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Afternoons for Wednesday 8 May 2019

1:10 First song

1:15 Wellington bus cancellations 

Last Sunday if you wanted to catch a bus in Wellington there's a very good chance you would have been out of luck as 58 bus services were cancelled. The new bus system in Wellington is almost a year old but it's still beset with systemic issues. 

Wellington resident and columnist Dave Armstrong has been looking at the symptoms of the problem.

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Photo: Facebook / NZ Bus

1:25 New kiwi TV comedy mocks teachers

Are teachers funny? A new TVNZ comedy show is banking on it. Educators starts today on TVNZ and two of the co-creators Jackie Van Beek and Jesse Griffin join Jesse to explain how they wrote an unscripted show. 

The cast of Educators on TVNZ

The cast of Educators on TVNZ Photo: TVNZ

1:35 Ngā Taonga Sound Archives – An early version of “Blue Smoke”

It’s New Zealand Music Month and in today’s visit to the sound archives of Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, Sarah Johnston is going to share a recent discovery of an early version of the song which kicked off the local recording industry,  “Blue Smoke” sung by Pixie Williams and written by Ruru Karaitiana.

Blue Smoke sheet music, published in 1949. [RNZ collection, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision]

Otago Daily Times 12 June 1945, advertising the Otago Sextet singing “Blue Smoke” [Courtesy Papers Past]

The 2019 Otago Capping Sextet at their 100th anniversary celebrations last weekend. [Photograph Amanda Mills, Hocken Collections]

The 16-inch disc containing the 1945 recording of “Blue Smoke” [RNZ collection, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision]

1:40 Great album

2:10 Theatre Critic John Smythe

John Smythe discusses the new Circa Theatre production of Waiting for Godot.

Ashleigh Young

Photo: Supplied

2:20 Bookmarks with Ashleigh Young

Ashleigh Young is one of New Zealand's most esteemed poets and essayists.

She caught the attention of readers both locally and abroad with her collection of essays "Can you tolerate this?" which won her the prestigious Windham-Campbell award from Yale University.

Ashleigh joins jesse to talk about her favourite books, songs, advice columns and her new collection of poetry How I get ready.

Ashleigh Young's new collection of poetry "How I Get Ready."

Ashleigh Young's new collection of poetry "How I Get Ready." Photo: Supplied

3:10 The Meaning of Trees

New Zealand was one of the last places on earth to be reached by humans, and that makes our flora unique in special ways. Native trees and plants have been used for medicine, food, shelter, science and spirituality. Museum collections manager Robert Vennell lives, breathes and even eats his way through the New Zealand forest in his new book, The Meaning of Trees. 

Macropiper-excelsum (Te Papa)

Leptospermum scoparium (Auckland Museum)

Pteridium-esculentum (Te Papa)

Captain Cook’s Recipe for Rimu Beer

1.   Boil small branches of rimu and mānuka in a large drum for three to four hours or until the bark can be stripped easily.

2.   Take the branches out and add as much molasses as required, 10 litres of molasses will make around 60 litres of beer.

3.   Pour the mixture into separate casks and add an equal quantity of cold water, according to your taste.

4.   When the mixture is milk-warm, add anything that will cause fermentation such as yeast or beer grounds.

In a few days the beer will be fit to drink.

3:35 Science and environment stories

Stories from Our Changing World.

3:45 The Pre-Panel Story of the Day and One Quick Question

4:05 The Panel with Fete Taito and Cindy Mitchener