Woman's Hour - 05/03/2009

Presented by Jenni Murray. Lance Corporal Martyn Compton's life changed beyond recognition when he was blown up, set alight and shot in a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan on the 1st of August 2006. Many attribute his survival to his then-fiancee, Michelle, who is now his wife. The couple join Jenni to share their intimate story. Jenni talks to Glenys Kinnock about her career in politics, where her passion for social justice came from and where she will be channelling her energies after leaving the European Parliament at this summer's elections. Jan Wong tells Jenni about her return to China and her search for a woman whose name she couldn't fully remember in a country with a population of 1.3 billion. Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke secured gold medals at this year's World Bobsleigh Championships at Lake Placid in New York. Nicola joins Jenni to discuss her unprecedented success, and explains how it came to pass. Including drama: The Death of Grass. Part of BBC Radio 4's Science Fiction Season.