Radio Review: 16 June
It was an election night to remember – and in my own case, not just because of the surprise of the result. I found myself spending a good couple of hours in the dark watches 
of the night trying to release a trapped jackdaw from the living room chimney breast, all the while listening to the results coming in on BBC Radio 4.
I had begun the evening on television with BBC1, but not even the reassuring presence of Professor John Curtice, all skew- whiff hair and pin-sharp analysis, could keep me there. Too much was being said on the basis of not enough, a common problem before the results begin coming in earnest. Also, with the screen so full of distracting graphics, I needed to rest my poor old eyes.
First stop was Radio 5 live, where Stephen Nolan anchored the coverage. I’m sorry to say that it was actually, properly unlistenable. Rory Bremner impersonated Jeremy Corbyn, but the only way I could tell was because he’d told listeners that it was an impersonation of Corbyn. Then there were the punters, ringing in to add the square root of nothing to anything.
Thankfully, over on the home service, Jim Naughtie and Carolyn Quinn had it covered, and I stayed up far later than I had intended, my eyebrows frequently rising to meet what remains of my hairline. All was well until the egregious Nigel Farage turned up to bray and honk. A shame Naughtie and Montague didn’t press him on his real area of expertise: losing elections. Nonetheless, the coverage was substance over style, and pleasingly low on conjecture.
If you’re wondering what happened to the bird, the extraction was a complete success, and the poor creature flew off at dawn. I think it just wanted to hang around and hear whether the exit poll was right.
Louis on Twitter: @AlanKelloggs or email: wireless@cheeseford.net
of the night trying to release a trapped jackdaw from the living room chimney breast, all the while listening to the results coming in on BBC Radio 4.I had begun the evening on television with BBC1, but not even the reassuring presence of Professor John Curtice, all skew- whiff hair and pin-sharp analysis, could keep me there. Too much was being said on the basis of not enough, a common problem before the results begin coming in earnest. Also, with the screen so full of distracting graphics, I needed to rest my poor old eyes.
First stop was Radio 5 live, where Stephen Nolan anchored the coverage. I’m sorry to say that it was actually, properly unlistenable. Rory Bremner impersonated Jeremy Corbyn, but the only way I could tell was because he’d told listeners that it was an impersonation of Corbyn. Then there were the punters, ringing in to add the square root of nothing to anything.
Thankfully, over on the home service, Jim Naughtie and Carolyn Quinn had it covered, and I stayed up far later than I had intended, my eyebrows frequently rising to meet what remains of my hairline. All was well until the egregious Nigel Farage turned up to bray and honk. A shame Naughtie and Montague didn’t press him on his real area of expertise: losing elections. Nonetheless, the coverage was substance over style, and pleasingly low on conjecture.
If you’re wondering what happened to the bird, the extraction was a complete success, and the poor creature flew off at dawn. I think it just wanted to hang around and hear whether the exit poll was right.
Louis on Twitter: @AlanKelloggs or email: wireless@cheeseford.net