Main content

Bette Midler, Neil MacGregor, Christmas ghost stories

John Wilson talks to Bette Midler about her new album and hears about British Museum director Neil MacGregor's final acquisition. Plus Christmas ghost stories and farewell to coal.

Bette Midler discusses her new album of love songs, her concerts with Barry Manilow in the gay bath houses of New York, and cuts up rough when he describes her film Beaches as a 'weepie'.

As Neil MacGregor bows out from his role as Director of the British Museum today after more than 13 years, in his final interview he discusses the Museum's last acquisition under his directorship. The Lampedusa Cross was made from the wreckage of a boat that sank off the coast of the small Italian island on 3rd October, 2013, while carrying refugees from Eritrea and Somalia with the loss of 350 lives. Neil MacGregor explains the importance of the artefact and reflects on his tenure at Britain's most-visited attraction.

It's Christmas so it's time to tell ghost stories - this year on television Neil Spring's novel Harry Price: Ghost Hunter has been adapted for ITV, while the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Dickensian draws on A Christmas Carol. Even Sherlock on New Year's Day will see him and Watson transported into their original Victorian setting for a ghoulish adventure. The writer Roger Clarke, author of A Natural History of Ghosts, has been contemplating where our fascination with ghosts comes from - as the winter equinox draws near.

Today the last deep coal mine in Britain, Kellingley Colliery, in Yorkshire closed. The last tonne of coal cut from the seam will not be going to a power station but to the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield, where it will be displayed next to portraits of the pit's last miners by the photographer Anton Want. Andy Smith, mine manager and acting director at the museum, reflects on how the industrial revolution is ending in an art installation.

Presenter John Wilson
Producer Julian May.

Available now

30 minutes

Chapters

  • Neil MacGregor

    Duration: 10:31

  • Bette Midler

    Duration: 10:00

  • Christmas ghost stories

    Duration: 04:25

  • Last Tonne of Coal

    Duration: 02:54

Neil MacGregor

Neil MacGregor

Neil MacGregor steps down as director of the today. He has held the post since August 2002.


Bette Midler

Bette Midler

s new album A Gift of Love is out now. Β 


Ghost Stories on TV

Ghost Stories on TV

begins on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One on Boxing Day at 7pm.

is on ITV on Sunday 27 December at 8.30pm.

Images: right – Stephen Rea in Dickensian, left - Rafe Spall in Harry Price: Ghost Hunter.

Last Tonne of Coal

Last Tonne of Coal
Kellingley : Last Tonne of Coal will be at theΒ  in Wakefield from early 2016.Β 

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter John Wilson
Interviewed Guest Neil MacGregor
Interviewed Guest Bette Midler
Interviewed Guest Roger Clark
Interviewed Guest Andy Smith

Broadcast

  • Fri 18 Dec 2015 19:15

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Arts Digital

The best of British culture live and on demand.

Inspire

Inspire

A season discovering where artists find inspiration and helping listeners get creative.

Podcast