Read this: 28/06/2019 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts is the standard political interview dead pointless waste of everybody's time does seem that the interviews on for example today.

I getting shorter and more formulaic that's in my opinion.

There is a desperate need for extended interviews in which fuse can be explored, we ended much greater depth what I'm trying to do is bring out the stuff.

I know is there from my private conversations with people into the public domain in feedback this week's the former political editor and now today presenter Nick Robinson tells us why he loves the extra time is podcast give him as it now moves to Radio 4 as well, and why would you go to a randomly chosen place? You've never heard of to make a program about you know not what in the words of Tony Hancock have they gone Stark raving mad.

I have no idea where that is maybe Swansea if you look at that can a random search result in an interesting program.

That's what I'll be asking producer presenter Polly Western as she sets out into the unknown first series The Patch and if I ever get to meet the Pope I shall argue strongly against manoeuvre popping up a beautiful bit of poetry listening to what is talking about the Lords prayer and he's going to have to say to hail Marys in one our father for that comment how well did the Sunday programme deal with that and other religious issues in our new feedback feature in which we put listers out of your comfort zone Peter and another volunteer will listen to Enstone show and give us their verdicts.

I need Robinson as you well know is the irrepressible presenter of the Today programme and a former BBC political editor in recent weeks his political thinking podcast has found its way into town from home to Radio 4 on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 for 15 minutes, so it's the longer podcast programme the way forward for the political interview is there any point in continuing with the shorter more combative confrontations often heard on programs like today in a moment.

I'll be talking to Nick Robinson but first here's some of your views beginning with a clip from the podcast David lidington.

Welcome to political thinking thanks very much data.

Does it feel being one of the very few prominent figures in the Conservative Party didn't run to be Prime Minister at the surface of the electrode? This is Desmond of wire from Roscommon in Ireland it's wonderful to have a political programme that last as long as In Our Time Nick Robinson excels and getting the balance between serious and lighter top.

It's covered well.

Hello, this is Mike Gibbons from Malpas in Cheshire I just wish to say that Nick Robinson political thinking is one of my favourite programs is Knowledge spoken word and depth of questioning is great to listen to but especially the respect he gets from all of his guests low quality bait University gender on the buses.

Please necklace earring stem.

How do you solve brexit? You only way to solve? It? Is that you have to assemble a parliamentary majority for an orderly departure.

I think that the problem be Southport I have high hopes that political thinking I'd hoped challenging in-depth Debate and discussion with perhaps some illumination on the decision-making process what I got was Tommy in the now back slapping and

It's not a dinner party and I will be listening to any other episodes Susan Lovell I like his approaching these interviews he gives into the UAE time to speak and treats them with respect with a little lightheartedness to I have however stop listening to today which is sometimes unpleasantly a confrontational although I like difficult questions being asked I think it is very easy for challenging to turn into hectoring in a very short exchange especially where big egos are involved liver brexit being implementation fact of the matter now.

Is it the withdrawal agreement is dead naked has been rejected by parliament and the only Focus for the Boris Johnson that the only Focus for Boris Johnson is to be the candidate of change that takes us out of the European Union come What May that we are leaving the EU and I will just buy on 31st.

This is not about an implementation.

That ship has sailed and gone we are now focused on leaving the doctors my gas to make Robinson talking to the former conservative minister and still MP Priti Patel on the Today programme last Monday this into that into a pretty Patel to think that the time pressures on today are such that its difficult to get anywhere know to be honest.

I had worn at aim in that interview which was to expose the fact that Boris Johnson had promised something that simply according to all the experts was not possible and to stretch it even further Roger was maybe even untrue and Mr Johnson shows and he still choosing not to appear on the programme Priti Patel was put up by his campaign he had said that she'd negotiate a free trade agreement during the quotes implementation.

There will be no implementation period if Theresa May's deal died a very consciously not because of shortage of time repeated again and again and again.

I think it's 5 times it may be more.

There is no implementation put a lot of our listeners to find out that sort of confrontational unpleasant listening in the morning.

Are you saying that well tough luck on occasions? You just have to do it because the issue is so important.

I am saying that I'm afraid now that has to be light and shade if we did that all the time it would be a dreadful this and I along with others would dash for the volume control of the off switch and turn it down, but it was revealed later that pretty Patel you are talking to me from our Westminster studio had been simply reading a script and interpret it as a real issue here because in the end if the politicians won't play the game with you in the end, you can push and push and push but what does anybody get out of these interviews they do get something.

I think Roger I think what came out of that interview was that that line was totally unsustainable and it is when Boris Johnson then spoke to the BBC political editor Laura going to Becky abandoned it no longer use that line of argument because he?

Had been revealed to be unsustainable well.

We talked about the limited time you have available in Today programme now you have a broadcast which is all yours and have a lot of time.

What was the Genesis of that was you thinking look there is another way of conducting a political interview.

I live have lots of conversations over decades not years were politicians that say why can't we breathe in an interview? Why can't we think Aloud why can't we talk to you without being asked about whatever happens to be on the front page of that day and I also realise that im private conversation over a cup of tea or a pint people say what they really like these people and I would tell them stories from the knowledge.

I had so we designed a conversation and it is designed to be conversation on an interview not an interrogation.

So yes, it will occasionally sound chumpitaz, Sue who didn't like it suggest it on because what I'm trying to do is bring out the stuff.

I know is there from.

Private conversations with people into the public domain but they are still trying to sell themselves and then you could sit there attitude will be here the podcast he is my chances of politician to show I'm really lovable human being rounded with lots of interest and therefore I will pretend to give you intimate things but I've never really off their god surely when it comes to the issues that matter they're honest Ita script as they are with the Today programme yes and no so clearly people create an image of themselves that they wanted in the way that people do glossy Magazine article at the weekend instead of a hard political interview.

They're telling themselves course, they are but actually if you ask them deep down wife example there a brexiteer Geoffrey Cox attorney general eaten hardly any interviews told me about the fact that five generations of his family and live not just in the same County not just the same time but the same plot of land his sense of the roots of eating.

Really explain his passion for brexit in a way that a series of interviews about the backstop never do what in the sense that most people are emotionally driven and find arguments basically to support their initial instinctive or emotional position.

I think it's ok that you've understood Roger which is that Dominic grieve educated in friends having a home in France feels emotionally European and feels a terrible wrench as a result of brexit understand those underlying things they're not a replacement for the proper interviews about policy, but they give you a much deeper sense of why people think what they do think and if it's either or either prefer the podcast or you like the Today programme.

I hope you like both today is the daily news a chance to hold to account politicians and to hear what they're announcing that day the political thinking podcast now Radio 4 programme is a chance to step back to have a slow.

A more relaxed conversation to look at the Deep roots of the political thinking people shape our political thinking I get a sound source of from the podcast did you have rather more respect for politicians a lot of people had how many people are written into feedback? I recently complaining about the debasement of language the way in which hakchi politicians have been calling themselves traitors the word betrayal is everywhere presumably you find that rather offensive language is most of these people are not are any of them traitors.

I feel that with passion.

I can't tell you what I feel with National most subjects.

That's not what we do at the BBC but with a passion.

I believe in politics and democracy forgive the backstory, but my grandparents were German Jews refugees who then moved to China that was taking over the, yes, I know what it means to live in countries where there isn't democracy and the Casual way in which people accuse each other of being traitors or doing there come.

Three Down doesn't just a press me Rodger he's angers me.

It's cheaper than a public Debate and part of the reason.

I want to have these conversations as I want to say to the country however cross.

You are with people don't agree with you whichever side of the arguing or listen to what they're saying why they're saying it where they come from and we can all have a better national debate my thanks to Nick Robinson presenter of today and political thinking we'll be hearing the second half of his interview next week now for a new feedback listener feature each week.

We're asking to BBC Radio listeners to step out of their comfort zones and listen to a program that they wouldn't normally switch on this week's Maggie Chris Allen PETA water making a second appearance and they're going to review an episode of Radio 4 Sunday programme they listen to an episode from 9th of June which looked at gangland.

Rose a Jewish women's abuse helpline and faith and the fire grenfell 2 years on to get an idea of their regular listening habits, let's have a reminder of the top 3 programs.

They would take with them if they were to be stranded on a desert island feedback excluded of course Maggie first.

I think it would have to be the Archers but on a daily format so there was always something to look forward to tomorrow private passions on Radio 3 and at the moment peanuts politics because there's such a lot going on absolutely what what about your topless beauties 323? Yeah? I'm I'm an Archers fan to tend to prefer to listen to The omnibus, but that's just a matter of taste.

I always have to listen to the Today programme and addiction and from our own correspondent would be my other choice might be round does Dan will be a very good way of getting rid of any addiction when they're in Harlow this week, we're going to discuss the Sunday programme is broadcast.

Some Radio 4 as you might imagine I'm sending money 7:10 the this program.

I presented myself for a number of years.

We previously asked you to listen to an episode of the Kermode and Mayo film review on Radio 5 Live this week's very different program Sunday broadcast on Radio 4 as you might expect on Sunday morning at 7:10.

He is an extractor week as we prepared for the funerals of of 3 of those people who were all shot dead two weeks ago, so it was a very hot Topic last week when he spoke out just to put on a show at the funeral do them, what does what do they do well essentially we had a couple of funeral Siri now where for example and in one case tour 12 limousines order soma cell.

Are you awake at 10, solicitor this program? I'm usually awake but sort of drifting in and out so I will always have Radio 4 on and I occasionally hear snatchers.

Of the Sunday programme but then goes off again.

Do you like what you hear? Yes? I do I do actually and then I find it difficult to remember what it was when I finally went up.

What do you think this programme is in some ways, I mean it's obvious what is a news and current affairs programme essentially about religion and the wage impact on society as but you said something like that, but do you listen to it? Because it's sort of summarises what happened in the week and brings you up to date or do you listen because it might explore things you haven't thought of definitely the Latin for my money an awful.

Lot of so-called current affairs broadcasting is just a reiteration of sort of predefined positions and therefore unbelievably doll but Sunday looks at other matters and from a different perspective.

So I think I enjoyed found interesting which for me is the same thing virtually everything that they presented at it was a different perspective in a standard very calm and measured and Collegiate way to be with that mate.

Yes, I do like.

All the items were extremely interesting some possibly more interesting to me than others particularly interesting discussion about the nature of scripture Karen Armstrong yes, it was fascinating and I could listen to a quite a lot more of her that she's so scholarly and I thought you know to stretch my thinking it was thought provoking made me think about it afterwards quite a lot now.

We've had a lot of courage.

Le Grand fall Tower on on every current affairs programme.

Why was this coverage different I felt that it again.

It was not trying to the particular portion playing as more trying to explore the feelings and responses of people who are trying to deal with the aftermath of it and found that was in any interesting different way of doing things what have people to sustain their face having such a horrific experience it cost to cross the face barriers.

So though they do people from different faiths that again maybe I didn't learning.

Particularly radical, but I just found it an interesting way of proceeding and again.

It wasn't antagonistic.

It wasn't combative it was simply people expressing themselves in a coherent and I found interesting blame manga the last item which is normally the house in the most important wandered off the most newsworthy walnut Close to 8 when they've been more people listening was about the changes that the Pope is proposing the Lost interested.

Sorry to say something find Clifford Longley that interesting but I thought the very good questions will put by experts and I thought he explored it very well and quite be probed it quite well, who was Clifford Longley saying that he looked up lead us not into temptation found there was something like 30 books with that in the title.

So taking these words out of the liturgy isn't necessarily going to.

Get rid of that as a concept because it's it's going to remain there, but I thought was interesting because when I was do they know and I'm quite religious and son I've made me I'm not thought about the simple thing which is it says in the last bit lead us not into temptation at employment godly does implantation into temptation nobody really if he's doing that why it shows that in a you can say something every day of your life.

Not think about nothing about it.

So god leads us in a sense if you believe in a God into everything and because God Created the Universe and therefore we created all the possibilities of existence behaviour and thought so I have a get to meet the Pope I shall argue strongly against his manoeuvre apart from it against its messing up a beautiful bit of poetry so am I giving Peter the question we always ask at the end of these discussions.

Would you listen again slightly out of your comfort zone Maggie are you going to set the alarm now and ensure you stay awake for it, then? I might listen to it on Catch Up

On BBC sounds which I'm not getting my head around set the alarm to make more of a point now ensuring that I do get to hear it.

Yes, my thanks to Matalan to Peter Ward who he even now.

It's saying to hail Marys for daring to criticize the holy father's literary and theological statements about the nature of temptation basically the Pope says god does not lead us into it now while Peter is praying let me give you the details of how to get in touch if you would like to take part in that feature or become part of our feedback panel.

You can send an email to feedback bbc.co.uk or write a letter the addresses 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 4544 standard landline charges apply, but it could cost more on some mobile networks all those details are of course on our website at an interesting but perhaps risky idea a radio producer is sent to a random area each week to find a story what could possibly go wrong well, what if there's nothing there around to Paris

Oh wow.

Pretty far north in Scotland if you chose to a different postcode in search of a story among other things she's discovered his wife fairy with wheels is causing a stir in Wales and the starting situation which has led to a pharmacist in Medway becoming the local hero here's what some of you thought of the program and its premise Susan I thought it was a fun idea unlucky dip like talking to strangers on trains.

Not sure I shall go out of my way to involve myself again.

Also like talking to strangers on trains.

My name is Amy Taylor and I love this program.

It's completely different to anything else on Radio 4 and brings with it a freshness and optimism it feels very useful even though the stories that poly finds that sometimes quite serious this program is brilliant and I hope that they keep it on earth and many more series but I'm is Mohammed Hussain and I'm a pharmacist from Leeds I've just listen to.

Fascinating programme called a patch on a pharmacy independent prescriber running a private service in the community interesting areas of competence regulation patient access and publishing the general pharmaceutical Council inspection report definitely worth a listen well.

I'm not joined by Polly Weston who's the producer of the patch and indeed.

It was her idea to take this high-risk venture barley wine and well because I found a random postcode generator and I thought it was just a wonderful way to get to places all over the UK and then that's that's a simple answer.

I started out doing my son is newspaper journalism training all those years ago with a patch where you would be sent out and you had that challenge of having to come back with stories every week or don't come home and no longer employed exactly and I loved it must be nerve-wracking.

I mean it's never recognise when you go out thinking you know what you're going to do, but you go out not know what you going to do.

Do you sleep before you do it? It's

Absolutely terrifying rosado beginning of the program it starts with a BBC executive Lodge Armani helping you out.

Why did you want him to participate if the first thing commissioning editor that was how are you going to prove that? You haven't cheated because you could just generate postcode off the postcode having checked out the areas and therefore ignorant down the choice.

So you actually knew you were going to get exactly and you don't know what you are absolutely not so we talked about that and that would seem to be quite a a key challenge at start so I looked up.

You know who was the most trustworthy person in the UK I came back with David Attenborough and for a moment.

I contemplated contacting David Attenborough to ask him.

Thankfully my editor said how about Roger Marnie he is that backstop of editorial integrity for the worst title example in the business editor editor which is why I think it works for the audience because it is.

It's a bit of a joke, but not what she got your postcode.

What's the first thing you do? What are you Google

Yeah, you do to get to see where is the what was interesting was the week.

I think we kind of had an assumption that you might do quite a lot of research into the area before you went there and with the very first when we have did which was Caldecote that was blown completely out the water because there was nothing in the news.

There is nothing that you could have plundered so you're gonna to be or journalist recovering in the pub and started and it works still works it definitely does work and it as the series progressed we will try and sort of move away from that sometimes.

Hopefully cos you know that is but it does work people do tell you stuff and you do get a sense of the key things the case of tensions in a community straight away.

I think I wanted to put a bit of a structural problem with the program data and other program.

You choose the front the first minute 30-second some of the most interesting content and that would encourage listener to continue listening.

Where is your program and you can't do that because the whole premises you don't know what's going to be in the program until you're somewhere into it does that creates a bit of a problem few sustaining enough interest in.

Listener in those first few minutes until you found the story which will then engage them.

I think that's the great challenge of the program and Jenkins producer and I are both very keen on the idea of stories that don't reveal themselves immediately the do reveal themselves gradually and I think that the challenge as the program a cow is to be able to do that in such a way that you keep the audiences attention and babies sometimes we fail, but they ultimate aim is that every program will do that and keep you there until they reveal we had lots of listeners who really enjoy the program but we have had a complaint from Jim James about the episode on Ferryside I had lots of rumours about teething problems with a bloody going as it is in heaven problem.

Is it? What does it affect tire? It wasn't working after Jean James

I understand you wanted an unusual story about Ferryside I first listened with interest as a certain person was interviewed about our New Ferry I listen further only to be appalled at the negativity this program reported.

This is not the Ferryside I recognised as an active member of the community.

I was at a loss to understand why the positive areas of the community's activities were not mentioned so poorly and this often happens you go to community often the story wants a difficult or a bad Story how do you respond to Jim James yeah? I mean I thought that community was wonderful and I really hope that that positive feeling came across in the programme.

You know I mean not to talk to about the negativity of the programme.

Yeah and obviously we're not going to please everyone all the time it is for a national audience.

So you are looking for something that's going to say something bigger and it's not just a profile that that that means that sometimes you know when you're telling a story they do contain like and share.

There is a degree of tension within a story but she says not the first side.

I recognised as an active member of the community outside lost to understand why the positive areas of the community's activities will not mention where I mean the focus was on the ferry and we talked about how is remarkable that very was and we we put a cross with the positive use tea, but it was to reflect what people felt across the board in the village and those negative views.

Are you know? They're worth interrogating to sometimes.

I'm trying to do the wider listen here for BBC journalists will actually 4 commissioning editors that there are most interesting stories out there, then you know about and they shouldn't just be the patch that tries to find the Unknown I think it's that an interval of us and I think that everyone who works in and have a sort of an interesting stories and how we tell them would say the same but this is just one way of doing it and I guess there may be a multitude of l.

My thanks to Polly Western producer and presenter of the patch and that's it for this week last week.

I used to sign of words of the late great John Ebdon listener Patricia Anderson got in touch if your reference to John Ebdon and recruiting him.

I never hear the presenters say thank you for listening without mentally adding if you have been to hear you say it today had me smiling as broadly as I always did when John said it will let you know the real thing from the lips of the master.

NEXO glad to be British doesn't it anyway if you have been thanks for listening, goodbye.