PICK OF TODAY’S RADIO

HISTORY’S SECRET HEROES, 11.30AM, RADIO 4

HELENA BONHAM CARTER (pictured) narrates a new series telling the stories of brave, unsung heroes from the Second World War, beginning with American spy Virginia Hall, who masterminded a daring prison break. Bonham Carter is a perfect choice, having found out about her own family’s wartime history in the Ch4 series My Grandparents’ War. Her maternal grandfather, a Spanish diplomat, defied orders and managed to help thousands of Jews to escape the Nazis, while her paternal grandmother, Violet Carter, campaigned for women’s rights and volunteered as an air raid warden.

■ HERE’S another chance to hear THE BEATLES AT THE BBC (8PM, RADIO 4 EXTRA), a blend of clips from radio shows in the early 1960s, including Pop Go The Beatles, which ran for 15 weeks in 1963. Presented by Ken Bruce, it’s a wonderful time capsule taking us back to the innocent, early days when the Fab Four were just starting out, and includes live performances, chat and young fans’ letters asking about John, Paul, George and Ringo’s haircuts and hobbies.