To be sad about Jane Garvey

[BurtonHouse]

As if it wasn't bad enough that Jenni Murray announced her retirement from Woman's Hour, now Jane Garvey is leaving too.
I adore Jane - she's fiercely intelligent, hugely funny, empathetic and down to earth.
I'd give a kidney to be her friend and am going to miss her warmth, humour and incisiveness massively.

I used to find Jane Garvey asked the wrong questions, but the more I've listened the better I think she is for that very reason. She's unexpected while Jenni Murray just feels really bored now, going through the motions.

Sorry to take a thread in praise of one woman and turn it into a criticism of another, but Lauren Laverne is a masterclass in how not to interview, especially coming after Kirsty Young who was understatedly brilliant. I can hardly bear to listen and when I do, it's just to dissect where she's going wrong. Helen Fielding started to get tearful talking about feminist criticism of Bridget Jones and instead of pulling back, LL interrupted with 'oh yeah loads of women find the topic difficult, so onto your next piece of music'. Silence is such a powerful tool when interviewing but she just has no idea when to deploy it.

Another time she was with that deadly 60 guy Steve whatshisface and she said 'so Steve, when you were doing your programme you had a near death experience when your kayak turned over in some rapids. Tell us about it.' Argggh, it's not your job to put a spoiler in - you're supposed to say, tell us about the trip you took down some Belarussian rapids.

They need a proper journalist take over before DI Discs becomes a must-avoid-listen.

@BeachLane No I don't find it interesting any more because I can discuss a lot of those topics with friends, or read about them. Possibly it's because I'm 'on the other side' as my work involves talking to a lot of experts and also speaking on radio at times anyway, so I get what I need that way.

Jingling fair enough, but I think you were slightly patronising with your comment about cooking and cleaning. Hopefully you can appreciate that it covers serious topics that lots of us do find interesting, and has an appreciative audience.

@JinglingHellsBells

I don't know how WH still exists. In the olden days it was all about cooking and keeping your house clean.

Is there a Men's Hour?

There was on 5live for a bit, not sure if it’s still on. A fix of things like being a father and health including things like testicular cancer and depression.

I don’t mind WH, never liked JM voice. It does have some good stuff.
Agree Desert Island Discs ruined for me by LL.
I’m another one that would pay to keep Radio 4. I think it’s one of the few parts of BBC not covered by commercial stations. If another speech station is started then again have competition problem with justifying BBC in general.

A mix not a fix

I'm heart broken.

I think (hope) they'll bring in Tina Daheley. They definitely need a woman who isn't white.

I'm dreading that they scrap it entirely, the whole category of woman is being eroded (see superdrug, body shop etc) so I think woman's hour is next

@AnnikaStranded, Probably a bloke.
My first thought when they announced that JM was going was that she would be replaced by probably someone who identifies as a woman,

I don’t mind WH, never liked JM voice. It does have some good stuff.
Agree Desert Island Discs ruined for me by LL.
I’m another one that would pay to keep Radio 4. I think it’s one of the few parts of BBC not covered by commercial stations.
I usually switch off WH, but it depends on what they are discussing.

I'm finding the Today prog. hard work nowadays,

@JinglingHellsBells

I don't know how WH still exists. In the olden days it was all about cooking and keeping your house clean.

Is there a Men's Hour?

There was but it was axed because nobody listened to it

Womxn's Hour?

@BeachLane I think you misunderstood me. I said it USED to be about cooking and cleaning (in the 1950s) but clearly now it's not.

@JinglingHellsBells yes, I did misunderstand. I thought when you said you don't know how it still exists, that you were implying it was still about cooking and cleaning and you were perhaps above that kind of thing. Sorry Jingling - I really shouldn't have read so much subtext into your comment.

I remember listening to it and hearing all about the menopause before I'd even started my periods.

Which was good looking back, I've always felt I had a tiny starter knowledge that it was something to go through at some point.

There's so little info about women's medical stuff. WH is actually vital for highlighting a number of things.

@PatienceVirtue

I used to find Jane Garvey asked the wrong questions, but the more I've listened the better I think she is for that very reason. She's unexpected while Jenni Murray just feels really bored now, going through the motions.

Sorry to take a thread in praise of one woman and turn it into a criticism of another, but Lauren Laverne is a masterclass in how not to interview, especially coming after Kirsty Young who was understatedly brilliant. I can hardly bear to listen and when I do, it's just to dissect where she's going wrong. Helen Fielding started to get tearful talking about feminist criticism of Bridget Jones and instead of pulling back, LL interrupted with 'oh yeah loads of women find the topic difficult, so onto your next piece of music'. Silence is such a powerful tool when interviewing but she just has no idea when to deploy it.

Another time she was with that deadly 60 guy Steve whatshisface and she said 'so Steve, when you were doing your programme you had a near death experience when your kayak turned over in some rapids. Tell us about it.' Argggh, it's not your job to put a spoiler in - you're supposed to say, tell us about the trip you took down some Belarussian rapids.

They need a proper journalist take over before DI Discs becomes a must-avoid-listen.

Totally agree

WH has bored me for yrs, tbh.

Gutted Jane Garvey is leaving Woman’s Hour! I love her interviewing style. She is my more articulate and funnier big sister and I think she’s perfect for the broad set of interviews she does. Woman’s hour feels like a comfort blanket of interesting tidbits you talk to your friends about, health info you file away for the relevant woman in your life and also for your future.

Fortunately is genius, of course.

I really miss Asmar Mir :( Saturday Live is kind of flat / unpunctuated without her. Richard Coles saves if but still I really miss it accompanying my Saturday mornings.

What on earth is happening to Radio 4...?????

I found Asma Mir a bit too giggly, but the show was better with her in it.

I agree with PatienceVirtue's comments about LL.

I meant Aasmah.

[quote IDidntChoseThePondLife]@JinglingHellsBells no there isn’t a men’s hour, but If there was I’d be interested to listen to it.[/quote]
Apparently R5 tried it and it was a complete failure. Why on earth shouldn’t WH exist?

It's a mans world, one wee hour for women wont hurt

@BeachLane That's okay! I listen to it daily usually and was harking back to how it used to be.

Emma Barnett to present!

Emma Barnett to present Radio 4's Woman's Hour www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54055270

Man's hour was on R4 first, briefly, a long time ago. It was rather pants. Made you realise how it's "men's 23 hour" daily.

Not keen on Emma Barnett tbh. I really dislike her interviewing style on Newsnight. Having said that, it could have been a much worse choice.

As women appear more an more throughout Radio 4, I've increasingly found WH more anachronistic, although there's usually some interesting stuff amongst the dross.
I like JG and look forward to her doing more varied programs, the opportunity for more in depth analysis maybe? FG's accent and intonation really irritate me, so hopefully not everything will be in tandem with her.
Good luck to whoever takes on the WH mantle.