All things Radio

[unapologetic pedant]

On 10/03/2024 at 16:56, JohnM said:

Hardly a classic. Too wet and boggy for any silky skills, and many many muddy mistakes, introducing a large degree of randomness. Probably the only fixture this weekend where the players gained weight over the match. Bring out the Persil. Given all that, still worth watching. In my view, and can't argue with the result, so well done Fev and The Sportsman channel.

Had another idea for this.

It's an autobiographical John Godber Radio 4 comedy-drama set in a launderette in Pontefract.

[JohnM]

3 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Had another idea for this.

It's an autobiographical John Godber Radio 4 comedy-drama set in a launderette in Pontefract.

But I think the late Peter Tinniswood has already done this in an episode of Uncle Mort's North Country.

[Futtocks]

BBC Radio celebrates rediscovery of historic dramas, including plays by Pinter and Potter. Over 1,000 radio plays have been returned to the BBC Archives by the Radio Circle.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/hidden-treasures-bbc-radio-celebrates-rediscovery-of-historic-dramas

[unapologetic pedant]

It's struck me that in previous decades I might well have been one of the more prolific posters on this thread. I seem to have bucked the trend, listening to progressively less Radio 4 as I've got older. Covid put the final kibosh on several aural habits. Eighties was the high water mark.

Stop the Week with Robert Robinson was a regular accompaniment on Saturday nights whilst preparing to head out. Acid House and Stop the Week were not necessarily all that incongruous a mix. Just like the sixties hippy entrepreneurial cadre, many of the organizing movers and shakers in the 80s Dance Music scene came from similar backgrounds to the STW contributors.

Mr. Robinson was famously not unconscious of his wide erudition, making him and the programme a favourite Feedback target for the type of earthy Guardianista snobs who also wanted rid of Thought for the Day.

One correspondent berated Laurie Taylor, Ann Leslie, and the rest for continually interrupting Mr. Robinson's 35-minute monologues. Another sent a tape of a song he'd written, entitled "Stop the Robert Robinson". Theme being that anyone wishing to stop the week had to first stop the Robert Robinson.

For all the strictures, and the middle-class dinner party tenor, I always enjoyed STW. Only real sticking-point was the musical interlude from Instant Sunshine, a quasi Liberal Assembly Glee Club outfit, once dubbed "singing dentists" by John Peel (I think they were doctors).

Differences in social and cultural outlook were not as heavily politicised as today. People holding contrasting viewpoints could gently chew the cud without ad hominem rancour.

For the record, I was a Guardian reader myself back then. Sometimes wonder what the likes of Hugo Young would make of the current obnoxious crop.

[Futtocks]

31 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

It's struck me that in previous decades I might well have been one of the more prolific posters on this thread. I seem to have bucked the trend, listening to progressively less Radio 4 as I've got older. Covid put the final kibosh on several aural habits. Eighties was the high water mark.

Stop the Week with Robert Robinson was a regular accompaniment on Saturday nights whilst preparing to head out. Acid House and Stop the Week were not necessarily all that incongruous a mix. Just like the sixties hippy entrepreneurial cadre, many of the organizing movers and shakers in the 80s Dance Music scene came from similar backgrounds to the STW contributors.

Mr. Robinson was famously not unconscious of his wide erudition, making him and the programme a favourite Feedback target for the type of earthy Guardianista snobs who also wanted rid of Thought for the Day.

One correspondent berated Laurie Taylor, Ann Leslie, and the rest for continually interrupting Mr. Robinson's 35-minute monologues. Another sent a tape of a song he'd written, entitled "Stop the Robert Robinson". Theme being that anyone wishing to stop the week had to first stop the Robert Robinson.

For all the strictures, and the middle-class dinner party tenor, I always enjoyed STW. Only real sticking-point was the musical interlude from Instant Sunshine, a quasi Liberal Assembly Glee Club outfit, once dubbed "singing dentists" by John Peel (I think they were doctors).

Differences in social and cultural outlook were not as heavily politicised as today. People holding contrasting viewpoints could gently chew the cud without ad hominem rancour.

For the record, I was a Guardian reader myself back then. Sometimes wonder what the likes of Hugo Young would make of the current obnoxious crop.

Stop the Week always had good elements to it, right up to the end. But I felt that Robert Robinson, for all his plus points, failed to move with the times and became less comfortable with the modern world as the years went by. There are anecdotes of him being unpleasantly patronising to younger staff and guests, possibly for the same reason.

Instant Sunshine are now best known for their bassist Miles Kington, who was a very successful satirical writer of that time.

[unapologetic pedant]

1 hour ago, Futtocks said:

Instant Sunshine are now best known for their bassist Miles Kington, who was a very successful satirical writer of that time.

I'd completely forgotten Miles Kington was involved.

Bit hazy about the detail, but fairly sure I saw him on TV talking about his illness. Couple of days later, he died. Frighteningly quick. Pancreatic cancer, according to Wiki.

[Adelaide Tiger]

On 12/03/2024 at 05:40, unapologetic pedant said:

Had another idea for this.

It's an autobiographical John Godber Radio 4 comedy-drama set in a launderette in Pontefract.

Seeing the name John Godber took me back to when I worked at Wakefield MDC and did day release at Wakefield College between 1980-1984 completing my BTEC in Public Administration.  One lass on the course was called Janice Godber and I am sure she told me that John was her older brother.  Could have been winding me up though.

Whilst driving around Adelaide today I came across ‘Strike Boy’ on the BBC Podcast.  It is a 10 part series presented by Mark Watson.  Mark lived in a Nottinghamshire mining community and he was 10 years when the Miners Strike commenced.  Brought back lots of memories as my father was on strike for the duration.

[unapologetic pedant]

On 21/06/2022 at 20:31, Futtocks said:

Like appearances of Halley's Comet, Kate Bush interviews are rare and widely-spaced.

But she's going to be on Radio 4's Women's Hour tomorrow (programme starts at 10am)!

Don't mind me. Just breezing through old pages, making random comments. I'll get fed up.

Kate used to do interviews on children's TV. Never as mysterious as some of her fans like to think.

Hope the next appearance of Halley's comet is more evocative than the last. Stayed up late to watch James Burke. The moon landing it was not.

Edited March 14 by unapologetic pedant
senility

[unapologetic pedant]

On 01/07/2022 at 19:55, Josef K said:

Steve Wright gone !, dear dear Stevie, dear dear dear Stevie. 
I can’t stand the fella even way back to his R1 days he is Mr Tacky. 

No comment.

Quoting this so it can't be deleted.

[unapologetic pedant]

On 01/07/2022 at 18:40, Futtocks said:

1. Intrusively close-miked voice-overs. 

Al Green was the king of close-miked vocals.

[Futtocks]

Just now, unapologetic pedant said:

Al Green was the king of close-miked vocals.

I'm talking ASMR style close-miked, which really aggravates me.

[unapologetic pedant]

On 01/07/2022 at 20:36, gingerjon said:

"And here's Julie Bindel to discuss the aesthetic of soft-porn serials in relation to the ongoing dehumanisation of women in twenty first century England ..."

Have to feel for Julie. Expected a victory lap. Instead, faces green-haired goofballs yelling "bigot". Must be mortifying.

My current tiresomely unintelligible Radfem fav is Dr Jane Clare Jones.

[unapologetic pedant]

10 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

I'm talking ASMR style close-miked, which really aggravates me.

I thought ASMR was rainfall.

Does Charlotte Green reading the Shipping Forecast qualify as ASMR?

[unapologetic pedant]

On 01/07/2022 at 19:58, gingerjon said:

It's sad to see how diminished Drama on 3 now is - capable of some superb productions but the number now so massively reduced from previous years and decades - but that's part of the whole BBC walk away from that kind of content.

Another Far Right conspiracy theory.

This is why we need BBC Verify.

[Futtocks]

11 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Does Charlotte Green reading the Shipping Forecast qualify as ASMR?

Recordings of that now circulate on porn sites for serious money.

[unapologetic pedant]

On 13/08/2022 at 00:11, Futtocks said:

Well, he's just been sent a bunch of Kenny Everett's 8-track cartridges from the 1970s.

 

I have a Big Black CD called "The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape" which carries the following inscription (presumably written by veteran nerdy troublemaker Steve Albini) -

"When in five years, this remarkable achievement in the advancement of fidelity is obsolete and unplayable on any modern equipment, remember in 1971 the 8-track tape was the state of the art"

[unapologetic pedant]

On 11/08/2022 at 16:55, Oxford said:

I don't like to upset people who like driving horse boxes along the motorway but Shergar was absolutely fantastic along with the Frites and Bernaise sauce and a glass of red.

Ignore the quote, what happened to this character?

Profile says "Non-Political" - 

 

[unapologetic pedant]

On 09/11/2022 at 09:21, Futtocks said:

England's Jodie Cunningham & Emily Rudge will be on Radio 4's Woman's Hour from 10am today. Not a programme that's given RL much thought before, but nice to get a little attention.

Did you catch this? If so, how did it go?

[unapologetic pedant]

On 22/02/2023 at 16:17, Futtocks said:

Matthew "I've got an Ology" Syed has been presenting a series of short programmes called Woke: The Journey of a Word on Radio 4.

I quite like Mr. Ping-Pong Nosferatu. You've got to have a system.

 

On 22/02/2023 at 16:17, Futtocks said:

Some good historical context is examined, dating back to the Thirties, and it explains why it doesn't mean what the red-top editors and their furiously confused readers think it does, and how it has been weaponised by extremists.

Tempting, very tempting.

Thanks

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

On 12/03/2024 at 21:35, unapologetic pedant said:

It's struck me that in previous decades I might well have been one of the more prolific posters on this thread. I seem to have bucked the trend, listening to progressively less Radio 4 as I've got older. Covid put the final kibosh on several aural habits. Eighties was the high water mark.

Stop the Week with Robert Robinson was a regular accompaniment on Saturday nights whilst preparing to head out. Acid House and Stop the Week were not necessarily all that incongruous a mix. Just like the sixties hippy entrepreneurial cadre, many of the organizing movers and shakers in the 80s Dance Music scene came from similar backgrounds to the STW contributors.

Mr. Robinson was famously not unconscious of his wide erudition, making him and the programme a favourite Feedback target for the type of earthy Guardianista snobs who also wanted rid of Thought for the Day.

One correspondent berated Laurie Taylor, Ann Leslie, and the rest for continually interrupting Mr. Robinson's 35-minute monologues. Another sent a tape of a song he'd written, entitled "Stop the Robert Robinson". Theme being that anyone wishing to stop the week had to first stop the Robert Robinson.

For all the strictures, and the middle-class dinner party tenor, I always enjoyed STW. Only real sticking-point was the musical interlude from Instant Sunshine, a quasi Liberal Assembly Glee Club outfit, once dubbed "singing dentists" by John Peel (I think they were doctors).

Differences in social and cultural outlook were not as heavily politicised as today. People holding contrasting viewpoints could gently chew the cud without ad hominem rancour.

For the record, I was a Guardian reader myself back then. Sometimes wonder what the likes of Hugo Young would make of the current obnoxious crop.

A great post, UP, and I am with you in almost all the tone and content.

Like one or two others, I would be more sympathetic to Instant Sunshine, and, as has been noted, not all were doctors.

Miles Kington was also the 'inventor' (or at least chronicler) of Franglais, prompting some to, of course, dub him Kilometers Kington, which in terms of alliteration is - er - miles better!

For me, ploughing a career in the public and third sectors, the Guardian was de rigeur reading, at least on Wednesdays when all the relevant jobs were advertised to a pre-internet audience.  By happy coincidence, that was also the day of Hugo Young's column.

I recall once saying to somebody that there were two or three journalists, whose regular columns were a brilliant lesson in how to construct a well structured piece of written English.  Hugo Young was one; Hugh McIlvanney was another and he also translated this outstanding skill to TV documentaries too.

[unapologetic pedant]

On 22/02/2023 at 18:50, Futtocks said:

But the original meaning of the word is still very current, so the bewildered old gimmers trying to use it as an insult sound like the old guard of Radio 1 DJs desperately trying to sound young to Eighties kids. Or an embarrassing uncle greeting teenagers with "wazzzuuuupppppp!!!?"

 

On 01/03/2023 at 21:07, Futtocks said:

Yes, current events give him a huge choice of easy targets, but that's not his doing; it's the decade-long implosion of standards in public life and the clowns, creeps, criminals and c**ts that have thrived from that era.

Nothing political to see here. Congratulations and 

Thanks

[Futtocks]

Good heavens, are you trying to "win" a conversation from over a year ago?

[unapologetic pedant]

5 minutes ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

Like one or two others, I would be more sympathetic to Instant Sunshine, and, as has been noted, not all were doctors.

I'll have to revisit Instant Sunshine. Perhaps their oeuvre was jaundiced by the "interlude" status. Seemed a tacit invitation to put the kettle on. Like a drum solo.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

Just now, unapologetic pedant said:

I'll have to revisit Instant Sunshine. Perhaps their oeuvre was jaundiced by the "interlude" status. Seemed a tacit invitation to put the kettle on. Like a drum solo.

As I recall (so could be completely wrong!), they also recorded an introductory tune for Money Box, the BBC Radio 4 programme.  That programme is extant, but the signature tune, sadly, isn't.

[unapologetic pedant]

14 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Good heavens, are you trying to "win" a conversation from over a year ago?

Not at all.

Simply congratulating the victor.

I know my place.