Programme Information

Sexton Blake is one of the most famous and long-lived fictional detectives and adventurers of all time, who battled opium smugglers, bandit chiefs and the Kaiser.

In his heyday, tales of Sexton Blake's adventures were more widely read than Sherlock Holmes and featured in approximately 4,000 stories by over 200 authors.

In this hour-long profile and exploration of Blake's impact, David Quantick talks to: author Michael Moorcock, who used to edit the Sexton Blake Library; Jack Adrian, a former writer and comic-book illustrator; and Kevin O'Neil, who co-created The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and other heroes.

David also examines the story of the Blake author who vanished under mysterious circumstances.

Britain's iconic sleuth explodes back into action in a new series of adventures beginning on BBC Radio 2 this Friday 31 July at 9.15pm.

Presenter/David Quantick, Producer/David Morley

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

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Marc Riley takes another dip into the BBC's archives and unearths another seminal interview.

This week's Time Machine travels back to 1973: the year that President Nixon ordered a ceasefire in Vietnam; the Stock Exchange admitted women for the first time; and Princess Anne married Lieutenant Mark Phillips.

It was also the year that BBC Radio 1 broadcast interviews with Pete Townshend in a series called The Story Of Pop. Presented by Alan Freeman, the 26-part show featured a mix of musicians talking about the history of popular music.

At a time when The Who were just about to release Quadrophenia, Marc revisits Townshend's take on the industry, Woodstock, The Kinks and the Mods.

Presenter/Marc Riley, Producer/Ian Callaghan

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

BBC PROMS 2009
Prom 16 – City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Tuesday 28 July

7.00-9.30pm BBC RADIO 3

• www.bbc.co.uk/proms
• Press pack

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's new music director, Andris Nelsons, makes his BBC Proms debut, live, from the Royal Albert Hall, in a programme including Stravinsky's first commission for Diaghelev's Ballets Russes, The Firebird. All 11 of Stravinsky's ballets are celebrated in this year's Proms season.

After his appearance at the First Night Of The Proms, Stephen Hough returns for the second of four Proms appearances to continue his exploration of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concertos with the unfairly neglected No. 2.

And to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy, composer John Casken, celebrating his 60th birthday, transports listeners to the night sky with his evocative Orion Over Farne.

This Prom will be repeated on Monday 3 August at 2pm on BBC Radio 3.

Presenter/Donald McLeod, Producer/Brian Jackson

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

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BBC PROMS 2009
Prom 17 – Monteverdi Choir

Tuesday 28 July

10.15-11.30pm BBC RADIO 3

• www.bbc.co.uk/proms
• Press pack

While Bach's great Passions languished unheard for almost a century after his death, his motets continued to be sung by the Leipzig choirs for which they were written.

Few modern performers know Bach's music as intimately as Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Tonight, live, from the Royal Albert Hall, he conducts the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists as they perform four Bach motets in this late-night prom, including Komm, Jesu, komm! BWV 229 and Esu, meine freude BWV 227.

Presenter/Petroc Trelawney, Producer/Brian Jackson

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

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Fiona Talkington's late-night music mix includes highlights from last weekend's Womad festival, with performances from Senegal's new singing star, Malick Pathé Sow, and Corsican acapella group A Filetta.

There are also tracks from the new album by Scottish folk singer James Yorkston.

Presenter/Fiona Talkington, Producer/Roger Short

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

With Great Pleasure Ep 1/5

Tuesday 28 July

11.30am-12.00noon BBC RADIO 4

Actress Honor Blackman

With Great Pleasure gives celebrities the chance to share something unique with the audience – a selection of their favourite pieces of writing.

These treasured snippets may have been gathered at any time in their lives – from childhood to the previous day's reading – and can range from poems to plays and excerpts from novels. Two actors are on hand to bring the pieces to life, and the programme is always recorded in front of an invited audience.

This new series opens with the choices of one of Britain's favourite actresses, Honor Blackman. Drawing on some of the experiences she has had in her life and her work in film, theatre and television, she presents an intriguing selection of pieces which range from poetry to Dorothy Parker and a moving political resignation speech.

Honor Blackman's choices are read by Eleanor David and Nickolas Grace.

Producer/Christine Hall

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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During the Sixties and early Seventies, as the war in Vietnam threatened its borders, a new music scene emerged in Cambodia, that took Western rock 'n' roll and turned it on its head.

This music became known as Khmer Rock. However, when Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge arrived, many of the stars of this music scene were rounded up and killed.

Phnom Penh in the Sixties was a creative hotbed; artistic expression of every kind was encouraged. When the Vietnam War broke out, young singers and musicians across the border in Cambodia listened to the music on American Forces Radio and made records inspired by what they heard.

The music came to be known as Khmer Rock and the musicians making it were mostly very poor. Exposed to Western pop for the first time, they swallowed it whole – the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, The Beach Boys, The Doors, as well as Latin dance beats and folk ballads.

Tracks were recorded, live, in one take and released on cheap cassettes. The music's keynote was abandonment and adventure.

In 1975, after taking over the country, the Khmer Rouge began one of the most brutal genocides in history. As the army closed in on the capital city of Phnom Penh, Cambodian rock 'n' rollers played at rooftop parties while bombs ignited the evening sky.

Musicians, famous and obscure, were rounded up and sent into the killing fields. Some starved to death, some were executed and others died from torture.

In 1979, an American tourist heard cassettes of these classic recordings and brought a selection back in his luggage. This led to a compilation CD, released in 1999, with no information about the singers, which became a minor cult hit on American campuses.

Presenter/Robin Denselow, Producer/Sarah Cuddon

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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Three Women In A Motorhome Ep 1/3

Tuesday 28 to Thursday 30 July

3.30-3.45pm BBC RADIO 4

Three stories written by Sue Teddern celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Jerome K Jerome. They tell a tale of three very different women, thrown together for a short but eventful trip in a mobile home.

The first story, Pam, is read by Lynda Bellingham. Widowed just two years ago, Pam has, parked in her Worcester driveway, the motor-home that she and her husband, Malcolm, always dreamed of owning and finally bought shortly before his death. Too symbolic to sell and too precious to use, the motor-home – which Pam cannot drive – remains untouched.

Pam's daughter, Kate, badgers her into taking a trip in the motor-home. On their short journey, Pam's illusions of what retirement on the open road would have been like are somewhat shattered. She's grieving, but also handling the demands of a daughter whose concern manifests itself as control.

The second story, Rosemary, is read by Marcia Warren. Pam wants to pop in on Rosemary, Malcolm's elderly Godmother who lives in a care home in Tewkesbury. A chance remark from Rosemary – that she hasn't been out in weeks – prompts Pam and Kate to take her along, even though they hardly know her.

Rosemary is a wise old bird who is a little irascible and really doesn't care too much for convention. She uses her skills as an ex-teacher to win over a young "hoodie" she meets in a launderette and from whom she later tries to score drugs.

In the third story, Kate, read by Rebecca Smart, Kate gives her mother, Pam, an ultimatum. The motor-home cannot sit on the driveway through another winter.

Readers/Lynda Bellingham, Marcia Warren and Rebecca Smart,
Producer/Sarah Langan

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

Twenty20 Cup Cricket

Tuesday 28 July

5.30-8.30pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE SPORTS EXTRA

Uninterrupted commentary of the third quarter final of the Twenty20 Cup, Lancashire versus Somerset, comes live from Old Trafford.

Producer/Jen McAllister

BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra Publicity

George Lamb opens the doors of the 6 Music Hub to Aussie indie rockers Temper Trap.

Two years after they released their initial EP in their native Australia, the quartet has recorded its first album with producer Jim Abbiss, who was at the helm for debut albums by both Arctic Monkeys and Adele.

The Melbourne band aim for an atmospheric, captivating sound, created using grand guitars, pulsating rhythms and yearning vocals. Their debut album is due for release in August.

They come in to tell George about all the festival fun they've been having this summer and to play some tunes.

Presenter/George Lamb, Producer/Alicia Brown

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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Gideon Coe presents archive concerts from the second incarnation of the Jeff Beck group, recorded, live, at the Paris Theatre in 1972. Plus, the Shins play Brixton Academy in 2004.

The eclectic selection of session tracks come courtesy of Dead Can Dance, Rose Elinor Dougall and Jessy Garron And The Desperados.

Presenter/Gideon Coe, Producer/Mark Sheldon

BBC 6 Music Publicity

The crowd in Manchester get impatient waiting for Sitaray, in today's visit to Silver Street. There is no sign of singer Bobby and Kuljit realises he will have to cancel. He heads off to tackle the angry fans.

Later, Kuljit and Sway check out the next venue in Sheffield. Sway leaves early but Kuljit gets chatting to an attractive woman who turns out to be a singer. Kuljit tells her that he is a music producer. However, is his interest in her purely professional?

Bobby is played by Kulvinder Ghir, Kuljit by Sartaj Garewal, Sway by Mark Monero, Leela and Crowd Member by Farzana Dua Elahe, Indy by Amerjit Deu, Makhan by Rohit Gokani and Pritam by Bhasker Patel.

BBC Asian Network Publicity