Welcome!
Its been a vintage Whistledown year - our regular Radio 4 series 'Questions, Questions' (produced by Eve Streeter and team) has continued to probe the big dilemmas of life, a brilliant series on the Conservation movement (produced by Adam Fowler), and another on Folk club comics (courtesy of Chris Green and James Crawford) have gotten rave reviews and then there was another magical series of 'The Reunion' with Sue MacGregor over the summer. What about some of those stunning one-offs? There was Sarah Cuddon's riveting exploration of the pupil-teacher relationship, Kate Taylor's elegy to the Very Hungry Caterpillar and the incredibly moving 'Congo Story' produced by Anna Fowler were among my favourites.

Emily Williams got to meet a host of rock legends whilst making 'Fender Heaven', and lovely Stewart Henderson explored his poetic passion for underground engineering in 'We Built the Mersey Tunnel Boys'.

Big thanks too to my co-producer on 'The Reunion', Louise Adamson and to Christina Captieux who joined us in the summer and brings a stack of stuff transmitting in the New Year and some exciting commercial projects.

In the mean time, cuddle up with some of our seasonal offerings, and have a super Christmas.

David Prest

In a Boxing Day special, the original super models - Jill Kennington, Edina Ronay, Veruschka and Celia Hammond - talk candidly to Sue MacGregor about their experiences of the fashion and modeling world during the early 60s. In the words of the Radio Times, they 'share memories of those vibrant times and reflect on life after modeling', but in reality brace yourself for some extraordinary tales of glamorous parties, bullying photographers, and some great bitching about Twiggy.
The programme will be repeated on New Year's Eve at 09.00am on BBC Radio 4.

An inspired bit of scheduling, with John Hegley exploring the tale of an over-stuffed grub who eats and eats his way through an endless list of treats. For those of you who had a less enlightened childhood, Eric Carles's 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', written in 1968, is the biggest selling children's book of all time, and is now revered as the perfect allegorical tale. Even George 'dubya' Bush, claims it as the most influential book he has ever read! Listen out for some great music too, specially composed for us by Guy Pratt, who rock fans will know as the some time bassist for Madonna and Pink Floyd.

We can't say too much just yet, but with advance access to secret documents normally closed until January 1st each year under the 30-year confidentiality rule, this special programme features extracts from the top-secret Government papers of 1974. We've got some amazing insights into many of the political decisions and controversies of the time, and comments from Tony Benn, Edward Heath, Lord Merlyn-Rees and other politicians and civil servants of the day.

We're delighted this programme has been chosen for BBC Radio 4's 'Sunday Best' documentary feature repeat slot. So if you missed it first time round, you have another chance to hear Stewart Henderson present this anniversary tribute to one of the great twentieth century engineering achievements, The Mersey Tunnel. Among those sharing their thoughts on the way the tunnel changed their life are Peter Sissons, George Melly, Willy Russell, Gillian Reynolds and Rex Makin.

Using rare archives, historian Tony Burton paints an evocative portrait of life behind the closed doors of the Dickensian-style workhouse, with personal testimonies and observations from those who experienced life within its walls.

There's the story of the Andover scandal, a recipe for gruel, and much much more in what promises to be an incredibly revealing edition of Radio 4's Archive Hour.

Music writer and broadcaster Nick Barraclough goes behind the scenes in Nashville, the capital of Country music, to find out how Country came to be one of America's most enduring and powerful music industries. In this major series for Radio 4, guests include old time country crooner, Little Jimmy Dickens, Emmylou Harris and yep, you've guessed it, the Queen of Country herself - Dolly Parton.

Forty years on from the death of Sir Winston Churchill, Nicholas Witchell remembers the solemn pageantry of his state funeral - the first (and so far only) non-royal to be given such a privilege since Gladstone. We hear from the ordinary people who lined the streets to pay tribute to Britain's wartime leader, from members of the Churchill family, his private secretary and from the politicians and commentators who remember the cold day in January when a nation offered its thanks.

If you want to find out more about these and other Whistledown programmes coming up in 2005 you can visit our web site at www.whistledown.net