Shows
Politics UnpackedIs Angela Rayner Being Frozen Out?Hugo Rifkind is unpacking the politics of the Labour Party conference with James Marriott and Libby Purves.Is being deputy prime minister a proper job? Is America turning its back on the great legal weed experiment? And… Judge Libby returns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-09-2428 minPolitics UnpackedHas Britain Lost Its Regional Identity?Hugo Rifkind is back to unpack the politics of the day, and all the other news, with the brightest minds from the Times and the Sunday Times.Today he's joined by James Marriott and Libby Purves to discuss the extent to which BBC should have noticed the Huw Edwards case, whether Britain has lost its respect for regional identity and the decline of Anglo-Saxon names. Plus, Judge Libby is back to rule on some of the biggest questions of ethics and morality in public life. Hosted on Acast. Se...
2024-09-1731 minPolitics UnpackedIs Britain In A Sickness Crisis?Hugo Rifkind is back to unpack the politics of the day, and all the other news, with the brightest minds from the Times and the Sunday Times.Today he's joined by James Marriott and Libby Purves to discuss why so many people are going straight from university to long-term sickness, whether ID cards could tackle illegal immigration, and 'Judge Libby' delivers her verdict on some of the ethical dilemmas of the day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-09-1033 minPolitics UnpackedThe Exit Interviews: Robin WalkerMatt Chorley sits down with MPs leaving Parliament at the next election to find out about their highs and lows, their best and worst bosses, and the lessons they've learned from politics.Conservative MP Robin Walker tells Matt why growing up with an MP in the family didn't prepare him for life in Parliament, why being Brexit minister for Theresa May was such a difficult job, and joining the queue to call for Boris Johnson to resign.PLUS: Columnists Libby Purves and Sir Trevor Phillips discuss China's cyber-threat, why both parties have tied the...
2024-03-2549 min
Tóm Tắt Sách Miễn PhíHoàn Hảo Cũng Được, Không Hoàn Hảo Cũng Được - Gia Đình Mình Hòa Hợp Là Được [Tóm Tắt Sách]Hoàn Hảo Cũng Được, Không Hoàn Hảo Cũng Được - Gia Đình Mình Hòa Hợp Là Được là một trong 3 tác phẩm thuộc bộ sách Hoàn Hảo Cũng Được Không Hoàn Hảo Cũng Được. Được xuất bản lần đầu vào năm 1994, tuy ra mắt đã khá lâu song quyển sách vẫn còn nguyên vẹn giá trị đối với bất kỳ bạn đọc nào quan tâm đến chủ đề xây dựng cuộc sống gia đình và giáo dục trẻ. Libby Purves có tên thật l...
2023-06-3012 min
Tóm Tắt Sách Miễn PhíHoàn Hảo Cũng Được, Không Hoàn Hảo Cũng Được - Con Chúng Ta Hạnh Phúc Là Được [Tóm Tắt Sách]Hoàn Hảo Cũng Được, Không Hoàn Hảo Cũng Được - Con Chúng Ta Hạnh Phúc Là Được được xuất bản vào năm 1999, là quyển thứ hai nằm trong bộ sách Hoàn Hảo Cũng Được, Không Hoàn Hảo Cũng Được của Libby Purves. Quyển sách chủ yếu chứa các quan điểm riêng, cũng như các kinh nghiệm cá nhân của tác giả xoay quanh vấn đề nuôi dạy trẻ nhỏ. Libby Purves có tên thật là Elizabeth Mary Purve...
2023-06-2812 min
On the Wind SailingPaul Heiney // A Voyage Well Made#356. Paul Heiney is a well-known writer and broadcaster, as well as a seasoned ocean sailor. His voyages include a singlehanded race across the Atlantic, a long passage from England to Cape Horn and back, and a cruise around Iceland. His work is published regularly in sailing magazines and he has written several books, some about his sailing trips. Paul is also the commodore of the Royal Cruising Club. Paul has also been an organic farmer and keeper of working farm horses. He is married to columnist and broadcaster, Libby Purves. They have a late son, Nicholas, and...
2022-05-031h 02
You're On The Air!Libby PurvesLibby Purves is best known for hosting BBC Radio 4's Midweek for over 30 years. She's also been a Times newspaper columnist since 1982. But what does it take to become the youngest presenter of the "Today" programme, why does she hate saying "my show" and why does she have a problem with podcasts? In conversation with the Original UK Voice of Siri - broadcaster Jon Briggs.Libby Purves can be heard regularly on Times Radio Jon Briggs is available for coaching, training, voice over and broadcasting via www.jonbriggs.com
2021-01-1345 min
Radio Moments - ConversationsLibby Purves - BBC Radio Oxford and Radio 4 presenterFrom early duties at BBC Radio Oxford, Libby Purves rose to be the youngest and first female presenter on Today on Radio 4 – before taking on the Midweek programme which became her home for over thirty years.
In this hour of #Radiomoments Conversations, she tells of her early carefree days, job-sharing with greats like John Timpson and Brian Redhead, and shares tales of her years on Midweek. She opens up too about her own life and how she feels about its next chapter. In her own words, this is the Libby Purves story.
Libby’s latest book...
2019-04-091h 00
Inheritance TracksLibby PurvesBroadcaster and theatre critic, Libby Purves, chooses Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Noel Coward's There are
Bad Times Just Around the Corner.
2017-10-1406 min
Saturday LiveMary BerryAasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles are joined by the Queen of Baking, Mary Berry who has been teaching the nation to cook for over four decades. She's now turning her attention to home maintenance and tells us how to air our beds and clean our loos in a new book.
Harry Judd is best known as the drummer for pop band McFly and a winner of Strictly Come Dancing. Now a fitness fanatic, he explains how exercise has helped him get over his anxiety, OCD and panic attacks
Father and daughter performers Victoria and Mike Melody tell...
2017-10-141h 24
FeedbackBalancing Brexit, Libby Purves, A youthful Moral MazeNow Article 50 has been triggered, Roger Bolton speaks to BBC News Editor James Stephenson about whether the BBC can move on from broadly balancing remain and leave sentiment in its discussion of the Brexit process. With Radio 4's Midweek programme at an end after 35 years, presenter Libby Purves is Roger Bolton's latest guest for our Open Mic interviews about the careers of some of your favourite radio broadcasters. Also, can young panellists teach old hands some new tricks on Moral Maze? Listeners praise The thoughtful sixth formers who took over from the regular panel in...
2017-04-0730 min
The TLS PodcastNot so still livesWith Stig Abell and Thea Lenarduzzi – Libby Purves on the stranger-than-fiction life of Aimée Crocker, a nineteenth-century heiress with proto-PC views and an affection for boa constrictors; Gabriel Josipovici on a magisterial but contentious study of two of the greatest figures in European art history, Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel the Elder; and finally, the novelist and poet Colm Tóibín discusses his forthcoming novel, set in ancient Greece, and reads five new poems, published for the first time in this week's TLS Discover more at www.the-tls.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...
2017-03-3040 min
MidweekHarriet Walter, Richard Curtis, Suzi Quatro, Declan MurphyActor Dame Harriet Walter; writer and director Richard Curtis; singer and songwriter Suzi Quatro and former jockey Declan Murphy join Libby Purves for the final edition of Midweek.Richard Curtis CBE is a writer, director and campaigner. His films include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary, Mr Bean, Love Actually and The Boat That Rocked. His television comedies include Blackadder and the Vicar of Dibley. He is vice-chair of Comic Relief which he co-founded after visiting Ethiopia during the 1985 famine. He has co-produced the Red Nose Day Live night for the BBC since 1988...
2017-03-2941 minMidweekAlfie Boe, John Agard, Katy Brand, Allan JenkinsTenor Alfie Boe, poet John Agard, writer Allan Jenkins, and comedian and writer Katy Brand join Libby Purves.Alfie Boe is one of our most popular tenors. He is starring as Billy Bigelow in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel alongside Katherine Jenkins at ENO's London Coliseum. He has performed in opera and musical theatre alike, from Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme on Broadway to leading the cast of Les Miserables in the West End. The youngest of nine children, he left school to work as a mechanic before being plucked off the shop-floor to stardom. Carousel is at ENO's...
2017-03-2241 minMidweekOmid Djalili; Diana Moran; Jack Thorne; Dashni Morad.Comedian and actor Omid Djalili; playwright Jack Thorne; fitness expert Diana Moran and singer and presenter Dashni Morad join Libby Purves.Diana Moran is well known as The Green Goddess who, back in the 1980s and clad in emerald green lycra, encouraged television viewers to shape up. Her new book Sod Sitting, Get Moving! urges people in their 60s, 70s and 80s to exercise and eat healthily to help with fitness, strength and suppleness in their later years. The former catwalk model discovered the joy of keeping fit in her 30s as she convalesced from a major...
2017-03-1541 minMidweekDavid Rodigan; Loudon Wainwright III; Jackie Malton; Hisham MatarSinger and songwriter Loudon Wainwright III; reggae DJ David Rodigan; former detective Jackie Malton and writer Hisham Matar join Libby Purves.David 'RamJam' Rodigan MBE is a DJ, famed for his selections of reggae and dancehall music. He has played on stations from Capital 95.8 and Kiss to BBC 1Xtra and Radio 2 and is a regular on the club and festival circuit. A 65-year-old white man from Oxford who speaks in RP, he seems the very antithesis of the music that he loves and represents. In 2012 he won the highest reggae sound system honour by winning the World...
2017-03-0840 minMidweekPatti Boulaye, Charlie Condou, Tracy Tynan and David Toole.Singer Patti Boulaye; dancer David Toole; actor Charlie Condou and costume designer Tracy Tynan join Libby Purves.David Toole is an actor and dancer who played a starring role in the 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony. Born without the use of his legs, he turned his back on a job with the post office to study at the Laban Centre of Movement and Dance and follow his dream of becoming a dancer. He is performing with Stopgap Dance Company in The Enormous Room, a new touring piece about grief and the relationship between a father and daughter. The Enormous...
2017-03-0141 minMidweekPatrick Stewart; Shappi Khorsandi; Oscar Duke; Mischa Pearson.Actor Sir Patrick Stewart; comedian and writer Shappi Khorsandi; medic Oscar Duke and charity worker Mischa Pearson join Libby Purves. Mischa Pearson set up the Teapot Project in Ipswich, Suffolk. The charity collects good food from restaurants and supermarkets that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to the local homeless through charities, youth hostels and churches. As a teenager Mischa was homeless for two years and spent time living in hostels before finding employment in the catering business. Around 4,000 people a month benefit from meals provided by the Teapot Project and there are plans to...
2017-02-2241 minMidweekMichael Mosley, Camille O'Sullivan, Peter Laws, Pradyumna KumarBroadcaster Michael Mosley; singer and actor Camille O'Sullivan; Baptist minister and writer Peter Laws and artist Pradyumna Kumar join Libby Purves.Peter Laws is an ordained Baptist minister who has written his debut crime novel, Purged. The protagonist is Matt Hunter, a sociology professor who also assists the police tackle religiously-motivated crimes. Peter also hosts a podcast and YouTube show, The Flicks That Church Forgot, which reviews horror films from a theological perspective. Purged by Peter Laws is published by Allison and Busby. Pradyumna Kumar, known as PK, was born in a remote part of...
2017-02-1541 minMidweekLevison Wood; Kimberley Chambers; John de St Jorre; Annie Siddons.Explorer and writer Levison Wood; author Kimberley Chambers; journalist and writer John de St Jorre and performer and playwright Annie Siddons join Libby Purves.Kimberley Chambers is a former market trader, DJ and minicab driver who is now a best-selling author. She came to fiction late in life, writing during her down time as a cabbie. Inspired by her 'colourful life', the books are gritty crime novels with a twist of dark humour set in and around London's East End and featuring a cast of spirited characters. Her latest release, Backstabber is published by Harper Collins.
2017-02-0841 minMidweekProfessor Femi Oyebode; Sheila Kohler; Stephen Boxer; Heloise Tunstall-BehrensActor Stephen Boxer; writer Sheila Kohler; psychiatrist and poet Professor Femi Oyebode and composer Heloise Tunstall-Behrens join Libby Purves.Heloise Tunstall-Behrens is a composer and bee-keeper. Her new work The Swarm, a 60-minute opera performed by the Quorum, follows a swarm of bees in their search for a new home as they encounter a deadly extractor fan, a thunder storm and a fierce debate over two potential sites on which to build a hive. Inspiration for the piece came after Heloise inserted a recording device into her hives during a particularly dynamic phase of swarming. The Swarm...
2017-02-0141 minMidweekEvelyn Glennie; Milton Jones; Xiaolu Guo; Arno Geiger.Percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie; comedian Milton Jones; writer and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo and novelist Arno Geiger meet Libby Purves.Evelyn Glennie is an award-winning percussionist. She played the first percussion concerto in the history of The Proms at the Albert Hall in 1992, which paved the way for orchestras around the world to feature percussion concerti. She also played a leading role role in the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Profoundly deaf since childhood, she set out to use her body as a resonating chamber, 'hearing' partly through her bare feet on the floor. As part...
2017-01-2541 minMidweekAntonia Fraser; Stephen K Amos; Inua Ellams; Christopher SomervilleWriter Lady Antonia Fraser; comic and actor Stephen K Amos; travel writer Christopher Somerville and poet Inua Ellams join Libby Purves.Stephen K Amos is a comedian and actor. His Radio 4 series What Does the K Stand For? tells the story of his teenage years in 1980s South London. Stephen's parents came from the same town in south-west Nigeria, but met as adults in Lagos and emigrated to the UK in the late 1960s. Stephen is currently performing his new stand-up show. He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe every year since 2003, after making his déb...
2017-01-1841 minMidweekRichard Osman; Peter Willcox; Rikki Beadle-Blair; Sacha DenchPresenter and producer Richard Osman; campaigner Peter Willcox; playwright and actor Rikki Beadle-Blair and conservationist Sacha Dench join Libby Purves.Sacha Dench is a conservationist. She's the first woman to cross the English Channel in a motorised paraglider during a 4,500-mile journey following migrating birds from the Russian tundra to Britain. She made her trip to highlight the problems facing the endangered Bewick's swan population. Illegal hunting, newly erected power lines and loss of wetlands all play a part in the swan's dramatic decline in numbers which have almost halved over the last 20 years.Rikki...
2017-01-1141 minMidweekKatie Melua, Nigel Havers, Tom Kerridge, Alex WheatleSinger-songwriter Katie Melua, chef Tom Kerridge, writer Alex Wheatle and actor Nigel Havers join Libby Purves and the audience in the BBC Radio Theatre.Katie Melua, the singer and songwriter, was born in Georgia, when it was part of the Soviet Union, and moved to Belfast when she was nine. She returned to her homeland to make her new album, In Winter, working with the Gori Women's Choir. Katie recalls her early years in Georgia, and the very different life she found in Belfast, and she and the 24 members of the Choir perform two songs. ...
2016-12-2841 minMidweekSophie Thompson; Jonathan Franklin; Leon Bosch; Brian WheelerActor Sophie Thompson; writer Jonathan Franklin; musician Leon Bosch and actor Brian Wheeler join Libby Purves.As a boy Jonathan Franklin rescued two orphaned tawny owlets and kept them with him at boarding school. His book, Two Owls at Eton, was first published when he was 16 and tells the story of Dee and Dum who lived with him during the summer of 1959. They trashed his room, made him late for many classes and caused mayhem at every turn yet Dum and Dee charmed the entire faculty. The school cat, famous for his mouse-catching prowess, became an unlikely...
2016-12-2141 minMidweekKen Follett, Fr David Delargy, Hannah Peel, Joseph CookNovelist Ken Follett; scientist Dr Joseph Cook; musician Hannah Peel and Roman Catholic Priest and singer Fr David Delargy join Libby Purves.Fr David Delargy is a Roman Catholic priest and a member of the classical singing trio, the Priests. The group recently released a new album, Alleluia, and manage to balance the responsibilities of parish life in Northern Ireland with a global music career. Friends from an early age, the three later studied in Rome as seminarians and have sung together for 40 years. They grew up during the Troubles and speak of music as a unifying...
2016-12-1441 minMidweekTom Mangold, Nick Yarris, Catie Munnings, Vanessa Toulmin.Television reporter and writer Tom Mangold; death row survivor Nick Yarris; rally car driver Catie Munnings and Professor Vanessa Toulmin of the National Fairground Archive join Libby Purves.Catie Munnings is an 18-year-old rally car driver. She won the FIA European Rally Championships Ladies' trophy 2016 after only her first season in the sport. At 13 she could execute a perfect handbrake turn and then followed her father Chris, a former rally driver who ran the London Rally School at Brands Hatch, into the sport. When she isn't training in the gym or on the track, Catie has been...
2016-12-0741 minMidweekBradley Walsh, Salley Vickers, Ed Victor, Debbie Young-Somers.Actor Bradley Walsh; novelist Salley Vickers; literary agent Ed Victor and Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers join Libby Purves.Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers is community educator at the Movement for Reform Judaism. Formerly a rabbi at the West London Synagogue of British Jews, she is performing stand-up comedy for the first time at the JW3 Jewish Comedy Festival. She is a regular contributor for Radio 2's Pause for Thought, and has appeared on 4ThoughtTV. The JW3 Jewish Comedy Festival, West Hampstead, London NW6. Salley Vickers is the author of seven novels including Miss Garnet's Angel and The Cleaner...
2016-11-3041 minMidweekMelanie C, Douglas Hodge, Howard Webb, John McAvoySinger and songwriter Melanie C; actor and director Douglas Hodge; Ironman competitor John McAvoy and football referee Howard Webb join Libby Purves.Melanie Chisholm, otherwise known as Melanie C, is a singer and songwriter. Formerly one of the Spice Girls, she went solo in 1999 and has enjoyed two number one singles and released four albums. In 2004 she launched her own label, Red Girl Records. She has also starred in musical theatre including Jesus Christ Superstar and Blood Brothers, for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award. Melanie C is touring the UK in 2017 and her new...
2016-11-2341 minMidweekSoweto Kinch; Ken Clarke MP; Melanie Lamotte; Alex BellosKen Clarke MP, jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch, historian Melanie Lamotte and writer and puzzle-historian Alex Bellos join Libby Purves.Alex Bellos is a writer and broadcaster who writes a maths blog and a puzzle blog for the Guardian newspaper. His book Can You Solve my Problems? reveals the story of the puzzle through 125 of the world's best brainteasers, from ancient China to medieval Europe, Victorian England to modern-day Japan, with stories of espionage, mathematical breakthroughs and puzzling rivalries along the way. He has also written a children's book, Football School, which uses football to explain everything from...
2016-11-1641 minMidweekHelen Czerski; Odaline de la Martinez; Paapa Essiedu; Jim Richards.Physicist Helen Czerski; composer Odaline de la Martinez; actor Paapa Essiedu and geologist and gold prospector Jim Richards join Libby Purves.Physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski studies the bubbles underneath breaking waves and their effects on weather and climate. In her book, Storm in a Teacup, she explains how the same scientific principles behind the little everyday things we see all around us link to some of the most important science and technology of our time because the patterns of physics are universal. She argues that knowing some of the basic principles of physics gives us a...
2016-11-0941 minMidweekMarcus Wareing, Adrian Edmondson, Adele Bellis, Nick LittlehalesSleep coach Nick Littlehales, Adele Bellis, a survivor of an acid attack, actor Adrian Edmondson and chef Marcus Wareing, join Libby Purves.Nick Littlehales is a sport sleep coach to some of the biggest names in sport including the British Cycling team, top Premiership and International football squads, and Olympic and Paralympic athletes. In his book, Sleep, he explains the strategies we can all use to get a better night's sleep by debunking the myths including why we might need less sleep than we think and the power nap - how we can nap with our eyes...
2016-11-0241 minMidweekStephen Jones; Clive Oppenheimer; Karen Guthrie; Tom Marcus.Milliner Stephen Jones; professor of Volcanology Clive Oppenheimer; filmmaker Karen Guthrie and former MI5 operative Tom Marcus join Libby Purves.Clive Oppenheimer is professor of Volcanology at the University of Cambridge. He presents Werner Herzog's documentary Into the Inferno which is inspired by Clive's book Eruptions that Shook the World. In the film presenter and director travel to Indonesia, Iceland, Ethopia and North Korea to investigate not only the volcanoes but also the people who live with them and have created their own myths and customs around these foreboding mountains. Into the Inferno is released on Netflix.
2016-10-2641 minMidweekRory Stewart, Zucchero, Nina Plapp, Efrem BryninPolitician and writer Rory Stewart; Italian musician Zucchero; cellist Nina Plapp and SAS trainee recruit Efrem Brynin join Libby Purves.Nina Plapp is a cellist and winner of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC Journey of a Lifetime award. Together with her cello Cuthbert she sets off from the Isle of Wight to Romania and India in search of the roots of gypsy music. Along the way Nina and Cuthbert join a chorus on a train through the desert, get locked inside a cupboard with singing girls in a Rajasthani village and play with the gypsy musicians...
2016-10-1941 minMidweekJeremy Paxman, Priscilla Presley, Thiago Soares, iO Tillett WrightJeremy Paxman; Priscilla Presley; ballet dancer Thiago Soares and writer and photographer iO Tillett Wright join Libby Purves.Priscilla Presley is an actress. She starred in the Naked Gun series of films, the television series Dallas and for the last few years has appeared on the British stage in pantomimes including Aladdin and Snow White. Married to Elvis Presley from 1967 to 1973, she is executive producer of the Wonder of You, an album featuring Elvis's voice with an orchestral accompaniment by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Priscilla also appears as part of a UK arena tour in which Elvis...
2016-10-1242 minMidweekNicholas Parsons, Jacqueline Wilson, Ken Hom, Scott GibsonBroadcaster Nicholas Parsons; chef and writer Ken Hom; author Jacqueline Wilson and comic Scott Gibson join Libby PurvesComedian Scott Gibson swapped his job in a call centre for the stand-up stage after surviving a brain aneurysm at the age of 24. Winner of the best newcomer award at the lastminute.com Comedy Awards in 2016, his show Life After Death explores his illness and recovery. Scott Gibson is appearing at the Fringe Comedy Awards Shows at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London.Nicholas Parsons OBE is a broadcaster who has chaired BBC Radio 4's comedy panel...
2016-10-0541 minMidweekDavid Owen, Paul Jones, Amie Slavin, Samuel Tsang.Politician Lord David Owen; singer and harmonicist Paul Jones; sound artist Amie Slavin and origami expert Samuel Tsang join Libby PurvesAmie Slavin is a sound artist. She is the director of the Sonophilia Festival - Lincoln's Festival of Sound - which will offer eight days of live music, sound art installations and other activities across the city. Born with a rare form of eye cancer she lost her sight in 1997 and uses her work to stimulate audiences to appreciate the various ways in which sound can represent and illuminate ideas, issues and voices. Sonophilia Festival: Lincoln's...
2016-09-2842 minMidweekMonty Don, Ian Hislop, Joanna Barker, Gethin Russell-JonesGarden writer and broadcaster Monty Don; journalist Ian Hislop; marine biologist Joanna Barker and pastor Gethin Russell-Jones join Libby Purves.Joanna Barker is a marine biologist who works for the Zoological Society of London and specialises in marine and mammal conservation. Her work includes carrying out annual population counts of grey and harbour seals in the Greater Thames Estuary and conserving the European eel population - London's iconic eel which is classified as critically endangered. There are 98% fewer elvers - juvenile eels - arriving in London than in the 1980s. Joanna also developed the Angel Shark Project...
2016-09-2141 minMidweekGlynis Barber, Paco Pena, Lorraine Jones, Diana Nyad.Libby Purves meets actress Glynis Barber; flamenco composer and guitarist Paco Pena; Pastor Lorraine Jones and champion long distance swimmer Diana Nyad.Diana Nyad was a champion swimmer in her twenties, setting the record around Manhattan Island. In 1978 she made her first attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida, but failed to get across. In her sixties she made four further attempts, finally achieving her dream at the age of 64. Her memoir, Find a Way - One Untamed and Courageous Life, is published by Pan McMillan.Pastor Lorraine Jones lost her son Dwayne Simpson just...
2016-07-0641 minMidweekLiz Pichon, Melvyn Tan, Dan Richards, Meera SodhaLibby Purves meets illustrator and author Liz Pichon; pianist Melvyn Tan; travel writer Dan Richards and food writer Meera Sodha.Dan Richards is a travel writer. In his book Climbing Days, he is on the trail of his great-great aunt, Dorothy Pilley, a pioneering mountaineer of the early twentieth century. Using Dorothy's 1935 memoir Climbing Days as a guide, Dan begins to travel and climb across Europe, ending up at the serrate pinnacle of his aunt's climbing life, the mighty Dent Blanche in the high Alps of Valais. Climbing Days is published by Faber. Meera Sodha...
2016-06-2923 minMidweekAdam Henson, Tracey Curtis-Taylor, Paul Spike, Joe Langdon.Libby Purves meets farmer and broadcaster Adam Henson; writer Paul Spike; pilot Tracey Curtis-Taylor and theatre student Joe Langdon.Tracey Curtis-Taylor is a pilot who last year followed Amy Johnson's flight from the UK to Australia in her classic open cockpit biplane, Spirit of Artemis. Earlier this year the self-styled bird in a biplane attempted a round-the-world flight which ended when her vintage biplane lost power and crashed after take-off in the Arizona desert. She plans to be back in the skies when her plane is fully repaired.Paul Spike is a writer and journalist...
2016-06-1541 minMidweekChris Boardman, Bella Merlin, Rex Pickett, Natalie Nicole James.Libby Purves meets Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman; writer Rex Pickett; writer and academic Bella Merlin and performer Natalie James.Bella Merlin is an actor, writer, and professor of acting and directing at the University of California, Riverside. In her book, Facing the Fear, she draws on her own and other actors' personal experiences to address the issue of stage fright and how the complex relationship between the actor and the audience affects the condition. Drawing on neurological research, she also offers practical tips from physical wellbeing to performance strategies. Facing the Fear An Actor's Guide to Overcoming...
2016-06-0842 minMidweekSimon Watt, Cal Flyn, Martin Gurdon, Baba IsraelLibby Purves meets biologist and stand-up Simon Watt; motoring journalist Martin Gurdon; hip-hop artist Baba Israel and journalist Cal Flyn.Martin Gurdon is a motoring journalist. In his book, An Estate Car Named Desire, he recounts tales of his car-obsessed childhood in the 1960s - a lost world of Ford Anglias, Triumph Heralds and Morris Minors. During his dysfunctional years at boarding school cars were both his salvation and his undoing. An Estate Car Named Desire - A Life on the Road is published by Duckworth Overlook.Baba Israel is a hip-hop artist. He will...
2016-06-0141 minMidweekFrieda Hughes, Christopher Gunning, Jim Buttress, Ronnie Le DrewLibby Purves meets poet and artist Frieda Hughes; composer Christopher Gunning; puppeteer Ronnie Le Drew and horticulturalist and gardening judge Jim Buttress.Ronnie Le Drew is a puppeteer. Over his long career he has operated Muffin the Mule, Sweep and Zippy from the children's television series Rainbow. He discovered puppetry as a small boy, performing glove puppet shows for his friends on the south London council estate where he grew up. His biography Zippy and Me, written with Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi, will be published by Unbound. Ronnie is performing the Snitchity Titch Show at the...
2016-05-1842 minMidweekJohnny Fenn, Oz Clarke, Emma Sherlock, Brian Mullin.Libby Purves meets wine writer Oz Clarke; photographer Johnny Fenn; playwright Brian Mullin and Emma Sherlock, curator of free-living worms at the Natural History Museum.Emma Sherlock is senior curator of annelids - free-living worms - at the Natural History Museum. She's also co-founder and president of the Earthworm Society of Great Britain. A zoology graduate, she is passionate about changing the public's perception of the humble earthworm. Her current project is studying the Asian worms in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. Foreign species of worms are often inadvertently imported into Britain along with plants. There...
2016-05-1141 minMidweekChris Rea, Rosa Hoskins, Chris Dobrowolski, Graham SatchwellLibby Purves meets singer and songwriter Chris Rea; artist Chris Dobrowolski; former railway detective Graham Satchwell and actor Rosa Hoskins, daughter of Bob.Chris Dobrowolski is an artist and sculptor who spent three and a half months in Antarctica as artist in residence for the British Antarctic Survey. Chris lived and worked alongside scientists, medical professionals, researchers and crew members. Armed with boxes of Antarctic-themed toy figures, including plastic penguins, he set out across the polar ice to capture the essence of this southern wilderness. In his show Antarctica, he tells of his adventures. Antarctica is on...
2016-04-2741 minMidweekHunter Davies, Daniel Evans, Henry Normal, Fiona BirdLibby Purves meets writer Hunter Davies; artistic director Daniel Evans; poet Henry Normal and forager and cook Fiona Bird.Fiona Bird is a forager, writer and cook. A former finalist on Masterchef, her new book Let Your Kids Go Wild Outside is full of enthusiasm for the natural world and aims to encourage children to get off the sofa and explore the great outdoors. Fiona lives on the Isle of South Uist where she forages for seaweed which she features in a range of dishes from casseroles and soups to bread and biscuits. Let Your Kids Go...
2016-04-2041 minMidweekMaureen Lipman; Paul Whitehouse; Chris Bull; Desmond MacCarthy.Libby Purves meets actor Maureen Lipman; writer and comedian Paul Whitehouse; tightrope walker Chris Bull and farmer Desmond MacCarthy.Chris Bull - otherwise known as Bullzini - is a funambulist or tightrope walker. He is recreating the tightrope walk of Carlos Trower, The African Blondin, at A Day at the Lake in Staffordshire. Trower walked across the lake 100 feet above the water in 1864 and again in 1878, drawing huge crowds 30 years after the abolition of slavery in the UK. Chris first became interested in circus skills as a teenager and learned to juggle while at school. He trained...
2016-04-1341 minMidweekJulian Clary, Wendy Cope, Carmen Aguirre, Patrick DeeleyLibby Purves meets poet Wendy Cope; performer Julian Clary; poet Patrick Deeley and actor and playwright Carmen Aguirre.Wendy Cope OBE is a poet. A former teacher and television critic, she has written on a variety of topics including education, romance, religion, television and psychoanalysis. She has been commissioned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to write poems to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the playwright's death. In 2011 she donated her archive of correspondence and diaries to the British Library. Her book Life, Love and the Archers is published by Two Roads.Patrick Deeley is an...
2016-04-0642 minMidweekMeera Syal, James Runcie, Elliot Ackerman, Philip HoareLibby Purves meets actor and writer Meera Syal; writer and director James Runcie; former soldier Elliot Ackerman and Philip Hoare, author, broadcaster and whale chaser.Philip Hoare is a writer and broadcaster. He narrates Chasing the Whale, a show inspired by the 19th century journeys of whaling ships from Britain to the South Seas. Philip's stories delve into the log books of history to tell of the dangers and hardships endured by the crews on their epic voyages. The author of the award-winning Leviathan and the Whale, he also recalls his own memories of swimming alongside whales...
2016-03-2341 minMidweekFay Weldon, Richard Hines, John Hessler, Ed ZephyrLibby Purves meets Richard Hines whose story inspired the novel A Kestral for a Knave; novelist Fay Weldon; cartographer John Hessler and actor Ed Zephyr.John Hessler is a specialist in modern cartography at the Library of Congress in Washington DC. He is the founder of the Scaling Lab, a geographical and mathematical collective that uses the theory of complex networks to study geographical and network phenomenon and he has written on data visualization, map design and the foundations of geographical information systems (GIS). He is consulting editor of MAP: Exploring the World which brings together over 300...
2016-03-1641 minMidweekHenry Blofeld, Emma Johnson, Pedro Algorta, Davis MillerLibby Purves meets commentator Henry Blofeld; clarinettist Emma Johnson; journalist Davis Miller and Pedro Algorta who survived a notorious plane crash in 1972.Davis Miller is a journalist who struck up a 30-year friendship with the heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali. He is co-curator of the exhibition, I Am The Greatest, at London's O2, which showcases Muhammad Ali's life. The exhibition features more than 100 artefacts and rare personal memorabilia including a full size boxing ring and gold boxing gloves given to Elvis Presley and signed by Muhammad Ali in 1973. Davis is also the author of Approaching Ali about his...
2016-03-0941 minMidweekJames Rebanks, Helen Scott, Carl Tanner, Caitriona PalmerLibby Purves meets shepherd James Rebanks; Helen Scott from the Three Degrees; journalist Caitriona Palmer and American tenor Carl Tanner.James Rebanks is a shepherd, known to his followers as the Herdwick Shepherd. The first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, he and his family have lived and worked in and around the Lake District for generations. In his book, The Shepherd's Life, he writes about a shepherd's year, giving an account of rural life and the connection with the land that has often been lost. The Shepherd's Life...
2016-03-0241 minMidweekJanet Ellis, Nina Myskow, Charles Foster, Sarah KendallLibby Purves meets veterinarian and barrister Charles Foster; presenter and writer Janet Ellis; journalist Nina Myskow and comedian Sarah Kendall.Sarah Kendall is an award-winning comedian and writer. Born in Newcastle, New South Wales in Australia, she is a regular cast member of Clare in the Community on BBC Radio 4 and a frequent guest on the Now Show. A Day in October, her new show, takes audiences back to a pool party she attended in 1990 with disastrous consequences. Sarah Kendall: A Day in October is at the Soho Theatre, London.Charles Foster is a writer...
2016-02-2441 minMidweekRob Askins, Dr Dean Burnett, Mark Lockyer, Ellie CrossleyDue to scheduling changes this episode will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 21:30. The full length programme is available online from February 17 2016.Libby Purves meets playwright Rob Askins; actor Mark Lockyer, neuroscientist and stand-up comedian Dean Burnett and cattle warden Ellie Crossley.Rob Askins is a writer and playwright. His play, Hand To God, is a semi-autobiographical story about his teenage years growing up in a small Texas town and attending a church puppet school. Hand To God, is directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel and is at the Vaudeville Theatre, London.In 1995 Mark Lockyer...
2016-02-1742 minMidweekSally Wainwright, Erwin James, Angela Kiss, Abi RobertsLibby Purves meets writer and director Sally Wainwright; writer Erwin James; comedian Abi Roberts and author Angela Kiss.Abi Roberts is a stand-up comedian. She is performing her new show, Anglichanka - meaning Englishwoman - in Moscow. She says she's the first UK comedian to perform in Russia - in Russian. The show is based on the story of her adventures in Moscow during the 1990s when she was studying opera at the Conservatoire and became a member of the Russian Orthodox Church. Anglichanka is at the bilingual Moscow Comedy Bar and Club.Angela Kiss...
2016-02-1141 minMidweekGriff Rhys Jones, Mona Golabek, Lee Tannen, Marcelo SellaroLibby Purves meets broadcaster Griff Rhys Jones; concert pianist Mona Golabek; playwright Lee Tannen and horticulturalist Marcelo Sellaro.Lee Tannen is an author and playwright. He has written a play based on his memoir, I Loved Lucy, about his friendship with the legendary comedienne, Lucille Ball. He met her as a 10-year-old and became her close friend and companion until her death in 1989. I Loved Lucy is at the Jermyn Street Theatre, London.Mona Golabek is a concert pianist who tells her mother's story in The Pianist of Willesden Lane. Set in Vienna in 1938 and...
2016-01-2741 minMidweekGerald Seymour, Amy Liptrot, Tim FitzHigham, John BrightLibby Purves meets novelist Gerald Seymour; adventurer and comedian Tim FitzHigham; writer Amy Liptrot and costume designer John Bright.Tim FitzHigham is an adventurer, author and comedian. His new show, the Gambler, is on tour and in preparation he has undertaken some idiosyncratic challenges including cooking under ten feet of water. He has established himself as a man who is infamous for tackling endeavours that no one else would dare to. In previous shows he has paddled paper boats down the Thames; ridden hollowed out logs up the Amazon; run deserts in suits of armour and crossed...
2016-01-2041 minMidweekDon Black, Sue Buckmaster, Mike Daligan, David BarberLibby Purves meets lyricist Don Black; puppeteer Sue Buckmaster; author Mike Daligan and Her Majesty the Queen's swan marker, David Barber.Sue Buckmaster is a puppeteer and artistic director of children's theatre company Theatre-Rites. Her theatrical lineage stretches back generations - her great-grandfather was a music hall entertainer who juggled on a revolving table while riding a unicycle. Her show, The Broke 'n' Beat Collective, weaves puppetry with hip hop to explore some of the pressures faced by young people from unemployment to self-harming. The Broke 'n' Beat Collective is touring the UK.Mike Daligan...
2016-01-1341 minMidweekSi King and Dave Myers, Michael Foreman, Lady Alexandra Shackleton, George HinchcliffeLibby Purves meets Si King and Dave Myers - also known as the Hairy Bikers; illustrator Michael Foreman; The Honorable Lady Alexandra Shackleton, granddaughter of Sir Ernest Shackleton and George Hinchcliffe with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.Lady Alexandra Shackleton is the granddaughter of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Sir Ernest set up the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, a cross-continent trek that came to be known as the Endurance mission. Endurance departed in August 1914 and by January 1915 it had already become trapped in the Antarctic ice. Two exhibitions document the story - Enduring Eye: The Antarctic Legacy of Sir...
2015-12-3041 minMidweekCarmen Munroe, Denis King, Ralph Montagu.Libby Purves meets actor Carmen Munroe; composer Denis King and Ralph Montagu, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.Ralph Montagu, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, is the nephew of Elizabeth Montagu who is the subject of a new film - The Honourable Rebel. The film tells the story of Elizabeth - Liza - Montagu and is based on her autobiography. She was a musician, actor, linguist and she was recruited by both the UK and US governments to act as a spy during World War Two . The Honourable Rebel stars Dorothea Myer-Bennett with narration by Diana Rigg and is showing...
2015-12-2341 minMidweekPatricia Cornwell, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Benedict Allen, Simon NicolLibby Purves meets crime writer Patricia Cornwell; astrophysicist Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell; musician Simon Nicol and adventurer Benedict Allen.Patricia Cornwell is a writer. Her new novel Depraved Heart features medical examiner Kay Scarpetta who is working on a suspicious death scene when a story involving her niece Lucy demands her investigative skills. Patricia Cornwell has sold over 100 million books. She sold her first novel, Postmortem, while working as a computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. Depraved Heart is published by Harper Collins.Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell is...
2015-12-1641 minMidweekDon McCullin, Father Ray Kelly, Fiona Ford, Robert PortalLibby Purves meets photographer Don McCullin; Roman Catholic priest Father Ray Kelly; triathlete and coach Fiona Ford and actor Robert Portal.Fiona Ford is a triathlete and coach. In the same week in 2006 she won both World Championship titles at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) and Aquathlon events. Three years ago, while cycling along the London 2012 Olympic bike route, she was hit by a car and badly injured. Doctors told her she would never run again. But thanks to her grit and determination, she is back on her bike, competing in a triathlon. Back on Track by...
2015-12-0943 minMidweekMarin Alsop, Sir Michael Codron, Wayne Hemingway, Carey Marx.Libby Purves meets conductor Marin Alsop; producer Sir Michael Codron; designer Wayne Hemingway and comedian Carey Marx.Conductor Marin Alsop is music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra. In 2013 she was the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms, returning again in 2015. She will be conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Singers, presenting music by British composer Judith Bingham, at the Barbican Concert Hall. The concert will also be broadcast on BBC Radio 3.Producer Sir Michael Codron has staged hundreds of productions during his long career...
2015-12-0241 minMidweekStephen Webster, Kenneth O Morgan, Dr Amy Dickman, Jyotsna SrikanthLibby Purves meets jewellery designer Stephen Webster; historian Kenneth O. Morgan; conservation biologist Dr Amy Dickman and musician Jyotsna Srikanth.Dr Amy Dickman is a conservation biologist with a particular interest in the maintenance of threatened wildlife populations on human-dominated land and how to resolve human-wildlife conflict. She is director of Ruaha Carnivore Project (RCP), a community-based lion conservation initiative in Tanzania. A former finalist at the Tusk Conservation Awards, she has just launched Pride, an alliance of lion conservationists at Houston Zoo.Stephen Webster MBE is a jewellery designer. He studied at Medway College...
2015-11-2542 minMidweekMichel Roux Jr, Thomas Heatherwick, Dr Sarah Beynon, Dorothy Saul-Pooley.Libby Purves meets designer Thomas Heatherwick; chef Michel Roux Jr; entomologist Dr Sarah Beynon and pilot Dorothy Saul-Pooley.Dr Sarah Beynon is an entomologist who has just opened Grub Kitchen, a restaurant with insect dishes on the menu. Based at her bug farm in Pembrokeshire, Grub Kitchen features such delights as cricket falafels and mealworm hummus. Sarah's fascination with the natural world started in childhood - at five she was given her first 'bug box'. In the course of her research she has studied insects around the world including Zambia, Indonesia, Bolivia and Honduras. Grub Kitchen is...
2015-11-1841 minMidweekMichael Portillo, Diana Melly, Yang-May Ooi, Polly BagnallLibby Purves meets former government minister and broadcaster Michael Portillo; Diana Melly, widow of George with a book about ballroom dancing and bereavement; writer and performer Yang-May Ooi and author and artist Polly Bagnall.At the age of 76, Diana Melly decided to take up ballroom dancing after the death of her husband, George. In her new book, Strictly Ballroom - Tales from the Dance Floor, she sashays through tea dance etiquette, the perils of the Argentine tango and how to stay upright in rough seas on the QE2. Strictly Ballroom - Tales from the Dance Floor is...
2015-11-1141 minMidweekJanice Connolly, Thomas Pakenham, Asfa-Wossen Asserate, Hugh Warwick.Libby Purves meets historian Thomas Pakenham; actor Janice Connolly; Asfa-Wossen Asserate, the great-nephew of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and ecologist Hugh Warwick.Janice Connolly is an actor and comic who stars in the BBC Radio 2 sit com Barbara Nice, part of the network's Comedy Showcase season. The show is based around her character Barbara, a housewife from Stockport, mother of five and occasional stage-diver. Janice played in a range of punk bands before moving into comedy. She was discovered by Peter Kay and starred as Holy Mary in both series of Phoenix Nights. Barbara Nice is...
2015-11-0441 minFeedback30/10/2015With violence escalating in recent weeks between Israelis and Palestinians, the conflict is once again high on the news agenda. Coverage of the story is always scrutinised strongly and this week we'll hear from listeners who allege biased reporting about both sides. But can such a long-running and complex conflict be fairly covered in a forty second news bulletin? Roger Bolton speaks to Kevin Connolly, the BBC's Middle East Correspondent.When The Daily Mail's cartoonist Stanley "Mac" McMurtry appeared on Midweek, he discussed the nature of modern satire with Libby Purvis. But during a discussion about political...
2015-10-3027 minMidweekPeggy Seeger, Stanley McMurtry, Alex and Milton Mermikides, James BuchananLibby Purves meets folk singer Peggy Seeger; cartoonist Stanley McMurtry; composer Milton Mermikides and director Alex Mermikides and auctioneer James Buchanan.Stanley McMurtry MBE, otherwise known as MAC, has been the Daily Mail's cartoonist for the past 46 years. He started out as an animator before becoming a cartoonist, producing daily images for the Daily Sketch and latterly the Mail. Mac views his role as making "dreary news of the daily paper brighter by putting in a laugh". In all of his cartoons, except when making a political statement or when it depicts a tragedy, Mac includes a...
2015-10-2841 minMidweekDawn French, Wilfred Frost, Professor Joann Fletcher, Nikita SalmonLibby Purves meets writer and comedian Dawn French; Egyptologist Professor Joann Fletcher; Wilfred Frost, son of Sir David Frost and wing walker Nikita Salmon.Professor Joann Fletcher is based in the Department of Archaeology at the University of York where she teaches world mummification and funerary archaeology. Her book, The Story of Egypt, tells Egypt's ancient story by looking into the lives of its working people, as well as the pharaohs, to investigate this ancient society through its people's own words and personal belongings. The Story of Egypt is published by Hodder and Stoughton.Wilfred...
2015-10-2141 minMidweekBrian Blessed, Satish Kumar, Mark Harris, Alinah AzadehLibby Purves meets actor Brian Blessed; midwife Mark Harris; artist Alinah Azadeh and environmentalist and peace campaigner Satish Kumar.For 20 years Mark Harris has worked as a qualified midwife, delivering hundreds of babies. He is one of just a small number of male midwives currently practising in the UK. Mark is also founder of the birth education programme Birthing For Blokes, a service providing antenatal classes designed to prepare men for fatherhood. Men, Love and Birth by Mark Harris is published by Pinter and Martin.Actor Brian Blessed is the son of a miner who...
2015-10-0741 minMidweekFrederick Forsyth, Bruce Forsyth, Tim Angel, Louise TipladyLibby Purves meets writer Frederick Forsyth; entertainer Sir Bruce Forsyth; costumier Tim Angel and stonemason Louise Tiplady.Tim Angel OBE runs Angels Costumiers which has been dressing the entertainment business for 175 years. The company has supplied costumes for television, theatre and film productions from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Star Wars to The Iron Lady and Morecambe and Wise. The exhibition, Dressed by Angels, tells the history of the costumier and features bespoke costumes made for Fred Astaire, Noel Coward, Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. Dressed by Angels - 175 Years of Costumes is at the Old Truman...
2015-09-3041 minMidweekJulia Donaldson, Iain Sinclair, Gary Bell, Michael BoothLibby Purves meets children's writer Julia Donaldson; author Iain Sinclair; QC Gary Bell and journalist and food writer Michael Booth.Michael Booth is a travel and food writer who became something of a a cultural phenomenon in Japan after his book Sushi and Beyond became a bestseller. The book, which traces his culinary journey across Japan, was transformed into a cartoon series on Japanese television featuring Michael and his family as characters. Michael is attending this year's Hyper Japan Festival to talk about starring in his own animated series. The Hyper Japan Festival is at various locations...
2015-07-0841 minMidweekRichard Thompson, Peter York, Julie Nicholson, Toby Clements.Libby Purves meets musician Richard Thompson; writer and broadcaster Peter York; Julie Nicholson - whose daughter Jenny was killed during the 7/7 attacks - and novelist Toby Clements.Peter York is an author, broadcaster and management consultant. His show How To Become A Nicer Type Of Person is at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It's his personal guide to navigating modern life from what to say, what to think to what to wear - he's definitely not fond of what he calls "sports-derived clothing." He also forbids the use of specific words such as passionate, creative, transparent and journey...
2015-07-0141 minMidweekMax Mosely, Jerry Springer, Josie Lawrence, Keith PartridgeLibby Purves meets former Formula One boss and privacy campaigner Max Mosley; television presenter Jerry Springer; comic and actor Josie Lawrence and adventure cameraman Keith Partridge.Josie Lawrence is a comedian and actor. She is appearing in the improvised panel show Whose Line Is It Anyway? Live along with Greg Proops and Colin Mochrie. She is also performing with the Comedy Players at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The Players finish their show with a six-person improvised Shakespeare play with a title suggested by the audience. Whose Line Is It Anyway? Live is at the Adelphi Theatre, London.
2015-06-2441 minMidweekCraig Revel Horwood, Nick Barratt, Jaega Wise, Robin PlummerLibby Purves meets Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood; brewer Jaega Wise; former hostage Robin Plummer and historian Nick Barratt.Jaega Wise is head brewer at Wild Card Brewery. She founded the company with two friends after leaving Loughborough University where she studied chemical engineering. She was inspired by her aunt who brewed different types of beer and wine. Wild Card Brewery now produces over 4,000 litres of beer a week. Wild Card Brewery, Walthamstow, London E17 9HQ.Dr Nick Barratt runs specialist record teams at The National Archives in Kew and has compiled family...
2015-06-1041 minMidweekGraham Fellows, Matthew Oates, William McLellan, Kate WatersLibby Purves meets Graham Fellows and his alter ego John Shuttleworth; poet and naturalist Matthew Oates; artist and writer William McLellan and fight director Kate Waters.Graham Fellows is an actor and musician who is best known for creating the character John Shuttleworth. John is a fictional singer and songwriter from Sheffield whose back catalogue includes the track Pigeons in Flight. Graham is also the man behind Jilted John who had an eponymous hit in 1978. John Shuttleworth hosts A Knight At the Palladium in aid of multiple sclerosis charities. Guests include Chas and Dave and Sooty and...
2015-06-0342 minMidweekChi-chi Nwanoku; Ingrid von Oelhafen and Tim Tate; Tristan Gooley and Colin RosieLibby Purves meets Ingrid von Oelhafen who was taken from her family in Yugoslavia as a baby and brought up as an Aryan child in the Nazi Party's notorious Lebensborn programme; photographer turned top hat seller Colin Rosie; musician Chi-chi Nwanoku and Tristan Gooley, writer and expedition leader.Colin Rosie is a photographer turned top hat seller. In 2013 he found himself homeless after the collapse of his business. He spent months sleeping rough until financial help from a charity enabled him to start a new business selling top hats. He buys and restores vintage and modern hats...
2015-05-2041 minMidweekAnita Harris, Vanessa Nicolson, Paul Rose, Zoe PhillipsLibby Purves meets singer and actor Anita Harris; polar explorer Paul Rose; art historian Vanessa Nicolson and Zoe Phillips, assistant armourer at the Royal Opera House.Zoe Phillips is senior assistant armourer at the Royal Opera House. She makes and maintains weaponry for opera and ballet productions. Her work ranges from knives, swords, and retractable daggers to leather holsters and scabbards and she is currently working on items for a new Royal Opera House production of Rossini's William Tell.Vanessa Nicolson has worked as an art historian and curator. The daughter of Ben Nicolson and...
2015-05-0641 minMidweekHuan Hsu, Polly Findlay, Deborah Frances-White, Jane DolbyLibby Purves meets director Polly Findlay; writer Huan Hsu; comedian and performer Deborah Frances-White and Jane Dolby, founder of the Fishwives Choir.Huan Hsu is a journalist and academic. In his book, The Porcelain Thief, he tells the story of his great-great-grandfather Liu, a scholar in the late 19th century who lived in the village of Xingang in China. In 1938, as the Japanese army approached, he buried his collection of prized porcelain in a vault in the ground before fleeing with his family. Huan's family eventually settled in the US and the treasure remained buried. It wasn't...
2015-04-2240 minMidweekSteve Backshall, Mary Chamberlain, Trevor Pickett, James FreedmanLibby Purves meets wildlife presenter Steve Backshall; writer and academic Mary Chamberlain; pickpocket entertainer James Freedman and retailer Trevor Pickett.James Freedman is a pickpocket entertainer whose new show, Man of Steal, exposes how criminals operate and how people can avoid becoming victims of street crime. The show incorporates his sleight of hand trickery and reflects his lifelong study of criminology and the psychology of thieves. James is also an advisor and educator on the subjects of crime prevention and fraud - particularly the growing areas of bank card fraud and identity theft. Man of Steal is...
2015-04-0841 minMidweekRichard Goldstein, Sir Anthony Seldon, Paul Wayne Gregory, Kimmie RhodesLibby Purves meets headmaster and writer Sir Anthony Seldon; former rock critic Richard Goldstein; chocolatier Paul Wayne Gregory and singer and songwriter Kimmie Rhodes.Paul Wayne Gregory is an award-winning chocolatier who provided chocolates for the Queen's 80th birthday celebrations. He trained as a pastry chef before learning the art of chocolate artistry in France and Spain under chefs Jean Valentine and Oriol Balaguer. He is currently working on a chocolate art exhibition which will feature sculptures, casts, copies of famous pieces of art such as the Mona Lisa and original chocolate art work by Paul himself.
2015-04-0141 minMidweekDeirdre O'Sullivan, Mark Vanhoenacker, Frances Ross, Penny Horner and Howard Jameson.Libby Purves meets archaeologist Deirdre O'Sullivan of the Greyfriars Research Team which discovered and excavated Richard III; pilot Mark Vanhoenacker; Frances Ross the great-granddaughter of engineer Sebastian de Ziani Ferranti and Penny Horner and Howard Jameson who co-founded the Jermyn Street Theatre.Deirdre O'Sullivan is an archaeologist at Leicester University. A specialist in medieval archaeology and friaries, she is academic advisor to the Greyfriars Project which discovered and excavated the remains of Richard III. The Bones of a King is the official behind-the-scenes story of the excavation of Richard III based on the research of the specialists...
2015-03-2541 minMidweekGerald Scarfe, Greg Wise, Eimear O'Callaghan, Ben MoonLibby Purves meets cartoonist Gerald Scarfe; former journalist Eimear O'Callaghan; actor Greg Wise and rock climber Ben Moon.Eimear O'Callaghan is a former BBC news editor whose book Belfast Days is based on the diary she kept in 1972 at the height of the Troubles. The book records her and her family's experiences throughout this turbulent year. From the inconvenience of British Army check-points and power cuts to the horror of shootings, bombings and almost 500 killings, her teenage jottings convey a family and community trying to function normally against a background of violence and bloodshed. Belfast Days: A 1972...
2015-03-1841 minMidweekClarke Peters; Raymond Blanc; Amanda Owen; Nicholas McCarthyLibby Purves meets pianist Nicholas McCarthy; actor and director Clarke Peters; shepherdess Amanda Owen and chef and restaurateur Raymond Blanc.Nicholas McCarthy is a pianist who is making his debut at London's Purcell Room at Southbank Centre. Born without his right hand, he went on to study at the Royal College of Music and is the only one-handed pianist to graduate from the institution. At his concert he will perform a wide variety of repertoire including Chopin, Bach, Strauss, Liszt and Gershwin to showcase both his virtuosic and mainstream appeal. Nicholas McCarthy performs at the Purcell Room...
2015-03-0441 minMidweekNoah Stewart, Mary Portas, Peter Layton, Rosemary HughesLibby Purves meets retail guru Mary Portas; opera singer Noah Stewart; glass artist Peter Layton and florist Rosemary Hughes.Peter Layton is an artist and glassmaker known as the grandmaster of glass. His new exhibition, Young Masters, showcases work by some of Britain's best young glass artists working today. Peter began his career in ceramics but was drawn to the immediacy and spontaneity of glassmaking in the Sixties. In 1976 Peter opened London Glassblowing and today it is one of Europe's first and leading hot-glass studios. Young Masters - Rising Stars of Studio Glass is at London Glassblowing.
2015-02-2541 minMidweekMark Strong, Maggie Alphonsi, Daphne Todd, Carol GrimesLibby Purves meets actor Mark Strong; former rugby player Maggie Alphonsi; artist Daphne Todd and blues and jazz singer Carol Grimes.Carol Grimes is a jazz and blues singer and songwriter. Her new show, The Singer's Tale, recreates her life story through spoken word and original music. Carol spent her early life as a busker in London before eventually coming to prominence in 1969 as a member of the band Delivery. The Singer's Tale is at St James Studio Theatre, London.Mark Strong is a film, television and theatre actor. He plays Eddie Carbone in the...
2015-02-1841 minMidweekProfessor John Sutherland and Jack Sutherland; Pam St Clement; Adam Walker; Sam Haywood.Libby Purves meets actor Pam St Clement; academic and journalist Professor John Sutherland and his son Jack; swimmer Adam Walker and concert pianist Sam Haywood.Adam Walker is the only British swimmer to have completed the Ocean's 7 Challenge - seven open water swims including the English Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Molokai Channel in Hawaii. He started the swims in 2008 and faced sharks, whales, treacherous sea conditions and dozens of bouts of sickness during the challenge. Adam Walker: The Ocean's 7 Challenge Lecture is at the Royal Geographical Society, London.Professor John Sutherland is...
2015-02-1141 minMidweekAaron Rosen; Zack McGuiness; Bonnie Langford; Nick Wisdom; Tom Vaughan.Libby Purves meets actor Bonnie Langford; Nick Wisdom, son of Norman; Tom Vaughan, co-founder of Juliana's Discotheque; Dr Aaron Rosen who devised the Jewish Museum London's exhibition called Love and student Zack McGuiness.Zack McGuinness is a student at Kings College, London where Aaron Rosen lectures in sacred traditions and the arts. Aaron devised the Jewish Museum London's new exhibition called Love which features everyday objects, historic artefacts and works of art inspired by love. For the exhibition Zack donated a tin containing the caul which was wrapped around his neck when he was born while Aaron...
2015-02-0441 minMidweekCathy Tyson, Sir Tim Smit, Adam Cohen, Rupert Harry MillerLibby Purves meets actor Cathy Tyson; Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project; singer and songwriter Adam Cohen and designer Rupert Harry Miller.Cathy Tyson is a television, film and theatre actor. She plays the title role of Marie Curie in Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie by Alan Alda. She starred opposite the late Bob Hoskins in the 1986 film Mona Lisa for which she was nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe award. She appeared on television in Band of Gold and Grange Hill and on stage in The Taming of the Shrew and...
2015-01-2841 minMidweekBarbara Winton, Lord Alf Dubs, Anne Reid, Dr John C Taylor, Lottie MuirLibby Purves meets Barbara Winton, daughter of Sir Nicholas Winton who orchestrated the Kindertransport rescue mission; Lord Alf Dubs who was one of the rescued children; actor Anne Reid; inventor Dr John C Taylor and horticulturalist and mixologist Lottie Muir.Dr John C Taylor OBE is an inventor, businessman and collector. He recently designed a new chronophage clock featuring a dragon that waves its tail and swallows a single pearl at the top of every hour. He holds 400 patents and an estimated two billion appliances use his designs including the cordless kettle. The Dragon Chronophage will be...
2015-01-2141 minMidweekPaul McKenna, Jonathan Church, Judy Joo, Rear Admiral Kit LaymanLibby Purves meets hypnotist and self-help writer Paul McKenna; theatre director Jonathan Church; chef Judy Joo and Rear Admiral Kit Layman.Judy Joo is a Korean-American chef. Her new TV series, Korean Food Made Simple, explores South Korea's food markets, culinary traditions and street food. Judy graduated in engineering and worked in New York's financial district before enrolling at the French Culinary Institute. Based in London, she has worked at Claridges, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck. Korean Food Made Simple is broadcast on Food Network UK.Rear Admiral Kit Layman's new...
2015-01-1441 minMidweekJulian and Jiaxin Lloyd Webber; Gurinder Chadha; Milton Jones; Dr Kevin IsaacLibby Purves meets cellists Julian and Jiaxin Lloyd Webber; comedian Milton Jones; writer and director Gurinder Chadha and diplomat and poet, Dr Kevin Isaac.Gurinder Chadha OBE is a Kenyan-born writer and director who is best known for her film, Bend it Like Beckham. The comedy tells the story of a young Asian woman's ambition to play football while accommodating the demands of family and tradition. Alongside composer Howard Goodall, Gurinder has transformed the screenplay into a new West End musical. Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical is at the Phoenix Theatre in London from May 2015.
2014-12-3141 minMidweekBarbara Dickson; Mike McShane; Dr Sarah Coombes; Giles AbbottLibby Purves meets singer Barbara Dickson; actor Mike McShane; medic Dr Sarah Coombes and storyteller Giles Abbott.Dr Sarah Coombes is a consultant with the Ambulance Service of New South Wales (ASNSW). She appears in a new series of Helicopter Heroes Down Under which follows British medics and pilots working in Australia. She is in charge of recruiting new doctors for ASNSW as well as attending emergency calls - covering around 7 million people in a 300-400 km radius. Helicopter Heroes Down Under Series 2 is on BBC1.Barbara Dickson OBE is a Scottish singer and actor...
2014-12-2441 minMidweekBarry and Bob Cryer, Florian Leonhard, Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent, Andrew GantLibby Purves meets Barry and Bob Cryer; violin maker Florian Leonhard; adventurer Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent and choirmaster Andrew Gant.Father and son Barry and Bob Cryer have co-written a new show, Mrs Hudson's Christmas Corker. Set in the kitchen of 221b Baker Street, the Christmas special reveals what really happens below stairs at the home of Sherlock Holmes. Veteran comedy writer and performer, Barry is a regular on Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. Bob is a writer and actor who has appeared in TV shows such as The Bill and Outnumbered. Mrs Hudson's Christmas Corker...
2014-12-1741 minMidweekIan McMillan; Victoria Tennant; Mike Vass; Linda MarloweLibby Purves meets poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan; actors Linda Marlowe and Victoria Tennant and musician Mike Vass.Ian McMillan is a poet and broadcaster. He is poet-in-residence for The Academy of Urbanism and Barnsley FC and presents The Verb on BBC Radio 3. He has been commissioned to write a new poem based on the Christmas Truce International Tournament for young footballers to honour the football games that took place on the Western Front in 1914. His poem The Game: Christmas Day 1914 was inspired by the ideas and images that young players suggested after visiting the battlefields in...
2014-12-1042 minMidweek15/02/2012Libby Purves is joined by actor Sir Antony Sher and jazz saxophonist Barbara Thompson.She also meets Professor Sean Street an historian, writer, presenter and poet. His new book 'The Poetry of Radio - The Colour of Sound' explores the relationship between poetry and radio, and examines the concept of 'poetic making' in sound. Jazz saxophonist and composer Barbara Thompson and her husband the drummer Jon Hiseman feature in a BBC Four documentary 'Playing Against Time', part of BBC Four's Jazz weekend, in which Barbara uses music and creativity to help her cope with Parkinson's...
2012-02-1542 min