The daily bulletin of rural current affairs. Producers John Harvey and Ruth Kiely

with Rev Noel Battye.

with Sue MacGregor and Graham Leach.
6.45 Business News
7.25, 8.25 Sports News
7.45 Thought for the Day with Lionel Blue.

Alan Rickman reads the first of five daily extracts from Arthur Calder-Marshall's autobiography, in which he describes the spirit of Oxford and Bloomsbury in the 20s with glimpses of poetry, passion and black magic.

Impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber joins Melvyn Bragg and other guests for the first edition of 1994. Producer Mary Sharp

Matthew.
Derek Jacobi reads the fifth of ten parts.
Abridged by Catherine Czerkawska Director Alison Bogle

To mark the International Year of the Family, Jenni Murray meets Joanna Foster, its British chairperson. Plus the first of a year-long series of visits to eight families from all over the world.
Story: Those Sailing Ships of His Boyhood Dreams by Moy McCrory. 5: The Wrong Vocation, read by Polly James.
Abridged by Ann Rees Jones
Producer Penelope Gibbs. Editor Sally Feldman

Vincent Duggleby and his guests solve financial problems sent in by listeners. Producer Frances Macdonald

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. Steve Race is in the chair.
Devised by Tony Shryane and Edward J Mason Producer Richard Edis

with James Naughtie.

A seasonal ghost story by Albert Welling.

Howard and Vicky are looking forward to celebrating the perfect Christmas in their country cottage when their idyll is interrupted.
With Steve Hodson, Marian Diamond, Jeremy Spriggs and Federay Holmes

Aisling Foster talks to girls and women from six to 90 about their continual struggle to change their bodies. Producer Elizabeth Burke

First of two programmes on the dramatic experiences of women interned by the Japanese during the Second World War. Producers Anna Magnusson andSiobhan Synnot (First broadcast on Radio Scotland)

Natalie Wheen examines the music of Palestrina 400 years after his death.
Producer Anthony Denselow

by Nigel Williams.
First of a new three-part story read by Nigel Anthony.

Henry Farr of Wimbledon makes a list of resolutions for 1994. But something surprising gets written and so the nightmare begins.

(Nigel Williams's play Nativity is at 7.45pm)

with Huw Edwards and Linda Lewis.

Testing times for Neil.

Presented by Derek Cooper. (Revised repeat of New Year's Eve)

A fable for Epiphany by Nigel Williams.
Sam and Jenny find a baby abandoned close to a canal in the city. Beside him is a message in Hebrew. Ahead of them is a struggle to find meaning in the message, and the right to call the child their own.
Director Marilyn Imrie

Alex Ferguson strays from the Al to examine the rich legacy of the pitmen painters of Ashington. Producer Gillian Hush

(Reused repeat of 4.05pm)

Presented by Robin Lustig.

by Lee Langley. Fourth of eight parts read by Juliet Stevenson.
Abridged by Yvonne Antrobus Producer Philip Martin

First of three programmes in which seasoned travellers recall their exploits and their reactions to extreme conditions.
"Ten thousand miles from home, in 60-foot seas, no sleep for three days, all you've got to look forward to is the next tin of ravioli - then you're capsized by a freak wave which does five thousand pounds' worth of damage to the boat...." Bill Howell , Josh Hall and Robin Knox -Johnson relive some delights of long-distance single-handed ocean voyages. Producer Alastair Wilson

"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...." A partridge by John Clare , a swan by Stevie Smith , a leaping lord by Hilaire Belloc , and a host of dancing, drumming and piping poems to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, introduced by Simon Rae. Producer Sally Marmion
BBC RADIO COLLECTION CASSETTES: Poetry Please. Vols 1 and 2, now available