In the first episode of a new series, Stephen Sackur investigates a secretive and controversial change in how we wage war: deadly drone aircraft swooping down from on high, their pilots sat in comfortable offices thousands of miles away. [MP3]
"From Falstaff at The Boar's Head to John Self at The Shakespeare in Martin Amis's Money, English literature and the pub are intertwined. It started in a pub - Chaucer's pilgrims setting out from The Tabard in Southwark - and has been waiting to be chucked out ever since. Robert Hanks presents an elegy for pubs in literature and an exploration of what the smoking ban, the gastro pub and the five quid pint are going to do to writing." Yes. [MP3]
Not much to say about this, except it's bloody lovely. Naturalist Paul Evans takes us on a sound tour of Dungeness and the Romney marshes. Enjoy. [MP3]
(Dungeness pic by me. More at Flickr.)
I can't believe no one has put up the traditional Christmas bling around here. So I'm going to do it, while suggesting you listen to this very amusing short story by Anthony Horovitz, part of the rather good "Scene of the Crime" series by leading mystery writers currently playing out in the Afternoon Readings slot. [MP3]
A Very Merry Christmas from all at Speechification Towers.
Yes. It's a documentary about ivy. So you'll learn more than you've been planning to learn about ivy lately. But it's also a gorgeous trip through the soundworld of mid-Wales. Put your headphones on: sheep, birdsong, all the intimate and incidental sounds of a walk in the Autumn countryside. Also the relaxed, unconscious, almost hypnotic ease of a seasoned broadcaster - Lionel Kellaway. Musical and quite intoxicating (MP3).
This programme - with all the other Radio 4 nature programmes - is available to listen to permanently on the web site (no seven-day expiry here). There's also an excellent, year-round podcast. I mentioned this one on my Listen with Bowbrick Twitter feed the other day too.
The picture is green/red ivy by Alex Pears and it's used under licence.
Deep beneath the earth, in mines and under mountains, are James Bond-esque lairs filled with scientists... Sue Nelson explores the world of dark matter researchers, a great piece on the geography of scientific investigation and the excitement and politics of small teams competing for a common goal. Don't miss the links from the programme page either. [MP3]
You'll dash through this - fifteen minutes of classical radio documentary values delivered at speed. Entirely satisfying (and very exciting). Good music too.
Lovely pics and a transcript of the gripping, deadpan radio transmissions that form the basis of the programme here.
Hugh Sykes visits Madley Communications Centre, near Hereford, the site of the world's largest earth satellite station (you can see it on Google Maps). Madley reaches out over the Atlantic and even to the Indian Ocean to communicate with geostationary satellites, providing the vital link in the transmission of raw news - and has played a crucial role in a number of world events. [MP3]
A brief little series of 15 minute episodes about music's power to move people geographically as well as emotionally, Musical Migrants ran in 2008 and again in 2009.
Here's the fourth programme from Series 1: Belgian bandoneon player Eva Wolff describes her arrival in Buenos Aires, and her introduction to Tango, in the context of Argentina's catastrophic economic meltdown. [MP3]
Ian Marchant spends some quality time on London's buses, talking to people on the top deck, with particular reference to under-16s, who've been able to use the network for free for the last couple of years. [MP3]
It's great to hear so many teenagers' voices, giving a human side to what is often just a frightening racket, not least on the W3, local to me, and identified by Marchant as the scariest bus route in London.
Good, too, to hear a wide variety of opinions from older passengers and bus drivers, not all of whom are as disapproving as they might first appear. Some of the CCTV discussion is a bit worrying however, and I'd love to know how much the vast systems being implemented cost, compared to reintroducing conductors.
bookmarks by: delicious.comA blog of Radio 4. Not about Radio 4 but of it. We point to the bits we like, the bits you might have missed, the bits that someone might have sneakily recorded. Other speech radio from around the world will no doubt find its way here too.
Of course, one day this might turn into something else, maybe a new way of curating speech radio, or maybe it won’t.
Your hosts on this not very wild ride are Steve Bowbrick, Russell Davies, Dan Hill, Bobbie Johnson and James Bridle. Drop us a line with your thoughts, unless you wish to complain about continuity announcers and their accents.
You might also enjoy the square-eyed sister site, Watchification.
Huffduffer audio: ’speechification’ Delicious bookmarks: ’speechification’
