Speechification

Tim Bodett’s small town stories could easily slip into folksiness, but that’s not the root of his writing. As he writes on his website: “I’m not a more decent person because of rural life, but I act more decently than I probably would if I didn’t have to see these people again.” BBC7 is broadcasting his series of Alaskan Christmas stories, Christmastime at the End of the Road, and their gentle, Keillor-esque drollery seems like a pretty good expression of the season to me. [MP3]

P.S. How do you like them Christmas decorations? The animated gif throwdown starts here.

Stumbled across this strange, intense little play on BBC7 the other evening. It got under my skin, and stayed there. First broadcast, I think, back in 2000, it was written and directed by Don Taylor, who I’ll be looking out for in future repeats, and stars John Wood, Julian Glover and Prunella Scales [MP3].

If Radio 3’s The Essay had a podcast, I wouldn’t need to keep adding them here. But they’re so good. This week’s theme is “New Generation Thinkers“, a series focussing on new work by young academics, and you should listen to all of them really. Here’s the first one, from Monday: Amira Bennison of Cambridge University discusses Islamic history and globalisation. [MP3]

Another shortie. On yesterday’s PM, Eddie Mair talked to Alan Power, head gardener at Stourhead, the National Trust’s 18th-century landscape garden and Palladian mansion in Wiltshire. Apparently we’re experiencing one of the most spectacular Autumns for years (I’ve certainly noticed it), and Alan is wonderfully knowledgeable, and wonderfully placed to describe it [MP3]. Give the man a radio show!

Credit Crunch. Credit Crunch. Credit credit credit. Crunch crunch crunch. Enough. It is time for squirrels. Talking squirrels. Squirrels with morse code! Thank you. [MP3 / Programme Page]

I remember the Marchioness disaster for a couple of reasons, because a neighbour of ours was on the ship, and survived, and because many of those that didn’t made it all the way down to Putney; a grim sight on the way to school. But I didn’t know that the Thames lifeboats weren’t established until 2002 - a full thirteen years after the disaster, and I’m very pleased, because they sound like a thoroughly good (read: unpaid) and professional (in an amateur British way) lot. I also want a go in a hurricane simulator. [MP3]

I’m going to apologise in advance for this greasy, compulsive little episode of Between Ourselves, but there’s a revelation about 15 minutes in I couldn’t resist. I won’t spoil it for you. Otherwise, enjoy this half-hour of rank hypocrisy and weasel excuses, as Olivia O’Leary becomes gradually more incredulous at the moral vacuum threatening to consume the studio. (Thanks to Tom Taylor for the tip - Listen Again cut off the first minute or two, but I doubt you missed much.) [MP3]

Laurie Taylor’s Thinking Allowed can slip very easily into patrician BBC mode, but in this broadcast it manages to keep it’s head above water, and however many times I hear it, I’m a sucker for Iain Sinclair’s Dracula-in-Purfleet, Martians-in-Woking spiel. Throw in some stuff about Ballard and post-war planning, and I’m sold. [MP3]

Hot air balloons! Duchesses! Reeedeeeeculous French accents! What more could you want? They’re building the blogosphere up there, you know. [MP3]

I’d never come across Something Understood before, probably because it’s broadcast at 6am and 11.30pm on Sundays, but it seems like rather a good idea, despite its new-agey premise. Every week, “the programme examines some of the larger questions of life, taking a spiritual theme and exploring it through music, prose and poetry”. This week: aging. Lovely stuff. [MP3]