With the Rt Rev Mark Santer , Bishop of Birmingham.
Meals on Wheels. Miriam O'Reilly investigates the true cost of Christmas dinner. Producer Julie Owen
With James Naughtie and John Humphrys.
6.25,7.25,8.25 Sports News
7.48 Thought for the Day The Rt Rev Jim Thompson.
Jonathan Freedland and guests set the cultural agenda for the week when the latest new ideas and issues are up for discussion.
Producer Ariane Koek. Shortened repeat at 9.30pm
With Jenni Murray. Drama: Ladies of Letters Make Mincemeat Part 1. Drama repeated at 7.45pm
Archaeologist Julian Richardson uncovers the hidden history of a town through the streets and buildings of today. 5: Tin Town. A hundred years ago a town was founded in the Derwent Valley,
Derbyshire, to house workers building two massive dams. Why did the Derwent Valley Water Board build such an impressive homeforthe navvies, and was this artificial town a SUCCeSS? Producer John Byrne
A magical Christmas Eve tale for all the family by Beatrix Potter , dramatised for radio by Sarah Woods. The poor Tailor of Gloucester must make a coat of cherry-coloured corded silk forthe Mayor of Gloucesterto be married in on Christmas morning.
Mice played by Helen Longworth. David Timson and Poppy Ellen Singers: Steve Bridgewater , Alex Kelly , Naomi Ludlam and Anders Sodergren. Original music by Anders Sodergren. Director Jonquil Panting
With Liz Barclay and Peter White.
With Sheena McDonald.
Nick Clarke poses more fiendish questions for Wales and the Midlands.
Producer Paul Bajoria. Repeated Saturday 29 December llpm
Repeated from Sunday 23 December 7pm
By Sheila Goff.
It is Christmas Eve in Ruislip and a rather disgruntled angel, resplendent in his exotic finery, lands rather clumsily in Grace's back garden.
Live from the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge. The annual broadcast from the chapel of King's College marks the beginning of Christmas for many people all over the world. The choir, directed by Stephen Cleobury, sing carols old and new, and lead the congregation in traditional Christmas hymns.
(Repeated Christmas Day 2pm on Radio 3)
Full order of service: page 20
Sheila Dillon consider ways of educating young people about the pleasures and perils of alcohol.
With Eddie Mair and Nigel Wrench.
"There are now bombs for the Christmas table", said Josiah Leek in 1892, referring to the prototype Christmas crackers, "primed to explode with a joyous profusion of irresistible nonsense." In the first of two programmes comedian Linda Smith finds out how the extraordinary collection of items - the wrapper, the bang, the joke, the hat and the gift-was first conceived.
Repeated llpm
Join chairman Humphrey Lyttelton for a festive edition of the famous antidote to panel games with Barry Cryer , Graeme Garden , Tim Brooke-Taylor and Jeremy Hardy , plus Colin Sell at the organ. Last in the series. Producer Jon Naismith. Repeated Sunday 30 December 12.04pm
David does the rounds. Rptd Christmas Day 2pm
Mark Lawson and Francine Stock unwrap their selection of highlights from the past year and talk to the names behind the headlines, including Peter Carey , winner of the Booker Prize for fiction. Producer Robyn Read
Lou Wakefield and Carole Hayman 's comedy returns with a new five-part series. Patricia Routledge and Prunella Scales are back as Vera Small and Irene Spencer , offering recipes and Christmas survival tips. But somehow, when Irene and Vera are around, disaster is never far away.
Director Claire Grove. Rptd from 10.45am . For cast see Christmas Day
Sister Mary Feane is a diminutive Irish nun-turned-men's-prison-chaplain. In the chapel and around the jail, Rosemary Hartill discusses her year-round work with offenders, hears her reflections on her murdered colleague, the London headmaster Philip Lawrence , and tempts her with a bet on the last race at HaydOCk Park. Editor Simon Coates
Georgia. Corruption in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia is rife. Can the once-admired Eduard Shevardnadze , Georgia's leader since 1992, survive? And what will the future hold for Georgia if he doesn't? Andy Kershaw investigates.
Producer Sue Ellis. Editor Maria Balinska. Repeated from Thursday
3: Lonely Hearts Ad. For nocturnal animals, finding a mate in the dark is often very vocal or very smelly; the two senses that carry so much information about an individual really come into their own at night, as wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson discovers when he eavesdrops on the booming calls of kakapo, joins screeching fruit bats in an Australian forest and follows the Scented trail Of moths. Producer Sarah Blunt
Shortened repeat of 9am
With Claire Bolderson.
By Raymond Chandler. Abridged in ten episodes by Neville Teller and read by John Turturro. l: Blackmail Private detective Philip Marlowe steps into a Los Angeles cauldron of murder, sex and violence. Producer Martin Jenkins
Repeated from 6.15pm
The traditional first mass of Christmas comes live from Manchester Cathedral. The celebrant is the Rev Canon Paul Denby ; the preacher is the Dean, the Very Rev Kenneth Riley ; the organist and master of choristers is Christopher Stokes ; assistant organist is Jeffrey Makinson. With the cathedral choir.
Setting: Missa Sancti Nicolai (Haydn); Carols: In the Bleak Midwinter (Darke); Sleep, Little Jesus , Sleep (Panufnik); The Little Road to Bethlehem (Head). Congregational carols: Once in Royal David's City (Irby); 0 Little Town of Bethlehem (Forest Green); It
Came upon the Midnight Clear (NoeD; 0 Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles). Readings: Titus 2, Wll-14; Luke 2, Wl-14. Producer Philip Billson
Repeated from 9.45am
