Listening to radio

[Headfry]

I have an odd thing on my "I would like to do wish list"

I have seen clips on the television (mainly during war time) of people listening to plays on the radio.

My winters wish is to listen to a play or interesting (nature etc) program on perhaps a Sunday afternoon/evening with a cup, not mug of tea in hand. Lights down low or even off!

Any ideas what, if any programs are available on the radio and which station.
Please not the Archers! or Gardeners Question time- what has happend to GQT -it use to be good, now its a mess with silly jokes that mostly don't work.

I wrote a list of things (that cost nothing) that I would would like to do over this autumn and winter. This is one of my 'things'

[TEB]

Do you mean something like:
Lady Viviette Constantine discovers handsome astronomer Swithin St Cleeve on her estate.

Radio 4

[zazen999]

Radio 4 most afternoons have plays. Can be a bit twee but sometimes can be quite good. I used to listen to them all the time when I was out on the road.

[Pumpkin Becki]

Well, I really enjoy listening to Paul O'Grady on Radio 2 on a Sunday between 5 and 7pm. He plays some completely nutty music and does things like 'The Dead Pets' slot where people tell him about their long lost companions, but he is like a last hurrah before the working week starts again.

[lizzylemon]

I can second Z99 idea - my new boss has radio 4 on the all time and there's always plays and interesting (diverse) programs on there.

There's a good gardening slot on either Thursday or Fridays, somewhere between mid morning to early afternoon and then there's a on-going play about some Pilots which is sort of funny (a gentle, old fashioned sort of humor, quite sweet) that sticks in my mind.

The programs really are diverse, for instance, I started listening to why Piano music has to be off-key to sound good (or something similar) the good other day (but then sadly, had to use the angle grinding type machine so didn't hear the end) and rejoined it a bit later when there was a short play about a wedding dress shop, which was followed by a piece on how a local(ish) water company plan to expand their water reservoir and encourage a specific bird of prey back at the same time.

[SarzWix]

If you have a DAB radio, or digital TV and you can get BBC Radio 7, that is all speech radio - stories, plays etc. Or you can listen online;
BBC - Radio 7 - Homepage

[Seahorse]

You can listen to Radio 4 productions for a week after broadcast via iPlayer. Really useful if you can't concentrate at the exact time, or if you miss a bit!

BBC iPlayer - BBC Radio 4 - All programmes - Page 1

[nelliegemini]

I know it's not radio, but my local library does unabridged books on an MP3 CD, that you download onto your IPod. I have one with me all the time for boring housework. Published by Isis Audio Books.

I have really enjoyed listening to loads of Terry Pratchett and am currently listening to 'The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England' - a sort of Rough Guide - fascinating.

They also do unabridged books on a sort of mini IPod that you can hire. Some of these books are more like plays with multiple narrators. It might be worth checking out - though you have to watch the book length, since it is unabridged some go on for 11 hours or so. Not so much a quiet Sunday afternoon as a lost weekend. Also worth trying IPlayer on BBC - I catch up on all my comedy faves whilst ironing.

[Snadger]

I like to listen to radio 4 plays documentaries etc. I wouldn't watch the same things on telly as I think a radio show allows you to visualise things in your minds eye and actually enhances your brain function rather than turning you into a couch potato!

Off to have a look at Sarz's radio 7 link now!

[allotmentlady]

i love listening to radio 4. various things on throughout the day and night......u wanna hear the programme, just a minute....

[FionaH]

Just a minute is fab!

[Headfry]

Thanks folks...... never thought of the Cd route.....going to see what I can kind.
I listen to Radio four quite a lot, some plays are good others are just plain wier- each to his own I guess.
Snadger....you are so right, somethings are as good listened to rather than watched!