RADIO CHOICE

SOMETIMES, the simplest thing — as we hear in BORN IN BRADFORD (RADIO 4, 11AM) — can transform a child’s life. In Bradford, 14,000 mothers and children are taking part in a longrunning study into children’s mental and physical health; the study is a response to poor health and high childhood morbidity in the West Yorkshire city. Many complex problems are identified, but sometimes, it’s the small measures — such as ensuring a shortsighted child has glasses, safely stored at school — that can make a huge difference.

HUGH BONNEVILLE (pictured) is the presenter for a FRIDAY NIGHT IS MUSIC NIGHT (RADIO 2, 8PM) featuring songs and music from children’s classics of the stage and screen. The BBC Concert Orchestra will be joined by singers Joe Stilgoe, Louise

Dearman, Caroline Sheen and Michael Xavier, and the songs will include Thumbelina, Let It Go, The Ugly Duckling, Feed The Birds and Pure Imagination.

THIS week’s edition of THE VERB (RADIO 3,

10PM) is all about insomnia. It doesn’t set out to offer cures, but instead explores the experience of sleeplessness. Marina Benjamin, author of a book called Insomnia, is one of the contributors. She talks about her own growing awareness that insomnia can lead to creative inspiration and has found her way of coming to terms with sleepless nights.