The daily bulletin of rural current affairs. Producers John Harvey and Robin Maynard

with Nichola Jones.

with Sue MacGregor and Peter Hobday
6.45 Business News
7.25, 8.25 Sports News
7.45 Thought for the Day With Pauline Webb

Roy Porter remembers the comedians of the 1950s and finds them spectacularly unfunny- but socially heroic. Producer Julian Hale

with Melvyn Bragg and guests. Producer Mary Sharp

Nahum. Read by Dermot Crowley. The Prophet foretells the fall of Nineveh. Judged by Sandra Willingham wector Tessa Kendall

Introduced by Jenni Murray.
Story: Those Sailing Ships of His Boyhood Dreams by Moy McCrory.
1: Nancy and the Last Ever Monkey, read by Polly James. The arrival of a crate from Africa at a Kirkby home in the 1950s. Abridged by Ann Rees Jones
Editors Sally Feldman and Clare Selene

Vincent Duggleby takes your calls on a topical issue that affects your finances. Producer Frances MacDonald LINES OPEN from 10.00am

With John Howard.
Editor Ken Vass

John Amis and Frank Muir challenge Ian Wallace and Denis Norden in another round of the musical panel game. In the chair is Steve Race.
Devised by Tony Shryane and Edward J Mason Producer Richard Edis

with Nick Clarke.

A burlesque Christmas pantomime by H J Byron , as traditionally presented by the Players' Theatre, London.
"Pray gather round the old log fire and listen one and all, to the tale of Cinderella and her triumph at the ball." and Adaptation and additional lyrics by Maurice Browning , Denis Martin and Reginald Woolley
Musical arrangements by Geoffrey Brawn
Directors Ian Cotterell and Christopher de Souza (First broadcast on Radio 3)

Sue MacGregor meets the pianist Alfred Brendel to talk about his life and work. Producer Gillian Hush

Natalie Wheen sees Opera North's new production of Britten's opera Gloriana, part of their 15th birthday celebrations. Plus an exhibition of the art of Hinduism. Producer Nicki Paxman (Revised rpt at 9.15pm)

An African Christmas is recalled in this week's five stories written and read by Christopher Hope. It's the 1950s and the small town of Badminton welcomes a restless chemist call Nathan Swirsky. 1: Avanti! "He arrived wearing a deadly moustache. And he came from the direction of the dynamite factory ..." Producer Duncan Minshull

with Chris Lowe and Jon Sopel.

First of two selections of highlights from the past year's programmes.

A recyclable Christmas at Ambridge Hall.

Presented by Derek Cooper. (

Don Taylor 's romantic comedy offers a chance to witness the delights of 18th-century Venetian carnival, the assignations, the comedy and the passion concealed by the masks, to the accompaniment of Vivaldi's music written for the girl musicians of the Orphanage of the Pieta. But what happens to those brilliant girls when they grow up and must leave the sheltered world of the convent?
Violinist Jean Bourgeois.
Adapted and directed by Don Taylor

(Revised repeat of 4.05pm)

Presented by Roger White.

Alex Jennings reads the sixth episode from Guy de Maupassant's story of a man's rise through Parisian society. Abridged by Chrys Salt Producer Janet Whitaker

Second Thoughts by Jan Etherington and Gavin Petrie , starring James Bolam as Bill and Lynda Bellingham as Faith.
5: Nursing a Conscience
With Celia Imrie , Belinda Lang , Kelda Holmes , Mark Denham. John Samson and John Moffat.
Producer Pete Atkin