Synopsis

Is it last orders for the public house, once a cornerstone of British cultural life? Lauren Laverne looks at the past, present and future of the drinking establishment. Sting performs songs from his new album at the Cumberland Arms, one of the oldest inns in Newcastle, and Carol Ann Duffy reads a poem she has written to celebrate the pub. Elsewhere there's an interview with musician John Cale, a debate on films with an end-of-the-world theme, and Martha Wainwright joins Lauren to sing a track from her new album.