Steve Roud was Local Studies Librarian for the London Borough of Croydon and served as Honorary Librarian of the Folklore Society for over fifteen years. He has been researching British folklore for over thirty years and is the joint author of the Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore, plus other books on traditional drama and folk song, and the Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland, which won the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award in 2004. His publications include London Lore (2008) and The Lore of the Playground (2010). He also compiles the Folk Song Index and the Broadside Index, two internationally acclaimed computer databases of traditional folk and popular song. He lives in Sussex.

Steve Roud

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Steve Richards

Steve Richards tells the inside story of Gordon Brown's time as prime minister, based on revealing interviews with his close colleagues. Interviewees include former ministers Peter Mandelson, Ed Balls, Harriet Harman, Jack Straw, Douglas Alexander, Alan Johnson, Hazel Blears, Peter Hain and Shriti Vadera; and several former Downing St insiders including those responsible for policy, political strategy and polling. Producer: Martin Rosenbaum.

The Brown Years

John Sergeant

Greg Dyke

Gyles Brandreth

Jennie Bond

Roy Hattersley

Adam Hart-Davis

Antony Worrall-Thompson

Esther Rantzen

Janet Street-Porter

Lorraine Kelly

Edwina Currie

Alan Carr

Sue Perkins

Lucy Porter

Robin Ince

The comedy panel game where all the questions are about the guest host 
 
Welcome to The Personality Test, the panel show in which a brand new host takes the chair for every episode to present a quiz entirely themed around themselves. Each gets to run the show by their own rules, devising topics and queries based on their life, whims, fancies and past glories. Among the showbiz celebrities in the hot seat are Gyles Brandreth, Jennie Bond, Antony Worrall Thompson, Esther Rantzen, Janet Street-Porter and Edwina Currie, while the rounds include Love It Or Hate It, True or False, That Special Day and Life's a Pitch. 
 
Is John Sergeant a fan of Julia Roberts? Would Greg Dyke give Radio 4 just a minute, or leave it on a desert island? And does Claire Rayner have a penchant for jelly babies? Having spent a week swotting up on their host, the contestants must tackle these questions and more, as they do their best to amuse, entertain, charm, flatter - and occasionally, flirt outrageously - in a bid to chalk up the points and win the game. Battling it out are regular panellists and comedy heavyweights Alan Carr, Sue Perkins, Robert Ince, Lucy Porter, Will Smith and Carrie Quinlan. 
 
Intriguing and challenging, riotous and revealing, this unique panel show shines a fascinating spotlight on the interests and enthusiasms of your favourite personalities - and keeps you laughing along the way. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Richard Turner, Simon Littlefield and Kieron Quirke 
Devised and produced by Aled Evans 
 
Series 1 presented by: John Sergeant, Greg Dyke, Gyles Brandreth and Jennie Bond 
With Sue Perkins, Alan Carr, Lucy Porter, Will Smith, Robin Ince and Natalie Haynes 
 
Series 2 presented by: Roy Hattersley, Rick Wakeman, Adam Hart-Davis, Antony Worrall Thompson, Claire Rayner and Esther Rantzen 
With Sue Perkins, Lucy Porter, Robin Ince, Mark Dolan and Will Smith 
 
Series 3 presented by: Janet Street-Porter, Lorraine Kelly, Andrew Neill, Edwina Currie, Toyah Willcox and Eve Pollard 
With Sue Perkins, Will Smith, Nick Doody, Lucy Porter, Robin Ince, Carrie Quinlan and Dan Tetsell 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 July-2 August 2006 (Series 1), 7 December 2006-11 January 2007 (Series 2), 5 July-9 August 2007 (Series 3) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

The Personality Test

The complete BBC Radio 4 comedy quiz series

Martin Young

The buzzworthy 'famous people' quiz about noteworthy and notorious figures from fact and fiction 
 
Who Goes There? is the classic stardom panel quiz chaired by Martin Young. Proving that it's not what you know but who you know, each breezy episode features two celebrity teams battling to answer questions on famous figures from history, fiction, sport, and the gossip pages. Martin Young challenges the teams with hilarious and unusual archive clips, tests them on bizarre stage names and aliases, and reads out surprising CVs to have the panel guess the famous name at the top. 
 
Enjoying scandalous quotations, unconventional career highlights, and even a 'fleeting fame' round (in which panellists are challenged to remember when a certain person was all everyone talked about), Who Goes There? welcomes in anyone from Julius Caesar to Juliet Capulet to Julia Roberts. If you've made a name for yourself, you could be a question! 
 
A lively, fun show featuring sparkling and sharp-witted guest panellists, including Claire Rayner, Joan Bakewell, Francis Wheen, Carmen Callil, Gyles Brandreth, Annabel Giles, Sheridan Morley, Jonathan Meades, David Aaronovitch, Lynne Truss, and many, many more. Perfect for testing exactly which names to drop... 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
27 November 2005 - 8 January 2006 (Series 1) 
9 June - 24 July 1998 (Series 2) 
5 January - 9 February 2000 (Series 3) 
25 October - 29 November 2000 (Series 4) 
20 February - 27 March 2002 (Series 5) 
9 October - 13 November 2002 (Series 6) 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Martin Young 
Written and compiled by Nick Hildred and Hugh Rycroft 
Produced by Aled Evans and Elizabeth Freestone 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Who Goes There?

Selected episodes from the classic BBC Radio 4 quiz show

John Wilson

Bill Morris

Marcus du Sautoy

Tasmin Little

Lauren Child

Gary Rhodes

Digby Jones

Rachel Portman

Michael Portillo

Andrea Levy

Major public figures go back to their beginnings and uncover where they really started 
 
John Wilson (acclaimed arts and culture reporter and journalist, and presenter of Front Row, Newsnight Review and Pick of the Week) meets up with a variety of public figures from such diverse fields as food, mathematics, politics, writing and music, and takes them back to the influential schools, teachers, and early workplaces they may have forgotten, but which have not forgotten them. 
 
His guests include the first Black trade union leader, Lord Bill Morris; classical violinist Tasmin Little; the late restaurateur and television chef, Gary Rhodes; Lord Digby Jones, former Minister of State for Trade and Investment; the late Women's Prize and Costa Book Award winning author, Andrea Levy; veteran journalist, broadcaster and former politician Michael Portillo, and many more. The locations too are widely varied and richly formative - from car component manufacturers and specialist vocational institutions to grammar and private schools. 
 
Top of the Class is a fascinating look beneath the usual façade of a public figure, perfect for anyone wanting to see the human face behind a successful life story, as well as the teachers, mentors, best friends and rivals who helped them grow into the person they became. 
 
Episode guide 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
Bill Morris 28 July 2008 
Tasmin Little 4 August 2008 
Lauren Child 11 August 2008 
Gary Rhodes 18 August 2008 
Marcus du Sautoy 28 December 2010 
Rachel Portman 18 January 2011 
Lord Digby Jones 25 January 2011 
Michael Portillo 19 July 2011 
Andrea Levy 26 July 2011 
 
Production credits 
Presented by John Wilson 
Produced by Sarah Taylor 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Top of the Class

The complete BBC Radio 4 series

William Holland

Eric Pringle

A BBC Radio dramatisation of the real-life diaries of a West Country village parson, writing at the turn of the 19th Century 
 
'A good diary can provide an unsurpassed entry into society, and the diary of William Holland is a very good diary indeed' The Spectator 
 
On October 25th, 1799 - his 18th wedding anniversary - cantankerous Somerset parson William Holland begins his diary, chronicling events at the vicarage and in the small farming community of Over Stowey. He would keep it for the next 19 years, candidly recording the small trials of day-to-day life - from chaotic church services and unruly locals to lazy servants and irksome in-laws. 
 
As the new century dawns, he finds himself dealing with parish problems and domestic dramas: including a madman in the poorhouse, a drunkard in the pulpit, and his wife's prattling cousin in the house. At harvest time, he has his work cut out collecting tithes from the local farmers, and his troubles are further compounded by an escaped cow, some curious medical complaints, and an audacious plum-plunderer... 
 
Paying a social visit to Bath with his family, the hectic pace has him longing for the relative peace and quiet of home. And back at the parsonage, his life is transformed when his manservant Robert resolves to give up drinking and womanizing. But will it last? 
 
Full of humorous observations and comic incident, this delightful journal paints a unique picture of a wonderful collection of characters, and the entertaining and often hilarious things that happen to them. Dramatised by Eric Pringle, it is brought to life by a full cast of well-known actors, and stars Ronald Pickup as William Holland, Rosemary Martin and Rowena Cooper as his wife, Mary, and Gavin Muir as Robert. 
 
Production credits 
Written by William Holland 
Dramatised by Eric Pringle 
Directed by Cherry Cookson 
 
Cast 
William Holland - Ronald Pickup 
Mary - Rosemary Martin/Rowena Cooper 
Robert - Gavin Muir 
Miss Dodwell - Tessa Worsley 
Mr Amen - Gordon Gostelow 
Farmer Morle - David Collings 
William Frost/Farmer Landsey - David Timson 
Rector Reekes/Ben Hunt - John Hartley 
Thomas Poole/Farmer Trant/Porter - Stephen Critchlow 
Mrs Southcomb - Margaret Courtenay 
Farmer CottleMr Lewis - Andrew Branch 
Margaret/Hannah/Betty/Little Will - Jane Whittenshaw 
Sally Hill/Grace - Caroline Strong 
With Tilly Gaunt, Giles Fagan and Ben Crowe 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 7-21 February 1996 (Series 1), 29 October-12 November 1999 (Series 2) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Paupers and Pig Killers from the diaries of William Holland

A BBC Radio 4 comedy drama

Audrey Gillan

Dan Maudsley

Audrey Gillan revisits her time on the ground with the British Army in Iraq, and the infamous friendly fire incident that killed Matty Hull 
 
'A remarkable listen: detailed, unflinching and revealing about the ripple effects of a wholly avoidable tragedy'Financial Times 
 
Award-winning journalist Audrey Gillan was embedded with British troops during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. She was on the ground with the Household Cavalry's D Squadron when American pilots, firing at what they believed to be the enemy, injured four of its soldiers and killed one: 25-year-old Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull. 
 
Realising their mistake moments later, one pilot is heard muttering to the other 'we're in jail, dude'. But although a 2007 inquest condemned Matty's killing as unlawful and criminal, they were never prosecuted or punished for their actions, nor have they ever offered any apology. Now, years later, Audrey Gillan has joined forces with producer Dan Maudsley to investigate the notorious incident and its aftershocks, and tell the story of D Squadron's war in her own voice and through the eyes of the men she lived alongside. 
 
From interviews with soldiers, fellow reporters, military doctors and relatives, to in-depth analysis of the US pilots' cockpit recordings, this compelling series, shortlisted for Radio/Podcast of the Year by the Foreign Press Association, sheds new and startling light on British soldiers' experiences during the Iraq invasion and the terrifying, tragic 'blue-on-blue' attack that changed their lives forever. 
 
NB: Contains strong language and descriptions of war that some listeners may find upsetting. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised, details of organisations offering information and support can be found on the BBC Action Line website. 
 
Production credits 
Written and recorded by Dan Maudsley and Audrey Gillan 
Edited by Dan Maudsley 
Sound design by Rory Auskerry 
Executive producer: Shelley Jofre 
Title music: 'Ma Wefet' by UTN1 
Image: D8. Studio 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 5live, 13 May-10 August 2020 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

On The Ground

The true story of young soldiers' lives forever changed by 'friendly fire' in Iraq.

Joan Bakewell

Humphrey Carpenter

Francine Stock

Matthew Parris

Household names nominate leaders from the past for BBC Radio 4's Great Lives 
Since its inception in 2001, Great Lives has been one of Radio 4's most popular programmes, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. The format is simple, but compelling: each week, a distinguished personality is invited to select an inspirational figure who has influenced them. Talking with the presenter and a guest expert, they assess the importance of their chosen candidate. 
 
This special collection, celebrating the programme's 20th birthday, comprises the very best episodes featuring leaders' lives, from the worlds of politics, religion, royalty, business and the military. Some are heroes, some tyrants, and several spark controversy. Among them AA Gill puts forward the case for Neville Chamberlain, Maxine Peake chooses Ellen Wilkinson, the Duke of Wellington is picked by Frederick Forsyth, and Leon Trotsky is selected by Christopher Hitchens in a hugely entertaining show that culminated in fireworks. In these cases, and many others, the life of the invited guest is as riveting as that of their subject - who wouldn't want to listen to Ken Livingstone discussing Robert Kennedy, George Monbiot champion Thomas Paine, and Trevor McDonald on Learie Constantine? 
 
From Nancy Dell'Olio on Lucrezia Borgia to Al Murray on Field Marshal Montgomery, these fascinating episodes showcase the lives of some of the most legendary figures from history, revealing their achievements and enduring influence and demonstrating why their greatness is undisputed. 
 
Episode list and date of first broadcast on BBC Radio 4: 
Robert Kennedy - 06/02/2009 
Henry V - 08/12/2009 
Richard Nixon - 17/08/2010 
Bernard Montgomery - 01/10/2013 
Richard III - 06/01/2015 
Elizabeth I - 18/08/2015 
Dag Hammarskjold - 23/08/2016 
Neville Chamberlain - 20/09/2016 
Gandhi - 26/12/2017 
David Lloyd George - 30/05/2003 
Queen Elizabeth 1 - 06/06/2003 
Machiavelli - 02/04/2004 
Thomas Paine - 23/04/2004 
Lyndon B Johnson - 07/05/2004 
Benjamin Disraeli - 28/05/2004 
Michael Collins - 01/10/2004 
Arthur Wellesly, the 1st Duke of Wellington - 03/06/2005 
Genghis Khan - 01/04/2005 
John Rockefeller - 06/05/2005 
Ronald Reagan - 27/05/2005 
Thomas Cromwell - 11/11/2005 
Leon Trotsky - 08/08/2006 
Eleanor Roosevelt - 22/08/2006 
Millicent Garrett Fawcett - 22/12/2006 
Julius Caesar - 25/05/2007 
George Washington - 02/10/2007 
Winston Churchill - 14/09/2010 
Rommel - 26/08/2014 
Ida B Wells - 19/08/2014 
Learie Constantine - 07/04/2015 
Abraham Lincoln - 26/01/2016 
Lucrezia Borgia - 12/04/2016 
Richard the Lionheart - 10/05/2016 
Dadabhai Naoroji - 27/09/2016 
Pope John XXIII - 24/01/2017 
Sitting Bull - 09/05/2017 
Emma of Normandy - 16/05/2017 
Constance Markievicz - 19/09/2017 
Ellen Wilkinson - 01/08/2017 
Daniel O' Connell - 19/12/2017 
Catherine the Great - 29/05/2018 
Jayaben Desai - 10/04/2018 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
Presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Matthew Parris and Francine Stock 
Produced by Miles Warde, Peter Everett, Christine Hall, Perminder Khatkar, Mark Smalley, Charles Ledgard, Maggie Ayre, Beth O'Dea, Jolyon Jenkins, John Byrne, Polly Weston, Julia Johnson, Mary Ward-Lowery, Isobel Eaton, Toby Field

Great Leaders' Lives

A BBC biography collection

Mike Walker

Eleven compelling BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramas telling the stories of the Russian tsars 
 
Broadcast to mark the centenary of the Russian revolution, this extraordinary drama cycle by Mike Walker comprises eleven ambitious plays spanning over 400 years, exploring the lives of Russia’s key rulers from Ivan the Terrible to Vladimir Putin. 
 
Ivan the Terrible: Absolute Power - The rise and fearsome reign of the first Tsar of All Russia. Starring David Threlfall as Ivan IV. 
 
Boris Godunov: Ghosts - Did Boris Godunov have Ivan the Terrible's son killed? And what happened when the murdered boy came back from the dead - leading an army? Starring Shaun Dooley as Boris Godunov. 
 
Peter the Great: The Gamblers - Moscow, 1682 and two joint tsars rule: one, Ivan, is feeble-minded and the other is Peter, a child of ten years old. Starring Will Howard as Peter. 
 
Peter the Great: Queen of Spades - Distracted by his new capital, St Petersburg, and wife Catherine, Peter ignores his opponents: until his own son Alexei declares his colours. Starring Elliot Cowan as Peter. 
 
Catherine the Great: Husbands, Lovers and Sons - Did Catherine foresee the consequences of staging a coup d'état against her husband the Tsar? Or did she want him dead from the start? Starring Samantha Spiro as Catherine II. 
 
Alexander I: Into the Woods – The story of the reluctant Tsar who took on the greatest threat Russia had ever faced – Napoleon Bonaparte – and won. Starring Joel MacCormack as Alexander I. 
 
Alexander II: The People’s Will – Revolutionary terrorist cell The People’s Will is determined to assassinate the Tsar. But in the struggle between autocracy and socialism, there can be only one winner. Starring Joseph Millson as Alexander. 
 
Nikolai II: Three Hundred Years - In 1913, the Romanov dynasty celebrated three hundred years on the Russian throne. But a mere four years later, Tsar Nikolai II was forced to abdicate. Starring Raymond Coulthard as Nikolai II. 
 
Lenin: Tears – As the Soviet era begins, Lenin joins the provisional government, but soon becomes set on seizing complete power for his Bolsheviks. Starring Paul Ritter as Lenin. 
 
Joseph Stalin: The Last Bolshevik – In 1941, the Soviet Union was invaded by the Nazis – and Joseph Stalin retired to his dacha, seemingly defeated... Starring Brian McCardie as Stalin. 
 
The Shield and the Sword – Thirteen interconnected stories about the enigmatic Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Starring Nicholas Murchie as VV. 
 
Written by Mike Walker 
Produced and directed by Sasha Yevtushenko and Alison Hindell

Tsar: An epic chronicle of the Russian leaders

Eleven BBC Radio 4 dramas

Becky Milligan

David Torrance

Sara Jane Hall

A compelling collection of programmes exploring one of the world's most repressive and dangerous nations 
 
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a highly secretive totalitarian state - and one that poses an increasing threat to the West due to its rapidly expanding nuclear weapons programme. This unique 3-part collection takes an in-depth look at the country, encompassing its history, the human stories behind the regime, and its possible future. 
 
Part 1: Inside North Korea examines the politics, economy and leadership of this isolated nation. The Real Story: How dangerous is North Korea? discusses whether the country's increasing military belligerence rules out any hope for engagement with the rest of the world, while The Inquiry: Is North Korea broke? investigates how the state makes its money, from coffee shops to counterfeiting. And in two illuminating Profile programmes, David Torrance and Becky Milligan scrutinize the Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un, and his sister and closest confidant Kim Yo-jong. 
 
In Part 2: The People, North Koreans and Westerners recount their experiences. Assignment: Escape from North Korea talks to the forgotten survivors who made it across Asia's iron curtain, while The Documentary Podcast: North Korea's celebrity defectors discovers how these escapees have become a valuable commodity in South Korea. Seven fascinating Outlook documentaries focus on the extraordinary stories of ordinary individuals, including a defector interrogated for playing Western music; a young man who led a street gang; a female soldier; an author who befriended dictator Kim Il-sung; a former spy; a woman who fled North Koreat twice - and another who claims her defection was a terrible mistake. Trending: North Korea's YouTube Stars looks at the vloggers uploading footage from inside the hermit kingdom, and in an episode of HARDtalk, American missionary Kenneth Bae tells of his arrest and imprisonment in a Pyongyang labour camp. 
 
Part 3: Looking Forward asks, what next for North Korea? Three engrossing episodes of The Inquiry delve into the regime's missile capability and its global repercussions; reveal the conversations inside the war rooms; and consider whether China may hold the key to getting North Korea to step back from its nuclear ambitions. Finally, A Korean Thaw revisits the 2018 Winter Olympics, when North and South Korea competed under a single banner, and poses the question, could sports diplomacy stop a war in the peninsula? 
 
Cast and credits 
The Real Story: How dangerous is North Korea? 
Presented by Ritula Shah. First broadcast BBC Radio World Service, 16 October 2020 
The Inquiry: Is North Korea Broke? 
Presented by Celia Hatton. First broadcast BBC Radio World Service, 24 May 2018 
Profile: Kim Jong-un 
Presented by David Torrance. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 April 2012 
Profile: Kim Yo-jong 
Presented by Becky Milligan. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 May 2020 
Assignment: Escape from North Korea 
Presented by Chris Gunness. First broadcast BBC World Service, 14 May 2003 
The Documentary: North Korea's celebrity defectors 
Presented by Jonathan Griffin and Natalia Zuo. First broadcast BBC Radio World Service, 26 March 2020 
Outlook: I fled North Korea for playing the wrong song 
Presented by Rajan Datar. First broadcast BBC World Service, 26 March 2020 
Outlook: I led a street gang in North Korea 
Presented by Matthew Bannister. First broadcast BBC World Service, 13 October 2016 
Outlook: A Woman Inside North Korea's Army 
Presented by Matthew Bannister. First broadcast BBC World Service, 28 September 2017 
Outlook: My Time with North Korea's Dictator 
Presented by Matthew Bannister. First broadcast BBC World Service, 4 April 2018 
Outlook: I Spied for North Korea 
Presented by Lucy Ash. First broadcast BBC World Service, 21 October 2013 
Outlook: Escaping North Korea Twice 
Presented by Jo Fidgen. First broadcast BBC World Service, 5 March 2018 
Outlook: I Want to Go Back to North Korea 
Presented by Matthew Bannister. First broadcast BBC World Service, 30 September 2015 
Trending: North Korea's YouTube stars 
Presented by Jonathan Griffin. First broadcast BBC World Service, 6 April 2018 
HARDtalk: Former North Korea Detainee - Kenneth Bae 
Presented by Stephen Sackur. First broadcast BBC World Service, 28 August 2017 
The Inquiry: North Korea Deep Dive 
Presented by Ruth Alexander. First broadcast BBC World Service, 22 December 2017 
The Inquiry: What Would War with North Korea Look Like? 
Presented by Neal Razzell. First broadcast BBC World Service, 27 July 2017 
The Inquiry: Can China Solve the North Korea Problem? 
Presented by Neal Razzell. First broadcast BBC World Service, 21 September 2017 
A Korean Thaw 
Presented by Jean Lee. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 February 2018 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

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