Taxi for Richard Brautigan - MICHAEL CURRAN

2015-12-06: Jarvis takes us for a ride in a taxi, because this day in 1897, London became the first city to have licensed cabs. We learn some facts about taxis and pit the mighty 'Knowledge' against new-fangled sat-nav. Michael Curran of Tangerine Press talks to Jarvis about a new book of previously unpublished photographs of writer Richard Brautigan. They discuss Brautigan and his career, and Michael explains how he discovered the pictures. Plus, we mark the climate change conference in Paris with some inspirational icy music, and Jarvis remembers his trip to the north pole with Cape Farewell. Birthdays: Nick Park, Dave Brubeck and David Lovering.

GREEN GARTSIDE Sits In

2015-11-29: Green Gartside of Scritti Politti sits in while Jarvis is poorly. He brings with him a bag stuffed with records, assembled hurriedly and unified only by his love for them and his hope that the listeners will love some of them too. 

I Love You

2015-11-22: Following the recent terrorist attacks on Paris, Jarvis pays a heartfelt tribute to the city he loves. He plays a selection of upbeat French music, as well as a jamma session he performed with Serafina Steer, in which he records his personal experience of the events of that day and the emotions it stirred. On This Day: The Beatles released the White Album; Ravel's Boléro premiered in Paris; and the film Toy Story was released. Birthdays: Benjamin Britten, Karen O, Scarlett Johansson, Ethel Smith, Aston Barrett, Boris Becker, Billie Jean King and Tina Weymouth. 

JG Ballard Story

2015-11-15: It's sci-fi writer JG Ballard's birthday, so to celebrate, we listen to one of his short stories. Read by Patricia Brake, it's called Having a Wonderful Time and was first broadcast on BBC R4. It tells the tale of a couple who go on holiday to a beach paradise but slowly begin to discover that something sinister is afoot in their resort. The show matches the mood of the story with a theme of fever dreams, eerie nursery rhymes and spine-chilling lullabies. Jarvis also reminds listeners to get in their nominations for the JCSS Awards. Birthdays: Little Willie John, Richmal Crompton, CW McCall (we hear some CB radio jargon), Petula Clark, Daniel Barenboim (lecturing on how music is important for unifying people) and Peter Dickinson.