears were to do with a personal issue and not a result of politics. The government is struggling to maintain its authority after a bruising week in which it climbed down on major welfare reforms.

The Pentagon has halted weapons shipments to Ukraine including artillery shells and Patriot air defence missiles. We ask what it'll mean for Ukaine's defences.

And as a French astronaut hires a Michelin-starred chef to prepare her meals before she blasts off to the International Space Station, we look at the challenges of eating well in outer space.


WED 22:45 Summer by Edith Wharton (m002f9cw)
3: 'Kiss me.'

Edith Wharton's 1917 tale of forbidden passion and sexual awakening, read by Lydia Wilson.

Charity Royall is desperate to escape the dull, rural New England backwater where she works as a librarian - as well as her hard-drinking adoptive father. When a young city architect walks into the town, he seems to offer her hope for a new life. But will her past overshadow their relationship? And can their illicit affair ever bring her the freedom she craves?

Considered by some to be Wharton's finest work, Summer was one of the first novels to deal honestly with a young woman's sexual awakening and darker themes of incest, and cause a sensation on publication

Today: an an illicit 4th July trip to nearby Nettleton finally ignites passion between Charity and Lucius - but at what cost?

Reader: Lydia WIlson
Writer: Edith Wharton was famous for her novels including The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence, for which she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, in 1921.
Abridger: Julian Wilkinson
Producer: Justine Willett


WED 23:00 Michael Spicer: No Room (m002ddpx)
Series 2

10. Spiritual Enlightenment Down a Well

Join your favourite illuminator, Danny Tulip, at Free - his festival for the enlightened. Tickets £199 upwards. And analyse the benefits system with the help of four titled members of the House of Lords with indecipherable accents.

It's the final episode in series two of this acclaimed satirical sketch comedy series where comedian Michael Spicer plays every single character.

Michael is famous for his Room Next Door government advisor character whose withering take downs of politicians have amassed more than 100 million views and helped keep his audience sane in fractured times.

Writer, Performer and Co-Editor: Michael Spicer

Composer and Sound Designer: Augustin Bousfield

Producer: Matt Tiller

A Tillervision production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:15 Welcome to the Neighbourhood with Jayde Adams (m001bc25)
Sunil Patel

Jayde Adams and guest Sunil Patel dive into the feisty world of community apps and message boards, sifting through the angry neighbourhood bins to find disgruntled comedy gold. This week they follow the toad migration routes of Bath, and investigate the mystery of a dubious discarded doll.

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 (m002f9cz)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch clash over welfare at this week's Prime Minister's Questions.

THURSDAY 03 JULY 2025

THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002f9d1)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 00:30 Unearthing the Past by Sarah Dunant (m002f9bs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002f9d3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002f9d5)
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 (m002f9d7)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002f9d9)
Alicia McCarthy reports on Prime Minister's Questions - and more.


THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002f9dc)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002f9df)
To do or not to do?

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Mariama Ifode-Blease.

Good morning.

A few months ago, I found myself in a yellow taxi in New York City, going, hurriedly, from one meeting to another. I was in the city with colleagues learning more about, and building a partnership with, a church there, through my role as priest at a London church. It was great to be back in a city I loved, and where I had lived in my twenties.

When we got to a busy part of town, a place called Columbus Circle, my taxi driver swerved into the correct lane, only then to hear a very loud horn from behind. The next thing I know, my taxi driver has stopped, and the driver from the car behind was by the taxi driver’s window. Apparently, my taxi driver had cut in front of him. On an already warm spring day, the temperature was suddenly increasing. Both drivers ended up in the middle of the road, shouting at each other. I had a front row seat as the road rage unfolded.

How and when to intervene, can be a challenging question for us. As humans, we are social animals, having evolved to survive within an environment that is inhabited by others. It can be important, to hold on to the fact, that how others react, respond, and behave, can often be out of our control. We cannot always intervene to make things better. We also cannot always ignore and shut our eyes, in the hope that a situation will disappear.

So today, I pray for the courage and wisdom, to know if and when to intervene, and how.

Amen.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002f9dh)
03/07/25 Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture Festival

Charlotte Smith visits Groundswell, the regenerative agriculture festival in Hertfordshire, where the focus is on improving the soil and reducing artificial fertilisers and pesticides. She speaks to the so-called grandfather of regen, Gabe Brown, and the Green Farm Collective's Tim Parton about greenwashing and the future for regen ag.

Produced by Beatrice Fenton.


THU 06:00 Today (m002f9f2)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (m002f9f4)
Civility: talking with those who disagree with you

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the idea that Civility, in one of its meanings, is among the most valuable social virtues: the skill to discuss topics that really matter to you, with someone who disagrees and yet somehow still get along. In another of its meanings, when Civility describes the limits of behaviour that is acceptable, the idea can reflect society at its worst: when only those deemed 'civil enough' are allowed their rights, their equality and even their humanity. Between these extremes, Civility is a slippery idea that has fascinated philosophers especially since the Reformation, when competing ideas on how to gain salvation seemed to make it impossible to disagree and remain civil.

With

Teresa Bejan
Professor of Political Theory at Oriel College, University of Oxford

Phil Withington
Professor of History at the University of Sheffield

And

John Gallagher
Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Leeds

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list:

Teresa M. Bejan, Mere Civility: Disagreement and the Limits of Toleration (Harvard University Press, 2017)

Anna Bryson, From Courtesy to Civility: Changing Codes of Conduct in Early Modern England (Oxford University Press, 1998)

Peter Burke, The Fortunes of the Courtier: The European Reception of Castiglione’s Cortegiano (Polity Press, 1995)

Peter Burke, Brian Harrison and Paul Slack (eds.), Civil Histories: Essays Presented to Sir Keith Thomas (Oxford University Press, 2000)

Keith J. Bybee, How Civility Works (Stanford University Press, 2016)

Nandini Das, João Vicente Melo, Haig Z. Smith and Lauren Working, Keywords of Identity, Race, and Human Mobility in Early Modern England (Amsterdam University Press, 2021)

Jurgen Habermas, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere (Polity, 1992)

Jennifer Richards, Rhetoric and Courtliness in Early Modern Literature (Cambridge University Press, 2003)

Austin Sarat (ed.), Civility, Legality, and Justice in America (Cambridge University Press, 2014)

Keith Thomas, In Pursuit of Civility: Manners and Civilization in Early Modern England (Yale University Press, 2018)

Phil Withington, Society in Early Modern England: The Vernacular Origins of Some Powerful Ideas (Polity, 2010)

Lauren Working, The Making of an Imperial Polity: Civility and America in the Jacobean Metropolis (Cambridge University Press, 2020)

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 (m002f9f6)
We Haven't Always Told Our Story as Well as We Should

This week, Helen and Armando look back at a year of the Labour government. What language has come out of if, and why is it struggling to define itself?

Looking at phrases from the year, like "The tepid bath of managed decline" and "National Health Recovery Mission Champions", does their language connect, and are there opponents any better?

Strong Message Here will be back on Radio 4 in September, but subscribe to BBC Sounds to hear Helen and Armando over the summer in Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend; a series of short episodes with their language-based cultural recommendations.

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 (m002f9f8)
Crying, Fashion disruptor Amy Powney, NHS 10-Year Plan, Novelist Esther Freud

The image of the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, crying in Parliament yesterday was picked up by various media. After PMQs, Ms Reeves' spokesperson said she had been dealing with a "personal matter" and Sir Keir insisted her tears had had "nothing to do with politics". Kylie Pentelow is joined by Times columnist Katy Balls and Kitty Donaldson, chief political commentator for the i Paper to discuss why her tears caused such a stir. Was it concern over political weakness and worries about political instability? Ms Reeves' very senior role in government? Or because she’s a woman and maybe people still don't understand that women cry for different reasons and in different circumstances to men?

The government’s long-awaited NHS 10-year health plan is launched today. To make the NHS in England fit for the future, the plan will focus on three big shifts: moving care from hospitals to communities, making better use of technology, and preventing sickness - not just treating it. How should the NHS prioritise women’s health to achieve better results? Kylie is joined by Ranee Thakar, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Danielle Jefferies, Senior Analyst at The King’s Fund, and Lara Lewington, a technology journalist and author of a new book, Hacking Humanity.

Esther Freud’s ninth novel, My Sister and Other Lovers, revisits characters from her very first book Hideous Kinky, which was made into a film starring Kate Winslet. In My Sisters and Other Lovers, the sisters come of age and try to come to terms with their past. Esther joins Kylie to talk about her writing and how despite having such famous men in her life – her father was the painter Lucien Freud and her great-grandfather was the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud - it’s the women in her family who inspire her work.

Amy Powney is the fashion designer best known for being the Creative Director at Mother of Pearl for 10 years until she left to set up her own label, Akyn, earlier this year. Amy’s mission to create a sustainable clothing line was explored in the documentary Fashion Reimagined which saw her trace clothes from field to runway and cemented her as an authority on this within the wider industry. Amy joins Kylie in the Woman’s Hour studio.

Presenter: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Rebecca Myatt


THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m002f9fb)
Anselm Kiefer

Anselm Kiefer is one of the world’s greatest living artists. Born in Germany at the end of the Second World War, much of his work in paintings, sculptures and vast installation pieces, has addressed his country’s history and culture, asking difficult questions about the legacy of fascism and conflict. His paintings, thickly layered and sometimes embellished with straw or molten lead, often depict dark rutted fields or dense forests. Kiefer is renowned for the size of his work, and for his industrial-scale studio complexes in France, where he has lived for over thirty years. Kiefer's works are included in numerous public collections including the Museum of Modern Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Tate Modern, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery of Australia. His most recent show at the Royal Academy in London has paired his works with those of one his artistic heroes for an exhibition called Kiefer/Van Gogh.

Producer: Edwina Pitman


THU 11:45 Unearthing the Past by Sarah Dunant (m002f9fd)
4. An Illness Probably Caused by Love

The acclaimed novelist and historian Sarah Dunant has a eureka moment in the archive which shines a telling light on the state of the marchesa of Mantua, Isabella d'Este's marriage in Renaissance Italy.

The best-selling author of the acclaimed Italian Renaissance novels The Birth of Venus, Blood and Beauty and now, The Marchesa, takes us into the archives where she uncovers a wealth of letters and other documentation charting the wonders of the high Renaissance and the life and times of its first female art collector, fashion icon and political operator, Isabella d'Este, marchesa of Mantua. In this illuminating series Sarah Dunant unearths wonders that bring alive the past, how people lived, their values and their beliefs. Taking as her starting point the novelist L.P. Hartley's line 'the past is a foreign country' Sarah explores how we must sometimes suspend our own judgements to understand the social, political and cultural forces that determined the outcome of world events and every day life. From the acquisition of assets, art and horses, to the fealty of pets, the vicissitudes of motherhood, sex and marriage, and the wielding of cultural influence, Unearthing the Past gives us insights into how we might better understand and appreciate our colourful forebears.

Written and read by Sarah Dunant

Produced by Elizabeth Allard


THU 12:00 News Summary (m002f9fg)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 The Bottom Line (m002f9fj)
Care Homes: How Will They Cope Without Migrant Workers?

Care homes are to be barred from recruiting overseas staff, as part of government plans to cut net migration, but will the sector be able to tempt enough British workers to take their place?

Evan Davis asks two providers how they plan to adapt, why it's so hard to recruit and retain local staff, and what the care home sector might look like in the future.

Also, if low pay really is one of the biggest obstacles to new hires, what would a fairer, more attractive level be?

Evan is joined by:

Raina Summerson, group CEO, Agincare;
Haris Khan, CEO, Curaa Group;
William Laing, founder and executive chairman, LaingBuisson

Production team:

Producer: Georgiana Tudor
Series Producer: Simon Tulett
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Neil Churchill and Jack Graysmark
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison


THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002f9fl)
Dog Food (recorded live at Hay Festival)

Is more expensive dog food worth it?

Greg Foot gathers the experts, dives into the data and crunches the numbers to get answers for listeners Izzy and Pete.

Each episode Greg investigates the latest ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener. Are they really 'the best thing since sliced bread' and should you spend your money on them?

RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM
PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND GREG FOOT


THU 12:57 Weather (m002f9fn)
The latest weather forecast


THU 13:00 World at One (m002f9fq)
Rachel Reeves on her 'tough day'

The Chancellor speaks for the first time about her tears in the House of Commons, in a surprise appearance at the launch of the government's NHS 10-year plan. The Health Secretary discusses that and tells us "Rachel Reeves is here to stay". Plus, we hear from a former colleague of a surgeon killed by an Israeli air strike in Gaza.


THU 13:45 Politically (m002f9fs)
Postwar

19. Post-postwar

David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age.

The 1945 general election was one of the biggest shocks in British parliamentary history: a decisive rejection of Winston Churchill and his leadership. The election of Clement Attlee's Labour government in a landslide marked a break with the past and signalled a strong desire on the part of the British people for something new. But it was also a product of Britain's wartime experiences and revealed the many ways in which the country had already changed.

The years that followed -- the postwar years -- would bring about bold and radical reform, the building of a new nation, a 'New Jerusalem'. The Britain of the National Health Service and the welfare state, of nationalised industry and the so-called 'postwar consensus' -- all were ushered into place with this election. This is the Britain that most have us have grown up in and which still shapes an idea of who we think we are.

We can fix a start date on the postwar period, but what about an end date? Are we still living in the postwar period? And, if not, when did we leave it?

Featuring John Bew, Patricia Clavin, Lucy Delap, David Kynaston, David Reynolds and Robert Saunders.


THU 14:00 The Archers (m002f9cm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m00180l6)
Pica

There's something about Kae; something earthy, creepy even; as if she's done a few laps of this world already. And if folk weren't talking about her before, they are now she's vanished. As mother, Liv and neighbour, Peggy search for Kae rumours grow and past grief surfaces.

A haunting drama about motherhood, love and grief set in South Shields written by Emilie Robson. Pica received a special commendation in the Alfred Bradley Bursary Awards 2021.

KAE.....Sarah Balfour
LIV.....Laura Elphinstone
PEGGY.....Charlie Hardwick

Sound Design by Sharon Hughes
Directed by Nadia Molinari

BBC Audio Drama North Production


THU 15:00 Ramblings (m002f9fv)
Camino Memories with the Ciao Ciao Girls

Clare is in Northumberland today for the final episode of this Camino de Santiago themed series. She’s walking along a section of Hadrian’s Wall with a fabulous group of women - the Ciao Ciao Girls - celebrating the 10th anniversary of their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Since then, they've become a tightly bonded unit who gather every year to complete another walking challenge.

For today’s joyful, windy and very rainy hike they met at the Steel Rigg car park, and completed a circular walk including the remains of the tree at Sycamore Gap. As they wander they reflect on their first adventure together on the Camino, what that experience brought them, and continues to bring them ten years on.

Steel Rigg Car Park, NE47 7AW / What3Words: teacher.spelling.tweed

Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002f6nc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Feedback (m002f9fx)
Podcast Special and BBC coverage of Glastonbury

The Feedback inbox has been full of comments on the band Bob Vylan's chanting against the Israel Defense Forces at Glastonbury, with some listeners wondering if the BBC gives stories about itself undue prominence.

BBC Sounds Commissioning Editor Rhian Roberts returns to give listeners a wide-lens view of the podcast landscape.

And The Today Podcast recently became yesterday's news, replaced by Radical with Amol Rajan. Andrea speaks to Senior News Editor Sam Bonham about the recent changes and asks if the informal tone of news podcasts is influencing the presentation style on linear programmes.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Assistant Producer: Liza Greig
Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


THU 16:00 The Briefing Room (m002f9fz)
Why is there a row about disability benefits?

The Government was forced into a humiliating climbdown over its controversial benefits bill this week, and any savings the Treasury had hoped to make were wiped out. The politics of this is a subject on its own, but the underlying problem the government was trying to solve, however, remains. David Aaronovitch asks his guests why the cost of disability benefits has ballooned so unexpectedly, who gets them and why and whether the system works for disabled people.

Guests:

Paul Lewis, Presenter Moneybox, BBC Radio 4
Tom Waters, Associate Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies
Louise Murphy, Senior Economist, Resolution Foundation
Ruth Patrick, Professor of Social and Public Policy, University of Glasgow

Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight and Sally Abrahams
Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound engineers: Sarah Hockley and Gareth Jones
Editor: Richard Vadon


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m002f9g1)
How do you turn facial expressions into music?

A microscopic water flea that could help monitor our waterways for pollution, turning both quantum circuits and facial expressions into music, and how animals use vibrations to sense the world around them.

These are some of the cutting edge research projects being presented at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London.

Victoria Gill is joined by Caroline Steel for a special episode from the exhibition, meeting the researchers showcasing their work and getting hands on with the science on display.

We speak to Daisy Shearer from the National Quantum Computing Centre, PhD student Clelia Altomonte from King's College London, Dr Beth Mortimer from the University of Oxford who leads its Animal Vibration Lab, Dr Katie Reilly from the University of Birmingham, the CEO of the charity Drake Music, Sally Currie, and the designer of the PhotoSYNTH accessible musical instrument, Zenon Olenski.


THU 17:00 PM (m002f9g3)
The chancellor tries to move on after yesterday's tears

Rachel Reeves was all smiles as she helped launch a 10-year plan for the NHS after a bruising 48 hours. We'll assess where the government goes from here. Plus: football mourns one of its stars - the Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, who has died in a car crash.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002f9g5)
A whistleblower from the US-backed aid centres in Gaza speaks to the BBC

A former security contractor at the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation centres in Gaza has told the BBC that he witnessed colleagues opening fire on civilians who were waiting for aid. The foundation has said the claims are "categorically false". Also: The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has spoken publicly for the first time since crying in the Commons yesterday. And Liverpool Football Club say they're devastated by the loss of their striker Diogo Jota who's died in a car crash in Spain.


THU 18:30 Ashley Blaker's Hyperfixations (m002f9g7)
1. 17th Century English History

"To be clear, I was never invited to join the Bullingdon Club, which is a shame because, as a Jew, we’re not allowed to put any pig into us, but there are no rules about the other way round."

In early 2023, Ashley Blaker was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. One of the most significant aspects of his diagnosis is his propensity for hyperfixation in special interests, which he now realises has entirely shaped his past and which he uses to mine comedy for this new series.

It’s no exaggeration to say Ashley’s life has been driven by obsessions. He has variously been a schoolboy with a love of Star Wars and Doctor Who, a wannabe comedian who performed on the London comedy circuit at 16, a trivia nerd who appeared on University Challenge, a history PhD candidate at Cambridge, a BBC producer of hit comedy shows including Little Britain, a fanatical football fan who saw Liverpool play across England and Europe, a strictly Orthodox Jew who went to synagogue three times a day for over ten years, a father of six, and latterly, a heavily tattooed renegade in hiding from his former community.

In this series, Ashley takes a comedic look at each of his obsessions in turn, merging personal memoir with a delve into subjects which have yet to be covered in stand-up comedy shows. The result is a series which, while based on the broader topic of neurodiversity, covers it with the lightest of touches and is focused more on Ashley’s individual hyperfixations, lifting the lid on many of the different worlds he’s inhabited.

Episode 1 is the (probably) surprising subject of 17th Century English history which Ashley studied at both Oxford and Cambridge where he sought to become the first Jewish expert in 17th century church history. Ashley examines the strange world of academia among the dreaming spires and asks why, when all his peers were drinking and having sex, he was completely consumed with obscure clergymen from the 1630s and spent hours in the Guildhall Library, House of Lords and Lambeth Palace trying to work out how to use a microfiche and then struggling to read some very bad 17th century handwriting.

"There are almost no mentions of Jews because we were expelled from England in 1290 and only allowed back by Oliver Cromwell in 1655. So, it was a golden age if you were an antisemite, but a nightmare if you fancied a bagel."

Written and performed by Ashley Blaker
co-starring Rosie Holt and Kieran Hodgson

Script Editor: Steve Hall
Recording engineers: Jerry Peal and Jon Calver
Producer: Steve Doherty
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4


THU 19:00 The Archers (m002f8wd)
Lilian’s telling Jazzer at The Bull that Tracy would love a big fuss for her fiftieth birthday, when Martyn walks in and starts pontificating on how much a marriage is worth investing in if it’s only going to end in divorce. Martyn then tells Lilian he’s still sore after yesterday’s riding mishap, before they swap innuendos to Jazzer’s bemusement.

Having invited Annabelle for a drink Justin tries persuading her to align with his rewilding plans at the next Board meeting, emphasising his concern for the future of society. After Martyn interrupts the conversation Justin makes his exit, assuming he’s got Annabelle’s support. However, once Justin’s gone Annabelle makes it clear she hasn’t been won over, before arranging a tryst with Martin. Justin meanwhile remains confident, while Lilian’s glad Martyn won’t be suing The Stables.

Neil bumps into Clarrie at Underwoods Local just as Clarrie gets a message about Amber inviting herself to tea with Ed and Emma. They’ve been delayed, so Clarrie will have to look after Amber until they get back. Clarrie hasn’t met Amber yet and neither has Neil - George and Amber’s relationship has taken everyone by surprise. When Clarrie gets home she persuades Amber she’ll cook supper for them all at Grange Farm. But when Neil turns up Amber is hostile, accusing Neil and Susan of betraying their grandson. Neil insists Amber doesn’t know the whole story: they love George. But he doesn’t love them, not anymore, Amber declares. Amber then storms off, leaving upset Neil and Clarrie with nothing to say.


THU 19:15 Front Row (m002f9gb)
Review: RSC's The Constant Wife

Tom is joined by reviewers Kate Maltby and Stephanie Merritt to discuss Laura Wade's adaptation for the RSC of Somerset Maugham's comedy The Constant Wife. Also Wendy Erskine's Belfast -set novel; The Benefactors. A polyphonic telling of a teenage girl's assault and its aftermath. And Rebecca Lenkiewicz's directorial debut Hot Milk. Based on Deborah Levy's novel, it stars Fiona Shaw and Emma Mackey.
And we discuss the impact on music festivals and live broadcasts of last weekend's Glastonbury incident


THU 20:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002f9c9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Wednesday]


THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002f9cc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:15 on Wednesday]


THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002f6wc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m002f9f6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002f9gd)
US Congress passes Trump's signature spending bill

The US Congress has passed Donald Trump's huge budget bill after days of votes in the Senate and House of Representatives. The final vote was delayed when Democratic Minority House Leader Hakeem Jeffries broke a record by speaking for more than eight hours on the floor. We hear from a Republican Congressman who backed the bill.

A former security contractor at the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has told the BBC that he witnessed colleagues opening fire on civilians who were waiting for aid.

And as the footballing world mourns Diogo Jota, who died alongside his brother Andre in a car crash in Spain, we reflect on his legacy.


THU 22:45 Summer by Edith Wharton (m002f9gg)
4: 'Ask him when he's going to marry you.'

Edith Wharton's 1917 tale of forbidden passion and sexual awakening, read by Lydia Wilson.

Charity Royall is desperate to escape the dull, rural New England backwater where she works as a librarian - as well as her hard-drinking adoptive father. When a young city architect walks into the town, he seems to offer her hope for a new life. But will her past overshadow their relationship? And can their illicit affair ever bring her the freedom she craves?

Considered by some to be Wharton's finest work, Summer was one of the first novels to deal honestly with a young woman's sexual awakening, and darker themes of incest, and created a sensation on publication.

Today: when Mr Royall confronts Charity and Harney in their secret hideaway, the thorny question of marriage is finally raised...

Reader: Lydia Wilson
Writer: Edith Wharton was famous for her novels including The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence, for which she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, in 1921.
Abridger: Julian Wilkinson
Producer: Justine Willett


THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002f9gj)
Law and Order: How to Fix Britain's Courts

Is there a better way to handle divorce and family separation in the courts? Lady Hale thinks there is.

The former president of the UK’s Supreme Court explains why there needs to be a more streamlined approach and how cuts to legal aid have impacted the family justice system (14:37).

She also talks to Amol about the rise of authoritarianism (27:42), assisted dying (31:39) and whether lawyers should still wear wigs (42:47).

GET IN TOUCH

* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480

* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk

Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Izzy Rowley. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002f9gl)
Alicia McCarthy reports as Health Secretary Wes Streeting unveils his 10-year plan for the NHS in England, the BBC faces more questions over Glastonbury and MPs discuss allergies.

FRIDAY 04 JULY 2025

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002f9gn)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 00:30 Unearthing the Past by Sarah Dunant (m002f9fd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002f9gt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002f9gw)
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 (m002f9gy)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002f9h0)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, unveils his 10-year plan for the NHS in England.


FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002f9h2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002f9h4)
Summertime and not-so easy living

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Mariama Ifode-Blease.

Good morning.

Summertime will mean different things to each one of us. For some, it may bring back memories of summer holidays, mischief-making, fun and reunions with family and friends. For others, this time of year may also be a bit of logistical nightmare, as a working parent, with the challenge of childcare, and finding fun things for children, that will fill the long period out of school.

I’m reminded of one of my favourite songs, ‘Summertime’, that classic composed by George Gershwin, and sang so memorably by Ella Fitzgerald and before her, Billie Holiday. Every time I listened to that song as a moody teenager, I was transported elsewhere, taking me away from the present-day hormonal drama, of my catholic girl’s school and playground politics.

Summer can be complicated, because it’s meant to be a fun season, with good weather, outdoor living, and the potential of holidays. Yet we know that the living isn’t easy for many people. The season can be the same as all the other seasons of the year, bringing the same old, same old, and little relief.

So it’s really inspiring to hear of the organisations, and community groups, who work to give people a break, and a positive experience of summer. From offering financial support, to enjoy our glorious countryside and coastlines, free and engaging activities for children, and the elderly, to residential opportunities, that bring relief for carers. New, hopeful, memories are being created that will last a lifetime.

So today, at the end of the week, may I be granted the vision, to see summer afresh and to bring others into the joy of the season.

Amen.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002f9h6)
04/07/25 Capital grants and sustainable farming incentive, carbon credits, farm research on cycle tour

The sustainable farming incentive or SFI will re-open in the New Year, it pays English farmers for things like planting hedges or wildflowers. It was suddenly closed to new applications earlier this year after it ran out of money. Speaking at the regenerative farming festival Groundswell, the Defra secretary Steve Reed said he wants the SFI to support a transition to regenerative farming. Details will be announced later this summer with applications opening next year though Mr Reed says it will still have a limited budget. He also announced the reintroduction of capital grants for English farmers which were unexpectedly closed last year. These grants are for projects such as cutting water pollution or prevent flooding and now educational visits.

All this week we've been looking at regenerative agriculture, where farmers reduce or stop ploughing, grow cover crops and keep livestock - all with the aim of improving soil and storing carbon. We speak to Becky Wilson from the Farm Carbon Toolkit about how farmers can make money from improving the biodiversity on their land and storing more carbon.

A PhD student from the University of Exeter is interviewing female farmers as she cycles thousands of miles across England. We speak to Veronica White at the end of her research tour in Cumbria.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


FRI 06:00 Today (m002f8vq)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m002f6nr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002f8vs)
UEFA's VP Laura McAllister, playwright Beth Steel, film director Gurinder Chadha

Laura McAllister is the Vice-President of UEFA. During her own football career Laura was the captain of Wales' women's team, gaining 24 caps for her country. Wales have qualified for this year's Euros for the first time and will play their debut match tomorrow, as will England who are defending their title after winning at Wembley in 2022. Laura joins Datshiane Navanayagam ahead of those first games.

Award-winning playwright Beth Steel tells Datshiane how her working-class, northern roots inspire her hit play Till The Stars Come Down. Set at the wedding of Sylvia and Marek - the vodka flows and dances are shared, passions boil over and the limits of love are tested. She becomes the fifth female playwright to transfer from the National Theatre to the West End.

The film director Gurinder Chadha has released a trailer to celebrate this summer's cricket fixtures between England and India's women's teams. She joins Datshiane to discuss why she's chosen to put women's cricket under the spotlight and the legacy of her last hit film about women's sport, Bend It Like Beckham.

The musical icon Angélique Kidjo has become the first black African performer to be selected for a star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame. Kidjo, who comes from the West African country of Benin, and has won five Grammy awards, was among the 35 names announced as part of the Walk of Fame's class of 2026 list. Music journalist Kate Hutchinson tells us more.

Presenter: Datshiane Navanayagam
Producer: Corinna Jones


FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002f8vv)
Potatoes with Poppy O'Toole

In this episode, social media chef and queen of potatoes, Poppy O'Toole, explores the world of her favourite ingredient, the Potato.

Last year, Poppy appeared on Mastermind, choosing the history of the potato as her specialist subject. Let’s just say… it didn’t quite go to plan. So now, she’s joining the team at The Food Programme to fill in the gaps in her knowledge.

Along the way, she meets historian Professor Rebecca Earle from the University of Warwick, who explains how potatoes travelled from the Andes to Europe. She visits Lima, a Peruvian restaurant in London, where she speaks with sous chef William Coz about how potatoes remain central to Peruvian cuisine. Dr Stef de Haan from the International Potato Center shares how Peru continues to cultivate thousands of potato varieties.

In Suffolk, Poppy visits James Foskett’s farm to discover how he grows both organic and conventional potatoes. And she speaks with Dr Jean Beagle Ristaino—known by some as “the Sherlock of Spuds”—about her work investigating the pathogen behind the Irish Potato Famine.

The programme includes archive from Mastermind which is co-produced for BBC 2 by Hindsight and Hat Trick.

Presented by Poppy O'Toole
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan


FRI 11:45 Unearthing the Past by Sarah Dunant (m002f8vx)
5. Fashion Icon and Influencer

The novelist and historian Sarah Dunant finds evidence in the archives, and in art, that reveal Isabella d'Este's significance as a fashion icon and, at times testy, art patron in Renaissance Italy.

The best-selling author of the acclaimed Italian Renaissance novels The Birth of Venus, Blood and Beauty and now, The Marchesa, takes us into the archives where she uncovers a wealth of letters and other documentation charting the wonders of the high Renaissance and the life and times of its first female art collector, fashion icon and political operator, Isabella d'Este, marchesa of Mantua. In this illuminating series Sarah Dunant unearths wonders that bring alive the past, how people lived, their values and their beliefs. Taking as her starting point the novelist L.P. Hartley's line 'the past is a foreign country' Sarah explores how we must sometimes suspend our own judgements to understand the social, political and cultural forces that determined the outcome of world events and every day life. From the acquisition of assets, art and horses, to the fealty of pets, the vicissitudes of motherhood, sex and marriage, and the wielding of cultural influence, Unearthing the Past gives us insights into how we might better understand and appreciate our colourful forebears.

Written and read by Sarah Dunant

Produced by Elizabeth Allard


FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002f8w0)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 Rare Earth (m002f8w4)
After the Bomb

80 years since the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Tom Heap and Helen Czerski ask how our relationship with nuclear power has evolved.

At 8.15 on the morning of the 6th of August 1945 a new era began for this planet. For the first time humankind had the power not just to exploit or damage nature, but to destroy it utterly.

Tom and Helen are joined by Mark Lynas, author of Six Minutes to Winter: Nuclear War and How to Avoid It and by Professor Timothy Mousseau of the University of South Carolina, a biologist who has studied the environmental impact of the nuclear disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima. Also in the studio is Dr Fiona Rayment, President of the Nuclear Institute.

Producer: Alasdair Cross

Assistant Producer: Toby Field

Special thanks to Archie McWatt of the University of the West of England

Rare Earth is produced in association with the Open University


FRI 12:57 Weather (m002f8w6)
The latest weather forecast


FRI 13:00 World at One (m002f8w8)
Hamas consults other Palestinian groups on Gaza ceasefire

As negotiations over a ceasefire deal in Gaza intensify, we get reaction from an Israeli hostage family, and speak to a former peace negotiator. Here, the suspended Labour MP Zarah Sultana says she’s teaming up with Jeremy Corbyn to lead a new party on the left - we get the views of Ian Lavery MP who chaired the party under Corbyn. Plus, the designer Wayne Hemingway on his Festival of Making, happening in Blackburn this weekend.


FRI 13:45 Politically (m002f8wb)
Postwar

20. What if?

David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age.

The 1945 general election was one of the biggest shocks in British parliamentary history: a decisive rejection of Winston Churchill and his leadership. The election of Clement Attlee's Labour government in a landslide marked a break with the past and signalled a strong desire on the part of the British people for something new. But it was also a product of Britain's wartime experiences and revealed the many ways in which the country had already changed.

The years that followed -- the postwar years -- would bring about bold and radical reform, the building of a new nation, a 'New Jerusalem'. The Britain of the National Health Service and the welfare state, of nationalised industry and the so-called 'postwar consensus' -- all were ushered into place with this election. This is the Britain that most have us have grown up in and which still shapes an idea of who we think we are.

To end the series, a counter-factual: what would Britain have been like if, as almost everyone expected, Winston Churchill had won the 1945 general election?


FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002f8wd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Limelight (m002f8wg)
Central Intelligence: Series 2

Episode 3

The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by veteran agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris and Johnny Flynn.

In Episode 2.3… 1956. Stalin is dead, and Khrushchev is breaking ranks. As whispers of a bold speech ripple through Soviet circles, Eisenhower gives CIA chief Allen Dulles one mission: get the speech - at any cost.

Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
Richard Bissell..........Ian Porter
Clover Dulles..........Laurel Lefkow
James Jesus Angleton..........Philip Desmeules
President Eisenhower..........Kerry Shale
John Foster Dulles..........Nathan Osgood
General Mike O’Daniel..........Ian Porter
Koca Popovic..........Branko Tomović
Blokhintsev..........Phillipe Bosher

All other parts played by the cast

Original music by Sacha Puttnam

Written by Greg Haddrick, who created the series with Jeremy Fox
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony Diaz

Director: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott Dryden

A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 14:45 Child (p0hhrtyr)
Series 1

26. Nursery

Whenever an infant heads to nursery, it can feel like an enormous step. Things are changing for everyone. There are all sorts of feelings flying around - relief, sadness, doubt, fear. But what’s going on behind the doors of nurseries and childcare settings in England? India speaks to Joeli Brearley from Pregnant Then Screwed about the current childcare crisis, child development psychotherapist Graham Music about how childcare impacts children, as well as economist Emily Oster on our choices around childcare. India then meets artists Conway and Young who have found a way to make the invisible labour of childcare pay.

Presented by: India Rakusen.
Producer: Georgia Arundell.
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.


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002f8wj)
East Horsley: Potato Beetle, Indoor edibles and Fallow Year

Can I grow fruits or vegetables in a flat with no balcony? Could garlic help stop slugs from eating my Hostas? Why did you become gardeners?

Kathy Clugston is joined by a panel of much-loved gardening experts in the picturesque village of East Horsley, Surrey, to answer listeners’ horticultural dilemmas and offer practical, down-to-earth advice. On the panel this week are botanist and broadcaster James Wong, plant health specialist Pippa Greenwood, and award-winning garden designer Juliet Sargeant.

Later in the programme, Pippa Greenwood explores the growing threat of Colorado beetles to UK biosecurity in conversation with Tracy Wilson, Import Specialist at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

Producer: Matthew Smith
Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Plant List
Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.

Q – Can you suggest a suitable hedge that can be kept slim but tall to go between a six-foot fence and a path? (01’31”)

James Wong –
Trachelospermum jasminoides, star jasmine

Juliet Sargeant –
Muehlenbeckia complexa, necklace vine
Osmanthus delavayi, delavay osmanthus
Osmanthus heterophyllus, holly olive
Elaeagnus × ebbingei

Q – How do I encourage my 100-year-old rhododendrons to flower? (05’35”)

Q – Is there a way for me to grow fruits or vegetables in a flat with no balcony? And if yes, what would you recommend with limited space? (08’54”)

Juliet Sargeant –
Hydroponics

James Wong –
Tomato
Chilli
Basil
Thai Basil
Ocimum kilimandscharicum, camphor basil
Ocimum basilicum 'Christmas', basil ‘Christmas’
Curry Leaves
Mint Leaves

Pippa Greenwood –
Chilli

Feature – Pippa Greenwood discusses the threat Colorado Beetles have on our crops with Tracy Wilson (15’02”)

Q –  We have raised vegetable beds. I put a layer of mulch on them every autumn. Would it be a good idea to let a bed lie fallow occasionally? (19’49”)

Q – What’s causing my Hydrangea petiolaris to die off? (24’05”)

Q – What could I grow in a large rockery in our garden, that’s also difficult to kill? (28’31”)

Q – Would wild garlic help stop slugs from eating my Hostas? (31’31”)

Q – What possessed you to become the garden experts you are? And as a result. What advice would you give to up-and-coming young gardeners to continue? (36’00”)


FRI 15:45 Short Works (m002f8wl)
One More Song by Sam Thompson

An original short story specially commissioned by BBC Radio 4 from the author Sam Thompson. Read by Richard Clements.

The Author
Sam Thompson is the author of the novels ‘Communion Town’ and ‘Jott’, the children’s novels ‘Wolfstongue’, ‘The Fox’s Tower’ and ‘The Forest Yet to Come’, and the short story collection ‘Whirlwind Romance’. His work has been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, the Edge Hill Prize and a British Science Fiction Association Award, has been shortlisted for the Encore Prize, has won a Spark School Book Award and a Literacy Association of Ireland Biennial Book Award. His short fiction appeared in Best British Short Stories 2019. He grew up in the south of England and now lives in Belfast, where he convenes the MA in Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queen’s University.

Writer: Sam Thompson
Reader: Richard Clements
Producer: Michael Shannon

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002f8wn)
Courtney Griffiths KC, Sara Venn, Nina Kuscik, Mohammad Hussain

Matthew Bannister on

Courtney Griffiths, one of the first black lawyers to become a Queen’s Counsel.

Sara Venn, who turned unloved spaces in Bristol into community gardens growing food for low-income families.

Nina Kuscik, the American marathon runner who broke down barriers to women participating in long distance running.

Sergeant Mohammed Hussain, one of the last surviving Muslim veterans of the second world war.

Producer: Catherine Powell

Archive used:
BBC News: Courtenay Griffiths, April 2012; BBC Breakfast News: Courtenay Griffiths, April 2012; Hardtalk, BBC Two, Interviewer Tim Sebastian, 12/10/2002; Hardtalk, BBC Two, Interviewer Stephen Sackur, 19/11/2010; The Organic Gardening Podcast: Sara Venn, YouTube Upload, 24/01/2024; BBC Points West: Sara Venn, 27/04/2016; BBC Points West: Sara Venn, 01/05/2014; Nina Kuscik, Northeast Historic Film; BBC London: Mohammad Hussein, 10/11/2022; Southall to Cassino, BBC Two, 02/09/1989; Festival of Remembrance, BBC, 09/11/2024


FRI 16:30 More or Less (m002f8wq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]


FRI 17:00 PM (m002f8ws)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002f8wv)
The BBC sees French police use a knife to sink a migrant boat bound for Britain

French police have made a rare intervention to stop a migrant boat from crossing the Channel to the UK. BBC News witnessed the officers suddenly charge into the sea to slash the overcrowded dinghy, as it struggled in shallow water. Everyone was able to get off the boat safely. Also: President Zelensky says he and Donald Trump have agreed to work together to strengthen Ukrainian air defences. And the first concert of the Oasis reunion tour kicks off in Cardiff this evening.


FRI 18:30 Dead Ringers (m002f8wx)
Series 26

Welfare woes and Wimbledon

The Dead Ringers team are back to train their vocal firepower on the week’s news with an armoury of impressive impressions.
This week: The Government’s welfare woes, the BBC’s chant chastisement, and Netanyahu, Trump and Putin play Just A Minute.

The episode was written by: Nev Fountain and Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Rob Darke, Sophie Dickson, Toussaint Douglass, Peter Tellouche, Tom Coles, Edward Tew, Jon Holmes, Davina Bentley, Vicky Richards, Ali Panting, Pete Redfern, Declan Kennedy.

Cast: Jan Ravens, Jon Culshaw, Lewis Macleod, Jess Robinson, Duncan Wisbey.

Created by Bill Dare
Producer: Jon Holmes
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
Production Co-ordinator: Jodie Charman


FRI 19:00 The Archers (m002f8wz)
Martyn comes into The Bull again, suggesting it might become his regular drinking venue. He starts expounding on the virtues of flirting in a marriage, before admitting to Jazzer that there is a new woman in his life. The more Martin talks about the qualities of his new woman, the more Jazzer encourages him to go for it, like he did with Tracy. Martyn would prefer her identity to remain secret though. But later on, when Jazzer tells Tracy about their conversation, the clues Martyn was dropping and the flirtatious talk about his horse riding lesson, it suddenly clicks. Martyn’s heart wants Lilian!

Amber is visiting George in prison and tells him she thinks Brad is a bit weird, staring at her and asking about school. When George defends Brad as a loyal friend Amber quickly changes her tune. George then asks about dinner with Ed and Emma, so Amber explains what happened with Clarrie and reducing Neil to silence by telling the truth about what Neil and Susan did to George. George loves her loyalty, no one else gets him like she does. Amber hasn’t talked to her parents about him yet, but when George suggests writing to them Amber says it's not worth it. Soon they’ll be living in the flat above her parents’ garage and her parents can make their minds up about him then. Before the visit ends Amber talks about them being together forever, prompting George to get down on one knee and propose. Amber says yes, to applause from other visitors and prisoners – they’re getting married!


FRI 19:15 Screenshot (m002f8x1)
Music Festivals

As music festival season takes hold of the summer, Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode look at festival films from Woodstock to Summer of Soul. Can you really capture the spirit of a music festival on screen?

Mark speaks to legendary editor Thelma Schoonmaker about her era-defining, Academy Award-nominated work on the documentary film Woodstock. He then talks to maverick British director Julien Temple about filming Glastonbury - his very personal film about the history of the English music festival.

Ellen talks to music journalist Shaad D’Souza about the relationship between festivals and screen culture in the 21st century, from Bridget Jones to Beyonce at Coachella. And she also speaks to director Jamie Crawford, whose 2022 documentary series Trainwreck: Woodstock 99 showed - in some detail - what can happen when the festival dream gets torn down and trampled underfoot.

Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002f8x3)
Danny Kruger MP, Caroline Lucas, Sir Anthony Seldon, Karin Smyth MP

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Frogham in Hampshire, with Conservative MP Danny Kruger, the shadow minister for work and pensions; former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas; the historian Sir Anthony Seldon; and Labour MP and health minister Karin Smyth.


FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002f8x5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:40 on Wednesday]


FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m002f8x7)
Censorship, editing and self-censorship

Shahidha Bari looks at censorship, editing and self-censorship with guests including historian of China, Rana Mitter, Jemimah Steinfeld of Index on Censorship and Nigel Warburton, host of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Amelia Fairney discusses her research on sensitivity readers and the conversations that take place in publishing houses. And, Nicola Wilson, who’s been studying reading recommendations from The Book Society which operated in the UK between 1929 and 1968. The book selectors sometimes suggested changes to the published texts so we hear about this history and look at publishing now.

Nicola Wilson's book Recommended! The influencers who changed how we read is out now
Nigel Warburton has written many books on philosophy including A Little History of Philosophy

Producer: Ruth Watts


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002f8x9)
Hamas responds to Gaza ceasefire proposal

Hamas has said it has submitted a positive response to mediators about a ceasefire proposed by the US. The BBC has been told that it has requested some key changes but is prepared to enter negotiations ‘immediately’.

Also on the programme: frustration in Ukraine over the Trump administration’s decision to halt missile deliveries; and sixteen years after Oasis's split, Noel and Liam Gallagher renew their musical vows in Cardiff.


FRI 22:45 Summer by Edith Wharton (m002f8xc)
5: 'I'm going up the mountain.'

Edith Wharton's 1917 tale of forbidden passion and sexual awakening.

Charity Royall is desperate to escape the dull, rural New England backwater where she works as a librarian - as well as her hard-drinking adoptive father. When a young city architect walks into the town, he seems to offer her hope for a new life. But will her past overshadow their relationship? And can their illicit affair ever bring her the freedom she craves?

Considered by some to be Wharton's finest work, Summer was one of the first novels to deal honestly with a young woman's sexual awakening, and darker themes of incest, and created a sensation on publication.

Today: Pregnant with Harney's child, Charity's only way out seems to be to return to the Mountain, and to her folk...

Reader: Lydia Wilson
Writer: Edith Wharton was famous for her novels including The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence, for which she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, in 1921.
Abridger: Julian Wilkinson
Producer: Justine Willett


FRI 23:00 Americast (w3ct7t5l)
Is Trump deporting record numbers of migrants?

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to target illegal immigrants that were the ‘worst of the worst’ with strict deportation enforcements. Six months into his second term, the US president has ramped up his battle over so-called 'sanctuary cities' by taking legal action against Los Angeles, and other Democratic cities. Trump says the Democrats are harbouring “millions of illegal aliens” by creating sanctuary cities which don’t need to co-operate with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).

Justin and Anthony discuss the upcoming fight between Donald Trump and these cities, and assess how achievable his promise is to carry out the largest deportation programme in American history.

HOSTS:
* Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
* Justin Webb, Radio 4 Presenter

GET IN TOUCH:
* Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
* Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
* Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
* Or use #Americast

This episode was made by Purvee Pattni with Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The technical producers were Ricardo McCarthy and Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.

You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.

US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155

Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.

The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm **


FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002f8xh)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament