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Sara sits in for Chris and is joined by broadcaster Peter Snow ahead of Trainspotting Live on Â鶹Éç Four. Plus there's thirty minutes of non-stop music in the Half Wower and our first Pause for Thought of the week comes from Remona Aly.

2 hours, 59 minutes

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Music Played

  • The Pointer Sisters

    Jump (For My Love)

    • The Best Of The Pointer Sisters.
    • RCA.
  • Ward Thomas

    Carry You Home

    • (CD Single).
    • Sony Music.
  • Chic

    Everybody Dance

    • The Last Days Of Disco (Film Soundtra.
    • Columbia.
  • Coldplay

    Hymn For The Weekend (feat. µþ±ð²â´Ç²Ô³¦Ã©)

    • A Head Full Of Dreams.
    • Parlophone.
  • Muse

    Starlight

    • (CD Single).
    • Warner Bros.
  • Pretenders

    Don't Get Me Wrong

    • Fantastic 80's - 3 (Various Artists).
    • Sony Tv/Columbia.
  • Bryan Adams

    Don't Even Try

    • (CD Single).
    • Polydor.
    • 001.
  • Katy Perry

    Roar

    • (CD Single).
    • Capitol.
    • 1.
  • Dodgy

    The Night (Radio 2 Session, 8th July 2016)

  • R. Kelly

    Ignition (Remix)

    • (CD Single).
    • Jive.
  • Wings

    Let 'Em In

    • The 7" Singles Box.
    • MPL.
  • ABC

    The Flames Of Desire

    • (CD Single).
    • EMI.
    • 001.
  • Stevie Wonder

    Sir Duke

    • Stevie Wonder - Song Review.
    • Motown.
  • Mumford & Sons

    Believe

    • (CD Single).
    • Island.
  • The Who

    I Can't Explain

    • The Who Hits 50! (Deluxe Edition).
    • Polydor.
    • 002.
  • Michael Jackson

    Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough

    • Michael Jackson - History.
    • Epic.
  • DeBarge

    Rhythm Of The Night

    • Dancing In The Street (Various Artis.
    • Universal Music Tv.
  • Stardust

    Music Sounds Better With You

    • Now 41 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • Oasis

    Whatever

    • Smash Hits '95 (Various Artists).
    • Telstar.
  • Bastille

    Good Grief

    • (CD Single).
    • Universal Music.
  • Gloria Jones

    Tainted Love

    • The Best Northern Soul All-Nighter (V.
    • Virgin.
  • Canned Heat

    On The Road Again

    • The Hits Of 1968 (Various Artists).
    • MFP.
  • Dinah Washington

    Mad About The Boy

    • Mixed Emotions III (Various Artists).
    • Polygram Tv.
  • Iggy Pop

    Lust For Life

    • Cigarettes And Alcohol: 40 Modern Anthems (Various Artists).
    • Columbia.
  • New Order

    People On The High Line

    • (CD Single).
    • Mute.
    • 1.
  • The Feeling

    Love It When You Call

    • (CD Single).
    • Universal.
  • Five Star

    System Addict

    • Fantastic 80's - 3 (Various Artists).
    • Sony Tv/Columbia.
  • The Cult

    She Sells Sanctuary

    • The Cult - Pure Cult: The Singles.
    • Beggars Banquet.
  • Foy Vance

    Coco

    • (CD Single).
    • Gingerbread Man Records.
  • TLC

    Waterfalls

    • (CD Single).
    • Laface.
  • The Housemartins

    Happy Hour

    • Now That's What I Call Quite Good.
    • Go! Discs.
  • Phil Collins

    You Can't Hurry Love

    • Singles.
    • Rhino.

Pause for Thought

Pause for Thought
From Remona Aly, freelance journalist and editor:


Just outside my bedroom window is a thing of beauty, charm and romance. Sadly, it’s not a Romeo figure telling me ‘Tis the east and Remona is the sun’, but it is something a lot more grounded.  Rooted firmly in our garden, with branches stretched out like open arms, stands an apple tree that is over a hundred years old.  I’ve seen pictures of my dad in his bachelor days hanging upside down from it, aunties in silk saris posing amid its branches, and two generations later, my nieces run circles around it, their young giggles orbiting its wrinkled bark.

This tree has seen my sister’s wedding, my father’s wake, and seen friends of all backgrounds share memories together beneath its lofty leaves.  Every year without fail, our tree bows in humility under the weight of scores of apples.  Our old neighbour used to make apple pies out of it, my mum makes her famous apple crumble, and our rubbish collectors even look forward to gleaning the fruit to give to their families and friends.

Once in the middle of the night, it was deadly quiet and deeply dark - but I was restless. I couldn’t sleep. I heard a gentle thud. One of the apples was ripe and ready to part ways with the tree, and had fallen onto the dewy grass.  It struck me that no one else in the entire world, not one creature apart from me, the tree and God knew that that apple fell to the ground at that moment. It made me feel special, significant, and like I was in on a secret.

There’s a quote in the Quran that says ‘Not a leaf falls without God's knowledge '. That apple falling made me understand the simplicity and the magnitude of those words. Every memory that tree has seen, every person that’s clambered up its branches, every apple crumble it’s made, it knows each one intimately, even though I too often take it all for granted. The tree reminds me of the seasons of life, and to appreciate every moment, rain or sun, fruits or none, until the day I fall like that apple in a gentle thud to the ground.

Broadcast

  • Mon 11 Jul 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

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