Problems at the BBC are not confined to unacceptable tweeting by Gary Lineker. Failure to recognise and value their customer base - this time Radio 2 listeners - and claims of age discrimination surrounded the departure of Ken Bruce, after a career spanning centuries. In the event, even his final date was brought forward to reduce the impact of Ken promoting the station to which he has transferred.
Similar charges of ‘timing out’ old timers arose from the farewell of Wimbledon National Treasure, Sue Barker (67)following her emotional standing ovation last year.
Presenters it seems take centre stage and not only on Centre Court. The replacement for Sue is to be the ubiquitous Clare Balding (52), the doyen of countless sports including horse racing, Winter Olympics, rugby league, Commonwealth Games and for the last 9 years, Crufts – not forgetting the Boat Race. Surely there could have been a role in retirement at Crufts for the aptly named Sue?
The prospect of winning a Wembley cup final for the first time since 1955 was of course a hope too far. But the inevitable disappointment of losing to Manchester United will not dull the boundless optimism of the Newcastle United faithful. The supporters impressed the country with their fervour as well as their good manners in cleaning up Trafalgar Square after a night of pre-match revelry. Is qualification for the Champions League another hope too far?
The death of Baroness Boothroyd was a time to remark on the illustrious career of the only woman to be elected Speaker of the House of Commons. Betty Boothroyd may have been a Tiller girl but she was a no-nonsense Yorkshirewoman and Labour MP, best known for her stint as Speaker from 1992 to 2000. She stood no nonsense and proudly upheld the traditions of the Parliament and its ability to hold governments up to scrutiny, but holding a fair political balance.
Famously she would not allow Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein to take up his seat because of his refusal to take the required oath of allegiance to HM the Queen.
Baroness Boothroyd had her moments of drama, yawning ostentatiously at long winded speeches and expelling the firebrand Dennis Skinner from the Chamber.
She struck a blow for women in refusing to wear the traditional ceremonial wig, as it would spoil her hair!
Some politicians still experience difficulty in using or defining words such as ‘woman’, no doubt to keep favour with those of wokeist views. At least 19 pages of the NHS website specific to women’s health problems including cervical cancer and the menopause, now use ‘non-gendered’ language. For example the section on miscarriage used to say ‘for most women, miscarriage is a one off event’ but now says ‘for most people’. The Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender has now written to the NHS formally urging a reversal of this trend and for the reinstatement of sex-based, respectful communication which meets the healthcare needs of women. The signatories include over 1,100 doctors, nurses and other health practitioners. They argue that erasing the word ‘woman’ is disrespectful to women and undermines trust and confidence in health communication.
It is to be hoped that this plea for common sense and natural use of language will not be ignored.
I was proud to be at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House to see Carmen presented by the Ukranian Opera(Dnipra Opera Company). They are continuing their tour despite the war. The amazing performance was greeted with acclaim and ended with the rousing and proud singing of the Ukranian National anthem to the background of the Ukrainian flag. What a fantastic night it was!