With Bishop RoyWilliamson

Frank Delaney reflects on the timeless words used i n prayer - from the Dark Ages to today - as part of Radio 4's celebration of 1,000 Years of Spoken English. Producer Simon Elmes

Richard Uridge explores the architecture of the British countryside.
Producer Gabi Fisher. Repeated Thursday 1.30pm

With James Naughtie and Edward Stourton.
7.25,8.25 Sports News
7.45 Thought for the Day With the Prince of Wales

Enjoy the beginning of the new year with no resolutions, no clever hangoverjokes and no turkey sandwiches. Just John Peel with a bit of Louise Rennison thrown in for good measure. Producer Chris Berthoud. PHONE: [number removed]
E-MAIL: home.truths@bbc.co.uk

Ned Sherrin presents a special edition with guests predicting the future in politics, science, music and language, and with live music from the Divine Comedy.
Producers Jayne Gibson , Julian Mayersand EmilyWhisk

We tend to assume that art progresses and that the avant-garde work of today constitutes an inventiveness that is totally original. But a visit to one of the many caves decorated by Ice Age artists from around 20,000 years ago shows that the idea of modern art predated not only this century but also this millennium. With Robert McNab. Repeated from yesterday 10pm

Kate Adie presents insight and analysis from Correspondents worldwide. Producer Tony Grant

From the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, led by Canon Stephen Oliver , beginning and ending with the sound of cathedral bells ringing out over the City of London. With the St Paul's Cathedral
Choir. Brother James' Air; Forthe Beauty of the Earth (Rutter); Lift Thine Eyes (Mendelssohn). Revelation 21, wl-6.

Church bells across Britain ring call changes and peals from noon to celebrate the millennium. With Canon Stephen Oliver. Producer JanetMcLarty

Simon Hoggart invites Alan Coren ,
Andy Hamilton , Jeremy Hardy and Linda Smith to feast on a satirical selection box from the past 1,000 years. Repeated from yesterday 6.30pm

Life, Love and the Law. Novelist, playwright and QC Sir John Mortimer and friends entertain before an invited audience at the BBC Radio Theatre, London. With Richard Briers , Sinead Cusack and Joanna David.
Piano Christine Croshaw. Flute Clive Conway
Producer Catherine Bailey. Director Marilyn Imrie

LibbyPurves presents an anthology of words, music and interviews to mark the century's preoccupation with seafaring.
Producer Emma Kingsley. Repeated tomorrow 8pm

Clare Chambers's book, winner of the Romantic Novel of 1999, is dramatised by Catherine Czerkawska.

Abigail believes that she has banished the ghost of her first love affair and the catastrophe that ended it, but 13 years later a chance encounter forces her to acknowledge that the spell is far from broken.
(Repeated next Saturday)

Alan Dein tours Britain -from a Festival of Britain show flat opposite the Millennium Dome to the Northumberland coast - to hear testimonies that will not appear in official chronicles of the century. Repeated from yesterday 9pm

Just how secular are we in Britain today? Does the steady decline in church attendance really mean we are abandoning religion, or are our spiritual needs finding new forms of expression? The Rev Ernest Rae examines the true state of Britain's faith. Producer Amanda Hancox. Repeated tomorrow 12.15am

Full coverage and analysis of the day's news, plus the sports headlines. Presented by Dan Damon.

Brian Sibley with the big picture on the world of film, including the guide to films on television.
Producer Simon Elmes. WRITE TO: Talking Pictures, BBC Radio 4, London. W1A 1AA. E-MAIL: talking.pictures@bbc.co.uk

Boothby Graffoe stars in a comedy programme of monologues, sketches, straw polls and songs. With Simon Evans , Vivienne Soan, Big Al and special guest Glen Tilbrook. Producer Lucy Armitage

Sparkling entertainment from Luscombe and McKee, live from the Radio Theatre. Starring Clive Francis, Josephine Tewson, Simon Green, Christopher Luscombe, Cathy Sara and Malcolm McKee. Director Sue Wilson.

Patricia Hodge and John Standingjoin
Christopher Cook and eminent others in celebrating Noel Coward 's life and work. Producer Ned Chaillet

A Noel Coward double bill.

Fumed Oak
Adapted by Malcolm McKee.
A snivelling daughter, a slovenly nagging wife and a hideous mother-in-law dominate Henry Gow's life. In 1930s South London, domestic revolt is about to take place.
With Stephanie Cole, David Bamber, Janine Duvitski, Malcolm McKee and Teresa Gallagher Director Sue Wilson.

Family Album
Autumn 1860, and the Featherways family gather to hear the will of their deceased father. As the Madeira flows, the memories become less rosy, and Burrows is summoned to open the mysterious trunk from the attic.
With Roger Allam, Josephine Tewson, Teresa Gallagher, Christopher Scott, Cathy Sara, John Duttlne, Belinda Sinclair, Andrew Wincott, Roger May and Malcolm McKee.
Musicians: Paul Arden Taylor, Audrey Douglas, Katherine Gittings, Suzanne Walden, Kevin Waterman and Malcolm McKee. Director Sue Wilson.
Programme of the Week: page 143

Coward's companion, the actor Graham Payne , caps the Coward evening with reminiscences of his life with the dramatist and actor. Adapted by Barry Day. Producer Ned Chaillet

Timothy West reads from the Book of Revelation as presenter Peter Stanford explores how the last book in the Bible is being interpreted by fundamentalist Christians awaiting the end of the world. Repeated from Wednesday

Valentine Cunningham tells how Fred Gaisberg became the most important figure in the early history Of the music business. Repeated from Tuesday

In this special programme of poetry written by under-18s, Michael Rosen sees the world through the eyes of the next generation. Repeated from Sunday

By Patrick O'Brian , read by Liam O'Callaghan.
When he is invited to shoot pigeons at a country estate, a former Second World Warfighter pilot is haunted by memories of death and his vow never to kill again . Producer Roland Jaquarello