Woman's Hour - 19/05/2009

With Jane Garvey. UK foster carers are getting older according to research from the charity Fostering Network, which has found that two-thirds of carers are older than 50. Woman's Hour hears from the charity's development worker, Helen Clarke, and from two foster carers at opposite ends of their careers, one of whom has cared for over 500 children. Icelandic crime writer Yrsa Sigurdardottir discusses her latest thriller, My Soul to Take, the follow-up to her international bestseller, Last Rituals. In 2008, the average wedding in the UK cost £20,000 but in the current recession, brides are looking to tighten their belts and reduce the overall cost of big day. But does cutting costs really mean having to sacrifice your dream wedding? Jane is joined by Cathy Howes, deputy editor of You and Your Wedding, to offer tips on how to reduce wedding costs creatively, and by Ria Lockie from Ethical occasions to find out how your day can be both affordable and green. Plus is there a breakthrough for women in the Kuwaiti parliament? What will be the impact for political life in Kuwait and in the wider Gulf region? Including drama: Falco: Poseidon's Gold (2/10).