Seriously..‪.‬ BBC Radio 4

In today’s ever-evolving digital world, social media can sometimes feel like a frightening place. But is it all bad? As our online and offline lives are becoming increasingly blurred perhaps it is time we looked at the ways social media can be used for good?

Ruby Rare is a sex educator and author who has delivered relationships and sex education workshops to all ages up and down the country.

Ruby speaks to a group of teens about the ways they use social media to fill the gaps left by their formal sex education, and parents about their concerns around young people learning about sex and relationships online. We hear from a number of ‘sexperts’ who address some of the dangers of young people not accessing good sex education and professionals who are using online platforms to provide comprehensive and inclusive sex education for the 21st century.

With contributions from:

Ben Hurst from Beyond Equality, Professor Jessica Ringrose, Eliza Bell from Brook, Genevieve Collister Brown, Dr Tanaya Narendra, Sophia Smith-Galer and Melissa Pintor Carnagey from Sex Positive Families.

Presenter: Ruby Rare
Producer: Anna de Wolff Evans
Sound Design: David Thomas

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4

It was a night of intense negotiation which would change the world order as Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons.

Clive Myrie examines what was at stake in Budapest in 1994, how the deal was finally reached and how it went on to shape the world we face today.

Three decades ago, the newly independent country of Ukraine was briefly the third-biggest nuclear power on the planet. Thousands of nuclear arms had been left on Ukrainian soil after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But in the years that followed, Ukraine made the decision to denuclearise.

As Ukraine fights for its continued independence and the world hopes to stave off a catastrophic acceleration of nuclear weapons activity, Clive finds out how that agreement was negotiated and interpreted – and what it says about the situation we find ourselves in today.

He talks to negotiators and others with an interest in those important diplomatic discussions 28 years ago.

Producer: Ashley Byrne
A Made in Manchester production for BBC Radio 4

June 1972 saw the release of David Bowie’s album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars which propelled the South London singer to stardom.

Bowie’s creation of the Ziggy Stardust persona was more than just a whimsical costume change, the whole concept had a meticulously planned gestation period and evolved many facets of his creativity.

In a Melody Maker interview in January 1972, a few months before the album’s release, Bowie openly discussed his bisexuality. Back then, it was a radical and potentially career harming gesture, but it became a defining moment for many gay people around the world.

In this Archive on 4, Tris Penna, who worked alongside Bowie at EMI Records, assesses the origins of the album, artists Michael Weller and George Underwood discuss their schooldays and early friendship with Bowie, and Ziggy Stardust co-producer Ken Scott recalls the studio experience.

“Young dude” Wendy Kirby, record plugger Anya Wilson, and former music exec Laurence Myers remember their time with “Ziggy” and singer Marc Almond talks movingly about the profound impact of Ziggy on his life.

Singer and actor Toyah Wilcox talks about the creative inspiration Bowie has had for her since the age of 12, and brings the reviews of the time alive.

The programme also includes rare archive material including a lost Bowie interview (as Ziggy) recorded in the Top of the Pops dressing room, a 1972 press conference, and insightful reflections from former band members Mick Ronson and Trevor Bolder.

We also hear studio outtakes – as well as a lost BBC session version of the title song.

Producers: Tris Penna and Sue Clark
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Join Rachel Hurdley as she opens the front door to step into a story of security, sociability, style and even the supernatural. The front door may seem to be just a simple way of coming in and out of a house, but it almost always reveals more about the householder than they might expect. The style of door, its colour, the letter box, doorbell, even perhaps the house name, are all chosen to present an image to the outside world. In this programme, Rachel reveals how to interpret a front door and how developments in their design and use over the centuries reflect social changes. Rachel starts at Chepstow Castle, where she admires what’s thought to be the oldest castle door in Europe and finds out why it was built to provide a strong deterrent to intruders; at the moated manor house of Baddesley Clinton she discovers how Medieval and Tudor home owners used their doors to ward off evil spirits; in Bath she goes back to the time of Jane Austen to hear about the social etiquette of paying a visit; moving forward to the 19th century she learns why the Victorians loved to put a house name on their front door; and finally she visits the Becontree Estate in East London and sees how the building boom of the 1920s and 30s meant many families had their own front door for the first time. Interviewees: * Sonia Solicari, Director of The Museum of the Home https://www.museumofthehome.org.uk/ * Jonathan Glancey, Architectural Writer and Historian * Will Davies, Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Cadw, spoke at Chepstow Castle https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/chepstow-castle * James Wright, Buildings Archaeologist, spoke at Baddesley Clinton https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/baddesley-clinton * Elaine Chalus, Professor of British History at the University of Liverpool, spoke at No. 1 Royal Crescent https://no1royalcrescent.org.uk/ * Laura Wright, Professor of English Language at the University of Cambridge and author of ‘Sunnyside: A History of British House Names’ * Bill Jennings, former resident and Housing Manager, spoke on the Becontree Estate
Presenter: Rachel Hurdley
Producer: Louise Adamson
Executive Producer: Samir Shah

Shah A Juniper Connect production for BBC Radio 4

After a frightening incident of sexual assault while birding, BBC Springwatch naturalist Lucy Lapwing visits four women to try to rekindle her passion for being alone in nature. Birdwatching has always been joyous for Lucy. Her pockets are always stuffed with nature's treasures, such as acorns, feathers, and owl pellets. However, there’s now one extra item she always keeps reassuringly within reach. While she was birdwatching alone, a man exposed himself to her and videoed her reaction, so now Lucy always carries an anti-assault Defence Spray. The incident has left her wary and anxious. She puts her back to a tree when looking through binoculars. She no longer talks to male fellow birders, actively avoiding them from a distance. She is "so angry" that she feels unsafe in nature - a place she had hitherto regarded as unquestionably "her realm". In Clipped Wings, Lucy ventures outdoors with four women whose hobbies and pursuits regularly take them alone into nature: mountain biking, backpacking, running and birding. Lucy talks to former professional mountain biker and Scotland’s Active Nation Commissioner Lee Craigie, Ali Ogden, who runs backpacking events across the Scottish Highlands, long-distance runner Catriona Bruce, and ecologist and birdwatcher Sorrel Lyall. What abuse or dangers have they encountered in pursuit of their passion? How do they mitigate risks? How would they like men to behave when encountering a lone woman in nature? And what advice, support, or solidarity can these four supportive peers offer, to help Lucy assuage her fears and get her love of birdwatching back on track? Producer: Jac Phillimore Sound Design: Joel Cox A Bespoken Media production for BBC Radio 4

Aidy Smith has Tourette Syndrome - commonly thought of as a swearing disorder. But in reality, 90% of people with Tourette’s don't swear. Over the decades, popular culture has built up a skewed picture of Tourette Syndrome. Documentaries have focused on those with extreme symptoms and Coprolalia. Hollywood movies have used it as a means of manufacturing cheap laughs. Comedians have used it as a punchline. In this programme, Aidy meets people with incredible talents and successful careers who have overcome the struggles and the stigma. People like Pete Bennet, who rose to fame in 2006 after winning the seventh series of the Channel 4 reality show Big Brother, and Dr Wilson Tsai, a thoracic surgeon in the US who hopes to inspire others by sharing how martial arts and practicing medicine gave him confidence and a sense of worth.
A Rosa production for BBC Radio 4
BBC Action Line support: Tourettes Action provides confidential and impartial support to adults and children living with Tourette Syndrome. Live chat available www.tourettes-action.org.uk
The Brain Charity provides help and support to people with conditions affecting the brain, spine and nervous system, including Tourette’s syndrome. Phone: 0800 008 6417 https://www.thebraincharity.org.uk/ Information from the NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tourettes-syndrome/