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Woman's Hour: The Etta James Story: Vika Bull sings live

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The Etta James Story: Vika Bull sings live

19/09/2018

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, The Etta James Story: Vika Bull sings live

Etta James, abortion pills and Northern Ireland, and getting kids into school.

Abortion Pills and the Belfast High Court, Vika Bull in The Etta James Story, getting children into the 'right' school, and 500 years of women in medicine.

On Thursday a mother in Northern Ireland who bought abortion pills for her 15 year old daughter will appear before Belfast High Court. She is challenging a decision by the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland to prosecute her. The mother – who’s remaining anonymous – faces two charges of unlawfully procuring and supplying abortion drugs.

The legendary blues and soul singer Etta James, who died in 2012, is being celebrated in a show:  ‘At Last – The Etta James Story’.  Etta James is one of the most critically acclaimed and influential female singers of the past 50 years, despite never achieving huge popular success. Her early life was wild, included violence, drug addiction and armed robbery.  Jenni is joined by the musician Vika Bull who is playing her.

Almost one third of professional parents know someone who has used ethically ‘dubious tactics’ to get their child into their preferred school, according to a new report by the Sutton Trust. So, what lengths will parents go to, to get their children into the ‘right’ school?  Alexis Zegerman, writer of Holy Sh!t which is playing at the Kiln theatre in London and Dr Rebecca Montacute, Research Fellow at the Sutton Trust and author of the report Parent Power 2018 discuss.

Who were the first female doctors? Most people would say 19th century pioneers such as Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, but there is a much longer history of women in medicine. We speak to Briony Hudson, the curator of a new exhibition by the Royal College of Physicians which looks at the role of female apothecaries, herbalists, midwives – and of course doctors – who have all worked within a male-dominated world for over 500 years. 

Presenter: Jenni Murray
Producer: Kirsty Starkey

Interviewed Guest: Grainne Teggart
Interviewed Guest: Emma Vardy
Interviewed Guest: Vika Bull
Interviewed Guest: Rebecca Montacute
Interviewed Guest: Alexis Zegerman
Interviewed Guest: Briony Hudson

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