Esther’s Return

The fog was foggy and the air damp. I left at 6.45.
I filled up with petrol and decided that I would drive in for my first show back with the brilliant Esther Stanhope.
Normally I listen to Radio 2 with Aled Jones, but he’s gone to telly land and Hardeep Singh Kohli is sitting in. I’m afraid I don’t get on with his voice he sounds utterly insincere to me.
So I switched to Radio 4 then CLASSIC FM, but the woman who presents the early show is even more oleaginous than Kohli. She sounds like she’s sucking on over-sweet marshmallows. I then turned on BBC LONDON and Jamoque. The discussion was all about Gay Bishops.
The idea that a Gay man can be a Bishop but must renounce his history and his sexual urges says everything about a Britain that has become so tangled up in its own confusion, and hypocritical pontificating, a Britain that is trying to hold onto an ethical code that no longer serves, that I started shouting at the wireless.
Mr. Cameron with his road running metaphors and his self serving policies heads up a country that has lost its way. Please do a U-Turn you are worse than the Iron Lady.
And we, like so many sheep, are flocking to the alter to be slaughtered.
I listened to Radio 3 for some respite and then ended up turning the radio off.
Got to The Beeb by 8.00, and Esther was already there, fretting. Which is quite why I love her, she is as neurotically concerned about the show as I am.
A great big thank you to all of you who helped out today. We have till March 31st to turn the show round, and with your help and support I do believe we can do it.
From Luke Doonan, our property expert, to Nadia Sawalha and Lowrie Turner talking about diets, from Helen George, from ‘Call The Midwife’ to Ms Geddes and her excellent book ‘Bumpology’ we covered the lot from birthing, eating and unwanted Christmas Tat.
I’ve finally thrown out the last of the Christmas Pud to the birds, started reading up on next weeks show then settled down for AFRICA and Sir David, talking about the Kalahari desert. Watching Giraffes fight and black Rhino’s flirt was the end of the beginning of a new phase.
Viva La Esther, and you lot.
I urge you to see a French film called ‘Untouchable.’ A glorious ode to life.