The Aardvark Blog

The Bad, The Good and the Ugly
14/04/2024

If one were wanting to satirise the BBC  it would be extremely hard. Recently the 'Powers that Be' at the BeeBBC decided to hand over the jewel of their radio scheduling - Radio 3 - to a former controller of Smooth FM. Smooth FM is I am sure a fantastic station for those who like their music decaffeinated, but it is not a shining monument to world culture. And guess what? Within seconds our new whizzy thin controller has got rid of the best contemporary Jazz programme on radio - JtoZ - banished 'Record Review' and 'Composer of the Week' to the badlands of mid-afternoon and abolished poetry completely. O' Tempora, O' Mores, will there be nothing left to us in these dark ages of our cultural decline ( see local authorities cutting cultural budgets to Zero , Welsh Arts Council defenestrating the peerless Mid Wales Opera etc). As  a previous correspondent who complained about my lack of deferential service once said in an email - 'I could say more' - but what would be the point, because sadly these vandals do not realise what they have done. You cannot force a mahogany dining table to care about the food served upon it. One will just need to close one's eyes and move on.

To the good. And there is a lot of good at the moment. Firstly Emma Barnett is being moved from 'Woman's Hour' where her talents were hidden under the thickest of bushels, to the 'Today Programme' where she will be in her element. Now that the Beeb has decided to axe Newsnight which generated most of their investigations, the need for a reinvigorated TP is greater than ever. Hurrah for the Barnett, the best interviewer currently working.

And I have more good. Channel 4's Walter Presents has moved into the purplest of patches and is now showing most of the best shows that can be had for free on terrestrial television. Check out - as they no doubt now say on Smooothe R3 -  'Astrid in Paris', 'The Wagner Method' and 'Top Dog', all grade A winners.

And whilst we are on the subject of winners, do not listen to the critics most of whom wouldn't know art if it bit them. The new Tate show ' Sargent and Fashion' is absolutely marvellous. A brilliant portrait painter ( yes I know he couldn't paint hands, but then who can ), who genuinely enjoyed the company of the mostly women he painted. A protege of the great Isabella Stewart Gardner and a friend of Venice, his pictures convey such a wonderful feeling of life that one feels as if one can hear voices in the hall.

And finally visitors to the Bookery will now be greated by Gerald the Bear (Copyright 'NtheNOCN' and yes we have substituted Bear for Gorilla). He is fearsome in aspect, but kind of nature. Do greet him with appropriately ursine warmth.

And now to the ugly. The state of the roads in North Herefordshire is utterly disgraceful and some of the driving to be witnessed upon them is nothing short of an outrage. Twice in the last month we have come round corners to find vehicles on our side of the road. There is no pleasure in this world so great - even the Coffee and Walnut cake at Aardvark - that it is worth endangering yourself and others for the sake of arriving at your destination a few minutes earlier. Grrr.

But let us put away such 'negative  waves' (copyright Kelly's Heroes), the sun is finally shining, I have acquired some brilliant books recently which are still finding their way into the shop and we have our first Car Boot/Flea market in only three weeks. Have you made your plans to come and see us on the Bank Holiday Monday May 6th?  Or is your house so groaning with extra stuffage that you need to pass some of your gems on to new owners. If so come and join us and enjoy some brilliant jazz into the bargain ( still to be found at Aardvark if not at Smooooooother Radio Three).