Radio choice Charlotte Runcie

Conversations on a Bench RADIO 4, 9.00AM

 Anna Scott-brown returns with another run of her series in which she passes the time of day with strangers who sit next to her on benches. It opens with a rather poignant episode, as Scott-brown takes up residence on a bench in Sackville Gardens, in Manchester’s Gay Village. As she speaks to those around her, it is clear that the after-effects of the Manchester Arena bombing are never far away. The stories of the people of the area are then woven together in a poem of snatched moments and glimpsed lives by Andrew Mcmillan. Little Shop of Colours RADIO 4FM, 11.30AM

 In this hugely evocative documentary, artistic radio maker Cathy Fitzgerald grabs her microphone and heads to L Cornelissen & Son, a atmospheric little art supplies shop close to the British Museum. A “feast of colour and delight”, it’s described by enthusiasts as a witchy apothecary of possibilities, jars of potions and colours in tantalising combinations. Fitzgerald speaks to artists who shop here about why materials are so important and the myriad ways they can be used, that makes you want to reach for the nearest paintbrush.