Webchat with Jane Garvey (from Woman's Hour), MONDAY 6 OCTOBER at 1.30pm

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello

We're pleased to say that broadcasting stalwart Jane Garvey will be joining us for a webchat on Monday 6 October at 1.30pm.

Jane has worked in radio for around 30 years. Hers was the first voice heard on Radio 5 when it was launched in 1994, and she forged a highly successful partnership with Peter Allen on the Drive show. For seven years now she has been presenting Woman's Hour on Radio 4.

Please join us on Monday to talk all things radio (and probably lots of other things too) with Jane - and, as ever, if you can't make it on the day, please post up your questions in advance here.

[EDIT] UPDATE! Jane will also be talking about our 'Chore wars' survey, which will be covered on Woman's Hour today at 10am - so do please let us know your thoughts on who does what in households where there are two adults plus a child/children.

Thanks
MNHQ

Hi Jane, love WH and you on it, but I always feel that cookery items don't really work on radio. What would you put in their place? -appreciate you need a bit of light relief sometimes... :)

Hello, Jane here, really looking forward to answering your questions. And on that note...

@WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes

I'm a recent convert to Women's Hour (unfortunately as a child my parents listened to nothing but Radio 4 and it put me off for a long, long time). I love Women's Hour and listen whenever I can, often via podcast.

However my first choice radio station over the last 20 or so years has been and remains 5Live. I felt really sad listening to Peter Allen leave Drive last night, you two were my favourite ever pair of radio presenters - any chance of working together again?

I would love to, and wouldn't rule it out! He gave a speech at my 50th birthday party and was quite insulting in an affectionate sort of way.

@MrsCakesPrecognition

I've been listening to some of the old WH interviews which have been made available recently. So many fascinating and inspiring voices.

Is there anyone that you feel WH ought to have featured? The one that got away?

The interview that everybody wants is with the Queen. I think we can safely assume we won't get it, though I would absolutely love to do it!

@Blondieminx

I listen to the podcast version on my commute. I just wanted to say thank you for such interesting interviews! Who have you most enjoyed interviewing, and why?

That's hard to answer because we interview such a range of people, but generally speaking I like most politicians and writers, and sometimes struggle with members of the acting community. Having said that, I loved Imelda Staunton and Julianne Moore was charming.

Hi, Jane: is the whole team (researchers/producers, etc.) on WH female? Is so/if not, what sort of working atmosphere is there and what effect does it have on the programme?

@Back2Two

I too love WH and have often thought I'd love to have a few glasses of wine with you, Jane. You have a very natural presenting style: funny, maybe a bit cheeky but also challenging.

You once described WH as (something like....) "too middle class and fixated on cookery". Do you still feel this to be true and if so.......what would you change?

(I love like all the presenters and don't think any are smug. WH is something I really enjoy....and, yes, my mum listened to it when I was a little girl)

I think it's fair to say that most speech radio in this country is quite middle class and that includes 5 Live. Having said that, our listeners cross all boundaries and express an incredible range of opinions on just about everything we discuss. As for cookery, I wouldn't go to the wall for it but I know many people who listen regularly enjoy our 'Cook the Perfect...' series, and I've made some of the recipes myself! Angela Hartnett, the chef, gave me some brilliant advice on mince once. She said always use chicken stock, and she's right, it makes a real difference.

@Shells

Hi Jane, I think you're great. Do you feel hopeful that awareness of feminism is growing in young people again? My daughter is 6 and I'd like to think she has a bright future as a female and not just one of make up, tight clothes etc. which seems to be so prevalent.

I hope so. I have two school-aged daughters myself and the issue is close to my heart. I'm not sure they're even aware of the need for feminism yet, but I suspect they may find out when they enter the workplace or have children of their own.

Hello Jane - I've listened for ever, and I'm glad that WH continues to exist.

But where do you think future generations of listeners will come from when the BBC is effectively dismantling any radio aimed at children? I'm thinking, with regret, of the imminent demise of the 4 O'clock Show. I was always aware of WH because it used to be on before or after Listen With Mother (I think...) How will today's children ever develop a listening habit?

@BIWI

I loved, loved, loved listening to you and Peter Allen on R5, when I used to drive home from work.

I'm gutted to hear that Peter Allen has left as well

Not a question really, but just to say how much I love listening to your voice. You have a beautiful timbre, as they might say

He hasn't left! He's now on 5 Live Wednesday-Friday at the same time as Woman's Hour, so I face a real dilemma when I'm at home. As for my voice, it's a Scouse accent (ish).

I'm always cheered when there are two female voices presenting the Today programme (it happened this morning - whoop!). Do you sometimes despair of the policies on other shows - mentioning no names of course - as regards promoting women presenters?

@HerrenaHarridan

I love woman's hour as a non TV owner it the only programme I make time for.

I always wonder why do you always advertise the podcast on the podcast. I am already listening to the podcast ergo I know about the podcast!

On a more serious note. I loved the woman's hour power list, the variety if people I had never heard of who play important roles in our lives, which of the successful nominations most surprised you?

While I've for your attention I would like to say that for all I love woman's hour for it's up to the minute woman's perspective on current issues my absolute favourite are the women dug up from the mire of history to bask in limelight (however temporary) that they so richly deserve.

Keep rockin those middle class air waves ;)

Regarding the podcast, I have asked the same question myself! You can tie yourself up in knots as a presenter asking why you're promoting the podcast on the podcast. My colleagues just smile at me but what they really mean is shut up.

I'm glad you enjoy our items on the forgotten women of history - I think they're a really important part of the programme and the Woman's Hour Archive is incredible; there are some wonderful interviews on the website. Our Power List allows us to celebrate remarkable women of today, and I can say how glad I was that Doreen Lawrence was number one on this year's Game Changers list.

...and (sorry) what do you think about the media attention paid to Evan Davis's interviewing style when David Cameron was on Newsnight last week? The 'catching more flies with honey' approach. Seemed to me that some radio presenters (lots of women but also people like Simon Mayo) had been quietly using this technique very effectively for a long time.

@NiceBlanket

Hello Jane. What do you think about the phenomenon of women on MN being very frank about their sex lives? Jenni Murray seemed a bit disgusted about the whole thing

I think one of the most important things about our programme is that we allow women to be frank about their lives and experiences whether positive or negative. Openness about our lives has got to be a good thing and I would hesitate to criticise those people who have revealed their own stories.

Hello Jane,
I have no questions , just a brief breakdown of the chore wars in my house, if there is one.....
I love love WH and the program is captivating, as is your voice..... Always soothes the baby to sleep after the school run...... Thank you! Where upon I empty the dishwasher, sort the laundry, tidy the house generally, put thought into the eternal question 'what's for tea today mum?' , make the baby milk, feed the baby mush, amuse the baby etc etc.....
. But my husband, irons everything, hoovers, mops and more and still does homework with the children, deals with the baby etc, meanwhile i may well be cooking or hanging washing or we are all out for the day , the point is he works hard full time and I'm at home doing work albeit unpaid, we value each other's contribution and discuss how life will change when I do take up paid work again.....perhaps the 'unpaid' work will be shared differently then, but we try hard not to do tit for tat as it were but this hasn't been easy, marriage is all about communication and letting certain things go......he didn't put his cereal bowl in the empty dishwasher? So what I haven't ironed a thing for years and I left my paperwork all over the table.....it dosent matter :-) the chore war doesn't need to happen!!!

I want to chip in on the discussions about sex - and how MN was criticised for having such discussions. I actually love Woman's Hour, but do find it terribly well-behaved at times. Does it really always need the 'head girl' persona?

@Vivacia

Caught the segment on WH this morning. My main thought was that it was light-hearted but here on MN (I'm thinking particularly "Relationships") we see the darker side of this problem. Will WH be covering chore disparity to the extent that is holds women back from work and study and keeps them in unhappy, unhealthy relationships?

There were light-hearted aspects to the programme this morning but my interview with the Oxford professor Jonathan Gershuny was extremely serious. He outlined the risks of giving up paid employment for a life of childcare and domesticity. Put bluntly, he said that if you look at the bare statistics, there's no guarantee any marriage will last and if you as a parent, man or woman, stop working outside the home, you are risking financial hardship if the relationship breaks down.

I know it's a bit humourless and perhaps missing the point, but the thing about surveys like this is that they really miss out single parent households, or separated parents who do shared care. I do 100% of all household tasks as well as working full-time . But then to be fair to my children's dad, when has has them he also does 100% of everything and I get to lie down on the floor and not move... Will the Chore Wars stuff be addressing single parents as well as nuclear families? And is there any sense of whether all-women parenting couples organise things in a completely different way to man-woman couples?

@Saker

Hi Jane

I always enjoy it when you are on Woman's Hour because of your good sense of humour and also you are very sympathetic towards your guests. I warmed to you even more when you once described what you would rather do than watch a fantasy film such as the Hobbit .

I was wondering what are your best and worst moments whilst presenting Woman's Hour?

I'm so glad you also hate films about hairy gnomes. I still come out in a cold sweat when I think about the three hours of my life I'll never get back after watching the bogging Hobbit.

Generally speaking I really enjoy every programme, because I just love live radio. It's still a thrill and I've been doing it for 27 years! Programmes like this morning's are the best to do because they're largely unscripted and there's lots of involvement from listeners. Of course I also make mistakes and get myself or other people into trouble, and I do regret that. The most ludicrous episode involving me on Woman's Hour was when I was interviewing a chef making meringues, who couldn't hear me over the sound of his electric whisk. I blame the producer obviously...

Are you any relation to Guy Garvey? It's not a very common name.

And how do you get away with calling a programme "Woman's Hour" in this day and age? (not a complaint, just intrigued!)

@Back2Two

Hi Jane Another question from me after I listened to today's programme.

Re: "chore wars" it's the age old issue.....sorting out the division of labour with my husband is one thing. My main worry is that I am raising two boys and I need to teach THEM that household tasks are their responsibility too. But HOW can we pass on better habits and expectation to the next generation when the norm is STILL for women to run the home and take on the dreariest of household duties.

Despite being raised by a feminist and being a feminist and despite being quite outspoken in my relationship re: dividing the house-work: I'm still cleaning the toilets!

I wish I could give you some advice, but I still clean my toilets. I live with two daughters, neither of whom does a hand's turn in the house, despite my protestations. But of course I do have a cleaner; I'm not going to pretend otherwise. This makes all this less of an issue in my house than it might be in some others. I have been married and I understand only too well how petty resentments can cause real problems. I also have two very young nephews and I'm really interested in how they'll develop in this area in the future. They're growing up seeing their dad doing lots of the cooking but my sister says he's no good at pegging out washing and she has to do it herself! My own kids dump wet towels on the carpet and presumably assume that the Towel Fairy takes them away somewhere.

As a child, if I wanted a pair of socks, I simply opened my sock drawer; I never questioned how they got there. I do now - so thanks Mum!

@heidipi

Hello Jane - here's my question: As the parent of daughters what keeps you awake at night about the world they are growing up in and what can we do that's more practical than just worrying? I have 2 young DDs and the the internet, porn, eating disorders, plastic surgery, everything I read on Everyday Sexism and a whole truckload more besides are niggling away in a HowTFdo-I-equip-them-for-this? kind of way. (Not that parents of sons have it any easier but I always want to ask wise and cool mothers of daughters what they do).

Thank you - another big WH fan. My Dad used to listen all the time :)

I understand absolutely what you mean and yes I worry too. One thing I've always done around food is to eat cheerily and freely around them, and always stock the house with fruit as well as chocolate. So far - fingers crossed - they love their grub and have a hearty approach to meals. As for the rest of it, I'm at the stage now where I have to ask my eldest daughter for technical help. I trust her not to be foolish online and it is something we discuss, however this is a generation who know nothing about life before the internet and live their lives online. As parents, we can't afford to be ignorant or complacent.

@moonblues

Hi Jane, love WH and you on it, but I always feel that cookery items don't really work on radio. What would you put in their place? -appreciate you need a bit of light relief sometimes... :)

I suppose we could have things like quick guides to everyday DIY. As a single woman there's loads of stuff I need to know how to do in the house and at the moment I have to pay A Man to do .

@TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos

Hi, Jane: is the whole team (researchers/producers, etc.) on WH female? Is so/if not, what sort of working atmosphere is there and what effect does it have on the programme?

We have two male members of staff at the moment, which I think is a great thing, not least because over 40% of our regular audience is male. In fact, I think it would be peculiar and probably unhealthy to have an all-female team. Ours is actually a very happy and sometimes rather noisy working environment with precious little office politics. We're all allowed to express an opinion but most important of all we know we're not perfect. We really welcome involvement from listeners and will respond to ideas about what we should cover. I'm very proud of the fact that Woman's Hour is probably the most interactive of all Radio 4's programmes. Our email inbox every day is full of the most extraordinary experiences.

@ZeroSomeGameThingy

Hello Jane - I've listened for ever, and I'm glad that WH continues to exist.

But where do you think future generations of listeners will come from when the BBC is effectively dismantling any radio aimed at children? I'm thinking, with regret, of the imminent demise of the 4 O'clock Show. I was always aware of WH because it used to be on before or after Listen With Mother (I think...) How will today's children ever develop a listening habit?

As you can imagine, this is something the people who run BBC Radio worry about all the time. People of my age (I am 50) got into radio through Radio 1, which was the only place we could get our music; I don't know where my children get their music but it doesn't appear to be through Radio 1. We know as well that television viewing has fallen off a cliff in the younger generation; it's all YouTube in our house and that probably explains why Radio One is now employing YouTubers to do shows. I hope radio survives because it's brilliant, immediate and companionable, but I wonder whether my job, 'radio presenter', will mean anything in 30 years.