Programme Information

According to official UK Defence Statistics, there has been a five per cent rise in the number of women joining the military in the UK, compared to two decades ago. BBC Radio 1Xtra News speaks to young servicewoman about their roles and explores changing attitudes.

In an all-female tent in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, the duvets are mostly pink and women talk about the pros and cons of make-up, while one admits: "It's sometimes hard to keep your girliness."

Even though they can't fight in the infantry, some women are right in the thick of the action. Flight Lft Eleanor Lodge has flown wounded soldiers to safety under fire from the Taliban and doesn't mind being teased by the men.

Bomb disposal Captain Judith Gallagher, meanwhile, is one of only two women to have so far served in Afghanistan as part of an elite bomb disposal unit and wants to go back, despite protests from her family.

Listeners also hear from military men, including one nameless soldier who admits to feeling uncomfortable about the idea of looking over and seeing a female comrade, rather than a male one, lying next to him with a rifle.

Producer/Debbie Ramsay

BBC Radio 1Xtra Publicity

BBC Radio 2 presenter Mike Harding

Mike Harding celebrates St Patrick's Day with an hour of the very best in Irish folk, roots and acoustic music.

The programme includes classic tracks from Paul Brady and The Dubliners, as well as songs from more recent albums by Karan Casey and Christy Moore. There is also a song from Cara Dillon's latest album, Hill Of Thieves, which won the award for Album of the Year at the 2010 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Presenter/Mike Harding, Presenter/Kellie While

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

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Trevor Nelson invites listeners to explore the depths of his record collection, presenting an hour of the best in timeless soul, rare funky treats and modern classics.

Trevor's Album Of The Week is Medicine 4 My Pain, a 1997 debut release from Lynden David Hall. Trevor remembers the London-born singer who went on to win the best newcomer award at the 1998 MOBOs but who sadly died in 2006, after a battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Presenter/Trevor Nelson, Producer/Dan Cocker

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

Conductor and composer John Adams

John Adams conducts the London Symphony Orchestra in the European première of his City Noir, along with music by Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky, in tonight's Performance On 3.

Adams's latest symphonic work draws on the moody ambience of classic film noir from the Forties and Fifties, evoking its sleaze, threat and moments of sudden panic along with its romance.

Young American pianist Jeremy Denk is the soloist in Stravinsky's neoclassical Concerto For Piano And Wind Instruments, and two sets of orchestrated piano pieces complete the programme: Ravel's own orchestration of his Valses nobles et sentimentales and Colin Matthews's orchestral renderings of some of Debussy's Preludes.

Presenter/Petroc Trelawny, Producer/Peter Thresh

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

Cadbury Is Our Longbridge Ep 1/3

Wednesday 17 March

11.00-11.30am BBC RADIO 4

Two years in the making, Cadbury Is Our Longbridge is the story of an historic chocolate factory near Bristol caught up in a huge global tale.

In the recent press coverage of the Kraft takeover, one story was less reported – Cadbury had already begun reducing their workforce, in large part due to shareholder pressure from abroad.

In October 2007, Cadbury announced the phased closure of Somerdale, a factory in Keynsham between Bristol and Bath. Production of their iconic brands was moving to Poland instead. Presenter Miles Warde began following what happened next.

With contributions from key members of the workforce, this moving series is about a small Somerset town – there were 500 employees at the Somerdale plant – who found themselves entangled in globalisation and, ultimately, out of work.

Among the many stories in this series is Bristol's historic role in chocolate manufacture. Somerdale opened in 1921 under the Fry's name. This Quaker family is credited with the invention of the chocolate bar two centuries ago.

Today's opening programme features an interview with Francis Fry, who declares the closure a betrayal.

Presenter and Producer/Miles Warde

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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Walking On Sunshine is a heart-warming comedy by Leah Chillery, starring Nicholas Bailey (EastEnders).

Elijah enjoys going for walks in the countryside but, one day, his girlfriend points out that he is the only black person they have seen all day.

Spurred into action, Elijah decides to start a walking group for black people. A motley bunch turn up – Boasy, a bird-watching Rastafarian; Vernon, an obese youth who is only joining the group to please his mother; and Elijah's brother, Malachi, who is doing it because, if he doesn't, his brother will stop subbing him.

The group enjoy some adventures until, one day, their car breaks down and a well-meaning man called Frank invites them into his house while they wait for a pick-up truck to arrive.

The next day, Frank calls Elijah to tell him that someone has stolen a valuable statuette from his cottage.

Producer/Gary Brown

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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This year, each of BBC Radio 4's Lent Talks explore how faith and religion interact with a variety of aspects in society, such as the military, arts and culture, the financial world, politics and science – and, as faith and religion become an increasingly important and influential aspect behind both global and local headlines, how this relationship may develop in the future, for better or for worse.

Tonight, Sister Elizabeth Obbard explores how people's personal faith is affected and shaped by formal religion.

Sister Elizabeth is a Carmelite solitary (hermit) attached to Aylesford Priory in Kent.

Presenter/Sister Elizabeth Obbard, Producer/Simon Vivian

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

5 Live At Cheltenham

Wednesday 17 March

2.00-4.00pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE

John Inverdale presents live coverage of the second day of the 2010 festival, the biggest week in the National Hunt calendar.

Clare Balding and BBC Radio 5 Live's racing correspondent, Cornelius Lysaght, are joined by former Gold Cup-winning jockey Mick Fitzgerald and multiple champion jockey Peter Scudamore for all the latest news and predictions.

Comedian Kevin Day, meanwhile, is out and about around the course chatting to the punters and soaking up the festival atmosphere.

John Hunt and Luke Harvey provide commentary on the day's big races, including the Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase at 3.20pm.

Presenter/John Inverdale, Producer/Steve Rudge

BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity

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5 Live Sport

Wednesday 17 March

7.00-10.30pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE

Mark Pougatch brings listeners all the day's sports news and has live football commentary of one of the night's top matches.

Presenter/Mark Pougatch, Producer/Mark Williams

BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity

Darling of the new folk scene, singer-songwriter Laura Marling, is back with her second album, I Speak Because I Can, set for release on 22 March.

She performs a couple of songs from the album and chats to Lauren Laverne about how 2010 is shaping up so far for her.

Presenter/Lauren Laverne, Producer/Gary Bales

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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Concert highlights from The Beatles and Richard Hawley are Gideon Coe's main attractions tonight, and listeners can also hear some classic BBC sessions from Sisters Of Mercy and Blonde Redhead.

Presenter/Gideon Coe, Producer/Frank Wilson

BBC 6 Music Publicity

Sean worries about the music on St Patrick's night at the pub, as the drama continues. He decides Kuljit might be a good contingency plan but what does Sean have in mind?

Elsewhere, Vinnie confides that Pradeep is hiring a new chef so he can focus on managing the restaurant. Dr Masud, however, insists the food wouldn't be the same without Pradeep. They need a plan and there's only one person who can help...

Kamla, meanwhile, is mortified about forgetting an important anniversary.

Sean is played by Lloyd Thomas, Kuljit by Sartaj Garewal, Vinnie by Saikat Ahamed, Pradeep by Ashvin-Kumar Joshi, Dr Masud by Saeed Jaffrey and Kamla by Surendra Kochar.

BBC Asian Network Publicity