Read this: 21/12/2018 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts the last feedback of 2018 inbox has been dominated by two issues, what begins with a b that, I can't bear to pronounce it so divisive and all-consuming has it become so alright brexit brexit brexit brexit brexit the second issue was the departure of several much-loved BBC Radio presenters.

I'm going to leave decided to leave Radio 2 BBC News at 9:04 from all of us on the programme.

Have a good evening Chris Evans off to Virgin Simon Mary's giving up his drive time slot Mira Stewart's leaving the BBC and pm's Eddie Mair is now at LBC but as one door closes another opens Eddie mair's departure open the door at p.m.

For Evan Davis this week will be here in his thoughts on taking over the p.m.

Hot seat and the many challenges of covering the b word.

Also this week by the Apollo program and especially by The Crew reading the creation story of the irresistible appeal of audio archive why radio producers Are Forever coming the vaults of the BBC to bring his voices from the past and why far from sending him Softly to sleep saving by has one listener scrambling for the off switch off agreed that the music does Sue the forehead Brow in have a country impact on one member of our family.

The first one Eddie Mair announced he was leaving Radio 4 p.m.

Programme for a commercial rival LBC there was a genuine sense of shocking broadcasting house and distress amongst the programs and many listeners over 20 years.

I downloaded the program in his own image and is which coupled with an Incisive interviewing technique and made him one of the network's most popular broadcasters who could replace him now.

It is my first day p.m.

If you notice the difference of baby don't answer that the fickle finger of Fate pointed to Evan Davis in the moment.

I'll be asking even if you felt it was like taking over from another Scott Sir Alex Ferguson special ones can turn out to be not so special after all as Mr Mourinho's.

Just discovered, but here first as some of your views on how well Evan Davis is doing I am Chris from Folkestone for me p.m.

Is best with Evan Davis and Moore quirky questioning and interesting takes on the news just after 5:45 with Thorogood

You seemed quarter hour coming up at first episodes of the headlight everything you've been fishing north of the arrival of Evan Davis after Eddie Mair but so far I think you've done a good job the tone of p.m.

Has changed but I rather like it, so well done.

I think but these are particularly challenging times.

Maybe others are not quite so abadas me about the latest from Westminster Don't Hold Back

Did I do just holding compact of the filling loop I know because I just am struck by the fact that one of you has to be wrong.

He's he's voting down sure the problem is brexit 11, but I certainly think his father repetitive hectoring interviews with politicians are getting increasingly tedious.

He's there rather like a little terrier snapping his ankle based on his track record.

I would have thought Evan might be a little more creative in his approach.

I still think Evan is great by the way and I'm ready to heap praise on him when he respond to this challenge everyone else you going the job you tweeted so guess what having survived several years of people saying you're not as good as Jeremy Paxman and I look forward to people saying you're not as good as Eddie Murphy must be disappointed disappointed because they haven't know how to patent a reply that you have had at least two or three tweet saying he's not as good as Eddie Mair yeah, we've had a few weeks as you're at least as good which is a

Credit, no that will I take that as a very big compliment a legendary broadcaster, but I'll tell you what I really really don't want to be benchmarking myself against Eddie Mair that would be a very high threshold.

Be the worst thing would be to replace Eddie Mair with somebody who's trying to be Eddie Mair because I will never be as good at being a has Eddie other than himself and so you have to just stop thinking about The Legacy of the previous presenter and just think what am I going to do when how do I approach this? So why did you want to do it right? That's why I would love to build another couple of years on Newsnight if I'm honest I enjoyed Newsnight and it's a really flexible broad Canvas program.

So it is a great experience to be a presenter there, but the truth is I knew I didn't want to do is like for the rest of my career.

It's tiring it's intense it's the wrong time of day.

So p.m.

Is a wonderful program.

You do everyday is a fresh opportunity to do it ever you see.

Is interesting that day you said elsewhere the what you wanted to bring to the program and offer it? Was you do a Curiosity and warm but also do you want to do more discursive things because you believe the lots of facts.

What matters is Judgement an opinion in you want to explore those and where they routed and doing this straight short interview often doesn't allow you the time to do that correct so I think what plays to my interests is trying to set out the parameters of an argument.

So it's not just about finding out his writing the argument is trying to get to the bottom of what are the different positions and it was the geography of this debate actually we've got three positions not two positions is not a vs.

B there's actually a c and there's a B1 and B2 to let the people sing I want the new slide out of this.

This is boost pressure CD yes to get the news like that's very interesting describing you ever get the news line.

No, I'm dead against that whole philosophy of interview.

And it is quite prevalent in not just the BBC in Media in general.

It's like you've got to ask this question because that'll they make the 8 a.m.

Bulletin and a program might get a name check if it's in the 8 a.m.

Bulletin that's kind of like so many of the politicians to get snippets of sensational gossip on the what if questions of brexit is like a little terrier snapping at ankles it later on.

She said I still think having is great by the way he actually on the brexit interviews and androgyny have to say obviously virtually since I started at p.m.

It's been a rather exceptional.

So in a way very hard to know how clever settle down when we're back to order a new agenda, but I think I'm on brexit.

I think there's quite a lot of hypotheticals that need to be explored because a lot of the time people making claims of they don't want and you have to.

Keep reminding people.

What do you want or they'll make a claim about something that they would like to happen and you have to say just take us through take us through what happens after that.

So let's take a classic example labour saying we want to General Election we had Keir starmer on probably two or 3 weeks ago all seems like ancient history now and I just take us through how the general election result of this what the timetable of the General Election is what happens to March 29th deadline on brexit.

Is it really conceivable began having a lectionary negotiation and all be reading writing reading that is a bit of yapping at the heels because a lot of people are trying to invoke actions or ideas that we really need to find out whether they real or approachable, but you get irritated then by the Lee lazy assumptions that inevitably Phil newsrooms as much as anybody else everybody thinks this and does that mean you're until I go up and seeing what's the bases hold on.

He will pop group think there is a real danger in any large organisation group think I must as the word distance myself, but this is the whole national about having is the fact that what one might call business economists diplomats the establishment generally is there difficulty with brexit their failure to deliver the brexit that the public seem to be for the brexiteers seem to want is that a result of groupthink and limited imagination and a kind of defeatism or is it because reality is hitting the Visions and the dreams of brexiteers that is the Debate no.

I think we need to be open minded in that debate.

I think we do need to give a lot of credence to expert view because you know but it comes to supply chains.

I don't think you would have equivalence between backbench Conservative MP and someone who's running logistics company in Tesco I mean you just say the one is in a better position to know but the public's job.

In working out this debate has to say ok the Tesco guy says one thing the Tory backbenchers has the other is the Tesco guy infected by that group thing is his mindset the foetus tour Romania and should I disregard what is saying because he's a painter decorator so they're going to say it with the Lister is going to say this is largely.

I would say that's ok.

Rather too complicated for me.

I have to rely on other people and there's Evan he has his economic knowledge experience he's putting these positions at the end of the day I can just tell me just tell me much money does my mother said some of my friends want to know what you really think because you know they think being sting to know what you think I mean listen to All These arguments 8th of November what's the weather like I can have private word with your real friends if you want, I think what comes with the BBC is the fact that you don't but its natural conclusion that you can learn why not.

That's a different job.

We're not in that job.

That's like saying to a referee in football match.

Don't you ever feel like the joining in the game kicking off his job.

The referee's job is to referee the match our job is to set out the argument clearly is to make sure the public know where the expert opinion live so the public should be in no doubt you know business and economic analysts really don't think brexit is a good idea most of them really.

Don't there are some who do but the most don't we have to set that out, but it's not hard job to fill in the last line and say go.

Let's leave it for a better future or no.

Let's not leave to protect our interests.

It's just that last line.

I'm afraid which so many people would love the BBC to fill in as long as it According with their view that last line is the bit that you don't do because that is what allows us to be seen as a decent platform for both sides of the argument to be understood and put so when the interview survey and you.

Come back out of a studio at to reflect which planet or is it on to the next one or do you have a chat with friends and see how did that get an exceptional cases? I would think I did that go everyday after the programme.

We have a little debrief or you're just sit around and so it wouldn't be due right and what did we do wrong, but the particular thing like brexit my fear about it.

It is it all feels like one big bushy argument with 100 views opinions facts alternative facts and judgements and questions or just moved into one and one of my key objectives in a brexit.

Coverage is to say let's do it in 3 chunks in the programme beginning middle and end and each of those chunks should have a really discrete identifiable sub issue that we looking at in in one go you know we're not going to do the colour.

Let's just do brexit for 15 minutes.

Sort of it, let's do.

Plan B if you know or let's do article 50 can it be delayed? Let's not just do the whole thing Everytime We Touch on it now.

Thanks to his sweetly reasonable Evan Davis the last week.

I went back to school for a special feedback programme exploring the BBC's of times to attract younger listeners under the guidance of guest editor and teacher bend forward and a discussion was whether the BBC was right to commit so much time and money to projects like sounds in the effort to make the BBC more enticing for an audience brought up on Netflix YouTube and Spotify the debated Dane Court Grammar School in Broadstairs was certainly thought provoking for these listeners to laugh because we are diminishing proportion of the population the older ones who have been brought up listings in a straight away and that is what I'm used to and that is what?

Quite happy with and I'm not going to get that anymore Rob Sloan the BBC is not only obsessed with attracting a younger audience it also seems to constantly want to change its whole image as the BBC thrashes around trying to redefine itself many bits established audience including me.

I'll being put off and I wasn't sure if the BBC is doing any outreach work to attract younger listeners.

So why not have the radar for Ambassadors who actually going to schools and Nurseries and introduce programs to younger listeners, you can't just expected return faulty your 10:50 and then you're going to go or what I listen to Radio 4 if you've never heard of it before I do let us know what you think about anything to do with BBC Radio programs and policy.

This is the last programme in the present series but rest assured will still be checking the post here's the ever amenable Evan Davis to let you know how to get in touch.

You can send an email to feedback at bbc.co.uk or write a letter the address is feedback PO Box 67234 London se1p 4ax you can follow our activity on Twitter by using at BBC R4 feedback or you can call us and leave a phone message on 0333 444 5440 standard landline charges applied, but it could cost more on some mobile networks all those details are on our website.

Thanks again Evan now.

Let me take you back 50 years in December 1968 Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon the mission laid the groundwork for Neil Armstrong one small step six months later.

And was the subject of last week's archive on 4 it proved to be an evocative and populism mostly to Nasa recordings.

This is a story of the bravery and brilliance required to go where no one has gone before and I enjoy the program about a Polaroid which is very fascinating in its own right and what it did not leave was the music that kept coming in specially when the transmission is here anyway, and we're not playing music in Houston control while goes missing words in progress.

Gallardo Polaroid Freeview program and especially by The Crew reading the creation story from the bible on Christmas Eve 1968 some thoughts there on last week's archive on 4 the long-running stranded weekly programs, which more often than not require a forensic exploration of the BBC's massive cash of audio stored in its archive centre in Perivale in North West London in Perivale once the place of a rustic charm which captivated John Betjeman tens of thousands of radio and TV programmes has stored in temperature control bolts on racks which is Laid end-to-end would stretch with 60 miles.

It's a place where long dead voices abroad to.

In an audio Resurrection but what is it that makes it ok can sometimes arcane materials so appealing to producers and listeners.

We sent a report account.

To Perivale to meet archive collections manager Elliot Gibson and talk to some of the radio producers who specialise in bringing the past Back to Life we've got 15 million piece of archive TV radio sheet music and commercial music recorded history, is it isn't it absolutely yeah.

Good luck with working on a strategy to can't unlock the percent of the archive so it will look at a subject that we know the BBC is interested in and I can programs in and group together a collection of things that we've selected from the archives help them build a program.

So you done a lot of stuff.

Bridge next year is the 50th anniversary of the moonlandingz around the collection producer Denshaw has taken inspiration from the forthcoming 50th anniversary of Woodstock he's coming to Perivale to find out what recordings there are in the BBC archive Sophia musically and people would still be talking about a five decades later.

If we Newham Recorder death in yourself and some of those bigjigs a good the not many of my programs John Lennon and decorating we heard from.

Listener called O'Connor who would particularly like the fact that you cut out all the interviewees and as he said there was no unnecessary interruption or commentary.

Why did you choose to do it that way body who makes a program on a major artist the ones about heard they always put their own perspective on and I thought it was really refreshing to have Bowie just tell his own story.

Searching for music is not searching for god.

They're very similar there's an effort to reclaim the unmentionable radio producer Steve Rajan Billy's we get more from listening to history than watching it.

I actually think one of the really powerful aspects of radio archive more so than TV of Visual archive is that it can really cut through time when you're watching a bit of TV archive you perceive different fashions different cars different shopfronts radar is an immune to that.

I only have to think of a kind of cut glass accents that the presenters of BBC hatchback in that sort of 60s but overall I think audio has a 10c to collapse that distance Aisha Muhammad Ali just looked at me blankly, Kenneth St Peter's is the co-producer of Radio 4 my dream dinner party which is created totally new scenarios out of sometimes decades old archive recordings.

Oh, yeah, I was talking to the way.

Sorry traveller and we chatting to me, but it's not in the mid of the night.

I just thought what if you were to bring those conversations to life using existing material from BBC archive famous, Kenneth Williams tell the theme from 70 years ago 60 years ago continue to be relevant and there was an interview with Nancy Astor he recalls the story of at the time of a prominent MP putting his hand unsolicited on a woman's lap sitting next to someone who has had his hand on my knee.

I mean how much moreover it could been out of the me too movement and George Crescent how long has it been there? She said since crackly archives can be a potential problem, but we had a really good idea and factors my co-producer peregrine Andrews the archive we use for Nazi after what time 19?

86 and it was obviously very crackly and his idea was in afterwards as a dinner party to disguise the crackling on for voice with the opening of a champagne bottle Nancy have some champagne illuminating does show final cut off because these days as we know everybody who goes into his the music business knows how it works.

They know there's multimedia than others these the present owners as newspapers magazines.

Do they know the art of The Sound by because they've been brought up on it and when working 9 hours programme example.

He was very open and I found that the same and we talked about.

Coming back from Hamburg infinity activation at one point of that's when the Beatles with their peak from they'll talk about the things that they won't talk about today.

Such as drug use as a family man and respectable members of a community that what people know that and there's this eavesdrop from Steve Rogers archive on 4 programme Diana A Life Backwards moments of Diana behind-the-scenes talking to the person with give you a very distinctive insight into her real world rather the kind of the character that you had to play I was slightly amazed that I never come across it before I love the fact that you can play These clips that meant one thing then but now they mean something else in the context of what we know you must have found that a lot absolutely when you listen to a voice.

That's from the past and a piece of bark.

Of course.

They're speaking in their present in their present tense.

There's one piece of particular that I remember very daunting experience that yesterday.

You were a nanny looking after children.

The presenter is talking about the years to come when Diana will ascend to the throne is Queen consort and it's just really quite poignant and saddened and kind of thought provoking was paying for someone have 19 to make all the transition last 6 months and best wishes and I can't go wrong.

I can't go wrong very very poignant now you feeling tired after Christmas shopping this should send you to sleep the Radio 4 theme may have bitten the dust some time ago, but the institution that is selling.

5 sales on as the precursor to the shipping forecast for many listeners adapt almost like a lullaby April for us to meet up the ravelled sleeve of care and drift gently to sleep for this listener.

However, it usually necessitates a mad Scramble for the off button from High doll be in near Pickering in Yorkshire and the couple of weeks ago.

He presented a short item about the soothing and soporific nature of sailing by both agree that the music does Sue the forehead Brow it has a country impact on one member of our family with very often keep the the radio 103 go to sleep and either wake up to the sound of the radio for the first notes of his song.

Soon as the music begins Oswald Tibetan Terrier stuffed owl singing along and will not become quiet until the radio goes off all the music ends if it's retired to hit the notes under the phrase is his song with the music doesn't just how like a wolf.

Pic of listen to the radio all day with music any type of music and he has has no effect on him.

It's something to do with the I think the the picture the town or maybe it is the fattest you broken up.

Athelstan now, and he's done this all his life.

So whether it hasn't come.

It was Grown with him, but he's either enjoyed or enjoyed the music since he was a puppy but whichever way it is.

It does make me wake up and turn the radio down so that he has an opportunity to continue his sleep.

The Reverend Ian Robinson that is not entirely tone-deaf Tibetan Terrier Oswald serenaded stewards the end of this series of feedback, we are back in February 2019 may I wish you a happy peaceful and brexit list Christmas goodbye.