BBC Radio 4 LW

Shipping Forecast

The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping

Shipping Forecast: 27/11/2009

27/11/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Shipping Forecast, 27/11/2009Close menu

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: 27/11/2009

BBC Radio 4 - News Briefing, 27/11/2009Close menu

Prayer for the Day

Prayer for the Day: 27/11/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Prayer for the Day, 27/11/2009

Daily prayer and reflection with Rev Peter Baker.

Farming Today

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

Farming Today: 27/11/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 27/11/2009

Sustainable agriculture is better for the environment, but will it feed the world?

Charlotte Smith asks whether sustainable agriculture, whilst being better for the environment, is going to provide enough food to feed the world.

Charlotte Smith asks whether sustainable agriculture, whilst being better for the environment, is going to provide enough food to feed the world. Also, is 'country of origin' labelling in supermarkets clear enough? Defra minister Jim Fitzpatrick says that if a product is labelled British, then it should definitely be produced in Britain.

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: 27/11/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Today, 27/11/2009

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

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

Presented by James Naughtie and Evan Davis.

The Patients Association has called for the urgent reform of hospital regulation after appalling standards of care resulting in patients dying were found in Essex. Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found blood-splattered equipment, blood-stained floors and badly soiled mattresses at Basildon and Thurrock NHS trust. In the same month as the CQC issued the trust with a warning over poor standards it was rated 'good' on quality of service. Director of policy at the Patients Association, Kieran Mullan, examines the hospital regulation system. 

A new high-speed rail line is to be built connecting Scotland and London. The line will pass through the Chilterns, a protected area of outstanding natural beauty. The company responsible for the new line, High Speed Two, is investigating possible routes and will report back to the government at the end of the year. Nicola Stanbridge reports on the views of those who live in the Chilterns. 

President Obama has paid tribute to the US military on Thanksgiving Day in the US. In a few days he is expected to lay out his new plans for fighting the war in Afghanistan. Robert Fox, war reporter for the London Evening Standard, discusses President Obama's Afghan policy. 

Lawyers for Gary McKinnon, the British man accused of hacking into US computers, are preparing to challenge the home secretary's decision not to block his extradition. Alan Johnson said last night that he had seen no medical evidence to suggest that extraditing Mr McKinnon, who has Asperger's syndrome, would breach his human rights. Mr McKinnon's, lawyer Karen Todner, discusses the appeal. 

Almost 20,000 people have signed a petition calling for a reform of England's libel laws, after two libel cases were brought against scientists. Campaigners are concerned that the laws are stifling scientific critical debate of medical and other scientific practice. Tracey Brown, managing director of Sense About Science, which organised the petition, discusses libel law. 

Ecologists have developed a way of monitoring the size of bird populations from recordings of their song. Writing in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology, researchers have found it provides a more accurate estimate of numbers than using nets to capture birds, which they say can be stressful for them. Science correspondent Pallab Ghosh reports on the new technique. 

Thought for the Day with the Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks. 

The high-speed rail travel experiences of Japan and France could become a way of life in the UK. Travel between major cities including London and Glasgow would be completed in under three hours. Lord Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport, discusses the new high-speed service. 

A taskforce is being sent to Basildon and Thurrock NHS trust after Care Quality Commission inspectors identified serious concerns in emergency care, hygiene and cleanliness. The Trust, which has a mortality rate a third higher than the national average, was rated as 'good' on quality of service in the CQC's 2008/09 assessment and marked 'excellent' for its financial management. Martina Davies, a former patient at the hospital, comments on her experience of care. Sir Brian Jarman of Imperial College, London, who was involved in the inquiry into the deaths of heart patients at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, and Baroness Young, chair of the Care Quality Commission, discuss hospital morality rates. 

How do you complete a cryptic crossword? A new book published today provides tips and pointers for answering the clues. Colin Dexter, author of the book and creator of Inspector Morse, and Sandy Balfour, author of Clue to Our Lives: 80 Years of the Guardian Cryptic Crossword, discuss how best to approach a crossword's cryptic teasers. 

The results of an investigation into Dubai's financial crisis are being released. The Warwick Commission, an international group of academics and practitioners, is looking at how to prevent the causes of the crisis, and is the latest of numerous investigations into the malfunctioning of the financial system. Professor Avinash Persaud, the commission's chair, discusses its findings. 

Negotiations for the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit appear to be moving closer to completion. Sergeant Shalit was captured and taken into Gaza by Palestinian militants three-and-a-half years ago. A deal would involve Israel freeing several hundred Palestinian prisoners in return. Middle East correspondent Tim Franks examines the ramifications of a prisoner swap. 

Some 20,000 people have signed a petition calling for England's libel laws to be reformed. The laws are being used to 'silence critical discussion of medical practice and scientific evidence', according to the signatories. Dr Peter Wilmshurst, cardiologist at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, who is being sued for comments he made at a conference in the US, and shadow justice secretary Dominic Gr

Food and Farming Awards

Food and Farming Awards: Food and Farming Awards 2009

Food and Farming Awards 2009

BBC Radio 4 - Food and Farming Awards, Food and Farming Awards 2009Search BBC

A special 10th anniversary edition of The BBC Food and Farming Awards.

A special 10th anniversary edition of The BBC Food and Farming Awards with an all star line up including Raymond Blanc, Alex James and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

A special 10th anniversary edition of the BBC Food and Farming Awards with an all-star line up including Raymond Blanc, Alex James and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. 

After sifting through thousands of nominations a team of judges has spent the last few weeks travelling around the UK visiting this year's finalists, watching them at work and tasting their food. 

In the programme the winners in nine different categories will be revealed. Find out who is producing the nation's Best Takeaway, which pupils are being served the best school meals and who has won the much coveted title of BBC Food Personality of The Year. 

Sheila Dillon, presenter of The Food Programme, hosts the awards, and is joined by two special guests.

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

Act of Worship

Act of Worship: 27/11/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Act of Worship, 27/11/2009

An act of worship and music led by Andrew Graystone.

Woman's Hour

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

Woman's Hour: Actor Debbie Allen, Lisa Hannigan; Children of service families

Actor Debbie Allen, Lisa Hannigan; Children of service families

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, Actor Debbie Allen, Lisa Hannigan; Children of service families

Actor and choreographer Debbie Allen interviewed, Plus, Lisa Hannigan sings live.

Actor and choreographer Debbie Allen interviewed, Lisa Hannigan sings live. Plus, have children of service families become the overlooked casualties of conflict?

Lives in a Landscape

Documentary series telling original stories about real lives in Britain today

Lives in a Landscape: Series 5

Lives in a Landscape: Series 5: Episode 4: The Maryfield Writers

Episode 4

Episode 4: The Maryfield Writers

Series 5

The Maryfield Writers

BBC Radio 4 - Lives in a Landscape, Series 5, The Maryfield Writers

Alan Dein talks to former RUC officers in Northern Ireland who have taken up writing.

Alan Dein talks to former RUC officers in Northen Ireland who have taken up writing and hears about their motivations as they each deal with the past in different ways.

Alan Dein goes to Northern Ireland to talk to former Royal Ulster Constabulary officers who have formed a writing group. The Maryfield Writers meet once a month to share and discuss their work. Alan spends time with three of them to understand why they write about their chosen subjects and finds that each of them deals with the past in different ways.

Bob has made a clean break with his police past. He served for 22 years, was shot at, had bombs placed under his car and was forced to move house a number of times. He chooses to write children's stories about fantasy and escape and has had a number of books published. Keith is working on screenplays which fall into the police-procedural genre but avoid autobiographical references. Not entirely at ease with modern Northern Ireland, Keith spends a lot of time at home, writing. Teresa spent 20 years in Juvenile Liaisons and, as a Catholic, was in a minority in the RUC. Her poetry has allowed her some catharsis as years of difficult experiences during the Troubles have now found a creative outlet. 

They each reflect on their motivations for joining the police and the importance of their new lives as writers in post-Troubles Northern Ireland.

The Richest Man in Britain

The Richest Man in Britain: The African Village

The African Village

BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Richest Man in Britain, The African Village

Will trillionaire Dave buy an African village to go with his part-time radio station?

Will trillionaire Dave buy an African village to go with his part-time radio station? Stars Mark Williams. From November 2009.

Trillionnaire rocker Dave Mabbutt contemplates the purchase of an African village to complement his afternoons-only radio station.

Starring Mark Williams and Russell Tovey.

Sitcom about an ageing rock star and his search for fulfilment.

Written by Nick Hornby and Giles Smith.

Dave Mabbutt ...... Mark Williams 
Dom ...... Russell Tovey 
Naomi, the Charity Worker ...... Ayesha Antoine
Dave's Mum ...... Lynda Bellingham  
Ken, the Maintenance Man ...... Phil Cornwell

Producer: Lucy Armitage

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2009.

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.

Sitcom by Nick Hornby and Giles Smith about an ageing rock star

Sitcom by Nick Hornby and Giles Smith about an ageing rock star and his search for fulfilment

News Headlines; Shipping Forecast

News, weather and Shipping Forecast updates. 

News Headlines; Shipping Forecast: 27/11/2009

BBC Radio 4 - News Headlines; Shipping Forecast, 27/11/2009

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: 27/11/2009

BBC Radio 4 - You and Yours, 27/11/2009

Consumer news and issues with Winifred Robinson.

International Cricket

BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Ball by ball coverage of Twenty20 and One Day International events

International Cricket: 27/11/2009

BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra - International Cricket, 27/11/2009

Coverage of the third One Day International between South Africa and England in Cape Town.

Coverage of the third One Day International between South Africa and England from Newlands, Cape Town. Commentary from Jonathan Agnew, Simon Mann and Gerald De Kock.

Coverage of the third One Day International between South Africa and England from Newlands, Cape Town. Commentary from Jonathan Agnew, Simon Mann and Gerald De Kock and summaries by Daryll Cullinan, Geoffrey Boycott and Duncan Fletcher.

Including Shipping Forecast.

The Cases That Changed Our World

The Cases That Changed Our World: Episode 4

BBC Radio 4 - The Cases That Changed Our World, Episode 4

Clive Coleman revisits Donohue vs Stevenson, better known as The Case of the Paisley Snail

Clive Coleman revisits Donohue vs Stevenson, better known as The Case of the Paisley Snail, which in 1932 produced the first comprehensive definition of neglect in tort law.

Clive Coleman tells the stories of cases that shaped our lives but which are little known outside the legal world. 

Clive revisits Donohue vs Stevenson, better known as The Case of the Paisley Snail. Finding a snail (or was it a slug?) in a bottle of ginger beer may seem a minor upset, but the resulting case in 1932 produced the first comprehensive definition of neglect in tort law and established the meaning of the 'duty of care'.

Clive Coleman tells the stories of little-known but influential legal cases

Clive Coleman tells the stories of cases that shaped our lives but which are little known outside the legal world

A Point of View

A Point of View: Spirit of the Game

Spirit of the Game

BBC Radio 4 - A Point of View, Spirit of the Game

Clive James reflects on the spirit in which sport is played.

A weekly reflection on a topical issue from Clive James. The spirit in which the game is played determines whether he likes or loathes the sport.

Friday Drama

The home of thrillers, mysteries, romance and detective stories

The home of thrillers, mysteries, romance and detective stories. A real treat for lovers of a good story well told

Friday Play

Friday Drama: Shirleymander

Shirleymander

BBC Radio 4 - Friday Drama, Shirleymander

A tragic comedy about Shirley Porter's leadership of Westminster Council by Gregory Evans.

A tragic comedy about hubris and political manipulation, depicting the principal events of Shirley Porter's time as 'The Westminster Whirlwind' in the 1980s. By Gregory Evans.

By Gregory Evans.

A tragic comedy about hubris and political manipulation, depicting the principal events of Shirley Porter's time as 'The Westminster Whirlwind' in the 1980s.

Leader ..... Tracy Ann Oberman
Wet ..... Maggie Steed
Senior Council official ..... Joseph Cohen-Cole
Exec Director ..... Piers Wehner
Deputy ..... Stephen Hogan
The Doctor ..... Sagar Arya
District Auditor ..... Bruce Alexander
QC, Father ..... Ewan Hooper
Chairman, Tesco ..... Philip Fox
Labour Councillor ..... John Biggins
Female interviewer ..... Tessa Nicholson

Directed by Marc Beeby.

Weather

Weather: 27/11/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Weather, 27/11/2009Close menu

The World Tonight

In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and major breaking news from a global perspective

The World Tonight: 27/11/2009

BBC Radio 4 - The World Tonight, 27/11/2009

National and international news and analysis with Robin Lustig.

News and analysis with Robin Lustig. Iran is censured by the IAEA - will sanctions follow? Why European extradition can mean rough justice. China's garlic boom.

National and international news and analysis with Robin Lustig

Iran is censured by the IAEA - will sanctions follow? 

Why European extradition can mean rough justice. 

China's garlic boom.

Notwithstanding: Stories from an English Village

Notwithstanding: Stories from an English Village: Episode 5: The Broken Heart

Episode 5

Episode 5: The Broken Heart

The Broken Heart

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Notwithstanding: Stories from an English Village, The Broken HeartSearch BBC

When Obadiah Oak sells up and moves away from Notwithstanding, he leaves his heart behind.

When Obadiah Oak sells up and moves away from Notwithstanding, he leaves his heart behind. Read by Hugh Bonneville.

Hugh Bonneville reads from Louis de Bernieres' new book of linked stories which cast an affectionate but acute eye on the vanishing charms and eccentric characters of the fictional Surrey village of Notwithstanding.

When Obadiah Oak sells up and moves away from Notwithstanding, he leaves his heart behind.

Abridged by Sara Davies.

Louis de Bernieres's book of linked stories about a fictional Surrey village

Hugh Bonneville reads from Louis de Bernieres's new book of linked stories about the vanishing charms and eccentric characters of the fictional Surrey village of Notwithstanding

A Good Read

A Good Read: Kate Clanchy and Michael Dixon

Kate Clanchy and Michael Dixon

BBC Radio 4 - A Good Read, Kate Clanchy and Michael DixonClose menu

Sue MacGregor with books by Neil Astley, Paul Torday and H Rider Haggard. From 2009.

4 Extra Debut. Sue MacGregor, Kate Clanchy and Michael Dixon discuss books by Neil Astley, Paul Torday and H Rider Haggard. From 2009.

Sue MacGregor and her guests - poet, Kate Clanchy and director of the Natural History Museum, Sir Michael Dixon discuss their favourite paperbacks by Neil Astley, Paul Torday and H Rider Haggard.

Kate's choice: Staying Alive by Neil Astley
Publisher: Bloodaxe Books 

Michael's choice: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday
Publisher: Phoenix 

Sue's choice: King Solomon's Mines by H Rider Haggard
Publisher: Penguin Classics

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November  2009.

Today in Parliament

News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament

Today in Parliament: 27/11/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Today in Parliament, 27/11/2009

News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament with Mark D'Arcy.

Midnight News

The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.

Midnight News: 28/11/2009

28/11/2009

BBC Radio 4 - Midnight News, 28/11/2009

The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.

The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.

Book of the Week

Serialised book readings, featuring works from various genres

Serialised book readings, featuring works of non-fiction, biography, autobiography, travel, diaries, essays, humour and history

Book of the Week: David Kynaston - Family Britain

Book of the Week: David Kynaston - Family Britain: Episode 5: A Pretty Mess

Episode 5: A Pretty Mess

David Kynaston - Family Britain

A Pretty Mess

BBC Radio 4 - Book of the Week, David Kynaston - Family Britain, A Pretty Mess

An increasingly affluent and confident Britain is rocked by the Suez crisis.

An increasingly affluent and confident Britain is rocked by the Suez crisis. Vivid 1950s history concluded by Dominic West.

Dominic West reads from David Kynaston's vivid and intimate history of Britain in the 1950s, drawing on the letters, diaries and memories of well-known and ordinary people.

An increasingly affluent and confident Britain is rocked by the Suez crisis.

Abridged by Jane Greenwood.

A Loftus Audio production for BBC Radio 4.

Dominic West reads from David Kynaston's vivid and intimate story of Britain in the 1950s

Dominic West reads from David Kynaston's vivid and intimate story of Britain in the 1950s, drawing on the letters, diaries and memories of well-known and ordinary people

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Programme Index

Shipping Forecast

27/11/2009

Genres

Brand

The Cases That Changed Our World

Episode 4

Genres

Series

Weather

27/11/2009

Genres

Brand

Shipping Forecast

28/11/2009

Genres

Brand

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