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prettyasapicture

Listed below are comments made by prettyasapicture between Sunday, 21st September 2008 and Tuesday, 4th November 2008.

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RBS: historic loss 4:32pm on 04 Nov 2008 Peston's interview with Hester this morning on the Today programme was frankly dreadful; a disgrace. Just listen to it again now. Hester is clearly a very smooth and slippery operator and he was allowed to get away with answering nothing. He said exactly what he wanted to say and Peston simply went on to his next prepared question without picking him up on anything. The question about bonuses was just ignored, swept aside with contempt. We came away from this conversation no wiser than when it started. Whatever one's feelings about Robert Peston and his knowledge, he self-evidently is no interviewer and the sooner these things are left to John Humphrys the better.
First thoughts 11:07am on 31 Oct 2008 My warm feelings about Toby Buckland have completely evaporated. Yes, he does appear to have the knowledge and I had hoped that his rather dull first appearance was down to nerves. But plainly it isn't. He has absolutely no personality and is simply boring so let us at least hope he is only contracted for one series. And as I wrote initially, he being dreadfully served by the Director. The content of the programme is plainly and totally wrong and just doesn't relate in any way to real gardening and real gardeners' priorities. And of course, Joe Swift is as awful as he has always been. Of all the fine gardeners and communicators in the country, how did we come to be saddled with this bunch. Oh dear, back to the drawing board.
First thoughts 5:50pm on 21 Sep 2008 Saw Toby Buckland for the first time last Friday and first impressions are very promising. He obviously has the knowledge that Monty totally lacked – but he must be his own man and not do stupid things because the director tells him to – in fact the structure of the programme was dire. Toby showed very well and clearly how to take pansy cuttings – but this shouldn't have been at the top of the programme, if on it at all. How many gardeners are interested in doing that? Nor should he agree to make ridiculous remarks like "If you only do one job this week, plant up hyacinth bulbs". With lawns, weeds and hedges and all the other autumn tasks needing attention, hyacinth bulbs would come about Number 100 on most people's lists of priorities. Planting teasels at the edge of the lawn was completely daft and he shouldn't have agreed to do that. Not should he have indulged in the silly bit of play acting with Alys. People want to see real, relevant gardening not what some clueless director thinks they should be doing. Carol was Carol and you either like her or loathe her. But Joe Swift and his allotment was a completely joke and the sooner he is shunted off the better. Any real allotment holder would have squirmed with embarrassment at the condition of it all and the ridiculous talking off camera just didn't work. He is totally dull as a presenter even when he talks about garden design but when he pretends to be a gardener, he is toe curling. Someone said recently that the BBC needs to find a decent director before they even think about presenters and this proved it. Toby, don't let them make you look silly.

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