Woman's Hour - 16/12/2008

Presented by Jane Garvey. In her latest role in the film 'A Bunch of Amateurs', Imelda Staunton plays a star-struck landlady looking after Burt Reynolds's character. She joins Jane to talk about her acting career and why she has been described as 'one tough cookie'. Co-founder and Chair of Save Somali Women and Children Asha Hagi Elmi joins Jane to discuss her hopes for Somalia's future. While long hair has often suggested sex, short hair has often been seen as a mark of revolution. So what do our hairstyles really say about us? Jane is joined by the fashion historian Caroline Cox and Professor Stella Bruzzi. Memphis Minnie was one of the pioneering blues musicians of the early twentieth century. She is one of the iconic black women singers celebrated by Document Records, which holds the largest catalogue of vintage blues recordings in the world. Judi Herman hears from Gill and Gary Atkinson, the husband and wife team who hold the recordings, and speaks to the American singer Maria Muldaur, who pays homage to Memphis Minnie by covering some of her most famous songs. Including drama: A Small Town Murder Crime mystery by Scott Cherry, featuring police family liaison officer Jacqui Hartwell. Jacqui becomes convinced that Professor Hines's family know more about his murder than they are prepared to admit. Jacqui ...... Meera Syal Ellen ...... Barbara Flynn DI Long ...... Maureen Beattie Neil ...... David Horovitch Heather ...... Kellie Shirley Max ...... Jo Kloska.