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Zoe Ball sits in and chats to Mark Radcliffe and Mr Onion!

Zoe's retro guest is Mr Onion, one of the leprechaun duo Sage and Onion, from Alive and Kicking. Plus, we wake up Mark Radcliffe to hear how the folkies party hardest!

Zoe Ball continues her week sitting in for Mr Evans and catches up with another favourite from children's TV.

This morning's retro guest is Mr Onion, one of the leprechaun duo Sage & Onion (and Zoe's old friend from Alive & Kicking!)

We wake up Mark Radcliffe to hear how the folkies party hardest, following last night's Radio 2 awards bash, and we enjoy your six word reviews of the BRITS.

Plus, there's milk and cake to accompany Zoe, Dan and Jools' 500 WORDS stories!

2 hours, 59 minutes

Music Played

  • Ashford & Simpson

    Solid

    • The 80's Love Album (Various Artists).
    • Virgin.
    • 2.
  • Aswad

    Shine

    • Now 1994 - The Millennium Series.
    • EMI.
  • Aztec Camera

    Oblivious

    • The Best Of Aztec Camera.
    • Warner E.S.P..
  • Bellowhead

    Roll The Woodpile Down - Live at the Â鶹Éç Radio 2 Folk Awards 2014

  • Booker T. & The M.G.'s

    Green Onions

    • Atlantic Soul (Various Artists).
    • Warner E.S.P..
  • Jake Bugg

    A Song About Love

    • (CD Single).
    • EMI.
    • 001.
  • Electronic

    Getting Away With It...

    • (CD Single).
    • Factory Records.
  • Go West

    We Close Our Eyes

    • Now 1985 - The Millennium Series.
    • EMI.
  • Daryl Hall & John Oates

    Out Of Touch

    • Collections.
    • Sony.
  • George Harrison

    What Is Life

    • George Harrison: All Things Must Pass.
    • Parlophone.
    • 11.
  • INXS

    New Sensation

    • INXS - Kick.
    • Mercury.
  • Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

    I Love Rock 'n' Roll

    • Joan Jett - I Love Rock 'n' Roll.
    • Blackheart.
  • Elton John

    Your Song

    • Diamonds.
    • Virgin EMI Records.
  • Nick Lowe

    I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass

    • The Best Of Nick Lowe.
    • Demon Records.
    • 6.
  • Mike Oldfield

    Sailing

    • (CD Single).
    • Mercury.
    • 001.
  • Brad Paisley

    The Mona Lisa

    • Wheelhouse.
    • Arista.
    • 001.
  • The Police

    Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

    • Ones On 1 (Radio 1 21st Birthday Albu.
    • Â鶹Éç.
  • Prince

    1999

    • 4Ever.
    • Warner Bros.
  • Lionel Richie

    Hello

    • Lionel Richie: Truly - The Love Song.
    • Motown.
  • Bruce Springsteen

    Just Like Fire Would

    • High Hopes.
    • Columbia.
    • 001.
  • Lisa Stansfield

    Carry On

    • (CD Single).
    • Monkeynatra.
    • 001.
  • Sugar Ray

    Every Morning

    • (CD Single).
    • Lava/Atlantic.
  • The Supremes

    You Keep Me Hangin' On

    • Diana Ross & The Supremes - 40 Motown.
    • Polygram Tv.
  • Sweet

    Ballroom Blitz

    • The Sweet - Originals.
    • RCA.
  • T. Rex

    By The Light Of A Magical Moon

  • Tin Tin Out

    Here's Where The Story Ends (feat. Shelley Nelson)

    • (CD Single).
    • Virgin.
  • U2

    Invisible

    • (CD Single).
    • Island.
    • 001.

Pause for Thought

Pause for Thought

From Rabbi Pete Tobias of the Liberal Synagogue, Elstree:

Ìý

If you’re here, Zoe, it must be half-term. I kind of know that because I’ve not had any invitations to talk to year 5 children about Judaism this week, which happens when R.E. turns up in the National Curriculum.

Ìý

When I was in year 5 (or third year Juniors as we called it in my day) I asked many questions. It was the ones to my rabbi that got me into the most trouble. He would tell us bible stories and I would infuriate him by saying that I didn’t really believe a story like the six day creation or the plagues of the Exodus. Eventually he said to me ‘If you don’t believe those stories are true, then you’re not really Jewish!’

Ìý

I won’t bore you with the story of how I got from there to being a Liberal rabbi. But when I talk to children I make sure to explain my attitude to the bible. On a recent visit one child asked how I could be a rabbi if I didn’t believe everything in the bible was true.

Ìý

My reply went something like this. ‘For me, true religion isn’t about believing that ancient stories and rules are absolutely true. It’s about recognising that those stories were the result of people thousands of years ago trying to make sense of their world as they saw it, and the rules they made reflected that. Of course I explain that the bible operates on several levels: there’s poetry, stories to inspire us and some wonderful moral teachings that are not limited to the biblical world, but can still apply to ours. Nevertheless, we understand more about our world, so we know some of their ideas just weren’t right. But that’s not the important bit. The important bit is to work out what were the questions they asked about their world that gave them those answers – and ask those same questions about ours.’

Ìý

Or, as the Liberal Jewish prayerbook puts it: Religion is ‘…the questions we ask and the answers we receive when we try to understand what God requires of us.’ Not an easy lesson to teach. But I think it’s one that children – and maybe even grown-ups - can understand.

Broadcast

  • Thu 20 Feb 2014 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

Â鶹Éç Radio 2's story-writing competition for kids.