Woman's Hour

Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Magazines & Reviews

Podcasts

Factual: Life Stories

Factual: Health & Wellbeing

Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.

BBC Radio 4 FM

Woman's Hour: Family farming with Janice and Matt Baker; New maternal mental health hubs; Author Susan Spindler; Statues of famous women

06/04/2021

Family farming with Janice and Matt Baker; New maternal mental health hubs; Author Susan Spindler; Statues of famous women

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, Family farming with Janice and Matt Baker; New maternal mental health hubs; Author Susan Spindler; Statues of famous women

Mother and son Janice and Matt Baker on keeping the family farm going

What do you do, when your mother is in a spot of bother? You run to help…of course!  That’s the situation the Countryfile and former One Show presenter Matt Baker found himself in last summer, when his mum Janice had a serious accident with some sheep, and was unable to continue with the day to day running of the family  farm in the Durham Hills. Their story is documented in a four part series currently on More4 called Matt Baker: Our Farm in the Dales.  Emma speaks to Janice and Matt.

It's been announced that thousands of new, expectant or bereaved mothers will receive help and support for mental health problems through dozens of new dedicated hubs which are being set up across England.   The hubs will bring together maternity services, reproductive health and psychological therapy under one roof as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.  Around 6,000 women will receive care and treatment for a wide range of mental health issues from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after giving birth to others with a severe fear of childbirth.  Emma gets reactions to the news from Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of campaigning charity Centre for Mental Health and Dr Alain Gregoire, President of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance.

Another statue of a strong woman has made the headlines. Last year it was Mary Wollstonecraft. Now it's Greta Thunberg. A statue of the 18 year old environmentalist was unveiled in Winchester last week but some think it's a waste of money. Emma is joined by Christine Charlesworth, the statue's creator, who's not only made Greta during lockdown but two other British feminist icons as well.

Susan Spindler's first novel Surrogate tells the story of Ruth who, at the age of 54, volunteers to carry a baby for her daughter, who has just had her seventh miscarriage. But how selfless is Ruth's kind offer?  She has done all of the research, taken the hormones, done the tests, thought of everything. What she doesn't know is how being her daughter's surrogate will make her feel and the upheaval it will cause in all of her relationships.  Susan tells Emma how she researched the story.

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Woman's Hour

Family farming with Janice and Matt Baker; New maternal mental health hubs; Author Susan Spindler; Statues of famous women

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4