Just thanks, really...
...to everyone who's emailed us welcoming Nick Clarke back to The World at One. The emails started after Shaun Ley announced Nick's return at the end of Friday's programme... continued through the weekend... then surged after Nick trailed the programme on air at 1230 yesterday.
Another flurry after the headlines and then a steady stream as soon as the programme (listen to it here) ended - with listeners in Canada, Dublin, France and Lesotho among those quickest off the block.
It was particularly pleasing to have so many adding praise for Shaun to their comments... and quite a few saying incredibly nice things about the show in general (please don't feel a need to redress the balance...).
The team marked the occasion with a quick burst of applause as Nick came out of the studio and by demolishing a beautifully-iced cake baked and decorated by two of our studio managers.
For the time being Nick will present on Mondays and Tuesdays and Shaun will continue Wednesday to Friday, as well as presenting The World This Weekend.
For now, though, the final word should rest with a listener who, 'midst the torrent of praise, emailed to admonish Nick for his one anachronistic reference to "the British Airports Authority" rather than BAA. "Sloppy journalism", the email concluded.
Nine months away or not, good to be reminded that no-one expects mistakes from Nick and WATO.
Comments
I went to see Nick at his home sometime after his horrendous operation as I know him through our mutual involvement with Alistair Cooke (Nick's excellent biography of Alistair is still in print.) Asked if he had lost a lot of weight he said ' I forgot to weigh myself before the loss of my leg and again I forgot to ask how much my departed leg weighed --- so I don't know! The Nick humour stays with him......
A bit late but we get things later over here in New Jersey - we too are delighted to hear Nick's voice again
after his absence and his highly emotional and moving account of his experiences.
We relish the ´óÏó´«Ã½ over here radio and website as the only and best source of programmes and news and anything of cultural value.
Keep up the fantastic work
Again Welcome back Nick and very best wishes.
Howard
This is exasperation, not a complaint.
Journalists are taught about language accuracy. Yet journos keep using the expression "that begs the question..." incorrectly.
As you educated chaps know, that phrase has a specific meaning. The journo, like James Munro on tonight's News, should be saying "raises the question..","poses the question..","the question then is...."and leaving "begs the question" to do the work it is constructed for.
I couldn't discover how to reach mr. Munro directly. And yes I do have better things to do. And of course language develops. And no, words/phrases can't be made to mean whatever the speaker feels like.
Best wishes and near the end of this campaign
Ivor Solomons
PS Don't think I'll bother those like Sue Lawley who still erroneously believe that a split infinitive is a grammatical mistake. A flawed attempt to import rules from Latin.