Dive into Summer
A collection of programmes and features celebrating the Summer months.
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Jerome K Jerome – Three Men in a Boat
J, Harris and George holiday on the Thames. Stars Kenneth Horne, Leslie Phillips and Hubert Gregg. 1962 musical adaptation.
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A Sting in the Tale
Dave Goulson's first foray into bumblebee conservation, involving bees and a hotplate, ends in disaster. Read by Tim McInnerny.
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Tessa Hadley – The Past
A powerful story of siblings, secrets, misunderstandings and passion played out over one last, hot summer. Read by Sian Thomas.
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Tove Jansson – The Summer Book
4 Extra Debut. A woman and her six-year-old granddaughter spend a summer on a tiny Finnish island. Sophia Jansson narrates.
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Summer Taste: Italian Ice Cream
Author Charlotte Mendelson recounts her long-term passion for raspberry sorbet and chocolate ice cream.
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Poetry Extra
Daljit Nagra selects Adventures In poetry – "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" as part of the Dive Into Summer season.
Whatever happened to seaside orchestras?
Every self-respecting resort used to have one, now there's only one left in England...
In Whatever happened to seaside orchestras? conductor Tom Higgins charts the rise and fall of a seaside attraction that local councils took seriously and which in its heyday directly employed thousands of musicians.
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Becoming Betty
Teen Elizabeth Lewis dreamed of a summer in Italy as an au pair. There was so much hope to be dashed. Stars Emma Sidi.
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Summer Taste: The Pastry Knife
Chef Sophie Grigson recreates the apple pie which brings back powerful memories of Tessa Hadley's grandmother.
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The Last Seaside Orchestra
Conductor Matthew Rowe explores the enduring appeal of the Scarborough Spa Orchestra, drawing the crowds since 1912.
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Summer Picnic by Elizabeth Jane Howard
A woodland glade, a perfect picnic... a girl grows up, a woman grows old,,, A perfectly observed short story, read by June Barrie.
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British Summer Time Begins by Ysenda Maxtone-Graham
An entertaining and sometimes wistful chronicle of British school holidays. Read by Fenella Woolgar.
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Promenade Rock by Christopher Denys
1950s Llantwit-on-Sea: Recently widowed Eirlys Richards welcomes a new guest at her lively boarding house. Stars Nerys Hughes.
Six life learnings from Three Men in a Boat
Based on the trips of Jerome K Jerome, two of his friends and a dog in Three Men in a Boat, here are six lessons in life and the art of holidaying that we can take from their adventures…
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Podcast Radio Hour: Summer Scrapbook
Postcards from producers, presenters, comedians and friends recommending some great listens for the Summer.
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Natural Histories: Cricket
The sound rich world of crickets - renowned for their singing and fighting abilities. Presented by Brett Westwood.
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Roger McGough - Summer With Monika
Dramatisation of poet Roger McGough's iconic, magical tale of love in the 1960s. Stars Mark McGann and Katy Carmichael.
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Roger McGough - Postscript: Summer With Monika
Talking about the enigmatic muse for his 1960s magical poem of love, Roger McGough reveals who Monika really was.
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Summer Taste: Sardines
Author Tim Pears recalls making a meal of potatoes, a tin of sardines and an unidentified herb in a makeshift pan.
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Summer Over England
Nigel Forde with an evocation of summer, drawn from seasonal recordings in the ±«Óãtv Archive from the 1930s -1990s.
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David Attenborough's Life Stories: Nectar
David Attenborough explores the evolution of plants, which saw nature’s first bribe over one hundred million years ago.
Ten top ways we can celebrate a summer in the UK
If you've been forced into – or just prefer – a staycation, there’s no shortage of options, stretching from Aberdeen to Zachary’s Copse, taking in castles, breathtaking scenic walks, cultural pursuits in spectacular settings, and even zipwires! It's all in Ten top ways we can celebrate a summer in the UK.
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Dreaming By the Pool
Jack Dee's humorous look at the history of the back-garden swimming pool and how pool desires can end in disaster.
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Drama: Anton Chekhov - Wild Honey
Platonov enjoys the attentions of four beautiful women. David Tennant in Chekhov’s comedy of summertime passion.
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Sunflowers
Tim Marlow on Van Gogh – an evocation of the artist and the passion for sunflowers that obsessed him during his final fraught year. With Antony Sher as Van Gogh.
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Sand Between the Toes
Tin buckets and dances on the pier. Nostalgic feature about memories of holidays on the south coast between the Wars.
