Story: "Presents for the Baby" by Barbara Mitchelhill
Illustrated by Mina Martinez

The Royal Institution Annual Christmas Lectures to Young People by Professor Eric Laithwaite

Physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, philosophy - Life, have all run together to form one composite subject which is the way our future lies. We have even dared to contemplate reversed time and by means of the gyroscope to ask whether the Universe has a 'top' and a 'bottom'. The White Queen says to Alice: 'It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.'

A longer Thursday edition of Newsday includes the day's News Summary and a longer look at one of the vital issues of the week with the people concerned. Preceded by Weather.

from the novel by Iris Murdoch; dramatised in four parts by Simon Raven

Hugh Peronett's wife, Fanny, has died. At her funeral are two unexpected mourners.

The world of Marcus Helvius Geminus, a Roman who lived between 30 and 65 AD With Robert Erskine

First of a series of 13 programmes depicting the lifestyle of a wealthy citizen in the Rome of the Caesars. It's surprising how familiar those ancient times are to us today.

From an inscription in the British Museum, it's possible to trace the career of Geminus, an upper-class Roman civil servant, born in 30 AD, his family, his households, his working life.

Starring Eleanor Bron and John Bird
With Derek Fowlds

Written and introduced by Roy Strong

The great country houses of England are finally on the rocks. Their struggle for survival in an alien century was cushioned during the 60s by a booming stock market. But now, with Wealth Tax threatening estate incomes, heating bills and building costs soaring, and the National Trust virtually powerless to help, hundreds of these uniquely English creations may well be coming to the end of the road. But do we care? Can we help?
Roy Strong, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum , believes passionately that we can, and must, act now if European Architectural Heritage Year, 1975, is not to be the most disastrous year ever for our heritage.
In this film we look beyond the splendid facades to the bewildering problems of life in a stately home, and to the grim outlook for their future.

Presented by David Holmes
Weather

Gabriel Woolf reads "New Year" from MS of Benedictbeurn