SATURDAY 05 JULY 2025

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002f8xk)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 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


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002f8xm)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002f8xp)
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 (m002f8xr)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002f8xt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002f8xw)
Prayer for the Day celebrates 55 years on Radio 4 from Bradford City of Culture

Rev Ned Lunn, Canon for Intercultural Mission and the Arts at Bradford Cathedral reflects on creativity and prayer to celebrate 55 years of Prayer for the Day, from Bradford the City of Culture.

Good morning.

Creativity is often imagined as wild and unbound — a free-flowing river of possibility. But I’ve come to know as both artist, and disciple, that creativity flourishes not in chaos, but in constraint. Writing poetry — especially sonnets — teaches me this. Their form is a vessel, not a cage. In metre and rhyme, I discover what I truly need to say.

A blank canvas can paralyse. Limitless choice becomes a burden. Form, rhythm, and rule, offer a pathway. Constraint is not the enemy of imagination but its companion.

For me, the daily office that I say at Bradford Cathedral, is such a holy constraint. It is liturgical scaffolding, within which my creative soul can play. In prayer, I’m drawn back to what matters. I listen, I yield, I remember. Prayer shapes my vision. It invites: choose well, choose wisely, choose what gives life.

Working in a cathedral in a busy city, I face a thousand invitations daily — what to read, what to say, what to make. Without prayer, I chase shadows. With prayer, I discern what is necessary, what is good, what will serve the Kingdom. I’m not seeking efficiency, but faithfulness. Prayer, gives contour to my calling. My art becomes not just expression, but service, witness, offering.

Holy Spirit, Breath of Creation and Giver of Form, teach me, to welcome boundaries that bring life. Root my decisions in prayer, that I may know what to pursue and what to lay down. Let your presence be the frame in which I live and create. Shape my imagination into service, and my desires into worship. In Jesus’ name.

Amen.


SAT 05:45 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.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002fj41)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SAT 06:07 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


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002fj43)
05/07/25 Farming Today This Week: Regenerative Agriculture

Prince William and the Defra Secretary say regen agriculture is the future.

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.

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


SAT 06:57 Weather (m002fj45)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m002fj47)
Today (Saturday)


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002fj49)
Judy Murray, Defne Suman, Richard Turner, Rick Edwards

Mother of champions and former tennis star and coach herself... Judy Murray has swapped a killer forehand for the mighty pen.

Richard Turner is a cult survivor who knows a thing or two about love bombing, gaslighting and the prosperity gospel, but it was his autism diagnosis that opened his eyes to the truth.

Defne Suman, is an acclaimed Turkish author, and hatha yoga teacher, whose novels unearth forgotten histories and turn memory into literature with sociological insight.

All that plus the Inheritance Tracks of the 5Live presenter and noughties teen tv icon…Rick Edwards.

Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw Stephens
Producer: Lowri Rhiannon Morgan


SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m002fj4c)
American War of Independence: Fourth of July Special

Greg Jenner is joined in the eighteenth century by Professor Frank Cogliano and comedian and actor Patton Oswalt for a special Fourth of July episode all about the American War of Independence. Also known as the American Revolutionary War, 2025 marks 250 years since the start of the conflict in 1775, when the first battles between the British army and the colonial resistance were fought at Lexington and Concord. But what caused Britain’s North American colonies to rebel against the king and government in London? At what point did they start to see themselves as American and not British? And how did a colonial militia take on an imperial superpower? This episode charts the growing rift between Britain and its American colonists, taking in famous events like the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party and the calling of the first Continental Congress, all the way through to the Declaration of Independence and the course of the revolutionary war itself. We learn how America fought to free itself from the shackles of British rule, and meet some well-known names from history, including Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin and George Washington. And we also ask whose freedom was being fought for, and who – such as Black and Indigenous Americans – got left behind.

If you’re a fan of fearless freedom fighters, political wrangling and stunning military victories, you’ll love our episode on the American War of Independence.

If you want more American political history, listen to our episode on Becoming America, or episodes on abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. And for more independence movements, check out our episode on Simón Bolívar.

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

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Charlotte Emily Edgeshaw
Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: Philip Sellars


SAT 10:30 Rewinder (m002fj4f)
Doorstepped By Jeremy Vine

Greg James is back for another trip deep into the BBC Archives, and into the past, as he uses listener requests, overlooked anniversaries and current stories to guide him to audio gold.

Bonjour la classe! It’s that time of year when kids get out of the classroom and enjoy a much deserved school trip. Greg hears from a class of children from 1963 who hop the Channel to practise their French skills in a French classroom. With mixed results. And why's that boy hiding a massive bottle of whisky? There are also wonderful memories from trips to Wembley in 1925, featuring a vocal elephant and a potato.

As Noel and Liam Gallagher prepare for their hotly anticipated Oasis reunion tour, Greg listens back to early interviews with the brothers just as they were on the cusp of stardom. Yes there's bickering, yes there's questionable language, and booze and general discord - but despite the sibling rivalry, Liam shows brotherly loyalty when an unexpected situation on-stage unfolds during one early performance in Newcastle.

Order! Order! It’s time to wind the clock back 50 years to the very first moment the House of Commons was broadcast on the airwaves. Debating the pros and cons of having cameras in the chamber, politicians pondered whether filming would mean acting to the cameras simply to get a quick sound bite. Surely not?

Fifty years too since one of the biggest and most influential summer blockbuster films ever: Jaws. Beach holidays have never been quite the same. Greg dives into incredible behind-the-scenes archive from a very young Steven Spielberg, negotiating wobbly boats and capsizing actors.

Producer: Tim Bano

An EcoAudio certified production


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002fj4h)
Sonia Sodha and guests reflect on Sir Keir Starmer's first anniversary in office, at the end of a turbulent week in Westminster - including a Labour rebellion over welfare cuts; a tearful appearance by the Chancellor; and the unveiling of a new ten-year plan for the NHS.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002fj4k)
Israel's anti-war activists

Kate Adie presents stories from Israel, Zimbabwe, Taiwan's Kinmen Islands, Lithuania and Peru.

In Israel a small group of peace campaigners has been going against the grain of the public mood to highlight the plight of Palestinian people in Gaza, and has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war on humanitarian grounds. Wyre Davies met them in Jerusalem.

It’s 25 years since Robert Mugabe’s controversial land reform programme ignited a wave of violent land seizures from Zimbabwe's white farmers. The current government has begun paying compensation to some of the farmers forced from their land – Shingai Nyoka considers whether it can help bring much-desired reconciliation.

Taiwan's Kinmen Islands are just a few miles off the coast of mainland China, which has made repeated attempts over the decades to annex the outpost. Today locals continue to live amid ongoing tensions with China - as well as the strain between modern and traditional ways of life, reports Adrian Bridge.

In Lithuania's capital Vilnius is the imposing Lukeskes prison. Once infamous for its appalling conditions, it provided a dystopian setting for the sci-fi series Stranger Things. Today, it's been transformed into a new artistic hub, but is this hipster culture erasing vital national history? Joshua Askew recently paid a visit.

And finally, BBC Budapest correspondent Nick Thorpe recently had a change of scene, venturing to South America and the high Andes of Peru, where he travelled on a donkey through the Cordillera Blanca range, past lakes and waterfalls – and rapidly disappearing glaciers.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002fj4m)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002fj4p)
Future of Pensions and Heat Networks

Reform of the state pension, auto-enrolment into company pensions and consolidation of small pensions spread across several providers are proposed this week in a major report on the future of pensions. It says major changes are are necessary to ensure today's workers have an adequate income in retirement. The conclusions come at the end of a two year study by the independent research organisation the Institute for Fiscal Studies, we'll speak to them about the report.

Hundreds of thousands of people whose homes are heated using communal heat networks are less than 6 months away from greater protection as the industry gets ready to come under Ofgem regulation for the first time. Up until now people in homes that are on heat networks, which use a single heat source to pipe hot water to multiple households, have not had the same rights as those on mains gas or electricity, but that is about it change. What difference could the new regulations make?

How could the way you get financial advice change in the future? We'll discuss new proposals by the regulator the Financial Conduct Authority aimed at helping more people get financial advice.

And, what would you like to see on a new bank note from the Bank of England? Email us now moneybox@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner
Researcher: Eimear Devlin
Editor: Jess Quayle

(audio credit British Pathé)

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 5th July 2025)


SAT 12:30 Dead Ringers (m002f8wx)
Series 26

Dead Ringers Ep 4. 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.

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

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.

Created by Bill Dare
Producer: Jon Holmes
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
Production Co-ordinator: Jodie Charman


SAT 12:57 Weather (m002fj4r)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News (m002fj4t)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 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.


SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002fj4w)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?


SAT 14:45 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!


SAT 15:00 Drama on 4 (m000mbq0)
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Episode 1

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's remarkable novel set during the Nigeria-Biafra War of the late 1960s, dramatised by Janice Okoh.

Sisters Olanna and Kainene, daughters of a "nouveau riche" tribal chief turned businessman and part of the Igbo elite; Olanna's lover Odenigbo, a revolutionary university professor; Richard, a British writer in love with Kainene; and Ugwu a young man employed as a houseboy for Odenigbo all have their lives drastically changed as they become swept up in the brutal civil war.

A powerful, compassionate depiction of the human tragedy of those caught up in Biafra's impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic and the chilling violence and trauma that followed.

NARRATOR.....Ben Onwukwe
OKEOMA.....Sule Rimi
ODENIGBO.....Adetomiwa Edun
UGWU.....Valentine Olukoga
MISS ADEBAYO/ MAMA/ AMALA.....Gbemisola Ikumelo
OLANNA.....Susan Wokoma
RICHARD.....Blake Ritson
KAINENE.....Nikki Amuka-Bird
MADU.....Okezie Morro

Directed by Nadia Molinari
Sound Design by Sharon Hughes


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m002fj4y)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: Fiona Shaw, Gurinder Chadha, Women Footballers, Fashion Disrupter Amy Powney

Award-winning actor Fiona Shaw is best known for her roles in Killing Eve, Bad Sisters, Fleabag, True Detective: Night Country and even as Aunt Petunia in Harry Potter, among many other things. She’s now starring in a new film adaptation of Deborah Levy’s novel, Hot Milk, playing Rose, who goes to Almería in Spain with her daughter, Sofia, played by Emma Mackey, to try to find a cure for Rose’s mysterious paralysis at an experimental clinic. Fiona joined Nuala McGovern to discuss it.

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 spoke to Jenny about her memoir Don't Let it Break You, Honey.

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 joined Datshiane Navanayagam 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.

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 joined Kylie Pentelow in the Woman’s Hour studio.

The Women’s Euros started 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. Anna joins Nuala in discussion along with Rachael Bullingham, Senior Lecturer of Sport and Exercise at the University of Gloucestershire.

Presenter: Datshiane Navanayagam
Producer: Annette Wells
Editor: Rebecca Myatt


SAT 17:00 PM (m002fj50)
The search continues for missing children following Texas flash flooding

Rescue efforts are still underway in Texas after fatal flash flooding. PM speaks to the Lt Governor of Texas about the search for missing schoolgirl campers. Rima Ahmed presents.


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002fj52)
The Keir Starmer Prime Minister One

After some of the most tumultuous days of his premiership, Keir Starmer sits down with Nick in Downing Street, to reflect on a year in power.

In a wide-ranging interview, the prime minister defends his style of leadership, while taking responsibility for the setbacks.

He also opens up about losing his brother last year and his personal relationship with President Trump

Producers: Daniel Kraemer, Leela Padmanabhan and Chloe Desave


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002fj54)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m002fj56)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002fj58)
Reform UK MP James McMurdock loses whip after business Covid loan claims

The Reform MP, James McMurdock, has resigned from the parliamentary party because of a newspaper's claims about his business activities during the pandemic. He denies wrongdoing.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002fj5b)
Mel Giedroyc, Debbie Wiseman, Mike Gayle, Rachel Parris, Clive Anderson

It's mostly lollipops, ribbons and cakes for Clive Anderson this week as he meets Bake Off host Mel Giedroyc, Jane Austen improviser Rachel Parris and Romantic Novelist Mike Gayle (the only man to win the Romantic Writers Association's top award). But not all....

Mel Giedroyc's new podcast - and she emphasises it's a comedy one - is taking over from Kathy Burke on Where There's a Will There's a Wake - all about death, funerals and everything in between. She reveals how she and Sue Perkins met and unsurprisingly enough it was love-friends at first sight.

Rachel Parris is taking Austentacious, her improv show based on Jane Austen, on the road and to Edinburgh Fringe again. She explains why nothing quite hits the spot like Jane. But she's also written a novel based on the romance between Pride and Prejudice character Charlotte Lucas and Mr Collins. And reader, Eliza Bennett does not come out of this well.

Mike Gayle is the only man the Romantic Writers Association has bestowed its Outstanding Achievement Award upon and is a bestselling novelist. He describes his favourite reader letter from when he worked as an Agony Uncle for Bliss Magazine back in the day.

All accompanied by the glorious sound of Debbie Wiseman's music for the TV series Wolf Hall, played by the composer herself with the Locrian Ensemble of London, soprano Grace Davidson and Alec Harmon on Cor Anglais.

Presented by Clive Anderson
Producer Olive Clancy


SAT 19:00 Profile (m002fj5d)
Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani is the Democratic candidate for New Yok City mayor after a stunning victory in the primary race. If he goes on to win the mayoral election in November he will become the first Muslim and Indian American to lead the nation's largest city. His nomination came as a shock to some in the mainstream Democratic party who worry his policies are too extreme and could alienate swing voters. Before turning to politics Mr Mamdani had a brief career in the music industry. Mark Coles interviews his friends and family about his rise from rap artist to politician.

Presenter: Mark Coles

Producers: Natasha Fernandes and Ben Crighton

Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele

Sound: Gareth Jones

Editor: Nick Holland

Credits:
CBS New York “Zohran Mamdani claims victory in NYC Democratic mayoral primary”
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert “Colber Talks NYC Mayroal Race with Candidates Zohran Mamdani & Brad Lander”
Zohran Mamdani’s Instagram and TikTok
abc News "Trump threatens to arrest NYC mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani"


SAT 19:15 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


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002fj5g)
100 Years of Mein Kampf

A century has passed since the publication of Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler’s notorious book. Part-autobiography, part-political manifesto, few today have read it – and even fewer admit to doing so. Yet its ideas, expressed in often meandering and barely coherent prose, laid out the groundwork for the most destructive ideology of the 20th century.

John Kampfner, whose Jewish father fled Czechoslovakia in 1939, sets out to explore the book’s origins, its impact and its disturbing echoes in today’s world.

From its early slump to the sale of 12 million copies, Mein Kampf came to be seen as more than just a book – it was a symbol, a Nazi devotional object. After the war, and the horrors of the Holocaust, prosecutors at Nuremberg cited the book as the “blueprint of Nazi aggression”. Victorious Allied forces tried to suppress it, while wrestling with how to do so without mirroring the censorship of the very regime they had defeated.

In post-war Germany, John discovers the book’s strange afterlife – including how it found its way into satire and stage performance as the country began a tentative reckoning with its past. Mein Kampf’s republication in Germany in 2016, heavily annotated by historians, sparked intense debate about memory, responsibility and how best to confront dangerous ideas.

In 2025, John is struck by the extent to which the spirit of Mein Kampf lives on in digital spaces, political rhetoric and increasingly mainstream narratives about race, identity and nationhood. Attempts to neuter the book may have limited its visibility – but not its ideas.

The programme explores the notorious and anti-Semitic content of Adolf Hitler's infamous book.

Producer: Jack Butcher
Executive Producer: Robert Nicholson

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 21:00 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


SAT 22:00 News (m002fj5j)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 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


SAT 23:00 Kat Sadler's Screen Time (m002fh44)
Series 2

1. Influencer

Industry heartthrob and nation's sweetheart Kat is on her way to an exciting product launch in a long car, with long suffering sidekick Alex Macqueen.

On the way, she shares the secrets of her success, and how series one of Screen Time made her the most famous woman to ever grace the UK. Now that she's the biggest influencer ever, Kat teaches you how you can stop being a big normo and maximise your online brand. Hear her improve her appearance with a novel technique at the gym, convene a writers room to work out how to appear most relatable, and purify her brand by cutting off an old friend who's just got the worst news a person can receive. He's been cancelled.

And she barely thinks about Abbie at all!

Cast

Kat Sadler - Kat
Alex MacQueen - Alex
Abbie Weinstock - Abbie
Al Roberts - Toby
Lizzie Davidson - Various
Jason Forbes - Various

Written by Kat Sadler and Cameron Loxdale

Production Coordinator - Caroline Barlow
Executive Producer - Pete Strauss
Sound Design - Rich Evans
Recorded by Neil Goody at Premises Studios

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.


SAT 23:30 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.

SUNDAY 06 JULY 2025

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002fj5l)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 00:15 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 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002fj5n)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002fj5q)
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 (m002fj5s)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002fj5v)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002fj5x)
St Peter’s church in Evercreech, Somerset.

Bells on Sunday comes from St Peter’s church in Evercreech, Somerset. The church building dates from the 14th and 15th century and is a fine example of the Perpendicular style. Its 94 foot tall tower was said by the famous architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner to be the finest in the county. There are ten bells, all of which were cast by the John Taylor foundry of Loughborough in 1948. The Tenor bell weighs twenty one hundredweight and is tuned to the note of E flat. We hear them ringing Grandsire Caters.


SUN 05:45 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.


SUN 06:00 News Summary (m002fjfp)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 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


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002fjfr)
Galson: the Estate on the Edge

At the far northern tip of the Outer Hebrides, Galson Estate clings by its very fingernails to the wild western edge of Europe.

Fierce Atlantic breakers crash along its beaches and rocky shores, the bulk of its 56,000 acres is bog and moorland, and wind speeds recorded here frequently hit the headlines, yet a community buyout almost 20 years ago has spawned ambitious developments that have secured economic independence and brought new-found confidence to 22 scattered coastal communities.

The history of the Clearances - when a local community was forcibly evicted from their homes and land to make way for sheep farming in 1863 - makes the security that comes with community ownership all the sweeter.

While renewable energy underpins the estate's modern-day finances, it is crofting, culture and tradition that are at the heart of estate life.

From the Butt of Lewis lighthouse to ambitious new projects, Trust chair Agnes Rennie guides Nancy Nicolson around the estate and introduces her to some of the people who are integral to life in this corner of the Isle of Lewis.

Produced and presented by Nancy Nicolson.


SUN 06:57 Weather (m002fjft)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002fjfw)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002fjfy)
Dalai Lama, Welfare bill, Turkey

Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has confirmed that he will have a successor after his death, ending years of uncertainty - but China has other ideas. Hundreds of followers gathered to hear the long-awaited announcement in the Indian town of Dharamshala where the Dalai Lama lives. The leader of Tibetan Buddhism also celebrates his 90th birthday this Sunday. Sunday hears from BBC correspondent Samira Hussein, and explores the Dalai Lama's message further with Ms. Lhagyari Namgyal Dolkar, a Tibetan MP from the Tibetan Parliament in Exile.

How does a politician of faith balance their religious beliefs with the responsibilities to their party, and to their constituents? This week, Evangelical Christian Rachel Maskell MP successfully lead a backbench rebellion against Keir Starmer’s welfare reforms. The defeat has had ongoing consequences since then, with commentators asking if the defeat has put Prime Minister’s credibility at risk.

Protests in Turkey as newspaper staff are arrested for publishing a cartoon alleged to be of the Prophet Mohammad and Moses shaking hands over a bombed out city. Editor in Chief of LeMan satirical magazine says the cartoon has been intentionally misinterpreted. Emily Buchanan explores how modern Turkey- created as a secular state - seems to have changed over time, and how blurred the lines have now become separating state and faith?

Presenter: Emily Buchanan
Producers: Bara'atu Ibrahim & Rosie Dawson
Studio Managers: Nick Woodsford & Sharon Hughes
Editor: Tim Pemberton


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002fjg0)
Money Ready

Maths teacher and broadcaster Bobby Seagull presents the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Money Ready. The charity delivers money education programmes across the UK to help people learn how to manage their finances.

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

Registered Charity Number: 1123791. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://www.moneyready.org
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites

Producer: Katy Takatsuki


SUN 07:57 Weather (m002fjg2)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002fjg4)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002fjg6)
The King of Instruments - St Albans International Organ Festival

Coming from the 33rd St Albans International Organ Festival, Lucy Winkett joins organ competitors and performers at St Peter’s Church, St Albans, to explore the history and impact the pipe organ has had in leading and accompanying church music across the centuries.

The choir of St Peter’s Church will be performing music by composer and organist Peter Hurford, the founder of the St Albans International Festival, and there will be a live organ improvisation from French organist Jean-Baptiste Robin. Lucy will also be talking to one of the UK’s leading concert organists – Margaret Philipps, who will explain how she was drawn to the rich soundscape created the pipe organ.

The service is introduced by the vicar of St Peter’s – Mark Dearnley.

Director of Music: Nick Robinson
Organist: Alex Flood
Producer: Mark O’Brien


SUN 08:48 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 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002fjg8)
Michael Malay on the Magpie

A common sight throughout much of the UK, magpies are the subject of many myths and legends - including the famous nursery rhyme, “One for sorrow, two for joy”. As the words of the rhyme suggests, these social corvids will often gather in groups, making their presence known with noisy, chattering calls.

Nature writer Michael Malay often sees magpies in the woods near his home in the city of Bristol. Out for a walk one evening, Michael comes across a group of them perched in a stand of ash trees, making a lot of noise, and wonders what they might be 'talking' about.

Presented by Michael Malay and produced by Jo Peacey. A BBC Audio Bristol production.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002fjgb)
Pop the boats

A look at new tactics by French police to stop boats crossing the Channel ahead of the arrival of President Macron in the UK for a state visit. Plus: are there too many celebrity-penned thrillers being published?


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002fjgd)
Carol Klein, gardener

Carol Klein is a gardener, broadcaster and longtime contributor to BBC Gardeners’ World. She is a six time Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner, a certified RHS Horticultural Hero and was awarded the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour.

Born in 1945 in Lancashire, Carol was the eldest of three children and her love of gardening was evident when she used to bring soil in from the outside as a toddler, and make a garden on the lino floor of her mum’s kitchen.

She began her career as an art teacher, working for many years in London schools. After meeting her husband, Neil, they eventually moved to Devon to buy a house and create a garden. They have lived in Glebe Cottage for forty seven years and it’s been the base for Carol’s former plant business as well as the location for some of her TV programmes.

Carol never intended to be a professional gardener. She followed that path after becoming a parent and deciding not to return to her teaching career. After first growing plants successfully for local markets, she then started entering professional garden shows up and down the country winning six Chelsea gold medals in the process.

Carol lives in Devon with her husband Neil.

DISC ONE: Feeling Good - Nina Simone
DISC TWO: Not Fade Away - Buddy Holly
DISC THREE: Corrina, Corrina - Bob Dylan
DISC FOUR: Let’s Stay Together - Al Green
DISC FIVE: Perfect Day - Lou Reed
DISC SIX: Tutti Frutti - Little Richard
DISC SEVEN: Skylark (Alauda Arvensis)
DISC EIGHT: Radio, Radio - Elvis Costello & The Attractions

BOOK CHOICE: Flora Britannica by Richard Mabey
LUXURY ITEM: A bottle of perfume
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Skylark (Alauda Arvensis)

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Sarah Taylor


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002fjgg)
WRITER: Naylah Ahmed
DIRECTOR: Julie Beckett
EDITOR: Jeremy Howe

Helen Archer…. Louiza Patikas
Henry Archer…. Blayke Darby
Kenton Archer…. Richard Attlee
Lilian Bellamy…. Sunny Ormonde
Neil Carter…. Brian Hewlett
Justin Elliott…. Simon Williams
Usha Franks…. Souad Faress
Martyn Gibson…. Jon Glover
Clarrie Grundy…. Heather Bell
George Grundy…. Angus Stobie
Brad Horrobin…. Taylor Uttley
Tracy Horrobin…. Susie Riddell
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Jazzer McCreary…. Ryan Kelly
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
Amber Gordon…. Charlotte Jordan
Annabelle Schrivener…. Julia Hills


SUN 12:15 Profile (m002fj5d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 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


SUN 12:57 Weather (m002fjgj)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002fjgl)
How do we adapt to a warmer world?

Amid a hot summer in the UK and Europe, we look at how well adapted our infrastructure and our homes are for extreme heat in the future. Laurence Tubiana, key architect of the 2015 Paris Agreement, gives her assessment. Also, the Dalai Lama turns 90 – we ask about his enduring legacy around the globe.


SUN 13:30 Currently (m002fjgn)
The Great British Trade-Off

In the years since Brexit, British businesses have had to constantly adapt to ever changing rules and regulations about trading with the EU. The current government is making moves to make some of that process easier.

To find out more about the consequences of (almost) a decade of Brexit, we catch up with three very different businesses to find out if they've been thriving, surviving, or downsizing.

Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producer Ivana Davidovic
Editor: Max Deveson
Sound editor: Sarah Hockley


SUN 14:00 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”)


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m001nfzr)
The Mahabharata - Episode 1

Originally composed about 2000 years ago, the Mahabharata is one of the world’s greatest pieces of storytelling, as well as a foundational Hindu text. Woven through its central account of a great dynastic family conflict and bloody war is the story of the gods and their relationship to humankind, as well as spiritual, philosophical and practical instruction about how to live one’s life in the best possible way.

In the first of two episodes about the this epic poem, John looks at how the central story of the conflict between two branches of the great Bharata family gives the work its extraordinary and gripping dramatic impact.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for nearly 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised on BBC Radio 4. From EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless, he has been obsessed with telling big popular stories. He has spent years analysing not just how stories work but why they resonate with audiences around the globe and has brought together his experience in his bestselling book Into the Woods. As former Head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of BBC Drama Production and MD of Company Pictures, John has tested his theories during an extensive production career working on some of the world’s most lucrative, widely viewed and critically acclaimed TV drama. As founder of the hugely successful BBC Writers Academy John has trained a generation of screenwriters.

Credits:
The Mahabharata, abridged and translated by John D. Smith (Penguin Classics 2009)
Mahabharata, A Modern Retelling by Carole Satyamurti (W.W.Norton & Co. 2015)

Contributors:
Dr Arti Dhand, Department of Religious Studies, University of Toronto
https://www.themahabharatapodcast.com

Jatinder Verma, founder of Tara Arts, theatre director and Director of Mahabharata Now, BBC Radio 4

Readers:
Nadir Khan: Mumbai-based actor and director, co-producer of Mahabharata Now, BBC Radio 4
Shernaz Patel, Mumbai-based film, TV and theatre actor, Gita in Mahabharata Now, BBC Radio 4

Producers: Sara Davies and Tolly Robinson
Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael
Researcher: Nina Semple
Production Manager: Sarah Wright
Sound Engineer: Sean Kerwin

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 15:00 Mahabharata Now (m002fjgq)
Episode 8: Dance of Death

The Gods, the law, capitalism and politics jostle for power in this bold adaptation of the ancient Indian poem Mahabharata. Dramatised as a gripping family epic set in 21st century Mumbai, this series is powered by the tensions and rivalries of a turbulent business empire.

The battle to control Hasta Enterprises takes a tragic turn as it heads towards its gripping conclusion.

Padma’s single-minded desire for retribution suspends Dhruv between life and death as the mischievous Gopi plays further mind games, forcing Nyra to choose the path that will decide Dhruv’s fate.

Yash signs his half of Hasta Enterprises over to Nyra, believing she is the only one capable of leading the company into a new more enlightened era. His decision creates further division within the family as he shifts focus to a political career as a way to connect with the people of India, though political manoeuvring quickly dents his idealism.

Shaks finally learns the truth about his biological father, creating a conflict of loyalty between Dhruv and Yash and devastating his mother, Gita. Padma discovers a way to let go of her anger by diverting it into philanthropic causes supporting women impacted by assault and domestic violence.

As Dhruv’s control over his family and Hasta continues to slip through his fingers, he makes a last desperate attempt to reconnect with Padma. But the situation soon spirals out of control – will Gopi’s warnings come too late, or just in time?

Episode 8: Dance of Death
Written by Ayeesha Menon, Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle

Dhruv …………….......…..Neil Bhoopalam
Yash ………………...........Tavish Bhattacharyya
Padma ……………...........Ira Dubey
Gita ………………........…..Shernaz Patel
Shaks ………..................Vivek Madan
Nyra……………........……..Abir Abrar

CC Banerjee……………….Harssh Singh
Minister Kalra…………….Suchitra Pillai
GP200.……...................Bhavnisha Parmar
GOPI…………........……….Prerna Chawla

Other roles played by Devika Shahani Punjabi, Abhay Kaul, Omkar Kulkarni, Garima Yajnik, Zeus Paranjape, Bhavnisha Parmar and members of the cast.

Sound Supervisor (Mumbai) …....……... Ayush Ahuja
Sound Engineer (Mumbai) …….....….…. Ashyar Bulsara
Sound Design and Post Production …. Peregrine Andrews
SFX Editor………………………………………… Maiken Hansen
Original Music ………………….........……... Imran Ahmad
Title music vocalist (all Episodes) ……. Murali Menon
Producer .……………………………..........…. Helen Quigley and Andrew Mark Sewell
Producer (Mumbai) ……………..…....……. Nadir Khan
Executive Producer ……………......……... Andrew Mark Sewell
Director ………………………………............ Jatinder Verma

A B7 Media production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 16:00 Bookclub (m002fjgs)
Tom Holland

Presented by James Naughtie, Bookclub speaks to the award-winning writer, historian, and podcaster, Tom Holland, about his book Rubicon, which looks at the triumph and tragedy of the Roman Republic. Originally published in 2003, the book won the PEN Hessell-Tiltman prize for non-fiction, and it unravels the myths and realities of ancient Rome as it charts the final decades of the Republic, placing us back in a pre-Christian era, and setting in context the convulsion that began in January of 49 BC when Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon river in northern Italy en route to Rome and civil war, all in search of power.

The episode was recorded at the Topping Bookshop in Edinburgh.

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


SUN 16:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002fjgv)
Programme 9 - The Midlands vs The North of England

(9/12)

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 ninth contest features the second meeting of The North of England and The Midlands.

You can follow the questions in each edition on the Round Britain Quiz webpages. Each week's questions will be posted on the day of transmission.

Teams:
Frankie Fanko and Stephen Maddock
Jenny Ryan and Stuart Maconie

Questions in today's edition:

Q1 (From Simon Meara) Can you unravel the connection between…
A multiple-Grand-Slam-winning tennis player, the English footballer with the most caps, a distant state in northeastern Ethiopia, and a Welsh traffic instruction?

Q2 If we start with David Byrne asking “Well, how did I get here?”, then find ourselves carving ice sculptures with Celine Dion, what might Lionel Richie and The Commodores have to say to us?

Q3 Music: While you listen to these three pieces, ponder what they all might contribute to the Kyoto Protocol.

Q4 I’m going to give you some directions, and you have to tell me the four buildings you’ll pass, where you are, and what’s playing on the radio?
Turn off the highway, and you’ll spot a place of worship.
Keep going past a place of liquor,
Drive on until you pass a place of learning,
And finally, you’ll find a place to spend a penny.

Q5 Why might a small mountain lake, an island in the Inner Hebrides and the iconic Miss Sarkisian all be contained within a hexagon?

Q6 Music: What culinary connection can we take away from these pieces?

Q7 (from John Kennedy) What mischief might be made by…
Kenny’s glamorous companion, a phallic highwayman, a sneaky observer, a Romantic painter who is no stranger to a roll in the Hay, and an ex-political correspondent who loves to make waves on his narrowboat, if they were all on a wild ride through a mountain pass in Pakistan?

Q8 What links…
Robert Falcon Scott, Boaty McBoatface, Anthony Ammirati, Max Verstappen, and Lech Walesa. And who is the odd one out?

Clues to the tracks featured in the music rounds (Skip these if you want to play along when the programme airs)

Q3
Clip 1: A German composer whose 1960s instrumental invites you on a stroll through a famously shadowy landscape.
Clip 2: A brooding track from a band at the height of their gothic phase, lost somewhere in the wilderness.
Clip 3: A 19th-century Hungarian composer, whose piano piece imitates the gentle whisper of nature.

Q6
Clip 1: Half of an iconic folk-rock duo, this American artist released a solo, reggae-infused track of loss and quiet hope.
Clip 2: A post-punk pioneer, with a debut hit named after somewhere closer to home than it sounds.
Clip 3: A 50s heartthrob, with a smooth ballad imagining the perfect romantic partner.

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 (w3ct7466)
The Gratitude Train: France thanks America

In 1949, the Gratitude Train arrived in the United States, made up of 49 wagons filled with thousands of gifts from France.

The convoy was a thank-you to American families who’d sent food and supplies across the Atlantic, via a ‘friendship train’ in the aftermath of World War Two.

It was the idea of a French railworker called Andre Picard. In the same spirit as the friendship train, he asked families across France to make donations.

The response was 52,000 gifts that filled 49 rail wagons or ‘boxcars’, one for each US state, and to be distributed to American families. Some donations were valuable; a carriage used by King Louis XV. Others were handmade; a knitted scarf or a child’s painting.

June Cutchins tells Jane Wilkinson about the treasure her family received from the Florida boxcar.

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: Gratitude train boxcar unloaded in New York, 1949. Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)


SUN 17:10 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


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002fjgy)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m002fjh0)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002fjh2)
The government warns Labour rebels that reversing welfare cuts will have consequences

The government has hinted that scrapping the 2-child benefit cap may no longer be possible after Labour rebels forced a u-turn on welfare changes last week. The head of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, has said radical reform is essential - because of what he called the disappointing settlement for policing in the government's Spending Review. And India's cricketers have levelled the series against England at Edgbaston.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002fjh4)
Andrew Peach

This week, Andrew is looking back at the start of not one, but two Labour governments, both the current government one year at the helm, and Clement Attlee’s in 1945. We’ll hear about political language on both sides of the Atlantic, and ideas of civility in public discourse across the ages. Meanwhile, as Oasis-mania begins to take root, Greg James harks back to when two Jeremys - Paxman and Vine - doorstopped poor Liam. And he had even more visitors to worry about, as Paul and Antony of Stevenage tell us in a new podcast series of stories that link back to the Gallagher brothers. If Champagne Supernova isn't really your thing - don't fret - we take a spin to the West End to catch the beginnings of Evita, and it's more Bantam at the Opera than Phantom of the Opera, as Bradford City fans join forces with the BBC Singers and BBC Concert Orchestra as they serenade us with songs from the shows.

Presenter: Andrew Peach
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Coordinator: Caroline Peddle

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002fjh6)
Neil finds Lilian in search of a few moments’ peace by Peggy’s grave. He hopes he’s not disturbing Lilian. She assures him he’s not; she could actually do with some advice. This will be her first birthday without her mum and her sister. With their families at the centre of their lives they never seemed to have any self-doubt. She’s not like them – she’s always had an escape plan. Now, with Jenny’s children, is the first time she’s felt needed. It scares her to be relied on, and she can’t be a replacement. Neil asserts she doesn’t need to be. She just needs to be herself. He shares his struggles with trying to do the right thing by George. Lilian declares he and Susan saved George, and he’ll see that, eventually.

Kenton thanks Joy for her recent advice; it’s down to her and Usha that he felt able to go to the police and identify Markie’s accomplice. Joy thinks Kenton’s brave.

Joy tells Susan she hasn’t got time for the fete this year. She suggests Susan volunteers, but Susan hastily squashes this.

Susan can’t believe George is engaged. Emma declares Amber’s as excited as he is. Susan hopes it’s a flash in the pan. Emma agrees, though she’s reluctant to burst their bubble. She comments that Brad can see the strength of their feelings too. Susan reckons Amber might change her mind once the excitement wears off and the reality of a prison wedding hits home. Emma says she’ll just have to make sure it’s a very long engagement.


SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002fjh8)
Still Me

Tracey Okines is witty, stylish, sharp, and fiercely independent. She loves seaside strolls, spontaneous shopping trips, pub outings, and her cat, Meow. She’s a writer, a dreamer, a lover of music, and someone who refuses to be boxed in by anyone’s expectations.

At 27, Tracey’s life changed overnight when a misjudged cartwheel caused a massive bleed, leading to a brainstem stroke. She was left with locked-in syndrome, unable to move or speak but fully conscious. Sixteen years on, she communicates using eye-tracking and a letter board, lives independently with 24-hour care, and remains, as ever, totally herself.

In Still Me, producer Jess Gunasekara visits Tracey in Eastbourne, joining her in everyday moments and quiet reflections. Through Tracey’s personal musings, dream diaries, text messages, and actor-read excerpts from her memoir, this intimate portrait reveals a woman living boldly, navigating the world with humour, honesty, and imagination.

A story of agency, adaptation, and the richness of inner life, from someone who’s still here, still vibrant, still herself.

Produced and presented by Jess Gunasekara
Sound design and mix by Meic Parry
Actor: Lizzie Stables
Executive Producer: Olivia Humphreys
With thanks to Tracey Okines and John Okines

An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001zvvr)
Eat Slowly

In our bustling modern lives, it can be all too easy to wolf down our meals on the go, and never take the time to enjoy them properly. In this episode, Michael Mosley finds out how simply slowing down the speed at which you eat can help you feel full for longer, snack less, and improve your digestion. Michael speaks to Dr Sarah Berry from the department of nutritional sciences at King's College London, who shares findings showing that eating slower can reduce your blood sugar response to food, as well as reducing your calorie intake. Our volunteer Stewart tries to make eating slowly a habit in an attempt to improve his sleep.

Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Science Producer: Christine Johnston
Researcher: William Hornbrook
Researcher: Sophie Richardson
Production Manager: Maria Simons
Editor: Zoë Heron
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.


SUN 20:00 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


SUN 20:30 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


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002fj4p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002fjg0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002fj4k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002fjhb)
Iain Watson's guests are the Labour MP Dame Siobhain McDonagh; Shadow Cabinet minister Alex Burghart; and political analyst Sophie Stowers. They discuss the government's difficulties over reforming welfare and the potential emergence of a new party to the left of Labour. They also talk about the forthcoming state visit by the French President, Emmanuel Macron and bi-lateral issues such as defence cooperation and tackling small boats. Finally the panel consider calls for reform of policing in England and Wales, to replace current county-based forces with larger regional organisations.


SUN 23:00 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.


SUN 23:45 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.

MONDAY 07 JULY 2025

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002fjhd)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 00:15 Intrigue (m0022cvh)
Worse than Murder

6. Death Plus

The trial of Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein for Muriel McKay's murder begins in September 1970. Despite the lack of a body, prosecutors build a strong case using forensic evidence. Nizamodeen makes limited admissions, while Arthur spins wild tales.

The brothers are found guilty, but the verdict brings little comfort to the McKay family. For decades, they struggle with unresolved grief and unanswered questions about Muriel's fate.

Then, in 2021, Nizamodeen resurfaces in Trinidad, seemingly ready to reveal the truth. The family, desperate for closure, engages with him. Nizamodeen claims Muriel died of a heart attack and indicates where he buried her. His story divides the family – some believe him, others are sceptical. A police search based on his information gets underway...

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 (m002fj5x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002fjhg)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002fjhj)
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 (m002fjhl)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002fjhn)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament


MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002fjhq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002fjhs)
Prayer for the Day celebrates 55 years on Radio 4 from Bradford, City of Culture.

Jane Williams editor of The Star, a magazine from Bradford Synagogue, reflects on prayer as a meditative act, to celebrate 55 years of Prayer for the Day from Bradford, the City of Culture.

Good morning.

I find that prayer for me, is a meditative act. I come from a tradition that values community prayer. I love the experience of praying with others, in our 145 year old Synagogue here in Bradford. It gives a sense of communion with others; alongside me, and in memory.

Communal prayer in Hebrew, has a reassuring pattern. The words I speak aloud would be familiar to my mother and to my grandmother. Even so, this isn’t how I find it easiest to pray. I prefer to seek out the tranquil countryside around the city, where I can speak quietly to my creator. On the hills, with my feet touching the earth, I can detach from the stresses of life, and speak from my heart. I like to focus on a tree. No sophistication is required, simply sincere words and faith.

Praying silently outdoors is a deeply grounding experience connecting me to the divine. Here, I can talk to my creator, as I can to a good friend. I can be honest, contrite, happy or sad; exuberant, or subdued. In other words, I can be me. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov called this ‘Hitbodedut’. To me, this is the true essence of personal prayer.

Lord, Lead us to those quiet spaces where we can be truly at one with you. Help us to be open and honest in our prayer. Lead us to know you as a friend, and mentor; a sure guide in everything we do.

Amen.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002fjhv)
07/07/25 Northern Ireland pollution, dry stone walling, shellfish

New proposals to improve water quality in Northern Ireland could prove fatal for pig farming there according to the Ulster Farmers Union.
The Nutrients Action Programme aims to reduce agricultural pollution in loughs and rivers and would involve limiting the amount of phosporus and nitrogen that can by spread on the land in slurry. The consultation on the programme has already been extended once and now the UFU says pigs numbers would need to be reduced by as much as 80% if the plans get the go-ahead.

Craftsmen are building a new four and half mile dry stone wall in the Cotswolds. Part of one England's biggest road construction projects, the wall will run alongside the new road near Cheltenham. Work started last year and won't be completed until next summer.  

All week we're looking at shellfish from lobsters and oysters to mussels. The Shellfish Association describes it as an industry with huge untapped potential but producers are still suffering from the loss of trade to Europe since Brexit as exports account for most of their business.

Presenter = Caz Graham
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


MON 05:57 Weather (m002fjhx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m002fkzg)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Marianna in Conspiracyland (m002fkzj)
Marianna in Conspiracyland 2

2. Conspiracyland at home

Could the answer lie in the past? The BBC’s social media investigations correspondent, Marianna Spring, continues investigating what happened to Paloma Shemirani. She speaks to Paloma’s brothers to see if the answers could lie in the house they grew up in. Who is Paloma’s mum - prominent British conspiracy theorist influencer Kate Shemirani - and how did her beliefs evolve and impact Paloma and her siblings? Could her mum’s conspiracy theory views have influenced Paloma’s decision to reject chemotherapy?

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. Watch Cancer Conspiracy Theories on iPlayer now.


MON 09:30 Fool's Gold (p0kz4q8f)
2. The Middleman

In the close-knit detectorist community, secrets don’t stay secret for long. With rare Anglo-Saxon coins in their possession, George and Layton turn to coin dealer Simon Wicks. But as coins start appearing at a Mayfair auction house, whispers of an undeclared hoard begin to spread.

Narrator: Aimee-Ffion Edwards

Contributors: Peter Reavill, 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 (m002fkzm)
7/7 attacks, Writer Bolu Babalola, SEND

It’s been 20 years since the 7/7 attacks in London, which claimed the lives of 52 civilians and injured almost 800. Krupa Padhy talks to Gill Hicks, who was on the Piccadilly line Tube that morning and lost her legs in the blast, and nurse Kate Price, who was working in intensive care at St Thomas’ Hospital. They discuss their memories of that day and the aftermath, as well as the lasting bond they have formed.

Ministers are facing calls to keep education plans for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. An EHCP is a legally binding document which ensures a child or young person with special or educational needs gets the right support from a local authority. In a letter to the Guardian newspaper, charities, campaigners and parents have said that without EHCPs in mainstream schools, "many thousands of children risk being denied vital provision, or losing access to education altogether". Krupa is joined by Branwyn Jeffries, the BBC's Education Editor, to explain what's been happening.

Writer Bolu Babalola hit the bestseller lists with her debut collection of short stories, Love in Colour, which remixed ancient love stories for a new audience. Bolu joins Krupa to talk about her latest novel, Sweet Heat, a sexy romance about Kiki, whose stable life is thrown into disarray just as her first love Malakai comes back into her life. She explains she’s a romance connoisseur and discusses the timeless appeal of the love story.

There have been some shake-ups in the way netball is played in the UK recently. New teams, new rules, and a new venue for the Netball Super League Grand Final. The BBC’s lead netball commentator Lindsey Chapman talks to Krupa about what happened in that final, and what impact the recent changes to the sport have had on matches.

Presenter: Krupa Padhy
Producer: Andrea Kidd


MON 11:00 State of Terror (m002fkzp)
Shockwaves

State of Terror reveals the true story of how Britain was shaken by the 7/7 bombings twenty years ago, and how counter-terror policy has changed ever since to deal with new threats and shocking new methods of terrorism.
From Prime Ministers who faced the ultimate test of their leadership, to the man who looked into the eyes of the 7/7 ringleader as he detonated his bomb, and those who work directly with convicted terrorists to de- radicalise them, State of Terror presents the most powerful stories of the fight against terrorism in Britain since 2005.

In this first episode Dominic Casciani tells the story of how the July 2005 attacks led to a transformation of counter-terror policy across Britain. It reveals the risks that were taken with community relations by introducing the most innovative and ambitious attempt in the world to combat terrorism. And it uncovers how the liberty of every citizen was deeply affected by a new attempts to eradicate the threat.

Details of help and support with mental health, or feelings of despair are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Presenter: Dominic Casciani
Producer: Jonathan Brunert


MON 11:45 The Secret Painter by Joe Tucker (m002fkzs)
Episode One

To Joe Tucker, Eric was just his loving and funny uncle, a beloved yet unconventional figure throughout Joe’s life.

A shambolically dressed man who lived with his mother for almost 80 years in Warrington, he had an almost compulsive need to charm strangers with working men’s club comedy routines, and appeared to exist only for daily trips to the bookie in the high street, and to the local pub. But behind closed doors, he had amassed over 500 of his own remarkable paintings - mostly depicting working-class social life in the industrial North West.

Tucker received no formal art education and left school at 14, working variously as a boxer, a steelworker, a gravedigger and a building labourer.

His family had always known he had painting as a hobby, but it was only right at the end of his life, that they realised the true extent of his creative output.

His work came to public attention following his death in 2018, when the family organised a two-day exhibition in his ex-council house.

His paintings of street scenes and busy pubs and clubs were described by art critic Ruth Millington as having an ‘authenticity and a sophisticated innocence’, their discovery marking ‘a significant contribution to modern British art’.

Episode One
Joe recalls the happy times he spent with his uncle, as a child, in the mid-1980s. We also learn of a strange, chance meeting Eric had with artist L S Lowry.

Read by Paul Ready
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Producer: David Blount

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


MON 12:00 News Summary (m002fkzv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002fkzx)
Rogue Locksmiths; Supermarket Clothing; Sport Club Costs

Complaints about rogue locksmiths have jumped by 45%, according to the Master Locksmith Association. We hear from two people about what happened when they found themselves locked out of their home and in the hands of a rogue locksmith - and we have advice about what to do to avoid being ripped off.

We hear about the rise of supermarket clothing brands, as increased demand means retailers are trying new things and hoping to take on the high street.

Its a summer of sport - but are some families being priced out of sports because of the costs? We hear from a parent, a football coach and the charity Sported who say they're seeing fewer children participate in sport.

PRESENTER: PETER WHITE
PRODUCER: CATHERINE EARLAM


MON 12:57 Weather (m002fkzz)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m002fl01)
Ministers urged to keep education plans for special needs

The government are reviewing provision for children with additional needs. Campaigners want to keep education, health and care plans for all children who need them. Plus, the latest instalment in our youth club series.


MON 13:45 Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away (m002fl03)
Episode 1 - Giving

Tony Hawks is a very lucky man. He has done well in life, thanks to luck, hard work, plus many years of writing, travelling and making people laugh on BBC Radio 4. But he doesn’t fancy a nice car. He’s not into flashy holidays. And he doesn’t want to pass any of the money he’s earned down to his only child.

Tony acknowledges that he’s aspirational. But he aspires to do good, not to accumulate. And that’s the legacy he wants to leave to his son. Not money. Because, in Tony’s opinion, money passed down through inheritance corrupts aspiration, it corrupts ambition, and it has a corrosive effect on personality.

What’s more, he believes inheritance has a harmful effect on society - it perpetuates inequality and makes a mockery of equal opportunity. In short, Tony is dead against it.

If Tony were to leave just money to his young son, would it give his boy a vital leg-up or would it take away his drive and motivation to achieve things on his own terms?

The series follows Tony’s efforts to make a decision about his will, his son and his money. He argues for a radical shift away from the idea of inheritance. But is it even possible in today's world?

Inheritance is a complex issue that sits at the heart of British society. And it’s about to become a whole lot more pressing as we face the biggest transfer of wealth in history. The Baby Boomers are dying out and they will be leaving vast sums of money to the next generations over the coming decades.

In this first episode, Tony speaks to the billionaire John Caudwell about whether he should hand down money to his son and to the academic Eliza Filby, to get a better sense of how the ‘Great Wealth Transfer’ is reshaping family life today.

Presenter: Tony Hawks

Producer: Tom Woolfenden

Editor: Kirsten Lass

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4


MON 14:00 The Archers (m002fjh6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Ed Reardon's Week (m002fl05)
Series 16

2. A Pigeon in Sainsbury's

Ed rediscovers an old radio play, becomes involved in a battle re-enactment society and faces the very serious decision of finding a name for his new life partner - the offspring of Elgar.

He also bumps into his on/off romantic partner Maggie, in a supermarket, which somehow leads him to become embroiled in a battle re-enactment group. But the most pressing thing for Ed this week is finding an outlet for his long-forgotten radio play ‘A Pigeon in Sainsbury’s’ which would easily (in his opinion) adapt for Radio or TV. Ping is not so convinced, even if it does have Stephen Mangan’s name attached.

Ed Reardon - Christopher Douglas
Eli - Lisa Coleman
Maggie - Pippa Haywood
Ping - Barunka O’Shaughnessy
The Pigeon - Stephen Mangan
Nick - Adrian Scarborough
Michael Berkeley - Himself

Written by Christopher Douglas

Produced by Dawn Ellis

Production Co-Ordinator : Katie Baum

Sound: Jon Calver & Alison McKenzie


MON 14:45 Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney (m001q0nx)
Episode 1

A new reading of the debut poetry collection by the Nobel Prize in Literature recipient Seamus Heaney, specially commissioned by BBC Radio 4 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of his death.

As read by Bríd Brennan, Adrian Dunbar and Stephen Rea.

Music composed and performed by Neil Martin.

Seamus Heaney was a poet, translator, teacher and critic. During a career spanning fifty years, he became one of the most celebrated poets of his generation. While often rooted in the landscape of his homeland, Heaney’s poetry has a universal appeal that was to find a worldwide readership. During his lifetime he was the recipient of many honours, including the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature, and his work has been translated into 27 languages. His legacy lives on, as readers continue to enjoy and engage with his poetry, prose, drama and translations.

Readers: Bríd Brennan, Adrian Dunbar and Stephen Rea.
Author: Seamus Heaney
Music: Neil Martin
Producer: Michael Shannon
Editor: Andy Martin

A BBC Northern Ireland production.


MON 15:00 A Good Read (m002fl07)
James Rebanks and Kiri Pritchard-McLean at the Hay Festival

THE IRON AGE by Arja Kajermo
A SHORT STAY IN HELL by Steven L Peck
STONE YARD DEVOTIONAL by Charlotte Wood

James Rebanks is a farmer from the Lake District as well as author of The Shepherd's Life. His new book The Place of Tides is about his time in Norway learning from an elderly woman who cared for eider ducks on a remote island. His book choice is The Iron Age by Arja Kajermo, a Finnish novel about rural life in the 1950s, told from the perspective of a young girl. James finds it speaks to his northern sensibility as it documents the hard life of an impoverished farming family in post war Finland.

Kiri Pritchard-McLean is a multi-award winning Welsh comedian, satirist and writer. Her choice is A Short Stay In Hell by Steven L Peck about a Mormon condemned to exist in Hell for millennia. Kiri says it's a book bursting with ideas about life and its meaning.

Harriett picks Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood set in a religious retreat outside of Sydney where a woman has come to reassess her life.

There's plenty of lively and good natured disagreement about the books. Listen here and add your thoughts to our Instagram Book Club @agoodreadbbc

Producer: Maggie Ayre


MON 15:30 You're Dead to Me (m002fj4c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Saturday]


MON 16:00 Currently (m002fjgn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 Rewinder (m002fj4f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


MON 17:00 PM (m002fl09)
Another pivotal day in Trump's trade war

The US president sends letters to trading partners revealing his latest tariffs on their imports. . We have the latest from Washington. Plus, the schools minister on reform to special educational needs and early years provision. And the teenager who swam solo between Northern Ireland and Scotland.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002fl0c)
London remembers the 7/7 bombings 20 years on

Twenty years on London has been remembering those who died in the suicide bomb attacks on the city's transport system on the 7th of July 2005. The King has paid tribute to the spirit of unity shown in the aftermath, which he said had helped the nation to heal. Also: Guilty verdicts for the Australian woman who murdered three of her in-laws with beef wellington, laced with poisonous mushrooms. And Wimbledon has changed its electronic line call system to stop any more human errors.


MON 18:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m002fl0f)
Series 83

1. I Hear With My Little Ear

Radio 4's multi award-winning ‘antidote to panel games’ promises yet more quality, desk-based entertainment for all the family.

The series begins at The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester where Rory Bremner and Gary Delaney are pitched against Tony Hawks and Pippa Evans, with Jack Dee in the role of reluctant chairman.

Regular listeners will know to expect inspired nonsense, pointless revelry and Colin Sell at the piano.

Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random production for BBC Radio 4


MON 19:00 The Archers (m002fjns)
Kenton proposes a ‘phones off’ event at the Bull. He reckons mobiles are eroding people’s desire to socialise. Jolene’s really not convinced, but Kenton spots Alistair as a perfect test candidate, demanding his phone and insisting he talks to someone. Alistair protests he’s just here for a quiet drink, but reluctantly capitulates. Later he reports his conversation companion wouldn’t stop talking; it was hard to get away. Nevertheless Kenton declares the experiment a success.
Eddie complains his beer tastes funny. Surprised Kenton gets him another. Eddie accepts it but still keeps his original pint. Later he maintains he’s been given the wrong flavour crisps. Suspicious Kenton knows this isn’t true but Jolene replaces them without a quibble. Eddie declares her a star, again keeping his original offending packet.
Emma’s cleaning frantically. She’s invited Amber round in the hope of generating some wedding talk. Amber arrives, happy to be able to share her excitement with someone other than George. She admits her parents don’t know about the wedding. They don’t really understand her, and probably don’t care much. Emma suggests starting her marriage openly with a clean slate might be better. She reminisces about her own wedding. Amber’s astounded when she discovers Will was Ed’s best man. Emma points out it’s proof that people can reach an understanding. Amber’s parents will too, but they’ll need time. A wedding day should be special. Later Ed reckons Emma’s worked her magic. However Amber returns with her cases. Her parents were mean about George and she’s left. Can she stay at Little Grange?


MON 19:15 Front Row (m002fl0j)
Oasis comeback tour reviewed

Author Raynor Winn is accused of fabricating parts of her memoir The Salt Path, which she denies. We ask Alexandra Pringle, former Editor in Chief at Bloomsbury, how publishers respond when a book's authenticity is called into question.

Oasis are performing together for the first time in 16 years, kicking off in Cardiff at the weekend. Music journalist Ted Kessler was there.

Sadler's Well has team up with Pete Townshend to turn Quadrophenia into "A Mod Ballet". Director Rob Ashford talks about bringing this story, complete with stylish suits designed by Paul Smith, to a new generation."

It's the 80th anniversary of An Inspector Calls. Critic Michael Billington and cultural Historian Irene Lofthouse discuss J. B. Priestley's cultural legacy.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Harry Graham


MON 20:00 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


MON 20:30 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.


MON 21:00 How Boarding Schools Shaped Britain (m0027l57)
1. Building men of Empire

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

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

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


MON 21:45 Untaxing (m0029hd7)
1. The Napkin That Changed the World

Albert Einstein called tax ‘the hardest thing in the world to understand’ - but was he right? Tax expert and campaigner, Dan Neidle delves into the bizarre, brilliant and sometimes disastrous ways tax shapes our lives, our choices and the world around us.

A quick sketch over dinner in 1974 became one of the most influential ideas in economic policy. Art Laffer’s curve promised that tax cuts could pay for themselves - but was it brilliant insight or a costly illusion?

Producer: Tom Pooley
A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Radio 4


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002fl0l)
Texas floods kill 91

Flash floods which hit the US State of Texas are now known to have killed ninety-one people. At Camp Mystic, a girls' summer camp, at least 27 girls and staff were among the dead.

Also on the programme: ministers are facing calls not to cut education plans for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities; and the FBI concludes that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein did not have a so-called ‘client list’ implicating high-profile associates.


MON 22:45 Private Angelo by Eric Linklater (m002fl0n)
The dono di coraggio

Italy, 1943. Angelo is overjoyed when the armistice is announced. Finally, he can return to his true love in Tuscany. But amidst the destruction of liberation, the cowardly private will find himself fighting not only for the Italian army but also the Germans, and finally the Allies in a witty and compassionate satire on the folly of war.

Read by Carl Prekopp
Written by Eric Linklater
Abridged by Siân Preece
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie

Orcadian Eric Linklater was a leading author of the 1930s and 40s, who served with the Black Watch in Italy. His unflinching portrayal of the cruelty of war is leavened by his understanding of the motivations of ordinary people swept into conflict, as well as a sense of optimism and a genuine love of Italy. ‘Private Angelo’ is part of Radio 4’s programming marking 80 years since VE Day.

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 23:00 Whodunnits (m000z78w)
A Charles Paris Mystery - A Deadly Habit

Episode 1

by Jeremy Front
based on the novel by Simon Brett

When Charles gets offered a job in a verbatim theatre piece set in a monastery he isn't very enthusiastic but at least it saves him from having to do anymore D.I.Y for Frances. Before too long disaster strikes the production and Charles once again is on the trail of a murderer.

Charles ..... Bill Nighy
Frances ..... Suzanne Burden
Maurice ..... Jon Glover
Lydia ..... Ria Marshall
Kit ..... Joseph Ayre
Justin ..... Tony Turner
Brendan ..... Jonathan Kydd
Nina ..... Marilyn Nnadebe
Bar manger ..... Stewart Campbell

Directed by Sally Avens


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002fl0q)
How will the government pay for its policy U-turns? Alicia McCarthy reports as MPs challenge a minister over calls for a wealth tax. Also, questions over the future of legally binding support for children with special educational needs and disabilities in England.

TUESDAY 08 JULY 2025

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002fl0s)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 00:30 The Secret Painter by Joe Tucker (m002fkzs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002fl0v)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002fl0x)
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 (m002fl0z)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002fl11)
Susan Hulme reports as ministers are pressed on whether their figures add up, following last week's U-turn on cuts to disability benefits.


TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002fl13)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002fl15)
Prayer for the Day celebrates 55 years on Radio 4 from Bradford, City of Culture

Haridas Sharan a Hindu Priest and chaplain reflects on prayer as service, to celebrate 55 years of Prayer for the Day from Bradford, the City of Culture.

Good morning.

I grew up in the sacred Hindu pilgrimage town of Vrindavan, in India. At an our ancient family temple, painted in pink and yellow, and filled with the fragrance of garlands, made of roses and jasmine, I used to watch my grandfather, as he led people in prayer. For him, prayer was more than just words, it inspired his attitude of selfless service to others, and I loved helping him to serve my favourite dish, rice pudding, as he used to give the free meals to the visitors and pilgrims.

In the Hindu tradition, prayer is more than a ritual — it is a daily reminder of our higher purpose, and interconnectedness with all beings. When I pray, I invoke not only divine blessings for myself, but also cultivate, values that guide me to live.

Sanatana Dharma, teaches us, that “the whole world is one family.” This powerful ideal, urges us to embrace, unity and diversity. Prayer strengthens this spirit, helping us to see the Divine in every person, and tune ourselves to higher principles: like peace, tolerance, inclusiveness, and love.

Working with the communities in Bradford, I have a unique opportunity and responsibility, to embody these ideals. Let our temples, homes, and hearts be places of welcome. Let our prayers inspire us to listen more, embrace differences, and work together, to solve shared challenges.

Ultimately, prayer is just the beginning — but action is its fruit. As I fold my hands in prayer, let me also extend them in service, with a heart full of love and a mind open to all humanity.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002fl17)
08/07/25: Water abstraction, Farm inspections, Oysters

As the UK heads into another period of hot, dry weather an investigative charity says urgent action is needed to monitor how much water is abstracted from rivers, lakes and aquafers, and to modernise the licensing system. Watershed produced a report together with the Guardian newspaper that showed the amount of water taken for farming has doubled in twenty years.
The Environment Agency is increasing the number of inspections on farms, to tackle pollution and poor practice. We join an inspector making a return visit to a farm in Shropshire where issues were identified in January, to see if improvements have been made.
And all this week we're looking at the shellfish industry. Today - a trial to selectively breed our native oysters to make them more resilient to climate change and pollution.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Sally Challoner.


TUE 06:00 Today (m002fjn6)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 Artworks (m002fjn8)
Three Transformations of Virginia Woolf

2. Critiquing Society

‘They make life intolerable, men like that.’

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 critiqued systems of power and privilege.

Fiona hears from authors Alison Light, Danell Jones, Michelle de Kretser, Michael Cunningham, and Mark Haddon; Senior Lecture in Modern Literature, Dr Clara Jones; Professor of English, Mark Hussey; and artist Kabe Wilson.

Extracts read by Gwendoline Christie.

Produced by Ellie Richold for BBC Audio


TUE 09:30 Inside Health (m002fj9s)
Can the ten-year plan save the NHS? Heart scans with AI, and who invented condoms?

The Prime Minister has launched a 'new era' for the NHS that aims to move away from reactive care in hospitals to preventing illness through community services. It's an ambitious plan and one with a lot of ambition and a lot of unknowns. James Gallagher discusses the plans with Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund, an independent think tank working to improve health and care across England, and Sally Gainsbury, Senior Policy Analyst at the Nuffield Trust, specialising in evidence-based research on health and social care provision in the UK.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being touted as a way to improve efficiency and save money in the 10 Year Plan and every day in healthcare there are headlines about new AI-driven tools that could revolutionise medicine. In a new mini-series, James hears about different ways AI is being used starting with heart scans that use AI to analyse large amounts of data to predict health outcomes in a way that would be near impossible for a human to achieve. He talks to Dr Arunashis Sau from the National Heart & Lung Institute at Imperial College, London.

Also, with a 200-year-old condom made from a sheep's insides attracting crowds to the Rijksmuseum in The Netherlands, James finds out about the history of condoms with cultural historian Dr Kate Stephenson.

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Tom Bonnett
Additional production: Ella Hubber
Editors: Glyn Tansley and Martin Smith


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002fjnb)
Caroline Eshghi, Fats Timbo, Malaria drug for babies

In the 1970s and 80s, Caroline Eshghi was a young girl living in Bristol, Somerset, and Wiltshire. From the moment she was born until she ran away at the age of 15, Caroline was beaten, burned and starved by her mother. In May this year, Melanie Burmingham was jailed for 20 months for abusing her daughter more than 50 years ago. Caroline tells Krupa Padhy why she is now petitioning for a change to the law around historical cases that only allows a sentence available at the time of offending.

The first malaria treatment suitable for babies has been approved for use. We speak to BBC Africa Health Correspondent Dorcas Wangira in Nairobi to find out how this may empower healthcare workers in the battle against the disease that takes the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each year.

One of the key measures that Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is reported to be considering as part of her Sentencing Bill is a national rollout of drugs that suppress sexual arousal to try and tackle sex offenders. There is currently a working pilot in the South West of England, and several of the clinicians, psychiatrists and forensic psychologists have raised concerns about making such a scheme mandatory. Krupa talks to Don Rubin, Emeritus Professor in Forensic Psychology at Newcastle University, and a consultant to the pilot programme.

Fatima Timbo, known as Fats Timbo, is a content creator and comedian who has amassed an incredible 3 million followers on TikTok. Since appearing on TV show The Undateables in 2018, she's also been part of the team bringing us the Paralympics coverage from Paris last year. Born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, she documents her experiences of being - as she describes it - ‘a little person', and now she's sharing her tips for succeeding in a world where it’s difficult to be different in her book Main Character Energy: Ten Commandments for Living Life Fearlessly.

Presenter: Krupa Padhy
Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths


TUE 11:00 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


TUE 11:45 The Secret Painter by Joe Tucker (m002fjnd)
Episode Two

To Joe Tucker, Eric was just his loving and funny uncle, a beloved yet unconventional figure throughout Joe’s life.

A shambolically dressed man who lived with his mother for almost 80 years in Warrington, he had an almost compulsive need to charm strangers with working men’s club comedy routines, and appeared to exist only for daily trips to the bookie in the high street, and to the local pub. But behind closed doors, he had amassed over 500 of his own remarkable paintings - mostly depicting working-class social life in the industrial North West.

Tucker received no formal art education and left school at 14, working variously as a boxer, a steelworker, a gravedigger and a building labourer.

His family had always known he had painting as a hobby, but it was only right at the end of his life, that they realised the true extent of his creative output.

His work came to public attention following his death in 2018, when the family organised a two-day exhibition in his ex-council house.

His paintings of street scenes and busy pubs and clubs were described by art critic Ruth Millington as having an ‘authenticity and a sophisticated innocence’, their discovery marking ‘a significant contribution to modern British art’.

Episode Two
Eric does his National Service in Germany, and has more than one trip to the ‘glasshouse’. He works as a labourer on the construction of the great steelworks at Llanwern, and then gets a job as a gravedigger.

Read by Paul Ready
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Producer: David Blount

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002fjng)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002fjnj)
Call You and Yours - What sporting events are you spending your money on?

What sporting events are you spending your money on?

Rising sports ticket prices are starting to price out many fans, or at least make people have to choose between what they watch.

Premier League season tickets have increased significantly over the past decade, and centre court tickets at Wimbledon start from £75 and go to £315.

Maybe you've previously saved up to go to the Olympics, or perhaps considering making the trip across the Atlantic for the 2026 Men's football World Cup.

Can you afford tickets to watch your favourite sport? If you can, are you having to be selective about what you see, or even cut back on other things to so you can afford it.

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

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

Presenter: Peter White

Producer: Jay Unger


TUE 12:57 Weather (m002fjnl)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m002fjnn)
Post Office scandal had 'disastrous' impact on victims

The chair of the Post Office inquiry outlines the human impact of the IT scandal in his first report. We get reaction from a former subpostmistress and a long time campaigner. Also, Lord Howard and Lord Blunkett pay tribute to Norman Tebbit, who's died aged 94.


TUE 13:45 Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away (m002fjnq)
Episode 2: Receiving

Tony Hawks is a very lucky man. He has done well in life, thanks to luck, hard work, plus many years of writing, travelling and making people laugh on BBC Radio 4. But he doesn’t fancy a nice car. He’s not into flashy holidays. And he doesn’t want to pass any of the money he’s earned down to his only child.

Tony acknowledges that he’s aspirational. But he aspires to do good, not to accumulate. And that’s the legacy he wants to leave to his son. Not money. Because, in Tony’s opinion, money passed down through inheritance corrupts aspiration, it corrupts ambition, and it has a corrosive effect on personality.

What’s more, he believes inheritance has a harmful effect on society - it perpetuates inequality and makes a mockery of equal opportunity. In short, Tony is dead against it.

If Tony were to leave just money to his young son, would it give his boy a vital leg-up or would it take away his drive and motivation to achieve things on his own terms?

The series follows Tony’s efforts to make a decision about his will, his son and his money. He argues for a radical shift away from the idea of inheritance. But is it even possible in today's world?

Inheritance is a complex issue that sits at the heart of British society. And it’s about to become a whole lot more pressing as we face the biggest transfer of wealth in history. The Baby Boomers are dying out and they will be leaving vast sums of money to the next generations over the coming decades.

In the second episode of this series, Tony hears from David Clarke who gave away £100,000 he had inherited following the death of his mother, but he also hears how family money can be a golden ticket to financial stability for some. Is he any closer to deciding what he should put in his will?

Presenter: Tony Hawks

Producer: Tom Woolfenden

Sound Designer: Jon Calver

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002fjns)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0011l0r)
Mosley Must Fall

It's 1936, and as political unrest sweeps across Europe, the spectre of fascism and antisemitism is looming over the East End.

One Irish family, living in Whitechapel, finds itself divided as Oswald Mosley and his fascist followers prepare to march through the heart of East London. When the march descends on Cable Street, an area highly populated by the Jewish and Irish working class, loyalties are tested as two brothers fight to make their mark in a historic battle.

Written by Martin McNamara.

CAST

Liam McEnroe ..... Stephen Hogan
Maureen McEnroe ..... Maggie Cronin
Jim McEnroe ..... Joseph Ayre
Dessie McEnroe ..... Shaun Mason
Bernard Duffy ..... Lloyd Hutchinson
Esther Cohen ..... Grace Cooper Milton
Leon Saltzman ..... Justice Ritchie

Directed by Anne Isger


TUE 15:00 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley (m002fjnv)
Lady Swindlers with Lucy Worsley - Series 2

49. Elizabeth Manning - Hocusser

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 delving into the life of Elizabeth Manning, a daring Lady Swindler known as a hocusser, who spikes men’s drinks and empties their pockets in Victorian London. Most men she hocusses are too embarrassed to report the crime - but when will Elizabeth’s luck run out?

With Lucy to explore Elizabeth Manning’s story is the barrister Nneka Akudolu KC who shares her experience of prosecuting spiking cases today.

Lucy is also joined by historian Rosalind Crone, Professor of History at the Open University. Lucy and Ros visit the site of the lodgings where Elizabeth hocussed at least one of her victims, and Brixton Prison, the destination of many women who were trying and failing to make a living in Victorian London.

Lucy wants to know how Elizabeth Manning went about hocussing her victims. How common was this crime in Victorian England? And what can Elizabeth’s story tell us about spiking today?

Producer: Jane Greenwood
Readers: Clare Corbett, 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 (m002fjnx)
Learning Disabilities

Laurie Taylor talks to Simon Jarrett, Research Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London, about the social history of people with learning disabilities, from 1700 to the present days. Using evidence from civil and criminal court-rooms, joke books, slang dictionaries, novels, art and caricature, he explores the explosive intermingling of ideas about intelligence and race, while bringing into sharp focus the lives of people often seen as the most marginalised in society. They’re joined by Magdalena Mikulak, a Research Fellow in Health at Lancaster University who has researched the way the term ‘behaviours that challenge others’ which are attributed to 20% of those with learning disabilities, can stigmatise and exclude people from society,

Producer: Jayne Egerton


TUE 16:00 Poetry Please (m002fjnz)
Pippa Haywood

Pippa Haywood is well known for acting in Green Wing and Bodyguard, as well as reading poems for this very programme. Here she chats with Roger and chooses her own favourites from listener requests, by poets such as Wendell Berry, WB Yeats and Holly McNish.

Producer for BBC Audio Bristol: Sally Heaven


TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002fjp1)
How To Build Your Core Strength

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

In today’s episode, the Doctors explore core strength. When most people think of a “strong core”, they picture sculpted six-pack abs - but there’s much more beneath the surface. Chris and Xand will unpack the real meaning of core strength - what it is, why it matters, and how it's different from simply having visible abs.

They speak to physiotherapist James Moore to find out why core strength is essential not just for athletic performance, but for everyday stability, posture, injury prevention, and long-term health, and break down what we should be doing to build a truly strong and functional core - no matter your fitness level.

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: James Moore
Producer: Jo Rowntree
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Assistant Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Researcher: Grace Revill
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Social Media: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Ruth Rainey

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

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 17:00 PM (m002fjp3)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002fjp5)
The first report of the Post Office Horizon inquiry has set out the human cost of the scandal

The first report by the inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal has set out the scale of suffering endured by thousands of sub-postmasters, who were wrongly accused or convicted of fraud. Also: The UK's official economic forecaster says the public finances are vulnerable amid pressure from recent government U turns on spending cuts. And Gregg Wallace has been sacked as presenter of Masterchef following an investigation into claims of misconduct.


TUE 18:30 Room 101 with Paul Merton (m001y292)
Series 2

Hannah Fry

Paul Merton interviews a variety of guests from the world of comedy and entertainment to find out what they would send to Room 101, as well as the one item they cannot live without.

In this episode, Hannah Fry tries to convince Paul to send complicated toilet flushes and exams to Room 101, and discusses her particular devotion to a daily ritual that she cannot live without.

Additional Material: John Irwin and Suki Webster
Produced by Richard Wilson
A Hat Trick production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m002fj94)
Martyn and Annabelle are in agreement about Justin’s rewilding proposal. Annabelle confirms others on the BL board are too. It’s inviting risk, and they need to threaten resignations. As Chair Martyn’s not happy to have multiple resignations on his hands. He’s keen to discuss it over dinner but Annabelle declines. Eventually they agree on a plan to work on various board members. Martyn’s keen to establish they’re on the same page on a personal level, but Annabelle retorts he was just a bit of fun and nothing more. She ends the call, but not before Jazzer appears in the doorway. Martyn wonders what he heard. Later Jazzer questions the wisdom of getting involved with a married woman. Confusion ensues until Jazzer names Lilian as Martyn’s love interest. Martyn’s aghast – he’s not in the least attracted to Lilian! He’s just been dumped over the phone and feels humiliated. Jazzer reckons it won’t feel so bad after a few days.
Amber’s a high maintenance house guest. Ed asserts the arrangement isn’t going to work. They discover Amber’s gone over to Grange Farm. Unfazed Clarrie has her in line. Emma approves; they can’t pussyfoot round Amber just because of George. To their surprise it’s Amber who informs them it’s not working. She intends to stay at Grange Farm instead. Clarrie agrees to check with Oliver. Amber declares her the best Grandma-in-law-to-be ever. Clarrie tells Ed and Emma she wants to get to know the real Amber. She tells Amber there’s a condition – if she wants to stay she needs to apologise to Neil.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002fjp7)
Superman is back on the big screen

Superman is back on the big screen for the first time in nearly a decade, we speak with director James Gunn.
We preview a season of films at the BFI, starring pioneering black film star Dorothy Dandridge. Best known for Carmen Jones, (her performance made her the first African American to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar) she died aged just 42
Cartoonist and illustrator Gerald Scarfe on Hercules, the newest Disney stage musical, inspired by his drawings

Presenter Samira Ahmed


TUE 20:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002fj8k)
Car finance

Nine in ten people in the UK who buy a car use finance. The sector is the second largest lender to consumers in the UK after mortgages. But the industry is bracing itself for a Supreme Court judgement which could see lenders forced to pay out tens of billions in compensation for selling deals with 'secret' commissions. File on 4 Investigates hears from industry insiders and those who tried to raise the alarm on a scandal that some believe could rival PPI.

Reporter: Helen Catt
Producer: Phil Kemp
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley
Editor: Lisa Baxter


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002fjp9)
NHS Ten-Year Plan; Maddie + Triggs

In Touch examines what the government's new 10-year plan for the NHS could mean for eye care, with Chief Executive of the Association of Optometrists Adam Sampson.

Maddie + Triggs is the latest children's TV show that puts visual impairment at its heart. Maddie, a 7-year old visually impaired girl and her pet dog Triggs explore the world around them through sound and music. It is created by Irish studio Turnip + Duck and available on CBeebies, BBC Sounds and Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ.

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 (m0028bhr)
Word of God

3. Holy Grail

A biblical scholar's dramatic last-minute announcement at a packed debate hints at a fragment that could rewrite history.

On a winter's night in 2012, an extraordinary claim electrifies a university auditorium in North Carolina - the discovery of what could be the earliest known Christian text, written within decades of Jesus's life.

Through exclusive interviews, investigative journalist Ben Lewis reveals how this announcement connects to a meeting one night in an Oxford professor's chambers, where precious gospel fragments were laid out on a pool table.

He uncovers how the Green family's fervent quest for biblical artefacts intersected with the world of elite academia. Their representatives were desperate to buy the four gospel fragments - including one potentially dating to the first century. But as scholars wait years to find out more, questions mount about that fragment in particular and what exactly is the professor's role.

From the gothic halls of Christ Church Oxford to heated debates in American universities, Lewis follows papyrologist-turned-detective Roberta Mazza as she pieces together clues from social media posts, YouTube videos, and academic papers. What she uncovers raises troubling questions about the relationship between wealthy collectors, prestigious scholars, and the verification of sacred texts.

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 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 (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


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002fjpc)
Trump turns on Putin as he sends more weapons to Ukraine

Donald Trump has said that the US will restart shipments of defensive weapons, including Patriot missile systems, to Kyiv. Trump appeared frustrated with Vladimir Putin, saying the Russian president’s words were ‘meaningless’.

Also on the programme: during a visit to the UK French President Emmanuel Macron calls for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and we hear about the devastating environmental cost of China’s rare earth mineral mining.


TUE 22:45 Private Angelo by Eric Linklater (m002fjpf)
The Adoration of the Shepherds

Italy, 1943. Angelo is overjoyed when the armistice is announced. Finally, he can return to his true love in Tuscany. But amidst the destruction of liberation, the cowardly private will find himself fighting not only for the Italian army but also the Germans, and finally the Allies in a witty and compassionate satire on the folly of war.

Unaware that the Count is being held by the Germans, Angelo returns to Pontefiore to hide his patron’s artistic treasures and reunite with his love, Lucrezia.

Read by Carl Prekopp
Written by Eric Linklater
Abridged by Siân Preece
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie

Orcadian Eric Linklater was a leading author of the 1930s and 40s, who served with the Black Watch in Italy. His unflinching portrayal of the cruelty of war is leavened by his understanding of the motivations of ordinary people swept into conflict, as well as a strong optimism and a genuine love of Italy. ‘Private Angelo’ is part of Radio 4’s programming marking 80 years since VE Day.

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 23:00 Havana Helmet Club (m002ddb4)
2. Old Habits

US Marine Jim Tracy returns to Havana to raise the American flag he once lowered in 1961. It marks a hopeful new chapter of US-Cuban relations, created through quiet diplomacy and unlikely backchannels involving senators, spies, and even Pope Francis. But just as the mood shifts toward reconciliation, a young CIA officer lands in Havana and soon begins experiencing something strange and deeply troubling. His illness—and the mysterious sound that seems to trigger it—threatens not just his mission, but the entire political thaw.
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:
NARA


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002fjpk)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as President Macron tells parliamentarians that the UK and France must defend the post-war international order.

WEDNESDAY 09 JULY 2025

WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002fjpp)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 00:30 The Secret Painter by Joe Tucker (m002fjnd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002fjpv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002fjpz)
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 (m002fjq3)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002fjq7)
Alicia McCarthy reports on another painful milestone in the Post Office Horizon scandal, President Macron's visit to parliament and tributes to Norman Tebbit.


WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002fjqc)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002fjqh)
Prayer for the Day celebrates 55 years on Radio 4 from Bradford the City of Culture

Furaha Mussanzi, singer and songwriter, reflects on walking in prayer, to celebrate 55 years of Prayer for the Day from Bradford, the City of Culture.

Good morning.

Once a week I challenge myself to go on a prayer walk around my neighbourhood. I try to rise early before the rush hour traffic, when the air is crisp, and the bird songs are clear, and I go in the direction that my spirit leads. I place my phone in my pocket, because I insist on counting every step, and take a deep breath, as I count my blessings and focus on being in the moment.

I begin, by thanking God for my body, for being healthy enough to move, for my heartbeat, and the gift of life and a new day. I notice every person I come across, bin men, parents, teachers and shop assistants, and make an effort to show eye contact and greet them, reminding myself that they too are precious, seen and loved by God. I don’t know where they are coming from, or where they are going, or have any insight about the trials and triumphs of their lives, but just for an instant, I hold them on my heart, and I keep walking.

Often, I walk past a number of care homes and take a moment to pray for our health care system, and thank God for all those who work tirelessly to care for those who are ill, elderly or vulnerable. When I walk up a steep hill, I pray that God gives me the strength, courage and wisdom, to represent him wherever I go, and to extend his love and grace to everyone I encounter.

So today, I pray that God opens my eyes, not just on my walk, but always, to notice someone, or something to pray for.

Amen.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002fjqm)
Chronic bee paralysis has been in bee populations for thousands of years, but cases are rising in the UK and it’s estimated up to two percent are affected. The disease is not notifiable, so doesn’t have to be reported, and bees can have the virus and not show symptoms, so it’s prevalence is difficult to ascertain. We speak to Professor Giles Budge who's working on the disease at Newcastle University.

As part of our week-long look at shellfish we visit Bridlington in East Yorkshire the largest lobster port in Europe, There are no quotas for catching crab and lobster and most of it is exported.

After concerns about the rising number of abstraction licences, we speak to a water management expert who advises farmers in on the driest parts of the country.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


WED 06:00 Today (m002fj8c)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 More or Less (m002fj8f)
Can drinking one less bottle of coke a day halve obesity?

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

Is the secret to halving obesity rates really just a matter of cutting back on one fizzy drink a day?

How many new babies in the City of London have a foreign-born parent? And since fewer than one baby a week is actually born in the City of London, how much should we care?

Electricity in the UK is more expensive than almost anywhere else. Why? And is it anything to do with wind turbines?

And we help out rival Radio 4 programme Start the Week with a claim about churches.

If you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at, email the team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

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

Presenter: Tim Harford
Reporter: Lizzy McNeill
Producer: Nicholas Barrett and Nathan Gower
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound Mix: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon


WED 09:30 Shadow World (m002f9bn)
The Grave Robbers

1. My Dear Friend

Two sisters, set to receive a surprise life-changing inheritance, have it snatched away by a stranger. As Sue Mitchell investigates, she reveals how fake wills are being used to strip the estates of the dead and deny rightful heirs what is rightfully theirs.

This new narrative podcast from multi award winning investigative reporter Sue Mitchell (Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion, Million Dollar Lover) reveals a crime that’s gone unreported until now and a system that is struggling to stop it.


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002fj8h)
Christine McGuiness, Dianaworld, Marcia Grant inquest, Weight loss ads

The TV presenter and autism advocacy campaigner, Christine McGuinness, is mother of three autistic children, and she received an autism diagnosis herself as an adult. She is highlighting new research from Barrett Redrow which found that half of parents of children with disabilities surveyed said their child is excluded from play due to playgrounds being inaccessible to them. Christine joins Krupa Padhy to discuss the issue.

After both England and Wales lost their opening matches at the UEFA Women's Euros, there's a chance they could be knocked out of the tournament today. England could be eliminated if they lose to the Netherlands, whilst Wales need at least a point against France. As defending champions there is a lot of pressure on the Lionesses. The Guardian's women's football correspondent Suzy Wrack, joins us from Zurich.

Weight-loss injections have been hailed by some as game-changers in tackling obesity – but their rapid rise in popularity, especially online, has prompted serious concern. The Advertising Standards Authority has just issued a crackdown on how these drugs are marketed, banning social media posts by influencers, including Gemma Collins, for promoting prescription-only medicines in ways that break the rules. Charlotte Edwards, BBC business reporter explains.

Marcia Grant was a 60-year-old grandmother and foster carer when she was killed in 2023, by a 12 year old boy in her care who ran her over with her own car. Last week, an inquest found that council failings contributed to the circumstances leading up to Marcia’s death. However, the coroner also made it clear that this was a "national issue." Jane Collins, foster carer and CEO of the Foster Support Membership Organisation discusses the systems and processes that could help existing foster carers feel safe while caring for vulnerable children and why she is called for a public inquiry. Dr Arlene Weekes a social work manager, academic and independent foster panel chair also takes part.

How do you remember Princess Diana? Almost 30 years after her untimely death, the late Diana, Princess of Wales continues to be a source of fascination and fandom for many. A new, unconventional biography, Dianaworld: An Obsession, documents tales of everyday devotion to her by ordinary people and charts how the many and varied portrayals of the People’s Princess have seeped into public consciousness. We hear from the book’s author Edward White and the broadcaster and author Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.

Presenter: Krupa Padhy
Producer: Kirsty Starkey


WED 11:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002fj8k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Tuesday]


WED 11:40 This Week in History (m002fj8m)
July 7th - July 13th

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: July 7th - July 13th
- 8th of July 1099 - In the first Crusade, Christians take part in the Siege of Jerusalem
- 8th of July 1777 - the independent state of Vermont prohibits slavery, becoming first former British colony to do so.
- 7th of July 1965 - Science programme Tomorrow's World debuts on BBC One

Presented by Caroline Nicholls and Ron Brown
Produced by Clara Nissen and Chris Pearson


WED 11:45 The Secret Painter by Joe Tucker (m002fj8p)
Episode Three

To Joe Tucker, Eric was just his loving and funny uncle, a beloved yet unconventional figure throughout Joe’s life.

A shambolically dressed man who lived with his mother for almost 80 years in Warrington, he had an almost compulsive need to charm strangers with working men’s club comedy routines, and appeared to exist only for daily trips to the bookie in the high street, and to the local pub. But behind closed doors, he had amassed over 500 of his own remarkable paintings - mostly depicting working-class social life in the industrial North West.

Tucker received no formal art education and left school at 14, working variously as a boxer, a steelworker, a gravedigger and a building labourer.

His family had always known he had painting as a hobby, but it was only right at the end of his life, that they realised the true extent of his creative output.

His work came to public attention following his death in 2018, when the family organised a two-day exhibition in his ex-council house.

His paintings of street scenes and busy pubs and clubs were described by art critic Ruth Millington as having an ‘authenticity and a sophisticated innocence’, their discovery marking ‘a significant contribution to modern British art’.

Episode Three
Joe remembers his uncle venting strong opinions about the work of David Hockney; and his admiration for the industrial landscape paintings of Edward Burra.

Read by Paul Ready
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Producer: David Blount

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


WED 12:00 News Summary (m002fj8s)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002fj8v)
Podcast Scam, Digital Detox, Wackaging

Our Reporter Shari Vahl brings us the latest on a story involving a content creator whose social media accounts were hacked following a fake podcast invite. Caroline Donoghue, also known as 'love mud dog lady', can earn thousands of pounds a month on Facebook and Instagram, but this hack has put that all at risk.

Citroen has issued a 'stop drive' notice to owners of one hundred and twenty thousand of its cars in the UK. Anyone that owns one has been told not to drive it under any circumstances until its repaired, but many are now having to wait weeks for information and even longer to get the repairs done.

According to Ofwat, customer satisfaction with water companies in the UK is at an all time low. To try and improve this, the government announced last week that it has increased the amount of compensation that water companies in England must pay to consumers when things go wrong. We hear from a group of residents dealing with dirty water, low pressure and interrupted services.

In the UK, 62% of adults say they ‘hate’ how much time they spend on their phone, whilst more than half of us believe smartphones interrupt face-to-face conversations with friends and family. It's why a growing number of people are willing to pay money to use their phones less. From digital detox weekends to phone-free speaking events with tennis player Andy Murray, we hear why people are choosing to spend money to stay away from screens.

For over 25 years, many companies have been trying to be friendly and funny with the messages they write on products and packaging. It’s called 'wackaging', a portmanteau of wacky and packaging. But as it becomes more synonymous with failing services and out of order toilets, are we getting tired of it?


WED 12:57 Weather (m002fj8x)
The latest weather forecast


WED 13:00 World at One (m002fj8z)
Infected blood scandal: 'Victims being harmed further'

Infected blood inquiry chair Sir Brian Langstaff has criticised delays in compensation for victims of the infected blood scandal. We speak to someone still waiting for payment. We ask crossbench peer and businessman Lord Bilimoria what impact a wealth tax would have, and hear from the Green Party’s deputy leader as he makes his pitch to become leader.


WED 13:45 Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away (m002fj91)
Episode 3: Inheritance Disputes

Tony Hawks is a very lucky man. He has done well in life, thanks to luck, hard work, plus many years of writing, travelling and making people laugh on BBC Radio 4. But he doesn’t fancy a nice car. He’s not into flashy holidays. And he doesn’t want to pass any of the money he’s earned down to his only child.

Tony acknowledges that he’s aspirational. But he aspires to do good, not to accumulate. And that’s the legacy he wants to leave to his son. Not money. Because, in Tony’s opinion, money passed down through inheritance corrupts aspiration, it corrupts ambition, and it has a corrosive effect on personality.

What’s more, he believes inheritance has a harmful effect on society - it perpetuates inequality and makes a mockery of equal opportunity. In short, Tony is dead against it.

If Tony were to leave just money to his young son, would it give his boy a vital leg-up or would it take away his drive and motivation to achieve things on his own terms?

The series follows Tony’s efforts to make a decision about his will, his son and his money. He argues for a radical shift away from the idea of inheritance. But is it even possible in today's world?

Inheritance is a complex issue that sits at the heart of British society. And it’s about to become a whole lot more pressing as we face the biggest transfer of wealth in history. The Baby Boomers are dying out and they will be leaving vast sums of money to the next generations over the coming decades.

One big change in the inheritance landscape is the rise in disputes over recent years, as more and more people fight to get a slice of the inheritance pie. Barrister Barbara Rich tells Tony about her work mediating these kinds of conflicts. Solicitor James Aspden talks Tony through the complex case of a daughter who was written out of her late mother’s will in favour of animal charities. And as Tony struggles to make his own decision, he talks to his financial advisor and - finally - has a breakthrough.

Might Tony’s son fight him in the courts for an inheritance? Could Tony’s will be challenged? Will Tony’s little dog Coco get left anything? Who knows? Where there’s a will, there’s often a wrangle…

Presenter: Tony Hawks

Producer: Tom Woolfenden

Sound Designer: Jon Calver

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4


WED 14:00 The Archers (m002fj94)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Fault Lines: Money, Sex and Blood (m000nf37)
Series 2: Sex

Last Chance

A chance encounter for Constance with Ed in a garden centre leads to a most unexpected and delightful afternoon. Ed challenges the idea that elderly people can't possibly be thinking about sex.

Constance . . . . . Glenda Jackson
Ed . . . . . Rudolph Walker

Written by by Roy Williams
Directed by Pauline Harris


WED 15:00 Money Box (m002fj96)
Money Box Live: Losing Your Job

Unemployment recently rose to its highest level in almost four years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the rate went up to 4.6 per cent in the three months to April, up from 4.5 per cent in the three months to March. That's the highest since the Summer of 2021 in which the country was in the depths of the Covid pandemic.

So today on Money Box Live we're asking what happens when you lose your job? What are your rights, what kind of payout might you get and how do you manage the money during a job hunt?

Felicity Hannah is joined by employment lawyer Rupa Mooker, Mike Fenn who's Head of Employee Relations at ACAS, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service and Sarah Coles who is the Head of Personal Finance at Hargreaves Lansdown.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producers: Sarah Rogers and Helen Ledwick
Editor: Jess Quayle

(This programme was first aired on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday 9th of July 2025)


WED 15:30 Different Voices (m002fj98)
What’s it like to wake up with a brand new voice?

For those with foreign accent syndrome, this is their reality. Patients who develop this rare speech disorder start speaking in a brand new accent that they often have no connection to.

So how does losing the voice you’ve known your entire life shape, or break, your identity?

Presenter Ella Hubber speaks to Althia Bryden, who developed foreign accent syndrome last year, and Sarah Colwill, who has lived with the condition for the past 15 years. They share the deep impact it has had on their identity and connection to those around them.

And to understand what is happening in the brain to cause this complete change in accent, and whether it’s really even an accent at all, Ella speaks to professor Nicholas Miller, who has been unpicking the mystery of foreign accent syndrome for decades. And professor Stefanie Keulen shares that there are actually multiple types of the condition.

Even though foreign accent syndrome is rare, it is found around the world, can affect anyone, and highlights just how deeply our voices influence all aspects of our lives.

Presenter: Ella Hubber
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Ella Hubber
Assistant producer: Minnie Harrop
Editor: Martin Smith


WED 16:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002fj9b)
The Crying Game

We tend to like leaders to appear calm and in control. But we also want them to be human. The problem is, when they show genuine emotion, they often get slated for it - branded as 'weak' or an 'embarrassment'.

This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at how people in public life are judged for letting the mask slip - and reveal how much effort goes in to preparing people to show more or less emotion. They'll also examine whether suppressing emotion is the only way to get to the top in business.

Also, on the extended edition on BBC Sounds, David and Simon look at a huge fan hitter in the business world that you may not even have heard of - but one that goes to the very heart of reputational risk.

And never let the truth get in the way of a good story. It appears the much-loved book and now film, The Salt Path may not be quite what it seems. Does it matter? And if so, who is this a crisis for?

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 (m002fj9d)
Gregg Wallace, The Salt Path, Oasis reunion tour, migrant small boats media coverage

Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins discuss some of the main media stories in the news this week including the latest allegations about TV presenter Gregg Wallace with Max Goldbart, International TV Editor at Deadline.
French police have been filmed getting tough with migrants getting into dinghies to cross the Channel this week, but was it just for the cameras as some claim? Andrew Harding BBC Paris Correspondent talks about his report which made headlines this week and Catherine Norris Trent, senior correspondent at France 24 reflects on how the French media cover the issue.
Heloise Wood, Deputy News Editor, at Bookseller talks about fact checking in the publishing industry after claims the hit book The Salt Path which was made into a film isn’t really a truthful biography and as Oasis performs live for the first time since 2009, we consider who owns the iconic images of their reunion concert? Andrew Moger, Chief Executive of the News Media Coalition and Danni Scott, Music and entertainment reporter at the Metro discuss.

Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai


WED 17:00 PM (m002fj9g)
Resident doctors to strike in July

Medics will walk out for five days from the 25th of July. Evan presents live from Leeds, with a panel discussion reflecting on Baroness Casey's report on grooming gangs. Plus: would you like to be interviewed for a new job by an AI chatbot?


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002fj9j)
Victims of the infected blood scandal are failed again

The chairman of the inquiry into the infected blood scandal has said victims have been harmed further by delays in paying compensation. Also: Resident doctors in hospitals in England announce a five-day long strike. And how X's chatbot has sparked controversy.


WED 18:30 Your Mum (m002fbdy)
3. Helen Bauer and Thanyia Moore

Helen tells us about her mum’s spiritual connection to the Titanic, how Hitler inspired her childhood nickname and why her brother’s criminal arrests left her mum beaming with pride. Thanyia explains why her mum is on first-name terms with local gangsters, the deep symbolism of having a manicure and why making Jamaica proud was such an important part of her childhood.

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 (m002fj9l)
In a break from band auditions Jazzer joins Tracy in the beer garden, where Tortoise the cat is happy to be fed a morsel of chicken as a treat. Tracy can’t believe Jazzer thought Martyn was having an affair with Lilian. They agree Martyn needs cheering up; a new girlfriend might help.
Ed and Fallon mull over the band members they’ve seen so far. None of them seem right and Ed comments they’re making him feel old. He wonders ruefully if they’re past the ‘band’ stage. Later with their last prospect a no-show they admit defeat. They wish they could locate their original member, Ash. Jazzer produces an old publicity photo they reminisce. When he plays a cassette of their music as well, it proves too much and Fallon begs him to turn it off. She and Ed agree they were awful, but Jazzer insists they had raw talent. When their only half suitable auditionee turns them down due to ‘musical differences’, they see the funny side and decide to have a jam for old times’ sake.
Eddie’s still complaining about the Bull food. Jolene wonders if something’s upset him, but Ed backs his dad up. The customer has to have what they want. Jolene grits her teeth and changes Eddie’s meal. When he finds a chair too wobbly, Jolene’s had enough, and Ed tells his dad to come clean. They admit Eddie’s been testing the level of service – there’s a pub award up for grabs and he’s nominated the Bull! And they’ve passed all his tests with flying colours.


WED 19:15 Front Row (m002fj9n)
Kat Sadler, creator of BAFTA-winning sitcom Such Brave Girls

Bestselling novelist Kate Mosse - much of whose historical fiction is set in medieval France - reacts to the news that the Bayeux Tapestry is to go on display at the British Museum in London next year.

Comedian and actor Kat Sadler on her BAFTA-winning sitcom Such Brave Girls, which is set in a dysfunctional single parent family.

Sitar virtuoso Nishat Khan tells us about his debut opera Taj Mahal which is being performed at Grange Park Opera this week.

And artist Lindsey Mendick whose work often focuses on powerful historic women, tells us about Wicked Game, her installation at Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire, which commemorates a historic visit by Elizabeth I 450 years ago and which takes the form of a fragmented chess board.

Presenter: Nihal Arthanayake
Producer: Mark Crossan


WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m002fj9q)
Is it time to ditch historical figures as heroes?

The Bank of England has been accused of being the 'Bank of Wokeness' after proposing to cut historical figures from banknotes. Images of Winston Churchill, Jane Austen and Alan Turing could be replaced by images of themes such as nature, innovation, or key events in history. It raises the possibility of British birds, bridges, or bangers and mash featuring on the next series of £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes and would take us down the route favoured by the Euro which feature many an imaginary structure or window. But what do we lose when we potentially erase these historical figures from a place in our pocket? Are they problematic figures who are essentially divisive? Or are we discarding important figures who achieved greatness and still embody moral values? Is the concept of heroism one we need to reject altogether or do stories of human endeavour still represent the best way to promote culture and identity?

PANEL: Anne McElvoy, Ash Sarkar, Matthew Taylor, Tim Stanley

WITNESSES:

Paul Lay, Historian
Maddy Fry, Writer and Journalist
Professor Simon Goldhill, Historian
Professor Ellis Cashmore

CHAIR Michael Buerk
PRODUCER: Catherine Murray
ASST PRODUCER: PETER EVERETT
PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR: Pete Liggins
EDITOR: Tim Pemberton


WED 21:00 Walt Disney: A Life in Films (m001ngn2)
2. Pinocchio

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

His 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?

In her second episode, Mel immerses herself in the story of Pinocchio. We might think of it as a sweet and innocent tale, but Disney's film is based on a dark fable by author Carlo Collodi and is a lot less sugary than you might remember.

The film was a box office flop, ramping up Walt’s financial woes, but would later go on to be recognised as a classic. Pinocchio was a project that saw immense creative ambition butt up against huge financial pressures. Mel reveals the challenges the animators had in nailing the movements of the titular puppet and the struggles to draw Pinocchio’s sidekick Jiminy Cricket in ways that didn’t leave him looking like a grotesque monster.

A Novel production for BBC Radio 4


WED 21:30 Inside Health (m002fj9s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Tuesday]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002fj9v)
Will UK secure migrant deal with France?

French President Emmanuel Macron is tonight being feted with a white tie dinner in the City of London. But is the "entente" not so "amicale" when it comes to migration? A Labour MP who wants tougher curbs to stop small boats crossing the Channel tells us talks between Britain and France to get a deal announced tomorrow are proving tough.

Also tonight:

It's a departure that's stunned Silicon Valley - why is the chief executive leaving Elon Musk's platform, X?

A BBC investigation verifies a leaked recording in which Bangladesh's then-prime minister says she's authorised shoot-to-kill during violent protests against her. We have a special report.

And the Iranian musician - banned from singing in her homeland - who fell in love with Flamenco, and now performs it in her native Farsi.


WED 22:45 Private Angelo by Eric Linklater (m002fj9x)
Liberation is a slow process

Italy, 1943. Angelo is overjoyed when the armistice is announced. Finally, he can return to his true love in Tuscany. But amidst the destruction of liberation, the cowardly private will find himself fighting not only for the Italian army but also the Germans, and finally the Allies in a witty and compassionate satire on the folly of war.

With the Count saved from the clutches of the avaricious Germans, Angelo remembers his promise to two fellow reluctant soldiers.

Read by Carl Prekopp
Written by Eric Linklater
Abridged by Siân Preece
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie

Orcadian Eric Linklater was a leading author of the 1930s and 40s, who served with the Black Watch in Italy. His unflinching portrayal of the cruelty of war is leavened by his understanding of the motivations of ordinary people swept into conflict, as well as a strong optimism and a genuine love of Italy. ‘Private Angelo’ is part of Radio 4’s programming marking 80 years since VE Day.

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 23:00 Stand-Up Specials (m002fjb0)
The Lively Life of Lindsey Santoro

1. Winch Me up Like a Bag of Flour

Today Lindsey is dragged to a rock climbing centre by her athletic friend Jenny which results in a life changing discovery about her over-zealous anatomy. She helps her mum rescue a missing rat and, with the help of Elton John, hosts an intimate funeral.

Welcome to the life of the most beautiful princess in all of Birmingham and its surrounding areas. This week Lindsey Santoro has started a diary. But she’s not 13 years old daydreaming about her latest crush and sleepover plans. She’s a 37-year-old no-nonsense Brummy whose days are more likely to involve thrush cream and a bargy with a bus driver. You are cordially invited to step into her world and learn lessons from her lively life.

Producer: Sasha Bobak
Production Coordinator: Katie Baum
Script Editor: Ruth Husko
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.


WED 23:15 Where to, Mate? (m001jkyk)
Series 2

'...I don't want to go...'

Series 2 episode 1 - "...I don't want to go..."

From filmmaker Jason Wingard and set and recorded on location in a car in Manchester, 'Where To, Mate?' is a semi-improvised comedy following our drivers Bernie, Ben and Saj as we eavesdrop on their taxi journeys around the North West.

Bernie picks up a couple on their way to the airport. Ben picks up a guy who doesn't want to go to a job interview.

Featuring local voices and character actors/comedians from the North.
Dialogue is improvised by the cast based on ideas by Jason Wingard and Carl Cooper.

Ben ..... Peter Slater
Bernie ..... Jo Enright
Jo ..... Nina Gilligan
Joe ..... Andy Salthouse
Nige ..... Keith Carter
Saj ..... Abdullah Afzal
Controller ..... Jason Wingard
Controller ..... Abdullah Afzal
Additional voices and material by the cast and crew.

Director: Jason Wingard
Producer: Carl Cooper

A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002fjb4)
Alicia McCarthy reports on the weekly bout of Prime Minister's Questions where Kemi Badenoch wants to know if a 'wealth tax' is on the horizon.

THURSDAY 10 JULY 2025

THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002fjb6)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 00:30 The Secret Painter by Joe Tucker (m002fj8p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002fjb8)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002fjbb)
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 (m002fjbd)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002fjbg)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch clash over tax policy at this week's Prime Minister's Questions.


THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002fjbj)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002fjbl)
Prayer for the Day celebrates 55 years on Radio 4 from Bradford the City of Culture

Simmy Sekhon, solicitor and spokesperson of the Yorkshire Sikh Forum, reflects on integrity in business, to celebrate 55 years of Prayer for the Day from Bradford, the City of Culture.

Good Morning.

In the Sikh faith, there is a guiding principle: Naam Japna, Kirat Karni, Vand Chakna, which means – remember God, earn an honest living, and share with others. These words have stayed with me, from the fields of Punjab to the boardrooms of Yorkshire.

A solicitor, property entrepreneur, and developer, overseeing 51 companies, can seem worlds apart from quiet humility of Sikh spirituality. But for me, they are connected. Sikhism teaches us that business isn’t just about profit – it’s about purpose, service, and justice.

It’s important to me to share my moment of prayer with my dear friend Cami Sowdi, who calls me every morning, from the rolling mountains of Catalonia, this start of the day, with prayer, and positive focus, grounds me before a busy and hectic day.

Every deal I make, every decision I weigh, I carry with me the wisdom of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who taught, that wealth must not come at the cost of dignity of others. Staying grounded in these values is my daily prayer – especially in a fast-paced world that often rewards speed over integrity.

There’s strength in staying rooted. I live and work in England, my heart beats with the rhythm of Punjab – its language, its music, and its spirit. And in that balance, between two worlds, I find peace.

Today, I pray, for all who lead in business, in community, in family. May we lead with compassion and love. May we build equity with integrity, may we remember that our actions echo beyond balance sheets, and that success without soul is empty.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002fjbn)
10/07/25 Welsh rural crime strategy, Shetland mussels, seasonal workers scheme

A new strategy for tackling rural crime across Wales will offer greater protection for people and wildlife in the countryside, according to the Welsh government. Priority areas include tackling damage to ancient monuments, or heritage crime, and attacks on livestock, with new awareness courses for animal owners.

A new ban on the use of lead in ammunition has been announced by the UK government, in a bid to stop the toxic metal contaminating fields and waterways. Shot containing more than 1% lead and bullets with a lead content of more than 3% are to be prohibited. It's a long-awaited move that ministers say will protect iconic wildlife and improve water quality. There'll be a three year transition period, but conservation groups say they'd like to see it introduced straight away.

All week we're taking a deep dive into the UK's shellfish industry. Almost 90% of the mussels produced in Scotland are grown in Shetland.  We visit a farm which produces 1000 tonnes a year on long ropes dotted on 24 sites around the islands.  

Should British farms and supermarkets have to pay the travel and visa costs of seasonal staff? The idea's been suggested as a way of protecting workers travelling to the UK to pick fruit and vegetables, some of whom are taking out loans to get here, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. The Employer Pays Principle feasibility study, jointly commissioned by the government and the Seasonal Worker Taskforce, looked into the idea which has support from some retailers and recruitment agencies. The National Farmers Union however, has concerns about the challenges growers would face if forced to cover these additional costs, from job cuts to reduced production.

Presenter = Steffan Messenger
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


THU 06:00 Today (m002flhj)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 Artworks (m002flhl)
New York 1925

1. Winter

In 1925 New York became the biggest, most populous city in the world, overtaking London, and was the launchpad for an extraordinary range of writing, music, culture and politics which still resonate 100 years later - from the publication of F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and the launch of The New Yorker, to the rise of the Harlem Renaissance and the first success for the composer Richard Rodgers.

This is the story of that momentous year, season by season, told over four episodes, with contributors including novelist Jay McInerney, the academic Margo Jefferson and the editor of the New Yorker David Remnick. The series is presented by the saxophonist and broadcaster Soweto Kinch, with an original sound track played by the composer and clarinettist Giacomo Smith and his band.

Episode 1: Winter

At the start of the year a new kind of celebrity politician, Senator Jimmy Walker, had set his sights on becoming mayor of New York. He was a fast-drinking, fast-talking dandy. We follow his fortunes throughout the series, culminating in the election in November.

In February 1925 the New Yorker magazine was launched, and in March a special edition of the sociological magazine, Survey Graphic, was devoted entirely to Harlem. Whilst the New Yorker flopped, the special Survey Graphic was a runaway success.

In the winter months we also find out how F Scott Fitzgerald was preparing for the publication of The Great Gatsby in April, and how aspiring composer Richard Rodgers was struggling to create a hit song.

Presenter Soweto Kinch
Producer Katy Hickman
Band: Giacomo Smith - clarinet; Laura Jurd - trumpet; Daniel Higham - trombone; Alexander Boulton - banjo; Joe Webb - piano; Corrie Dick - drums; Soweto Kinch - saxophone


THU 09:30 Politically (m002flhp)
Reflections: Series 3

John Kerry

James Naughtie talks to former US Secretary of State John Kerry about his life and political career.

At his home in Massachusetts, which he represented in the United States Senate for close to 30 years, Kerry discusses his experiences as a naval officer in Vietnam, how he felt the pull of politics, and what he attempted to achieve. Reflecting on the 2004 presidential election campaign, where he was the Democrat nominee against President George W. Bush, Kerry says it was the first 'fake news election'.

In four years as President Obama's Secretary of State, Kerry travelled more than a million miles around the world, and he discusses his experiences negotiating the Iran Nuclear Deal, the decision not to strike Syria, and his friendship with Benjamin Netanhayu.

And on domestic politics, Kerry has some striking advice for his party after losing the 2024 presidential election.

Producer: Giles Edwards


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002flhs)
Southport inquiry, Cam, DCI Helen Tebbit

The Southport inquiry - the first phase of which took place in Liverpool this week - heard statements from the families of four girls who survived despite being seriously injured during the attacks on 29 July last year. The public inquiry heard testimony from one of the girls' mothers, who said her daughter 'fought like hell' to save herself and others. Anita Rani speaks to Judith Moritz, BBC Special Correspondent, about some of the eyewitness accounts.

An exhibition celebrating the life and work of renowned Australian artist Emily Kam Kngwarray opens today at the Tate Modern in London. Respectfully known as ‘the old lady’ by her community, Emily didn’t start painting on canvas until her 70s. She went on to produce over 2,000 paintings and achieve huge critical acclaim before her death in 1996. Anita talks to art curator Kelli Cole about Emily's often monumental paintings, which were inspired by her life as a senior Anmatyerr woman from the Sandover region of the Northern Territory of Australia.

Chief Inspector Helen Tebbit of Cambridgeshire Police joins Anita to talk about her role as senior investigating officer in a rape investigation which resulted in a sexual predator, Craig France, being jailed for more than 10 years - as featured this week in the Channel 4 TV series, 24 Hours in Police Custody.

Camaron Marvel Ochs, known professionally as Cam, is an American country music singer songwriter. Her most successful single, Burning House, received widespread acclaim and went triple platinum. She has written for a range of artists including Sam Smith and Miley Cyrus, and last year she received a Grammy award for songwriting, production and backing vocals for Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album. Anita speaks to her about her career so far and her forthcoming album – All Things Light Up.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt


THU 11:00 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m002flhv)
Series 33

201st Birthday Bonanza - Mel Giedroyc, Deborah Meaden and Nish Kumar

Get ready for a landmark episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage as we celebrate our 201st show! Brian Cox and Robin Ince invite a lively panel of celebrity guests to pose their burning scientific questions to a top-tier team of scientists.
Mel Giedroyc is tunnelling into the world of engineering, asking how we build and operate trains under some of the world’s busiest cities? Mel has found a new best friend in, Isabel Coman, Director of Engineering at Transport for London, who is here to guide her through the particulars of subterranean transport systems.
Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur and investor, is delving into the emotional lives of animals - do our furry, feathered, and scaly companions have feelings like grief in the way we do? Helping her to sniff out the science of animal emotions is Dr Liz Paul, a comparative psychologist from the University of Bristol.
Comedian Nish Kumar wants to know - are we totally screwed when it comes to climate change, or is there still hope? Helping him unpack tipping points, rising temperatures, and how we might turn the tide is climate scientist Ed Hawkins from the University of Reading.

Series Producer: Melanie Brown
Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

BBC Studios Audio Production


THU 11:45 The Secret Painter by Joe Tucker (m002flhy)
Episode Four

To Joe Tucker, Eric was just his loving and funny uncle, a beloved yet unconventional figure throughout Joe’s life.

A shambolically dressed man who lived with his mother for almost 80 years in Warrington, he had an almost compulsive need to charm strangers with working men’s club comedy routines, and appeared to exist only for daily trips to the bookie in the high street, and to the local pub. But behind closed doors, he had amassed over 500 of his own remarkable paintings - mostly depicting working-class social life in the industrial North West.

Tucker received no formal art education and left school at 14, working variously as a boxer, a steelworker, a gravedigger and a building labourer.

His family had always known he had painting as a hobby, but it was only right at the end of his life, that they realised the true extent of his creative output.

His work came to public attention following his death in 2018, when the family organised a two-day exhibition in his ex-council house.

His paintings of street scenes and busy pubs and clubs were described by art critic Ruth Millington as having an ‘authenticity and a sophisticated innocence’, their discovery marking ‘a significant contribution to modern British art’.

Episode Four
Eric’s family are astonished at the scale of his artistic output. After his death, a total of 540 paintings, and thousands of sketches and drawings, are found in his ex-council house.

Read by Paul Ready
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Producer: David Blount

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


THU 12:00 News Summary (m002flj0)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 The Bottom Line (m002flj2)
Scaling Up: What Turns a Start-Up into a Success?

What does it take to grow a new enterprise? Evan Davis hears about the decisions behind creating a multi million-pound business.

Founders share the challenges of shifting from solo entrepreneur to CEO, and navigating the make-or-break moments: when to invest, when to take risks, and when to hold back.

Plus, the realities of failure, internal setbacks, and the strategic role of social media in driving growth.

Evan is joined by:

Charlie Bowes-Lyon, Co-Founder, Wild;
Charlotte Figg, Co-Founder, Purdy & Figg;
Suneet Sachdeva, Founder & CEO, Bubble CiTea

Production team:

Producer: Osman Iqbal
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: David Crackles
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison


THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002flj4)
Water Filters (Recorded Live at Cheltenham Science Festival)

Can jug or under sink filters, promising to soften tap water and improve taste, really take out what they claim?

Greg Foot gathers the experts live at Cheltenham Science Festival, dives into the data and crunches the numbers to get answers for listener Elaine.

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?

All of our episodes start with YOUR suggestions. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.

RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM
PRODUCERS: KATE HOLDSWORTH AND GREG FOOT


THU 12:57 Weather (m002flj6)
The latest weather forecast


THU 13:00 World at One (m002flj8)
Iran ‘increasing threat’ to UK

The Intelligence and Security select committee publish a report laying out the scale of the threat Iran poses to the UK. Their chair Lord Beamish joins us live. As Sir Jake Berry defects to Reform, we hear the thoughts of his former Conservative colleague Sir Simon Clarke. And former Olympian Fatima Whitbread talks of her experience in children’s care, as a report paints a bleak picture of the reality for care leavers.


THU 13:45 Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away (m002fljb)
Episode 4: Money Mindsets

Tony Hawks is a very lucky man. He has done well in life, thanks to luck, hard work, plus many years of writing, travelling and making people laugh on BBC Radio 4. But he doesn’t fancy a nice car. He’s not into flashy holidays. And he doesn’t want to pass any of the money he’s earned down to his only child.

Tony acknowledges that he’s aspirational. But he aspires to do good, not to accumulate. And that’s the legacy he wants to leave to his son. Not money. Because, in Tony’s opinion, money passed down through inheritance corrupts aspiration, it corrupts ambition, and it has a corrosive effect on personality.

What’s more, he believes inheritance has a harmful effect on society - it perpetuates inequality and makes a mockery of equal opportunity. In short, Tony is dead against it.

If Tony were to leave just money to his young son, would it give his boy a vital leg-up or would it take away his drive and motivation to achieve things on his own terms?

The series follows Tony’s efforts to make a decision about his will, his son and his money. He argues for a radical shift away from the idea of inheritance. But is it even possible in today's world?

Inheritance is a complex issue that sits at the heart of British society. And it’s about to become a whole lot more pressing as we face the biggest transfer of wealth in history. The Baby Boomers are dying out and they will be leaving vast sums of money to the next generations over the coming decades.

The idea of passing something on to our children is deeply ingrained in our culture. Where did those attitudes come from? And how hard are they to change?

Tony’s father left no money to him and so it doesn't feel unnatural to cut - or limit - his own son’s inheritance. In this episode, he speaks to comedian Russell Kane and money mentor Selina Flavius, and hears how our attitudes to money and inheritance are often passed down from previous generations. But can Tony come up with a new solution to the problem of what to leave behind, rather than sticking with old assumptions?

Presenter: Tony Hawks

Producer: Tom Woolfenden

Sound Designer: Jon Calver

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4


THU 14:00 The Archers (m002fj9l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0016814)
Smoking Guns

Climate scientist Dr Ben Santer proved global warming was due to CO2 back in 1995. The true story of how he was vilified to prevent the world reducing emissions, starring Shaun Evans

Ben Santer is American, but was educated in a British Army school on the Rhine and his ground breaking work "fingerprinting" global warming began at University of East Anglia in the mid 80s, (with US funding). He then worked with 2021 Nobel Prize Winner Klaus Hasselmann at the Max Planck Institute in Hamburg, before moving back to the States. A mountaineer and Anglophile, he became a pawn in a bigger game of climate change denial.

Based on original documentation and testimony, and featuring Dr Santer as himself.

Ben had to fight to try to salvage his reputation as the misinformation spread even among his peers. A quiet and measured scientist, an expert in the computer code of climate models, he became the subject of major articles in The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times and TV and radio across America. Ben says now, “You spend years defending the 'discernible human influence' conclusion. You encounter valid scientific criticism. You also encounter non-scientific criticism from powerful forces of unreason.”

Ben Santer was the Convening Lead Author of Chapter 8 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1996. In its conclusion he wrote, “The balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate.” That one sentence changed his life. He became the hate figure of the energy industry and they came after him through their attack dogs of lobbyists, politicians and the media.

When the report was published, powerful forces led by Cold War hawks Fred Singer and Fred Seitz, set out to discredit Santer. His attackers were backed by the oil and gas industry and had contacts right at the top of government. The impact of their campaign changed the debate not just in America but across the world.

Singer and Seitz used the same tactics they had pioneered in other science based issues that threatened the industrial status quo. They had fought against bans on smoking in public places, and against stopping ozone depleting CFC emissions.

Before the attacks on Santer and the IPCC report, President Clinton’s State Department were briefing that climate change was man made and had been minded to put significant resources into a low carbon future. Seitz and Singer helped stop that, and decades were lost in the fight to stop climate change.

Writer/ Producer, David Morley is a Sony Gold winner and recent Aria award winner, who The Stage described as "unrivalled in turning true events into radio dramas".
As a writer, he specialises in contemporary stories, often based on primary research. These include the Civil Rights struggle in the Deep South of the USA, the shooting down of flight MH17, the creation of Tony Blair’s Iraq WMD Dossier, and how Boris Johnson and Michael Gove fell out after winning the 2016 Referendum.
The Independent on Sunday described him as "a perceptive journalist and a fine writer" in their review of his book "Gorgeous George: The life and adventures of George Galloway".

Cast
Dr Tom Wigley: Nicholas Boulton
Sir John Houghton: Philip Franks
Donald Pearlman: William Hope
Jennifer Santer: Laurel Lefkow
Young Ben Santer: James Morley
Al-Saban: Nayef Rashad
Ned Crabbe and the German Delegate: Wilf Scolding
Fred Singer: Kerry Shale
The Kenyan Delegate: Nathaniel Christian

Writer and Director: David Morley
Sound Design: Tom Maggs
Original Music: Chris O'Shaughnessy

A Perfectly Normal production for BBC Radio 4


THU 15:00 This Natural Life (m002fljd)
Charlotte Church

Charlotte Church rose to global fame at just eleven years old, renowned for the extraordinary purity of her singing voice. From growing up in what she describes as a working-class household in Cardiff, her career took her to the world’s grandest stages, performing for audiences which included the Pope and the U.S. President, and releasing best-selling albums. But that early fame also came with its own set of challenges, some of which, she explains, she is still "not quite grateful for, yet... but what teaching!"

Today, Charlotte’s preferred concert hall is something entirely different: the vast and spectacular landscape of the Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales. Here, she has established a rural retreat. Tucked away in the Nant Caethon Valley and framed by two waterfalls, it’s a place of healing – for herself and for those she welcomes.

Charlotte serves as a guide to Martha Kearney, sharing why this place holds such deep meaning for her. She speaks about her efforts to restore and protect the Celtic rainforest she now calls herself a guardian of. Together, they reflect on Charlotte’s journey – from a child star with little connection to nature, to someone now deeply immersed in the natural world.

Producer: Eliza Lomas


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002fjg0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Feedback (m002fljg)
BBC Sounds Overseas Switch Off and Lyse Doucet in Iran

It's official. BBC Sounds will close to listeners overseas on 21st July. Andrea Catherwood puts your questions about the proposed alternatives to Director of BBC Sounds, Jonathan Wall.

And the BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet's recent reports from Tehran struck a real chord with listeners. Lyse joins Andrea in the studio to explain the challenges of working under Iran's reporting restrictions.

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 (m002fljj)
The Trump hokey cokey is back - what happens to world trade now?

The Trump hokey cokey is back. Tariffs on, tariffs reduced - now they’re heading back up again.
It really got going on April 2nd- President Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” - when he announced a swathe of punitive tariffs on trading partners across the world. The markets tanked and then there was a pause. Countries had 90 days to strike a trade deal - 90 deals in 90 days - we were told. But there weren’t. There were only 2. The deadline was this week but now it’s next month. But in the past few days the White House has been sending out a flurry of letters with higher tariffs for those without a deal - which is almost everyone. David Aaronovitch asks his guests just what is going on, what’s happening to world trade and what happens next?

Guests:
Soumaya Keynes, Economics Columnist The Financial Times
Meredith Crowley, Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge
Justin Wolfers, Professor of Economics and Public Professor of Economics and Public Policy, University of Michigan
Philip Coggan, author, The Economic Consequences of Mr Trump: What the Trade War Means for the World

Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Sally Abrahams, Kirsteen Knight
Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound engineer: Neil Churchill and David Crackles
Editor: Richard Vadon


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m002fljl)
How can we reduce the impact of plastic on the environment?

Next month world leaders will again gather to focus on dealing with our global plastic problem. So this week we’re looking for solutions. Marnie Chesterton hears from Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, Rachael Rothman on how we can engineer safer, more environmentally friendly plastics.

And at the other end of the plastic spectrum, she hears about the clean up operation after the world’s biggest ocean spill of nurdles – tiny plastic pellets which are used to make plastic products. Investigative environmental journalist Leana Hosea brings the results of her investigation into the clean up after the X-Press Pearl container ship caught fire and sank 4 years ago.

Mark Miodownik, University College London Professor of Materials & Society returns to the studio with the results of a citizen science project to try to get more data on potty training. It aims to encourage parents to get toddlers out of nappies earlier.

And Penny Sarchet, managing editor at New Scientist brings her pick of this week’s newest scientific discoveries.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Clare Salisbury and Dan Welsh
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


THU 17:00 PM (m002fljn)
Migration returns deal agreed between UK and France

The deal to return Channel migrants to France to start within weeks - but will it be a deterrent? Plus, the soaring prices of package holidays to the most popular destinations.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002fljq)
Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron strike a deal to try to curb channel crossings

At the end of a three day state visit, the French President and Sir Keir Starmer have announced details of what has been described as a "groundbreaking" plan to deter migrants from crossing the Channel. Also: four people are arrested in connection with cyber attacks which wrought chaos at Marks and Spencer and the Co-op. And the owner of a pet supplies store in Liverpool celebrates settling a dispute with one of the world's best known fashion brands.


THU 18:30 Ashley Blaker's Hyperfixations (m002fljs)
2. Professional Wrestling

"Americans have a long history of taking British things and ballsing them up. They took football and added helmets and cheerleaders; they took ice lollies and called them popsicles; and they took James Corden and then sent him back here."

Among Ashley’s more unusual hyperfixations is a life-long love of professional wrestling. This special interest was first developed on Saturday afternoons at his grandparents’ house watching Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks and Kendo Nagasaki. It continued through the 1980s when Britain was invaded by Hulk Hogan and his colleagues from the then WWF (before they lost a court case to the World Wildlife Fund), and Ashley was fortunate enough to be in attendance at the legendary Summerslam show at Wembley Stadium in 1992, which so many British wrestlers have cited as the day that cemented their love of the grunt and grapple business. This undeniably extraordinary spectacle is sometimes called ‘sports entertainment’ - for many people it is neither!

When 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.

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 (m002fljv)
Eddie puts the finishing touches to his nomination of the Bull for an award. Amber comes downstairs all ready for a day’s haymaking. Eddie questions her clothes choice; it can get grubby helping with the hay. Amber assures him she sees farmers all the time at work. When he realises she works at Farm Supplies he cheekily hopes for a discount. Clarrie scolds him fondly, but Amber’s preoccupied with her socials. When Clarrie arrives at the hay field she’s surprised to find Amber driving the tractor. Will asks how long she’ll be staying at Grange Farm. Clarrie isn’t sure – though she feels things aren’t right between Amber and her parents. Amber comments that George misses all this, and the farm. She remembers his posts from last year and how cute and tanned he looked. That’s probably when she fell for him. Eddie recalls George’s last night of freedom at the farm, and is touched to hear that George recounted an anecdote to Amber about the escaped turkeys last year. Eddie can’t wait for George to get home. Amber assures him that George cares about him and Clarrie a lot. As rain threatens Amber steps up, letting Eddie drive while she and Will lug the bales. Will praises Amber’s work ethic. Clarrie thinks there’s more to her than she lets on.
Amber’s delighted Oliver’s said she can stay on at Grange Farm. Eddie reminds her about her apology to Neil – Clarrie won’t forget the condition. Amber wonders if she can duck it, but Eddie’s not sure it’s a risk worth taking.


THU 19:15 Front Row (m002fljx)
Review Show: Wet Leg's new album and Johnny Depp's artist biopic Modigliani

Nancy Durrant and Boyd Hilton join Tom Sutcliffe to discuss Moisturizer, the second album from the female English indie rock duo Wet Leg. Their self-titled debut reached number one on the UK charts. They also assess Modigliani – Three Days on the Wing of Madness, directed by Hollywood star Johnny Depp. The film is Depp's first since 1997 and it covers 72 hours in the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, played by Riccardo Scamarcio. Plus they have been to see More than Human at the Design Museum in London - an exhibition which explores how how to design with, and better understand, the living world. Finally, as part of our occasional Bugbears series, the comedian, broadcaster and events producer Hatty Ashdown makes the case for supporting live comedy.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Claire Bartleet


THU 20:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002fj9b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Wednesday]


THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002fj9d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:15 on Wednesday]


THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002fj5b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


THU 21:45 Sideways (m00254cn)
Appetite for Distraction

1. Postman’s Prophecy?

Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.

In this first episode, he seeks answers in the work of the media theorist and educator Neil Postman. Forty years ago Postman wrote 'Amusing Ourselves To Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business'. Postman feared that the rise of television had created a world where the image became more important than information, and that democracy was in danger to becoming entertainment.

Postman cited the author Aldous Huxley as a key influence. Huxley's novel 'Brave New World' depicts a World State where citizens are engineered to focus on pleasure rather than the challenges of life and society. Huxley feared that tyranny may appear not through censorship, but due to "man's almost infinite appetite for distractions."

Matthew speaks to Andrew Postman, Neil Postman's son, and Aldous Huxley's biographer Uwe Rasch, to ask what the ideas of the two writers might mean for us today, in a world where media and entertainment are at our fingertips 24/7. Has the prophecy of either Postman or Huxley come to pass?

Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Sam Peach


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002fljz)
UK and France agree ‘groundbreaking’ migration deal

Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have announced a ‘one in, one out’ agreement aimed at deterring migrants from crossing the Channel. The UK and France also agreed to coordinate their nuclear weapons for the first time.

Also on the programme: scientists think they've found a new way to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy; and part of the Sycamore Gap tree gets a new life as a work of art. We hear from the artist who created it.


THU 22:45 Private Angelo by Eric Linklater (m002flk1)
Dicky This or Nigel That

Italy, 1943. Angelo is overjoyed when the armistice is announced. Finally, he can return to his true love in Tuscany. But amidst the destruction of liberation, the cowardly private will find himself fighting not only for the Italian army but also the Germans, and finally the Allies in a witty and compassionate satire on the folly of war.

Angelo's impulsive rescue of an English officer unlocks a new opportunity for the reluctant soldier.

Read by Carl Prekopp
Written by Eric Linklater
Abridged by Siân Preece
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie

Orcadian Eric Linklater was a leading author of the 1930s and 40s, who served with the Black Watch in Italy. His unflinching portrayal of the cruelty of war is leavened by his understanding of the motivations of ordinary people swept into conflict, as well as a strong optimism and a genuine love of Italy. ‘Private Angelo’ is part of Radio 4’s programming marking 80 years since VE Day.

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002flk3)
From Trump to Corbyn: How Social Media Shapes Politics

The singer, songwriter and political activist Billy Bragg thinks there’s a crisis of accountability in politics (23:51). To fix it, he says we need to reform the House of Lords (27:55) and redefine what liberty means in the age of social media (25:17).

A socialist and anti-racism campaigner who grew up in a community where the main employer was the local Ford car factory (3:35), Billy talks to Amol about class in modern Britain (15:47) and sets out the challenges facing democracy today (20:38).

He also argues that there’s a link between Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage (31:37), warns that Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is in danger of losing the working class (31:14) and offers his advice to young musicians (39:12).

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. Technical production was by Mike Regaard and Chris Ablakwa. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002flk5)
David Cornock reports as MPs question the Government about planned strike action by doctors.

FRIDAY 11 JULY 2025

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002flk7)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 00:30 The Secret Painter by Joe Tucker (m002flhy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002flk9)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002flkc)
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 (m002flkf)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002flkh)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament


FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002flkk)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002flkm)
Prayer for the Day celebrates 55 years on Radio 4 from Bradford the City of Culture

Saarah Hamayun is a Spiritual Care Practitioner at a Hospice reflects on hidden blessings and hope, to celebrate 55 years of Prayer for the Day from Bradford, the City of Culture.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002flkp)
11/07/25 Great Yorkshire Show 2025

Curly sheep, innovation and profitability on farm - we visit the Great Yorkshire Show.

Caz Graham is out in the sunshine at England's largest agricultural show to see the livestock and ask what's the mood this year for farmers.

The Government is carrying out a Farming Profitability Review in England, to inform policy. There’s been a call for evidence and practical solutions which closes today. We ask the National Farmers' Union what could be done to help.

Produced by Beatrice Fenton.


FRI 06:00 Today (m002fllh)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m002fjgd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002fllk)
Katie Brayben, Maternal deaths, Fangirls

Katie Brayben is a two-time Olivier award winner for Best Actress in A Musical for Tammy Faye and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Now she is reprising the role of Elizabeth Laine in Girl From the North Country currently on stage at the Old Vic in London. Katie joins Anita Rani to explain what has drawn her back to this role.

A third of women who died during or in the year after pregnancy were known to children’s social care, according to new research. The study by Kings College London, Oxford University and the charity Birth Companions, examined the data of nearly 1,400 women who died between 2014 and 2022. In particular, they looked at the 420 known to social services, half of those women died by suicide or from substance-related causes. Anita discusses the research with Kaat De Backer, Researcher King’s College London and Amy Van Zyl, Chief Executive, Her Circle.

From Frank Sinatra to the Beatles, many of the biggest male stars built their early careers on the romantic appeal to young women. Bea Martinez-Gatell is author of Swoon, Fangirls, Their Idols And The Counterculture of Female Lust – From Byron To The Beatles. She joins Anita to explain that far from passive consumers, fangirls were actually tastemakers, visionaries and cultural disruptors.

Actor Jane Birkin's original Hermes Birkin has sold for £7.4 million pounds - becoming the most valuable handbag to ever be sold at auction. What makes the bag so iconic? Justine Picardie, writer and former editor in chief of Harpers Bazaar, and Marisa Meltzer, who has written It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin, join Anita to discuss the story behind the bag and what makes a fashion accessory so alluring.


FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002fllm)
The Periodic Table of Food

Dan Saladino explores new science that's revealing the complexity hidden within our food.

In New York City he meets the team mapping previously unknown edible compounds in fruits and vegetables, many of which are thought to have health benefits.

Will delving deeper into the 'dark matter' of food make it possible to produce food that's better for both us and the planet? Also in the programme is Franco Fubini, founder of the food businesses and author of In Search of The Perfect Peach, who for 20 years has been in search of ingredients with exceptional flavour. It's through flavour, Fubini believes, that we can create a food system that's better for us and also the planet.

Dan also meets Dan Kitteridge, who, through the Bio-nutrient Association, is convinced that quality of food, and its nutrient density is dependent on the quality of the soil microbiome it grows in.

Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.


FRI 11:45 The Secret Painter by Joe Tucker (m002fllp)
Episode Five

To Joe Tucker, Eric was just his loving and funny uncle, a beloved yet unconventional figure throughout Joe’s life.

A shambolically dressed man who lived with his mother for almost 80 years in Warrington, he had an almost compulsive need to charm strangers with working men’s club comedy routines, and appeared to exist only for daily trips to the bookie in the high street, and to the local pub. But behind closed doors, he had amassed over 500 of his own remarkable paintings - mostly depicting working-class social life in the industrial North West.

Tucker received no formal art education and left school at 14, working variously as a boxer, a steelworker, a gravedigger and a building labourer.

His family had always known he had painting as a hobby, but it was only right at the end of his life, that they realised the true extent of his creative output.

His work came to public attention following his death in 2018, when the family organised a two-day exhibition in his ex-council house.

His paintings of street scenes and busy pubs and clubs were described by art critic Ruth Millington as having an ‘authenticity and a sophisticated innocence’, their discovery marking ‘a significant contribution to modern British art’.

Episode Five
Eric’s family organise an exhibition of his paintings in his old house. It’s astonishingly well-attended, and the event is covered by local, and then by national, media. Critics describe his work as ‘a remarkable, important find’.

Read by Paul Ready
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Producer: David Blount

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002fllr)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 AntiSocial (m002fllt)
Banter and harassment

An extension of workers' rights, designed to further protect them from harassment on the job, has been criticised as an attack on free speech.

The Employment Rights Bill, first tabled in October 2024, would make it an employer's responsibility to prevent harassment of their staff by customers, clients and members of the public, as well as fellow colleagues.

Some argue the bill, which is not yet law, would effectively outlaw banter - particularly in settings like pubs - and pressure companies to more closely monitor conversations. Others welcome the plans, arguing that workplace harassment is rife and that banter is often used as an excuse for discriminatory and upsetting behaviour.

We go through the proposed changes, look at examples where banter has been used as a defence in court, and explore the origins and evolution of the word itself.

Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Tulett, Tom Gillett, Nik Sindle
Production coordinator: Janet Staples
Editor: Penny Murphy


FRI 12:57 Weather (m002fllw)
The latest weather forecast


FRI 13:00 World at One (m002flly)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4


FRI 13:45 Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away (m002flm0)
Episode 5: Finding Balance

Tony Hawks is a very lucky man. He has done well in life, thanks to luck, hard work, plus many years of writing, travelling and making people laugh on BBC Radio 4. But he doesn’t fancy a nice car. He’s not into flashy holidays. And he doesn’t want to pass any of the money he’s earned down to his only child.

Tony acknowledges that he’s aspirational. But he aspires to do good, not to accumulate. And that’s the legacy he wants to leave to his son. Not money. Because, in Tony’s opinion, money passed down through inheritance corrupts aspiration, it corrupts ambition, and it has a corrosive effect on personality.

What’s more, he believes inheritance has a harmful effect on society - it perpetuates inequality and makes a mockery of equal opportunity. In short, Tony is dead against it.

If Tony were to leave just money to his young son, would it give his boy a vital leg-up or would it take away his drive and motivation to achieve things on his own terms?

The series follows Tony’s efforts to make a decision about his will, his son and his money. He argues for a radical shift away from the idea of inheritance. But is it even possible in today's world?

Inheritance is a complex issue that sits at the heart of British society. And it’s about to become a whole lot more pressing as we face the biggest transfer of wealth in history. The Baby Boomers are dying out and they will be leaving vast sums of money to the next generations over the coming decades.

Speaking to Lord David Willetts from the Resolution Foundation, Tony hears about some possible solutions to the financial divide between the generations. Tony also speaks with psychotherapist Vicky Reynal and comedian Russell Kane to get some clarity on his final decision.

In this final episode of his series, Tony wonders if there’s a more balanced way of looking at the problem of inheritance that might help him come to a decision about what to leave his son.

Presenter: Tony Hawks

Producer: Tom Woolfenden

Editor: Kirsten Lass

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002fljv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Limelight (m002fc67)
Central Intelligence: Series 2

Episode 4

The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by veteran agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris and Johnny Flynn.

As Egypt’s Nasser seizes the Suez Canal, global powers scramble. The British want control back. The Soviets move in. And the CIA races to keep Egypt from slipping behind the Iron Curtain. In the shadow games of empire, Eloise Page watches the balance of power shift.

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
Addy Hawkins..........Carlyss Peer
Prime Minister Eden..........Rufus Wright
Elizabeth..........Laurel Lefkow
Queen Frederika..........Marina Koem

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 (p0hhrv7g)
Series 1

27. Birthday Cake

We get inside the mind of a one year old with Professor of psychology and baby expert Alison Gopnik. What can babies teach us, and how are they influencing their future. We also take a moment think about the village we need to survive that first year and beyond. It’s a cliche, but we know it’s true. The community around a child is one of the most fundamental factors for its development.

Presented by: India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans.
Series producer: Ellie Sans.
Executive producer: Suzy Grant.
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon.
Mix and Mastering by Olga Reed.

A Listen Production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002flm2)
Crossed Wires Podcast Festival: Back to Basics

How important is health and safety in the garden? What disease has been growing on my tomatoes? What would the panel say was their most overrated plant?

Kathy Clugston hosts Gardeners' Question Time, recorded live at the Crossed Wires Podcast Festival.

Joining her on the expert panel are botanist and broadcaster James Wong, award-winning garden designer Matthew Wilson, and alpine plant specialist Bethan Collerton. Together, they tackle a lively array of gardening questions from an enthusiastic audience.

Later in the programme, James Wong takes a trip to Sheffield’s Winter Garden, where he shares his top picks for easy-to-grow plants - perfect for beginners looking to cultivate greenery both indoors and out.

Producer: Dom Tyerman
Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile

Plant List
Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.

Q – How important is health and safety in the garden? (01’27”)

Q – What are the ideal conditions for growing wildflowers from seeds? (04’10”)

Q – What’s the best method for watering a very parched, dried out cacti? (07’57”)

Q – Why have my wisteria stopped flowering? (11’31”)

Feature – James Wong provides an essential list of plants you can grow indoors and outdoors. He’s visiting the Sheffield Winter Gardens (16’11”)

James Wong –
Dichondra
Strelitzia nicolai, white bird of paradise

Q – How do I stop slugs from eating my hostas? (24’05”)

Q – What would be your recommendations for plants that can survive harsh weather in coastal regions? (24’44”)

Bethan Collerton –
Armeria maritima, thrift

Matthew Wilson –
Griselinia littoralis, new zealand broadleaf
Hippophae rhamnoides, sea buckthorne

James Wong
Griselinia littoralis, new zealand broadleaf
Quercus ilex, holm oak
Tamarisk
Trachycarpus fortune, chusan palm

Q – What disease has been growing on my tomatoes? (29’17”)

Q – I’d like to grow my Jasmine against a fence, do I hack it right back, start again or plant is as is? (32’44”)

Q – What would the panel say was their most overrated plant? (36’37”)

James Wong –
Geranium Rozanne ('Gerwat'PBR), cranesbill [Rozanne]

Matthew Wilson –
Heucheras


FRI 15:45 Short Works (m002flm4)
Snowbirds and Coyotes by KM Elkes

"The coyote finds his next prey at a flea market on Tucson Avenue. One of the snowbirds who escape the bone chill of northern winters, driving down in the caravan of bright white RVs that powder the Arizona desert like snow."

After the death of her husband, Betty takes to the road in an RV. She's always dreamed of spending time in the vast desert landscapes of Arizona. She'd hoped to come here with Ron, but it was not to be. When a young local offers to be her guide, she doubts his motives but allows him to circle closer. As he tries to reel her in, he realises that Betty may be playing a game of her own.

Bristol-based writer K.M. Elkes is the author of the short fiction collection 'All That Is Between Us'. His short stories and flash fiction have appeared in more than 50 literary anthologies and journals. His stories have won, or been placed, in international writing competitions including the BBC National Short Story Award, the Manchester Fiction Prize, the Royal Society of Literature VS Pritchett Prize and the Bridport Prize.

Read by Debora Weston
Produced by Mair Bosworth for BBC Audio


FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002flm6)
Lord Tebbit, Daphne Boden, James Leprino, Sir Francis Graham-Smith

Matthew Bannister on

Lord Tebbit, who as Norman Tebbit was a member of Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet, introducing trade union reform and privatisation.

Daphne Boden, the harpist who played for the Queen and taught for more than fifty years at the Royal College of Music.

James Leprino who built a multi-billion-dollar business by supplying cheese to pizza chains.

And the former Astronomer Royal, Sir Francis Graham-Smith, who helped to transform our understanding of the origins of the universe.

Interviewee: John Sergeant
Interviewee: Lord Deben
Interviewee: Geraldine McMahon
Interviewee: Sally Pryce
Interviewee: Chloe Sorvino
Interviewee: Professor Andrew Lyne

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

Archive used:
Lord Tebbit interview, A Life in Politics: Jo Coburn with leading politicians, BBC; Lord Tebbit, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 04/12/1992; Profile of Employment Secretary Norman Tebbit, BBC News, 26/01/1982; Norman Tebbit speech, Conservative Party Conference, BBC News, 1981; Brighton Bomb news report, BBC Television 12/10/1984; Lord Tebbit interview, BBC News, 24/09/2019; Daphne Boden interview, Meet the Stars, The Harp Channel, Uploaded to YouTube 25/06/2020; A Drive Through Time — A Leprino Foods Origin Story, Leprino Foods, https://vimeo.com/648650074, Vimeo uploaded 2024; Sir Francis Graham-Smith at 100, Science Cafe, BBC Radio Wales, 23/05/2023; Francis Graham-Smith appearance on The Sky at Night, BBC Television, 06/12/1992;


FRI 16:30 More or Less (m002fj8f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]


FRI 17:00 PM (m002flm8)
Unite suspends Angela Rayner membership

As the Unite the Union announces it has suspended deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and will re-examine its relationship with the Labour party we speak to Labour peer and former President of the TUC Baroness Margaret Prosser. As the UK enters its third heatwave of the year we hear how the public is handling the heat and speak to the CEO of Yorkshire water the first county to be hit by water usage restrictions. On the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre we report from the town and speak to former special Correspondent Alan Little who reflects on his reporting from the region in the 90s.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002flmb)
New study says vaccine roll-outs have cut deaths by 60%

The first comprehensive study looking at the impact of emergency vaccination programs on global health, has concluded that inoculation programs cut deaths dramatically. Five major diseases were studied, including measles, meningitis, and cholera. Also: Astronomers say a rare interstellar comet spotted heading our way is seven billion years old. And after an absence of four years, Jofra Archer, makes a swift impact on his return to test cricket.


FRI 18:30 Dead Ringers (m002flmd)
Series 26

Dead Ringers Ep 5. Man of Steel, Woman of Salt Path

The Dead Ringers team are back to train their vocal firepower on the week’s news with an armoury of impressive impressions.

This week: A Salt Path surprise, a Man of Steel (tariffs), and Postman Pat deals with the Post Office Inquiry Report.

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

This episode was written by: Nev Fountain & Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Rob Darke, Toussaint Douglass, Peter Tellouche, Edward Tew, Jon Holmes, Katie Sayer, Davina Bentley, Lizzy Mansfield, Rachel E. Thorn, Jennifer Walker, Cooper Mawhinny-Sweryt, Alex Buchanan, Chris Ballard

Created by Bill Dare
Producer: Jon Holmes
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
Production Co-ordinator: Jodie Charman


FRI 19:00 The Archers (m002flmg)
Clarrie tells Susan and Neil that Henry’s advice to disregard all the challenging comments at school is working – she simply reports trouble makers for a detention. Susan switches the topic to Amber, who she hasn’t met yet. She wants to know everything. Clarrie reports how hard Amber worked at the haymaking. Susan doesn’t know what to make of Amber in light of all she’s heard – Emma and Ed think she’s always putting her foot in it and doesn’t seem to care. Does Clarrie like her? Clarrie carefully admits that she does. Susan’s keen to meet her, but Clarrie thinks this might not be a good idea after Amber and Neil’s encounter last week. Mystified Susan gets the truth out of Neil. How dare Amber have a go at him! Now they have to face George getting more angry with them instead of less. It’s unfair; never a good deed goes unpunished.
Alistair congratulates Jolene and Kenton on their award nomination. Kenton observes Tortoise isn’t eating her food, hoping she’s not full of leftovers. Alistair acknowledges overfeeding pets is a big problem. Jolene admits Kenton loves spoiling Tortoise. However they soon spot she’s really not well, and from the symptoms Alistair suspects she’s been poisoned. It’s hard to know what’s caused it, but his treatment should mean she’ll be fine. Later Kenton finds tablets on the floor. Alistair confirms they could have caused Tortoise’s symptoms. Jolene wonders if they could have been embedded in a treat. It dawns on horrified Kenton that one of Markie’s gang could have done this.


FRI 19:15 Screenshot (m002flmj)
In the Mood for Love

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode celebrate 25 years of In The Mood For Love - director Wong Kar Wai's acclaimed romantic drama starring Maggie Cheung as Mrs Chan and Tony Leung as Mr Chow - two neighbours in 1960s Hong Kong, bonded by a revelation about their respective spouses.

Critically beloved on its first release back in 2000, the film is now reaching an entirely new generation of young film fans, thanks in part to its popularity on social media sites like Letterboxd and TikTok.

Mark speaks to critic and sometime filmmaker Tony Rayns, who was a key part of Wong Kar-Wai's team for many years, working closely with the director on the English subtitles for his films. Tony gives Mark the inside story of the production of In The Mood For Love, as well as some insight into the enigmatic director's sometimes chaotic working methods.

Ellen takes a trip to The Prince Charles Cinema in London's Leicester Square - where film fans in their early 20s have been packing screenings of In The Mood For Love - to try to get a sense of why Wong Kar Wai's modern masterpiece has developed such a devoted fanbase. And she speaks to Paul Vickery - Head of Programming at the Prince Charles - about the film's continuing popularity with audiences.

And Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young tells Mark how he fell in love with the work of Wong Kar-Wai - and why he thinks In The Mood For Love is still resonating with young viewers a quarter century on.

Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002flml)
Iain Dale, Lord Harper, Lisa Smart MP, Dame Emily Thornberry MP

Ben Wright presents political debate from Shrewsbury Abbey, with political commentator and LBC presenter Iain Dale; the Conservative peer and former cabinet minister Lord Harper; Lisa Smart MP, the Liberal Democrats' home affairs spokesperson; and Dame Emily Thornberry, Labour MP and chair of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee.

Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Tim Allen


FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002fj8m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:40 on Wednesday]


FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m002flmn)
Friendship

The French philosopher Michel Foucault though friendship could be one of the most subversive relationships around. Our friends can be the most important people in our lives. But managing friendships can be hard work too. Matthew Sweet is joined by a psychotherapist, a historian, a philosopher, a literary historian, and a film critic to discuss the history, politics, and psychology of friendship.

Tiffany Watt Smith is the author of Bad Friend: A Century of Revolutionary Friendships
Susie Orbach's books include Between Women: Love, Envy and Competition in Women's Friendships, co-written with Luise Eichenbaum
Stephen Shapiro is Professor of American Literature at the University of Warwick
Alexander Douglas is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of St Andrews and author of Against Identity: The Wisdom of Escaping the Self
Phuong Le is a film critic whose writing appears in Sight & Sound, The Guardian and elsewhere

Producer: Luke Mulhall


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002flmq)
How serious is Labour's rift with top union?

Labour's biggest union backer Unite has suspended Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner as a member, and threatened to pull the plug on party funding over the Birmingham bin strike. We get reaction from a local Labour MP.

Also on the programme:

The preliminary report into the Air India plane crash last month has just been released. We find out what's in it.

A new book recreates the day Joe Biden lost his temper and Donald Trump nearly lost his life. One year on from that failed assassination attempt, we hear from one of the authors of a new insider account of the campaign.

And it's 40 years since two billion people tuned in for Live Aid. We discuss the complex legacy of the "concert of the century".


FRI 22:45 Private Angelo by Eric Linklater (m002flms)
A series of shocking demands

Italy, 1943. Angelo is overjoyed when the armistice is announced. Finally, he can return to his true love in Tuscany. But amidst the destruction of liberation, the cowardly private will find himself fighting not only for the Italian army but also the Germans, and finally the Allies in a witty and compassionate satire on the folly of war.

The Sorrento recuperation is over when Simon Telfer gets wind of Force 69's secret operation in occupied Rome.

Read by Carl Prekopp
Written by Eric Linklater
Abridged by Siân Preece
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie

Orcadian Eric Linklater was a leading author of the 1930s and 40s, who served with the Black Watch in Italy. His unflinching portrayal of the cruelty of war is leavened by his understanding of the motivations of ordinary people swept into conflict, as well as a strong optimism and a genuine love of Italy. ‘Private Angelo’ is part of Radio 4’s programming marking 80 years since VE Day.

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 23:00 Americast (w3ct7t5m)
Trump’s NEW tariff threats.. should we take them seriously?

There were big promises of deals being struck around the world after Donald Trump announced his “reciprocal” tariffs back in April. But those promises - “90 deals in 90 days” - are yet to materialise and now the president has moved the deadline for those deals from July to August.

The president said the plan was always to wait until August for tariffs to take effect, but not everyone’s convinced. Trump had already been give the ‘TACO’ nickname by Wall Street for not following through on his threats, and the latest delay on tariffs show the difficulty he’s having in bringing America’s trading partners on board.

For this episode, Marianna Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent and Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent, are joined by BBC economics editor Faisal Islam, who talks through how many countries are fighting back against the US, who may also start to feel pressure from his own supporters if prices continue to rise at home.


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• Or use #Americast

Producer: Purvee Pattni with Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve
Sound engineer: Dafydd Evans
Social media producer: Sophie Millward
Senior news editor: Sam Bonham

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FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002flmx)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament