Weekend Woman's Hour: Sheila Hancock; Childlessness; Edna O'Brien

Available for over a year

Sheila Hancock on her latest stage role as the matriarch of a family of East End criminals: what attracted her to a character with such colourful language? We discuss the reporting surrounding so called "White Widow" Samantha Lewthwaite - Simon Cox, presenter of "The Report" on Radio 4, and columnist Joan Smith discuss the on-going fascination. The school that set a quota for girls to study engineering - on why have they had to abandon the plan - and Yewande Akinola, Young Woman Engineer Of The Year 2012, on why she'd recommend it as an exciting career. The grief of childlessness: Jody Day describes life for women who are not childless by choice, and the reaction they get. The novelist Edna O'Brien on her new collection of short stories The Love Object. As students start college and university - how do you prepare a child with a disability for independence? Two mothers, Clare McCarthy and Denise Jackson share their stories. Eliza Carthy and Marry Waterson on growing up as part of a folk dynasty and perform in the studio.