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Sara Cox sits in for Chris for Bank Holiday Monday, featuring the legendary Half-Wower of awesome tunes, a look back at last week's 500 Words Final and a moving Pause For Thought on Nelson Mandela from Father Brian D'Arcy.

2 hours, 59 minutes

Last on

Mon 30 May 2016 06:30
大象传媒 Radio 2

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500 Words 2016: The Final

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Chris Packham and Rufus Hound

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Music Played

  • CeeLo Green

    Forget You

    • (CD Single).
    • Warner Music UK.
    • 1.

  • Justin Timberlake

    Can't Stop The Feeling!

  • Curtis Mayfield

    Move On Up

    • The Old Skool Reunion (Various Artis.
    • Global Television.

  • Years & Years

    Shine

    • (CD Single).
    • Polydor.

  • Amy Winehouse

    Rehab

    • (CD Single).
    • Island.

  • Blondie

    Hanging On The Telephone

    • Atomic: The Very Best Of Blondie.
    • EMI.
    • 1.

  • Gibson Brothers

    Cuba

    • Disco & Dance Party Hits (Various Artists).
    • BMG.

  • Glen Campbell

    Rhinestone Cowboy

    • Ultimate Country (Various Artists).
    • Telstar.

  • Roxy Music

    Over You

    • Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music - Street Life.
    • Eg.

  • 叠别测辞苍肠茅

    If I Were A Boy

    • (CD Single).
    • Columbia.
    • 1.

  • Fats Waller

    Your Feet's Too Big

    • Fats Waller - Ain't Misbehavin'.
    • Past Perfect.

  • Coldplay

    Up & Up

    • (CD Single).
    • Parlophone.
    • 001.

  • UB40

    I Got You Babe (feat. Chrissie Hynde)

    • Dancing On Sunshine - 22 Reggae Hits.
    • Polygram Tv.

  • Evelyn 鈥淐hampagne鈥� King

    Love Come Down

    • Essential Works Of Evelyn Champagne K.
    • RCA.

  • The Kinks

    Tired Of Waiting For You

    • The Journey - Part 1.
    • BMG.
    • 6.

  • Grandmaster & Melle Mel

    White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)

    • Best Of Sugar Hill Records (Various Artists).
    • Rhino Records.

  • Vic Reeves & The Wonder Stuff

    Dizzy

    • Mad For The 90's (Various Artists).
    • EMI.

  • Estelle

    American Boy (feat. Ye)

    • Now That's What I Call Music 70 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
    • 6.

  • INXS

    New Sensation

    • INXS - Kick.
    • Mercury.

  • Dolly Parton

    9 to 5

    • Dolly Parton: The Ultimate Collection.
    • BMG/RCA.

  • Boney M.

    Daddy Cool

    • Million Sellers Vol.14 - The Seventie.
    • Disky.

  • Richard Ashcroft

    Hold On

    • (CD Single).
    • Cooking Vinyl.

  • George Thorogood & the Destroyers

    Bad To The Bone

    • 100% Blues & Soul (Various Artists).
    • Telstar.
    • 4.

  • John Lee Hooker

    Boom Boom

    • Now 1992 - The Millennium Series.
    • Now.

  • ABC

    Viva Love

    • (CD Single).
    • Virgin.
    • 001.

  • Four Tops

    Standing In The Shadows Of Love

    • Soul (Various Artists).
    • Polygram Tv.

  • Bob Marley & The Wailers

    Iron Lion Zion

    • (CD Single).
    • Tuff Gong.

  • Simple Minds

    Glittering Prize

    • Glittering Prize - Best Of Simple Min.
    • Virgin.

  • Paloma Faith

    Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?

    • (CD Single).
    • Epic.
    • 1.

  • OneRepublic

    Wherever I Go

    • (CD Single).
    • Interscope.

  • The Zombies

    Time Of The Season

    • The Zombies - Odyssey & Oracle.
    • Rock Machine.

  • Olly Murs

    Troublemaker (feat. Flo Rida)

    • (CD Single).
    • Epic.
    • 1.

Pause For Thought

Pause For Thought

From Father Brian D鈥橝rcy, a Catholic Passionist priest:

鈥淟ove is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbour.鈥澛� I came across that startling statement, not in a pop song, but in St Paul鈥檚 letter to the Romans (13:8-10. One could dismiss it as a mere pious aspiration but in practice it鈥檚 the foundation of a decent society.

There鈥檚 another book I often dip into. The late President Nelson Mandela is one of my heroes. He tells a sobering story in his autobiography 鈥淟ong Walk to Freedom鈥�.

Mandela was a prisoner for over 20 years on the infamous Robben Island. It was a cruel, humiliating regime, designed to destroy the inmates. One day the authorities sent an Inspector to Robben Island. To everyone鈥檚 surprise the man listened to the prisoners鈥� views- as a group and as individuals.

Mandela seized the opportunity to complain about the regime and about one Captain in particular. He knew the man would find out and that he would suffer for his integrity. But he did it anyway.

Next day, when the inspector left, the Captain dutifully called the prisoners to a meeting. To the amazement of the inmates, the Captain announced that because of their complaints he would leave Robben islands immediately and take up another post. He thanked each prisoner and wished them well in the future.

Mandela was forced to re-appraise the Captain. 鈥淎ll men, even brutal men, have a core of decency,鈥� he wrote, 鈥渁nd we must judge them kindly.鈥�

Enlightenment comes in many wrappings.

A struggling priest once sought counsel from a monk who gave him this exercise. 鈥淪tand in the courtyard, tilt your head back and stand still with both arms outstretched until I come for you.鈥�

As the priest stood with tilted head, it began to rain and rain and rain. Finally the monk came back.

鈥淗ave you been enlightened today Father?鈥� he asked.

鈥淓nlightened鈥� raged the priest, 鈥淚鈥檓 standing here for 2 hours soaked in the rain. I feel like a complete fool.鈥�

The monk answered: 鈥淔or the first hour of a retreat, that seems like enlightenment to me.鈥�

Enlightenment and love demand a quiet acceptance of what is.

Broadcast

  • Mon 30 May 2016 06:30
    大象传媒 Radio 2

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

大象传媒 Radio 2's story-writing competition for kids.