Spring is in the Air
A collection of programmes and features heralding the return of Spring.
-
![]()
The Wind in the Willows
Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger's famous adventure dramatised and narrated by Alan Bennett. With Richard Briers and Derek Waring.
-
![]()
Tweet Take 5: The Curlew
An extended version of Tweet of the Day featuring the curlew with Andy Radford, Amy Liptrot and Martin Hughes-Games.
-
![]()
David Attenborough's Life Stories: Cuckoo
David Attenborough tells us how cuckoos get their eggs into the nests of other species.
-
![]()
Poetry Extra: Poems for the Spring Equinox
Daljit Nagra selects the best programmes from the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's poetry archive.
-
![]()
The Nature of Spring (Omnibus)
Nature writer Jim Crumley paints a captivating picture of Scotland’s wilderness in Spring.
-
![]()
Tweet Take 5: Great Spotted Woodpecker
An extended version of Tweet of the Day featuring the great spotted woodpecker.
Six life lessons from Ratty, Mole, Toad and Badger
As part of its Spring is in the Air season, Radio 4 Extra is revisiting Alan Bennett’s acclaimed National Theatre adaptation of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.
The story follows the animals’ shenanigans in the countryside, getting one another out of scrapes and learning a thing or two on the way. Over a century since the book was first published, there are still many important life lessons we can take from these four unlikely friends. Read Six life lessons from Ratty, Mole, Toad and Badger here.
-
![]()
Ladies Of Letters Spring Clean (Omnibus)
A heart attack, Australia and a medical scandal turn up in this comedy of emails.
-
![]()
Ayres on the Air: Spring
Spring cleaning and more: Pam Ayres' poetry and sketches with Felicity Montagu and Geoffrey Whitehead.
-
![]()
Drama: Steve Waters – Saving the Blue
A man attempts to prevent the extinction of one of the UK's most iconic butterflies.
-
![]()
140 Characters: Songbirds by Oliver Emanuel
A young man, devastated by a messy relationship break-up, finds solace in bird watching.
-
![]()
Book of the Week: Life in the Garden by Penelope Lively
Penelope Lively's memoir of her life in gardens is read by Stephanie Cole.
-
![]()
Ramblings: The Cotswold Way
Clare Balding walks with Graham Hoyland and Gina Waggott along the Cotswold Way.
-
![]()
Rites of Spring
Naturalists, poets, artists and composers have all been inspired by spring. Richard Mabey talks to some of them.
-
![]()
The Flower Fields
Michael Bird explores the tiny, beautiful, flower fields of west Cornwall and the Scillies.
-
![]()
Great Gardens: Gertrude Jekyll
Penelope Keith meets with James Wong, Catherine Horwood and Annabel Watts at the home of the great garden designer.
-
![]()
Living World: Dymock Daffodils
Paul Evans revels in the blooming of spring daffodils at Dymock in Gloucestershire.
-
![]()
Tweet Take 5: Song Thrush
An extended version of Tweet of the Day featuring the song thrush.
-
![]()
Short Cuts: Early Spring
Josie Long presents adventures in sound inspired by the Rilke poem Early Spring.
-
![]()
Spring Clean Symphony
Love it or hate it? Nina Perry brings to light the musicality, rituals and personal stories of the spring clean.
-
![]()
Mark Watson Talks a Bit About Life
Spring: Mark Watson continues his doomed quest to understand the world.
-
![]()
A Hundred Years of British Birds
Brett Westwood explores the history of the British Birds journal and its impact on the growth of birdwatching.
Neat! Spring cleaning tips from around the world
During the first period of quarantine, we were all energetically gung-ho with our good intentions.
We planned to learn various languages, write that novel and, perhaps most importantly, regularly scrub and sanitise the domiciles we were spending so much more time in.
But according to a report on Radio 4’s You and Yours, our lust for dusting during the current lockdown might be slightly on the wane.
So, as Radio 4 Extra starts its own Spring is in the Air season, we encourage all of you to get those pelmets pristine, taking some inspiration from these global cleaning traditions and methods.