Read this: 05/03/2021 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts hello now which series do you think this listener is referring to 9 programs? I think I've probably heard everyone and I'm very ready to go for the next 900 is talking about In Our Time of course in feedback this week.

I'll be asking it's creator and presenter melvyn Bragg if you will ever stand down as presenter and so create a vacancy never so bad luck Roger never as if and another much admired Radio 4 presenter tells us he doesn't want to be typecast I was always very happy to talk about disability.

I didn't want to run away from it, but I did right from when I started to work with local radio.

I want to do other things and Peter White discusses his broadcasting career and his remarkable history of disability and

In or out of your comfort zone feature this week.

We introduce our mother and her daughter to the joys of science on the radio hopes why if a little unreal I'm not really listening to science programmes, but I was expecting a definitive answer find out later whether they got one and whether they listen to game.

This week's Radio 4 broadcast the 900 edition of In Our Time conceived by Nova dragon, 1998 and presented by him ever since who would have thought that a program in which reactor demux talk about topics ranging from feathered dinosaurs to Picasso's Guernica to the gin craze on the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius would prove so popular and endure for solo, this is what some of you think of Steve pomfret several years ago.

I asked some 300 students of history on my course.

How many of you listen to the radio it was a weasel Show of Hands dear listen to speech radio lot fewer ingredients for shopping if you and in our time results however when I start adding web links to relevant In Our Time programs to myreadinglist my history students devoured them some essay bibliographies.

Where are Jubilee over-reliance on ITV episodes?

Stop a lot from them in our time is surely and national and international treasure long live Lord Brand and Johnson I think you know what time is one of the great programmes on Radio 4 and I applaud it longevity and the fact that is has been left alone.

The podcast is a go-to and I want something interesting to listen to and I supposed broadcast chat and I have the book of series well.

I'm delighted to be joined by melvyn, Bragg very high praise Melvin did you expect that when you started off 900 addition to any top true story Teller Cumbrian I expected to last for 6-months at most I've been virtually file from start the week and then I was given this Thursday morning slot which was known as the death lot of things having flourish in that area and I thought I'll give myself about 6-months so I might as well.

Go for it now went for academic strong about one subject to the top of their ability.

But you insisted from the beginning, but this was live and until very recently it was life.

Why did you think that was so important well looking back you you give us a lot of good talking been wasted in the Green Room before I go on our special like a damaged so we'll talk about this when they dried up so I thought I'd just jump start them and see what happens.

I know and behold they deliver it all the good stuff on there instead of into the green room wall.

So it was it was a bit of a gamble but operation and I liked it basically because we choosing academics and fundamentally teaching academic very very clever people had their job and communications and so they proved they're a flourishing Alicia that I could have a group buy mature mean all their stomachs in the country, but of course I did not been able to do it like if you have to do it recorded.

Do you think you've lost anything by that be?

Talismans haven't noticed it if you have no, I thought I would when we're recording area circle when it was easier for me to record and I thought I'll good everything that I had this ridiculous.

Sorry about the play me putting engine things that make people talk faster make people concentrate harder and the oldest recorded and the only started to go up a sandwich for theories the program changed significantly since that first edition or actually if we listen now.

Wish I should do the first edition would we notice anything different? I don't think much in the first.

We had two people and half an hour and that was I find it very difficult to cope with I wasn't just saying give me more time.

I couldn't with the people.

I've had who were used to expanding things not a great life with it in a logical way.

I would like I wanted to beginning of middle and an end I wanted 3ax and there was never run from the third anyway one another and you can have three quarters of an hour and then.

The first set it up the second quarter in the third quarter with to a conclusion, what kind of content understand the subject to shows that Nikki give has distance I've enjoyed in time for many years and frequently find myself drawn into the discussion of subjects over not particularly and chosen to listen to which is excellent however, it seems that recently more of the topic related to literature a few years ago.

There was a strong philosophy Strand which seems to have disappeared.

Can we have it back please? Also maybe more history of science sonoran is Nicky give a right to detects a literature events in recent with him.

I will be here sunny writing in a filing of philosophy although we had Marcus Aurelius last week.

Who was the philosopher but not in terms of times.

I mean we've been going on quite recently read Alan Turing with we've had that the eclipses.

We've had Emily to chatelet.

We got the devonian.

Oncology coming up in a week or so, I don't think in science.

I think they're right about philosophy.

It's difficult to make a banner so Simon Tillotson the producer and I sit around and try the balance ago, but basically we going for topics as a leap from the pages find that this should have been made by him wanted to buy me want to my people have been on the program and say why don't you do this at the other keep an even better idea ever sort a tension what listener stay in terms of the subject matter I mean to write into you saying we really into this and this and this would you consider those ideas every year we have a people writing for ideas for programs.

We got about 900 and then we choose one.

We do a programme about that but we keep the rest and keep coming through them some very good ideas in that sense that we just very important in terms of the programs and the subject and someone keeping their out for that David day has this to are there any individuals or areas?

Might have been included in our time, but which you have neglected either deliberately or as an oversight the deliberately first other subject keep away from mother.

I think I'll just tell us with not that I think we're not the topical programme but even saying this tender point in Anglo Chinese relationships within a program on the Revolution which spared nobody no, I don't think there's anything we keep away from the question of your style and Caroline just as In Our Time BBC programme regularly.

He is a fan but would like to know why he's guess so much is a very good question your son of coffin when I listen to the programme back.

I'll ask it off myself if it's true.

I don't think it's always true, but if it's true.

It's to do with getting the pace of the program to the pace.

These scholars and they asked what are the best colours on the subject in the world, are you still giving long lectures seminars and they have to move at the speed of light to get through what they want to get through in a 43 minutes away doing on the radio which means that now then I have to say no we got a squishy this no better that they're very biggest national listen, then it works, but it can sound peremptory Andrew and bossy and everything this young man is so I'm sorry I'm afraid I'm going to have obviously well and they know what they're going to be talked about in advance that could result in a rather dull pre-planned programme.

How do you inject a sense of excitement which is obviously there? I did not matter been shifting, but you know your

Very experienced broadcaster, I really like doing this.

I really enjoy doing it.

It's genuinely a journey of Discovery for you.

Is it before I read up and meet up and if it's like start homework and then I made 3 people in the books and I want to know there are certain major points and I want them to answer another seems.

It's not hear myself.

So yeah, I think it's really good thing to say on the other hand.

Why do it if you want to get to the main point of vitamin Marcus Aurelius we talked about his meditations.

It was also a very great old fashioned Roman emperor Butcher and that if that had not been included.

I think it's a bit unbalanced step download a program to enter whatever or do you think in a sense that it matters infinite you've got your finger on the right word the subject matter is in for the knowledge is infinite knowledge is infinitely fascinating infinitely available knowledge is infinitely wanted and we talked about.

Play three of the people every week who know more about it and most people on the planet.

It's great you signs if you feel you're a lucky man and very lucky man.

I wake up thinking maybe it's dinner time.

They're having thanks very much.

Thank you and do let us know your thoughts on that interview or anything else to do with BBC Radio this is how you get in touch you can send an email to feedback and bbc.co.uk or write a letter the address is feedback PO Box 672 34, London E1 4ax.

You can follow our activity on Twitter by using at BBC R4 feedback or you can call us on 0303 444 5448 landline charges apply on some mobile networks all those details on our website.

Asking to BBC Radio listeners to step out of their comfort zones and listen to a program would normally be on their radar this week.

We have a mother and daughter Sarah McCluskey in Gloucester and a daughter Elena in Bristol we heard from two young 20-something this journey BBC Radio 4 ey25 graduate and you do listen to Radio 4.

Why when did you start? I will always listen to Radio 4 no wanting to listen to Radio 1 and Mum just refusing to put it on because you can't stand it and I do have a memory actually of being in the car and pestering on the chance forever and I said I don't care how wine is made in the oven on because that was the Radio 4 documentary that was on at the time, but I probably listen to that now actually that documentary on Mr

No, I started listening to Radio 4 when I was at uni and I guess that you know I was homesick and the sound of Radio 4 very familiar to me.

It was always in the background.

You know the Archers and stuff like that.

So yeah.

No, I'm very committed Radio 4 listening now and have been for about 5-years now got your mother Siri is that an accurate account of your behaviour trying to get your daughter to Radio 4? Yeah? It was never really for me to convert.

I was just intolerant really of listening to noise in the car in the morning.

So so that's what we always had Radio 4.

So it was almost to me when she said that she felt a little bit homesick when she was away so tune into Radio 4 in the accident just occurred to me all tastes Sarah first of all.

What would be your top 2 programmes if you were stranded on a desert island definitely the Archers and from our own correspondent and the News Quiz

What about you? What would be your top 3 programmes? I'd probably say the Today programme The Westminster hour and then Tim keys late night.

Poetry programme is really funny and it's not on nearly as well as usual we didn't ask you to listen to any of those programs.

We asked you to listen to crowdscience.

It's broadcast on the world service and the particular edition we asked you to listen to was why do the world Eleanor didn't you got an answer to that? I don't think I did actually listen to science programs and I thought that listening to that program that be a scientific reason as to why men rule the world one of the questions that was looked at as part of the program was the men and women's brains work differently and he said no it doesn't lots of research has been done and that's not the case and I thought that's good.

That's good to know validated by that and then there was actually it really does work quite differently different brains and I thought

I'm not really listening to science programs, but I was expecting a definitive answer to that question difference we found after a couple of hundred years, but that's because men on average are about 10% bigger than women settee.

What do you think of the programme structure It Starts by anybody around the world singing the question and if it's accepted the first part of the program is an interview with that person so we learnt about this computer programmer Kenya and about her circumstances.

Did you find out was interesting to learn in a what? It's like to be a woman One in Ten I think it was a computer science idea to and I like the fact that she was given an opportunity to expand on why she did ask the question because obviously her experiences of growing up in Kenya will be very different to somebody who's

Into the program from Saudi Arabia it was very useful to hear her perspective going up with an older brother, but how encouraging her parents were that's one thing actually that make me listening to the program again depending on what the question is that is posed is that you do here from the person posing the question you're not just hearing the question itself the program started in Kenya Thomas finished in Iceland because it looked at Iceland which I think is the country where men and women are most equal all power anyway is mostly police split.

Did you feel you learn something that you haven't sorted before when it came to these issues of men and women and the power imbalance.

I'm not sure if I learnt anything new and I think that that would be purely because I seek out programs probably with the subject matter more than most you know something I am interested in and I think it has been a subject that has been done to death they kept.

Well, actually, I thought that was really nice.

You must have thought through these issues or not least during the police for 30 years did this program introduce you to an aspect of this is you you haven't thought about before or was it just a run over fairly well trodden ground.

It was definitely around overworld downstairs.

Obviously there are natural male characteristics, but we don't have to accept that that is what makes somebody a good leader and regardless of whether our leader is male or female doesn't necessarily mean that they make the world a better place and equal place for men and women did you think he was a good presenter Manchester tonight? I haven't heard any programs by her before and I've never really listen to the world service, but I think if there was something that would bring me back to that program and it probably would be money.

I thought she was really engaged.

I thought she asked the questions that I wanted answered and I like it on the radio.

I like it Radio 4 when the personality shines through when you get a sensory.

They are as a person and I think you do with so we can't say men's bigger brains and making them natural leaders butts butts and again, but this is a controversial area scientists disagree about you listening it wants.

Would you just do it again? How about you Sarah I would definitely listen to a programme hosted by Marnie Chesterton because I thought she has for storytellers voice very easy to tune into her style would look at crowdscience again depending on the type of the show but I probably would be unlikely to seek out other programs with the word science in the title, but the show itself.

I thought it was a good form, and what about you Elena will you be switching on just to find.

The subject is you might then switch off, but would you leave switch on to find out what they're going to talk about? Yeah? I think I will actually give it another go I really like the concept of it and I liked the global snack.

There was someone from China they spoke to a listener.

He was French you live in Australia and then someone from Iceland and I liked you got all of those perspectives from countries around the world and if that's a feature of the program a standard tuning again.

Thank you very much for talking as you're just had in your comfort with that program.

Thank you.

Peter White has been broadcasting on Radio 4 for over 4 decades is the story of you and yours and of course the main presenter of intouch is blindness has been no barrier to broadcasting recently Radio 4 rebroadcast is series disability and new history in 10-15 minute episodes here's what some of you had to say about the series Deborah from hot this is truly an astounding program both in highlighting our history and changing from a community caring for disabled to and industrial country where disabled people were deemed of no worse and highlighting facts new even to a person with disability themselves Teresa I'm a wheelchair user I would like to say how much I enjoyed Peter White history of disability the focus on her way disabled by Society was refreshing thank you the series was.

Discovery for me I asked me to White was it for him absolutely I mean they're all sorts of things.

I didn't know I was very much involved when I became disability if there's correspond with the political situation as it was at that point which caused coincided with things like the disability discrimination act coming in but I mean there was an awful lot of history that no, I mean I was interested as some of the listings for example in the idea that maybe in mediaeval times which we think of as a terrible time when people lived in squalor and Kingswood cutting heads off the actually in some senses it might have been a Kinder a more caring environment in the sense that for example there were religious houses people perhaps who were not coping well in the community would get help.

I didn't know any of that sort of thing not there other things which was done.

This me the suggested the people had at the Disco

Agency they were not necessarily seen as victims absolutely not and some of the things that we would be horrified now where methods of coconut people found examples the idea of the Freakshow if you like which is it pulling and we saw elements of that in films like elephant man, but the fact is a lot of people made out that 1752 and eye-catching figure appeared on the streets of London Mr John cone.

Have a perfect and entertaining this miniature man divert statue doing the honour of the accompany with rehearsing the speeches.

He spoke before that royal family irritates the different crowing of COX-2 the greatest perfect.

Christy Ward here from ability to access I'm hoping that this program can be migrated across to BBC TV for 9 p.m.

Prime viewing or afternoon tv to help increase awareness and more respect for towards disabled people to pick up Christine's point you're not going to see this in prime time and you need this sort of thing in primetime.

I think there is there a danger of commissioners feeling we need to do something for the disabled not we need to sing about the disabled for everybody.

I think there is more of that happening.

I mean there's been a move away if you like from specialist programs because people say we don't want to be only on the specialist program, so I mean some of the series for.

I've been down and disabled people going mountaineering a whole range of things and some of days have actually been in prime time.

I mean Irish I was the programme was on but I was a little there a little bit to see that it was on at 12:15 on early Sunday morning.

Just after midnight.

How many people are actually be listening at that time because it is there indeed.

That's a very good thing to tell people in terms of the coverage if you have specialist programme and a special unit they are likely just spin out ideas give pitch them two controllers commissioners and son if there is no unit if there's no area or of specialism.

If not like the rest of us was I certainly will never realised the richness of the material available so do you need to keep in a broadcasting organisation a critical mass?

You're really expert in this area.

I think you do yes and the move it was quite controversial when it began to happen and some of the specialist programs have gone on radio in touch is one of the few that I stayed and I and the other people have battled for it over the years because it isn't in those programs that you do research that things you get lots of contacts that you maybe you wouldn't otherwise have found to be fair.

There's a greater interest in the issues now.

So there are other people trying to get these things on mainstream all the time but there is a danger.

I think that a lot of people were not don't know much about the disabled world rather nervous about language in fact.

I think we all language.

Will we use the wrong phrase should we have a new arrival in the circle tense to use the word cripple for example a properly because you were describing something in the way in which language was used.

Servicenow about the language.

We use to they were getting too nervous about that.

Well.

I worry about this and I'll probably get myself into trouble over this could stop myself into trouble over it before but I worry about the extent to which we criticise people over the language.

They use language is a very complicated instruments and it changes it varies people use it in different ways and I do think the danger is the one that you've actually referred to their which is that we say as disabled that we want the subject to be discussed and understood but we also sometimes say but if you use the wrong word, I'm going to jump right down your throat what that does of course it makes people nervous and it makes them hesitant about discussing it off of their very nervous.

This is what makes him use the wrong word or you use words in a way that could be offensive.

Never bothered that much about the issue of language the issue attitude is vital but people do not use words in that kind of careful way especially if you want talking a relaxed manner, so I'm a bit of a I'm a bit of a rebel on this and I do worry that we discourage free flowing conversation and finally Peter just to clarify misunderstandings you no intention of stopping broadcasting.

Have you will you ever that's a tricky my wife is sitting beside me actually as we talk and then we discuss this question of when I stop broadcasting little getting my blood and I'm not I'm not thinking you're stopping that doesn't mean that people are thinking of stopping me having you know Roger we all know that we are here at the at the tolerance of the people who listen to say don't you know I certainly don't think I've got any absolute right to be.

I do still enjoy it will probably be hanging on for a bit longer if I can an easy is the head that wears the Crown but you shouldn't be that and thank you very much.

Thank you is series disability a new history is still available on BBC sounds.

It is truly revelatory and that's it for this week next week will be discussing the Radio 4 Series Britain's fattest thread, please let me know what you thought of it until then, please keep safe and help keep other people safe to goodbye.