

Saturday Live
BBC Radio 4
Join Adrian Chiles for a Saturday morning full of remarkable people with extraordinary stories.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 9, 2013 • 1h 25min
Dr Michael Dixon, director of the Natural History Museum and the Inheritance Tracks of singer Katie Melua
Sian Williams and Richard Coles with Dr Michael Dixon, the Director of the Natural History Museum, The Inheritance Tracks of singer Katie Melua, the sounds of a 20 ton Wurlitzer organ in a Chorleywood living room, a trip around the Powell-Cotton Museum in Kent, a ramble up and across Dunkery Beacon on Exmoor, the story of a woman who was abandoned in Hong Kong as a baby in the 1960's and sent to the UK for adoption, a couple with Albinism discussing their condition and JP Devlin talking to a grateful nation.
Producer: Chris Wilson.

Feb 2, 2013 • 1h 25min
Richard Curtis; Murray Lachlan Young; John McCarthy and Meredith Hooper; Ben Elton's Inheritance Tracks
Sian Williams & Richard Coles live from the BBC Radio Theatre in London's Broadcasting House with screenwriter & director Richard Curtis, poet Murray Lachlan Young, Annie Hutchinson who arrived in the UK 10 years ago with just £62 to her name and is now turning neglected houses into comfortable homes for children and their families, and Edward Adoo whose love of London buses led him to a career as a DJ. John McCarthy talks to Antarctic explorer Meredith Hooper, Sylvia Hopwood describes the sound of Star Ferry bell in Hong Kong, comedian Ben Elton shares his Inheritance Tracks and JP Devlin mingles with the crowds.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

Jan 26, 2013 • 1h 25min
Sean Hughes; John McCarthy with Robin Hanbury-Tenison; Tamasin Day-Lewis's Inheritance Tracks
Sian Williams and Richard Coles with comedian and writer Sean Hughes, 100 year old Violet Coleman palliative care nurse Katherine Hopkins, and Marc Roberts who had brain surgery while fully conscious. There's a feature on the British Water Tower Appreciation Society, John McCarthy with explorer Robin Hanbury-Tenison, a Crowdscape from Portsmouth and Tamasin Day-Lewis's Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Harry Parker.

Jan 19, 2013 • 1h 25min
Cartoonist Martin Rowson and the Inheritance Tracks of Radio 4's Charlotte Green
Richard Coles and Sian Williams talk to cartoonist Martin Rowson, hear from Jess Eaton, an artist who reconstructs road kill as fashion items, speak to Stephen Hook, the Sussex dairy farmer who's the star of a film at the Sundance Festival in Utah, listen to the wonderful warbling of a whistling busker on the London Underground, enjoy the Inheritance Tracks of Radio 4's Charlotte Green who is leaving the BBC after a distinguished career, revel in the quiet spaces of London with John McCarthy and sail into the sunset with Commodore Mark Wiggins as he describes his 200 year old sextant
Producer Chris Wilson.

Jan 12, 2013 • 1h 25min
Baroness Scotland, John McCarthy in Stratford-upon-Avon, Arlene Phillips in Manchester, Trevor Nunn's Inheritance Tracks
Richard Coles and Sian Williams with former Attorney General Baroness Scotland, art detective Christopher Marinello who has recently recovered a Matisse that has been missing for 25 years, and Giselle Eagle and Richard Brown who are about to be castaway on a remote island. JP Devlin takes a Daytrip with Arlene Phillips CBE, and Patricia Purvis tells the story of a locket lost and found. John McCarthy goes in search of the bits of Stratford-upon-Avon that aren't dominated by Shakespeare and director Trevor Nunn shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

Jan 5, 2013 • 1h 25min
Businesswoman and former lawyer Margaret Mountford and the Inheritance Tracks of Madness frontman Suggs
Richard Coles and Sian Williams with businesswoman and lawyer Margaret Mountford, plus an actress who lost lots of weight and then found her work had dried up, the Inheritance Tracks of Madness front man Suggs, a look behind the scenes at 'The Famous' a menswear shop in Cheltenham that's closing its doors after 126 years, a builder whose family company is still around after 422 years, the evocative sound of an Italian coffee machine, Benedict Allen talking to his cousin Charles about their mutual lives in travel and a man who knows a great deal about paper.Producer: Chris Wilson.

Dec 29, 2012 • 1h 25min
Aggie MacKenzie; Ralph McTell; The Archers; Russell Grant's Inheritance Tracks
John McCarthy and Suzy Klein with journalist and broadcaster Aggie MacKenzie, Martin Green who was Head of Ceremonies at the 2012 Olympics and Andrew Parker who was 'the human bridge' during the Zeebrugge ferry disaster. Felicity Finch reveals the Secret Life of the Archers, poet Luke Wright offers a festive rhyme, travel writer Adrian Mourby describes Kosice, one of the 2013 European Capitals of Culture, singer Ralph McTell takes us by the hand and leads us through the streets of London, and celebrity astrologer Russell Grant shares his Inheritance TracksProducer: Dixi Stewart.

Dec 22, 2012 • 1h 25min
Sanjeev Bhaskar and Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson's Inheritance Tracks
Sian Williams and Richard Coles talk to actor and writer Sanjeev Bhaskar who's appearing in a Christmas TV special of 'Outnumbered', hold a poetry prescription surgery to solicit listeners requests for poems about solitude with William Seighart the founder of National Poetry Day, hear from Derek Amato who hit his head in a swimming accident, lost part of his memory and awoke able to play the piano brilliantly, dig the furious sound of the 'fuzz box' in our regular feature 'soundsculpture', listen to the thoughts of soldiers at Headley Court Defence Medical Rehabilitation Unit who are recovering from injuries sustained on active duty, listen to Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson's Inheritance Tracks, thrill to the atmosphere of Hawksmoor Churches in East London, with John McCarthy and writer Iain Sinclair, and jump with joy to John Sessions' imagining Al Pacino at Christmas.Producer: Chris Wilson.

Dec 15, 2012 • 1h 25min
Lee Mack, Fiona Shaw Inheritance Tracks, John McCarthy, Paul O'Grady
Sian Williams and Richard Coles with comedian Lee Mack talking about his life before and after he made it as comic and Paul O'Grady on his enthusiasm for home remedies. Paul Hodgkinson walked to all 92 Football League grounds as his sight deteriorated and John McCarthy travelled on Leighton Buzzard's miniature steam railway with travel writer Monisha Rajesh who journeyed round India by train. Michael Sanderson explains why he stockpiles goods and necessities for a terrible eventuality, Ruth Keeling tells why she is never without her Granny's sewing kit and the actor Fiona Shaw chooses her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Harry Parker.

Dec 8, 2012 • 1h 25min
Richard Coles and Sian Williams with Pam Ayres and the Inheritance Tracks of Neil Sedaka
Sian Williams and Richard Coles meet Pam Ayres, talk to artist Annie Morgan who can't stop painting, etching and sculpting- a compulsion that began after she tried to take her own life by jumping under a train, hear from former Flt Lt Alan Pollock who remembers his time in the RAF- he abruptly left in 1968 having decided to fly his Hunter fighter bomber under Tower Bridge on the river Thames, follow up on last week's discussion about squatting with former squatter Rosie Ellis, find out why on earth J.P. Devlin went to Hackney with Les McKeown of The Bay City Rollers, swoon to Neil Sedaka's Inheritance Tracks and thrill to Benedict Allen musing on the pleasures of 'dangerous' travel.Producer: Chris Wilson.