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Living World: Through the Seasons
Living World: Through the Seasons
Nov 20, 2024 1:26 PM

Author:Lionel Kelleway,Brett Westwood,Sarah Pitt,Joanna Pinnock,Trai Anfield,Chris Sperring,Paul Evans,Miranda Krestovnikoff,Lionel Kelleway,Brett Westwood,Sarah Pitt,Joanna Pinnock,Trai Anfield,Chris Sperring,Paul Evans,Miranda Krestovnikoff

Living World: Through the Seasons

Wildlife presenter Brett Westwood revisits selected highlights from the Living World archive

Since 1968, the BBC's iconic Living World has been introducing listeners to the best natural history Britain has to offer. Its veteran presenters have criss-crossed the country in all weathers and through all terrains, in search of remarkable species and extraordinary stories.

Introduced and updated by Brett Westwood, these classic archive programmes are hosted by Lionel Kelleway, Trai Anfield, Chris Sperring, Paul Evans, Peter France, Joanna Pinnock, Miranda Krestovnikoff, Sarah Pitt and Brett himself. Each show is filmed on location, in places ranging from Dartmoor to the Celtic rainforest, and features a guest naturalist eager to share their expertise with the presenters and us.

Together, they uncover an array of natural wonders, including the elegant black-tailed godwit, the enigmatic glow worm and the industrious mason bee that makes its nest in a snail shell. They also hunt for adders in Loch Lomond, experience the sights and sounds of a Sika deer rut and a starling eruption, witness the small bands of Red Admiral butterflies flying in from the sea and find that night time is the right time for mountain hares.

Immersive, inviting and informative, this specially curated collection will provide fascinating insight into Britain's wonderful wildlife, and inspire you to seek out your own encounters with nature.

Production credits

Produced by Andrew Dawes

Episode guide

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates:

Nest Finder of Dartmoor 11 June 2017

Presented by Lionel Kelleway with Mark Lawrence

Adders of Loch Lomond 18 June 2017

Presented by Trai Anfield with Chris McInerny

A Shell Nesting Bee 2 July 2017

Presented by Trai Anfield with John Walters

Glow Worms 9 July 2017

Presented by Chris Sperring with Robin Scagell

Waxcap Grasslands 24 September 2017

Presented by Paul Evans with Dr Gareth Griffiths and Bruce Langridge

The Late Arrivals 8 October 2017

Presented by Lionel Kelleway with Richard Fox

Sika Deer 22 October 2017

Presented by Lionel Kelleway with Dr Anita Diaz

Godwits 17 December 2017

Presented by Chris Sperring with Pete Potts

Ancient Holly 24 December 2017

Presented by Joanna Pinnock with Sara Bellis and Carl Pickup

Ponds in Winter 31 December 2017

Presented by Miranda Krestovnikoff with Jeremy Biggs

Mountain Hares 7 January 2018

Presented by Sarah Pitt with Derek Yaldon

The Snowdrop 4 March 2018

Presented by Brett Westwood with Christine Skelmesdale

A Starling Eruption 11 March 2018

Presented by Trai Anfield and Simon Clarke

Essex Geese 18 March 2018

Presented by Peter France with Graeme Underwood and Chris Tyas

The Celtic Rainforest 25 March 2018

Presented by Paul Evans with Ray Woods

© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Reviews

A funny, savage appraisal of a totally automated American society of the future

—— San Francisco Chronicle

The seeds of his [Vonnegut's] trademarks are here: a satirical eye on the world and deep love for humanity

—— The Times

I don't think I've read a more important book this year.

—— Andrew Marr, LBC

Maria is a key voice... she is so incredible in so many ways. The world needs to listen to what she has to say

—— Carole Cadwalladr

Maria Ressa is five feet two inches, but she stands taller than most in her pursuit of the truth

—— Amal Clooney

So how do you stand up to a dictator? One thing is for sure: you cannot do it alone. Ressa needs support from all of us, and she needs it now

—— Guardian

Tales of a moral giant... All of these attempts to raise the alarm came to nothing, so it is hardly surprising that Ressa's inspiring book has an impassioned, frustrated and, at times, angry tone. She saw the future and knew how it didn't work for democracy. And nobody except the Nobel committee seemed to be paying attention. For which mercy, much thanks

—— Observer

Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa's How to Stand Up to a Dictator makes an unmissable Book of the Week. It is a memoir of a life devoted to truth-telling, an account of her battle to expose the reality behind the Philippines' former president Rodrigo Duterte's so-called war on drugs, and a brilliant dissection of the "virus of lies" generated on social media platforms.

—— Telegraph

An inspiration

—— Zoe Kleinman

How to Stand Up to a Dictator is confronting, even terrifying - but feels vital... This book lays bare how big tech companies are allowing democracy to be eroded through the dissemination of disinformation, and the devastating effects it can have on a nation...Ressa spends her days on bail awaiting her next court hearing. The rest of us should be watching with bated breath. In the meantime, the least we can do is read this book, learn from it and pass it on to everyone we know.

—— Anna Bonet, inews.co.uk

At a time when the world faces a stark choice between authoritarian leaders and those with the courage to stand up to them, Maria Ressa is an indispensable guide in showing us the path from our troubled present to a better future

—— Irish Times

A surprisingly entertaining, informative report on what happens when an eminent neurosurgeon suddenly becomes the frightened patient... This is a valuable book from the front line of ageing. It may be called And Finally - that slightly droll tone is typical - and it may suggest a closing down, but its gift is open-handedness, a wise and Janus-like looking forward and back.

—— Kathleen Jamie , New Statesman

In the contemplation of death Marsh illuminates the gift of life, rendering it even more precious. And Finally has all the candour, elegance and revelation we've come to expect from Marsh. I read it straight through carried along by the force of its prose and the beauty of its ideas. It's a book to treasure and reread; I'm very grateful for it.

—— Gavin Francis, author of ADVENTURES IN HUMAN BEING and SHAPESHIFTERS

In this superb meditation on life and death, Henry Marsh tackles the matter of mortality with all his trademark wit, wisdom, grace and humility. He turns his formidable intellect and scalpel-sharp prose on himself as well as the medical profession - with marvellous results. Unflinching, profound and deeply humane, And Finally is magnificent.

—— Rachel Clarke, author of DEAR LIFE

Who better to ponder immortality, the threshold between states, fear, regret and what gives us meaning, than somebody who has lived a life constantly in-between. We should give thanks to Marsh, who despite facing his own mortality, allows us to come along for this poignant and vivid journey.

—— Molly Case, author of HOW TO TREAT PEOPLE

An outstanding writer.

—— Lancet

Marsh shares his journey with a dark yet whimsical humour, and ponders too the eternal mysteries of time.

—— Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year

A haunting memoir from someone who has spent a career at the fragile border between life and death, now confronting the prospect of his own crossing.

—— Financial Times, Books of the Year

The ever-candid neurosurgeon Henry Marsh describes what it felt like, after a cancer diagnosis, to become part of "the underclass of patients", losing his status as a godlike doctor. He is also grimly humorous about what cancer treatment did to him.

—— The Times, Books of the Year

As ever he writes beautifully, his interest in the human body and mind as hummingly alive as ever.

—— Metro, Best Non-Fiction of 2022

No man deserves recognition more than Henry Marsh, surgeon, humanitarian and author.

—— Oldie

George Monbiot is one of the most fearless and important voices in the global climate movement today

—— Greta Thunberg

I used to look up to the stars for thoughts of infinity, eternity and divine cooperation. This book revealed to me I could find the same inspiration beneath the soles of my feet in less than a foot of soil. My walks on earth will never be the same as they were. The writing, observation and devotion is infectiously compelling. The learning is deep and immense

—— Mark Rylance

A magnificent new overview of how we might live and feed ourselves without destroying ourselves ... It is riveting ... Along with a dazzling array of stats, there's also impressive investigative reporting ... rich food for thought, devastating figures, startling insights and even the odd joke ... A hugely important read

—— Christopher Hart , The Sunday Times

A call to raze the pastoral imaginary so that we can begin to think clearly about how we produce food and steward the soil ... To have any chance of turning the age of extinction into an age of regeneration, systemic reform, based on the facts, not pastoral myth-making, is essential

—— Philippa Nuttall , New Statesman

Colossally important... You've got to read it

—— Max Porter (via Twitter)

A treasure trove of hope and solutions, and a vision for a sustainable, healthy, equitable world. We meet inspiring farmers as well as some radical solutions ... Comprehensive, devastating, rousing ... An essential book

—— Rowan Hooper , New Scientist

Big ideas, beautifully written and the portraits of people building the alternatives are gorgeous! Makes you angry and enraptured with the beauty of the natural world all at once

—— Aaron Bastani (via Twitter)

A paean to the wonder that is the ecology of soil, scientifically informed and beautifully told. The perfect bank holiday read

—— Yadvinder Malhi, Professor of Ecosystem Science at the University of Oxford

Phenomenal. Clear, eloquent, fearless and devastating in its analysis. A revolution in the future of food

—— Adam Rutherford (via Twitter)

Glorious ... intelligent, deeply researched .... The point Monbiot makes so ably and so necessarily is that system change is both essential and possible through a complexity of solutions ... The stakes could not be higher. If a book can change hearts and minds about one of the most critical issues of our time, this rational, humane polemic is it

—— Gaia Vince , Observer

Revolutionary ... Rigorous, bold and clear-sighted ... To conjure the miracle of more food with less farming, we need to rethink what lies beneath our feet

—— David Farrier , Prospect

Vivid and memorable... Regenesis is a compelling, deeply researched account of a deeply broken food system and how we might heal it

—— Irish Times

A compelling story of soil, food and farming

—— Financial Times

Ambitious and deeply researched ... Monbiot exposes, with journalistic flair, the 'gulf between perception and reality' about where and how our food is produced ... it includes some fascinating case studies ... bristling with ideas and imagination

—— Laura Battle , Financial Times

Eye-opening, persuasive, meticulously researched [...] Monbiot thinks globally [... and] his arguments take account of the needs of everyone in society

—— Amy Liptrot , Guardian

A paean to soil, told more gracefully and memorably than anyone before him... Regenesis is likely to become a classic. Monbiot is a writer of the first rank

—— Bill McKibben , Times Literary Supplement

Inspiring, courageous, and bursting with ideas

—— Jeremy Williams , The Earthbound Report
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