³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

"It's a pity we don't have the same sense of anger as the French - yet." So wrote listener Tony Glover after a cold, wet Newcastle protest failed to bring local people onto the streets.

He thinks it's just not in our nature. But watching the French protests this week, he wishes the British could be a bit more like them.

Tony is also a playwright, so, in good iPM random fashion, we invited him to write a short piece for iPM. It's called 'French Riot, British Quiet'.

But after hearing ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ coverage of the strikes, listener and French national Yann thinks the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ are trotting out the usual cliches about the French.

You can listen again/podcast the full iPM programme - and don't say we don't offer you some cheer amidst all that anger.

If you've an idea or a sentence of news you'd like to hear on the programme, email ipm [at] bbc.co.uk

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This listener sent us a sentence of news for Your News: "I have just played my long awaited Upshares - Downshares CD all the way through and my wife and I can't stop smiling!"

Jean Marsh in a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ show. Couldn't be faffed getting the copyright on an Upstairs shot

To get a CD send a cheque or postal order for ten pounds to "Upshares Downshares, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV Centre, London W12 7RJ". The cheque or postal order should be made out to Children In Need Appeal. And very important this, please don't forget to clearly include your own name and address so we can send you the CD.

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Dave Clark writes: "I have just recieved and played the Upshares Downshares CD and I just want to let you know I think it is money very well spent. Thank you all for putting this together. People went to a lot of trouble to sort this lot out and it was worth it in the end after all it is a bit of history. Another thing that struck me was the diverse people that listen to Radio 4, I'd like to tell all the critics of us R4 listeners that we are not a load of stuffy old retired people (well not all of us at least) and this must prove it, or something !! Thanks again to all at the PM programme. Eddie....... you can give the swanny whistle back to the "sorry I haven't a clue" gang. "

The CD contains virtually every piece of the Upshares Downshares music sent in by our listeners and broadcast between May 2009 and January 2010. It also contains some bonus tracks, including an interview with the music's composer Sandy Faris and a number of previously unheard renditions. And each CD has a full track listing for all 89 tracks - a total of an hour and twenty minutes.

It's be on sale only from us, only on CD and only until November the 19th. Each CD costs ten pounds including postage and packing. At least five pounds of this will go to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Children in Need. Five pounds is the guaranteed minimum - the more we sell, the greater the proportion of money will go to Children in Need, and of course we'll report back to you on how much money we raise.

HOW DO I GET ONE?

To get a CD send a cheque or postal order for ten pounds to "Upshares Downshares, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV Centre, London W12 7RJ". The cheque or postal order should be made out to Children In Need Appeal. And very important this, please don't forget to clearly include your own name and address so we can send you the CD.

Yours for ten pounds

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...more...

The CD contains virtually every piece of the Upshares Downshares music sent in by our listeners and broadcast between May 2009 and January 2010. It also contains some bonus tracks, including an interview with the music's composer Sandy Faris and a number of previously unheard renditions. And each CD has a full track listing for all 89 tracks - a total of an hour and twenty minutes.

It's be on sale only from us, only on CD and only until November the 19th. Each CD costs ten pounds including postage and packing. At least five pounds of this will go to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Children in Need. Five pounds is the guaranteed minimum - the more we sell, the greater the proportion of money will go to Children in Need, and of course we'll report back to you on how much money we raise.

HOW DO I GET ONE?

To get a CD send a cheque or postal order for ten pounds to "Upshares Downshares, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV Centre, London W12 7RJ". The cheque or postal order should be made out to Children In Need Appeal. And very important this, please don't forget to clearly include your own name and address so we can send you the CD.

Yours for ten pounds

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No, not this lot

The mid term elections in the United States are just over a week away and President Obama and his Democratic party have been pulling out all the stops to prevent losing control of both houses of congress. One voting group which heavily favoured Mr Obama in 2008 were those under the age of 30 who turned out in record numbers. But can the Democrats count on their support this time?

And you can see and hear more by clicking here.

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More than 450 orders. We've ordered more CDs...

UPDATE: we ordered a thousand CDs and already have orders for more than 1300. More are on their way. And we've had the first feedback. Louise Jones wrote:

"Dear All - we received our CD this morning and, having listened to it all the way through, have decided to do nothing else today but sit & listen (or dance and sing along) again and again and again and again..... what a talented bunch the PM listeners are - & the swanny kazoo was a very, um... original interpretation.

The little snippet right at the very end is a puzzle - is it Nils saying he's got 6 or 7 inches? What a lucky fellow, was the comment from the other end of the room.

Anyway, the CD is, I think, the best purchase of the year so pats on backs all round.

Thanks

Louise"

The CD contains virtually every piece of the Upshares Downshares music sent in by our listeners and broadcast between May 2009 and January 2010. It also contains some bonus tracks, including an interview with the music's composer Sandy Faris and a number of previously unheard renditions. And each CD has a full track listing for all 89 tracks - a total of an hour and twenty minutes.

It's be on sale only from us, only on CD and only until November the 19th. Each CD costs ten pounds including postage and packing. At least five pounds of this will go to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Children in Need. Five pounds is the guaranteed minimum - the more we sell, the greater the proportion of money will go to Children in Need, and of course we'll report back to you on how much money we raise.

HOW DO I GET ONE?

To get a CD send a cheque or postal order for ten pounds to "Upshares Downshares, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV Centre, London W12 7RJ". The cheque or postal order should be made out to Children In Need Appeal. And very important this, please don't forget to clearly include your own name and address so we can send you the CD.

Yours for ten pounds

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Since it's been a gloomy, cuts-tastic week, iPM offers you a cheery little programme.

It features Anita and her husband Ian Cross (pictured above). Incredibly, Anita's 12 years of chronic back pain disppeared in an instant when her chiropractor suggested she remove her belly button piercing. Her life is transformed.

Her chiropractor had been to a lecture ten years ago which suggested that disrupting nerve endings in the body - such as through piercing - could cause problems. But she says there's no medical evidence or research to back this up. Anita is in no doubt that the pain has gone.

You can listen again or podcast the whole, happy programme here. And we'll keep you posted on the financial opportunity we've received with the potential for vast wealth. If it all comes good, naturally we'll share it with our listeners.

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Stacked

UPDATE: we ordered a thousand CDs and already have orders for more than 850. Hurry!
The CD contains virtually every piece of the Upshares Downshares music sent in by our listeners and broadcast between May 2009 and January 2010. It also contains some bonus tracks, including an interview with the music's composer Sandy Faris and a number of previously unheard renditions. And each CD has a full track listing for all 89 tracks - a total of an hour and twenty minutes.

It's be on sale only from us, only on CD and only until November the 19th. Each CD costs ten pounds including postage and packing. At least five pounds of this will go to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Children in Need. Five pounds is the guaranteed minimum - the more we sell, the greater the proportion of money will go to Children in Need, and of course we'll report back to you on how much money we raise.

HOW DO I GET ONE?

To get a CD send a cheque or postal order for ten pounds to "Upshares Downshares, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV Centre, London W12 7RJ". The cheque or postal order should be made out to Children In Need Appeal. And very important this, please don't forget to clearly include your own name and address so we can send you the CD.

Yours for ten pounds

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"I find it deeply repressing that you media people constantly attempt to stir up controversy regardless of whether or not there are reasonable grounds for doing so. Yesterday evening on PM you hit an all time low when you paraded three individuals with gross disabilities before us, implying that they might be victims of the coalition government's evil plans to reform the benefits system. What a contemptible bunch you are."

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Look closely and see details of my musical adventure with Nils...

UPDATE: we ordered a thousand CDs and already have orders for more than 600. Hurry!
The CD contains virtually every piece of the Upshares Downshares music sent in by our listeners and broadcast between May 2009 and January 2010. It also contains some bonus tracks, including an interview with the music's composer Sandy Faris and a number of previously unheard renditions. And each CD has a full track listing for all 89 tracks - a total of an hour and twenty minutes.

It's be on sale only from us, only on CD and only until November the 19th. Each CD costs ten pounds including postage and packing. At least five pounds of this will go to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Children in Need. Five pounds is the guaranteed minimum - the more we sell, the greater the proportion of money will go to Children in Need, and of course we'll report back to you on how much money we raise.

HOW DO I GET ONE?

To get a CD send a cheque or postal order for ten pounds to "Upshares Downshares, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV Centre, London W12 7RJ". The cheque or postal order should be made out to Children In Need Appeal. And very important this, please don't forget to clearly include your own name and address so we can send you the CD.

Yours for ten pounds

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The place for serious talk about serious things.

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Rather more than yesterday...

The CD contains virtually every piece of the Upshares Downshares music sent in by our listeners and broadcast between May 2009 and January 2010. It also contains some bonus tracks, including an interview with the music's composer Sandy Faris and a number of previously unheard renditions. And each CD has a full track listing for all 89 tracks - a total of an hour and twenty minutes.

It's be on sale only from us, only on CD and only until November the 19th. Each CD costs ten pounds including postage and packing. At least five pounds of this will go to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Children in Need. Five pounds is the guaranteed minimum - the more we sell, the greater the proportion of money will go to Children in Need, and of course we'll report back to you on how much money we raise.

HOW DO I GET ONE?

To get a CD send a cheque or postal order for ten pounds to "Upshares Downshares, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV Centre, London W12 7RJ". The cheque or postal order should be made out to Children In Need Appeal. And very important this, please don't forget to clearly include your own name and address so we can send you the CD.

Yours for ten pounds

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This morning's mail:hundreds more.

Yesterday's trickle of letters has become something of a deluge. We only ordered a thousand CDs so if you want one...hurry!

The CD contains virtually every piece of the Upshares Downshares music sent in by our listeners and broadcast between May 2009 and January 2010. It also contains some bonus tracks, including an interview with the music's composer Sandy Faris and a number of previously unheard renditions. And each CD has a full track listing for all 89 tracks - a total of an hour and twenty minutes.

It's be on sale only from us, only on CD and only until November the 19th. Each CD costs ten pounds including postage and packing. At least five pounds of this will go to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Children in Need. Five pounds is the guaranteed minimum - the more we sell, the greater the proportion of money will go to Children in Need, and of course we'll report back to you on how much money we raise.

HOW DO I GET ONE?

To get a CD send a cheque or postal order for ten pounds to "Upshares Downshares, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV Centre, London W12 7RJ". The cheque or postal order should be made out to Children In Need Appeal. And very important this, please don't forget to clearly include your own name and address so we can send you the CD.

Yours for ten pounds

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Some of this morning's first post

Somehow between 17.25 last night when we first revealed details of the Upshares CD, and first thing this morning, listeners eager to snap up our Upshares Downshares CD got themselves to the head of the queue.

The CD contains virtually every piece of the Upshares Downshares music sent in by our listeners and broadcast between May 2009 and January 2010. It also contains some bonus tracks, including an interview with the music's composer Sandy Faris and a number of previously unheard renditions. And each CD has a full track listing for all 89 tracks - a total of an hour and twenty minutes.

It's be on sale only from us, only on CD and only until November the 19th. Each CD costs ten pounds including postage and packing. At least five pounds of this will go to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Children in Need. Five pounds is the guaranteed minimum - the more we sell, the greater the proportion of money will go to Children in Need, and of course we'll report back to you on how much money we raise.

HOW DO I GET ONE?

To get a CD send a cheque or postal order for ten pounds to "Upshares Downshares, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV Centre, London W12 7RJ". The cheque or postal order should be made out to Children In Need Appeal. And very important this, please don't forget to clearly include your own name and address so we can send you the CD.

Yours for ten pounds

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Now, and only until November 19th.

What's on it?

The CD lasts 1 hour and 20 minutes, and contains virtually every piece of the Upshares music sent in by listeners and broadcast by PM between May 2009 and January 2010. It also has some bonus tracks, including a performance of the music by Nils and me. There are 89 tracks in total.

What does it cost?

Ten pounds, which includes postage and packing. AT LEAST £5 of the £10 will go to Children in Need, and hopefully much more. The more we sell, the bigger the percentage of the £10 we can send to Children in Need. Only 1,000 are being made in the initial run.

How do I get one?

Send a cheque or postal order made out to "Children In Need Appeal" to: Upshares Downshares, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV Centre, London W12 7RJ. Please don't forget to include YOUR name and address.

And here is a photograph of Sandy Faris today at Buckingham Palace, as heard in Nils' report:

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1) Why? Why why why why why?
Obviously no-one can truly say, but when the end of the recession signalled the end of the creative outpouring that were your Upshares contributions, it seemed a shame not to use all those wonderful versions in some way. Whilst we were running Upshares, many listeners wrote to suggest making a CD. It was pretty clear we'd sell it for charity, Children in Need seemed an obvious and good choice, et voila, a mere 10 months after the death of Upshares, it has risen like a phoenix from the ashes.

2) Is there anything new on the CD?
You bet - we had more submissions than we could play by late January, and so I'm delighted to say that the CD contains literally more than one unheard Upshares version. Solway harpists, you know who you are. And Eddie and Nils have contributed their own version. I can say no more until you send me £10.

3) How much money will go to Children in Need?
At least £5 from each CD goes to CiN. The final amount will depend on how many CDs are sold, because ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ rules mean Licence Fee money can't be spent on producing this kind of thing. Essentially, the total amount of money received minus the production costs (raw materials, the costs of pressing the CDs etc) = the amount that goes to Children in Need. Thus the more we sell, the more goes to CiN.

4) What about copyright?
It's all sorted. I could say more but it's hopelessly complicated.

5) Whose fault is this?
Yours. None of this was our idea.

6) One more time, what do I do to get my hands on this year's must have item?
You send a cheque for £10"

Full details of how to buy a CD are being announced on PM tonight. Then, you'll also find those details here on the blog. And don't worry, the CD you buy will be nicer than the master copy pictured here.

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It started with an emailed from listener Irene Ralph that we read on PM letters:

"My friends and I, pensioners in our 60s and 70s, feel we do not need free bus travel."

It prompted Jenny Radford to respond:

"Mine saves me almost £10 on my weekly visit to my mother with dementia in her nursing home - that's £500 a year out of a modest pension before any recreational use. Not all bus journeys are cheap or frivolous."

We invited listeners to tell us how they use their free bus pass. A doctor responded to tell us about the health benefits. And a Nottingham bus company offered us a ride to ask pensioners how they use their passes.

You can listen again or podcast the full programme here.

If there's something you'd like to hear on the programme or a sentence of news you'd like to share - email us ipm [at] bbc.co.uk.

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Paddy is your host tonight, but I wanted to pop in to say a word about Claire Rayner, who has died.

Here's all you need to know about Claire Rayner. She agreed to be interviewed on Broadcasting House many years ago, after her double mastectomy. As you'd expect, she was candid and funny and many listeners wrote afterwards saying how much they'd enjoyed hearing from her. I forwarded those emails to her.

A few days later, Claire rang and said - Eddie darling, thank you for those lovely emails. People can be so kind. Why didn't you send the horrible ones too?

A few people had indeed sent some rather vile emails and I'd naturally chosen not to send them to her. But on the phone she insisted that I should. And I did. And I think she may have replied to them...

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Media Guardian reports on Andrew Marr's comments .

What do you think?

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In a week that saw much discussion and uncertainly around benefits and what should be cut where, we received this email:

"Just a small word from a real sick person on benefits. I've stopped listening to much of the news and current affairs. It is hard enough being so unwell without people who quite clearly have never experienced 'life on the sick' making crass and uninformed comments about people who are too unwell to work."

She didn't want to be interviewed, but she wrote this for us. It's read by an actor.

You can podcast the full programme here, or email us if there's a story or a sentence of news you'd like to share with us.

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MBNK SHADOW CABINET

LABOUR PRESS RELEASE

Leader of the Labour Party, Rt Hon Ed Miliband said:

"I am delighted with my new Shadow Cabinet, drawn from a broad range of talents across our party.

"My team is united in one central mission for the future - to win back the trust of the British people and take Labour back to power.

"Together, this new generation of Labour will work together to reject the pessimism of this coalition government as we set out our vision of what Britain can achieve. Our values are those of the British people, and this Shadow Cabinet will ensure that the hopes and concerns of working families are at the heart of our offer to the country."

Ends

Position Minister
Leader of the Opposition Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband MP
Deputy Leader and Shadow Secretary of State for International Development Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Minister for Women and Equalities Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP
Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department Rt Hon Ed Balls MP
Chief Whip Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Election Coordinator Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP
Shadow Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice (with responsibility for political and constitutional reform) Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Rt Hon John Denham MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Health Rt Hon John Healey MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence Rt Hon Jim Murphy
Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Meg Hillier MP
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport Maria Eagle MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Mary Creagh MP
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Angela Eagle MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Ann McKechin MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Rt Hon Peter Hain MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Ivan Lewis MP
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Shadow Minister for the Olympics Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP
Lords Chief Whip Lord Bassam of Brighton
Shadow Attorney-General Baroness Scotland


Also attending Shadow Cabinet meetings

Shadow Minister of State - Cabinet Office Jon Trickett MP

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Stand by for news not only of the CD, but of Royal connections too.

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Studio S1

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The place for serious discussion about serious things. Thank you.

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You can see and hear more by clicking this.

From "Norman Wisdom in Wonderland : The Secret Life of Norman Wisdom aged 92", shown in 2008

He was very big in Albania.

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Oh my goodness - so sorry not to post a beach earlier. Crossed wires with Ed - my fault. Here it is at last - please enjoy it.

I'm presenting today as Eddie is away - see you at 5.
sequin

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