Read this: Great thinkers, Gangsters, and Love and Money

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts hello and welcome to Great thinkers gangsters love, it's all on this week's feedback.

We're halfway through this year's reflexes delivered by prof Ben and being asked is a slightly fantastical feeling and I did wonder if they extraordinarily elaborate prank and I'll be talking themes and locations with Ben and commissioning editor Hugh Levinson also just been stripped podcast million-dollar lover thought it was fantastic.

We Delve into the murky depths of love and inheritance with the presenter of the podcast series million-dollar lover the daughters were horrified and called him a car in front of his life now.

They thought that dementia could be the only thing that explained her love and listening Jay Smith from Birmingham is in the box box to unpick a series.

Flooring gangland violence in the city burger bar boys the second of American gangster music to me seen further evidence of a lack of understanding and again kind of sensationalising because it's like it's the British equivalent of Boyz n.

The Hood I'm more from Jay later, but first this year's reflectors are being delivered by Ben Ansell he's professor of comparative double institutions at Oxford University and author of why politics fails not surprisingly perhaps he's chosen as this year's theme are democratic future for the for lectures in London Berlin Sunderland and Atlanta began in 1948 to mark the historic contribution made to Public Service Broadcasting by later Lord Reith the corporations first director-general believe that broadcasting should be a public service which enriches the intellectual and cultural life of the

Each year the BBC invites and leading figure or sometimes several to deliver the series of lectures to a live audience with Ben Ansell and Radio 4 commissioning editor Hugh Levinson here to discuss this year's lecture but first I wanted you to explain how the BBC chooses who gets the honour and responsibility of delivering these landmarks lectures choices with the controller Radio 4 and I have the tire but I discuss it with him and he talks to a lot of people and we worry about it.

We go back and forth it's the single most consequential decisions.

We make editorially I think in the whole year so sometimes.

There's somebody who we know we want who we just think this is a great individual.

They can really make contribute sometimes it proceeds from the other end so we think there's a topic that's really important.

Then we look at various people we asked around I watch a lot of YouTube nothing is very helpful.

Add see how people presenters as well as reading material and then we and then we approached you people and talk to them and see you both whether we think this is what do they want to do you take on the amount of work? That's involved and then you took you took on that huge amount of work this year.

What was it like to be asked and kind Earth did you go about choosing exactly what you were going to say this is slightly fantastical feeling and I did wonder if this was an extraordinarily elaborate prank that was being played on me, but I couldn't figure out how so once I've been asked.

I'm very fortunate that I've been on Sabbatical this year, so I have the time to set aside to write his lectures and of course to to go and give them.

I was fortunate that this year.

I had written and published the book why politics fails that came out in March and that book provided me with a structure that I could use for the lectures what I was saying.

Please make sure that the Lexus Jude on their own two feet there's no text overlap.

These are entirely new but it did give me that kind of inspiration is interesting the first lecture you tackled was about the institutions of democracy and it looked at her resilient.

They are to the challenges that were facing very topical of course we've got such a big political year coming up in 2020 for putting it together.

You've been made references to your own family.

You were trying to pronounce put it in a broader context this must be a lecture that is interesting to everybody and that's accessible to all listeners.

That's quite a balance.

I'm sure this is a huge challenge for every reflective of a good so many of them are academics and it is a chasing and liberating experience to move from the other academics to getting this down to 3500 words to give in 25 minutes to a much much broader audience where I couldn't caveat I couldn't show slides.

These speeches and the speeches were reading them out loud.

They have to be lyrical they have to have a through-line.

They have I think to be inspiring and entertaining and I would say that inspiration and entertainment on words one always associated with academic work.

That's a big transition you have to go through and I'm delighted.

I got the opportunity to do it.

You don't get to twice.

I want to put to you a comment from one of our listeners.

Derek blacklock, the first reflect relieve migraine and sore is very good, but I would like to pause.

There are two major problems with our democracy and becoming professional MPs with very little work life experience.

Conservatives conservative MP's close, if you were there as I am mate, didn't seem to address the actual lecture and one of them seem to want to make a brexit party political broadcast first to that point at Derek makes about about politicians.

Do you think that's fair? I have had a number of responses where people ask.

Why didn't I talk about politicians lying I think in the talked talked about the predictability of the speech that maybe chat GPT could come up with a similar line of argument that you might hear on the Today programme is about framing and one person's clever framing can be another person's miss information.

I also think that all humans are flawed.

And so I suppose if humans one gets Liars to some extent to you, then there were a Oxon Oxford principle.

Are you happy with the people that were asking questions that lecture we are going to be interesting.

I'm going to ask engaged intelligent questions always a minority the audience and I think the charity of those to ask questions that may be the first you're here.

It's much much wider recommend electric tree in Sunderland where there's a really kind of Wight sweep of people asking questions from the floor and the London one chance to have a little bit Ben and the Reith Lecture was on security and that was given in Berlin why did you choose Berlin at definitely meant that the the letter?

Q&A afterwards had a very different feel to it.

I felt the lectures and very different locations.

We get very different questions and answers within our final at resorts in Atlanta where we get a lot of good answer.

I think from Americans with very different political views, so listeners will get a huge array of questioners, and I got a huge array of questions to say that the smartest thing.

I did when when the reflexes were first mentioned to me it say it would be great to do in Berlin we could do security there and and so it came to be what I didn't is it at the time is that we would do it on such an important day in German history, so which she gave a lecture on the 9th which ones or day of Destiny that's in 1930s also felt so it was a really important day for the German audience as well, and I think that meant there was an excitement in the room about talking about a topic that important on that particular.

Particular location, thank you both very much and the first two episodes of the Reith lectures are on BBC signs now with the next two from London's and Atlanta being broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday the 13th and 20th of December both at 9 a.m.

The feedback interview year.

We've had nominations flooding in but there is still time and room for more so please do sending your choice what we're looking for is your standard interview from 2020 and it can be from anywhere on BBC Radio or signs whether it's a politician being grilled or standing found a deeply moving or insight for conversation anything really that made an impression on you and please do tell us why you think it deserves to be the feedback interview of the year that we do need nominations by midnight on Sunday the

Of December so you'll have to be quick here or choices of a few listeners have already made down on the Nation's hello.

It's been here from Manchester I would like to nominate does Island disc edition with the Byrne interview in Edmonton incredibly moving when he got to talk about the death of his Close Penrith mail and how you dealt with actor if I was at the gym on the treadmill Pioneer Way listening in and it's one of those where I just had to stop the treadmill and lots of the throat time is Monroe p.m.

Lovely letter.

Alright to her after he died and she wrote back saying what she could remember was laughing laughing laughing so funny.

My name is Jonathan Pennington and I live in North London the interview at like to nominate with the Today programme on Radio 4 on the 12th of September with merope Mills the mother of Martha who died from sepsis in hospital fallen off her bike and was being treated for an injury to a pancreas her parents knew that Martha was extremely ill and had enormous and unsuccessful difficulty in persuading the Medics that Martha's condition was perilous.

Think about it all the time and think about.

Something causing pausing the film The plays in my mind.

Imagining what could have happened?

to make a difference

the please don't worry if you don't know exactly where you heard the interview.

Just tell us what you do remember and we will do our best to find it once we have the nominations we at feedback will draw up and then a panel of feedback listeners made up of our regular correspondence to the program will make the final decision and the winner will be announced on our last programme of the series just before Christmas so please do get those nominations and you can drop us an email to feedback at bbc.co.uk you can leave us a voice message.

It's 0345 for social media.

It is at BBC R4 feedback and you can listen to feedback anytime on BBC signs, please subscribe to us and each weekly program will appear in your podcast feed now.

The burger set boys were more dangerous than any of the gangs at that time.

They're sure that may miss me and then another shop in the mascot called out of gangster from BBC Radio 5 Live presented by investigative journalist Livvy Haydock is the story of the Notorious burger bar boys gang the series covers the Windrush generation who settled in Birmingham during the 1950s and includes the Gang culture of the 1990s the program centres on the night of Years Eve in 2003 when two teenage girls Charlene Ellis and the tissues Shakespeare were killed in a drive-by shooting.

It was widely praised on social media Juliet and from Leeds in West Yorkshire what a brilliant series was brilliant podcast so detailed unbiased interesting every single.

Happy intrigued to find out how it all started.

How it all progressed and ultimately how I ended up and coming from Grantham and I'm just calling to say how much are thoroughly enjoyed delivery Haydock series gangsters The Story the burger bar boys absolutely brilliant serious and yet.

Just another addition to the series of programmes about going to visit really enjoyed every single one of them and I feel at the weekend now that it's finished now.

I've got nothing else to listen to with a particular perspective on the story contacted feedback to express a very different you coming in today.

I'm from Bellingham it was good from historic basis like I think it was quiet.

I think was quite well done in that sense.

I think there was a lot of areas covered however, I get those deverson parts that were lacking shall we say I don't think the present as well good? I don't think the presenters on experienced.

They definitely are I think my issue would have I would have really prefer.

Presented by someone from either Birmingham or from the Communities that we discussed in the podcast I would have seen as there's a there's a wealth of skills and Talent from the Midlands that could have at least come through and had a little bit of local knowledge and experience and I think the even if it was only kind of co-presenter quite beneficial.

I think the people that are from Birmingham from those Communities they really understand.

It's quite complex and difficult situation.

It's not as simple as there's this guy and there's that gang and these things happen in people's families people and don't get me wrong there were human elements are expressed through for example.

I think one of the inmates that I spoke to a previous and spoke to completely different world which has its own rules his own characters.

It has its own sister and it has its own language even and it was learning just to try and survive in this new world and the new planet that landed on I think that's toning down the kind of sensationalism and bringing in a bit of a bit of a mole control emotional side of the story that makes it less of a letter kind of fun true Crime podcast the drama actually more of her a tragedy which is for everyone involved ponytail.

She had on would like to come to one side so I walked in and around and a touch on their face is the one having the right music choices really helps to bring someone into that place and I think if you're if you've never been to Birmingham and you don't really know what that was like or you'll never been to the inner cities.

It might not seem out of place to here kind of a West Coast gangsta instrumental being played when they're describing again.

What's happening in the north of Birmingham

They live the lifestyle tooth champagne bling and women being rude BH21 swagger in and arrogance that fall on either side of this right.

You know the use of these kind of American gangster music to me seems like further evidence of an understanding in again.

Kind of sensationalising this cos it's like it's the British equivalent of Boyz n.

The Hood burgers were a motorised own community first.

I think that would be more appropriate in this context would be say grime you know UK hip-hop.

Have a listen you might find it look like Grinch I've heard from people can meet outside of my culture as well.

You know saying that yeah, it was fun and entertaining but little bit dinner.

Yeah, but there was there was a bit of discomfort, and I just think that is a shame because it's I think it's worth telling and I don't think there's that many changes that need to happen the once but thank you to Jay Smith and you can hear all episodes of the burger bar boys from 5 live on BBC signs now.

We did invite someone from the production to the interview feedback nobody was available the press office provided this statement presenter.

Livvy Haydock has unrivalled contacts and expertise for reporting on the criminal underworld.

She uses this expertise to ensure that great storytelling is balanced with rigorous journalism is used in every series of the gangster podcast are used to evoke a sense of time and place.

It's also used to drive the narrative however due to rights issues.

It is not always possible to use the specific songs or music genres.

We would like to million-dollar lover series which tells the story of 80-year old Carolyn in maths and fell in love with 57 year old Dave a homeless former drug addict who spent time in jail, but is the real love or something darker first because I really like having a place to shower place to lay down.

I did sleep downstairs for 1 series is presented by Sue Mitchell and the access that she gets to all the participants is quite staggering.

I can't think of anything quite like it on BBC partly because she lives in this Californian community and this story was playing out on her doorstep.

Because she clearly became a trusted friend and confidante of many of those involved.

What is Regular feedback listeners will know we normally get praise and criticism from most of all in this instance the only comments we had our from people who really enjoyed the series Mike Thorpe just binged your podcast million-dollar lover and thought it was fantastic.

What a whole bag of different feelings viewpoints and emotions depending on who you were listening to on each episode who needs fiction when this is real life.

Thank hi.

It's Rachel a truly compelling series.io fluctuated between siding with Dave there with a daughter's several times within each episode sure he'll be in the end, but there was too much ugliness shown on his part to let me accept him.

Hello.

This is Shauna fascinating.

I absolutely binge listened with a break.

I admired Carol and daughters defensive their mother but as I often feel was disappointed in the important setup on money in the US I feel their mother would have like David 207 something hello my name is Maggie I am an artist musician studying in Berlin at the moment.

I just wanted to call in to comment on the documentary a million-dollar so impressed with the amazing stories and storytelling.

They're like compelling enthralling.

What is it? Do you think this story? That's gonna that kind of reaction? It's really nice to hear that feedback from listeners.

It really means a lot to me right from the beginning the thing that really really interested is that I think there's a massive issue, and I think it is playing out in lots of ways and lots of different families this idea of love in later life and particularly when older Generations have.

Property wealth in a better off and it's often the fortunate their children.

Hope to inherit and how do people suffer just in families well, maybe there is an acceptance of a new partner.

So those are the kind of issues that really drives me towards it the access that you had to the characters was extraordinary because not only way you recording had a fly in the wall tile as the drama on folders, but they did often come to you and to talk to you, but I just wonder if the situation deteriorated am in one of the main characters Dave as an alcoholic use marijuana.

I'm stronger drugs and Caroline who's the 80-year old woman at the heart of this is suspected of having to mention by her family you will not understand to your house after drug and I just wondered what kind of conversation you were having a BBC manager.

Whether these people were really in a position to give consent essentially I mean the position for Carolyn say was that she was caught in the middle of this awful nightmare.

She had a long as you're so committed today.

He was a very unlikely choice and very unlikely choice and the daughters were horrified and called him a con man of trying to ring him from her mother's life.

I thought that dementia could be the only thing that explained her.

Love she gave her and Dave really from the offset wanted to do the recordings because they felt that there was a chance for them to tell the story so they have a great life are the daughters are questioning whether she was of Sound mind and doctors just to be completely capable of making that decision her doctors and no sign she had dementia is a difficult area cuz obviously that was the allegation be made by the daughter's but as regards Dave I mean Dave and some of the characters.

Time so fluctuated maybe Dave at points and you here on the podcast actually do a couple of times where you asked me not to record we have to turn off the recorder there a couple of times where he's really openly with me for what he sees is my sort of crossing a line that somehow has he thought maybe he could compartmentalize bits of his life and the even at the end.

I was able to be really frank with him about how we should come across about what I was going to use of them and how people might see him the journalist when you find out more about Dave's past and that we can't go into all good here, but you know he sold his child.

He was repeated use of crystal meth.

He was also a dealer a serial abuser.

It was in another prison 1.4 smoking crystal meth and he was talking to you when the whole community was clean the old man who was previously homeless and he's my living with as the title of the podcast says his million-dollar lover is an 80-year old woman.

You should just be telling her distraught family all of this sooner.

It's fair to say actually that I had conversations with Carolyn about some of his past she knew pretty much everything there was to know about him, but the other thing is that is not all black and white and they were bits of his past that really gave some insight into how I got to where you was towards the end.

I did I did read more about my GT pedals Carolyn but even then the authorities daughter's have gone to every everyone they're gone tile protector services, then the place was really know where else we could have gone independently and the only thing was how much we sort of revealed to them and that was kind of one of the interesting things about making the series was I said to have you alright.

I didn't want to become a message Farah from one side to the other everyone believe they were right and my job was to you.

No talk to them record with them here.

What they were saying but not too.

Passing information from back and forth absolutely no doubt that many viruses find the story captivating but if I were to read.

I just synopsis of tailored is one that wouldn't be out of place on Jerry Springer or one of those other day time reality family sagas a lot of internal family arguments.

We've got Dave's drunk and Francis daughters Halloween deeply distressing life where you concerned that it could be considered distasteful envirostik.

No not really I think the the things I think all of them were recorded with dignity and they all got a chance to sort talk to me at length and those recordings peoplevalue doing them.

So never felt any point that are they were they felt shortchange people wanted to share those bits of their experiences because it was so important and that's one of the things.

I mean you mentioned Jerry Springer

Shows you get catapulted into centrestage into someone's life, but I think ultimate everyone wanted to sort of be heard because everyone really passionately believe that this was not just for them actually in the case of Karen's daughters.

Specially who had a lot to lose by doing recording because this is a very private Family Affair that they were centrestage in I think they really sing that no one else would be going through this and that they have seen around them cases where these kind of things have happened and never imagine.

They would ever be party to it.

So many listeners are hoping from more after this so we wait to see what else comes from the story.

Thank you very much indeed for coming on feedback and all episodes of million-dollar love her are available now on BBC signs and that's all from feedback for this week from me and all the team.

Thank you so much for listening and for giving us your feedback.

If anyone is an artist in there so

Joni Mitchell there are some artists that changed music Forever guitar the master of voice the mastery of language for everyone who comes the dust settles Joni Mitchell EastEnders the most important influential female recording artist of the late 20th century is a music biography podcast from BBC Radio 4 Extra Neri lives at musical Pioneers listen now on BBC sounds.