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Ahead of Radio 2 Live In Hyde Park, world record breaking festival goer Greg Parmley shares his tips with Sara. We mark what would have been Freddie Mercury's 70th birthday in the Half-Wower, Moira Stuart returns with a Golden Oldie and Dr Jim Harris Pauses For Thought.

2 hours, 59 minutes

Last on

Mon 5 Sep 2016 06:30

Music Played

  • Ike & Tina Turner

    Nutbush City Limits

    • The Greatest Hits Of 1973 (Various).
    • EMI.
  • Betsy

    Lost & Found

    • (CD Single).
    • Warner Bros.
    • 001.
  • Cornershop

    Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook Remix)

    Remix Artist: Norman Cook.
    • The 1999 Brit Awards (Various Artists.
    • Columbia.
  • Altered Images

    Don't Talk to Me About Love

    • Wave Party (Various Artists).
    • Columbia.
  • Tom Odell

    Magnetised

    • (CD Single).
    • Columbia.
    • 1.
  • Katy Perry

    Firework

    • (CD Single).
    • Virgin.
    • 1.
  • Van Morrison

    Too Late

    • Keep Me Singing.
    • Exile.
  • Duffy

    Mercy

    • (CD Single).
    • A&M.
  • Bastille

    Killer (Radio 2 Session, 02 SEP 2016)

  • Gilbert Bécaud

    A Little Love & Understanding

    • The World Of Family Favourites Vol 2.
    • Decca.
  • John Newman

    Ole

    • (CD Single).
    • Island.
  • Cameo

    Word Up

    • Platinum - The Definitive R&B Collection (Various Artists).
    • Universal Music TV.
  • The Lumineers

    Ho Hey

    • The Lumineers.
    • Dualtone.
  • Blossoms

    Charlemagne

    • (CD Single).
    • Virgin EMI.
  • Queen

    Radio Ga Ga

    • Queen - Greatest Hits II.
    • Parlophone.
  • Lady Gaga

    Bad Romance

    • Now That's What I Call Music 75 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
    • 1.
  • Ace of Base

    All That She Wants

  • The Verve

    Lucky Man

    • Now 39 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • Coldplay

    A Head Full Of Dreams

    • (CD Single).
    • Parlophone.
  • Albert King & Booker T. & The M.G.'s

    Born Under A Bad Sign

    • The Blues Album (Various Artists).
    • Virgin.
  • Robert Parker

    Barefootin'

    • The 60's - Soul (Various Artists).
    • Knight Records.
  • Rick Astley

    Dance

    • (CD Single).
    • BMG.
    • 006.
  • Gregory Porter

    The In Crowd

    • Liquid Spirit.
    • Decca.
  • Stereophonics

    Have a Nice Day

    • Now 49 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • Daryl Hall & John Oates

    Private Eyes

    • Single Mixes.
    • RCA.
  • Lionel Richie

    Running With the Night

    • Body & Soul: Heart & Soul II (Variou.
    • Polygram Tv.
  • The Shires

    Beats To Your Rhythm

    • (CD Single).
    • Decca.
    • 001.
  • Beverley Knight

    Come as You Are

    • (CD Single).
    • Polydor.
  • TLC

    Waterfalls

    • (CD Single).
    • Laface.

Pause for Thought

Pause for Thought

Art Historian, Dr Jim Harris

Our house is full of arguments.  In this, I’m pretty sure we are no different from most families.  We argue over who sits where in the car.  We argue over who has the most roast potatoes.  We argue over football, homework, housework, and scrabble.

We argue mostly at table, when we eat, where the conversation might take in politics as well as roast potatoes, and the arguments are sometimes very heated.  We take arguing seriously. We yell.

However, I’ve also known families where there’s little or no arguing and it makes me feel as if I might perhaps be deeply dysfunctional and just dealing, shoutily, with my own, profound, unresolved anger issues.  I sometimes wonder whether I should just stop arguing altogether.

Then a few days ago I saw Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, being interviewed by fellow Pause for Thoughter Kate Bottley and taking questions from an audience of Christians at the Greenbelt Festival.  And as I listened, I heard the church unpack some of its dirty laundry as the Archbishop tried graciously to help sort through it.  The church, like our family, is full of arguments.

I wondered whether this should really be the case, so I looked in the Bible and I realised that in the long story of God and humanity, people have never stopped arguing.  And not just with each other.  They argued with God.

Abraham argued with God.  Gideon, the smallest member of the least important family in Israel argued with God.  Even St Peter argued with Jesus.   But what’s interesting is that in every case, God listened.  He didn’t just argue back louder.  And he didn’t storm off in a huff.  When Gideon walked out on God in the middle of an argument, God said, ‘I’ll wait until you return’.  And in that, God differs, crucially but unsurprisingly, from me and my family.  He usually wins as well, which differs from me quite a lot.

So I reckon I might usefully adopt God’s strategy - learn to listen, not just to argue. I may not succeed.  I haven't so far.  But I do have a renewed sense that if we, if I, listen to the other side of the argument then family life - to say nothing of public life - might be immeasurably improved.

But you can disagree with me if you like.

Broadcast

  • Mon 5 Sep 2016 06:30

Farewell Chris Evans: The best bits from his last shows at Radio 2

After eight years of hosting the Breakfast Show, Chris Evans leaves Radio 2.

500 Words

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 2's story-writing competition for kids.