Afternoons for Thursday 20 March 2014

1:10 Best song ever written

I Bid You Goodnight by Aaron Neville, chosen by Noelene McNab of Mt. Wellington

1:15 Your place

Ruawai (Far North) - a small township located 30 km south of Dargaville in Northland, New Zealand.        

2:10 Navy Band - Lieutenant Commander Owen Clark

For the first time in 32 years, the  Royal New Zealand Navy Band has released an album.  The last time they recorded, it was on vinyl and at the same time The Police released Ghost in the Machine and the Rolling Stones put out Tattoo You. And while the 30-strong band does not have plans to be on the Billboard top 10, going into the studio has been a big learning experience. "He Waita Moana" or Ocean Songs is an eclectic mix of traditional military music alongside a tribute to the soldiers of World War One and even Puccini Opera.

2:20 A musical miracle - Joseph Gardner

Two years ago, Joseph Gardner from New Plymouth was building a name for himself on the opera stages of Europe. He had been accepted as one of the youngest students at what is now the New Zealand School of music. He had bachelors in music, a masters degree and a contact offer to sing in Germany. But something wasn't right. His voice, the pitch, the tone... were letting him down. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  Complications from surgery put him in a wheelchair. He's body has mostly recovered, but his ability to sing opera at a high level has not. He has some new goals, which will take him to Australia in the next few months. Tomorrow he will be talking about his experience at the New Plymouth Operatic society.

2:30 Reading

Bruce Phillips reads ' Punishment '   - episode nine of our fifteen-part adaptation of Archibald Baxter's book 'We Will Not Cease'.

2:45 Feature album

Comes A Time - Neil Young (1978)

3:10 The Amateur Forecasters - Simon Morton

It's not just the professionals who can tell us what the weather's going to do…or isn't going to do for that matter!

This Way Up's Simon Morton met up with a couple of amateur weather forecasters from Christchurch who have become famous on Facebook. Their forecasts have gone viral, and they've now got over 40,000 likes on their Canterbury Weather Updates Facebook page.

And if want to see what the weather's doing in your part of Canterbury today you can find their forecasts at: https://www.facebook.com/canterburyweatherupdates?fref=ts

3:20 Ketamine and Depression - Ruth Beran

Could a party drug be used to treat depression? In Australia, trials are underway to see if ketamine could provide a treatment for this mental illness. Ruth Beran travels to Sydney to talk to a patient in the trial and to Colleen Loo at the University of New South Wales.

3:30

Royal Kidnap - Mike Lanchin of BBC 'Witness'

On March 20th 1974 Princess Anne escaped a kidnap attempt by a lone gunman close to Buckingham Palace.  Her bodyguard, Jim Beaton, who was shot three times in the incident, shares his memories of that day.

Links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01tq60q

3:45 Panel Pre-Show - Susan Baldacci

4:06 The Panel - Mike Williams and Rob Salmond

The latest in the kohanga reo story; police and new weaponry training; celebrating the International Day of Happiness; Would Len Brown get reelected if we went to the polls now?; former employees and confidentiality; the latest on MH370; and self-service checkouts in supermarkets.