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Shipping Forecast

The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping

Shipping Forecast: 15/10/2009

15/10/2009

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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.

News Briefing

News Briefing: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - News Briefing, 15/10/2009Close menu

Prayer for the Day

Prayer for the Day: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Prayer for the Day, 15/10/2009

Daily prayer and reflection with the Right Rev Chris Edmondson, Bishop of Bolton.

Farming Today

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

Farming Today: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 15/10/2009

Hundreds of millions has been spent managing the system which pays English farmers.

The government is accused of continuing to waste taxpayers' money on managing English farmers' subsidy payments.

Millions of pounds is continuing to be wasted managing subsidy payments to English farmers. A new report from the National Audit Office says Defra and the Rural Payments Agency have shown 'scant regard' to protecting public money. Since 2005, the scheme has seen 304 million pounds spent on additional staff and 280 million pounds in EU fines for late payments. It also relies on an IT system which has cost a total of 350 million pounds. A further 43 million pounds of overpayments to farmers are likely to go unrecovered.

It all means that the cost of processing a claim in England is now on average 1,743 pounds which compares with an average cost in Scotland of 285 pounds.

Today

Radio 4's flagship news and current affairs programme; including Thought for the Day

Radio 4's flagship news and current affairs programme; including religious reflections from Thought for the Day at 0748

Today: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Today, 15/10/2009

Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day; Yesterday in Parliament.

With James Naughtie and Sarah Montague. Including Sports Desk; Weather; Thought for the Day; Yesterday in Parliament.

Presented by James Naughtie and Sarah Montague.

The EU's farm subsidies system has been criticised by the National Audit Office (NAO). Its report described the current European Single Farm Payment Scheme in England as expensive, cumbersome and inefficient. Faming minister Jim Fitzpatrick examines the scheme and the reports findings. 

The Arctic Ocean could lose most of its ice in summertime in as little as 10 years, according to new research - far sooner than previously forecast. Professor Peter Wadhams, head of the Polar Ocean Physics Group at Cambridge University, which carried out the research, explains the findings. 

A third of official investigations into cases of serious child abuse in England are inadequate, according to a report from Ofsted. The reviews are meant to identify lessons to be learned where a child has died or been seriously harmed, but inspectors are concerned that important opportunities to improve child protection are being missed. Chief Inspector of Schools, Christine Gilbert, and Joanna Nicholas, an independent social worker and author of a number of serious case reviews, discuss the quality and adequacy of child abuse case reviews. 

Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy has become a Swedish international literary phenomenon. Two films, tours around Stockholm and websites in homage to the author and his characters have taken over Swedish society. Larsson's third book in the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest, has now hit the bestsellers list. Europe correspondent Jonny Dymond went to Stockholm to investigate the novels' success. 

Almost 50 NHS trusts are failing to improve beyond the minimum standards and face new sanctions unless they make progress before next year, say health standards inspectors. Health correspondent Adam Brimelow reports from Stafford Hospital, which earlier this year was strongly criticised by the health service regulator, and Chair of the Care Quality Commission Lady Young discusses the report. 

Acclaimed artist Maggi Hambling will be exhibiting her seascapes this weekend in Manchester, alongside little-known seascapes by painter LS Lowry. Sarah Montague met the artist on a beach in Suffolk to discuss art, sculpture and the inspiration of the sea. 

Thought for the Day with Rev Angela Tilby, Vicar of St Bene't's Church in Cambridge. 

What effect is the expenses scandal having on the families of MPs? While parliamentarians go off to work in Westminster, it is their families who bear the brunt of public anger. Linda MacDougall, wife of Labour backbencher Austin Mitchell, discusses how MPs' families are dealing with public anger over the expenses scandal. 

Pakistani authorities say that at least 18 people have been killed after a police station and two training academies in Lahore were attacked by gunmen. There has been an upsurge in violence in Pakistan in recent weeks, as the Pakistani army prepares to launch an offensive against the Taliban in the country's South Waziristan tribal region. Danyal Hasan from Dawn News in Pakistan and the BBC's Islamabad correspondent, Aleem Maqbool, report on the attacks. 

A group of public figures, including Stephen Fry and Alastair Campbell, have called for more investment in mental health research. Of the 700 million pounds spent by the Medical Research Council each year, less than 20 million goes on mental health. More than 5,000 people with mental illness kill themselves each year in the UK. Til Wykes, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College, London and Professor Chris Kennard of the Clinical Neurology unit at Oxford, and Chair of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Board at the Medical Research Council, which allocates medical funding, examine the problems around tackling mental health. 

Yesterday on Today, John Humphrys interviewed Harriet Harman about MPs' expenses, and they discussed the case of the former home secretary Jacqui Smith. Ms Smith has been in touch with us to complain that we had made a mistake. In the interview we stated that 'the Standards Commissioner himself found that Jacqui Smith had not been entirely honest in what she told us, and she had broken the rules.' Today is happy to clarify that the Commissioner did find Ms Smith had broken the rules, but he did not make any judgement about her honesty. 

The Prince Philip Designers' Prize is awarded for the 50th year at Buckingham Palace today. The Prince has recently said that 'to work out how to operate a television set, you practically have to make love to the thing. And why can't you have a handset that people who are not actually ten can actually read?' Chief executive of the Design Council, David Kester, and author Stanley Johnson discuss whether Prince Philip's views on the design of electronics is fair. 

The government has brought in two troubleshooters to try to resolve why thousands of students still have not received their student loans. David Willetts, shadow secretary of state for in

In Our Time

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas, people and events that have shaped our world.

In Our Time: The Death of Elizabeth I

The Death of Elizabeth I

BBC Radio 4 - In Our Time, The Death of Elizabeth I

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the death of Queen Elizabeth I.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the death of Queen Elizabeth I and its immediate impact, as a foreign monarch became King in the face of plots and plague.

Melvyn Bragg and guests John Guy, Clare Jackson and Helen Hackett discuss the death of Queen Elizabeth I and its immediate impact, as a foreign monarch became King in the face of plots and plague.By the spring of 1603, Elizabeth had been Queen for 44 years, and it was clear that she would leave no heir. Many feared that her death would spark insurrection, led perhaps by Puritans, perhaps by Catholics, possibly with the support of Spain. As it became clear that she was dying, Elizabeth's chief minister, Sir Robert Cecil, put into action his covert strategy to secure the succession of King James the Sixth of Scotland.What follows is a story of plots, plague and high politics, as a foreign monarch brought a thoroughly Continental approach to Kingship to the English throne. James's accession was widely welcomed, but his relationship with Cecil was initially tense, and his long procession south from Edinburgh  attracted both celebration and criticism. His treatise on Kingship, published on his succession, became a bestseller in London - at least until an outbreak of plague, which also drove him from the capital not long after he arrived. His coronation was hurried through to circumvent plots against him, but his triumphal entry into London had to be delayed until a year after Elizabeth's death. And,  as the high expectations which first greeted James were increasingly frustrated, the English started to invoke the ghost of their dead Queen to criticise their new ruler.John Guy is a Fellow of Clare College, University of Cambridge; Clare Jackson is Lecturer and Director of Studies in History at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge; Helen Hackett is Reader in English at University College, London.

Daily Service

Spiritual reflection with a Bible reading, prayer and a range of Christian music.

A space for spiritual reflection with a Bible reading, prayer and a range of Christian music.

Daily Service: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Daily Service, 15/10/2009

Christian worship and music led by Rev Tony Burnham.

Woman's Hour

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

Woman's Hour: Handel's Women; Why philosophy matters

Handel's Women; Why philosophy matters

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, Handel's Women; Why philosophy matters

Handel's Women discussed. Plus, Dr Angie Hobbs on making philosophy accessible.

Handel's Women discussed. Plus, Dr Angie Hobbs on making philosophy accessible; cooking for Diwali; and Mahapajapati Gotami, the Buddha's foster mother examined.

From Our Own Correspondent

Kate Adie introduces insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents and writers.

Kate Adie introduces insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers telling stories from around the world.

From Our Own Correspondent: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - From Our Own Correspondent, 15/10/2009

Kate Adie introduces BBC foreign correspondents with the stories behind the headlines.

BBC foreign correspondents with the stories behind the world's headlines. Introduced by Kate Adie.

BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

My Yiddisher Mother Tongue

BBC Radio 4 Extra - My Yiddisher Mother Tongue

David Schneider goes on a personal journey through Yiddish culture and language.

4 Extra Debut. Writer and comedian David Schneider takes a personal journey through the culture of the Yiddish language. With Michael Grade.

Writer and comedian David Schneider goes on a personal journey through Yiddish culture and language. 

Schneider, who first came to fame on The Day Today and I'm Alan Partridge, is the grandson of a Yiddish playwright and a Yiddish actress. He returns to Whitechapel and Vienna where his grandparents performed and considers the rich thousand-year history of the language. 

Contributors include Yiddish enthusiasts including Michael Grade and General Colin Powell, who picked up the language in his teens when he worked in a Jewish toy store in New York.

BBC Radio 4 Extra

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama. With recent favourites from BBC Radio 4.

News Headlines; Shipping Forecast

News, weather and Shipping Forecast updates. 

News Headlines; Shipping Forecast: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - News Headlines; Shipping Forecast, 15/10/2009

National and international news and the shipping forecast.

The latest national and international news headlines, followed by the shipping forecast.

You and Yours

You and Yours: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - You and Yours, 15/10/2009

Consumer news and issues with Winifred Robinson.

Weather

Weather: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Weather, 15/10/2009Close menu

World at One

Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Sarah Montague.

World at One: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - World at One, 15/10/2009

National and international news with Martha Kearney.

Costing the Earth

Fresh ideas from the sharpest minds working toward a cleaner, greener planet

Costing the Earth: The Art of Protest

The Art of Protest

BBC Radio 4 - Costing the Earth, The Art of Protest

Tom Heap finds out if eco-activists are facing their toughest challenges yet.

Dire warnings have been made from leading charities and officials that environmental campaigners are under threat from new rules and regulations. Tom Heap finds out what's at stake.

Who really makes the biggest difference on climate change - those living on the edge or those working firmly within the system? Tell us about your experience of environmental campaigning via the Costing the Earth Facebook site (link below).

A recent Christian Aid survey found that 93 per cent of people think everyone in the UK should have the right to peaceful protest, 50 per cent think the police are too heavy handed, and 18 per cent are put off protesting in the future due to heavy-handed policing. Costing the Earth finds out about those who continue to campaign on the planet's behalf; is it really getting harder for them to make an impact on how we and our governments behave?

Mark Carter has been on hunger strike for over 46 days to highlight the plight of the seal. Some might see his actions as mad, but for Mark this is the only way to affect the government's proposed marine bills. During the last 10 years the common seal population has declined by a third but they are still being killed and for Mark, at least, the only solution is a ban on these culls. What effect will 500 signatures have against the interests of the fishing industry, and, whatever the results, how will he react?

Jonathan Porritt recently resigned his post at the Forum for the Future with the dire warning that, 'A combination of political paralysis, corporate vested interest and our conservative-co-opted media' alongside 'basic entitlements protecting the rights of dissenting voices being eroded' mean tough times for green activists. 

The recent G20 protests saw some of the most draconian police tactics for some time. Using laws intended to prevent terrorists in the wake of 9/11 like Stop and Search, green activists have often found themselves at the front line of human rights issues. At the same time, the government's recent moves to change planning laws and rush through proposals for wind farms and nuclear plants via the Infrastructure Planning Commission quango could mean that contentious plans go ahead before activists have time to launch protests.

Is it really getting harder for people like Tim, a regular at Climate Camp who has been informed that his photo and details are on police file, to affect change? 

Equally important is whether the long-used methods of mass camps, extreme acts and even advertising really have the impact that changing policy and people's behaviour requires. A recent report from the World Wildlife Fund suggests not. Could Whitehall workers or investment bankers be making a bigger difference without even trying, and if these methods haven't worked, what next?
We follow Mark and Tim's stories to find out what one individual's efforts can achieve and look at the big protests of recent years to find out what the future of green activism might hold.

The Archers

An intense and gripping week of events unfolds in Ambridge. Listen to all the drama here.

The Archers: 14/10/2009

14/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - The Archers, 14/10/2009

Busy times at Lower Loxley, as they set up the antiques fair and their pre-Christmas events. Nigel takes time out to get the Seyval grapes picked, with the usual people helping, while Lewis helps Elizabeth hold the fort. 

David comes along to help with the grapes, and chats to Nigel as they eat their well earned - and excellent - lunch after a hard morning's work. He tells Nigel about his new soil health initiatives on the farm. Nigel is able to relate to it through his growing knowledge of grape cultivation. 

Ed and Mike go to look at some Guernsey cows in Oxfordshire, with a view to buying in-calf heifers for their herd expansion. Much to Ed's surprise Vicky has decided to tag along. After all, she's funding the purchase. She talks non-stop and distracts Mike so much that Ed doesn't take in all the information he needs. 

However, when Vicky learns that Robert and Lynda have gone to see Coriander and the baby, she is more worried about her dinner party. She's got everything planned! What is she supposed to do if they can't make it? 

Episode written by Tim Stimpson.

Drama on 4

Drama from BBC Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra.

Afternoon Drama

Drama on 4: Dropping Bombs

10/06/2008

Dropping Bombs

BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Dropping Bombs

Comedy by Paul Cotter. A former RAF pilot makes a trip to Germany to deliver an apology.

Bittersweet comedy by Paul Cotter. 65 years after a bungled bombing raid, a former RAF pilot visits Germany to deliver an apology. The trip turns out to be explosive for all.

A bittersweet generational comedy by Paul Cotter.

Sixty five years after a bungled bombing raid, a former RAF pilot, with wife and son in tow, makes the long drive to Germany to deliver an apology. The trip turns out to be explosive for all concerned.

Valerie ...... Rosemary Leach
Alistair ...... Nigel Anthony
Ross ...... Ivan Kaye
German Woman ...... Susan Engel
Manager/Official ...... Kenneth Collard
Weert ...... Dan Starkey.

Ramblings

Clare Balding joins notable and interesting people for a walk through the countryside

Ramblings: Series 13

Ramblings: Series 13: Episode 4: Northumberland - St Oswald's Way: Warkworth

Episode 4

Episode 4: Northumberland - St Oswald's Way: Warkworth

Series 13

Northumberland - St Oswald's Way: Warkworth

BBC Radio 4 - Ramblings, Series 13, Northumberland - St Oswald's Way: Warkworth

Clare continues her journey in the company of a group of local walkers, led by Jon Monks.

On the fourth leg of the route, Jon Monks explains to Clare Balding why he believes St Oswald's Way is the thinking man's walking route.

Clare Balding walks the length of St Oswald's Way in Northumberland. 

On the fourth leg of the route, Jon Monks explains to Clare why he believes St Oswald's Way is the thinking man's walking route.

St Oswald's Way is a 97-mile route, running from Holy Island in the north, along the stunning Northumberland coast before heading inland to Heavensfield and Hadrian's Wall. The path links some of the places associated with St Oswald, the King of Northumbria in the early-seventh century, who played a major part in bringing Christianity to his people.

Clare Balding walks the length of St Oswald's Way in Northumberland

Radio 4 Appeal

Highlighting a charity and appealing for donations. The presenters donate their time.

A weekly programme highlighting the work of a charity and appealing for donations. The presenters give their time without payment.

Radio 4 Appeal: APT Enterprise Development

11/10/2009

APT Enterprise Development

BBC Radio 4 - Radio 4 Appeal, APT Enterprise DevelopmentSearch BBC

Kate Humble appeals on behalf of APT Enterprise Development.

Kate Humble appeals on behalf of APT Enterprise Development.

Donations to APT Enterprise Development should be sent to FREEPOST BBC Radio 4 Appeal, please mark the back of your envelope APT. Credit cards: Freephone 0800 404 8144. If you are a UK tax payer, please provide APT with your full name and address so they can claim the Gift Aid on your donation. The online and phone donation facilities are not currently available to listeners without a UK postcode. 

Registered Charity No: 290836.

Afternoon Reading

Short stories or abridged books, often from new writers

Afternoon Reading: Lyrical Ballads

Afternoon Reading: Lyrical Ballads: Episode 3: Tintern Abbey and Love

Episode 3

Episode 3: Tintern Abbey and Love

Lyrical Ballads

Tintern Abbey and Love

BBC Radio 4 - Afternoon Reading, Lyrical Ballads, Tintern Abbey and LoveSearch BBC

A selection of poems from Wordsworth and Coleridge's revolutionary 1798 collaboration.

A selection of Wordsworth and Coleridge's 1798 poems that marked the beginning of the English Romantic poetry movement. Recorded on location in the landscapes that inspired them.

In today's episode we hear 'Lines Written A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey', Wordsworth's celebrated exploration of the relationship between the contemplation of Nature and his sense of the divine. And Coleridge's pseudo-medieval ballad, 'Love', in which a minstrel woos his beloved with the dramatic tale of a knight and his lady. Recorded on location in Tintern Abbey and the Wye Valley in Monmouthshire and the Quantock Hills, Somerset

Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Julius D'Silva
William Wordsworth - Mark Meadows

Adapted and produced by Emma Harding.

A selection of poems from Wordsworth and Coleridge's 1798

A selection of poems from Wordsworth and Coleridge's 1798 collaboration which marked the beginning of the English Romantic poetry movement

Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life

Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life: Episode 14: Illicit Guests

Episode 14

Episode 14: Illicit Guests

Illicit Guests

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life, Illicit Guests

Stories from adultery cases involving women sneaking lovers into the house.

Historian Amanda Vickery shares stories from adultery cases of women sneaking lovers into houses, spied on by their prying servants.

Historian Amanda Vickery reveals the hidden history of home over 400 years

Historian Amanda Vickery presents a series which reveals the hidden history of home over 400 years, drawing on first-hand accounts from letters and diaries

Open Book

Programme looking at new fiction and non-fiction books

Programme looking at new fiction and non-fiction books, talking to authors and publishers and unearthing lost classics

Open Book: Robert Harris, Clarice Lispector, and The Masterpieces That Never Were

Robert Harris, Clarice Lispector, and The Masterpieces That Never Were

BBC Radio 4 - Open Book, Robert Harris, Clarice Lispector, and The Masterpieces That Never Were

Mariella Frostrup talks to thriller writer Robert Harris about his novel Lustrum.

Mariella Frostrup talks to bestselling thriller writer Robert Harris about his novel Lustrum, set in the Ancient Rome of Cicero and Julius Caesar.

Mariella Frostrup talks to the thriller writer Robert Harris, whose latest book, Lustrum, set in Ancient Rome, is the second volume of a trilogy about the lawyer, politican and orator Cicero. Harris explains how modern and ancient politics collide, and why this novel about ancient intrigue is dedicated to Lord Mandelson.

The Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector is the subject of a recent biography; as one of her novels is published in a new translation, Mariella is joined by the biographer Benjamin Moser to discuss why she is revered as one of the greatest writers in the Portugese language.

And the masterpieces that never were; the author of a new history of literary hoaxes, Melissa Katsoulis, and the writer Kevin Jackson swap favourite tales of writers who pulled the wool over their readers' eyes.

Material World

Science programme reporting on developments across the disciplines

Science programme reporting on developments across the disciplines. Each week, scientists describe their work, conveying the excitement they feel for their research projects

Material World: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Material World, 15/10/2009

Arctic ice loss; an inflating universe; conserving the world's plants at Kew Seed Bank.

Arctic ice loss; an inflating universe - Prof Alan Guth explains his award-winning theory; 10 per cent of world's wild plants banked at Kew Seed Bank - what about the other 90?

Quentin Cooper is joined by Pen Hadow, the polar explorer who reports that the Arctic could be free of ice during summers within a decade because of global warming. Quentin hears how Pen's trek over the polar ice drew him to this conclusion.
 
Physicist Prof Alan Guth explains why he calls the beginning of time, the first instant when the Universe was created out of nothing, 'the ultimate free lunch'.
 
As Kew Millennium Seed Bank announces that it has banked 10 per cent of the world's wild plant species, we ask how technology can help to conserve the remaining 90 per cent.

1989: Day by Day

1989: Day by Day: Episode 11: 15th October 1989

Episode 11

Episode 11: 15th October 1989

15th October 1989

BBC Radio 4 - 1989: Day by Day, 15th October 1989

ANC leader Walter Sisulu is released from prison, sparking nationwide celebrations.

ANC leader Walter Sisulu is released from prison sparking nationwide celebrations, the UN agrees a global ban on the ivory trade, and Jive Bunny reaches number one in the charts.

Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. 

ANC leader Walter Sisulu is released from prison sparking nationwide celebrations, the UN agrees a global ban on the ivory trade, and Jive Bunny, the cartoon rabbit, reaches number one in the charts.

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago

Afternoon news and current affairs programme

Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines

PM: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - PM, 15/10/2009

Coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair.

Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.

Six O'Clock News

The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4

Six O'Clock News: 15/10/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Six O'Clock News, 15/10/2009

National and international news from BBC Radio 4.

The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.

Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show!

The life of Count Arthur Strong, one-time variety star and expert in absolutely everything

The muddled life of Count Arthur Strong, one-time variety star and expert in absolutely everything.

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15/10/2009

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1989: Day by Day

Episode 11: 15th October 1989

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Shipping Forecast

15/10/2009

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15/10/2009

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15/10/2009

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Shipping Forecast

15/10/2009

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