Ramblings

Even in its irksomely early slot on ­Saturday mornings, Ramblings (Radio 4) remains a delight. With a different presenter, this format of walking and talking could be deadly dull, but with Clare Balding, it's such a ­likable mix of picture-painting ("the bracken's burning slightly brown"), cheerful asides ("if you could roll now, you would," says Balding, spotting a horse mid-roll in the sun) and ­bespoke banter for the particular walkers she's with. In this series, Balding joins groups of walkers, and you can soon hear her fathoming the group dynamics and personality. The first programme followed a group of Yorkshire couples who have walked together for 25 years, having met through their sons' love of rugby. One woman introduced herself as "the baby of the group" and Balding fired back, "You did say that to me as soon as I arrived." She uncovered habitual roles and running gags, kept going for 25 years. Pam once turned up with a joint of lamb from the fridge instead of her ­picnic, and it's always mentioned. "They say, Pam will bring her joint with her," she explained. Mostly, it was a sweet portrait of a group who've grown older together. "If we put all our body parts together we'd get one healthy body," one of them suggested, the rest laughing in agreement.