foolhandy

I’m a great fan of PM with Eddie Mair. I don’t get to hear it every day as it’s on Radio 4 for an hour from 5pm, which doesn’t always coincide with my journey home, but when I do catch it their is invariably some part that makes an impression.

Eddie Mair is superb and his interview today with Hilda Gibson, an ex-Land Girl who will eligible for one of the Government’s new badges of recognition, shows one of the reasons why. His cutting wit and knack of grilling slippery characters with the questions I’d love to be able to ask were put to one side in favour of his other facets as a broadcaster - warmth, soft humour and a generosity of spirit sadly lacking in much of modern radio. He also gave over nearly ten minutes of a one hour show to Hilda Gibson, which in an age where interviewers wheel their guests in, interrupt them mid-flow and then wheel them off is wonderful. It reminded me of the best of John Peel on Home Truths, which is no bad thing.

I encourage you to follow this link to the PM Blog and listen to the interview. It’s how radio should be.

Finally, a word must go to Hilda Gibson (and her poetry). What a wonderful woman. And she hates “basically” too!