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"Unforgettable, that's what you are..." Mark Damazer's 'Inheritance Track' on last week's Saturday Live was characteristically charming and fluent, hinting at the warmth that makes him my friend as well as the highly successful Radio 4 controller that he has been for the last six years. He leaves the network in excellent shape with record audience figures.ÌýHe is indeed a hard act to follow in a line of talented controllers including Helen Boaden who now runs News.

But I take heart because Radio 4, like all civilised institutions, belongs to no-one, is constantly evolving and drawing on the talents of all who contribute to it. It will thrive as long as we stay true to its history and add to its richness. I have been hugely sustained and cheered in my first week by programmes that have filled me with pleasure.

I have been in and out of Broadcasting House studios and I can honestly say that committed, creative and talented programme-makers are everywhere. And we all want for audiences what we have always wanted:Ìýmore - to quote Matthew Arnold - of "the best that has been thought and said in the world"- and sometimes, let me add, a laugh. Lucky Radio 4 listeners and lucky me.

My Radio 4 aside of the week comes from auctioneer Alan Judd on Today describing some letters from Oscar Wilde: "journalists and auctioneers are very similar; we take a small story and try to make it big...".

I will try to keep you posted here on the blog as Mark has done and will look forward to reading your comments.

Gwyneth Williams is Controller of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 4 and Radio 7

The chairs in our Desert Island studio have had some legendary bottoms sitting on them in their time, but few more legendary than that of Sir Tom Jones.

His recording was a joy - from the 'sexually voracious' image back in the days ("you're creating a monster," he says "without even realising it") to the richness of his Welsh accent which seems to be as strong as ever despite 40 years spent living in LA (our hearts sang at the mention of Barry Island).

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The highlight for us was an unaccompanied burst of 'It's Not Unusual.' Judge for yourselves, but I'd say the highlight for him was my mum's freshly made, authentic Welsh cakes (thanks mum). Not only did we eat them in the studio, but he took the three we couldn't manage home in a napkin...

Leanne Buckle is producer of Desert Island Discs

• Listen to Tom Jones on Desert Island Discs on the Radio 4 web site.
• Leanne took the picture of Tom eating one of her mother's Welsh cakes in the Desert Island Discs studio and the top picture shows Tom on Top of the Pops in 1965 - it's from the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's picture library which, as I never tire of pointing out, is called 'Elvis'.

I think this is a first. A recipe for chocolate cake with shiny chocolate icing from the learned presenter of Radio 4's A Point of View. We asked Lisa to write this out for us and she did so between appearances on various news programmes at TV Centre. Here's the hand-written version and here's a PDF. I think I can only say: 'enjoy.'

Steve Bowbrick is editor of the Radio 4 blog

• Listen to A Point of View on Radio 4 tonight at 2050 or on Sunday morning at 0850.
• Download the recipe as a PDF.

Editor's note: Marc Beeby is Co-Producer of Radio 4's dark, myth-inspired drama series Pilgrim. He's been keeping a production diary. And it has a happy ending - SB.

The cast is blessed by two more extraordinary actors: Jamie Foreman, who has taken time out from developing a film to play Puck for us, and Anna Wing. Anna gets about very well under her own steam, but we've arranged a wheelchair for her for the recording. If we need to hear her footsteps, Ali Craig, the Spot Studio Manager will do them for her. She's playing the spirit of an ancient matrimonial well, and relishes every line.

From an effects point of view, this isn't a particularly difficult episode. We've only got to hoist someone magically into the air, organise a brutal attack by a faerie dog, and set off on a Wild Hunt headed by the mad Hazelbury. Hazelbury's been great fun to do. Sean Baker has obviously really enjoyed playing him (Why isn't he in episode 3, eh?). He appears very suddenly here, mounted on his horse. Sean stands on a chair to distance himself from the mic and contorts himself as he speaks to simulate the movement and effort of someone on a horse. As he does this, Ali works in sync with him, wrestling with a real saddle and bridle arrangement as an accompaniment. When we add a recording of a restless horse, it sounds great.

But this is a hard episode to do. It's both tragic and comic. Jessica, who's directing, does a brilliant job of finding the right balance and tone. Fortunately, there's something about the world of these plays and the atmosphere they create that encourages the actors to immerse themselves. They want to play, to experiment, to take risks. As directors we couldn't ask for more.

All of a sudden, it's done. There's nothing more to record, no more magic to weave. We all feel a bit bereft to be leaving this world. It's been so interesting, so challenging, such fun. The hope, of course, is that people will enjoy listening to the programmes as much as we've enjoyed making them.

And with that we race, en bloc, to the pub.

Marc Beeby is Co-Producer of Pilgrim

• Listen to the fourth and final episode of Pilgrim, series two on the Radio 4 web site.
• Read Marc's other blog posts about the series.
• Jessica Dromgoole, who co-produced Pilgrim, has written for the Radio 4 blog before.
• Marc Beeby made a lovely video to promote the series which you can see on .
• The picture, , is by and is used .

Here it is. Mark Damazer's final interview as Radio 4 Controller.

Twenty minutes of fascinating discussion with Broadcasting House presenter Paddy O'Connell, touching on pressure from politicians and civil servants, on opening up Thought for the Day to secular voices and on not cancelling Woman's Hour - among many other issues. A really fascinating retrospective glimpse of life running Britain's most important radio station. And you'll learn Mark's favourite Radio 4 sound too (I bet it's not what you expect).

Steve Bowbrick is editor of the Radio 4 blog

• The picture shows Mark and Paddy recording the interview in a Radio 4 studio on Tuesday.

Editor's note: Marc Beeby is Co-Producer of Radio 4's dark, myth-inspired drama series Pilgrim. He's keeping a production diary. Here's part three - SB.

A difficult start to episode three. One of our actors has been forced to drop out for personal reasons. Fortunately, Claire Price, who was in episode one is free and agrees to do it, but can only manage one of the two days, so the recording schedule is tight. Fortunately, she's so marvellous we get through what we have to do with no problem.

This is a really interesting episode to make for slightly different reasons to the usual. There's a lot to acting in radio. You've got to think about your character - what they're like, how they sound - you need to listen to what other characters say to you and respond accordingly, you've got to find something imaginative to do with the director's sometimes baffling instructions, you need to know where you are in relation to the mic, how loud you need to be, when you need to move and, of course, you mustn't make a noise when you turn over the pages of your script! And all this happens incredibly quickly.

In this episode we've got three young actors doing their first professional radio jobs, all doing important parts. Understandably, they're a bit nervous. But one of the great things about making radio plays is that, more often than not, experienced actors are wonderfully willing to help their younger colleagues in all sorts of ways. This is definitely the case here. Paul, for instance, has a scene where he not only helps the young actor by talking about the characters and the play as a whole, he also, during the recording, demonstrates tremendous acting generosity in his timing, his non-verbal reactions and the way he sets his lines up - all of which give his young colleague something to work with. In other words, he helps him be better.

So while the acting more or less takes care of itself, we can deal with how to turn a lake into something malevolent, and how to create an under the lake palace. Most of this we'll construct when we get into the editing and can add effects (there's a recording of water dripping in Wookey Hole that is really useful!). The trick in the studio is to try and get the actors to do things that will work well with the effects you have in mind. And this needs imagination on everyone's part.

So, if you want to show a character being irresistibly drawn into a lake, it's not enough to put on the sound of someone splashing about, we've also got to hear the effort in an actor's voice as they wade into the water. If we want the lake to emit something that knocks a character over, they're going to have to react to an imaginary blow, fall over, recover etc. And all with no lake, no water, no evil entity. Apart from the director.

Marc Beeby is Co-Producer of Pilgrim

• Listen to episode three of Pilgrim, series two on the Radio 4 web site.
• Read Marc's other blog posts about the series.
• Jessica Dromgoole, who co-produced Pilgrim, has written for the Radio 4 blog before.
• Marc Beeby made a lovely video to promote the series which you can see on .
• The picture, , is by and is used .

Here's the quite lovely video that the Radio 4 comedy gang shot on The Royal Mile at the beginning of the Edinburgh Festival. It was made specially for use on the red button and it was a hit. Well over half a million people pressed the red button on their digital TVs and watched it there - something of a breakthrough for Radio 4 content.

You'll see Paul Merton, Mark Watson, Nicholas Parsons, Susan Calman, Stephen K Amos and others entertaining festival-goers on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

This film contains extended highlights of the event, including a special edition of Just a Minute with Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills.

Steve Bowbrick is editor of the Radio 4 blog

UPDATE: the Taliban debate on Radio 4 has now finished and I've closed the live chat. The chat will be archived here permanently and we've lifted the seven-day limit on the radio debate so you'll be able to listen again whenever you like. If you listened, or took part in the online debate, please leave a blog comment here and tell us what you thought. And for news of forthcoming debates and events, follow on Twitter and 'like' .

The debate is under way. Has the Taliban Won in Afghanistan? is on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 4 now. Panellists include Peter W. Galbraith, outspoken critic of the 2009 presidential elections in Afghanistan and Lieutenant General Sir Graeme Lamb who was working, until recently, as a senior advisor to US General McChrystal. Join the debate by typing your comments directly into the live chat below or, if you're on Twitter, by tweeting with the hashtag .

I'm hosting the debate and Radio 4 Producers Jo Mathys and Hugh Levinson are on hand. We'll publish as many of your comments as we can. We'll close the live chat at 2100, fifteen minutes after the programme ends, and we'll archive the whole debate here. We've also made sure that the programme will be available to listen to on the Radio 4 web site indefinitely.

Steve Bowbrick is editor of the Radio 4 blog

• Listen to Radio 4 on 92-95 FM, on DAB, on your digital TV or, from anywhere in the world, online. More details on the Radio 4 web site.
• The debate was recorded at Chatham House in London last night.

We'd like you to join tomorrow's Radio 4 debate about the outcome of the war in Afghanistan. Host Eddie Mair is heading over to Chatham House to record the programme after he's finished on PM this evening, for transmission at 2000 tomorrow. We'll be opening the discussion here on the blog half an hour before transmission at 1930 and producers Hugh Levinson and Jo Mathys will be on-hand to host the debate.

There are two ways to join in: either tweet using the hashtag or type your comment directly into the live chat here on the blog. We'll publish as many of your messages as we can during the debate and the live chat will be archived permanently after it finishes.

Steve Bowbrick is editor of the Radio 4 blog

• Listen to the debate on Radio 4 FM (92 - 95), DAB, digital TV or on the Radio 4 web site at 2000 on 8 September 2010.
• The picture shows Taliban in Afghanistan. It's from the Ö÷²¥´óÐã News web site.

Editor's note: Marc Beeby is Co-Producer of Radio 4's dark, myth-inspired drama series Pilgrim. He's keeping a production diary. Here's part two - SB.

We begin the recording of episode 2. This is a very different world from episode one - more urban, more obviously modern, touching on concerns like consumerism and absurd wealth. So the sound is different. The language and the acting are edgier, there's a lot more traffic in the mix. It's great fun catching up with some really contemporary music to include in the programme. Looks like Lady Gaga, Jamie T and Regina Spektor will all make the final cut. A thousand year-old hero does battle with Lady Gaga. Only one winner.

We've got three really good young actors in this episode: Stuart McLoughlin, Sam Alexander and Iain Batchelor. Stuart is playing the King of the Greyfolk's son who, before he discovered his power, thought he was a postman called Ray Norris. So he's got a pretty big journey - from decent ordinary Ray, to psychotic stock-broking faerie. It's a tricky acting task. The hard bit is not overplaying the madness of the character. Somehow he manages to be thoroughly unpleasant and to make us laugh a lot.

There is a great showdown towards the end of the play. Pilgrim confronts Ray in an enormous crumbling hotel. To do this, we open up all the partitions in the studio to make one huge room. Pete Ringrose, our Studio manager, then puts up 5 microphones at different points which means that the actors can use the whole space. Pete's fingers fly over the fader controls as he attempts to get the balance right. It's a great moment. The acoustic sounds fantastic. Sam Dale, playing Ray's foster father is really moving in this scene, and Paul Hilton has a speech which made me think for a moment that the reason he's so good in the part is because he really is 900 years old.

Marc Beeby is Co-Producer of Pilgrim

• Listen to episode two of Pilgrim, series two, this afternoon at 1415 and, for seven days afterwards, on the Radio 4 web site.
• Read Marc's blog post about Pilgrim, episode one and all the posts about the series.
• Jessica Dromgoole, who co-produced Pilgrim, has written for the Radio 4 blog before.
• Marc Beeby made a lovely video to promote the series which you can see on .
• shows the Ruined Overlook Mountain Hotel in Woodstock, New York. It's by and is used .