Wonderful! Thank you vee, for letting us know.

Is that time -- 10:45 am -- 5 hours earlier in the USA?

Can I download it later if I can't listen at that time?

Veer: Thanks for the alert, and the link!

lauramarie, we in the UK are 5 hours ahead of you on the Eastern US. You should be able to download each episode for up to one week after it is broadcast. I say 'should' because I have a friend in Toronto who claims not to be able to pick up programmes from the BBC via her computer. I know there are some restrictions to do with copyright etc but would be interested to know if RP'ers are unable to hear the excellent and very varied drama output from the Beeb.

I would have to double and triple check, but in the past each broadcast is available for a limited time - a week or so.

And did you see the lovely photo of our Dido?

Thanks for letting us know that this is coming up.

Thanks for all your interest, Friends, and I hope you enjoy, if you manage to listen in from all those distances away.

This will be my last for a while - nothing else in the pipeline at the moment and, though I love the work, I'm very glad to have a bit of a rest. Having said that is tempting fate though - something will turn up, to be done by the day before yesterday!

Dido

Just listened to Episode 1.
I have a feeling that Ingrid isn't the wholesome ingenue Vic seems to think she is! Will hear Episode 2 to find out more. I've not read the book; so this is all new to me. Really nice acting by one and all! Congratulations, Diana! It's such fun to have a show business pro on this site.

Schedule according to BBC-Radio 4:
Episode 1 has 6 days to go. Episode 2 has 7 days to go. Etc.

In New York City this is how it worked on my MacBook --
Googled: BBC Radio Home Page
In Search box (up right corner) -- type "A kind of Loving".
That took me to several choices. Just look over the ones on the first page. You'll find it; I think it's about the 4th or 5th choice down.

I didn't have to download any special listening devices (like Flashpoint, or whatever). And there aren't any fees. It's all free. The reception was crystal clear.

Hi, Lauramarie,

Thank you for putting up the 'How' of getting the programme which will surely help anyone across the pond (and other ponds probably) trying to find it. So glad you got a good reception, too. And it's very interesting to hear from someone who doesn't know the novel at all - not even from seeing the film (1962, I think) which starred Alan Bates as Vic Brown.

Hope you continue to enjoy.

D.

Listened to the first three - excellent so far.

But on a slightly unrelated note....to me, this is a DRAMatization of the book - pronounced as a dram of whisky. But I was amused to hear that, according to two different announcers on R4, it's actually a DRAHMatization - as in the word drama.

It must be the house stle, but it sounds very slightly affected to me. After all, it's a graph (pronounced GRAHF), but the adjective is not pronounced GRAHFICAL - it's GRAFFICAL. (Isn't it?)

Interestingly enough, Collins English Dictionary agrees with me!

Yes, Dido, I listened to episodes 2 through 5. (There's a Horrible Heat Wave here in Gotham (N.Y. City) -- third one this summer -- air quality warnings "Don't go out unless you HAVE TO".) So last night it was nice to lay on the bed after a shower, w/a fan blowing, in the dark, listening to the episodes I hadn't heard yet. They were all good -- and what acting! I didn't recognize any of the performers' names -- are any of them in American PBS-TV productions, now or in past? Oh! .... And the writing was first-rate, too!

BTW -- How many episodes are there?
P.S.: Glad I could be of help as far as reception goes (at least I hope I was).

Laurie, really good isn't it? There are another 5 episodes to go Mon-Fri at the same times.
None of the actors are 'famous' names (well not to me anyway) I think the BBC is limited in the amount of cash it can offer the 'top' stars, although often they are happy to perform on radio as it gives them another string to their bow and proves quite a different challenge.
I haven't read the book since about 1963 so it is as though I am coming to it as new.
Anyone else listening?
Are you US RP'ers finding the Yorkshire accents difficult?

Thanks, Vee - glad you're enjoying. We do, actually, get a surprising number of 'top' stars in radio drama because many actors simply love doing it; they excerise rather different skils in a radio studio. And there are actors who don't like it at all.......

Lauramarie, the actor Lee Ingleby is the young sidekick policeman in a police series called Inspector George Gently, starring Martin Shaw, which might have been picked up in the states. Rebecca (playing Ingrid) has apparently done quite a lot of things in British TV, but I'm not au fait with a great deal of new stuff. There are pictures of them both - and more - on the link which Vee put up in her introductory posting of this thread, so if you look at the bottom of the various episodes 1-5, so you might recognise them from there. Brigitte Forsyth (coming up as the awful Mrs Rothwell, Ingrid's mother, next wek) is quite a well-known British actor too.

I don't envy you the heatwave. We've had a lot of rain here (in Wales) this month so far, but I'd rather have that than have it so hot you can't breathe comfortably.

Diana/Dido

Oh yes, I am listening, it is excellent. Dido, you must resign yourself to slaving over a hot keyboard to provide us with this entertainment! I love the accents and assume the actors are "putting them on" rather than actually speaking that way in real life. Must be a challenge. I can do a passable southern drawl but that is it. Otherwise I am hopelessly mainstream Middle America.

I have never seen the film, have always wanted to. I'm sure I could find it somewhere but as I don't have either a television or DVD player I haven't exactly been looking. I never watch DVDs on my computer, just doesn't work for me.

If anyone is reading this thread and hasn't tuned it, be sure to do so quickly as this program is only available for a short time - get it while it's hot!

I've been listening, too. Great fun! Thank you Vee for letting us know. And thank you Dido for the superb entertainment.

Siobhan,

The West Yorkshire accents of Vic and Ingrid are indeed authentic, as are the accents of many more of the cast. Radio, more than any other medium, will show up where you come from in a very short time because all you've got is sound with no visuals to distract you. If continue to use a 'cod' Scots or Welsh or London or whatever accent, the audience will start complaining. Actors are, of course, trained at Drama School to use R(eceived)P(ronunciation) and lose their native accents if necessary, and how to approach another accent not their own. Some are utterly brilliant at anything - Meryl Streep is a prime example.

D.

Diana: You asked about we Americans understanding the Yorkshire accents on your show. I have a little trouble now and then, but by the next sentence, or so, the gist becomes clear.

What is Received Pronunciation? I've heard that term many times before, like when reading British actors' autobiographies.

Also: I've heard Englishmen say that Renee Zellwegger's accent in "Brigit Jones's Diary" "wandered off course" now and then. It sounded pretty darn good to me. As for Meryl Streep: I remember when "Plenty" opened, Tatler Magazine said that people in England laughed at her pronouncing "Iranian vase" as "Ira-r-nian vase" ! !

Meanwhile, back to the BEEB!

Dido - if you don't mind me asking...

I've been particularly impressed by the use of music during the show - it really adds to it. Does that come from your original dramatization, or is it something added by the director, or some combination of both?

And also - do you happen to know off the top of your head what the two pieces of classical music were that were used at the start of the episode where Vic joins Mr Van Huyten's shop (episode 6, I think...) The first is clearly a Brahms symphony, from the context, but the second sounds like a violin concerto (though I know it is NOT Brahms Violin Concerto, which I know very well).

Thanks!

Still thoroughly enjoying the show. I've also picked up one or two other items on R4 advertised before or after the episodes which I've listened to. I really ought to listen to the radio more often...

Lauramarie,

R(eceived)P(ronunciation) is the term given to what results when actors are taught to lose their local/regional British accents to achieve a sort of general, ironed-out, all-purpose, standard English. Remember Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion/My Fair Lady when Professor Higgins is teaching her to lose the cockney vowel sounds of her upbringing, and the exercises he takes her through? 'The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain' is one - though I doubt if that's one taught today.

Martin,

As to the music, our producer/director (the two are usually the same in radio), Pauline Harris, whom I've worked with for years, is always absolutely brilliant at finding suitable things - and I think she has excelled herself in this production with the mix of 50s pop, excerpts of solo guitar and classical. I can suggest things, if I want to and occasionally I do, and, in this drama there are occasions when Vic gives pointers - like, Brahms is Mr Van Huyton's favourite composer. As to your 2 queries for ep.6, I can't remember quite what was used so I'll contact Pauline and ask her - she's probably got the information to hand.

I'm so pleased it's all going so well.

D

Have listened to the next installment (episode 6); but ep. 7 isn't available tonight, nor is ep. 8. No reason given. Will try tomorrow.

I wish Vic would stop seeing Ingrid. I thought he'd given her up for good. But she kept popping up in his life every once in awhile. Guess in a small town where there are so few attractive, single, young girls, it's hard for a guy to keep putting off someone like Ingrid!

Lauramarie,

They're all up there for listening to - I just checked - in BBCR4 Woman's Hour Drama. I can't do links like Vee, but maybe the following will take you there:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qy2s

Or Vee will come to the rescue - where are you, Vee?

D.

dido, Lauramarie the link below should work and will bring up the last few episodes.
I did have trouble one day last week when I was out during the morning and couldn't pick it up via the link, but caught the repeat in the evening.

Well done dido (with a little help from SB for writing the book). The best one yet . . . and I'm not just saying that to win the first edition signed copy.
And doesn't the story remind us 'older' folk how much has changed in the last 50 years to do with marriage, divorce, pre-marital 'fumblings' and perhaps, most importantly the feeling of responsibility . . . what happened to that?

Here is a link that might be useful: BBC Drama

Well, my wife and I finished the series, and we thoroughly enjoyed it - thanks a lot Dido! (and SB, of course!)

And this evening, I suddenly remembered that I had a tape of a BBC Radio 4 dramatization of A Raging Calm by a certain Stan Barstow, dramatized by our good friend Dido back in 2002. Haven't listened to it for literally years.

We're four episodes into it. Excellent stuff!

Last week there was a HUGE storm (even a tornado in the Bronx!) . . . so my reception was cut. . . . Next night I listened to the next episode (6). Everything fine, except when I pressed "Play" for episodes 7 & 8, it said "Not available at this time", which seemed odd as they're later episodes and still had days to go before being "retired". For past 5 days have been trying to catch episodes 7 - 10; but BBC-Radio website keeps saying -- "No longer available."

Can someone fill me in on the rest of the story -- episode 7 onwards?

Thanks!

Lauramarie, have you got an audio-cassette player? Will it play a UK tape? If so, I can make a copy of a tape I took straight off the radio as it went out on Woman's Hour in the mornings. Email me with your snailmail address if you want me to send it to you - eps 7-10 inclusive.

D.

Alternatively, I have mp3's of all ten episodes, which I could put somewhere (temporarily) for downloading...if you've no objections to that, Dido?

Fine with me, Martin. Thanks for that.

OK

Link below. If you right-click and select "save link as" (in Firefox) or "save target as" (in IE) you can download each episode asyou require it. Alternatively, you can just click on the link - if you have a reasonable broadband link, it may well just work.

Here is a link that might be useful: A Kind of Loving

Oh, my! It worked for me just to click on the link. I'm such a klutz at anything technical that I'm amazed. Thanks, Martin.

Hello Diana, Veer, Martin Z. --

Thank you for all your "listening" advice. Martin Z, your link was impeccable! -- Didn't have to attach any "fancy-schmancy" device (like Firefox, or whatever they call it).

Sorry I haven't been visiting here for so long (since last Sunday). I was only online once this week...spent 3 hours looking for work on Internet... too tired afterwards. I felt bad when I came here today, and saw all your messages to me... followed by days without a response from me. It might've looked as if I'd lost interest; but here I am.

I just had to post here now -- Just finished listening to all the rest (episodes 7 through 10). And I have to say -- the ending was beautifully done. Vic's soliloquy at the end is lovely advice. ... An ODD THING -- it's the same advice, worded almost the same way, too!, as a book I just finished reading (on finding Mr. Right).

Again, Good Work, Diana!

Your radio listener,
laura

Dido - Finally have the opportunity to tell how very much I enjoyed "A Kind of Loving". Such skillful dramatization, wonderfully performed. Marvelous!

Thank you all so much for listening - and thank you Martin for enabling us to finish listening after links were somehow lost. I'm delighted everyone enjoyed it. I certainly enjoyed dramatizing it - it's a wonderful book.

Dido/Diana

Diana -

I forgot to ask you about the rendition of "The Party's Over". It was the best version of that song I've ever heard. It sounded like Peggy Lee singing. Was it her?

Laura,

I'll ask the producer. I've also got a query on music used, for Martin, which she hasn't yet answered. She's rushed off her feet just now but I'll email her.

D.

Ah - she's away on leave till end of August.