RADIO CHOICE

THE MAMLUKS were a warrior caste who came to power in medieval Egypt. Despite originally being bought as slaves, from southern Europe and the Slavic nations, the Mamluks had high status, and held sway across Egypt, Mesopotamia and through to India for centuries. This ten-part epic TUMANBAY (RADIO 4, 2.15PM), from John Dryden, tells the story of the Mamluk dynasty.

JOHN TAMS’S version of Over The Hills And Far Away was a bit of a musical mainstay for Sean Bean’s Sharpe series. Mr Bean would plod among the dead of some recent battle, while John’s voice would sing poignantly in the background. John joins Mark Radcliffe’s THE FOLK SHOW (RADIO 2, 7PM) to receive a gold badge from the English Folk Dance and Song Society for his work in

English folk music during a wonderful 50-year career.

PSYCHIATRIST Ann York takes a personal look at diagnosis for FOUR THOUGHT (RADIO 4,

8.45PM). She describes how she now feels very differently about the process of giving a diagnosis since she’s been on the receiving end.

SAMANTHA SPIRO (pictured) delivers this monologue LITTLE LIFETIMES (RADIO 4, 11PM), written by Jenny Eclair. It tells the story of Beverley, who works in a children’s shoe department and is obsessed with her customers’ feet.